Al Green and Willie Mitchell return for another soul treasure – delivering on the promise of 2003's wonderful I Can't Stop as strongly as we could have hoped for! This one may be credited to The Reverend Al Green rather than just Al Green – but that's the biggest difference between this album and its predecessor. Once again, it's hard to imagine another legend of the late 60s through the 70s jumping back in the ring with such magnificent results as The Reverend – and his partner Willie Mitchell brings his best, too! Every note Al hits resonates warmth and joy, and Willie Mitchell's production is on fire. Everything's OK, indeed! Tracks include "Everything's OK", a great Memphis soul version of "You Are So Beautiful", "Perfect To Me", "Real Love", "I Can Make Music", "Magic Road", "I Wanna Hold You", "All The Time" and more. CD

A groovy 60s session from vibist Cal Tjader – and an excellent little Latin set, with a mixture of bossa nova and Latin jazz that goes way beyond the promise of the title! The great Clare Fischer arranged the set – and if you know his work with Cal, you know that he's got a wonderful approach to jazz that works perfectly with Tjader's unique phrasing – a spacious sensibility, and a great sense of timing – one that always ensures the tunes sparkle with a sweetly stepping groove. Fischer plays piano on the record – and other players include Laurindo Almeida on guitar, Paul Horn on reeds, Johnny Rae on timbales, and Milt Holland on percussion. Titles include "Choro E Batuque", "Nao Diga Nada", "Elizete", "Imagen", "Vai Querer", and "Que Tristeza". LP, Vinyl record album

Martha and the girls' entry into Motown's well-done series of 70s multi-LP collections – this one only a double-length set, but still filled with plenty of great bits by the group! The set features a solid decade's worth of work – material from the trio's 1962 start at Motown, up to some of their even better albums for the label in the early 70s. Titles include "Bless You", "Honey Love", "Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things", "My Baby Loves Me", "Honey Chile", "Jimmy Mack", "I Promise To Wait My Love", "Benjamin", "Tear It On Down", "In & Out Of My Life", "Live Wire", "Wild One", "Motoring", "Nowhere To Run", "Quicksand", "Love Is Like A Heat Wave", and "I'll Have To Let Him Go". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer bit of Latin funk from the west coast scene of the 70s – the only album we've ever seen from Sapo, but a set that almost blows away the efforts of bigger groups like Malo or El Chicano! There's a bit more funk in the mix here than in some of the group's contemporaries – a leaner, more soulful sound that's totally great – and topped with these cool compressed vocals from singer Richard Bean, who's got a very distinctive approach! The rhythms are wonderful – and the album explodes with great tracks that combine equal parts Latin, funk, and soul – all in a way that really lives up to the best promise of such a combination – and never falls too heavily on one or the other side of the fence. Titles include the killer break track "Been Had", the slamming electric jam "Ritmo Del Corazon", the fast modal groover "It's The Music", and the massive "Sapo's Montuno", with some very lively solos! Other cuts include "Nina", "Get It On", and "Can't Make It". LP, Vinyl record album

The third album in Margie Joseph's early 70s run for Atlantic Records – and like the rest, a batch of super-tight tunes arranged and produced by Arif Mardin – done with the same sense of sophisticated soul he was bringing to the work of Aretha Franklin at the time! Margie's nicely a bit more laidback than Aretha, though – not nearly as cliched at times, and capable of hanging onto her southern roots, even in a fuller setting. Many numbers feature backing vocals – by singers who include Donny Hathaway, Cissy Houston, and Tasha Thomas – but Joseph is right out front on all numbers, singing strongly in the lead, yet without any too-diva sort of tendencies! Titles include a nice version of Bill Withers' "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh", plus "Stay Still", "Just As Soon As The Feeling's Over", "Sign Of the Times", and "Promise Me Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A really moody little record from David Blue – a folksy singer who's got a style that definitely lives up to the melancholy promise of his name! Blue's definitely an artist with a difference – working in the familiar mode of vocals and acoustic guitar, but with an edge and distinctness that really sets him apart from the folkies of a few year before – that sense of different that really set apart a new wave of contemporaries, like Leonard Cohen, Fred Neill, or Tom Rapp. Titles include "These 23 Days In September", "The Sailor's Lament", "Scales For A Window Thief", "You Will Come Back Again", "Slow & Easy", and "The Grand Hotel". LP, Vinyl record album

Smooth funky jazz from Tom Browne – caught here during his best early years! The record's his second best next to Love Approach, but it's got almost the same sort of feel, with tight late 70s studio jazz jamming – and a buttery smooth sound from Browne's post-Donald Byrd trumpet licks. Includes the great break cut "I Never Was A Cowboy", plus "Herbal Scent", "Throw Down", "What's Going On", and "Promises For Spring". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic record, and one of those cases where the presence of the mighty Pharoah Sanders can really transform the sound of a session! We'll admit that we weren't sure what to expect – but at the core, the record is really a set of duets between Pharoah on tenor and Sam Shepherd on keyboards – a great range that includes Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3, celeste, and acoustic piano – slowly graced by some larger arrangements from the LSO! Yet even with the majesty of the larger group, who come into the proceedings in baby steps, there's a core feeling of intimacy that never goes away – sublimely spiritual sounds from Pharoah on tenor throughout – with phrasing and styles that show us that he hasn't lost an ounce of his talent since his early years on Impulse records. The album's maybe one of the most beautiful things that Sanders has given us in a long time – and that's saying a lot, as he's always pretty great – and the set features the long "Promises" suite, in nine movements – a piece for saxophone, strings, keyboards, and electronics composed by Shepherd. LP, Vinyl record album

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A strange and beautiful album from the late Don Pullen! The record is almost a funk album at times, but it's really more of an electrically-tinged session that brings Pullen's lively keyboards into play with some strident groupings that include George Adams, Hannibal Marvin Peterson, and Roland Prince. The whole thing's got a really sweet mellow feel – with lots of nice work on Fender Rhodes and clavinet by Pullen. There's even some electronic accompaniment provided on a couple of numbers by Ilhan Mimaroglu. Tracks include "Big Alice", "Poodie Pie", "Last Year's Lies & Tomorrow's Promises", and the Latin-tinged "Kadji". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing musical discovery – the lost second album from 24 Carat Black – recorded right after the band's legendary debut for Stax Records, but unissued for over 30 years! All the righteous styles of the group's famous Ghetto Misfortune's Wealth classic are fully in place here – and if anything, the record has an even headier feel overall – really complicated sounds that are often deeply spiritual, but still have that snaking, bassline-driven, slow funk quality that we love in the group! The tunes each feel like mini-symphonies in soul – and although the themes center more around love than politics, they're done in a way that goes way past any sexy soul cliches of the time. The group is amazingly laidback – slow-stepping into each tune with a care and confidence that's amazing – and letting the cuts come into their own organically, but always with a mystical sense of order. Numero have done a wonderful job excavating this work – remastering the tapes for great sound, and telling the full story of the group and their too-short career. Titles include "The Best Of Good Love Gone", "I'll Never Let You Go", "Gone The Promises Of Yesterday", "I Begin To Weep", "I Want To Make Up", and "I Don't Love You". CD

With Vincent Herring on alto saxophone and flute, David Williams on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums. CD

A great little record, and one that definitely hangs strongly on the "and more" promised in the title – as alto sax genius Phil Woods moves very far from the familiar "Charlie Parker With Strings" format you might expect – almost as a statement that shows how much both the setting and Woods have evolved over the decade! There's definitely strings on the set – a full backing that's really seems to inspire Woods towards some of his best work of the period – as does the core rhythm contributions from Ben Arnov on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Douglas Sides on drums – all players who seem to be higher in the mix than the strings, which really emphasizes their presence. The tracks include some long takes on classic Bird/strings songbook material, plus some great surprises – all in nicely different versions. Titles include "April In Paris", "All The Things You Are", "I'll Remember April", "Easy To Love", "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set", "Repetition", "The Best Thing For You Is Me/How Deep Is The Ocean", "Solitude", "Willow Weep For Me", and "I Get Along Without You Very Well". CD

Four of the more obscure RCA albums from the great Bobby Bare – all brought together here in a single set! First up is the very unusual English Countryside album – a special set that has the vocals of Bobby Bare paired with a group from the UK – Liverpool's Hillsiders, who sing with a style that's a bit folk, and a bit rock – but which takes on a very distinct country vibe amidst the RCA production of Chet Atkins! Both Bare and The Hillsiders sing solo on the record – but most of the set has them paired together, and the presence of all those voices on the tracks create a nice sense of spontaneity – maybe a hint at the more relaxed recording approach that Bobby would use on his big albums of the mid 70s! Titles include "Sweet Dreams", "Six Days On The Road", "Find Out What's Happening", "Love's Gonna Live Here", "Goin Home", "Blue Is My Lonely Room", and "I Washed My Face In The Mountain Dew". Margie's At The Lincoln Park Inn is a seminal album in the career of Bobby Bare – and the record that really has him turning from a young smiling country singer to the kind of more adult, mature talent that would really send him over the top! The album's promise of "controversial country songs" is certainly apt – as in addition to the great Tom T Hall title cut, the album also features Bare taking on great material from Kris Kristoffersen, Mel Tillis, and even the team of Spooner Oldham and Dan Penn – all set to arrangements that are nicely more sophisticated than those used on the more pop productions of some of Bobby's earlier albums. Titles include "Margie's At The Lincoln Park Inn,", "The Law Is For The Protection Of The People", "Watching The Trains Go By", "Skip A Rope", "Rainy Day In Richmond", "Cincinnati Jail", "Wild As The Wind", and "Drink Up & Go Home". I Hate Goodbyes is the record that marked the return of Bobby Bare to RCA Records in the early 70s – and one that also marks the start of a very different phase in Bare's career! This time around, Bobby's handling the production himself – working with the kind of thoughtful, mature material that would really let him open up – songs from Billy Joe Shaver, Mickey Newbury, the team of Bill Rice and Jerry Foster, and even an early tune from Shel Silverstein – who would soon become one of the biggest contributors to Bobby's records. The vibe is very different than his RCA material of the mid 60s, and in a great way – on titles that include "I Hate Goodbyes", "Restless Wind", "Ride Me Down Easy", "Send Tomorrow To The Moon", "You Know Who", "An Offer She Couldn't Refuse", "What's Your Mama's Name Child", and "Poison Red Berries". Last up is Cowboys & Daddys – an overlooked gem in the mid 70s RCA years of the great Bobby Bare – and a set that really shows the dedication that Bare had during these years to finding the most sophisticated material of the new country generation! The list of songwriters alone is great – as the set features tracks from Terry Allen, Shel Silverstein, David Hickey, and Tom T Hall – plus an early contribution from Bob McDill, with whom Bare would soon record a lot more material on albums to come. There's a mature, laidback vibe to the whole set – different than some of the more playful Bobby Bare albums of the time – and titles include "Chester", "The Cowboy & The Poet", "Amarillo Highway", "Speckled Pony", "Calgary Snow", "Last Dance At The Old Texas Moon", "Pretty Painted Ladies", and "The Stranger". CD

Four lost albums from David Blue – a really compelling singer/songwriter, ripe for rediscovery! First up is These 23 Days In September, recorded for Reprise – a really moody little record from David Blue – a folksy singer who's got a style that definitely lives up to the melancholy promise of his name! Blue's definitely an artist with a difference – working in the familiar mode of vocals and acoustic guitar, but with an edge and distinctness that really sets him apart from the folkies of a few year before – that sense of different that really set apart a new wave of contemporaries, like Leonard Cohen, Fred Neill, or Tom Rapp. Titles include "These 23 Days In September", "The Sailor's Lament", "Scales For A Window Thief", "You Will Come Back Again", "Slow & Easy", and "The Grand Hotel". Stories is an overlooked early set on Asylum – the kind of really special singer/songwriter material that really set the label apart at the start of the 70s! David Blue has this compelling vocal style that's moody, but down to earth – inflected here and there with guitar contributions from Ry Cooder, who's understated, but really brings out some special qualities in the tunes. Jack Nitzsche adds in some light strings at points – but overall, things are pretty spare and personal – and titles include "Looking For A Friend", "Another One Like Me", "Sister Rose", "The Blues", "Come On John", "Marianne", and "Fire In The Morning". Nice Baby & The Angel shows David Blue really starting to get some star power in his mix – a fuller set, produced by Graham Nash – with work from Nash on guitar, plus more guitar from Dave Mason and David Lindley – in a nice mix of roots elements, but which never overwhelm that unique sense of songwriting and vocals that set David Blue apart from the rest. Titles include "Darlin Jenny", "Troubadour Song", "Train To Anaheim", "True To You", "On Sunday Any Sunday", and "Outlaw Man". On the cover of Cupid's Arrow, David Blue might look a bit cheesy, what with his open shirt and all – but he's definitely the real deal, and very down to earth in his singer/songwriter approach – with a quality that's only underscored by the lineup on the set – a group that features Levon Helm on drums, Jesse Ed Davis on guitar, David Lindley on mandolin and slide, and Barry Goldberg on piano and organ, and also handling production of the album too. The shift from David's roots is a bit like that taken by other contemporaries who once started in more folksy territory, then found a new way to grow in the west coast singer/songwriter scene – and that means that things are more electrified, but still quite far from mainstream music – with original tunes from Blue throughout, and titles that include "I Feel Bad", "Maria Maria", "Primeval Tune", She's Got You", "Tom's Song", and "Run Run Run". CD

A very hip set from Bill Evans' second trio – the legendary lineup that featured Chuck Israels on bass and Paul Motian on drums! Both players bring Evans' sound to an even greater level of spaciousness – allowing for lyrical interplay that's completely amazing, and even furthers the promise of genius made by Bill on his first few albums – a bold step forward that really makes this album one of Evans' standout sets of the early 60s! Titles include an early reading of Evans' wonderful tune "Re: Person I Knew", plus "Very Early", "In Love In Vain", "Stairway To The Stars", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "If You Could See Me Now", "It Might As Well Be Spring", and "Polka Dots & Moonbeams". CD

Sublime instrumental work from the great Jackie Gleason – a beautifully-done collection of his classic sides for Capitol Records – music that's definitely steeped in the romantic moods promised in the title! Jackie's got a way with a tune that few other leaders can touch – cool, shimmering horn parts that often have the lush hues of a Kenton arrangement, but which come across with a lot more warmth overall – just the sort of music to set the mood back in the day – and a really strong contrast to Gleason's dynamic persona as a comedian. The package has a beautiful cover, and features 40 tunes that include "It All Depends On You", "Mystery Street", "If He Walked Into My Life", "I'm In The Mood For Love", "Out Of Nowhere", "The Best Is Yet To Come", "The Moonlight", "That Certain Party", "Glamour", "Ruby", "Lover Man/Smile", "The Girl From Ipanema", "Moon River", and "Days Of Wine & Roses". CD

Way more than a snapshot – as the double-length set acts more like a full portrait of the European free jazz scene at the time – with special contributions from a wide array of avant German musicians! The feel here is very FMP – especially in the mode of that label's live recordings, which often feature unique combinations of musicians, really driving each other on. As part of that promise, the album features work from the Berliner Improvisations Quartett, with Hermann Keller on piano, Andread Altenfelder on trumpet, and Manfred Schulze on reeds; the trio of reedman Friedhelm Scholfeld; the Ulrich Gumpert Workshop Band, with Gumpert on piano, Ernst Ludwid Petrowsky on reeds, Heinz Becker on trumpet, and Johannes Bauer on trombone; the duo of Gumpert on piano and Gunter Sommer on drums; the Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky Quartet with Sommer on drums and Heinz Becker on trumpet; the Studio IV group, with Petrowsky on reeds, Hubert Katzenbeier on trombone, Eberhard Weise on piano,a nd Joachim Graswurm on trumpet; a trio with Gumpert on piano, Sommer on drums, and Manfred Hering on alto and tenor; and the Hans Rempel Orchester, with Rempel on piano, plus Becker, Graswurm, Petrowsky, Bauer, and Forsthoff. LP, Vinyl record album

A great overview of the work of Abner Jay – as much of a blues singer as the folk artist promised on the cover – working here in a stunning array of styles, pulled from a variety of recordings he made in the late 60s and early 70s! It's clear that Jay is one of those talents who was rising up during the initial folk revival years, but was also able to find a groove that was very much his own when that moment faded – and the tunes here feature some very unusual phrasing on vocals, supported by acoustic guitar and a bit of percussion – on titles that include "Depression", "Lord Randal", "I Wanna Job", "St James Infirmary", "I'm Georgia Bound", "Bring It With You When You Come", "The Thresher", "Cotton Fields", "Starving To Death On My Government Claim", "Shenandoah", "99 Years In Jail", and "Swing Low Sweet Chariot". LP, Vinyl record album

A heck of a comeback for Jay-Z – and a record that definitely stands as the blueprint promised in the title – not just for Jay-Z's career in years to come, but also for that of Kanye West and Just Blaze – who both contribute key work here on the production tip! The set's a long one, but it's also very focused – not padded out with lots of skits, party tracks, or guest appearances (only one feature on the whole thing – with Eminem) – and instead really bringing back a level of lyrical skill that Jay-Z had been lagging a bit on previous albums. Certainly a great start to a decade of renewed importance – with titles that include "Takeover", "The Ruler's Back", "Izzo (HOVA)", "Girls Girls Girls", "U Don't Know", "Heart Of The City (Ain't No Love)", "Renegade", "Blueprint", "Hola Hovito", and "Song Cry". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarest Japanese hard rock albums of the 70s – and one of the heaviest too – a record that's definitely got plenty of the "too much" promised by the title and group! Juni Rush handles lead vocals, but the guitar work of Tutomu Ogawa may well be the equally strong main attraction – a searing, burning approach that really adds a lot to Juni's surprisingly soulful vocals, sometimes a bit freewheeling, other times with plenty of influence from blues and soul, and sung in English too! The group clearly have an influence from blues rock, but open up to much harder, heavier territory – on titles that include "Song For My Lady", "Gonna Take You", "Grease It Out", "Love That Binds Me", "Love Is You", and "Reminiscence". LP, Vinyl record album

The very first album from long-running Japanese singer Akira Kushida – a set that bursts out with the word "soulful" on the cover, and definitely follows through with its promise! Given that Akira sings in Japanese on many cuts, the sound isn't exactly the same as James Brown on King Records – but it's also clear that Kushida draws plenty of inspiration from American soul, which is also reflected in the arrangements, not just the raspy style that he brings to the lyrics! There's definitely a fair bit of English on the record – and the vibe is maybe a bit like some of the blue-eyed soul styles of the UK mod scene, served up on titles that include "Vecchio Sam", "For The Love Of A Woman", "Cry Like A Baby", "Forgive Me My Love", and "Lonesome Sad & Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

The original soundtrack to Trouble Man is nothing short of a masterpiece – a full-on moment of studio genius from Marvin Gaye, right in the middle of his classic 70s run – a record that's given a fantastic new treatment here by Lo Res, who delivers exactly what's promised in the title! The record's not a straight rehash of the original – as Lo Res clearly knows and loves, and has completely absorbed the original – so that he can take the whole thing and open it up with new arrangements, interesting instrumentation, and a mix of strings, jazz, and funky elements that are completely sublime. If anything, the set seems to more fully expand on the orchestrations of the original, while losing none of the sense of the soul – and apart from a vocal appearance by Blackwolf, most of the focus is instrumental – on titles that include "Cleo's Apartment", "T Plays It Cool", "Don't Mess With Mr T", "T Stands For Trouble", "Theme From Trouble Man", "Poor Abbey Walsh", "The Break In", and "Deep In It". LP, Vinyl record album

A set with maybe the most striking cover image that Monday Michiru's given us in years – and a record that really delivers on that promise, too – filled with really captivating tunes that represent a new high level in Monday's already-high career! There's a depth and maturity to the record that we never would have guessed when we first fell in love with her music – and we thought she was already pretty darn deep way back then – as Monday delivers hers vocals alongside musical complexity that takes strong advantage of the many great guest jazz musicians in the lineup – players who include Misha Tsiganov and David Kikoski on Fender Rhodes, Gil Goldstein on piano, Lew Tabackin on flute, and Steve Wilson on soprano sax. But at the center of it all is Monday – far more a jazz singer in recent years than the soul artist of her start – but balancing the spirit of both worlds beautifully, and with command of her vocal instrument that's completely stunning! Where most singers seem to get a bit more casual about their craft over the years, Michiru's just continued to master her natural instrument with a fantastic range and wonderfully expressive quality. Titles include "Ombre Of Time", "Pivot", "Cycles", "The Sound", "Ringo Oiwake", "Hope Pretend To Sleep", "Rise Above", "Life", and "Gossamer's Touch" – plus "Untethered", which features some great guest work from Ursula Rucker! LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of albums from the great David Murray! Ming is beautifully arranged work from David Murray – an important early large group recording, one that really helped point the way to some of his later genius! The session features Murray leading an all-star octet that includes Henry Threadgill on alto, Olu Dara on trumpet, Butch Morris on cornet, George Lewis on trombone, Anthony Davis on piano, Wilbur Morris on bass, and Steve McCall on percussion. Tracks are a very hip set of original compositions that display an incredible range of soulful feeling and expression – and which open a door to a whole new chapter of Murray's career. Titles include "Ming", "Dewey's Circle", "Jasvan", "The Fast Life", and "The Hill". Sacred Ground is a beautifully spiritual set that really reminds us of the promise we first heard in his music decades ago! Murray's working here with a lean, soulful ensemble that includes Lafayette Gilchrist on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums – all in a groove that has plenty of sharp edges, but which is also nicely inside – very focused, and with a sense of depth that's really wonderful! All tracks are originals by Murray – penned with the sensitivity of an older soul jazz recording – and two numbers feature lyrics by Ishmael Reed, sung by Cassandra Wilson on guest vocals. Titles include "Sacred Ground", "Transitions", "Family Reunion", "The Prophet Of Doom", "Believe In Love", and "Banished". Lucky Four is a gentler set than some of David Murray's other US dates from the time – but in a really great way that nicely gets at the more sensitive side of his work on tenor and bass clarinet! There's a bit of a hardbop groove to the album, but also a bit more freedom too – a style that never goes that far out, but which reminds us through subtle cues that most of these players have a longer legacy in more avant-oriented work. The group features Dave Burrell on piano, Wilbur Morris on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums – and Burrell especially echoes a range of influences here – almost pulling from older eras of jazz in the way that Jaki Byard used to – an approach that's often echoed by Murray in his horn. Titles include "Valley Talk", "Chazz", "As I Woke", "Abel's Blissed Out Blues", "Sharing", and "As I Woke". CD

The one and only album that Sun Ra ever cut for the Savoy label – a beautifully understated session that mixes more conventional jazz with some particularly Ra-like touches! The group on the set is extremely tight – especially the horn work of John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, and Pat Patrick – who glide together along with some of the best mainstream modernists of the 50s, but break out with earthier tones and phrases that clearly mark their playing as different from the norm. Ra plays relatively straight piano for the album, but there's more than enough Arkestra touches from other players on bells and assorted percussion – emphasizing the rhythmic qualities of the tunes, and really living up to the promise of titles that include "Bassism", "China Gates", "Of Sounds And Something Else", "Tapestry From An Asteroid", "Jet Flight", "Space Jazz Reverie", and "Where Is Tomorrow?". CD