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An anthology of hip hop art & graphics compiled by designer Cey Adams – from street art, to snapshots of the NYC underground from the end of the 60s through the 80s, pivotal album cover art, hip hop in the worlds of advertising and film, fashion and more! Loads of classic hip hop imagery, iconography, art and design! Includes a forward by Russell Simmons and an intro by Bill Adler. Paperback, 187 pages.

One of the all-time great ones by Cannonball! This record captures him in the prime of his early soul jazz fame – working with an unbelievably heavy quintet that featured Bobby Timmons on piano (with Barry Harris sitting in on a few tracks), Sam Jones on bass, Louis Hayes on drums, and brother Nat Adderley on cornet. The quintet forged a sound that made them an immediate hit – and which had their tight, jagged, soul-drenched sound getting copied by everyone. The record features some amazing soul jazz standards – like Nat's original version of "Work Song", the first-ever record of Timmons' amazing "Dat Dere", Cannon's slinky "Them Dirty Blues", and the jaunty groover "Jeannine", a wonderful cut by Duke Pearson that never sounded better! The CD features alternates of "Work Song" and "Dat Dere" – for a total of 9 tracks in all!

One of the all-time great ones by Cannonball! This record captures him in the prime of his early soul jazz fame – working with an unbelievably heavy quintet that featured Bobby Timmons on piano (with Barry Harris sitting in on a few tracks), Sam Jones on bass, Louis Hayes on drums, and brother Nat Adderley on cornet. The quintet forged a sound that made them an immediate hit – and which had their tight, jagged, soul-drenched sound getting copied by everyone. The record features some amazing soul jazz standards – like Nat's original version of "Work Song", the first-ever record of Timmons' amazing "Dat Dere", Cannon's slinky "Them Dirty Blues", and the jaunty groover "Jeannine", a wonderful cut by Duke Pearson that never sounded better! The CD features alternates of "Work Song" and "Dat Dere" – for a total of 9 tracks in all!

One of the best-ever Nat Adderley albums, and a damn funky set of tracks that has a tight soulful feel! The session's got a similar feel to some of the other rare late 60s Milestone albums (like the 2 killers by Bobby Timmons!) – especially in that it's got a group that plays with the fullness of a larger ensemble, and who race in and out nicely, to support the funky solos of the leader. Of course, some of the other players are pretty darn nice in the solo department too – like Joe Henderson on tenor, Jeremy Steig on fluge, and Joe Zawinu on piano – and they also manage to keep a tight rhythmic groove throughout. Titles include "The Scavenger", "Sweet Emma", "Rise Sally Rise", and "Menlat".

Very righteous work from percussionist Pheeroan Ak Laff – even more hard-edged than some of his other important recordings of the late 70s – and that's saying a lot! Allthough Pheeroan lent his talents to many other musicians, this is one of the few albums he cut under his own name – and it's a blazing hot batch of percussion – monstrous work on the drum kit, with other percussion instruments as well – all recorded with a spare, earthy sound that's really amazing! The feel is partly loft jazz, partly ethnographic percussion – the latter of which is augmented more when the album features a few spoken spiritual passages – and the tones that Ak Laff gets out of his percussion are amazing – surprisingly melodic moments, mixed with others of bombastic intensity. Titles include "Ayin Of Love", "Tzaddi Vau", "Michelle Del America De Sud", "Jarawa", "Freedom" and "3 In 1".

Classic Jug, playing in a laidback open-ended blowing session, with other strong Prestige players – like Coltrane, Jerome Richardson, Paul Quinichette, Art Taylor, and Mal Waldron, who always seems to be the driving force between most Prestige sides like this. The album has only 4 tracks, and they're all long and nice and soulful. The titles are "Blue Hymn", "The Real McCoy", "Cheek To Cheek", and "That's All".

Way more than just an album with Gene Ammons as a leader – and instead, a set that truly earns the "all stars" listed on the cover – thanks to a great array of supporting players, and a very loose, open-ended jam session style that lets everyone get in plenty of solo space! Ammons' tenor is tremendous, but he's also a great collaborator here, too – working with Idrees Suliman on trumpet, Pepper Adams on baritone, Mal Waldron on piano, Art Taylor on drums, Doug Watkins on bass, and Ray Barretto on conga – in a mode that's maybe slightly tighter than some of the blowing sessions Prestige was doing at the time, but which still has that key longform creative energy that made the hardbop generation so great. Titles include "Blue Gene", "Scamperin", "Blue Greens n Beans", and "Hip Tip" – and all tracks are long, with plenty of focus on solos!

One of Gene Ammons' classics from the 60s, and a straight ahead session of soul jazz tenor and piano, with drums by Art Taylor and a bit of extra conga from Ray Barretto. Nice rolling 60's soul jazz groove, and some nice piano comping behind Jug by Patti Brown and Walter Bishop Jr. Tracks include "Travelin", "Soft Summer Breeze", "Carbow", and "Song of The Islands".

Dang! Poor Gene Ammons kept getting stuck with albums that had titles which referenced his prison time! Fortunately, the quality of this one's good enough to live past the stupid name – and the record has Gene blowing with a larger group of west coast soul jazz players, arranged by Bobby Bryant, in the style of big band funk he was using on his own work. More than a few nice moments arise – especially on the cuts "Crazy Mary", "Fru Fru", and "Jaggin".

One of Ammons' classic blowing sessions for Prestige, with an all-star lineup that includes Art Farmer, Jackie McLean, Mal Waldron, and Kenny Burrell. The group plays together on 4 long tracks, and in a tight hardbop vein, with long soulful solos from every player. Titles include "Pint Size", "King Size", and "Funky".

Pretty cool early work from Jug! This original 10" LP features one of his first blowing sessions for Prestige – caught in the company of Art Farmer, Lou Donaldson, Freddie Redd, and Kenny Clarke. The album features 2 long tracks – "Woofin & Tweetin" and "Juggernaut" – both of which were later issued on 12" LPs, but which are packaged here in a cool original 10" sleeve!

A real turning point in the career of Gene Ammons – a record that almost returns Ammons to his earthier roots, and in the process helps build up a whole new sound in soul jazz for the 60s! The "Jug" nickname in the title is kind of a joking way to help Ammons stand alongside "Miles", "Trane", "Diz", and other one-name monikered stars in jazz – but even without that gimmick (which somehow lasted for years), the album's got a depth that more than gets Gene back on top, thanks to a gritty soulfulness and good sense of feeling in the grooves! Players here include Richard Wyands on piano on most numbers – plus a rare appearance by Clarence "Sleepy" Anderson on 2 numbers – one on organ, one on piano. Rhythm is by Doug Watkins on bass and JC Heard on drums – and Ray Barretto makes one of his great soul jazz appearances on drums – rolling the groove along with a nice bit of bounce throughout! Titles include "Tangerine", "Ol Man River", "Easy To Love", "Seed Shack", "Miss Lucy", and "Namely You".

Very nice album by Jug that often gets overlooked because it's comprised of 2 different sessions, and can't get the "historical" writeup of being a single significant moment in the studio. Some tracks – including "Lascivious" and "Soft Winds" – are with a tight quartet that features the very soulful piano of Patti Brown. The others are with a larger group that has a whole horn section backing Jug up. The sound's a bit unusual for his records of the time, but it also gives him a great platform to work from, and he wails out of the group on his solos. Other titles include "Lullaby Of The Leaves" and "Things Ain't What They Used To Be".

Very nice album by Jug that often gets overlooked because it's comprised of 2 different sessions, and can't get the "historical" writeup of being a single significant moment in the studio. Some tracks – including "Lascivious" and "Soft Winds" – are with a tight quartet that features the very soulful piano of Patti Brown. The others are with a larger group that has a whole horn section backing Jug up. The sound's a bit unusual for his records of the time, but it also gives him a great platform to work from, and he wails out of the group on his solos. Other titles include "Lullaby Of The Leaves" and "Things Ain't What They Used To Be".

Nice and cool, but not in a west coast way – and instead a set that's got Gene Ammons working some wonderfully soulful magic on a set of gentle ballads! The set's got a brilliant late nite sort of feel – one of those tenor albums that seems to sound even better in the space past midnight – as the warm glow from Ammons' horn seems to sparkle even more strongly in the dark – standing out with that stark, spare approach that always makes his ballad work so special – and unlike just about anyone else. The group here is nice and cool too – with Richard Wyands on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and JC Heard on drums – and titles include "Someone To Watch Over Me", "I Remember You", "Willow Weep For Me", and "Till There Was You".

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

Classic mellow Jug – from a time when Prestige discovered that Gene Ammons would sell equally well to the mellow jazz crowd as to the jukebox jumpers! This set brings together tracks from 3 Gene Ammons 60s albums – 2 of which were best sellers, Velvet Soul and Sock, the last of which, Night Lights, was a lesser known number cut at the end of the 60s. Tracks are with a number of different groups – a few with a larger one, and others with smaller combo that features either organ or piano. There's a total of 13 tracks in all – and titles include "Calypso Blues", "Nature Boy", "Blue Coolade", "Scam", "Cara Mia", "Night Lights", "Salome's Tune", "Velvet Soul", "Stranger In Town", and "Light N Up".

A pair of hard-wailing tenor albums on Verve – both of them great! Boss Tenors In Orbit is a studio album, but one that really has Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt recreating some of the bold energy of their live shows – coming across with a vibe that's much more Prestige Records than Verve, thanks to the presence of the Don Patterson trio on the set! Backing is by Don on Hammond, Paul Weeden on guitar, and Billy James on drums – a nicely loose combo that really lets the tenorists stretch out and show their stuff. The cuts are mostly standard material – "John Brown's Body", "Walkin", "Long Ago And Far Away" – but the twin-tenor sound is great, and Patterson's free organ lines riff away nicely! On Boss Tenors, Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt go head to head in this classic album of tracks that perfectly captures the joy and fury of their live performances from years before! The record was cut in Chicago with a very hard rhythm section that includes John Houston on piano, Charles Williams on bass, and George Brown on drums – and it's way heavier than the usual Verve "meeting of the masters" session, and feels more like a record that should have been issued on Prestige or Argo. Both players are impeccable, and the solos stretch out for a long long very live time. Titles include "Blues Up & Down", "The One Before This", and "Counter Clockwise" – but these guys even groove amazingly on standards like "Autumn Leaves" and "No Greater Love".

A nice little album – featuring some of the sides that Gene Ammons cut "off contract" for Chess/Argo during the early 60s, and ones that feature him paired with Sonny Stitt, his longtime partner in legendary tenor battles from the 50s. The two horns aren't really locked in combat here, but they do complement each other nicely on the album's mellow groovers and ballad tracks. Titles include "Cha Bootie", "Tenor Eleven", "The Last Mile", and "Full Moon".

These two tenor giants meet in the period slightly before Ammons death, and they're grouped with some of the younger funky players on Prestige, like Leon Spencer, Idris Muhammad, and George Freeman. The sound is fairly traditional, but there's some nice funky moments. Tracks include "Out Of It", which was written by Harold Vick, "The People's Choice", written by Harold Ousley, and the title cut, which is a Leon Spencer original.

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

Out of the wreckage of Cream came some very hip grooves! Ginger Baker was the hippest of the group's 3 members – and although he's often credited by soul fans for his work with Fela, he should also get a hats off for his work with the group Air Force – essentially a 10-piece (which seems to have been expanded beyond even that number for this set) that came up with some of the most monstrous art funk jamming we've heard! At its base, the group's in the jazz rock mode – with players that include Brit jazz luminaries Phil Seamen, Harold McNair, and Graham Bond, plus rockers like Baker, Steve Winwood, Denny Laine, and Rick Grech. The tracks are all long groovers in a post-beat group mode – and the best tracks have a jamming sound that's pretty over the top! It's full of the propulsive, Afro-influenced bass and percussion, some wild, jazz funk flute and sax, plus amazing work on violin, guitar and occasional, ephemeral vocals. Awesome stuff – one of the best and most innovative live albums of the era! Titles include "Da Da Man", "Aiko Biaye", "Do What You Like", "Doin It", and "Don't Care". It's about time this thing arrived on CD!

Amazing – simply amazing – and one of the best LPs of 60s soul you could ever buy! Darrell Banks was one of the many lost talents laboring in Detroit during the 60s – and he was part of the city's hip underground soul scene that included monster talents like Steve Mancha and JJ Barnes, all of whom fall into the "should have been famous" category, but who have fortunately been honored for years by soul fans worldwide. This album's one of two that Banks ever issued under his own name – and it's a collection of singles that were put together by Revilot, but issued in full LP format by Atlantic. Banks mixes together raw deep soul vocals with some hipper uptown production – and the result is soul that's about as classic as "classic" could be! Every single cut's a winner, written by some of the finest talents in soul music at the time – and tracks include "Here Come The Tears", "Our Love (Is In The Pocket)", "I'm Gonna Hang My Head & Cry", "Baby What'cha Got For Me", and Banks' semi-hit, "Open The Door To Your Heart".

The Bar-Kays' last album for Stax – most likely recorded in earlier years – and a surprisingly funky set that still holds onto the group of the group's earlier 70s work, while also pointing the way towards the future! The overall sound isn't nearly as slick as in the Mercury years, and the album still makes good use of heavy guitar on the grooves, as well as some of the jazzier instrumental flourishes (especially on trumpet) that set the group apart from the rest of the funky pack. Tracks are all quite long, and still heavily focused on funk – and titles include "Holy Ghost", in two versions, plus "Monster", "Feelin Alright", "Mean Mistreater", and "Money Talks".

Rare late 60s work from the big band of trombonist Mike Barone – a player best known for his work in the Trombones Unlimited group, but who had an even more far-reaching sound with this ensemble! The material here is quite modern at times – charts that are filled with complicated timings, unusual tones, and styles that go way past popular big band at the time – a legacy that seems to draw strongly from Stan Kenton, but which also shows some nice influences from 60s jazz soundtracks as well. The material was mostly recorded live at the legendary Donte's Jazz Club – home to Mike's band one night a week in 1968 – but the CD also features some studio material too, although recorded live in that setting as well. Players include Barone on trombone, Larry McGuire and Buddy Childers on trumpet, Bill Perkins on alto and flute, Lou Ciotti on tenor, Jack Nimitz on baritone, and Med Flory on alto sax. Most arrangements are by Barone, and titles include "Peachy", "Perk Up Jack", "Real Neal", "Somewhere Along The Way", "The Monster", "Two For The Road", "More Than You Know", and "Waltz This".

A great 80s date – with Bartz on alto, Butch Lacy on piano, Clint Houston on bass, and Billy Hart on drums – a really great rhythm trio who help Gary soar on tunes that include "Samuel", "Never Never Land", "Monsoon", and "Uncle Bubba".

Features solos from Moe Koffman on soprano sax and flute, Guido Basso on trumpet, Rob McConnell on trombone, Peter Appleyard on vibes, and Phil Nimmons on clarinet.

A great live date from Batacumbele – a double-length album that really lets the group open up, stretch out, and do their thing! Given that Batacumbele's all about complicating the percussion patterns of their rhythms, the album's live, extended jams are perfect for demonstrating their best musical skills – a rich array of sounds on congas, timbales, bata, bongos, and other percussion instruments – providing the core grooves for instrumentation on keyboards, trumpets, tenor, and trombone! Most tracks have some sort of vocals, but the focus is often mostly on the instrumentation – and titles include "May Day", "Elegua", "Muevete", "La Tia", "Danzonete", "Calabo Y Bambu", "Hot Blood", and "Batacumbele Te Saluda".

Fantastic funkiness! Although Les Baxter's best known for his easy listening work in the late 50s/early 60s, this 1969 biker flick soundtrack is a motherlode of funky funky tracks, and a veritable cornucopia of breakbeats. The drums are nice and hard, and there's plenty of fuzzy guitars to give a razor sharp edge to the groove! A few tracks have vocals, but it's the funk rock instrumentals that drive this one into pulp soundtrack classic status. Highlights include the classics "Hogin' Machine" and "Hot Wind", but there's lots of other nice ones like "Soul Groove", "Chain Fight", "Dan's Theme", "Scoobee Doo" and the killer "Wheels (Main Title Theme)". This great limited edition CD version has a 4 bonus tracks made up of the full version of the end title song, medleys of shorter cues from the film, instrumental bits and more. "Travelin' Man", "Take It From Me (Source)/Gila Monster/Cathy Left Behind /Mongoose Gets Beans", "Gang Rides Through The Hills/Tosses Bike Over Bank/Snake Or Rope" and more.

The legendary first EP! We've always been a fan of the Beatnuts, or later Ghetto Professionals production, but none of their recordings as the Beatnuts are better than this first EP. Includes "Reign of the Tec" (with the Grand Puba sample), "No Equal", "World's Famous" and "Psycho Dwarf." 6 full-length tracks plus 5 interludes.

We've always been a fan of the Beatnuts, or later Ghetto Professionals production, but none of their recordings as the Beatnuts are better than this first EP. Includes "Reign of the Tec" (with the Grand Puba sample), "No Equal", "World's Famous", "Psycho Dwarf." 6 full-length tracks plus 5 interludes.

The hot sh*t: 2 cuts from the now classic Beatnuts debut EP "Intoxicated Demons".

A monster bit of funk that's unlike anything else we can think of! Beginning Of The End hailed from The Bahamas, but don't hold that against them – because instead of being a Caribbean cliche, they took the best part of the island rhythms, and used them to forge an incredible approach to funk! They've got a choppy sound that's the result of some incredibly dexterous guitar, bass, and drums – and which you'll recognize instantly from their one-time hit "Funky Nassau", a killer funk track that never gets old, no matter how many bands cover it over the years! That gem kicks off the album, which then rolls into the monster funky "part 2", which is even better! Other titles are equally wonderful – and include "Come Down", "Surrey Ride", "Monkey Tamarind", and "In The Deep". Essential – and one that you'll be spinning for years!

Revolution-minded hip hop from the Black Opera collective – with production by J-Bizness, 14KT, Astronote and Nick Speed. Titles include "The Black Opera" with Melody Betts, "Manute Boll", "Dark Comedy" with scratches by Rhettmatic, "Monstors And Robots", "ThrILL" feat Fyza, "Fantom", "The Magician" with Vaughn G & Jade Latham and more.

One of Art Blakey's first true moments of genius! This transitional version of the Jazz Messengers included two parts – Lee Morgan and Bobby Timmons – of the holy Morgan/Shorter/Timmons trilogy, and it's also got the added bonus of Benny Golson on tenor, who was at the height of his power at this point. The record really shines in ways that few Blakey albums shone since his days with Horace Silver – in that it's a forum for fresh new writing, most importantly Golson's landmark compositions "Blues March" and "Along Came Betty", and Timmons' instant classic "Moanin". The whole album's wonderful, though, and Golson's edgey modernism adds a strong dimension to the group's usual soulful romping groove!

One of the many albums that the Jazz Messengers recorded live at Birdland, and one that features a transitional lineup for the band that has new guard players Lee Morgan on trumpet and Bobby Timmons on piano, and old guard player Hank Mobley on tenor. Everyone grooves in a very hard fashion – and the set's an excellent link between the raw mid 50s version of the Messengers, and the groundbreaking 1960 edition. The set list of this first volume includes "Hipsippy Blues", "Justice", "Just Coolin", and a nice version of "Close Your Eyes".

Pounding! This is the long-awaited re-release of a lost session that Blakey recorded in 1958, with a triple-drum rhythm group that included himself, Philly Joe Jones, and Roy Haynes – plus some additional conga work by Ray Barretto. Unlike other Blakey "drum orgy" sessions, though, this one's got a much straighter jazz feel – with plenty of solo space for trumpeter Lee Morgan and pianist Bobby Timmons. The drums work together in fantastic interplay – with Haynes' lyricism, Blakey's crackle, and Jones' raw power all providing perfect complement to each other while Morgan solos freely out front as the only horn (a role that he rarely ever got to take!) The set also includes 2 amazing other tracks that feature only bass and drum (not drum n bass!) interplay between Blakey and the late Paul Chambers – making for a total of 8 incredible tracks in all, with titles that include "Lee's Tune", "Blakey's Blues", "Lover", and "Drums In the Rain". Great stuff, and with notes by Kenny Washington, too!

An excellent live set by the Jazz Messengers – recorded in Paris in 1958, but with a hard heavy groove that's right up there with their best Blue Note work. The group at this time – Blakey, Bobby Timmons, Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, and Jymie Merritt – plays hard, heavy, and straight ahead, with no other interference from outside players – and the track list is a batch of classic Jazz Messenger standards, stretched out a bit longer than usual, with plenty of solo space! Titles include "Moanin", "Justice", "Whisper Not", "Blues March", and "I Remember Clifford".

A pair of soundtracks from Claude Bolling – both pretty darn great! La Gitane is a really fresh one from Claude – a score that echoes both his ear for acoustic swing of the 30s, and his blend of mixing jazz and classical modes – yet all the tracks somehow come across with a feel that's different than Bolling's usual bag – surprisingly spontaneous at times, especially on the numbers that feature acoustic guitar in the lead – and often filled with little twists and turns that you'd never find in Claude's non-soundtrack work. Titles include "Hubert Florence Et Elsa", "Hubert Et Mona", "Hold Up", "Poursuite", "Caramba", "Theme De Mona", and "Les Gitans". Le Leopard is of similar vintage, and shows a lot more of an 80s approach to instrumentation overall – bits of keyboards mixed in with evocative orchestrations – a blend of strings, horns, and electric modes – all done with a great deal of warmth and feeling. A few moments even veer a bit towards funk – or at least as close as you might come in a Bolling soundtrack – and titles include "Les Camions Moustiques", "Les Camions Monstres", "Le Lac De Feu", "Generique Fin", and "Pauline Et Nick Denver".

First single from their second LP, "God Squad." Apocalyptic themes with an almost Hiero sound to the rhymes and production.

Very, very dope LP by this London studio funk jazz genius. While half the scene's been messing around with blunted beats and weak stuff, Chris Bowden's composed a suite that has the sound of a great blacksploitation soundtrack or a classic album on Curtom. Lots of heavy grooves weaving in and out of deep string arrangements, with hard sax solos cutting in from time to time. A monster piece of wax, and perfect for kickin' back in the wee hours.

Bang! This one starts like a mofo – hard drums rattling in a monster break, and really setting the scene for Charles stark and soulful lyrics. The tune rattles along with some super-tight guitar – riffing away next to the bass in a double-time groove that's immediately gripping – and recorded with a superb sound that really takes us back! "Twilight Eyes" is a weirder number – very bassy, and done in a scaling style that has a few nice jazzy inflections as well – almost a post-punk take on deep funk at times – but still hard to the core nonetheless!

A really cool little album – recorded by Detroit vibist Jack Brokensha at the end of the 60s, working with a combo called the Baroqe-Adelics, whose instrumentation includes electric harpsichord and fuzzy guitar! The album's the kind of small label jazz side we treasure – and includes a mix of funky and groovy numbers with some straighter tracks that demonstrate Brokensha's vibes in a more conventional jazz context. Includes the great original groovers "Boogaloo", "Opus Barokus", "Twistrist", and "Priscilla" – plus versions of "My Favorite Things", "On Green Dolphin Street", and "Tast Of Honey".

Ahhh. . . Nice! Wonderful intelligent, spiritual rhymes, full of Islamic prayer references, blunt antagonist rhymes, a battle with the ugliest of inner demons and broken artist poverty all hugged by catchy bouncing hook filled choruses. And all the production is handled by Ant, a true autuer akin to Pete Rock, now becoming more comfortable with his art with each release: tight organ loops, snapping drums, bright horns and nice upright basslines. "Soulful" is the key adjective here. Tracks include "Star Quality", "Pay Them Back", "Shadows On The Sun", "Forest Whitiker", "Room With A View", "Back Stage Pacin", "Missing Teeth", "Dorian", "Soul Whisper", "Champion", "Prince Charming", and more! Side F to this triple vinyl set has 4 added instrumental versions!

Quite possibly THE James Brown album of the mid 60s – a solid set of hard-grooving tracks, based around the monster title hit "I Got You (I Feel Good)"! The tune's one of those numbers that has been used a gajillion times over the years in commercials and promos – but which never sounds better than here, on James' original version – one of those cuts that never gets old! The hit's also nicely offset by a number of other more obscure numbers that make the album really worth tracking down – titles that include "I Can't Help It (I Just Do Do Do)", "Good Good Lovin", "I've Got Money", "Three Hearts In A Tangle", "You've Got The Power", and "Love Don't Love Nobody" – all on the rougher side of the JB spectrum.

Quite possibly THE James Brown album of the mid 60s – a solid set of hard-grooving tracks, based around the monster title hit "I Got You (I Feel Good)"! The tune's one of those numbers that has been used a gajillion times over the years in commercials and promos – but which never sounds better than here, on James' original version – one of those cuts that never gets old! The hit's also nicely offset by a number of other more obscure numbers that make the album really worth tracking down – titles that include "I Can't Help It (I Just Do Do Do)", "Good Good Lovin", "I've Got Money", "Three Hearts In A Tangle", "You've Got The Power", and "Love Don't Love Nobody" – all on the rougher side of the JB spectrum.

One of our favorite JB records, this one features The Godfather playing keyboards (mostly supplied by Vox), on six extended instrumental tracks. The groove is actually jazzy, but really swings with a club sound that's totally groovy. James checks in with some monster organ solos that will have your bass cone whopping away off the speaker. Includes eight minutes of "Gittin a Little Hipper'", "Fat Soul", and "Go On Now".

Subtitled "Live At the Apollo Vol 3", but waaay better than any of the earlier volumes, this monster 2LP live set has James and the JB's wailing away in a freewheeling live set of hard hard hard funky grooves. Excellent work by the band, and a great way to see how sharp they were out of the studio, and proof that their funkiness was not the product of any clever editing tricks. Stone cold all the way through, with lots of great funky solos, cool rapping by James, and long versions of tracks like "Sex Machine", "Escape-Ism", "Make It Funky", and "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose".

Subtitled "Live At the Apollo Vol 3", but waaay better than any of the earlier volumes, this monster 2LP live set has James and the JB's wailing away in a freewheeling live set of hard hard hard funky grooves. Excellent work by the band, and a great way to see how sharp they were out of the studio, and proof that their funkiness was not the product of any clever editing tricks. Stone cold all the way through, with lots of great funky solos, cool rapping by James, and long versions of tracks like "Sex Machine", "Escape-Ism", "Make It Funky", and "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose".

Subtitled "Live At the Apollo Vol 3", but waaay better than any of the earlier volumes, this monster 2LP live set has James and the JB's wailing away in a freewheeling live set of hard hard hard funky grooves. Excellent work by the band, and a great way to see how sharp they were out of the studio, and proof that their funkiness was not the product of any clever editing tricks. Stone cold all the way through, with lots of great funky solos, cool rapping by James, and long versions of tracks like "Sex Machine", "Escape-Ism", "Make It Funky", and "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose".

One of James Brown's earliest full albums for King Records – and a set that kicks off with his monstrous reworkin of the tune "Think" – originally recorded by the Five Royales, but recast here by James as the blueprint for all the funky goodness in years to come! That track really sets the scene for the record – and James follows up with some other harder, sharp-edged tunes – offset by a few more deep-burning mellower soul tracks. Other titles include "You've Got The Power", "If You Want Me", "So Long", "Baby, You're Right", "I'll Go Crazy", "Good Good Lovin", and "I Know It's True". Reissued with the great original cover, too!

The one and only album by this righteous funky combo from Ohio! Although Brute Force were an American group of the late 60s, they've got a sound that brings in traces of the African rhythms that were bubbling under at the time – similar to some of the best London groups of the post-colonial years, like Cymande, Demon Fuzz, or Asiko. There's often a jagged and jazzy style on the bottom of the grooves, topped with brighter horn flourishes, and combined with a vocal approach that has some slight folksy touches – very hip, progressive, and as righteous as you'd expect from the cover! Sonny Sharrock sits in on some tracks, and the titles include "Some Kind Of Approval", "Doubt", "Ye Le Wa", "Do It Right Now", "The Deacon", and "Monster".

One of the best Kenny Burrell albums ever! Kenny's in fine form in this rare live set, recorded in 1959 at the Five Spot with a group that includes the legendary Tina Brooks on tenor, plus Bobby Timmons or Roland Hanna on piano, Ben Tucker on bass, and Art Blakey on drums. The band is more firey than some of Kenny's other recordings – and that seems to drive him onto harder solos than usual, as you'll hear on tracks like "Birk's Works", "36-23-36", and "Hallelujah". Nice stuff!

Heavy funk from Rickey Calloway – once a lost 70s artist, but now at the top of our stack, thanks to the efforts of Kenny Dope! "Get It Right" is a totally frenetic little track – one with riffing guitar in the rhythms, played at a level that matches the best grooves of the James Brown Band of the late 60s – and Rickey himself seems to be taking a cue from The Godfather in his scratchy, screaming vocals for the track! A monster all the way through – two-part jamming that never lets up!

A cool little set from pianist Barbara Carroll – a player who got her start in the New York scene of the 50s, and served up some excellent work in later years – but who also comes across surprisingly well in this overlooked 70s session for Blue Note! The album's not nearly as electric as others on the label at the time – and instead, Carroll really demonstrates her warm touch on acoustic piano – working with just a bit of bass from Chuck Domanico and drums from Colin Bailey – but often driving the rhythms herself, with her own fluid work on piano! The set also features guest guitar from Dennis Budimir on one track – and titles include "Baubles Bangles & Beads", "Blues For Artie", "At Seventeen", "In Some Other World", and "It Never Entered My Mind".

Jimmy Castor's looking mighty butch on the cover of this one – what with the leather and motorcycle in the photo – and he's bringing all that energy to play strongly on the album's heavy heavy funk tracks! The record's a great extension of the funky style that Castor first started forging at RCA – touches with plenty of Jimmy's multi-instrumental touches on tenor, alto, and timbales – and given that great monster-inspired approach to lyrics – which ensures that the whole thing stays plenty vivid throughout! Vocals are nice and rough, and the instrumentation is heavy on basslines and clavinet – on titles that include the two part "Dracula", plus "Super Love", "I Love A Mellow Groove", "E Man Groovin", "I Don't Want To Lose You", and "Space Age".

Although the cover of the record includes a picture of Eddie's wife, Dinah Washington, and the "Friend" in the title would seem to imply that she's on the album, the set's really just a bunch of hard jazz cuts that showcase Eddie's screaming tenor sax, and which don't include Dinah's vocals. Not that that's a problem, though, because the record's a great one, and it's a good peek at player who was one of the biggest in Chicago during the 50's, and who had a loud hard R&B sound, in a mode that was similar to other Chicago players, such as Gene Ammons and Red Prysock. The record's got a number of originals by Chamblee, plus a few tracks written by Julian Priester and Dinah Washington (but did she really write them?). Titles include "Back Street", "Strollin Sax", "Village Square", and "Swing A Little Taste".

One of the greatest long-form albums from the Clarke Boland Big Band – a sophisticated suite that not only shows off the writing ability of Francy Boland, but also demonstrates the group's ability to swing like a mofo, even when things are serious! The album's a jazz suite written by Boland, and dedicated to the great prisons of England – where Johnny Griffin was once kept "At Her Majesty's Pleasure", due to non-payment of some income tax. The experience of Griffin led Boland to explore the idea of the British penal system with a number of powerful emotional themes, and the result of this writing is one of the CBBB's best albums of the late 60s – filled with rich colors and tones that go far beyond the earlier modes of the group, but without some of the too-complicated elements that sometimes show up in later suites. A good part of the album's success comes from the strength of the soloists – players who include Johnny Griffin and Ronnie Scott on tenor, Tony Coe on clarinet, Sahib Shihab on flute and soprano, Kenny Wheeler and Benny Bailey on trumpets, and Ake Persson and Nat Peck on trombones. Titles include "Pentonville", "Wormwood Scrubs", "Doing Time", "Broadmoor", and "Going Straight".

Soaring vocals from Angela Clemmons – a set that really has an amazing range, and a depth of sound that goes way past the usual from Epic Records at the time! Angela's got a way of stretching out right from the start – inflecting the lyrics with a rich power that easily matches or beats some of her bigger-name contemporaries at the time – and which really help give an extra something special to the record. Production is by Paul Leka, and a number of songs were written by Michael Brown – and the pair really help give the whole thing a personal feel, and keep the set from being just another run of the mill mainstream soul album from the early 80s. Titles include "Giving It Away", "Fill You Up", "Uneasy", "When You're Through I'll Be Waiting", "Mine", and "Sure Thing". CD features two bonus tracks – "Out Here On My Own (7" mix)", and "Give Me Just A Little More Time (12" mix)".

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)".

A landmark LP of guitar-based funk! Dennis Coffey had been playing, arranging, and producing all over the Detroit soul scene by the time this album came out – so it wasn't like he really needed a hit to get paid or anything – but the record forever marked him as a guitar player to be reckoned with, and it was a perfect showcase for Coffey's fuzzed-out funky style, instantly recognizable and still extremely popular today! The album contains the monster breakbeat cut "Scorpio" – kind of a seminal text of hip hop – plus plenty of other groovers like "Getting It On", "Garden Of The Moon", "Big City Funk", and "Sad Angel".

A Latin monster – and one of our favorite albums from the New York scene! The record is the only one we've ever seen from pianist Earl Coleman – and it's a groove-happy fiesta that's every bit Spanish Harlem at its best. Earl's piano is flowing and free, and the band grooves through tracks that dip, turn, and soar like some of the best hard-jamming numbers from Joe Cuba, Ray Barretto, or Joe Bataan from the time. Some tracks feature soulful English vocals, and the titles alone should give you the feel of the set – "Hippy Heaven", "Latin Love-In", "Banana-Loo", and "What You Gonna Do".

John Coltrane made plenty of great music during his late 50s time at the Prestige Records label – some of it under his own name, and a lot more while working with other leaders! This package presents the full recordings from that second half of Coltrane's Prestige performances – material recorded with Coltrane on tenor, under the leadership of Red Garland, Sonny Rollins, Tadd Dameron, Gene Ammons, and others – all packaged together beautifully, in the same sweet style as the Interplay and Fearless Leader box sets! There's a total of 43 long, soulfully-blown tracks on the set – alongside a heavy 72 page booklet that features full session details, a discography, rare photos, and even all the original artwork and notes from the records. Titles include "Two Bass Hit", "Weeja", "Gnid", "Soultrane", "Tenor Madness", "Our Delight", "One By One", "Blue Calypso", "The Real McCoy", "Ammon Joy", "Paul's Pal", "Two Sons", "Filide", "Clifford's Kappa", "Under Paris Skies", "Lazy Mae", "Birk's Works", and "Soul Junction".

Slammin early soul from the great Lou Courtney – an artist who's recorded so much excellent work over the years, that we're never surprised when we find a overlooked chapter like this! The record's quite different from Lou's raspier southern soul of the 70s – filled with killer uptempo cuts, and really snapping a groove with some monster sock-boogaloo and shing-a-ling numbers that are sure to send any fan of 60s Northern! Production is by Robert Bateman and The Funk Brothers – and titles include the singles "Skate Now" and "Do The Thing", plus "Psychedelic Shing-a-Ling", "Me and You (Doin' the Boogaloo)", "Another'n Like The Other'n", and "I've Got Just the Thing".

A great later record by The Cramps – still stomping their inimitable brand of seedy, sexy macabre-billy in as fine of a form as they'd been in a number of years! After the slicked-up studio sound of the preceding Flamejob, they wisely strip the production polish away for a rawer sound here – though still less murky than the late 70s and early 80s recordings. It's the right balance! Really fun stuff from a legendary act that really don't get enough praise for their consistently solid records in the later years. Includes "Cramp Stomp", "God Monster", "It Thing Hard-On", "Shena's In A Goth Gang", "Queen Of Pain", "Devil Behind That Bush", "Super Goo", "Hypno Sex Ray", "Wet Nightmare", "Badsass Bug", "Haulass Hyena" and more.

One of the best full lengths by The Cramps! By the time A Date With Elvis came out in the mid 80s, The Cramps had pretty much perfected their wild mix of ghoulish innuendo and truly devoted roots rock/garage revivalism. The sex club and monster movie imagery was for show, but their love of rootsy rumbles was no joke! The record is dedicated to the memory of Ricky Nelson and the dedication is not ironic. Great, ghoulish Cramps at their mid-decade peak. Oh, and by the way. . .Elvis couldn't have handled a date with Ivy. She'd have wrecked that boy. Includes "How Far Can I Go?", "The Hot Pearl Snatch", "People Ain't No Good", "What's Inside A Girl?", "Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?", "Kizmiaz", "Aloha From Hell", "Cornfed Dames" and more.

Ronnie Cuber's an overlooked monster in jazz – a hell of a player, and has been for decades – and one of the last few cats who can really handle a baritone sax! Cuber was late in a legacy of baritonists that included Pepper Adams, Sahib Shihab, Cecil Payne, and Lars Gullin – a youngster when all those players were getting old, but more than able to swing with the lean energy that made the 50s baritone sax players as important as the giants on tenor! Here, Cuber really demonstrates that legacy strongly – picking up the giant horn and handling it with effortless ease – producing these beautifully-blown solo lines that are nice and long, and filled with imagination – in the company of a combo that features Kenny Drew Jr on piano, Ruben Rodriguez on bass, and Ben Perowsky on drums. The recent date is a great reminder that Cuber can still cook heavily – and titles include "Passion Fruit", "Coco B", "Perpetuating The Myth", "Tell Me A Bedtime Story", and "Arroz Con Pollo".

Griff and Lock are playing head to head here – right in their classic "tuff tenors" mode, although not recorded Live at Mintons! Rhythm is by Norman Simmons, Vic Sproles, and Ben Riley – and the album's actually a bit gutsier and more freewheeling than some of their earlier sets, the ones with a bit more Monk work. Titles include "What's Happening?", "63rd Street Theme", "Pull My Coat", and "Hey Jim!".

Prime symphonic disco from the mighty John Davis and his well-named Monster Orchestra! The set's got a dramatic flourish that still mixes in plenty of live instrumentation – including keyboards and flute from John, plus some nice congas from Larry Washington! John sings lead vocals on most cuts, but uses some cool processing to kind of space out the sound – making for a compressed and flanged-out sound that's poppy, but really compelling. And although the whole thing sounds hokey, the quality of the grooves is actually pretty great from an instrumental standpoint. Titles include "Once Upon A Time", "We Can Fly", "Up Jumped The Devil", "You Gotta Give It Up", "You're The One", "The Magic Is You", and "Recapitulation".

A great blend of early rock and monster movie aesthetics from The Dynamic Del-Aires – a north New Jersey group who only cut a handful of singles, but also managed a key appearance in The Horror of Party Beach before fading away into obscurity! Despite that short time in the record racks, though – the group is totally great – a combo that almost blows away the best of the Northwest, and certainly has their same sort of raw, rocking, instrumental-heavy approach – although some numbers also feature some cool vocals too! This package brings together the rare singles, the movie tracks, and even some unissued live and demo tracks too – all in a beautiful-looking package with lots of photos of the group in action. Titles include "Drag", "So Far So Long", "Zombie Stomp", "The Crawl", "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow", "Berserk", "Treble Rock", "Sing Sing Sing", "Someplace Else", and even a "Horror Of Party Beach" movie trailer!

A pair of soundtracks for films by Jean-Pierre Melville – back to back on a single CD! First up is L'Aine Des Ferchaux – scored by Georges Delerue with a strong sense of drama, maybe even more than you're used to expecting from a Melville film – although given the need for "American" tones in the music, the drama's perhaps well-placed! Delerue's already got that great ear for rich feeling with very subtle tones – and balances things out nicely with a more more restrained, more "adult" numbers. Titles include "Manhattan Deux Hommes", "A La Dimitri", "La Route", "Slow Du Desespoir", and "Maudet Et Ferchaux". Un Flic is more the Melville you might expect – an excellent crime film from the early 70s, scored by Michel Colombier with a great mix of jazz and moodier, mellower elements! The score begins with a sweet vocal track – "C'Est Ainsi Que Les Choses Arrivent", sung by Isabell Aubret – then moves through some beautifully blue tunes that are simply tremendous overall. Titles include "Un Monsieur Distingue", "Chez Luce", "Night Club Trois Heures Du Matin", "Chaussee D'Antin", and "Pre Hold-Up".

An excellent album of funky drumbreaks – cut by a drummer who's a legend among funk fans, but who hardly ever gets mentioned in history books of jazz. Les was a little known LA player, but he had a monster approach to the kit – and most of the few albums he cut are very in demand for fans of a good funky drum break. This one's a stellar session that mixes together straight funk with some strong choppy fusion numbers – and it was issued on the tiny Dobre label, which came out with some excellent obscure sides during the 70s. Raul De Souza's on trombone, Milcho Leview plays piano, and Robby Robinson plays plenty of nice electric keyboards. Includes the break-heavy tracks "Moondial" and "Funk It!", the jazz dance cut "Canned Heat Suite", the choppy funky "Bacchanal", and the great groover "Kaballa".

A killer groove! "Fallin In Debt" is a chunky, funky monster that feels like some lost southern funk cut from the end of the 60s – razor sharp drums that move surprisingly fast, tight horns that pepper the groove but never overwhelm, and great vocals from DeRobert that set the pace of the cut nicely! Guitar riffs quickly alongside the triple-time groove – and the whole thing's backed by "Stay On Point" – another wickedly funky tune with an offbeat sense of rhythm!

A sharp Statement Of Intent from DJ Format – whose format is timeless boombap and deft live instrumention on this solid set – which includes collaborations with Sureshot La Lock, Phill Most Chill, Nostalgia 77 and others! Classic craft, though timelessly inventive. The spacey sci fi funk of the Nostalgia 77 collabos is as hot as you'd expect, as are the other diverse sounds at play here. Includes "Staetement Of Intent", "A Quick Ego Trip", "Dope Pusher" and more with Sureshot La Rock, "Spaceship Earth" feat Edan, "Notes In Quotation" and "The Long Goodbye" feat Nostalgia 77 Quintet, "Terror" feat Mr Lif, "Beyond Disco" with The Simonsound, "Live At The Place To Be" with Phill Most Chill & Sureshot La Rock and more.

One of our favorite albums ever by Kenny Dorham – and a really different session than his usual studio work! The album captures Kenny in a relaxed live setting, with a bit more dirt on his horn than usual – blowing with a tone that's much more open and a bit less poised – in the company of a really great group that features JR Monterose on tenor, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Bobby Timmons on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Arthur Edgehill on drums. The CD features a total of 17 tracks in all – titles from the original LP, plus rare extra material, and some bonus alternate takes – all remastered by Rudy Van Gelder. Titles include Dorham's boppish "Mexico City", plus other enigmatic compositions like "Monaco" and "Hill's Edge", and tracks that include "Round Midnight", "Riffin", "My Heart Stood Still", and "NY Theme".

The packaging and presentation almost set a new low for the Chicago Stepper's scene – but the DVD is pretty interesting – almost like being a fly on the wall, looking at this scene from a priviledged position! The whole thing starts with a group discussion – talking about older dances among some junior and senior steppers – then moves into some dance demonstrations of the slides "Double D", "El Stop", "Chuck Baby", "Odyssey" and "Freaky in the Club".

A key event in the Chicago Steppers scene – the World's Largest Steppers Contest, held in 2004 and hosted by Chitown DJs Ramonski Luv, Joe Soto, and Herb Kent! The DVD presents the contest pretty much as it happened – with introductions by the luminaries, then performances of some of the best contestants, all captured in glorious color on the floor of the ballroom of the Hyatt Regency. The footage is sometimes a bit rough, but that also makes it a key documentary of this important local soul music scene!

Genius, pure genius! It was hard for Earth, Wind & Fire to go wrong at this point – and the album's a stellar blend of jazz, funk, and soul, all done in that perfect style they'd hit by the mid 70s. And even though this one was a monster album, of the type that you see in everyone's record collection from the time, it's still got a freshness that we always forget about – and lots of nice twists and turns that show that the band hadn't lost their more sophisticated roots. Case in point is the wonderful "Brazilian Rhyme", a short little groover that you'll instantly recognize as a sample from the first Tribe Called Quest album. Other tracks include "Jupiter", "In The Marketplace", "Magic Mind", "Runnin", "Be Ever Wonderful", and "Serpentine Fire".

Genius, pure genius! It was hard for Earth, Wind & Fire to go wrong at this point – and the album's a stellar blend of jazz, funk, and soul, all done in that perfect style they'd hit by the mid 70s. And even though this one was a monster album, of the type that you see in everyone's record collection from the time, it's still got a freshness that we always forget about – and lots of nice twists and turns that show that the band hadn't lost their more sophisticated roots. Case in point is the wonderful "Brazilian Rhyme", a short little groover that you'll instantly recognize as a sample from the first Tribe Called Quest album. Other tracks include "Jupiter", "In The Marketplace", "Magic Mind", "Runnin", "Be Ever Wonderful", and "Serpentine Fire". Plus, the CD features bonus tracks "Would You Mind?", "Runnin (original Hollywood mix)", and "Brazilian Rhyme (live)".

Incredible work from one of the most important Ethiopian artists of the 70s – a smoking set of vintage recordings from Alemayehu Eshete – some of them plenty darn funky too! As you'd guess from his picture on the cover, guitar is Eshete's main instrument – used in these twangy modes over more exotic Ethiopian instrumentation, and a perfect accompaniment to his richly-inflected vocals – sung with a sense of soul than goes way beyond language, and which will draw you in right away! The music here is really amazing – and the cuts, which are pulled from Ethiopiques CD volumes, really demonstrate the lasting power of work from this generation of the Ethio scene – served up here on tracks that include "Tenageri", "Hode Fera", "Tequr Gessela", "Kenoru Lebetchahe", "Ambassel", and "Tesegenedaye".

A pair of great Bill Evans albums for Verve – both a very good fit together! The cover of Empathy co-credits Bill Evans and Shelly Manne as the leader of the set – and that distinction's an important one – as the record has a slightly different feel than some of Bill's other 60s work for Verve! The sound is often a bit stronger, somewhat bolder – and although Manne's not a monster on the drums, he does have a way of directing the tunes that's a bit different than some of Evans' other piano-led albums. Bass is by Monty Budwig, who's nicely sensitive to the talents of both players – and there's almost an equally-weighted melodic feel to all three elements of the trio – which really rounds out the record nicely. Titles include "The Washington Twist", "Danny Boy", "Let's Go Back To The Waltz", "With A Song In My Heart", "Goodbye", and "I Believe In You". Simple Matter Of Conviction is a move into a more sophisticated vein than his earlier recordings! The album has him working with bassist Eddie Gomez, a hugely talented bassist that would be one of Bill's best partners during this period, and a player who added a nice dose of soul to the proceedings. The drummer is Shelly Manne, who's pretty nice, too – and really shows off some of his more sophisticated shadings here in the presence of Evans and Gomez – similar to his work on the great Empathy album. Tracks are shortish, but filled with imagination – and titles include "Unless It's You", "These Things Called Changes", "Stella By Starlight", and "A Simple Matter Of Conviction".

By the mid 70s, the New York Latin scene was boomin' so large it could easily fill venues like Yankee Stadium – as you'll hear on this excellent live set from the Fania All-Stars, a monster record that easily ranks with the best live Latin sides of the time – like Eddie Palmieri at Sing Sing, the Tico-Alegre All Stars at Carnegie Hall, or Mongo Santamaria at Yankee Stadium! Tracks are nice and long – a real mix of soul and Latin, with slight funk and electric touches – and players include Ray Barretto, Willie Colon, Bobby Valentin, Mongo Santamaria, Ricardo Ray, and Roberto Roena. Vocals are by a host of singers that include Santos Colon, Hector Lavoe, Ismael Rivera, and Celia Cruz – and titles on this first volume include "Pueblo Latino", "Mi Gente", "Diosa Del Ritmo", and "Soy Guajiro".

Damn! We sure dug the previous Fantastic Souls funky 45 on Kay Dee, but this one's a straight up monster! An eight piece combo, the Fantastic Souls are a deep enough roster bring a furiously paced, heated intensity as well have enough space for solos and more dynamic interplay. The drums are nice and heavy, the guitars vamp nicely, the horns are perfectly punchy, plus a nice bit with some bongos. On Part 2, it's stripped down and driven even more by the incredible percussion.

Essential reissue of one of the greatest funk albums ever! This is the great LP of hard funky cuts that perfectly sums up the Fatback style that you've heard so much about – but which you can't find on much of their late 70s albums! The whole album is filled to the brim with loads of great hard funk cuts, with cool crowd noises and a non-stop groove all the way through. Monster cuts, including "Nija Walk", "Fatbackin", "Soul March", "Soul Man", "Kiba", "Clap Your Hands", and lots more!

A killer array of funky grooves from Fela Kuti – served up in a 6LP box set, with records chosen by Ginger Baker! Baker's a key choice to work on the set – given his famous recordings with Fela, heard here on the album's leadoff record – Fela & Ginger Baker Live! Next up is Roforofo Fight – an early full-length Fela LP, filled with 4 tight groovers that stand with his best work! "Go Slow" begins with this mad trumpet solo that you'll recognize from a famous sample, especially as it mixes in with keyboards; "Roforofo Fight" is a fast-time groover that has the drums working overtime to keep up with the political power of the cut. Confusion features a monster 26 minute track – and it begins with Sun Ra Arkestra-like washes of sound and spaciness, before leaping into a bass-heavy groove that provides a perfect platform for heavy jamming and vamping by the band. Alagbon Close is a lesser-known 70s session from Fela – but a great one too, and a record that captures the Africa 70 group at all their early raw best! Tracks are both very long – stretching for a side of the record apiece – and the title track "Alagbon Close" features some amazing keyboard lines on the intro, all tinny and thin – and done with this other-worldly almost Sun Ra-like quality! The other tune, "I Get No Eye For Back", also has some amazing electric piano too – but intertwined with some very strong horn work from the group! He Miss Road brings back Ginger Baker – who's producing the group, and gives them a sweet progressive vibe. Titles include "He Miss Road", "Monday Morning In Lagos", and "It's No Possible". Last up is the Na Poi album, with two long cuts cuts – "Na Poi" and "You No Go Die Unless"! Both have a freer feel than usual, with heavy percussion added into the usual mix of keyboards and sax solos. All records in original cover art, too!

A holy grail of funky music – and a rare gem from the DC scene of the 70s! Keyboardist Hilton Felton cut this wicked killer for his own tiny label – Hilton's Concept – and it's a very unique blend of jazz and funk modes, done with help from members of The Blackbyrds and Three Pieces! Felton plays Fender Rhodes, vibes, organ, and even some percussion on the record – grooving in this stretched-out, easygoing way that's unlike anyone else we can think of – often with fuller backings that might be at home on a soundtrack, but which have a much more open flow overall. Most tracks are nice and long, with plenty of sweet electric solo space – and titles include the classic "Bee Bop Boogie", a 9 minute groover with a monster break on the intro – plus "The Light Of Mankind", "Man For All Reasons", "Tell Her Love Has Felt The Need", "Love's Losers", and "Blues For a Weary Man".

Their classic, with the great long version of "Float On", which is a monster soul cut that stands tall with steppers and rappers alike. It's probably the best track they ever did, and it's all here in a version that's nearly 12 minutes long – with loads of samples that you'll recognize from numerous recent records. Also includes a number of other great, mellow 70s soul numbers, like "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me", "Everything Happens For A Reason" and "No Stronger Love".

One of the greatest moments ever from west coast bassman Henry Franklin – a set of soaring, spiritual power – and a key demonstration of his rich energy as a leader! Franklin heads a wicked lineup here – playing both Fender and acoustic bass amidst other players who include Bill Henderson on electric piano, Charles Owens on tenor and soprano sax, Oscar Brashear on trumpet, Kenny Climax on guitar, and Michael Carvin on drums – all coming together with a mix of spiritual vibes and soulful undercurrents, in ways that almost give the record a Strata East sort of vibe! The whole thing is certainly one of the most memorable sessions on the Black Jazz label – and titles include "Outbreak", "Little Miss Laurie", "Theme For Jojo", and "Plastic Creek Stomp".

2 killers from organist Caesar Frazier – back to back on one CD! Hail Ceasar is a monster bit of funky jazz – filled with long tracks that all jam mightily, all at a level that matches or tops the best work coming out of Prestige or Blue Note Records at the time! The set is one of the rare few on the Eastbound jazz subsidiary of Detroit soul powerhouse Westbound Records – and it's the first to feature organist Ceasar Frazier as a leader – really grooving hard here with a Prestige-styled combo that includes Idris Muhammad on funky drums, Melvin Sparks on heavy guitar, and Houston Person on soulful sax – all produced with a gritty gritty edge by the legendary Bob Porter! The whole album's great – filled with incredible cuts that include a version of "Hicky-Burr", the first Bill Cosby theme – plus the tracks "Make It With You", "Running Away", "Hail Ceasar!", and "See-F". Ceasar Frazier 75 is a tightly grooving set that expands his sound a bit from the first! All the best elements are still in place here – including funky organ from Ceasar, production from jazz funk maestro Bob Porter, and a hip range of players that includes Horace Ott, Wilbur Bascomb, and Bernard Purdie. But the overall sound is somewhat shifted too – brought more into the tightly jamming jazz funk mode of the mid 70s – a bit richer and fuller overall, yet never in a way that's slick or sloppy – just more like some of the best later sides on Prestige or Fantasy from the same stretch. The record features a crazy version of the "Mighty Mouse Theme", a mellow take on the Isley's "Summer Breeze", Stevie Wonder's great "Living For The City", and the original "Funk It Down".

A killer instrumental album of hard organ grooves and funky basslines! This was the album that broke Funk Inc out of their Indianapolis scene, and made them a force to be forever reckoned with in the history of funky jazz. The album grooves hard in the same sound as some of the classic work by Prestige jazz funk giants like Rusty Bryant, Charles Earland, or Ivan Boogaloo Jones – but it's almost even tighter than their work, because the Funk Inc combo as a tightly woven group of players who'd been together for a number of years. The record's filled with monster cuts that you'll recognize immediately, like the group's famous "Kool is Back", which has a monster sample on the intro, and hard heavy Kool & The Gang grooves throughout. Other tracks include "Sister Janie", "The Whipper", and "Bowlegs".

An instant classic the day it was released – and a perfect blending of the group's older freaked-out style with a slick late 70s funk sound that started showing up in the work of many other groups. "One Nation Under A Groove" is a monster cut with a hook that won't quit, and the LP version runs way over 7 minutes long. Other tracks are equally great, and the whole thing's woven together with the same sort of skill as some of the best Parliament albums from the mid 70s. Tracks include "Into You", "Grooveallegiance", and "Cholly".

A fantastic Serge Gainsbourg album – and the BB initials in the title belong to Brigitte Bardot! This rare gem from 1968 is a second set of tracks that Serge cut with Brigitte Bardot – and it's a doozy! The record repeats a few tracks from their other effort (Bonnie & Clyde) – but it's also got some incredible cuts that are exclusive to this album, and which have that stone funky groove that makes the best late 60s work of Serge so in-demand these days! The best tracks include "Ford Mustang", "Initials BB", and "Black And White" – all of which have incredible funky intros that are totally sampleable – and the set also includes "Bonnie And Clyde", "Qui Est In Qui Est Out", "Marilu", "Shu Ba Du Ba La Loo Ba", "Hold Up", "Torrey Canyon", "Dr Jeckyll Et Monsieur Hyde", "Comic Strip", and "Bloody Jack".

A long-overdue collection of work by this sublime Ohio soul group of the 60s – a trio of lovely ladies with a really tremendous sound! Gigi & The Charmaines are hardly the girl group cliche you might think from their sweet name and the image on the cover – and on most of the numbers here, they're hard-rolling at a pace that's somewhere between the best Detroit Northern Soul of the time, and some of the sweeter female soul that was coming out of Chicago at the end of the 60s. Ace have really outdone themselves with the collection – and bring together the group's singles on the Columbia, Date, and Fraternity labels – as well as some other key sides that have them performing vocals on records by other artists in the lead! CD features a whopping 28 tracks in all, plus a full set of notes – with titles that include "Guilty", "Poor Unfortunate Me", "Eternally", "Girl Crazy", "If You Ever", "I Idolize You", "Rockin Old Man", "On The Wagon", "What Kind Of Girl Do You Think I Am", "All You Gotta Do", "GI Joe", "I Can't Go On This Way", and "I Don't Want To Lose Him" – plus "I'm So Satisfied" with Max Falcon, "Lucy Miloo" with Kenny Smith, "Baby Please Don't Go" with Carl Edmonson, and "Baby What's Wrong" with Lonnie Mack.