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Sweet, funky, and outtasite – one of Ramsey Lewis' greatest albums of the 60s – cut under the supervision of Chicago soul maestro Charles Stepney! The album's an amazing mix of jazz, funk, and the more baroque and spacey elements – that were running through the Chicago soul and jazz scene of the time – all coming together under the guidance of Lewis and Stepney, with a sound that points the way towards countless 70s recordings to come! Highlights include a bit of kalimba from drummer Maurice White, some great guitar from Phil Upchurch, and plenty of tasty electric keys from Ramsey himself – really laying back in a righteous kind of groove – hitting new heights on tunes that include "Bold and Black", "If You've Got it, Flaunt It", "Do What You Wanna", "Cecile", "Wanderin Rose", and "Opus #5".

One of the strongest early albums by the Ramsey Lewis Trio – especially because it features some great original material! The group – with the usual Redd Holt and Eldee Young lineup – is augmented by Chris White on a few tracks, who plays bass while Young switches to cello, an instrument that he played better in jazz than just about anyone. Apart from the group's great title reading of Cannonball Adderley's "Barefoot Sunday Blues", the record also features original tracks "The Train Won't Wait", "Come On Baby", "I Spend My Life", "Act Like You Mean It", "Salute To Ray Charles", and "Don't Even Kick It Around". Also includes Charles Lloyd's evocative composition "Island Blues".

Two electric killers from Ramsey Lewis – back to back in a single package! Funky Serenity is sweet electric funk from Ramsey – one of his best from the 70s, and a set with Lewis on Fender Rhodes, electric harpsichord, and other keyboards, grooving away in an open-ended 70s mode that still retains all the heavy soul of his classic work for Chess. Morris Jennings adds in some very nice percussion with his drum work, and Cleveland Eaton's on funky bass, giving the set a strong bottom groove. Features the sublime sample cut "My Love For You", a great version of "Knights In White Satin" that's done with a weird spacey groove, plus the tracks "Kufany Mapenzi (Making Love)", "Serene Funk", "What It Is!", and "Dreams". Salongo is a tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not Earth Wind & Fire entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of other players that were often associated with sessions by the group! Ramsey's own combo here includes Steve Cobb on drums and vocals, and Derf Reklaw on reeds and vocals as well – and the overall sound has bits of African and Brazilian influences, worked into a soulful fusion groove that sounds a lot like the instrumental backings EWF were using at the time. Titles include "Brazilica", "Slick", "Rubato", "Salongo", and "Seventh Fold".

Goin Latin, and goin groovy too – thanks to some wonderful arrangements from Chicago soul legend Richard Evans – who really helps Ramsey Lewis open up his sound on the set! The format's less straight Latin than you might expect from the title – and Evans brings in a bouncing, bassy bottom that's still got a strongly American flavor – not really Latin Soul, but something of a blend of Latin and bossa elements with some of Evans' more soul-styled modes of the time! The mix of styles is really great – Ramsey's Chicago groove taken a bit south of the border – and tracks include the heavy smoker "Hey Mrs Jones", plus "Summer Samba", "Free Again", "Blue Bongo", "Function At The Junction", "One Two Three", "I'll Wait For You", and "Spanish Grease".

A set of classic Ramsey Lewis recordings with his trio of Eldee Young and Redd Holt, all of which were recorded during the 60s for Argo/Chess, but not released until this set in 1972. The tracks all came from the same live set that spawned the group's hit single version of "Hang On Sloopy", and the titles include "Look-A-Here", "Bags Groove", and "Summertime".

Easily one of the biggest selling jazz albums of the 60s – a crowning achievement for Ramsey Lewis and his popular trio with Eldee Young on bass and Redd Holt on drums! The set was recorded live at the Bohemian Caverns in DC, and the trio are perfect in the setting – going at the numbers with pyrotechnic fury, but always staying in the soul jazz idiom – keeping things nice, tight, and in the pocket! Titles include the group's hit version of "The In Crowd", plus "You Been Talkin Bout Me Baby", "Spartacus", "Felicidade", and "Come Sunday".

Easily one of the biggest selling jazz albums of the 60s – a crowning achievement for Ramsey Lewis and his popular trio with Eldee Young on bass and Redd Holt on drums! The set was recorded live at the Bohemian Caverns in DC, and the trio are perfect in the setting – going at the numbers with pyrotechnic fury, but always staying in the soul jazz idiom – keeping things nice, tight, and in the pocket! Titles include the group's hit version of "The In Crowd", plus "You Been Talkin Bout Me Baby", "Spartacus", "Felicidade", and "Come Sunday".

An overlooked gem from Ramsey's 70s years at Columbia – a record that has him grooving over larger arrangements, sweeping along in a great blend of soul and class that makes for some really great numbers! Side one of the album features Ramsey playing keyboards on the extended "Legacy" suite – a long piece composed and conducted by James Mack, which has Ramsey running through a lot of different moods and modes – some of them nice and funky! Side two features some nice shorter tracks – all electric groovers with plenty of funky keys! Titles include "Moogin On", "Don't Look Back", "Well Well Well", and "All The Way Live".

In case you think the folks at Chess were putting too fine a point on the earthy origins of Ramsey's jazz, the title's actually one that follows from an earlier album Ramsey cut for Mercury – and features a similar cover of a shovel digging in the dirt! The tracks are a great blend of the rich approaches to piano jazz performed by the Lewis trio with Eldee Young and Red Holt – with some tracks bluesy, some tracks upbeat, some whimsey, and a few that groove in very surprising places. Titles include "Volga Boatman", "Around The World In 80 Days", "Hello Cello", "Blues For The Nighty Owl", and "Gonna Set Your Soul On Fire".

A sweet late 70s groover from Ramsey – not as all-out electric as some of his earlier work for Columbia, but done with some nice arrangements that have a full and soulful feel! There's a bit of Kalimba/Earth Wind & Fire soul to the mix – and some tracks have production by James Mack and soulful backing vocals by Kitty & The Heywoods – both elements of which serve to provide a nice platform for Ramsey to soar over the top on Steinway. A few cuts feature a bit of electric keys, but overall, the style's in that "acoustic solo instrument over electric backings – in the manner that 70s mainstream fusion was using heavily at the time. Titles include "Dancin", "I'll Always Dream About You", "Every Chance I Get", and "I Just Can't Give You Up".

A tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not Earth Wind & Fire entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of other players that were often associated with sessions by the group! Ramsey's own combo here includes Steve Cobb on drums and vocals, and Derf Reklaw on reeds and vocals as well – and the overall sound has bits of African and Brazilian influences, worked into a soulful fusion groove that sounds a lot like the instrumental backings EWF were using at the time. Titles include "Brazilica", "Slick", "Rubato", "Salongo", and "Seventh Fold".

Ramsey hits the Hayes/Porter hit, and gives it his usual soul instrumental twist. "Struttin' Lightly" is an early track written by Cleveland Eaton, and played by Ramsey's trio with Eaton and Maurice White.

A nicely done compilation of pivotal work from the great Ramsey Lewis – focusing on his work for Columbia/CBS Records from the 70s and early 80s – and very well chosen at that! Of course the title comes from Ramsey's iconic album of the same name, and this 2CD set features a few tracks from that one, but it's also got numbers from Tequila Mockingbird, Ramsey, Three Piece Suite, Love Notes and other great records, plus choice live work, his album with Nancy Wilson and other standouts. It kind of focuses on the sunny electric jazz and fusiony soul groovers, and Jazz FM does a great job with the selections! 32 tracks on 2CDs: "Spring High", "Caring For You", "Tambura, "So Much More", "Lynn (Live)", "Hot Dawgit", "Paradise", "Expansions", "Sun Goddess", "Sassy Stew (Live)", "Whisper Zone", "Camino El Bueno", "All The Way Live", "Intimacy", "I'll Always Dream About You" and more.

An easy going set of tunes from Ramsey – still going quite strong after all these years, and getting some vocal help from Nancy Wilson on a number of tunes! The format is surprisingly lean, clean, and simple – with most tracks played by a small combo that features Ramsey on acoustic piano, plus supporting keyboards, guitar, and a bit of horns. There's a great cover of "Slippin Into Darkness" that takes the tune to places that Ramsey didn't reach in the 70s, and Nancy joins in on the titles "All This Love", "Give Me Something Real", "In The Name Of Love", and "Lost Up In Loving You". Other titles include "Ooh Child", "In My Life", and "One True Thing".

Sublime electric work from Ramsey Lewis! Ramsey's working here with his hip 70s group that included Morris Jennings and Cleveland Eaton, and he's playing some fantastic electric piano – a blend of funky grooves and soulful spiritualism, stripped down into a sound that's one of his leanest and cleanest of the decade! The album's got some great funky covers, like "Collage", "Slipping Into Darkness" and "People Make the World Go Round" – plus the nice groover "Upendo Ni Pamoja".

A pretty great little live set – recorded in Central Park in the late 60s, before a very large crowd! Lou sounds great, as always – and the Ramsey Lewis material is very much in the spirit of the live mid 60s Cadet recordings. Maxine Brown is the real treat, though, as the live setting is quite a contrast to her more staid sides for Wand. Maxine sings "In The Midnight Hour" and "Soul Serenade", Lou Sings "They Don't Give Medals", "Tobacco Road", and "On Broadway", and Ramsey plays "Salute To Ray Charles", "Hang On Sloopy", and "Goin Out Of My Head".

Jazzy and classy – and one of the first of Ramsey's albums to feature him working with larger arrangements instead of the usual trio. In this case, the whole thing was arranged and conducted by Richard Evans – with a spacey hip sound that's not too far from some of Ramsey's later work for Cadet with Charles Stepney. Evans' arrangements are in that strident stepping Soulful Strings mode – and Ramsey's working the keys hard and soulfully over the top, bouncing around the piano in a hard mode that wipes away any schmaltz that you might have caught on the records otherwise. The whole thing grooves quite nicely in a mix of spacey jazz and easy soul – and titles include "The Pawnbroker", "Saturday Night After The Movies", "Girl Talk", "Matchmaker", "Return To Paradise", "Goin Hollywood", "From Russia With Love", and "The Gentle Rain".

One of Ramsey's excellent late 60s funky piano records for Cadet – featuring his second trio with Cleveland Eaton on bass and Morris Jennings on drums, and a sound that's nicely expanded from the mid 60s hit years. Charles Stepney plays a bit of organ on the album, and Henry Gibson gives the group a nice kick on on congas and percussion – and there's a couple of excellent cuts with a good hard funk sound. Titles include "Back To The Roots", "Crescent Noon", "Up In Yonder", and "Love Now On".

A collection of Ramsey's work on Cadet/Argo that focuses mostly on the groovy uptempo tracks from the mid 60s – when Lewis had cracked the pop instrumental charts with soulful versions of bigger hits. Titles include "The In Crowd", "Function At The Junction", "Soul Man", "Up Tight", "Hang On Sloopy", and "Dancing In The Street". Also includes 3 excellent cuts from the Charles Stepney baroque soul years – "Les Fleur", "Julia", and "Maiden Voyage".

A late 60s groover from the second Ramsey Lewis trio – the one that features Cleveland Eaton on bass and Maurice White on drums, both doing a pretty great job of filling the spot vacated by Eldee Young and Red Holt! The album's a live one, cut in the successful mode of Ramsey's records with the Young/Holt group – mostly featuring familiar numbers transformed by the Lewis Trio's hard-grooving approach to their work! It's great to hear Maurice White in a pre-Earth Wind & Fire jazz setting – and the album's got a slightly more open sound than some of Ramsey's earlier live dates – especially on the Brazilian tinged numbers that include "Mood For Mendes", "Corcovado", and "Medley From Black Orpheus". Other tracks include "Struttin Lightly", "Dancing In The Street", "You Don't Know Me", and "What Now My Love".

Massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays keyboards here along with Ramsey, and the twin-keys approach makes for a sound that's extra-special – one that sums up all the earlier soulful creativity of both artists in their late 60s Cadet Records years, and hones it down to an even sweeter groove for the 70s! A number of tracks have some sort of vocal component, but usually in a chorus mode that soon drops out when the keyboards hit home – and the record features a few great short "interlude" tracks that are almost as great as the longer numbers! Titles include the classic "Juaacklyn", a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's The Way Of The World", and the tracks "I Dig You", "Fish Bite", "Don't It Feel Good", "Something About You", and "Can't Function".

Massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays keyboards here along with Ramsey, and the twin-keys approach makes for a sound that's extra-special – one that sums up all the earlier soulful creativity of both artists in their late 60s Cadet Records years, and hones it down to an even sweeter groove for the 70s! A number of tracks have some sort of vocal component, but usually in a chorus mode that soon drops out when the keyboards hit home – and the record features a few great short "interlude" tracks that are almost as great as the longer numbers! Titles include the classic "Juaacklyn", a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's The Way Of The World", and the tracks "I Dig You", "Fish Bite", "Don't It Feel Good", "Something About You", and "Can't Function".

Sweet electric funk from Ramsey Lewis! The album's one of his best from the 70s – and it's got Ramsey on Fender Rhodes, electric harpsichord, and other keyboards, grooving away in an open-ended 70s mode that still retains all the heavy soul of his classic work for Chess. Morris Jennings adds in some very nice percussion with his drum work, and Cleveland Eaton's on funky bass, giving the set a strong bottom groove. Features the sublime sample cut "My Love For You", a great version of "Knights In White Satin" that's done with a weird spacey groove, plus the tracks "Kufany Mapenzi (Making Love)", "Serene Funk", "What It Is!", and "Dreams".

Easily one of Ramsey Lewis' most successful records – featuring the hit soul jazz style that he forged with the Young/Holt rhythm combo, honed to perfection before a live crowd at The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach. The record's a key part of Ramsey's live recorded output – showing the trio in pyrotechnic form before the kind of packed-house audiences they were playing to nightly at the time. Includes swinging versions of "Hard Day's Night", "High Heel Sneakers", and "Hang On Sloopy" – plus the original cut "Movin Easy".

A great little album of mid 70s funk from Ramsey Lewis – very much in the mode of his Earth, Wind, & Fire related work – no surprise, since the album's dedicated to Charles Stepney, whose influence was such a key part of the sound of the group, and of some of Ramsey's other Kalimba-produced albums from a few years before! Ramsey plays Fender Rhodes, mini moog, and Arp – and he gets help on keyboards from Stevie Wonder and Derf Reklaw, who also plays saxes and percussion on the set. Features versions of Wonder's "Love Notes" and "Spring High", plus Reklaw's "Chili Today Hot Tamale", "Shining", and "Stash Dash".

One of our favorite Ramsey Lewis albums of all time – an incredible reworking of tunes by The Beatles, done in collaboration with Cadet Records studio maestro Charles Stepney – who brings in some amazing arrangements and production styles to the record! The tunes are familiar, but the versions here definitely aren't – as Stepney really pulls them apart and puts them back together with a great range of new elements – sometimes a bit of electronics, sometimes funky drums, and often the kind of deep-bottomed, Chicago soul-styled grooves that Chess/Cadet was hooking up to its best players in the late 60s. Ramsey plays both acoustic and electric piano, and the album is easily one of his (and Stepney's) most brilliant moments in the studio! Titles include "Back In USSR", "Julia", "Sexy Sadie", "Dear Prudence", and "Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except For Me & My Monkey". Funky, spacey, and totally great!

Ramsey and the classic trio with Eldee Young and Red Holt – grooving away on a pot luck batch of tunes that includes material from a wide wide variety of sources, all turned into soul jazz magic by the boys! Believe it or not, Ramsey takes tunes like "Andaluza", "Arrividerci Roma", "Loch Lomond", "Nature Boy", and "Sheandoah", and arranges them with a hiply swinging style that makes you forget what they ever sounded like in the first place. Throw in some originals – like "We Blue It Again", "Look A Here", and "Swamp Girl" – and you've got pretty nice batch of tracks!

Ramsey and the trio are on the front in tuxedoes, top hats, and tails – but the overall sound of the record is much more in keeping with their soul jazz grooves of the late 50s – not necessarily gentlemanly, but with a worldly appreciation for a variety of styles of music, and perhaps a bit more of a flowery touch than in later years. Titles include "Black Is The Color", "Brother John", "Seven Valleys", "Delilah", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", and "Please Send Me Someone To Love".

A killer live set from Ramsey Lewis and his classic early 60s trio – a record that's not nearly as well known as The In Crowd, but every bit as great! Drummer Red Holt and bassist Eldee Young really get in some great elements here – working with Ramsey's piano in a groove that's far more than the standard trio mode of the time – and much more in a triangulated exchange of energy that's filled with life and joy throughout! Side one begins with a 12 minute "West Side Story Medley" – one that starts slow, but really builds with excitement as the tune rolls on – and other tunes include a version of "My Babe", with some funky cello work by Eldee Young; a soul-stepping take on "Something You Got"; Ramsey's original "The Caves"; and versions of "People", "Fly Me To The Moon", and "The Shelter Of Your Arms".

A tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not Earth Wind & Fire entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of other players that were often associated with sessions by the group! Ramsey's own combo here includes Steve Cobb on drums and vocals, and Derf Reklaw on reeds and vocals as well – and the overall sound has bits of African and Brazilian influences, worked into a soulful fusion groove that sounds a lot like the instrumental backings EWF were using at the time. Titles include "Brazilica", "Slick", "Rubato", "Salongo", and "Seventh Fold".

One of our favorite Ramsey Lewis albums ever – and a perfect summation of the genius that was brewing on the Chicago scene in the late 60s and early 70s! The album has Ramsey working strongly with Earth Wind & Fire – no surprise, given his close ties to Maurice White, who was the drummer in Ramsey's trio before starting his own group – and the shared relationship both artists had with producer Charles Stepney! The three were all key parts of the late 60s sound at Chess Records – but here, they've brought the same soulful energy to Columbia – working in a wider, more mature groove for the 70s – one that has Lewis' wicked Fender Rhodes lines stretching out strongly over tight, compressed, funky lines from EWF! The centerpiece of the set is the massive 7 minute "Sun Goddess", but there's lots of other nice ones like "Living For The City", "Gemini Rising", and "Jungle Strut". Funky, electric, and sublimely wonderful all the way through!

One of the hardest-hitting electric sets ever cut by Ramsey Lewis – a live performance from the start of the 70s, done with a really gritty groove! Ramsey's on both Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano – the former of which is played with even more forces than on his Cadet studio recordings – heard here in small group formation, without any added studio backings – just the guitar of Phil Upchurch, the bass of Cleveland Eaton, and the drums of Morris Jennings. The tracks are a bit longer than usual for Ramsey on Cadet too – and often hit these down-n-dirty modes that are similar to turn of the 70s work by Les McCann or Junior Mance. Tracks include "Do Whatever Sets You Free", "Them Changes", "Unsilent Majority", "Something", and "See The End From the Beginning".

Although Ramsey first scored big with his spare trio recordings during the late 50s, by this point in his career, Cadet were wisely playing with his sound a lot, adding in new elements to keep things fresh and soulful. Such is the case with this album, which has Ramsey's second trio (with Cleveland Eaton and Maurice White) performing with very groovy arrangements by Richard Evans. The result is some totally cool material – very much in the best crossover mode of the Cadet Concept years. The highlight of the album is the Eastern-tinged funky number "Jade East", which has some nice sitar and chimes in the background. Other tunes include "Party Time" and "Bear Mash", plus hard piano covers of "I Was Made To Love Her", "Soul Man", and "Respect".

From their inception in late 1956, Ramsey Lewis and his famous Young/Holt-era trio were destined for great jazz fame. This 1958 session on Mercury (then based in the group's native Chicago) catches the trio right at the beginning – when they were taking tunes that were pretty well known, and turning them into tight, jaunty, often comically-tinged soul jazz numbers that were very popular with the folks at the downtown clubs. As proof of that, the album features Lewis-arranged versions of many familiar favorites – including "Dark Eyes", "Come Back To Sorrento", "Greensleeves", and "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child". Also includes a few originals – like "We Blue It" and "Soul Mist".

Sweet, funky, and outtasite – one of Ramsey Lewis' greatest albums of the 60s – cut under the supervision of Chicago soul maestro Charles Stepney! The album's an amazing mix of jazz, funk, and the more baroque and spacey elements – that were running through the Chicago soul and jazz scene of the time – all coming together under the guidance of Lewis and Stepney, with a sound that points the way towards countless 70s recordings to come! Highlights include a bit of kalimba from drummer Maurice White, some great guitar from Phil Upchurch, and plenty of tasty electric keys from Ramsey himself – really laying back in a righteous kind of groove – hitting new heights on tunes that include "Bold and Black", "If You've Got it, Flaunt It", "Do What You Wanna", "Cecile", "Wanderin Rose", and "Opus #5".

An overlooked gem from Ramsey's 70s years at Columbia – a record that has him grooving over larger arrangements, sweeping along in a great blend of soul and class that makes for some really great numbers! Side one of the album features Ramsey playing keyboards on the extended "Legacy" suite – a long piece composed and conducted by James Mack, which has Ramsey running through a lot of different moods and modes – some of them nice and funky! Side two features some nice shorter tracks – all electric groovers with plenty of funky keys! Titles include "Moogin On", "Don't Look Back", "Well Well Well", and "All The Way Live".

One of Ramsey Lewis' best albums of the 60s – a killer Cadet record that stands right up there with classics like Maiden Voyage and Mother Nature's Son! As on those records, arrangements here are mostly by Charles Stepney, who comes up with that righteous blend of soul, strings, and jazz that really takes Ramsey to the next level – and the great Chicago soul arranger Richard Evans handles a few tracks here too, bringing a slightly funky undercurrent to the record. Part of the record seems to take off from Stepney's sessions for Minnie Riperton – particularly the cuts "Distant Dreamer" and "Rainy Day In Centerville" – both done here as instrumentals – and a version of "Golden Slumbers" is clearly from the Beatles' sessions used for Mother Nature's Son. The album's essential listening through and through – Ramsey really taking things past the simple structure of the trio, yet never losing his soul in the process. Other titles include "You've Made Me Feel So Very Happy", "Time & Space", "Do I Love Her", "Close Your Eyes & Remember", "Whenever Wherever", and "The Love I Feel For You".

Classic pop soul jazz from the inventor of the genre! Ramsey's funky piano is backed by some soulful arrangements handled by Richard Evans – in a really tight style that includes great percussion, electric bass, and an all-out kicking style that makes even the mellowest tunes groove! Evans really adds a lot to the set – expanding the core groove of the Lewis trio with a proud and righteous Chicago approach – really bringing some "soul" to the soul jazz sound of the group, with incredible results! Titles include "Money In the Pocket", "Wade In the Water", "Ain't That Peculiar", "Up Tight", and "Hold It Right There".

Sweet, funky, and outtasite – one of Ramsey Lewis' greatest albums of the 60s – cut under the supervision of Chicago soul maestro Charles Stepney! The album's an amazing mix of jazz, funk, and the more baroque and spacey elements – that were running through the Chicago soul and jazz scene of the time – all coming together under the guidance of Lewis and Stepney, with a sound that points the way towards countless 70s recordings to come! Highlights include a bit of kalimba from drummer Maurice White, some great guitar from Phil Upchurch, and plenty of tasty electric keys from Ramsey himself – really laying back in a righteous kind of groove – hitting new heights on tunes that include "Bold and Black", "If You've Got it, Flaunt It", "Do What You Wanna", "Cecile", "Wanderin Rose", and "Opus #5".

One of our favorite Ramsey Lewis albums ever – and a perfect summation of the genius that was brewing on the Chicago scene in the late 60s and early 70s! The album has Ramsey working strongly with Earth Wind & Fire – no surprise, given his close ties to Maurice White, who was the drummer in Ramsey's trio before starting his own group – and the shared relationship both artists had with producer Charles Stepney! The three were all key parts of the late 60s sound at Chess Records – but here, they've brought the same soulful energy to Columbia – working in a wider, more mature groove for the 70s – one that has Lewis' wicked Fender Rhodes lines stretching out strongly over tight, compressed, funky lines from EWF! The centerpiece of the set is the massive 7 minute "Sun Goddess", but there's lots of other nice ones like "Living For The City", "Gemini Rising", and "Jungle Strut". Funky, electric, and sublimely wonderful all the way through!

Smoking grooves from an incredible group – the amazing Afro Blues Quintet, a combo with a sound like no other! These guys were never one for stardom, but during the mid and late 60s, they burned up the west coast scene with an incredible blend of vibes, piano, and reeds – often kicked up nicely with some hard-rolling rhythm work that gave their tracks a similar mod groove to classics by Johnny Lytle, Ramsey Lewis, or Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers! But the real difference with the ABQ (if we can call them that!) is that they had a really spacious approach to their sound – never putting too much into the mix, and instead using the space between the notes every bit as much as the notes themselves. The grooves are great, and since most of this work has never been reissued, the set's totally fresh to the ears of most listeners! As usual, the folks at BGP have done a great job with the notes – and the set features 22 tracks from the group's Mira, Surrey, and Crestview recordings – titles that include "Monkey Time", "Freaks", "La La La", "Southside Habit", "Mirror Image", "Afro Rock", "Evening Of The Beast", "Spartacus", "Candie Luv", and "Our Mambo".

Earth, Wind & Fire's first album – recorded at a time when the group recently had ties to the Chicago soul and jazz scenes, and a range of experience that ran the gamut from work with Sun Ra, the Artistic Heritage Ensemble, The Pharoahs, Ramsey Lewis, and countless other influential groups. Headed up by Maurice White on drums and percussion, the group forged an amazing blend of all these influences, creating a future soul sound that pushed black music to the next level – taking a wealth of previously underground modes of expression, and fusing them into a soaring sound that would soon put them at the top of the charts. This album's a lot looser and freer than their Columbia albums – with plenty of raw funk and some nice off-beat jazz soling. Includes the classic break track "C'Mon Children", plus "Fan The Fire", "Bad Tune", and "Moment Of Truth".

One of the most electric albums on the legendary Black Jazz label – a hip set of funky fusion tracks from bassist Cleveland Eaton, with a vibe that's similar to his album for the Gamble label, and his funky 45 work with The Kats! The record's a good extension of Eaton's roots in the Cadet studio scene working with Ramsey Lewis – and as proof of those roots, the record contains work by loads of key Chicago players – including Ari Brown on tenor, Odell Brown on keyboards and Hammond, Duke Payne on tenor and flute, and Morris Jennings on percussion! There's a wicked groove on most cuts, and the set was also recorded at the Chess studios – which furthers the Chicago vibe – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Chi-town Theme", "Keena", "Moe Let's Have A Party", "Kaiser 405", "All Your Lover, All Day, All Night", and "Hamburg 302".

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

Soulful 70s work from Herbie Hancock – a record that tightens things up from the Headhunters and Sextant sessions, but which still retains a lot of their depth and charm! Players here including some previous partners – like Bennie Maupin on reeds and Paul Jackson on bass – plus the mighty Wah Wah Watson on guitars, James Levi on drums, Kenneth Nash on percussion, and Ray Parker on additional guitar. Tracks are tightly electric fusion, but still have some of the sharper tones of Herbie's electric work – weird moogy moments mixed into more straight ahead funk – all with a sound that's not unlike some of Ramsey Lewis' best Columbia work of the period. Herbie plays Fender Rhodes, Arp, clavinet, mini-moog, and more – and titles include "Doin' It", "Spider", "Swamp Rat", "People Music", and a remake of "Cantelope Island" that's pretty darn tasty!

Killer stuff – and an amazing album that not only showcases the varitone sax talents of Eddie Harris, but also features some fantastic arrangements by Chicago soul genius Charles Stepney! Harris plugs in right from the start – blowing an electric sax that comes up with some groovy groovy sounds – perfect for Stepney to work with on the backdrops – mixing together funky orchestrations, off-kilter strings, and even some prepared piano, ala John Cage – similar to the mode he used with Ramsey Lewis at Cadet! Tunes are wonderful – offbeat, funky, and plenty darn soulful – and titles include "Live Right Now", "It's Crazy", "Winter Meeting", and "Theme In Search Of A TV Commercial".

Groovy session of piano trio material, recorded in Chicago by the city's "great white hope" of the 60s: pianist Eddie Higgins. The set was recorded for the Dunwich production group (who gave the world The Shadows of Knight), but was licensed to Atlantic for final release. The group's a very tight trio, with Higgins backed by Richard Evans on bass and Marshall Thompson on drums – and the resulting sound is nice and soulful, in the same tradition of Chicago piano recordings by Ramsey Lewis and Ray Bryant. Titles include "Soulero", "Tango Africaine", "Mr. Evans", and "Shelly's World".

One of the greatest albums ever from pianist Ronnie Kole – a hip cat who played heavily on the New Orleans scene of the 60s and 70s – but who also had a soulful sound that was much more in keeping with piano work from the Windy City! This set has a nice crackle from the start – and although some of the cuts are ballads, Ronnie still brings in this gentle swing that's mighty nice – a bit in the way that Ramsey Lewis or Ahmad Jamal might have handled the cuts for Chess Records in the mid 60s – with a similarly hip approach to soul jazz. Some cuts feature a bit of added instrumentation from arranger Charlie Brent – and titles include the sweet "Great Stone Bottle", which has a nice break and some organ in the background – plus "Love Story", "Close to You", "Secret of My Soul", "My Sweet Lord", "He Ain't Heavy", and a groovy cover of "Sesame Street"!

One of the richest albums that Junior Mance ever cut for Atlantic Records – a smoking soul jazz set that seems to have a bit of a gospel influence too – at least in the deep, soulful bottom that comes from the feel of the group! Junior's piano is right on the money – as sharp and hard-hitting as on other records from the time – and the set features great work from some additional reed players – including Hubert Laws and David Newman – plus some trumpet from Jimmy Owens, who helps give the album a sharp punch at just the right moments! Some of the tunes are plenty catchy, and should have put Mance in the company of Ray Bryant or Ramsey Lewis at the time – and titles include "Time & A Place", "I Believe To My Soul", "My Romance", "Don't Worry 'Bout It", and "Golden Spur".

The obscure first Verve album from Don Randi – a great little pianist who was well known for his lively club work on the LA scene in the early 60s! Don's got a touch on the keys that's both lyrical and soulful – somewhere between the pyrotechnics of Ramsey Lewis and the smoother grooving of Duke Pearson – always well-composed, but breaking out with some tremendous solo bits from time to time! The album's got Don working with Mel Lewis on drums, and Leroy Vinnegar on bass – and titles include "Take Six", "TJ's Blues", "I Love Paris", "That's All", and "Interlude".

A long-overdue reissue – both of Cedar Walton's fusion albums for Columbia – back to back on a single CD! Animation is one of Cedar Walton's mid 70s funky jazz efforts – acoustic keys often traded for electric piano, grooving with a funky bigger band, almost in a Ramsey Lewis mode – a really great shift that makes the record a nice change from the usual Walton groove! Cedar's a lot busier on the keys than Ramsey was at the time, though – not as kicked-back Fender Rhodes as he is keeping up a tight and soulful fusion groove. The approach is quite different from Walton's other albums of earlier years, but actually works quite well – and the album's a tasty set of smoother soul and funk-infused numbers, with a hint of Brazilian touches as well! Tracks include "Another Star", "Charmed Circle", "Jacob's Ladder", "Precious Mountain", "If It Could Happen", and "Ala Eduardo". Soundscapes is brilliant work from Cedar Walton – a wonderful bit of soulful fusion from the crucially overlooked late 70s years of Columbia Jazz. The album's got a blend of soul and jazz that's similar to work at the time by Bobby Hutcherson or Freddie Hubbard – occasional vocals, larger lusher production, and a style that was really well suited to bringing together the best of fusion and soul, without resorting to tricks or gimmicks. The album's filled with really wonderful cuts that are completely unlike most of Walton's other work – and which show him to be an amazing talent in the soul end of the spectrum, not just in the soul jazz one that we're used to. Tunes are wonderful, arrangements are brilliant – and the album manages to be smooth without losing any depth. Titles include the great groover "Latin America", plus "Warm To The Touch", "NPS", "Sixth Avenue", and "Naturally".

Compilation put together by the GRT label in the mid 70s, who owned the chess/cadet group of labels, so it's heavy on the Chicago sound. There's a few cuts from ABC records too, like the Impressions "It's All Right" and Bobby Bland's "Turn On Your Love Light", but basically the track listing reads like the playlist from WVON or WBEE from the early 70s, loads of heavy hitting South Side R&B and soul numbers: the Dells "Stay In My Corner", Gene Chandler "I Fooled You This Time", Fontella Bass "Rescue Me", Pigmeat Markham "Here Comes the Judge" and Ramsey Lewis' "Wade in the Water" and 18 more!

Features work by Lyman Woodard, Ramsey Lewis, Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz, and Larry Nozero!

Amazing stuff from bassist Eldee Young and drummer Isaac "Red" Holt! At the time of this release, the pair had already risen to great fame as the rhythm backing for Ramsey Lewis in his first trio – but broke out on their own as a solo act, with a real focus on rhythmic piano grooves! Working here with pianist Hysear Don Walker, the pair attempt to recreate a bit of the rolling soul jazz groove they hit with Ramsey – but they also take a hipper approach, by moving the drums and bass forward in the mix, especially Young's bass, which was capable of amazing funky riffs and elegant whimsical lines. The title cut, "Wack Wack", is one of those 60s instrumental hits we'd put on a par with "Bang Bang" or "Soul Finger" – and the album also includes wonderful versions of jazz and pop hits like "Monday, Monday", "Song for My Father", "Sunny", and "Girl Talk", all of which are completely transformed by the group!

A funky soul instrumental classic – all the way through! The team of Eldee Young and Redd Holt first came to prominence with Ramsey Lewis' first Chicago trio, then branched out on their own as a jazz act – but by the time of this set, they'd picked up a hipper, funkier late 60s sort of soul groove – and were working with larger backings and a nice deal of extra bass! The pianist in the group is the super-dope Hysear Don Walker – a player who uses space as much as he uses notes – providing a cool counterpoint to the funky and jazzy riffing of the Young/Holt bass/drum combo. The album includes the landmark track "Soulful Strut" – with tinkling piano over funky backings mixed with sweetened strings – and other tracks include "Funky Is As Funky Does", "Baby Your Light Is Out", "Who's Making Love", "Ain't There Something Money Can't Buy?", "Be By My Side", and "Please Sunrise". A high point in the Chicago soul scene – with backings by Willie Henderson!

A much-needed look at one of our favorite instruments ever – the irreplaceable Fender Rhodes keyboard! The Rhodes has a sound that's unlike anything else – and has become a favorite of musicians over decades of use – as you'll hear in the film's interviews with Deodato, George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Patrice Rushen, Ramsey Lewis, Dave Grusin, Rodney Franklin, Joe Sample, Jerry Peters, Les McCann, Maurice White, Ronnie Foster, D'Angelo, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and other jazz and soul legends – an incredibly large roster for a project like this! The film was partially put together by Gerald McCauley – a keyboardist himself – and it shows a love and respect of the Rhodes that really comes through. Almost 2 hours long, in color, with a special "Rhodes Scholars" feature.

Great stuff! Although a live album, Gratitude is one of Earth Wind & Fire's greatest from the mid 70s – a very tight batch of grooves that proves that Maurice White & Co. could play just as well on stage as they could in the studio – and the noise of the crowd going wild is enough to confirm that! And although a live set, the record's actually a bit half and half – with a few added studio tunes to keep the hits coming. Includes their classic version of Skip Scarborough's "Can't Hide Love", plus the mellow jams "Yearnin' Learnin'" and "Reasons", the funky "Shining Star", and a great cover of "Sun Goddess", which was also done by Ramsey Lewis with the group.

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

A beautiful album of smooth mellow jazzy grooves – and one that proves that Lonnie was still always great, even when he was getting the more mainstream production treatment. The record is similar to ones cut by other older jazz funk keyboardists at the time – like Ramsey Lewis or Charles Earland – in that it's got some more lush arrangements than usual, but still a very soulful feel, and still lots of room for the main soloists. Regular Cosmic Echoes members Dave Hubbard and Donald Smith join Lonnie in a set of arrangements by Bert DeCoteaux, and tracks include "Sunburst", "Journey Into Love", "We Can Dream", and "Explorations".

Before they went off to record on their own, or maybe as a prediction that they would, Eldee Young and Red Holt cut this album of jazz tracks during the time that they were working with Ramsey Lewis. Since the album's a piano trio record, with Lewis on piano, it's sort of the same thing as the records they cut with him, but since they're on the marquee over his name, there's a little bit more focus on Young's bass and Holt's drumming. Tracks include "Dee's New Blues", "Travel On", "It Ain't Necessarily So", "Swamp Girl", and "Peace & Tranquility", and the album grooves with a good Chicago soul jazz sound.

In the pocket, and plenty darn funky – a killer collection of 70s jazz funk that's heavy on electricity, yet still keeps things mighty sharp throughout! The groove is tight – tighter than the raw soul of the 60s jazz years – yet never uptight, as all these cuts are plenty fresh and freewheeling, and definitely preserve the most spontaneous vibe of the players. Some cuts have a bit of vocals, some have some larger backings, but all still have some great solos in the middle – with an especially strong emphasis on sweet keyboards! Titles include "Zauis" by Eddie Russ, "Barbara Ann" by Webster Lewis, "Coming To You Live" by Charles Earland, "Brazilica" by Ramsey Lewis, "Sinbad" by Weldon Irvine, "Put It In The Pocket" by Freddie Hubbard, "Palos" by Willie Bobo, "Chicago Theme" by Hubert Laws, "Hop Scotch" by Harvey Mason, and "In The Park" by Lonnie Liston Smith.

Soulful 70s work from Herbie Hancock – a record that tightens things up from the Headhunters and Sextant sessions, but which still retains a lot of their depth and charm! Players here including some previous partners – like Bennie Maupin on reeds and Paul Jackson on bass – plus the mighty Wah Wah Watson on guitars, James Levi on drums, Kenneth Nash on percussion, and Ray Parker on additional guitar. Tracks are tightly electric fusion, but still have some of the sharper tones of Herbie's electric work – weird moogy moments mixed into more straight ahead funk – all with a sound that's not unlike some of Ramsey Lewis' best Columbia work of the period. Herbie plays Fender Rhodes, Arp, clavinet, mini-moog, and more – and titles include "Doin' It", "Spider", "Swamp Rat", "People Music", and a remake of "Cantelope Island" that's pretty darn tasty!

Killer stuff – and an amazing album that not only showcases the varitone sax talents of Eddie Harris, but also features some fantastic arrangements by Chicago soul genius Charles Stepney! Harris plugs in right from the start – blowing an electric sax that comes up with some groovy groovy sounds – perfect for Stepney to work with on the backdrops – mixing together funky orchestrations, off-kilter strings, and even some prepared piano, ala John Cage – similar to the mode he used with Ramsey Lewis at Cadet! Tunes are wonderful – offbeat, funky, and plenty darn soulful – and titles include "Live Right Now", "It's Crazy", "Winter Meeting", and "Theme In Search Of A TV Commercial".

Great stuff! Although a live album, Gratitude is one of Earth Wind & Fire's greatest from the mid 70s – a very tight batch of grooves that proves that Maurice White & Co. could play just as well on stage as they could in the studio – and the noise of the crowd going wild is enough to confirm that! And although a live set, the record's actually a bit half and half – with a few added studio tunes to keep the hits coming. Includes their classic version of Skip Scarborough's "Can't Hide Love", plus the mellow jams "Yearnin' Learnin'" and "Reasons", the funky "Shining Star", and a great cover of "Sun Goddess", which was also done by Ramsey Lewis with the group.

One of the greatest albums ever from pianist Ronnie Kole – a hip cat who played heavily on the New Orleans scene of the 60s and 70s – but who also had a soulful sound that was much more in keeping with piano work from the Windy City! This set has a nice crackle from the start – and although some of the cuts are ballads, Ronnie still brings in this gentle swing that's mighty nice – a bit in the way that Ramsey Lewis or Ahmad Jamal might have handled the cuts for Chess Records in the mid 60s – with a similarly hip approach to soul jazz. Some cuts feature a bit of added instrumentation from arranger Charlie Brent – and titles include the sweet "Great Stone Bottle", which has a nice break and some organ in the background – plus "Love Story", "Close to You", "Secret of My Soul", "My Sweet Lord", "He Ain't Heavy", and a groovy cover of "Sesame Street"!

The greatest session ever recorded by pianist Ronnie Kole – recorded for the Louisiana label Paula, but with all the feel of a Chess/Cadet session from the late 60s! All of this is no surprise, since Ronnie himself was an ex-Chicagoan, living in New Orleans – and the album's arrangements are handled by Richard Evans, the man responsible for some of the best work at Chess in the 60s. The set's very much in the vein of the Ray Bryant and Ramsey Lewis albums for Cadet that were handled by Evans – with hard left-hand piano in the front, and some bouncing arrangements in the back to give the set a nice syncopated kick! Includes a great version of Evans' "Leija", plus the tracks "RK's Boogie", "Slaughter On 10th Ave", "Sabre Dance", "Dark Eyes", and a great cover of "Ode To Billie Joe".

Ramsey Lewis move over – because this cooking Japanese trio from the 60s has a mightily soulful groove – one that's more than enough to give Ramsey's classic combo a run for their money! Pianist Kazuo Yashiro hits the keys harder than ever here – working with a wickedly soulful punch, and getting sublime backing from Masanaga Harada on electric bass and Jimmy Takeuchi on drums – both rhythm players with more than a bit of funk in their bag – as you'll hear on some of the most explosive cuts on the record! The use of electric bass, and overall range of styles, is a bit like the second Lewis trio – with Cleveland Eaton and Maurice White – yet there's also some really unique elements to the record that make it way more than a copycat of American modes. Titles include "Black Nag", "Favela", "Love For Sale", "Marionette Blues", and "Lady Madonna".