Tyrone Hashimoto's a Japanese singer, but one who's dedicated to working in the best soulful styles of the 70s – particularly that great place where electric jazz meets R&B, and creates a wonderfully warm setting for his English language vocals! Tyrone handles most of the guitar work and rhythms here – and the album features guest work that shifts from track to track on a range of different elements – plenty of keyboards to warm things up, and occasional backing vocals to really help Tyrone soar! Titles include remakes of "Living For The City", "Street Life", "Love The One You're With", "Waterfalls", and "Just The Two Of Us" – plus the originals "What'cha Gonna Do", "Healing My Heart", and "Dance In The Sunshine". CD

Randy Crawford and Joe Sample – a mighty wonderful combination who've made some great studio sessions together – working here in an even more organic live concert setting! The album's got a stripped-down, back-to-basics approach – Joe just playing acoustic piano and working with a trio – and Randy stepping out in some old school jazz vocals – of the sort she didn't even record in her earlier days! The approach is wonderful – a great reminder that both artists have some mighty deep, soulful roots – and the track list is a good mix of older standards and cool soulful numbers, really recast nicely in this mode. Titles include "Street Life", "Last Night At Danceland", "Every Day I Have The Blues", "Feeling Good", "Tell Me More & Then Some", "Me Myself & I", and "One Day I'll Fly Away". CD

A stone pop soul winner from DeBarge – the kind of record that made the group a heck of a lot of money back in the 80s, and which sounds surprisingly great to our ears today! The record features lots of electro arrangements – fuzzy keyboards and bass pedals grooving around in a way that's got traces of "street" electro, mixed with some super-smooth LA production, and used brilliantly by the group in a family-based pop harmony way that stretches back to some of the great 70s groups of the same style – like The Sylvers or the Stairsteps. A heck of a lot nicer than we remember, and pretty great all the way through – with tracks that include "I Like It", "I'll Never Fall In Love Again", "All This Love", "I'm In Love With You", "Can't Stop", "It's Getting Stronger", and "Life Begins With You". CD

An early 90s contemporary hip hop-steeped street soul gem from Intro! Intro deftly introduce themselves with a style that was as timelly as could be circa '93, and holds up with classic swagger today. While 90s hip hop soul styled beats and production finesse has a timeless shelf life in the best hands, some of the pop soul crossover efforts of the day didn't stay quite as fresh as Intro, whose affinity for their era and the inspiration from groups like the Gap Band and the Isleys keeps it as fresh as ever. Includes the classic "Love Thang", "Let Me Be The One", "Anything For You", "Why Don't You Love Me", "It's All About You", "Ribbon In The Sky", "Don't Leave Me", "Come Inside", "One Of A Kind Love", and "So Many Reasons" – with production by by Eddie "DJ Eddie F" Ferrell, Richard Nash and Kevin Woodley. CD

A lost deep soul set from Lee Moses – a relatively obscure vocalist, but one who we'd rank right up there with James Carr, Wilson Pickett, or any of their contemporaries! Lee's music has a hard southern soul feel to it – sounding almost like a pile of 45s from a label like Sound Stage 7, or some more obscure imprint from below the Mason-Dixon line – even though the record was issued on the Maple label up north. And possibly it's Lee's odd northern placement with a deeply southern style that never got him his due back in the day – but that loss is our gain, as the record's an under-discovered treasure that's filled with really hard-wailing soul tunes! There's a slightly garagey feel to the production – quite gritty at times, with even more of an earthier undercurrent than you'd hear on work from Memphis or Muscle Shoals – and Lee matches this sound wonderfully with a really raspy approach to vocals. Titles include a great version of "California Dreaming", plus the tracks "Time & Place", "Got That Will", "Every Boy & Girl", "Hey Joe", "Free At Last", and "Adorable One". Expanded package features 14 bonus tracks – everything that Moses ever recorded – with titles that include "Diana", "My Adorable One", "I Can't Take No Chances", "Never In My Life", "She's A Bad Girl", "Dark End Of The Street", "Day Tripper", and "I'm Sad About It". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest jazz voices on the bass clarinet – save perhaps for the late Eric Dolphy – working here in a wonderful batch of ballads and gentle groovers! The set's quite different from the usual jazz date to bear "ballads" in the title – as David Murray's not ruminating over standards with too much strings – and instead still works in a hip small combo mode that's filled with swing and soul. In fact, most tunes are hardly ballads in the traditional style – and just showcase a slightly gentler, more personal side of Murray's music – but one that still has plenty of darkness around the edges. The group's a quartet – with John Hicks on piano, Ray Drummond on bass, and Idris Muhammad on drums – and tunes include "Portrait Of A Black Woman", "Waltz To Heaven", "Elegy For Fannie Lou", "Lyons Street", "Chazz", and "New Life". CD

Nas' debut LP masterpiece Illmatic – a record that will probably stand forever as one of the greatest hip hop full lengths of its time! Nas has had some creative ups-and-downs over the years, but nothing can take away the impact of this damn near perfect slice of east coast street hop – truly one of the great, filler free, beginning-to-end classics with not a wasted second! Part of the strength of the record is the top-shelf choice of production – work from DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock and Q-Tip – all of whom help the young Nas really find his voice with the right sort of vibe – on titles that include "NY State Of Mind", "Life's A B***h", "Half Time", "One Love", "Memory Lane", "Represent", "The World Is Yours", and "It Ain't Hard To Tell". LP, Vinyl record album

Four albums that show the continuing evolution of Earl Scruggs in the 70s – with a sound that's very different than his earlier music, and maybe even sharper instrumentation overall! First up is I Saw The Light – a record made after the famous banjo pioneer split with Lester Flatt, and was very popular with a young rock crowd – as evidenced by help he gets here from Linda Ronstadt and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – not to mention Gary and Randy Scruggs, Vassar Clements, and Norman Blake! The mix of famous names and the growing Scruggs Review sound is great – and the record is an unlikely but important entry in the rise of country rock during the early 70s, with a very different quality than some of Earl's earlier work. We might well thank the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – as the vibe is similar at times to their shifting music of the period – mixed with some Mike Nesmith inspiration, as a few of his tunes are included. Titles include "Lonesome & A Long Way From Home", "Silver Wings", "Never Ending Song Of Love", "Rock Sant & Nails", "Some Of Shelly's Blues", "It's A Picture From Life's Other Side", and "Propinquity". Features bonus tracks "The Cure", "I Saw The Light", "Fireball Mail", and "Tramp On The Street". On Live From Austin City Limits, the great Earl Scruggs takes on the growing Austin scene – which turns out to be a perfect fit for his Revue's blend of new country modes and older styles of instrumentation! Earl leads off the set with stunning work on banjo – maybe even sharper than earlier years – and the group lead off with some Dylan material at the start, showcasing some of their rock leanings – but soon bringing on other songs of their own, and making for this beautiful mix of key instrumental moments and lyrical passages. Lead vocals are from Gary Scruggs, and Randy and Steve Scruggs are in the group too – on titles that include "Nashville Skyline Rag", "I Shall Be Released", "Tall Texas Woman", "I Just Can't Seem To Change", "Black Mountain Blues", "Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven", and "The Swimming Song". Strike Anywhere is a mighty nice album from the great Earl Scruggs – recorded with his boys' Revue group, and a sound that really helps keep Earl's instrumentation fresh for the 70s! Years back, we never would have thought that mixing the legendary Scruggs banjo sound with keyboards would have worked – but the change here is a great one, as Earl makes the shift that a few of his traditional instrumental contemporaries were doing at the time – such as Vassar Clements or Bashful Brother Oswald – finding a new setting for the instruments that still shine out in the lead at all the best moments. Titles include a great remake of "Mandolin Wind" – plus "Muhammad Ali", "Bring It On Home To Me", "You Really Got A Hold On Me", "I Think Of You", and "Dreaming As One". On Bold & New, the great Chips Moman produced and recorded the record – a set that shows that move that Earl had made into country rock during the decade, delivered in the best possible hands! Vocals are from some of Earl's sons, and the man himself still gets gets in plenty of banjo solos too – as the group mix their own material with a few from Bobby Emmons, who plays organ, electric piano, and clavinet on the set. Titles include "The Cabin", "Our Love Is Home Grown", "That's Alright Mama", "Found Myself A New Love", "Games People Play", "Take The Time To Fall In Love", and "Louisiana Lady". CD

A beautiful update of the music of Charlie Parker – one that takes off from the first vocalese recordings that were inspired by Bird's music in the bebop years – but served up here in a much wider array of styles! As with the early vocalese recordings – lyrical sides based around Parker's saxophone solos – these tracks all have lyrics set to Parker's compositions, sung by different artists on each tune – in a lineup that includes Kurt Elling, Gregory Porter, Jeffrey Wright, Kandace Springs, Melody Gardot, Luciana Souza, and Madeleine Peyroux – a diverse lineup that really makes for an amazing record. Core instrumentation is from a group that features Donny McCaslin on tenor, Craig Taborn on acoustic and electric piano, and Ben Monder on guitar – and titles include "Meet Charlie Parker", "The Epitaph Of Charlie Parker", "So Long", "Every Little Thing", "Los Angeles", "Life My Love For You", and "The King Of 52nd Street" – all new vocal versions of Charlie Parker tunes. CD

A whole new level of genius for Herb Alpert – a record that's light years away from his earlier work with the Tijuana Brass, and which has the trumpeter stepping strongly into the world of smooth jazzy fusion! The title track here went platinum the minute it was released – and became an end-of-the 70s instrumental anthem that seemed to drift out of speakers around the country. The rest of the album's pretty great too – built on the modes explored by Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, and other soulful fusion players of the 70s – but cast out with a bit more drama overall. Titles include the seminal jazz dance classic "Rotation" – plus "Rise", "Street Life", "Aranjuez (Mon Amour)", "1980", "Angelina", and "Love Is". CD

A real standout in city pop from the 80s – a set served up by the great Anri, and one that features the hit anime tune "Cat's Eye" – a cut that really helped make the album a hit! The whole thing's as great as that single, though – thanks to sharp, soulful production from Toshiki Kadomatsu, who also wrote most of the material on the set – creating the right sort of upbeat, quick-stepping vibe to work wonderfully with Anri's vocals! There's more of a soul-based current going on here than some of her contemporaries – and tracks include "Cat's Eye", "Windy Summer", "A Hope From Sad Street", "Shyness Boy", "Good Night For You", "Driving My Love", and "Lost Love In The Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

The Beatles had Abbey Road – and Booker T & The MGs had McLemore Ave, the main street running outside the Stax studios, and a fitting title for the album that has them playing tunes from The Beatles' incredible Abbey Road album. If you've ever thought that Abbey Road was a soft-rock lowpoint in the Beatles' career, consider how many soul and jazz artists either covered the whole album, performed songs from it, or referenced it in their album covers. This little gem is proof that the compositions already had a life of their own within a short time of the release of the record – as Book and crew take the Beatles' tunes to whole new heights, working them together into a complicated batch of grooves that really pushes past their earlier work on Stax. Who knows, perhaps The Beatles were just the kick that Book needed – we can't ever tell the whole story, but we can say that the record marks a strong turning point for the group, and is well worth having for a variety of reasons. Titles include "The End", "You Never Give Me Your Money", "Because", "I Want You/She's So Heavy", and "Polythene Pam". This Stax Remasters edition has 6 bonus tracks: "You Can't Do That", "Day Tripper", "Michelle", "Eleanor Rigby" and a previously unreleased alternate take of "You Can't Do That". CD

Includes the songs "Bass Blues", "Soultrane", "Lush Life", "Cattin'", "Ruby, My Dear", "Stardust", "Straight Street", and"Good Bait". CD

Includes the songs "Stomp And Buck Dance", "Chain Reaction", "Free As The Wind", "I Felt The Love", "It Happens Everyday", "Put It Where You Want It", "Marcella's Dream", "Street Life", and "Last Call". CD

A stone pop soul winner from DeBarge – the kind of record that made the group a heck of a lot of money back in the 80s, and which sounds surprisingly great to our ears today! The record features lots of electro arrangements – fuzzy keyboards and bass pedals grooving around in a way that's got traces of "street" electro, mixed with some super-smooth LA production, and used brilliantly by the group in a family-based pop harmony way that stretches back to some of the great 70s groups of the same style – like The Sylvers or the Stairsteps. A heck of a lot nicer than we remember, and pretty great all the way through – with tracks that include "I Like It", "I'll Never Fall In Love Again", "All This Love", "I'm In Love With You", "Can't Stop", "It's Getting Stronger", and "Life Begins With You". LP, Vinyl record album

The debut album from Fashawn, and a set that became an instant indie classic in the world of underground hip hop – proof that even amidst the big aughties years of billion-selling street-themed material, there was still room for smart, thoughtful, well-crafted material! The production by Exile is perfect for the set – as sensitive as Fashawn's rhymes – and there's an approach here that really hints at some of the directions that Cali hip hop would take in the following decade, but with less of the languid feel of that era – and maybe a nod back to the best boom bap of the 90s, but in a mellower way. Titles include "Freedom", "Hey Young World" feat Aloe Blacc & Devoya Mayo, "Stars", "Life Is A Shorty" feat J Mitchell, The Ecology", "Our Way" feat Evidence, "Samsonite Man" feat Bly, "Bo Jackson" feat Exile, and "Boy Meets World". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone classic from the great Gwen Guthrie – a singer who forged some brilliant vocals in the backdrop of other folks' soul sessions – then really exploded forth as a star on her own, with a handful of key albums in the early 80s! This cooker really shows off Guthrie's ear for the clubs – and has this style that's not really 80s groove, not really street soul – but a great blend of both, and put together in ways that seem to prefigure so many other soul styles in years to come – even as far forward as the new jack years. Gwen's strong vocals work perfectly with the arrangements – which have a tightly produced electric sound that could overcome weaker singers, but which only push Gwen into bolder vocals than before! Titles include the classic "Ain't Nothin Goin On But The Rent", plus "I Still Want You", "Stop Holding Back", "Outside In The Rain", "Close To You", and "You Touched My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning solo piano work from legendary Philly musician Hasaan – best known for his one Atlantic session with Max Roach, but sounding completely different here on his own! From the very first note of the set, you know that you're in the company of a committed modernist, of the same generation as Herbie Nichols and Elmo Hope – a player with an equally unique, individual conception, and an ability to work a very familiar instrument in all these really unusual ways – often with a quality that makes you feel as if Hasaan is about to step outside and improvise more freely, but always swinging back with an inherent sense of rhythm that's wonderful. The set features both original tunes and reworked standards, pulled from a variety of different tapes recorded in both Philly and New York in the mid 60s – superbly brought back to life here, with a double-length set of selections that include "Off My Back Jack", "Off Minor", "Atlantic Ones", "Mean To Me", "True Train", "Untitled Ballad", "Extemporaneous Prose Poem", "Besame Mucho", "On Green Dolphin Street", and "Arabic Song". CD

Dreamy harmony jazz from the great Hi-Los – one of the hippest groups of the 50s, with a sweet quartet approach similar to The Four Freshmen, and which had a huge effect on pop in the 60s! The tunes on the set feature the group working with Frank Comstock – in an amazing style that turns just about any song into a unique little affair, voices sliding and colliding, running together with incredible richness that really opens up the tunes. Titles include "Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries", "Stormy Weather", "Basin Street Blues", "Brahm's Lullaby", "My Sugar Is So Refined", "I Married An Angel", and "Love Walked In". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully sensitive piano work from Lex Jasper – a player who's not recorded often, but who has a wonderfully personal command of the keyboard – very much in the territory of mature work by a player like Tommy Flanagan or Hank Jones! The tunes are mostly standards, but Jasper throws in a few originals too – and the whole album's a well-recorded date with a rapturous feel – subtle surprises throughout, and a sense of feeling that's never overblown, but which is very powerful in an understated way. Tunes include "On Green Dolphin Street", "Come Sunday", "Lush Life", "Marcel & Alissa", "Valley People", "Ballad For Bobby", and "Spring Is Here". CD

A later album from the Last Poets – recorded after their classic run in the 70s, but still pretty nice overall! The record's a bit of an unusual one, in that it shows a bit of the creeping "street" element that the Poets would absorb into their work after being dubbed as the "Godfathers Of Rap" during the early years of hip hop. The record's not really a hip hop set, but it's definitely got a bit more of a street soul vibe, thanks to Celluloid production from Bill Laswell – who certainly shows some of his association here with the hip hop related projects on the label. Laswell mixes in bits of street funk and electro with the Poets' older style of jazzoetry – and the lyrics are sometimes a bit more song-structured than before, with a few more choruses than in the earlier days of free-flowing lines. Titles include "Hold Fast", "What Will You Do", "Parting Company", and "This Is Your Life". LP, Vinyl record album

The first release in the Madlib Medicine Show series of releases from the prolific genius that is Madlib – this one a full scale collaboration with no nonsense rapper Guilty Simpson – sort of a prelude to Guilty's OJ Simpson LP with Madlib in the production booth! The set is a pretty sharp confluence of Guilty's heavy-toned street knowledge and Madlib's hazy funk atmospherics – kind of a strange bedfellows situation, but it works fully well! Many tracks are billed as OJ Simpson remixes, possibly tripped out and funked up versions as a taste of what's to come – with appearances by MED & J Dilla. Titles include "Ode To The Ghetto (Alt Version)", "Yikes" (Alt Version), "Further", "Lucky Guy", "Pigs" (Alt Version), "Life Goes By", "The Paper", "Looking For Trouble", "Young Guns" feat J Dilla, "American Dream & Future" (Alt Version) and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Great grooves from Monday Michiru – a Soul Source collection that brings together a wealth of Monday's dancefloor work with a host of other artists! The tunes here are all upbeat and nicely grooving – very much that soulful Soul Source dancefloor vibe – and the package is a nice reminder that although Monday's been hitting some great mellow notes of late, she's also still one of the best club-oriented talents from the Japanese scene. A number of these tracks are from hard to find singles, and collaborators here include Da Lata, Jazztronik, Soul Source, Masters At Work, Joe Claussell, and Mondo Grosso. Titles include "Butterfly" by Mondo Grosso with Monday Michiru, "You Make Me (Studio Apartment rmx)" by Monday Michiru, "The Right Time (Jephte's King Street vokal)" by Monday Michiru, "The Real Thing" by Soul Source Productions with Monday Michiru, "Tiger Eyes (English version)" by Jazztronik with Monday Michiru, "New Beginnings" by Monday Michiru with Da Lata, "ADDP" by M-Flo with Monday Michiru, "Sunshine After The Rain (MAW 12" mix)" by Monday Michiru, and "Higher (Spiritual Life voc)" by Monday Michiru with Joe Claussell. CD

A pair of early 70s easy listening gems – back to back on an SACD! First up is Tony & Strings – on which the sweet guitar of Tony Mottola mixes with some well-arranged strings – all given the lean presentation of Enoch Light in the 70s, which makes for music that's a great change from the way such sounds would have been handled a decade before! Titles include "It's Going To Take Some Time", "Nature Boy", "The Candy Man", "Song Sung Blue", "Street Of Dreams", "Theme From The Godfather", and the originals "Marcello's Mazurka" and "Bossa La La La". Close To You is a sweet set that's billed as "guitar for lovers", and which has the lean sound of Tony Mottola updated nicely with some Project 3 touches for the 70s! The record's got an unusual mix of tracks – some 70s, some older, and even a Christmas tune too – and Bucky Pizzarelli and Dick Hyman make guest appearances too! Tites include "Wave", "Didn't We", "Close To You", "Moon River/What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life", "Yesterday When I Was Young", "We've Only Just Begun", and "The Christmas Song". CD

Excellent soulful grooves from one of the best acid jazz combos to come out of the UK! Organist James Taylor began his career as a mod-influenced jazzer, then shifted through a wide range of styles – from spacey funk to smooth soul – handling all of them extremely well. His work for the Acid Jazz label was some of the best to come out of the UK in the past 10 years – and this set does a good job of documenting some of his excellent work. Titles include the stellar soul tunes "Love Will Keep Us Together" and "Stepping Into My Life"; the funky soundtrack themes "Mission Impossible", "Dirty Harry", and "Blow Up"; and lots of other nice moments like "Martian Earthwatch", "Creation", "It's Your World", "One Way Street", and "In The Hand Of The Inevitable". Great stuff – and very nicely packaged! CD

A triple-header from Tower Of Power – one that features three late 70s albums in one package! Ain't Nothin Stoppin Us Now is a cool Columbia session from the group, and one that features a well-crafted groove throughout! The overall approach is a bit warmer and less jamming than before – but in ways that really show the group hitting some strong notes on their soul tunes, especially some of the midtempo groovers that are really the big standouts here. The lineup features Chester Thompson on organ and keyboards, Greg Adams on trumpet and vocals, Edward McGee on lead vocals, and Lenny Pickett on saxes – and titles include "You Ought To Be Havin Fun", "Deal With It", "While We Went To The Moon", "Ain't Nothin Stoppin Us Now", and "Doin Alright". We Came To Play is tight funky work from Tower of Power – produced by Steve Cropper, but sounding a lot more like Average White Band than on earlier albums – with a great mix of mainstream funk and warmer, mellow cuts! The group takes advantage of the studio work to let the best funky sides of their instrumentation come to the forefront, and the record's got plenty of great keyboard and guitar riffing, and some well-miked drums that have a nice jazzy flourish on the best cuts. Vocals are a bit weak – but hey, once Lenny Williams left the group, what were they going to do? Titles include "We Came To Play", "Ying Yang Thang", "Let Me Touch You", "Share My Life", "Bittersweet Soul Music", and "Love Bug". Back On The Streets is heavy funk from Tower Of Power – almost more back in the group's earlier mode, which might be what they mean by the title! The sound's not exactly "street", but it's got a nice sense of funk on most numbers – production by Richard Evans and McKinley Jackson that helps keep a focus on the rhythms, and also does a good job of bringing out the best qualities from vocalist Michael Jeffries. Some tracks were recorded in Chicago, and these almost show a bit more sophistication at points – that warmer Chi-soul sound of the late 70s, although still with a TOP sort of touch. Titles include "Rock Baby", "Our Love", "It Takes Two", "Heaven Must Have Made You", "And You Know It", "Something Calls Me", and "Nowhere To Run". CD

A 3CD collection of work by Ike & Tina Turner – 2CDs worth of hits, plus a previously-unreissued live disc – all packaged with a full color book worth of notes! The tracks on the first 2 CDs cover a span of 15 years – music that includes some of the pairs harder hits, plus even heavier lesser-known material – including a few featuring the Ikettes and not Tina. A lot of the material is from the Sue and United Artists catalog by the duo – and titles include "A Fool In Love", "Idolize You", "Tra La La La La", "Two Is A Couple", "A Fool For A Fool", "Something's Got A Hold On Me (live)", "I'm Glue)", "Good Good Lovin", "Poor Fool", "The Hunter", "Bold Soul Sister", "Come Together", "Workin Together", "A Fool For A Fool", "Nutbush City Limits", "Sexy Ida (part 1)", "Sweet Rhode Island Red", and "Baby Get It On". CD 3 features the full album originally issued by Minit Records as Ike & Tina Turner In Person – a live date that features the tracks "Everyday People", "Funky Street", "Respect", "Gimme Some Lovin/Sweet Soul Music", "Son Of A Preacher Man", "Goodbye So Long", "There Was A Time/African Boos", and "Soul Serenade". CD

A set with old school breakdancers on the cover, but one that features music from the generation before – a whole host of 70s funky nuggets, all of which might provide the right sort of beats and grooves for spinning on a piece of linoleum on the sidewalk! There's just a slight touch of hip hop here, and most of the numbers date from the earliest years of the South Bronx street parties – cuts that included key samples and breaks that would later build up into more famous hip hop cuts – mixed with others that stand equally strong on their own – all working together in a package that's maybe one of the best funk collections we've heard from the soul jazz label in years! Titles include "Energy Level" by BT Express, "Sunshine Of Your Love" by Spanky Wilson, "Last Night Changed It All" by Esther Williams, "Soul Makossa" by Manu Dibango, "Soulwanco" by Candido, "Breaker's Revenge" by Arthur Baker, "The Panther" by Manu Dibango, "Life & Death In G & A" by Abaco Dream, "Dancing Machine" by Jackson 5, "It's Just Begun" by Jimmy Castor, "Get On The Good Foot" by James Brown, "Hot Wheels" by Badder Than Evil, and "I Just Wanna Do My Thing" by Edwin Starr. CD

A set with old school breakdancers on the cover, but one that features music from the generation before – a whole host of 70s funky nuggets, all of which might provide the right sort of beats and grooves for spinning on a piece of linoleum on the sidewalk! There's just a slight touch of hip hop here, and most of the numbers date from the earliest years of the South Bronx street parties – cuts that included key samples and breaks that would later build up into more famous hip hop cuts – mixed with others that stand equally strong on their own – all working together in a package that's maybe one of the best funk collections we've heard from the soul jazz label in years! Titles include "Energy Level" by BT Express, "Sunshine Of Your Love" by Spanky Wilson, "Last Night Changed It All" by Esther Williams, "Soul Makossa" by Manu Dibango, "Soulwanco" by Candido, "Breaker's Revenge" by Arthur Baker, "The Panther" by Manu Dibango, "Life & Death In G & A" by Abaco Dream, "Dancing Machine" by Jackson 5, "It's Just Begun" by Jimmy Castor, "Get On The Good Foot" by James Brown, "Hot Wheels" by Badder Than Evil, and "I Just Wanna Do My Thing" by Edwin Starr. LP, Vinyl record album

Sure, maybe Breakin wasn't the most accurate, most faithful portrait of life on the streets in the early 80s – but the film was a great breakout moment for hip hop culture in the mainstream, and also helped sell the new style with a heavy dose of soul! The real stars here are Ollie & Jerry – who deliver two of the album's best tracks – "Breakin There's No Stoppin Us" and "Showdown" – but the set's also got some other great 80s soul and funk tracks – including "Ain't Nobody" by Rufus & Chaka Khan, "Freakshow On The Dance Floor" by The Bar-Kays, the smooth club hit "99 1/2" by Carol Lynn Townes, "Body Work" by Hot Streak, "Street People" by Fire Fox, "Heart Of The Beat" by 3V, and "Reckless" by Chris "The Glove" Taylor – featuring vocals by a young Ice T! LP, Vinyl record album

A deep double-dip into the legendary TK Records catalog of Miami Soul – and one that offers up a very different version of the label than you might know from the hits! This 2CD set follows in the best tradition of the Free Soul series from Japan – which means that the collection is filled with unusual tracks that we might have missed otherwise, alongside other numbers that we do know, but which seem to have a really special vibe in this setting – an unpacking of the TK catalog from top to bottom, with a special focus on warmer, more unusual bits of funk and soul. Titles include "Jolie" by Lattimore, "Don't Waste My Time" by Jerry Washington, "Keep It Up" by Milton Wright, "You Knock Me Out" by Wildflower, "Cramp Your Style" by All The People, "I Can't Leave Your Love Alone" by Willie & Anthony, "Street Love" by Spats, "Concrete Jungle" by Little Beaver, "Good Good Lovin" by Charles Johnson, "90% Of Me Is You" by Vanessa Kendrick, "I Got Bills To Pay" by Johnny K, "You Can Be A Lady" by JP Robinson, "Love Is A Simple Thing" by Leon Ware, "Island Girl" by Lew Kirton, "Share Your Love" by Herman Kelly & Life, "Ain't Nothin Wrong" by KC & The Sunshine Band, "What Would Your Mama Say" by Facts Of Life, "Jazz Freak" by Paulette Reaves, "Let's Make A Baby" by Funky Brown, "The Love We Had Stays On My Mind" by Freddy Henry, and "How Long" by Brandye. CD

Classic club and soulful disco, all brought together in service of the lasting memory of Larry Levan – legendary DJ at the Paradise Garage, and a key force in shaping the sound of the dancefloor for years to come! The set features some material presented in special Larry Levan mixes, plus others pulled from rare 12" singles back in the day – and together the whole thing makes for a great collection of grooves from the left end of the spectrum – a great antidote to popular disco at the end of the 70s, and proof that the creative sound of the dancefloor was still burning strong! 2CD set features a total of 22 tracks – surprisingly well collected for anything with the Rhino name on it, and including "Love Has Come Around (12" version)" by Donald Byrd & 125th Street NYC, "Lover's Holiday (12" version)" by Change, "It Should Have Been You (12" voc)" by Gwen Guthrie, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough (garage version)" by Inner Life, "Why Leave Us Alone (12" long version)" by Five Special, "Lost In Music (1984 Niles Rodgers rmx)" by Sister Sledge, "Baby I'm Scared Of You" by Womack & Womack, "You Can't Hide" by David Joseph, "Bad For Me (12" long version)" by Dee Dee Bridgewater, "Smack Dab In The Middle" by Janice McClain, "We Got The Funk (12" US re-edit)" by Poisitive Force, "Haven't You Heard" by Patrice Rushen, "Weekend (12" extended)" by Phreek, "Clouds" by Chaka Khan, "Love Injection" by Trussel, "Can't Play Around (12" vocal)" by Lace, and "Heartbeat (club)" by Taana Gardner. CD

Maybe not the ultimate Northern Soul collection – you'd need a room full of CDs for that – but a pretty wonderful collection of upbeat 60s soul groovers pulled from the vaults of Warner Brothers and Atlantic Records! The 3CD set features a whopping 85 tracks in all – and most of them are rare cuts, even the ones by some of the bigger names – so that the whole thing really goes way past the obvious, and delivers surprise after surprise over the course of the long listening if has to offer! There's plenty of soul nuggets here that we haven't seen elsewhere on CD – and titles include "A Last Minute Miracle" by Linda Jones, "Baby Help Me" by Percy Sledge, "Call On Me" by The Dynells, "Walkin Up A One Way Street" by Willie Tee, "After Closing Time" by Hal Frazier, "This Beautiful Day" by Levi Jackson, "If You Ask Me" by Jerry Williams, "Mr Creator" by The Apollas, "Seven Days Too Long" by Chuck Wood, "Dance Dance Dance" by The Casualeers, "Can't Help Lovin Dat Man" by Ila Vann, "Skiing In The Snow" by The Invitations, "Teardrops Are Falling" by Little Natalie & Henry, "Bar B Q" by Wendy Rene, "Yes To The Lord" by The Stovall Sisters, "Change My Darkness Into Light" by The Flirtations, "It Hurts Me" by David & Ruben, "Livin In Love" by Sheila Anthony, "Please Operator" by Tony & Tyrone, and "Tell Me Why" by Life". CD

A secret world of 60s pop – long-lost treasures from the Paris scene – home to some wonderfully groovy music from back in the day! The whole series is great – a much-needed look at the incredible work being done by 60s artists in the French scene – some of whom hit international fame, lots of others who were only the province of the lucky French listeners at the time. These guys know pop better than most – and the tunes are all wonderful vocal numbers with a really groovy sound – many in "jerk" or "psyche" modes, with loads of great instrumental touches! The production is wonderful too – very fresh compared to American hits of the time – and the wealth of original songs is wonderful too – a further discovery of music we never would have heard otherwise. Titles on this first volume include "Get Out Of My Life Woman" by The Blackburds, "L'Amour Pas La Guerre" by Claude Channes, "La Fermeture Eclair" by Delphine, "Carnaby Street" by Henri Salvador, "Le College" by Monty, "Eloise" by Claude Francoise, "Affole Toi Marie" by Pascale Audret, "Plan De Fugue" by Long Chris Et Les Daltons, "Nous Sommes Tres Bien Comme Ca" by Jean Mareska, "Notre Prof D'Anglais" by Chantal Kelly, "Le Nenuphar" by Stone, "Oh Eh Hein Quoi" by Fernand Raynaud, and "Les Filles C'Est Fait Pour Fair L'Amour" by Charlotte Leslie. LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool collection of rare soul material – one that brings together obscure tracks from a variety of different sources – then packages them together in a heavy, hardcover book – with a presentation that's a bit like the Motown Singles sets from a few years ago! The book alone is plenty cool – over 100 pages with loads of color images, especially of the rare labels of the originals – plus track-by-track notes on every selection, a surprising amount of detail throughout! CDs are divided up into thematic territory – Urban Soul, Group Soul, Southern Soul, and Funky Soul – but things are pretty unified throughout, and all these numbers share a fair amount of grit in the grooves. The set features a whopping 110 tracks in all – and titles include "Funky Bandwgon" by The Essene Brotherhood Band, "FLA" by Noble Watts, "Can You Handle It" by Pep Brown, "I'll Pay You Back" by Magic Sam, "Hep Squeeze" by Mad Dog & The Pups, "The James Brown Bougeloo" by Little Genie Broosk, "I Can't Stop Crying" by Sam Hutchins, "I'm Telling You" by Buddy Grubbs, "Every Ounce Of Strength" by Carla Thomas, "Understanding" by Jackie Avery, "You're Good Enough For Me" by The Versatiles, "She's The One I Love" by The Delacardos, "Got To Be Your Lover" by The Profiles, "But Then You Left Me" by Shades Of Sensation, "Peace Of Mind" by The Vontastics, "My Baby's Gone" by Donald Height, "Do You Know What Life Is All About" by Hoagy Lands, "Love That Guy" by Jackye Owens, and "Love On A Two Way Street" by Lezli Valentine. CD

The Beatles had Abbey Road – and Booker T & The MGs had McLemore Ave, the main street running outside the Stax studios, and a fitting title for the album that has them playing tunes from The Beatles' incredible Abbey Road album. If you've ever thought that Abbey Road was a soft-rock lowpoint in the Beatles' career, consider how many soul and jazz artists either covered the whole album, performed songs from it, or referenced it in their album covers. This little gem is proof that the compositions already had a life of their own within a short time of the release of the record – as Book and crew take the Beatles' tunes to whole new heights, working them together into a complicated batch of grooves that really pushes past their earlier work on Stax. Who knows, perhaps The Beatles were just the kick that Book needed – we can't ever tell the whole story, but we can say that the record marks a strong turning point for the group, and is well worth having for a variety of reasons. Titles include "The End", "You Never Give Me Your Money", "Because", "I Want You/She's So Heavy", and "Polythene Pam". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful compilation the late 40s Modern recordings of piano player, singer and all around musical pioneer Hadda Brooks – with all the tracks from the original Queen Of The Boogie 78s package – and 18 additional tracks from the period! Hadda is a lovely singer, and the set has a number of sweet vocal numbers, but her most lasting impact is no doubt her easygoing, but masterful boogie piano playing. Fittingly, there's a huge number of instrumental treasures here, and it's really tough to imagine a lot of the great R&B and 50s rock and roll piano taking hold if trailblazers like Hadda Brooks didn't get the ball rolling! Includes "Juke Box Boogie", "Bully Wully Boogie", "Boogie At The Bandstand", "Night Life", "Sleepy Time Gal", "Humoresque Boogie", "Strollin' 'N' Rollin'", "Basin Street Blue", "Moonglow", "743 Blues", "Hungara (Gypsy)", "Greig's Concerto Boogie In A Minor", "Stardust" and more. 24 tracks in all – a solid dozen of which were recorded for Modern in the late 40s, but were never before released! CD

Donald Byrd's last Blue Note album with fusion genius Larry Mizell – and a doozy! The record builds off the style of previous Byrd/Mizell outings – like Places & Spaces, Street Lady, and Black Byrd – mixing together a similar blend of heavy rhythms, keyboards, and sweet funky trumpet licks from Donald. The sound here's a bit tighter than on some of the previous records – showing Mizell as an emerging soul genius, soon to click big on some very important R&B outings of the late 70s. Donald's working with a great group – and gets help from the likes of Patrice Rushen on keyboards, Gary Bartz on alto, David T Walker on guitar, and Alphonze Mouzon on drums – all of whom fit in with the funky program to really kick out some nice grooves! Titles include "Return Of the King", "Dance Band", "Wild Life", "Science Funktion", and "Onward Til Morning". LP, Vinyl record album

The Crusaders at their late 70s smooth jazz best – completely confident in the sound of their groove, and unabashedly working in a tight studio setting on longer tracks that helped forever change the sound of mainstream funky jazz! And yes, the edges are polished down from the group's earlier recordings – but in a way that only seems to deepen the soul of the tunes, and give them more direction and a solidly crossover feel that actually goes past the random funky jazz of the early and mid 70s. Sample, Felder, and Hooper are in fine form throughout – and as usual by this point, are working with a range of guest stars – including Will Jennings, who sings some great lead vocals on the "Street Life"-like "Soul Shadows" track that leads off the set. Other titles include "Elegant Evening", "Rhapsody & Blues", "Last Call", and "Sweet Gentle Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Four soulful fusion classics from keyboardist Rodney Franklin – all together in a single set! First up is In The Center – wonderful keyboard work from the amazing Rodney Franklin – a player who sounds equally great on acoustic and electric piano! This album does a wonderful job of mixing them both – showing Rodney's more sensitive side on a few acoustic numbers, but then really taking off in a much more groove-based mode for the electric ones – which have a soaring, spacious style that's in that best blend of fusion and soul that was going down at Columbia in the late 70s – but with some spacier Bob James touches too! Most of the cuts were arranged by Byron Olsen, who's got an equally sensitive ear as Franklin – and although there's a bit of vocals on the record, most of the focus is on instrumental grooves – especially Rodney's work on the keys. Titles include the classics "I Like The Music Make It Hot", "Spanish Flight", and "On The Path" – plus "Yours", "Life Moves On", and the extended "Spring Suite". You'll Never Know is fully-formed genius from the amazing Rodney Franklin – one of the best keyboard stars to emerge from the late 70s scene! Franklin's got a great talent for balancing influences from jazz and soul in ways that are similar to contemporaries George Duke and Bobby Lyle – and like both of those players, he still stands strong in jazz, but makes some key nods to soul music on this set – adding in a bit of vocals where needed, and moving into some R&B-drenched fusion lines that all sound pretty darn hip! As on previous records, Rodney plays both acoustic and electric keys – blending them wonderfully for a very deep sound – and the group behind him features some especially nice work on reeds, which bring sharper edges to some of the best tracks on the set. There's a wonderfully deep feel to the whole thing – way more than you'd expect for a major label release at the time – and titles include "Felix Leo", "The Watcher", "The Groove", "Journey", "You'll Never Know", "Return", and "Parkay Man". Next is the self-titled Rodney Franklin – tremendous work from Rodney Franklin – one of our favorite soulful fusion players from the end of the 70s! The album's a keyboard delight through and through – and Rodney plays both acoustic and electric piano, often on the same track – which creates this nicely expanded sound that works well with the album's tight arrangements! There's a fair bit of soul in the mix too – some rhythms that make a few numbers great groovers, courtesy of Tom Tom arrangements – and some other full moments handled by Patrick Williams. Titles include a wonderful version of "Windy City" – the cut you might know from a classic Carl Davis recording – plus "On The Path", "I Like The Music Make It Hot", "Life Moves On", "Creation", and "In The Center". Endless Flight is a brilliant mix of jazz, soul, and fusion – smoothed together nicely, but never in a way that's slick or commercial! Franklin's got a keen ear that lets him sit on both sides of the fence wonderfully – in a way that so many other players tried in later years, but never managed to do without losing their groove or selling out too much. Part of the strength of the album is the way that it mixes together acoustic and electric keys from track to track – deepening the spirit of the album through a good sense of pacing and mood, and also offsetting vocal tracks with some key instrumental numbers. Tom Washington produced and heavily helped in the arrangements – and titles include "Vibrations", "Benetta", "Cancion Para Mi Mama", "Dance Tonight", "Endless Flight", "Return To The Source", "Mensaje De Dios", and a surprisingly great funky take on "Hill Street Blues". Includes one bonus track – "The Groove (single version)". CD

Sublime instrumental work from the great Jackie Gleason – a beautifully-done collection of his classic sides for Capitol Records – music that's definitely steeped in the romantic moods promised in the title! Jackie's got a way with a tune that few other leaders can touch – cool, shimmering horn parts that often have the lush hues of a Kenton arrangement, but which come across with a lot more warmth overall – just the sort of music to set the mood back in the day – and a really strong contrast to Gleason's dynamic persona as a comedian. The package has a beautiful cover, and features 40 tunes that include "It All Depends On You", "Mystery Street", "If He Walked Into My Life", "I'm In The Mood For Love", "Out Of Nowhere", "The Best Is Yet To Come", "The Moonlight", "That Certain Party", "Glamour", "Ruby", "Lover Man/Smile", "The Girl From Ipanema", "Moon River", and "Days Of Wine & Roses". CD

A stone classic from the great Gwen Guthrie – a singer who forged some brilliant vocals in the backdrop of other folks' soul sessions – then really exploded forth as a star on her own, with a handful of key albums in the early 80s! This cooker really shows off Guthrie's ear for the clubs – and has this style that's not really 80s groove, not really street soul – but a great blend of both, and put together in ways that seem to prefigure so many other soul styles in years to come – even as far forward as the new jack years. Gwen's strong vocals work perfectly with the arrangements – which have a tightly produced electric sound that could overcome weaker singers, but which only push Gwen into bolder vocals than before! Titles include the classic "Ain't Nothin Goin On But The Rent", plus "I Still Want You", "Stop Holding Back", "Outside In The Rain", "Close To You", and "You Touched My Life". CD

Another diverse batch of varyingly funky & moody instrumentals from Shawn Lee – a rich selection of material learned from a deep love of sound library grooves and cinematic themes – and the third volume in his mighty Ubiquity Studio Sessions! Once again Shawn runs a gamut of styles that range from a 70s cop show guitar funk feel, to heady Eastern-tinged psychedelia, to synthy electronic elements and moodier passages. Life is a soundtrack to Shawn Lee – and it just gets funkier and funkier! Tracks include "Ballade De Mela", "Gerrard Street", "Greg's Theme", "In A Hurry", "Power Surge", "Dirty Larry", "Moodbender", "Oslo Morning", "Weird Waltz", "Miso Horny (Pts 1 & 2)", "Old Sweat", "Billy's Chase", "The Message Pt 3" and more! LP, Vinyl record album

Originally the first release in the Madlib Medicine Show series – this one is a full scale collaboration with no nonsense rapper Guilty Simpson – sort of a prelude to Guilty's OJ Simpson LP with Madlib in the production booth! The set is a pretty sharp confluence of Guilty's heavy-toned street knowledge and Madlib's hazy funk atmospherics – kind of a strange bedfellows situation, but it works fully well! Many tracks are billed as OJ Simpson remixes, possibly tripped out and funked up versions as a taste of what's to come – with appearances by MED & J Dilla. Titles include "Ode To The Ghetto" (OJ Simpson rmx), "Yikes" (OJ Simpson rmx), "Further", "Lucky Guy", "Pigs" (OJ Simpson rmx), "Life Goes By", "The Paper", "Looking For Trouble", "Young Guns" feat J Dilla, "American Dream & Future" (OJ Simpson rmx) and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Nas' debut LP masterpiece Illmatic – a record that will probably stand forever as one of the greatest hip hop full lengths of its time! Nas has had some creative ups-and-downs over the years, but nothing can take away the impact of this damn near perfect slice of east coast street hop – truly one of the great, filler free, beginning-to-end classics with not a wasted second! Part of the strength of the record is the top-shelf choice of production – work from DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock and Q-Tip – all of whom help the young Nas really find his voice with the right sort of vibe – on titles that include "NY State Of Mind", "Life's A B***h", "Half Time", "One Love", "Memory Lane", "Represent", "The World Is Yours", and "It Ain't Hard To Tell". Columbia has gone all out with the reverence on this double disc reissue, with remastered digital sound polish and a bonus disc with remixes of "World Is Yours", "Life's A B***h", "One Love" and "It Ain't Hard To Tell", plus bonus tracks "On The Real" and "Star Wars". CD

Nas' debut LP masterpiece Illmatic – a record that will probably stand forever as one of the greatest hip hop full lengths of its time! Nas has had some creative ups-and-downs over the years, but nothing can take away the impact of this damn near perfect slice of east coast street hop – truly one of the great, filler free, beginning-to-end classics with not a wasted second! Part of the strength of the record is the top-shelf choice of production – work from DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock and Q-Tip – all of whom help the young Nas really find his voice with the right sort of vibe – on titles that include "NY State Of Mind", "Life's A B***h", "Half Time", "One Love", "Memory Lane", "Represent", "The World Is Yours", and "It Ain't Hard To Tell". 7-inch, Vinyl record

Quintet date with Teddy Wilson on piano, Dave Shepherd on clarinet, and Ronnie Gleaves on vibes. Titles include "Air Mail Special", "Li'L Darlin", "Ain't Misbehavin", "Green Dolphin Street", and "Avalon". CD

The third volume in the series of house and club compilations issued by Profile in the late 80s and early 90s, featuring tracks licensed from a number of different labels. 12 tracks in all including "I'll House You (Gee Street Reconstruction mix)" by Richie Rich & the Jungle Brothers, "Make My Body Rock (basic mix)" by Jomanda, "Rock To the Beat" by Reese & Santonio, "Respect (Dancin Danny D mix)" by Adeva with Monie Love, "One Man (one mix)" by Chanelle, "(Not Gonna) Do It (Bam Bam mix)" by Vicky Martin, "Good Life (Magic Juan mix)" by Inner City, "Definition Of Love" by K-Os, "Strings Of Life (piano mix)" by Rhythm Is Rhythm, "Notice Me (Notice The House mix)" by Sandee, "Voodoo Ray" by A Guy Called Gerald, and "Don't Blame Me" by Sublevel featuring Andrea. CD

A massive collection of music from one of the grooviest periods in popular music – the late 60s rise of super-catchy pop that became known as bubblegum – usually cooked up by young studio geniuses and up-and-coming songwriters who were eager for a hit! The genre was sometimes derided at the time – in part because some of the groups were just studio projects without a life out in the real world – but history has shown that the music has a heck of a lot of staying power, especially when brought together in a big package like this – which really lets you dive in deep, as if you've suddenly tuned in an AM radio station from 1971! As with other Grapefruit packages, the presentation is wonderful – detailed notes on all the artists within, and a huge set list that features 91 tracks in all – a great mix of big hits and lesser-known gems – with work by Brian Hyland, Third Rail, Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Archies, Shadows Of Knight, John Fred & His Playboy Band, 1910 Fruitgum Co, The Monkees, Patty Flabbie's Coughed Engine, Orange Colored Sky, The Knack, Mortimer, The Pineapple Heard, Bruce Channel, San Francisco Earthquake, Merrell Fankhauser, The Golden Gate, Crazy Elephant, The Love Generation, Culver Street Playground, Everyday Hudson, and many others. CD

The 2 great albums by Big Star – back-to-back on CD! #1 Record is simply one of the best rock albums of the 70s – partly remembered as a defining moment in power pop, but to us there's a depth of emotion here that goes way beyond chords and choruses, and sinks into our very souls every time we listen to it! Indespensible Memphis rock, to say the very least. Titles include "Feel", "Ballad Of El Goodo", "In The Street", "The India Song", "When My Baby's Beside Me", "Give Me Another Chance", "Watch The Sunrise" and more. Radio City is also one of 70s rock's finest moments. With Chris Bell out of the picture, one could successfully argue the traits that it lacks from the first album, but this thing stands up as work of genius all its own – twith a raw, shambling immediacy to the songs that cut incredibly deep. Amazing stuff all around – totally indispensable! Titles include "O My Soul", "Life Is White", "Way Out West", "You Get What You Deserve", "Mod Lang", "She's A Mover", "Morpha Too", "I'm In Love With A Girl". CD

Titles incldue "Tiger Rag", "Skokiaan", "Wake Up Neesie", "Stardust", "Palm Court Strut", "The World Is A Ghetto", and "One Life". CD

Great later work from this 60s southern soul legend – a set that's maybe more rarities than hits – even though there's some classic Percy Sledge tunes in the mix as well, just served up in later versions! The collection's a great illustration of the way that true soul heroes keep on making great music long after the charts and radio play have kept them in the mainstream – and, apart from a rare few who get a late-life chance to work with a famous rock producer, or maybe get some Rolling Stone hype, there's plenty of others who never fully get that shot – yet keep on making wonderful music like this. As usual with Sunset Blvd, there's almost no details as to where the specific tracks are from – but we can say that the material is all from later in Sledge's career, and still has that incredible voice working through superb material – some lesser-known gems and remakes of some of his older Atlantic tracks. The set includes a few tracks on CD for the first time ever – remakes of "Spooky", "Warm & Tender Love", and "Sweet Soul Music" – plus "Hard Lovin Woman" – and other cuts include "Twine Time", "Honest As Daylight", "Blue Water", "It Tears Me Up", "Dark End Of The Street", "I've Been Loving You Too Long", "She's Too Pretty To Cry", "Tell It Like It Is", and "If She Were Mine". CD

We love Jack Teagarden on Roulette Records – as the label's slightly broken-down, booze-drenched approach was perfect for the late life skills of the trombonist – and maybe a better setting for his talents than anywhere else! This fantastic set has Jack at all the height of those aging powers – playing trombone with a deftness that's way more than the trad modes in which he was schooled, and singing in this heartbreaking voice that's almost even more compelling – trying for blues, and full of pathos in its attempt to reach it – wonderfully human overall. The group features Don Ewell on piano, Don Goldie on trumpet, and Ronnie Greb on drums – and titles include "Big Noise From Winnetka", "When", "Stardust", "Honeysuckle Rose", and "South Rampart Street Parade". CD

One of Dinah Washington's greatest albums – and a sublime demonstration of the new modes she was hitting in the second chapter of her career! The title gives the whole thing away – as the album's a mature, smoky album of boozing and sorrow – maybe in some of the moody late nite territory that Sinatra was hitting on his mellower moments – but with a different sort of bite, given Washington's amazing voice – which is maybe even more powerful here than on bluesier material from her earlier years. Arrangements are by Don Costa – who's also in very special territory, with melancholy currents you won't find on some of his other charts – possibly because of the great production by Henry Glover. The title cut "Drinking Again" is a great one, and the album's got lots of other nice moments like "I Don't Know You Anymore", "On The Street Of Regret", "The Man That Got Away", and "I'm Gonna Laugh You Out Of My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard-swingin tracks from Ernie Wilkins – one of the most soulful arrangers of his time, working here in a wonderful all-star session from the 50s! The album's definitely got the "top brass" promised in the title – a lineup that features Donald Byrd, Ray Copeland, Idrees Sulieman, and Joe Wilder on trumpets – all working at a level that allows plenty of space for well-blown solos, but tied up in tighter ensemble formation overall – all with that Wilkins sense of swing that really set Ernie apart at the time. Rhythm is from a trip that includes Hank Jones on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Kelly Clarke on drums – and titles include "58 Market Street", "Trick Or Treat", "Speedway", "Dot's What", "Top Brass", "Imagination", and "Willow Weep For Me". Also features the album Trumpets All Out – an all-trumpet affair, one that features 5 different players on the instrument – Art Farmer, Emmet Berry, Charlie Shavers, Ernie Royal, and Harold Baker – supported by spare rhythm from the trio of Don Abney on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Bobby Donaldson on drums. There's a definite swing-based approach here – different than usual for some of Farmer's outings of the time – but the differences between the players are nicely pronounced, and the amazing thing about the album is how it manages to pack so much solo energy in such a relatively small space, in a way that still lets you hear the different voices clearly. Titles include "She's Just My Size", "Five Cats Swingin", "Blues In 6/4", "Trumpets All Out", and "Low Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Blue-tinged work for those days when your heart is breaking and your soul is aching – a really wonderful batch of tracks that are heavy on those late 60s/early 70s moments when male singers were starting to open up a bit and let their emotions show! The vibe here is very different than Bobby Gillespie's own music – and the set brings together bits of country, roots rock, and soul – really special tracks that have a perfect blend of heartfelt vocals, well-penned lyrics, and the kind of arrangements and production that really send the whole thing over the top! The best thing about the collection is that it brings together songs we never would have thought to combine like this – a masterful set list that includes "I Don't Want To Talk About It" by Crazy Horse, "Wait & See" by Lee Hazlewood, "Shades Of A Blue Orphanage" by Thin Lizzy, "The Coldest Days Of My Life" by The Chi-Lites, "Roll Um Easy" by Little Feat, "Magnolia" by JJ Cale, "I Still Can't Believe You're Gone" by Willie Nelson, "Love Sick" by Bob Dylan, I'll Be Long Gone" by Boz Scaggs, "Strong As Death" by Al Green, "Kind Woman" by Percy Sledge, "Dark End Of The Street" by Ry Cooder, "I Feel Like Goin Home" by Charlie Rich, "When My Mind's Gone" by Mott The Hoople, and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" by Nick Cave. CD

The best look at Chicago's legendary Twinight label that we've ever seen – a massive 2CD set that goes way past the obvious hits, and really digs into the heart and soul of this unique little record company! Twinight is best known as the home of Syl Johnson during his legendary run of funky soul singles at the end of the 60s – but the company was also home to a lot of other great talent during the same stretch – harmony vocal groups, sweet soul singers, funky combos, and more – all of which you'll hear in this incredible little set! (And in fact, the set does such a great job of presenting the other artists on Twinight, that it leaves out Syl Johnson entirely – so the package is a 100% non-Syl set – which is ok with us, because you can always get Johnson's work on other reissues.) The Numero Group have really outdone themselves this time around – using their careful ear to pull out the best lost bits from Twinight, remastered here with wonderful sound – and a brilliant 32 page booklet that tells the story of the label, and also includes loads of vintage photos. The set's a must-have for any fan of quality funk or soul – and the package includes a whopping 40 titles that include "Goin Man Huntin" by Jo Ann Garrett, "I've Made Up My Mind" by Josephine Taylor, "A New Day" by The Notations, "Nevermore" by Renaldo Domino, "Yesterday's Mistakes" by Jimmy Jones, "I'll Always Love You" by Velma Perkins, "Life Walked Out" by Mist, "Put Out The Fire by Mystiques, "You & Me Baby" by Kaldirons, "Rosemarie" by Dynamic Tints, "Remind Me" by Schiller Street Gang, "Is It Meant To Be" by Krystal Generation, "Pardon My Innocent Heart" by Nate Evans, "Package Of Love (part 1)" by Dynamic Tints, "The Devastator" by Stormy, "Mama" by Annette Poindexter, "Pass It On (part 1)" by Pipes Of Peace, "My Sunshine Girl" by Radiants, "Let Me Come Within" by Renaldo Domino, "Soul Strokes" by Sidney Pinchback, and "Can You Find Me Love" by Harrison & The Majestic Kind. CD