A stunning document of culture in and around the Texas scene of the postwar years – never-heard recordings done by blues enthusiast Robert Mack McCormick, who also photographed most of his subjects as well – a lost legacy that finally gets exposure to the world at large here in a big box set that includes both music and a big book that includes 128 pages of rare photos and other blues artifacts! The whole thing is like discovering a lost side room in the world of postwar field recordings of blues – material from the generation of similar projects by Alan Lomax, Chris Strachwitz, and George Mitchell, but which has never been tapped until now – brought out with a great level of care by the Smithsonian, who currently house McCormick's life's work. The package is almost worth it alone for the book – but you also get 3CDs with 68 tracks in all – music by Bongo Joe Coleman, Lightnin Hopkins, Hop Wilson, Jimmy Womack, Walter Britten, Buster Pickens, Andrew Everett, James Tisdom, Doc Webster, Mance Lipscomb, Leroy Country Johnson, RC Forest, Billy Bizor, and many others CD

Sampler tracks from Funkmaster Flex Mixtape Vol 3. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A stunning document of culture in and around the Texas scene of the postwar years – never-heard recordings done by blues enthusiast Robert Mack McCormick, who also photographed most of his subjects as well – a lost legacy that finally gets exposure to the world at large here in a big box set that includes both music and a big book that includes 128 pages of rare photos and other blues artifacts! The whole thing is like discovering a lost side room in the world of postwar field recordings of blues – material from the generation of similar projects by Alan Lomax, Chris Strachwitz, and George Mitchell, but which has never been tapped until now – brought out with a great level of care by the Smithsonian, who currently house McCormick's life's work. The package is almost worth it alone for the book – but you also get 6LPs with 68 tracks in all – music by Bongo Joe Coleman, Lightnin Hopkins, Hop Wilson, Jimmy Womack, Walter Britten, Buster Pickens, Andrew Everett, James Tisdom, Doc Webster, Mance Lipscomb, Leroy Country Johnson, RC Forest, Billy Bizor, and many others. LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Quite a popular live album from Ella – recorded in Berlin at the height of the cold war years – featuring a famous recording of "Mack The Knife" that almost blew away Bobby Darin's hit with the cut! The album's nicely free of some of the stodginess of some of Ella's Songbook albums from the same time – with light and jazzy backing by a group that includes Jim Hall, Paul Smith, Wilfred Middlebrooks, and Gus Johnson. Titles include "Mack The Knife", "How High The Moon", "Too Darn Hot", "Gone With The Wind", "Misty", and "Summertime". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Music from George Shearing, Eastern Rebellion featuring Cedar Walton, Anita O'Day & Paul Smith Trio, Terry Gibbs Quartet, Pillars Of West Coast Jazz and Les McCann. CD

Quite a popular live album from Ella – recorded in Berlin at the height of the cold war years – featuring a famous recording of "Mack The Knife" that almost blew away Bobby Darin's hit with the cut! The album's nicely free of some of the stodginess of some of Ella's Songbook albums from the same time – with light and jazzy backing by a group that includes Jim Hall, Paul Smith, Wilfred Middlebrooks, and Gus Johnson. Titles include "Mack The Knife", "How High The Moon", "Too Darn Hot", "Gone With The Wind", "Misty", and "Summertime". Features bonus tracks not on the original album! CD

Quite a popular live album from Ella – recorded in Berlin at the height of the cold war years – featuring a famous recording of "Mack The Knife" that almost blew away Bobby Darin's hit with the cut! The album's nicely free of some of the stodginess of some of Ella's Songbook albums from the same time – with light and jazzy backing by a group that includes Jim Hall, Paul Smith, Wilfred Middlebrooks, and Gus Johnson. Titles include "Mack The Knife", "How High The Moon", "Too Darn Hot", "Gone With The Wind", "Misty", and "Summertime". Features bonus tracks not on the original album! CD

One of the greatest moments ever from Willie Hutch – and one of the greatest blacksploitation soundtracks too! Willie really knocks it out of the park with this one – and sounds funkier and heavier than on all of his other studio albums – with a deep sound that really matches the legendary spirit of the film – which itself was one of the more gritty, down to earth movies of the genre! The film's virtually a handbook for junior grade hoods – one that had surprising pull over the years, especially with the first wave of 90s gangsta hip hop – and the record's filled with classics that have gotten plenty of play over the years because of that influence, but which sound even better here in their original context. Titles include "Brothers Gonna Work It Out", "Vampin", "Mack Man", "I Choose You", "Theme Of The Mack", "Mack's Stroll/The Getaway", and "Slick". CD

Not the first album from Too Short, but his first on a big label, and a set that undeniably set the tone for years of west coast hip hop to come! The record was a surprising Bay Area entry in a scene that was mostly rising up from LA – and although Too Short was always a bit more tied to his personal interest than a larger political stance, the overall approach definitely marks a certain spirit on the Cali scene! There's a nicely lean approach that sounds so great – drum machine beats, basslines, and the occasional cut or scratch – all the better to allow Too Short's street tales and profane rhymes pave the ground with singular power and charisma! Titles include "Freaky Tales", "Partytime", "You Know What I Mean", "Dope Fiend Beat", "Little Girls", "The Universal Mix", and "Playboy $hort II". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible look at an obscure Detroit soul label – a tiny little company, but home to some really great funk and soul! The Big Mack label ran somewhat sporadically through the 60s and into the early 70s – but during that time, it managed to cut some incredible tunes with a really unique feel – work that had a rougher edge than most of the Detroit soul on the bigger labels and indies – often with an earthy quality that's miles and miles from Motown! Label owner Ed McCoy had a great ear for male singers, instrumental combos, and vocal groups – but as the 60s rolled on, he also picked up a few hip female acts as well – and throughout the whole stretch, he had a way of producing a tune that we can only describe best as slightly messed up – a sound that's often slightly tripped up, oddly spacious, and which makes the elements of the music fall into each other with a crashingly intense kind of sound! Far from being a mess, this approach only seems to cook things up more – giving an edge to tracks that might have sounded more lackluster with conventional production – and further electrifying these obscure utterings from the Detroit underground. As with other Numero collections, the work here is wonderfully worth discovering – and presented with full notes, photos, and a history of the label. CD features 19 tracks that include "Bui Bui" by L Hollis & The Mackadoos, "Get It Right" by Soul President, "Crooked Woman" by Edd Henry, "Fever" by Essence, "If You Feel It" by Ms Tyree Sugar Jones, "The Feeling Is Mutual" by Manhattens, "I See Her Pretty Face" by The Grand Prix's, "Let's Give Our Love A Try" by Mae Young, "I'll Be On My Way" by Bob & Fred, "Mini Skirt" by The Sleepwalkers, "Monkey Time Shine" by L Hollis & The Mackadoos, "The Man Puts Sugar In My Soul" by Mae Young, "You Drive Me Crazy" by The Grand Prix's, "Got To Have It" by Soul President, and "Your Replacement Is Here" by Edd Henry. CD

Quite a popular live album from Ella – recorded in Berlin at the height of the cold war years – featuring a famous recording of "Mack The Knife" that almost blew away Bobby Darin's hit with the cut! The album's nicely free of some of the stodginess of some of Ella's Songbook albums from the same time – with light and jazzy backing by a group that includes Jim Hall, Paul Smith, Wilfred Middlebrooks, and Gus Johnson. Titles include "Mack The Knife", "How High The Moon", "Too Darn Hot", "Gone With The Wind", "Misty", and "Summertime". CD

Features Mulgrew Miller on piano, Orrin Evans on keys, Ron Blake on tenor sax, Andre Hayward on trombone, and Tia Fuller on alto sax and flute. CD

Bassist Christian McBride's always got a great ear for the players he chooses to work with – and that's definitely the case here, as the group features the great Warren Wolf on vibes and reedman Steve Wilson on both alto and soprano sax! Wilson and Wolf have this great way of balancing each other out – the sometimes-sharp edges of Steve's saxophones, and the inherent warmth of Warren's vibes – dancing together joyfully and really opening up the sound, in the company of other players who include Peter Martin on piano and Carl Allen on drums. As always, McBride proves to be a really special sort of bassist-as-leader – and titles include "Ms Angelou", "The Shade Of The Cedar Tree", "Fair Hope Theme", and "Gang Gang" – all nice and long! CD

... CD

A sublime debut from the up-and-coming Cecile McLorin Salvant – a fresh new jazz singer with really rich roots – and a vocalist who's equally at home with both contemporary styles, and modes from the earliest years of jazz! There's a really complex approach to this record – both stylistically and referentially – and Salvant wants to show right from the start that she's a force to be reckoned with – a singer who can resonate with the best of the contemporary jazz underground, yet one who's got a special attention to creative roots as well. The tunes are a really surprising blend of well-chosen nuggets and a few original numbers – and Cecile gets some killer backing from a creative quartet that features Aaron Diehl on piano and Rodney Whitaker on bass. Cecile's got a sound that's right up there with the best work by Dee Dee Bridgewater or Carmen Lundy in recent years – yet an approach that's definitely all her own as well! Titles include "Baby Have Pity On Me", "Woman Child", "Nobody", "Le Front Cache Sur Tes Genoux", "You Bring Out The Savage In Me", and "Deep Dark Blue". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from Herlin Riley – a drummer with plenty of New Orleans in his roots, but also a jazzman who never tries to hit you over the head with that legacy either! There's definitely a complexity in the rhythms that reflects Herlin's background – but the modes of expression are more contemporary, and more universal – as the songs feature some great criss-crossing between the trumpet of Bruce Harris and alto of Godwin Louis – the latter of whom might well be reason enough to check out the album! The horn lines are bold and soulful – and Riley gets great support from pianist Emmet Cohen and bassist Russell Hall – on titles that include "Perpetual Optimism", "Rush Hour", "Be There When I Get There", "Twelve's It", "Wings & Roots", and "Borders Without Lines". CD

Gerald Wilson conducts the extended suite "Monterey Moods" – group features Renee Rosnes, Antonio Hart, Kamasi Washington, Terell Stafford, Ronnie Cuver, Luis Bonilla, and special guest Hubert Laws on flute! CD

Brian Bromberg on bass and drums – with Doug Webb and Kirk Whalum on saxophone, Lee Thornberg and Arturo Sandoval on trumpet, Nick Lane on trombone, and others! CD

Erroll Garner at the start of the 60s – but still sounding wonderfully unique, and coming across with a timeless vibe that makes the record every bit as great as his classics from the 50s! The format is simple – just Garner on piano, with Eddie Calhoun on bass and Kelly Martin on drums – but the sound is sublime, and in that special Garner-like approach that nobody else could match – very rhythmic, with a gritty pulse at the core – yet topped with these explosive lines on the keys that all make complete sense – not showoffy pyrotechnics, but sublime lyrical lines that never fail to blow us away. Titles include "All Of Me", "No More Shadows", "You Do Something To Me", "The Best Things In Life Are Free", and "El Papa Grande" – a nice number with a bit of a Latin pulse! CD features the bonus track "Octave 103". CD

Garner grooves nicely here – finding an almost renewed energy for the 60s, but still hitting all those highly-rhythmic modes we love so much in his early work! The recording quality is great – lots of bold echo from the piano, and even a bit of Erroll's grunting vocalizations somewhere in the mix – kind of an extra added emphasis that sounds great next to the bass of Eddie Calhoun and drums of Kelly Martin. Titles include "Just One Of Those Things", "Blue Lou", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "Dreamstreet", and the groovy "Mambo Gotham" – an especially jaunty little number! CD

Erroll Garner's first album of the 70s – and a set that's a perfect demonstration of that way he could always groove, but with an edge! The first 30 seconds of the album have this sense of bold freedom that might make you think you've accidentally put on a record by Cecil Taylor – that way of stomping across the keys that Garner could do at his maddest moments, then find a way to make the whole thing groove – which he does often on the set, thanks to help from a variety of bassists and drummers, plus some killer congas from the mighty Jose Mangual – a touch that always seems to bring out the best in Erroll. Titles include "Mood Island", "For Once In My Life", "Paisley Eyes", "Not So Fast", "The Loving Touch", and "You Turned Me Around". CD

A surprisingly nice album from Erroll – recorded with an easily grooving, freshly soulful feel, one that's a bit like some of George Shearing's work for MPS at the time. The group's a great one – with Grady Tate on percussion, Bob Cranshaw on Fender bass, and Jose Mangual on congas – and they're augmented a bit by added organ and tambourine. The tracks include two nice swirling numbers by Erroll – "Nightwind" and "Mucho Gusto" – and the record's got a great cover of "They Long To Be Close To You" that has a warm little groove! CD

Beautifully intimate sounds from the great Cecile McLorin Salvant – a set that has the singer working with only piano or organ for accompaniment, but at a level that has her voice still flowing with marvelous ease! We've loved Cecile right from the start – but here, she maybe blows us away even more – doing a heck of a lot with just a little, managing to hit Betty Carter-like levels of expression and inflection with her vocals – while Sullivan Fortner plays piano on some tracks, organ on the others! The arrangements are wonderful – as inventive as Cecile's vocals – so that even if you think you know the tune, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Titles include "One Step Ahead", "Visions", "Somewhere", "Trouble Is A Man", "Were Thin That Special FAce", "Tell My Why", "The Peacocks", "J'Ai L'Cafard", and the original tune "A Clef". CD

A really wonderful under-discovered performance by Sun Ra & The Arkestra – a complete live set from 1984, presented here with really stunning fidelity! The package is a great antidote to some of the fuzzier Ra live sets on the market – as it's got the care that the Trost label has brought to their reissues of material by Peter Brotzmann and the FMP generation – with sound that's more than sensitive enough to capture some surprisingly great spare piano passages, as well as the full force of the Arkestra when they really get going. Sun Ra is still a tremendous force on the keys at this time – and delivers a lot of solos that are interspersed between larger, more structured songs – played with fire by a lineup that includes John Gilmore on tenor and clarinet, Marshall Allen on alto and flute, James Jackson on bassoon and infinity drum, and Danny Ray Thompson on baritone and flute. Titles include a number of "untitled improvisation" tracks – plus "Big John's Special", "Days Of Wine & Roses", "What's New", "Nuclear War", "East Of The Sun", "Yeah Man", "Mack The Knife", "Day Dream", and "Love In Outer Space". This great 4LP box set includes an insert card with notes and photos. Beautiful! LP, Vinyl record album

A whole new side of the talents of Sun Ra – especially if you only know the longer-style jams on some of his albums from the 60s and 70s! From the very start of his career, Ra was every bit as interested in issuing music on 45s as he was on albums – and in fact, at some of the more desperate times, the 7" single turned out to be a very affordable format to try out new ideas – including some great projects with other artists! The array of work presented here is stunning – as the set includes some very up-close and personal moments with Ra on record, plus some tight jazzy tracks from the Arkestra, surprising vocal group material designed to crack the R&B market, and some especially cool projects with other singers too. The package is put together with very detailed notes on all the singles – and while the bulk of this material comes from the key Arkestra years of the late 50s through the early 80s, there's also a few tracks from other dates too – including a handful of songs that were only issued as 45s in later years. This limited part 2 of the vinyl set features wonderful tracks from later years – including "The Blue Set", "Space Loneliness", "State Street", "Love In Outer Space", "Mayan Temple", "Quest", "Rough House Blues", "Journey To Saturn", "Blues On Planet Mars", "The Bridge", "Rocket #9", "The Perfect Man", "Outer Space Plateau", "Extensions", "Orbitration In Blue", "A Blue One", "Big City Blue", "I'm Gonna Unmask The Batman", "Saturn Moon", "Disco 2021", "Sometimes I'm Happy", "I Am The Instrument", "Cosmic Drama", "Nuclear War", "Hell #1", and "Cosmo-Extensions" – plus the tracks "Tell Her To Come On Home" and "I'm Making Believe" by Little Mack. LP, Vinyl record album

A great solo moment from Eugene Record – the singer who'd rose to fame with The Chi-Lites, and who still sounds pretty darn great here on his own! The album follows strongly from the best late styles of Record's previous group – and the tunes are a mix of ballads that Eugene could always do very well, and a few more contemporary groovers used to bring a modern soul vibe to the record! Eugene produced the whole thing himself, but gets great Chicago soul help on arrangements from Tom Tom 84 and James Mack – and some of he best cuts have that loping, midtempo groove that was always a perfect fit for Record's standout vocals. Titles include the great "Here Comes The Sun" and "Overdose Of Joy" – plus "Laying Beside You", "Trying To Watch The Wind", "Mother Of Love", "Love Don't Live By Sex Alone", and "Putting it Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly THE greatest Sonny Rollins album of the early years – or at least the one that has received the most accolades over the years! The record is a brilliant batch of quartet tracks that reinvents bop through Sonny's complicated, yet seemingly automatic solos – an excellent showcase for his razor-sharp talents for improvisation and invention, played with effortless ease, yet still one of the great bar-setting performances of 50s jazz. The group features Tommy Flanagan, Max Roach, and Doug Watkins – and tunes include an original reading of the perennial Rollins' standard "St. Thomas", plus a great version of "Moritat (Mack The Knife)", and the cuts "Strode Rode" and "Blue 7". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly THE greatest Sonny Rollins album of the early years – or at least the one that has received the most accolades over the years! The record is a brilliant batch of quartet tracks that reinvents bop through Sonny's complicated, yet seemingly automatic solos – an excellent showcase for his razor-sharp talents for improvisation and invention, played with effortless ease, yet still one of the great bar-setting performances of 50s jazz. The group features Tommy Flanagan, Max Roach, and Doug Watkins – and tunes include an original reading of the perennial Rollins' standard "St. Thomas", plus a great version of "Moritat (Mack The Knife)", and the cuts "Strode Rode" and "Blue 7". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly THE greatest Sonny Rollins album of the early years – or at least the one that has received the most accolades over the years! The record is a brilliant batch of quartet tracks that reinvents bop through Sonny's complicated, yet seemingly automatic solos – an excellent showcase for his razor-sharp talents for improvisation and invention, played with effortless ease, yet still one of the great bar-setting performances of 50s jazz. The group features Tommy Flanagan, Max Roach, and Doug Watkins – and tunes include an original reading of the perennial Rollins' standard "St. Thomas", plus a great version of "Moritat (Mack The Knife)", and the cuts "Strode Rode" and "Blue 7". CD

One of Jimmy's most classic albums for Blue Note – and a key example of why his solo skills on the organ surpassed most of his contemporaries! The record's got a stripped-down trio group of Jimmy, guitarist Quentin Warren, and drummer Donald Bailey – working through mostly familiar numbers, but taking them to places previously unheard of! The best example of this is the album's amazing version of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" – a classic groover that takes the old snoozer and pumps it up with a snapping rhythm, then features Jimmy really working the whole thing over with an incredible solo! A similar format's applied to numbers that include "Mack the Knife", "Night in Tunisia", "What's New", and "Makin Whoopee" – and the album soars with an easy groove that's every bit of Jimmy at his best! LP, Vinyl record album

There's no nostalgia here – as Akiko Tsuruga plays the Hammond B3, but in a way that's very fresh, and very much her own – using the instrument to create these bold blocks of color, which are then augmented by contributions from a mighty nice group of players! The horn work is especially great – and the record soars with the trumpet of Joe Magnarelli and tenor of Jerry Weldon – the latter of whom always seems to bring out something special on a date with an organ, balancing out Akiko's tone here in a really great way. Ed Cherry plays guitar, Byron Landham handles drums, and titles include the originals "Tiger", "Beyond Nostalgia", "Middle Of Somewhere", "Dancing Cats", and "Happy Blues" – plus versions of "Back Track" and "Mack The Knife". CD

A rare non-Blue Note 60s date as a leader from Stanley Turrentine – recorded for Impluse when his (then) wife Shirley Scott was contracted to the label – and featuring the talents of both players on some very groovy tracks! The quartet features both Stan's tenor and Shirley's Hammond – with bass by Ron Carter and drums from Mack Simpkins – all in an easy-going groove that recalls some of the best Turrentine/Scott pairings on Prestige! There's a quality here that's relaxed, but never lazy – professional, but never slick – and the album's great proof that although both players could be great on their own, they often sounded even better together at this point in their careers. The album features a cool version of "On a Clear Day", which Shirley always manages to kick into a nice groove – plus the tracks "Good Lookin Out", "Let It Go", "Sure As You're Born", "T'Aint What You Do", and "Ciao Ciao". CD

Includes music by the Mad Lads, Sir Mack Rice, Carla Thomas, the Charmels, Judy Clay, Eddie Floyd, Mable John, Booker T & the MGs, Willam Bell, Sam & Dave, Johnnie Taylor, and more – 27 tracks total. CD

A funky little collection, and one that's got way more going on than just the blues 45s mentioned in the title – as the cuts here include some great instrumentals and soulful work as well! We loved the previous volumes in this series, and this one is every bit as smoking – a mix of cuts we never would have put together ourselves, and which sound stunningly great together – pulled from a time when the worlds of blues, funk, and soul weren't as separate as they became in later years – when fans of a funky 45 would just reach out for anything that was good, greasy, and gritty. Titles include "Harmonica Boogie" by The Confiners, "Hotel Blues" by Eddie Boyd, "For Liz" by Andrew Brown, "All Nite (part 2)" by Big Eddie C Campbell, "You Better Cut That Out" by Eddie Burns, "Sting Ray" by Mack Johnson, "Sunny Side Of Love" by Raful Neal, "Down In The Chile" by The Wild Child, "Rock" by Chuck Higgins, "67 Blues" by Little Willie Pollard, and "You Don't Believe A Word I Say" by Big Daddy Simpson. CD

Music from Albert Collins, Big Twist & the Mellow Fellows, Koko Taylor, Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials, Littel Charlie & the Nightcats, Johnny Winter, Lonnie Brooks, Lonnie Mack, Professor Longhair, Buddy Guy & more. CD

Music from Johnnie Strickland, Jimmy Bowen, Billy & Don Hart, Johnny Rivers, Roc LaRue, Joe Tate, The Shades, Mack Vickery, Vince Maloy, Jimmy Lloyd, Bob Davies, Rock-A-Teens, and more - 36 tracks in all. CD