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Not really a set of funky 45s – despite the title – but a good selection of instrumental numbers with a hard New Orleans groove. The style of most of this stuff predates the funk era by a few years, but Booker's touch on the organ is very tasty – and the cuts have a nice feel that's kind of like stuff on the Sue label from the same time. Unfortunately, many of the tracks seem to be mastered from vinyl (even though the whole set's on the up-and-up) – so you might think you're actually listening to a funky 45 – but the musical quality's strong enough to override that factor in most parts. Titles include "Tubby (parts 1 & 2)", "The Duck", "Big Nick", "Beale Street Popeye", "Kinda Happy", and "Smacksie".

A pair of killers from this legendary group! High On Music is one of the funkiest albums ever from The Memphis Horns – that super-tight instrumental combo headed by Andrew Love on tenor and Wayne Jackson on trumpet! Both players had years in the Memphis soul scene under their belt by the time of this set – and instead of just going for familiar modes, they wisely try to reach for a whole new groove – bringing in a bit of New York funk from the time, particularly the tighter ensemble sound of the Fatback generation. Booker T still handles production, which ensures a link to Memphis roots – and there's some great keyboards, which underscore the horns nicely. Titles include "Freedom Train", "Get It Up", "80 Proof Red", "Move Your Feet", "Keep On Doin' It", "Crystal Mellow", "Love's Mood", and "Beale Street Shuffle". On Get Up & Dance, The Memphis Horns expand their groove – still serving up their great blend of funky soul horns, but also adding in a bit of vocals too! The core focus of the album is still instrumental – based around that amazing sound led by Memphis soul legends Andrew Love and Wayne Jackson – but given the dancefloor orientation of some of the best tracks here, vocals are a perfect blend for the sound – lyrics that never dominate too much, but which have a great way of underscoring the groove! Singers include DJ Rogers, Lani Groves, Deniece Williams, and James Gilstrap all sing on the record – and titles include "Just For Your Love", a smooth mellow stepper that's pretty darn catchy – plus "Love Is Happiness", "Get Up And Dance", "Memphis Nights", "What The Funk", "Don't Abuse It", "Keep On Smilin", and "Waitin For The Flood".

A great groover from Don Patterson – cut in a trio format, with an open-ended style that lets the players kick back and play, in the sort of free and easy setting you'd hear in a hip small club. Patterson's organ is backed by his usual drummer Billy James, and 4 of the album's 5 tracks feature tenor work, either by Booker Ervin or Sonny Stitt. The last track, "Theme For Dee", is a spare mellow ballad that features mostly just organ by Patterson, with some subtle drum fills by James. The other tracks groove a bit harder, and include "Love Me With All Your Heart", "42639", and "Sentimental Journey".

A great Memphis sound from the second greatest instrumental group on Stax next to Booker T & The MGs – heard here on a massive record that really pushes The Mar-Keys to the next level! On previous records, the combo always had a sound that was a bit brighter than Booker and his group – still soul, but not nearly as sharp. Yet this time around, they really dig deep – and have a way of smoking out plenty of the best soulful elements associated with the Stax Records sound – that great way with a heavy-stepping groove, instrumentation that's tight yet never slick, and solo moments that burst out and really give the tunes a hell of a lot of personality! The rhythm jumps out of the grooves on numbers like "Honey Pot", "Grab This Thing" and "Philly Dog", and the album winds up with a James Brown medley that's pretty darn swingin too.

One of those rare treasures that was recorded by Blue Note in the 60s, but not issued at the time – a great late Hank Mobley set from 1967 that only saw the light of day in 1980! The album's got Hank really opening things up – using some of those more inventive rhythms and articulate phrasing that really graced his late years at Blue Note – a bold step forward, given his already-great run of material for the label! The core group is a quintet – with Lee Morgan on trumpet and Cedar Walton on piano – both of whom add to the lyrical edge of the playing – and most tracks feature additional work from James Spaulding on alto and flute, and the wonderful Sonny Greenwich on guitar – a player whose unique phrasing really helps shape the record's sound! Rhythms are from Walter Booker on bass and Billy Higgins on drums – again both great choices for the sometimes-modal qualities of the record – and titles include "Don't Cry Just Sigh", "Steppin Stone", "Third Season", "Boss Bossa", and "An Apertif". CD features one bonus track – an alternate of "Don't Cry Just Sigh".

Artists include Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Marcia Ball, James Booker, Irma Thomas, Jack Dupree, Johnny Adams, Professor Longhair, Eddie Bo and more.

They got the title right on this one – and the album's a smoking batch of tunes that captures Freddie in all his guitar-driven glory! The set features Freddie working with a tight Atlantic studio group that includes King Curtis, David Newman, James Booker, and Billy Butler – but the sound is raw, rootsy, and has a nice down-homey feel – with none of the cliches that you might expect from a release on Cotillion. Freddie sings a bit, but the best cuts are the instrumental ones, which take his older blues guitar style into a funkier Atlantic groove. King Curtis produced, and the titles include "Play It Cool", "Blue Shadows", "Hot Tomato", "Wide Open", "Sweet Thing", "Hideaway", and the excellent groover "Funky " – a massive instrumental filled with great guitar!

Two organ and tenor classics – back to back on a single CD – with some bonus cuts too! Four Dimensions is sweet soulful work from the legendary Don Patterson – a great Prestige set that has tenorist Houston Person joining the organist's hip trio with Pat Martino on guitar and Billy James on drums! The tunes have that loping soul jazz sound you'd find in Person's best early work at the time – a groove that's got plenty of bottom, but also a nice dose of lyricism as well – and the use of Houston's horn here seems to bring out a different approach from Patterson than you'll hear on his sessions with Booker Ervin. There's a very slight hardbop element at times – and titles include "Sandu", "Freddie Tooks Jr", "Red Top", and "Last Train From Overbrook". Next up are most of the tracks from the album Hip Cake Walk – a massive pairing of the tenor of Booker Ervin and Hammond of Don Patterson – a record that's got a very famous cover image, and which marks for one of the greatest meetings of soul and modernism at mid-60s Prestige Records! There's no bass at all on the set – just lots of quick, tight rhythm lines from Patterson on the pedals of the Hammond – mixed with drums from Billy James, and served up with plenty of space for Ervin to open up on tenor – blowing with more soul than on some of his modernist sides of the time! Oddly, the CD does not include the title cut – "Hip Cake Walk" – but does include the other 4 tracks from the album, "Rosetta", "Sister Ruth", "Under The Boardwalk", and "Donald Duck". CD also features more Ervin/Patterson material from the same session – the tracks "Sentimental Journey", "Theme For Dee", and "Just Friends".