LET'S JUMP: SELECTED RECORDINGS 1944-51

TOUCH ME LORD JESUS: THE SINGLES COLLECTION 1949

EARLY YEARS: THE ALBUMS COLLECTION 1957-61

SITTIN' ON TOP OF THE WORLD: THE COLLECTION

ESSENTIAL RAY BRYANT: TRIO & SOLO ALBUMS 1956-59

The Original Five Blind Boys of Mississippi were one of the premier gospel groups of what was a golden age for gospel in the immediate post-war decades, as the music developed it's more commercial stylings and positioning from it's traditional roots. Acrobat already has on catalogue a 2-CD set devoted to the group's earlier career ("The Five Blind Boys Of Mississippi 1943-54" Acrobat ADDCD3003), and this collection picks up the story from that point with only a couple of titles duplicated on the two collections. This 48-track 2-CD collection comprises just about all the A&B sides of their singles on the Peacock and Vee Jay labels from these years, plus the tracks from their Peacock album "Precious Memories", not otherwise featured on singles, and their Checker album "I'll Go". It features performances in what was known as the "hard gospel" style of the day, with the line-up including renowned lead singer and songwriter Archie Brownlee, fellow songwriter Lloyd Woodard, and after Brownlee's tragic death from pneumonia in 1960 at the age of 34, another distinctive lead voice of Roscoe Robinson. They were a hugely popular and influential group, and this collection captures them at the height of their powers.

MANY MOODS OF BUDDY COLE: SEVEN CLASSIC ALBUMS

I'M MAD: THE EARLY YEARS COLLECTION 1953-62

Vinyl LP pressing. A giant of the R&B and pop scenes in the 1950s and 60s, Roy Hamilton's nickname "The Golden Boy of Song" was richly deserved. A mentor to Elvis Presley, and the only act Jerry Lee Lewis never wanted to follow on stage, Hamilton's beautiful baritone voice was carefully honed and crafted. His versions of pop standards, like "You'll Never Walk Alone", and "Unchained Melody" have not only stood the test of time, they have become the benchmarks of how ballads should be sung. The fact that Hamilton's music is rarely heard today is a tragedy and underlines the need for a collection of this gifted performer's music. Beyonce clearly felt the same way, having sampled Hamilton's "Don't Let Go" on the prelude to "Texas Hold 'Em" on her "Cowboy Carter" album. For decades his family has lobbied to have Hamilton inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. Listen to this fabulous collection, and you will see why he deserves wider recognition as we take in "You'll Never Walk Alone", "Ebb Tide", "Unchained Melody", "Everybody's Got A home", "Pledging My Love" and "You Can Have Her" along with many more

MADMAN OF THE GUITAR: SINGLES COLLECTION 1947-55

MERCY MR. PERCY: THE SINGLES COLLECTION 1951-61

CANDY STORE BLUES: THE SINGLES & ALBUMS COLLECTION

The Soul Stirrers - Never Turn Back: The Singles Collection 1940-49 / The Soul Stirrers were one of the most noted gospel groups of the post-war decades, although they were formed as long ago as the 1930s, becoming one of the innovative groups during the 1940s who moved from the traditional "flatfooted" highly arranged quartet style towards the freer "hard gospel" style of the new era. They are perhaps most famous for the period during the 1950s when the future soul legend Sam Cooke was with the group and got a hugely significant grounding the business, but among cognoscenti they are equally renowned for this period, when their lead singer was Rebert "R.H." Harris, who introduced the "swing lead" style as two singers exchanged lead vocals to build emotional intensity. This 48-track 2-CD collection comprises releases on the Bronze, Down Beat, Harlem and 20th Century labels during this era followed by most of their substantial body of recordings made for the Aladdin label from 1947 to 1949 before they joined the Specialty label, and were joined by Sam Cooke. They were one of the most influential gospel groups of the day and this collection offers, we hope, a substantial, inspiring and uplifting showcase for their bold and distinctive approach to gospel music during what was a golden era for the genre.

He is a stylish and fluent improviser and these early titles are an enjoyable showcase for his distinctive approach to jazz guitar.- Kenny Burrell is an American modern jazz guitarist, composer, bandleader and educator, born in 1931 and still alive at the age of 94 as these notes are being written. Making his recording debut in 1951, he became a valued and versatile sideman, recording and performing prolifically for over 65 years through to 2015, in a huge variety of recording settings. He also recorded and performed leading his own bands, and quite early in his career recorded a number of sessions under his own name for Alfred Lion's Blue Note label, from which came his first albums, all taking advantage of the opportunity for extended performances on the new LP format. This 21- track 2-CD set comprises titles from those sessions for Blue Note during his early years as a bandleader, and features all the titles from the Blue Note albums "Introducing Kenny Burrell", "Kenny Burrell" and "Blue Lights Vol. 1" and most of the titles from the album "Blue Lights Vol. 2". Musicians in his groups include tenor saxophonist Frank Foster, pianists Tommy Flanagan, Duke Jordan and Bobby Timmons, bassists Oscar Pettiford, Paul Chambers and Sam Jones, drummers Shadow Wilson, Kenny Clarke and Art Blakey, trumpeter Louis Smith, tenor saxophonists Frank Foster, Junior Cook and Tina Brooks and percussionist Candido Camero. He is a stylish and fluent improviser and these early titles are an enjoyable showcase for his distinctive approach to jazz guitar.

BEAT ME DADDY: THE SINGLES COLLECTION 1939-47

THAT'S THE STUFF: THE SINGLES COLLECTION 1940-57

Earl Coleman - Early Years: The Collection 1946-56 / Earl Coleman was one of a coterie of fine African-American jazz and R&B crooners who came to the fore during the post-war era, and which included Nat King Cole, Billy Eckstine, Johnny Hartman, and later examples like Brook Benton. Unlike some of those artists, however, his career never quite scaled the heights that his talent promised or merited, although he made some excellent records with notable artists along the way. This 2-CD collection comprises as many of his recordings we could amass - he was not a prolific recording artist, and some of his sides are hard to locate, and his work has not been very thoroughly compiled over the years. It features a significant proportion of his studio recordings during this era, both on singles for the Dial, Atlantic, Mercury, Jade and Prestige labels, and albums, including the titles from his album for the Prestige label "Earl Coleman Returns" and his performances with the Sonny Rollins Quartet for the Rollins' album "Tour de Force". Other notable bandleaders and musicians featured in the recordings are Miles Davis, Gene Ammons, Charlie Parker, Erroll Garner, Milt Jackson, Red Callender, Howard McGhee, Percy Heath, Kenny Clarke, Junior Mance, Linton Garner, Fats Navarro, Art Farmer, Gigi Gryce, Hank Jones, Oscar Pettiford, Sonny Rollins, Max Roach and other noted musicians. The willingness of those stars to invite him to record with them underlines the respect in which he was held. It's a collection which offers a rare showcase for a stylish performer who should have had much more success and recognition than he enjoyed over the years.

Little Walter Jacobs was blues harmonica player, singer, songwriter and occasional guitarist who revolutionised the way that the harmonica was played and recorded, bringing a new dimension to the blues during the 1950s. He was one of the first artists to amplify his harmonica by holding it to a microphone and maybe the first artist on any instrument deliberately to use electronic distortion as part of his range of sounds. He was a member of Muddy Waters' band, appearing on many of his records during the 1950s, but from 1952 recorded for the Chess subsidiary Checker, his releases regularly featuring a harmonica-led instrumental on one side and a vocal performance on the others. He scored an R&B No. 1 with his first solo single "Juke", and another one a few years later with what became a staple of blues bands the world over "My Babe". Little Walter became the only harmonica player to be inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame. This great value 52-track collection, with extensive booklet notes plus comprehensive discographical, chart, session and personnel information, comprises all of his Checker A & B sides from 1952 to 1960 plus two bonus tracks from 1961 and 1962, and includes all of his 15 R&B chart hits

American songstress Kitty Kallen had a remarkable career, starting in the swing era of the late '30s and extending beyond the rock 'n' roll explosion of the '50s into the early '60s, racking up a lengthy run of hits spanning two decades. She began her career as a singer with some of the most popular orchestras of the swing and big band years - Jack Teagarden, Jimmy Dorsey, Harry James and briefly with Artie Shaw - and with the Dorsey and James outfits enjoyed a dozen hits during the early '40s, including three No. 1s. As a solo artist she readily found a niche in the mainstream pop world of the late '40s and early '50s, scoring many more hits, with the career highlight being a No. 1 on both sides of the Atlantic with "Little Things mean A Lot" in 1954. She was able to maintain her popularity and profile on radio and TV through the '50s despite the rapid changes in popular taste, updating her style to ensure she had hits into the 1960s. This great-value 51-track collection covers the breadth of her career from her recording debut with Jack Teagarden in 1939, through to her last Top 20 hit in 1962, naturally including all her 31 Billboard and Cashbox chart entries, and provides an admirable showcase for her distinctive talent.

We continue our popular and successful series devoted to the biggest chart records of each calendar year in the early chart era as we focus on 1942, the second full calendar year of the Billboard Best Sellers chart - the chart was launched in July 1940. This great value 85-track 4-CD set comprises every record which appeared in the Best Sellers Top 10 during the year - the chart was restricted to ten places in those days. The big names of the swing era were very much in evidence, and the year started with Glenn Miller's "Chattanooga Choo Choo" at No. 1 and finished Dinah Shore's "Dearly Beloved" with occupying the top spot. In between, a host of other big names made their presence felt - Jimmy Dorsey, Harry James, Tommy Dorsey, Bing Crosby, Benny Goodman and others - alongside many highly collectable lesser-known records by some artists we don't hear too much about these days like Kay Kyser and Alvino Rey. It makes for an intriguing and very entertaining musical snapshot of a year when the USA had become fully embroiled in WWII and there were plenty of patriotic and sentimental wartime hits to give a period flavour, with prolific hitmaker Glenn Miller epitomising that particular strand. It includes a 10,000+ word booklet with a commentary on every record as well as full discographical and chart information

Very few instrumentalists can match the chart success of American pianist Roger Williams, who had well over thirty chart entries during his career, and came to fame with his 1955 debut hit "Autumn Leaves", which remains the only piano instrumental to reach No. 1 in the Billboard pop charts, selling over two million copies in the process. A classically-trained pianist, who also studied jazz piano at New York's renowned Juilliard School of Music, he was signed to the Kapp label after winning a talent contest, and was launched to fame with his second release for the label. This great-value 51-track 2-CD collection is drawn entirely from his A and B sides released by Kapp during the period, with the majority of his releases during the period represented by at least one side, with both the A and B sides of many of his releases included. It naturally includes all of the eighteen Billboard or Cash Box chart entries he achieved during this era, notably the Top 10 hit "Near You" as well as "Autumn Leaves", and features his versions of many of the fine melodies of the times such as "The Warsaw Concerto (The World Outside)", "Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1" and "The Skater's Waltz", characterised by lush orchestral accompaniments, plus his hit duet with singer Jane Morgan "Two Different Worlds".

Guitarist, singer and songwriter T-Bone Walker was one of the most important and influential pioneers of the electric blues sound, specially the style most closely associated with the West Coast - he was one of the first to amplify his guitar, which he had done by 1940, and was a key influence on B.B. King and Chuck Berry. This 2014 collection is about as comprehensive an anthology of his most important recordings as it is possible to achieve. It comprises 124 tracks in a terrific value 5-CD set, and effectively encompasses every track he recorded through to the end of the 1950s. Beginning with two early tracks recorded in 1929, it includes important performances from the early '40s with other leaders' bands before the many sessions he recorded under his own name for the Black & White, Capitol, Comet and Imperial labels through to the mid-'50s, along with the tracks from the LP "T-Bone Blues" which he recorded for Atlantic in 1956-7, and which many consider his finest work. It naturally includes the blues standards and chart hits for which he is best known, such as "Call it Stormy Monday", "Bobby Sox Blues" and "West End Blues". It is a fine showcase for his distinctive guitar style and sound, and an ideal purchase for anyone wanting a thorough insight.

Don Cherry was one of the relatively few big band vocalists of the late '40s who not only built a successful career as a solo performer through the era of traditional middle-of-the-road popular music during the early '50s but made the successful transition to have hits in the years after rock 'n' roll had transformed the pop landscape. He also found time to enjoy a parallel career as a top class amateur golfer and was in contention to win the 1960 US Open. This great-value 75-track 3-CD set comprises selected A and B sides for Decca and Columbia from across the first and most successful decade of his career, from his recording debut with the Victor Young orchestra in 1950 through to the end of the 1950s, by which time he had had made his final appearance in the pop Hot 100. It includes his Top 5 hits "Thinking Of You" and "Band Of Gold" along with all his other chart entries from this era. It includes performances with the orchestras of Artie Shaw, Camarata, Gordon Jenkins, Percy Faith, Norman Leyden and Ray Conniff, and it offers not only a fascinating insight into the development of his style through a dynamic decade in popular music but also an enjoyable showcase for his versatile but distinctive vocal talent.

The collection for 1959 is an excellent value 100-track 4-CD set which includes every record that appeared in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 during the year including tracks by well-known artists alongside more obscure hits by artists that never saw the light of day outside the US, such as Billy Grammer, Travis & Bob, Phil Phillips with the Twilights, Jerry Wallace with the Jewels and the Exotic Sounds of Martin Denny.

We continue our popular and successful series devoted to the biggest chart records of each calendar year in the early chart era as we focus on 1941, the first full year of the Billboard Best Sellers chart - the chart was launched in July 1940. This great value 91-track 4-CD set comprises every record which appeared in the Best Sellers Top 10 during the year, which was the first complete calendar year of the sales chart. The big names of the swing era were very much in evidence, and the year started with Artie Shaw's "Frenesi" at No. 1 and finished with Glenn Miller's "Chattanooga Choo Choo" occupying the top spot. In between, a host of other big names made their presence felt - Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Bing Crosby, Dinah Shore and others - alongside many highly collectable lesser-known records by some artists we don't hear too much about these days. It makes for an intriguing and very entertaining musical snapshot of a year when the USA was enjoying the calm before the storm of Pearl Harbour in December of that year. It includes a 10,000 word booklet with a commentary on every record as well as full discographical and chart information.