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Like the back of the cover says "WARNING: The bass in this LP is contaminated by radioactive material!!"! Insanely hyped electro beats meet ridiculously radioactive low end tones with the best tracks being the instrumentals featuring some vocoded vocal bits, which is about half the record. Titles include "Da Intro", "Let it Flow", 'Freak Out", "Stay Awake", "Rollin With Da Boom", "Planet Bass", "Klickinda Bass" and "Bionic Bass".

A tremendous step forward for the young Muhal Richard Abrams – a set that still shows his early roots in the AACM, but which also blossoms with some of his more serious compositional efforts to come! There's a sensitivity here that really stands out – even among Abrams' contemporaries – a striving for a wider range of expression – some as bold as before, some much more deeply personal and intimate. The tracks feature a shifting array of players – working alongside Abrams piano, and building up the sound in a number of different ways. Players include Wallace McMillan on flute and sax, Edwin Daugherty on sax, Richard Brown on sax, Emanuel Cranshaw on vibes, Rufus Reid on bass, and Steve McCall and Wilbur Campbell on drums. Ella Jackson provides vocals on "How Are You?" – and other titles include "Ballad For New Souls", "Things To Come From Those Now Gone", "In Retrospect", "Ballad For Old Souls", "1 & 4 Plus 2 & 7", and "March Of The Transients".

Wickedly hip work from Cannonball Adderley – and one of his real standout sessions for Capitol Records in the 60s! The set lives up to its "Africa" promise right from the very first note – and features a set of loud, proud tunes that really bring out the righteous sounds of this generation of new liberation – tunes that sparkle with lead alto and soprano sax from Cannon, but which really draw even more energy from the whole collective of musicians on the record – a hip lineup led by HB Barnum, who also did all the arrangements for the set! The result is a record that's unlike any of Adderley's other albums – from some of the evocative snakey lines on the top, to the hip mix of 60s Cali soul and African percussion on the bottom. And oh yeah, David Axelrod produced the whole thing too! Titles include "Gumba Gumba", "Up & At It", "Hamba Nami", "Ndolima", and "Lehadima".

A swingin' Japanese concert by one of Cannonball's best groups from the 60's. Joe Zawinul's on piano, brother Nat's on cornet, Sam Jones is on bass, and Louis Hayes is on drums. But the real treat here is Yusef Lateef, who does some excellent reed work on tenor, flute, and oboe – and who's playing at this point with that great mix of soul jazz and out-sounds that he was cooking up at the time. There's some great long cuts, including an excellent 12 minute reading of Lateef's "Brother John", plus the title track, "Come Sunday", "Tengo Tango", "Easy To Love" and "The Weaver".

A landmark album – even if it was the only session that Cannonball Adderley ever cut for Blue Note! The album was recorded at a time when Adderley was working with Miles Davis – and as such, the session features a group that includes Miles, blowing in a cool tone that's a perfect offset to Cannonball's more soulful style. The rest of the group includes Hank Jones, Sam Jones, and Art Blakey – and like John Coltrane's Blue Train, the record's more of an "special session" than the usual Blue Note album, but the strength of the players make it one of the more memorable records of its day! Titles include "Somethin' Else", "One For Daddy-O", and a nice moody take on "Dancing In The Dark".

A gem of a record from Nat Adderley – filled with short soulful groovers, and done with an upbeat vibe that rivals some of Cannonball's best of the 60s! Joe Zawinul handled the arrangements, so there's definitely a strong influence here from the Cannon group – and although the players shift a bit throughout the course of the set, there's a really unified feel – thanks to a top-shelf lineup that includes Seldon Powell on tenor and flute, Ernie Royal on trumpet, Benny Powell on bass trombone, and Willie Bobo on percussion! The set features all original material by Nat – with older gems and new favorites that include "Little Boy With The Sad Eyes", "Never Say Yes, "Jive Samba", "Stony Island", "Junkanoo", and "Work Song".

Excellent compilation of some of the best tracks recorded by the Alegre All Stars. One of the greatest recording projects in Latin music, the Alegre All Stars was a loose collective of great talents like Charlie Palmieri, Bobby Rodriguez, Chombo, Jo Quijano, Kako, Johnny Pacheco, and lots of others – and the records they made were laidback sessions full of lots of fire, communication, and laughter. Few groups matched their ability to lay down a tightly swinging Latin groove, and you'll hear the proof on tracks like "Manteca", "Estoy Buscando A Kako", "El Sopon", and "El Manicero".

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

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

First LP from Norman Connors' jazzy soul group Aquarian Dream. Norman produced, and the groove is about what you'd imagine if he got his hands on an east coast soul group, with a lot of mellow vibes, and some more uptempo grooves. Claude Bartee plays tenor and soprano, Gloria Jones sings vocals, and Jacques Burvick plays a whole battery of cool keyboards and moogs. Tracks include the classic Chicago club track "Phoenix" – plus "Look Ahead", "Once Again", and "Treat Me Like The One You Love".

One of the most creative albums ever from UK composer Neil Ardley – and that's saying a lot, given the complexity of his other work! The set's got a wonderful blend of jazz arrangements and some freer passages – scored by Ardley with some of his most sensitive, most beautiful music ever – almost as if the whole thing's an extended soundtrack for a passage in time – or at least a sonic journey that's filled with some wonderful twists and turns! There's definitely some jazz/rock elements in the music, but the main focus is jazz – and Ardley has that same strong sense of large charts and forward-moving rhythms that you'd find in the best early work of Mike Westbrook, particularly his albums for Deram. Players are a very familiar, and very top-shelf batch of British musicians – including Barbara Thompson, Dick Heckstall-Smith, and Don Rendell on reeds; Harry Beckett and Henry Lowther on trumpets; Derek Wadsworth on trombone, Frank Rocotti on vibes, and Stan Tracey on both piano and celeste. Ardley plays prepared piano, and Ivor Cutler makes a great guest appearance on one track – reciting "The Dong With A Luminous Nose" – and Norma Winstone sings on "Will You Walk A Little Faster". The title track – "A Symphony Of Amaranths" – is dedicated to Duke Ellington and Gil Evans – with a feel that more than lives up to both! LP features a bonus "outro" track too.

The first album by Atlantic Starr – a tight set of modern soul tunes with a very different feel than their later work! Part of the credit goes to Bobby Eli – who arranged and produced the set, giving it a feel that's almost late Philly – tight, sophisticated, and right on the money at all the best points! There's a number of sweet mellow ballads with lead vocals by Sharon Bryant, and other tracks that groove in an uptempo way that points towards more of the group's 80s work – a great mix of modes that makes for a really well-developed album right out of the gate. Titles include "Gimme Your Lovin", "The Love I Never Had", "Visions", "Keep It Comin", "Stand Up", "Where There's Smoke There's Fire", "We Got It Together", and "Being In Love With You Is So Much Fun".

What can we say? This is one of the greatest soul soundtracks ever! In a market that was dominated by the big-selling Shaft and Superfly albums, Roy slipped in this masterful blend of jazzy vibes and wah wah funk that's easily one of the best-composed records of the blacksploitation genre! The album's much more unified than your average funky soundtrack – and each track moves between styles that you'd hear on any of Roy's great albums from the time. There's heavy funk on the track "Brawling Broads", cool vibes and electric piano on "Aragon", off-beat jazz on "Coffy Sauna", and great soul on cuts like "Coffy Is The Color" and "Coffy Baby". Wonderful all the way through – and another jewel in the already-big crown of the great Roy Ayers!

A really wonderful take on Porgy & Bess and other Gershwin standards by Pearl Bailey – there's just something about her naturally rich, bluesy, husky tone on these tunes that's simply wonderful! The backing is often well measured, but, occasionally a bigger sound and chorus vocals kick in. For the most part Pearl owns this stuff, giving warmth and resonance lost on more showbizzy takes on the style and compositions. Titles include "I Got Plenty Of Nothin". "I Got Rhythm", "Summertime", "Lady Be Good", "A Foggy Day", "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "Bess You Is My Woman", "It Ain't Necessarily So", "Clap Yo Hands" and more.

Quite an unusual record from New Orleans R&B legend Dave Bartholomew – arranger, producer, and trumpeter – coming off here with more of a jazz sound than on his usual records! Despite the "New Orleans" and "House Party" in the title, the album's actually set of complicated larger group arrangements – wonderful stuff with some strongly pronounced solos, blowing forth in styles that almost evoke some of the best crime jazz soundtracks of the time. Wardell Quezerque joined Bartholomew in putting together the album, and titles include "Sultan's Dream (parts 1 & 2)", "Concerto For Alto Sax (parts 1 & 2)", "Portrait Of A Drummer", and "A Cool One".

A rare treat by Gary Bartz – and very different than most of his other work! The album's a small group session – with Charles Mims on piano, Curtis Robertson on bass, and Howard King on drums – recorded with the feel of a looser soul jazz set on Black Jazz or Strata East. Mims' is great on piano, and working with Bartz, the pair come up with some wonderfully soulful numbers that have a very earthy feel. Tracks include "Ju Ju Man", "Pisces Daddy Blue", and "Chelsea Bridge" – plus a versoin of "My Funny Valentine", with vocals by Syreeta.

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

A real killer from the legendary Joe Bataan – an album of righteous power that really lives up to the dynamic promise of the title and cover! Joe Bataan's in top form throughout – serving up a blend of Latin grooves and 60s soul influences that few other artists of the time could touch – soaring and upbeat one minute, but mellow and laidback the next. There's a number of longer tracks on here that really move past the standard Latin Soul modes – bringing in bits of descarga jazz, instrumental soul, and mellower ballads to Joe's already-great blend of styles. The depth here is tremendous, and nearly every track's a winner! Titles include the slamming "It's A Good Feeling (Riot)", "Muneca", and "Mambo De Bataan" – plus the soul tracks "What Good Is A Castle", "My Cloud", "Daddy's Coming Home", "Ordinary Guy", and "For Your Love".

The Beatles for sale, but never in a commercial way at all – early proof of the group's great balance between mainstream appeal and sounds that still stick to the frontiers of rock and roll! The tunes are short, and heavy on influences from American R&B – yet the Fab Four are already crafting their new sound strongly, and have a melodic brilliance that's hard to deny! Titles include "Eight Days A Week", "Words Of Love", "Honey Don't", "Every Little Thing", "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party", "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby", "I'm A Loser", "Rock & Roll Music", "I'll Follow The Sun", "Mr Moonlight", and "No Reply".

Titles include "Eight Days A Week", "Words Of Love", "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party", "Every Little Thing", and "Yes It Is".

One of the all-time classics from Harry Belafonte – thanks to sweet arrangements from Tony Scott! Titles include the classic "Day O", plus "The Jack Ass Song", "Hosana", "Brown Skin Girl", "Man Smart", and "Jamaica Farewell".

An early George Benson groover from the A&M years of CTI – a set that's quite different than his famous 70s sets, with a really unique sound overall! The arrangements here are by Latin Soul maestro Marty Sheller – who brings some of the vibe to the set that he brought to his 60s work with Mongo Santamaria – not a straight Latin sound overall, but one that comes through strongly in some of the percussion and horns! Players are all pretty hip – and keyboards are from Richard Tee on most of the best tracks – and drums are from Idris Muhammad throughout, working here under his original name of Leo Morris. Main solos are from Benson on guitar – although the record also features alto solos from Sonny Fortune and Bobby Porcelli – who'd both stepped out a bit with Santamaria too. Titles include "Water Brother", "Jama Joe", "Dontcha Hear Me Callin' To Ya", "Jackie All", "Soul Limbo", "Are You Happy", "Land Of 1000 Dances", and "Out in the Cold Again".

Elmer Bernstein serves up some of his most famous soundtrack themes – but in a style that's even more jazz-based than the original! The group here is a large one, filled with great west coast players – and Bernstein's tunes sparkle even more in this rich setting than they did in their initial use on film – partly because the presentation allows some musicians the chance to really open up and solo! The lineup features Bud Shank and Bob Cooper on saxes, Pete Candoli and Don Fagerquist on trumpets, Milt Bernhart and Dick Nash on trombones, Bob Bain on guitar, Russ Freeman on piano, Shelly Manne on drums, and Francisco Aquabella on percussion – and titles include "Rat Race", "Three Time Blueser", "Hop Skip But Jump", "Jubilation", "Man With The Golden Arm", "Saints & Sinners", and "Sweet Smell Of Success".

Big Boi's got plenty of help this time around – a huge array of guest talents that includes Sleepy Brown, Phantogram, TI, Ludacris, Kelly Rowland, Killer Mike, Bosko, and many others – but there's still a nicely unified feel to the set – a strength of vision that holds on even in the more commercially-tuned numbers, of which there are definitely a few that should push this one over the top! Titles include "Shoes For Running", "Apple Of My Eye", "CPU", "In The A", "The Thickets", "Lines", "Tremendous Damage", and "Descending".

A dancefloor classic! The album's the second by Gregg Diamond's Bionic Boogie, and head and shoulders above the rest – a sublime blend of soul and club that's hardly been matched again! Diamond manages to make things groove, but never loses sight of the soulful styles that make the record so great – and works here with key contributions from a young Luther Vandross, who gives the album some of the same strong vocal arrangements he brought to his own first two albums on Atlantic! Luther sings lead on the album's legendary track "Hot Butterfly", and works in a group with Cissy Houston on other tracks – sweetly soaring with vocals that go far beyond most disco efforts of the time. Simply sublime, and with classics that include "Hot Butterfly", "Paradise", "Cream (Always Rises To The Top)", "Chains", and "When The Sh*t Hits The Fan (Rocket Pocket)".

Other players include Roswell Rudd on trombone, Carlos Ward on alto and tenor, Michael Mantler on trumpet, Eric Gale and Cornell Dupree on guitars, and Richard Tee on piano and electric piano.

Soaring work from guitarist Michael Boothman – a record that's probably more in a soul instrumental mode than a jazz one – but which is plenty darn great, thanks to help from a variety of top-shelf talents! Boothman's working here with Leon Pendarvis – who plays keyboards on the record, and arranged the fuller backings for the record – ones that mix Boothman's guitar with some especially great wordless vocals from singers who include Lou Courtney and Edna Holt – singing alongside the strings with a sweetly scatting mode that's pretty great! There's a slightly tropical feel to some of the tunes here – which, mixed with a bit of jazz and the sophisticated backings from Pendarvis, almost puts the record in the territory of Jon Lucien – although obviously with less of a lyrical focus overall. Titles include "Heaven", "Song For My Soul", "Saying It With Music", "Diego Shuffle", and "Scorpio Stew".

Wild! Greg, Marsha, and the kids do a surprisingly great job on this set of sunshine pop tunes arranged by the great Al Capps. The set list includes their classic "Drumemr Man", plus "It's A Sunshine Day", "In No Hurry", "Playin The Field", "Love Me Do", "Keep On", "Candy", "Saturday In The Park", "Ben", and "You Need That Rock N Roll".

Very raw, very rootsy stuff from Big Bill Broonzy, issued by Columbia (strangely enough) as part of their Adventures In Sound series. The packaging and the notes have the usual smug Columbia "serving up the best in roots culture for white liberals" tone – but the set's actually a pretty decent batch of material that includes nice numbers like "Texas Tornado", "Key To The Highway", "When I've Been Drinkin", and "Goobye Baby Blues".

The second album by this lost East Coast funk act – and although not as totally excellent as their first, still a very nice record that's filled with choppy up-tempo grooves, and some nice dancefloor soul. There's plenty of funky keyboards in the mix – moog, clavinet, and Arp – and the ablum's got a few nice funky moments – like the cuts "Phattenin'" and the classic groover "Chance with You". Also includes the cuts "Joni", "Groovy Day", and "Visions".

Smooth ensemble funk – somewhere between Earth Wind & Fire and Average White Band – not bad on the vocals, which are mostly sung harmony style, but lacking a bit of an edge on the grooves, which never really seem to catch. Titles include "Top 40 Band", "Soul Power", "Funk Footin", "Cindy", "Mean Child", and "Let It Live".

Early 50s material recorded by the late Clifford Brown – issued here in a classic "memorial" package slightly after his death in 1956! And while Brown never recorded much for Prestige – and never really as a leader – these sides are still a great example of his completely unique touch on the trumpet! The first half of material was recorded in 1953 – and features Brown soloing with Tadd Dameron's group on the tracks "Philly JJ", "Chose Now", and "Dial B For Beauty". The other set features Brown and Art Farmer as the lead soloists with the Swedish All Stars, a group led by Quincy Jones – and tracks on that session include "Stockholm Sweetnin", "Scuse These Blues", and "Lover Come Back To Me".

A great lost album from James Brown – and totally funky! The record's got a super-hip cover that shows James standing in a blue room with three fine foxy ladies, and the words "I Can't Stand Myself When You Touch Me" are emblazoned across the top – and the whole thing's as super funky as it looks! The record features many obscure King singles from the mid and late 60s, great little tunes that we always enjoy on funky 45s, and which are sewn together into one of the rawer James Brown LPs from the decade. James and the band are playing Vox instruments – as you can tell by the shameless ad on the back cover – and the record has a garagey funk sound that reminds us of the best Desco work by artists like Lee Fields & Joseph Henry. A prize in any funk collection – and with the cuts "The Soul Of JB", "I Can't Stand Myself When You Touch Me (parts 1 & 2)", "Get It Together (parts 1 & 2)", "Funky Soul #1", "Why Did You Take Your Love From Me", and "Baby Baby Baby Baby". Also features the funky hit "There Was A Time" – always a treat!

James Brown, proud and loud – a smoking 60s album that provides a great link between his earlier styles and his freer roots – with a brilliant blend of funk, soul, and a touch of raw R&B! Given the power of The Godfather at this point, there's no denying that even the older cuts have a punch that few others could match – making for a record that feels mighty darn unified, despite the stretch of time between a few of the recordings. Titles include the funky gems "Ain't That a Groove (pts 1 & 2)", "The Scratch", "Is It Yes or Is It No", and James' great version of "The Bells" that's always been one of our favorites – plus Just You & Me", "I Love You Yes I Do", "Come Over Here", and "I Don't Mind". The cover also comes with an "autographed" photo of James on the back with the text "James Brown Fans – Frame This 8 x 10 Picture" – and an image that says "Soul Brother #1 Is Peeking At You Thru The Key Hole"!

A definite mother from James Brown – the kind of all-funky album that few of his contemporaries could ever hope to match! If you've ever doubted the sheer raw power of James at the end of the 60s, the first few notes of this one will definitely make you a convert – and the stretched-out grooves as the album rolls on will pull you even further into the fold. Most tracks roll on with that improvised studio jamming style that James was hitting at the time – a pre-JBs mode that's not as long as later years, but which still makes you feel that there probably was plenty more recorded on the dates that didn't make it into the two-part versions of the tracks! And although James is singing on most numbers, the real focus is more on the band – hitting hard, vamping sharp, and grooving massively under shouted calls and directions from Brown. Titles include two great instrumentals – "Popcorn With a Feeling" and "Top of the Stack" – plus "Little Groove Maker Me (parts 1 & 2)", "Mother Popcorn (parts 1 & 2)", "Mashed Potato Popcorn (parts 1 & 2)", "Any Day Now", "You're Still Out Of Sight", and "I'm Shook" – as well as the great mellower number "If I Ruled The World" – redone here as an African-American anthem of pride and power!

A definite mother from James Brown – the kind of all-funky album that few of his contemporaries could ever hope to match! If you've ever doubted the sheer raw power of James at the end of the 60s, the first few notes of this one will definitely make you a convert – and the stretched-out grooves as the album rolls on will pull you even further into the fold. Most tracks roll on with that improvised studio jamming style that James was hitting at the time – a pre-JBs mode that's not as long as later years, but which still makes you feel that there probably was plenty more recorded on the dates that didn't make it into the two-part versions of the tracks! And although James is singing on most numbers, the real focus is more on the band – hitting hard, vamping sharp, and grooving massively under shouted calls and directions from Brown. Titles include two great instrumentals – "Popcorn With a Feeling" and "Top of the Stack" – plus "Little Groove Maker Me (parts 1 & 2)", "Mother Popcorn (parts 1 & 2)", "Mashed Potato Popcorn (parts 1 & 2)", "Any Day Now", "You're Still Out Of Sight", and "I'm Shook" – as well as the great mellower number "If I Ruled The World" – redone here as an African-American anthem of pride and power!

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!

Super Bad is right! This is hard-hitting funky James – from the badass cover right down to the extended tracks on the record, which point the way towards the hard live jamming of the classic Payback years! Everything wonderful is in place on the set – from the band's grooves at the bottom to James' on-fire vocals on the top – heard beautifully on the extended 10 minute version of the title cut "Super Bad" – which rolls through parts 1, 2, and 3 of the song! The album also includes another 10 minute funky cut – "Giving Out of Juice" – plus the classic "A Man Has to Go Back to the Crossroads", and three mellower ballads, but even they end up sounding kind of hip!

A key bit of jazz funk from trumpeter Tom Browne – still grooving strong here, with a sublime mix of modern soul, funky jazz, and some of the 80s groove touches that showed up on the best GRP titles from the time! The album's got a smooth compressed groove – kind of post-Donald Byrd, with Tom taking solos over the top of most tracks, and occasional vocals , wither from a backing group, or an assortment of different lead singers. Players on the set include Bernard Wright, Dave Grusin, Bobby Broom, and Marcus Miller – and tracks include "I Know", "Midnight Interlude", "Let's Dance", "Night Wind", "Making Plans", "Thighs Hihg", and "Magic".

A sweet live set from Dave Brubeck's early years on Columbia Records – recorded in New York, but with all the calculated cool and modern tones Brubeck first forged in the San Francisco scene of the 50s! Paul Desmond's on board on alto sax – really getting a lot of space to stretch out on the album's extended performances, with a haunting, floating tone that really sends us. Remaining members include Bob Bates on bass, and Joe Dodge on drums – and tracks include "Lover", "Love Walked In", "The Duke", "Little Girl Blue", and "Fare Thee Well Annabelle".

The Dave Brubeck Quartet goes to college – a pretty good place for the combo, considering how many fans they had on campus in the 50s! The sound here is never too academic for the setting, though – just the same sort of Brubeck groove first forged in the small clubs in San Francisco – played beautifully by an incarnation of the quartet that includes Paul Desmond on alto sax, Bob Bates on bass, and Joe Dodge on drums. The long, bluesy "Balcony Rock" is a real gem, with some standout work by Desmond that reminds us that he could be a great improvisor in an extended format – and other tracks include "Out Of Nowhere, "Le Souk", "The Song Is You", "Don't Worry Bout Me", and "Take The A Train".

Great work from Ray – and very much in the formula of his best Cadet records! The formula is simple – stick in 2 great original groovers, and fill the record with a few other covers of pop and jazz standards. Thanks to Richard Evans, who produced the sessions for Cadet, the grooves are great on nearly every track – and Ray sounds better here than on any other sides that we remember! In this case the originals are "Stick With It" and "Sound Ray" – both hard piano jams with a great downbeat and a nice dose of funk. Covers include "Song For My Father", "Con Alma", "Look Of Love", and "Scarborough Fair" – all very very nice!

A sweet sweet change for Rusty Bryant – as electric piano moves in on the usual Hammond heard on most of his funky sessions – with a resulting groove that's outta site! The change in keys makes for more of a soundtrack funk feel than a rough-edged one – not smooth at all, but more in a 70s class sort of area – partly CTI, but still with lots more of that loose energy that makes the Prestige jazz funk sessions so great. Unlike later dates of this nature, the group's still small, and very unified – with Khalid Kenneth Moss on electric piano and a bit of organ, Harold Young On guitar, Fred Masey on drums, and Norman Jones on percussion. Titles include "Friday Night Funk For Saturday Night Brothers", "Have You Seen Her", "Blues for a Brother", and "Mercy Mercy Mercy".

Fantastic funky jazz from tenorman Rusty Bryant – one of the real standout titles in the classic early 70s Prestige jazz/funk years! Rusty leads a group that includes heavyweights like Charles Earland on organ, Virgil Jones on trumpet, Melvin Sparks on guitar, and Idris Muhammad on drums – all top-shelf players who make for a date as great as you might imagine – one that definitely liberates Rusty's soul from older modes, and sets it free into new funky pastures! The vibe here is right up there with Bryant's legendary Fire Eater record – and titles include "Soul Liberation", "Cold Duck Time", "Lou Lou", and "Freeze Dried Soul".

Fantastic funky jazz from tenorman Rusty Bryant – one of the real standout titles in the classic early 70s Prestige jazz/funk years! Rusty leads a group that includes heavyweights like Charles Earland on organ, Virgil Jones on trumpet, Melvin Sparks on guitar, and Idris Muhammad on drums – all top-shelf players who make for a date as great as you might imagine – one that definitely liberates Rusty's soul from older modes, and sets it free into new funky pastures! The vibe here is right up there with Bryant's legendary Fire Eater record – and titles include "Soul Liberation", "Cold Duck Time", "Lou Lou", and "Freeze Dried Soul".

The lone album from the Bubble Puppy – a monumental effort of late 60s hard grooving psychedelia – and one of very best albums to come out of the original Texas psych scene! A couple of the Pup's labelmates at United Artists get a lot of revelry all these years later, and rightfully so – who would argue the importance of The Red Krayola and 13th Floor Elevators – but Bubbly Puppy deserve to be on that top shelf, too. The sound is tight and hard hitting, with trippy lyricism and groovy group harmonies, while the guitars range from cathartic fuzz to some surprisingly pretty melodicism. Not as far out as some of their peers, but the groove is absolutely killer. Titles include the benchmark single "Hot Smoke And Sasafrass", plus "Todd's Tune", "I've Got To Reach You", "Lonely", "Hurry Sundown", "Elizabeth", "It's Safe To Say", "Beginning" and much more.

A standout solo moment from the amazing Keni Burke – an artist who's come a long way from his youthful start in the 5 Stairsteps! Keni had recorded other adult work by the time of this early 80s set, but Changes is easily his best-remembered album – a masterpiece of 80s groove, all arranged and produced by Burke – who also played a fair bit of the music on the set as well! The tunes are upbeat and grooving – often with a rhythm that goes nicely right down the middle, and never tries to be too funky or clubby. This groove is epitomized by Burke's classic "Risin' To The Top" – a tune that's been sampled heavily over the years, to great fame – and which is probably the lasting legacy of this set. But the whole album's totally great – sophisticated 80s groove at its best – with other cuts that include "Who Do You Love", "Changes", "All Night", and "Hang Tight".

A standout solo moment from the amazing Keni Burke – an artist who's come a long way from his youthful start in the 5 Stairsteps! Keni had recorded other adult work by the time of this early 80s set, but Changes is easily his best-remembered album – a masterpiece of 80s groove, all arranged and produced by Burke – who also played a fair bit of the music on the set as well! The tunes are upbeat and grooving – often with a rhythm that goes nicely right down the middle, and never tries to be too funky or clubby. This groove is epitomized by Burke's classic "Risin' To The Top" – a tune that's been sampled heavily over the years, to great fame – and which is probably the lasting legacy of this set. But the whole album's totally great – sophisticated 80s groove at its best – with other cuts that include "Who Do You Love", "Changes", "All Night", and "Hang Tight".

An unusual bit of female pop – recorded down in Memphis at American studios by Tommy Cogbill! At some level, Angeline's got a style that's a bit like Dusty Springfield – mostly pop, but with a soulful undercurrent – one that might not come out as strongly otherwise, but which definitely takes flight in the hands of Cogbill. The overall sound's not as soulful as Dusty, but there's certainly some elements of that trend – as well as some echoes of country that run through a few of the tunes. Titles include "Keep On Keeping A Man", "Let Me Be Yours Until Tomorrow", "The Sound Of Love", "What's A Matter Baby", "Different Worlds", and "Until It's Time For You To Go".

Charlie Byrd gets some top-shelf treatment here – in a wonderful album of tunes by Antonio Carlos Jobim, all recorded with full backing arrangements, and sound quality that's a lot better than some of Byrd's previous albums! The setting has Charlie's acoustic guitar right up front in the mix – mic'ed so close you can really hear his work on the strings – while light brass, woodwind, and string backings dance nicely, and more quietly, behind him. There's a very Verve-like approach to the whole record – obviously a market that Columbia were trying to reach with this one – and the album's easily one of Charlie's strongest for the label from the 60s. Arrangements are both by Byrd and Tom Newsom – and titles include "Dindi", "Jazz N Samba", "The Girl From Ipanema", "Corcovado", "Amor E Paz", "Samba Do Aviao" and "Amor E Paz".

Very early work from Charlie Byrd – a cool little record that has him playing at his home turf of the Showboat club in DC, and working with a group that includes a fair bit of horn players! The style's quite different than Byrd's better-known Brazilian work of the 60s, or his lusher large group sets – as tunes move between small combo club grooving and some more ambitious modes that are almost 50s chamber jazz. Ginny Byrd sings on two tracks, but others are instrumental – and players include the mighty Buck Hill on tenor, plus T Carson on piano, Keter Betts on bass and cello, Bobby Felder on valve trombone, and Kenneth Pasamanick on bassoon. Titles include "Tri X", "Blue Turning Grey Over You", "Byrd's Word", "Conversation Piece", "Top's Tune", "Buck's Hill", and "Don't Explain".

An incredible album from Donald Byrd – hard, funky, and with more of an edge than most of his other Blue Note work! The sound on the album's incredibly sinister – really concerned with downward chord turns in moody rhythms – played with a real sense of soul by a frontline that features Byrd, Hank Mobley, and Sonny Red. Cedar Walton drives most of the tunes with hypnotic lines on piano – and the rest of the rhythm's cooked up by Walter Booker on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. Includes the massively hard funky title cut, "Blackjack", plus "Beale Street", "Loki", and some other nice groovers. Red and Mobley are amazing, and Byrd's solos are some of his cleanest and leanest of the 60s!

One of Byrd's most fantastic records for Blue Note, and one of the three that he recorded with Sonny Red on alto sax. Byrd and Red work magnificently together, and the two of them play with a tightness and funkiness that's missing from a lot of their other records as leaders. Hank Mobley joins the group on tenor, Walter Booker is on bass, McCoy Tyner's on piano, and Freddie Waits is on drums. The groove is tight and funky, with a mix of hard bop soloing and funkier Blue Note rhythm playing. Red burns throughout, especially on his own "Mustang", and on the cut "Dixie Lee". Other tracks include "Fly Little Bird Fly", "On The Trail", and "I'm So Excited By You".

A classic album that mixes trumpet and voices in a swirling soulful sound that worked very well for Byrd's career! Byrd's sparkling trumpet fronts a tight septet that includes Hank Mobley, Herbie Hancock, and Kenny Burrell – and which is backed by arrangements by Coleridge Perkinson and Duke Pearson. The sound is beautiful and spiritual, with a sound that mixes Blue Note hardbop with a style that would later show up on labels like Strata East, or in the experiments of Max Roach and Billy Harper. The tracks are long and moody, and the vocal group never gets in the way, but instead backs Byrd in a way that lets him hit new heights, and which gives him a stronger sense of voice. Includes the classic "Christo Redentor", plus "Chant", "The Black Disciple", and "Elijah".

One of the few albums ever issued as a leader by the great Joe Cain – a wonderful Latin arranger with a really mad ear for a groove! Cain's approach is often quite choppy in the rhythms – short, hard, and very very sharp – then topped with sweeter, jazzier lines – played on this set by Clark Terry on trumpet, Jerome Richardson on tenor and flute, and Frank Anderson on piano and some especially nice organ lines! Percussion is super-heavy throughout – played by Jose Mangual, Chocolate, and Marcelino Valdes with a vibe that's just right for the rhythms – and additional support is from Cachao on bass and Herbie Lovelle on drums. The grooves are incredible – quite different than anything else on Mainstream Records at the time, and even different than most of the New York scene – and titles include the amazing "It's A Mad Mad Mad Mambo (parts 1 & 2) (also known elsewhere as "Mambo Au Go Go") – a cut that sounds like some sort of crazy avant garde percussion banging, all made to keep in time to a mambo beat, with jazzy organ solos over the top. Other titles include "Mongo Mongo Baby", "Papa Bajo", "Que Paso", "Tanga Pa Katanga", and "Chunga A Go Go".

Beautiful bass work from 50s LA player Red Callender – heard here on this classic side recorded for the Modern imprint. Swingin Suite is easily one of Red's tightest sessions – a date that has Callender's basslines strongly leading a nonet of players that includes Harry Jones on trumpet, John Ewing on trombone, Willie Green on alto sax, and Buddy Collette on flute and tenor. Collette's lines have a nice sharp edge throughout, and soar out beautifully amidst the bigger backings – and although a "suite", the whole session's got a much more relaxed feel than that compositional title might make you think. Tracks include "On Again", "Greenery", "Pastel", "Dancers", "October Blue", "Bihari", "Skyline", and "Outlines".

An excellent session cut during a stretch when the Candoli/Rosolino team were doing some of their best work – playing in Europe with a number of hip backup groups. This set features an Italian trio of Franco D'Andrea on piano, Giovanni Tomasso on bass, and Gege Munari on drums. Tracks include "Marla", "Attention", "Let's Burn", and "Conversation".

One of the biggest records ever from The Chi-Lites – thanks to the "Oh Girl" title hit that's referenced on the cover! But apart from that ballad classic, the record's actually got a heck of a lot more to offer – some incredible harmony soul tracks that show that even during their hit years, The Chi-Lites were one of those groups who could still stay true to their roots – and still come up with amazing tunes again and again! Mainman Eugene Record is at the helm producing and writing most of the tunes on the set – and some of the best numbers have that little gentle groove that was the best Chi-soul contribution to the sound of the 70s – that lilt or bounce from the 60s, turned towards slightly more sophisticated modes for the new generation. Titles include "Being In Love", "Love Is", "Coldest Days Of My Life", "Living In the Footsteps Of Another Man", "Ain't Too Much Of Nothing", and "A Lonely Man" – and a cover of "Inner City Blues".

Rare work from the Circle City Band – the first-ever full length album from the group – and a set that brings together their few club singles and a host of previously unreleased tracks! The CCB are well remembered for the roller skating jam "Magic" – and the rest of this set is equally great – with lots of bouncing basslines, snapping beats, and warmly soulful grooves that really sparkle with lots of early 80s funky touches – from the sweet keyboards over the top right down to the crackling rhythms on the bottom! The package is a great discovery – one of those moments when you realize there's a lot more to a group than you'd ever heard before – and the album's way more than a reissue, given the treasure trove of previously unheard 80s grooves in the set! Titles include "Love", "Time Tunnel", "Hello Stranger", "Magic", "Gladiators", "My Place", "Party Lights", "Lonely", and "Hold On".

Dark and moody folk-psych from the American underground – a record once included on a list of "Top Ten Records Most Likely To Be Owned By A Serial Killer"! We're not sure if the set's as nasty as that might imply – as there's actually a heartfelt, almost earnest quality to the vocals – a slightly bluesy undercurrent, mixed with acoustic and electric guitar riffs – and almost spoken at times – or maybe not spoken, kind of "exclaimed" – as if the lyrics were coming to singer Thorn Oehrig right at the time he was recording them! All this makes for a great sense of reflection on the record – quite different than the posturing you might normally get on such a record – especially given that some of the tunes get really tripped out, with some really weird guitar parts. The set was recorded in 1980, but really feels like some lost biker psyche outsider set from the late 60s or early 70s – with heavy themes of drugs, death, and loneliness – all recorded with a rough-edged quality that further underscores the feelings in the music. Titles include "Limousine Ride", "Billy Bad Billy", "Red Dog", "Old Charlie Polecat", "Old Time Feeling", "How Long", and "Just For Today".

A quartet of lovely ladies, serving up their renditions of classics from the swing era – all done in sweetly scatted versions! Most numbers begin with these great wordless vocal passages that establish the tunes before the main lyrics come in – setting the scene like the horns in a larger group, but sounding even more wonderful through the sweet harmonies of the group. The format's a great one – quite unusual for the time, and very different than the approach used by other female vocal combos of the 50s. And thanks to some hip arrangements from Bob Bain and Bud Dant, even the older tunes on the record crackle with a new sense of life. Titles include "Opus One", "Music Makers", "Little Brown Jug", "Don't Be That Way", "You're Driving Me Crazy", "String Of Pearls", and "Marie".

Great early genius from the Clarke Boland Big Band – proof that Kenny and Francy were onto something great, right from the start! The album really has the group hitting the heights of their MPS years – stretching out way past earlier big band modes, into the hip mix of rhythms and soulful solos that made the ensemble unlike any other group in the 60s – a really groundbreaking approach to their music, delivered by a range of top-shelf players! Arrangements are by Boland, who also plays piano – and other group members include Benny Bailey and Jimmy Deuchar on trumpets, Derek Humble on alto sax, Carl Drewo and Zoot Sims on tenor, Sahib Shihab on baritone sax and flute, and Ake Persson on trombone – plus rhythm from the rock-solid duo of Jimmy Woode on bass and Kenny Clarke on drums. Titles include the Latin-tinged "Los Bravos", and more great originals by Boland – including "Volutes", "The Styx", "Charon's Ferry", and "Box 703 Washington DC" – plus versions of "Gloria" and "Last Train From Overbrook".

Very groovy stuff! 12 jazzy duets between Rosemary Clooney and The Hi-Lo's, one of the most magnificent male vocal groups of the 50s. If you dig the Hi-Lo's as much as we do, you'll find the album to be a key addition to their catalog – as it features some great vocal harmony numbers like "I Could Write A Book", "Everything Happens To Me", "Coquette", "Doncha Go Away Mad", and a wonderfully nutty reading of "How About You?" Backing is by Frank Comstock, who worked with the group on most of their best recordings – so the record's more a Hi-Lo's album than a Clooney one.

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

A key album for any fan of classic Ornette Coleman – a 1971 Atlantic release that pulled together tracks from the late 50's and early 60's that didn't make it onto Ornette's earlier records for the label! Why these tracks weren't released at the time is a mystery to all, because the material is great, and ranks with some of his best stuff – and over the years, the value of the album has grown even more within the early Ornette oeuvre – as it contains key tracks that have come to define his edgiest moments of the early 60s . The LP includes "First Take", a 17 minute earlier version of the material the ended up on Free Jazz, plus additional quartet recordings with Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, and Ed Blackwell – on titles that include "Check Up", "Little Symphony", and the wonderful "Joy Of A Toy".

Rare Afro Rock from Nigeria – a really cool fusion of African funk and dexterous guitar – served up with plenty of hypnotic touches! Although we've dug their tracks on compilations over the years, we've never been lucky enough to hear a full album by Colomach – and are blown away at the range of sounds the group deliver on this rare gem from the 70s! Tracks range from Sahel rock with electric guitar over rumbling bass and percussion, to grooves centered around some sweet and spare acoustic guitar – often touched with a bit of flute and emotive vocals as well. Production is top shelf too – given that the set was recorded by EMI in Nigeria – and titles include "Enoviyin", "Ottoto Shamoleda", "Cotocun Gba Gounke", "Bernadetta", "Sweet Sounds from Colomachi", "K Assa Kpa Sama Kpa", "Pipan", "Yebo Blues", and "Sonorites Sahelienne".

This is a repackaged version of an album that was originally issued under Cecil Taylor's name, under the title Hard Drive (and later Stereo Drive, or something like that). The record brings together two of the late 50's most promising modernists – Cecil Taylor and John Coltrane – in a group that includes Kenny Dorham, Chuck Israels, and Louis Hayes. The music is a startling mix of styles – as Taylor's heavy piano clashes noisily with Trane's free flowing lines on the tenor. It doesn't always work, but it's well worth a listen, and stands as a critical meeting of two important talents that were both best known on their own. Tracks include "Shifting Down", "Double Clutching", and "Just Friends".

Despite any prejudice you might have against Maynard Ferguson, he actually does a damn good job backing up Chris Connor's lovely voice on this record – probably because his band is super-hip, and includes players like Jaki Byard, Joe Farrell, and Rufus Jones. Connor is in fine icy form, as usual – and it's nice to hear her get a bit more jazzy backing than some of the more somber arrangements you'll hear on her Atlantic sessions. Titles include "The Wind", "Send For Me", "Where Do You Go?", and "Deep Song".

A fantastic bit of modern soul from Norman Connors – proof that he was still growing and changing as an artist, continuing to push his groove into whole new areas as the 70s progressed. The record takes the smooth jazzy sound of the earlier Buddah sides, sharpens it into a more sophisticated modern soul style, fused with a bit of a quiet storm vocal approach, to create a wonderfully mature album of silky soul tracks. Part of the strength comes from the vocalists – who include Eleanor Mills and Jean Carn – and Norman also does a bit of singing on the record, and comes across surprisingly well. Tracks include "Stella", "This Is Your Life", "Wouldn't You Like To See", "Butterfly", "Captain Connors", and a wonderful jazzy soul reworking of "The Creator Has A Master Plan".

A hybrid EP and 12-inch single from the inspired pairing of Count Bass D and DJ Crucial – with a quartet of tight tracks on the EP side – plus 2 tracks with their instros and a guest spot from MF Grimm on the 12" side! This is the sound of individualistic hip hop veterans doing what they want to creatively in a really solid way. Thick, funky bass lines and insistent beats from DJ Crucial, leaving ample room for subtle creative twists on the production tip. Count Bass D has never been at a loss for smart lyrics or wildly unexpected rhymes – here finds a reason to rhyme "facetious" with "Bocephus" – and he's in top form throughout. Titles include "Back Fat", "In This Business", "Disk Drive", Mood Volume" – plus "That's Good" feat MF Grimm, In This Business II (Dwight Don't Stop)" and the instrumentals for those too cuts.

A great little Brazilian group from the 70s – one who continues the harmony styles of Sergio Mendes in the 60s, but takes the music into some groovy new directions! The sounds here are more samba than bossa – with guitar and percussion dancing nicely together in the rhythms as group members sing sweetly over the top – and both piano and keyboards adding in some nicely jazzy inflections to the groove, often with the more sophisticated phrasings you might expect in some of the EMI/Odeon work from earlier in the decade. Sivuca joins the group on both accordion and moog (!) – and the whole thing's got a sweetly-grooving style that's totally great! Titles include "Estatutos De Gafiera", "Loteca", "Amor Em Jacuma", " Iboru Iboya", "Beijo Baiano", "O Trem Atrazou", "Asa Branca", and "Fogo Pago".

Great early work from Andrae Crouch & The Disciples – just the kind of soulful set that made the group a big crossover act at the time! Although gospel at heart, the record's got a nicely secular feel in approach – a style that's a bit like some of the other larger group soul of the time – particularly the 5th Dimension, whose bright, sunny sound Crouch seems to be reaching for here! But there's also a slightly groovier feel too – that undercurrent of hip that was bubbling under on some of the best Light Records productions in the 70s. Titles include "I'm Gonna Keep On Singing", "I'm Coming Home Dear Lord", "Take A Little Time", "What Ya Gonna Do", "My Tribute (To God Be The Glory)", and "I've Got Confidence".

A great Crusaders album – and one that's a perfect bridge between their earlier soul jazz styles, and their tighter funkier electric one. The record was recorded live at the Roxy, and the group is augmented by Larry Carlton on guitar, who gives the tracks a nice razor edge at his best moments. All songs are pretty long – and the band is in extremely good form, jamming away with lots of funky vamping, and breaking out with some very soulful solos. Titles include "Scratch", "Hard Times", "So Far Away", and "Way Back Home".

The group were certainly doing something right – as this album has Joe Cuba's sextet at the top of their game, easily showing why they were one of the best groups on the New York scene of the 60s! The album's a pivotal one in the development of Latin Soul – as it sports the incredible track "El Pito" – one of those Latin jammers that grabbed everyone right away, and which has barely ever been matched since! The album's also got some great use of English language lyrics – crucial to the unique crossover sound that Joe was forging, and a real bridge between Spanish and African American Harlem in the 60s. Titles include "My Wonderful You", "El Pito (I'll Never Go Back To Georgia)", "Pruebalo, OK?", "Bochinchosa", "Incomparable", and "Clave Mambo".

With a photo like that on the cover, we've gotta say that we did Pat Dahl too! The set's a relatively obscure little vocal album, cut by a singer we've never heard of otherwise – with a sexy 60s image that either meant that she had a successful live career in small clubs, or was somebody's secret girlfriend! But despite that fact, the music is actually pretty great too – just the right sort of slinky approach to jazz that you might expect – and served up here with a surprisingly top-shelf batch of arrangements – supposedly penned only for the session by Pete Rugolo, Marty Paich, Shorty Rogers, and Benny Carter! Backings are lively, and jazzy, and titles include "Ten Cents A Dance", "Show Me", "Lonely Woman", "Someone To Watch Over Me", and "I'm In Love With the Honorable Mr So & So".

Sweet disco and soulful jazz – the only album we've ever seen from Copeland Davis, a great talent on the piano, and a mellow soul singer with a clear inspiration from Marvin Gaye! The album's a pretty unusual one – in that the overall groove is instrumental, mostly tight rhythms and strings with Copeland playing piano over the top – but a few cuts have Copeland singing as well – in this great sexy style that really adds a lot to the record. The approach is a bit rough at times, but it's kind of a rough version of slickness, which makes for a compelling set, and gives the album a few nice underground clubby numbers! Titles include "Look What We've Found", "Morning Spring", "So In Love", "Jet", and "No Arms Can Ever Hold You".

Don't pass this one up! Although lots of other albums by Eddie Lockjaw Davis are laidback quartet and quintet sessions, done in a soul jazz organ/tenor mode – this session features Eddie working with stunning bigger band backings, in a searingly soulful sound that's simply incredible! The leadoff track, "Trane Whistle", has Lockjaw really working new waves of sound into his tenor sax – screaming the horn in a way that you thought you'd never hear, and playing with tones that are a lot darker than usual! The set moves on from there in a nice batch of material that includes "Whole Nelson" and "Stolen Moments", two fantastic originals by Oliver Nelson, who also arranged the album – and takes a great deal of responsibility for the strength of the set. The record shows a whole new side of Davis' talents – one that was barely if ever recorded like this again – and which is made even better by the presence of freshly modern players that include Eric Dolphy, Richard Williams, Melba Liston, and Roy Haynes. Great stuff!

A huge moment in jazz – not just for trumpeter Miles Davis, but also for saxophonist John Coltrane – who was virtually introduced to the world at large with this record! As you might guess from the title, the record's the first to feature Coltrane playing along with Davis – a sublime combination that resulted in some key sides that forever helped shape the sound of jazz. Rhythm is by the famous trio of Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones – and apart from the top-shelf solo work, the interplay between the horns is also fantastic. Titles include "Just Squeeze Me", "There Is No Greater Love", "How Am I To Know", "S'Posin", "The Theme", and "Stablemates".

Way more than just a simple version of work from Porgy & Bess – and instead, a key collaboration between Miles Davis and Gil Evans – done with a sound that really transforms the tunes! True, the work here is all based on George Gershwin's original compositions – but through his inventively modern arrangements, Gil Evans really pushes the familiar numbers to a whole new place – and Miles glides over the top with some especially shimmering solos! Titles include "Summertime", "The Buzzard Song", "I Loves You, Porgy", and "Fishermen, Strawberry, & Devil Crab".

The greatest entertainer ever? We think so – and this 2LP set offers Sammy D in the best possible way to get him: live, and in the very familiar turf of the Sands Hotel. This live album, and it's counterpart (At The Cocoanut Grove, also on Reprise) are, in our opinion, Sammy's best recordings – because they feature him ripping through a bunch of material, doing lots of great impressions and medleys, and really swinging with a tight little combo led by Michael Silva, the drummer. The groove is really jazzy – way jazzier than on some of Sammy's studio LPs from the time – and he runs through a range of material from pop tunes to standards, done in a style that's far different than you'd expect for the titles. The vocals are tight, heartfelt, but also given a professional little finesse that really makes them sparkle. Titles include "Ain't I", "Another Spring", "On A Clear Day", "As Long As She Needs Me", "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home", "The Lady Is A Tramp", and 2 fantastic medleys with lots of jazzy songs. Heck, Dean Martin never got a chance to cut a double live album – and Frank really ever did one – so given that Sammy got a chance to do two of them, you've gotta figure the format really worked for him! This is the real Mr. Entertainment, and you owe it to yourself to hear him as he really was.

A killer start to the 80s for the Dazz Band – with great tunes in a funky mode as well as more measured group soul numbers – and it all adds up one of their best albums ever! Tunes like the opener "Shake It", plus "Shake It Up" and "Magnetized" bring the funkier vibes – with a vamping guitar, thumping bass groove, punchy horns, and top notch vocals from the group – while tunes like the title track and "Beyond The Horizon" have a more soaring arrangement of horns and some strings,still with an impeccable core groove. It's not as smoothed out in the production booth as some of their later grooves of the 80s – a total gem! Other titles include " Skate Lovers", "Carry On", "Do It Again", "Do It Again", "Sooner Or Later" and "Beyond The Horizon".

Sweet keyboard soul from Deodato – a set that steps off nicely from the strengths of his big hits on CTI, hitting a similarly flowing groove that's really great! The instrumentation here is a bit more expanded than before, but never in a way that buries the keyboards – and Deodato's right out front on a range of electric keys that get some great support from John Tropea's finely-honed work on guitar! Titles include "Havana Strut", "Whirlwinds", "West 42nd Street", and a nice cover of Steely Dan's "Do It Again". And heck, even the album's version of Glen Miller's "Moonlight Serenade" manages to come off like a funk tune!

A cool jazz classic from altoist Paul Desmond and guitarist Jim Hall! The album was recorded under Desmond's name, but Hall's the guitarist throughout, and his playing lends an indescribably wonderful edge to the set, making the album a real team effort! Unlike other RCA sides by Hall and Desmond, this one features the pair with larger string backings by Bob Prince, which create a dreamy pillow for alto and guitar to solo across. Titles include the Desmond originals "Late Lament" and "Desmond Blue" – plus "Ill Wind", "My Funny Valentine", and "Like Someone In Love".

Sweet soul jazz from the 70s Detroit scene – and a record with a ties to the same scene as Tribe Records! The sound here is straightforward and soulful – a bit of electricity at the bottom and some fluidly gliding horn work on the top – plus some key vocals from a group that includes Kim Weston in the lead, supported by other female singers – in a righteous mode that really makes the best tunes sparkle! Other players include Phil Ranelin on trombone, Nasi Hafiz on vibes, Miller Brisker on tenor and piano, and Sylvia Truner on harp – all working together in a largeish group with the best spiritual energy of groups on Strata East! The whole thing's great – a beautiful lost treasure, and the kind of record that's rarely carried off so perfectly – and titles include "Song For M", "A Little Love For You", "Mark I", "Ja-Mil", "Nobody Had To Tell Me", "Arjuna", and "Now You're Gone".

With Vic on trombone – plus Edmond Hall on clarinet, Ruby Braff on trumpet, Steve Jordan on guitar, and Sir Charles Thompson on piano!

Funky Bo Diddley – one of Bo's key early 70s sessions for Chess Records – all of which have him stepping out in a much harder groove than years past! The sound here is relatively tight – with Diddley guitar and vocals on top of some larger arrangements from Bob Gallo – backings that mix together sounds from contemporary rock and soul, but always with an ear for the roots that Bo inspired in the first place – put forward towards a new generation with nicely kicking rhythms and really fuzzy guitars! The standout number here is the break classic "Go For Broke" – a drum-heavy instrumental that's worth the price of the record alone – and other titles include the great original "Pollution", plus versions of "The Shape I'm In", "Down On The Corner", "Lodi", "Bad Side Of the Moon", and "Bad Moon Rising".

The first full length in a few years from world class turntablist DJ Kentaro – and a pretty diverse set of floor-shaking instrumentals – plus a number vocal cuts with a strong roster of guests. Kentaro is a sharp producer/artist on top of the turntablist skills, crafting well-paced full scale listening experiences – and he's wise enough to stay true to his inspirations rather than chase trends. Includes "Kikkake" feat DJ Krugh, "Higher", "Step In" feat Foreign Beggers, "Big Timer" feat MC Zulu, "Lapis Lazuli", "Crossfader" feat Kid Koala & D-Styles, "Next Page (Dora) feat C2C and more.