Soul — In Stock — CDs  

Mid 80s soul from Detroit's Colonel Abrams – One of the first artists to take the then burgeoning house sound into the mainstream – paired up with nicely grooving modern soul vibe! Includes the his "Trapped" and "I'm Not Gonna Let", with those bright and bumping... read more

An excellent second album by Barbara Acklin – and a perfect demonstration of her really unique Chicago soul talents! Acklin's really at the cusp of two generations here – at one level still with some of the sweetness of the earlier style of 60s girl soul, but at another full of the... read more

A massive look at the mighty pairing of Cannonball Adderley and David Axelrod – a partnership that's way more than just jazz musician and producer! Axelrod's talents in the studio are many, but his greatest heights were possibly reached in collaboration with Cannonball – a relationship... read more

Incredible work from the obscure African Music Machine – a southern funk combo led by bassist Louis Villery – a legendary batch of funky singles, finally brought together as a full album! The band has a very unique sound that involves a lot of rolling bubbling basslines, spacey organ... read more

A killer album of Afro Funk – with a very unusual origin! In the wake of Manu Dibango's big hit (and some kind of failure to register the copyright), many many versions of "Soul Makossa" were recorded and released, some good, some bad. This album is a good example of that... read more

Smoking grooves from an incredible group – the amazing Afro Blues Quintet, a combo with a sound like no other! These guys were never one for stardom, but during the mid and late 60s, they burned up the west coast scene with an incredible blend of vibes, piano, and reeds – often kicked... read more

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An obscure Afro Funk combo from the early 70s – produced by Ronnie Lane of The Faces, who may very well have been inspired by Ginger Baker's love of the style! The record's got some pretty heavy guitar work, and there's lots of funky rock running through the grooves – so those African-i... read more

The standout set from Donna Allen – a real up-and-comer in 80s soul music, and a singer who'll always be remembered for this gem of an album! The record's got a positive, upbeat groove that works perfectly with Allen's vocals – a style that's bit lighter and more fluid than some of the... read more

A fantastic bit of spacey soul – and an amazing collaboration between the Mizell Brothers and vocalist Rance Allen! The set's quite different than Rance's earlier, rootsier work for Stax – and instead has the soaring, joyous quality of some of the other great Mizell productions from... read more

The only album ever from Allspice – but a hell of an incredible soul record – and one that's kept the group's name strong with collectors and rare groove fanatics for years! The album's on of the best Fantasy Records productions by Wayne Henderson and his At Home team – and like... read more

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Amazing work by a group that you've probably never heard of! The Ambassadors are an incredible Philly soul harmony group – of the sort that never made it out of the city in the pre-Philly International years, but who had a polish and quality that was every bit as great as bigger-name acts... read more

One of the only albums ever cut by Maxi Anderson – a hell of a soul singer who's lent her talents to a number of sessions over the years, but who sounds especially great here in the lead! Anderson's got a vibe that's almost like Minnie Riperton at the time – a warmly glowing approach... read more

Some of the funkiest female soul ever recorded – the near-complete work of James Brown diva Vicki Anderson, compiled here officially for the first time ever! Vicki was one of the first female singers to work with James – replacing the sweeter style of vocalist Anna King in the James... read more

Pre funk, perhaps, but mightily storming soul singles from Vicki Anderson – James Brown productions from the mid 60s to the end of the decade – incredible stuff that's been a bit underappreciated in a world of funky compilations, yet no less incredible and even more diversely soulful... read more

A masterful set of recordings from Chicago soul chanteuse Ruby Andrews – tunes she cut for Zodiac Records between 1967 and 1973! Ruby could handle any soul style her producers threw her way, be it driving dancefloor stompers or pure torch balladry, but she had a way of infusing everything... read more

The only compilation of 60s female soul trio The Apollas we've ever seen – beautiful tunes with sweet and soulful vocals, big emotions and excellent arrangements – fantastic stuff from the trio, earlier material recorded as The Lovejoys and solo numbers by singer Leola Jiles! We'd love... read more

A funky treasure trove from Apple & The Three Oranges – a group we hardly know at all, but who really blow us away with the cuts on this collection! The groove is plenty hard right from the get-go – the best of the funky 45 underground of the early 70s – which means that... read more

A mid 70s winner from Ashford & Simpson – one of their earlier efforts, and a record that finds them fleshed out as a top notch act of their end – even if it'd be yeas before they'd net the kind of huge chart success that they deserved! Come As You Are is filled with solid soul... read more

Sublimely satisfying work from Ashford & Simpson – a stone killer from the height of their late 70s glory days on Warner Brothers! The pair are working together wonderfully at this point – wrapped up in that blend of upbeat soul and righteous undercurrents that made them a real cut... read more

Dang, these guys could never miss! Even in later years, Ashford and Simpson were still going strong – working here in a wonderfully mellow style that's as soulful for the moment as their mid 70s groovers were for that time. The album's got a sweet modern style that's pretty much in the... read more

The title's certainly right on this one – because Atlantic Starr serve up a really brilliant blend of electro funk and mainstream soul – balanced with that near-perfect sound that made them one of the best groups of their generation! Despite the size of the combo, the sound is... read more

A groovy little classic from Atlantic Starr – and a great example of the group's wonderfully catchy way of hitting a groove! The music's never pop, but has some captivating hooks all the way through – sweet little bits mixed in with the funky soul approach of the ensemble – made... read more

The image on the cover is a great summation of the Aurra magic – a sweet blend of male and female vocals with plenty of soul – woven together in ways that are quite different from more cliched duet modes of earlier years! The grooves are at the center of the record – set out... read more

Great grooves from Aurra – a group with a sound that's rooted in the late 70s funk of Slave, but which is given a whole new life at Salsoul by fearless leader Stephen Washington! The album's tight and right on the money at the very first note – heavy on bass, but not in a way that's... read more

CTI Masters, and then some – a collection that features one full album from Patti Austin, plus lots of bonus tracks too! The first 10 tracks on the album comprise the classic End Of The Rainbow debut for CTI – wonderfully warm soul from the great Patti Austin – a key artist in... read more

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One of the greatest and most historically important compilations ever put together by our friends at Light In The Attic – the first ever (!!!) anthology devoted to Stax sax great Charles "Packy" Axton! Packy was a founding member of the Mar-Keys and a cat who played with the best... read more

What can we say? This is one of the greatest soul soundtracks ever! In a market that was dominated by the big-selling Shaft and Superfly albums, Roy slipped in this masterful blend of jazzy vibes and wah wah funk that's easily one of the best-composed records of the blacksploitation genre! The... read more

One of the rarest and greatest Roy Ayers albums of all time – the sly, funky and spiritual masterpiece He's Coming from 1971 – really the beginning of the funk years from Roy Ayers Ubiquity! This one's a totally solid mix of soulful jazz, jazzy soul and righteous funk – and it's... read more

Roy Ayers in a seductive mid 80s mode – his first for Columbia – and a record with some incredibly nice moments that blow away most of his contemporaries! The synth soul and drum machine era might seem like an odd fit for Roy's jazzy vibes, but it actually works really well here! You... read more

One of Roy Ayers' best-remembered albums of the 70s – a sublime blend of mellow numbers and some of his more club-oriented grooves of the time – all wrapped together with a genius that we can only describe as Ayers-like! The album's a beautiful example of the balance that Roy was... read more

An incredible album by Roy Ayers – but one that's often overlooked because it was a rare indie effort issued between Roy's years at Polydor and Columbia! The session's Roy's only full album for Uno Melodic – the label he formed to showcase the talents of Sylvia Striplin, Ladies Of The... read more

An archetypal album by Roy – and one that really shows him at the turning point! Gone are the trippier jazz funk moments of earlier albums – and in their place are some tight grooves and wonderfully spacey soul. Roy hits the dancefloor with one of his first uptempo funk numbers "B... read more

Produced by Roy Ayers and DJ Smash.... read more

One of the greatest Roy Ayers albums of all time – and one of the rarest! The record is right in the same vein as Roy's groundbreaking He's Coming LP – a righteous mix of soul jazz, subtle funk, and some of the cosmic wisdom that Roy was spreading among the jazz funk underground –... read more

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One of Roy Ayers' greatest albums of the 70s – a set that tightens up the groove from previous Polydor productions, yet still keeps all the soul intact! The record picks up the style begun with the Mystic Voyage album, and pushes it to some slightly tighter territory – a more focused... read more

Roy Ayers in a tight mid 80s funk mode – commanding a modern vibe really well, especially with his vibes so prominent in the sound! Although the sound's a step or two more modern than the Polydor years, Roy still sounds great – and he grooves nicely on this batch of tracks that mix... read more

Talk about a meeting of the minds – a pair of ultra-amazing classics from the team of Roy Ayers & Wayne Henderson – back to back in a single set! At the time of Step Into Our Life, Henderson & Ayers were probably the biggest names in the jazz funk business – both with a... read more

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A really sublime rare groover from JR Bailey – vocalist in the Cadillacs back in their doo wop years, but a heck of a great 70s mellow soul artist in this obscure little set! JR wrote and co-produced all the tunes on the set – in a mode that steps along beautifully with a subtle groove... read more

The pinnacle of classy crossover soul at the end of the 80s – and a landmark album that's probably still helping Anita pay her bills! The feel is mellow and laidback without being too cheesy or too adult contemporary – drawing from mellow soul traditions of the 70s, and filtering it... read more

Pure genius from the B Baker Chocolate Company – a set that's equal parts fusion and soul, held together by these rich arrangements that really send the whole thing home! The album's never too slick, yet has a sense of perfection that matches some of the best soulful fusion dates at Blue... read more

Officially sanctioned live material from Ginger Baker's archives – jamming hard in 1976 with his African Friends in Berlin – including Fela & Tony Allen! Baker lived and worked in Nigeria as far back as the early 70s, as famously documented in the classic Fela/Ginger Baker Live set... read more

Amazing stuff from Ginger Baker's personal archives – live recordings with his Salt group – born of his relocation to Nigeria and a wonderful, dexterous fusion of jazz & rock percussion with African rhythms! The sound is pretty great on these 2 CDs, and the performances are truly... read more

Out of the wreckage of Cream came some very hip grooves! Ginger Baker was the hippest of the group's 3 members – and although he's often credited by soul fans for his work with Fela, he should also get a hats off for his work with the group Air Force – essentially a 10-piece (which... read more

British jazz/rock drum great Ginger Baker working live with is Air Force group in Germany, 1970! Live material from Ginger Baker's Air Force has always been sorely lacking in official releases, and this set from Offengach, Germany at the dawn of the 70s has 2CDs of material. From the official... read more

Bessie Smith by LaVern Baker – a great blend of modes that really comes off great! Instead of sounding like a throwback blues album, the set comes across with a nice degree of contemporary class – thanks in part to a jazzy presentation that's a bit different than some of Baker's other... read more

A lost album of raw twangy guitar from Mickey Baker – best known as the noisier half of the Mickey & Sylvia team – and even more let loose here on his own! The record is pretty rocking all around – with lots of loud, complex guitar soloing from Mickey – in a manner that... read more

A rare later album from 50s guitar giant Mickey Baker – recorded overseas, and with a different vibe than his legendary R&B work – including some nice funky moments too! The album's not really jazz, and it's hardly rock at all – and instead is more of a bluesy effort with... read more

Lost funk rock from Ballinjack – the rare self-titled set for Columbia that's arguably best remembered for being so massively sampled – but the group that deserves a more widely-credited legacy! The sound is a bit like Mandrill on the best cuts, with the band going hard on the funky... read more

Amazing – simply amazing – and one of the best LPs of 60s soul you could ever buy! Darrell Banks was one of the many lost talents laboring in Detroit during the 60s – and he was part of the city's hip underground soul scene that included monster talents like Steve Mancha and JJ... read more

One of the original Dramatics, singer Ron Banks strikes out here on his own – a slept on gem from the early 80s! The set's in a similar modern soul mode to LJ Reynolds, who also worked with him in the group, and was having a bit of a solo career of his own at the time. It's got sort of a D-T... read more

Man, these guys really know how to groove – and even on a bigger label, with a more commercial image, they still manage to come up with a tight little set! There's a key ear for a bassline and beat that keeps The Bar-Kays standing stronger than most of their contemporaries – a sense of... read more

A folk funk classic from the early 70s – and a weird little record that has a sound that's unlike anything else we can think of! The arrangements are quite soulful, almost funky at times – with a righteous undercurrent that reminds us of Richard Evans or Charles Stepney at Cadet... read more

The only album ever by The Barrino Brothers – a stellar early 70s harmony group, and one who could sing with the best of the east coast scene of the time! The whole set's got a feel that's very much in the best mode of groups like The Modulations, Soul Generation, and even The O'Jays –... read more

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Titles include "Promises", "From Now On", "Freeze Thaw", "How Dare You", "Astrud", and "Miles Away".... read more

Very righteous work from Fontella Bass – an album done after her time at Chess Records, and after her work in Paris with the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – in a heartfelt, southern soul mode that's totally great! Fontella's back working with producer Oliver Sain, who first brought her fame... read more

One of the most soulful records ever recorded by Joe Bataan – a sweet blend of harmony soul and east coast styles, done in a mode that's a bit less Latin than some of his earlier records – but really wonderful overall! The style here is almost late 60s Philly soul – particularly... read more

A rare bit of Florida funk from the 70s – an album recorded by TK during the height of its soulful run at the time, but never issued until now! The group's headed by vocalist Becen Padron – who also plays keyboards, guitar, and drums – and the rhythms have a snapping, funky,... read more

Maybe the greatest record we've ever heard from Beggar & Co – a set that sparkles strongly from a host of excellent guest work – not just from Incognito, but also from some key American musicians as well! The groove is tighter than ever – and very much in the 70s-inspired... read more

A monster bit of funk that's unlike anything else we can think of! Beginning Of The End hailed from The Bahamas, but don't hold that against them – because instead of being a Caribbean cliche, they took the best part of the island rhythms, and used them to forge an incredible approach to... read more

Fantastic work from Archie Bell & The Drells – an important record that bridges their earlier and later sounds! It's a key transitional album for the crew – as most of the album's in the harder rawer Texas funk groove of earlier year, but some of it features newer production by... read more

Wonderful early work from Madeline Bell – a great singer with a sound that's equal parts American soul and British 60s female pop! The recordings on the set are from Madeline's earliest years in the UK – long before she achieved greater fame on crossover rock recordings, at a time when... read more

A sweet debut from soul singer Regina Belle – a nice dose of class and sophistication in the world of mid 80s R&B! Regina's got a well-developed style right from the start – the kind of poise that you might hear from someone like Phyllis Hyman, especially on the mellower cuts... read more

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Benson plays his guitar and also sings on some of these tracks. He is joined by Phil Upchurch on rhythm guitar, Ronnie Foster on electric piano & mini-moog, Jorge Dalto on clavinet & acoustic piano, Stanley Banks on bass, Harvey Mason on drums and Ralph MacDonald. Claus Ogerman arranged and... read more

Brook Benton comes full circle – and after helping to form the idiom that would later become known as southern soul, he gets a chance to appear on Atlantic's new Cotillion label – easily a showcase for some of the best up-and-coming southern work at the end of the 60s! Brook's warm... read more

Wonderful work from Brook Benton – and the kind of record that always gets overlooked in discussions of southern soul, but which is proof that Benton's always been a key force in the genre! Brook virtually invented the style with his earlier country soul recordings – and by the time of... read more

Raucous, rumbling and hard-charging Chess rhythms, rock and roll by Chuck Berry – his legendary After School Session – and possibly his greatest album ever! It features not only some of Chuck Berry's most famous material, but some of the best early rock songs, period –particularly... read more

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Compelling work by this Chicago combo – a really unique ensemble led by a trombonist with a wide range of skills! Big James claims James Brown as a big inspiration, but he also came of age in the Chicago blues scene – which is where his horn-heavy combo has mostly found a home, playing... read more

One of the earliest albums on Hi Records – and a full set of heavy instrumentals from the Bill Black Combo! The groove is more R&B than Memphis soul – and is especially heavy on the sorts of rolling rhythms you'd hear from New Orleans – a sound that had obviously filtered... read more

A great focus for the Bill Black Combo – an album of bluesy tunes that seem to bring out a bit more soul than usual in their music – at least for this time in the group's history! Many of the numbers are older tracks that fall into the category of crossover blues – tunes played... read more

A whole set of rocking instrumentals from the Bill Black Combo – their own Memphis instrumental versions of tunes recorded by Chuck Berry at Chess – served up in the group's trademark blend of guitar, organ, and tenor sax! There's a bit more guitar than usual on some of the cuts –... read more

A searing debut from Black Heat – one of the best funk acts to record for Atlantic during the 70s, and a tight little group with a sound that's a mixture of New Orleans funk and New York heavy! The album's got a bit of vocals – figuring in on about half the tracks – but the main... read more

That's almost a hip hop cover on the front – one that would be years ahead of its time – but the record's a great batch of soul from this overlooked group! There's a tightness here that goes way beyond the previous album from Black Ice – a really top-shelf delivery all the way... read more

A lost bit of ensemble funk from the end of the 70s – served up in a mix of bass-heavy club and boogie styles! The group have a rolling groove that's a bit like some of the work by Instant Funk or other clubby funk acts – but the overall feel is a bit tighter and more small group-orient... read more

An excellent bit of southern funk – very much in the early mode of Little Beaver, but with a sound that's even harder! James Knight is The Black Knight – leading a tight little combo with a raw funky 45 sound, heavy on the horns for backing, but with James' guitar right up front in the... read more

A killer debut from Black Slate – one of the leading lights in British reggae at the start of the 80s – and a group with a warmly soulful sound! Black Slate have a great way of sounding smooth, but never too slick – a balance between their laidback energy and the mellow... read more

Two of the later Blackbyrds LPs on one CD! Action's one of their great ones, and it's got a cool mellow vibe that's different than their earlier funkier stuff. It also includes the great cut "Mysterious Vibes", which was sampled by someone not too long ago. Also with the cuts "Supe... read more

One of the greatest sides of The Blackbyrds' music – their mellower, more chilled-out tunes – all tracks that we like almost as much as their funkier classics! Although the combo first earned their name for upbeat, sharp-edged funky fusion, they also had a wonderful way with a laidback... read more

A great album of funky dancefloor tunes! Originally issued in 1978, and clearly for the New York dancefloor crowd – the record takes the earlier work of funk group The Blackbyrds, and remixes the tracks slightly to pump up the groove a bit for the dancers. While the approach might not sound... read more

A jazz funk masterpiece, and THE record by the legendary Don Blackman – the only one issued under his own name for many many years, and a famous little set that's been sampled endlessly over the years, and for good reason! The vibe here is one that's barely been matched again – a blend... read more

Includes "No Diggity", 'This Is How We Roll", "Good Lovin", "Let's Stay In Love", "Never Gonna Let You Go", "I Wanna Be Your Man", "I'll Give It To You", "Motherlude" and "Happy Song (Tonite)".... read more

Hard hard hard soul from the great Cicero Blake – a singer who's better known these days for his down-home blues work, but who was a heck of a great soul artist in the 60s and 70s! This wonderfully-done set collects together 23 singles from Cicero's diverse recordings of the 60s and 70s... read more

A lost southern soul gem – cut at the end of the 70s, in that rare blend of southern and modern styles that few performers could really carry off well! Frederick Knight produced the album, and it really steps off of his own mellow work of earlier years – taking things even further,... read more

A fantastic bit of soul and house that was woefully overlooked at the time of its release – and one of our favorite albums of the past 25 years! The Blaze production team had been hitting the underground club scene hard for a few years with their raw New Jersey house singles – then... read more

17 tracks in all, including "Family Affair", "Love", "Steal Away", "No More Drama", "Testimony", "Dance For Me", "Flying Away", and "In The Meantime".... read more

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One of the hippest groups of the Nigerian scene of the 70s – presented here in two classic albums, back to back on a single CD! Chapter One is a landmark set of African grooves – very unusual in both conception and execution – with a feel that's unlike anything we can think of! ... read more

Collected work by Blo – a hip Nigerian funk ensemble from the mid 70s! The group have a more complicated sound than some of their contemporaries – adding in dubbier stylings and bits of psychedelic guitar to the more common Afro-Funk percussion – in a mode that almost sounds like... read more

A stone classic from Blood Sweat & Tears – and a record that went onto have a tremendous impact in jazz, rock, funk, and soul! The group's format is plenty darn famous – adding a lot of horns to hip riffing grooves – but despite countless plays on oldies stations over the... read more

The wild first album from Bloodstone – a much trippier affair than some of the group's later work, as you might guess from the image on the cover! There's a really heavy vibe going on with some of the tracks here – almost an echo of psychedelic soul from the Norman Whitfield camp, with... read more