A wonderful little album from Jackie Wilson – one that helped him redefine his sound and save his career! Jackie's earlier work for Brunswick was a mish-mash of styles that ranged from raw R&B to smooth supper-club jazz to silly novelty numbers, all of which had gotten pretty stale by the mid 60s. Elsewhere at Brunswick, though, things were really popping during the time – as Carl Davis was turning the label's Chicago offices into a hotbed of soul, forged in the newer hipper styles of the Chisoul scene. Davis got Wilson into the Chicago scene for this album – had him working with arranger Sonny Sanders and director Gerald Sims – to create a wonderful batch of strident soul tunes that perfectly embody the loping Chisoul groove that was Davis' real legacy in soul music during the 60s. The prime example of this is the title cut "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher" – which became a runaway hit that put Wilson back on the map I the soul business. The rest of the album's just as great, though, and includes loads of solid numbers like "Soulville", "I've Lost You", "Those Heartaches", and "I'm The One To Do It". CD

Soul Galore from Jackie Wilson – and easily one of his hardest-hitting albums of the 60s! The set's got Jackie really stepping out with his best sort of groove – that raw power that really unlocks his vocal range, set to some of the funkiest backings he'd had on record so far – a real surprise from arranger Dick Jacobs, who also doesn't give Wilson any of the weaker cuts that could sometimes hurt other records! Instead, this set is full of the kind of wicked hard soul numbers that really set Jackie on fire – killer cuts that include "Brand New Thing (parts 1 & 2)", "Stop Lying", "Let Me Build", "3 Days 1 Hour 30 Minutes", "I've Got To Get Back", "So You Say You Wanna Dance", "Everything's Gonna Be Fine", and "Your Loss My Gain". CD also features two bonus tracks – "I Believe" and "Be My Love". CD

Two dozen tracks from the great Jackie Wilson, documenting some of his finest work for the Brunswick imprint,spanning nearly two decades! Includes "Reet Petite", "To Be Loved", "Lonely Teardrops", "That's Why I Love You So)", "I'll Be Satisfied", "Talk That Talk", "Baby Workout", "Please Tell Me Why", "Doggin' Around","Passin' Through", "A Woman, A Lover, A Friend", "You Don't Know What It Means", "Night", "The Tear Of The Year", "You Better Know It", "I Just Can't Help It", "I'm Comin' On Back To You","Danny Boy", "Am I The Man", "Whispers (Gettin' Louder)", "Your Love Keeps Lifting Me (Higher & Higher)", "No Pity (In The Naked City)", "She's All Right" and "You Got Me Walking". LP, Vinyl record album

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A really wonderful collaboration between two very unlikely partners – and a great album that really stands out as some of the best work from both artists in the 60s! Count Basie's group gets hard and soulful on the record – and even a little funky on the best cuts – and Jackie Wilson is in a raw bluesy vocal style that recalls the best moments of his earlier Brunswick singles – a great edge that makes the whole Basie groove sound even more hard-hitting than ever. Benny Carter arranged, but the groove is more a hard-edged Count Basie mode mixed with Brunswick soul styles – and Jackie blows it out over the top on great versions of "Funky Broadway", "Ode To Billie Joe", "I Was Made To Love Her", "Even When You Cry", and "Respect". Also features a version of "For Your Precious Love" that was a bit of a hit for the pair! LP, Vinyl record album

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72 tracks by one of the greatest figures in 60s soul music! CD

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You certainly ain't heard nothin, not until you hear this very strangely conceived set of Jackie doing a tribute to Al Jolson! We could condemn this, but we actually find it pretty fascinating, as it confirms the strange black following that Jolson had, even though you would've expected him to only offend that audience. As a soul album, this maybe isn't the tip top of Wilson's catalog – but it's still a pretty unusual record, with titles that include "My Yiddishe Momme", "Sonny Boy", "Toot, Toot, Tootsie Goodbye", and "Swanee". LP, Vinyl record album

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The Jackie Wilson style soars into the 70s – in a mode that's definitely different than Wilson's Brunswick work of a decade before – but which also show's a really bold evolution in style! Jackie's in the higher end of his range here – and really grooves greatly on some great Chicago soul arrangements from Willie Henderson – those upbeat, joyous sort of charts he seemed to save only for the best Brunswick artists – and which make the album a soaring gem that really lives up to its title! The mighty Carl Davis is at the production helm – keeping things right and tight throughout – and the level of expression in Jackie's voice hits a new sort of maturity and sophistication that really make the record a standout from his later years at the label. The title cut "Beautiful Day" is an especial gem that's really great – but the whole thing's wonderful too, and other tracks include "It's All Over", "What'cha Gonna Do About Me", "I Get Lonely Sometimes", and "Go Away". CD features three bonus tracks – "Sing A Little Song", "No More Goodbyes", and "Shake A Leg". CD

An excellent compilation that features wonderful material from the second genesis of the Brunswick empire – tunes from the time when they were hitting hard on the Chicago scene, working with Carl Davis to craft some of the best soul to ever come out of the Windy City! With "Love Makes A Woman" and "Just Ain't No Love" by Barbara Acklin, "Wack Wack" and "Soulful Strut" by Young Holt Unlimited, "The Girl Don't Care" and "There Goes The Lover" by Gene Chandler, "I'm Gonna Miss You" and "Girl I Need You" by The Artistics, "Lonely Teardrops" and "Doggin' Around" by Jackie Wilson and "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" and "Candy" by Big Maybelle. LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime album by one of our favorite talents in 60s jazz – pianist Jack Wilson, making his second Blue Note appearance here amidst a group of other more likely label players that include Lee Morgan on trumpet, Jackie McLean on alto, and Billy Higgins on drums! Despite the presence of those superstars, though, the album's still very much Wilson's own – featuring 4 tracks penned and played in his modally soulful vision, plus a great version of one tune by Frank Strozier – a player we'd find to be a very good companion to Wilson's style! The group's also noteworthy in that it features some excellent work from trombonist Garnett Brown – a player with a deeply soulful approach that adds in new dimensions to the tunes, and offsets the lightly lyrical touch of Wilson on the keys. The whole set's great – and titles include "Do It", "On Children", "Easterly Winds", "Nirvana", and "Frank's Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime album by one of our favorite talents in 60s jazz – pianist Jack Wilson, making his second Blue Note appearance here amidst a group of other more likely label players that include Lee Morgan on trumpet, Jackie McLean on alto, and Billy Higgins on drums! Despite the presence of those superstars, though, the album's still very much Wilson's own – featuring 4 tracks penned and played in his modally soulful vision, plus a great version of one tune by Frank Strozier – a player we'd find to be a very good companion to Wilson's style! The group's also noteworthy in that it features some excellent work from trombonist Garnett Brown – a player with a deeply soulful approach that adds in new dimensions to the tunes, and offsets the lightly lyrical touch of Wilson on the keys. The whole set's great – and titles include "Do It", "On Children", "Easterly Winds", "Nirvana", and "Frank's Tune". CD

A sublime album by one of our favorite talents in 60s jazz – pianist Jack Wilson, making his second Blue Note appearance here amidst a group of other more likely label players that include Lee Morgan on trumpet, Jackie McLean on alto, and Billy Higgins on drums! Despite the presence of those superstars, though, the album's still very much Wilson's own – featuring 4 tracks penned and played in his modally soulful vision, plus a great version of one tune by Frank Strozier – a player we'd find to be a very good companion to Wilson's style! The group's also noteworthy in that it features some excellent work from trombonist Garnett Brown – a player with a deeply soulful approach that adds in new dimensions to the tunes, and offsets the lightly lyrical touch of Wilson on the keys. The whole set's great – and titles include "Do It", "On Children", "Easterly Winds", "Nirvana", and "Frank's Tune". CD

A sublime album by one of our favorite talents in 60s jazz – pianist Jack Wilson, making his second Blue Note appearance here amidst a group of other more likely label players that include Lee Morgan on trumpet, Jackie McLean on alto, and Billy Higgins on drums! Despite the presence of those superstars, though, the album's still very much Wilson's own – featuring 4 tracks penned and played in his modally soulful vision, plus a great version of one tune by Frank Strozier – a player we'd find to be a very good companion to Wilson's style! The group's also noteworthy in that it features some excellent work from trombonist Garnett Brown – a player with a deeply soulful approach that adds in new dimensions to the tunes, and offsets the lightly lyrical touch of Wilson on the keys. The whole set's great – and titles include "Do It", "On Children", "Easterly Winds", "Nirvana", and "Frank's Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

With Howard Alden on guitar, Dan Barrett on trombone, Frank Tate on bass, Jackie Williams on drums, and Chuck Wilson on alto and clarinet. LP, Vinyl record album

A completely charming vocal session from Louis Armstrong – done in the later pop years of his life, but a record that's not nearly as well known as his bigger hits for Kapp! Louis works with arrangements from Dick Jacobs – the Brunswick arranger who first provided the early charts for Jackie Wilson – and the style is kind of a 60s update of 20s styles – that retro mode that was showing up in the decade as a few artists like Armstrong were reinvented for the younger generation. But despite the setting, Louis is wonderful throughout – with that honest, raspy tone of later years – and just a bit of trumpet to jazz things up amidst the pop. Titles include "I Will Wait For You", "Sunrise Sunset", "Rosie", "Willkommen", "I Believe", "The Happy Time", and "Talk To The Animals". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums ever recorded by the great Billy Gault – a hell of a spiritual jazz pianist, and one who also recorded just a bit with Jackie McLean around the same time too! Gault has an amazingly soulful way of putting together his work, but never gets bogged down in too much sentiment – this amazing balance and great sense of flow that maybe also echoes some of the excellent Clifford Jordan material of the period – but with some nice vocal touches that really make a few tracks shine! The wonderful Joe Lee Wilson sings with Ellen Deleseton on the wonderful tune "The Time Of This World Is At Hand" – a great vocal tune that's almost anthemic – and the rest of the group features Bill Saxton on tenor, Billy Skinner on trumpet, James Fish Benjamin on bass, and Michael Carvin on drums. Other titles include "Mode For Trane", "Aisha", "When Destiny Calls", "Portrait Of A Joaner", and "Nothing But A Man". This truly is an incredible record – one of our all time favorites of this generation! CD

The legendary Gilles Peterson turns his magical ears to the catalog of Brunswick Records – and comes up with some of the label's hippest tunes of the 60s and 70s! Brunswick is best known for its famous soul hits of the late 60s and early 70s, but Peterson goes much deeper to come up with overlooked gems that are then laid out in a way that really makes them resonate strongly together – at a level that really illustrates the unified groove of the label! Brunswick often worked with a tight array of producers, arrangers, and session players – and Peterson finds key links between these tunes, often in surprising places – which makes the collection a real delight once you start stepping through it. Titles include "Keep On Dancing" by Bohannon, "Inner City Blues" by The Chi-Lites, "Harlem" by Willie Henderson, "This Is The Lost Generation" by The Lost Generation, "Ain't No Sunshine" by Gregory James Edition, "Light My Fire" by Jackie Wilson, "Disco Boogie" by Total Eclipse, "Will I Find Love" by Gene Chandler, "This Love Is Real" by Dana Valery, and "Go With Love" by Barbara Acklin. CD

A third healthy dose of music from the early years of the Jamaican scene – work that's a direct precursor to the trio group soul mode of the rocksteady years, and which provides a great bridge into the way that American soul music went on to have such a strong influence on reggae! The "doo wop" in the title is key here – as these tracks are definitely heavy on harmonies and lighter on instrumentation – very much tied to American expressions of the genre, and delivered by artists who'd both go on to later fame, and disappear in the shifting sands of time. Titles include "My Heaven" by Alton & Eddie, "Sweet As An Angel" by Jiving Juniors, "First Time We Met" by Annette & Shenley, "Dream Girl" by Ricketts & Rowe, "Don't You Know" by The Moonlighters, "I'll Always Call Your Name" by Belltones, "Never Go Away" by Wilfred Jackie Edwards, "Change Of Mind" by Higgs & Wilson, and "I've Done You Wrong" by The Blues Busters. LP, Vinyl record album

Very early work from the Jamaican scene – a set that includes cuts by artists who'd later record classic tracks in the rocksteady years, but who here are working in a much different mode! The title is plenty apt, but only gets at part of the sound – as this isn't straight doo wop as you'd know from the American scene, but instead some early group harmony – of the sort that would flourish even more strongly on famous Jamaican trio recordings of the late 60s – handled here with much more stripped-down instrumentation, and a shifting set of rhythms that mixes US influences with other more Caribbean modes. Titles include "Muriel" by Alton & Eddie, "Dearest Darling" by Jiving Juniors, "Til The End Of Time" by Chuck & Dobby, "Dearest Beverly" by Jimmy Cliff, "Heavenly Angel" by Laurel Aitken, "Do You Know" by Owen & Millie, "I'm Going Back" by The Charmers, "Diamonds & Pearls" by Dobby Dobson, "Album Of Memory" by The Mellowlarks, "Have Faith In Me" by Jiving Juniors, "Now You Want To Cry" by Prince Buster & The Charmers, "I Love My Teacher" by Chuck & Dobby, "Call Your Name Forever" by The Blues Busters, "I Love You Forever" by The Echoes Celestials, "Hear My Cry" by Wilfred Jackie Edwards, "Guilty Convict" by Rupert Edwards, "Julie" by The Moonlighters, "Worried Over You" by Keith & Enid, "My Heaven" by Alton & Eddie, "Sweet As An Angel" by Jiving Juniors, "First Time We Met" by Annette & Shenley, "Dream Girl" by Ricketts & Rowe, "Don't You Know" by The Moonlighters, "I'll Always Call Your Name" by Belltones, "Never Go Away" by Wilfred Jackie Edwards, "Change Of Mind" by Higgs & Wilson, and "I've Done You Wrong" by The Blues Busters. CD

Ten tracks from The Chi-Lites, Jackie Wilson, Jerry Butler & Betty Everett, Gloria Lynne, Ketty Lester, Lenny Welch, Barbara Lewis, and Jerry Butler. CD

Aahh, sweet lover's rock, and all from Studio One no less! Whether you're looking to set the mood for a late night rub up, or just want to cool out to some mellow island vibes, this batch of easy rockin' lover's numbers cut under the supervision of Coxsone Dodd is just the ticket. You get sweet soulful numbers from Studio One stalwarts, plus a number of nice tracks by some lesser known stars in the Studio One galaxy, and as you'd expect from a Soul Jazz set, it's wrapped up quite nicely. 18 tracks in all, including "I Don't Know Why" by Delroy Wilson, "Touch Me Baby" by Myrna Hague, "Darling I Need Your Loving" by John Holt & The Paragons, "Ten To One" by The Mad Lads, "Reggae Magic" by Jackie Mittoo, "Too Long Will Be Too Late" by Freddy & Jenny, "Let Him Try" by Alton Ellis, "Don't Wait For Me" by Albert Tomlinson, "Got To Be Sure" by Horace Andy, "Ready To Learn" by the Heptones, 'We're All Alone" by Doreen Schaefer and more! LP, Vinyl record album

This volume includes 21 tracks by Jackie Wilson – including duets with Linda Hopkins and LaVern Baker – plus songs by the Artistics, Young-Holt Trio, and Gene Chandler. 25 tracks total. CD

This volume includes tracks by Barbara Acklin, Gene Chandler, Jackie Wilson, Young-Holt Unlimited, Tyrone Davis, the Chi-Lites, Willie Henderson, and the Lost Generation. 21 tracks total. CD

Wonderful soul from the Chicago scene of the 70s – some great lesser-known gems by some of the biggest artists to bubble up on the Windy City scene of the 60s, represented here by some beautifully mature work! Most of the cuts on the set are from the later Chi-Soul label, run by the mighty Carl Davis – but there's also a handful from earlier years on Brunswick, that important imprint in shaping the sound of Chicago in the late 60s and early 70s. The set list is a great mix of obscure numbers and a few better-known cuts – and titles include "I Love You" by Otis Leavill, "What Goes Up" by Tyrone Davis, "Windy City Theme" by Windy City Orchestra, "Love Uprising" by Mr T, "Honey Babe" by Ginji James, "Fool Or Your Man" by Windy City, "Does She Have A Friend For Me" by Gene Chandler, "Once You Fall In Love" by Eddie McLoyd, "It Only Happens" by Jackie Wilson, "I Did It" by Barbara Acklin, "Stop I Don't Need No Sympathy" by Lyn Roman, "This Love Is Real" by The Promises, "All I Want To Do" by The Impressions, "You Don't Have To Go" by The Chi-Lites, "I'll Be Right Here" by Mighty Doug Haines, and "Sweeter As The Days Go By" by Major Lance. CD

An unusual piano-less quintet led by Howard Alden on guitar and Dan Barrett on trombone – with Chuck Wilson on alto sax and clarinet, Frank Tate on bass, and Jackie Williams on drums. CD

Great work from the glory days of the Jamaican scene – prime Studio One material that has reedman Roland Alphonso heading up a set of work that includes contributions from Jackie Mittoo, The Wailers, and Delroy Wilson! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums ever recorded by the great Billy Gault – a hell of a spiritual jazz pianist, and one who also recorded just a bit with Jackie McLean around the same time too! Gault has an amazingly soulful way of putting together his work, but never gets bogged down in too much sentiment – this amazing balance and great sense of flow that maybe also echoes some of the excellent Clifford Jordan material of the period – but with some nice vocal touches that really make a few tracks shine! The wonderful Joe Lee Wilson sings with Ellen Deleseton on the wonderful tune "The Time Of This World Is At Hand" – a great vocal tune that's almost anthemic – and the rest of the group features Bill Saxton on tenor, Billy Skinner on trumpet, James Fish Benjamin on bass, and Michael Carvin on drums. Other titles include "Mode For Trane", "Aisha", "When Destiny Calls", "Portrait Of A Joaner", and "Nothing But A Man". This truly is an incredible record – one of our all time favorites of this generation! LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Lloyd Price, Jackie Wilson, the Coasters, Dee Clark, the Fiestas, Dinah Washington, the Drifters, Marv Johnson, James Brown, the Platters, Brook Benton and more. CD

Music from Jerry Butler, the Drifters, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Jimmy Jones, Marv Johnson, Buster Brown, Bobby Bland, Etta James, Jackie Wilson, Jessie Hill, Joe Jones, Gary US Bonds, the Olympics, and more - 22 tracks in all. CD