A much-needed tribute to this genius power-pop trio – local Illinois legends who labored in the indie underground during the biggest years of disco and punk rock! Shoes were something else entirely – a no-nonsense group with a really tight power pop feel – easily one of the proudest of the Yellow Pills generation, with an ear for a hook and sharp guitar line to rival their Illinois contemporaries Cheap Trick – even though Shoes never broke nearly as big at the time. This set's the first full career-spanning collection of their music – and features lots of tracks from early albums like Present Tense, Black Vinyl Shoes, Tongue Twister, and Boomerang – plus a few choice bits from later years (these guys are still going today!) – all wrapped together with some wonderfully personal liner notes too. Titles include "She Satisfies", "Tomorrow Night", "Okay", "Girls Of Today", "Only In My Sleep", "Curiosity", "Get My Message", "Feel The Way That I Do", "Your Devotion", "Your Very Eyes", "Oh Angeline", "Burned Out Love", and "Torn In Two". CD

Three classic albums from Shoes, plus bonus tracks, and a full CD worth of rare material too! First up is Present Tense – a power-pop classic from Shoes – their first full length for Elektra Records, and a set that stands with all the best end of 70s gems from either coast! The songs are impeccable, and the group do a fantastic job of blending sharper guitars with really great lyricism – a mode that maybe makes the Illinois group a strong precursor for territory that The Replacements wouldn't hit until many years later – and which makes just about every track on the album a precious nugget that just gets better and better with time! Titles include "Now & Then", "Every Girl", "I Don't Wanna Hear It", "Three Times", "In My Arms Again", and "Too Late". On Tongue Twister, Shoes continue the brilliance of their first album for Elektra – serving up the kind of music that was so well-done, so subtle, it was maybe missed by most of the world at the time – even though it's gone onto the status of classic, thanks to legions of fans and critics! Shoes have a way with a tune that's unlike anyone else – maybe that compressed charm of Big Star, but fused into the sharper modes of the power pop years – but without any of the too commercial modes of some of the bigger groups of the time. Instead, the whole thing feels like you've just stumbled upon a brilliant band, playing in a backroom bar – which, unfortunately, is how Shoes spent too much of their career. Titles include "Only In My Sleep", "She Satisfies", "Found A Girl", "Hate To Run", "When It Hits", "Yes Or No", "Your Imagination", and "Girls Of Today". On Boomerang, Shoes maybe look a bit too new wave on the cover, but still sound perfect within – very much in charge of that perfect yet understated approach to a tune that has gone on to make them legends in all the many years since this album was released! The group were never out to change the world, and maybe that held them back at the time – but they were also never trying for big chart success, or too-slick modes – and there's a wonderfully honest, down to earth approach to the songwriting and production that clearly sets the stage for all the bigger late 80s groups that would follow in their wake. Nearly every tune is a completely catchy mofo – and titles include "Curiosity", "In Her Shadow", "Double Talk", "The Summer Rain", "Under The Gun", "The Tube", and "What Love Means". 4CD set features a huge amount of bonus material – 8 track demo versions of all three albums, added to their discs – and a bonus CD of 18 more rare tracks – all in a box, with a big booklet of notes! CD

The second and final chapter in the career of Cristina – the female singer who was a key link in the New York club scene between Grace Jones and Madonna! Like the former, Cristina was not a singer at heart – but rose into the mainstream with a quirky ear for a tune and model-like looks that helped carry off her act. And like the latter, she clearly marched to the beat of her own tune – and did so with enough charisma and self-assured star power to get that tune out into the clubs. This second album features Cristina working in a very different style than on her debut – teaming with Don Was in a set of Detroit recordings that also featured a fair bit of original lyrics by Cristina. The camp/retro mode of the first album is still present here, but in a more subtle way – and the disco grooves have been replaced by more of the Was Not Was proto-funk approach, which means heavier beats and noisier guitars overall. The core album features original tracks "What's A Girl To Do", "Ticket To The Tropics", "The Lie Of Love", "Quicksand Lovers", and "He Dines Out On Death" – plus covers of "Blue Money" and the Brech/Weil tune "Ballad Of Immoral Earnings". The CD adds in some bonus tracks – "Things Fall Apart" and "Disco Clone (7" mix)". CD

A set that hugely expands the legacy of British 80s singer Tracie Young – a great artist, but one who only got a single record issued back in the day! First up is that set, Far From The Hurting Kind – a fantastic bit of soulful UK pop from the 80s that was originally issued on Paul Weller's Respond label, and done with plenty of the touches that Weller was bringing to his own Style Council music at the time! Tracie's got a voice that's right at home in some of the British period styles, but which sounds even better with some of the mod soul inflections that Weller's production brings to the record – definitely 80s in instrumentation and execution, but with a richness that really seems to open up the vocals of singer Tracie Young. Titles include "The House That Jack Built", "When You Sleep", "Moving Together", "Thank You", "I Can't Hold On Till Summer", "Souls On Fire", and "Spring Summer Autumn". Next is the album No Smoke Without Fire – a second set that was not issued at the time, and which has maybe some deeper soulful currents in the music – a bit like the work that Corinne Drewery would do with Swing Out Sister. Titles include "Italian Girl", "I Think You're Lucky", "When You Call Me", "No Smoke Without Fire", "Invitation", and "Fingers Crossed". Both albums are presented here with bonus tracks – and the package features lots more too – CD3 adds in 17 more Rarities, with remixes and singles; CD4 features live material and later radio mixes; DVD adds in some rare promo videos and TV appearances too! The whole package is huge – 84 titles in all. CD

Amazing sounds from Lee Hazlewood – some of his most offbeat, unbridled recordings ever – and that's saying a lot if you've already heard his classics for Mercury, MGM, and Reprise! The package here brings together rare work from Lee's own LHI label – packaged beautifully with a rich set of notes, session details, and some amazing photos that follow in the spirit of the nutty-looking cover image! Hazlewood's voice is sublime throughout – that deeper-than-deep quality that always leaves us breathless – perfect for the sly wit and and "aw shucks" sensibility of the tunes – and also for unlocking the growing adult sensuality that Lee was letting into his work at the time. A few female singers step forth in that great Hazlewood duet mode – Nina Lizell, Suzi Jane Hokom, and Ann Margret – who each sing on a few tracks – but Lee's in the lead on most numbers, and titles include the previously unreleased "I Just Learned To Run" – plus "The Bed", "Sleep In The Grass", "The Night Before", "If It's Monday Morning", "Won't You Tell Your Dreams", "Hey Cowboy", "No Train To Stockholm", "What's More I Don't Need Her", "Trouble Maker", and "Nobody Like You". LP, Vinyl record album

A soaring debut from Audrey Powne – both a jazz musician and a soulful singer, and an artist who manages to wrap both those talents here together in a very righteous way! The album uses larger arrangements to set a very bold sonic scene – clearly informed by spiritual jazz, but taken to more cosmic currents at times – and topped with these airy vocals from Audrey that have a way of gliding effortlessly amidst the charts! Powne also plays a bit of trumpet – soloing with a nice sense of boldness – and overdubbing allows her to create her own choral vibe amidst the gentle strings and other elements – almost like a 21st Century update of the older Cadet/Concept sound from the end of the 60s. Titles include "Feed The Fire", "Souled Out", "Survive", "Indigo", "Overture", "From The Fire", and "Sleep". LP, Vinyl record album

Shoes continue the brilliance of their first album for Elektra – serving up the kind of music that was so well-done, so subtle, it was maybe missed by most of the world at the time – even though it's gone onto the status of classic, thanks to legions of fans and critics! Shoes have a way with a tune that's unlike anyone else – maybe that compressed charm of Big Star, but fused into the sharper modes of the power pop years – but without any of the too commercial modes of some of the bigger groups of the time. Instead, the whole thing feels like you've just stumbled upon a brilliant band, playing in a backroom bar – which, unfortunately, is how Shoes spent too much of their career. Titles include "Only In My Sleep", "She Satisfies", "Found A Girl", "Hate To Run", "When It Hits", "Yes Or No", "Your Imagination", and "Girls Of Today". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard to go wrong with a set like this – because in our opinion, just about every track recorded by Fela is a "best" – which makes the collection a massive batch of goodness all the way through! Every track here is presented in its original extended version – a dozen massive slices of Afro Funk, which packaged together equal the equivalent of at least 5 or 6 separate albums by Fela – another factor that makes the collection a great one! The 2CD set is filled with gems that helped redefine the sound of funk, soul, and world music back in the 70s – titles that include "Monkey Banana", "Everything Scatter", "Expensive Sh*t", "Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am", "Underground System (part 2)", "Sorry Tears & Blood", "Colonial Mentality", "Yellow Fever", "He Miss Road", "Black Man's Cry", "Mr Follow Follow", and "Na Poi". Also features a bonus DVD – with Fela's 1984 performance at the Glastonbury Festival, and an interview too! CD

The debut album from Terrace Martin, and a set that already has him stretching out and building bridges between scenes and genres – at a level that has continued to make him one of the real giants of the west coast scene! The record's never just about Terrace's keys or saxophone – although his work on both are totally great – and instead, there's an equal presence here from the guests – Robert Glasper on Fender Rhodes, or artists like Kendrick Lamar, Lalah Hathaway, Ty Dolla Sign, Musiq Soulchild, and others on vocals – balancing hip hop and soul with Martin's jazz at the core, as he awakes new ears sounds they never would have discovered otherwise! Titles include "Triangle Ship", "No Wrong No Right", "Over Time", "Watch U Sleep", "Something Else", "You're The One", "I'm For Real", "Gone", and "Motivation". LP, Vinyl record album

The new album from Outkast and the soundtrack to their film Idlewild! Outkast has been daring haters for years to pounce at will – and they really take that approach to the next level by making what is far and away their oddest project in midst of the most scrutiny they will probably ever receive. We're lacking a bit of perspective in that we haven't seen the movie – but the best stuff probably makes it worth picking up. Idlewild continues the tag team style of Speakerboxx/Love Below in that the duo rarely appear together on the same tracks. The single "Mighty O" is the most notable expection, in that both rappers do their thing on it – and 3000 is actually rapping! The rest of the album, surprisingly, has a fairly coherent flow – with little touches of the 1930s vibe and atmosphere ( the setting of the film) – as envisioned by forward looking hip hoppers. It's a daring set of tracks with strong moments – and lots of additional singing by Sleepy Brown and others. Tracks include "Mighty O", "Peaches" feat Sleepy Brown & Scar, "Idlewild Blue (Don'tchu Worry 'Bout Me", "N2U" feat Khujo Goodie, "Morris Brown" feat Scar & Sleepy Brown, "Chronomentrophobia", "The Train" feat Sleep Brown & Scar, "Life Is Like A Musical", "Hollywood Divorce" feat Lil' Wayne & Snoop Dogg, "Buggface", "PJ & Rooster", "Greatest Show On Earth" feat Macy Gray. "When I Look In Your Eyes", "Dyin' To Live" and "A Bad Note". CD

Includes the songs "That's What Girls Are Made For", "I'll Always Love You", "It's A Shame", "(Oh Lord) I Wish I Could Sleep", "How Could I Let You Get Away", "I'll Be Around", "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love", "One Of A Kind (Love Affair)", "Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You", "Ghetto Child", "Mighty Love", "I'm Coming Home", "He'll Never Love You Like I Do", "Love Don't Love Nobody", "Then Came You", "Living A Little, Laughing A Little", "Sadie", "Games People Play", "I Don't Want To Lose You", "Honest I Do", "Love Or Leave", "Sweet Love Of Mine", "How Could I Let You Get Away", "Wake Up Susan", "The Rubberband Man", "Me And My Music", "You're Throwing A Good Love Away", "Heaven On Earth (So Fine)", "Working My Way Back To You/Forgive Me, Girl", and "Funny How Time Slips Away". CD

A great debut from Japanese tenorist Takao Uematsu – a player who blows here with a wonderful sense of tone right from the start – almost an inherent sense of spiritualism that he still manages bring to tunes with a straight ahead swing! The approach is a bit like Archie Shepp in that cool 70s stretch when he was stepping away from the outside – and Uematsu's clearly a player who knows the far reaches, but often just hints at them in his music – while moving through these long-blown lines spurred on by a really wonderful group! The combo features excellent Fender Rhodes from Sadayasu Fuji – who stretches out on the long tracks on the set – plus trombone from Takashi Imai, bass from Yoshio Suzuki, and drums from George Otsuka. Titles include "TI", "Sleep My Love", "Stella By Starlight", and "Inside Parts". CD

An overlooked gem from the great Shirley Horn – a record from a time right before she burst into bigger fame, thanks to Verve Records – but was still working strongly in the underground, cutting fantastic records like this! Horn's got this mature, thoughtful approach that makes her way more than just another jazz singer – this well-developed mixture of sophistication and swing that's got the same very personal level of Betty Carter at this point – even though Shirley's a completely different singer – with the lady herself playing piano, alongside bass from Charles Ables and drums from Steve Williams. Titles include a great version of "Summer" (aka "Estate") – plus "Since I Fell For You", "You're My Thrill", "Dindi", "Softly As I Leave You", "Forget Me", and "I Watch You Sleep". CD

Amazing sounds from one of the all-time greats – the legendary Little Willie John – not only a key inspiration to James Brown, but one of the formative forces in soul music at the start of the 60s! The material here was cut by King Records at the height of its R&B years, but it also stretches forth towards something new, too – a deeper, more expressive sound that really blows us out of the water, even all these decades later – vocals that are incredible, and virtually a blueprint for the style that would come to be known as deep soul in later years. The package features 17 tracks in all – all gems from those years before Little Willie John was incarcerated – titles that include "Home At Last", "All Around The World", "Need Your Love So Bad", "Sleep", "Walk Slow", "Spring Fever", "Leave My Kitten Alone", "Let Them Talk", "Tell It Like It Is", "Talk To Me", "Letter From My Darling", "Heartbreak", "Do Something For Me", and his famous version of "Fever". LP, Vinyl record album

James Brown's always cited Little Willie John as one of his biggest vocal influences – and on this CD, you'll definitely hear why! In a world of R&B shouters and screamers, Willie had a talent for subtle soul that was quite unique. He still had as much vocal power as some of his contemporaries, and could use it when he wanted to – but at the drop of a hat, he could also shift into a sadder, mellower mode that was extremely compelling, and which showed a sophistication in R&B that was normally the province of jazz singers. This nicely-done 20-track set pulls together loads of gems from Willie's classic years at King – including his famous version of "Fever", plus "All Around The World", "Spasms", "Leave My Kitten Alone", "Talk To Me, Talk To Me", "My Nerves", "Person To Person", "Sleep", "Home At Last", "My Baby's In Love With Another Guy", and "I Like To See My Baby", a nice duet with Hank Ballard. CD

A heady batch of work from the Miami scene of the 70s – all of it from the legendary TK Records family of labels, headed up by superproducer Henry Stone! Over the years, some folks have taken Henry to task for his operational strategies – but there's no denying that he's a key figure in helping the sound of the south move from the 60s into the 70s – picking up plenty of funk and sophistication along the way! The set's overflowing with classics from Stone's empire at the time – including many cuts that have been sampled or reworked heavily in recent decades – titles that include "I'm Too Tough For Mr Big Stuff" by Vicki Anderson, "Miami Funk" by The Funky Bunch, "Cramp Your Style" by All The People, "Keep It Up" by Milton Wright, "Sleep On Dream On" by Raphael Munnings, "Smokin & Drinkin" by James Brown, "Miss Hot Stuff" by Clarence Reid, "The Rub" by George & Gwen McCrae, "Funkadelic Sound" by Little Beaver, "Future Place" by Jimmy Castor, "I Like My Birdie" by Leon Phillips, "Throwdown" by The King Tutt Band, "Back From The Dead" by Bobby Byrd, "Shake N Bump (part 1)" by Snoopy Dean, and "You're The Song I've Always Wanted To Sing" by Timmy Thomas. LP, Vinyl record album

Essential set that brings together all of Herbie's key transitional recordings for Warner Brothers! Herbie started his years for the label playing in a more straight-ahead funky style – with perennial sample fave recordings like "Wiggle Waggle", "Fat Mama", and "Tell Me A Bedtime Story". Soon, however, he moved into more spacey territory – of the sort that he would later examine fully on his Columbia recordings of the early 70s. Tracks in this vein include "Sleeping Giant", "Water Torture", and "Wandering Spirit Song". The whole set features 3 full albums – Fat Mama, Crossings, and Mwandishi – and it's a great 2CD set filled with hard to find jazz funk classics! CD

A pair of albums from Rain Parade – back to back on a single set! First up is Emergency Rail Power Trip – an undisputed treasure from the early 80s west coast scene – a trippy little record that was one of the shining jewels in the new psych underground – quite a shift from the LA hardcore sound of a few years before! Yet unlike some of their contemporaries, Rain Parade were hardly copping any sort of easy retro modes – as their approach here is leaner, maybe a bit colder, and almost influenced by post-punk styles in the same way that some of the better UK bands were at the time – almost as if there was a synchronous explosion of fuzzy energy between the group and the Creation Records generation to come. The whole thing holds up wonderfully over the years – maybe even more so, given the passage of time, and the legions of other groups who never made the music this well. Titles include "Talking In My Sleep", "I Look Around", "This Can't Be Today", "Look At Merri", "Saturday's Asylum", and "Kaleidoscope". Explosions In The Glass Palace is fuzzy magic from The Rain Parade – an EP, but one that's every bit as important to their catalog as their full length debut! In fact, the record might be an even purer distillation of their sound – recorded by a four member lineup, with a nice focus on the more subtle elements of their songwriting skills, and sometimes augmented by just a bit of light strings, in a really nice way. Titles include "Broken Horse", "Prisoners", "You Are My Friend", "Blue", and "No Easy Way Down". CD

About as classic as you can get for The Spinners – and one of the group's marvelous 70s collaborations with the mighty Thom Bell! Before hooking up with Philly, The Spinners were already a wonderful vocal group – but here, in the hands of Bell, they hit a sound that's completely sublime – a mix of well-crafted harmonies and well-directed backings – soaring one minute, gently fragile the next – all delivered with the same sort of charm that you might expect from Blue Magic or The Stylistics at their best. Like those groups, The Spinners here manage a depth that goes way beyond simple hitmaking soul – as you'll hear on the album's wonderful assortment of tracks that include "Mighty Love", "He'll Never Love You Like I Do", "Love Don't Love Nobody", "Ain't No Price On Happiness", "Since I Been Gone", and "I'm Glad You Walked Into My Life". CD also features 4 bonus tracks – "I Wish I Could Sleep", "I Just Gotta Make It Happen", "Mr Big Man", and "You Sure Are Nasty". CD

A wonderfully mellow set of ballads recorded by Cannonball, with orchestral backings by Richard Hayman. The album's typical of the kind of "all over the map" approach that Mercury used during Cannon's early years – before he'd settled down into the one-man soul jazz factory he later became – but it's also a great chance to hear Adderley working his horn in a style that doesn't show up much in later years. Hayman's orchestrations are less challenging than some of the Verve "with strings" sessions – but the overall work is solid, and the album's a dreamy mix of tracks like "I Cover The Waterfront", "Street Of Dreams", "You Are Too Beautiful", "Lonely Dreams", and "Two Sleepy People". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal Italian horror soundtrack, played by the great Goblin, and created for this totally creepy film by Dario Argento! The band are using a lot of airy keyboards and electronics here – in broad washes of sound filled with evil and darkness, instead of some of the group's usual funkier rhythms. Not that the whole score's slow and moody, though, because some of the tracks have a nice early 80s electronic feel – like late Tangerine Dream, or instrumental Ultravox. Plus, a few themes have very haunting vocals, set to very creepy orchestrations! Titles include "The Wind", "Sleepwalking", "Jennifer", and "Jennifer's Friends". LP, Vinyl record album

A late 80s set from Motown, but one that has all the sorts of street soul modes you'd be more likely to hear on the Sleeping Bag label – super-fresh touches that come from the world of hip hop, all used in really great ways to kick up the groove on the record! There's plenty of the chunky beats that you'd hear behind Sybil, but Joyce's have more of a hip hop crackle at times, even more than work from the new jack stars of the mainstream! The record has a few mellower moments, and titles include "Go Go Girl", "Maximum Thrust", "Guardian Angel", "Mr DJ", "I'm Available", "She's Not My Lover", "I Love You", and "Let's Do It". CD

A beautiful tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim – one recorded especially for the Japanese market, and featuring original recordings by some of our favorite Japanese artists – including Monday Michiru, Bird, Tica, Orange Pekoe, Akiko, Noa Noa, and Ino Hidefumi! The lyrics here are often in English, and the overall style's a bit like some of the American bossa sessions of the 60s – warm and jazzy, with backings that are full, but never too lush to be sleepy – cast in just the right blend of influences to make the package a really fresh take on the sound of Jobim – one that honestly sparkles a lot more than most recent efforts of this type from Brazil. French bossa maestro Pierre Barouh also works on the record – and titles include "Double Rainbow", "Samba De Maria Luiza", "Two Kites", "Quiet Nights", "One Note Samba", "Ela E Carioca", "Someone To Light Up My Life", "No More Blues", and "Wave". CD

A stunning debut from Jarrod Lawson – a singer we fell in love with right away – and who we'd rank right up there with some our favorite mellow soul artists of the 70s! Yes, the cover's got a look that's more indie rock – but Jarrod's got this righteous vibe and sense of flow that seems to tie together distant strands of influence – from Marvin Gaye to Gil Scott Heron to jazz singers like Al Jarreau, Kurt Elling, or Mark Murphy! Backings are jazzy, but with a focused, soulful groove – warmed up by keyboards, but kept fresh with lots of live instrumentation that really matches the rich sense of inflection in Lawson's voice – an amazing range, but one that's never overstated, overdone, or overused. All the tracks are originals – and the record's one that you'll be spinning for years to come! Titles include "Sleepwalkers", "Walk In The Park", "Redemption", "Needed", "Everything I Need", "All That Surrounds", "Spiritual Eyes", and "Together We'll Stand". CD

A masterpiece – and don't pass it up! Sure, the date's a bit later than some of Roy's classic work, but the record's got a sound like no other – with a slow mellow jazzy style that shows Roy working at the height of his powers! There's some wonderful spacey production on the record – bringing out elements like the vibes, electric piano, and soulful vocals – and turning them into a seductive blend that trails out over the course of the record, hitting a smooth mellow mode that we love every bit as much as Roy's harder and funkier work. The title cut is an amazing extended remake of "You Send Me", which sounds nothing like the original – and other good cuts include the stepping "And Don't You Say No", and the great cuts "Rhythm" and "Everytime I See You", which have these excellent offbeat rhythm patterns. A real sleeper – but one that you'll go back to again and again because of it's sophisticated jazzy vibe! LP, Vinyl record album

A crucial album in the sound of late 60s Warner – recorded by west coasters The Beau Brummels in the heart of Tennessee, at the legendary studios of country producer Owen Bradley! This meeting of west and country is fantastic – a really incredible extension of earlier folksy rock styles forged by Dylan, Fred Neil, Tim Buckley, and others – handled with incredible care, and a style that's equally honest and ironic – but coming together with a sound that's unlike anything else we can think of – one of those rare few albums that somehow draws from a wealth of inspiration, but manages to make something completely standout in the process – almost a Feelies/Good Earth for its own generation! Tremendous stuff – and titles include "Jessica", "Bless You California", "I'm A Sleeper", "Little Bird", "Turn Around", and "An Added Attraction". CD

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A fantastic early album from jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby! Ashby's a unique talent like no other – and despite the fact that she plays a rather sleepy instrument, the harp, she swings with an other-worldly quality that's simply amazing, quite exotic, and very much in the camp of players like Yusef Lateef or Les Jazz Modes, who were trying similar experiments in jazz. This session features Dorothy in a quartet with the flute of Frank Wess, the bass of Herman Wright, and the drums of Roy Haynes, whose warm lyrical touches provide the perfect melodicism for the group. Titles include "Rascallity", "Bohemia After Dark", "Taboo", "Autumn In Rome", and "It's A Minor Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

Genius work from Les Baxter – two of his best albums for Capitol, back to back on one CD! Ritual Of The Savage is one of those must-have albums from the 50s – a super-huge record upon its initial release, and an album that pushed the genre of exotica far further than most others at the time! Before this record, most attempts at exotica were simple instrumental pop, colored with slight worldly instrumentation – or too-dreamy recordings, putting over a sleepy version of life on the islands. Enter Les Baxter, who had an amazing ear for sounds, rhythms, and arrangements – one that was the first to record this sort of music in a way that was sonically evocative, and could stand on its own without other referents. Instrumentation is often conventional, but used oddly here – and Baxter's original compositions are all pretty darn great – playful without being goofy, and nicely mixing Latin and Pacific rhythms at the bottom. Titles include "Busy Port", "The Ritual", "Coronation", "Jungle Jalopy", and Les' original version of "Quiet Village". Heck, even the cover is gorgeous – with a brilliant blue illustration of some guy putting the moves on a woman amidst spooky tribal relics! The Passions is a really obscure box set recording – done as Les Baxter's classic exploitation of "a woman's passions", using vocalist Bas Sheva in the role of the tormented female! Shiva's got a bold, evocative style that's not unlike Yma Sumac – and she sings here wordlessly, as an added instrument on top of Baxter's orchestrations – playing the role of the inner psyche of woman, on titles that include "Lust", "Terror", "Joy", "Hate", "Ecstasy", and "Despair"! The whole thing's a mini docu-drama in sound – beautifully recorded in a flurry of red, blue, and other chromatic hues – not as exotic as Baxter's other work from the 50s, but equally great as a modern sonic psychoanalytic text! CD

Mindblowing work from Alice Coltrane – an album of incredible beauty that easily sits with the best of her classic early recordings for Impulse! The album's got a spare, contemplative quality, but it's also never sleepy – and instead steps forth with the tonal building and modal moving styles of classics albums like Ptah The El Daoud and Huntington Ashram Monastery. Most tracks feature a trio or quartet – with players that include Ravi Coltrane on saxes, Jack DeJohnette on drums, and Charlie Haden on bass. Alice plays some great Wurlitzer organ on a few cuts – getting this really wonderful "flat" tone to the instrument, one that almost has the same spiritual undertones as a harmonium. The whole thing's great – far better than we could have expected – and titles include "Sita Ram", "Translinear Light", "This Train", "Blue Nile", "Triloka", and "Crescent". CD

The great CD release of two previous albums from this hip contemporary combo – two vinyl albums back to back on a single CD! Both albums have a fantastic blend of jazz, contemporary soul, and hip hop – served up by a group who can really get the sound right – Terrace Martin on keyboards and alto, Robert Glasper on keyboards, Kamasi Washington on tenor, and 9th Wonder on beats! Vocals on most tracks are by Phoelix, who really helps give the instrumentation some focus – yet the jazz component of the record is never buried under the lyrics, as the players get plenty of space to do their thing – with a vibe that's a bit like some of Glasper's Black Radio project, yet given much more the kind of cool Crenshaw vibe that we've loved in Martin's previous records. All four artists are credited with songwriting and production and you can really hear that balance in the sound – on tracks that include "Love You Bad", "Sleepless Nights", "The Mighty Tree", "Freeze Tag", "Luv U", "Sleepless Nights", and "From My Heart & Soul". The Dessert album offers up a reworked version of the core record – with titles that are partly remixes, partly reworks – with guest appearances from Snoop Dog, Cordae, Herbie Hancock, Reuben Vincent, and others! CD

JJ Johnson's greatest album – without a doubt! This gem of a session was recorded in 1960 in New York, with an incredibly hip sextet that includes Cedar Walton, Clifford Jordan, and Freddie Hubbard. The tracks are all long, hip, and very much in a Blue Note soul jazz mode – very unusual not only for Johnson, but for Columbia records as well. The album feels like it should have been issued on Epic, with those killer Dave Bailey sides from 1961 – which might be why it has frequently gotten lost in Johnson's career, hidden amidst some of the sleepier material that seems to see the light of day more often than this one. The album's a stone winner all the way through – and features Johnson playing some of his gutsiest solos ever. Tracks include "Minor Mist", "In Walked Horace", "Fatback", "Aquarius", and "Shutterbug". LP, Vinyl record album

It's always something nice when Etta Jones makes a record – but this one is especially so, thanks to some intimate small group backing from players who include Oliver Nelson, Lem Winchester, Wally Richardson, and Richard Wyands! The style is relatively intimate throughout – more late nite than some of Jones' other records, in a way that really works well for her vocals, and takes her away from some of the crossover pop modes of her albums that sound a bit more like Gloria Lynne. Titles include "Easy Living", "Through A Long And Sleepless Night", "My Heart Tells Me", "I Only Have Eyes For You", "That's All There Is To That", "Love Is The Thing", and "Canadian Sunset". LP, Vinyl record album

A sleazy film, but one with some really great music from Francis Lai – the composer better known for his mainstream contributions to classics like A Man & A Woman and Live For Life! In any setting, Lai displays an amazing genius for spare tunes that hit a lyrical chord and a warmly sentimental mode – never one that's sleepy or drippy, but just the right balance of sounds and rhythms to convey a tremendous amount with very little. Lai plays a fair bit of keyboards here, lightly electric, and relatively spare – but not as much so as on some of his other 70s soundtracks. Titles include "Une Soiree Orientale", "La Vierge Anna Marie", "Emmanuelle Au Hong Kong", "Le Theme D'Emmanuelle", and "La Maison De Rendez-Vous". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice session of west coast soul jazz – and one that has Les McCann fronting the soulful group of Gerald Wilson. Les sings on a few tracks, but these are mostly sleepy covers of bluesy standards – like "Please Send Me Someone To Love" and "Since I Fell For You". The nicer cuts have Les' piano out front, playing instrumentally on nice originals like "Someone Stole My Chittlins", "Nairobi Nights", and "Lavande". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublimely soulful work from Irene Reid – at one level a record that's in the field between jazz and soul, like albums from Gloria Lynne or Nancy Wilson at the time – but at another level, a key indication of Irene's strong strong vocal approach – one that's much deeper and more soulful than most of her contemporaries in the genre! Clyde Otis handles the arrangements, often using strings in a sweeping way in the background – never sleepy, but to emphasize the richness of Irene's vocals – but the real star of the set is Reid herself, singing in a majestically powerful mode that would captivate even without any other instrumentation at all! Titles include "This Bitter Earth", "If He Walked Into My Life", "A Man Only Does", "For Once In My Life", "I'm Too Far Gone To Turn Around", "Why Did I Choose You", and "Somewhere Along The Line". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare soundtrack session from Japanese jazz legend Hideo Shiraki – maybe one of the earliest recordings we've ever seen from the drummer – and one that also features work from pianist Takeshi Inomata and saxophonist Hidehiko "Sleepy" Matsumoto as well! The cover's somewhat unassuming, but the music inside is quite vivid and rich – jazz tracks used as a film score, often with a quality that's like the best jazz soundtracks coming out of French and Italian cinema at the end of the 50s – with a very different vibe than some of Shiraki's later albums as a leader! There's a nicely moody, late nite quality to many of the tracks – and instrumentation shifts throughout, but includes vibes, tenor, guitar, and piano – all elements used without as much heavy drum work from Hideo as you might expect. The set features dozens of short tunes, and runs for over 70 minutes in length – a huge document of this rare Japanese jazz material from the postwar years. CD

The amazing debut of Soft Machine! It's hard to find a more seminal moment of jazz rock from the British scene – and there's certainly few albums from its generation that stand up as well over the years as this one! The trio of Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, and Michael Ratledge carve out the future of progressive playing on this excellent set of shorter tunes that still offer up all the hard jamming of later years. Beat group morphs into prog jazz before your very eyes – on tracks like "Hope For Happiness", "Why Am I So Short", "Save Yourself", "Priscilla", "So Boot If At All", "A Certain Kind", "Lullabye Letter", and "Why Are We Sleeping?". CD

Mellow and moody work from the great Claude Thornhill – an album of lush orchestrations, but done with some of the sophisticated jazz touches of the 50s west coast scene! The feel is certainly in keeping with the title, but mostly in an evocative way, and never too sleepy – and Thornhill's piano echoes out over the backdrops nicely, with a slightly modern edge. The whole thing comes together like a larger suite of tracks, and titles include "Summer Is Gone", "Puttin & Takin", "You Go To My Head", "Adios", "To Each His Own", and "By A Rippling Stream". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic collection of male soul tracks from the 60s – and one that really charts a whole new shift in the music – the rise of strong singers who aren't afraid to show their emotions, but with a sophistication that's very different than the earlier years of blues and R&B! There's an adult, mature approach to the songs here – vocalists who are accepting the terms of their heartbreak, or taking stock of their situation – putting forth their feelings strongly and directly, set to top-shelf arrangements that make it clear that they're not really the losers in the game! The set is in the best Ace/Kent tradition – really pulling together a fantastic body of work, mixing familiar and unfamiliar singers, and knocking it out of the park with the overall presentation. Titles include "Like A Big Bad Rain" by Kenny Carter, "They Say I'm Afraid" by Freddy Butler, "Anytime You Want Me" by Garnet Mimms, "A Day Or Two" by Garrett Saunders, "Can't Stand Your Fooling Around" by Gene Burks, "You Are A Lucky So & So"b y Sammy Sevens, "Through A Long & Sleepless Night" by Jimmy Radcliff, "Now You Are Gone" by Brooks O'Dell, "Forget The Girl" by Walter Jackson, and "Lonely People Can't Afford To Cry" by Clyde McPhatter. CD

A key record in the establishment of Delmark Records as a powerhouse in blues – a session that began as something of an expedition to find the near-lost Sleepy John Estes – who was brought to the studio to record this really well-done comeback set in 1962! Although Delmark's best known with the electric sound of Chicago blues, their early work did plenty in the same rural blues modes of a label like Arhoolie – and there's a lean, stripped-down quality to the record – a very strong focus on Estes' acoustic guitar and vocals – with support from Knocky Parker on piano, Hammie Nixon on harmonica, and Ed Wilkinson on bass. Titles include "Married Woman Blues", "Rats In My Kitchen", "Drop Down Mama", "Milk Cow Blues", "Stop That Thing", and "Who's Been Telling You Buddy Brown". CD

Dave Grusin made a few sleepy albums in his day, but this isn't one of them – and instead, it's a sweet funky fusion outing that really sums up some of the best Dave Grusin modes of the 70s! This excellent LP from 1977 really captures the best of the Grusin soundtrack style – heard in the 70s on shows like Barretta, or in films like Three Days of the Condor – mellow fusion with a tightly arranged style – lots of nicely isolated instrumentation, and the kind of spare and spacey grooves that you'd expect from a hip CTI session! Musicians include Grover Washington on saxes, Dave Valentin on flute, Ron Carter on bass, and Steve Gadd himself – plus Grusin on a lot of sweet keyboards – and titles include great cut "Modaji", plus "Heart Is A Lonely Hunter", "Catavento", and "Montage". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the best R&B you could ever buy! Wynonie Harris was one of the all-time greats – a raw, raunchy, hard-rockin singer who was getting into more trouble with the law, ladies, and booze than most 70s rock groups combined! Wynonie's songs for King are the stuff that kick-started rock and roll – and even from today's perspective, they're still gosh darn hard-rolling, filled with subject matter like drinkin, gamblin, and sleepin around that you'll be hard-pressed to beat in most gangster hip hop albums. And on top of it all, Wynonie's got one hell of a sense of humor, put over the top perfectly by his great swinging vocal style. 18 tracks in all, and nearly all of them are gems! Titles include "Grandma Plays the Numbers", "I Feel That Old Age Coming On", "All She Wants To Do Is Rock", "Bloodshot Eyes", "Don't Take My Whiskey Away From Me", "Lovin Machine", "Good Morning Judge", and "I Like My Baby's Pudding". CD

Sensitive, but never sleepy – a perfect balance between gentle pop and deeper soul – served up with masterful arrangements and production from Burt Bacharach! The album's an early treasure in Dionne's 60s run for Scepter Records – an album that features a bit less Bacharach/David tunes than some of the previous records, but which still has all of the best elements firmly in place – thanks to Burt's growing understanding of the studio, and his ability to create orchestrations that are filled with enough space for an artist like Dionne to really do her thing. Titles include "Wives & Lovers", "You Can Have Him", "That's Not The Answer", "Forget My Love", "Where Can I Go Without You", "How Many Days Of Sadness", and "Don't Say I Didn't Tell You So". LP, Vinyl record album

A great set of booze-themed songs from the glory days of country music – and a package that includes some well-chosen work from singers we really love a lot! The set features names you might know from other, bigger tracks – but singing here about a preference for alcohol, often with a message about the price they've got to pay for loving it so much! Titles include "Hell's Angels" by Johnny Bond, "Bury The Bottle With Me" by Darrel McCall, "It's Nothing To Me" by Dick Curless, "Ship In The Bottle" by Stonewall Jackson, "Sleeping Like A Baby With A Bottle In My Mouth" by Eddie Noack, "Bottle Bottle" by Jim Ed Brown, and "I'm Gonna Make Like A Snake" by Ernest Tubb. LP, Vinyl record album

Four classic albums from one of the early masters of exotica! First up is Ritual Of The Savage – one of those must-have albums from the 50s – a super-huge record upon its initial release, and an album that pushed the genre of exotica far further than most others at the time! Before this record, most attempts at exotica were simple instrumental pop, colored with slight worldly instrumentation – or too-dreamy recordings, putting over a sleepy version of life on the islands. Enter Les Baxter, who had an amazing ear for sounds, rhythms, and arrangements – one that was the first to record this sort of music in a way that was sonically evocative, and could stand on its own without other referents. Instrumentation is often conventional, but used oddly here – and Baxter's original compositions are all pretty darn great – playful without being goofy, and nicely mixing Latin and Pacific rhythms at the bottom. Titles include "Busy Port", "The Ritual", "Coronation", "Jungle Jalopy", and Les' original version of "Quiet Village". Next up is The Passions – a really obscure box set recording – done as Les Baxter's classic exploitation of "a woman's passions", using vocalist Bas Sheva in the role of the tormented female! Sheva's got a bold, evocative style that's not unlike Yma Sumac – and she sings here wordlessly, as an added instrument on top of Baxter's orchestrations – playing the role of the inner psyche of woman, on titles that include "Lust", "Terror", "Joy", "Hate", "Ecstasy", and "Despair"! The whole thing's a mini docu-drama in sound – beautifully recorded in a flurry of red, blue, and other chromatic hues – not as exotic as Baxter's other work from the 50s, but equally great as a modern sonic psychoanalytic text! Tamboo was cut with Les Baxter's orchestra and chorus – and it's a swirling mass of tribal drums, singing strings, and moody voices that would forever change the face of easy listening. Les' compositions are astounding – filled with all the sophistication of a great soundtrack, but simple enough to evoke the fake primitive charm of the album's cover. Every cut is great – and tracks include "Simba", "Oasis of Dakhla", "Mozambique", and "Zambezi". The cover's got a gorgeous blue painting of natives dancing in the background, while a drummer drums in front. Caribbean Moonlight is not as all-out exotic as some of Les' earlier Capitol albums, but still pretty darn great! The theme here is Caribbean exotic, and the rhythms have a little bit more of Cuba and Haiti than they do of primitive Borneo. Les handles them nicely, as always, and contributes some wonderful arrangements to the album. Titles include "Deep Night", "Green Eyes", "Sway", "Out Of This World", and "Adios". CD

A key record in the establishment of Delmark Records as a powerhouse in blues – a session that began as something of an expedition to find the near-lost Sleepy John Estes – who was brought to the studio to record this really well-done comeback set in 1962! Although Delmark's best known with the electric sound of Chicago blues, their early work did plenty in the same rural blues modes of a label like Arhoolie – and there's a lean, stripped-down quality to the record – a very strong focus on Estes' acoustic guitar and vocals – with support from Knocky Parker on piano, Hammie Nixon on harmonica, and Ed Wilkinson on bass. Titles include "Married Woman Blues", "Rats In My Kitchen", "Drop Down Mama", "Milk Cow Blues", "Stop That Thing", and "Who's Been Telling You Buddy Brown". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning set of modern disco numbers from Bob Sinclar – the maestro of the Paris dancefloor! This album's Bob's third (in case you couldn't guess from the title!) – and it's an even more focused effort than before – filled with tightly grooving tracks that make the whole thing feel like finding a box of singles that have been lost in the back of a DJ booth since the early 80s! Lots of classic late 70s and early 80s sounds – especially those from the New York scene – and tracks feature some great lead vocals by Linda Lee Hopkins and Camille Lefort. Titles include "The Beat Goes On", "Nature Boy", "Who Needs Sleep Tonight", "Sexy Dancer", "Do It", "Metro Blanche", "Beat The Clock", "Europa", and "So High". CD

The amazing debut of Soft Machine! It's hard to find a more seminal moment of jazz rock from the British scene – and there's certainly few albums from its generation that stand up as well over the years as this one! The trio of Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, and Michael Ratledge carve out the future of progressive playing on this excellent set of shorter tunes that still offer up all the hard jamming of later years. Beat group morphs into prog jazz before your very eyes – on tracks like "Hope For Happiness", "Why Am I So Short", "Save Yourself", "Priscilla", "So Boot If At All", "A Certain Kind", "Lullabye Letter", and "Why Are We Sleeping?". CD

A lot more brash and bold than you might guess from the title – not just sleepy seduction music, but a batch of really dynamic tunes that will really push the limits of your hi-fi! Most numbers here are instrumental, although some of them have some occasional vocal refrains in the mix – and most have rhythms that are slinky and seductive – never too over the top, but filled with jazzy flourishes and some compelling instrumental moments – so much so that you'll be fine in your pad on your own, even without a girl! Titles include "Like Young" by Dave Pell, "Playboy's Penthouse" by Cy Coleman, "Shangri La" by Spike Jones, "A Shot In The Dark" by Jimmie Haskell, "Melancholy Sounds" by King Curtis, "Night Train" by Alvin Rey, "The Beast" by Milt Buckner, "Cool" by Lou Busch, "Sexe" by Line Renaud, "Caravan" by John Buzon Trio, "Spring Sprang Sprung" by Jack Fascinato, and "Theme From Our Man Flint" by Elliot Fischer. CD

A really beautiful combination of reeds and synthesizer – one done in a spare, moody style that's extremely evocative! Austin's saxophone work here would be great enough on its own – soulful, fluid, and freely searching, but never too outside. Yet the added synth and percussion from Gallivan really makes the record something special – because Joe never overdoes his contributions, and instead keeps things really even handed – often going for a style that matches the lyrical beauty of Austin's work perfectly. And unlike other projects of this type, this one is never sleepy, or too "atmospheric" – as each tune here has a good structure and sense of economy – letting us know that Gallivan and Austin aren't just putting down sloppy soundscapes. Titles include "Quassia", "Perfect Reality", "Essence Of Purity", "As Above So Below", "Intimate Oasis", and "Subtle Actuation". CD

Two of the later Blackbyrds LPs on one CD! Action is a great little sleeper from the Blackbyrds – a record that never gets as much due as their earlier records that have a hard funky feel, but offer instead a tasty batch of smoother jazz funk numbers that show the group still continuing to grow. Donald Byrd's still at the production helm – and the band's got a nice spacey sound that almost reflects directions that other funk groups, like Kool & The Gang, were taking at the time. The best case of this is the massive cut "Mysterious Vibes", a slow jazzy stepper that was sampled to great fame a few years back – but you can also hear it on the cuts "Supernatural Feeling", "Soft & Easy", and "Dreaming About You". Better Days is filled with sweet warm grooves from the mighty Blackbyrds – a set that has George Duke working with the group, giving them some of the electric vibe of his own great work! The sound is less sharply funky than the early days of the group, but still mighty nice – and titles include "Do It Girl", "Love Don't Strike Twice", "What We Have Is Right", and "What's On Your Mind". CD

A wonderful compilation the late 40s Modern recordings of piano player, singer and all around musical pioneer Hadda Brooks – with all the tracks from the original Queen Of The Boogie 78s package – and 18 additional tracks from the period! Hadda is a lovely singer, and the set has a number of sweet vocal numbers, but her most lasting impact is no doubt her easygoing, but masterful boogie piano playing. Fittingly, there's a huge number of instrumental treasures here, and it's really tough to imagine a lot of the great R&B and 50s rock and roll piano taking hold if trailblazers like Hadda Brooks didn't get the ball rolling! Includes "Juke Box Boogie", "Bully Wully Boogie", "Boogie At The Bandstand", "Night Life", "Sleepy Time Gal", "Humoresque Boogie", "Strollin' 'N' Rollin'", "Basin Street Blue", "Moonglow", "743 Blues", "Hungara (Gypsy)", "Greig's Concerto Boogie In A Minor", "Stardust" and more. 24 tracks in all – a solid dozen of which were recorded for Modern in the late 40s, but were never before released! CD

Michael Chapman's incredible first album for Harvest – one of the best British folk rock albums of the era! At this point, Chapman was working with unique mix of acoustic folk genius and electric experimentation – and this record features some of best songs in his canon. Guests include bassist Danny Thompson of Pentangle, plus Rick Kemp, Barry Morgan and Clem Clempson. Includes "It Didn't Work", "Rainmaker", "You Say", "No One Left To Care", "Small Stones", "No Song To Sing", "One Time Thing", "Sunday Morning", "Goodbye To Monday Night", "Not So Much A Garden-More Like A Maze" and more. This CD version on Light In The Attic has 6 bonus tracks: mono versions of "Anniversary", "Among The Trees", "Sleepy", "Mozart Lives Upstairs" and "Bert Jansch Meets Frankenstein", plus "On My Way Again". CD

A key record in the establishment of Delmark Records as a powerhouse in blues – a session that began as something of an expedition to find the near-lost Sleepy John Estes – who was brought to the studio to record this really well-done comeback set in 1962! Although Delmark's best known with the electric sound of Chicago blues, their early work did plenty in the same rural blues modes of a label like Arhoolie – and there's a lean, stripped-down quality to the record – a very strong focus on Estes' acoustic guitar and vocals – with support from Knocky Parker on piano, Hammie Nixon on harmonica, and Ed Wilkinson on bass. Titles include "Married Woman Blues", "Rats In My Kitchen", "Drop Down Mama", "Milk Cow Blues", "Stop That Thing", and "Who's Been Telling You Buddy Brown". CD

Dave Grusin made a few sleepy albums in his day, but this isn't one of them – and instead, it's a sweet funky fusion outing that really sums up some of the best Dave Grusin modes of the 70s! This excellent LP from 1977 really captures the best of the Grusin soundtrack style – heard in the 70s on shows like Barretta, or in films like Three Days of the Condor – mellow fusion with a tightly arranged style – lots of nicely isolated instrumentation, and the kind of spare and spacey grooves that you'd expect from a hip CTI session! Musicians include Grover Washington on saxes, Dave Valentin on flute, Ron Carter on bass, and Steve Gadd himself – plus Grusin on a lot of sweet keyboards – and titles include great cut "Modaji", plus "Heart Is A Lonely Hunter", "Catavento", and "Montage". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic heartbreaking soul from Brenda Holloway – one of the weepiest early records on Motown, as you might guess from the title! The style here is almost more New York uptown than Detroit at times – a fair bit like Maxine Brown with its mix of strength and fragility on the vocals, and scored by the Davis/Gordon team with a subtle sense of drama. Strings step in on most numbers, but never in a sleepy way – and there's plenty of nicely stepping tunes here that maintain a good sense of Motown rhythm, even in mellower moments. Titles include "Sad Song", "I've Been Good To You", "Every Little Bit Hurts", "Too Proud To Cry", "A Favor For A Girl", "Suddenly", "You Can Depend On Me", and "Can I". LP, Vinyl record album

A heavy groove and a heady title that points the way towards Michael Jackson's soon-to-be legendary solo career – all served up in a batch of tracks that resonate nicely with the Off The Wall groove! The sound here really isn't disco or club, but it's a nicely upbeat groove that shows The Jacksons at the top of their game – tightly stepping and often highly rhythmic – and striking a great balance between strong lead vocals and some of the sweeter harmonies that got them going in the past. Titles include the sublime groovers "Blame It On The Boogie" and "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)", plus great sleepers like "All Night Dancin", "Bless His Soul", "Things I Do For You" and "That's What You Get For Being Polite". CD

A heavy groove and a heady title that points the way towards Michael Jackson's soon-to-be legendary solo career – all served up in a batch of tracks that resonate nicely with the Off The Wall groove! The sound here really isn't disco or club, but it's a nicely upbeat groove that shows The Jacksons at the top of their game – tightly stepping and often highly rhythmic – and striking a great balance between strong lead vocals and some of the sweeter harmonies that got them going in the past. Titles include the sublime groovers "Blame It On The Boogie" and "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)", plus great sleepers like "All Night Dancin", "Bless His Soul", "Things I Do For You" and "That's What You Get For Being Polite". LP, Vinyl record album

JJ Johnson's greatest album – without a doubt! This gem of a session was recorded in 1960 in New York, with an incredibly hip sextet that includes Cedar Walton, Clifford Jordan, and Freddie Hubbard. The tracks are all long, hip, and very much in a Blue Note soul jazz mode – very unusual not only for Johnson, but for Columbia records as well. The album feels like it should have been issued on Epic, with those killer Dave Bailey sides from 1961 – which might be why it has frequently gotten lost in Johnson's career, hidden amidst some of the sleepier material that seems to see the light of day more often than this one. The album's a stone winner all the way through – and features Johnson playing some of his gutsiest solos ever. Tracks include "Minor Mist", "In Walked Horace", "Fatback", "Aquarius", and "Shutterbug". CD