Trumpeter Johnny Walker steps out of the gate with a really wonderful sound here – mixing some deeper spiritual inclinations with a bit of the jazzier funk you might hear from a musician like Donald Byrd – all served up with a sharp indie style that really gives the album its own sort of special vibe! We love the way that Walker can mix spirit and groove here – working with a set of musicians who include Tom Chapin on alto, Charles Stephens on trombone, Al Givens on tenor and soprano, Martin Albert on guitar, and Robert Damper on keyboards and piano – all musicians who really help to keep things interesting as they provide their own hip twists and turns on the set of original material by Walker! Tracks include "Music & Art JD", "Arrival", "Black Label", "Dirkie", "Advent", and "Find A Way". LP, Vinyl record album

Features a few tracks each by Carey Bell's Blues Harp Band, Magic Slim & The Teardrops, and Johnny "Big Moose" Walker! Part of the early Alligator Records effort document the fading Chicago Blues underground. LP, Vinyl record album

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One of the first recordings to ever feature Lefty Dizz in the lead – done at a time when the singer/guitarist was a young star on the Chicago scene, but getting some key exposure here, thanks to an overseas recordings! Lefty's as great as you might guess from his name – a strong personality, but never in a way that's as hokey or overstated as he might be in the hands of a big label production – just balanced with the right sort of Chicago roots energy, in a group that also features piano and a bit of vocals from Big Moose Walker, and some additional guitar from Willie James Lyons. Titles include "Blue Shadow", "RM Blues", "Take Out Some Insurance", "Things That I Used To Do", "All Right OK You Win", "One Eyed Woman", and "Lake Shore Drive Boogie". CD features bonus tracks – "Shake For Me", "Funny Acting Woman", and "Blue Shadow (take 1)". CD

A gas of a record from Jr Walker & The All Stars – a set that has the magical Johnny Bristol producing – giving the group this really warm, soaring sound that's totally great! Walker still serves up plenty of strong tenor solos, but there's also some vocal currents in the mix – strong leads at times, but also some nice backups too – all of which really helps to keep things soaring! Titles a nice mix of Motown covers and original material – and titles include "I Was Made To Love Her", "Do You See My Love", "And When I Die", "Honey Come Back", "Holly Holy", "Riding High On Love", "At A Saturday Matinee", and "Groove & Move". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredibly groovy record from Dutch singer Rita Reys – quite possibly her grooviest ever, thanks to some very hip London touches from the Scott Walker team of Peter Knight on arrangements and Johnny Franz on production! At the end of the 60s, London was definitely one of the hippest places for a vocalist to work – a place where singers like Elis Regina, Blossom Dearie, and Ella Fitzgerald all opened up their talents tremendously. Rita does the same here – working with instrumentation that's full, flowing, and perfectly pitched to handle both the upbeat moments on the record, and the more contemplative ones – cast out over a well-chosen batch of tunes that go way beyond the standards! Titles include "The Moment Of Truth", "Soon It's Gonna Rain", "Our Language Of Love", "Sing A Rainbow", "You'd Better Love Me", "More Than You Know", and "Come Back To Me". CD

A great little collection, mostly with vintage work from the late 40s through the 60s – including performances by Texas Johnny Brown, Sticks McGhee, John Lee Hooker, Blind Willie McTell, T-Bone Walker, Guitar Slim, Al King, Cornell Dupree, and Chuck Norris! Lots of nice non-LP tracks too! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest songwriting partnerships of the 60s – featured here in a great mix of soul, rock, and vocal numbers from the time – including a fair number of unusual versions of hits from the team of Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil! Weil's got a style that's sometimes a bit deeper than her contemporaries – and when mixed with Barry's strong sense of punch in a tune, has a way of bringing some surprising sophistication to pop music – little emotive moments that peek out from more hook-heavy numbers – but all without ever sounding lachrymose or overblown. As part of that quality, lots of these tunes have some great New York-styled production – that uptown balance of emotion and class – and as with other titles in Ace's excellent songwriter series, the notes alone are almost worth the price of admission – given all the historical detail, cultural commentary, and cool images. Titles include "New World Coming" by Mama Cass, "Love Is Only Sleeping" by The Monkees, "Angelica" by Scott Walker, "Looking Through The Eyes Of Love" by Gene Pitney, "Love Him" by Doris Day, "Good Good Lovin" by Bobby Hebb, "You Baby" by Len Barry, "Born To Be Together" by The Ronettes, "This Is A Love Song" by Bill Medley, "Make Your Own Kind Of Music" by The Happenings, "Shape Of Things To Come" by Slade, and "Proud" by Johnny Crawford. CD

A whole host of rare cuts from the original Kent Records label in LA – the 60s follow-up to the famous Crown/Modern/RPM imprint of the postwar years – a set of labels that gave the world plenty of amazing R&B tracks in the 50s! Here, Kent is going more for a 60s groove overall, but with qualities that still echo the nice edge of their older material – all in a package that pays tribute to a famous collection of Kent songs done by Ace Records forty years before – the start of a long love affair that's had Ace issuing plenty of tracks that never saw the light of day back in the 50s and 60s! That's definitely the case here – as rare cuts stand next to others making their vinyl debut – and NOTE that this CD version features a different track list than the vinyl – only 3 of the 24 tracks within are included on the LP version. Titles include "You'd Be Good For Me" by Jeanette Jones, "Gonna Put It On Your Mind" by Arthur Adams, "Jealous Woman" by T Bone Walker, "You Changed Me" by Teddy Reynolds, "Wanting You" by Jimmy Bee, "Satisfied Feeling" by Mary Love, "Tramp" by Foxfire with Johnny Adams, "Freedom & Justice" by The Pace Setters, "Remove My Doubts" by Stacy Johnson, "Here Comes the Judge" by Larry & Tommy, "Push Me" by Lowell Fulson, "On My Way Back Home" by Flash Terry, "No More Tears" by The Sweethearts, "Help Me" by Beatrice Lee, and "Mr Bad Luck" by King Solomon. CD

A killer little set that's as heavy as it sounds from the title – a wealth of rare material pulled from the studio of Detroit producer Dave Hamilton – a good deal of it never issued at the time! Hearing this set is like finding a pile of rare 45s stuffed in the back corner of a long-lost record shop – because although much of the work was never issued, it crackles with the intensity of the best funky 45s – lots of funky drums, offbeat guitar, and raspy soul vocals – produced with a real edge to all the work, so that all of the hardest elements of the tunes really come through in the mix! The album features one track appearing here for the first time ever – "Remember" by Chico – plus other rare tracks that include "Marriage Is A State Of Mind" by James Carpenter, "Soul Suite" by Dave Hamilton, "You Fool You Fool" by Prophet & His Disciples, "The Deacons" by Dave Hamilton, "Funky Trip" by Johnny Walker, "A Drop In The Bucket" by The Deacons, "Brand New Girl" by Billy Garner, "The Devil Is Gonna Get You" by The Future Kind, "Party Time" by James Carpenter, and "Grown Folks Thing" by OC Tolbert. LP, Vinyl record album

Really great work from the Kent/Modern family of labels on the LA scene of the 60s – a company that initially broke big during the postwar years of R&B, but continued to record a huge amount of wonderful artists as the years went on! Because of their ties to R&B in the previous decade, Kent also had a great ear for the deeper side of soul music – so there's plenty of tracks on this set that may well have come from Memphis, Muscle Shoals, or other points south – mixed in with others that have a cool Cali vibe, including a few great early funk tracks, and some crossover gospel gems! The collection is the sort that Ace does the best – and is filled with rare singles, unreleased tracks, and other gems – all supported by very detailed notes. Titles include "At Last" by Jimmy bee, "Where She Att" by ZZ Hill, "Like I Do" by Bobby John, "Don't Believe Him" by Stacy Johnson, "Mighty Clouds Of Joy" by BPS Revolution, "Nobody But Me" by The Other Brothers, "Ghetto Child" by Johnny Copeland & His Soul Agents, "What Is This World Coming To" by Charles Taylor, "Jodine" by Earl Foster, "It's Getting Late" by Al King, "Whole World Down On You" by Larry Davis, "The Good Side Of My Girl" by Clay Hammond, "I'll Be Standing By" by Chuck Walker & The VIPs, "You're Still My Baby" by Venetta Fields, and "Rock Me Baby" by Millie Foster. CD

A sweet set of sweet-themed tracks from the postwar years – early rockers, vocal jazz, and plenty of pop hits from the 50s – almost all of which have candy or chocolate as their theme! There's a great range of material here, which makes the package extra playful – as the folks at Bear Family do a great job of moving between different artists and different flavors – always keeping things moving along nicely, and featuring a fair bit of great tracks we never would have heard otherwise! There's a total of 31 tracks in all – and titles include "Maple Syrup" by The Kresents, "Jam & Jelly" by The Col Lee Jets, "Candy Bar Twist" by The Candymen, "Bubble Gum" by Johnny Redd, "Gum Drop" by Judy Valentine, "Chocolata" by Nat Russell, "Candy Store Blues" by The Casual Three, "Candy Bar Boogie" by The Ames Brothers, "Meet Me At The Candy Store" by The Chesterfields, "Candy Store Love" by The Val Chords, "The Chocolate Song" by Charlie Walker, "Cotton Candy" by Frank Virtuoso Quintette, and "I Hate But I Like Popcorn" by Big Bill Schaeffer. CD

Junior Wells was already a rising star when he cut this album for Delmark in the mid 70s – but the session's got a great back to basics vibe, one that's dedicated to Junior's home turf at Theresa's Tavern on the south side! The groove is great – with twin guitar work, by Sammy Lawhorn in one channel, and Phillip Guy in another – creating this feel as if you're sitting in the small club, hearing the guitarists trade licks back and forth while Junior sings and really wails on harmonica! Other players are great Chicago talents too – and include AC Reed on tenor, Charles Miles on alto, and Johnny Walker on organ and piano. Titles include "The Train I Ride", "What My Mama Told Me", "Key To The Highway", "Watch Me Move", "Someday Baby", "You Gotta Love Her With Feeling", and "Junior's Thing". CD features the unissued bonus track "Goin Down Slow". CD

A heck of a great little guitar funk album – a rare early 70s session from the groovy Eddy Senay – an artist that we'd rank right up there with bigger names like Phil Upchurch, David T Walker, Dennis Coffey, or Eddie Fisher at the same time! Fisher's maybe the best comparison here – especially his second album for Cadet – as the style here is clearly born in jazz, but taken through lots of soul and funk territory – so that the instrumental tunes are maybe even heavier on groove than solo space – although Senay manages to deliver plenty with his fuzzy tone on the strings! Eddie's got roots in Detroit, and there's almost some Westbound Records elements taking place here at times – as the set was recorded in the Motor City with help from Johnny Clapton and Thomas Hale on tenor, Rudy Robinson on keyboards, Gordon Camp on trumpet, and some especially great work from Eddie Bongo Brown on congas – whose groove really adds a deeper layer to the tunes. Titles include great remakes of Donny Hathaway's "Zambezi" and Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" – plus "Jubo", "Hot Thang", "Message of Love", and "Down Home". CD

A killer little set that's as heavy as it sounds from the title – a wealth of rare material pulled from the studio of Detroit producer Dave Hamilton – a good deal of it previously unreleased! Hearing this set is like finding a pile of rare 45s stuffed in the back corner of a long-lost record shop – because although much of the work was never issued, it crackles with the intensity of the best funky 45s – lots of funky drums, offbeat guitar, and raspy soul vocals – produced with a real edge to all the work, so that all of the hardest elements of the tunes really come through in the mix! The work that was issued here came out on the TCB, Tayster, and New Day labels – and although the artists are often not well known, the work's got a really unified feel – thanks to the funky vision of Dave Hamilton. CD features 20 tracks in all – including "Brand New Girl (part 1)", "You're Wasting My Time (parts 1 & 2)", and "I Got Some (parts 1 & 2)" by Billy Garner; "The Grown Folks Thing" by OC Tolbert, "Party Time" by James Carpenter, "Going To The Moon" by Dave Hamilton, "Funky Trip" by Johnny Walker, "The Devil Is Gonna Get You" by The Future Kind, "Just A Mistake" by The Barrino Brothers, "Hunchin" by Gip Roberts, "Bump With Me" by The Webb People, "Sweet Thing (part 1)" by Bobby Dee, and "Can You Dig It" by Chico & Buddy. CD

A loss leader type showcase compilation for Riverside, collecting a number of nice sides. 10 numbers in all: "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" by Thelonious Monk off the Thelonious Monk At The Blackhawk LP, "Mister Walker" by Wes Montgomery off The Incredible Jazz Guitar Of Wes Montgomery LP, "Wade In The Water" by Johnny Griffin's Big Soul Band off The Big Soul Band LP, "Pretty Memory" by Nat Adderley off the Work Song LP, "Stella B" by Bobby Timmons off the Soul Time LP, 'Del Sasser" by the Cannonball Adderley Quintet off the Them Dirty Blues LP, "Peri's Scope" by the bill Evans Trio off the Portrait In Jazz LP, "Blue SOul" by Blue Mitchell off the Blue Soul Lp, "Newkeep" by Jimmy Heath off The Thumper LP and "Something Different" by the Mangione Brothers Sextet off The Jazz Brothers LP. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Hank Williams, T Bone Walker, the Ravens, Paul Williams, Roy Brown, Hank Snow, Howlin' Wolf, Peppermint Harris, the Larks, Rosaco Gordon, Johnny Ace, the Drifters, and more. CD

A great presentation of this classic work from Elmore James – a set that brings together all of his 7" singles for the Fire & Fury labels in a special box – with each single done as an exact replica of the original! Fire & Fury were as much a powerhouse of soul and R&B as they were of blues, and these singles from James were some of his key crossover cuts – work that still retained the gritty sound of his roots, but also had a more modern crackle at times – especially on the later sides recorded in New York! Players on the sessions include Johnny Walker on piano, Paul Williams on Baritone Sax, JT Brown on tenor, and Sammy Myers on harmonica – and titles include "Make My Dreams Come True", "Bobby's Rock", "Anna Lee", "Stranger Blues", "Look On Yonder Wall", "It Hurts Me Too", "Pickin The Blues", "Dust My Broom", "Bleeding Heart", "The Sky Is Crying", and "Rollin & Tumblin". Limited edition – in box set with booklet of notes and photo! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Five classic albums from the great Dusty Springfield – all packaged together here in one hip set, with each CD in a tiny LP-styled cover with the original British artwork! First up is A Girl Called Dusty – classic Dusty Springfield from the mid 60s – tight, groovy, and very soulful! All cuts arranged by Ivor Raymonde – and titles include "Wishin & Hopin", "Mama Said", "You Don't Own Me", "Don't You Know", "When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes", and "Anyone Who Had A Heart". Next is Everything's Coming Up Dusty – a sparkling set of early work from the great Dusty Springfield! Most of these gems were produced with a strong Brit pop soul sound by Johnny Franz, but a few of the extra cuts were handled by legendary soul producer Shelby Singleton in the US. Tracks include "If It Don't Work Out", "Won't Be Long", "Oh No! Not My Baby", "It Was Easier To Hurt Him", "Long After Tonight Is All Over", "That's How Heartaches Are Made", "I Had A Talk With My Man", "Packin' Up", and "Doodlin'". On Dusty Definitely, Dusty's working in some of the soulful styles used on her more famous hits of the late 60s – recording with arrangers that include Peter Knight, Keith Mansfield, and John Paul Jones, with production by John Franz, the studio genius who made Scott Walker's albums sparkle so much! Dusty's got a lot more sense of groove than Scott did though – and she makes the tunes crackle with energy and a mod unabashed sense of white girl soul! Titles include "Another Night", "Ain't No Sun Since You've Been Gone", "Mr Dream Merchant", "Second Time Around", 'Morning", "Who (Will Take My Place)", "I Only Wanna Laugh", and "Love Power". Dusty In Memphis is a landmark album for Dusty Springfield – one in which she more than proves her soul music talents, by taking a trip to Memphis, and recording in a sweet Atlantic soul mode! The album's handled by stellar talents all the way through – arrangements by Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin, production by those two and Jerry Wexler, backing vocals by The Sweet Inspirations, and studio work from the likes of Tommy Cogbill, Bobby Wood, Bobby Emmons, and other talents that were huge on the Memphis scene at the time. Titles include Dusty's famous reading of "Son Of A Preacher Man", plus "The Windmills Of Your Mind", "So Much Love", "Just A Little Lovin", "In The Land Of Make Believe", and "No Easy Way Down". From Dusty With Love is a pivotal album for Dusty – proof that she was keeping her soul fire burning strong! The set was recorded in Philadelphia with the young Gamble & Huff team, the brilliant songwriting/arranging/production powerhouse who'd recently catapulted Jerry Butler and others to great chart success. Dusty's rich range of vocal skills is a perfect match for Gamble & Huff – who work her beautiful voice with the same care they used on Jerry Butler, crafting a sublime batch of pop soul tunes that still sparkle with the same magic they had over 30 years ago! Titles include "Silly Silly Fool", "The Star Of My Show", "Let's Talk It Over", "Never Love Again", "Let's Get Together Soon", "A Brand New Me", "Joe", and "Lost". CD

A classic set from this legendary Detroit festival – a mighty assemblage of roots and jazz performers that was put together by John Sinclair! The event was legendary at the time – and has lived on strongly via this great recording by Atlantic – one that really gets at the special fire of all the performers, and their very enthusiastic welcome by the audience too! Most of the material here is blues – but the set features a key track from Sun Ra & His Solar Myth Arkestra – a performance of "Live Is Splendid" from the Space Is The Place Suite. Other tracks include "I Walk On Gilded Splinters" by Dr John, "Road Runner" by Jr Walker, "Wang Dang Doodle" by Koko Taylor, "Gambler's Blues" by Otis Rush, "Ain't That Loving You" by Bobby Blue Bland, "Honey Bee" by Muddy Waters, "Form Kinetic" by CJQ, "Dust My Broom" by Johnny Shines, and "Goin Down" by Freddie King. LP, Vinyl record album

Chicago's best blues on Atlantic over the decades – with tracks by Johnny Jones, Buddy Guy & Junior Wells, T-Bone Walker, Freddie King, Otis Rush, Howlin' Wolf, Koko Taylor, Johnny Shines, Luther Allison, and JB Hutto. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible tribute to the legendary Northern Soul scene in the UK – and almost equal parts book and CD collection! The 100-track set is wrapped around a whopping 58 page book penned by Neil Rushton – filled with stories and images from the glory days of the Northern scene of the 60s and 70s – telling the unique meeting of music that often had American soul artists finding much greater supper in England than they ever did at home! The core book really helps illuminate the music in the package – and it's filled with images of clubs, records, and DJs – as well as playlists and interviews alongside notes on the tunes! Think of this as finding one of those earlier books on Northern Soul completed with the addition of 4CDs worth of music – and you'll find that it's a heck of a deal, even at this price! Tracks include "Mr Soul Satisfaction" by Timmy Willis, "That Beatin Rhythm" by Richard Temple, "They're Talking About Me" by Johnny Bragg, "Trouble" by Ronnie Walker, "On The Real Side" by Larry Saunders, "I Need You" by Shane Martin, "Baby Don't Do It" by The United Four, "Let Me Try" by Odds & Ends, "Goose Pimples" by Shirley J Scott, "That Girl" by Porgy & The Monarchs – and obviously, lots lots more! CD

A great document of the transformation of soul music in the 70s – a unique stretch when folks started experimenting with some of the new electronic elements that were surfacing on the market – using them to really change things up with a new groove! Key examples of this trend can be found in the music of Shuggie Otis (Inspiration Information) and Timmy Thomas (Why Can't We Live Together) – but there was lots more activity going on as well – and this wicked set from Chocolate Industries brings together the best from the late 70s/early 80s underground! Most tracks here were issued on small labels, and barely got any circulation – but they all show a Shuggie-like sense of experimentation with electronic sounds and rhythms – often used in key ways to create a slinky, percolating style of soul music that's mighty nice – not the upbeat electro disco of the 80s, but a mellower soul-based mode that's very unique! Titles include "Don't Challenge Me" by Makers, "It's All Over" by T Dyson & Company, "Master Ship" by Starship Commander Woo Woo, "Love Vibrator" by Johnny Walker, "One More Time" by Steve Elliott, "Are You Ready To Come With Me (part 2)" by USAires, "Time To Go Home" by Otis G Johnson, "A Man" by Key & Cleary, and "All About Money" by Spontaneous Overflow. CD

Features Scott Walker, Art Garfunkel, Glen Campbell, the Johnny Mann Singers, Linda Rondstadt, Dusty Springfield, Thelma Houston, Richard Harris, Joe Cocker, Judy Collins, The Four Tops, and others. CD

Duke Ellington on piano, Johnny Hodges on alto saxophone, Russell Procope on alto saxophone and clarinet, Harry Carney on baritone saxophone, clarinet and bass clarinet, Paul Gonsalves on tenor saxophone, Jimmy Hamilton on tenor saxophone and clarinet, Buster Cooper and Lawrence Brown on trombone, Chuck Connors on bass trombone, Cat Anderson, Cootie Williams, Herbie Jones, and Mercer Ellington on trumpet, John Lamb on bass, Bobby Durham, Chris Columbo, Rufus Jones, and Sam Woodyard on drums, and Emmanuel Abdul-Rahim on congas. CD