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Some of our favorite albums ever from pianist Muhal Richard Abrams – an amazing run of eight records for the Black Saint/Soul Note label – rich in fresh colors, tones, and new musical ideas! There's a sensitivity to some of these records that you don't always get with Abrams – a personal feeling that brings in a much-needed warmth to his complex compositional forms – often in collaboration with other players on the Chicago scene, but also with a wider range of avant players, especially from New York – where Abrams would have a great influence in the 80s. The lineup of musicians here is wonderful – a virtual who's-who of the jazz left at the time, at least from an American perspective – with performances from George Lewis, Roscoe Mitchell, Amina Myers, Thurman Barker, Baikida Carroll, Andrew Cyrille, Craig Harris, Stanton Davis, Marty Erlich, Dick Griffin, Cecil Bridgewater, Fred Hopkins, Dierdre Murray, and so many others. The set features 8 full albums, each in a tiny LP-styled sleeve – and titles include Siphumonesty, Mama & Daddy, Blues Forever, Rejoicing With The Light, View From Within, Hearinga Suite, Blu Blu Blu, and Think All Focus One.

Wickedly hip work from Cannonball Adderley – and one of his real standout sessions for Capitol Records in the 60s! The set lives up to its "Africa" promise right from the very first note – and features a set of loud, proud tunes that really bring out the righteous sounds of this generation of new liberation – tunes that sparkle with lead alto and soprano sax from Cannon, but which really draw even more energy from the whole collective of musicians on the record – a hip lineup led by HB Barnum, who also did all the arrangements for the set! The result is a record that's unlike any of Adderley's other albums – from some of the evocative snakey lines on the top, to the hip mix of 60s Cali soul and African percussion on the bottom. And oh yeah, David Axelrod produced the whole thing too! Titles include "Gumba Gumba", "Up & At It", "Hamba Nami", "Ndolima", and "Lehadima".

Lots of complicated lines and rhythms going on here – a session recorded under the leadership of trombonist Jeff Albert, but which features equal energy coming from all members of the quartet – Kidd Jordan on tenor, Josh Abrams on bass, and Hamid Drake on drums! Abrams and Drake offer up way more than rhythms – and lines from all instruments intersect, criss-cross, and parallel each other – creating a rich tapestry of sounds and tones throughout! Titles include a few different installments of "Instigation Quartet" – plus the Fred Anderson songs "The Strut" and "Three On Two".

Smoking blues from Billy Boy Arnold – an artist who never got the fame as some of the bigger acts on Chess Records in the 60s – but who could certainly cook with the best Chicago electric sound! Arnold sings and plays guitar on the record – with a bold, upfront quality that easily makes the record one of the best in this series on Prestige – thanks in part to backing from a youthful group that includes Mighty Joe Young on guitar and Lafayette Leake on piano! Titles include "School Time", "Evaleena", "I Love Only You", "Two Drinks Of Wine", "Billy Boy's Blues", and "You Better Cut That Out". CD features the bonus track "Playing With The Blues".

An obscure and wonderful chapter in the career of Burt Bacharach – material penned for a 1967 TV musical starring Rick Nelson and Joanie Sommers – all of it perfect 60s Bacharach pop all the way through! The plot of the musical is a bit silly, but the performance isn't – tightly-crafted vocal numbers that often mix Burt's older Brill Building style with a bit more of a Sunshine Pop kind of approach. Although penned by Bacharach, the music is actually conducted by Peter Matz – who does a great job of retaining the maestro's sense of space and timing, but also unlocks some bolder flourishes in the tunes, and manages to get some really amazing vocal performances out of both Sommers and Nelson! There's a sophistication here that goes beyond the roots of both singers – and the record's filld with lesser-known tracks that still sparkle with plenty of Bacharach brilliance – including "It Doesn't Matter Anymore", "They're Gonna Love It", "Juanita's Place Montage", "Try To See It My Way", "They Don't Give Medals", "Fender Mender", and "Juanita's Place".

The Beach Boys – day by day, year by year, presented in a very compelling diary format that really gets past some of the overblown mythos about the group! Author Badman goes for a "just the facts" sort of approach – and lists key days in the group's career from the 60s onward – with most of the details given to important stretches before 1970, but some key information from later decades too. Each entry is dated, with specific information on what the Beach Boys were involved in on that day – recording, rehearsing, touring, etc – with a surprising amount of vintage photos and other bits to support the text. Perhaps most compelling is the book's frequent use of Musicians Union sheets for recording sessions – listing session players and their details (including, oddly, social security numbers!) – which really helps illuminate the way that the records were being made. 399 pages, softcover, with black and white images.

A great second single from UK singer Liam Bailey – and 2 great songs produced masterfully by Leon Michels and Jeff Silverman for Truth & Soul! "Please Love Me" yearns as sweetly as you'd expect from the title, with some falsetto vocals by Liam over some fairly tight drums and an insistent rhythm – sweetened nicely by some easygoing strings – a bit in the mode of their contemporaneous productions for Lee Fields. The flip has a great stripped down vibe of echoey guitar, drums and and a bit of organ. Great stuff!

Killer funky James Brown work from Hank! Both cuts were part of his brief comeback period with The Godfather – and they're both nice and funky. "I'm Back" has virtually the same groove as "There Was a Time", but more of a live sound. "Come On" has hard drums, and very punctuated rhythm bits. Very nice!

A great step forward for The Bar-Kays – an album that actually has them taking on a few mellower moments, amidst the heavy funk you might expect – yet all without softening their groove at all! The album's very much in the best spirit of the group's Mercury debut – still recorded in Memphis, with production that's tight, but never uptight – enough to firmly put the group at the top of the funk superstar scene of the mid 70s, yet never sell out the rich Memphis groove that first got them going! Titles include "You Can't Run Away", "Let's Have Some Fun", "Can't Keep My Hands Off You", "Whatever It Is", and "Shut the Funk Up".

A really great track from the legendary Sidney Barnes – a later effort handled by Ian Levine, but one that really brings out all the best qualities in his vocals! The tune's a burner right from the start – and has that Motorcity production style that updates older Northern modes – a groove that's definitely matched by "Man In A Million" on the flip!

A funky blacksploitation soundtrack – issued here for the first time! The score was written and performed by HB Barnum, the great soul arranger who was responsible for some of the funky work that David Axelrod did at Capitol Records during the late 60s – and this set features him working in a hipper mode of wah-wah funk, jazzy instrumentals, and a few more full-on soul numbers. The CD features a total of 18 tracks lifted from the original film, and remastered for mainstream release for the first time ever – and the album's filled with great short numbers that are a must for any fan of the sound of 70s funky action films! Titles include "Freedom", "Kung Fu Funk", "They Keep Comin", "Black Star Barber Shop", "Playin Numbers", "Fun Lovin Arrives", and "Roof Top Fight".

Kenny Dope takes on the funkiest sounds of the Miami Soul generation – on a single that's got more heavy funk than most full albums! Side one features a great edit of Beginning Of The End's "Come On Baby" (aka "Come Down Baby") – a groove that's just as heavy as their famous "Funky Nassau", and done with a similar blend of choppy guitar, romping rhythms, and blasting horns! Next up is Willie Johnson's amazing "Lay It On Me" – a tune that's got a really amazing bassline – one that moves faster than anything in the tune – including the blasting horns and rip-shot drums! And last is "Till I Get My Share" – one of the funkiest tunes ever from Clarence Reid – a hard and heavy number that feels a lot like the best Syl Johnson work for Twinight!

Bill Black and his classic combo – but with a sound that's a lot more Stax Records than usual! The grooves are gritty right from the get-go – no surprise, given that the back cover notes begin with an anecdotal definition of funk – one that Black and his group clearly seem to have read, given that they start the album with a mighty drumbreak! The set's still got that saxy Bill Black sound, but the organ is a lot more deeply burning, and the drums have a nice sort of punch too – maybe more Mar-Keys than MGs, but still mighty darn nice. Titles include "Turn On Your Love Light", "The Horse", "Philly Dog", "Big Boss Man", "Red Light", "Bright Lights Big City", and "Shoo Bee Doo Be Doo Da Day".

One of the headiest albums from the team of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart – as you might guess from the image on the cover! The album continues the playful quality of previous A&M sets, but also has a deeper feel too – a bit more soul on the vocals, which really comes through on the album's few covers – and a slightly more socially-conscious approach to the lyrics too – supported by backings by a core group that features John Gallie on some especially great organ and keyboards, and great arrangements from Jimmie Haskell! The shift is great proof that these two were way more than just songwriters – and titles include "Change", "Maybe Somebody Heart", "Abracadabra", "My Baby Loves Sad Songs", "Thanks For Sunday", and "Strawberry Girl". CD features bonus mono tracks – "Six & Six", "LUV – Let Us Vote", "We're All Going To The Same Place", "PO Box 9487", and "Alice Long".

A brilliant reinvention of the Bobby Bradford/John Carter partnership – a key force on the LA avant scene of the late 60s and early 70s – still filled with fire in this later recording! Bradford's cornet has lost none of its force – and the real shift here is Carter, who works only on clarinet – yet uses the instrument with incredible energy, with bold, stretching lines that move far past some of the more fragile aspects of the instrument – and which seem to get pushed even farther here by Bradford than on some of Carter's own albums as a leader during the 80s. The rest of the group features Don Preston on piano and keyboards, Richard Davis on bass, and the mighty Andrew Cyrille on drums – whose playing here really propels the whole set strongly – on titles that include "Comin On", "Sunday Afternoon Jazz Society Blues", "Room 408", and "Encounter".

Great stuff – and possibly the best album ever by this classic harmony soul group! The style is wonderful – with Brenda's sweet voice in the lead, and backing by the all-male Tabulations. The overall approach was used by Gladys Knight & The Pips for years, but we've always liked Brenda's stuff better – because it's got a deeper soul approach, and much richer harmonies. This CD features all the tracks from the group's rare 1971 album, plus a number of singles that weren't on the record. Titles include "Right On The Tip Of My Tongue", "Don't Make Me Over", "The Touch Of You", "California Soul", "A Part Of You", "And My Heart Sang", "Lies Lies Lies", and "A Child No One Wanted".

Ahhh. . . Nice! Wonderful intelligent, spiritual rhymes, full of Islamic prayer references, blunt antagonist rhymes, a battle with the ugliest of inner demons and broken artist poverty all hugged by catchy bouncing hook filled choruses. And all the production is handled by Ant, a true autuer akin to Pete Rock, now becoming more comfortable with his art with each release: tight organ loops, snapping drums, bright horns and nice upright basslines. "Soulful" is the key adjective here. Tracks include "Star Quality", "Pay Them Back", "Shadows On The Sun", "Forest Whitiker", "Room With A View", "Back Stage Pacin", "Missing Teeth", "Dorian", "Soul Whisper", "Champion", "Prince Charming", and more! Side F to this triple vinyl set has 4 added instrumental versions!

A great double-length album from James – filled with a wide range of cuts that are brought together only by his genius, creating an insane mix of grooves that's totally entertaining throughout! Features a long version of "Get On The Good Foot", plus other excellent bits like "The Whole World Needs Liveration", "Nothing Beats A Try But A Fail", "My Part/Make It Funky", "I Got a Bag Of My Own", "Funky Side of Town", "Dirty Harri", and the amazing "Recitation by Hank Ballard", in which Hank talks about how great James is, and how much he saved his career!

A sweet bit of funky jazz vocals from Oscar Brown Jr – recorded during his early 70s stay at Atlantic Records, in a style that's very different than his early work! The tracks are all still original numbers by Oscar – penned with that clever bad-rapping approach to the lyrics that always earned him a huge audience in the cognoscenti. The feel is a bit more electric than before, with Richard Tee on electric piano, Cornell Dupree on guitar, and percussion by Ralph MacDonald. A few cuts have female backing vocals, and titles include "Gang Bang", "Feel the Fire", "Dime Away from a Hot Dog", and "Young Man".

A pair of overlooked 70s gems from Jerry Butler – back to back on a single CD! Love's On The Menu is understated genius from Jerry – the kind of record that follows nicely off of his best strengths for Mercury in the early 70s – and which has him furthering the level of mature soul that was his greatest contribution to music in the decade! As before, the best tunes here are often the mellower ones – sung in a mode that's warmly soulful, and which often raises the bar for mainstream soul – to a level that would allow a lot more work to come from other singers a few years later. The title cut – "Love's On The Menu Tonight" – is a perfect illustration of this style – and other cuts include "The Devil In Mrs Jones", "Thank You Early Bird", "I'm Goin Left", "Don't Let This Smile Fool You", "I Don't Want Nobody To Know", and "This Is Your Life". Suite For The Single Girl is a great little concept album – and one that really shows the continuing sophistication and growth of Jerry Butler's music in the 70s! The record is dedicated to the "single girl" of the 70s (portrayed with the sad little photo of a brown bag lunch and a Gucci purse on the cover) – the new professional woman in the workplace – a surprisingly popular theme for many other singers of the period, but handled here by Butler with way more poise and class than any of his contemporaries! Arrangements are by James Mack and Paul Wilson, who often bring a great mellow mode to the best cuts – almost a Leon Ware style of laidback sensuality. A few other tunes are groovers, but still fit in just right – and titles include "Suite For The Single Girl", "I Wanna Do It To You", "Music In Her Dreams", "Only Pretty Girls", "Let's Go Get Out Of Town", "Chalk It Up", and "Ms Fine".

One of the great ones! No kidding, Jaki Byard was an amazing talent in the 60s – and records like this one are rare treasures to be sought-after by any serious jazz fan. Byard had an incredible range of talents and influences – and, like his frequent bandmate Roland Kirk, he could often run through all of them in a very short stretch, packing each song with a wealth of feeling, technique, and sheer raw fun. This album's a darn tough one to find on vinyl – and it's reissued here with a previously unissued track. The group includes Byard on piano and alto, plus Jimmy Owens, Paul Chambers, and Billy Higgins. Tracks include "Spanish Tinge", "Olean Visit", "Geb Piano Roll", "Snow Flakes", and "On The Spot". Also includes the previously unissued "Snow Flakes".

Carleen & The Groovers are one of THE monumental groups in the funky 45 scene of the early 70s – and they've got an incredibly tight sound that rivaled the JBs – with hard heavy drums, choppy scratchy guitar, and a blaring horn groove! Vocals are very upfront in the mix, and the whole thing's super raw. "Can We Rap" is a monster, and has appeared on the odd comp or two over the years – but "Right On" is even better! It's got a very nice breakbeat in the middle, and some cool strung-out guitar! "The Thing" and "Hot Pants" are two equally great – but lesser-known grooves by the group – and the whole single comes with a great set of notes on Carleen and the tracks!

A killer set from Cashmere – and a batch of music that definitely turns us on! The album's got a lean, mean groove that's mighty nice – a tight, keyboard-driven approach to 80s soul – but one that's also held together beautifully by lead vocals from Dwight Dukes, who was previously a member of Heaven & Earth! Dukes has this sweet falsetto mode that works perfectly with the cuts – and on many numbers, he gets vocal support from Dean Williams, whose deeper style really helps ground the tunes nicely – making for a blend that only gets richer as the album rolls on. Groovers dominate the styles, but there's a few nice laidback numbers too – and the contrast makes for the same energy that always made a record by Heaven & Earth so great. Titles include "Contemplation", "Try Your Lovin", "Inner Feelings", "Let The Music Turn You On", and "Do It Anyway You Wanna". CD features 5 bonus tracks – including "Do It Anyway You Wanna (12" version)", "Let The Music Turn You On (single)", "Try Your Lovin (single)", "Do It Anyway You Wanna (inst)", "Try Your Lovin (12" inst)".

One of the most obscure of the Paul Chambers albums on Blue Note – and one of the most interesting as well! Although best known for his solid rhythm work on late 50s hardbop recordings, Chambers breaks out here with a more introspective, more exploratory style on the bass – using the instrument "on top", as a lead solo force in a group with Kenny Burrell on guitar, Hank Jones on piano, and Art Taylor on drums. The sound is surprisingly soulful, and modern yet swinging – in the manner of Oscar Pettiford's best sides of this style. Titles include "Yesterdays", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "Confessin", and "The Theme". CD also features the bonus track "Chamber Mates"

The Chambers Brothers may not actually be playing on Mars for this set, but they've definitely got a spaced-out sound – a freaky electric groove that goes even farther than some of their other studio work of the 70s! The set has some of the earthy soulful moments from the group's earliest years, but it also brings in blend of electric guitar too – extended the styles first explored at Columbia in the freer space of the live setting here. Steve Cropper joins the group for the performance, and you can definitely hear some of his grit in the grooves – and some tracks are quite long and jamming, even more so than we might have expected from the group! Side two features a 17 minute medley of "Stealing Watermelons" and "Mama Your Daughter (Is Hot Enough To Burn Water)" – and side one features "Me & Your Mother", "Superstar", and "Midnight Blue".

Lorraine Chandler really cooks here – soaring with Pied Piper production that brings in plenty of bass right from the start – building the groove on up from the bottom, which Chandler then really knocks out of the park with her vocals! "I'm Not Built That Way" features a strong male lead and some higher harmonies in the background – really pushing the whole thing along with the heavy Detroit groove!

Ten years since his underground Headphone Masterpiece and Cody Chesnutt is finally back with a proper follow up – one that has a more fully-fleshed out production – and it’s pretty damn great! There's some striking differences in approach, but thankfully, the idiosyncratic creative bent remains! Where Headphones Masterpiece was a mind-bogglingly ambitious low fi bedroom production, this one was at least partially recorded at Willie Mitchell's legendary Royal Studios in Memphis, with a great group of studio musicians. This one is also more focused – and features a tight batch of 12 songs – as opposed to the sprawling double album debut. Cody's ear for classic southern soul craft informs this one – but his raw lyricism and great voice are still the focus, and that ultimately makes it another near-classic! We hope it won't take 10 years to make another record, but we're sure glad we finally got this one! Includes "'Til I Met Thee", "I've Been Life", "That's Still Mama", "Don't Follow Me", "Everybody's Brother", "Love Is More Than A Wedding Day", "Under The Spell Of The Handout", "Don't Wanna Go The Other Way", "Where Is All The Money Going", "Scroll Call" and more.

Ten years since his underground Headphone Masterpiece and Cody Chesnutt is finally back with a proper follow up – one that has a more fully-fleshed out production – and it's pretty damn great! There's some striking differences in approach, but thankfully, the idiosyncratic creative bent remains! Where Headphones Masterpiece was a mind-bogglingly ambitious low fi bedroom production, this one was at least partially recorded at Willie Mitchell's legendary Royal Studios in Memphis, with a great group of studio musicians. This one is also more focused – and features a tight batch of 12 songs – as opposed to the sprawling double album debut. Cody's ear for classic southern soul craft informs this one – but his raw lyricism and great voice are still the focus, and that ultimately makes it another near-classic! We hope it won't take 10 years to make another record, but we're sure glad we finally got this one! Includes "'Til I Met Thee", "I've Been Life", "That's Still Mama", "Don't Follow Me", "Everybody's Brother", "Love Is More Than A Wedding Day", "Under The Spell Of The Handout", "Don't Wanna Go The Other Way", "Where Is All The Money Going", "Scroll Call" and more.

Funky numbers from Tony Cook's Back To Reality recordings – 80s styled grooves with schooling in classic funk on Stones Throw! "The Rap" featuring The Kids is old school funky rap, with rhymes by The Kids! "What's On Your Mind?" features Tavell and some cosmic groove keys and is on more of synth soul tip.

Lead by Frank Foster, these tracks are taken from the Denon releases Long Live The Chief and The Legend The Legacy.

Smooth jazzy soul from this massively overlooked group from the 70s! Although many know their bigger recordings on Sussex, these Polydor sides are much more appealing to us, and have a nice jazzy soul sound that's similar to work of groups like Side Effect – with a mixture of harmony soul and more complicated arrangements, touched by a bit of funk, and some more sophisticated modern soul production. This LP includes an excellent funky cut called "Funky Luvah", plus the tracks "Pass The Feelin On", "Turn On To Music", "Don't Be Afraid", and "I Want Ya (Loving Me)".

A fantastic album from Sonny Criss! The record is one of his excellent late 60s "comeback" sides for Prestige – and it features incredibly solid, confident, and hard alto solos, blown with a tremendous amount of imagination. Bob Cranshaw and Alan Dawson provide excellent rhythm accompaniment, and Cedar Walton's a genius on piano, providing just the right touches to give the album a sense of mature whimsy that makes the selection of tracks work perfectly in a jazz setting. There's a lot of room here, and him and Sonny intertwine constantly in a beautiful lyrical way that never gets too sentimental. Titles include "Ode To Billie Joe", "Somewhere My Love", "The Beat Goes On", and "Georgia Rose".

Great early work from Andrae Crouch & The Disciples – just the kind of soulful set that made the group a big crossover act at the time! Although gospel at heart, the record's got a nicely secular feel in approach – a style that's a bit like some of the other larger group soul of the time – particularly the 5th Dimension, whose bright, sunny sound Crouch seems to be reaching for here! But there's also a slightly groovier feel too – that undercurrent of hip that was bubbling under on some of the best Light Records productions in the 70s. Titles include "I'm Gonna Keep On Singing", "I'm Coming Home Dear Lord", "Take A Little Time", "What Ya Gonna Do", "My Tribute (To God Be The Glory)", and "I've Got Confidence".

Compelling title, but kind of a mellow record overall – featuring vibes by the enigmatic Darji, and backing by players that include John Lewis, Ray Brown, Rodney Jones, and Mickey Roker. Tracks are longish, and moody – almost in the mode of Milt Jackson work with the MJQ, but not as poised – and titles include "While We Dream", "Blues For Jazzo", "Blues Of The Masters", and "Gentle Rain".

A late 70s gem from Tyrone's years on Columbia Records – one that shows both sides of his talents for the label! The set starts out with an extended clubby groover called "Get On Up (Disco)" – a bumping sort of number that's clearly trying to push him into Johnnie Taylor territory, and which comes off surprisingly well. But even better are the rest of the tracks on the set – which update Tyrone's older Brunswick sound with a smoother, more sophisticated sort of style – still recorded in Chicago, and with some southern soul traces – but usually done in a warmer midtempo groove, with excellent lead vocals and great backing from The Haywood Sisters. Titles include "It's You It's You", "Bunky", "All I Ever Need", "I Can't Go On This Way", and "Can't Help But Say".

Titles include "Cheek To Cheek", "On The One For Fun", "Stay Awhile With Me", "Nice Girls", and "A Love Song".

Classic 60s pop from Jackie DeShannon – served up here with a massive batch of bonus tracks too! The core album was issued after Jackie's successful run opening up for The Beatles during their first American tour – but more than that easy association with the Fab Four, the record's actually a surprisingly great batch of material with a sweet west coast pop groove – and one that includes a fair number of original tunes written by Jackie herself! Jackie's ability to write her own material really made her stand out amongst sweeter female 60s singers – and it ensured that on an album like this, she'd be working with a depth that went beyond simple pop, and which avoided the over-trodden filler that clogged up too many other albums of the genre. Bonus tracks follow in a similar DeShannon-penned spirit – and the CD features a total of 20 tracks that include "She Don't Understand Him Like I Do", "Should I Cry", "You Won't Forget Me", "Did He Call Today Mama", "When You Walk In The Room", "Oh Boy", "The Prince", "Over You", "Till You Say You'll Be Mine", and "Today Will Have No Night".

The only full album ever recorded by the legendary Sam Dees – an artist who's probably best known for his songwriting skills on other records, but who really shines here as a lead star on his own! Dees' approach is wonderful – a bit rootsy, with some slight southern soul elements – but also righteous and progressive, with a bit of a Curtom vibe in the mix – a perfect blend for Dees' upfront presentation of the lyrics, and the powerful message in his music! And the lyrics are sublime – really thoughtful words that go way past any standard cliches – mixing the personal and politics in ways that few other records did this well – a quality that's made this one a lasting treasure for years. Titles include "Child of the Streets", "Claim Jumpin", "Troubled Child", "So Tied Up", and "Good Guys".

The only full album ever recorded by the legendary Sam Dees – an artist who's probably best known for his songwriting skills on other records, but who really shines here as a lead star on his own! Dees' approach is wonderful – a bit rootsy, with some slight southern soul elements – but also righteous and progressive, with a bit of a Curtom vibe in the mix – a perfect blend for Dees' upfront presentation of the lyrics, and the powerful message in his music! And the lyrics are sublime – really thoughtful words that go way past any standard cliches – mixing the personal and politics in ways that few other records did this well – a quality that's made this one a lasting treasure for years. Titles include "Child of the Streets", "Claim Jumpin", "Troubled Child", "So Tied Up", and "Good Guys". CD features 6 bonus singles too – including "I'm So Very Glad", "Signed Miss Heroin", "Fragile Handle With Care", "Save The Love At Any Cost", "Child Of The Streets (single)", and "So Tied Up (single)".

With Phil The Agony, Xzibit and the Liks on the a-side.

A great later score from Georges Delerue – wonderfully dark, with a sense of tension that comes through right from the very first note! Delerue's sometimes got a great way with beauty – but this time around, he really shows his darker side – working slow strings with very sharp edges, sounds that are never too atonal, but really have an offbeat feel! Although the instrumentation is overall in the more traditional Delerue orchestral mode, there's almost a 70s Italian feel at times – thanks to Georges' great use of space between the notes. Titles include "Elevators", "21 Club", "Piano Practise", "Break In", "The Bath", "Hide & Seek", "The Bookstore", and "The Cemetary".

2 great later gems from The Dells – both essential sides of their later catalog! I Touched A Dream is an especially tremendous record – a bit smoother than before, but still much more daring vocally than most other harmony groups at the time, cutting through some smoother arrangements with a sublime approach to the material that's all-soul all the way! Arrangements are sometimes bit uptempo and modern, but they're still in a strong Chicago groove – with backings by Tom Tom 84 and Sonny Sanders – and production by Carl Davis and Eugene Record, making for a late 70s update of the classic Brunswick soul approach! Titles include "Look At Us Now", "All About The Paper", "So You Are Love", "Passionate Breezes", and "I Touched A Dream". Whatever Turns You On is another later winner from The Dells – a record that has the group mixing uptempo grooves and sublime mellow numbers – all of which are sung with heartbreaking vocals that show the group as still one of the best in soul music – even after more than 20 years on record! Arrangements are by Tom Tom 84 and Sonny Sanders, and production by Carl Davis and Eugene Record – all key factors in the success of the album, thanks to a long local history with the Chicago soul legends – and a respect that's very clear in their handling of the sound on this set. Titles include "Happy Song", "It Took A Woman Like You", "Whatever Turns You On", "Ain't It A Shame", "Stay In My Corner", "is It It", and "Heaven's Just Step Away".

A killer groove! "Fallin In Debt" is a chunky, funky monster that feels like some lost southern funk cut from the end of the 60s – razor sharp drums that move surprisingly fast, tight horns that pepper the groove but never overwhelm, and great vocals from DeRobert that set the pace of the cut nicely! Guitar riffs quickly alongside the triple-time groove – and the whole thing's backed by "Stay On Point" – another wickedly funky tune with an offbeat sense of rhythm!

Fantastic soul from Lamont Dozier – his first LP as a solo artist, and one of the best debuts of the 70s! The record has a quality that's impossible to describe accurately – but it's kind of a post-Motown full-on approach to soul that mixes strings, piano, and that wall of sound groove that was one of Dozier's biggest contributions to the Motor City. Surprisingly, the album's produced by McKinley Jackson – leader of The Politicians, who provided regular backing for Dozier's HDH productions of the time. The real strength, though, is Dozier's voice – which is produced here in a compressed way that brings up the better raspy qualities of his style, juxtaposing them with the tightness of the arrangements in a mode that's similar to Bobby Womack's work of the time. However, Dozier's songwriting is way way better than Womack's by this point – and the album's filled with anthemic soul cuts like "Fish Aint' Bitin", "Out Here On My Own", "Take Off Your Make Up", "Trying To Hold Onto My Woman", and "Let Me Make Love To You".

A sweet mellow groover from the mighty Lamont Dozier – a set that's not nearly as well known as his earlier work of the 70s, but one that has the Motown man still riding strong! In contrast to the fuller, clubbier grooves of Dozier's ABC work, most of the tunes here are a bit more laidback and mellow – still with a groove, but not nearly as full-on – and with a sophisticated, sensual feel that's a fair bit like Leon Ware at his best! Production is nice and warm throughout, but never too slick – and there's some really compelling keyboard bits, especially some use of Prophet 5, which makes for a nice contrast with Lamont's vocals. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Why", "Playing For Keeps", "Chained", "Cool Me Out", "Working On You", "Starting Over", and "You Made Me A Believer".

Seminal work from the post-Clyde McPhatter version of The Drifters – a sublime batch of singles that really showcase all that's great from the second chapter of the group! The set's way more than a "best of" – as it was the only full album to feature most of these cuts – and together, they really illustrate the excellent changes the group had made – including their alliance with the Leiber & Stoller team, and their great use of exotic rhythms and instrumentation! Some cuts still echo earlier R&B, while others have plenty of cool Latin elements in the mix too – a rhythm that really works well for the vocals of Ben E King's lead with the group. Titles include "Sweets For My Sweet", "There Goes My Baby", "Stranger On The Shore", "Save The Last Dance For Me", "When My Little Girl Is Smiling", "Ruby Baby", "True Love True Love","Another Night With The Boys", "What To Do", "Mexican Divorce", and "Room Full Of Tears".

At last – a t-shirt that ponders the eternal question, showing that beatheads can be as philosophical as they are ambidextrous! This handsome design features a stripped-down, half-full crate on the front, and the Dusty Groove logo on the back – all plastered on a heavy-duty, all-cotton, beefed-up t-shirt!

At last – a t-shirt that ponders the eternal question, showing that beatheads can be as philosophical as they are ambidextrous! This handsome design features a stripped-down, half-full crate on the front, and the Dusty Groove logo on the back – all plastered on a heavy-duty, all-cotton, beefed-up t-shirt!

At last – a t-shirt that ponders the eternal question, showing that beatheads can be as philosophical as they are ambidextrous! This handsome design features a stripped-down, half-full crate on the front, and the Dusty Groove logo on the back – all plastered on a heavy-duty, all-cotton, beefed-up t-shirt!

At last – a t-shirt that ponders the eternal question, showing that beatheads can be as philosophical as they are ambidextrous! This handsome design features a stripped-down, half-full crate on the front, and the Dusty Groove logo on the back – all plastered on a heavy-duty, all-cotton, beefed-up t-shirt!

At last – a t-shirt that ponders the eternal question, showing that beatheads can be as philosophical as they are ambidextrous! This handsome design features a stripped-down, half-full crate on the front, and the Dusty Groove logo on the back – all plastered on a heavy-duty, all-cotton, beefed-up t-shirt!

A great little shirt – one that looks like one of those old school posters that used to advertise record shows – complete with an image of a self-contained record player atop a row of record spines too! The whole thing really stands out – the kind of shirt that loudly proclaims your love for all things vinyl – and the flipside also carries the Dusty Groove website address! Printed in heavy colors on a 100% cotton Beefy T, in Natural!

A great little shirt – one that looks like one of those old school posters that used to advertise record shows – complete with an image of a self-contained record player atop a row of record spines too! The whole thing really stands out – the kind of shirt that loudly proclaims your love for all things vinyl – and the flipside also carries the Dusty Groove website address! Printed in heavy colors on a 100% cotton Beefy T, in Natural!

A great little shirt – one that looks like one of those old school posters that used to advertise record shows – complete with an image of a self-contained record player atop a row of record spines too! The whole thing really stands out – the kind of shirt that loudly proclaims your love for all things vinyl – and the flipside also carries the Dusty Groove website address! Printed in heavy colors on a 100% cotton Beefy T, in Natural!

A great little shirt – one that looks like one of those old school posters that used to advertise record shows – complete with an image of a self-contained record player atop a row of record spines too! The whole thing really stands out – the kind of shirt that loudly proclaims your love for all things vinyl – and the flipside also carries the Dusty Groove website address! Printed in heavy colors on a 100% cotton Beefy T, in Natural!

A great little shirt – one that looks like one of those old school posters that used to advertise record shows – complete with an image of a self-contained record player atop a row of record spines too! The whole thing really stands out – the kind of shirt that loudly proclaims your love for all things vinyl – and the flipside also carries the Dusty Groove website address! Printed in heavy colors on a 100% cotton Beefy T, in Natural!

"Get Your Swerve On" is an improved version of the self-released single from 1996, and "Surrounded" is just about as nice.

One of Farmer's best sessions of the 70s – recorded in a mode that's a bit freer than usual, with a group that includes Hampton Hawes, Ray Brown, and either Steve Ellington or Shelly Manne on drums. Art Pepper sits in on 4 of the album's 6 tracks – and it's his tone and edgieness that really opens things up, casting Farmer's work on flugelhorn in a light that's darker than usual, filled with shadows that haven't crept into his playing for years, creating a depth to the record that really keeps us listening. Titles include "Downwind", "Namely You", "What Am I Here For?", and "Will You Still Be Mine?"

A classic doo wop side, but perhaps more famous for the hard to get cover of the first edition, than the music, even though the grooves are about as great as you can get, whether it's smooth ballads or more up tempo rocking numbers! A dozen numbers in all, including "Just For A Thrill","Who Do You Know In Heaven", "Maybe You'll Be There","Tiger Lily", "C'Est La Vie", "Dream", "Let There Be You", "All I Need IS You", "The Gypsy", "From The Bottom Of My Heart", "To Each His Own" and "Boom-Boom".

A split LP, but a seminal full length album in the doo wop genre – one that was issued on Vee Jay in the early 60s, but brought together some key earlier work by The Flamingos and The Moonglows! Both groups here are at the height of their early powers – singing in a stripped-down and nearly acapella mode that's totally great – often with just a bit of rhythm to keep things grooving along. The sound is much different than the later Flamingos' sides on End, and represents The Moonglows before they'd softened things up a bit. Titles include "I Was Wrong", "Real Gone Mama", "Oh Rockin Daddy", "Secret Love", "Whistle My Love", and "219 Train" by The Moonglows – and "Vooit Vooit", "Someday Someway", "Golden Teardrops", "Carried Away", and "If I Can't Have You" by The Flamingos.

Massive keyboard work from Ronnie Foster – one of his sweet funky 70s sets for Blue Note – and a killer all the way through! Ronnie plays a host of cool keys – Hammond, clavinet, and moog – and he's working here with tight production from George Benson, who really helps find a new soulful edge for Foster's music – plus great horns from Alfred Ellis, who helps bring a bit of his James Brown influence into the mix! Some of the best cuts feel like blacksploitation funk – with Foster taking long solos over some great instrumental grooves – often with the same offbeat twists and turns, and cool colors he brought to his Two Headed Freap album. Titles include "On The Avenue", "To See A Smile", "First Light", "Serenade To A Rock", and a nice version of Stevie Wonder's "Golden Lady".