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A sublime second chapter in the career of Memphis soul singer Luther Ingram – one of the greatest talents of his generation, represented here by some of his best work ever! Ingram first got his start doing rougher, more fragile soul tunes – but by the time of these 70s recordings, he'd really found his voice – and hit a more confident, more sensuous style that could easily go head to head with Al Green or any of his southern soul contemporaries. There's a key Stax connection to most of the material here, but the sound's a bit different too – thanks to the production efforts of Koko label head Johnny Baylor, who gives Ingram a sound that's nicely apart from the pack. The booklet features a really in-depth look at the music – 14 pages of track-by-track notes on the tunes – and the CD features 19 singles recorded over most of the mid 70s. Titles include "Missing You", "Puttin Game Down", "If Loving You Is Wrong I Don't Want To Be Right", "Always", "Help Me Love", "Love Ain't Gonna Run Me Away", "Ain't Good For Nothing", "These Are The Things", "Let's Steal Away To The Hideaway", "I Like The Feeling", "I'm Gonna Be The Best Thing", "Do You Love Somebody", "Get To Me", "How I Miss My Baby", and "You Were Made For Me".

A treasure trove of overlooked Memphis soul – the earliest work of the legendary Luther Ingram – brought together here properly for the first time ever! Although Ingram's probably best known for his mega-huge hits in the early 70s, he really sounds amazing here in the early days – a vocalist with a bit more grit than we remember, working with backings that have an underground, deep soul take on the Memphis sound of the time. There's a somewhat more down home quality to some of these tunes than on other Memphis work from the late 60s – a style that probably didn't play as big up north as some of the hitmakers from the scene, but which is really worth of rediscovery all these many years later. Unlike other over-cliched work on Stax and Hi Records, most of these tunes have a really fresh, new sort of feel – less-iconic, and all the more appealing because of that fact. CD features 19 tracks in all, pulled from Ingram's first 10 singles – including "You've Got To Give Love To Get Love", "Ghetto Train", "I Can't Stop", "My Honey & Me", "Missing You", "Looking For A New Love", "Pity For The Lonely", "Home Don't Seem Like Home", "To The Other Man", "I'll Love You Until The End", and a rare radio promo of "My Honey & Me".

Incredible southern soul from Tommy Tate – work recorded in the 70s for the Koko label, a good deal of which was never issued at the time! Koko never released a full album by Tommy back in the 70s – just a smattering of singles – so although his talents are mighty, he's been somewhat more lost to time in comparison to other labelmates at Koko or Stax – which is a goddamn shame, considering the brilliance of this work! Tommy's got a slight rasp in his vocals – just a touch, but the right amount to score a nice edge and a really distinctive quality that really sets him apart – especially in the sweeter moments. There's a style here that really gets to the heart of the matter – pushing past popular cliches in southern soul, and still showing that even as the 70s wore on, there were folks like Tate who could always make a record come out great. CD features 20 tracks in all – singles issued on Koko, other titles that only appeared later on a P-Vine CD, and even a few early numbers done for Stax with The Nightingales. Titles include "School Of Life", "Sanity", "Revelations", "I Ain't Gonna Worry", "Just A Little Overcome", "Identity", "It's A Bad Situation", "Hardtimes SOS", "If You Got To Love Somebody", and "More Power To You".

A great little solo set from Gene Harris – and a perfect example of that magical time after he'd left the Three Sounds, but hadn't yet hit the more standard styles of later years – a period when Harris was really experimenting with a wide range of keyboards and sounds! The set has arranger Jerry Peters weighing in – bringing some of his own quirky touches into play with Gene's wonderful work on keyboards – which includes plenty of Fender Rhodes and moog, as well as other keys of the time too. Funky titles include "Koko & Lee Rose", "Funky Business", "Rushin Roulette", "HRD (Boogie)", and "Gettin Down Country" – and the set's got a great mellow moody soul track called "Prayer 76", with a bit of a Roy Ayers feel.

A great German combo, and one with almost as much jazz as funk in the mix – quite a nice change from the usual group of this nature! There's a warm glow to the record right from the start – a vibe that comes from the tight trumpet lines of Michael Voss, who also sings a bit – and even more so from the vocals of Koko Kay, who sings on some of the best tracks – and gives things a slow-burning sound that's mighty nice. The style's kind of a blend of deep funk with jazzier overtones – and titles include "Life Shines", "Hifivin Time", "Awesome Change", "It Ain't That Bad", "The Heritage", and "Global Tribe".

Great recent work from legendary bassist Chuck Israels – a player known for his famous work with Bill Evans, but a musician who's just kept on growing over the years! This set's got a great 50s modern jazz vibe – bass by Israels and guitar from co-leader Axel Hagen – in a setting that also features drums from Peter Kahlenborn and tenor and clarinet from John Ruocco. The bass and guitar often take the lead – in ways that echo the vibe of an older Jim Hall-styled session – and when clarinet's in the mix, there's a wonderfully open style to the record – not exactly the Jimmy Giuffre trio on Atlantic, but not far off either! Titles include "Koko", "Slow Freight", "The Boy Next Door", "Chaconne A Son Gout", "The Sweetest Sounds", and "Minor Tributary".

We've been digging the keyboard grooves of James Taylor for decades – and still, after all that time, he's one of the tightest, most soulful cats around! This sweet set takes Taylor back to the groove he was first hitting in the mid 90s – that blend of Hammond with funky 70s modes – somewhere in the late Prestige Records, or sublime Fantasy soul style – served up here by a core quartet, with added horns, flute, harmonica, and male vocals on a few tracks. Taylor's keys are wonderfully tight and soaring – very much in Hand Of The Inevitable territory, with a 70s Johnny Hammond vibe – and titles include "Loneliness", "Koko", "Song For My Dad", "Light Up Your Soul", "Woman", "Home Is Where The Hatred Is", and "The Template".

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.

An incredible batch of Brazilian fusion – cut by keyboardist Manfredo Fest, and one of the few records he ever waxed in the US during the 70s! The record mixes Fest's soaring Brazilian groove with a tight soulful set of arrangements by Jerry Peters – a bit club-oriented, with a similar sound to some of the other records on the Tabu label at the time, but always sensitive to Fest's playing and writing – especially his Brazilian roots! The record features wonderful vocals by Roberta Davis – a very soulful singer who had a hip wordless style that was similar to Tania Maria's at the time – breezy, scatting, and very nice. Her work really makes the record sparkle, working perfectly with Fest's jazzy electric keyboards in a perfect way! Titles include "Jungle Kitten", "Koko & Leeroe", "Arigo", and "Who Needs It".

An incredible batch of Brazilian fusion – cut by keyboardist Manfredo Fest, and one of the few records he ever waxed in the US during the 70s! The record mixes Fest's soaring Brazilian groove with a tight soulful set of arrangements by Jerry Peters – a bit club-oriented, with a similar sound to some of the other records on the Tabu label at the time, but always sensitive to Fest's playing and writing – especially his Brazilian roots! The record features wonderful vocals by Roberta Davis – a very soulful singer who had a hip wordless style that was similar to Tania Maria's at the time – breezy, scatting, and very nice. Her work really makes the record sparkle, working perfectly with Fest's jazzy electric keyboards in a perfect way! Titles include "Jungle Kitten", "Koko & Leeroe", "Arigo", and "Who Needs It".

A real classic from Yusef Lateef – and like the rest of his best albums from the time, an incredible blend of hardbop, soul jazz, and some really wonderful exotic touches! Lateef plays a bit of oboe on the album – sounding really weird and snakey over laidback orientalist rhythms on the album's most out there tracks. On other tunes he picks up tenor, grooving more straight ahead, and also hits a bit of flute for the more gentle moments. The group's a quartet – with Barry Harris on piano, Herman Wright on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and titles include "P. Bouk", "Koko's Tune", "Water Pistol", and "Rasheed".

A surprisingly great little album – and a lost exotica relic of the late 50s! Crown was sort of a knock-off label that didn't always produce the best stuff, but this LP is one of their gems! Milt Raskin lays down ten tunes of prime exotica, with a feel that is like some of Les Baxter's best stuff, but that is also augmented by a lot of exotic instrumentation from Raskin's personal collection. Titles include "Koko Head", "Moon Festival", "Kapu", "Lehua", and "Mileka".

A great little EP from Mark De Clive-Lowe – whose way of inflecting timeless dancefloor heat with boundless cosmic atmosphere and a genuine love of global soul jazz has always been big part of his appeal – and he's doing it as deeply as ever here! The Leaving This Planet EP is centered around a sweet cover of the Charles Earland classic – featuring beautiful soul vocals by Sharlene Hector – and Mark also covers Gene Harris's "Koko + Lee Roe" for another gem with a jazzy soul vibe. Other tracks include the Afrobeat and dancefloor hybrids "Dreams" and "Love Broke", both featuring Bembe Segue, plus "What It Is", "Eight", "Freesoul Interlude (Live)", "The Calling" feat Olatunde and "Hope" feat Rahel.

An incredible batch of Brazilian fusion – cut by keyboardist Manfredo Fest, and one of the few records he ever waxed in the US during the 70s! The record mixes Fest's soaring Brazilian groove with a tight soulful set of arrangements by Jerry Peters – a bit club-oriented, with a similar sound to some of the other records on the Tabu label at the time, but always sensitive to Fest's playing and writing – especially his Brazilian roots! The record features wonderful vocals by Roberta Davis – a very soulful singer who had a hip wordless style that was similar to Tania Maria's at the time – breezy, scatting, and very nice. Her work really makes the record sparkle, working perfectly with Fest's jazzy electric keyboards in a perfect way! Titles include "Jungle Kitten", "Koko & Leeroe", "Arigo", and "Who Needs It".

A treasure trove of early material from singer Tommy Tate – most of it pulled from demo tapes at the Malaco Studios in Jackson, and some of it previously unreleased! The music here really shows a great evolution in styles – as the earliest tracks show Tate coming off his role as the singer for The Imperial Showband, with a more popular 60s soul style – and the later tracks have Tommy deepening strongly, into the mature southern soul modes of his KoKo Records period. Like so many other releases on the Soulscape and Grapevine labels, this set's way more than a reissue collection – and much more of a discovery in soul – a rare look into the vaults, and a batch of material that really deserved better circulation at the time. The package features some compelling notes on Tate's career, and comes with a whopping 23 tracks that include "The Whole World Is The Same", "Friend Of Mine", "My Wife", "I'd Really Like To Know", "Do You Think There's A Chance", "Cold & Lonely Man", "Solid Straight & Sound", "So Hard To Let A Good Thing Go", "Hold On", "All A Part Of Growing Up", "Get It Over Anyway", and "Peace Is All I Need".

Funky Latin – like you've never heard it before! The set's a wonderful selection of rare jammers that you probably don't have in your collection – killer tunes from early 70s albums and singles, all of which have a heck of a lot of bass, really heavy drums, and a hard jamming sound that's definitely in the Chicano Spirit! Think of this work as post-Latin Soul – the sound influenced by the west coast scene of the early 70s, a sweet blend of Latin rhythms, heavy jamming, and soulful funky instrumentation. Titles include "Cumbia" by Columna De Fuego, "Funky Folsom" by Jose Chepito Areas, "Mana" by Kalapana, "Baila Chiquiban" by Nico Gomez, "Bailando Despacito" by Katunga, "Hey Girl" by Benitez, "Number One" by Messengers, "Mambo Rock" by Seguida, and the rare single "A Koko" by Willie Bobo! CD features 2 bonus tracks.

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 holy grail of 70s African Funk – and not just for the unusual look of the cover! The set's a really unique one – almost rootsier than most of the better-known Ghanian grooves of the time, but funkier too – with a brilliant blend of raw percussion, quirky basslines, and some smoking horn parts that are a lot more American soul and funk than the usual 70s African groove! The whole thing's stunning all the way through – a record that totally informs an understanding of its generation, yet in ways that no other record can touch. Wonderful all the way through, with not a bit of filler – and all cuts are right on the money for any fan of African funk! Titles include "Toffie", "Fa No Dem Ara", "This Hustling World", "Kwaakwaa", and "Akoko Ba".

A holy grail of 70s African Funk – and not just for the unusual look of the cover! The set's a really unique one – almost rootsier than most of the better-known Ghanian grooves of the time, but funkier too – with a brilliant blend of raw percussion, quirky basslines, and some smoking horn parts that are a lot more American soul and funk than the usual 70s African groove! The whole thing's stunning all the way through – a record that totally informs an understanding of its generation, yet in ways that no other record can touch. Wonderful all the way through, with not a bit of filler – and all cuts are right on the money for any fan of African funk! Titles include "Toffie", "Fa No Dem Ara", "This Hustling World", "Kwaakwaa", and "Akoko Ba".

A beautiful album that perfectly mixes both sides of Aretha – the earlier hard-hitting soulster, and the developing vocalist with a rich talent for more sophisticated material. The album features the anthemic title cut in Aretha's famous version – plus the sample favorite "Rock Steady", the mellow groover "Day Dreaming", the hit "Brand New Me", and the strangely compelling "First Snow In Kokomo".

The last album of the 70s by Little Feat – and it's a strange one! On one hand, Little Feat is revisiting some of their country rock and New Orleans-inspired roots of years past – as well as the self-conciously oddball humor. But they're also working in a tighter, leaner and cleaner studio sound than on the previous albums. Includes "Down On The Farm", "Six Feet Of Snow", "Front Page News", "Wake Up Dreaming", "Be One Now", "Kokomo", "Perfect Imperfection" and more.

A really wonderful third album from Osibisa – and a record that really crystallizes the group's sound into a trademark blend of African roots and more progressive-styled jamming! There's a mode here that's perfect for the cross-cultural London of the post-colonial 70s – a style that brings many strands of music into the capital, and mixes them up with some of the headier styles going down at the time. Bits of highlife echo alongside more tribally-based percussion – but most of the instrumentation on the set also has a strong ear for jazzy changes, especially during the flute and keyboards passages that make the record so great. Titles include "Kokorokoo", "Che Che Kule", "Sweet Sounds", "Sweet America", and "Do You Know".

A great document of an amazing blues tradition – bottleneck guitar, offered up here in a host of original 78s from the 30s! The style is one that was co-opted often in later years, but is presented here at its roots – with a nice, gritty feel overall – and use of the mode that's still pretty darn fresh, and free of cliche. Side one features tracks by Casey Bill Weldon – including "Hitch Me To Your Buggy", "Back Door Blues", "Lady Doctor Blues", "The Big Boat", and "Go Ahead Buddy" – and side two features cuts by Kokomo Arnold, including "Salty Dog", "Feels So Good", "Busy Bootin", "The Twelves", and "I'll Be Up Someday". Great Robert Crumb cover – and the usual detailed Yazoo notes!

B-sides, remixes and exclusive tracks from team Record Kicks – tracks by Third Coast Kings, Kokolo, Nick Pride & The Pimptones, Crabs Corporation, Diplomats Of Solid Sound, Ray Harris & The Fusion Exerience and more! Funk DJ and producer Smoove and picked the tracks, and the titles include "Spicy Brown" by Third Coast Kings, "Prophets Bound To Christ" by William Joseph Fowler & The Disciples, "Fuoco" by Trio Valore, "Give Me One More Chance (Lack Of Afro Mix)" by Diplomats Of Solid Sound, "Rags To Riches (Ray Lugo rmx)" by The Liberators, "Under My Skin" by The Hawk feat Little Hannah Collins, "Deep Fried Funk" by Hannah Williams & The Tastemakers, "Witness" by New Mastersounds and more. 18 tracks on the CD.

A great Latin boogaloo set from Ray Lugo & his Boogaloo Destroyers – fulfilling Lugo's longtime ambition of modern take a the mix of Latin soul, rhythm & blues and more that were so inspiring to Lugo's childhood in NYC! Lugo is a veteran of the modern Afro Funk scene – having cut his teeth the the excellent Kokolo group – so the Boogaloo Destroyers isn't all that surprising of a stylistic leftturn, as all we've heard from Lugo suggest a depth of understand of myriad soulful styles. Here they cover classics by Mongo Santamaria, Hector Rivera, Roberto Valentin and others. Includes "Soy El Rey", "Swingy Boogaloo", "Combo", "At The Party", "Me And You Baby (Picao Y Tostao)", the excellent original cut "Lugo's Boogaloo", "My Shingaling", "El Bantu" and more.

A great document of an amazing blues tradition – bottleneck guitar, offered up here in a host of original 78s from the 30s! The style is one that was co-opted often in later years, but is presented here at its roots – with a nice, gritty feel overall – and use of the mode that's still pretty darn fresh, and free of cliche. Side one features tracks by Casey Bill Weldon – including "Hitch Me To Your Buggy", "Back Door Blues", "Lady Doctor Blues", "The Big Boat", and "Go Ahead Buddy" – and side two features cuts by Kokomo Arnold, including "Salty Dog", "Feels So Good", "Busy Bootin", "The Twelves", and "I'll Be Up Someday". Great Robert Crumb cover – and the usual detailed Yazoo notes!

Japanese erotica pop from singer and actress Ike Reiko – recorded around the time of her most popular pink films/sexploitation acting gigs – and a record that really lays the erotica theme on thickly! The sound is late 60s/early 70s seedy soundtrack style – with sultry rhythms, sax, chimes other thematic arrangements – nothing subtle about it, but plenty groovy! Ike's vocals are as explicit as they could get away with – moans, coos and occasional singing! Titles include "I Am A Woman", "Wandering Guitar", "After The Rain Stops", "Not An Angel", "Bond Of Love", "Love Slave", "Experience" and more.

Blue-eyed funk from Kokomo – and a record that's got a surprisingly funky feel, despite it's slightly trippy cover! The group mix warm vocals with tighter grooves on the bottom – almost an Average White Band sort of feel at times, but maybe a bit more crossover on the sweeter tracks – but in a nice way! Production is relatively laidback, and instrumentation includes sweet flute from Mel Collins, plus a bit of Arp – on tracks that include an extended cover of Bobby Womack's "I Can Understand It", plus "Angel", "Kitty Sittin Pretty", "Forever", and "I'm Sorry Babe".

Two spoken word albums from Maurice Sixto – both representing a much deeper side of Haitian culture than you might expect, with a literate richness that feels more like some Parisian recordings of the 60s! French language throughout – and the package features two full length albums!