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Really wonderful stuff – and one of Gary Bartz's greatest albums ever! This double-length live set was recorded around the time of his NTU Troup albums for Milestone – but it's a bit more straightforward than those sides, going back towards a searching soul jazz sound, with some slight touches of electric funk. The group features Hubert Eaves on electric and acoustic keyboards, Stafford James on acoustic and electric bass, and Howard King on drums – and the wonderful bass work of James really creates some great platforms for Bartz and Eaves to stretch out on long long solos. Gary vocalizes a bit on a few tracks – almost in the style of Andy Bey on his NTU albums – and the set list includes "Uhuru Sasa", "Jujuman", "Bertha Baptist", "The Warrior's Song", "Mama's Soul", "Sifa Zote", "I've Known Rivers", "Don't Fight That Feeling", and "Peace & Love".

A rare treat by Gary Bartz – and very different than most of his other work! The album's a small group session – with Charles Mims on piano, Curtis Robertson on bass, and Howard King on drums – recorded with the feel of a looser soul jazz set on Black Jazz or Strata East. Mims' is great on piano, and working with Bartz, the pair come up with some wonderfully soulful numbers that have a very earthy feel. Tracks include "Ju Ju Man", "Pisces Daddy Blue", and "Chelsea Bridge" – plus a version of "My Funny Valentine", with vocals by Syreeta.

A rare treat by Gary Bartz – and very different than most of his other work! The album's a small group session – with Charles Mims on piano, Curtis Robertson on bass, and Howard King on drums – recorded with the feel of a looser soul jazz set on Black Jazz or Strata East. Mims' is great on piano, and working with Bartz, the pair come up with some wonderfully soulful numbers that have a very earthy feel. Tracks include "Ju Ju Man", "Pisces Daddy Blue", and "Chelsea Bridge" – plus a versoin of "My Funny Valentine", with vocals by Syreeta.

Very righteous material from Gary Bartz – and one of his classic NTU Troop albums, with Andy Bey on vocals and electric piano, and the great Stafford James playing some mighty heavy bass! The tracks are nice and long, with a very soulful sound that mixes freer spiritual playing with a good sense for a groove. Includes an excellent remake of the Stevie Wonder/Syreeta cut "Black Maybe", plus "Bertha Baptist", "Africans Unite", and a great version of "I Wanna Be Where You Are".

A great 80s date – with Bartz on alto, Butch Lacy on piano, Clint Houston on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – a really great rhythm trio who help Gary soar on tunes that include "Samuel", "Never Never Land", "Monsoon", and "Uncle Bubba".

A fantastic bit of jazz funk fusion – and one of the landmark 70s albums produced by Larry Mizell! This is Gary Bartz's second (and most amazing) collaboration with Larry Mizell – a studio genius who could focus on the best talent of a jazz artist, then expand it using additional keyboards, percussion, and often a sweet bank of chorus vocals to give the tracks an extra soulful sound! By the time of this album, Larry had already worked to great fame with Donald Byrd, Bobbi Humphrey, and Johnny Hammond – and the record has him turning his talents towards Gary Bartz to unlock a whole hidden side of soulful expression that would never be matched again! The title cut – "Music Is My Sanctuary" – is a jazz fusion classic in anyone's book, and it features characteristic Mizell keyboards alongside Gary's soulful sax, augmented by a deep vocal chorus that's simply fantastic. Other highlights include "Carnaval De L'Esprit" and "Macaroni" – and the whole album's nice!

A landmark set of recordings – both of Gary Bartz's Harlem Bush Music albums, back to back on one CD! After a few years as a modern-tinged soul jazz saxophonist, Bartz broke strongly into the 70s with this pair of sessions – working in a mode that brought together rhythmic percussion, funky bass, and some incredibly righteous vocals from singer Andy Bey! Bey's presence on the record really marks them as a departure for Bartz – as it's the first time that Bartz used vocals on his recordings, in a style that was neither straight jazz, nor sellout soul – but rather a progressive approach that set a whole new tenor for the voice in jazz! Gary plays both soprano and alto sax – blowing in a rhythmic mode that's a perfect match for the chunky rhythms of the tunes – and which seems to often take on the same tone as Andy Bey's unique approach to the lyrics. There's an earthy, organic, almost tribalistic quality to some of the tracks – and titles include "Rise", "People Dance", "Drinking Song", "Taifa", "Parted", "Uhuru Sasa", "Vietcong", "Celestial Blues", and "The Planets". (Note, the CD omits one tune from the albums – "Du (Rain)", from Taifa – due to space limitations.)

Amazing, simply amazing! The record is one of the first that Gary Bartz ever cut – done during a time when he'd been working with Max Roach and a super-hip group of younger soul jazz players who would go onto shape the sound of the 70s. Bartz leads a group that includes Stanley Cowell on piano, Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Pharoah Sanders on tenor, Reggie Workman on bass, and Freddy Waits on drums – and the music sounds like it was lifted from one of the best albums on Strata East from the 70s. There's no funk, no vocals, no weird rhythms – just pure spiritual jazz, played to perfection, and filled with a creative vitality that most of the players had lost a few years later. Tracks include the album-side "Another Earth", plus "Dark Nebula", "UFO", and "Perihelion & Aphelion". Impossibly hard to find on vinyl, too!

An essential record from Gary Bartz – one of two albums he cut with Andy Bey, and the killer group he was calling his NTU Troup! Andy's vocals are incredible – light years ahead of anything he did with his sisters, and similar to those he laid down on his own solo album for Atlantic, and on Blue Note sides with Horace Silver – a righteous mix of jazz and soul, with a burning intensity that makes the political themes of the tracks come out strongly. The album includes one of Andy's all time classics – the original 7 minute version of "Celestial Blues", plus the fantastically grooving "Uhuru Sasa" – as well as the cuts "The Planets", and "Blue (A Folk Tale)". And Gary Bartz is pretty great too – dropping in these angular reed lines that really give the record an edge, and which sound totally great next to Bey's vocals!

One of the albums that forever put Gary Bartz on the map – a righteous blend of jazz, funk, and spiritual elements – and one of the key early 70s sessions with his NTU Troop! The album moves way past Gary's early style, and heads into territory not charted before – filled with odd rhythms, and topped with some especially great vocals from Andy Bey – who sounds even better here than on his previous work with Horace Silver! The reeds are a sharp edge of the set, but the main focus is almost more on the rhythm work – bass from Juni Booth, drums from Harold White, and percussion from Nat Bettis – all of which really makes the album move. There's a chant-like feel to the record that keeps things highly rhythmic – and titles include "Du (Rain)", "Drinking Song", "The Warriors' Song", and the beautiful "Rise".

An essential record from Gary Bartz – one of two albums he cut with Andy Bey, and the killer group he was calling his NTU Troup! Andy's vocals are incredible – light years ahead of anything he did with his sisters, and similar to those he laid down on his own solo album for Atlantic, and on Blue Note sides with Horace Silver – a righteous mix of jazz and soul, with a burning intensity that makes the political themes of the tracks come out strongly. The album includes one of Andy's all time classics – the original 7 minute version of "Celestial Blues", plus the fantastically grooving "Uhuru Sasa" – as well as the cuts "The Planets", and "Blue (A Folk Tale)". And Gary Bartz is pretty great too – dropping in these angular reed lines that really give the record an edge, and which sound totally great next to Bey's vocals!

Although we've been fans of Andy Bey for years (ever since his early 60s recordings with Andy & The Bey Sisters), we've got to admit that we're stunned at how successful his recent revival has been! This CD is probably the main reason for Andy's success – as it's a compelling batch of jazz vocal tracks that show Andy reinventing himself for a whole new generation of jazz listeners. The backing's by a nice small group that includes Gary Bartz, with whom Andy recorded extensively in the 70s – and the album includes a haunting reworking of Nick Drake's amazing song "River Man", plus a version of Dori Caymmi's "Like A Lover", Monk's "Straight No Chaser", and the moody "Dark Shadows", which was a page from Earl Coleman's songbook.

An excellent album of smooth soul tracks – one that reaches back to some of Norman's earlier records for inspiration, and which takes the sound up a few notches to expand the groove. Norman gets help on the arranging tip from Al Johnson, McKinley Jackson, and Paul Riser – which is why the album has such a great 70s smooth soul feel – and there's loads of guest appearances, like vocals by Johnson, Jean Carn, and The Jones Girls, and instrumental solos from Freddie Hubbard and Gary Bartz. Adaritha sings lead vocals on a number of cuts, and Glenn Johnson takes the lead on "Melancholy Fire". Includes a great version of "Black Cow", plus "Take It To The Limit", "Justify", "You've Been On My Mind", and an excellent remake of "I Don't Need Nobody Else", with Al Johnson on vocals!

A pair of groovers by Norman Connors from the start of the 80s – Take It To The Limit and Mr C – together in a single set! Take It To The Limit is excellent album of smooth soul – one that reaches back to some of Norman's earlier records for inspiration, and which takes the sound up a few notches to expand the groove. Norman gets help on the arranging tip from Al Johnson, McKinley Jackson, and Paul Riser – which is why the album has such a great 70s smooth soul feel – and there's loads of guest appearances, like vocals by Johnson, Jean Carn, and instrumental solos from Freddie Hubbard and Gary Bartz. Adaritha sings lead vocals on a number of cuts, and Glenn Johnson takes the lead on "Melancholy Fire". Includes a great version of "Black Cow", plus "Take It To The Limit", "Justify", "You've Been On My Mind", and an excellent remake of "I Don't Need Nobody Else", with Al Johnson on vocals! Mr C is a real sleeper from Norman Connors, but a great record – one that shows him still moving strong in the 80s, always continuing to develop his smooth jazzy soul style! Backing is by the Starship Orchestra, with Marion Meadows on most sax solos – and vocals are by Beau Williams, Jean Carn, and Glenn Jones. There's a number of great uptempo tunes – with a tight hard jazz funk backing, and kind of a sweet early 80s club style in the vocals. Titles include "Love's In Your Corner", "She's Gone", "Stay With Me", "Keep Doin It", "Anyway You Want", and "Sing A Love Song".

A masterpiece of mellow soul and jazzy grooves, with the heavenly title cut – "You Are My Starship" – which features Michael Henderson on vocals and Gary Bartz on sax! Bartz plays on a number of other cuts, too, including a remake of "The Creator Has a Master Plan", "Just Imagine", and a remake of "Betcha By Golly Wow", with Phyllis Hyman on vocals. Hyman also sings a duet with Michael Henderson on the track "We Both Need Each Other". Great stuff, and a groundbreaking LP that showed the world that Norman was going to make as big of a splash on the soul scene as he did in the jazz world!

With Gary Bartz, Keith Jarrett, Michael Henderson, Leon Ndugu Chancler, Don Alias, James Mtume Foreman, Jack DeJohnette, Jumma Santos and Airto Moreira. Recorded in Vienna November 5, 1971 and San Francisco, October 17, 1970. Titles include "Directions", "Honky Tonk", "What I Say", "The Sanctuary Theme", "Yesternow, Part 3" and "Funky Tonk".

Fantastic electric work from the great Joe Henderson – one of his most free-wheeling sets for Milestone, and one of his best as well! The album's got a much more open, fluid groove than some of Joe's earlier electric sets – one that has Henderson working through longer tunes that almost have a Gary Bartz-ish sense of soul. Joe plays flute, soprano, tenor sax, and percussion – and also manages to do a bit of vocalizing on the record too – singing in a cool, angular mode that almost has traces of Andy Bey. Other players include Larry Willis on electric piano, echoplex, and ring modulator – plus James Ulmer and John Thomas on guitar, Dave Holland on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, and Art Jenkins on percussion. There's even a slight touch of funk on a few of the tracks – but not in a way that's overdone – again in keeping with the gentler soulful mode you'd expect from Bartz. Titles include "Tress Cun Deo La", "Me Among Others", "Song for Sinners", "Bwaata", and "Turned Around".

A monster – and one of our jazz funk favorites of all-time! This is the best record ever cut by the great flute player Bobbi Humphrey – and the record features some stellar production work by the great Larry Mizell, very much in the same vein as that which he used on classic sessions by Gary Bartz and Donald Byrd! This album also includes all the Humphrey cuts you're looking for – like "Chicago, Damn", "Harlem River Drive", and "Jasper Country Man". Every track is great, and the album's a total delight!

A monster – and one of our jazz funk favorites of all-time! This is the best record ever cut by the great flute player Bobbi Humphrey – and the record features some stellar production work by the great Larry Mizell, very much in the same vein as that which he used on classic sessions by Gary Bartz and Donald Byrd! This album also includes all the Humphrey cuts you're looking for – like "Chicago, Damn", "Harlem River Drive", and "Jasper Country Man". Every track is great, and the album's a total delight!

A monster – and one of our jazz funk favorites of all-time! This is the best record ever cut by the great flute player Bobbi Humphrey – and the record features some stellar production work by the great Larry Mizell, very much in the same vein as that which he used on classic sessions by Gary Bartz and Donald Byrd! This album also includes all the Humphrey cuts you're looking for – like "Chicago, Damn", "Harlem River Drive", and "Jasper Country Man". Every track is great, and the album's a total delight!

A soul jazz treasure from the LA scene of the early 80s – a fantastic record that we'd rank with the best Strata East sides of the time! The group's led by alto saxophonist Dadisi Komolafe, and features vibes by Ricky Kelly, piano by Eric Tillman, bass by Roberto Miranda, and drums by Sunship Theus – all working together in a style that's infused with soulful, post-Coltrane exploratory energy, never going too far outside, and always staying true to the rhythmic pulse at its core. Kelly's vibes are really great – sparkling underneath solos by Komolafe that remind us a lot of Gary Bartz's earliest work – and titles include "Calvary", "Speak No Evil", and "Hassan's Walk".

A very nice bit of spacey funky jazz from sax player Azar Lawrence, and one of the great earlier productions by Skip Scarborough, with a feel that's very similar to Gary Bartz's work with Larry Mizell! Azar plays a mix of funk and spiritual soul jazz – and he's got some great electric backing by Patrice Rushen, Paul Jackson, Harvey Mason, Mtume, and Lee Ritenour. The whole thing's got a great Fantasy Records funk groove – and includes many nice titles like "Theme For A New Day", "Kickin Back", "Canticle For The Universe", "Gratitude" and a great take on Scarborough's "Can't Hide Love".

Smooth and jazzy soul from the team of James Mtume and Reggie Lucas – two of the finest producers and arrangers in their field! The set brings together tracks recorded by the pair with a host of different artists across a host of different labels – offering for the first time a true picture of the genius of Mtume, and featuring a load of excellent cuts that are appearing on CD for the first time ever! Mtume himself cut a few famous albums on Columbia, some with Lucas, and together the pair worked across a variety of labels in the late 70s and early 80s – taking modern soul to the next level with a really top-shelf sound! The package is a 15-track monster, filled with loads of great tracks we're happy to have together – and titles include "Love Lock", "Closer I Get To You", and "Juicy Fruit" by Mtume; "Under Your Spell" and "You Know How To Love Me" by Phyllis Hyman, "Never Too Late For Your Lovin" and "Step In The Light" by Sunfire, "What Cha Gonna Do With My Lovin" by Stephanie Mills, "Got To Be Love" by The Spinners, "If I Had A Chance" by Rena Scott, "Back To You" and "Now Is The Time For Love" by Lou Rawls, "Keep Going On" by Gary Bartz, and "Two Hearts" by Stephanie Mills & Teddy Pendergrass.

A fantastic bit of spiritual jazz funk – and one of the rarest 70s albums on Fantasy Records! The group's headed up by Nat Adderley Jr (son of the famous Nat Sr) on keyboards and vocals – and the ensemble is a hip, young collective with an approach that reminds us of work by Oneness Of Juju, Gary Bartz, and Weldon Irvine! If those three names aren't enough to prick up your ears for this one – one drop of the needle should be enough, as the record's a real winner all the way through, filled with well-written songs, and a mixture of soul jazz, funky fusion, and vocal tracks that really work great together. The kind of sweet rare 70s album you'll buy from us, and treasure for years – filled with great cuts like "In Search Of Happiness", "Red, Black, & Green", "Variation On Last Night", "Live My Life For You", "Killin' Time", and "Little Dahuoud's Dance".

Fantastic stuff, and a record that was virtually the blueprint for spiritual soul jazz in the 70s! Although Max Roach first rose to fame during the bop years, by the time of this set he'd really stretched out a lot – moving past initial righteous projects in the Civil Rights era, to even more progressive work with a group like this! The players are all youthful geniuses who would go onto shape the sound of 70s jazz tremendously – working here at a point that already shows their brilliance – Gary Bartz on alto, Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Stanley Cowell on piano, and even Andy Bey, who sings vocals on the title track. The overall style is very similar to Bartz's early albums on Milestone, or to some of the Music Inc records on Strata East, which feature Cowell and Tolliver. It's no surprise that Cowell contributed 3 tracks to the set – "Effi", "Equipoise", and "Abstrutions" – and the group also performs a great version of Bartz's "Libra"!

Really rich sounds from Woody Shaw – one of his sublime studio sessions for Columbia Records – a major label, but one who really let Woody explore some new ideas in his music! There's a depth here that surpasses some of Shaw's straight small group sessions – really magnificent sounds that push the boundaries of soulful jazz at the end of the 70s, yet still hold onto all the best aspects of Woody's roots – kind of a distillation of all the soulful, spiritual experiments of the past 10 years – delivered in ways that really help them reach out to new ears! The core group features Woody on trumpet and flugelhorn, Larry Willis on piano, Stafford James on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums – but each track features some key guest appearance too – by artists who include Gary Bartz on alto, Curtis Fuller and Steve Turre on trombones, Carter Jefferson on tenor and soprano sax, James Spaulding on flute, Nana Vasconcelos on percussion, and Judi Singh on vocals – singing beautifully on the cuts "Time Is Right" and "Why" – alongside other instrumental numbers that include "Opec", "Josua C", "Isabel The Liberator", and "Ginseng People".

One of the most righteous Horace Silver albums for Blue Note – and a far-reaching, politically-bent batch of tracks that feature vocals by Andy Bey, in a similar style to the work he did on the Gary Bartz records from the time – very hip, and quite different than other jazz vocal work from other singers! Silver plays electric piano on most of the record – and other musicians include Houston Person on tenor and Idris Muhammad on drums – both of whom figure on cuts that feature singer Jackie Verdell replacing Andy Bey. The groove is pretty great throughout – lots of those offbeat lines that you might hear on other Bey albums, warmed up with some of Silver's more familiar soul jazz – and the album is volume 1 (or "Phase 1") of Horace's trippy United States Of Mind series, a series of records on the state of the then-trashed union (proving once again that what goes around, comes around!) Tracks include "The Happy Medium", "Permit Me To Introduce Myself", "Wipe Away the Evil", and "Love Vibrations".

One of the most righteous Horace Silver albums for Blue Note – and a far-reaching, politically-bent batch of tracks that feature vocals by Andy Bey, in a similar style to the work he did on the Gary Bartz records from the time – very hip, and quite different than other jazz vocal work from other singers! Silver plays electric piano on most of the record – and other musicians include Houston Person on tenor and Idris Muhammad on drums – both of whom figure on cuts that feature singer Jackie Verdell replacing Andy Bey. The groove is pretty great throughout – lots of those offbeat lines that you might hear on other Bey albums, warmed up with some of Silver's more familiar soul jazz – and the album is volume 1 (or "Phase 1") of Horace's trippy United States Of Mind series, a series of records on the state of the then-trashed union (proving once again that what goes around, comes around!) Tracks include "The Happy Medium", "Permit Me To Introduce Myself", "Wipe Away the Evil", and "Love Vibrations".

A wonderful record from McCoy Tyner – and a great reminder that some of his best post-Coltrane work was done for the Blue Note label – which was where Tyner seemed to hit the right sort of spiritual vibe to live up to his Impulse Records legacy! This album's got plenty of long, spiritual tunes penned by McCoy – beautiful numbers that stretch out and soar, driven along beautifully by Tyner's fluid work on the piano – and tight rhythms from Ted Dunbar on guitar, Buster Williams on bass, Billy Hart on drums, and Mtume on percussion! But almost even more incredible is the presence of altoist Andrew White – a tremendous reedman who hardly ever got this much wide exposure, and who blows alto in a spirit that's very much like the soulful style of Gary Bartz at his start – then moves to oboe with some surprising results on a few other tracks. Songai sings a bit on the record – and titles include "Malika", "Asante", "Goin Home", and "Fulfillment".

A really mindblowing session from McCoy Tyner – perfectly titled "Expansions" to showcase the change in his style at the time! The record is one of Tyner's first larger group efforts – and is a brilliant example of the expansion of his talents in the post-Coltrane years – a searing, soaring batch of longer tunes that dance with joy, life, and a new sense of energy in jazz – carried off perfectly by a lineup that includes excellent contributions from Gary Bartz, Woody Shaw, and Wayne Shorter. The album is as spiritual and swinging as you'd expect from those players – with a sound that's more Strata East than Blue Note – and titles include "Visions", "Song of Happiness", "Smitty's Place", and "Peresina".

Brilliant work as a leader from McCoy Tyner – and easily one of his most righteous albums ever – a true batch of spiritual gems that really takes the John Coltrane legacy one step further! Most numbers build with a modal vibe that's more Impulse Records than Blue Note – and players on the set include Alice Coltrane on harp, Gary Bartz on alto, Wayne Shorter on tenor and soprano sax, Ron Carter on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – a wonderful lineup that really holds tightly to the soaring, soulful energy that Tyner spins from his piano – a mode that's never too far out or avant, yet which stretches to the skies with a heavenly vision. The whole thing's wonderful – and tracks include "Message From The Nile", "The Wanderer", "Survival Blues", and "His Blessings".

A pretty great multiple cover feature issue for Wax Poetics – this one with Lenny Kravitz on the front and Dam-Funk on the back – plus equally prominent features on Sade and Flying Lotus! Wax Poetics has always been a celebration of soul, funk, hip hop, jazz and otherwise crate diggers fodder – be they underground of not entirely forgotten heroes – or pop culture takeover engineers – and this issue personifies that as strongly as ever! It's also got pieces on Betty Wright, Gary Bartz, Quantic & Alice Russell, Cody Chesnutt, Thundercat, Jamire Williams, Georgia Anne Muldrow and Jamire Williams – plus NYC's 70s Roller Boogie scene and more – and as always, it's filled with great photographs of each and every figure!

They might well call this a Beginners Guide To Blue Note Jazz Funk – given that most of the tracks here are from the hip 70s run at Blue Note Records! The vibe is wonderful – funky and soulful, but definitely with jazz at the forefront – as older soloists were finding new ways to reach their audiences through electric grooves – and younger players were making a huge name for themselves through a very inventive approach to their work! The 3CD set is a hell of a deal for the money – with 33 tracks that include loads of Blue Note gems, plus some 70s Capitol funk and soul tracks too – titles that include "As" by Gene Harris, "Dominoes" by Donald Byrd, "The Genie" by Bobby Lyle, "Down The Way" by John Lee & Gerry Brown, "Chicago Damn" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Sassy Soul Strut" by Lou Donaldson, "Think Twice" by Donald Byrd, "Tidal Wave" by Ronnie Laws, "London Town" by Light Of The World, "Windy C" by 100% Pure Poison, "Daisy Mae" by Raul De Souza, "Movin" by Brass Construction, "Prance On" by Eddie Henderson, "Music Is My Sanctuary" by Gary Bartz, "Abdullah & Abraham" by Chico Hamilton, "Cheshire Cat" by Ronnie Foster, "Funky Sneakers" by Willie Bobo, "Sunshine" by Nancy Wilson, "People Make The World Go Round" by Bobby Hutcherson, and "Sky Islands" by Caldera.

Beautifully spiritual jazz from the post-Coltrane generation – a wealth of righteous grooves from the early 70s – brought together in one mighty collection! If you dig the work of Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, and other giants on Impulse Records, this is a great way to dig even deeper – and hear the way their late 60s legacy inspired other musicians to new heights in their own music – sounds that hit a new level of freedom in jazz, yet which are still filled with enough swing and soul to avoid some of the more avant modes of the free jazz scene! If that description sounds a bit obtuse, then just plug into the collection, and let the music do its thing – as it's got a very powerful vibe throughout – the kind of inspirational, socially conscious work that flourished best during the 70s – and which is finally getting its due all these many years later. The package is new territory for Ace/BGP, but they've done a great job as usual – picking key tracks from the era, and coming up with detailed notes on each of the long tracks. Titles include "Free Angela" by Bayete, "Bridge Into The New Age" by Azar Lawrence, "Tress Cun De O La" by Joe Henderson, "Ebony Queen" by McCoy Tyner, "Peace" by Idris Muhammad, "Mother Of The Future" by Norman Connors, "Brown Warm & Wintry" by Jack DeJohnette, "I've Known Rivers" by Gary Bartz, and "Fire" by Joe Henderson & Alice Coltrane.

Revolutionary jazz from the era of the Civil Rights Movement and beyond – soulful and spiritual jazz as important as any of the era – an impeccably well chosen compilation of Freedom, Rhythm & Sound from Soul Jazz Records! The set is a tie-in with Soul Jazz's essential Freedom, Rhythm & Sound book – documenting the sounds and providing an aural portrait of a fertile creative period in African American music and cultural history – when the societal struggles were a counterpart to the heretofore unseen depth of creativity and empowerment in jazz music. Includes a nice booklet of notes, and songs from both the independent underground, and some that made it onto established labels like Verve and others, and material by Joe Henderson, Archie Shepp, Errol Parker, Mary Lou Williams, Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Horace Tapscott, Sun Ra and many more. 23 pivotal tracks on 2CDs, many running on the longer side, for a straight up incredible set of spiritual soul jazz: includes "Africa" by Oliver Lake/NTU, "Space A Nova" by Stanton Davis' Ghetto/Mysticism, "Miss DD" by Mary Lou Williams, "Old Time Religion" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Drinking Song" by Gary Bartz NTU Troop, "Attica Blues" by Archie Shepp, "Peyote Song No III" by Horace Tapscott & Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, "Freedom Time" by Pharoahs, "Black Survival" by Roy Brooks & Artistic Truth and more.

Revolutionary jazz from the era of the Civil Rights Movement and beyond – soulful and spiritual jazz as important as any of the era – an impeccably well chosen compilation of Freedom, Rhythm & Sound from Soul Jazz Records! The set is a tie-in with Soul Jazz's essential Freedom, Rhythm & Sound book – documenting the sounds and providing an aural portrait of a fertile creative period in African American music and cultural history – when the societal struggles were a counterpart to the heretofore unseen depth of creativity and empowerment in jazz music. Includes a nice booklet of notes, and songs from both the independent underground, and some that made it onto established labels like Verve and others, and material by Joe Henderson, Archie Shepp, Errol Parker, Mary Lou Williams, Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Horace Tapscott, Sun Ra and many more. Volume 1 of the vinyl version has 10 tracks on 2LPs, many running on the longer side, for a straight up incredible set of spiritual soul jazz: includes "Africa" by Oliver Lake/NTU, "Space A Nova" by Stanton Davis' Ghetto/Mysticism, "Miss DD" by Mary Lou Williams, "Old Time Religion" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Drinking Song" by Gary Bartz NTU Troop and more.

A very groovy selection of tracks from the New York scene of the 60s – mostly tunes pulled from the Prestige and Milestone labels, and a mixture of soul jazz, modal jazz, and early funky jazz! The package features 13 tracks in all – with plenty rare numbers – and titles that include "Cantaloupe Woman" by George Braith, "The Village Caller" by Johnny Lytle, "Ca'Purange (Jungle Soul)" by Gene Ammons, "Love Theme From Spartacus" by Yusef Lateef, "Brother John" by Cannonball Adderley, "Muscle Soul" by Phil Upchurch, "Eastern Blues" by Gary Bartz, and the completely fantastic "Nuther'n Like Thuther'n" by Willis Jackson – worth the price of the CD alone!

Oooooooh-weeee! Is this a funky monster, or what? The set's easily the best in this great series – a really hard and heavy batch of rare funk tunes that pushes past the cliches of the title to come up with an all-solid batch of tracks that's sure to please any fan of deep funk. Loads of great little groovers from a range of different labels – organ jazz meets heavy soul vocals meets dancing bassline funk, hard drums, heavy riffing, and beyond – all wrapped up together with a sound that never lets up. Tracks include "Mary Jane" by Bobby Rush, "Bustin Outta The Ghetto" by Carlos Malcolm, "I'm A Good Woman" by The Generation, "Dance Girl" by The Mighty Tom Cats, "Peace Love Not War" by Johnny King with The Fatback Band, "The Truth Shall Make You Free" by King Hannibal, "I'm Wishin" by Lorez Alexandria, "I've Known Rivers" by Gary Bartz, "Viva" by Jade, "Seeds Of Life" by East LA Car Pool, "Starvin" by Winfield Parker, and "He Called Me Baby" by Spanky Wilson.

A bit trippy, but also pretty darn funky – a wonderfully groove-conscious assortment of work from Blue Note and some other EMI-related labels – most of it from the tail end of the 60s and the hip start of the 70s! There's a bit less psychedelia here than you might guess from the title, but that's ok with us – as the track list is wonderful – and features some of the hippest, most mature grooves coming out at the time – a blend of cuts that ranges from righteous soul jazz to the soaring productions of Larry Mizell! Titles include "Howling For Judy" by Jeremy Steig, "Streets Of Calcutta" by Ananda Shankar, "Light My Fire" by John Andrews Tartaglia, "Wind Parade" by Donald Byrd, "Hallelujah I'm Coming Home" by Candido, "Acid Pot Or Pills" by Horace Silver, "Music Is My Sanctuary" by Gary Bartz, "Harlem River Drive" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Cristo Redentor" by Donald Byrd, and "Love For Sale" by Gene Harris. 12 tracks in all!

Early genius from drummer Norman Connors – a sensational bit of righteous soul jazz – right up there with the best work on Strata East and Black Jazz from the time! The sound here is full, soulful, and spiritual – as Connors heads up a large ensemble that includes luminaries like Herbie Hancock, Eddie Henderson, Gary Bartz, Carlos Garnett, Buster Williams, and Dee Dee Bridgewater – all working together in a formation that's free spirited, yet tightly unified – often at a level that's even stronger than their own recordings! The album mixes a few longer tracks with shorter numbers – in a mode that reminds us a lot of Garnett's classic Black Love album – and titles include "Song For Rosa", "Black Lightnin", "Dark Of Light", "Butterfly Dreams", and "Laughter".

Wow, we never thought we'd see this one reissued! Andy Bey was originally a member of the jazz group Andy & The Bey Sisters – but by this time, he'd gone solo, and had done vocals on righteous political albums by Gary Bartz and Horace Silver. The groove here is nice and jazzy, with some funky stuff thrown in, and Andy's voice has a weird off-kilter sound that's very hard to describe, but which is extremely haunting! The album includes a remake of "Celestial Blues", which he did with Gary Bartz, plus the tracks "Being Uptight", "Tune Up", "Hibiscus", "Experience", and "The Power Of My Mind".

Donald Byrd's last Blue Note album with fusion genius Larry Mizell – and a doozy! The record builds off the style of previous Byrd/Mizell outings – like Places & Spaces, Street Lady, and Black Byrd – mixing together a similar blend of heavy rhythms, keyboards, and sweet funky trumpet licks from Donald. The sound here's a bit tighter than on some of the previous records – showing Mizell as an emerging soul genius, soon to click big on some very important R&B outings of the late 70s. Donald's working with a great group – and gets help from the likes of Patrice Rushen, Gary Bartz, David T. Walker, and Alphonze Mouzon – all of whom fit in with the funky program to really kick out some nice grooves! Titles include "Return Of the King", "Dance Band", "Wild Life", "Science Funktion", and "Onward Til Morning".

A landmark first album from drummer Norman Connors – a spiritual jazz masterpiece that builds wonderfully on the post-Coltrane tradition! Norman is years away from his smoother soul recordings at this point, and coming out of a righteous jazz background that included work with Marion Brown and Archie Shepp. For this initial set, Norman's in incredible company – working with players that include Herbie Hancock on both electric and acoustic keys, plus Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Gary Bartz and Carlos Garnett on saxes, Stanley Clarke on bass, and Billy Hart and Airto on percussion – plus a chorus of vocalists on the album's mighty title cut! Tracks are all long, spiritual, and freely exploratory – but never in a style that goes too far outside, or that forgets the joy and love that can spring forth in a forward-thinking session like this one! Titles include "Dance Of Magic", "Give The Drummer Some", "Morning Change", and "Blue".

A spiritual soul jazz masterpiece by Norman Connors – one of his pre-soul albums recorded in a style that ranks with the best indie work on Strata East and Black Jazz! The album's a monster session filled with heavyweights – produced to perfection by Skip Drinkwater, and featuring an all-star lineup that includes Buster Williams, Eddie Henderson, Bill Summers, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Herbie Hancock, Gary Bartz, and Carlos Garnett. Tracks are all long, and free-flowing – a bit out at times, but always returning to the modal pulse of Connors' soulful rhythms. Titles include "Carolos II", "Kumakucha", "Holy Waters", "Revelation", and "Love From The Sun".

A pair of mellow soul and jazzy groove masterpieces by Norman Connors – You Are My Starship form '76 and Romantic Journey from '77 in a single set! The former opens with the heavenly title cut – which features Michael Henderson on vocals and Gary Bartz on sax. Bartz plays on a number of other cuts, too, including a remake of "The Creator Has a Master Plan", "Just Imagine", and a remake of "Betcha By Golly Wow", with Phyllis Hyman on vocals. Hyman also sings a duet with Michael Henderson on the track "We Both Need Each Other". Great stuff, and a groundbreaking LP that showed the world that Norman was going to make as big of a splash on the soul scene as he did in the jazz world! Romanic Journey is another mellow jazzy soul treasure The record is a beautiful blend of styles, and features vocals by Eleanore Mills and Phillip Mitchell – plus playing by Gary Bartz and Pharoah Sanders. Connors still has some of his jazz influences firmly in place, as you'll hear on the album's remake of Pharoah Sanders' "Thembi", taken in a mellow stepping tone, as well as a reading of Gato Barbieri's "Last Tango In Paris". Other tracks are more smooth soul oriented, and titles include "Destination Moon", "For You Everything", and "You Are Everything". 14 tracks in all.

A beautiful live representation of the energy of the Bitches Brew years – one that has Miles Davis and the group really letting loose with free-flowing, modally-inspired lines – cooking up an incredible blend of acoustic and electric sounds at once! There's a bit of funk here, but not much – and although guitar is sometimes used strongly, it's often not as noisy as in later live sides. Instead, the whole group gels together beautifully – an unlikely assortment of players that includes Gary Bartz and Steve Grossman on reeds, John McLaughlin on guitar, Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Hermeto Pascoal on percussion, Dave Holland on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – all given new focus, direction, and inspiration by Miles! Titles include "What I Say", "Sivad", "Selim", "Funky Tonk", and a great medley of "Gemini/Double Image".

We love Sonny Fortune – because he always plays so great! Sonny started as more of an acoustic soul jazz player – but by the time of this session, he's working with a lot of electric backing, in a fusiony mode that should dampen his enthusiasm, but which only seems to spur him onto new heights! The group's got some killer keyboards from Larry Willis, tight guitar from Ray Gomez, and lots of Latin percussion touches that really make the grooves dance – but the real highlight is Sonny, whose tone and placement are impeccable, almost in the vein of Gary Bartz during his years with Larry Mizell, but perhaps a bit more soaring and searching. Titles include "Afortunado", "Georgiana", "Igbob's Shuffle", "Francisco" and "Come In Out Of The Rain".

An excellent double-length set – one of Woody Shaw's greatest albums, and a majestic batch of spiritual soul jazz numbers – recorded with an all-star lineup that includes Gary Bartz, Benny Maupin, George Cables, Ron Carter, and Lenny White. Shaw is in top form, and the set is tight, hard, and very much in the pocket – yet still also has an free-flowing introspective side to it, in the mode of some of the best work on Strata East from the same time. If you dig the early work of Gary Bartz, or some of Shaw's more soul jazz outings of the early 70s – you'll definitely dig this one – and the double-length nature of the record gives all players plenty of room to do their thing! All the tracks are long, and the set list includes "Deed For Dolphy", "Boo Ann's Grand", and "New World".

A pretty great multiple cover feature issue for Wax Poetics – this one with Sade on the front and Flying Lotus on the back – plus equally prominent features on Lenny Kravitz and Dam-Funk! Wax Poetics has always been a celebration of soul, funk, hip hop, jazz and otherwise crate diggers fodder – be they underground of not entirely forgotten heroes – or pop culture takeover engineers – and this issue personifies that as strongly as ever! It's also got pieces on Betty Wright, Gary Bartz, Quantic & Alice Russell, Cody Chesnutt, Thundercat, Jamire Williams, Georgia Anne Muldrow and Jamire Williams – plus NYC's 70s Roller Boogie scene and more – and as always, it's filled with great photographs of each and every figure!

Cindy Blackman's one of those players who always surprises us with her music – coming across with a lot more to offer than just her unique role as a girl drummer in jazz – sounds so bold, we instantly forget her gender and pretty image on the cover, and always just let ourselves get swept away by the power of her music! This set is possibly one of Blackman's best from the Muse Records years – thanks to a top-shelf quartet that includes Gary Bartz on alto and soprano sax, Kenny Barron on piano, and Ron Carter on bass – a great trio even on their own, but given a nice sense of focus through Blackman's drums. As usual, Blackman penned some great originals for the date – and the setting is an especially nice one for Bartz, who's really given a lot of space for great solo work on the set. Titles include "The Oracle", "AJ", "Beatrice", "Traffic", "Why", "Our Blues", and "Who Needs Forever".

A fantastic bit of spiritual jazz funk – and one of the rarest 70s albums on Fantasy Records! The group's headed up by Nat Adderley Jr (son of the famous Nat Sr) on keyboards and vocals – and the ensemble is a hip, young collective with an approach that reminds us of work by Oneness Of Juju, Gary Bartz, and Weldon Irvine! If those three names aren't enough to prick up your ears for this one – one drop of the needle should be enough, as the record's a real winner all the way through, filled with well-written songs, and a mixture of soul jazz, funky fusion, and vocal tracks that really work great together. The kind of sweet rare 70s album you'll buy from us, and treasure for years – filled with great cuts like "In Search Of Happiness", "Red, Black, & Green", "Variation On Last Night", "Live My Life For You", "Killin' Time", and "Little Dahuoud's Dance".

Beautiful material from this legendary Bay Area soul jazz combo! The Sons & Daughters of Lite have an incredibly spiritual sound – one that sounds sort of like the best groups on the Strata East label, with touches of Roy Ayers or James Mason-esque soulfulness, but with a little less polish. Many of the cuts have sweet female vocals in the lead – with backing that includes vibe, electric piano, tenor, alto, and percussion by Babatunde. The record's a great one if you dig spiritual jazz funk – along the lines of Gary Bartz, The Pharoahs, or Oneness Of Juju – and Luv N Haight have done a stellar job of repackaging the album! Titles include the classic mellow groover "Let The Sun Shine In", plus "Fly Away", "Operation Feed Yourself", "Darkuman Junktion", and "Ju Ju's Door".

Beautiful material from this legendary Bay Area soul jazz combo! The Sons & Daughters of Lite have an incredibly spiritual sound – one that sounds sort of like the best groups on the Strata East label, with touches of Roy Ayers or James Mason-esque soulfulness, but with a little less polish. Many of the cuts have sweet female vocals in the lead – with backing that includes vibe, electric piano, tenor, alto, and percussion by Babatunde. The record's a great one if you dig spiritual jazz funk – along the lines of Gary Bartz, The Pharoahs, or Oneness Of Juju – and Luv N Haight have done a stellar job of repackaging the album! Titles include the classic mellow groover "Let The Sun Shine In", plus "Fly Away", "Operation Feed Yourself", "Darkuman Junktion", and "Ju Ju's Door".