The title certainly gets it right – as the great keyboardist Bob Baldwin turns over some sweet mellow takes on the classic music of Stevie Wonder! Bob's the mainman at the helm for most of the record – working on Fender Rhodes, piano, and other keyboards – and even vocalizing just a bit – and there's also sweet instrumental contributions on the album from U-Nam and Chieli Minucci on guitars, Marion Meadows and Ryan Kilgore on saxes, and Ragan Whiteside on flute – all players who know just how to get into the right sort of 70s vibe that Baldwin's going for on the record! The focus on Stevie's tunes makes the album a bit hipper than some of Bob's other recent albums – although we also like those quite a bit – and titles include "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing", "Creepin", "The Real Thing/Keepin It Real", "Superwoman/Where Were You When I Needed You Most", and "Love's In Need Of Love Today" – plus the Baldwin originals "Stevie" and "Wonder Wander". LP, Vinyl record album

A monster – and quite possibly one of the greatest Fender Rhodes albums of all time! Bob James is really at the height of his powers here – stepping out with a sound that's a lot smoother than some of his earlier work, yet in a groove that's never too slick or too overproduced – as happened with some of his later records on the Tappan Zee imprint. Here, James is still a master of space and sound – using the Fender Rhodes with bell-like tones to craft some key grooves that are still having an amazing impact today, more than 30 years after the album was initially recorded! There's a darkness here that we totally love – and tracks include the legendary "Take Me To The Mardi Gras", which has been sampled by Run DMC and loads of others – plus"The Golden Apple", "I Feel A Song", "You're As Right As Rain", "Farandole", and "Dream Journey". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that makes us go "wow" all over again at the mighty talents of Bob James – because even this late in life, he's clearly open to new ideas and pushing the boundaries – which he really does here in collaboration with younger musician Sam Franz! In the way that Bob's CTI albums were a landmark electric jazz effort for the 70s – this set's maybe one for the 21st Century, with a vibe that's shows the passage of time in so many different ways! This isn't fusion, smooth jazz, or traditional jazz at all – yet Bob's got some great moments on keyboards throughout, in different sonic settings from Franz, merging together in ways that make it difficult to figure out who's doing what. Titles include "Brew This Again & Again", "This Theme Needs A Movie", "Polar Tangents", "Starless Vault Of Heaven", "See Ya", and "Atsuko's Arcade". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark record – not only for Bob James, but a seminal release for CTI and the Fender Rhodes as well! This is the album where all the magic starts – the first of many extremely successful albums that Bob recorded during the 70s under his own name, and almost the birthplace of the modern hip hop keyboard sample line! The album's stuffed with great numbers – including a sublime reading of "Feel Like Making Love", and the classic "Nautilus" – a slow, dark, funky tune that's worth the price of the album alone! Other tracks include "Valley Of The Shadows", "Night On Bald Mountain", and "Soulero". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising slice of work from the 70s – three different albums all released under various guises by Armenian American reedman Souren Baronian – all put out on his own Carlee label, and done in a very cool mix of styles! Baronian blows both familiar American horns and more exotic instrumentation – sometimes with snakey qualities that echo both Egyptian music and Klezmer, other times with different inflections depending on the setting – and that setting varies here depending on the different records – as they each have a slightly different vibe! These are the sort of sets that would have easily been missed otherwise – either thought of as some 70s knockoff, or watered-down material for the crowds at a tourist spot – but they're wonderful throughout, with a depth of expression that really holds on throughout all the albums. The set brings together the records Middle Eastern Soul by Bob Tashijan & Souren Baronian, The Exciting Music Of The Nor-Ikes by The Nor-Ikes featuring Souren Baronian, and Hye Inspiration by Bob Tashijan & Souren Baronian with The Oud Of John Tarpinian. (Global Grooves, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful session of 60s Hammond jazz – a record that was somewhat overlooked at the time, but which has really gotten the attention it deserves over the years! The album's one of a rare few cut by organist Gloria Coleman – an obscure east coast player who was also the wife of tenorist George Coleman, and who follows wonderfully in a strong tradition of female organists that includes Trudy Pitts and Shirley Scott. Even hipper is the fact that Gloria's quartet has a female drummer – the fiery Pola Roberts, who's got a light touch on the kit that makes the cuts dance nicely. And even still hipper is the fact that that group is completed by Grant Green on guitar and Leo Wright on alto – both of whom groove in a totally tight soul jazz mode that resembles their best work from the early 60s. The session's a wonderful burner, of the sort that you'd proudly display in a collection of 60s soul jazz – and it's filled with excellent original cuts like "Que Baby", "Hey Sonny Red", "Melba's Minor", and "Funky Bob". LP, Vinyl record album

Never-issued live work from British jazz legend Graham Collier – a performance that follows hot on the heels of his classic Down Another Road album, and which continues with a very similar vibe! That album is a modal masterpiece that stands as one of the key moments in British jazz at the end of the 60s – and here, bassist Collier furthers the magic of that wonderful album, but with a freer, more spontaneous sort of live energy – leading a very cool group that features Nick Evans on trombone, Harry Beckett on trumpet and flugelhorn, Stan Sulzman on tenor and alto, Karl Jenkins on piano and oboe, and John Marshall on drums. Collier's basslines alone are worth the price of admission – but there's so many other wonderful touches too – even the oboe work by Jenkins, which echoes some of the exotic tones of Yusef Lateef a few years earlier. Titles include "Molewrenceh", "The Barley Mow", "Aberdeen Angus", "Down Another Road", "Lullaby For A Lonely Child", and "Burblings For Bob". LP, Vinyl record album

Ella Fitzgerald recorded famously in Berlin for Verve Records at the start of the 60s – but this set's from later on in the decade, and shows just how much Ella had grown as a singer! There's less of the easygoing good vibes of that previous album, and a much more mature, intimate quality at times – mixed with a few of the groovier styles that Fitzgerald was picking up in the second half of the 60s! Throughout it all, backing is just by a trio, but one who rock things with plenty of soul – Jimmy Jones on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Sam Woodyard on drums – on titles that include "So Danca Samba", "Summertime", "You've Changed", "Misty", "Midnight Sun", "Here's That Rainy Day", "Don't Be That Way", "These Boots Are Made For Walking", and "Oh Lady Be Good". (Vocalists, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Rare Blue Note work from Dexter Gordon – an album that was recorded during Gordon's legendary run for the label in the 60s, but not issued until a brief vinyl pressing nearly 15 years later! The record's got Gordon vamping in tight hardbop formation – a sound that's strongly 60s Blue Note all the way through, and which shows the great control that the label helped bring to Dex's music – giving him new focus and energy to take off on much freer flights later in the 60s. Other players on the date include Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Barry Harris on piano, Billy Higgins on drums, and Bob Cranshaw on bass – and Hubbard's trumpet is an especially welcome element here on the more upbeat numbers. Titles include "Hanky Panky", "Jodi", "Lady Iris B", "Clubhouse", and "Devilette". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic session of 60s "new thing" jazz – and one of our favorite early records by Joe Henderson – exactly the kind of album to show why his emergence in the decade was such an important new voice in jazz! The album features some incredibly hard playing from Joe – with a very dark edge to his solos that's nicely offset by McCoy Tyner's lyrical piano, and the supple rhythms of Bob Cranshaw on bass and Elvin Jones drums – a really magical quartet who come across very different here than you might expect from the Coltrane legacies of Tyner and Jones! Instead, Henderson makes his presence known right from the very first note – as his voice on the tenor is completely singular – and titles include the Henderson originals "Inner Urge", "Isotope" and "El Barrio" – plus the great Duke Pearson song "You Know I Care", and the standard "Night & Day". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite-ever keyboard albums – a rare lost session from pianist Pete Jolly – one of his only electric dates, and a completely improvised set of grooves! Pete plays electric piano, organ, and even a bit of musette – jamming in the studio with help from Chuck Berghofer on bass, Paul Humphrey on drums , John Pisano on guitar, and Milt Holland and Emil Richards on percussion – all of whom bring in some sly, subtle touches to the grooves that are totally great! The album's much more open than other keyboard dates from the time – almost in the territory of some of Herbie Hancock's most experimental work, but a fair bit more groove-based too – given that the album's filled with short, funky tracks all the way through. There's some echoes of Bob James work to come – and given the 1970 date of the record, it could almost be said that Jolly predates a whole host of 70s keyboard talents – setting his mark with this uniquely laidback set of tracks. Titles include the classic "Plummer Park", plus "Rainbow", "Seasons", "Indian's Summer", "Pete Jolly", "Leaves", "Springs", "Bees", and "Sand Storm". LP, Vinyl record album

Drummer Joe LaBarbera always seems to know how to get the most out of a group – and that's definitely the case here, on a record that bristles with bold energy that hearkens back to the best years of hardbop – while also letting some of the individual players deliver some decidedly modern tones! The group features excellent work from Clay Jenkins on trumpet – a player whose phrasing really grabs us – next to tenor from Bob Sheppard, a player with this raspy edge that really adds a lot to the session! Bill Cunliffe plays piano, and brings a broad sense of tone to the record that seems to wrap everything up and unify the sound – and the group's completed by Jonathan Richards on bass. Titles include "Blue Notes", "Lake Erie", "Landmarks Along The Way", "You Know I Care", and "Grand Central". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most righteous albums ever from jazz vibes legend Johnny Lytle – a soaring, spacious set that's almost to Lytle's career what Gears was to Johnny Hammond's! Of course, Lytle's groove here is different – no Mizell production, and a mellower feel overall – but the unbridled space of 70s Milestone is definitely a key influence here – and Johnny stretches out here like never before! The players are all pretty hip – and include Daahoud Hadi (aka Butch Cornell) on electric piano and organ, Marvin Cabell on flute and tenor, Bob Cranshaw on bass, Betty Glamann on harp, and Jozell Carter on drums – all perfect mates here for Johnny's spiritual exploration of sound with his vibes – in ways that are almost more amazing than work from Bobby Hutcherson or Roy Ayers at the time! Titles include an amazing original called "Libra", plus "Tawhid", "Where Is The Love", "Family", and a version of "People Make the World Go Round". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest Blue Note albums of all time – a record that's even better than the look of it's cover – which is already pretty darn classic! Hank Mobley had been making records for Blue Note for a number of years before this set – but Caddy For Daddy is one in which he really takes off – mixing earlier hardbop modes with a more complex approach to both rhythm and lyricism – matched with some wonderful work from Lee Morgan in the frontline, who was also really hitting new heights at the time – in a group that also includes Curtis Fuller on trombone, McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. The group plays this amazing mix of soul jazz and modal grooves that sets a whole new standard in the Blue Note catalog – and every cut is a winner, with titles that include "Venus Di Mildew", "The Morning After", "3rd Time Around", and "Ace Deuce Trey". Fantastic material all the way through, with tracks that will stay in your head for years – and one of the greatest jazz album covers ever! LP, Vinyl record album

A masterpiece from Gerry Mulligan – and one of those key 60s albums that marks such a huge shift in his sound from the 50s! The approach here is very cool and compressed – but not in an LA "cool jazz" way – as the music has a more urbane, sophisticated vibe that's very much in keeping with the cover – as Gerry both blows baritone and plays piano with this spare sensitivity that's perfectly matched by group mates who include Art Farmer on trumpet and flugelhorn, Jim Hall on guitar, and Bob Brookmeyer on trombone! The use of Hall and Farmer is especially key here – as the pair bring in those soulful yet airy sounds they were crafting on their own records – given superb rhythm support from Bill Crow on bass and Dave Bailey on drums. The whole thing is a master class in understated genius – and titles include "Night Lights", "Prelude In E Minor", "Tell Me When", "Festive Minor", and "Morning Of The Carnival". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer second album from the McNeal & Niles duo who gave us the legendary Thrust album – a record that's a lot less-known than that underground classic, and which almost has the group soaring in an even more fully-formed mode overall! There's definitely plenty of Ohio funk elements in the mix here – that special legacy the late 70s scene picked up from the influence of George Clinton and his P-Funk empire – but tuned towards some jazzier modes at times, especially given that the record has all this nice work on tenor from Bob Fried! The set's still got all the great keyboard work of before, but also adds in some wickedly sharp basslines, and even some occasional vocals one one track – the mighty "Survival Of The Fittest", next to other cuts that include "Electric Earth", "Parrot City", "Hang Ten", "First Time Home", and "Sevens Up". (Soul, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Massive work from one of the funkiest drummers of all time – the legendary Bernard Pretty Purdie, stepping out here in a batch of instrumentals that may well be his greatest album ever! Bernard's drums are right up front in the mix – leading off all tunes with a full, funky, echoey sort of approach that's unlike anything else we can think of – and certainly different from any other late 60s albums of this type! The production is totally great – and has a way of pulling out some of the weirdest aspects of the music – which itself features guitar from Billy Butler and Eric Gale, bass from Bob Bushnell, tenor and flute from Seldon Powell, and organ and piano from Richard Tee – who also handled all the arrangements on the set! The centerpiece is the hit single "Funky Donkey", but just about every track's a groover in its own way – and titles include "Soul Drums", "Bill's Groove", "Jimmy's Back", "Testifyin", "Modern Jive", "Blow Your Lid", "Bee N Tee", and "Soul Bossa Nova". This new edition includes 8 bonus tracks, with a couple rare 45 tracks and more that have never been released – all soulful & funky – well paired with the Soul Drums album! Bonus tracks are in stereo, and include "Alexander's Rag Time Band", "Genuine John", "Soul Clappin", "If You Never Cried", "Stop" and "Time Is Tight". Also comes with a nice booklet with new liner notes, and choice quotes from Purdie's peers and those he influenced, from Galt MacDermot to Large Professor. LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing album from Sun Ra – a set that's got some of the same soulful focus as Space Is The Place, and a really surprising sense of groove on many moments! The record's actually a bit funky – if you can believe it – and was recorded with electric keyboards, bass, and guitar (played by the mysterious Disco Kid) – at the studios of Bob Blank, at a time when he was really able to capture the many strands of music that would come together in a performance, then find just the right way to put them over on record! The album was originally dismissed by many Sun Ra fans for being a funk sell-out album – but over the years, it's become a prized album for its cosmic sense of soul and great focus of the group's more far-reaching ideas – and at some level, it's probably the sound that most people imagine the Arkestra to have when they're first starting out, rather than the more avant material that dominates most of their catalog. The whole thing is wonderful – and titles include "That's How I Feel", "Where Pathways Meet", "Twin Stars of Thence", and "There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of)". LP, Vinyl record album

The last-ever recording of drumming great Buddy Rich – and a set that we'd put right up there next to his best records of the previous two decades! Buddy's in familiar formation here, but the sound is wonderful – recorded live at Ronnie Scott's nightclub in London, with this mixture of band tightness and solo freedoms that's really striking – all driven by the kind of energy that always made Buddy one of the few folks who could help a larger ensemble continue with vitality into later years! The formation of the whole group is great – that bold, brash, Buddy Rich sound – and soloists include Steve Marcus on tenor, Bob Bowlby on alto, Tom Garling on trombone, Greg Gisbert on trumpet, and Matt Harris on piano – each of whom get some key solo moments on the set. Titles include "Wind Machine", "Night Blood", "Ready Mix", "Winding Way", "Love For Sale", "Just In Time", and "Harco Shuffle". 3LP version features a 31 minute long take of "Good News" – with a very long tenor solo from Steve Marcus! LP, Vinyl record album

Really wonderful live material from tenor genius Archie Shepp – recorded in Paris, a city that always seemed to bring out the best in his music! Here, Shepp's blowing in a mode that's like some of his later Impulse Records from the early 70s – more spiritual overall, with a free-flowing blend of influences, and a slight nod to the straighter sounds that would emerge a bit more in the decade – served up with a very hip quintet that includes Siegfried Kessler on piano, Bob Reid on bass, Noel McGhie on drums, and Pablo Kino on percussion! The bottom-heavy sound of the group is wonderfully offset by Shepp's raspy, soulful tone on tenor – on titles that include a long take on "Things Have Got To Change" – plus "Blues For Donald Duck" and "Along Came Betty". LP, Vinyl record album

The second trip into the studio for Cedar Walton's mighty Eastern Rebellion ensemble – and every bit as great as the first! This time around, the lineup's a bit different – with Bob Berg in on tenor, and Curtis Fuller expanding the group on trombone – but the groove is still the same – wonderfully in the pocket soul jazz, swinging with a gentle and fluid glide that's really tremendous. The work ranks up there with the best of Walton's recordings ever – and the tunes are all originals with a rich imagination for tone, soul, and color – and plenty of space for strong solo work. Titles include "The Maestro", "Sunday Suite", "Ojos De Rojo", and "Fantasy In D". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest Bobby Hutcherson albums for Blue Note – a classic session recorded in quartet form, with a style that seems to set a whole new standard for the vibes in modern jazz! The group here is sublime – Herbie Hancock on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – all working with Bobby in cool, blocky chords, with a sound that lies somewhere on the road to "out", but has more of a swing than Hutcherson's "new thing" recordings! The balance is a perfect one – exciting and fresh, but still always soulfully grooving – and titles include a sublime version of Herbie's "Maiden Voyage" – plus originals by Hutcherson that include "The Omen", "Aquarian Moon", "Rojo", and "Head Start". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite-ever keyboard albums – a rare lost session from pianist Pete Jolly – one of his only electric dates, and a completely improvised set of grooves! Pete plays electric piano, organ, and even a bit of musette – jamming in the studio with help from Chuck Berghofer on bass, Paul Humphrey on drums , John Pisano on guitar, and Milt Holland and Emil Richards on percussion – all of whom bring in some sly, subtle touches to the grooves that are totally great! The album's much more open than other keyboard dates from the time – almost in the territory of some of Herbie Hancock's most experimental work, but a fair bit more groove-based too – given that the album's filled with short, funky tracks all the way through. There's some echoes of Bob James work to come – and given the 1970 date of the record, it could almost be said that Jolly predates a whole host of 70s keyboard talents – setting his mark with this uniquely laidback set of tracks. Titles include the classic "Plummer Park", plus "Rainbow", "Seasons", "Indian's Summer", "Pete Jolly", "Leaves", "Springs", "Bees", and "Sand Storm". LP, Vinyl record album

A real step forward for Quincy Jones – a record that really shows the jazzman moving into sophisticated new territory – a sound that's just right for the CTI generation! The album's got a vibe that's a bit similar to Quincy's Walking In Space album, but it's a lot deeper too – touched with some of the African elements you might guess from the title – arranged in ways that are often quite spacious, so that the tunes really take some time to find just the right groove! Backings are large, but show the leaner elements that Jones was bringing to his soundtrack work – and instrumentation includes vibes from Milt Jackson, marimba from Don Elliott, flute from Hubert Laws, soprano sax from Jerome Richardson, trumpet from Freddie Hubbard, trombone from Al Grey, and guitar from Eric Gale. Keyboards figure strongly – played by Herbie Hancock and Bob James – and special features include a bit of guitar and whistling from Toots Thielemans, plus some soulful vocals from Valerie Simpson. "Gula Matari" is an incredible 12 minute tribal groove – and other titles include a killer take on Nat Adderley's "Hummin", plus "Walkin" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water". LP, Vinyl record album