A long-awaited follow-up to one of our favorite compilations of King Records soul music – a set that does a perfect job of showing the label's strong roots in R&B, and it's important force in 60s soul! The package offers up tracks with a really great sound – definitely the grittier edge than you'd expect from the R&B in the title, yet lots of "new breed" styles as well – a more mature, more soul-based approach to the grooves that offers up a great way to harness the raw energy at the core! The set's filled with rare gems from old King, Federal, and DeLuxe label singles – including some overlooked work by bigger name singers – and titles include "Two Hearts" by The King Pins, "I'm Tore Down" by Freddie King, "Send Me A Picture Baby" by Mel Williams, "Love Man" by Hal Hardy, "Geneva" by Eugene Church, "Wild Child" by Donnie Elbert, "Your Letter" by Willie Wright & His Sparklers, "Say Hey Pretty Baby" by Lula Reed, "Let Me Walk With You" by Eddie Kirk, "Stop Talking To Your Child" by James Duncan, "It Hurts Inside" by The 5 Royales, "Let's Have A Good Time" by The Hi Tones, and "When You Move You Lose" by Lee Shot Williams. CD

25 songs. CD

24 songs. CD

25 songs. CD

Features 25 tracks including "Rhyme Of Love", "Nero", "Thousand Dreams Of You", "Tain't Good", "You're Laughing At Me", "Did Anyone Ever Tell You", and "Cryin' Mood". CD

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We love Kim Fowley, and can never get enough of his genius – and no matter what the setting, Fowley always seems to move around the maddest corners of rock and pop music! This raw batch of gems is all pulled from the Fowley vaults – and features a host of indie singles recorded in LA between his bigger bursts of fame – some with Kim in the lead, lots more with lesser-known talents all given Fowley's forceful treatment in the studio – a push forward that makes just about every track here sparkle like some long-lost garage rocker or weird novelty number. Norton provides very detailed notes that are as much a musical journey as the cuts themselves – and titles include "The Knight In Shining Armor" by Knights Of The Round Table, "Kalani Honey" by John Paul Jones, "Young & Wild" by Renegade Five, "Big Bad Wolf" by Kim Garry & The Rhythm Kings, "Watch Your Step" by Larry Green & The Rhythmaires, "Goin Away Baby" and "Golden Apples Of The Sun" by Grains Of Sand, "Wanted Dead Or Alive" by The Rogues, "Moses" by Navarros, and "The Trip", "Astrology", and a rare radio spot all by Kim Fowley. LP, Vinyl record album

Plenty of blues power here – a searing live set recorded by Albert King before a very enthusiastic crowd at the Fillmore in the late 60s! The album's filled with lots of King's sharp-edged guitar lines – searing with a bit more soul than your usual bluesman, possibly in part because the backing group's so tight! At times, there's almost a bit of funk in the mix – given that the rhythm section romps it up pretty strongly – and the record stands nicely apart from some of the blues cliches that were creeping into the mix at the time. Titles include the 10 minute workout "Blues Power" – plus "Watermelon Man", "Night Stomp", "Blues At Sunrise", "Please Love Me", and "Look Out". CD

Early early work from Willie Mitchell – sides recorded way before his more famous work on Hi Records, with a decidedly different feel! This work is much more in a Memphis R&B mode overall – lots of romping, jumping rhythms – topped with either early soul vocals, or some sweet instrumental lines on tenor sax or trumpet – all with the rough edges and deep tones you'd expect to hear on vintage R&B from a label like King! The Four Kings harmonize on some cuts, and the package features a whopping 29 titles in all – with tracks that include "One Mint Julep", "Tell It To Me Baby", "Hokin", "Rag Mop", "I Want You For Myself", "Tanya", "Come Back To Me", "Thirty Five Thirty", "Yvonne", "Bongo Beat", "Stroll", and "The Crawl". CD

Killer funky organ – and 100% Dynamite! Jackie Mittoo is one of the all-time great organists – as essential to Jamaica as Booker T was to Memphis, or Jimmy McGriff was to New York. He's legendary these days as the player who completely transformed the Hammond sound with his unique Jamaican instrumental style during his early years with the Skatalites, and on his later solo recordings for Studio One. This set's probably the first time Mittoo's work has been properly packaged and remastered – and the folks at Soul Jazz have done an amazing job of selecting just the right tracks for such a project. The whole thing wails along with a stone rocksteady groove – with plenty of nice drum parts and funky rhythm bits underneath Jackie's soulful organ. If you dug the label's 100% Dynamite series, you'll really dig this one – and the whole thing's very much in the same vein. Tracks include "Drum Song", "Reggae Rock", "Hot Tamale", "Killer Diller", "Black Organ", "Stereo Freeze", "Wall Street", "Darker Shade Of Black", "Juice Box", and "Killer Diller". LP, Vinyl record album

Smoking soul from 60s Texas – a tremendous amount of rare tunes from obscure little singles – pulled together to showcase the Lonestar State as a musical powerhouse to rival Motown, Philly, or the Windy City! The tracks here are all from various labels headed by the legendary Huey P Meux – and unlike other Texas work you may know from the time, lots of these numbers are bubbling over with the kind of soul elements you'd normally hear from east coast indie work of the time – and in that way, are almost like some of the other 60s material cut by southern transplants on the LA scene of the time – familiar, but a little offbeat too – with odd little twists and turns that really keep things interesting, and which make the package a really fresh musical discovery. There's some nice deep soul elements at times, particularly on the mellower cuts – and titles include "Go Go Train" by Jackie Paine, "That Is Why The End Must Begin" by Joe Masters, "Irene" by Rockin Dave Allen, "Time" by Charles Barry, "Get To Gitten" by Big Walter, "Doggin Around" by Jean Knight, "Friends In Show Business" by Joe Melvin, "Neighbor Neighbor" by Alton Valier, "You'll Lose A Good Thing (demo)" by Barbara Lynn, "Let Them Talk" by Johnny Adams, "If You're Looking For A Fool" by David King Thomas, and "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down" by Margo White. CD

Sweet 70s funk from George Benson – an album that's a bit smoother than some of his earlier work, but still free from the commercial polish of his later hits! Maestro David Matthews is at the helm for this session – and most numbers have a full backing from players who include some of the best of the CTI/Kudu generation – including Ronnie Foster and Bobby Lyle on keyboards, Joe Farrell on flute, Fred Wesley on trombone, Eric Gale on rhythm guitar, Dave Friedman on vibes, and Steve Gadd on drums – who manages to kick in a nicely funky undercurrent, even on some of the mellower numbers. George's guitar is filled with warmly chromatic hues – gliding away nicely on titles that include the slow funky "Em", plus "Siberian Workout", "Shell Of A Man", "Hold On I'm Coming", "One Rock Don't Make No Boulder", and "Theme From Good King Bad". LP, Vinyl record album

Smoking soul from 60s Texas – a tremendous amount of rare tunes from obscure little singles – pulled together to showcase the Lonestar State as a musical powerhouse to rival Motown, Philly, or the Windy City! The tracks here are all from various labels headed by the legendary Huey P Meux – and unlike other Texas work you may know from the time, lots of these numbers are bubbling over with the kind of soul elements you'd normally hear from east coast indie work of the time – and in that way, are almost like some of the other 60s material cut by southern transplants on the LA scene of the time – familiar, but a little offbeat too – with odd little twists and turns that really keep things interesting, and which make the package a really fresh musical discovery. There's some nice deep soul elements at times, particularly on the mellower cuts – and titles include "Go Go Train" by Jackie Paine, "That Is Why The End Must Begin" by Joe Masters, "Irene" by Rockin Dave Allen, "Time" by Charles Barry, "Get To Gitten" by Big Walter, "Doggin Around" by Jean Knight, "Friends In Show Business" by Joe Melvin, "Neighbor Neighbor" by Alton Valier, "You'll Lose A Good Thing (demo)" by Barbara Lynn, "Let Them Talk" by Johnny Adams, "If You're Looking For A Fool" by David King Thomas, and "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down" by Margo White. CD

A pair of classics from one of the best saxophonists in soul music – back to back on a single CD! First up is an Instant Groove from King Curtis – and a record that's even more deeply soulful than some of his other Atlantic albums! The title cut's a killer – a hard-vamping number that pushed funk further into the mainstream back in the day – and lots of the rest of the album follows suit, by bringing in some of the rougher King Curtis edges that usually only showed up on b-sides of 45s – while other full albums usually focused on sweeter sounds. There's a few of those here too – but even those tracks have a looser, more personal feel than before – not as much "perfect" soul sax, and a bit more grit. Arrangements are by Arif Mardin and King Curtis – and Duane Allman plays guiter on some cuts! Titles include "The Weight", "Sing A Simple Song", "Instant Groove", "Hey Jude", "Games People Play", "La Jeanne", and "Foot Pattin". Get Ready is sly soul from the great King Curtis – one of his last albums ever, and one of his best as well! There's a hip sort of edge to the record that's different from the Curtis groove of the mid 60s – less standard soul instrumental covers, and a much more righteous feel overall – part of the vibe that King had been crafting for others in the late 60s Atlantic studios, and partly the funky undercurrents that would often only show up on some of his 45 releases for the label! The backing group here is really great – with rhythm work from Eddie Hinton on guitar, Barry Beckett on keyboards, David Hood on bass, and Roger Hawkins on drums – and solo moments from Cornell Dupree on lead guitar, and both Joe Newman and Ernie Royal on trumpets. King produced the record himself, and one cut features slightly different instrumentation – with organ by Jimmy Smith and piano by Richard Tee. Titles include "Floatin", "Sugar Foot", "Soulin", "Teasin", "Let It Be", "Someday We'll Be Together", "Something", and "Promenade". CD

Music from La Vern Baker, Ray Charles, the Coasters, the Drifters, Ben E King, Carla Thomas, Solomon Burke, the Mar Keys, & Booker T & the MGs – 25 tracks total. CD

There's plenty of R&B Christmas collections on the market, but this is one of the best – a really well-done collection that goes way past the over-played hits, and features some really rare treasures in the genre! Although a holiday set, this one's put together with the same depth and care of Ace Records' usual rare soul collections – and features a well-chosen batch of obscure singles, mostly from the west coast and Memphis scenes of the 50s – all supported by great notes, top-shelf packaging, and a really overstuffed set list! CD features 20 tracks in all – including "White Christmas" by Hadda Brooks, "Christmas Celebration" by BB King, "Christmas Time" by The Debonaires, "I Wanna Spend Christmas With You (parts 1 & 2)" by Lowell Fulsom, "My Christmas Baby" by Smokey Hogg, "White/Hot Christmas" by The Elves, "Santa Claus Boogie" by The Voices, "I Want You With Me Xmas" by Jesse Belvin, "God Gave Us Christmas" by Oscar McLollie & His Honey Jumpers, and "Christmas Bells" by Bobby Nunn. CD

There's plenty of R&B Christmas collections on the market, but this is one of the best – a really well-done collection that goes way past the over-played hits, and features some really rare treasures in the genre! Although a holiday set, this one's put together with the same depth and care of Ace Records' usual rare soul collections – and features a well-chosen batch of obscure singles, mostly from the west coast and Memphis scenes of the 50s – all supported by great notes, top-shelf packaging, and a really overstuffed set list! Titles include "Christmas Celebration" by BB King, "Santa Claus Baby" by The Voices, "White Hot Christmas" by The Elves, "I Wanna Spend Christmas With You" by Lowell Fulsom, "I Want You With Me Christmas" by Jesse Belvin, "Dig That Crazy Santa Claus" by Oscar McLollie & The Honey Jumpers, "Crazy Santa Claus" by The Debonaires, "Gonna Have A Merry Xmas" by The Nic Nacs, "Merry Christmas Baby" by Mari Jones, "Christmas Bells" by Bobby Nunn, and "Xmas Baby" by Riff Ruffin. LP, Vinyl record album

A sensational sequel to one of the greatest compilations of rare rhythm & blues we've seen from the deep diggin' Jazzman label – one that goes even deeper than the first! A good deal of these juke box treasures are from the mid 50s to early 60s – all of 'em ones that have been overlooked since way back in the day, having escaped the attention of all but the most devoted collectors for decades! Jumping R&B is the core sound here, but this volume is actually a more diverse batch than its predecessor – with some grittier proto-rock R&B, some more swinging jazz numbers, and a bit of popcorn soul as well – all of 'em killer! Titles include "Lament" by Mamie Perry, "If You Ain't Got No Bread", "Tears Baby" by Johnny West, "Rock A While" by Dewey Guy & The Fabulous Six, "Cat Music" by Dave Bartholomew, "I Done Done It" by Amos Milburn, "Swingin'" by Saunders King., "Big Game Hunter" by Steve Gibson The Red Caps, "Cleopatra" by The Mark VI, "I'll Get You, Too" by Billy Emerson, "That Ain' The Way To Do It" by Big Sis Andrews, "I'll Walk A Mile" by Bob Marriott & The Continentals, and "It Only Hurts A Little While" by Little Willie John. CD

Arrangements by Torrie Zito, and titles include "All Blues", "Easy Living", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Fascinating Rhythm", "Bluesette", and "A Taste Of Honey". LP, Vinyl record album

The Brooks have one hell of a drummer in the group – Maxime Bellavance, who's also credited as "Maestro Rhythm King" – and his sharp work on the kit really keeps things sharp throughout, as this Canadian funk combo make their way through a surprisingly strong array of 70s funk modes! The vibe is even more sophisticated than their previous record – with a nice blacksploitation sense of scope, even while things stay funky – more musical elements, and even some nice orchestrations – all held strongly in place by the funky drums! Titles include "Turn Up The Sound", "The Crown", "Game Play", "Headband", "Issues", "So Turned On", and "Etoile Polaire". LP, Vinyl record album

Nothing canned here – as the sound, style, and groove of the record is as fresh and freaky as the classic image on the cover! The riffing rhythms get going right from the start – some amazing lines from a rhythm combo that includes Joe Beck on guitar, Herb Bushler on bass, Jim Madison on drums, and the mighty Ray Mantilla on percussion – adding in these extra changes and fills that really get the tunes moving wonderfully – providing a perfect platform for Joe Farrell's wonderful work on tenor, soprano, baritone, and flute! The sax lines are as angular as the rhythms – tight, choppy, and completely funky – no wonder the record's a CTI classic that folks have dug for years! Tracks are all nice and long – and titles include "Canned Funk", "Animal", and "Spoken Silence". CD

A brilliant album from Maynard Ferguson – one that owes a heck of a lot to Brit easy maestro Keith Mansfield! Mansfield produced the whole thing, and arranged with the help of Kenny Wheeler and Adrian Dover – and the whole record has the tightness of the best expansive Brit easy grooves from the time – setting Ferguson's brassy horn in some impeccable backings that have an amazing blend of jazz, easy, and rhythm – never failing to please our oft-jaded ears! Way more than just funky big band, with a really solid approach all the way through – and solo work by Kenny Wheeler and Pete King, in addition to Ferguson. Titles include the Indian groover "Chala Nata", plus "L-Dopa", "Eli's Comin", "Ballad To Max", and "MacArthur Park". LP, Vinyl record album

Mika Ohashi meets the Ray Bryant Trio – with Ray Drummond and Winard Harper – for a set of standards that includes "My Funny Valentine", "Change Partners", "I Got Rhythm", "Days Of Wine & Roses", and "It Had To Be You". CD

Four 80s albums from the mighty Augustus Pablo – served up here in a special 2CD set! First up is Blowing With The Wind – seminal 80s work from Augustus Pablo – a set that's maybe got a bit more digital and electronic touches in the mix, but which still maintains that fantastic mix of dub and melodica that made the man so unique! The tunes have very righteous rhythms at the core, and a bit of keyboards mixed in with Pablo's lead – and maybe a few spacey touches around the edges that come off in a really great way! Augustus handles all the keyboards, arrangements, and production – and titles include "Twinkling Star", "Creation Blues", "Zion UFO", "Drums To The King", "First World Call", "This Song", "Twenty One Years Later", and "Ancient Harmonies". Rockers Come East is a sweet digital set from Augustus Pablo – a mid 80s set that has him mixing his melodica with other keyboard work on Casio and Yamaha – both instruments that are used with the otherworldly, snakey groove that makes Pablo so great! The rhythms are maybe slightly more 80s, too, but still very spare and stripped down – and Phillip Smart helps on the mix, while Clive Brown and Squidley provide some drumulation. Titles include "Pablo Meets P Smart In LI", "Progression Dub", "Revelino Dub", "Babylon Loosing Dub", "Sun Ray Dub", "Jah D Special", "Rockers Come East", Dubbing The Oppressors", and "Zion Seals Dub". One Step Dub is dubby genius from the great Augustus Pablo – a set that continues the spirit of his best 70s work in this mode, but with a sound that has a few slight 80s touches! The overall sound is still very nice and spare – laidback, gently tripping in the rhythm department, and with both melodica solos from Pablo – and some other keyboard work that really echoes the moody, spacey, snakey sound of his work on the blown instrument! The title names are a bit basic, but that hardly matters, given the sound of the set – and tracks include "Riot Dub", "In The Red Dub", "Hanging Dub", "Night Patrol Dub", "Rastaman Dub", "Zion Way Dub", and "Dubbing King James". Rising Sun is fantastic work from Augustus Pablo – and a great demonstration of the way that the best of the classic 70s Jamaican artists were able to shift their styles slightly during the 80s, but still come up with a sound that was every bit as great! There's more digital elements here than before – especially in the crackle of some of the rhythms – but in ways that are right around the edges, and which echo the sort of effects that might have been cooked up by tape in the studio – used here to bring a nice bite to the mix of melodica and melodica like keyboard lines from Pablo! Mixes are by Scientist – and titles include "Dub Wiser", "Rising Sun", "Fire Red", "Jah Wind", "Pipers Of Zion", and "African Frontline". CD

A really unique project from Detroit drummer Leonard King – a group that's based around a style he created with bassist Rodney Whitaker at the end of the 80s – but reformed here with three younger bassists in the combo! The group features three basses and King on drums – and Leonard sings a bit, with a rough-edged style that's got a surprising amount of charm – while the basses bring in both melody and rhythm, bowed and plucked, with a nice sort of variety that often makes us forget there's no other types of instruments in the lineup! Titles include "Zoltan", "Old Mr Bad Luck", "Bumpin On Sunset", "True Bassonification", "Two Bass Hit", "Chasin The Bird", "Urban Carnival", and "Officer Funk". CD

Scientist spins out on a dub-driven power boat – scanning the swamps to drive out the vampires and a host of other ghouls too – all while reinventing Jamaican music in the process! The record's filled with lots of cool electric elements – those weird production effects and electronic doodles that make the music of Scientist so revolutionary – especially when spun out over a still-familiar backdrop supplied by Roots Radics, with a core essence that's very much from the pre-digital world of Jamaican music. Rhythm tracks were done at Channel One, and Scientist mixed the set at King Tubbys – a host of dub mini-masterpieces that include "The Voodoo Curse", "Dance Of The Vampires", "Blood On His Lips", "Cry Of The Werewolf", "the Mummy's Shroud", "The Corpse Rises", "Night Of The Living Dead", "Your Teeth In My Neck", "Plague Of Zombies", and "Ghost Of Frankenstein". LP, Vinyl record album

Cornetist Carl Halen performs with The Washboard Five and Gene Mayl's Dixieland Rhythm Kings, each with a side's worth of tunes including "Cake Walkin Babies From Home", "Heebie Jeebies", "Ace In The Hole", and "Oh By Jingo". LP, Vinyl record album

25 tracks featuring Red Nichols, Jack Teagarden, Benny Goodman, Pee Wee Russell, Jimmy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Gene Krupa, Miff Mole, and Joe Sullivan. CD

Group work by Albert Ammons and his Rhythm Kings, plus rare solo piano sides recorded for Blue Note – some of the earliest material recorded by the label! CD

An excellent funky fusion group from Chicago – and one of the best ensembles to record for the Black Jazz label! The group's made up of hip Chicago underground players – and includes Ken Chaney on electric piano, Ari Brown on saxes, and Frank Gordon on trumpet – a lineup that comes together with the same sort of righteous energy and soulful power as Windy City contemporaries like The Pharoahs or Earth Wind & Fire! On this first LP, they jam with a mix of righteous funk and spiritual soul jazz, mixing electric piano, choppy reeds, and tight horns with a powerful rhythm backing that never goes too over the top, and which stays in a good modal mode that works great for the soloists – soaringly expressive at a personal level, yet coming together with a really righteous group feel in the end. Tracks include "Jupiter", "Brand New Feeling", "Convulsions", and "Kera's Dance". CD

A lost treasure by Benny Golson – and one of his most noteworthy records since the early days! The "John" in the title is Coltrane – and the set's got a sweeping spiritual groove that's quite different from much of Golson's other work, and which shows that he's never stopped growing as a player. Benny's in the frontline with Pharoah Sanders, and the pair of them solo beautifully on tenors – with very sympathetic rhythm backing from Cedar Walton, Ron Carter, and Jack DeJohnette. Golson's tone is an advanced version of that raspy edge he was using during the late 50s – put to great use here in a spiritual jazz kind of vein. Titles include "Times Past", "Page 12", "Vilia", "Change of Heart", and "Origin". CD

Wild funk from guitarist Freddy Robinson – hardly the "bluesology" you'd guess from the title! Sure, Freddie started his career as a blues guitarist on early Chess sessions – but during the early 70s, he cut some monster funky recordings for Stax, recordings that had a bluesy guitar in the middle, but some nice funky rhythm backing him up! The great Monk Higgins had a hand in most of the recordings – which is why they sounded so nice, and which is why they deserve a lot more credit than the sleepy "bluesology" title would imply. There's a nice batch of previously unissued material on here – plus tracks from Robinson's LPs Off The Cuff and At The Drive In. Titles include "Off The Cuff", "The Creeper", "Sister Hot Pants", "Black Fox", "Good Feeling", "I Remember", "House Hunting", "Here Comes Your Good Thang", "Changing Dreams", and a very dope version of "River's Invitation". CD

Features tracks by Memphis Jug Band, Washboard Sam, Washboard Rhythm Kings & more. LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent funky fusion group from Chicago – and one of the best ensembles to record for the Black Jazz label! The group's made up of hip Chicago underground players – and includes Ken Chaney on electric piano, Ari Brown on saxes, and Frank Gordon on trumpet – a lineup that comes together with the same sort of righteous energy and soulful power as Windy City contemporaries like The Pharoahs or Earth Wind & Fire! On this first LP, they jam with a mix of righteous funk and spiritual soul jazz, mixing electric piano, choppy reeds, and tight horns with a powerful rhythm backing that never goes too over the top, and which stays in a good modal mode that works great for the soloists – soaringly expressive at a personal level, yet coming together with a really righteous group feel in the end. Tracks include "Jupiter", "Brand New Feeling", "Convulsions", and "Kera's Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album – even if it tries to promise too much! The set bills itself as "the swinginest Hammond organ album since the birth of psychedelia" – and while that sort of a claim is so high that nobody could ever match it, the album is a great batch of offbeat soul instrumentals – recorded in kind of a tripped-out take on the Memphis groove! We're not sure who the mysterious "Mustang" is (although it could be Paul Griffin, who also recorded for the same label in a similar mode) – but we're guessing here that the name is also used to convey the fact that many of the tunes have a "Mustang Sally" sort of rhythm. Backing is in a hip small combo mode – with nice go-go drums, tight rhythm guitar, and soulful honking sax behind the organ – and although the sound is more straight soul instrumentals, the titles are nicely tripped-out – and include "The Acid Test", "California Time", "Joshua Got Busted", "Haight Ashbury Time", "Swing Low Sweet Truth", and "Golden Gate Freakout". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic early recording from the great French tenor saxophonist Barney Wilen! The session's a monster – cut with rhythmic backing by Milt Jackson on piano (!?), Percy Heath on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – and two cuts feature additional percussion by Gana M'Bow, which gives the set a wonderful kick. We can't remember the last time this material was reissued – and the set's a unique opportunity to hear one of Europe's greatest jazz players ever in the prime of his early years. Wilen's tone is one of the best we've ever heard on tenor – and the quality of the set is incredible! Titles include "Nuages", "Swing 39", "Epistrophy", "Minor Swing", "Swingin Parisian Rhythm", "J'Ai Ta Main", "La Route Enchantee", and "Menilmontant". LP, Vinyl record album

Massive African funky tunes from the 70s – and a stunning follow-up to the Booniay compilation of a few years ago! Like that one, this set's compiled from obscure African albums of the 70s, and features a wealth of lesser-known artists who drew inspiration from Fela, Mulatu, and some of the other African funk acts who were grabbing grooves from the US, and restyling them from the 70s scene on the continent. The approach here has some West African touches in the guitar and rhythms – making for some really cool tunes that spin and spiral out with really compelling electrified styles! Titles include "I'm Coming" by Mustapha, "La Popo" by Guerilla, "Kankyema" by Visa A Vis, "Just A Moment" by George Danquah, "Natural Points" by Smahila & The SBS, and "Civilization In The World" by Brigth Engelberts Discogram Productions. CD

Funky genius from a mighty unique group – one who've drunk deep on the classic steel band sounds of the 70s, but who've also refined that groove with a contemporary funk approach too! The group's the brainchild of Bjorn Wagner – who you might know from The Mighty Mocambos – and the sound here is every bit as well-crafted as that combo, but with the difference of steel drums in the mix! The drums provide most of the melodic elements, while the funky backings kick things up nicely – all at a level that's maybe even funkier than some of the best funky steel drum albums of the 70s – especially across the space of the entire album. Titles include "Xxplosive", "Touchdown", "Burn", "Real Hot", "Hoola Hoop", "1 Thing", "Crockett Theme", "Bocas Del Dragon", "Bushfire", and "I Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky genius from a mighty unique group – one who've drunk deep on the classic steel band sounds of the 70s, but who've also refined that groove with a contemporary funk approach too! The group's the brainchild of Bjorn Wagner – who you might know from The Mighty Mocambos – and the sound here is every bit as well-crafted as that combo, but with the difference of steel drums in the mix! The drums provide most of the melodic elements, while the funky backings kick things up nicely – all at a level that's maybe even funkier than some of the best funky steel drum albums of the 70s – especially across the space of the entire album. Titles include "Xxplosive", "Touchdown", "Burn", "Real Hot", "Hoola Hoop", "1 Thing", "Crockett Theme", "Bocas Del Dragon", "Bushfire", and "I Love You". Features bonus tracks – "All For The Cash" and "Great To Be Here". CD

Features both Kenny Barron and John Hicks on Steinway grand pianos – working with bass from Walter Booker and drums from Jimmy Cobb! CD

We haven't heard from Peven Everett in quite some time – and the respite's been a great one, because it seems that Peven's really regrouped, found new strengths, and has come out with his best record in years! The whole thing's one of the best produced, packaged, and put-together sets we've ever heard from this legendary soul singer from the underground – and one of the few that really live up to the genius we've seen in his great performances on local stages here in the Windy City! Grooves are upbeat, yet warmer than house or dance – and Peven's vocals seem to have really matured a lot, and find a range of tones that's even greater than before – bringing new expression in at a level we hardly would have expected. The keyboards are great, too – skipping along strongly with the rhythms, and showing Peven's roots in jazz – and titles include "Taking Me Back", "You Get Me", "Kissing Another", "We Gone Be Butta", "You Rock Me", "I Just Wanna Make You Happy", "I Can Be Your Boyfriend", and "One Way Ticket". CD

Funky Woody from the 70s – an excellent and overlooked album, one that has Woody leading a great group with a fair bit of electric players, in a funky big band style that sparkles with the best of the genre! The group's filled with younger unknown players – but from the sound of the record, you can tell that these kids had been listening to a lot of funk – and had a great ear for mixing electric rhythms with cutting solos on tenor, trumpet, and funky flute. Includes a great version of Chick Corea's "Spain", plus the tracks "Lake Taco", "King Cobra", "Toothless Grin", "Jazzman", and "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album of southern funk from the 70s – cut by the team that provided musical backing on many of the classic Hi Records sessions from the time! The groove is a bit different than usual for Hi – not compressed, burning deep soul – but tight, funky, and flanged-out – a bit like what classic P-Funk might have been like, had it been recorded in Memphis! The group's super sharp in their playing – with great bass and electric keyboards – but they've also got kind of a trippy feel that's very surprising, given the more restrained soul quality of much of the stuff on Hi. The album's all original material, and most cuts have cool vocals slinking in and out of the funk – and titles include "On The Loose", "Skinny Dippin'", "Superstar", "Purple Raindrops", and "You Got Me Comin". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic collection of work from Elizabeth King – a gospel singer who never reached the same sort of fame as singers who moved into the secular world – but one who's got a vocal power that would have made her a star, had she chosen such a move! The tunes here all feature King singing with tight small combo backing in a very rhythmic mode, and with strong support from a male backing group – who offer up this great call/response energy to Elizabeth's lead – which only seems to drive the music even further forward with its power! The tracks were all recorded in Memphis in 1972 – and titles include "Can't Do Nothing", "I Found Him", "This Man", "I'll Fly Way", "I Heard The Voice", "Stretch Out", and "Down Here Waiting". CD

A fantastic collection of work from Elizabeth King – a gospel singer who never reached the same sort of fame as singers who moved into the secular world – but one who's got a vocal power that would have made her a star, had she chosen such a move! The tunes here all feature King singing with tight small combo backing in a very rhythmic mode, and with strong support from a male backing group – who offer up this great call/response energy to Elizabeth's lead – which only seems to drive the music even further forward with its power! The tracks were all recorded in Memphis in 1972 – and titles include "Can't Do Nothing", "I Found Him", "This Man", "I'll Fly Way", "I Heard The Voice", "Stretch Out", and "Down Here Waiting". LP, Vinyl record album

If there's one artist who's name is synonymous with dub, it's the master himself, King Tubby! And while his name has been pasted onto more than a few dodgy compilations over the years, this double disc set's no joke. 46 bottom heavy tracks, with Tubby's inimitable touch on the mixing console and echoplex, guaranteeing a deep space journey into the heaviest rhythms around, with sinewy basslines, reverb laden horn stabs and chattering percussion keeping proceedings moving. The first disc starts out with several dubs of the Crystalites, before moving into a nice, nice batch of Tubby blessed Lee Perry tracks by the Upsetters, like "IPA Skank", "Freak Out Skank", "Dub Organiser" and "Elephant Rock". But Scratch isn't the only top notch producer on board, as there's numbers by Rupie Edwards, Bunny Lee, Keith Hudson, Augustus Pablo, Linval Thompson and Niney Holness too! Bouncing dubs like "Stalag 17 Version", "New Style", "Fire From The Observer", "King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown", "King Tubby's In Fine Style", "Jah Jah Dub", "Conquering Version", "I Am Lost Dub", "Gorgon Version", "A Harder Version", "A Ruffer Version" and "Satta Dread" will keep this set rocking on and on! CD