A fantastic collection of work from one of the coolest, classiest soul singers of the 60s – one that we'd rank right up there with Jerry Butler or Walter Jackson for the way that he pushed the genre forward strongly with his music! Chuck Jackson had a few hits back in the day, but underneath those classics is an even more amazing body of work – soul music taken to new levels of adult expression, openly emotive but never in a cliched way – already reaching way beyond roots in gospel and blues for a whole new way of expressing soul and identity! Chuck's had more than a few hits collections issued over the years, but this might be the first set to really get at his genius – fully offering up the wonderful range of tracks he handled for the Wand label back in his early years – including a dozen recordings that were never issued at the time, most of which appear here for the first time ever! Even if you're a Jackson fanatic, like us, and already own his albums for Wand – there's still plenty here to discover, even some rare singles beyond the unissued tracks – all presented in the wonderful Kent Records way. Titles include "Little By Little", "Things Just Ain't Right", "Heed To Belong", "King Of The Mountain", "Big New York", "The Silencer", "Why Some People Don't Like Me", "Why Why Why", "In Between Tears", "All About You", "Forget About Me", "Meet Me Half Way", and "What You Gonna Say" – plus a duet with Dionne Warwick on "Anymore". CD

10 of Chuck's best soul cuts, originally recorded for the Wand label. This stuff virtually defines the male side of the NY uptown soul sound, as you'll hear in tracks like "Any Day Now", "I Don't Want To Cry", "I Wake Up Crying", "Tell Him I'm Not Home", and "Any Other Way". LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

Featuring Sidney De Paris (trumpet), Wilbur De Paris (trombone), Sidney Bechet (soprano sax), Gene Sedric (tenor sax), Cliff Jackson (piano), Everett Barksdale (guitar), Wellman Braud (bass), Eddie Dougherty (drums). 78 RPM, Vinyl record

Freddie Jackson was certainly one of the biggest new soul stars of the 80s – and this debut LP is still a treasure! Freddie's got a skill that transcends his age – with an approach that's decidedly 80s, but classic enough to last for years and years. The songs on the record are all extremely well-written, and although the arrangements have certain elements that might date – like DX7, drum machine beats, and floppy bass pedal riffing – the quality of the work is super-high all around, and Freddie's rich soul vocals hold everything together perfectly. Catchy tunes abound – and tracks include "He'll Never Love You (Like I Do)", "Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)", "Calling", "I Wanna Say I Love You", and "You Are My Lady". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning collection of work from the great George Jackson – a real 70s powerhouse in southern soul, but an artist who didn't always get the chance to shine as much as he should! One reason for that was that Jackson only issued singles during the decade – work here collected from labels that include Chess, MGM, and Sounds Of Memphis – superbly-written tunes that really show off George's skills as a songwriter – at a level that also had Jackson's talents so in demand by others, he didn't always get the chance to issue records on his own. As you'd guess from the title, the work here was all recorded in Memphis – with wonderful vocals by George, and that strong Memphis style backing of soulful guitars, horns, sweet keys, rollicking drums and insistent bass lines. Titles include "Things Are Getting Better", "Let's Live For Ourselves", "If You Never See Me", "Dear Abby", "I Don't Need You No More", "Talking About The Love I Have For You", "How Can I Get Next To You", "If You Never See Me", and "Walking The City Streets". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing soul duo from the Memphis scene of the 60s – George Jackson and Dan Greer, who artists who are perhaps best known as songwriters and producers – but who recorded some wonderful work together at the start of their careers! Only a handful of the Jackson/Greer singles were ever issued by the small Goldwax label – which makes this collection a huge discovery for longtime fans of their music, like us – since the CD features 17 never-issued titles from the Goldwax vaults, all of which easily match the few that saw release back in the 60s! Both artists are great vocalists – and get hip Memphis backings that are very much in the best Stax or Goldwax styles of the time – and there's a depth to this music that may well have gotten Jackson and Greer the same kind of attention as James Carr on his own legendary Goldwax work. A few titles have some wonderfully spare backings – almost just piano behind the heavenly vocals, which is quite unique for the time – and the set features 23 tracks in all – with titles that include "Love Attack", "It's So Nice", "A Road To Nowhere", "Fascination", "I See Sadness Ahead For Me", "I Don't Want To Be Hurt", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Will You Be Around", "To Me It's Storming", "Good Times", "Do The March", "Don't Wake Me Up", "That's Why I Love You", and "Nothing Can Touch My Love I Have For You". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

The one that put Janet over the top – and a record that also set the standard for so much more soul music to come – thanks to the production efforts of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis! Jam and Lewis had been doing some great work for other artists in the years before this set – and here, they bring an extra special sort of punch to the music – almost a sense of "blast" in the rhythms, which makes the rising talents of the young Janet sound even better than they would have otherwise – creating a style that's badass, but also perfect for the crossover fame that this classic album attained! The set's overflowing with classics – and titles include "Control", "Nasty", "What Have You Done For Me Lately", "The Pleasure Principle", "He Doesn't Know I'm Alive", "You Can Be Mine", "When I Think Of You", and "Funny How Time Flies". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A crowning moment in New Jack Swing – a perfect step forward for Janet Jackson, as she continues to work with the duo of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, with a vibe that was setting the scene for the rest of mainstream soul at the time! The album's got a larger overall feel than her previous set – partly because it makes use of the expanded CD recording style to add in interludes that link the tracks, and create a great flow through the record – while the lady herself still soars through plenty of catchy cuts that would win her some big hits! Titles include "Escapade", "Miss You Much", "Rhythm Nation", "Alright", "Love Will Never Do (Without You)", "Black Cat" and "Come Back To Me". CD

Off the Rhythm Nation LP. 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of the best Javon Jackson albums we've heard in years – a great live session that really gets back to basics, and reminds what a hell of a soloist Jackson is on tenor! The group's got a sharp, soulful feel right from the start – thanks to wonderful piano from Orrin Evans, who manages to bring all these creative touches to the music, but all without ever losing his swing – a swing that's driven strongly by Corcoran Holt on bass and McClenty Hunter on drums. Jackson's tenor is the real star of the show, but clearly gets great inspiration from the creative phrasing of Evans – and the pair soar together wonderfully on tunes that include "Richards RAP", "Lelia", "88 Strong", "Think On Me", "TJ", "Mr Taylor", and a great version of Wayne Shorter's "One By One". CD

Features Javon Jackson on tenor, Jeremy Manasia on piano, David Williams on bass, and McClenty Hunter on drums. Tracks include "Wade In The Water", "Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel", "I've Been Buked", and "Leaning On The Everlasting Arms" – all selected by Nikki Giovanni, who also provides guest vocals on "Night Song". CD

With James Williams on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. CD

A nice little solo album from the early 70s – featuring Jackson Five-like arrangements by The Corporation, James Carmichael, and others. Includes the tracks "Come Into My Life", "Does Your Mama Know About Me", "Sitting On The Edge Of My Mind", "You're In Good Hands", and "A Million To One". CD

A well-recorded set that shows Joe Jackson really grabbing command of his overall sound – initially issued as a 3-sided record to fit all the music in one package! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A real step forward for Joe Jackson, and a record that has plenty of jazz in the mix – as you might guess from its cover's hommage to a Sonny Rollins 50s album on Blue Note! Titles include "You Can't Get What You Want", "Be My Number Two", "Loisaida", "Happy Ending", "Not Here Not Now", "Cha Cha Loco", and "The Verdict". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning early work from Joe Jackson – much more hard-edged than you might expect! There's a nice bite here – and tracks include "Fools In Love", "Pretty Girls", "Happy Loving Couples", "Sunday Papers", "One More Time", and "Is She Really Going Out With Him". CD

Stunning early work from Joe Jackson – much more hard-edged than you might expect! There's a nice bite here – and tracks include "Fools In Love", "Pretty Girls", "Happy Loving Couples", "Sunday Papers", "One More Time", and "Is She Really Going Out With Him". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

A heck of a great record – and we don't mind saying it! After knocking around in territory that ran from new wave to neo ska, retro swing, and other assorted genres, Joe Jackson really emerged with a strong voice on this 1982 classic. The album's a loving tribute to New York – and is steeped in Jackson's growing knowledge of Latin and jazz music – performed here by a great group that really sets things up right, and recorded in a warmly acoustic mode that was quite striking for the time! The tracks on the set hold up incredibly well over the years – getting past the cliches that later plagued Jackson's career, and reminding us of how great he was at his best. LP, Vinyl record album

A heck of a great record – and we don't mind saying it! After knocking around in territory that ran from new wave to neo ska, retro swing, and other assorted genres, Joe Jackson really emerged with a strong voice on this 1982 classic. The album's a loving tribute to New York – and is steeped in Jackson's growing knowledge of Latin and jazz music – performed here by a great group that really sets things up right, and recorded in a warmly acoustic mode that was quite striking for the time! The tracks on the set hold up incredibly well over the years – getting past the cliches that later plagued Jackson's career, and reminding us of how great he was at his best. LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A rare one from TX blues great Melvin "Lil Son" Jackson – massively influential, though! Lil Son has a kind of relaxed vocal style, not as gritty as some of the other southern acoustic blues figures of the period, be they fellow Texans or from elsewhere – but that voice carries his blues beautifully well, and we hear traces of his style in countless younger artists to come! His guitar playing is just as great, too! Includes "Blues Come To Texas", "Cairo Blues", "Ticket Agent", "Santa Fey Blues", "Groundhog Blues", "Gambler Blues", "Rollin' Mill Went Down", "Robert Blues" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Released in conjunction with Kern's centennial celebration. Titles include "Sure Thing", "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man", "The Folks Who Live On The Hill", "Make Believe", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "The Last Time I Saw Paris", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The third great album in the trilogy that includes Off The Wall and Thriller – and a set that still has Michael Jackson running strong at the height of his solo powers! Quincy Jones is still at the helm, and Michael more than proves that he can still come up with a pop tune without going too far over the top – catchy, compelling numbers that played well all over the world of pop – but which still hang onto just a little part of his soul roots too! That balance is a key factor to the success of this set – a record that helped re-ignite interest in Jackson's music, and introduce him to a whole new generation – while still keeping most of the older fans plenty pleased too. Titles include "Just Good Friends", "Smooth Criminal", "Bad", "Another Part Of Me", "Man In The Mirror", and "Speed Demon". LP, Vinyl record album

Fuzzy guitar, a catchy bassline, and a hook that just won't quit – all elements that made "Beat It" a runaway hit for Michael – and a cut that now sounds pretty darn great, all these years after it was clogging up the radio in the 80s! "PYT" is our real favorite, though – because it's got a lighter, jazzier approach – one that really shows the Quincy Jones touch in the studio, and which almost reminds us of some of Q's best work in the Dude era! 12-inch, Vinyl record

38 tracks total. CD

A very strange little album – one that features material recorded by Michael Jackson for Motown in the early 70s, remixed with new instrumental backings to cash in on his fame in the mid 80s! Given that the work is early, the vocals are great – very much in the best Jackson 5 mode of the time – but the odd thing is the way that the new backings give the tunes all a bit more of a modern touch – by lining up keyboards and a bit of electric percussion next to the warmer older Motown arrangements. The approach oddly isn't bad, and there's a few nicely compelling tunes here – tracks that we certainly love a lot more than the place Michael went a few years after 1984. Titles include "Melodie", "You've Really Got A Hold On Me", "Don't Let It Get You Down", "Girl You're So Together", "Farewell My Summer Love", "Call On Me", and "To Make My Father Proud". LP, Vinyl record album

The soundtrack to This Is It – the celebratory release of the King Of Pop's rehearsal footage from the days before his untimely death – which also serves as sort of a best of Michael's years at Epic/Sony! It does a fine job of touching on the each of the diverse styles Michael handled in his Epic years, the pioneering guitar accented pop soul magic to the more tender numbers, but, the boon for This Is It is the title track. It's a previously unreleased number with backing harmonies by the Jackson's, a fairly gentle and memorable tune, plus some disc 2 demos. Titles include "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", "Jam", "They Don't Care About Us", "Human Nature", "Smooth Criminal", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Beat It", "Black Or White", "Earth Song", "Billie Jean", "Man In The Mirror" and "This Is It" (main and orchestra version). Disc 2 includes demos for "She's Out Of My Life", "Wanna Be Startin Somethin" and a "poem" version of "Planet Earth". CD

Arguably the last true moment of genius in Michael Jackson's career – a record that sold a bazillion copies around the world – and for plenty good reason! Michael's still working here with Quincy Jones – in territory that steps nicely from the Off The Wall groove, into territory that's somewhat more poppy, but still quite soulful overall. And yes, the success of the album meant that cuts like "Billie Jean", "Thriller", and "Beat It" got plenty of play – thanks to both heavy radio and video rotation – but a few decades later, there's still a tremendous amount of depth here – on great cuts like "Human Nature", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin", and "PYT" – which all hold up nicely! CD

Arguably the last true moment of genius in Michael Jackson's career – a record that sold a bazillion copies around the world – and for plenty good reason! Michael's still working here with Quincy Jones – in territory that steps nicely from the Off The Wall groove, into territory that's somewhat more poppy, but still quite soulful overall. And yes, the success of the album meant that cuts like "Billie Jean", "Thriller", and "Beat It" got plenty of play – thanks to both heavy radio and video rotation – but a few decades later, there's still a tremendous amount of depth here – on great cuts like "Human Nature", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin", and "PYT" – which all hold up nicely! LP, Vinyl record album

A great entry in the world of Jackson 5 remix material – a hip set of Japanese work put together by Hiroshi Fujiwara & KUDO – with a nicely different vibe than previous efforts of this nature! The remixes have a slightly dubby quality, but are mostly focused around the familiar structure of the original tunes – nicely using mellow basslines and laidback Jamaican rhythms to add some really fresh flavors to the work of the Jacksons – in ways that are quite different than some of the other, more energetic remixes out there at the moment. Includes remixes of "We've Got A Good Thing Going", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Happy", "Love Song", "I Want You Back", "With A Child's Heart", "I'll Be There", and "All I Do Is Think Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

A great reworking of this already-reworked package – one that takes the Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson remixes from the Japanese collection, and offers them up in even more wildly remixed takes! As you'd guess from the title, there's plenty of dubby production used on the set – not in a way that pushes the Jacksons material into Jamaican territory – but which instead flavors the warmth of Motown with occasional bass, drum, and guitar parts that feel as if they've been lifted from classic Kingston recordings. HF and KUDO handle all the mixes here – and titles include fresh dub mixes of "Love Song", "I'll Be There", "I Want You Back", "With A Child's Heart", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "We've Got A Good Thing Going", "All I Do Is Think Of You", "La La Means I Love You", "It's Great To Be Here", "Happy", and "Never Can Say Goodbye". LP, Vinyl record album

Millie Jackson's feelin bitchy – and letting a whole new side of her talents show! After the sweet southern soul sound of her early recordings, the Jackson style takes a sharp shift here – letting a bitchier side show up more strongly, and really setting the tone for the next great chapter of her music! Some of the set still features the older style production work by Brad Shapiro – but that's also pushed out by a smoother more modern soul feel on most of the record – one that has Millie emerging with a lot more pride, presence, and power than ever – all-woman, and all in control! Titles include the 10 minute Latimore cut "All The Way Lover", which has a great monologue that would even make Latimore blush – plus the tracks "A Little Taste Of Outside Love", "Feelin Like A Woman", "Angel In Your Arms", and the great "If You're Not Back In Love By Monday". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet 80s groove from Millie Jackson – a set that's got a very different vibe than her famous southern soul work of the 70s – but one that still has the singer very much at the top of her game! The backgrounds are a bit more electric than before – especially the rhythms – but Jackson's raspy, raw approach to the lyrics really holds fast – and, if anything, helps make the set a new vision in rootsy soul for a more contemporary generation. Some of the "nasty gal" tones of previous years are put on the backburner – and Millie returns to those mellower ballads that were always some of her strongest work – really shining nicely on tracks that include "It's A Thang", "An Imitation Of Love", "Hot Wild Unrestricted Crazy Love", "Wanna Be Your Lover", "Love Is A Dangerous Game", and "I Fell In Love". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent early album from Millie Jackson – recorded in a southern soul style in New York and Muscle Shoals, but a lot hipper than most of the rest of the female soul that was coming out of the south at the time. For one thing, Millie was a bad mamma singer – rapping hard and frankly about the way things is (or were). For another, Millie's not necessarily as great in the sweet department as some of her contemporaries – so she sticks to the harder material, except for a few tear jerking ballads, and adds in a lot of humor and touches of the fierce sarcasm that would soon become her calling card in the soul business. Gary Byrd penned the leadoff cut "I Cry", and the other tracks include "Two Faced World", "Hypocrisy", "Good To The Very Last Drop", "Help Yourself", and "Now That You Got It". CD features a whopping amount of bonus tracks too – previously unissued versions of "It Hurts So Good", "Help Yourself", "Here Comes Love", "That's My Style", "Hypocrisy", and "Breakaway" – all sounding much more different than the master takes! CD

Classic country soul from Millie Jackson – plus a brand new song as well – all served up in a set that shows yet another side of this legendary singer! Millie's known both for her weepy sad songs of the early years, and her bitchy blues of later ones – but during the 70s, she also cut a fair bit of country-tinged tunes as well – done in a similar space as other southern soul singers like Joe Tex, Solomon Burke, or Joe Simon! The styles vary nicely, though – not just the straight blend of country roots and soulful inflections you'd hear in the 60s – as some of the tracks are from later years, and bring in some modern soul to the mix – nicely expanding the sound. A few titles are duets with Isaac Hayes – and titles include "Angel In Your Arms", "Rose Colored Glasses", "Sweet Music Man", "Cheatin Is", "You Needed Me", "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down", and "Standing In Your Line" – plus the brand new track "Black Bitch Crazy". CD

The title's a bit self-pitying, but the music certainly isn't – and even at this late point in his career, the sound of Milt Jackson is coming across loud and clear – possibly more so, because Milt's firmly shaken off the mellower modes of his years with the MJQ! The record has Jackson working with the Oscar Peterson trio with Ray Brown on bass and Grady Tate on drums – and the overall structure of the tunes is definitely dictated by Peterson, but very strongly touched by Jackson once his vibes ring into the mix. Titles include "Stuffy", "Body & Soul", "What Am I Here For", "If I Should Lose You", "A Time For Love", and "Ain't But A Few Of Us Left". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly nice pairing – the vibes of Milt Jackson and some larger horn backings that fall heavy on the trumpet and trombone side of the spectrum! The sound's not nearly as heavy or hokey as you'd expect – thanks to arrangements by Melba Liston – and the horns do a nice job of setting a scene that lets Milt's vibes sneak in and out with effortless ease – coloring things with a great one, and a very rhythmic feel. The album's worth it for one track alone – the really great "Bossa Bags", which grooves with a sound that's everything you'd expect from the title! Other tracks include "Extraordinary Blues", "Save Your Love For Me", "For Someone I Love", "Days Of Wine & Roses", and "Just Waiting". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest Milt Jackson albums ever – thanks to an incredible lineup that features Art Farmer on trumpet and Benny Golson on tenor – both of whom give the record a lot more edge than usual for Jackson! The set's almost a maturation of the earliest modern grooves that Milt forged in his earlier sessions for Blue Note and Prestige – a sound that comes across here with a lot more confidence and focus than some of his 50s Savoy sides – with a sharper, edgier quality that comes from Golson's great arrangements for the record. Milt's vibes have a really chromatic feel here, and a sound that's almost louder than usual – and the rest of the group features Tommy Flanagan on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Connie Kay on drums. Titles include "Blues For Diahann", "I Remember Clifford", "Thinking Of You", and "Whisper Not". CD

Wicked early work from Milt Jackson – a record that's got a lot more of an edge than some of his later work with the Modern Jazz Quartet – a near-perfect modernist bop sound that's every bit the best side of Blue Note in the early 50s! The package brings together material from a few different sessions – some originally on 10" LPs – and the core of the material features Jackson in the company of pianist Thelonious Monk, on some tracks that also feature Sahib Shihab on alto sax! John Lewis plays piano on another batch of tracks that are essentially the early MJQ lineup, but with Lou Donaldson on alto too – so they swing with a bit more soul than you might expect. Titles include "Bag's Groove", "On The Scene", "Willow Weep For Me", "Criss Cross", "Evidence", "Tahiti", "Misterioso", "Four In One", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Whatever you may think of Milt Jackson's later work, this stuff from the early 50s, recorded in his pre-MJQ years, shows the vibist as a lively talent, playing head to head with boppers that he'd never dare face in later years. Players include Lou Donaldson, John Lewis, Thelonious Monk, and Shadow Wilson – and Kenny "Pancho" Hagood sings vocals on 3 tracks. Tracks include "On The Scene", "Tahiti", "Lillie", "Epistrophy", and "Misterioso". 17 tracks in all – with some alternate takes. CD

With Harry Sweets Edison on trumpet, Eddie Lockjaw Davis on tenor, Eddie Cleanhead Vinson on alto, Ray Brown on bass, Art Hillery on piano, and Larance Marable on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best-known 50s jazz sessions from the Savoy label – a laidback classic that's a great illustration of the label's shift in modes after the early bop years! The setting here is relatively informal – with Milt Jackson as the ersatz leader, working almost in blowing session mode with hip players who include Frank Wess on flute and tenor, Hank Jones on piano, Eddie Jones on bass and Kenny Clarke on drums – all players who relax into a groove wonderfully, and really open up on the album's four long tracks. Titles include the classic reading of "Opus De Funk", plus "Opus Pocus", "You Leave Me Breathless", and "Opus & Interlude". LP, Vinyl record album

A great statement from vibist Milt Jackson – one of his key solo sessions in a great 60s run of recordings away from the Modern Jazz Quartet! Like the classics that followed this one, the vibe is much more soulful than any of Milt's records with the MJQ – kind of an extension of the groove he hit on 50s dates for Savoy and Prestige, swung with an even tighter feel here in the Impulse Records setting! The backing's from a trio that includes Hank Jones on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Connie Kay on drums – and the tracks are short, but have some nice haunting themes that work well with the sensitive vibes of Jackson and piano of Jones. Titles include "Put Off", "Statement", "Slowly", "Sonnymoon For Two", and "Thrill From The Blues". CD

At the end of the 60s, Milt Jackson and Ray Brown cut some very groovy records together – teamed up in a great pairing of styles that pushed both of them way past the more standard sounds of earlier years! This album's one of the best of the bunch – as it features pianist Monty Alexander joining the pair, bringing in some warmly soulful elements on piano – in ways that are a great bridge between his work for MGM and MPS! The set also features great tenor from Teddy Edwards – blowing with a deep tone and a sharp edge – and in addition to vibes by Jackson and bass by Brown, the group also features Dick Berk on drums. The set was recorded live at Shelly's Manne-Hole – and titles include Alexander's "That's The Way It Is", plus "Blues In The Basement", "Wheelin & Dealin", and "Tenderly". CD

Milt Jackson on vibes with John Clayton Jr on bass, Jeff Hamilton on drums, and Jeff Clayton on lead alto sax, flute, and clarinet. CD

Includes the hit "Waterloo" – plus "Smoke Along The Track", "Life To Go", "Run", "The Carpet On The Floor", and "Uncle Sam & Big John Bull". LP, Vinyl record album

60s Stonewall Jackson is always pretty darn great – but he sounds especially nice here in a tribute to Hank Williams! LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

60s Chicago soul doesn't get any better than this – a sublime debut from the legendary Walter Jackson – done in a smoothly sophisticated style that set a whole new standard for the genre! The record steps off nicely from some of the earliest work by Jerry Butler and The Impressions – blending Chicago soul with more adult-styled orchestrations from Riley Hampton – at a level that has Jackson sitting beautifully across a number of different modes at once – still appealing to the kids with the uptown groovers on the set, but also reaching to an older crowd with the beautiful ballads and heartbreaking love songs. The sound is incredible – easily one of the most fully realized full-length soul records on the Okeh label – and titles include "What Would You Do", "There Goes That Song Again", "I Don't Want To Suffer", "That's What Mama Say", and "It's All Over". CD adds in 10 more bonus tracks – most of which are previously unissued – making for an amazing collection that's one of the first time that Jackson's work at Okeh is finally getting its due! Bonus titles include "The Heartbreak Road", "Anything Can Happen", "Blue Rose", "Starting Tomorrow", "Don't Play With Love", "It's Hard To Believe", "You Gotta Give", and "Tell The World". CD

Beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful beautiful! Did we say that enough? We hope so, because we love Walter Jackson to death, and we can think of no finer treat than listening to this great batch of soul cuts that he cut for the Okeh label during the mid and late 60s in Chicago. The arrangements are all by Riley Hampton, and they're all in his beautiful string- and tear-drenched style, but still with a deep soulful rolling bottom. Titles include "Speak Her Name", "It's All Over", "My Ship Is Comin' In", "Suddenly I'm All Alone", and "Funny". Beautiful! LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic comeback for the legendary Wanda Jackson – a country singer that was also one of the first female rock and roll artists too – heard here in a great back-to-basics set, co-produced by Justin Townes Earle! Titles include "Two Hands", "Old Weakness", "California Stars", "Tore Down", "The Graveyard Shift", "Pushover", "What Do You Do When You're Lonesome", and "Down Past The Bottom". LP, Vinyl record album

Great early work from Willis Jackson – recordings from that time when he was equally skirting the worlds of R&B and jazz! Players here include John H Russell on trumpet and Booty Wood on trombone – and there's a few vocal cuts, and one with an electronic harp! LP, Vinyl record album

A great album from Willis Jackson – a real sleeper, and with a very groovy feel! Willis smokes with an organ combo that has Butch Cornell at the keys, and which also features Vince Corrao on guitar and Franklyn Robinson on trumpet. The tracks are a mix of originals and Beatles covers (believe it or not!), and Willis is in that playful mid-60s mode, where he's working with so much profiency on the tenor that he can take some groovy chances on the solos. The rhythm's got a great Cadet soul jazz vibe to it – and the album fits nicely with some of Jack McDuff's work on the same label. Titles include "Yesterday", "Hard Day's Night", "Goose Pimples", and "Doin' The Mudcat". LP, Vinyl record album

A tasty selection of Willis Jackson groovers from his fab 60s years at Prestige! The set features 6 tunes in all – including "Oatmeal" and "Sweet Peter Charleston" from the Really Groovin album, "Shuckin", a classic bossa groover, "California Sun", with rockin guitar by Bill Jennings, and "Back and Forth", which features Freddie Roach on organ. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer from the 60s years of tenorist Willis Jackson – a time when the older R&B player was really rising to the top – thanks to the sort of smoking soul jazz setting that a record like this could provide! The whole thing's great – very much in the Groove Holmes or Jack McDuff vibe of the time – familiar tunes taken in all sorts of new, groovy directions – with help from the young Pat Azzarra on guitar and Carl Wilson on Hammond – plus trumpet from the lesser-known Joseph Hadrick! Titles include "One Mint Julep", "Tangerine", "Ebb Tide", "Blue Gator", and "Secret Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Great grooves from Jackson Conti – not a dude, but a duo – one that features Madlib teamed with Mamao, drummer from the legendary Azymuth! The album's got a really unique feel – one that mixes Madlib's chunky, fuzzy style of production with some of the cleaner, jazzier Azymuth grooves of late – a combination that shouldn't work so well, but which comes across with really amazing results! There's a bit of beats on the set, but a fair bit of the percussion is acoustic too – making for more warmth than before from Madlib – almost a transplantation of the Yesterday's New Quintet sound to the sunnier Rio scene. Keyboards have a strong role too – often with the sort of edgey, compelling tones you'd hear on the first few Azymuth recordings of the 70s – and other instrumentation includes bits of guitar, flute, sax, and other well-placed touches – but all used in weird ways that are somewhere between typical jazz and Brazilian modes. Titles include "Upa Neguinho", "Xibaba", "Sao Paulo Nights", "Brasilian Sugar", "Mamaoism", "Berumba", "Papaya", "Segura Esta Onda", "Sunset At Sujinho", "Tijuca Man", and "Waiting On The Corner". CD

Great grooves from Jackson Conti – not a dude, but a duo – one that features Madlib teamed with Mamao, drummer from the legendary Azymuth! The album's got a really unique feel – one that mixes Madlib's chunky, fuzzy style of production with some of the cleaner, jazzier Azymuth grooves of late – a combination that shouldn't work so well, but which comes across with really amazing results! There's a bit of beats on the set, but a fair bit of the percussion is acoustic too – making for more warmth than before from Madlib – almost a transplantation of the Yesterday's New Quintet sound to the sunnier Rio scene. Keyboards have a strong role too – often with the sort of edgey, compelling tones you'd hear on the first few Azymuth recordings of the 70s – and other instrumentation includes bits of guitar, flute, sax, and other well-placed touches – but all used in weird ways that are somewhere between typical jazz and Brazilian modes. Titles include "Upa Neguinho", "Xibaba", "Sao Paulo Nights", "Brasilian Sugar", "Mamaoism", "Berumba", "Papaya", "Segura Esta Onda", "Sunset At Sujinho", "Tijuca Man", and "Waiting On The Corner". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive single from the Jackson 5 – one of their best ever! "ABC" is a rollicking soul groover – piano, drums, and the boys all kicking it up with magic that they hardly ever duplicated again! "The Young Folks" is pretty nice too – a loping track with a slightly righteous feel – almost a message cut, but a bit too sweet for that! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Magnificent material from the Jackson 5 – a set that really has them moving into a whole new mature style in their music – taking on bigger themes and wider grooves, and really finding a fresh new voice in the process! There's a bit of funk in the mix, a bit of early club, and some cool baroque production modes that really move past straight Motown hit styles – heard to greatest effect on the album's wonderful opener – "I Am Love". The set also features the classic pre-disco "Dancing Machine", a perennial favorite – and the cuts "The Mirrors Of My Mind", "Whatever You Got I Want", "She's A Rhythm Child", "If I Don't Love You This Way", and "What You Don't Know". CD

The Jacksons definitely get it together here – and pick up a tight funky groove that's mighty nice! The album has them really moving past the usual structure of their early Motown hits – and at points, the record almost hints at the direction they'd take after leaving the label – especially on the dancefloor numbers that really drive the set! Titles include the perennial fave "Dancing Machine", the extended groover "Hum Along & Dance", and the cuts "Get It Together", "Don't Say Goodbye", and "Mama I Gotta Brand New Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

The Jacksons' third album for Motown – and definitely one that has the quintet moving full steam ahead! There's a sense of perfection here right from the get-go – that really put-together quality the boys hit with their second album, thanks to great studio help from The Corporation and Hal Davis! Michael's vocals are beautiful, but so are the rest of the bros' – and titles include their sweet, sweet rendition of "I'll Be There", plus the groovy "Goin Back To Indiana", and other nice ones like "Mama's Pearl", "Darling Dear", "Can I See You In the Morning", and a tight version of "Ready Or Not (Here I Come)". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing bit of soul – and one of the rarest funk records of the 70s! This masterpiece was recorded by The Jackson Sisters, a semi-gospelly soul group that has a sound that's a bit like The Voices of East Harlem, but that's a lot harder, and that has a deeper soul sound overall! At times, the group is funky – as on their incredible track "I Believe In Miracles", a rare groove classic if there ever was one, and one of the most in-demand tracks we've ever stocked. At other times, the girls have a mellower soul sound, with great raw harmonies that remind us of the Volt work by The Emotions, but with much rougher instrumental backing. This album's the only one they ever cut – and it's just about impossible to find in the original pressing (and in fact, we've never seen a copy!) Apart from the amazing cut "Miracles", this one includes loads of gems like "Rockin' On My Porch", "Shake Her Loose", "(Why Can't We Be) More Than Just Friends", and "Boy, You're Dynamite"! CD

Includes excerpts from the American Gramaphone catalog. LP, Vinyl record album

Early Fifties recordings with Milt Jackson on vibes and John Lewis on piano, accompanied by either Percy Heath or Ray Brown on bass, and Kenny Clarke or Al Jones on drums. CD

The piano of Oscar Peterson meets the vibes of Milt Jackson – and the result is a wonderfully groovy set! We can't remember when the 2 players had worked together before in order to have such "reunion" – but they work together beautifully on this session, with Jackson's vibes bringing in a whole new range of colors, tones, and sounds to the usual Peterson set! As with the other MPS recordings in Oscar's career, the sound here is impeccable – very well done, and in a way that has the ringing tones of both players floating in air beautifully next to each other. Ray Brown's bass and the drums of Louis Hayes complete the group – and titles include "Satisfaction", "Dream Of You", "When I Fall In Love", "Red Top", "Reunion Blues", and "Some Day My Prince Will Come". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A tremendous return to form for the great Brian Jackson – an artist that most folks know for his legendary 70s work with Gil Scott-Heron, but one who's kept on making great music for years after Gil departed our planet! Here, Jackson's the lead talent on Fender Rhodes, flute, and other instruments – working alongside core funky backdrops from Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad – in a mode that follows up the spirit of their other releases in the Jazz Is Dead series, but with a vibe that's darker and moodier overall! There's a great edge going on here – and the bassline are especially heavy at times, which seems to make Jackson push even stronger than he might – filling up all the spaces with beautiful sounds that show the musician at his jazziest. Titles include "Mars Walk", "Nancy Wilson", "Young Muhammad", "Guality", "Bain De Minuit", "Ethiopian Sunshower", and "Under The Bridge". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff! We love Deon Jackson – we love his voice, we love his songs, and we love the great production he gets from the legendary Ollie McLaughlin! This album is the only one he ever cut – and it's a masterpiece all the way through! Ollie's production gives the tracks a wonderful lilting quality that keeps the music fresh – and Deon's unique style works extremely well on all the tracks, from the super-hit "Love Makes The World Go Round", to other material like "Nursery Rhymes", "Come Back Home", "You Said You Love Me", "SOS", and "Hush Little Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful bit of gospel soul from Stax – a lost gem that's as great as anything the Truth subsidiary of the label ever issued! Gene Page and Gene Barge handled the arrangements and production for the record, and it's got a smooth 70s soul sound that reminds us a bit of the Voices Of East Harlem, filtered through a style that's perhaps a bit more righteous and heavier. Jackson plays keyboards with Joe Sample, and other musicians on the set include David T Walker, Paul Humphrey, and Earl Palmer. The vocals are the best bit, though, and the leads on each track break out strongly from the group. Titles include "I Love Him So", "The Truth Will Catch A Lie", "What's The Matter", "When Will People Learn To Love", "Just For Us", and "He Didn't Have To Do It". LP, Vinyl record album