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Uptempo east coast club soul – not entirely disco, and more like the indie work of the immediate generation before – a time when groups were picking up their groove a bit more than before, creating some lean, soulful tempos for the dancefloor! Arrangements are by Bert DeCoteaux and... read more

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A pretty sweet, reggae-steeped full length from Sydney 10-piece The Strides – who bring a real love Jamaican music into the pot, but it's a quite a diverse brew! The Strides glide along here with some jazzy funk, Afrobeat rhythms, some subtle modern flourishes and other boundless bits of... read more

Krondon, Phil the Agony, and Mitchy Slick are back as Strong Arm Steady, with close cohort Xzibit rhyming on a track – with loads of allstar support from Planet Asia, Chamillionaire, Madlib, Dilated Peoples, Talib Kweli, Juvenile and more! Tracks include "The Movement" feat Planet... read more

We love Frank Strozier – and think he's one of the greatest talents in jazz – period! This long-overdue CD brings together two of Frank's early 60s sessions for the Jazzland label – both of them gems that have lain under-discovered for years. Long Night is an excellent example... read more

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Jazzy bossa rhythms and club soul grooves from the Dutch production team Subes! Subes is the trio of Gregor Wilmot, Pieter Ubbels and Aram Wilmot – who color from a broad palatte of global influences and the producers lay the sounds down with accompanying players on sax, flute, melodica,... read more

The return of west coast hip hop veterans Substance Abuse – with appearances by contemporary and legendary figures such as KRS-One, Sadat X, Percee P and others – plus production by Vibes 1, Waes One, Hanif Hobbs, G-Naut, Nebz Supreme and more. Includes "How Many", "Don't... read more

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A really great quartet that works together beautifully here – bass from Joelle Leandre, trombone from Sebi Tramontana, violin from Carlos Zingaro, and drums from Paul Lovens – all well-trained players for open improvisations like this – coming together in ways that recall some of... read more

Heavy grooves from Suff Daddy – but augmented with lots of great guest work too – the kind of collaborative effort that always seems to stem from his great inspiration in the studio! Core grooves are nicely diverse – and filled with funky stuff that draws heavily from 60s and 70s... read more

A classic indie cooker from Sugar Billy – a bit funky, a bit clubby – and a really great batch of grooves done in a pre-disco mode! The tracks are all pretty darn upbeat – somewhat warmer than the funk of Fatback or Kool & The Gang, but still with a nicely rough-edged feel... read more

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Whomp! It's a stormer! Killer killer killer! No kidding, this album's a monster – and it's one of the heaviest slices of funk we've heard in ages! Pardon the exclamations, but we're telling the truth – and this classic by the Sugarman Three is a must-have for any fan of funky jazz... read more

The return of the great ones – and quite possibly the funkiest album ever from The Sugarman Three – a crowning achievement for this funky combo that we've loved for years! The core trio is still in place – soaring Hammond, tight tenor, and heavy drums – but they've also... read more

Genius work from a singer who makes us proud to live in the Windy City – vocalist Milton Suggs, who emerges here as a hell of a writer and arranger too! Milton's easily one of the best new voices in jazz we've heard in years – filled with a rich sense of imagination on his lyrics and... read more

Beautiful duets between vocalist Milton Suggs and pianist Willie Pickens – two Chicago generations coming together beautifully in a very intimate setting! Unlike some of Sugg's other work, which is all self-penned, this set features some Ellington standards – done in a wonderfully... read more

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Fine live recordings from New York and Berlin made in 1978 with "Rocket USA", "Cheree", "Ghost Rider", and "96 Tears".... read more

Wonderfully tripped-out sounds from the Japanese scene at the start of the 70s – a mix of older folkloric elements and more electric fusion modes – coming together in a really unique sound! There's lots of flute at the front of the tracks – played with an airy, spacious quality... read more

One of the few sessions ever cut as a leader by soul jazz trumpeter Charles Sullivan – a brilliant talent who shone brightly in the mid 70s, working in hip small groups that were very much in the Strata East mode. This rare, previously Japanese-only release has Sullivan working with Rene... read more

Tremendous work from bassist/percussionist Juma Sultan – a wealth of wonderful tracks from the loft jazz years of the 70s! Sultan's a player who doesn't always get his due on record – especially during this formative generation – so the release is a much-needed look at his mighty... read more

Fantastic! This is Yma Sumac's rock album from the early 70s – and it's got a wild sound that's totally different from any of her work at Capitol! The record includes lots of electric instrumentation, and Yma's voice moves from the exotic to the psychedelic, as she sings along with some... read more

Yma Sumac on ESP Records – a unexpected meeting that's given us a rare concert performance from 1961! The CD features Yma singing live in Romania – working with backings from longtime partner Moises Vivanco, on a set of tracks that mixes older Peruvian roots with some newer, jazzier... read more

Ahh, the dancefloor soul perfection of the beautiful Donna Summer – and classic late 70s production by Giorgio Morodor and Pete Bellotte – songs that are played often, even to this day, but will never be played out! Was this the one that coined the phrase "shipped gold, returned... read more

A double-length, 4 act disco fantasy from Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder – both very much at the height of their powers here – and able to keep up enough energy to make it through what was originally 2LP set! The work's a unified sort of story – kind of a disco opera of sorts... read more

Masterful funky soul jazz from the mid 70s – and one of the best solo albums recorded by Headhunter Bill Summers – a sunny batch of Bay Area funk that really grooves with the best of Fantasy Records from the time! The set was produced by Skip Scarborough, and has that great bubbling,... read more

One of the greatest records ever cut by Sun – the late 70s funk group who some excellent albums for Capitol Records – a group whose records never made the charts as strongly as their contemporaries, but not for lack of quality! This set's a great batch of heavy ensemble funk with an... read more

A pair of stormers from Sun – back to back on a single CD! Wanna Make Love is one of the greatest records ever cut by Sun – a group whose records never made the charts as strongly as their contemporaries, but not for lack of quality! This set's a great batch of heavy ensemble funk... read more

The 9th music & film collaborative effort in the FRKWYS series – in which free-thinking modern work with inspirational elder or otherwise further-traveled figures – this one finding Sun Araw and M Geddes Gengres meeting Jamaican music legends The Congos! M Geddes Gengres is... read more

Not singles as in the world of "hits" – but a really cool collection of rare work from Sun City Girls – mostly tracks issued on 7" singles for the Majora label, plus a few bits from other sources too! Together, the tracks provide a perfect illustration of the wide-ranging... read more

No double standard here – just one great album, unified through a love of classic jazz and soul influences! Japanese producer Sunaga T has really outdone himself here – blending together styles that include the bits of club jazz, house, and soul work that's been coming out of the... read more

A great batch of lost funky club tracks – heavy moog in the mix, making some great wikki-wikki sounds over the album's smoothly grooving tunes! The group's got Gregg Phillinganes and Roger Smith in the frontline on keyboards – they also play Arp and Fender Rhodes next to moog –... read more

A tremendous bit of psychedelic pop from sunny California at the end of the 60s – one of those records that has a heck of a lot more going on than most of the bigger sets at the time! Sunlight work in territory that's not unfamiliar – harmony vocals, guitar-based grooves, and slightly... read more

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Astralasia Swordfish mix, Phil Kirby Radio, Guy Called Gerald Carnatic mix, Guy Called Gerald Kirk's Garage mix, Graham Massey 808 mix, Guy Called Gerald Jailbit... read more

Funky and trippy at the same time – a wonderful batch of grooves from Super Borgou De Parakou – an overlooked group from Benin with a very unique sound! The rhythms are tight, and production often has these crispy little edges that make for some nice touches of fuzz where you might not... read more

Al Supersonic has a mighty nice vocal approach on this retro-soul set – a style that's a bit looser and maybe more personal than some other singers in recent years – a quality that gives the the whole thing a pretty sweet edge! Al's a bit less "perfect" than some of the deep... read more

Cream Of The Crop may not have been a huge hit for The Supremes, but the record has them handling a variety of interesting work – mostly done in modes that bring the best Motown styles of the 60s into closer contact with the label's more expansive sound to come in the 70s! There's a really... read more

One of the great mid 60s Supremes album – at a time when they could really do no wrong – and featuring a couple of their bigger hits! I Hear A Symphony was produced by the team of Holland & Dozier – and Holland-Dozier-Holland are the credited composers for most of it –... read more

Groovy late 60s work from Diana Ross & The Supremes – a record that has them breaking the Motown mold a bit, and hooking up with a nice variety of modder soul and pop modes! Tracks on the set include a few Motown-penned numbers, but the trio also tackle hits like "Everyday... read more

Really one of the nicer late 60s efforts by the Supremes – now with Cindy Birdsong in the group in place of the departed Florence Ballard – with the now well known title track, and a number of other great pop soul numbers, with the classic Motown sound! The Supremes could arguably... read more

One of the later Supremes albums with Diana Ross as the headliner – and the final Supremes album with Holland-Dozier-Holland pulling the strings – and led of by the incredible title track! "Reflections" is a straight up incredible tune – one of those late 60s Motown... read more

The Supremes take on the classy Copa nightclub – and really bring down the house with a stunning mix of warmth, charm, and soul – especially on this incredible expanded edition from Hip-O Select! The original album is perhaps one of the "livest" of Motown live albums from... read more

A record that might be easy to write this off as a mistake or inessential session – but thanks to some great arrangements by HB Barnum, Paul Riser, and Gene Page, plus great vocals by the groups, the record shines as much as any other Motown set from the time! The vocals are traded back and... read more

Snapping rhythms with plenty of jazz – a great collaboration between musicians who've worked together with Gregory Porter, Jose James, and Ty – stepping out here on a unique project of their own! The core energy of the set comes from the live drums of Richard Spaven and keyboards of... read more

Great waves of sound here from Surface – a set that has the trio sounding even tighter and more fluid than ever – perfectly blending midtempo rhythms with their warm and sweet harmony vocals! The vibe's a bit classier than the usual mellow soul of the time – almost with a jazzy... read more

A near-perfect album from the great John Surman – recorded at the crossroads of the British jazz scene as it stepped into the 70s, and done with a fullness and focus that Surman hardly matched again! As with some of the other Deram sessions of the time, the album's overflowing with great... read more

An essential lost bit of British jazz – and the first record ever released by avant reed player John Surman! The album's an interesting mix of styles, with a split that runs right down the middle. The first 4 tracks on the record reflect a distinct Carribean style, and are a good indication... read more

Beautiful sounds from reedman John Surman – played solo, but on a variety of different instruments – all in tones and textures that aptly demonstrate that Surman's style is as sonic as it is musical! The record does a great job of avoiding some of the colder elements that sometimes... read more

A beautiful lost slice of British jazz, recorded during the crucial period before some of the scene's players went too far off the deep end! John Surman partners here with composer/leader John Warren, for a large group recording that sounds similar to some of the best early Mike Westbrook... read more

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Loads of great keyboards here from Hiromasa Suzuki – working in a mode that's somewhere between earlier funky jazz, and the tighter Japanese fusion of the late 70s! The style here is never too smooth, yet Suzuki really manages to blend some great elements together – his own keys, lots... read more

A really inventive little record from Japanese bassist Isao Suzuki – and a set that, like most of his best 70s work, really defies any sort of easy categorization! Suzuki's got a wonderfully wide range of ideas running through his music – at one level a really close-up and personal... read more

A wicked wicked set of tracks from Japan – one that blends together jazzy riffing and Brazilian rhythms, all played with a surprisingly soulful bent! Suzuki's on bass and piccolo bass, and Yamamoto plays not only electric piano but also a bit of electric harpsichord – which adds a cool... read more

Swamp Dogg's on the cover, riding a giant rat out of the ghetto – an image that definitely hints at some of the politics on the record! The album's one of Swamp's key classics from the early 70s – recorded at a time when he was still super-sharp – and when the character was a... read more

24 tracks of heavy deep soul from Bettye Swann – a great female soul singer from the 60s who's rarely ever gotten her due! There have been some cheaply done reissues of Bettye's work over the years, but this is the first time a full set of her best work has been put together with a good set... read more

A tasty bit of late P-Funk! The album was recorded in 1980, on the wane of the main P-Funk groups – and it features Bootsy and Fred Wesley teaming up on the arrangements, in a set of bass-heavy, mostly instrumental tracks that groove hard like the best early work by Zapp! There's a great... read more

A great back-to-basics set for the Sweet Inspirations – now working here as the trio of Estelle Brown, Myrna Smith, and Sylvia Shamwell – and working with David Porter in a strongly Memphis mode! The arrangements on the set are a bit more ambitious than usual for Stax at the time... read more

The Sweet Sweet Sweet Inspirations get the Gamble Huff treatment – and as it worked with Archie Bell, so it works with these guys – really well! The Philly sound gives the girls the right push that they need to keep from being just another snoozy Atlantic stable band, and it pushes... read more

Wonderful soul by one of the best female groups of the 60s! The Sweet Inspirations work here in a southern-tinged style similar to their classic backing work for Aretha Franklin – a sound that was already great behind Aretha, but which is even better here on its own – warm, spiritual,... read more

Even more experimental than the first album from The Swell Maps – a set that features some longer songs and a bit more tunes, but also a lot more weird sounds as well! Instrumentation is often slightly more conventional here, but usually taken to some very unusual places – odd tones... read more

We've loved Swing Out Sister for more than a few years – and over that time, the duo's only gotten better! It's records like this that keep us coming back again and again – a brilliant blend of soul currents and hook-heavy arrangements that feel like a blend of late 60s UK and the best... read more

We've loved Swing Out Sister for more than a few years – and over that time, the duo's only gotten better! It's records like this that keep us coming back again and again – a brilliant blend of soul currents and hook-heavy arrangements that feel like a blend of late 60s UK and the best... read more

Great work from Swing Out Sister – very different than the 80s work by them you might know, with a much more sophisticated sound, and an expansive approach to the musical backings that really takes the work somewhere new! Singer Corrine Drewrey has really matured in her style, singing with... read more

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A sweet sweet groover from Switch – post-Motown, but still sounding great – and if anything, maybe finding a whole new groove in the process! The quintet have all the warm modes of their best previous tunes – a touch of funk at times, but a vibe that's even stronger on tunes that... read more

A seminal bit of seventies soul from Switch, and a record that really helped set the tone for countless others to come in the 80s – no surprise, given that the group's got members from both the DeBarge and Ingram families! There's a warmth here that few others can match – an earnest,... read more

A seminal bit of seventies soul from Switch, and a record that really helped set the tone for countless others to come in the 80s – no surprise, given that the group's got members from both the DeBarge and Ingram families! There's a warmth here that few others can match – an earnest,... read more

Quite possibly the best album ever from Ohio funky soul combo Switch – and certainly proof that the hope of Motown in the 80s was in ensemble group funk! This second album holds up really well, and thanks to some sweet production by Bobby DeBarge and Jermaine Jackson, the record's got a warm... read more

One of the last records Switch recorded before Philip Ingram went solo, and the rest of the guys broke off into DeBarge – and an album with some surprisingly sweet soul moments! The funky side of Switch is still stringly in place, but this record has some great little ballads ballads too... read more

The remixed version of this excellent bit of modern funk! Includes "Getting Into It (Nu Era rmx)", "Season's Change (philharmonix mix)", "The Reason (sleaze mix)", "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life (FK Dub)", "When The Funk Hits The Fan (Mood II Swing... read more

Two gems from The Sylvers – back to back on a single CD! Showcases is filled with great groovers from The Sylvers – a set cut when the group were firmly in their disco years – a great setting for their playful family-style vocals! In fact, moving to disco may well have been one... read more

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Beautiful spacey soul from Syreeta – and proof that she was one of Motown's great lost talents of the 70s! Leon Ware did the production, and Syreeta's high Minnie Riperton-esque voice is backed by a smooth set of mellow grooves with lots of cool electronic bits and weird moogy parts that... read more

A great set of work from one of Motown's most enigmatic singers! Syreeta's best known to the world for her connection with Stevie Wonder, but she's a fantastic artist in her own right, with a soulful Minnie Riperton-esque voice that really sounds great on her mid 70s recordings. Of course, Stevie'... read more

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Plenty of Magic here from T-Connection – a clubby set of tracks, yet one that's still put together more like a funk combo record from the mid 70s! The instrumentation is mindblowing – impeccable guitar and basslines, set to snapping rhythms that really capture the best Miami funk mode... read more

Funky club from the always-great T-Connection – all extended numbers, served up in one dancefloor-packing set! T-Connection are easily one of our favorite groups from the late 70s club years – and although they played big in discos, the combo also had a core instrumental sound that was... read more

A soaring stormer from T-Connection – and a set that has them sounding even better than before! There's a perfection here the group didn't have with earlier releases – a quality that goes way past indie funk ensemble, into the realm of some of the best mainstream acts on the bigger... read more

Great work by one of the funkiest disco bands of the late 70s! T Connection were always a step above most of their contemporaries, especially some of the weaker pop disco acts on the TK family of labels – which was the group's home during these years. They brought a really solid conception... read more

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Raucous drag strip rockers and driving R&B-fueled instrumentals by The T-Bones – killer material on Liberty from a group of young session wizards – including Hal Blaine, Glen Campbell, Leon Russell, Dave Pell, Steve Douglas and others! It's wildly fun stuff that goes all in with... read more

Lew Tabackin looks a bit stiff on the cover of this one (who wouldn't, in a tan polyester suit?) – but the record's a surprisingly hip date, and a great chance to hear Lew away from his 70s big band with Toshiko Akioshi! As the title and cover imply, the album features Tabackin's "dual... read more

Ten years in for the Tabou Combo – and the group's sounding funkier than ever! The album's got a groove that's even tighter than some of their earliest records – and there's a definite funky feel to the music at times – not just Haitian styles, but a nice US influence too –... read more

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New blues, but with some definite rootsy elements too – yet all turned around in really weird ways, by an ensemble that features some key contributions from Eugene Chadbourne! The set's half originals by pianist Aki Takase, and half old classics by Fats Waller, WC Handy, and Jelly Roll... read more

Nearly 3 albums' worth of music from the legendary Tamba Trio – one of the grooviest groups in the 60s bossa years in Brazil! The trio are quite unique – in that they not only play upbeat bossa rhythms, but also harmonize along with their grooves – in a soaringly sublime quality... read more

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Pure genius from Horace Tapscott – a record that really lights a new fire under his talents – and takes us back to some of the most expressive, most righteous jazz from the LA scene of the 70s! The quartet here features key LA player John Carter on clarinet – an instrument that... read more

A great group recording from pianist Horace Tapscott – recorded in LA in the early 80s, but done with all the righteousness and spirituality of his earlier albums! Tracks are long and exploratory, but also relatively lyrical too – stretching out with a style that's never too "outsi... read more

One of the best trio sessions we've ever heard from Horace Tapscott – warmer and a bit more soulful than some of his other sides of this nature, and played with a well-rounded style that really hits home! The group features great drum work from Ben Riley, and bass by Fred Hopkins – and... read more