... LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A mighty collection of gems from the Studio One vaults – with really rare material that goes way past the obvious! Titles include "Love" by Bop & The Beltones, "Stand For I" by Roy Tomlinson, "Guess What" by Im & The Sound Dimension, "Dub Street" by Johnny Earl & Jennie, "Tears From My Eyes" by The Gaylads, "Peanut Butter" by Black & George, "Love Got Me" by Glen & Dave, "Good Enough" by Clive Alphonso, "Press Along Nyah" by Larry & Alvin, "Spirit Down Here Below" by The Soulites, "Knocking At My Door" by Alton Ellis, "Popcorn Reggae" by Soul Agent & The Soul Defenders, "Tenament Yard (unreleased ext mix)" by Eddie Constantine, "Unity (ext mix)" by Johnny Osbourne, and "Ten Years Ago" by The Officials. CD

A second dip into the fantastic legacy of Manhunt magazine – easily one of the best publications for crime fiction in the middle of the 20th Century – a legendary spot that offered a great showcase to existing giants of the paperback field, and one that also helped launch the careers of many others! The work here is a nice change from the 40s writers who gave Hollywood some of the tales that became film noir classics – maybe more down to earth, and because they're short stories, geared more towards twist endings – of the sort that would later show up on the Alfred Hitchcock show. This volume has a great history on the magazine by Robert Turner, and features over 400 pages of stories reprinted from the magazine – by writers who include Donald Westlake, Jonathan Craig, Wade Miller, Jack Ritchie, Stephen Marlowe, Richard Deming, Earle Stanley Gardner, Michael Zuroy, Bryce Walton, and dozens of others! Book

A record that not only shows off the great skills of pianist Cedar Walton as a composer, but one that also shows how he can really work a special sort of magic when he lets some horns into his group, and shifts from his usual mode in a trio! Walton's always wonderful on the keys – and works here with Christian McBride on bass and Victor Lewis on drums – but it's the presence of the hornmen on the record who really shade things wonderfully – the presence of Vincent Herring on alto, Ralph Moore on tenor, and Roy Hargrove on trumpet – all really bringing out some great qualities in Walton's original tunes. Titles include "Martha's Prize", "Minor Controversy", "Hindsight", "Groove Passage", "Theme For Jobim", and "Groundwork". CD

Two great 90s sessions from Cedar Walton – back to back in a single set! Composer is a record that not only shows off the great skills of pianist Cedar Walton as a composer, but one that also shows how he can really work a special sort of magic when he lets some horns into his group, and shifts from his usual mode in a trio! Walton's always wonderful on the keys – and works here with Christian McBride on bass and Victor Lewis on drums – but it's the presence of the hornmen on the record who really shade things wonderfully – the presence of Vincent Herring on alto, Ralph Moore on tenor, and Roy Hargrove on trumpet – all really bringing out some great qualities in Walton's original tunes. Titles include "Martha's Prize", "Minor Controversy", "Hindsight", "Groove Passage", "Theme For Jobim", and "Groundwork". Roots is a masterpiece of color from pianist Cedar Walton – a set that has all the right elements and instruments really opening up his sound! The core trio is excellent – Cedar on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and the great Lewis Nash on drums – at his crackling 90s best – yet these players are expanded in all these great tonal ways – with rich tenor from Joshua Redman, sparkling trumpet from Terence Blanchard, and great guitar from Mark Whitfield – who really seems to echo Cedar's sense of color on his strings. Titles include "Mode For Joe", "Bolivia", "Fiesta Espanol", "Firm Roots", "I'll Let You Know", and "When Love Is New". CD

Two albums from tenorist Junior Cook! Good Cookin' has 6 tracks with Walter Booker on bass, Al Dailey on piano, Slide Hampton on trombone, Bill Hardman on trumpet and flugelhorn, Mario Rivera on baritone sax, and Leroy Williams on drums. Somethin's Cookin' is a nice little cooker from Junior – with no pun on the artist or title intended! The album's one of Cook's few sets as a leader, and arguably has an even better focus than most of the rest – thanks to strong production from Cedar Walton, who's also backing Junior for the record with his trio of Billy Higgins on drums and Buster Williams on bass. The groove is nice and fluid – in the best Walton way that combines warmth with a sense of free-soaring energy – and Junior's solos seem a bit more hard-bitten than before, but still with that sense of lyrical warmth that he developed with Horace Silver. Titles include "Chi Chi", "Hindsight", "Heavy Blue", "Illusion Of Grandeur", "Fiesta Espanol", and "Detour Ahead". CD

Includes tracks by the Wailers, Roland Alphonso, the Gaylads, Skatalites, Delroy Wilson, Jackie Mittoo, the Clarendonians, Jeff Dixon and Alton Ellis, and the Mellolarks – 14 tracks total. CD

Soul Jazz gets the royal treatment, or should we say gives us the royal treatment! The royal court is in session with a fine, fine batch of today's sound today, another regal dip into the Studio One vaults, showcasing the top male vocal stars in Coxsone Dodd's stable! The set includes both classic cuts and some well chosen lesser known nuggets, and as you now know (or are about to find out) the Soul Jazz selectors pull together a compilation fit for a king! 17 numbers in all, including "I've Got To Make It" by Larry Marshall, "Every Tongue Shall Tell" by Horace Andy, "Well Run Dry" by Alton Ellis, 'Water More Than Flour" by Johnny Osbourne, "I Am The Ruler" by Anthony Rocky Ellis, "Pretty Looks Isn't All" by Cornell Campbell, "Please Be True" by Alexander Henry, "Them A Come" by Burning Spear, "Change Of Plan" by Joe Higgs, "Roots Natty" by Devon Russell, "Be Yourself" by Ken Boothe, "I Shall Be Released" by Freddie McGregor, "Father Will Cut You Off" by Freddie McKay, "Locust" by the Ethiopian, "One, One" by George Philip, "I Don't Want To See You Cry" by John Holt and "Won't You Come Home" by Delroy Wilson. LP, Vinyl record album

Aahh, sweet lover's rock, and all from Studio One no less! Whether you're looking to set the mood for a late night rub up, or just want to cool out to some mellow island vibes, this batch of easy rockin' lover's numbers cut under the supervision of Coxsone Dodd is just the ticket. You get sweet soulful numbers from Studio One stalwarts, plus a number of nice tracks by some lesser known stars in the Studio One galaxy, and as you'd expect from a Soul Jazz set, it's wrapped up quite nicely. 18 tracks in all, including "I Don't Know Why" by Delroy Wilson, "Touch Me Baby" by Myrna Hague, "Darling I Need Your Loving" by John Holt & The Paragons, "Ten To One" by The Mad Lads, "Reggae Magic" by Jackie Mittoo, "Too Long Will Be Too Late" by Freddy & Jenny, "Let Him Try" by Alton Ellis, "Don't Wait For Me" by Albert Tomlinson, "Got To Be Sure" by Horace Andy, "Ready To Learn" by the Heptones, 'We're All Alone" by Doreen Schaefer and more! LP, Vinyl record album

They're not lying with the title of this one, as most of the cuts here are unreleased – some completely unheard tracks from the Studio One catalog, others that are stereo versions of tunes that were only ever around in mono – mixed here with a few other rare gems from the deep vaults of one of the hippest reggae labels of all time! The styles run the gamut, but there's also an all-killer, no filler approach here – with titles that include the unreleased tunes "Sleeping Trees (discomix)" by The Saints, "Flying Time" by Carey Wildman Johnson, "Brentford Rock" by Studio One Rockers, "We Are In The Mood" by The Royals, "Kinshasa" by Count Ossie & The Sound Dimension, "Hello Carol" by Prince Jazzbo & The Gladiators, "Many Days" by Alton Ellis, "Too Long" by The Goods, "Think It Over" by Otis Gayle, and "Tribulation" by Jennifer Lara – plus unreleased stereo mixes of "Last Dance" by The Thrillers, and "Feel Like Jumping (take 2)" by Marcia Griffith. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from the Thunderrocks, Dave's Travelers, Charlies J Phillips & the Kountry Kings, Terry & the Renegades, the Abootay's, Skip Haston & the Phantoms, Roy & the Royals, the Nite Caps, the Devrons, Dean Scott & the Dominoes, the Royaltones, Robert & Gene Wilson, the Sting Rays, Bill Duzan & the Corvettes, the Fendermen, and more. CD

One of the first albums to really show Blue Mitchell's genius as a leader – recorded past the more formulaic bop modes of some of his other Riverside sessions, and handled with a lyrical edge that really gets at the best aspects of his playing. Of course, part of the reason for this is that Blue's in the company of some of his Horace Silver bandmates – including drummer Roy Brooks, tenorist Junior Cook, and bassist Gene Taylor – but even more than that, the presence of a young Cedar Walton on piano really makes the set sparkle, as does the choice of some extremely strong material – such as "The Cup Bearers" and "Capers", both written by that young and glowing jazz compositional lumiary, Tom McIntosh, and the tunes "Turquoise, written by Walton, and "Dingbat Blues", written by Charles Davis. Forgive the long sentence, but the quality of this one's best expressed in a single breath! CD

Blue Mitchell with Art Blakey, Roy Brooks, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cleaveland, Junior Cook, Tommy Flannigan, Curtis Fuller, Urbie Green, Johnny Griffin, Albert Tootie Heath, Jimmy Heath, Philly Joe Jones, Sam Jones, Wynton Kelly, Charlie Persip, Julian Priester, Jerome Richardson, Gene Taylor, Clark Terry, Cedar Walton, Wilbur Ware, Julius Watkins, Britt Woodman, and others. CD

With Roy Brooks, Jimmy Cobb, Alan Dawson, Walter Davis, George Duvivier, Barry Harris, Louis Hayes, Billy Higgins, Sam Jones, Duke Jordan, Herbie Lewis, Junior Mance, Cedar Walton, and Leroy Williams. CD

Funky nuggets from one of the greatest reggae labels of all time – a really wonderful collection that gets at some of the more hard-hitting material from Kingston powerhouse Studio One Records! Given the way that Studio One helped bridge the worlds of soul during the years of Jamaican ska and rocksteady, the funk is no surprise – and the package features both remakes of American funky numbers and plenty of homegrown cuts, all served up by some of the giants from the scene at the time. Titles include "Sidewalk Doctor" by Pablove Black, "007" by Soul Brothers, "Love Jah" by Sound Dimension, "Do Your Thing" by Leroy Sibbles, "Idleberg" by Cedric Im Brooks, "African Descendants" by Alton Ellis, "Reggae Feet" by Lloyd Williams, "Hang Em High" by Jackie Mittoo, "Beat Down Babylon" by Prince Frances, "Funky Broadway" by Delroy Wilson, "It's A Shame" by Alton Ellis, "Melting Pot" by Underground Vegetables, "Music Answer" by The Sharks, and a surprising remake of "Shaft" by the unlikely Cedric Im Brooks. CD

Cedar's working here on a great set of his own compositions – pulled from Prestige albums of the late 60s, and presented here as an "All Walton" outing! Even from the start, Walton showed a tremendous ability to compose – and in his early days with the Jazz Messengers, his tunes were some of the most deeply soulful in Blakey's book. By the time of this set, Cedar had emerged as one of the freshest new voices writing in 60s jazz – capable of holding onto the soul jazz sound of the early 60s, but also stretching it out into a hipper, more exploratory vein that set a tone for the post-Coltrane years. Players on the record include Kenny Dorham, Junior Cook, Leroy Vinnegar, Blue Mitchell, Clifford Jordan, and Billy Higgins – and titles include "Spectrum", "Jake's Milkshakes", "Higgins Holler", Twilight Waltz", "Head & Shoulders", and "Short Stuff". CD

A real revelation from pianist Cedar Walton – an unusual electric album from the 70s – quite a surprise, given the mostly-acoustic sound of most of Cedar's other records! The album's a killer, though – and has this fresh, full take on funky jazz for the time – not the usual CTI copycat mode, and instead this compelling hybrid of elements that includes lots of Fender Rhodes from Walton, sweet guitar likes from Ryo Kawasaki, and lots of rootsy percussion from Ray Mantilla and Omar Clay – two players who really make the album nice and earthy at the bottom. The rest of the group is wonderful, too – and includes tenor from Frank Foster, alto and baritone from Charles Davis, and trumpet from Roy Burrowes – all fresh players who open up a big can of soul for the set – on titles that include a classic break version of "Off Minor", plus "Blue Trane", "Soho", and "Road Island Red". LP, Vinyl record album

A really beautiful batch of tracks from Charles McPherson – with a late 60s approach to soul jazz that reminds us of some of the work by Sonny Criss on Prestige, or of some of Cedar Walton's sessions from the same time. McPherson's moved way past his earlier bop roots here – stretching things with a hip group that includes Buster Williams, Roy Brooks, and Barry Harris – crafting tunes that point the way at soul jazz in the 70s, with a more complicated and sophisticated approach to rhythm, but still a firm commitment to swing! Titles include "Explorations", "Mish Mash Bash", "Opalescence", and "My Cherie Amour". CD

Rocksteady's got plenty of soul – so much so that the Jamaican style of the late 60s was also a huge influence on the sound of London as well! The music here is from a fantastic moment when Studio One was able to capture some of the best changing sounds in Kingston – older modes borrowed from American soul, set to hipper rhythms that fit the Jamaican vibe more – but still overflowing with wonderful vocals that often rival some of the best harmony groups up in the US! And while plenty of other labels recorded this music too, Studio One was always one of the best – especially heard here, with an expert selection of singles picked by the folks at Soul Jazz. Titles include "It's True" by Alton Ellis, "Get Up Now" by Errol Dunkley, "Traveling Home" by Sound Dimension, "When You're Gone" by Ken Parker, "Tables Gonna Turn" by The Clarendonians, "Good Feeling" by Jackie Mittoo, Young Generation" by The Heptones, "Run Rudie Run" by Lee Perry The Gaylads, "Mr Sweet" by The Gladiators, "Lose & Gain" by The Viceroys, "Money Maker" by Im & David, "Let The Light Shine" by The Ethiopians, and "My Heart Is Gone" by John Holt. LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent dip into the rootsier material from the Studio One catalog – the kind of reggae classics that have forever made the label one of the best Jamaican companies! The package is every bit as sublime as Soul Jazz's other reggae compilations – and it features a selection of tunes that far outshines most other reissues of Studio One material, and which includes some great rare gems that have a heavy soulful feeling. Titles include "Meditation" by The Cyclones with Count Ossie, "Set Me Free" by L Crosdale, "More Creation" by Lennie Hibbert, "Fear Not" by Winston Jarrett, "Blackish White" by Alton Ellis, "Far Beyond" by Leroy Wallace, "Addis A Baba" by Willie Williams, "Lumumbo" by Bunny & Skitter, "Africa Here I Come" by Freddie McGregor, and "Congo Rock" by Sound Dimension. LP, Vinyl record album

Pure gold from the earliest years of the Studio One label – great tracks that really sum up the special sort of genius that the label helped allow! As you might guess from the "freedom sounds" in the title, the late 60s marked a new period of independent action in Jamaica – a strong sense of regional identity, and new pride in the local talent and its wellspring of new ideas – all coming forth in a huge wave of culture that was captured by Studio One and its various imprints! The approach here is not unlike all the small indie soul labels that were cropping up in the US at the same time – and as the notes display, most of these tracks were issued on 7" singles, with the kind of local punch and importance of rare soul 45s during the same decade up north. Some of these cuts are nicely rough around the edges – but in the best way possible – and titles include "Sunday Coming" by Alton Ellis, "Rain Or Shine" by Don Drummond, "Love Me Girl" by Leroy & Rocky, "Destiny" by Bob Marley & The Wailers, "Psychedelic Rock" by Ernest Ranglin, "Spread Satin" by Skatalites, "Hi Jack" by Jackie Mittoo, "Reggae In The Grass" by Roland Alphonso, "Contemplating Mind" by Barrington Spence, "Timo Oh" by Mr Foundation, "I Am What I Am" by Jackie Opel, and "I Am The Toughest" by Peter Tosh. CD

One of Milt Jackson's best albums from the 60s – and one we love because it's got a lot more of a soul jazz feel than others! Of course, you've got to thank the rest of the group for that – because with players like Jimmy Heath, Jimmy Owens, Cedar Walton, Mickey Roker, and Walter Booker, Milt couldn't help being a little bit soulful. Tracks are short, tight, and Milt's vibes ring out in a soulful, almost Roy Ayers-ish jazzy way. Titles include "Some Kinda Waltz", "Bring It Home", "Whale Pool", "Tears Of Joy", and "One Step Down". LP, Vinyl record album