Titles include "Ezy Ryder", "Midnight", "Room Full Of Mirrors", "Angel", "Belly Button Window", "New Rising Sun", "In From The Storm", "Drifting", and "Night Bird Flying". CD

An excellent of anthology of rare Hendrix – featuring previously unreleased recordings of songs we've never heard from Jimi, alternate recordings of staples, incendiary live recordings and more! It's an amazing set tracing the unheard material from Jimi's iconic days as a rock guitar deity. The CD only package of West Coast Seattle Boy features the soul shredding Jimi we know and love doing previously unheard alternate recordings of the classics and much much more, plus rare live recordings and covers. Includes versions of "Fire", "Love Or Confusion", "Mr Bad Luck", an amazing version of Dylan's "Tears Of Rage", "Hound Dog Blues", "In From The Storm", "Bolero", "Burning Desire", "Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)" and more. 15 tracks, all previously unreleased. CD

Chunky soul from Stephanie McKay – a Bronx-based soul singer, taking the UK by storm with this crack debut album! The set features production by Geoff Barrow of Portishead, and a number of songs co-written with Carl Hancock Rux – but the real force behind the set is McKay herself – a strong-willed yet sensitive singer who really manages to bridge a space between hip hop and soul without selling either short. Titles include "Tell Him", "Sadder Day", "How Long", "Rising Tide", "Take Me Over", "Thadius Star", "Echo", and "Thinking Of You". CD

A pair of RCA albums from Duane Eddy – back to back on a single CD! Dance With The Guitar Man is an early classic from the time when Duane Eddy moved over to RCA Records – still plenty of guitar in the mix, some great production supervised by Lee Hazlewood, and added vocals mixed into the session by Anita Kerr! The approach is slightly more pop than some of Eddy's earliest material, but still filled with that trademark sound that made him such a guitar innovator – on titles that include "The Scrape", "Dance With The Guitar Man", "Creamy Mashed Potatoes", "Waltz Of The Wind", "Loco Locomotion", "Spanish Twist", and "Nashville Stomp". Twangin Up A Storm is a cool little album that has Duane Eddy stepping away from the production world of Lee Hazlewood, and working instead with a young David Gates – who actually brings some surprisingly groovy elements to the music! There's chorus vocals on the record at times, but used in a way that never overwhelms the guitar – and Eddy gets in plenty of those twangy licks that he does so well, and still contributes the kind of original material that really keeps things interesting! Titles include "Guitar Child", "All You Gave To Me", "Giddy Goose", "Beach Bound", "Mr Guitar Man", "Blowin Up A Storm", "Guitar'd & Feathered", and "My Baby Plays The Same Old Song On His Guitar All Night Long". CD

An amazing record – one with a depth that goes way beyond its simple roots, and which has gone on to become one of the true Christmas classics of the 20th Century! Although a Christmas soundtrack, the album's more of a tapestry of sadness, longing, and loss – the best qualities that always emerge in true Christmas classics – underscoring the blue side of the season that's always lurking around corners from the happier moments. Vince Guaraldi penned this score back when he was a rising talent on the San Francisco scene – and in a way, it was almost his musical contribution to the cartoon that made it such a lasting favorite – even over and above the appeal of the famous animated characters. Most tunes are simple piano ones, but played with a phrasing that's beautifully timeless – and the few vocal numbers feature voices from the cartoon, singing softly with the music. Titles include the classic "Linus and Lucy" – plus "My Little Drum", "Christmas Is Coming", "Christmas Time Is Here", "Skating", and "Fur Elise". LP, Vinyl record album

Sure, the cover's a bit dated – but the politics have stayed surprisingly strong over the years – as has the music as well! Keep in mind that The Clash were waging war in the Mideast years before Desert Storm – in this searing mix of London punk, rocksteady roots, and slight new wave elements – delivered here with a surprising sense of self that really gave the whole thing a sense of wit – and more than enough legs to keep on going without collapsing under the passage of time! Titles include the hit "Should I Stay Or Should I Go", the classic "Rock The Casbah", and the tracks "Ghetto Defendant", "Car Jamming", "Know Your Rights", "Straight To Hell", and "Inoculated City". LP, Vinyl record album

Cut Chemist brings his deep digging style out of the world of legendary mix sets and behind-the-scenes hip hop wizardry – finally out front with his first ever solo album – and it's as good as we'd hoped for! Sadly, you have to worry when a great hip hop DJ/producer gets a major label solo album in this sad day and age of expensive sample clearance, as they often feel a little bit neutered by the system. Never fear in this case. Chem builds his signature eclectic craft around samples – some fairly obvious and some quite surprising – with occasional live instrumentation and a few appearances by topshelf underground MCs. The sounds are far too diverse to nail in a sentence or two, but they run from a catchy hip hop thump, to some Brazil-sampling groovers, to funky avant garde bits. Too many newer beatmakers opt for an obtuse, laptop-derived, barely musical approach. All the more reason to cherish Cut Chemist! Tracks include "Motivational Speaker", "(My 1st) Big Break", "The Lift", "The Garden", "Spat", "What's The Attitude" feat Hymnal, "Metrorail Thru Space", "Storm" feat Edan & Mr Lif, "2266 Cambridge" feat Thes One, "Spoon", "A Peak In Time" and "The Audience Is Speaking Theme Song". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky fusion classic! Second Direction are certainly not a household name – and the record has even more obscure origins than most, given that it was originally done as a small sound library project. Yet the quality of the set has given it a surprisingly wide reach with collectors and groove hounds over the years – thanks to the sharp rhythms and sweet blend of electric elements in the music! The combo mixes Latin rhythms with modal electric playing – very much in the mode of some of the best MPS work of the time, or the hipper corners of the Euro fusion scene – never too rockish and jamming, and with a great blend of the sax and flute of leader Fritz Munzer – plus the keyboards of Karl Heinz Merkel – both working with tight rhythms that often include lots of great congas. Titles include "Steamer", "Flying Carpet Ride", "Blue Dilemma", "Peace", "Storm Flute", and "Freeland". This great version also includes bonus tracks from the group's unreleased second album – Steps Ahead – seven more titles that include "Keep Going", "Tony's Choice", "Last Minute", "Steps Ahead", "Feeling Free", and "Moving Fantasy". CD

A really great little album – one that really gets at the bright, joyous feel that Clark Terry brings to his music! Despite the "happy" in the title – which might make you think this one would be a bit silly – the album's a pretty great record! Terry plays both trumpet and flugelhorn (hence the "horns" in the title) – and he's working with a spare, tight, and surprisingly creative group that includes drummer Walter Perkins, bassist Milt Hinton, pianist Roger Kellaway, and the sax team of Phil Woods and Ben Webster. Tunes are light and playful, but never sloppy – instead quite inventive, and done in a way that's halfway between Terry's own late 50s work as a leader (as on Argo), and some of his work on sessions like Ed Thigpen's magnificent Out Of The Storm. Titles include "Jazz Conversations", "High Towers", "In A Mist", "Rockin In Rhythm", "Return To Swahili", and "Impulsive". LP, Vinyl record album

A new album from the great Willie West – an artist we love for his rare vintage New Orleans work of the 60s and 70s – still sounding surprisingly wonderful all these many years later! Willie's vocals have this raspy, honest charm that's totally great – and like Lee Fields during his revival years, West gets superb backing from a small combo of younger players who really appreciate the best roots of the music – tight but unpretentious grooves that feel just like a vintage 45, and suit Willie West to a T! The style is less New Orleans than it is a more righteous, sophisticated version of funky soul – one with some nice dark corners that really raise our opinion of Willie's talents – again with the sort of deeper vibe we love in the recent work by Lee Fields. Titles include "Slow & Easy", "Cold In The Storm", "She's So Wise", "The Devil Gives Me Everything", "Getting Down", and "I'm Aware Of What You Want". LP, Vinyl record album

Warm thoughts, and equally warm vocals – thanks to the legendary Smokey Robinson, who's still sounding great here at the start of the 80s! The record's surprisingly charming – and has the laidback, mellow-going sort of sound that Robinson first crafted on Quiet Storm – but delivered here with a style that's even more personal and intimate, too. Things are quite stripped-down, especially given the overblown styles other singers were reaching for at the time – and titles include "Let Me Be The Clock", "Into Each Rain Some Life Must Fall", 'Wine, Women & Song", 'What's In Your Life For Me", and "I Want To Be Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Hardly the disco set you might guess from the title – and instead, a surprisingly soulful gem from the post-Stax years of Isaac Hayes! There's certainly a bit of uptempo grooving in the mix – but, as on Ike's Polydor years, the approach is still handled with the deeper sounds that Hayes first forged over at Stax – a way of putting together the groove that's almost like a mini-symphony in soul – still quite complex, even when aimed at the dancefloor! But not all cuts are groovers, too – as there's some key mellow moments on the record that really help balance things out, and which we really like a lot – those slow-stepping, mature masculine numbers that always marked Hayes as one of the hippest talents of his generation. There's some key Memphis help on the record from The Movement – who handle rhythm and horns – and titles include "Let's Don't Ever Blow Our Thing", "Lady of The Night", "The Storm Is Over", "Juicy Fruit", "Thank You Love", and "Music To Make Love By". LP, Vinyl record album

A really revolutionary album – both at the time it was released, and all these many years later! In a surprising nod to the younger generation, Blue Note opened the door to Madlib – already making a name with his array of great projects at the start of the century – an early part of his legacy of bringing in lots of jazz energy to hip hop production! The album wasn't the first effort of this nature, but certainly set a new standard – one that so many others have tried to match over the years, but never got this right. The set's got a fair bit of live jazz work – in the mode of Madlib's Yesterdays New Quintet project – mixed with all sorts of cool production elements too. We love the vibes of Ahmad Miller especially in the lineup – and titles include reworks of "Montara", "Song For My Father", "Footprints", "Stepping Into Tomorrow", "Peace/Dolphin Dance", "Stormy", "Distant Land", and "Slim's Return" – plus the original "Funky Blue Note". LP, Vinyl record album

Sure, the cover's a bit dated – but the politics have stayed surprisingly strong over the years – as has the music as well! Keep in mind that The Clash were waging war in the Mideast years before Desert Storm – in this searing mix of London punk, rocksteady roots, and slight new wave elements – delivered here with a surprising sense of self that really gave the whole thing a sense of wit – and more than enough legs to keep on going without collapsing under the passage of time! Titles include the hit "Should I Stay Or Should I Go", the classic "Rock The Casbah", and the tracks "Ghetto Defendant", "Car Jamming", "Know Your Rights", "Straight To Hell", and "Inoculated City". CD

A surprisingly wonderful set from The Controllers – recorded years after their late 70s classics, but with a great mellow 80s style that makes some great use of their harmonies! The style here is a mix of smooth quiet storm and mellow midtempo grooving – and although some of the electric arrangements have a definite 80s sound, the vocals are great, and there's some wonderful hooks on the tunes that really come out with a nice little punch. Titles include "Bad Bad Jama", "Distant Lover", "Stay", "So Glad", "My Secret Fantasy", "Got A Thang", and "Break Out The Love". CD

Cut Chemist brings his deep digging style out of the world of legendary mix sets and behind-the-scenes hip hop wizardry – finally out front with (can you believe this?) his first ever solo album! Sadly, you have to worry when a great hip hop DJ/producer gets a major label solo album in this sad day and age of expensive sample clearance, as they often feel a little bit neutered by the system. Never fear in this case. Chem builds his signature eclectic craft around samples – some fairly obvious and some quite surprising – with occasional live instrumentation and a few appearances by topshelf underground MCs. The sounds are far too diverse to nail in a sentence or two, but they run from a catchy hip hop thump, to some Brazil-sampling groovers, to funky avant garde bits. Too many newer beatmakers opt for an obtuse, laptop-derived, barely musical approach. All the more reason to cherish Cut Chemist! Tracks include "Motivational Speaker", "(My 1st) Big Break", "The Lift", "The Garden", "Spat", "What's The Attitude" feat Hymnal, "Metrorail Thru Space", "Storm" feat Edan & Mr Lif, "2266 Cambridge" feat Thes One, "Spoon", "A Peak In Time" and "The Audience Is Speaking Theme Song". CD

A set recorded at a time when Waylon Jennings had really reached superstardom – and was also finding a whole new ear for his music on the TV screen, thanks to his work on Dukes Of Hazzard! Think what you might about that show, Waylon's theme is a great one – and it's presented here along with a number of other well-chosen numbers that are delivered with a nicely understated sound overall – no attempt to try to force any sort of country rock agenda on Jennings, even when he's taking on the music of Steely Dan! And surprisingly, he does a pretty great job of that – reworking "Do It Again" into a completely different sort of song – heard here next to "It's Alright", "Storms Never Last", "Nashville Wimmin", "He Went To Paris", and "Good Ol Boys". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic document of the first-ever Ann Arbor Blues Festival – the start of a great event that would blossom into other styles of music in the 70s, but which stood as a strong blues-based event in its initial year of 1969! In some ways, the three day series of concerts is a roots answer to Woodstock – which took place just a few weeks before – as the festival featured a great scope of blues talents, from the rootsier sort of artists who were recording for labels like Folkways or Arhoolie, to some of the sharper modern talents rising to the top on Chess or Delmark! The package alone is almost worth the price of admission – beautiful photographs of the event, detailed notes, and the first-ever release of this music – which has sat in the vaults for decades, finally to see the light of day. Titles include "Dirty Mother For You" by Roosevelt Sykes, "So Glad You're Mine" by Arthur Big Boy Crudup, "Everybody Must Suffer/Stone Crazy" by Luther Allison & The Blue Nebulae, "Help Me" by Junior Wells, "I Wonder Why" by Jimmy Dawkins, "Too Much Alcohol" by JB Hutto & His Hawks, "So Many Roads So Many Trains" by Otis Rush, "Long Distance Call" by Muddy Waters, "Off The Wall" by James Cotton Band, "Juanita" by Big Joe Williams, "Jelly Jelly Blues" by Shirley Griffin, "I Feel So Good" by Magic Sam, "Call It Stormy Monday" by T-Bone Walker, "Death Letter Blues" by Son House, "Key To The Highway" by Sam Lay, and "Mojo Hand" by Lightnin Hopkins. CD

Four full albums from Waylon Jennings – served up here in one double CD set! First up is What Goes Around Comes Around – Waylon Jennings' last album of the 70s, and a set that continues the superstar run he forged during the decade – delivered with that increasing power and focus that Jennings brought to his records as the years went on – still strongly country through and through, but with a quality that helped Waylon to really reach out and find audiences that some of his contemporaries couldn't touch! The material is really well-chosen, and fits that swagger that Jennings could bring to his vocals, but without ever pushing things too far – none of the hoke that could occasionally get in the way – on titles that include "I Ain't Livin Long Like This", "What Goes Around", "It's The World's Gone Crazy", "Old Love New Eyes", "Come With Me", and "Ivory Tower". Music Man is a set recorded at a time when Waylon Jennings had really reached superstardom – and was also finding a whole new ear for his music on the TV screen, thanks to his work on Dukes Of Hazzard! Think what you might about that show, Waylon's theme is a great one – and it's presented here along with a number of other well-chosen numbers that are delivered with a nicely understated sound overall – no attempt to try to force any sort of country rock agenda on Jennings, even when he's taking on the music of Steely Dan! And surprisingly, he does a pretty great job of that – reworking "Do It Again" into a completely different sort of song – heard here next to "It's Alright", "Storms Never Last", "Nashville Wimmin", "He Went To Paris", and "Good Ol Boys". On Black On Black, Waylon Jennings gets some great help from producer Chips Moman – who creates this laidback, rootsy groove that's perfect for the singer's sound – a move that's a wonderful choice, given that at this point in his career, Jennings could have gone for an arena-filling country rock sort of approach – but instead stays true to the kind of confident, up-close material that filled his classic albums for RCA in the 70s! Titles include "Honky Tonky Blues", "Women Do Know How To Carry On", "We Made It As Lovers", "Gonna Write A Letter", "Shine", and a remake of "Just To Satisfy You". On Waylon & Company, the "company" is as key as Waylon Jennings himself – as the set features the country music legend serving up a set of duets with a surprisingly great range of other singers – an all-star lineup that includes Jerry Reed, Tony Joe White, Hank Williams Jr, Willie Nelson, and Emmylou Harris! The set's a great reminder of the collaborative spirit that Jennings really started bringing to his music in the 70s – similar to Willie Nelson, a frequent recording partner – as a way of never letting superstardom make Waylon too prideful to not share the spotlight with someone else. Titles include "Hold On I'm Comin", "Spanish Johnny", "I'll Find It Where I Can", "Sight For Sore Eyes", "The Conversation", "So You Want To Be A Cowboy Singer", and "Leave Them Boys Alone". CD

One of the most mind-expanding albums we've ever heard from Jack Bruce – a really strong outing from 1974, one that shows him growing and growing as an artists in his years away from Cream! The tracks have a feel that's a bit more wiry than some of Bruce's other solo work – stripped down so that the jazzy changes emerge a bit more, and Bruce's vocals come to the forefront – singing in a style that's oddly confident, but still possessed of all the quirks that have always made them so striking. In a way, the record's a nice compression of certain progressive ideals – all filtered down into the singer-songwriter mode with surprising intimacy. Titles include "Keep It Down", "Pieces Of Mind", "Golden Days", "Timeslip", "One", and "Running Through Our Hands". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising record from the glory days of the UK punk scene – served up by a group who frequently opened for the big acts of the day, but who have a vibe that's decidedly much more old school overall! Whirlwind have a sound that's very much in keeping with their look on the cover – a raw-styled groove that goes back to the early years of rock and roll – which includes them serving up a few hip covers from the 50s, and mixing them with their own well-crafted originals too! The whole thing's a great reminder that if you were on the ground in the UK scene in the late 70s, things were a lot more complicated than the history books might make you think – a legacy that certainly lives on here, in cuts that include "Slow Down", "Tore Apart", "Together Forever", "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It", "My Advice", "Don't Be Crazy", and "Blue Moon Of Kentucky". LP, Vinyl record album

The start of a legendary run of records from Queen – a set that's maybe not as archetypically the group's work as mid 70s albums to come – but which is still a hell of a way to put themselves out for the rest of the world to hear! The intensity of their musical performance is already very much in place – heard here on the leadoff stormer "Keep Yourself Alive", which is a great way to begin the record – followed by other tracks penned by Brian May and Freddie Mercury that have a surprisingly diverse array of themes. Titles include "Liar", "My Fairy King", "Great King Rat", "Doing All Right", "Night Comes Down", "Jesus", "Modern Times Rock & Roll", "Son & Daughter", and the early instrumental reading of "Seven Seas Of Rhye". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic bit of modern soul from Norman Connors – proof that he was still growing and changing as an artist, continuing to push his groove into whole new areas as the 70s progressed. The record takes the smooth jazzy sound of the earlier Buddah sides, sharpens it into a more sophisticated modern soul style, fused with a bit of a quiet storm vocal approach, to create a wonderfully mature album of silky soul tracks. Part of the strength comes from the vocalists – who include Eleanor Mills and Jean Carn – and Norman also does a bit of singing on the record, and comes across surprisingly well. Tracks include "Stella", "This Is Your Life", "Wouldn't You Like To See", "Butterfly", "Captain Connors", and a wonderful jazzy soul reworking of "The Creator Has A Master Plan". CD also features a bonus track – a 12" mix of "Captain Connors". CD