All Categories — All Formats  

A pair of mid 70s album by Bobby Bare – the ambitious, concept-driven Hard Time Hungrys – and the easygoing The Winners & Other Losers – two worthy efforts from one the most unique voices and personalities of his era! Both albums are heavy with songs written by Bare family friend and frequent songwriting partner Shel Silverstein. Johnny Cash gets all the mainstream attention for collaborating with Shel on "A Boy Named Sue", but Shel and Bare have a far richer collaborative history together. Home For The Hungrys tells the story of the impoverished, with the title track, "Back Home In Huntsville Again", "Bottles And Boxes", "Truck Driver, Truck Driver", "The Unemployment Line" and more. The Winners And Other Losers is simply a great batch of tunes, sans concept, with the enduring "Drop Kick Me Jesus", "My Better Half", "Keeping Rosie Proud Of Me" and more. 24 tracks in all.

Classic level greatness from Bobby Bare – with The Real Thing from 1970! At his peak – and we consider this to be peak material – Bobby Bare had an easygoing, laconic storyteller vocal style that's as great as any of his more celebrated peers – plus add a perfect mix Nashville Sound lushness and stripped-down country laid down by the best session musicians in the business and the recipe is pretty close to perfection! Includes: "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", "The Chicago Story", "Maggie (I Wish We'd Never Met)", "California Dreams", "Tulsa County", "Barbara Joy", and more.

An obscure single taking off from a groove borrowed loosely off Zapp's "More Bounce To The Ounce" and adding a sort of quasi-rap vocal over top, that sounds more like George Clinton type vocalese than any sort of hip hop.

Brilliant 60s pop from the team of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart – best known for their key early songwriting work for The Monkees, but a heck of a great duo on their own! Boyce & Hart have a sparkly, sunshiney sound that's very much a part of The Monkees generation – a beautiful post-folk, post-surf blend of styles, and one that's served up with all the warmth and charm that made The Monkees so great. But if you're thinking that the CD is just a Monkees rehash, it's not – because there's very little work here that was associated with the more famous group – and instead, the collection really gets at the jangly genius of the Boyce & Hart sound, a style that should have sparkled strongly on its own in the 60s, but which was unfortunately always eclipsed by their work for other artists. Looking at the great photos in the CD's well-done booklet, it's clear that Boyce and Hart have a hell of a lot of charm – and that charm comes through brilliantly in the set's collection of 24 numbers pulled from their 3 albums for A&M Records. Titles include "For Baby", "Sometime She's A Little Girl", "Girl I'm Out To Get You", "Where Angels Go", "The Ambushers", "Love Every Day", "Teardrop City", "Pretty Flower", "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite", "Six & Six", "Alice Long", "PO Box 9847", and "Strawberry Girl".

Brilliant 60s pop from the team of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart – best known for their key early songwriting work for The Monkees, but a heck of a great duo on their own! Boyce & Hart have a sparkly, sunshiney sound that's very much a part of The Monkees generation – a beautiful post-folk, post-surf blend of styles, and one that's served up with all the warmth and charm that made The Monkees so great – yet also with some cool twists and turns that make a record like this so great – the kind of chance-taking that A&M sometimes allowed its artists to take at the time! Backings are super-groovy – arranged by Artie Butler and Don McGinis – and titles include "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite", "Teardrop City", "I Wanna Be Free", "The Countess", "Population", and "Two For The Price Of One" – a great cover of a Larry Williams & Johnny Watson soul tune! Features bonus mono single tunes – "The Ambushers", "Love Every Day", "Where Angels Go Trouble Follows", and "I Wanna Be Free".

One of the headiest albums from the team of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart – as you might guess from the image on the cover! The album continues the playful quality of previous A&M sets, but also has a deeper feel too – a bit more soul on the vocals, which really comes through on the album's few covers – and a slightly more socially-conscious approach to the lyrics too – supported by backings by a core group that features John Gallie on some especially great organ and keyboards, and great arrangements from Jimmie Haskell! The shift is great proof that these two were way more than just songwriters – and titles include "Change", "Maybe Somebody Heart", "Abracadabra", "My Baby Loves Sad Songs", "Thanks For Sunday", and "Strawberry Girl". CD features bonus mono tracks – "Six & Six", "LUV – Let Us Vote", "We're All Going To The Same Place", "PO Box 9487", and "Alice Long".

The rare self-titled set from the Bobby Boyd Congress – a killer combo with roots in early 70s Long Island, but relocated to France to make this killer set! The group is lead by tenor sax player and lead vocalist Boyd – although this set is heavy with instrumental passages. We're loving the way they mix brass heavy funk with lumbering psych steeped organ and fuzzed out guitar grooves. They even sneak in a laidback or jam, too – bringing a pretty versatile approach to this album! Titles include "Straight Ahead", "In A Toy Garden", "I'm Undecided", "Train", "It's Good To See Your Face Again", "Dig Deep In Your Soul" and "Bright Flowers".

A brilliant reinvention of the Bobby Bradford/John Carter partnership – a key force on the LA avant scene of the late 60s and early 70s – still filled with fire in this later recording! Bradford's cornet has lost none of its force – and the real shift here is Carter, who works only on clarinet – yet uses the instrument with incredible energy, with bold, stretching lines that move far past some of the more fragile aspects of the instrument – and which seem to get pushed even farther here by Bradford than on some of Carter's own albums as a leader during the 80s. The rest of the group features Don Preston on piano and keyboards, Richard Davis on bass, and the mighty Andrew Cyrille on drums – whose playing here really propels the whole set strongly – on titles that include "Comin On", "Sunday Afternoon Jazz Society Blues", "Room 408", and "Encounter".

Breakout brilliance from Bobby Brown – the album that really showed the world he could stand on his own strongly after leaving New Edition! Given the tight production from LA & Babyface, among others, the sound here is hardly cruel – and instead, the album's got a catchily commercial groove that holds up surprisingly well – and arguably sounds a lot better these days, many years after these tunes were getting a bit too overplayed on the radio. Includes the hit singles "Don't Be Cruel" and "My Prerogative", plus "Every Little Step", "Rock Wit'cha", "Take It Slow", "All Day All Night" and "Roni".

Stunning! Although many know Bobby Byrd as the longtime associate of James Brown, and although his singles do turn up from time to time on compilations, this one and only album by him is super-rare. The album's a live recording (although we've never been sure if it's not one of James Brown's "fake" live projects, with studio tracks and applause added in) – and it contains a killer batch of funky tracks like "I Need Help (I Can't Do It Alone)" (parts 1 & 2), "Funky Soul", "My Concerto", "You Got To Have A Job (If You Don't Work, You Can't Eat)", and "Hang Ups We Don't Need (The Hungry We've Got To Feed)". Loads of breakbeats, and a killer funky groove with Bobby singing in a style that's as great as James Brown's best funky stuff from the time, but with a darker edge to it. Classic stuff, and an unbelievable one to have on low-priced reissue!

Previously unreleased material from the duo of Bobby Bradford and John Carter – two players who created ferocious energy together in their famous LA quartet of the late 60s and early 70s, but who here get at a completely different sound of their talents! In a way, the record really represents the growth that Carter had as a musician by this time – his wonderfully lyrical, evocative work on clarinet – which carries some echoes of Jimmy Giuffre's freeness on the instrument, but a more deeply personal quality as well – quite earthy and organic at times, with these really beautiful tones! Bradford's cornet really seems to follow suit strongly – beautifully blown, but at a level that's more intimate than we've heard from Bobby before – really wonderful phrasing that's free, but still always quite tuneful too. The set features a few tracks with solo clarinet, and one solo cornet – and titles on this second volume include "Woman", "Woodman's Hall Blues", "Sweet Sunset", "Swiss Account", "Les Masses Jigaboo", and "And She Speaks".

An amazing debut from the John Carter/Bobby Bradford New Art Jazz Ensemble – one of the most powerful voices in jazz on the west coast at the end of the 60s! In a way, the quartet's sound is a culmination of the underground changes that had been bubbling under during most of the 60s on the LA scene – new ways of conceiving jazz after Ornette and Dolphy had first set the scene on fire at the start of the decade, but styles that weren't receiving nearly the exposure as some of the better-known avant work on the Chicago, New York, or European scenes. The style here definitely owes something of a legacy to Ornette in the way it reconceives rhythm and melody – and a bit to Dolphy in its freewheeling, free-thinking work on clarinet, flute, and alto by John Carter. Bobby Bradford's bracing trumpet lines really give the album a tremendous punch – and the rest of the group features Tom Williamson on bass and Bruz Freeman (brother of George and Von!) on drums. Titles include "Seeking", "The Village Dancers", "Sticks & Stones", "In The Vineyard", "Karen On Monday", and "Song For The Unsung".

Pure genius – Bobby D's first LP – and nicely balanced between rockers and straight vocal numbers! Includes "Splish Splash", "Action Speaks Louder Than Words", "Don't Call My Name", "So Mean", and "Wear My Ring".

An overlooked chapter in the Zapp/Roger story of the 80s – the only album ever issued by vocalist Bad Bobby Glover! Roger Produced, and there's plenty of Zapp talent on hand for the record, too – which means that the overall groove is heavy on the kind of funky basslines, electrified keyboards, and tight rhythms you'd expect – all put together at a level that's especially got the sharp focus of the first few Zapp albums! Glover's a great vocalist for the project – one who slides in perfectly with the groove, making his voice fit just like a key element in the rhythms – which makes for a very groove-heavy set overall. Titles include "What Kind Of Lady", "Bright Skies Sunny Days", "I Love You", "It's My Turn", "Your Spell", "So Mean", "Happy", and "I Can't Stand the Pain".

Bobby in pretty familiar territory – playing mostly trad numbers, in a New Orleans jazz mode, but with some slight Verve 60s touches. Arrangements are by Bob Wilber, and titles include "Lazy Mood", "New Orleans", "High Society", "Tin Roof Blues", "Fidgety Feet", "Basin Street Blues", "Royal Garden Blues", and "Muskrat Ramble".

A lost bit of funky vibes and Fender Rhodes – one of those few records that's as sublime as it is rare – like work by Billy Wooten or Lyman Woodard! The Bobby Hamilton Quintet were an obscure combo from upstate New York – but they've lived on in our hearts (and ears!) with this rare gem from the 70s – a killer set that features Bobby on Rhodes, vocals, and percussion; Mike Gipson (aka Brother Fundi) on vibes, percussion, and electronics; and additional trumpet, tenor, and percussion – used to just the right effect in these totally great arrangements. Most of the tunes on the album are instrumentals – with a very cool, ultra-hip soul jazz approach that's somewhere between the very early Polydor work of Roy Ayers, and the funky electric grooves of the Nineteenth Whole – and the tracks are long, and have a really deep, soulful feel! Titles include "Pearl", "Priscilla", "In The Mouth Of The Beast", "Roll Your Own", and "Dream Queen".

A landmark concert from the mid 80s – one held to honor the resurrection of the Blue Note label, featuring a wealth of some of the best players for the label – from the 80s back to the 50s bebop years. This first volume in the 4 LP series features centered around Herbie Hancock and Bobby Hutcherson, with appearances by Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Ron Carter, Tony Williams and James Newton. Side one features the group nicely stretching out on a quintet take of "Canteloupe Island" and a sextet reading of "Record A Me", and side two has a quintet take of "Little B's Poem", a trio take of "Bouquet" and a quartet take of "Hat & Beard".

An incredible collection of work from vibist Bobby Hutcherson – some of his most righteous recordings ever, spread out over the span of 5 albums recorded for Blue Note in the mid 70s – one of which was only ever issued in Japan! The work here has Bobby taking off nicely from his years with Harold Land – and although the set includes two albums with Land, the excellent Cirrus from 1974, and the Japanese-only Inner Glow, the remaining albums feature a range of different players – including Manny Boyd on soprano and tenor sax, George Cables on piano, Larry Nash on electric Piano, Hadley Caliman on reeds, and Freddie Hubbard on trumpet. As with the better-known recordings with Land, the style here is flowing and open – an approach that starts in modal rhythms, and which moves into some of the more soaring, spacious modes shared by Bobby's contemporaries on the indie soul jazz scene – especially artists on labels like Black Jazz and Strata East. The albums here are all amazing – never too slick, and beautifully balanced, with a sense of focus that still makes Hutcherson one of the greatest vibists working at this point in his career. 3CD set features the albums Cirrus, Inner Glow, Waiting, The View From The Inside, and Knucklebean – featuring a whopping 30 tracks in all!

Beautiful late Blue Note work from vibist Bobby Hutcherson – laidback, warm, electric, and with a mixture of CTI funk and some of the more lyrical soul jazz work of his years with Harold Land! Part of the credit for the set should go to George Cables – who plays both acoustic and electric keys on the record, and who gives the album a sweetly dancing feel that really warms things up wonderfully – a great mix of vibes and keyboards that's wonderful throughout! But all other players are wonderful too –including drummer Eddie Marshall, bassist James Leary, and horn players Freddie Hubbard, Hadley Caliman, and Manny Boyd. Titles include a great remake of "Little B's Poem", the mellow groover "Why Not", and the cuts "Til Then", "Knucklebean", and "So Far So Good".

A beautiful later Blue Note album from vibist Bobby Hutcherson – a set recorded after his famous association with Harold Land, but with a groove that's wonderfully soulful in a whole different way! Bobby plays marimbas instead of vibes this time around, and he's working with his own arrangements for a slightly larger group – one that has some sweet fusion overtones, and these wonderful mellow funk inflections – so that even the mellow cuts have this warmly glowing, ultra-soulful sound that's mighty nice – a bit like some of the work from Gene Harris around the same time. Other players include Jerry Peters on Fender Rhodes, who also helped out with the arrangements – plus Harvey Mason on drums and Ernie Watts on reeds – and a few tracks feature sweet backing vocals from The Waters. The highlight here is a nice moody extended version of "People Make The World Go Round", but all cuts are great, and titles include "Silver Rondo", "Manzanita", "NTU", and his dark cover of "Theme From MASH".

One of the most wonderful 70s albums from Bobby Hutcherson – and one of the most deeply spiritual, too! As with others in Blue Note's Montreux series, the tracks are long and very open – with a different flavor than the artists' studio work. Hutcherson works with a hip small group that includes excellent trumpet from Woody Shaw, piano from Hotep Cecil Bernard, bass from Ray Drummond, and drums from Larry Hancock – all snaking out beautifully on these long, spiritual tunes – very much shaped by Woody's presence. Titles include a great take on Shaw's classic track "The Moontrane", as well as "Song Of Songs". Hutcherson's own "Anton's Bail" rounds up the set, and the whole thing's a beautiful batch of soaring modal grooves, caught live before a very enthusiastic audience!

A lost set of work from the team of Bobby Hutcherson and Harold Land – recorded right around the same time as their famous San Francisco album! The album's overflowing with the soulful, righteous tones the pair could create together – sublime vibes from Hutcherson, both tenor and flute from Land – and a top-shelf supporting cast that includes Stanley Cowell on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums! Like others of this nature, Blue Note never issued the material at the time – but wisely released it as an album at the start of the 80s – a great contribution to Hutcherson's catalog for the label – of which we can never get enough! Titles include "Ungano", "Avis", "Comes Spring", and "Orientale".

A really heady set of tracks from vibist Bobby Hutcherson – a record that has him stepping away from the harder sounds of his early modern years – and moving into the sublime mix of soulful and modal styles that would really grow strongly by the end of the 60s! The album's a treasure through and through – warm, subtle interpretations of the music by a group that features Hutcherson on vibes, James Spaulding on alto and flute, Stanley Cowell on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – all working together in modes that are quite like Hutcherson's music with Harold Land – but slightly looser and freer at points too. The album includes a fantastic version of Cowell's "Effi", which was later recorded by Charles Tolliver a few times, plus other beautiful compositions by Joe Chambers – including "Patterns", "Ankana", "Irina", and "Nocturnal". Also features a bonus alternate of the title track!

Bobby Hutcherson breaks it down in two different ways – solo on the first half of the record, and in a quartet on the rest! The set begins in a very spare way – Bobby playing vibes, marimba, xylophone, and bells – often a bit overdubbed, so that although alone, Hutcherson fills the tracks with a rich palette of sound – glowingly rhythmic lines that ring out with plenty of soul, and showcase a really under-tapped side of Bobby's talents! Remaining tracks are equally great, but in a totally different way – played by a righteous lineup that includes McCoy Tyner on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – really working together beautifully in ways that make the album feel like a lost 70s soul jazz set. Forget Hutcherson's slick look on the cover – because this album's drenched in open, honest, acoustic feeling – a rich tapestry of sound and emotion, on tracks that include "Gotcha", "The Ice Cream Man", "For You Mom & Dad", "Messina", "My Foolish Heart", and "La Alhambra".

A real charmer from Bobby Hutcherson – and a set that features his vibes in a quartet with great Hammond from Joey DeFrancesco! We haven't heard Hutcherson with organ in many years – and the pairing is a wonderful treat, and really takes us back to some of his Blue Note moments of the mid 60s – a period that Joey seems to reference strongly with some soaring Larry Young-like lines on the Hammond! The tracks are nice and long, and have a solidly modal approach to rhythm – and the group also features Peter Bernstein on guitar and Byron Landham on drums. Titles include a great take on Hutcherson's classic "Little B's Poem" – plus "Wise One", "SKJ", "Teddy", "Somewhere In The Night", and "Take The Coltrane".

Moody material from Bobby Hutcherson – and one of the first records to feature his vibes in the company of tenorist Harold Land – a player who would help Hutcherson make some mighty fine music over the years! The set's got a super-hip group – with Stanley Cowell on piano, giving the record a warm, spiritual undercurrent – one that works perfectly with the lyrical soul of Land's horn. Other players include Reggie Johnson on bass and Joe Chambers on drums – and titles include "Spiral", "Ruth", "Poor People's March", and "Visions". The album also includes one more track – "Jasper" – which was recorded in a 1965 session without Land and Cowell – but with Sam Rivers on tenor and bass clarinet, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Andrew Hill on piano! Recorded in the 60s, but only initially issued on vinyl in 1979!

Moody material from Bobby Hutcherson – and one of the first records to feature his vibes in the company of tenorist Harold Land – a player who would help Hutcherson make some mighty fine music over the years! The set's got a super-hip group – with Stanley Cowell on piano, giving the record a warm, spiritual undercurrent – one that works perfectly with the lyrical soul of Land's horn. Other players include Reggie Johnson on bass and Joe Chambers on drums – and titles include "Spiral", "Ruth", "Poor People's March", and "Visions". The album also includes one more track – "Jasper" – which was recorded in a 1965 session without Land and Cowell – but with Sam Rivers on tenor and bass clarinet, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Andrew Hill on piano! Recorded in the 60s, but only initially issued on vinyl in 1979!

The sticks are up, and Bobby Hutcherson is at the top of his game – hitting a whole new groove here in this sublime session of modal numbers for Blue Note – a slightly warmer set than his more modern albums of the "new thing" years, and a great indication of the directions he'd take in the 70s! Bobby's vibes are set up wonderfully here in a quintet that includes Joe Henderson on tenor sax, McCoy Tyner on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all players who bring key elements to the groove. Tyner's got an obvious ear for the modal rhythms that Hutcherson's heading for; Higgins' drum work is freely lyrical in all the best ways; and Henderson's horn sharpens the edges of the tunes a bit, bringing in some nice darker sounds. The kickoff track is an amazing modal reading of Ornette's "Una Muy Bonita", and the rest tracks are all Hutcherson originals, including "Summer Nights", "8/4 Beat", "Black Circle", "Verse", and "Blues Mind Matter".

Sweet 70s grooves from Bobby Hutcherson – an overlooked mid 70s gem for Blue Note – done in a style that's a bit more laidback than some of his other work for the label! The group here is similar to that used on the Waiting album – and Emmanuel Boyd turns in some great tenor and soprano sax, really underscoring the deeper sounds of Bobby's vibes. But this time around, there's also lots of sweet keyboards from Larry Nash – who plays Fender Rhodes with some warmer elements that unlock a great mellow side of Hutcherson's playing – almost giving the record a Roy Ayers vibe at times! Titles include "Later Even", "Same Shame", "Love Can Be Many Things", and "Song For Annie".

Soaring, spiritual jazz from Bobby Hutcherson – one of his soulful, modal killers for Blue Note in the 70s – and a record that's done in a style that's very similar to Bobby's work with Harold Land! This time around, Emanuel Boyd is on deck on tenor, flute, and soprano sax – blowing with a wonderfully warm sound that fits the mood of Hutcherson's vibes perfectly – lots of sharp changes and edges, yet never too many to get in the way of the overall groove. Other players include the mighty George Cables on piano, Eddie Marshall on drums, and Kenneth Nash on percussion – adding in a little extra to underscore the spiritual elements of the tunes. All tracks are great – and titles include "Prime Thought", "Roses Poses", "Waiting", "Don't Be Afraid", and "Hangin' Out".

A mid 70s meeting of two seminal blues talents from the Memphis scene – singer Bobby Blue Bland, and legendary guitarist BB King! The pair were both working for ABC at the time – major label fame after years woodshedding in the indies – and hitting well-deserved fame for their huge talents – still as fresh here as they were a decade before, and unmarred by any studio sanitization in this great live set! The record does an especially good job of bringing together the artists verbally – letting Bobby and BB open up and rap a bit during the songs – yet still having plenty of space to go into their own thing musically, too. Titles include "It's My Own Fault", "I'll Take Care Of You", "I'm Sorry", "3 O'Clock Blues", "Goin Down Slow", and a great long Medley track.

A funky fusion classic – and quite possibly Bobby Lyle's most perfectly realized album! The set was Bobby's first full US outing, and it's filled with soaring, riffing keyboards that stretch out into territory explored a few years before by Johnny Hammond and Lonnie Liston Smith! The real difference, though, is the album's sweet soulful production from Wayne Henderson – who hooks in the best bits of Bobby's sound, and fuses them with a modern soul-styled groove that creates the same blend of jazz and R&B that you'd get on some of Eddie Henderson's best records from the time, or some of the best Ronnie Foster work on Columbia from a few years later. Bobby's keyboards are capable of hitting both a soulful groove and a deep jazzy vibe – and the record's got a rich palette of tunes that never fail to amaze us! Titles include "Mother Nile", "You Think Of Her", "The Genie", "Pisces", "Magic Ride" and "Night Breeze".

A wonderful record by Bobby Lyle – and a genius blend of jazz, soul, and lots of other righteous sounds! Lyle started out as a keyboardist, but this album really has him taking off as a vocalist too – working in a sweet Roy Ayers-styled groove – one that blends mellow rhythms with warmly jazzy inflections – with roots in fusion, yet a tighter soul finish overall! Lyle's still got a few keyboard flights – of the sort heard on The Genie – but with Wayne Henderson at the production helm, things are a bit tighter overall – given a really wonderful focus that makes Bobby sound better than ever. Titles include the great funky number "Groove (Ain't No Doubt About It)", the warm stepper "Good Inside", and cool keyboard grooves like "Star Traveler", "Missing Your Love", and "Inner Space".

A stone classic from Bobby Lyle – and a record that really has him stepping out strongly, both as a keyboardist and a singer! Bobby's strength at this point is undeniable – and he's got a perfect sense of balance that rivals contemporaries like Roy Ayers or Webster Lewis – both of whom work in a similarly jazzy groove! Lyle plays some great Fender Rhodes on the set – plus other more way-out keyboards too – and production is by the At-Home team, who really know how to bring in a strong sense of focus to the grooves, while still letting the best jazzy elements flourish. Titles include "Space Place", "Stop Running Away From Love", "Getting Into Love", "Dream Lady", "Stop Running Away From Love", and "For Love".

An unusual little soundtrack to this obscure pre-Roots film about slavery – handled with some very nice touches from Gary McFarland, Bobby Scott, and Grady Tate! The music is penned by Scott, and is mostly in that hip blend of jazz and soul roots that he was using on some of his own 60s vocal work – but expanded a bit more here with the groovier styles of Skye Records, thanks to arrangements and conducting from Gary McFarland! The work's not as funky as you might expect, but is still plenty darn great – and there's a few instrumental numbers that are especially great here. Grady Tate sings on the vocal ones, often in the deep-voiced style of his own Skye albums – but with an approach that's a bit more down home and soul-based, which is a nice change – almost like Oscar Brown Jr at the best moments. A number of tracks are done in both instrumental and vocal versions – and titles include "Nightwind", "Slaves", "Black Lullabye", "Another Mornin", and "Pickin Cotton".

One of the best soul records to come out on the Paula label in the early 70s – one with a number of beautifully soulful moments – and a few surprisingly funky ones, too! Although Bobby did a lot of work for other singers, this is one of the few albums he actually cut under his own name – and it's a lasting testament to his talents as both a singer and writer. It's got a nice mix of southern soul ballads and more uptempo tracks, and loads of original compositions by Bobby! Includes "This Whole Funky World is a Ghetto", "If You Took A Survey", How Do You Spell Love", "Make Sure You Can Handle It", "I Just Loved You Because I Wanted To", "Right On Jody", "Quiet! Do Not Disturb", and "I Get My Groove From You". 7 bonus tracks on the CD edition: "She Don't Have To See You (To See Through You)", "It Takes Two To Do Wrong", "Take Time To Know The Truth", "I Get My Groove From You", "I'm In The Wrong" and more.

Funky soul from Bobby Patterson – a smoking set of music that's easily some of the funkiest ever cut for the Paula label in the 70s! Bobby's a southern soul singer, but he's got a righteousness that feels much more Detroit or Chicago – and some of the best cuts here have this sharp, funky undercurrent that's not unlike work by Joe Quarterman – a wicked bottom groove that's definitely inherited from James Brown, and which really helps underscore the badass quality of Bobby's music! The set's a wonderful way to start digging Patterson at the height of his career – and the package includes 17 tracks, with "This Whole Funky World Is A Ghetto", "Right On Jody", "If You Took A Survey", "It Takes Two To Do Wrong", "How Do You Spell Love", "Quiet Do Not Disturb", "I Just Loved You Because I Wanted To", and "I'm In The Wrong".

One of our favorite Latin jazz albums ever – and a truly amazing record! Bobby Pauntteo, aka Bobby Vince Paunetto, is probably best known for his groundbreaking Latin fusion albums of the NuYorican era – but this rare gem from the 60s shows that he was a really forward thinker, even at a younger age! The sound is incredibly hard to define – a blend of modal jazz, Latin rhythms, and a uniquely lyrical approach to the percussion that makes the record take off to places you'd never expect. Bobby's conception is mindblowing from start to finish – and the record's even got some wonderful tracks that feature English vocals on top of the hip vibes-driven sound of the instrumentation. A gem throughout – and the kind of record we'll take to the grave! Titles include "Aguantando", "Why Is Woody Sad?", "Mambo Sevilla", "El Senor Sid", and "Dig It Like It Is". Great stuff!

Very early work from the team of Ricardo Ray and Bobby Cruz – a stone cooker that shows that they were perfectly matched, right from the start! The rhythms are super-tight – way more so than on later recordings – and the instrumentation has all the jazzy flourishes that really seem to set the vocals soaring – a fluid, soulful style that really shows the changes this young pair were bringing to Latin music at the time! The whole thing's great – not really Latin soul, but a great precursor, with equally open energy – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Viva Richie Ray", "Yenyere Jala Jala", "Bravo De Verdad", "Mi Guaguanco", "El Montuno De Hoy", and "Pachanga Medley".

A key album of 80s southern blues from Bobby – done in the slightly electrified, slightly modern style that was coming out of the Jackson scene at the time – in a way that helped find a home for so many artists after the decline of southern soul in the 70s! Material like this made Bobby a huge hit on the small club circuit of the time – and the tracks have plain and simple themes of a man's needs and his aims of getting them. Bobby himself handled arrangements, and titles include "Gotta Have Money" (a remake of his older hit), "Party Down", "Natural Born Lover", "She Caught Me With My Pants Down", "She's So Fine", and "Mojo Boogie".

A brilliant date from the later years of Woody Shaw – an album that equally shows Woody's own talents, and those of his key group of younger players too! Shaw's trumpet is perfect in both modes here – the hard-blown righteous numbers Woody first gave the world from his start, and the warmer, more sensitive ballads he was crafting a bit later in his career – never too smooth or mellow, but showing a nice link to tradition in his tone. All tracks are longish, and the group features Steve Turre on trombone, Mulgrew Miller on piano, Stafford James on bass, and Tony Reedus on drums – all familiar players to Shaw, working tightly together on the date. As an added bonus, Bobby Hutcherson joins the group for most of the set – ringing out a strongly soulful tone on his vibes, on titles that include "Misterioso", "400 Years Ago Tomorrow", "Diane", and "Sweet Love Of Mine". The album also features a bonus interview track with Woody too!

Beautiful early 70s Muscle Shoals recordings from Bobby Sheen – songs cut at Fame, Widget and Broadway Sound studios in the famed city – material that sounds as great to us as much of the best southern soul of the era! Bobby had been cutting terrific material as far back as the 50s, recording for Phil Spector with Bob B Soxx & The Blue Jeans, plus The Robins and other groups, on top of stellar singles of his own. He headed on out to Muscle Shoals in the early 70s, looking for greener pastures in a thriving soul scene – and creatively, he found it! A few excellent singles were leased to Warner Brothers, great stuff that could have busted out big, and sadly didn't. A number of these mid-to-late 70s tracks are seeing release for the first time ever, and all of it is great and truly ripe for discovery all these years later. Titles include "Too Many To Fight", "Tryin' To Get To You", "Payback", "Don't Make Me Do Wrong", "Give It Up", "It Ain't Easy Being Your Fool", "I'm Sorry", "She Hit Me From The Blind Side" and more. 17 tracks in all.

Recorded in the 70s, but a key document of the songwriting talents of George & Ira Gershwin – thanks to some timeless interpretations by the legendary Bobby Short! The style here is a bit less staid than you might think, and Bobby digs deep into the raspier side of his vocal range for some numbers – putting them forth with less of the polish than you usually get in this sort of "songbook" album – and almost recreating the intimacy of his famous live performances. Double-length album features a whopping 30 titles in all, some of which are oddly not by the Gershwins! Titles include "Love Walked In", "S Wonderful", "Feeling I'm Falling", "Drifting Along With The Tide", "A Foggy Day", "Feeling Sentimental", "Shall We Dance", "High Hat", and "Beginners Luck".

Is Bobby Timmons our all time favorite pianist? Well, if he's not, he's pretty darn near the top of the list! This sweet early side for Riverside finds him in his usual trio format, backed up by an agile rhythm section, Sam Jones and Jimmy Cobb, and serving up the hard swinging, soulful bop we love him for. Eight numbers in all, including three of his own, "Easy Does It", " A Little Busy" and "I Thought About You", a few standards and some modern numbers like "If You Could See Me Now", and "Groovin High".

Very hip work from one of the coolest cats of the 50s – the amazing Bobby Troup, heard here at the height of his powers in a very sweet setting! The group's actually a quartet – given that Bobby's on piano, alongside Howard Roberts on guitar, Bob Enevoldsen on bass, and Don Heath on drums – and all players have a sweet, spare groove that leaves plenty of room for Troup's wonderfully charming vocals – sung in that uniquely personal way that always seems to transform a tune with its playfulness. Titles include "That's All", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "Dream Of You", "The Hucklebuck", "Yes Sir That's My Baby", "Thou Swell", and "They Didn't Believe Me".

Bobby Valentin was certainly the king of the bass by the time of this record – and a player who'd helped bring the electric instrument from its strong 60s use in Latin Soul to one of the key components in salsa rhythms of the 70s! The set follows very strongly in bold sound of Valentin's "second wave" of salsa sides – his post-trumpet years that marked an even deeper commitment to shaping the broader sound of the Latin mainstream, but always with an ear for soulful twists and turns that made his records so great! Marvin Santiago and Frankie Hernandez are on vocals, but the lineup also features some tenor and baritone sax fleshing out the more typical trumpets – a groove that brings in nice colors at just the right moments, especially on the hipper tunes in the set. Titles include "La Vibora", "Arenas Del Desierto", "Aqui No Me Quedo", "Hay Craneo", "Guaraguao", "Codazos", and "Coco Seco".

One of the landmark albums of 70s mellow soul! Bobby Wilson hasn't left behind much of a recorded legacy, but he did come up with this godlike album that should be in any collection of classic soul. The record is a perfect blending of the styles of soul that were running through the east coast underground of the early 70s – with some elements of the burgeoning club scene on the more uptempo numbers, and a sweet warm vocal style on the album's super-strong mellow cuts. Vernon Bullock arranged, produced, and wrote most of the songs with Bobby – and the record takes the best elements of Vernon's own music, and pushes it to the next level. Titles include "Deeper & Deeper", "Here Is Where The Love Is", "I'll Take Good Care Of You", "Hey, Girl (Tell Me)", "All I Need (I've Got)", "You Make Me Feel Good All Over", "Let Me (Put Love Back In Your Life)" and "I'll Be Your Rainbow".

One of the best blacksploitation soundtracks of the early 70's – not only for the great title cut by Bobby Womack, "Across 110th Street", but for the excellent hard-hitting instrumentals by J.J. Johnson, which are perfectly in the groove of the blacksploitation generation! Lots of wah-wah guitar, funky keys, and tight riffing by the band – especially on the cuts "Harlem Clavinette", "Hang On in There", and "Harlem Love Theme". Also features "Do It Right" and another vocal version of "Hang On In There", both by Bobby.

A great late-life effort from Bobby Womack – hardly the kind of record he would have recorded back in the day, and a tremendous testament to his undeniably soulful talents! The album was done with production help from Damon Albarn and Richard Russell – and definitely has a contemporary bent in some of the backings – nothing too overly-modern, nor commercial at all – but a freshness that seems to really set Womack's vocals free – in a format that has Bobby sounding better than we've heard in a long, long time! Russell contributes some beats and effects to the set – but these almost always have a nice earthy sort of crispness – one that makes for music that's quite warm overall, and really fits the rootsy feel of Bobby's vocals – an approach that's not unlike some of the final Gil Scott-Heron recordings, with equally successful results. Titles include "Deep River", "Dayglo Reflection", "Stupid", "If There Wasn't Something There", "Love Is Gonna Lift You Up", "Jubilee", and "Please Forgive My Heart".

Bobby's first two albums on one CD – like a dream come true to our ears! Both records are incredible stuff – with Bobby hitting hard on every level! The vocals are incredible – fresh, and raw, and with that warm little rasp that made him stand out so strongly from other singers of the late 60s. The arrangements are superb, with a mix of small-combo organ/guitar southern grooving, and just the right touches of larger orchestrations to push the whole thing over the top. The songwriting is superb – with some of Bobby's best early tracks, like "What Is This", "It's Gonna Rain", "I'm Gonna Forget About You", "Don't Look Back", "More Than I Can Stand", "I'm In Love", and "Baby! You Oughta Think it Over". Even the non-original tracks are wonderful – like the track "Fly Me to the Moon", which Bobby manages to completely make his own!

The legendary Bobby Womack embraces 80s grooves fully on Last Soul Man – his gritty vocals bringing real, gritty soul to backdrops centered by keyboards, synth and programmed beats – and live instrumentation from some exceptional players. Womack brings more depth to the proceedings with some social awareness and an all around realness to the song choices. Tracks include "Living In A Box", "When The Weekend Comes" (featuring Sly Stone) "I Still Love You", "Gina", "A World Where No One Cries", "The Things We Do (When We're Lonely)", "Outside Myself" and more.

Perfect pivotal Bobby! The record still has the raspy southern soul edge of earlier albums, but it benefits from some great smooth funky backing, laid down at Muscle Shoals with a host of legendary studio giants like Clayton Ivey, Roger Hawkins, Jimmy Johnson, and Truman Thomas. Includes killer funky stepper "You're Welcome, Stop On By", which has been sampled and covered many times over the years – plus "I Don't Wanna Be Hurt By Ya Love Again", "Let It Hang Out", "Lookin For A Love", "Doing It My Way", and "Don't Let Me Down".

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

Killer 70s work from Bobby Womack – reinventing himself here in a great style that keeps all the warmth and soulfulness of his Minit recordings, and gives it a healthy dose of 70s soul production – creating a sweet new groove that pushed Womack into a huge new audience at the time! Bobby strikes a perfect balance here – keeping things hip, but also tightening things up too – yet never by getting too smooth or too commercial. The result is a great batch of tracks that includes classics like "I Can Understand It", "Woman's Gotta Have it", and "Harry Hippy" – as well as a nice version of "Sweet Caroline", and Jimmy Lewis' great "Got To Get You Back".

Spectacular work from one of the most groundbreaking groups of its time – the legendary John Carter/Bobby Bradford Quartet – simply the hippest thing going in the LA scene of the late 60s! The group includes Carter on alto and tenor, Bradford on trumpet, Tom Williamson on bass, and Bruzz Freeman (brother of Von and George!) on drums! Tracks are long and free, yet also fragile and intimate – with an almost painterly sense of beauty and emotion that stands in stark contrast to much of the avant work of the time coming out of the east coast. Titles include "Domino", "Abstractions For Three Lovers", "Woman", and "The Second Set".

Although Belgian in origin, tenorist Bobby Jaspar was a key part of the French jazz scene of the postwar years – and his playing on records like this also made him one of the standout jazz talents in Europe in the 50s! The set features extremely rare material by Jaspar – cut for Barclay Records in 1955, and featuring a quintet with Rene Utreger on piano and Sacha Distel on guitar. Distel is especially wonderful, and even though he later went on to become a teen heartthrob pop singer in France, he's an excellent guitarist with an edgey string-heavy tone that really makes the recording stand out from some of Jaspar's other sides. That, and the fact that Jaspar's playing tenor on all tracks but one (he often plays mostly flute on some albums), makes the record one of his best from the time – and titles include "Minor Drops", "Bag's Groove", "Memory Of Dick", "Night In Tunisia", and "I'll Remember April".

A brilliant date from the later years of Woody Shaw – an album that equally shows Woody's own talents, and those of his key group of younger players too! Shaw's trumpet is perfect in both modes here – the hard-blown righteous numbers Woody first gave the world from his start, and the warmer, more sensitive ballads he was crafting a bit later in his career – never too smooth or mellow, but showing a nice link to tradition in his tone. All tracks are longish, and the group features Steve Turre on trombone, Mulgrew Miller on piano, Stafford James on bass, and Tony Reedus on drums – all familiar players to Shaw, working tightly together on the date. As an added bonus, Bobby Hutcherson joins the group for most of the set – ringing out a strongly soulful tone on his vibes, on titles that include "Misterioso", "400 Years Ago Tomorrow", "Diane", and "Sweet Love Of Mine". The album also features a bonus interview track with Woody too!

Hip vocalist Bobby pays tribute to another fairly hip LA songwriter – the great Johnny Mercer, the man who helped to build Capitol Records in the late 40s! The group's a swinging batch of west coasters that includes Howard Roberts on guitar and Bob Enevoldsen on trombone – giving the album a warm jazzy swing that marks it as one of Troup's finest albums from the time! The set includes a nice version of "I'm With You", which Troup wrote with Mercer – plus classics like "Midnight Sun", "Cuckoo In the Clock", "Skylark", and "One For My Baby".

One of the straighter sessions ever recorded by vocalist Bobby Troup – an intimate quartet side, with backing by Howard Roberts on guitar, Bob Enevoldsen on bass, and Don Heath on drums. Bobby sings and plays piano – in that warm, laidback LA style that's made him one of our favorite male vocalists of the time – and he's less tongue-in-cheek here than on some of his other recordings, bringing a simple but honest presentation to material that includes "Have You Met Miss Jones", "It Still Suits Me", "Little Girl Blue", "You Are Too Beautiful", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", and "The Boy Next Door".