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One of the first artists to take the then burgeoning house sound into the top of the charts, this is Abrams' first LP. A lot of it is kind of middle of the road 80s groove soul, but we still love the huge hits "Trapped" and "I'm Not Gonna Let", with their synth melodies and... read more

Abrams recorded this set of seven songs in Chicago with Joseph Jarman and Douglas Ewart on saxophones and other woodwinds. Amina Claudine Myers contributes piano and voice in addition to Abrams' own. Thurman Barker plays drums and percussion. Song titles include "Bud P.", "Lifea... read more

One of the earliest Muhal Richard Abrams sessions for the Black Saint label -- and a set that's filled with unusual musical moments! The tracks here are somewhat freer than some of Abrams' work to come -- almost in the looser creative improvised mode of the first generation AACM -- expressed with... read more

A tremendous debut from Ace Spectrum -- a harmony quartet who never cracked the charts as much as some of their east coast contemporaries, but who were every bit as great as the bigger names on the east coast scene! The album's got a soaring sound that's strongly influenced by Philly, but recorded... read more

A masterpiece of east coast harmony soul -- and worth it for the title cut alone! Ace Spectrum are always pretty great, but on this album, they really bust out of the box with some of the most wonderful harmonies they've ever recorded -- set to impeccable arrangements by Patrick Adams, who hits... read more

The second chapter in a mighty 70s trilogy from Ace Spectrum -- a killer set recorded for Atlantic Records, and easily some of the best group soul issued by the label in the decade! Ace Spectrum change things up a bit here from the obvious -- hitting a variety of modes that move between tightness... read more

Art's sure making sure his lady gets her due on this one! But apart from an unweildy title, the album's a great set of smooth mellow soul numbers -- very much in the vein you'd expect from having "love" repeated so many times in the title. Backing is tighter than on Arthur's earlier... read more

While this album isn't as afro-funky as other efforts from the time by other artists, it is an excellent chapter in Cannonball's funky work from the late 60s, and is proof that the Adderley/David Axelrod team was always willing to do the work to come up with new sounds. The long groovy tracks have... read more

Well, Cannonball was doing great with his bigger concept albums -- like Soul Zodiac or Soul Of the Bible -- but he slipped a bit with this one, which is an exploration into the life of John Henry. Still, the record has all the elements of the classic Fantasy sound in place -- including production... read more

Originally, this set was issued as a double LP in the early 70s, pulling together sides Cannonball cut for Riverside and Capitol, but the set was subsequently split into 2 separate volumes, and this is the first of those. Touching on the many styles Adderley played throughout his career, though... read more

Cannonball Adderley recorded this nice little groover in 1962, when American musicans were just getting on the bossa tip, and still keeping things pretty authentic. The record was cut in New York with Sergio Mendes' early Bossa Rio group -- the legendary Brazilian jazz ensemble that featured Paulo... read more

A great lost chapter in the Cannonball/David Axelrod story! The record features Cannon's classic quintet performing some longer, more serious works with orchestral backing -- and the sound is vaguely similar to some of Axelrod's "high concept" work for Capitol. The record features a... read more

Fantastic work from the Cannonball Adderley Quintet -- one of their greatest performances from the seminal early 60s years! The band at this time includes Cannon on alto, Nat on cornet, Victor Feldman on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums -- and although Feldman's not as strong of... read more

A hardbop classic from Cannonball Adderley -- and one of his harder to find albums from the Riverside days! The set has Cannon playing without his usual group, in the context of an all-star batch of players that includes Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb -- who he worked with in his time... read more

A key meeting of Cannonball Adderley and David Axelrod -- and one of the pair's first larger collaborations together! The album features Cannonball solos over larger backings by Oliver Nelson -- with some occasional help from brother Nat Adderley -- all produced with that dark Axelrod edge that we... read more

The title's a bit of a mouthful, but a good description of the way Cannonball was presented in the years before his soul jazz groove firmly kicked in! The "hi fi" is a bit overstated -- as the album's pretty much of a straight jazz record, featuring Cannon blowing lead solos in a large... read more

One of Cannonball Adderley's late funky sessions for Fantasy -- and a record that still features some mighty heavy production from David Axelrod! The album's got that core groove that Axe and Cannon first crafted together at Capitol in the 60s -- but the sound here has some definite 70s touches... read more

If the 60's ever had a "hit" jazz record, it was probably this one! The album's a sparkling live session featuring the trademark soul jazz sounds of the Cannonball Adderley group with Joe Zawinul on acoustic and electric piano, and brother Nat Adderley on cornet. The tracks have a long... read more

Sweet funky 70s work from Cannonball Adderley -- a record that has him revisiting older tunes from his early soul jazz years -- but in ways that give them a whole new electric vibe overall! The album's actually Cannonball's last full studio set, but it's also one of his greatest too -- a very hip... read more

One of the coolest, baddest, funkiest albums Cannonball Adderley ever recorded -- a massive suite of tunes based on the signs of the Zodiac, produced to perfection by David Axelrod, and featuring some hip recitations from the mighty Rick Holmes! The double-length set is completely compelling all... read more

An overlooked album of short soul jazz groovers -- featuring Nat's shimmering cornet in the company of some tight arrangements by Joe Zawinul. The album boasts a number of different groups -- but they're all pretty compact, and they groove along in that pop soul jazz mode that Atlantic was putting... read more

Excellent work from this totally sweet west coast Latin combo -- a wonderful group who mixed Latin percussion with piano and vibes -- in a manner that's similar to some of Cal Tjader's best Verve work of the 60s! Some tracks also make nice use of flute or alto sax -- creating a snakey feel that... read more

Titles include "Love Is A Gamble", "You Are My Trophy", "That's The Way It Is", "Somebody Messed Up (parts 1 & 2)", and "Drifting Apart".... read more

Airto's unique Brazilian fusion style meets the electric funky genius of CTI -- and the result is a killer album of long tracks with a far-reaching jazzy groove! The album takes off a bit from Airto's work with Return To Forever -- no surprise, since Chick Corea and Flora Purim are on the record --... read more

A great little fusion set from Airto -- recorded in a mode that's a great bridge between his acoustic roots and some of his smoother albums in years to come! The sound has some key electric elements here -- bits of bass, guitar, and keyboards -- but there's still a strongly acoustic sound overall... read more

Great stuff from Airto and Flora -- and probably recorded well before the 1982 date on the cover, although we can't track the source of the material from the notes. The grooves are classic Brazilian jazz -- with a lean, mostly-acoustic sound that works perfectly with Flora's light breezy vocals,... read more

The Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band plays tribute to their experiences on the European scene -- with a well-written set of tracks recorded in big band format. Toshiko takes the lead on "Remembering Bud", a great tune dedicated to the pianist who first inspired her style -- and the... read more

An early masterpiece from the team of Toshiko Akiyoshi and Lew Tabackin -- big band tracks written and arranged by Toshiko, and played to perfection by a group that includes Bobby Shew, Don Rader, Mike Price, Dick Spencer, and the great Gary Foster. Titles include "Opus Number Zero",... read more

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A second great performance from the Akioshi/Tabackin Big Band's performance at Newport in 1977 -- and one we like even more than the first! The sound here is totally great -- hard, focused, and flowing with a magical energy that made this group one of the few large jazz bands to flourish strongly... read more

A great large group project from arranger Manny Albam -- one that teams him up with "jazz greats" of the east coast scene, in a really hard-swinging set of tracks that showcase some wonderful solo work! Manny's working here with a set of players who are well-chosen for their ability to... read more

Weird funky rock album by this obscure band on Kama Sutra. The music's pretty funky and instrumental at times, but at other times, there's sort of these bad soulful rock vocals. The best tracks on here are the minute-long interludes between songs. They're all pretty funky, and they have no vocals... read more

US issue of one of Monty Alexander's great MPS recordings, with his nice groovy piano, cool rhythm lines, and a nice laidback groove. Montego Joe complements Monty's trio on conga, and he gives the set a nice rolling feeling. Tracks include "Montevideo", "Brown Skin Girl", and... read more

Live Monty Alexander set from the mid 70s, featuring his groovy group with Ernest Ranglin on guitar, Eberhard Weber on bass, and Kenny Clare on drums. The bass playing's especially good, and there's lots of nice round funky moments in some of the best tracks. Titles include "Feel Like Making... read more

One of the greatest albums ever from Lorez Alexandria -- an ultra-hip singer who recorded for Impulse and King, but who sounds especially wonderful on this rare date for Chess Records! The album's got a groove that definitely lives up to its title -- a jazzy, bouncy sort of rhythm that's... read more

Classic Johnny Alf album from the 60s! Unlike some of the other Brazilian bossa artists who made it big in the states (like Jobim and Joao Gilberto), Johnny Alf was a major talent in Brazil, but never really got exported properly. His sound is warm and mellow, and he's sings and plays piano in a... read more

The second album by this excellent all-female San Francisco jazz combo -- a live date that's even more cooking than their debut! As before, there's a sweetly breezy style to the record -- that hip SF sound of the 70s -- with echoes of Braziliana and soul amidst the group's jazzier leanings -- all... read more

15 cuts, plus a handful of skits, guest appearances by Xzibit, Whoridas, Nas, King Tee, ODB, Keith Murray, LL, and Loot Pack. Madlib produced a couple of tracks, too. Includes "Likwidation", "Off the Wall" & "Hip Hop Drunkies".... read more

Double LP promo pressing of instrumental versions from the Likwidation LP. Tracks include "Likwidation", "Captain Hook", "Tore Down", "Pass Out", "Off The Wall", "Killin It", "Contents Unda Pressure", "Funny Style",... read more

With Allen on trumpet, Sammy Price on piano, Benny Moten on bass, and George Reed on drums.... read more

One of Mose's best early albums -- even though he hardly gets a chance to sing on it! The album features some great work by Allison's trio of the time -- Addison Farmer on bass and Ronnie Free on drums -- simple piano-driven groovers, performed with a slight gutbuckety approach, and lots of sweet... read more

Bossa guitar, dreamy orchestrations, and a wonderful American take on the Brazilian sound of the 60s -- served up with sparkling Capitol Records production in a set that's easily one of the greatest by guitarist Laurindo Almeida! Almeida's guitar is matched here with some lightly jazzy backings... read more

A very groovy batch of pop bossa tracks, and one that has Laurindo Almeida nodding to his Brazilian roots, and the movement that was supposedly inspired by his early 50s records with Bud Shank. This album expands the west coast jazzy concept, by adding a larger group with players like Bob Cooper,... read more

An excellent album of funky jazz -- arranged and conducted by British organ and sax player Johnny Arnold -- but also featuring some incredible work from an assortment of west coast soul jazz players that include Charles Kynard, Curtis Amy, Hadley Caliman, and Vi Redd! As the title kind of implies,... read more

Early work by Amanda Ambrose -- Chicago-based singer who sang in a variety of styles that approached work by folk/soul/jazz singers like Oscar Brown Jr. and Nina Simone. This rare Dunwich album was recorded live at Chicago's Mother Blues nightclub, and it features Ambrose running through material... read more

Ok, we'll admit that most of this album is kind of weak -- and Amanda's a sort of Nina Simone wanna-be -- but there are a few nice songs on here with a pretty good groove! Both "Sad Songs" and "That's It" have some great arrangements that mix complicated guitar/bass/drum parts... read more

Easily the greatest album ever by the Ames Brothers -- from the fantastic space age cover, right down to the excellent arrangements from Sid Ramin! The whole thing's done in a swinging hi fi sort of mode -- one that really pulls a heck of a lot of range out of the vocals! Tunes dip and turn and... read more

Jug's big and bad here in tone -- and the style is nicely complicated at times -- a bit more open-ended and electric than before, with a sound that's almost like the shift that Stanley Turrentine was making during his years at CTI! There's still a bit of the previous Prestige funk in the mix --... read more

Gene Ammons gets the Cannonball Adderley treatment -- as he blows funky solos over an album arranged and conducted by David Axelrod! Brasswind has a larger, fuller funky sound than some of his earlier work for Prestige -- and it works very well! The overall sound's a bit smoother, but Axelrod's... read more

Dang! Poor Gene Ammons kept getting stuck with albums that had titles which referenced his prison time! Fortunately, the quality of this one's good enough to live past the stupid name -- and the record has Gene blowing with a larger group of west coast soul jazz players, arranged by Bobby Bryant,... read more

Gene Ammons has some pretty hip friends here -- a roster of talent that includes guest appearances by hornmen Cannonball Adderley, Dexter Gordon, and Nat Adderley on one long jam number -- plus Hampton Hawes on electric piano on the entire set! The work's done in a laidback, long-blowing way --... read more

A more laidback set than usual from Ammons' early 70s stretch on Prestige -- but a record that nicely gets back to that big-toned tenor sound he used often on ballads from earlier years! The combo mixes both electric piano and organ -- the former from Hank Jones, the latter from Ernie Hayes -- and... read more

Ahhhh . . . The Jam Session years of Gene Ammons! This album was one of a number that Jug cut for Prestige during the mid 50s, all excellent examples of how perfectly the label's "blowing session" style could work when it wanted to. The set takes Ammons' tenor, and groups it with an... read more

Bad Bossa Nova is right -- as Gene Ammons really hits a great groove here -- one that's not exactly bossa, but which has lots of Latin and tropical touches! The session makes great use of 2 guitars at the same time -- using that of Kenny Burrell for soulful rhythm, but also adding in Bucky... read more

Classic blowing session material from Jug -- with 4 long tracks that are all a superb example of how great Prestige could be when they wanted to! The group is filled with great players -- Jackie McLean, Mal Waldron, Idrees Sulieman, and Kenny Burrell -- and the band plays with a free easy groove... read more

A nice little album -- featuring some of the sides that Gene Ammons cut "off contract" for Chess/Argo during the early 60s, and ones that feature him paired with Sonny Stitt, his longtime partner in legendary tenor battles from the 50s. The two horns aren't really locked in combat here,... read more

A definite soul summit for the time -- with 3 top-shelf players in the lead, all getting plenty of room to do their thing! Both Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt are on tenor in the front, working with the respect and confidence they'd forged together on other co-led sessions from the time -- and Jack... read more

One of the best albums ever by Curtis Amy, and a tasty live set recorded during the period when he was beginning to steep himself in Coltrane influences, and stretch out his tenor sound a bit. The album's also notable for being an early appearance on wax by Roy Ayers, who is incorrectly listed in... read more

Great LA soul jazz session featuring the deep Texas tenor of Curtis Amy and the funky organ of Paul Bryant! Also present is Roy Brewster, the great, under-recorded LA valve trombonist, whose playing here gives the session a nice round bottom. 5 long cuts, with earthy, bluesy solos, and a very... read more

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One of the few rare recordings by west coast vocalist Ernie Andrews -- a great little singer with an extremely soulful sound! Ernie's got a feel here that's quite a bit like that of his contemporary Lou Rawls during his Capitol years -- a mix of jazz and soul with traces of earlier R&B -- all... read more

Chicago's underground female MC, produced by the Molemen, 5 cuts, with instrumentals, which are really more like bonus beats: "Down WithThese", "What Its Like Now", "Comin Through Alert", "My Peeps" and "Stay Around".... read more

Antonio Carlos & Jocafi wrote the soundtrack for this mid 70s Brazilian novela -- and the album's got a depth that goes far beyond most of their own work of the time! Part of this quality comes from the range of different singers interpreting the work -- an assortment of talents who bring in a... read more

Vanessa serves up a contemporary gospel batch of Christmas tunes -- but also works here with some arrangements that are more traditional than some of her regular albums of the time. Titles include "Christ The Lord", "Drummer Boy", "Go Tell It On The Mountain", "Ch... read more

Hard swinging big band material from Sweden -- featuring the big band of Harry Arnold arranged by Quincy Jones. Quincy had been spending a lot of time in Sweden during the mid 50s -- bringing with him a host of great players that would soon become big names on the European scene. Biggest of these... read more

High-stepping disco from Arpeggio -- an album of longer tracks with a really soaring feel! The groove here is tight, but never schmaltzy -- with arrangements and production by Simon Soussan, and an overall feel that's more powerfully driven by the instrumentation in the set than the group's sweet... read more

Their second album. With "Mister Landlord", 'Ease My Mind", "In The Sunshine", "Pride" and "Africa's Inside Me". 15 tracks in all.... read more

Post-Slave, post-Hall Of Fame -- but Arrington's still going strong, and really working that 80s groove that he helped invent back in the day! Tracks are leaner and simpler than you'd expect -- not a lot of nonsense, and a good focus on rhythmically catchy numbers. Titles include "Dancin In... read more

An incredibly wonderful record from The Art of Noise -- their first full LP, following off of the ep Into Battle With -- and a much more open-ended array of beats, sounds, and that wonderful chunky Trevor Horn production! The album's got versions of some of the older singles -- like "Beat Box... read more

Although Dorothy Ashby cut a number of funky groovy records for the Cadet/Argo label at the end of the 60s, this was her first early effort for the label -- and it's a much straighter album of jazz, although still quite nice. The setting is one of the sparest for Dorothy's early records -- and it... read more

Jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby has always had one of the most unusual sounds around -- and even though it might sound a bit crazy at first, her mix of harp playing with tight jazzy backing is always a winning combination. This early album has Ms Ashby playing with a groovy little combo that includes... read more

Always-great work from the team of Ashford & Simpson -- the kind of a record that has them at the top of their game, even though they'd changed their overall sound over the years! The vibe here is more in an 80s groove mode than some of the duo's Warner albums, but they've still got an... read more

By this point, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson are firmly holding the foreground as artists in their own right after many years of acting as songwriters for other soul and R&B hitmakers, and this self produced album continues in their tradition of sophisticated soul and rich balladry. With a... read more

Excellent work from Ashford & Simpson -- with some modern soul groovers that are among the best they ever did! The album includes their original reading of "Top Of The Stairs", a great sexy soul duet that was later done by Collins & Collins -- and it's also got a fantastic... 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 relatively lean --... read more

Radiant grooves indeed from Atlantic Starr -- a group who really make things sparkle throughout this magnificent set! The group are at the height of their powers here -- skirting a perfect line between mainstream soul and upbeat club -- never falling too much into one style or the other, and never... read more

The third album from Brian Auger & The Trinity -- and the first to feature the group recording without vocals from Julie Driscoll! The sound here is just as soulful as before -- a tight take on American soul jazz and funky soul of the 60s -- pushed along by Auger's mighty work on the Hammond... read more

The group's 3rd album for Salsoul -- still going strong in a bass-heavy 80s groove mode, with sweet female vocals by Starleana Young, and male vocals by Curt Jones that give the set a heavier soulful touch that keeps things real. Titles include "It's You", "Make Up Your Mind",... read more

A great batch of bass-heavy funk -- sweet 80s grooving from one of Salsoul's best groups of the time! Steve Washington plays bass, arranges, produces, and heads up the conceptual side of things -- and the group's a good mix of young players, with alternating male and female vocals throughout the... read more

A sweet blend of jazz and soul from Patti Austin -- recorded at Muscle Shoals studios, with a sound that's surprisingly rootsy on a few numbers! Patti's still got all the polish she picked up from her years with Quincy Jones, but she's also stepping out a bit more as an artist with a stronger... read more

An obscure group that we only know from this album, but one who's got some top-shelf production by 70s soul maestro Skip Scarborough, working here in more of an 80s styled blend of beats and keyboards! The style's a fair bit like more mainstream work on labels like Capitol and Atlantic -- tight... read more

Their classic double live set from the mid 70s, and as tight a batch of grooves as you'll find on their studio albums! In fact, this one might even be tighter, as it's got a good set of classic tracks performed live, with a sound that's a little bit more uptight and open than the studio versions--... read more

Ben E King joins the Average White Band for this sweet 70s set -- a killer record that not only stands as one of King's best efforts of the decade, but one that also gives the group a great new frontman! Ben's not the only singer on the record, but his presence here can definitely be felt --... read more

A great album that Roy Ayers cut after his co-led record with Fela Kuti -- and one with the same sort of hard-driving Afro-Funk grooves that you'd find in Fela's classic recordings! The songs are shorter than Fela's, and with more of Roy's usual smooth jazzy production style -- but the overall... read more

A great little album from Roy Ayers' early years with Polygram -- often overlooked amidst some of the bigger records in the catalog, but a very soulful set that's got some wonderful funky numbers! There's a really jazzy feel going on here -- Roy's nod back to his older roots in music, touched with... read more

One of Roy Ayers' biggest albums ever! The whole thing's an incredible album of mellow jazzy soul -- and it shows Roy at the crossroads, perfecting his earlier funk style with a sweet mellow R&B edge, getting a bit slicker, but still staying on the righteous path, and opening up a whole new... read more

One of Roy's last for Polydor -- perhaps a bit confused as to which direction the music should go, but still with some wonderful moments, as always! The funky cuts are a bit too funky -- but the mellow cuts still have that wonderful spacey quality that Roy virtually pioneered in soul, and songs... read more

A great little album by Roy Ayers -- one that features none of his hits, but which has great examples of both sides of Roy's talents at the time. The dancefloor side of Roy kicks in with "Love Will Bring Us Back Together", an extremely catchy groover that's very much in the mode of "... read more

Hey, we can't ever find fault with Roy Ayers -- and even though this record's not up there with the classic ones, it's still got some incredibly nice moments that blow away most of his contemporaries! The bad news is that some cuts have a bit too much Linn drum and DMX work for Roy's smooth soul... read more

Pure magic from the height of Roy Ayers' classic 70s run on Polydor -- a record that's filled with warm, jazzy grooves -- all served up in that unique style that Roy was forging at the time! The album perfectly balances dancefloor tracks with mellower numbers -- stepping out one minute with a... 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 striking in his... read more

An archetypal album by Roy -- and one that really shows him at the turning point of his sound! 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 up-tempo funk numbers... read more

An oft-overlooked funky soul gem from the incredible Roy Ayers -- taking turns with both uptempo material and more smoothed out soul sounds -- all done with Roy's trademark jazzy approach to the dancefloor! No Stranger To Love is a sly, and often funky set that deserves to be mentioned with his... read more

Seminal early funk work from Roy Ayers! The record catches him at that perfect point when he was turning from a straight jazz player into a sinister force in 70s funk -- and the group on the session includes super-hip soul jazz giants like Charles Tolliver, Sonny Fortune, and Harry Whitaker,... read more

A really great little album from Roy Ayers -- titled after a famous 60s pop hit, but with a much hipper feel than you'd expect! The group on the album features modernist soul jazz musicians like Herbie Hancock, Gary Bartz, Charles Tolliver, and Hubert Laws -- all of whom work nicely with Roy on... read more

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 Roy Ayers... read more

A great set of straight jazz from Roy, recorded for Atlantic, and with a feel that's a lot edgier than some of his other work from the time! The groups on the record feature some of the hippest soul jazz players of the time -- including Charles Tolliver, Jack Wilson, Joe Henderson, Harold Land,... read more

A masterpiece -- and don't pass it up! Sure, the date's a bit later than some of Roy's classic work, but the record's got a sound like no other -- with a slow mellow jazzy style that shows Roy working at the height of his powers! There's some wonderful spacey production on the record -- bringing... read more

While in the post fusion years when lite jazz was beginning to take off a lot of jazz and fusion artists got a bit lost, Azymuth continued to make a number of fine recordings, some of the best of their career. Bertrami and crew continue to groove along in their tight Brazilian fusion mode, with a... read more

Proof that Azymuth were one of the few groups who could keep things real at a time when most of their fusion contemporaries were sounding cloying and commercial! The album's got a well-rounded sound that really shows the group's roots in the 70s, and their wonderful evolution over the years --... read more