A stone classic from Brother James – a wonderful 60s album that not only includes the incredible title track – one of James' best groovers from the time – but a set that also showcases his talents in so many other styles too! There's a few wonderful ballads – but completely recast by James into songs of pride and power – and some older R&B-styled numbers that hearken back to his earliest years at King – all of which makes for a really rich demonstration of that unique James Brown energy that nobody else in the 60s could ever hope to touch! The Godfather's vocals burst out nicely with some wonderfully soulful overtones, no matter what the tune – and titles include "Fever", "Good Rockin Tonight", "Back Stabbin", "Mona Lisa", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "Nature Boy" and "I Want To Be Around" – as well as "Cold Sweat (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album by James Brown – and very different than his other work! He cut this one with the groovy Dee Felice Trio – a jazz-based combo that he recorded on their own for King, on another very rare, very excellent record. The band's in similar form here, although not necessarily as funky – and they do a great job of giving James' vocals a jazzy twist that they don't have on other albums – proving yet again that The Godfather can handle just about any sort of groove that he wants! Features a wonderfully groover version of "Sunny", which moves along very nicely – plus remakes of "There Was A Time" and "Cold Sweat", along with the tracks "Uncle" and "That's Life". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the lesser-known albums from the mid 70's, and one that includes a mix of remakes of old stuff, and some faster tracks that seem to be aimed at the dancefloor. Dave Matthews arranged a number of tracks, including "Hot", "So Long", and "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons". James did the rest, including "Future Shock Of The World", "Woman", "Most Of All", and "Goodnight My Love". Not his greatest – but also with some pretty decent funky moments that aren't too fast! LP, Vinyl record album

Raw soul, indeed – a term that could have been coined for James Brown's vocal approach, and which probably makes one of its first appearances here on a record! The album's kind of a grab bag of earlier sides that James recorded for King, but it's a perfect showcase for his amazing sound in any setting – as it brings together funky bits with more straightforward soul numbers. Tracks include the great funky numbers "Money Won't Change You" and "Bring It Up", both of which show the new hard sound of James coming to the forefront – plus the tracks "Stone Fox", "Tell Me That You Love Me", "Money Won't Change You (parts 1 & 2)', "Let Yourself Go", and the hip message cut "Don't Be A Drop Out". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album that forever changed the face of live recordings – and soul music too! As has been told and retold often, King records not only had the genius idea of bringing recording equipment into the Apollo Theater to catch James in a smoking live setting – the sort of show that really set his fans on fire – but they also went out of their way to record and re-record the audience, creating a wonderful interplay on the record between James and the crowd. The result is the stuff of legend – and the record's filled with loads of nice tracks like "I'll Go Crazy", "Try Me", "I Don't Mind", "Lost Someone", "Think", "Night Train", and the massive medley featuring "Please Please Please/You've Got The Power/I Found Someone/Why Do You Do Me/I Want You So Bad/I Love You Yes I Do/Strange Things Happen". LP, Vinyl record album

Here's where things really started getting interesting for James Brown! The album was issued right around the same time as James' single "Out Of Sight" on Smash – and like that track, "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" was one of the first to use that "instruments on the beat" style of funk that would dominate all of James' work in years to come – that amazing groove that completely turned soul music on its ear – and paved the way for generations to come! The result is a startling sound that forever changed the face of groove – and you'll hear it nicely placed on this album, along with great cuts like "Cross Firing", "Mashed Potatoes USA", "Doin The Limbo", and "Love Don't Love Nobody". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing double-live album that's to concert records what James Brown's Payback was to the sound of studio funk! Like that classic, this is a double-length 2LP set that really has James and the JBs stretching out and doing their thing – working here in a setting that's supposed to be the "part 3" to the famous Live At The Apollo albums – but with a vibe that really shows the different spirit of the Godfather in the 70s! The JBs are wonderful – really showing their chops here, in a way that maybe even blows the tightness of the previous James Brown Band to pieces – as the long tracks allow for plenty of solos, rhythm changes, and monstrous moments of soul from James. Brown also opens up with some cool bad-rapping moments, too – and titles include "It's A New Day So Let A Man Come In & Do The Popcorn", "Get Up Get Into It Get Involved", "Super Bad", "Sex Machine", "Escape-Ism", "Make It Funky", "Hot Pants", "Soul Power", and "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose". LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of 60s work by James – one that goes way past the hits, to show the birth of the funky style that would forever be James' calling card in the 70s! The package starts in the earlier King R&B years – with tracks that are hard and soulful, yet which also have a unique approach to rhythm that was the beginning of Brown's experiments in funk. As the set moves on, it runs through an assortment of 60s hard soul styles – with touches of soul jazz, sock-boogaloo, and more – all coming together to serve up a great portrait of James' early genius! The package has a number of wonderful vocal cuts, some instrumental bits, and even some rare studio dialogue – and it features tracks pulled from a number of rare singles and long out of print LPs, complete with a killer booklet too! Titles include "Fine Old FoxySelf", "Doodle Bug", "This Old Heart", "You've Got The Power", "I Want You So Bad", "I Don't Care", "Shout & Shimmy", "Mashed Potatoes USA", "Maybe The Last Time", "Oh Baby Don't You Weep (parts 1 & 2)", "Just Won't Do Right", "And I Do Just What I Want", "Hold It", "Begging Begging", "That Dood It", and "Chonnie On Chon". 32 tracks in all! LP, Vinyl record album

Sure, it's a greatest hits set – but it's a damn good one! This 2LP set was always an essential part of our crates back in the 80s, because it includes an excellent range of James Brown work from the 60s and 70s – including a number of strong funky cuts, presented here in the original single versions. Titles include "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose", "There Was A Time", "I Got The Feelin", "Mother Popcorn", "Sex Machine", "Make It Funky", "Talkin Loud & Sayin Nothin", "Payback", "Get On The Good Foot", "My Thang", "Papa Don't Take No Mess", and "Funky President". LP, Vinyl record album

A different James Brown album – but a nice one! James doesn't sing soul, so much as jazz – in front of large backings by Louis Bellson, with arrangements by Oliver Nelson that are in his best 60s soul mode – and which give the album a very very groovy feel overall! The record's not funky, but James' vocals are plenty darn soulful – and the album is proof that he could be a huge talent in just about any mode that he chose – shining with a brilliance that was irrepressible! James covers a few of his older tracks on the album, and sings a few other pop standards – and titles include nice versions of "It's Magic", "The Man In The Glass", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", "That's My Desire", and "I Need Your Key (To Turn Me On)". LP, Vinyl record album

A slammin' set of heavy R&B numbers from James Brown – combined in here with some other nice tracks from King Records artists of the time! The set almost has the same feeling as some of the James Brown Show albums – in that James is presented with other hard-hitting artists of his time – yet the difference here is that the others are King Records giants in their own right. The album features about 50% material by James – all hard hitters that include "Suds", "Hold It", "Scratch", "Night Train", "Cross Firing", and "Night Flying" – nearly all of which are instrumentals, in the best early King tradition! These are followed up by other tunes, mostly instrumental, from other artists – including "Doin Everything" and "Switch A Roo" by Henry Moore, "Tonk Game" by Hank Marr, "Bushy Tail" by Clifford Scott, "The Wobble" by The Wobblers, and "Just A Little Bit Of Everything" by Herb Hardesty'. LP, Vinyl record album

James Brown plays organ on this one – an early effort to showcase various other artists that he was producing at the time, and who traveled with him on the road – all those great singers that The Godfather would give time to on his stage – the sorts of artists who would later get more exposure on record once James launched the People Records label! Arrangementsd are by James Brown and Nat Jones – and titles include "Strung Out" and "Stop And Think It Over" by James Crawford, "This Is My Story" by the Jewels, "Satisfaction" and "The Dog" by Baby Lloyd, and "Nowhere To Run" and "Don't Mess With Bill" by Vicki Anderson. LP, Vinyl record album

James Brown cooking it live – recorded (as the cover says) "at home in Augusta, Georgia with his bad self"! The groove here is a nice extension of earlier Apollo modes – one that shows the increasing funkiness of the James Brown Band, captured with a raw power that few other groups could match – in a style that really paves the way for the James Brown/JBs sound of the 70s – with long tracks, and some killer fast versions of some of the best funky cuts from the late King Records years! The set includes a smoking 10 minute version of "Sex Machine" –plus other groovers like "I Got the Feeling", "Mother Popcorn", "Licking Stick", and a great version of "I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary bit of fuzzy funk from James Brown – an important collaboration with the mighty Dave Matthews, who brings a more tripped-out feel to the record than some of James' other King sessions of the time! Matthews adds in lots of psych-influenced guitar – used very different than the scratching riffs of the other JB material of the late 60s – in ways that almost make the record a second chapter to Dave's Grodeck Whipperjenny album – a gritty blend of funk, soul, and psych – all with some nice touches by the James Brown Band! All tracks are co-written by Brown and Matthews, and all are instrumental – and titles include "Can Mind", "Don't Mind", "Bob Scoward", and "Just Enough Room for Storage". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer from James Brown – and one of his best instrumental albums of the King years! The record has James working with the pre-JBs James Brown Band – a tight assemblage of players who really know how to craft an off-kilter groove. The guitar's popping on the beat here as much as the horns, making for a syncopated groove that's utterly fantastic – as tight as a drum, and as funky as one too! Includes some great long cuts – like the 9 minute, two-part versions of "Ain't It Funky" and "Fat Wood" – plus some great shorter funky 45 type material, like "Nose Job", "Use Your Mother", "Give It Up Or Turnit Loose", and a version of "Cold Sweat". All the work here is tremendous – the kind of inspirational funky material that makes the album a lasting classic decade after decade! LP, Vinyl record album

James Brown gets even better than before – working here in the setting of a blacksploitation soundtracks – which makes the album a doubly funky outing from the 70s! James is a master throughout – beating Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield at their own games – as he works with super-tight work from the JBs, plus a bit of vocals from Lyn Collins – all in a massive batch of tracks that further expand his funky palette! Unlike other blacksploitation soundtracks, which usually have one or two key funky tunes, this one's almost entirely overflowing with gems – including Lyn Collins on a version of "Mama Feelgood" that's worth the price of the record alone! The whole thing's great, though – and titles include the classic "Down & Out in New York City", plus "Blind Man Can See It", "Sportin' Life", "The Boss", "Dirty Harri", and "Chase". LP, Vinyl record album

Further genius from James Brown at the start of the 70s – a record that's starting to show some of the more open-ended grooves he'd explore with the JBs on their own albums – longer, stretched-out tracks that are way more than simple funk and soul! There's a sense of freewheeling energy here that's totally great – dynamic, powerful calls from James at the top of most tunes – and incredibly sharp work on horns and rhythm from the band – cutting grooves and turning lines like no other combo in the business, all with a great mix of deep soul and hard funk! The album features the 7 minute killer version of "Let a Man Come In & Do The Popcorn", plus "World (parts 1 & 2)", "It's A New Day (parts 1 & 2)", "Give It Up or Turn It Loose", "If I Ruled The World", "The Man In The Glass (part 1)", and "I'm Not Demanding (part 1)". A treasure trove of funk and soul! LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous turning point in the career of James Brown – and an album that points the way strongly to the even deeper funk of the 70s! The album's a hard-wailing batch of instrumental tracks played by the legendary James Brown Band of the late 60s – the pre-JBs ensemble that's gone onto have possibly even more funky influence than the Godfather's combo in the 70s! James plays organ on the set – and supposedly a bit of guitar and drums (according to the notes) – but one of the main stars here is Pee Wee Ellis, whose alto lines really cook up some of the best tracks strongly. Yet possibly even more amazing is the overall rhythmic conception – tight, focused, and always on the money – snapping with a sharpness that's mindblowing even all these many years later – a whole new dimension in funky expression, hardly ever matched since! Titles include "Soul Pride (parts 1 & 2)", "The Chicken", "Sudsy", "The Popcorn", "In The Middle (parts 1 & 2)", "The Chase", and "A New Shift". LP, Vinyl record album

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Forget the "hustle" and "bump" in the title – as the set's not a disco cash-in set by the Godfather – and instead is an overlooked funky gem from the 70s! The set still follows strongly in the best modes of the early 70s – with that sharp JB-styled groove underneath – and in a way, the record's bit like Breaking Bread was to that group's great run – maybe a bit more focused, and slightly more upbeat – but still with a righteous approach to funk overall! David Matthews conducts, and players include Fred Wesley on trombone, Maceo Parker on alto, St Clair Pickney on tenor, and both Charles Sherrell and Leon Pendarvis on clavinet – and a few tracks are remakes of older numbers, nestled next to some newer gems. The set features the standout funky cuts "Your Love", which has a great break at the beginning, and "Superbad Superslick" – and other titles include "Hustle", "Turn On The Heat & Build Some Fire", "Calm & Cool", and a remake of "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the funkiest records ever recorded for Impulse – and the debut set by guitarist Mel Brown! Mel has a really down-and-dirty style that's quite unusual for the label at the time – a rootsy approach to guitar that's steeped in equal parts jazz, soul, and R&B – and which comes across with a raw power and tasty feel that's perfectly summed up by titles like "Chicken Fat", "Greasy Spoon", "Home James", "Slalom", and "Shanty"! The album features some rare organ work by Gerald Wiggins, drums by Paul Humphrey, and outta-site soul arrangements by Oliver Nelson on a few tracks – but through the whole thing, Brown's the main focus – laying down some deeply funky work on guitar! LP, Vinyl record album

If anyone deserved the name of Miss Rhythm in the 50s, it was the great Ruth Brown – as the singer was one of the most hard-hitting, sock-solid talents around – and really helped pave the way for the deeper styles of soul to come in the 60s! This album's filled with great Atlantic Records material from Brown – and also nicely moves past the bigger hits of the period – to show Brown really mixing it up in a great way, with the sort of diversity that Etta James wouldn't find in her own career until her later move to Chess Records. Tracks include "This Little Girl's Gone Rockin", "Somebody Touched Me", "I Hope We Meet On The Road Some Day", "Why Me", "Just Too Much", "Book Of Lies", "One More Time", "Jack O Diamonds", "I Can See Everybody's Baby", and "I Can't Hear A Word You Say". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic from Jimmy Rushing – recorded at a time when he was really finding a new audience for his vocals! In a style that Columbia was using on a number of sides in the late 50s and early 60s, Jimmy and Buck do a bit of educatin' – and trace a progression of jazz styles from New Orleans, to Chicago, to Kansas City, and New York. The Odyssey's not really Jimmy's, so much as it is the jazz that was defined by the white liberal tastes that always were the main force between Columbia in the early years – but the set's still a nice one, like all of Jimmy's later work for Columbia, which features some of the best-recorded vocal work of his career. Titles include "New Orleans", "Doctor Blues", "Rosetta", "Piney Brown Blues", "Lullaby Of Broadway", and "Some Of These Days". LP, Vinyl record album

A mindblowing album from James Moody – of the sort that opens up a whole new facet of his career! The record takes off from Moody's early 60s work for Chess – his post-bop recordings that started displaying a deeper side of his musical consciousness – and which occasionally featured work by composer/arranger Tom McIntosh. McIntosh's presence is felt very strongly here – as he produced the whole session, and contributed a few tracks – working in the Nola Penthouse studios at a level of hipness we never would have expected! Moody plays tenor, alto, and flute – working with a really great group that includes Patti brown on piano, Albert Heath on drums, Reggie Workman on bass, and Thad Jones on trumpet – and the scope of the work is far beyond anything you'd expect! The record's got a stunning early funk track by Edward Bland – "If You Grin You're In", which features a tripped-out organ line mostly just holding one note – while drums pound hard, and Moody blows it over the top – all set to this flattened production that makes the whole thing sound really eerie! Other great tracks include the loping groover "Capers", the wonderfully moody flute number "Wayward Plaint" (written by Dennis Sandole, of the oft-overlooked Sandole Brothers), and the tracks "Em Prean Shore" and "Buster's Last Stand". Tremendous throughout – and completely essential, whether you already like Moody or not! LP, Vinyl record album

A quartet date with Basie on piano, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Ray Brown on bass, and Mickey Roker on drums. Titles include "Back To The Land", "Constantinople", "You Got It", "St James Infirmary", "Follow The Leader" and "Ow". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly our favorite record ever from reedman Marion Brown – and very different than both his seminal 60s recordings, and his European sides from later years! There's a really earthy feel to this record – one that really lives up to the title, and which comes from the use of lots of percussion, played by just about every group member, ala AACM – but handled in a style that's warmly spiritual, and very organic too – right in line with the best Impulse Records vibe of the time, yet completely its own thing too! Brown plays alto and soprano sax, and is working with players who include Leo Smith on trumpet, William Malone on mbira and autoharp, James Jefferson on bass, and Steve McCall, Jumma Santos, Bill Hasson, and A Kobena Adzenyah on percussion – in addition to percussion plays by other group members too. Two tracks are spare, beautiful solos – almost a Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre vibe – and titles include "Buttermilk Bottom", "Once Upon A Time", "Tokalokaloka", and "Karintha". LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue issue of this jazzy Peanuts classic – music that's delighted ears for decades, yet never got the same sort of commercial release as Charlie Brown Christmas music! As with that work, the music here all comes from the genius of Vince Guaraldi – and given the early 70s recording of the tunes, Vince definitely has updated his style since the 60s – using Fender Rhodes at times, and even having an electric sensibility to his acoustic piano work too – a sense of spacing and timing that's totally great! The core combo features a young Tom Harrell on trumpet, plus Chuck Bennett on trombone, Seward McCain on bass, and Mike Clark on drums – a very cool jazzy group. Vince sings on the wonderful tune "Little Birdie", which has some larger arrangements – and other titles include "Is It James Or Charlie", "Thanksgiving Theme", "Charlie Brown Blues", "Peppermint Patty", "Linus & Lucy", and "Thanksgiving Interlude". This expanded release features lots of great alternates on the themes – and the tune "Clark & Guaraldi", and "Is It James Or Charlie (bonus mix with whistling)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the funkiest records ever recorded for Impulse – and the debut set by guitarist Mel Brown! Mel has a really down-and-dirty style that's quite unusual for the label at the time – a rootsy approach to guitar that's steeped in equal parts jazz, soul, and R&B – and which comes across with a raw power and tasty feel that's perfectly summed up by titles like "Chicken Fat", "Greasy Spoon", "Home James", "Slalom", and "Shanty"! The album features some rare organ work by Gerald Wiggins, drums by Paul Humphrey, and outta-site soul arrangements by Oliver Nelson on a few tracks – but through the whole thing, Brown's the main focus – laying down some deeply funky work on guitar! LP, Vinyl record album

Rare early work from Etta James – material cut during the late 50s for the west coast Modern Records label, most of it a lot harder-hitting than Etta's more famous music for Chess in the 60s! Given the raw power of Etta James at Chess, that's saying a heck of a lot – and you'll definitely hear an unbridled James at work here – a younger singer working in territory that echoes Lavern Baker or Ruth Brown on Atlantic, but with a grittier nod to the R&B underground on labels like King or Savoy. The package features a few great answer songs – Etta's contribution to the "Henry" song cycle – and some other great stompers too – a selection that includes "Tough Lover", "Good Rockin Daddy", "Woman", "The Wallflower", "Dance With Me Henry", "Hickory Dickory Dock", "Strange Things Happening", and "Hey Henry". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty great album of James Brown tracks – played by a funky LA studio group led by producer John Wagner! The record's a no-nonsense workout on the tracks, with lots of funky guitar, choppy clavinet riffing, and even some nice funky flute – a bit of a different twist for James Brown's songs! The track list is quite hip, and it really focuses on the best funky tracks of the late 60s King years – including a few that we're surprised they thought to include. Some tracks have shouted ensemble vocals, by both male & female singers – but the main focus is on the instrumental grooving, which is very nice! Titles include "Ain't It Funky", "My Thang", "Sex Machine", "Mother Popcorn", "Superbad Superslick", "Fatwood", "Coldblooded", "Out Of Sight", and "Cold Sweat". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky treasure trove from Apple & The Three Oranges – a group we hardly know at all, but who really blow us away with the cuts on this collection! The groove is plenty hard right from the get-go – the best of the funky 45 underground of the early 70s – which means that there's more 60s rawness on the record than you'd get from bigger-label funk at the time – as Ed "Apple" Nelson still works here with a mostly underground vibe! Ed plays drums – which are mighty hard on most numbers – and his vocals have this offbeat, off-kilter, over the top quality that almost reminds us a bit of the Hank Ballard/James Brown recordings for late 60s King – particularly in the way that Nelson's completely unbridled with his energy. The whole thing's great – one of the best funky collections we've heard in years – and presented with a rich amount of notes and historical information too. Titles include "Free & Easy (parts 1 & 2)", "Moon Light", "Curse Upon The World", "What Goes Around Comes Around", "Down Home Publicity", "True Love Will Never Die", "Gotta Stand For Something (parts 1 & 2)", and "I'll Give You A Ring". Features a great 16 page booklet with extensive liner notes and photos! LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet funky classic from guitar genius George Benson – and a record that features some surprising soul arrangements from Pee Wee Ellis – also known for his classic work with the James Brown Band of the late 60s! Pee Wee's got a tighter groove here than on some of George's earlier CTI albums – but still keeps things open enough, so that Benson gets plenty of room to solo – a bit like the vibe of some of his late 60s albums for Verve and A&M. George is the main soloist – but the group is super-hip, with Harold Mabern on electric piano, Frank Foster on tenor, and a little bit of extra guitar from Earl Klugh. George is pulling no punches on this one – really hitting hard on his solos with a freer approach than he used on most of his other records from the time. Titles include "Dance", "Plum", "Body Talk", and "Top Of The World" – and most tracks are looong! LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from Rickey Calloway – an overlooked soul singer with a resume that goes back to the 70s, and one who's definitely kept the spirit of James Brown alive and well with music like this! In a world of young singers trying for a classic vibe, Rickey's the real deal – and served up the goods not just with his fantastic way of putting over a lyric, but also with just the right sort of backup and production – qualities that keep all the tracks on here sounding like some vintage 45s from back in the days when Calloway first started hitting the studios down in Florida! The set's the first-ever vinyl album issued under Rickey's name, and is killer all the way through – with titles that include "Stay In The Groove", "Shed A Tear", "Jump Back (parts 1 & 2)", "That's On You", Tell Me", "Come On Home", "Get It Right", "Shake It Up Shake It Down", and "Work It". LP, Vinyl record album

Great funk from one of the true legends of his time! Dyke and The Blazers specialized in James Brown-influenced super heavy soul funk, LA style – and their recordings from the late 60's are some of the most archetypal funky tracks from that era! This full album is one of the group's few – as Dyke worked most of his magic on funky 45s, not full LPs. The set does a good job of keeping the funky 45 spirit, though – and it's filled with great numbers that include "We Got More Soul", "Uhh", "The Wobble", "Funky Broadway (parts 1 & 2)", "Funky Walk (parts 1 & 2)", "My Brothers & Sisters Day Is Comin", and "Let A Woman Be A Woman, Let A Man Be A Man". LP, Vinyl record album

James Brown's old funky reed player hits wax in this groovy solo set of his own – playing here with a sound that's a bit more produced than usual, and with more of a 70's groove than you're used to hearing him in. His tone is perfect, as always, and the record is arranged and conducted by him in a way that brings his sax solos right up front. Tracks include a funky version of "Nature Boy", plus "Big Daddy", "Gotcha!", "For Apache", and "Pistachio". LP, Vinyl record album

An album with some surprisingly soulful moments, thanks in part to some well-chosen samples from classic years of soul – including snippets of work from The Impressions, James Brown, Minnie Riperton, and The Spinners – all of whom really provide some nice balance with the more hardcore lyrics upfront! That balance is maybe Freeway showing his Philly pedigree – next to plentiful guests who include Jay Z, Beanie Sigel, Snoop, Nelly, Nate Dogg, Faith Evans, Sparks, and others. Tracks include "Free", "What We Do", "Don't Cross The Line", "Turn Out The Lights", "Victim Of The Ghetto", "Flipside", "You Got Me", "Alright", "You Don't Know", and "Life". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky highlife stunner from the mighty K Frimpong – an artist who always seems to find a way to make a familiar groove sound even heavier than you might expect! That's definitely the case here – as rattling percussion really sets the scene for every track – sometimes with instrumentation that's a bit more familiar to the best highlife jams of the times, but other times with a hard and heavy early 70s funk approach that's in the best James Brown tradition! The album features four extended tracks that are all nice and long – and although there's vocals on the record, the main appeal is the fantastic instrumentation – on titles that include "Daben Ni", "Me Yee Owu Den", "Nye Mea", and "Me Da A Onnda". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic Savoy bop work from Diz – featuring some sides cut with the orchestra of Johnny Richards, plus some cut with the "Bepop (sic) Boys", a group that includes Milt Jackson, James Moody, Hank Jones, Dave Burns, and John Brown. The Richards sides are great – a bit more swinging than the ones he and Diz cut on Verve, but no less well-conceived. Titles include "Interlude In C", "Lullaby Of The Leaves", "The Things I Love", "Moody Speaks", "For Hecklers Only", and "Boppin The Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky nugget from the second Blue Note chapter of guitarist Grant Green – that wonderful point when he shifted into more funk-based styles from his hardbop work at the start – and found a way to unlock a whole new side of his talents! The approach here is similar to some of the funky Lou Donaldson albums from the time – like Hot Dog or Say It Loud – in that tracks are nice and long, and have some great funky currents at the bottom from the drums of Idris Muhammad – who kicks up lots of those chunky funky breaks that we always love so much! Green's work on guitar is especially nice – stretched out, but never trippy, with a tight single note style that really gets the most out of the grooves – in a great lineup that features Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Claude Bartee on tenor, Emanuel Riggins on Hammond, Jimmy Lewis on bass, and Candido on congas. Neal Creque contributed two great tracks to the set – "Windjammer" and "Dracula" – and the album also sports a great long version of James Brown's "Ain't It Funky Now", and a sweet cover of "A Day In The Life"! LP, Vinyl record album

A funky nugget from the second Blue Note chapter of guitarist Grant Green – that wonderful point when he shifted into more funk-based styles from his hardbop work at the start – and found a way to unlock a whole new side of his talents! The approach here is similar to some of the funky Lou Donaldson albums from the time – like Hot Dog or Say It Loud – in that tracks are nice and long, and have some great funky currents at the bottom from the drums of Idris Muhammad – who kicks up lots of those chunky funky breaks that we always love so much! Green's work on guitar is especially nice – stretched out, but never trippy, with a tight single note style that really gets the most out of the grooves – in a great lineup that features Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Claude Bartee on tenor, Emanuel Riggins on Hammond, Jimmy Lewis on bass, and Candido on congas. Neal Creque contributed two great tracks to the set – "Windjammer" and "Dracula" – and the album also sports a great long version of James Brown's "Ain't It Funky Now", and a sweet cover of "A Day In The Life"! LP, Vinyl record album