As instrumental compilations go, this is pretty good, and would rank higher if not for the consideration that there are more thorough and thematically coherent anthologies of 1950s and '60s rock and pop instrumentals on the market. There isn't much to unite these 18 tracks except generally high quality, and the coincidence that many of the artists have been the subject of reissue CDs in the Ace catalog. The disc is also a bit of an oddity for mixing together rock, blues, and jazz instrumentals from the late '40s through the mid-'60s instead of sticking to one genre. Still, the music is very good, including classics like Link Wray's "Rumble," Mongo Santamaria's "Watermelon Man," the Champs' "Tequila," and Lonnie Mack's "Wham!" More exciting to the collector are several rare or unexpected items, including Cannonball Adderley's "African Waltz"; Rene Hall's "Twitchy," which, despite its 1953 date, is pretty close to full-formed rock & roll; Elmore James' "Hawaiian Boogie"; the rare 1965 "Blue Groove" single by Sir Isaac & the Doo-Dads, Sir Isaac being Isaac Hayes; Maxwell Davis' Batman-like "Super Chase," from an album recorded for an imaginary movie; Johnny Gilliam's "Mission Impossible" theme; and Brother Jack McDuff's organ-jazz take on the "Pink Panther" theme. ~ Richie Unterberger
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