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ARTIST: Johnny Ace TITLE: Aces Wild: Greatest Hits 1952-56 GENRE: R&B CAT NO: ACRSLP1681  FORMAT: LP COMING SOON: £18.00
                   
Johnny Ace lived the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle some years before the true birth of rock ’n’ roll. By all accounts, it was to be the death of him, too. Perhaps surprisingly for the son of a preacher man, he was a notorious philanderer, with a fascination for guns, prone to violent, drunken outbursts. He was an absentee husband and father, dishonourably discharged from the United States Navy, and banned from his parents home for playing the blues - a real prototype of a rock ’n’ roll bad boy. Yet it cannot be denied the man born John Alexander was destined for musical greatness. He was a gifted pianist, songwriter, and soulful R &B singer who enjoyed two short years in the limelight, scoring several No. 1 hits, and recording and performing with some of the most esteemed R&B artists of the time. That it would all come to a bloody end on Christmas Day 1954, at the dawning of the rock ’n’ roll era, just adds to his mystique and the legend of Johnny Ace. This 16 track LP comprises the best of his releases under his own name on the Flair and Duke labels. It features all his eight Top 10 R&B hits, including the No.1s “My Song”, “The Clock” and “Pledging My Love” and the Top 3 hits “Cross My Heart” and “Saving My Love For You”, along with Johnny Moore & The Three Blazers’. It provides a fascinating insight into his solo output and showcases his talents as an accompanying pianist.

ARTIST: Johnny Maestro & The Crests TITLE: Little Miracles: The Sweetest Singles 1957-61 GENRE: Doo Wop CAT NO: ACRSLP1682 FORMAT: LP COMING SOON: £18.00

Aficionados of Doo-wop will have long been acquainted with the heavenly harmonies of Johnny Maestro and The Crests, and yet this sublime group has often been overlooked in retrospectives of the genre. Ground-breaking from the very start, this was the first racially mixed group to hit the big time. Their hits included up-tempo pop songs, to dreamily rendered love ballads, and they enjoyed significant success in the late 1950s and early 1960s. However, theirs is a story of a band ahead of its time, in a country that was much divided in terms of race and ethnicity, and it was this that ultimately led to its demise. This stunning collection showcases the talents of Johnny Maestro and The Crests; classic songs, effortless harmonies, possessing a rare timeless quality that still sound fresh today. It includes all of their biggest hits during this period including “Sweetest One”, “Sixteen Candles”, “The Angels Listened In”, “Trouble In Paradise”, “I’ll Remember (In The Still Of The Night)” and “Little Miracles”. It is a true celebration of doo wop joy

ARTIST: Kitty Wells  TITLE: Honky Tonk Angel: A Decade Of Hits 1952-62 GENRE: Country CAT NO: ACRSLP1683 FORMAT: LP COMING SOON: £18.00

Kitty Wells made for an unlikely trailblazing feminist icon, with her gingham dresses and plain, uncomplicated voice. Yet this quiet, unassuming housewife and mother with a passion for country music and one of the longest and most lovingly stable marriages in the business, championed the downtrodden woman through her music, inciting controversy along the way. She proved the male-centred country music establishment wrong by headlining her own shows, and selling millions of records in a career spanning over fifty years. Wells opened the door for female country artists like Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Patsy Kline, and Reba McEntire. Parton said of Wells, “Kitty Wells was the first and only Queen of country music, no matter what they call the rest of us”. Lynn stated, “If I had never heard of Kitty Wells, I don’t think I would have been a singer myself”. For McEntire, Wells was quite simply her “hero”. This collection showcases Kitty Well’s finest decade from 1952-62 featuring her biggest hits including “It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels”, “Release Me”, “Making Believe”, “Repenting”, “I Can’t Stop Loving You”, “Heartbreak USA” and “Unloved, Unwanted”. It is a true celebration of Honky Tonk at its best. 

ARTIST: Dinah Shore TITLE: Doin' What Comes Natur'lly: Greatest Singles 1944-52 GENRE: Easy Listening CAT NO: ACRSLP1684 FORMAT: LP COMING SOON: £18.00

Dinah Shore was one of the USA’s most popular and successful entertainers, her peak recording career spanning the war years and the immediate post-war decades, when she also became a high-profile TV host with her own weekly Chevrolet-sponsored show, which more or less defined the USA in the 1950s. She was one of the very first female singers to come to prominence purely as a solo artist, rather than as a big band singer, and was such a prolific chart performer that, having had her first hit in 1939, she had racked up more than 50 hits by the end of the ‘40s, including memorable No.1s like “I’ll Walk Alone”, “Anniversary Song”, “The Gypsy” and “Buttons And Bows”. She continued scoring hits through what was often called the “Golden age of popular music” in the early ‘50s, scoring her final chart entry in 1960, by which time the rock ‘n’ roll and teen revolution had largely superseded artists of her generation. This fantastic 15 track LP provides a great introduction to Shore’s prolific success by featuring the recordings which brought her greatest popularity. On top of her huge hits already mentioned, it also includes “Candy”, “Dear Hearts & Gentle People”, “Baby It’s Cold Outside” and “Sweet Violets”, all showcasing her distinctive style and talent and provides an entertaining and nostalgic celebration of an artist who was such a glamorous icon of her era.

ARTIST: Roy Orbison TITLE: Go! Go! Go! Best Of 1956-62 GENRE: Rock 'n' Roll CAT NO: ACRSLP1685 FORMAT: LP COMING SOON: £18.00
                    
"The Caruso of Rock", "The Big O", epithets given to one of the greatest singer-songwriters the world has ever known. Winner of five Grammy Awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and pride of place in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Roy Orbison quite literally changed the face and sound of popular music. In a career spanning three decades, Orbison was at one point more popular than The Beatles. He revolutionised song structure, and popularised rock in the bolero style, forever changing the genre. Lifelong Orbison fan, Bruce Springsteen said of his hero, "he had the ability like all great rock 'n' rollers to sound like he dropped in from another planet and yet get the stuff that was right to the heart of what you were livin' in today, and that was how he opened your vision." He was an unlikely pop star with his dark glasses, black outfits and dyed black hair, but somehow it all came together with that powerful, yearning, falsetto voice. Orbison's style and delivery smacked of vulnerability, his dark ballads betraying the fragility of the male ego. He was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1987, and the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame the same year. In 1989 he entered the Musicians Hall Of Fame and Museum, and received a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998. Elvis Presley called him "the greatest singer in the world", and his influence was immense, with Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, and k.d. Lang all acknowledging the impact "The Big O" had on their music. These early recordings of the great man's work tell the story of a legend in the making.

ARTIST: Sonny Boy Williamson II TITLE: Do It If You Wanta: The Best Trumpet & Checker A-Sides 1951-62 GENRE: Blues CAT NO: ACRSLP1686 FORMAT: LP COMING SOON: £18.00
                                    
There are perhaps few characters in the history of popular music who were as mysterious, as they were brazen than Aleck Ford, AKA Sonny Boy Williamson II. The true story of Sonny Boy Williamson II remains shrouded in mystery and uncertainty, and it seems this was Ford’s intention, but to what ends, nobody can say. One thing is certain though - he was one of the all-time greats of the harmonica, a bone fide bluesman, talented and charismatic in equal measure. His influence cannot be overstated. The first incarnation of the band that would become the Rolling Stones was named after him: Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys; B.B King described him as “the King of the harmonica”; and maybe there would have been no Howlin’ Wolf, or Elmore James without Williamson’s mentorship and support. The British Blues explosion of the late 1960s certainly owed much to Williamson and his compatriots. This carefully curated collection of this colourful and charismatic performer’s work showcases just why he was one of the true legends of blues music. Interestingly, he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980, the same year as Sonny Boy Williamson I. It seems fitting that even in death and in honours they were inextricably linked. This collection hones in on his work that took the world by storm during his tenure with Trumpet and Checker in the 1950’s and early 60’s from his iconic “Eyesight For The Blind” through to “One Way Out”. It is a true celebration of one of the most mysterious characters in music.

ARTIST: Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers TITLE: Classic Albums 1960-62 GENRE: Jazz CAT NO: ACTRCD9165  FORMAT: 3CD BUY HERE: £15.00
              
Art Blakey was a jazz drummer and bandleader who made his name in big bands in the early ‘40s before espousing bebop with Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and Charlie Parker later in the decade. In the mid-1950s he formed The Jazz Messengers, a group which he led for over 30 years, with evolving line-ups that made it a vibrant incubator for emerging talent, and featured some of the current and future great names of the era. This 3-CD collection comprises the complete contents of five albums which were derived from five studio sessions and two ‘live’ performances from Birdland during 1960 and ’61, and released over a two year period. Those albums are “Night In Tunisia”, the ‘live’ albums “Meet You At The Jazz Corner Of The World Vols. 1 & 2”, and “Mosaic” on Blue Note, and the Impulse album “Jazz Messengers!!!”. Musicians featured in the different line-ups are Art Blakey on drums, Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Wayne Shorter on tenor sax, Bobby Timmons and Cedar Walton on piano and Jymie Merritt on bass. Featuring standards and originals and some notable extended performances, this is a thoroughly entertaining feast of top class modern jazz played by one of the finest and most renowned groups in the annals of the genre.

ARTIST: Johnny Cash TITLE: The Complete Columbia Albums 1958-62 GENRE: Country CAT NO: ACTRCD9166 FORMAT: 3CD BUY HERE: £15.00
    
Johnny Cash broke the mould of country and rockabilly music in the mid-1950s, readily transcending the genres to have over 40 pop and country hits between his 1955 debut and 1962, including five country No. 1s. However, after he moved from Sun to Columbia in 1958, he released albums on a regular basis and became a major album seller. This 89-track 3-CD collection comprises all the tracks from eight of his original vinyl LPs on Columbia from these years. It features “The Fabulous Johnny Cash”, “Hymns”, “Songs Of Our Soil”, “Now, There Was A Song”, “Ride This Train”, “Hymns From The Heart”, “The Sound Of Johnny Cash” and “Blood Sweat & Tears”. The music ranges from mainstream pop/country, featuring many of Johnny’s original songs, to country songs with a religious message, and material that harks back to pioneer roots, some with spoken narratives. It’s a varied and enjoyable showcase for one of the true originals of the era, and captures the many facets of his talent and outlook in a substantial overview of this key period in his career.

ARTIST: Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys  TITLE: The Father Of Bluegrass - The Singles Collection 1940-60 GENRE: Country CAT NO: ACTRCD9167 FORMAT: 3CD BUY HERE: £15.00
                        
Bill Monroe was a mandolin player, singer, songwriter and bandleader who, with his band The Bluegrass Boys, basing their name on the characteristic blue grass of the Kentucky landscape. In so doing, he effectively gave his name to an entire sub-genre of music - Bluegrass – which did not really exist under that name before he made his unique mark on the country scene in the 1940s. With its roots in Celtic music and old-time fiddle music for dancing, it also borrowed from blues and jazz, and was characterised by impressive high-speed virtuoso musicianship, with his band during this era providing a career platform for Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. This 80-track 3-CD collection comprises selected A & B sides from his releases on Bluebird, Columbia and Decca from this era, and includes at least one side of just about all his releases. It features all his career hits in the US country chart, including the No. 3 “Kentucky Waltz”, the No. 5 “Footprints In The Snow”, and the Top 15 hits “Little Community Church”, “Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong”, “Wicked Path Of Sin”, “Toy Heart”, “When You Are Lonely”, Poison Love” and “Gotta Travel On”. As an original pioneer of the genre, his music is essential listening for every fan of bluegrass, and this substantial overview of the first two decades of his band’s career offers an enlightening and enjoyable insight into the roots of bluegrass.

ARTIST: Frances Langford TITLE: The G.I. Nightingale - The Singles Collection 1933-47  GENRE: Pop, Easy Listening, Nostalgia CAT NO: ADDCD3548 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Frances Langford was a singer and movie actress, who was popular during the golden age of radio, and enjoyed a successful career during the 1930s and ‘40s, becoming a favourite with US troops as he toured the military bases with Bob Hope during and after WWII, and acquiring the nickname “The G.I. Sweetheart”. She trained as an opera singer, but turned to pop when her voice changed after a tonsillectomy, and made her movie and radio debut in the early 1930s, leading to a recording contract. This 48-track 2-CD collection comprises selected A and B sides of her releases on the Columbia, Melotone, Brunswick, Decca and ARA labels from these years. It features all her career hits, including the No. 6 “Harbour Lights”, plus “I’m In The Mood For Love”, “I Feel A Song Comimg On”, “Easy To Love”, “Was It Rain”, “So Many Memories” and “Falling In Love With Love”. It features duets with Bing Crosby and Rudy Vallee, and performances accompanied by the orchestras of Jimmy Dorsey, Victor Young, Harry Sosnik, Phil Ohman and Earle Hagen. She was a singer very much of her era, her repertoire drawn from Broadway and Hollywood, including movies in which she appeared, as well as the hot material coming from Tin Pan Alley, and this is an enjoyable showcase for her talents as an entertainer.

ARTIST: Ozzie Nelson & His Orchestra TITLE: All The Hits And More 1930-41 GENRE: Pop, Jazz, Nostalgia CAT NO: ADDCD3549 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00
        
A saxophonist and singer from New Jersey, Ozzie Nelson formed his band after graduating from Rutgers University in 1930, and gained visibility by manipulating a popularity poll in the New York Daily Mirror, beating beat Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra to top the poll, leading to a contract with Brunswick Records. Over the next decade he had nearly 40 US hits, many featuring him on vocals, with his future wife Harriet Hilliard on others. In the 1940s, he and Harriet originated and starred in a long-running radio and TV family sitcom “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet”, which eventually also starred their children, providing a Tv debut for future teen star Ricky Nelson. This 49 track 2-CD collection comprises all his 38 career hits plus selected A and B sides of his releases on the Brunswick and Bluebird labels from this era. It features his No. 1 “And Then Some”, the No. 2 “White Sails Beneath A Yellow Moon”, and the Top 5 hits “About A Quarter To Nine”, “Is It True What They Say About Dixie?”, “Roses In December”, “You Can’t Stop Me From Dreaming”, “Says My Heart”, “At Long Last Love” and “Little Skipper”, with vocal performances by Ozzie himself, along with Harriet Hilliard and Rose Ann Stevens. It’s an entertaining selection of his most popular material, including some of the Great American Songbook classics that originated during that era.

ARTIST: The Drinkard Singers feat. Cissy Houston TITLE: The Albums Collection And More 1956-62 GENRE: Gospel CAT NO: ADDCD3550 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00
    
The Drinkard Singers were a pioneering gospel group from Newark, New Jersey, sometimes seen as Newark’s answer to The Ward Singers and The Gospel Harmonettes, and it was famous as the launchpad for the careers of the great soul singers Cissy Houston (then known as Emily Garland) and Judy Clay (originally Judy Guions). They were also famous for being the first gospel group to perform at Carnegie Hall and the first to appear at the Newport Folk Festival. They began as a family group during the late 1940s comprising the children of Nicholas and Delia Mae Drinkard – the name Drinkard was mostly of Native American origin. They developed a more rocking, up-front style as traditional jubilee quartets went out of fashion, and opened for Clara Ward and Mahalia Jackson at Carnegie Hall in 1951. This 44-track 2- CD collection comprises their first 1954 singles for Savoy and three more Savoy/Regent tracks that were included on a later albums “A Gospel Program” and “Newport Spiritual Stars”, and then all the titles from their RCA album “A Joyful Noise”, and their albums on the Choice label in the early ‘60s “Yield Not to Temptation” and “Joy Unspeakable”. In the middle of that are ‘live’ recordings from their 1958 appearance at Newport, which came out of the Verve album “Gospel Singing At Newport”. We round off with a stunning performance from a 1963 TV show. It’s a great showcase for their uplifting, extrovert and inspiring style that is as close to soul as it is gospel.


 

NEW RELEASES March 2025 - Available Now

ARTIST: Chuck Berry TITLE: Let It Rock: Greatest Hits 1955-60 GENRE: Rock 'n' Roll CAT NO: ACRSLP1674  FORMAT: LP COMING SOON: £18.00

Pioneering rock ’n’ roller, Chuck Berry is one of the most important figures in popular music. His sound captured the imaginations of 1950s teenagers across the world like no other. Revered by artists like The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Brian Wilson, and Joe Cocker, without Berry all would have sounded very different. Widely acknowledged as the “Father of Rock ’n’ Roll, Berry was one of the very first musicians to be inducted into the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame when it launched in 1986.Speaking of launches, his music was considered so pivotal in the understanding of contemporary popular culture, that it is featured on the Golden Record, carried by space probe, Voyager 1 - still transmitting from the farthest reaches of the known universe. This collection features a veritable banquet of Berry’s greatest hits, showcasing the lyrical and musical talent that has made him such an iconic artist.

ARTIST: Tex Ritter TITLE: Don't Slam The Door: The Singles Collection  GENRE: Country CAT NO: ACRSLP1676 FORMAT: LP COMING SOON: £18.00

Tex Ritter was one of the first “singing cowboys”, a singer and actor who started out singing on radio in Texas in the 1920s, soon moving to New York to appear on radio and on Broadway. He made his first records in 1933, going on to have a recording career that lasted four decades, and after his screen debut in 1936 in western movies, made more than 70 films through to the mid-1970s.He is best known on record for his pop hits with “High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me)”, the theme song of the landmark 1952 movie “High Noon”, “I’m Wastin’ My Tears On You” and “I Dreamed Of A Hillbilly Heaven” in 1962.This superb 16 track LP selects recordings from his first big hit in 1944 for the newly established Capitol Records through selected singles from the 1940s and ‘50s, the heyday of his career, to the early ‘60s.Encompassing children’s songs, faith-based material, and some of his trademark recitations as well as the more familiar fare of cowboy songs, it’s a substantial and varied showcase for his talent and his highly distinctive style.

ARTIST: Chick Webb  TITLE: Swing It!: Your Hit Parade Collection 1934-39 GENRE: Jazz CAT NO: ACRSLP1677 FORMAT: LP COMING SOON: £18.00

King of Swing, one of the true “immortals of jazz”, Chick Webb needs little introduction. In his short life, he and his orchestra blazed a trail through the legendary Harlem jazz scene, scoring hit after hit. His talent as a drummer was legendary, so much so that Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich idolised Webb. As a bandleader, he introduced the world to one of the greatest singers of all time, Ella Fitzgerald; as a showman, he and his orchestra played to audiences of thousands. His many victories in the famous Battle of the Bands in the 1930s at the Savoy Ballroom are central to the whole jazz mythology. His struggles to overcome both racism and disability have inspired generations of artists, and neither prevented him from becoming a jazz superstar.This finely curated collection of Webb’s work showcases some of the many highlights from his short career as a named bandleader serving as a permanent reminder of the great man’s talents.

ARTIST: Elmore James TITLE: Shake Your Moneymaker: Best Of 1951-62 GENRE: Blues CAT NO: ACRSLP1678 FORMAT: LP COMING SOON: £18.00

“King of the Slide Guitar”, and Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Elmore James brought something different with him from the Delta: Power. Known for his strident vocals, and his loud, attacking guitar skills, James has had a tremendous influence on rock, R&B, and blues music.Aiming for a sound “louder than God”, James thrilled audiences on both sides of the Atlantic throughout the 1950s until his untimely death in 1963.His unique sound and virtuosic playing  influenced and inspired a veritable who’s who of guitarist through the proceeding years, most notably Jimi Hendrix, Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer from Fleetwood Mac, and the Rolling Stones. This fine collection presents the very best of Elmore James’ music, in all its power and glory.

ARTIST: Sister Rosetta Tharpe TITLE: Shout, Sister, Shout: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Originator 1938-56 GENRE: R&B CAT NO: ACRSLP1679 FORMAT: LP COMING SOON: £18.00

The Godmother of Rock ’n’ Roll, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a rocker before they even existed. Pioneer of the electric guitar, in her view, playing it better than any man could, she blended gospel, blues, and R&B in new ways.The first gospel superstar, and the first crossover artist to rock up gospel music, her influence on future generations of musicians, would shape popular music. Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Eric Clapton, and Johnny Cash have all acknowledged the debt they owe to this highly unique performer.She was in a relationship with singer Marie Knight in the 1940s, an open secret in the music business, and has in later years become an icon among the global LGTBQ+ community. Her 1964 performance at a disused railway station in the north of England recorded by Granada Television was seen by future rockers, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Mick Jagger, and Jeff Beck, all of whom have acknowledged that the broadcast proved pivotal in the formation of their own bands. This carefully curated collection brings together Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s hits for the discerning listener keen to discover the true roots of rock ’n’ roll music.

ARTIST: Harry Belafonte TITLE: Me Say Day: The Singles Collection 1952-59 GENRE: Easy Listening CAT NO: ACRSLP1680 FORMAT: LP COMING SOON: £18.00

Harry Belafonte single-handedly introduced the world to calypso music, with an album so revered that it is lodged in the Registry of the National Library of Congress as a significant cultural work. A versatile singer with a unique, smooth, velvet-like voice, he mastered almost all musical genres. A talented actor on both stage and screen, Belafonte preferred to work on productions that held a strong social message. A self-proclaimed civil rights activist he was able to his huge influence in the music industry to originate the idea for, and was a key organiser of, the 1985 charity single, “We Are The World”, featuring several megastar performers, including Michael Jackson, Paul Simon, Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, and Bob Dylan. This fantastic collection showcases the music of a star who was described by Barak Obama as “a barrier-breaking legend”. Get prepared to be possessed by the powers of calypso.
 

ARTIST: Big Maceo Merriweather TITLE: Things Have Changed - Collected Recordings 1941-50 GENRE: Blues CAT NO: ADDCD3547  FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Big Maceo Merriweather was a blues pianist, singer and songwriter, born in Georgia in 1905, who moved to Detroit in the 1920s, to start playing professionally, and then to Chicago in 1941, where he met the influential singer and guitarist Tampa Red, who introduced him to Lester Melrose at RCA-Victor – he became a regular collaborator of Tampa Red. Over the next decade or so he recorded around ten sessions at which he recorded under his own name rather than as an accompanist. This 44-track 2-CD collection comprises recordings which were released under his own name on the Bluebird, RCA-Victor, Columbia, Specialty and Fortune labels from this era, plus some unreleased material. It includes his 1945 No. 4 R&B hit “Things Have Changed”. It also includes one recording with Tampa Red on which he shares the vocals with him. He plays with a number of noted blues musicians from the era on these sessions, including guitarists Tampa Red and John Brim, bassists Ransom Knowling, Alfred Elkins and Ernest Crawford, and drummers Clifford Jones, Tyrell Dixon, Melvin Draper, Charles Sanders and Alonzo Tucker. His style influenced many post-war blues pianists, and songs like “Worried Life Blues” have become staples of the blues repertoire. It’s a substantial overview of his career recordings and a thorough showcase for his distinctive style of blues.

ARTIST: The Brothers Four TITLE: Greenfields - The Singles & Albums Collection 1959-62 GENRE: Folk, Pop CAT NO: ADDCD3546 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

The Brothers Four were a folk group formed at the University of Washington in Seattle in 1957, and were part of the folk boom of the late ‘50s alongside the likes of The Kingston Trio. They played at clubs up and down the west coast after graduating and after meeting Dave Brubeck’s manager in San Francisco in 1959 got a recording deal with Columbia. They had a big hit with their second single “Greenfields” and had more hits through into the 1960s, as well as becoming prolific album sellers. This 56-track 2-CD collection comprises all their A & B sides on Columbia from this era, plus 31 selected titles from their five LPs from these years not otherwise released on singles. It includes tracks from their albums “Rally Round”, “The Brothers Four”, “Song Book”, “Best Music On/Off Campus” and “Roamin’”. It features the No. 2 hit “Greenfields” plus their other chart entries from these years “Green Leaves Of Summer” (from the movie “The Alamo”), “My Tani”, “Frogg” and “Blue Water Line”. This is folk music that was very much evocative of its era, and this collection is a substantial showcase for their particular brand of close-harmony folk.

ARTIST: Mantovani & His Orchestra  TITLE: All The Hits And More - Orchestral Classics 1936-62 GENRE: Easy Listening, Pop CAT NO: ADDCD3545 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Born in Venice, Italy, in 1905 into a musical family, he moved to the UK in 1912, and after studying at Trinity College formed his own orchestra, and during the 1930s became one of the most popular British dance bands. He started recording for Columbia and Decca in the UK, and had his first hit in 1936. Developing a sound and technique he called “Cascading Strings” he continued having hits on both sides of the Atlantic right through to the ‘60s, as well as being in the vanguard of the stereo album boom of the 1960s and ‘70s. This 45-track 2-CD collection comprises all his hits from this era on Columbia, Decca and London, along with selected classic orchestral recordings from his singles and EPs from these years. It features his UK No. 1 and US No. 8 with “The Theme From Moulin Rouge”, and his UK and US Top 10 hits with “Red Sails In The Sunset”, “Serenade In The Night”, “Charmaine”, “White Christmas” and Swedish Rhapsody”, and the Top 20 hit “Around The World”, plus hits with British singer David Whitfield, including the UK No.1 “Cara Mia”. It also includes famous orchestral pieces like “Warsaw Concerto”, “Cornish Rhapsody”, “Legend of A Glass Mountain”, “Dream of Olwen”, Intermezzo”, “Tales From The Vienna Woods” and others. For lovers of this style of lush melodic orchestral music it makes for a thoroughly entertaining programme.

ARTIST: Johnny Preston TITLE: Complete Releases - Singles & Albums 1959-62 GENRE: Pop, Rock 'n' Roll CAT NO: ADDCD3544 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Born John Courville in Texas in 1939, he was of Cajun ancestry, and started singing at an early age, forming a rock ‘n’ roll band in his teens called The Shades, who were seen by local DJ J.P. Richardson, better known as The Big Bopper. Richardson offered Johnny the chance to record a teenage tragedy song he had written called “Running Bear” – the ‘Indian’ sounds on the record were performed by Richardson and country singer George Jones. The record went to No. 1 on both sides of the Atlantic after Richardson was killed in the same plane crash as Buddy Holly. Preston had another top 10 hit and a few more hits through to 1961 as well as recording two albums. This 40-track 2-CD set comprises all his A & B sides on Mercury, and all the tracks from his albums from these years “Running Bear” and “Come Rock With Me” not otherwise released on singles. It features his US and UK No. 1 “Running Bear” and his Top 20 hits “Cradle Of Love” and “Feel So Fine” plus his other career hits “I’m Starting to Go Steady”, “Charming Billy”, “Leave My Kitten Alone” and “Free Me”. It’s as substantial an overview as can be achieved from this key era of his career, and a worthy showcase of his particular brand of pop/rock.

ARTIST: Ella Fitzgerald TITLE: All The Hits And More 1936-62 GENRE: Jazz, Pop, Easy Listening CAT NO: ACTRCD9164 FORMAT: 3CD BUY HERE: £15.00

Ella Fitzgerald was one of the great singers of the 20th century, a song stylist who could range readily across worlds of jazz, swing, big band, R&B and sophisticated pop, and who set the standards for many artists who followed, as she became a major album seller in the later decades of her career. However, she also had a significant number of hits in the pop and R&B market, and in the quarter century from 1936 through to the early 1960s she had over 60 entries in the various US and UK charts, included duets with other artists. This 73-track 3-CD collection comprises all her hits from this era, including her No. 1s with “A-Tisket, A Tasket”, “I’m Making Believe”, and “Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall”, plus selected other titles from her releases on the Decca and Verve labels during this time.It features hits with Chick Webb & His Orchestra, the Benny Goodman Orchestra and her own Savoy Eight and Famous Orchestra, and includes her duet hits with the Mills Brothers, Ink Spots, Louis Armstrong, Louis Jordan and Delta Rhythm Boys. It also includes recordings with Duke Ellington, Leroy Kirkland, Gordon Jenkins and other top bands of the day. It showcases her peerless talents as she performs hits across the pop spectrum, reflecting the changing tastes of the era, and it makes for hugely entertaining listening.

ARTIST: Lionel Hampton With Oscar Peterson TITLE: Classic Sessions 1953-54 GENRE: Jazz CAT NO: ACFCD7523 FORMAT: 5CD BUY HERE: £19.00

For a couple of years in the early to mid 1950s the great jazz pianist Oscar Peterson joined forces with long-established vibes player and bandleader Lionel Hampton as a member of his quartet and quintet, and they recorded a series of sessions for Norman Granz’s Clef and Verve labels, which resulted in a string of album releases during the early years of the vinyl long-playing album era. This 48-track 5-CD collection comprises just about all the titles they recorded at those sessions, including both versions of most of the tunes of which they recorded performances of different lengths – there are a number of significantly extended pieces. The core group at the sessions comprised Hampton and Peterson, plus Ray Brown on bass and Buddy Rich on drums, with clarinettist Buddy De Franco and guitarist Herb Ellis added at different sessions to make up a quintet, so it’s a stellar line-up. The titles were released on a variety of 10” and 12” LPs, which were “The Lionel Hampton Quartet Vols. 1 & 2”, “The Lionel Hampton Quintet Vols. 1 & 2”, “Lionel Hampton Plays Love Songs”, “Flying Home”, “Hamp’s Big Four”, “Hallelujah Hamp” and The High And The Mighty”. It’s a feast of top-class small group modern jazz, and is great entertainment from some of the big names in the genre.
 

NEW RELEASES February 2025 - Available Now

ARTIST: Dinah Washington  TITLE: Hits & Classics - The Singles Collection 1944-62 GENRE: Jazz CAT NO: ACQCD7190  FORMAT: 4CD BUY HERE: £18.00

Dinah Washington was one of the most popular and successful female singers of the post-war decades, her immaculate vocal style and phrasing enabling her to encompass blues, R&B, jazz, big band and sophisticated pop with ease, and had her life not been cut short in 1963 at the age of 39, she would undoubtedly have had a lengthy career as an album artist. As it was, she was consistently successful with her single releases, racking up 60 hits across the US pop and R&B charts. This 108-track 4-CD collection comprises selected A & B sides of her releases on the Keynote, Decca, Apollo and Mercury labels from this era, with at least one side of most of her records included. It features 58 of her hits, including the R&B No. 1s “Am I Asking Too Much”, “Baby Get Lost” and “This Bitter Earth”, and numerous Top 5 hits including “What A Difference A Day Makes”, “It’s Too Soon To Know”, “September In The Rain”, “Teach Me Tonight” and the Top 5 duet hits with Brook Benton “Baby (You've Got What It Takes)” and “A Rockin' Good Way”. It features performances with some of the top orchestras of the day, including the sextets of Lionel Hampton and Leonard Feather, and with Lucky Thompson’s All Stars, plus the orchestras of Quincy Jones, Hal Mooney, Belford Hendricks, Ike Carpenter and more. It’s a substantial and varied showcase for one of the great singers of our era.

ARTIST: Clifford Brown & Max Roach TITLE: Legendary Albums 1954-56 GENRE: Jazz CAT NO: ADDCD3540 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Clifford Brown was a jazz trumpeter who built a formidable reputation in his short career before his tragic death in a car crash at the age of 25 in 1956. During the last two years of his life he collaborated regularly with drummer Max Roach, a bebop pioneer seven years his senior, who had played with many legendary names. They recorded a significant number of sessions for Mercury’s Emarcy label, which resulted in several album releases, and we have selected four of the most highly-regarded and significant of those from which to feature recordings. This 27-track 2-CD collection features the Clifford Brown-Max Roach Quintet and comprises all but one of the titles from the originally-released versions of the albums “Clifford Brown & Max Roach” (original 10” version), “Brown And Roach Incorporated”, “Study In Brown” and “At Basin Street”. The first three albums feature Harold Land (tenor sax), Richie Powell (piano) and George Morrow (bass) with Brown & Roach, and on “At Basin Street” Sonny Rollins replaces Harold Land. The two stars achieved a close and productive musical rapport, and these recordings, ranging across jazz standards and original compositions, are an excellent testimony to their distinctive talents and make for thoroughly entertaining listening.

ARTIST: Abe Lyman & His California Orchestra  TITLE: All The Hits & More 1923-46 GENRE: Easy Listening CAT NO: ADDCD3541 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Abe Lyman was a drummer and bandleader, born in Chicago in 1897, who moved to California in 1919, and after playing with Gus Arnheim’s band started his own orchestra and became a favourite with Hollywood stars, opening at the Cocoanut Grove in the Ambassador Hotel in 1922 from where he broadcast on radio, cementing his popularity. This 48-track 2-CD collection comprises selected A and B sides of his releases across this era on the Brunswick, Decca, Bluebird, Hit and Columbia labels. He recorded prolifically, and this collection necessarily cherry-picks from across his substantial output. It includes all his 29 career hits and features his contemporary versions of classic compositions from those years like “Breezin’ Along With The Breeze”“Besame Mucho”, “Rum And Coca-Cola”, “Among My Souvenirs”, “Ain’t Misbehavin”, “Charmaine”, and  “Auf Wiedersehen, My Dear”. His music was mainly mainstream dance band music typical of the ‘20s and ‘30s, which means some of it was “hot”, and includes well-known jazz pieces like “Twelfth Street Rag” and “Milenberg Joys”. It includes performances by featured vocalists Charles Kaley, Phil Neely, Dick Robertson, Frank Sylvano, Sonny Schuyler, Ed Holly, Irving Kahal, Frank Parrish, Dale Evans and Rose Blane, with featured solos by Carmen Cavallaro and Sy Zentner. It’s a musical window onto fascinating times in music spanning the roaring ‘20s, the Depression era, WWII and beyond, and it makes for excellent entertainment.

ARTIST: Sleepy John Estes TITLE: The Victor, Decca & Bluebird Releases 1929-41 GENRE: Blues CAT NO: ADDCD3515 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

John Adam Estes, born in Tennessee in 1899, was a blues singer, guitarist and songwriter whose work influenced later artists from The Beatles and Bob Dylan to Led Zeppelin. Working as a field hand, he started performing at parties and picnics around the age of 19, often accompanied by harmonica player Hammie Nixon and guitarist, mandolin player James Rachell, who sometimes featured on his recordings. He recorded his first sessions for Victor in Memphis in 1929, followed by more Memphis sessions for Victor/Bluebird in 1930, then sessions for Decca in Chicago in 1935 and New York in 1937, 1938 and 1940, and back with Bluebird in Chicago in 1941. He then largely disappeared from the scene until being rediscovered in 1962, after which he performed and recorded during the folk/blues revival. This 50-track 2-CD collection comprises just about all his releases from those early sessions on which he performs as the lead vocalist, and includes most of the titles he recorded as a member of The Delta Boys towards the end of this era. It features performances with Hammie Nixon, Robert Lee McCoy, (harmonica), John Hardge, Jab Jones (piano), James Rachell (mandolin), Charlie Pickett (guitar), Ham Lewis (jug), Son Bonds (guitar, kazoo) and Raymond Thomas (bass). It naturally includes the songs for which he is best-known like “Milk Cow Blues”, “Some Day Baby Blues”, “Working Man Blues”, “Lawyer Clark Blues” and others. It’s an enlightening and substantial overview of the career and music of a notable and important bluesman.

ARTIST: The Trumpeteers TITLE: The Golden Decade - The Singles & Albums Collection 1948-59 GENRE: Gospel CAT NO: ADDCD3543 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

The Trumpeteers were a gospel group led by Joseph Johnson, who enjoyed their most significant and high-profile years in the post-war decades and are best-known for their stunning debut in 1948 with the million-selling No. 8 R&B hit “Milky White Way”. Formed in Baltimore, Maryland, in the immediate post-war years, they adopted the jubilee style of The Golden Gate Quartet, and soon got a regular spot on local radio, graduating to CBS Radio, which led to a contract with the Aladdin label. Their signing led to the launch of Aladdin’s gospel-focused subsidiary label Score. This 53-track 2-CD collection comprises selected A & B sides of their releases from their debut through to 1959 on the Score, Okeh, Nashboro, Grand and Gotham labels, including titles recorded with The Harmonising Four, and recordings as The CBS Trumpeteers. It naturally includes that million-seller “Milky White Way”, as well as a re-recording for Nashboro ten years later. This set represents as substantial an overview of the primary era of their career as we could achieve, and certainly offers a great showcase for their particular approach to gospel during what was something of a golden era for the genre.

ARTIST: Jimmy Jones TITLE: Good Timin' - The Singles Collection 1956-62 GENRE: R&B CAT NO: ACMCD4409 FORMAT: 1CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1930, Jimmy Jones moved to New York as a teenager and started  his careeras a tap dancer, and then added singing to his work, joining a doowop group in 1954. He got a deal with the Savoy label in 1956 and made records for them and the Rama label, followed a year or two later by one for Epic, without making any waves. In 1959 he teamed up with songwriter Otis Blackwell (writer of “all Shook Up” and “Great Balls Of Fire”) to rework a song he first wrote in 1955 “Handy Man”. He recorded it for MGM’s Cub label, finally finding the right vehicle for his remarkable and distinctive falsetto voice, and it was a Top 3 hit on both sides of the Atlantic. This 31-track CD comprises just about all his releases from his debut through to 1962, by which time he had had all his career hits. It features A and B sides on the Savoy, Rama, Epic and Cub labels from these years, plus the tracks from his 1960 MGM album “Good Timin’” which were not otherwise released on singles. It naturally includes his big hits “Handy Man” and the UK No. 1 and US No. 3 “Good Timin”, plus his other chart entries “That’s When I Cried”, “I Just Go For You”, “Ee-I-Ee-I-Oh!”, “Itchin’”, “Ready For Love” and “I Told You So”. It neatly encapsulates the core era of his career and is a great showcase for his highly individual vocal talents.

NEW RELEASES January 2025

ARTIST: Various Artists  TITLE: The 20th Anniversary Billboard Chart July 1960 GENRE: Easy Listening/Pop  CAT NO: ACQCD7187  FORMAT: 4CD  BUY HERE £19

As adjuncts to our highly popular “America’s Greatest Hits” series of collections for each calendar year in the 50s and early ‘60s, we have already produced collections based on landmark moments in the Billboard charts – “The First Top 100 Nov. 1955” (ACQCD7062), “The First Hot 100 Aug. 1958” (ACQCD7083), “The First Hot 100 of the '60s” (ACQCD7097), “The 'Heartbreak Hotel' Top 100” (ACQCD7122)and “The Day The Music Died - Feb 3rd 1959 Hot 100” (ACQCD7134), “The 'Telstar' Hot 100 December 22nd 1962” (ACQCD7144), “The Twist” Hot 100 Jan. 25th 1962”, “The 1000th Billboard Chart 7th September 1959”(ACQCD7164),  “The American Bandstand Us Top 100 5th Aug. 1957” and “The JFK Inauguration Hot 100 20th January 1961” (ACQCD781).  This collection homes in on another anniversary in the history of the Billboard chart, the 20th anniversary of the first chart, which was published in July 1940. This collection features just about every record from the Hot 100 of 18th July 1960, apart from a few titles which are unfortunately unavailable for copyright reasons.  It provides a fascinating and evocative snapshot of the music scene at what was a dynamic and exciting time as the rock ‘n’ roll and teen era gave way to emerging new sounds at the beginning of the 1960s, and features an entertaining range of styles and genres.  As always with these chart collections, it includes a number of unfamiliar names and recordings towards the bottom of the chart, of which even seasoned pop enthusiasts may not be too aware, and which will be welcome additions to their collections. It contains a 12,000+ word booklet featuring background notes on every record as well as full discographical and chart information.

ARTIST: Various Artists  TITLE: The Greatest Country Hits Of 1954  GENRE: Country  CAT NO: ACQCD71878  FORMAT: 4CD  BUY HERE £19

This release continues the series of 4-CD sets which comprises selected collections of the biggest US country hits of each year, and this expanded edition provides a fuller picture of 1954 than our existing 2-CD set devoted to that year (ADDCD3025) This 90-track collection covers the year of 1954, during which time Billboard published three charts devoted to Country & Western Records – Best Sellers In Stores, Most Played in Juke Boxes and Most Played by Disc Jockeys - and it comprises every record which peaked in the Top 15 of those charts during the year, apart from one we are unable to include. The pop landscape was still only feeling the first stirrings of rock ‘n’ roll, and on the country scene, the familiar names still dominated the scene, some of them having long-running No. 1s during the year, notably Hank Snow and Webb Pierce, with those two, along with Carl Smith, Kitty Wells, Eddy Arnold. Slim Whitman, Ray Price and Jim Reeves all having several big hits. Some of those were introducing new strands to the music with the development of the smoother “new Nashville” sound around this time, with vocal choruses instead of fiddles and steel guitars. Needless to say there are also one or two collectable obscurities. It’s a fascinating and entertaining musical snapshot of the country scene as the music industry entered a dynamic new musical era, and with an in-depth 12,000+ word booklet with background notes on every record as well as full discographical and chart information, it gives a solid overview of the most popular country music of the year.

ARTIST: Various Artists  TITLE: The R&B Hits Collection 1955  GENRE: R&B  CAT NO: ACQCD7189  FORMAT: 4CD  BUY HERE £19

This fills in another of the gaps on our strand of R&B and country collections associated with Acrobat’s highly popular “America’s Greatest Hits” series, this one focusing on the top R&B records in the US Billboard charts during 1955. This great value 104-track 4-CD anthology includes, with the exception of certain records which are unavailable for inclusion due to copyright restrictions, just about every record which peaked during the year in the published Top 10 “Best Selling Retail Rhythm & Blues Records” and “Most Played Juke Box Rhythm & Blues” charts. It was a fascinating time in R&B, with different strands of the genre creating the musical landscape from which rock ‘n’ roll was already emerging – Bill Haley’s “Rock Around The Clock”, Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti”and Chuck Berry’s “Maybelline” were hits during this year along with hits by the likes of Fats Domino, Big Joe Turner, Ray Charles, Bo Diddley and Ruth Brown that were rock ‘n’ roll in all but name. There are numerous doowop groups like The Platters, The Penguins, the and The Clovers, sophisticated vocalists like Dinah Washington and Roy Hamilton, the electric Chicago guitar blues of B.B. King, Muddy Waters, ,Jimmy Reed and Little Walter and even a pop interloper in Pat Boone, doing one of his covers of R&B hits. As with all these collections, it provides a window onto a dynamic and exciting musical environment, and includes a number of unfamiliar names and recordings of which even enthusiasts of the genre may not be too aware, and which will be welcome additions to their collections. It contains a 12,000+ word booklet featuring background notes on every record as well as full discographical and chart information.

ARTIST: Various Artists  TITLE: America's Greatest "Your Hit Parade" Hits 1937  GENRE: Jazz  CAT NO: ACTRCD9163  FORMAT: 3CD  BUY HERE £15

One of Acrobat’s most popular and successful series are the America’s Greatest Hits collections – 4-CD sets featuring the biggest hits from the Billboard charts from 1940, when the Billboard record sales chart was launched, through to 1962. However, before the Billboard chart was first published, the popular US weekly radio show Your Hit Parade, sponsored by Lucky Strike, began producing a chart in 1935, which was sometimes a Top 10, sometimes a Top 15, so we decided to take the America’s Greatest Hits format back into the Your Hit Parade era of the 1930s. This 74-track 3-CD collection comprises every record that featured in the Your Hit Parade chart during 1937, the first full year of the chart, apart from one of which we could not find a copy. There were many fewer records that made the chart in 1937 compared to 1936, so it all fits onto a 3-CD set. It was a very varied music landscape, with the big swing orchestras like Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman making their mark, though often with middle-of-the-road vocal performances rather than jazzy pieces, although there’s plenty of hot stuff here too. Along with them are the big dance bands who were popular on radio, including g Guy Lombardo, Shep Fields and Eddy Duchin, competing with each other as they recorded the future classics of the Great American Songbook that were coming out of Broadway, Hollywood and Tin Pan Alley, plus some of the top singers of the era, Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire among them. It’s an enjoyable and fascinating musical snapshot of the era, complete with a 12,000 word booklet with notes on each track, and full discographical and chart information.

NEW RELEASES December 2024 - Coming Soon!

ARTIST: Paul Whiteman  TITLE: Whispering - The Hits Collection Vol. 1 1920-27  GENRE: Easy Listening/Jazz  CAT NO: ACFCD7521  FORMAT: 5CD  BUY HERE £18

Paul Whiteman was a violinist who became one of the most successful bandleaders and orchestral directors in the history of popular music. Although his music was essentially middle-of-the-road dance band music in flavour, it had much of the roaring 20s atmosphere, and he was often referred to as “The King Of Jazz”, the phrase that was used as the title of a film about him. So successful was he that he had 220 hits attributed to him from 1920 through to 1954, more than any other artist, we believe. We have chosen to address that career with two 5-CD collections, of which this is the first (“Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - The Hits Collection Vol. 2 1928-54” Acrobat ACFCD7522 is the other one). This 113-track 5-CD set comprises all the titles listed as hits, all of them on the Victor label, from his 1920 debut through to the end of 1927. It includes no less than twenty-three No. 1s including the classic songs “Whispering”, “What’ll I Do”, “Birth of The Blues”, “My Blue Heaven”, “In A Little Spanish Town”, “Somebody Loves Me” and “Among My Souvenirs) The Japanese Sandman”. There are performances by a number of featured vocalists including Bing Crosby, Jack Fulton, Charles Gaylord, Austin Young, Lewis James and more, plus a piano solo by George Gershwin. It’s a substantial and comprehensive overview of the hits from his early career, and a great showcase for his highly successful style.

ARTIST: Paul Whiteman  TITLE: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - The Hits Collection Vol. 2 1928-54  GENRE: Easy Listening/Jazz  CAT NO: ACFCD7522  FORMAT: 5CD  BUY HERE £18

Paul Whiteman was a violinist who became one of the most successful bandleaders and orchestral directors in the history of popular music. Although his music was essentially middle-of-the-road dance band music in flavour, it had much of the roaring 20s atmosphere, and he was often referred to as “The King Of Jazz”, the phrase that was used as the title of a film about him, . So successful was he that he had 220 hits attributed to him from 1920 through to 1954, more than any other artist, we believe. We have chosen to address that career with two 5-CD collections, of which this is the second (“Whispering  - The Hits Collection Vol. 1 1920-27” Acrobat ACFCD7521 is the other one). This 106-track 5-CD set comprises all the titles listed as hits from 1928 debut through to 1954, with the releases variously appearing on Victor, Columbia, Decca, Capitol and Coral. It features ten No. 1s, including “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”, “Together”, “Ramona”, “Ol’ Man River”, “Body And Soul” and “All Of Me”. There are performances by a number of featured vocalists including Bing Crosby, Mildred Bailey, Paul Robeson, Austin Young, Vaughn De Leath, Jack Fulton, Norman Clark, Joan Edwards and others, with solos by Bix Beiderbecke, Jack Teagarden and Frankie Trumbauer. It’s a substantial and comprehensive overview of the hits from the second era of his career, and a great showcase for his highly successful style.

ARTIST: Larry Darnell  TITLE: For You My Love - The Singles Collection 1949-60  GENRE: R&B  CAT NO: ADDCD3537  FORMAT: 2CD  BUY HERE £12

Larry Darnell was a young R&B singer from Ohio, who nevertheless became an important and influential early pioneer in framing the distinctive New Orleans style of R&B during the early 1950s. He left home at 15 to join a travelling burlesque troupe, and ended up as a solo performer in New Orleans at the legendary Dew Drop Inn. Spotted and signed by Fred Mendelsohn of the New Jersey-based Regal label, he had R&B hits with his first two releases, with “For You My Love” going to No. 1. His powerful and passionate voice helped to inspire the trend towards that style as the decade progressed and was an early contributor to the development of rock ‘n’ roll. This 48-track 2-CD collection comprises most of the A & B sides of his singles on the Regal, Okeh, Savoy, DeLuxe, Map, Warwick, and Anna/Argo labels from this era. It features his R&B No. 1 “For You My Love”, and his Top 10 R&B hits “I’ll Get Along Somehow”, “Lost My Baby”, “I Love My Baby”, and “Oh Babe”, and includes performances with the bands of Paul Gayten, Leroy Kirkland and Howard Biggs. He was a distinctive and stylish performer, very much of his era, and this is an entertaining showcase for his talents.

ARTIST: Jerry Reed  TITLE: Birth Of A Legend - The Singles & Sessions Collection 1955-62  GENRE: Country  CAT NO: ADDCD3538  FORMAT: 2CD  BUY HERE £12

Jerry Reed was a country singer, guitarist and songwriter, whose also became a movie actor, appearing more then a dozen films. His primary era of fame and chart success was in the late ‘60s and then the ‘70s and ‘80s, but with his roots in country in his early career he established a significant reputation during the 1950s and early ‘60s, operating across the boundaries of country, rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll, and had his first pop chart entries. He was also a much-in-demand session guitarist on the records of his label-mates. This 58-track 2-CD collection comprises the A & B sides of singles under his own name on the Capitol, Columbia and NRC labels during these years, along with tracks on which he was a session guitarist, and often composer, by Ric Cartey, The Rockateers, Paul Peek, Johnny Sea, Sweetie Jones, Gini Hayes and country legend Porter Wagoner. It features his US pop chart entries “Soldiers Joy”, Love And War (Ain’t Much Difference In The Two)” and “Hully Gully Guitars”. He became a hugely influential and high-profile personality in later years and this early-years collection makes it clear how he acquired that reputation, as well as offering an enlightening insight into his talents across every aspect of the music, as composer, guitarist and singer.

ARTIST: The Five Blind Boys Of Alabama  TITLE: The Singles Collection 1948-62      GENRE: Blues  CAT NO: ADDCD3539  FORMAT: 2CD  BUY HERE £12

The Blind Boys Of Alabama, founded in 1939, were one of the pioneering and highly influential gospel groups of their era, forging a career through evolving group line-ups which lasted over four decades and eventually brought them international fame an recognition, winning a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. Known also for part of their career as The Happyland Singers, and led during this era by Charles Fountain, they were a hugely popular group at ‘live’ concerts, and had a significant influence on singers who became important R&B and soul performers like Ray Charles. This 56-track 2-CD collection comprises just about all the A & B sides of their releases on the Coleman, Palda, Gospel and Specialty labels during this era, many of which were featured on their “Revival Time” and God’s Promise” albums. It includes releases as Clarence Fountain and The Original Five Blind Boys of Alabama, The Five Blind Boys of Alabama, The Blind Boys of Alabama, and The Happyland Singers. Acrobat already has a single CD compilation by the group (“The Five Blind Boys Of Alabama 1948-51” ACMCD4204) and this release builds on that with extensive material from later years. It’s a collection which is uplifting and inspiring, and a fine example of their stylish and distinctive brand of gospel.

NEW RELEASES November 2024

ARTIST: The Mills Brothers  TITLE: Tiger Rag - The Singles Collection Vol.1 1931-47  GENRE: Easy Listening/Doo Wop  CAT NO: ACQCD7185  FORMAT: 4CD  BUY HERE £18

The Mills Brothers were a pioneering vocal quartet, who performed in a jazz-flavoured barbershop style and were forerunners of the doowop groups of later years- they broke new ground as the first African-American group to have their own network radio show in the USA. In the course of their long career they made more than 2,000 recordings and had around 60 US chart entries. So prolific were that we have chosen to present their releases on 78s and 45s in two 4-CD sets, of which this is the first (Vol. 2 is ACQCD7186). This 104-track 4-CD collection comprises selected A & B sides from their releases on the Brunswick and Decca labels from their debut in 1931 through to 1947, with just about every release represented by at least one side. It features 38 of their hits, including the No. 1s “Tiger Rag”, “Dinah”, “Paper Doll” and “You Always Hurt The One You Love”, and the Top 5 entries “You Rascal You”, “I Heard”, “Good-Bye Blues”, “Rockin’ Chair”, “St. Louis Blues”, “Swing It Sister” and “Sleepy Head”. It features duet recording with Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. It’s a representative overview of the first era of their career and is a fine showcase for their highly distinctive style of vocal harmonies.

ARTIST: The Mills Brothers  TITLE: The Singles Collection Vol.2 1947-60  GENRE: Easy Listening/Doo Wop  CAT NO: ACQCD7186  FORMAT: 4CD  BUY HERE £18

The Mills Brothers were a pioneering vocal quartet, who performed in a jazz-flavoured barbershop style and were forerunners of the doowop groups of later years- they broke new ground as the first African-American group to have their own network radio show in the USA. In the course of their long career they made more than 2,000 recordings and had around 60 US chart entries. So prolific were that we have chosen to present their releases on 78s and 45s in two 4-CD sets, of which this is the second (Vol. 1 is ACQCD7185). This 108-track 4-CD collection comprises selected A & B sides from their releases on the Decca and Dot labels from 1947 through to 1960, with just about every release represented by at least one side. It features 27 chart hits, including the No. 1 “Glow Worm”, and the Top 10 entries “Across The Alley From The Alamo”, “I Love You So Much It Hurts”, “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm”, “Someday (You’ll Want Me To Want You)”, “Daddy’s Little Girl”, “Nevertheless” and “Be My Life’s Companion”. It features recordings with Al Jolson, Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee, and with the orchestras of Sy Oliver, Hal McIntyre and Owen Bradley. It’s a representative overview of the second era of their career and is a fine showcase for their highly distinctive style of vocal harmonies.

ARTIST: Little Brother Montgomery  TITLE: Vicksburg Blues - The Singles & Albums Collection 1930-61  GENRE: Blues  CAT NO: ACTRCD9162  FORMAT: 3CD  BUY HERE £15

Little Brother Montgomery was a blues, boogie-woogie and jazz pianist and singer, who was hugely versatile, working solo and with bands, and equally impressive across all the genres, with a highly distinctive style. Born in Louisiana near New Orleans, he was influenced by family friend Jelly Roll Morton, and over the years was associated with the Mississippi town of Vicksburg, which gave its name to several of his song titles, and Chicago, where he later worked and made most of his records. This 72-track 3-CD collection comprises the A & B sides of just about all his releases on the Paramount, Melotone, Bluebird and Century labels from 1930-47, along with titles from the 1954 album “Windin’ Ball Recordings” on Saydisk, the 1960 album “Tasty Blues on Bluesville and the 1961 album “Blues” on Folkways. It comprises many solo recordings, plus some with his jazz quintet, featuring trumpeter Lee Collins, and recordings with singers Irene Scruggs, Annie Turner and Creole George Guenson. It’s a fascinating and substantial overview of two different phases of his career, and offers an entertaining showcase for his highly personal style.

ARTIST: Johnny Hodges  TITLE: The Clef & Norgran Albums 1951-54  GENRE: Jazz  CAT NO: ADDCD3534  FORMAT: 2CD  BUY HERE £12

Johnny Hodges was a jazz alto saxophonist, who enjoyed a performing and recording career that lasted from the 1920s through to his death in 1970. Best-known for his work with Duke Ellington, he had a pure tone and economy of melody on both the blues and ballads that won him admiration from musicians of all eras and styles, and made him ubiquitous on recording sessions across the spectrum of jazz. He occasionally led his own bands, and this 41-track 2-CD collection focuses on albums he made in a concentrated period in the mid-1950s with his small orchestra for the Clef and Norgran labels, owned by renowned impresario and producer Norman Granz, which were forerunners of Verve. It features the titles from the albums.  “Johnny Hodges Collates”, “Johnny Hodges Collates No. 2”, “Swing With Johnny Hodges”, “Memories of Ellington”, “Castle Rock”, “The Blues” and “In A Tender Mood”, with some of the titles appearing on more than one album. A number of the titles were also released as singles, and two of them “Castle Rock “ and “A Pound Of Blues”, were US R&B hits.  It naturally features some notable musicians of the era, including Al Sears, Leroy Lovett, Billy Strayhorn, Al McGibbon, Sonny Greer, Emmett Berry, Lloyd Trotman, Flip Phillips, Red Callender, Ray Brown, J.C. Heard and others. It’s a snapshot of a particular and intriguing phase of Johnny Hodges’ career, and a great showcase for his understated virtuosity as a jazz musician and leader.

ARTIST: Frank Chacksfield  TITLE: Limelight - The Singles Collection 1953-62  GENRE: Easy Listening  CAT NO: ADDCD3535  FORMAT: 2CD  BUY HERE £12

Frank Chacksfield was an English pianist, composer, arranger and conductor of light orchestral easy listening music, who was one of the British band leaders that led the development of the market for stereo long-playing albums of this style of music in the late 1950s and into the ‘60s and ‘70s. Having joined the BBC after serving in WWII, working as musical director for Henry Hall and Geraldo, he began recording under his own name in 1951 before the dawn of the vinyl LP era. This 57-track 2-CD collection comprises selected A&B sides of his singles on the Parlophone, Decca and London labels from this era as Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra and as Frank Chacksfield’s Tunesmiths, and it includes at least one side of just about all his releases from these years. It features all his UK and US chart entries, including the No. 2 hits “Terry’s Theme From Limelight” and “Ebb Tide”, and the Top 20 hits “Little Red Monkey” and “In Old Lisbon”, along with “Donkey Cart” and “On The Beach”. His style of music was hugely popular with the British public for many years and his fame spread across the Atlantic as well. This easy-on-the-ear collection is an enjoyable showcase for a particular and fondly-remembered strand of British popular music.

ARTIST: Slim Willet  TITLE: Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes - The Singles Collection 1950-62  GENRE: Country  CAT NO: ADDCD3536  FORMAT: 2CD  BUY HERE - £12

Slim Willet was a country singer, guitarist songwriter and disc jockey from Texas, born in 1919, who started performing and recording in the late ‘40s while still continuing to work on radio in Abilene. Among his more mainstream country songs, he specialised in writing material that celebrated the macho aspects of the Texas oil industry, which was  a major feature of his region of Texas. Quite separately from that, he was famous for writing and recording the song “Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes” , with which he had a country No. 1 and which was a pop No. 1 for Perry Como. This 53-track 2-CD collection comprises selected A & B sides of his singles on the Star Talent, Slim Willet, 4-Star, Decca and Edmoral labels during these years, plus those on his own Winston label. Among those were all the titles from his album “Texas Oil Patch Songs”. It naturally includes his No. 1 country hit and landmark composition “Don’t Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes”. It features recordings as Slim Willet with The Blue Sage Boys, Slim Willet with the Brush Cutters, Slim Willet with His Hired Hands and Slim Willet and his Big State Jamboree Gang, along with later recording with Jimmy Seal & Dash Crofts. This set captures most of his key recordings before his premature demise from a heart attack in 1966 at the age of 46 and admirably showcases his distinctive style of country music.

NEW RELEASES October 2024

ARTIST: Fats Domino  TITLE: Walking With The Fat Man - Best Of 1949-61  GENRE: Rock 'n' Roll  CAT NO: ACRSLP1662  FORMAT: LP  BUY HERE - £18

Fats Domino was one of the most important figures in the development and popularisation of rock ‘n’ roll, representing as he did the bridging of the previously yawning gap between the black R&B market and the white mainstream commercial pop scene during the middle years of the 1950s. His career began long before the well-documented rock ‘n’ roll explosion of those years, but he maintained an extraordinary longevity in the charts. This rocking retrospective features 20 of his greatest singles, many of which made waves across the pond in the UK charts, with a whopping nine R&B No.1’s among them. His trademark New Orleans R&B style found a distinctive niche in rock ‘n’ roll, with landmark hits like "Ain’t That A Shame", "Blueberry Hill", "Blue Monday", "I’m Walkin’" and "Walkin’ To New Orleans", and he became a hugely influential and widely respected figure. So strap on your books and take a walk with the fat man through 50’s New Orleans, with one of the giants of post-war pop.

ARTIST: The Mills Brothers  TITLE: Kings Of Harmony - R&B Hits And More 1942-52  GENRE: Easy Listening  CAT NO: ACRSLP1663  FORMAT: LP  BUY HERE - £18

The Mills Brothers were one of the most important and successful vocal groups in the history of popular music. Pioneers in bringing African-American music to wider mainstream global audiences, they were the first African-American artists to have their own network radio show, and had an incalculable influence on the development of doowop and the many vocal groups that would follow in their footsteps. Turning their talents to a range of genres, including Pop, R&B, Jazz, Blues, and Gospel, they notched up over 2000 recordings - three times the number of releases of a certain Elvis Presley - selling in excess of 50 million records over five decades. Celebrated for their velvet-smooth harmonies, and their signature vocal imitations of musical instruments, no other act had the versatility of The Mills Brothers. This sumptuous selection concentrates on their successes enjoyed in the U.S. R&B chart during the forties and fifties. As such, it features some of the brothers most famous and beloved releases including "Paper Doll", "Don’t Be A Baby, Baby", the Peggy Lee penned "Manana (Is Soon Enough For Me)", "Daddy’s Little Girl" and of course, their timeless and ultimately final visit to the charts, "The Glow Worm". So cosy up in front of the fire and let their heavenly harmonies wash over you. 

ARTIST: Cab Calloway  TITLE: The Hep Cat Of Harlem - 1930-48  GENRE: Jazz  CAT NO: ACRSLP1664  FORMAT: LP  BUY HERE - £18

Cab Calloway was a trailblazing entertainer, an early king of cool, and an American icon. In a career spanning six decades, he was a talented bandleader, known for hiring the very best talent, before going on to become a revered solo artist, actor, and author. Effortlessly breaking down racial barriers, Calloway brought African-American music to mainstream audiences. This collection of timeless tracks takes us back to his glory days as one of the most exciting young bandleaders in the history of popular music. So much more than a band leader, over nearly seven decades, this exuberant and energetic performer also shone as a solo artist, a dancer, and star of radio, stage, and screen. In addition, he was an acclaimed author, penning the classic cultural artefact, Cab Calloway’s Hepster Dictionary. If you use the term Big Apple to refer to New York City, you have Cab Calloway to thank! This mighty 14 track LP concentrates on his classic releases and naturally includes the monster hit "Minnie The Moocha" alongside his numerous tunes following Minnie’s saga. Using some of the greatest songsmith’s alongside his own penmanship, Calloway and his orchestra’s versions of songs such as "Saint James Infirmary", "Trickeration", "The Ghost Of Smoky Joe", "(Hep Hep) The Jumpin’ Jive" and "The Honeydripper" are sure to get you out of your casuals and into your hippest of dancing gear. This is Cab Calloway, the original hep cat, at the peak of his creative powers.

ARTIST: Conway Twitty  TITLE: It's Only Make Believe - The Early Years 1957-62  GENRE: Country  CAT NO: ACRSLP1665  FORMAT: LP  BUY HERE - £18

Talented multi-genre artist and all round ‘good guy’, Conway Twitty had an extraordinary career. He mastered rock ‘n’ roll, rockabilly, pop and country music, and was a gifted songwriter and performer. Few artists, after enjoying global smash hits in one genre, would change tack to pursue their art in another; but this is exactly what Twitty did. A rarity in the music industry, he never drank, never smoked, and treated everyone with humility and respect, and was described by critics as “the best friend a song ever had”. With over 16 million records sold by the mid-eighties, Twitty racked up 41 number one hit singles in both the pop and country charts; that’s more than Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and George Jones achieved. This carefully curated 18 track LP homes in on his early career as he embraced his rockabilly roots. Aside from his iconic No.1, the brooding and dramatic "It’s Only Make Believe", he enjoyed thirteen other chart entries during this period, including the US No.6 "Lonely Blue Boy" and the UK No.5 "Mona Lisa", before forging a niche as a leading force in the country market. This collection manages to showcase not only his fine voice, but his versatility in performing material, from out-and-out rock ‘n’ roll to ballads and country-flavoured tunes with equal panache.

ARTIST: Mickey & Sylvia  TITLE: My Sweet Baby - The Greatest Singles 1954-61  GENRE: R&B  CAT NO: ACRSLP1666  FORMAT: LP  BUY HERE - £18

Whilst Mickey & Sylvia might be most widely known for their playful and sensuous hit single, "Love Is Strange", there is so much more to this trailblazing duo. Mickey Baker was an accomplished guitarist whose career started out in session work, playing on some of the rock ‘n’ roll era’s most iconic tracks - think "Money Honey" by The Drifters, Big Joe Turner’s "Shake, Rattle And Roll", and Big Maybelle’s "Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going’ On". Sylvia Robinson’s contribution to popular music cannot be overstated. Aside of achieving success as a solo artist after Mickey & Sylvia split, Robinson was a true entrepreneur whose label, Sugar Hill Records, brought the then emerging genres of rap and hip hop to the mainstream, producing The Sugar Hill Gang’s iconic hit "Rappers Delight" and "The Message" (Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five). It is in this context that the pair’s earlier contributions need to be understood and heard. Joining forces due to Mickey’s love of the duo Les Paul & Mary Ford, they were one of the few boy/girl duos to make an impact in the R&B, rock ‘n’ roll and pop markets during the rock ‘n’ roll era. This stunning 16 track LP features all their eight career hits in the US pop and R&B charts including the R&B No.1 and pop No.11 "Love Is Strange", and the R&B No.8 "There Oughta Be A Law".  

ARTIST: Bobby Vee  TITLE: Take Good Care Of My Baby - Best Of 1959-62  GENRE: Easy Listening  CAT NO: ACRSLP1667  FORMAT: LP  BUY HERE - £18

Teen idol Bobby Vee enjoyed a phenomenal following on almost every continent of the world for over fifty years. The story of his career reads like a fairytale. At age 15, he and his band landed the opportunity of a lifetime, albeit under deeply tragic circumstances when he was asked to fill in at a gig following the fatal plane crash that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper. From a teenager who had only ever worked as a paper boy, he went on to have a full life in music, scoring 38 hit singles in the U.S. and the U.K., with hordes of adoring fans on almost every continent. With his clear, ringing voice and clean cut good looks, Vee was made for superstardom. Unlike the first flush of hard-edged rock ‘n’ rollers a few years before, Vee’s persona was acceptable to both the media and the parental market of middle America. So much so that he was described by the English rock critic Andrew Darlington, as “the perfect parentally approved dream boyfriend.” He also had the distinction of giving one Robert Zimmerman, AKA Bob Dylan, an early professional outing when he hired him for his band in 1959. Dylan returned the favour, suggesting the young Bobby change his name from ‘Velline’ to ‘Vee’. This collection celebrates the birth of an icon by featuring 20 of his early hits including "Suzie Baby", "One Last Kiss", "Rubber Ball", and of course, the timeless "Take Good Care Of My Baby".

ARTIST: Joe 'King' Oliver  TITLE: A Career Anthology 1923-31  GENRE: Jazz  CAT NO: ACFCD7520  FORMAT: 5CD  BUY HERE - £18

Joe ‘King’ Oliver was an American cornetist and trumpeter and bandleader, as well as an influential composer, who was one of the true pioneers of early jazz during the 1920s and into the ‘30s – Louis Armstrong, for whom he was a mentor, said of him “if it had not been for Joe Oliver, jazz would not be what it is today”. Born in Louisiana in the 1880s, he learnt his trade in New Orleans marching bands and during WWI moved to Chicago, which became the primary centre of recorded jazz. This 126-track 5-CD collection comprises a significant proportion of his career recordings leading his own bands or as a member of other leaders’ bands and accompanying singers where he made an important contribution.  It includes some of the most significant and influential recordings made during this era, through to the end of his active recording career in 1931 occasioned by dental and mouth problems that affected his ability to play. There are recordings on the Gennett, Okeh, Columbia, Paramount, Autograph, Vocalion, Brunswick, QRS and Victor labels, featuring recordings with his Creole Jazz Band, Dixie Syncopators, Savannah Syncopators, his Jazz Band and his Orchestra. It also includes recordings with Butterbeans & Susie, Irene Scruggs, Sippi Wallace, Ida Cox, Victoria Spivey, Katherine Henderson, Irene Gibson and Texas Alexander, and with the Clarence Williams Novelty Four, with performances alongside Louis Armstrong, Baby Dodds, Lil Armstrong, Jimmy Noone, Clarence Williams, Barney Bigard and many other top names. It’s a comprehensive showcase for one of the genre’s most important personalities. 

ARTIST: Dave Brubeck  TITLE: Classic 'Live' Albums 1952-54  GENRE: Jazz  CAT NO: ACTRCD9161  FORMAT: 3CD  BUY HERE - £15

Dave Brubeck was an American jazz pianist, composer and bandleader who was very much an exponent of the west coast ‘cool school’ of musicians, and who became known for his experiments with time signatures. Having made his first recordings in 1946, he became one of the jazz artists to help pioneer the growth of the vinyl long-playing album market recording for the Fantasy label in the early ‘50s before he moved to Columbia in 1954. This 35-track 3-CD collection (it contains a number of extended performances) comprises almost all the titles from five ‘live’ albums which were recorded during these years, and released during or soon after this era. Those albums were “Jazz at Storyville”, “Jazz at the Blackhawk”, “Jazz at the College of the Pacific”, “Jazz At Oberlin” and “Brubeck & Desmond at Wilshire Ebell” on the Fantasy label, and “Jazz Goes To College” on Columbia, with the recordings presented mostly in chronological order of recording rather than release. It features one solo performance along with  trio and quartet performances, with Paul Desmond (alto sax), bassists Wyatt Ruther, Ron Crotty and Bob Bates, and drummers Lloyd Davis, Joe Dodge and Herb Barman. It captures Brubeck’s groups as they took their music into clubs, concert halls and colleges on the west coast and across the country, and offers a fine showcase for their improvisations at a key stage of Brubeck and Desmond’s careers. 

ARTIST: Ruby Murray  TITLE: Softly, Softly - The Singles Collection 1954-62  GENRE: Easy Listening  CAT NO: ADDCD3531  FORMAT: 2CD  BUY HERE - £12

Ruby Murray was a singer from Northern Ireland who became one of the most popular artists in the UK, becoming ubiquitous on television variety shows as she racked up ten UK hits between 1954 and ’59, and making chart history when she had five records in the Top 20 in the same week in March 1955. Making her TV debut in Ireland in 1947 at the age of 12, she toured the UK in a revue in 1954, which brought her a regular spot on UK TV, and a recording contract with EMI. This 58-track 2-CD collection comprises most of the A and B sides of her singles during this era on EMI’s Columbia label (some B sides were omitted through lack of space). It features all her hits, including the UK No. 1 “Softly, Softly” and the Top 10 entries “Heartbeat”, “Happy Days And Lonely Nights”, “Let Me Go Lover”, “Evermore”, “I’ll Come When You Call” and “Goodbye Jimmy Goodbye” and “If Anyone Finds This I Love You” on which she duets with Anne Warren. It includes performances with the orchestras of Ray Martin, Norrie Paramor, Eric Jupp and Frank Barber, and recordings alongside Diana Decker, Ray Burns, and Ronnie Harris plus duet recordings with Norman Wisdom and Brendan O’Dowda. It’s an entertaining and evocative tribute to an artist who was regarded very much as one of the nation’s sweethearts. 

ARTIST: The Osborne Brothers  TITLE: Early Years - Complete Releases 1951-62  GENRE: Country  CAT NO: ADDCD3532  FORMAT: 2CD  BUY HERE - £12

The Osborne Brothers were a duo from Kentucky who played blue grass music and blue grass-flavoured country music, renowned both for their virtuoso instrumental skill and for the immaculate tight harmony vocals, and remaining active into the new millennium. This 54-track 2-CD comprises recordings from the early years of their career, starting with their first releases in 1951 on the Kitty label with sister Louise, and then with singer Jimmy Martin for RCA in 1954-55, before they signed to MGM, and the collection includes all their A and B sides for MGM through to 1962. It also includes the titles from their albums “Country Pickin' And Hillside Singin'” and “Bluegrass Music” which were not otherwise on singles, plus all the titles from their 1962 album “Blue Grass Instrumentals”. Featured alongside them on some of the MGM titles is singer and guitarist Red Allen. It includes their 1958 country No. 13 with “Once More” and their original version of “Ruby Are You Mad” which they re-recorded to have a hit in 1970. It’s great introduction to their music for those unfamiliar with their early work, and an excellent showcase for their distinctive and finely-honed brand of blue grass.

ARTIST: Blind Willie Johnson  TITLE: The King Of Holy Blues - The Complete Recordings 1927-30  GENRE: Blues  CAT NO: ADDCD3533  FORMAT: 2CD  BUY HERE - £12

Blind Willie Johnson was a singer, songwriter and guitarist who is widely recognised as having been the leading exponent of what was occasionally called “holy blues” – blues music with religious subject matter that as result could also be termed gospel music, which as a result was highly distinctive and unusual. Born in Texas in 1897, he was blinded by his stepmother during a domestic confrontation when he was seven, and turned to music, performing around his native state from the 1920s through to near his death in 1945, but was active as a recording artist only between 1927 and 1930, recording four sessions in Dallas and one in Atlanta. This 30-track 2-CD collection comprises his complete recordings for Columbia across his career, on occasions accompanied on vocals by his first wife Willie B. Harris. Among the titles it features the highly-acclaimed and influential recordings “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground”, “Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed”, “It's Nobody's Fault But Mine”, “Mother’s Children Have A Hard Time”, and “John the Revelator”. It’s a comprehensive and worthy showcase for a distinctive and unique artist.

ARTIST: Jimmy 'Baby Face' Lewis  TITLE: Madman Of The Guitar - The Singles Collection 1947-55  GENRE: R&B  CAT NO: ACMCD4408  FORMAT: 1CD BUY HERE - £12

Jimmy ‘Baby Face’ Lewis was a singer, songwriter and guitarist who burst on the post-war R&B scene when he appeared on records singing and playing with the orchestras of Floyd Campbell and Tab Smith, making an impact with his rocking vocals and his highly individual and contemporary guitar sound and style. Recording for Atlantic from 1949 and 1954, he made a series of singles that spanned jump blues, R&B and proto-rock that brought him the nickname of “Madman Of The Guitar”, although chart success proved frustratingly elusive. It was a promising career that was abruptly brought to a halt when he was arrested for drug-dealing, part of a lifestyle that sadly saw his early demise in 1969 at the age of 40. This 26-track CD comprises those early releases with Floyd Campbell and Tab Smith on the Aladdin and Manor labels and his own early single for Savoy, followed by all his A and B sides on Atlantic, including one as featured singer with Joe Morris’ Blues Cavalcade, and a final release with The Tone Twins. He was an extrovert performer who brought an exciting new dimension to R&B as it moved towards the rock ‘n’ roll revolution.   

NEW RELEASES September 2024

NEW RELEASES August 2024

NEW RELEASES July 2024

NEW RELEASES June 2024