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One of the greatest albums ever from the mighty Al Hibbler – a record that's filled with subtle power and deeper soul – and which really has Al working at the height of his vocal talents! Although Hibbler recorded often before this in the 50s, this session seems to have a specially magic feel – the kind of album in which all elements gel together perfectly – almost to Al's career what Two Steps From The Blues was to Bobby Bland. And like that other classic, there's a mix here of jazz and blues that's really unique – instantly timeless, and still quite powerful today. Titles include "Tell Me", "Travelin Light", "Dedicated To You", "You Will Be Mine", "Song Of The Wanderer", "If I Knew You Were There", and "The Blues Came Falling Down".

Features tracks by R Kelly, Aaliyah, Tevin Campbell, Souls Of Michief & others.

Fantastic work from Archie Bell & The Drells – an important record that bridges their earlier and later sounds! It's a key transitional album for the crew – as most of the album's in the harder rawer Texas funk groove of earlier year, but some of it features newer production by Gamble & Huff, in that excellent smooth dancing style that took Archie light years from his roots. The Gamble & Huff tracks are the most obvious – the singles "I Can't Stop Dancing" and "Do The Choo Choo" – and the album's got other great cuts like the original tunes "Do You Feel It?", "You're Such A Beautiful Child", "Jammin In Houston", and "Love Will Rain On You", plus versions of Curtis Mayfield's "I've Been Trying" and "Sometimes I Wonder". CD also features three bonus tracks – "Low Down", "Going Out Of My Head (demo)", and "Who's Loving You (demo)".

Compelling work by this Chicago combo – a really unique ensemble led by a trombonist with a wide range of skills! Big James claims James Brown as a big inspiration, but he also came of age in the Chicago blues scene – which is where his horn-heavy combo has mostly found a home, playing their own Windy City variant of rootsy funk! There's definitely a blues bent to the music, but the sound is quite different than most other contemporary groups on the scene, too – not just because James' trombone is firmly in the lead, but also because the group have a great ear for strong funk and deep soul roots too. Titles include a cover of the P-Funk gem "Qualified 2 Satisfy" – plus original tunes "Da Coldest Man I Ever Knew", "Low Down Dirty Blues", "Never Loved Any 1 Like U", "A Happy Fool", and "Da Best Love I Never Had".

One of our top 10 dub albums of all time! This album bridges the gap between the the low-fi, down and dirty excursions of the 70's dub era, and the later high tech dub revolution brought on by On-U, Mad Professor and Jah Shaka. The rhythms here are all first rate, drawn mostly from their Chill Out LP with a few from Red, fueled by Sly and Robbie and a cast of regulars from the Island/Mango stable. Sly & Robbie also handle the production duties, and there's no shortage of fat grooves and unrelenting rhythms, then taken to the next level with deep space echo drops and 21st century sound effects and tape edits. Includes "Ion Storm", "Big Spliff", "Boof'N'Baff'N'Biff", "Puffed Out" and "Android Rebellion". This CD reissue's been newly remastered, with 3 additional dubs as bonus tracks: "Cool Off", "Destination Unknown" and "Fire & Brimstone".

Some nice surprises here – including "Do It Any Way You Wanna (parts 1 & 2)", "Soleful Moments", "Bossa Fuego", "Shake Your Bootie", "Low Down", and "Foxy Funk".

Rough and raw work from Big Bill Broonzy – well-done sides that feature Bill on vocals and acoustic guitar, recorded in Paris in the early 50s, and issued here in a US package on the Scepter label! There's a pretty earthy feel to most of the tracks – a real "crossroads" feel that possibly has more to say about postwar European perceptions of the blues than the actual sound of the American scene at the time – but from the perspective of over 50 years later, there's a definite classic feel to the record that really stands the test of time. Titles include "Hey Bud Blues", "Coal Black Curly Hair", "Low Down Blues", "Louise Louise Blues", "Letter To My Baby", and "John Henry".

One of the grooviest bags you'll ever hope to own – stylish, practical, and super-durable! This bag's big enough to handle a nice hunk of LPs – you can easily fit 15 to 20 records inside – but it's also tightly-designed enough to work with CDs as well – or books, DJ gear, and even groceries too! The shape is similar to some of those environmentally-friendly bags you'll get at the food store – which means you can fold this one up easily – but the design is a lot more rugged – with straps that go fully around and hug the bottom, extra padding down low, and a laminated finish on the sides – all of which makes the whole thing extra-durable. We've already been test-shopping these bags all around Chicago – and we can promise a long life of fashionable use on your end, too!

A massive bit of funky fusion from the 70s – an album that was crucially overlooked at the time, but which has gone onto become a crate-diggers classic over the years! The group's fronted by Polish jazz legends Michal Urbaniak and Urszula Dudziak – but it also features a fair bit of American players too – all working together in a blend of the best funky fusion modes going down in both the US and Eastern Europe in the mid 70s! Drums on the set are totally great – played by Steve Gadd or Gerald Brown, depending on the track – and some tracks have weird vocal bits that riff around the instrumentation, sung either by Urszula, Bernard Kafka, or some other backing singers. The keyboards are great – quite tripped-out at times, but never too over the top – and overall, the album's a fair bit more soulful and funky than most of Urbaniak's other work of the 70s. Titles include the killer sample track "Rien Ne Va Plus" – used famously by the Beastie Boys many years back – plus "After The World Goes Home", "Funk It", "Sinkin Low", "Next Please", "Horsing Around", and "Watusi Dance".

If the story is stripped down avant funk instrumentals with subtle stylistic twists and turns, it's a story worth telling – and that's what Clutchy Hopkins puts down on The Story Teller – an album that manages to be among his most raw and direct and his most adventurous at the same time! There's an almost low fi approach to the production, as well as an emphasis on drums, percussion and keys that keeps it all cohesive, but the range of styles he rolls in and out while doing that is pretty incredible! Hazy, raw mood funk, bits of South American and other points global influenced guitar and percussion, trippier keys and most always a sinister bass groove. The persona is low less mysterious than ever, but the leftfield funk sound is as impressive as ever! Includes "Giraffe Crack", "Laughing Jockey", "Miles Chillin", "Truth Seekin", "Nina", "Truch Seekin", "Drunk Socks", "Verbal Headlock" and more.

Amazing work from the 70s Nigerian scene – and one of the few female funk records to come out of Africa back in the days! The Lijadu Sisters have a groove that's unlike anything else we've ever heard before – partly Afro Funk, but often changed up a lot in really weird ways – rhythms that get a bit complicated, yet still have a straight ahead punch – taken to new areas by the playful back/forth singing style of the sisters! Their vocals are amazing, sweet, but kind of eerie at times too – almost reminiscent of ESG in the early days – and with a similar style that's infectious right from the start! The whole thing's essential work from an overlooked 70s Afro Funk act – and titles include "Danger", "Cashing In", "Bobby", "Life's Gone Down Low", and "Amebo".

A great collection of work from Bob Marley – put together as the soundtrack to the film of the same name, but a set that works equally well as a rich introduction to his music! There's a handful of classics here, but also some nice lesser-remembered tunes too – and the package includes a fair bit of live recordings, which make up almost a third of the 2CD collection! Titles include "Small Axe", "Concrete Jungle", "Work", "Crazy Baldhead", "Corner Stone", "Judge Not", "Stir It Up", "Simmer Down", "Natty Dread", "Trenchtown Rock (live)", "One Love", "Could You Be Loved", "High Tide Or Low Tide", "Redemption Song", "I Shot The Sheriff (live)", "War (live)", "No Woman No Cry (live)", "Exodus Dub (Kindred Spirit dub)", 'Three Little Birds", and "Real Situation".

Timeless, soulful hip hop from DC via Brooklyn DJ/Producer/MC Quartermaine – representing Kev Brown's Low Budget Crew! Redef has been putting out top quality underground hip hop for a while now – and this full length is another win! Honest, real and relatable lyricism backed by soulful beatcraft. Additional production by Kev Brown, Joc Max and Ken Wood. Titles include "Ducats" feat Kid Funk, "Beef And Broccoli", "Me All Day (Nothin')", "Get Me Down", "Introspection", "Q's Lament", "$oul For $ale", "War Of The Roses" and "Giving Up".

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

A pretty incredible compilation of Cambodia Rock – the best one we've come across – classic original Khmer Rock from scene pioneer Sinn Sisamouth and many more! The set as an effort to present this fun, groovy and yes, spectacular Cambodian Rock as it was originally heard by the people in its pre-Pol Pot heyday – before the original vinyl releases were hidden away and eventually circulated via low quality cassette bootlegs – and it sounds great! Awesome stuff all around, much of it with a raw garage psych vibe with fuzzed out guitars, heavy drums, woozy organ and male & female lead vocals – always with a groovy rhythm. Includes "Do You No Wrong Again" by Thra Kha Band, "Khnyom Jah Karake" by Tet Somnang & Meas Samon, "Pros Chang Reiy" and "Pail Loung Rom (Go To Dance)" by Pan Ron, "Jet Snaeh Theang Nov" and "Yuvachon Yuvatey Samai Tmai (New Generation Youth" by Sinn Sisamouth & Ros Dereysothea, "Duang Netra" and "Satt Thee Thuy" by Sinn Sisamouth, "Bong Rau Roub Khnyom" by Ros Sereysothea, "Youm Os Tirk Pnake" by Pov Vannary and more. 19 tracks on 2LPs in a nice gatefold sleeve with fairly extensive notes on the back cover and inside the gatefold.

A great collection of early 70s pop on the legendary Harvest Records label – and one that's got a decidedly ELO-oriented bent! The package features work by early ELO and related groups Wizzard and The Move, as well as solo work by Roy Wood – one of the key forces in the group with Jeff Lynne at the time. But way more than hits, the CD actually offers a good amount of rarities – unreleased versions of more famous tunes, including rare single or radio mixes! 14 tracks in all – including "Do Ya (7" version)" by The Move, "10538 Overture (US radio mono)" by ELO, "Ball Park Incident" by Wizzard, "Mr Radio (7" version)" by ELO, "Tonight (US radio edit)" by The Move, "King Henry VIII's Bullocks" by ELO, "Rock Down Low" by Roy Wood, "Dear Elaine" by Roy Wood, and "Showdown (ADT version)" by ELO.

A brilliant little record from the legendary team of Michael Garrick and Norma Winstone – easily one of their most striking albums ever, and hardly the "blues" set you might guess from the title! Winstone's vocals are very firmly woven into the group's sound here – and most tunes have some sort of lyrics, not just wordless jazz voice – so there's almost an extra level of meaning and intensity to the songs, one that further expands the modally-influenced grooves laid down by Garrick and the other instrumentalists! The rest of the group includes Trevor Tomkins on drums, Henry Lowther on trumpet, Art Themen on soprano and tenor, and Don Rendell on tenor – and Garrick himself plays harpsichord as well as his usual piano – all with a flowing, soaring grace that's amazing. Titles include "Fire Opal", "Home Stretch Blues", "Sweet & Low", "Epiphany", "Wishbone", "Blue Poppies", and "Limbo Child".

The greatest album to date from Sugarman 3 – one of the funkiest combos of the past 50 years! The group's organ/sax sound has never sounded so great – and it's pumped up even further here from some added guest instrumentation, including drums from Bernard Purdie, plus vocals on a number of cuts from deep funk legends Lee Fields, Charles Bradley, and Naomi Davis. The whole thing's as funky as funky can be – the kind of a record that would be selling for $300 if it came out in the 70s, and which is even nicer to have at a low everyday price! Titles include "Shot Down", "Modern Jive", "Funky So & So", "Take It As It Come", "Pure Cane", "Promised Land", "Country Girl", "La Culebra", "Down To It", "Honey Wagon", and "Bosco's Blues".

This ain't your father's easy listening – because the collection features some wonderful numbers from the current Japanese underground – a great selection of mellower dancefloor tracks that show the rich blend of acoustic and electronic modes that have been creeping into work from the Japanese scene! There's a few numbers on here by artists we already know and love – but even more importantly, the set features some great tracks by artists we've never been able to track down before – once locked in the high-priced, low-access import channels from Japan – now nicely contained in this sweet little 14 track set! Titles include "Jazz In You" by Slowly, "Proude Bridge" by Studio Apartment, "Welcome A Ball" by Dazai Yuri Sextet, "At The 6th Street" by Super Soul System, "Waiting For" by Butter Finger, "Go Forward" by Jet Set Productions, "Fly" by MOK, and "Vocalise" by Jazztronik.

One of the most low-budget Steppers videos we've ever seen – but a DVD that promises to teach you three of the newly-emerging "slide" dances on the Chicago scene! The camera work isn't that fancy, and the dancers are all pretty casual – but when they get down to business, they really know how to make things move. Dances include a bit of instruction, then performances of each slide by the group.

The Hawk, in prime late form, lays down some beautiful tenor solos over gentle bossa nova accompaniment – working in a mode that's much more satisfying than just a "classic player meets bossa" session, angularly crafting the solos with that dark edge that he had in all of his later work. The groove's similar to a Stan Getz bossa outing, with light acoustic guitar backing him up, but Hawkins' playing is very deep and soulful, and the groove gets very low. With the great cuts "Samba Para Bean" and "Stumpy Bossa Nova".

If the story is stripped down avant funk instrumentals with subtle stylistic twists and turns, it's a story worth telling – and that's what Clutchy Hopkins puts down on The Story Teller – an album that manages to be among his most raw and direct and his most adventurous at the same time! There's an almost low fi approach to the production, as well as an emphasis on drums, percussion and keys that keeps it all cohesive, but the range of styles he rolls in and out while doing that is pretty incredible! Hazy, raw mood funk, bits of South American and other points global influenced guitar and percussion, trippier keys and most always a sinister bass groove. The persona is low less mysterious than ever, but the leftfield funk sound is as impressive as ever! Includes "Giraffe Crack", "Laughing Jockey", "Miles Chillin", "Truth Seekin", "Nina", "Truch Seekin", "Drunk Socks", "Verbal Headlock" and more.

One of the few funky late Chess gems for Etta James – recorded during the period when the company was owned by the All Platinum family of labels in New Jersey – with incredible vocals by Etta! Most of the record was cut in NJ, and features Etta's bluesy style meeting some nice funky arrangements by Mike Terry – plus a couple of tracks cut in Hollywood that fit right in stylistically. One of those is the strong opener "Woman (Shake Your Booty)" – with production credited to Etta – and other tracks include "Groove Me", "A Love Vibration","Only A Fool", "Jump Into Love", "Ain't No Pity In the Naked City" and a great version of Randy Newman's "Leave Your Hat On". This first ever CD version from Kent UK has 10 bonus tracks – featuring even more overlooked Chess recordings from the early-to-mid 70s – including a cover of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling", "Down So Low", "Feeling Uneasy", Power Play", "Let's Burn Down The Cornfield", "Lovin' Arms" and more.

One of our favorite Wailers LPs – as solid a statement as Marley had made, and to our ears, the finest moment of his later career. The album features classics like "Natural Mystic", "Three Little Birds", "One Love/People Get Ready" and the excellent, driving title track "Exodus". The 10 tracks of the original LP also include "So Much Things To Say", "Guiltiness", "The Heathen", "Jamming", "Waiting In Vain", and "Turn Your Lights Down Low".

Well known for the title track, a stepper's classic, this album preserves Don's low down gritty blues style (he played on Prestige sides led by Booker Ervin and Sonny Stitt). The trio lineup featured on this album gives Don the room to sretch out, driving the grooves to their limit. Tracks include "Little Duck", "It's Magic", "Trick Bag", and "Work Song".

Joe Turner returns to his roots, and lays down a fairly straight set of bluesy tunes from the old days of the Kansas City scene – done with a small jazz combo that includes work by Joe Newman, Lawrence Brown, Pete Brown, and Pete Johnson! After the raw hard R&B of Joe's bigger hit sides for Atlantic, the album's a compelling change – a reminder that Turner had roots that went much deeper than his rock and roll fame – and a depth of delivery that would keep his career strong, long after some of his 50s R&B contemporaries faded! The mix of modes – R&B and jazz – is a bit like some of the later Ray Charles albums on Atlantic – and tracks include "Low Down Dog", "Roll Em Pete", "Cherry Red", "How Long Blues", and "Morning Glories".

A low-priced introduction to one of the most essential world music labels of the past few decades – the mighty Luaka Bop, a key force in opening American ears to a wider world of sounds! The package is heavy on Brazilian bits from the past and present – but also features some other great sounds from around the globe – the sorts of music that Luaka Bop's great at tracking down, pulling together, and presenting in a form that's easy to grasp for the uninitiated. CD features 11 tracks in all – including "Ya Ya Ya" and "Seu Lugar" by Kassin+2, "De Usa Do Amor" and "Possibilidade" by Domenico+2, "Dance With Me" by Nouvelle Vague, "Brother Father Mother Sister" by Tim Maia, "Crash Into The Sun" by Jim White, "Pode Me Chamar" by Eddie, "A Mimha Menina" by Os Mutantes, "Cobrinha" by Tine, and "Diamonds To Coal" by Jim White.

Finally – a full length album from I Ced, an artist we've been loving for his work on singles and with other singers for the past few years – really blowing our mind with this initial extended set! The record's got all the cosmic soul we've come to expect from Ced's production – a really personal, almost poetic approach to the style – and one that's nicely far from some of the overdone cliches that have been bogging things down for other artists. And this time around, I Ced also handles some of the best vocals himself – really grabbing us with his singing, and working with other vocals from Sophia Vasquez, who brings in just the right sort of sweetness to the record. The album's easily the greatest thing to come so far from the Record Breakin label – and it gets our bet for one of the best underground soul records of the past few years! Titles include "Love Is The Conqueror", "Flyin Under Water", "Fly", "All In My Mind", "Give It Effect", "She's Gone", and "Don't Lay Low".

One of the most low-budget Steppers videos we've ever seen – but a DVD that promises to teach you three of the newly-emerging "slide" dances on the Chicago scene! The camera work isn't that fancy, and the dancers are all pretty casual – but when they get down to business, they really know how to make things move. Dances include a bit of instruction, then performances of each slide by the group.

Deep funk for the hip hop scene – instrumental versions of 2 Wu-Tang classics, both of them great! "CREAM" is done here as a low-down and dirty funk track – hard drums in place of the beats, scratchy guitar to enforce the darkness, and a madly tippling piano part that's pure Wu-Tang all the way! Raekwan's "Glaciers Of Ice" follows in a similar mode – familiar, yet very strange in this new incarnation – equally dark and nicely subdued, another crowning achievement for El Michels Affair!

Moody mellow vocals and lots of spare sounds – a really compelling collaboration between singer Greta Aagre and keyboardist Erik Honore! Honore plays a variety of instruments on the record, but his best contribution here is "samples" – bits of sound that are usually filtered down from acoustic sources, and delivered with a slightly skittish feel – never over the top, but kind of textural – in a way that nicely offsets the warmer qualities of Greta's vocals. Most tunes are relatively atmospheric, and draw energy from contributions on trumpet, guitar, and percussion from a few different guest musicians – on titles that include "Rope", "Before Betrayal", "Year Of The Bullet", "Move To Strike", "Home", "Stateline", and "Birth Mark".

An obscure late 50s gem from Pepper – a stripped-down quartet session that has him blowing in a very open-ended mode – quite a difference from some of his more tightly arranged sets! The feel's a bit like Pepper's work with Donald Byrd, but even more openly swinging – played by a quintet that includes Stu Williamson on trumpet, Carl Perkins on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums. Tracks are all long and fresh – and the record's almost got the feel of a great Prestige blowing session from the time. Pepper's work on baritone is jaw-dropping throughout – and titles include "Unforgettable", "Baubles Bangles & Beads", "Freddie Froo", and "Muezzin".

Almost an underground groove supergroup – given that the set features work from Earl Zinger (Rob Gallagher of Galliano) at the helm, production from 2 Banks Of 4, vocals from Valerie Etienne, and funky rhythms from Shawn Lee! The combination of talents come together here in a very new way – with a style that's much grittier and earlier than before, although still pretty darn groovy overall – almost putting a raspy old school touch on a scene that's definitely matured on its own, and may well be old enough to lay claim to the rootsy sound of this set! Rob's songwriting has definitely matured, and at some of the best moments, there's almost a British Tom Waits-y kind of quality to the set. Titles include "Below Sea Level", "Burial Blues", "Whip Of The Wind", "Laxfield Blasphemy", "Velvets Eleven", "Margaret Catchpole", and "Foggy Dew".

A well-titled album, given that the overall feel here is maybe a bit more stripped-down and almost rootsy at times – even though the trio's still working with producer George Martin! The set was recorded in just a week at Caribou Ranch – and it's almost a return to the core harmonies and acoustic elements of the group's roots – cast out here with perfect compressed sound, yet also hitting harder with a few more punched-up moments at times too. There's a nice "past the hits" quality to the set – and titles include "She's A Liar", "Letter", "Watership Down", "Amber Cascades", "Lovely Night", and "Who Loves You" – plus "Hideaway (parts 1 & 2)", which has this great mellow groove and piano from Martin that could easily be a hip hop sample!

A funky treasure trove from Apple & The Three Oranges – a group we hardly know at all, but who really blow us away with the cuts on this collection! The groove is plenty hard right from the get-go – the best of the funky 45 underground of the early 70s – which means that there's more 60s rawness on the record than you'd get from bigger-label funk at the time – as Ed "Apple" Nelson still works here with a mostly underground vibe! Ed plays drums – which are mighty hard on most numbers – and his vocals have this offbeat, off-kilter, over the top quality that almost reminds us a bit of the Hank Ballard/James Brown recordings for late 60s King – particularly in the way that Nelson's completely unbridled with his energy. The whole thing's great – one of the best funky collections we've heard in years – and presented with a rich amount of notes and historical information too. Titles include "Free & Easy (parts 1 & 2)", "Moon Light", "Curse Upon The World", "What Goes Around Comes Around", "Down Home Publicity", "True Love Will Never Die", "Gotta Stand For Something (parts 1 & 2)", and "I'll Give You A Ring". CD features a massive 52 page booklet, too!

Why these guys never got over bigger is beyond us! Between A Rock And A Hard Place is filled with dope rhymes, timeless beats, and a mellow, tuneful vibe that's as strong as just about anything we can think of from that fertile early-to-mid 80s scene. Titles include "Lower Da Boom", "Cummin' Thru Ya F**kin Block" feat Redman, "Drama", "Dynamite Soul", "C'Mon Wit Da Git Down" (plus the remix feat Busta Rhymes), "What Goes On?", and "Wrong Side Of Da Tracks". A couple of bonus tracks on this 2013 CD version: "Dynamic Soul II (Lip Service Remix)" feat Mad Skillz and "It's Gettin Hot (Remix)".

One of the grooviest records ever – a sublime blend of African percussion, soulful orchestrations, and Dorothy Ashby's amazing electric harp! By the time of this landmark album, Dorothy had been knocking around the jazz world for a number of years, but it wasn't until she hooked up with Richard Evans at Cadet Records that her sound really began to cook – breaking down genres and expectations in the trademark style of the best late 60s sides from the Chicago underground. The record's got a bit of funk, a bit of jazz, and a heck of a lot of soul – and the setting works perfectly for Dorothy's harp, giving it a lot more room to work around than some of her smaller jazz combo albums. The album includes two great originals – "Soul Vibrations" and "Afro-Harping" – both of which have a nice funky edge, and a groovy soulful bounce – and other tunes include "Lonely Girl", "Life Has Its Trials", "Look Of Love", "Come Live With Me", and a great version of Freddie Hubbard's "Little Sunflower".

One of the grooviest records ever – a sublime blend of African percussion, soulful orchestrations, and Dorothy Ashby's amazing electric harp! By the time of this landmark album, Dorothy had been knocking around the jazz world for a number of years, but it wasn't until she hooked up with Richard Evans at Cadet Records that her sound really began to cook – breaking down genres and expectations in the trademark style of the best late 60s sides from the Chicago underground. The record's got a bit of funk, a bit of jazz, and a heck of a lot of soul – and the setting works perfectly for Dorothy's harp, giving it a lot more room to work around than some of her smaller jazz combo albums. The album includes two great originals – "Soul Vibrations" and "Afro-Harping" – both of which have a nice funky edge, and a groovy soulful bounce – and other tunes include "Lonely Girl", "Life Has Its Trials", "Look Of Love", "Come Live With Me", and a great version of Freddie Hubbard's "Little Sunflower".

Unreleased soul from Vince Broomfield – a singer and saxophone player with a warm and smooth style! The work here is all from private recordings of the late 80s and early 90s, and has a sound that echoes mainstream R&B of the period, but which is served up in a much more stripped-down approach overall – one that offers up some nice indie elements that help keep things fresh, especially on the album's mellow steppers! All tracks are original – and titles include "My Girl", "I've Been Watching You", "She's Gone", "I've Got You Back", "Just What The Doctor Ordered", and "Rain Rain Go Away".

Rare work from Aurra – recorded right at the tail end of their years at Salsoul Records, and with a groove that's still very tight and in the pocket1 "Satisfaction" is a bassy groover that has plenty of bump way down at the bottom – that leaner groove Aurra used near the end, with lots of bass quick-stepping tightly underneath the lyrics – with almost a roller skating vibe! "Lovin Is For You" is mellower, but equally bassy – a nice track to kick back to, yet never lose your groove!

Talk about a meeting of the minds! At the time of this album, Henderson & Ayers were probably the biggest names in the jazz funk business – both with a smooth soulful style that was pushing the genre onto whole new levels, while still keeping firm roots in jazz – a rare blend that few other artists could handle this well! This initial debut from the pair seems to be much more dominated by the spirit of Roy Ayers' work at the time – particularly the mellow jazzed up work he was laying down on albums like Vibrations and You Send Me – a wicked sound that's rooted in modern soul modes, but filled with plenty of warm jazz elements too. The album's got wonderful vibes and electric piano from Roy – and tracks include "Step Into Our Life", "Lovers Should Always Be Together", "No Deposit No Return", "Ooh Baby", and "For Real".

Talk about a meeting of the minds – a pair of ultra-amazing classics from the team of Roy Ayers & Wayne Henderson – back to back in a single set! At the time of Step Into Our Life, Henderson & Ayers were probably the biggest names in the jazz funk business – both with a smooth soulful style that was pushing the genre onto whole new levels, while still keeping firm roots in jazz – a rare blend that few other artists could handle this well! This initial debut from the pair seems to be much more dominated by the spirit of Roy Ayers' work at the time – particularly the mellow jazzed up work he was laying down on albums like Vibrations and You Send Me – a wicked sound that's rooted in modern soul modes, but filled with plenty of warm jazz elements too. The album's got wonderful vibes and electric piano from Roy – and tracks include "Step Into Our Life", "Lovers Should Always Be Together", "No Deposit No Return", "Ooh Baby", and "For Real". Prime Time is a funky classic from the team of Roy Ayers and Wayne Henderson – both at the top of their game here, and effortlessly mixing together jazz, funk, and soul! The record really seems to embrace the best of both artists' styles – some of the bassy groovers that Wayne did so well himself, and while producing for other artists – and those snakey, soulful numbers that we love so much in the late 70s work from Roy Ayers – ultra-sophisticated, but still plenty darn grooving – and some of the most sensual soul you'll ever hope to hear. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Weekend Lover", "Thank You Thank You", "Can You Dance", "It Ain't Your Sign It's Your Mind", "You Make Me Feel Like Rockin With Ya", "Have Your Way", and "Million Dollar Baby".

Quite possibly the greatest moment ever for Burt Bacharach – and that's saying a heck of a lot, considering the greatness of all of his work! The record's a slightly-overlooked gem from Burt's 70s years – a record that steps off the compressed sophistication of his best 60s work for A&M, but pushes things slightly into even more adult territory – a space that's beyond simple instrumental pop, and which features complicated rhythms, amazing songwriting, and a batch of tunes so great, you'll be coming back to this one for years to come! The record leads off with the sublime "Something Big", a building vocal number that always sends chills down our spine – then follows with the skittish rhythm of "Monterey Peninsula", almost drum and bass at times! Even the mellower tracks are great – somewhat soulful, and always touched with unusual phrasings, timings, or jazzy changes that are simply mindblowing. Other tracks include "The Balance of Nature", "Lost Horizon", "Walk The Way You Talk", "Reflections", "Long Ago Tomorrow", and "I Might Frighten Her Away".

A lost Burt Bacharach treasure – a bit later than classic vintage, but a wonderful album from the mature maestro – and sometimes overlooked, due to its status as a soundtrack! The work here is totally great – that mellow, easy-flowing style that Burt really perfected around the time of Living Together – served up here in a batch of sweet instrumental tracks, plus a few key vocal numbers with lyrics sung by Jackie DeShannon, Libby Titus, and Michael McDonald – all of whom slide down more into the Bacharach ethos than stand out as their usual selves – and we mean that in a good way! Titles include "I Don't Need You Any More", "In Tune", "If We Ever Get Out Of Here", "On The Beach", "I've Got My Mind Made Up", "Find Love", "Luisa", and "I Think I'm Gonna Fall In Love".

A sweet instrumental tribute to the 70s soul genius of Thom Bell – plus the Delfonics and Stylistics as well – served up with lots of mellow keyboards from the mighty Bob Baldwin! Given that Bob's got a firm lock on soulful sounds of the 21st Century, he's a great choice to revive the music of Bell – helping to bridge the space of decades with his well-crafted lines on piano and keyboards – and with great guest work from artists who include Marion Meadows, Vivian Green, Will Downing, Paul Taylor, Ragan Whiteside, and Russ Freeman! Titles include "Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time", "Betcha By Golly Wow", "People Make The World Go Round", "Break Up To Make Up", "I'll Be Around", and "La La Means I Love You".

Proof that even a move to a major label couldn't keep the Bar-Kays down – as the group are working here in a great groove that's wider, fresher, and stronger overall than any of their Stax albums! Sure, the whole thing's not guitar-based funk all the way through, but the group are also maturing, and really opening up a lot – working equally well on ballads and mellower midtempo numbers, as they were on the still tight funkier tracks. The overall sound is almost that of the Ohio Players when they moved to Mercury, but without the chart hits, and more of a focus on working at a level that's even higher than before! The band still jams it hard on the funky cut "Give It Up", but also kicks back with some beautiful harmony vocals on "I Lean On You/You Lean On Me", get some great pop hooks in on "Shine", and come together nicely on the tracks "We're The Happiest People In The World", "Angel Eyes", "Are You Being Real", and "Love's What It's All About".

The brilliant full exposure of the voice that was always buried in the larger sounds of Pink Floyd – a definite madcap romp from the amazing Syd Barrett – and a record that still sounds as captivatingly chilling all these many decades later! There's a stripping-down here that's really tremendous – no need for all the overblown, long-winded excursions of other forces in the psych generation – as Syd takes the whole thing down to its core, and carries it off with a charm that's almost folksy – yet which, like David Bowie at about this point in his career, manages to manipulate and dismiss the folk generation as much as it does the psych one too! David Gilmour and Roger Waters are on hand to help a bit with production – and titles include "Octopus", "Golden Hair", "Long Gone", "She Took A Long Cool Look", "Late Night", "If It's In You", "Love You", and "Terrapin". CD features 6 more bonus tracks – alternate takes of songs on the album!

An earlier classic from The Beach Boys – and easily one of their best records from the prime sun and surf era for the group – with rave up rockers and some sweet ballads! So much as been written about the foreboding behind-the-scenes circumstances in Beach Boys lore, even during these early years, it can steal away from the more innocent charms if you allow it to – but don't! This is all about soaring, groovy harmonies and impeccable production – on tunes that include "I Get Around", "All Summer Long", "Hushabye", "Little Honda", "Wendy", "Carl's Big Chance", "Girls On The Beach", "Drive-In", "Don't Back Down" and more. Includes the complete album in both the mono and stereo mixes.

Far reaching modern salsa and Latin grooves from Bio Ritmo – perhaps their best stuff yet! The group has been impressive all along, but they've progressively gotten better and better, really developing into one of the most exciting and least pigeonhole-able modern groups out there. The diverse elements flow naturally, which is really not an easy thing to pull off for a group that clearly cherishes Latin and Latin-American musical forbears very deeply. They brilliantly blend 70s salsa and Latin funk with a heavy, raw rhythmic and percussive underbelly, impassioned lead and group vocals, terse brass blasts, weird bits of keyboards and other unpredictable touches that firmly root them in the here and now. Titles include "La Verdad", "Dina's Mambo", "La Muralla", "Carnaval", "Majadero", "Verguenza", "Caravana Del Vejigante" and "Lola's Dilemma".

A dream band indeed – as the set features a cast of excellent players who manage to come together tightly as a unit, then break out in really strong and hard-blown solos! Even by a "pulled together for this jam session by the record label"-type group there's a swinging style firmly in place – incredible tightness, but a real respect for the soloists – and a power to kick it louder and larger than even in a small group setting. Players include Herb Geller, Al Cohn, Hank Jones, Budd Johnson, and Ernie Wilkins – and titles on this first volume include "Maynard The Fox", "The Wailing Boat", "Somebody Wants Me Down There", "Little Girl Kimbi", and "Button Nose".

A fantastic record – one of Birdsong's rare early ones, with a messed-up approach to funk that he rarely matched again! The album was cut at the time Birdsong was working with Roy Ayers – but it was produced by Birdsong himself, and he also handled all the keyboards on the set. The group's a stripped-down combo, without the slicker sound of some of his later work – and there's a fuzzy funk approach to most of the best tracks, with lots of guitar and bass. Titles include "If I Ever", "Any Color", "Rising Sign (Funky)", "Flow Through My Heart", "Turn Around Hate (Communicate)", "I Love You Michelle", "Tune From Callicoon", and "Last Exit Before The Toll".

It's been quite a few years since we last heard from Black Mighty Wax – but it's definitely been well worth the wait – as these guys are deeper and more sophisticated than ever, with a range of sounds we never would have expected on the last release! Soul styles are still very much at the front of their mix – and the record features vocals from a range of great singers who include Sarah Jane Morris, Neffa, Ricardo Phillips, Lily Latuheru, Silvia Donati, and others – set to grooves that still sparkle with the same keyboard elements that have always made Black Mighty great – but which also have more acoustic touches from time to time, and a rhythmic variation that goes way past the usual Irma groove! Titles include "Shake Your Heart", "We The Family", "Let Me Go", "Pull Down", "Follow That Fellow", "Riverside", and "Nightdriver" – and the CD features a few bonus remixes too!

Hard hard hard soul from the great Cicero Blake – a singer who's better known these days for his down-home blues work, but who was a heck of a great soul artist in the 60s and 70s! This wonderfully-done set collects together 23 singles from Cicero's diverse recordings of the 60s and 70s – pulling together recordings that were issued on a variety of different labels, but when taken together show Blake to be an incredibly powerful singer, with a depth to rival that of his Chicago contemporaries, like Tyrone Davis or Syl Johnson! And honestly, even though we'd heard the odd single by Cicero here and there over the years, we'd never gotten a complete picture of his career until this wonderful set – and we're extra-thankful to the folks at Grapevine for doing such a great job on the notes and track selection. Titles include "See What Tomorrow Brings", "Sad Feeling", "Soul Of Pain", "Take It From Me", "Loving You Woman Is Everything", "Shing A Ling", "Here Comes The Heartache", "Should I Go", "Could This Be Love", "Face The Case", "Don't Wait Until Tomorrow", "Bad But Beautiful Bag", "Doin What Comes Naturally", "Dip My Dipper", "Be Good To Me", "Your Love Is Like A Boomerang", and a bonus 90s sweet soul number, "Don't Wanna Blow My Chance With You".

A lost southern soul gem – cut at the end of the 70s, in that rare blend of southern and modern styles that few performers could really carry off well! Frederick Knight produced the album, and it really steps off of his own mellow work of earlier years – taking things even further, thanks to a really wonderful presentation on the vocals by CL, sounding here like the best 70s work by Johnnie Taylor or Tyrone Davis! The album's got a really special feel – and if it was cut for a smaller label, it probably would have gone onto become a rare groove treasure – instead of a slightly-overlooked record on Cotillion. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Our Love Will Last", "I've Got To Make It On My Own", "I Wanna Get Down", "If I Had Loved You More", "Love Don't Feel Like Love No More", and "Let's Do Something Different Tonight".

A lost southern soul gem – cut at the end of the 70s, in that rare blend of southern and modern styles that few performers could really carry off well! Frederick Knight produced the album, and it really steps off of his own mellow work of earlier years – taking things even further, thanks to a really wonderful presentation on the vocals by CL, sounding here like the best 70s work by Johnnie Taylor or Tyrone Davis! The album's got a really special feel – and if it was cut for a smaller label, it probably would have gone onto become a rare groove treasure – instead of a slightly-overlooked record on Cotillion. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Our Love Will Last", "I've Got To Make It On My Own", "I Wanna Get Down", "If I Had Loved You More", "Love Don't Feel Like Love No More", and "Let's Do Something Different Tonight".

A righteous bit of soul – one of the only non-jazz albums we've seen on the Muse label, and a really great session that reminds us of work by Alice Clark and Esther Marrow – two other overlooked 70s soul singers who also recorded for jazz labels! Rickie's got a deep soul approach to the vocals that's nicely inflected with jazzy work by players that include Tom Malone, Kalaparusha, Buddy Terry, Warren Smith, and Howard Johnson – the last of whom arranged and conducted the backings, and gives the album a full-on and progressive feel. Rickie's vocals have lots of nice gentle tones, making for some sweet little numbers that sparkle nicely – titles that include "Baby Won't You Stay", "To Be Needed", "In A Little While", "At The Clinic", "What Could It Be", and "I Won't See Yesterday".

The classic Scott La Rock tribute album – with BDP classics and remixes – originally issued as a 2LP set that was put together following the South Bronx-repping hip hop pioneer's shooting death. Alternate versions, remixes and BDP medley's from their most classic late 80s period. 15 tracks in all: "Advance", "D Nice Rocks The House", "Red Alert (Criminal Minded)", 'Doc Mix (Criminal Minded)", "Super Hoe #4", "Word From Our Sponsor #8", "BDP Medley #5", "Poetry" (#s 1, 2 & 3)" and lots more!

A legendary album of Memphis soul – and a full length set that helped redefine the sound of instrumental music in the 60s! The record's a monumental follow-up to Booker T & The MGs' huge hit single "Green Onions" – an extremely seductive organ-based instrumental that the band cooked up while just messing around in the studio – and it's filled with other organ-heavy grooves played by this tight Memphis quartet – a group who were just starting out at this point, but already had a sound that's unlike anyone else! The work of Booker T is especially nice – Hammond with a bit more punch than other combos of this nature – backed by some wicked guitar from Steve Cropper, bass from Lewis Steinberg, and drums from Al Jackson. The set features a nice mix of covers and original tunes – with titles that include "Green Onions", "I Got A Woman", "Twist & Shout", "Lonely Avenue", "Comin Home Baby", "Mo Onions", "Behave Yourself", and "Rinky Dink". CD features two bonus live tracks from 1965 – versions of "Green Onions" and "Can't Sit Down".

A long-overdue debut from Onita Boone – a singer who's worked in the background with many others, but who finally gets her time in the limelight! Onita's got a great way with a lyric – and most of the tunes on the set feature original words by the lady herself – deep and mature, and served up with this strong sense of flow that really sends the tunes home. Production is relatively stripped-down, too – although has a few classic elements percolating amidst more contemporary modes – maybe a bit more on the album's few well-chosen covers. Onita hails from the US, but gets a big push here from Universal Germany – which means that this one might oddly fall under the radar for audiences back home. Titles include "Who's Crying Now", "I Know", "I'll Carry You", "Ain't Nobody", "Joined", "I Don't Wanna", "Let The Funk Come Out", "25 To Life", and "Pay".

A funky funky riffer from Charles Bradley and his Bullets! "Now That I'm Gone" is one of the best pieces of new deep funk we've heard in a long time – with searing guitars that rip through the whole thing, and give the tune a really sinister edge that seems to push Charles' vocals even farther than on any of his other singles! The flip's got a very similar feel – with all the right elements in place – just slowed down a few notches, for a sly slow funk groove!

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

That's Brenda & Herb, not Peaches & Herb – Herb Rooney and Brenda Reid of the excellent 60s group The Exciters – grooving together here in a really full-on vocal approach that's clearly inspired by the best aspects of Ashford & Simpson! Tracks have a lush, full feel – arranged by Lou Hemsey in a mode that works equally well on the dancefloor tracks and on the mellower numbers – and there's an ambitious approach that could fall flat on its fact, but hangs together well – thanks to the overall execution of the set! The group may not be one of the best-remembered pair from the disco years – but they do a great job here of matching the best work of their contemporaries. Titles include "I Think I'm Gonna Like This", "Lie Down", "I Wanna Make You My Sweetheart", "Two Of Us", "Look What They've Done To Our City", and "What Goes Around".

That's Brenda & Herb, not Peaches & Herb – Herb Rooney and Brenda Reid of the excellent 60s group The Exciters – grooving together here in a really full-on vocal approach that's clearly inspired by the best aspects of Ashford & Simpson! Tracks have a lush, full feel – arranged by Lou Hemsey in a mode that works equally well on the dancefloor tracks and on the mellower numbers – and there's an ambitious approach that could fall flat on its fact, but hangs together well – thanks to the overall execution of the set! The group may not be one of the best-remembered pair from the disco years – but they do a great job here of matching the best work of their contemporaries. Titles include "I Think I'm Gonna Like This", "Lie Down", "I Wanna Make You My Sweetheart", "Two Of Us", "Look What They've Done To Our City", and "What Goes Around".

Deep southern soul from vocalists Chuck Brooks, Joe Wilson and George Soule – a both gritty and and some sweeter material cut at Malaco Studios, mostly in the early-to-mid 70s – with some rare 45 numbers, and others that were never issued at all! The Chuck Brooks tracks are wonderful and show a real range, from funky, stripped down numbers to bigger productions that still have plenty soulful grit to them! The Joe Wilson tunes are just as strong – with a heavy bottom end to the rhythms, organ and vamping soul guitar in the mix, and uniquely emotive vocals from Chuck. The set's closed out by a trio of tunes by George Soule, solid, moody, a mix of soul, a bit of southern rock & pop, and Motown ballad influences. Really incredible stuff! Includes "Loneliness (Is A Friend Of Mine)", "Baby Please Don't Set Me Free", "You Can't Be In Two Places At The Same Time", "Once Up A Love Affair" and more by Chuck Brooks, "(Don't Let Them) Blow Your Mind", "Sweetness", "When A Man Cries", "Our Love Is Strong", "Don't Look Back", "Go On And Live", "Walking Away From True Love" and more by Joe Wilson, "Talking About Love", "The Easiest Think I've Ever Done" and "That's Why I'm A Man" by George Soule. 25 tracks in all!

Super Bad is right! This is hard-hitting funky James – from the badass cover right down to the extended tracks on the record, which point the way towards the hard live jamming of the classic Payback years! Everything wonderful is in place on the set – from the band's grooves at the bottom to James' on-fire vocals on the top – heard beautifully on the extended 10 minute version of the title cut "Super Bad" – which rolls through parts 1, 2, and 3 of the song! The album also includes another 10 minute funky cut – "Giving Out of Juice" – plus the classic "A Man Has to Go Back to the Crossroads", and three mellower ballads, but even they end up sounding kind of hip!

Get down with the sound of Peter Brown – one of the funkiest white cats on the Miami soul scene of the 70s! Peter originally hailed from the Chicago area, but he got the call down to Miami with his classic club groover "Do Ya Wanna Get Funky With Me" – a compelling blend of snappy rhythms, soulful horns, weird keyboard bits, and sweet female vocals. That track instantly set Peter up large – reputedly the first 12" single to sell a million copies – and Brown followed the groove with a whole host of other clubby classics cooked up in the Miami TK studios! This set brings together 9 of Peter's extended dancefloor cuts from the 70s – plus 2 more remixes from later years – for a total of 11 tracks that include "Do Ya Wanna Get Funky With Me", plus "Dance With Me", "Love In Our Hearts", "Stargazer", "Fantasy Love Affair", and "You Should Do It".

As great as he is in the studio, Chico Buarque's almost even better live – especially in a setting like this, where all his personality and charm can really shine through! The set's an extremely well done recording – one that features Chico working with backings that are full, but never clunky, nor competing with his vocals in the space of the arena. And if anything, the overall sound is an extension of the warm modes that Chico laid down on his great studio album Carioca – but made even more personal through the live performance here. The double-length set is overflowing with great tunes – and is another great illustration of the increasing depth of Buarque's music in his later years. Titles include "Renata Maria", "Outros Sonhos", "Imagina", "O Futebol", "A Historia De Lily Braun", "Ela Faz Cinema", "Eu Te Amo", "Bolero Blues", "Leve", "Futuros Amantes", "Joao E Maria", and "Quem Te Viu Quem Te Ve".

A brilliant extension of the Love set from Build An Ark – focusing on some of the more improvisational spirit that's integral to their cosmic groove! Love Part 2 is mix of intimate moments and soaring atmospherics from Carlos Nino, Miguel-Atwood Ferguson and the rest of the stellar ensemble, plus guests and fellow travelers such as vocalists Dwight Trible, Carmen Lundy, Leisei Chen and Mia Doi Todd, violinist Michael White and others. The overall vibe and instrumentation are unpredictable from one movement to the next, but there's always a hypnotic mood at play, be it spun by sparely furnished strings and percussion, earthy global jazz influences or far spacier dynamics! Titles include a lively (and live sounding) string jazz improvisational take on "What The World Needs Now Is Is Love" with passionate vocals and pared down lyrics by Leisei Chen flavored with violin, viola, cello and sitar – plus "Cosmic Tuning", "Nature", "Ginger", "Say Yes!", "Improvisation Day 1", "Improvisation Day 2", ""Improvisation Day 8", "Cadence Of The Love Messengers" and wonderfully unique take on Donny Hathaway's "Tryin Times" with vocals by Carmen Lundy and Dwight Trible.

The entirety of Kenny's first 3 sessions for Blue Note together on one 2 disc set. Arguably some of Kenny Burrell's best work! Unlike some of Kenny's other sessions, which hide his guitar in arrangements that are a bit too complicated – this one's a nicely stripped-down album that sets his hollow electric in a group with Tommy Flanagan on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, Kenny Clarke on drums, and Candido on conga. The tracks are nicely laidback, and Kenny hits some nice deep grooves on cuts like "Fugue N Blues", "Takeela", and "Delilah". Plus, the album also includes a totally cool percussion-only track – "Rhythmorama", which is a duet between Kenny Clarke and Candido! This CD adds the entire session to include the album issued as Kenny Burrell Volume 2 which featured Frank Foster's tenor on numbers like "Moten Swin", "Cheeta" and Phinupi. K.B. Blues, an early 10" side that included the title track (with an alternate take also included here), "Nica's Dream" and "Out For Blood" with tenor man Hank Mobley, is also included.

Very very very cool stuff from Italy in the 70's. This tight little combo featuring Fender Rhodes, electric bass, and congas lays down some super tight grooves with a very deep, very funky, very laid back feel. Originally intended for soundtrack use in TV and commercials, this disc has finally been released to the public, and it's been worth the wait! As great as the words "Fender Rhodes", "Italy", and "congas" might suggest, and even better upon repeated listenings. Some tracks have a slightly Latin feel, while others sound like super mellow CTI grooves. Excellent stuff, and it's hardly been off our turntable this month!

Raw, original instrumental funk from The Cactus Channel – who are coming straight outta Melbourne – and they're barely outta high school! It's kind of stunning that a group as youthful as this one is delivering such a finely-honed set of rave-up funk! It's largely done in the 70s action soundtrack and psych funk modes – recorded to analog for an authentic feel – with heavy drums, solid guitar and bass, a five piece horn section and lots of organ. There's some slower-cooking groovers, too, leaving space for some sharp solos. We really need to visit Australia and study whatever it is down there that's inspiring such a wealth of modern funk! Includes "Emanuel Ciccolini", "The Colour Of Don Don", "Budokan", "Tom Has Ideas", "Level Up", "Boss Cat", "Jungle Run", "Under The Birdcage" and "Hot Teeth".

Sublime soul from Change – an Italian combo who got some great American help on their early 80s for Warner Brothers! The Change groove is totally great – a stripped-down blend of beats, bass, and keyboards that was head and shoulders above much of the clunkier 80s soul of the time – a lean groove forged from the best Italian club influences of the time, then brought over to this side of the Atlantic for some warmer touches on production and vocals. Luther Vandross sings lead on a few key cuts here, and other tracks have some equally great vocals – plus a nice undercurrent of jazz in the mix, especially on the guitar and keyboards. CD features 14 tracks that include "Hold Tight", "The Very Best In You", "Paradise", "Searching", "The Glow Of Love", "A Lover's Holiday", "This Is Your Time", "You Are My Melody", "Say You Love Me Again", "Don't Wait Another Night", and "Hard Times".

With Jeannie Cheatham on vocals and piano, Jimmy on trombone, Dinky Morris on tenor and baritone, Snooky Young on trumpet, and Curtis Peagler on alto and tenor. Titles include "Permanent Solution", "Daddy O", "Goin Down Slow", "Detour Ahead", and "Homeward Bound".

Ten years since his underground Headphone Masterpiece and Cody Chesnutt is finally back with a proper follow up – one that has a more fully-fleshed out production – and it's pretty damn great! There's some striking differences in approach, but thankfully, the idiosyncratic creative bent remains! Where Headphones Masterpiece was a mind-bogglingly ambitious low fi bedroom production, this one was at least partially recorded at Willie Mitchell's legendary Royal Studios in Memphis, with a great group of studio musicians. This one is also more focused – and features a tight batch of 12 songs – as opposed to the sprawling double album debut. Cody's ear for classic southern soul craft informs this one – but his raw lyricism and great voice are still the focus, and that ultimately makes it another near-classic! We hope it won't take 10 years to make another record, but we're sure glad we finally got this one! Includes "'Til I Met Thee", "I've Been Life", "That's Still Mama", "Don't Follow Me", "Everybody's Brother", "Love Is More Than A Wedding Day", "Under The Spell Of The Handout", "Don't Wanna Go The Other Way", "Where Is All The Money Going", "Scroll Call" and more.

Really sweet later work from The Chi Lites – 2 classics on a single set! The sound on Heavenly Body is less Brunswick Chicago soul than before – and the group step along in warm and sophisticated backings that sparkle in the best Chi-Sound style – uptempo at some times, but sweet and mellow at others. The vocals are superb – easily adaptable to both sorts of settings, but especially great on the ballads – which really seem to benefit from the move away from some of the more cliched styles that the Chi-Lites were falling into during their last years on Brunswick. Eugene Record produced, and titles include "Love Shock", "Round & Round", "Heavenly Body", "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You", "Give Me A Dream", and a remake of "Have You Seen Her". Heavenly Body has the group hitting a whole new groove, but keeping things real in the vocal department! The album's got a great mix of ballads and groovers – similar to other Chi-Sound productions at the time – and the upbeat numbers follow nicely from the group's work on Mercury in the late 70s, more kicked up than their fragile ballads of the early 70s, but with great vocals nonetheless. Production is by Carl Davis with group leader Eugene Washington, and arrangements are by an old Brunswick crew who include Tom Tom and Sonny Sanders. Titles include "Whole Lot Of Good Good Lovin", "Tell Me Where It Hurts", "Me & You", "Never Speak To A Stranger", "Get Down With Me", and "Try My Side".

Moody beats and surprisingly soulful vocals from Child Of Lov – with solid songs, too – which is ultimately what takes this self-titled record a substantial step deeper than some of his fellow atmospheric producer/beatmaker peers! Hazy, gritty hip hop-learned beats with spacey dynamics to spare! Damon Albarn makes a low key appearance on one song and co-produces a few others – and the album also includes an appearance by the allmighty MF Doom. Includes "Call Me Up", "Heal", "One Day" with Damon Albarn, "Living The Circle", "Give Me", "Go With The Wind", "Owl" feat Doom, "Fly", "Warrior" and Give It To The People".

A great mix of modes – and a set that represents a real turning point in the career of Otis Clay! The rougher edges of Clay's Chicago soul are warmed up here substantially by producer Willie Mitchell – bubbling up some Memphis soul for Otis, in a style that's similar to some of his backings for other singers on the Hi Records label – in a style that makes for a great step forward from Clay's singles of the 60s! The shift is a big one – the sort that helped make Otis one of the standout singers of his generation – really knocking it out of the park on tracks that include "House Ain't A Home", "Slow & Easy", "Born To Be With You", "Home Is Where The Heart Is", "Pussy Footing Around", and "Too Much Mystery".

Killer cuts from The Clovers – and a great illustration of the way that Atlantic Records could really bring something special to a vocal group! The Clovers recorded for other labels – both before and after this stretch – but the style here is still their best, an upbeat approach to R&B that really gets the most out of their vocals – and allows individual leads to soar out between the tight harmonies! Lots of tunes are plenty playful – almost in a Coasters mode, but a bit less goofy – and titles include "Love Bug", "All About You", "So Young", "Down In The Alley", "Nip Sip", "I I I Love You", "In The Morning Time", "Your Tender Lips", "Fool, Fool, Fool", and "Wishing For Your Love".

A very full-on hard heavy fusion album! Drummer Billy Cobham lays down some massive hard beats, while Tommy Bolin wails away on guitar, Jan Hammer pounds on electric piano, and Lee Sklar noodles on electric bass. 2 cuts feature a different lineup with Joe Farrell and Jimmy Owens – but the rock-heavy one dominates the album, with a very hard sound. The best cut is the slow mellow funk number "Red Baron", which has great breaks and nice electric piano. Other titles include "Stratus", "Taurian Matador", "To The Women In My Life", and "Quadrant 4".

Two rare European records from Freddy Cole – best known to most of us in the US as a jazz singer! One More Love Song is surprisingly soulful set from Freddy – quite different than some of the straighter jazz vocals he's cut over the years! This rare gem was recorded in The Netherlands in the mid 70s – and features backings from Jerry Van Rooyen and Tony Noite, both of whom mix jazzy inflections with fuller orchestrations – helping to bring Cole's rich background into a whole new light! Freddy's voice still has that wonderful trademark rasp – familiar to, yet quite different than brother Nat – and the use of some smoother soul modes makes for a really great contrast. Titles include "One More Love Song", "I Loved You", "I Need You So", "Still Wanna Be With You", "Isn't She Lovely", and "Here Is Where Your Love Belongs". Right From The Heart has Freddy Cole taking on a mix of adult ballads and some groovier numbers – set to arrangements by John Gally, Hennie Bekker, and Steve Gray – and recorded in London with a nicely mature feel. There's a bit of polish to the production, especially on the more upbeat cuts – but the mellower numbers still have Cole singing in a great old school mode. Titles include "The Girl From The Piano Bar", "To Be With You", "Teach Me Tonight", "Summer Love", "Somewhere Down The Line", and "Right From The Start".

Rare Afro Rock from Nigeria – a really cool fusion of African funk and dexterous guitar – served up with plenty of hypnotic touches! Although we've dug their tracks on compilations over the years, we've never been lucky enough to hear a full album by Colomach – and are blown away at the range of sounds the group deliver on this rare gem from the 70s! Tracks range from Sahel rock with electric guitar over rumbling bass and percussion, to grooves centered around some sweet and spare acoustic guitar – often touched with a bit of flute and emotive vocals as well. Production is top shelf too – given that the set was recorded by EMI in Nigeria – and titles include "Enoviyin", "Ottoto Shamoleda", "Cotocun Gba Gounke", "Bernadetta", "Sweet Sounds from Colomachi", "K Assa Kpa Sama Kpa", "Pipan", "Yebo Blues", and "Sonorites Sahelienne".

This is a repackaged version of an album that was originally issued under Cecil Taylor's name, under the title Hard Drive (and later Stereo Drive, or something like that). The record brings together two of the late 50's most promising modernists – Cecil Taylor and John Coltrane – in a group that includes Kenny Dorham, Chuck Israels, and Louis Hayes. The music is a startling mix of styles – as Taylor's heavy piano clashes noisily with Trane's free flowing lines on the tenor. It doesn't always work, but it's well worth a listen, and stands as a critical meeting of two important talents that were both best known on their own. Tracks include "Shifting Down", "Double Clutching", and "Just Friends".

An album that definitely lives up to the title promised by The Commodores – a record that takes all their raw funky energy of the early years, and fuses it into a new groove that would catapult the sextet to superstardom! The sound is commercial, but still has a pretty fresh sort of feel too – that quality the group brought to their work when breaking down so many boundaries in mainstream music – and finding fans in corners that few other funk groups might have touched! There's plenty of upbeat funk tracks in the mix, and even the mellower moments are still balanced nicely enough to avoid any of the cliches that Lionel Richie might have had during his solo years. Titles include "Why You Wanna Try Me", "This Love", "Been Loving You", "Lucy", "Saturday Night", "Lady (You Bring Me Up)", and "Oh No".

A trio of early 80s efforts from Con Funk Shun in a 2CD set – with bonus tracks! Touch is a killer from the group – one of the few mainstream funk groups who actually managed to sound better and better with each new record – and on this set, they really seem to come into their own! Titles include "Too Tight", "Lady's Wild", "Give Your Love To Me", "Kidnapped", "Welcome Back To Love", "Touch", and "Play Widit". Includes 2 bonus tracks: "Lady's Wild (12" Version)" and "Body Lovers (12" Version)". 7 is not the group's 7th album, but a bold statement of the unity they feel as a 7 piece ensemble – perfectly lived up to in the record's well-crafted grooves! The album's one of Con Funk Shun's best overall – really solid, but never too slick, very tight in the bass department, but still soulful on the vocal tip, and never afraid to slip into a sweeter, more mellow tune. Titles include "Straight From The Heart", "Bad Lady", "Promise You Love", "I'll Get You Back", "A Song For You", and "California 1". To The Mix has snapping grooves and a sweet clubby sound. The bass is tight, the keyboards are electric, and the rhythms are great – never forced or stiff, and always flowing with a sense of soul that's head and shoulders above most of the group's contemporaries. Vocals are strong too – especially on the numbers that step things down a few notches – and titles include "Ms Got The Body", "Let's Ride & Slide", "Everlove", "Hide & Freak", "You Are The One", "Take It To The Max", "The Freak", and "Love's Train". Includes the bonus "Ms Got The Body (12" Version)" and an instrumental version.

An incredible debut as a leader for Chick Corea – quite different than his 70s work, and a set that's filled with heavy soul jazz and Latin influences! Chick's coming off of years of work in Latin bands, and in smaller soul jazz combos, and his writing here is a mix of the freer style that would later become too free, with the rootsier elements of his background. The players on the record include Woody Shaw on trumpet, Joe Farrell on tenor and flute, Steve Swallow on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – and all tracks are long, with a sweeping, searching, soulful sound. Titles include a beautiful rendition of Chick's "Litha", which he also recorded with Stan Getz on Sweet Rain, plus two other nice originals – "Tones For Joan's Bones" and "Straight Up And Down".

Beautiful live set from 1971, featuring a very stripped down set of stuff. Gal comes in at first accompanying herself on guitar, then the band slowly joins in, but never really gets in the way of her voice. The sound is spare, and the production rough, and this one has a dark moody feel to it that you don't always get with her LPs. Tracks include "Falsa Baiana", "Coracao Vagabundo", "Como 2 e 2", and "Hotel Das Estrelas".

The great lost Darondo album – amazing Bay Area funky soul from a singular talent – and material that we did not even know existed! It was cut for Ray Dobard's Music City label – purportedly in just a couple of marathon sessions – most of which we've never heard before now, which is mindblowing in and of itself, as we had thought Ubiquity Records mined what little was available of Darondo for their killer Let My People Go compilation. Lo and behold – here's some more, and it's just as incredible! Slinky, stripped down funk and some sweeter soul that's as much influenced by Memphis recordings as it is the Bay Area – but all with Darondo's distinctive, freewheeling gritty baritone and when the mood strikes, piercing falsetto vocals. A total treasure! 16 tracks on the CD version: "I Don't Understand It", "I'm Gonna Love You", "Didn't I", "Luscious Lady", "Saving My Love", "Gimme Some", "Do You Really Love Me", "Listen To My Song", "Sexy Mama", "The Wolf", "Kings Man" and more.

A rare treat for Miles Davis fans – a special 7" single with edits of "Miles Runs The Voodoo Down" and "In A Silent Way" – all packaged in a cool limited pic sleeve too! The box also comes with a blue/yellow/red Miles t-shirt – XL, printed on a dark black background! Limited edition too!

Great grooves from Debo Band – a contemporary combo, but one who's steeped in older Ethiopian modes – particularly the best 70s sounds inspired by artists like Mulatu, Mohammad Ahmed, and Tilahun Gessesse! The album may well be the funkiest set ever issued by Sub Pop – and has a hard-rolling power that rivals classic sounds you might hear on the Ethiopiques series – sent home especially well by the sax lines of Danny Mekonnen, and amazing vocals of Bruck Tesfaye – an artist who's really got his sound just right! Other instrumentation is right on the money, with some occasional touches of funkier elements – but usually just the right sort of classic Ethiopiano percussion, horns, and strings to make the music come out beautifully. Titles include "And Lay", "Asha Gedawo", "Habesha", "Abassel", "DC Flower", "Not Just A Song", "Ney Ney Weleba", and "Akale Wube".

A quadruple-header of a set – four great albums together in one cool box! First up is the first album from the great Special Edition group of drummer Jack DeJohnette – a wickedly sharp record that's as equally tight on the reeds as it is on the drums! The album features brilliant work on tenor and bass clarinet from David Murray, and equally nice alto from Arthur Blythe – both criss-crossing and soaring out effortlessly in each others' company – amidst complex rhythmic impulses from DeJohnette on drums, and both bass and cello from Peter Warren. Jack also plays a bit of piano and melodica as well – and titles include "One For Eric", "Zoot Suite", "Central Park West", "India", and "Journey To The Twin Planet". On Tin Can Alley, the great Chico Freeman really shines with drummer Jack DeJohnette – lending his tenor, flute, and bass clarinet to the album – and helping make it a really reed-heavy affair! John Purcell's also in the frontline with Chico – playing alto, baritone, and flute – and in addition to Peter Warren's bass and cello, the album Jack DeJohnette also plays drums, congas, piano, and organ too! The range of instrumentation almost echoes some Chicago AACM roots at times – but with that tighter focus that musicians like Jack were bringing to their work at ECM – and titles include "Riff Raff", "The Gri Gri Man", "I Know", and "Pastel Rhapsody". Inflation Blues is a record that bristles with energy right from the start – spurred on by the creative rhythms that have always made Jack DeJohnette one of the most inventive drummers of his time! The group features a triple-threat lineup with Baikida Carroll on trumpet, Chico Freeman on tenor and soprano sax, and John Purcell on alto, baritone, flute, and clarinet – especially nice at points when the reedmen shift and turn with sharp edges learned from the earlier avant years, yet given a nice focus here under DeJohnette's leadership. Jack penned all original tunes for the set, and there's a depth to his writing that really marks a move forward – possibly some of his richest musical statements on record ever! Titles include "Ebony", "Inflation Blues", "Slowdown", and "The Islands". Album Album is a record that really dives deep with a rich mix of creative rhythms and inventive horn lines! The album still has Jack staying true to his more avant roots – working with tenor from David Murray, alto and soprano sax from John Purcell, baritone and tuba from Howard Johnson, and bass from Rufus Reid – a lineup that's a bit bigger than on other Special Edition albums, and which is used to fill in even more colors and deeper elements than before. Some of the tunes are wonderfully vivid in approach – and titles include "Festival", "Third World Anthem", "Zoot Suite", "Ahmad The Terrible", and "New Orleans Strut".

The lyrically focused set in the 2 Stepping Stones compilations from DJ Krush – part remix album, part retrospective – featuring Company Flow, Black Thought & Malik B of the Roots, Mos Def, Aesop Rock, Zap Mama and others! Lyricism kind of finds Krush in his most hip hop reverent game, naturally – but he runs the gamut of possibilities within the genre. Krush never battles the MCs for track supremacy as many of the superstar producers of the day do. He's laying proper groundwork for the mic styles, yet still laying down his experimental funk signature – and the wide variety of vocalists gives him ample opportunity to show his unrivaled breadth! Tracks include "Only The Strong Survive (Bon mix)" feat CL Smooth, "Vision Of Art (Vib mix)" feat Company Flow, "Zen Approach (Cradle mix)" feat Black Thought, "Kill Switch (Beep mix)" feat Aesop Rock, "Song For John Walker (Sticky mix)" feat Anticon, "Danger Of Love (Gray-Sky mix)" feat Zap Mama, "Shinjiro (Harsh mix)" feat Mos Def and more.

A great set of archival DJ Shadow instros from the early-to-mid 90s – from back when his primary means of production was the Akai MPC sampler – along with his endless arsenal of vinyl and limitless creative inspiration! This is formative, but essential material for fans of classic Shadow. It's a superior follow up to the 4 Track Era compilation, and a solid blueprint for his very best work to come! This is all previously unreleased, and it was produced from 1992 to 1996 – which is the period that beat heads and leftfield hip hop production historians outta know culminated in the release of the classic Endtroducing album. That said, this is not a set of Endtroducing leftovers – it's strong, original and legacy-building instrumental work from a crucial period – assembled by the man himself! 24 tracks on the CD. Includes "Intropy (Original Version)", "Vee In Detroit", "Alright", "Don't Try It", "Falling Up", "Aye", "Britty But Magic", "Atmospheric Disturbances", "Quickstep", "Freddi's Popcorn", "From The Old School", "Mystical With Solo", "Fast Rap Fanfare" and more.

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".

A sterling set from the great Will Downing – and a record that definitely has the master at the top of his game throughout! The package features some songs from his recent trilogy of EP releases – Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow – but also includes five new songs too – and together, the tunes work wonderfully to create one of the best full length efforts from Downing in years! Will's got this style that's easy-flowing, yet completely confident too – a reminder that sometimes the best approach to male soul music is one that relaxes into the groove – in ways that so many other singers in the younger generation seem to have forgotten. The backings are great too – as laidback as Downing's vocals, without any of the clunk that might have happened if Will was recording for a bigger label trying to push him into the charts. There's plenty of glow and warmth throughout – and titles include "Only One", "Send For Me", "Falling", "Stuff That I Like", "One Step Closer", "Never Find Another Love", "Sexy", and "You Were Meant Just For Me" – a duet with Avery Sunshine. Also includes a totally great long track – a "live rehearsal" of the medley "I Go Crazy/Wishing On A Star/Try".

Quite possibly the greatest record ever from Clifton Dyson – a solo effort that has him stepping away from his Dyson's Faces group, and emerging as a heck of a great singer on his own! The album's got a warm modern soul feel throughout – much more mid 70s indie than you'd guess from the date on the record – and every aspect of the record is great – from the vocals to the instrumentation to the tight production on the record – a sound that's professional, and really a cut above the usual effort of this type. Al Johnson and Rodney Brown helped on arrangements – and titles include the extended groover "Slow Your Body Down", which takes up all of side one – plus "Hypnotize", "I'm Giving Up", and "So Lonely".

Ambient Brian Eno at its best – a contemporary record, but one that feels like it could have been released right after Music For Airports – given the overall sound! Tunes are very spare and spacious – listed with geometric images for titles on the back cover, right out of Eno's early Ambient series for EG – and served up with these slow-moving sounds that are a mix of electric and acoustic elements – including slight use of moog and violin. Really great stuff – the kind of record that really restores our faith in Eno!