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An old school set from Willie Clayton -- really wonderfully recorded, with a slinky soulful vibe he didn't even have back in the 70s! There's a nice dose of Isley Brothers inspiration going on here, especially those mellow ballads that the Isleys cut so well at the end of the 70s -- and the change in groove really works well for Willie, and takes his vocals into territory we might never have expected from his singles in the 70s! Clayton's still got a nice crackle in his voice, which mixes well with the smooth grooves on the set -- and titles include "We Both Grown", "Good Woman Good Man", "Love To You", "Put It On Me", "Special To Me", "Some Kind Of Wonderful", "Dance The Nite Away", "Best Years Of My Life", and "I Need To Know".

Promo 12" single of this track by Guru, with Bahamadia, from the Jazzmatazz II -- New Reality LP. The remix is by Buck Wyld (as in Buckwild).

Vintage work from Otis Redding -- a selection of rare performances from one of his final years on the planet -- pulled both from a Stax tour of Norway, and from the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967! The film's co-directed by the legendary DA Pennebaker, who shows Otis the same respect he brought to his famous footage of Dylan and Bowie -- and instrumentation is from both Booker T & The MGs and The Mar-Keys -- ensuring a classic Memphis sound throughout. Titles include "Shake", "My Girl", "Green Onions", "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby", "Respect", "Try A Little Tenderness", and "I've Been Loving You Too Long".

Sun Ra & Stockhausen -- both given a pretty compelling spin by the Respect Sextet! The group's something of a jazz combo at its core, but really stretches out here in their music -- especially on the Stockhausen numbers, which come across with the complexity of some of Karlheinz' older Deutsche Grammophon recordings! Instrumentation includes trumpet, melodica, trombone, tenor, bass clarinet, piano, kyeobards, bass, drums, and percussion -- and the group plays versions of Ra's "Jet Flight", "Shadow World", "Angels & Demons At Play", "Lights On A Satellite", and "Velvet" -- plus versions of Stockhausen's "Leo", "Dienstagslied", "Pisces", and "Set Sail For The Sun".

Storming old school R&B, simmering southern soul, stirring gospel soul, and some tender balladry -- prime ingredients of some of the best material ever recorded by the incalculably iconic Aretha Franklin! This great collection of tracks cut in the 50s & 60s for Atlantic, Duke, Coral, Scepter, Savoy, Roulette, Mercury and other labels is easily imaginable as the source of inspiration and influence of the Queen Of Soul. Includes tracks by pivotal singers and soul stars, and some lesser known (but hardly lesser in quality) numbers -- each and every one top notch and worthy of any conscientious collector of prime soul, and most importantly, it all works well together in the set, sequenced thoughtfully with a deep depth of styles. 24 tracks in all: "Respect" by Otis Redding, "The House That Jack Built" by Thelma Jones, "Sit Down And Cry" by Jean Walls, "Soulville" by Dinah Washington, "Try A Little Tenderness" by Little Miss Cornshucks, "Prove It" by Mary Wheeler, "Let Me Me In your Life" by Bill Withers, The Day Is Past And Gone" by Clara Wind and much more -- with notes on each track in the nicely done booklet.

Another one of Kasandra's leftfield sophisticated soul records, a bit hard to pin down, but still Righteous stuff. Recorded for Stax's Respect label, and featuring another installment in Kasandra's "Mose" song cycle -- "Mose part 3", which runs for 15 minutes, and takes up all of side 2. Other tracks include "Poor Black Woman Poor Black Man", "You God", and "Walk Tall (In This Here Land)".

Kasandra's 4th LP for Stax under the ostensibly gospel Respect imprint, though this is no gospel album. Like his other albums, the set's a bit of a high-concept affair, with lyrics and presentation that veer too far from the sort of rough, raw southern soul that was Stax's stock in trade, coming on in a kind of low-rent Lou Rawls mode, which we'll count as a plus rather than as a slam! Kasandra pulls in James Gadson and Cal Green for some able help wioth the arrangements, and titles include "Ou Est L'Amour", "Take It All", "Just One Minute More", "Lay Our Axes Down", and "A House Divided".

A look at the guest list of Alchemist's Chemical Warfare album will let you know how far reaching the respect is for Alc's brand of hip hop beatcraft -- featuring a who's who of legends and stars of the underground and mainstream territories -- including Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kool G Rap, KRS-One, Three 6 Mafia, Twista, Talib Kweli, Jadakiss, Blu, Fabolus, Prodigy of Mobb Deep and more! Includes "ALC Theme" feat Kool G Rap, "Lose Your Life" feat Snoop Dogg, Jadakiss & Pusha T of Clipse, "Chemical Warfare" feat Eminem, "Grand Concourse Bencmes" feat KRS-One, "Therapy" feat Evidence, Blu, Talib Kweli & Kid Cudi, "That'll Work" feat Three 6 Mafia & Juvenile, "Keep The Heels On" feat Prodigy, "Acts Of Violence" feat Gangrene (aka Ohno & Alchemist), "Take A Look Back" & more, plus the bonus track "Under Siege".

Sublime recent work from Brazilian fusion trio Azymuth -- a combo possibly known best in the US for their 80s recordings in California, but who sound even better here on this collection of tracks done in the past decade for London-based Far Out Recordings! Far Out has a respect of Azymuth's sound that few other labels ever seemed to have -- a love of the group's spacey keyboards and simpler rhythms -- and a way of recording them that takes them back to their best roots in 70s Brazil. The grooves here are often spare and simple, but totally great -- electric keyboards wrapped around straightforward rhythms, recorded cleanly and leanly, without any too-slick production or overdone hype! 2CD set features a new track "Morning", plus other Far Out album tracks that include "Carnival", "O Lance", "Brazymuth", "Tempos Do Parana", "Saudade Do Doutor", "Carambola", "Laranjeiras", and "Chameleon" -- plus a bonus disc with 6 deleted remixes that include "Faca De Conta (Roni Size rmx)", "Pieces Of Ipanema (Mark Pritchard rmx)", "Amazon Adventure (Jazzanova rmx)", "That's Today (London Electricity rmx)", "Laranjeiras (4 Hero rmx)", and "Roda Piao (Spiritual South rmx)".

James Brown makes a big nod to the younger generation here -- by letting Jazzie B and C&C produce some of the tracks on the record -- all with the expected contemporary funk vibe you might expect! The best numbers here are really those done by Jazzie B -- as they've often got a Soul II Soul approach to funk -- one that's certainly early 90s, but which also has more of a respect for the best older elements in James' vocals, and never tries to overpower them too much. Jazzie sets up some rhythms that are often spare and simple, but quite effective -- and with a warmth that's missing from most other James Brown albums of the time. JB also produced a few tracks himself, and titles include "Mine All Mine", "Just Do It", "Can't Get Any Harder", "Watch Me", "Show Me Your Friends", "Everybody's Got A Thing", "How Long", and "Moments".

This funky Chicago organist does a pretty darn nice job of paying tribute to the late Otis Redding in a tasty set of soul jazz groovers with large group arrangements by Gene Barge. Although a number of the tracks are mellower soul numbers, the group has a nice Chicago kick to them, in the manner of other Cadet jazz albums, and they drive Odell's solos along nicely. Includes a funky version of "Hard To Handle", plus "Let Me Come Home", "Any Ole Way", and "Respect".

Lovely work from one of the sweetest voices in the Carter Family -- sister Anita Carter -- nice stuff recorded for RCA in the 60s & 70s! Anita was fairly overlooked as a solo singer throughout her career, at least as far as breakout success goes (she likely didn't lack for the admiration and respect of her peers) -- and the material on this excellent compilation by Omni is actually far more engaging than we expected, even as longtime fans of the Carters. The sound is probably a bit too quiet and folksy to have gotten over in the honky tonk scene of the time, and likewise a bit too modern, lean and crisp for fans of the uber old school Carter Family of earlier decades, but it holds up beautifully all of these years later. A discovery we're happy to have finally caught up with! Includes some duets with Waylon Jennings, Hank Snow, Johnny Cash, and the Carter Family. 28 tracks in all: "2001 (Ballad Of The Future)", "I Won't Change For You", "Poison Red Berries", "Hang A Little Sign", "Twelve O'Clock High", "Carmel By The Sea", "I'm Counting On You", "Sweet Memories" and lots more!

Amazing funk from one of the greatest deep soul singers of the 70s -- the legendary Lyn Collins, heard here on a 20 track set of tunes all produced by James Brown! James worked with a number of female vocalists in the 60s and 70s -- but Collins was arguably the strongest, and the one with the biggest potential for challenging the ranks of better-charted female vocalists at the time. She's got a totally kicking way of putting over a tune -- one that's steeped in gospel and southern soul traditions, but lean and clean enough to bristle alongside the tightness of the grooves she was getting on record from the JBs! In fact, most of the tracks on the set crackle like the best funk tunes from early 70s James Brown or JBs -- and the collection goes out of its way to bring together the hardest-hitting tunes by Lyn from these years -- getting past some of the slower album tracks to go for some key rare singles! Titles include "Wheel Of Life", "Mama Feelgood", "Baby Don't Do It", "Don't Make Me Over", "I'll Never Let You Break My Heart Again", "Rock Me Again & Again & Again", "How Long Can I Keep It Up", "Ain't No Sunshine", "What My Baby Needs Now Is A Little More Lovin", "Never Gonna Give You Up", "Do Your Thing", "Take Me Just As I Am", "Think (About It)", "You Can't Love Me If You Don't Respect Me", and "Put It On The Line".

Fats is back, and sounding pretty darn great -- working here with rootsy production from Richard Perry, who's got a great ear for all of Domino's older strengths, yet also manages to update his sound a bit for the late 60s! The record's got a really romping groove -- lots of New Orleans elements in the rhythms, brought forward a bit by players who include King Curtis on sax, Eric Gale on guitar, and Earl Palmer on drums -- all working amidst some Warner-styled arrangements that have plenty of respect for the past. The Blossoms sing backing vocals on a few numbers, and titles include "I Know", "Lady Madonna", "So Swell When You're Well", "I'm Ready", "One More Song For You", "One For The Highway", "Make Me Belong To You", and "Honest Papas Love Their Mamas". And be warned, the album starts with a track called "My Old Friends" -- which is a scratchy collage of old Fats Domino records!

Fats is back, and sounding pretty darn great -- working here with rootsy production from Richard Perry, who's got a great ear for all of Domino's older strengths, yet also manages to update his sound a bit for the late 60s! The record's got a really romping groove -- lots of New Orleans elements in the rhythms, brought forward a bit by players who include King Curtis on sax, Eric Gale on guitar, and Earl Palmer on drums -- all working amidst some Warner-styled arrangements that have plenty of respect for the past. The Blossoms sing backing vocals on a few numbers, and titles include "I Know", "Lady Madonna", "So Swell When You're Well", "I'm Ready", "One More Song For You", "One For The Highway", "Make Me Belong To You", and "Honest Papas Love Their Mamas". And be warned, the album starts with a track called "My Old Friends" -- which is a scratchy collage of old Fats Domino records!

One of the most beautiful albums we've heard in years from the groundbreaking Scandinavian scene -- a really unique outing that features duets between bassist Ingebrigt Haker Flaten and saxophonist Hakon Kornstad -- playing their own improv jazz takes on themes from traditional Norwegian hymns! There's a solemnity to the music that's quite different from other recordings we've heard from either player -- a timelessness, and a sense of respect that comes through right away -- and which means that even though the work is still somewhat free, it's got an earthy grounding and sense of history. Kornstad's tenor lines are surprisingly soulful -- really notching up our respect for his talents even more than usual -- and titles include "Death & The Flower", "Etter Elise", "Ak Mon Jeg Staar I Naade", "Dagen Viger Og Gaar Bort", and "For Himmerigs Land Maa Man Kjempe".

2 early 70s albums by Eddie Floyd -- back to back on one CD! Soul Street is funkier than usual for Eddie -- with a sound that's almost in the same sort of mode that the Staple Singers were using at the time. There are hard drums underneath, warm electric keyboards on many cuts and a range of vocal styles by Eddie that show him pushing past the cliches of earlier records. A few numbers almost have him singing in an Al Green kind of mode -- adding an intimate quality that makes us respect him more than when he's just blasting out his older stock "Knock On Wood" type numbers. Titles include "Soul Street", "Guess Who", "Your Love is Amazin'", "Stealing Love", and "I Am So Glad I Met You". Baby Lay Your Head Down was partially recorded in LA, Muscle Shoals and one of the tracks was recorded in Jamaica. Floyd shares production credits with Al Bell, Dale Warren and Al Jackson. Tracks include "Something To Write Home About", "Whatcha Gonna Do With My Heart", "I Wanna Do Things For You", "The Highwayman", "I Hear Footsteps", "Check Me Out", and "Lay Your Loving On Me". 20 tracks in all.

Hard to believe that in a few short years at Atlantic, Aretha Franklin could come up with a full LP's worth of material to be deemed "gold" for this 1969 compilation -- but that's definitely the case, as if these tunes didn't all make gold record status at the time, they're certainly the gold in the vaults that's kept Atlantic going over the years. Titles include "I Never Loved A Man", "Do Right Woman", "Respect", "Dr Feelgood", "Think", "Chain Of Fools", "Natural Woman", and "I Say A Little Prayer". 14 tracks in all.

Sublimely spiritual work from trombonist Charles Greenlee -- a player who's best remembered for work as a sideman with Archie Shepp, but who really sparkles as a leader on this rare Japanese set! The vibe here is totally great -- a righteous approach to soul jazz that rivals the best work of the Strata East scene in the US, but which is carried off with the poise and power of some of the best mid 70s Japanese-only dates of this type -- clearly a great deal of respect and freedom given to Greenlee in the studio, but also some good help in putting together the record in as solid a way as possible. Jean Carn makes a great appearance singing on 3 tracks here -- with a quality that's even more righteous than her work with Doug Carn on Black Jazz -- and one more number features the great Joe Lee Wilson on vocals too. Players include Hubert Eaves and Art Matthews on piano, Charles Sullivan on trumpet, Archie Shepp on tenor and soprano, Buster Williams on bass, and either Charlie Persip or Beaver Harris on drums -- and titles include "I Know About The Life", "He's Gone", "Steam", "Someday", "Crusificado", and "Miss Barbara".

One of the better recordings created for the Arista/Freedom series, rather than licensed from tapes Alan Bates had already produced for Black Lion -- and a nice set of loft jazz played by Lowe with help from Lester and Joseph Bowie, Abdul Wadud, Steve Reid, and Charles Bobo Shaw. The group play 2 Monk tracks, "Epistrophy" and "Mysterioso", plus 2 Lowe originals, "Play Some Blues" and "Fresh", with a sound befitting the title track, approaching the new thing with a respect for the swing and blues roots of jazz. The final track "Chu's Blues", is a little different from the rest of the LP, a great grooving number that was performed by Lowe in Memphis, with help from the Memphis Four.

By this point in his career, Herbie must have had a fleet of cars, a harem of ladies, and a golden flute. You can hear his success in the live material that makes up the album -- recorded before very enthusiastic audiences at the New York and Montreux festivals in 1972. Who'd have thought jazz flute could go so far? All tracks are long and pretty darn lively -- and Herbie's group still includes Sonny Sharrock on guitar, plus the groovy Pat Rebillot on piano, and David Newman on tenor and 2nd flute. Titles include "Soul Beat Momma", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Respect Yourself", "Memphis Underground", and "Hold On, I'm Coming".

After dipping into the Memphis Underground, Herbie continues his tour of the funky south -- recording here at American Studios in Memphis (only 5 miles from Mississippi, we guess!), with a small combo that includes Bobby Emmons on organ, Bobby Wood on electric piano, and Reggie Young on guitar. There's a relaxed easy groove to the album that makes it one of Mann's most consistently satisfying funky albums -- and David Newman turns out some great solos on tenor and flute, which really soup the record up! Tracks are long, and titles include "Dippermouth", "Mississippi Gambler", "Respect Yourself", and "Satisfaction".

A nice little sleeper from Jimmy -- a record that's hiding behind a title and cover that looks pretty corny, but one that features McGriff wailing away on a nice set of shorter tunes, most of which are 60s soul covers, done in that lean clean style he was using a lot at the time! Forget the "Honey" and go for "I Thank You", "I Got The Feelin", "Tell Mama", "We're A Winner", "Respect", and "Chain Of Fools" -- all of which are quite nice!

Rich, vibrant work from Louis Moholo & his Unit -- with resonant emotion in the overall mood, but also an improvisational approach that balances the sound very deftly! Moholo's work of the 00s has been pretty visionary, and this one's no exception -- don't go expecting sentimentalism, given the title -- but there is a soaring and spiritual jazz vibe, with sweeter, soulful movements. The saxes bring in some massive atmosphere, and the Francine Lune's vocals, often wordless, bring a lovely touch to some very energetic interplay. Maholo's busy on drums but peppers some vocals of his own, with Jason Yarde on soprano, alto and baritone sax, Ntshuks Bonga on alto and tenor, Pule Pheto on piano, Orphy Robinson on vibes, and John Edwards bass. Titles include "Mark Of Respect", "Dikeledi Tsa Phelo", "The Tag", "Thank U 4 2 Day", "Sonke", Russia", "Zanele", "Fine Line" and "Two Alto Hit".

A beautiful collection of work from the legendary Moondog -- most of which has never been issued here in the US! The 2CD set features one disc of material from Moondog's German albums over a 20 year span -- plus an additional disc that presents his final concert, presented here for the first time ever! Moondog left the US for Germany after his two famous albums on Columbia Records at the start of the 70s -- and his stay in that country saw him further refining his initial styles, adapting them more for ensembles of other players, and receiving some of the respect that he never got back in the US. The tracks here are often quite different, but all pretty great -- and as the set goes on, they increasingly show Moondog's musical ideas reworked for a more serious performance mode on piano, pipe organ, woodwinds, and voice. But although the recordings are a bit more professional, there's still plenty of the whimsy and earthier moments we love in his earlier American records! Studio titles on CD one include "Sea Horse", "Single Foot", "Do Your Thing", "Bumbo", "Dark Eyes", "Frost Flower", "The Message", "Marimba Mondo 2", "In Vienna", "Dog Trot", "High On A Rocky Ledge", and "Viking 1". Concert on CD two features "Mood Montreux", "Barn Dance", "Santa Fe", "From Jazz Book No 1", "Fiesta", "From Jazz Book No 4", "Elf Dance", and "Carnival".

Incredible stuff -- an instant classic, and a record that will blow your mind! Ed Motta is known to most as one of Brazil's leading soul singers -- a nephew of Tim Maia, and the one true heir to the unique Brazilian soul sound that Maia formed in the 70s. And while we've loved Ed's records of the past few years, this one is head and shoulders above anything else he ever recorded -- a fantastic batch of warm jazzy soul tunes, recorded with a laidback style that recalls the best sound of 70s mellow soul. Although Ed's a major star in Brazil, he's also got impeccable taste -- and for years has been a connoisseur of 70s soul jazz, underground funk, and some of the more groundbreaking work on the current global groove scene. This brilliant album's a tribute to all of that music, and far more -- as Ed reaches for a whole new sound -- one that may not net him any gold records in Brazil, but which will forever deepen our respect for and love of his work! The record's got an amazing use of Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer piano, jazzy rhythms, and even a touch of strings -- and it fits together wonderfully as a suite of songs that are sophisticated, soulful, and touched with a warm brilliance we never expected! Titles include "Sus-Tenta", "Um Dom Pra Salvador", "Doce Ilusao", "Cervejamento Total", "Papuera", "Malumbulo", "Valse Au Beurre Blanc", and "Linduria".

An early cooker from Gerry Mulligan -- working here with a real birth of the cool-styled group that includes Chet Baker and Pete Candoli on trumpets, Bud Shank on alto, John Graas on French horn, Bob Enevoldsen on trombone, and Chico Hamilton on drums -- a really wonderful group that has a swing that's might lighter than you might guess from its size! The set is nicely arranged throughout -- an early example of Gerry's powers in this respect -- with plenty of thought in each tune, yet never so much so that the proceedings get too academic. Titles include "Rocker", "Walking Shoes", "Simbah", "Ontet", "Westwood Walk", "A Ballad", "Taking A Chance On Love", and "Flash".

Tracks include "Clap Yo Hands", "Respect Due", "Slang Bang", "World Go Round", "Hang Out And Hustle", "City Of Ci-Lo", "Holdin Fort", "Shout Out", "It's Workin", "Feel Me Flow", "Chain Remains", "Poverty's Paradise", "Connections", "Klickow-Klickow", and "Craziest".

Excellent early albums from Billy Ocean -- 1975's Billy Ocean and 1980's City Limit -- back-to-back with some solid bonus tracks, too! Billy Ocean is his first, and probably best album ever -- a mix of uptempo anthemic r&b tunes and sophisticated ballads that are truly Motown worthy! His vocals are deeply soulful, and the tunes have little in common with his mid 80s hits, but they are hugely catchy and should have been bigger! Titles include "Tell Him To Move Over", "Let's Put Our Emotions In Motion", "Let's Do It All Over Again", "Soul Rock", "LOD (Love On Delivery)" and more, plus 5 bonus tracks. City Limits, from 1980, has more of Billy's Caribbean roots in the sound than the earlier self-titled set, and a little bit of fusiony funk, too! Another totally solid set from Billy, who doesn't get enough respect for his tight early LPs. Titles include "Stay The Night", "What You Doing To Me", "Who's Gonna Rock You", "Are You Ready", "Taking Chances" and more, plus 2 bonus tracks.

A lesser-known album from One Way, but a great one -- and in some ways, even fresher and more appealing than some of their more famous work from the time! The set's still got plenty of the great One Way bounce in the mix -- but there's also a deeper, more sensitive soul sound going on here -- one that has the group coming across as strongly on the ballads as the groovers -- creating a sense of balance that gives us even more respect for the group than usual. Titles include "Wild Night", "Back To Yesterday", "Making You An Offer", "Don't Fight The Feeling", "Toast To The Other Man", "Can I", and "Put Your Trust In Me".

A nice little set featuring the classics from Otis Redding on CD -- and fantastic 1967 live footage on DVD! The CD is features gritty soul classics and some equally incredible, but less pop consciousness entrenched numbers, with "(Sittin On) The Dock Of The Bay", "Try A Little Tenderness", "Tramp" featuring Carla Thomas, "Respect", "Mr Pitiful", "That's How Strong My Love Is", "The Happy Song (Dum-Dum)", "I've Got Dreams To Remember" and more. The second disc is a DVD featuring material from the 1967 Stax/Volt tour and more from that year, including "Green Onions" with Booker T & The MGs, plus "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby" and "Hold On! I'm A Coming" with Sam & Dave, plus performances of "Shake", "My Girl", "Satisfaction", "Try A Little Tenderness", "Shake", "Respect" and more.

Otis Redding Sings Soul -- plenty of truth in that -- but on this sweet little set, he somehow does it even better than before! The album's got a tightness that's totally great -- but it's light years from the smoother soul of Motown, and still has plenty of the gritty Memphis edges that helped Otis rise to the top in the 60s -- that burning-under sort of groove that pushes up from the earth along with his vocals, and gives the album a push that most other singers never got! Redding's vocals are as perfect as usual -- deeply personal, and free from cliche -- even from all of those laid down by Otis' copycats of the time. Titles are a near-perfect mix of numbers too -- and include the raw groovers "Respect", "Shake", and "Satisfaction", then hits a wonderfully warm soulful ballad style the classic "I've Been Loving You Too Long", and really sparkles on southern soul tributes like "You Don't Miss Your Water" and "Down In The Valley". Very solid stuff all the way through -- and one of the best-conceived albums of his career!

Previously unreleased live work from Otis Redding -- some real cookers that are a great addition to his studio catalog of the 60s! The set begins with versions of "Respect" and "Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa (Sad Song)" that were recorded during a Stax/Volt tour in Europe in 1967 -- short, but hard-hitting takes on the tunes! Next is a version of "Sittin On The Dock Of The Bay" recorded a few days before Redding's death -- billed here as "alternate -- take 2". The set then includes 4 more tracks from Otis' legendary Whiskey A Go Go performance, but not issued on the Atlantic album -- "Chained & Bound", "I've Been Loving You Too Long", "I'm Depending On You", and "Security" -- all nice and raw.

Rare work from Otis Redding -- material recorded during his legendary run for Stax Records in the 60s, all of which was never issued at the time! The quality here is still tremendously high -- way more so than most of Redding's many imitators at the time, and proof that even on a bad day, Otis was still King -- singing both original material and key covers with an undeniable sense of soul! There's a few alternate takes here that illuminate more famous versions of Redding tunes -- but most of the numbers are unreleased cuts that add a lot of new music to the Otis Redding catalog. Titles include "She's All Right", "Send Me Some Lovin", "Remember Me", "Tick Or Treat", "Loving By The Pound (take 1)", "Respect (alternate)", "Sittin On The Dock Of The Bay (take 1)", "Don't Be Afraid Of Love", "You Got Good Lovin", "Gone Again", "I'm Coming Home", "Cupid", and "The Boston Monkey".

A deep look at the music of Peggy Lee -- and the fragile persona of Norma Deloris Egstrom, the name with which she first came into the world! Author Peter Richmond clearly has a deep respect for the musical contributions made by Peggy in the latter half of the 20th Century -- and he's also got a keen interest on the spirit behind the music -- Lee's rich life, which makes for great reading as the book goes on. The whole thing's a whopping 449 pages, hardcover, with a section of black and white photos in the middle.

Some of the most godlike soul music to be recorded on this planet, and two of the best-ever albums by this amazing Chicago collective that included the late Minnie Riperton, and who were arranged and produced by the great Charles Stepney! Both albums feature swirling complex arrangements, filled with strange time changes, chord passages, and nice jazzy bits. Inside it all, the group's cool male/female vocal sound rings out -- with Minnie singing on some cuts along, and in duet on others. Includes the band's classic "I Am The Blackgold Of The Sun" (covered recently by NuYorican Soul), plus "The Sea & She", "Hey Love", "Song For Everyman", "The Weight", "Respect", "Salt Of The Earth", and "Vine Of Happiness". Imagine if Scott Walker met The Dramatics, and you've only got part of the picture!

A brilliant tribute to the genius of Kevin Saunderson in the studio -- a set that features both tracks remixed by Saunderson, and versions of his own work remixed by others! There's a musical journey here that really holds up over the space of the 2CD set -- that key 80s move from Detroit underground to global acceptance of the electronics of Saunderson's generation -- a subtle cultural shift at the time, but one that set the scene for countless experimentation on the dancefloor during the 90s. Saunderson had a heavy hand in the collection, and his notes on the music are really great, and further help illuminate a track selection that includes "The Bottle (Kevin Saunderson Reese voc)" by The Christians, "Do It For Love (Kevin Saunderson rmx)" by Ann Consuelo, "Heat It Up (acid house rmx)" by Wee Papa Girl Rappers, "Hustler (Kevin Saunderson rmx)" by Simian Mobile Disco, "Money (Reese revamp rmx)" by Cameo, "This Boy's In Love (Kevin Saunderson rmx)" by The Presets, "Go West (Kevin Saunderson tribe mix)" by Pet Shop Boys, "You Belong (Kevin Saunderson rmx)" by Hercules & Love Affair -- and remixes of Saunderson tracks that include "Good Love (Luciano's good love rmx)", "Bounce Your Body To The Box (Mike Shannon's flashback mix)", "Just Want Another Chance (John Tejada rmx)", "Human Body (Claude Vonstroke rave recognize mix)", "Rock To The Beat (Ben Sims rmx)", "Pump The Move (Samuel L Session rmx)", and "World Of Deep (Jesse's respect to Detroit rmx)".

Late stuff -- but still pretty great work from Horace, who's working here in a mode that's in that "high concept" style that he'd been using on his United States Of Mind LPs. The bulk of the record's got a great soul jazz style that reminds us of some of the larger group ensembles on Strata East -- and it's probably only because Silver was more of a hard jammer in earlier days that this one doesn't get more respect. Players include Tom Harrell, Fred Jackson, Jerome Richardson, Bob Berg, and Ron Carter -- and the group's got some larger backing from Wade Marcus. Side one features "The Tranquilizer Suite" and side two includes the excellent "The Process Of Creation Suite".

Mostly original music from bassist Mark Sonksen -- a host of really wonderful little numbers, handled with great depth and sensitivity by a trio that also includes Leandro Lopez Varady on piano and Andre Beasley on drums! There's a sound here that's as subtle as the image on the cover -- but one that really grabs us in the end -- freshly visionary piano trio numbers, penned with a range of feeling that you might only get in larger ensemble numbers -- yet delivered with an intimate feeling that's much more striking in the end. Varady's piano is quite good -- often understated, but powerful in that respect -- and a few numbers feature electric keys instead of acoustic. Titles include "Sanctuary", "Dark Journey", "Grassland", "Kingdom Come", "Climbing Mountains", and "The Last Goodbye".

Some of the best blue-eyed soul to come out of America during the late 60s -- a soaring batch of tunes from a combo that broke down borders wherever they went! The album's the first by the group -- and easily their best -- based around their biggest hit ever, "Expressway (To Your Heart)", one of those songs you've heard a million times, but which always grabs you when it hits the break in the chorus! There's none of the "fake soul" style vocals that rock acts in later years would try to pick up, and these guys instead play like they're just a Philly group, ready to mash it up at some tasty club gigs. The whole thing's great, and titles include "Do You Feel It", "Respect", "Hey Gyp", "The Rydle", and "Taboo-India".

Blue-eyed work from two classic east coast groups! The Soul Survivors lay down some of their best early hits -- five cuts that beautifully cross the border between garage rock and soul -- really important work of the time, with tracks that include "Explosion In Your Soul", "Expressway To Your Heart", "Respect", "Hey Gyp", and "Impossible Mission". The Nightcaps' sound is a bit more rockin overall -- and they serve up five tracks that include "24 Hours", "Nightcap Rock", "Mojoman", "I Got My Mojo Working", and "Wine Wine Wine".

A sweetly grooving set from The Spinners -- one that moves along nicely at the midtempo clip the "trippin" in the title might imply -- thanks to production and arrangements from Michael Zager! Zager nicely puts aside some of his more disco-oriented modes here -- keeping plenty of respect for the group's excellent vocals, and allowing them some really great space on a number of warmly-crafted tunes. John Edwards gets in some great lead vocals on the album -- most famously on the record's medley of "Cupid/I've Loved You For A Long Time" -- which went onto become a fairly big radio hit. Other tracks include "Streetwise", "I Just Want To Fall In Love", "Now That You're Mine Again", "Split Decision", "I'm Takin You Back", "Heavy On The Sunshine", and "Love Trippin".

The Staple Singers are cooking on all burners at this point -- and it's hard to stop them with that much power -- a soaring, searing sort of energy that definitely earns them a place in the sky! The set's a totally strong batch of gospelly soul tracks -- produced by Al Bell with that great early 70s Stax deep soul sound -- at a point that's still without the sort of cliche that might hold back material of this type in later years. Instrumentation is by Clayton Ivey on Hammond, Barry Beckett on keyboards, and Jimmy Johnson and Eddie Hinton on guitar -- and titles include "Getting Too Big For Your Britches", "Today Was Tomorrow Yesterday", "Something Ain't Right", "My Main Man", "Blood Pressure", "Who Made The Man", "Back Road Into Town", and "If It Ain't One Thing It's Another". CD features 4 bonus tracks -- "Oh La De Da", "I Like The Things About You", "Respect Yourself", and "I'll Take You There".

One of the odder 60s LPs from the Supremes, the soundtrack to a film that starred the group, with some guest appearances by The Temptations -- in Motown-show versions of tracks that often feature the singers lapsing into medleys of other tunes, or doing some popular hits of the day. Titles include "Respect", "Somewhere", "Stop In The Name Of Love", "TCB", "For Once In My Life", "Hello Young Lovers", "I Hear A Symphony", and "The Impossible Dream".

Traincha's got a funny name, but she's a heck of a great singer -- as you'll hear on this wonderful tribute to the music of Burt Bacharach! This Blue Note Europe debut is a really well-crafted set -- produced by Patrick Williams with some of the best poise and balance he's brought to other vocal sessions in his later years -- backed with full orchestrations from the Metropole Orchestra, who bring in some nice jazzy inflections, but still respect Burt's intentions with the tunes. Bacharach plays a bit of piano on the set, and arrangements are by Williams and Vince Mendoza -- on titles that include "The Windows Of The World", "The Look Of Love", "I Say A Little Prayer", "That's What Friends Are For", "Waiting For Charlie", "Falling Out Of Love", "This House Is Empty Now", and "Close To You".

DC's revolutionary Bad Brains and little known Memphis cat (cough) Elvis Presley rock the respective front and back covers of the Rock Issue -- the 30th from of the deep diggers at Wax Poetics! Wax Poetics, almost needless to say, does a really inspired job of chronicling the sprawling, soul drenched artists it covers here -- including Detroit's fiery Dirtbombs, blues rock heroes the Blues Project, the 80s born Black Rock Coalition, 70s Ohio scene combo Iron Knowledge, experimental Latin soul guru Sixto Rodriguez, the unlikely b-boy blueprint architects Babe Ruth, plus Black Merda, The Rascals and many more -- plus fond farewells to the great Ike Turner, Bo Diddley, Jimmy McGriff and others. Excellence again from Wax Poetics -- going deeper than anyone else with profiles of the unjustly overlooked, and also showing just enough respect to worthy superstars.

Amazing female funk! Years after James Brown first rocked the Apollo Theater with his own live recordings, he returned to the Harlem showplace with the sock-soul diva Marva Whitney -- one of his greatest singers ever! This album's a monster all the way through -- hard and heavy funk, of the type that's been the blueprint for countless singers to come, especially most of those in the Desco/Daptone/Soul Fire mode. Backing is by the JBs, James produced, and the music is fantastically funky -- filled with great groovers like "Things Got to Get Better", "You Got to Have a Job", "Talk With JB", and "Respect".

A really wonderful album of polished 80s soul -- a key effort from Angela Winbush after the breakup of Rene & Angela! Angela was one of the artists who reminded us throughout the 80s that underneath the gloss of the reigning production style of the day, solid songwriting still wins out -- and here, in the years before she went on to help the Isleys revive their careers, she's stepping out as a proud solo act on her own. The more laid back numbers are the ones we're going for here, but Angela also does a respectable job with some of the more radio oriented material too. Titles include "It's The Real Thing", "Thank You Love", "Lay Your troubles Down", 'Please Bring Your Love Back", "Menage A Trois", "I've Learned To Respect (The Power Of Love)" and "I'll Never Be The Same".

Contemporary magic from Denny Zeitlin -- a recent album by the pianist we first grew to love for his work in the 60s! Zeitlin's music here every bit as thoughtful as in years past -- complex lines on the piano, but always with a sense of swing -- and a good dose of lyrical energy that keeps Denny away from some of the too-cold styles of other modernists of his generation. Zeitlin has a way of thinking outside the box, but keeping the groove inside -- and he gets some great help in this respect from Matt Wilson on drums and Buster Williams on bass, the latter of whose round tones really shape the set. Titles include "All Of You", "Prime Times", "Bass Prelude", "The We Of Us", "Mr PC", "The Night Has 1000 Eyes/10000 Eyes", and "Signs & Wonders".

Great grooves from Zinga -- a group who must have been filed way back at the end of the record racks in the early 80s, given their name -- but who should have been right on top, given the strength of their music! There's a nicely bumping style to most of these cuts -- a groove that seems to take off perfectly from the late disco rhythms of "To Be Real" by Cheryl Lynn, and which has a similar stripped-down and funky feel -- a groove that shakes off the excesses of disco, yet never goes too far into some of the colder electronics of the 80s years. Most of these tunes are incredibly catchy, but never in a commercial way -- and titles include "Back Up For Love", "Heartbreak", "Respect", "Gonna Get Ya", "Check Me Out", "Get Wet", and "Magic Moments".

A way way deeper set than the first volume of Bay Area Funk -- and a collection that shows that things got pretty heavy on the San Francisco and Oakland scenes of the 70s! A good number of the tracks here are instrumental, and show some wonderful interplay between the trippier sides of funky jazz and the harder sides of soul going on in the Bay Area back in the day -- killer music from the fringes that often got lost in the shuffle of all the better-known music coming out on the bigger labels! The work here is all from very tiny labels -- expertly selected and all officially cleared by the Luv N Haight team with keen respect for the artists involved -- and in a way, the package has set a new high standard for the label! A tremendous discovery, and filled with tracks we'd never heard before -- titles that include "Stop Look Listen" by Primevil, "Poor Sad Child (part 1)" by The Windjammers, "Born To Live With Heartache" by Mary Love, "Move In The Room" by Dawn & Sunset, "Ebony" by Project Soul, "Acid Lady" by San Francisco TKOs, "Hip Breakin" by Little Denise Stevenson, "Devil's On The Run" by Uptights Band, "Brute Strength" by Mile Selesia, and "Lenient With My Love" by The Relatives.

A way way deeper set than the first volume of Bay Area Funk -- and a collection that shows that things got pretty heavy on the San Francisco and Oakland scenes of the 70s! A good number of the tracks here are instrumental, and show some wonderful interplay between the trippier sides of funky jazz and the harder sides of soul going on in the Bay Area back in the day -- killer music from the fringes that often got lost in the shuffle of all the better-known music coming out on the bigger labels! The work here is all from very tiny labels -- expertly selected and all officially cleared by the Luv N Haight team with keen respect for the artists involved -- and in a way, the package has set a new high standard for the label! A tremendous discovery, and filled with tracks we'd never heard before -- titles that include "Stop Look Listen" by Primevil, "Poor Sad Child (part 1)" by The Windjammers, "Born To Live With Heartache" by Mary Love, "Move In The Room" by Dawn & Sunset, "Ebony" by Project Soul, "Acid Lady" by San Francisco TKOs, "Hip Breakin" by Little Denise Stevenson, "Devil's On The Run" by Uptights Band, "Brute Strength" by Mile Selesia, and "Lenient With My Love" by The Relatives.

42 rare gems from the Motown vaults -- an incredible treasure trove of unreleased material! The package follows beautifully on the heels of the first Cellarful Of Motown volume -- but also manages to go even deeper, and get beyond the better-known "lost" Motown tracks, into a realm of soul music treasures that we never would have expected! The whole thing's great -- overflowing with tunes so great, you'll find yourself scratching your head as to why Motown never issued these back in the 60s -- and will turn towards the label with a whole new level of respect for all the greatness they still managed to record underneath their more familiar hits. The 2CD set also comes with a great booklet that offers track-by-track notes on the tunes -- and a selection of cuts that includes "Take My Hand" by Dalton Boys, "Take Me In Your Arms" by Eddie Holland, "All Day All Night" by Earl Van Dyke, "A Woman Just Won't Do Right" by Shorty Long, "I've Gotta Get Away" by Tommy Good, "Show Girl" by The Vows, "I Can't Get Along Without You" by The Monitors, "I Hope You Have Better Luck Than I Did" by The Marvelettes, "My Heart" by Tammi Terrell, "Where Is the Love" by Rita Wright, "Those DJ Shows" by Patrice Holloway, "Rescue Me" by Blinky, "I Can't Go On Sharing Your Love" by The Isley Brothers, "Choo Choo Train" by Little Lisa, "In The Dark" by The Creations, "Love Trouble Heartache & Misery" by Hatti Littles, "Positively Absolutely Right" by The Temptations, and "Let's Talk It Over" by Marv Johnson.

The second volume of essentials from the ascension era of Jamaican Dancehall on Soul Jazz Records -- some of the best 45 numbers from the early 80s and the preceding and proceeding number of years in a 2CD set -- some of the most wonderful Jamaican music of the era! Like the first volume, it mixes dancehall classics and lesser known material, but even the best known numbers are for the most part below the mainstream radar. Includes earlier, rootsier dancehall deejay numbers and others from the start of the 90s that are a bit more beat oriented and serve as a a stepping stone to more club oriented dancehall to come. The whole package is exceptional, with notes by Rough Guide To Reggae author Steve Barrow and amazing photography by Beth Lesser. Includes "Barnabas Collins" by Lone Ranger, "Dog Better Than Gun" y Nicodemus, "Trouble You A Trouble Me" by Ini Kamoze, "Respect" by Shabba Ranks, "History Of Jamaica" by Earl B, "Money A Fe Circle" by Pala San, "When" by Tiger, "Everything So So So So" by General Three, "Stricktly Rub A Dub" by Anthony Johnson, "Ina De Bus" by Professor Nutes, "Masssa God Wolrd A Run" by Buju Banton and more.

The second volume of essentials from the ascension era of Jamaican Dancehall on Soul Jazz Records -- some of the best 45 numbers from the early 80s and the preceding and proceeding number of years on 2 pieces of heavyweight vinyl -- some of the most wonderful Jamaican music of the era! Like the first volume, it mixes dancehall classics and lesser known material, but even the best known numbers are for the most part below the mainstream radar. Includes earlier, rootsier dancehall deejay numbers and others from the start of the 90s that are a bit more beat oriented and serve as a a stepping stone to more club oriented dancehall to come. The whole package is exceptional, with notes by Rough Guide To Reggae author Steve Barrow and amazing photography by Beth Lesser. Volume 1 vinyl includes "Barnabas Collins" by Lone Ranger, "Dog Better Than Gun" y Nicodemus, "Trouble You A Trouble Me" by Ini Kamoze, "Respect" by Shabba Ranks, "History Of Jamaica" by Earl B, "Money A Fe Circle" by Pala San and more.

Killer contemporary bossa from the Far Out label -- easily one of the hippest Brazilian imprints going, and one of the few who really manage to get a classic sound right! The tracks here are pulled from the wealth of recent recordings on Far Out, and together they really demonstrate the label's strong approach to bossa nova -- a short but rich recording legacy that draws on plenty of classic elements, yet also manages to update the music slightly -- yet never with any sort of easy tricks or gimmicks! Some of the tracks are by older Brazilian artists, a few others by newcomers to the music -- and they all really illustrate the respect and love for its artists that mark the operations of Far Out. Titles include "Berimbau" by Joyce, "Keep An Eye On Love" by Zeep, "Nova Bossa Nova" by Marcos Valle, "Filhos" by Athur Verocai with Ivan Lins, "Rejoycing" by Democustico, "Pro Bonfa" by Celia Vaz, "San Roque" by Os Ipanemas, "Pra Ze" by Azymuth with Roberto Menescal, "Dindi" by Victor Assis Brasil, "Vem Moreno Vem" by Celia Vaz, "Meu Samba Torto" by Clara Moreno, and "It's Too Late" by Sabrina Malheiros.

Collection of funky pop tunes, played by the jazz players of the Mainstream catalog of the early 70's. Charles Kynard does "It's Too Late", "Smiling Faces Sometimes", and "Fire & Water"; Johnny Coles does "Never Can Say Goodbye"; and Dave Hubbard does "Respect Yourself". Also includes "Family Affair" by the mysterious Dave & The Jay Jays!

A hip take on one of the most brilliant Brazilian labels of the past few decades -- London's legendary Far Out Records, home to some of the best bossa sounds on the planet -- carefully compiled and mixed here by the mighty Gilles Peterson! Peterson's been a friend of the label since it's inception, and has always given the Far Out team some strong respect -- so you can bet that his selection of work from the imprint goes far far beyond the obvious, and includes a fair bit of rare material, out of print gems, and other cool bits that you probably don't have in your collection, even if you're already a Far Out fan! The package features five totally exclusive tracks, too -- mixed for Peterson by friends from the London scene -- and a couple of vintage nuggets too, which helps give a lot of historical depth to this already classic-sounding mix. Peterson brings together a total of 12 tracks -- often very acoustic, but with some key electric touches too -- on cuts that include "Tudo Do Bom (Domu re-edit)" by Arthur Verocai, "Quem Sou Eu" by Krishnanda, "Uno Esta" by Alex Malheiros & Banda Utopia, "Joanna" by Jose Roberto Bertrami, "Obnoxious" by Jose Mauro, "Esta Tudo Ai" by Krishnanda, "Balinha" by Binario, "Melo Dos Dois Bicudos" by Azymuth, "Feijao Com Arroz (bass line mix)" by Joyce, and "Vagalume" by Democustico.

Northern Soul from a surprising source -- and a killer batch of rare material from the mighty Memphis powerhouse of soul! Goldwax is probably best known for its deep soul work -- most famously with James Carr -- but in the mid 60s, the label cut some killer groovers that really match the vibe that was coming out of Detroit or Philly at the time -- upbeat, uptempo singles that bristle with energy, yet also have some of the deeper tones you might expect from the label! Some tunes have a bit of a Memphis sound -- depending on the singer -- but the rhythms and production mostly recall modes from up north, and offer up a really surprising new chapter of this label that already won our deep respect many years ago. The folks at Kent have put together the package with some really wonderful notes -- and the CD features two dozen numbers that will really open up your ears -- tracks that include "Let's Talk It Over" by Spencer Wiggins, "Call On Me" by Percy Milem, "They Say" by The Ovations, "So Hard To Get Along" by The Lyrics, "What'Cha Gonna Do" by Phillip & The Faithfuls, "You Gotta Have Soul" by George Jackson, "A Man Is A Mean Thing" by Barbara Perry, "The Well's Gone Dry" by Dorothy Williams, "That's What I Want To Know" by James Carr, "I Slipped A Little" by Percy Milem, "Now Girl" by The Lyrics, "It's My Life" by Timmy Thomas, "Qualifications" by The Ovations, "To Me It's Storming" by George & Greer, "I Ain't Gonna Cheat On You No More" by Wee Willie Walker, and "If You Love Her" by Phillip & The Faithfuls.

Don't let the title or the bunny on the cover put you off, because there's nothing toy-like about these tunes -- and the package is an excellent batch of rare German grooves put together with the same high level as other collections on the Perfect Toy label! Ex-Spinning Wheel mainman Marcus Hacker put together this one -- and the grooves remind us a lot of some of the older SW sound library compilations -- all awash in flavors borrowed from Brazilian bossa, American funk, Brit easy, and other genres -- remodeled into a German economic miracle mode by a variety of jazz and studio players! The sound here is really really fresh -- funky, but with lots of odd little touches and unusual instrumentation -- a bit in the In Kraut mode, but more direct overall, and slightly less kitschy (although the set does have a few charming moments in that respect.) A number of tracks have vocals -- some sung, some scatted -- and titles include "Photographs" by Swegas, "Cameleon" by Kaate Frits Quartet, "Drift" by Orchester Heinz Kiessling, "Soul Samba" by The Earthquakers, "Guarana Guaranar" by Grupo Veneno, "Sara" by The Voices, "I Mimi" by Idili Tsaliki, and "Memories Of Yesterday" by Othella Dallas.

We love this series! And why not? The package is a stellar collection of smooth funky tunes from the 70s -- nearly all of which have been sampled for hip hop records, which not only makes them a bit familiar, but also give them the "thumbs up" from today's beathead generation. But even without that quality, the tunes work wonderfully together -- mixing jazzy soul and smooth funk together with a quality that a rare few talents managed to muster in the 70s! Titles include "Everytime I See You" by Roy Ayers, "King Heroin (instrumental)" by James Brown, "Space Lady" by Lonnie Liston Smith, "Can't We Smile" by Johnny Hammond, "Four Play" by Fred Wesley & The Horny Horns, "Just Me & You" by Eramus Hall, "Inside My Love" by Minnie Riperton, "Respect" by Rotary Connection, "Superman Lover" by Johnny Guitar Watson, "Sweet Thing" by Rufus with Chaka Khan, and "Winter Sadness" by Kool & The Gang.

A blistering set of psychedelic soul, jazz, funk and Latin grooves -- from the superior collections mined by Vampi Soul -- featuring some of the hardest charging rare grooves of the late 60s & early 70s! Movers is about as fine a sampler we could have asked for from the funky archaeologists at Vampi -- an all inclusive, cross cultural collection of nuggets that all sounds great together thanks to a shared love of an overall funky approach! 23 tracks in all: "I Want Love And Affection (Not The House Of Correction)", "Guitar Big Band" by Dennis Coffey, "Chicken Thighs" by Andre Williams, "Respect" by Soul Survivors, "Soul 70" by Lolas, "Na Palma Da Mao" by Banda Uniao Black, "Guayaba" by Lucho Macedo, "Zoologico Negro" by Orquesta Aragon, "Think Drink" by New Swing Sextet, "Eterno Pecado Horizontal" by Che and much more!

A stunner of a collection of psychedelic funk from all over the world -- incredible material with the spiraling atmosphere and free spirit of the psychedelic scene -- and the furious sense of groove learned from the funk movement! Psych Funk 101 sets out to be a definitive overview, and makes a heck of strong case for itself as such -- with a couple recognizable names (including Mulatu, who simply could not be overlooked, on a compilation with aspirations of serving as a psychedelic funk standard bearer) and more from Istanbul, Athens, Paris, Beirut, Cairo, Paris, Lagos, Moscow and beyond! Pummeling funky drums & percussion, hazy organ drones, middle eastern rhythms & melodies, fuzzy guitars and more -- disparate material with relative psychedelic funk atmosphere! 14 tracks in all: "Su Derenin Sulari" by Husnu Ozkartal Orkestrasi, "Respect" by Kukumbas, "Alemiye" by Mulatu Astake feat Belaynesh Wubante, "The Man Who Must Leave" by Kim Sun, "What You Can Do In Your Life" by Petalouda, "Ghabileh-Ye Lily" by Mehr Pooya., "The Feed-Back" by The Group, "Circuito Chiuso" by Armando Sciascia, "Mevlana Boyle Dede" by Metin H Alatli, "Dagon" by Eskaton and more.

A stunner of a collection of psychedelic funk from all over the world -- incredible material with the spiraling atmosphere and free spirit of the psychedelic scene -- and the furious sense of groove learned from the funk movement! Psych Funk 101 sets out to be a definitive overview, and makes a heck of strong case for itself as such -- with a couple recognizable names (including Mulatu, who simply could not be overlooked, on a compilation with aspirations of serving as a psychedelic funk standard bearer) and more from Istanbul, Athens, Paris, Beirut, Cairo, Paris, Lagos, Moscow and beyond! Pummeling funky drums & percussion, hazy organ drones, middle eastern rhythms & melodies, fuzzy guitars and more -- disparate material with relative psychedelic funk atmosphere! 14 tracks in all: "Su Derenin Sulari" by Husnu Ozkartal Orkestrasi, "Respect" by Kukumbas, "Alemiye" by Mulatu Astake feat Belaynesh Wubante, "The Man Who Must Leave" by Kim Sun, "What You Can Do In Your Life" by Petalouda, "Ghabileh-Ye Lily" by Mehr Pooya., "The Feed-Back" by The Group, "Circuito Chiuso" by Armando Sciascia, "Mevlana Boyle Dede" by Metin H Alatli, "Dagon" by Eskaton and more.

A mindblowing little set -- and a massive overview of soul music in Spain during the late 60s and early 70s, filled with incredible tunes we've never heard before, all supported by great notes in both English and Spanish! The Spanish soul groove is a bit rougher than that of the US -- kind of a reworking of familiar ideas (and sometimes familiar songs), played by artists who really love the music, but sometimes come from more rock or beat group sides of the musical spectrum. Yet as the Spanish soul movement progressed, things definitely tightened up a fair bit -- as local acts were joined by visiting singers and musicians from North and South America, fertilizing the scene with new styles and ideas! This 2LP set features 37 tracks in all -- nearly all of which were fresh to our ears, and made the collection even more amazing than we might have thought. Titles include "Tabasco" by Los Pekeniques, "Respect" by Circulos, "Ven Conmigo" by Finders, "Trying To Get You" by Z 66, "Black Cat" by Los Dixies, "It's My Thing" by Presidents, "Golden Soul" by Conjunto Nueva Onda, "Black Bird" by Henri Vidal Y Su Grupo Pop, "Todo Gira" by Los Impala, "Woovy Groovy" by Los Buenos, "I Will Pray" by Conexion, "Melenas Club" by Frank Miller & Hispania Soul, "I Felt For Your Love" by Calibre 38, "Family Affair" by Jimmy Stone, and "Beggin" by Duo Inter.

A mindblowing trip through music of many decades -- and a set that makes us respect Joey Negro even more than before! We've loved Joey for years, and have praised his knowledge of classic club heavily and often on these pages -- but here, Negro takes on whole new genres -- dipping deep into music of the 60s, 70s, and 80s to come up with a wealth of groovy tunes that work surprisingly well together! There's plenty of bits here you really wouldn't expect -- lost album treasures next to unexpected mainstream contributions -- and Joey's magic ears makes them all come together brilliantly, setting the tracks up in perfect formation to make their best elements resonate strongly! 2CD version features 38 tracks mixed amazingly well -- with titles that include "Love Music" by Sergio Mendes, "Free" by Seawind, "Monkey Star" by Arpadys, "It Ain't Love" by Rahsaan Patterson, "Do You Have Any" by Le Pamplemousse, "Strung Out" by Gordon Staples, "Prime Time (Joey Negro edit)" by The Tubs, "Call Me" by Nancy Wilson, "Living In The Past" by Jethro Tull, "Ride Like The Wind" by Christopher Cross, "It's All Up To You" by The Dells, "Lust" by Rinder & Lewis, "Rush Over" by Marcus Miller with Me'shell Ndegeocello, "Chase (Joey Negro edit)" by Giorgio Moroder, and "007 & Counting" by John Barry.

A landmark double-live album that was easily one of the most important soul record moments of the 70s! The concert was an all-star event held in LA to celebrate the anniversary of the Watts riots -- but it features a killer lineup of talent from the roster of Stax Records -- by then a proud independent with more than enough power to spread a nationwide message from Memphis to Los Angeles without any trouble! The record is nicely segmented -- so that it offers up mini "sets" by each artist -- really recreating the feel of the event, at a level that lived on in countless living rooms long after the concert was over. Titles include "Son Of Shaft/Feel It" and "I Can't Turn You Loose" by The Bar-Kays; "Ain't No Sunshine" by Isaac Hayes, "I Don't Know What This World Is Coming To" and "Hearsay" by The Soul Children, "I Like What You're Doing To Me" and "Gee Whiz" by Carla Thomas; "The Breakdown" and "Do The Funky Penguin" by Rufus Thomas, "Killing Floor" and "Angel Of Mercy" by Albert King"; "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There" by The Staple Singers; and "Knock On Wood" by Eddie Floyd. Also includes 2 studio tracks recorded after the show -- "Oh La De Da" by The Staple Singers, and "Lay Your Loving On Me" by Eddie Floyd.

A fantastic early album fromTom Scott -- cut when he was still a teenager, and a record that combines some sonic adventurousness with hard bop leaning sounds! Scott, especially on his early albums, is one heck of a reed player, and can get as funky as the best of them. This LP includes a massive breakbeat track called "Rural Still Life #26", plus a lot of other nice ones that mix jazz, funk, and grooviness -- which may have made it a hard sell at the time, but the blend of the bold and the more easygoing sounds is pretty sweet today. Scott's quartet includes Mike Lang on keyboards, Chuck Damanico on bass, and John Guerin on drums. Titles "Freak In", "Juss Messin' Around", and "With Respect To Coltrane". A great one, and don't pass it up!

An incredible 3CD set from Atomic -- the increasingly amazing group of Scandinavian scene firebrands Fredrik Ljungkvist on reeds, Mangus Broo on trumpet, Havard Wiik on piano, Ingegbrigt Haker Flaten on bass and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums & percussion -- who separately, and as a unit, must be acknowledged as some of the best modern free jazz players on the planet! If you thought that the title Retrograde might indicate a 3CD retrospective, think again. The set features 2 CDs of material captured over 2 days in July of 2007 -- and a bonus third disc with the group doing their inimitable thing live at Tula's Jazz Club in Seattle! The studio work is as masterful as ever, always finding a killer groove and impeccable rhythmic dynamics -- ratcheting up the intensity without the blunt force trauma that others in the free jazz underground bring on, balanced by spare moments and strains of the 60s heroes of avant garde jazz lurking in the shadows. Really wonderful stuff from players we love and respect more with each successive project! Titles include "Db Gestalt", "Retrograde", "Invisible Cities", "Correspondence", "Sweet Ebony", "King Kolax", "Invisible Cities II", "Papa", "Don Don", "Swedish Oklahoma" and more. The live disc has us kicking ourselves for not catching one of the group's Chicago shows, and the titles include "Crux", "Db Gestalt", "Painbody", "ABC 101b" and more.

Mindblowing work from the legendary Hank Ballard -- a set cut years after his initial fame with The Midnighters, when he was working with James Brown in some very hip, funky, territory! James produced the record, and penned most of the tunes -- and he does a really great job of bringing out the nasty, sinister qualities in Hank's vocals -- sharper here than even in the 50s R&B era, and perfectly suited for the mix of politics and personal themes in the tunes! Backings are by the James Brown Band of the late 60s -- and the whole thing's one of the funkiest albums The Godfather ever had a hand in! LP reissue is a special mix of original album tracks and funky singles -- with tunes that include "How You Gonna Get Respect", "Funky Soul Train", "Unwind Yourself", "Blackenized", "From The Love Side", "Butter Your Popcorn", "Come In Wit It", "With Your Sweet Lovin Self", and funky remakes of "Annie Had A Baby" and "Finger Poppin Time".

Mindblowing work from the legendary Hank Ballard -- a set cut years after his initial fame with The Midnighters, when he was working with James Brown in some very hip, funky, territory! James produced the record, and penned most of the tunes -- and he does a really great job of bringing out the nasty, sinister qualities in Hank's vocals -- sharper here than even in the 50s R&B era, and perfectly suited for the mix of politics and personal themes in the tunes! Backings are by the James Brown Band of the late 60s -- and the whole thing's one of the funkiest albums The Godfather ever had a hand in! CD features the full original album, plus 6 more bonus singles -- with tunes that include "How You Gonna Get Respect", "Funky Soul Train", "Unwind Yourself", "Blackenized", "From The Love Side", "Butter Your Popcorn", "Come In Wit It", "With Your Sweet Lovin Self", "Which Way Should I Turn", "You're So Sexy", "Woman Is A Man's Best Friend", and funky remakes of "Annie Had A Baby", "Teardrops On Your Letter", and "Finger Poppin Time".

The 1969 debut studio album from Karen Dalton -- one of the most unique voices of the 60s folk scene, and one of the most emotionally rich, blue & soulful -- a heroine to many artists to come, and one of the (sadly) very few pieces of music she made in a professional studio she made in her lifetime! The album was made with producer Nikolas Venet, who worked with Fred Neil at the time, and the record shares some of that atmosphere, but Karen's voice is in its own realm. There's a bit of grit in her tone that makes her voice all the more beautiful if you ask us, and her vibrato really preys on the raw emotion. Her choice of material is great, too, with some Leadbelly and Jelly Roll Morton on the blusier side, but those songs come off in a raw, folksy vibe, too. Karen is finally getting her just respect for her voice all these years later, but it needs to be known that she was an excellent 12-string acoustic guitar player, too, and she could also handle the banjo -- with additional guitar on the record by Dan Hankin, electric guitar by Kim King, electric bass by Harvey Brooks and percussion by Gary Chester. Titles include "In The Evening (It's So Hard To Tell Who's Going To Love You The Best)", Fred Neil's "Little Bit Of Rain" and "Blues On The Ceiling", "Sweet Substitute", "Ribbon Bow", "I Love You More Thank Words Can Say", "Down On The Street (Don't You Follow Me Down)" and more.

2 great later gems from The Dells -- both essential sides of their later catalog! I Touched A Dream is an especially tremendous record -- a bit smoother than before, but still much more daring vocally than most other harmony groups at the time, cutting through some smoother arrangements with a sublime approach to the material that's all-soul all the way! Arrangements are sometimes bit uptempo and modern, but they're still in a strong Chicago groove -- with backings by Tom Tom 84 and Sonny Sanders -- and production by Carl Davis and Eugene Record, making for a late 70s update of the classic Brunswick soul approach! Titles include "Look At Us Now", "All About The Paper", "So You Are Love", "Passionate Breezes", and "I Touched A Dream". Whatever Turns You On is another later winner from The Dells -- a record that has the group mixing uptempo grooves and sublime mellow numbers -- all of which are sung with heartbreaking vocals that show the group as still one of the best in soul music -- even after more than 20 years on record! Arrangements are by Tom Tom 84 and Sonny Sanders, and production by Carl Davis and Eugene Record -- all key factors in the success of the album, thanks to a long local history with the Chicago soul legends -- and a respect that's very clear in their handling of the sound on this set. Titles include "Happy Song", "It Took A Woman Like You", "Whatever Turns You On", "Ain't It A Shame", "Stay In My Corner", "is It It", and "Heaven's Just Step Away".

The first truly great compilation of work by Willie Hutch -- one of the hippest artists in 70s soul! Willie's work for Motown during the 70s was tremendous, not only did he write and perform 2 of the best blacksploitation soundtracks -- Foxy Brown and The Mack -- but he also recorded some killer work on his own singles and albums for the label, most of which has never been properly reissued. Willie was the master of the super-dope mellow groove, and this compilation is filled with tracks of that nature -- sly funky little gems that bubble with sex, soul, and a slightly wicked feel. And sure, Willie had a few weak moments, but none of them are on this set -- as the compilation's got 18 tracks, all of them winners! Trust us, it's one of the best soul sets you'll buy this year -- filled with gems like "California My Way", "Easy Does It", "Love Me Back", "I'm Gonna Give You Respect", "I Can Sho Give You Love", "Lucky To Be Loved By You", "Talk To Me", "Give Me Some Of That Good Old Love", "Don't You Let Nobody Tell You How To Do Your Thing", "Try It You'll Like It", and "Brothers Gonna Work It Out".

Two early 70s burners from BB King -- back to back as a 2CD set! LA Midnight has BB King bringing in a sweet dose of jazz to his work -- just a touch of the funkier backings that some of his electric contemporaries were getting at the time -- maybe not as hard-wailing as some of the Chess funky blues records, but definitely somewhere in that direction! Players on the date include Mel Brown and Jesse Davis on guitars, Bobby Bryant on trumpet, Red Holloway on tenor, Plas Johnson on baritone, Clifford Coulter and Victor Feldman on piano, and the great Earl Palmer on drums. Titles include "Help The Poor", "Can't You Hear Me Talking To You", "Midnight", "I Got Some Help I Don't Need", "I've Been Blue Too Long", "Lucille's Granny, and "Can't You Hear Me Talking To You". To Know You is a set that has BB King teaming up with southern soul maestro Dave Crawford -- an arranger/producer who helps BB find a whole new groove! Crawford's approach is wonderfully warm and soulful -- almost a Hi Records sort of take on the music, which brings King's traditional blues into much fresher territory -- an update of older Memphis modes, with a really great sound for the 70s. In addition to The Memphis Horns, there's also a bit of Philly help on the record too -- thanks to Vince Montana's vibes, Norman Harris' guitar, Ron Kersey's keyboards, and Ronnie Baker's bass. Stevie Wonder makes a brief guest appearance on keyboards too -- and titles include "Oh To Me", "Love", "Respect Yourself", "I Like To Live The Love", "Who Are You", "I Can't Leave", and "Thank You For Loving The Blues".

Another chapter in the enigmatic legacy of Clutchy Hopkins -- and one that's as beautifully beat-heavy as the rest! This set's got a very laidback feel -- almost more jazzy than the rest, with a warm vibe that really fits the record's placement on the mostly-jazz Porter Records label -- especially given the 70s-styled keyboards that really make some of the best tunes on the set sparkle! And while the beats are as appealing as always, it's almost the keyboards we love more -- because they really bring a new level of depth to the record, and make us respect the group strongly as funky instrumentalists much more than just producers. Titles are just numbered, but they're all pretty darn great!

A lovely TV appearance from MPB4 -- recorded in the early 70s for the Ensaio program, and shot in brilliant black and white! There's an intimacy to the performance that's a bit different than the group's studio records -- which makes a really cool change from the usual, and only deepens our respect for their music -- that more complicated approach to modes used by some of the bossa groups of the 60s. Titles include "Candeias", "Vim Para Ficar", "Rio", "Cuidado Com A Outra", "Beija Flor", "Partido Alto", "Cicatrizes", "A Alegria Continua", and "Lamento". DVD features subtitles in Portugues, English, and Spanish.

Cold, hard, and funky! This might be the greatest album ever by this legendary 70s funk band -- and it's got a killer sound that has the tightness of the JBs, the rawness of the early Meters, and the frenzy of a rare funky 45! Includes the incredible "Afro Strut" -- worth the price of the record alone, as it's got this screaming sax riff that's completely insane! Other nice ones include covers of "Shaft" and "Them Changes", plus "Brand X", "Baker's Instant", and "Respect To The Other Man".

A landmark hip hop album from Stones Throw MC and producer Oh No -- one that's assembled almost entirely of samples from the work of jazz funk pioneer Galt MacDermot! In a way, this is the first album of it's kind in the history of hip hop. The Stones Throw label has never made secret of just how deeply influenced they are by Galt's ouvre -- and this LP is not only a great show of respect to the composer, it's the best work Oh No's done to date. Fresh and funky all the way through! Titles include "Beware", "Black", "To Be An MC", "Keep Tryin'", "Know Better", "Second Chance", "Low Coastin'", "Cut Session", "Smile A Little Bit", "Keep It Lit", "In This", "Hank", and "Lights Out".

Damn! Quantic really blows the roof off with this one -- taking us even farther on a musical journey than ever before, and making us bow to his mighty talents in ways we never expected! The album's a really unique session recorded in Colombia, with help from an international batch of musicians and studio talents -- a wicked extension of the Latin grooves that Quantic added to his funky mix a few years ago -- but with far more sophistication and live instrumentation than he's ever used before! This album's not just a simple blend of salsa elements and funky grooves -- and instead, it's a richly complicated tapestry of music -- one that not only draws from Colombian sounds, but also some of the more sophisticated aspects of other Latin American scenes too -- no surprise, given that performers here include Alfredo Linares on piano, Freddy Colorado on congas, Fernando Ovejo Silva on bass, Angel Hernandez on trumpet, and Arthur Verocai on arrangements. Mighty Malcolm Catto is on deck with some heavy drums -- and most of the instrumentation here is acoustic, and richly varied throughout. Sublime, amazing, and a record that wins us over way more than we ever might have expected -- and dammit, we already had a hell of a lot of respect for Will "Quantic" Holland! Titles include "Mas Pan"," Undelivered Letter", "Un Canto A Mi Tierra", "Mambo Los Quantic", "Arianita", "The Dreaming Mind (parts 1 & 2)", "I Just Feel In Love Again", "New Morning", "Albela", and "Linda Morena".

Easily the greatest collection of Colombian grooves we've ever seen -- a beautifully-done package from Soundway Records, and one that lives up to the high standard we first found in their compilations of African and Panamanian funk! This time around, the focus is on the legendary Discos Fuentes -- a label as important to Latin music in Columbia as Fania was in New York -- but also one that's got a much richer history, and much deeper range of grooves! The tunes here are all from the 60s and 70s -- and the set focuses on Fuentes tunes that have a current appeal to crate-diggers around the globe -- the kind of hard-edged Latin cuts that are finally getting some respect after years of New York dominance on the record collecting scene. Styles here range from salsa to cumbia to descarga modes -- and the collection is far different than any previous Fuentes compilations that have hit the market -- thanks to a focus on the harder side of the groove! The package features great images of classic Fuentes releases, notes on each track, and even a great essay about shopping for vinyl in Cali -- the mecca for Colombian collectors. CD features 20 tracks that include "Salsa Na Ma" by Fruko Y Sus Tesos, "Hong Kong" by Michi Sarmiento Y Sus Bravos, "Cumbia En Do Menor" by Lito Barrientos, "Tifit Hayed" by Wganda Kenya, "La Samaria" by Orquesta Nunez, "Cumbiamba" by El Sexteto Miramar, "Las Calenas Son Como Las Flores" by The Latin Brothers, "La Picua" by Pedro Laza Y Sus Pelayeros, "Improvisando" by Fruko, "El Mondongo" by Los Corraleros De Majagual, "Pacifico" by Afrosound, "La Piojosa" by La Sonora Cienaguera, and "La Pata Y El Pato" by Climaco Sarmiento.

A killer compilation of Daptone Gold -- a funky and soulful collection that's a perfect snapshot of the sounds coming out of Daptone's House Of Soul recording studios in the aughties! The Daptone sound spins from a tight community of players with the deepest love and respect for the classic, be it funky instrumentals, gritty raw soul, with bits of Afrobeat and more. Daptone Gold includes some standard bearing label classics, rarities and previously unreleased tracks -- incredible stuff from Binky Griptite, The Budos Band, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Lee Fields, Menahan Streetband, Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens and Antibalas. 23 tracks in all: a funky introduction and more from Binky Griptite, "Could Have Been" by Lee Fields, "Che Che Cole Makosa" by Antibalas feat Mayra Vega, "Nervous Like Me" by the Dap-Kings, "I Need You To Hold My Hand" Cynthia Langston & The Gospel Queens, "Stranded In Your Love" by Sharon Jones & Lee Fields and more. Incredible stuff, and a totally essential overview if this your first Daptone Purchase or fiftieth!

A hip take on one of the most brilliant Brazilian labels of the past few decades -- London's legendary Far Out Records, home to some of the best bossa sounds on the planet -- carefully compiled and mixed here by the mighty Gilles Peterson! Peterson's been a friend of the label since it's inception, and has always given the Far Out team some strong respect -- so you can bet that his selection of work from the imprint goes far far beyond the obvious, and includes a fair bit of rare material, out of print gems, and other cool bits that you probably don't have in your collection, even if you're already a Far Out fan! The package features five totally exclusive tracks, too -- mixed for Peterson by friends from the London scene -- and a couple of vintage nuggets too, which helps give a lot of historical depth to this already classic-sounding mix. Peterson brings together a total of 12 tracks -- often very acoustic, but with some key electric touches too -- on cuts that include "Tudo Do Bom (Domu re-edit)" by Arthur Verocai, "Quem Sou Eu" by Krishnanda, "Uno Esta" by Alex Malheiros & Banda Utopia, "Joanna" by Jose Roberto Bertrami, "Obnoxious" by Jose Mauro, "Esta Tudo Ai" by Krishnanda, "Balinha" by Binario, "Melo Dos Dois Bicudos" by Azymuth, "Feijao Com Arroz (bass line mix)" by Joyce, and "Vagalume" by Democustico.

For what it's worth, this is a pretty wonderful compilation -- only the second volume in the legendary Mojo Club series, but already hipper than most sets of this nature coming out these days! The package is filled with classic jazz, funk, soul, and bossa groovers -- and was really one of the first to tackle this territory, at least with such depth, and in the hands of a major label (hats off again to Universal Germany!) The set list is wonderful -- with 14 great tracks that include "Hicky Burr" by Quincy Jones, "Mr Clean" by Peter Herbholzheimer, "Monticello" by Monty Alexander, "Johnny Shaft" by Sammy Davis Jr, "For What It's Worth" by Sergio Mendes, "Gator Tail" by Lee Dorsey, "Boo-ga-loo" by Les McCann, "You Can't Love Me If You Don't Respect Me" by Lyn Collins, "Swimmin Home Baby" by Willis Jackson, "That Kaycee Thing" by Nathan Davis, and "Put Your Gun Down Brother" by Riot.

A blistering set of psychedelic soul, jazz, funk and Latin grooves -- from the superior collections mined by Vampi Soul -- featuring some of the hardest charging rare grooves of the late 60s & early 70s! Movers is about as fine a sampler we could have asked for from the funky archaeologists at Vampi -- an all inclusive, cross cultural collection of nuggets that all sounds great together thanks to a shared love of an overall funky approach! 23 tracks in all: "I Want Love And Affection (Not The House Of Correction)", "Guitar Big Band" by Dennis Coffey, "Chicken Thighs" by Andre Williams, "Respect" by Soul Survivors, "Soul 70" by Lolas, "Na Palma Da Mao" by Banda Uniao Black, "Guayaba" by Lucho Macedo, "Zoologico Negro" by Orquesta Aragon, "Think Drink" by New Swing Sextet, "Eterno Pecado Horizontal" by Che and much more!

A mindblowing little set -- and a massive overview of soul music in Spain during the late 60s and early 70s, filled with incredible tunes we've never heard before, all supported by great notes in both English and Spanish! The Spanish soul groove is a bit rougher than that of the US -- kind of a reworking of familiar ideas (and sometimes familiar songs), played by artists who really love the music, but sometimes come from more rock or beat group sides of the musical spectrum. Yet as the Spanish soul movement progressed, things definitely tightened up a fair bit -- as local acts were joined by visiting singers and musicians from North and South America, fertilizing the scene with new styles and ideas! The 2CD set features 37 tracks in all -- nearly all of which were fresh to our ears, and made the collection even more amazing than we might have thought. Titles include "Tabasco" by Los Pekeniques, "Respect" by Circulos, "Ven Conmigo" by Finders, "Trying To Get You" by Z 66, "Black Cat" by Los Dixies, "It's My Thing" by Presidents, "Golden Soul" by Conjunto Nueva Onda, "Black Bird" by Henri Vidal Y Su Grupo Pop, "Todo Gira" by Los Impala, "Woovy Groovy" by Los Buenos, "I Will Pray" by Conexion, "Melenas Club" by Frank Miller & Hispania Soul, "I Felt For Your Love" by Calibre 38, "Family Affair" by Jimmy Stone, and "Beggin" by Duo Inter.

An amazing set of funky 45s from New Orleans and other points deep south -- with a mix of obscure bits and a few "classic" Crescent City grooves! Southern Fried Funk is a collection of singles originally issued on regional labels such as Tou-Sea, Deesu, Quinvu, Budd, Gold Cup, Malaco, Milk and more -- corralled here on CD by the reverent revivalists at Grapevine Records -- who respect the more famous numbers, but also include plenty of other rare ones to keep the interest of more hardcore collectors! What we really love about this particular comp is the deep soul feel of the tracks -- with all of the raw, thundering, sweaty funk elements in full force -- but the material still has a soul feel underneath. It's the real thing! 22 tracks in all: "Get Out Of My Life Woman", "Underdog Backstreet" by Warren Lee, "Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky (From Now On)" by Lee Dorsey, "It's A Hang Up Baby" by ZZ Hill, "Real Soul" by Ted Ford, "Make It Real (Right On)" by Betty Ford, "I'm A Carpenter (Parts 1 & 2)" by David Robinson, "I Tired it And I Liked It' by Jewel Bass, "You Made Your Bed" by Eddie Bradford and more!

A massive amount of classic sample tracks -- all funky nuggets pulled from the legendary catalog of Stax Records! The set's the first American set we've ever seen to pay tribute to Stax from this perspective -- and alongside a well-chosen batch of tunes, all remastered for the set, the collection also features track-by-track notes that tell the importance and revival of all the tunes within -- helping identify later uses of the original grooves, while still showing plenty of respect for the originals! Titles include "Humpin" by The Bar-Kays, "Blind Alley" by The Emotions, "Ghetto Misfortune's Wealth" by 24 Carat Black, "Why Marry" by Sweet Inspirations, "Melting Pot" by Booker T & The MGs, "Hung Up On My Baby" by Isaac Hayes, "Get Up & Get Down" by The Dramatics, "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" by William Bell, "Do The Funky Penguin" by Rufus Thomas, "I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over" by David Porter and "Packed Up & Took My Mind" by Little Milton.

Sweet sweet work from Teodross Avery -- a musician who's way more than the smooth jazz player you might expect! Teodross steps out here as a mini-maestro in soul -- writing and producing the whole album with a well-rounded, soul-based approach that has Teo in the lead on saxes -- but also makes some great room for vocals by Leela James, Shannone Hold, and others -- plus guest vibes from Roy Ayers on one track! The album grooves along with a really wonderful feel -- a lot more bite than you might expect, and a key ear for contemporary dancefloor rhythms on some of the best tracks -- not really house, but an upbeat, positive groove that works wonderfully with Avery's sax lines. Avery also sings himself -- and titles include "She Doesn't See", "Love With Respect", "Tryin To Find The Light", "Adult Music", "A New Beginning", "Type Of Girl", and "The Dreamer".

Amazing music from the last decade of Francois Luambo Makiadi -- aka Franco -- the kind of music that made him one of Africa's greatest musical exports of the time! Although Franco and his TPOK Jazz group were riding high during these years, they still were really breaking great new ground with their music -- sounds that are rich in spirit, and incredibly seductive throughout -- even to audiences not immediately attuned to their language or message. Franco's guitar lines are beautifully understated, but a key part of the recordings -- bright, but with an undercurrent of sadness -- and the lavish package features a 48 page, full color booklet with notes in French and English, telling the full story of these later years. Titles include "Nostalgie", "Princesse Kikou", "Bina Na Nagai Na Respect", "Sandoka", "Missile", "Suite Lettre No 1", "Sadou", "Impa Kisangameni", and "Mario".

Essential work by Aretha Franklin -- one of her best albums for Atlantic in the late 60s, with tracks that virtually define the sound of hard soul during the late 60s! The album's filled with excellent material -- featuring 2 killer tracks recorded in Muscle Shoals ("Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" and "I Never Loved A Man"), plus lots of other great hard soul groovers done with Aretha's guiding light, Arif Mardin, in Atlantic's New York studios -- including the tracks "Respect", "Baby, Baby, Baby", "Save Me", and "Dr. Feelgood".

A gem of a live performance from Aretha Franklin -- recorded at the NATRA convention in Philly in 1972, and issued here for the first time ever! The setting is a bit more intimate than the usual Franklin gig of the time, and the feel is a bit more mature as well -- showing that new level of sophistication that Aretha was hitting in her studio sets for Atlantic at the time, undercurrents of jazz mixed in with the soul -- in ways that really update and change over some of the more familiar tunes in the performance. The backing group feels somewhat large, but has more than enough grit to keep things going -- and the sound quality is surprisingly great, considering that these tapes sat up on a shelf in the Atlantic vaults for over 30 years. Titles include "April Fools", "Spanish Harlem", "Day Dreaming/Think", "This Girl's In Love With You", "2001/Rock Steady", "Young Gifted & Black", "Oh Me Oh My", "That's The Way I Feel About Cha", "Respect", and "Chain Of Fools/See Saw".

A wonderful step forward for the team of Hall & Oates -- and a set that has them moving more into soul than ever before! The album's a tremendous collaboration with the legendary Arif Mardin, who takes the pair's well-crafted vocals into territory that's much more slinkily soulful than some of their previous records -- that sound that was always lurking in the background, never quite right, but which emerges here fully in that classic 70s Hall & Oates mode. Daryl and John seem to harmonize more here than before, and the backings are still somewhat rockish, but have a warmth that really suits their singing. We can't argue with the sublime brilliance of "She's Gone", one of those tracks that we've heard a bazillion times, but never cease to respect -- and other titles include "Everytime I Look At You", "Had I Known You Better Then", "When The Morning Comes", and "Laughing Boy".

Beautiful work from Rob Mazurek -- a player we respect more and more with each new release! The title here is especially well chosen -- as "Sound Is" definitely what the record is about -- a set that follows in the same legacy of sonic exploration first begun on seminal Delmark Records sides cut by the AACM in the 60s -- recast here by a new Chicago generation that features Mazurek on cornet and piano, John Herndon on drums and percussion, Matt Lux on electric bass, Josh Abrams on acoustic bass and piano, and Jason Adasiewicz on some especially nice vibes! The vibes often have this chromatic quality that's starkly metallic -- ringing out strongly next to Abrams' warmer bass, and Mazurek's palette of colors on his horn -- driven by a brooding sense of rhythm from Herndon, playing here away from his more familiar Tortoise setting, and reminding us that he's always had a great ear for jazz. Titles include "The Earthquake Tree", "The Star Splitter", "The Dream Rocker", "Microrapagonafly", "Aphrodite Rising", "The Field", "Nora Grace", "Le Baiser", and "Dragon Kites".

Ann's first for Hi Records -- and a great one! The set features Ann working with Willie Mitchell -- in a mode that's similar to her later Hi work, but rougher too -- with more of a hard soul edge than we're used to hearing in her vocals. The album features Ann's versions of a number of southern soul tunes -- claiming gems like "Chain of Fools", "Respect", and "Steal Away" for her own! Other tracks include "My Man -- He's a Lovin Man", "Crazy About You Baby", "Give Me Some Credit", and "Walk Away". CD also includes 5 bonus tracks -- "Generation Gap", "I Still Love You", "I'll Get Along", "Part Time Love", and "I Can't Let You Go".

Damn! Quantic really blows the roof off with this one -- taking us even farther on a musical journey than ever before, and making us bow to his mighty talents in ways we never expected! The album's a really unique session recorded in Colombia, with help from an international batch of musicians and studio talents -- a wicked extension of the Latin grooves that Quantic added to his funky mix a few years ago -- but with far more sophistication and live instrumentation than he's ever used before! This album's not just a simple blend of salsa elements and funky grooves -- and instead, it's a richly complicated tapestry of music -- one that not only draws from Colombian sounds, but also some of the more sophisticated aspects of other Latin American scenes too -- no surprise, given that performers here include Alfredo Linares on piano, Freddy Colorado on congas, Fernando Ovejo Silva on bass, Angel Hernandez on trumpet, and Arthur Verocai on arrangements. Mighty Malcolm Catto is on deck with some heavy drums -- and most of the instrumentation here is acoustic, and richly varied throughout. Sublime, amazing, and a record that wins us over way more than we ever might have expected -- and dammit, we already had a hell of a lot of respect for Will "Quantic" Holland! Titles include "Mas Pan"," Undelivered Letter", "Un Canto A Mi Tierra", "Mambo Los Quantic", "Arianita", "The Dreaming Mind (parts 1 & 2)", "I Just Feel In Love Again", "New Morning", "Albela", and "Linda Morena".

Mid-to-late 60s Michigan rock from The Rationals -- taking bit of both Mersey Beat and midwestern US rock and r&b influences into a mix of tunefulness and rugged, garagey rock -- well worth the full on 2CD anthology treatment! A mix of sweetness and grit, with raw, rollicking guitar, bass & drums, and vocals that roll from a howl to a coo. 34 tracks on 2CDs, compiling singles from the 1965-1968, with a slew of previously unreleased recordings from the era! Titles include "Feelin Lost", "Someday", "Gave Me Love", "Turn On", "Irrational", "Respect", "Hold On Baby", "I Gotta Go Now", "You Got It Made", "Sunset", "Part Time Love" and much more.

A milestone in the adventurous folk rock canon of the early 70s -- and the first of 2 incredible albums by Judee Sill for Asylum Records! Judee Sill the album isn't quite as grandly arranged of a set as her slightly more country-leaning Heart Food opus that followed a couple years later -- but it still soars with a baroque beauty and gorgeous vocals by Judee. A landmark album that's finally getting the respect that was long elusive -- and a benchmark set of folk baroque sounds and alluringly spiritual songs! Tracks include "Crayon Angels", "The Phantom Cowboy", "The Archetypal Man", "The Lamb Ran Away With The Crown", "Jesus Was A Cross Maker", "Ridge Rider", "My Man Of Love", "Enchanted Sky Machines", "Abracadabra" and more.

A killer compilation of Daptone Gold -- a funky and soulful collection that's a perfect snapshot of the sounds coming out of Daptone's House Of Soul recording studios in the aughties! The Daptone sound spins from a tight community of players with the deepest love and respect for the classic, be it funky instrumentals, gritty raw soul, with bits of Afrobeat and more. Daptone Gold includes some standard bearing label classics, rarities and previously unreleased tracks -- incredible stuff from Binky Griptite, The Budos Band, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Lee Fields, Menahan Streetband, Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens and Antibalas. 23 tracks in all: a funky introduction and more from Binky Griptite, "Could Have Been" by Lee Fields, "Che Che Cole Makosa" by Antibalas feat Mayra Vega, "Nervous Like Me" by the Dap-Kings, "I Need You To Hold My Hand" Cynthia Langston & The Gospel Queens, "Stranded In Your Love" by Sharon Jones & Lee Fields and more. Incredible stuff, and a totally essential overview if this your first Daptone Purchase or fiftieth!