... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

Accompanied by Oliver Lake. 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

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Michael's on lead vocals here – in a set of tracks that's all from the early 70s, when he was starting to break away from The Jackson Five, but was still mostly recording with them. 10 tracks in all: "Ben", "Got To Be There", "One Day In Your Life", "I Wanna Be Where You Are", "Rockin Robin", "We're Almost There", "With A Child's Heart", "Happy (Love theme from Lady Sings The Blues)", "Morning Glow" and "Music & Me". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

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

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 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". CD

A great live date – recorded in Tokyo with Jackson on vibes, Teddy Edwards on tenor, Cedar Walton on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Tracks include "Killer Joe", "All Blues", "St. Thomas", "The Prophet Speaks", and "Stolen Moments". CD

Excellent late 50s work by Milt Jackson for Atlantic! Bags & Flutes is very much in the style of Milt's classic Savoy sides from the preceding couple of years – mixing together his jazzy vibes with light lilting solos on flute, either by Bobby Jaspar or Frank Wess, Milt's old compatriot from the Savoy sessions. Piano is by Tommy Flanagan or Hank Jones, and Kenny Burrell plays guitar on the whole album. Tracks include "Ghana", "Connie's Blues", "Sandy", "I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over" and "Bag's New Groove". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly great record from Milt Jackson – and we're saying that after being plenty darn suspicious about a record titled Be Bop recorded in the late 80s! The set has Jackson returning to the sound of his earliest roots – the boppish material he first cut for Blue Note as a leader in the early 50s, before rising to greater fame in the Modern Jazz Quartet, and later on as a strong solo artist in his own right. The recording is modern, but the feel is pretty darn right – better recorded than the old days, but played in a style that's quite faithful to the roots by a group that features Milt on vibes, Jon Faddis on trumpet, JJ Johnson on trombone, Jimmy Heath on tenor, and Cedar Walton on piano. Titles include "Now's The Time", "Au Privave", "Good Bait", "Woody N You", "Birk's Works", and "Salt Peanuts". CD

Milt Jackson on vibraphone, Benny Green on piano, Joshua Redman on tenor saxophone, Jesse Davis on alto saxophone, Christian McBride on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums. CD

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 2 tracks. Tracks include "On The Scene", "Tahiti", "Lillie", "Epistrophy", and "Misterioso". 17 tracks in all – with some alternate takes, and great remastering! CD

Milt Jackson's working here with his "Big 4" group – a quartet (natch) that includes Oscar Peterson on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Mickey Roker on drums – all opening up nicely in this laidback live environment! Despite the Montreux hype of the 70s, the record's got a surprisingly intimate feel – and offers a nicely restrained Peterson doing some very sensitive solo work – augmented by some of Jackson's most chromatic sounds on vibes. Titles include "Mack The Knife", "Night Mist Blues", "Stella By Starlight", "Speed Ball", "Nature Boy", and "Funji Mama". CD

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

Two CTI label gems from vibist Milt Jackson – back to back on a single CD! Sunflower is proof that Milt Jackson was easily the hippest member of the Modern Jazz Quartet – and one of the few who could really open up into different sounds away from that combo! This sweet 70s set for CTI is totally great – a whole new chapter for Jackson's vibes, and a real re-setting of the soulful modes he'd explored as a leader in the 60s. There's a wonderfully warm and chromatic feel to the set from the start – as Milt's vibes are set in fuller arrangements from Don Sebesky – with added instrumentation from Herbie Hancock on electric piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Phil Bodner on reeds. The highlight of the album is a nice long take on "People Make The World Go Round", but it's all pretty sweet, and other titles include nice versions of "Sunflower" and "What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life" – and Jackson's own "SKJ" and "For Someone I Love". Goodbye is classic work from vibist Milt Jackson – opening up his bag a lot for the 70s, in a way that makes for some wonderfully casual grooves! The album's not as moodily funky as some of Jackson's other CTI records, but it is a nice batch of laidback tunes played with a distinctly soulful edge – handled by a group that features Cedar Walton on piano, Hubert Laws on flute, Ron Carter bass, Steve Gadd drums – and some guest trumpet from Freddie Hubbard on the track "SKJ". Other titles include "Opus De Funk", "Detour Ahead","Goodbye", and "Old Devil Moon". CD

A wonderful little record – a real standout in both the careers of Milt Jackson and Coleman Hawkins! The album captures Hawk during his great later years – that time when his sound was even more soulful and inventive than ever – with lots of odd modern undercurrents that really work nicely with the album's slight Latin inflections – a bit like those you might hear on some of Hawkins' Impulse Records material from the same generation. Milt Jackson's vibes are great too – chromatic and edgey, and set up with rhythm support from Kenny Burrell on guitar, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Eddie Jones on bass, and Connie Kay on drums. Titles include "Indian Blues", "Don't Take Your Love From Me", "Sandra's Blues", "Stuffy", and "Close Your Eyes". CD

A wonderful little record – a real standout in both the careers of Milt Jackson and Coleman Hawkins! The album captures Hawk during his great later years – that time when his sound was even more soulful and inventive than ever – with lots of odd modern undercurrents that really work nicely with the album's slight Latin inflections – a bit like those you might hear on some of Hawkins' Impulse Records material from the same generation. Milt Jackson's vibes are great too – chromatic and edgey, and set up with rhythm support from Kenny Burrell on guitar, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Eddie Jones on bass, and Connie Kay on drums. Titles include "Indian Blues", "Don't Take Your Love From Me", "Sandra's Blues", "Stuffy", and "Close Your Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

With Butch Miles on drums, Freddie Green on guitar, John Clayton on bass; Danny Turner, Bobby Plater, Eric Dixon, Charlie Fowlkes, and Kenny Hing on saxophone; Wayman Reed, Lyn Biviano, Sonny Cohn, and Pete Minger on trumpets; and Bill Hughes, Mel Wanzo, Fred Wesley, and Dennis Wilson on trombones. Titles include "9:20 Special", "Sunny Side Of The Street", "Lena & Lenny", "Easy Does It", "Every Tub", and "Blues For Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the great jazz sessions that Ray Charles cut towards the end of his years at Atlantic Records – a surprisingly great little album with vibist Milt Jackson! The set really shows a side of Milt that didn't always surface in the Modern Jazz Quartet – and Charles is surprisingly great on piano (and even a bit of alto sax, which is mighty nice) – especially on the long tracks, which really let the players stretch out! Other players include the great Billy Mitchell on tenor sax, Skeeter Best on guitar, Oscar Pettiford on bass, and Connie Kay on drums – and titles include "Blue Funk", "Cosmic Ray", "Soul Brothers", and "How Long Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful combination we'd like to hear more of – one that comes from the meeting of Milt Jackson's vibes and the guitar of Wes Montgomery – both recorded here in easygoing brilliance! The session's a nice break from the usual sound of both players at the time – and although Wes played a bit with vibes when working in The Montgomery Brothers, the Jackson approach here is a bit different – more soulful, and a bit more driven on by the rhythm section of Wynton Kelly, Sam Jones, and Philly Joe Jones. Titles include the originals "SKJ", "Blue Roz", "Jingles", and "Sam Sack" – plus bonus tracks "Stairway To The Stars (take 2)" & "Delilah (take 3)". CD

A classic set of 80s work from drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson – issued on Ornette Coleman's label! The group here is a lineup of the Decoding Society that features twin guitars from Cary Denigris and Masujaa Hugh Riley, plus soprano and tenor from a young Zane Massey, bass from John Moody, and soprano, alto, and flute from Eric Person – all produced by Bill Laswell too! LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

It's an unfortunate fact that within a few years of stating the reincarnation-oriented title of this record, Walter would sadly have passed away, making the issue of "coming back as a song" even more pertinent. This record's one of his best of the Chisound years – and features a modern soul updating of Walter's Iceman style – done here with help from Riley Hampton, who worked on most of Walter's best work at Okeh. The record's got a nice Teddy Pendergrass sort of sound, with a good sophisticated male vocal approach – and includes the cuts "If You Walked Away", "Stay A While With me", "I've Never Been To Me", "What Would You Do", and a remake of "It's All Over". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful, groovy set of landmark pop and folksy tunes from Wanda! At her peak, which stretched from the mid 50s throughout the 60s, Ms. Jackson could melt you with any combination of sultry ballads, fiery rockabilly, or traditional country numbers, and Many Moods covers all those bases. She consistently takes on such disparate material as Harlan Howard's "I Wish I Was Your Friend", Merle Haggard's "I Started Loving You Again", and Chuck Berry's "Memphis, Tennessee", with each tune more charming than the last, and perhaps the most priceless of all, Neil Diamond's huge hit via the Monkees, "I'm A Believer". The record has a great cover, too – showcasing the lovely Wanda's gravity defying beehive! 11 tunes in all. 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". CD

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

The title's a bit hokey – an obvious play on the Star Wars film that was running in theaters at the time of the record – but the sound is classic Willis Jackson at his finest, recorded in a style that's right up there with his best 60s work for Prestige! The group here is a quintet – with Willis on tenor, Charles Earland on organ, Pat Martino on guitar, Idris Muhammad on drums, and Buddy Caldwell on congas – and as on Earland's best soul jazz sides for Muse from the time, there's a real back-to-basics approach here, one that really gets away from Modes that Willis used on other labels in the 70s. Titles include "The Goose Is Loose", "Bar Wars", "Blue & Sentimental", "Later", and "It's All Right With Me". CD

A collection of Willis Jackson ballad work pulled from early 60s Prestige albums that include Neapolitan Nights, Really Groovin, Shuckin, and In My Solitude – not really as "gentle" as the title might imply, and instead some great soulful tenor numbers, done in the laidback late nite mode of the time! Willis is working here in a number of different groups – with a piano trio led by Richard Wyands on about half the numbers (all of the album In My Solitude), and in other small groups that include Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Burrell, Bucky Pizzarelli, and Gildo Mahones – plus a fair bit of gentle conga. Titles include "Estrellita", "Girl Of My Dreams", "Careless Love", "Al Di La", "Amor", "Again", "Nancy", "Home", and "Solitude". CD

A great funky set from Willis Jackson – recorded in conjunction with the same sessions that yielded the classic Harlem Underground album! The record features Willis working with Paul Winley – blowing soulful riffs over backing by a group that includes organ, guitar, and added horns, on a set of hip early 70s soul covers and pop tunes. The album includes the same funky version of "Ain't No Sunshine" that appeared on the Harlem Underground album – plus a cover of "Soul Train" that's pretty darn nice, and sweeter versions of tunes like "Love Story", "What's Going On", "It's Too Late", "Don't Knock My Love", and "Heavy Makes You Happy". Lots of nice riffs! CD

One of the rare pre-Motown Jackson Five singles, from the Gary, Indiana-based Steel Town label. 7-inch, Vinyl record

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

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"! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Run On See What The Ends Gonna Be", "Thank God For Kids", "What Have You Done For Him", "You Don't Know Whatcha Missing", and "Someday We'll All Be Free". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Milt Jackson joins the Oscar Peterson Trio – helping the group to hit some great new space with his magical work on vibes! Jackson's got an open, airy feel – an approach that almost lets Peterson punctuate the tunes a bit more with his piano – while the pair get strong rhythmic support from the bass of Ray Brown and lyrical drums of Ed Thigpen. Tunes are open and relaxed, letting Milt hit some great mellow tones – and titles include "Green Dolphin Street", "Heartstrings", "The Work Song", "John Brown's Body", "A Wonderful Guy" and "Reunion Blues". CD

Some of the best tracks ever from the pair of Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson – some of most righteous, authoritative and thematically heavy soul music ever created – compiled in one incredible set! Messianic, emotive vocals from Gil and stunningly restrained, magical soul jazz arrangements from Brian – words can't express how dynamic these tunes are! Great stuff from classic LPs such as Winter In America, It's Your World, First Minute Of A New Day, Secrets and more! 15 tracks in all: "The Bottle", "It's Your World", "Johannesburg", "Winter In America", "The Liberation (Red, Black & Green)", "Home Is Where The Hatred Is (Live)", "We Almost Lost Detroit", "Angel Dust", "Show Bizness", "Madison Avenue", "Shut 'Em Down", "Alien (Hold On To Your Dreams)". LP, Vinyl record album

Ray plays alto sax and electric piano, along with his usual acoustic piano, Milt Jackson is on vibes, of course, and the rest of the group includes Kenny Burrell, Percy Heath, and Art Taylor. Titles include "Soul Meeting", "X Ray Blues", "Blue Genius", and "Bags Of Blues". Contains 14 tracks across two discs including a couple of CD only bonus tracks. CD

A stone stomper from this short-lived 60s group – a killer cut that has plenty of Detroit influence in the grooves – a great compressed approach to the rhythm, which really seems to set the girls' vocals free! 7-inch, Vinyl record

What the what?!? Soul sides so great they'll blow your mind – even though none of them have ever been issued before! George Jackson is one of the great lost talents of southern soul – an artist who often stayed in the background, lending his talents to others in the studio, or as a writer – but a hell of a strong artist on his own – as you'll hear in this package of 24 recordings done at the legendary Fame Studios! Jackson's vocals are great – nice and gritty, plain and honest, and with just the right sort of focus to perfectly serve up the poetry of his lyrics. And the backings are wonderful, too – that simple, soulful groove that Fame did so well – often slow-burning on the rhythm tip, with production that lets George shine right out front in the mix. Why these cuts were never issued at the time is a mystery to us – as they could have made George and a few other folks a nice little fortune and a good deal of fame. But as with most discoveries like this, the obscurity of the tracks also makes for a freshness that we love too – as if we've taken a time machine back to a period we love, and found a way to hear the "real deal" right up close! Titles include "Greedy Over You", "I Want You So Bad", "Stuck On Her", "Statue Of Soul", "Talking In Your Sleep", "Back In Your Arms", "You're Gonna Need Me Again", "I Can't Love Without You", "Evidence", "Bite The Hand That Feeds You", "Let's Stop Hurting Each Other", and "Getting The Bills But No Merchandise". CD

Not the first album from Janet Jackson, but definitely the one that put her 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

Filled with classics – including "Nasty", "Rhythm Nation", "When I Think Of You", "Escapade", "What Have You Done For Me Lately", "Runaway", "Miss You Much", "Come Back To Me", "That's The Way Love Goes", "The Pleasure Principle", "Control", and "Black Cat". LP, Vinyl record album

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

An amazing groover from Michael's first big adult years – a hard-grooving dancefloor anthem that never gets old – and which proves that when he was on the money, he could be pretty darn amazing! "Wanna Be Starting Something" is a bit hokier – but still way better than most work of his in later years. 12-inch, Vinyl record

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

One of Milt Jackson's best albums from the 60s – and one we love because it's got a lot more of a soul jazz feel than others! Of course, you've got to thank the rest of the group for that – because with players like Jimmy Heath, Jimmy Owens, Cedar Walton, Mickey Roker, and Walter Booker, Milt couldn't help being a little bit soulful. Tracks are short, tight, and Milt's vibes ring out in a soulful, almost Roy Ayers-ish jazzy way. Titles include "Some Kinda Waltz", "Bring It Home", "Whale Pool", "Tears Of Joy", and "One Step Down". CD reissue also features 2 bonus tracks that are previously unissued – "Love Is" and "Quiet Nights". CD

Sweet 70s electric work from the great vibist Milt Jackson – a record that has him hitting some nicely moody modes, and in a spacious style that's almost a 70s remake of the energy of the Modern Jazz Quartet! Cedar Walton plays piano and Fender Rhodes – and Hubert Laws is in the group on flute – providing these lyrical lines next to Milt's more understated vibes – in a setting that's almost got the same sense of space and timing as some of Laws' records from the period – bigger ideas at play, but never too complicated – really flowing with a subtle sense of sound and tone. Freddie Hubbard plays guest trumpet on the track "SKJ" – the hardest-hitting number on the set – and other titles include "Opus De Funk", "Detour Ahead","Goodbye", and "Old Devil Moon". CD

A great one from vibist Milt Jackson – one of the treasures from that 60s stretch when he split with the Modern Jazz Quartet, and recorded some of his most soulful material ever! Milt's definitely in a new setting here – playing with a good little soul jazz combo that includes Jimmy Heath on tenor, McCoy Tyner on piano, and Bob Cranshaw on bass. The overall sound is much tighter than Milt's earlier work – with a focus on groovy short cuts that have a nice vibes/piano/tenor sound. Titles include "Clay's Blues", "Slow Death", "Ineffable", "That's In", and "Project S". 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 & Jeff Clayton on lead alto sax, flute & clarinet. CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

The fantastic first record from the Jackson 5 – and very much the stuff of legend all the way through! The tracks feature a number of tunes sung previously by other artists – but the quintet are already at a level that really transforms the material – not just through their unified sense of soulful harmonies, but especially from the breakout leads – which have a fresh, vibrant style that's really unlike any soul group that ever came before – especially when the young Michael steps forth, and shows us he's one hell of a charmer! Production is from Bobby Taylor and The Corporation – and the former definitely brings in some of the deeper, headier tones you'd hear in his music – one more aspect that really keeps the record from being just a kiddie soul novelty – and which instead makes it a truly lasting Motown gem! Titles include the always-wonderful "I Want You Back", one of those tunes that we've heard a million times, but still love to death – plus the tracks "Nobody", "Chained", "Born To Love You", "Stand", "My Cherie Amour", and "Standing In The Shadows of Love". Hell, even their version of "Zip A Dee Doo Dah" is pretty darn great! LP, Vinyl record album

David Liebman on tenor and soprano saxophone, piano, synthesizer, and wooden flute, Vic Juris and Mike Stern on guitar, Tony Marino and Anthony Jackson on bass, and Marko Marcinko on drums and percussion. CD

One of the strongest chapters in the career of 60s soulman Chuck Jackson – his brief stint with the Motown label, served up here in a package that includes 3 albums' worth of material, plus assorted rare and unreleased tracks as well! Although Chuck only worked with Motown for a few short years, his time at the label marked a big shift in his work – a move away from the more staid "Iceman" soul of the Wand recordings, and into a sound that was deeper, more expressive, and nicely mature as well. There's a growing southern soul sensibility to many of these tracks – as Chuck seems to be taking a cue from some of the better singers of the late 60s, and deepening his sound with influences brought north from Memphis and Muscle Shoals. The core sound's still prime Motown, though – with top-shelf arrangements and productions – and in a way, these recordings mark the link between Memphis and Detroit that would be explored a lot more heavily in key 70s recordings by Don Davis and other producers who skirted between the two cities' scenes. CD features the complete tracks from the albums Chuck Jackson Arrives, Going Back To Jackson, and Teardrops Fallin On My Heart – plus a whopping 11 bonus tracks! Titles include "Let Somebody Love Me", "The Man In You", "Girls Girls Girls", "Where You Gonna Run To Now", "We'll Find A Way", "I'd Still Love You", "No More Water In The Well", "Honey Come Back", "You Keep Running Away", "Have You Heard About The Fool", "That's Me Lovin You", "Pet Names", "It Must Be Love Baby", "Without Your Love", "Helpless", and "Pinpoint It Down". CD

Not the first album from Janet Jackson, but definitely the one that put her 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

Javon Jackson on tenor saxophone, Lisa Fischer on vocals, Mark Whitfield on guitar, Dr Lonnie Smith on organ, Kenny Davis on electric bass, and Terreon Gully on drums. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Eve. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Includes 120 page illustrated book and a CD with a 20 minute interview from 1988. CD

Michael, if only you'd stayed at this level! This 1979 solo album by Michael is a killer batch of soul grooves – one of his best moments ever, and a crowning cap to a stellar 70s run – both as a younger solo act, and with the whole Jackson family! Quincy Jones produced, and the album's got a funky undercurrent that's really stunning – clubby, yet plenty darn soulful, with a wickedly sly groove that others would try to copy for years, but never fully match. Titles include seminal groovers like "Rock With You", "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough", "Working Day And Night", "Girlfriend", "Off The Wall", "Burn This Disco Out" and more. Amazing amazing amazing work from the to-be-coronated King Of Pop! LP, Vinyl record album

Michael, if only you'd stayed at this level! This 1979 solo album by Michael is a killer batch of soul grooves – one of his best moments ever, and a crowning cap to a stellar 70s run – both as a younger solo act, and with the whole Jackson family! Quincy Jones produced, and the album's got a funky undercurrent that's really stunning – clubby, yet plenty darn soulful, with a wickedly sly groove that others would try to copy for years, but never fully match. Titles include seminal groovers like "Rock With You", "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough", "Working Day And Night", "Girlfriend", "Off The Wall", "Burn This Disco Out" and more. Amazing amazing amazing work from the to-be-coronated King Of Pop! LP, Vinyl record album

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

One of our all-time favorite solo tracks by Michael Jackson – that incredibly catchy tune from the Thriller album – the one with that groovy vocal "Mama Say Mama Sa Ma Ma Ku Sa" chorus! It always sounds a bit silly, but that's part of the appeal – and the tune has a jazzy groove that's quite different than most of Michael's other work! 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of Millie's great early Spring LPs, with a deep hard soul sound that she never matched on later releases. Despite claim of the big hit on here "I Got To Try It One Time", Millie sounds like she's tried it a lot more than that, and you can hear the proof on tracks like "My Love Is So Fly", "I Gotta Do Something About Myself", "One Night Stand", and "How Do You Feel The Morning After". Brad Shapiro arranged and produced the album, with the great sound he gave Millie on her best work for Spring! LP, Vinyl record album

Classic work by 60s tenor giant Willis Jackson – a fantastic live session done in 1964 in New York, one that was originally spread out over the course of 2 LPs – Soul Night Live and Tell It. The material is finally brought together as one release here, a monstrously great set of 14 tracks that feature Jackson's gutsy tenor hard-grooving with a combo that includes Frank Robinson on trumpet, Pat Martino on guitar, and Carl Wilson on organ. The team of Martino and Wilson is especially great – choppy, groovy, and very soulful – with a sound that's similar to the organ work on classic albums by Jack McDuff from the same time. Titles include "Thunderbird", "All Soul", "Ebb Tide", "Up A Lazy River", "The Man I Love", and "One Mint Julep". CD

A great collection of vintage Jackson 5 material from the Motown years – and one that also features solo work from Michael and Jermaine too! The tracks here capture the young group at their early best – full of fire, energy, and the kind of dynamic that made The Jacksons so different than some of the soul groups in the decade before – completely on fire on classics that include "I Want You Back", "ABC", "I'll Be There", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "It's Your Thing", "The Love You Save", "Mama's Pearl", "I Am Love", "The Life Of The Party", "Dancing Machine", "Lookin Through The Window", "Who's Loving You", "Maybe Tomorrow", and "Get It Together". Also features the Michael Jackson tracks "Just A Little Bit Of You", "Rockin Robbin", "Got To Be There", and "I Wanna Be Where You Are" – and Jermain Jackson singing "Daddy's Home" – plus the remix "It's Your Thing (J5 In 95 ext rmx)". LP, Vinyl record album

The cover's a bit gimmicky, but the album's a stone classic – a wicked later Motown moment from the Jackson 5 – and one that has them working with the super-grooving team of Holland-Dozier-Holland! Brian Holland handles production work for the team, and although his touches only appear on about half the record, he really helps the Jacksons hit that wickedly righteous groove that was the trademark HDH sound over that the Invictus label – a bassy, bottom-heavy Detroit sound with just a bit of psychedelic funk as well! Additional production is by Mel Larson & Jerry Marcellino – and titles include "Forever Came Today", "Moving Violation", "You Were Made Especially For Me", "Honey Love", "Body Language", "All I Do Is Think Of You", and "Breezy". CD also includes a bonus track – "Forever Came Today (disc-o-tech version)". CD

Janet's massive follow up to Rhythm Nation 1814 and it's a triumph, too – delivering on all the strengths of other peak era efforts and slyly working in some stylistic detours along the way – asserting herself here as strongly as ever! Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis once again show why they're among the most heralded pop soul producers of the era, from beats driven dancefloor jams to sexy club soul to tender ballads, but make no mistakes, this is Janet's show – this one's official title is Janet, period after all – with badass spoken interludes, vocals that soar in range of styles and an all around assertive vibe that's strong to this day. Includes "That's The Way Love Goes", "You Want This", "If", "This Time", "Throb", "What'll I Do", "Funky Big Band", "Where Are You Now", "Any Time, Any Place", "Because Of Love", "Again" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

This may not be Milt Jackson's purest album – but oh how we love it! Milt's working here more in a Verve pop jazz mode than a highbrow third stream one – with bossa backings on about half the album, and good small combo work on the rest. The first half features Jimmy Heath on tenor, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Connie Kay on drums – all grooving nicely next to Milt's vibes on tracks like "Blues For Juanita", "Gingerbread Boy", and "Big George". The real charmer, though, is the second half – which has Milt playing with the same group, minus Flanagan, plus 2 guitarists for that bossa sound. Lillian Clark sings vocals on 2 cuts – "Jazz N Samba" and "Kiss & Run" – and the side also features the great groover "Jazz Bossa Nova", and the incredible "The Oo-Oo Bossa Nova", which features Joe E Ross from Car 54 going "Oo Oo!" on the breakdowns! CD

An instrumental classic from the glory days of Starday Records – a set that features singing steel guitar and dobro from the team of Shot Jackson and Buddy Emmons! Shot's on the front cover, without Buddy – and the liner notes of these old albums never tell us too much about the contents – so we're guessing that Jackson's the main soloist, with some help from Emmons on steel guitar – but whatever the setting, the sound is superb – that kind of crisp, clear, no-nonsense approach that always made Starday sessions like this so great! Titles include "Fort Worth Drag", "Singing Strings Of Steel", "Riding The Rails", "Hound Dog Blues", "Honky Tonk Angels", "I'll Be All Smiles Tonight", and "Plantation Home". CD

Booze and country music go together as well as – well, maybe booze and just about anything else – yet there's a special mood to a country tune when the theme is alcohol and remorse – bedfellows who've given us plenty of great country songs over the years! This collection offers up some great overlooked country music drinking songs – tunes from the farther reaches of the Starday Records catalog, brought together here as a really strong collection that's filled with overlooked gems. Most tunes are more in the Sunday morning saint style than the Saturday night hellraiser variety – and the quality of the work is great throughout – with titles that include "Cork & The Bottle" and "Twenty Beers" by Jimmie Skinner, "Set Up Another" by George Riddle, "The Dang Hangover" by Johnny Bond, "Weekend Willie" by The Willis Brothers, "Just Like Dad" by T Texas Tyler, "Sippin On A Sud" by Wade Jackson, and "Don't Let My Glass Run Dry" by Red Sovine. CD