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NEW RELEASES October 2024 - Coming Soon!

NEW RELEASES September 2024 - Available Soon!

ARTIST: The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra TITLE: All The Hits & More 1928-35 GENRE: Jazz CAT NO: ACTRCD9158 FORMAT: 3CD BUY HERE: Available Soon!

Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey were both highly successful musicians and bandleaders during the early jazz and swing eras, but for a few years during the early part of their careers they had a joint enterprise called The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, which was hugely popular and successful, racking up 25 hits in the space of eight years from 1920s into the ‘30s. Maybe inevitably, as two strong-minded personalities, they had a falling-out, and went their separate ways to have long and illustrious careers into the 1950s. This 72-track 3-CD collection comprises selected A&B sides from their releases on the Okeh, Banner Harmony, Melotone, Columbia, Brunswick, Vocalion and Decca labels from these years. It includes all their 27 hits from this era, including the No. 1s “Lullaby Of Broadway” and “Chasing Shadows”, and the Top 5 entries “What A Difference A Day Made”, “I Believe In Miracles”, “You Are My Lucky Star” and “I’ve Got A Feeling You’re Foolin’”. There are many big names among their featured vocalists, and those with performances included in this collection are Scrappy Lambert, Bob Crosby, Ethel Waters, Bing Crosby, Mildred Bailey, Irving Kaufman, Kay Weber, Chick Bullock, Jean Bowes, Elmer Feldkamp and more. It’s fascinating to hear two such fine musicians and leaders in collaboration, and this collection offers a substantial overview of their time together as well as a feast of early swing music.

ARTIST: Alex Bradford TITLE: Too Close To Heaven - Singles & Albums 1953-62 GENRE: Gospel CAT NO: ACTRCD9159 FORMAT: 3CD BUY HERE: Available Soon!

Professor Alex Bradford was a gospel singer, composer, arranger and choir director whose music during the 1950s and early ‘60s bridged the gap between gospel and soul, and who helped developed the modern mass choir movement in gospel. His music and vocal style was an influence on the likes of Little Richard, Ray Charles and Bob Marley, with his approach to gospelcharacterised by a fervent rocking atmosphere, which helped bring him a million-seller with “Too Close To Heaven”. This 70-track 3-CD collection comprises A&B sides of his singles on Specialty, including “Too Close To Heaven”, and the tracks from his album for Gospel “Walking With The King”, his Columbia album with the Abyssinian Baptist Choir, his Vee Jay album “One Step” and his album for Regent “I'm Going to Work Till The Day Is Done”. It includes recordings as Professor Alex Bradford and the Bradford Specials, Prof. Alex Bradford And The Men & Ladies Of Song, and with Bessie Griffin. This era was a heyday for the style of gospel music where many of the soul stars of the 60s and ‘70s learnt their trade and developed their style, and Alex Bradford was a key figure in that scene. This substantial collection offers an inspiring and uplifting showcase for his talents as songwriter, performer and choir leader.

ARTIST: Andre Previn TITLE: Early Years 1945-53 GENRE: Jazz CAT NO: ACTRCD9160 FORMAT: 3CD BUY HERE: Available Soon!

Andre Previn was a celebrated German/American pianist, composer and conductor, whose long career – he died in 2019 at the age of 89 – encompassed movie music, jazz and classical music. He composed or arranged music for more than 50 films, and was music al director and conductor for many top symphony orchestra as well as composing classical art music. This collection focuses on his early career as a jazz pianist. His family, who were Jewish, left Berlin for Paris and then the USA in 1938, and when he graduated from high school in Los Angeles in 1946, started working at MGM studios. However, by then he was already playing jazz piano in Hollywood clubs and had made his first records. This 66-track 3-CD collection comprises most of his recordings from these early years as a solo pianist, with small groups and with strings, released on the Sunset, V-Disc, Monarch, RCA-Victor and Tops labels. It includes the titles from his “Andre Previn Plays George Gershwin” and “Andre Previn Plays Fats Waller” albums. He was especially noted for his recordings with his trios, and this set features trio and quartet recordings with Irving Ashby, Red Callender, Lee Young, Al Viola, Charles Parnell, Jackie Mills, Bob Bain, Ralph Collier, Lloyd Pratt, Art Shapiro, Irv Cottler, Al Hendrickson Buddy Clark and Shelly Manne. Among his remarkable musical accomplishments, he was a brilliant pianist, and even at this early stage of his career, his playing is fast, fluent and imaginative, and this collection offers a fine showcase for those talents.

ARTIST: Digby Fairweather TITLE: Notes From A Jazz Life Vol.4 GENRE: Jazz CAT NO: ADDCD3528 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: Available Soon!

Cornetist Digby Fairweather has become one of the leading figures on the British jazz scene, both as a bandleader and sideman in other leader’s bands, and as a writer and broadcaster, as well as being the founder and director of the charity Jazz Centre UK in Southend, aimed at promoting, preserving and celebrating the culture of jazz. This 33-track-2-CD collection is the fourth volume of a retrospective of his career to date, compiled by Digby himself, and with substantial booklet notes written by him. It comprises ‘live’ and studio recordings from across his career, and features performances with a host of the top names in British jazz as members of his various ensembles featured here – Digby Fairweather & Velvet, Digby Fairweather & Friends, Digby Fairweather’s New Georgians, The Great British Jazz Band, Digby Fairweather’s Half Dozen and We Three plus duo recordings with Stan Barker. Among the artists with whom Digby performs in this set are vocalists George Melly, Van Morrison, Jacqui Dankworth and Chris Ellis, plus Denny Wright, Ike Isaacs, Len Skeat, Pete Strange, Randolph Colville, Pete Skivington, Julian Marc Stringle, Bobby Worth, Dave Hackworth, Mick Foster and others. The recordings capture moments which Digby has selected as highlights from his illustrious career taken from LPs and CDs, many long out of print, from across the years. It’s the fourth part of a musical overview of a significant career providing not only a showcase for his talents, but an entertaining insight into the British jazz scene across several decades.

ARTIST: Varetta Dillard TITLE: Mercy Mr. Percy - The Singles Collection 1951-61 GENRE: R&B CAT NO: ADDCD3529 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: Available Soon!

Varetta Dillard was an R&B, blues and soul singer, born In Harlem in 1933, and who defied a crippling congenital bone condition, which impaired her walking throughout her life, to become a singer and win talent contests at the Apollo Theatre in 1951 at the age of 18 which earnt her a contract with Savoy Records. She went on to have three Top 10 hits in the US R&B charts and made great records across two decades before joining gospel groups and working as a music therapist with chronically ill children. This 56-track 2-CD collection comprises most of her A&B sides on the Savoy, Groove, RCA, Triumph and Cub labels from this era. It features her hits with “Easy Easy Baby”, “Mercy Mr. Percy” and “Johnny Has Gone”, the last-named a tribute to the recently-deceased R&B singer Johnny Ace. She was a great interpreter of R&B material by the top composers of the day who provided her with songs, like Rudolph Toombs, Otis Blackwell, Rose Marie McCoy, Charles Singleton, Clyde Otis and Jesse Stone, and this collection offers a substantial overview of her career and a great showcase for her distinctive style as a performer.

ARTIST: Rusty & Doug TITLE: Louisiana Man: The Singles Collection 1953-62 GENRE: Country CAT NO: ADDCD3530 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: Available Soon!

Rusty and Doug were brothers Rusty and Doug Kershaw, who were a country music and rockabilly duo from Louisiana, whose roots in the bayou country meant that their music always had some distinct Cajun influences. Those influences were brought to the fore by working with the renowned songwriter and producer who specialised in that style of music J.D. Miller - his studio in Crowley, Louisiana, was the source of dozens of Cajun and swamp blues recordings. This 46-track 2-CD set comprises early recordings for J.D. Miller’s Feature label, plus others from those early days released on albums on the Flyright and Crown labels, along with all their A & B sides on the Hickory label from this era. It features all five of their career hits in the US country charts on the Hickey label - “So Lovely Baby”, “Love Me To Pieces”, “Hey Sheriff”, “Diggy Liggy Lo” and the Top 10 entry “Louisiana Man”, which also flirted with the pop charts. It include recordings with their regular singer and guitarist associate Wiley Barkdull, and along with many songs written by them with J.D. Miller, includes songs by the great country writers, Felice & Boudleaux Bryant, Melvin Endsley, Hank Williams, Don Gibson, Roy Acuff and more. It’s an entertaining showcase for their unique brand of music that blends country, Cajun and rockabilly.

NEW RELEASES August 2024

ARTIST: Ritchie Valens TITLE: Come On, Let's Go!: The Singles & More GENRE: Rock 'n' Roll CAT NO: ACRSLP1656 FORMAT: LP BUY HERE: £18.00

Ritchie Valens was one of leading lights in what became known as the Chicano style of rock – music from the Mexican-American community of the USA, often sung in Spanish and heavily influenced by R&B, and often with a Latin flavour. He is also, of course, well-known for more tragic reasons, namely that he was one of the three rock ‘n’ roll stars along with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper who died in the fateful light aeroplane crash in Iowa on February 3rd 1959, immortalised in Don McLean’s 1971 hit “American Pie” as “The Day The Music Died”. Ritchie was still only 17 years old when he died, but in his brief eight-month recording career he had already scored three hits, two of which were in the Top 100 at the time of the accident. This huge 20 track LP comprises all his singles through to 1962, including the A and B sides of his singles for the Del-Fi label alongside selected album tracks and demo’s. It naturally includes his No.2 US hit “Donna” along with its famous hit B side “La Bamba”, along with his other hits “Come On, Let’s Go”, “That's My Little Suzie” and “Little Girl”. It’s an evocative showcase for a young talent who made a notable impact during his tragically brief career.

ARTIST: Ernest Tubb TITLE: The Texas Troubadour: Best Of 1941-50 GENRE: Country CAT NO: ACRSLP1657 FORMAT: LP BUY HERE: £18.00

Ernest Tubb was one of biggest and most influential stars in the history of country music, his hit-making career covering nearly four decades as he racked up around 90 country and pop chart entries, beginning with his landmark “Walking The Floor Over You” in 1941, which effectively pioneered the honky-tonk sound in commercial country music. He was known as “The Texas Troubadour”, a name he also gave to his band, which comprised the cream of Nashville’s musicians, notably, in the early days, Jimmy Short, who developed the single-string picking style that characterised Tubbs’ recordings. His many hits included the original versions of songs that became iconic country standards, such as “Blue Christmas”, popularised by Elvis Presley, and “I Love You Because”, later a huge hit for Jim Reeves. Tubbs went on to stay connected to his fans and provide a platform for new up-and-coming artists through his hugely popular radio show “The Midnite Jamboree”. This amazing 15 track LP concentrates on the first decade of this country icons career. All the songs featured reached the upper echelons of Billboards “Most Played Juke Box Records”, the first “official” country chart. It forms a snapshot of one of the true pioneers of modern Nashville country.

ARTIST: Big Maybelle TITLE: Sweet On Candy: Best Of 1953-61 GENRE: R&B CAT NO: ACRSLP1658 FORMAT: LP BUY HERE: £18.00

Big Maybelle Smith was one of the very best blues and R&B songstresses of the post-war era, whose formidable voice was matched only by her mountainous stature and striking presence. She was hugely versatile and the repertoire she recorded for the King, Okeh and Savoy labels in the 1950s encompassed pure blues, jumping R&B, proto rock ‘n’ roll and middle of the road ballads with an orchestral backing. From her sassy breakthrough hit “Gabbin’ Blues” in 1953 through to 1961’s jazzy shouter “Going Home Baby”, this collection pulls together 16 of her greatest A and B sides to offer a stellar showcase for her remarkable talents. She enjoyed relatively little commercial success but the fact that she was at her most active and achieving her highest profile during the era when R&B was providing one of the musical launching pads for rock ‘n’ roll ensured that she remains as one of those artists who was a key part of that process. The quality of her work was undeniable, and she certainly warranted much more attention from the industry than she received. “Candy” was honoured with a Grammy Hall of Fame award in 1999, and in 2011 she was inducted into the Blues Hall... It was the least she deserved, as the recordings in this collection testify.

ARTIST: Gerry Mulligan & Chet Baker TITLE: Coolest Of The Cool: 1952-53 GENRE: Jazz CAT NO: ACRSLP1659 FORMAT: LP BUY HERE: £18.00

Gerry Mulligan was primarily known as a baritone saxophonist, but was an expert exponent of other saxophones, clarinet and piano as well as being a highly-respected arranger, was one of the giants of post-war modern jazz. He was one of the leading lights in the “cool jazz” movement focused on the USA’s West Coast. In 1952 he began a legendary collaboration with the young lyrical trumpeter Chet Baker, newly-arrived on the jazz scene after an Army career, with the primary era of their professional relationship ending in 1953 when Mulligan was jailed on narcotics charges. This LP highlights some of their greatest recordings during this time as part of Mulligan’s iconic “pianoless” quartet, initially comprising informal ‘live’ recordings at The Haig jazz club in Los Angeles and at the house of recording engineer Phil Turetsky, and later at the Black Hawk club in San Francisco as well as more formal studio environments. After the first session, which involved pianist Jimmy Rowles and bassist Joe Mondragon, Mulligan developed an innovative piano-less line-up, using bass and drums to make up the quartets, with the pairings being Bobby Whitlock (bass) and and Chico Hamilton (drums), and Carson Smith (bass) and Larry Bunker (drums). It offers fascinating insights into the way Mulligan and Baker developed an intuitive rapport, and an absorbing collection of landmark modern jazz performances taking from Great American Songbook through to Mulligans own compositions.

ARTIST: The Platters TITLE: The Magic Touch: Singles Collection 1955-62 GENRE: Easy Listening CAT NO: ACRSLP1660 FORMAT: LP BUY HERE: £18.00

Fronted by Tony Williams’ distinctive tenor, the heavenly harmonies of The Platters are intrinsically linked with the rock ‘n’ roll movement of the 1950s. Monumental tracks such as “Only You (And You Alone)”, “The Great Pretender”, “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”, and “My Prayer” would prove successful on both sides of the Atlantic and their music would be universally appreciated by generations through landmark movies such as “Rock Around The Clock”, “The Girl Can’t Help It”, and “American Graffiti”. The Platters were an incredibly talented collective that bridged the gap between doowop and the early rock ‘n’ roll explosion. They racked up more than 40 chart hits in the US between 1955 and 1967, leaving an indelible mark on the musical landscape. Their distinctive sound, primarily based on the tenor lead vocal styling of frontman Williams, made them the most successful black group of their era. This collection celebrates their legacy with 16 of their greatest and most fondly remembered releases during the extraordinary first decade of their career. Their remarkable records have stood the test of time as pop and R&B classics, leaving a lasting impression in the hearts of music lovers of all ages.

ARTIST: Louis Jordan TITLE: Jukebox Jump: Greatest Hits 1942-49 GENRE: Blues CAT NO: ACRSLP1661 FORMAT: LP BUY HERE: £18.00

Louis Thomas Jordan was born in 1908 in Brinkley, Arkansas. His upbringing was steeped in music with his bandleader father teaching him clarinet when he was just seven. He learnt piano before setting his sights on a saxophone. By the age of 15 he had his first taste of performing, with Ruby “Tuna Boy” Williams’ Belvedere Orchestra. Emerging from the swing era of the 1930s, Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five set the charts on fire throughout the 1940s with his unique blend of jazz, blues, and boogie-woogie. Appealing to a broad spectrum of listeners, hits such as “Five Guys Named Moe”, “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie”, “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby”, “Saturday Night Fish Fry” and “Caldonia” not only helped lay the foundations on which R&B and rock ‘n’ roll were built, it also managed to break down racial divides. No accolade bestowed on Louis Jordan can be too small. He was simply one of the greatest, most innovative, and charismatic entertainers the world has ever seen. He was pioneer of “jump blues” – a hybrid of jazz, blues, and boogie-woogie which was so infective and energetic it made the listener want to leap around. Jordan’s music was also vocally very distinctive, with loud syncopated shouts and lyrics drenched in humorous social commentary. This collection celebrates his extraordinary hit making prowess during a decade where he ruled the charts and became the King of the Jukebox.

ARTIST: Jelly Roll Morton TITLE: A Career Anthology Vol.1 1923-28 GENRE: Jazz CAT NO: ACTRCD9155 FORMAT: 3CD BUY HERE: £15.00

Pianist, bandleader, composer, arranger and occasional singer Ferdinand Joseph ‘Jelly Roll’ Morton was one of the most important and influential personalities in the entire history of jazz. Born in New Orleans of Creole descent in 1890, he was one of the earliest jazz innovators and pioneers, to the extent that he actually said that he invented the genre, although his accomplishments and influence were such that he did not need to make such exaggerated claims. Starting as a ragtime pianist, his 1915 tune “Jelly Roll Blues” was one of the first published jazz compositions. His career output of recordings was so prolific that we have chosen to release them as two 3-CD sets. This 70-track Vol. 1 collection comprises releases during these years on the Paramount, Gennett, Okeh, Autograph, Vocalion, and Victor labels, including solo performances, and recordings with various line-ups as his Orchestra and Jazz Band, The New Orleans Rhythm Kings, His Stomps Kings, Steamboat Four, Kings Of Jazz, Incomparables, The St. Louis Levee Band and His Red Hot Peppers. Members of his ensembles during this era include Tommy Ladnier, Leon Roppolo, Ben Pollack, Natty Dominque, Kid Ory, George Mitchell, Johnny St. Cyr, Barney Bigard, Johnny Dodds, Baby Dodds and Russell Procope. Released at the same time is “A Career Anthology Vol. 2 1929-40” (ACTRCD9156). They both offer a comprehensive overview of his work during these eras, and are a fine showcase for his unique talents.

ARTIST: Jelly Roll Morton TITLE: A Career Anthology Vol.2 1929-40 GENRE: Jazz CAT NO: ACTRCD9156 FORMAT: 3CD BUY HERE: £15.00

Pianist, bandleader, composer, arranger and occasional singer Ferdinand Joseph ‘Jelly Roll’ Morton was one of the most important and influential personalities in the entire history of jazz. Born in New Orleans of Creole descent in 1890, he was one of the earliest jazz innovators and pioneers, to the extent that he actually said that he invented the genre, although his accomplishments and influence were such that he did not need to make such exaggerated claims. Starting as a ragtime pianist, his 1915 tune “Jelly Roll Blues” was one of the first published jazz compositions. His career output of recordings was so prolific that we have chosen to release them as two 3-CD sets. This 72-track Vol. 2 collection comprises releases during these years on the Victor, Bluebird and General labels, including solo performances, and recordings with various line-ups as Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers, The Jelly Roll Morton Trio, Jelly Roll Morton’s New Orleans Jazzmen, Jelly Roll Morton's Seven and The Morton Six/Seven. Members of his ensembles during this era include Henry ‘Red’ Allen, J.C. Higginbotham, Pops Foster, Paul Barbarin, Sonny Greer, Barney Bigard, Zutty Singleton, Ward Pinkett, Wilbur De Paris, Cozy Cole, Bubber Miley and Sidney Bechet. Released at the same time is “A Career Anthology Vol. 1 1923-28” (ACTRCD9155). They both offer a comprehensive overview of his work during these eras, and are a fine showcase for his unique talents.

ARTIST: Stan Kenton & His Orchestra TITLE: Classic Albums 1947-56 GENRE: Jazz CAT NO: ACTRCD9157 FORMAT: 3CD BUY HERE: £15.00

Stan Kenton was renowned as one of the most ambitious, innovative, forward-thinking and musically challenging bandleaders of the swing and big band eras, to the extent that he kept his band going into the post-war era long after others had disbanded. He had his detractors, who accused him of pretentiousness, but that is the nature of jazz, and his approach made him commercially successful where others failed. This 62-track 3-CD collection brings together titles from some of his early albums for Capitol in the post war decade which characterised his innovative and experimental approach. It comprises most of the titles from his albums “Artistry In Rhythm” and “A Presentation of Progressive Jazz”, and all the titles from “Encores”, “Innovations in Modern Music”, “New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm” and “Stan Kenton In Hi-Fi”. It features June Christy on vocals and compositions and arrangements by Pete Rugolo and Gerry Mulligan, with orchestra members including leading jazz musicians of the day like Ray Wetzel, Kai Winding, Vido Musso, Shelly Manne, Maynard Ferguson, Shorty Rogers, Art Pepper, Bud Shank, Laurindo Almeida, Bill Holman, Lee Konitz and many more. His music from these years always makes for fascinating and sometimes startling listening, and we trust the collection offers an entertaining insight into his highly distinctive approach to big band jazz.

ARTIST: Les Brown & His Band Of Renown TITLE: All The Hits & More 1939-55 GENRE: Easy Listening CAT NO: ADDCD3525 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Les Brown And His Band Of Renown, led by saxophonist Les Brown, were a fixture on the US popular music and broadcasting landscape for more than half a century following its inception in 1938, and during a golden first fifteen years or so racked up 26 US pop hits, most famously introducing Doris Day to the chart scene as his featured singer during the 1940s. This 49-track 2-CD collection comprises selected A and B sides from his releases during this era on the Bluebird, Decca, Okeh, Columbia, and Coral labels, with performances by featured vocalists Doris Day, Butch Stone, Betty Bonney, Ralph Young, Jack Haskell, Eileen Wilson, Champ Butler, Four Hits And A Miss and The Modernaires, along with releases with the Ames Brothers and Johnny Mercer. It features all his 26 career hits, including the No. 1s “Sentimental Journey”, “My Dreams Are Getting Better All The Time” and “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm”, and the Top 10 hits “Till The End Of Time”, “You Won’t Be Satisfied”, “Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief” and “The Whole World Is Singing My Song”. It’s an entertaining snapshot of the mainstream swing-flavoured pop of this era, and a great showcase for his hugely popular brand of music.

ARTIST: The Imperial Gospel Singers TITLE: The Savoy & Gospel Releases 1958-62 GENRE: Gospel CAT NO: ADDCD3526 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

The Imperial Gospel Singers were a female gospel quartet hailing from Philadelphia, who enjoyed their peak of popularity during the late 1950s and early ‘60s, most notably featuring the great singer Rosie Wallace, a pastor and evangelist who was also a fine songwriter. With other group members including songwriters Anna Smallwood and Pru David, from 1958 onwards they recorded a number of sessions for the Savoy label and its subsidiary Gospel label – early titles from 1956 on the Tuxedo label are extremely rare and more or less impossible to find. This 32-track 2-CD collection comprises all their releases on Savoy and Gospel from 1958 to 1962, including all the titles from their albums on Savoy “Gospel Songs” and “Fountains Of Blood” and their album on Gospel “The Sower”, plus the A & B sides of singles from these years not otherwise released on album. They were a group who sang with the verve of the likes of The Caravans, Davis Sisters and Ward Singers, and this collection is an inspiring and uplifting showcase for their distinctive style of gospel music.

ARTIST: Stuart Hamblen TITLE: Remember Me: The Singles Collection 1929-57 GENRE: Country CAT NO: ADDCD3527 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Stuart Hamblen was a country singer and noted songwriter, who began his career in the 1920s on radio as one of the first “singing cowboys”, and had the staying power to enjoy his biggest successes in the post-war years, famously writing the song “This Ole House”, which was a pop No. 1 for Rosemary Clooney in 1954, as well as providing him with a pop and country hit of his own. Along the way, he had brushes with the law through his drinking and gambling, as well as embracing religion and becoming an evangelist after encountering Billy Graham, with his later work sometimes encompassing faith-based messages. This 52-track 2-CD collection comprises selected A & B sides of his releases during this era on the Victor, Bluebird, ARA, Superior, 4-Star, Columbia and RCA labels, plus his versions of notable hit songs for other artists released on his later albums. It features his Top 10 country hits “(I Won't Go Huntin' Jake) But I'll Go Chasing Women”, “(Remember Me) I'm The One Who Loves You”, “It’s No Secret” and “This Ole House” and his recordings of his hit compositions “Open Up Your Heart (And Let The Sunshine In)”, “Go On By” and “His Hands”. Just about all the songs in the collection were written by Hamblen. He was a complex character, but was also hugely talented, and this collection offers both a substantial overview of his career and a fine showcase for his particular brand of country music.

NEW RELEASES July 2024

ARTIST: Mary Wells TITLE: I'm Gonna Stay: The Early Motown Years 1960-62 GENRE: R&B CAT NO: ACRSLP1650 FORMAT: LP BUY HERE: £18.00

Mary Wells was undoubtedly the first true female soul superstar. Not only did she bring glitz, glamour and a glorious voice to Motown, she broke down the barrier between the pop and R&B worlds. Her unerring desire for freedom in the industry paved the way for the likes of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder to pursue their dreams without restraint. She was a young lady of many firsts – she was the first female solo artist on Motown to have a top 40 pop hit, a top 10 R&B entry, an R&B No.1 and be nominated for a grammy. Starting her budding career at the age of 17 with designs on being a songwriter for her idol Jackie Wilson, she approached Motown owner Berry Gordy Jnr with her song Bye, Bye, Baby. Hearing her voice, he signed the songstress on the spot and the rest, as they say, is history. She went on to have a successful, albeit short, relationship with Motown scoring hits with Bye, Bye, Baby, I Don’t Want To Take A Chance, You Beat Me To The Punch, The One Who Really Loves You and Two Lovers. Working closely with Smokey Robinson, together they help define the sound the Motown label is known and loved for until she put her foot down over a royalties dispute and left. This collection features all her Motown singles alongside selected tracks from her two albums put out during these formative years.

ARTIST: Patsy Cline TITLE: She's Got You: The Hits & More 1955-61 GENRE: Country CAT NO: ACRSLP1651 FORMAT: LP BUY HERE: £18.00

Patsy Cline was, quite simply, one of the best, most revered and most influential female country artists in the history of the genre. Her achievements and recordings in her tragically short career helping to open the door to success, and establish a creative template for a generation of artists who followed in her footsteps. She was a strong woman who stood up for herself, helping to emancipate fellow female country acts. Her contract with the label Four-Star restricted her to recording material by a small selection of songwriters and, having scored a debut No.2 in 1957 with Walkin’ After Midnight, she did not have another hit until she signed directly to Decca in 1960. After that, she had huge country and pop hits with the classics I Fall To Pieces, Crazy and She’s Got You, by hot new writers like Hank Cochran, Harlan Howard and Willie Nelson. Her longtime producer Owen Bradley embraced the new “Nashville sound” pioneered by the legendary Chet Atkins to crossover in to the pop world and create a very different sound from her earlier honky-tonk and rockabilly recordings.

This collection rejoices in some of her finest and most successful recordings released before her untimely death in 1963 to create a loving overview of her short recording career. It is steeped in that warm, lush Nashville production. It includes her first chart entry A Church, A Courtyard, Then Goodbye and sees her evolve through her career with Walkin’ After Midnight, Crazy Dreams until getting to the ultimate Patsy classics Crazy, She’s Got You, I Fall To Pieces and Heartaches.

ARTIST: Dizzy Gillespie & Lalo Schifrin TITLE: When Diz Met Lalo: Selected Recordings 1960-62 GENRE: Jazz CAT NO: ACRSLP1652 FORMAT: LP BUY HERE: £18.00

Lalo Schifrin is an Argentinian pianist, composer, arranger, and conductor who studied and played in France in the early 1950s before forming his own jazz orchestra back in Argentina. The founding father of bebop, Dizzy Gillespie is regarded as one of the most innovative and forward-thinking jazz musicians ever to grace the genre. When the two decided to start working together in the early 1960’s, they laid to tape some of the greatest jazz records ever. Schifrin first met Dizzy Gillespie in 1956 when Gillespie visited Buenos Aries and offered to write the trumpeter a suite of orchestral jazz. The result was the glorious extended work Gillespiana. While in New York in 1960, he recorded this masterpiece with Gillespie’s 22 piece big band and was offered chance to join Gillespie’s Quintet as pianist. Over the next two years they recorded a number of sessions as well as performing at recorded concerts and club dates. This exposure helped establish Schifrin’s reputation, providing the basis for becoming a celebrated composer of film music in later years. This collection provides and snap shot into their time together, featuring three movements from Schifrin’s Gillespiana on side A, with three of Gillespie’s classic bebop tunes, Salt Peanuts, A Night In Tunisia and Here ‘Tis performed by his quintet with Schifrin sitting in on piano on the flip. It will leave the listener with a thirst for more from this stunning collaboration.

ARTIST: Danny & The Juniors TITLE: Let's Go To The Hop: Best Of 1957-62 GENRE: Rock 'n' Roll CAT NO: ACRSLP1653 FORMAT: LP BUY HERE: £18.00

Danny & The Juniors emerged as a rock ‘n’ roll-influenced doowop group in the mid-50s at their high school in the musical hotbed of Philadelphia, a city which also spawned the likes of Charlie Gracie, Fabian, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell, Freddy Cannon and Chubby Checker. They wrote and recorded a song called Do The Bop, which through the input of American Bandstand producer and presenter Dick Clark became At The Hop, which gave them a US chart debut at No.1 to establish one of the most memorable and iconic musical landmarks of the rock ‘n’ roll era in 1957. They went on to have several more hits over the next five years before the British Invasion eclipsed their career. This 16-track LP celebrates their career by featuring the A & B sides of their biggest hits during this core era of their recording career for the ABC-Paramount, Swan, Guyden and UK Top Rank labels during these years – remarkably, they did not release any albums during this time. It naturally includes their eight hits from these years, among them their No.1 At The Hop along with another classic Rock ‘n’ Roll Is Here To Stay, which was adopted by ‘70s rock ‘n’ roll revival band Sha-Na-Na as part of their repertoire, inspiring the album title Sha-Na-Na Is Here To Stay, and they performed it as Johnny Casino & The Gamblers in the 1978 movie version of “Grease”. This collection captures the essence of a group of young lads who made a small but highly significant contribution to rock ‘n’ roll while having the time of their lives.

ARTIST: Frankie Avalon TITLE: Because I Love You: The Hits & More 1957-62 GENRE: Easy Listening CAT NO: ACRSLP1654 FORMAT: LP BUY HERE: £18.00

Frankie Avalon was one of the ultimate teen stars to emerge from the post-rock ‘n’ roll era, as the moguls of Tin Pan Alley encouraged the music to evolve towards a lighter style of pop which had a broader appeal to the mainstream of middle America. Starting his recording career as a boy-star trumpeter in his mid-teens, he was signed by the Chancellor label in his home town of Philadelphia. Between 1958 and the effective end of his chart career in 1962 he had 30 hits in the USA and UK, including the iconic No.1s Venus and Why. Once his pop career began to wane he developed his movie acting, and became a ubiquitous star of ‘beach movies’ during the ‘60s alongside original Mouseketeer Annette Funicello. He continued to land movie and TV roles including a memorable cameo as Teen Angel in the 1978 movie musical Grease. This LP highlights his biggest and best hits from his vocal debut hit DeDe Dinah. It naturally features the No.1s Venus and Why, and the Top 10 hits DeDe Dinah, Ginger Bread, A Boy Without A Girl, Bobby Sox To Stockings and Just Ask Your Heart. It provides an entertaining overview of the career of one of the archetypal teen stars of the years immediately prior to the arrival of the British Invasion, and is a showcase for his versatile talents as a vocalist across rock ‘n’ roll, teen ballads and sophisticated pop.

ARTIST: Guitar Slim TITLE: Things I Used To Do: The Complete Specialty Releases 1953-56 GENRE: Blues CAT NO: ACRSLP1655 FORMAT: LP BUY HERE: £18.00

Eddie “Guitar Slim” Jones was no ordinary bluesman... A major inspiration for Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Guy, Frank Zappa, Earl King, Stevie Ray Vaughan and many more, Slim brought a new level of raw energy and electric intensity to guitar playing never witnessed before. Born in 1926 and raised in the blues heartlands of the Mississippi Delta, he plied his trade in the clubs of New Orleans after serving in WWII. His incendiary approach, vehement vocals and flamboyant theatrics made him the hottest ticket in town and his rockin’ ways became the stuff of legend. His performances were loud, not content with turning his amp to 10, he would often plug straight into the PA system, creating an overdriven distortion that hadn’t been heard before. In his short career he only recorded 30 sides and sadly his stage exploits were never captured on film. This collection features all his A & B sides released on the Specialty label from 1953-56 including the groundbreaking R&B No.1 The Things That I Used To Do, a track that features in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame’s “500 Songs That Shaped Rock ‘n’ Roll”. He was an artist way ahead of his time, and a man who lived life as hard and fast as the most iconic contemporary rockers, becoming a huge influence for generations of blues and rock guitarists.

ARTIST: The Roberta Martin Singers TITLE: The Classic Years 1947-62 GENRE: Gospel CAT NO: ACQCD7184 FORMAT: 4CD BUY HERE: £18.00

The Roberta Martin Singers were one the premier American gospel groups of the middle decades of the 20th century, with their leader Roberta Martin famed as one of the most innovative and influential figures in the history of gospel music. The writer Robert Marovitch said that the group “gave gospel its signature ensemble sound”. Lead singer and main songwriter Roberta Martin founded the group in 1933, although their recording career did not start until 1947, lasting until Martin’s health failed in the 1960s and she died from cancer in 1969. This anthology addresses their most active and productive core era. This 97-track 4-CD collection comprises most of their A and B sides on the Fidelity, Religious Records Of Detroit, Recorded In Hollywood, Apollo, and Savoy labels from this era, plus tracks from their Savoy albums “Twelve Inspirational Songs”, “God Is Still On The Throne”, “Since I Met Him”, “Grace” and “It Was The Blood” not otherwise featured on singles. Among the featured singers and other members alongside Martin were Eugene Smith, Bessie Folk, Deloris Barrett, Norsalus McKissick, Myrtle Jackson, Willie Webb, Lucy Smith, Gloria Griffin, Romance Watson, Archie Dennis, Harold Johnson and others. It’s an absolute feast of top-class gospel music spanning what was a golden era for the genre, and it offers an inspiring and uplifting showcase for the group’s highly distinctive approach.

ARTIST: The Ben Bernie Orchestra TITLE: All The Hits & More 1923-40 GENRE: Easy Listening CAT NO: ACTRCD9154 FORMAT: 3CD BUY HERE: £15.00

Ben Bernie was an American jazz violinist, bandleader and radio personality, who started his career in vaudeville and founded an orchestra in the early 1920s which became the resident band at the Hotel Roosevelt in New York, and was hugely popular through the 1920s and ‘30s on radio, which Bernie being marketed under the nickname “The Old Maestro”. He was famous as one of the co-writers of the classic standard “Sweet Georgia Brown”. Between 1923 and 1936 he had 44 records which are listed as hits in Joel Whitburn’s respected book “Pop Memories 1890-54”, and all those hits are included in this 73-track 3-CD collection. The anthology comprises selected A & B sides of his releases on the Vocalion, Brunswick, Columbia, Decca and Okeh labels from this era, prior to his sudden death in 1943, including releases as Ben Bernie & His Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra and Ben Bernie And All The Lads. It features his No. 1 hits with “Sweet Georgia Brown”, “Sleepy Time Gal”, “Ain’t She Sweet”, and big hits with the original versions of other enduring gems from the Great American Songbook such as “Swinging Down the Lane”, “Tea For Two”, “Makin’ Whoopee”, “What Is This Thing Called Love” and more. With performances by a number of featured vocalists, including Scrappy Lambert, Irving Kaufman, Dick Robertson, Vaughn De Leath and others, it’s an entertaining showcase for a highly successful orchestra, which very much captures the spirit of the times.

ARTIST: Various Artists TITLE: The Classic Songs Of Rodgers & Hart GENRE: Easy Listening CAT NO: ADDCD3521 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Acrobat has products on catalogue which present the classic songs of composers indelibly associated with the Great American Songbook, notably George Gershwin and Cole Porter, and this collection continues that series by bringing together the hit compositions of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, who worked together from the early 1920s through to Hart’s sad demise in 1943. This 50-track 2-CD collection comprises recordings of many of their best-known songs by various artists – in some cases they are the original hit versions from the time the song was first featured in a stage musical or movie, as most of their most famous songs were, or recorded later, either as singles or on albums. In the early LP era in the 1950s artists would often record concept albums based around particular songwriters or concepts, and several did LPs of Rodgers & Hart songs. Artists who were fine interpreters of the duo’s compositions, and are featured here, include Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan and Peggy Lee, and there are many others from across the years. With songs like “My Funny Valentine”, “Blue Moon”, “The Lady Is A Tramp”, “Bewitched”, “Lover”, “Mountain Greenery”, “Where Or When”, their partnership produced some of the most atmospheric songs of the era, and this blend of original hit recordings and later interpretations of their work makes for a fascinating and thoroughly entertaining collection.

ARTIST: Maynard Ferguson TITLE: With His Own Band: Early Years 1954-57 GENRE: Jazz CAT NO: ADDCD3522 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Canadian jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson was something of a prodigy as a youngster, playing solos with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Orchestra broadcasts when he was 13 years old, and was always destined for a career in music, training at the Conservatoire in Montreal until 1948. He moved to the USA and played with the bands of Boyd Raeburn, Jimmy Dorsey and Charlie Barnet before joining Stan Kenton for an extended stint in the early ‘50s. The recordings featured here represent his first forays into recording leading his own bands. This 43-track 2-CD collection comprises all the titles (excluding one which could not be included for reasons of space) from his albums on the Emarcy label “The Maynard Ferguson Octet”, “Dimensions”, “Around the Horn with Maynard Ferguson” and “Boy with Lots of Brass”, with line-ups ranging from an octet to a 13-piece big band. It features many original compositions, with a number by tenor saxophonist and arranger Bill Holman, along with arrangements of classic Songbook standards, with the musicians involved including Bud Shank, Shelly Manne, Milt Bernhart, Herb Geller, Georgie Auld, Red Callender, Nino Tempo, Ray Linn, Bill Holman, Ray Brown, Alvin Stoller, Bobby Timmons, Larry Bunker and many more. It’s an intriguing and entertaining insight into his work as he leads his own bands on record for the first time.

ARTIST: Tiny Hill TITLE: How Many Hearts Have You Broken?: The Singles Collection 1939-54 GENRE: Easy Listening CAT NO: ADDCD3523 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Tiny Hill was an American bandleader, singer and record company A&R exec who was especially active and successful during the middle decades of the 20th century, and occupied an unusual niche in popular music, his style encompassing big band music, novelty pop, nostalgia, western swing and country music, to the extent that he had hits in both the US pop and country charts. A larger-than-life personality, he lived up to his nickname and reputation, weighing 165 kg, and as well as making hits, he was notable for being married to the fine country songwriter Jenny Lou Carson and being a country A&R man for Mercury in the 1940s while continuing to make records. This 55-track 2-CD collection comprises selected A & B sides from his prolific output on the Vocalion, Okeh, Decca and Mercury labels from this era, most of them with Hill himself on vocals. It features all his career hits in the pop and country charts, including the No. 3 pop hit “How Many Hearts Have You Broken?”, the Top 10 country hits “Sioux City Sue”, “Never Trust A Woman”, “Hot Rod Race” “I’ll Sail My Ship Alone” and “Slow Poke”, and the Top 20 pop hits “Angry” and “Doodle Doo Doo”. He was a hugely extrovert entertainer, and this comes across in an always-upbeat collection of his highly distinctive recordings.

ARTIST: Tommy McClennan & Robert Petway TITLE: Shame 'Em On Down: Collected Recordings 1939-42 GENRE: Blues CAT NO: ADDCD3524 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Tommy McLennan and Robert Petway were blues singers, guitarists and songwriters from Mississippi, who were active during the 1930s and ‘40s and both made records around the same time for the Bluebird label from 1939 to 1942, some of which were early precursors of rock ‘n’ roll. They often performed together, but only collaborated on a couple of titles that they recorded. McLennan released around 40 titles during his career, and Petway released 14, so this 50-track 2-CD collection comprises the majority of their career output, mostly, as noted above, recording solo or with an improvised bass, but with McLennan joining Petway on his recording of “Boogie Woogie Woman”. It features some important songs, most notably McLennan’s “Bottle It Up And Go”, “Baby, Don't You Want To Go”, “Shake ‘Em On Down” and “New Highway No. 51”, plus “Cross Cut Saw” and “My Baby’s Gone”, both covered by other artists in later years, plus Robert Petway’s “Catfish Blues”, adapted by Muddy Waters as “Rollin’ Stone”. They were both relatively obscure figures of the blues, not featuring in the burgeoning of the genre during the late ‘40s and 1950s, but they were distinctive Delta performers, with this collection offering a comprehensive insight into their music.

NEW RELEASES June 2024

ARTIST: Judy Garland TITLE: A Celebration: Classic & Collectable Performances GENRE: Easy Listening CAT NO: ACTRCD9151 FORMAT: 3CD BUY HERE: £15.00

Judy Garland remains one of the enduring icons of show business, retaining a mystique and a huge fan following more than half a century after her death in 1969. This new 73-track 3-CD set adds a new dimension to Acrobat’s existing catalogue covering Judy’s mainstream recording career with a unique selection of performances which include classic and collectable recordings from movies, records, radio, concerts and TV. It has been curated by Lawrence Schulman, award-winning music producer, critic and author of the two-volume book Garland: That’s Beyond Entertainment – Reflections on Judy Garland, published in 2023. The set is an overview of Garland’s career, but also includes 12 new-to-CD tracks, many from private collections. These unreleased recordings include overdubs from her 1956 album Judy, alternates, outtakes, rehearsals, and television appearances. It includes restorations and remixes by such audio engineers as Nick Dellow, who has remastered as well as repitched several tracks, and Brian Lee, who has done stereo remixes on many tracks. Schulman has written the extensive and detailed liner notes, which include rare archival photos. Parallel to this release, Acrobat is releasing Volume 1 of a two-volume LP containing selections from the set. This is a collection which will naturally appeal to Garland aficionados, but will also find a wider market as a thoroughly enjoyable showcase for one the pop’s true greats.

ARTIST: Lightnin' Hopkins TITLE: The Singles Collection Vol.1 1946-53 GENRE: Blues CAT NO: ACTRCD9152 FORMAT: 3CD BUY HERE: £15.00

Sam “Lightnin’” Hopkins was one of the true blues greats, a singer, guitarist, songwriter and occasional pianist from Texas, who through a life as a long-time solo performer developed a highly distinctive style, playing rhythm, lead, bass and percussion, with a legendarily unstructured approach to the 12-bar format. Musicologist Mark McCormick said that Hopkins is “the embodiment of the jazz-and-poetry spirit, representing its ancient form in the single creator whose words and music are one act”. Born in 1912, he did not get an opportunity to record until the post-war years, and then recorded prolifically for a variety of labels. Acrobat has addressed his output on 78s and 45s from 1946 to 1962 with two 3-CD sets of which this is the first. This 78-track collection comprises the A & B sides of just about all his releases during these years on the Aladdin, Modern, Gold Star and RPM labels. His RPM releases overlapped with his releases on the Sittin’ In With label which begin in 1951 and start Vol. 2. It includes his hits in the US R&B charts with “Shotgun Blues”, “T Model Blues” and “Tim Moore’s Farm”. It also includes records for Aladdin with pianist Wilson “Thunder” Smith. His New York Times obituary in 1982 said he was “one of the great country blues singers and perhaps the greatest single influence on rock guitar players”, and this substantial collection covering the early years of his recording career helps to explain and underline that view.

ARTIST: Lightnin' Hopkins TITLE: The Singles Collection Vol.2 1951-62 GENRE: Blues CAT NO: ACTRCD9153 FORMAT: 3CD BUY HERE: £15.00

Sam “Lightnin’” Hopkins was one of the true blues greats, a singer, guitarist, songwriter and occasional pianist from Texas, who through a life as a long-time solo performer developed a highly distinctive style, playing rhythm, lead, bass and percussion, with a legendarily unstructured approach to the 12-bar format. Musicologist Mark McCormick said that Hopkins is “the embodiment of the jazz-and-poetry spirit, representing its ancient form in the single creator whose words and music are one act”. Born in 1912, he did not get an opportunity to record until the post-war years, and then recorded prolifically for a variety of labels. Acrobat has addressed his output on 78s and 45s from 1946 to 1962 with two 3-CD sets of which this is the second. This 71-track collection comprises the A & B sides of just about all his releases during these years on the Sittin’ In With, Decca, Herald, Chart, Bluesville and Prestige labels. His Sittin’ In With releases overlapped with his releases on the RPM label which go through to 1953 and are at the end of Vol. 1. It includes his hits in the US R&B charts with “Coffee Blues” and “Give Me Central 209”. His New York Times obituary in 1982 said he was “one of the great country blues singers and perhaps the greatest single influence on rock guitar players”, and this substantial collection covering the early years of his recording career helps to explain and underline that view.

ARTIST: Slim Gaillard TITLE: Vout, Floogie & Tutti Frutti: Selected Recordings 1938-53 GENRE: Jazz CAT NO: ADDCD3518 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Bulee ‘Slim’ Gaillard was a one of the most unusual and idiosyncratic personalities in jazz – a multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer, who even brought a new language to the genre in his vocalese singing which he called “Vout-o-Reenee”, as well as occasionally playing piano with his hands upside down and playing guitar with his hand above the fretboard. Although he continued performing until just before his death in 1991, appearing in the film “Absolute Beginners” in 1989, he was at the peak of his popularity and creative influence in the era spanning WWII and into the post war decade. This 52-track 2-CD collection comprises releases on the Variety, Vocalion, Okeh, Hep, Columbia, Meritt, Queen, Bee-Bee, Melodisc, Atomic, Beltone, MGM, Mercury, Clef and Norgran labels during this era. It features recordings with his long-time associate, bassist Slam Stewart as Slim & Slam, plus performances with his Flat Foot Floogee Boys, and his Quartette, Trio and other line-ups, with musicians including Frankie Newton, Slam Stewart, Howard McGhee, Lucky Thompson, Tiny ‘Bam’Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Dodo Marmorosa, Zutty Singleton, Buddy Tate, Ben Webster and many more. It includes his US pop and R&B hits “Flat Foot Floogie”, “Jump Session”, “Laughing In Rhythm”, “Tutti-Frutti”, Buck Dance Rhythm” and “Cement Mixer (Put-Ti-Put-Ti)”. It’s a thoroughly entertaining showcase for one of the great larger-than-life personalities of jazz.

ARTIST: Eddie Cantor TITLE: All The Hits & More: 1917-47 GENRE: Easy Listening CAT NO: ADDCD3519 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Eddie Cantor was one of the most prominent entertainers of the early era of commercial recording, a comedian, singer actor, dancer and later a philanthropist, who was ubiquitous in Broadway shows as well as being one of the first real radio stars and went on to have a long career in movies, both as actor, writer and producer. His New York Times obituary in 1964 said that “Pop‐eyed, peppy, exuberant Mr. Cantor was one of the most successful vaudeville comedians who ever lived.” He was indelibly associated with the style of classic vaudeville songs which came to for the fore in the 1920s and were early entries in the Great American Songbook. This 53-track 2-CD collection features selected releases on the Victor, Pathe, Emerson, Columbia, Melotone, Decca and RCA labels, plus radio and movie performances of songs associated with him that he did not record commercially. It features all his 24 hits, including the No. 1s “Margie”, “No, No, Nora” and “If You Knew Susie”, and other classics like “Makin’ Whoopee”, “The Old Piano Roll Blues”, “Row Row, Rosie”, “My Baby Just Cares For Me”, “Merrily We Roll Along” and many more. This selective overview of his recording career offers an enjoyable showcase for his unique style of entertainment which was very much of its era.

ARTIST: Wesley Tuttle TITLE: With Tears In My Eyes: The Singles Collection 1944-55 GENRE: Country CAT NO: ADDCD3520 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Wesley Tuttle was a country star of the immediate post-war era, although one of his earliest forays into showbiz was contributing the yodelling for the “Silly Song” in Walt Disney’s 1937 movie “Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs”. Raised in California, he was always part of the west coast country fraternity, based variously around the cowboy country scene of Hollywood western movies, the popular western swing groups, and the emerging group of Bakersfield-based innovators comprising emigres from the southern and mid-western dust bowl states. This 53-track 2-CD collection comprises selected A and b sides of his releases on the Capitol and Coral labels from this era, and includes recordings with Tex Williams’ Western Caravan, and with Merle Travis in his Texas Stars and as Shug Fisher & The Ranchmen, along with duet recordings with his wife as Wesley & Marilyn Tuttle. Features his US country No. 1 “With Tears In My Eyes”, plus his other hits “I Wish I Had Never met Sunshine”, “Tho’ I Tried (I Can’t Forget)”, and “Detour”, and the Wesley & Marilyn Tuttle hit “Never”. This selective overview of the primary era of his career offers an entertaining showcase for a stylish and versatile performer who typified the California country scene of that era.

ARTIST: Rudy Vallee TITLE: The Hits Collection 1929-43 GENRE: Easy Listening CAT NO: ACTRCD9148 FORMAT: 3CD BUY HERE: £15.00

Rudy Vallee was a singer, saxophonist, bandleader and actor, who was probably the first star to emerge from performing on radio in its early days in the 1920s to become a hugely popular “crooner”, taking advantage of the introduction of microphones to project his light and sensitive voice. With his band The Connecticut Yankees, he started recording in 1928 and immediately had a succession of hits through the next decade and more, as well as becoming heartthrob movie star through into post-war years. This 67-track 3-CD collection consists entirely of hits and comprises nearly all the 72 records listed as hits during his career, featuring releases on the Harmony, Victor Columbia, Bluebird and Decca labels. It includes his No. 1 hits with “Honey”, “The Stein Song”, “Brother Can You Spare A Dime”, “Vieni Vieni” and “As Time Goes By”, plus many other classics of the era as he recorded many new songs that were being composed for Broadway, Hollywood and Tin Pin Alley which would become Great American Songbook standards. He was a performer who pioneered a particular style of pop that characterised his era, and this is a great showcase for that talent, projected through all his big sellers.

ARTIST: Sister Rosetta Tharpe TITLE: The Singles Collection 1939-50 GENRE: Rock n Roll CAT NO: ACTRCD9149 FORMAT: 3CD BUY HERE: £15.00

Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a gospel singer, songwriter and guitarist who was unique in her genre as the pioneer of performing gospel using an electric guitar, to the extent that many of her records and performances have been seen as early examples of rock ‘n’ roll, and she acquired the nicknames “the original soul sister” and “the Godmother of rock ‘n’ roll”. Rock ‘n’ roll artists like Elvis Presley and Little Richard, and blues guitarists like Eric Clapton and Jeff beck cite her as an influence. This 78-track 3-CD collection comprises a significant proportion of the A & B sides of her releases on the Decca label during this era, and includes releases with Lucky Millinder’s Orchestra, duets with fellow gospel singer Marie Knight, and tracks where she is accompanied by The Sam Price Trio. Her work strayed into the mainstream R&B market, and this collection includes her US R&B hits “Strange Things Happening Every Day”, “Precious Memories”, “Up Above My Head I Hear Music In The Air” and “Silent Night”. She was an artist who broke the mould of how gospel could be performed and this collection from a key era of her career is a substantial and entertaining showcase for her unique approach.

ARTIST: Lonnie Donegan TITLE: All The Hits And More 1955-62 GENRE: Easy Listening CAT NO: ACTRCD9150 FORMAT: 3CD BUY HERE: £15.00

Lonnie Donegan was a singer, guitarist and bandleader who became known as “The King of Skiffle”, such was his all-pervading influence as a pioneer of skiffle music in the UK in the latter half of the 1950s. He was always fan and keen student of American country and blues music, and gravitated towards the traditional jazz scene in the post-war years – after his jazz band supported US bluesman Lonnie Johnson in 1952, he changed his name from Tony Donegan to Lonnie Donegan. He played with Chris Barber’s band, where skiffle developed as ‘break-out’ music played by the rhythm section during the intervals in shows. Donegan popularised the skiffle form with his hit “Rock Island Line” and it became a national craze, providing the grounding for dozens of future pop and rock stars. This 78-track 2-CD collection features all his 42 UK chart entries plus just about all his other A & B sides from these years, and tracks from EPs. It includes his UK No. 1s with “Cumberland Gap”, “Puttin’ On The Style”, “Gamblin’ Man” and “My Old Man's A Dustman”, plus other Top 10 classics like “Rock Island Line”, “Tom Dooley”, “Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour”, “The Battle Of New Orleans”, “Michael Row The Boat Ashore” and many more. It also includes performances with Chris Barber and his hit with Miki & Griff. He was an innovative performer who had a massive influence on the development of British pop music and this is a substantial and entertaining showcase comprising his most popular recordings.

ARTIST: The Three Suns TITLE: Peg O' My Heart: Selected Singles 1944-56 GENRE: Easy Listening CAT NO: ADDCD3515 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

The Three Suns were an innovative American pop trio, who created the highly original instrumental line-up of accordion, guitar and electric organ. They became popular through ‘live’ performances and found success on record during the post-war decade, enjoying a string of US hits during the years covered by this collection. The trio were brothers Al Nevins and Marty Nevins on guitar and accordion along with their cousin, the radio and vaudeville veteran Artie Dunn, on electric organ and vocals, and they were favourites of US First Lady Mamie Eisenhower. This 48-track 2-CD collection comprises selected A & B sides of their releases on the Hit, Majestic and RCA-Victor labels during this era, and features all their 15 career hits, including the No. 1 “Peg O’ My Heart”, and Top 10 entries “Twilight Time”, “How Many Hearts Have You Broken”, “All of My Life”, “Five Minutes More”, “Rumours Are Flying” and “I’m Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover”. The recordings feature vocal performances by Artie Dunn, The Fontane Sisters, Rosalie Allen, Elton Britt, The Sons Of The Pioneers and The Johnny Parker Trio, along with special piano contributions by Larry Green. It’s a varied and enjoyable insight into the music of one of the more unusual groups of the era.

ARTIST: Blind Willie McTell TITLE: Statesboro Blues: Collected Recordings 1927-50 GENRE: Blues CAT NO: ADDCD3516 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Acrobat has devoted a number of collections to the blues guitarists and singers who represent what is known as the Piedmont school of blues – artists whose roots were in the region surrounding Atlanta, Georgia, and developed a distinctive style of blues during the late 1920s and through the ‘30s, the best-known names including Blind Blake, Barbecue Bob, Curley Weaver, Josh White, Blind Boy Fuller and Buddy Moss. Blind Willie McTell was one of the most prominent of that coterie of performers, and one of the best-known in later years. He had a highly distinctive style, with a fluid fingerstyle technique, playing music that incorporated ragtime, jug band and hokum influences and chord sequences that differentiated it from pure blues more typical of the Delta. This 48-track 2-CD collection comprises a significant proportion of his releases during this era on the Victor, Okeh, Columbia, Bluebird, Vocalion, Decca, Atlantic and Regal labels. It features recordings with his sister Kate McTell and with singer Ruby Glaze, and releases under the names Blind Sammie, Georgia Bill and Barrelhouse Sammy, and with Curley Weaver as The Pig ‘n’ Whistle Band. He is also accompanied by Curley Weaver on second guitar on a number of the recordings. He was a highly individual and stylish performer, with a very extrovert and entertaining approach, and this collection is an enjoyable showcase for his very particular contribution to the Piedmont blues tradition.

ARTIST: Mitch Miller TITLE: The Yellow Rose Of Texas: Selected A & B Sides 1950-62 GENRE: Country CAT NO: ADDCD3517 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Mitch Miller was a hugely influential personality in the US record business in the 1950s in his position as A&R Director of Columbia Records, guiding the careers of major stars during that era. He was also a hit-making artist in his own right, an oboist, conductor and producer who championed a style of novelty singalong pop which struck a chord with a market still recovering from the dark days of WWII. Many artists hated the material he insisted they record, but there’s no denying his success, although he never adapted to the changes that rock ‘n’ roll brought about. However, right through into the 1960s his series of hugely-popular “Singalong” albums defied the march of musical time. This 56-track 2-CD collection comprises selected A & B sides of his releases on the Columbia label during this era, and features all his 16 career hits including the No. 1 “Yellow Rose Of Texas”, and the top 20 entries “Tzena, Tzena, Tzena”, “Lisbon Antigua”, “Song For A Summer Night”, “March From River Kwai/Colonel Bogey” and “Children’s Marching Song”. With plenty of rousing marches, novelty songs, happy-go-lucky movie choruses and the like, it captures the essence of Mitch’s approach, and it’s one that will lift the spirits for many listeners who enjoyed his singalong style back in the day.

NEW RELEASES April 2024

ARTIST: Richard Himber TITLE: The Himber Magic: Selected Recordings 1933-41 GENRE: Easy Listening CAT NO: ACTRCD9146 FORMAT: 3CD BUY HERE: £15.00

This is another in Acrobat’s strand of collections featuring the “sweet” US orchestras of the 1930s, who entertained in ritzy hotel venues and on radio, and kept people’s spirits up during the Depression era. Richard Himber was a violinist who got a grounding in vaudeville and Tin Pan Alley, working with Rudy Vallee before forming his own orchestra in 1933 and getting a long-term engagement at New York’s Essex House Hotel. He was a versatile entertainer with sense of humour who had hits parodying other orchestras and was also a noted magician and illusionist. This great-value 76-track 3-CD collection comprises selected A and B sides from his releases on the Vocalion, Bluebird, Victor, Royale and Decca labels during this era, featuring his various orchestras – the Essex House Orchestra, his Ritz-Carlton Orchestra, the Studebaker Camion Orchestra, his Rhythmic Pyramids Orchestra, The Seven Stylists, and others. It features all his 16 career hits, including the No. 2 “Stars Fell On Alabama”, and the Top 10 entries “Footloose And Fancy Free”, “Just One Of Those Things”, “You Hit The Spot”, “Cling To Me, “Tormented”, “In The Chapel In The Moonlight” and “Day After Day”. The recordings feature performances by resident and guest vocalists, including Joey Nash, Stuart Allen, Johnny Mercer, Guy Russell, Marion Shaw, Bart Phillips, Harry Stanton and Johnny Johnson. It includes many early recordings of compositions which became Great American Songbook standards. It’s a thoroughly entertaining collection which admirably captures the spirit of the times.

ARTIST: Johnny Dankworth TITLE: African Waltz: The Singles Collection 1950-62 GENRE: Jazz CAT NO: ACTRCD9147 FORMAT: 3CD BUY HERE: £15.00

Sir John Dankworth CBE was a jazz saxophonist, clarinettist, bandleader and composer who probably did more than any other musician to introduce and promote modern jazz in the UK, becoming an internationally respected figure in the process, as well as introducing his future wife and renowned singer Cleo Laine to the jazz scene. Born in 1927, he trained at the Royal Academy of Music, and in post-war years played on transatlantic liners enabling him to see and play jazz in New York. After playing with Charlie Parker at the 1949 Paris Jazz Festival he formed the Johnny Dankworth Seven in 1950, eventually developing to a big band in 1953. His early recordings came out on singles and EPs, and even as he turned increasingly towards albums, he continued to release singles on a regular basis. This 75-track 3-CD collection comprises most of the A & B sides of his UK releases on the Jazz Parade, Esquire, Parlophone, Capitol, Columbia and Fontana labels from these years, and features his Top 10 UK hits “Experiments With Mice” and “African Waltz”, which also made the US charts. It features vocal performances by Dame Cleo Laine and Frank Holder, as well as performances by noted British jazz musicians, including Jimmy Deuchar, Don Rendell, Bill LeSage, Tony Kinsey, Tommy Whittle, Kenny Clare, Ronnie Ross, Alan Branscombe, Pete King and Dudley Moore. It’s a fine showcase for a noted pioneer of British jazz and a hugely innovative jazz personality.

ARTIST: Dorsey Burnette TITLE: The Rockabilly Years: The Singles & Albums Collection 1955-62 GENRE: Rock n Roll CAT NO: ADDCD3511 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Born in Memphis, Tenn., in 1932, Dorsey Burnette was the older brother of rock ‘n’ roll singer and pop star Johnny Burnette, and they shared an early career in the Rock ’N’ Roll Trio before they branched out into their respective solo careers, with Dorsey enjoying a number of hits in the pop and country charts, although overshadowed somewhat by his brother’s chart-topping achievements. In his later career during the 1970s, all his hits were in the country charts, but in the early years he was very much a rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll specialist. This great-value 63-track 2-CD collection (records were often pretty short in this era) features the A & B sides of singles on the Von, Coral Abbott, Surf, Imperial, Era, Dot, Lama & Reprise labels from these years plus selected titles from his albums “Dorsey Burnette’s Tall Oak Tree” and “Dorsey Burnette Sings”. It includes his early recordings with his brother Johnny and Paul Burlison as The Rock ‘n’ Roll Trio, and features all his chart entries from this era, including the Top 30 hit “Tall Oak Tree”, along with “Big Rock Candy Mountain”, “Hey Little One”, “The Ghost Of Billy Maloo” and “The Feminine Touch”. He was a performer very much of his era and culture, and this is a substantial showcase for the rockabilly side of his music.

ARTIST: Sue Thompson TITLE: Sad Movies: Singles & Albums Collection 1950-62 GENRE: Easy Listening CAT NO: ADDCD3512 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Born in Missouri in 1925, Sue Thompson was performing at the age of seven, but it was not until after working at a defence plant in WWII and having a daughter in a failed marriage that she started singing professionally at the end of the 1940s. She met and married bandleader Dude Martin and made her first records with him in 1950, going on to develop a solo career in the early 1950s, although it took the best part of a decade to make an impact on the charts, having her first hit with “Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)” in 1961, her youthful image defying the fact that she was 36 years old by then. This 59 track 2-CD collection features the A and B sides of her singles on the Mercury, Decca, Columbia and Hickory labels from these years, and the tracks from her albums “Meet Sue Thompson” and “Two Of A Kind” not otherwise released on singles. It includes releases with Dude Martin’s Round-Up Gang and Hank Penny, whom she married after divorcing Martin. It features her Top 5 US hits “Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)” and “Norman” and her other chart entries from these years “Two Of A Kind”, “If The Boy Only Knew”, “Have A Good Time” and “James (Hold The Ladder Steady)”. She was a highly versatile performer, equally at home with the country-flavoured material where she started her career and to which she gravitated in later years, and the teen-styled pop with which she enjoyed her success, and this a fairly comprehensive overview of the first decade and more of her career.

ARTIST: Curley Weaver TITLE: The Georgia Guitar Wizard 1928-50 GENRE: Blues CAT NO: ADDCD3513 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Acrobat has devoted a number of collections to the blues guitarists and singers who represent what is known as the Piedmont school of blues – artists whose roots were in the region surrounding Atlanta, Georgia, and developed a fairly distinctive style of blues during the late 1920s and through the ‘30s, the best-known names including Blind Blake, Barbecue Bob, Blind Willie McTell, Josh White, Blind Boy Fuller and Buddy Moss. Curley Weaver was another prominent Piedmont bluesman, and an especially noted guitarist who was often invited to play on sessions with artists mentioned above, and whose recording career, albeit fitfully, extended through to 1950. This 50-track 2-CD collection comprises recordings under his own name for the Columbia, QRS, Okeh, Banner, Vocalion, Decca, Sittin’ In With and Regal labels. It includes recordings which were duets with Eddie Mapp, Ruth Willis, Fred McMullen, Clarence Moore and Blind Willie McTell along with titles where he performed as a member of the Georgia Cotton Pickers alongside Barbecue Bob and Buddy Moss, and The Georgia Browns, and on which he accompanied Buddy Moss or Blind Willie McTell. It’s a great showcase for a lesser-known blues luminary who nevertheless made a considerable contribution to the Piedmont sub-genre.

ARTIST: The Radio Four TITLE: The Classic Decade: The Singles Collection 1952-62 GENRE: Gospel CAT NO: ADDCD3514 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Acrobat has recently been adding to its catalogue of collections featuring the gospel groups of the 1950s, who were part of the burgeoning gospel scene at a time when there were opportunities to perform at major venues and opportunities to record for labels with access to mass markets, and during an era when sanctified soul was laying the groundwork for the developing secular soul scene. The Radio Four, originally comprising various brothers from the Babb family, came from Kentucky, and after performing in different line-ups through the 1940s, first came to the fore around 1950 on radio WHOP in Hopkinsville, where one of the brothers Dr. Morgan Babb hosted a show. This led to their signing to the Tennessee label, with most of their recording being done for Nashville-based labels during this era. This 48-track 2-CD collection comprises most of their releases during these years on the Tennessee, Republic and Nashboro labels, only omitting titles of which mastering sources could not be located. It includes recordings made accompanying label colleagues Madame Edna Gallmon Cooke and Sister Lucille Barbee during this time, where they were named as accompanists on the record label. They were perhaps one of the less flamboyant and high-profile of the gospel groups of this era, but they were a highly-regarded ensemble, and in Morgan Babb had an outstanding lead singer.

NEW RELEASES March 2024

ARTIST: Chick Webb & His Orchestra TITLE: All The Hits & More 1929-39 GENRE: Jazz CAT NO: ACQCD7183 FORMAT: 4CD BUY HERE: £19.00

Chick Webb was a jazz and swing drummer and bandleader who enjoyed huge success and popularity during the 1930s before his career was tragically cut short by his death from spinal tuberculosis in 1939 at the age of 34. He was renowned for introducing the teenaged Ella Fitzgerald to the scene as his featured vocalist. With a much-admired powerful virtuoso drumming technique, he was a highly influential figure, paving the way for the likes of Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich and Louie Bellson. This 98-track 4-CD collection comprises most of his releases under his own name on the Brunswick, Vocalion, Columbia, Okeh and Decca labels, plus early recordings with the Jungle Band. It contains a significant number of recordings featuring Ella Fitzgerald, who performed on several of his 17 career hits, all of which are included here, most notably the No. 1 “A-Tisket, A-Tasket”. Also featured is his original version of “Stompin’ At The Savoy”, plus many other classics of the era – “Don’t Be That Way”, “You’ll Have To Swing It”, “Rock It For Me”, “Undecided”, “T’Ain’t What You Do” and more. Other vocalists featured are Taft Jordan, Louis Jordan, Chuck Richards, Charles Linton and Louis Bacon, with his bands also including many notable names of the era. It’s a substantial and fairly comprehensive overview of his recording career, and a highly entertaining showcase for his distinctive approach, not to mention his important work with Ella Fitzgerald as an emerging star of the day.

ARTIST: Jimmy Witherspoon TITLE: Ain't Nobody's Business: The Singles Collection 1945-53 GENRE: Blues CAT NO: ACTRCD9145 FORMAT: 3CD BUY HERE: £15.00

Born in Arkansas in 1920, Jimmy Witherspoon was one of the old school “blues shouters” of the 1940s, making his first records with Jay McShann’s band in the immediate post-war years. He enjoyed a long career, continuing to record for over 50 years until not long before his death in 1997 at the age of 77. His career had distinct phases, with the emphasis changing to a focus on the album market after the mid-1950s, and this collection addresses his formative decade or so when he recorded 78s and 45s for a variety of labels. This 78-track 3-CD collection comprises most of his releases during this era releases under his own name and with the bands of Jay McShann, Buddy Tate, Al Wichard and Lou Spreigner on the Aladdin, Mercury, Supreme, Swing Time, Down Beat and Modern labels. It features all his R&B hits from these years, including the R&B No. 1 “Ain’t Nobody’s Business”, and the Top 10 hits “Big Fine Girl”, “In The Evening”, “No Rollin’ Blues” and “The Wind Is Blowin’”. The last two are among the ‘live’ recordings in the set from Gene Norman’s famous concert promotions. It’s a substantial and reasonably comprehensive overview of the years when he established his reputation, and it’s a fine showcase for his distinctive style as a blues, R&B and jazz performer.

ARTIST: Jerry Wallace TITLE: How The Time Flies: The Early Years 1952-62 GENRE: Easy Listening CAT NO: ADDCD3507 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Jerry Wallace was a pop and country singer who built a reputation as a performer before making his recording debut for the Hollywood label Vogue, a division of Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch corporation, and moving around the labels until he ended up back at Autry’s Challenge label in 1957. He is best-known these days for his Top 10 US pop hit with “Primrose Lane” in 1959 as he made the transition into the rock ‘n’ roll era with a string of hits that lasted into the ‘70s as he gravitated to the country charts. This 55-track 2-CD collection comprises most of his A & B sides from this era on the Vogue, Allied, Mercury, Wing & Challenge labels, plus the titles from his albums “Just Jerry” and “There She Goes” not otherwise released on singles. It features all his eleven US pop hits from this era, including the Top 30 entries “How The Time Flies”, “Primrose Lane”, “There She Goes” and “Shutters And Boards”. He was an artist with a broad musical base who could readily handle old-school pop, rock ‘n’ roll and R&B-flavoured material (several of his hits made the R&B chart), along with the country style he increasingly embraced, and this collection is not only a pretty thorough trawl across his early career but an entertaining showcase for that versatility.

ARTIST: Ruby Newman & His Orchestra TITLE: Sing, Baby, Sing: Selected Recordings 1932-40 GENRE: Easy Listening CAT NO: ADDCD3508 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Ruby Newman was a bandleader who enjoyed a successful career during the 1930s as he formed a series of society orchestras to perform at the plush hotels in the cities of the US north-west, most notably the Ritz-Carlton in Boston, where he enjoyed long-term engagements over the years. He performed on radio and was one of the many “sweet orchestras” whose easy-listening dance music was a staple of popular entertainment during the Depression years, maintaining its profile even as the big swing bands began to dominate the charts. He was a close associate of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and often played at the White House. This48-track 2-CD collection comprises selected releases on the Victor, Associated,Brunswick and Decca labels from this era, featuring the various incarnations of his orchestra. It includes all his career hits including the Top 10 entries “My Silent Love”, “Sing, Baby, Sing” and “Please Come Out Of Your Dream”, plus “On Your Toes” and “So Ashamed”. The recordings feature vocal performances by Buddy Clark, Barry McKinley, Ray Morton , Adelaide Moffet, Gordon Graham, Ray Heatherton, Larry Taylor, Bob Hannon and The Funnyboners. It’s an entertaining introduction to one of the lesser-known names of the era, and a slice of pure nostalgia, as he recorded early versions of many Great American Songbook classics which were introduced during these years.

ARTIST: Dodie Stevens TITLE: Pink Shoelaces: The Singles & Album Collection 1959-62 GENRE: Easy Listening CAT NO: ADDCD3509 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Dodie Stevens shot to fame as a 13-year-old when she was given a chance to record, having been spotted in a local show, and had a US pop No. 3 with “Pink Shoelaces” in 1959. It launched her on a brisk chart career which lasted a year or two, returning to the business in the late ‘60s and ‘70s after raising a family. She was a fascinating example of that strand of young artists who had chart success in the teen pop style, but whose underlying musical influences were those of a former era, a feature which emerged in her albums. This 52-track 2-CD collection comprises the A & B sides of her singles in the Crystalette and Dot labels from this era, plus the titles from her Dot albums “Dodie Stevens”, “Over the Rainbow” and “Pink Shoelaces” not otherwise released on singles. It features her US No. 3 hit “Pink Shoelaces” and her other career hits “Yes Sir-Ee”, “Five Pennies”, “Miss Lonely Hearts”, “No” and “Yes, I’m Lonesome Tonight”. It’s a comprehensive overview of the first and most significant era of her career, and is an entertaining showcase for a talented young performer who belied her youth, and successfully projected herself as being way beyond her years.

ARTIST: Marion Williams & The Stars Of Faith TITLE: Four Classic Albums & More1958-62 GENRE: Gospel CAT NO: ADDCD3510 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Marion Williams & The Stars Of Faith were one of the extremely popular and successful gospel groups of the late 1950s and early ‘60s who helped bridge the gap between gospel and the secular soul styles which emerged during that era. Marion Williams was a powerful and impassioned singer who made her name during the 1950s as a member of The Famous Ward Singers before falling out with Clara Ward and forming her own group The Stars Of Faith as well as making solo records. This 51-track 2-CD collection comprises the titles from her album on the Gospel label “Somebody Bigger Than You And I”, plus those from The Stars Of Faith albums on the Savoy label, “The Stars Of Faith” and “The Upper Room - The Beloved Songs Of Lucie Campbell”, along with their VeeJay album “God And Me”. In addition there are titles from Gospel and Savoy singles not otherwise featured on albums, which also include a title from their “O Holy Night” album. It’s a fairly thorough overview of their output from their sessions during the first years of their career as a group as well as showcasing Marion Williams’ talents as a solo performer, and it’s an uplifting and exciting compilation of inspiring gospel music.

NEW RELEASES February 2024

ARTIST: Cootie Williams TITLE: Concerto For Cootie: Selected Recordings 1928-32 GENRE: Jazz CAT NO: ACQCD7182 FORMAT: 4CD BUY HERE: £19.00

Charles Melvin “Cootie” Williams was a jazz trumpeter, born in Mobile Alabama in 1911, who enjoyed a lengthy career as a sideman and bandleader, and was especially renowned for his associations with Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman. This collection takes its title “Concerto For Cootie” from a tune Duke Ellington composed in his honour. This collection is designed as a companion to a new biography of Cootie written by noted US writer and jazz researcher Steve Bowie which is being published by the University Press of Mississippi at the end of 2024. Mr. Bowie has researched, compiled and annotated this 93-track 4-CD collection, which comprises recordings made by Cootie across the first three decades and more of his career, and which represent his most important and most highly-regarded performances and collaborations. While well known for his solos with plunger muted trumpet, this collection also highlights Williams' range and versatility and virtuosity in his open trumpet and lead work. Inevitably, it features recordings made with many of the greatest names in jazz, swing and R&B, including not only Ellington and Goodman, but Charlie Christian, Charlie Parker, Pearl Bailey, Bud Powell, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Rex Stewart, Johnny Hodges and many more. There have been very few products of this substance devoted specifically to Cootie Williams, so this will be a welcome addition offering an insight into his music and a varied and fascinating showcase for his huge contribution to the genre.

ARTIST: The Original Gospel Harmonettes TITLE: The Collection 1949-62, Featuring Dorothy Love Coates GENRE: Gospel CAT NO: ACTRCD9144 FORMAT: 3CD BUY HERE: £15.00

The Original Gospel Harmonettes were one of the most popular and successful female gospel groups of the 1950s, led by the extraordinary singer and songwriter Dorothy Love Coates, who was also their primary composer, as well as being a leading civil rights activist. The group was formed in the late 1940s and recorded briefly for RCA until being joined by Coates, and signing to Specialty, where they were a major influence on future rock ‘n’ roll luminary Little Richard. Their music was characterised by an energy and intensity which often transcended its spiritual foundations and took it very close to crossing over into secular soul and R&B styles. This 70-track 3-CD collection comprises the A & B sides of releases on the RCA, Specialty, Andex and Savoy labels during this era, along with titles from their Savoy albums “A Gospel Concert” and “My Father’s Children” albums not otherwise released on singles. It also features their amazing 18-minute medley from the Great Shrine Auditorium Concert in 1955. This substantial collection captures the group at the peak of their powers in the core era of their career and it is an inspiring and uplifting showcase for their collective talents and particularly those of Dorothy Love Coates.

ARTIST: Cliff "Ukulele Ike" Edwards TITLE: All The Hits And More 1924-40 GENRE: Country CAT NO: ADDCD3498 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Cliff Edwards was a singer, musician and actor, who specialised in accompanying himself on the ukulele and acquired the nickname ‘Ukulele Ike’, which appeared on the record labels of most of his releases. His roots were in vaudeville and he specialised in jazzy renditions of vaudeville and pop standards, along with his stylised renditions of Broadway and Hollywood hits of the era, as well as pure novelty material. He also had movie roles, and is best-known for providing the voice of Jiminy Cricket in Walt Disney’s animated movie “Pinocchio”. He had thirty hits during his career, which are all included in this 50-track 2-CD collection along with selected releases on the Banner, Pathe, Columbia, Brunswick, Vocalion, Melotone and Victor labels during these years, some where he accompanies himself on ukulele and others where he performs with his jazz group The Hot Combination, which on occasions including musicians like Red Nichols, Jimmy Dorsey, Eddie Lang, Joe Venuti, Adrian Rollini and Ray Bauduc. It features his No. 1 hits “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” and “Singin’ In The Rain”, and other classics like “It Had To Be You”, “Paddlin’ Madeleine Home”, Dinah”, “Sunday”, “Mary Ann” and “When You Wish Upon A Star”, the last-named being his performance from “Pinocchio”, which was the final hit of his career. He was a highly individual and distinctive performer, and this collection offers an entertaining cross-section of his work.

ARTIST: Barbecue Bob TITLE: Barbecue Blues: The Collection 1927-30 GENRE: Blues CAT NO: ADDCD3499 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Born Robert Hicks in Georgia in 1902, Barbecue Bob was an early exponent of the Piedmont style of blues, and was a contemporary around the Atlanta scene of artists like Blind Blake, Josh White, Curley Weaver, Blind Willie McTell, Buddy Moss and others. He had a distinctive guitar style, using the “frailing” technique as well as using a bottleneck on a 12-string guitar, and acquired his stage name because he was working as a barbecue chef when he did his first recordings, and publicity shots featured him in his chef’s outfit. His career was tragically curtailed when he died from tuberculosis and pneumonia in 1931 at the age of 29. This 47-track 2-CD collection comprises a significant proportion of his career recordings on the Columbia label, and includes recordings with his brother Charlie “Laughing Charley” Lincoln, and with Curley Weaver and Buddy Moss as The Georgia Cotton Pickers. It includes his “Motherless Child”, a song regularly performed by Eric Clapton, along with his famous song “Mississippi Heavy Water Blues”, inspired by the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. He is one of those blues artists who is not widely known but whose music helps to appreciate the nuances of the Piedmont blues tradition.

ARTIST: Skeets McDonald TITLE: Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes: The Singles Collection 1957-62 GENRE: Country CAT NO: ADDCD3500 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

Born Enos William McDonald in Arkansas in 1915, Skeets McDonald was a honky-tonk country and rockabilly singer, who acquired his nickname from calling mosquitoes “skeets” as a child. He had a band in Detroit in the 1930s and after war service worked on radio in Dearborn, Michigan, where he made his first records for the Fortune label before moving to Los Angeles, performing on radio on Hometown Jubilee and Town Hall Party, and signing to Capitol. He is best known for his 1952 country No. 1 with Slim Willet’s “Don’t Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes”, which Perry Como took to the top of the pop charts. This 58-track 2-CD collection comprises selected A & B sides on the Citation, Fortune, London, Mercury, Capitol and Columbia labels from these years, and features his No 1 country hit “Don’t Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes” and his other hit from this era “This Old Heart”. It features not only country material but also forays into rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll, with Eddie Cochran playing guitar on Skeets’ recording of “You Oughta See Grandma Rock”. He went on to have a couple more hits in the 1960s, but this collection captures him during what was probably the primary era of his career, and it’s an enjoyable showcase for his particular brand of country

ARTIST: Hoosier Hot Shots TITLE: Breezin' Along: The Singles Collection 1935-46 GENRE: Easy Listening CAT NO: ADDCD3506 FORMAT: 2CD BUY HERE: £12.00

The Hoosier Hot Shots were a quartet of American musicians from Indiana, hence their name, although no-one knows the exact origins of the term ‘hoosier’ as applied to natives of Indiana. Their music defied categorisation, but largely comprised novelty material played in a style that somehow combined jazz, swing and country, using a variety of instruments, from brass and woodwind through to novelty implements like bicycle horns, bells and slide whistles. Their washboard and other artefacts from the band are now in the collection of the Indiana State Museum. They recorded novelty songs and versions of vaudeville and pop standards, powered by a frantic, freewheeling instrumental virtuosity, grounded in comedy and whimsicality but always brilliantly performed. They performed on stage, on radio and in movies and started to record in 1935. This 51-track 2-CD collection comprises selected recordings on the Vocalion, Banner, Melotone, Conqueror and Decca labels from these years, and features their hits “Breezin’ Along With The Breeze”, “Red Hot Fannie”, “The Man With The Whiskers”, “Annabelle”, “She Broke My Heart In Three Places” and “Someday (You’ll Want Me To Want You)”, along with classics like “Beer Barrel Polka”, “When There Are Tears In The Eyes Of The Potato” and “O-Hi-O”. It’s a thoroughly entertaining showcase for one of the most unusual acts of the era.

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