With his odd rhythmic spacing, discordant resolves and his circular yet angular compositional style, Thelonious Monk remains one of the most singular figures in all of jazz, and virtually every one of his recordings is as enigmatic as the pianist himself was. This set combines his five albums for Columbia Records, 1962's Criss Cross and Monk's Dream, 1964's Solo Monk, 1966's Straight, No Chaser, and 1967's Underground, in a single package, and anyone thinking Monk wasn't as vital during those years really needs to hear this stuff. It's classic Monk, and this collection is a great way to get it in a single swoop.

Barbara McNair is certainly not the only singer to get lost in the shuffle at Motown at the company's mid-'60s zenith, but her tenure there seemed particularly star-crossed – as this 48-track Ultimate Motown Collection illustrates, much of her finest material was inexplicably withheld from release (in particular the much-bootlegged Northern soul classic "Baby a Go-Go"), while official singles like "My World Is Empty Without You" were issued in the wake of existing hit renditions by other Motown artists. But McNair boasted a genuinely sophisticated, sexy style that was unique in the Motown canon, and her voice – though by no means a powerhouse – is nevertheless stronger and more affecting than Diana Ross, whose hand-me-downs she often received. Compiling her full-lengths Here I Am and The Real Barbara McNair, the unreleased Barbara McNair Sings Smokey, non-LP singles, and rare vault material, this two-disc set finally pays McNair the respect she's always deserved – complete with informative liner notes and excellent sound, it's tough to imagine a better representation of her music.

Combining nu-metal with serious pop polish and structure, Alien Ant Farm always felt like a band that lived in two worlds: not quite heavy enough to be metal, but a little too fast-paced for the pop set. And while Alien Ant Farm's genre might be unclear, their entry in the 20th Century Masters series gives fans a bird's-eye view of their career and another opportunity to try nailing down what these guys were up to. Given the musicianship on tracks like "Movies" and their cover of the Michael Jackson classic "Smooth Criminal," while it might be hard to describe, it sure did work.

Mark E Smith and The Fall are currently having their back catalogue reassessed by Cherry Red Records. The latest in what looks like a long line of forthcoming releases is ‘1982’. Featuring 2 acclaimed albums, a clutch of session tracks and 2 live albums plus a fresh 4,000 word essay by Daryl Easlea, this collection is a majestically compiled dive into the vaults of this much lauded band…

This single CD set effectively completes the series, and is the companion product to our existing First British Hit Parade.

Presented here are a dozen sizzling ballads from the mighty Stephanie Mills, one of the '90s finest female vocalists. MCA Records makes sure Ms. Dynamo's reputation carries into the millennium with this emotionally charged set which includes her roasting rendition of Peabo Bryson's "Feel the Fire" and the gospel-ish "Power of Love."

Café del Mar was opened on Ibiza on the 20th of June 1980. The concept was quite simple: Music for the fantastic sunset view. In its early days Café del Mar has been a well-known meeting point for the locals and an inspiration for artists and writers. In the 90s it has developed into one of the most famous spots on Ibiza, which often was chosen for big media-events of MTV, BBC Radio 1 or Channel 4. But most of all Café del Mar is well-known worldwide for their annual chillout compilations. The first official Café del Mar CD was released in 1994, based on the big amount of requests by the fans of the Café. It was a worldwide success and became the starting point to a range, which has gained a great reputation and millions of sales. Café del Mar 35th Anniversary now delivers a wide musical overview on the previous 35 years of this great location. Here you'll find contributions from fantastic acts like Art Of Noise, John Williams, Nightmares On Wax, Moby and M83.

The doo wop, gospel, blues, girl group and ballad scenes of Los Angeles fused to make it one major soul city.Ace has very strong links with Los Angeles labels such as Modern, Combo, Flash, Flip, Mirwood, Money, Doré and Era, most of which had notable soul singles in their catalogues. Couple that with our many licensing deals of music made in that city and it is safe to say Los Angeles is just about our main area of expertise.

Mizell is a 2005 compilation album credited to The Mizell Brothers. Fonce & Larry Mizell were brothers who played on tons of jazz recordings on Blue Note Records in the 1970's and these are some of the best, featuring work by Donald Byrd, Gary Bartz and Bobbi Humphrey. This was released by Blue Note.

Limited three CD edition. Digitally remastered and expanded edition of the 1975 live album from the Italian Prog band. Features the original live album on Disc One plus an additional two CD live set recorded in Central Park in 1974…

By the time the strident sound of original dancehall came to dominate the Jamaican music scene at the close of the Seventies, Sonia Pottinger had long been established as one of the island’s most influential figures. Since first making her mark as a producer of note in the mid-Sixties, she had remained at the forefront of the fiercely competitive industry, effortlessly adapting to changing musical styles.

2015 two CD set. Buddha-Bar has set itself as a Lounge music pioneer since the 90's. Known and recognized in France and internationally, Buddha-Bar is the lounge music reference of talent spotters in lounge and electronic music. With a subtle mix of chill, deep and electronic music influences, Buddha-Bar XVII is no exception to the savoir-faire of the little Parisian label, George V Records. Drawing inspiration from Morocco, this opus promises warmth and sensuality to take you to an enchanting dream world. Bold mixes, hypnotic compositions and aesthetic arrangements are the key components of this new selection filled with emotions. Travel from the coasts to the middle of the desert and let yourself be carried away by the warm and soothing melodies that are the signature of the very first opus of the music collection.

If one had to point to a single initial salvo that launched the garage rock revival movement in the 1970s and ‘80s, it would have to be the release of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era 1965-1968 in 1972. Elektra Records had approached rock critic Lenny Kaye (not yet the guitarist with the Patti Smith Group) with the notion of compiling an album of great, overlooked rock tunes, but what Kaye came up with was something significantly different – an overview of the great, wild era when American bands, goaded by the British Invasion, began honing in on a tougher and more eclectic rock & roll sound, and kids were reawakened to the possibilities of two guitars, bass, and drum…

Showaddywaddy had more UK hits in the 1970s than any other act…including Abba. From their winning appearance on an edition of ‘New Faces’, the ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ of the day, to become runners-up in the series’ ‘All Winners Final’, it took just a matter of months until the band released and secured their debut hit, ‘Hey Rock And Roll’, which reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart…

One of the first of the blissed-out rave acts to storm the charts, and also one of the longest lasting, the Future Sound of London deserved a good singles compilation, and fortunately they get one with the Virgin retrospective Teachings from the Electronic Brain. Their highest moments were virtually always their singles, and short-form tracks offer a much easier path to understanding the music of Brian Dougans and Garry Cobain than their occasionally bloated LPs. Teachings from the Electronic Brain neglects nothing of real value, beginning with their first chart hit ("Papua New Guinea") and grabbing the best tracks from their albums Accelerator ("Expander"), Lifeforms (the title track), the live-in-the-studio ISDN ("Far-Out Son of Lung and the Ramblings of a Madman," "Smokin' Japanese Babe"), and Dead Cities ("We Have Explosive"). Best of all, licensing requirements prevented the addition of material from 2002's half-baked The Isness.