Supremely soulful modern jazz from the great Booker Little – one of his best albums ever as a leader, and a real standout moment amidst so many of the re-titled sessions that came out after his early death! The album's got a tremendous feel from the very first note – a furthering of the modernism that Little forged with Max Roach and Eric Dolphy – but stated more strongly in his own voice as a leader and composer – a bold jazz vision that makes us miss his talents even more strongly than before! The group here is the stuff of legends – with Dolphy on alto, bass clarinet, and flute – plus Don Friedman on piano, Julian Priester on trombone, Ron Carter or Art Davis on bass, and Max Roach on drums, tympani, and vibes! Titles are all original compositions by Little – and include "We Speak", "Strength & Sanity", "Quiet, Please", "Hazy Hues", and "Moods In Free Time". LP

Supremely soulful modern jazz from the great Booker Little – one of his best albums ever as a leader, and a real standout moment amidst so many of the re-titled sessions that came out after his early death! The album's got a tremendous feel from the very first note – a furthering of the modernism that Little forged with Max Roach and Eric Dolphy – but stated more strongly in his own voice as a leader and composer – a bold jazz vision that makes us miss his talents even more strongly than before! The group here is the stuff of legends – with Dolphy on alto, bass clarinet, and flute – plus Don Friedman on piano, Julian Priester on trombone, Ron Carter or Art Davis on bass, and Max Roach on drums, tympani, and vibes! Titles are all original compositions by Little – and include "We Speak", "Strength & Sanity", "Quiet, Please", "Hazy Hues", and "Moods In Free Time". LP

Anthony and crew were one of the few groups who actually got better when they moved from the raw indie scene to the slicker major label one – as you'll hear perfectly on this set of some of their best work for the Veep/DCP/United Artists label. Teddy Randazzo handled all the arrangements and production, and his breathy uptown style works perfectly with the band's soulful harmonies. 12 numbers in all, including "I'm Hypnotized", "Beautiful People", "Georgy Girl", "A Thousand Miles Away", "You Only Live Twice", "Goin' Out Of My Head", "Two People In The World", "A Prayer & A Jukebox", 'When You Wish Upon A Star", "You Better Take It Easy Baby" and "If I Remember To Forget". LP

Great work from Little Bob – aka Lil Bob, aka Camille Bob – a New Orleans soul singer with a nicely funky edge! The album's almost got more of a mid 60s James Brown inspiration than some of Bob's southern contemporaries – with backing from the super-tight Lollipops, who really know how to make all the instruments come down on the groove – but also still leave room for one of the horn players to step out with a smoking solo from time to time! Bob's got a mellow, heartbreaking vibe on some of the more laidback tracks – but then can really soar on the more upbeat numbers – showing an emotional range that's really wonderful, and which makes the album as much a deep soul treasure as it is incredibly rare. Titles include "I Got Loaded", "The Way It's Got To Be", "Nobody But You", "My Heart's On Fire", "Are You Ever Coming Home", "So In Need", "With These Hands", and "Look Out Mr Heartache". LP

A really wonderful collection of early work from the great Esther Phillips – different than her later material for Atlantic and Kudu Records – as it was done in a raw R&B style for the mighty King Records! 16 tracks in all – and detailed notes on the material, too! LP

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A great example of why Little Milton was always one of the few Chicago blues artists who could also break strongly in the soul camp at the time – and a beautifully balanced set that perfectly shows both sides of the Chicago scene of the time! Production is by old Vee Jay maestro Calvin Carter, and arrangements by Gene Barge, who manages to slide effortlessly between blues and soul on the set – almost pushing Milton into Tyrone Davis territory, but keeping things a bit more rougher and down home on some of the other numbers. The sound is wonderful – very deep and rich, and with a sound that's head and shoulders above most other albums of this type in the late 60s. Titles include "Baby I Love You", "If Walls Could Talk", "Things That I Used to Do", "Let's Get Together", "I Play Dirty", "Blues Get Off My Shoulder", "I Don't Know", and "Poor Man". LP

Little Richard doing his much imitated, never bettered thing on the Fabulous Little Richard LP – released near the end of the 50s and featuring emotive r&b numbers he cut in earlier sessions – not all as wild-eyed and fiery as some of his 50s recordings but a soulful thrill! The album does feature a few of the more blazing classics, but all in all, this one demonstrates Richard's versatility more than some of his 50s work. Fabulous tracks from true legend! Includes "Shake A Hand", "Chicken Little Baby", "All Night Long", "Lonesome & Blue", "Kansas City", Maybe I'm Right", "I'm Just A Lonely", "Whole Lotta Shaking Going On", "I'm Just A Lonly Guy" and more. LP

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(Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Sunday, April 21. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Saturday, April 20. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on April 21 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP

Funky blues from Little Sonny – very much in the spirit of his Black & Blue album for Stax, in that the album's a mix of Memphis soul and bluesy licks – making for a full-on style that really cooks things up! Sonny sings and plays harmonica, but the best side of the album is the backings – as they get nice and funky on the best tracks, and groove things the way you'd expect from Stax at the time! Titles include "Hard Going Up", "You Can Be Replaced", "Do It Right Now", "My Woman Is Good To Me", "I Want You", and "Sure Is Good". LP

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Beautiful work from one of the greatest R&B vocalists ever! Willie sounds wonderful on tracks that include "Talk To Me Talk To Me", "Uh Uh Baby", "Drive Me Home", "Tell It Like It Is", "Person To Person", "Until You Do", and "I'll Carry Your Love Wherever I Go". LP

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A crime thriller, but one with a beautiful score from Bruno Nicolai – slinky and 70s at times, and with some really gentle tension at others! This is definitely one of the works that has Nicolai stepping nicely away from Morricone – using some warmer elements in some of his best themes – almost dreamy at times, which is odd given the lack of romance in the film – put together with masterful timing, and this haunting sense of space that makes the music almost better than the images were in the film! And yes, the story is that old Agatha Christie chestnut Ten Little Indians – but forget the overdone trope of the store, as the music is totally great – completely different than the more hackney 70s whodunit soundtracks of the time. LP features 16 tracks in all! LP

Although bassist Oscar Pettiford left a huge influence on jazz before his untimely death, there's not actually that many fantastic records in which he's featured as a leader. Fortunately, this is one of the few, and it's a sparkling set of modernist inflected bop tunes played by a group that includes Mingus on bass, Phil Urso on tenor, Walter Bishop on piano, and Percy Heath on drums. Pettiford plays cello, and his lead on the instrument gives the record a dark tone that is extremely haunting. Titles include "Low & Behold", "Pendulum", and "Tamalpais". LP

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A great late 60s gem from pianist Horace Silver – and a great bridge between his earlier soul jazz for Blue Note, and some of his more righteous work to come in the 70s! At one level, the sound here steps off from classics like Serenade To A Soul Sister or The Jody Grind – but at another level, there's a more open approach to the music – one that has Horace sliding into new tones and colors, with a slightly lyrical undercurrent as well. As on some of his later dates, the mellower moments are often the most compelling – showing a newly mature side of Silver's talents, and a new love of space between the notes that really helps to break the mode of previous recordings! The group here features the great Bennie Maupin on tenor and flute, Randy Brecker on trumpet and flugelhorn, John Williams on bass, and Billy Cobham on drums – and titles include "Lovely's Daughter", "Risin Sun", "You Gotta Take A Little Love", "Down & Out", and "Brain Wave". LP

The album that sported his classic "Little Green Apples", which was covered by just about everybody in showbiz at the time. There's a lot of other cuts on here with that same sort of storyteller vibe, and the whole thing's arranged and conducted by H.B. Barnum. Tracks include "Seven Days", "The Best Man", "The Son Of Hickory Holler's Tramp", "Main Street Mission", and "The House Next Door". LP

A great mix of classic covers and original tracks – all served up with a mellow groove and plenty of influence from Jamaican music! Years back, Soul Sugar were more of a jazzy funk combo – but over the years, they've evolved into more of a reggae/rocksteady mode – one that's a perfect setting for the Hammond, Fender Rhodes, and other keyboards handled by Guillaume Metenier – a player who solos strongly on the instrumental tracks, then steps back a bit more on the few vocal numbers that grace the set! One of those, a sweet remake of the Curtis Mayfield classic "The Makings Of You", is worth the price of admission alone – and other tracks include "Black Byrd", "Happy Riddim", "Just A Little Talk", "Fly Away", and "Tubby's Ghost". LP

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(Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Sunday, April 21. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Saturday, April 20. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on April 21 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP

A seminal early recording from one of our favorite reed players ever! In the late 1950s, the young Frank Strozier came up to Chicago from Memphis, along with his longtime friend, pianist Harold Mabern. The two of them both settled nicely in the city's MJT+3 combo, where they proceeded to record some incredible hardbop sessions for Vee Jay. During that same time, Strozier began to emerge as a strong soloist and a competent leader in his own right, and Vee Jay gave him a much-needed crack at this debut album. The session's a perfect showcase for Strozier's lyrical beauty, and given the quality of the work, it's a wonder he was never more famous. The group's a quintet, and Strozier's ably teamed with Booker Little, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb. Titles include "WK Blues", "Waltz Of The Demons", "Runnin", and "Off Shore". LP

60s issue of obscure 1953 recordings made by Joe Sullivan in San Francisco – mostly solo, but with some occasional drums and bass. LP

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A really unusual setting for the legendary T Bone Walker – one of those fantastic records he made while hanging out on the French scene in the late 60s and early 70s – a time when he was able to work in a crossroads of styles that really opened up his sound! That's definitely the case here – as although Walker is very much his strong self on guitar and vocals, he's backed by a wonderfully unusual group – one that features French jazz legend George Arvanitas on piano, delivering some surprisingly bluesy lines – and which also includes tenor sax from the great Hal Singer, another musician who was really able to bridge worlds on the Parisian scene! George's fantastic bassman Jacky Samson is at the core, helping the groove – and titles include "Leaving You Behind", "I Hate To See You Go", "Ain't That Cold Baby", "Late Blues", and "Someone Is Going To Mistreat You". LP

A well-chosen batch of material, recorded in Chicago – including Little Walter's last two recordings with Muddy Waters, plus material on his own, and more tracks from Howlin Wolf too! LP

Features music by Billy May. LP

Gritty and powerful grooves from The Yardbirds – a set that mixes bluesy guitars and psych in a pretty incredible way – all infused by excellent work from the young Jimmy Page, at a level that predicts course he's take with Led Zeppelin just a few years later! By the time of Little Games, the group are really hitting their stride – moving way past simple mod modes or garage grit, to find that sharp-edged sound that made the Yardbirds one of the best of their generation – and a huge influence on groups for years to come. The set was produced by Mickie Most – and titles include "Little Games", "Smile On Me", "White Summer", "Glimpses", "Drinking Muddy Water", "Little Soldier Boy", "Only The Black Rose", "No Excess Baggage", and "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor". LP

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A host of raw rockers that were originally served up as 7" singles – all blasting out together with a tremendous amount of power – as if you're enjoying a night with choice cuts all stacked up in the jukebox pictured on the cover! The set's way more than any sort of oldies collection – as the music here is heavy on guitars, and effortlessly moves between blasts of fuzz and cleaner lines – sometimes instrumental, sometimes vocal – all with a sense of urgency that's delivered in the short space of the few minutes that would fit on a vintage 45! Richard Hawley curated the set, but even if you're not hip to his name, you'll find plenty here to dig if you love rare cuts of this sort – and as usual, Ace did a superb job with the presentation, sound quality, and notes! Titles include "Neb's Tune" by Ahab & The Wailers, "Cuttin Out" by The Pirages, "Feels Like A Woman" by The Troggs, "Buzzzzz" by Jimmy Cordon, "Bawana Jinde" by Al Duncan, "Dead End (part 1)" by The Executioners, "Where You Gonna Go" by Art Guy, "Long Line Rider" by Bobby Darin, "It's Nothing To Me" by Sanford Clark, "Jungle Walk" by The Dyna Sores, "Nasty" by The Timekeepers, "Quasimoto" by The Road Runners, "Swinging Drums" by Ronny Kae, and "Honky" by The Ho-Dads. LP

A Chicago blues trifecta – and the first time ever that Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, and Little Waters ever worked together! The set's got a raw power that definitely lives up to the title – a wicked mix of raw guitars, rough rhythms, and some wonderfully soulful vocals – all served up in a style that has the modes of each different player stepping forth into the limelight from track to track, but with the others shouldering forth themselves to challenge the lead! The mix of Bo's twang and Muddy's grit is mighty nice – and Little Walter helps bring a soulful focus that really holds the whole thing together. Titles include "I'm A Man", "Who Do You Love", "Bo Diddley", "I Just Want To Make Love To You", "My Baby", "Long Distance Call", and "You Don't Love Me". LP

An excellent batch of soulful and funky instrumental tracks – super-dope 70s work from funky arranger Monk Higgins! The album grooves in the best blacksploitation soundtrack mode – as Monk plays tenor sax and organ in the set, over slinky stepping arrangements that feature Paul Humphrey on drums, and Freddy Robinson on guitars – all coming together with Monk in a sweet LA style of early 70s funk! The groove is funky, yet laidback at the same time – and with some soulful backing vocals behind the instrumentation on a number of cuts – really the perfect sort of approach for a hip crime or action soundtrack. Tracks include "Little Mama", "If", "Highway No 101", "Walking In My Sleep", "Can't Stop", and the classic "Black Fox"! LP

Anthony and crew were one of the few groups who actually got better when they moved from the raw indie scene to the slicker major label one – as you'll hear perfectly on this set of some of their best work for the Veep/DCP/United Artists label. Teddy Randazzo handled all the arrangments and production, and his breathy uptown style works perfectly with the band's soulful harmonies. Titles include "Hurt So Bad", "I'm On The Outside (Looking In)", "Our Song", "Get Out Of My Life", and "Going Out Of My Head". LP

A heady mix of fuzzy funk and psychedelic production – served up here as a duet between Little Barrie and Malcolm Catto! Catto's on drums, with the same rock-solid style that we've loved right since his Mo Wax days – and Barrie handles guitar and vocals – with that more pronounced lyrical mode that he's had in recent years, yet still all filtered down in the mix – thanks to some nicely trippy production from Catto in his Quatermass Soundlab! The whole thing's a great blend of psych and funk – on titles that include "You're Only You", "Repeater #2", "Rest In Blue", "TRABS", "Steel Drum", "After After", and "Repeater #1". LP

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Big blues from Little Milton, recorded with a mighty big sound as well – thanks to the cool criss-crossing of soul and blues that was going down at Chess Records in the 60s! Milton's got this raw, raspy style in his voice – a nasty edge that mixes perfectly with his own sharp guitar lines – and which gets an extra kick from the production and arrangements of Gene Barge, who still knows how to keep the core combo sound that makes the album cook! Sonny Thompson plays piano on most tracks, and Phil Upchurch adds in a second guitar at times – but the real star of the show is always Milton – shining more brightly here than on most of his later records! The album includes versions of "Please Please Please", "Have Mercy Baby", "Fever", "Sneakin Around", and "Reconsider Baby". LP

Titles include "Slippin & Slidin", "Rip It Up", "Lucille", "Jenny Jenny", "Good Golly Miss Molly", "Long Tall Sally", and "Keep A Knockin". LP

A much rootsier set than some of Little Richard's other work for Reprise Records – a record that almost goes back to the old days, but via the hipper styles of the early 70s! HB Barnum arranged and produced the set, but the groove is less funkier than some of Barnum's other work of the time – a bit more rockish in some of the rhythms and instrumentation, which is no surprise considering the title – with a nod back towards late 50s modes, but in that new-roots way that Warner was hitting with other artists of the period. Richard's vocals hold up very well in the setting – and apart from the original tunes "Green Power" and "King Of Rock & Roll", the album features versions of "Midnight Special", "Dancing In The Street", "Brown Sugar", and "Born On The Bayou". LP

Conducted by Shinichi Hasegawa. LP

A pretty nice little 2LP set – put together in the early 70s, and featuring material that Walter recorded for Chess during the 60s. As the title would imply, there's a lot of harmonica on the album – but Walter's vocals should also be given their due, as they're a bit more in the soul mode than some of his Chicago blues contemporaries. Titles include "Last Night", "My Babe", "Sad Hours", "Blues With Feeling", "Off The Wall", "Juke", "Mean Old World", "I Got To Go", "Shake Dancer", "Thunderbird", "Ah'W Baby", "Too Late", "Boom Boom Out Go The Lights", "You Better Watch Yourself", and "Blue Lights". LP

Easily one of the best of the Kenton Presents series on Capitol – and one of the few albums to ever focus on the genius talents of saxophonist Boots Mussulli! We'd put Boots in the same camp as Charlie Mariano in the 50s – on one hand a clear modernist, with a crisp and fresh tone, and a keen ear for interesting arrangements – but on the other hand, a player with an incredible amount of soul, and a tone that's far more personal than academic! This quartet session features Boots playing in New York, with west coasters Shelly Manne on drums and Max Bennett on bass, as well as pianist Ray Santisi to round out the group. Titles include "El Morocco", "Mutt & Jeff", "Tico Tico", and "Rubber Boots". LP

An excellent album of bluesy soul by Little Johnny Taylor – not to be confused with Johnnie Taylor, who later sang for Stax! This Johnny's got a style that's a bit bluesier, set up here in some nice larger arrangements that make the album feel like some of Bobby Blue Bland's best work for Duke back at the same time. Johnny's voice is incredible – much better than on his later records – and titles include "You're The One", "As Quick As I Can", "She Tried To Understand", "You Gotta Go On", "Part Time Love", and "Stay Sweet". LP

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A collection of different trumpet sides recorded by Bob Shad for the Time label – material recorded over the space of a decade, but all pretty darn great! Titles include "Clifford's Fantasy" and "The Boss Man" by Clifford Brown, "A Waltz" by Kenny Dorham, "Variations On The Scene" and "Gandolfo's Bounce" by Booker Little, and "Gunga Din" by Tommy Turrentine. LP

An excellent 2LP set that features material pulled from a number of Griffin's early albums for the Jazzland/Riverside label – including The Little Giant, The Kerry Dancers, Way Out, and The Johnny Griffin Sextet. The material is played by a number of groups – with musicians that include Donald Byrd, Pepper Adams, Kenny Drew, Wibur Ware, Blue Mitchell, Julian Priester, Barry Harris, and Sam Jones – but it's united by Griffin's souful approach to bop, and by a youthful energy that made him one of the most striking tenor soloists of his generation, despite a young age. Titles include "Catharsis", "Hot Sausage", "The Message", "Playmates", "63rd Street Theme", "The Kerry Dancers", and "Little John". LP

A smoking little set from Freddie Hubbard, recorded during his great back-to-basics years of the early 80s! The tracks here are all quite long, and informed by a strong sense of hardbop – but they also open up with some sharper, more modern moments at times – of the sort that keenly reflect Freddie's best roots during his early years at Blue Note. The other players here are all quite strong – especially well-matched for the energy of such a record – with Bobby Hutcherson on vibes and Joe Henderson on tenor, plus rhythm from Billy Childs on piano, Larry Klein on bass, and Steve Houghton on drums. The LP presents all tracks in long, unedited takes – titles that include "Birdlike", "The Intrepid Fox", and "Sky Dive". LP

Gladys Knight's last album for Motown subsidiary SOUL – a collection of work from a variety of different sessions, put together to compete with her shift to Buddah Records in the mid 70s! The set features a range of numbers, often in a mode that's a bit more uptempo and righteous than some of the mellower Gladys Knight work that was dominating her hits at the time – almost as if they'd been holding back on this stuff, to let her develop more of a southern soul ballad identity. Arrangements are by Paul Riser, David Van DePitte, and Robert White – and often show a bit of the growing 70s dancefloor sensibility creeping into Motown during the time. Gladys' vocals are still plenty real soul – soaring out over the tracks – and titles include "In The Middle Of The Road", "Come Together", "All I Need Is A Miracle", "Put A Little Love In Your Heart", and "Can You Give Me Love With A Guarantee". LP

Latimore's digging deeper, and sounding greater than ever – working at Muscle Shoals with some great Miami production from Steve Alaimo – and coming across with a sound that's even warmer and more sophisticated than before – yet still very true to its deep soul roots too! At a time when some of Latimore's contemporaries might have been heading for the disco, he keeps it real and focuses on the best mellow modes that always made him so great – particularly those which use keyboards next to his unique vocal approach. Heck, even the album's odd cover of "Tonight's The Night" sounds pretty darn great – although we're even more partial to the original tracks like "Out To Get Cha", "We Got To Hit It Off", and "Dig A Little Deeper" – as well as his sweet version of George Jackson's "Ain't Nothing Like A Sweet Woman's Love". LP

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A killer from trumpeter Booker Little – one of the last few records that Book cut before his early death, and one of his only ones as a leader! The album features an excellent soulbop quintet with Wynton Kelly and Tommy Flanagan on piano, Scott LaFaro on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – working with that dark, sharp edge that always seemed to characterize Little's sessions – kind of an added fire he always brought to the studio when working as a leader. Little's trumpet has some of those great modern tones he blew with Max Roach – and the album's got some great little tracks like "Bee Tees Minor Plea", "Opening Statement", "Minor Sweet", and "The Grand Valse". Excellent stuff all around – and a record that would have been bigger, had it been issued on a larger label! LP

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A mindblowing set from Little Richard – a stunning comeback session from the start of the 70s – recorded at Muscle Shoals with a heavy funk component in the mix! Richard arranged and produced the record himself – and it's a beautiful illustration of his genius – hardly dimmed at this point in his career, and if anything, really redefined for a new generation – with some razor-sharp grooves that are perfect for his hard-wailing vocals! The title cut – "The Rill Thing" – is a monster 10 minute instrumental jam, with a heavy funk sound that you can't even begin to imagine – and the rest of the set is pretty amazing too, with tracks that include "Spreadin' Natta What's The Matter", "Freedom Blues", "Two Time Loser", "Somebody Saw You", "Lovesick Blues", and "Greenwood Mississippi". LP

Tasty batch of funky blues tracks from Sonny – an artist who we normally don't like that much, but who sounds very sweet here, thanks to tight arrangements by The Bar-Kays, who back him up on the session! The record is a great mix of funky blues and Memphis soul – and includes the massive funky breakbeat track "Memphis B-K", plus "You Got A Good Thing", "They Want Money", and "Hung Up". LP

A well-titled set – as the album features some of the best early sides that Little Walter recorded for Chess – records that went on to set a whole new standard both in blues vocals and harmonica! There's tightness here that's a bit different from some of the other Chess blues at the time – a quality that's almost a be pre-soul at moments, despite the obvious blues bent of the set. The album features some great liner notes from Studs Terkel – really getting at the scene of which Walter was a part – and titles include "My Babe", "Sad Hours", "Can't Hold Out Much Longer", "Blues With A Feeling", "Juke", "Mean Old World", "Blue Lights", "You Better Watch Yourself", and "Tell Me Mamma". CD features 3 bonus tracks – alternates of "Last Night", "Juke", and "Off The Wall". LP

A comprehensive look at some great recordings from Little Walter – sides recorded for Chess Records from 1953 to 1963 – offering up a decade's worth of evolution in his style! But even at the start, Walter was better than most of his generation – a heck of a great harmonica player with a lean, clean sound that roared out with a nice sort of edge, and could almost be called a precursor to funk. His vocals are great too – bluesy, but with some slight gospel inflections too – a bit wider vocal range than some other bluesmen of the 50s, and almost a precursor to soul to come in the 60s. The album was done after Walter's untimely early death, and features some great notes on his career – plus titles that include "It Ain't Right", "Rocker", "Confessin The Blues", "I Got To Go", "Crazy Mixed Up World", "Temperature", "Crazy Legs", "Lights Out", "One More Chance With You", and "Rock Bottom". LP

A really nice batch of early 80s soul from Loose Ends – one of the best-remembered groups who were making strong soul music in Britain in the period – but who actually recorded this excellent first album at Philadelphia's Alpha Studios! Making the record in Philly was a wise decision – the sounds range from classic-level slow jams, to solid modern soul, to touches of electro – plus some more dancefloor-oriented groovers – coming across like work of deft scene veterans rather than a full length debut for the group! The songs were written by the band who, at that time, included Jane Eugene, Carl McIntosh and Steve Nichol – and titles include "Hangin On A String", "Choose Me", "Music Takes Me Higher", "Dial 999", "Tell Me What You Want", "A Little Spice", "So Much Love", and "Let's Rock". LP

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The first full album from the great Fred Neil – recorded for Elektra Records in the years before his underground fame on Capitol – and with a sound that's maybe a bit more bluesy overall, but in a very cool way! Fred's songwriting strengths are very much at play here – as almost all songs are originals – but there's also a tighter focus that compresses most numbers to the 2/3 minute range – instead of making them more of the wispier workouts of later years. The group's quite an interesting one – with on guitar and dobro from Pete Childs, bass from Felix Pappalardi, and harmonica from John Sebastian – all at a young point that has them bringing plenty of folk blues inflections to their performances, but in a way that's completely free of any hoke or cliche. Titles include "Travelin Shoes", "Water Is Wide", "Gone Again", "Candy Man", "Yonder Comes The Blues", and "Little Bit Of Rain". LP

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A record that's almost a back to basics effort for the Talking Heads – produced with maybe a bit more crossover appeal than some of their early records, yet one that also shakes off some of the larger funk, soul, and global instrumentation that was part of their sound in the early 80s! David Byrne is at his charming best here – delivering tunes that have that new sense of wonder at the world that really marked the second chapter of the group's career – almost as if he were emerging from the late 70s punk world to become some sort of much-needed Mr Rogers for the following decade! The whole thing is wonderfully tight and well-crafted – different than "Psycho Killer", but great in its own sort of maturing way – on titles that include "And She Was", "Road To Nowhere", "The Lady Don't Mind", plus "Television Man", "Perfect World", and "Creatures Of Love". LP

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There's nothing little about the talents of Roy Eldridge on the trumpet – as you'll hear in this hip set of tracks from the start of the 50s – material recorded in Paris with help from some great American sidemen! Half the tracks feature Roy's trumpet in a quintet with Zoot Sims on tenor, Dick Hyman on piano, Pierre Michelot on bass, and Ed Shaughnessy on drums – grooving in the relaxed, swing-based style that you'd expect from Eldridge's 50s work on Verve. Roy sings just a bit on the set – scatting alongside the lead vocals from Anita Love on a version of "It Don't Mean A Thing" – and singing a duet with Anita on the R&B-ish "Ain't No Flies On Me". Other tracks include "King David", "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams", and "The Man I Love". Remaining tracks are also from Paris in June of 1950 – and feature Gerry Wiggins on piano, Pierre Michelot on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – on instrumental tunes that include "Wild Driver", "Easter Parade", "If I Had You", "Nuts", and "Goliath Bounce". LP

Gil Evans plays some sweet electric piano – and leads a group with Terumasa Hino on trumpet, Lew Soloff on trumpet and piccolo trumpet, George Adams on tenor and flute, and Gerry Niewood on soprano sax and flute! LP

Four Christmas classics in one package – two from Verve, two from Chess Records! First up is the album Ella Fitzgerald Wishes You A Swinging Christmas – a wonderful Holiday album that's stayed fresh for years! Ella's got a perfect style to interpret these numbers – working with Frank DeVol and Russ Garcia in a set of lightly jazzy versions of Christmas favorites like "Sleigh Ride", "Jingle Bells", "Winter Wonderland", "White Christmas", "Frosty The Snowman", and one of the best versions of "What Are You Doing New Years Eve" ever recorded! The Sound Of Christmas album by Ramsey Lewis is a classic – and probably one of the best-selling Christmas jazz albums of all time! Ramsey and his classic trio with Redd Holt and Eldee Young serve up a tight set of grooves based around Holiday favorites like "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", "Winter Wonderland", "Here Comes Santa Claus", "The Christmas Song", and "Sleigh Ride" – and also carve out a few nice originals like "Christmas Blues" and "The Sound Of Christmas". Side one features the trio on its own, and side two features added arrangements by Riley Hampton – swirling around to expand the groove even more! Christmas 64 – also issued as Christmas Cookin – is as cookin a Christmas album as you'll ever find! Jazz organ giant Jimmy Smith works with Billy Byers to craft some sublime instrumentals that have his Hammond interpreting Christmas classics like "We Three Kings", "White Christmas", "Silent Night", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", and "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town". If you know Jimmy from the time, you know that he can really make tracks like these groove nicely – and take them to places you never expected! Last up is the album Have Yourself A Soulful Little Christmas, from guitarist Kenny Burrell – on which he grooves nicely and gently over arrangements by Richard Evans, perfectly crafted in that soul jazz mode of his 60s work for Chess – not Kenny's most challenging format, to be sure, but proof that he often works better in a more structured environment than a freer one. Titles include "Away In A Manger", "My Favorite Things", "Little Drummer Boy", "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", "Merry Christmas Baby", and "Go Where I Send Thee". LP

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