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A shameless dancefloor cash-in move – but with a few nice touches! You all know the big title cut "Ladies Night", so we won't bother to describe it – but we can say that the group wisely hooked up with Deodato, who produced, mixed, and even played keyboards on the album. Deodato keeps a nice jazzy punch in the tracks, while still moving towards the slickly produced funk sound that was the group's main approach at the time of the record. JT Taylor's on vocals, and the album's even got a few mellow cuts – like the crossover easy number "Too Hot" – amidst the midtempo 80s grooves. Other tracks include "Hangin Out", "Tonight's The Night", and "Got To Get You Into My Life". And honestly, if the album was the first by a new band, we might rate it higher – but since it's one of the last semi-solid efforts from Kool & The Gang, we're not as enthusiastic.

It's the mid 70s, and Kool & Co not only keep the funky groove up, but also expand their style into a moogy style that adds a nice dimension of spacey soul to their rich palette of funk. The funkier cuts – like "Street Corner Symphony" and "Rhyme Tyme People" – sound a bit too much like the hits from earlier albums, but are still pretty nice. But it's the synth heavy cuts – like "Whiting H&G", and the landmark "Summer Madness" – which really open up the record. They're great stuff, and have the group moving into a spacey otherworldly funk realm that had been opened up a few years earlier by Earth Wind & Fire. The long-lasting potential of "Summer Madness" proves that the move was a great one – and we're always stunned at how fantastic the track still sounds today!

It's the mid 70s, and Kool & Co not only keep the funky groove up, but also expand their style into a moogy style that adds a nice dimension of spacey soul to their rich palette of funk. The funkier cuts – like "Street Corner Symphony" and "Rhyme Tyme People" – sound a bit too much like the hits from earlier albums, but are still pretty nice. But it's the synth heavy cuts – like "Whiting H&G", and the landmark "Summer Madness" – which really open up the record. They're great stuff, and have the group moving into a spacey otherworldly funk realm that had been opened up a few years earlier by Earth Wind & Fire. The long-lasting potential of "Summer Madness" proves that the move was a great one – and we're always stunned at how fantastic the track still sounds today!

After this one, there was no turning back for Kool & The Gang! The record has them bringing their underground funk sound to the masses – with a choppy riffy groove that stands out almost as a public challenge to all the other pretenders that had been cropping up on major labels during the same time. The band are as tight as they ever were – and they're rolling like a non-stop locomotive with a horn-heavy groove on classics like "Jungle Boogie" and "Hollywood Swinging", while also showing hints of their strong mellow future on the cut "Wild & Peaceful". The album also includes the massive two part jammer "Funky Stuff" and "More Funky Stuff", plus "This Is You, This Is Me" and "Life Is What You Make It".

After this one, there was no turning back for Kool & The Gang! The record has them bringing their underground funk sound to the masses – with a choppy riffy groove that stands out almost as a public challenge to all the other pretenders that had been cropping up on major labels during the same time. The band are as tight as they ever were – and they're rolling like a non-stop locomotive with a horn-heavy groove on classics like "Jungle Boogie" and "Hollywood Swinging", while also showing hints of their strong mellow future on the cut "Wild & Peaceful". The album also includes the massive two part jammer "Funky Stuff" and "More Funky Stuff", plus "This Is You, This Is Me" and "Life Is What You Make It".

Two classics from the legendary Idris Muhammad! Black Rhythm Revolution is one of the first records ever as a leader from funky drummer Idris Muhammad – a set that was cut right at the same time Idris was burning up the kit on his classic jazz funk sessions with other Prestige label players! The groove here is tight, funky, and very much in the mode that Muhammad laid down for other bigger soloists – a solid, socking sound that was the early 70s inheritance of the "Popcorn" funk groove of the late 60s. Players here are all great – and include Melvin Sparks on guitar, Harold Mabern on electric piano, and Virgil Jones on trumpet – and tracks include great covers of "Express Yourself" and "Super Bad", plus "Wander" and "Soulful Drums". Peace & Rhythms is a wonderful departure from Muhammad – and proof that he could do a lot more than just provide heavy breaks for Lou Donaldson and Melvin Sparks! This set is surprisingly spiritual and righteous at points – with a groove that's almost more like Strata East than some of Muhammad's previous work as a sideman on Blue Note and Prestige. Side one features the extended "Peace and Rhythm Suite" – a beautiful cut that's filled with searching, soaring energy – and side two includes two vocal cuts "Brother You Know You're Doing Wrong" and "I'm a Believer", both sung by Sakinah Muhammad – plus "Don't Knock My Love". Players are all great – and a nicely different lineup than the usual Prestige jazz funk gang.

Plenty of disco love here – a really heartfelt selection of rare club tunes – great little numbers that are as funky and soulful as they are obscure! These aren't the disco hits of the late 70s, but they're also not clunkers that are just rare either – and instead, they're great little tunes that hardly got discovered back in the day – but are brought together here in a wicked collection by collector Al Kent! There's a freshness to the material that takes us way past the obvious – funky basslines, snapping drums, and lots of wonderful keyboards and guitar – all wrapped up in a near-perfect way, and usually set to some smoking vocals too. Many of the cuts here are rare to even our crate-tuned ears – and titles include "Mighty Gents" by The Mighty Gents, "Hungry" by Sandy's Gang, "Oh Baby/Get On Down" by Bo Galigher & TSB, "Something About You" by Moses, "Disco Fever (part 3)" by Rhond Durand, "Disco Music" by Sil Austin, "Hustle On Down (part 3)" by Michael Legrair, and "I Want To Be With You" by Gregory Andre & Two Plus Three.

Plenty of disco love here – a really heartfelt selection of rare club tunes – great little numbers that are as funky and soulful as they are obscure! These aren't the disco hits of the late 70s, but they're also not clunkers that are just rare either – and instead, they're great little tunes that hardly got discovered back in the day – but are brought together here in a wicked collection by collector Al Kent! There's a freshness to the material that takes us way past the obvious – funky basslines, snapping drums, and lots of wonderful keyboards and guitar – all wrapped up in a near-perfect way, and usually set to some smoking vocals too. Many of the cuts here are rare to even our crate-tuned ears – and titles include "Mighty Gents" by The Mighty Gents, "Hungry" by Sandy's Gang, "Oh Baby/Get On Down" by Bo Galigher & TSB, "Something About You" by Moses, "Disco Fever (part 3)" by Rhond Durand, "Disco Music" by Sil Austin, "Hustle On Down (part 3)" by Michael Legrair, "I Want To Be With You" by Gregory Andre & Two Plus Three, "How Long Is Forever" by Frank & James, "Human" by Neo Experience, "Waiting In the Wings" by Marion Javius, and "Is It Wrong" by Magnetic Force. 2CD version features a full mix of all tracks by Al Kent – plus an unmixed CD with 15 individual tracks.

FFunky funky tunes from 1970s Germany – sound library material and ultra rare singles by German pop, easy listening, and jazzy groovers moonlighting in the funk sound – and hitting it! A few of the tracks head for the gritty, howling JB variety, but more roll with the fuller arrangements and pulpy cheer of the soundtracky funk groove. It includes some English language covers of funky soul hits, instrumental organ jams, percussion heavy horn funk, and more – a full funky palette – much of it never commercially available until now! Compiler Roman Kumutat does a fantastic job here, with a few notes on each track. We're already itching for Volume 2! 16 tracks in the LP: "Night Clipper" by Orchestra Gus Brendel, "Gang Bang" by Messengers, "Darly Alley" by Ken Aldin, "Gate One" by SWF Orchestra Rolf Hans-Mueller, "Tuesday" by Die Melon Men, "La Avispa" by Rainbow Orchestra, "Uptown" by Orchestra Heinz Kiessling, "Watermelon Man" by Dave Kamien Division, "Kleiner Mann" by Sandra Haas and more – plus the vinyl only track "Just Funky" by Klaus Weiss.

It's the mid 70s, and Kool & Co not only keep the funky groove up, but also expand their style into a moogy style that adds a nice dimension of spacey soul to their rich palette of funk. The funkier cuts – like "Street Corner Symphony" and "Rhyme Tyme People" – sound a bit too much like the hits from earlier albums, but are still pretty nice. But it's the synth heavy cuts – like "Whiting H&G", and the landmark "Summer Madness" – which really open up the record. They're great stuff, and have the group moving into a spacey otherworldly funk realm that had been opened up a few years earlier by Earth Wind & Fire. The long-lasting potential of "Summer Madness" proves that the move was a great one – and we're always stunned at how fantastic the track still sounds today!

A fantastic collection of unreleased material by mid-to-late 60s psych pop songwriter genius Tandyn Almer – who's probably best know for penning the eternally great "Along Comes Mary" for The Association – but we sure didn't know how great of a performer he was on his own! The 15 track record was cut for his publisher Davon Music, who circulated it to insiders at the time, looking to sell the songs – but what they should have done was found a label and released it. Fuzzy guitars, raw drums and great keyboards, excellent background harmonies – and the good-natured, melodic quality that attracted groups like the Association to Tandyn! Sundazed has long been a favorite source of rewarding 60s and 70s reissues, but they really deserve some bigger love for releases like this one – which is a first-ever commercial release. It feels like a complete, finished production for the most part – and not at all like a bunch of demos. Psych pop greatness! Includes "Find Yourself", You Turn Me Around", "Anything You Want", "About Where Love Is", "Face Down In The Mud", "I Get High", "Bring Your Own Self Down" (by The Purple Gang)", "Where Will They Go", "Sunset Strip Soliloquy" and more.

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

A stone classic from Black Heat – the group's second album, and even tighter than their first! The group's size has dropped a bit between albums – but that only helps them cook even more – dropping a bit of the horn section from before, which allows even more emphasis on their razor-sharp rhythms! There's a slight hint of Afro Funk in some of the rhythms – and the keyboards cook with lots of sweet clavinet lines – mixed with a production style that features some bubbling electronic elements that remind us a lot of that crazy "magic bag" that was used by the Lafayette Afro-Rock Band. That group might be a good point of comparison, but the band also shares a lot of Kool & The Gang's ensemble funk style – especially on their cover of "Love The Life You Live" – which they burn here beautifully! Other tracks include "Super Cool", "M&M's", "Rapid Fire", "You Should Have Listened", "Times Have Changed", and "Check It All Out".

A pretty darn cool little record – even if it is a bunch of cover versions! As the title proclaims, the set presents the winners of a US Army competition for its members stationed in Europe in the early 70s – one that chose The Black Seeds for side one of the album, and Sound Trek for side two! The Black Seeds are a sweet harmony group with a really heartbreaking feel – very much in the New Jersey/Philly mode, and sounding great on a number of roughly-done covers that include "Go Outside In The Rain", "Black Magic Woman", "Do Your Thing", "Backstabbers", and "Ain't No Sunshine". The Sound Trek are a bit more groove-oriented – kicking off their set with an instrumental reading of "Kool & The Gang", but then rolling into a batch of vocal soul covers that include "Walking In The Rain", "Backstabbers" (again!), "Coldest Days Of My Life", and "I Love Everything About You".

A great little sleeper from the Blackbyrds – a record that never gets as much due as their earlier records that have a hard funky feel, but offer instead a tasty batch of smoother jazz funk numbers that show the group still continuing to grow. Donald Byrd's still at the production helm – and the band's got a nice spacey sound that almost reflects directions that other funk groups, like Kool & The Gang, were taking at the time. The best case of this is the massive cut "Mysterious Vibes", a slow jazzy stepper that was sampled to great fame a few years back – but you can also hear it on the cuts "Supernatural Feeling", "Soft & Easy", and "Dreaming About You".

A sweet bit of funky jazz vocals from Oscar Brown Jr – recorded during his early 70s stay at Atlantic Records, in a style that's very different than his early work! The tracks are all still original numbers by Oscar – penned with that clever bad-rapping approach to the lyrics that always earned him a huge audience in the cognoscenti. The feel is a bit more electric than before, with Richard Tee on electric piano, Cornell Dupree on guitar, and percussion by Ralph MacDonald. A few cuts have female backing vocals, and titles include "Gang Bang", "Feel the Fire", "Dime Away from a Hot Dog", and "Young Man".

The album that very firmly put Clarence Carter on the mainstream soul map – thanks to his brilliant version of the title tune! By the time of this set, Carter was already one hell of a soul singer – and really brought amazing sounds to play with classic production from Rick Hall and the Fame Studios gang. But when he pointed those talents towards the country soul story "Patches", he really found his groove – mixing southern roots from both sides of the fence into one really unique groove – and following it up with a host of other well-chosen tunes that really helped establish Carter's unique place in music. George Jackson co-wrote a number of the best tunes – a few with Clarence – and titles include "Patches", "I'm Just A Prisoner", "Till I Can't Take It Anymore", "Changes", "Say Man", "Willie & Laura Mae Jones", "CC Blues", and "Getting the Bills (But No Merchandise)".

Classic work from Willie Colon – the "payoff" of his youthful hoodlum routine, and a hard-hitting batch of salsa tunes pulled from earlier records – all in a package that defines his groove of the 70s! Hector LaVoe's on vocals with Willie's group – and he's also standing with Willie on the cover, a nice image that has the two of them dressed as big-time gangsters, standing next to a Rolls Royce! (Wonder what it cost them to rent that for the cover shoot?) But more important than Willie's perpetuation of himself as the bad boy of Latin music, is the overall sound of the record – fierce salsa, with a really strong approach that's as bold and proud as the image which supports it. Solid all the way through, and tracks include "El Malo", "Jazzy", "El Titan", and "Che Che Cole", a nice groover.

A great early RCA set from Sam Cooke – issued with the odd tag "Folk Favorites" in the corner – but done with that unmistakable soul vibe that Sam helped invent at the time! True, many of the tunes have folk music roots – but they're re-swung by Sammy Lowe with some nice jazzy charts – in a way that sounds way different not just from folk music, but also from some of the pop-folk work that other artists were doing at the time. If anything, the feel is like some of the other RCA gems from the time – which had Cooke re-working familiar tunes with a new sort of sophisticated soul mode – one that would go onto influence countless others in years to come. Titles include "Goin Home", "Jeanie", "Swing Low Sweet Chariot", "If I Had You", and "Pray" – plus the huge hit single "Chain Gang".

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

A massive set from Nigeria's CS Crew – and a set that definitely lives up to its title! The bass is super-heavy on these grooves – way more so than on other Afro Funk records of the time, and in ways that easily match, if not beat, the early best by Fatback Band and Kool & The Gang – grooves that have amazing dexterity that few others could match, yet which always come through right on the money every time! The bass dips, turns, soars, and drops magically on each number – setting things up strongly for the group's riffing guitar, sweet keyboard lines (including a big of moog!), and few horn moments – which themselves often come across more like an American group than a Nigerian one. Vocals have this rough approach – often part of the rhythm more than anything else – and titles include "Love Is Peace", "Freaky Funkyfied Fix", "Bread Power", "Doin The Good Thing", "I've Found Love", "Last Day", and "Dig In With Time".

Mad MPS material from Wolfgang Dauner – right up there with some of the wildest records on the label during the 70s! The album's easily one of Dauner's most striking sessions – a set that has him handling a whole host of electric keyboards, and working with a group that also includes fuzzy guitar from Larry Coryell, bass from Gunter Lenz, and some really heavy drums from Jon Hiseman and Fred Braceful! Some moments are tight and funky, while others offer up a sweet spacey vibe – and overall, the album's got a perfect blend of MPS groove and some of the freakier, more far-reaching elements of the German scene at the time. The group take on a killer version of Coryell's classic "The Really Great Escape" – then roll into Dauner gems that include "Yin", "Sun", "Tuning Spread", and "Yan" – which features some guest voice and sound effects from Richard Ketterer.

A full-on collaborative album from underground mic legend Freddie Foxxx, aka Bumpy Knuckle, and hip hop heavyweight champion producer DJ Premier! Primo and Bumpy Knuckles go way, way back – and KoleXXXion does a pretty solid job of honoring the legacies of both. This is the 2LP acapellas, with nothing but sharp wordplay: Includes "My Thoughts", "BAP (Bumpy And Premier)", "We Are At War", "FYPAU", "D'Lah", "Turn Up The Mic" (DJ Premier remix) feat Nas, "The Key", "Ownit", The Gang Starr Bus", "Greatness", "The Life", "More Levels", "Mic & Gun" and more.

Classic grooves of Wilson Simonal – redone here as jazzy instrumentals by Zeca Do Trombone! The trombone-heavy approach is mighty nice – and almost feels like the sort of tribute you might hear by Raul De Souza – served up with plenty of the lead instrument stepping out in soul, yet lots of sweet Brazilian rhythms to really infuse the tracks and give them a mighty nice bite! Zeca pays special attention to Wilson's big years of the late 60s – and the music is balanced between modern reworkings with some contemporary touches, and a few tunes that take an older approach. Titles include "Balanco Zona Sul", "Lobo Bobo", "Sa Marina", "Que Maravilha", "Nem Vem Que Nao Tem", "Zazueira", and "Manganga".

Wonderfully sensitive work from the quartet of pianist Axel Donner – a group who play here with a timeless quality that makes the record feel like some lost indie American album from the 70s! Donner can have a sharp tone when he wants, but he's also penned some really wonderful tunes for the set too – numbers that serve up sublime colors, not just from his own piano, but from the tenor and flutes of Thomas Klemm! The rest of the combo features Wolfgang Musick on bass and Diester Ehrhardt on drums – and the set also features guest flughelhorn from Joachim Hesse and percussion from Mario Wurzebesser – both of whom nicely expand the sound on a few key cuts. Titles include "Samba", "Latin Eyes", "Fur Michele", "Silver Mood", "St Michel", and "Fast Live".

Kind of a silly name for a group – but the record's pretty nice! Elbow Bones & The Racketeers were one of the many retro-soul groups working under the guidance of producer August Darnell – aka Kid Creole – who gave the group a style that was similar to his own unique blend of 80s club grooves, 40s swing, and 30s gangster cliches! Vocals are by Gichy Dan, Stephanie Fuller, and Dutch Robinson – and the set's unified by Darnell's good ear for a catchy hook – those quirky, groovy little numbers that always made the Kid Creole and Dr Buzzard albums so great! Titles include "A Night In New York", "Other Guys", "Our Love Will Always Stand", "You Got Me High", and "I Call It Like I See It". CD features a huge amount of bonus tracks – 7 more numbers that include "Night In New York (12" ext)", "Happy Birthday Baby (12" ext)", "Happy Times (12" ext)", "I Wanna Remind You", "Night In New York (single)", and "Happy Birthday Baby (single)".

Instrumental hip hop tracks from Frankie Feliciano, taking a break from his work as a house producer.

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

No hangin out here – because these guys are tighter than ever, and right on the money from the very first note of the set! A snapping drum break opens up the album – followed by a wickedly stepping bassline, a rolling conga part, and a vamping dance between Hammond and tenor sax – all to set the scene for a batch of grooves that's easily one of the finest ever from this Indy combo! The album's got a sharpness and tightness that balances beautifully between funky jazz and instrumental soul – a territory that's a bit like Kool & The Gang at times, but which has a much more jazz-based approach on the solos. The big cuts include "Smokin' At Tiffany's" and "Dirty Red" – and other tracks include a sweet cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Give Me Your Love", plus "We Can Be Friends", "I Can See Clearly Now", and "I'll Be Around".

We couldn't fit all the mixes in the title above, so for "1-800 Suicide" the mixes are: "New vocal version", "New vocal acapella", "Flip Squad mix", 'Gangsta mix", "Poisonous mix", "Poisonous mix inst", "Guillotine mix" and the "Dig Deep mix" and for "Mommy What's A Gravedigga?" the mixes are: "RZA mix clean", "Rza mix inst", "Uptight Cratedigga mix" and "Uptight Cratedigga inst".

One of those classic Contemporary albums of LA jazz – where all the players are big names, and where the gang of them is goofing around on the front, looking happier than any New York jazzmen could ever be! Hamp's, joined by Barney Kessel, Red Mitchell, and Shelly Manne – all of whom are playing golf on the cover, hence the punned title. Tracks are pretty nice LA bop material, and include "Yardbird Suite", "Up Blues", "Bow Jest", and "Like Someone In Love".

Essential work from Eddie Henderson – one of the trumpeter's hippest albums of the 70s, and a key link between his early righteous days and his later smoother sound! The set's a near-perfect blend of all elements involved – tight funky rhythms, spacey soulful instrumentation, and wicked production work from the mighty Skip Drinkwater in the studio – a record that's as essential to his legacy as Gears is to that of Larry Mizell! Henderson's trumpet work is totally great – often muted, and always snakey inside the rhythms – and other players here include Julian Priester on trombone, Hadley Caliman on flute and soprano sax, Patrice Rushen on keyboards, Paul Jackson on bass, and Headhunter Mike Clark on drums. Titles include the excellent groover "Inside You", plus "Kudu", "Acuphuncture", "Time & Space", "Dr Mganga", and "Dark Shadow".

Not the disco promised in the title – but a sweet batch of funky tracks from Japanese reedman Jiro Inagaki – easily one of his hippest albums of the 70s! Rhythms are super-tight – very much in the best mid 70s space of Fatback Band or Kool & The Gang – and carried off with some occasional trippy touches in the production, of the sort you'd know from other Japanese albums of this nature. The tunes are mostly instrumentals – focused on the jazzy grooves we'd expect from Jiro – but they often feature a bit of chorus vocals – probably just the musicians shouting out with joy alongside their sweet lead lines. Titles include a great cover of Ripple's "I Don't Know What It Is But It Sure Is Funky" – plus "Boogie Joe The Grinder", "Express", "Jungle Boogie", "Living For The City", "Outa Space", "Funky Stuff", and "Loose Booty". CD features the bonus track "Express", in a different mix.

A big, bold ensemble from the more remote years of the East German jazz scene – a group led by pianist Ulrich Gumpert, but which features some especially strong interplay from a large array of reeds and brass! The sound is experimental, but never too outside – and unlike other jazz orchestras of this type, which seem to rely more on the improvisational moments – this group still has a strong forward motion from the whole lineup, even when individual members are really taking off on their own! The pulse really holds the whole thing together – and in addition to electric piano from Gumpert, the set also features trombone from Conrad Bauer and Sieghardt Schubert, soprano sax from Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky, tenor from Helmut Forsthoff, drums from Gunter Sommer and Wolfgang Winkler, trumpet from Klaus Richter and Jochen Gleichmann, and alto sax from Manfred Hering! Album features two long tracks – both a side each.

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

KC & The Sunshine band definitely live up to the title here – doing it good, and doing it funky with a great early Miami funk groove! The sound has a lot more sharp edges than their later hits – but is still already plenty darn infectious – a wicked bouncy groove that never lets up at all – making the album every bit a funky party as the best early gems from Fatback Band or Kool & The Gang! Production is great too – that cool Miami sense of spreading out, yet never turned towards commercial ends – as you'll hear on groovers that include "Sound Your Funky Horn", "Do It Good", "Baby I Want Your Lovin'", "All My Love", "Blow Your Whistle", "I'm a Pushover", and "I Need a Little Lovin". CD features bonus tracks – "I'm Gonna Do Something Good To You", "Why Don't We Get Together", "Queen Of Clubs (single)", and "I'm A Pushover (single)".

Mega-hit material from KC & The Sunshine band – an album issued firmly into the disco years, but which still had the group hitting hard in their trademark Miami sound! The tracks here are a bit longer and more hook-heavy than before – and represent the kind of material that linked harder Kool & The Gang-styled funk with some of the crossover sounds that Miami was famous for at the time – a sound that was still largely pre-disco in its roots, but which also helped set the crossover scene for so many other groups of the 70s. The set is filled with loads of huge hits – like "Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", and "Baby I Love You" – and other tracks include "I Like To Do It", "Come On In", and "Let's Go Party".

Sure, they're a funk act – but Kool & The Gang also have a great way with a ballad, too – and as the 80s moved on, the laidback mode worked just as great for the group as their groovers! This mellow set features a dozen Kool & The Gang ballads – some gentle love songs that still seem to hold onto the compression we love in their funk – yet turn the energy towards different ends, often without being overly commercial. Tracks include "Strong", "Think It Over", "Jones Vs Jones", "September Love", "No Show", "Cherish", "Broadway", "Too Hot", "Just Friends", and "Special Way".

A huge crossover hit for the group – but a pretty tasty dancefloor single as well! Deodato's producing track here – and it's got a nicely compressed sound that pops along the bassline and catchy hook wonderfully!

A nice one from Kool & The Gang – and kind of a transitional record for the group – falling directly between the hard funk and spacey jazz inspired earlier work and the chart-ready grooves that would follow soon after! They weren't about to abandon the heavy horn lines and some grittier grooves just yet – but they seem to know where the commercial winds are blowing – and they work a bit harder on the sweeter group vocals and some string-backed dancefloor soul sounds. Includes the slow-building title track, plus "Dancin' Shoes", "Big Chief's Funkum", "I Like Music" "It's All You Need", "Peace To The Universe" and "At The Party".

Kool & The Gang's a little bit slicker and a little bit smoother on The Force than on earlier classic records – but thankfully, they're still getting on down to the funky sounds! The Force does indeed have more of a spacey boogie than a jungle boogie vibe, but they're still doing what we love to hear from them. Party funk and soul from this legendary group – and the soul comes out especially well on the mellower numbers, which seem to take off from classics on albums like Love & Understanding or Open Sesame. Titles include "Free", "Slick Superchick", "Just Be True", "Mighty Mighty High", "Oasis", "The Force" and "Life's A Song".

Often overlooked amidst the bigger early albums by Kool & The Gang – but a totally solid record of funky stuff that's right up there with their best work! The band is super-tight at this point, grooving along in a hard drum, heavy bass, wah wah guitar frenzy – and even the vocals are great by this point, with that good mix of funky soul and humor that made the band so much more entertaining than some of their contemporaries. Tracks include the spacey "Wild Is Love", the super-dope "Rated X" and "North East South West", the mellow jazz number "I Remember John W Coltrane", and the cuts "Good Times", "Country Times", and "Making Merry Music".

A landmark album of funky genius – and one of the first times a batch of funky 45s had ever been so tightly sewn into a full LP! By the time of this album's release, Kool & The Gang were already underground legends – cutting it up in small clubs around the east and midwest, and working hard to push their excellent early singles on the De-Lite label – the kind of indie funky 45s that went on to shape the sound of a generation to come! This album brings together a number of those singles – really great little tracks that you can't really ever find on wax, and which have the group's perfect blend of bass/drum rhythms, choppy guitar, and hard-blaring horns – a massive groove that's still tighter here than any of the countless combos the record went onto inspire. The LP's a non-stop jam all the way through, with funk so pure it could be considered the blueprint for a generation – and titles include "Give It Up", "Raw Hamburger", "Kool's Back Again", "Breeze & Soul", "Sea of Tranquility", and "Kool & The Gang". 2012 remaster – with much better sound than the 90s CD version.

A magic carpet ride of funky soul from Kool & The Gang – classic Open Sesame from '76 – one that took the group to a higher level! It's not as rawly funky as some of the group's earlier albums, but they do still bring it, just with a cooler spirtual vibe that we never expected – one that opens up their sound even further! The best example of this is the great cut "Little Children", a very righteous jazzy soul number that's been sampled to great use, and one that introduced a great mellow sound for the group. Other cuts include the dancefloor classic "Open Sesame", "Whisper Softly", "L-O-V-E", and "Sunshine".

Way more than just a "boogie" album – as you might think from the title – and much more a hard-hitting batch of funky tunes, mixed with some even cooler laidback numbers! The album follows heavily off the style of Wild & Peaceful – mixing together the group's older crack rhythms with some newer, hipper, jazzier inflections – making for an incredibly powerful sound that really opens them up. Titles include the massively funky "Jungle Jazz" – a jazzy follow up to "Jungle Boogie" – plus some spiritual numbers that have a cosmic soul jazzy feel, like the tracks "Cosmic Energy", "Ancestral Ceremony", and "Winter Sadness". The whole thing's great – and other titles include "Mother Earth", "Caribbean Festival", and "Ride The Rhythm".

A wonderful blend of free jazz & atmospheric electronic experimentation led by soprano mainstay Steve Lacy – a truly inviting blend of open-ended sounds that manages to all come together in a very natural way! Sadly, this set captured here at the NEWJazz meeting of 2002 at Baden-Baden, Germany turned out to be one of Lacy's final projects – and it's a nice tribute to his legacy of openness and a free spirit. The project started by using a piece by ambitious composer Bernard Lang, "DW 1.2 For Piano, Flute And Saxophone" as a starting point for the improvisations of an interesting group of players – including Lacy, Peter Herbert on double bass, Wolfgang Reisinger on drums, Philip Jeck on turntables, plus Christof Kurzmann and Lang on electronics. It essentially develops a dialogue among the genres themselves – jazz, electronica and freeform sound art – as much as between the individual players! 6 extended numbers with the titles "DW 1.2 Remix 6.8" (quartet of Lacy, Lang, Herbert & Reisinger), "DW 1.3 Remix 7.4" (trio of Lacy, Lang & Jeck) "DW 1.2 Remix 10.2" (quartet of Kurzman, Lacy Herbert & Reisinger), "DW 1.2 Remix 7.7" (duo Jeck & Lacy), "DW 1.2 Remix Karlsruhe 3.3" (solo Lacy) and "DW 1.2 Remix 6.1" (quartet Lang, Lacy Herbert & Reisinger).

Real hip hop from a real MC – namely Lil Dap of the early 90s NYC legends Group Home – still sharp and still rhyming over timeless boom bap worthy of his Gang Starr Foundation roots! The production on "Real MC's" is by Freqnik and WDRE – kicking off with heavy beats and scratches, clearly reverent DJ Premier in mood and tone, and without coming off as a throwback. It's not about revisiting the past, it's about showing how fresh that style can be to this day, when done correctly. The flip "Guru Cash Flow" is a more explicit tribute – to Gang Starr MC Guru and to producer Cash Flow.

A great record with a really great little lineup – rock-solid players who come together wonderfully under the vision of the leader! Christian McBride's really found a way to focus his energy in recent years – and this quintet set is great proof of that – a refining of all the ideas he put forth a decade or more ago, but delivered with a lot more punch here – partly due to the album's well-chosen lineup as well. In addition to Christian on bass, the set's got stellar vibes from Warren Wolf – a player we always love – plus alto from Steve Wilson, piano from Peter Martin, and drums from Carl Allen – all working together on a set of tracks that are mostly original – and which have a soulful sparkle that really stands out. Titles include "Listen To The Heroes Cry", "Ms Angelou", "Gang Gang", "Unusual Suspects", "The Movement Revisited", and "New Hope's Angel".

The latest audio dispensary system from Oh No – who's carved a pretty solid niche as an unpredictable, indefatigable hip hop conceptualist – this one a suite of tracks inspired by snake oil style newspaper, radio and television advertisements from decades past! Oh No is on the beats and production here on a mix of thematic instros and vocal tracks with guests Declaime & Georgia Anne Muldrow, Souls Of Mischief, Blu & Med, Gangrene partner Alchemist, Rapsody & Psalm One and others. Includes "Intro Doctor Visit", "Creepers", "Jones's" feat Blu & MED, "Wet 'Em Up", "The Difference", "Perfect Cylinders", "Animals" with Chali 2Na & Roc C, "Rollin' Up" with Alchemist, "Drifters", "Improvement" with Declaime & Georgia Anne Muldrow and more. CD also includes the bonus track "Controlled Riots" with Souls Of Mischief.

Wonderful grooves from Push – a funky ensemble who flourished in the Seattle scene at the end of the 70s – turning out some really massive sounds in the clubs, and in the studio! This collection's the only one we've ever seen of their work – a much-needed testament to their stone strength on a very local scene at the time – one in which a group like this could work every night of the week to big regional crowds, yet somehow never manage to crack the big time! Yet the group's lack of fame is also what makes this music great – a fresh approach to 70s territory that you might know from some of the bigger acts of the time – with instrumentation jazzy enough to rival some of the Fantasy Records groups of the time – and a sparkling vibe that recalls some of the bigger crossover groups, like Kool & The Gang or Average White Band! The set features recordings from two different sessions – one in Seattle, the other in Portland – and titles include "I'm Not Alone", "I'm A Dreamer", "It Ain't Never Been This Funky", "You Turn Me On", "The Jealous Type", "Reach", "We Have So Much", "You're Nasty", and "Celebration".

70s grooves from the New York scene – but played by a group with a strong ear for Cuban roots! Armando Sanchez's combo here really focuses on older Cuban tipico sounds – using instrumentation that's heavy on percussion, guitar, tres, and trumpet – often woven together in ways that are a lot more spare than other New York work of the time. Rhythms are right out front in the mix, blending beautifully with the vocals – and even the mellower tunes have the kind of punch you'd expect to hear on a classic Latin date from Havana. Titles include "Guajira En Nueva York", "Manene", "Negro Mambi", "Y Yo Ganga", "Monte Tiene Garabato", "Yo Vengo De Oriente", and "Songo Y Guantanamo".

Spacey and funky hip hop from 7even Thirty for Mello Music Group – with some heaving, block-rockin' beatcraft, some great sci fi samples and fairly boisterous rhymes! Heaven's Computer is described as concept album with alien-themed story line – but on a simpler level, it's a straight-up good time, seizing you with insistent rhymes and beats from the get-go – and it doesn't let up! Mello continues to deliver fresh, high quality hip hop. Includes "Fireball", "Twenty-Twelve", "Earth Gurl", "Space Gangsta"f eat Coke Bumaye & Ivisuai, "Nightmare" and more – plus the bonus "Where It's At (Tragedy)".

70s sounds galore – and a great second step for Signor Wolf! The set's even more funk-heavy than his previous recordings – and very much in a 70s mode throughout – with basslines, keyboards, and guitar parts that reference the classic era of blacksploitation funk – served up in a mix of live instrumentation and funky programs, and recorded with a nicely faithful style overall. There's a lot of tracks on the album, which makes for a few surprising twists and turns – and most numbers here are instrumental, with titles that include "Mr Stray Bullet", "Lips & Laps", "Funk Investigation", "Territorial Fight", "Bad Queen Gang", "Carter's Dope", "You Spin Me Round", "The Hunt", and "Mambo Jail".

Hip hip stuff from Richard Evans and the gang at Cadet Records! The record is the second outing by The Soulful Strings – a group that kind of started as a studio side project, but who became a surprisingly popular act during the late 60s. The album includes some excellent original tunes by Evans – including "Soul Message" and "The Stepper", the latter of which is virtually a blueprint for the jazzy stepping groove that's always been a hit on Chicago dancefloors. A wonderful mix of strings, flute, organ, and more – all with a strong rhythm section that keeps the whole thing soulful and grooving! Titles include "Jericho", "Minor Adjustment", "The Who Who Song", "Alice Blue Gown", and "Inner Light".

A classic indie cooker from Sugar Billy – a bit funky, a bit clubby – and a really great batch of grooves done in a pre-disco mode! The tracks are all pretty darn upbeat – somewhat warmer than the funk of Fatback or Kool & The Gang, but still with a nicely rough-edged feel overall – one that mixes snapping rhythms with Billy's slightly raspy vocals – all in a groove that's somewhat unique, and which is almost a hybrid of southern soul modes and some of the indie styles bubbling out of the New York scene in the early 70s. Arrangements are by Jimmy Roach, who definitely helps the group groove – and a young Marcus Belgrave is actually in the group on Trumpet! Titles include the classic "Super Duper Love (parts 1 & 2)", plus "Treat Me Like You Don't Know Me", "Love Bug", "Sugar Pie", "Too Much Too Soon", and "Believe In Me". CD also features a great bonus track – the single-only "Freak & You Shall Find", presented in the long version!

Two gems from The Sylvers – back to back on a single CD! Showcases is filled with great groovers from The Sylvers – a set cut when the group were firmly in their disco years – a great setting for their playful family-style vocals! In fact, moving to disco may well have been one of the greatest things the group could have done – because it really set them apart from the rest of the pack, and helped them find a way for their maturing vocals to really stretch out! Foster, Leon, Angie, and the whole Sylvers gang sound mighty great here – as they groove hard on their classic "Boogie Fever", plus other tracks that include "Ain't No Good In Goodbye", "Free Style", "I Can Be For Real", and "Ain't Nothin' But A Party". New Horizons is hard grooving work from The Sylvers – LA's favorite family soul act of the 70s, really burning strong here for the Capitol club years! The album follows nicely in the mode of some of their bigger chart hits of the time – using the group's surprisingly well-crafted harmonies in a playful mode that often has some nice uptempo dancefloor touches, but which still manages to lay back at just the right points for a mellow cut. The album's self-produced by the group, and titles include "New Horizons", "The Party Maker", "Another Day To Love", "Star Fire", "Any Way You Want Me", "Dressed to Kill", and "Lovin' Me Back".

Ten years in for the Tabou Combo – and the group's sounding funkier than ever! The album's got a groove that's even tighter than some of their earliest records – and there's a definite funky feel to the music at times – not just Haitian styles, but a nice US influence too – yet one that's filtered through some really unique global influences too! Despite the date of the record, the instrumentation is mostly in a late 70s ensemble funk mode – with harder edges than usual from the combo, and almost a Kool & The Gang influence going on – but, with the Haitian elements thrown in, an overall sound that comes across with the vibe of Banda Black Rio. Really great stuff – with cuts that include "Hoola Hoop Disco", "Let Me Play That Funky Music", "Tabou Disco", "Tania", "Let's Do The Groove", and "Fausse Conception". CD also features bonus extended mixes of "Hoola Hoop Disco" and "Tabou Disco".

Early and mid 70s big band masterpieces from Charles Tolliver for Strata East – plus a brilliant batch of German recordings from 1979 with Hamburg's great NDR group that was never legitimately issued before now – in an amazing 3CD set from Mosaic! Disc One features the classic Impact – the first album by his legendary group on Strata East – a core quartet that features Tolliver on trumpet, Stanley Cowell on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Jimmy Hopps on drums and percussion – all augmented by some larger backings for the session! The core sound is amazing – with free lines that trade back and forth wonderfully, filled with life and a great lyrical sense of energy that Tolliver never had on some of his later sessions. The larger group hardly gets in the way at all – and they're mostly there just to shade in the background, but often drop out during the solos – giving full center stage exposure to Tolliver and Cowell! Tracks include "Ruthie's Heart", "Abscretions", "Household of Saud", and "On the Nile". Disc Two features Impact – an amazingly spiritual effort that really brings together the best strands of sounds running through the underground at the time! The format's a bit similar to Music Inc – with lots of strong lead action from Charles on trumpet, and Stanley Cowell on piano. But this time around, the larger group seems to be more fully integrated into the tunes – there not just to support the soloists, but to rise up with a full, proud sense of majesty that's really amazing. Other players include Cecil McBee and Reggie Workman on basses, Billy Parker and Warren Smith on percussion, Jon Faddis and Jimmy Owens on trumpets, John Gordon and Garnet Brown on trombones, and Charles McPherson, George Coleman, Harold Vick, and Charles Davis on saxes! Titles include great versions of the Tolliver classics "Plight" and "Impact" – plus "Mother Wit", "Lynnsome", and "Grand Max". Disc Three is a hidden gem from Tolliver's career – 1979 radio broadcast sessions with the NDR big band that includes Benny Bailey on trumpet, Herb Geller on alto, Wolfgang Dauner on piano, Lukas Lindholm on bass and Alvin Queen on drums. Here Tolliver plays some of the Strata material with these great European players who really seem to relish the opportunity – with each contributing brilliant solos. Includes "Ruthie's Heart", "Mother's Wit", Grand Max", "Impact" and more.

Another nice breaks record from Stones Throw. Ten tracks, all heavy on the drums. Most of the tracks are straight beat tracks, some original, and some from Gang Starr, MC Lyte, T La Rock, etc. A couple tracks have added vocal samples.

The minimalism of Erik Satie, handled by the maximalism of the Vienna Art Orchestra – at first glance a seeming mismatch, but instead a record that really opens up Satie's music strongly – and also makes for one of the Vienna Art Orchestra's most memorable moments! The large group is broken out into much smaller ensembles for most of the album – often just duos or solo players, working through some of Satie's most inventive compositions – varying instrumentation throughout, in ways that almost make for different refractions of the music through differing lenses – a bit like the excellent Satie project issued around the same time on Nato. Players include Wolfgang Puschnig on flute, Christian Radovan on trombone, Woody Schabata on vibes, Wolfgang Reisinger on tarabuka, and Lauren Newton on voice – and titles include "Reflections On Aubade", "Vexations 1801", "Gnossienne No 3", and "Reflections On Idylle".

A landmark record – and most likely the best of the late 60s Jazz Meets The World series on MPS! The album features a unique ensemble comprised of a few core parts – The Indian Trio of Dewan Mothihar on sitar and vocal, Keshave Sathe on tabla, and Kusum Thakur on tambura; the Irene Schweizer Trio, here heard not as "out" as on other recordings, and with a contemplative, modal sound; and the jazz horns of Barney Wilen (tenor and soprano sax) and Manfred Schoof (trumpet and cornet) – adding in a level of improvisation on top of the rhythmic progression and sonic experimentation of the other two parts of the whole. The album's got three long tracks – "Yaad", "Brigach & Ganges", and "Sun Love" – all of which create a unique blend of Indian music, modal rhythms, and European jazz – somehow managing to filter all the elements together without any colonialist overtones, and coming up with a sound that's even greater than the sum of its parts!

An amazing tribute to London's Acid Jazz label – an imprint that's had an undeniable influence on all the things we do here at Dusty Groove! The massive package is way more than just a collection of the label's classics – and instead, it offers up a range of sounds that influenced the acid jazz scene in the UK at the end of the 80s – and others that go on to show the development of funk and soul in London as the 90s moved on. The package features a 52 page hardcover book, filled with Acid Jazz artwork and images; another 20 page book with the story of the label; a DVD with an interview and video footage of Snowboy, James Taylor Quartet, and other label stars; a 7" single with two unreleased tracks – "Never Stop" by The Brand New Heavies with Jan Kincaid and "Rock Steady (inst)" by The Brand New Heavies; and 4CDs worth of music with songs by Alice Clark, Small Faces, Dinosaur L, Charles Earland, Mark Murphy, The Quick, Jose Feliciano, Pharcyde, Forest Mighty Black, Mr Scruff, Paul Weller, Gang Starr, One Creed, Humble Souls, Tribe Called Quest, Nuyorican Soul, Soho, Ballistic Brothers, and many others. 65 tracks in all – and that's just the music!

A tight collection of uptempo funk and disco-driven soul tunes – with a selection that goes way past the usual dancefloor favorites! We're not sure how to read the title (which seems to have some sort of "inside take" on black culture in America) so we'll write that off to the overzealous imagination of the British compilers of the set – but we will say that the package includes some great numbers that we wouldn't have thought of otherwise, including a few previously unissued tunes by artists on the Westbound label! The groove is upbeat on most tracks, with plenty of jazzy flourishes and a soulful approach to disco. Titles include "Disco Booty" by Melvin Sparks, "Love Don't Come Easy" by New Jersey Connection, "I Need Somebody To Love Tonight" by Sylvester, "Free Man" by South Shore Commission, "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" by The Clark Sisters, "Latin Disco" by The Counts, "Alvin Stone (The Birth & Death Of A Gangster)" by Fantastic Four, "Moon Trek" by Mike Theodore, "Sadie" by Joe Bataan, "Sure Can't Go To The Moon" by CJ & Co, and "The Magic Man" by King Errison.

Hard to believe that Gilles Peterson is up to the 6th volume of his excellent Bubblers series – and maybe even harder to believe that the music continues to be this great! You might think that Gilles P would run out of goodies by now – but no, the man with the golden ears proves once again why he's been one of the most important folks to turn us onto new sounds over the past 20 years! The vibe is nicely contemporary throughout – and even when artists are playing with classic references, they've got a way of turning them into something new – often with that 21st Century Soul vibe that Peterson first proclaimed in the 90s – finally come to fruition on releases like this. Titles include "No Clear Reason" by Gang Colours, "Finest Hour (Planas rmx)" by Submotion Orchestra, "Here On The Plains (iambic rmx)" by Half Seas Over, "Intervales Theme" by Javelin, "Reality & Fantasy (Gilles Peterson rmx)" by Raphael Gulazzi, and "Let's Do It Again" by Great Weekend.

The best look at Chicago's legendary Twinight label that we've ever seen – a massive 2CD set that goes way past the obvious hits, and really digs into the heart and soul of this unique little record company! Twinight is best known as the home of Syl Johnson during his legendary run of funky soul singles at the end of the 60s – but the company was also home to a lot of other great talent during the same stretch – harmony vocal groups, sweet soul singers, funky combos, and more – all of which you'll hear in this incredible little set! (And in fact, the set does such a great job of presenting the other artists on Twinight, that it leaves out Syl Johnson entirely – so the package is a 100% non-Syl set – which is ok with us, because you can always get Johnson's work on other reissues.) The Numero Group have really outdone themselves this time around – using their careful ear to pull out the best lost bits from Twinight, remastered here with wonderful sound – and a brilliant 32 page booklet that tells the story of the label, and also includes loads of vintage photos. The set's a must-have for any fan of quality funk or soul – and the package includes a whopping 40 titles that include "Goin Man Huntin" by Jo Ann Garrett, "I've Made Up My Mind" by Josephine Taylor, "A New Day" by The Notations, "Nevermore" by Renaldo Domino, "Yesterday's Mistakes" by Jimmy Jones, "I'll Always Love You" by Velma Perkins, "Life Walked Out" by Mist, "Put Out The Fire by Mystiques, "You & Me Baby" by Kaldirons, "Rosemarie" by Dynamic Tints, "Remind Me" by Schiller Street Gang, "Is It Meant To Be" by Krystal Generation, "Pardon My Innocent Heart" by Nate Evans, "Package Of Love (part 1)" by Dynamic Tints, "The Devastator" by Stormy, "Mama" by Annette Poindexter, "Pass It On (part 1)" by Pipes Of Peace, "My Sunshine Girl" by Radiants, "Let Me Come Within" by Renaldo Domino, "Soul Strokes" by Sidney Pinchback, and "Can You Find Me Love" by Harrison & The Majestic Kind.

Heavy funk with a contemporary twist – a host of James Brown classics, all replayed here by the roster of the Gamm label! Given the hip hop stylings of most of the artists, the funk here is often cut, pasted, and sampled – but there's also clearly a bit of live instrumentation going on too – as well as some occasional deep soul vocals which really help send home the tunes! The overall feel is almost a James Brown remix mode, but in a way that really lets the producers leave their own stamp on the tracks – and the set list includes "The King James Version (part 2)" by D-Frost Beats, "Bang It On" by BadSim, "You Dead Wrong" by Red Astaire with Caretta Bell, "Ain't It Funky" by Yosaku, "Mama's Dead" by Bloodfire, "Fonky President" by Pure P, "Sayin It & Doin It" by Sugarloaf Gangsters, "U Got Soul (Swell's power surge mix)" by Swing Session, and "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose" by DJ Ayres.

Ho! This one takes us back! We're not as old as you might think here at Dusty Groove, but we're old enough to remember that wonderful period in the early 80s when somewhere on the lower east side, the energy and rawness of punk and post punk were meeting up with the glamour of the glitzed up disco club scene. ZE records was all over the scene, releasing the finest mutated disco from arch scenesters like August Darnell and the not-yet-heavyweight producer Don Was to other greats who might sadly have become sidebars in the history of modern music if not for this compilation, like Lizzy Mercer Descloux and Cristina. Each and every track grooves along with an unstoppable energy, whether it's Kid Creole's sophisticated Latin-esque numbers, Garcons' bubbling synths or Was (Not Was)'s faux R&B. 25 tracks in all, spread out over 2 CDs, with excellent retrospective notes and a nice fold out digipack! Includes: Was(Not Was) "Wheel Me Out" & "Tell Me That I'm Dreaming", Material with Nona Hendryx "Bustin' Out", Kid Creole & The Coconuts "Annie I'm Not Your Daddy" & "I'm A Wonderful Thing Baby", Coati Mundi "Que Pasa/Me No Pop I", James White & The Blacks "Contort Yourself", The Aural Exciters "Emile" & "Spooks In Space", Gichy Dan "Cowboys & Gangsters", Don Armando's 2nd Ave Rhumba Band "Deputy Of Love" plus loads more from Garcons, The Waitresses, Lizzy Mercer Descloux and others!

A killer set of funky raw soul from the early 70s Norfolk, VA scene – literally Raw Soul – as the excellent group is at the heart and soul of all the material in the set! It features tracks credited to Raw Soul plus singers & groups Lanis Guess, Shirley Johnson, Sir Guy, Josephine Jones, Lee Fields, Page One and others – all heavy burners from the Virginia scene. The tunes are raw, soulful and tightly funky – with the guitar, bass and drums of Barry Saunders, Maurice Glass and Grover Elliot nicely raw and gritty throughout and the excellent sax work of Dorsey Brockington all over the set. It ranges from hard and heavy funk to less frenetic, stilly nicely gritty southern soul. Totally excellent – here's hoping more compilations are coming down the road! Titles include "How You Gonna Do It", "Leave My Beat Alone" and "The Gig" by Raw Soul, "That Beat's Got The Devil In It" by Lenis Guess, "Feels So Good" by Shirley Johnson, "Candy Man" by Josephine Jones, "Wrong Crowd" by Prince George", "Thank Goodness Gotta Good Woman" by Page One and more. CD has 4 bonus tracks: "Conflict" by The Symbolics, "Superman" (alternate vocal take) by Bargara Stant, "We're Gonna Make Love" by Lee Fields and "The Dance Of Love" by 35th Street Gang.

A funky & far reaching compilation on Perfect Toy! Shake-A-Leg features Afro Beat, jazz funk, funky hip hop and raw soul – compiled by Tobias Kirmayer and Jerker Kluge – highlighting the kinds of grooves they spin at their monthly club nights in Munich! It has a timeless feel, thanks in no small part to the duos penchant for selecting numbers that stretch as far back to the 70s roots, as well as some of best tracks from the diverse contemporary funk underground. Includes hip hop funk from Othello & DJ Vajra and Breakestra feat Chali 2na, Soup, Double K & Mixmaster Wolf, classic jazz funk era heroes Grant Green, Joe Thomas and Eddie Jefferson, modern Afro Funk from Ikebe Shakedown, Latin Beat from Cesar's Salad and much more! Titles include "Family Rap" by Breakestra, Chali 2na & others, Grant Green's cover of Kool & The Gang's "Let The Music Take Your Mind", "You Can Bet Your Swet Bippy" by The Joe Thomas Group, ""Outlines Part 3" by Ernst Arno, "Hard Steppin" by Ikebe Shakedown, "Yenyere" by Cesar's Salad" and more.

20 super rare killer funk tracks! Like the first volume, not only are there hard to find songs from funky 45s on labels like Westbound and Twinight, but the nice folks at BGP have also included never before released tunes to get your mouth watering. Tracks include "Brand New Girl" by Billy Garner, "Jelly Roll" by Granby Street Development, "Put It Where You Want It" by Pee Wee Clayton, "What You See Is What You Get" by Brenda George, "Soul Strokes" by Sidney Pinchback & the Schiller Street Gang, "Jaws" from Johnny Otis, "Freddy Wilson's "Promised Land", "Pass It On" by Pieces Of Peace, "I Need Money" by Ruth Davis, "Warm The Pot ('Til It's Good And Hot)" by Willard Buron & the Pacifiers, "Mr Big H" by Joe Houston, and "Funky Bongo" by Preston Epps.

20 super rare killer funk tracks! Like the first volume, not only are there hard to find songs from funky 45s on labels like Westbound and Twinight, but the nice folks at BGP have also included never before released tunes to get your mouth watering! Tracks include "Brand New Girl" by Billy Garner, "Jelly Roll" by Granby Street Development, "Put It Where You Want It" by Pee Wee Clayton, "What You See Is What You Get" by Brenda George, "Soul Strokes" by Sidney Pinchback & the Schiller Street Gang, "Jaws" from Johnny Otis, "Freddy Wilson's "Promised Land", "Pass It On" by Pieces Of Peace, "I Need Money" by Ruth Davis, "Warm The Pot ('Til It's Good And Hot)" by Willard Buron & the Pacifiers, "Mr Big H" by Joe Houston, and "Funky Bongo" by Preston Epps.

The second album from The Clash – ferocious, melodic and masterful bits of barbed greatness from the group – the greatest flaw of which is that it's not the first album. They're still completely great, playing in peak form even with the less shambling, slightly more polished production of Sandy Pearlman. This one stands out beautifully to us nowadays, since most of the songs aren't as overplayed as the more zeitgeiest-y earlier ones or the Mtv hits that came later on. Essential!! Titles include "Julie's In The Drug Squad", "All The Young Punks", "Last Gang In Town", "Guns On The Roof", "Cheap-Skate", "Drug-Stabbing Time", and "Safe European Home".

Something Special indeed – as the album was one of the biggest hits for Kool & The Gang, and showed that the group still had plenty of energy left to groove into the 80s! The record features production work by Brazilian music maestro Eumir Deodato – who by this point had become a sweet and smooth talent with a real flair for putting over a modern soul groove! Deodato's approach is really great – smooth, yet soulful, without any tricks or gimmicks – and a real appreciation for lead vocals and a catchy little hook! The album features the group's party classic "Get Down On It", plus "Steppin Out", "No Show", "Pass It On", "Be My Lady", "Take My Heart", and "Good Time Tonight".

Classic early funkiness from Kool & The Gang! "Kool & the Gang" is a hard funky groover – very worthy of the group's name, with that full-on horn/guitar groove that they virtually pioneered! "Raw Hamburger" is excellent too – with a slowly building, trumpet jazzed sound, laid out over some great spoken parts in which two guys talk about food over some funky clavinet!

A great album – even if most of the cuts are on other records! The set's designed to focus on the jazzier side of Kool & The Gang – and it sifts through the first few albums to come up with some of the more sophisticated (yet still totally funky!) numbers by the band, giving a good picture of the many sides of their talents, and also adding in a few other tracks that we haven't found on other records. The groove ranges from slow-dope and mellow, to choppy and funky, with plenty of hot breaks and classic hip hop samples. Titles include the monster jammer "Dujii", plus "Lucky For Me", "Sea Of Tranquility", "North East South West", "I Remember John W Coltrane", "Sombrero Sam", and "Breeze & Soul", a very tasty little jangly number!

While most heads are checking for the "Real Deal" 12" with Shadow's Lesson 4 remix on the flip, this other single off the Lifer's Group album is still nice, with tight production by Organized Konfusion on the a-side, and nicer beats than we recall from Doctor Jam and Phase 5 on the flip.

Plenty of fusion here – a heady brew of jazz, funk, and soul – all put together with a nice sense of tightness that really makes the grooves sparkle! The package is heavy on gems from the Fantasy Records catalog of the 70s – cuts that really define the newly sophisticated sound the label was hitting at the time – as it brought huge changes to the worlds of jazz and soul through its unique fusion of grooves! A number of cuts here are nice and long – the kind of extended numbers that Fantasy always did so well, mixed with a few other key cuts from different labels. Titles include "Time Is Movin" by The Blackbyrds, "Funked Up" by Gary Bartz, "Funky Motion" by Ronnie Foster, "Ga Gang Gang Goong" by Rusty Bryant, "Home Brew" by Arthur Adams, "Concrete Jungle" by Three Pieces, "Joyous" by Pleasure, "Movin" by Brass Construction, "What You Won't Do For Love" by Roy Ayers, "The Genie" by Bobby Lyle, "Can't Hide Love" by Carmen McRae, and "Tell Me What To Do" by Johnny Hammond.

A long-overdue collection that dips into the huge disco legacy of the New York-based De-Lite label (and related imprints Red Coach and Vigor) – most famously home to Kool & The Gang, but also the home of a lot of other good east coast groups, most of whom were important in those key mid 70s transitional years between ensemble funk and disco. This set brings together 15 tracks from the label – including a number of gems that haven't been reissued before – and titles include "Slip & Dip" and "Casanova" by Coffee, "Galaxy Of Love", and "Say A Prayer For Me" by Crown Heights Affair, "I Wanna Give You Tomorrow" by Benny Troy, "Wanna Spend My Whole Life With You Baby" by The Street People, "Zone (12" mix)" by Rhythm Makers, "Hustle Wit Every Muscle" by The Kay Gees, "Party Music" by Pat Lundi, "Juice It Up" by Hotline, "Mighty Body" by Leon Bryant, and "It Really Hurts Me Girl (1979 Tom Moulton rmx)" by The Carstairs.

A killer 80s groove set – served up by this obscure Chicago group, and done with a high class sound that's really great! The record easily rivals much of the work on the bigger labels at the time – thanks to some great arrangements by Dunn Pearson that mix together all the right elements that were cooking at the time – as well as some great vocal work from the group, who keep things plenty soulful, and show that the record's use of bass and keys isn't just a gimmick. Titles include "Love Showdown", "Games", "Groove Your Blues Away", "So Inspired", "Make Up Your Mind", "Who Do You Love", and "Share Your Love".

One of the greatest sides of The Blackbyrds' music – their mellower, more chilled-out tunes – all tracks that we like almost as much as their funkier classics! Although the combo first earned their name for upbeat, sharp-edged funky fusion, they also had a wonderful way with a laidback groove – sweetly stepping instrumentals that were often a bit overlooked next to some of their bigger 70s hits, but which are equally great – and perhaps even more so, as they represented a really unique approach to the music at the time! There's a vibe here that we'd rank right up there with Kool & The Gang on "Summer Madness" – an approach that's often spare, and focused around a key instrumental bit – and which is a great antidote to some of the heavier-handed funk of the time! Keyboards are often heavy on these numbers, and although there's some vocals, the instrumentation is almost always center stage – served up over some sweetly stepping rhythms that are really great. Titles include "Lady", "Wilford's Gone", "A Heavy Town", "All I Ask", "At The Carnival", "April Showers", "Love Is Love", "Soft & Easy", "Lady", "Flying High", "The Baby", "Summer Love", "Dreaming Of You", and "Time Is Movin".

A sweet bit of funky jazz vocals from Oscar Brown Jr – recorded during his early 70s stay at Atlantic Records, in a style that's very different than his early work! The tracks are all still original numbers by Oscar – penned with that clever bad-rapping approach to the lyrics that always earned him a huge audience in the cognoscenti. The feel is a bit more electric than before, with Richard Tee on electric piano, Cornell Dupree on guitar, and percussion by Ralph MacDonald. A few cuts have female backing vocals, and titles include "Gang Bang", "Feel the Fire", "Dime Away from a Hot Dog", and "Young Man".

One of the coolest albums ever from organist Milt Buckner – a set that not only features his own great work on Hammond, but also some excellent vibes from Gene Redd! This isn't the Redd that was a member of Kool & The Gang, but his pops – and Gene works with Buckner here on arrangements to craft a sound that's much hipper and more soulful than usual for Milt – quite a change from some of his dates for other labels, especially some of the overseas ones. The rest of the group features Bill Willis on bass and Phil Paul on drums – and tunes are awash in cool tones and unusual sounds – handled very differently than in other versions. The album includes nice versions of "Take Five", "Fly Me To The Moon", "All Blues", and "Why Don't You Do Right" – all with a lot more of a soul jazz groove than you'd expect!

One of the definitive Sam Cooke recordings of the 60s – never issued at the time, but one of the crucial sides that's provided a later look at his brilliance from the time. The session was recorded at the same vintage as Sam Cooke At The Copa – another live record that was issued during the 60s, and which some claim caused the repression of this one, a much livelier, harder, and soulful session, recorded way uptown, at the Harlem Square Club. The Sam you hear here is a much harder soul artist than the one at the Copa – working his way through some great versions of tracks that include "Cupid", "Chain Gang", "Feel It", "Bring It On Home To Me", and "Nothing Can Change This Love".

A funky funky classic from The Counts – and an album that has the group tightening up their sound from the Westbound years, but still keeping the groove plenty nice! There's a tight, bad-walking feel to most of the cuts on the set – one that almost comes across with a blacksploitation groove – especially as the album's basslines are all laid out in a hard-stepping groove, and topped off by plenty of wicked guitar work. Most cuts have vocals, and the lyrics have a Fatback-like love of the catchy chorus and funk-heavy theme. The album's worth it alone for the excellent cut "Tecalli" – a stretched out mellow instrumental with some great Kool & The Gang-esque floating trumpet over the top – but the whole thing's great, and other tracks include "At The Fair", "Dedicated Man", "Jazzman", "Magic Ride", "Short Cut", and "Flies Over Watermelon".

A funky funky classic from The Counts – and an album that has the group tightening up their sound from the Westbound years, but still keeping the groove plenty nice! There's a tight, bad-walking feel to most of the cuts on the set – one that almost comes across with a blacksploitation groove – especially as the album's basslines are all laid out in a hard-stepping groove, and topped off by plenty of wicked guitar work. Most cuts have vocals, and the lyrics have a Fatback-like love of the catchy chorus and funk-heavy theme. The album's worth it alone for the excellent cut "Tecalli" – a stretched out mellow instrumental with some great Kool & The Gang-esque floating trumpet over the top – but the whole thing's great, and other tracks include "At The Fair", "Dedicated Man", "Jazzman", "Magic Ride", "Short Cut", and "Flies Over Watermelon".

A massive set from Nigeria's CS Crew – and a set that definitely lives up to its title! The bass is super-heavy on these grooves – way more so than on other Afro Funk records of the time, and in ways that easily match, if not beat, the early best by Fatback Band and Kool & The Gang – grooves that have amazing dexterity that few others could match, yet which always come through right on the money every time! The bass dips, turns, soars, and drops magically on each number – setting things up strongly for the group's riffing guitar, sweet keyboard lines (including a big of moog!), and few horn moments – which themselves often come across more like an American group than a Nigerian one. Vocals have this rough approach – often part of the rhythm more than anything else – and titles include "Love Is Peace", "Freaky Funkyfied Fix", "Bread Power", "Doin The Good Thing", "I've Found Love", "Last Day", and "Dig In With Time".

A beautiful combination of piano and vibes – performed here by a hip German combo from the postwar years! The quartet features piano from Wolfgang Lauth and vibes from Fritz Hartshuh – the latter of whom plays with a nicely hard-edged, chromatic sound – a great link between some of the first jazz players to pick up the instrument and some of the key modernists to emerge later in the 60s. Lauth's piano work is great, and the record is a wonderful early example of his standout skills on the instrument – one that also features bass from Wolfgang Wagner and drums from Joe Hackbarth. The album's recorded with a bit of an echoey tone, which brings out some of the darker elements in the music – and the set includes a few really great original compositions, plus more familiar standards. Titles include "La Cave", "Miniature", "Darn That Dream", "Visions Of Cathy", "London Bridge Is Not Falling Down", "Near You It Was Always So Beautiful", and "Everything Happens To Me". (Note: there appears to be a slight imperfection on track 3 – causing a musical dropout for a brief moment.)

A fantastic anthology of Flint, MI soul great Regional Garland – 70s soul empires were built on lesser talent than you'll find on this set put together by Egon & Now Again! Garland is a performer, producer, songwriter and arranger of whom we were most familiar with for his work with the group Hunt's Determination – a taste of which is included here, along with Regional's recordings with The Perfections, 21st Generations, Mixed Sugar, Brilliance and others. Even the few Hunts Determination records we were familiar with show a fairly staggering stylistic range, while holding together as a tight whole – and that's all the more impressive with a broader collection of work with varying personnel here. The heart of the collection is early-to-late 70s recordings, from dancefloor soul, funk and strains of disco later in the decade – revelatory stuff for us. We knew the man was good, but, damn! The set also features several mid 80s recordings with that era's synth textured sound with the 70s soul vocals surprisingly well. Includes "I Need Love" & "Hey James" with 21st Generations, "Get On Down" & "Girl You Better Hurry" with The Perfections, "I Need Love" and "Are We Through" with Hunts Determination, "15 Ain't Young No More", "It's A Bad Feeling" and "Disco Jam Bam Bam" with Mixed Sugar, the previously unreleased "Gangster Girl" and "I'm Sad We've Broke Up", "I'm Falling In Love" with Vann & Reggie, "Hit Girl" with Brilliance and more. Nice notes with personnel, and a couple bonus versions "I Need Love".

It's always a treat to hear from the team of Kako and Totico – and this album's no exception! The pair have a way of coming up with lively interplay right from the start – the energy that would formerly build over time in Kako's early jam session records, nicely brought to the forefront here and combined with Totico's contributions – all to make for an album that grooves strong from the ground up! Titles include "Que Quiere La Nina", "Con Sabor Llego La Rumba", "El Doloroso", "Pongase Duro", "Que Quiere La Nina", and "Ganga Zumba".

A super-huge album for Kool & The Gang – the set that features their massive hit "Celebration", a cut that became an instant party classic, and which is probably still earning them a fortune in royalties year after year from wedding bands alone! Believe it or not, the album was arranged, conducted, and produced by Deodato – who was making a great move at the time to get into more straight soul work from his roots in bossa and his 70s run in jazz funk. And in a way, it's Deodato's ear for a great warm groove that really seems to make the set sparkle – giving it a strong soul sound, even with tighter production – still somewhat down to earth, despite its hit status. Apart from "Celebration", other tracks include "Jones Vs Jones", "Love Festival", "Love Affair", "Night People", and "Morning Star".

Kool & The Gang's a little bit slicker and a little bit smoother on The Force than on earlier classic records – but thankfully, they're still getting on down to the funky sounds! The Force does indeed have more of a spacey boogie than a jungle boogie vibe, but they're still doing what we love to hear from them. Party funk and soul from this legendary group – and the soul comes out especially well on the mellower numbers, which seem to take off from classics on albums like Love & Understanding or Open Sesame. Titles include "Free", "Slick Superchick", "Just Be True", "Mighty Mighty High", "Oasis", "The Force" and "Life's A Song".

Often overlooked amidst the bigger early albums by Kool & The Gang – but a totally solid record of funky stuff that's right up there with their best work! The band is super-tight at this point, grooving along in a hard drum, heavy bass, wah wah guitar frenzy – and even the vocals are great by this point, with that good mix of funky soul and humor that made the band so much more entertaining than some of their contemporaries. Tracks include the spacey "Wild Is Love", the super-dope "Rated X" and "North East South West", the mellow jazz number "I Remember John W Coltrane", and the cuts "Good Times", "Country Times", and "Making Merry Music".

A landmark album of funky genius – and one of the first times a batch of funky 45s had ever been so tightly sewn into a full LP! By the time of this album's release, Kool & The Gang were already underground legends – cutting it up in small clubs around the east and midwest, and working hard to push their excellent early singles on the De-Lite label – the kind of indie funky 45s that went on to shape the sound of a generation to come! This album brings together a number of those singles – really great little tracks that you can't really ever find on wax, and which have the group's perfect blend of bass/drum rhythms, choppy guitar, and hard-blaring horns – a massive groove that's still tighter here than any of the countless combos the record went onto inspire. The LP's a non-stop jam all the way through, with funk so pure it could be considered the blueprint for a generation – and titles include "Give It Up", "Raw Hamburger", "Kool's Back Again", "Breeze & Soul", "Sea of Tranquility", and "Kool & The Gang".

One of the greatest Kool & The Gang albums ever – a monster live session that almost blows away their studio classics! The groove here is far more freewheeling and complex than some of their singles from the 70s – longer, tripped-out tunes with a definite undercurrent of jazz amidst the funk – loads of wicked horn bits from Ronnie Bell and Dennis Thomas that complicate things up nicely, while still staying soulfully in the groove. There's no vocals at all on the record – which further enforces the Kool Jazz sound of the set – and the album's even harder-hitting than their previous Sex Machine live album, so much so, the PJ's club had to close its doors shortly after the Gang's performance! Titles include the all-time killer sample cut "Duji" – plus "NT", "Ronnie's Groove", "Ricksonata", "Lucky For Me", "Sombrero Sam", and a medley of "Ike's Groove/You've Lost That Lovin Feeling".

A magic carpet ride of funky soul from Kool & The Gang – classic Open Sesame from '76 – one that took the group to a higher level! It's not as rawly funky as some of the group's earlier albums, but they do still bring it, just with a cooler spirtual vibe that we never expected – one that opens up their sound even further! The best example of this is the great cut "Little Children", a very righteous jazzy soul number that's been sampled to great use, and one that introduced a great mellow sound for the group. Other cuts include the dancefloor classic "Open Sesame", "Whisper Softly", "L-O-V-E", and "Sunshine". This remastered edition from Big Break UK includes 3 bonus tracks: "Open Sesame (Groove With The Genie) – Part 2 (Single Version)", "Super Bad (Single Version)" and "Open Sesame (Groove With The Genie) (Promotional 12" – Special Disco Version)".

One of the group's first really monster cuts! The track shows the band moving past a straight funk mode, hitting a more message-oriented approach that bears some resemblance to some of the more righteous funk/jazz ensembles at the time. The cut starts out with a spare, spiritual intro – then launches into some kicked-up, full-on funk that's pure Kool & The Gang! A great number with a monster hook – and a riff that's been sampled and covered for years!

An amazing tribute to one of our favorite soundtrack composers ever – a massive overview of the work of Michel Legrand, one that spans over 70 films, 4 decades, and 5 hours of music! The package looks at Legrand's career on a film-by-film basis – offering up key tracks and themes in a historical progression that begins in late 50s France, runs through key European films of the 60s, and takes off into important global territory in the 70s. Throughout this long span of work, Legrand always has an amazing ear for the sensitive melody – the kind of simple, straightforward tune that often becomes as important to a film as the image itself (and honestly, looking through the films in this collection, it's clear that many of the tunes have had a longer life than the movies they were used in!) The package comes complete with a great booklet on Legrand's career, complete with older photos and images – as well as both English and French versions of an interview with Legrand, and reflections on his work by Sydney Pollack, Agnes Varda, Norman Jewison, and others. Includes music from the films Lola, Cleo De 5 A 7, Le Gentleman D'Epsom, Eva, Love Is A Ball, The Happy Ending, Sweet November, Play Dirty, L'Homme A La Buick, The Go-Between, Le Mans, Portnoy's Complaint, Time For Living, Brian's Song, Peau D'Ane, To Catch A Pebble, Le Gang Des Otages, Castle Keep, The Magic Garden Of Stanley Sweetheart, F For Fake, Un Homme Est Mort, Lady Sings The Blues, Breezy, and many others!

Astral soul, spacey hip hop and funked out grooves from Ms One & The Gang – aka Georgia Anne Muldrow and a stellar roster of guests, as well as alter egos and pseudonyms for both Georgia and fellow traveler Dudley Perkins – including Stacey Epps, Black Milk & Big Pooh, Ms One (Georgia), Eagle Nebula (Georgia & Dudley) and more! Georgia Anne Muldrow produces the set, which works well for a unique, cohesive flow – and also shows her depth in the production realm as well as anything she's done – from hazy, laidback funk, to more of a P-Funk inspired propulsive chunky vibe, to some straight up cracking soul beat hip hop. A funky interstellar ride – and one of her better projects to date! Titles include "Return", "Mr President", "To Dance" and more by Georgia Anne Muldrow, "Motivation" by Stacy Epps, "Dearest Daddy" by Ms Dezy, "Magic Walk" by Mortonette Stephens, "Million Man" by Maryetta Moore, "2 MC" by Black Milk & Big Pooh, "Drunken" by D-Moe & Declaime and more. 21 tracks in all!

The latest audio dispensary system from Oh No – who's carved a pretty solid niche as an unpredictable, indefatigable hip hop conceptualist – this one a suite of tracks inspired by snake oil style newspaper, radio and television advertisements from decades past! Oh No is on the beats and production here on a mix of thematic instros and vocal tracks with guests Declaime & Georgia Anne Muldrow, Souls Of Mischief, Blu & Med, Gangrene partner Alchemist, Rapsody & Psalm One and others. Includes "Intro Doctor Visit", "Creepers", "Jones's" feat Blu & MED, "Wet 'Em Up", "The Difference", "Perfect Cylinders", "Animals" with Chali 2Na & Roc C, "Rollin' Up" with Alchemist, "Drifters", "Improvement" with Declaime & Georgia Anne Muldrow and the bonus track "Controlled Riots" with Souls Of Mischief.

2 funky sample classics - back to back on one 45! "EVA" is one of the greatest tracks ever by Jean Jacques Perry – a mad mix of snapping beats, spacey moog, and these cool bell tones – sampled famously by Gang Starr, but even funkier straight up in this original mix! "Take Yo Praise" is a great bit of work from righteous poetess Camille Yarbrough – starts with a spare vocal bit, then bubbles with a superdope bass part that snaps along with some heavy guitar and conga beats!