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Funky big band work from Bill Pursell – a set that's got some of the disco charm you'd expect from the image on the cover – but one that also has some other jazzy elements too! There's not really a Nashville sound to the record – at least not in country music terms – and if anything, the record really reminds us of the way that some older New York big bands shifted up their groove during the disco generation – blending older jazz and Latin modes with elements more aimed at a contemporary dancefloor – including groovier rhythms, added strings, and female chorus vocals! Titles include "Sandwich Spread" – a nice original worth the price of the record alone – plus "Peter Piper Pumped His Pecks", "Deja Vu", "Now", "Every Day Of The Week", "Bump Me Baby", and "Hold My Hand When We're Going Home".

A great bit of soul from Clarence Reid – otherwise known as Blowfly – and a key album in the Miami scene at the end of the 60s! Clarence is working here in a very classic Atlantic records style of soul – with all the rootsy southern elements of the previous southern work at Memphis and Muscle Shoals, but handled with a well-produced sound that has elements of New York Atlantic. Most of the album's in a tight funky soul mode – with bits of Sly Stone or Charles Wright showing up a lot on the grooves – and cuts include the single "Nobody But You Babe", plus "Doggone It", "Get Back", "Tear You A New Heart", "Fools Are Not Born", and "Send Me Back My Money". There's also a goofy photo on the front – proving that Clarence Reid was better off behind a mask as Blowfly!

A great bit of soul from Clarence Reid – otherwise known as Blowfly – and a key album in the Miami scene at the end of the 60s! Clarence is working here in a very classic Atlantic records style of soul – with all the rootsy southern elements of the previous southern work at Memphis and Muscle Shoals, but handled with a well-produced sound that has elements of New York Atlantic. Most of the album's in a tight funky soul mode – with bits of Sly Stone or Charles Wright showing up a lot on the grooves – and cuts include the single "Nobody But You Babe", plus "Doggone It", "Get Back", "Tear You A New Heart", "Fools Are Not Born", and "Send Me Back My Money". There's also a goofy photo on the front – proving that Clarence Reid was better off behind a mask as Blowfly!

Massive music from Betty Wright – an album that really has her coming into her own – and showing the world how great Miami soul can be, when it's done this right! The album's overflowing with key help from TK legends like Willie Clarke, Clarence Reid, Steve Alaimo, and KC – all of whom bring in a cool shifting set of grooves to really expand Betty's style – still with all the charm of her early hits, yet also showing a classy, sophisticated side that we never would have expected before – a vibe that's even more powerful than Gwen McCrae on her albums from the time. Titles include the classic "Tonight's the Night" – made famous in a later live take, but done here in the original studio version – plus the tracks "Show Your Girl", "Where Is The Love", "Everybody Was Rockin", "Love Don't Grow On A Love Tree", "Don't Thank Me Baby Thank Yourself", and "Shoorah Shoorah". CD features lots of bonus tracks – including "Secretary", "It's Bad For Me To See You", "Value Your Love", "My Baby Ain't My Baby Anymore", and "One Thing Leads To Another".

Betty Wright explodes with soul on this sweet 70s classic – really stretching out past the simpler grooves of her roots, and showing the world she's got more than enough talent to be one of the standout soul divas of her generation! The record's also a great illustration of the way that Miami soul was growing up at the time, too – and sparkles with Willie Clarke production that help balance some of the new smoother modes with Betty's core down-home energy – captured perfectly here with a quality that makes the record southern enough to appeal to longtime fans, yet hip enough to get plenty of play up north too. Vocals get nice and complicated at times, almost jazzy with a Rufus/Chaka touch – and titles include "Do Right Girl", "I Think I'd Better Think About It", "Smother Me With Love", "Open The Door To Your Heart", "Life", "If I Ever Do Wrong", and "Don't Forget To Say I Love You Today". CD features four bonus tracks – "To Love & Be Loved", "Ooola La", "Slip & Do It", and "If I Was A Kid".

A deep soul classic from Betty Wright – one of her earliest albums of the 70s, and a Miami soul landmark that was one of the greatest female southern soul records of the time! Although Betty was well known for her earlier hit "Clean Up Woman", she didn't give into that fame – and keeps things mighty real on this set by working in a slow-burning deep soul mode. The vibe is nice and laidback, with plenty of mellow keyboard touches, subdued horn passages, and round, full sound served up to perfection by producers Clarence Reid and Willie Clarke. Titles include "Sweet Wonder", "Gimme Back My Man", "Who'll Be the Fool", "If You Think You've Got Soul", "It's Hard to Stop", and "The Experts".

A breakout album by Betty Wright, the record that spawned the cut "Clean Up Woman" – the choppy funky track that really pushed her over the top in a big way, and which has remained fresh for years –thanks to a strong sample history in hip hop! That cut's more than enough reason to buy the record – but the whole LP's great – and features loads of other original tracks written by Clarence Reid and Willie (Little Beaver) Hale, hitting hard in a sweet 70s Miami soul style – titles that include "I Love the Way You Love", "I'm Gettin' Tired Baby", and "Pure Love" – plus a groovy cover of "Ain't No Sunshine". One of the turning points in the emerging Miami soul scene of the 70s – soon to provide a second home to Atlantic Records!

One of the most unique albums to ever come out of the Miami soul scene of the 70s – a sublime set of work that we'd easily rank right up there with the best material of the time from Donny Hathaway or Stevie Wonder! Milton Wright has a really jazzy groove to his music – and he mixes his own acoustic guitar lines with warm keyboards and unusual rhythms that often have a bit of synth or moog – never too much, and almost more of a Mizell-like touch, but a bit more understated overall! The cuts are wonderfully written – quite righteous, almost with a Terry Callier sort of sensitivity – and Milton's vocals more than have the chops to live up to the heady batch of artists we're comparing him to in these notes. The sound is amazing throughout – one of those soul records that feels like nothing else you've ever heard, but which you can't live without once you've heard it! Titles include "Friends & Buddies", "Keep It Up", "Brothers & Sisters", "Get No Lovin' Tonight", "Po Man", "Black Man", and "Silence That You Keep".

A monster bit of funk that's unlike anything else we can think of! Beginning Of The End hailed from The Bahamas, but don't hold that against them – because instead of being a Caribbean cliche, they took the best part of the island rhythms, and used them to forge an incredible approach to funk! They've got a choppy sound that's the result of some incredibly dexterous guitar, bass, and drums – and which you'll recognize instantly from their one-time hit "Funky Nassau", a killer funk track that never gets old, no matter how many bands cover it over the years! That gem kicks off the album, which then rolls into the monster funky "part 2", which is even better! Other titles are equally wonderful – and include "Come Down", "Surrey Ride", "Monkey Tamarind", and "In The Deep". Essential – and one that you'll be spinning for years!

A monster bit of funk that's unlike anything else we can think of! Beginning Of The End hailed from The Bahamas, but don't hold that against them – because instead of being a Caribbean cliche, they took the best part of the island rhythms, and used them to forge an incredible approach to funk! They've got a choppy sound that's the result of some incredibly dexterous guitar, bass, and drums – and which you'll recognize instantly from their one-time hit "Funky Nassau", a killer funk track that never gets old, no matter how many bands cover it over the years! That gem kicks off the album, which then rolls into the monster funky "part 2", which is even better! Other titles are equally wonderful – and include "Come Down", "Surrey Ride", "Monkey Tamarind", and "In The Deep". Essential – and one that you'll be spinning for years!

Funky big band work from Bill Pursell – a set that's got some of the disco charm you'd expect from the image on the cover – but one that also has some other jazzy elements too! There's not really a Nashville sound to the record – at least not in country music terms – and if anything, the record really reminds us of the way that some older New York big bands shifted up their groove during the disco generation – blending older jazz and Latin modes with elements more aimed at a contemporary dancefloor – including groovier rhythms, added strings, and female chorus vocals! Titles include "Sandwich Spread" – a nice original worth the price of the record alone – plus "Peter Piper Pumped His Pecks", "Deja Vu", "Now", "Every Day Of The Week", "Bump Me Baby", and "Hold My Hand When We're Going Home".

Clarence Reid at his funky best – heard here on a wicked wicked groove – one with a vibe that's right up there with the sharp-edged best of Joe Quarterman! Reid's always great at this point in his career – but there's something about this single that's even a cut above – the way the bass comes down on its own, between the horns and the drums – creating this extra layer that's almost its own groove on the cut! "Mr Hot Stuff" is similar, but a bit different too – with drums that break nicely, and some mighty mean piano too!

The birth of Miami soul, and a beautifully done document of the rare Deep City label – home to Willie Clarke, Clarence Reid, and Betty Wright in the years before Alston and TK Records! Way before Miami soul started cracking the charts at the start of the 70s, Deep City was already putting the best parts in place – working with a tight roster of artists and an equally tight in-house band that rose from the ranks of Florida A&M's Marching 100 band – razor-sharp instrumentalists who helped forge a groove worthy to rival the sounds of Memphis, Muscle Shoals, and even the best of Detroit at the time – given that some of the work here has a much sweeter soul sound than other 60s southern soul. As usual, the Numero team have done an incredible job with the package – pulling out rare photos, personal stories, and just the right amount of information to breathe new life into the Deep City label and help it live anew. Titles include "Paralyzed" and "Good Lovin" by Betty Wright, "Am I A Good Man" by Them Two, "Someone To Fulfill My Needs" and "I Love You Baby" by The Moovers, "I Am Controlled By Your Love" and "Willing & Able" by Helene Smith, "Good Thing (part 1)" by Frank Williams & The Rocketeers, "It's My Baby" and "The Upset" by Paul Kelly, and "Stay Away From My Johnny" by Freda Gray & The Rocketeers. 2LP version features 6 bonus tracks – all instrumental – including "Good Lovin (inst)", "I Love You Baby (inst)", "Darling I'll Go (inst)", and "Am I A Good Man (inst)" by The Deep City Band – and "Stay Away From My Johnny (inst)" and "Good Thing (part 2) (inst)" by The Rocketeers.

An excellent collection of soulful house from the current Detroit underground – one that's bubbling over with great work from lesser-known talents – all of whom come together to prove that these days, Detroit's one of the most happening music scenes on the planet! There's a really unified feel to the record, despite the presence of so many different artists – and much of the work here is kind of a homegrown version of the better-known cosmic grooves that have been emanating from the city in the work of Amp Fiddler, Ayro, and others in recent years. There's perhaps a bit more of a house-heavy vibe here than those references might imply – but the sound is cosmically soulful all the way through, with some great vocals on the best tracks! Titles include "Melodies From The Jazz Republic" by Mick Huckaby, "A Walk Thru Osaka" by Marcellus Malik Pittman, "Ecoutez" by Keith Worthy & Malik Alston, "Hot N Funky" by Delano Smith, and "In The Dark" by Raybone Jones, Marcellus Malik Pittman, & Rick The Godson Wilhite. The 2012 double vinyl version includes the bonus track "Bosmos" by Rick The Godson Wilhite & Kenny Dixon Jr (Moodyman). 6 long jams on 2LPs.

One of the most amazing, expansive albums ever recorded by Brother Jack McDuff – a session that we'd rank right up there with his classic Moon Rappin for Blue Note – and which has an equally stretched out feel! Although some of Jack's other albums for Cadet in the 70s have a bit more of a keyboard-centric feel, this album's heavy on Hammond all the way through – played by McDuff with sharp edges, soaring solos, and that amazing sense of timing that few other players could match! But possibly even more amazing is the group on the set – a hip batch of cats who include Phil Upchurch and Sam Jones on bass, Don Myrick and Dave Young on tenor and flute, Bobby Alston on trumpet, Marty Roberts on guitar, and Derf Reklaw on percussion – all working wonderfully with McDuff arrangements on some very long tunes! The double-length nature of the 2LP record really lets the group stretch out nicely – and there's a tremendous sense of energy throughout – almost a mode that matches Charles Earland's Leaving This Planet album. Titles include "Ain't No Sunshine", "Radiation", "The Prophet", "The Boiler", "Pressure Gauge", "The Heatin System", "Elmo Tucker", and "Lonesome Is The Night".

An excellent collection of soulful house from the Detroit underground of the mid 00s onward – one that's bubbling over with great work from lesser-known talents – all of whom come together to prove that these days, Detroit's one of the most happening music scenes on the planet! There's a really unified feel to the record, despite the presence of so many different artists – and much of the work here is kind of a homegrown version of the better-known cosmic grooves that have been emanating from the city in the work of Amp Fiddler, Ayro, and others in recent years. There's perhaps a bit more of a house-heavy vibe here than those references might imply – but the sound is cosmically soulful all the way through, with some great vocals on the best tracks! Titles include "Everybody (Amp Fiddler rmx)" by Courtney Jackson, "Melodies From The Jazz Republic" by Mick Huckaby, "Cosmic Jungle" by Rick The Godson Wilhite, "Ecoutez" by Keith Worthy & Malik Alston, "The Feeling Of Love (Amp Fiddler rmx)" by Anetria Wright, "Hot N Funky" by Delano Smith, "Sugar (Amp Fiddler rmx)" by Patchworks, "In The Dark" by Raybone Jones, Marcellus Malik Pittman, & Rick The Godson Wilhite. 2012 version includes the bonus track "Bosmos" by Rick The Godson Wilhite & Kenny Dixon Jr (Moodyman) plus DVD bonus disc: In The Dark: Voices, shot in Detroit by Chris Bravo and featuring Ron Trent, Franki "DJ 3000" Juncaj, Mike Huckaby, Diviniti & Pirahnahead and many more.

A late 60s southern soul gem from then 14-year-old belter Betty Wright – her early singles for the Alston label that eventually became her debut album for Atlantic! Clarence Reid wrote most of the tracks, with arrangements and production handled by Steve Alaimo's Marlin Productions. It's done in the raw southern soul style which made that organization's name at the time – and Betty carries that groove incredibly well – as well as a woman of any age group! Essential! Cuts include "I'm Thankful", "The Best Girls Can't Always Win", "Girls Can't Do What the Guys Do", "I'm Going To Hate Myself In The Morning", "I Can't Stop My Heart", He's Bad, Bad, Bad", "Funny How Love Grows Cold", the incredible "Cry Like a Baby", "Circle Of Heartbreak", "Just You" and more!

The birth of Miami soul, and a beautifully done document of the rare Deep City label – home to Willie Clarke, Clarence Reid, and Betty Wright in the years before Alston and TK Records! Way before Miami soul started cracking the charts at the start of the 70s, Deep City was already putting the best parts in place – working with a tight roster of artists and an equally tight in-house band that rose from the ranks of Florida A&M's Marching 100 band – razor-sharp instrumentalists who helped forge a groove worthy to rival the sounds of Memphis, Muscle Shoals, and even the best of Detroit at the time – given that some of the work here has a much sweeter soul sound than other 60s southern soul. As usual, the Numero team have done an incredible job with the package – pulling out rare photos, personal stories, and just the right amount of information to breathe new life into the Deep City label and help it live anew. CD features 17 tracks in all – including "Paralyzed" and "Good Lovin" by Betty Wright, "Am I A Good Man" by Them Two, "Someone To Fulfill My Needs" and "I Love You Baby" by The Moovers, "I Am Controlled By Your Love" and "Willing & Able" by Helene Smith, "Good Thing (part 1)" by Frank Williams & The Rocketeers, "It's My Baby" and "The Upset" by Paul Kelly, and "Stay Away From My Johnny" by Freda Gray & The Rocketeers.