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Vintage work from this overlooked group from the New York scene of the 80s – an all-star lineup that features Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Marion Brown on alto sax, Billy Bang on violin, Sirone and Fred Hopkins on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums! The tracks are long, and there's a loose, open feel that recalls the loft jazz generation – but an overall sound that shows the new strength and focus that some of these players were really hitting at the time – that sharper vision that you'd get during the early years of Black Saint/Soul Note – yet presented here in a style that's much more spontaneous overall! Brown and Bang are especially nice – some of the sharpest corners of this sextet – and titles include a great reading of "Goodbye Porkpie Hate", plus "Joann's Green Satin Dress" and "Amanpondo".

Nicely-structured performances between pianist Ran Blake and guitarist David Knife Fabris – done with plenty of free-thinking elements, including those bold-ringing tones that we've always loved in Blake's recordings – yet still based around some relatively tight song structures overall! Most numbers are relatively short, but benefit from that fact – as they let Fabris bring in a flurry of chromatic sounds from his instrument, and Blake hit those almost bell-like notes on the piano – often doing a lot with just a little. And the setting sometimes has one player handling all the work on a track, then shifting to the other on the next one – and coming together on duets on others. Titles include "Watch What Happens", "Desafinato", "My Cherie Amour", "Sontagism", "Driftwood", "In Pursuit", "Cry Wolf", and "Shlof Manyn Kind".

Reedman Thomas Borgman's in some really great company here – bassist Wilber Morris and drummer Reggie Nicholson – both of whom really open up on the album's very long tracks! The set was recorded live at the end of the 90s, but may not have been issued until now – and it features a really masterful performance that's filled with slow-building energy and really rich feeling – a sound that almost takes us back to the relaxed creative vibe of the New York loft jazz generation! Borgman blows with lots of elliptical energy – and the drums and bass really help to break him out of the box – creating their own shifting souls that enliven the performance greatly. Titles include "Nasty & Sweet", "We Went That Way", "Wilber's Mood", and a shorter take of "Nasty & Sweet".

Major sounds here from the group of Nobuyasu Furuya – a reedman who plays some mighty fierce tenor – plus a bit of flute and clarinet as well! The set's got some very old school free jazz energy – almost ESP in execution, especially in the way the players seem to find some of their strongest direction when they're really pushing things to the limit – not just Furuya, but also Eduardo Lala on trombone, Rodrigo Pinheiro on piano, Hernani Faustino on bass, and Gabriel Ferrandini on drums and percussion. Titles include "Jap Agitator Caught Again", "To The Valley Of Paradise", "When No Saints Go Marching In", and "Colored To Cell Japs To Hell".

A powerful set of free jazz that definitely lives up to its title – a hell-bent session of unbridled energy from this west coast quartet! Vinny Golia contributes some wonderful tenor, soprano sax, sopranino, and bass clarinet to the record – these deft, deep tones that really give the album a heck of a lot of soul – especially on some of the sparer moments, which have the spiritual feel of a 70s loft jazz session. Lisa Mezzacappa's basslines are often a key complement to Golia's reedwork – and the set also features some equally nice alto sax lines from Marco Eneidi, who definitely has the right feel for the record. Vijay Anderson completes the group on drums – and titles include "Lop-Sided Heels & Frayed Shoes", "Meteorites", "Inessential Melancholies", "Pendulum", "Deformities & Dischords", and "Everything Imaginable Can Be Dreamed".

Solo Burton Greene – beautifully recorded – in ways that have his already-wonderful lines on piano echoing out in the performance space, and almost folding back on themselves in waves of sound! Given Greene's striking touch on the keyboard – sharp, yet always melodic, which we really love – this presence of "room" really illuminates the record – and makes each statement seem even more forceful, and a more personal utterance that really sends the whole thing home. The whole thing's as tuneful as it is creative – a wonderful demonstration of Burton's talents in these later years – and titles include "Elevation", "Greene Mansions", "Freebop The 4th", "Space Is Still The Place", "Get Through It", "Little Song", and "Tree".

A brilliant showcase for the drums of William Hooker – ringing out loudly and proudly here in the company of younger players who really help support his energy! Hooker's got this sharp punch that comes through right away – that mixture of freewheeling rhythms and more expressive musical vision that's made so much of his recent work so great – given a slightly different spin here in the company of Dave Ross on guitar, Chris Di Meglio on trumpet, Adam Lane on bass, and Sanga on percussion. The passages that have interplay between Sanga and Hooker are especially great – and titles include "Character", "The Unfolding", "Thought & Intention", "Compelling Influences", "Three Hexagons", and "Connected".

Andrew Lamb is billed as "The Black Lamb" here – a nice nickname, given the earthy quality of the set! The group's got two percussionists at its core – Michael Wimberly and Guillermo E Brown – both players with different energies that help expand the roots of the record – while Tom Abbs builds up its trunk with his organic lines on bass, plus a bit of tuba and didjeridoo too. Lamb unfolds these evocative lines on saxes and flute – and even a bit of conch shell too, handled with a wonderfully exotic tone that's not gimmicky at all. Tracks are quite long, and build with a rich feel that makes the album one of the most soulful we've ever heard on the No Business label – and titles include "Initiation", "Song Of The Miracle Lives", "To Love In The Rain", and "Rhapsody In Black".

A genius group from the glory days of the New York avant scene of the 70s – yet one who haven't been nearly as well-documented as some of their contemporaries! The lineup here is legendary – a quintet with Charles Brackeen on tenor, flute, and soprano sax, Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, William Parker on bass, Roger Blank on drums, and Tony Waters on percussion – working in ways that are really a bridge between the starker sounds of the ESP generation, and some of the looser, more collaborative energies of the loft jazz scene that was on the rise! This recording from 1974 is some of the only surviving work by the group – a well-recorded radio performance that has the group working through a number of compositions in sequence, often with very spiritual results. The package features rich recollections on the quintet by Ahmed Abdullah, and some great vintage images as well – and titles include "Face Of The Deep", "Redemption/Consecration", "Above The Cross/My Divine", and "Time & Money".

Dark sounds from three very well-matched players – recording here at Barry Guy's Maya Recordings Festival – which makes for a very comfortable setting! The tracks are all quite long, and feature some of the most abstract sounds we've heard from the players in years – almost more sonic than musical at points, as the drums of Paul Lytton, bass of Barry Guy, and soprano and tenor sax of Evan Parker really push at each other's boundaries in search of new ways to interact! Parker's always amazing work on reeds really helps shape a lot of the energy of the set – but Guy's more than able to hold his own, and Lytton's drums emerge in ways that are often quite surprising and delightful. Titles include "Obsidian", "Chert", "Gabbro", and "Scoria".

Very resonant sounds from this unique quartet – a lineup that features piano and accordion from Fred Van Hove, vibes from Els Vandeweyer, and percussion from both Paul Lovens and Martin Blume! The mix of vibes and piano is already great enough – quite free, and ringing out with spacious notes on both ends – and the addition of the pair of percussionists really opens up the sound, especially as both players are far from any rhythmic needs – and instead interact more with the percussive notes of the other instruments. The set features four different numbers, all improvised – "H1", "H2", "H3", and "H4".

A really great quartet that works together beautifully here – bass from Joelle Leandre, trombone from Sebi Tramontana, violin from Carlos Zingaro, and drums from Paul Lovens – all well-trained players for open improvisations like this – coming together in ways that recall some of the best FMP live work from the 70s! The music is free, but never without consideration – sounds that come out of nowhere, yet somehow fit perfectly together – although in ways that go far beyond conventional jazz, even that of the avant variety. The set features five tracks – titled "Sudo 1", "Sudo 2", and so on!

A really unique group – with a sound that's unlike anything else we've ever heard before! The Eastern European players certainly aren't a household name on this side of the Atlantic – but they've got a very inventive approach to their music here – using four acoustic basses, each recorded at different parts of the stereo spectrum – plus some additional tuba to really further the deep sounds in the set! Songs are improvised and have incredible interplay at the low end of the sonic spectrum – with bass from Szilard Mezei, Ervin Malina, Zoltan Csanyi, and Erno Hock – plus tuba from Kornel Papista. Titles include "Hep 17B", "Hep 15F", "Hep 58/2", and "Hep 16".

A recent set, but one that captures the David S Ware Quartet in all their glory – almost a pure return to the compelling spiritualism the group first grabbed us with back at the start of the 90s! The performance is very open and expressive – all of Ware's most righteous ideas brought into keen focus, with key collaborative efforts from Matthew Shipp on piano, William Parker on bass, and Guillermo E Brown on drums – all working together here in ways that almost make us feel like we've stumbled across some small pressing from a New York label in the early 80s! (And given the very limited run of this set – this album's bound to have a similar sense of rarity years from now.) Tracks are very long – and titles include "Ganesh Sound", "Theme Of Ages", "The Stargazers", "Lithuanian Whirl", and "Surrendered".

An amazing collection of music from legendary bassist William Parker – 6 CDs' worth of performances, all of them unreleased, packaged together in a limited edition box set with a detailed booklet as well! The scope of the sounds is amazing – almost like finding the full career of a jazz musician in one space – even though it's only a slice of the rich contributions that Parker has made to music over his decades in jazz! A number of the tracks features important large ensembles that push forward ideas from the loft jazz generation – with players who include Daniel Carter on saxes, David S Ware on tenor, Jemeel Moondoc on alto, Charles Tyler on baritone, Roy Campbell and Raphe Malik on trumpets, Billy Bang on violin, and Rashid Bakr and Dennis Charles on drums. Other tracks feature sparer pairings that are especially haunting – duets between Parker's bass and the alto and trumpet of Daniel Carter, a trio with David S Ware on tenor and Dennis Charles on drums, and two long duo tracks with tenorist Charles Gayle! The whole thing's amazing – worth far more in music than its hefty price tag – and a huge discovery throughout!

Vintage work from this overlooked group from the New York scene of the 80s – an all-star lineup that features Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Marion Brown on alto sax, Billy Bang on violin, Sirone and Fred Hopkins on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums! The tracks are long, and there's a loose, open feel that recalls the loft jazz generation – but an overall sound that shows the new strength and focus that some of these players were really hitting at the time – that sharper vision that you'd get during the early years of Black Saint/Soul Note – yet presented here in a style that's much more spontaneous overall! Brown and Bang are especially nice – some of the sharpest corners of this sextet – and titles include a great reading of "Goodbye Porkpie Hate", plus "La Placita", "Shift Below", "Joann's Green Satin Dress", and "Amanpondo". Great booklet too – with loads of notes and historical information!

The sounds are definitely convergent here – very individual strands from all the musicians, but each finding space to come together in a really beautiful way! The album's got a great balance between improvised moments and more compositional impulses – a balance that's not unlike that moment when modern jazz was reaching for new freedoms in the 60s, yet still able to come back to the idea of unified group energy – perhaps a bit like Ornette Coleman in his post-Atlantic years, or the work of the west coast underground. The players really have a great feel for each other – and the quartet features Taylor Ho Bynum on cornet, Alexander Hawkins on piano, Dominic Lash on bass, and Harris Eisenstadt on drums – on titles that include "Assemble/Melancholy", "Remember Raoul", "The Taff End", "Slow & Steady", and "Oat Roe + Three By Three".

Seminal recordings from Jemeel Moondoc's important Muntu ensemble – a group who worked with amazing energy in the avant scene of the late 70s – easily offering up some of the greatest performances from the members involved! There's a mixture of structure and freedom to these tracks that's mighty nice – a bold conception of message headed by Moondoc, but executed with these open solos that really show the full talents of every musician. The lineup shifts a bit over the space of the recordings here – the First Feeding album features Moondoc on alto, Arthur Williams on trumpet, Mark Hennen on piano, William Parker on bass, and Rashid Bakr on drums; Evening Of The Blue Men has trumpeter Roy Campbell joining Moondoc, Parker, and Bakr; and the previously-unreleased Live At Ali's Alley is an extended trio performance from Moondoc, Parker, and Bakr – one long track that really opens up! Equally amazing is the package – 3CDs in an oversized case, packaged with a beautiful book that's over 100 pages – with notes on the group, sessionography, vintage photos, poster reproductions, and more.

An evocative name for this hard-driving group – a trio that features Mikolaj Trzaska on alto and bass clarinet, Olie Brice on bass, and Mark Sanders on drums – all stretching out with very freewheeling energy over the space of this double-length set – often with tones that remind us of the sound of ESP Records in the 60s! The bass and drums definitely kick the power trio into action – but Trzaska's reed lines have this grounding depth that's wonderful – almost a spiritual feel at points, in ways that take us back to Sonny Simmons or Charles Tyler – both players who really knew how to find their space in a setting like this. Tracks are all quite long – and titles include "Kornic", "Riverloam", "Ostrich Season", and "Carnival Of Shapes".

Wild sounds abound – in this extended session of free improvisation between the quartet of Carlos Alves Zingaro on violin, Jean Luc Cappozzo on trumpet and bugle, Jerome Bourdellon on flutes and bass clarinet, and Nicolas Lelievre on percussion! The music opens up in a very free, organic style – a space somewhere between the bolder elements of 70s European free jazz, and some of the richer sounds of the loft jazz scene in the US – a nice juxtaposition that has almost all the instruments involved expressing some very unique sounds – tones you'd hardly expect from their usual use on record!

A double treasure from Billy Bang – two late 70s vintage performances in a single package! First up is Black Man's Blues – a really amazing performance from Bang, cut during some of his most creative years on the New York loft jazz scene, at a time when Billy was carving out a rich new space for his instrument in jazz – and helping move forward a very creative generation of musicians as well! The lineup here includes Bilal Abdur Rahman on tenor and soprano sax, William Parker on bass, Rashid Bakr on drums – along with Bang's violin, bells, shaker, and percussion. But almost even more compelling are a few spoken passages from Billy – extremely proud, righteous words, spoken with assurance that really sends them home – and which helps the album stand out strongly in the genre of jazz and spoken word. Not all tracks feature spoken bits, but when they appear, they're great – and titles include "Ganges/Enchantment/Tapestry", "Albert Ayler/Know Your Enemy", and "Black Man's Blues". New York Collage is a radio performance from 1978 – one that has a beautifully focused feel, even on some very long tracks – thanks to a bold musical vision from Bang, who's at his lean best here – able to reach for high concepts, without ever getting bogged down in them. Players include Bilal Abdur Rahaman and Henry Warner on saxes, William Parker on bass, Khuwana Fuller on congas, and Rashid Bakr on drums – and titles include "Subhanallah", "Illustration", "For Josie", and "Nobody Hear The Music The Same Way".

Nate Wooley's always got sounds that hold our attention – but he's almost even more compelling than usual here, in the company of drummer Paul Lytton – whose approach makes for a record that really bristles with invention! Lytton's got an approach to the kit that's a bit like some of his electronics – crisp and crackly, with these continued bursts that really charge up the tunes – leading Wooley's trumpet to equally staccato expressions. The bass of Christian Weber holds the whole thing together, with kind of a gentle undercurrent at times – and titles include "La Grande Mort", "Nickel Eyes", "Moribund", and "Pushing Up Daisies".

Talk about a meeting of the minds – a pair of ultra-amazing classics from the team of Roy Ayers & Wayne Henderson – back to back in a single set! At the time of Step Into Our Life, Henderson & Ayers were probably the biggest names in the jazz funk business – both with a smooth soulful style that was pushing the genre onto whole new levels, while still keeping firm roots in jazz – a rare blend that few other artists could handle this well! This initial debut from the pair seems to be much more dominated by the spirit of Roy Ayers' work at the time – particularly the mellow jazzed up work he was laying down on albums like Vibrations and You Send Me – a wicked sound that's rooted in modern soul modes, but filled with plenty of warm jazz elements too. The album's got wonderful vibes and electric piano from Roy – and tracks include "Step Into Our Life", "Lovers Should Always Be Together", "No Deposit No Return", "Ooh Baby", and "For Real". Prime Time is a funky classic from the team of Roy Ayers and Wayne Henderson – both at the top of their game here, and effortlessly mixing together jazz, funk, and soul! The record really seems to embrace the best of both artists' styles – some of the bassy groovers that Wayne did so well himself, and while producing for other artists – and those snakey, soulful numbers that we love so much in the late 70s work from Roy Ayers – ultra-sophisticated, but still plenty darn grooving – and some of the most sensual soul you'll ever hope to hear. The whole thing's great – and titles include "Weekend Lover", "Thank You Thank You", "Can You Dance", "It Ain't Your Sign It's Your Mind", "You Make Me Feel Like Rockin With Ya", "Have Your Way", and "Million Dollar Baby".

Raucous, rumbling and hard-charging Chess rhythms, rock and roll by Chuck Berry – his legendary After School Session – and possibly his greatest album ever! It features not only some of Chuck Berry's most famous material, but some of the best early rock songs, period –particularly the revolutionary "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" – plus"Berry Pickin", "Deep Feeling"," School Day", "Too Much Monkey Business", "Roly Poly", and "No Money Down". 3 bonus tracks on the CD: The fierce"Thirty Days", "You Can't Catch Me" and the uber-legendary "Maybelline".

No need for a leap of faith where Bluey's concerned – as we've been loving his music with Incognito for many many years, and we're more than happy to hear the man on his own! The vibe here is every bit as soulful and righteous as the best Incognito work – but there's also a more personal sound, too – especially since Bluey's on lead vocals on every track – quite a change from before, as he often lets other singers take the lead! Turns out, Bluey's a hell of a lead singer on his own – with this warm and slightly raspy style that really fits in wonderfully with the grooves – which are heavy on Bluey's own guitar, plus keyboards and other instrumentation from Ski Oakenfull and Richard Bull. If you like Incognito as much as us, there's plenty to love here – and titles include "Stronger", "Leap Of Faith", "Sky", "Keep Myself Together", "Ain't Nobody's Business", "Got To Let My Feelings Show", and "Live Like A Millionaire".

Further genius from James Brown at the start of the 70s – a record that's starting to show some of the more open-ended grooves he'd explore with the JBs on their own albums – longer, stretched-out tracks that are way more than simple funk and soul! There's a sense of freewheeling energy here that's totally great – dynamic, powerful calls from James at the top of most tunes – and incredibly sharp work on horns and rhythm from the band – cutting grooves and turning lines like no other combo in the business, all with a great mix of deep soul and hard funk! The album features the 7 minute killer version of "Let a Man Come In & Do The Popcorn", plus "World (parts 1 & 2)", "It's A New Day (parts 1 & 2)", "Give It Up or Turn It Loose", "If I Ruled The World", "The Man In The Glass (part 1)", and "I'm Not Demanding (part 1)". A treasure trove of funk and soul!

Rare grooves from Evans Pyramid – a sweet set of cosmic disco from the end of the 70s – recorded with a lean, almost spiritual vibe – quite similar to some of the great tracks reissued in the Soul Cal series! There's a definite ear for the dancefloor here – lots of upbeat rhythms, touched with sweet keyboards riffs, and layered with vocals that are almost an afterthought – yet have their own sort of message at the right moment. The group's the brainchild of Andre Evans, an artist whose huge legacy of music business work includes stints with Dyke & The Blazers, Little Anthony & The Imperials, and Tribe – as well as a host of key album sessions as well – but the sound is unlike any of those references, and has this great stripped-down late 70s club vibe throughout. The rare album is offered here with unreleased bonus tracks – and titles include "Rubber Band", "Never Gonna Leave You", "Dip Drop", "No I Won't", "Soul Petrol", and "Dance A Thon".

Rare grooves from Evans Pyramid – a sweet set of cosmic disco from the end of the 70s – recorded with a lean, almost spiritual vibe – quite similar to some of the great tracks reissued in the Soul Cal series! There's a definite ear for the dancefloor here – lots of upbeat rhythms, touched with sweet keyboards riffs, and layered with vocals that are almost an afterthought – yet have their own sort of message at the right moment. The group's the brainchild of Andre Evans, an artist whose huge legacy of music business work includes stints with Dyke & The Blazers, Little Anthony & The Imperials, and Tribe – as well as a host of key album sessions as well – but the sound is unlike any of those references, and has this great stripped-down late 70s club vibe throughout. The rare album is offered here with unreleased bonus tracks – and titles include "Rubber Band", "Never Gonna Leave You", "Dip Drop", "No I Won't", "Soul Petrol", "I Got A Rush For You", "Dance A Thon", and "Sugar Stop".

Legendary hip hip figures Phil Most Chill and Paul Nice team up as The Fabreeze Brothers! "Power Man & Iron Fist" kicks off with Bruce Lee vocal snippet on the art of fighting – and all business from there – with the raw beat, no nonsense rhymes, terse scratches and some unpredictable changes that play like a history of classic rap! Also includes a clean version and essential instro. The flip "Phyllis Diller" might be titled for an iconic comedienne, but it's no joke – another salvo from pair of true school hip hop's illest killers!

Kim Fowley, an author? Stranger things have happened – and given Fowley's penchant for putting his finger in just about every pie that came within reach, the whole thing's no surprise at all! The book is a stunning account of Fowley's important years in the music business – working in the sometimes lowest reaches of the LA scene, yet sometimes hitting the highest heights too – all told in really interesting detail, with a pacing that's completely unique! At lots of points, it kind of feels like Kim's telling you the story of his life over a few dozen drinks at the bar – with all the tangents you might expect – but at other times, there's this lucidity that's right in line with the Fowley genius in the studio – that way of being and going crazy while still holding all your cool – summed up perfectly in these few lines near the end of the book: "Well this is my version of what happened to me. I don't know if it really happened or not, but I think it did. I'm holding back a lot of stuff because it's too overwhelming in its darkness and it would be a sad read."

A pair of killers from Kwick – back to back on a single CD! First up is the self-titled Kwick – sweet 80s groove from a quartet who were once known as The Newcomers, and recorded some Memphis singles for Stax – but who here reemerge more than fully-formed – leaping into the new decade with an amazingly rich sound! Given the group's previous work, the vocals here are really wonderful – trained on old school harmony modes, and refitted to some more contemporary rhythms – yet all in a way that never loses the depth that made them so great in the first place. Although never super-huge, the group have a quality level that rivals the best of their contemporaries in this mode from the time – making this debut a stone gem to rival the best from acts like Switch or Tavares. Titles include "I Want To Dance With You", "Can't Help Myself", "Serious Business", "Let This Moment Be Forever", and "Tonight Is The Night". To The Point is a wonderful second set from Kwick – a bit more grooving than their first, with added emphasis on funky bass bits and keyboards – yet a set that's still filled with all the great vocals from before! It's not easy to harmonize tightly while stepping along with a lively rhythm, but Kwick make it all sound perfect here – super-tight, yet never uptight – in a rare blend that few other groups could ever reach in such a setting! The whole album's a charmer – and titles include "Split Decision", "Nightlife", "You're The Star Of My Show", "You're The Kind Of Girl I Like", "No Winner No Loser", and "I Choose You".

Singer Sarah Linhare's has Messages From The Future – delivered via this sweet little set of spacey future soul! Sarah's voice pulls you in pretty quickly, with genuine soul. The production is by Kenlo Craqnuques and a couple of guests, who all manage to blend soft, airy atmoshere with some fairly thick beats and other denser textures. The sounds work well together and the songs are memorable, so this one works out pretty darn well! Moonstarr produces a couple tracks, with additional guests Think Twice, Wayne Tennant & Anthony Pageot. Titles include "Grapefruit", "Sarinha", "Other Side", "Dirty Business", "No Question", "Step Up", "Move Along", " I Get Scared" and "Only Human".

Arguably one of the greatest albums ever cut by Jimmy Witherspoon – recorded live at an early Monterey Jazz Festival, and done in a style that shows the strong link between jazz and blues in Jimmy's work! The group on the set includes Ben Webster, Roy Eldridge, Coleman Hawkins, and Woody Herman – and the longish tracks on the set give them all more than enough room to solo alongside Jimmy's bluesy vocals. The album's also one of the first to be produced by a young David Axelrod – and shows a clear respect for both the singer and the musicians, in a combination that would come out even more strongly on Axe's later productions for Capitol. Titles include "No Rollin Blues", "Big Fine Girl", "Good Rockin Tonight", "Ain't Nobody's Business", and "When I Been Drinkin".

The Enjoy Records Story – but from the early days, when the label was a powerhouse outlet for R&B, blues, and early soul music – years before they also started cutting hip hop as well! The tracks here are all a great illustration of the keen ear of the imprint, and their strong focus on a few key acts who could really knock it out of the park – music that made Enjoy a key player at the start of the soul years of the 60s – even though some of its best artists went onto later fame at bigger labels. The collection is the best we've ever seen on Enjoy during these seminal years – and features a whopping 36 cuts that include "People Sure Act Funny" by Titus Turner, "Hoop & Holler" by Riff Ruffin, "I Believe To My Soul" by Louis Jones, "What Ya Gonna Do" by Noble Watts & June Bateman, "Get It" by Jay Dee Bryant, "Let's Do The Boston Monkey" by Les Cooper, "Don't Lie" by Sammy Taylor, "Sad Song" by The Channes, "Long Time No See" by Ronnie & The Manhattans, "Hot Potato" by The Rinky Dinks, "Ain't Nobody's Business" by Mary B, "It Hurts Me So" by Elmore James, "Soul Twist" by King Curtis, and "What Shall I Do" by Gladys Knight & The Pips.

A host of wonderful work produced by James Brown – most of it by a range of different singers, and one by The Godfather himself! The collection brings together some of the earliest James Brown productions – mid 60s tracks recorded for King and Smash Records, most of which aren't nearly as well known as later JB productions for the People and Polydor labels! As with that later work, all the grooves here are right in the same territory that James was hitting himself – upbeat, funky, and stone out of sight soul – all with plenty of rough edges, and backings from the same tight core of musicians that were helping out Brown on his recordings. The package is a real treasure – and is a great complement to the James Brown Singles collections from the Hip-O Select label – proof that even in these early days, James was clearly the hardest working man in show business – given all his time in the studio with other artists! 22 tracks in all – including "I Found Out" and "I'll Keep Pressing On" by Bobby Byrd, "That's When I Cry" and "If You Don't Think" by Anna King, "I Don't Care" and "Unexplainable" by Dizzy Jones, "Got No Excuse" and "If You Don't Work You Can't Eat" by James Crawford, "Do You Really Want To Rescue Me (part 1)" by Elsie Mae, "Lookie Lookie Lookie" by The Jewells, "Wide Awake In A Dream" and "Nobody Cares" by Vicki Anderson, "Devil's Den" by The Poets, "It Hurts To Be In Love" by Yvonne Fair, "That's The Spirit" by Rev Willingham, "Faith" by The Five Royales, "I Cried" by Tammy Montgomery, "Soul Food (parts 1 & 2)" by Al Brisco Clark, and "New Breed (The Boo Ga Loo) (part 1)" by James Brown.

Rare funk from one of the greatest labels in the business! King Records is known to many for its classic work with singers like James Brown, Hank Ballard, and Wynonie Harris – but during the later years of the label, they also pressed up a great amount of excellent funky 45s, including many that are some of the rarest you'll ever try to find. This 24 track set is the first to really try to document King's rich funk legacy – and it's got some amazing tracks that blend together raw southern soul, hard northern rhythms, and sweet James Brown-produced grooves. Any one of these tunes would set you back at least $50 on a single – not just because they're rare, but because they're some of the best funk cuts ever recorded. Titles include "Mr Tuff Stuff" by Toby King, "Gold Walk" by The Presidents, "Butter Your Popcorn" by Hank Ballard, "Your Thing Ain't No Good Without My Thing" by Marie Queenie Lyons, "Down Home Girl" by The Coasters, "Don't Get Funky" by Gloria Walker, "Funky Lady (parts 1 & 2)" by Soul East, "From The Back Side (parts 1 & 2)" by The Sons Of Funk, "Camelot Time" by J Hines & The Fellows, and "Papa's Got The Wagon" by Gloria Walker.

Quite possibly the most beautiful record we've ever seen from the folks at The Numero Group – and that's saying a lot, given the quality of all their top-shelf releases! This beautiful edition features a hardcover book of vintage black and white photographs taken on Chicago's south side in the mid 70s – images of patrons and proprietors from long-lost nite spots that include Perv's House, Pepper's Hideout, The High Chaparral, and The Showcase Lounge – all the kind of clubs that were likely to feature the sort of Chicago funk and soul that Numero's been reissuing for the past few years! The images are amazing – a really rare look into the community that supported this sort of music – caught far far from the mainstream, in placed that were almost even private, compared to more well-travelled entertainment outlets. Photographs come from the collection of Michael Abramson – and are beautifully reproduced on LP-sized pages, in a book that also features some vintage flyers, posters, and business cards from the clubs! And if that's not enough, Numero also throws in some great notes of their own, and a bonus 2LP set with music that includes "I'm A Streaker Baby" by Arelean Brown, "No Better Time Than Now" by Ricky Allen, "The Same One" by Malcolm Simmons, "You Made Me Suffer" by Andrew Brown, "This Is My Prayer" by Lady Margo, "It's A Dream" by Little Ed & The Soundmasters Band, "I Sayed That" by Slim Willis Band, "Bring It Down Front" by Hugh Hawkins, "Womans Lib" by Lucille Spann, "Gimmie Some Of Yours" by Artie White, "Baby" by Walter Butterball Davis, "Is It Because I'm Black (inst)" by Syl Johnson, "Goose Walk" by Little Mack, "Young Blood" by Detroit Jr, "California Lady" by James Kinds & Stack, and "I Learned My Lesson" by Willie Davis. The albums are packaged in their own Numero-like cover – then nestled in a slipcover with the book – a hell of a sweet set at this price, and it also comes with an introduction by Nick Hornby!

Talk about a meeting of the minds! At the time of this album, Henderson & Ayers were probably the biggest names in the jazz funk business – both with a smooth soulful style that was pushing the genre onto whole new levels, while still keeping firm roots in jazz – a rare blend that few other artists could handle this well! This initial debut from the pair seems to be much more dominated by the spirit of Roy Ayers' work at the time – particularly the mellow jazzed up work he was laying down on albums like Vibrations and You Send Me – a wicked sound that's rooted in modern soul modes, but filled with plenty of warm jazz elements too. The album's got wonderful vibes and electric piano from Roy – and tracks include "Step Into Our Life", "Lovers Should Always Be Together", "No Deposit No Return", "Ooh Baby", and "For Real".

Vintage work from Mississippi John Hurt, but somehow amazingly clear and crisp in this classic LP presentation! The tunes are wonderfully earthy – just vocals and guitar from Hurt, in a style that's definitely blues, but which has some surprisingly jazzy inflections at times – at least from the perspective of older-style jazz. Titles include "Candy Man Blues", "Spike Driver Blues", "Big Leg Blues", "Ain't No Tellin", "Frankie", "Nobody's Dirty Business", and "Louis Collins".

A sweet set of sophisticated soul from the always-great Marlena Shaw! After cutting some jazzier sides at Cadet in the late 60s, and some super mellow fusion ones at Blue Note in the early 70s, Marlena moved to big fame at Columbia during the mid 70s – working in a righteous smooth soul approach that skated the line between warm romantic ballads and righteous statements of female pride and power. The ultimate example of this is her fantastic remake of "Go Away Little Boy", merged here with the tune "Yu Ma", into a 7 minute track that has a sublime monologue in the middle – one in which Marlena accuses her man of hiding behind his heritage to not get down to business at a day to day level! Other tracks show Marlena as one of the most expressive, most together women in soul during the 70s – and this 14 track package is a perfect introduction to her work at Columbia! Titles include "Sweet Beginnings", "Walk Softly", "No One Yet", "Love Dancin", "Pictures & Memories", "Touch Me In The Morning", "I Wonder", "Moonrise", "I Think I'll Tell Him", and "Rhythm Of Love".

Raucous, rumbling and hard-charging Chess rhythms, rock and roll by Chuck Berry – his legendary After School Session – and possibly his greatest album ever! It features not only some of Chuck Berry's most famous material, but some of the best early rock songs, period –particularly the revolutionary "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" – plus"Berry Pickin", "Deep Feeling"," School Day", "Too Much Monkey Business", "Roly Poly", and "No Money Down".

Vocal magic from Ella Fitzgerald – a pair of 60s Verve albums, back to back on a single CD! On Ella Sings Broadway, Fitzgerald sings songs from the great white way – but in a style that makes the tunes completely her own! Marty Paich turns in some great jazzy arrangements for the set – and the tunes are far more swinging than the usual showtunes you might expect – stripped of all their stage-bound drama, and retooled by Paich as these tight little vehicles for Ella's amazing vocals! The album's arguably more expressive than even some of Fitzgerald's previous songbook sessions – even though most work comes from the same American stage mode – titles that include "Hernando's Hideaway", "I Could Have Danced All Night", "Whatever Lola Wants", "Guys and Dolls", "If I Were A Bell", "No Other Love", and "Steam Heat". They're not lying with the title to Rhythm Is My Business – as Ella's singing to backings from the great Bill Doggett – who cooks up some of the liveliest rhythms Ella ever received from Verve! The style is still similar to other Verve records of the time – with that magnificent Fitzgerald vocal style transforming familiar tunes and standards – but the groove is much more upbeat, and Ella swings it hard in a style that really takes us back to her earlier years. Titles include "Runnin Wild", "No Moon At All", "Laughin On The Outside", "I Can't Face The Music", and "Rough Ridin".

A rare bit of David Byrne from the best years of the Talking Heads – tunes commissioned by Twyla Tharp for an offbeat piece of dance entitled The Catherine Wheel. A few of the tracks are vocals, and feature some of Byrne's most compelling lyrics from the time – and others are instrumentals, filled with guitar and prophet, and coming up with lots of dark rhythmic sounds that lie somewhere in the territory of experimental work at the time by Brian Eno, Jon Hassell, Adrian Belew, and other mainstream avant rockers. Titles include "His Wife Refused", "Two Soldiers", "Red House", "My Big Hands", "Big Business", and "What A Day That Was".

Urban radio from the inside – the third volume in Marcus Chapman's very detailed memoirs – covering his important late 90s years at Chicago's WGCI! Unlike other books of this nature, which are usually just history – and ancient history at that – Chapman's volume really digs deep, not just into specifics of life in the radio business, but in the music business in general – with many very personal stories, and a fair bit of editorializing as well! The detail that Chapman uses is wonderful – really recreating this key period in urban radio in ways we might not have expected – and usually with a level of class and consideration that goes way past the sexy image on the cover. 283 pages, softcover.

One thing you have to remember about The Dells – they always sound great! Even here, in later years, their sound is superb – a rich, deep approach to harmonies that's still head and shoulders above most other groups in the business! The production on the set is by Norman Harris and the Harris Machine – and some tracks get a Philly groove on, while others stick in a mellower ballad mode that's completely dominated by the group. Niceness abounds, and titles include "Private Property", "God Helps Those", "Don't Trick Me, Treat Me", "Wasted Tears", and "How Can One Man Be So Lucky". CD features a bonus track – a US single edit of "Private Property".

DJ Format is joined by a pair of the more innovative figures in leftfield hip hop – the ever-adventurous Edan and underground mic hero Mr Lif! "Spaceship Earth" is killer – with raw and funky backdrop, psych funk guitar in the mix and other cosmic atmospherics. Edan is is all business on the rhymes, too! "Terror" is just as great – centered around funky drums and Lif's excellent rhymes with some sampled vocal madness swirling in and out. A great single!

A soaring classic from The Emotions – thanks to some supreme help from the Earth Wind & Fire side of the soul spectrum! This set has the trio really sounding great – with Kalimba Productions by Maurice White and Charles Stepney – and a good deal of EWF help on the instrumentation as well! The girls break out of the rootsier style used on their earlier Stax recordings, and manage to fit perfectly with the jazzy tinges of the new grooves – and, along with Ramsey Lewis and EWF, the Emotions were part of a hugely successful trinity during the late 70s – one that took the indie soul roots of the Chicago scene and turned it into landmark big business for Columbia Records. The album's got a new approach to female group soul that would go onto shape R&B for years to come – and titles include "Flowers", "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love", "We Go Through Changes", "Special Part", and "You've Got The Right To Know". CD features a bonus single version of "Flowers".

One of the first contemporary soundtracks on the mostly-vintage Death Waltz label – and a great record that really lives up to the same style as horror scores of yore! The music is mostly spare, but plenty dark – a definite death waltz of subtle sounds brewed together carefully – so that the initial approach is somewhat subtle, but the whole thing comes across with a really eerie edge once it gets going! Justin Greaves is best known for his work in a variety of contemporary bands – but here, he's completely different – and a master of the subtle, simple statement – on tracks that include "The Hit", "The Telling", "The Whistler", "Business Is Good", "Losing (spooky version)", and "My Enemies I Fear Not But Protect Me From My Friends".

One of the first contemporary soundtracks on the mostly-vintage Death Waltz label – and a great record that really lives up to the same style as horror scores of yore! The music is mostly spare, but plenty dark – a definite death waltz of subtle sounds brewed together carefully – so that the initial approach is somewhat subtle, but the whole thing comes across with a really eerie edge once it gets going! Justin Greaves is best known for his work in a variety of contemporary bands – but here, he's completely different – and a master of the subtle, simple statement – on tracks that include "The Hit", "The Telling", "The Whistler", "Business Is Good", "Losing (spooky version)", and "My Enemies I Fear Not But Protect Me From My Friends".

A great little solo set from Gene Harris – and a perfect example of that magical time after he'd left the Three Sounds, but hadn't yet hit the more standard styles of later years – a period when Harris was really experimenting with a wide range of keyboards and sounds! The set has arranger Jerry Peters weighing in – bringing some of his own quirky touches into play with Gene's wonderful work on keyboards – which includes plenty of Fender Rhodes and moog, as well as other keys of the time too. Funky titles include "Koko & Lee Rose", "Funky Business", "Rushin Roulette", "HRD (Boogie)", and "Gettin Down Country" – and the set's got a great mellow moody soul track called "Prayer 76", with a bit of a Roy Ayers feel.

A seminal session from the St Louis scene of the early 70s – one that was humming nearly as much as Chicago was with the AACM at the time! As with the larger organization in the Windy City, St Louis had the Black Artists Group – of which Julius Hemphill was a key member, forming fresh new ideas in improvisatory jazz with players who went onto have an undeniable impact on the global scene as well. This album's one of the standout recordings of the Black Artists era at its best – a record produced by Hemphill, but equally balanced between his own alto and flute, the trumpet of Baikida Carroll, cello of Abdul Wadud, and drums of Phillip Wilson – plus a bit of added baritone from Haimet Bluiett. The rhythms are quite open, but there's also a nice sense of structure to the record too – a bridge between spiritual and free jazz that prefaces the impact that both Hemphill and Bluiett would have on the New York loft jazz generation. Titles include "Dogon AD", "Rites", and "The Painter". Great reissue too – in a gatefold LP-styled cover, with bonus insert notes, including the artwork from the original 1972 pressing on Hemphill's Mbari label! CD also features a bonus track – "Hard Blues" from Hemphill's Coon Business album!

An excellent early album from Millie Jackson – recorded in a southern soul style in New York and Muscle Shoals, but a lot hipper than most of the rest of the female soul that was coming out of the south at the time. For one thing, Millie was a bad mamma singer – rapping hard and frankly about the way things is (or were). For another, Millie's not necessarily as great in the sweet department as some of her contemporaries – so she sticks to the harder material, except for a few tear jerking ballads, and adds in a lot of humor and touches of the fierce sarcasm that would soon become her calling card in the soul business. Gary Byrd penned the leadoff cut "I Cry", and the other tracks include "Two Faced World", "Hypocrisy", "Good To The Very Last Drop", "Help Yourself", and "Now That You Got It". CD features a whopping amount of bonus tracks too – previously unissued versions of "It Hurts So Good", "Help Yourself", "Here Comes Love", "That's My Style", "Hypocrisy", and "Breakaway" – all sounding much more different than the master takes!

The funkiest album that Syl Johnson ever recorded – filled with short, tight cuts that play more like a stack of funky 45s than the standard soul album of the time! The record draws from the great run of singles that Syl cut for Twinight Records at the end of the 60s – some of the hardest soul coming out of Chicago at the time, with a gritty feel that's right up there with some of James Brown's best late 60s work – or even better, some of the other obscure acts working in the American underground at the time. A few tunes are familiar from their popularity as classic 45s – but the album's got lots more wonderful numbers that are lesser-known – and all of them are great! Titles include the classic Syl Johnson sample cut "Different Strokes" – plus "Dresses Too Short", "I Can Take Care of Business", "Soul Drippin", "Sorry Bout Dat", "Same Kind Of Thing", and "Come On Sock It To Me".

A brilliant look at the early days of the comic book industry – a very well-written history that intermingles economic history and personal biography – in ways that really get at the complexity of the early days of comics! Gerard Jones covers a wide range of roots at the start of the book – then really zeroes in on a few key figures who help give structure to his portrait of the young comic book industry – the team of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who created Superman; and the businessmen Harry Donenfeld and Jack Liebowitz, who moved from sleazy pulp to mainstream fame with their work at DC Comics. Jones introduces a number of other figures along the way – and does a brilliant job of laying out the landscape of youth in the depression and World War years – and he really illuminates darker corners of this history, and gets way way past some of the over-told chestnuts of the early years, to link the growth of the industry to the rise of corporate-owned culture in the 60s and beyond. 384 pages, hardcover, with some black and white images.

One of our favorite albums ever – and every track is a masterpiece! The album was originally cut for the tiny Chiaroscuro label in 1977 – and it's got a sound that's unlike anything else we can think of – soaring, soulful, jazzy, and righteous – wrapped up in a blend that's never been done this perfectly again! James Mason's a player who's know for a bit of keyboard work with other artists – but here, he's really working as a collective power – bringing together a brilliant ensemble that work as one to hit some sublime sounds – much in the way that Roy Ayers could work some key magic with his groups at the same time, but with a vibe that's very different too. Players include Ayers associates Justo Almario on saxes and Philip Woo on piano – and a young Narada Michael Walden adds some excellent drums to the record – a lot more powerful and funky than on most of his own albums! Lead vocals are by Clarice Taylor – who's got this unique voice that really makes the record – proud, but sensitive at the same time too – and Mason plays lots of Fender Rhodes, polymoog, Arp, and a bit of guitar. Titles include the breakbeat classic "Funny Girl", the monster groover "Sweet Power Your Embrace", the funky "Slick City", and the massive "Free" – but every cut's a winner, and others include "Mbewe", "Rhythm Of Life", and "Dreams". This is the kind of album that makes us proud to be in business!

A smoking selection of work from Memphis giant Willie Mitchell – some of the funkiest tracks he ever recorded, stuffed together in one mighty set! Willie's probably best know for his famous studio work for Ann Peebles and Al Green – but on his own, Mitchell can carve out a cooker like nobody's business – in this case with a great ear for the kind of harder instrumental soul sounds you might hear from Stax or Atlantic Records at the start of the 70s! These tunes have a way harder edge than the compressed, smooth sound of Willie's work with singers – and often feature a sharp solo instrument in the lead – such as tenor sax, riffing guitar, or soulful trumpet. Titles include "Breaking Point", "Six To Go", "Poppin", "Pearl Time", "20-75", "Leo's Mood", "The Champion", "Mercy", "That Driving Beat", "30 60 90", "Everything's Gonna Be Alright", and "Big Power House".

A Windy City classic – from Vee Jay Records! The MJT grooves like nobody's business, thanks to a core rhythm group that includes Harold Mabern on piano, Walter Perkins on drums, and Bob Cranshaw on bass! Add to the mix a young Frank Strozier on alto, fresh from Memphis (he made the trip to Chi-town with buddy Harold Mabern), and the smoking trumpet of Willie Thomas, and you've got one of the tightest combos to never make it in the big time – a killer little group that was almost a Chicago secret back in the day, but one that's well worth discovering if you've got any sort of a love for hardbop or soul jazz! This oft-overlooked gem is one of the best hardbop albums to ever come out of Chicago, and it's got some great originals by Mabern – like "Richie's Dilemma" and "Make Everybody Happy" – plus a nice version of Booker Little's "Sweet Silver".

Early work by Dave Pike – one of his first albums ever, recorded with an all-star lineup that includes Barry Harris on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Pike's got less of the groovy and fuzzed-out sound of his later work – but even at this young age, he's a heck of a vibes player, and working here with such a great group, he can't help but sparkle. Tracks include "Cheryl", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Forward", "Tendin To Business", "Solar", and "Hot House".

An amazing set of music – two rare albums from Ohio funk legend Lou Ragland, plus bonus tracks, and a whole set of unreleased sessions too – a huge amount of new music, even if you've got some of the previous reissues! First up is the legendary Hot Chocolate album – one of the greatest lost funk records of all time! The group is not the British pop band, but an Ohio funk group led by the great guitarist Lou Ragland. The album's originally from Canada, which makes it super rare – and these guys are funky funky funky, and kick some major booty with a heavy guitar sound that's just great! Some of the cuts are instrumental, and some of them have some excellent soul vocals that are produced with a nice deep sound that's brought out nicely by the excellent quality of the reissue. The record's got a bit of Sly Stone, a bit of Grant Green, and a bit of Mike James Kirkland – with a tasty raw indie soul vibe – and the original album was only pressed up at 500 copies. Titles include "So Dam Funky", "Ain't That A Groove", "Sexy Moods Of Your Mind", "Messin With Sly", and "What You Want To Do" – plus 8 more tracks from the same vintage – "Good For The Gander" by Hot Chocolate, "I Travel Alone" and Big Wheel" by Lou Ragland, "Red Robin" and "I've Got Something Going On" by Volcanic Eruption, and "I Can't Take It" and "What The Doctor Prescribed" by Lou Ragland & Hot Chocolate. Next is The Conveyor – the second album from Lou Ragland, stepping out here in a great set of mellow soul tracks! The album's quite different from the heavy funk of the Hot Chocolate album – more of a message-oriented approach to soul, in the vein of similar 70s indie work by Mike James Kirkland. The arrangements are also bigger – not smooth, but ambitious, in a style that perfectly matches the higher vision Lou's going for in tracks like "Understand Each Other", "What Should I Do?", "The Next World", and "It's Got To Change". Conveyor also comes with bonus tracks too – "Tend To Your Business" by Wildfire, plus "Since You Said You'd Be Mine" and "I Didn't Mean To Leave You" by Lou Ragland. And last up is an incredible batch of unreleased material – maybe the biggest and best so far from Ragland – tracks that have this really ambitious quality that mixes soul, funk, and larger orchestrations – especially some light strings, which really expand the sound, and push the music into this righteous territory that reminds us a lot of the creative experiments in Chicago during the Cadet/Concept years! Lou's vocals are great, and the message is totally righteous – and even though the tape quality is slightly aged, the soulful vibe really comes through – on cuts that include "Understand Each Other", "It Ain't My Fault", "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love", "Spend My Life Loving You", "Until I Met You", and "Brother Louie". Lovingly packaged by Numero – with a huge booklet of photos and history – and cool mini-LP sleeves too!

Horace Silver at his most righteous – stepping out here in the amazing Phase 2 of his United States Of The Mind series – with some heavy vocals from the great Andy Bey! The grooves are more complicated than Silver was laying down a few years before – yet still equally soulful – and in addition to vocals by Be, and his sister Salome, the group also features Silver on electric piano, plus Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet & fluegelhorn, Harold Vick on tenor sax, and Bob Cranshaw on bass, Richie Resnicoff on guitar and Mickey Roker on drums – a sweet little combo who really open up with a hip, righteous groove! The titles probably give more information about the tracks than we ever could, and include "Acid, Pot, Or Pills", "Soul Searchin", "What Kind Of Animal Am I", "I've Had A Little Talk", and "Big Business".

Horace Silver at his most righteous – stepping out here in the amazing Phase 2 of his United States Of The Mind series – with some heavy vocals from the great Andy Bey! The grooves are more complicated than Silver was laying down a few years before – yet still equally soulful – and in addition to vocals by Be, and his sister Salome, the group also features Silver on electric piano, plus Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet & fluegelhorn, Harold Vick on tenor sax, and Bob Cranshaw on bass, Richie Resnicoff on guitar and Mickey Roker on drums – a sweet little combo who really open up with a hip, righteous groove! The titles probably give more information about the tracks than we ever could, and include "Acid, Pot, Or Pills", "Soul Searchin", "What Kind Of Animal Am I", "I've Had A Little Talk", and "Big Business".

An amazing document of righteous soul jazz – the full recordings for Horace Silver's United States Of Mind trilogy – done in collaboration with singers Andy and Salome Bey! The sound is completely different from Silver's work of the 60s – very righteous and message-oriented, with lyrics that often express social and political issues of the time – but which are delivered by the singers in a hip style that takes them far beyond their era – so much so, in fact, that all three albums are really only being appreciated to their fullest years later! Most of the recordings feature smaller combo instrumentation from groups that have Silver playing mostly electric piano – alongside musicians that include Randy Brecker, George Coleman, Houston Person, Idris Muhammad, Harold Vick, and Cecil Bridgewater – and overall, the tunes almost feel more like work that would have been issued on the Strata East label, instead of the usual Blue Note grooves of the time. Wonderful to have back out again – especially in this complete version, which features 28 tracks on 2CDs! Titles include "Big Business", "The Happy Medium", "Won't You Open Up Your Senses", "Soul Searchin", "All", "From The Heart Through The Mind", "Total Response", "Cause & Effect", "Wipe Away The Evil", and "Peace".

There's nobody like The Small Faces at their best – as you'll hear from the group's killer 1966 album on Decca! The style here is tight, right, and fully-formed straight from the start – easily one of the best UK 60s hybrids of American influences from R&B, garage rock, and early psych – sorted out perfectly by a quartet of lads who really know what they're doing. And the album's maybe even more focused than the group's later album on Immediate – as here, The Small Faces are all business, and the right kind of gritty – just fantastic stuff that's fresh and exciting even today! Titles include "Shake", "Come On Children", "You Better Believe It", "IT's Too Late", "One Night Stand", "Sorry She's Mine", "Sha La La Lee", and "Own Up Time". 2CD version is filled with great stuff – the full mono mix of the album, plus bonus tracks that include "Patterns", "Grow Your Own", "What's A Matter Baby", and "I've Got Mine" – and then a full bonus CD of 14 more tracks – all strange mixes and alternate versions of album tracks!

Great late 70s work from Jimmy Smith – two albums back to back on a single CD! One of our favorite later albums from organist Jimmy Smith – and a set that cooks heavily in a wicked blend of jazz, funk, and soul! The style's a bit like the groove that Johnny Hammond hit during his Gears period – arranged by Eugene McDaniels and Alan Silvestri, with an approach that's somewhere between Larry Mizell and Skip Scarborough – tight grooves, bits of vocals, yet plenty of room for Smith's keyboard solos to take off over the top! Players include Herbie Hancock on piano, Alan Silvestri on guitar, and Lenny White on drums – but the main star is Jimmy – who's grooving massively over the top of the album, with soaring solos that are some of his best work from the late 70s. Our favorite track on here is a masterful take of "Can't Hide Love", but there's a lot of other nice funky tracks like "Slippery Hips", "My Place In Space", and "Give Up the Booty". Unfinished Business is mighty soulful business from the great Jimmy Smith – a set for Mercury Records that updates his sound slightly, yet also hits some classic Hammond lines too! Jimmy plays a bit of acoustic piano and keyboards in addition to his classic organ – and works here in a setting that's tightly arranged, yet mostly small combo – with work from Ray Crawford on guitar, Nolan Phillips on tenor and flute, and added percussion from Buck Clarke and Stephanie Spruill. Rhythms step along nicely in kind of a 70s take on 60s soul jazz modes – leaving lots of room for Jimmy to open up on his solos – but there's also a few other more ambitious moments, including a great take on "Serpentine Fire" arranged by Ronnie Foster – and a warmly wonderful "Stevie" – which is a suite of tracks dedicated to Stevie Wonder. Other titles include "8 Counts For Rita", "Blues For Charlie", "Until It's Time For You To Go", and "Norristown PA".

Massive massive work from Starship Orchestra – a trio of talents from the Norman Connors universe, but one who get some heavy help in the studio from arrangers Bobby Lyle, McKinley Jackson, and Jerry Peters! There's a real Aquarian Dream sound at play here – all the best energy of Connors' soulful years of the mid 70s, fused into a jazzier vibe overall – played to perfection, yet without any commercial touches at all – a really amazing thing for a major label album of the time! We've loved this record for years, and easily rank it right up there with the most sophisticated grooves of the time – like the best from Roy Ayers or Leroy Hutson, with some echoes of James Mason's wonderful album too. One cut has lead vocals from Joe Saulter – and other players include Lyle and Peters on keyboards, Wah Wah Watson and Paul Jackson on guitars, Don Myrick on saxes, and Louis Satterfield and George Bohannon on trombones. The whole thing's perfect – and titles include "You're A Star", "The Genie", "All Those Things", "Serious Business", and "New York New York".

Smoking soul from Nicole Willis – one of our favorite funky females of the past decade or two! Nicole's been making great records for awhile, but she really knocks it out of the part with this killer set – grooving hard with the Soul Investigators, in a raw raw groove that really gives the whole Daptone/Sharon Jones scene a run for their money! And if anything, the production and instrumentation on this one is even rawer than you might expect – in a great space that's somewhere between the funky 45 underground of the late 60s, and the best southern soul of the same time. Didier produced, and gives the record a few sweet trippy touches in just the right places – almost bringing in a Darondo aesthetic at a few points – and titles include "Delete My Number", "Light Years Ahead", "On The East Side", "Break Free", "Time To Get Business Straight", "It's All Because Of You", "You Got Me Moonwalkin", and "Now I Can Fly".

A rich tribute to one of the greatest indies of the south – especially back in the 50s – Jackson's mighty Ace Records – home to a rich array of R&B, early rockers, and rootsy music too – all served up here in a mightily overstuffed compilation! The set brings together a few unreleased tracks alongside Ace singles and other obscurities – a rich testament to the strength of the label back in the day – and their great ear for sounds from surrounding scenes as well – as the music here has plenty of echoes of Memphis and New Orleans too! The package is heavy on obscure gems – and titles include "Baby Say You Will" by Jesse Allen, "Hey Hey Baby Come Home" by Albert Scott, "Well I Never Get Tired" by Johnny Fairchild, "Educated Fool" by Huey Piano Smith, "Roll On Train" by Elton Anderson, "Doing The Rock & Roll" by Calvin Spears, "Classy Lassie" by Alvin Red Tyler & The Gyros, "I'm Packing Up" by Earl King, "Love's Like A River" by Charles Brown, "Roll Em Back" by Eddie Bo, and "Love Is My Business" by Bobby Woods. CD features 9 more bonus tracks from the original album – with titles that include "Shed So Many Tears" by Elton Anderson, "You Aim To Please" by Jimmy Clanton, "Sea Cruise" by Huey & Jerry, "Baby It's Love" by Johnny Angel, and "Rock" by Lee Dorsey.

A killer assortment of funky leftfield grooves from the late 70s and early 80s – groundbreaking work that goes way beyond conventional club, funk, and disco! The music here was light years ahead of its time, and still sounds pretty darn fresh today – a weird mix of arty, punky, and experimental modes – but all filtered down into a groove that's still catchy and compelling enough to cross over to fans of mainstream club. Many cuts here had a huge influence on house and techno modes of the mid 80s, and continue to have impact today on some of the younger, more influential groovemakers around the globe – and this single CD set is sort of a re-casting of the previous Disco Not Disco collections on Strut Records, which themselves were influential enough at the start of the current decade. CD features the tracks "Mind Your Own Business" by Delta 5, "Crunch Cake" by Isotope, "Your Life (party mix)" by Konk, "Launderette" by Vivien Goldman, "My Spine Is The Bassline (12" edit)" by Shriekback, "Contort Yourself (August Darnell rmx)" by James White & The Blacks, "Love Tempo (rmx)" by Quando Quango, "Sharevari (inst)" by A Number Of Names, "Silent Street/Silent Dub" by Maximum Joy, "Shake It Right" by Six Sed Red, and "Los Ninos Del Parque (12" mix)" by Liaisons Dangereuses.

Deep deep soul – from an almost unlikely source! In the early 60s, the Old Town label was mostly known as the home to some top-shelf R&B, pop-oriented doo wop, and classier vocals – but as the decade rolled on, Old Town started to move into styles that included a fair bit of harder deep soul, and which included a fair number of tunes the label purchased from other sources in the south! This side of Old Town has often been under-acknowledged next to the company's more famous doo wop output – but it's wonderfully brought back to light here, through a wonderful set of notes and fantastic track selection that easily makes the set one of the best deep soul CDs we've heard in a while! Some of the work here is by artists who sung more famously for other labels, but who come off especially nicely here – and other tracks are by virtual unknowns who were lost to the shifting fates of the record business, given Old Town's decline at the time. But whatever the case, the collection's an excellent one – filled with 24 deep soul tracks that include "I Won't Give Up My Man" and "Never Leave Me" by Thelma Jones, "I Got The Right" and "Stop" by Lester Young, "Nobody Knows" by The Flambeaus, "Sugar" by Bobby & Betty Lou, "She's A Woman" by Jesse Gee, "It Ain't Right" by Roscoe & Barbara, "Heartbreak Avenue" by Bobby Long & The Dealers, "Crazy Little Girl" and "I'll Never Forget You" by Donald Height, "I'm Sorry For You" by Frank Howard & The Commanders, and "Just Loving You" by Irene Reid.

The first-ever tribute to the legendary American Studios – the late 60s Memphis powerhouse that was as important to the sound of the south as Fame, Stax, and Hi Records! American did work for a number of different labels, and had their own brief imprint as well – and like their better-known contemporaries, they had a core house band who could provide killer backup to just about anyone – as you'll hear from the great range of music in this collection! Like Fame, who started in soul and picked up a lot of rock business as the 60s moved on, American had a great way of crossing barriers between music – and really helping unite the sounds of the time through their legendary production work and super-sensitive instrumentation. The CD's an accompaniment to the similarly-titled book by Roben Jones, but comes with almost enough great notes to make for a book itself – and titles include "Nine Pound Steel" by Joe Simon, "You've Got My Mind Messed Up" by James Carr, "I'm In Love" by Wilson Pickett, "More Than I Can Stand" by Bobby Womack, "Let's Do It Over" by LC Cooke, "Suspicious Minds" by Mark James, "Born A Woman" by Sandy Posey, "The Letter" by The Box Tops, "Shake A Tail Feather" by James & Bobby Purify, "Son Of A Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield, "Skinny Legs & All" by Joe Tex, "Funky Street" by Arthur Conley, and "Suzy Do It Better Than You" by Clay Hammond.

Rare gems from the funky 45 underground of the late 60s and early 70s – and maybe the most smoking volume in this all-great series so far! The sound is hard and heavy right from the start – very much in the best mode of the funky 45 reissues we've been hearing from Tramp in recent years – right up there with the deepest funk you'd get from labels like Ace/Kent or Jazzman on their best compilations! And although other volumes have all been great, there's a special sort of magic this time around – an edge that really shows the evolution of Tramp's ear for picking a groove – and deep notes that also show their growing knowledge of the most obscure cuts from back in the day. We can guarantee there's plenty here you don't already have in your record collection – and titles include "Funky Screw" by Lee Fields, "Soul Chicken" by Bobby Allen & The Exceptions, "Ease It On In" by Sunrize, "Deepest Sympathy" by Theodis Ealey, "Tend To Your Business (parts 1 & 2)" by Wildfire, "Pat's Rubber Band" by Alley Pat, "Puttin It On Your Mind" by Jimmy Ellis, "Nobody Loves Me Like My Baby" by Jimmy Gilford, "99/44 100 Pure Love" by Al Reed, and "Monkey In A Sack" by Lil Buck & The Top Cats.

Rare gems from the funky 45 underground of the late 60s and early 70s – and maybe the most smoking volume in this all-great series so far! The sound is hard and heavy right from the start – very much in the best mode of the funky 45 reissues we've been hearing from Tramp in recent years – right up there with the deepest funk you'd get from labels like Ace/Kent or Jazzman on their best compilations! And although other volumes have all been great, there's a special sort of magic this time around – an edge that really shows the evolution of Tramp's ear for picking a groove – and deep notes that also show their growing knowledge of the most obscure cuts from back in the day. We can guarantee there's plenty here you don't already have in your record collection – and titles include "Funky Screw" by Lee Fields, "Soul Chicken" by Bobby Allen & The Exceptions, "Ease It On In" by Sunrize, "Deepest Sympathy" by Theodis Ealey, "Tend To Your Business (parts 1 & 2)" by Wildfire, "Pat's Rubber Band" by Alley Pat, "Puttin It On Your Mind" by Jimmy Ellis, "Nobody Loves Me Like My Baby" by Jimmy Gilford, "99/44 100 Pure Love" by Al Reed, and "Monkey In A Sack" by Lil Buck & The Top Cats.

A treasure box of early 60s R&B 45s – a top shelf collection of singles cut for the King & Federal labels from 1960 to 1964 – amazing numbers from Hank Ballard, Freddy King, The Drivers, Little Bobby Moore, Willie Dixon & The Big Wheels, Johnny Guitar Watson, Carol Ford, Little Willie John and more. Early 60s soul and rollicking R&B sides to rival the best and most exciting sounds of the era – compiled by DJ Mr Fine Wine, most of which have never been reissued before now! Includes "Gibble Gobble" by Willie Wright & His Sparklers, "Broadway" by Hank Ballard, "What Makes You So Cold" by Lulu Reed, "My Nerves" by Little Willie John, "The Slummer The Slum" by The 5 Royales, "I Don't Know About You" by Lloyd Nolan, "Where You At Jack" by Little Mummy, "That's It Man" by The Valentines, "Mind Your Own Business" by Eugene Church, "Regardless" by Charles Brown, "Texas Oil" by Freddie King", "One Zippy Zam" by Roy Mildton & His Orchestra, "Mom, Won't You Teach Me To Monkey" by Little Emmett Suttoon, "Hog Killin Time" by Eddie Kirk and more.

Smoking soul from 60s Texas – a tremendous amount of rare tunes from obscure little singles – pulled together to showcase the Lonestar State as a musical powerhouse to rival Motown, Philly, or the Windy City! The tracks here are all from various labels headed by the legendary Huey P Meux – and unlike other Texas work you may know from the time, lots of these numbers are bubbling over with the kind of soul elements you'd normally hear from east coast indie work of the time – and in that way, are almost like some of the other 60s material cut by southern transplants on the LA scene of the time – familiar, but a little offbeat too – with odd little twists and turns that really keep things interesting, and which make the package a really fresh musical discovery. There's some nice deep soul elements at times, particularly on the mellower cuts – and titles include "Go Go Train" by Jackie Paine, "That Is Why The End Must Begin" by Joe Masters, "Irene" by Rockin Dave Allen, "Time" by Charles Barry, "Get To Gitten" by Big Walter, "Doggin Around" by Jean Knight, "Friends In Show Business" by Joe Melvin, "Neighbor Neighbor" by Alton Valier, "You'll Lose A Good Thing (demo)" by Barbara Lynn, "Let Them Talk" by Johnny Adams, "If You're Looking For A Fool" by David King Thomas, and "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down" by Margo White.

Japan's Globe Trotter crew hits the Munich scene – and comes back with a tasty little package of tracks from Compost Records! The set's a Japanese-only one, and features some really wonderful tunes from Compost – one of the best underground labels currently in business. Titles include "Snowblind (Zimpala rmx)" by Minus 8, "Different Place (Universal Funk rmx)" by Daniel Magg, "Lady Luck (Misa Negra rmx)" by Victor Davies, "Futuristic (Grand Unified House Not House rmx)" by Joseph Malik, "Light" by Wei Chi, "The Empiricist" by Ben Mono, "Universal Love" by Truby Trio with Marcus Begg, and "Let It Go (Rima house mix)" by Rima with Julie Dexter.

A wonderful little album from Jackie Wilson – one that helped him redefine his sound and save his career! Jackie's earlier work for Brunswick was a mish-mash of styles that ranged from raw R&B to smooth supper-club jazz to silly novelty numbers, all of which had gotten pretty stale by the mid 60s. Elsewhere at Brunswick, though, things were really popping during the time – as Carl Davis was turning the label's Chicago offices into a hotbed of soul, forged in the newer hipper styles of the Chisoul scene. Davis got Wilson into the Chicago scene for this album – had him working with arranger Sonny Sanders and director Gerald Sims – to create a wonderful batch of strident soul tunes that perfectly embody the loping Chisoul groove that was Davis' real legacy in soul music during the 60s. The prime example of this is the title cut "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher" – which became a runaway hit that put Wilson back on the map I the soul business. The rest of the album's just as great, though, and includes loads of solid numbers like "Soulville", "I've Lost You", "Those Heartaches", and "I'm The One To Do It".

Rare work by Cannonball – recorded live in Europe in the early 60s, and only ever issued there until the release of this CD in the US! The set features live material performed by Cannon's amazing group that included Joe Zawinul on piano, Yusef Lateef on reeds, Nat Adderley on cornet, and the rhythm section of Sam Jones and Louis Hayes – all grooving together perfectly for the set, with a fluid mix of hardbop, soul jazz, and slight exotic traces that are completely sublime! Titles include "P Bouk", "Gemini", "Work Song", "Trouble In Mind" and "Dizzy's Business".

The beginning of an empire! This was the first solo album cut by the now-famous Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds – cut after years of work in the music business that included stints in the groups Manchild and The Deele, and lots of production work for other LA soul acts. The record's kind of a rougher version of the modern R&B style that you'll know from Babyface's big hits of the early 90s – more in the style of some of the Solar Records acts of the early 80s, and some of the other big keyboard/bass pedal bands on the market at the time. The real contribution, though, is Kenny's ability to infuse the whole thing with soul – taking these tinny little tracks and making them come out kind of sweet, not only through his famous production, but through his faltering vocal style, which is about the most honest-sounding aspect of the record. Titles include "Lovers", "Marry Mack", "If We Try", "Take Your Time", and a cover of "You Make Me Feel Brand New".

Nothing fancy, but a great back to basics session from Byrd – very solidly played, with a tight group, in a style that recalls his best mid 60s work for Blue Note! Players include Kenny Garrett, Joe Henderson, Donald Brown, Peter Washington, and the great Al Foster on drums – and the strength of Garrett and Henderson makes for some excellent tracks that rank with Byrd's best work of his late career. Titles include "Around The Corner", "Theme For Malcolm", "Popmponio", "A Certain Attitude", and "The Onliest".

A soaring classic from The Emotions – thanks to some supreme help from the Earth Wind & Fire side of the soul spectrum! This set has the trio really sounding great – with Kalimba Productions by Maurice White and Charles Stepney – and a good deal of EWF help on the instrumentation as well! The girls break out of the rootsier style used on their earlier Stax recordings, and manage to fit perfectly with the jazzy tinges of the new grooves – and, along with Ramsey Lewis and EWF, the Emotions were part of a hugely successful trinity during the late 70s – one that took the indie soul roots of the Chicago scene and turned it into landmark big business for Columbia Records. The album's got a new approach to female group soul that would go onto shape R&B for years to come – and titles include "Flowers", "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love", "We Go Through Changes", "Special Part", and "You've Got The Right To Know".

The final LP of the first round of EPMD, and the hardest to get on vinyl since it's not been made available in multiple pressings or reissues. 11 tracks of the LI hardcore boom bap with Eric and Parrish reppin' the East coast in fine style over their patented bass heavy trunk rattling beats. Non stop head nodders from start to finish including "Boon Dox", "Nobody's Safe Chump", "Can't Hear Nothing But The Music", "Chill", "Headbanger", "Scratch Bring It Back (Part 2 - Mic Doc)", "Cummin' At Cha", "It's Going Down", "Who Killed Jane", "Play The Next Man" and "Crossover".

The LA Turnaround from Brit folk tunesmith Bert Jansch – one of the few records he made for Charisma in the mid 70s – this one fresh from the break up of the seminal Pentangle! The UK folk sound is as noteable in Bert's voice as any other aspecet of this warm, wonderful set – but there's also some laidback, southern Cali sunshine in the acoustic picking as well as the more fleshed out instrumentation, with some electric bass, pedal steel and electric piano that shows up when the mood strikes. A really wonderful record, produced by Mike Nesmith, who often a part of some pretty inspiring things when free of any creativitely stifling Monkee business! Titles include "Fresh As A Sweet Sunday Morning", "Chambertin", "Travelling Man", "Stone Monkey", "Needle Of Death", "Lady Nothing", "One For Jo", "Open Up The Watergate (Let The Sunshine In), "The Blacksmith" and more. Vinyl version includes a bonus CD 4 bonus tracks: alternate versions of "Open Up The Watergate", "The Blacksmith" and "One For Jo", plus "In The Bleak Midwinter, plus the CD is enhanced, featuring the 13+ minute behind the scenes "LA Turnaround. . .The Movie".

A range of styles from Taj Mahal – from slow rolling, reggae tinged bluesy soul, to much bigger arrangements working in elements of funk, country soul, and more smoothed out jams on a bed of brass and backing vocals – Taj is all over the place here, and it a lot of it works surprisingly well! The kitchen sink approach only goes so far, and a bunch of the tunes indeed find working with reggae rhythms, and an easygoing approach to the vocals that gets it over. Ultimately, it's a modestly charming set that might have had some grander ambition behind it, but we'll take it. Titles include "Satisfied N Tickled Too", "New E-Z Rider Blues", "Black Man, Brown Man", "Baby Love", "Ain't Nobody's Business", "Easy To Love", "We Tune" and more.

One of our favorite albums ever – and every track is a masterpiece! The album was originally cut for the tiny Chiaroscuro label in 1977 – and it's got a sound that's unlike anything else we can think of – soaring, soulful, jazzy, and righteous – wrapped up in a blend that's never been done this perfectly again! James Mason's a player who's know for a bit of keyboard work with other artists – but here, he's really working as a collective power – bringing together a brilliant ensemble that work as one to hit some sublime sounds – much in the way that Roy Ayers could work some key magic with his groups at the same time, but with a vibe that's very different too. Players include Ayers associates Justo Almario on saxes and Philip Woo on piano – and a young Narada Michael Walden adds some excellent drums to the record – a lot more powerful and funky than on most of his own albums! Lead vocals are by Clarice Taylor – who's got this unique voice that really makes the record – proud, but sensitive at the same time too – and Mason plays lots of Fender Rhodes, polymoog, Arp, and a bit of guitar. Titles include the breakbeat classic "Funny Girl", the monster groover "Sweet Power Your Embrace", the funky "Slick City", and the massive "Free" – but every cut's a winner, and others include "Mbewe", "Rhythm Of Life", and "Dreams". This is the kind of album that makes us proud to be in business! CD features great bonus tracks too – an unreleased 1977 mix of "Sweet Power Your Embrace", the single mix of that track too – and the later grooves "I Want Your Love" and "Nightgruv".

One of our favorite albums ever – and every track is a masterpiece! The album was originally cut for the tiny Chiaroscuro label in 1977 – and it's got a sound that's unlike anything else we can think of – soaring, soulful, jazzy, and righteous – wrapped up in a blend that's never been done this perfectly again! James Mason's a player who's know for a bit of keyboard work with other artists – but here, he's really working as a collective power – bringing together a brilliant ensemble that work as one to hit some sublime sounds – much in the way that Roy Ayers could work some key magic with his groups at the same time, but with a vibe that's very different too. Players include Ayers associates Justo Almario on saxes and Philip Woo on piano – and a young Narada Michael Walden adds some excellent drums to the record – a lot more powerful and funky than on most of his own albums! Lead vocals are by Clarice Taylor – who's got this unique voice that really makes the record – proud, but sensitive at the same time too – and Mason plays lots of Fender Rhodes, polymoog, Arp, and a bit of guitar. Titles include the breakbeat classic "Funny Girl", the monster groover "Sweet Power Your Embrace", the funky "Slick City", and the massive "Free" – but every cut's a winner, and others include "Mbewe", "Rhythm Of Life", and "Dreams". This is the kind of album that makes us proud to be in business! CD features great bonus tracks too – an unreleased 1977 mix of "Sweet Power Your Embrace", the single mix of that track too – and the later grooves "I Want Your Love" and "Nightgruv".

Sweet electric funk from Blue – recorded in a warm, largely arranged style that's reminiscent of the best Freddie Hubbard fusion work from the 70s – but which has an even tighter sound overall! The groove is great – kind of a Kudu Records vibe, and Blue's actually quite good in this format – stepping off with a bit more confidence than on his electric sides from Mainstream, and getting the benefit of some great tenor sax work from Harold Land on a few numbers! Mitchell's always one of those players who actually seems to stretch out more in a set where he's not the leader of a small combo – and his solos here are surprisingly strong, and filled with soul – as are those of Land and tenorist Herman Riley. Titles include "Sand Castles", "Ojos De Rojo", "Mississippi Jump", "As", "Square Business", and "Forget".

Mighty soulful business from the great Jimmy Smith – a set for Mercury Records that updates his sound slightly, yet also hits some classic Hammond lines too! Jimmy plays a bit of acoustic piano and keyboards in addition to his classic organ – and works here in a setting that's tightly arranged, yet mostly small combo – with work from Ray Crawford on guitar, Nolan Phillips on tenor and flute, and added percussion from Buck Clarke and Stephanie Spruill. Rhythms step along nicely in kind of a 70s take on 60s soul jazz modes – leaving lots of room for Jimmy to open up on his solos – but there's also a few other more ambitious moments, including a great take on "Serpentine Fire" arranged by Ronnie Foster – and a warmly wonderful "Stevie" – which is a suite of tracks dedicated to Stevie Wonder. Other titles include "8 Counts For Rita", "Blues For Charlie", "Until It's Time For You To Go", and "Norristown PA".

Sweet, smooth, and soulful – a heck of a great album from Stanley Turrentine, and one that's recorded in a mode that steps off nicely from his best work at CTI! The sound's a bit tighter than most of his sides as Mister T, but the groove is still quite similar – a warm approach to electric soul jazz, played by the best in the business, and topped off by some great lead solo work from Stan – all in that impeccable tone, and with some surprisingly creative solo flourishes that seem to pop out of nowhere and keep the record interesting! Wade Marcus arranged, and players include Paul Jackson, Harvey Mason, Bill Summers, and Joe Sample – on tunes that include "I'm Not In Love", "There Is A Place", "Stairway To Heaven", "Everybody Come On Out", "Hope That We Can Be Together Soon", and "Airport Love Theme".

Smoking soul from Nicole Willis – one of our favorite funky females of the past decade or two! Nicole's been making great records for awhile, but she really knocks it out of the part with this killer set – grooving hard with the Soul Investigators, in a raw raw groove that really gives the whole Daptone/Sharon Jones scene a run for their money! And if anything, the production and instrumentation on this one is even rawer than you might expect – in a great space that's somewhere between the funky 45 underground of the late 60s, and the best southern soul of the same time. Didier produced, and gives the record a few sweet trippy touches in just the right places – almost bringing in a Darondo aesthetic at a few points – and titles include "Delete My Number", "Light Years Ahead", "On The East Side", "Break Free", "Time To Get Business Straight", "It's All Because Of You", "You Got Me Moonwalkin", and "Now I Can Fly".

You've always heard that girls do it better – and now here's proof, pressed up on a very vivid vinyl collection! The package really digs deep to show the overlooked underground of female rockers in the late 60s – the small, local, girl-driven combos that often didn't get as much exposure as the male groups of the garage generation, but who could rock equally hard when they wanted to! These gals mean business, and the set's filled with plenty of rare smokers – including "You Don't Love Me" by Kim & Grim, "Medley Of Junk" by The Continental Co-Ets, "Wild Thing" by Cathy Rich, "He's Not There Anymore" by The Bittersweets, "I'm On Your Prey" by The Glass Opening, "Come Back" by The Belles", "Take Me As I Am" by Denise & Co, "Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart" by The Puppets, and "Bend Me Shape Me" by The Models.

Brilliant work by a singer we know little about – but who really sparkles on this session! Singer Laurie Allyn was making something of a name for herself on the Chicago scene of the mid 50s when she was courted by Mode Records, and brought to LA for this rare studio session – but unfortunately the label went out of business not long after the tunes were recorded, and the album never saw the light of day at the time! The quality of the music is tremendous – higher than even the other Mode vocal sessions, and done with a depth and feeling that we'd rank with a rare few others from the 50s. Marty Paich handled arrangements on the record, and Laurie's backed by a core group that includes Al Viola, Red Mitchell, Mel Lewis, and Paich – plus larger horns and additional strings on a number of tracks. And although we always appreciate Paich's arrangements, the charm here is mostly Laurie's own – as she sings with a sultry sensitivity to the material that really transforms the familiar tunes into deeply personal statements. That quality's a rare one, even for a well-known singer – and we're extra happy that this great session's finally seen the light of day at last! Titles include "Easy Living", "You're So Bad For Me", "You Go To My Head", "All I Need Is You", "Paradise", "Take Me In Your Arms", and "That's What A Woman Is For".

There's nothing unfinished about this business – as The Blackbyrds are at the top of their game here – working in a sweet blend of jazz, funk, and soul – all produced to perfection by their mentor Donald Byrd! The groove is quite similar to some of Byrd's best from the time – a bit fuller than the first few records by The Blackbyrds, thanks to the addition of larger horns – and put together in ways that really has them soaring towards the skies on waves or righteous soul! There's vocals on most tracks, but they really take equal place next to the group's wonderful instrumentation – especially the heady keyboards of the mighty Kevin Toney, still a key member of the combo at this point. Titles include "Party Land", "In Life", "Time Is Movin", "Lady", and "You've Got That Something".

One of the most low-budget Steppers videos we've ever seen – but a DVD that promises to teach you three of the newly-emerging "slide" dances on the Chicago scene! The camera work isn't that fancy, and the dancers are all pretty casual – but when they get down to business, they really know how to make things move. Dances include a bit of instruction, then performances of each slide by the group.

(Note: This item is not for sale online until after the close of business on Saturday, 4/20/13. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules, it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago on that day. It will not be pre-sold, or reserved in any way. However, after the close of business on Record Store Day, we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.)

Digitally re-recorded and remastered versions of the Def Jam classics on picture disc. (Note: This item is not for sale online until after the close of business on Saturday, 4/20/13. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules, it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago on that day. It will not be pre-sold, or reserved in any way. However, after the close of business on Record Store Day, we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.)

A great little album of jazz funk – and the only record we've ever seen by this group! The 3 Pieces may not have lasted long in the record business, but this rare album from 1975 has made them legends on the rare groove scene for years. The record was cut during the height of the jazz funk years at Fantasy Records – and it features Donald Byrd handling the production chores, in a similar manner to the style that he used with the more famous Blackbyrds, who were also recording for Fantasy the time. The record features loads of electric piano and ARP, plus some tight and smooth guitar, and a nice rolling groove that is very catchy. A number of tracks have vocals – in kind of a subdued soul mode – and tracks include the groove classics "Backed Up Against The Wall", "Shortnin Bread", "Concrete Jungle", and "Vibes Of Truth". And believe it or not, there aren't any vibes on the album!

One of the most low-budget Steppers videos we've ever seen – but a DVD that promises to teach you three of the newly-emerging "slide" dances on the Chicago scene! The camera work isn't that fancy, and the dancers are all pretty casual – but when they get down to business, they really know how to make things move. Dances include a bit of instruction, then performances of each slide by the group.

A fitting title to this one – as it virtually describes the standard that the blues business was operating on during the early 70s – as artists came out of the shadows and found big audiences on college campuses, rock clubs, and other crossover scenes! The concept is carried to the Nth degree on the cover – which has a front image of a young Asian boy eating a big watermelon, Sambo-style – and the back cover features notes that say things like "Chinese kids like watermelon, Irish like bagels, black people like Jewish rye, and today everybody loves the Blues." Fortunately, this comic packaging doesn't affect the album too much – as Junior's still in the fine form he was at the end of the 60s, cruising between blues and soul, with a slight touch of jazz, in a unique way that sounds better to our ears than the work of most of his contemporaries. Titles include "Five Long Years", "That's Alright", "Way Back Home", "Man Or Mouse", and "I Like Your Style".

We'll be honest and admit we prefer Puba with Brand Nubian, though you can't front on this nice single off his his first solo LP, with the non-LP b-side "Mind Your Business" about Puba's early days with Masters of Ceremony. Beats by Puba, T Ray and the Stimulated Dummies.