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Titles include "Promises", "From Now On", "Freeze Thaw", "How Dare You", "Astrud", and "Miles Away".

One of the better early bossa albums by Bonfa, and one that doesn't have the sleepy quality that you find on some of his other records. Luiz' guitar is backed by a nice little combo, and the tracks have a lively rhythm, with occasional vocals, and some nice flute solos from time to time. The whole thing sounds a bit like an early Baden Powell session – and includes the tracks "Amor Em Brasilia", "Amor De Solidao", "Murmurio", "Inquietacao", "Voce Chegou Sorrindo", and "Saudade De Bahia". Also issued in Brazil under the title O Violao E O Samba.

The classic debut! Tracks include "More Than A Feeling", "Peace Of Mind", "Hitch A Ride", "Smokin", "Let Me Take You Home Tonight", and "Foreplay/Long Time".

A mixture of folksy and jazzy vocals from singer Susan Carter – part of the Laurel Canyon scene of the late 60s! Although Susan was one of the "Ladies Of The Canyon", she's got a sound here that's much more wider-ranging than that of Joni Mitchell – a unique mixture of jazz and rock influences that come across with a different sound on nearly every track on the set. The arranger for the album is Dick Halligan, who we've never heard of before – but who should get a lot of credit for the way that he mixes together odd phrasings and timings to match the shifting styles of Susan's vocals. Titles include "I'm So Tired", "I Need A Good Man Bad", "Medley For Billie Holiday", "Bluebird", and "Jam Session".

Time Exposure has a lot of 80s electro funk in the mix, particularly Clarke's impeccable bass lines, which are heavy throughout. Titles include "Play The Bass '10", "Heaven Sent You", "Speedball", "Future Shock" and the great title track.

A sweet bit of modern funk from George Duke – working here in a mode that's definitely tighter and more soul-based than his trippier albums of the early 70s – but also in a groove that's pretty darn sweet! George wonderfully blends together his jazz roots and some of the wider soul styles he'd helped forge on the California scene – keeping things smooth, but never slick – bringing in some nice acoustic percussion alongside the album's overall electric sound. A number of cuts have vocals, and George handled both production and arrangements – on tracks that include the P-Funky "Dukey Stick", an old sample from way back – plus "Movin On", "The Future", "We Give Our Love", and "Percussion Interlude".

An underappreciated soul set from George Duke for Epic – his Rendezvous from '84 – an engagement worth keeping! Given the mid 80s release date, you might be expecting a whole lot of programming and drum machine action – there's a bit of it, but this is a really lively set with some great musicianship across the board – and the songs are pretty strong, too. Duke produced, sings and handles an array of instrumentation from keys to synths and programming, with Stanley Clarke, Paulinho Da Costa, Ernie Watts, Oscar Castro Neves and other great players in the mix. Titles include "Got To Get Back To Love", "Take It On", "She Can Wait Forever", "Stay Awhile", "Thinking Of You" (with some nice extended string arrangements), "Secret Rendezvous", and "Ipanema Lady"

The first true moment of genius from the legendary Curt Boettcher – an early 60s folk-rock set that's already overflowing with the warm harmonies and creative arrangements of his later classics! The Goldebriars boast some incredible vocals in the duo of Sheri and Dottie Holmberg – both of whom take the lead on most tracks here, sometimes singing solo, but often harmonizing beautifully – in a mode that's nearly timeless, but which has some incredible musical touches from Boettcher, who pushes the vocals far from traditional folk mode, into a really unique sound that points the way towards countless post-folk imitators in years to come! Titles include "Long Time Travellin", "No More Auction Block", "Voyager's Lament", "Railroad Boy", "Come Walk Me Out", and "He Was A Friend Of Mine".

The second fab album from Curt Boettcher's legendary Goldebriars group – even dreamier and more unconventional than the first, and filled with beautiful harmony vocals! As on the group's debut, singers Dotti and Sheri Holmberg take the lead on most of the tunes – but Boettcher's also singing along with them a bit too, starting to develop the styles he'd use later on, and really giving a weird sort of sound to the music. Arrangements have their roots in folk, but really change things up a lot – still using simple acoustic instruments, but in modes and rhythms that are a far cry from both mainstream and rootsy folkies of the 60s! There's an eerie, otherworldly feel to the whole record that's amazing – like finding some lost Pandora's Box of music buried deep in the mountains – opened up and floating magically through the skies. Titles include "Zum Gale Gale", "Ride That Chariot", "Jump Down", "Haiku", "Sweet Potatoes", "Sea Of Tears", "MacDougal Street", "Joy Joy Joy", and "No More Bomb".

An unlikely contender to the throne of king of electro, this early 80s effort from Eddie Grant helps to prop him up there quite nicely. Heavy synth driven grooves bubble along nicely with that crisp Linn Drum sound, and though this album benefited from some wider pop appeal, there's more than a bit of Eddie's reggae side showing through too! Includes the massive "Electric Avenue", plus "Killer On The Rampage" and "Latin Love Affair", 10 tracks in all.

One of Slide Hampton's greatest records of all time – a totally hip batch of tracks recorded with a large group that reminds us of some of Max Roach's ensembles of the early 60s! No surprise, Roach is a key part of the album – pounding away with frenzy on Hampton's 5-part "Drum Suite", and working well here on other tracks with players that include Yusef Lateef and George Coleman on tenor, Freddie Hubbard and Hobart Dotson on trumpet, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Eddie Khan on bass, and both Hampton and Benjamin Jacobs-El on trombones. There's a righteous, majestic energy to most of the tracks – not just the pivotal "Drum Suite" in five parts, but also the originals "Gallery Groove" and "Fump" – plus versions of "Lover", "Our Waltz", and "Stella By Starlight".

Easily one of the best albums by Sugarcane Harris – thanks largely to Johnny Otis, who produced and arranged the set with the same messed-up, genre-crossing style of his own work! Given that Harris both played electric violin and sung in a raunchy bluesy style, it would take a genius like Otis to make the sound work – and work he does, shifting the mood of the album from track to track, in an effort to showcase all the messed-up, down-and-dirty sides of Sugarcane's style! Includes the tracks "A Little Soul Food", "Funk & Wagner", "Do It Yourself", "I'm Unconscious", and "Take It All Off".

A great album that Brit tenor giant Tubby Hayes recorded on a trip to the U.S. during the early 60's. The set's a great batch of hard bop tracks recorded during the same time that Epic was doing great stuff like the Dave Bailey LPs, or some of the Charlie Rouse solo records. Dave Bailey's on drums, Horace Parlan's on piano, Clark Terry plays trumpet, and Eddie Costa plays vibes. The LP is magnificent, and perfectly captures Hayes' genius on the tenor in a way that few of his other recordings ever do. Tracks include "Pint Of Bitter", "Opus Ocean", "Soon", and "You For Me".

The third great album in the trilogy that includes Off The Wall and Thriller – and a set that still has Michael Jackson running strong at the height of his solo powers! Quincy Jones is still at the helm, and Michael more than proves that he can still come up with a pop tune without going too far over the top – catchy, compelling numbers that played well all over the world of pop – but which still hang onto just a little part of his soul roots too! That balance is a key factor to the success of this set – a record that helped re-ignite interest in Jackson's music, and introduce him to a whole new generation – while still keeping most of the older fans plenty pleased too. Titles include "Just Good Friends", "Smooth Criminal", "Bad", "Another Part Of Me", "Man In The Mirror", and "Speed Demon".

A rare document of a short-lived slice of the King Kong myth – a Saturday morning cartoon in which Kong was the friend of some little kids in the jungle, and a much less threatening force than when climbing the Empire State Building! The soundtrack offers capsulized episodes of the show – with music by Jules Bass & Maury Laws, plus narrated adventures by Bob McFadden, voices from the show, and even a bit of sound effects! Adventures include "Under The Volcano", "Dr Who", "The Treasure Trap", and "The African Bees" – as well as nice versions of the cool theme song!

A classic bit of Chicago house goes mainstream – and a suprisingly big hit from the late 80s. The main reason most folks bought this album was for Louis' "French Kiss", a sex-sound infused house cut with a "fast-then-slow-then-fast" groove that was endlessly dropped into mixes on radio and in clubs at the time. However, like late 80s house contemporaries Blaze, Louis actually turned out to be a pretty interesting soul talent when given a whole album to work with – and although "French Kiss" is on the beat-heavy "dance" side of the album, there's also a pretty interesting "romance" side that has some nice home-made late 80s soul tunes with great warm keyboard-heavy production. Titles include "Lil Tanya", "The Luv U Wanted", "6 AM", and "Brittany".

Melba Moore is on fire here – eschewing ballads altogether for the first time – and lighting up a scorching late disco vibe! Burn is a tight, club-ready soul set from '79 that finds Melba with more input on the songwriting than she had on previous records. It's also a nice step in a slightly different direction, working here with producer Pete Bellotte – one of the creative engines that drove disco deeply into the mainstream! What's great, though, is that Melba is right up there sharing the driver's seat – she's not just the voice – she co-wrote each track on the album. That said, it's her voice that burns the most brightly, on songs that include "Burn", "Hot And Tasty", "If You Believe In Love", "Night People", "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love", "Can't Give It Up", "Miss Thing" and "Need Love".

12 tracks in all, including "Housecall", "Telephone Love Deh Pon Mi Mind", "The Jam", "Girls Whine", "Get Up Stand Up & Rock", "Pay Down Pon It", "Ting-A-Ling" and "Roots & Culture". Less slackness on this volume and more crossover material, some more hip hop oriented.

Minnie Riperton's first album for Epic – and the record that broke her from a hip Chicago underground artist into one of the seventies' biggest soul divas! The record moves past the baroque soul of Minnie's early years with Rotary Connection and Charles Stepney – and hits a mix of mellow compressed LA styles and slicker funkier numbers that do the same thing for her Chicago-trained vocals that Rufus' backing did for that of Chaka Khan. Of course, it helps that she's got some superbly sensitive writing and arranging help by husband Richard Rudolph – and Stevie Wonder's definitely lurking in the background, too. Includes Minnie's huge crossover hit "Loving You", a perfect showcase for her beautiful 5 octave voice, plus the tracks "Our Lives", "Every Time He Comes Around", "Perfect Angel", and "Reasons".

Along with Perfect Angel and Adventures In Paradise, this is one of the key albums of Minnie's career – recorded when she was at the height of her power, forging a whole new soul sound that mixed her incredible voice with jazzy modern arrangements that were a few years ahead of most of the other singers at her level. The album's subtitled "A Romantic Fantasy Set To Music", and it features a swirling mix of ballads and uptempo tunes – all with a sexy sound, and some of the most seductive vocals that Minnie ever recorded. Includes the club groover "Young Willing & Able", plus "Can You Feel What I'm Saying?", "Gettin' Ready for Your Love", "Could It Be I'm In Love", and the great "Stick Together", written with Stevie Wonder.

Hard to find a stronger early album by Sly – as this one has him still funking hard, but also getting his soul bag together a bit more, hitting some really righteous vibes that mix together politics and partying in an incredibly seductive way. The album's filled with anthemic numbers like "Sing A Simple Song", "Stand", "Don't Call Me N_gger Whitey", and "Everyday People" – classic crossover material for the heady crowd of the late 60s – and it also includes a very cool 13 minute track called "Sex Machine", which is a messed-up stoner funk number that shows Sly's ties to the Fillmore freakout scene!

A wonderful album from Sly and crew – moving way past the straight funk approach of earlier records, into a complicated crossover soul style that's filled with warmth and righteousness. Despite the political tone implied by the "riot" in the title and the co-option of the American flag on the cover, the album's strongest suit is its warmth and personal soul message – sometimes filled with politics, sure, but always sounding like a sexy love song, no matter how hard it tries to get righteous. Who cares, though – just get with the flow on great cuts like "Family Affair", "Luv N Haight", "Brave & Strong", "You Caught Me Smilin", and "Thank You For Talkin To Me Africa". Also features "There's A Riot Goin' On" – which runs for "0:00" minutes!

The crowning achievement of Spirit – and a record that you probably could have found in any college dorm room in the early 70s! The record's really a cut above for their generation – an expansive effort that hangs together with a bit of a concept, and which interweaves strands of rock, folk, and a bit of jazz – yet also a record that has a lot more polish than other efforts of its type, and which trades a bit of psychedelic indulgence for a tighter focus that really lets the best tunes sparkle wonderfully! Production is great – clear, but trippy at the same time – and Randy California's guitar work has never sounded better. Titles include "Nature's Way", "Animal Zoo", "Love Has Found A Way", "Mr Skin", "Soldier", "Street Worm", and "Space Child".

A sweet late 70s set from The Three Degrees – who've moved on over to CBS/Epic after their hot streak at Philly International – with a bit more of an expansive sound than usual! They're still working in a core Philly mode with recording at Sigma Sound and arrangements by Richard Rome – but also with tunes that hit a growing range of more sophisticated, adult-oriented themes. The trio are clearly out to show that they're not just a dancefloor act here – as the album features some sensitive ballads – and those are done beautifully! The Three Degrees are Sheila Ferguson, Valerie Holiday and the returning Helen Scott on this relatively overlooked, though solid record – which includes the slightly funky "Macaroni Man", plus "People With Feeling", "What I Did For Love", "We're All Alone", "Gee Baby", "Standing Up For Love", and "In Love We Grow" and "Just Leave Me Alone". 3

Features work by Lord Creator, Jimmy Cliff, The Techniques, Winston Samuel, and The Charmers.

Excellent funky LP cut by Johnny Otis and his late 60's version of "The Johnny Otis Show". Shuggie's playing guitar, Delmar Evans is singing, and Sugarcane Harris even shows up on a few tracks. The LP contains two excellent funky 45 cuts, "Cuttin Up", an instrumental with choppy guitar, and "The Watts Breakaway", with good goofy vocals by Delmar. All this, and the LP's got a nice Jack Davis (of MAD fame)cartoony cover of the band doing surgery on a kid that we assume is Shuggie. to boot!

30s tenor sides from Chu Berry – packaged here in a nice 50s LP that mostly features work done with the Stompy Stevedores combo, but also includes sessions Chu cut with the bands of Cab Calloway and Teddy Wilson! The Berry style at this point is warm, but soulful – arcing out with some of the touches that would show up more strongly in tenorists of the 40s, but still also falling into more traditional modes at times. Titles include "Now You're Talking My Language", "At The Clambake Carnival", "Warming Up", "Maelstrom", "Chuberry Jam", "Come On With The Come On", and "Indiana".

30s tenor sides from Chu Berry – packaged here in a nice LP that mostly features work done with the Stompy Stevedores combo, but also includes sessions Chu cut with the bands of Cab Calloway and Teddy Wilson! The Berry style at this point is warm, but soulful – arcing out with some of the touches that would show up more strongly in tenorists of the 40s, but still also falling into more traditional modes at times. Titles include "Now You're Talking My Language", "At The Clambake Carnival", "Warming Up", "Maelstrom", "Chuberry Jam", "Come On With The Come On", and "Indiana".

The third album from the mighty Chase – proof that the group was still going strong several years after their groundbreaking debut! The grooves here are almost tighter than before – a bit more complicated instrumentally, with some of the trumpets backed off a bit, to leave more room for great lines on guitar and keyboards – really stretching out over the propulsive groove of the rhythms. There's still some vocals on the record, but they seem a bit more on the backburner than on the group's earliest efforts – and titles include "Close Up Tight", "Twinkles", "Weird Song #1", "Run Back To Mama", and "Bochawa".

One of the grooviest albums of the 60s – and the first album in Donovan's legendary run with producer Mickie Most! The sound here is light years away from the heavy Dylan of Donovan's first recordings – and is steeped in eastern influences that sparkle in both the songwriting and arrangements – and which can be most strongly heard in the album's trademark use of tablas and electric sitar! Donovan's vocals are completely sublime, too – done in that raspy, almost lispy style that brings out all the best edges in his songwriting – and the lyrics of the tunes are a mind-expanding array of themes that really pushed the boundaries of 60s pop. Titles include the sublime classic "Sunshine Superman", plus "Bert's Blues", "The Fat Angel", "The Trip", "Celeste", "Three Kingfishers", and the funky funky "Season Of The Witch"!

One of the great ones from the end of the 70s for George Duke – a ridiculously fertile period for Duke, which is a great thing – because he closed out the decade on a wave of excellent releases! On Follow The Rainbow, George is grooving just a bit more smoothly than before, and it's maybe not as much of a jazz album as some of earlier sets – which is just fine, because this album's also got some great modern numbers that follow in an Earth Wind & Fire-style spiritual soul tradition! Sheila E is in the group, and joins Lynn Davis and Josie James on vocals – and the three of them give the record a strong R&B vibe on the best cuts. Titles include "Festival", "Say That You Will", "Funkin' For The Thrill", "I Am For Real (May The Funk Be With You)", "Pluck", "Corine", "Straight From The Heart" and "Sunrise".

An excellent collection of early work recorded under Johnny Hodges' name in the early years – sessions from 1938 and 1939, issued here on LP format in the mid 50s under LP format, with a nice cover by William Steig! The tracks are a great assortment of small group numbers that focus on Hodges' tremendous tone on alto sax – recorded with Ellingtonian players that include the Duke himself, as well as Cootie Williams, Harry Carney, Sonny Greer, Lawrence Brown, and Billy Taylor. Titles include "Empty Ballroom Blues", "Jeep's Blues", "Good Gal Blues", "Skunk Hollow Blues", "Hodge Podge", and "Rent Party Blues".

An excellent album that features late 30s recordings by some of Duke Ellington's most famous sidemen! The groups on most of these are fairly similar – mostly small group sessions from the larger Ellington outfit – pulled out in ways that give a strong focus on the solo talents of the session leader – and as with other packages in this series, the fidelity is much better than the original singles, and accompanied with full notes on the music! Titles include "Rexatious" and "Lazy Man's Shuffle" by Rex Stewart; "Echoes Of Harlem", "Swing Pan Alley", and "I Can't Believe You're In Love With Me" by Cootie Williams; "The Rabbit's Jump", "Pyramid", and "Jitterbug's Lullaby" by Johnny Hodges; and "Caravan" and "Stompy Jones" by Barney Bigard.

One of those records that we remember dismissing at the time – but honestly, it really lives up to repeated listenings in later years! Sure, Michael Jackson's no longer working with Quincy Jones – and instead goes for Teddy Riley and some other (then) contemporary producers – but that all makes for a very solid 90s crossover vibe – perfect for radio play a the time, not to mention heavy video rotation too – and definitely still another jewel in the crown of the King of Pop! Titles include "Remember The Time", "Why You Wanna Trip On Me", "In The Closet", "Jam", "Dangerous", "Gone Too Soon", "Will You Be There", "Black Or White", "She Drives Me Wild", and "Can't Let Her Get Away".

Michael, if only you'd stayed at this level! This 1979 solo album by Michael is a killer batch of soul grooves – one of best moments ever, and a crowning cap to a stellar 70s run – both as a younger solo act, and with the whole Jackson family! Quincy Jones produced, and the album's got a funky undercurrent that's really stunning – clubby, yet plenty darn soulful, with a wickedly sly groove that others would try to copy for years, but never fully match. Titles include seminal groovers like "Rock With You", "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough", "Working Day And Night", "Girlfriend", "Off The Wall", "Burn This Disco Out" and more. Amazing amazing amazing work from the to-be-coronated King Of Pop!

Genius jazzy soul from Webster Lewis – one of his amazing late 70s sets for Epic Records! By this point in his career, Lewis had honed his keyboard craft to perfection – and on albums like this one, he laid down some excellent smooth soulful fusion that soared in a righteous way that few other artists of his generation could match! The sound's never cheesy, and has a wonderfully fusion-based bottom that's served up by a range of great players that include Paul Jackson, James Gadson, and Bennie Maupin – and which is topped off by very jazz-sensitive production from Lewis and Herbie Hancock. Most cuts have vocals – some by Lewis himself – and the album includes the monster dancefloor cut "Give Me Some Emotion", plus the cuts "Fire", "Go For It", "You Deserve To Dance", and "The Love You Give To Me".

Heavy funk from Teena Marie – a self-produced killer for mid 80s Epic Records – done with some even bolder grooves than before, in ways that definitely show the hallmarks of the Prince generation! The 80s was a hell of a good time to be a female funk artist on her own – and Teena more than takes advantage of that fact here – stepping out with a proud, loud groove that's undeniable – very much a female-positive moment that some folks occasionally overlook in their accounts of 80s soul. All tracks are Teena originals, right on the money – and titles include "Emerald City", "Once Is Not Enough", "You So Heavy", "Lips To Find You", "Love Me Down Easy", and "Sunny Skies".

Easily one of the most successful albums of the British jazz rock years – but still a longtime favorite of ours as well! Mike Oldfield sets a whole new standard here for concept rock – not only by working on a single album-length composition that spans all of sides one and two, but also by playing all instruments himself – in a one man symphony of sound that's pretty darn great! The main theme of the piece will be recognizable from it's stripped-down use in The Exorcist – but we really love Oldfield's expansion on it here in a range of different overdubbed instruments, which are also sometimes processed – and then introduced by Mike in a spoken part that's one of the highlights of the album.

This is the one that really nailed it for Jaco Pastorious – a brilliant showcase for all his many talents on the bass, and a key illustration of the way that he influenced an entire generation! Sure, Jaco in Weather Report was already pretty darn great – but here, on his own, he really gets to sparkle – jamming hard with heavyweights on some funky numbers, sliding out in spacey territory on mellow cuts, and even trying out a few more experimental moments that are far beyond what most other bassists might imagine for a debut of this nature. Players on the date include Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Don Alias on percussion, Lenny White on drums, Hubert Laws on flute, and Randy Brecker on trumpet – and titles include "Portrait Of Tracy", "Donna Lee", "Continuum", "Okonkole Y Trompa", "Kuru/Speak Like a Child", "Opus Pocus", and "Come On Come Over".

After Minnie Riperton's heavenly first album on Cadet – the sublime Come To My Garden – this one's got to be her most perfectly realized full LP! The album's a sparkling work of jazzy soul, with touches of the heavenly production that Minnie got in years past, and lots of smooth mellow songs that are perfectly suited to her other-worldly voice. Includes the massive track "Baby, This Love I Have" – a slow funk number that's be sampled many times over the years – plus the spacey tunes "Minnie's Lament", "Inside My Love", and "Alone In Brewster Bay", remade from Minnie's first LP.

Double vinyl collection with 14 tracks of the best of the RZA productions from 1993-95, reminding us just how dope RZA and the rest of the Wu-Tang were back then. Each side starts out with spoken Wu-history lesson from RZA. Includes RZA "Wu-Wear" (non-lp track), GZA "Liquid Swords", Method Man "Method Man", "Bring The Pain", "All I Need", Raekwon "Incarcerated Scarfaces", "Ice Cream", Ghostface "Winter Warz", "All I Got Is You", Ol Dirty Bastard "Shimmy Shimmy Ya", "Brooklyn Zoo", Wu-Tang Clan "Ain't Nuthing Ta F' With", "Protect Ya Neck", "C.R.E.A.M."

Sly's leaping into the air on the cover of this one – and for good reason too, given the overall groove of the set! The album's a bit more stripped-down and upbeat than the previous few – almost more of a return to the simple funky style of the first albums, but with a slightly more electric sound than before – especially in the keyboards, which almost slide into the mix here with a Stevie Wonder-like quality. The electricity bubbles and brews wonderfully at the bottom of the rhythms – charging things up a bit, but still hanging back with a super-cool, laidback quality that few other groups could muster! There's a great sense of balance here that's brilliant – and which makes the album one of Sly's undisputed masterpieces from the Columbia years. Titles include the incredible "If You Want Me To Stay" – one of our favorite Sly Stone cuts ever – plus "Keep on Dancin", "Babies Making Babies", "Que Sera Sera", "If It Were Left Up To Me", "In Time", and "Let Me Have It All".

A damn great bit of 80s soul – the only album ever issued by Smoke City, but a killer set that we've loved for many years – especially given the group's link to the Chicago scene! The set's perfectly put together – head and shoulders above so much other major label soul of the time – with a mature, sophisticated groove that's really wonderful – almost an extension of the styles explored by Philly International at the start of the 80s, taken forward at a time when so many others were amping up their drum machines and going for too-commercial riffs in their grooves. The vocals alternate nicely between lead male singer Daveon Overton and female singer Starr – and the album also alternates between 80s groove, quiet storm numbers, and even a few slyly jazzy numbers that are perfect for the hipper side of the mainstream soul spectrum at the time. Titles include "Dreams", "Life Of the Party", "Time To Jam", "Back Seat Kind Of Girl", "In The World Of Fantasy", and "Cafe Francois".

An album of his that used to get overlooked, but which has come back into demand after the great track "I Almost Got To Heaven Once" was sampled to great effect by Ice Cube. Also includes the funky "Ain't Gonna Bump No More", which was Joe's attempt to hit the dancefloor, plus "We Held On", "Hungry For Your Love", and "Leaving You Dinner".

The classic debut! Tracks include "More Than A Feeling", "Peace Of Mind", "Hitch A Ride", "Smokin", "Let Me Take You Home Tonight", and "Foreplay/Long Time".

A jazz rock classic that still sounds pretty darn tasty today – forged on the heels of Chicago and Blood Sweat & Tears, but with a sound that's leaner and meaner! The group's led by trumpeter Bill Chase – hence their name – and features lead vocals by GG Shinn and Terry Richards, both in a style that's got the same blue-eyed jazz soul overtones as that used by the groups mentioned above. The real strength of the tracks, though, is their jazzy backings – horn-heavy, as you'd expect, and hitting some great riffs and licks on the album's side-long title "suite", which features many instrumental passages. Titles include "Hades", "Aphrodite (parts 1 & 2)", "Zeus", "Poseidon", "Cronus", "It Won't Be Long", "I Can Feel It", and "Night".

Donovan at his jazzy best – really picking up where Mellow Yellow left off, and pushing the jazz influences in his sound to deeper lengths! Mr Leitch is a million miles away from his Dylanesque early roots on the set – and is working in territory that's completely his own – a beautiful blend of folk, psychedelic, and jazz-based modes – handled with simple charm throughout, and performed by a group that includes funky sound library genius Alan Hawkshaw on piano, and the great Harold McNair on flute! The title track "Barabajagal" is one of Donovan's most amazing tunes of all time – a funky little number that dances around with some great heavy drums, and which also features guitar by a young Jeff Beck! Other titles include "The Love Song", "Trudi", "Atlantis", "Superlungs My Supergirl", "I Love My Shirt", and "Pamela Jo".

A late 70s classic from jazzy funk master George Duke! Master Of The Game is an excellent mix of jazz, smooth soul, and Latin riffing – really a perfect blend of styles that shows not only how far George's sound had progressed throughout the 70s, it also charts the development of the California scene during the late 70s. George has musical help from Ray Obeido, Roland Bautista, and Sheila E – plus vocals by Lynn Davis, Josie James, and Napoleon Brock. The tracks have a smooth sound that works perfectly with Duke's best keyboard approaches – subduing his tenency to "rock out" a bit, but bringing forward his classic ability to hit a stone mellow groove. Titles include "I Want You For Myself", "Every Little Step I Take", "Look What You Find", "I Love You More", "Dog Man", and "Games".

Killer soul from Heatwave – a tight little group who definitely made the UK proud at the end of the 70s! The album's a bit more obscure than the group's first few, but the sound is very much the same – a warmly grooving approach that's neither too disco, nor too sleepy – always catchy on the hooks, and recorded with a nicely flanged style on the vocals – so that they're compressed a bit, and slide nicely in alongside the beats and keys! The mighty Rod Tempterton's still handling a good deal of the arrangements on the set, and some of the backings are orchestrated by Johnny Cameron – almost in a late 70s update of his earlier funky style. Titles include the funky cut "Gangsters Of The Groove", plus "All I Am", "Dreamin You", "Party Suite", "Posin Til Closin", "Turn Around", and "Where Did I Go Wrong", a sweet little ballad.

Some of Bobbi Humphrey's greatest work of the post-Blue Note years – an album that's filled with soulful fusion tunes throughout, all with a great focus on her funky flute! Bobbi also sings a bit on the set, but in a way that's pretty darn great – wonderfully sweet at times, with a bit of an influence from Minnie Riperton that really warms up the set. Arrangements are by Cleveland Eaton, with a bit of help from Art Jenkins – and production is by Ralph MacDonald, who clearly has a great ear for the blend of jazz and soul that Bobbi's going for on the set. And although Larry Mizell's not on board, some of the cuts here still have that stepping/sliding sort of groove from Bobby's Mizell-produced Blue Note years – a really wonderful sound that's a perfect showcase for her uniquely jazzy talents on the flute! Tracks include "Freestyle", "Home Made Jam", "Sunset Burgundy", "Good Times", "My Destiny", "I Could Love You More", and "If You Want It".

Arguably the last true moment of genius in Michael Jackson's career – a record that sold a bazillion copies around the world – and for plenty good reason! Michael's still working here with Quincy Jones – in territory that steps nicely from the Off The Wall groove, into territory that's somewhat more poppy, but still quite soulful overall. And yes, the success of the album meant that cuts like "Billie Jean", "Thriller", and "Beat It" got plenty of play – thanks to both heavy radio and video rotation – but a few decades later, there's still a tremendous amount of depth here – on great cuts like "Human Nature", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin", and "PYT" – which all hold up nicely!

An unlikely bit of southern funk! Richard Newell – aka King Biscuit Boy – is a white Canadian blues performer, and not the kind of guy we'd normally rate – but on this album, he's lucky enough to get production from Allen Toussaint, who goes full-out to make this a fine fine funky session! The record's got plenty of nice snapping bass and drum parts, very much in the tradition of Toussaint's own best funky work – and it really grooves along nicely with a heavy New Orleans sound. Titles include "The Bum Is Mine", "Mean Old Lady", "Mind Over Matter", "Lovers & Leapers", and "Deaf Dumb Crippled & Blind".

One of George Duke's best albums for the MPS label – and a set that has a sound that's a little bit more soul than before! The album uses a fair bit of vocals alongside Duke's funky keyboards – but in a way that's not nearly as smooth as some of his albums for Epic, and which still retains all the best spacey and cosmic bits of his roots! The record's got a strong west coast soul feel – with elements of some of the jazzy funk of the Fantasy Records/Bay Area scene, and elements of the electric funk that was starting to come out of LA at the time – and there's a huge host of guest stars on the record, including Johnny Guitar Watson (who sings on one track), Emil Richards (who plays marimba), and Flora Purim (who does her usual thing!) Titles include "Chariot", "Someday", "That's What She Said", "Sister Serene", "Prepare Yourself", "Rokkinrowl", and "Look Into Her Eyes".

Double LP reissue of the Johnny Green score for the film Raintree Country – including all of the long passages written to accompany the epic action of the cinematic spectacle. Titles include "Flash Perkins", "July Picnic", "War Begins", "Battle Montage", "War's End", and "Her Death". First time in stereo, too!

The Jimi Hendrix Experience at their most classic! Tripped out bluesy cosmic rock ferocity and great songs, too – firing on all cylinders here on the middle record of their ultra epic three LP series of unimpeachable greatness. Titles include "EXP", "Up From The Skies", "Spanish Castle Magic", "Castles Made Of Sand", "She's So Fine", "One Rainy Wish", "Bold As Love" and more.

A brilliantly evocative album from Pat Metheny – one that's got a quietly epic feel, as Pat and group soar out across the American landscape in a set of tunes that subtly explore space and sound while still remaining wonderfully fluid. There's nothing forced here, and nothing too slick – just a magical blend of acoustic and electric sounds, touched with those mystical notes that seem to flow effortlessly from the hands of keyboardist Lyle Mays. Titles include "The Epic", "American Garage", "Cross The Heartland", "Airstream", and "The Search".

The Rolling Stones at their rawest, most shambling, sleazy and brilliant – the epic, unimpeachable Exile On Main Street! What can we say about one of the most iconic LPs of all time other than chime in with our agreement that it's one of the greatest rock albums ever! Big choruses come and go, but the easy hooks of earlier and later Stones hits are buried in mud, grit and a sleazy bluesy groove. Titles include "Rocks Off", "Rip This Joint", "Tumbing Dice", "Sweet Virginia", "Loving Cub", "Torn And Frayed", "Let It Loose", "All Down The Line", "Shine A Light", "Soul Survivor" and more.

The first album by Shotgun – one of the many major label funk groups who flourished briefly at the end of the 70s. The group have a harder sound than most of this nature – with plenty of guitars in the mix, and an overall heavier sound than you'd expect from an effort of this type. In fact, there's almost a rock/funk kind of groove going on – one that would be more typical of early 70s crossover efforts on Epic, in the wake of Sly Stone and other artists like that. Tracks include "Concrete Jungle", "Get Down with the Get Down", "Mutha Funk", "Hot Line", "Dynamite (The Bomb)", and "Good Thing".

A mix of dramatic moments and slight exotic themes from Franz Waxman – penned for an early 60s film that starred Yul Brynner as Taras Bulba and Tony Curtis as his son! Waxman's music has a gloriously full sort of sound – every bit the best Hollywood mode for an action epic like this – with enough ancient themes to trump some of the similar efforts coming out of the European film scene at the time. Instrumentation is heavy on strings and woodwinds, often arranged with great complexity amidst the drama – and titles include "The Black Plague", "Tara's Pledge", "No Retreat", "Leaving Home", "Chase At Night", "The Sleigh Ride", "The Birth Of Andrei", and "The Ride To Dubno".

Great smooth soul from Wee Gee – a wonderful little record from the dawn of the 80s! The album's a great one, thanks largely to Vernon Bullock, who wrote, arranged, and produced with that uptempo modern style that he brought to his best work of the 70s. The soaring title track is a 10+ minute epic that really transcends – hitting an emotional groove early and holding it throughout – and the rest of the tunes are just as nice! Wee Gee's a pretty decent vocalist – and the lofty arrangements keep him in the groove in a mode that's similar to some of Lamont Dozier's best work. The keys and synthesizers are nice – never oversteeped in ways that mired modern soul later in the decade and they go very will with the larger arrangements! Titles include "Hold On (To Your Dreams)", "Let Me Lay With You", "You've Been A Part Of Me", "Remember The Love", and "Don't Make Me The Reason".

A masterful tribute from one bad cat to another – and easily one of Miles Davis' greatest electric albums ever! The album's got a powerful, epic sort of feel – a renewed focus after the looser style of Bitches Brew, and the 70s live albums – and one that mixes a deeper funky sound with the raw, exploratory style Davis had let loose a few years before. Michael Henderson's bass is a big part of the power of the record, and John McLaughlin's guitar has never sounded better, or sharper. Teo Macero made the whole thing magic in the studio, and titles include two sidelong funkdafied jams – "Right Off" and "Yesternow".

Do not buy this expecting hissy, atonal blip hop – El-Producto is the marquee name here, but this is decisively a late model avant garde jazz record – and a pretty sweet one at that! As with many of the better records in the Blue Series, Matthew Shipp's piano rolls through the center most of the time, loosely keeping the groove going so the crack group can improvise around the edges. Blessedly, the group is more than happy to keep an underlying melodicism at the core – it's always a little ragged, but never too self consciously out. The usual Thirsty Ear subjects are in the mix – Guillermo Brown on drums, Roy Campbell, William Parker on bass, and Steve Swell on trombone. "Produced, arranged, composed and mixed" by El-P – which seems like a pretty heavy workload, but we think he fleshed ideas out with the group at the stage of conception, and let the boys do what they do, largely improvising the results. And you really can feel El-P's intellectual presence in spots, particular the sudden shifts in drum patterns, which kind of mirror the producer's penchant for drivingly broken beats. Regardless of whoever is most responsible, it's a very nice record. It's interesting without trying too damn hard to be weird, and melodic without being too cloying. Tracks include "Please Stay (Yesterday), the epic "Sunrise Over Bklyn", "Get Your Hand Off My Shoulder, Pig", "Get Modal", "Intrigue In The House Of India", "Something Is Wrong", "When The Moon Was Blue" and more.

One of our favorite Metheny moments ever – and one of the few albums of his that we can go back to, and still enjoy heartily! The album's wonderfully stripped down – and features only guitar by Metheny, keyboards by Lyle Mays, and percussion and vocals by Nana Vasconcelos, all blended together with some sublime ECM production by Manfred Eicher, who's really got "the sound" in full effect here, pillowtizing all the instrumentation into wonderful washes of color and tone. The standout track is the 20 minute epic "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls" – and other tunes include "It's For You", "Estupenda Graca", and "Ozark".

A sprawling classic from Prince – that tracks that perfect the pop, funk & soul kaleidoscope of his best 80s jams, and adding a remarkable, previously unexplored depth and breadth of styles! A lot of folks tried to designate Prince's massive, fearless, beginning-of-the-end-of-the-80s epic Sign O The Times as his What's Going On – which was never really fair to Prince, or to Marvin Gaye for the matter – but it's filled with great cuts – including the minimalist funky groover of a title track, with its superficial social consciousness that's very much of its 80s era, and all the more fascinating for that – plus massive hit "U Got The Look", "If I Was Your Girlfriend", "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man", "The Cross", "Hot Thing", and "Starfish & Coffee". 17 tracks in all.

Pretty compelling stuff from Brit arranger Ray Martin! Sound Of Sight – a record that's exactly what it's titled at – a very visual set of sounds, made up mostly from music, but also featuring some cool sound effects as well – all laid out over original tunes by Martin, which act almost like these mini-movies in sound! The scoring is quite dramatic, and most numbers go for much longer than usual for the average Phase 4 album – and the 1963 date of the record makes for a handful of groovy touches mixed in with the more traditional cinematic styles. Titles include "Hoodunit", "Tearjerker", "Egyptian Epic", "Westorama", "Flagwaver", and "Cartoonik".

Lou returns to his uptempo dance roots with this album – a mix of funky soul and uptempo tracks that differs from his mellower album on Epic from 1974. The material is still pretty great, though, and even on the more throwaway cuts, Lou's soulful vocals ring out loud and clear, keeping things real when they might be falling to pieces. Arrangements are by Lou and Leon Pendarvis – and the record does feature one incredible mellow soul cut – the excellent "Come To Me" – plus the tracks "Danger", "Love Is A Joker", "Amen For Good Music", "Don't Stop The Box", and "To The Bone".