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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 really sweet trio set from Barry Altschul – and one that lets him stretch out beautifully on a wide range of percussion! In addition to traditional drums, Altschul handles quica, bowed cymbals, waterphone, shakers, bells, cymbals, wood block, and lots more on the record – also getting some percussive performances from his mates in the trio – trombonist Ray Anderson and bassist Mark Helias! Anderson's trombone really provides some great glue to hold the performance together – some bold, soulful lines that easily move between free passages and more swinging moments. Titles include "Con Alma De Noche", "Irina", "Be Out S'Cool", and "Brahma".

A sprawling anthology of 60s and 70s Joe Barry recordings – a performer who was instrumental, early on, in putting Louisiana on the map for R&B-indebted rockers – even if he never busted out in a big way nationwide! This great 2CD set from Ace sure makes a great case for Mr. Barry. It covers his best recordings he made in the early 60s, plus some rarer stuff from the 70s. The earlier tunes have a great rockin' R&B style to them, while later on are some rare swampy rock & country material that's pretty damn strong! 51 tracks on 2CDs: Includes "I Got A Feeling", "Try Rock 'N' Roll", "You Belong To My Heart", "Beg Your Pardon", "Don't Close That Door", "Yonder Comes A Sucker", "Secret Love", "Any Old Time", "Heartbroken Love", "A Fool Such As I", "I Almost Lost My Mind", "Lucky Morning", "Come What May", "Bouquet Of Roses" and many more!

A really wonderful later score from John Barry – and key proof of the maturity he really hit in his music during the 80s! There's a style here that goes way beyond most of his soundtracks of the 60s – and even of the 70s – a depth of feeling and jazzy approach that's almost like some of the best vintage work by Johnny Mandel! The orchestrations are sublime – handled by Al Woodbury with a really careful balance of strings and solo instrumentation – the greatest of which is the alto sax of Ronny Lang, which blows out wonderfully on most of the score's best numbers. Titles include "Main Title", "I'm Weak", "Chapeau Grits", "Busted", "Surprise", and "Oscar". This beautiful 2CD package is filled with a huge amount of tracks – not just the 13 numbers of the original album, but an additional 47 numbers – including tracks from the film, demos, and other great bits!

Really early sounds from the great John Barry – a huge amount of tracks recorded with his combo for the Drumbeat TV show in the UK! The program had a strong focus on the emerging rock and roll sounds of the late 50s – and the John Barry Seven were a perfect group to provide musical accompaniment – professional enough to handle the gig in just the right way, but youthful enough to come up with plenty of sharp-edged sounds! The instrumentation's often heavy on guitar, but features some trumpet lines from Barry too – and although the set features some instrumentals by the group, there's also a lot of vocal numbers – with singers who include Derry Hart, Adam Faith, Bob Miller, Sylvia Sands, Roy Young, Vince Eager, and others. 40 tracks in all – including "Mad Mab", "Bees Knees", "Don't Leave Me", "Slippin & Slidin", "Rockin Sandy", "Get Happy", "Italian Style", "Beatnik", "Catwalk", "I Go Ape", "Shame On You Miss Johnson", and "Buzzin".

The soundtrack that put John Barry over the top – and to many, THE James Bond soundtrack! The album chills from the first notes of the haunting title theme – the majestic "Goldfinger", sung by Shirley Bassey with a tone that's as dangerous as a razor-sharp hat spinning through the air! Barry then takes over with some wonderful instrumentals – a blend of crime jazz, mood pieces, chase themes, and more – all peppered with that dark dark Bond theme that we love so much! Titles include "Into Miami", "Teasing The Korean", "Alpine Drive", "Bond Back In Action", "Gassing The Gangsters", and "Death Of Goldfinger".

Len Barry gets a bit soulful here – with arrangements from Joe Rnezetti, Jimmy Wisner, and Pete Dino – on cuts that include "Sweet Soul Music", "Mickey's Monkey", "The Moving Finger Writes", "Our Love", and "The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game".

One of Barry Gray's greatest moments – the ultra groovy soundtrack for Space 1999, the short-lived but well-remembered mainstream sci-fi show from the 70s! The title theme has a nice bit of a dancefloor bounce to it – pre-guessing the disco-copy mode that other space soundtracks were facing in the 70s by turning out its own original hit – and other tunes in the set follow a sometimes similar mode that makes the record far funkier than you'd guess for a soundtrack of this type! Some tracks are certainly more straightforward and dramatic, but there's plenty here in that funky Brit Easy mode of the mid 70s – lots of compressed instrumentation and some slight electronic touches – and often rhythms that are a lot harder than you'd expect! Highlights include "Breakaway", "Death's Other Dominion", "Black Sun", and a reprise of the theme.

Early work by Barry Miles – a drummer who would go onto cut some very hip sides in the 70s, and who here was only 14 at the time of the session! The "young genius" approach need not be stated on the cover or the notes, as Miles' drumming is great no matter how old he is – and once you realize that he wrote all the tracks on the set, you'll be even more impressed at his writing skills! The group's a soulfully grooving one that plays a mixture of modern hardbop styles – and which features Duke Jordan on piano, Bob Miller on alto, John Grazel on trumpet, and George Clarke on tenor. The last three aren't well known – but they've all got an easy tone and a good swing, and Jordan's piano gives the whole set the same darkly grooving sound of his best work from the time. Titles include "Tuchentine", "Timetable", "Deez Weet", and "Terry".

A trio of well-matched players – really stretching out on some long improvised passages! The album's a live one – a concert performance at London's Vortex – and features two very long sets that really demonstrate the mature improvising talents of the trio – boldly blown tenor and soprano sax from Evan Parker, incredibly complicated work on bass from Barry Guy, and electrifying percussion from Paul Lytton! There's definitely an FMP vibe to the playing, yet the overall feel is looser and more London, too – if we can say that – and together, the tracks offer up nearly 80 minutes of music in all.

Dark sounds from three very well-matched players – recording here at Barry Guy's Maya Recordings Festival – which makes for a very comfortable setting! The tracks are all quite long, and feature some of the most abstract sounds we've heard from the players in years – almost more sonic than musical at points, as the drums of Paul Lytton, bass of Barry Guy, and soprano and tenor sax of Evan Parker really push at each other's boundaries in search of new ways to interact! Parker's always amazing work on reeds really helps shape a lot of the energy of the set – but Guy's more than able to hold his own, and Lytton's drums emerge in ways that are often quite surprising and delightful. Titles include "Obsidian", "Chert", "Gabbro", and "Scoria".

Previously-unreleased recordings from a brilliant British trio of the 70s – and easily some of the most striking work we've ever heard from pianist Howard Riley! Riley's already one of the freest, most adventurous piano players of the 70s British scene – but here he stretches out even more, especially from a sonic perspective – in the company of Barry Guy on bass and Tony Oxley on percussion and electronics – both players who have this amazing ear for tones and textures that go way past the ordinary, and which seem to inspire Howard to brilliant new ends on the piano! The core of the set features trio material – on "Loops", "Spliced", and "Overground" – then Riley plays a cool overdubbed set of two piano lines on "Recognition" – and Oxley and Riley duet on "Pages".

Way more than a trio recording – as the piano's just one of the key elements in this sound – as bold and free as anything else we've ever heard from Howard Riley, but matched equally by sounds from Barry Guy on bass and Tony Oxley on drums! Both Guy and Oxley are using a bit of electric elements too – Guy some electric bass in addition to his acoustic one – and Oxley some improvised electronics, which add a further crackle to the set – and the free play between all three players is massive – almost a further setting fire to the ideas the Riley was already exploring in his own music. Titles include "Mandrel", "Sirens", "Quantum", and "Ingot". CD also features the bonus track "Runes".

A brilliant collection of work from this seminal Brit avant trio of the 70s – a really striking collaboration between trombonist Paul Rutherford, guitarist Derek Bailey, and bassist Barry Guy! Both Bailey and Guy play their instruments with some amplification, which expands out their unusual phrasing, and keen ears for offbeat sounds – more textures of sound than notes themselves, which Rutherford is only happy to match with his amazing work on trombone – a style of playing that, honestly will have you wondering if there's a trombone on the record at all! A few cuts features a bit of piano from Paul, but most of the record just features these three core instruments – all with sounds that are beyond imagination. 3CD set features material that made up the albums Incus 3 and 4, with a huge amount of previously unissued bonus cuts too!

An amazing second chapter from this extremely inventive trio – a marvelous matching of the talents of Paul Rutherford on trombone, Barry Guy on bass, and Phil Wachsmann on violin! All three players use a fair bit of electronics, too – very much in the best FMP mode of mixing live acoustic improvisation with additional improvised electronics – creating this electro-acoustic mode that goes way past any staid academic form of the genre! Most tracks here are long live improvisations – brought together in a massive three CD set that really documents the uniqueness of the group – with tracks that include "Dieptaur", "Veprol", "Eiverl", "Stoleri", "Vendia", "Epis", "Panshanton", and "Phelgstar".

Can't get enough of Barry White at this key point in his career – a time when he was stepping from the shadows as one of the most sensuous soul stars of the 70s! The album's a near-perfect effort throughout – a great blend of the soaring strings and funkier rhythms that always made Barry's work so great – topped with vocals that are both sung and spoken, all in a voice that's deeper than deep! Tracks intertwine nicely – almost sharing similar themes at points – and although not penned as a "soul symphony", the album certainly comes across like one. Titles include "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe", "Oh Love Well We Finally Made It", "Mellow Mood (parts 1 & 2)", "You're The First The Las, My Everything", and "I Can't Believe You Love Me".

Can't get enough of Barry White at this key point in his career – a time when he was stepping from the shadows as one of the most sensuous soul stars of the 70s! The album's a near-perfect effort throughout – a great blend of the soaring strings and funkier rhythms that always made Barry's work so great – topped with vocals that are both sung and spoken, all in a voice that's deeper than deep! Tracks intertwine nicely – almost sharing similar themes at points – and although not penned as a "soul symphony", the album certainly comes across like one. Titles include "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe", "Oh Love Well We Finally Made It", "Mellow Mood (parts 1 & 2)", "You're The First The Las, My Everything", and "I Can't Believe You Love Me".

Barry White at the height of his powers – soaring out here with that amazing groove that never lets us down! The album's a mini-soul symphony throughout – tight beats, soaring strings, and that rock-solid Barry White vocal approach – that warm, fluid sound that's instantly recognizable, and which sparkles forth to really tie the whole album together! There's less standout singles here than some of White's other albums from the time – but that's the great thing about the album, too – as it encourages you to take the whole thing together at once – as such a masterpiece should be enjoyed. Titles include "If You Know Won't You Tell Me", "Baby We Better Try To Get It Together", "I Don't Know Where Love Has Gone", and "Let The Music Play". CD features some bonus variations on the title track – a single version, instrumental b-side, "M+M throwback mix", "Funkstar's club deluxe", and alternate version of "Let The Music Play"!

Barry White was always the victim of his own success – in that he cut so many excellent records early on, that folks always over look the great stuff he did in later years. This 1979 album is a perfect example of Barry's greatness in this respect – as it's still totally on the money, with strong songwriting, and a silky smooth modern sound that perfectly showcases Barry's vocals, which are sung more strongly than ever. The record's a nice one – and it includes the spacey steppers cut "You're The One I Need", which has a mellow loping groove, and a good midtempo dancefloor groove. Other tracks include "I Found Love", "It Ain't Love, Babe", and "Love Ain't Easy".

Sheet music – as in the sheets of a bed, get it? Well, if you can't, the cover image has a picture of a bed with sheets that have musical notes on them, just so you get the hint. Despite that cheesy joke, though, the album's a great batch of tracks from Barry – who's grown nicely here since his mid 70s hits, moving into a smooth modern soul style that he undoubtedly inspired, one that's filled with rich instrumentation, yet grooves along at an unbelievably light pace. Titles include "Lady Sweet Lady", "I Believe In Love", "Ghetto Letto", "Rum & Coke", and "Love Makin Music".

One of The Maestro's true materpieces! Fragile, sexy, sinful soul, held together by interwoven strings and keyboard lines, with Barry's voice over the top like rich cream on a sweet piece of cake. Includes the long versions of "Honey Please, Can't Ya See" and "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up", plus "Hard To Believe That I Found You".

One of the greatest songwriting partnerships of the 60s – featured here in a great mix of soul, rock, and vocal numbers from the time – including a fair number of unusual versions of hits from the team of Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil! Weil's got a style that's sometimes a bit deeper than her contemporaries – and when mixed with Barry's strong sense of punch in a tune, has a way of bringing some surprising sophistication to pop music – little emotive moments that peek out from more hook-heavy numbers – but all without ever sounding lachrymose or overblown. As part of that quality, lots of these tunes have some great New York-styled production – that uptown balance of emotion and class – and as with other titles in Ace's excellent songwriter series, the notes alone are almost worth the price of admission – given all the historical detail, cultural commentary, and cool images. Titles include "New World Coming" by Mama Cass, "Love Is Only Sleeping" by The Monkees, "Angelica" by Scott Walker, "Looking Through The Eyes Of Love" by Gene Pitney, "Love Him" by Doris Day, "Good Good Lovin" by Bobby Hebb, "You Baby" by Len Barry, "Born To Be Together" by The Ronettes, "This Is A Love Song" by Bill Medley, "Make Your Own Kind Of Music" by The Happenings, "Shape Of Things To Come" by Slade, and "Proud" by Johnny Crawford.

Deep deep soul – from an almost unlikely source! In the early 60s, the Old Town label was mostly known as the home to some top-shelf R&B, pop-oriented doo wop, and classier vocals – but as the decade rolled on, Old Town started to move into styles that included a fair bit of harder deep soul, and which included a fair number of tunes the label purchased from other sources in the south! This side of Old Town has often been under-acknowledged next to the company's more famous doo wop output – but it's wonderfully brought back to light here, through a wonderful set of notes and fantastic track selection that easily makes the set one of the best deep soul CDs we've heard in a while! Some of the work here is by artists who sung more famously for other labels, but who come off especially nicely here – and other tracks are by virtual unknowns who were lost to the shifting fates of the record business, given Old Town's decline at the time. But whatever the case, the collection's an excellent one – filled with 24 deep soul tracks that include "I Won't Give Up My Man" and "Never Leave Me" by Thelma Jones, "I Got The Right" and "Stop" by Lester Young, "Nobody Knows" by The Flambeaus, "Sugar" by Bobby & Betty Lou, "She's A Woman" by Jesse Gee, "It Ain't Right" by Roscoe & Barbara, "Heartbreak Avenue" by Bobby Long & The Dealers, "Crazy Little Girl" and "I'll Never Forget You" by Donald Height, "I'm Sorry For You" by Frank Howard & The Commanders, and "Just Loving You" by Irene Reid.

A great little James Bond soundtrack – written for one of the lesser-remembered Bond films, but filled with nice moments! There's a darker, moodier feel here than on some of Barry's other Bond scores – lots of stretched out tracks that have a bit more space than usual, and odd instruments punctuating the themes with an eerie, other-worldly edge that almost reminds us of some of the best Italian thriller work from the time. Nancy Sinatra sings a very moody title track – and other tunes include "Takana's World", "The Wedding", "Mountains & Sunsets", "A Drop In The Ocean", "Bond Averts World War Three", and "The Death Of Aki".

One of the greatest of Barry's scores for the James Bond films – early enough to be raw, but confident enough to change up the mood nicely! The theme song features vocals by Tom Jones – and the rest of the tunes almost reads as a who's who of hipster influences, as so many of them have been taken up by other artists as band or album names. Titles include "Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", "Thunderball", "The Bomb", "Chateau Flight", "Bond Below Disco Volante", "Death Of Fiona", and "Switching The Body".

One of the funkiest records ever cut for the mighty MPS label – and a unique session that definitely lives up to the "soul time" promised in the title! The set features a unique combination of American soul vocals and European funky jazz – a hybrid formed in late 60s Germany as Baltimore-born singer Dee Dee McNeil started working with South African drummer Barry Window – who's got a hell of a funky talent for hitting a groove! The pair were making big waves in the German clubs, then came to the attention of MPS – who hooked them up with hip jazz players like Barney Wilen on tenor, Joel Vandroogenbroeck on organ, and Ronald Bryer on guitar! The result is a very very groovy little record – funky on some key tracks, and burning with mod soul on others – a brilliant blend that's way better than most of the other expatriate work cut on the Euro scene of the 60s – and definitely worth the legendary status its hit over the years. Dee Dee mostly takes the lead on vocals, but some cuts feature surprisingly nice duets with Barry – and titles include the landmark break cut "Get Out Of My Life Woman", plus "Midnight Hour", "Hold On I'm Coming", "It's Alright", "Funky Broadway", "Soultime", and "Summertime".

Two great slices of work from vocalist Thelma Jones – her late 60s singles for the indie Barry label, and her tighter work for Columbia recorded nearly a full decade later! The first half of the set has Jones hitting hard in a tight Northern Soul mode – a socking 60s approach to the groove that's got echoes of deep soul on the vocals, but which also often bumps along with a tight sense of rhythm on the bottom – sometimes even a bit of funk as well! Titles from these years include Jones' excellent original take on "House That Jack Built" – a tight funky version that's way better than Aretha Franklin's – plus the cuts "Stronger", "Never Leave Me", "Gotta Find A Way", "I Won't Give Up My Man", "Mr Fix It", and "Give It To Me Straight". The second half of the set features material from Jones self-titled 1978 album for Columbia – a sweet blend of southern and modern soul, with some fantastic arrangements by Bert DeCoteaux, who also produced the set in a wonderful way that lets Jones retain the deeper qualities of her vocals, but also glide nicely on some warmer modern touches. There's a really unified feel to the whole record, and tracks are a range of work by 70s songwriting greats that include Sam Dees, Leon Ware, Grey & Hanks, and Gamble & Huff. Features the excellent single "How Long", plus "I Can Dream", "Salty Tears", "Stay Awhile With Me", "I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love", and "Now That We Found Love". 22 tracks in all – and a long-overdue collection!

One of the best sets ever from keyboardist Barry Miles – a record done with a gentle mix of electric and acoustic instrumentation, but still in a richly organic way that's filled with lyrical touches! Barry himself plays both acoustic and electric piano – and instrumentation includes guitar from Jack Wilkins, conga from Ray Barretto, and some nice woodwind shading alongside the trumpet of Lew Soloff – a sound that makes for many gentle colors alongside the harder grooves, and a style that's subtler than many of Miles' contemporaries. Tracks include the nice bassline-grooving "Take Your Clothes", which has a great gentle funk approach and some nicely-flattened electric keys – plus "New Derivatives", "Alone", "Contrasts", and "Hijack".

Loads of classic singles – 20 in all – with cuts that include "I've Got So Much To Give", "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me", "You're The First The Last My Everything", "Honey Please Can't Ya See", "Never Never Gonna Give You Up", "Love's Theme", "Satin Soul", "Oh What A Night For Dancing", "Don't Make Me Wait Too Long", "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe", and "Playing Your Game Baby".

Beautiful ballads from The Man – proof that Barry White had a great way with a mellow track and a love song! Of course, Barry was always singing about love, even when grooving – but over time, he really found a great way to use all that energy, but bring it down a few notches too – laying back into a gentle groove that worked perfectly with his round, large vocal approach! This set's a nice mix of lesser-known ballads and a few key tracks – with titles that include "Love Serenade", "Of All The Guys In The World", "It's Only Love Doing Its Thing", "Dark & Lovely (radio)", "I've Got So Much To Give (single)", "Hard To Believe That I Found You", "You Turned My Whole World Around", and "Put Me In Your Mix (single)".

Later than Barry's classic years, but some nice material that often gets overlooked! As the 80s approached, Barry changed his style slightly – and hit a smooth modern soul groove that was still closely related to a lot of trends he invented in the early 70s, but which also had a slicker production sound that compressed the grooves a bit. The result may not be as popular with beatheads, but it works great for steppers – as you'll hear on the mellow cut "Ooo . . . Ahh" on this album. Other tracks include "Tell Me Who Do You Love", "You're My High", "Let Me In & Let's Begin With Love".

While not as huge a hit as some of his other 70s efforts, this is still a solid LP from White as the 70s were winding down. His signature sweeping soul style is fully in place, and the rich production complements the slower get-your-groove-on ballads nicely. Includes "Your Sweetness Is My Weakness", "September When I First Met You", "It's Only Love Doing Its Thing", "Sha La La Means I Love You" and 3 more.

Barry White's entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack genre – and it's a doozy! The record's filled with lots of tight little instrumental grooves, produced in the hard edged Love Unlimited Orchestra way – with tight funky drums at the bottom, snapping snare in the middle, and sharp sweeping strings over the top. Love Unlimited sing on a few tracks, but the cuts are mostly instrumentals with a very hard groove. Titles include "Somebody's Gonna Off The Man", "Alive and Well", "Theme From Together Brothers", "Do Drop In", and "Here Comes The Man".

One of the funkiest records ever cut for the mighty MPS label – and a unique session that definitely lives up to the "soul time" promised in the title! The set features a unique combination of American soul vocals and European funky jazz – a hybrid formed in late 60s Germany as Baltimore-born singer Dee Dee McNeil started working with South African drummer Barry Window – who's got a hell of a funky talent for hitting a groove! The pair were making big waves in the German clubs, then came to the attention of MPS – who hooked them up with hip jazz players like Barney Wilen on tenor, Joel Vandroogenbroeck on organ, and Ronald Bryer on guitar! The result is a very very groovy little record – funky on some key tracks, and burning with mod soul on others – a brilliant blend that's way better than most of the other expatriate work cut on the Euro scene of the 60s – and definitely worth the legendary status its hit over the years. Dee Dee mostly takes the lead on vocals, but some cuts feature surprisingly nice duets with Barry – and titles include the landmark break cut "Get Out Of My Life Woman", plus "Midnight Hour", "Hold On I'm Coming", "It's Alright", "Funky Broadway", "Soultime", and "Summertime".

A great book of vintage Bob Dylan photos – all in stark, statuesque and beautiful black & white – with shots by Barry Feinstein, Daniel Kramer and Jim Marshall – and featuring a forward by Arlo Guthrie! The photos are rich and evocative – very much reminiscient of Dylan's brooding Don't Look Back presence – with lots of shots from the earlier years when he was celebrated by the protest singer fanbase, to the early days of the misunderstood electric era and perhaps a bit beyond. Includes lots of shots from fateful UK tours, plus ones from the set of the Johnny Cash show, in the studio, on stage and behind the scenes.

An incredible album that's as evocative as its title – one that blends together strings and electronics into a sublime suite of sound library grooves! The album was masterminded by the lesser-known Barry Forgie – and also features work by other sound library talents Nino Nardini and Roger Roger, both of whom contribute some tasty Afro-styled grooves to the set! The overall feel is like the some of the best European soundtrack work from the time – with lots of lush instrumental passages, laid out with undercurrents of funk in places you wouldn't expect. Great stuff overall, and with tracks that include "Mindbender", "Ballata", "Hunted", and "Dawn Mists" by Barry Forgie; "Undercover Girl" and "Freedom Road" by Anthony Mawer; "Tropicola" and "Afro Samba" by Nino Nardini; and "Safari Park" and "Perdition" by Roger Roger.

A lost treasure from Barry White – the one and only album recorded by Danny Pearson, one of the few singers that Barry did as "special projects" during the 70s! Like Gloria Scott and Tom Brock – two other White-produced singers of the time – Pearson's got a wonderful approach that's quite different than Barry's own work – a fragile, sensitive, sweet soul style that's a lot like indie work from the New Jersey/Philly scene of the early 70s, produced with a bit more of the Barry White flair. The sound is sublime – with magical orchestrations by White and Gene Page, wrapped lovingly around Pearson's great vocals. Titles include "Honey Please, Can't You See?", "What's Your Sign Girl?", "Is It Really True Girl", and "Walkin In the Rain With The One I Love".

Barry White's got plenty to give here – a massive classic from his legendary early 70s years – and the first record to feature the maestro on his own as a lead act! The set's a masterpiece through and through – a sublime mix of soaring strings, soulful rhythms, and some killer compositions – a mini symphony in soul that forever set a standard for other artists to match! Barry's handing of the arrangements is great, with a bit of help from Gene Page – and when his magnificent vocals slide into the mix, things really take off – on a set of incredible cuts that includes the extended break classic "I'm Gonna Love You A Little More Baby", plus "I've Got So Much To Give", "Standing In The Shadows Of Yesterday", "I've Found Someone", and "Bring Back My Yesterday". CD features 2 bonus tracks – a killer instrumental of "Just A Little More Baby", and another instrumental of "I've Got So Much To Give".

Barry Brown at Channel One – a record titled Right Now, largely recorded in the early to mid 80s – and has a truly timeless sound that holds up incredibly well! Barry's working with producer/arranger Jah Screw on the tracks – and backed by We The People Band and Roots Radics for on most tracks – plus the Owen Rennalls Band on the stellar "Mafia". This nice 2012 CD version includes a bunch of great bonus dub versions – and titles include Includes "Sister Magling","Lonely Girl", "I Give My Love", "Guide And Protect Us", "Mister Minister", "Jukes And Watch", "Good People", "Mafia" and more by Barry Brown, plus "Mafia Dub" by Owen Bassie Rennalls Band, "Make It With Version", "Jukes And Watch Dub" and more by Roots Radics, "Sister Magling Dub", "It's Not So Easy Dub" and more by We The People Band, and "No Shot Nuh Fire" by Triston Palma. 20 in all.

An extremely striking sextet session from pianist Barry Harris – quite unlike most of his other work from the time! The group on the album features Pepper Adams on baritone, Junior Cook on tenor, and Slide Hampton on trombone – and that brace of three horns gives a really solid feel to the album – working with the rhythm trio of Harris, Bob Cranshaw, and Lenny McBrowne on tunes that swing with a jagged, almost modern style – but which have a lot of the soulfully arranged undertones of Slide Hampton's own work. Arrangements are by Harris, and they're great – really leading us to wonder why he didn't work more in this mode. Titles include "Luminescence", "Webb City", "Even Steven", and "Dance Of The Infidels".

A totally cool little record – like taking a TV time machine into the past – and stopping off in 60s London on the way! Barry Gray's a name best known for his famous soundtracks – including the music to Thunderbirds – but he's also scored plenty of commercials over the years too – often with the kind of weird, wild, and wonderful sounds used in his other recordings! The package is a great revelation – a whopping selection of over 80 short little numbers – music and songs for companies as diverse as Shell gasoline, Herald Cinema, Quaker Banana Mellows, Ridgeways Country House, Leeside Cakes, and many others – often with a short introduction from Gray, and some cool sound effects too. The Mike Sammes Singers provide vocals on some cuts – and the package is even groovier than usual for Trunk Records – and that's saying a lot!

A sublime set of 60s New York sounds – some of the best compositions by the team of Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry, served up by a host of excellent soul, rock, and pop artists of the time! There's a really unifying feel to the work here – not just the continual themes of sadness and wanting that the pair were known for (especially Ellie!), but also the "wall of sound" style of production, which always seemed to bring their subtle messages to the forefront in really wonderful ways! And while this may be the second set in Ace's series on the pair, all the work here is totally top-shelf – essential stuff that include "Sweet Laurie Fair Laurie" by The Tokens, "Baby I Love You" by The Ronettes, "Every Boy & Every Girl" by The Chiffons, "All Grown Up" by The Exciters, "I Got To Go Back" by The McCoys, "That's All I Ever Want From You Baby" by Manfred Mann, "Goodnight Goodnight" by Ellie Greenwich, "Look Of Love" by Leslie Gore, "The Train From Kansas City" by The Shangri-Las, "Don't Ever Leave Me" by Connie Francis, "I Know It's All Right" by Sam Hawkins, "I Wanna Love Him So Bad" by The Jelly Beans, "That Boy John" by The Raindrops, "I Wonder" by The Butteflies, "Chapel Of Love" by The Dixie Cups, and "Wait Til My Bobby Gets Home" by Darline Love.

A monster album of Latin soul – arguably the greatest record ever cut by Hector Rivera! The record's a rare cooker that never lets up at all – a non-stop boogaloo party that definitely lives up to its swinging cover image – and which is quite different than most other albums from Hector! English language lyrics are at the lead on most numbers – and the rhythms have a romping blend of soul and Latin that's right up there with the same Spanish Harlem groove as work on Fania or Cotique, although arguably even better! There's lots of heavy piano in the grooves, and vocals on some cuts are sung by David Coleman – a singer we only know from this record, but who really makes it shine. Titles include "Playing It Cool", "At The Party", "Shingaling Baby", "I Got My Eye On You", "Pra Voz Wilma", and "Asia Minor".

An interesting early side by Cannonball that captures him before he'd really found his voice – and when the folks at Mercury still didn't really know what to do with him. The record's a tightly arranged set of tracks from Duke Ellington's musical "Jump For Joy" – with arrangements by Bill Russo, and small group playing that includes Emmett Berry, Bill Evans, Barry Gabraith, Jimmy Cobb, and a small string section. The sound's actually quite haunting – and Cannon's alto solos remind us more of some of the best "with strings" soloing heard on Verve in the early 50s than they do his later soul jazz classics on Riverside or Capitol. That's ok with us, though – because the session's still got a lot to offer in that respect, and Cannonball handles the solos wonderfully! Titles include "Bli Blip", "Just Squeeze Me", "Nothin", and "The Tune Of The Hickory Stick".

One of the all-time great ones by Cannonball! This record captures him in the prime of his early soul jazz fame – working with an unbelievably heavy quintet that featured Bobby Timmons on piano (with Barry Harris sitting in on a few tracks), Sam Jones on bass, Louis Hayes on drums, and brother Nat Adderley on cornet. The quintet forged a sound that made them an immediate hit – and which had their tight, jagged, soul-drenched sound getting copied by everyone. The record features some amazing soul jazz standards – like Nat's original version of "Work Song", the first-ever record of Timmons' amazing "Dat Dere", Cannon's slinky "Them Dirty Blues", and the jaunty groover "Jeannine", a wonderful cut by Duke Pearson that never sounded better! The CD features alternates of "Work Song" and "Dat Dere" – for a total of 9 tracks in all!

One of the all-time great ones by Cannonball! This record captures him in the prime of his early soul jazz fame – working with an unbelievably heavy quintet that featured Bobby Timmons on piano (with Barry Harris sitting in on a few tracks), Sam Jones on bass, Louis Hayes on drums, and brother Nat Adderley on cornet. The quintet forged a sound that made them an immediate hit – and which had their tight, jagged, soul-drenched sound getting copied by everyone. The record features some amazing soul jazz standards – like Nat's original version of "Work Song", the first-ever record of Timmons' amazing "Dat Dere", Cannon's slinky "Them Dirty Blues", and the jaunty groover "Jeannine", a wonderful cut by Duke Pearson that never sounded better! The CD features alternates of "Work Song" and "Dat Dere" – for a total of 9 tracks in all!

Possibly the first true moment of genius from Paul Bley – a key indie standout after a few years working for bigger American labels! By the time of this early ESP album, Paul Bley was no stranger to the American scene – having recorded a few records for different labels in the 50s, and making some surprise appearances on other sessions in the early part of the 60s. But by the time of this mid 60s set, Bley was really coming into his own – working in a style that would have a huge influence on the style of jazz piano for the next few decades, and which was one of the first strong statements of modernism from the Canadian scene. Here, he's working with Steve Swallow on bass and Barry Altschul on percussion in a trio format, working through a great batch of tracks by then wife Carla – like "Ida", "Start", "Closer", "Batterie", and "Sideways In Mexico" – as well as versions of Ornette Coleman's "Crossroads", Annette Peacock's "Cartoon", and his own "Figfoot".

One of Bley's best records from the 60's, and a great session recorded in Rome with Barry Altschul on drums and Mark Levinson on bass. We think of this era in Bley's career as sort of his middle period, after some important time spent with Ornette, one of the few pianists Coleman ever used, and Jimmy Giuffre, as we as Sonny Rollins, all of whose influence had made an impact on Bley, as a performer, writer and leader. The playing is wide open, but with a keen sense of group interplay and a wonderful dynamic between the three, a post free sensibility that was very progressive but never too noisy or oblique. The tracks include Ornette Coleman's "Ramblin", Annette Peacock's "Both", Carla Bley's "Ida Lupino" and "Albert's Love Theme", and Bley's own "Mazatalon".

Brilliant work from this long-lost Barry White protege! Tom Brock was one of the leading lights in Barry's stable of sweet mid 70s soul talents – a great writer who contributed songs to the legendary Gloria Scott album, and a heck of a great mellow soul singer on his own – with a style that's right up there with work by Leon Ware, Leroy Hutson, and some of our favorite 70s soul heroes! This album's the only one that Brock ever recorded – a great blend of mellow soul tunes, ballads, and a few tracks that have a nicely kicking Barry White-styled funk sound to them. White produced and arranged with Gene Page – and the whole album's great – the kind of mellow soul treasure you'll play again and again and again over the years! Includes the massive "I Love You More & More", plus "There's Nothing In This World That Can Stop Me From Loving You", "Shake Me Wake Me", "Naked As The Day I Was Born", "If We Don't Make It, Nobody Can", "Have a Nice Weekend Baby", and "The Love We Share".

A wonderful idea for a record – very unique, and with a style that makes for one of the freshest jazz vocal sets we've heard in years! The tunes here are all numbers penned by saxophonist Pepper Adams – a great change from overdone standards – and they've got some inventive lyrics penned by Barry Wallenstein, sung with a very vivid, jazzy flourish by Alexis Cole! The approach is wonderful – hardly what you'd expect from the usual jazz vocal set – and the instrumentation is also great too – a small combo, with twin tenors from Eric Alexander and Pat LaBarbera, both bringing in the kind of solo space and soulful inflections that Adams would have greatly appreciated. Titles include "Urban Dreams", "Julian", "Civilization & Its Discontents", "Lovers Of Their Time", and "Now In Our Lives".

A set that features DiMeola moving into some very dynamic territory – jamming out heavy on a mix of electric and acoustic guitars, with additional help from Paco DeLucia on acoustic at points. The instrumentation also features heavy electric piano from Jan Hammer, other keyboards from Barry Miles, bass from Anthony Jackson, and drums from Steve Gadd and Lenny White – all fusion powerhouse players who really take over the groove at times, but still leave enough room on the record for some gentler sounds from Paco and Al. Titles include "Elegant Gypsy Suite", "Flight Over Rio", "Midnight Tango", and "Race With Devil On Spanish Highway".

Amazing work from British reedman Bob Downes – a host of previously-unissued 70s recordings, all of them trio numbers with a wonderfully stripped-down feel! Downes is possibly best known for his larger group experiments of the Open Music years – but here, he comes across as much more of a cutting-edge jazzman – blowing a variety of reeds, including flute, tenor, alto, and soprano saxes (sometimes simultaneously!) – with only just bass and drums to back him up! Yet as with most of Bob's other recordings from the time, there's a wonderful sense of rhythm to these cuts – never too free, and always with an inherent groove that hangs somewhere between the modal and the harmelodic. The drummer on all cuts is Denis Smith, and bassists include Barry Guy, Jeff Clyne, and Marc Meggido – on tracks that include "Bamboo Blaze", "Spooks", "Living It Up In Rio", "Desert Waltz", "Circus", "Moonstruck", and "Ghosts In Space".

More amazing work from the legendary Bob Downes – the British reedman/arranger/composer who's getting really rediscovered these days – represented here in a host of previously unissued tracks! Bob put together the package from his vaults, and we've got to say that the music here is every bit as wonderful as anything Downes released back in the day – and is perhaps overall maybe even more striking, as most of it is played by a trio that features Bob on flutes, tenor, alto, and soprano saxes, with Barry Guy on bass and Denis Smith on drums! There's a great groove on many numbers – kind of a modal, soulful bounce that really has us appreciating Guy's bass work from a whole new direction – especially since we've mostly known him as a more avant player. And Downes is as creatively as compelling as ever – even playing "simultaneous saxes" at one point in the record! Titles include "Seashore", "West Eleven", "Walkin Runnin Man", "Funky Groove (parts 1 & 2)", "Brasilian Beauty", and "Wavelength".

A rare early trio session from bassist Richard Evans – known much more famously for his late 60s soul and jazz arrangements at Chess! The set's not only unique for it's exposure of Evans as a jazz artist, but it also marks one of the first appearances of pianist Jack Wilson – still a part of the Chicago scene at the time of this album, but already playing with the fluid lyricism we love so much from his 60s LA recordings! Wilson's piano is a really key part of the record, and he works a groove that's simply sublime – filled with lots of flowing, gliding touches on the top of the keys, but also coming across with enough of a bottom to give the record plenty of soul! The drummer in the group is Robert Barry, another noteworthy south sider at the time – and titles include "Consu", "The Preacher", "Trees", "Vera", "Should I", and "Daybreak". Nice cover, too, with a young Evans sitting in front of a globe!

A stunner of a record from the Fania All Stars – a tremendous attempt to move into a 70s soul vein, complete with Satin Soul arrangements from Gene and Billy Page! The record bubbles over with the funky orchestrations you'd expect from the best Barry White work at the time – strings soaring over snapping beats and warmly soulful instrumentation – bearing little resemblance overall to the earlier work of the Fania All Stars, but blowing our minds all the more because of the rich ability to change sound so much. There's load of wonderful funk tracks on the album – and titles include "Picadillo", "I'll See You Again", "Foofer Soofer", "Sabrosa", "Desafio", and a great cover of "Rosemary's Baby".

Rare Blue Note work from Dexter Gordon – an album that was recorded during Gordon's legendary run for the label in the 60s, but not issued until a brief vinyl pressing nearly 15 years later! The record's got Gordon vamping in tight hardbop formation – a sound that's strongly 60s Blue Note all the way through, and which shows the great control that the label helped bring to Dex's music – giving him new focus and energy to take off on much freer flights later in the 60s. Other players on the date include Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Barry Harris on piano, Billy Higgins on drums, and Bob Cranshaw on bass – and Hubbard's trumpet is an especially welcome element here on the more upbeat numbers. Titles include "Hanky Panky", "Jodi", "Lady Iris B", "Clubhouse", and "Devilette".

A really unusual album for Dexter Gordon – one that has him working in a quintet with vibes by Bobby Hutcherson! Hutcherson's sound really transforms the session, giving it a shimmering middleground that disperses the dominance that Gordon's tenor usually has – and creating a warm, fluid feel that's really great. Barry Harris is in the group on piano – providing some wonderful accompaniment that's a great fit for Hutcherson's vibes – and the rest of the group is completed by the excellent rhythm section of Bob Cranshaw on bass and Billy Higgins on drums! The album includes a great version of "Manha de Carnaval", plus a Dex original, "Le Coiffeur" – and the tracks "Heartaches", "Who Can I Turn To", and "Everybody's Somebody's Fool". CD also features the bonus tracks "Flick Of A Trick" and "Very Saxily Yours".

Dexter Gordon certainly was a tower of power by this point – as his lengthy 60s stay in Europe helped him to work work work, and season his playing considerably – to a point at which he emerged as a masterful soloist far beyond the limits of his early bop recordings! This session features Dexter back with an American group – one that features Barry Harris on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Tootie Heath on drums – plus a very welcome James Moody on tenor on one track, "Monmartre", blowing in that raspier tone of the late 60s we love so much! Other titles include "Stanley The Steamer", "The Rainbow People", "Those Were The Days", "Fried Bananas", "Boston Bernie", and "Sticky Wicket", "Lady Bird", and "Meditation"all nice and long!

A wonderful larger-concept piece from reedman Mats Gustafsson – and an important recording that really stands to only complement some of his freer, looser work of the time! The set's got a vibe that's similar to some of the best mixed composition/improvisation works of the 90s – put together with Gustafsson at the helm, conducting the actions of a nonet that also includes Barry Guy on bass, Sten Sandell on piano and prepared piano, Gunter Christmann on trombone and cello, Per-Ake Holmlander on tuba and aluminum tube, Axel Dorner on trumpet, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello, Fredrik Ljungkivst on tenor and baritone, Raymond Strid on drums, and Mats himself on soprano, tenor, baritone, fluteophone, and French flageolet! The tape elements are relatively minor, and most sounds really come from the improvisations directed by Gustafsson – often in the farther reaches of sound that he was exploring strongly at the time – and surprisingly subtle, especially given the size of the group. Titles include "ABC", "ABCDEFG", "ABC", "ABCDE Coda", and "Intro AB".

One more amazing chapter in the mighty development of drummer Chico Hamilton – a killer 70s session for Blue Note – and a record that goes way beyond his earlier experiments of the 50s, modal grooves of the 60s, and funk work for the Flying Dutchman label! The style here is fusion, but way fresher than the usual type – neither jamming rock-styled, nor mellow and smooth – and instead always tickled by Hamilton's sense of a unique rhythm, and his continued great ear for inventive use of reeds – in this case handled by Arthur Blythe on alto and Arnie Lawrence on soprano and tenor sax. The set's also got Steve Turre on bass and trombone, and both Barry Finnerty and Joe Beck on electric guitars – but the real genius is Chico himself, who handled arrangements and wrote most of the album's great tracks. Titles include the exotic number "Abdullah & Abraham" – plus "Andy's Walk", "Peregrinations", "It's About That Time", "Sweet Dreams", "On & Off", "Little Lisa", and "Space For Stacy".

A key album in the reintroduction of Coleman Hawkins in the late 50s – recorded in a style that still bears a lot of traces of earlier years, but at a time when Hawk was being claimed as a key influence by a variety of younger modernists! The set's got a sense of freedom that's really surprising – especially on the longer numbers, which unfold with some playful instrumental twists that seem to come especially from trumpeter Idrees Sulieman and trombonist JJ Johnson – both of whom are great on the record. Other players include Hank Jones on piano, Barry Galbraith on guitar, and Oscar Pettiford on bass – and titles include "Juicy Fruit", "Think Deep", "Blue Lights", "Sanctity", and "Chant".

Great later Coleman Hawkins on Impulse – just the sort of deep-toned, soulfully-blown record that makes all his sessions for the label so great! Hawk's very firmly in the lead on that classic tenor of his – but the rest of the lineup keeps things swinging too – with Snooky Young and Bill Berry on trumpets, Urbie Green on trombone, Barry Harris on piano, and Eddie Locke on drums. The best tracks are the sparest – the album's quartet readings of "Out of Nowhere" and "Indian Summer" – but the rest of the material features some nice gutsy solos from Hawk too, and other tracks include "Bean's Place", "Marchetta", and "She's Fit".

After leaving Stax, Ike seemed to be trying to turn himself into more of a Barry White-style artist – with more emphasis on original tracks about love and loving, instead of his older method of transforming pop hits into little baroque symphonies. On a record like this, the approach meant that Ike was sometimes hitting a disco mode, but at the best points, he's also in more of a sweet mellow soul style. Tracks include "Rock Me Easy Baby", "Your Loving Is Much Too Strong", "We've Got A Whole Lot Of Love", and "Make A Little Love To Me".

Back to back jazz soundtracks – the cream of the crop of the early 60s! First up is The Hustler – a killer jazz score from Kenyon Hopkins – a composer we can almost always trust to turn around a killer jass score! The work is mostly in a jazz ensemble mode – and moves between swinging segments, and sadder ones – those beautifully blue passages that Hopkins did so well in the early 60s – full of emotion, but in a really subtle, mature sort of way that also marked a shift in American cinema too – quite a change from the overblown emotion of a decade before, both in the music and on screen. Players include Phil Woods, Jerome Richardson, and Phil Bodner on reeds; Joe Wilder on trumpet, Jimmy Cleveland on trombone, Hank Jones on piano, and Barry Galbraith on guitar – and titles include "Derby Time", "Dining Out", "Fast Buck", "Small Time Charlie", "The Loser", and "Minnesota Fats". Paris Blues is a moody introspective score, written for a 1961 film that starred Paul Newman as a frustrated jazz musician living in Paris. The "Paris Blues" theme is a dark, somber composition that is supposedly Newman's masterpiece as a jazz writer – and it works beautifully with the film's themes of frustration and unfulfilled desire. Ellington's at his best here, and apart from the main theme, the score also has great versions of classics like "Mood Indigo" and "Take The A Train", plus originals like "Nite", "Wild Man Moore", "Guitar Amour", and "Paris Stairs". Also features Louis Armstrong on one track! CD also features 7 more tracks from The Long Hot Summer – a more traditional score penned by Alex North, and featuring a title song by Jimmie Rodgers.

One of the all-time great Rick James albums – a return to funkier sounds for Rick that worked both artistically and commercially – and actually got over far better than his more blatant attempts at crossover material on other records! The mix here is perfect – a true summation of all that made Motown great at the time, and the special sort of energy that made Rick one of the freshest mainstream talents at the end of the 70s! The record put a lot of money in Barry Gordy's pockets, and for good reason too – given that the set includes the classic hit "Super Freak" – plus "Give It To Me Baby", "Ghetto Life", "Make Love To Me", "Below The Funk (Pass The J)", and "Fire & Desire" – all done in that compressed pop-funky style that James kind of took from Bootsy Collins and manage to successfully soup up for the masses!

The great first single from Kanye's Late Registration LP – with some very clever verses and a busy, exciting production! The track is built up from a sample of the classic John Barry/Shirley Bassey hit "Diamonds Are Forever" (thankfully Kanye didn't speed the vocal part into the chipmunk squeals this time), with some baroque touches in the sound. Kanye drops rhymes along the lines of his trademark style – readily reminiscing his humble, workaday origins as much as bragging and boasting about his late riches. His collaborators for this track, and the album, include little cousin Devo Springsteen (Devon Harris) and LA scenster/soundtrack composer/orch-pop troubadour Jon Brion!

Gene Krupa and Gerry Mulligan – hardly a pairing that we would have thought of – but one that works surprisingly well here, and which showcases Mulligan's increasing fascination for larger group settings! The album features Gene on drums with a set of players that include Kai Winding, Urbie Green, Phil Woods, Hank Jones, and Barry Galbraith – but the real star of the set is Gerry, who's not playing here, but conducting the larger group of jazz players through charts that are all his own, and which display the same love of fluid ensemble horn parts that he used in his own smaller combo work. There's a lot more brass in the mix than you'd usually get from Gerry – which gives the album a bit more of a Krupa kick – and Gene also gets some nice space to show himself on drums. Titles include "Yardbird Suite", "Margie", "Bird House", "The Way Of All Flesh", "Disk Jockey Jump", "Birds Of A Feather", and "Mulligan Stew".

The title says it all – as Yusef Lateef works here in that wonderful mixture of hardbop, soul jazz, and Eastern stylings that he brought to all of his best early sessions as a leader! Lateef himself is playing tenor, flute, and oboe – which he uses to craft these eerie snakecharmer lines that work perfectly with the modal grooves of the tracks – very unusual rhythms for the time, and a real precursor to some of the world jazz experiments to come from overseas. The rest of the group features pianist Barry Harris, drummer Lex Humphries, and bassist Ernie Farrow, who also plays a strange instrument called a rabat – which further adds to the charm of the record. Titles include "Plum Blossom", "Purple Flower", "Three Faces Of Balal", and "Chinq Miau".

One of the strongest sessions recorded by pianist John Lewis in the 50s – a date that shows depths of his talents that run even greater than his work with the Modern Jazz Quartet, quite possibly because is work on piano is at the forefront of the record throughout! There's a sense of darkness here that really fits the image on the cover – a style that's stated clearly on piano lines that are often as spacious as they are gentle, but which also have a moodier undercurrent below, thanks to Lewis' careful choice of keys and notes. The backing is often quite spare – Lewis sometimes plays just with Connie Kay's drums, or the guitar of either Jim Hall or Barry Galbraith – and at its fullest, the record features 2 trio numbers with the bass of Percy Heath and drums of Connie Kay. Tracks are lyrically and thoughtfully composed – and titles include "Two Lyric Pieces", "Harlequin", "D&E", "Little Girl Blue", and "Warmeland".

Classic club from Webster Lewis – and much more of an all-out disco affair than some of his later work! The record introduces Lewis' all-encompassing style – as he writes, arranges, and produces the album at a level that easily matches that of Barry White – who would later emerge as a mentor for Lewis, introducing him as part of the later Love Unlimited Orchestra records. The group here is billed as "Webster Lewis & The Post-Pop Space-Rock Be-Bop Gospel Tabernacle Orchestra & Chorus" – a pretty good way to describe the soaringly full sound of the album – one that's built up from Webster's keyboards with lots of added strings and rhythms, plus occasional backing vocals from a female chorus. Most of the focus here is instrumental, though – filled with great tunes that include "On The Town", "Love Is The Way", "Do It With Style", "Song Of Joy", "Goodnight Baby Girl", "Since I've Been Gone", and "Saturday Night Steppin Out". CD features the bonus track "Let's Do It Again".

Timeless sounds from Lewlewal – a contemporary group from Senegal, and part of a vanishing culture in the city of Podor! The tracks were recorded recently, but have a feel that goes back decades – mostly acoustic instrumentation on percussion and guitar, played with an intimate approach that draws strongly on tradition – but which also allows for some personal inflections from the group members too. The vocals – sung by Demba Doka Barry – are especially nice – with this hauntingly soulful feel that really grabs us, even over the space of a language difference. Titles include "Ziarre", "Patrimonie", "Jaanfa", "Diaraby", "Yela", and "Almamy".

Very nice comeback album by Love Unlimited, and one that still features Barry White at the helm. The music's a nice mix of midtempo modern soul groovers, with a lot of tracks that have an excellent steppers groove to them. With the cuts "I'm So Glad That I'm A Woman", "High Steppin, Hip Dressin' Fella", "If You Want Me, Say It", "Gotta Be Where You Are", and "I'm Givin You A Love (Every Man Is Searchin' For)".

Great stuff from the girls who first put Barry White on the map! The record is the group's second – and by this point, Barry had developed that tight snapping drum sound that made his orchestral albums work so well. You'll hear it to good effect on most songs on the LP, which have a great groove that's in the best Barry White mode of the 70s – but which kind of dominates the girls' vocals a bit. Not that anyone should complain that much, as it's the overall package that's always made Barry's albums sound so great – but we do wonder how the group felt when they had to sit out the first track, which was the instrumental "Love's Theme", a song that went onto become Barry's biggest song ever, and which probably sold the album a lot more than the vocal tracks. Still, you can hardly detect a note of disharmony – and the album soars from track to track, through titles like "Under The Influence Of Love", "Say It Again", "Yes, We Finally Made It", and "It May Be Winter Outside".

Excellent instrumentals from The Maestro! Barry's in fine fine form here – and he's just about the only one who could make a record with so many strings sound so funky! The album includes the excellent groover "Bring It On Up", which has a tightly snapping rhythm underneath soaring violins and harp – and just about ever other cut on the album sounds as great! Titles include "Midnight Groove", "Forever In Love", "Give Up Your Love Girl", "You're All I Want", "Makin Believe That It's You", "I Wanna Stay", and "It's Only What I Feel". Maybe the best Love Unlimited Orchestra album – with loads of great tracks!

A beautiful swirling instrumental album that features the classic "Love's Theme", the cut that made Barry a multi-millionaire, and which firmly established his sophisticated orchestral soul style as one of the trademarks of the 70s! This is the ultimate in 70s soul class – from the cover that features Barry standing with ladies by the pool, to the complicated rhythms and sweet patterns of sound that made the record an instant classic. Includes some nicely funky cuts, like "What a Groove", "Baby Blues", and the sweet "Midnight and You".

Excellent solo work by Lowrell Simon – once a singer with Lost Generation, but opening up a whole new style of Chicago soul here on his own! The album's a tasty batch of smooth soul tracks with a midtempo club groove – not disco, but with the kind of large production and loping groove that you'd find in a good Barry White album – hitting all the right mellow funky moments at once! The prime example of this is the killer "Mellow Mellow Right On" – offered up here in two long parts that take up most of side two of the album. Other nice ones include a version of Lowrell's "Overdose Of Love", plus the tracks "Out Of Breath" and "Smooth & Wild".

Excellent solo work by Lowrell Simon – once a singer with Lost Generation, but opening up a whole new style of Chicago soul here on his own! The album's a tasty batch of smooth soul tracks with a midtempo club groove – not disco, but with the kind of large production and loping groove that you'd find in a good Barry White album – hitting all the right mellow funky moments at once! The prime example of this is the killer "Mellow Mellow Right On" – offered up here in two long parts that take up most of side two of the album. Other nice ones include a version of Lowrell's "Overdose Of Love", plus the tracks "Out Of Breath" and "Smooth & Wild".

Solo work from pianist Luigi Martinale – a player we've mostly heard in a trio setting, but one who's equally captivating on his own! In the open space of the set, Martinale's got lots of opportunity to stretch out and spread his wings – yet while doing so, he still comes across with an inherent sense of swing, too – an undeniable groove that's a bit like the feeling of Ray Bryant on a solo set like this, although a bit more lyrical overall – with maybe some echoes of Barry Harris too. Tunes are well-chosen, and the originals by Martinale are some of our favorites – and titles include "Arietis Aetas", "The Absynth", "UMMG", "My One & Only Love", "Por Toda A Minha Vida", and "Aka Tombo".

An excellent album of smooth soul tracks, and maybe Van's best record of the 70s! The record shows Van sitting at the piano in an intimate setting – ala Barry White – and it's got a similar Love Unlimited Orchestra approach, with much large backing behind Van's voice, and a very full instrumental sound. Van sings lead vocals, which aren't always that great – but he more than makes up for it with some great piano and keyboard work, and some wonderful soul songwriting and arranging that recall his best uptown moments of the late 60s. The record has a few uptempo hustle-type tracks, but they're all pretty darn great soul songs, and there's loads of great mellow soul moments woven in to make the record a nice album of ballads and groovers. Titles include "Before & After", "Wings Of Love", "My Favorite Fantasy", "That's The Story Of My Life", and "You're So Right For Me".

A fantastic album from this great Detroit alto player, and one that has a lot of beautiful lyrical passages that push him way past his straight bebop stuff. Barry Harris plays piano with a sweet mellow vibe, and Clifford Jordan lays down some of his usual sharp tenor solos. The title track is one of the best versions of "Con Alma" we've ever heard, and the record also has nice takes on "Eronel", "Chasing the Bird", and "Dexter Rides Again".

A really beautiful batch of tracks from Charles McPherson – with a late 60s approach to soul jazz that reminds us of some of the work by Sonny Criss on Prestige, or of some of Cedar Walton's sessions from the same time. McPherson's moved way past his earlier bop roots here – stretching things with a hip group that includes Buster Williams, Roy Brooks, and Barry Harris – crafting tunes that point the way at soul jazz in the 70s, with a more complicated and sophisticated approach to rhythm, but still a firm commitment to swing! Titles include "Explorations", "Mish Mash Bash", "Opalescence", and "My Cherie Amour".

The second Stax album from Mel & Tim – and even better than the first! Although the pair are probably best known for their soaring soul singles at the end of the 60s, by the time of this 1973 record, they'd matured wonderfully – hitting some deeper, more heartfelt modes that are mighty nice – and a perfect fit for the sophisticated level of production that Stax was putting down at the time! There's still some slight sweet soul undercurrents – but with an overall presentation that's much more Memphis than New York, the sound is nice and deep – lots of Muscle Shoals instrumentation that includes keyboards from Barry Beckett, guitar grooves from Jimmy Johnson, and some perfectly balanced rhythms that keep things on the downlow throughout! Titles include the break-heavy version of "Yes We Can Can", plus "Keep The Faith", "Making Love Is My Thing", "Forever In a Day", "That's The Way I Want To Live My Life", "Same Folk", and "Oh How I Love You".

Ahhh, good ol' Mel & Tim – possibly our favorite soul duo ever, and a really dynamic pair that carve some great new territory away from the path set by Sam & Dave! The album's a bit of a comeback for the duo, as you'd guess from the title – even though it was only recorded a few years after their initial work for the Bamboo label. There's a stylistic shift that marks a second chapter in the Mel & Tim groove – as they move away from the New York uptown sound, and go for more of a gritty southern sound – thanks to help from producer/arrangers Barry Beckett and Roger Hawkins. The set list is filled with loads of great southern soul tunes – penned by composers who include Phillip Mitchell, Isaac Hayes, Dan Penn, and Homer Banks – on the titles "Heaven Knows", "Wrap It Up", "Don't Mess With My Money My Honey Or My Woman", "Carry Me", and a great cover of "I'm Your Puppet". CD reissue includes the bonus tracks "Forever In A Day", "It's Those Little Things That Count", "The Same Folk", and "Yes We Can-Can".

A madly grooving late 60s French soundtrack by Jean-Pierre Mirouze – and a masterful one at that – with sounds that range from a moody, dramatic vocal tune to some killer instrumental funk! The haunting "Together" opens the record in a great way – with a mystical mellow vibe and English language vocals by Barry Green. Subsequent instrumental tunes have a similarly evocative or sultrier vibe – while others such as "Sexopolis" have heavy Hammond, massive rhythms, and a totally freaked-out groove! Includes "Tivoli Garden", "Ulla Et Georgie", "Karin On The Ryke", "Lovers Party", "Tivoly By Night", "Scene Du Port" and "Tandoori Dance".