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A killer debut set from Maurice Starr – probably best known for his later efforts as a talent scout and producer, but a surprisingly great soul artist on his own! As you might guess from the spacey jumpsuit on the cover, there's a nice dose of early 80s funk in the set – further enforced by the album's heavy collaboration with Michael Jonzun, who co-wrote and produced the whole thing too! Tunes are surprisingly catchy and well put-together – often with a fair bit of live instrumentation, but some sweet electro touches too – a great mix that warms things up way more than you might expect. There's even a few nice mellower moments which round things out strongly – and cuts include "In My Life", "Moving On Up", "I Wanna Dance With You", "Come See Me Sometime", "Start All Over", "Dance To The Funky Groove", and "When I Say I Love You".

Slammin' 80s groove material from Fonzi Thornton – a bit dated, perhaps, but sparkling with the best of its generation! Fonzi's vocals are less the strong part of the album than are the tight arrangements that mix together bass riffing, keyboards, and a smooth approach to the groove that makes most of the tracks pretty darn infectious. Titles include "The Leader", "There Goes My Heart", "Sha N Da (Happy Love Song)", "Beverly", "Be My Baby", "Perfect Lover", and "Sayin Goodbye".

Includes "Dear Lonesome", "Everything She Touches Gets The Blues", "Tomorrow We'll Retire", "Hey, Maw", "Me And Fred And Joe And Bill", and more.

A seminal classic from vocalist Michael Wycoff – thanks to some killer help from Webster Lewis – who not only produced the album, but also plays keyboards on the set! The album's got a bounce and bubble that's right up there with Lewis' best from the late 70s – but thanks to some rich vocals from Wycoff, it's also got a bit more depth too – especially on some of the mellower groovers which really sparkle wonderfully! Some moments are upbeat, others are nicely laidback – and Wycoff's rich range is given some great focus here, in a balance that makes for one hell of a great record all the way through. Titles include the stellar stepper "Looking Up To You", one of those anthemic cuts you'll recognize immediately – plus "Diamond Real", "Still Got The Magic", "Love Is So Easy", and "Love Conquers All".

A seminal groover from Wynd Chymes – a group with a groove that's as catchy as their name! The Atlanta combo only cut a few records, but all of them are great – and this debut does a great job of mixing modern soul with harmony vocals – all with a tight funky undercurrent that's right in the best mode of some of the bigger RCA soul acts of the time – particularly Keni Burke or Michael Wycoff! A few mellower cuts mix in with the uptempo numbers, creating a nice balance that almost reminds us of late 70s Earth Wind & Fire – particularly in the way the horns are fused into the rhythms – and titles include "Checkin Out Your Stuff", "Love Has Come Again", "Stylin & Profilin", "Girl It's Alright", "Ain't It Good", "Do It", and "Arrival".

Sweet 70s soul from Zulema – a mixture of sweet ballads and more full-on soul numbers that have an uptempo pop groove. Carl L Maults-By arranged and produced the album – and tracks include "What Kind Of Person Are You", "Coins In A Bottle", "You're So Empty", "Why", "I've Got News For You", "Just Look What You've Done", and "It Will Never Be The Same Again".

Includes tracks by Luke Jordan, Blind Willie McTell, Sonny Boy Williamson, Elijah Jones, Clifford Gibson, James Rachel, the Memphis Jug Band, Joe Williams, Cannons's Jug Stompers, and Walter Davis.

Brian Auger's first album with The Oblivion Express – a harder-rocking ensemble than his initial Trinity trio, but one who also really pushed things with a really jazzy edge! Like many of Auger's contemporaries on the UK scene, Brian was making the shift from Brit beat group jazz and soul, into a style that was more progressive and harder-driving – one that blended together jazz and rock, but which still, in Auger's case, held onto many of the best soulful sounds of earlier years! Tunes are nice and long, and really hard-jamming – with plenty of soaring organ lines throughout – and titles include "Total Eclipse", "The Light", "Oblivion Express", "On the Road", and "The Sword".

David Bowie back in costume at the end of the 70s – but informed enough from his Berlin trilogy that he's coming at things quite differently here! The album's a great summation of the sounds on Low, Heroes, and Lodger – taken almost back to some Ziggy Stardust and Space Oddity territory, but in ways that are a bit leaner, and more focused. Even more impressive, though, is the near-complete absence of other 1980 elements in the set – hardly any influences from punk or new wave, no post-disco dancefloor elements – just deeply unique Bowie all the way through, and proof that he could always find his own space in music when he wanted! Titles include "Up The Hill Backwards", "Teenage Wildlife", "Scream Like A Baby", "Because You're Young", "Scary Monsters", "Ashes to Ashes", "Fashion", and "Kingdom Come".

Billed as "A Dark Opera Without Words", A Genuine Tong Funeral is an extended piece written by Carla Bley, and performed by the Burton quartet with help from a larger group that includes Steve Lacy, Gato Barbieri, Michael Mantler, and Bley herself. As such, the album's probably the most ambitious one that Burton ever recorded during the 60s – never too far out, but with angular tones and strange time changes that mark the record as being quite different from his other sides for RCA. It also makes it one of his best, too – as the record has that wonderfully fresh sound that you get from early work by Bley, never too silly, and with a serious approach to composition that also never loses sight of its roots in jazz. Titles include "The New Funeral March", "Silent Spring", "Mother Of The Dead Man", "Death Rolls", and "The New National Anthem".

No friction here, as the groove is mighty tight, and plenty smooth – a great example of the way that Chocolate Milk found a whole new sound in the 80s! Gone are the heavier modes of the 70s, and in their place are some wicked keyboards and bass-heavy rhythms – snapping and popping with a heck of a lot of vibrant energy, in an electro groove that's a long way from the group's New Orleans roots! The sound is great – almost like discovering a whole other band altogether – and titles include "Take It Off", "Friction", "Keep It Coming", "Don't Let Up", and "Don't Make Me Wait".

An overlooked funky classic from Chocolate Milk – and a set that still preserves the tight grooves of the group's earliest work! Allan Toussaint is still on hand this time around to help with both production and songwriting – and his touches can definitely be felt on the record – a tight funky undercurrent that's definitely rooted in New Orleans soul, but has some warmer, more contemporary elements too – just like that mid 70s change Toussaint was bringing to his own grooves. Standout cuts include the funky numbers "Grand Theft" and "America" – plus the groover "Girl Callin" – although there's some mellower numbers we like pretty darn well too. Other tracks include "Help Me Find The Road", "Thinking Of You", "That's The Way She Loves", and "Fertility".

Collection of Sam Cooke's wonderful soul for RCA, compiled just after his untimely death. The set's divided into more uptempo numbers on the first side, and Sam's great ballads on the flip, all with his rich voice ringing clearly on top. Features "Shake", "Yeah Man", 'Win Your Love For Me", "It's Got The Whole World Shakin", "A Change Is Gonna Come", "I'm Just A Country Boy" and "Ease My Troublin Mind".

A 50s LP that showcases Duke's early 40s sides for the Bluebird/Victor label – including early versions of formative compositions, featuring players like Rex Stewart, Johnny Hodges, Barney Bigard, and Ray Nance. Titles include "Take The A Train", "Portrait Of Bert Williams", "Rumpus In Richmond", "Rocks In My Bed", "Sepia Panorama", "Flaming Sword", "Perdido", and "Blue Serge".

With Abercrombie on guitars, Richie Beirach on piano, George Mraz on bass, and Peter Donald on drums.

This haunting EP brings you more of Atmosphere's signature tortured, playful, catchy songs of relationships and introspection. This EP is a tad bit more polished than their previous efforts, but Slug still harnesses the dark, bitter, nonchalant anger down inside him that spews forth these catchy rhymes that sound somewhere between yelling, rhyming and singing all at the same time, while remaining very intelligent and sarcastic. The ANT production on these tracks really shines and has definitely matured since his Overcast efforts. Tracks include "Between The Lines", "Like Today", "Tears For The Sheep", "Don't Ever F*cking Question That", "It Goes", "Aspiring Sociopath", and a second LP of instrumentals for the DJs!

A fantastically soulful album from Jorge Ben – one of his greatest records ever, and a key part of Brazilian music in the 70s! The album marks an earthier shift for Jorge – a sound that's still rooted in the samba influences of the 60s, but which also takes on a bit more soul at the bottom – thanks to rhythmic contributions from Trio Mocoto, who work here famously to help Ben shape the overall feel of the set! There's still a bit of larger orchestrations at moments, but these are used sparingly just to sweeten the sound – leaving the main force of the music to come from Jorge's guitar, and the cuica, percussion, and tamborim of the trio. The vocals are wonderful too – slightly raspy, and with a bit more feeling than we ever remember Jorge having on record – sometimes a bit intimate, yet always with an undeniable presence throughout. One of those records that still sends chills up our spines, year after year – with tracks that include "Oba La Vem Ela", "Ze Canjica", "Pulo Pulo", "Apareceu Aparecida", "Terezinha", "Mulher Brasileira", "Forca Bruta", "O Telefone Tocou Novamente", and "Charles Junior".

Easily one of our favorite albums by Tim Buckley – and a record that really opens up with some key jazzy touches! Buckley's still got his roots in folk here, and his vocals are yet to hit the extremes of Starsailor or Lorca – but there's also a new sense of inflection to the way he puts over the lyrics, shaded in by use of vibes, kalimba, harmonium, and harpsichord – the latter two of which are played on the session by Don Randi! Tracks are relatively short, but high in concept – and include the protest song "No Man Can Find The War", plus "Hallucinations", "Phantasmagoria In Two", "Carnival Song", "Pleasant Street", "Morning Glory", and "Goodbye & Hello".

A seminal album by El Kinto – a short-lived but crucially important group in the Uruguay rock scene of the late 60s! El Kinto were a seminal link between the beat group sounds of the earlier South American scene, and some of the headier, tripper work to come in the psychedelic years – and their music was an unusual blend of local roots and more ambitious rock – served up in styles that were somewhat different than the candombe music of other artists on the scene. Core rock instrumentation was often augmented by a bit of Latin percussion – used in a way that created a nicely earthy feel at the bottom of most of the tunes, which was in contrast to the cleaner, but also somewhat spare use of guitars on the top. There's a criss-crossing sensibility here that's not unlike Brazilian Tropicalia at times – although clearly not as politically motivated, nor as culturally radical – and what really blows us away about these tunes is the overall sense of sound – a simple, but extremely effective placement of all the simplest elements, to create music without easy comparison (even though we've been trying for the last few lines!) Group members include percussionist Ruben Rada and South American rock legend Eduardo Mateo – and the album features 14 tracks that include "Jose", "Mejor Me Voy", "Don Pascual"," Voy Pensando", "Esa Tristeza", "Yo Volvere Por Ti", "Estoy Sin Ti", and "Pippo". Great reissue – very heavy vinyl and cover, and with an insert with notes!

The best yet from Flying Lotus – who we keep allowing ourselves to believe has hit an insurmountable peak with each new record – but he just keeps getting better! Where the preceding Cosmogramma upped the stranger, spacier and more abstract textures, Until The Quiet Comes is a bit more inviting – and to his credit, Flying Lotus keeps things as innovative as ever, while still giving this one just a bit more immediately appealing atmosphere. There's nearly always a compelling beat, whether it's abstract boom bap or bubbly and synthy, with heavy bass and thick waves of sound floating over. An incredible roster of guests contribute, too – including string-arranger Miguel Atwood Ferguson, vocalists Erykah Badu, Laura Darlington and Radiohead's Thom Yorke, keyboardist Dorian Concept, and others – but there's little doubt that this is purely the Flying Lotus show. Greatness! Titles include "All In", "Sultan's Request", "See Thru To U" with Erykah Badu, "DMT Song" with Thundercat, "The Nightcaller", "Only If You Wanna", "Electric Candyman" with Thom Yorke, "Hunger" with Niki Randa, "Phantasm" with Laura Darlington, "Dream To Me" and more.

Nikki G in total righteousness, surrounded by a big choir, and dropping knowledge on cuts like "Great Pax Whitey", "Poem For Aretha", and "Ego Tripping". Very spiritual stuff, with backing vocals by the New York Community Choir, who also recorded a great soul album on RCA around the same time – and an overall approach that elevates Nikki's poetry into a very spiritual realm!

Easily one of the best albums by Sugarcane Harris – thanks largely to Johnny Otis, who produced and arranged the set with the same messed-up, genre-crossing style of his own work! Given that Harris both played electric violin and sung in a raunchy bluesy style, it would take a genius like Otis to make the sound work – and work he does, shifting the mood of the album from track to track, in an effort to showcase all the messed-up, down-and-dirty sides of Sugarcane's style! Includes the tracks "A Little Soul Food", "Funk & Wagner", "Do It Yourself", "I'm Unconscious", and "Take It All Off".

One of 3 albums that vocalist Lurlean Hunter cut for RCA during the 50s – all of them very nice, in a sophisticated jazz club style that's not as well remembered these days. This album has her singing with Phil Moore's orchestra – a perfect backdrop for her dusky style. Titles include "Kiss Me Again", "If I Could Be With You", "Nobody's Heart", "Some Other Time", and "Under A Blanket Of Blue".

The sound of Zambia, circa 1975 – a heady brew of psychedelic styles and deeper African roots – served up in the unique blend of modes that would come to be known as Zamrock! The album's got a dark feel right from the start – one of those records where it feels like something's a bit off, psychically – but in a great way that really keeps things compelling throughout – and which makes the music way more interesting than some of the other 70s African hybrids that were aiming for a much more mainstream market. Instead, the sounds of Rikki Ililonga and group are very much their own thing – sticking to territory that's very sharp and bracing – as you'll hear on cuts that include "The Hole", "Shebeen Queen", "Zambia", "Hot Fingers", "The Nature Of Man", and "Sansa Kuwa".

Lovely work from Charles Lloyd – recorded at the point when he was just pushing off from Chico Hamilton's group, and before he got too noodly for his own good! Side one of the record features Lloyd with his own group – jazzing it up in a mix of flute, guitar, and percussion on a number of short tracks that have a light and breezy feel. There's a nice dose of bossa in the set, plus some of the other freer rhythmic styles that Lloyd and Hamilton experimented with together at the time – but all of the tracks have a strong rhythmic pulse, and never lose their groove for too much experimentation. Side two features two wonderful tracks with Hamilton's group at a point when Lloyd was still working with the ensemble – both long tracks with a modal pulse and a great deal of spirituality – again free, but never too much so! A nice little album – with tracks that include "Island Blues", "Carcara", "Long Time Baby", "One For Joan", and "Freedom Traveler".

A classic album by this righteous soul collective – and one that shows them taking a strong step away from their work at RCA with Harvey Fuqua. This one has the group (ever-enormous as always!) absorbing some of the other elements of modern soul that were floating around at the time – and they make a nice mark for themselves on the album's mix of ballad tracks and uptempo numbers. Titles include "Blind Man", "Blind Baby", "Dream Merchant", "Forever", "I Remember Well", and "Granddaddy"

The 101 Strings organization matches up with a groovy percussion ensemble, for a sound that's like some of the good RCA percussion bachelor pad LPs from the 50's. Tracks include "Voodoo Moon", "Ski Run", "Dizzy Fingers", "Roller Coaster", and "Bats In The Belfry". We think you get the picture!

An obscure US album that presents some late 50s work recorded by Parisian easy maestro Andre Popp! Popp's had a strong reputation for years as being the Esquivel of the other side of the Atlantic, and this album's a perfect illustration of that point – very much like the earliest Esquivel work at RCA, a mixture of older romantic easy listening styles with some stranger twists and odd instrumentation – a bit less electric and spatial than Esquivel's own albums, but definitely with that "pushing the envelope" sound that was shifting the mood music era at the time. Tracks include "La Bardinette", "Sexy Sax", "La Pendule", "Musique Mechanique", "Du Vent Dans Les Voiles", "Melodie Du Sud", and "Tunisia Waltz".

Another tasty batch of short firey Latin tracks from Tito's immediate post-RCA years! The cuts are a nice mix of mambo jazz numbers and guarachas, with a few cha chas thrown in – and they all have that tight raw sound that made Tito's Tico work so much better than most of his 50s stuff. Here's your chance to hear the master bandleader in action – especially on the cuts "Samba-Roco", "Agua-Nile", "Vaya Puente", "Timbalero", and "Chino". Tough to find on wax!

Kind of an amazing collaboration – a core group that features Tony Allen, Damon Albarn, and Flea – with guest appearances by Erykah Badu, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Fatoumata Diawara, M.anifest, Cheick Tidiane Seck, and Thundercat! The sound of the set is surprisingly wonderful – hardly a cloying collection of common elements in the trio's music – and instead a rich new territory that's almost a 21st Century re-invention of older Afro Funk modes! Allen's drumming is razor-sharp, and gives the record an acoustic energy that's really excellent – and Flea's basswork is astounding too – rough, rootsy, and really dynamic – in ways that have us unexpectedly complimenting him for his talents. Titles include "Lol", "Night Watch", "Forward Sweep", "Extinguished", "Rotary Connection", "Worries", "There", "Check Out", "Benko", and "The Unfadable".

The Rolling Stones doing their thing on the Some Girls tour – live at Fort Worth's Will Rogers Memorial Centre in the summer of 1978! Now remembered as a classic, Some Girls was a bit of divisive record for both Stones die-hards and rock fans in general, circa '78 – with some trendy pop and disco touches, as well as more of a gleaming production aesthetic. The live show was something else, though – it was on this date, anyway – which is a manic, swaggery blast! It's got a bunch of Some Girls material, as well as some other classic Stones songs – including "Let It Rock", "All Down The Line",, "Honky Tonk Women", "Star Star", "When The Whip Comes Down", "Respectable", "Love In Vain", "Tumbling Dice", "Beast Of Burden", "Miss You", "Shattered", "Happy", "Sweet Little Sixteen", "Brown Sugar", "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and more. This 2LP version also includes the full-length concert DVD!

One of our favorite albums by Don Sugarcane Harris – largely because it's got more of a jazz component than some of the others! Harris is still playing violin on the set, but the real charm seems to come from the tightness of the group – which features some lesser-known LA players on electric piano, guitar, and percussion – all working in a laidback yet rhythmically-driven sort of groove – one that fits in very nicely with the overall MPS aesthetic of the time! Plus, Harvey Mandel plays guitar on the record – initially billed as a "mystery guest" on the original release. Tracks are longish, and titles include "Runnin Away", "Hattie's Bathtub", "Bad Feet", "Cup Full Of Dreams", and "Generation Of Vipers".

One of the great modern genre-busting debuts we've had the pleasure of being so stunned by in quite a while! Thundercat's Golden Age is dizzyingly brilliant mix of 80s clubby synths and keys, future soul & funky soundscapes, 70s soul jazzy atmospherics and more – but it's hardly a mere genre-mash, Thundercat's got a unique and inventive vision all his own. A number of tracks feature vocals, but it's really about the mood – and what an expansive mood it is! He shows love here for influential figures from George Duke to Brainfeeder honcho Flying Lotus, to Erykah Badu – great stuff and we're thinking he's only gonna get better from here. Titles include "Hooooooo" (inspired by mid 70s George Duke), "Daylight", "For Love I Come", "Jamboree", "Boat Cruise", "Walkin", "Mystery Machine", "Return To The Journey", "Golden Boy", "Walkin'" (feat Erykah Badu) and more.

A real standout 70s set from Nina Simone – a one-off date for CTI Records, done with a sound that's different than her earlier work for RCA, Philips, and Colpix! The groove here is often as soul-based as it is vocal jazz – thanks to arrangements from David Matthews, who brings a similar sound here to his other work with Esther Phillips in the decade – another older singer who'd hit some very hip territory at the time. The groove here is very much like Phillips' best for Kudu – smooth and soulful, but in ways that still retain all the rasp and character of the lead vocals. Titles include a sublime reading of Randy Newman's excellent "Baltimore", plus "The Family", "My Father", "Music For Lovers", "Rich Girl", and "Balm In Gilead".

Rare material from Simply Saucer – circa 1975 to 1977 – pressed on a 4-track 7" single – which is attached to a special frisbee with a 45 adaptor too!

Jazz from the heart of the cold war – not actually recorded in Moscow, but featuring a bunch of hip players on their return from a tour of the Soviet Union – a historic moment in which west met east, with some groovy jazz in the offing! Apart from the tenor of Zoot Sims and alto of Phil Woods, the record also features flute and alto from Jerry Dodgion, trombone from Willie Dennis, trumpets from Markie Markowitz and Jimmy Maxwell, and piano from Eddie Costa – and the set features arrangements from Al Cohn on tracks that hit the 5 minute range – tight at the top, with breakaway solos, as you might hear during some of the Cohn/Sims sides for RCA during the 50s! Titles include "Let's Dance", "Mission To Moscow", "The Sochi Boatman", and the obligatory "Russian Lullaby".

Need some whackiness in your beats? "Thunder Thunder Thundercats Hooo!" Beats and bits from Fat Albert, Transformers, Thundercats, Voltron, Ren & Stimpy, Beavis & Butthead, South Park, Futurama and more.

Includes tracks by Elgar's Creole Orchestra, Carroll Dickerson's Savoy Orchestra & Savoyagers, and Sammy Stewart & His Orchestra.

Slammin's a definite good choice for the title of this one – as this 5th entry in the Easy Tempo series seems even funkier than the other volumes – a set that's got plenty of full-on grooves, hand-picked from the genius Italian soundtrack years of the 60s and 70s! If you're looking for a place to start digging the full range of talents of the maestros of this time, you'd be hard pressed to find a better collection – as the Easy Tempo name always means the best bits from this scene, served up in a package that packs a lot more punch than any single individual soundtrack! Titles include "Loco Love Motor" and "The Frog" by Augusto Martelli, "Montreal Non Stop" and "Anice Nuraghi" by Luiz Bacalov, "L'Arcangelo" by Piero Umiliani, "Running Fast" by Stefano Torossi, "Blazing Magnum" by Armando Trovajoli, "Trop's" by Alberto Baldan Bembo, "Vuca" by Tony Mimms, and "The Chicken" by Dick Oliver.

Includes tracks by Eddie Heywood & His Jazz Six, Ben Tobier & His California Cyclones, the Edgewater Crows, Williamson's Beale Street Frolic Orchestra, the Black Birds Of Paradise, the Triangle Harmony Boys, and Sammy Price & His Four Quarters.

Second pressing of a set that originally focused on the many different styles of arranger/conductor/horn player David Amram, but unlike the original on RCA, this pressing condenses the material into a single LP. The best material mixes up "Near Eastern" instrumentation and funkier arrangements, and some other cuts that have kind of a groovy beatnik jazz sound to them. Most notable of these is a version of "Pull My Daisy", but other cool tracks include "Tompkins Square Park Consciousness Expander", "Brazilian Memories", "Sao Paulo", and "Going North". This version of the album features 7 tracks in total, with the remaining titles being "Waltz From After The Fall" and "Wind From The Indies".

A selection of late 80s South Bronx Teachings – classic Boogie Down Productions circa Criminal Minded! South Bronx Teachings focuses soundly on the class of '87 – so you get fistful of the Criminal Minded cuts and a few other blasts from KRS-One & Scott La Rock, nicely paced over 2 pieces of vinyl. Includes "Poetry", "South Bronx", "9MM Goes Blang", "Word From Our Sponsor", "Elementary", "Advance", "D-Nice Rocks The House", "The Bridge Is Over", "Super-Hoe", "Criminal Minded", and "P Is Free (12" Version)".

Bobby was one of the more unlikely soul acts of the late 70s – but thanks to some skillful keyboard playing and smooth vocals, he scored huge with the track "What You Won't Do For Love", a nicely compressed mellow soul cut that almost feels like ballad-style Earth, Wind & Fire circa 1975, and which has remained a perennial favorite. The cut's included here on Bobby's first album, along with the tracks "My Flame", "Love Won't Wait", "Down For The Third Time", and "Kalimba Song", another nod to Maurice White and crew, to be sure!

The Kurtis Blow-produced debut album by The Fat Boys! We'll say it: respect is due to The Fat Boys – so put the pop culture novelty status, fat comedy cliches and Disorderlies debacle aside. If you're a child of the early 80s, there's a reasonable chance that The Fat Boys were the first rap group you ever heard – and that alone makes them no joke if you ask us. Another thing: the best of their cuts are pretty damn nice, holding up as well some of the best rap circa '84 – and this debut album indeed features some of their best cuts! Includes "Stick 'Em", Fat Boys", "The Place To Be""Human Beat Box", "Can You Feel It?", "Stick 'Em" & "Jailhouse Rap". Limited 2012 vinyl version is remastered – in comes in a pizza box! Limited 2012 picture disc vinyl version is remastered – in comes in a pizza box!

A really nice batch of early 80s soul from Loose Ends – one of the best remembered groups who were making strong soul music in Britain in the period – and who actually recorded this excellent first album at Philadelphia's Alpha Studios! Making the record in Philly was a wise decision – the sounds range from classic level slow jams, to solid modern soul to touches of electro and more dancefloor geared groovers – and it sounds like work of deft scene veterans rather than a full length debut for the group! The songs were written by the band who, at that time, included Jane Eugene, Carl McIntosh and Steve Nichol. Tracks include "Hangin On A String", "Choose Me", "Music Takes Me Higher", "Dial 999", "Tell Me What You Want", "A Little Spice", "So Much Love", and "Let's Rock".

A warmly crafted set that Jon Lucien recorded on his own after bigger fame at Columbia and RCA – and a nice little record that shows that the Lucien magic was still very much in place! The set's got a gentler groove than some of his earlier records – less ambitiously jazzy, and almost more of a personal statement from Jon – recorded in a mode that mixes his own vocals and keyboards with some larger backings conducted by Richard Evans, Michel Colombier, and Billy Byers. All tracks arranged, composed, and produced by Jon – and titles include "Together As One", "Sempre Maria", "Tell Me You Love Me", "How About Tonight", "I Like It", and "Too Damn Hot".

Excellent jazzy soul stuff by one of our favorite singers of all time! Jon's in wonderful form here – working in arrangements that are a bit smoother and more modern soul oriented than his earlier work for RCA, but handled in such a way that they only bring out more richness in his incredible vocals! The album includes Jon's sublime version of "Maiden Voyage" – one of the mellow soul classics of the 70s – plus originals like "Soul Mate", "Creole Lady", "Follow Your Heart", and the haunting "Song For My Lady". Also includes a great version of "Dindi"!

Although the Main Ingredient were best known for their early 70's singles, this album from '74 is a wonderfully complex batch of tunes that shows that the group were taking a cue from some of their hipper contemporaries, and pushing past a stock hit formula. Bert DeCoteaux was still arranging, but the group produced themselves, giving the record a sexy funky feeling in the best parts, not that dissimilar from some of Marvin Gaye's work, or records by groups like The Isley Brothers or The O'Jays. Includes great versions of two Seals & Crofts songs – "Summer Breeze" and "Euphrates" – both a perfect example of this style, as is "Happiness Is Just Around The Bend" – plus a great reading of Willie Hutch's "California My Way", which has a super-dope sample at the beginning. Of course, the album still includes material like their hit " "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely", a sweetly style AM radio pop hit in the band's best style of earlier years.

A mid 1960s record from the great South African singer Miriam Makeba. Hugh Masekela is responsible for most of the arrangements and leads an impressive groups of musicians for these twelve tracks. The players include Kenny Burrel, Jimmy Cleveland, Moriss Goldberg, Ronnie Fink, Jonas Gwangwa, William Salter and Seldon Powell to name a few. The tracks include Jorge Ben's "Chove-Chuva", "Woza", "Cameroon", "Same Moon", Kilimanjaro", "Wind Song", Salter's "Let's Pretend", and Makeba's own "Maduna".

One of the greatest soundtracks ever from the early years of Henry Mancini – a hip jazzy TV score that we've loved for years! The jazzy theme to "Mr Lucky" is reason enough to buy this album – as it's got these wonderful warm washes of sound, interlayed in a way that makes you wish the track went on and on and on again – but Mancini brilliantly follows that gem up with a host of wonderful other tunes – cool numbers that move past even the familiar crime jazz that Hank had given us on Peter Gunn, into a level of instrumental sophistication that set a whole new tone for the 60s generation to come. Other tunes include "Lightly Latin", "Tipsy", "One Eyed Cat", "Chime Time", and "March Of The Cue Balls", a Mancini classic if there ever was one!

Really hip work from Italian flautist Gino Marinacci – a player with a sound that's unlike anyone else we can think of, recording here in a group that really matches the best side of his talents! Gino plays a bass flute – which has a nice low-end, rumbling sort of sound – quite different than some of the higher-toned flutes usually used in jazz, and mixed here with trombone work from Dino Piana, which makes for a nicely bottom-heavy record that's really great. Other players include Antonello Vannucchi on piano and organ and Angelo Baroncini on guitar – and the rhythms on the record are often as unique as Marinacci's sound – not quite modal, not quite bossa, not quite soul jazz – but with cool elements of all of them. Arrangements are by Marinacchi and Vannucchi, but Piero Piccioni also arranged one tune too – and titles include "Idea", "Metropoli", "Club Privato", "Comunicativa", "Dialogo", "Intesa", and "Un Volto Una Storia".

John Mayall's definitely getting back to his roots here – and he's also getting help from an all-star cast as well! Mayall's vocals and piano are in fine form – almost with a rough-edged Blues Breakers sort of vibe, but sometimes a bit funkier too – in ways that strongly show the evolution of the older Brit blues groove into some hipper, more soul-drenched territory. Players on the record are a range of familiar names – including Eric Clapton on guitar, Johnny Amond on sax and flute, Harvey Mandel on guitar, Sugarcane Harris on violin, and Keef Hartley on some especially nice drums. Titles include "Prisons On The Road", "Groupie Girl", "My Children", "Home Again", "Blue Fox", "Boogie Albert", "Unanswered Questions", "Goodbye December", "Force Of Nature", and "Dream With Me". CD also features bonus tracks too – including "Accidental Suicide (1988 rmx)", "Force Of Nature (1988 rmx)", "Boogie Albert (1988 rmx)", "Television Eye (1988 rmx)", "Looking At Tomorrow (1988 rmx)", "Mr Censor Man (1988 rmx)", and "Home Again (1988 rmx)".

Oh how we love this album – and we think it may well be the best album ever from Charles Mingus! The set was recorded in that magical Mingus year of 1957, but oddly not released until 1962 – missing some of the initial frenzy of his discovery during the Atlantic and Columbia years. But the album's actually a treasure that predates the better-known latter sides – with a sharpness and intensity that Mingus hardly ever matched again! The group is one of his strongest ever – with Shafi Hadi on alto, Clarence Shaw on trumpet, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, and Bill Triglia on piano. There's a slight Latin vibe, as you might expect from the title – but it's very slight overall, and most of the tunes are in that sharply angular, fully expressive style that flowered most strongly for Mingus in the late 50s. There's not a wasted moment of music on the whole album – with tight solos and incredible rhythms that dominate every second of the extended tracks – and titles include "Dizzy Moods", "Flamingo", "Los Mariachis", "Ysabel's Tabel Dance", and "Tijuana Gift Shop".

A pretty darn sweet vocal session from the duo of Miucha and Antonio Carlos Jobim – recorded with lots of bossa overtones, very much the same spirit as the legendary Elis & Tom album of the mid 70s! Chico Buarque participates in the session, and Jobim even lends his vocal talents to a track or two – but his real talent, though, is his work on the arrangements – as he gives the whole thing a beautifully dreamy quality, in the manner of his best 70s work, with lots of strange off-kilter melodies floating around the mix of strings, piano, and flute! Miucha's vocals are lovely, and titles include "Sei La A Vida Tem Sempre Razao", "Vai Levando", "Comigo E Assim", "Samba Do Aviao", and "Saia Do Caminho".

Groovy 2LP set that includes some of the best work that Hugo Montenegro did for RCA during the late 60s – including a number of nice cuts from some of his famous soundtracks! Titles include "Theme From The Fox", "Lady In Cement", "Good Morning Sunshine", "Aquarius", "Come Spy With Me", "Good Vibrations", and "Happy Together".

Excellent album that Harvey Fuqua put together with his old band during the time that he had emerged as a successful soul producer at RCA working with bands like The Nite Liters and The New Birth. The album features the group reprising some of their classic doo wop tracks, and giving them a 70's edge with the help of a small combo that includes Norman Harris, Bobby Eli, and Vernon Bullock. One highlight includes a great remake of "Sincerely" that has a nice break and a good groove to it. Other goodies are "The Ten Commandments", and "Most Of All". Better than you'd think!