‘superlative’, Mojo; ‘sensational’, The Observer; ‘hugely evocative and poignant’, Daily Telegraph; ‘*****’ The Times, Metro; ‘sheer joy from start to finish’, Sunday Telegraph.

A top-quality, hard-enamel lapel pin (with back post and gold-metal clutch); the size of a 2p coin.
New colours.

‘Verve By Request.’

His masterful 1971 production, marshalling a stunning lineup bringing jazz luminaries like Monty Alexander, Jim Hall, Freddie Hubbard, Jerome Richardson and Jaki Byard together with up and coming names like Grady Tate, Bob James, Joe Sample and Eric Gale. Highlights include a hard-swinging, show-stopping, big-band version of What’s Going On, with Valerie Simpson at the mic; a lovely Cast Your Fate To The Wind; and a couple of funky do-overs of stuff off the TV, in particular Hikky Burr, nailed down by the great Carol Kaye on bass guitar.

‘A certain sense of untamed control, which makes him one of the best’ (Bob Dylan).
Classic hard-core Kentucky music, from three sessions — in 1961, 1964 and 1974.

Out originally in 1979, on the Wackies’ imprint Hardwax. (The original cover celebrated the first year of Honest Jon’s new reggae shop Maroons Tunes, Bullwackies’ UK distributor.)
Leroy Sibbles and Joe Auxumite, Drifter and Skylarking… Sibbles guides a tough selection, as well as sharing bass duties. There are versions of his classic composition Guiding Star and stylish Wackies heavyweight, This World; and Tribute To Studio One reworks Heptones Gonna Fight / Hail Don D. as modern steppers, with the kit-drums — as throughout this album — supplemented effectively by the in ting from Japan. Drifter and Skylarking put in appearances; and two full Joe Auxumite vocals from the solo album scheduled for release around this time, but abandoned when most of the tapes were lost. A dub version of Delroy Wilson’s Rain From The Skies rounds out proceedings.