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Smooth, soulful piano from David Benoit – sounding stronger than ever here in a collection of classics recorded for the GRP label! Although the setting's often a bit electric, David plays acoustic throughout – bringing in a core sense of humanity to the tracks, and often a strong sense of individuality as his leads and solos echo out from the smoother backings. The set list is overflowing with tracks – 18 numbers in all – and titles include "Houston", "I Remember Bill Evans", "Cast Your Fate To The Wind", "Saturdays", "Some Other Sunset", "Getting Ready", "Gothic Jazz Dance", "Linus & Lucy", and "Reflections".

Sweet grooves from Lee Ritenour – a collection of the guitarist's classic recordings for the GRP label! Lee was one of the key talents who helped forge the GRP sound right from the start – that great blend of soulful and smooth that went onto have an impact on jazz for generations to come – but which is often heard best in the hands of a founder like this! Ritenour's got a great sense of space and timing, which usually keeps things far from the smooth jazz cliches that often hold back other players. There's great keyboards on many numbers – played by Bob James, Dave Grusin, and others – and titles include "Rio Funk", "13", "Butterfly", "St Bart's", "Water To Drink", "Boss City", "78th & 3rd", "Mizrab", and "Children's Games".

Great later work from Tom Scott – an artist who cut funk records at the start of the 70s, worked on some great soundtrack jazz, and really spun things out strongly in later years too! Despite Tom's placement here on the GRP label, which was then home to a lot of smooth jazz – the Scott-strong sense of bite on the reeds is still strongly in place – tuned a bit differently than in his funk years of the 70s, but still surprisingly soulful here – and with a lot more punch than most of his mellower GRP contemporaries. The track list is great – really does a lot to remind us that Tom was still sounding wonderful at this point – and titles include "Daybreak", "Dirty Old Man", "Target", "Jungle Funk", "Feet First", "Miz Thang", "Reed My Lips", "GBU", "Night Creatures", "Sneakin In The Back", "Tom Cat", "Midtown Rush", and "We Belong Together".

Angela Bofill's sublime first album – a mixture of jazzy soul and soulful jazz, all put together with a sound that's really a cut above most of her contemporaries! As with Jean Carn or Phyllis Hyman, there's a sophistication to Angela's sound here that indicates roots in much hipper territory that were still pulling strongly on her work for this mainstream set – a sound that runs deeper than you might expect for such a commercially successful record, and which has really kept it alive for years. Part of the strength of the set is the jazzy backings given the music – arranged by Dave Grusin, and carried off by himself on keyboards, with other players who include Eric Gale on guitar, Dave Valentin on reeds, Steve Gadd on drums, and Ralph MacDonald on percussion. There's a warmly glowing feel to the record that's neither slick or commercial – and titles include "Children Of The World United", "Summer Days", "Rough Times", "This Time I'll Be Sweeter", and "The Only Thing I Would Wish For".

A key bit of jazz funk from trumpeter Tom Browne – still grooving strong here, with a sublime mix of modern soul, funky jazz, and some of the 80s groove touches that showed up on the best GRP titles from the time! The album's got a smooth compressed groove – kind of post-Donald Byrd, with Tom taking solos over the top of most tracks, and occasional vocals , wither from a backing group, or an assortment of different lead singers. Players on the set include Bernard Wright, Dave Grusin, Bobby Broom, and Marcus Miller – and tracks include "I Know", "Midnight Interlude", "Let's Dance", "Night Wind", "Making Plans", "Thighs Hihg", and "Magic".

Popping jazz funk from Tom Browne, one of the hallmark tracks of the GRP label's early days, a huge crossover number that still sounds great today!

A classic – and virtually the blueprint for all spiritual soul jazz recordings of the 70s! John Coltrane's at a perfect point here – balanced between the modal hardbop of earlier years, and the freer soloing of his last few recordings. He links the traditions together with a majestic sense of power and spirituality, twisting and turning his way through a tightly woven suite of tracks that's played to perfection by the quartet of Coltrane on tenor sax, McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. Movements include "Acknowledgement", "Resolution", "Pursuance", and "Psalm".

Very expressive work from Chick Corea – a solo set from the 90s, and a great reminder of his acoustic talents on the piano! Although Chick's a player you might normally associate with electric riffs and freewheeling fusion, he's also a very sensitive stylist when he wants to be – as you'll hear on the album's beautiful versions of familiar standards – played by Corea in ways that really open the tunes up, and in surprisingly short amount of time. It's almost as if Chick's brought all the open-ended modes he learned from the fusion years back to traditional jazz piano – making them work beautifully, all without any tricks or gimmicks. Titles include "Monk's Mood", "My Ship", "Lush Life", "Armando's Rhumba", "Stella By Starlight", and "This Nearly Was Mine".

One of the sharper-edged sessions on the GRP label at the start of the 90s – a self-titled set from keyboardist Kenny Kirkland, who's mostly working here in a stripped-down acoustic mode! The lineup changes a bit from track to track – and in addition to Kenny on keys, the set also features Jeff Tain Watts on drums, Branford Marsalis on tenor and soprano sax, Charnett Moffet on bass, and Don Alias and Jerry Gonzalez on percussion. Some tracks are quite spare – one number is even just a drum solo by Watts – and there's a slightly modern undercurrent at points, as you might find in Marsalis family music of the same point – nothing that's ever too out, but a slightly dark edge that adds a bit more depth than you might expect. Titles include "Celia", "Chance", "Midnight Silence", "El Rey", "Mr JC", "Criss Cross", "Revelations", and "Ana Maria".

Great early work from Dave Valentin – a record of soulful fusion tracks done shortly after his time in Ricardo Marrero's group – gliding along with a warm production tone, and that great end-of-70s GRP sound! The tunes are nicely laidback, never as overly-slick as in later years – and the album sparkles with some additional soulful help from artists that include Patti Austin, Luther Vandross, Dave Grusin, and Marcus Miller. Titles include "Open Your Eyes", "Fantasy", "Astro March", "Land Of The Third Eye", and "Sidra's Dream".

A sweet bit of electric funky jazz from Tom Browne – a bit tighter and with more of an 80s groove than some of his earlier work, but still pretty darn nice! Tom's always great – blowing over the top in spare, but well-placed trumpet solos – and the backing on the album shifts between a number of different soulful fusion modes that are all handled pretty strongly, without the traps that other artists would fall into on a record like this. Lead vocals on some of the tracks are by Frank Floyd, Margie Barnes, or Keith John – and the album includes the sweet jazzy groover "Come For The Ride", plus "Fungi Mama/Rebopafunkadiscolypso", "My Latin Sky", "A Message", "Charisma", "Naima", "Lazy Bird", and "Bye Gones".

One of Dave's funkier albums of the time – with cuts that include "Captain Caribe", "Rondo", "City Lights", "Rag Bag", and "Mountain Dance".

Titles include "Hopscotch", "Love Struck", "Talk To The Drum", "Red Black N Blue", "Broad Street", and "Baby Come To Me".

A great album from McCoy Tyner – a set that's steeped in the modal soulfulness of his years with John Coltrane, but also handled in a way that really has him breaking away from the pack a bit! Half the album's played with a trio that features Jimmy Garrison on bass – but the strongest cuts feature a sextet with John Gilmore on tenor (making a rare non-Sun Ra appearance), Frank Strozier on alto, Thad Jones on trumpet, Butch Warren on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – all working beautifully together in an early example of the soulful group groove that Tyner would hit even more strongly in the post-Coltrane years. Titles include "T 'N A Blues", "Three Flowers", "Contemporary Focus", and "Night In Tunisia".

A sweet bit of electric funky jazz from Tom Browne – a bit tighter and with more of an 80s groove than some of his earlier work, but still pretty darn nice! Tom's always great – blowing over the top in spare, but well-placed trumpet solos – and the backing on the album shifts between a number of different soulful fusion modes that are all handled pretty strongly, without the traps that other artists would fall into on a record like this. Lead vocals on some of the tracks are by Frank Floyd, Margie Barnes, or Keith John – and the album includes the sweet jazzy groover "Come For The Ride", plus "Fungi Mama/Rebopafunkadiscolypso", "My Latin Sky", "A Message", "Charisma", "Naima", "Lazy Bird", and "Bye Gones".

Early 80s greatness from Bernard Wright – the benchmark Nard from '81 and his Funky Beat from '83 – in a single set! Nard is a masterpiece of smooth jazzy funk – and super-hip session headed up by the young keyboardist! Wright's working here with an insider crowd of jazz funk players that includes Bobby Broom, Dave Grusin, Marcus Miller, and Don Blackman, whose funky style is very similar to Wright's. The record sort of picks up the groove where some of the Fantasy Records sessions of the 70s left off – mixing together jazz and soul into a captivating blend that's made even better by Dave Grusin's tight production. Includes Don Blackman's sample classic "Haboglabotribin", a nice version of Weldon Irvine's "Music Is The Key", and the cuts"Just Chillin' Out", "Master Rocker", and "Bread Sandwiches". Funky Beat is his second album – an 80s groove electro classic that's quite different than his first LP! It takes Bernard firmly into a b-boy jazz mode – working keyboards, bass, and drum programs into a groove that's farther reaching and more soulful than anything that Herbie Hancock was doing at the time. And as with his first album, Bernard's got plenty of great help on this one – as the record features work by Weldon Irvine, Lenny White, Dave Grusin, and others. The album includes some great Weldon Irvine compositions – like a remake of "Mr Clean", and the sweet vocal numbers "Won't You Let Me Love You" and "Keep On Doing That Right Thing", both of them warm wonderful tunes that stand with the best work on the album! Also includes a straight jazz version of "Joy Spring", and the breakin' tracks "Funky Beat", "Get Your Lover Back", "Video Generation", and "Move Your Body".

Smooth funky jazz from Tom Browne – caught here during his best early years! The record's his second best next to Love Approach, but it's got almost the same sort of feel, with tight late 70s studio jazz jamming – and a buttery smooth sound from Browne's post-Donald Byrd trumpet licks. Includes the great break cut "I Never Was A Cowboy", plus "Herbal Scent", "Throw Down", "What's Going On", and "Promises For Spring".

A jazz funk masterpiece, and THE record by the legendary Don Blackman – the only one issued under his own name for many many years, and a famous little set that's been sampled endlessly over the years, and for good reason! The vibe here is one that's barely been matched again – a blend of 70s fusion, bassy funk, and even tighter riffing – all put together with a greater depth and sense of soul than most other records of its type. Blackman's a GRP contemporary of Bernard Wright, Tom Browne, and Weldon Irvine – and there's bits of all their sound in the work here, but somehow Don does it even better – hitting these grooves, notes, and lines that seem to fall from the heavens – and which still stand as some of the hippest music of his generation. A record to file proudly next to your copies of Ramp and James Mason – and like those gems, the kind of record that only happens once in an artists career! Titles include "You Ain't Hip", "Yabba Dabba Do", "Heart's Desire", "Deaf Hook Up Connection", "Never Miss A Thing", and "Holding You Loving You", and "Since You Been Away So Long".

A jazz funk masterpiece, and THE record by the legendary Don Blackman – the only one issued under his own name for many many years, and a famous little set that's been sampled endlessly over the years, and for good reason! The vibe here is one that's barely been matched again – a blend of 70s fusion, bassy funk, and even tighter riffing – all put together with a greater depth and sense of soul than most other records of its type. Blackman's a GRP contemporary of Bernard Wright, Tom Browne, and Weldon Irvine – and there's bits of all their sound in the work here, but somehow Don does it even better – hitting these grooves, notes, and lines that seem to fall from the heavens – and which still stand as some of the hippest music of his generation. A record to file proudly next to your copies of Ramp and James Mason – and like those gems, the kind of record that only happens once in an artists career! Titles include "You Ain't Hip", "Yabba Dabba Do", "Heart's Desire", "Deaf Hook Up Connection", "Never Miss A Thing", and "Holding You Loving You", and "Since You Been Away So Long".

A key bit of jazz funk from trumpeter Tom Browne – still grooving strong here, with a sublime mix of modern soul, funky jazz, and some of the 80s groove touches that showed up on the best GRP titles from the time! The album's got a smooth compressed groove – kind of post-Donald Byrd, with Tom taking solos over the top of most tracks, and occasional vocals , wither from a backing group, or an assortment of different lead singers. Players on the set include Bernard Wright, Dave Grusin, Bobby Broom, and Marcus Miller – and tracks include "I Know", "Midnight Interlude", "Let's Dance", "Night Wind", "Making Plans", "Thighs Hihg", and "Magic". CD features nice bonus tracks too – "Magic (12" UK version)", "Thighs High (single version)", and "Let's Dance (single version)".

A classic killer from trumpeter Tom Browne – a smoking set that still has all the jazz funk touches of his earlier records, yet which also picks up a bit of an electro vibe as well! The move here is a bit like that taken by some of Browne's labelmates on GRP at the time – particularly Bobby Broom and Bernard Wright – and offers up a great mix of jazzy roots and some of the newer sounds hitting the streets in the early 80s – a vibe that's maybe one of the first moments when older genres of music were beginning to show an influence from hip hop! Maurice Starr handles most of the production, and really makes things tight throughout – but Tom himself does a great job of keeping things interesting with the solos, augmenting the electric vibe with some rock-solid acoustic playing. Titles include "Rockin Radio", "Angeline", "Brighter Tomorrow", "Never My Love", "Mr Business", "Cruisin", and "Feel Like Makin Love". CD features bonus tracks – "Bye Gones (12" version)", "Rockin Radio (special 12" mix)", and "Cruisin (dub)".

Rare work from Weldon Irvine – a selection of tracks recorded as private studio outings, reissued briefly by Luv N Haight in the early 90s, and then only on vinyl! The style here is much more jazz-based than some of Irvine's soul recordings – a mode that's often all instrumental, and which features Weldon playing more acoustic piano than on his 70s fusion classics – but usually mixed in with sweet electric elements, too – which creates this wonderfully righteous balance in the music! The whole thing's very soulful, with plenty of undercurrents of the RCA years – and guest players include Steve Grossman on tenor, Marcus Miller on bass, Tom Browne on trumpet, and Bobby Broom on guitar – the latter 3 of which all worked with Weldon at GRP, making us guess that some of these 80s sides were intended for release on that label. Titles include "Kundabuffer", "Music Is The Key", "Mr PC", "We Can Try Again", and "Blues For Spike". CD features a huge amount of bonus tracks – including "Blue In Green", "Heard It All Before", "It's Funky", "Shopping", "The Sisters", "Think I'll Stay A While", and "Misty Dawn" – all only ever on the Sisters album, making their first appearance here on vinyl.

Two killers from Chicago guitarist Bobby Broom – both recorded near the start of his career! First up is Clean Sweep, killer set from a player who should have been huge – ultra-sweet guitarist Bobby Broom, a player we'd vote to become the next big heir to the sound of Wes Montgomery or George Benson! This debut set is a wicked mix of jazz and soul – recorded right at the best stretch of the early GRP label, with a similar blend and sense of depth as the label's initial albums by Don Blackman and Bernard Wright! The core groove focuses strongly on Broom's guitar, but there's also some great vocal numbers too – and it turns out that Bobby's a surprisingly good singer, too – with a nicely honest vocal approach that works great alongside his guitar. Arrangements are by Broom, Dave Grusin, and Marcus Miller – and titles include "No Bad Vibes", "Saturday Night", "Niqui", "Share My Love", "She's My Reason", and "Remember When". Next up is Livin For The Beat is the second LP by this oft-overlooked, but excellent Chicago soul jazz guitarist – and a record that's quite different than his first! Like the second album by Bernard Wright, fellow labelmate at GRP/Arista, Broom's moving into a mode that's more electro/"street" for this second album – which means that there's a lot of keyboards and electronic percussion on the set, giving some tracks a proto-breaking kind of sound – more of a street-level sound than the smoother jazz mode of the first set – which makes for a really surprising change, and helps keep the record away from mainstream fusion cliches of the time. The best cuts, though, are in a smooth 80s groove mode – and Broom shows that he's strong on the vocal tip as well as the guitar. Titles include "Let It Go", "Let's Stay Together", "Rubye", "He Said I Love You", "Beat Freak", "Give Me Your Love", and "Magic Johnson".

Bobby M is Bobby Militello – a sweet-blowing saxman who did some great studio work back in the day – and who steps out here with some nicely grooving arrangements from Lenny White and Bernard Wright! The set's a strong blend of soulful fusion and 80s groove – just the kind of record you might expect when turning the Rick James name on the cover towards a more instrumental sound. But that doesn't mean that the whole album's instrumental – as Jean Carn sings on one cut, and Keely Curtis on another. And although Bobby's work on alto, tenor, and soprano sax is pretty nice, it's almost the keyboard work of Bernard Wright that really makes this album great – as the set's almost an extension of his classic GRP sessions from the same time! Titles include "Alto Man", "Let's Stay Together", "Redliner", "A Little Song For You", "Charlie's Backbeat", "Rome Tones", and "Blow".

Sure, as the title says, Lenny's streamlined his sound here – but to us that's a good thing, as it eliminates some of the overly-heavy jam sound that could ruin earlier records. Plus, he's working here with a pretty soulful fusion group that includes Don Blackman on keyboards and Marcus Miller on bass, both of whom give the record a similar feel to the GRP funk that would come out a few years later from Blackman, Bernard Wright, and others. A few tracks have vocals, and titles include "Struttin", "Earthlings", "Spazmo Strikes Again", "Pooh Bear", "Lockie's Inspiration", "I'll See You Soon", and "Night Games".

A mighty collaboration between Stanley Clarke & George Duke – working here in a pairing that refueled both of their careers for the 80s! In previous years, both Clarke and Duke had a penchant for really stretching out in complex, experimental modes – but here, they're playing in a relatively stripped-down and focused way – hitting some of the more soul-inspired sides of fusion at the time, although still without the slick or commercial feel of the rising GRP generation. Guitars figure heavily on a number of tracks, and vocals do too – sometimes in ways that are slightly too sweet and almost cloying. Tracks include "Wild Dog", "Louie Louie", "Sweet Baby", "I Just Want To Love You", "Winners", "Let's Get Started", and "Touch & Go".

Bobby M is Bobby Militello – a sweet-blowing saxman who did some great studio work back in the day – and who steps out here with some nicely grooving arrangements from Lenny White and Bernard Wright! The set's a strong blend of soulful fusion and 80s groove – just the kind of record you might expect when turning the Rick James name on the cover towards a more instrumental sound. But that doesn't mean that the whole album's instrumental – as Jean Carn sings on one cut, and Keely Curtis on another. And although Bobby's work on alto, tenor, and soprano sax is pretty nice, it's almost the keyboard work of Bernard Wright that really makes this album great – as the set's almost an extension of his classic GRP sessions from the same time! Titles include "Alto Man", "Let's Stay Together", "Redliner", "A Little Song For You", "Charlie's Backbeat", "Rome Tones", and "Blow".