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This promo 12" of tracks off Diamond's first LP, was issued at the time of the Hatred, Passions & Infidelities album.

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". This Soulmusic.com edition has 2 bonus tracks: "Home-Made Jam (Extended Version)" and "Sunset Burgundy (Single Version)".

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".

The smoking return of Martha High – a singer who worked famously with James Brown during his funk years, but who never got the same shot at full-length fame as Lyn Collins or Marva Whitney! Martha's every bit as great – and although she did cut later records in the disco years, it's only recently that folks have finally discovered the true depths of her talents – as she's returned to the fold with amazing vocals, and strong support from the global funk underground! After a previous set with Shaolin Temple Defenders, Martha breaks out even more strongly here with backing from Speedometer – a UK combo who've played together for years, and are already razor-sharp on their own – making for the perfect sort of groove to restore High to the sound of her years with James Brown. The album's brilliant all the way through – not a rehash of older modes, but a rich union of two very strong talents – coming together in an effort that's definitely greater than the sum of its parts. Titles include "I'd Rather Go Blind", "No More Heartaches", "No Man Worries", "Never Never Love A Married Man", "You Got It", "You Got Me Started", "Dragging Me Down", and "Trouble Man".

The smoking return of Martha High – a singer who worked famously with James Brown during his funk years, but who never got the same shot at full-length fame as Lyn Collins or Marva Whitney! Martha's every bit as great – and although she did cut later records in the disco years, it's only recently that folks have finally discovered the true depths of her talents – as she's returned to the fold with amazing vocals, and strong support from the global funk underground! After a previous set with Shaolin Temple Defenders, Martha breaks out even more strongly here with backing from Speedometer – a UK combo who've played together for years, and are already razor-sharp on their own – making for the perfect sort of groove to restore High to the sound of her years with James Brown. The album's brilliant all the way through – not a rehash of older modes, but a rich union of two very strong talents – coming together in an effort that's definitely greater than the sum of its parts. Titles include "I'd Rather Go Blind", "No More Heartaches", "No Man Worries", "Never Never Love A Married Man", "You Got It", "You Got Me Started", "Dragging Me Down", and "Trouble Man".

A wonderful full album from keyboardist Jessica Lauren – a London talent we've loved for years, and have watched mature deeply over the past few decades! Jessica's keyboards have graced a number of key recordings from the past 20 years or so on the British scene – but she's issued woefully few albums under her own name, which makes this jazzy session an even greater treat! Jessica plays acoustic piano and organ on the record – the latter of which still brings in some of the more electric modes we know from her roots – while the piano tones ring out with a beautifully earthy feel – alongside bass, drums, and a heck of a lot of percussion – more than enough to bring in plenty of Latin and other global elements to the music! Most tunes are instrumentals, but the set does feature guest vocals from Jocelyn Brown on the tracks "Happiness Train" and "I Believe". Instrumental cuts include "The Name Of Fela Will Always Stand For Freedom", "White Mountain", "Vaya Con Dios", "Dogtown", "Gangaman", and "Mel Benson".

A fantastic full length set from Quasimode – the Japanese club jazz combo who first blew our minds with their single for Raw Fusion! Hearing them here in a full LP, the sound is even better than before – a range of jazzy changes and tight instrumental work that reminds us of Blue Note or Prestige in their mid 60s prime – with a wonderful blend of soul jazz and hardbop styles running through the mix, plus a fair bit of rolling modal rhythms aimed at the sound of the contemporary scene! Tunes are mostly upbeat throughout – and build from percussion, piano, bass, and drums – topped off by additional tenor, trumpet, soprano, and vibes on some numbers – and also featuring a bit of Fender Rhodes as well. The album features the group's great version of Tubby Hayes' "Down In The Village", plus the original tracks "Oneself Likeness", "Feelin Green", "Skelton Coast", "Ipe Amarelo", "Lucky Luciano", "Giant Black Shadow", and "1000 Days For Spirit".

Funky Afro Soul from Oz – the brilliant full length debut of Shaolin Afronauts! Flight Of The Ancients blasts off from the bedrock of 70s West Africa and Ethio funk influences, but their one of the rare few combos who pull it off without it feeling like a retread of past glories. Part of that success stems from their working really well in a number of modes – filtering classic funky soul and jazz funk influences with modern inventiveness and brilliant musicianship. Drums and congas bring the percussive heat with a great horn section of saxes, trumpets and bass clarinet, tight guitar grooves and heavy bass. A solid combo from the fertile Australian funk scene! Includes "Journey Through Time", "Rise With The Blind", "Flight Of The Ancients", "Shaolin Theme", "Kilimanjaro", "Shira", "The Quiet Lion" and "The Scarab".

A compilation of sorts, but one with a really unified groove – thanks to the fact that most tracks here feature work by all the same players! The album's a project headed up by Lance Ferguson of the Bamboos – and it's a collection of funky 45-styled tunes with a definite old school feel – all billed to different artists, in a mode that's similar to some of the "fake" compilations done by Poets Of Rhythm years back! Like those records, the grooves here are all played by the same batch of musicians, named differently on each track – a combo that features Lance on some super-sharp guitar, and which sounds a lot like the best funky 45 work of The Bamboos. Even cooler, though, is the fact that all the cuts here are older funk classics from the late 60s and early 70s – killer originals that are redone here in versions that are as good, if not better than, the originals. CD features 12 titles that include "Whatcha Feel Is Whatcha Get" by Prince Nafa & His Polynesians, "Yo Yo" by Alvarado Rodriguez Trio + 4, "Honky Tonk Popcorn" by Pacific Rhythm Combo, "Black Feeling" by Luther Harris, "Executive Party" by Zoltar, "Licking Stick Licking Stick" by Rusty Garnett, and "Ghetto Funk" by Queens Community Show Band.

Funky covers galore – mostly contemporary tracks, but a few classics as well – all pulled together in support of the Craig Charles Show on BBC! Craig's got a long-standing reputation as a soul collector, funk fanatic, and all around groovy guy – and over the past decade, his show has almost become to funk and soul what John Peel's was to rock back in the day – a great place to discover new talents and revisit old ones! This package has all the key Charles hallmarks – and features a range of grooves that includes deep funk, Afrobeat, dub, and a few more contemporary modes – all of them funky. Titles include "Rocket Man" by The Stiff Naked Fools, "Insane In The Membrane" by Prince Fatty, "Hard Work" by Smoove & Turrell, "The Clap Hands Song" by T Bird & The Breaks, "Wait A Minute" by the Excitements, "Amen Brother" by The Bamboos, "Singalong" by Treva Whateva, "Shaft In Africa" by Mighty Showstoppers, "The Snake" by Al Wilson, "Satisfaction" by Incredible Bongo Band, and "The Bump" by The Haggis Horns.

Damn wonderful work from Nathan Haines – and proof that the reigning prince of the London cosmic scene is still going strong! This long-awaited set is every bit as wonderful as anything we've heard from Haines before – a sublime blend of soulful rhythms, jazzy riffs, and righteous energy – put together with a sound that draws heavily from the most soulful music of the 70s – the kind of funky fusion and spiritual jazz records that we've always loved so much! Nathan's one of the few cats who can get a sound like this so right – so much so, we'd easily rank a record like this next to some of our classics on labels like Fantasy Records or Black Jazz. The album's stacked with plenty of great keyboards, wrapped around Haines' soulful saxophone lines – and about half the cuts feature vocals, by guests who include Marlena Shaw, Vanessa Freeman, Ty, and Tama Waipara. Titles include "Tell Me What You're Feeling", "Home", "Talkin Around", "Right Now", "Today", "Pick It Up", "Creation Calling", and "Gitmo Ritmo". Also features bonus tracks – "Creation Calling (summer street rmx)" and "Tell Me What You're Feeling (Domu voc mix)".

Wonderfully soulful work from M-Swift – one of the best producer/performers we've heard in years, working here with an assortment of great singers who include Eric Roberson, Vanessa Haynes, Marcus Begg, Donna Gardier, Tony Momrelle, and Marcina Arnold! Swift's talents really take us back to those great days of the London/Tokyo producers of the 90s – those cool cats who had a way of setting up a groove beautifully, then letting a key guest singer really stretch out and do their thing – expanding out the original work with a personal approach that makes you feel like it's all their own, yet getting enough direction from the producer to keep things plenty tight throughout. There's lots of Fender Rhodes on the set – a really warm mix with some of the beats and jazzy instrumentation – and although many voices participate in the production, the album's got a unified groove throughout all its many flavors. Titles include "Brighter Days", "Make It On My Own", "Greater Love", "Evening Sun", "Feeling", "Time", "Anything", "Joy Of Life", "All This Love", "Come Freak With Me", "Set You Free", "The Sun", and "This Is It".

A deeper, spacier set from Shaolin Afronauts – and one that goes a bit further into the cosmos, as you might guess from the title and cover art – though it's still firmly rooted in timeless Afro Soul and Funk! Once again, the greatest West African soul, jazz and funk of the 70s provides the most vital inspiration for the group – but the Afronauts go further with the freewheeling jazzy atmosphere on this one – especially on the longer cuts. The majority of tracks run longer than 5 minutes, giving them plenty of evolutionary space to travel, over the funky bedrock that's paved underneath. The horns are fantastic – with nine credited players – along with stellar drums and percussion, guitar, bass, Hammond and Rhodes.Includes "Brooklyn", "Gayanamede Prelude", "Winds Across Gayanamede", "Los Angeles", "Quest Under Capricorn", "End Of A Sun", "Amhara", "Forests Of Io" and "Saturn's Dance". 9 tracks on the vinyl version.

A great Latin boogaloo set from Ray Lugo & his Boogaloo Destroyers – fulfilling Lugo's longtime ambition of modern take a the mix of Latin soul, rhythm & blues and more that were so inspiring to Lugo's childhood in NYC! Lugo is a veteran of the modern Afro Funk scene – having cut his teeth the the excellent Kokolo group – so the Boogaloo Destroyers isn't all that surprising of a stylistic leftturn, as all we've heard from Lugo suggest a depth of understand of myriad soulful styles. Here they cover classics by Mongo Santamaria, Hector Rivera, Roberto Valentin and others. Includes "Soy El Rey", "Swingy Boogaloo", "Combo", "At The Party", "Me And You Baby (Picao Y Tostao)", the excellent original cut "Lugo's Boogaloo", "My Shingaling", "El Bantu" and more.

The soul underground of today – proof that there's still some amazingly deep music being made in the 21st Century, as long as you know where to look! The groups here are all contemporary, but they work strongly in the sounds of the 60s and 70s – the best funk and soul modes from that classic generation, put together faithfully, but with a fresh approach too – given the youthful energy that most of these artists bring to their recordings! There's just a few contemporary touches here and there, but overall most of the production and instrumentation is very much in the best vintage mode – on these cuts pulled from hard to find imports and rare 7" single releases of the past few years. But hardly just take our word for it – there's plenty to please your ears the moment you jump into the set – cuts that include "You What" by The Andy Tolman Cartel, "Poker Nights Theme" by The Delicious Allstars, "Shaft In Africa" by The Mighty Showstoppers, "Put Leg To Road" by Ariya Astrobeat Arkestra, "Mr G" by Jessica Lauren Four, "Cockroach Grind" by The Haggis Horns, "Kekfeny" by The Qualitons, "Cramp Your Style" by The Killer Meters, "Cascade" by Renegades Of Jazz, "Hey Girl" by Jo Stance, and "Something's Gotta Give" by Nick Van Gelder.

Snowboy returns with another batch of grooves in the Hi Hat series – the first volume we've heard under that name in awhile – and while the sound is still great, the format here is a bit different than before! The style this time around is heavily jazzy – and pulled from records that are even more obscure than those used on previous volumes – mostly relatively recent recordings from the past decade or so, but those which were ignored the first time around – making the music here seem even more fresh! Most of the numbers are titles that were buried in more conventional records, but which stand out as modern jazz dance tracks – keeping the spirit of modal, hardbop, and Latin-styled jazz grooves alive and well on the dancefloor – as testified by the album's photos from Snowboy's Hi Hat club night! Titles include "Sunny Day (live)" by Jon Lucien, "Speed Trap" by Peter King, "If I Perish" by Terrell Stafford, "Our Man In Havana" by Cubana Bop, "Seven Steps To Heaven" by World Saxophone Quartet, "Caribbean Fire Dance" by Bobby Sanabria & Ascension, "Blue Bossa" by McCoy Tyner Latin Big Band, and "Fical Mal Com Deus" by Airto.

Veteran LA emcee and Freestyle Fellowship co-founder Aceyalone is as slick as ever on this tight effort for Decon! Solid work from one of the most consistently sharp west coast gamers. Lots of old school funky soul and jazz grooves in the DNA here, too. Good stuff! Includes "30 And Up", "I Cant Get It Myself" feat Bionik, "Leanin' O Slick", "One Cup, Two Cup", "Cold Piece", "ass The Hint", "I'm No Casanova", "Workin' Man's Blues" feat Cee Lo, Gboss, "Things Get Better" with Daniel Merriweather and Hit The Road" feat Treasure Davis and Bionik.

We can never remember if Andre "late of Motown" Harrell was Mr. Hyde or Dr. Jeckyll. "AM-PM" has that classic old-school freestyle lyrics over heavy beats sound. Produced and cowritten by Kurtis Blow.

Solid work from one of the longest running players in the game – the mighty Edo G! Longtime hip hop fans surely know Edo's name, but his longevity and consistently strong output make him one of hip hop's more unsung careerists. Intelligence & Ingorance features production by Oh No, Microphono, Max Mostley & RMG – and the titles include "Done Talking", "What They Say", "Power", "Easy", "Love I Need" with Freestyle, "Bags & Shoes", "Give It To Me", "Can't Wait" and "Change" with Noel Gourdin and "Hold U".

Probably the best track off the second Mantronix LP. The 12-inch version fills out the trademark Mantronix sound with more syth and effects and the Freestyle dub is the more spare version. And then everything drops out but the bass kick and high hat on the 'bonus beat' version.

The always surprising, always funky, always great Brazilian Beats series goes one volume deeper! The far-reaching tendencies of Brazilian Beats never fails to impress, and nearly overwhelm. Number 5 keeps the contemporary club and dancefloor scheme well out front, with appearances by many of the gods and goddesses of Brazilian musical culture like Elis Regina and Mario Castro Neves on the set, younger innovators like Bossa Tres, and a slew of talents that introduce some really incredible breakbeat and hip hop influences! It takes a special track list to seamlessly string elements of bossa and samba with such seemingly disparate contemporary club sounds – but that's why we keep following these compilations, isn't it? 18 tracks in all: Tejo, Black Alien & Speed "Follow Me Follow Me (Sao Benitez Radio Edit)", Stereo Maracana "Freestyle Love", Jorge Ben Jr. "Take It Easy My Brother Charles", Edson Frederico "Bobeira", Marku Ribas "Zamba Ben", Marcelo D2 "A Maldicao Do Samba", Jackson Do Pandeiro "Eu Balanco (Beatfanatic Rework)", Bossa Tres "Imprevisto", Mario Castro Neves & Samba S.A. "Candomble", Elis Regina "Ye Mele", Jorge Ben "Xica Da Silva", Sasso "Tudo Bem" and MUCH more!

A strong, well-assembled History Of Queensbridge – featuring rarities and freestyles from breakout hip hip superstars, blueprint era legends and longtime underground heavies alike – include Nas, Mobb Deep, Kool G Rap, Noreaga, Tragedi Khadafi, Cormega and more! Features MCs from Queensbridge proper and collabos with legends from elsewhere in and around NYC – and the titles include "Testaments" by Cormega, "Black Life" by Mobb Deep & ACD, ""Triple Threat" by Nas, Noreaga & Nature, "Holla Back To Dope" by Kool G Rap & Nas, "Freestyle S**t" by Cormega feat Busta Rhymes, "Real" by Tragedy Khadafi, 'Freestyle 1994" by Mobb Deep, "Gun Ring" by E Money Bags, "Thug Chronicles" by Kool G Rap & Havoc, "Betrayal" by Nature & Tragedy Khadafi and more. 20 tracks in all.

10 tracks that sum up the hopes for modern funk and underground soul – circa 1993! The set was a big one back in its day, and it still provides a good picture of what the kids were digging during those difficult years for modern groove. Titles include "Chameleon" by Jazz Warriors, "Taurus Woman" by The Subterraneans with Mardou Fox, "Don't Say Nothin" by Opaz, "Kickin Jazz" by Outlaw, "Bad Brother" by Ronny Jordan, "Inner City Boundaries" by Freestyle Fellowship, "Loud Minority (club mix)" by United Future Organization, "Revival (rebirth edit)" by Martine Girault, and "Caroline" by MC Solaar.

Title track from the "Likwidation" LP. Leans toward the funk side of the 'Liks sound, with some freestyle-type back and forth verses, and, of course, more rhymes about their signature topic.

Why is this album sooooo tough to find in an original pressing? Along with Showbiz and AG's first EP, and Lord Finesse's first couple releases, this album introduced the world to one of the longest running and most solid crews in hip hop, DITC. Classic and oft-imitated Diamond beats that laid the blueprint for so much hip hop to follow, including "Sally's Got A One Track Mind," "Best Kept Secret," "I'm Outta Here," "Check One, Two", "F*ck What U Heard", "Freestyle (Yo That's The Sh..)" and more! 2 LPs, with loads of great guest stars, like Lakim Shabazz, Big L, Fat Joe, and Brand Nubian.

Yeah, yeah, Luke and the 2 Live Crew are responsible for an entire chapter of Hip Hop history we'd rather forget, but even DJ Shadow is giving the early records dap these days. This is their first LP – the blueprint for all Bass music to come. "We Want Some P***y", "Throw The D", "Beat Box", "Get It Girl" and the very respectable scratch track "Mr Mixx On TheMix!!", plus "2 Live Is What We Are. . .(word)", "Check It oUt Yall. . .(freestyle rappin)" and "Cut It Up".

Cool grooves from the icy north – a tremendous illustration of the hip sounds that have been coming from Finland in recent years! Helsinki may not immediately sprint to mind as a source of jazz or soul – at least not in classic terms – but in the 21st century, the city's fast become home to some of the most organic, most authentic jazz and soul acts we can think of – all really committed traditionalists who've been making some wonderful music that really resonates strongly with our favorites from the 60s and 70s! The sticker on the package bills the set as "club jazz", and while that music is featured strongly here, there's also a fair bit of great underground soul as well – all sung in English, and done with a quality level that resonates strongly with the best of the American Neo Soul scene! Titles include "Blueprint" by Five Corners Quintet, "Say It" by Nicole Willis, "Delirious" by Quintessence, "Spared Your Kiss" by Katrina, "Poseidon" by Dalindeo, "All You Give" by J-City, "Belong" by Dhaarmaone, "Left Hand Jazz (Cuica rmx)" by Infeckto, "Que Domingo Inquieto (Jori Huikkonen rmx)" by Freestyle Man, "Nature Girl" by Present Sence, "Heart Of Gold" by Spyritual, and "Feel" by Teddy Rok Seven.

Tracks include "Nappy Heads", "Blunted Interlude", "Recharge", "Freestyle Interlude", "Boof Baf", "Temple", "How Hard Is It?", "Some Seek Stardom", "Refugees On The Mic", and "Living Like There Ain't No Tomorrow".

A few of the nicer tracks off of the highly underappreciated Soulmates LP. Some of the best abstract west-coast styles here, featuring Aceyalone on "Faces Of The Deep", and Freestyle Fellowship on the Z-Trip remix of "Planets Ain't Aligned". You can't get away with this IN the club, but it's great if you want to get away FROM the club.

Singles, collaborations, freestyles and more from Big Pun and others. Tracks include "You Ain't A Killer", "Twins", "Watcha Gon Do" featuring Terror Squad, "How We Roll" featuring Ahanti, "Still Not A Player", "Off The Books" with the Beatnuts and lots more.