Amazing early work from T Bone Walker – with mindblowing guitar solos, and these jazzy undercurrents that are unlike anyone else! CD

A great little batch of instrumentals from one of the greatest country guitarists of the 60s! As the title might imply, one side of the record features "laughing guitar", with upbeat lively numbers, while the other features "crying guitar", sadder slower songs with a mellow feel. Jimmy's guitar work is great on both sides – and the album features many original tunes by arranger Scott Turner. Titles include "Joy Ride", "Corn Ball", "Crying Guitar", "The Heart Of A Clown", "Why Should I Cry", and "Spanish Two Step". LP, Vinyl record album

Four classic albums from Jackie DeShannon – all in a single set! First up is Me About You – sophisticated Jackie at her best – working with great arrangements from Jack Nitzsche and Nick DeCaro – both cats from the California scene we can really trust for "cut-above" pop work like this – music that goes way past the simple sounds of DeShannon's start – into cool adult territory that really makes the album great. Jackie's vocals are surprisingly soulful in the setting – even more so than before – and the tunes include lots of gems, including versions of Van Dyke Parks' "High Coin", John Sebastian's "Didn't Want To Have To Do It", and Tim Hardin's "Baby Close Its Eyes". Also includes "I Keep Wanting You", "Me About You", and "Nicole". Next is Laurel Canyon – heady work from Jackie DeShannon's later years in 60s pop – an album with themes and styles that go way beyond her earlier recordings – as you might guess from the hip Laurel Canyon reference in the title! Jackie's working here in a mode that's much more strongly in a singer-songwriter style than before – with arrangements and backings that are a lot more organic, and less pop-tuned than ever – almost in a Laura Nyro approach on some numbers. As usual, a good portion of the tracks were written by Jackie herself – including "Holly Would", "Come & Stay With Me", "LA", "Too Close", and "Laurel Canyon" – and the album also features a few well chosen tracks by other writers too, like "Bitter Honey" by Paul Williams & Roger Nichols, "I Got My Reason" by Barry White, and "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" by Smokey Robinson. Put A Little Love In Your Heart is quite possibly the last great hit from singer Jackie DeShannon – an album built around the righteous spirit of the title track – filled with really wonderful original tunes penned by Jackie and soul singer Jimmy Holiday! The album may well be the best to explore the space between pop and soul that often characterized Jackie's work – and the overall sound is somewhat similar to some of Dusty Springfield's best pop/soul work from the same stretch. 10 of the album's 12 tracks are originals by Holiday and DeShannon – all set to soaring orchestrations by James Langeford, which often have a pronounced influence from the sound of Atlantic Records in the late 60s! Titles include "Put A Little Love In Your Heart", "You Are The Real Thing", "River Of Love", "Movin", "You Can Come To Me", "You Have A Way With Me", and "I Let Go Completely". To Be Free is an interesting little record – with kind of a crossover California soul feel overall – recorded with Rene Hall arrangements that echo a few rootsy modes at times, mixed in with fuller orchestrations that step a bit back towards Jackie's earlier years on Imperial – a surprisingly nice blend, with a fresh sound for the 70s. The album features a number of great tracks co-written with Jimmy Holiday – a fellow Imperial talent – and titles include "Mediterranean Sky", "Sooner Or Later", "What Was Your Day Like", "Livin On The Easy Side", "Brighton Hill", and "When Morning Comes Again". CD

One of the most obscure records from singer Francis Faye – a set that also features her on piano, and which also shows a nice link between her music and R&B! LP, Vinyl record album

The second album of Brit Invasion greatness from The Hollies – the reworked US version of their album Hollies that came out in the UK – armed with more original material than their earlier LP, but the group's skillful way with songs penned by others – including Curtis Mayfield & Roy Orbison as great as any of their peers! From raw rockers with impeccable harmonies, to very well done R&B styled numbers, it all sounds great! Titles include "I'm Alive", "Very Last Day", "Down The Line", "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", "Too Many People" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The US mono version of the debut album from The Hollies – a vital mid 60s record that's been unavailable for decades! The harmonie are great and there's something of a rawer edge to the music that sounds just great after all this time – Brit Invasion stuff that still sounds completely incredible – in mono and on vinyl, the way it's meant to be heard! Includes "Just One Look", "Talkin' Bout You", "Rockin' Robin", "Do You Love Me?", "Lucille", "It's Only Make Believe" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A great French-only album that brings together rare Imperial Records singles from one of the godfathers of New Orleans soul – plus two unissued tracks too! LP, Vinyl record album

Quite a rare little album from Luiz Bonfa – a session that's definitely got the bohemian qualities hinted at in the title, and one that comes off with a lot earthier sound than you'd expect from the date! Bonfa's guitar is presented in a mode that's mostly spare and beautiful – leaping out with incredible notes that seem to fly from his fingers of their own accord – recorded with a slightly echoey quality that only further enhances the depth of feeling in his performance. Titles include "Bom Que Doi", "Feitico Da Vila", "Paramaribo", "Tingua", "Euridice", "Dobradinho", and "Bouvelard". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the great "Traces" – one of their biggest hits – plus "Sunny", "Mr Blue", "Free", "Everyday With You Girl", "Traffic Jam", "Rainy Day", and "Nobody Loves You But Me". LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

Breathy vocals, jazzy backings, and a beautiful sound from singer Peggy King – an overlooked vocalist from the late 50s, but one who cut some really tremendous albums like this! The session's a great mix of sex and swing – and is proof that handled the right way, a singer like Peggy could really make magic in the studio – a kind of sensual, gentle approach that's not unlike the style of Julie London over at Liberty Records! Backings are by Henri Rene, Pete King, and Jack Marshall – often with strings, but never too lush to overwhelm the dreamy vocals – which themselves are just perfect for the tunes. Titles include "Sure Thing", "Rain", "Lazy Afternoon", "You'll Never Know", "Love Walked In", "Imagination", and "Littleboy Heart". CD

Features the dreamy pop song "Look For A Star", sung by Garry Mills – plus some nicely dark music conducted by Muir Mathieson! LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent set for fans of early group soul – a set that brings together rare early singles on Aladdin and Imperial, featuring a range of rare vocal group material – tracks by The Shaweez, The Dukes, Sharp Tones, Mellow Drops, Kidds, Barons, Hawks, Jewels, Bees, Jivers, and Pelicans! LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Sublime guitar from the great Jimmy Bryant – equally rocking and twanging, with cuts that include "Peach Grove Express", "Elena Goodbye", "Buggy Ride", "Lonesome", "Fender Bender", and "Model 400 Buckboard". LP, Vinyl record album

Damn great work from Albert Collins – one of those hard-edged gems from the early days that's a lot more funk than his later blues! Sure, there's still plenty of blues here – but the rhythms are pretty funky too, and the album's got some great raw production from Bill Hall – free from any of the blues cliches that were creeping into other artists work from mainstream attention – and still cooked up with a really gritty edge overall! Titles include the funky monsters "Doin My Thing" and "Do The Sissy" – plus "Collins Mix", "Trunin On", "Stump Poker", "Let's Get It Together Again", and "Left Overs". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album that's as hip as its cover image – one of 3 seminal mid 50s recordings for Imperial by LA altoist Sonny Criss! At this point in his career, Criss had a sharp-edged sound that could easily rival the best work by Sonny Stitt or Charlie Parker on the alto sax – but he also had a groove that was a bit more spacious, and a tone that was slightly more raspy – a wonderful quality that we can only describe as Criss-esque, recorded perfectly in the Imperial studios! The group here is a tight quartet – with Sonny Clark on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Lawrence Marable on drums – and Criss' solos are brilliant throughout! Titles include "Wailin With Joe", "The Man I Love", "Blues For Rose", "Blue Prelude", and "Summertime". CD

A great little album that's as hip as its cover image – one of 3 seminal mid 50s recordings for Imperial by LA altoist Sonny Criss! At this point in his career, Criss had a sharp-edged sound that could easily rival the best work by Sonny Stitt or Charlie Parker on the alto sax – but he also had a groove that was a bit more spacious, and a tone that was slightly more raspy – a wonderful quality that we can only describe as Criss-esque, recorded perfectly in the Imperial studios! The group here is a tight quartet – with Sonny Clark on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Lawrence Marable on drums – and Criss' solos are brilliant throughout! Titles include "Wailin With Joe", "The Man I Love", "Blues For Rose", "Blue Prelude", and "Summertime". CD

One of Sonny Criss' classic albums for Imperial – a brilliant batch of LA bop from the 50s, with an impeccable sound throughout! Criss had a tone like nobody else on the alto – and here, he's at the height of his early powers – neither blowing too hard, nor going for boppish tricks – and instead settling into an amazing groove with a sense of power, confidence, and extreme "rightness" as to his choice of notes! The album's right on the money throughout – exactly the kind of set that lives up to our lifetime devotion to Sonny's music – and the whole thing's great, with tracks that include "West Coast Blues", "Criss Cross", "Ham's Blues", and "Blue Friday". CD

Titles include "Along The Navajo Trail", "Trouble Blues", "You Win Again", "One Night", "Am I Blue", and "Good Hearted Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A great later live date, recorded at The Embers – with tunes that are tributes to Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Pettiford, Roy Eldridge, Illinois Jacquet, and Don Byas! LP, Vinyl record album

An aptly titled early side by Charlie Mariano – one of his first sets as a leader! Mariano's tone is fully developed even at this early stage in his career and he plays with a remarkable sense of his own style uncommon among alto players at the time, who were often following the lead of Bird. The set shocases an entirely different side to the east coast of the 50s, and features Jaki Byard in the rhythm section and Herb Pomeroy in the front line alongside Mariano. Like Mariano's other side on Imperial from the same time, the set doesn't rely heavily on standards, rather brings in some nice originals fromt eh group, like Byard's "Sasagapu" and "Chandra" and Pomeroy's "American Indian". Other titles include "Chanticleer", "April Afternoon", "Chopin Excerpts", "It's Magic" and "When Your Lover Has Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

Strange one for the Imperial label to have released, especially since it's mostly a batch of ethnographic-sounding recordings of tribal tracks, played by the mysterious Uknonu & His Afro-Calypsonians. Despite the invocation of calypso, and any of the pop/exotic connotations it might imply, this record is fairly rootsy, with mostly percussion, a bit of flute, and occasional vocals. Titles include "Ada Le", "War Dance", and "Afro-Maringa". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of some of Prez' famous LA bop recordings, though the cover's not long on notes about the session, so we can't identify the sidemen. We can tell you they all sound mighty fine alongside Prez. 12 tracks in all, including "Sax O Be Bop", "DB Blues", "Lester Leaps In", "Jumpin At The Woodside", "Lester's Be-Bop", "You're Driving Me Crazy" and "Just Cooling". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Atrevido", "Ave Maria", "Brasileirinho", "Chorinho Atigo", "Guacyra", and "Lamento". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from Jackie DeShannon's 60s run on Imperial Records – a set that definitely seems to have the singer reaching for the new image promised in the title, as she works with some jazzy currents that really bring out a whole new side of her vocals! Gone are the little girl pop styles of a few years before, and in their place is a more sophisticated interpretation of the material – aided at points by great arrangements from Marty Paich and George Tipton – two great 60s talents on the LA scene. Titles include "Come On Down", "A Sunday Kind Of Love", "The Carnival Is Closed Today", "A Proper Girl", "Poor Someone", and a great reading of "I Haven't Got Anything Better To Do". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A drum-heavy spectacular from the great Sandy Nelson – a player who brought the same sort of instrumental frenzy to his instrument that The Ventures brought to their guitars! Like The Ventures, Sandy made some of his biggest music on the west coast scene of the 60s – and while the drums figure plenty in the mix, and often get some nice solo space too – Nelson uses surf-style guitar on many tracks to round out the sound, which makes his music an easy fit for the rest of the west coast instrumental scene. CD features 20 classics from Sandy's Imperial recordings – with titles that include "Land Of 1000 Dances", "Day Tripper", "Let There Be Drums"," Sunny", "Work Song", "Satisfaction", "Caravan", "Drums A Go Go", "Secret Agent Man", and "Wipe Out". CD

The music leans heavily on jazz – arranged with those great May touches you'd know from his famous work for Capitol Records at the time – done with lots of great twists and turns that keep things interesting, even when eroticizing. Titles include "Dandy", "Kidnapping Scene", "Introduction", "Beach House", "Malibu Beach Mambo", and "Patio". LP, Vinyl record album

The classic sound of New Orleans soul never gets old – and the strength of the 20 tracks on this sampler are a good testament to that! The set brings together mostly numbers recorded for the Imperial label during the 50s – chunky little groovers that show off the unique Crescent City groove, with lots of clunky rhythms and piano triplets dancing about. Titles include "New Bon Ton Roula" by Clarence Garlow, "Ya Ya" by Lee Dorsey, "I'm Wise" by Ruth Durand, "Let The Good Times Roll" by Shirley & Lee, "Stack A Lee" by Archibald, "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" by Lloyd Price, "She Put The Hurt On Me" by Prince La La, "Let The Four Winds Blow" by Roy Brown, and "Chicken Shack Boogie" by Amos Milburn. CD

Tremendous grooves from one of the coolest club labels of all time – the legendary P&P family of labels, home to some of the weirdest, wildest, most experimental tracks to ever hit the dancefloor – yet all tracks that are pretty darn funky too! This 2CD collection is heavy on cuts from Cloud One – one of the most well-known P&P acts, often working with weird moogy electronics over funky club rhythms – a combination that still sounds as fantastic now as when Patrick Adams got the group going way back when – especially in the company of some of the other cool cuts that are on the collection too. Cloud One tracks include "Music Funk", "Funky Track", "Disco Juice", "Dust To Dust", "Spaced Out", "Charleston Hopscotch", "Atmosphere Strut (parts 1 & 2)", "Doin It All Night Long", "Jump Jump Jump", "Flying High (part 1)", "Patty Duke", "Don't Let My Rainbow Pass Me By", "Atmosphere Strut (1979 rmx – part 2)", and "Happy Music" – and other tracks include "God's Greatest Gift To Man Is A Woman" by Marie Lomax, "My Baby's Got ESP (orig 7" mix)" by Four Below Zero, "The Guardian Angel Is Watching Over Us" by Golden Flamingo Orchestra, "Dance Dance Dance (disco version)" by Maria Acuna, "God Save & Protect Children" by Margo Williams, "Ain't Gonna Be A Next Time (short version)" by Magnetic Touch, and "It's Rough (dub)" by The Imperial Three. CD

5 early albums from John Coltrane – packaged together in mini LP-styled jackets! First up is Soultrane, a bold early statement from a young John Coltrane – and an album that really has him expanding his talents as a tenor soloist! Coltrane's working here in open-ended quartet format – with backing from the Red Garland trio that includes Paul Chambers and Art Taylor – on a set of longer tunes that really let the young Trane stretch out on his solos, unobstructed by any other horns in the lineup. There's a nice mix of hardbop ideals, gentle ballads, and personal soul to the set – and titles include Coltrane's classic reading of Tadd Dameron's "Good Bait", plus "I Want To Talk About You", "Russian Lullaby", and "Theme For Ernie". Lush Life is strong work from John Coltrane's early years as a leader – even if the album is sort of a collection of tracks that Trane recorded for Prestige, instead of a discreetly separate session! Side one features Coltrane's tenor in a spare setting with Earl May on bass and Art Taylor on drums – playing mellow tunes like "I Love You" and "Like Someone In Love", as well as the original "Trane's Slow Blues". Side two features a blowing session mode – with Donald Byrd, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Louis Hayes – on the cuts "Lush Life" and "I Hear A Rhapsody". Dakar is a very unique little record that features twin baritone sax support from Pepper Adams and Cecil Payne! Both players are wonderfully hip here – more than enough to match Trane's unique musical vision for the group's format – and the sound of the session is much edgier than some of his other Prestige work – which may be why the label chose not to issue it until 1963, even though it was recorded back in '57. There's a nice roughness here – the same inspirational early sound you'll get on Coltrane's early sides for Savoy or Imperial – and other players include Mal Waldron on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Titles include "Cat Walk", "Dakar", "Route 4", "Velvet Scene", and "Witches Pit". Bahia is a set that includes some very compelling sounds from the early years, really showing the tenorist in a strongly spiritual transition! Coltrane plays tenor throughout, and the record also features the Red Garland trio, with Red on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and either Art Taylor or Jimmy Cobb on drums – but the set also features trumpet from the great Wilbur Harden on half the record – Coltrane's frequent partner over at Savoy Records, who comes into the music here with the sort of searching, open style that works so well with Trane's tenor! The music is partly in the Garland/Coltrane late 50s Prestige mode, but also has some of the deeper spiritual vibe of the Savoy years too – and titles include "I'm A Dreamer Aren't We All", "Something I Dreamed Last Night", "Bahia", and "Goldsboro Express". The final CD is album's titled The Last Trane because it represents the last material that Prestige Records had in its vault from the time that John Coltrane was recording for the label in the late 50s. Titles were recorded on 3 different dates from 1957 and 1958 – mostly with Red Garland on piano, and also featuring some additional horn work by Donald Byrd on 2 tracks. The album's got a great spare track called "Slowtrane" – one that features Coltrane playing with only bass and drums for accompaniment – and which recalls the genius of some of his sessions for Transition or Imperial. Byrd's blowing alongside the tenor on versions of "Lover" and "Come Rain Or Come Shine" – and the set's rounded up by a nice open-ended track called "By The Numbers", which has a warm bluesy solo by Trane! CD

A beautiful album from the wonderful reedman Sonny Criss – one of the first albums in his brief stretch of return to recording in the late 70s – and quite possibly the best! Criss has a sound that's completely amazing, right from the start – every bit as sharp toned as in his early years on Imperial, and as full of all the imagination as on his sides for Prestige – but with much deeper feeling, too – this sense of pain and life that makes even the simplest notes extremely powerful – blowing us away like few others players could do with such understated brilliance. The whole thing's perfect – maybe even more so than the Prestige recordings – and backing is by Barry Harris on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Lenny McBrowne on drums – a really wonderful group! Titles include the amazing "Saturday Morning" – a track that will really make you fall in love with Sonny all over again – plus "Angel Eyes", "Tin Tin Deo", "Jeannie's Knees", "My Heart Stood Still", and "Until The Real Thing Comes Along". Also includes the bonus track "Confusion". CD

A great look at The Majors – a set that features their sole album for Imperial Records, plus lots more bonus material too! The set begins with the full Meet The Majors album – the only full album ever cut by The Majors – a hell of a vocal group from the Philly scene of the early 60s, and one with a fantastic approach that's a bit unlike anyone else we can think of! The group sports soaring lead vocals from singer Ricky Cordo – a singer with a range that's really amazing, and used in these ways that can be really dynamic, even on the mellow cuts – as he's backed by the group's three guys and one gal, who sometimes get a bit more spotlight in the lead – amidst this wonderful palette of instrumental touches, which includes bits of vibes, organ, and other nice touches that really keep things interesting. Titles include "Oh Wee Baby", "Time Will Tell", "She's A Troublemaker", "Don't You Lose Your Cool", "Come One Come On", "What In The World", "A Wonderful Dream", and "Anything You Can Do". The set then moves into 10 more tracks from singles for Imperial and Ro-Cal – titles that include "Tra La La", "One Happy Ending", "What Have You Been Doin", "Get Up Now", and the cuts "Whisper In Your Ear" and "Lundee Dundee", both cut by the earlier version of the group, as The Versatiles. CD

That's five flies in the title – each of them warranted, given the incredible energy of Cecil Taylor on the keys of the piano! This obscure solo set is a gem all the way through – an unusual session recorded for MPS – with Taylor playing beautiful tones on a Bosendorfer Grand Piano Imperial, ringing out with the sort of freedom that you'd know from other recordings of his from the 70s – but possibly a bit more structure at times too – an almost lyrical mode that's a really wonderful change, and which makes the record one of Cecil's most sensitive sides ever! Even in a world that's heavy with Taylor solo moments, this album's well worth tracking down – as it shows Cecil with a focus that's simply breathtaking – no less of the fire and freedom than before, but pushed into spaces that really make sense right away – and help illustrate the greatness of Taylor when everything's working perfectly. Titles include "Rocks Sub Amba", "N+R (Love Is Friends)", "The Stele Stolen & Broken Is Reclaimed", "Ensaslayi", and "Astar". LP, Vinyl record album

Numero does it again – unleashing an amazing batch of work for the first time ever – all packaged in a very limited Record Store Day set! The collection features material that was pressed up at the tiny Boddie pressing plant in Cleveland – a wonderful range of local artists from the late 60s through the mid 80s – all served up with the usual Numero flair! The set's a rich discovery of sounds we'd never have heard otherwise – and although it's slanted heavily towards rare funk and soul, there's also some compelling indie rock sides too – especially some homegrown, dark-toned sounds from the 80s – clearly influenced by the styles in the UK underground. The set features 17 tracks in all – including "Don't Stop Smiling" by Jus Us, "Just A Dream" by Imperial Wonders, "Love Is On The Way" by Bill Spoon, "Let Me Go" by The Harmonics, "I'm Gonna Treat You Good" by The Donations, "Good For The Gander" by Hot Chocolate, "Woman You're Gonna Pay For This" by Wicked Lester, "The Voyage Of The Nautilus" by Russell Potter, and "Snakepit" by Berlin West. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Invincibles, Natural Four, Servicemen, Profiles, Bernard Williams, Strides, Strands, Tempos, Soul Communicators, Brothers Of Soul, Thieves, Turnpikes, Conquistadors, Admirations, Trends, Original Larks, Inspirations, Voltaires, Hot Tamales, Souvenirs, La Cords, Rosey Jones & The Superiors, and Imperial C's – 29 tracks in all. CD

A killer selection of rare soul tunes from the EMI catalog of the late 60s! The cuts on here originally appeared on labels like Liberty, Imperial, Capitol, and United Artists – and they're selected by Dean Rudland with a very strong UK soulboy vibe. There's loads of stuff on here that we've never ever seen on wax, and the quality of the compilation is extremely high. Titles include "Don't" by Marva Josie, "The Drifter" by Ray Pollard, "Love & Desire" by Patrice Holloway, "She Blew A Good Thing" by The Poets, "Looking For You" by Garnet Mimms, "Fortune Teller" by Benny Spellman, "Dance Dance Dance" The Casualeers, "Ski-ing In The Snow" by The Invitations, "Dr Love" by Bobby Sheen, and "Seven Days Too Long" by Chuck Woods. CD

18 songs from The Imperial Cs, Pookie Hudson, Moses Smith, The Rotations, The Volcanos, Kenny Gamble, Douglas Banks, The Temptones, Benny Sigler, Tyrone Ashley, Sunshine, Dee Irwin, and The Royal Five. CD

A killer compilation and a testament to the creative strength of the Chicago music scene! Situation 2, like it's predecessor, is a benefit effort for city's live performance venues that were dark for most of 2020 & first half of 2021 due to the pandemic and it's as diverse as the city itself, with jazz, rock, hip hop, soul and more they defies genres and straddles eras. Includes "Slippin' Into Darkness" by Jeff Parker, "Keep The Rhythm Goin" by Fess Grandiose, "Great American" by Umphrey's McGee featuring Bela Fleck "Sinistry (Live From Definite Versions)" by Mirrors, "Reduxion"by Imperial Boxmen, "The Maker" by The God*amn Gallows, "Really Do Care" by VV Lightbody, "Drowning" by Neptune's Core" and "The Parting Glass" by Erin McGougald. LP, Vinyl record album