Very hip gospel work by Sister Rosetta Tharp – singing here with her own guitar accompaniment, plus backing by small combos that include players like Ernie Hayes, Panama Francis, Ernest Richardson, and Harry Doc Bagby, who plays organ on about half the record. The sound is a folksy mix of gospel and blues styles, with traces of early soul as well – and titles include "When They Ring The Golden Bell", "Two Little Fishes Five Loaves Of Bread", "I Shall Know Him", "Fly Away", "How About You", and "99 1/2 Won't Do". CD

One of the more obscure albums from the great Rosetta Tharpe – an early 60s session for Verve! LP, Vinyl record album

A blistering live set from the legendary Sister Rosetta Tharpe – an artist who may be a gospel singer, but was also a huge influence on soul and rock music too – thanks to an incredible vocal range, and a way of playing the electric guitar that influenced countless others! This 1966 live set has Rosetta captured at a time when she was well aware of her influence on newer styles of music – and maybe working even harder than usual to top them, commanding the stage with a presence that's incredible – just guitar and vocals, but with a righteous power that would blow most other large ensembles away! Titles include "Up Above My Head I Hear Music In The Air", "Down By The Riverside", "Sit Down", "Moonshine", "This Train", "Didn't It Rain", "Go Ahead", "Bring Back Those Happy Days", "Beams Of Heaven", and "Two Little Fishes Five Loaves Of Bread". CD

A blistering live set from the legendary Sister Rosetta Tharpe – an artist who may be a gospel singer, but was also a huge influence on soul and rock music too – thanks to an incredible vocal range, and a way of playing the electric guitar that influenced countless others! This 1966 live set has Rosetta captured at a time when she was well aware of her influence on newer styles of music – and maybe working even harder than usual to top them, commanding the stage with a presence that's incredible – just guitar and vocals, but with a righteous power that would blow most other large ensembles away! Titles include "Up Above My Head I Hear Music In The Air", "Down By The Riverside", "Sit Down", "Moonshine", "This Train", "Didn't It Rain", "Go Ahead", "Bring Back Those Happy Days", "Beams Of Heaven", and "Two Little Fishes Five Loaves Of Bread". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic collection from the legendary Rosetta Tharpe – no filler, just all greatness from her key 40s years! CD

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... CD

Avery Sharpe & the New England Gospel Choir with special guest Meli'sa Morgan. CD

A weird idea for a collection, but a great one too – a set that brings together a batch of train-themed tunes from the 60s, and uses the transportation narrative as a way to unlock ideas of personal freedom and social change! The "train" here isn't just a gimmick – and instead focuses on the way that the mode of transportation helped open up new ideas and new vistas in the postwar years – a way of getting out, and getting past – served up here in a range of soul, blues, and other styles too! The set's got 25 tracks in all, put together with the usual top-shelf Ace Records approach – and titles include "Freedom Riders" by Harold Jackson, "Steam" by Caroline Day, "Number 9 Train" by Tarheel Slim, "Hurry Hurry Choo Choo" by Sharon Tandy, "Memphis Train" by Rufus Thomas, "Won't Be Long" by Dusty Springfield, "The Downbound Train" by Chuck Berry, "Train To Skaville" by The Ethiopians, "Go Go Train" by Jackie Pain, "Freedom Train" by James Carr, "This Train" by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Up The Line" by Little Walter, "Death Train Blues" by Daddy Long Legs, "Stop That Train" by Keith & Tex, "Country Line Special" by Cyril Davies, and "Big Train" by Bobby Wayne. CD

Music from Williamson Brothers And Curry, Memphis Jug Band, Mississippi John Hurt, The Carter Family, Lydia Mendoza, Carolina Tar Heels, Hattie Hart & The Memphis Jug Band, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Charley Patton, Joseph Falcon, Frank Hutchison, Jimmie Rodgers, and more. CD

A really wonderful entry in this excellent series – one that initially helped identify a really special strand in postwar music – then continue to provide rare and unique examples with new volumes like this! The music isn't really mambo or Latin at all – but the rhythms here are more sophisticated and modern than more blues-oriented work of the time – and pulled from a fantastic moment when things were really mixing up in the new indie recording scene of the postwar years! Bits of jazz, early soul, and other touches make these tunes really shine – all lively numbers that include both group material and solo singers too – in a killer set list that includes "Wanda" by The Heartbreakers, "You're So Good Looking" by Otis Smith, "Heartaches & Troubles" by Mr Bo, "Song Of Sadar" by Lawrence Peel & The Filatones, "Buddha's Boogie" by Dukes Of Rhythm, "Calvalry" by Marie Knight & Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Evil One" by The Dundees, "Love For Sale" by Helene Polite, "Oscalypso" by Oscar Pettiford, "Mambo Blues" by Effie Smith, "Big Mary's" by Titus Turner, "Caldonia" by Monchito, "Ali Baba's Boogie" by Preston Love, "Canveral Rock" by The Blasts, "I Want You To Be My Baby Mambo" by The Royals, "Girl Of My Dream" by Frank Butler, and "My Beat Is 125th Street" by Eunice Davis. LP, Vinyl record album

The great Maggot Brain keeps on growing and growing – really reaching mind-expanding territory this special seventh issue, at a level that goes far beyond the large features on Lou Reed and Loaded pictured on the cover! There's a wealth of different shorter features, mixed with artwork and other articles too – bits on Lee Scratch Perry, Pastor TL Barrett, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Dane Wareham, The Goats, and the late 80s underground noise scene around Detroit – plus an especially strange feature on Doug Henning and his relationship to glam rock in Canada! As always, its less the topics than the way they're handled that makes the magazine so great – and Maggot Brain is definitely one of those publications that really rewards a cover-to-cover read – like the old classics Grand Royal, Wax Poetics, or even Motorbooty. Magazine

Music from Williamson Brothers And Curry, Memphis Jug Band, Mississippi John Hurt, The Carter Family, Lydia Mendoza, Carolina Tar Heels, Hattie Hart & The Memphis Jug Band, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Charley Patton, Joseph Falcon, Frank Hutchison, Jimmie Rodgers, and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful entry in this excellent series – one that initially helped identify a really special strand in postwar music – then continue to provide rare and unique examples with new volumes like this! The music isn't really mambo or Latin at all – but the rhythms here are more sophisticated and modern than more blues-oriented work of the time – and pulled from a fantastic moment when things were really mixing up in the new indie recording scene of the postwar years! Bits of jazz, early soul, and other touches make these tunes really shine – all lively numbers that include both group material and solo singers too – in a killer set list that includes "Wanda" by The Heartbreakers, "You're So Good Looking" by Otis Smith, "Heartaches & Troubles" by Mr Bo, "Song Of Sadar" by Lawrence Peel & The Filatones, "Buddha's Boogie" by Dukes Of Rhythm, "Calvalry" by Marie Knight & Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Evil One" by The Dundees, "Love For Sale" by Helene Polite, "Oscalypso" by Oscar Pettiford, "Mambo Blues" by Effie Smith, "Big Mary's" by Titus Turner, "Caldonia" by Monchito, "Ali Baba's Boogie" by Preston Love, "Canveral Rock" by The Blasts, "I Want You To Be My Baby Mambo" by The Royals, "Girl Of My Dream" by Frank Butler, and "My Beat Is 125th Street" by Eunice Davis. CD