A way hipper record than you'd guess from a group with a name like "Rare Silk" – and some of the best group jazz vocalese recorded in the 80s! The group is a quartet of voices – 3 female, 1 male – and they come together in a style that's far less hokey than most of the other practictioners of this mode at the time – a timeless sort of hipster approach that's really got a lot of the same sort of energy as Mark Murphy on Muse! Backing is small combo jazz on all numbers, with some really sweet keyboards on a few of the best tracks – and titles include versions of Flip Nunez's "Happying", Freddie Hubbard's "Red Clay", Richie Cole's "New York Afternoon", Chick Corea's "Spain", Stanley Turrentine's "Sugar", and Eddie Harris' "You Know It's Wrong". CD

There's nothing slow about this mid 70s album from Steppenwolf – a set that has the group really coming back into the fray, after John Kay had left for a bit and recorded as a solo act! All the raw power of the group is still very much at play here – plenty of searing guitars, at that level that made Steppenwolf such a key precursor to the hard rock sound of the 70s – maybe answered to by the group themselves here, who felt a need to reform and show the younger acts how things were done! But there's also some fuller production at times too – touches of soul inspiration that hit a few of the songs, but without ever knocking the guitars out too much – on titles that include "Get Into The Wind", "Children Of The Night", "Smokey Factory Blues", "Morning Blue", "A Fool's Fantasy", and "Gang War Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most heavenly pop ever recorded – and a wonderful 2LP collection of work from the later years of The Zombies! A big chunk of the set features work from the group's landmark Odyssey & Oracle – a tremendous album that we'd rank right up there with Pet Sounds for sheer 60s brilliance – plus some other earlier singles, as well as some gems from Colin Blunstone's solo recordings for Epic in the post-Zombies years! Titles include "Care Of Cell 44", "A Rose For Emily", "Maybe After He's Gone", "Beechwood Park", "Brief Candles", "Friends Of Mine", "Butcher's Tale", "Walking In The Sun", "Smokey Day", "She Loves The Way They Love Her", "Imagine The Swan", "If It Don't Work Out", "She's Coming Home", "Tell Her No", "Don't Cry For Me", "I'll Call You Mine", and "You Make Me Feel Good". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy funk from the Bahamas – a whole bunch of groups that will show you that Nassau had a lot more to offer than The Beginning Of The End! The groove here is totally wonderful – somewhat like American funk of the late 60s and early 70s, but served up with some very unusual rhythmic patterns too – a bit Jamaican at times, but certainly not reggae – and somewhat sunny and Caribbean styled, but not in a way that's cheesy or filled with any hokey island-styled stereotypes. Instead, the tunes are deeply funk and soulful – grooving with plenty of dark edges and gritty instrumentation that's often heavy on the guitar. Many numbers have vocals, and those are great too – and as usual with the Numero label, the whole thing's put together with amazing notes and packaging, so that you get a full history lesson and a heck of a lot of photos to support the music too! Titles include "Gonna Build A Nation" by Cyril Ferguson, "Mustang Sally", "I Am The Man For You Baby", and "Funky Fever" by Jay Mitchell, "Theme From Shaft" by Esquires LTD, "Gimme Some Skin (inst)" by Frank Penn, "Words To My Song" by Dry Bread, "People Won't Change" by Willpower, "Take Five" by Ozzie Hall, "Watcha Gonna Do Bout It" and "The Time For Loving Is Now" by Mustangs, "Honesty Is The Best Policy" by Gospel Chandeliers, and "Don't Touch That Thing" by Sylvia Hall. CD

Fantastic west coast blues from the 60s, none of issued at the time – collected together here in a set that really shows the continuing evolution of the sound of LA! During the 60s, the city's blues took on some of the transformations that were happing in Chicago – with similar roots in a southern scene that moved into a hipper, more urban environment – where blues phrasing was more electrified, and mixed with influences from soul and jazz – often with some funky hybrids along the way! All the cuts here were recorded by Kent Records – the clear black music powerhouse of the west coast at the time – and half were issued on rare Japanese CDs in the 90s, the other 12 appear here for the first time ever – and as usual with Ace, the presentation, notes, and sound quality are wonderful. Titles include "Mama Said" and "Hey Baby" by Willie Headen, "Address In My Hand" and "Soul Blues" by Willie Garland, "Christine" and "Baby Don't Tear My Clothes" by Model T Slim, "Blues Pain" by Lowell Fulson, "You Told Me A Lie" by Smokey Wilson, "Before Day" by Big Mama Thornton, and "Rocks In My Pillow" and "Let Me Play With Your Poodle" by Long Gone Miles. CD

A huge collection of rare singles from the vaults of the legendary Treasure Isle label – a company who was home to some of the hippest tracks from the early days of ska – and also did a great job of getting the music to the UK scene as well! This package goes past the familiar Treasure Isle hits, as the 7" singles feature previously unreleased tracks and rare alternate versions – all packaged up in a great box set with a mighty sharp look. The whole thing is great – nice and raw, and very different than ska revival material of later years – and this 3CD set features all the material that was on the 7" box set done a few years back, plus 74 more bonus tracks! Core cuts include "You Wish Me Bad (take 6)" by The Spanishtonians, "Love Me Or Leave Me (take 1)" by Owen & Leon Silvera, "I'm All Alone (take 1)" by Frank Cosmo, "Oh Misery (take 2)" by The Duke Reid Group, "Thinking Of The Future" by Stranger Cole, "Fooling Around" by The Rio Grandes, "Renegade (take 1)" by The Zodiacs, "Smokey Ska (take 1)" by The Baba Brooks Band, "Practice What You Preach" by Owen & Leon Silvera, "My True Confession (take 1)" by The Silvertones, "Til My Dying Day" by Winston & Slim, "Road To Nowhere (orig mix)" by Lyn Taitt & The Baba Brooks Band, "What A Bailing (take 1)" by Duke Reid Group, The Army Is Searching (take 2)" by Basil Caral & Group, "Storm Warning (take 1)" by Lyn Taitt & the Boys, "Want Me Cock (take 1)" by Owen & Leon Silvera, and "How Know Your Friend (take 1)" by Derrick Morgan – with bonus material by Duke Reid, The Movers, Justin Hinds, Tommy McCook, Froggy, Lynn Tait, Eric Morris, Baba Brooks, Lloyd & Glenn, Derrick & Naomi, The Miracles, The Zodiacs, The Melodies, Sensations, and many many more. CD

One of the most unusual "best of" collections you'll ever own – given that it features material pulled together from seven different albums by Ben LaMar Gay – none of which were ever released! The package is more of a debut than anything else – and a hell of a musical statement, too – as Ben's music is almost completely without referent – and that's saying a lot, given the already genre-busting nature of other releases on the International Anthem label! We might list the music under jazz – as it does feature some jazz instrumentation – but there's also lots of electronic elements too, often used in these shape-shifting ways that criss cross with other elements – like bass clarinet, flute, viola, and voice – all kind of crashing together in waves of sonic energy that embrace multiple genres at once, but never have the hokey result of other music that might try to do such a thing. Instead, imagine Ben's voice as being this bold cut-up experiment (in the original William S Burroughs mode) – but one that might have been taken across the scope of an entire record collection, sweeping up snatches of jazz, electronica, orchestral music, folk, hip hop, and lots more – all with results that are as revolutionary as Burroughs' writing. Titles include "Muhal", "Music For 18 Hairdressers – Braids & Friends", "7th Stanza", "Gator Teeth", "Swim Swim", "Kunni", "Oh No Not Again", "Jubilee", and "A Seasoning Called Primavera". CD

Wonderfully jazzy work from Micatone – a rich album filled with lots of lovely twists and turns, all of them coming off with a level of care and class that we wouldn't expect! The group's core is the instrumental combo – very heavy acoustic bass, drums, guitar, keyboards, vibes, and other jazzy sample bits – and some of the best tracks on the set feature vocals by singer Lisa Bassenge – singing in English, with a very accented tone, on moody and smokey tunes that really stand out from the usual retro jazz diva mode. The instrumental tunes are equally nice – a mixture of electronic club jazz and more classic elements – standing up quite well on their own with a depth of construction and solid instrumentation. Titles include "Plastic Bags & Magazines", "Sit Beside Me", "Another Road", "Sweet Child", "To The Sound", "Mon Coeur", and "Quiet Boy". CD

A way hipper record than you'd guess from a group with a name like "Rare Silk" – and some of the best group jazz vocalese recorded in the 80s! The group is a quartet of voices – 3 female, 1 male – and they come together in a style that's far less hokey than most of the other practictioners of this mode at the time – a timeless sort of hipster approach that's really got a lot of the same sort of energy as Mark Murphy on Muse! Backing is small combo jazz on all numbers, with some really sweet keyboards on a few of the best tracks – and titles include versions of Flip Nunez's "Happying", Freddie Hubbard's "Red Clay", Richie Cole's "New York Afternoon", Chick Corea's "Spain", Stanley Turrentine's "Sugar", and Eddie Harris' "You Know It's Wrong". LP, Vinyl record album

There's nothing slow about this mid 70s album from Steppenwolf – a set that has the group really coming back into the fray, after John Kay had left for a bit and recorded as a solo act! All the raw power of the group is still very much at play here – plenty of searing guitars, at that level that made Steppenwolf such a key precursor to the hard rock sound of the 70s – maybe answered to by the group themselves here, who felt a need to reform and show the younger acts how things were done! But there's also some fuller production at times too – touches of soul inspiration that hit a few of the songs, but without ever knocking the guitars out too much – on titles that include "Get Into The Wind", "Children Of The Night", "Smokey Factory Blues", "Morning Blue", "A Fool's Fantasy", and "Gang War Blues". CD

An all-star effort from The Temptations – and a well-titled set that has the group brimming over with classic vocal talent! The group's expanded to a seven-piece outfit for the album – with Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin back in the fold, singing alongside Dennis Edwards, Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, and the rest of the group! Motown also culled together some top-shelf production talent for the set too – including Berry Gordy, Rick James, Barrett Strong, and Smokey Robinson – all of whom produce numbers for the record. Some of the tracks are in an 80s groove modes, and others are mellower ballads that offer plenty of space for vocal interplay – and titles include "I've Never Been To Me", "Backstage", "More On The Inside", "Standing On The Top", "Lock It In The Pocket", and "You Better Beware". CD

Incredible funk from an almost-unlikely source – the legendary P&P family of record labels, mostly known for their groundbreaking disco work – but also home to some excellent funky tracks in the late 70s! Given that most of the focus on P&P reissues has often been on the label's club tracks, nearly all the tunes on this CD are reissued here for the first time – offering a completely fresh look at the sound of P&P – making the collection a totally essential set, and long overdue! Many of the tracks are instrumental, and have touches that clearly mark them as coming from the hands of Peter Brown or Patrick Adams – nice spacey bits in the keyboards, wickedly snapping rhythms at the bottom, and an overall sense of groove that's always yearning for something new. Titles include "I've Been Working" by Wild Honey, "Hooker (parts 1 & 2)" by Peter Brown, "I'm Gonna Fool" by Ella Hamilton, "Do The Funky Donkey" by Otis Turner, "Hitch Hike One More Time" by King David, "Long Time Ago" by Smokey Brooks, "New York Apple Jack" by Scott Davis & The Movements, "Solid Funk" by Flame & The Sons Of Darkness, and "Determination" by Eddie Owen. CD

A wonderfully groovy album from Rosemary Clooney – done with arrangements from the great Bob Thompson, and some nice male harmony support in the backgrounds! The style's a bit like that used by Rosie on her album with The Hi-Los for Columbia, but there's a hipper, more finger-snapping sort of vibe going on here – that introduction of greater syncopation that showed up as the 60s vocal years approached, and which really allows Thompson a lot of room to make a bit of magic with his music! A few steps the wrong way, and the sound could be hokey – but Rosemary makes it all come off beautifully, thanks to a nice sense of jazz and swing – on titles that include "You Got", "Give Me The Simple Life", "Something's Gotta Give", "Hooray For Love", "Mean To Me", "It Could Happen To You", and "Too Marvelous For Words". CD

A sublime pop psych classic from Tommy James & The Shondells – a record that's quite different than some of the janglier work the group was issuing a few years before – and a perfect example of the way that just a few slight studio tricks can really transform a record! The tunes are all short and focused, but produced with lots of cool reverb, echo, and fuzzy touches on the sides – never overindulgent, and still plenty tuneful – but with so many weird little edges that they come through with a sound that's still pretty darn fresh after all these years – even if you think you know these guys from their hits. Titles include "Kathleen McArthur", "Do Something To Me", "I Am A Tangerine", "Smokey Roads", and "Breakaway" – plus the classic hits "Sugar On Sunday", "Crystal Blue Persuasion", and "Crimson & Clover". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great little set from Joy Of Cooking – one of the best Bay Area groups to mix together rock, folk, and bits of country! Somehow, the group have a way of doing their thing without sounding hokey or "fake" – taking their groove way past simple references too roots they never really had, and into a nicely hippie-ish territory that's made even better by the lead vocals of Terry Garthwaite and Toni Brown. Titles include "Castles", "Don't The Moon Look Fat & Lonesome", "Lady Called Love", "Three Day Loser", "All Around The Sun & The Moon", and "Beginning Tomorrow". CD

A killer debut from Rasputin Stash – a funky group who work with all the long-haired inspiration you'd expect from their name! The groove is a mix of guitars and tight horns – undercut by the kind of heavy basslines that later made the group a good fit for Curtom Records, and lots of cool percussion touches that pepper the bottom of the rhythms nicely – with a pretty spontaneous feel! At times, there's almost a Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band vibe to the record, but mixed with some of the trippier influences of the Westbound crew – especially on the guitar – and like those artists, these guys have no trouble at all dipping into a touch of rock here and there to trip out their groove. Titles include "Mr Cool", "You Are My Flower", "Dookey Shoe", "I Want To Say You're Welcome", "Take Me On Back", and "Freaks Prayer". CD

Although he was the consummate high-class hipster at the start of his career, for some reason Jimmy Smith seemed to hit a forced sort of rootsy style about halfway through his years at Verve. The style worked well for him, even if it sometimes languished in bluesy tones that seemed a bit forced – and on this album, his basic trio of Grady Tate and Kenny Burrell are augmented by arrangements by Oliver Nelson. Nelson keeps things from getting too hokey, and Jimmy's organ lines are free and sharp on the best cuts. Titles include "Mustard Greens", "Hobson's Hop", "Got My Mojo Workin", and "High Heel Sneakers". Jimmy pays tribute to an earlier generation of R&B – in a hard-wailing set of soul jazz, done with backings from the legendary Oliver Nelson! A few tracks feature vocals by Jimmy, in a rough bluesy style, and others have some harmonica by Buddy Lucas – in a raspy, hard-wailing mode that still fits in nicely with the jazzier style of the album. Jimmy's organ is right up front on most numbers – recorded with that full, dynamic sound that makes so many of his Verve albums a treasure – and the best numbers have a more contemporary 60s groove alongside the older bluesy roots. Grady Tate plays drums – surprisingly funky at times – and other players include Melba Liston and Tom McIntosh on trombones, Billy Butler on guitar, Bob Cranshaw on Fender bass, and Joe Newman on trumpet. Titles include "Hi Heel Sneakers", "TNT", "Boom Boom", "Ain't That Just Like A Woman", and "One Mint Julep". CD

A wild record! Singer Kelly Stevens turns out some fusion versions of Disney songs – not recent ones from the overwrought Lion King days, but old ones, of classic cartoon years. The best part of all, though, is that Kelly's working here with a hip Finnish combo with some great electric keyboards – grooving in a mode that's got a breezy European finish, and which makes the record sparkle like some lost MPS or 70s San Francisco jazz gem. Of course, a few songs are a bit too hokey to get into – but there's some other ones on here that are surprisingly great, and which have an expansive sound that really opens up the tracks. Includes a funky break version of "Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf", a scatting grooving take on "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo", and the tracks "Chim Chim Cheree", "Alice In Wonderland", "When You Wish Upon A Star", and "Heigh Ho". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing collection of 70s soul tracks – sweet, mellow, laidback, and including loads of numbers that have been buried for years! The focus here is not on obscure groups, but on lesser-known album tracks by bigger names – including many chillout numbers that have a sweet jazzy feel, and which might have gotten eclipsed by some of the artists' bigger hits. ?uestlove of the Roots put the set together, and the whole set's got the deep soulfulness of his own work with that group – track after track of mellow 70s soul, jazzy riffs, spacey instrumentation, and warm vocals effortlessly sliding together! Titles include "Star Of The Story" by Heatwave, "Be My Girl" by Michael Henderson, "Clover" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Before The Dawn" by Patrice Rushen, "Can We Pretend" by Bill Withers, "That's What Friends Are For" by Deniece Williams, "Next To Nature" by Jean Claude Toran, "Glowin" by The Rationals, "Magic In Your Eyes" by Rufus & Chaka Khan, "Sensuality (parts 1 & 2)" by The Isley Brothers, "Sienna" by Stanley Cowell, "Quiet Storm" by Smokey Robinson, "Wheels Of Life" by Gino Vannelli, and "Gotta Find A Lover" by Roy Ayers. CD

Anderson.Paak heads to Ventura for this one – and something about that sunny coastal city brings out his soul influences after the primarily hip hop-leaning Oxnard! Paak leads on his raspy sung style for this one, an easygoing hip hop soul sound that's built to last, and again bringing in a heavy hitting of roster guests – including Andre 3000, Nate Dogg, Lalah Hathaway, Brandy and even Smokey Robinson – on tracks including "Come Home", "Make It Better" with Smokey Robinson, "Reachin' 2 Much", "King James", "Goodheels" with Jazmine Sullivan, "Yada Yada", "Jet Black" with Brandy, "Twilight" and "Chosen One" with Sonyae Elise and more. CD

A simple trio album, but a really great one – the kind that almost re-ignites Ray Bryant's career, which is a hard thing to do, given how many records he's already got under his belt! But somehow, there's really something fresh going on here – an array of sounds and modes that goes far beyond his earlier sides for Columbie, Sue, and even Atlantic – and although Bryant was heard on the latter label only a few short years before this outing, the style here is something different altogether. There's almost a timeless approach here – but not in a hokey way – one that's still firmly grounded in the rhythmic impulses of Ray's soul jazz years, but which also easily traverses a piano jazz territory of many more eras – almost in the way of Jaki Byard, but without as much of a gimmick. Rhythm is by George Duvivier on bass and Grady Tate on drums, and we've never heard Ray sound so great in such a setting. Titles include "Prayer Song", "Lil Darlin", "Girl Talk", "Good Morning Heartache", and "Manteca". CD

The first-ever full length album of work by Candy & The Kisses – a really great east coast girl group who recorded these tracks for Scepter Records in the mid 60s! The trio are great – and have a way of snapping sweetly and hitting a groove that might have sounded very familiar with a bit of Motown polish, but which is maybe even nicer here with some looser handling by Scepter – a nice sort of bite that's a bit like The Exciters at times! The label only issued a few singles by the group back in the day, which means that eight of the tracks here are previously unissued, and one more was only ever released as a promo track – brought together to give the world a long-overdue full picture of this really lovely group from Staten Island. There's a number of early Ashford & Simpson compositions in the mix – and titles include "The Last Time", "Out In The Streets Again", "I'll Settle For You", "Let Love Win", "Together", "Are You Trying To Get Rid Of Me", "Looky Looky What I Got", "Keep On Searchin", "You Did The Best You Could", "Smokey Joe's", and "One Sweet Kiss". LP, Vinyl record album

Cash's fourth volume of stark, sparely-arranged studio recordings for producer/set list provider Rick Rubin. As Johnny gets on in the years his always haunting voice, like Bob Dylan's, is weighted by age, but the heavily-breathed delivery only adds to the ghostly quality of the increasingly dark tunes. With this fourth set in the series we're far past being surprised by the choices of material – this time Cash conjures up spiritual takes on Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus", Trent Reznor's "Hurt", Lennon/McCartney's "In My Life", and more traditional material like Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and the eternally underrated Marty Robbins' "Big Iron". You can't forget that Cash's pen is still pretty sharp, too, as the really spooky imagery in the title track and others testify. The accompaniment includes the great Randy Scruggs, Beck/Tom Waits guitarist Smokey Hormel, Marty Stuart, Glen Campell, and backing vocals by Nick Cave and Fiona Apple. Another great one from the greatest! LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary pairing of two classic postwar singers – each of whom were really finding their own sort of sound in the 50s, then found a way to make some real magic together on a record like this! Louis Armstrong was very much senior to the younger Ella Fitzgerald – but both had become such beautifully expressive singers, their voices here really ignite a special sort of energy that maybe even elevates the record past some of their solo sets of the time. Backings are in a nice small combo mode – with Armstrong on both trumpet and vocals – and Ella and Louis carry most of the set with their great vocal interplay – warm, personal, and pretty darn charming – in a mode that should be hokey, but comes across great, thanks to the quality of both vocalists! Titles include "April In Paris", "Can't We Be Friends", "Isn't This A Lovely Day", "Under A Blanket Of Blue", and "A Foggy Day". CD

A legendary pairing of two classic postwar singers – each of whom were really finding their own sort of sound in the 50s, then found a way to make some real magic together on a record like this! Louis Armstrong was very much senior to the younger Ella Fitzgerald – but both had become such beautifully expressive singers, their voices here really ignite a special sort of energy that maybe even elevates the record past some of their solo sets of the time. Backings are in a nice small combo mode – with Armstrong on both trumpet and vocals – and Ella and Louis carry most of the set with their great vocal interplay – warm, personal, and pretty darn charming – in a mode that should be hokey, but comes across great, thanks to the quality of both vocalists! Titles include "April In Paris", "Can't We Be Friends", "Isn't This A Lovely Day", "Under A Blanket Of Blue", and "A Foggy Day". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful work from bassist Charlie Haden and his Quartet West – a lovely look back at the styles and chanteuses of the 50s & 60s noirish jazz – with some lush strings accompaniment and guest vocalists including Cassandra Wilson, Melody Gardot, Norah Jones, Ruth Cameron and Diana Krall! It's the kind of thing that could come of hokey without a genuine love if the material in the mix, and the Haden & co. pull it off wonderfully. The quartet players include Ernie Watts on tenor, Alan Broadbent on piano and Rodney Green on drums. Includes "If I'm Lucky" with Melody Gardot, "Sophisticated Lady", "Today I Am A Man", "Ill Wind" with Norah Jones, "My Love And I" with Cassandra Wilson, "Theme From 'Markham'", "Angel Faces", "Goodbye" with Diana Krall, "Wahoo" and more. CD

Genius early work from Kris Kristofferson – four great albums in a single package, with SACD mastering too! First up is The Silver Tongued Devil & I – a masterful tribute to the genius of Kris Kristofferson, and a record that perfectly illustrates that unique place he held in music at the start of the 70s! The album's Kris' second, and has maybe a more unified vibe than his debut – filled with original material that has that open, honest quality that Kristofferson brought to country music – and which also had a surprisingly strong impact on mainstream rock and singer/songwriter material too! There's both a frankness of feeling and sharpness of wit that make the whole thing wonderful – and the album's overflowing with original gems that include "Jody & The Kid", "Billy Dee", "Loving Her Was Easier", "The Taker", "When I Loved Her", "The Pilgrim Chapter 33" and "Epitaph" – plus a great reading of the Bobby Bare/Billy Joe Shaver tune "Good Christian Soldier". Border Lord is a wonderful album, and one that's full of lesser-known gems from Kris Kristofferson – from a time when he'd started sharing his songs with other singers first, and started to hold back all the good stuff for himself! The album's got help from some country music studio greats, but it's clearly Kristofferson's show, right from the start – overflowing with tunes that get delivery from Kris that nobody else can match – with a special understanding of the choice of words, balance of wit, and depth of feeling that makes him so great on record. Titles include "Burden Of Freedom", "Border Lord", "When She's Wrong", "Kiss The World Goodbye", "Getting By High & Strange", "Somebody Nobody Knows", and "Josie". Jesus Was A Capricorn is one of those records in which Kris Kristofferson takes on the 70s, and comes up with a sound and style that's completely his own – even when working within the mainstream of the time! His label, Monument, could do plenty of hokey stuff – and even arranger Bill Justis wasn't always the hippest of cats – nor producer Fred Foster. Yet working here, they all rise to the occasion under the majesty of the man's music – a soaring batch of original tunes, of that special sort that Kris was always keeping to himself after his early years writing hits for others. Titles include "Why Me", "Give It Time To Be Tender", "It Sure Was Love", "Nobody Wins", "Enough For You", and the title cut "Jesus Was A Capricorn", owed to John Prine! Spooky Lady's Sideshow is a record that has Kris Kristofferson loosening up his mix of styles slightly, almost a nod back to his debut – but all in a way that only seems to bring an even greater range of feeling to his songwriting! Kristofferson maybe looks a bit more casual and laidback on the cover than some previous sets, but he's still got all the sharpness of delivery that makes him so great, and which really matches his magical words – on titles that include "Broken Freedom Song", "Star Spangled Bummer", "Smile At Me Again", "I May Smoke Too Much", "Stairway To The Bottom", and "Rescue Mission". CD

A totally unique record from drummer Makaya McCraven – and a great one too! The set's built around improvised performances recorded over the period of a year – with some of Chicago's best underground jazz talents, including Matt Ulery on bass, Marquis Hill on trumpet, Jeff Parker on guitar, Justefan on vibes, Desean Jones on tenor, Tony Barba on tenor and electronics, and Josh Abrams on bass – and the performances are then edited down into these shorter, focused tracks that are really wonderful! The music is still quite live in its approach at most moments – and often given a very rhythmic pulse in the way it's put together, but never in any sort of hokey or heavy-handed remix way. The basslines are wonderful – full, round, and very modal – and titles include "The Jaunt", "Time Travel", "The Encore", "The Drop", "Finances", "Just Stay Right There", and "Three Fifths A Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy soul by one of the funkiest groups of all time – New Orleans mighty Meters, a group who forever set a new standard with the classic singles featured in this package! The Meters are an instrumental group at their core – with a moody blend of heady basslines, bubbling organ, and scratchy guitar – made famous by their early singles on the Josie label, then taken to new heights as they moved to Warner/Reprise in the 70s, and came up with some even more complicated grooves! And while the group's albums are all great, it's definitely their singles that put the money where their funk is – creating these cool, compact, mostly-instrumental modes that pack a hell of a lot of punch in just a short space. The collection features 40 of these massive numbers – titles that include "Joog", "Sassy Lady", "No More Okey", "Trick Bag", "Mister Moon", "Find Yourself", "Chug Chug Chug (parts 1 & 2)", "The Flower", "Smiling", "Do The Dirt", "Africa", "People Say", "Running Fast (long version)", "Disco Is The Thing Today", "Hey Pocky A Way", "Stretch Your Rubber Band", "This Is My Last Affair", "Chicken Strut", "Sophisticated Cissy", "Cissy Strut", "Here Comes The Meter Man", "Ease Back", "Ann", "Dry Spell", "Little Old Money Maker", "Hey Last Minute", and "The World Is A Little Bit Under The Weather Doodle Oop". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible work from Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – a set that's not only one of the first great records on Motown, but a set that also really links the label to the vocal scene in the rest of the country too! Although the record features a few hits, the overall presentation is nicely free of the Motown mode that would later become quite standard – and many tracks have this very relaxed, unadorned approach that's a lot more like the group soul coming from small labels in New York, Philly, and Chicago! The group harmonize with even more soul and feeling than any of their Motown contemporaries – and the presence of Claudette Rogers gives the group a high tenor voice that really creates some amazing vocal interplay. The whole thing's stunning – a record that will really revise any simple thoughts you might have about Smokey and the group – and titles include "Shop Around", "Cause I Love You", "Don't Leave Me", "Your Love", "Depend On Me", and "Heart Like Mine". LP, Vinyl record album

Very groovy work from Marian Montgomery – an overlooked 60s singer who had a wonderful "punch" in her voice! At the time, Marian often recorded in a mode that was a lot like that used over at Reprise Records – a Ray Charles-inspired, Jimmy Bowen-popularized blend of pop, soul, and blues influences – often set to snappy syncopated backings that featured a good dose of Hammond organ behind the vocals! The songs on this set are a great example of Marian's lively style – with backings by Dave Cavanaugh that are very much in a Bowen mode – supported by arrangements from some of Capitol's grooviest talents of the time – including Jack Marshall, Bob Bain, Gerald Wilson, and Cavanaugh himself. And although this is the kind of a sound that should be hokey, it's oddly not – and we find ourselves really loving Marian's work more and more over the years. It's light, swinging, and always plenty positive and playful. Titles on this set include "Romance In The Dark", "Let There Be Love", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "Danke Schoen", "Kansas City", "Alright, Okay You Win", "The Good Life", and "Candy". LP, Vinyl record album

Piano, guitar, and bass – all moving along at an almost effortless pace – and a perfect model of the fluid Oscar Peterson sound of the mid 50s! There's a lightly grooving, almost-singing quality to most of the tunes on the set – that ringing Peterson piano sound meeting up with the guitar of Herb Ellis and the warmer bass of Ray Brown – all moving perfectly together in an exploration of a number of familiar tunes. At times, some bluesier modes come into play – but never in a way that's too forced or hokey – and titles include "The Champ", "Easy Listenin' Blues", "Moonlight In Vermont", "Should I", and "When Lights Are Low". CD

A stone 70s classic in the Island Records catalog – proof that although the label was scoring big with some of their superstar acts, they still had a great ear out for groundbreaking reggae material! The mighty Max Romeo works here with Lee Scratch Perry in the studio – who gives him fantastic support, at a level that opens up really righteous currents in his music – a fantastic blend of the roots reggae spirit of Romeo and the studio genius of Perry! Romeo's soulful inflections matched perfectly to the dark, swampy Black Ark grooves – on titles that include "War Ina Babylon", "Chase The Devil", "Stealin'", "One Step Forward", "Smile Out Of Style", "Uptown Babies", "Tan And See", "Smokey Room", and "Norman". LP, Vinyl record album

There's a bunch of young British skinheads pictured on the cover – but the legendary Symarip are a group of West Indian descent, and created the kind of rocksteady grooves that really drove the London scene wild at the end of the 60s! The group were one of the first to fully rise up from British recording origins with a level to top some of the imports coming from Jamaica – and while they'll forever be known for the classic title cut of the album, they've also got a huge amount of extra greatness to offer – a raw, echoey vibe that not only sets the group apart from some of their Kingston contemporaries, but which also echoes the Two Tone generation to come! Titles include the classic "Skinhead Moonstomp" – plus "Phoenix Reggae", "These Boots Are Made For Walking", "Chicken Merry", "Skinhead Jamboree", "Try Me Best", "You're Mine", "Fung Shu", and "Stay With Him". LP, Vinyl record album

The Temptations are hardly just "getting ready" here – as the group's at the height of their early powers – really finding their own groove, and standing out even more than some of their Motown contemporaries! Smokey Robinson's still at the overall helm on production, but Norman Whitfield contributes some key early work here – shaping The Temps' sound with that rougher, more bottom-heavy groove that would explode in full righteous energy a few years later. Whitfield produced the groovers "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" and "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", plus "Lonely Lonely Man Am I" – and other tracks include "You're Not An Ordinary Girl", "Not Now, I'll Tell You Later", "Say You", "Who You Gonna Run To", "Get Ready", and "Fading Away". CD

A 70s classic from bassist Henri Texier – a musician who's been a key part of the French jazz scene for decades, and already had a very unusual approach in his early years! Texier is fantastic here on acoustic bass – but he's also already opening up in so many other ways too – sometimes vocalizing wordlessly alongside his instrument, sometimes going electric, and always avoiding the temptation to get too moody that he'd forget to swing – which sometimes happened with other 70s bass pioneers. A number of cuts even have a cool global jazz component – but not in a hokey way at all – as Texier mixes oud alongside the bass, and also uses a bit of flute, cello, and percussion. Titles include "Homme Rouge", "Quand Tout S'Arrete", "Les Korrigans", "Amir", and "Le Sage Le Singe Et Les Petits Enfants". LP, Vinyl record album

Majestic music from the mighty Popcorn Wylie – the Detroit soul legend best known for his work in the 60s, but an artist who really shines on this rare 70s set for ABC! The album was done during the same stretch as Lamont Dozier's ABC work – and like those records, this set features killer arrangements and production from McKinley Jackson – who updates an older Detroit groove strongly, while still keeping all the real soul elements of Popcorn's music intact! Dozier helped a bit on some of the tunes, and the whole thing's got a soaring, joyous feel that's really wonderful – uptempo without being uptight, positive without sounding hokey, and perfectly in a unique space that's all its own. Gene Page and Paul Riser throw in a bit of soul on some tracks too – sweetening things up with just the right touches of strings and horns – and Popcorn's vocals are great, especially on some of the more hauntingly-constructed tunes. Titles include the massive "ESP", which begins with an echoey breakbeat, then rolls into a great hook – plus "Trust In Me", "How Did I Lose You", "Georgia's After Hours", "Lost Time", "I Can Take The World On With You", "Both Ends Against The Middle", and "Singing About You And Me". CD

Of all the soul labels of the 60s, Motown virtually had a lock on Christmas – jumping to the forefront with a host of classic recordings that have stood for years as some of the greatest soul Christmas tunes ever! Motown continued that tradition well into later years too – and this nice little set is a strong testament to the huge legacy of Holiday music served up by the label! The package brings together a few key cuts from the classic years, and mixes them with a lot of surprising numbers from later decades too – in a set list of 13 tracks that include "All I Want" by Asiahn, "Let It Snow" by Boyz II Men & Brian Knight, "This Christmas" by Ne Yo, "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" by Jackson 5, "Silent Night" by Tiana Major9, "Silver Bells" by The Supremes, "Jesus Is Love" by The Commodores, "I Want To Come Home For Christmas" by Marvin Gaye, "Christmas Blues" by Njomza, "Deck The Halls/Bring A Torch" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, "Someday At Christmas" by Joy Denalane, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" by India.Arie & Joe Sample, and "Give Love On Christmas Day" by Johnny Gill. CD

The kind of soul they never should have stopped making – mostly pulled from that wonderful time in the 70s when jazzy grooves, warm vocals, and sophisticated production came together beautifully! The set features 12 tracks that were mainly hits, but still stand as beautiful classics – tunes that sparkle with warmth and mellow soul that really hold up over the years. Titles include "You're Welcome Stop On By" by Bobby Womack, "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye, "I'm Going Down" by Rose Royce, "Lady Love" by Jon Lucien, "Heaven Must Be Like This" by Ohio Players, "Something He Can Feel" by Aretha Franklin, "Cruisin" by Smokey Robinson, "Feel The Fire" by Stephanie Mills, "Sweet Thing" by Rufus & Chaka Khan, and "Playing Your Game Baby" by Barry White. CD

Heavy funk from the Bahamas – a whole bunch of groups that will show you that Nassau had a lot more to offer than The Beginning Of The End! The groove here is totally wonderful – somewhat like American funk of the late 60s and early 70s, but served up with some very unusual rhythmic patterns too – a bit Jamaican at times, but certainly not reggae – and somewhat sunny and Caribbean styled, but not in a way that's cheesy or filled with any hokey island-styled stereotypes. Instead, the tunes are deeply funk and soulful – grooving with plenty of dark edges and gritty instrumentation that's often heavy on the guitar. Many numbers have vocals, and those are great too – and as usual with the Numero label, the whole thing's put together with amazing notes and packaging, so that you get a full history lesson and a heck of a lot of photos to support the music too! Titles include "Gonna Build A Nation" by Cyril Ferguson, "Mustang Sally", "I Am The Man For You Baby", and "Funky Fever" by Jay Mitchell, "Theme From Shaft" by Esquires LTD, "Gimme Some Skin (inst)" by Frank Penn, "Words To My Song" by Dry Bread, "People Won't Change" by Willpower, "Take Five" by Ozzie Hall, "Watcha Gonna Do Bout It" and "The Time For Loving Is Now" by Mustangs, "Honesty Is The Best Policy" by Gospel Chandeliers, and "Don't Touch That Thing" by Sylvia Hall. CD

An expanded version of this classic set of Motown Christmas tunes – one that features some of the best cuts from the individual artists' Holiday albums cut for the label, plus some harder to find tracks from singles! The set's got 24 tracks in all, with titles that include "Santa Claus Is Comin To Town" and "Give Love On Christmas Day" by The Jackson 5, "What Christmas Means To Me" and "One Little Christmas Tree" by Stevie Wonder, "Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer" and "The Little Drummer Boy" by The Temptations, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Jingle Bells" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, and "Children's Christmas Song" and "White Christmas" by Diana Ross & The Supremes. LP, Vinyl record album

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

Way more than just a typical collection of rare funk and soul – as the selections here not only meet the stunningly high standards of the BGP label – but they've also been sampled in more recent years for hip hop records and other contemporary recordings! Essentially, you've got the best of both worlds – vintage funk from the late 60s and early 70s – brought together in a great collection – and work that's gone onto form the blueprint for contemporary urban sounds as well – which means you'll probably recognize some or part of most of these songs from their use in more contemporary recordings. Nearly every cut's been sampled at least more than once – and titles include "Blind Alley" by The Emotions, "Chick A Boom" by Pazant Brothers, "Eva" by Jean Jacques Perry, "Walk Tall" by Cannonball Adderley, "Baby Let Me Take You In My Arms" by Detroit Emeralds, "Bouncy Lady" by Pleasure, "Tramp" by Lowell Fulson, "Take Yo Praise" by Camille Yarbrough, "Thinking Single" by The Counts, "Different Strokes" by Syl Johnson, "Ike's Mood" by Isaac Hayes, "What A Man" by Linda Lynell, and "Smokey Joe's La La" by Googie Rene. Funky funky! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most evocative albums we've ever heard from pianist Ran Blake – a set that's got all the sharp edges of some of his most adventurous solo work, but one that also has Ran working in a few different settings, often with a very poetic feel! The set's not a hokey retro-crime record – as you might fear from the title (and countless later jazz albums that evoke that aesthetic) – and although Blake's working through melodies from older films, plus a few original numbers in the same spirit, his presentation is completely unique – and explosively personal throughout! His own piano is tremendous – blocks of sound and runs of notes that are extremely imaginative, and which flow forward from the same dark spirit we love on Blake's other recordings. And they're often balanced with shifting contributions from other musicians – players who include John Heiss on flute, Paul Meyers on bass, Ted Curson on trumpet, and Daryl Lowrey on alto and soprano sax – all of whom make some great additions to the set. Titles include a nice take on "The Pawnbroker" – plus other film titles that include "Eve", "Touch Of Evil", "Le Boucher", "Pinky", and "Doktor Mabuse" – as well as Blake originals "Spiral Staircase" and "Garden Of Delight". CD

A very striking album – one of Ray Bryant's most noteworthy of the time! The album features Ray playing solo piano – quite unusual for the period, as most piano jazz records, especially his, were at least cut in a trio format – with additional bass and drums. Yet the approach works wonderfully for Bryant, and unlocks a surprisingly sensitive side of his music – quite different than some of his more soul jazz-styled work of the period. Ray's wonderfully unfettered here – hitting grooves with a level of expression and sophistication that far surpasses most of his other records. The intimate time on the keys never gets hokey or overindulgent – but it does let Ray open up and show a side that we've rarely heard on wax. Titles include "Stocking Feet", "Blues #3", "Joy", "Me & The Blues", and "My Blues". CD

A great introduction to the music of Paco De Lucia – and a set that features some of his most sublime solo recordings from the early years! The music here mostly features Paco's acoustic guitar alongside a secondary player on the instrument – either Ramon De Algeciras, Ricardo Modrego, or Larry Coryell – but almost always with De Lucia very strongly in the lead, stepping deftly over rhythms from the other player, with a sense of musical vision that's simply breathtaking! Paco's a player who helped move flamenco guitar way way past any hokey cliches you might expect – and the music here is deeply personal and profoundly moving – a real testament to his unique genius. Titles include "Entre Dos Aguas", "Zorongo Gitano", "Castro Marin", "Guairas De Lucia", "El Vito", "Chanela", and "En La Caleta". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary pairing of two classic postwar singers – each of whom were really finding their own sort of sound in the 50s, then found a way to make some real magic together on a record like this! Louis Armstrong was very much senior to the younger Ella Fitzgerald – but both had become such beautifully expressive singers, their voices here really ignite a special sort of energy that maybe even elevates the record past some of their solo sets of the time. Backings are in a nice small combo mode – with Armstrong on both trumpet and vocals – and Ella and Louis carry most of the set with their great vocal interplay – warm, personal, and pretty darn charming – in a mode that should be hokey, but comes across great, thanks to the quality of both vocalists! Titles include "April In Paris", "Can't We Be Friends", "Isn't This A Lovely Day", "Under A Blanket Of Blue", and "A Foggy Day". CD

Scott Hamilton blows some wonderfully smokey tenor here – sounding great in the company of Eddie Higgins' trio! The date's got a really old school tenor sort of sound – echoes of Ben Webster and Lester Young, but updated too – taken to the clear, mature territory of Higgins' recent sessions with his trio for Venus Records – although this time around with Hamilton, the group's a quartet, with Steve Gilmore on bass and Bill Goodwin on drums. The ballads are especially nice, but we like the gentle swingers too – and titles include "You're My Everything", "By Myself", "Melancholy Rhapsody", "You Don't Know What Love Is", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", and "Lullaby Of The Leaves". CD

A very cool live performance by this legendary freaky group – not done in concert, but for WLIR radio in New York – at a time when the Rounders were really perfecting their mix of hippie ideas and surprisingly great musicianship! Some of the tunes here are nice and jamming, and build up in a way that reminds us that these guys could rock a bit more than we sometimes give them credit for – while others are more in that Fugs-like territory that maybe made them the key inheritors of that legacy for a number of years – as was singer Peter Stampfel when he went off on his own. Titles include "Pink Underwear", "Boobs A Lot/Willie & The Hand Jive", "Bird Song", "Give Me Your Money", "Catch Me", and "Smokey Joe's Cafe". CD

One of those really special piano albums from the Japanese jazz scene of the 70s – a record that's overflowing with new ideas and imagination, all captured with a really wonderful ear for sound as well! Masaru Imada plays a Bosendorfer grand, which has a really resonant quality, even when he's swinging hard – which he definitely does at many points, thanks to work from Kunimitsu on bass, Tetsujiro Obara on drums, and Yuji Imamura on percussion – which really adds a lot at some of the best moments! The tunes are all originals by Imada – filled with feeling, but never in a hokey way at all – and titles include the 17 minute "Sea's Pasture", plus "Blue Road", "Planets", "Epilogue", and "A Marionette". LP, Vinyl record album

Playful Italian disco from the 70s – done with a few cheesy touches, including the "harem" cover on the record – but also featuring some nice longer tracks that have better instrumental passages! There's a nice exotic feel on "Sandstorm", complete with Eastern-styled strings – and a few cuts also feature some nice moogy bits too. Our favorite is the kitschy "Song For Smokey & The Bandit" – and other tracks include "One For You One For Me", "Hey Woman", and "There For Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice lost album of funky tracks from the lesser-known of the Mangione brothers! The record has a very slick electric sound – with bass by Tony Levin and drums by Steve Gadd. Mangione plays Fender Rhodes and Arp – and the album features covers of "Love's Theme" and "This Masquerade", both done in nice moody mellow versions. Also features the great break track "Love J, A.M", which starts with some great drums – and launches into some very funky keyboard work! There's a few other hokey cuts by Mangione – but this one's a killer! LP, Vinyl record album

Twin alto sax work from the leaders – blowing here together with a really rich sound that almost feels like some of Phil Woods alto-heavy dates from years back, but with a vibe that's more 70s Japanese as well! The pair are both great soloists on their own – and step out in the lead on boppish tracks, but with phrasing that's far beyond just hokey Charlie Parker cliches – given an even more modern sense of expression through the quintet's use of guitarist Kazumi Watanabe, alongside bass and drums. The set features 11 minute takes on both "Lover Man" and "Scrapple From The Apple" – plus the side-long original "Blues For T&O", which runs for 19 minutes! CD

A treasure trove of greatness from British folk rock legend John Renbourn – all of his late 60s solo work, done before moving on to greater fame in Pentangle! First up is There You Go – a rare one from singer Dorris Henderson and future Pentangle founder John Rensbourn! Florida born, LA raised singer Dorris Henderson moved to London in 1965 and was soon singing London's folk clubs, where she met Rensbourn. A solid mix of traditionals and then contemporary folk songs – stripped down and honest takes on "Saly Free And Easy", "Cotton Eyed Joe", "Mr Tamborine Man", "Going To Memphis", Something Lonesome", "Mist On The Mountain" and more. This edition includes bonus tracks from a rare 45 – "Hangman" and "Leaves That Are Green". Next is the self-titled John Renbourn from 1965 – a set that would not only establish John's legacy for years to come, but also have a very strong impact upon the role of the guitar on the British scene too! The album's definitely in a mode that owes something to an American folk legacy – but it also really breaks from the past with unusual phrasings and colorings in Renbourn's guitar – certainly with an ear towards ancient English modes, but also at once very fresh and contemporary – a strong precursor to the waves of new acoustic talents that would flow from the UK a few years later, but maybe even more revolutionary – given that John's mostly just working here with his guitar and voice. Bert Jansch adds guitar to a few tracks – and titles include "Song", "Down On The Barge", "Plainsong", "Judy", "Beth's Blues", "Blue Bones", "Train Tune", "Winter Is Gone", and "Noah & Rabbit". Bert & John is a hell of a collaboration between British legends Bert Jansch and John Renbourn – both working here together to completely redefine the sound of their music for the generation to come! This one album may well hold all the sense of subtle power and possibility that was about to flower in the Brit movement often known as "acid folk" – that reworking of older aesthetics with modern conceptions, and doing so mostly with their work on acoustic guitar – quite a feat, given the stripped-down instrumentation of the set! Bert sings a bit – in that incredible style of his – but the real attraction here is the guitar interplay, which is always fresh, never hokey, neither familiar American folk nor forced singer-songwriter backup material. Titles include a wonderful reworking of Charles Mingus' "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" – plus "Red's Favourite", "Orlando", "Soho", "Piano Tune", "East Wind", "After The Dance", and "The Time Has Come". Another Monday is maybe the most obscure album in the collection – a set that is mostly instrumental, with some completely fantastic work by Renbourn on guitar – but which also features a bit of guest vocals from singer Jacqui McShee – whose warmer presence next to John really makes for a nice pairing. The album's as powerful as it is subtle, really beautiful in its sense of variety – with titles that include "Buffalo", "One For William", "Lost Lover Blues", "Another Monday", "Day At The Seaside", "Nobody's Fault But Mine", and "Waltz". Watch The Stars is another great collaboration with Dorris Henderson – an American singer, but one who moved to London in the 60s – where she cut this rare gem with guitarist John Renbourn! The album's got a righteous vibe that's hipper than the usual folk set – with some traditional tunes and some contemporary material – recorded with that amazing phrasing that made Renbourn's guitar so distinct right from the start, with lots of those jazzy currents we love so much – and which really fit the creative vocal approach of Henderson! Dorris also plays some autoharp, and there's a bit of bass in the backings – although overall the main focus here is on Renbourn's guitar and Henderson's vocals. Titles include "Come Up Horsey", "God Bless The Child", "Watch The Stars", "30 Days In Jail", "Mosaic Patterns", "Tomorrow Is A Long Time", and "There's Anger In This Land". Sir John A Lot Of is perhaps one of the best-known albums from British guitar legend John Renbourn – as it was issued widely in the US, and kept in print for a surprisingly long time over the years! The approach here is slightly different than Renbourn's previous records – a bit in the image presented by the cover, although with maybe not as slavish a sound – as John just uses the whole thing to go a bit more ancient than before, in ways that echo the time travel that the whole British folk scene was taking as the 70s approached. The tunes are done in ways that are really beautiful – still lots of the incredible guitar work that made Renbourn such a standout on the scene – plus flute from jazzman Ray Warleigh, who's very different here than usual – and spare use of finger cymbals, African drums, and glockenspiel by Terry Cox. Titles include "Morgana", "Transfusion", "The Trees They Do Grow High", "Sweet Potato", "Seven Up", and "White Fishes". 6CD box features all records in original artwork sleeves, with a booklet of notes – and bonus tracks that include "Message To Pretty", "The Waggoner's Lad", "Lucky Thirteen", "Blues Run The Game", "The Wildest Pig In Captivity (alt)", "Can't Keep From Crying", "Transfusion (alt)", and "The Leaves Are Green". CD

Heavy funk from Speedometer – a UK power-combo who've really grown their sound over the years! This one's the group's first full-length effort, and it's a really kickin little record with even more to offer than their great 45s! The group's expanded their lineup to feature some great horn work, smoking Hammond, and even some occasional sock-soul vocals from The Speedettes – a female group with a really great sound – not hokey or cliched at all, but with the searing style of some of the best deep soul female groups of the funk years, like The Emotions or The Exciters in their later recordings. The sets shifts easily from vocals to instrumentals – staying funky all the time, but nicely changing up the mode of the tunes. Titles include "What Am I Gonna Do", "Monkey Stick", "Wait Up", "It's Our Turn", "You Know You Can", "Mullet", "Growbag", and "Episode In Palmetto". LP, Vinyl record album

Joe Tex is definitely not without funk on this sweet little set – a smoking TK Records session that carries strongly from the vibe of his "I Gotcha" years! Longtime producer Buddy Killen is still on deck to keep everything tight and right – a mix of Joe's southern soul roots with some sharper elements of the 70s – served up here at a level that may well be one of the most perfect blends of all the great Joe Tex styles – even though the record itself has kind of a hokey title and cover (which seems to have a bunch of white folks, obviously "without funk", ready to throw stones at Tex!) Joe wrote all the lyrics himself, and the few mellow moments have a wonderfully heartbreaking quality. Titles include "Loose Caboose", "Finger Popped Myself Into The Poor House", "How Do You Spell Relief", and "Who Gave Birth To The Funk". CD

A 70s classic from bassist Henri Texier – a musician who's been a key part of the French jazz scene for decades, and already had a very unusual approach in his early years! Texier is fantastic here on acoustic bass – but he's also already opening up in so many other ways too – sometimes vocalizing wordlessly alongside his instrument, sometimes going electric, and always avoiding the temptation to get too moody that he'd forget to swing – which sometimes happened with other 70s bass pioneers. A number of cuts even have a cool global jazz component – but not in a hokey way at all – as Texier mixes oud alongside the bass, and also uses a bit of flute, cello, and percussion. Titles include "Homme Rouge", "Quand Tout S'Arrete", "Les Korrigans", "Amir", and "Le Sage Le Singe Et Les Petits Enfants". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal spy sounds from the 60s – a treasure trove of spy-themed tunes, and one that features loads of material you might not hear otherwise! The set doesn't feature the big hits from the James Bond films, and instead includes all the great little records that sprung up in the wake of those movies – cool jazz, vocal, and instrumental records that sometimes feature weird reworkings of more famous soundtrack numbers, sometimes lesser-known cuts from b-grade films, and sometimes fresh new spy numbers on their own! The style ranges from groovy guitar numbers to blaring jazzy tracks to slinky steppers that find a very cool balance between suspense and swing. Titles include "Dr Goldfoot & The Bikini Machine" by The Supremes, "The Last Of The Secret Agents" by Nancy Sinatra, "Theme From Danger Man" by Red Price, "A Man Alone" by John Barry, "Deadlier Than The Male" by The Walker Brothers, "Burke's Law" by Wynton Kelly, "We Should've" by Cleo Laine, "Our Man Flint" by Billy Strange, "Theme From Where The Spies Are" by Jimmy Smith, "The Liquidator" by Shirley Bassey, "I Spy" by Roland Shaw, "Come Spy With Me" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, and "High Wire" by Brian Fahey. CD

Despite the "Show Tunes" in the title, this set's really a great batch of tracks from some of Motown's soundtracks from the early 70's. this means that the set includes "Brothers Gonna Work It Out" and "Theme Of Foxy Brown" by Willie Hutch, "Don't It Feel Good To Be Free" by Edwin Starr, and "Trouble Man" by Marvin Gaye. It's a good way to get these tracks on wax, and there's other nice stuff by Diana Ross, The Jackson 5, and Smokey Robinson. LP, Vinyl record album

Raw genius from Smokey Hogg – a set of recordings originally issued as singles for the Modern/RPM label, brought together here to make one of the few full length documents of Hogg's talents from the time! Smokey sings here with spare acoustic guitar on most tracks, and a bit of piano added in on some others – but all with a very lean, very rootsy vibe that reflects his rural roots, and which is especially resonant with Lightning Hopkins on the piano-less tunes! Titles include "I Got Your Picture", "Goin Back To Chicago", "Coming Back Home To You Again", "You Can't Keep Your Business Straight", "Look In Your Eyes Pretty Mama", and "It's Raining Here". LP, Vinyl record album

Smokey's Family Robinson finds Smokey exploring rather than simply setting out to continue riding the waves made by Quiet Storm. There's bits of dancefloor funk, pared down keyboard soul, spacey jams and a sweet ballad or two – all with Smokey's soul strirring vocals in peak form. Titles include "When You Came", "Get Out Of Town", "So In Love", "Open", "Castles Made Of Sand" and more LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Legendary work from Smokey Robinson and his wonderful group – a killer set from the second all-male version of The Miracles – recorded with some wonderfully soaring harmonies! The group's got a nice bite on the bottom here – a groove to go with the "go go" promised in the title – at a level that made these Miracles really take off on Motown dancefloors, yet still also have the late nite appeal of the earlier group too. The album includes the big hit dance number "Going To A Go Go", the classic ballad "Tracks Of My Tears", and loads of other wonderful numbers like "Ooo Baby Baby", "Let Me Have Some", "All That's Good", and "My Girl Has Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

Legendary work from Smokey Robinson and his wonderful group – a killer set from the second all-male version of The Miracles – recorded with some wonderfully soaring harmonies! The group's got a nice bite on the bottom here – a groove to go with the "go go" promised in the title – at a level that made these Miracles really take off on Motown dancefloors, yet still also have the late nite appeal of the earlier group too. The album includes the big hit dance number "Going To A Go Go", the classic ballad "Tracks Of My Tears", and loads of other wonderful numbers like "Ooo Baby Baby", "Let Me Have Some", "All That's Good", and "My Girl Has Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

A great one by The Miracles! Smokey and the group are clearly pushing the envelope here – stretching out for a deeper harmony sound, moving towards some of the smoother styles they'd use a bit more in the 70s. The result is a slightly-confused album, but one with some really interesting material that gives the group a chance to experiment more with their vocal phrasing. Includes the heavy soul number "Flower Girl", plus the tracks "Who's Gonna Take The Blame", "Darling Dear", "The Reel Of Time", "Wishful Thinking", "Point It Out", and "Don't Take It So Hard". Also features a great medley of "Something" and "Something You Got". LP, Vinyl record album

Smokey and the group do a great job on some lesser-known numbers – all presented with that wonderful warm polish that The Miracles brought to soul, a sound that's always great, even on a lesser-hit album like this! Titles include "Give Her Up", "Special Occasion", "Yester Love", "If You Can Want", "Just Losing You", "Much Better Off", and "You Only Build Me Up To Tear Me Down". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A great vehicle for the Smokey Robinson sound in the 80s – and a record that helped Smokey kick off the decade with a really massive hit! "Being With You" still let Smokey stay in an older style of soul-based vocals, without slipping into the adult contemporary sound that would hurt so many other artists of the time – and most of the record has Smokey still stepping around some mellow grooves arranged by Sonny Burke, of the sort that let his sweetly cracking voice come to the forefront. Titles include "Being With You", "You Are Forever", "Can't Fight Love", "As You Do", "If You Wanna Make Love", "Food For Thought", and "Who's Sad". LP, Vinyl record album

Who would have thought it? Smokey's great career at Motown was just designed to be inspiration for a TV Special! Who cares, though? The set's still got some of his biggest hits for Motown, if you can get past the title – and tracks include "Mickey's Monkey", "Being With You", "I Second That Emotion", "Shop Around", "Tears Of A Clown", and "Tracks Of My Tears". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from Smokey Wilson – a southern bluesman by birth, but one who relocated to the LA scene in the postwar years, where he really started to groove! This 70s album is a great example of the way that Wilson merged his roots with some of the soulful currents of the Cali scene – and like some of the other records on the short-lived Big Town label, an offshoot of Kent, the set's got a tight groove and a nicely urban take on earlier modes, but all without hitting any of the more commercial cliches that were creeping into electric blues at the time. Titles include "Go Go Train", "Tell Me Baby", "Straighten Up Baby", "I'm Gonna Put You Down", "I'm Gonna Leave You Baby", "Teach Me How To Love You", and "I Wanna Do It To You Baby". 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

2 classics from Smokey Robinson – back to back on one CD! Both albums feature the group grooving in that hard mid 60s "go go" mode – with insanely wonderful lead vocals by Smokey, on a lot of tracks that are less familiar than the big hits, but still really really wonderful. Backing by the group is great, too – and the overall sound is extremely sweet harmony soul, with a perfect Motown set of arrangements behind the band. Titles include "Can You Love A Poor Boy", "Tracks Of My Tears", "Going To A Go Go", "Ooo Baby Baby", "Chosey Beggar", "Let Me Have Some", "A Fork In The Road", "My Girl Has Gone", "My Baby Changes Like The Weather", "From Head To Toe", "Baby Baby", "I'm The One You Need", "Save Me", "Oh Be My Love", and "Swept For You Baby". Plus, this set includes 3 bonus tracks – the stereo mix of "It's Fantastic", the previously unissued "Goin Out Of My Head", and a live version of "A Fork In The Road". CD

Like the sticker on the cover says – 2 record album, 22 hit songs! This one's got just about all you'd need from the early days of Smokey & The Miracles – perfect falsetto harmony soul that shaped a generation of singers, and which was some of Motown's greatest work in the early days. Titles include "Got A Job", "I Need A Change", "Who's Lovin You", "Would I Love You", "Mickey's Monkey", "Shop Around", "(I Need Some) Money", "Bad Girl", "I Cry", "Way Over There", "I Love Your BAby", "What's Good About Goodbye", "A Love She Can Count On", "You've Really Got A Hold On Me", "I Like It Like That", "That's What Love Is Made Of", and "I Gotta Dance To Keep From Crying". LP, Vinyl record album

... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

A pretty southern-fried soundtrack – arranged and conducted by Bill Justis, with a few vocal numbers by Jerry Reed, and designed to accompany one of Burt Reynolds' darkest moments of the 70s! One of the best parts of the record is that it's got some CB dialogue from the film, interspersed with instrumental and vocal tracks, all of which are pretty country-sounding, but not necessarily in a good way. Titles include "The Legend", "March Of The Rednecks", "The Bandit", "Orange Blossom Special", "Ma Cousin Plays Steel", and "Hot Pants Fuzz Parade". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet soul from Smokey – featuring early work with The Miracles, and some later tunes from his solo years at Motown. The set features 11 tracks in all – and includes the tracks "Ooo Baby Baby", "More Love", "I'm On The Outside (Looking In)", "Quiet Storm", "Tracks of My Tears", "Oh Girl", and "Blame It On Love". CD

Incredible work – a record that should be in every household! Smokey breaks free of the group sound of the Miracles albums – hitting a whole new mode, and inventing the "Quiet Storm" radio format along the way! The title cut – "Quiet Storm" – is a majestic long-building track that's as important to mellow soul as Larry Mizell's work was to jazz funk at the same time, and it's got a similar layering effect that has sounds building and spinning, with a bit of sound effects, great keyboards, and cool moogy touches that recall some of Bobbi Humphrey's best work for Blue Note, but filtered through a mellow ballad style. The whole album's great, and other tracks include "Baby That's Backatcha", "The Agony & The Ecstasy", "Coincidentally", and "Wedding Song". Proof that Motown was still great in the 70s! CD

A great one by The Miracles! Smokey and the group are clearly pushing the envelope here – stretching out for a deeper harmony sound, moving towards some of the smoother styles they'd use a bit more in the 70s. The result is a slightly-confused album, but one with some really interesting material that gives the group a chance to experiment more with their vocal phrasing. Includes the heavy soul number "Flower Girl", plus the tracks "Who's Gonna Take The Blame", "Darling Dear", "Wishful Thinking", "Point It Out", and "Don't Take It So Hard". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most hard-hitting Latin albums from the 50s on RCA – a set released with jokey liner notes from Frank Jacobs of Mad, next to some Jack Davis cartoons – but a set that's got smoking percussion, great horns, and even some very cool use of vibes! LP, Vinyl record album

Forget the hokey kangaroo picture on the cover, because the record's a mighty sweet set of 50s modern jazz – played by some key musicians from Australian who were working in the US at the time! The record's got a style that's somewhere between the hippest sessions of LA and Sweden at the time – all the coolness of both scenes, but a sense of playful expression that really comes through on some of the more unusual passages. The core group features Errol Buddle and Dick Healey on reeds, Bryce Rhode on piano, and Jack Brokensha on vibes – with added work from John Fawcett or Jimmy Gannon on bass, and Nick Stabulas on drums. Titles include "Loose Walk", "Like Someone In Love", "Music For Walkin", "Fascinating Rhythm", "A Foggy Day", and "Little Girl Blue". CD