The Warner Brothers Collection covers the first three albums Ladysmith Black Mambazo recorded for the American major label in the wake of their mass exposure on Paul Simon's Graceland. There's nothing from the 1994 children's album Gift of the Tortoise, nor (naturally) is there anything from the group's smaller-scale recordings, which in the U.S. are covered by albums and compilations on Shanachie. But, given the title, you wouldn't expect that in the first place. Instead, this is a valua...   [ read more ]

CD $11.38

In direct contrast to Jack Webb's persona as the stern, but fair, Sgt. Joe Friday on the radio and television cop drama {#Dragnet}, Webb was actually a connoisseur of '50s jazz. After directing and acting in two feature films ({#Pete Kelly's Blues} and {#The D.I.}) for Warner Bros., in the late æ50s, Webb was likewise offered a two disc deal on their newly established record label. Just the Tracks, Ma'am collects both of those long-players on one limited edition compact disc. The first of...   [ read more ]

CD $25.63

Usually, it's not a good sign if a band is generally known for augmenting artists instead of their own records, but Tower of Power was really a very good horn section, and they did make records that held their own. Of course, "What Is Hip?" was the biggest single they ever had, but they also had several other smaller hits that captured their sleek, stylized soul-funk quite well, such as "Soul Vaccination." Pretty much all of those songs are captured on Rhino's 2001 anthology {^The Very Best ...   [ read more ]

CD $11.38