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

A 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". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the key records that helped the British scene leap forward in the mid 60s – even if the group never fully got their due at the tome! This set by Blossom Toes has gone on to become the stuff of legend – a record that fully embraced, the headiest psych modes of the period, but also delivered things with a unique vibe and quality level that really sets the record apart – putting it an elite space that would include debut albums from Pink Floyd and Tomorrow! The group are led by the incredible Brian Godding – a hell of a singer, and one whose voice is perfectly tuned to the offbeat production that really makes the whole thing sparkle – as does the fantastic work on guitar. There's some larger arrangements on the set at time, but they only seem to augment the genius at the core – on titles that include "Look AT Me I'm You", "The Remarkable Saga Of The Frozen Dog", "People Of The Royal Parks", "What On Earth", "The Intrepid Balloonists Handbook Vol 1", "You", and "Mrs Murphy's Budgerigar". CD

Beautifully sweet and folksy work from Linda Perhacs – a singer with a heavenly voice, and a wonderful songwriting talent to match! The record's nicely free from the cliches of some of Linda's contemporaries – as it's got a gently flowing quality that never forces things too much – and which instead seems to have Perhac's ethereal vocals initiating most of the focuse of the tunes, with light guitars, flute, and other instrumentation just shimmering slightly in the background. The structure and subject matter of the tunes is really fresh – no overdone Time Hardin or Fred Neil covers here – and the production has Linda's vocals echo out very slightly, almost overdubbed with a bit of echo, but in a way that only increases their presence in the mix – and which isn't that too-slick mode that was sometimes being used by folkies trying to move into the adult contemporary generation. There's a nice sense of darkness that comes not only from the lyrics, but also from some of the tones on the tunes. Titles include "Parallelograms", "Call Of The River", "Dolphin", "Paper Mountain Man", "Chimacum Rain", and "Moons & Cattails". CD features a number of bonus tracks – including demo versions of tunes on the album! CD

A hell of a groove from organist Don Shinn – one of the legendary albums recorded for the Landsdowne Series in the UK at the end of the 60s – and like the rest, a set that turns conventional jazz on its ear! Shinn plays Hammond, and a bit of piano – but hardly in ways that echo the American scene, save maybe for some of the changes of Larry Young – but even then, maybe more in the mode of Young when he would start to jam a bit more in the 70s – as Don works here alongside guitarist Paul Hodgeson, who's not afraid to add in some exotic elements to his strings – with bass from Eric Ford and drums from Peter Wolf – all delivered with the intensity of a group who are clearly aware of the changes in rock, but still lean more heavily towards jazz. This isn't fusion, and it's not really prog either – but a very special blend that makes the album a treasure through and through, on titles that include "Pits Of Darkness", "A Minor Explosion", "The Jolly Dance", and "Hearts Of Gladness". LP, Vinyl record album

Misha Panfilov takes on the sound library style of the 70s – and as with all of his other projects, the results are completely top shelf all the way through – wonderfully funky, yet handled in a style that's a nice change from Misha's work in other modes as well! Tunes are short and groovy, and each number has a slightly different flavor in a really great way – that sound library approach of setting a mood with a tune, so that broader soundtrack impulses are compacted into a shorter track with more punch and focus – all with plenty of cool keyboards and moogy moments from Misha! Titles include "Dawn", "Cosmic Bliss", "Smoky", "Helix", "Rush Hour", "Eclipse", "Sunbeam", and "Tension". LP, Vinyl record album

The debut of British guitarist Terry Smith – a lost gem produced by Scott Walker, and featuring work by an elite group of UK jazz players of the time! Terry's got a raspy, almost gritty tone on the guitar – one that he'd explore on later jazz rock outings with the group If, but which here is cast almost in a George Benson late 60s mode – one that has Smith's fluid lines stepping out in front of larger arrangements by Jimmy Deuchar and Harry South. Other players on the album include Gordon Beck on piano, Ray Warleigh on alto and flute, Kenny Wheeler on trumpet, and Jim Lawless on vibes – and although there's little in the way of the sound to echo Scott Walker's contribution, it's kind of nice to know he was behind the glass in the studio! Titles include the originals "Fall Out" and "Early Morning Groove", plus nice takes on "Windows Of The World", "The Look Of Love", and "I Love You" – as well as Harry South's groovy "Harry's Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

A great no-nonsense session from Chet Baker – blowing here with Russ Freeman on piano, blocking out backgrounds that work perfectly with the fragile tone of Chet's horn. The rest of the group features Carson Smith on bass and Larry Bunker on drums – and titles include "Bea's Flat", "Moon Love", "Happy Little Sunbeam", "No Ties", and "Band Aid". LP, Vinyl record album

A big overview of early work cut by Chet Baker's legendary quartet with pianist Russ Freeman – most of it from the group's initial time in the studio in 1953, but also featuring a handful of later sides from 1955, as well as some trio material by Russ on his own! The main Baker Quartet material here is presented in chronological order, and features some alternate LP and single versions of a few tunes, as well as alternate vocal and instrumental versions as well. Baker/Freeman titles include "Isn't It Romantic", "The Lamp Is Low", "Maid In Mexico", "Russ Job", "Happy Little Sunbeam", "Moon Love", "Band Aid", "Bea's Flat", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "Winter Wonderland", "No Ties", "Batter Up", and "The Thrill Is Gone". Freeman Trio material includes "Don't Worry About Me", "Bock's Top", "At Last", and "Backfield In Motion". Then later tracks include "The Wind", "Trickleydidlier", and "I'm Through With Love" by a group with Zoot Sims & Bud Shank – plus live versions of "Stella By Starlight", "Walkin", and "Night In Tunisia". 42 tracks in all! CD

A sweet fusion set from the Baltimore scene of the late 80s – served up by Larry Bright on keyboards, bass, and drums – and all done with a nice lean vibe and soulful sound throughout! There's guest work on bass, trumpet, and guitar from track to track – and the record has a vibe that's a stripped-down take on mainstream fusion of the time – still very influenced by elements of 80s R&B, but never too polished or commercial – and with some keyboard/rhythm moments that maybe echo 80s action soundtracks as well! Titles include "New Dimensions", "Sonic Image", "Spirit", "Sunbeam", "Heat", and "Generations". LP, Vinyl record album

Older grooves, given a great remix treatment – in a style that's somewhat in the territory of the Verve Remixed series, but a lot hipper overall! Part of that quality comes from the original tracks – very obscure work from the European jazz scene of the 60s and 70s – the kind of gems that we've loved on the Sonorama label series of reissues, re-presented here by an equally well-chosen array of remix talents – DJs and producers who go way beyond the more familiar names on the global scene! Original cuts are a mix of jazz, soul, funk, Latin, and bossa – served up here in a set list of 18 titles that includes "Hang Em High (Chadeo re-edit)" by Memphis Black, "Massai (Dr Rubberfunk re-spice)" by Mombasa, "Exotic Drums (Devil McDoom rmx)" by Berry Lipman, "Sax On The Rocks (Minimatic rmx)" by Berry Lipman, "Happy Little Sunbeam (Ben Human rmx)" by The Elsie Bianchi Trio, "You And I (Rob Smith rmx)" by Gretje Kauffeld, and "Dreaming (Ben Human rmx)" by Edgar Schlepper. CD

Righteous jazz, with plenty of soul – a killer collection of the mid 70s work of Lonnie Liston Smith – all based around his legendary recordings for the Flying Dutchman label! Lonnie got his start on the hippest side of the jazz spectrum – including work with Pharoah Sanders on Impulse – but by the time of these tracks, he'd found a way to beautifully mix the righteous energy of his roots with some sweet mid 70s jazz funk touches – all served up in a sublime blend of electric keyboards and acoustic piano, and often expanded with lyrics that helped Smith cross over into a soul audience too! Few artists ever handled the balance as well as Lonnie – although this work certainly inspired dozens of others to try – and the set's a beautiful testament to his lasting power, with 15 great tracks that include "Visions Of A New World", "Cosmic Funk", "Get Down Everybody", "In Search Of Truth", "Expansions", "Beautiful Woman", "Golden Dreams", "Astral Traveling", "Meditations", "Devika", "Shadows", and "Sunbeams". CD

Music from the Golden Tones, the Eldaros, the Esquires, the Sunbeams, the Ricardos, Bobby Long, the Raves, the Gales, the Downbeats, the Petites, the Companions & more. CD

Music from the Twilighters, the Esquires, the Sunbeams, the Kingsmen, the Hideaways, the 5 Blue Notes, the Love Letters, the Whispers, the Hornets, the Swans, and more – 26 tracks in all. CD