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Massive lost work from the Butterfield Blues Band – recorded in 1964, quite early in the group's career – but a set that already has them hitting hard with a really powerful sound! The recording quality and overall sound is nice and rough – a gritty groove that's more closely linked with the Chicago roots of the group than some of their later recordings – and the harmonica work of Paul Butterfield is really amazing – nicely distorted at times, almost in a fuzzy psych way – and matched by some excellent work on guitar from both Elvin Bishop and Mike Bloomfield – the latter of whom also handles Hammond and piano too. Titles include "Nut Popper 1", "Lovin Cup", "Our Love Is Driftin", "Take Me Back Baby", "Help Me", "Just To Be With You", "Everything's Gonna Be Alright", and "Goin Down Slow".

Smooth jazzy fusion from Lee Ritenour – a classic set that was originally only released in Japan, part of the underground Japanese Fusion movement of the late 70s, famous for groove hounds for that added level of soul that often wasn't showing up in American releases at the time! The album was recorded in both Rio and LA – with work by a mixture of Brazilian and American fusion players, including Chico Batera, Oscar Castro Neves, Alex Acuna, Don Grusin, Dave Grusin, Steve Forman, and Marcus Miller. Includes the smooth funk classic "A Little Bit Of This & A Little Bit Of That", plus the cuts "Simplicidad", "Rainbow", "Rio Funk", "San Juan Sunset", and "Ipanema Sol".

A treasure trove of unreleased material from the Stalk Forrest Group – one full album, other bonus tracks, and their only ever single – all compiled together in a sweet set that documents the pre-history of Blue Oyster Cult! These guys aren't as sinister as in their BOC years, but definitely have a great way with a guitar line – spinning things out in a sweet, compressed mode that really brings a tightness to the tunes – yet still respects some of the rootsier undercurrents. Vocals have a bit more twang than later, but in a catchy late 60s way – and the original songs on the album – mostly by Richard Meltzer and Allen Lanier – are all pretty great. Titles include "What Is Quicksand", "Gil Blanco County", "Donovan's Monkey", "Ragamuffin Dumplin", "St Ceceilia", "Arthur Comics", and "Curse Of The Hidden Mirrors" – plus some demo and original versions too, some from the time the group was named Oxaca.

An excellent promo sampler of tracks released on Elektra/ASylum from 1978 with 10 tracks: Donald Byrd "Thank You For Funking Up My Life" and "Have You Heard The News", Aquarian Dream "Play It For Me (One More Time)" and 'You're A Star", Lenny White "Time" and "Lady Madonna", Joe Cocker "Fun Time", Lee Oskar "Haunted House" and Patrice Rushen "Hang It Up" and "Music Of The Earth"

Pure greatness from Brand Nubian at their early best! The Nubes' have made a handful of solid-to-great albums, but none could top this essential debut. Grand Puba, Sadat X and Lord Jamar are on point with the politicized rhymes over classic early 90s jazzed up, funky beats, built from now well known breaks – and truly raising the bar for classic east coast production. With the classics "All For One", "Slow Down", "Drop The Bomb", "Concerto In X Minor", and 2 mixes of "Wake Up" (Stimulated Dummies mix and the penultimate reprise), plus "Who Can Get Busy Like This Man. . .", "Ragtime", "To The Right", "Dance To My Ministry", "Step To The Rear", "Try To Do Me", "Grand Puba, Positive & LG" and "Dedication".

Easily one of our favorite albums by Tim Buckley – and a record that really opens up with some key jazzy touches! Buckley's still got his roots in folk here, and his vocals are yet to hit the extremes of Starsailor or Lorca – but there's also a new sense of inflection to the way he puts over the lyrics, shaded in by use of vibes, kalimba, harmonium, and harpsichord – the latter two of which are played on the session by Don Randi! Tracks are relatively short, but high in concept – and include the protest song "No Man Can Find The War", plus "Hallucinations", "Phantasmagoria In Two", "Carnival Song", "Pleasant Street", "Morning Glory", and "Goodbye & Hello".

An exceptional early release from the tragic Tim Buckley – done with a really unique sound that mixes late 60s folk rock with some subtly jazzy overtones! The record features beautiful string arrangements from the legendary Jack Nitzsche, and some beautiful work on piano, harpsichord, and celeste by Van Dyke Parks! But Buckley's the main star of the set – crooning beautifully with his sad-tinged voice, on wonderful tracks that include "Wings", "Aren't You the Girl", "She Is", and "Understand Your Man".

A smoking live set from the Butterfield Blues Band – and like all the group's work, as much of a jazz and soul album as a blues one! Butterfield drew his inspiration from the Chicago bluesmen, it's true – but his style also has plenty of echoes of New Orleans soul, Memphis R&B, and other strands of American work – in a mode that's quite similar to some of the changes that were going on in the British beat group scene at the end of the 60s. The lineup here features some really nice touches on sax from Trevor Lawrence and Gene Dinwiddie – and the live setting only seems to loosen all the players up even more than usual, and let them hit a few nice funky moments. Titles include "Losing Hand", "Gene's Tune", "Nobody's Fault But Mine", "All In A Day", "Except You", and "Love March".

Titles include "Walkin Blues", "Get Out Of My Life Woman", "Mary Mary", "East West", "Two Trains Running", and "Work Song".

A post-Blue Note effort, and Donald's changing things up a bit with his 125th Street Orchestra and Uptown Singers – funking along in a way you'd expect from the longwinded title! Byrd loostens up the smoother backgrounds of his recent Larry Mizell helmed work, and in their place are grooves that have more of a heavy slap bass sound, punchier horns and guitars! There are lotes nice moments that are a bit more restrained than the comparably full-on funk approach – and these have a spacey fusiony soul quality that reminds us of similar work that Byrd was doing with The Blackbyrds at the time. One of the best cuts is "Your Life Is My Ecstasy", which has some great bubbling Moog behind it, which creates a sound that you've heard sampled famously by Tribe Called Quest. Other nice ones are "Loving You", which features vocals by Jim Gilstrap, and a remake of Duke Pearson's "Cristo Redentor", a big hit for Don in the 60s, which is redone here in an excellent slow funk mode that feels like Bob James' work on CTI. Others include "Have You Heard The News", "In Love With Love" and "Close Your Eyes And Look Within".

A post-Blue Note effort, and Donald's changing things up a bit with his 125th Street Orchestra and Uptown Singers – funking along in a way you'd expect from the longwinded title! Byrd loostens up the smoother backgrounds of his recent Larry Mizell helmed work, and in their place are grooves that have more of a heavy slap bass sound, punchier horns and guitars! There are lotes nice moments that are a bit more restrained than the comparably full-on funk approach – and these have a spacey fusiony soul quality that reminds us of similar work that Byrd was doing with The Blackbyrds at the time. One of the best cuts is "Your Life Is My Ecstasy", which has some great bubbling Moog behind it, which creates a sound that you've heard sampled famously by Tribe Called Quest. Other nice ones are "Loving You", which features vocals by Jim Gilstrap, and a remake of Duke Pearson's "Cristo Redentor", a big hit for Don in the 60s, which is redone here in an excellent slow funk mode that feels like Bob James' work on CTI. Others include "Have You Heard The News", "In Love With Love" and "Close Your Eyes And Look Within".

Titles include "Gabriela's Song", "Lenda", "Obsession", "Velho Piano", "Guararapes", "Desenredo", "The River", and "Like A Lover".

An overlooked gem from keyboardist Joao Donato – cut in a mid 80s stretch when he was hardly doing any recording at all! The set's almost more of a jazz record than some of Donato's previous work – recorded with a warm vibe that's right up there with the best Brazilian fusion of the time – and by that, we mean the real deal coming from Brazil – not the American variant! Donato's still got a wonderful way of handling the keys – coming up with these subtle turns of phrase and gentle colors that hold us spellbound throughout – alongside other instrumentation that includes Mauro Senise and Ze Carlos on saxes, Serginho on trombone, and Paulinho on trumpet. Joao sings just a bit at a few points, but the overall vibe is instrumental – kind of a nice extension from the mellow cuts on the Quem E Quem album. Titles include "Leila XIII", "Leila VIII", and "Leila VI (Lua Dourada)".

The classic debut – with "Break On Through", "Soul Kitchen", "Crystal Ship", "Light My Fire", "Back Door Man", and "The End".

Plenty of gems – including "When The Music's Over", "People Are Strange", "Moonlight Drive", "Horse Latitudes", "Unhappy Girl", "Love Me Two Times", and "Strange Days".

Two of the doper tracks from the "T.I.M.E" LP – two that still have the classic Leaders' sound from the "Future Without..." LP. To our ears, Busta's solo material has still never sounded nicer than these tracks with Charlie Brown and Dinco D. The Large Professor gives "What's Next" a much harder, bass heavy sound.

What can we say? This is one of the greatest albums of all time – and it's made even better through the addition of a bunch of previously unissued tracks! The record's got a sound that's completely unique – as crack LA garage punk rock meets Hollywood baroque production, and the result is an amazing bit of loud guitar noise backed by strings and horns, all graced by the godlike vocals of the great Arthur Lee. Forever Changes is a milestone in rock – an incredibly bleak document about insanity, escape, and the coming revolution that never happened. Think of all the best moments of Wild In The Streets, Zabriske Point, and Invocation of My Demon Brother rolled into one – and you'll only have a tiny slice of the picture! A record that will haunt us until the day we die – filled with incredible songs like "Alone Again Or", "Old Man", "Red Telephone", and "Maybe The People Would Be The Times Or Between Clark & Hilldale".

A very cool Elektra compilation – with rare non-Buddah work by the Lovin Spoonful, plus material by Al Kooper, Tom Rush, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and Eric Clapton & The Powerhouse!

Real 80s groove soul – with polished sound that's got a bit of a jazzy flavor in it, thanks mostly to the competent instrumentation of the band. Titles include "You Satisfy Me", "Just A Little Bit", "Heavy Rotation", "Start It Up", "Sweet Lady", and "You Got Everything".

Keep It Movin features Elephant Man. Production by Timbaland.

Includes her classic version of "Twisted" – plus "Just Like This Train", "Car On A Hill", "Help Me", "Court & Spark", "Down To You", "Free Man In Paris", and "People's Parties".

One of the best records ever from Don Nix – a legendary figure whose work on the Memphis scene of the 60s touched countless of rock and soul artists – recording here with a nicely tight sound at Muscle Shoals! Like some of his contemporaries, Nix made the move from Memphis to Muscle Shoals, and really helped push his music further – drawing on his strong southern roots on both sides of the fence, and turning out a set with the kind of depth and integrity that so many others would try at the time, but never get this well! Most songs are originals, and production and arrangements are by Nix as well – and titles include "Olena", "The Shape I'm In", "Going Back To Iuka", "Three Angels", "Mary Louise", "My Train's Done Come & Gone", and "Living By The Days".

A great illustration of the transition from folk to the singer/songwriter era at the end of the 60s – the overlooked Elektra debut of Steve Noonan, an artist who hailed from the same Orange County scene as Tim Buckly and Jackson Browne, the latter of whom contributed a few great songs to this set! The work here is in a similar mode as Browne's beautiful compositions for the first Nico album – too sad and weary to be folk, with a sense of coldness that's different than the cynicism of a few years earlier – and a surprisingly subtle, but powerful understanding of humanity that's really beautiful. Noonan's voice is a bit faltering at times, but in a way that works well with the material – no real illusions about himself as a singer or a star, just honest straightforward delivery of the material. Most instrumentation recalls the mode used on Buckley's first few for Elektra – gentle bits of guitar, bass, percussion, and even some vibes – played with some key jazzy inflections at times. Titles include "She's A Flying Thing", "Leaning Back & Laughing", "Tumble Down", "Street Singer", "Shadow Dream Song", "Buy For Me The Rain", "Trusting Is A Harder Thing", and "Back Alley Dream Song".

A great little album from O Terco – a later album from the group, but one that still has them sounding plenty wonderful! As before, there's a progressive vibe to the music – a mixture of jazz and rock that really comes through well in the mature, fusion-based instrumentation of the album – which works perfectly with the thoughtful lyrics and songwriting. Vocals are often mixed down nicely, so that the instruments almost hold the lead – and although production is professional, the sound is still a lot different than commercial American work of its type from the time. Titles include "Tambores Da Mente", "Luzes", "Nunca Duvidar", "Asa Delta", and "Viajante Relogio".

Easily the greatest album ever recorded by the legendary Phil Ochs – a masterpiece of politics and power, filled with themes that still resonate strongly 40 years later! From the very first note of the set, Ochs expresses himself with a confidence, intelligence, and clear-headed vision that cannot be denied – a way of getting to the heart of the issues that matter, issues that were coming to a head back in the mid 60s, but which still lie largely unresolved to date – and have a nearly timeless quality here in the stripped-down guitar and vocals presentation of the album. This is the kind of set that made Elektra records one of the most chance-taking labels of the 60s, and it's far more than just a simple folk album – really one of the first bold moments of politics in 60s pop, and the harbinger of countless records to come. Titles include "I Ain't Marching Anymore", "Iron Lady", "Links On The Chain", "Hills Of West Virginia", "The Men Behind The Guns", "Here's To The State Of Mississippi", "In The Heat Of The Summer", and "That Was The President".

A nice solid record of traditional folk tunes with guitar, banjo, dulcimer, and autoharp instrumentation. Contains the songs "Who's That Knocking At My Window", "The Kicking Mule", and "The Cuckoo".

Probably one of the most controversial records to be issued on Elektra at the end of the 60s – a rough-edged batch of hippie dippy tracks that shares a fair bit of energy and humor with The Fugs! The tunes here are perhaps a bit more focused than the work of The Fugs, but the group explore similar territory too – not just the drug references in the title, but also the kind of offbeat word play and double-entendres that were common at the time. The set was recorded "live on the streets of New York" – and Peel sings, and plays harmonica and guitar – with other instrumentation that includes two 12-string guitars, bass, and tambourine. Titles include "Mother Where Is My Father", "Here Comes A Cop", "Up Against The Wall", "I've Got Some Grass", "I Do My Bawling In The Bathroom", and "Show Me The Way To Get Stoned".

The 1992 CLASSIC jazzy soulful hip hop album from one of the best producers in hip hop! You get a whole 18 tracks ranging from laid back smooth molasses tracks to sing along party bouncers. How could your collection be complete without this?!! Tracks include the unforgettable "They Reminisce...(TROY)", "Mecca & The Soul Brother", "Straighten It Out", "Soul Brother #1", "The Creator (remix)",the sensual "Lots of Lovin", "Wig Out", "Anger In The Nation", "Act Like You Know", "Skinz" featuring Grand Puba, and "The Basement" featuring Heavy D, Robo-O, Grap, & Dida, plus plenty more.

Jazzy wonderfulness from Pieces Of A Dream! "Warm Weather" is definitely warm – a breezy fusion number with a midtempo groove – lots of keys flowing over gentle drums, and some great soul vocals to really send the tune home!

Titles include "Pressure Dem", "Dem A Murderer", "Dance Hall Scenario", "Ya Can't Test Me Again", "Ghetto Gospel", "Born Again Black Man", and "Hey Mr Rude Boy", with Brand Nubian.

One of the weirdest Beatle-related projects of the 60s – and one of the most abstract, as well! The album's got kind of an odd concept – in that it purports to be a rediscovery of rare baroque music roots of famous Beatle tunes by Lennon & McCartney – recorded with offbeat arrangements done by Joshua Rifkin. Unlike other simple cover albums of the time, Rifkin's music here really changes up the tunes strongly – moving the rockers into complicated orchestral territory with lots of flourishes on the woodwinds and strings – played here by the "Baroque Ensemble Of The Merseyside Kammermusikgesellschaft" – clearly a studio group with a good sense of humor! The album includes versions of "Eight Days A Week", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", "Ticket To Ride", "Hold Me Tight", "Things We Said Today", and "Help".

Brilliant work – one of the records that not only broke Patrice out of the jazz funk ghetto, but which also had a pretty profound influence on the progression of soul in the early 80s – really pushing the use of jazzy elements that would help take R&B to a new level with bigger artists. Patrice plays keyboards and sings, and the sound's a sweet mix of funk and soul, smoothed down to get everything in the door at the same time. Titles include "Givin It Up Is Givin Up", "Call On me", "Haven't You Heard", and "Let The Music Take Me".

Nothing Posh about this one – as the album's an all-out all-access affair! Patrice is at the height of her powers here – equally magic on keyboards and vocals, and coming up with groove after groove in a sublime blend of 70s jazz funk and Minnie Riperton-esque soul! The whole album's a winner – real magic that never gets old, and the kind of LP that makes you understand why you'll find Patrice's records in just about any soul collection from the time! Tracks include "I Need Your Love", "Time Will Tell", "The Dream", "Never Gonna Give You Up", and "Don't Blame Me".

An early 80s set from Tom Scott, and proof that he could still make an electric jazz album sound more soulful than most of his mainstream contemporaries! There's a really great sense of balance here – production that's certainly polished, but instrumentation that's never sleepy at all – those always-sharp reeds we love from Tom, especially on alto and soprano sax – plus some great keyboard work from Victor Feldman, who has a similar sense of space and timing ot match Scott's groove! The set's got a feel that's a bit like some of the few really great albums from Dave Grusin – and some cuts have vocals, although mostly of the backup type. Titles include "Desire", "Sure Enough", "The Only One", "Stride", "Chunk O Funk", and "Meet Somebody".

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!

A surprising late folk entry in the Elektra Records catalog – recorded in the early 70s, and with some sublime production from the great Gary Usher! The sound is definitely contemporary folk, as promised in the title – but there's more of a singer/songwriter sensibility too – more mature songs than straighter folk, made even more so by Usher's production – and harmonies on some of the vocals that almost recall the post-folk world over at Atlantic. Steve Melshenker and Steve Cowan wrote the album, and do most of the vocals – and both play acoustic guitar too – alongside piano, flute, dobro, bass, and cello, which makes for a warm acoustic sound. Titles include "The Ship", "The Order", "The Man", "The Calm", "The Storm", "The Return", and "The Reason".

The fiery debut of the Stooges! It isn't quite the out-there masterpiece that Fun House would be, and it's not quite as aurally blistering as Raw Power (we might be able to blame producer John Cale for this) but it's still one of the most powerful rock records of the era! Iggy & the boys could never do better than "I Wanna Be Your Dog" – and you also get the titanic classics "No Fun" & "1969" – plus "Not Right" and "Real Cool Time". What would the world be like without late 60s, Michigan-bred rawk?

The fiery debut of the Stooges! It isn't quite the out-there masterpiece that Fun House would be, and it's not quite as aurally blistering as Raw Power (we might be able to blame producer John Cale for this) but it's still one of the most powerful rock records of the era! Iggy & the boys could never do better than "I Wanna Be Your Dog" – and you also get the titanic classics "No Fun" & "1969" – plus "Not Right" and "Real Cool Time". What would the world be like without late 60s, Michigan-bred rawk?

The follow up to "Do The James" with real nice mid-tempo late 80's production, representing the fun, less serious side of hip hop, along the lines of Stezo and Special Ed. With production by the legendary Paul C McKasty.

Swamp Dogg's on the cover, riding a giant rat out of the ghetto – an image that definitely hints at some of the politics on the record! The album's one of Swamp's key classics from the early 70s – recorded at a time when he was still super-sharp – and when the character was a great focus of all the indie soul energy that Jerry Williams had forged on the scene in the 60s! In fact, the record's so great, they made it twice – recorded once down at the TK studios in Miami, then scrapped – and re-recorded here at Muscle Shoals, with some wicked Quinvy touches that really hold the whole thing together. The Muscle Shoals approach works beautifully for the Swamp Dogg aesthetic – and really gives it the right sort of southern soul punch to send home the tunes – as you'll hear on "Creeping Away", "Predicament #2", "Do You Believe", "Got To Get A Message To You", "I Kissed Your Face", and "Do Our Thing Together".

The masterful debut of Television! Marquee Moon is indisputably one of best records to come out of late 70s NYC . It's truly a singular achievement – one of the few records that seems to be on every rock literati's list of the all-time-bests – and actually deserves every bit of praise it gets! The guitars and vocals are bristling with all the post-punk energy of the lower east side in the 70s – but stands out for the off kilter melodicism and the extraordinary guitar heroism, courtesy Tom Verlaine. A genuine classic! Includes "See No Evil", "Venus", "Friction", "Marquee Moon", "Elevation", "Guiding Light", "Prove It" and "Torn Curtain".

They may be one-album wonders – but Trussel were a strong group who cut this enduring soul classic at a fortunate time when Elektra was really trying to break into the modern soul market. The record's got a nice midtempo jazzy groove, augmented by production by Fred Wesley, and a sound that hints at the direction funky soul would take in coming years. Smooth, but with enough grooves to hit the dancefloor – and lots of strong titles like "Love Injection", "Sweet Love", "I Love It", "Big City Rocker", and "Gone For The Weekend".

She's back, with another dose of ear candy for those of you who didn't get enough first time around. Timbaland's absent in the producer's seat, but the ghost of his sound is there as Missy Elliott lends a hand on most tracks, with a spare, heavily hip hop influenced vibe. We're not going to pretend this is any kind of groundbreaking stuff, but you can bet this will be the soundtrack to someone's summer out there. Includes "Turn Da Lights Off", "Iceberg", "Could It Be", "Cab Ride", "Things I Don't Mean", "My Man"Sports, Sex & Food", "Small Change", "Two Of Us", "I'm Done" and "We Don't Need No Water".

A killer side project from Roy Ayers – recorded right around the same time as the Ramp album, but with a different feel over all – proof that the Ayers empire was really exploding at the end of the 70s! The vibe here is quite similar to some of Roy's own albums over at Polydor – a great balance between upbeat groovers and mellower steppers – all done with a nice undercurrent of jazz, thanks to some sweet keyboards from Philip Woo and saxes from Justo Almario – both of who played often with Ayers as well. The vocals are especially great – wrapped up warmly along the rhythms, mixing the male/female leads of Jimmy Haslip and Sylvia Cox with some additional backing vocals from group members – creating a righteous ensemble sound that's totally wonderful, and very much in the Roy Ayers spirit. Titles include "Spread It", "If You Wanna See The Sunshine", "The Five Flies", "Midnight After Dark", and "Love Is Love".

The landmark first album by this legendary 70s soul group – and one with a feel that's much different than their later work! The style here is much more strongly righteous than their sweeter soul of the mid 70s – with a pronounced gospel influence that focuses most strongly on the chorus vocals of the ensemble – soaring out with a tremendously soulful feel, and really updating an older sound for a more contemporary 70s vibe! Backing is relatively stripped-down, with piano by Patti Brown, organ by Richard Tee, guitar by Cornell Dupree, bass by Chuck Rainey, and congas from Montego Joe and Ralph MacDonald – all of whom keep things moving nicely throughout! The album's easily one of the most righteous efforts issued by Elektra at the time – and titles include "Oh Yeah", "Let It Be Me", "Right On Be Free", "Simple Song Of Freedom", and a nice version of "For What It's Worth".

A smooth smooth classic from Grover! Titles include "Winelight", "Let It Flow", "In The Name Of Love", "Take Me There", "Just The Two Of Us", and "Make Me A Memory (Sad Samba)".

An overlooked soulful gem from Michael White – one of his smoother albums, but with a tight sound that really makes the whole thing great! The set was produced by George Duke, and it's got the same feel as some of Duke's best work of the time – soaring, soulful, with a style that blends fusion and soul – and which often features vocals. White plays his usual electric violin, and the album also features work by Patrice Rushen, Greg Phillinganes, and Duke himself performing as Dawili Gonga on keyboards. Titles include "Smile In Your Eyes", "You Are My Heartbeat", "Love Call", "The Red Planet", "Well Do It Then", and "Let Love Be Your Magic Carpet".

An overlooked soulful gem from Michael White – one of his smoother albums, but with a tight sound that really makes the whole thing great! The set was produced by George Duke, and it's got the same feel as some of Duke's best work of the time – soaring, soulful, with a style that blends fusion and soul – and which often features vocals. White plays his usual electric violin, and the album also features work by Patrice Rushen, Greg Phillinganes, and Duke himself performing as Dawili Gonga on keyboards. Titles include "Smile In Your Eyes", "You Are My Heartbeat", "Love Call", "The Red Planet", "Well Do It Then", and "Let Love Be Your Magic Carpet".

An important early record from Yello – only a 4 track ep, but one that had a huge influence on modern dance! The standout cut here is "Bostich" – a great little track that's spare, electronic, and has snapping beats, catchy vocals, and this dark sound that fit perfectly with the crossover Danceteria scene! Other tracks are equally nice, though – and the album sounds pretty darn great after all these years!

Recorded live at the Reggae Sunsplash festival in 1981, with a tremendous line up paying tribute to Bob Marley: Steel Pulse ("Sound System" & "Handsworth Revolution"), Rita Marley & I Threes, the Melody Makers & the Wailers, Eek A Mouse with the Wailers, Denis Brown ("If I Had the World"), Black Uhuru ("Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"), Sheila Hylton, Gregory Isaacs ("Soon Forward"), Carlene Davis, the Mighty Diamonds ("Right Time") & Third World.

Not only a great follow-up to the first Echoes Of An Era session, but also a standout 80s performance from Nancy Wilson – quite possibly her best of the decade! The setting is nice and laidback – a live date with a core combo that features Joe Henderson on tenor, Chick Corea on piano, Stanley Clarke on acoustic bass, and Lenny White on drums – plus steller vocals from Wilson, who's really at home in the setting – stretching out beautifully on the long tracks, and coming into play with the soloists at a level that's quite different from her more polished studio records. Clarke's bass is a delight, too – a great reminder that his talents didn't always lie in the electric realm during the 80s – and Henderson, as you might guess, provides some soulful undercurrents that reallyg round the whole proceedings. Titles include "500 Miles High", "Round Midnight", "Rhythm A Ning", "My One & Only Love", "Them There Eyes", and "I Want To Be Happy".

Righteous soul, but with a wicked groove too – a killer set from Aquarian Dream, made even better by some great Norman Connors production! In a way, Aquarian Dream were to Norman Connors what Ramp were to Roy Ayers – in that the group wasn't really that dominated by Connors, but they did benefit a lot from his groundbreaking work in the jazz funk field – getting a level of sophistication in their sound that's really wonderful – and mixed with almost equal parts soul, funk, and jazz in the instrumentation! Vocals are often in a harmony mode – again in the manner of Ramp – and there's a classy yet cosmic sound to the record that we totally love. (And there's also one more Roy Ayers-like connection in the vocal department – since the group features Sylvia Striplin, who later recorded for Roy's Uno Melodic label!) The album's got a number of nice groovers with a strongly off-beat sound – and titles include "Friends", "It Ain't Whatcha Say", "You're A Star", "Play It For Me", and "Gentle Thoughts".

One of the last Brand Nubian singles before Grand Puba left the group, for the first time.

This one's a real shift from her earlier jazz-based work, or her recent recordings for Verve – and a sweet funky fusion album that Dee Dee recorded for Elektra in the late 70s. The set was produced by Stanley Clarke, and has a soul/fusion sound that's not that different than his own work of the time, and which works very well with Dee Dee's sweet vocal approach. Players include Bobby Lyle, Ronnie Foster, George Duke, and other strong 70s fusion players – and overall, the record's probably Dee Dee's best non straight jazz album of the 70s. Tracks include "Sweet Rain", "Open Up Your Eyes", "Just Family", "Melody Maker", and "Children Are The Spirit (Of The World)".

Funky electric groove from Donald Byrd – a post Mizell effort that's still burning in a crisp groove similar to his classic 70s Blue Note work – one that's absolutely dripping with keys! Isaac Hayes produced this one, and also played a lot of those keyboards on the session with Byrd's 125 St Band – grooving on acoustic piano and Rhodes, plus vibes and synth. Ronnie Garnett's bass is tight and funky throughout, with William Duckett on guitar, Albert Crawford, Jr on piano, keys & clavinet, Myra Walker on acoustic piano, and some groovy female chorus vocals that's to Isaac's Hot Buttered Soul Unlimited! Tracks include the great mellow "I Love Your Love", plus "I Feel Like Loving You Today", "Butterfly", "Love Has Come Around", and "I'll Always Love You".

A vocoder heavy track from Donald Byrd – one that's co-written with Isaac Hayes, and served up with plenty of beats on the bottom! You'll be hard pressed to hear a lot of the sweet trumpet of earlier years, but "Midnight" moves back into the sweeter groove of before – still more soul than jazz, but a great bit of stepping soul overall!

Titles include "Black Roses", "With All In Mind", "The Ballad Of Freddie & Larry", "Sand", and "Night Sounds Loud".

A much better record than we want to admit, with Natalie moving towards jazzy numbers and standards, for a blockbuster Grammy winning effort. Her voice stands up well to the mainstream polish, and even the creepy "duet" with her father is enjoyable. 22 tracks in all, including "The Very Thought Of You", "Paper Moon", "Mona Lisa", 'This Can't Be Love", "Lush Life", "That Sunday That Summer", "Avalon", "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", "Nature Boy", "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup", "Thous Swell" and "Unforgettable".

The classic debut – with "Break On Through", "Soul Kitchen", "Crystal Ship", "Light My Fire", "Back Door Man", and "The End".