The latest volumes in this much-loved, highly-acclaimed series presenting the music of the Windrush milieu: the post-war, London recordings of West Indians and West Africans, in the first wave of modern migration to Britain.
‘One of the delights of the age’ (Songlines).
’Superlative’ (Mojo); ’superlative’ (Independent); ’sensational’ (Observer).
‘Hugely evocative and poignant’ (Daily Telegraph); ’sheer joy from start to finish’ (Sunday Telegraph); ‘a witty and joyous testament’ (Guardian).
‘Impeccably curated and packaged’ (Wire).
***** Mojo, ***** Times, ***** Independent, ***** Daily Telegraph, ***** Evening Standard, ***** Metro.
Presented as a luxurious mini-book — all paper, no plastic — with suspended card sleeves for the discs. Forty pages of fabulous, previously-unseen photos and full notes, including a terrific, specially-commissioned essay by Kitch biographer Anthony Joseph.
With loving detail reproducing the label of the original Lord Kitchener 78, in all its finery. Expertly hand-printed in zinging pinkish red and canary yellow (and white and black), on Gildan ‘ultra cotton’ shirts. Bim.
‘a terrific soca compilation… a vital contemporary follow-up to London Is the Place for Me’, Village Voice; ‘*****, Compilation Of The Month’, Touch; ‘chaotic and compelling… an ace selection’, Time Out.
‘***** beautiful, deeply affecting… hard to beat as the year’s most worthwhile reissue’, The Guardian; ‘magnificent… wonderfully austere’, Time Out.
Exhilarating reggae music from Stoke Newington, north east London, made by soundboys on a Casio and a drum machine, in a room over Eddie Regal’s record shop.
The classic original album, plus a crazy load of extras, including crucial Upsetters like Fever, Hail To Power, The Long Way, etc etc.
Mad bargain.
Spank Rock’s producer actually, XXX-Change.
Championed by Jay-Z and Kanye West, the Chicagoan MC finally makes his full-length debut.
‘Classic Vinyl’ series.
His first session for Blue Note, with a killer lineup: Sonny Clark, Lee Morgan (just nineteen), Doug Watkins and Art Blakey.
The bluesy Nutville and latinized Minor Move are Brooks originals. He takes a jacking reading of Jerome Kern’s The Way You Look Tonight for his own. Star Eyes is borrowed from Bird, showing off Lee Morgan, with a magical, inimitable solo by Sonny Clark.
A five-star hard-bop Blue Note. The CD is in the Connoisseur Edition.