Back catalogue: Blues

Review: RECOMMENDED
Talk about albums that make you realise how fine the line is between 'must buy' and 'lost forever'. Everyone who heard the first instalment in this series fell head over heels in love not just with the music itself, but the yarn it comes with. JCR was a sub-label of D-Vine Spirituals, both run and founded by none-other than the Baptist Pastor Juan D. Shipp. A radio DJ, Air Force veteran and major figure in the Memphis gospel and soul scenes, he set to trying to address the sound quality differences between the major sacred soul labels and smaller local operations. In doing so, the boss met Sun Records artist Clyde Leoppard, and found his Tempo Recording Studio. Together they would record more than 75 acts there, over 13 years. Those tapes would then be found, decades later, in a shack outside Olive Branch, Mississippi.170 or so reels pored over and restored to create this album, and its predecessor.

Review: It seems like every day we get a brand new and equally essential compilation from Wagram drop on our shelves. Whether it's techno, soul, rare funk or all manner of weird and wonderful world music forms, they know how to dig deep and come up with the goods. On this latest collection, the French curators look to the vast world of gospel. Specifically, this one serves to highlight Classics By Gospel Masters: Vintage Sounds so is a great introduction for anyone new to this world and wanting to hear some of the highlights from its golden era and richest voices.