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What can we say? Despite the stupid appearance of the band, "White Horse" was a classic breakdance/electro track that crossed over so big it had kids in Kansas running out to by parachute pants and squares of linoleum to play along with the kids in the Bronx. Despite that runaway hit fame, though, the cut's a compelling one – with that perfect mix of post-disco post-punk grooves, warm in just the right places, and coldly appealing in others.

Ahhh . . . It takes a record like this one to remind us just what a magical crossover time the post-disco, post-punk days of the early 80s could be! Take two white guys from Denmark – Tim Stahl and John Guldberg – give them a drum machine and some funky beats, and out comes the breakdance classic "White Horse", which was one of the more sinister dancefloor numbers of its time. Sure, it's super-kitschy, but it hit pop-and-break crowd bigtime, and had kids from The Bronx to Bed-Stuy ripping up linoleum everywhere, and dragging it out into busy sidewalks where they could block off traffic! The other tracks on the album aren't as great, but ok electro pop – and titles include "Sunshine Reggae", "Elevator Boy", "Slowmotion Girl", and "Walking In The Sunshine".

Obscure work from Kenny Burrell – material originally issued by Muse Records, most of it with a very laidback feel – as you'd guess from the title! The original sides were produced by Helen Keane, who'd done some of Bill Evans' greatest sets – and who had a real ear for the mellower side of the jazz spectrum. And for the record, she's got Kenny playing in a trio format that's very spacious – with only gentle accompaniment on bass and drums, and most of the sound on the set coming from the strings of Kenny's guitar. Following in the gentle spirit of the set, Kenny even plays an acoustic guitar on some numbers – making for a very different sound than usual. Some tracks are quite long, really letting Kenny open up on his solos – and titles include "So Little Time", "All Blues", "In A Mellow Tone", "In The Still Of The Night", "Tenderly", "Listen To The Dawn", and "You & The Night & The Music".

Early 70s Catalan folk and psyche from Ia Bastiste – plus a bonus EP! The sound is a real kaliedoscope – from orch psyche styled sounds to more of a bottom heavy, fuzzed out rock vibe, to a sound that approach. At its core, the group is the duo of Ia Clua & Jordi Bataste and sing in both of Spanish and English – but the tunes are tripped out with some full scale instrumentation with trippy electric and laid back acoustic guitars, heavy percussion, piano & keys. Titles include "Un Gran Dia", "Max", "Sleeping Rock", "Oliba", "America To You", "Anna", "Morrissong" and more.

A great little record from Booker T and group – often overlooked amidst the range between Green Onions and Melting Pot, but a very strong album of soulful Memphis instrumentals all the way through! Book's organ is bubbling hot, and the band's tight rhythm style works in a perfect laid-back mode to push the group way past the stock grooves of earlier albums – thanks to great work from the rest of the combo too. There's some mighty nice rhythm changes on this one, and a good range of non-pop tunes like "Night Owl Walk", "Chinese Checkers", "Soul Dressing", "Tic Tac Toe", "Outrage", "Home Grown", "Big Train", "Jelly Bread", and "Plum Nellie".

A feast of funky head sounds – laid out in beautiful silhouette! The image features a brain stuffed with all the groovy styles of music we carry at Dusty Groove – held inside by a logo-emblazoned set of headphones – the kind of picture that looks great from a distance, and even cooler when you come up close! Our logo and website address are on the back – and the shirt is printed in brilliant white on a bold black – 100% cotton Hanes Beefy-T.

A feast of funky head sounds – laid out in beautiful silhouette! The image features a brain stuffed with all the groovy styles of music we carry at Dusty Groove – held inside by a logo-emblazoned set of headphones – the kind of picture that looks great from a distance, and even cooler when you come up close! Our logo and website address are on the back – and the shirt is printed in brilliant white on a bold black – 100% cotton Hanes Beefy-T.

A feast of funky head sounds – laid out in beautiful silhouette! The image features a brain stuffed with all the groovy styles of music we carry at Dusty Groove – held inside by a logo-emblazoned set of headphones – the kind of picture that looks great from a distance, and even cooler when you come up close! Our logo and website address are on the back – and the shirt is printed in brilliant white on a bold black – 100% cotton Hanes Beefy-T.

A feast of funky head sounds – laid out in beautiful silhouette! The image features a brain stuffed with all the groovy styles of music we carry at Dusty Groove – held inside by a logo-emblazoned set of headphones – the kind of picture that looks great from a distance, and even cooler when you come up close! Our logo and website address are on the back – and the shirt is printed in bold black on brilliant white – a 100% cotton Hanes Beefy-T.

A feast of funky head sounds – laid out in beautiful silhouette! The image features a brain stuffed with all the groovy styles of music we carry at Dusty Groove – held inside by a logo-emblazoned set of headphones – the kind of picture that looks great from a distance, and even cooler when you come up close! Our logo and website address are on the back – and the shirt is printed in bold black on brilliant white – a 100% cotton Hanes Beefy-T.

A feast of funky head sounds – laid out in beautiful silhouette! The image features a brain stuffed with all the groovy styles of music we carry at Dusty Groove – held inside by a logo-emblazoned set of headphones – the kind of picture that looks great from a distance, and even cooler when you come up close! Our logo and website address are on the back – and the shirt is printed in bold black on brilliant white – a 100% cotton Hanes Beefy-T.

Coke Escovedo's best album and a nice bit of groovy soul from the mid 70's. Patrick Gleeson produced, Harvey Mason plays drums, and the whole thing's got a nice laid back spacey soul sound. Includes covers of Lamont Dozier's "Why Can't We Be Lovers" and Leon Ware's "If I Ever Lose This Heaven", plus "What Are You Under", "No One To Depend On", "Easy Come, Easy Go", and "Make It Sweet".

The timeless sounding underground classic debut of Frank-N-Dank – which is a strong first full length statement for the duo – and a significant milestone in the J Dilla production canon! It has more of a straight up, street ready rhyme style than was typical for Dilla productions at the time – with smoky, pulsing production and unpredictable beats. The rhymes are stronger than we gave 'em credit for a decade or so back – and the raw electro funky bounce provided by Dilla really opened us up to how diverse his style could be outside of the jazzy/funky/soul beats he'd laid down in the preceding couple of years! Tracks include "Rite Bites", "Street Life", "Pimp Strut", "Where The Parties At?", "All Seasons", "Take Dem Clothes Off" and more. This 2013 version features a second disc with Dilla's instrumentals.

One of the best of the Stan Getz bossa nova sessions – and a record that features the great Laurindo Almeida on guitar – playing with more virtuosity than either Charlie Byrd or Joao Gilberto did on their collaborations with Getz! The record's got a driving rhythm section, with lots of long tracks, and nice laid-back solos by both Getz and Almeida – who's getting in some of his few jazz licks of the 60s here, working in a groove similar to that of his earlier sides with Bud Shank, but which sounds almost even better in the languid company of Getz. Cuts include "Outra Vez", "Winter Moon", "Maracatu-Too", and "Samba Da Sahra". Very nice!

One of the best of the Stan Getz bossa nova sessions – and a record that features the great Laurindo Almeida on guitar – playing with more virtuosity than either Charlie Byrd or Joao Gilberto did on their collaborations with Getz! The record's got a driving rhythm section, with lots of long tracks, and nice laid-back solos by both Getz and Almeida – who's getting in some of his few jazz licks of the 60s here, working in a groove similar to that of his earlier sides with Bud Shank, but which sounds almost even better in the languid company of Getz. Cuts include "Outra Vez", "Winter Moon", "Maracatu-Too", and "Samba Da Sahra". Very nice!

After having a huge huge huge hit with "The In Crowd" in the mid 60s, Dobie Gray laid low for quite some time, before coming back big with the title to this one – the spacey "Drift Away", one of the huge AM radio hits of the mid 70s. The style's quite different than Dobie's other work, and the record was produced in Nashville with a strong hit sound. Other titles include "LA Lady", "Eddie's Song", "Caddo Queen", "City Stars", "Lay Back", and "Rockin Chair".

A warm, southern-inflected batch of bluesy sunshine rock from Dale "The Hawk" Hawkins – best known for gifting the world with his Chess original version of "Suzie Q" back in the late 50s – a big step away from the r&b steeped rockabilly he made his name on a decade earlier! LA, Memphis & Tyler, Texas is a catchy title and kind of a good hint at the sound – which has a breezy late 60s California vibe, but it's laid down with Memphis style horn backings and swampy guitars. Dale's vocal delivery is his most effervescent ever – and the players include James Burton, Spooner Oldham, the Memphis horns and even Taj Mahal! Tracks include "LA-Memphis-Tyler", "Heavy On My Mind", "Joe", "Houndog", "Back Street", "La-La La-La", "Candy Man". "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town", "Little Rain Cloud" and more.

Killer work from one of the funkiest leaders on the Chicago scene – the mighty mighty Willie Henderson, force behind some of the city's greatest soul tracks and funky 45s! This album's like a stack of lost funky nuggets laid back to back – with lots and lots of bass-heavy grooving from the band, and plenty of instrumental riffing on guitar and horns! Most tracks are instrumental, but often feature some nice shouted or spoken bits – and the whole thing's stuffed to the rafters with great breaks, beats, and grooves! Titles include "Funky Chicken (parts 1 & 2)", "Off Into A Black Thing", "Soulful Football", "Sugar Sugar", "Can I Change My Mind", and "Is It Something You Got".

A glorious send off from J Dilla – with some of the most soulful productions Dilla's ever laid down – and appearances by Common, D'Angelo, Pharoahe Monch, Madlib, MED, Black Thought and others! It's impossible to listen to The Shining without considering the sad circumstances surrounding its release, and all too easy to over praise, but this record is filled timelessly inventive production – and passionate rhymes from the honored guests. A lot of the more leftfield, abstract touches that create most of the character on the Donuts LP are really on the outskirts of the sound here – a much richer, deeper, funky drum influenced batch of sounds. We're speechless. There's one more official posthumous LP in the can, and thank goodness for that. Tracks include in-your-f**kin' face intro "Geek Down" with Busta Rhymes, "E=MC2" feat Common, "Love Jones", "Love" feat Pharoahe Monch, "Baby" feat Madlib & Guilty Simpson, "So Far To Go" feat Common & D'Angelo (come back D', the world needs you), "Jungle Love" feat MED & Guilty Simpson, "Dime Piece (Remix)" feat Dwele, "Love Movin'" feat Black Thought and "Won't Do".

Koop are back after a long time away from the record racks – and apart from makeup on the cover, it's been well worth the wait for the music! The sound here is a great extension of the grooves the pair laid down on their first album – a soaring blend of jazz and dancefloor rhythms that's still head and shoulders above most of the other work it's inspired in recent years. Back again are tight rhythms, lots of warm acoustic instrumentation, and a blend of classic styles with 21st Century leanness – all in a way that few others can match, save for perhaps the mighty Nicola Conte. Instrumentation features plenty of vibes and warm acoustic basslines – and most tracks have vocals, by a variety of singers who include Earl Zinger, Ane Brun, Yukimi Nagano, and Mikael Sundin. Titles include "Koop Island Blues", "Come To Me", "Forces Darling", "Let's Elope", "Beyond The Son", "Whenever There Is You", "Drum Rhythm A", and "I See A Different You".

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 true pleasure indeed – easily one of the greatest records ever by the Ohio Players, and a perfect summation of all things great in their groove! The album's a landmark effort – even for the heady days of the early 70s – as the Players manage to bring together a fair bit of jazz with their famous guitar-driven funk – all in a blend that's a lot more sophisticated than most other funk combos of the time, from the rhythms at the bottom to the instrumentation on the top! There's a darkness here that's undeniable – but the album's also not just a head trip into the fuzziest reaches of the studio – as the jazzier inflections help illuminate the farthest corners, and really bring the whole album back to focus with a wonderfully redemptive groove! Psychedelic elements are still all over the place, but also used sparingly enough to be most effective – a brilliant balance that few groups of this type were ever able to muster. Titles include the classic "Funky Worm", with the wild moogy bit that's been sampled loads of times over the years by a gazillion hip hoppers – plus loads of other nice ones, like the slow bonking funker "Pride & Vanity", the wild "Walt's First Trip", and the groovy "Laid It" – as well as "Pleasure", "Paint Me", "Our Love Has Died", and "Walked Away From You". CD features amazing sound and a whopping 7 bonus tracks – including "Ruffell Foot", "What It Is", "Rooster Poot", "Gone Forever", "Dimensions In Time", and "Introducing The Players".

The excellent early 80s side – with a tight Channel One production at the hands of Jah Thomas! Triston Palma is astandout singer, but nevertheless, he seems to have been relegated to the sidebar in reggae's history. Nice roots rock numbers from the cusp of the dancehall era, riding more laid back rhythms from the then-hungry Roots Radics crew! 10 tracks in all, including the excellent title track, plus "Lonely Man", "Give Me Give Me Your Love", "Innocent Man" and "Peace And Love In The Ghetto".

A classic album of short hard funky grooves – put together by the legendary Oliver Sain, a genius instrumentalist/producer from St. Louis, and the man behind more soul classics than you might imagine! Oliver plays alto, organ, and piano on most cuts – and the backing is spare and hard on nearly all the tracks. Some of Sain's later work got a bit weak, but this one's a classic, and has a great 70s funk sound! Titles include "Bus Stop", "Booty Bumpin", "Libra's Dream", "Sporty Mae", and "Laid Back".

One of the best hard-wailing all-star sessions that Jimmy did so well for Blue Note! The album features an amazing array of top-line players – like Tina Brooks, Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Lou Donaldson, Art Blakey, and Kenny Burrell – and they all play with Smith in differing combinations, all of which have an open-ended groove that sounds very nice, and very much like the kind of material that Smith would have laid down at some small club in the late 50s. Titles include "Blues After All", "Au Private", and "Lover Man".

Incredible work from a group who've definitely earned their name! Naming a group SOUL might be suicide for a band that can't carry off the groove – but these guys are funky monsters, with a real talent for a hard heavy sound that was rarely matched by other combos. The band have a great drummer, with a good talent for the funky break, but also a jazzy flourish that works well on SOUL's mellower numbers – and apart from the usual bass and guitar riffing, the album also features some great funky flute, in a mode that's similar to some of Jeremy Steig's excellent early work. Some tracks have vocals and some have instrumentals – and both albums are great! ACE put together both these masterpieces of heavy funky grooves and laid them back to back on one CD of super-heavy funky tracks. The set's a great deal, and both albums are winners all the way through! Tracks include "Down in the Ghetto", "Burning Spear", "Soul", "Tell it Like It Is", "Peace Of Mind", "My Cherie Amour", and "Sleeping Beauty".

A touch of Billy Taylor, but that's more than enough – as his trio here can pack plenty into just a very short space! The set's an early classic that features Billy with his legendary trio with bassist Earl May and drummer Percy Brice – a group who really transformed the sound of the piano in jazz, and set a whole new rhythmic scope for decades to come! The tracks are mostly short and simple, and done in Taylor's warmly rhythmical approach to the keys – a groove that was clearly informed by the hardbop of the time, but which laid back in a much more soulful formation. The set features dozen tracks in all, including "Blue Cloud", "It's A Grand Night For Swinging", "Purple Mood", "A Bientot", "Early Bird", "Day Dreaming", "Radioactivity", "Long Tom", and "Daddy O".

A touch of Billy Taylor, but that's more than enough – as his trio here can pack plenty into just a very short space! The set's an early classic that features Billy with his legendary trio with bassist Earl May and drummer Percy Brice – a group who really transformed the sound of the piano in jazz, and set a whole new rhythmic scope for decades to come! The tracks are mostly short and simple, and done in Taylor's warmly rhythmical approach to the keys – a groove that was clearly informed by the hardbop of the time, but which laid back in a much more soulful formation. The set features dozen tracks in all, including "Blue Cloud", "It's A Grand Night For Swinging", "Purple Mood", "A Bientot", "Early Bird", "Day Dreaming", "Radioactivity", "Long Tom", and "Daddy O".

A masterpiece from prime era Tribe Called Quest! Midnight Maurauders was Tribe's third LP, and even though there were no tracks yet credited to the Ummah, this is pretty much the beginning of Tribe's transition to that sound – with the same mellow, laid back vibe as their best early material, but less of an overtly jazzy reference in their sound. Phife and Tip are still on point lyrically, and honestly, this is pretty much the last LP that Tribe dropped that's got nearly all hits and no misses on it. With the cuts "Award Tour", "Midnight", "Electric Relaxation", "Clap Your Hands", "Oh My God", "The Chase, Part II", and "Keep It Rollin".

Incredible! This album is a masterpiece of subtle rock beauty, and it's still one of our favorite albums of all time. After the onslaught of the band's second album, White Light/White Heat, the Velvets laid back, toned down, and turned out this fantastic album of wonderfully crafted little songs. Every track is a delight, and the album bubbles with a dark genius that is incredibly hard to pinpoint. Tracks include "Pale Blue Eyes", "After Hours", "I'm Set Free", "Candy Says", "What Goes On", and "Jesus".

Marc Mac takes it back, way back – with some great 70s styled sounds mixed in with Marc's 21st Century vibe – a timeless mix of tightly grooving soul jazz with a live hip hop backdrop! In his work with 4 Hero, Marc could proudly pay tribute to his influences while innovating with contemporary beats and rhythms – and that tradition continues with Hipology. Classic hip hop and the 70s soul, funk and fusion that laid the blueprint are revered, with a modern vibe. Marc Mac produces and plays percussion, bass, strings and every kind of keyboard – with guest rhymers and players include the Ariya Astrobeat Arkestra horns, Baron & TRAC, Luke Parkhouse, John Robinson, Notes To Self and others. Titles include "Shaft In Africa (Addis)", "Funky Fanfare", "Apache (Battle Dub)", "Jungle Green Outlines", "Swahililand", "Luanne From Harlem", "Back In Time","Oil & Water" feat Notes To Self, "Come And Play In The Milky Night" and more. 13 tracks on the 2LP version.

Ashford & Simpson recorded plenty of great work on their own, but they were also a tremendous pair of songwriters – and had a way of penning can't-miss work that sounded great in just about anyone's hands! This collection is great testament to that fact – as it starts with gems the duo first wrote back in their early Motown days, then quickly moves up to their late 70s fame, and the way they had a major impact on the dancefloor. The tracks here are often quite familiar, but the actual recordings are sometimes obscure – lesser-known takes on some of Ashford & Simpson's best numbers, laid out back to back as proof of their genius talent for a groovy soul tune. Titles include "Top Of The Stairs" by Collins & Collins, "Keep It Coming" by Tata Vega, "Rough Times" by Angela Bofill, "California Soul" by Marlena Shaw, "Bourgie Bourgie" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "Have You Ever Tried It" by The Main Ingredient, "I Wouldn't Change The Man He Is" by Blinky, "It's In There" by Jennifer Holiday, "Clouds" by Chaka Khan, "Over & Over" by Sylvester, "Hit & Run Lover" by The Dynamic Superiors, "The Boss (ext club)" by Diana Ross, "Is It Still Good To Ya" by Teddy Pendergrass, "Keep It Coming" by Tata Vega, and "Keep Away Girls" by Stephanie Mills.

A stunning look at a legendary London club of the 60s – presented here in a really well-done book-style package – with a CD that's brimming over with the American soul that made it groove so great back in the day! The set does a great job of showing the roots both of Northern soul, and the UK mod scene – as most of the work here is from that early cusp of soul – when R&B still figured strongly into the mix, and the groove also had some strong inflections from blues and jazz as well! The photos and images in the book are totally great – laid out over a full-color 24 pages – and the CD features 28 smoking tracks – including "Ain't That Loving You Baby" by Jimmy Reed, "Jaywalking" by The Upsetters, "Who Can I Run To" by Geri Hall, "I'll Take One" by Harold Burrage, "Song Called Soul" by Gene Chandler, "Let The Good Times Roll" by Alvin Robinson, "Question" by Roscoe Shelton, and "I've Got A Claim On You" by Betty Everett.

A treasure trove of wonderful tunes – all written by the legendary southern soul team of Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham! The pair rarely entered the spotlight themselves, but contributed countless compositions that helped forge the sound of southern soul in the 60s – classic tunes that made the music of Memphis and Muscle Shoals even more mighty than anyone might have expected – thanks to a depth of feeling, sensitivity of emotion, and a trademark undercurrent of sadness that really helped the music set a new level at the time! This collection is the first to really do justice to the full range of the Penn/Oldham catalog – a beautiful batch of soul singles from a variety of different 60s labels – laid out back to back, in a breathtaking tapestry of soulful music. Titles include "Feed The Flame" by Ted Taylor, "Take Me" by Solomon Burke, "I'm Your Puppet" by Dionne Warwick, "Out Of Left Field" by Percy Sledge, "Cry Like A Baby" by Arthur Alexander, "It Tears Me Up" by Jeanne Newman, "I Met Her In Church" by Tony Borders, "I Need Someone" by The Wallace Brothers, "In The Same Old Way" by Arthur Conley, "Let It Happen" by James Carr, "Are You Never Coming Home" by Sandy Posey, and "I Worship The Ground You Walk On" by Etta James.

Very very very cool stuff from Italy in the 70's. This tight little combo featuring Fender Rhodes, electric bass, and congas lays down some super tight grooves with a very deep, very funky, very laid back feel. Originally intended for soundtrack use in TV and commercials, this disc has finally been released to the public, and it's been worth the wait! As great as the words "Fender Rhodes", "Italy", and "congas" might suggest, and even better upon repeated listenings. Some tracks have a slightly Latin feel, while others sound like super mellow CTI grooves. Excellent stuff, and it's hardly been off our turntable this month!

The timeless sounding underground classic debut of Frank-N-Dank – which is a strong first full length statement for the duo – and a significant milestone in the J Dilla production canon! It has more of a straight up, street ready rhyme style than was typical for Dilla productions at the time – with smoky, pulsing production and unpredictable beats. The rhymes are stronger than we gave 'em credit for a decade or so back – and the raw electro funky bounce provided by Dilla really opened us up to how diverse his style could be outside of the jazzy/funky/soul beats he'd laid down in the preceding couple of years! Tracks include "Rite Bites", "Street Life", "Pimp Strut", "Where The Parties At?", "All Seasons", "Take Dem Clothes Off" and more.

We never get enough of Jose Roberto Bertrami's vocoded vocal melodies! Sparkling Brazilian fusion, from the prolific Azymuth, with laid back grooves and light melodies, but not "lite" jazz. One of their more mellow outings, at most these tracks might approach mid-tempo, with a beautiful spaciousness throughout. Eight tracks in all, including "Tu Mi Delirio", "Broken Key", "If You'd Like To Know", Marcos Valle's "Pygmalion", the title track and "Samba Da Barra".

Booker T's definitely into a great new groove here – one that really extrapolates his Memphis roots through the haze of early 70s California – coming up with some wonderful sounds along the way! There's a definite A&M vibe to the record – that mix of rootsy modes and hipster polish that A&M was really pioneering alongside the Warner camp – and most of the instrumentation here is pretty stripped-down and laid back – sometimes played all by Booker in overdubs, sometimes with added studio help. Organ lines figure strongly, but not always – and vocals are mostly duets between Booker and Priscilla – on titles that include "Rings Around The World", "When Two People Are In Love", "The Crippled Crow", "Time", "Wild Fox", "Fly", and "Mendocino".

A hard set of soul jazz grooves – recorded under the leadership of the great trombonist Benny Green, and one of his few albums not for Blue Note or Prestige! The sound is very much in the Prestige hardbop mode of the late 50s – and Green heads up a group that includes Gene Ammons and Frank Foster on tenor, Nat Adderley on cornet, Frank Wess on flute and tenor, and Tommy Flanagan on piano– a similar lineup, with a similar sound, to some of the albums recorded under Ammons' name as "blowing sessions". The cuts are long, with laid back laid out solos – and titles include "Jim Dog", "Going South", and "Little Ditty". CD features bonus alternate takes of 4 tracks!

Forget the title – which sounds like a bit of a gimmick – as this is a fine fine Eddie Harris album! After the success that Vee Jay had with Eddie Harris' huge hit version of "Exodus", they cut this album of Eddie playing movie themes – like "Green Dolphin Street", "Laura", "Moonglow", and "Secret Love", plus a few standards like "These Foolish Things", and "The More I See You". Dick Marx handled the arrangements – and the overall sound is slicker than Eddie's "Exodus", as his solos are laid out over larger string arrangements by Dick Marx, but it's not without some charms – especially because Eddie's tone at this point is amazing, filled with little tricks and turns that make just about anything he plays sound great!

One of the biggest hits of the 60s for Richard Groove Holmes – and for good reason too, given the title single of the record! After the success of Groove's version of "Misty" – originally issued in long form on the Soul Message album, but presented here as a shorter single version – Holmes went into the studio to lay down this set of cuts with a similar feel – hard swingin', short hard takes on standard and pop material, all set to hard-burning Hammond from a combo that features Gene Edwards on guitar and George Randall on drums. Despite the familiarity of the titles, the band just cooks – with hard choppy playing, and some of the nimblest solos that Groove ever laid down. Great stuff, and well worth the "hit" status it received in the 60s – with titles that include "Misty", "Summertime", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "The More I See You", "What Now My Love", and "There Will Never Be Another You".

A glorious send off from J Dilla – with some of the most soulful productions Dilla's ever laid down – and appearances by Common, D'Angelo, Pharoahe Monch, Madlib, MED, Black Thought and others! It's impossible to listen to The Shining without considering the sad circumstances surrounding its release, and all too easy to over praise, but this record is filled timelessly inventive production – and passionate rhymes from the honored guests. A lot of the more leftfield, abstract touches that create most of the character on the Donuts LP are really on the outskirts of the sound here – a much richer, deeper, funky drum influenced batch of sounds. We're speechless. There's one more official posthumous LP in the can, and thank goodness for that. Tracks include in-your-f**kin' face intro "Geek Down" with Busta Rhymes, "E=MC2" feat Common, "Love Jones", "Love" feat Pharoahe Monch, "Baby" feat Madlib & Guilty Simpson, "So Far To Go" feat Common & D'Angelo (come back D', the world needs you), "Jungle Love" feat MED & Guilty Simpson, "Dime Piece (Remix)" feat Dwele, "Love Movin'" feat Black Thought and "Won't Do".

The title's exploding with Mingus, and the album is too – a completely classic effort for Impulse Records that's easily one of Charles' best of the 60s! Things are reigned in somewhat from the Mingus years at Atlantic or Candid, but the sound is still great – almost more focused than before – with a sense of all the best qualities that Charles was finding in his music, laid out back to back in near-perfect formation! The group's full of great players – with reeds from Eric Dollphy, Booker Ervin, and Jerome Richardson – all of whom really contribute some deep tones to the album – and Jaki Byard's on piano, making one of his key Mingus appearances of the 60s. Titles include the massive "Better Get Hit In Yo' Soul" (the virtual Mingus "trademark" tune), plus the tracks "Celia", "Hora Decubitus", and "II B.S.". Plus, the CD features the bonus track "Freedom" – not on the original LP!

A huge creative leap forward from the debut Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, with crazy free flowing, intelligent rhymes and soulful outer space grooves that still manage to stay grounded enough to aptly reflect the darker realities of the ATL. Most tracks have a laid back southern fried groove, and Dre and Big Boi's rhymes are just about as inventive as any you'll find. Essential! Tracks include "ATLiens", "Two Dope Boyz (In A Cadillac)", "Wheelz Of Steel", "Jazzy Belle", "Babylon", "Millennium", and "13th Floor/Growing Old". 14 cuts in all.

A huge creative leap forward from the debut Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, with crazy free flowing, intelligent rhymes and soulful outer space grooves that still manage to stay grounded enough to aptly reflect the darker realities of the ATL. Most tracks have a laid back southern fried groove, and Dre and Big Boi's rhymes are just about as inventive as any you'll find. Essential! Tracks include "ATLiens", "Two Dope Boyz (In A Cadillac)", "Wheelz Of Steel", "Jazzy Belle", "Babylon", "Millennium", and "13th Floor/Growing Old". 14 cuts in all.

A huge creative leap forward from the debut Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, with crazy free flowing, intelligent rhymes and soulful outer space grooves that still manage to stay grounded enough to aptly reflect the darker realities of the ATL. Most tracks have a laid back southern fried groove, and Dre and Big Boi's rhymes are just about as inventive as any you'll find. Essential! Tracks include "ATLiens", "Two Dope Boyz (In A Cadillac)", "Wheelz Of Steel", "Jazzy Belle", "Babylon", "Millennium", and "13th Floor/Growing Old". 14 cuts in all.

The 1992 CLASSIC jazzy soulful hip hop album from one of the best producers in hip hop! You get a whole 18 tracks ranging from laid back smooth molasses tracks to sing along party bouncers. How could your collection be complete without this?!! Tracks include the unforgettable "They Reminisce...(TROY)", "Mecca & The Soul Brother", "Straighten It Out", "Soul Brother #1", "The Creator (remix)",the sensual "Lots of Lovin", "Wig Out", "Anger In The Nation", "Act Like You Know", "Skinz" featuring Grand Puba, and "The Basement" featuring Heavy D, Robo-O, Grap, & Dida, plus plenty more.

Late 60's issue of a record that's also known as Rocket Number Nine Take Off For The Planet Venus. The material was recorded in 1959 and 1960, but unissued until the mid 60's. Ra plays piano, chimes, and gong, and the tracks have a nice laid back spacey feel, with some ensemble vocals chanted by the group. Ronnie Boykins also plays the space gong on one cut, which sounds very nice. Cuts include "Somewhere In Space", "Space Loneliness", "Space Aura", and "Interplanetary Music". The cover's got a brilliant red and white drawing of volcanic land, piano keys floating in space, and a mysterious female figure in flames!

A blistering collection of work from Seiji – remixes of tunes by other artists, pulled from an assortment of import singles and unreleased recordings, laid out back to back on one set! Seiji's work is some of the foremost in the current London scene – very scattered, broken, and fragmented – yet still somehow soulful at the same time. Tunes on the set include "Move On Up" by Mark De Clive Lowe, "Spiritual" by Reel People, "Designer's Baby" by Tycoon Tosh, "Lake Of Perseverance" by Dom Um Romao, "Look Into Yourself" by Global Soul, "Meeting Blue Ice" by Joakim Lone Octet, and "The Crossing" by P'Taah. 11 tracks in all!

Almost a "greatest hits" of greatest hits albums – one of those collections that almost sold more copies than all the full albums by the artist – forever earning Sly & The Family Stone a place in record collections around the globe! All the hits are here, laid out back to back in all their righteous goodness – never a single spot of filler, and all-classics, all the way through! Titles include "Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin", "Life", "Everyday People", "I Want To Take You Higher", "Everybody Is A Star", "Dance To The Music", "Hot Fun In The Summertime", and "Sing A Simple Song". All funky – all classic!

A beautiful Rebirth for the Tribe Records scene in Detroit – a set that brings together older players whose work illuminated that famous label – Phil Ranelin on trombone, Wendell Harrison on saxes, and Marcus Belgrave on trumpet – all working here with younger musicians who include Amp Fiddler on keyboards, John Arnold on guitar, and Carl Craig on keyboards and production! The mix of generations is amazing – every bit as mesmerizing as the Detroit Experiment session from years back – and the tunes have this soulful, spiritual sensibility that really holds up to the promise first laid down by Tribe back in the 70s – a righteous reworking of familiar jazz ideals, stretching forward with cosmic energy that's really amazing! Craig's presence on the set makes for a bit of electricity at times – but the rhythms are all live and acoustic – and if anything, the whole project marks a real growth in Carl's own music, almost more than that of the originators whose sound here is every bit as great as we could have hoped! Titles include "Son Of Tribe", "Livin In A New Day", "Deneka's Chant", "Jazz On The Run", "Ride", "Lesli", "Where Am I", "13th & Senate", and "Glue Fingers".

A masterpiece from prime era Tribe Called Quest! Midnight Maurauders was Tribe's third LP, and even though there were no tracks yet credited to the Ummah, this is pretty much the beginning of Tribe's transition to that sound – with the same mellow, laid back vibe as their best early material, but less of an overtly jazzy reference in their sound. Phife and Tip are still on point lyrically, and honestly, this is pretty much the last LP that Tribe dropped that's got nearly all hits and no misses on it. With the cuts "Award Tour", "Midnight", "Electric Relaxation", "Clap Your Hands", "Oh My God", "The Chase, Part II", and "Keep It Rollin".

The title's almost redundant – as the words "Westbound" and "Funk" mean virtually the same thing! From the late 60s through the mid 70s, Westbound was one of the key record labels in the sound of raw heavy funk – working with hit groups like Funkadelic and the Ohio Players to craft a sound that laid the blueprint for countless other groups of the time, and also featuring a wealth of obscurer artists with an even harder-hitting sound! The key styles of Westbound and related jazz label Eastbound were heavy and fuzzy ones – picking up off the heady and trippy styles of the late 60s Detroit scene, mixing things up with MC5 guitars, Norman Whitfield bass, and deep underground Tribe-styled jazz touches. This 20 track masterpiece is a brilliant summation of the important Westbound sound – and includes a few hits, some funky 45 classics, and an even bigger number of tracks we might not have heard otherwise! The notes are great, the tunes are super-funky, and the whole thing's one of the best funky collections you could ever hope to purchase. Titles include "You're Messing Up My Mind" by Albert Washington, "Back To Funk" by Robert Lowe, "You Caught Me Smilin" by The 19th Whole, "Conga Man" by King Errison, "Shake Your Head" by Spanky Wilson, "I Love You" by The Motivations, "I Don't Know What It Is But It Sure Is Funky" by Mighty Elegant, "Crazy Legs" by Donald Austin, "Stone Thing (part 1)" by Alvin Cash, "RPM" by Boots, "Funky World (part 1)" by Silky Vincent, "Get Funky Sweet A Little Bit" by Jackie Harris & The Exciters, "I'll Bet You" by Funkadelic, and "Why Not Start All Over Again" by The Counts.

A feast of funky head sounds – laid out in beautiful silhouette! The image features a brain stuffed with all the groovy styles of music we carry at Dusty Groove – held inside by a logo-emblazoned set of headphones – the kind of picture that looks great from a distance, and even cooler when you come up close! Our logo and website address are on the back – and the shirt is printed in brilliant white on a bold black – 100% cotton Hanes Beefy-T.

A feast of funky head sounds – laid out in beautiful silhouette! The image features a brain stuffed with all the groovy styles of music we carry at Dusty Groove – held inside by a logo-emblazoned set of headphones – the kind of picture that looks great from a distance, and even cooler when you come up close! Our logo and website address are on the back – and the shirt is printed in bold black on brilliant white – a 100% cotton Hanes Beefy-T.

Pat Martino tells his story – a wonderfully long run of jazz experience that starts in the heady days of the 60s soul jazz scene, moves into key psychedelic modes, suffers a bit of tragedy in later years, then springs wonderfully back more recently! Pat's got help from a co-writer on the book, who helps take his deeply personal musings, and give them some key narrative focus – laid out in a way that also introduces comments on Martino from some of his contemporaries and fellow guitarists – all of whom further illuminate the musical changes over Pat's years in jazz. The book is hardcover, 192 pages, and features some black and white photos.

The first album from Seawind – and a killer batch of jazzy soul tracks all the way through! The set's easily one of the hippest to come out on CTI in the 70s, although with the record's strong use of vocals, it also feels a bit more like some of the work coming out on Fantasy at the time – lots of jazzy riffing underneath in the rhythms, and solidly soulful vocals over the top – all in a blend that's totally great, and produced to perfection by the great Harvey Mason! Pauline Wilson sings lead vocals on most tracks, and the tunes are filled with riffing guitar and keyboards with a really sharp edge – yet never too much so that they lose the sense of soul laid down by the vocals. Wonderful work throughout – with titles that include "Roadways (part 1 & 2)", "Make Up Your Mind", "We Got A Way", "A Love Song", "He Loves You", and "The Devil Is A Liar".

Incredible! This album is a masterpiece of subtle rock beauty, and it's still one of our favorite albums of all time. After the onslaught of the band's second album, White Light/White Heat, the Velvets laid back, toned down, and turned out this fantastic album of wonderfully crafted little songs. Every track is a delight, and the album bubbles with a dark genius that is incredibly hard to pinpoint. Tracks include "Pale Blue Eyes", "After Hours", "I'm Set Free", "Candy Says", "What Goes On", and "Jesus".

A very different sound here than the first volume in the series – one that goes strongly for a later take on R&B influenced soul jazz! There's a strong groove here for the steppers on the Windy City scene – a blend of jazzy soul and smoother jazz that's set together nicely without the too-slick spots that always clutter up other collections – and which represents the few modern tracks that were able to penetrate the mostly-dusty steppers scene back in the day. Production and overall instrumentation is relatively electric, even in the percussion, but there's always a few nice acoustic touches to round things out on the best tracks. Titles include "Mama Dadu" and "L'Amour" by Vodu 155, "Piano Groove" by Piano Negro, "Can We Try Again" by Braxton Brothers, "Soul Manifesto" by Rodney Jones, "Tik Tok (inst)" by Lorenzo Smith, "Laid Back" by Jerald Daemyon, "Modern Life" by Tom Saviano, "Pacific Love" by David Patterson, "Cycles Of Re-Elevation" by Michael McEvoy, "Forever's A Long Long Time" by Orquestra Wax, "Groovin In The Midnight (inst)" by Maxi Priest, and "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is" by Grant Green.

A feast of funky head sounds – laid out in beautiful silhouette! The image features a brain stuffed with all the groovy styles of music we carry at Dusty Groove – held inside by a logo-emblazoned set of headphones – the kind of picture that looks great from a distance, and even cooler when you come up close! Our logo and website address are on the back – and the shirt is printed in brilliant white on a bold black – 100% cotton Hanes Beefy-T.

A landmark album that is perhaps the single most influential beat source in hip hop! The record was the brainchild of bongo player Michael Viner – who also happened to be running the Pride subsidiary of MGM at the time. Viner's got a meeeeeean touch on the bongo, hitting it hard and funky like the best 70s conga players – and his approach to the instrument is kind of like a funky update of popular instrumental styles laid down on guitar by The Ventures or on moog by Hot Butter. This album features the classics "Apache" and "Bongo Rock" – both with monster funky breakdowns that showed up on a heck of a lot of hip hop records over the years – plus loads of other goodies like "Last Bongo In Belgium" and "Bongolia". Excellent stuff – and for years, it was darn hard to find! (We can still remember how stunned we were when we found our first copy in a Canadian record store back in 1987 – and even then we had to pay plenty!)

Vintage album covers from the 70s – all hand-picked by Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis – a company responsible for some of their own classic images back in the day! Powell does a great job with the package – and manages to go way beyond just Hipgnosis covers, to include a really wide-spanning set of images that really sums of the depth of 70s music! You'll find covers here from artists that really run the gamut – Sex Pistols, Rolling Stones, Kate Bush, The Damned, Be Bop Deluxe, Boz Scaggs, The Cramps, Joe Jackson, The Slits, Pop Group, Peter Gabriel, David Bowie, and dozens of others – all laid out in a full-color book that's about 10" square – which makes for a great read as you're flipping through the pictures. The book is divided into years – showing a great evolution of style during the decade, matched with key news moments from each period too. 191 pages, full color, and nice and heavy!

A classic Mongo Santamaria record from the late 70's – one of the best of his albums for Vaya, filled with nice electric-tinged grooves, and some great work in the Latin fusion mode! The sound's different from his 60's recordings, with more of a jazzy vibe, and a sound that's a little bit more laid back – but also wonderfully majestic, stretching out with the same sort of warm electric touches that Ray Barretto used on his classic set The Other Road from a few years before. There's loads of nice Fender Rhodes in the set – and tracks include "Five On The Color Side", "Iberia", "Cruzan", "Spring Song", and "O Mi Shango".

Marc Mac takes it back, way back – with some great 70s styled sounds mixed in with Marc's 21st Century vibe – a timeless mix of tightly grooving soul jazz with a live hip hop backdrop! In his work with 4 Hero, Marc could proudly pay tribute to his influences while innovating with contemporary beats and rhythms – and that tradition continues with Hipology. Classic hip hop and the 70s soul, funk and fusion that laid the blueprint are revered, with a modern vibe. Marc Mac produces and plays percussion, bass, strings and every kind of keyboard – with guest rhymers and players include the Ariya Astrobeat Arkestra horns, Baron & TRAC, Luke Parkhouse, John Robinson, Notes To Self and others. Titles include "Shaft In Africa (Addis)", "Funky Fanfare", "Apache (Battle Dub)", "Jungle Green Outlines", "Swahililand", "Luanne From Harlem", "Back In Time","Oil & Water" feat Notes To Self, "Come And Play In The Milky Night", "Whatever Happened To Peace?" and more. Includes a bonus CD: the Hipology Bonus Mixtape!

The title's almost redundant – as the words "Westbound" and "Funk" mean virtually the same thing! From the late 60s through the mid 70s, Westbound was one of the key record labels in the sound of raw heavy funk – working with hit groups like Funkadelic and the Ohio Players to craft a sound that laid the blueprint for countless other groups of the time, and also featuring a wealth of obscurer artists with an even harder-hitting sound! The key styles of Westbound and related jazz label Eastbound were heavy and fuzzy ones – picking up off the heady and trippy styles of the late 60s Detroit scene, mixing things up with MC5 guitars, Norman Whitfield bass, and deep underground Tribe-styled jazz touches. This 20 track masterpiece is a brilliant summation of the important Westbound sound – and includes a few hits, some funky 45 classics, and an even bigger number of tracks we might not have heard otherwise! The notes are great, the tunes are super-funky, and the whole thing's one of the best funky collections you could ever hope to purchase. Titles include "You're Messing Up My Mind" by Albert Washington, "Back To Funk" by Robert Lowe, "You Caught Me Smilin" by The 19th Whole, "Conga Man" by King Errison, "Shake Your Head" by Spanky Wilson, "I Love You" by The Motivations, "I Don't Know What It Is But It Sure Is Funky" by Mighty Elegant, "Crazy Legs" by Donald Austin, "Stone Thing (part 1)" by Alvin Cash, "RPM" by Boots, "Funky World (part 1)" by Silky Vincent, "Get Funky Sweet A Little Bit" by Jackie Harris & The Exciters, "I'll Bet You" by Funkadelic, and "Why Not Start All Over Again" by The Counts.

A pair of great albums from Dave Douglas – laid out here in a single package! Magic Triangle is a killer set from the Dave Douglas Quartet – a very unified sound from the lineup that features Douglas on trumpet, Chris Potter on tenor, James Genus on bass, and Ben Perowsky on drums! Working here without any piano, the four have a way of folding into a groove together beautifully – really layering their sound, and coming up with something wonderful – as full of tone and texture as Douglas' more laidback recordings, but handled with a rhythmic pulse that really sends the whole thing soaring! Titles include "Everyman", "Magic Triangle", "Padded Cell", "Circular", "Coaster", "Barrage", "The Ghost", and "Kisangi". Leap Of Faith is filled with bold lines from this great late 90s group – handled in a way that's both rhythmic, yet freed from its obvious constraints – with energy that almost takes us back to Ornette Coleman at the start of the 60s! The quartet features some wonderful interplay between trumpeter Dave Douglas and tenorist Chris Potter – but gets almost as much punch on the top end from bassist James Genus and drummer Ben Perowsky – each of whom burst forth brilliantly throughout. Titles include "Emmenthaler", "Millenium Bug", "Another Country", "Leap Of Faith", "Caterwaul", and "Euro Disney".

One of the most unique Afro jazzy soundtrack you could ever hope to hear – African drummer, keyboard player and composer Remi Kabaka's soundtrack to Black Goddess! The film is from Nigerian director Ola Balogun, but was actually cast and shot in Brazil – and this soundtrack is really amazing and covers a whole lot of territory! The opening track is heavy with this fuzzed out bit of keyboards that's almost a precursor to 80s computer grooves – mixed with some laid back electric guitar and sax, it's a strange, really cool vibe that's totally unlike most Nigerian recordings we can think of. As the tracks roll on, though, the sax and percussion get more play and the sound as a whole more dexterously Afro jazzy and funky. Recorded in Lagos, it features Dele Okonkwo on tenor and soprano sax and BD Wright on keys and bass – both contribute additional percussion - plus Joni Haastrup on guitar and keyboard. Includes "Brothers And Sisters", "The Quest", "Slave March", "Black Goddess", "The Quest (Piano Solo)" and "The Warrior".

Incredible! This album is a masterpiece of subtle rock beauty, and it's still one of our favorite albums of all time. After the onslaught of the band's second album, White Light/White Heat, the Velvets laid back, toned down, and turned out this fantastic album of wonderfully crafted little songs. Every track is a delight, and the album bubbles with a dark genius that is incredibly hard to pinpoint. Tracks include "Pale Blue Eyes", "After Hours", "I'm Set Free", "Candy Says", "What Goes On", and "Jesus".

An excellent selection of Johnny Guitar Watson's wonderful mid 70s numbers, combining a laid back, funky approach with some more sophisticated arrangements and production touches. Most of the tracks have a mellow mid tempo feel, with some a nice spacey vibe and Watson's bluesy phrasing. 10 tracks in all, including "I Don't Want To Be A Lone Ranger", "Tripping", "You're The Sweetest Thing I Ever Had", "It's Way Too Late", "You Stole My Heart" and "You Can Stay But The Noise Must Go".

This former member of the Rena Rama group steps out in a loving tribute to Don Cherry – who was himself an importance force on the Swedish scene at the same time as Aberg's earlier fame! The album's got a slow-building quality that reminds us a fair bit of the Cherry of later years – a great sense of space and sound, and one that really benefits from an expanded lineup of musicians on the set. Some tracks are quite laidback and atmospheric, but the best ones are fuller and more driving – and apart from drummer Peter Erskine, Palle Mikkelborg also plays the role of Cherry on trumpet on a medley of tracks from Don's Relativity Suite! Titles include "Arthur", "Rain", "Amarone", "Kashmir", "Folkvisa", "In Memoriam", and "Tantra/Mali Doussn'Gouni/Desireless".

Excellent compilation of some of the best tracks recorded by the Alegre All Stars. One of the greatest recording projects in Latin music, the Alegre All Stars was a loose collective of great talents like Charlie Palmieri, Bobby Rodriguez, Chombo, Jo Quijano, Kako, Johnny Pacheco, and lots of others – and the records they made were laidback sessions full of lots of fire, communication, and laughter. Few groups matched their ability to lay down a tightly swinging Latin groove, and you'll hear the proof on tracks like "Manteca", "Estoy Buscando A Kako", "El Sopon", and "El Manicero".

A beautiful later set from Lorez Alexandria – produced by Houston Person, and put together with a sensitivity that really stands out! Although Lorez always sparkles on tunes that swing, she really rises to the occasion even more here on the ballads – really gentle tunes that are taken in a laidback, personal sort of way – sometimes stretching out to the 10 minute mark, and presented by Lorez in a way that's open, unhurried, and a far cry from the usual quick take on an evergreen standard. The group features the great Gildo Mahones on piano – plus Herman Riley on tenor, Grant Geissman on guitar, Andy Simpkins on bass, and Sherman Ferguson on drums. Mahones handled the arrangements – always a plus – and titles include "I Should Care", "Love Walked In", "I'll Never Stop Loving You", "No Moon At All", "All My Life", "For All We Know", and "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning".

A stone classic from Gene Ammons – and a record that introduced his talents to a whole new audience in the 60s! The album's a more laidback one than some of Jug's more hard-blown honkers – as you might guess from his hit rendition of the ballad in the title – and the instrumentation here varies between organ from Johnny Hammond Smith and piano from Mal Waldron – making for a nice tapestry of dark-tinged, late nite moods. Other players include Frank Wess on tenor and flute, and Art Taylor or Ed Thigpen on drums. Titles include the classic "Angel Eyes", plus "You Go To My Head" and "It's The Talk Of The Town" – and slightly more groovin numbers like "Getting Around" and "Water Jug".

Like some of the other issues on Trip, this set brings together some great sides that sort of fell between the cracks in an artist's career. These nice rarer sides by Gene Ammons seem to be recorded by Jug during the early 60's, when he was jumping around his contractual agreements with a number of labels, and recording sessions for just about everybody. The first LP features Jug in the studio with Howard McGhee (the set was briefly issued under his name, on Argo) and a guitarist we're pretty certain is Jake Fisher (from other issues of this material), for a cool laidback soul jazz session that's probably one of Jug's most open-ended from the time. The tracks are all long, with a lot of room for solo space, and a round mellow tone. Titles include "Housewarmin", "Nothin' But Soul", "Jivin Around" and "Jug & McGhee". The second set's a hard-hitting blowing session, cut very much in the mode of Gene's late 50s sides for Prestige – and with a very accomplished group of soul jazzers that includes Nat Adderley, Frank Foster, Bennie Green, and Frank Wess. The groove has a nice raw late night sound – and tracks are pretty long and open-ended. Titles include "Litty Ditty", "Sermonette", "Juggin Around", and "Jim Dog".

Beautiful beautiful work from tenorist Gene Ammons – and an album that really demonstrates that during the 60s, one of Ammons' strongest suits was his work with a mellow tune or ballad! The tracks here are wonderfully laidback, but never sleepy – very soulful, and solidly put together in that Ammons-made gentle-blown way – using just a few notes to send the message out with a powerful punch, without ever overdoing things the way that a few of his tenor contemporaries might be tempted to do! The group's a great fit too – with the lovely Patti Brown on piano, plus bass from George Duvivier and bass from Ed Shaughnessy – and titles include "Two Different Worlds", "Skylark", "Three Little Words", "Street Of Dreams", and "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To".

A pair of soulful gems from tenorist Gene Ammons – back to back on a single CD! The Soulful Moods is beautiful beautiful work from tenorist Gene Ammons – and an album that really demonstrates that during the 60s, one of Ammons' strongest suits was his work with a mellow tune or ballad! The tracks here are wonderfully laidback, but never sleepy – very soulful, and solidly put together in that Ammons-made gentle-blown way – using just a few notes to send the message out with a powerful punch, without ever overdoing things the way that a few of his tenor contemporaries might be tempted to do! The group's a great fit too – with the lovely Patti Brown on piano, plus bass from George Duvivier and bass from Ed Shaughnessy – and titles include "Two Different Worlds", "Skylark", "Three Little Words", "Street Of Dreams", and "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To". The second album is Nice & Cool, but not in a west coast way – and instead a set that's got Gene Ammons working some wonderfully soulful magic on a set of gentle ballads! The set's got a brilliant late nite sort of feel – one of those tenor albums that seems to sound even better in the space past midnight – as the warm glow from Ammons' horn seems to sparkle even more strongly in the dark – standing out with that stark, spare approach that always makes his ballad work so special – and unlike just about anyone else. The group here is nice and cool too – with Richard Wyands on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and JC Heard on drums – and titles include "Someone To Watch Over Me", "I Remember You", "Willow Weep For Me", and "Till There Was You".

Late great work from Ammons – an album done at the time of his funk sides for Prestige, but recorded in the style of his earlier years in Chicago! The session's a laidback set of soulful solo-heavy work – recorded as part of a hip series of shows at the North Park Hotel, with a local rhythm trio that includes Jodie Christian on piano, Cleveland Eaton on bass, and Marshall Thompson on drums. James Moody joins Ammons in the frontline, and the set's got the best electric feel that you'd hear if you were lucky enough to catch either player in a small club date in the early 60s. Loads of very imaginative solo work in the best Chicago tenor tradition – with titles that include "Work Song", "Jim Jam Jug", "Have You Met Miss Jones", and "C Jam Blues".

Just to get things straight: Ann's the Beauty and Al's the Beard – and they're paired together in this surprisingly tasty set that stands as one of Ann's jazziest albums for RCA! Part of the strength is from arranger Marty Paich, who has Al's trumpet and Ann's voice working with a small group that includes Red Norvo on vibes and Al Hendrickson on guitar. Tunes are a bit laidback, especially for Ann – and titles include "Mutual Admiration Society", "Personality", "My Baby Just Cares For Me", "Little Boy", and "The Best Man".

Nothing too high-toned here, despite the title – as the set's a nicely mellow batch of duets between pianist Ehud Asherie and tenorist Harry Allen – caught in a laidback, open-ended style that's mighty nice! As with some of Allen's best work, there's a strong sense of nostalgia going on here – a dated quality to his tone that echoes Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young – but with a freer, looser feel that's just right for the duo setting with Asherie's piano. Titles include "Learnin The Blues", "O Pato", "I Want To Be Happy", "Our Love Is Here To Stay", "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams", "Love Will Find A Way", and "My Blue Heaven".

Roy Ayers in a seductive mid 80s mode – his first for Columbia – and a record with some incredibly nice moments that blow away most of his contemporaries! The synth soul and drum machine era might seem like an odd fit for Roy's jazzy vibes, but it actually works really well here! You could argue that few players with a such profound jazz funk pedigree could pull off an 80s modern sound so succussfully – and we'd argue that Roy Ayers is indeed one of the few! If synths and programmed drums aren't your thing, this record is actually more heavily-weighted with laidback jazzy soul, with plenty of vibes and the usual warm sexy vocals from Roy. Includes the funky classic "Poo Poo La La", which has a great little monologue in it – plus "I Can't Help It", "Compadre", "Sexy, Sexy, Sexy", and "Love Is In The Feel". This 2012 FTG CD includes 3 bonus tracks: "In The Dark (7" Version)", "Poo Poo La La (Edit)" and "Love Is In The Feel (7" Version)".

Pure magic from the height of Roy Ayers' classic 70s run on Polydor – a record that's filled with warm, jazzy grooves – all served up in that unique style that Roy was forging at the time! The album perfectly balances dancefloor tracks with mellower numbers – stepping out one minute with a funky groove on the bottom, then sliding into some slinkier laidback styles that are equally great. William Allen handles the arrangements with Roy, and does the strings himself – and also plays some monstrous bass on most numbers, which really brings up the rhythms from the bottom! Titles include the killer groovers "Sweet Tears", "When Is Real Real", "Let's Do It", and "Freaky Deaky" – and the warm mellow cuts "You Came Into My Life", "Kiss", and "Melody Maker".

One of Roy Ayers' best-remembered albums of the 70s – a sublime blend of mellow numbers and some of his more club-oriented grooves of the time – all wrapped together with a genius that we can only describe as Ayers-like! The album's a beautiful example of the balance that Roy was striking in his work at the time – because alongside some of the more upbeat, catchy numbers, there's other tracks that are a fair bit more laidback, and almost abstract at times – a wonderful extrapolation of that sensitive Ayers blend of jazz and soul, with key emphasis on the vibes and keyboards. Titles include the massive groover "Running Away" – which you'll recognize from a key sample history over the years – and club cuts "Cincinnati Growl", "Fruit", "Sanctified Feeling", and "Stranded In The Jungle" – plus the more laidback cuts "Gotta Find A Lover", "I Still Love You", "Lifeline", and "This Side Of Sunshine".

One of Roy Ayers' best-remembered albums of the 70s – a sublime blend of mellow numbers and some of his more club-oriented grooves of the time – all wrapped together with a genius that we can only describe as Ayers-like! The album's a beautiful example of the balance that Roy was striking in his work at the time – because alongside some of the more upbeat, catchy numbers, there's other tracks that are a fair bit more laidback, and almost abstract at times – a wonderful extrapolation of that sensitive Ayers blend of jazz and soul, with key emphasis on the vibes and keyboards. Titles include the massive groover "Running Away" – which you'll recognize from a key sample history over the years – and club cuts "Cincinnati Growl", "Fruit", "Sanctified Feeling", and "Stranded In The Jungle" – plus the more laidback cuts "Gotta Find A Lover", "I Still Love You", "Lifeline", and "This Side Of Sunshine". CD also features a bonus track – the 12-inch version of "Running Away"!

The pinnacle of classy crossover soul at the end of the 80s – and a landmark album that's probably still helping Anita pay her bills! The feel is mellow and laidback without being too cheesy or too adult contemporary – drawing from mellow soul traditions of the 70s, and filtering it through production styles of the 80s without losing too much of the warmth. Titles include "Talk To Me", "Fairy Tales", "Lonely", "No One To Blame", "More Than You Know", and "Whatever It Takes".

Susan Barrett sings about love's varied moods – and gets some pretty great help here from Kenyon Hopkins – an arranger who's got plenty of great moods of his own! Barrett's vocals have this deep-ranged style that's less swinging than you might expect for a singer working with Hopkins – but his jazzy flourishes on the upbeat tracks really help push a new sort of groove out of Susan – while still letting her stick in more familiar modes on the album's more laidback track! The set's got a nice range of styles, and is a real lost vocal treasure on Capitol – with titles that include "Mixed Emotions", "Should I", "Hey There", "Run Away", and "Laughing On The Outside".

A really wonderful back to basics session for Basie – featuring arrangements by longtime band members Frank Foster, Erick Dixon, Bobby Plater, and Thad Jones! The set also features vocals on 2 tracks by bluesy vocalist Richard Boone – a singer with a really great scatting approach – but overall, the real strength is the horn section, particularly Al Aarons, Dixon, and Eddie Lockjaw Davis – who all get in some very nice solo work. Tracks are mostly older numbers, Basie-ized – and played with a laidback tone that's a real contrast from the higher energy early 60s recordings. Titles include "Squeeze Me", "Frankie & Johnny", "Boone's Blues", "I Got Rhythm", and "Hey Jim".

A real killer from the legendary Joe Bataan – an album of righteous power that really lives up to the dynamic promise of the title and cover! Joe Bataan's in top form throughout – serving up a blend of Latin grooves and 60s soul influences that few other artists of the time could touch – soaring and upbeat one minute, but mellow and laidback the next. There's a number of longer tracks on here that really move past the standard Latin Soul modes – bringing in bits of descarga jazz, instrumental soul, and mellower ballads to Joe's already-great blend of styles. The depth here is tremendous, and nearly every track's a winner! Titles include the slamming "It's A Good Feeling (Riot)", "Muneca", and "Mambo De Bataan" – plus the soul tracks "What Good Is A Castle", "My Cloud", "Daddy's Coming Home", "Ordinary Guy", and "For Your Love".

Way more than you might expect from the legendary Big Maybelle – a smoking collection of soulful tunes that goes way beyond her early blues of the 50s, and shows the lady to be one heck of a funky singer – on a par with the best 60s work from Etta James at Chess! The cuts here are pulled from Maybelle's Rojac recordings – rare indie tracks that hardly got much circulation at the time, but which make tremendous use of her powerful voice – re-fitting it for a whole new groove in the 60s – including socking soul numbers with plenty of punch, and a few laidback ballads that are dripping with deep soul! There's a total of 22 tracks in all on the set – not just rare singles and album tracks, but a few others we'd never seen before – a beautiful package that also features very detailed notes as well! Titles include "Careless Love", "Mama", "Love Is A Hurtin Thing", "Big Sweet Daddy", "I Can't Wait Any Longer", "Quittin Time", "Cold Cold Heart", "I Am Lost", "That's Life", "Why Was I Born", "Blame It On Your Love", and "Old Love Never Dies".

A killer debut from Black Slate – one of the leading lights in British reggae at the start of the 80s – and a group with a warmly soulful sound! Black Slate have a great way of sounding smooth, but never too slick – a balance between their laidback energy and the mellow production modes of the set – all of which give them a vibe that's a bit like the best of Third World in the late 70s, although less commercial overall. The album's got a wonderfully warm appeal – and were it on Island Records, would have undoubtedly cracked the charts on this side of the Atlantic too. But it's also that overseas obscurity that makes it a bit more of a gem overall. Titles include "Amigo", "Sticks Man 80", "Boom Boom", "Romans", "Thin Line Between Love & Hate", and "Freedom Time". CD also features bonus tracks – "Black Slate Rock (12" version)", "Amigo (single)", and "Boom Boom (single)".

Surprisingly groovy work from Tony Blackburn – a guy most folks know for his famous DJ work in the UK, from the pirate radio years onwards – but also a singer who cut a fair number of cool singles – most of which are packaged here in this overstuffed set! Blackburn's got a voice that was great for speaking on radio – and his approach to pop is often touched with that same sort of depth – perfect for subtle drama on more driving numbers, or a simple sort of charm that works very well with the more laidback tunes too! Musical styles run a gamut of pop psych, mod, and cool compressed 70s Brit pop modes – all of the sort you're likely to hear from some of the bigger acts that Tony might have been spinning on the air. Titles include "It's Only Love", "Open Your Eyes", "Janie", "Chop Chop", "Happy", "If You Were A Dream", "Fairy Tales", "Dusty", "Cindy", "House Of Cards", "Don't Get Off That Train", "Green Light", "Winter Is Through", and "In The Night".

One of the greatest sides of The Blackbyrds' music – their mellower, more chilled-out tunes – all tracks that we like almost as much as their funkier classics! Although the combo first earned their name for upbeat, sharp-edged funky fusion, they also had a wonderful way with a laidback groove – sweetly stepping instrumentals that were often a bit overlooked next to some of their bigger 70s hits, but which are equally great – and perhaps even more so, as they represented a really unique approach to the music at the time! There's a vibe here that we'd rank right up there with Kool & The Gang on "Summer Madness" – an approach that's often spare, and focused around a key instrumental bit – and which is a great antidote to some of the heavier-handed funk of the time! Keyboards are often heavy on these numbers, and although there's some vocals, the instrumentation is almost always center stage – served up over some sweetly stepping rhythms that are really great. Titles include "Lady", "Wilford's Gone", "A Heavy Town", "All I Ask", "At The Carnival", "April Showers", "Love Is Love", "Soft & Easy", "Lady", "Flying High", "The Baby", "Summer Love", "Dreaming Of You", and "Time Is Movin".

The rare self-titled set from the Bobby Boyd Congress – a killer combo with roots in early 70s Long Island, but relocated to France to make this killer set! The group is lead by tenor sax player and lead vocalist Boyd – although this set is heavy with instrumental passages. We're loving the way they mix brass heavy funk with lumbering psych steeped organ and fuzzed out guitar grooves. They even sneak in a laidback or jam, too – bringing a pretty versatile approach to this album! Titles include "Straight Ahead", "In A Toy Garden", "I'm Undecided", "Train", "It's Good To See Your Face Again", "Dig Deep In Your Soul" and "Bright Flowers".

A great remake of "I'll Slip Away" – done by Charles Bradley in a style that's even more soulful than the Rodriguez original! The Menahan Street Band provide backings – and are funky, but laidback too – with this nice echoey guitar underneath Bradley's vocals, and a snapping rhythm part that grooves along, yet lets Charles firmly take the lead! The flipside features the original by Rodriguez – a bit moodier, and with a really dark and echoey quality!

All new funky soul from Charles Bradley & The Menahan Street Band – a killer cover of Joe Quarterman's "No Time For Dreaming" and the groover "Golden Rule"! "No Time For Dreaming" wastes no time in getting to the good stuff – that tracks in full soulful swing from the opening second, with Bradley's gritty vocals, tight drums, brass and female backup vocals. "Golden Rule" another winner, with pulled-tight groove laid down by the band and a gritty soul message delivery from Mr. Bradley.

Excellent mid 70s duet jazz from pianist Dave Brubeck & alto Paul Desmond! Duets 1975 is a nicely laidback work from the duo – playing here with no other accompaniment, in a spare set of material that's incredibly fragile and intimate – and all the better for that. The move is a real change from the pair's more famous sides of the late 50s and early 60s – and with no drums and bass to get in the way, they drift around warmly, working together and apart as old friends with a great deal of sympathy for each other. Titles include "Koto Song", "Blue Dove", "Stardust", "Alice In Wonderland", and "Summer Song".

Heavy ballads from Peabo Bryson – a perfect sampling of the style he did so well back in the day, including a few of his famous duets with Roberta Flack and Natalie Cole as well! The set's overflowing with mellow jams from Peabo – the kind of laidback numbers that really helped him lock in his style, and help define a whole new level of maturity for the male voice in soul music. Titles include "What You Won't Do For Love", "Feel The Fire", "I'm So Into You", "Tonight I Celebrate My Love", "All My Love", "Show & Tell", "She's A Woman", "You're Looking Like Love To Me", and "Reaching For The Sky".

Sandy Bull's third album – a pair of long pieces that combine the multicultural folk instrumental experimentation – with Bull playing guitar, bass, bass drum, oud and hand percussion – rolling in a bit more electric blues on one side, and meandering psychedelic impulses on the other! The album features 2 sidelong pieces, "No Deposit, No Return Blues" and "Electric Blend" – the both recognizable as Bull's work if you've heard is previous couple of excellent LPs for Vanguard, but actually manage to work in more conventional grooves and more far out experimentation – splitting the difference in that regard. "No Deposit, No Return Blues" does work in some laidback electric blues guitar and spare percussion backing, but tinged with Sandy's Middle Eastern touches, too. "Electric Blend" works in the evolving sprit of his earlier "Blends", with with inspiration from the later 60s psyche sounds.

A pair of overlooked 70s gems from Jerry Butler – back to back on a single CD! Love's On The Menu is understated genius from Jerry – the kind of record that follows nicely off of his best strengths for Mercury in the early 70s – and which has him furthering the level of mature soul that was his greatest contribution to music in the decade! As before, the best tunes here are often the mellower ones – sung in a mode that's warmly soulful, and which often raises the bar for mainstream soul – to a level that would allow a lot more work to come from other singers a few years later. The title cut – "Love's On The Menu Tonight" – is a perfect illustration of this style – and other cuts include "The Devil In Mrs Jones", "Thank You Early Bird", "I'm Goin Left", "Don't Let This Smile Fool You", "I Don't Want Nobody To Know", and "This Is Your Life". Suite For The Single Girl is a great little concept album – and one that really shows the continuing sophistication and growth of Jerry Butler's music in the 70s! The record is dedicated to the "single girl" of the 70s (portrayed with the sad little photo of a brown bag lunch and a Gucci purse on the cover) – the new professional woman in the workplace – a surprisingly popular theme for many other singers of the period, but handled here by Butler with way more poise and class than any of his contemporaries! Arrangements are by James Mack and Paul Wilson, who often bring a great mellow mode to the best cuts – almost a Leon Ware style of laidback sensuality. A few other tunes are groovers, but still fit in just right – and titles include "Suite For The Single Girl", "I Wanna Do It To You", "Music In Her Dreams", "Only Pretty Girls", "Let's Go Get Out Of Town", "Chalk It Up", and "Ms Fine".

A pair of classics from guitarist Charlie Byrd – back to back on a single CD! First up is Latin Impressions, a set that's more Brazilian than Cuban – and maybe a bit Spanish, too – given the strong use of acoustic guitar from Charlie Byrd! The set's got a laidback, open feel – and Byrd's guitar work is mighty deft, yet without all the frills and flowers of some of the more dramatic, emotive players of the time – a great illustration of the huge shift that the early bossa guitar recordings had at a global level. Byrd was one of the first big American proponents of bossa, and you can definitely hear that influence at work here – amidst additional guitar from Gene Byrd, bass from Keter Betts, and drums from Bill Reichenbach. A few tunes feature Charlie on solo guitar with no backing – and titles include "O Pato", "Homage A Villa Lobos", "Bogota", "Vals", "Samba De Uma Nota So", "Amor Flamengo", and "Azul Tiple". Bossa Nova Pelos Passaros is a landmark, as guitarist Charlie Byrd was one of the first American players to record bossa nova tunes – but although his work with Stan Getz has always been well-documented, some of the titles under his own name can be quite hard to come by. This is one of the best ones that Charlie cut on his own – and it features tight guitar work in a mode that's similar to that used by Baden Powell on his early bossa recordings, augmented by trio rhythms – plus some occasional larger backings by Walter Raim, and some extended group settings that feature Charlie Hampton on alto, Earl Swope on trombone, and Willie Rodriguez on percussion. Tracks include "Ho Ba La La", "Samba Triste", "Yvone", "O Barquinho", "Un Abraco Do Bonfa", and "O Passaro".

Lovely samba work from Candeia – a singer with a voice that's richly expressive, but often without any effort at all – a laidback approach that's instantly compelling, laid over some lively old school arrangements! There's a bit of horns mixed in with the percussion and backing vocals – making the set feel more like some early 60s set than you'd guess from the date – and Candeia more than lives up to the spirit with an equally classic sound in his vocals! Titles include "Sorriso Antigo", "Viver", "O Pagode", "Prece Ao Sol", "Outro Recado", and "Ilusao Perdida".