Never-heard music from the enigmatic Jim Sullivan – the singer/songwriter who disappeared in the New Mexico desert after giving the world his fantastic album UFO! The style here is a bit different than that one, and maybe even more to the heart of Jim's spirit – as the work was all recorded in 1969, with just vocals and guitar – in a way that lets the brilliance of Jim's songcraft come across even more strongly than before – but all without ever feeling like scratchy demo tapes, or half-finished ideas! Instead, the album stands as a much-needed addition to the tiny Sullivan catalog – and really has us wondering what else Jim would have given us, if the shadows of mystery hadn't taken him away. Titles include "Roll Back The Time", "Walls", "Sandman", "Jerome", "Close My Eyes", "What Is My Name", and "So Natural". CD

Four classic albums from this hip British soul group – issued here in a single set, with bonus tracks too! First up is New Religion – a record that was also released in America by Atlantic Records. Although they were a UK soul act, Jimmy James and The Vagabonds were a perfect match for the Atlantic soul stable of the 60s. The group had a smooth group style that was partly uptown, partly northern soul – as clearly illustrated in this album, which is divided up into a "mood red: you feel like leaping" side, and a "mood blue: you feel like digging deeper" side. The band chose some good material that really helps them maintain a solid socking soul sound – including "The Entertainer" and "Ain't Love Good, Ain't Love Proud" by Tony Clarke, "Ain't No Big Thing" and "I'm Just A Fool For You Girl" by Gerald Sims, and "Little Boy Blue" and "People Get Ready" by Curtis Mayfield. Also features "Come To Me Softly", a sweet dreamy ballad by Jimmy, and kind of a bit crossover hit for the boys. London Swings is two-sided monster – as the album was originally split with work from the Alan Bown Set too! Here, the CD features just the live material from the soul group – a smoking performance from Jimmy James & The Vagabonds – one that goes way past the sweetness of their hits, and which has a crowd-pleasing, party-hearty approach to soul that's really great! Jimmy and the group serve up versions of "Sock It To Em JB", "That Driving Beat", "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", "You Don't Know Like I Know", and "Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do". This Is Jimmy James & The Vagabonds is a record that featured some crossover tracks with New Religion – but the set here just features the exclusive cuts – including "I Feel Alright", "I Can't Get Back Home To My Baby", "Never Like This Before", "I Don't Wanna Cry", and "You Showed Me The Way". Open Up Your Soul is a record with a really wonderful sound – the deeply soulful vocals of Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, mixed with rich arrangements handled by Nicky Welsh, and produced to perfection by Brit maestro John Schroeder! The record's got the sophistication of some of the Richard Evans productions over at Chess/Cadet at the same time – and, no surprise, the group lead off with a great cover of The Dells "Wear It On Our Face" – then roll into cuts that include "Cry Like A Baby", "Good Day Sunshine", "Four Walls", "Everybody Loves A Winner", "If You're Gonna Love Me", and "Open Up Your Soul". CD also features 7 more bonus tracks from singles – including "Why", "Bumper To Bumper", "Close The Door", "Give Us A Light", "I Wanna Be your Everything", "Hungry For Love", and "Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do". CD

A strange little package that's dedicated to the jazz use of the bass – and which features bass-heavy highlights from the history of Impulse records. The real strength of the set is the avant garde material – especially as some of the tracks on here aren't that easy to find otherwise. Titles include "Syeeda's Song Flute" and "The Chased" by Archie Shepp, "Song For Che" by Charlie Haden, "Song Of Praise" by Coltrane, "Love" by Pharoah Sanders, "Walls-Bridges" by Dewey Redman, "IIBS" by Charles Mingus, "Black Unity" by Pharoah Sanders, and "Summertime" by Richard Davis and Elvin Jones. Some tracks have been edited. LP, Vinyl record album

Hypnotic and frenzied instrumental sounds from the early 70s – heavy rhythms and fuzzy walls of guitar from Bob Thompson and Doug Snyder – a masterful piece of avant rock! Daily Dance is one of those records that's so far ahead of the pack stylistically, you can hardly believe it was made when it was. The songs are long and roll out in a way that makes it clear the players are unafraid of noise, but it's wholly riveting and finds a real groove – they set up their own dynamics and they work well within them. The duo does more with electric fuzz, echoes, and pounding rhythms than all too few boundless artists dared to even attempt – and it's a record that you could have easily convinced us was produced at some point in the 80s, 90s, or 00s rock underground had we not been informed it was from early 70s southern Ohio! Timeless, original and exciting stuff. Includes "Daily Dance", "Living With The Crocodiles", "Time Overlaps Itself", "Soul And Universe", "Hit And Run", "Truth Is A Pathless Land" and "Teenage Emergency". CD

Hypnotic and frenzied instrumental sounds from the early 70s – heavy rhythms and fuzzy walls of guitar from Bob Thompson and Doug Snyder – a masterful piece of avant rock! Daily Dance is one of those records that's so far ahead of the pack stylistically, you can hardly believe it was made when it was. The songs are long and roll out in a way that makes it clear the players are unafraid of noise, but it's wholly riveting and finds a real groove – they set up their own dynamics and they work well within them. The duo does more with electric fuzz, echoes, and pounding rhythms than all too few boundless artists dared to even attempt – and it's a record that you could have easily convinced us was produced at some point in the 80s, 90s, or 00s rock underground had we not been informed it was from early 70s southern Ohio! Timeless, original and exciting stuff. Includes "Daily Dance", "Living With The Crocodiles", "Time Overlaps Itself", "Soul And Universe", "Hit And Run", "Truth Is A Pathless Land" and "Teenage Emergency". CD