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RCA best of from the late 70's, featuring a number of cuts that were on earlier Flying Dutchman records by Lonnie! The whole set's a motherlode of spacey spiritual grooves, with 8 great tracks: "Expansions", "Love Beams", "A Song Of Love", "Meditations", "Voodoo Woman", "Space Lady", "Starlight & You" and "Sunbeams".

Smooth jazzy soul from Lonnie's mid 80s years, recorded when Lonnie was heavily under the sway of Guru Sri Chinmoy! If you've ever heard Chinmoy as a musician, you know that he's not very good – and fortunately, Lonnie keeps him away from the instruments on the record, and only lets him provide spiritual guidance. The style of the sets is surprisingly nice – a smooth extension of Lonnie's work for Columbia, with vocals by Donald Smith, bass by Marcus Miller, sax by David Hubbard, and work by other musicians who are very much in keeping with Lonnie's style. Titles include "A Garden Of Peace", "Divine Light", "The Love I See In Your Eyes" and "Dreams Of Tomorrow".

One of the fullest-sounding albums ever cut by Lonnie Liston Smith – but one of the greatest albums too! The set has Smith really taking off a bit more than on his work for RCA or Flying Dutchman – hitting some fuller sounds in the studio, thanks to backings arranged by Berg DeCoteaux, who's clearly trying to push Lonnie's groove a bit more towards a soul fusion audience of the time, yet always without losing any of the righteous energy that makes the music so great. There's a wonderful blend of acoustic and electric keyboards on the set – wrapped up in bits of strings, and propelled strongly to the skies with some great rhythms that include bass work from a young Marcus Miller, who also wrote some of the tracks on the set. Vocals aren't often in the lead – usually just sung by a chorus, if at all – and some of the best numbers here have a laidback groove that's totally wonderful – nice and mellow, with lots of room for the keys! Tracks include "Quiet Moments", "Space Princess", "Night Flower", "Mystical Dreamer", "Magical Journey", "Singing For Love", and "Exotic Mysteries".

Titles include "Obsession", "Monk's Mood", "Heaven", "Dance Floor", "Star Flower", and "Giving You The Best That I Got".

Magical work from Lonnie Liston Smith – one of those players who actually seemed to get better the more he worked on major labels! The album's a really wonderful blend of mellow jazz and soulfully spiritual themes – at one level inspired by Roy Ayers-styled crossover material, but at another still very much in the righteous camp of some of Lonnie's earlier records. A few tracks have vocals, but others step along in a sweet and smooth instrumental mode that mixes up acoustic piano and keyboards very nicely! Titles include "In The Park", "Speak About It", "Love Is The Answer", "On The Real Side", "Give Peace A Chance", and "The Enchantress".

A beautiful album of smooth mellow jazzy grooves – and one that proves that Lonnie was still always great, even when he was getting the more mainstream production treatment. The record is similar to ones cut by other older jazz funk keyboardists at the time – like Ramsey Lewis or Charles Earland – in that it's got some more lush arrangements than usual, but still a very soulful feel, and still lots of room for the main soloists. Regular Cosmic Echoes members Dave Hubbard and Donald Smith join Lonnie in a set of arrangements by Bert DeCoteaux, and tracks include "Sunburst", "Journey Into Love", "We Can Dream", and "Explorations".

Lonnie Liston Smith grooves it hard here with his Cosmic Echoes group – mixing in a stronger dose of soul than ever before, yet still giving tracks a righteous feel overall! The approach here is a bit like that of Roy Ayers work from the 70s – still jazzy at its core and conception, but often featuring vocals to deliver a wider message for the tunes – plus some nicely snapping rhythms that are enough to get a fe cuts good play on the dancefloor! The record's still got plenty of great mellow tracks too, though – the kind of floating spacey numbers that Smith virtually invented during the 70s, and which stand here as a more strongly jazz-voiced contrast to some of the soul tunes in the set. Donald Smith and Dave Hubbard are still working here with Lonnie to give the work a really solid sound, and tracks include groovers like "Get Down Everybody", "Peace & Love", and "Beautiful Woman" – mixed with spacier fusion numbers like "Quiet Dawn", "Golden Dreams", and "Goddess Of Love".

Wonderfully warm work from the late 70s years of Lonnie Liston Smith – material from his key stretch a Columbia Records, a time when he'd really learned to tighten up his groove a bit from earlier years, yet still keep all the deeper soul intact! The production here is slightly polished, but never too much so – done by Lonnie with help from Bert DeCoteaux, who's still clearly aiming the record at the soul side of the spectrum – using Lonnie's cosmic blend of keyboards, rhythms, and vocals just the right way – and hitting some sounds that are a bit more righteous than other Columbia Records fusion acts of the time. Some cuts feature lead vocals by James Robinson – and other instrumentation includes saxes from Dave Hubbard and guitar by Ronnie Miller. The album kicks off with the soul jazz number "A Song For The Children", and other tracks include "Aquarian Cycle", "Street Festival", "Gift Of Love", and "Fruit Music".

A real gem from Lonnie Liston Smith's early years in the studio – and a record that's perhaps a bit more "cosmic" than it is "funk" – but that's why we like it so much! The session has Lonnie stretching out a bit more than usual – borrowing some of the righteousness from his years with Pharoah Sanders, and tripping out on tracks that revel in their own spacey brilliance. Lonnie plays both acoustic and electric piano on the record – stretching out on some Impulse-influenced grooves that feature some great soprano sax and flute from the lesser-known George Barron. Titles include the soulful "Beautiful Woman", the ethereal "Sais", and the heavier groover "Cosmic Funk" – plus great versions of Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" and John Coltrane's "Naima".

A real gem from Lonnie Liston Smith's early years in the studio – and a record that's perhaps a bit more "cosmic" than it is "funk" – but that's why we like it so much! The session has Lonnie stretching out a bit more than usual – borrowing some of the righteousness from his years with Pharoah Sanders, and tripping out on tracks that revel in their own spacey brilliance. Lonnie plays both acoustic and electric piano on the record – stretching out on some Impulse-influenced grooves that feature some great soprano sax and flute from the lesser-known George Barron. Titles include the soulful "Beautiful Woman", the ethereal "Sais", and the heavier groover "Cosmic Funk" – plus great versions of Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" and John Coltrane's "Naima".

A real gem from Lonnie Liston Smith's early years in the studio – and a record that's perhaps a bit more "cosmic" than it is "funk" – but that's why we like it so much! The session has Lonnie stretching out a bit more than usual – borrowing some of the righteousness from his years with Pharoah Sanders, and tripping out on tracks that revel in their own spacey brilliance. Lonnie plays both acoustic and electric piano on the record – stretching out on some Impulse-influenced grooves that feature some great soprano sax and flute from the lesser-known George Barron. Titles include the soulful "Beautiful Woman", the ethereal "Sais", and the heavier groover "Cosmic Funk" – plus great versions of Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" and John Coltrane's "Naima".

Quite possibly the most celebrated album ever from keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith – a groove-heavy classic that's burned up many a dancefloor in its day, yet also a record that features some great mellow moments as well! The title track "Expansions" is virtually a blueprint for the migration of the cosmic jazz sound onto the dancefloor – a tune that's as funky as it is righteous – but other cuts on the album slow down the pace a bit too, and show off the mellower, more introspectively spiritual side that's always made Lonnie way more than just a funky jazz artist. Easily the best place to start in the all-great Lonnie Liston Smith catalog – and featuring tracks that include "Expansions", "Summer Days", "Desert Nights", "Shadows", "My Love", "Peace", and "Voodoo Woman".

Quite possibly the most celebrated album ever from keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith – a groove-heavy classic that's burned up many a dancefloor in its day, yet also a record that features some great mellow moments as well! The title track "Expansions" is virtually a blueprint for the migration of the cosmic jazz sound onto the dancefloor – a tune that's as funky as it is righteous – but other cuts on the album slow down the pace a bit too, and show off the mellower, more introspectively spiritual side that's always made Lonnie way more than just a funky jazz artist. Easily the best place to start in the all-great Lonnie Liston Smith catalog – and featuring tracks that include "Expansions", "Summer Days", "Desert Nights", "Shadows", "My Love", "Peace", and "Voodoo Woman".

Lonnie Liston Smith is really tightening up his groove on this one – bringing a bit more funk into the mix, and creating that amazingly sweet glide in his keyboard sound! The record's still steeped in the righteous influences of years past, but it brings the message out to a bigger audience – letting soul flow into the jazz-based tunes in the same way that Norman Connors was doing at the time – and creating the same sort of warm glow through a mix of earthy percussion and electric keys. Vocals on most numbers are by Donald Smith, who has a great approach that has the depth of Leon Thomas but the warm focus of Michael Henderson – and he's a perfect fit for Lonnie's well-crafted tunes on the set! Titles include the nicely breaking "Devika", plus "A Chance For Peace", "Colors of The Rainbow", "Visions Of A New World", and the killer mellow track "Summer Nights", a very warm electric piano cut, with a nice sort of "Summer Madness" feel!

Lonnie Liston Smith is really tightening up his groove on this one – bringing a bit more funk into the mix, and creating that amazingly sweet glide in his keyboard sound! The record's still steeped in the righteous influences of years past, but it brings the message out to a bigger audience – letting soul flow into the jazz-based tunes in the same way that Norman Connors was doing at the time – and creating the same sort of warm glow through a mix of earthy percussion and electric keys. Vocals on most numbers are by Donald Smith, who has a great approach that has the depth of Leon Thomas but the warm focus of Michael Henderson – and he's a perfect fit for Lonnie's well-crafted tunes on the set! Titles include the nicely breaking "Devika", plus "A Chance For Peace", "Colors of The Rainbow", "Visions Of A New World", and the killer mellow track "Summer Nights", a very warm electric piano cut, with a nice sort of "Summer Madness" feel!

A confusing one from the Lester Corporation – but a great CD nonetheless! The title and cover make you think that the album's the same as Lonnie Smith's Afro-Desia album – but it actually contains little material from that set, and features more grooves from the even rarer When The Night Is Right session! Players listed include George Benson on guitar, Joe Lovano on tenor sax, and Greg Hopkins on trumpet – part of the Afro-Desia group, but also banked here on some tracks by larger arrangements from Brad Baker. The vibe is still quite hip – hard and searing on some tracks, and laidback and more Kudu jazz funky on others – and the album's an excellent one throughout, even if it is kind of a mystery in relation to Smith's discography! CD features 7 tracks in all – including "Apex", "Flavors", "Afrodesia", "Good Morning", "It's Changed", "When The Night Is Right", and "All In My Mind".

A great little set of grooves by organist Lonnie Smith – and one of his best albums ever! The key to Drives is that it finds Lonnie backed by a totally sympathetic group of musicians – including Ronnie Cuber on baritone, Dave Hubbard on tenor, and the great Joe Dukes on drums – whomping away on the kit with all the dexterity he brought to Jack McDuff's classic recordings of the mid 60s! There's a measured funkiness in spots that's totally killer – with sparer moments that are just as impressive – with great solos by the players. Excellent stuff – including the original "Psychedelic Pi", great covers of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "Seven Steps to Heaven", the funky "Twenty Five Miles", plus "Spinning Wheel".

A great little set of grooves by organist Lonnie Smith – and one of his best albums ever! The key to Drives is that it finds Lonnie backed by a totally sympathetic group of musicians – including Ronnie Cuber on baritone, Dave Hubbard on tenor, and the great Joe Dukes on drums – whomping away on the kit with all the dexterity he brought to Jack McDuff's classic recordings of the mid 60s! There's a measured funkiness in spots that's totally killer – with sparer moments that are just as impressive – with great solos by the players. Excellent stuff – including the original "Psychedelic Pi", great covers of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "Seven Steps to Heaven", the funky "Twenty Five Miles", plus "Spinning Wheel".

Funky funky funky! Lonnie plays live with a tight group that includes tenor, guitar, and some very heavy drumming – really wailing at a level that was surprising for funky organists of the time, and which really set the pace for a whole new generation! The players are more obscure than on the usual Blue Note sides – save for Ronnie Cuber, who played baritone with Mongo Santamaria, and is one of the most underrated 60s funky players. Recorded live at the Club Harlem in Atlantic City, and with a deep raw funky sound that must have blown the roof off the club! Titles include "Move Your Hand", "Layin' In the Cut", "Charlie Brown", and "Sunshine Superman". One of his best ever!

A masterful set from the great Dr Lonnie Smith – whose 00s efforts have been irresistible and indispensable examples of Hammond B-3 based soul jazz at its finest – one of very best classic figures still out there who is killing it every time! Lonnie's nimble fingers sound to us like they've lost nothing for how ever many years young he is in 2009, with tunes mostly running north of the six minute mark – and traipse through funky, skillful soul jazz, to more of an elegiac and laidback groove, with plenty of room for Lonnie and his players to solo. Core players include Peter Bernstein on guitar, Donald Harrison on alto sax and Herlin Riley on drums, with some further accompaniment when the groove calls. Steeped in and lust permeating soulfulness – this is a true gem! Titles include "A Matterapat", "Come Together", "Pilgrimage", "Dapper Dan", "And The World Weeps", "People Make The World Go Round", "Tyrone", "Sweet Sreams" and "Voodoo Doll".

Burning work from Lonnie Smith – one of the few players from the 60s Hammond generation who can still grab our ears as strongly as ever! Over the past few decades, Smith's developed a sound that's even freer than before – but still equally groovy – a gliding, open approach to organ jazz that's almost brought in some pages from the Larry Young book, but still comes off with all the swing and soul that Lonnie brought to his best early sides on Blue Note! This session's a brilliant trio date – just Smith's Hammond, the guitar of Jonathan Kreisberg, and drums of Jamire Williams – a wonderful combo who soar beautifully together – hitting modes that remind us of Larry Young/Grant Green collaborations at some points, and Don Patterson/Pat Martino grooves at others. Smith's got a great ear for bottom tones here – and even at quieter points, manages to get our speakers bumping on the shelves – a true testament to the richness of sound you'll hear on cuts that include "Sweet & Lovely", "Spiral", "Beehive", "Sukiyaki", "Frame For The Blues", and "Mellow Mood".

Easily Lonnie Smith's biggest hit for Blue Note – a key record in defining the sound of late 60s soul jazz! Lonnie's working here with an all-star group that includes Melvin Sparks, Lee Morgan, and David Fathead Newman – and the core combo is expanded by some additional Latin percussion (including work by Pucho on timbales!), which really makes the tunes groove nicely! Tracks are long, with complicated rhythms – and soulful yet sophisticated solos to match – and titles include the seminal "Son Of Ice Bag", a great cover of "Think", and the tracks "Slouchin", "Call Of The Wild", and "Three Blind Mice".

Easily Lonnie Smith's biggest hit for Blue Note – a key record in defining the sound of late 60s soul jazz! Lonnie's working here with an all-star group that includes Melvin Sparks, Lee Morgan, and David Fathead Newman – and the core combo is expanded by some additional Latin percussion (including work by Pucho on timbales!), which really makes the tunes groove nicely! Tracks are long, with complicated rhythms – and soulful yet sophisticated solos to match – and titles include the seminal "Son Of Ice Bag", a great cover of "Think", and the tracks "Slouchin", "Call Of The Wild", and "Three Blind Mice".

A stone killer from organist Lonnie Smith – one of his completely cooking early albums for Blue Note, and a hard-burner all the way through! Smith's working here with a really great group that includes Idris Muhammad on drums and Melvin Sparks on guitar – both of whom give the album a really heavy bottom, and almost make the set feel like one of those classic Prestige jammers from the same time. But added to them is a great horn section of Lee Morgan on trumpet, Julian Preister on trombone, and Bennie Maupin on tenor – all of whom give the record a slightly hipper, more modern feel – in keeping with the Blue Note groove of the time. Tracks are all nice and long – and titles include the originals "Turning Point" and "Slow High" – plus versions of "See Saw", "People Sure Act Funny", and "Eleanor Rigby".

A 3CD package that brings together a CD apiece by each of the artists mentioned in the title – a low-priced way to get these Groove Merchant classics from the 70s! First up is the CD Afrodesia by Lonnie Smith – a confusing one from the Lester Corporation – but a great CD nonetheless! The title and cover make you think that the album's the same as Lonnie Smith's Afro-Desia album – but it actually contains little material from that set, and features more grooves from the even rarer When The Night Is Right session! Players listed include George Benson on guitar, Joe Lovano on tenor sax, and Greg Hopkins on trumpet – part of the Afro-Desia group, but also banked here on some tracks by larger arrangements from Brad Baker. The vibe is still quite hip – hard and searing on some tracks, and laidback and more Kudu jazz funky on others – and the album's an excellent one throughout, even if it is kind of a mystery in relation to Smith's discography! CD features 7 tracks in all – including "Apex", "Flavors", "Afrodesia", "Good Morning", "It's Changed", "When The Night Is Right", and "All In My Mind". Groovin With Groove is a monumental batch of organ jazz groovers from Richard Groove Holmes – recorded with some larger backings from Manny Albam, and a super-dope, super-funk sort of 70s feel that's really outta site! The tracks are lean and very rhythmically oriented – all instruments grooving very strictly on the beat, except for Groove's wailing Hammond – which takes off over the top in some fierce musical flights! Bernard Purdie chops up some wicked drums on the set, and titles include "Red Onion", "Meditation", "Good Vibrations", "Chu Chu", and the solid groover "You've Got it Bad". And like most LRC titles, the dates and information on this one are a bit suspect – because the CD definitely contains the 7 tracks from the New Groove album – but also features 5 more bonus tunes too – including "Go Away Little Girl", "Young & Foolish", "It's Impossible", "It's Gonna Take Some Time", and "Groove's Groove". And note that the cover lists the dates for the sessions as 1978 and 1979, but the music is definitely the same as that on Groove's early 70s album New Groove. And last but not least is Main Squeeze – one of the grooviest albums ever from Jimmy McGriff – a hard-wailing session that's filled with plenty of cooking lines on the organ, and a few especially funky tracks! The groove here is tight, short, and very sharp – strongly in the mode of other post-Sue sessions by McGriff – like The Worm or other Groove Merchant sides – with a style that's often much more focused than Jimmy's earlier years, and strongly turned towards the rhythms of the tunes! A few numbers are more familiar soul jazz, but these are nicely offset by the harder funk numbers of the record – like the romping, stomping break classic "The Main Squeeze", the totally groovy "The Worm Turns", and the fast-vamping "GMI". The group features Jimmy Ponder on guitar and Connie Lester on alto sax – and other titles include "The Sermon", "Stella By Starlight", and "The Blues Train To Georgia".

Jimi Hendrix, taken to the territory of funky Hammond jazz – thanks to a trio that features Lonnie Smith on organ and John Abercrombie on guitar! Abercrombie's lines aren't nearly as freaky and fuzzy as Jimi's, but the groove here is a really nice change – one that almost digs into the inherently soulful elements of Hendrix's music, then turns it further into a vehicle for jazz-based exploration! Marvin Smitty Smith is in drums – and titles include "Third Stone From The Sun", "Foxy Lady", "Castles Made Of Sand/Star Spangled Banner", and "Jimi Meets Miles".

One of Lonnie Liston Smith's most spiritual sessions, and a record that most clearly shows his roots with Pharoah Sanders! The vibe here is much more jazz based than on some of Lonnie's other records for Flying Dutchman – with Smith playing as much acoustic piano as he does electric, using the former in long-spiralling lines that have a beautifully meditative quality, and which give the album a real Strata East-like sound. Mtume and Sonny Morgan play percussion, Cecil McBee plays bass, and the real star of the album may well be George Barron – who turns in some beautiful Sonny Fortune-like work on tenor and soprano sax! Titles include "Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord", "Rejuvenation", "Astral Traveling", "I Mani", "Aspirations", and "In Search Of Truth".

Burning work from Lonnie Smith – one of the few players from the 60s Hammond generation who can still grab our ears as strongly as ever! Over the past few decades, Smith's developed a sound that's even freer than before – but still equally groovy – a gliding, open approach to organ jazz that's almost brought in some pages from the Larry Young book, but still comes off with all the swing and soul that Lonnie brought to his best early sides on Blue Note! This session's a brilliant trio date – just Smith's Hammond, the guitar of Jonathan Kreisberg, and drums of Jamire Williams – a wonderful combo who soar beautifully together – hitting modes that remind us of Larry Young/Grant Green collaborations at some points, and Don Patterson/Pat Martino grooves at others. Smith's got a great ear for bottom tones here – and even at quieter points, manages to get our speakers bumping on the shelves – a true testament to the richness of sound you'll hear on cuts that include "Sweet & Lovely", "Spiral", "Beehive", "Sukiyaki", "Frame For The Blues", and "Mellow Mood".

An excellent bit of slick jazzy soul! The session was headed up B Baker and Lance Quinn, and it's a swirling mix of funky fusion, played by a group that includes Jimmy Ponder, Lonnie Smith, Jimmy McGriff, and Eddie Daniels. Two cuts have lead vocals – "It's Where You're Coming From", which features Lew Kirton, and "Dreamer", which features Gene Scott – but the strongest part is the jazzy playing, very much in the mode of a slick Fantasy Records sound from the late 70s. Includes the jazz funk classic "Snowblower", plus "Carousel" and "Spirit Level".

A great little record from the days before George Benson had totally hit his smooth jazz sound of the 70s, and was being pushed by Columbia as a hard wailing soul jazz leader! The record features his classic quartet with Lonnie Smith on organ – grooving away hard hard hard, sometimes even harder than George! Benson's fresh off his work with the Jack McDuff quartet, and his style's nice and lean, with some good riffs, and a very tight approach to the strings. Titles include "The Cooker", "Benny's Back", "Bossa Rocka", and "Benson's Rider".

A great little record from the days before George Benson had totally hit his smooth jazz sound of the 70s, and was being pushed by Columbia as a hard wailing soul jazz leader! The record features his classic quartet with Lonnie Smith on organ – grooving away hard hard hard, sometimes even harder than George! Benson's fresh off his work with the Jack McDuff quartet, and his style's nice and lean, with some good riffs, and a very tight approach to the strings. Titles include "The Cooker", "Benny's Back", "Bossa Rocka", and "Benson's Rider". The CD adds four tracks, including "Slow Scene", "The Man From Toledo". and the previously unreleased "Let Them Talk"!

A collection of tracks lifted from Benson's first two solo albums on Columbia – It's Uptown and George Benson Cookbook – both hard, heavy, soul jazz sessions that bear no resemblance to his overproduced work of the 70s! The set was recorded on the heels of Benson's classic work on Prestige with the Jack McDuff group, and sounding a lot like McDuff's hard wailing organ jazz of the same time. George is working with a group that features a young Lonnie Smith on organ, plus Ronnie Cuber on sax– and tracks include "Farm Boy", "Bossa Rocka", "Clockwise", "Bayou", "Return Of The Prodigal Son", and "Bullfight".

Quite possibly the most righteous work ever from The Counts – a move away from the heavier funk of their Westbound years, and a shift into some great jazz-based material! The vibe here draws heavily on the electric keyboard scene of the early 70s – with echoes of Lonnie Liston Smith's spaciness that trip through some of the album's best longer numbers – mixed with the harder grooves that The Counts first cut on their legendary singles in Detroit. The blend of modes is really great – and gives the album a depth and quality that goes way beyond their other album for Aware, and which shows a side of the band that never would have emerged on Westbound! Titles include the massive 9 minute long "Counts Medley" – stone cold instrumental jam with heavy drums, cool organ, and a very soulful sound – plus the spacey "Love Sign", the ensemble jamming "Riding High", and the tracks "Too Bad", "Sacrifice", and "Just You Just Me".

One of the great Miles 70s groove albums – an album that's often as funky as you might expect from the cover, with a sound that's gone onto become the stuff of legend over the years! The noise of previous electric sessions is nicely toned down a bit here – leaving lots more room for soulful grooving – and although the selections were recorded over different dates, there's a very unified feel to the record – as most tracks have a similar groove, away from other Davis electric work of the period. Players vary throughout – and include Wayne Shorter and Sonny Fortune on reeds, Lonnie Smith and Chick Corea on keyboards, Ron Carter and Dave Holland on basses, John McLaughlin on guitar, and Al Foster and Billy Cobham on drums. Titles include "Great Expectations", "Ife", "Go Ahead John", and "Lonely Fire" – and the whole thing kicks!

Excellent funky work from Lou – and a groundbreaking record that was the first to feature him playing on Blue Note with drummer Idris Muhammad – who is listed on the session under his birth name, Leo Morris! Muhammad gives the album that crackling funky bottom sound that instantly defined Lou's later years at Blue Note – a hard and heavy approach to soul jazz that's had incredible repercussions in the world of hip hop, as well as soul and funk. The rest of the group features soul jazz burners Lonnie Smith on organ, Melvin Lastie on trumpet, and George Benson on guitar – and the album includes the highly successful "Alligator Boogaloo", plus hard groovers "The Thang", "Aw Shucks!", and "One Cylinder".

The title's no lie – because the album is one of the shining jewels of Lou Donaldson's legendary funk years for Blue Note – that second period when he returned to the label at the end of the 60s, and really helped redefine the sound of soul jazz at the time! The format here is very much the same as other Donaldson classics from the time – like Hot Dog or Possum Head – in that the tracks are long, open, and plenty darn grooving – locked in some funky rhythms that feature Idris Muhammad on some very heavy drums! Other players are great too – and include Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Melvin Sparks on guitar, and Lonnie Smith on Hammond – all cooking things up nicely on tracks that include "West Indian Daddy", "Donkey Walk", "Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky", and "Hamp's Hump".

Funky genius from Lou Donaldson – one of his first funky albums for Blue Note, and a real killer all the way through! The album has a great young group working with Lou – players that include Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Lonnie Smith on organ, Leo Morris (aka Idris Muhammed) on drums, and George Benson on guitar – grooving with that really soulful early sound of his! The album has that hard Lou Donaldson funky sound that still sounds fantastic today – and titles include "Dapper Dan", "Midnight Creeper", "Bag of Jewels", and "Love Power".

Killers back to back – two 60s Prestige albums from the mighty Red Hollyway! The Burner is ne of the first in a run of excellent mid 60s sides from saxophonist Red – a very cooking player who's at the height of his powers on this hard-edged set! The date has Holloway in territory that's slightly more expanded than his dates with Jack McDuff – a quartet mode with John Patton on organ, Eric Gale on guitar, and Paul Serrano on trumpet – all in a tightly arranged sound that's almost equal parts soul jazz and 60s soul instrumental! One track features a slightly different lineup – with Hobart Dotson on trumpet, George Butchka on organ, and Charles Lindsay on guitar – but the groove is quite the same, and features plenty of sweetly funky little numbers! Titles include "Bretheren", "Miss Judie Mae", "Monkey Sho Can Talk", "Crib Theme", and "The Burner". Red Soul has Holloway caught in two different modes – one with organ, the other with piano – both plenty darn great! Side one features Holloway working with a very young Lonnie Smith on Hammond and George Benson on guitar – in a mode that's quite similar to the groove Red laid down with Jack McDuff – short, tight tracks that have plenty of playful changes – and very mean soloing from Holloway on tenor. Side two features a more acoustic group – still with Benson on guitar, but also Norman Simmons on piano, sometimes in an earthy soul jazz mode, sometimes in a more lyrical style as well. Benson's got that wonderful approach to rhythm on most of these numbers – swinging a groove that's quite unique, and filled with great little twists and turns! Titles include "Big Fat Lady", "Good & Groovy", "Making Tracks", "The Regulars", and "Movin On".

Nice album of mellow funky jazz by this reed player who's best known for his work with Lonnie Liston Smith. Hubbard plays tenor and a bit of flute, and he's backed by Albert Dailey on electric piano, who gives the set a nice moody sound. Tracks include "Booga Bop", "Patience", "Dailey Bread", and "B.C.". Not over the top funky, but a nice groovy set of tracks.

A lost treasure from keyboardist Doug Carn – an album recorded after his 70s classics for the Black Jazz label, at a time when he'd changed his name to Abdul Rahim Ibrahim! As you might guess from that moniker, and the cover of the set, the album's got a pretty spiritual bent overall – one that extends past Doug's work for the Black Jazz label, but which is still pretty upbeat and soulful as well. Most tracks have vocals, with Carn singing in a surprisingly great style that almost makes the records feel like Lonnie Liston Smith gems on Flying Dutchman – and a few tracks almost have a trace of Gary Bartz funk – a bit of angles in the grooves, especially on numbers that have Doug trading vocals back and forth with female singer Kweili. Other instrumentation includes tenor sax from George Harper, electric guitar, and lots of percussion – and the jazz component of the record is sometimes inflected with some Eastern leanings, but mostly still soars out in the highly soulful style you'd expect from Carn's earlier work! Titles include "Balancez Calinda", "Tropic Sons", "Al Rahman", "The Watcher", "Eroniffa's Brown Band", "Suratal Ihklas", and "Casbah".

Massive music from bassist Teruo Nakamura – a set that brings a Japanese take to the US fusion scene of the mid 70s – blending Teruo's warm, soulful vision with some great work from players who include Steve Grossman and Carter Jefferson on reeds, Lonnie Smith on keyboards, and Harry Whitaker on electric piano! The tracks are tight, but never slick – driven strongly forward by Nakamura's killer basslines, but always in a relaxed, open way that gives the players plenty of room to solo freely – almost with the energy of some of the more electric spiritual jazz sets of the 70s, but a bit tighter overall. The album's a killer all the way through – a surprising, but excellent choice for wider issue in the US at the time – and titles include "Red Shoes", "Precious One", "The Cat", "Steppin with Lord", and "Sweet Pea & Collard Greens".

A funky fusion classic from keyboardist Eddie Russ – and quite possibly his most fully developed album ever! Eddie's working here at a level that's right up there with Weldon Irvine, Lonnie Liston Smith, and Bobby Lyle – a wonderful fusion of jazz and soul that's carried off perfectly throughout the entire set. The backings are sublime – rich and full, but never sleepy – and with a strength that really moves past even Eddie's great work on other albums. The keyboards soar over the top of the tunes mightily – supported by some great horn parts, and just a bit of chorus vocals on a few cuts. Eddie's playing Arp, electric piano, and a bit of un-named synth on the set – and titles include "I Want To Be Somebody", "Tea Leaves", "Lay Back", "Feelin Fine", and a version of "Don't Ask My Neighbors".

A wonderful reunion of Pharoah Sanders and vocalist Leon Thomas – and a set that captures a lot of the same energy as the pair's previous record – Karma! Thomas' vocals are in wonderful form for the set – stretching out soulfully on the extended classic "Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah" – a title that has much of the same grace and power as "The Creator Has A Master Plan. The rest of the players on the date include Lonnie Liston Smith on piano, Richard Davis and Cecil McBee on basses, and Idris Muhammad and Roy Haynes on drums – and unusually enough, each of the double bassists and drummers gets their own channel of sound to work with! The other long track on the album is the extended "Sun In Aquarius" – which is a bit more outside, but still pretty great!

Quite possibly the best-remembered album from Pharoah Sanders' legendary run at Impulse Records – a set that crossed over big, and sold to countless folks who might not have bought a jazz album this hip otherwise! The record was Sanders' first in the wake of Coltrane's passing – and it's a beautiful extended suite of tracks that flows with a sense of grace, power, and majesty that's simply breathtaking – a new level of expression in spiritual jazz – and virtually the blueprint for an entire generation to come! The album features the classic track "The Creator Has a Master Plan" – spanning a tremendous amount of space and time – and featuring Leon Thomas' classic vocals on the lyrics! Thomas also returns on the cut "Colors", which is a bit more outside, and quite free overall – and other players on the date include Lonnie Liston Smith on piano, James Spaulding on flute, Julius Watkins on French horn, Ron Carter and Richard Davis on bass, and Freddie Waits and Billy Hart on drums.

One of Shirley Scott's trippy albums for Cadet, when she was being recorded with groups that were larger than usual – which was, in our opinion, a good thing, since her organ solos were backed up by more than the usual bass and drums, and she was given a more creative setting to open up in. This LP has a largeish group that includes George Freeman, Pee Wee Ellis, Wally Richardson, and George Patterson, and the set list includes originals like "Mystical Lady", "Hall Of Jazz", and "Love Dreams", plus covers like "Your Song" and "Let It Be". Kind of spacey funky, like a Lonnie Liston Smith LP.

Funky fusion in a runaway spaceship – the second album by Larry Young's cosmic heavy Fuel ensemble! The album's a perfect batch of jazzy keyboard grooves in a tradition that includes Lonnie Liston Smith, Johnny Hammond, and Charles Earland during his Mercury years – with Larry on moog, organ, Hammond B-3, Fender Rhodes, and other cool keyboards – grooving with a sound that ranges from fast and choppy to sweet and spacious. Julius Brockington also plays a lot of funky keys on the set next to Larry, and although a few tracks have vocals, the real focus here is on the instrumentation. Titles include "Startripper", "Message From Mars", "Moonwalk", "Sticky Wicket", and "Flytime". His last album, and a nice bit of far-reaching funk!

Funky soul, righteous jazz, and hip production made the Flying Dutchman label one of the greatest imprints of the early 70s! The label was the brainchild of producer Bob Thiele, and was a post-60s project to bring together unheard voices in African American culture – recording heavily in a number of genres that included jazz, funk, soul, and Latin – cutting records that were destined to become instant classics, most of which are still pretty darn influential today! This set does a great job of starting to unpack the wealth of work on Flying Dutchman – bringing together tracks by a few familiar acts, and other lesser-known artists, a few who have rarely been reissued. Titles include "Carnavalito" and "Maria Domingas" by Gato Barbieri, "Mama" and "Chains Of Love" by Esther Marrow", "Baja Bossa" by Oliver Nelson, "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" by Pretty Purdie, "Save The Children" and "I Think I'll Call It Morning" by Gil Scott Heron, "The Creator Has A Master Plan" by Louis Armstrong & Leon Thomas, "Echoes" by Leon Thomas, and "Footprints" and "Astral Travelin" by Lonnie Liston Smith.

Funky soul, righteous jazz, and hip production made the Flying Dutchman label one of the greatest imprints of the early 70s! The label was the brainchild of producer Bob Thiele, and was a post-60s project to bring together unheard voices in African American culture – recording heavily in a number of genres that included jazz, funk, soul, and Latin – cutting records that were destined to become instant classics, most of which are still pretty darn influential today! This set does a great job of starting to unpack the wealth of work on Flying Dutchman – bringing together tracks by a few familiar acts, and other lesser-known artists, a few who have rarely been reissued. Titles include "Carnavalito" and "Maria Domingas" by Gato Barbieri, "Mama" and "Chains Of Love" by Esther Marrow", "Baja Bossa" by Oliver Nelson, "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" by Pretty Purdie, "Save The Children" and "I Think I'll Call It Morning" by Gil Scott Heron, "The Creator Has A Master Plan" by Louis Armstrong & Leon Thomas, "Echoes" by Leon Thomas, and "Footprints" and "Astral Travelin" by Lonnie Liston Smith.

Excellent mellow soul! This tasty set features a killer collection of mellow numbers from the glory days of 1970s Columbia Records – a time when the label was putting out some amazing albums that crossed the boundaries of soul and jazz, and forged a whole new mellow style that made a lot of folks as happy as it made Columbia rich! The set's one of our favorite in the Free Soul series – and is filled with wonderful numbers from some of our favorite albums – including lots of overlooked gems! Titles include "Look At Me Look At You" by Marlena Shaw, "You Know You Want To Be Loved" by Keith Barrow, "Trying To Get To You" by Valerie Carter, "Jamaica Song" by Booker T, "For The Love Of You (parts 1 & 2)" by The Isley Brothers, "Mr Sin" by Vernon Burch, "Quiet Moments" by Lonnie Liston Smith, "Love's Too Hot To Hide" by Clifford Coulter, "Love Not Then" by Azteca, "Mi Vida" by Jon Lucien, "Got To Find Ms Right" by Buddy Miles, and "The Good Life" by Bobbi Humphrey. 19 tracks in all!

Jazzy funk and 70s soul combine in one of the first-ever Japanese Free Soul compilations! The set was one that defined a sound that pushed folks into digging even deeper into their soul collections – moving past the break tracks and familiar singles, coming up with some excellent album cuts that might have been lost otherwise – proving once again that listeners around the world really owe a great debt to Japanese crate diggers for turning up the good stuff! The set's got over 70 minutes worth of obscure cuts – including "Sunshower" by Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, "Only Love" by Angela Bofill, "Kuenda" by Jon Lucien, "I Do My Best To Impress" by Linda Lewis, "Oops Here I Go Again" by Edna Wright, "If You Want It" by Niteflyte, "We Getting Down" by Weldon Irvine, "Elevate Our Mind" by Linda Williams, "Creepin" by Tamiko Jones, "Wanna Be Where You Are" by Zulema, and "Sunbeams" by Lonnie Liston Smith.

A funky funky party all the way through – a set of great jazz and soul tunes from the 70s, all of which have "funk" in the title, and some plenty heavy grooves to match! The package features work from a range of different labels – some key cuts from early 70s Blue Note, plus bits from CTI as well – all packaged together with the sort of tight punch we've come to love in these Brown Sugar sets – a no-nonsense, no-filler approach to compilations that gets plenty of great cuts into the mix right away! Titles include "Funk O Nots" by Ohio Players, "The Funk Surgeon" by Eddie Henderson, "Canned Funk" by Joe Farrell, "Who Got De Funk (part 2)" by Andrew White, "God Make Me Funky" by The Headhunters, "Down Home Funk" by Richard Groove Holmes, "Funky Junk" by Jimmy McGriff, "Let Me Lay My Funk On You" by Poison, "Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky From Now On" by Lou Donaldson, "Cosmic Funk" by Lonnie Liston Smith, and "Feeling Funky" by The Crusaders.

A funky funky party all the way through – a set of great jazz and soul tunes from the 70s, all of which have "funk" in the title, and some plenty heavy grooves to match! The package features work from a range of different labels – some key cuts from early 70s Blue Note, plus bits from CTI as well – all packaged together with the sort of tight punch we've come to love in these Brown Sugar sets – a no-nonsense, no-filler approach to compilations that gets plenty of great cuts into the mix right away! Titles include "Funk O Nots" by Ohio Players, "The Funk Surgeon" by Eddie Henderson, "Canned Funk" by Joe Farrell, "Who Got De Funk (part 2)" by Andrew White, "God Make Me Funky" by The Headhunters, "Down Home Funk" by Richard Groove Holmes, "Funky Junk" by Jimmy McGriff, "Let Me Lay My Funk On You" by Poison, "Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky From Now On" by Lou Donaldson, "Cosmic Funk" by Lonnie Liston Smith, and "Feeling Funky" by The Crusaders.

Forget the Hammond organ, this set's heavy on Fender Rhodes – that fantastic keyboard that graced so many wonderful 70s grooves – a good number of which are included on this set! The package is a no-nonsense look at the wonderful Rhodes – and simply spins out an array of keyboard-heavy jazz tracks from way back – plus a few other soul titles that fit nicely into the mix! If you dig Fender Rhodes, this set's essential – and if you've never really had an ear for the keyboard, we highly recommend the package as a great place to start. Titles include "Aragon" by Roy Ayers, "Get Down Everybody" by Lonnie Liston Smith, "Valdez In The Country" by Donny Hathaway, "Sweet Vibrations" by Latimore, "Jungle Strut" by Ramsey Lewis, "Ziggidy Zag" by Gabor Szabo, "Last Stroke Of Midnight" by Dizzy Gillespie, "Web" by Hampton Hawes, "Low Rider" by Cedar Walton, "Nana Das Aguas" by Joao Donato, "The Hump" by Patrice Rushen, and "Butterfly" by Eddie Henderson.

We couldn't think of a better name for this collection of futuristic grooves, compiled by Kirk Degiorgio and Ian O'Brien, two modern groove scientists who've always managed to infect their beat making machines with more than a little bit of soul. Spanning the spectrum from the classic fusion of Lonnie Liston Smith's "Love Beams" and Herbie Hancock's lost soundtrack number "The Spook Who Sat By The Door" to Syreeta's spacey soul take on Stevie's "I Love Every Little Thing About You" and Shuggie Otis' "XL30" to modern electronics and NuJazz like Seiji's "Into The Now" and Super-A-Loof's "Patience", plus tracks by David Axelrod, George Duke, Dunn Pearson Jr and more, 13 tracks in all.

An obscure spiritual avant piano session from the mid 70s – recorded for the Japanese-only Why Not label, and featuring the keyboard talents of Donald Smith (who we think was the brother of Lonnie Liston Smith.) Smith's group on the set features Cecil McBee on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums, and the tone of the album runs from quiet and introspective, to free and avant, to spiritual and modal. McBee's bass is a wonderful addition to the set, and he plays with the power and soulfulness he brought to the best Strata East sessions of the early 70s. Titles include "Mystic Man", "Stillness", "To Yaisa & Wanda With Luv", and "The Magnetic A".

George Benson's first LP for Columbia – a hard, heavy, soul jazz slammer that bears no resemblance to his overproduced work of the 70s! The album's a real cooker – recorded hot on the heels of Benson's classic work on Prestige with the Jack McDuff group, and sounding a lot like McDuff's hard wailing organ jazz of the same time. George is working with a group that features a young Lonnie Smith on organ, plus Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Ronnie Cuber on sax, and Charlie Persip on drums – all tightly coming together, and jamming hard on the album's short cooking tracks. Tracks include "Clockwise", "Jaguar", "Hello Birdie", and "Bullfight". Plus, the CD adds five bonus tracks, including "Sideman", "Minor Chant", and the previously unreleased "J.H. Bossa Nova" and "Clockwise (Alternate Take)".

A lost treasure from keyboardist Doug Carn – an album recorded after his 70s classics for the Black Jazz label, at a time when he'd changed his name to Abdul Rahim Ibrahim! As you might guess from that moniker, and the cover of the set, the album's got a pretty spiritual bent overall – one that extends past Doug's work for the Black Jazz label, but which is still pretty upbeat and soulful as well. Most tracks have vocals, with Carn singing in a surprisingly great style that almost makes the records feel like Lonnie Liston Smith gems on Flying Dutchman – and a few tracks almost have a trace of Gary Bartz funk – a bit of angles in the grooves, especially on numbers that have Doug trading vocals back and forth with female singer Kweili. Other instrumentation includes tenor sax from George Harper, electric guitar, and lots of percussion – and the jazz component of the record is sometimes inflected with some Eastern leanings, but mostly still soars out in the highly soulful style you'd expect from Carn's earlier work! Titles include "Balancez Calinda", "Tropic Sons", "Al Rahman", "The Watcher", "Eroniffa's Brown Band", "Suratal Ihklas", and "Casbah".

A beautiful bit of funky jazz – and one of the unsung gems in the early 70s Flying Dutchman catalog! Oliver Nelson leads a number of different groups that are filled with funky electric players – like Mike Wofford, Lonnie Liston Smith, and Denis Budimir – and the record's filled with cool moog, arp, and keyboard grooves that are unlike anything you'll find on any other of Nelson's albums. Some cuts are more big band oriented, but the best ones are nice and funky. Titles include "Skull Session", "125th And 7th Ave", "Flight For Freedom", "Baja Bossa", and "Dumpy Mama".

Wonderful work from Leon Thomas – easily one of his greatest albums! The record was recorded in 1969, right at the time Leon was working with Pharoah Sanders – and his days with the spiritual jazz giant shine through brightly on the session. The players include James Spaulding, Lonnie Liston Smith, Cecil McBee, and the enigmatic "Little Rock" (aka Pharoah Sanders!) on tenor. Includes a shorter version of "The Creator Has a Master Plan", than the one that was on Sanders' Karma album; an excellent vocal version of Horace Silver's classic "Song for My Father", with lyrics that we totally love; plus the frenetic dirge "Malcolm's Gone". Other tracks include "Damn Nam" and "Echoes".

Gloriously soulful and passionate postwar gospel – one of the best ever compilations on the Tompkins Square label – shining a powerful light on rare African American church recordings, street corner sermon style numbers, choir backed testifying soul & blues, and straight up wonderful spiritual soul music all the way! The tunes range from the mid-to-late 1940s through the 1970s for the most part, with a few later recordings – and part of what's so inspiring about it is the disregard of formality to the program. It has crackly field recordings of congregations, reverends and choirs, back porch gospel blues, and more polished, but no less passionate recordings – the common thread being the raw, honest devotion and deeply felt soulfulness of it. Hats off to producer, compiler Mike McGonigal for putting together such an excellent set, and for his concise, but well done notes on each track, and to Tompkins Square for continuing to raise the bar! 80 tracks on 3 discs: "Peace In The Valley" by Rev Lonnie Farris, "Rock And Roll Sermon" by Elder Beck, "So Glad" by Rev Robert Ballinger, "Wasn't That A Mystery" by Madison County Senior Center Singers, "The Wicked Shall Cease From Troubling" by Nathaniel Rivers, "Jesus' Blood" by Golden Stars Of Greenwood, SC, "God's Mighty Hand" by Rev Utah Smith, "Fire Shed In My Bones" by Boyd Rivers, "Power Is In The Heart OF Man" by Brother & Sister W B Grate, "You Ought To Been There" by The BC Harmonizers, "Go Devil Go" by Madam Ira May Littlejohn and more.

Forget the Hammond organ, this set's heavy on Fender Rhodes – that fantastic keyboard that graced so many wonderful 70s grooves – a good number of which are included on this set! The package is a no-nonsense look at the wonderful Rhodes – and simply spins out an array of keyboard-heavy jazz tracks from way back – plus a few other soul titles that fit nicely into the mix! If you dig Fender Rhodes, this set's essential – and if you've never really had an ear for the keyboard, we highly recommend the package as a great place to start. Titles include "Aragon" by Roy Ayers, "Get Down Everybody" by Lonnie Liston Smith, "Valdez In The Country" by Donny Hathaway, "Sweet Vibrations" by Latimore, "Jungle Strut" by Ramsey Lewis, "Ziggidy Zag" by Gabor Szabo, "Last Stroke Of Midnight" by Dizzy Gillespie, "Web" by Hampton Hawes, "Low Rider" by Cedar Walton, "Nana Das Aguas" by Joao Donato, "The Hump" by Patrice Rushen, and "Butterfly" by Eddie Henderson. LP also features the bonus track "Bittersweet" by Pete & Sheila Escovedo.

70s grooves and contemporary club jazz – all mixed together beautifully by a member of Quasimode! Given that Quasimode's own groove is steeped in the best soulful sounds of the 60s and 70s, you can bet that the mix here is equally great – a well-chosen blend of key cuts from the contemporary global underground, mixed with some rare funky numbers from years back – all put together by Matzz in a way that jumps from nicely from groove to groove, yet still respects the integrity of the core cuts! Titles include "Notes Of The Past" by Papik, "Sky High" by Root Soul, "Beat Out Shrine" by Pinkie, "Rose En Bleu" by Flat Three, "Snake Walk" by Alphonse Mouzon, "Speak About It" by Lonnie Liston Smith, "Mirror Boy" by Soil & Pimp Session, "Relight My Fire" by Quasimode, "Lehadima" by Cannonball Adderley, "Off & On" by Moacir Santos, "Children" by Haki R Madhubuti, "Gods Of The Yoruba" by Horace Silver, and "Samba For Maria" by Norman Connors.

Jazzy soul with a righteous groove – both classics from the team of Michael Orr and Carey Harris, and done with a vibe that's somewhere between the sound of James Mason or the vocal work of Gil Scott-Heron! Orr's vocals are incredible – deeply righteous, and perfect for the spiritual lyrics of the tunes. Instrumentation is lightly electric and groovily jazzy – as you'd hear on a classic Lonnie Liston Smith album, but with a bit freer touch! Great stuff all around – and both tunes are presented here in long versions!

Two beautiful albums of spacey jazz funk! Eddie Russ was a 70s keyboard genius – right up there with Lonnie Liston Smith and Herbie Hancock in our book, although he never reached the fame of either of those players. See The Light is one of Eddie's best albums – and it's got a smoothly produced soul jazz sound that's almost a takeoff on the style of Smith's excellent records for Flying Dutchman – but a bit cooler overall, and with a great feel that links back to Russ' years in the Detroit scene. Tracks are uptempo and jazzy, with a strongly soulful vibe that features lots of electric keyboard work over the top of fast dancing rhythms. A few cuts have sweet female soul backup vocals, and additional instrumentation includes trumpet, sax, and guitar. Tracks include "Zaius", "Salem Avenue", "Poko Nose", and "See The Light". Take A Look At Yourself has Russ working at a level that's right up there with keyboard giants like Weldon Irvine, Lonnie Liston Smith, and Bobby Lyle – a wonderful fusion of jazz and soul that's carried off perfectly throughout the entire set. The backings are sublime – rich and full, but never sleepy – and with a strength that really moves past even Eddie's great work on other albums. The keyboards soar over the top of the tunes mightily – supported by some great horn parts, and just a bit of chorus vocals on a few cuts. Eddie's playing Arp, electric piano, and a bit of un-named synth on the set – and titles include "I Want To Be Somebody", "Tea Leaves", "Lay Back", "Feelin Fine", and a version of "Don't Ask My Neighbors".

The title's no lie – because the album is one of the shining jewels of Lou Donaldson's legendary funk years for Blue Note – that second period when he returned to the label at the end of the 60s, and really helped redefine the sound of soul jazz at the time! The format here is very much the same as other Donaldson classics from the time – like Hot Dog or Possum Head – in that the tracks are long, open, and plenty darn grooving – locked in some funky rhythms that feature Idris Muhammad on some very heavy drums! Other players are great too – and include Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Melvin Sparks on guitar, and Lonnie Smith on Hammond – all cooking things up nicely on tracks that include "West Indian Daddy", "Donkey Walk", "Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky", and "Hamp's Hump".

One of the hippest albums that John Klemmer ever cut – a tremendous little set that's quite worthy of inclusion in the early 70s Impulse Records generation – and which is far different than any of his smoother sessions from later years! Klemmer's picking up bits of Coltrane here, but he's also infusing them with some of the spacier, more cosmic modes of Lonnie Liston Smith and his crowd – an approach to soul jazz that's still spiritual, but which also can drift along on cosmic waves as much as it can soar to the skies in freer, rocket-propelled solos! Klemmer plays both tenor and soprano sax – but also handles some keyboards too, including some great Fender Rhodes – plus "piano percussion". Other players include Don Menza on flute and clarinet, Mike Wofford on clavinet and Fender Rhodes, Mike Lang on piano and Rhodes, and Reggie Johnson on bass. Shelly Manne plays some surprisingly hip drums – definitely in the mode of his Mannekind album – and Marni Nixon sings in a sweet wordless style on one track on the set. Titles include "Constant Throb (parts 1 & 2)", "California Jazz Dance", "Neptune", "Rainbows", "Precious Leaf", and "Crystallized Tears".

Great work on Hammond from Lonnie Gasperini – a player who started out as a rocker back in the 60s, but who's grooving here with a solid soul jazz sound! Lonnie's played keyboards for years, but came to the organ relatively late in his career – and he handles the instrument like a decades-old pro – vamping, stomping, and grooving with energy that recalls older recordings, especially some of the best organ sets on the Groove Merchant label, especially those by Lonnie Smith – a big influence on Gasperini's playing. The combo here includes guitar and drums alongside the Hammond – and titles include "North Beach Blues", "Hola Muneca", "Keep Talkin", "Mama Wailer", "The Doctor", "One For McGriff", "You Sure Look Good To Me", and "Easy For You To Pray".