Vintage work from Mississippi John Hurt, but somehow amazingly clear and crisp in this classic LP presentation! The tunes are wonderfully earthy – just vocals and guitar from Hurt, in a style that's definitely blues, but which has some surprisingly jazzy inflections at times – at least from the perspective of older-style jazz. Titles include "Candy Man Blues", "Spike Driver Blues", "Big Leg Blues", "Ain't No Tellin", "Frankie", "Nobody's Dirty Business", and "Louis Collins". LP, Vinyl record album

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Rare recordings of delta blues legend Mississippi John Hurt – captured solo and beautifully well on 3 dates in late 1964, recorded by Gene Rosenthal – with Hurt's distinctive way of a somehow gentle melodic acoustic blues guitar sound, coming from hard-strummed and plucked strings as unvarnished and amazing as can be – and a way with vocals that's just as unique and wonderful! It's got the intimacy of the best field recordings, but the sound quality and John's voice and guitar are in such fine form here, it feels "big" despite being as raw and real as can be. Includes "Slidin' Delta", "Louis Collins", "Staggerlee", "Monday Mornin' Blues", "Comin' Home", "Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor", "You Can't Come In", "Joe Turner", "Lonesome Am I", "Trouble Blues", "Nobody's Dirty Business", "Lovin' Spoonful", "Worried Blues" and "Avalon Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

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A bigger step into a piano led jazzy style from Allen Toussaint – grooving in a timeless Crescent City influenced sound – a wonderful record, one we'll go back to for years to come! Allen's been a huge part of the New Orleans musical landscape for many, many years, and it's not a stretch to imagine he's had the laidback, but evocative jazz of the territory in his blood for just as long – so it's a wonder that he hasn't made a record like this before now. There's nothing cliche or cheesy in Allen's work here, which has kind of an after hours vibe that suits it well, and he's put together an outstanding group of players. Marc Ribot is on guitar, Don Byron on clarinet, Nicholas Payton on trumpet, David Piltch on upright bass, Jay Bellarose on drums, and guests Joshua Redman on tenor sax and Brad Mehldau on piano. Titles include "Egyptian Fantasy", "Dear Old Southland", "St James Infirmary", "Singin' The Blues", "Winin' The Blues", West End Blues", "Blue Drag", "Bright Mississippi", "Day Dream", "Solitude" and more. CD

BB King hips up his groove a bit here – picking up some of the crossover soul and rock touches used by contemporaries over at Chess/Cadet, and expanding his sound with a range of guests that include Leon Russell, Joe Walsh, and Carole King! Despite the presence of these bigger names, the set's very much in BB's own spirit – mostly focused on his vocals and guitar work, and still mostly including original compositions. A few tunes get nice and funky on the rhythms, although still very much in a blues-based way – and Jimmie Haskell contributes a few larger arrangements from time to time. Titles include "King's Special", "Until I'm Dead & Cold", "You're Still My Woman", "Hummingbird", "Go Underground", and "Chains & Things". LP, Vinyl record album

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An album recorded in the Netherlands, but a set that hits right to the heart of RL Burnside's Mississippi roots – thanks to a beautifully spare, careful presentation of the music! Most numbers feature just Burnside on vocals and guitar – with a vibe that's similar to the field recordings that first introduced the world to his talents – those delta-raised styles that have an immediate tie back to the early years of blues on 78rpm discs, especially in this session – where RL seems to almost be reaching back further than the style of some of his other recordings of the same period. Titles include "Skinny Woman", "See What My Buddy Done", "Shake Em On Down", "Don't Care How Long You're Gone", "Jumper On The Line", "Long Haired Doney", and "Greyhound Bus Station". LP, Vinyl record album

A great mix of vintage and later work from Abner Jay – a unique one man band in the best rural blues tradition of the south – and who, like some of the best, doesn't ever use his multi-instrument talent as a gimmick! Instead, Jay works here in a mode that's like a stripped-down combo, providing vocals with his own guitar, harmonica, and rudimentary percussive elements – used to emphasize the already-rhythmic modes of his performance, in ways that also give a nice punch to his vocals! The package brings together material recorded by Jay in his home in the 60s and 70s, plus other tracks recorded in the early 90s – all with a very unified vibe – and titles include "Love Wheel", "I Cried", "Cocaine Blues", "Too Poor To Live Too Poor To Die", "Ole Black Joe", "I'm So Depressed", and "The Royal Path". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully folksy work from pre-war Greece – a series of 78s from Constantinos Bezos, not only a musician, but also a journalist and actor too – and reportedly one with a very political wit! That wit comes through in the title of the collection – but might not in the lyrics to all the tunes, unless you understand Greek – but that's more than OK, because the guitar work is equally wonderful – often on this steel-stringed version that has a very resonant quality, and which rings out in these cyclical ways that are really beautiful – almost prefacing a Robbie Basho sort of style, and played in ways that perhaps are linked to other Greek stringed instruments. The package features a very hefty booklet of notes – and the translations of the song titles get at the spirit of the record – and include "A School Was Burned", "Yannis The Hash Smoker", "I Became Thin", "You Were Barefoot", and "The Jail's A Fine School". LP, Vinyl record album

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A deep soul treasure! You've probably never heard of the team of Eddie & Ernie, but they've risen to fame over the years with collectors of rare 60s soul – and have recently been immortalized on volumes of Dave Godin's Deep Soul Treasures, one of the most important soul compilation series to come out in the past few decades! In fact, Eddie & Ernie were so "lost" for years, this album marks their first-ever full length set on vinyl – long overdue, given that they were recording in the 60s and early 70s – both as Eddie and Ernie, and under the names Phoenix Express, The New Bloods, and Little Worley & The Drops. The duo have a brilliant blend of deep and sweet soul that makes us wonder why these guys were never bigger than they were – and think of the set as the same as finding a stash of some of the best 60s soul singles you could hope to hear. Titles include "Bullets Don't Have Eyes", "Lost Friends", "I'm A Young Man", "I'm Going For Myself", "Watch Your Step", "Self Service", "Falling Tears", "That's The Way It Is", "Time Waits For No One", and "Why Do You Treat Me Like You Do". LP, Vinyl record album

Global music of indeterminate origin, but indisputable beauty from Mississippi Records – from otherworldly vocals-only tunes, to lovely and lush arrangements – strains of calypso, Thai balladry, rural American yodeling, Hawaiian ukulele tunes, and beyond! There's no notes, but the mysteriousness is part of the allure! Includes "El Amanecer" by Roberto Y Su Orquesta Tipica, "Kuu Lei" by George Ku Trio, "The Arizona Yodeller" by The Dezurik Sisters, "Honey In The Rock" by Blind Mamie Forehand, "Oay Lahy E" by Hiran Ny Tanoran Ny Ntao Lo and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The first ever recordings of Mississippi Fred McDowell – the legendary Alan Lomax Recordings – recorded in Como, Mississippi in September of 1959! It includes songs that would be part of his canon for the rest of his career, mostly just his voice and guitar in raw, beautiful, soul-shaking form. He's got some vocal accompaniment "When The Train Comes Along", plus Fanny Davis on the comb on a couple tunes and a second guitar by Miles Pratcher on a few. Perfection! Includes "Shake 'Em On Down", "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl", "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning", "Drop Down Mama", "Going Down The River", "Worried Mind Blues", "When The Train Comes Along" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful set of work that shows the more intimate side of composer Arvo Part – not his larger projects or vocal material – but instead a series of contemplative sonatas that feature piano, violin, or cello – or some combination of both! The performances here are handled by Alexi Lubimov, Vadim Gluzman, Jurgen Krus, Angela Yoffe, and Sebastian Klinger – and the recording quality is great – with a nice sense of room that makes some of the notes echo out in space and really increase the melancholy element in the music, especially on some of the piano passages. Titles include "Speigel Im Spiegel", "Fur Alina", "Fratres", and "Variationen Zur Gesundung Von Arinushka". LP, Vinyl record album

The mighty Alan Lomax has maybe done more to document rural American music in the 20th century than anyone else – most famously for a midcentury series of recordings for the Library Of Congress and Folkways Records, which established Lomax as having an incredible ear for lesser-heard sounds in the hinterland of the US! Here, Lomax returns to that role with the important American Patchwork project in the late 70s and early 80s – recordings that were not initially his idea, but which revived his talents in a tremendous way, to document a rich array of blues and rural musicians who were still out there, working far from the spotlight, the radio, and the record labels – even in an era of greater mass communication. The scope of the sounds here is wonderful – every bit as rich and important as earlier Lomax projects – and the package features 24 field recordings, by artists who include Joe Savage, Sheila Kay Adams, Janette & Joe Carter, Boyd & Ruth May Rivers, Clyde Maxwell, Vaughn Eller, Dennis McGee, Holly Springs Sacred Harp Singers, Napoleon Strickland, Moving Star Hall Singers, Ray Hicks, Nimrod Workman, Canray Fontenot, and RL Burnside – the last of whom might well be the only person here who got more exposure in later years. LP, Vinyl record album

Folk soul guitar player, singer, songwriter, storyteller and genuine character Abner Jay's brilliant home recordings – the first release of his "terrible comedy blues" in far too long – courtesy of the always deep digging Mississippi label! Abner takes on the topical issues of the days with a skewed sensibility that's brilliant, and his singing, the performances and the recording quality aren't really as rough and raw as you might expect, though nowhere even close to manicured and clean sound – it's just right really for the material. Great stuff! Titles include "I'm So Depressed", "Cocaine", "Vietnam", "St James Infirmary Blues", "Cleo", "Woke Up This Morning", "Don't Mess With My Baby", "I'm Georgia Bound" and "The Reason Young People Use Drugs". LP, Vinyl record album

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, Vinyl record album

Really wonderful sounds from the enigmatic Space Lady – an artist who mostly performed on the streets of Boston and San Francisco in the 70s, but who also managed to make the handful of recordings featured in this set! The tunes are wonderfully spare, and surprisingly beautiful – often just Casio keyboards with bits of electronic processing, which is also extended to the vocals as well – which links the keys and lyrics in this spacey style that's completely sublime! At some level, Space Lady feels a bit like a street corner version of Laurie Anderson (who herself played many corners in the early years) – but there's also a more tuneful and naive approach to the music as well, which gives the whole thing a really unique approach. LP, Vinyl record album

Rare material from Georgia singer Brother Theotis Taylor – one of those unique southern talents who work in a stripped-down mode that's equal parts gospel and blues – maybe more blues in structure, but definitely with a deeper spirit in the message! Taylor only issued a handful of singles on the Pitch label in the 70s, and this set mixes two of those rare tracks with home recordings from around the same time – making for a nice peek into the most intimate corners of his music, as Theotis sings with a fantastic voice, and also accompanies himself on the piano. Titles include "I Have A Friend", "Stand By Me", "Thank You For The Sunshine", "Burden Away", "If I Could Just Hold Out Til Tomorrow", "Swing Low Sweet Chariot", and "Somebody's Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

Raw sounds from the American underground – a great set of twang-heavy tracks from obscure 45s – most of them with a unique blend of rock and country styles! There's lots of the spirit here of Johnny Burnette – and a few artists actually seem to pay him tribute with their work – but most of the recordings have a rougher style too, with some especially great echoey production on the guitars! Titles include "Willie Joe" by Mystery Trio, "Dark Mood" by Bartlett Brothers & The Country Paupers, "Still As The Night" by Clint Blacklaw, "Kentucky Fandango" by JP Dunn, "Misery" by Jacky Lee, "A Woman's Mind" by Jimmy Merrill, "Ghost Train" by Electro Tones, and "If You Love Me" by Johnny Fortune. LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful sounds from Tanzanian guitarist Frank Humplick – who plays here alongside vocal harmonies from his two sisters – in a mode that's almost like a East African cross between The Carter Family and Andy & The Bey Sisters! The vibe is different, of course – as the raw guitar lines dominate the sound more strongly, and are offset by the warmer harmonies of the sisters – while Frank sometimes delivers a lead vocal with a style that's a bit more rough around the edges, but no less charming! The package is a great overview of these vintage sounds, in the best Mississippi style – and titles include "Shida", "Tuwe Sawa", "Beba Jive", "Nakusalimu", "Kafo Mshiki", "Mwanangu Lala", and "Sharu Shechisia". LP, Vinyl record album

Astonishing work from Alexis Zoumbas – a Greek musician from the early days of the 78rpm recording, and one who plays violin with the dexterity of Paganini, but in ways that are much more rootsy and fokloric overall! Zoumbas' classic 78s have recently gotten new attention on an excellent compilation – but this set brings together unissued material from the same time – a huge undertaking, given that the recordings are almost 100 years old, but come through with a surprising amount of life here – as Alexis' deft solos on his instrument blend with a bit of percussion, piano, or other instrumentation – depending on the track – all with a timeless vibe that's expanded on nicely in the detailed booklet of notes and photos. Titles include "Selfo", "Arvanitikos", "Skizo Rizo Mor Panaghio", "Epirotiko Moiroloi", "Tsamiko Makedonias", and "Rast Taxim". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work from Ted Nugent – working here as the searing lead guitarist of the mighty Amboy Dukes! The Nuge doesn't sing on the set, but his guitar is definitely in the spotlight on most numbers – ripping out with a rawness that beats his later superstar work, and which is free to freak out nicely in this set of psyche-heavy sounds from the Mainstream label at the height of their late 60s greatness. Side one features a number of shorter Nugent-penned tunes, and side two is a slightly more complicated offering – a bit of a concept piece, with tracks that form a story over the side of the record. Titles include "Flight Of The Byrd", "Mississippi Murderer", "Dr Slingshot", "Scottish Tea", "I'll Prove I'm Right", "Conclusion", "Why Is A Carrot More Orange Than An Orange", and "Ivory Castles". LP, Vinyl record album

A great album of southern soul tracks – oddly placed on the Chelsea label, which mostly did disco and pop soul records at the time – but who come through strong for Charles, making the record sparkle like some indie effort from below the Mason/Dixon line! Senator Jones did the production for the record, and Brimmer wrote most of the tracks – and the overall feel is in a warm deep soul mode, similar to some of the more sophisticated work coming out of Muscle Shoals a few years before, or the Jackson, Mississippi sound that was just beginning to take root. Titles include "Music Is Funky (Is It Alright)", "Love Me In Your Own Way", "Just Another Morning", and "God Bless Our Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A late triumph for Dylan, and solidly delivering on the promise of his return to excellence on Time Out Of Mind a few years earlier – setting foot into the new millennium by hitting even higher point in a pretty incredible comeback period! Dylan produces himself here, credited as Jack Frost, and he and his road tested band bring the varied rootsy vibe of his latter day sound to the forefront after the moodier, murkier vibe of the previous record. A genuine classic, with songs Dylan kept in his live setlist for many years to come – clearly the man himself is proud of this one, and rightfully so. Titles include "Tweedle Dee & Teedle Dum", "Mississippi", "Summer Days", "High Water (For Charley Patton)", "Honest With Me", "Po'Boy", "Cry A While", "Sugar Baby" and more. CD

A mighty sweet album of steel guitar instrumentals – a special Elektra Records session that features five of the greatest talents on the instrument at the start of the 70s – both longtime stalwarts, and key up-and-comers! Sneaky Pete Kleinow joins here with Buddy Emmons, Jay Dee Maness, Red Rhodes, and Rusty Young as a fantastic quintet of string-bending talents – all working with help from a small backup combo – and each getting a turn in the lead from track to track. The differences in tone and phrasing are great, and really come through over the course of the set – which has a vibe that's much hipper than the usual country instrumental albums of the period! Titles include "Yesterday", "Sunshine Of Your Love", "Down On The Corner", "Everybody's Talkin", "Blackbird", "Wichita Lineman", "Muddy Mississippi Line", "Turn Any Corner", and "Prodigal". CD

Not the kind of calypso that was issued by the big American labels in the 50s – and instead, sounds that have a sound, style, and overall approach that's maybe a lot more similar to American blues from the rural scene! The tracks here are all pulled from the personal archive of Walter Gavitt Ferguson – recorded mostly at his home, on cassette, over the space of many years in which Ferguson was growing in international fame, even while never leaving the space of his island. Recording quality is nice and raw – of the sort you'd be more likely to hear from rural Mississippi or Georgia bluesmen in some 60s ethnographic project – and the guitar phrasing is as biting as Walter's delivery of the lyrics. Titles on this second volume include "Not A Pugilist", "Roberto Tour", "You Cannot Bathe A Puss", "Hoorah For Paula", "Lock Me Up Neighbour", "One Pants Tearing Off", "Gal Must Be Take Me For A Fool", and "All Going Up To Glory". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime album from the great Bobbie Gentry – and maybe her strongest full-length set recorded during the classic Capitol years! The title's "sweete" is a hillbilly play on the word "suite" – and the album definitely works as an extended suite of tracks – almost a concept album, and one that mixes lots of Bobbie's own tunes with a few well-chosen covers – all set to larger arrangements that feature strings from Jimmie Haskell and horns directed by Shorty Rogers – all while Gentry leads the combo at the core! Later Capitol albums had Gentry doing a lot of covers, and maybe losing her identity a bit – but this set is more of an expansion on the mode she brought to the "Billie Joe" single – with tracks that include "Reunion", "Mornin Glory", "Sermon", "Penduli Pendulum", "Jessye Lisabeth", "Courtyard", "Okolona River Bottom Band", and "Refractions". 2LP version features a brand new stereo mix from the original tapes – plus bonus tracks that include demos of "Mornin Glory", "Sermon", "Jessye Lisabeth", "Louisiana Man", "Refractions", "The Way I Do", and "Feelin Good" – plus an instrumental of "Okolona River Bottom Band", and an alternate take of "Mississippi Delta". LP, Vinyl record album

Three full albums from Juicy Lucy – plus bonus tracks too! First up is the self-titled debut from Juicy Lucy – an American act who made a trip to the London scene in the late 60s, where they found a way to forge a whole bunch of influences into a very unique groove! Had they stayed back home in Cali, Juicy Lucy might have gravitated towards the Bay Area scene, and ended up sounding a bit freakier and hippieish – but in London, they sharpened their sound, unleashed some deeper bluesy currents, and put the whole thing together with a mix of wit and flair that really set them apart! The group boasts great lead vocals from Ray Owen, a cool mix of electric and acoustic sax parts from Chris Mercer, strong lead guitar from Neil Hubbard, and a range of great sounds from Glenn Ross Campbell – who uses steel guitar and mandolin in ways that are very different than American groups of the time. Forgive the album its quickly-dated, exploitative cover – because it's got a lot more to offer than that – and titles include "Chicago Northwestern", "Train", "Nadine", "Mississippi Woman", "She's Mine She's Yours", and "Just One Time". Lie Back & Enjoy It is hard and heavy work from Juicy Lucy – a group who are even stronger here on this second set than on their debut – effortlessly spinning out lines that are very much in the best hard rock modes of the period, but which also retain some nice bluesy influences as well! The group's a sextet – and in addition to some very unique vocals from singer Paul Williams, who also plays piano and congas, the set also has some surprisingly nice use of steel guitar and mandolin, but never in ways that sound like the instruments might in the handling of some of the Cali crowd at the time. Lead guitar is from Mick Moody, sax and keyboard lines are from Chris Mercer, and titles include "Pretty Woman", "Built For Comfort", "Whisky In My Jar", "Hello LA Bye Bye Birmingham", "Thinking Of My Life", and "Willie The Pimp". For Get A Whiff Of This, the title's a bit of a joke, especially in relation to the cover – but Juicy Lucy come on strong here, with a searing sound that shows that they're way past the novelty of the image on the front! Over the course of the previous records, the group really honed their unique blend of American blues and Brit hard rock inspiration – very well-focused here, with a sound that paves the way for some of the bigger crossover acts that would soon dominate American radio in the mid 70s – something the group unfortunately never got the chance to do. Titles include "Mr Skin", "Midnight Rider", "Mr A Jones", "Sunday Morning", and "Jessica". 2CD set features the bonus b-side tracks "Walking Down The Highway" and "I Am A Thief". CD

Some of the deepest soul to ever come from a Detroit label – a great run of singles cut by Denise LaSalle for the Westbound label – all of them pretty darn wonderful! Denise has roots that start in Mississippi, and she spent plenty of time in Chicago – so by the time she hit Westbound, she had a great interstate approach that really pulled some great styles together! In a way, these sides were crucial in helping push southern soul forward in the 70s – not just in the production, which was tight, but never too smooth – and which helped give her bluesy inflections a hip, modern sort of mode – one that was often well-suited to the subtle gender politics of the tracks too. Ace did a great job with this smoking set – and not only includes all the key singles, both a-sides and b-sides – but even throws in some great notes, and a few rare radio spots too! Titles include "Do Me Right", "Man Sized Job", "Trapped By A Thing Called Love", "Keep It Coming", "Here I Am Again", "My Brand On You", "What Am I Doing Wrong", "Don't Nobody Live Here", and "Your Man & Your Best Friend". CD

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". Includes 6 bonus tracks – "Open Up The Red Sea", "Still Miss Liza Jane", "In The Name (version 2)", "Why Don't You Love Me", and the instrumentals "Mississippi" and "Settin The Wods On Fire". CD

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". Includes four bonus tracks – "Shake A Hand", "I Saw Her Standing There (radio edit)", and two cool "radio spot" tracks! CD

Raw North Mississippi blues from Fred McDowell – some of best of the 60s – or any other era! Recorded on portable equipment in 1964 and 1965 sessions in Como and Holy Springs, MS and Berkeley, CA – and capturing the buzz of his guitar and grain in his voice so beautifully! A couple tracks feature a second guitar, and just one has additional voices, allowing McDowell to hook you on his own – and he doesn't let go. Fantastic stuff. Includes "I Ain't Gonna Be Bad No More", "Where Were You", "Do My Baby Ever Think Of Me", "Bull Dog Blues", "Red Cross Store Blues", "You Got To Move", "I Wish I Was In Heaven Sittin Down", "Frisco Lines", "I Looked At The Sun" and more. 12 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of prime Columbia-era Monk – captured here in a live setting with Charlie Rouse, Larry Gales, and Ben Riley. This two disc set features loads of previously unreleased material and offers a great snapshot on this important group. Tracks include "Don't Blame Me", "Evidence", "Epistrophy", "Bright Mississippi", "Nutty", "Straight, No Chaser", "Hackensack", and "Misterioso" – 26 tracks total. CD

A rare set issued on a tiny label from Arkansas – but a set that's got all the charm, poise, and sparkle of some of the best deep soul on late 70s Columbia Records! Stuckey's got a touch of southern soul in his voice, with a sweet cracking sound – and that honest approach is mixed with some warmer modern soul arrangements – a bit like the style of some of the best Tyrone Davis or Johnnie Taylor records from the time! The blend of southern and modern is wonderful – and handled with a sense of care that really makes you think that the whole thing was done at one of the best studios out on the coast – rather than some tiny outpost west of the Mississippi. A great record – one of those cases where the rarity is matched by the quality – on titles that include "I've Got Plans For You", "Love Of Mine", "If You Want To", "Hold Me Close", and "The First Time". Also features the previously unissued "Just Around The Corner". CD

A rare set issued on a tiny label from Arkansas – but a set that's got all the charm, poise, and sparkle of some of the best deep soul on late 70s Columbia Records! Stuckey's got a touch of southern soul in his voice, with a sweet cracking sound – and that honest approach is mixed with some warmer modern soul arrangements – a bit like the style of some of the best Tyrone Davis or Johnnie Taylor records from the time! The blend of southern and modern is wonderful – and handled with a sense of care that really makes you think that the whole thing was done at one of the best studios out on the coast – rather than some tiny outpost west of the Mississippi. A great record – one of those cases where the rarity is matched by the quality – on titles that include "I've Got Plans For You", "Love Of Mine", "If You Want To", "Hold Me Close", and "The First Time". Also features the previously unissued "Just Around The Corner". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool collection of early work by Irma Thomas – some of the best tracks from her initial years on the Crescent City scene! Most of the numbers were written by Allen Toussaint, with a sound that certainly indicates his influence – and Irma's vocals have a crackling quality that's pretty darn great, even amidst some of the fuller sweetness of the backings. The album's a bit short on notes, but has plenty to offer in the way of music – and titles include "Two Winters Long", "Somebody Told You", "Cry On", "Gone", "Look Up", "I Done Got Over It", "It's Raining", and "Ruler Of My Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of classic CTI Records albums from tenorist Stanley Turrentine – with bonus tracks too! First up is Cherry – one of the best CTI albums from the early 70s – and one of Stanley Turrentine's funkiest records as well! The album's got a sharper edge than most other Turrentine albums of the time – a quality that goes beyond Stan's already soulful approach to the tenor, and which brings in some tight changes and more pronounced rhythms that really give the best cuts a great groove! The group's a sextet – with Bob James on electric piano, Milt Jackson on vibes, Cornell Dupree on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, and Billy Cobham on drums – and titles include a monster version of Weldon Irvine's "Sister Sanctified" – a great funk tune that's probably best known as the sample for "My Philosophy" by BDP! Other tracks include "Speedball", "Cherry", and "The Revs". On Don't Mess With Mister T, Stanley Turrentine meets Bob James – on a record that's one of the 70s classics on CTI! Bob James handles the arrangements – with that laidback, mellowfunky approach to jazz that he helped pioneer at the time – lots of modal chords in the rhythms, and these wonderfully soulful solos by the great Stan himself! James plays keyboards on the set – and Harold Mabern adds some piano too – and the lineup also includes the mighty Eric Gale on guitar, and Idris Muhammad on drums. Titles include the great title cut – a remake of Marvin Gaye's "Don't Mess With Mister T", plus "Too Blue", "Two For T", and "I Could Never Repay Your Love". Sugar Man is a classic set from Stanley "Sugar Man" Turrentine – a nickname the reedman had at the time, given the success of his famous CTI Records version of "Sugar"! This set follows in that same great mode – jazzy, but a bit funky too – although couched with this gentle sense of soul that's perfect for that spacious style of soloing that Turrentine perfected over the years – a way of blowing openly, and without too much fuss – but managing to hit all the right notes along the way! There's a great glow to the whole record – an excellent easygoing sense of soul – and titles include an incredible reading of "Vera Cruz", done with Deodato on piano, and at a breakaway speed that's just great, and worth the price of the record alone! Other tracks feature piano by Harold Mabern or organ by Butch Cornell – and titles include "The Stretch", "Just As I Am", and "Pieces Of Dreams". Bonus tracks include "The More I See You", "Don't Mess With Mister T (alt)", "Mississippi City", and "Harlem Dawn". CD

Really great material from Tony Joe White – a never-issued live album recorded during his early 70s stretch at Warner Brothers – done with a raw, stripped-down vibe that offers up an even grittier take on the territory of his early albums for Monument Records! The group is pretty small on the set, and Tony's mostly playing acoustic guitar – and singing in a way that's every bit as earthy and swampy as before, but much more personal too – kind of like we're getting a chance to see a side of his personality that he'd sometimes keep hidden. Titles include "Mississippi River", "Rainy Night In Georgia", "Roosevelt & Ira Lee", "That On The Road Look", "My Kind Of Woman", "Willie & Laura Mae Jones", and a 10 minute take on "Polk Salad Annie". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard grooving late 60s blues rock from the great Johnny Winter! Winter's guitar sounds as great here as it does in some of his better known records. The self-titled set is one of Winter's most straight-forwardly bluesy sets, and titles include "I'm Yours And I'm Hers", "Dallas", "Leland Mississippi Blues", "Back Door Friend" and more. CD

Features tracks by Mama Yancey, Little Brother Montgomery, Henry Benson, and Mississippi Sheik – all recorded in Chicago in 1961! CD

A nice collection of work from Alabama – a state that sometimes gets short shrift in song, next to bigger neighbors Tennessee and Mississippi – but which has a surprisingly big legacy in this collection of songs! Like other excellent titles in this Bear Family postcard series, the work here is heavy on country, but also includes some other mid century styles too – and while not all the artists may have roots in Alabama, they certainly do a great job of singing its praises in song! 25 tracks in all – and titles include "Montgomery Alabama" by Hank Davis, "Big Daddy's Alabama Bound" by John D Loudermilk, "Birmingham Jail" by Slim Whitman, "Alabama Jubilee" by Red Foley, "Alabam" by Cowboy Copas, "Birmingham" by Ella Mae Morse, "Down In Old Alabama" by Rex Griffin, "Alabama" by The Louvin Brothers, and "Alabama Jail House" by Rod Morris. CD