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

We can't get enough of Fame Records – that legendary powerhouse of southern soul in the 60s and 70s – and fortunately, the vaults of the studios have finally been opened after all these decades – and we're really getting the full picture of all the genius that went down in Muscle Shoals! This tremendous little package is essential southern soul listening for both the collector and newcomer – a whopping 24 tracks that virtually define the sound of the genre at its height – handled perfectly by producer Rick Hall and his core combo of crack musicians – working way past cliche to create some tremendous music on the set! A few of the artists here are names you'll know from Fame hits, a few more are lesser-knowns from the scene at the time – and a few more are even completely unknown – singers who weren't listed on the master tapes or studio records, but who are issued here because their vocals are so great. Titles include "Long Ago" by Ben & Spence, "It Tears Me Up" by James Barnett, "Take Me Back" by George Jackson, "Unfortunately" by Jackie, "Have Pity On Me" by Billy Young, "Don't Let It Be Sad" by June Conquest, "Fool For A Woman" by Prince Phillip, "Take It All Off" by Clarence Carter, "Are You Teasing Me" by Linda Carr, "I Can't Stop" by Big Ben Atkins, "Get In A Hurry" by Joe Simon, and "Midnight Affair" by George Soule. CD

A pretty amazing batch of soul, R&B, and funk from the Nashville scene – from an astonishing range of years, too! Of course the memorabilia industry that is "Music City USA" is dominated by country music and pop, and this long, long, LONG overdue collection of singles from 1945-1970 demonstrates how much more was going on in East Tennessee beyond Chet Atkins and the Opry! The tunes range from jump blues & soul of the late 40s and 50s, and on through the harmony soul of the 60s and the pre-funk late 60s. 38 tracks on two CDs: "Nashville Jumps" by Cecil Gant, "Just Walkin' In The Rain" by The Prisonaires, "Baby Let's Play House" by Arthur Gunter, "Christene" by Little Hank Crawford, "You Can Make It If You Try" by Gene Allison, "Somebody, Somewhere" by Larry Birdsong, "Monkey Doin' Woman" by Shy Guy Douglas, "What'd I Say" by Etta James, "Snap Your Fingers" by Joe Henderson, "I Want To" by Joe Tex, "The Chokin'" Kind" by Joe Simon, "Rediscover Me" by Johnny Adams and tons more! CD

Blazing R&B, slightly more simmering soul, and some rollicking wildcard tunes that split the difference – all on this fantastic second volume in the R&B Singles series from Outta Sight! It's a great collection, culled mostly from the fertile early 60s period when the sound was still strongly rooted in mid-to-late 50s rhythm & blues, yet beginning to lay the groundwork for gritty southern soul and tighter Northern Soul sounds to come. A nice mix of legendary names and lesser known stars alike, with 30 great tracks in all: "Feelin' Kind A Lonesome" by Willie J Charles with Lionel Hampton, the eternally amazing "Cry To Me" by Solomon Burke", "Earthquake" by Roy Hamilton, "Come On Baby" by Marie Knight, "The Snake" by Oscar Brown Jr, "How Many More Times" by HB Barnum, "Shake It Up And Go" by John Lee Hooker, "A Three Dollar Bill" by Beverly Ann Gibson, "I See Your Face" by Joe Simon, "Betty Mae" by Rodger Green and more. CD

We can't get enough of Fame Records – that legendary powerhouse of southern soul in the 60s and 70s – and fortunately, the vaults of the studios have finally been opened after all these decades – and we're really getting the full picture of all the genius that went down in Muscle Shoals! This tremendous little package is essential southern soul listening for both the collector and newcomer – a whopping 24 tracks that virtually define the sound of the genre at its height – handled perfectly by producer Rick Hall and his core combo of crack musicians – working way past cliche to create some tremendous music on the set! A few of the artists here are names you'll know from Fame hits, a few more are lesser-knowns from the scene at the time – and a few more are even completely unknown – singers who weren't listed on the master tapes or studio records, but who are issued here because their vocals are so great. Titles include "Long Ago" by Ben & Spence, "It Tears Me Up" by James Barnett, "Take Me Back" by George Jackson, "Unfortunately" by Jackie, "Have Pity On Me" by Billy Young, "Don't Let It Be Sad" by June Conquest, "Fool For A Woman" by Prince Phillip, "Take It All Off" by Clarence Carter, "Are You Teasing Me" by Linda Carr, "I Can't Stop" by Big Ben Atkins, "Get In A Hurry" by Joe Simon, and "Midnight Affair" by George Soule. CD

A great little follow-up to the first Night Train To Nashville set – and like that one, a great collection of R&B and soul from the Nashville scene of the postwar years! Nashville's certainly better known as a source for country music, but the city's location at the crossroads of the south, along with its top-level recording facilities, also made it a key site for soul and blues at one time. And while the Nashville sound isn't as unified as that of Memphis or Muscle Shoals, that also makes for a good deal of variety on the set – especially given that the tracks included span a period of 25 years. 2CD set features a total of 38 tracks that include "Boogie Woogie Jockey" by Jimmy Sweeney, "31 E Blues" by Billie McAllister, "I'm Coming Home" by The Neptunes, "She Can Rock" by Little Ike, "OK So What" by Freddie North, "You Better Change" by Hal & Jean, "Don't Pity Me" by Herbert Hunter, "Next To Me" by Clyde McPhatter, "Soldier Of Love" by Arthur Alexander, "Don't You Forget That You're My Baby" by The Spidells, "Screamin & Shoutin" by The Fabulettes, "You Keep Me Hangin On" by Joe Simon, and "Right On Time" by Jimmy Church. CD

The moody genius of Joe Henderson is a perfect match for the highly creative talents of this wonderful group – an all-star octet that features Miguel Zenon on alto, David Sanchez on tenor, Warren Wolf on vibes, Avishai Cohen on trumpet, Edward Simon on piano, Matt Penman on bass, and Obed Calvaire – all giants on their own, coming together here in a wonderfully balanced ensemble! This isn't just a group playing head arrangements then taking off into solos – as there's a very cohesive spirit throughout, as the music of Joe Henderson is mixed with originals by the group – given fresh arrangements by Wolf, Zenon, Simon, and others. Titles include "Recorda Me", "A Shade Of Jade", "Afro Centric", "Synthesis Of A Band", "Eternal Wait", "Fire", "Jinrikisha", "Absolvents", and "Black Narcissus". CD

Arranged by Buddy Weed with Ronnie Zito on drums, Hy White on guitar, Bob Wilber on soprano sax, Joe Wilder on trumpet, and Carly Simon on vocals. LP, Vinyl record album

More beats than straight jazz, but pretty great overall – a set that really reminds us of that key 90s moment when real jazz instrumentation first started creeping into the work of beatmakers! Simon S is at the head of the project – handling most beats and instrumentation, often with a spare, soundscapey feel that really takes us back to the glorious early years of Mo Wax – or perhaps the initial glimmer of genius we heard from Kruder & Dorfmeister. There's a bit of guest vibes, sax, and flute at times – but most of the main jazzy bits are from keyboards and piano. Titles include "One For Joe", "Land", "Maybe", "Time For", "Bologna", "J Bounce", "CM Vibe", and "Thoughts Of You". CD

A really cool collection, and one that's got a very special focus – an imaginary soundtrack for the record-breaking British summer of 1976 – a searingly hot time that really pushed the nation to the brink! Bob Stanley's given us some great collections on Ace Records before – often with Pete Wiggs, or as Saint Etienne – and this set continues the very special vibe of those sets, by bringing together cuts that we never would have thought would work so well otherwise – a sublime mix of soul, rock, and pop – all glowing together with the warm vibe of the summer of 1976! Titles include "I'm Mandy Fly Me" by 10CC, "Walking So Free" by Spike Janson, "Sugar Shuffle" by Lynsey DePaul, "Liquid Sunshine" by John Cameron, "Not On The Outside" by Sylvia, "You Are My Love" by Liverpool Express, "You're The Song" by Hollywood Freeway, "Discover Me" by David Ruffin, "Stoned Out" by Simon Park, "Montreal City" by Azimuth, "Stay With Me" by Blue Mink, "Music" by Carmen McRae, "Rock N Roll Star" by Barclay James Harvest, "Fallin In Love" by Hamilton Joe Frank & Reynolds, "Inspiration Information" by Shuggie Otis, and "Miss My Love Today" by Gilbert O'Sullivan. Imagine the mixtape from Guardians Of The Galaxy, but done by a much hipper ear, and you'll get a good idea of this one! CD

A really cool collection, and one that's got a very special focus – an imaginary soundtrack for the record-breaking British summer of 1976 – a searingly hot time that really pushed the nation to the brink! Bob Stanley's given us some great collections on Ace Records before – often with Pete Wiggs, or as Saint Etienne – and this set continues the very special vibe of those sets, by bringing together cuts that we never would have thought would work so well otherwise – a sublime mix of soul, rock, and pop – all glowing together with the warm vibe of the summer of 1976! Titles include "I'm Mandy Fly Me" by 10CC, "Walking So Free" by Spike Janson, "Sugar Shuffle" by Lynsey DePaul, "Liquid Sunshine" by John Cameron, "Not On The Outside" by Sylvia, "You Are My Love" by Liverpool Express, "You're The Song" by Hollywood Freeway, "Discover Me" by David Ruffin, "Stoned Out" by Simon Park, "Montreal City" by Azimuth, "Stay With Me" by Blue Mink, "Music" by Carmen McRae, "Rock N Roll Star" by Barclay James Harvest, "Fallin In Love" by Hamilton Joe Frank & Reynolds, "Inspiration Information" by Shuggie Otis, and "Miss My Love Today" by Gilbert O'Sullivan. Imagine the mixtape from Guardians Of The Galaxy, but done by a much hipper ear, and you'll get a good idea of this one! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful tribute to the songwriting genius of Leonard Cohen – one that begins with some of his key contemporaries taking on his important songs – then stretches out over the space of decades, to show just how important Cohen's material has been to more contemporary performers! In fact, given that Leonard never really cracked the charts during his early run for Columbia Records, he's actually maybe been one of those artists who are more "musicians' musicians", or "singers' singers" – because his talents have been a huge inspiration to so many other creators – a bit like the statement once made about the Velvet Underground, that they never sold many records – but every one of those records seemed to find a place in the hands of people who were then inspired by them. The package features the usual great Ace Records attention to detail, which includes copious notes on the material, and lots of the history behind the songs – for titles that include "Tower Of Song" by Marianne Faithfull, "Sisters Of Mercy" by Dion, "Lover Lover Lover" by David Blue, "Hey That's No Way To Say Goodbye" by Judy Collins, "Everybody Knows" by Barb Jungr, "Heart With No Companion" by Ron Sexsmith, "True Love Leaves No Traces" by Tom Northcott, "First We Take Manhattan" by Joe Cocker, "Avalanche" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, "Chelsea Hotel No 2" by Rufus Wainwright, "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley, "Famous Blue Raincoat" by Marissa Nadler, "Suzanne" by Nina Simone, "Come Spend The Morning" by Lee Hazlewood, and "God Is Alive Magic Is Afoot" by Buffy Sainte Marie. CD

Nina sings Ellington – but as always, she makes whatever she sings all her own! The album's a bit straighter than later efforts – with large backings by Stu Phillips that also feature vocals by the Malcolm Dodds Singers – but Nina also conceived the whole thing herself, as an effort to bring a new level of spiritualism to Ellington's work. The result is a masterpiece – proof that even in her early years, Nina could completely transform anything she laid her hands on – and unlock a soulful depth that even the original recordings might have missed. Titles include "I Got It Bad", "Solitude", "The Gal From Joe's", "It Don't Mean A Thing", and "I Like The Sunrise". CD

Terry Callier's first album – recorded in 1964 when he was a wee teen hanging around Chicago's folk scene! As the title indicates, the album's definitely got a folk-styled sound – but also as the "new" implies, it's got a sound all it's own, fresh and free – and that sound is the genius that is Terry Callier! This is very stripped down material, very dark and brooding – a good chance to hear Terry before he hit the Chess studios and they backed him up with a lot of orchestrations (although we love the orchestrations, too.) The material has a soulful spiritual feel, and is sung with a lot of passion over acoustic guitar. Think of Nina Simone's folksier stuff from the same time, if you need a reference. Tracks include "900 Miles", "Cotton Eyed Joe", "It's About Time", "Promenade In Green", and "I'm A Drifter". This expanded edition includes bonus tracks – "Be My Woman", "Jack O' Diamonds", and "The Golden Apples Of The Sun" – plus alternate takes of "Promenade In Green" and "900 Miles". LP, Vinyl record album

Terry Callier's first album – recorded in 1964 when he was a wee teen hanging around Chicago's folk scene! As the title indicates, the album's definitely got a folk-styled sound – but also as the "new" implies, it's got a sound all it's own, fresh and free – and that sound is the genius that is Terry Callier! This is very stripped down material, very dark and brooding – a good chance to hear Terry before he hit the Chess studios and they backed him up with a lot of orchestrations (although we love the orchestrations, too.) The material has a soulful spiritual feel, and is sung with a lot of passion over acoustic guitar. Think of Nina Simone's folksier stuff from the same time, if you need a reference. Tracks include "900 Miles", "Cotton Eyed Joe", "It's About Time", "Promenade In Green", and "I'm A Drifter". This expanded edition includes bonus tracks – "Be My Woman", "Jack O' Diamonds", "It's About Time", and "The Golden Apples Of The Sun" – plus alternate takes of "Promenade In Green" and "900 Miles". CD