Think King Curtis only recorded great albums for Atlantic Records? Guess again – because this CD features 2 early gems for Prestige! Trouble In Mind is an unusual early one for King – a special album in that it features him singing and playing guitar, in addition to his usual work on alto sax! The session was cut early in his career, before he'd forged the trademark approach that kind of locked him in in later years – and it's a bit of a blues effort, a bit of a jazz effort, with backing by a combo that includes Al Casey on guitar, Paul Griffin on piano, and a backing group of female singers on a few cuts. Titles include "Jivin Time", "But That's Alright", "Deep Fry", "Don't Deceive Me", "Woke Up This Morning", and "Bad Bad Whiskey". Party Time is hard-wailing early work from King Curtis – one of his few full-out stormers from the time! The set was done for the Tru-Sound subsidiary of Prestige Records – and like the few other albums on the imprint, it's got a heavy-duty sound that's a big departure from the other titles on Prestige – much more R&B influenced, with King blowing heavily on tenor, in a really lively feel. Tracks are short and firey, and titles include "Free For All", "Easy Like", "Hot Saxes", "The Party Time Twist", "Low Down", and "Keep Movin". CD

The King Curtis combo in all of its glory – really grooving hard here in a set of instrumental performances recorded at the same time as Aretha Franklin's famous live date at the Fillmore West! King backed Aretha up on her own record from Fillmore, but this set features all the instrumental grooves laid down by Curtis and his group before Aretha took the stage – very tight and funky numbers that showcase King's work on alto and soprano sax, as well as organ from Billy Preston, guitar from Cornell Dupree, electric piano from Truman Thomas, and funky drums from Bernard Pretty Purdie! The Memphis Horns get into the action a bit – blasting out when the tunes require it – and as with the Franklin album, the recording style here is totally great – very "live", but still with the best focus of Atlantic studio soul! Titles include a smoking 7 minute version of King's funky classic "Memphis Soul Stew", plus long takes on "Changes", "I Stand Accused", and "Soul Serenade" – as well as shorter versions of "A Whole Lotta Love" and "Ode To Billy Joe"! LP, Vinyl record album

Raw early work from King Curtis – an album of searing sax instrumentals, recorded for the smaller Enjoy label in the years before King's more famous association with Atlantic! The sound here is equal parts R&B and instrumental soul – hardly the throwaway pop you might guess from the "twist" in the title, and instead a key transitional album in shaping the sound of the sax in soul during the 60s – blown to perfection, but never as over the top as some of the honkers and shouters of 50s sax sessions. Tracks are a good mix of King-penned originals and soulful covers – with highlights that include "Soul Twist", "I Know", "Sack O Woe", "Wobble Twist", "Twisting With the King", and "Big Dipper". LP, Vinyl record album

The "new scene" of King Curtis here is a jazz one – as Prestige takes him into the studio, and backs up his tenor with accompaniment from Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Oliver Jackson – plus trumpet from Nat Adderley, billed on the back as "Little Brother" for contractual reasons! The tracks are long and open, with less of King's tenor tricks, and more of a laidback Gene Ammons-ish style of blowing. Titles include "Little Brother Soul", "In A Funky Groove", "Have You Heard", and "Da Duh Duh". CD

The "new scene" of King Curtis here is a jazz one – as Prestige takes him into the studio, and backs up his tenor with accompaniment from Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Oliver Jackson – plus trumpet from Nat Adderley, billed on the back as "Little Brother" for contractual reasons! The tracks are long and open, with less of King's tenor tricks, and more of a laidback Gene Ammons-ish style of blowing. Titles include "Little Brother Soul", "In A Funky Groove", "Have You Heard", and "Da Duh Duh". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare early King Curtis jazz session – cut in the years before he settled down to his tight short soul instrumental recordings for Atlantic. The record is very much in the Prestige soul jazz style of the early 60s – and King's set up nicely in a group that features Nat Adderley, Wynton Kelly, Sam Jones, and Belton Evans. In a way, Curtis' sax can't really hold it together for these longer tracks as well as he can on shorter soul instrumentals – but the record's got a good rhythm section, and it holds together well enough as an easy grooving session. Titles include "Soul Meeting", "Lazy Soul", "All The Way", and "Do You Have Soul Now?" LP, Vinyl record album

This is the kind of battle we like to see! Three heavy tenors – Nelson, King, and Jimmy Forrest – come head to head in a relaxed set of tunes cut in that Prestige blowing session mode, but tweaked with a bit more tightness, in the style of some of the label's emerging soul jazz sides of the 60s. Nelson's gutsy tenor will shock you if you haven't heard him in this sort of less restrained setting – and Forrest's work from this time is always a treat. Titles include "Blues For MF", "Anacruses", "Perdido", and "In Passing". Includes the bonus track "Soul Street". CD

And give a party they do – a really rocking, raw soul party that goes way past any teeny-bopper sort of associations with the "twist" – into a realm that may well make the album The Shirelles greatest record ever! Both King Curtis and The Shirelles trade tracks back and forth – in a style that will definitely have you forget the twist in the title, because the overall feel is mostly R&B and raw soul – served up with a mighty nice groove! The Shirelles hit some great harmonies in an uptempo mode – way past simple chart pop, and nicely soulful throughout – and King Curtis plays tenor and sings a bit, and turns in some nice tracks that rank with his early 60s work for the Fire/Fury label! Titles include "Mister Twister", "New Orleans", "Welcome Home Baby", "Potato Chips", "Mama Here Comes The Bride", "Take The Last Train Home", and "Love Is A Swinging Thing". CD

Early 60s Capitol Records material from this great tenorist, who also plays a bit of saxello! Other players include Billy Butler and Cornell Dupree on guitars, Paul Griffin on piano and organ, and Chuck Rainey and Jimmy Lewis on bass! CD

Excellent work from the short time that saxophonist King Curtis recorded for Prestige records – mostly on their R&B-tinged Tru-Sound label! Players include Paul Griffin on piano, Billy Butler on guitar, and Jack McDuff on Hammond! LP, Vinyl record album

King plays the "all time favorites" on his soulful tenor, including instrumental classics like "Wiggle Wobble", "Night Train", "Honky Tonk", "Soul Twist", "Watermelon Man", and "Swingin' Shepherd Blues". The real hit, though, is King's "Soul Serenade", which set the standard for soul sax instrumentals for the next 10 years! LP, Vinyl record album

2 sides of hard wailing sax instrumentals, played by King Curtis before he softened it up a bit for Atlantic. 7-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

Two killer early funky cuts from Fatback Band! "Dance Girl" is an incredible skittish groover – recorded with snapping drums, strumming guitar, and this shouted vocal that hangs the whole thing together. (And oddly, this version seems to have a second voice dubbed in, making some comments underneath the whole thing!) "Keep On Brother" has a massive drum break at the start – and the young Johnny King sings with this raw, raspy style that really fits the groove! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Rare singles from the legendary King label – with work by Mac Curtis, Charlie Feathers, Joe Penny, Ronnie Molleen, Hank Mizell, Bob & Lucille, and Bill Beach! LP, Vinyl record album

An all-star tribute to the great Curtis Mayfield – served up by a generation of artists who were influenced by his classic work! The set mixes soul singers and pop stars – in a really surprising lineup of tracks that includes "The Makings Of You" by Aretha Franklin, "Choice Of Colors" by Gladys Knight, "Gypsy Woman" by Bruce Springsteen, "I'm The One Who Loves You" by Stevie Wonder, "Woman's Got Soul" by BB King, "Keep On Pushin" by Tevin Campbell, "Fool For You" by The Impressions & Bradford Marsalis, "I'm So Proud" by The Isley Brothers, "Look Into Your Heart" by Whitney Houston, "Billy Jack" by Lenny Kravitz, "Amen" by Elton John & The Sounds Of Blackness, "If There's A Hell Below" by Narada Michael Walden, and "Let's Do It Again" by The Repercussions and Curtis Mayfield himself! CD

Features guest guitar from James Taylor on a few cuts, and even some guest tenor from the great Curtis Amy! Titles include "Brother Brother", "Sweet Seasons", "Some Kind Of Wonderful", "Surely", "Carry Your Load", "Music", "Song Of Long Ago", "Too Much Rain", "Brighter", "Growing Away From Me", "Back To California", and "It's Going To Take Some Time". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of great albums from Babe Ruth – plus bonus tracks too! First up is First Base – the debut of a group so great and so groovy, they ended up having a huge influence on the early sound of hip hop – thanks to a wonderfully funky sound at the core of their progressive rock groove! Babe Ruth have this rhythmic impulse that's really amazing – a way of working bass, drums, and percussion together with qualities that go way past just prog rock noodling – and have this focus that really fits the lead vocals and guitar of Alan Shacklock, who also handled all the arrangements for this mighty debut too! Titles include their classic cut "The Mexican" – a famous sample cut from way back, with nice use of acoustic guitar and a Morricone riff too – plus versions of Zappa's "King Kong" and Jesse Winchester's "Black Dog" – and the originals "Wells Fargo", "The Runaways", and "Joker". Next is Amar Caballero, an album with a horse on the cover, and a sound that's maybe even more soulful than the first mighty outing by Babe Ruth – quite a lot, given the strength of that debut! Female singer Jenny Haan seems to have an even greater presence here – working some nice currents of color through the group's great ability to riff, groove, and sometimes step into more acoustic modes – all while holding onto one of the hippest currents going in the Harvest Records scene – and one of the most unique as well! There's plenty of surprises throughout – and in addition to great cuts like "Broken Cloud", "Gimme Some Leg", "We Are Holding On", "Amar Caballo", and "Doctor Love" – the group also turn in a nicely offbeat remake of "Cool Jerk" too! Last up is the self-titled Babe Ruth, a set that really stands as a testament to their many musical influences! There's few groups who could ever hope to wrap together influences from Stax Records, Ennio Morricone, and Curtis Mayfield – and whole the whole thing could ever turn out well – but the mighty Babe Ruth do exactly that, and still find time for some of their own unique grooves as well! The group are every bit as groovy here as on their previous records – mixing fuzzy guitars, well-crafted rhythms, and a nicely compressed version of prog into an amazingly fresh sound that still delights all these many years later – thanks to well-crafted vocals from Jenny Haan, and sharp arrangements from Alan Shacklock, whose guitars and sense of wit really keeps the whole thing moving nicely. Shacklock penned most of the original tunes here – like "Dancer", "Somebody's Nobody", "Jack O'Lantern", and "The Dutchess Of Orleans" – and the group also turn in nice remakes of "Fistful Of Dollars", "We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue", and "Private Number". 3CD set features bonus tracks – "Wells Fargo (single)", "Theme From A Few Dollars More", "Ain't That Livin", "If Heaven's On Beauty's Side", and "Private Number (single)" – plus a big booklet of notes. CD

A fantastic live set from reedman Gary Bartz – captured here with his ultra-hip NTU group – who you might know from their classic albums on Milestone in the 70s! Gary's soaring out with a hell of a lot of pride and power right from the start – effortlessly spinning these long lines on soprano sax and alto, and bringing a bit of his voice into the mix too – working with a very sharp group that features Charles Mimms on both electric and acoustic piano, Curtis Robertson on bass, and Howard King on drums – players who follow Gary's lead wonderfully, and stretch out on some very long tracks that are even different than the spirit of the double-length live album that Bartz recorded around the same time. Titles include a smoking 24 minute take on "I've Known Rivers" – plus "Nation Time/Juju Man", "Rise/Celestial Blues/Sounding Song/Incident/Uhuru Sasa", "For The Love Of You", "Sweet Tooth", and "Peace & Love/Sifa Zote". CD

A fantastic live set from reedman Gary Bartz – captured here with his ultra-hip NTU group – who you might know from their classic albums on Milestone in the 70s! Gary's soaring out with a hell of a lot of pride and power right from the start – effortlessly spinning these long lines on soprano sax and alto, and bringing a bit of his voice into the mix too – working with a very sharp group that features Charles Mimms on both electric and acoustic piano, Curtis Robertson on bass, and Howard King on drums – players who follow Gary's lead wonderfully, and stretch out on some very long tracks that are even different than the spirit of the double-length live album that Bartz recorded around the same time. Titles include a smoking 24 minute take on "I've Known Rivers" – plus "Nation Time/Juju Man", "Rise/Celestial Blues/Sounding Song/Incident/Uhuru Sasa","Sweet Tooth", and "Peace & Love/Sifa Zote". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of later gems from Brook Benton – back to back on a single CD – and with a bonus track too! First up is Home Style – wonderful work from Brook Benton – and the kind of record that always gets overlooked in discussions of southern soul, but which is proof that Benton's always been a key force in the genre! Brook virtually invented the style with his earlier country soul recordings – and by the time of this 1970 set, he's in perfect form vocally – and working under some wonderfully sophisticated arrangements by Arif Mardin. The result is the kind of cross-genre record that Brook could do effortlessly – and which should have made him huge, but instead kind of got him left behind by all the other folks who were copping his style. Yet with the strength of a record like this, we'll take that overlooked fame as still OK – because the set's a gem just waiting to be discovered by later generations like us! Rhythm's by the Dixie Flyers – augmented by jazz players that include King Curtis, Pepper Adams, and Joe Newman. Titles include "Aspen Colorado", "For Lee Ann", "Whoever Finds This, I Love You", "Don't It Make You Wanta Go Home", and "Let Me Fix It". Next Is Story Teller – Ccol Cotillion work from Brook Benton – southern soul mixed with smoother, sophisticated moments – and a perfect realization of the sound that Benton was going for in the 60s! There's a bit less country here than before – although Brook also still has one foot in his roots, too – and the overall approach has mellower soul touches that are great – keyboards, guitar, and electric bass that roll along gently next to Benton's wonderful vocals. The album was recorded at Criteria Studios, and up north in New York – and titles include "Movin Day", "Sidewalks Of Chicago", "She Even Woke Me Up To Say Goodbye", "Poor Make Believer", and "Shoes". CD also features the bonus track "A Black Child Can't Smile". CD

Righteous and rocking soul from Merry Clayton – a record that really helped put the singer on the map during the 70s! Merry had roots in a few different strands of music, and was always a bit different than some of her straighter soul contemporaries – a quality that really comes through here in the album's great arrangements from heavyweights Jerry Peters, Carole King, and Billy Preston – each of whom bring some slightly different flavors to Clayton's vocals! The Crusaders and jazz legend Curtis Amy provide instrumental support – with a nicely varied vibe that has occasional rock currents mixed in with deeper soul. Some of our favorite tracks include a hip Leon Ware tune called "Whatever", a nice cover of Bill Withers' "Grandma's Hands", and Jerry Peters "Love Me Or Let Me Be Lonely" – and other titles include "Southern Man", "Same Old Story", "Walk On In", and "A Song For You". LP, Vinyl record album

John Coltrane's classic – and only – recording as a leader for Blue Note! The album's no throwaway date, though – as it stands strongly with both Coltrane's other label work of the time, and with the best of the late 50s Blue Note scene – a time when the label was really cooking at full strength! The groove here is a bit harder, heavier, and hardbop-inflected than some of Trane's late 50s sides with Red Garland – thanks to a lineup that features Lee Morgan on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. There's a crisp modern edge to the record that really holds up beautifully – even after years of play – and titles include "Blue Train, "Locomotion", "Moment's Notice", and "Lazy Bird". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Aretha Franklin's undisputed classics from her late 60s run on Atlantic Records – a seminal session that furthered her deep soul agenda with key backings from Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd – both of whom handle the mix of rawness and polish that made Aretha so great at the time! The Sweet Inspirations provide sublime backing vocals behind Franklin's maturing delivery of the lyrics – and the music is by an all-star group of players that includes Spooner Oldham, Bobby Womack, Jimmy Johnson, King Curtis, Tommy Cogbill, Roger Hawkins, and even Eric Clapton – clearly the cream of the crop, more than willing to be part of such an amazing set! Cuts include "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman", "Chain Of Fools", "Money Won't Change You", "Come Back Baby", and "Ain't No Way". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Aretha Franklin's undisputed classics from her late 60s run on Atlantic Records – a seminal session that furthered her deep soul agenda with key backings from Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd – both of whom handle the mix of rawness and polish that made Aretha so great at the time! The Sweet Inspirations provide sublime backing vocals behind Franklin's maturing delivery of the lyrics – and the music is by an all-star group of players that includes Spooner Oldham, Bobby Womack, Jimmy Johnson, King Curtis, Tommy Cogbill, Roger Hawkins, and even Eric Clapton – clearly the cream of the crop, more than willing to be part of such an amazing set! Cuts include "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman", "Chain Of Fools", "Money Won't Change You", "Come Back Baby", and "Ain't No Way". CD includes 4 bonus tracks "Chain of Fools (unedited version)", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (mono single version)", "Since You've Never Been Gone (Sweet Sweet Baby) (mono single version)", and "Ain't No Way (mono single version)"! CD

A genuine illustrated encyclopedia of One Man Bands (traditional, electronic, overdub solo projects, Black Metal One Man Bands, buskers, etc.) with over 1,000 entries. Articles HASIL ADKINS, BEDROOM BANDS, HONKITONKIOKE, THADDEUS CAHILL, FRANKIE CAPRI, BROTHER DANIELSON, HOMER HENDERSON, JUDAS ISCARIOT, KING LOUIE. HILL LOUIS, MAN PARRISH, TODD RUNDGREN, IRON MAN MIKE CURTIS, JIMMIE LEE ROBINSON, REVENGE R and hundreds more. Magazine

One of a number of excellent blues sessions cut by the mostly-jazz label Prestige Records in the early 60s – yet one that also has some nice jazzy elements in the mix too, thanks to the presence of King Curtis on tenor sax and John Wright on piano – both solo stars who were recording their own albums as leaders for the label at the time! The focus is clearly on the guitar and wonderful vocals of Arbee Stidham – yet he performs here in a setting that's less rootsy than some of the other Prestige Bluesville sessions of the period – a mode that makes a nice link with the rising soul jazz underground of the period – a jazz mode that borrowed plenty from earlier generations of blues! Other players include Leonard Gaskin on bass and Armond Jackson drums – making for a full combo mode – and titles include "Pawn Shop", "You Can't Live In This World By Yourself", "People What Would You Do", "Teenage Kiss", "Wee Baby Blues", "I'm Tired Of Wandering", "You Keep Me Yearning", and "Last Goodbye Blues". CD

A record that definitely has Jr Walker & The All Stars picking up a bit of funk – but in a groove that still mixes things with that warmly soulful glow the group had right from the start! The basslines are definitely up a bit from before – although not rumbling in Norman Whitfield territory – and the sax solos get a bit more space to stretch out and bite on the longer numbers, but often with a bit of backing vocals to warm things up around the edges! Jr is great all the way through – Motown's very strong answer to King Curtis – and titles include "Right On Brothers & Sisters", "Way Back Home", "Feeling Alright", "Psychedelic Shack", "Pieces Of A Man", and "Teach Them To Pray". LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Jimmy Smith, Billy Eckstine, Curtis Mayfield, BB King, Herbie Mann, Les McCann and Roberta Flack. CD

With tracks by Tony Sheridan & The Beatles, The Searchers, The Rattlers, Peter Nelson & The Travellers, King Size Taylor & The Dominoes, The Liverbirds, Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders, The Remo Four, Ian & The Zodiacs, The Rivets, The Eyes, Pretty Things, Lee Curtis & The All Stars, and The Walker Brothers. LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure soul set on the legendary Sun Records label – raw vocals from Frank Ballard, done in a style that still has a few older R&B currents in the mix, but which is definitely pointed strongly towards a 60s groove! Backings are by the band of tenorist Phillip Reynolds, and the sound here is a lot more in the King Records mode than you'd expect from Sun – plenty of grit in the grooves, and with some great work on piano, guitar, and tenor next to the vocals! Frank earlier sung with tenor man Curtis Amy, but he's really at the top of his game here – and titles include "Trouble Down The Road", "Rollin In", "After Hours", "Do Wa Diddi", "Is Anybody There", and "Just Leave It With Me Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

Seven albums – most recorded for Prestige and New Jazz – with performances by Larry Young, Oliver Nelson, King Curtis, Seldon Powell, Joe Zawinul, Roy Haynes, and Ray Barretto. CD

One of Aretha Franklin's undisputed classics from her late 60s run on Atlantic Records – a seminal session that furthered her deep soul agenda with key backings from Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd – both of whom handle the mix of rawness and polish that made Aretha so great at the time! The Sweet Inspirations provide sublime backing vocals behind Franklin's maturing delivery of the lyrics – and the music is by an all-star group of players that includes Spooner Oldham, Bobby Womack, Jimmy Johnson, King Curtis, Tommy Cogbill, Roger Hawkins, and even Eric Clapton – clearly the cream of the crop, more than willing to be part of such an amazing set! Cuts include "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman", "Chain Of Fools", "Money Won't Change You", "Come Back Baby", and "Ain't No Way". CD includes the bonus tracks "Chain of Fools (unedited version)", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (mono single version)", "Since You've Never Been Gone (Sweet Sweet Baby) (mono single version)", and "Ain't No Way (mono single version)"! CD

One of a number of excellent blues sessions cut by the mostly-jazz label Prestige Records in the early 60s – yet one that also has some nice jazzy elements in the mix too, thanks to the presence of King Curtis on tenor sax and John Wright on piano – both solo stars who were recording their own albums as leaders for the label at the time! The focus is clearly on the guitar and wonderful vocals of Arbee Stidham – yet he performs here in a setting that's less rootsy than some of the other Prestige Bluesville sessions of the period – a mode that makes a nice link with the rising soul jazz underground of the period – a jazz mode that borrowed plenty from earlier generations of blues! Other players include Leonard Gaskin on bass and Armond Jackson drums – making for a full combo mode – and titles include "Pawn Shop", "You Can't Live In This World By Yourself", "People What Would You Do", "Teenage Kiss", "Wee Baby Blues", "I'm Tired Of Wandering", "You Keep Me Yearning", and "Last Goodbye Blues". CD

A brilliant assemblage of players – working here under the Timeless All Stars tag, because they'd all recorded for the label – but held together much more deeply through a rich tradition of west coast soul jazz! The team of Harold Land and Bobby Hutcherson are wonderfully united for the session – working with Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all to carve out longer tracks that sparkle with the best open feeling of the sound that Land and Hutcherson first put down together at the end of the 60s. There's a sense of warmth and good spirit to the recording – but not of the type that dampens the energies of the players – as the best tracks on the record have a searing, searching feel that's pretty darn surprising for such an all-star session! Titles include "Clockwise", "Highway One", "Arabia", "Stella By Starlight", and "My Foolish Heart". CD

Two classics from Curtis' first solo album! "Hell Below" is here in a shorter single version – leaving off the intro, and beginning smack in the middle of the tight wah wah groove. "Makings Of You" is a mellow track with a floating and baroque quality – strings and soul coming together, almost in a Charles Stepney mode, with wonderful wonderful vocals from Curtis! 7-inch, Vinyl record

An overlooked 80s session from trombonist Curtis Fuller – and a great one too – a record that really returns the player to the powerful presence we first loved in his albums of the late 50s and early 60s! Fuller's the leadoff solo instrument throughout – working here with backing from the Roma Trio of Danilo Rea on piano, Enzo Pietropaoli on bass, and Roberto Gatto on drums – all playing with that careful, classic vibe that maybe made the Italian scene in the 80s one of the richest on the continent. Curtis blows boldly, even at mellower moments – often phrasing more like a trumpet than a typical trombonist – and serving up lots of soulful sounds in the process. The set features a sublime reading of "Naima", plus "Blue Bossa", "Afternoon In Paris", "Red's Delights", and "Impressions". CD

An overlooked 80s session from trombonist Curtis Fuller – and a great one too – a record that really returns the player to the powerful presence we first loved in his albums of the late 50s and early 60s! Fuller's the leadoff solo instrument throughout – working here with backing from the Roma Trio of Danilo Rea on piano, Enzo Pietropaoli on bass, and Roberto Gatto on drums – all playing with that careful, classic vibe that maybe made the Italian scene in the 80s one of the richest on the continent. Curtis blows boldly, even at mellower moments – often phrasing more like a trumpet than a typical trombonist – and serving up lots of soulful sounds in the process. The set features a sublime reading of "Naima", plus "Blue Bossa", "Afternoon In Paris", "Red's Delights", and "Impressions". CD

Curtis Mayfield is a hell of a singer – as most folks know from his work in the Impressions, and his later solo classics of the 70s – and he's also a hell of a songwriter too, one who was very generous with his magical material, right from the start! Back in the 60s, Curtis was sharing his songs with other up-and-coming soul singers on the Chicago scene – some of whom he was also producing in the studio, as well – and as the decade moved into the 70s, others were soon picking up Mayfield's tunes – both for their ability to deliver a personal message, and for the larger political agenda that was always in the music too! This really well-done collection brings together two dozen of Curtis' best songs, handled by other folks – mostly from the 60s and early 70s, but with a few surprises from later years too – all supported with a really great collection of notes and other information too. Titles include "Man's Temptation" by the Jackson 5, "Behind The Curtains" by Jan Bradley, "Rainbow (alt)" by Gene Chandler, "Monkey Time" by The Miracles, "I'm So Proud" by Main Ingredient, "Give Me Your Love" by Barbara Mason, "That's What Love Will Do" by The Gaylads, "Never Stop Loving Me" by Keni Burke, "I've Been Trying" by Jerry Butler, "Queen Majesty" by The Techniques, "It's All Over" by Walter Jackson, "Mama Didn't Lie" by The Orlons, "He Will Break Your Heart" by Freddie Scott, "People Get Ready" by Dionne Warwick, "Need To Belong" by Isaac Hayes, "Make Me Believe In You" by Patti Jo, "Let's Do It Again (single edit)" by The Staple Singers, "Look Into Your Heart (single edit)" by Aretha Franklin, and "The Makings Of You" by Gladys Knight & The Pips. CD

An album with a sexy cover, but a set that's one of the more soulful from the LA scene of the 50s – thanks to a tight, sharp group working under the leadership of bassist Curtis Counce! Counce didn't cut many albums as a leader, but all of them are pretty darn great – and done with a bit more edge than the cool jazz of the LA scene – a bit more open, with a strong focus on the solos on some of the album's longer tracks too! Solos include great work on tenor by Harold Land – who's really coming into his own here – plus Jack Sheldon on trumpet, and Carl Perkins on piano – a player who would pass away not long after this set. Frank Butler completes the group on drums – and titles include "Complete", "Big Foot", "Counceltation", and "Mean To Me". CD

One of the last great Curtis Mayfield albums – often overlooked, but essential in any collection of his work! The sound is still very much in the classic Curtom mode, with less of the uptempo and disco groovers that were showing up on some of the other records from the time – and more of the sweetly soulful styles that Curtis was also working on as his 70s career progressed. There's a wonderful sense of Mayfield's persons that comes through on every cut here – the righteous, proud Curtis from the earlier part of the 70s – and the warmer, mature Mayfield that was showing up a bit later on. Titles include the classic groover "Tripping Out" – plus "Never Let Me Go", "Something To Believe In", "It's Alright", and "Never Stop Loving Me". CD

One of the last great 70s soundtracks on Curtom Records – a smoking little set that pairs the music of Curtis Mayfield with the vocals of Mavis Staples! Curtis is very much in charge of the record from the start, and works in a hard-stepping and righteous mode that recalls his earlier work on the Staples' soundtrack for Let's Do It Again – no surprise, given that Piece Of The Action was the next installment in the successful series of films that starred Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier! The sound here is nicely full, hitting that rich mid 70s Curtom mode that sounded so great on Leroy Hutson and Natural Four albums of the time – a slightly more sophisticated approach that mixed in a bit of strings with the heavier funk at the bottom. Titles include "Chocolate City", written by Curtis with Keni Burke and Henry Gibson, plus "Getting Deeper", "A Piece Of The Action", "Orientation", and "Of Whom Shall I Be Afraid". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last great Curtis Mayfield albums – often overlooked, but essential in any collection of his work! The sound is still very much in the classic Curtom mode, with less of the uptempo and disco groovers that were showing up on some of the other records from the time – and more of the sweetly soulful styles that Curtis was also working on as his 70s career progressed. There's a wonderful sense of Mayfield's persons that comes through on every cut here – the righteous, proud Curtis from the earlier part of the 70s – and the warmer, mature Mayfield that was showing up a bit later on. Titles include the classic groover "Tripping Out" – plus "Never Let Me Go", "Something To Believe In", "It's Alright", and "Never Stop Loving Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful stuff – and one of Curtis' last great songs! "Tripping Out" has a stepping midtempo approach – one that features snapping beats at the bottom, sweetened strings over the top, and a really solid Curtom production job – all slowly grooving and snaking around, while Curtis sings over the top in a sweetly breaking vocal! Massive – and a real treasure! CD

If there's anyone we'd trust with a trip through the Blue Note catalog, it's Jazzanova – as the group have been a key force in the jazz-inspired sound of the global dancefloor for many years! This set's the 4th in Blue Note's "Trip" series – and it may well be the best, as Jazzanova really know their way around a groove – and manage to get way past the obvious in their selection of tracks from the Blue Note catalog of the 60s and 70s. The hits are pushed aside for some lesser-known gems that stretch out with a wonderfully fluid approach to a jazzy groove – mixing together fusion, Latin, and soul jazz influences with ease – all in a double-length set of tracks that features one mixed batch on each CD! 2CD version features the tracks "You Make Me Feel So Good" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Yu Yo" by Bobby Hutcherson, "Afreaka" by Lee Morgan, "Beatrice" by Sam Rivers, "A Time For Spring" by Nicola Conte, "Tin Tin Deo" by James Moody, "Congalegra" by Horace Parlan, "Song Of Will" by Eddie Gale, "Hello To The Wind" by Bobby Hutcherson, "Morning Side Of Love" by Chico Hamilton, "Sitting Here All Alone" by Waters, "Quantrale" by Curtis Fuller, and "Baltimore Oriole" by Sheila Jordan. CD

Music from The Panting Panther, Jim Kelly, The Sultans, Patti Ross, CC Curtis, Freddie Montell, Johnny Hughes, Danny Roland, Elmo" Stringer, Sammy Jackson Jr, and more - 26 tracks in all. CD

Curtis Mayfield's still very firmly on track with this set – recording in his new hometown of Atlanta, but also working with Chicago talents like Rich Tufo and Morris Jennings – all in a warm mellow groove that's totally great! The style's a bit more contemporary than the Curtom years, but never too much so – and there's more than enough warmth in the instrumentation to match Mayfield's still-great vocals on the lyrics. The tunes are decidedly less political – more about love and romance – but that's ok with us, because they're the sort of themes that Curtis first started with back in the early years of his career. Titles include "Summer Hot", "Still Within Your Heart", "Hey Baby", "Nobody But You", and "If You Need Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Curtis Mayfield's early 80s albums for the Boardwalk label – back to back on one CD! Love Is The Place is great post-Curtom work from Curtis – a set recorded in LA, not Chicago – with the mighty Gene Page at the helm! The style here isn't that different from the later Curtom years – more in the side of love and life than some of the more righteous themes of Curtis' earlier solo records – and Page proves to be a surprisingly good choice for the album, as he really hits the right sort of groove to keep Mayfield on track. There's a few faster tunes here, but most of the work is in a mellow or midtempo mode – just the right pace for Curtis' maturing vocals. Titles include "Come Free Your People", "Love Is The Place", "Babydoll", "She Don't Let Nobody", "Just Ease My Mind", and "You Mean Everything To Me". On Honesty, Curtis is recording in his new hometown of Atlanta, but also working with Chicago talents like Rich Tufo and Morris Jennings – all in a warm mellow groove that's totally great! The style's a bit more contemporary than the Curtom years, but never too much so – and there's more than enough warmth in the instrumentation to match Mayfield's still-great vocals on the lyrics. The tunes are decidedly less political – more about love and romance – but that's ok with us, because they're the sort of themes that Curtis first started with back in the early years of his career. Titles include "Summer Hot", "Still Within Your Heart", "Hey Baby", "Nobody But You", and "If You Need Me". CD

Wonderful stuff – and one of Curtis' last great songs! "Tripping Out" has a stepping midtempo approach – one that features snapping beats at the bottom, sweetened strings over the top, and a really solid Curtom production job – all slowly grooving and snaking around, while Curtis sings over the top in a sweetly breaking vocal! Massive – and a real treasure! 7-inch, Vinyl record

An album with a sexy cover, but a set that's one of the more soulful from the LA scene of the 50s – thanks to a tight, sharp group working under the leadership of bassist Curtis Counce! Counce didn't cut many albums as a leader, but all of them are pretty darn great – and done with a bit more edge than the cool jazz of the LA scene – a bit more open, with a strong focus on the solos on some of the album's longer tracks too! Solos include great work on tenor by Harold Land – who's really coming into his own here – plus Jack Sheldon on trumpet, and Carl Perkins on piano – a player who would pass away not long after this set. Frank Butler completes the group on drums – and titles include "Complete", "Big Foot", "Counceltation", and "Mean To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Curtis Mayfield is a hell of a singer – as most folks know from his work in the Impressions, and his later solo classics of the 70s – and he's also a hell of a songwriter too, one who was very generous with his magical material, right from the start! Back in the 60s, Curtis was sharing his songs with other up-and-coming soul singers on the Chicago scene – some of whom he was also producing in the studio, as well – and as the decade moved into the 70s, others were soon picking up Mayfield's tunes – both for their ability to deliver a personal message, and for the larger political agenda that was always in the music too! This really well-done collection brings together two dozen of Curtis' best songs, handled by other folks – mostly from the 60s and early 70s, but with a few surprises from later years too – all supported with a really great collection of notes and other information too. Titles include "Man's Temptation" by the Jackson 5, "Behind The Curtains" by Jan Bradley, "Rainbow (alt)" by Gene Chandler, "Monkey Time" by The Miracles, "I'm So Proud" by Main Ingredient, "Give Me Your Love" by Barbara Mason, "That's What Love Will Do" by The Gaylads, "Never Stop Loving Me" by Keni Burke, "I've Been Trying" by Jerry Butler, "Queen Majesty" by The Techniques, "It's All Over" by Walter Jackson, "Mama Didn't Lie" by The Orlons, "He Will Break Your Heart" by Freddie Scott, "People Get Ready" by Dionne Warwick, "Need To Belong" by Isaac Hayes, "Make Me Believe In You" by Patti Jo, "Let's Do It Again (single edit)" by The Staple Singers, "Look Into Your Heart (single edit)" by Aretha Franklin, and "The Makings Of You" by Gladys Knight & The Pips. CD

Stunning soul from the great Joe Bataan – a really groundbreaking mix of modes that's right up there with the best of the Spanish Harlem scene of the late 60s! The album is Joe Bataan's debut for the Fania Records label – and the start of an incendiary run of Latin classics that forever changed the face of the New York scene – a mindblowing mix of Latin rhythms and soul-based inspiration, served up in a mix of English and Spanish language lyrics! The title track is a sublime cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Gypsy Woman" – one that's even more heartbreaking than the original – and other titles include "Ordinary Guy", Sugar Guaguanco", "So Fine", "Fuego", and the groovy "Chickie's Trombone" – a tight little jammer that shows that Joe's group also drew plenty of inspiration from the descarga scene too. LP, Vinyl record album

John Coltrane's classic – and only – recording as a leader for Blue Note! The album's no throwaway date, though – as it stands strongly with both Coltrane's other label work of the time, and with the best of the late 50s Blue Note scene – a time when the label was really cooking at full strength! The groove here is a bit harder, heavier, and hardbop-inflected than some of Trane's late 50s sides with Red Garland – thanks to a lineup that features Lee Morgan on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. There's a crisp modern edge to the record that really holds up beautifully – even after years of play – and titles include "Blue Train, "Locomotion", "Moment's Notice", and "Lazy Bird". LP, Vinyl record album

John Coltrane's classic – and only – recording as a leader for Blue Note! The album's no throwaway date, though – as it stands strongly with both Coltrane's other label work of the time, and with the best of the late 50s Blue Note scene – a time when the label was really cooking at full strength! The groove here is a bit harder, heavier, and hardbop-inflected than some of Trane's late 50s sides with Red Garland – thanks to a lineup that features Lee Morgan on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. There's a crisp modern edge to the record that really holds up beautifully – even after years of play – and titles include "Blue Train, "Locomotion", "Moment's Notice", and "Lazy Bird". This edition includes alternate takes of "Blue Train" and "Lazy Bird"! CD