Titles include "My Radio Sure Sounds Good To Me", "Hair", "We've Been Waiting", "Can You Handle It", "Sooner or Later", "The Jam", "It's Alright", and "Now D U Wanta Dance". CD

Four fantastic albums from Bobby Bland – all brought together in a single package for the first time! First up is Come Fly With Me – great work from Bobby Blue Bland – one of the few artists to rise up at the end of the 50s, and still find a way to chart their own path forward in soul with fresh material like this! Bobby's voice is still incredible here, and he works with production from Al Bell and Monk Higgins, the latter of whom arranged – in this cool style that's a bit like some of the territory that Tyrone Davis was taking on at Columbia Records during the second half of the 70s – fuller arrangements that bring some sophisticated soul touches to the music, but in ways that never lose the core of Bobby's genius! Titles include "Lady Lonely", "Night Games", "You Can Count On Me", "Love To See You Smile", "Come Fly With Me", and "To Be Friends". The next album is I Feel Good I Feel Fine – and Bobby Bland sounds pretty good too – thanks to arrangements from the great Monk Higgins, who does a perfect job of mixing Bland's trademark vocals with some sweet late 70s arrangements! The sound is upbeat, but never in a cliched disco mode – more in the territory that you'd hear Johnnie Taylor using over at Columbia Records – maybe a good comparison, given the Memphis roots that both artists shared – as both also evolved a lot to shift their sound with the changing modes of the time. And as with Johnnie, Bobby never loses the core that makes him great – as you'll hear on titles that include "Tit For Tat", "Soon As The Weather Breaks", "In His Eyes", "Someone To Belong To", "I Feel Good I Feel Fine", and "Little Mama". Sweet Vibrations is a real gem from the start of the 80s – arranged by Monk Higgins, who co-produced the set with Al Bell – a duo who'd already given Bobby some great records before, but who really knock it out of the park with this one. There's an extra-special quality going on here – maybe a slight reintroduction of blues roots, but still with a very contemporary spirit – set up to superb backings throughout. Titles include "Soul With A Flavor", "Hollywood Woman", "You'd Be A Millionaire", "Sweet Vibrator", "Special Kind Of Fool", and "A Real Woman Is What It Takes". Try Me I'm Real is record with a title that certainly fits the bill – as the amazing voice of Bobby Bland is as real here as it ever was, and blended with superbly soulful backings that take the singer's sound forward for a whole new generation! Some of Bobby's contemporaries were content to just stick in a straight blues mode – but Bland really grew and developed a lot as an artist, thanks in part to Monk Higgins and Al Bell – who are both at the production helm of the record, and balance the bluesy roots of Bobby with some richer soul backings that really knock the whole thing out of the park! We love Bobby Blue Bland during his early Duke Records years – but we love him equally as much for music like this, on titles that include "But I Do", "What A Difference A Day Makes", "Givin Up The Streets For Love", "A Song For You My Son", "Just You Just Me", and "Love Is Where It's At". CD

Four classic albums from Jackie DeShannon – all in a single set! First up is Me About You – sophisticated Jackie at her best – working with great arrangements from Jack Nitzsche and Nick DeCaro – both cats from the California scene we can really trust for "cut-above" pop work like this – music that goes way past the simple sounds of DeShannon's start – into cool adult territory that really makes the album great. Jackie's vocals are surprisingly soulful in the setting – even more so than before – and the tunes include lots of gems, including versions of Van Dyke Parks' "High Coin", John Sebastian's "Didn't Want To Have To Do It", and Tim Hardin's "Baby Close Its Eyes". Also includes "I Keep Wanting You", "Me About You", and "Nicole". Next is Laurel Canyon – heady work from Jackie DeShannon's later years in 60s pop – an album with themes and styles that go way beyond her earlier recordings – as you might guess from the hip Laurel Canyon reference in the title! Jackie's working here in a mode that's much more strongly in a singer-songwriter style than before – with arrangements and backings that are a lot more organic, and less pop-tuned than ever – almost in a Laura Nyro approach on some numbers. As usual, a good portion of the tracks were written by Jackie herself – including "Holly Would", "Come & Stay With Me", "LA", "Too Close", and "Laurel Canyon" – and the album also features a few well chosen tracks by other writers too, like "Bitter Honey" by Paul Williams & Roger Nichols, "I Got My Reason" by Barry White, and "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" by Smokey Robinson. Put A Little Love In Your Heart is quite possibly the last great hit from singer Jackie DeShannon – an album built around the righteous spirit of the title track – filled with really wonderful original tunes penned by Jackie and soul singer Jimmy Holiday! The album may well be the best to explore the space between pop and soul that often characterized Jackie's work – and the overall sound is somewhat similar to some of Dusty Springfield's best pop/soul work from the same stretch. 10 of the album's 12 tracks are originals by Holiday and DeShannon – all set to soaring orchestrations by James Langeford, which often have a pronounced influence from the sound of Atlantic Records in the late 60s! Titles include "Put A Little Love In Your Heart", "You Are The Real Thing", "River Of Love", "Movin", "You Can Come To Me", "You Have A Way With Me", and "I Let Go Completely". To Be Free is an interesting little record – with kind of a crossover California soul feel overall – recorded with Rene Hall arrangements that echo a few rootsy modes at times, mixed in with fuller orchestrations that step a bit back towards Jackie's earlier years on Imperial – a surprisingly nice blend, with a fresh sound for the 70s. The album features a number of great tracks co-written with Jimmy Holiday – a fellow Imperial talent – and titles include "Mediterranean Sky", "Sooner Or Later", "What Was Your Day Like", "Livin On The Easy Side", "Brighton Hill", and "When Morning Comes Again". CD

The Electric Prunes get back to basics – as you might guess from the title here – shaking off some of the larger, more ambitious modes of their albums with David Axelrod, yet still retaining a nicely trippy sound overall! The lineup of the group has shifted a bit – hence their billing as "the new improved" Electric Prunes – but although things are stripped-down and simple, there's still some amazing music on the record – a blend of guitar, flute, organ, and vocals that flows along wonderfully with some unusual sounds that we wouldn't expect! And while there's certainly a bit of "good old rock and roll" going on here on a few more straightforward songs, it's not like the album's Let It Be or anything like that – because the group are really more just getting back to the garagey psych of their roots, but doing it a bit better than before! Titles include "Sell", "14 Year Old Funk", "Love Grows", "Giant Sunhorse", "Silver Passion Mine", "Sing To Me", "Tracks", and "Finders Keepers Losers Weepers". LP, Vinyl record album

A wealth of great work from Jimmy Jones – a sweetly voice crooner who bridges the gap between rougher soul artists and the smoother sounds of singers like Sam Cooke and Jessie Belvin – best known for his hit "Handy Man" for the Cub label, but represented here with a huge amount of songs from the 60s! The set features 48 tracks in all, taking Jimmy way past the early hits, into territory explored by New York uptown artists – Ben E King, Tommy Hunt, Chuck Jackson, and others. The package is great – the first time Jimmy's ever been represented so heavily – and also comes with a full set of notes on the material, and an interview with Jimmy. Titles include the hit "Handy Man", plus "For You", "Ready For Love", "My Precious Angel", "Good Timin", "A Wondrous Place", "Never Had it So Good", "Dynamite", "Snap My Fingers", "Big Leg Woman", "Tell Me Why", "That Was My Mistake", "The Nights Of Mexico", "Mr Music Man", "Dear One", "I Say Love", "Pardon Me", "Mr Fix It", "Don't You Just Know It", and "Send Her Back Home To Me". CD

A very cool combo from the LA scene of the 70s – a tight funky group, topped with two female soul singers – all working together in a style that's got a wonderful mixture of warmer edges and grittier sounds at the core! The two female singers really give the set a unique vibe – as they help bring focus to the instrumentation of the group, with a lot more presence than the usual throw-in female vocals of the time – hardly the backing chorus mode of a disco record, and instead a great balance to the sharp guitar lines and keyboards from the musicians! We've not heard of any of the players in any other setting, but they're very good – clearly able to handle jazz if they want, but aimed here towards a sophisticated funk style that's equally great on the mellow steppers as it is on the more upbeat tracks. Titles include "Heavenly Feeling", "World Full Of People", "Do You Hear Me Talking To You", "Dreaming Our Lives Away", "A Thank You Song", "Fantasies & Dreams", and "I'd Like To Stay". CD features a bonus 7" mix of "I'd Like To Stay". CD

A very cool combo from the LA scene of the 70s – a tight funky group, topped with two female soul singers – all working together in a style that's got a wonderful mixture of warmer edges and grittier sounds at the core! The two female singers really give the set a unique vibe – as they help bring focus to the instrumentation of the group, with a lot more presence than the usual throw-in female vocals of the time – hardly the backing chorus mode of a disco record, and instead a great balance to the sharp guitar lines and keyboards from the musicians! We've not heard of any of the players in any other setting, but they're very good – clearly able to handle jazz if they want, but aimed here towards a sophisticated funk style that's equally great on the mellow steppers as it is on the more upbeat tracks. Titles include "Heavenly Feeling", "World Full Of People", "Do You Hear Me Talking To You", "Dreaming Our Lives Away", "A Thank You Song", "Fantasies & Dreams", and "I'd Like To Stay". LP, Vinyl record album

Post-Chic work from Bernard Edwards – and a groovy set! The album's got a very different style than Edwards' music with Chic – even though Nile Rodgers plays a fair bit of guitar on the record – and it's wonderful to hear Bernard's different style of music, let loose here on its own! There's a great mellow vibe to the whole thing – smooth-stepping numbers that have a hell of a lot of warmth, and less of the stiffer, colder sounds that were coming into Chic's music at the time. A few cuts have a bit of beats, but most of the instrumentation's pretty organic, almost older-styled soul at points – and titles include "Hard Loving Man", "Glad To Be Here", "Joy Of Life", "Don't Do Me Wrong", and "Your Love Is Good To Me". CD

A killer little set that's as heavy as it sounds from the title – a wealth of rare material pulled from the studio of Detroit producer Dave Hamilton – a good deal of it previously unreleased! Hearing this set is like finding a pile of rare 45s stuffed in the back corner of a long-lost record shop – because although much of the work was never issued, it crackles with the intensity of the best funky 45s – lots of funky drums, offbeat guitar, and raspy soul vocals – produced with a real edge to all the work, so that all of the hardest elements of the tunes really come through in the mix! The work that was issued here came out on the TCB, Tayster, and New Day labels – and although the artists are often not well known, the work's got a really unified feel – thanks to the funky vision of Dave Hamilton. CD features 20 tracks in all – including "Brand New Girl (part 1)", "You're Wasting My Time (parts 1 & 2)", and "I Got Some (parts 1 & 2)" by Billy Garner; "The Grown Folks Thing" by OC Tolbert, "Party Time" by James Carpenter, "Going To The Moon" by Dave Hamilton, "Funky Trip" by Johnny Walker, "The Devil Is Gonna Get You" by The Future Kind, "Just A Mistake" by The Barrino Brothers, "Hunchin" by Gip Roberts, "Bump With Me" by The Webb People, "Sweet Thing (part 1)" by Bobby Dee, and "Can You Dig It" by Chico & Buddy. CD

Forget everything you know about ska music from recent years – no Mighty Mighty cliches, no retro-styled clunkers, no two-toned sounds at all – just the real deal, the roots of the style, served up here in classic recordings that go right to the source! These are the cuts that started it all – and which still sound way better to our ears than any of the countless imitations that have been crafted over the years – played with a freshness and a sharp edge that recent recordings can never hope to touch! The music here is the roots of reggae crafted in the soil of Kingston – recorded by the legendary Studio One Records, with all the soulful undercurrents you'd find in the rocksteady generation as well. It's been a few years since Soul Jazz have served up a set of Jamaican grooves this tight – but it's been well worth the wait, given the track selection and always-stellar level of presentation from the label. Titles include "Live Good" by The Ethiopians, "Mr Talkative" by The Wailers, "There's A Reward" by Joe Higgs & Roy Wilson, "Ska La Parisienne" by The Skatalites, "Don't Try To Reach Me" by The Gaylads, "Gumma" by Lee Perry, "Freedom Sounds" by Soul Brothers, "You Won't See Me" by The Clarendonians, and "Old Rocking Chair" by Jakie Opel. LP, Vinyl record album

Quite different than The Platters' 50s pop recordings – much more in a soul mode, with a heavier sound that almost sounds like work you'd hear on Stax or Brunswick from the same period. Gone are the sweetly perfect vocals of tracks like "Only You", and in their place are some harder rocking soul sounds – a good change for the group. Titles include "With This Ring", "Going Back To Detroit", "Love Mus Go On", "Why Do You Wanna Make Me Blue", and "Get A Hold Of Yourself". LP, Vinyl record album

A mixed bag record, but with some really wonderful moments – and essential listening as a lead-up to the Pet Sounds album to follow! There's a mix of styles here – some rough rocking numbers that are a bit stiff, mixed with some really amazing tunes that get at Brian Wilson's new sensitivities – tunes like "Girl Don't Tell Me", "You're So Good To Me", "Summer Means New Love", and "Let Him Run Wild" – all complicated in subtle ways, with a great sense of tension underneath. Other tracks include "Help Me Rhonda (45 single version)", "California Girls", "I'm Bugged At My Old Man", and "Amusement Parks USA". CD

A bit of a change for The Great Jazz Trio, but a great one too – given that Buster Williams is on bass here, instead of the usual Ron Carter – working with drummer Tony Williams and pianist Hank Jones to really make things sparkle! Buster's bass is always a treat, and this album's no exception – a set that's filled with some surprisingly soulful moments on the bottom, which really seems to push the group nicely on the longer tracks in the set. Jones sounds a bit different here than before – in a good way – and titles include versions of "Love For Sale", "Secret Love", "Autumn Leaves", and "Someone To Watch Over Me". CD

The first album in Dylan's so-called "Christian Period", but it's not really the uber-dramatic departure from the "old" Dylan that it was treated as at the time – gospel soul backing vocals and testifying lyricism for sure, but it sounds more like gospel has come to Dylan than it sounds like Dylan has "gone gospel". Slow Train Coming has a focused approach, ala Blood On The Tracks, even if this train doesn't come close to crossing over onto those particular tracks – and the return to a leaner, more focused vibe is welcome one. It's got stellar studio players in the mix, and producer Jerry Wexler's production touches on a soul sound, but smartly hews to Dylan's vocal style and lyrical focus. Dylan's high bar for a masterpiece given his trailblazing past didn't give this record or the following couple much a chance to succeed on their own merits back in the day, but all these years later...wow, this is really good, passionate stuff. Includes "Gotta Serve Somebody", "Precious Angel", "I Believe In You", "Slow Trait", "Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking", "Do Right To Me Baby (Do Unto Others)", "When You Gonna Wake Up", "Man Gave Name To All The Animals", "When He Returns". Cassette

One of the all-time great Rick James albums – a return to funkier sounds for Rick that worked both artistically and commercially – and actually got over far better than his more blatant attempts at crossover material on other records! The mix here is perfect – a true summation of all that made Motown great at the time, and the special sort of energy that made Rick one of the freshest mainstream talents at the end of the 70s! The record put a lot of money in Barry Gordy's pockets, and for good reason too – given that the set includes the classic hit "Super Freak" – plus "Give It To Me Baby", "Ghetto Life", "Make Love To Me", "Below The Funk (Pass The J)", and "Fire & Desire" – all done in that compressed pop-funky style that James kind of took from Bootsy Collins and manage to successfully soup up for the masses! CD also features the bonus tracks "Give It To Me Baby (12" mix)" and "Super Freak (12" mix)". CD

A great collection of Jordan's material from the mid 40s to the mid 50s – starting with his jazzy numbers of the earlier years, and moving into the more blues/rock 'n roll sound of later recordings. His band always sounds great and it also sounds like they're having a good time especially when they participate in the dialogue of the songs. There are a total of 20 songs and they include "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie", "Saturday Night Fish Fry", "Barnyard Boogie", "I Want You To Be My Baby", "Caldonia", "Run Joe", "School Days", "Buzz Me", "Beans & Corn Bread" and "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin". CD

Arthur Lee left his group Love behind for this early 70s debut as a solo act – but the record also seems to have Lee returning to some of the heavier blues-inspired sounds of that group's early years too! Lee is a monster here in the spotlight – fantastic guitar lines effortlessly flying from his fingers, vocal power that's more varied and dynamic than some of his later Love performances, and a sense of occasional wit that's echoed by the cover. Arthur also wrote, produced, and arranged the whole thing – which was recorded in Hollywood with help from some of his friends – on titles that include "Hamburger Breath Stinkfinger", "He Knows A Lot of Good Women", "You Can Save Up To 50% But You're Still A Long Ways From Home", "He Said She Said", "Love Jumped Through My Window", "Everybody's Gotta Live", and "You Want Change For Your Rerun". CD features lots of bonus tracks – "Pencil In Hand", "Looking Glass Looking At Me", and unreleased versions of "Everybody's Gotta Live", "He Knows A Lot Of Good Women", and "EZ Rider". CD

The incredible debut of the mighty Jill Scott – a record that asks and answers a question with the title – then goes on to not only establish Jill as one of the freshest soul music talents of her generation, but also an artist who set the tone for so many others to follow! The record explodes out of the Philly scene with a mixture of underground soul and hip hop production elements – echoing classic modes, yet instantly present too – in a way that still sounds fresher than most of the copycat records that came in its wake – and a good deal of records that preceded it too. Jill scores big with a totally seductive blend of warm instrumentation, subdued funky beats, and immensely captivating soul vocals – and the whole record is awash in Fender Rhodes, giving it a spacey soul sound that will make the record a classic for years to come! Titles include "The Way", "Do You Remember", "Long Rain", "Love Rain", "Honey Molasses", "Slowly Surely", "Watching Me", "One Is The Magic #", and "He Loves Me" – but it's allllll good! The LP includes a remix of "Love Rain" featuring Mos Def! LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet 80s grooves from Cherrelle – a set that really has the singer cooking strongly with the production team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis – complete with all the heavy beats you might expect! Jam and Lewis borrow plenty of bottom sounds from the styles of hip hop and electro, and do a great job of mixing the rhythmic elements with Cherrelle's catchy vocals – all in a way that really blows away some of their more chart-topping productions, as the tunes have a bit more of an underground appeal! Make no mistake, this is definitely the poppier side of the soul spectrum – but there's also a freshness here that goes way past Janet Jackson – and which retains some of that smoother, more sophisticated sound we always love in the Tabu label. Titles include "You Look Good To Me", "High Priority", "Artificial Heart", "Saturday Love", "Oh No It's U Again", and "New Love". CD

A bit of a change for The Great Jazz Trio, but a great one too – given that Buster Williams is on bass here, instead of the usual Ron Carter – working with drummer Tony Williams and pianist Hank Jones to really make things sparkle! Buster's bass is always a treat, and this album's no exception – a set that's filled with some surprisingly soulful moments on the bottom, which really seems to push the group nicely on the longer tracks in the set. Jones sounds a bit different here than before – in a good way – and titles include versions of "Love For Sale", "Secret Love", "Autumn Leaves", and "Someone To Watch Over Me". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure set of tracks – but some really wonderful material from the catalog of Pacific Jazz Records! The CD's title clearly showcases the presence of Wes Montgomery on the sides – but Wes was actually more of a sideman on these tracks, and the real credit for the greatness goes to the leaders! The first 10 tracks on the CD are from the album Good Git Together by Jon Hendricks – a rare early non-LHR session by the jazz vocalist – one cut in a very different style than his more famous group vocalese work. Hendricks is laidback, open, and very soulful – working with Wes, Buddy, and Monk Montgomery – as well as Cannonball and Nat Adderley, Pony Poindexter, and Gildo Mahones – all coming together in a "git together" session that features some of Hendricks' best vocals on record! The session features great readings of Hendricks originals that include "Minor Catastrophe", "I'll Die Happy", and "I'm Gonna Shout" – as well as Gigi Gryce's "Music In The Air" and "Social Call", plus a great take on Randy Weston's "Pretty Strange" and Gildo Mahones' "The Shouter". Next up on the set are 8 more tracks from a jazz version of Kismet – recorded by The Mastersounds group which featured Buddy Montgomery on vibes and Monk Montgomery on bass – joined here by Wes on guitar! The source of the tunes is a musical, but the presentation is all jazz – and the group craft some real magic in their exotic style, with tracks that include "Fate", "Olive Tree", "Not Since Nineveh", and "Gesticulate & Rhymes Have I". CD

A record with a freaky sort of cover, but one that's got this very laidback, down to earth vibe – almost like a small funk combo taking on territory from 70s AOR, but serving things up with a much looser, easygoing sort of style! The vocals are great – blue-eyed soul, and compressed down into the instrumentation, which includes keyboards, guitar, and light strings – plus occasional flute and trumpet – all handled with this stripped-down vibe that almost makes you feel like you're sitting in with a big label act like America or Hall & Oates as they're cooking up some mellow soul tracks in the studio. Titles include "Rialto Winds", "Gift Of Life", "Peach Optimo", "Hanging On", "NyNy", "I Will Be", and "Too Yung". CD

A record with a freaky sort of cover, but one that's got this very laidback, down to earth vibe – almost like a small funk combo taking on territory from 70s AOR, but serving things up with a much looser, easygoing sort of style! The vocals are great – blue-eyed soul, and compressed down into the instrumentation, which includes keyboards, guitar, and light strings – plus occasional flute and trumpet – all handled with this stripped-down vibe that almost makes you feel like you're sitting in with a big label act like America or Hall & Oates as they're cooking up some mellow soul tracks in the studio. Titles include "Rialto Winds", "Gift Of Life", "Peach Optimo", "Hanging On", "NyNy", "I Will Be", and "Too Yung". LP, Vinyl record album

The sixth volume of American Recordings from Johnny Cash – recorded in the months between June's & Johnny's passing – produced by an increasingly reverent Rick Rubin and put together with care and consideration. Cash sounds justifiably weary on these late recordings, with songs chosen from the work of great friends, admirers and the Man In Black himself. It's the second posthumous set in the series, but it's truly good stuff, and certainly respectful of Johnny's astounding legacy. Includes "Ain't No Grave", "Redemption Song", "For The Good Times", "Satisfied Mind", "I Corinthians 15:55", "I Don't Hurt Anymore", "Cool Water", "Last Night A Stranger Had A Dream" and "Aloha Oe". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing box set – five full albums of material, plus lots of bonus tracks too! First up is Flowers – a soaring classic from The Emotions – thanks to some supreme help from the Earth Wind & Fire side of the soul spectrum! This set has the trio really sounding great – with Kalimba Productions by Maurice White and Charles Stepney – and a good deal of EWF help on the instrumentation as well! The girls break out of the rootsier style used on their earlier Stax recordings, and manage to fit perfectly with the jazzy tinges of the new grooves – and, along with Ramsey Lewis and EWF, the Emotions were part of a hugely successful trinity during the late 70s – one that took the indie soul roots of the Chicago scene and turned it into landmark big business for Columbia Records. The album's got a new approach to female group soul that would go onto shape R&B for years to come – and titles include "Flowers", "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love", "We Go Through Changes", "Special Part", and "You've Got The Right To Know". Next is Rejoice – a huge hit for both The Emotions and Maurice White – whose Kalimba Productions handled this album in the same hit mode they'd been using for Earth Wind & Fire! There's a polished, soaring bounce her that definitely shows the Earth Wind & Fire touch – and which takes the girls miles from their rougher, rootsier soul of the Stax/Volt years – yet like all the best EWF records of the time, the sound is also plenty soulful, with lots of righteous undercurrents. The album includes the group's wonderful track "Don't Ask My Neighbors", a heavenly tune that builds on a long tradition of sweet female soul from Chicago; the super-huge "Best Of My Love", a hit on dancefloors and radios for years to come – and many other nice numbers like "Blessed", "How'd I Know That Love Would Slip Away", and "Key To My Heart". Sunbeam is great little album from The Emotions – largely because it sounds a lot like prime mid 70s Earth Wind & Fire, with female vocals added over the top – ultimately, pulling away with a soulful charm all its own! Maurice White produced the whole set, and it's got a soaring spacey sound that provides a perfect spiritual edge to the girls vocals – taking them way past the hits, into much more sophisticated soul territory. There's a beautifully righteous vibe going on throughout – a sound that's almost like Minnie Riperton at her 70s Capitol best – and titles include "Love Vibes", "Walking The Line", "Time Is Passing By", "I Wouldn't Lie", "Smile", and "Spirit Of Summer". Come Into Our World has the sweet Emotions at the top of their game – one of the brilliant albums that has the soulful trio working hand in hand with Earth Wind & Fire! The girls were plenty great in their early years, but working with Maurice White and company, they really took off – hitting a whole new level that really unlocked some deeply spiritual power in their vocals! And sure, the approach also yielded the group plenty of hits – but for good reason, too – given the classic quality and all-great nature of a set like this. Maurice White produced, and the lineup is filled with plenty of Earth Wind & Fire players too – working with some great arrangements from Tom Tom 84, Wade Marcus, and others. Tunes are balanced between clubby numbers and some nice midtempo moments – and titles include "Where Is Your Love", "Cause I Love You", "Come Into My World", "On & On", "I Should Be Dancing", "Layed Back", and "Yes I Am". New Affair has The Emotions breaking free a bit from the Earth Wind & Fire influence, and grooving nicely with a sweet 80s feel! The girls' voices are still quite wonderful – some of the deepest harmonies in the female soul world at the time – and the tunes kick it up nicely in a blend of snapping bassy club tracks and mellower cuts that sweetly sway with their great vocals! Loads of wonderful tracks – and an album not to miss! Titles include "Turn It Out", "There'll Never Be Another Moment", "Now That I Know", "Love Lies", "When You Gonna Wake Up", and "Here You Come Again". 3CD set features 8 bonus tracks – including "Boogie Wonderland (12" mix", "Don't Ask My Neighbors (single version)", "I Should Be Dancin (single version)", "My Baby Dance", "Changes", "Where Is Your Love (single version)", and "Flowers (single version)". CD

We love the vibes-heavy music of Chien Chien Lu, and love it in an even different way here, as she collaborates with bassist Richie Goods – an artist who really helps deepen the sound of her music, and creates this great balance between bass and vibes that's completely amazing! You might not be likely to put the two instruments together right away, but they sounds fantastic here – as Goods has this melodic way of handling his instrument that stems from some of the best electric bass advances in 70s jazz, yet leaned out with a more contemporary vibe – and given these gentle funky elements in the backings that are mighty nice. All those touches make for a perfect setting for Chien's vibes – every bit as spacious, soulful, and seductive as before. The set features guest vocals from Sy Smith and Jamison Ross, plus keyboards from Big Yuki – and titles include "Rain", "Water", "Dull Ice Flower", "Embrace The Now", and a great remake of the Donny Hathaway tune "Someday We'll All Be Free" – plus a bonus radio edit of "Someday We'll All Be Free"! CD

A double set of soundtrack material for the late Alfred Hitchcock film Frenzy – the music used in the film done by Ron Goodwin, and a whole batch of never-used tracks that were initially created for the movie by Henry Mancini! The balance of sounds here is great – as the Goodwin material has a vibe that's maybe a bit more British in terms of the style used in that nation's big epics of the 60s, including a few that Ron scored himself – while the Mancini music is oddly dark, much more so than his American hits of the 60s – and so much so that even Hitchcock himself thought the whole thing was too moody for the movie! The restoration of both scores is wonderful – and the CD features 16 tracks by Goodwin, including some rare alternate material – and another 16 by Mancini, presented here for the first time ever – along with some additional description tracks too. CD

The first Motown full length record by the Spinners – Original Spinners from '67 – followed by an impeccably well-chosen collection of bonus material! It's excellent stuff – an overlooked album with some very hard to find Motown work by this early version of the legendary Spinners – with lead vocals by Bobby Smith and Edgar Edwards. The tracks have a mixture of sweet and raw harmonies – crafted with an elegantly soulful sound that would later take the group way over the top during the 70s, and which here sounds sublime next to some of the group's Motown contemporaries! The first 12 tracks on this excellent Kent compilation are the Original Spinners tracklist – including "Sweet Thing", "I Cross My Heart", "I'll Always Love You", "Truly Yours", "Like A Good Man Should", "For All We Know", "How Can I", "It Hurts To Be In Love", "Nobody Else But You", "Where Is That Girl", "Tomorrow May Never Come" and "That's What Girls Are Made For". Most of the 14 bonus tracks are previously unreleased masters – revelatory stuff from earlier in the 60s – formative, yet beautifully realized recordings with productions by Harvey Fuqua and Ivy Joe Hunter! Titles include "Darling", "Words Can't Describe", "12 O'Clock", "Just Another Guy", "We're Gonna Be More More Than Friends" and more. CD

It's been over 15 years since the last Liberation record from Talib Kweli and Madlib, and the planet's changed a lot – and maybe not for the better, which is a good reason the duo are back to serve up a heady helping of their message-oriented music! Yet for this instrumentals set, Talib steps out and lets Madlib deliver all the force of the record – which is a-OK with us, as we're always great fans of a Madlib record on its own! Titles include "One For Biz", "Nat Turner", "Air Quotes", "Best Year Ever", "Assata's Code", "Something Special", "Richies Part Two", "Ad Vice", and "Wild Sweet Beauty". LP, Vinyl record album

With a sound like this, these guys have gotta be Feelin Good! The album's one of the first few Blue Notes by Gene Harris and his mighty Three Sounds combo – and is done in the group's very successful blend of soul jazz and piano trio musing – a key shift in styles from the 50s to the 60s, and one that always sounds nice! There's a great rhythmic approach to the work, augmented by Harris' chunky style of hitting the keys – and the album's filled with nice numbers that include "Parker's Pad", "Two Bass Hit", "Straight No Chaser", and "Blues After Dark". LP, Vinyl record album

Wolf sounds almost pretty from the first few seconds of the intro, but soon after the soft opening, the gritty beat drops, the gravely/growling vocals kick in, and the wild mix of comical and caustic rhymes let you know good and well that Tyler The Creator's back. Guests include Hodgy Beats, Frank Ocean, Domo Genius, Earl Sweatshirt and other expected heads – plus some wildcards/surprises turns by Laetitia Sadier, Erykah Badu and others. Includes "Wolf", "Jamba" with Hodgy Beats, "Cowboy", "Awkward", "Domo23", "Answer", "Slater" and "48" with Frank Ocean, " "Partyisntover/Campfire/Bimmer" with Frank Ocean & Laetitia Sadier, "Parking Lot" with Mike G & Casey Veggies, "Tamale", "Lone" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Usher comes home strong on his first album in nearly a decade –with his ageless voice, overall presence, and almost unrivaled way of fitting right in while also slyly transcending the reigning sounds of pop, soul and R&B of any given day! It's a 20 track set that's surprisingly strong throughout, giving him plenty of space to do just about everything he does so well – tight collaborations, tender balladry, dancefloor ready jams and all. He's still a king! Includes "Keep On Dancin'", "Good Good" with Summer Walker & 21 Savage, "Kissing Strangers", Risk It All" with with HER, "Big", "On The Side", "I Am The Party", "Luckiest Man", "I Love U", "Please U", "Room In A Room", "Bop", "Stone Kold Freak", "Coming Home" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer little set that's as heavy as it sounds from the title – a wealth of rare material pulled from the studio of Detroit producer Dave Hamilton – a good deal of it never issued at the time! Hearing this set is like finding a pile of rare 45s stuffed in the back corner of a long-lost record shop – because although much of the work was never issued, it crackles with the intensity of the best funky 45s – lots of funky drums, offbeat guitar, and raspy soul vocals – produced with a real edge to all the work, so that all of the hardest elements of the tunes really come through in the mix! The album features one track appearing here for the first time ever – "Remember" by Chico – plus other rare tracks that include "Marriage Is A State Of Mind" by James Carpenter, "Soul Suite" by Dave Hamilton, "You Fool You Fool" by Prophet & His Disciples, "The Deacons" by Dave Hamilton, "Funky Trip" by Johnny Walker, "A Drop In The Bucket" by The Deacons, "Brand New Girl" by Billy Garner, "The Devil Is Gonna Get You" by The Future Kind, "Party Time" by James Carpenter, and "Grown Folks Thing" by OC Tolbert. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic lost psych album – with a moody spacey sound augmented by lots of organ, harpsichord, and electric piano! The best cuts are short and echoey – with kind of a trippy pop feel that sounds like post-Brit invasion lyricism, mixed with LA stoner freedom, and a good dash of Love-esque soul. Titles include Tim Hardin's great "You Upset the Grace of Living", "Hang Onto A Dream", and "Never Too Far" – plus a very cool version of "Nature Boy", and the tracks "Tiffany Rings", "I Watch The Moon", and "Me About You". LP, Vinyl record album

A glorious send off from J Dilla – with some of the most soulful productions Dilla's ever laid down! It's impossible to listen to The Shining without considering the sad circumstances surrounding its release, and all too easy to over praise, but this record is filled timelessly inventive production. A lot of the more leftfield, abstract touches that create most of the character on the Donuts LP are really on the outskirts of the sound here – a much richer, deeper, funky drum influenced batch of sounds. We're speechless. There's one more official posthumous LP in the can, and thank goodness for that. Tracks include "Geek Down", "E=MC2", "Love Jones", "Love", "Baby", "So Far To Go", "Jungle Love", "Dime Piece" , "Love Movin'" and "Won't Do". CD

The final album by The Replacements – and a nice one, even if it's closer to a debut solo album for Paul Westerberg than it is to the rest of the 'Mats ouvre! This is a classic example of an album with strengths we either refused to acknowledge back in the day as Replacements classicists, or simply overlooked – but it sounds pretty damn good all these years later. Scott Litt's co-production is clean sound, but not too polished, and titles include "Merry Go Round", "One Week At A Time", "Nobody", "Bent Out Of Shape", "Sadly Beautiful", "Someone Take The Wheel", "When It Began", "All Shook Down", "Attitude", "Torture", "The Last" and more. CD

The final album by The Replacements – and a nice one, even if it's closer to a debut solo album for Paul Westerberg than it is to the rest of the 'Mats ouvre! This is a classic example of an album with strengths we either refused to acknowledge back in the day as Replacements classicists, or simply overlooked – but it sounds pretty damn good all these years later. Scott Litt's co-production is clean sound, but not too polished, and titles include "Merry Go Round", "One Week At A Time", "Nobody", "Bent Out Of Shape", "Sadly Beautiful", "Someone Take The Wheel", "When It Began", "All Shook Down", "Attitude", "Torture", "The Last" and more – plus this CD reissue adds 11 bonus tracks, including some great early demo recordings! CD

A record with a title that sounds like it should be something of a bachelor pad release from the title, but which is instead a good old fashioned, no holds barred, open-ended jazz session from trumpeter Buck Clayton! All tracks are nice and long – way more than usual for big label jazz at the time – and Clayton's trumpet is lineup alongside those of Joe Newman and Joe Thomas, plus other players who include Woody Herman on clarinet, Urbie Green and Benny Powell on trombones, Julian Dash and Al Cohn on tenor, Charlie Fowkes on baritone, Freddie Green on guitar, and Sir Charles Thompson on piano. Titles include "Moten Swing", "Sentimental Journey", "How Hi The Fi", and "Blue Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

A jazz-inspired hip hop uberclassic! While Digable Planets might not have pioneered the jazzy hip hop vibe – we might nod to the Native Tongues scene and DJ Premier's productions in the late 80s for that – Digables set a new standard with breezy but head nodding production and mellow, laidback rhyme style that dug into the abstract lyrical realm more than any of their predecessors. Still sounds fresh today, too! Includes "Where I'm From", "It's Good To Be Here", "What Cool Breezes Do", "Time & Space (A New Refutation Of)", "Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)", "Escapism (Gettin Free)", "Pacifics", "Appointment At The Fat Clinic", "Swoon Units", "Last Of The Spiddyocks", "Examination Of What", "Nickel Bags", and "Jimmi Diggin Cats". CD

Sweet sweet keyboards from the amazing Gene Harris – one of his seminal electric sides for Blue Note in the 70s – recorded between his earliest fame in the Three Sounds, and his later return to acoustic styles in the 80s! The sound here is equal parts jazz and soul – as Gene's working with vocalist/arranger Jerry Peters, who brings in a good deal of his own groove to the tracks – giving them a strong focus that's sometimes missing from other solo Harris sets. Both Peters and Harris play Fender Rhodes and other keyboards on the album – alongside a variety of players that include Donald Byrd on trumpet, Harvey Mason on drums, and Chuck Rainey on bass. Tracks include the Peters tunes "If You Can't Find Love" and "A Minor", a two-part remake of Duke Pearson's "Christo Redentor", the sweet stepper "Peace Of Mind", and a strong vocal take on Stevie Wonder's "As". LP, Vinyl record album