Here’s a classic from the early days of reggae, when the beats began to slow but you could still hear the influence of ska and rocksteady.

(more…)

George Porter Jr once considered becoming a Catholic priest. Thankfully for funk fans, he changed his mind and became bassist and singer of The Meters.

(more…)

John Paul Jones has played bass on many classic tunes with and without Led Zeppelin, but few of his contributions are more exceptional than The Lemon Song.

(more…)

Ron Carter is the epitome of class and elegance: a jazz icon best known as a member of Miles Davis’s second great quintet of the Sixties.

(more…)

Jack Bruce was widely revered in the late Sixties and early Seventies for his work as one-third of the first supergroup, Cream.

(more…)

me>

Nina Simone covered Leonard Cohen’s song Suzanne, which began life as a poem before being recorded by a multitude of artists.

(more…)

This is my favourite track on my favourite live album, recorded by The Velvet Underground in 1969 at a San Francisco club called The Matrix.

(more…)

Nick Drake teamed up with African percussionist Reebop Kwaku Baah on sessions for his classic album Five Leaves Left.

(more…)

Tony Joe White teams up with British “desert disco” duo Flying Mojito Bros on a posthumous collection of unreleased songs by the swamp rock king. (more…)

The Shaggs are the last word in the peculiar niche of bands “so bad they’re good.” Or in this case, still bad – but cult favourites.

(more…)