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An excellent set of sophisticated soul cuts from Marlena Shaw – and a album that more than lives up to the title! Marlena really sparkles here – thanks to impeccable arrangements by Wade Marcus that perfectly mix together jazz and soul – finding that unique space that Shaw and a handful of other singers were exploring at the time. As with some of her other Blue Note albums, the record's got a great sense of cohesion – beginning with a nice dramatic prelude, which then gives way to sublime vocals from Merlena. Along with the soulful strings, the instrumentation includes lots of clavinet and electric piano – another nice approach, one that ushers a little bit of funk into the mix – and titles include "Easy Evil", "Hum This Song", "But For Now", "The Feeling's Good", "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely", Wildflower", "Waterfall", and "Say A Good Word".

Soaring soul from Marlena Shaw – her last recording for Blue Note, and a set that points the way towards her bigger fame to come at Columbia Records! Like some of her previous sets, there's definitely still some jazzy elements in the mix – yet the overall sound is much more fully soulful, thanks to arrangements and production from Bert DeCoteaux and Tony Silvester, who both bring in a rich sound that's similar to some of the indie dancefloor soul coming out of Philly and New York at the time – with backings that are a great blend of funk and strings, perfect for Shaw's unique blend of the sophisticated and soulful. Marlena handles this mode better than anyone else, and we think this set's easily one of her strongest records ever – even more so than some of her later dates too. Titles include the wonderful "Think About Me", a solid stepping seventies soul track that is (or should have been) an instant classic – plus "This Time I'll Be Sweeter", "Take My Body", "No Hiding Place", "Love Has Gone Away", "You & Me", "It's Better Than Walkin Out", and "Be For Real".

A classic! This is one of the best-ever albums by the legendary Marlena Shaw – and it's a tremendous live set that really lives up to the righteous promise of her earlier work on Cadet Records! The album was cut with a small combo, and the overall feel is incredibly hip – a mixture of jazz and soul, much more open-ended than some of Marlena's other albums, and with a more sophisticated feeling that was probably part of the way that she was presented to the crowd at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The highlight of the set is a 10 minute long re-working of her classic "Woman Of The Ghetto" – done in an incredible way, with lots of extra lyrics, and a great jazzy groove that's been sampled more than once over the years. Also features an excellent reading of Marvin Gaye's "Save The Children", plus the cuts "Twisted", "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "The Show Has Begun", and "But For Now".

A classic! This is one of the best-ever albums by the legendary Marlena Shaw – and it's a tremendous live set that really lives up to the righteous promise of her earlier work on Cadet Records! The album was cut with a small combo, and the overall feel is incredibly hip – a mixture of jazz and soul, much more open-ended than some of Marlena's other albums, and with a more sophisticated feeling that was probably part of the way that she was presented to the crowd at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The highlight of the set is a 10 minute long re-working of her classic "Woman Of The Ghetto" – done in an incredible way, with lots of extra lyrics, and a great jazzy groove that's been sampled more than once over the years. Also features an excellent reading of Marvin Gaye's "Save The Children", plus the cuts "Twisted", "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "The Show Has Begun", and "But For Now".

At last! Someone's finally gone and put together a real collection of Marlena Shaw's fantastic jazzy soul work! Sure, there's been other compilations out on the market – but this one's the real deal, and spans her years at Chess/Cadet, Blue Note, and Columbia – years that saw Marlena emerging to become one of the greatest smooth soul singers of all time! The set begins with the oft-sampled cuts "Woman Of The Ghetto" and "California Soul" – both righteous classics in their own right. The groove then moves onto the excellent "Liberation Conversation", and other smoother material, like "This Feeling's Good", "Loving You Was Like A Party", "Feel Like Making Love", "Without You In My Life", and "Yu Ma/Go Away Little Boy", which features one of the greatest monologues on record! Also includes a version of Al Johnson's "Back For More", and "Could It Be You", a duet with Phil Upchurch.

Marlena Shaw's first-ever album – and while not as all-out righteous as some of her later work, still a really unique record that quickly put Marlena head and shoulders above the rest of the pack! The record's a mix of jazzy vocal numbers and heavier soul tunes – arranged by Richard Evans with a hiply swinging sound that bridges modes nicely – and which offers a deeper, more sophisticated take on the kind of territory explored by Nancy Wilson on Capitol during the 60s. Tunes are a real mix of material, but all transformed nicely in this setting – so that standout session tunes like "Ahmad's Blues", "I've Gotten Over You", and "Nothing But Tears" sit very nicely next to more familiar numbers like "Matchmaker Matchmaker", "Alone Together", and "The Eyes Of Love". Also includes a great reading of "Somewhere In The Night"!

An amazing batch of sophisticated soul tracks – and a favorite with the righteous groove scene! On the surface, the record's a combination of jazz and soul tracks in the same mode that you'd find on some of Nancy Wilson's albums for Capitol during the same time – but digging deeper, you'll find an undercurrent of politics, feminism, and social commentary delivered with surprising intensity. Marlena Shaw's voice is generally sweet, but she's set up in some extremely powerful arrangements by Richard Evans and Charles Stepney that recast even the simplest phrase into a whole new setting of strength and pride – and Bobby Miller of Dells fame also helped make the record what it is, and helped write some of the best songs on the record. The set includes Marlena's classic original reading of "Woman Of The Ghetto", which has been sampled by just about everyone, plus "California Soul", which has a nice hard break, and the tunes "Liberation Conversation", "Where Can I Go?", and the original version of "Go Away Little Boy" – as sweet a statement of womanhood if there ever was one!

A great record from the mid 70s – one that has Marlena Shaw further developing her style as a sophisticated soul diva with a sharp modern edge! Although already great in the 60s, Shaw emerges here as an all-adult, all-woman singer – dealing with issues that never would have gotten touched in the decade before, all with a directness and sensitivity that's totally great. A great example of this is the leadoff track "You Me & Ethel" – a hilarious monologue in which Marlena strings along some guy who's trying to pick her up in a bar – really holding it in until it launches into the jazz funk groover "Street Walkin' Woman"! Arrangements throughout the album shift from mellower soul to hipper jazz with ease – taking Shaw into a wide range of territory that clearly shows that no areas were off limits to an artist of her stature in the 70s! Tracks include "Feel Like Makin Love", "You", "You Been Away Too Long", and "Loving You Was Like A Party".

Soaring soul from Marlena Shaw – her last recording for Blue Note, and a set that points the way towards her bigger fame to come at Columbia Records! Like some of her previous sets, there's definitely still some jazzy elements in the mix – yet the overall sound is much more fully soulful, thanks to arrangements and production from Bert DeCoteaux and Tony Silvester, who both bring in a rich sound that's similar to some of the indie dancefloor soul coming out of Philly and New York at the time – with backings that are a great blend of funk and strings, perfect for Shaw's unique blend of the sophisticated and soulful. Marlena handles this mode better than anyone else, and we think this set's easily one of her strongest records ever – even more so than some of her later dates too. Titles include the wonderful "Think About Me", a solid stepping seventies soul track that is (or should have been) an instant classic – plus "This Time I'll Be Sweeter", "Take My Body", "No Hiding Place", "Love Has Gone Away", "You & Me", "It's Better Than Walkin Out", and "Be For Real".

A classic! This is one of the best-ever albums by the legendary Marlena Shaw – and it's a tremendous live set that really lives up to the righteous promise of her earlier work on Cadet Records! The album was cut with a small combo, and the overall feel is incredibly hip – a mixture of jazz and soul, much more open-ended than some of Marlena's other albums, and with a more sophisticated feeling that was probably part of the way that she was presented to the crowd at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The highlight of the set is a 10 minute long re-working of her classic "Woman Of The Ghetto" – done in an incredible way, with lots of extra lyrics, and a great jazzy groove that's been sampled more than once over the years. Also features an excellent reading of Marvin Gaye's "Save The Children", plus the cuts "Twisted", "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "The Show Has Begun", and "But For Now".

Sweet soul from Marlena Shaw! Sweet Beginnings isn't as sweetly funky as some of her early stuff, it's actually a nice move into modern soul by this great jazz diva, and a record that was arranged and produced by Bert DeCoteaux. It's got a great remake of her classic "Go Away Little Boy", and it's got an excellent spoken part in which she kicks out her "little boy", then swoons as he begins to make love to her. That's kicked off by nicely mellow "Yu Ma", aand other tracks include "No Deposit, No Return", "Sweet Beginnings", "Johnny", "Walk Softly", "The Writing Is On The Wall", "Look At Me, Look At You" and "I Think I'll Tell Him".

A great record from the mid 70s – one that has Marlena Shaw further developing her style as a sophisticated soul diva with a sharp modern edge! Although already great in the 60s, Shaw emerges here as an all-adult, all-woman singer – dealing with issues that never would have gotten touched in the decade before, all with a directness and sensitivity that's totally great. A great example of this is the leadoff track "You Me & Ethel" – a hilarious monologue in which Marlena strings along some guy who's trying to pick her up in a bar – really holding it in until it launches into the jazz funk groover "Street Walkin' Woman"! Arrangements throughout the album shift from mellower soul to hipper jazz with ease – taking Shaw into a wide range of territory that clearly shows that no areas were off limits to an artist of her stature in the 70s! Tracks include "Feel Like Makin Love", "You", "You Been Away Too Long", and "Loving You Was Like A Party".

An amazing batch of sophisticated soul tracks – and a favorite with the righteous groove scene! On the surface, the record's a combination of jazz and soul tracks in the same mode that you'd find on some of Nancy Wilson's albums for Capitol during the same time – but digging deeper, you'll find an undercurrent of politics, feminism, and social commentary delivered with surprising intensity. Marlena Shaw's voice is generally sweet, but she's set up in some extremely powerful arrangements by Richard Evans and Charles Stepney that recast even the simplest phrase into a whole new setting of strength and pride – and Bobby Miller of Dells fame also helped make the record what it is, and helped write some of the best songs on the record. The set includes Marlena's classic original reading of "Woman Of The Ghetto", which has been sampled by just about everyone, plus "California Soul", which has a nice hard break, and the tunes "Liberation Conversation", "Where Can I Go?", and the original version of "Go Away Little Boy" – as sweet a statement of womanhood if there ever was one!

A really cool collaboration between Merry Clayton and Eugene McDaniels – a producer who really takes her music into new territory here! As with other perfect productions by McDaniels in the 70s, Gene really grabs the whole thing up and makes it his own – adding a lot more funk to the mix than you might expect, and electrifying the instrumentation in ways that bump up Merry's vocals nicely. Even better, though – he wrote a number of tunes for the set – the kind of offbeat soul numbers that we love from Eugene's own work, which help Merry move into a hip range of themes and topics. There's a righteous mix of funky jazz and soul on the record – a bit like the sound of Marlena Shaw's Blue Note albums – and McDaniels titles include "Gold Fever", "If I Lose", "Do What You Know", "Gets Hard Sometimes", and "Sink Or Swim". Also includes a great version of Baretta's theme – "Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow" - plus "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" and "How'd I Know".

A legendary bit of jazzy soul – recorded by an obscure female singer from Milwaukee! Penny's got a warm style that's pretty darn nice on its own – but it's made even better by the great arranger Richard Evans, who helped out a lot on the session. The feel is very much in the Chicago sophisti-soul mode – and at times, the record sounds a lot like Marlena Shaw's best work in the 70s, particularly her sides for Blue Note in the early part of the decade. Includes the great original "Too Soon You're Old" – a jazz dance classic for many years – plus a stellar cover of Gil Scott Heron's "Lady Day & John Coltrane", and the tracks "What's Goin On", "Slow Hot Wind", "He's Come Back", and "Rain Sometimes".

A fantastic lost album from one of the 60's most under-rated female singers – done in a style that's far hipper than Barbara's work for Atlantic! The set's got a vibe that's totally great – proud and righteous – stepping out in a mode that shakes off the sweetness of Barbara's earlier records, and grooves into a much more mature 70s-styled groove – handled perfectly by producer Ollie McLaughlin! Although Barbara and Ollie hailed from Detroit, the set was actually recorded in Chicago at the end of the 60s – with arrangements by Mike Terry, and a sophisticated groove that has some of the bounce of records by JoAnn Garrett or Marlena Shaw at the time. Every cut is a winner – and the album's a no-filler gem that we treasure in our soul collection! The record includes of great tracks, including "Baby That's A No No", "Break Away", "Anyway", "You Made Me A Woman", "Oh, Be My Love", "How Can I Tell", and "Slip Away". CD also features 3 bonus tracks – "That's The Way I Like It", "Ask The Lonely", and "Why Did It Take You So Long".

A great little album from Pat Lundy – an enigmatic talent who crops up a number of times over the years – but always on different record labels, and always with a slightly different sound and style! This album's one of Pat's best – and has her working in a sophisticated soul style that's a lot like Marlena Shaw, with but some deep soul undercurrents too – a really great blend that was way ahead of its time when first issued back in 1973 – and a set that's still unlike most other records we can think of! Burt Keyes handles the arrangements, and he gives the whole thing a great sense of class right from the start – but also knows how to hit some funkier moments too, which really let Lundy unlock the bolder side of her vocals. Titles include "Only Love Spoken Here", "What Is Love", "Friend Of Mine", "Love Child", "He's The Father Of My Children", "No More Tears To Cry", and "I've Never Been A Woman Before".

Carmen McRae really opens up on this sweet 70s set for Blue Note – expanding past the traditional jazz of her roots, and even some of the groovier work of her Atlantic years – into a sweeping, contemporary sound that's all adult, all the way! The vibe is great – in the same sophisticated, soulful territory as Marlena Shaw's recordings for Blue Note during the same stretch – yet also couched in those unmistakable McRae vocals – always with a crisp edge, even in the mellowest moments – a unique sound that no other singer can touch. The set was produced by Roger Kellaway – who also arranges, along with Dave Grusin and Byron Olson – all of whom give Carmen a set of sweeping larger backings that make for a fairly majestic album – on titles that include "I Am Music", "I Never Lied To You", "Like A Lover", "Who Gave You Permission", "A Letter For Anna Lee", "You Know Who You Are", and "I Ain't Here".

Carmen McRae really opens up on this sweet 70s set for Blue Note – expanding past the traditional jazz of her roots, and even some of the groovier work of her Atlantic years – into a sweeping, contemporary sound that's all adult, all the way! The vibe is great – in the same sophisticated, soulful territory as Marlena Shaw's recordings for Blue Note during the same stretch – yet also couched in those unmistakable McRae vocals – always with a crisp edge, even in the mellowest moments – a unique sound that no other singer can touch. The set was produced by Roger Kellaway – who also arranges, along with Dave Grusin and Byron Olson – all of whom give Carmen a set of sweeping larger backings that make for a fairly majestic album – on titles that include "I Am Music", "I Never Lied To You", "Like A Lover", "Who Gave You Permission", "A Letter For Anna Lee", "You Know Who You Are", and "I Ain't Here".

One of Carmen McRae's great 60s albums for Atlantic Records – a set that's still strongly jazz-based overall, but which seems to have an extra dose of soul at the bottom! The approach is a bit like the best late 60s sides by Nancy Wilson or Marlena Shaw – rooted in jazz, but hipper with some soulful elements in the backdrops – penned in this case by Jimmy Jones and Shorty Rogers, both of whom do a great job with the arrangements. The crispness of Carmen's voice works perfectly in the setting – and titles include "Watch What Happens", "Sound Of Silence", "MacArthur Park", "Can You Tell", and "Gloomy Sunday".

It's a few years after Freda's big hit "Band of Gold", and she's recording here in a very different mode! The record is produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland, with arrangements by a number of different talents, like McKinley Jackson, Tony Camillo, and Michael Smith – and the overall sound is much more sophisticated than on some of Freda's earlier work. The vocals are especially sharp – quite mature, and almost in a mode that points towards later work by singers like Jean Carn or Marlena Shaw during the late 70s. Includes the nice midtempo groover "We've Gotta Find A Way Back To Love", worth the price of the album alone – plus "Mood For Love", "Reaching Out", "Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right", "Mother Misery's Favorite Child", and "Right Back Where I Started From".

An amazing assortment of tunes by the criminally under appreciated Ann Sexton – featuring some of the most broadly appealing female soul of the 70s! Ann's style is warm and heavily soulful, touching on the heaving funky vocal style of Marlena Shaw and Esther Phillips, with a great capacity for sweeter soul, too. Many of the tracks are rescued from the Ann's wonderful 1973 album Loving You, Loving Me – utilizing the wicky wicky guitar, punchy horn charts and groovy keys that were popping up on a lot of soul productions in the era, that great time when grittier funk arrangements were opening up enough to accommodate a sweeter, groovier style. Other tracks come from sessions recorded in '76 and '77. 22 tracks on the CD: "You've Been Gone Too Long", "You Got To Use What You Got", "Color My World Blue", "You Can't Lose With The Stuff I Use", "I Had A Fight With Love", "Keep On Holding On", "Come Back Home", "You've Been Doing Me Wrong For So Long", "It's All Over But The Shouting", "Let's Huddle Up And Cuddle Up", "Sugar Daddy" and lots more!

Excellent work from Dee Dee Warwick – Dionne's more soulful sister, and a heck of a singer! The record's got a mix of uptown soul production and deeper soul styles, with a sophisticated style that reminds us of Chicago work by singers like Joann Garrett, Marlena Shaw, or Ruby Andrews – totally tight and sophisticated up top, but with a nice kick on the bottom that really deepens up the groove! The sound is really wide-ranging – similar to what you might find on Shaw's Cadet albums from the time – and production is by some top shelf talents throughout – including Lou Courtney to Ed Townsend to Jerry Ross to Gamble & Huff – all of whom leave their own impressions on the record. Titles include "Foolish Fool", "You Taught Me To Love", "Thank God", "That's Not Love", "Thank You Love", and "When Love Slips Away". Great bonus tracks from singles, too – including "Ring Of Bright Water", "Next Time You Fall In Love", "All The Love That Went To Waste", "I Who Have Nothing", and "I Haven't Got Anything Better To Do".

A pair of stunners from Nancy Wilson – back to back in a single set! Music On My Mind is an overlooked gem from Wilson's excellent 70s run on Capitol Records – a set that goes way beyond the spirit of some of her earlier records, and features a very unified vibe overall! The set was done in heavy collaboration with producer/composer Clarence McDonald – and features all original album penned for the date, most of which has a sublime blend of strings and soul that really pushes Wilson into even more sophisticated territory than before! Nancy's really on a par here with Marlena Shaw at her 70s best – even though Wilson had hit some of the territory years before – and the set's overflowing with great little numbers – including the funky classic "I'm In Love", plus "Let It Flow", "I'm Gonna Let Ya", "Music On My Mind", "He Makes Me Feel Good About Myself", and "Light". Life Love & Harmony is a killer from Nancy – very different than most of her earlier work, and proof that she was still growing as an artist on Capitol! The record's arranged and produced by Larry Farrow – who gives the session a jazz funk feel that brings Nancy into a whole mode, a smooth modern one that's kind a perfect fit for the rich character of her vocals – a much-needed update of the classy sound of her late 60s work, in territory that still shows that Wilson can hit this sort of groove better than anyone else! The standout cut is the massive "Sunshine" –a sparkling jazzy groover with a monster hook and some wonderful stepping arrangements – and other tracks include "You're The One Wrapped Up In The Comfort Of Your Love", "Heaven", "Here's To Us", and "Life, Love, & Harmony". CD also features bonus single mixes of "Sunshine" and "Life Love & Harmony".

A beautiful collection of work by funky soul diva Spanky Wilson – a set that features her full Westbound album Specialty Of The House, plus a nice array of even harder-hitting singles! Spanky first rose to fame as a gritty singer mixing jazz and soul on a series of late 60s/early 70s sides with HB Barnum, but during her Westbound years she cleaned things up a bit – taking her already-rich vocals, and turning them towards fuller backings and more soaring soul that almost hit the heights of soul singers like Marlena Shaw or Motown artists of the time. Backings penned by David Van DePitte, Paul Riser, and others gave Wilson a nicely mature sound that was a good change from her aging style of previous years – but other singles still maintained a grittier, funkier groove too – allowing for a nice range of modes during these short years at Westbound Records. This CD's the first to give full due to these overlooked years in Spanky's career – and it breaks up the core album and intersperses some of the funkier singles, plus unreleased tracks – in a blend that sounds even better than the original records! 18 tracks in all – including the break classic "Kissing My Love", plus "Shake Your Head", "Non Stop Flight", "He Called Me Baby", "Easy Lover", "Spend The Night With Me", "Missing Pieces", "I Think I'm Gonna Cry", "Standing Room Only", "Love Song", "The Downer I Get", and "I'll Stake My Life On You Boy".

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 cool collection of gems from the 70s years at Blue Note Records – a stretch that's often overlooked by folks digging for older hardbop from the 50s and 60s, but a tremendous time for the label, when it really burst forward with new sounds! BNLA was the initial part of the catalog number during this generation – hence the title – and the collection brings together a wealth of funk, soul, and fusion tracks from this crucial Blue Note stretch. The package features 20 tracks on 2CDs – including "People Make The World Go Round" by Bobby Hutcherson, "Mango Sunrise" by John Lee & Gerry Brown, "Chunky" by Ronnie Foster, "Abdullah & Abraham" by Chico Hamilton, "Galaxy" by Eddie Henderson, "His Blessings" by McCoy Tyner, "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" by Marlena Shaw, "Betcha By Golly Wow" by Grant Green, "City Country City" by Lou Donaldson, "Lansana's Priestess" by Donald Byrd, "Harlem River Drive" by Bobbi Humphrey, "La Malanga" by Bobby Hutcherson, and "Tuesday Heartbreak" by Ronnie Foster.

Blue Note Now – and Blue Note Then – a cool little set that mixes contemporary grooves from the Blue Note catalog with some of the older gems that made the label great back in the 50s, 60s, and 70s! In truth, some of the contemporary cuts go back more than a few years – but come together nicely on CD1, to show the way the label's really grown in the past decade or two – moving into great soulful territory with tracks like "Little B's Poem" by Quasimode, "Freedom Dance" by Lionel Loueke, "It's All Over Your Body" by Jose James, "Black Radio" by Robert Glasper Experiment, "Soin Something" by Soulive, and "Time After Time" by Cassandra Wilson. CD2 features loads of older killers – including "Feel Like Makin Love" by Marlena Shaw, "Harlem River Drive" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Kathy" by Horace Silver, "Adams Apple" by Wayne Shorter, "Afrodisia" by Kenny Dorham, "Black Byrd" by Donald Byrd, and "Speedball" by Lee Morgan.

A pretty cool little collection – a Japanese-only set that's filled with various versions of Burt Bacharach classics pulled from the vaults of Universal Music – including a rich array of 60s recordings we might have missed otherwise! The set appears to have been done in support of a 2008 Bacharach tribute tour, but all of the recordings are of older vintage – and the set includes a huge amount of rare numbers from the first years when Burt's music was getting out to the masses. Titles include "Forgive Me" by Babs Tino, "That's The Way I'll Come To You" by Jack Jones, "Rome Will Never Leave You" by Richard Chamberlain, "These Desperate Hours" by Mel Torme, "The Look Of Love" by Chris Montez, "Magic Moments" by Ronnie Aldrich, "This Guy's In Love With You" by Frankie Valli, "Alfie" by Dee Dee Warwick, "April Fools" by Vanessa Williams, "Promise Her Anything" by Tom Jones, "Who's Got The Action" by Phil Colbert, "Say Goodbye" by Pat Boone, "Waiting For Charlie To Come Home" by Marlena Shaw, "He Who Loves" by Lenny Welch, "Loving Is A Way Of Living" by Steve Lawrence, "With Open Arms" by Jane Morgan, "Ten Thousand Years Ago" by Rusty Draper, "Wishin & Hopin" by The Merseybeats, "For The Children" by Burt Bacharach, and "A House Is Not A Home" by Julie Rogers.

A real landmark of bad-walking soul – one of 2 rare albums cut by vocalist Esther Marrow, easily one of the hardest singing sisters of her generation! Esther's got roots in gospel, but she's singing here in a righteous mode that features plenty of funky undercurrents in the backings – a style that hits harder than work by Aretha Franklin or any of the better-known female singers of the time – and which holds up beautifully over the years! Many tracks here are obscure ones, arranged tightly by Artie Butler and Gene Page, both of whom do a great job of blending fuller orchestrations with tighter drums on the bottom – giving the record a good kick on most tracks, but still shading in the tunes with enough sophistication to match Esther's interpretation of the work. As hard-hitting as Marlena Shaw during her best years at Cadet – with titles that include "No Answer Came", "Money Honey", "Walk Tall", "Peaceful Man", "Hello Brother", "Chains Of Love", "It's A Long Night", and "He Don't Appreciate It".

A beautiful album of sexy soul, recorded with a smooth modern sound that's very different than Sharon's earlier albums. Jerry Peters and Sharon did the arrangements, and the tracks have a nice sound that's got a little bit of a jazz, which takes Sharon's vocals into a whole range – and lets her emerge as a sophistisoul diva along the lines of Marlena Shaw. Tracks include "Changin", "Just You and Me", "Full Moon", "Guess I'm Gonna Have to Say Goodbye", and "Nothing Else Means More To Me Than Our Love".

A legendary bit of jazzy soul – recorded by an obscure female singer from Milwaukee! Penny's got a warm style that's pretty darn nice on its own – but it's made even better by the great arranger Richard Evans, who helped out a lot on the session. The feel is very much in the Chicago sophisti-soul mode – and at times, the record sounds a lot like Marlena Shaw's best work in the 70s, particularly her sides for Blue Note in the early part of the decade. Includes the great original "Too Soon You're Old" – a jazz dance classic for many years – plus a stellar cover of Gil Scott Heron's "Lady Day & John Coltrane", and the tracks "What's Goin On", "Slow Hot Wind", "He's Come Back", and "Rain Sometimes".

Damn wonderful work from Nathan Haines – and proof that the reigning prince of the London cosmic scene is still going strong! This long-awaited set is every bit as wonderful as anything we've heard from Haines before – a sublime blend of soulful rhythms, jazzy riffs, and righteous energy – put together with a sound that draws heavily from the most soulful music of the 70s – the kind of funky fusion and spiritual jazz records that we've always loved so much! Nathan's one of the few cats who can get a sound like this so right – so much so, we'd easily rank a record like this next to some of our classics on labels like Fantasy Records or Black Jazz. The album's stacked with plenty of great keyboards, wrapped around Haines' soulful saxophone lines – and about half the cuts feature vocals, by guests who include Marlena Shaw, Vanessa Freeman, Ty, and Tama Waipara. Titles include "Tell Me What You're Feeling", "Home", "Talkin Around", "Right Now", "Today", "Pick It Up", "Creation Calling", and "Gitmo Ritmo". Also features bonus tracks – "Creation Calling (summer street rmx)" and "Tell Me What You're Feeling (Domu voc mix)".

Lordy – what a great album! This is the kind of record that only comes down the pike once in a rare while – a completely solid, totally great, exemplary "take it to the next level" sort of album that you'll be playing for years! Nathan Haines already had our attention with his tremendous first album Sound Travels – one of the best full sets to come out of London in the past decade – but this second set is even more majestic than that one, with a fully-formed approach to the music that's simply stunning! Nathan throws out half of his broken beat chops, and digs even deeper into his soulful inspirations from earlier years – working with producer Phil Asher to craft one of the best soul jazz albums of the 21st century! Nathan wrote, arranged, and plays saxes on the set – and the album features guest vocals from Marlena Shaw, Vanessa Freeman, Rich Medina, and Marcus Begg – all of whom fit in perfectly with the cosmic soul jazz approach of the tunes! Imagine if Compost Records went into the past and merged with the Black Jazz label, and you've only got part of the picture of this one – as the set both pushes past expectations from other records, and redefines the standards all together! Includes a surprisingly great cover of Steely Dan's "FM", plus the cuts "Folk Jazz", "Oblivion", "Nothing New", "Springtime Rain", "O Misterio", "U See That", "Right By Your Side", and "Let It Go".

A pair of overlooked gems from Nancy Wilson – on CD for the first time ever! The Sound Of Nancy Wilson is mighty darn groovy – a wonderful blend of upbeat late 60s modes, and some of the more compressed class of her earlier years! Arrangements are by Jimmy Jones, who finds just the right balance of jazz and soul to work perfectly with Wilson – so that when things are bouncy and swinging, she's got the punch to beat all the younger soul singers who were copping her game at the time – and when they're mellow, she shows that she can still blow anyone else out of the water on a sad-tinged ballad! Familiar tunes are reworked wonderfully by Jones – who definitely gives them all the sound of Nancy here – and titles include the righteous "Black Is Beautiful", plus "Below Above", "The Rules Of The Road", "Peace Of Mind", "The Other Side Of The Tracks", "It Only Takes A Moment", "Alone With My Thoughts Of You", and "This Bitter Earth". Nancy is a self-titled set from Nancy Wilson – and a record that definitely lives up to everything the Nancy name meant at the end of the 60s! The album's got a depth that can take on comers from all corners – enough class and sophistication to match the modes of Marlena Shaw or Dionne Warwick, but also enough punch to tackle the heavier soul styles of singers like Aretha Franklin or Fontella Bass – thanks to some heavier groovers on the package! There's loads of fresh numbers on the record – many given a great blast of jazz and soul by arranger Jimmy Jones – and titles include "Prisoner Of My Eyes", "Looking Back", "You'd Better Go", "What Do You See In Her", "We Could Learn Together", and "Player Play On".

A very hip collection of older funky cuts – ones that have been sampled in recent years by hip hoppers, but which stand up plenty darn great on their own! Most tracks here should be quite familiar from recent uses of their key elements, but they sparkle even more brightly here in their original versions – as really stand out soul, jazz, and soundtrack tunes from the 60s and 70s! The package features full notes on all tracks, and also lists a key sampling of each number – and as usual for Jazzclub, you get plenty of greatness here for a very low price. Titles include "Today" by Tom Scott, "California Soul" by Marlena Shaw, "I Love You More & More" by Tom Brock, "Oba La Vem Ela" by Jorge Ben, "Soul Bossa Nova" by Quincy Jones, "Yo Soy Cubano" by Chakachas, "Listen To Me" by Luiz Henrique, "Daylight" by Ramp, "Someday" by George Duke, "Get Up" by Vernon Burch, "Mellow Mellow Right On" by Lowrell Simon, "Enchanted Lady" by Milt Jackson & Ray Brown, "Jim On The Move" by Lalo Schifrin, "Viva Tirado" by El Chicano, and "Daydream" by Gunter Kallman Choir.

Not a bad little soundtrack – filled with sleazy 70s soul tunes! Given that the movie features Diane Keaton trawling her way through the singles underground of the time, the music goes pretty darn well with the film – and in fact is almost better, as it keeps a sunny optimism, without the darker turn of the narrative. Titles include "Don't Ask To Stay Until Tomorrow" by Marlena Shaw, "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston, "She Wants To Get On Down" and "She's Lonely" by Bill Withers, "Prelude To Love" and "Could It Be Magic" by Donna Summer, "Backstabbers" by The O'Jays, "Love Hangover" by Diana Ross, "Machine Gun" by The Commodores, and "Lowdown" by Boz Scaggs.

A bit of soul, a bit of jazz, and some nice funky touches at the bottom – a killer little set from the great Spanky Wilson! Wilson's got a really unique place in music – at one level a soul singer with enough sophistication to rival the sound of Marlena Shaw or Nancy Wilson – but at another level, an artist capable of really letting loose – hitting heavier, funkier modes that neither of those singers could ever touch! This set may well be Wilson's masterpiece – put together with excellent production and arrangements from the great HB Barnum – here coming off a great run of work for other artists in the 60s, and focusing all that experience on making Spanky sound great. Titles include "If I Could", "You", "Don't Mess With Bill", "Light My Fire", "Sunshine Of Your Love", "Hurtin", and "The Love That A Woman Should Give To A Man".

Heavy soul from the great Spanky Wilson – an album that explodes with energy right from the start – in a groove that definitely lives up to the title! Spanky's got a great mix of funk and class on this set – a punch in the rhythms at points, yet also a poise in the way she delivers the lyrics – a blend that's a bit like Marlena Shaw in her earlier years – and set to some killer arrangements from the great HB Barnum! Barnum gives the record all the cool punch of his great 60s work with Lou Rawls – and nearly all the material was written by the obscure Howlett Smith – an excellent lost writer who had a real talent for coming up with cool little soul songs that rise above the usual bag of his generation. This material works great for Spanky, and together, the pair, along with Barnum, cook up a unique lost soul treat! Titles include "Apartment 101", "On The Morning After", "The Other Girl", "You're Gonna Miss Me", "Love Has Me By The Hand", and "Mighty Great Feeling".

A sophisticated soul set from the late 70s – done by vocalist Joyce Leftenant, with a smooth groove that reminds us a bit of the mix of jazz and soul you'd hear in Marlena Shaw at the time! Joyce is working here with large arrangements from Mario Sprouse, played by a great range of jazz funk luminaries – including Hank Crawford on alto and Johnny Hammond on keyboards! The instrumentation is nice and strong – so much so that at points, the record almost feels like a jazz album with vocals – instead of the other way around. Titles include "Inside Of Me", "It's Too Late", "You Loved Me All The Time", "Let Me Be Your Woman", "I Believe You", and "Everything That Touches You".

Jazzanova did such a great job on Blue Note Trip Vol 4, the label decided to have them back for one more journey – and this time around, they've expanded the range of their groove even more than before! In addition to the classic jazz from Blue Note that Jazzanova spun the last time, this collection also features a fair bit of soul, funk, and more – including some unusual bits from left field, all woven into a wonderful tapestry of music! A few of the tracks are even of recent origin, but they sit very nicely next to the older numbers – all stepping around in a spacious approach to the groove that shows that even when they're not making their own music, Jazzanova have ears to help expand other folks' tunes as well! Titles include "Warning (part 1)" by David Axelrod, "Three Is The Magic Number" by Bob Dorough, "Trying Hard To Look Inside" by The Waters, "Dedicated" by Digable Planets, "It's Just The Way I Feel" by Gene Dunlap, "Dindi" by Janet Lawson, "State Of Mind" by Raul Midon, "Chant" by Robert Glasper, "Sanfona" by Egberto Gismonti, "Hey Hey" by Andrew Hill, "Save The Children" by Marlena Shaw, "Open The Door" by Betty Carter, "Hurt So Bad" by Grant Green, "Montara (Madlib rmx)" by Bobby Hutcherson, "This Is Not America (interlude)" by David Bowie & Pat Metheny, "Secret Rendezvous" by Rene & Angela, "Mt Airy Groove" by Pieces Of A Dream, "Light Of The Universe" by Sun, and "I Love You" by Taste Of Honey.