Go out of the world with The Three Sounds on this sweet little set for Blue Note – as the trio are at their early best, and working with a care of craft that you won't find on other 60s albums for labels like Verve or Mercury! The mighty Gene Harris is in the lead on piano, moving between a great blend of lyrical and more soul-based styles – given great accompaniment from Bill Dowdy on drums and Andy Simpkins on bass – the latter of whom is an overlooked genius, with this round tone and solid touch that really holds the group together! Titles are a nice mix of exotic standards and gutbuckety originals – and tunes include "My Silent Love", "Just In Time", "Out Of this World", "Out Of the Past", "Sanctified Sue", and "Girl Of My Dreams". CD

During the early 60s, Blue Note wisely cut a number of sessions that took advantage of their soulful in-house rhythm trio The Three Sounds. The group recorded more than a few successful albums under their own name – but they also did a few great records that feature them backing up a more famous soloist. Such is the case with this one, in which Gene Harris and crew back up Stanley Turrentine for a beautifully mellow set of late nite tracks, played with an easy rolling groove missing from some of Turrentine's other, more full-on sessions at the time. Titles include "Blue Riff", "I Want A Little Girl", and "Willow Weep For Me". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A funky treasure trove from Apple & The Three Oranges – a group we hardly know at all, but who really blow us away with the cuts on this collection! The groove is plenty hard right from the get-go – the best of the funky 45 underground of the early 70s – which means that there's more 60s rawness on the record than you'd get from bigger-label funk at the time – as Ed "Apple" Nelson still works here with a mostly underground vibe! Ed plays drums – which are mighty hard on most numbers – and his vocals have this offbeat, off-kilter, over the top quality that almost reminds us a bit of the Hank Ballard/James Brown recordings for late 60s King – particularly in the way that Nelson's completely unbridled with his energy. The whole thing's great – one of the best funky collections we've heard in years – and presented with a rich amount of notes and historical information too. Titles include "Free & Easy (parts 1 & 2)", "Moon Light", "Curse Upon The World", "What Goes Around Comes Around", "Down Home Publicity", "True Love Will Never Die", "Gotta Stand For Something (parts 1 & 2)", and "I'll Give You A Ring". Features a great 16 page booklet with extensive liner notes and photos! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work by Three Degrees – stepping proudly here from their girl group roots, into a dramatic pre-disco mode that's clearly influenced by similar Philly work by First Choice – some of the finest material ever! The music is by MFSB, with arrangements by Philly maestros like Bobby Martin and John Davis – and given that pedigree it's as wonderful as you'd imagine. Paired with the sweetly beautiful singing by the lovely voices of Three Degrees, this is some truly great Philadelphia International soul! Titles include "TSOP", "Loving Cup", "Get Your Love Back", "Long Lost Lover", "Take Good Care Of Yourself", "Another Heartache", and a nice cover of Marvin Gaye's "Distant Lover". LP, Vinyl record album

The biggest hit of their prolific career, and the historic meeting of Memphis kingpins 8-Ball & MJG and the Triple Six. A feel good song for almost any occasion. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Rare material by the legendary Three Sounds – recorded in the early 60s by Gene Harris and combo, but never issued at the time! The work follows very strongly in the best spirit of the Three Sounds' more famous albums from the time – a unique blend of soul jazz piano with some of the more sprightly pianistics that had been showing up on trio records in the 50s – never too over the top, but with enough creativity to make the group a key crowd-pleasing act at the time! Harris' work on the keys is extremely magical, and there's some tunes on the set that give the album a slightly different feel than usual. Highlights include great readings of Randy Weston's "Babe's Blues", Nat Adderley's Work Song", and Frank Rosolino's "Blue Daniel" – plus the originals "Wait A Minute" and "Lazy Cat". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from the Three Sounds – a tight little combo who weren't out to break any rules in jazz, but who made some excellent albums for Blue Note in the early 60s! The groove here is hard-edge soul jazz piano at its best – similar to early Les McCann work of the same vintage, with a strong sense of rhythm on the left hand, and some wonderfully complicated lines on the right – an early example of the genius of Gene Harris. Harris also shows a nice sense of thoughtfulness on the mellower cuts, too – which still swing in their own sort of way, thanks to the work of Andrew Simpkins on bass and Bill Dowdy on drums. Titles include the great original "Dap's Groove" – plus "Sermonette", "Hey There", "Nothin But The Blues", "Street Of Dreams", and "Little Girl Blue". CD

Well, the Three Sounds have always been more soulful than modern – and about the only thing "modern" about this pre-Blue Note release is the abstract painting on the cover! But that doesn't stop the record from being a great little batch of soul jazz piano tunes, played by Gene Harris and the early version of the Sounds that included bassist Andrew Simpkins and drummer Bill Dowdy. Titles include "Rat Down Front", "Mr Lucky", "Let's Dance", "Elbows & Armpits", and "There's Something Nice About The Rain". CD

During the early 60s, Blue Note wisely cut a number of sessions that took advantage of their soulful in-house rhythm trio The Three Sounds. The group recorded more than a few successful albums under their own name – but they also did a few great records that feature them backing up a more famous soloist. Such is the case with this one, in which Gene Harris and crew back up Stanley Turrentine for a beautifully mellow set of late nite tracks, played with an easy rolling groove missing from some of Turrentine's other, more full-on sessions at the time. At the time, Blue Note recorded enough material for 2 albums – but only one was ever issued in the US (although a second has recently come out from Japan.) Now, all the tracks are combined on a very nice 2CD set that includes all the original material – with tracks that include "Alone Together", "There Is No Greater Love", "Blue Hour", "I Want A Little Girl", and "Blue Riff". CD

A funky treasure trove from Apple & The Three Oranges – a group we hardly know at all, but who really blow us away with the cuts on this collection! The groove is plenty hard right from the get-go – the best of the funky 45 underground of the early 70s – which means that there's more 60s rawness on the record than you'd get from bigger-label funk at the time – as Ed "Apple" Nelson still works here with a mostly underground vibe! Ed plays drums – which are mighty hard on most numbers – and his vocals have this offbeat, off-kilter, over the top quality that almost reminds us a bit of the Hank Ballard/James Brown recordings for late 60s King – particularly in the way that Nelson's completely unbridled with his energy. The whole thing's great – one of the best funky collections we've heard in years – and presented with a rich amount of notes and historical information too. Titles include "Free & Easy (parts 1 & 2)", "Moon Light", "Curse Upon The World", "What Goes Around Comes Around", "Down Home Publicity", "True Love Will Never Die", "Gotta Stand For Something (parts 1 & 2)", and "I'll Give You A Ring". CD features a massive 52 page booklet, too! CD

Includes classic LA material with Johnny Moore's group – plus more obscure 50s material recorded in New Orleans and Cincinnatti! LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

A great singer and a great trio – a unique Verve outing that has vocalist Anita O'Day joining forces with the Three Sounds combo of pianist Gene Harris! The Three Sounds were always happy to serve as a rhythm combo on dates like this – and they really bring a lot of their own flavor to the record – standing out on a few instrumental selections that highlight their own brief relationship with Verve – but mostly backing Anita with a groove that's tight and always soulful! O'Day's vocals are as confident as Harris' work on the keys – making for a very nice match – and titles include "Fly Me To The Moon", "All Too Soon", "My Ship", and "Whisper Not", which also features a guest solo by Roy Eldridge. LP, Vinyl record album

Smooth female soul from one of Philly's hottest female trios – Gamble & Huff's big answer to First Choice, and an equally important force in 70s female soul! The album's got a nice mixture of Philly groove and tighter crossover arrangements from the likes of Norman Harris, Bobby Martin, Lenny Pakula, and Richard Rome – all top-shelf Philly soul talents who really help move the album past the territory of the girl group soul of the trio's earlier work! Titles include the hit "When Will I See You Again", plus the long-running classic "Dirty Ol' Man", and the cuts "Can't You See What You're Doing To Me", "I Didn't Know", "I Like Being A Woman", and "Year Of Decision". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

The second album by Three Dog Night – issued hot on the heels of the first, and with a similar heavy-rock trippy-pop kind of approach! The album's surprisingly nice – and with soulful overtones that you wouldn't expect, sounding a bit like parts of early work by Chicago or Blood Sweat & Tears. Titles include "Eli's Coming", "Feelin Alright", "Dreaming Isn't Good For You", "Easy To Be Hard", "Ain't That A Lotta Love", "Circle For A Landing", and "King Solomon's Mines". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work by the Three Sounds – Gene Harris on piano, Andrew Simpkins on bass, and William Dowdy on drums – a unique blend of soul jazz piano with some of the more sprightly pianistics that are never too over the top, but with enough creativity to make the group a key crowd-pleasing act at the time! A well curated set with titles that include "Tenderly", "Besame Mucho", "St. Thomas", "Now's The Time", "Makin' Whoopee", "Love For Sale", and "Stella By Starlight". CD

The bottom is certainly "up" on this one – as the Three Sounds groove things from the ground up, taking soul jazz piano to the next level with an approach that quickly made them one of the most popular Blue Note acts of the early 60s! Gene Harris leads the group on piano – and also plays celeste on one track (!) – and the other Sounds at this point are Andrew Simpkins on bass and Bill Dowdy on drums – a really great rhythm section that have a way of being soulfully quiet, with a very subtle groove – one that's much more understated than you might find in the Ramsey Lewis trio, but equally hip. Tracks include "Jinne Lou", "Besame Mucho", "Love Walked In", "Angel Eyes", "Falling In Love With Love", and "Time After Time". CD

A great record by the Three Sounds – possibly most famous for it's legendary cover, which has the group's photos above a very stylish red "3"! The album's got a solid soul groove sound – tight piano in the lead by Gene Harris, and rhythm by Andrew Simpkins on bass and Bill Dowdy on drums. The set's got 3 originals – "One For Renee", "Real Gene", and "It Just Got To Be" – plus some standards given the 3 Sounds touch. LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album from the Three Sounds – one that has the group moving past the straighter trio format of their initial Blue Note sides, really hinting at the funkier sounds to come on their classic albums of the late 60s! Gene Harris is definitely taking a page from the Ramsey Lewis bag at times – playing the piano with a wonderfully heavy left hand, which makes for a killer groove, and a feel that's a lot more soul jazz than usual. Plus, a few tracks also feature Harris working on organ – which really changes up the sound nicely too, and almost puts the album somewhere in the territory that Cadet and Prestige Records were hitting at the time! Titles include "Fever", "Pavane", "Charade", "Let's Go Get Stoned", and "Something You Got", plus a nice original called "The Frown". LP, Vinyl record album

During the early 60s, Blue Note wisely cut a number of sessions that took advantage of their soulful in-house rhythm trio The Three Sounds. The group recorded more than a few successful albums under their own name – but they also did a few great records that feature them backing up a more famous soloist. Such is the case with this one, in which Gene Harris and crew back up Stanley Turrentine for a beautifully mellow set of late nite tracks, played with an easy rolling groove missing from some of Turrentine's other, more full-on sessions at the time. Titles include "Blue Riff", "I Want A Little Girl", and "Willow Weep For Me". CD

A really great one in the early catalog of Nat Adderley – a set that has Cannonball's brother stepping out as a leader with bold tenor sax work from Johnny Griffin, and rhythm work by Gene Harris and the original Three Sounds trio! The set's got a couple of originals – "Sister Caroline" and "Branching Out" – plus versions of "Well You Needn't" and "I've Got Plenty Of Nothin". Gene Harris & The Three Sounds make for a nice backing, and Johnny Griffin's solos are as sharp as they ever were at this point. LP, Vinyl record album

A funky treasure trove from Apple & The Three Oranges – a group we hardly know at all, but who really blow us away with the cuts on this collection! The groove is plenty hard right from the get-go – the best of the funky 45 underground of the early 70s – which means that there's more 60s rawness on the record than you'd get from bigger-label funk at the time – as Ed "Apple" Nelson still works here with a mostly underground vibe! Ed plays drums – which are mighty hard on most numbers – and his vocals have this offbeat, off-kilter, over the top quality that almost reminds us a bit of the Hank Ballard/James Brown recordings for late 60s King – particularly in the way that Nelson's completely unbridled with his energy. The whole thing's great – one of the best funky collections we've heard in years – and presented with a rich amount of notes and historical information too. Titles include "Free & Easy (parts 1 & 2)", "Moon Light", "Curse Upon The World", "What Goes Around Comes Around", "Down Home Publicity", "True Love Will Never Die", "Gotta Stand For Something (parts 1 & 2)", and "I'll Give You A Ring". Features a great 16 page booklet with extensive liner notes and photos! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic set of Fender Rhodes from the Italian scene of the 70s – not a record that got the kind of mainstream play as American classics by Bob James and Ramsey Lewis – but a set that definitely shares their spirit! Cabildos Three were a studio group as much as a jazz combo – a trio with Cabildo on Fender Rhodes, working alongside tight bass and percussion – on jazzy tunes that were originally only done as a sound library session, but which have attained legendary status when pulled together in this full length album. The whole thing is every bit as great as the words "Fender Rhodes", "Italy", and "percussion" might suggest – and titles include "Castenada Drive", "Yuxtaposicion", "Collection Samba", "Two Types Of Complexion", "Jesus Maria District", "African Penta Song", and "Akorin". CD

A really great group – one that we've never seen under this name before, but which features familiar names Dwight Dickerson on piano and Donald Bailey on drums, plus bass from Harvey Newmark! The album's got all the lyrical charm and sparkle of Dickerson's best from the time – a really soulful, fluid record that certainly shows the growing changes in west coast modes – maybe hence the group's name – with that subtle spirit that really marked some of Dwight's key contributions during the 70s. Titles include "Windows", "Solar", "Yesterdays", "Body & Soul", "Blue Monk", and "Freedom Jazz Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from the west coast scene – including one CD of King Cole Trio material, plus almost a full CD of Charles Brown material for Aladdin, a few more tracks by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, and another 18 tracks by Floyd Dixon! CD

Funky pianist Gene Harris had spent most of the 60s playing in a standard trio format with his group The Three Sounds – but by the time of this live set, the group was evolving into a monster jazz funk combo, and Harris was getting beautifully heavy handed in his approach to rhythm. This live set was recorded by Blue Note in 1970, but for some reason it was left unreleased until the mid-90s – a decision that's really a mystery when you hear how funky some of the tracks are! Black Jazz bassist Henry Franklin is part of Harris' combo at the time, and the drummer is the nice tight Carl Burnett. The set includes some excellent versions of Monk Higgins tracks like "Funky Pullett" and "Sittin' Duck" – and Higgins also produced the whole thing for Blue Note. Very nice, and another great session we're glad was dug out of the vaults! CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Quite possibly one of the most successful Japanese piano trio recordings of the 70s – a super-session performed by a group that includes Joe Sample on acoustic piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums! Given that Sample's best known during the era for his electric keys with the Crusaders (and on countless studio sessions), it's a real treat to hear him tickle the ivories in an acoustic way – and a genuine surprise to hear how strong his work is in such a format. Joe manages to swing the tunes with plenty of creative improvisation, but also keeps a strong focus on the groove too – making for an album that's got some of the rhythmic flourishes of the best work of the Oscar Peterson trio in later years, but with some of the added freedoms of the Japanese scene. Titles include "On Green Dolphin Street", "Round Midnight", "Funky Blues", "Manha Do Carnaval", "Yearnin", and "Satin Doll". CD

... CD

The first album by Three Dog Night – cut back when they were a hip LA combo getting a lot of help and inspiration from The Beach Boys! The set's got a bit of a harder rocking sound than you might expect from some of their later hits – heavy drums and lots of guitars, mixed in with the sweeter and trippy harmony styles of the group. Titles include "Heaven Is In Your Mind", "It's For You", "One", "Chest Fever", "Let Me Go", "Find Someone To Love", and "The Loner". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Totally great work from a young Mike Nock – a pianist that most folks know for his electric and experimental sounds of the 70s, but who's appearing here on record for the first time ever – at the head of a totally cooking soul jazz combo! Nock's command of the piano is tremendous right from the start – both hands flying freely, but with a very rhythmic vibe – one that's underscored by the strong work of Freddy Logan on bass and Chris Karan on drums – both musicians we don't know at all, but who really know how to make the record groove – especially in comparison to other Aussie jazz dates from the time. The bass is especially great – a key part of the album's sound, and explored by Nock with these bluesy chords on the piano – and titles include "Move", "Way Back", "Primitive", "Little Niles", "Freshwater", and "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful set from this cool Australian combo – and one that offers up the group in two nicely different modes! Side one has The Three Out sounding wonderful as a trio – with sublime soul-styled piano from a very young Mike Nock, and exceptional work on bass from Freddy Logan – whose sound gives the record this deep bottom right from the start, and puts the group on a par with a rare few American trios – like the Three Sounds on Blue Note! Side two gets even more interesting, as the group are joined by four additional Australian jazz men – all horn players who really expand the groove, and get in some wonderful solos too – a lineup that includes the great Don Burrows on alto and baritone, Erroll Buddle on tenor, and both Ron Falson and Colin Jones on trumpets. Burrows and Buddle sound deeper and more soulful than usual, and really hit the groove laid down by the trio – and titles include "New Jade", "Sittin In Blues", "Nock Out", "Loganberries", "Dizzy Pipe", and "I Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from the Three Sounds – Gene Harris on piano, Andrew Simpkins on bass, Bill Dowdy on drums. Tracks include "When I Fall In Love", "If I Were A Bell", "Summertime", "One For Renee", and "Willow Weep For Me". 13 cuts in all. CD

Maybe the most evocative title of all the Three Sounds albums of the 60s – and one that really gets at the dark beauty of the entire record! By the time of this release (the group's 7th for Blue Note), Gene Harris and the trio had really come into their own – and were moving past simple soul jazz modes into this wonderful blend of grooviness and lyricism – still very much beholden to Harris' rhythmic approach to the keys, but also filled with loads of complicated lines, especially from the group's wonderful bassist Andrew Simpkins – whose round tone is especially great on the mellow numbers. Titles include Randy Weston's "Saucer Eyes" , Neal Hefti's "Black Orchid", and the tracks "Don't Go Don't Go" and "Oh Well Oh Well", both originals by Gene Harris. LP, Vinyl record album

A rare non-Blue Note session from The Three Sounds – recorded in the early 60s for Verve, and really the group's only straight album for that label! The style here is similar to the Blue Note sides – with Gene Harris firmly at the helm of the group on piano – hitting that fluidly soulful approach to the keys that made him an instant standout from the earliest albums of his career. Bass is by Andrew Simpkins and drums by Bill Dowdy – and the set list includes the original compositions "Gina My Love" and "Blue Genes", plus takes on "Mr Wonderful", "Autumn In New York", "Love Somebody", and "Whims Of Chamberland". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from the Three Sounds – a tight little combo who weren't out to break any rules in jazz, but who made some excellent albums for Blue Note in the early 60s! The groove here is hard-edge soul jazz piano at its best – similar to early Les McCann work of the same vintage, with a strong sense of rhythm on the left hand, and some wonderfully complicated lines on the right – an early example of the genius of Gene Harris. Harris also shows a nice sense of thoughtfulness on the mellower cuts, too – which still swing in their own sort of way, thanks to the work of Andrew Simpkins on bass and Bill Dowdy on drums. Titles include the great original "Dap's Groove" – plus "Sermonette", "Hey There", "Nothin But The Blues", "Street Of Dreams", and "Little Girl Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little session by The Three Sounds – and one that features the band grooving away in a style that's a lot more lively than some of their studio recordings from the time! The whole thing was captured live at the legendary Lighthouse – and Gene Harris plays both piano and organ, while the group runs through some lively material that includes "Still I'm Sad", "Blues March", "Makin Bread Again", and "I Held My Head In Shame". LP, Vinyl record album

"Moods" is right – as the album's got a wonderfully dark undercurrent, one that makes it one of the most captivating early Three Sounds albums for Blue Note! Pianist Gene Harris leads a trio that includes Andrew Simpkins on bass and Bill Dowdy on drums – and even though the set list includes a few familiar tunes, the overall pitch of the album makes the music really unique. The group play some sweet renditions of "Love For Sale" and "Green Dolphin Street", plus a great reading of Clifford Brown's "Sandu", which works very well as a piano tune. Also includes the tracks "Loose Walk" and "Tammy's Breeze". CD

Previously unissued work by the Three Sounds – tracks recorded at sessions from 1959 and 1962, but issued here for the first time! As in keeping with Blue Note's Standards series, the material features Gene Harris and trio performing well known tunes of the 20th Century – but given that evergreens like these usually made up most of the group's albums, the format's not a shortcoming, but a strength – one that makes Standards sit nicely next to the group's more famous albums from the time! 12 tracks in all, with titles that include "Thinking Of You", "Lights Out", "Best Things In Life Are Free", "Again", "Witchcraft", "Makin Whoopee", "Cry Me A River", and "Stay As Sweet As You Are". CD

A real standout in the catalog of The Three Suns – one of those records that shines even more than their dozens of other albums, thanks to a tightly syncopated groove! As with other sides by the trio, the music here is from a blend of organ, accordion, and guitar – plus well-chosen other instruments used sparingly – but there's also a bit of a bottom groove to the record too, supplied by loosely used electric basslines that sort of buoy up the Suns' sound, and push them away from outdated modes of earlier years. The approach is evocative and often grooving in a "Baby Elephant Walk" sort of way – and titles here include "Fleur De Paree", "Moritat", "High Noon", "Terry Theme", "Canadian Sunset", "Ruby", and "Meet Mr Callaghan". LP, Vinyl record album

The setting is the Golden Gate, but the sound is pure Philly International – a rare early live performance from the label, featuring some of its key vocal heavyweights working here with live accompaniment from MFSB! Although the instrumental group backed Philly artists often in the studio, this 1973 concert marks the only time they worked live with the singers – in a stunning showcase for the young label, performed as part of a Columbia Records convention in San Francisco! Given the setting, and the uniqueness of the whole event, the release of this rare material is a treasure for soul fans of many generations – a rare addition to the amazing run of music the label first started giving us at the time. The set begins with MFSB doing a version of "Freddie's Dead" – then runs into Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes singing "I Miss You", "The Love I Lost", and "If You Don't Know Me By Now" – followed by Three Degrees on "I Didn't Know" and "Dirty Ol Man". MFSB then follow with "TSOP", then Billy Paul sings "East" and "Me & Mrs Jones", and the set ends with The O'Jays on "Love Train", "Sunshine", "Back Stabbers", and "When The World's At Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

An excellent bit of jazz from the Chicago scene – featuring the early roots of a set of players that would go onto influence the city's soul scene in a huge way. Johnnie Pate's probably best known as the arranger behind many great soul singles – including most of the Impressions 60s work – but he's playing bass here with a group that includes other great soul studio talents, like Charles Stepney on vibes, Lennie Druss on flute, Floyd Morris on piano, and Wilbur Wynne on guitar. The tracks are longish – with kind of a soul jazz take on the chamber jazz groove of the west coast, showing the first signs of the evolution of the jazz sophistication that would influence Stepney's later productions for Cadet, or Druss' work in the Soulful Strings. Titles include "Nita", "Que Jay", "Currant Jelly", and "Soulful Delight". LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

Ronnie Cuber, Gary Smulyan, and Nick Brignola on baritone saxophone, Andy McKee on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums. CD

Before they hit the big smooth Philly sound of the seventies, The Three Degrees cut these rawer girl group soul sides for the Swan label. This stuff's really hard to find on wax, and this CD compiles the complete recordings of the group, plus some of the solo stuff by Sheila Ferguson. Cuts include "Gotta Draw The Line", "Gee Baby", "I'm Gonna Need You", "I'll Weep For You", "Love Of My Life", "Drivin' Me Mad", and "Look In My Eyes". 26 tracks in all! CD

Featuring Joe Sullivan (piano), Pee Wee Russell (clarinet), Zutty Singleton (drums). 78 RPM, Vinyl record

The first album by Three Dog Night – cut back when they were a hip LA combo getting a lot of help and inspiration from The Beach Boys! The set's got a bit of a harder rocking sound than you might expect from some of their later hits – heavy drums and lots of guitars, mixed in with the sweeter and trippy harmony styles of the group. Titles include "Heaven Is In Your Mind", "It's For You", "One", "Chest Fever", "Let Me Go", "Find Someone To Love", and "The Loner". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Three 6 Mafia may not have hit world domination with this set – but the record is a landmark in the growth of southern hip hop at the end of the 90s, and is a downright classic from the Memphis group! In some ways, the record takes off a bit from Texas sounds of a few years before – even some of the Geto Boys sense of terror mixed with paranoia – that undercurrent of personal struggle that can often redeem records like this, and take them past just thuggish cliches. Titles include "Prophet Posse", "Spill My Blood", "Tear Da Club Up 97", "Bodyparts 2", and "Weed Is Got Me High". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the biggest album ever from Three 6 Mafia – a set that has the trio really hitting on all burners for the harder side of the spectrum in the 21st Century! By the time of the set, hardcore was mainstream – and few folks know how to explore that territory like Three 6 – years from time when anyone had to worry about offending anyone too much with a record that was stepping too hard, and just able to revel in the kind of vibes they first crafted many records back. The set features the big single "Stay Fly", with work from Young Buck and Eightball – plus the cuts "Roll With It", "Knock Tha Black Off Yo Ass", "Half ON A Sack", "Hard Hittas", "Poppin My Collar", "Don't Violate", "Don't Cha Get Mad", "Dancin On A Pole", "Got It 4 Sale", and even the "Stay Fly (still fly rmx)". LP, Vinyl record album

The bottom is certainly "up" on this one – as the Three Sounds groove things from the ground up, taking soul jazz piano to the next level with an approach that quickly made them one of the most popular Blue Note acts of the early 60s! Gene Harris leads the group on piano – and also plays celeste on one track (!) – and the other Sounds at this point are Andrew Simpkins on bass and Bill Dowdy on drums – a really great rhythm section that have a way of being soulfully quiet, with a very subtle groove – one that's much more understated than you might find in the Ramsey Lewis trio, but equally hip. Tracks include "Jinne Lou", "Besame Mucho", "Love Walked In", "Angel Eyes", "Falling In Love With Love", and "Time After Time". CD

Rare live work from the legendary Three Sounds trio – tracks recorded at a small jazz club in Seattle, at a time when the group were turning out their classic albums on Blue Note and Verve! There's a looser, more laidback vibe to some of these cuts than those studio records – and Gene Harris is especially amazing on his solos – blowing our mind even more than before with his deft, soulful approach to the keys – almost hitting Bobby Timmons territory on some of these tracks, given his non-stop ability to groove while still opening up on the melody! All tracks also feature the great Andy Simpkins on bass – a wonderfully warm player who really shapes the sound – and drummers include Carl Burnett, Bill Dowdy, and Kalil Madi – depending on the tunes. Material was recorded in 1964, 1966, and 1968 – and very well-recorded, too – presented here with a clarity that rivals their albums of the decade. Titles include "AM Blues", "Girl Talk", "Blue Genes", "Night Has A Thousand Eyes", "Rat Down Front", "The Boogaloo", "Caesar & Cleopatra", and "The Shadow Of Your Smile". CD

Great early work by the Three Sounds, before they'd lapsed a bit too much into their formulaic trio style on Blue Note – and when they were adding some excellent little flourishes to the music to distinguish themselves from the rest of the crowd. Drummer Bill Dowdy's in great shape here, working his way across the kit with the ferocity of a bossa drummer – adding in lots of great fills that bring out the best in Gene Harris sharp piano work. Plus, the album even features a bit of Harris on the celeste – creating a cool vibes-y sound on the track "Blue Bells". Other titles include "O Sole Mio", "Goin Home", "It's Nice", and "Both Sides". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent early 78rpm material from the legendary Charles brown – most with the Three Blazers combo! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Taylor Ho Bynum on cornet, John Hebert on contrabass, and Gerald Cleaver on drums. CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

With Sadat X and Dinco D on "Treacherous Three". 12-inch, Vinyl record

Features Geri Allen on piano, Charnett Moffett on bass, and Denardo Coleman on drums – and Ornette plays alto, trumpet, and violin! CD

Perfect early work from The Cure from the heart of the late 70s post-punk era – music that's short, sharp, and surprisingly powerful after all these years! The trio here has all the best sharp edges that made them a real standout in the post-punk years – and Robert Smith reminds us that although his vocals have gone onto be the stuff of legend, it may well have been his guitar work that first got him noticed! Really just guitar, bass, and drums – but used extremely well – on titles that include "Another Day", "Subway Song", "10:15 Saturday Night", "Accuracy", "Grinding Halt", "Three Imaginary Boys", "It's Not You", and "So What". LP, Vinyl record album

Perfect early work from The Cure from the heart of the late 70s post-punk era – music that's short, sharp, and surprisingly powerful after all these years! The trio here has all the best sharp edges that made them a real standout in the post-punk years – and Robert Smith reminds us that although his vocals have gone onto be the stuff of legend, it may well have been his guitar work that first got him noticed! Really just guitar, bass, and drums – but used extremely well – on titles that include "Another Day", "Subway Song", "10:15 Saturday Night", "Accuracy", "Grinding Halt", "Three Imaginary Boys", "It's Not You", and "So What". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the "Nutcracker Suite", "Peter Gynt Suites No 1 & No 2", and the Ellington-Strayhorn piece "Suite Thursday". CD

Hard-romping soul from the great Shirley Ellis – a singer most folks know for a single crossover hit – but an artist who's got a hell of a lot more to offer than just that novelty number! This excellent package is a long-overdue look at one of the queens of raw soul in the 60s – a singer who could belt it out with a hell of an edge, even when the music was moving at a mighty fast clip – which it does often here, as Shirley works with superb guidance from arranger Lincoln Chase – whose ears for a groove are outstanding at this point in his career! The package brings together early singles for the Congress label, plus even more obscure work a few years later for Columbia Records – and as always with Ace, the whole presentation is wonderful – light years away from just a simple greatest hits or public domain package. Titles include "The Nitty Gritty", "Bring It On Home To Me", "Get Out", "Takin Care Of Business", "The Clapping Song", "Sugar Let's Shing A Ling", "Back Track", "Yes I'm Ready", "Ever See A Diver Kiss His Wife", "You Better Be Good World", "Ka Ta Ga Ta Boom Beat", "The Name Game", "I Never Will Forget", "Such A Night", "That's What The Nitty Gritty Is", and "One Sour Note". CD

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Jim Hall on guitar, Steve LaSpina on bass, and Akira Tana on drums. CD

Featuring Paul Desmond, Bill Smith, Carl Parkins, Red Kelly, Red Mitchell, Monty Budwig, Percy Heath, Shelly Manne and Connie Kay. CD

Very interesting work from Chico Hamilton – one of his most compelling albums of the 50s! The three "faces" of Chico are as follows: his vocals, his solo percussion, and his quintet. Forget the vocals, because they're just OK (and Chico hardly embarked on a singing career after this one) – and focus on the percussion and quintet sides, because they're totally amazing! The percussion tracks have Chico playing solo, with a really haunting sound to them. There's not a lot of tricks, or pyrotechnics, and his work in this respect almost points the way to later recordings by Andrew Cyrille. The quintet sides are great, too – as this is the point at which Chico's got Eric Dolphy and Dennis Budimir in the group, both of whom draw a good edge on Chico's popular sound of a few years previous. Titles include "No Speak No English Man", "Miss Movement", "Trinkets", "Happy Little Dance", and "Newport News". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes "I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good", "Spang", "Frog & Mule" and a few more by Webster, "Lover Come Back To Me" and "Blues Changes" by Hawkins, and "I'm Fer It Too", "I Got Rhythm", and "Hello Babe" by Young. LP, Vinyl record album