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An amazing moment in 70s jazz – the real rise of reedman Anthony Braxton, yet on a label that was also known mostly for pop, rock, and soul recordings! Braxton on Arista should have been a disaster – but instead, the label gave Anthony a huge amount of freedom – and, if anything, really allowed him to stretch out and explore all the rich range of ideas that were percolating in his genius – not just important small group recordings, solo sounds, and especially creative pairings – but also some large ensemble material that no tiny jazz label would have ever been able to support. Braxton really breaks out of the box on these sides – moving through an insane amount of new ideas and fresh sounds in the short space of five years – working with players that include Kenny Wheeler on trumpet, George Lewis on trombone, Henry Threadgill and Roscoe Mitchell on reeds, Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, Richard Teitelbaum on moog, Julius Hemphill on alto, Oliver Lake on tenor, and many other key 70s avant figures throughout these recordings. This limited package features a full book of notes – and includes the albums New York Fall 1974, Five Pieces 1975, Creative Orchestra Music 1976, Duets 1976, For Trio, Montreux/Berlin Concerts, Alto Saxophone Improvisations 1979, For Four Orchestras, and For Two Pianos. Most albums on CD for the first time ever!

Seminal work from The Brecker Brothers – 6 of the group's best albums, plus the two Blue Montreux live albums – packaged together in one very cool set, in tiny LP-like sleeves! The self-titled Brecker Brothers album is the first super effort from the team of Randy & Michael Brecker, whose twin-horn frontline forged a very popular sound in the mid 70s – some really well-crafted numbers, done with a strong smooth approach that still sits well after all these years! Back To Back features the twin horns of Randy & Michael Brecker, along with alto by David Sanborn, keyboards by Don Grolnick, and guitar by Steve Khan – but one of the things that really makes the album great is the vocal arrangements, which were handled by Luther Vandross, who also sung on the album along with Patti Austin. The set's got a great soulful feel – with some wonderful mellow groovers that have a sweet 70s sound! Don't Stop The Music is a stone classic from The Brecker Brothers – working with touches of club and disco grooves to give an even smoother edge to the jazz funk of the pair. And thanks to some solid soloing that's not afraid to go for the easy spots, the album's a lot more solid than an number of sound-a-like copycat LPs to come out at the time! Heavy Metal Be Bop is tight and funky jamming, with a bit more guitar here than on some of their other records – hence, possibly, the title! Keyboards and guitar jam strongly, but Randy and Michael still get in plenty of space for their solos – pushing their jazz licks with the jamming intensity that might normally be relegated to guitar heroes in the rock world. On Detente, the Brecker's are still rooted in jazz, but definitely step out with plenty of soul in the mix too – vocals from DJ Rogers, Carl Carlwell, Luther Vandross, and others – all of whom really add a lot to the set! On Straphangin, the BBs manage to groove with a sharpness and depth that most of their smoother fusion contemporaries just weren't hitting – an edge that reminds us of the deeper roots these guys had before they started hitting the mainstream! Last up are the live fusion classics Blue Montreux Vols 1 & 2 – both recorded as a unique live all-star outing by a group of Arista's best jazz players at the time! The group's an octet, but plays together in differing formations throughout the record – with Warren Bernhardt on keyboards, Michael Brecker on saxes, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Steve Jordan on drums, Steve Khan and Larry Coryell on guitars, Tony Levin on bass, and Mike Maineri on vibes – the last of which really make for some of the best numbers on the album!

A great early album by this oft-overlooked spiritual avant group that included Lester Bowie, Oliver Lake, JD Parran, and Charles Bobo Shaw. Side one features the extended "Lover's Desire", a nice slightly-funky number that has a groove that's sort of modal. Side two of the album features "Hazrat The Sufi", a long creative avant piece, with insane ensemble playing that's very much in the AACM mode.

One of those great 70s records that really reminds us that, way past Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick's a heck of a great soul singer! The album's a bit more polished than some of her other post-Scepter efforts from the decade – yet still comes off quite well, with Dionne really stretching out vocally – and bringing a lot more to the table than might be expected. There's a few uptempo cuts that are a bit off the mark, but Warwick really shines on the mellow and midtempo numbers. Titles include "Who What When Where Why", "All The Time", "In Your Eyes", "Feeling Old Feelings", "Deja Vu", "I'll Never Love This Way Again", and "After You". CD features two bonus tracks – single versions of "Deja Vu" and "After You".

One of their early classics, and still one of the greatest groups with roots in the Chicago AACM scene. Henry Threadgill, Fred Hopkins, and Steve McCall play modern experimental versions of compositions by Jelly Roll Morton and Scot Joplin – plus Threadgill's own "Paille Street".

A real sleeper – and one of the treasures of the Arista Freedom series! The album's a rare meeting between Argentine tenor player Gato Barbieri and South African pianist Dollar Brand – a true global meeting of the jazz minds, and a recording that's stronger than most of the work either player was recording at the time! The format is incredibly spare – just tenor and piano, plus some occasional cello work by Brand – dark and angular, but also filled with small flowers of hope, flowering in the spontaneous presence of these two great minds. Tracks are long, with a free flowing quality that's infused with soul and spirit – and titles include "Hamba Khale", "Aloe & The Wildrose", and "To Elsa".

A jazz funk masterpiece, and THE record by the legendary Don Blackman – the only one issued under his own name for many many years, and a famous little set that's been sampled endlessly over the years, and for good reason! The vibe here is one that's barely been matched again – a blend of 70s fusion, bassy funk, and even tighter riffing – all put together with a greater depth and sense of soul than most other records of its type. Blackman's a GRP contemporary of Bernard Wright, Tom Browne, and Weldon Irvine – and there's bits of all their sound in the work here, but somehow Don does it even better – hitting these grooves, notes, and lines that seem to fall from the heavens – and which still stand as some of the hippest music of his generation. A record to file proudly next to your copies of Ramp and James Mason – and like those gems, the kind of record that only happens once in an artists career! Titles include "You Ain't Hip", "Yabba Dabba Do", "Heart's Desire", "Deaf Hook Up Connection", "Never Miss A Thing", and "Holding You Loving You", and "Since You Been Away So Long".

An Arista winner from Angela Bofill – one that has her working strongly with Narada Michael Walden – who helps Bofill on production and songwriting for part of the album, and really helps bring a nicely solid feel to the set! The tunes are more in an 80s soul mode than before for Angie, but never too commercial overall – still with that sense of depth in the background that's always made Bofill one of the more sophisticated singers of her soul generation. Titles include "Too Tough", "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing", "I Can See It In Your Eyes", "Accept Me", "Rainbow Inside My Heart", "Love You Too Much", "Is This A Dream", "You Could Come Take Me Home", and "Song For A Rainy Day".

A landmark set from a group who only ever gave the world two albums – but who've gone on to have a huge influence over the years! This initial offering from Breakwater is a masterful blend of jazzy fusion and mellower soul – a sound sifted together so perfectly, it really tops the rest of the combo's contemporaries – hitting a careful balance that never gets too cheesy or commercial, and which still manages to glow as strongly into the 21st century as it did when first released back in the day! The sound here is sublime – warm, but never sleepy – jazzy, but never cliched – and mixed in such a way that the vocals and instruments almost get center stage in the spotlight without trying to crowd one another out. Titles include the incredible "Work it Out" – worth the price of the record alone – plus "No Limit", "That's Not What We Came Here For", "Free Yourself", "Do It Till The Fluid Gets Hot", and "Feel Your Way".

A landmark set from a group who only ever gave the world two albums – but who've gone on to have a huge influence over the years! This initial offering from Breakwater is a masterful blend of jazzy fusion and mellower soul – a sound sifted together so perfectly, it really tops the rest of the combo's contemporaries – hitting a careful balance that never gets too cheesy or commercial, and which still manages to glow as strongly into the 21st century as it did when first released back in the day! The sound here is sublime – warm, but never sleepy – jazzy, but never cliched – and mixed in such a way that the vocals and instruments almost get center stage in the spotlight without trying to crowd one another out. Titles include the incredible "Work it Out" – worth the price of the record alone – plus "No Limit", "That's Not What We Came Here For", "Free Yourself", "Do It Till The Fluid Gets Hot", and "Feel Your Way".

No splashdown here – as Breakwater are every bit as soaringly soulful as they were on their debut set! The groove here is that perfect blend of jazz and soul that only a few groups in the 70s really got right – maybe Pleasure, or The Blackbyrds – and most certainly Breakwater, who were one of the reigning champions of the scene! Rhythms are often upbeat, but not in a disco or club-oriented way – and the instrumentation is tight, but never slick or smooth – always nicely funky with a nice little crackle, even on the mellow cuts – in a way that's opened up this album to new audiences for many years. This set's got a nice bit of moog that wasn't on the group's first – used almost in Mizell-like to further enhance the sound – and titles include the classics "Say You Love Me Girl", "Let Love In", "Time", and "The One In My Dreams". Great stuff, and with a really beautiful vibe!

Soulful fusion from The Brecker Brothers – a set that's one of their standout efforts from the 70s – and a record that went onto influence a whole generation of jazz musicians too! The album features the twin horns of Randy & Michael Brecker, along with alto by David Sanborn, keyboards by Don Grolnick, and guitar by Steve Khan – but one of the things that really makes the album great is the vocal arrangements, which were handled by Luther Vandross, who also sings on the album along with Patti Austin! The set's got a great soulful feel – with some wonderful mellow groovers that have a sweet 70s sound – titles that include "Lovely Lady", "Night Flight", "Slick Stuff", "What A Miracle Can Do", "I Love Wastin Time With You", "Keep It Steady", "Grease Piece", and "Dig A Little Deeper". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "If You Wanna Boogie (single version)", and "Slick Stuff (single version)".

A key bit of jazz funk from trumpeter Tom Browne – still grooving strong here, with a sublime mix of modern soul, funky jazz, and some of the 80s groove touches that showed up on the best GRP titles from the time! The album's got a smooth compressed groove – kind of post-Donald Byrd, with Tom taking solos over the top of most tracks, and occasional vocals , wither from a backing group, or an assortment of different lead singers. Players on the set include Bernard Wright, Dave Grusin, Bobby Broom, and Marcus Miller – and tracks include "I Know", "Midnight Interlude", "Let's Dance", "Night Wind", "Making Plans", "Thighs Hihg", and "Magic".

A key bit of jazz funk from trumpeter Tom Browne – still grooving strong here, with a sublime mix of modern soul, funky jazz, and some of the 80s groove touches that showed up on the best GRP titles from the time! The album's got a smooth compressed groove – kind of post-Donald Byrd, with Tom taking solos over the top of most tracks, and occasional vocals , wither from a backing group, or an assortment of different lead singers. Players on the set include Bernard Wright, Dave Grusin, Bobby Broom, and Marcus Miller – and tracks include "I Know", "Midnight Interlude", "Let's Dance", "Night Wind", "Making Plans", "Thighs Hihg", and "Magic". CD features nice bonus tracks too – "Magic (12" UK version)", "Thighs High (single version)", and "Let's Dance (single version)".

A classic killer from trumpeter Tom Browne – a smoking set that still has all the jazz funk touches of his earlier records, yet which also picks up a bit of an electro vibe as well! The move here is a bit like that taken by some of Browne's labelmates on GRP at the time – particularly Bobby Broom and Bernard Wright – and offers up a great mix of jazzy roots and some of the newer sounds hitting the streets in the early 80s – a vibe that's maybe one of the first moments when older genres of music were beginning to show an influence from hip hop! Maurice Starr handles most of the production, and really makes things tight throughout – but Tom himself does a great job of keeping things interesting with the solos, augmenting the electric vibe with some rock-solid acoustic playing. Titles include "Rockin Radio", "Angeline", "Brighter Tomorrow", "Never My Love", "Mr Business", "Cruisin", and "Feel Like Makin Love". CD features bonus tracks – "Bye Gones (12" version)", "Rockin Radio (special 12" mix)", and "Cruisin (dub)".

Popping jazz funk from Tom Browne, one of the hallmark tracks of the GRP label's early days, a huge crossover number that still sounds great today!

An excellent album of smooth soul tracks – one that reaches back to some of Norman's earlier records for inspiration, and which takes the sound up a few notches to expand the groove. Norman gets help on the arranging tip from Al Johnson, McKinley Jackson, and Paul Riser – which is why the album has such a great 70s smooth soul feel – and there's loads of guest appearances, like vocals by Johnson, Jean Carn, and The Jones Girls, and instrumental solos from Freddie Hubbard and Gary Bartz. Adaritha sings lead vocals on a number of cuts, and Glenn Johnson takes the lead on "Melancholy Fire". Includes a great version of "Black Cow", plus "Take It To The Limit", "Justify", "You've Been On My Mind", and an excellent remake of "I Don't Need Nobody Else", with Al Johnson on vocals!

A pair of groovers by Norman Connors from the start of the 80s – Take It To The Limit and Mr C – together in a single set! Take It To The Limit is excellent album of smooth soul – one that reaches back to some of Norman's earlier records for inspiration, and which takes the sound up a few notches to expand the groove. Norman gets help on the arranging tip from Al Johnson, McKinley Jackson, and Paul Riser – which is why the album has such a great 70s smooth soul feel – and there's loads of guest appearances, like vocals by Johnson, Jean Carn, and instrumental solos from Freddie Hubbard and Gary Bartz. Adaritha sings lead vocals on a number of cuts, and Glenn Johnson takes the lead on "Melancholy Fire". Includes a great version of "Black Cow", plus "Take It To The Limit", "Justify", "You've Been On My Mind", and an excellent remake of "I Don't Need Nobody Else", with Al Johnson on vocals! Mr C is a real sleeper from Norman Connors, but a great record – one that shows him still moving strong in the 80s, always continuing to develop his smooth jazzy soul style! Backing is by the Starship Orchestra, with Marion Meadows on most sax solos – and vocals are by Beau Williams, Jean Carn, and Glenn Jones. There's a number of great uptempo tunes – with a tight hard jazz funk backing, and kind of a sweet early 80s club style in the vocals. Titles include "Love's In Your Corner", "She's Gone", "Stay With Me", "Keep Doin It", "Anyway You Want", and "Sing A Love Song".

A fantastic bit of modern soul from Norman Connors – proof that he was still growing and changing as an artist, continuing to push his groove into whole new areas as the 70s progressed. The record takes the smooth jazzy sound of the earlier Buddah sides, sharpens it into a more sophisticated modern soul style, fused with a bit of a quiet storm vocal approach, to create a wonderfully mature album of silky soul tracks. Part of the strength comes from the vocalists – who include Eleanor Mills and Jean Carn – and Norman also does a bit of singing on the record, and comes across surprisingly well. Tracks include "Stella", "This Is Your Life", "Wouldn't You Like To See", "Butterfly", "Captain Connors", and a wonderful jazzy soul reworking of "The Creator Has A Master Plan".

A fantastic bit of modern soul from Norman Connors – proof that he was still growing and changing as an artist, continuing to push his groove into whole new areas as the 70s progressed. The record takes the smooth jazzy sound of the earlier Buddah sides, sharpens it into a more sophisticated modern soul style, fused with a bit of a quiet storm vocal approach, to create a wonderfully mature album of silky soul tracks. Part of the strength comes from the vocalists – who include Eleanor Mills and Jean Carn – and Norman also does a bit of singing on the record, and comes across surprisingly well. Tracks include "Stella", "This Is Your Life", "Wouldn't You Like To See", "Butterfly", "Captain Connors", and a wonderful jazzy soul reworking of "The Creator Has A Master Plan".

A crossover classic from Deborah Cox – a record that's filled with plenty of tuneful tracks, yet sung with a surprising depth of soul! Production is top-shelf on most numbers – and is often in that great 90s mode that's reintroducing warmer sounds that had slipped out of soul music the decade before – yet still working with just the right sort of bottom beats to keep the music contemporary. Cox really shines in this setting – free to really stretch out her vocals, even on grooves so great she could have gotten away with a lot less. Titles include "I'm Your Natural Woman", "My Radio", "Never Gonna Break My Heart Again", "My First Night With You", "Just Be Good To Me", "The Sound Of My Tears", "Who Do You Love", and "Sentimental".

A crossover classic from Deborah Cox – a record that's filled with plenty of tuneful tracks, yet sung with a surprising depth of soul! Production is top-shelf on most numbers – and is often in that great 90s mode that's reintroducing warmer sounds that had slipped out of soul music the decade before – yet still working with just the right sort of bottom beats to keep the music contemporary. Cox really shines in this setting – free to really stretch out her vocals, even on grooves so great she could have gotten away with a lot less. Titles include "I'm Your Natural Woman", "My Radio", "Never Gonna Break My Heart Again", "My First Night With You", "Just Be Good To Me", "The Sound Of My Tears", "Who Do You Love", and "Sentimental". This version features a massive amount of bonus tracks – not just the few on the original CD release, but 15 more tracks brought into this package – featuring loads of remixes and other mixes of album tracks – including work by David Morales, Driza Bone, Mass Ave, Chucky Thompson, and others!

Tremendous work from trumpeter Ted Curson – and one of the few records that shows up often in his oeuvre, but which is every bit as great as his rare and expensive albums! Side one features killer material from Curson's group with tenorist Bill Barron – three cuts recorded in Paris in 1964, all of them razor-sharp, and overflowing with modern ideas – tracks that include "Searchin For The Blues", "Desolation", and "Light Blue". Side two features Curson in another European mode – working as the bold soloist in front of a larger Yugoslavian big band – with searing readings of his classics "Straight Ice", "Flip Top", and "Quicksand".

Rhymes by II Unorthodox and Juice.

A real standout from Aretha Franklin's years on Arista – a set produced by Luther Vandross, with a soaring groove that really opens Aretha up nicely! Luther's more in the mode here of his 70s club productions than his 80s hits – that warm, midtempo vibe that's full of lush moments, but never in ways that are cloyingly commercial. Franklin's vocals light up the tunes in the way that Luther's own might do – really soaring out beautifully in this setting. Titles include "I Got Your Love", "Giving In", "Get It Right", "Pretender", "Every Girl", "I Wish It Would Rain", and "Better Friends Than Lovers". CD features bonus tracks "Get It Right (single)", "Get It Right (12" inst)", and "Every Girl Wants My Guy (single)".

Aretha's grooving sweetly on a record that's produced by Luther Vandross – and a damn strong one, too! Aretha wasn't the first, or the last classic soul singer to embrace the modern sounds of the early 80s, but relatively few outshined their younger peers as brilliantly as Aretha does here. She's great on this one! There's plenty of space in the arrangements for Aretha to do her thing – emoting naturally, improvising some of the vocals, and really just knocking it out of the park. Luther's production shows ample love and respect for the previous generation of soul, while still sounding right at home in '82 – with some timeless ballads along with contemporary chart-ready groovers. Titles include "Jump To It", "Love Me Right", "If She Don't Want Your Lovin'", "This Is For Real", "It's Just Your Love", "I Want To Make It Up To You" and "It's Just Your Thing". This 2012 CD version from Big Break has 5 bonus versions: single versions of "Jump To It", "Love Me Right" and "This is For Real", plus "Just My Daydream (12" Version)" and "Love Me Right (12" Dance Version)".

An early 80s gem from Aretha Franklin – one of the best of her years at Arista Records, thanks to solid help in the studio from the mighty Arif Mardin! Mardin's in perfect form here – the same blend of older soul and jazzier, more sophisticated styles that he was also bringing to Chaka Khan at the time – although Franklin's arguably more deserving of his talents, given her long relationship with the producer! There's a full, mature feel here – one that really gets Aretha back in gear as a singer, and shows off her talents to a new generation in new ways – yet all without trying too hard for a crossover hit. Tunes include a few originals by Franklin, and titles include "Kind Of Man", "Whole Lot Of Me", "Love All The Hurt Away", "You Can't Always Get What You Want", "It's My Turn", "There's A Star For Everyone", and "Hold On I'm Coming".

Live solo work by Roland Hanna – a set that starts out kind of slow, as Hanna performs 2 Ellington crowd-pleasers – but which then really takes off as he moves into his own beautiful compositions! These really have Hanna unfolding on the keys, and playing with a rich lyrical quality that always marked his best work – and which makes him a compelling player that can really hold sway even in a solo set. Titles include "Wistful Moment", "Perugia", "Time Dust Gathered", and "A Child Is Born" – as well as versions of "Take The A Train" and "I Got It Bad & That Ain't Good".

Hmmm....we're not sure if this is the same Harlem River Drive that recorded with Eddie Palmieri, but we've got to assume that they are, as we can't imagine 2 bands using the same name at the same time, and both apparently from New York. "Need You" has also got a sound that's kind of a progression from the famous album by the group, with a shift from Latin funk to Latin disco – in the kind of groove that Eddie Drennon was moving to at the same time. The track's a vocal groover, with a nice catchy soul hook. "Overtime" is a bit more straight funk – but with a heavy bottom sound that's also in the Harlem River Drive style.

The second album by this legendary 70s funk combo – best known as Herbie Hancock's backing band, but sounding great here on their own. The album's much more of a solid soul effort than the first one – which was great, but felt more like Herbie had stepped out of the studio for a minute or two. The vocals are better, with more of a feel for the lyrics – and the songs themselves are a great mix of funk and smooth soul. There's still plenty of tight jamming and cool electronics – and the group still includes Mike Clark, Bennie Maupin,and Paul Jackson. Includes the sample cut "I Remember I Made You Cry", plus "Pork Soda", "Dreams", "Straight From The Gate", and "Mayonnaise".

A landmark bit of jazz funk – from one of the greatest backup groups of the 70s! Herbie Hancock first brought The Headhunters to light – working with the San Francisco-based combo that included Bennie Maupin, Mike Clark, Paul Jackson, and Bill Summers – using their sound to give his work the right dose of funk it needed to reach new audiences during the decade. This album's the first to feature the group on their own, without Herbie – and if we don't mind saying so, they sound even better without him! The whole thing's a wonderful mix of jazz funk grooves and very unusual rhythms – and the record contains the monster full length version of "God Make Me Funky", which is 9 minutes and 35 seconds of non stop funk, plus the cuts "If You've Got It, You'll Get It", "Magic", and "Here & Now".

A landmark bit of jazz funk – from one of the greatest backup groups of the 70s! Herbie Hancock first brought The Headhunters to light – working with the San Francisco-based combo that included Bennie Maupin, Mike Clark, Paul Jackson, and Bill Summers – using their sound to give his work the right dose of funk it needed to reach new audiences during the decade. This album's the first to feature the group on their own, without Herbie – and if we don't mind saying so, they sound even better without him! The whole thing's a wonderful mix of jazz funk grooves and very unusual rhythms – and the record contains the monster full length version of "God Make Me Funky", which is 9 minutes and 35 seconds of non stop funk, plus the cuts "If You've Got It, You'll Get It", "Magic", and "Here & Now".

A seminal set of grooves – two Headhunters classics on a single set! First up is Survival Of The Fittest – a landmark bit of jazz funk from one of the greatest backup groups of the 70s! Herbie Hancock first brought The Headhunters to light – working with the San Francisco-based combo that included Bennie Maupin, Mike Clark, Paul Jackson, and Bill Summers – using their sound to give his work the right dose of funk it needed to reach new audiences during the decade. This album's the first to feature the group on their own, without Herbie – and if we don't mind saying so, they sound even better without him! The whole thing's a wonderful mix of jazz funk grooves and very unusual rhythms – and the record contains the monster full length version of "God Make Me Funky", which is 9 minutes and 35 seconds of non stop funk, plus the cuts "If You've Got It, You'll Get It", "Magic", and "Here & Now". Straight From The Gate is a killer – and the album's much more of a solid soul effort than the group's debut! The vocals are better, with more of a feel for the lyrics – and the songs themselves are a great mix of funk and smooth soul. There's still plenty of tight jamming and cool electronics – and the group still includes Mike Clark, Bennie Maupin,and Paul Jackson. Includes the sample cut "I Remember I Made You Cry", plus "Pork Soda", "Dreams", "Straight From The Gate", and "Mayonnaise".

Arista Freedom release of 2 different sessions by Julius Hemphill – one from 1975, with Arthur Blythe, Hamiet Bluiett, and Abdul Wadud; the other from 1972, with Bluiett, Wadud, and Baikida Carroll. The 1972 session's a bit more interesting, and was recorded in St. Louis by Oliver Sain (of all people!). It's one long track entitled "The Hard Blues", and has an excellent mix of styles, emotions, and voices – with all the players getting in some beautiful solo moments. The 1975 session's not too bad either, but it's just a little too self-consciously out, and lacks the warmth of the other piece.

Herrmann's original score to the film is pretty compelling – almost in the mode of some of his work for Hitchcock – and it's conducted here by Herrmann himself and by Dave Blume. The album's got 2 especially noteworthy tracks – "Diary Of A Taxi Driver", which features a cool monologue by Robert DeNiro, and "Theme From Taxi Driver", which features alto sax work by Tom Scott. Other titles include "Betsy In A White Dress", "Sport & Iris", "The .44 Magnum Is A Monster", and "God's Lonely Man".

Jennifer Holliday's strong '91 set – with material that's par for the course for Arista soul efforts of the late 80s and early 90s – but Holliday outshines it with her powerful, emotional and wonderful voice! Definitely an underappreciated set, particularly for fans of powerfully emotive vocals. Titles include "I'm On Your Side", "It's In There", "Raise The Roof", "A Dream With Your Name On It", "Raise The Roof", "Guilty", "It Will Haunt Me", "I Fall Apart", "More N More" and more.

Phyllis Hyman's nicely balanced here between the two key sides of her early career at its best – working with straight soul production from Chuck Jackson, and slightly more complicated grooves handled by Norman Connors! The pair really bring a nice sense of balance to the record, and in a way the set may well be one of the deepest that Hyman cut during the 80s – a set that avoids some of the too-classy or too-contemporary modes that later held back her vocals a bit – and which instead goes for all the warmth and sensual soul that first made Phyllis rise to fame during the 70s! There's a gentle glow to the record that really shines through – a sense that even in the studio, working for a label like Arista, Phyllis Hyman could work with the same deep spirits as the more righteous albums of her youth. Titles include "Can't We Fall In Love Again", "I Ain't Asking For Your Love", "Sunshine In My Life", "Don't Tell Me, Tell Her", and "Just Another Face In The Crowd". CD also features 5 bonus tracks too – "You're The One", "In Between The Heartaches", "If You Ever Change Your Mind", "Sleep On It", and "I'm Not Asking You To Stay".

The last Arista album from Phyllis Hyman – and a set that really sums up all the genius she expressed at the label! Some tunes are upbeat and catchy – the kind of tracks that had Hyman reaching a much wider audience in the early 80s – while others are more sophisticated and mellow, the kind of all-woman tunes that made Phyllis a genre-defining artist that so many others tried to match in years to come! These latter tracks are our favorites, and are still the type that Hyman can do better than anyone else – couched here in perfect production for the mode by Thom Bell and Narada Michael Walden. Titles include "Why Did You Turn Me On", "Your Move My Heart", "Falling", "Riding The Tiger", "Goddess Of Love", "Just Twenty Five Miles To Anywhere", "Just Me & You", "We Should Be Lovers", and "Let Somebody Love You".

Warm and wonderful work from Phyllis Hyman – a set that's a lot more mainstream soul than her music of a few years before, but she delivers it with a strong commitment to the more complicated styles of her roots! The sound here is full and proud – a nice extension of the work that Hyman did with Norman Connors, and not nearly as much in a disco mode as it might be, given the time of the release. And although many of the tracks are somewhat upbeat, they've got a bit more complication in the rhythms than conventional club – thanks to the presence of jazz players who include Herbie Hancock, Monty Alexander, Azar Lawrence, and others. The best production on the record is by T Life, and the team of Skip Scarborough and Larry Alexander – and titles include "Kiss You All Over", "Living Inside Your Love", "Soon Come Again", "Here's That Rainy Day", "So Strange", "Lookin For A Lovin", and "Be Careful (How You Treat My Love)". CD features some great bonus tracks too – including "Love Is Free", "Sing A Song", "Sweet Music", "Kiss You All Over (12" mix)", and "So Strange (12" mix)".

Bold 80s soul from Jermaine Jackson – a set that's heavy on beats and keyboards, but which still leaves enough space for his gentler-toned vocals! The upbeat tracks here sometimes get a bit dramatic, which makes us like the ballads more – sweeter-styled numbers that are much better suited to Jermaine's singing approach – but even those upbeat numbers show the Jackson family ear for crossover soul! Titles include "Give A Little Love", "Precious Moments", "Our Love Story", "I Think It's Love", "Voices In The Dark", "Words Into Action", and "Do You Remember Me".

Bold 80s soul from Jermaine Jackson – a set that's heavy on beats and keyboards, but which still leaves enough space for his gentler-toned vocals! The upbeat tracks here sometimes get a bit dramatic, which makes us like the ballads more – sweeter-styled numbers that are much better suited to Jermaine's singing approach – but even those upbeat numbers show the Jackson family ear for crossover soul! Titles include "Give A Little Love", "Precious Moments", "Our Love Story", "I Think It's Love", "Voices In The Dark", "Words Into Action", and "Do You Remember Me". CD features lots of bonus tracks – including "Do You Remember Me (Bruce Forest rmx)", "Closest Thing To Perfect (ext)", "I Think It's Love (ext rmx)", "Do You Remember Me (Michael Omartin rmx)", and "Do You Remember Me (Jellybean rmx)".

One of the few secular soul albums ever cut by Genobia Jeter – a gospel singer who broke into R&B with this smooth mid 80s effort – a mix of tracks handled by different producers, taking Genobia from mellow quiet storm numbers into more club-oriented groovers. Hubert Eaves handles some of the most uptempo work on the set, and Genobia also gets backing from Robert Wright and Lesette Wilson, both of whom use a similar keyboard-driven groove to Eaves' sound. Titles include "Together", "Sunshine", "Peace Of Mind", "Take A Look", "All Of My Love", and "We Got Love". CD features four bonus tracks – an edit, remix, and dub of "Together" – plus an instrumental take on "All Of My Love".

A tight little album from Tamiko Jones – one of the most enigmatic singers to come out of the south, stepping proud here in a sound that's almost in the Hotlanta vein! Tamiko's working with an assortment of Muscle Shoals musicians on the set – and the style of the album is a mixture of southern and modern soul modes – handled with a warm finish that reminds us of Gwen McCrae's best late 70s work, especially that on her Melody Of Life album, or some of the best work from Loleatta Holloway's pre-club years! There's a nice groove to the best cuts – one that works perfectly with Tamiko's surprisingly deep vocals – and tracks include "Oh How I Love You", "Long Way To Go", "Creepin'", "Chili Dog", "Touch Me Baby", "Read Me Right", and "Let Me In Your Life".

An 80s soul classic from Kashif – an artist who really helped transform R&B at the time, all without the benefit of a last name! The album's completely arranged and produced by Kashif himself – cementing the reputation he'd begun working behind other artists in the earlier part of the decade before going onto greater fame as a solo act on his own – a rock-solid approach to soul music that bristles with the best innovations of the 80s soul generation. Most tunes are heavy on beats, but use them in just the right ways – and keyboards provide a good amount of the rest of the instrumentation, but fleshed out strongly so that they work well next to the vocals. Tunes are a nicely balanced blend of mature male soul and some slightly catchier groovers – and titles include "Botha Botha", "Dancing In The Dark", "Movie Song", "Say You Love Me", "Stay The Night", and "Condition Of The Heart".

An 80s soul classic from Kashif – an artist who really helped transform R&B at the time, all without the benefit of a last name! The album's completely arranged and produced by Kashif himself – cementing the reputation he'd begun working behind other artists in the earlier part of the decade before going onto greater fame as a solo act on his own – a rock-solid approach to soul music that bristles with the best innovations of the 80s soul generation. Most tunes are heavy on beats, but use them in just the right ways – and keyboards provide a good amount of the rest of the instrumentation, but fleshed out strongly so that they work well next to the vocals. Tunes are a nicely balanced blend of mature male soul and some slightly catchier groovers – and titles include "Botha Botha", "Dancing In The Dark", "Movie Song", "Say You Love Me", "Stay The Night", and "Condition Of The Heart". CD features three bonus tracks – "Condition Of The Heart (ext version)", "Love On The Rise (extended)", and "Love On The Rise (inst)".

A monumental bit of 80s soul – the first solo album from Kashif, issued hot on the heels of a few years spent penning and producing work for a range of bigger artists! Given his experience with the pros, Kashif's emerging here as a very fully-formed talent in soul – a singer with a way of keeping things real, even when the tunes are catchy – and a producer with a great ear for the changing styles of soul at the time. The grooves are often nicely spare and stripped down, yet never without a good sense of feeling – and titles include "I Just Gotta have You (Lover Turn Me On)", "Stone Love", "Say Somethin' Love", "All", "Help Yourself To My love", "The Mood", "Don't Stop My Love", and "Rumors"

A real classic from Jeff Lorber – the kind of record that crossed-over immediately, and had a huge influence on so many different scenes! The style is smooth sweet fusion – of a sort that Lorber virtually helped invent, and so many others helped to ruin in later years – but here, things are clean and lean, very focused on the groove – and coming off with a really soulful sound! There's a great mix of acoustic and electric keys that really makes the album cook – giving it a two-dimensional feel that really comes off nicely on every tune – and the core lineup includes Lorber on keys, plus electric bass, drums, and saxes. Titles include "Wizard Island", "Lava Lands", "Shadows", "City", "Rooftops", and "Can't Get Enough".

Wonderfully tight work from Mandrill – a real standout from the years at Arista – and a set that seems to take all the key instrumental energy of the Polydor years, and focus it on a soulful groove that's even more soaring than before! The energy is wonderful – very much like the best Earth Wind & Fire ensemble sound at the time, with perhaps a Fatback-ish funky element at the bottom – and there's some surprising elements from track to track that really create a great sense of variety and depth – way more than you'd find from some of the group's contemporaries. A few moments get nice and spacey, too – and titles include "Gilly Hines", "Holiday", "Closer To You", "Funky Monkey", "Happy Beat", "Love One Another", and "Can You Get It". CD features two bonus tracks too – 7" single versions of "Funky Monkey" and "Can You Get It".

Smooth soulful jazz from Harvey Mason – one of his strong 70s winners for the Arista album, and a record that really brings a new level of class to his sound! There's less of the grit in the grooves than you might expect from the down-home reference of the title – and in a way, the record's a similar shift to well-produced R&B as Michael Henderson or Norman Connor's work from the same time – a soaring, fluid groove that's still supported by solid jazz instrumentation, but which also has a nice dose of soul in the mix! Players here are a real all-star lineup – with talents that include Dorothy Ashby, George Benson, Ronnie Foster, Bob James, and Phil Upchurch – and most cuts have vocals, by The Waters and others. But possibly best of all is the production – which is by Harvey, and really wonderful – sophisticated and smooth, but never slick – a really careful balance that really puts him right up there with Norman Connors or Roy Ayers! Titles include "Pack Up Your Bags", "Till You Take My Love", "Funk In A Mason Jar", "What's Going On", "Set It Free", "Space Cadets" and "Freedom Either Way".

One of the best solo records from Harvey Mason – best known as the drummer on some really monster 70s funky fusion sessions (such as Johnny Hammond's Gears album) – but a surprisingly well-rounded R&B artist overall! As with Norman Connors, another fusion drummer gone soul star, Harvey's working here in a style that mixes jazz influences with modern soul – grooving things for a more mainstream audience, but still keeping things real underneath. The record's filled with guest appearances by fusion greats – like Bob James, David Spinozza, Richard Tee, Lee Ritenour, and others – and Jim Gilstrap sings vocals on a cut or two. Titles include "The Race", "Groovin' You", "Wave", "We Can", and "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow". This Soulmusic.com edition has 2 bonus versions of "Groovin' You": the 6+ minute 12" version and the shorter-grooving 7" single version.

Easily the greatest album ever by funky drummer Harvey Mason – and quite possibly the only one to live up to the rhythmic complexity that Mason brought to countless other fusion sessions for other groups in the 70s! The tracks are all spacious and snapping with brilliantly funky touches – a sound that resonates with Mason's contributions to Johnny Hammond's Gears album, but which comes off slightly differently here, thanks to a stronger focus on the drums. Keyboards are still a prime element of the set – played here by Herbie Hancock, Dave Grusin, and Jerry Peters – the latter 2 of whom helped out on arrangements for the record – and other players include an all-star lineup of 70s jazz funk legends such as Blue Mitchell, Bennie Maupin, Paul Jackson, Hubert Laws, and others. The title cut "Marching In The Street" is a bucketful of breaks – but all tracks are great too, and titles include "Modaji", "Wild Rice", "Fair Thee Well", "Building Love", "Ballad For Heather", and "Hop Scotch".

One of the best-realized Python studio albums!

With the promo-only "Dreams", better known as "Dreams Of F*cking An R& B B#tch", that was never released because they couldn't clear the James Brown sample. The verses have Biggie rhyming about, well, what the title says. Typical line: "I'd f*ck RuPaul before I'd f*ck them ugly Exscape b*tches."

A stone classic from Jeffrey Osborne – and a real standout in mainstream soul at the start of the 90s! Osborne's legendary vocals have never sounded better – as there's a warmth in the production that returns him to the grace and power he had when first going solo – a style that was sometimes a bit lost in clunkier 80s arrangements, but really comes through strongly here, in that early 90s return to more classic-styled soul references. Some of the rhythms have a nice Soul II Soul bounce – and titles include "Sending You A Love Song", "If My Brother's In Trouble", "Only Human", "The Morning After I Made Love To You", "Baby Wait A Minute", and "Nitetime". CD features 5 bonus tracks -=- three mixes of "If My Brother's In Trouble" – plus a 7" mix of "Only Human", and the b-side "Never".

A cool collection of space-themed club tracks from Gene Page – and possibly one of his greatest albums of the 70s – dispite a gimmicky approach! There's a tightly soaring feel to most of the cuts that's Page at his best – arranging fully with styles borrowed from Barry White, but also hitting with a bit of Philly inspiration too – never too over the top, and never too commercially driven as you might expect from the concept. There's some great moogy bits on the record – and plenty of great session players who include David T Walker and Wah Wah Watson on guitars, Jack Ashford on percussion, and Ernie Watts on alto sax. Great Phillinganes sings a bit on the record – and titles include "Star Trek", "Close Encounters", "Saturn", "Dancin In The Sky", "I Feel Like I've Been Livin", "Beyond The Hole Space", and "I Sho Like To Ride On Your Star".

A pair of great albums from one of the coolest soul arrangers of the 70s – back to back on a single CD! Close Encounters is a cool collection of space-themed club tracks from Gene Page – and possibly one of his greatest albums of the 70s – dispite a gimmicky approach! There's a tightly soaring feel to most of the cuts that's Page at his best – arranging fully with styles borrowed from Barry White, but also hitting with a bit of Philly inspiration too – never too over the top, and never too commercially driven as you might expect from the concept. There's some great moogy bits on the record – and plenty of great session players who include David T Walker and Wah Wah Watson on guitars, Jack Ashford on percussion, and Ernie Watts on alto sax. Great Phillinganes sings a bit on the record – and titles include "Star Trek", "Close Encounters", "Saturn", "Dancin In The Sky", "I Feel Like I've Been Livin", "Beyond The Hole Space", and "I Sho Like To Ride On Your Star". Love Starts After Dark is a wonderfully well-rounded set from superstar arranger Gene Page – quite possibly his most fully-formed album as a lead act on his own! The set's got some great standout groovers – the kind of club cuts that have the vibe that Gene was doing well for so many others – and it's also got some mellow moments served up with a depth that's almost unexpected – thanks partly to some great vocals from Merry Clayton, Phyllis St James, and Charmaine Sylvers – all of whom help the album shine. Tracks are penned by Leon Ware, Leon Sylvers, Ray Parker Jr, and Joe Sample – and titles include "With You In The Night", "Second Time Around", "Put A Little Love In Your Lovin", "Love Starts After Dark", "You Are The Meaning Of This Song", and "I Wanna Dance".

Ray Parker steps out here with the other woman – with a groove that's somewhat different than his earlier sound with Raydio! There's a slightly sharper edge than before – almost a rockish influence in some of the instrumentation, which is a key factor in helping Parker's crossover in the 80s – one that had undeniable impact on the sound of other mainstream soul. At times, it's almost as if there's a slight hint of new wave inspiration in the rhythms and instrumentation – used very sparingly, but quite different than earlier Raydio funk and soul. Parker's vocals are more pronounced than before too – almost with a bite on the upbeat numbers – but warmly soulful on the mellower cuts, which we still like best. Titles include "Stay The Night", The Other Woman", "Street Love", "Let's Get Off", "Stop, Look Before You Leave", and "Let Me Go".

With "Vivrant Thing", "Wait Up", "Higher", "Moving With U", "Let's Ride", "All In", "Go Hard", and "NT" featuring Busta Rhymes. Beats by Jay Dee amongst others. 12 tracks in all!

Tight funky soul from Quazar! This relatively overlooked group is one of the lesser-remembered P-Funk-linked acts of the late 70s – which is a shame, as it's a great little side project from the team of Glenn Goins and Jerome Brailey. It's got a with a bass and drums-heavy party groove all the way! The style here is almost even tighter than that of Parliament or Funkadelic at the time – with tunes that are shorter and more focused, pointing the way towards the changes that mainstream funk would take later into the 80s. Most of the tunes are stormers – with killer group chanted backing vocals! Titles include "Funk With A Big Foot", "Funk With A Capital G", "Funk N Roll", "Your Lovin Is Easy", "Shades of Quaze", "Workin' On The Buildin'" and "Love Me Baby". 9 tracks on the original album – and this Big Break CD edition has 3 bonus tracks: "Funk N Roll (Single Version)", "Savin My Love For A Rainy Day (Single Version)" and Funk With A Big Foot (Single Version)".

One of the last great albums that Rudd played on before going into retirement! The group features Rudd on trombone, Enrico Rava on trumpet, Dve Burrell on piano, Stafford James on bass, and Harold White on drums – and the overall feel is similar to some of the best ESP work of the 60s. The band is very nicely matched, and changed moods and modes together as one unit. Tracks include "Inside Job", "Mysterioso", and "Sacred Song".

Patrice Rushen in a crisp 80s soul mode! Watch Out finds Patrice really cutting down the keyboards in favor of stronger vocals right out front – breaking all the rules, as the title of the second song tells it – and it works really well! Most of the arrangements, synth and drum programming are by Patrice herself, and she has a more sure-footed control of the era's R&B style than we remembered! The title track is fantastic, with a tight synth funk undercurrent and hooky, insistent vocals from Patrice – facets that carry throughout the album – plus strong ballads in "Somewhere" and "Till She's Out Of Your Mind". Patrice's only album for Arista – and it's a nice one! Other tracks include "All My Love", "Anything Can Happen", "Burnin", "Breakin All The Rules" and "Come Back To Me". This FTG CD edition includes 4 bonus tracks: "Anything Can Happen (East Coast Dub Mix)", "Come Back To Me (Extended Mix)", "Come Back To Me (Acapella Mix)" and "Watch Out (Extended Mix)".

A beautiful little record by Pharoah Sanders – quite different than most of his other recordings of the 70s, and done in a smoothly jazzy mode that also features plenty of soul! Sanders did the set in collaboration with Norman Connors – and the style is in that same great mix of mellow soul and deeper jazz that Connors used on his own brilliant records from the time. Instrumentation includes some keyboards and guitar mixed in with Sanders' always-soulful work on sax – and a number of cuts have vocals, either by a chorus shading in the tunes, or by Phyllis Hyman in the lead. The whole thing's great – warmly soulful, and almost a tighter extension of the modes that Sanders was exploring on his last album or two for Impulse. Titles include "As You Are", "Everything I Have Is Good", "Got To Give It Up", "Love Will Find a Way", "Love Is Here", and "Pharomba". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "As You Are (single version)" and "Got To Give It Up (single version)".

An oft-overlooked jazzy gem from Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson – and a beautifully swinging session that has Gil toning it down a bit, and working into a nicely musical groove that gets past the heavy politics of earlier years! The record's a great showcase for the more upbeat side of Gil's talents – and what it lacks in righteousness, it more than makes up for in a warmly flowing and very soulful vibe! The band's in great form – laying down tight warm jazzy riffs that provide some of the best backing for Gil's voice we've heard since Winter In America – and titles include the wonderfully catchy "Racetrack In France", plus "Hello Sunday Hello Road", "Under The Hammer", and "We Almost Lost Detroit".

An oft-overlooked jazzy gem from Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson – and a beautifully swinging session that has Gil toning it down a bit, and working into a nicely musical groove that gets past the heavy politics of earlier years! The record's a great showcase for the more upbeat side of Gil's talents – and what it lacks in righteousness, it more than makes up for in a warmly flowing and very soulful vibe! The band's in great form – laying down tight warm jazzy riffs that provide some of the best backing for Gil's voice we've heard since Winter In America – and titles include the wonderfully catchy "Racetrack In France", plus "Hello Sunday Hello Road", "Under The Hammer", and "We Almost Lost Detroit".

Gil Scott Heron's first album for Arista – very much in the mellow soul jazz work of his legendary album on Strata East! The record features some wonderfully moody jazz backing that really marks a shift in Gil's style – never going too far over the top, but hitting a sweet groove that really lets him open up as a singer even more than before! There's plenty of warm electric piano on the album, couched in those wonderfully soulful phrases that Gil and Brian Jackson could cook up so effortlessly at the time – and tracks include the fantastic cut "Winter In America", plus "The Liberation Song (Red, Black And Green)", "Ain't No Such Thing As Superman" "We Beg Your Pardon", "Alluswe" and "Western Sunrise".

A 70s soul classic – and the closest that Gil Scott-Heron ever came to having a hit! The album's best known for its anthemic classic "Johannesburg" – one of the first popular tunes to really push the cause of a free South Africa – but the whole album's a winner, filled with some wonderful tunes that have Gil working with pianist Brian Jackson, in a laidback and soulful style that's even more powerful than his early protest poetry work! Apart from "Johannesburg", the album also features the tunes "The Summer of 42", "South Carolina", "Beginnings (First Minute Of A New Day)", "Lovely Day", and "Toast To The People".

A 70s soul classic – and the closest that Gil Scott-Heron ever came to having a hit! The album's best known for its anthemic classic "Johannesburg" – one of the first popular tunes to really push the cause of a free South Africa – but the whole album's a winner, filled with some wonderful tunes that have Gil working with pianist Brian Jackson, in a laidback and soulful style that's even more powerful than his early protest poetry work! Apart from "Johannesburg", the album also features the tunes "The Summer of 42", "South Carolina", "Beginnings (First Minute Of A New Day)", "Lovely Day", and "Toast To The People".

A standout set from Gil Scott-Heron – and that's saying a lot, given the strength of his other 70s work! This album's a double-length live set – one that has Gil taking on the familiar format of the 70s, and using it to really push the boundaries of his own music too! Most tracks are quite long, and filled with spontaneous energy – a moment in Gil's music to compare to that of Curtis Live for Curtis Mayfield – proof that soul music could be made even better live than in the studio, as long as the setting was right. The record features a very extended version of "The Bottle" which runs for 13 minutes long, and which is a jammer all the way through – and other titles include the great jazzy groover "New York City", plus "Trane", "Must Be Something", "Sharing", and "Home Is Where The Hatred Is". One of the few truly fantastic live soul albums!

One of Gil Scott-Heron's best albums from later years! The record's got some wonderful mellow cuts – the kind that send chills up our spine, and which remind us of Gil's stripped-down jazzy work on the album Winter In America. And in fact, Gil does an excellent remake of the classic track "Your Daddy Loves You" from that album – adding in a bit more production than on the original, but still doing the cut with a wonderfully soulful vibe. A few cuts have a razor sharp lyricism laid down over jazz funk arrangements – "The Klan" and "Waiting For The Axe To Fall" in particular – but the best numbers are wonderfully sophisticated jazzy numbers, like "Combinations" and "The Train From Washington".

A key crossover set from Gil Scott-Heron – still every bit as political as his earlier work, but with a stronger sense of soul as well! The great Brian Jackson is firmly in tow here – bringing warm keyboards and a nice little groove to most of the tracks – and the previous acoustic moments are replaced with more electric instrumentation overall, but never in a way that seeks to dampen Gil's message, nor push him into easy commercial territory. Instead, the tighter rhythms seem to really hammer home some of the lyrics – most famously in "Angel Dust", which almost touched a wider audience than the drug itself – and equally nicely on cuts that include "Cane", "Angola,Louisiana", "Show Bizness", "Better Days Ahead", and "Madison Avenue".

A key crossover set from Gil Scott-Heron – still every bit as political as his earlier work, but with a stronger sense of soul as well! The great Brian Jackson is firmly in tow here – bringing warm keyboards and a nice little groove to most of the tracks – and the previous acoustic moments are replaced with more electric instrumentation overall, but never in a way that seeks to dampen Gil's message, nor push him into easy commercial territory. Instead, the tighter rhythms seem to really hammer home some of the lyrics – most famously in "Angel Dust", which almost touched a wider audience than the drug itself – and equally nicely on cuts that include "Cane", "Angola Louisiana", "Show Bizness", "Better Days Ahead", and "Madison Avenue".

A key crossover set from Gil Scott-Heron – still every bit as political as his earlier work, but with a stronger sense of soul as well! The great Brian Jackson is firmly in tow here – bringing warm keyboards and a nice little groove to most of the tracks – and the previous acoustic moments are replaced with more electric instrumentation overall, but never in a way that seeks to dampen Gil's message, nor push him into easy commercial territory. Instead, the tighter rhythms seem to really hammer home some of the lyrics – most famously in "Angel Dust", which almost touched a wider audience than the drug itself – and equally nicely on cuts that include "Cane", "Angola Louisiana", "Show Bizness", "Better Days Ahead", and "Madison Avenue".

One of Ben Sidran's biggest records from the 70s – a smooth combination of jazz, fusion, soul, and a bit of New Orleans groove! There's still a very unique feel to Sidran's music here – a sense of personality that really makes the whole thing sparkle – and which keeps the record from sounding too much like anyone else. Grooves are a great mix of jazz and soul elements – in territory that certainly has a 70s LA sort of quality, but which never gets too poppy or commercial – thanks to Ben's vocals, and mostly small combo backings from players who include Phil Upchurch on bass, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Larry Carlton on guitar, and Tony Williams on drums. Nick DeCaro adds in a bit of extra strings from time to time – and titles include "Silver's Serenade", "Charlie's Blues", "Be Nice", "Goodbye Porkpie Hat", "One Way Grave", and "See You On The Other Side".

A bit smoother than Ben's earlier albums – but a great little set all the way through – and about as classic as you can get for Sidran in the 70s! The album's got a bit more soul in the mix, but still has some jazzy elements in the backings – and where things were sometimes messed up in the past, they're much more straightforward here – in ways that make the record really sparkle nicely! Ben's voice is still really compelling, and as on his best albums, there's some nice funky grooves in the mix that keep things fresh. Players include Phil Upchurch on bass and guitar, Woody Shaw on trumpet, David Newman and Sonny Seals on saxes, and Richard Tee on organ. Titles include the great instrumental "Let's Make A Deal" – a fast groover with guitar and keyboards riffing away, sounding like some lost jazz funk gem from the Fantasy Records catalog – plus "Beg For It", "Cuban Connection", "Free In America", "New York State Of Mind", and "Feel Your Groove".

Big bouncing soul from Lisa Stansfield – a record that almost rivaled the first effort from Soul II Soul for UK impact on the American mainstream! Despite a pasty-white cover, the record's got a hell of a lot of color – some rich rhythms that reintroduced a syncopated funky sound to the charts, and soaring vocals from Lisa she hardly ever sung this well again on record. Titles include the tremendous symphonic jam "All Around the World", the beautiful "Live Together", and other nice ones like "This Is The Right Time", "You Can't Deny It", and "Mighty Love".

Their second album, and though not quite as nice as Original Stylin', still an essential piece of Philly hip hop history. The group's no longer associated with the Hilltop Hustlers, and have adopted a slightly more slick approach to their sound, producing themselves on this effort. Includes "Mr Sandman", "Weak At the Knees", "Mellow But Smooth", "Make Ya $", "In Effect" and "Peace Ya Self". 14 tracks in all.

Lil Jon provides a nice remix for the early TIP hit, with that classic ATL crunk sound.

Incredible first album from a player who would go onto become one of the major soul jazz talents of the 70's – and one of the owners of the Strata East label. Tolliver plays here with the original incarnation of his Music Inc group – which includes Stanley Cowell, Steve Novosel, and Jimmy Hopps. The tracks are all originals, with a brilliant spiritual groove that virtually describes the direction Tolliver and similar post-Coltrane musicians would take in the 70's. Titles include "The Ringer", "Mother Wit", "Plight", and "On The Nile".

Sweet 80s soul from Dionne Warwick – an album that features a fair bit of production work from Barry Gibb – and a sometime sound that definitely shows his presence! The style here is smoother than Dionne in earlier years – with a nice undercurrent of jazz in the instrumentation, one that helps keep things hipper than you might expect – and which avoids a lot of the cliches of early 80s pop soul that might muck things up. Gibb's touch helps things glide nicely at times – a bit of that soulful Bee Gees flourish – and tracks include "Heartbreaker", "It Makes No Difference", "Take The Short Way Home", "Just One More Night", "You Are My Love", and "Our Day Will Come".

Two Arista groovers from Dionne Warwick – back to back on a single CD! How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye has Dionne Warwick stepping out strongly with some great production help from Luther Vandross – who gives the lady a groove that's possibly even tighter than on her other Arista albums, really shaking off some of her more familiar modes, and going for a powerful 80s sound. There's still some good ballads to balance out the upbeat cuts, too – and these really glow with the classy Vandross touch. Titles include "So Amazing", "Got A Date", "I Can Let Go Now", "What Can A Miracle Do", "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye", and "I Do It Cause I Like It". Friends In Love has Dionne Warwick working in warm, mature territory – a sound that's a bit more like the vibe she explored on her late 70s records – a maturing past the original Bacharach years, with an all-adult style that really works with her voice. Titles include duets with Johnny Mathis on "Got You Where I Want You" and "Friends In Love" – plus "Never Gonna Let You Go", "Can't Hide Love", "Betcha By Golly Wow", "More Than Fascination", "For You", and "A Love So Right".

Whodini's classic early single about the very scary Haunted House of Rock. Nice vocoder mix, for all you wikki-wikki fans out there!

A slightly overlooked film score by the great John Williams – but a true classic that's every bit as great as his wildly famous work of the late 70s for bigger films! Williams is at the height of his powers here – really transforming modern film orchestrations in ways that strongly shake off any lingering modes from the 50s and 60s – very serious from a compositional perspective, and able to embrace a rich range of new ideas for orchestra – yet also able to come across with a lean, focused sort of energy that never has the soundtrack overwhelming the image on the screen – just rising to meet its needs in all the best ways. This huge 2CD version features 32 tracks from the original film score, and 10 more from the soundtrack recording sessions – with tracks that include "For Gillian", "Vision On The Stars", "Hester's Theme & The House", "Gillian's Escape", and "The Search For Robin".

A great album from Bobby – different than his earlier albums for United Artists, but in a good way – one that revives his whole career, and takes his sound into a whole new direction! The album's got a smooth soul finish with some touches of synth funk – produced by Bobby and Patrick Moten, who would later work together on the masterful Poet LP – and the contrast between the more modern arrangements and Bobby's raspy soul vocals works wonderfully! The mellow tracks are really great – with a tight, lightly funky sound bubbling under Bobby's wonderful vocals – and the album's got loads of nice cuts like "The Roads Of Life", "Give It Up", "The Roots In Me", "Honey Dripper Boogie", "How Could You Break My Heart", and "What Are You Doing".

A masterpiece of smooth jazzy funk – and super-hip session headed up by the young keyboardist Bernard Wright! Wright's working here with an insider crowd of jazz funk players that includes Bobby Broom, Dave Grusin, Marcus Miller, and Don Blackman, whose funky style is very similar to Wright's. The record sort of picks up the groove where some of the Fantasy Records sessions of the 70s left off – mixing together jazz and soul into a captivating blend that's made even better by Dave Grusin's tight production. Includes Don Blackman's sample classic "Haboglabotribin", a nice version of Weldon Irvine's "Music Is The Key", and the cuts"Just Chillin' Out", "Master Rocker", and "Bread Sandwiches". Great all the way through, though – and a record that still delights us year after year!