Great, great record store

Great, great record store

Good record stores seem to be making a comeback, but one that’s never gone away is the Jazz Record Mart in Chicago.

I’ve visited JRM several times, including Sunday, not so much for the jazz stuff but a deep selection of R&B, soul, blues and gospel music and books. I’ve written previously about my love of Southern soul and Jazz Record Mart is a great place to hunt down hard-to-find CDs or LPs if you’re a fan of soul, R&B, blues or early 20^th century roots music.

"The Hi Records Story" features artists like Al Green, O.V. Wright and Ann PeeblesI still haven’t run across an out-of-print collection of great 1960s' songs recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Ala., but did find "The Hi Records Story," a collection documenting a terrific label that operated in the shadow of Stax in the thriving Memphis scene in the 1960s and early ‘70s. I’ve previously discovered terrific gospel, R&B, rockabilly and blues discs.

Jazzmart is an eclectic place, with treasures buried all over the place. They still proudly proclaim to be the "world's largest jazz and blues record store." It’s organized in a disorganized way, and you’ll find yourself finding stuff to buy all the way up to the checkout counter. I just hope the store -- an anachronism in these digital times -- survives until the next time I return.

Stunning Southern soul collection

I’m a big fan of Southern Soul, particularly the Memphis and Muscle Shoals forms. But because there was so much fantastic music from those two areas, it’s easy to get stuck listening to Stax, Fame, Atlantic and Hi artists. Even their duds are better than most of the competition.

This year-old Southern soul collection from Ace Records is killer.But I’d encourage any fans of R&B and soul of that era to check out “Take Me to the River: A Southern Soul Story 1961-1977.”

It’s an absolutely brilliant three-CD set from Ace Records that collects 75 songs from artists and labels big and small. There's Aretha, Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, William Bell, etc., but the emphasis is on the little-known tunes or one-hit wonders. Some of the production leaves a bit to desired, but the performances are top notch top to bottom.

To top it off, the packaging is superb. The CDs come in a similar-sized hardcover book that features full glossy photos and stories behind each song.

It's pricey (I paid $48, but notice Amazon's price is now $60) but highly recommend it for fans of Southern soul, classic R&B and the roots of rock.