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Late Chuck Berry for Chess Records – and two albums that really get past the hits! The package is a bit unusual – in that it brings together two different UK albums that featured early Berry Chess recordings – most of which were from his later years at the label, and have him really opening up on guitar! There's still plenty of catchy tunes, and Chuck's guitar is definitely the stuff of legend – but, like Bo Diddley as his more obscure, there's also a compelling freshness to this music that may well have you appreciating Berry even more than before. 26 tracks in all – with titles that include "Big Ben", "You Never Can Tell", "Diploma For Two", "Liverpool Drive", "Don't You Lie To Me", "Guitar Boogie", "Fraulein", "Deep Feeling", and "Come On".

A trio of funky electric albums from Stanley Clarke's mid 80s R&B years – 1984's Time Exposure, ''85's Find Out and '86's Hideaway – in a 2CD set! Time Exposure has a lot of 80s electro funk in the mix, particularly Clarke's impeccable bass lines, which are heavy throughout. Titles include "Play The Bass '10", "Heaven Sent You", "Speedball", "Future Shock" and the great title track. Find Out follows somewhat similar territory, an 80s synth funky set with a few surprising twists – including an electro/funk/old school rap cover of "Born In The USA"! Other tracks include "Find Out", "The Sky's The Limit", "Stereotypica" and "Psychedelic". Hideaway makes a move towards more delicate synth soul for Clarke – who assembles an impressive guest list that includes Stanley Jordan, Herbie Hancock and Stewart Copeland. Titles include a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed", plus "My Love, Her Inspiration", "Where Do We Go", "Old Friends" and "When It's Cold Outside".

A triple pack of early magic from Natalie Cole! Inseparable is Natalie's stunning debut for Capitol Records in the mid 70s – a real surprise, and a set that should have had the singer blossoming even more than she did at the time! As with some of the other Capitol soul sessions of the time, the album's done very firmly under the guidance of Charles Jackson and Marvin Yancey – a pair who give Natalie just the right sort of backing to launch her career – a sound that's full and rich, deeply sophisticated – but also still plenty soulful, almost in the mode of some of Minnie Riperton's work at the time. Given the pair's Chicago roots – and the arrangement help from Richard Evans – that comparison is no surprise, and Natalie rises to the occasion nicely. Titles are all originals too – and include "Needing You", "Joey", "I Can't Say No", "Something For Nothing", "I Love Him So Much", "You", "Your Face Stays On My Mind", and the huge hit "This Will Be". Next up is Natalie – a record that really has Natalie Cole finding her groove – not needing any help from her famous familial legacy, thank you – and instead stepping out with a tight, proud mode that really helped refine the sound of female soul in the 70s! The album's got plenty of influences from the Chicago soul scene – including songwriting and production from the team of Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy – and work from key session players like Richard Evans and Gene Barge, who worked in the Curtom Studios to craft the grooves on the set! Titles include "Keep Smiling", "Mr. Melody", "Heaven Is With You", "Can We Get Together", "Touch Me", "Hard To Get Along", and "Good Morning Heartache". Unpredictable is an album that reunites Natalie Cole with the smooth soul team of Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancey – the team who did such a great job with Natalie's Capitol debut, and who really continue the groove here too! The album's got a rock-solid approach through and through – a quality that has Natalie really standing out on her own as a positive young artist in soul – without any need to nod towards her father, as in later years. And Jackson and Yancey bring a nice dose of Chicago soul class to the affair – which turns out to be a perfect match for Natalie's vocals! Titles include "Be Mine Tonight", "Party Lights", "This Heart", "I've Got Love On My Mind", and "Still In Love".

A great couple of harder-to-find Ornette Coleman records – nicely paired up in a 2CD set! First up is The Music Of Ornette Coleman, from 1967 – which is beautiful record that serves as both a showcase for Ornette's "serious" writing efforts – and his ability to play with a larger ensemble! It kicks off with Ornette playing trumpet solos with The Philadelphia Woodwind Quintet as they perform his "Forms & Sounds" live. That's followed by recordings of Ornette's "Space Flight" and "Saints & Soldiers" performed by The Chamber Symphony of Philadelphia Quartet, a string ensemble that brings a new light to Ornette's compositions! Skies Of America is an ambitious record with full orchestra, in a haunting sound that's light years from any of his smaller group recordings of the 60s and 70s! There's an incredible feel to the strings used here – played by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by David Measham – all tied up and dark, with swirling sounds that run up beautifully from the bottom, then take off to the skies promised in the title – opening the door for Ornette to come in and solo freely over the top – in a magical mix that easily makes the record a standout in his long and mighty career! Harmolodic theory is definitely a part of Coleman's conception here – but in very different ways than his quartet or quintet recordings. Lots of tracks on this one, including "Skies Of America", "The Men Who Live In The White House", "Sunday In America", "Dreams", "Native Americans", "Silver Screen", "The Artist In America" and more.

Two post-CTI gems from Deodato – back to back on a single CD! Whirlwinds is sweet keyboard soul from Deodato – a set that steps off nicely from the strengths of his big hits on CTI, hitting a similarly flowing groove that's really great! The instrumentation here is a bit more expanded than before, but never in a way that buries the keyboards – and Deodato's right out front on a range of electric keys that get some great support from John Tropea's finely-honed work on guitar! Titles include "Havana Strut", "Whirlwinds", "West 42nd Street", and a nice cover of Steely Dan's "Do It Again". And heck, even the album's version of Glen Miller's "Moonlight Serenade" manages to come off like a funk tune! Artistry is a live set from Deodato – but one that's very much in the mode of his best CTI studio sessions – with soaring, over the top keyboard work that's totally great – backed by some tightly compressed guitar, bass, and drums, with just enough funk in the mix to keep things interesting! As with other Deodato records from the time, there's a mix of moods here that comes together nicely – a range that goes past his easy hits, and shows Deodato to be one of the hippest, most soulful keyboard talents of his generation. Titles include a great version of "Super Strut" that grooves for over 8 minutes, and which has some firey guitar that really competes with Deodato's work on the keys – and other tracks include "Farewell To A Friend", "Pavane For A Dead Princess", "Rio Sangre", and "Jivin".

Sweet fusion from the great Eric Gale – two late 70s albums back to back on a single CD! Part Of You is part of Gale's great run for Columbia Records in the late 70s, and a set that's got a nicely grooving bottom – thanks to production from Ralph MacDonald, and arrangements from William Eaton! The groove's uptempo at times, but always in a jazz-funk mode – and mostly played with smaller group instrumentation at the core – including keyboards from Richard Tee, bass from Anthony Jackson, and drums from either Steve Gadd or Harvey Mason – both cats who can hold up a groove on a date like this. Titles include "Let Me Slip It To You", "Part Of You", "Trio", "Nezumi", and "Holding On To Love". Touch Of Silk is a classic set that has the guitar of Eric Gale produced by the legendary Allen Toussaint! The cross of talents is pretty compelling – and although the album's not a New Orleans funk outing, it definitely shares some of the more creative elements that you'd get from some of Toussaint's other side projects at the end of the 70s. A few numbers definitely have a bit more bump than you'd expect from a fsuion date like this – and Toussaint himself plays piano and moog on the record, and even sings a tiny bit. Robert Dabon plays Fender Rhodes – and titles include "You Got My Life In Your Hands", "War Paint", "Touch Of Silk", "Au Privave", "With You I'm Born Again", and "Once In A Smile".

An ebullient groover from British arranger Mike Gibbs – quite possibly his funkiest album ever, and a great little session recorded live at Ronnie Scotts during a week's residency in 1972! As with other albums from the time, Gibbs is working here with a brilliant array of players who include some of the leading lights of the British jazz rock scene of the period – a lineup that includes Chris Spedding on guitar, Frank Ricotti on vibes, Chris Pyne on trombone, Kenny Wheeler and Harry Becket on trumpets, Ray Warleigh on sax and flute, and Alan Skidmore on soprano and tenor sax – all coming together in a blend of acoustic and electric elements that bristles with fresh imagination, free-thinking solos, and some nicely grooving rhythms. Tracks are all long, and titles include the Gibbs originals "So Long Gone", "Three", "Nowhere", and "Just A Head" – plus versions of "Sing Me Softly Of The Blues", "Grow Your Own", "Country Roads", and "Mother Of The Dead Man".

Fantastic stuff from John Lee Hooker, and a record that's unlike any other he's ever done! The groove is very hard and funky, with tight drumbreaks and excellent basslines that you'd hardly expect to find on an album by a blues artist – jamming around with a tight groove that really makes us love the record! The guitar on the set is wonderfully scratchy – ripping up and down over heavy drums, with some nice horn touches to flesh the sound up – and wicked vocals from Hook that give the whole set a nice and nasty feel! The best cuts include "Make It Funky", "713 Blues", "714 Blues", and "Bluebird" – and the record's got some very nice breaks!

2 Isley Brothers gems from 2 different eras – back-to-back on a single CD! 1969's It's Our Thing is a stone classic – the album that kicked off their successful T-Neck label, and established that mighty Isleys sound that would have such a huge influence in the 70s! It's filled with sinister, sexy numbers that bristle with energy that's still heard best here at the point of its creation! Tracks include "It's Your Thing", "Give the Women What They Want", "He's Got Your Love", "I Know Who You Been Socking It To", "Don't Give It Away", "He's Got Your Love", "Save Me", "Feel Like The World", and "Somebody Been Messin". Go All The way came about a decade later – at the end of the 70s, and the Isleys are still going strong – keeping it real and going for a smooth soul sound that would be one of their biggest strengths during the early 80s! This sound can be heard to perfection on the tracks "Say You Will" and "Here We Go Again", both wonderful numbers that have this strident groove that's part "Harvest For The World", part compressed guitars and keyboards working in a smooth wall of sound. Those two alone are more than worth the price of the record, and other titles include "Pass It On", "Go All The Way", and "The Belly Dancer" – all done in the Isleys' trademarked "part 1 & 2" style!

A trio of classics from the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra! First up is the initial Presenting album – great music by one of the hippest large American ensembles of the late 60s – almost a US equivalent to the groovy sound of the Clark Boland Big Band over in Europe! Trumpeter Thad Jones and drummer Mel Lewis had already made some great music together on their own – but once they came together in a record like this, they really found a great new direction for their energy – a bold musical force that's strong enough to also encompass the rich talents of players who include Pepper Adams on baritone sax, Joe Farrell on tenor, Jerome Richardson on soprano sax, Richard Williams on trumpet, Bob Brookmeyer and Tom McIntosh on trombones, Hank Jones on piano, and Richard Davis on bass! The sound is full, but never overwhelming – and like the Clark Boland group, this one has a great way of breaking open to allow key soloists to have some great space on their own – a modern approach, and one that still never has the band losing its groove. Titles include "ABC Blues", "Mean What You Say", "Three & One", and "Once Around". The next album was recorded live in the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis home turf at the Village Vanguard! The group at this point was a freshly-created outfit filled with some of the best large group jazz soloists of the time – players that included Jerome Richardson, Joe Farrell, Eddie Daniels, Pepper Adams, Richard Williams, and Bob Brookmeyer – not to mention Jones and Lewis themselves! The style here is very much in the mode that the Clarke Boland Band was crafting in Europe during the same period – a redefinition of the larger jazz group, in a way that allowed it to swing with the dynamic energy and soul of some of the smaller combos of the 60s. And while the Jones/Lewis group had many years over which to hone their craft, they've never sounded better than on these initial recordings – as you'll hear on tracks that include "Samba Con Getchu", "A That's Freedom", "Bachafillen", and "Little Pixie". On the last album in the set, Ruth Brown joins the big band of Thad Jones and Mel Lewis – in a set that's a real standout in the career of all three artists! Thad and Mel already have a pretty great groove going at this point – a large ensemble approach to jazz, yet one that's swingingly soulful – very much on a par with some of Gerald Wilson's hip work of the same time at time. And adding in Ruth Brown's vocals is a great choice – as she not only needs a great showcase like this for her amazing voice, but also because she really helps unlock a soulful sort of energy that the group always had in their instrumental music. The approach is a bit like some of Etta Jones' best 60s recordings – a nice shift for Brown – and titles include "Black Coffee", "Fine Brown Frame", "You Won't Let Go", "Trouble In Mind", and "Be Anything (But Be Mine)".

A trio of Blue Note albums from guitarist Stanley Jordan! First up is Magic Touch – a crucial album for the jazz guitar in the 80s – the debut effort of Stanley Jordan, and a set that exploded with a very fresh sound! Jordan has a really unique way of handling his instrument – playing up and down the fret board with both hands – in ways that are often so lyrically compelling and musically complicated that Blue Note had to package the album with a "warning" that there were no overdubs or production tricks on the set – as you might find from other contemporary players on labels like ECM! Instead, Stanley's got a sound that's surprisingly warm and personal – and which, in a way, is recorded with a style that echoes the legend of his initial discovery by the label, while playing in the subway. Titles include "A Child Is Born", "Fundance", "Angel", "The Lady In My Life", "Round Midnight", and "Eleanor Rigby". On Standards Vol 1, guitarist Stanley Jordan takes on a set of standards – not just older tunes from the American songbook, but also some gorovy soul and pop numbers as well! Jordan plays solo throughout – in that open, lyrical style that we loved on his debut – and titles include "Sunny", "The Sound Of Silence", "Send One Your Love", "Moon River", "Guitar Man", and "My Favorite Things". Flying Home features Stanley Jordan in a new sort of soulful setting – one that takes his guitar from the previous solo setting of initial Blue Note albums, and gives it a fuller and smoother groove overall! The production and arrangements are by Preston Glass – a master of smooth jazz in these early years, and one of the few who could still keep things deeply soulful, even while adding in some more mainstream elements – in this case just the right touches to help get Jordan's guitar across to the same 80s audience that was digging cats like Earl Klugh or Bob James. Glass plays a fair bit of keyboards in the set – and titles include "Tropical Storm", "Can't Sit Down", "The Music's Gonna Change", "Flying Home", "The Time Is Now", and "Brooklyn At Midnight".

Amazing sounds from Ram Jam Holder – an artist unlike anyone else we can think of! Black London Blues is a brilliant British set from Holder – not really blues at all, but a cool kind of crossbreeding of styles in the 60s London scene – almost the same mad mix of modes you might hear in The Equals! There's plenty of funk on the record – some great drums, bouncing basslines, and an overall tightness that's more gritty soul than blues – although there's definitely a bluesy bent at times too! Titles include "Brixton Blues", "Too Much Blues", "Pub Crawling Blues", "Wimpy Bar Blues", and "Hampstead To Lose The Blues". Bootleg Blues has a groove that's really wonderful – definitely blues, but with lots of other elements mixing through the music too – kind of that criss-crossing of styles you'd find in San Francisco music of the late 60s – but given a particularly London twist here – with some folksy elements, soulful phrasing, and even some echoes of the mod 60s scene in the way the organ and grooves come across. The album's a great one – and titles include "Saturday's Child", "Bed Sitter Girl", "London Paris Rome Blues Express", "Freedom I'm Ready", and "Low Down In Paris".

Three hard-grooving records from late 60s Motor City rockers SRC – self-titled, Milestones and Traveler's Tales – together in a 2CD set! The debut is straight-up one of the greatest rock albums to come out of Detroit in the 60s – even if these guys aren't as well known as The Stooges or MC5! There's a similar brilliance here, though – a heady brew of ripping guitars, burning Hammond, and massively pounding drums – all recorded with a slightly garagey edge and expansively searching quality that stretches things out without overindulging in too much jamming. There's also a really dark feel to the record too – one that has the same sense of danger and urgency as SRC's bigger contemporaries, yet never sounds forced. Titles include "Onesimpletask", "Daystar", "Exile", "Marionette", "Black Sheep", and "Refugeve". Milestones is the wickedly tight follow-up – with perfectly blended guitar, keyboards, and snapping drums – and the kind of a record that should have made them much bigger players at the time! Includes their jamming take on "In The Hall Of The Mountain King" in a medley with "Bolero" – plus the cuts "Checkmate", "The Angel Song", "No Secret Destination", "Eye Of The Storm", and "Show Me". The group had some lineup changes for Traveler's Time, but the lumbering rhythms and heavy organ grooves are as solid as ever! Titles include "Street Without A Name", "By Way Of You", "Diana", "Across The Land Of Light", "The Offering" and more. One bonus track: "My Fortune's Coming True".

Early 70s albums from Ike & Tina Turner – later material from the together years – 1970's Come Together & '71's Nuff Said in a single package! Come Together includes the title high profile cover and others in "Honky Tonk Women" "I Want To Take You Higherr", but, it's got a number of solid ke originals, too. It's in a bit of loose blues & soul mode, with trademark powerhouse vocals from Tina. Titles include "It Ain't Right", "Too Much Woman", "Unlucky Creature", "Young And Dumb" and more. Nuff Said is another one that's among their last albums together, and it’s very much in the hit Ike & Tina style! Lots of hard heavy guitar, pounding drums, and raw heavy soul vocals from Tina. Tracks include "Baby", "Sweet Flustrations", "I Love What You Do To Me", "Tell The Truth", "I Love Baby", and "Nuff Said".

A pair of late Ike & Tina albums in a single package! Workin' Together is a pivotal album – one that has them still retaining some of the earthiness of earlier years, yet also honing their groove for the crossover audience that was digging them big at the end of the 60s! The best results of this shift is the increasing funk component in their music – a move away from R&B into a tighter 60s groove, one that often featured very strong guitar parts in its best incarnation. The set includes the classic "Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter", plus "Ooh Poo Pah Doo", "Let It Be", "Goodbye So Long", "You Can Have It", "The Way You Love Me", "Get Back", and "Workin Together". Let Me Touch Your Mind is a fairly loose set of diverse material from the tumultuous duo, from the tender, lovely chorus backed and string accented grit of the title track to more stripped down, kinda country funk accented number. Includes "Annie Had A Baby", "Don't Believe Her", "Early One Morning", "Up On The Roof", "Heaven Help Us All" and more.

Two sides of Charlie Byrd in the mid 60s – one focused on Brazil and the other a sweet set of jazzy soundtrack adaptations – on one CD! First up is the classic Brazilian Byrd – a wonderful album of tunes by Antonio Carlos Jobim, all recorded with full backing arrangements, and sound quality that's a lot better than some of Byrd's previous albums! The setting has Charlie's acoustic guitar right up front in the mix – mic'ed so close you can really hear his work on the strings – while light brass, woodwind, and string backings dance nicely, and more quietly, behind him. There's a very Verve-like approach to the whole record – obviously a market that Columbia were trying to reach with this one – and the album's easily one of Charlie's strongest for the label from the 60s. Arrangements are both by Byrd and Tom Newsom – and titles include "Dindi", "Jazz N Samba", "The Girl From Ipanema", "Corcovado", "Amor E Paz", "Samba Do Aviao" and "Amor E Paz". Next up is the Hollywood Byrd set – with some dreamy, jazzy covers of popular movie tunes. It includes some of our own favorites – such as "Alfie", "The Wishing Doll", "Moment To Moment", "Wish Me A Rainbow" and more. A number of tunes have lovely choral vocals, and all of them have a really groovy 60s sound. We'll also make an admission – we give it a few extra points for having one of the sexiest covers ever – but the music can sell it just as well!

Two classics from Earth Wind & Fire – back to back on one CD! Last Days & Time is Earth Wind & Fire's first album for Columbia Records – the start of a really legendary run during the 70s! The sound here is a bit tighter than their first two for Warner Brothers – a groove that has funk and soul taking a bit more precedence over the jazz of their roots – but all in a blend that's completely fresh and unique, and which takes all the righteous energy of the past, and focuses it here even more strongly! And while the groovers are great, there's also a few sweet numbers that are almost even better – some slightly mellow tracks that don't hit that commercial ballad sound of the group's later years – and which almost have an earthy, organic feel overall. The whole thing's tremendous – truly essential work by the group at their best – and titles include "I'd Rather Have You", "They Don't See", "Make It With You", "Remember The Children", "Mom", "Power", and "Time Is On Your Side". Head To The Sky is a tremendously beautiful album – and a righteous anthem of power and growth that seems to open itself up to us more and more over the years! Earth Wind & Fire are at their height here – mixing together soul and funk with a set of influences that includes African percussion and Brazilian jazz – then blending the whole thing effortlessly into a cosmic sound that's simply breathless! "Keep Your Head To The Sky" is a song of pride that became an instant underground classic; "Zanzibar" is an incredible reworking of Edu Lobo's famous composition, turning the Brazilian baroque track into a spacey groover that soars on for 13 minutes; and "Evil" is a great tune that features the electrified Kalimba that became the band's sonic and legal trademark over the years! Other titles include "The World's A Masquerade", "Clover", and "Build Your Nest".

A pair of 70s guitar classics from Eric Gale – back to back on a single CD! Ginseng Woman is a wonderfully strong effort from Gale – a player who'd done countless studio work on fusion sessions in the 70s, but who never really broke that strongly as a leader until this set! Gale's tone here is nicely compressed, but still has a warmth that comes from his use of a hollow-body – smooth enough to slide alongside the electric Bob James production, but with enough humanity to allow Gale's spirit to shine through nicely. Richard Tee plays organ on the set, some tracks have backing vocals, and the overall sound is sort of post-CTI, or Kudu-esque. Titles include "Red Ground", "Ginseng Woman", "Derabbit", "East End, West End", and "Sara Smile". Multiplication is a great late 70s fusion set from guitarist Gale working here with his CTI labelmate Bob James. In fact, except for the absence of Creed Taylor, this set is in many ways like a CTI session, with sidemen that include James, Steve Gadd and Anthony Jackson – and a full string and brass section, plus other players who you might not associate with that label, like Richard Tee, Alphonso Johnson and Ralph Macdonald. The groove is slightly mellow at times, almost like James' own work from the period – but which also shows a bit of a tight funk approach on the best cuts too. Titles include "Gypsy Jello", "Morning Glory", "Oh Mary Don't You Weep", "Thumper", and "Multiplication".

Beautiful work from the legendary late 60s run of British pianist Michael Garrick – and two of his best records of the mid 60s to early 70s! A few of the numbers on Black Marigolds are in a septet mode – with Garrick leading a group that includes Ian Carr on trumpet, Joe Harriott on alto, Don Rendell on soprano sax, and Tony Coe on tenor – all shading in some beautiful tones on the straight numbers "Good Times" and "Webster's Mood" – and really going to town on the modal number "Ursula", a rolling groover that's simply fantastic! 2 other tracks – "Jazz For Five" and "A Jazz Nativity" – have the group joined by poet John Smith, who's recitation beautifully matches the horn work of Coe and Harriott. Remaining tracks are even more unusual – and feature Garrick in trio formation on either celeste or harpsichord – really hitting beautiful notes that have a slightly exotic feel, on titles that include "What Are Little Girls", "Spiders", "Black Marigolds", and "Carolling". The Heart Is A Lotus is one of the key recordings by the team of Garrick and Norma Winstone! Winstone's vocals here rank right up there with those of Karin Krog or Monica Zetterlund – creating a whole new style for the voice in jazz, as they dance along with the freely searching work of Garrick's sextet on the record. There's a sense of lyrical poetry to the album that's really beautiful – but rhythm is also a key aspect of the session – and most tunes dance along in a flurry of bass and drum interplay, hitting that warm modal groove! Titles include "The Heart Is A Lotus", "Torrent", "Temple Dancer", "Blues On Blues", "Voices", and "Beautiful Thing".

A trio of early 60s gems from pianist Les McCann – all wrapped up here in a single set! First up is The Gospel Truth – a solid 60s smoker in which Les McCann really gets back to the roots of soul jazz – serving up the gospel-tinged truth promised in the title – and really linking his piano back to the pulpit in the process! Les has a wonderfully firm touch on the left end of the keyboard – which makes for a rollicking groove on just about every track, augmented by super-tight drum work from the great Paul Humphrey, who almost gets a tambourine vibe out of his snare and cymbal! Stanley Gilbert plays bass, and Charles Kynard plays guest Hammond on a few tracks – and titles include "Get That Soul", "The Preacher", "The Gospel Truth", "Oh The Joy", and "Didn't It Rain". Soul Hits is a really hard-hitting groover from the great 60s trio of Les McCann – a set that adds in some extra guitar from Joe Pass, who definitely sounds his most soulful on the set! Joe grooves perfectly with Les' piano – and has almost a Kenny Burrell-like depth in tone throughout – one that we're not as likely to hear on other Pass sessions of this vintage, possibly because of the excellent rhythms from Paul Chambers on bass and Paul Humphrey on drums! Tunes are definitely the soul hits promised in the title – mostly numbers that were brimming up big in the soul jazz generation of the time, but given a particular Les McCann twist. Titles include "Sister Sadie", "Bag's Groove", "Back At The Chicken Shack", "Work Song", "Sonnymoon For Two", "Groove Yard", and "Sack O Woe". McCanna is filled with a great Latin groove from the mighty Les McCann – a smoking set that adds in extra percussion from Willie Correa – who gives the record a sound that's quite a change from the usual McCann groove! The percussion is wonderful throughout – and given that the great Paul Humphrey is already playing drums in the trio, the whole thing's got a rhythmic zest that never lets up – way different than just the usual "with conga" style you'd hear on a Prestige Records piano trio record – and instead a groove that's definitely dedicated to the boldest Latin piano modes of the time! The track list includes a lot of originals, such as "McCanna", "Zulu", "Bastuto Baby", "Shaam-Pu II", and "Narobi Nights" – plus versions of "Que Rico" and "It Had Better Be Tonight".

A really wonderful third album from Osibisa – and a record that really crystallizes the group's sound into a trademark blend of African roots and more progressive-styled jamming! There's a mode here that's perfect for the cross-cultural London of the post-colonial 70s – a style that brings many strands of music into the capital, and mixes them up with some of the headier styles going down at the time. Bits of highlife echo alongside more tribally-based percussion – but most of the instrumentation on the set also has a strong ear for jazzy changes, especially during the flute and keyboards passages that make the record so great. Titles include "Kokorokoo", "Che Che Kule", "Sweet Sounds", "Sweet America", and "Do You Know".

A pair of great pair of records from electric fusion violinist Noel Pointer – Phantazia from '77 and Hold On from '78 – in a 2CD set! Like others of the 70s generation, Pointer plays the violin in a way that's clearly heavily influenced by keyboards of the time – electric in amplification, and worked in a mode that uses the instrument to create waves of sound that flow out amongst the tighter fusion rhythms of the set. Dave Grusin arranged and produced the Phantazia set – in his best lean soulful mode of the time – and other players include Earl Klugh, Ralph MacDonald, Steve Gadd, and Grusin himself. Titles include "Mirabella", "Night Song", "Living For The City", "Phantazia", and "Wafaring Stranger". Hold On was recorded in a smooth, soulful mode – and once again has Pointer working with Grusin! Noel's sweet work on electric violin is set up nicely with keyboards from Dave, guitar from Eric Gale, drums from Steve Gadd, and percussion from Ralph MacDonald. Noel sings a bit on the set, but even better are the vocals from Patti Austin, Gwen Guthrie, Yolanda McCullough, and others – who flesh out the backgrounds on some tunes. Titles include "Staying With You", "Movin In", "Superwoman", "Stardust Lady", "Hold On", and the extended "Roots Suite", based on Quincy Jones music for the show!

A smoking little set from George Harmonica Smith – an album recorded in late 60s LA, but done with plenty of Chicago blues touches! The players here are all top-shelf – and include Muddy Waters on guitar and Otis Spann on piano – who definitely help keep a Windy City vibe going on the record – that spare, raw, but electrified approach to the music that was still wonderfully fresh at the time of the sessions. And Smith's vocals alone are totally great – very deeply soulful – but also alternate strongly with sharp lines on harmonica too. Titles include "Mellow Down Easy", "Key To The Highway", "You Better Watch Yourself", "Last Night", "West Helena Woman", "Tell Me Mama", "Juke", and "Everything Gonna Be Alright". CD features 3 bonus tracks – "Love With A Feelin", with vocals by Lucille Spann – plus "Just A Feelin" and "Goin Down Slow".

Grover Washington Jr's first few albums for Columbia – Strawberry Moon, Then & Now and Time Out Of Mind – together in a 2CD set! Strawberry Moon has a number of laidback groovers, with some solid Washington originals such as the title track and some sweet covers. BB King plays and sings on "Caught A Touch Of Your Love", with Jean Carne guesting on "The Look Of Love". Grover's sax is soulful and sweet throughout, and the titles include "Strawberry Moon", "Summer Nights", "Keep In Touch", and "Maddie's Blues". Then And Now is a nice one that has Grover working in a straighter jazz mode for the most part, taking a break from the soul and R&B groover –- the most timeless of the 3 albums compiled here! Players include Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Grady Tate and Darryl Washington. Titles include "Just Enough", "French Connections", "Stolen Moments", "Stella By Starlight" and more. Time Out Of Mind's title track is a cover of the Steely Dan classic, circa Gaucho – and this album finds Grover embracing the 80s a lot more than his previous album for Columbia. A mix of moods, with some electric funky flourishes and fusiony keys and synths. Titles include "Jamaica", "Sacred Kind Of Love", "Fly Away", the title track and more. This trio of albums represents a wide stylistic range covered by Grover in just a 3 year period!

The Ike & Tina Turner Revue shakes the foundation at Carnegie Hall on April Fools Day, 1971! There's a good reason for there being so many live albums by Ike & Tina – it's because they're damn great on stage – and this NYC set is a strong showcase for The Ikettes and The Kings Of Rhythm, too! The group was riding a peak wave of popularity around this time, and they cover a wide variety of songs in a set that's masterfully-paced – starting out slow and building up intensity as it goes! Titles include the Ikettes-led "Piece Of My Heart" and "Everyday People", the thunderous Tina intro "Doin' The Tina Turner", "Sweet Soul Music", "Proud Mary", "I Smell Trouble", "Ike's Tune", "I Want To Take You Higher", "I've Been Loving You Too Long", "Respect" and more.

One of the best albums we've heard in years from trumpeter Dave Douglas – a really in the pocket session that's filled with rhythmic intensity, and some of the boldest music we've heard from Dave in years! There's plenty of edges to the set – especially the trumpet of Douglas and tenor of Jon Irabgon – but there's also a groove to many numbers too – a kind of forward-rolling energy that really takes the whole thing to great points throughout the set, and which makes a great progression from the somber tone of Dave's last album – almost a musical rebirth of sorts! Crack rhythms flow from the trio of Matt Mitchell on piano, Linda Oh on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums – and titles include "Time Travel", "Beware Of Doug", "Little Feet", "Garden State", and "Bridge To Nowhere".

That's quite a Village People cover on the front – no surprise, as The Ritchie Family are also another key project from VP creator and disco wizard Jacques Morali! All the best Morali modes are firmly in place – that hard-driving, long-grooving style that's perfect for the clubs – with extended grooves that blend core instrumentation with larger soaring strings – all at a length that's bound to get most clubgoers as steamy as the guys on the cover! A newly-recast Ritchie trio of Vera Brown, Jacqui Smith-Lee, and Dodie Draher handles the vocals with a boldness that matches the grooves – and titles include "Sexy Man", "Put Your Feet To The Beat", "Bad Reputatin", and "It's A Man's World/Where Are The Men".

Blistering work from drummer Barry Altschul – working here in the company of bold young tenorist Jon Irabgon, and matching his youthful energy at every step! The set's easily one of the most driven we've heard from Altschul in many years – a trio date that also features the bass of Joe Fonda, but which really draws most of its magic from Irabgon's horn, and the way that Barry reaches out strongly to provide just the right vibe. Tunes are almost all originals from Altschul – and titles include "Natal Chart", "A Drummer's Song", "Papa's Funkish Dance", "Be Out S'Cool", "Oops", and "Just A Simple Song".

A classic disco stormer from Grace Jones – recorded at Sigma Sound with a real Philly groove, thanks to arrangements from John Monster Davis – and produced with a full, soaring sound from the legendary Tom Moulton! The set may well be Grace's true club classic from the late 70s – a record that works both on the quirky levels of her early rise to fame, and on the more soulful expectations mainstream clubgoers had at the time – a beautiful balance that owes plenty to the input from Davis and Moulton! Titles include "Do Or Die", "Pride", "Fame", "Below The Belt", and "Am I Ever Gonna Fall In Love In New York City".