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A great later album from O'Donel Levy – recorded after his initial flurry of work for the Groove Merchant label, but still plenty darn nice! The sound here is slightly smoother and a bit more electric than before – with Levy's sweet guitar work snaking out over some larger backings that almost have a funky soundtrack feel. The groove is still great, and O'Donel brings plenty of his trademark chromatic lines to the set – guitar parts that almost sound even better in this setting! Titles include "Moisturizer", "Green Machine", "Panama Red", and a track called "I Believe In Miracles", which is not the Jackson Sisters' hit, but a nice mellow groove with vocals that sounds like some of the George Duke soul cuts!

The Monophonics definitely have a way of getting inside your brain – using a cosmic slop of fuzzy guitars and funky basslines to eat away your grey matter more than a maggot inside your cranium! Yet even past that heavy Funkadelic reference, they've also got a richer vibe too – elements of 60s psych mixed in with their funk – particularly in the way that the younger generation's been re-digging crates from the early 70s these days – especially some of the more farther-flung tracks from the global underground. There's slight Afro elements at times, garagey bits at others, and even some well-timed rhythms that help the whole thing have a good sense of focus – and save it from the overindulgence that toppled the hippie generation before they even got started. Titles include "Mirage", "Bang Bang", "Temptation", "In Your Brain", "Sure Is Funky", "There's A Riot Going On", "Say You Love Me", "They Don't Understand", and "Thinking Black".

A tremendous album from Laura Nyro – a real return to the soulful style of her roots, thanks to help from Labelle on backing vocals, and the team of Gamble & Huff on production! If Nyro only ever gave the world this record, that would more than be enough – because the whole thing's an incredibly hip blend of her own great songwriting and some of the more righteous strands of American soul music at the time. Most of the tracks are older soul numbers – some done relatively straight, others done with the more personal, contemplative style you'd expect from Nyro during these years. And decades before Amy Winehouse or Joss Stone started hitting territory like this, Nyro proved that a set of soul tracks like this could come off well, if handled with the right talent! Titles include "The Bells", "I Met Him On A Sunday", "Spanish Harlem", "You've Really Got A Hold On Me", "Desiree", "The Wind", "Nowhere To Run", and "It's Gonna Take A Miracle".

In case you don't get the joke, the title's a play on the fact that Atlantic Records had just been acquired by Warner Communications – now fully a major label at the end of the 70s! That fact doesn't stop the album from being a good one, though – and AWB work here with Arif Mardin on a set of tunes that still have a fair bit of the funky touches of earlier records, but which also go for a few mellower tunes too – of the sort that were becoming the group's strongest suit at the time. "She's A Dream" is a great example of this style – a nicely gliding number that still has a nice groove at the bottom – and while the set doesn't include any standout hits, it's still a great example of why AWB could pull off this sort of record a lot better than most of their contemporaries! Titles include "She's A Dream", "Warmer Communications", "Price Of The Dream", "Sweet & Sour", "One Look Over My Shoulder", "Your Love Is A Miracle", and "Same Feeling Different Song".

Two great albums back to back in one set – with a full CD's worth of bonus material too! First up is The Glow Of Love – the classic debut from Change, and the start of an amazing run of groovers in the early 80s! The set's got a tight, jazzy feel throughout – a stripped-down approach to disco modes, with the same focus on the basslines that you'd find in work by Chic – but a style that's almost even more instrumentally focused overall, given the great range of studio players who worked on the set. Yet there's also some key vocal moments, too – work by Luther Vandross that really helps make some of the best tracks sparkle, and which went onto catapult Vandross into a rich solo career on his own. The set's filled with sharp rhythms and sweet jazzy changes – and titles include the classics "The Glow Of Love" and "Searching", both with Luther, plus "Lover's Holiday", "Angel In My Pocket", and "The End". Miracles is a brilliant second set from Change – working here without Luther Vandross on lead vocals, but hardly missing a beat at all! As before, the basslines are at the core of the set – a sweet stripped-down approach that brings even more focus onto the bottom of the groove for early 80s dancefloors – with loads of numbers that step along in a really groovy mode – one quite far from the cliches of disco, and inflected by loads of jazzy elements that keep things fresh over the years! Vocals are by James Robinson – previously with Lonnie Liston Smith – Diva Gray, and Jocelyn Shaw – and titles include "On Top", "Paradise", "Hold Tight", "Your Move", "Stop For Love", and "Heaven Of My Life". CD 2 features a whopping 17 more bonus tracks – lots of single mixes, including versions of "A Lover's Holiday", "It's A Girl's Affair", "Angel In My Pocket", "The Glow Of Love", "Searching", "The End", "Paradise", "Hold Tight", "Stop For Love", and "On Top".

Mystically grooving psychedelia from Chocolate Watch Band – a heady mix of the psyche sounds of the era with some really groovy Eastern inspired spirals of sound! The band doesn't skimp on the hip shaping and head nodding rock vibes – with some Stones-y swagger, especially in the vocals – but they bring the freaked out instrumental vibes into the mix very nicely – some sitar, really heavy bass grooves, shakers and other leftfield percussive touches. Titles include "Voyage Of The Trieste", "In The Past", "Inner Mystique", "I'm Not Like Everybody Else", "Medication", "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go", "Baby Blue" and "I Ain't No Miracle Worker".

Santos Colon belts out a batch of soulful Latin tracks, with compositions by Miguelto Valdes, Roberto Yanes, and Tito Puente. Tracks include "Te Desafio", "Imagenes", "Letargo", "Mirame Mas", and "Tile".

Three mad soundtracks from the great Francois DeRoubaix – all penned during his formative years of the 60s! Even at this early point, Francois shows a great ear for bringing up more inventive sounds from his orchestrations – sometimes great jazzy flairs on flute or vibes, sometimes playful tuning of familiar instruments, and sometimes incredibly groovy vocal passages that rival some of our favorite French pop of the period! The whole thing's wonderful – nearly 80 minutes of music that's filled with joy and delight – and plenty of sweet twists and turns along the way – with titles that include "Juke Box De La Drague", "Cover Girl", "Maquettes", "Nos Les Play-Boys", "Peggy", "Le Roi Du Yeye", "La Proposition", "Miracle A L'Italienne", "Brigade Du Twist", "Rendez-Vous Au Ritz", and "Session Jam".

Not Joe's most cutting-edge album, but a sweet warm batch of tracks with a good California/Fantasy records feel! The group includes Dawilli Gonga (aka George Duke) on electric piano, Harvey Mason on drums, and Bill Summers on conga – so the group has a nice groove to them. Henderson's joined by Hadley Caliman, Oscar Brashear, George Bohannon, and Snooky Young on horns – and the tracks include "Immaculate Deception", "Black Miracle", "Gazelle", and "Solution".

Sweet early CTI work from trumpeter Freddie Hubbard – the kind of groundbreaking electric jazz that really helped him find a new space in the 70s! The album follows strongly from Freddie's classic Red Clay set for CTI – and like that one, it features extended tracks that build beautifully as they roll on – taking Freddie's airy trumpet as the base, and layering in electric piano, flute, guitar, and percussion – plus some wonderfully subtle strings – used sparely, but in just the right way to underscore the wider vision of the record. Arrangements are by the mighty Don Sebesky – and other players include George Benson on guitar, Hubert Laws on flute, Phil Kraus on vibes, and Airto on percussion – plus Richard Wyands on the keys, making a rare CTI appearance here. Titles include a surprisingly great version of "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" which has some great breaks in the middle – plus "First Light", "Moment To Moment", and "Yesterday's Dreams".

Arguably the group's biggest album in terms of sales – thanks to a mega-hit on the sublime tune "Rock The Boat" – one of those tracks that crossed over big on both sides of the charts! The production is less 70s soul than crossover pop – but the mode works well with the Hues' blend of 1 gal and 2 guy vocalists – served up here in arrangements from Gene Page, Tom Sellers, and Perry Botkin Jr. Titles include the hits "Freedom For The Stallion" and "Rock The Boat" – plus "The Family", "Go To The Poet", "Salvation Lady", "Live A Lie", and "Miracle Maker (Sweet Soul Shaker)".

The Monophonics definitely have a way of getting inside your brain – using a cosmic slop of fuzzy guitars and funky basslines to eat away your grey matter more than a maggot inside your cranium! Yet even past that heavy Funkadelic reference, they've also got a richer vibe too – elements of 60s psych mixed in with their funk – particularly in the way that the younger generation's been re-digging crates from the early 70s these days – especially some of the more farther-flung tracks from the global underground. There's slight Afro elements at times, garagey bits at others, and even some well-timed rhythms that help the whole thing have a good sense of focus – and save it from the overindulgence that toppled the hippie generation before they even got started. Titles include "Mirage", "Bang Bang", "Temptation", "In Your Brain", "Sure Is Funky", "There's A Riot Going On", "Say You Love Me", "They Don't Understand", and "Thinking Black".

A wonderful package – a set that brings together two rare funk albums by Newban, an early version of Atlantic Starr – plus bonus tracks too! The first Newban record is one of the sweetest ensemble funk albums of the 70s – and a record that's gone on to become a classic, despite the fact that most people know little about the group! Newban have a sound that's almost a jazzier take on the Earth Wind & Fire groove of the time – a style that's warm and fluid, and which really gets past the cliches of other larger funk acts – and manages to find a space in sound that's all its own! There's lots of odd phrasings and chords on the set – creating these very blue passages even when the group's grooving in an uptempo mode – almost like the sense of sadness that creeps out from Stevie Wonder's work during his best early 70s years. The sound is totally unique, and uniquely wonderful – and the album includes the classic "Father Time", plus the cuts "Magic Lady", "Mellow Days, Easy Nights", "Fatback Sally", and "Hungry Grin". Newban 2 is every bit as great as the first album – if not better – with some excellent excellent lost material that's the kind of stuff that still keeps you diggin' for the hard ones. Includes the track "Greenburgh", with a tight funky intro and a smooth sweet soul groove, plus lots of other great cuts like "Free Your Mind", "Easin' Through", "Find a Place to Live", and "Rhythm & Rhyme". This deluxe package also features three rare bonus tracks – "Oh Wow", "Miracle Holiday", and "Bells" – tracks recorded before the first two albums!

Nickodemus logically follows up his warm and breezy Sun People album with the more cosmically-lit follow up Moon People – once again bringing a wealth of global influences and instrumentation to his unique style of spacey dancefloor soul! He's joined by the legendary Afrika Bambaata and other great vocal guests – including Sammy Ayala, Kissey Asplund and Kathrin DeBoer of Belleruche – which elevates the creative mix of beats and eclectic instrumentation quite nicely! That said, the instrumental backdrops are quite hypnotic on their own – cosmic soul beats and atmosherics flavored by flutes, Eastern string accents, horns, steel drums and much more – depending on the needs of the particular track. Includes "Under The Volcano" with Navegante, "Moon People" feat The Real Live Show, "Nights Of Balaur", "Alkebulan" feat Afrika Bambaata, "Peaceful Island Earth" feat Kathrin DeBoer, "The Nuyorican Express" feat Candela Allstars, "Mirage" with Kissey Asplund, "Conmigo (Hallex Remix)" feat Sammy Ayala, "Vino People" and more.

A pair of great pair of records from electric fusion violinist Noel Pointer – Phantazia from '77 and Hold On from '78 – in a 2CD set! Like others of the 70s generation, Pointer plays the violin in a way that's clearly heavily influenced by keyboards of the time – electric in amplification, and worked in a mode that uses the instrument to create waves of sound that flow out amongst the tighter fusion rhythms of the set. Dave Grusin arranged and produced the Phantazia set – in his best lean soulful mode of the time – and other players include Earl Klugh, Ralph MacDonald, Steve Gadd, and Grusin himself. Titles include "Mirabella", "Night Song", "Living For The City", "Phantazia", and "Wafaring Stranger". Hold On was recorded in a smooth, soulful mode – and once again has Pointer working with Grusin! Noel's sweet work on electric violin is set up nicely with keyboards from Dave, guitar from Eric Gale, drums from Steve Gadd, and percussion from Ralph MacDonald. Noel sings a bit on the set, but even better are the vocals from Patti Austin, Gwen Guthrie, Yolanda McCullough, and others – who flesh out the backgrounds on some tunes. Titles include "Staying With You", "Movin In", "Superwoman", "Stardust Lady", "Hold On", and the extended "Roots Suite", based on Quincy Jones music for the show!

Samba, jazz, and bossa – the three best aspects of Elis Regina's classic work – all pulled together in one lovely package that's very heavy on the grooves! If you've ever dipped into some of Regina's mellower or more emotive work and wondered where the grooves were, this is the set to check out – because it's filled with great tracks from the late 60s and early 70s that really kick things up – lots of driving percussion at the bottom of the tracks, jazzy instrumentation in the middle, and Elis' wonderful vocals soaring to the skies over the top! The set's a great introduction to the best side of her work for a newcomer, but also a great reminder of her genius for the rest of us – and the 2CD collection features a total of 28 tracks that include "Upa Neguinho", "Watch What Happens", "Voi Deitar E Rolar", "Ou Bola Ou Bulica", "Madalena", "Bala Com Bala", "Bicho Do Mato", "Samba Em Paz", "Alo Alo Tai Carmen Miranda", "Amor Ate O Fim", and "Aquele Abraco".

About as classic as you can get for late 60s Miracles! Smokey's vocals are in perfect form, and the group still has that 60s falsetto harmony sound, with lots of fragile bits and strong group backing. Includes the huge hit "Tears Of A Clown", plus a motherlode of great originals that make this a no-filler set! Titles include "The Soulful Shack", "My Love Is Your Love", "Don't Think It's Me", "I'm On The Outside (Looking In)", "More Love", and "It's A Good Feeling".

Excellent work by Smokey – recorded with a super-heavy vibe that's very different than his 60s work! The record has an amazingly large conception of arrangements – mostly handled by Smokey, and done in a complicated baroque harmony style that points forward towards his later Quiet Storm sound. Most tracks are covers, but they're redone fantastically – with better vocals than you could imagine! Titles include "What Love Has Joined Together", "My Cherie Amour", "If This World Were Mine", "This Guy's In Love", and "And I Love Her".

Stormy horror movie night soundtracks brought to you by Montreal's Sixtoo. Most of the tracks are sample based with live instruments on top of them – a lot of live drums, guitar, and quite a bit of Rhodes. The production has a really nice minimal fell to it – the best of tracks opening up over time and snaking around in a nocturnal vibe with a slight cinematic feel to them. Seems these days that so much instrumental hip hop is really feeling the rock influence and that's fine, as long as they don't overdo it with all sorts of rockin guitar. This set is pretty focused and would rather creep you than rock you (which again, is a good thing to us). Tracks include "Boxcutter Emporium" (pts 1, 2, & 3), "Chewing On Glass", "Horse Drawn Carriage", "Snake Bite", "Chainsaw Juggler", "Old Days Architecture", "Karmic Retribution", "Sidewinders", "Transient Control", and others. Includes a nice booklet inside with liner notes telling you all how it all came together.

The big breakout record for The System – one of the key soul crossover duos of the 80s! By the time of the record, electric instrumentation and studio technology had evolved to a point where a team like Mic Murphy and David Frank could put together a whole mainstream funk record like this on their own – and audiences too were a bit more open to accepting a world of overdubs and multi-track recording, and didn't need the 10-piece lineup of some of those late 70s groups to help them find their groove! The standout number here is the huge single "You Are In My System" – a cut that's wonderful in its simplicity, and somehow even better all these many years later, which it seems like less of a commercial crossover track than it did before. Other tracks follow a similar groove, and titles include "Sweat", "It's Passion", "Now I Am Electric", "Stand Up & Cheer", and "I Won't Let Go".

Livin' the "Bon Bon Vie", with this classic uptempo groover from T.S. Monk! You'd hardly guess that this guy was Thelonious Monk's son – but who cares about his roots when the album grooves so hard? This Monk plays drums, not piano, but the best tracks on the record have a tight keyboard funky soul sound that's virtually a blueprint for 80s groove – lots of jazzy elements that warm things up nicely, and a catchy rhythmic pulse that never quits! The standout cut is the classic "Bon Bon Vie", a dancefloor groover that will never die, and a huge sample for Public Enemy – but the album also includes many other great cuts, like "House Of Music", "Hot Night In The City", and "Last Of The Wicked Romancers".

A real classic from the 70s AM soft rock/soul scene – and a record that's surprisingly rewarding this many years later! Gino's working here in territory that's a bit similar to contemporaries like Paul Williams or Nick DeCaro – material that's well-penned, softly sung, and produced with a spacious approach that's studio, but never too slick overall. There's a personal sense here that's quite surprising, especially given Gino's look on the cover – and the record's a fair bit hipper than we might have admitted back in the 70s (or even the 80s and 90s!) Tracks include "People Gotta Move", "Lady", "Son Of A New York Gun", "Jack Miraculous", "Jo Jo", "Powerful People", "Felicia", The Work Verse" and more.

Louie Vega on Fania Records – a long-overdue match that really makes for some amazing sounds on this set! The pairing isn't that much of a surprise – given that Louie's done plenty to keep Latin music alive in the past few decades in the clubs – from his own Nuyorican Soul experiments, to some of the key remixes he's done for other artists. Yet this time around, there's something extra-special going on – not only a presentation of the Vega sound that's even tighter than before, but which has a way of pulling together a rich array of historical strands – and not just the salsa you might expect from Fania! Rootsy elements mix perfectly with tight club instrumentation – and the set features great guest work from Josh Milan, Lisa Fischer, Cindy Mizelle, and Anane – on cuts that include some very cool covers – including "Overtake Don Overtake Overtake", "Barbara Ann", "I Believe In Miracles", "Sodade", "I Dream A World", "Harlem River Drive", "Berimbau", and "Children Of The World". 2CD version features a massive 24 tracks – including some bonus remixes too!

A warm, easygoing and sprawling 2CD set from the Expansion and Jazz FM team – the third and best yet in their Funky Sensation series – with both hits and relatively underappreciated numbers! It's wonderful stuff all the way – and well chosen by Mike Vitti & Ralph Tee – with full-length treasures by Roy Ayers, Rick James, Cameo, Rene & Angela, Willie Hutch, Dazz Band, Charles Earland, Teen Marie and The Gap Band to name but a few. What we love about the Funky Sensation series is the sort of informal, unfussy vibe. It's not so much about shining a lot on particular labels, producers or well-defined scene – and very much about simply putting together some sensationally funky, jazzy and soulful music, nearly all of it from the mid 70s to early 80s, together in a generous double-sized set! 26 tracks on 2CDs – and over 150 minutes of music. Includes "Running Away" by Roy Ayers, "Circles" by Atlantic Starr, "Now That We Found Love" by Third World, "So Fine" by Howard Johnson, "Man Power" by Lalomie Washburn, "I Believe In Miracles" by The Jackson Sisters, "I Need Your Lovin'" by Teena Marie, "I'l Be Good" by Rene & Angela, "Get It Up For Love" by Tata Vega, "Outstanding" by The Gap Band, "Let The Music Play" by Charles Earland and many more.

Features great work from the classic years – including "Fio Maravilha" by Jorge Ben, "Um Frevo Novo" by Caetano Veloso, "Quando O Carnaval Chegar" by Nara Leao, "Cacada" by Chico Buarque, "Esse Cara" by Maria Bethania, "Alo Alo Tai Carmen Miranda" by Elis Regina, and "Ultima Forma" by MPB4.

A fuzzy, belligerently catchy batch of groovy underground UK psychedelic rock & pop – a compilation of some of the best numbers from acts such as Nick Garrie, Majority One, Chrysalis, Jawbone and more – compiled by the inspired reissue mavens at Rev-Ola Records! Many of the artists here take an adventurous spirit and a sometimes driving guitar sound from the Psych movement, but there's a focused tunefulness that's more in the fuzzy guitar pop realm. Nice stuff! Titles include "The River" by Octopus, "Goodnight Sweet Josephine", "Game" by Majority One, "Second Floor" by Mortimer, "Woodstock" by Turquoise, "Is Anybody Home?" by Mirage, "Cynthia Gerome" by Chrysalis, "Stand Up And Be Judged" by Ewan Stephene, "Light On The Wall" by Gun, "Jeremiah Dreams" by Jawbone and more.

A "pocket guide" to 69 Love Songs – the wildly ambitious mid 90s art pop breakout effort from Magnetic Fields – and possibly the most sprawling single project profiled in the 33 1/3 series! 69 Love Songs is such an ambitious project, they probably could have eked a 3 part series of 33 1/3 releases, but LD Beghtol does an admirable job here penning a fun print companion piece, rather than a "making of" or "behind the scenes" tome. He was also a collaborator on the actual album(s). He sort of profiles the language and culture that inspired 69 Love Songs more than anything else – and the book also has notes for each individual song with insights from friends and collaborators. A fun read!

Sweet British harmony soul from this overlooked 70s group – a really wonderful record that continues some of the best mellow group styles of the earlier part of the decade! Dave Collins – of Dave & Ansel Collins fame – is a member of the trio – but the sound here is more in keeping with the best New Jersey group modes than any of his earlier hits – a wonderfully fragile mode that has the voices hanging in air, coming together in sublime late night harmony sounds! A few numbers get slightly more uptempo, but the record's a pretty ballad-heavy one overall – and tracks include "Indebted To You", "Never Lose Never Win", "Why Can't We Be Lovers?", "Think I'll Leave This Song Just Like It Is", "Hogtied", "Chase A Miracle", and "Cold Steel".

A bouncy little set from Angela Clemmons – a record that's got a bit more beats at the bottom than some of her previous outings – but in a way that seems to only make things sound even groovier overall! There's a number of catchy groovers that help the set take off right from the start – tunes that are playful, and maybe a bit aimed at the charts – yet which still let Angie soar on those magnificent vocals of hers. Titles include "One Night Baby", "Miracles", "Love Life", "BYOB", "Nothing Can Stop My Love", "I Could Love You Better", and "Rock & A Hard Place". CD features two bonus tracks – "BYOB (12" mix)" and "This Is Love (inst)".

James D-Train Williams' first album for a major label – and a really great follow-up to the indie success of his initial recordings for Prelude Records! The style here is very similar to the clubby grooves of D-Train's earlier sides – thanks to strong keyboards, production, and songwriting help from Hubert Eaves – the jazzy talent who helped give Williams' his trademark groove! Instrumentation veers slightly more towards mainstream 80s soul at times, but the Eaves' sound is still very firmly in place here – and titles include the groovers "Oh How I Love You (Girl)", "Misunderstanding", and "Let Me Love You" – plus "You Are Everything", "I Got Your Number", "Stand Up & Fight", and "Miracle Of The Heart". CD also features 4 bonus tracks from singles – 12" mixes of "Misunderstanding" and "Oh How I Love You Girl" – plus "You Are Everything (acapella)" and "Oh How I Love You Girl (inst)".

Extremely beautiful work from the trio of British pianist Michael Garrick – recorded in the years after Garrick's better-known quintet and sextet recordings with Joe Harriott, but done with an equally inventive sound! The pianist is nicely unfettered here – working alongside bassist Dave Green and drummer Trevor Tomkins – in a session of all original material that sparkles with lyrical beauty and nice undercurrents of soul. Despite the relative freedoms of the time, Garrick holds things nicely inside throughout – avoiding the overdone modes of some of his British contemporaries, and echoing out with a mode that's full of color and light! Most tunes have some strongly rhythmic undercurrents, as in the best work of Steve Kuhn – and titles include "Thanksgiving Dance", "Proclamation", "First Born", "Prayer", "Annunciation", and "Miranda Sleeping".

Incredible work – a record that should be in every household! Smokey breaks free of the group sound of the Miracles albums – hitting a whole new mode, and inventing the "Quiet Storm" radio format along the way! The title cut – "Quiet Storm" – is a majestic long-building track that's as important to mellow soul as Larry Mizell's work was to jazz funk at the same time, and it's got a similar layering effect that has sounds building and spinning, with a bit of sound effects, great keyboards, and cool moogy touches that recall some of Bobbi Humphrey's best work for Blue Note, but filtered through a mellow ballad style. The whole album's great, and other tracks include "Baby That's Backatcha", "The Agony & The Ecstasy", "Coincidentally", and "Wedding Song". Proof that Motown was still great in the 70s!

A beautiful pairing of players – one that makes for a wonderful album! Shank's at the height of his early powers here – working in a fluid west coast mode that less in keeping with the "blowin" of the title, than the magic he was known for crafting on his other sides from the time. Bud plays alto, tenor, and flute on the session – and he's paired with Bob Cooper, whose round tones on tenor and bass clarinet are a nice match for Shank's slightly edgier sound. Claude Williamson is on piano, Don Prell plays bass, and Chuck Flores is on drums – 10 tracks in all: "Two Lost Souls", "Dinah", "Mutual Admiration Society", "Love Nest", "Just In Time", "Steve Allen Theme", "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face", "As Long As There's Music", Sweet Georgia Brown" and "Blowin Country".

A really incredible record from Jimi Tenor – spiritual soul jazz at its best, and unlike anything else he's ever recorded before! We always knew that Jimi's had a record like this inside of him, but it's taken years to get past the colder, stiffer styles of his earlier records – but hearing this set, it's been more than worth the wait! The style here is an Impulse Records-like blend of keyboards, vocals, horns, and plenty of percussion – soaring out in ways that are spiritual, funky, and plenty darn righteous – all with impeccable production from the legendary Didier, who really helps get the sound of the record right! Jimi sings a bit, and plays lots of cool keyboards – Fender Rhodes, Farfisa, Photophone, and "symphonic piano" –a nd other players here include Timo Lassey, Jukka Eskola, and a bit of harp from Iro Haarla. Titles include "Sunrise", "Hermetic Man", and "Smoking". CD features the bonus track "Sunrise (Tatamirage mix)".

Pretty great stuff – two groovy albums from German maestro Kai Warner, back to back on a single CD! Warner Plays Wagner is exactly what it sounds like – Kai takes on a host of compositions from Richard Wagner – but the results sound even better on record than they do on paper – thanks to Warner's groovy way of mixing strings together with early 70s production modes – all in ways that are far less classical than kind of a hip sort of soundtrack or sound library sort of vibe! Strings are heavy, but the grooves are too – and there's often a nice little bounce on the bottom, which cuts through the orchestrations in a great way, with lots of nice moments you wouldn't expect. Titles include "Tannhauser", "Am Stillen Herd In Winterszeit", "Lohengrin", "Dir Ton Lob", and "Lied An Den Abensternd". Swingin Johann is a whole new take on the music of Strauss – big band versions of older waltz numbers from the 19th century, but pepped up with plenty of that economic miracle German mode of the 70s! Instrumentation is jazz-based, but gets some sound library touches too – a bit of electrification in the bass, and some smoothing in the production – and even a bit of keyboards too. The end result isn't far from Berry Lipmann at the time – and titles include "Wiener Bonbons", "Annen Polka", "Wer Uns Getraut", "Rosen Aus Dem Suden", "Schatz Walzer", "Thema Aus Die Fledermaus", and "Kunstlerleben".

Rare British disco, club soul and jazzy funk from the late 70s & early 80s – compiled by Joey Negro – hard to find numbers from Mirage, Incognito, Hudson People, Intrigue and many more! Negro has long been a trusted compiler and he does a terrific job here – many tracks from the end of the 70s and start of the 80s that wonderfully blend the soaring, dancefloor soul and disco with masterful musicianship of jazz and funk steeped rhythms. It's not a DJ mixed set, the tracks are unmixed – but there are a number of nice Joey Negro edits. 23 tracks on 2CDs: "Summer Grooves" by Mirage, "Keep In Touch" by Freeez, "Trip To Your Mind" by Hudson People, "The Wiggle" by Stikki Stuff, "Zero One" by Surface Noise, "Sore Lip" by Ritual "Express" by 52nd Street, "Parisienne Girl" by Incognito, "Latin Dream" by The Antilles, "Bentley Boogie" by Ed Bentley, "I Wanna Dance" by The Cool Notes, "You Know Too Much" by MBT and more.

A far reaching batch of classic and rare mod, R&B and other swinging London sounds of the mid-to-late 60s – with a few big names, but heavy on hard-to-find treasures – selected by Paul Weller! Weller, of course, has been the one of the greatest living embodiments of these sounds from the 70s onward, so you know you're in great hands for the tracklist – and there's a heck of lot of material here! It's mostly British mod and it's completely great, with classics that made a huge impact and lesser known gems that deserve a greater audience. Classic stomping groovers from The Spencer Davis Group, The Arthur Brown Set, The Bats, The Soul Purpose, Barbara Ruskin, The In Crowd, The Mojos, Ray Singer, The Picadilly Line, John's Children, Episode Six and many more. 80 tracks on 3CDs! "Looking Back" by Spencer Davis, "I Don't Need Your Kind" by The Rockin Vickers, "Done Me Wrong" by The Couriers, "Broken Truth" by A Wild Uncertaintly, "Looky, Looky" by The Brothers Grimm, "Kangaroo" by Hoagy Benson, "Reviewing The Situation" Jacki Bond, "No Good Without You" by The Birds, You Can't Be Serious" by The Mirage, "Jak D'Or" by Episode Six and many more/

Classic Latin, beautifully remixed – as a host of Fania Records gems are given a fresh twist by Louie Vega, Joe Claussell, Gilles Peterson, and others! The package is way more than you might expect – not clunky remixes of Latin styles, but some beautiful numbers that really expand the warmth and spontaneous energy of the originals – mostly keeping a strong 70s vibe intact, and approaching the project with a really loving feel overall! In fact, the sound is almost as if Schema got their hands on Fania – since there's echoes here of some of the updated Latin modes you'd find on that label too. Titles include "Saona (Gilles Peterson & Simbad rmx)" by Noro Morales, "Me Voy Ahora (Sacred Rhythm dance version)" by Ismael Miranda, "Siembra (Joe Claussell rmx)" by Ruben Blades, "Mi Gente (Louie Vega eol rmx)" by Hector Lavoe, "Take Five (Nicola Conte rmx)" by Roberto Roena, "Morris Park (Bonde De Role rmx)" by Lenni Sesar, and "O Elefante (Shh rmx)" by Ray Barretto.

A sterling collection of soul tunes compiled by legendary UK DJ Richard Searling – heavy on sweet symphonic soul numbers from the 70s and tightly crafted groovers from the 80s! Searling has a deep affinity for mellow soul nuggets with lightly soaring horns, grooved out vocals and keys. It's all well in tune with the Expansion standard of a genuine soul presentation – with little regard for passing trends and straight up love for soul music from the 60s through the 80s! 17 tracks in all: "You'll Never Get My Love" by Mike Jemison, "Fly Now Pay Later" by the Intrigues, "Why Are You Crying" by Bobby Boyd, "Just What I Had In Mind" by Gary Taylor, "After Hours" by Charlie Mitchell, "Let Yourself Go" by Friends Of Distinction, "You Hit My Love" by Hari Paris, "I Just Found Out" by Freddie Hughes & The Chevelles, "Inside My Love" by Memphis, "Expect A Miracle" by Gina Foster and more!

A wealth of rare New Orleans soul – and a great package dedicated to the work of producer Wardell Quezerque! The 2CD, 60 track set is chock-full of wonderful numbers – great singles that have been remastered and which feature a mixture of better known singers – like Eddie Bo or CL Blast – plus a host of other talents we'd never heard before. The "smokin" in the title is certainly well-placed, as the package is overstuffed with great tunes that you'd have to spend a lifetime of digging through singles bins to find. Tracks include "Poor Sam" by Earl King, "99.44% Pure Love", "What Can I Do" by CL Blast, "Soul Train" by Curley Moore, "Patty Cake Shake" by Guitar Ray, "You Are Going To Be Somebody's Fool Too" by Eddie Bo, "I Believe In Miracles" by Jerry Foucha, "Can You Forgive Me" by Earl Harrison, "Everybody Dance" by Lydia Marcelle, "Lucky Fellow" by The Jades, "Can't Stay Away" by The Fabulettes", and "Make Up Your Mind" by Vic Cornish.