... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

Features work by George Van Eps on guitar, Eddie Miller on tenor, Matty Matlock on clarinet, and Clyde Hurley on trumpet. LP, Vinyl record album

The first album by this funky fusion quartet – done in a mix of vocal styles that has a nice crossover appeal! The group features work by Hiram Bullock on guitars, Clifford Carter on keyboards, Steve Jordan on drums, and Will Lee on bass – and vocals are handled mostly by Bullock and Carter, in a compressed studio mode that fits in nicely with the electric grooves of the set. Tunes are catchy and somewhat poppy – but the record also features a decent amount of jazz playing as well – and the group's more of a "fusion with vocals" outfit than the other way around. Titles include "Quack", "Turn Your Heart To Stone", "Pleasure Before Business", "Shoppin Round Again", "Full Time Love", and "Down To The Waterfall". LP, Vinyl record album

Mad mad funk, and the fantastic second LP by the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band – the group that proved to everyone that LA could be just as funky as any other city in the 60s! The record draws strongly from the group's indie roots in the funky 45 scene – and the album's filled with short tracks that bump along in jagged rhythms, offbeat arrangements, and some slight touches of sweeter soul. Charles Wright is leading the group on vocals, and taking a stronger presence on these soul-based cuts – but as before, it's the strength of the overall group that really makes the album great – especially the bass work of Melvin Dunlap and the funky drums of James Gadson! Titles include some killer original tracks by the band – like "Do Your Thing", "Giggin' Down 103rd", "Phuncky Bill", "65 Bars & A Taste Of Soul", and "A Dance, A Kiss, & A Song" – plus great covers of "Something You Got", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", and "Knock On Wood". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the best Joe Lee Wilson album you can ever get! Joe Lee Wilson's got a spiritual jazz vocal style that's in the vein of Leon Thomas, but which often falls short of Thomas' greatness on other recordings – yet here, though, he's totally great – hitting a beautifully soulful vein that's totally righteous, and which really delivers on the promise you'll hear on his other records. The group's quite tight – the Bond Street combo, which includes Fielder Floyd on trumpet, Monty Waters on alto and soprano, and Shiroh Mori on guitar – and the session was released by the hard-to-find Why Not imprint of the Japanese label Trio, making it one of the more obscure records in Wilson's catalog. The set steps off with an amazing take on Billy Gault's "Mode For Trane" – and other titles include "Song For My Father", "One ", "Four", and "Sophisticated Lady". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the biggest singles by Charles Wright – and backed with a nice b-side! "Love Land" is a great loping vocal soul cut – a lot sweeter than your average cut by the Watts Rhythm Band, but very catchy and very nice, too! "Sorry Charlie" is an instrumental – with horns on top, and lots of echoey piano playing on the melody, some of it off-key! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Ernie and Bert help you explore your body, in a way that isn't creepy at all – we promise! Features music by Dave Connor and Jeffrey Moss – and titles that include "Bones", "Tummy Song", "I Have Feet", and "Right In The Middle Of Your Face". Plus, The Count also tells us a bit about "Hands"! LP, Vinyl record album

With guests Glen Campbell, Crystal Gayle, Loretta Lynn, and Tanya Tucker. LP, Vinyl record album

Late 60s psych folk rock from New York. LP, Vinyl record album

Funky uptempo vocal group soul – in that "doo wop for the clubs" kind of style that a some east coast acts were using at the time. The record was produced by Michael Zager, and it's sometimes got a bit too much focus on the grooves to showcase the harmonies properly – but there are a few nice moments on the record. Titles include "Nice Guys", "Something Funky's Going On", "Do It" – plus 70's remakes of classics like "Earth Angel" and "Yes, I'm Ready". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A bold slice of work from the Daptone musical universe – a hip project that features work from members of The Dap Kings, El Michels Affair, Budos Band, and Antibalas – all put together with a range of sounds that really show the full spectrum of their styles! The groove's quite unique – even for the ultra-cool Daptone scene – as Menahan Street Band bring in bits of dub, funk, Latin, and Afro-styled sounds to their music – often working with a sense of spareness that seems influenced by 70s Ethiopia, but which comes off with a heavier Wu-inspired sound! There's no vocals at all – just really raw, stark instrumental bits – played on vibes, organ, tenor, flute, piano, trumpet, and some kickass percussion – produced with just the right sort of grit to make all tunes sound great. Titles include "Tired Of Fighting", "Home Again", "Montego Sunset", "The Traitor", "The Contendor", "Birds", "Esma", and "Going The Distance". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

"Do Your Thing" is a great one from Charles Wright and the group! The cut's got that messed-up funky groove they hit so well – with lots of tight funky playing, some great shouted lyrics, and a hook that drives the whole thing home. "A Dance" is more conventional soul – but still pretty nice! 7-inch, Vinyl record

The last album recorded by Charles Wright with the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band – and a set that's even more stretched out and trippy than their other albums! Gone are the tight short cuts of earlier days, and in their place are longer messed-up funky numbers that have more of a jamming party feel – tunes that let the whole group open up in a relaxed and soulful mode that must have been plenty great to see happening live in the studio! Charles sings in a style that mixes straighter soul with "crazy man" kind of lyrics – of the sort that he later sang on his own LPs – and the album features the wicked tune "Express Yourself II", a great follow-up to the first one, done in a more open-styled way, but still with the same hook and rhythm! Other tracks include "Just To Settle My Nerves", "Let's Make Love Not War", "What Can You Bring Me?", "Your Love", and "You're So Beautiful". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Maybe not as "street" as you might think from the group's name – or from the fake graffiti on the cover – but a pretty nice little mainstream soul album, and one that's almost a precursor to later New Jack sounds to come! The group's a trio – Sandi Alexander, Paul Christopher, and Manzel Lamar – and they've got a nicely stripped-down approach to 80s soul, one that gets past some of the cliches that were holding back some of their contemporaries, especially on the ballads. A number of the more midtempo tunes are heavy on the beats – again in a way that's almost New Jack – and titles include "I Lose Sleep Over You", "Do It In The Name Of Love", "If The Phone Don't Ring", "Come & Get This Love", and "Lonely". LP, Vinyl record album