... LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous vocals and really rich arrangements – an album that pushes Irma Thomas a bit in the direction of uptown soul, yet still keeps all the deeper elements intact! Some of the backings here are fuller than before – added strings and backup vocals, used in a way you might expect from New York soul of the mid 60s – but never in a way that's sleepy, or poppy. Alongside these backings, Irma opens up wonderfully – singing with a rich style that's really tremendous – and which seems to draw even more power from the elements in the background! Titles include "Take A Look", "Teasing, But You're Pleasing", "Times Have Changed", "He's My Guy", and "Baby, Don't Look Down". LP, Vinyl record album

A loungey gem from Irma! Supposedly, these guys are the horn players for Herbalizer – and here, they're grooving in a retro-bossa mode with electronica touches, mixing keyboards, horns, and just a bit of vocals into that stripped down lounge groove that the Irma label has always handled so well. A great no-nonsense set – with a nice degree of whimsy, and a real appreciation of the roots of the material, one that gives the record a comfortable finish. Titles include "The Boy With The Beautiful Hair", "Love Letter", "The Affair", "Glider Girl", "Cable Car", and "Le Masseur". The CD version has two extra tracks! CD

A cool funky combo in the best tradition of the vintage years of the Italian Irma Records label – a group who mostly use live, jazzy instrumentation with plenty of drums, percussion, and basslines in the rhythms – plus lots of sweet guitar and horns as well! There's a slight influence going on from West African modes, but the overall approach is funky jazz – with some sweet keyboard and organ lines too, in a mix of tracks that are half instrumental, half vocal – the latter with contributions from Devon Ebah Miles and Reda Zine! The guitar lines are especially great – riffing nicely in the grooves – and titles include "Macumba", "Kalam Layl", "Same Blood", "Microcosmo", and "Resistance". CD

A cool funky combo in the best tradition of the vintage years of the Italian Irma Records label – a group who mostly use live, jazzy instrumentation with plenty of drums, percussion, and basslines in the rhythms – plus lots of sweet guitar and horns as well! There's a slight influence going on from West African modes, but the overall approach is funky jazz – with some sweet keyboard and organ lines too, in a mix of tracks that are half instrumental, half vocal – the latter with contributions from Devon Ebah Miles and Reda Zine! The guitar lines are especially great – riffing nicely in the grooves – and titles include "Macumba", "Kalam Layl", "Same Blood", "Microcosmo", and "Resistance". LP, Vinyl record album

Great LP of Brazilian fusion put together and produced by Joe Davis, the man behind the Blue Brazil compilation. Recorded in Rio recently, this LP features some great players like Marcos Valle (his first recording in years), Raul De Souza, and Celia Vaz running through a strong set of Brazilian jazz & MPB classics, like "Os Grillos", "Para Lennon e McCartney", and "Bebe". Nice modern sound, with a tight bossa fusion groove, and production that's very very faithful to the original style of the music. CD

A nice little record that offers up exactly what you see on the cover – the acoustic bass of Paolo Ghetti and the vocals of Anna – a singer who works in Italian throughout, but with a jazz-based approach that really works well with the bass – warm, carefully cresting, and with all these great changes and phrasing that make Ghetti come across as much as an instrument – which might especially be the case if you can't understand the language of the lyrics! And we lied a bit about the contents – as there are a few moments where small instrumental contributions come into the mix just a bit – work that includes guest trumpet from Fabrizio Bossa on two tracks, plus a few other small contributions from Stefano Bedetti, Fabio Petretti, and Gabriele Mirabassi. Titles include "Parlami D'Amore Mariu", "In Un Palco Della Scala", "Non Ti Scordar Di Me", "Pinocchi", "Vecchia America", "Donna", and "Baciami Piccina". CD

A great return to form for Lainz, a group from the Italian scene way back in the early years of Irma Records – appearing here with a fresh update on their trademark approach to funky jazz! The style is great – much warmer and actually much more classic than their older material – with wicked work on Fender Rhodes, in a combo that also includes guitar, bass, drums, and just the right use of percussion – kicking up the groove gently, while still making plenty of room for the keyboard solos to step out and flow nicely! Titles include "Giorgio", "Funk Oil", "Lanz At PompeiI", "Sfrombolus", "Blue Lainz", and "Too Lainz". CD

A second set of grooves from the V Mode project of Vito Lalinga – tracks that are very much in the best tradition of Irma Records, as they mix together warmer funky touches with more contemporary beats and production – all in a way that bridges the world between 70s funk and 21st Century dancefloor modes! The rhythms are processed, but never too much – and there's plenty of live jazzy solos throughout the record and vocals from artists who include Dina York and Pomante – on cuts that include "Out Of Here", "Just Shake", "Mega Funk", "Best Man In The World", "Funky Tropicale", "Brasilek", "Urban Funk" "All Night Long", "Bua", and "Juice Fruit". CD

A great return to form for the LTJ Experience – exactly the kind of tight grooves and soulful sounds that made Luca Trevisi such a standout in earlier years of the Italian club scene! The style here is really back to basics – somewhere between the spareness of the post-disco years and the fuller soulful styles when house started coming into play – always pretty funky in the rhythms, but with a forward-moving focus that's quite different than straight instrumental funk too. Titles include "Funk Is On", "Disco-Ver Me", "What I Feel", "Linear Funk", "Vuoto Beat", and "Get Down". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

A great tribute to the longstanding sound of the Irma Records label – an Italian imprint who first rose up during the big years of acid jazz, then went on to deliver a range of different grooves over the past 30 years! The set focuses on work that really hits that old school Irma vibe – funky tracks from artists both classic and contemporary, in a set that also includes the vinyl debut for many cuts too. If you know what Irma brought to European and international dancefloors back in the day, you'll know what you'll be grooving to here – on tracks that include "Argentina" by Man Sueto, "Funky Generation" by Smoke Orchestra, "Celebrations" by Lo Greco Brothers, "Yours Is The Light" by Soul Jazz Unit, "Cool Affair" by Black & Brown, "Groovy Era" by The Last Minister, "Kontaminazione II" by Bossa Nostra, "Pfunk Station" by Jestofunk, "Keep Yourself Together" by Bazzara, and "No Rhyme No Reason (Pluton Kids rmx)" by LTJ Xperience with Jackson Sloan. LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully mellow set of tracks – featuring older tunes from the 70s, set alongside some great recent work from the catalog of the mighty Irma label – all with a very nice chilled out soul approach! There's a number of great tracks here that had completely passed us by – nifty little numbers we might have missed otherwise, and which sound especially nice in the confines of this well-selected little set! Tunes include "Far Cry" by Marvin Gaye, "Getting High" by Gino Vannelli, "So Thankful" by Orange Factory with Ahmad, "I Like You" by Scott Jacoby, "Don't I Know You" by Phil Upchurch & Tennyson Stephens, "Mama Blues" by Jestofunk, "Naima (Stockholm Cyclo rmx)" by Soul Bossa Trio, "Nothing Comes From Nothing (Atjazz rmx)" by Sarah Jane Morris, "Spiritual Trane" by Belladonna, "Starlite (vocal)" by Sicania Soul, "Heart & Soul (Jimpster rmx)" by Ohm Guru, and "Ordinary Guy (Sunaga T Experience voc)" by Jestofunk with Joe Bataan! CD

A lovely little album dedicated to the famous Italian singer Mina – a vocalist with an incredible range, and an artist who made some incredibly groovy work back in the 60s and 70s! The style here isn't just a rehash of Mina's hits – but a reworking of those ideas into some more contemporary soulful styles that really fit the Irma Records placement of the set – as the whole thing's got that warm glow and surprisingly international feel we first loved in the Irma label many years back! Vocals are mostly in Italian, and music is by Papik – nice and jazzy, with a few smoother soul currents too – for singers who include Laura Lanzillo, Stefy Gamboni, Christiana Polegri, Vittoria Siggillino, and Alessandro Pitoni. Titles include "Specchi Riflessi", "La Pioggia Di Marzo", "Si No Estuvieras Tu", "Amante Amore", "La Voce Del Silenzio", "Tintarella Di Luna", and "Conversione". CD

Groovy bossa vibes, and a combination of new and old material by the likes of Elsa Soarez, Giulio Camarca, Mandrake Som, Key Tronics Ensemble, Man Sueto, Paolo Achenza, and Babyra Soul. Bossa sounds all the way through, and put together with enough care that you won't really notice the difference between the old and new material. Better than any of the similar comps released in the US, and with the usual high quality packaging from Irma! CD

Nice nice set of breezy modern bossa tracks, culled from the current catalog of Irma's Italian artists, most of whom have been receiving kudos for years for their dedication to a classic Brazilian sound. The tracks on here nicely mix electric bossa with more modern production touches, but still retain a fairly classic sound. Titles include "Gospelito" by Fez Combo, "Bota Pra Quebar" by DJ Rodriguez, "Apocalypso" by Bossa Nostra, "Cinnamon & Clove (samba 68 mix)" by Balanco, "Meu Desespero" by Quintetto X, and more! CD

Rootsy Brazilian jazz – done Italian style! At one level, the group's a free-thinking assemblage that takes us back to the glory days of the Airto/Flora years – working in an earthy style that has lots of organic touches, yet which also rises out of the ground with a strongly jazzy vibe. But at another level, the group's also got some occasional modes that link them a bit more closely to the Irma label scene – not in an electronic way, but in their strong desire to recast older Brazilian jazz for a new era. Great stuff all around, with sweet female lead vocals, lots of percussion, some keyboards, and a very lively ensemble feel all the way through. Titles include "Afro Blue", "Anno Zero", "Agora Tento", "Coco Joao", "Passaro", "Scratch", "Deixa", and "Volta Pro Mar". CD

Great work from this Brazilian percussion genius – moving here to a whole new level! Dom's working here with a cast of all-stars that includes pianist Luciano Alves, vocalist Ithamara Koorax, guitarist Dorival Caymmi, keyboardist Eumir Deodato, and saxophonist Jose Carlos Ramos. The core of the set is similar to Dom's records of the 70s – but there's also a number of tracks that kick in with a remix feel, pumping up the beats with an abstract vibe that's going for the current crossover crowd, and which is sure to push the album onto whole new audiences. Titles include "Groovystation", "Bit Box", "Blue Bossa", "Lake Of Perseverance", "House Carnival", "Mas Que Nada", "Naima", "Sambao", and "Eric's Stuff". CD

A fantastic Deodato album from 1973! Although this was recorded at the same time as his American releases on CTI, the album has much more of the flavor of his tighter, jazzier, earlier work – with loads of funky keyboards, and lots of shorter tracks that drive along nicely with interplay between electric bass and Brazilian rhythms. The whole thing's a wonderful bit of electric Brazil from the 70s - with a groove that's hard to match by other albums. Some tracks have been issued on the CD Os Catedratecos 73 – but there appear to be other ones here too. Titles include "Skyscrapers", "Flap", "Rudys", "Soccer Game", "The Byrd", "Elizeth", "Boy Meets Girl", "The First Stone", "Cary & Carole", and "Down The Hill". CD

Funky soul from Scott Jacoby – one of the better songwriters to ever grace the Irma family of labels, working here with a nicely compressed sound that brings together a range of sounds! There's almost a Lenny Kravitz-ish feel here – but the overall instrumentation and grooves slide more into Jamiroquai territory, thanks to heavy use of warm keyboards alongside the vocals. In fact, Scott's overall approach has plenty of nice little hooks along with the grooves – making us wonder if we won't be hearing from him in some larger context soon! Titles include "No Socks", "I Like You", "Share My Sunshine", "Leah", "Play The Piano", "Come Around", and "Dodo Flies". CD

Deeper soul than usual from Ohm Guru – a record that really has them getting past some of their simpler dancefloor tricks, and heading into some surprisingly rich territory! The main attraction here is vocalist Caterina Soldati – who sings in English on most of the tracks, with a soaring, soulful quality that almost gives the group a Swing Out Sister feel on these cuts – contemporary, yet steeped in older female vocal modes – a wonderful change, and one that fits the group very well. A few other singers show up too – Ivan Maffessoni, T-Mike, and Ninfa – and overall, they keep the feel of the other grooves pretty well. Titles include "This Is Your Life", "Once Again", "Someday", "Lady Magnolia", "Lazy Lady", "Nine To Five", "Suitcase", and "Soul In Chains". CD

Beautiful work from a really lovely Italian singer – a vocalist whose language you might not know, but who brings you in right away with an instantly seductive sound! Part of that sound comes from great use of keyboards – warming things up in all these great soulful styles, so that the tunes have a gentle groove that's part jazz, part soul, and very universal – augmented with guitar, flute, tenor, and other instrumentation depending on the tracks – all in a way that's not too far from the kind of work we first started loving on Italian labels like Irma and Schema many years back! Titles include "Zanzare", "Vulesse", "Barocco", "Zucchero A Velo", "Nicotina", and "Scalinatella". LP, Vinyl record album

Breathtaking 60s pop, soul & rock tunes penned by Jackie DeShannon – a wide range of glorious singles from Irma Thomas, The Fleetwoods, Helen Shapiro, Barbara Lewis, Duane Eddy, The Concords, The Byrds, Peggy March and many more! Jackie's is an amazing story – starting out as a TV friendly hillbilly & rockabilly pop singer in the late 50s, and going on the be a hugely successful songwriter in the 60s for a wildly diverse pool of singers – from folk pop, to stomping pulpy rock of the Lee Hazlewood and Jack Nitzsche school (the latter a frequent collaborator), to r&b fueled vocal tunes, Jackie wrote all kinds of great stuff, and kept recording to boot. This set couldn't be more appealing, and it's a lovely tribute to a great talent! 27 tracks: the fiery "Break-A-Way" by Irma Thomas, "Woe Is Me" by Helen Shapiro, "Guitar Child" by Duane Eddy & The Rebelettes, "Thank You Darlin'" by Rick Nelson, "Don't Doubt Yourself Babe" by The Byrds, "Stop That Girl" by Barbara Lewis, "I Remember The Girl" by The Bandits, "Only You Can Free My Mind" (previously unreleased demo) by Jackie DeShannon and much more. CD

A massive tribute to this groundbreaking, genre-busting label – a short-lived imprint on Island Records that was put together by Brian Eno in the mid 70s – all to showcase some of the best new experiments in avant classical and minimalist music! There's a special sort of quality to these records – work that maybe has a bit more "heart" than some of the colder, more academic work of the period – even in comparison to some of the other records issued by some of these artists – warmer and more personal than the productions of Cramps or CRI, for example – and always seeming to have that special sort of sonic brilliance that Eno brought to his own music of the time! The label only issued ten full records, but that makes for a very unified vibe for the entire catalog – which is collected here with a huge booklet of notes inside the box set. Albums include The Sinking Of The Titanic by Gavin Bryars, Voices & Instrumentals by Jan Steele & John Cage, Irma by Tom Phillips, Pavilion Of Dreams by Harold Budd, Decay Music by Michael Nyman, Discreet Music by Brian Eno, New & Rediscovered Musical Instruments by Max Eastley & David Toop, Music From The Penguin Cafe by Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Machine Music by John White & Gavin Bryars, and Ensemble Pieces by Christopher Hobbs, John Adams, & Gavin Bryars. CD

That's a mod logo on the cover, but the set's an all-soul package all the way through – served up by the great Eddie Piller, who's brought us plenty of soul music over the years through his work at Acid Jazz Records! The package is great – a 7" square slipcover, which contains a beautiful booklet of notes alongside the 100 well-chosen cuts within – music that digs deep into the realm of raw soul and quick-stepping grooves that really set the London scene on fire in the 60s! There's a great mix of lesser-known gems here next to bigger hits – and the package includes work by The Soul Sisters, Garnet Mimms, Little Hank, Jerry Jackson, Darrell Banks, Irma Thomas, Mary Love, The Larks, The Sapphires, Solomon Burke, Little Milton, The Sharpees, Mitty Collier, Deon Jackson, and dozens of others! CD

There's two stylish British hipsters on the cover, but the album's filled with classic American jazz tracks – each hand-picked by Martin Freeman and Eddie Piller, and served up with plenty of soul! The work here begins in hardbop territory, and moves through 60s soul jazz and more righteous moments in the 70s – and while there's a few more recent tracks, the vibe of the record is very vintage throughout – and really reflects that longtime London love of obscure American records – sounds from a scene that has really taught us a lot over the decades! There's a few tracks here we haven't seen in years, and some great old favorites too – and titles include "Some Kinda Mean" by Sam Jones, "Now At Last" by Blossom Dearie, "Trees & Grass & Things" by Charles Williams, "Cherrystones" by Eugene McDaniels, "The Hipster" by Harold McNair ,"Chains" by Blacks & Blues, "Bend Your Head Down Low" by Geoffrey Stoner, "Sphynx" by Brand New Heavies, "Look At Me Look At You" by Marlena Shaw, "Get Up Off Your Knees" by David Axelrod, "Psychedelic" by Lee Morgan, "Terra Firma Irma" by Joe Gordon, "Rhythm Changes" by Kamasi Washington, "Just In Time To See The Sun" by Leon Thomas, "Bolivia" by Ulf Sandberg, and "Mi Hermano" by Blue Mitchell. CD

A now-classic update of the famous Christmas album format – one done for the 21st Century crowd, but with a nice mix of older and younger artists – all serving up a blend of original tunes and holiday classics in new modes! Titles include "Green Grows The Holly" by Calexico, "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day" by The Civil Wars, "The Christmas Song" by Paul McCartney, "Wonderful Christmastime" by The Shins, "Sleigh Ride" by Fun, "Baby It's Cold Outside" by Rufus Wainwright & Sharon Van Etten, "It's Beginning To Look Like Christmas" by Fruit Bats, "Senor Santa" by Y La Bamba, "Auld Lang Syne" by Andrew Bird, "May Every Day Be Christmas" by Irma Thomas, "That's What I Want For Christmas" by Holly Golightly, "The Man With The Bag" by Black Prairie with Sallie Ford, "Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me" by Eleanor Friedberger, and "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve" by The Head & The Heart. LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime soul work from the glory days of Atlantic Records – and most of it unfamiliar too! As with the male volume in this great Unearthed series, this female volume is filled with amazing rarities from Atlantic – 5 previously unreleased tunes by some of the label's best female singers, plus another 11 tracks that show that even when they were topping the charts, Atlantic was still dedicated to putting out some great deep soul singles! Compiler David Nathan really did his homework here – not only picking out choice singles and b-sides for the compilation, but also digging up the rare unissued tunes that totally make the set worthwhile, even if you think you've got it all in your record collection! Titles include the previously unissued tracks "I Ain't That Easy To Lose" by Betty Swann, "Rescue Me" by Dee Dee Warwick, "It's Growing" by Margie Joseph, "Count The Days" by Patti Labelle & The Bluebells, and "Ain't Nothing Gonna Change Me" by The Sweet Inspirations – plus the titles "Thankful For What I Got" by Barbara Lewis, "It Ain't Who You Know" by Jackie Moore, "Full Time Woman" by Irma Thomas, "I Got To Love Sombody's Baby" by Judy Clay, "What A Man" by Laura Lee, "My Way" by Aretha Franklin, and "Please Little Angel" by Doris Troy. CD

A massive tribute to this groundbreaking, genre-busting label – a short-lived imprint on Island Records that was put together by Brian Eno in the mid 70s – all to showcase some of the best new experiments in avant classical and minimalist music! There's a special sort of quality to these records – work that maybe has a bit more "heart" than some of the colder, more academic work of the period – even in comparison to some of the other records issued by some of these artists – warmer and more personal than the productions of Cramps or CRI, for example – and always seeming to have that special sort of sonic brilliance that Eno brought to his own music of the time! The label only issued ten full records, but that makes for a very unified vibe for the entire catalog – which is collected here with a huge booklet of notes inside the box set. Albums include The Sinking Of The Titanic by Gavin Bryars, Voices & Instrumentals by Jan Steele & John Cage, Irma by Tom Phillips, Pavilion Of Dreams by Harold Budd, Decay Music by Michael Nyman, Discreet Music by Brian Eno, New & Rediscovered Musical Instruments by Max Eastley & David Toop, Music From The Penguin Cafe by Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Machine Music by John White & Gavin Bryars, and Ensemble Pieces by Christopher Hobbs, John Adams, & Gavin Bryars. LP, Vinyl record album

Season's Greetings from New Orleans. Includes the diverse styles and musicians such as, Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, Dr John, Aaron Neville, Pete Fountain and many more. CD

Music from Kermit Ruffins, Fats Domino, Dr. John, Louis Armstrong, Beausoleil, the Meters, Marcia Ball, the Radiators, Johnny Adams, Clifton Chenier, Earl King, Irma Thomas, the Hawketts, Boozoo Chavis, Aaron Neville, Coolbone, Raymond Myles, James Booker, Little Richard, Tim McLaughlin, Eddie Bo & more. CD

Jumpin' Northern Soul from Phlly – hard group soul and some sweeter tunes, too – rare treasures from the vaults of the Harthon Records Co.! These early-to-mid 60s dancefloor soul tunes are essentially the seeds that sprouted the Philly Soul sound to come. Much of it has that driving Northern groove, plus strings and strongly emotional vocal performances that predict the 70s Philly revolution quite presciently! The CD is packed tightly, too – 28 great tunes by The Four Larks, Larry Clinton, Eddie Holman, Shirley Turner, Irma & The Larks, The United Four, The Preludes, The Volcanos, The Intentions and more! Includes the killer title track by The Four Larks plus "It's Needless To Say" by Bernard Williams & The Original Blue Notes, "She's Wanted In Three States" by Larry Clinton, "Honey Please Stay" by The United Four, "I Wish The World Happiness" by Shirley Turner, "Shing-A-Ling" by The Cooperettes, "Hurt" by Eddie Holman, "Deeper Than That' by The Preludes, "Movin' And Groovin'" by The Volcanos, ""Don't Forget That I Love You" by The Intentions, "Without You Baby" by Irma & The Larks and many more. CD

Soul Jazz have done it again – and really knock it out of the park with this tremendous collection of Crescent City soul! Yes, there have been plenty of New Orleans collections over the years – and yes, most of them are pretty darn good – but there's really something special going on here – a very fresh take on the Nola sound, with lots of lesser-known tracks by some of the bigger names on the scene – and a special focus that goes way past the hits, and which also shows some real overlooked nuggets from the early 70s too! The tunes all still have that great New Orleans mix of grit and groove – but there's often a nice sense of warmth, too – less of the cliches you might associate with the scene, and some surprisingly mature modes on some of the later tracks too – almost as if deep soul modes from farther north in the south were filtering down to the city to change up the groove. As usual, Soul Jazz have included some copious notes to support their excellent music choices – and quite frankly, we're even more impressed than ever with their work on this project – and we've been stocking their albums for almost 20 years! Titles include "She's On My Mind" by Aaron Neville, "Caught You In A Lie" by Robert Parker, "Don't Pity Me" by Curley Moore, "Steppin Out" by Lionel Robinson, "Being Without You" by Maurice Williams, "Congratulations Baby" by Barbara West, "I Don't Wanna Hear It" by Betty Harris, "Back Street Lover" by Ernie K Doe, "I've Never Considered" by Inell Young, "The ABC Song" by Diamond Joe, "Tell Her That I Love You" by Jimmy Hicks, and "She'll Never Be Your Wife" by Irma Thomas. CD

An incredible session of hardbop from early 60s LA – easily one of the hippest and hardest-hitting albums ever recorded for Contemporary Records! Joe Gordon passed away early in 1963, and this album's one of a rare few he made as a leader – but even if it was the only one, it might well be enough – because the trumpeter steps out here with an intensity and sense of imagination that easily matches the best sounds of Lee Morgan or Ted Curson during the time, often with the similar mix of modernism and grooving as the latter! The session's a quintet one – and is equally noteworthy for the presence of alto saxophonist Jimmy Woods – heard here in a mode that's a bit more straightforward than some of his own few albums, but in a way that really sets a nice edge to the whole set. Rhythm is from the trio of Dick Whittington on piano, Milt Turner on drums, and the great Jimmy Bond on bass – and they all work with the kind of complicated twists and turns you might expect from some of Blue Note's best rhythm combos of the time. Titles include "Terra Firma Irma", "Song For Richard", "Diminishing", and "Heleen" – all original tunes! CD

A beautiful overview of the early years of American soul music – put together as a set that easily moves between deep soul, northern soul, and some of the other hard-burning modes of the time! The package is a great effort from the folks at Mississippi Records, to kick off their Cairo Records imprint – and is done with the sense of history you'll find in their other reissues – right down to the nice booklet of notes that comes with the album. Titles include "My Heart Is Closed For The Season" by Betty Swann, "I'll Never Love Again" by Cookie Gabriel, "You Killed The Love" by Betty LaVette, "Time" by Chris Kenner, "The Best Of Luck To You" by Earl Gaines, "Enchanted Sea" by The Counts, "It's Raining" by Irma Thomas, "No No I Can't Help You" by Beverly McKay, "Another Day Gone" by Reuben Bell, "I'll Run Your Hurt Away" by Ruby Johnson, "She's Gone" by OV Right, "Easy As Saying 123" by Timmy Willis, "Stop These Teardrops" by Tammy McKnight, and "Try Love" by Dori Grayson. LP, Vinyl record album

23 tracks from Mary Wells, Baby Washington, Dee Dee Sharp, the Sweet Inspirations, Judy Clay, Toby Lark, Tammi Lynn, Mary Lou, Lorraine Johnson, Jean Battle, Irma Thomas, and more. CD

A great look at the huge influence on 60s soul from Burt Bacharach – a rich legacy that goes way beyond the big hits from Dionne Warwick, to include a wealth of work from artists you might not expect! Back in the early days, Burt was the tall white guy running around the Brill Building – where he made key connections to a range of different artists, and was able to already hit the ground running – with a huge legacy that would go onto inform soul singers for years to come! In fact, we'd almost say that Bacharach's music sounds even better in the hands of these singers than in more mainstream pop artists – and although a few of these cuts are well-known hits, you'll find plenty more great ones here to discover. Titles include "Alfie" by The Delfonics, "Reach Out For Me" by Willie Tee, "Message To Martha" by Jerry Butler, "Long After Tonight Is All Over" by Irma Thomas, "Another Tear Falls" by Marv Johnson, "Walk On By" by Gloria Gaynor, "Anyone Who Had A Heart" by The Orlons, "The Look Of Love" by Nina Simone, "Forgotten Man" by Gene McDaniels, "A House is Not A Home" by Mavis Staples, "Don't Make Me Over" by Brenda & The Tabulations, "This Empty Place" by Cissy Houston, and "My Little Red Book" by Tony Middleton with Bacharach himself! CD

Includes tracks by Irma Thomas, Johnny Adams, Marcia Ball, Beausoleil, Alvin "Red" Tyler, James Booker, Buckweat Zydeco, Phillip Walker, and others. CD

Music from Allen Toussaint, Dr John, Irma Thomas, Davell Crawford, Buckwheat Zydeco, Dr Michael White, The Wild Magnolias, Eddie Bo, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Carol Fran, and more. CD

Chicago meets Muscle Shoals – a monumental moment in late 60s soul that's never fully been given its due before! The set brings together work from the late 60s period in which Chicago's Chess Records issued a slew of incredible singles recorded at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals – deep soul gems that have all the grit and power of the usual Chess Records material, but which have a different vibe – given the production by Rick Hall, and backing by the genius studio musicians at Muscle Shoals! Some of the names are ones you'd recognize from Chicago Chess recordings, and others are artists the label discovered in the south – and had Fame handle for them – which makes for a very nice mix of material. In true Ace/Kent style, there's also some unreleased tracks on the set – and the package features a total of 24 tracks that include "It's All Wrong But It's Alright" by Laura Lee, "Good To Me" and "Let's Do It Over" by Irma Thomas, "The Sidewinder" by Charles Chalmers, "Security" and "Don't Lose Your Good Thing" by Etta James, "You're Living A Lie" by Mitty Collier, "Come Back Baby" and "Reaching Out" by Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces, "Party Time" by Lee Webber, "Lean On Me" and "So Much Love" by Maurice & Mac, "Two In The Morning" by Charles Chalmers, and "Too Soon To Know" by Mitty Collier. CD

A very sharp set of female soul tracks – mostly mid and late 60s numbers, lifted from associated EMI labels – like Imperial, Minit, United Artists, and Liberty Records! The set features 16 tracks in all – a mix of down-home and uptown soul that sits together very nicely – and which unites a range of talents that includes a few well-known names, caught in earlier years, plus some lesser known artists turning out some of their best work here. Titles include "All Around The World" and "I'm On The Outside" by Baby Washington, "We Got A Good Thing" and "I'll Never Stop Loving You" by Clydie King, "I'm Moving On (parts 1 & 2)" and "Gotta Travel On" by Timi Yuro, "Wish Someone Would Care" and "Time Is On My Side" by Irma Thomas, "One Part Two Part" by Clydie King, and "I Want To Take You Higher" and "It Ain't Right" by Tina Turner. LP, Vinyl record album

This album is one of the volumes of Spotlite's "Dial Masters" series. The first side features the Tempo Jazzmen who included Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Lucky Thompson on tenor sax, Milt Jackson on vibes, Al Haig on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Stan Levey on drums. The tracks include "Confirmation", "Diggin for Diz", "When I Grow Too Old To Dream", "Dynamo A", and "Nocturne". The second side features what Spotlite calls The Hermanites who were members of Woody Herman's outfit. They include Sonny Berman on trumpet, Bill Harris on trombone, Serge Chaloff on baritone sax and Flip Phillips on tenor sax. Titles include "Curbstone Shuffle", "Blue Serge", "Woodchopper's Holiday", and "Somebody Loves Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliantly baroque Brazilian soundtrack – one of those early 70s gems that's filled with loads of excellent tunes! The album features arrangements by Dory Caymmi, Luiz Eca, and Waltel Blanco – all working with a set of unique artists to craft some totally great tunes done in the cool criss-crossing of styles that was taking place in Brazilian pop at the end of the 60s. Tunes go from lofty to intimate at the drop of a hat – as sweet voices come into play with well-crafted orchestrations and light percussion. Titles include "Bachiana No 5" by Joyce, "Branca" by Luiz Eca, "Joao Coragem" by Tim Maia, "Coroado" by Denise Emmer & Marcus Pitter, "Ondas Medias" by Umas & Outras, "Minhas Tardes De Sol" by Regina Duarte, and "Irmaos Coragem" and "Porto Seguro" by A Banda Das Cores Magicas. LP, Vinyl record album

The Movements series is back for a third volume and it's moving much deeper – the raw, smoldering funk of the previous sets is accompanied this time with groovy rare soul and jazz – and it's probably the best of the three Movements to date! Compiler Tobias Kirmayer has long showed a tremendous ear for funk & jazz rarities and this compilation is totally top notch – focus for the most part on 60s & 70s nuggets, many privately released and never really introduced to a large audience – featuring combos from around the US, a couple cuts born of the German jazz scene, a rare Italian soundtrack number and more! Titles include "Something Else" by The Iris Bell Trio featuring Butch Miles, "Backlash" by The Fats Gains Orchestra, "Let's Get Together" by The Echomen, "Angel Food" by The Port Angels (the lone recent recording and a tune that fits perfectly with the old school funky soul), "Grito Pidiendo" by Ernesto Cardenal, "Hello, Quincey" by Orchestra Luis Enriquez, "Song For My Father" by The Joe Viera Sextett, "The Serpent Speaks" by Solar Plexus and more. 11 tracks in all. CD

A great entry in this excellent series – and one that's got a slightly different flavor than the rest – as it seems to step back a bit more in time, and brings in some cuts that have more of a jazz and R&B-based sound! The vibe is every bit as gritty as previous volumes – but the shift in sound means that there's a nicely wide range of tracks – still plenty of funk, but also some great rare cuts from the pre-funk generation too – all brought together with the strong sense for obscure grooves that always makes Movements so great! Titles include "Common Sense" by Lu Elliott, "Hipper Snapper" by 4 Dimensions, "Funky Broadway by The Villagers, "No Big Thing" by Lloyd Fatman, "Teacher Teach Me" by Billy J, "Honesty" by The Rippers, "Sax On The Rocks" by Gus Brendel, "Break It Loose (part 1)" by Onyx, "Shake & Bake" by The Shake & Bake Band, "Outside Looking In" by Lou Jackson, "Summertime" by Downtown Trio, and "Seven Days To Tahiti" by The Hornets. CD

A great entry in this excellent series – and one that's got a slightly different flavor than the rest – as it seems to step back a bit more in time, and brings in some cuts that have more of a jazz and R&B-based sound! The vibe is every bit as gritty as previous volumes – but the shift in sound means that there's a nicely wide range of tracks – still plenty of funk, but also some great rare cuts from the pre-funk generation too – all brought together with the strong sense for obscure grooves that always makes Movements so great! Titles include "Common Sense" by Lu Elliott, "Hipper Snapper" by 4 Dimensions, "Funky Broadway by The Villagers, "No Big Thing" by Lloyd Fatman, "Teacher Teach Me" by Billy J, "Honesty" by The Rippers, "Sax On The Rocks" by Gus Brendel, "Break It Loose (part 1)" by Onyx, "Shake & Bake" by The Shake & Bake Band, "Outside Looking In" by Lou Jackson, "Summertime" by Downtown Trio, and "Seven Days To Tahiti" by The Hornets. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest 70s albums you could hope to find by Sheila Jordan – originally recorded for the East West label in Japan! The set features Sheila singing with a small group that includes Norman Marnell on tenor, Alan Pasqua on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums – and their mix of styles and directions gives the album a wide range of moods that aptly fits Sheila's enigmatic selection of tunes. The album features a slightly funky reading of the cut "Pearlie's Swine", which begins with a beautiful bassline from Brown – plus the tracks "Because We're Kids", "My Favorite Things", "Confirmation", "Why Was I Born", and "Inch Worm". CD

Way before Sinatra first grabbed the "Chairman Of The Board" title for his own musical persona, Basie laid great claim to the tag with this tight little album for Roulette! The album's got the 50s Basie band working at the height of their powers – with original compositions written and arranged by Frank Foster, Ernie Wilkins, Thad Jones, and Frank Wess – all of whom play in the bad, along with other all-stars like Freddie Green, Billy Mitchell, and Al Grey. The sound is tight, soulful, and searing Basie all the way through – with tunes that include "Segue In C", "Blues In Hoss' Flat", "Who Me?", "The Deacon", "Half Moon Street", "Mutt & Jeff", "TV Time", "Speaking Of Sounds", and "HRH". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "Fair & Warmer" and "Moten Swing". CD

Way before Sinatra first grabbed the "Chairman Of The Board" title for his own musical persona, Basie laid great claim to the tag with this tight little album for Roulette! The album's got the 50s Basie band working at the height of their powers – with original compositions written and arranged by Frank Foster, Ernie Wilkins, Thad Jones, and Frank Wess – all of whom play in the bad, along with other all-stars like Freddie Green, Billy Mitchell, and Al Grey. The sound is tight, soulful, and searing Basie all the way through – with tunes that include "Segue In C", "Blues In Hoss' Flat", "Who Me?", "The Deacon", "Half Moon Street", "Mutt & Jeff", "TV Time", "Speaking Of Sounds", and "HRH". LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

One of the hippest 70s albums you could hope to find by Sheila Jordan – originally recorded for the East West label in Japan,! The set features Sheila singing with a small group that includes Norman Marnell on tenor, Alan Pasqua on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums – and their mix of styles and directions gives the album a wide range of moods that aptly fits Sheila's enigmatic selection of tunes. The album features a slightly funky reading of the cut "Pearlie's Swine", which begins with a beautiful bassline from Brown – plus the tracks "Because We're Kids", "My Favorite Things", "Confirmation", "Why Was I Born", and "Inch Worm". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A key example of why the Japanese scene was so great at the start of the 70s – really mindblowing work from keyboardist Masabumi Kikuchi, and every bit as wonderful as some of our favorite American sides from the time! Kikuchi acoustic piano with a warmly soulful sensitivity – alongside the Fender Rhodes of Masahiro Kikuchi, who has a hard-edged sound that almost takes off from Joe Zawinul's use of the instrument, then soars into even mightier territory. The style is somewhat loose at times, but never too free – and the group here is a sextet that also includes amazing alto from Kosuke Mine – an excellent player who's never gotten his due on this side of the Pacific. Titles include "Love Token", "Tenacious Prayer Forever", "Roaming In Darkness", "Young Bloods", and "Piece To Peace". CD

The tenth edition in this really fantastic series – a collection of tunes that's moved way past the traditional funk compilations from years back – really showing the evolving taste for a groove in the global underground! The tunes here effortlessly mix together rare soul, groovy jazz, and plenty more – pulled from impossibly rare 45s and albums that remind us that, even though we've spend decades digging in the crates, we still have a heck of a lot to learn about music! We're especially in love with some of the more obscure soul jazz vocalists here – artists we never would have discovered otherwise – and the package features tracks that include "Spooky" by Frankie Greer Quartette, "Kitchen Cookin" by Eddie Buster Band, "The Mustang (parts 1 & 2)" by The New Philadelphians, "Under The Covers" by The Kats, "Coming Home Baby" by Ronny Pellers Satin Sound, "Evil Ways" by The Lido, "El Mexicano" by Brazada, "Title Town" by Herb Crawford Jazz Ensemble, "Little Sister (parts 1 & 2)" by The Headliners, "Radiation Funk" by Maxell, and "String Around My Heart" by Eunice Haze. CD

Contemporary grooves, but all pretty darn funky – thanks to an excellent track selection by Tobias Kirmayer – the same guy who brought us the excellents Movements collections! A few of the titles here are of older vintage, but most are pulled from the same deep funk underground that Kirmayer services with his Tramp Records label – groups steeped in the styles of the 60s and 70s underground, but who serve up new work that's filled with plenty of funky roots! Despite the wide range of styles promised in the title, most of the titles here are on the grittier side of the spectrum – which is a good thing for us – and even the few tracks that are a bit more programmed still work with plenty of soulful and jazzy elements to keep things real throughout. Titles include "Nothin But A Party" by The Blenders, "Get Clean" by The Nitesounds, "Skins Funk" by Skin Williams & His Dominoes, "Bubbles" by The Boogoos, "Violet" by Hi-Fly Orchestra, "Rhythmo" by Dusty, "Get High" by Dr Sonnenschein, "Barbados Stew" by Caldonia, "First Time Around" by Sagaflex & Rudy Tee, and "Trip To Afrika" by Baccarola. CD

Small group work with Howard McGhee, Lester Young, Red Rodney, Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge, and others. CD

A soul jazz classic from Gene Ammons – the kind of session that easy made him "boss" on tenor – with a tone and conception that few other players could touch! The set is done in a style that's laidback, but never too loose – bouncing along in that "with conga" style of rhythm that was used strongly at the start of the 60s – with Ray Barretto on percussion, alongside Tommy Flanagan on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. The style is nice and echoey – a mode that works well not only here, but on most of the 22 other albums that Ammons went onto record during the next 2 years! Titles include "Close Your Eyes", "Canadian Sunset", "Hittin' The Jug", "Confirmation", and "Blue Ammons". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic live date from Satchmo – and expanded to include the complete performances on that legendary night at Boston's Symphony Hall – for the first time ever! Recorded in November of 1947 and originally released in '51, it's never before been issued with both the first and second sets that night. There's also a number of great tunes here that were released before in edited versions, but fully presented here. It's such wonderful stuff – both as a top-shelf document of this period of American jazz – and as a brilliant example of Satcho's charming stage presence. His trumpet and solo vocals are well captured, and you can here up humming along on the instrumentals, too. The players at this point who are All Stars, indeed, include Jack Teagarden on vocals and trombone, Barney Bigard on clarinet, Dick Cary on piano, Arvell Shaw on bass, and Sid Catlett on drums – plus some great vocals by Velma Middleton. 29 songs on 2CDs – in a hardback package with a great booklet – and featuring "When It's Sleepy Time Down South", "Stars Fell On Alabama", "Body And Soul", "Steak Face", "Back O'Town Blues", "St James Infirmary", "Mop Mop", "Jack Armstrong Blues", "That's My Desire", "C Jam Blues", "Baby Won't You Please Come Home", "Mahogany Hall Stomp" and more – many previously unreleased! CD

Fantastic late work from Albert Ayler! The record is one of the last he ever recorded – and it's a no-nonsense live set, without any of the silly influences of some of his late Impulse sides. Most of the material features Ayler blowing long free solos, with a tightness and directness missing from mid 60s sessions. Cal Cobbs is on piano, Steve Tintweiss is on bass, Allen Blairman is on drums, and Mary Maria plays a bit of soprano sax. Tracks include "Truth Is Marching On", "Spiritual Reunion", and "Universal Message". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully hard-storming set – and a record that not only firmly put the Jazz Messengers on the map, but also set a whole new standard for live jazz recording! The group here is the early version of the Messengers – almost co-led by drummer Art Blakey with pianist Horace Silver – and featuring Clifford Brown on trumpet, just a few months before his early death – plus Lou Donaldson on alto and Curley Russell on bass. The presence of alto instead of tenor makes the sound slightly different than later incarnations of the group – and the overall approach is one that virtually defines the shift from straight bop to hardbop in the 50s – a mode that both Blakey and Silver were key in creating. Tracks include "Wee-Dot", "Quicksilver", "Confirmation", and the bonus tracks "The Way You Look Tonight" and "Lou's Blues". CD