Booker Definitive

One of the great blues albums of the early '80s, Classified captures the legendary New Orleans pianist James Booker not long before his premature death at the age of 43 on November 8, 1983. Recorded in a series of sometimes problematic sessions in 1982 – producer Scott Billington details them in his terrific liner notes on the 2013 reissue of the record, which is remixed and expanded – Classified appeared just a few months before Booker's death, so it's hard not to read it as something of a final statement.

If you're male, aged 30-50, have kids and are fond of your Playstation / stereo / football / shed / 'man-time', chances are you re a fan of Dad Rock. We know that making such sweeping generalisations is really out of order, but there's no smoke without fire and let's face it, you love a lot of the songs on this album. So, a quick vox pop of the kind of thing you're going to hear: Ocean Colour Scene Check. The Jam Check. The Quo Check. The La's Check. Super Furry Animals Yes, sir. We could go on… Greatest Ever Dad Rock brings together 3CDs of tracks designed to bring out the Dad in you. And possibly your wife and kids too. So get down to the shed (sorry, 'office') and crank up the volume: this album is for all you Dads out there. You rock.

Various Artists - The Complete Stax & Volt Singles 1959-1968 (1991) {9CD Set Reissued 2016 Digitally Remastered}
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©1959-68, 1991, 2016 Atlantic / ATCO / Rhino / Warner | 081227954666
R&B / Blues / Soul / Doo Wop / Early Pop / Funk / Soul-Blues / Early R&B

9CD reconfiguration of original Atlantic box set, featuring every A-side the label released during those nine years, as well as several B-sides. The set is a definitive portrait of gritty, deep Southern soul. For any serious soul or rock collector, it's an essential set, since Stax-Volt was not only a musically revolutionary label, its roster was deep with talent, which means much of the music on this collection is first-rate. 11 of these singles charted on Billboard.

Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, is releasing a pair of new Willie Nelson titles to celebrate the artist’s 90th birthday year and his abiding contributions to American popular music and culture. Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90 Live At The Hollywood Bowl, produced by Blackbird Presents, will be released December 15 as a 2CD+Blu-Ray deluxe edition, a complete digital edition and as a 2xLP highlights.

Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um (1959) {Japan Mastersound SRCS 9201}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 314 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 108 Mb
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© 1959, 1997 Columbia / Sony Music Japan | Mastersound | SRCS 9201 | Mini LP
Jazz / Hard Bop / Bop / Bass

Charles Mingus' debut for Columbia, Mingus Ah Um is a stunning summation of the bassist's talents and probably the best reference point for beginners. While there's also a strong case for The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady as his best work overall, it lacks Ah Um's immediate accessibility and brilliantly sculpted individual tunes. Mingus' compositions and arrangements were always extremely focused, assimilating individual spontaneity into a firm consistency of mood, and that approach reaches an ultra-tight zenith on Mingus Ah Um.

Junior Cook - Senior Cookin' (1979-81) {32 Jazz 32095 rel 1998}
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© 1979-81, 1998 Muse / 32 Jazz | 32095
Jazz / Hard Bop / Post Bop / Saxophone

Except for one other recording, tenor saxophonist Junior Cook's two Muse albums were his only opportunities to lead his own record dates during the 1962-1987 period. 1979's Good Cookin' (played by a septet including trombonist Slide Hampton, trumpeter Bill Hardman, baritonist Mario Rivera, pianist Albert Dailey, bassist Walter Booker, and drummer Leroy Williams) and 1981's Somethin's Cookin' (a high-quality quartet showcase for Cook with pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Buster Williams, and drummer Billy Higgins) are reissued in full on this single CD, except for four alternate takes from the latter date that were included on Muse's original CD reissue.

A genre-spanning 2CD mix of hit singles, slow burners and lost gems from soul, funk, psych, garage and rock’n’roll. The 45s that defined 1965 and crystallised author Jon Savage’s memories of the year. 1965 was the year of Dylan, folk-rock and protest, and the year when the post-beat bohemian subculture took over from traditional showbiz as the principal youth culture. Suits and group uniforms were out: denim, suede and long hair in. It was also a vintage Motown year. In the first week of 1965, the Supremes were at #2 US and three other Motown records were in the Billboard Top 40. Two weeks later the Supremes reached #1, the first of six Motown achieved that year – and, in March, EMI UK launched the Tamla Motown label with hits by the Supremes and Martha & the Vandellas. Harder core soul artists such as Wilson Pickett and James Brown also had US pop hits and, thanks to the pirate radio stations and inspired promotion by Decca PR Tony Hall, Pickett narrowly missed the UK Top 10.