Sublimely soulful funk from Kudu – a very tight combo with a great mixture of classic grooves and modern influences. Vocalist/bassist Sylvia Gordon has a wonderful voice – warm and mellow, with a heck of a lot of soul, put forward with the utmost of confidence. The group behind her is a spare combo, mixing keyboards and percussion in a mode of styles that touch on drum and bass rhythms, move back to classic funk, and take off again in a spiralling new groove. The feel's a bit like Julie Dexter on her excellent Piece of Mind ep – and you'll find this one to be every bit as fresh! Titles include "Sugar", "Surprise", "Temptation", "Relax", "Cinemajik, and "Tell Me A Bedtime Story". CD

You might know Jaimie Branch as a trumpeter, but as part of the Anteloper duo she also handles a fair bit of electronics – working alongside drummer Jason Nazary, who's also pretty handy with the synth as well! The album was recorded live, and features a great pairing of electronic and acoustic elements – and is presented here with notes from Rob Mazurek, whose own music can hit similar territory at times – making him the perfect person to direct our approach to the proceedings! However, there's also a difference here – some nicely organic moments at times, when the electronics almost take on qualities of the other instruments – mixed with other passages that have them in starker contrast. Titles include "Fossil Record", "Oryx", "Lethal Curve", and "Seclusion Self". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet soulful jazz from reedman Hank Crawford – one of his killer Kudu sessions from the 70s – all of which really helped Hank redefine his sound! The setting here is large and full – put together beautifully by Bob James, with that sense of space for the soloist that makes his CTI/Kudu arrangements so crucial – and light years ahead of what other arrangers were doing at the time. The tracks are longish, but never overdone – and the record has all the soulful alto sounds of Crawford's 60s work at Atlantic, but with a definite 70s bent overall. James plays Fender Rhodes, Arp, and clavinet – and other players include Joe Farrell on tenor and flute, Idris Muhammad and Bernard Purdie on drums, and Richard Tee on additional keyboards. Titles include "Jana", "Sho Is Funky", "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing", "Groove Junction", and "All In Love Is Fair". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet soulful jazz from reedman Hank Crawford – one of his killer Kudu sessions from the 70s – all of which really helped Hank redefine his sound! The setting here is large and full – put together beautifully by Bob James, with that sense of space for the soloist that makes his CTI/Kudu arrangements so crucial – and light years ahead of what other arrangers were doing at the time. The tracks are longish, but never overdone – and the record has all the soulful alto sounds of Crawford's 60s work at Atlantic, but with a definite 70s bent overall. James plays Fender Rhodes, Arp, and clavinet – and other players include Joe Farrell on tenor and flute, Idris Muhammad and Bernard Purdie on drums, and Richard Tee on additional keyboards. Titles include "Jana", "Sho Is Funky", "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing", "Groove Junction", and "All In Love Is Fair". CD

One of Hank Crawford's first big records of the 70s – a really great set that helps him shake off some of his stock modes of the 60s and find a very different groove! A big part of the album is arranger Don Sebesky, who gives Hank a backdrop that's sophisticated and smooth, yet still pretty soulful in all the right places – a style that's almost a bit like mainstream soundtrack work of the time, but a bit more jazz focused overall. Hank's solos are right out front on most tracks – blown with that nicely pinched tone that made him a standout back in the day – and other players include Richard Tee on both organ and piano, as well as Idris Muhammad and Bernard Purdie on drums. Titles include "Uncle Funky", "Imagine", "The Sun Died", "Brian's Song", and "Ham", which was arranged by Pee Wee Ellis. LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet bit of electric funk, and one of Hank Crawford's greatest records from the 70s – thanks in large part to the great Bob James – who arranged and produced the record with a mighty soulful vibe – leaving Hank lots of room to solo on his own over the top! The groove is really great – and the record gets surprisingly chunky in parts – with heavier rhythms than you might expect from a Crawford album from the time – not exactly the heavier funk of other CTI records, but with a definite taste of that style too. Arrangements are fairly large, and feature keyboards from Richard Tee – plus backing vocals at a few spots – and titles include great versions of "You've Got It Bad Girl" and "Corazon", plus the tracks "Good Morning Heartache" and "Wildflower". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most successful albums ever from guitarist Eric Gale – a laidback understated player whose mellow sound had a tremendous influence on mainstream jazz funk in the 70s! The album takes off from the late 60s CTI and Verve sessions by Wes Montgomery – and features Gale riffing out chromatically over tightly woven arrangements by Bob James, who also plays keyboards on the set. There's no standout funky numbers on the record, but it's got a great conception overall – with lots of dreamy grooves that sound very nice! Titles include "Forecast", "Tonsue Corte", "White Moth", "Cleopatra", and "Dindi". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the slickest of Dave Matthews' funk records from the 70s – but still pretty darn nice! Matthews was the mainman behind the legendary funk group The Grodeck Whipperjenny, and a key arranger in James Brown's sound of the Polydor years – but by this time, he moved into smoother club-type jazz, of the sort he'd penned for Idris Muhammad and other artists on the Kudu label. However, Matthews' always had a talent for the funky groove – and even these otherwise pop disco numbers shine with a musical intensity that surprises us – especially at moments like the funky drumbreak on "You Keep Me Hanging On", the freaky moog on "Shoogie Wanna Boogie", the funky bass solo on "California Dreaming", and the excellent keyboard work on "Gotta Be Where You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising jazz funk stunner from drummer Idris Muhammad – part of his great second chapter of work for CTI in the 70s! Idris is working here in a style that's very different than his heavy-footed funky work on Prestige and Blue Note – and while it's easy to criticize him for not keeping the same old breakbeat funk style, it's also important to give him a lot of credit for pushing his vision way past the simple stock style of the earlier days! The record's a very nice set of complicated jazzy grooves – some a bit clubby, but many very nice, and with the kind of sophisticated funk arrangements that were on the best Kudu records. No surprise that Dave Matthews is putting together most of the cuts, save for one excellent groove that's arranged by Tom Harrell. Players include Fred Wesley, Ronnie Cuber, Eric Gale, and Wilbur Bascomb – and titles include "Baia", "Sudan", "Hey Pocky A Way", "Theme For New York City", which is based on the same Chopin haunting tune as Serge Gainsbourg's "Jane B"! LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible record from funky drummer Idris Muhammad! Idris is probably known for his funky break work on Blue Note and Prestige records sessions of the late 60s and early 70s – but by the time of this 1974 album, he was really expanding his style, hitting a laidback groove that went way beyond the simple drum break, into a world of complicated fills and riffs that forever changed the face of funk. The best example of this is the album's standout groove – the massive cut "Loran's Dance", which has a mellow jazzy vibe that you'll recognize from its popular use as a sample cut over the years (by the Beastie Boys, DJ Shadow, and others.) All cuts are long and mellow, and other titles include "Power Of Soul", "Saddest Thing" and "Piece of Mind". CD

An incredible record from funky drummer Idris Muhammad! Idris is probably known for his funky break work on Blue Note and Prestige records sessions of the late 60s and early 70s – but by the time of this 1974 album, he was really expanding his style, hitting a laidback groove that went way beyond the simple drum break, into a world of complicated fills and riffs that forever changed the face of funk. The best example of this is the album's standout groove – the massive cut "Loran's Dance", which has a mellow jazzy vibe that you'll recognize from its popular use as a sample cut over the years (by the Beastie Boys, DJ Shadow, and others.) All cuts are long and mellow, and other titles include "Power Of Soul", "Saddest Thing" and "Piece of Mind". CD

A great late 70s chapter in the career of funky drummer Idris Muhammad – moving into very different territory here than his early soul jazz with Lou Donaldson, and even his earliest solo material too! David Matthews arranged the tracks, and he's given them a slick but soulful sound, with lots of spacey fusion elements, and a nice funky soul vibe that's a bit similar to some of Larry Mizell's work – stretched out in this great mix of grooves and deeper jazzier elements – even at a level that's hipper than Matthews' usual material from the time. Idris is at the core on percussion – and the lineup also includes Jeremy Steig on flute, Eric Gale on guitar, Randy Brecker on trumpet, and Wilbur Bascomb on bass – and titles include the seminal "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This", plus "Cambay Bolongo", "Tasty Cakes", "Crab Apple", "Moon Hymn", and "Say What". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Esther's strong winners for Kudu – a record that takes her soulful style of earlier years, and wraps it around some sly 70s funky arrangements! Ex-James Brown hornman Pee Wee Ellis arranged the album, and gave Esther a nice little dose of funk that really helped her groove – getting out of the sad bag of her Atlantic recordings, and sounding hipper than anyone would have expected! The record features the great slow funk groover "Black Eyed Blues" – and other tracks include "I've Only Known A Stranger", "You Could Have Had Me, Baby", and "Too Many Roads". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty amazing set from Esther Phillips – her final album for Kudu – and a beautiful mix of soaring soul sounds from one the most unique, emotionally-inflected soul vocalists of her era! Esther's in prime Kudu mode here – working with jazzy arrangements by David Matthews and Pee Wee Ellis, adding her unique, grit-inflected soul chanteuse vocals to a smoother mix of instrumentation that creates a perfect counterpoint that took her way past her earlier work! There's also a couple of really sweet disco skewed numbers that work incredibly well – with spacier bits of synth and a dancefloor soul bed of percussion and rhythms – and in general, the arrangements are pretty great from track-to-track! Players include Randy Brecker and Mike Brecker on trumpet and tenor sax, Bray Miles on synthesizer, Bobby Lyle on clavinet, Eric Gale on guitar, Joe Farrell on tenor sax and alto flute, percussionist Ralph MacDonald and other excellent name musicians and others bring a grand sweep and sweeter intimacy when the mood requires. Titles include "Magic's In The Air", "A Beautiful Friendship", "Boy I Really Tied One On", "Higher & Higher", and "All The Way Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Smooth and sophisticated grooving from Esther Phillips – a record that really has her shaking off the rag-tag and rootsy modes of earlier years, and gliding sweetly into the mainstream! Phillips' vocals are still as soulful and compelling as ever, but the backings are quite full – penned by Joe Beck, who also plays a fair bit of guitar on the record too – and done with a sound that's in the same mode as David Matthews' backings for other Kudu sides of the time. There's a definite soul-heavy focus going on here – with some clubby touches too – and titles include "Caravan", "Fever", "Pure Natural Love", "Unforgettable", "For All We Know", "Fools Rush In", and "Going Out Of My Head". LP, Vinyl record album

Not a live album – as you might think from the title – but a tight batch of tunes that shows the full funk and soul talents of the legendary Esther Phillips! The album's got a nicely dark undercurrent at times – a sound that's not as smooth as some of Esther's other Kudu albums from the 70s, with bits of R&B bubbling underneath the more contemporary arrangements. Backings are penned by Pee Wee Ellis and Gary King – and players include Bob James and Richard Tee on keyboards, Hubert Laws on flute, and Bernard Purdie and Steve Gadd on drums – the latter of whom provides a sublime beat on the album's standout funky number "Disposable Society" – one of those great little groovers that never did anything for Esther at the time of its release, but which has really gotten rediscovered in recent years! Other tracks include "Doing Our Thing", "Living Alone", "Can't Trust Your Neighbor With Your Baby", and "I Feel The Same". LP, Vinyl record album

A totally great Grover Washington record – and with 25 years behind us, we really now realize how fantastic all the early Kudu sessions really were! The record was recorded live at the Bijou, and is spread out over 2 long LPs, with lots of room for tasty open-ended solos by Grover and the group. Includes the great version of "Lock It In The Pocket", plus "Funkfoot", "Sausalito", "Summer Song", and a long version of "Mr Magic". LP, Vinyl record album

A great late 70s chapter in the career of funky drummer Idris Muhammad – moving into very different territory here than his early soul jazz with Lou Donaldson, and even his earliest solo material too! David Matthews arranged the tracks, and he's given them a slick but soulful sound, with lots of spacey fusion elements, and a nice funky soul vibe that's a bit similar to some of Larry Mizell's work – stretched out in this great mix of grooves and deeper jazzier elements – even at a level that's hipper than Matthews' usual material from the time. Idris is at the core on percussion – and the lineup also includes Jeremy Steig on flute, Eric Gale on guitar, Randy Brecker on trumpet, and Wilbur Bascomb on bass – and titles include the seminal "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This", plus "Cambay Bolongo", "Tasty Cakes", "Crab Apple", "Moon Hymn", and "Say What". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the deepest soul sets from Esther Phillips' 70s years on Kudu Records – a set with some nicely gritty grooves and a surprisingly earthy feel at times – especially when compared to some of her other albums of the time! Backings are by James Brown's old reedman, Pee Wee Ellis – and although there's some of the usual Kudu electric funk in the mix, there's also some deeper soul elements too – a vibe that's often a bit laidback and open, almost more Atlantic Records at points – which is a mighty good fit for Esther's wonderful voice! As usual for Kudu, the players are an all-star lineup – one that includes Richard Tee on keyboards, George Benson on guitar, Maceo Parker on tenor, and Bernard Purdie and Billy Cobham on drums – and Don Sebesky's also on deck a bit, to sweeten a few tracks up with light strings. The album's got a great version of Bill Withers' "Use Me" that features a tasty break in the intro – and other titles include a great version of "Alone Again (Naturally)", plus the cuts "Let's Move & Groove", "Cherry Red", "Let Me In Your Life", and "You & Me Together". LP, Vinyl record album

Not a live album – as you might think from the title – but a tight batch of tunes that shows the full funk and soul talents of the legendary Esther Phillips! The album's got a nicely dark undercurrent at times – a sound that's not as smooth as some of Esther's other Kudu albums from the 70s, with bits of R&B bubbling underneath the more contemporary arrangements. Backings are penned by Pee Wee Ellis and Gary King – and players include Bob James and Richard Tee on keyboards, Hubert Laws on flute, and Bernard Purdie and Steve Gadd on drums – the latter of whom provides a sublime beat on the album's standout funky number "Disposable Society" – one of those great little groovers that never did anything for Esther at the time of its release, but which has really gotten rediscovered in recent years! Other tracks include "Doing Our Thing", "Living Alone", "Can't Trust Your Neighbor With Your Baby", and "I Feel The Same". CD

Sweet funky jazz from Grover Washington – an early standout session from his classic years on Kudu Records, put together with hip arrangements from the mighty Bob James! The record's got the same spacious sense of grooving as James' first few for CTI – a style that's funky fusion, but a bit more laidback than most – not nearly as jamming, and with almost as much focus on lean rhythms as on key solos from the players in the group! Most tracks have a long, open sort of feel – and in addition to alto and tenor from Grover, other instrumentation includes organ from Richard Tee, guitar from Eric Gale, drums from Idris Muhammad, percussion from Airto, and electric piano from Bob James himself. Titles include versions of "Mercy Mercy Me", "Ain't No Sunshine/Theme From Man & Boy", "Until It's Time For You To Go", and "Inner City Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little Kudu set from guitarist Joe Beck – a player who's sounding a lot tighter here than some of his odd psychedelic experiments of the 60s – but still pretty darn great overall! The style is smooth, as you'd expect from Kudu, but Joe's still got plenty of edges in his guitar to stand out nicely – little riffs and rasps that crackle with a good sense of electricity amidst larger arrangements from Don Sebesky. The album also features some great alto from David Sanborn, and keyboards from Don Grolnick – on titles that include "Star Fire", "Cactus", "Texas Ann", "Brothers & Others", and "Red Eye". LP, Vinyl record album

A great early CTI session by George Benson, and one of the most stripped-down, straight-ahead funky records he did for the label! There's a sharpness here that's different than the larger feel of some of Benson 's later records – a sound that almost links back to his soul jazz roots in the 60s – played by a tight combo that features Benson on guitar, Clarence Palmer on organ, Ron Carter on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – plus percussion from Michael Cameron and Albert Nicholson. There's a version of "So What" on here that's got to be one of the best funky takes of that standard ever – with great hard grooves on the intro – and on other cuts, the real genius is in the way the simple tracks are arranged to shift between darkly chromatic passages and slight bits of funk. Titles include "All Clear", "Ode To A Kudu", and "Somewhere In The East". Plus, the CD features 3 bonus tracks – alternate versions of "Ode To A Kudu", "Somewhere In The East", and "All Clear". CD

A sweet mix of Brazilian grooves and New York attitude – an overlooked session from the end of the 90s – recorded in the US by Brazilian saxman Leo Gandelman, with soulful help from a variety of American players – including Reuben Wilson on organ and both Charlie Hunter and Grant Green Jr on guitar! There's a rich sort of 70s vibe to the record – a tight, funky blend of jazzy riffing and Brazilian percussion, all put together at a level that almost reminds us of Kudu Records at its best – lean, soulful, and surprisingly focused throughout – a great step forward for Gandelman, and for percussionist Juliano Zanoni, who co-arranged the set with Leo, and also wrote most of the tunes. Supposedly, the record never saw the light of day when it was recorded – making this sweet Far Out package its first-ever release! Titles include "Safari", "Pau Grande", "April 7th", "Dance", "Prince Samba", "Groove In The Head", "Pirulito", and "Charlie 1". CD

A sweet little record that's way better than you might ever guess from the title – almost more of a jazz funk effort overall, with excellent work on guitar, trumpet, saxes, and keyboards! There's vocals on the album, but maybe more in a backup sort of way – and although the cuts could work on a dancefloor, they've often got the mix of jazz and groove that you'd find in some of the funkier Kudu Records material of the time – which might have been an inspiration for these guys! The album was recorded on the Atlanta scene of the late 70s, with lead guitar from Gary Ruffin – and titles include "Get Up & Get Down", "Summer Love", "Randy's Nap", "Simple Song", and "Journey Through The Night". CD

An amazing album by the great guitarist Eddie Fisher – and completely unlike his later funk records! Eddie plays stripped down jazz with a small combo that includes organ by Robert Selby, bass by Paul Jackson, and some rhythm guitar by Phil Westmoreland – and the twin-guitar approach creates this super-dope style that's light years ahead of its time, with a sophistication that points the way to later mid 70s work on labels like CTI and Kudu! Eddie's guitar work is an incredible exercise in spareness and soulfulness – best heard on the fantastic "Third Cup", a long drawn-out jazz stepper that's got to be heard to be believed. The cut's been a favorite on the Chicago jazz stepper's scene for years – and it alone is worth the price of the album. However, the record features some other wonderful stuff – like a sublime version of "Shadow Of Your Smile" that runs for a bubbling 12 minutes – plus the originals "Shut Up", "Scorched Earth", and "Two By Two". LP, Vinyl record album

A standout classic from trumpeter Luis Gasca – and a set that may well be the artists' most complete musical vision of the 70s! The group here is larger than on previous records, and Gasca's dropped a bit of his Latin roots in exchange for a soaring, slightly spiritual sound put together by arranger Don Menza – who's really at the top of his game here! There's a perfection and poise that's almost like CTI or Kudu at their best – almost a bit above the usual Fantasy Records session like this from the 70s, too! Other players include Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Menza and Hadley Caliman on reeds, Patrice Rushen on keyboards, and Harvey Mason on some mighty nice drums – which makes for more than a bit of funk in the mix. Titles include the sweet vibes/Rhodes number "Kathy", the stepper "Sara", and the tracks "Visions", "The Way I Feel Sometimes", "Patrice", "Collage", and "Night People". CD

An amazing bit of jazz funk from Johnny Hammond – and one of his greatest LPs! This is the first album that Johnny recorded with Larry Mizell, cut right before the pair of them went onto do the landmark Gears album. While this one never became as famous as Gears, it's got some fantastic moments that are every bit as great – a perfect blend of Mizell's spacey fusion and Hammond's fiercely soulful soloing, with lots of great jazzy changes to keep the pace fresh throughout. Includes the great spacey jazz cuts "Star Borne" and "Yesterday Was Cool", the latter of which is an excellent piece of work by Larry Mizell – plus the cuts "Back To The Projects", "Gambler's Life", "Rhodesian Thoroughfare", and "Virgo Lady". Plus, the CD features 4 bonus tracks that represent some of Johnny's best work for the Kudu label – including "Rock Steady", "Higher Ground", "Breakout", and "Who Is Sylvia". CD

A really wonderful collection of early work from the great Esther Phillips – different than her later material for Atlantic and Kudu Records – as it was done in a raw R&B style for the mighty King Records! 16 tracks in all – and detailed notes on the material, too! LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet jazzy keys from Mike Mandel – grooving here in a fuller jazz funk mode that's a bit like the best work of the 70s on Kudu Records! The approach is quite nice – with Mike handling all the electrics, and getting solo support from and array of jazzy players who include David Sanborn on alto, Gary Anderson on tenor, Darryl Thompson on guitar, and Wilbur Bascomb and John Lee on bass! The sound's a nice blend of funky and slick – and the album sports a great instrumental cover of Steely Dan's "Peg", as well as the original tunes "As Fine As You Are", "Pyramids", "Elephant & Castle", "Another Kind Of Spring", and "Jupiter Finger". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost bit of 70s fusion from the west coast – a group led by percussionist Manolo Badrena, with lots of nice Brazilian jazz touches! Many of the tracks have lyrics – soulful and sunny, somewhere in between late 70s work by Flora Purim and Seawind – and the overall groove is like some of the excellent 70s work on CTI/Kudu Records – especially the electric session that would bring in some strong percussion on the bottom! The whole thing's really wonderful – with some keyboard lines that almost link the record to early albums by Azymuth – and musicians include Hugo Fattorso on Fender Rhodes and percussion, Abraham Laboriel on bass, and Maria Fatima and Sybil Thomas on vocals. Titles include "Clube Da Esquina", "Got Some", "Canales", "Fly Away", "Yana", "Amor Lejano", and "Claro Que Si". CD

Jimmy McGriff picks up a few more keyboards than straight Hammond organ – but that's ok with us, given the great results of the set! The album's got McGriff working on electric piano and clavinet alongside the organ – plus supporting arrangements from Brad Baker, in that fuller, Kudu-styled approach to jazz funk that Groove Merchant used strongly in the mid 70s – a slightly smoother sound than before, but still plenty darn great, and definitely filled with more than enough jazz to keep things real! Pat Rebillot plays some additional keyboards on the album – in that funky style he used well at the time – and there's almost a spacey Fantasy Records quality to some of the best numbers here! Titles include the incredible tripped out break cut "Space Cadet", plus "Love Is My Life", "Sweet Love", "Big Booty Bounce", "Red Beans", and "Cakes Alive". CD

2 sides of sweet electric grooving from Houston Person – records that feature his soulful tenor set in larger arrangements than on his earlier small combo Prestige sessions, in a mode that's a bit like some of the larger jazz sets coming out on CTI and Kudu at the time! Like Stanley Turrentine, who also made a similar shift during this period, Houston turns out to be an extremely strong soloist in this sort of setting – hitting new notes on the laidback ballads, and playing with a richly expressive style that somehow seems even more possible than before, since the core rhythms and melodies are handled by the other players in the ensemble, and Houston's main job is just to blow freely on his solos. There's a few funky numbers on the set, but the mellow tracks are actually pretty darn great too – thanks to work by players that include Bernard Purdie, Joe Beck, Ron Carter, Ernie Hayes, and Grady Tate. Titles include "Sweet Buns & Barbeque", "Put It Where You Want It", "Groove Thang", "Down Here On The Ground", "Let's Call This", "The Pimp", "A Song For You", and "This Masquerade". CD

A very unusual album for Wayne Shorter – recorded right around that 1970 point when Duke Pearson was exploring formats for Blue Note artists that included larger, often electric arrangements, pointing the way towards some of the later 70s soul jazz work on labels like Kudu or CTI! This set, produced by Pearson, features Shorter as the main soloist on tenor and soprano sax – in a very hip group that includes Dave Friedman on vibes, Gene Bertoncini on guitar, Ron Carter and Cecil McBee on bass, and both Billy Hart and Alphonse Mouzon on drums. Tracks are long and complicated, with searching soulful arrangements that are part post-Miles fusion, part early 70s indie soul jazz – but balanced nicely without any sense of overindulgence at all. Shorter's soprano work is very nice, and much more angular than his playing on tenor – and titles include "Wind", "Joy", "Storm", and "Calm". CD

A contemporary album on the legendary South African jazz label As Shams, and one that really continues the strong legacy of sounds it began in the 70s! The tracks have this long, building approach – strong rhythms at the core headed by pianist Kyle Shepherd, which are topped with work on saxes from Marc Stucki and trombone from Andreas Tschopp – both European players, who bring in some nicely modern inflections to the music, and maybe a slight touch of improvisation! Other group members include Shane Cooper on bass and Jonno Sweetman on drums – and titles include "Future Past", "The Storm That Guides You", "Porcupine", "Like A Leafe On A Tree", "All The Flame", "Radha III", "Kudu Chant", and "Method Of Moments". LP, Vinyl record album

Smooth later work from Lonnie Smith – but still pretty darn great, with a feel that's in the late 70s Kudu/CTI mode! Arrangements are bigger than ever before – with large backings arranged by Lonnie, and some vocals that have a really wonderful, warm, Stevie Wonder-esque quality to them. The best tracks groove along at a nice midtempo pace, with strong work on keyboards by Lonnie, and a warm, dreamy, soulful quality that's quite different from his Blue Note work, but equally pleasing in another sort of way. Titles include "What's Done Is Done", "I Need Your Love", "Sweet Honey Wine", "My Latin Sky", and "Journey To Within". CD

Smooth later work from Lonnie Smith – but still pretty darn great, with a feel that's in the late 70s Kudu/CTI mode! Arrangements are bigger than ever before – with large backings arranged by Lonnie, and some vocals that have a really wonderful, warm, Stevie Wonder-esque quality to them. The best tracks groove along at a nice midtempo pace, with strong work on keyboards by Lonnie, and a warm, dreamy, soulful quality that's quite different from his Blue Note work, but equally pleasing in another sort of way. Titles include "What's Done Is Done", "I Need Your Love", "Sweet Honey Wine", "My Latin Sky", and "Journey To Within". CD

Badass organ funk from the mighty Leon Spencer – a set that's got a bit of a fuller feel than some of his previous albums for Prestige – but a groove that's also equally great! The style here is somewhere between blacksploitation funk and some of the grooves from the CTI/Kudu camp – with a bit more horns than before on some of the titles, arranged tightly to provide a great foil for Leon's leaner lines on Hammond! Arrangements are by Ed Bogas on the fuller tracks, and players on the album include Hubert Laws on flute, Frank Wess on baritone, Victor Paz and Virgil Jones on trumpet, Joe Beck on guitar, Melvin Sparks on guitar, and Grady Tate on drums. One track features Leon working in a smaller trio format – and titles include "Superstition", "Give Me Your Love", "The Price A Po Man's Got To Pay", "Where I'm Coming From", and "Trouble Man". LP, Vinyl record album

The cover's a bit righteous, but the grooves are wonderfully smooth – that shift towards warmer, club-based styles that Joe Thomas took in the 70s – an approach that comes off surprisingly well! Brad Baker's handling most of the arrangements here – with a fusion of jazz, funk, and club that's similar to some of the work coming out of the CTI/Kudu labels during the same stretch – and Joe's use of tenor sax on the album almost comes off like Stanley Turrentine in a similar setting, although with a bit less bite. Instrumentation includes keyboards, horns, and strings – and there's also a slight bit of chorus vocals on a few tracks too. Titles include "Poinciana", "Flame", "Let's Love", "Gemini Flyin' High", "I'm Gone & I'm Glad", and "Masada". CD

Sarah Vaughan's looking pretty groovy on the cover of this album, and she's sounding pretty groovy too – thanks to some sweet 70s backings from Ernie Wilkins! The style isn't exactly funky, but it's got some fully soulful sounds, and some great electric moments too – modes that almost feel more like some of the best Kudu Records vocal sets from the time, instead of the usual Mainstream Records groove. Sarah really fits well in this sort of setting – stretching out into groovier territory than before with the same sense of change that Ella Fitzgerald or Marlena Shaw were bringing to their music at the time. Players include Jerome Richardson on saxes, Buddy Childers on trumpet, Benny Powell on trombone, Jimmy Cobb on percussion, and Earl Palmer on drums – and titles include "Inner City Blues", "Magical Connection", "Universal Prisoner", "Tomorrow City", "That's The Way I've Always Heard It", "Imagine", "On Thinking It Over", and "If Not For You". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from the second chapter of Grover Washington's career – his post-Kudu run over at Elektra Records! The work here's a bit tighter than the Kudu sides, but still pretty great overall – thanks to that key Washington approach to a solo – a sense of space and soul that few other players could match! Most of the tracks were done with Ralph MacDonald at the production helm – in a similar blend of jazz and soul to his own work – and the tracks here are an excellent example of how a late 70s evolution in jazz funk created a keen sense of economy in the decade's best players! Titles include Grover's classic duet with Bill Withers, "Just The Two Of Us" – plus "Jammin", "Little Black Samba", "Let It Flow", "Jet Stream", "The Best Is Yet To Come", "East River Drive", "Can You Dig It", and "In The Name Of Love". CD

Disco grooves from a source you might not expect – the Japanese scene of the 70s, which was home to a surprisingly strong array of records that were perfect for the clubs! In retrospect, maybe the music's not such a surprise – given that 70s Japan was also a hotbed of electric fusion, and the kind of sharp instrumentation that provides the core to most of these tunes – wicked basslines, sweet keyboards, and funky drums that propel these tracks along in a wonderful way – even if you can't understand some of the Japanese lyrics over the top! In fact, many of these numbers are even more in the fusion or funk-inspired side of disco – less the crossover cuts with strings and big production, and more like the kind of American club tracks you might hear from Kudu Records or some of the other fusion labels. The package is proof that great sounds can be truly universal – and comes with detailed notes on the artists and scene at the time. Titles include "By By Session Band" by Lily, "Summer Champion" by Yuko Asano, "Dancin" by Junko Ohashi, "Rainbow Parade" by Masayoshi Takanaka, "Uragiri" by Mari Natuski, "Maboroshi No Hito" by Miyako Chaki, "Banana" by Kay Ishiguro, "Yashow Macashow" by Ebonee Webb, "Lovin Mighty Fire" by Nayoya Matsuko & Minako Yoshida, "Sentimental Hotel" by Rie Nkahara, and "Barato Yajuu" by Haruomi Hosono. LP, Vinyl record album