There have been lots of Lowrider soul compilations on the market over the years – documenting the great of of mellow cuts on the LA scene of the 60s – particularly the kind that could move slow, but with a heavy groove at the bottom – perfect for chilling out in the back of a car on an endless summer night! Yet few have ever done the job as well as this collection – because in the hands of Ace/Kent Records, the music finally gets proper historical context – moved past the jargon of the East LA in crowd, and presented with great sound, and the kind of detailed notes that really get at the special qualities that made the west coast soul scene so different than the east in the 60s! The set list is superb – fantastic mellow soul tracks that are perfect, even if you don't care about this history – and titles include "It's Not That Easy" by Reuben Bell with The Casanovas, "I Really Love You" by The Ambassadors, "As I Sit Here" by The Whispers, "One More Chance" by The Four Tees, "Take A Step" by Aesop's Fables, "Why'd You Put Me On" by Bobbi Row & The Englishmen, "I Wanna Chance" by The Vows, "Second Hand Happiness" by Jimmy Conwell, "Be Kind To Love" by The Interpreters, "As Long As I've Got You" by The Charmels, "Don't Forget About Me Baby" by Jeff Dale, "I'm A Lonely Man" by Bobby Burn, "Crying All By Myself" by William Bell, "I'm Just Passing Time" by Melvin Hicks & The Versatiles, "When You're Poor" by The Lovers, "It's So Hard To Break A Habit" by The Webs, "Find Me" by The Attractions, "Never Gonna Let Him Know" by Debbie Taylor, and "Pretending Dear" by The Lovelles. CD

Think you know the sound of Atlantic Records in the 60s? Think again – because this stunning series opens the vault to a huge amount of rare treasures from the legendary label! The package is amazing – and offers up rare tracks that were mostly only issued by Atlantic on singles – including some on the other imprints associated with the company – some by names we never even knew recorded for the label, others by bigger names, but represented here by obscure material that goes way past their hits – and which is ultra cool because of that. There's also a fair bit more deep soul than you might expect from the usual Atlantic mix – tremendous vocals, and often in less hit-heavy modes – which makes the whole thing a great revelation – and just one more reason to bow down and give even more expect to one of the key companies who helped soul music find a home in the 60s. Plus – as if that's not enough – the whole thing comes in a very cool 7" gatefold package – which emphasizes the from-singles nature of the collection. First volume features 50 great tracks that include "Baby Girl (part 1)" by Titus Turner, "Please Don't Leave Me" by The Drapels, "That's The Way That It Goes" by Bobby Marchan, "Mary Lou You Can Do The Bumble Bee" by Deanie Parker, "Gotta Find A Way" by Theresa Lindsay, "One More Chance" by Doris Troy, "Daddy Woo Woo" by The Vibrations, "Slumber Party" by The Van Dells, "Someday We're Gonna Love Again" by Barbara Lewis, "Reconsider Baby" by Al King, "Shake Up" by The Cobras, "Uh Oh I'm In Love Again" by Eddie Jefferson, "That's When It Hurts" by Ben E King, "Don't Make Something Out Of Nothing" by William Bell, "You Never Know How Much I Love You" by Oscar Mack, "Closer To My Baby" by Dorothy Williams, "The Last Girl" by The Isley Brothers, "Don't Leave Me" by The Crume Brothers, "Bashful Guitar" by Johnny Jenkins, "Take The Boy Out Of The Country" by Linda Jones, "I'm Gonna Run Away From You" by Tami Lynn, "Wild One" by The Coasters, "Yes I Do" by Solomon Burke, "Something In My Eye" by Music City Soul Brothers, "Young Man" by The Drapels, "Watchdog" by Dorothy Williams, "Romance In The Dark" by Jimmy Ricks, "Please Be Honest With Me" by Barbara & The Browns, "I'm Taking Back My Love" by Linda Jones, "Young & Foolish" by Wendy Rene, "My Girl Sloopy" by The Vibrations, "I Want To Get Married" by Rufus Thomas, "I Left There Running Because Walking Was Much Too Slow" by Chuck Bradford, and "Big Party" by Barbara & The Browns. CD

Think you know the sound of Atlantic Records in the 60s? Think again – because this stunning series opens the vault to a huge amount of rare treasures from the legendary label! The package is amazing – and offers up rare tracks that were mostly only issued by Atlantic on singles – including some on the other imprints associated with the company – some by names we never even knew recorded for the label, others by bigger names, but represented here by obscure material that goes way past their hits – and which is ultra cool because of that. There's also a fair bit more deep soul than you might expect from the usual Atlantic mix – tremendous vocals, and often in less hit-heavy modes – which makes the whole thing a great revelation – and just one more reason to bow down and give even more expect to one of the key companies who helped soul music find a home in the 60s. Plus – as if that's not enough – the whole thing comes in a very cool 7" gatefold package – which emphasizes the from-singles nature of the collection. This volume features a whopping 50 tracks – with titles that include "King Of Love" by The Admirals, "Let Our Love Go On" by Music City Soul Brothers, "More Of The Jerk" by Bobby Harris, "Free For All" by The Barracudas, "Can't See You When I Want To" by David Porter, "Sweet Thing" by Gorgeous George, "Peepin" by Solomon Burke, "Ad For Love" by Lee Jackson, "The Record" by Ben E King, "Give You What I Got" by Wendy Rene, "Thank You John" by Willie Tee, "My Lover" by Barbara & The Browns, "It's Just A Matter Of Time" by Merle Spears, "Fancy Free" by Mary Wells, "You Make A Strong Girl Weak" by The Premiers, "Don't Stop Now" by William Bell, "Let's Go Get Stoned" by The Coasters, "Thank You For Helping Me See The Light" by Ted Taylor, "Just One More Day" by Otis Redding, "Do The Duck" by The Autographs, "Boss" by King Curtis, "Try Me Again" by Ted Taylor, "Every Night I See Your Face" by The Music City Soul Brothers, "I Don't Want Trouble" by Barbara & The Browns, "Keep Your Mouth Shut" by Lee Jackson, "It's Nice To Know You" by Rosetta Johnson, and "Dedicated To You" by Willie Tee. CD

This is it! A pretty darn complete document of one of the greatest soul labels of all time – put together in a wonderful box with a book on the label that's almost as great as the music on the 9CDs in the set! This one established a new standard for box sets when it was issued in 1991, and it was the first time you could really get a clear picture of the great work of Stax without spending a lifetime tracking down obscure singles. A portion of this work will be familiar to you – as it includes classic tunes by the likes of Otis Redding, Eddie Floyd, The Bar-Kays, Booker T & The MGs, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, William Bell, and others – but there's also a wealth of amazing soul by artists who recorded for Stax and Volt, yet never made it big on the charts, and never cut full albums for the label. Just a small amount of these folks include The Memphis Nomads, Jeanne & The Darlings, Derek Martin, Barbara & The Browns, Eddie Jefferson, The Tonettes, Macy Skipper, The Premiers, Sir Isaac & The Do-Dads, Ruby Johnson, Bobby Wilson, Eddie Purrell, Sir Mack Rice, and many others. A lifetime of listening in one box – and an essential set if you dig 60s soul! This is the nicely compact jewel case version – 9CDs in a box that's roughly 6" square. CD

Hey, it's never too early to start shopping for Christmas – especially when it's for yourself! And what better to buy than this great compilation from Atlantic, filled with soulful Christmas numbers from some of their best southern soul affiliates – including many classic Stax artists! The record's one of the best soul Christmas albums you could ever buy, and it's got many tasty numbers like "Presents For Christmas" by Solomon Burke, "Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday" by William Bell, "Jingle Bells" by Booker T & The MGs, "Merry Christmas Baby" by Otis Redding, "Gee Whiz, It's Christmas" by Carla Thomas, "Back Door Santa" by Clarence Carter, and "I'll Make Every Day Christmas" by Joe Tex. The CD includes the bonus tracks "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Carla Thomas. "Christmas Time" by Ray Charles, and "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" by Booker T & MGs. CD

An insane package – one that features the material from the 6CD Complete Concert Wattstax set, plus 5 more CDs from Summit Club Recordings in 1972, plus one more CD of additional material too! First up are 6 CDs that feature a stunning presentation of the legendary Wattstax concert – that huge moment of pride and power when the folks at Stax Records filled up the Los Angeles Coliseum with one of the most memorable shows of the 70s! The meeting of talents here is the stuff of legend – and this great package brings together the complete show in running order – really building up excitement as the concert progresses – with different acts each bringing their own sort of fire to the stage, culminating in a fantastic long finale by Isaac Hayes! The presentation is different than the two double albums that Stax issued back in the 70s – and this expanded package features a number of unreleased tracks in place of material the label later added – such as work from Richard Pryor and The Emotions. There's a whole instrumental section at the start, and more spoken links between some parts – and new material includes unissued work from Kim Weston, Freddie Robinson, Ernie Hines, Eric Mercury, Tommy Tate, Billy Eckstine, and Isaac Hayes – in addition to famous performances by The Soul Children, Jesse Jackson, Rufus Thomas, Albert King, Carla Thomas, William Bell, The Bar Kays, David Porter, The Temprees, Eddie Floyd, and David Porter – plus plenty more from Isaac Hayes too! Great package – with a full color book with new notes and essays, and plenty more too. The Summit Club material follows on five more CDs – material that was partly issued on some other reissues by individual artists, but augmented here with a wealth of unreleased material too! There's a a full show of work from Johnnie Taylor and Rufus Thomas – the latter of whom even does some comedy bits – plus some extra funky performances from The Sons Of Slum, heavy blues from Little Milton, great soul from The Emotions, and a huge amount of never-issued work from the great duo Mel & Tim – arguably better here than on their Stax studio sessions. CD12 features additional recordings that were layered into some of the LP releases issued under the Wattstax name – 15 more tracks that include titles by The Emotions, Isaac Hayes, The Dramatics, Staple Singers, and Eddie Floyd – plus some comedy routines by Richard Pryor. CD

Sublime 70s soul all the way through – a tremendous collection of mellow groovers and midtempo steppers – quite possibly the best volume so far in the Wants List series! The cuts here are all wrapped around a really unified groove – that 70s style that was never too funky, nor too uptempo – just nicely laidback and warm, yet still with a bubbling, gentle sort of rhythm. Production is full on most tracks, but there's always a great edge in the vocals – and although many of the artists here are bigger names, the cuts on the set (as you might guess from the title!) represent some of their more obscure tracks from the decade! Titles include "Lovely Lady" by Vernon Burch, "Trying To Get Next To You" by Arnold Blair, "If I Can't Stop You" by CB Overton, "Is This Really Love" by Charles Drain, "Show Me The Way To Love" by Carl Davis & The Chi-Sound Orchestra, "Midnight Lovers" by Passion, "Smother Me With Your Love" by Betty Wright, "The Rub" by George & Gwen McCrae, "Feed Me your Love" by The Fatback Band, "Harder & Harder" by Archie Bell, "The Man In The Street" by William Bell, "Sweet Music Soft Lights & You" by Ken Williams, "Wondering" by Betty Everett, "Electrified Love" by Ernie Hines, and "Feel Good" by Michelle Wiley. CD

Think you know everything there is to know about Stax Records? Think again – because this series serves up an incredible batch of material that was either unissued back in the day, or hardly ever got much circulation at the time! The project comes from the years after the initial Stax Singles box sets – and tracks here include numbers found during that process, but unissued – and others that were only discovered after digging through vaults of tape – and realizing just how much music the label recorded, but never even pressed onto wax! Yet that result is not surprising – given that the famous Memphis studio was always hopping around the clock – with groups like Booker T & The MGs, Mar-Keys, or Bar-Kays jamming in the studio, then making way for a range of singers and other guests as well – an all-star lineup who turn out some top material in this set. Titles on this first volume include "Hide Away" by Booker T & The MGs, "Don't Worry About Tomorrow" by Bobby Marchan, "Cupid" by Otis Redding, "Don't You Like To Me" by Albert King, "Hippy Dippy" by The Mar-Keys, "I've Got Dreams To Remember (alternate)" by Otis Redding, "Never Let Me Go (alternate)" by William Bell, "Cloudburst" by The Mad Lads, "Sweet Devil" by Mable John, "When My Love Comes Down" by Ruby Johnson, "Floyd's Beat" by Floyd Newman, "Run Around" by Carla Thomas, "Sittin On The Dock Of The Bay" by Booker T & The MGs, and "Just Enough To Hurt Me" by The Astors. CD

Think you know the sound of Atlantic Records in the 60s? Think again – because this stunning series opens the vault to a huge amount of rare treasures from the legendary label! The package is amazing – and offers up rare tracks that were mostly only issued by Atlantic on singles – including some on the other imprints associated with the company – some by names we never even knew recorded for the label, others by bigger names, but represented here by obscure material that goes way past their hits – and which is ultra cool because of that. There's also a fair bit more deep soul than you might expect from the usual Atlantic mix – tremendous vocals, and often in less hit-heavy modes – which makes the whole thing a great revelation – and just one more reason to bow down and give even more expect to one of the key companies who helped soul music find a home in the 60s. Plus – as if that's not enough – the whole thing comes in a very cool 7" gatefold package – which emphasizes the from-singles nature of the collection. Volume 5 is overflowing with goodies – titles that include "Soul Power" and "Sly Girl" by Derek Martin, "Tryin To Reach My Goal" and "Sufferin City" by Johnny Copeland, "What's Going To Happen To Me" by Jeanne & The Darlings, "Thank You Baby For Loving Me" and "I Can't Live Without You" by Soul Brothers Six, "That Kind Of Lovin" and "She's About A Mover" by Otis Clay, "The One You Can't Have All By Yourself" by Shirley Walton, "Can't Find No Happiness" and "A Great Big Thing" by Barbara Brown, "Somebody Needs You" and "Baby What You Got" by Darrell Banks, "Please Operator" by Tony & Tyrone, "Ain't Got No Girl" by William Bell, "Let Me Down Easy" by Alvin Robinson, "Whatcha Gonna Do About It" by Ben E King & Dee Dee Sharp. "Don't Get Caught" by Mable John, "Here I Am" by Linda Lyndell, "It's You For Me" by The Amazers, and "Need Your Love So Bad" by Solomon Burke. CD

A great follow-up to the Soldier's Sad Story collection on Kent – and like that one, a mindblowing collection of soul music from the Vietnam era! The CD is like finding a few lost pages in the history books on the war – as it represents a lesser-heard voice from the time, and a really unusual take on the conflict that strained America in the 60s and the 70s. While some of the songs are quite explicit in their meaning, the more unusual thing about the collection is the way that many of the tunes present their opinions in a more submerged way – as general themes of loss, disenfranchisement, and longing that take on whole new meaning when brought together in a collection like this. The quality of the set is really great, with full notes on the material to document their selection and connection – and the CD features a total of 23 tracks that include "Don't Cry My Soldier Boy" by Thelma Houston, "Am I Ever Gonna See My Baby Again" by The Sweet Inspirations, "I Should Be Proud" by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, "Vaya Con Dios/Fellows In Vietnam" by Inez & Charlie Foxx, "Open Letter To The President" by Roy C, "Welcome The Boys Back Home" by Bill Moss & The Celestials, "War" by The Temptations, "Soldier's Goodbye" by William Bell, "A Soldier's Prayer 1967" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "Please Uncle Sam" by The Charmels, "Please Mr President" by King Solomon, "Does Anybody Know I'm Here" by The Dells, and "A Letter From My Son" by Melverine Thomas. CD

Music from King Floyd, Barbara Acklin, Tyrone Davis, Marvin Gaye, Brook Benton, the Detroit Emeralds, Bloodstone, the Dells, William Bell, the Dramatics, Denise LaSalle, and more. CD

Great sounds from a very special place – that magical meeting point where country meets soul – a spot that was crossed surprisingly often in the southern soul scene of the 60s and 70s! The set's a great follow-up to the excellent first volume – and really does a wonderful job of showing the way that a country ethos could work equally well in soul music – with results that will definitely have you re-thinking your ideas of cultural separation in the south. Much of the work is from that great late 60s/early 70s point when the country soul genre was really maturing – moving past the earlier moments of Ray Charles or Brook Benton, and using the style to express a new level of lyrical sophistication – especially in songs of love lost. Titles include "Sweet Music Man" by Millie Jackson, "Don't You Ever Get Tired" by Bettye Swann, "I Hate You" by Bobby Bland, "Statue Of A Fool" by David Ruffin, "Tennessee Waltz" by Otis Redding, "Bad News" by Clarence Carter, "Sunday Morning Coming Down" by Hank Ballard, "But You Know I Love You" by Sweet Inspirations, "Please Help Me I'm Falling" by William Bell, "Sometimes" by Facts Of Life, "I'll Release You" by Ted Taylor, and "All I Have To Offer" by Eddie James. CD

A huge dip into the world of all-girl bands from the 60s – not sweet-voiced, teeny-bopping pop acts – and instead a host of raw, garagey groups that come across with a heck of a lot of power! There's some folks out there who might tag a famous 70s group or two as the first female rock band – but as the compilers of this long-running series know, the phenomenon goes way way back – so much so that there's no need to fuss and fight about any "first", and instead just dive in and enjoy all the wonderful music on the set! Production is nice and lean on most of these cuts – no added strings or orchestral sweetening – and these groups work in territory that's got all the raw power of any of the male groups to be tagged with the "garage" label over the years. Three tracks on the set are previously unreleased, the package has superb notes on the material, and titles include "Pink Dominos" by Chiyo & the Crescents, "I Don't Know Why" by The Wrong Black Bag, "Ask Me" by Debbie Williams & The Unwritten Law, "Dimples" by The Misfits, "Melvin" by The Belles, "Stardust Come Back" by Girls Take Over, "Really Gonna Shake" by Sandra Barry & The Boys, "Skinny Minnie" by The Beat Chics, and "Never Till Now" by The Bootles. CD

A really great genre-hopping Christmas collection – one that features jazzy tunes, vocal numbers, and a few rock and country tracks as well – all of which really live up to the vintage spirit of the image on the cover! The set follows nicely in the style of the similarly-titled predecessor – and features an array of 29 postwar tracks that come from that moment when the marketing of Holiday spirit was a very big part of the music business! There's plenty of familiar tunes here, done in unusual versions – and some more obscure Christmas cuts that definitely make the set worthwhile – on titles that include "Mrs Santa Claus" by Nat King Cole, "Peace On Earth" by Peggy Lee, "Hello Mr New Year" by The Coolbreezers, "Merry Christmas To You All" by Elton Britt, "Christmas Candy" by Margaret Whiting & Jimmy Wakely, "It's A Marshmallow World" by Vic Damone, "Snowbound For Christmas" by The DeCastro Sisters, "Be A Santa" by McGuire Sisters, "When Santa Claus Gets Your Letter" by Gene Autry, "Sleigh Ride" by Johnny Desmond, "Here Comes Santa Claus" by Sammy Kaye with Don Cornell, "Christmas Is A Feeling In Your Heart" by Andy Williams, "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" by 101 Strings, "Jingle Bell Rock" by Eddy Arnold, and "Snowy White Snow & Jingle Bells" by Vaughn Monroe. CD

Plenty of swinging here – and a west coast session that features both tight ensemble work and some hip breakout solos! There's sort of a collective spirit to the record here – some key all-stars coming together in much tighter formation than you'd fine in an east coast blowing session date – a group that features Buddy Collette on alto, tenor, and flute, John Anderson on trumpet, Dave Wells on trombone, William Green and Chuck Gentry on additional reeds, Gerald Wiggins on piano, Curtis Counce on bass, and Max Albright on drums, and a bit of vibes. Arrangements are mostly by Anderson and Collette – and titles include "Mood For Max", "Crow's Nest", "Top Hat White Tie & Tails", "I Hear Bells", "Buzzin Cool", "One Morning In May", "That's All", and "Sunset Drive". LP, Vinyl record album

This stunning live set has been hailed by many as one of the finest moments of Miles' mid-60's career, and the record features amazing modernist performances by Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Tony Williams that just about blow away most of the studio recordings they cut at the same time. This set includes long versions of "Walkin", "Miles", "Stella By Starlight", and "If I Were A Bell". CD

Miles Davis' first-ever performance in Japan – a really unique concert that featured the quintet with Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – augmented by a young Sam Rivers on tenor! The presence of Rivers really gives the set an edge – and although Miles is holding Sam a bit more in check than on some of his "new thing" albums from the time, there's an overall quality here that's different than the other Davis quintet albums of the time. The set was one of a number of important Miles Davis live sessions from the period – including albums from Berlin, Antibes, and Chicago – and titles include "If I Were A Bell", "My Funny Valentine", "So What", "Walkin'" and "All Of You". CD

Beautiful early 50s greatness from Stan Getz for Norman Granz – the Complete Clef & Norgran Studio Albums as grandly packaged by Verve/Hip-O-Select – with a host of bonus material, to boot! Disc 1 in this great oversized, top shelf worthy set includes Stan Getz Plays, The Artistry Of Stan Getz, plus side A of Interpretations. These early cuts are simple and elegant – and include Stan's wonderful work with guitarist Jimmy Raney. Raney really helped Stan find the "cool" in his tone – and other great players include Duke Jordan, Frank Isola, Bill Crow, John Williams, and Bob Brookmeyer. Disc 2 continues Interpretations, followed by Interpretations #2, bonus tracks and quartet sessions. Disc 3 features Interpretations #3 and more great bonus material from the sessions. It comes in a hardcover, beautifully designed 42-page-book with a slipcover, a wonderful essay by Ashley Kahn, the always excellently detailed discography of the sessions, and the CDs themselves are in wonderful replications of the original 10 inch and LP sleeve art and notes.. The majority of this material is on CD for the first time ever, and boy, did they ever give it the exceptional ovation it deserves! Disc 1 includes "Stella By Starlight", "Time On My Hands", "Body And Soul" and more from Stan Getz Plays, "Thanks For The Memories", "Hymn Of The Orient", "Cool Mx", "Rustic Hop" and more from Artistry Of Stan Getz, and the Interpretations tracks "Love And The Weather", "Spring Is Hear" and "Crazy Rhythm". Disc 2 includes Interpretations and Interpretations #2 tracks "Willow Weep For Me", "Pot Luck", "Minor Blues", "Tangerine" and more, plus a wealth of great bonus tracks, alternate versions and quartet sessions from the Verve vaults including "Pot Luck (Single Version)", "It Don't Mean A Thing (Alternate Version)", "Nobody Else But Me" and more. Disc 3 continues with Interpretations #3 and bonus tracks. Titles include "It Don't Mean A Thing", "The Varsity Drag", "I'll Remember April" and more, plus bonus tracks "W'ell Be Together Again (EP Version)", "Feather Merchant", "Blue Bells", "Round Up Time" and more. CD

Rare small group work from the great Johnny Hodges – an unissued live set from the start of the 60s, and one that has Johnny working with key Ellington sidemen in a very Ellington-like setting! Solo Hodges could usually take one of two forms – more soulful small group material that has less of the arrangements of his longtime leader, the Duke – and more Ellington-based performances, of which this set is definitely one – as Hodges leads a hip combo with Ray Nance on trumpet, Lawrence Brown on trombone, Harry Carney on baritone, Al Williams on piano, Aaron Bell on bass, and Sam Woodyard on drums. Tunes are almost all numbers by Ellington or Billy Strayhorn, but done in a nice lean style, with key solo performances throughout – and titles include "Rocking In Rhythm", "Jeep Is Jumpin", "Things Ain't What They Used To Be", "Sophisticated Lady", "Mood Indigo", and "Solitude" – plus "Good Queen Bess", "Perdido", and "Autumn Leaves". The sound quality is great – very clear, with a nicely crisp tone on the horn parts, especially Hodges and Carney! CD

Cedar Walton plays here with one of his greatest trios ever – the lineup that featured David Williams on bass and Billy Higgins on drums – both players who seem to match that blend of spirit and lyricism that was always so special on Walton's approach! The album's an obscure one, but it stands with the best of the time from Cedar – including the Eastern Rebellion and Steeplechase albums of which both Williams and Higgins were a part – and the tracks here are nice and long, and sparkle with that three-pointed energy that makes this trio so great. Titles include "Voices Deep Within", "Let's Call This", "Magical Lady", "Mode For Joe", and "Funjii Mama". CD features a bonus alternate of "Magical Lady". CD

A tremendous tribute to the legendary Art Ensemble Of Chicago – a group who work here with only two of their surviving members, but with help from a constellation of jazz musicians inspired by their music! The group here is large, and includes AACM members and other younger talents – a fantastic lineup that mixes the core work of Famadou Don Moye on drums and percussion, and Roscoe Mitchell on reeds with work from Nicole Mitchell on flutes, Hugh Ragin and Fred Berry on trumpets, Tomeka Reid on cello, Jaribu Shahid and Junius Paul on basses, Enoch Williams and Titos Sompa on percussion, and Christina Wheeler on voice and a range of unusual electronic instruments! There's a very ambitious feel to the music – like some of Roscoe Mitchell's larger form creations, but with more of a spiritual jazz current that comes from the whole ensemble – and from vocal contributions from Moore Mother and Rodolfo Cordova Lebron. 2LP set features studio material – including "Saturday Morning", "Villa Tiamo", "Chi-Congo 50", "I Greet You With Open Arms", and "Fanfare & Bell". LP, Vinyl record album

A crucial European performance by Albert Ayler in the mid 60s – one that wasn't issued until many years after the recording, but which has become one of the sharpest pictures of his genius at the time! The vibe here is different than the Ayler albums for ESP – still very much in the same territory, but with this approach that's really reaching out with a deeply spiritual consciousness – an energy to embrace the whole history of jazz, both very old and very new – and re-form its entire ideology into a richly personal expression. Ayler's tremendous on tenor, but Don Ayler is often equally great on trumpet – and the unusual group features Michel Samson on violin, William Fowell on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums. Titles include really unique readings of "Bells", "Prophet", "Our Prayer/Spirits Rejoice", "Ghosts", "Truth Is Marching In", and "Spiritual Rebirth/Light In Darkness/Infinite Spirit". CD

Plenty of fire here – a soulful, spiritul sort of energy that really sets the work of Billy Bang apart from any other players on his instrument! Bang's use of the violin here is really unique – almost as a fluid generator of tone and sound – one that's woven beautifully into rhythms from a group that features Oscar Sandees on guitar, William Parker on bass, and John Betsch on drums and percussion – very hip players that push most tunes along with a soaring sort of groove! Other musicians include Ahmed Abullah on trumpet and Thurman Barker on marimba – the latter of whom really brings some unusual sounds to the set, further setting it apart from anything you might expect – and Charles Bobo Shaw also plays cowbells on one number too. Titles include "The Glow Of Awareness", "The Nagual Julian", "The Shift Below", "Petty Tyrants", "The New Seers", and "The Mold Of Man". CD

Important 70s work from Don Cherry – one of the first albums to bring his overseas experiments to a larger US audience! The set builds nicely off of styles that Don forged earlier in France and Scandinavia – a freer style of music than his work with Ornette Coleman, and a richly organic groove that builds up strongly from the bottom, often with elements of world music settled in alongside the jazz – but there's also some funkier moments here too, a bit like the Brown Rice album, but looser overall! The groups on most numbers are relatively large and spiritual – almost like Alice Coltrane at times, but a bit more electric and funky at others – and players include Collin Walcott on sitar, Michael Brecker on saxes, Cliff Carter on keyboards, Lenny White and Tony Williams on drums, Lois Colin on harp, and Raphael Cruz on percussion. Cherry himself plays conch shells, bells, and flute in addition to his usual trumpet – and he even sings a bit on a few numbers, in a soulful, scatting sort of groove. Narada Michael Walden produced, and the whole set's got a very righteous feel – with tracks that include "Universal Mother", "Buddah's Blues", "Eagle Eye", "Mahakali", "Karmapa Chenno", "Surrender Rose", and "Journey Of Milarepa". CD

This stunning live set has been hailed by many as one of the finest moments of Miles' mid-60's career, and the record features amazing modernist performances by Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Tony Williams that just about blow away most of the studio recordings they cut at the same time. This set features 4 long tracks that were not issued on the original 2LP Plugged Nickel set – including long versions of "Walkin", "Miles", "Stella By Starlight", and "If I Were A Bell", 2 in alternate takes, 2 that were never issued at all. LP, Vinyl record album

This stunning live set has been hailed by many as one of the finest moments of Miles' mid-60's career, and the record features amazing modernist performances by Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Tony Williams that just about blow away most of the studio recordings they cut at the same time. This set includes long versions of "Walkin", "Miles", "Stella By Starlight", and "If I Were A Bell". CD adds the bonus track "No Blues". CD

Miles Davis' first-ever performance in Japan – a really unique concert that featured the quintet with Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – augmented by a young Sam Rivers on tenor! The presence of Rivers really gives the set an edge – and although Miles is holding Sam a bit more in check than on some of his "new thing" albums from the time, there's an overall quality here that's different than the other Davis quintet albums of the time. The set was one of a number of important Miles Davis live sessions from the period – including albums from Berlin, Antibes, and Chicago – and titles include "If I Were A Bell", "My Funny Valentine", "So What", "Walkin'" and "All Of You". CD

Miles Davis' first-ever performance in Japan – a really unique concert that featured the quintet with Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – augmented by a young Sam Rivers on tenor! The presence of Rivers really gives the set an edge – and although Miles is holding Sam a bit more in check than on some of his "new thing" albums from the time, there's an overall quality here that's different than the other Davis quintet albums of the time. The set was one of a number of important Miles Davis live sessions from the period – including albums from Berlin, Antibes, and Chicago – and titles include "If I Were A Bell", "My Funny Valentine", "So What", "Walkin'" and "All Of You". CD

One of the more laidback albums from George Freeman's early 70s run – but still a great little set that shows the mellower side of his talents! Despite the sexy style of the cover, the sound here is relatively straight soul jazz – small combo work with Harold Mabern on acoustic piano, Kenny Barron on electric piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Buddy Williams on drums – all in support of Freeman's snakey guitar lines over the gentle rhythms and slinky grooves. George's sound is slightly less tripped-out than on other records, but still has that undeniable Freeman tone – a raspy edge that's quite different than most of his contemporaries! Titles include "I Ain't Got Nobody", "You've Changed", "Groovy Lady", "Squeeze Me", and "Till There Was You". LP, Vinyl record album

A gem of a session from Lennie Niehaus – one of his best 50s albums for Contemporary, and one of his most obscure too! The album features Lennie's alto in the company of a group that includes Bill Perkins on tenor and flute, Jimmy Giuffre on baritone, and Stu Williamson on trumpet. There's no piano at all in the group, and the four horns come together magically – with a well-composed sound that's got all the tightness of LA in the 50s, but with more than enough solo room ot let Lennie and the others sparklet. Titles include "Belle Of The Ball", "Fond Memories", "Knee Deep", "Take It From Me", and "Elbow Room". CD

Beautiful late 80s work from Pharoah – a wonderfully uncomplicated session that still has a great degree of soul! The album was recorded in Paris, with a quintet that includes William Henderson on acoustic piano, Stafford James on bass, Eddie Moore on drums, and Cheikh Tidiane Fale on percussion – and the overall approach is a bit more straight ahead than on some of Sanders' other albums – but in a really great way! The tunes are long and introspective – all done with spiritual rhythmic approaches, letting Pharoah open up on tenor and soprano sax – but never in a way that's overblown or overdone. The solos are perfectly placed – with wonderful phrasing and tone, rich in the colors that we've always loved on Sanders' work, but which can sometimes get lost in the confusion of an over-ambitious session. Titles include "Moon Child", "Moon Rays", "Soon", "Moniebah", and "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes". CD

Important 70s work from Don Cherry – one of the first albums to bring his overseas experiments to a larger US audience! The set builds nicely off of styles that Don forged earlier in France and Scandinavia – a freer style of music than his work with Ornette Coleman, and a richly organic groove that builds up strongly from the bottom, often with elements of world music settled in alongside the jazz – but there's also some funkier moments here too, a bit like the Brown Rice album, but looser overall! The groups on most numbers are relatively large and spiritual – almost like Alice Coltrane at times, but a bit more electric and funky at others – and players include Collin Walcott on sitar, Michael Brecker on saxes, Cliff Carter on keyboards, Lenny White and Tony Williams on drums, Lois Colin on harp, and Raphael Cruz on percussion. Cherry himself plays conch shells, bells, and flute in addition to his usual trumpet – and he even sings a bit on a few numbers, in a soulful, scatting sort of groove. Narada Michael Walden produced, and the whole set's got a very righteous feel – with tracks that include "Universal Mother", "Buddah's Blues", "Eagle Eye", "Mahakali", "Karmapa Chenno", "Surrender Rose", and "Journey Of Milarepa". CD

An odd little album in the Stan Getz catalog of the 50s – not just because of the cheesy cover and title, but also because it features a range of unusual material recorded over a three year period with a variety of different players! Some of the dates here definitely fit the "cool sounds" title of the record – in that they feature Getz with the west coast lineup of Loy Levy on piano, Shelly Manne on drums, and Leroy Vinnegar on bass – heard more famously on Stan's West Coast album of the same time. But other sides feature a different grouping – with Jimmy Rowles on piano, Bobby Whitlock on bass, and Max Roach on drums – offering up a different side of the west coast altogether. And still others take things back to more of an east coast modern style – by featuring either Tony Fruscella on trumpet or Bob Brookmeyer on trombone, in groups with John Williams on piano. The mix of material makes for a nicely-rounded portrait of Getz's talents in the mid 50s years – and the album features 10 tracks that include "Nobody Else But Me", "Serenade In Blue", "Of Thee I Sing", "Love Is Here To Stay", "Blue Bells", "Roundup Time", "Rustic Hop", and "A Handful Of Stars". CD

Spiritual genius from trumpeter Roy Campbell – a player who was too often trapped in the underground during this point in his career – even though he plays with a majesty that demands to be heard! There's a power here that's undeniable – as Campbell works in beautifully triangulated formation with bassist William Parker, and drummer Zen Matsuura – who also handles a range of percussion with a care for sound that takes us back to early experiments from the AACM. Each number offers up a different sort of statement of righteousness – and titles include "Brother Yusef", "Camel Caravan", "Song For Alan", "Ancestral Homeland", and "The Positive Path". CD

Features Clark Terry on trumpet and guest vocals from Joe Williams. CD

A great album from trumpeter Roy Campbell and his Pyramid Trio – aka William Parker and Hamid Drake! Tracks include "Tazz's Dilema", "Malcolm, Martin And Mandela", "Imhotep", 'Impressions Of Yokahama", "Ethnic Stew And Brew", "Heavenly Ascending" and "Amadou Diallo". CD

Features music by B.B. King, Eddie Campbell, Keb Mo, Charles Brown, William Clarke, Canned Heat, Sonny Boy Williamson, Koko Taylor, and more. CD

A fantastic tribute to the legendary Disco Spectrum series of compilations – a run of records that first burst forth at the end of the 90s, and showed the world that there was a huge amount of underground music to discover from the mainstream disco years! Disco Spectrum cuts aren't the ones you'll know from Saturday Night Fever – or from K-Tel compilations of the time – and instead, they represent the much deeper current of groove that was still burning bright away from the limelight, even while the more commercial disco crumbled into dust – music that was sometimes cut by artists who disappeared quickly, sometimes by older masters, and sometimes by talents who never fully got the respect they deserved. Both Joey Negro and Sean P have given us some great sets before, but this one is right at the top of their talents – filled with gems that include "Let Me Down Easy" by Rare Pleasure, "Spread Love" by Al Hudson & The Soul Partners, "Can't Shake Your Love (Larry Levan 12" mix)" by Syreeta, "Trinidad (special disco mix)" by John Gibbs & US Steel Orchestra, "Isabelle & The Rain" by Jo Boyer, "Don't Let My Rainbow Pass Me By (club 12" mix)" by Cloud One with Margo Williams, "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This" by Idris Muhammad, "I Don't Want You Back" by Ramona Brooks, "Hot To Trot" by Alfredo De La Fe, "Out Of My Hands" by Omni, "Under The Skin" by The Brothers, "Let Me Love You" by Bunny Mack, "Can You Get Down" by Universe City, and "I Want You For Myself" by George Duke with Lynn Davis. CD

Music from Buddy Guy, Billy Boy Arnold & Tony McPhee, Muddy Waters, Buster Benton & Carey Bell, Buddy Guy & Junior Wells, Billy Boy Arnold & Tony McPhee, Bo Diddley, Magic Slim, Earl Hooker, Mighty Joe Young, John Littlejohn, Koko Taylor, Sunnyland Slim, Muddy Waters, Fenton Robinson, Willie Williams, Jody Williams, Byther Smith, Brewer Phillips, and Earl Hooker CD

There have been lots of Lowrider soul compilations on the market over the years – documenting the great of of mellow cuts on the LA scene of the 60s – particularly the kind that could move slow, but with a heavy groove at the bottom – perfect for chilling out in the back of a car on an endless summer night! Yet few have ever done the job as well as this collection – because in the hands of Ace/Kent Records, the music finally gets proper historical context – moved past the jargon of the East LA in crowd, and presented with great sound, and the kind of detailed notes that really get at the special qualities that made the west coast soul scene so different than the east in the 60s! The set list is superb – fantastic mellow soul tracks that are perfect, even if you don't care about this history – and the set features 14 titles that include "Someone" by The Lovers, "Here It Comes" by The Persians, "That's The Way Our Love Is" by The Radiations, "It's Not That Easy" by Reuben Bell & The Casanovas, "No Doubt About It" by The Esquires, "What Am I Going To Do" by the Houston Outlaws, "So Much In Love" by The Exceptions, "Please Say It Isn't So" by Lee Williams & The Cymbals, "Somebody Please" by The Vanguards, "Someone" by The Lovers, "Follow Your Heart" by The Manhattans, and "Settle Down" by Little Ben & The Cheers. LP, Vinyl record album

We're not sure if Santa makes the best dance instructor, but he definitely gets plenty of help from this groovy collection – a batch of 26 Christmas tunes that run the spectrum of soulful styles! Most numbers here are from our favorite stretch of Holiday soul – and although there's some tracks here you might have on other collections, there's plenty more unusual ones in the mix as well! Titles include "Santa Soul" by Rocki Lane & The Gross Group, "Christmas Joy" by The Soul Stirrers, "Santa Bring My Baby Back" by Joe Johnson, "Happy Birthday Jesus" by Sam Sweetsinger Bell, "Christmas Round The Corner" by Smuggy Williams, "Santa Teach Me To Dance" by Debbie & The Darnells, "Christmas In Viet Nam" by Charles Bowens & Gentlemen From Tigerland, "Spirit Of Christmas" by The Gospel Heavyweights, "Presents For Christmas" by Solomon Burke, "Christmas Time Is Coming" by The Storytellers, "Christmas Greeting" by The Elgins, "Christmas Time Baby" by The Organics, "Mama's Gift" by Stormy Weather, and "Alone On New Yers Eve" by The Manhattans. CD

With selections by Clifford Curry, Five Satins, Lee Dorsey, Syndicate Of Sound, James & Bobby Purify, The Silhouettes, Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs, Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford, Ronny & The Daytonas, Bob Kuban, and Buster Brown. LP, Vinyl record album

Tunes pulled from a number of different eras – including some gems from the classic Verve, Chess, Impulse, and Mercury catalogs of the 60s – and one of the finer collections of Christmas jazz to be issued in a long time! There's none of the schmaltzy newer work that can ruin a good Christmas compilation – just classic tunes handled with the warmth of a snowy evening! Titles include "Jingle Bells" by Jimmy Smith, "Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer" by Ella Fitzgerald, "Merry Christmas Baby" by Kenny Burrell, "Christmas Eve" by Billy Eckstine, "The Christmas Song" by Mel Torme, "Greensleeves" by John Coltrane, "A Child Is Born" by Oscar Peterson, "Silent Night" by Dinah Washington, "Zat You, Santa Claus" by Louis Armstrong, "Let It Snow" by Joe Williams, and "Winter Wonderland" by Shirley Horn. 14 tracks in all! CD

A surprisingly cool collection of tracks that hides under the "Merry Christmas Baby" title of Charles Brown's big postwar Holiday hit – but which instead includes a fair bit of later soul, blues, and gospel numbers recorded for Jewel and Paula Records! The package mixes things up nicely – and has a deeper sense of soul than you might expect – and the CD track listing is a bit different than the original Jewel Records LP. Titles include the jazzy "Silent Night" by The Ronnie Kole Trio, the soulful "The Bells" by Bobby Powell, "Lonesome Christmas (parts 1 & 2)" by Lowell Fulsom, "White Christmas" and "Little Jesus Boy" by The Violinaires, "Christmas Blues" by Big Joe Williams, and "Merry Christmas Baby", "Please Come Home For Christmas", "Just A Blessing", and "Christmas In Heaven" by Charles Brown. CD

Brilliant work from the young John Fahey – a record that instantly captures its time-bending feel with its title, and which more than delivers on its promise with the music! The songs here are hardly real "plantation favorites", but Fahey evokes this antebellum sensibility with his sound – pre-blues, pre-folk modes that are actually his own new inventions on the guitar at the time – a cosmic intertwining of tradition and individual vision that was first set fire with records like this, then continued to inspire for decades to come. Fahey plays solo throughout – save for one duet with William Barth – and titles include "Wine & Roses", "How Long", "On The Banks Of The Owchita", 'Worried Blues", "What The Sun Said", "Revelation On The Banks Of The Pawtuxent", "Poor Boy", "Variations On The Coocoo", "The Last Steam Engine Train", "Give Me Corn Bread When I'm Hungry", and "Dance Of Death". LP, Vinyl record album

The Detroit soul scene at the start of the 60s – music from a time before Motown was dominating the city's reputation, and a whole host of other great labels brought the motor city sound to the masses! The work here is quite a surprise if you're only thinking in terms of Northern Soul and some of the more uptempo Detroit groovers – as the work here burns on so many different levels – often with a style that reflects some of the nascent soul coming out of Chicago on labels like Chess and Vee Jay, the latter of whom is featured here amidst a range of other imprints that include Wand, Atlantic, Scepter, Time, Old Town, and Brent – all of whom released some of these early Detroit soul tracks as singles back in the day. In true Ace/Kent fashion, the set also features a few unreleased gems, plus a wonderful set of notes on the city's soul scene – alongside tracks that include "Nosey Folk" by The Del-Phis, "Answer Me" by Vivian Collins, "Can't We Get Together" by Harry Reid, "Here I Am" by Betty Lavette, "Shakin Fit" by The Pyramids, "That's No Way To Spend My Time" by The Pen Ettes, "Wedding Bells" by Melvin Davis, "You Lied" by Marva Josie, "Think A Little Sugar" by Barbara Lewis, "Just One More Time" by JJ Barnes, "My Letter" by Priscilla Page, "I Know How It Feels" by Laura Johnson, "I'm A Lonely Guy" by Timmy Shaw & The Sternphones, "Come Back To Me" by La Wanda William, "I Cried For My Last Time" by The Sonnettes, and "Tears Running & Falling From My Eyes" by James Lately. CD

Jazzman blow the roof off the Carolina scene here – digging through a wealth of rare 70s funk to explode the myth that the states are only home to beach music and shag tunes! The grooves here are every bit as gritty as previous Jazzman outings to Texas, Florida, and the Midwest – and the package offers up a few classics, some unreleased numbers, and a bunch of tunes we've never heard before – all supported by the kind of in-depth notes that Jazzman does better than anyone else! And sure, we've been digging funky 45s for years – but its sets like this that almost get us more excited in the music than the originals – thanks to the overall conception and quality of the work. Titles include "Creation Of Music" by Primitive, "Darkness" by Gamith, "Just Take Your Time" by Innersouls, "Super Good" by Dynamite Singletary, "Funky Soul Brother" by The Soul Drifters, "The Road" by Communicators & Black Experience Band, "Theme Of Blackbyrds" by The Black Exotics, "Good Time" by George Campbell, "Funky Mind" by Donnie Brown, "Doing What You Need To Do" by Anthony Burns, "JD's Funky Party Time" by JD, "Bad Woman" by Frankie & The Damons, "Ease It To Me" by Shirlean Williams & The Tempo's Band, "Stand Up & Be A Man (part 1)" by Sundia, and "You Ain't Miss It" by Roy Roberts. LP, Vinyl record album

The incredible debut of Phil Ochs – easily one of the most powerful folk albums of the 60s, and a set that wears its politics on its sleeve like few other records! In an era when many folkies worked a social agenda with sly jokes and twee metaphors, Ochs went straight for the jugular and took his topics head on – singing directly about the topics with a voice nearly shaking in anger, and working here with jagged guitar accompaniment that only further underscores the mood of the tunes. There's a rawness here that beats even Dylan's most political moments from the early albums, and the simple brilliance of the set makes it as powerful today as it was upon its release over 40 years ago. Titles include "Talking Vietnam", "One More Parade", "Automation Song", "Talking Cuban Crisis", "What's That I Hear", "Bound For Glory", "The Bells", and "Ballad Of William Worthy". LP, Vinyl record album

Other Dimensions In Music are Roy Campbell Jr on trumpets and flugelhorn, Daniel Carter on saxes, flute and trumpet, William Parker on bass and Rashid Bakr on drums. CD

A bluesy set of Christmas tracks – featuring some great classics, and some other great numbers that we'd never heard before! The set features 18 tracks in all – with less of the schmaltzy blues that you'd get from recent efforts, and more of the classic bluesy tunes that always sound good when the snow's blowing around outside on a December night. Titles include "Jingle Bell Boogie" by Big Jack Johnson, "I Want My Baby For Christmas" by Jimmy Liggins, "Santa Claus" by Sonny Boy Williamson, "Happy New Year" by Lightning Hopkins, "Christmastime Blues" by Roy Milton, "Christmas Day" by Detroit Jr, "Christmas Time part 1" by Jimmy McCracklin, and "Santa Claus Santa Claus" by Louis Jordan. CD

Genius work from violinist Billy Bang – easily one of his best LPs, and the kind of set that will blow away any expectations you had about jazz violin! There's a sense of soul and spirit here that's really amazing – proof that Bang is easily one of the most inventive talents on his instrument, and a great leader as well. The set was recorded live at Carlos 1 in NYC in 1986 – and features Billy's sextet with Roy Campbell on trumpet, Oscar Sanders on guitar, Thurman Barker on marimba and percussion, and William Parker on bass. Parker's fat, round tone really gives the album a soulful depth that takes it to the next level – and his sly work on the best tracks make the album groove more than you'd expect. Titles include "Abuella", "Sad Song", "Sinawe Mandelas", and "Thank You Ma'am". CD

A later album from reedman Eddie Harris – but a set that still continues some of his best funky styles from the 70s Atlantic Records years! In fact, the record may well be the last that Eddie ever cut in this mode – a real surprise at a time when some of his other sessions were more traditional – and the record's filled with lots of very groovy surprises that include great Fender Rhodes from William Henderson, plus more electric piano from Eddie – who also sings a bit too, in that great raspy tone of his. Rhythms are often pretty great, too – funky, in an offbeat way – thanks to sweet basslines from Larry Gales and drums from Carl Burnett. Titles include "People Get Funny When They Get A Little Money", "Ski Ball", "Three Quarter Miles", "Silver Plated", "Hal Strange", and "Step Down To The Top". CD

Three full albums from Juicy Lucy – plus bonus tracks too! First up is the self-titled debut from Juicy Lucy – an American act who made a trip to the London scene in the late 60s, where they found a way to forge a whole bunch of influences into a very unique groove! Had they stayed back home in Cali, Juicy Lucy might have gravitated towards the Bay Area scene, and ended up sounding a bit freakier and hippieish – but in London, they sharpened their sound, unleashed some deeper bluesy currents, and put the whole thing together with a mix of wit and flair that really set them apart! The group boasts great lead vocals from Ray Owen, a cool mix of electric and acoustic sax parts from Chris Mercer, strong lead guitar from Neil Hubbard, and a range of great sounds from Glenn Ross Campbell – who uses steel guitar and mandolin in ways that are very different than American groups of the time. Forgive the album its quickly-dated, exploitative cover – because it's got a lot more to offer than that – and titles include "Chicago Northwestern", "Train", "Nadine", "Mississippi Woman", "She's Mine She's Yours", and "Just One Time". Lie Back & Enjoy It is hard and heavy work from Juicy Lucy – a group who are even stronger here on this second set than on their debut – effortlessly spinning out lines that are very much in the best hard rock modes of the period, but which also retain some nice bluesy influences as well! The group's a sextet – and in addition to some very unique vocals from singer Paul Williams, who also plays piano and congas, the set also has some surprisingly nice use of steel guitar and mandolin, but never in ways that sound like the instruments might in the handling of some of the Cali crowd at the time. Lead guitar is from Mick Moody, sax and keyboard lines are from Chris Mercer, and titles include "Pretty Woman", "Built For Comfort", "Whisky In My Jar", "Hello LA Bye Bye Birmingham", "Thinking Of My Life", and "Willie The Pimp". For Get A Whiff Of This, the title's a bit of a joke, especially in relation to the cover – but Juicy Lucy come on strong here, with a searing sound that shows that they're way past the novelty of the image on the front! Over the course of the previous records, the group really honed their unique blend of American blues and Brit hard rock inspiration – very well-focused here, with a sound that paves the way for some of the bigger crossover acts that would soon dominate American radio in the mid 70s – something the group unfortunately never got the chance to do. Titles include "Mr Skin", "Midnight Rider", "Mr A Jones", "Sunday Morning", and "Jessica". 2CD set features the bonus b-side tracks "Walking Down The Highway" and "I Am A Thief". CD

A great little set of rare soul music – served up by the Cairo imprint of Mississippi Records – and done with a very similar approach to their other reissues of folk, blues, and world music! The set focuses in on rootsier sounds, especially from the 60s – with lots of deep soul gems from both big names and some more obscure artists – all packaged with a detailed booklet of notes, in the best Mississippi style! The style is almost as if Folkway Records put together their own soul collection, but with work from other labels – and titles include "In My Heart" by Barbara & The Browns, "Tired Of Being Your Fool" by Nelson Sanders, "It's Not That Easy" by Reuben Bell & The Casanovas, "Since You've Been Gone" by The Falcons, "Can't Stay Away (parts 1 & 2)" by Slim & Ann, "Don't Ever Leave Me" by Bob & Earl, "Go Now" by Bessie Banks, "I Keep Forgetting You Don't Love Me No More" by The Thornton Sisters, "Don't Mistreat Me" by The Queenettes, "Let Me Down Easy" by Betta LaVette, "Life Is Too Short" by Benny Spellman, "Lament" by Mamie Perry, "I'm Missing You" by Loretta Williams, and "Everybody Knows" by OV Wright. LP, Vinyl record album