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An obscure date from trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and tenorist Benny Golson – but some really great work from both players! The format here is relaxed and very open – long tunes that allow both players to really stretch out on their solos with tremendous grace and imagination. And despite the low price and simple packaging of the set, the quality of both the music and recording is easily on a par with the best 80s work by Hubbard and Golson – and is a masterful meeting of both artists! The group's a quintet, with more additional great talent – including Mulgrew Miller on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Marvin Smitty Smith on drums – hitting the kit with a great sense of energy that really drives the session. Titles include a great acoustic reworking of Hubbard's classic "Povo", presented in a way that's still surprisingly funky – plus "Double Bass", "Sad To Say", "Far Away", "Gypsy Jingle Jangle", and "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing".

The sweet sound of 70s Blue Note – a really wonderful stretch for the label, and a time when the company was stretching out in a range of sublimely soulful directions! This period's probably best known for the influence of Larry Mizell on some of the label's key players, but it's also got plenty more to offer too – Brazilian influences in the rhythms, electric undercurrents in the instrumentation, and some especially soulful vocals on some of the best-remembered tracks. Old players are born anew, new players rise to lofty heights, and the whole thing's an amazing discovery in jazz – filled with key tracks that do a better job of summing up 70s Blue Note than our few worlds ever could! 20 tracks in all – including "Chicago Damn" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Koko & Lee Roe" by Gene Harris, "Love So Far Away" by Donald Byrd, "Fun House" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Cheshire Cat" by Ronnie Foster, "Kumquat Kid" by Eddie Henderson, "People Make The World Go Round" by Bobby Hutcherson, "In Pursuit Of the 27th Man" by Horace Silver, "You're Everything" by Carmen McRae, "Route" by Moacir Santos, "Sassy Soul Strut" by Lou Donaldson, "Always There" by Ronnie Laws, "Essence Of Mystery" by Alphonse Mouzon, and "Motherland" by The Waters.

The sweet sound of 70s Blue Note – a really wonderful stretch for the label, and a time when the company was stretching out in a range of sublimely soulful directions! This period's probably best known for the influence of Larry Mizell on some of the label's key players, but it's also got plenty more to offer too – Brazilian influences in the rhythms, electric undercurrents in the instrumentation, and some especially soulful vocals on some of the best-remembered tracks. Old players are born anew, new players rise to lofty heights, and the whole thing's an amazing discovery in jazz – filled with key tracks that do a better job of summing up 70s Blue Note than our few worlds ever could! 20 tracks in all – including "Chicago Damn" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Koko & Lee Roe" by Gene Harris, "Love So Far Away" by Donald Byrd, "Fun House" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Cheshire Cat" by Ronnie Foster, "Kumquat Kid" by Eddie Henderson, "People Make The World Go Round" by Bobby Hutcherson, "In Pursuit Of the 27th Man" by Horace Silver, "You're Everything" by Carmen McRae, "Route" by Moacir Santos, "Sassy Soul Strut" by Lou Donaldson, "Always There" by Ronnie Laws, "Essence Of Mystery" by Alphonse Mouzon, and "Motherland" by The Waters.

A landmark bit of indie funk from the 70s – one of the few records cut by Detroit keyboardist Eddie Russ, and easily the best! The album features Russ going to town on electric piano – working with a hip combo called The Mixed Bag, which features some wicked work on flute and soprano sax by Larry Nozero – and a vibe that's a lot more laidback than standard funk, or even more mainstream jazz funk too – a sweet open groove that's mighty nice all the way through! The album's really a showcase for Nozero and Russ' solos – trading back and forth effortlessly over long tunes that roll along in a sweet electric-tinged groove – long vamping rhythms that really seem to drive both players onto new heights. Titles include Russ' classic "The Lope Song", a great version of "Hill Where The Lord Hides", and the tracks "Shamading", "Watergate Blues", and "All But Blind".

A landmark bit of indie funk from the 70s – one of the few records cut by Detroit keyboardist Eddie Russ, and easily the best! The album features Russ going to town on electric piano – working with a hip combo called The Mixed Bag, which features some wicked work on flute and soprano sax by Larry Nozero – and a vibe that's a lot more laidback than standard funk, or even more mainstream jazz funk too – a sweet open groove that's mighty nice all the way through! The album's really a showcase for Nozero and Russ' solos – trading back and forth effortlessly over long tunes that roll along in a sweet electric-tinged groove – long vamping rhythms that really seem to drive both players onto new heights. Titles include Russ' classic "The Lope Song", a great version of "Hill Where The Lord Hides", and the tracks "Shamading", "Watergate Blues", and "All But Blind".

With Woody Allen on clarinet.

A landmark bit of indie funk from the 70s – one of the few records cut by Detroit keyboardist Eddie Russ, and easily the best! The album features Russ going to town on electric piano – working with a hip combo called The Mixed Bag, which features some wicked work on flute and soprano sax by Larry Nozero – and a vibe that's a lot more laidback than standard funk, or even more mainstream jazz funk too – a sweet open groove that's mighty nice all the way through! The album's really a showcase for Nozero and Russ' solos – trading back and forth effortlessly over long tunes that roll along in a sweet electric-tinged groove – long vamping rhythms that really seem to drive both players onto new heights. Titles include Russ' classic "The Lope Song", a great version of "Hill Where The Lord Hides", and the tracks "Shamading", "Watergate Blues", and "All But Blind".

An incredible blend of Fender Rhodes and soulful saxophone – a late record from saxophonist Sonny Stitt, but one that also features the young Eddie Russ on keyboards! The record's got a laidback and funky sound that goes deeper than any of Stitt's earlier sides of the 70s – and it sounds a fair bit like Eddie Russ' own record for the Jazz Masters label, thanks to a pretty heavy focus on the keys. Electric piano starts off most of the tracks before Stitt comes in for his solos – and the arrangements are relatively full, with added horns, guitar, and percussion on a fair number of tunes. Larry Nozero plays flute on the record, and some tracks even seem to feature more of him than Stitt – and the range of grooves here is really great. "Tornado" is a rolling funky tune with lots of conga on the bottom, "Escanaba Beat" is a slightly Latin-styled number, "Spinning Wheel" is taken in a jazzily stepping groove that runs for nearly ten minutes, "By My Side" has a nice chunky drum pattern under the Rhodes, and even the album's version of "We've Only Just Begun" is great – with a wicked rolling bassline sample on the intro, and lots of jazzy changes in the groove!

Compelling title, but kind of a mellow record overall – featuring vibes by the enigmatic Darji, and backing by players that include John Lewis, Ray Brown, Rodney Jones, and Mickey Roker. Tracks are longish, and moody – almost in the mode of Milt Jackson work with the MJQ, but not as poised – and titles include "While We Dream", "Blues For Jazzo", "Blues Of The Masters", and "Gentle Rain".

A genius album from Swedish baritone giant Lars Gullin – and a set that's from a period that was much less documented on our side of the Atlantic! Gullin was one of the undisputed masters of the instrument, and his American recordings on Mercury and Prestige stand as proof to his talent – but his work from the 60s, done back in his native Sweden, has been lost for years – and is often deeper and more complicated than his US sides of the 50s! This set from 1964 features Gullin in the company of a host of very talented "pals" that includes some of the greatest talents in jazz in Sweden at the time – Rolf Billberg on alto, Jan Allan on trumpet, Harry Backlund on tenor, Torgny Nilsson on trombone, and Lars Sjosten on piano – all artists used by Gullin in varying combinations, working through these wonderful arrangements of original tunes that are among some of the best he ever wrote. The set features haunting arrangements that defy description, and which allow the soloists free room to express themselves in a manner that skirts between hardbop and modernism, but which always manages to swing! Titles include "It's True", "I've Seen", "Prima Vera", "Decent Eyes", "Gabriella", and "Portrait Of My Pals". CD also features 4 bonus tracks too!

A pair of classics from Ronnie Laws – back to back on a single CD! On Mr Nice Guy, Laws really makes a big move into the soul field – quite a big record for him back in the day, and a set that helped him reach an even wider audience at the time! Ronnie sings as much as playing sax on the set – and he also handles a fair bit of keyboards too – often laid down alongside the beats with a snapping 80s groove sort of feel – a sound that's just right for the jazzy flourishes you'd expect from Laws, but much more soul-styled than before! Laws' vocals have a lightness that really works well with the instrumentation – a catchy charm we wouldn't have expected a few years before. Tracks include "In The Groove", "Mr Nice Guy", "Big Stars", "Can't Save Tomorrow", "What Does It Take", "Off & On Again", and "Rolling". Classic Masters features the best of Ronnie Laws' 70s material, plus a few new tracks as well – an album that definitely lives up to its title! The music is awash in both jazz and soul modes – jazz, thanks to Ronnie's well-played solos, which soar out in an amazing blend of new ideas and on-the-money groove – and soul, with production that really helped Laws cross over to big audiences at the time – a blend that's like the best Blue Note jazz funk of the mid 70s! The new cuts include "City Girl" and "(You Are) Paradise" – and some of the classics include Wayne Henderson-produced gems, like "Friends and Strangers", "Saturday Evening", and the big big hit "Always There".

A striking solo set from Phillipe Baden Powell – much bolder and more expressive than his previous album – even though the overall feel is a lot more stripped-down too! Baden's got a very sharp approach to the keys of the piano – working here in a range of tones that's really breathtaking – a stark palette of sounds that's recorded with just the right sort of depth to let all of his most subtle touches come through. As befits his roots, the tunes are a mix of Brazilian numbers and jazz standards – plus a few original compositions as well – and titles include "Canto Triste", "Consolacao", "Prologue", "The Meantime", "Loro", "Choro Para Metronomo", "Ending", "Giant Steps", and "Vista Chinesa".

Gil Scott-Heron at his early best and most revolutionary – circa Small Talk At 125th And Lenox, Pieces Of Man and Free Will, plus a host of rare and unreleased material – the complete Flying Dutchman Masters in a masterfully compiled anthology! Rather than simply collecting the original Flying Dutchman albums into a box set, BGP does a terrific job here of organizing it by style. Disc One (Songs) focuses on the soul-based songcraft – while Disc Two (Poetry, Jazz & Blues) features the strident jazzy poetry that inspired most hip hop and spoken word to come. Disc Three features alternate takes and rarities – all of which have never been officially released before now! The set includes every recording that Gil made for Flying Dutchman that's known to exist – and if you're keeping tally, that's all of the tracks from the above-named classic albums – plus the great "Artificialness" from Pretty Purdie's Stand By Me record with Gil on vocals – and the surviving alternate takes. Even if you have all of the original albums, the set is worth picking up for the bonus material and the thick, nicely done booklet of notes and photo – which really adds some top notch historical perspective. 51 tracks on 3CDs: "Lady Day And John Coltrane", "Home Is Where The Hatred Is", "Whitey On The Moon", "Free Will", "Pieces Of Man", "Brother", "Ain't No New Thing", "The Needle's Eye", "The Get Out OF The Ghetto Blues", "Evolution (And Flashback)", "Billy Green Is Dead", "The Middle Of Your Day", "Save The Children", "Who'll Pay Reparations On My Soul?" and many more.

The complete Columbia recordings by vocalist Bessie Smith – an insane amount of material recorded in the decade between 1923 and 1933 – all music that went on to have a huge impact on the growth of jazz and blues for decades to come! This comprehensive package brings together all the material that Smith originally recorded for 78rpm releases – remastered for CD, and packaged in tiny LP-styled sleeves within the larger box – a huge amount of material that also features backings from Louis Armstrong on trumpet, James P Johnson and Fletcher Henderson on piano, Jack Teagarden on trombone, and Benny Goodman on clarinet. In addition to the masters released at the time, the package also features two CDs' worth of rare tracks and alternate takes – plus a movie soundtrack and interviews too!

A beautiful little record – and one that definitely earns the "suite" distinction in the title – given the thoughtful longform approach of the set! The album's got a more composed feel than other spiritual jazz sessions of the time – not in a stiff way, but in a style that shows that leader Donald Alexander Strachan really has a strong vision in his music – not just in the compositions he spins forth on the record, but also in the way he directs the rich energy of the ensemble! The lineup features Strachan on guitar and piano – but also features Jay Hoggard on vibes, Carl Viggianni on flute, Lee Rozie on tenor, John Thompson on cornet, M Malik Jackson on piano, and Ray Newton and Archie Delerme on percussion. Tracks have this rhythmic pulse and subtle soul that's not unlike some of the more ambitious Horace Silver projects of the time – such as his "with percussion" or "with brass" records – but the feel here is also a bit looser and more intimate too – with a vibe that's very much in the Strata East mode. Titles include "Song Of Searching", "Spiritual Travelers", "Masters Of The Bourchakoun", "Silent Jubilation", "Tenth Door", "Aquarian Voices", and "Soul Release".

Late 70s soul fusion from masters of the groove – perhaps the best ever by the late 70s supergroup Stuff – featuring a core group that includes Cornell Dupree, Steve Gadd, Eric Gale, and Richard Tee! This time out the smooth sound is vibrantly top notch – all produced by Steve Cropper into a sweet blend of soul and jazz that has some of Aja-era Steely Dan's super tight sophistication – with a big, warmhearted soul groove in place of the Dan's more icy veneer! Many of the tracks are covers – augmented by chorus vocals – like "Mighty Love", "Dance With Me", "Since You've Been Gone", and "Love Having You Around" – but the record's also got some originals like "Stuff It", "Do It Again", and "Gordon's Theme".

A killer set of funky jazz from veteran vibes man Billy Wooten – backed by mod funk masters Speedometer – live at the London's Jazz Café! The hour + set was captured back in 2003, and the players are in fantastic form, sounding like they've worked together for years. They totally roll with a funky vibe, too, not so much on the gritty side of the sound, but with a deft, controlled energy that's phenomenal. Wooten's vibes out from of guitar, sax trumpet, flute, keys, drums and percussion of the mighty Speedometer. We wish we were there! Titles include groovy takes "Open Up JB (Paarty)", plus "Sookie Sookie", "In The Rain", "In The Middle", "Steve's Song", plus Wooten's "Chicango (Chicago Land)", "Monkey Hips & Rice" and more.

CTI Masters, and then some – a collection that features one full album from Patti Austin, plus lots of bonus tracks too! The first 10 tracks on the album comprise the classic End Of The Rainbow debut for CTI – wonderfully warm soul from the great Patti Austin – a key artist in the late 70s, and one who really helped push the music forward with a new sense of sophistication! Patti's got a strongly jazzy vibe here – and works with David Matthews arrangements that are really well put-together – less funky than some of Dave's other work of the period, and filled with these mellow moments that really let Austin's energy flow! The overall feel is a bit like some of Jean Carn's work on Philly International – hip, sophisticated, and filled with plenty of jazz touches – although with an even stronger approach to ballads – and titles include the classic "This Side Of Heaven", plus "More Today Than Yesterday", "Say You Love Me", "In My Life", "Give It Time", and "What's At The End Of A Rainbow". CD then goes onto include 8 more tracks from other CTI albums from Patti – equally great numbers that include "Havana Candy", "I Just Want To Know", "We're In Love", "I Need Somebody", "Lost In The Stars", "Body Language", "Another Nail For My Heart", and "I Want You Tonight".

Great songs, great vocals, great instrumentation, and another late 70s classic from Michael Franks – one of the few mainstream masters of understatement in his generation! As on all his best albums, the style here is a subtle blend of jazz and pop with a bit of a Brazilian inspiration – kind of a more mainstream take on styles that Bob Dorough and Blossom Dearie had first put forth, with all the sort of hip songwriting that sort of reference might imply. Deodato's at the helm of the arrangements here – keeping things lean and clean, and using key contributions from players like Leon Pendarvis, John Tropea, Steve Gadd, and Bud Shank to flesh out the jazzier side of Franks' sound. Titles include "Wrestle A Live Nude Girl", "In Search Of The Perfect Shampoo", "Vivaldi's Song", "Dear Little Nightingale", "When The Cookie Jar Is Empty", "A Robinsong", and "Meet Me In The Deerpark".

A mad mix of spaced out jazz funk from Madlib – working here in a style closer to his benchmark Yesterday's New Quintet mode of forward looking band-based grooves – but also taking it even further and into deeper realms! The Last Electro-Acoustic Space Jazz & Percussion Ensemble finds 'Lib & co paying homage to a universe of late 60s & 70s soul jazz and fusion funk influences, as well as some more modern practitioners – with tracks dedicated to Horace Tapscott, Phil Ranelin, Roy Ayers and others – some covers and others composed by Madlib. Madlib is a character whose ambition knows no bounds, and also one of the rare modern masters whose productivity is to be cherished – as busy as he is, we're never disappointed with the output – rather than spreading himself too thin, he brings a range of material that rolls from dust funk & hip hop grit to far out funk jazz percussion gems like this one! Madlib presides over a cast of players (be they living-breathing folks or Madlib alter egos) that lay down loads of drums & percussion, piano, Moog, Rhodes, guitars, bass, sitar, vibes and more. Titles include "Derf (For Derf Reklaw)", "One For The Monica Lingas Band", "Waltz For Woody (For Woody Shaw)", "Tones For Larry Young", "Black Renaissance (For Harry Whitkaker)", "Mystic Voyage (For Roy Ayers)", "The Trane & The Pharoah (For John Coltrane & Pharoah Sanders)" and more.

A beautiful little record – and one that definitely earns the "suite" distinction in the title – given the thoughtful longform approach of the set! The album's got a more composed feel than other spiritual jazz sessions of the time – not in a stiff way, but in a style that shows that leader Donald Alexander Strachan really has a strong vision in his music – not just in the compositions he spins forth on the record, but also in the way he directs the rich energy of the ensemble! The lineup features Strachan on guitar and piano – but also features Jay Hoggard on vibes, Carl Viggianni on flute, Lee Rozie on tenor, John Thompson on cornet, M Malik Jackson on piano, and Ray Newton and Archie Delerme on percussion. Tracks have this rhythmic pulse and subtle soul that's not unlike some of the more ambitious Horace Silver projects of the time – such as his "with percussion" or "with brass" records – but the feel here is also a bit looser and more intimate too – with a vibe that's very much in the Strata East mode. Titles include "Song Of Searching", "Spiritual Travelers", "Masters Of The Bourchakoun", "Silent Jubilation", "Tenth Door", "Aquarian Voices", and "Soul Release".

A well-selected set of tracks by the legendary vocalist Leon Thomas – one that focuses squarely on his recordings for the Flying Dutchman label – with standouts from his own records, a crucial collaboration with Johnny Hodges, and a previously unreleased tune as well! The collection features a really wonderful range of music – some tunes with the righteous feel of Thomas' singing with Pharoah Sanders, some others with a tighter soul feel, and even a few more with a classic jazz approach that's mighty nice! The albums under Thomas' name often feature some great small group backings – with players who include Billy Harper on tenor, and Roy Haynes or Bernard Purdie on drums – and some of the larger backings feature excellent arrangements from Oliver Nelson and Pee Wee Ellis. Titles include "Shape Your Mind To Die", "Just In Time To See The Sun", "It's My Life I'm Fighting For", "The Creator Has A Master Plan", "Let The Rain Fall On Me", "China Doll", "Bags' Groove", "One", "Come Along", "Let's Go Down To Lucy's", "Love Each Other", "Balance Of Life (Peace Of Mind)", "Umbo Weti", "Welcome To New York", and a previously unreleased version of "Um Um Um".

Robert Walter's out of his usual jamband context here – and is working with a group of soul jazz masters, older players who helped define the jazz funk groove of the 70s, clearly a strong influence on Walter's keyboard style. The group features tenor by Red Holloway, drums by Harvey Mason, guitar by Phil Upchurch, and bass by Chuck Rainey – and the album's got a freewheeling soul jazz style that recalls some of the Prestige jazz funk of the 1972/73 era. Titles include "There Goes The Neighborhood", "Bread & Water", "Swap Meet", "Bakery Blues", and "4:00 Wash Up".

But this album, if only for one track! The album's a collection of tunes by jazz guitarists – put together by Guitar Player magazine, and featuring rare tunes by a variety of different players. Our standout favorite is Lee Ritenour's version of "Valdez In The Country" – the great Donny Hathaway funk instrumental, handled here with a very different approach than the original! Other tracks range from straight jazz to swing to bossa – and titles include "Contrary-ness" and "Two For The Blues" by Barney Kessel & Herb Ellis, "Allison II" and "Django" by Joe Pass, "Guitar Player" and "Counting My Tears" by BB King, "Spain" and "Toronto Under the Sign Of Capricorn" by Larry Coryell, and "Lament In Tremolo Form" and "Feelings" by Laurindo Almeida.

A musical document of an amazing moment in the New York scene – the late 80s/early 90s wave of vogue balls – which were almost a collision of club culture with high fashion! There was a particularly rich gender-bending element to the vogue scene – and the music that accompanied it was a key part of that activity – tracks that had already risen to fame in crossover clubs from previous years, taken to new heights by DJs who provided music along with the voguing activity – in a great array of grooves from the disco years through early house music, brought together in ways that made 80s musical evolution make a heck of a lot of sense! The compilation album is a companion to the excellent book of the same name – also by Soul Jazz – and this 3CD version features tracks that include "Moment Of My Life" by Inner Life, "The Ha Dance (Ken/Lou mixx)" by Masters At Work, "Just Like A Queen (share the throne mix)" by Ellis D, "Is It All Over My Face" by Loose Joints, "Body Drill" by 2 Body's, "Love Hangover" by Diana Ross, "The Witch Doctor (dark ages mix)" by Armand Van Helden, "Break 4 Love (Spanish fly mix)" by Raze, "Din Daa Daa" by George Kranz, "X (Sound Factory mix)" by Junior Vazquez, "Love Is The Message (Tom Moulton mix)" by MFSB, "Cunty (party mix)" by Rageous Projecting Keven Aviance, "Love Thang" by First Choice, "This Brutal House" by Nitro Deluxe, "Ooh I Love It (Love Break)" by Salsoul Orchestra, and "Deep In Vogue (Banjie Realness mix)" by Malcolm McLaren. Also includes a limited bonus mix CD by Junior Vazquez – and a booklet and cool set of postcards!

A beautiful set of indie soul jazz from the turn of the 80s – recorded in a laidback and soulful style that's right up there with some of our favorite small label sets from the 70s. Lamont is on keyboards, working here with a strong group that includes Charles McPherson on alto, Nathan East on bass, and Hollis Gentry on soprano and tenor sax. The interplay between the saxes is one of the best elements of the record – as both players are working here in a modally-influenced post-Coltrane mode – never too stretched out, but exploratory within the straighter rhythms of the tunes. Titles include "Sugar Hill Melody", "Mount Morris Park", "Meadmore", "Sydenham Square", and "Slugs In The Far East".

The last session that The Mastersounds ever cut as a group – and a strangely compelling montage of tracks from the musical Kismet. Brothers Buddy and Monk Montgomery are joined here by brother Wes – then an emerging star on guitar, and a strong addition to the set, one who expands the sound past the usual exotic chamber groove laid down by the combo. Titles include "Fate", "Olive Tree", "This Is My Beloved", "Not Since Nineveh", and "Stranger In Paradise".

A trio of video performances from tenorist David Murray – all packaged nicely together on a single DVD! First up is David Murray I'm A Jazzman – a slice in the life of Murray, captured by the camera – and running for almost an hour. Next is David Murray & The Gwo Ka Masters Live In Sante Lucie – three quarters of an hour's worth of performance from 2008 – with lots of percussion next to Murray's horn! Last up is David Murray & The Black Saint Quartet Live At Banlieues Blues Festival in 2010 – a half-hour's performance, shot in a very stylistic way!

An amazing legacy in soul music – the legendary run of records that Bill Withers cut for the Sussex and Columbia labels – each of them a masterpiece in their own way! The early hit sound of Withers is the stuff that dreams are made of – a unique blend of acoustic instrumentation, raspy soul, and slinky rhythms – heard to best effect on the first four albums in the set – one of which is Bill's legendary live set at Carnegie Hall! Yet even past those classics, Withers is still amazing – and shifts his sound through the course of the 70s, to bring in warmer, jazzier elements too – yet all without ever losing his keen sense of song, and his completely mindblowing vocal approach. This box features newly remastered versions of 9 albums – Just As I Am, Still Bill, Live At Carnegie Hall, Justments, Making Music, Naked & Warm, Menagerie, Bout Love, and Watching You Watching Me – a legacy in soul music that few others could ever hope to top!

A moodier session than usual for Griff – but in a nice way – and one that's cut with Buddy Montgomery on vibes and piano, and handled in a laidback soul jazz mode that's a refreshing change from some of his sharper hardbop sides! Highlights include the extended original "Slow Burn", plus renditions of the classics "Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me" and "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set". The group's completed by Monk Montgomery on bass and Art Taylor on drums – and in a way, the album sort of feels like one of Monk and Buddy's Mastersounds sessions, with the added touch of a horn player!

The long-awaited return of the Whitefield Brothers – melding global funk and tripped out psychedelia as masterfully as on their massive In The Raw album – and tripping it out and funking it up even more this time! The psychedelic sounds get more pronounced play this time out, but it's still well within the funk realm – gritty drums and percussion under fuzzed out rhythms, keys that range from a jazzy funk groove to thick layers of fuzz and bubbling atmospherics, exotic string accents, heady bass grooves and more. Their reach is global, too, with influences from the east and the west – and a heck of an impressive guest roster – with leftfield MCs on a couple gems – Edan & Mr Lif on "The Gift" and Percee P & MED on "Reverse" – plus Bajka, Brooklyn funk revival masters the El Michels Affair, and fellow psych funk traveller Quantic. Titles include "Joyful Exaltation", "Safari Strut", "Taisho", "Sad Nile", "Ntu", "Pamukkale", "Alin", "Breakin Through" feat El Michels Affair, "Sem Yelesh", "Lullaby For Lagos" feat Quantic, "Chich" and more.