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Watch what happens – and what happens is very groovy! Ken plays alto sax, Beverly sings – and the rest of the album features small combo backing that includes Vic Feldman on piano and Joe Pass on guitar. The tunes are an assortment of 60s groovy pop tunes, soundtrack gems, and a few great originals – and Beverly alternates between singing straight lead vocals and scatting in a light, breezy, and rhythmic way – ala Jackie Cain, of Jackie & Roy fame, or Vicki Hamilton, on her great Impulse recordings! Titles include "Nothing Left To Do But Follow You", "The Face I Love", "Theme From Harper", "Man & A Woman", "Captain Jack", and "Watch What Happens".

Rare work from 50s vocalist Beverly Kenney – a selection of material that stands nicely alongside her commercially-released albums of the time! Kenney first burst on the scene with a flourish, then recorded only briefly before her all-too-soon death in 1960 – so the unreleased gems here really do a lot towards filling in her small catalog of music – and offer up some surprising slices of work pulled from TV and radio performances in 1954 and 1958. Backing is by a group with Roland Hanna on piano and Vinnie Burke on bass on some tracks – and by The Skitch Henderson Orchestra on others – and titles include the Kenney originals "I Hate Rock & Roll" and "I Don't Believe In Love" – the latter of which is sung by Diane Hubka, in a recent performance added to this package. Other vintage songs include "The More I See You", "Swing & Sway", "Charleston Fling", "I'm Ready For The Show", "Tappin Out A Merry Beat", and "What Is There To Say" – plus a short interview with Beverly.

An obscure later album from west coast soul group Chapter 8 – recorded after Anita Baker had left the group to move out on her own, but done for the mid 80s Beverly Glen indie, where Baker had also gotten her start as a solo act! The set's got a feel that's smooth and sophisticated – tighter even than the group's 70s album on Mercury – and most of the tracks focus on mellow modern and more adult-styled soul numbers that showcase the vocals of singers Valerie Pinkston and Gerald Lyles. Titles include "How Can I Get Next To You", "Don't Stop Loving Me", "How Is It Possible", "Love Loving You", "It's My Turn", and "Don't You Think It's Time".

A great little album of modern soul, cut by Johnnie Taylor years after his early raw Stax recordings, and about half a decade after his hit with "Disco Lady". The record's a surprising treat, and has Johnnie singing with smooth slick arrangements, in a warm mellow style, given a nice edge by the bluesy roots in his vocals. Gene Page handled the arrangements, and there's some great mellow steppers – like "What About My Love", "I'm So Proud", and "Don't Wait". Also features a few slap-bass tracks like "I Need A Freak" and "Just Ain't Good Enough" – but stick with the mellow stuff.

Titles include "Seconds Of Your Love", "What About My Love", "I'm So Proud", "Hey For The Winner", "Shoot For The Stars", and "Just Ain't Good Enough".

The first of Bobby's highly successful Poet albums from the early 80s – wonderfully done albums that showed the world that he was still very much on top of his game at the time! The sound here is great – still with that older Womack rasp and warmth, but also done in a slightly smoother mode that grooves things up with some modern soul touches, yet never loses Bobby's charm! Tunefully, the record is one of his best in years – with some wonderful mellow soul groovers that never fail to delight – all produced with a warm California sound, and featuring some great backing vocals by The Waters and a host of other Womacks. Titles include "So Many Sides Of You", "Lay Your Lovin On Me", "Secrets", "Just My Imagination", "Games", "If You Think You're Lonely Now", and "Where Do We Go From Here".

It's always a sign of how huge Frankie Beverly was during the 80s that Capitol let him cut not one, but two double live albums during the early part of the decade. This one, his first, has the band grooving wonderfully before a crowd going mad in New Orleans. The tracks retain all the charm of the studio renditions – and are stretched out a bit more, with some nice interplay with the crowd. Includes early Maze classics – like "Happy Feelins", "Southern Girl", "Look At California", and the big sample track "Joy & Pain".

A triple-length set – one that brings together two classic Charly Records compilations! The bulk of the set is from the great 2LP collection Mr Joe's Jambalaya – an amazing collection of New Orleans soul from the legendary Minit and Instant labels – both imprints under the guidance of producer Joe Banashak – the "Mr Joe" in the title! The work here includes a good number of lesser-known gems from the Crescent City – mixed in with a few key classics that are really well-chosen numbers that illustrate the kind of important influence that New Orleans would have on soul music for generations to come! Grooves are mostly gritty, with more than a few hints of funk in the mix – and there's plenty of tracks that are filled with that tripling rhythmic mode that was quite specific to New Orleans at the time. Titles include "I Need Money" by Lee Dorsey, "The Sad One" by Eddie Lang, "The La La Man (part 1)" by Oliver Morgan, "Go Back Home" by Allen Toussaint & The Stokes, "Pass The Hatchet (part 1)" by Roger & The Gypsies, "It Will Stand" by The Showmen, "I'm Gonna Put Some Hurt On You" by Raymond Lewis, "In The Night" by Chucik Carbo, "Green Door" by Eskew Reeder, "Something You Got" by Barbara George, and "Beverly Baby" by Allen & Allen. The remaining third of the package is from the collection Loaded Down With The Blues – another compilation of Joe Banashak recordings, but one that focuses a bit more on gritty, bluesy material – mostly from the late 50s and early 60s. Titles include "Tight Like That" by Edgar Blancahrd, "Loaded Down" by Matthew Boogie Jake Jacobs, "Way In The Middle Of The Night" by Nolan Pitts, "Ain't Broke Ain't Hungry" by Polka Dot Slim, "Moanin & Screamin" by Diamond Joe, and "Nervous Condition" by The Pitter Pats. 2CDs, and 46 tracks in all!

The first full length compilation from NYC Trust – including cuts from limited vinyl releases and some previously unreleased bits – with tracks by Greenwood Rhythm Coalition, Midnight Lab Band, Frente Cumbiero, Doctor Stereo and Beverly Road All Stars! It's modern dancefloor grooves with global roots – the kind that eschews trends, yet has a contemporary feel. It was mostly recorded from 2009-2012, and built to last – this will still sound fresh a decade down the road! Includes "Secret Stash (Fumaca Jazz Remix)", "Over Easy's: and "Guajira '78" and more by Greenwood Rhythm Coalition, "Pavita" and "Unconvention" by Frente Cumbiero, "Moonwalking", "The Forgotten Chant (Revisted by Los Fulanos)" and more by Midnight Lab Band, "La Cumbia Perdida" by Doctor Stereo, "Murder She Wrote" by Beverley Road All Stars and more.

Kenny trips it large through a sweet set of rare 70s funk and soul tracks – magically blending together 25 tunes into a special limited edition mix! The range of grooves is really great – and features some excellent singles and funk tracks that we haven't seen on other reissues, all swept into the mix by Kenny's magical hands. Titles include "You Got It All" by The Blenders, "Honeydripper" by Deloris Ealy, "Come Down Baby" by Beginning Of The End, "Color Blind" by Frankie Beverly, "Born With A Headache" by Mary Love, "Modernization" by Modernization, "Pure Love" by Holzer & Pure Love, "Nothing Left Is Real" by Pure Funk, "You Gotta Be A Man" by Helene Smith, "Be Mine Tonight" by Lloyd Williams, "I Can't Forget About You" by The Lovations, and "If I'm Guilty" by Towanda Barnes.

A great lost roots albums from the underrated I Jah Man Levi. At the cusp of the 80s he appeared poised to achieve the level of dominance over the Jamaican scene like Burning Spear held in the early 70s, only to leave us with a few monumental recordings and then labor quietly for the rest of his career. Contrary to the style of most reggae LPs, this album features longer tracks – extended devotional roots numbers, crisply produced by Ijahman and Geoffrey Chung, mixed by Karl Pitterson. 5 numbers in all: "Are We A Warrior", "Moulding", "The Church", "Miss Beverly", and "Two Sides Of Love".

It's always a sign of how huge Frankie Beverly was during the 80s that Capitol let him cut not one, but two double live albums during the early part of the decade. This one, his first, has the band grooving wonderfully before a crowd going mad in New Orleans. The tracks retain all the charm of the studio renditions – and are stretched out a bit more, with some nice interplay with the crowd. Includes early Maze classics – like "Southern Girl", "Look At California", and the big sample track "Joy & Pain".

An amazing debut album from Frankie Beverly and Maze – as perfect as the group would ever sound, with an impeccable approach to both funk and ballads that put them at the top of the stack immediately! Of course, Frankie had been knocking around in indie soul obscurity for a number of years before the album came out – which is why he's so perfectly formed at the start. And like Maurice White, another soul star who spent many years woodshedding all over the place before hitting the majors, Frankie has the talent to lead the group to a unique place in the star system of soul – a unique orbit that was important to mellow soul as Earth Wind & Fire's was to funk. The record features some unbelievably amazing numbers, gems that shine again year after year, no matter where you hear them – on an AM radio, a crusty old tape in a car stereo, or bursting out of the grooves of this beautiful LP. Great ones include the sublime stepper "Happy Feelin's", the smooth mellow groover "While I'm Alone", and the tightly compressed "Look At California".

An excellent Hank Mobley session – with an unusual twist that takes it past his earlier work! The lineup's great all the way through – with Woody Shaw on trumpet, George Benson on guitar, and Billy Higgins on drums – and the addition of Benson's guitar gives the tracks a groovily swinging edge that really makes them dance nicely! The set's got 4 originals – "Good Pickins", "Up Over & Out", "Beverly", and "Lookin East" – and 2 soul covers – "Reach Out" and "Goin' Out Of My Head" – and Mobley never misses a beat. Mobley was so great during this period, and we always mourn the fact that he hardly recorded much afterward!

Slammin' 80s groove material from Fonzi Thornton – a bit dated, perhaps, but sparkling with the best of its generation! Fonzi's vocals are less the strong part of the album than are the tight arrangements that mix together bass riffing, keyboards, and a smooth approach to the groove that makes most of the tracks pretty darn infectious. Titles include "The Leader", "There Goes My Heart", "Sha N Da (Happy Love Song)", "Beverly", "Be My Baby", "Perfect Lover", and "Sayin Goodbye".

No need to be a connoisseur to enjoy this set – because the tunes here are all plenty darn groovy – rare soul numbers with an instant appeal to our ears, thanks to their freshness and the quality of the work! The package features rare singles and a bunch of previously unissued tracks from the vaults of the Kent/Modern labels – most recorded at the end of the 60s, in a range of soulful styles! Some numbers have a sweeter feel, but many echo the headier sounds of the times – bringing in some funkier or psychedelic soul influences, even when the themes might be a bit more conventional, or the grooves a bit more mellow. As always with Kent, the package features loads of notes on the music – enough to help even a novice become a connoisseur after a few listenings – and the CD features 24 titles that include "Cut Me Loose" by Gene Taylor, "Beverly" by Billy Watkins, "If I'd Lose You" by Jackie Day, "That Righteous Feeling" by Marvin Phillips & The Spinners, "My Name Is Misery" by Al King, "I've Gotta Get You Back" by Mary Love, "I'm Guilty" by Vernon Garrett, "Can't Count The Days" by Jeb Stuart, "Baby Baby Baby" by Leon Peterson, "The Ta Ta Song" by Little Henry & The Shamrocks, and "It's OK" by Esther Williams.

Includes tracks by Viola Bartlette with Blythe's Sinful Five, Austin & His Musical Ambassadors, the Hotentots, Elzadie Robinson with Preston Jackson's Uptown Band, DC Nelson's Serenaders, Wilson's TOBA Band, Beverly Syncopators, and Jeanette's Synco Jazzers.

Harmony soul heaven – a wealth of rare soul singles issued by the Mainstream Records family of labels in the 70s – most of which have never been on CD before! Mainstream's best remembered as a jazz imprint from the period, but they also turned out plenty of great soul too – and this collection focuses on their strong talents with male harmony groups, on a wealth of great numbers to rival the more famous names coming out on bigger labels at the time! Most tunes move at a mellow or midtempo pace, but there's a few fuller, funkier numbers too – and tracks include "Talk To The Rain" and "You're So Hard To Forget" by Spring, "Let's Fall In Love" by Spectrum, "That's When He Remembers" by The Preparations, "Has Love Been Here Before" by The Fabulous Determinations, "Come Back With Love (parts 1 & 2)" by Special Delivery, "Someday Somewhere" by The Dramatic Experience, "I Feel It" by Dramatics, "Stop & Think A Minute" by Charles Beverly, and "Love Looks So Good On You" by Larry Rice.