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One of the all-time great Rick James albums – a return to funkier sounds for Rick that worked both artistically and commercially – and actually got over far better than his more blatant attempts at crossover material on other records! The mix here is perfect – a true summation of all that made Motown great at the time, and the special sort of energy that made Rick one of the freshest mainstream talents at the end of the 70s! The record put a lot of money in Barry Gordy's pockets, and for good reason too – given that the set includes the classic hit "Super Freak" – plus "Give It To Me Baby", "Ghetto Life", "Make Love To Me", "Below The Funk (Pass The J)", and "Fire & Desire" – all done in that compressed pop-funky style that James kind of took from Bootsy Collins and manage to successfully soup up for the masses!

Rick James is massively throwing down on this classic set – tight, right, and on the money all the way through – in that trademark groove that so many others would try to cop, but never get this right! The album bristles with energy right from the start – lots of bass at the bottom of the grooves, riffing guitar in the middle, and those badass vocals of James' that mange to sound nasty even when they're sweet! But if you know Rick, you know that sweetness isn't the aim here – and the album drips with party sex all the way through – over funk classics that include "Standing On The Top", "Teardrops", "Money Talks", "Throwdown", "Hard To Get", "69 Times" and "Dance Wit Me".

Bobby M is Bobby Militello – a sweet-blowing saxman who did some great studio work back in the day – and who steps out here with some nicely grooving arrangements from Lenny White and Bernard Wright! The set's a strong blend of soulful fusion and 80s groove – just the kind of record you might expect when turning the Rick James name on the cover towards a more instrumental sound. But that doesn't mean that the whole album's instrumental – as Jean Carn sings on one cut, and Keely Curtis on another. And although Bobby's work on alto, tenor, and soprano sax is pretty nice, it's almost the keyboard work of Bernard Wright that really makes this album great – as the set's almost an extension of his classic GRP sessions from the same time! Titles include "Alto Man", "Let's Stay Together", "Redliner", "A Little Song For You", "Charlie's Backbeat", "Rome Tones", and "Blow".

Seminal southern soul from the great Willie Hightower – a singer we'd rank right up there with Otis Redding, Al Green, and James Carr! Willie's got an incredible voice that grabs you right away – earthy and honest, yet also extremely well controlled – almost a down home take on the sound of some of the smoother soul singers of the 60s – in a manner that reminds us a bit of Garnett Mimms, and which really stands apart from other vocalists of the time. The 18 tracks on this set represent Willie at his best – and the collection features material recorded for producer Bobby Robinson (issued on both the Capitol and Enjoy labels), and Muscle Shoals maestro Rick Hall – brought together with beautiful fidelity, in a package that finally gives Willie his due, and which will hopefully get his name out there with the rest of his lendary contemporaries! Titles include "Walk A Mile In My Shoes", "You Used Me", "Back Road Into Town", "Nobody But You", "I Love You", "Poor Man", "Let's Walk Together", "Somebody Have Mercy", "You Are Mine", "It's A Miracle", and "Ooh Baby How I Love You".

The great first album from The Mary Jane Girls – easily their best, and an 80s pop soul delight all the way through! Rick James is firmly at the helm of the quartet for this release – and although the sound has elements of James' own crossover funk of the time, there's also an approach that's sweeter and more female – balanced in a surprisingly nice way, and not nearly as cloying as other efforts of its type! Backings are lean and stripped down – often in a nice clubby 80s groove mode – and titles include "All Night Long", "Candy Man", "Boys", "Jealousy", "On The Inside", "Musical Love", "Prove It", and "You Are My Heaven".

A lasting classic from the funky female foursome who were one of the biggest acts on Motown in the mid-80s – working here with super tight production and arrangements from Rick James – who also wrote all the songs on the record too! The girls' look is a bit dated, but their sound has surprisingly strong staying power – partly because of Rick's crossover version of funk in the rhythms, but also because of the way the vocal interplay still stays nice and catchy! The album's definitely commercial, but doesn't have that clunk that makes other efforts of this time from the time fall flat – and titles include "In My House", "I Betcha", "Girlfriend", Wild & Crazy Love", "Shadow Lover", "Break It Up", and "Lonely For You".

A pair of killers from Ozone – back to back on a single CD! Jump On It is filled with jumping grooves from Ozone – a smoking little set that's tight and right – and completely wonderful throughout! The set's got that perfect blend of funk and groove that always made Ozone so great – a quality honed through years as Billy Preston's backing band, and forged even more strongly on their own – with some extra added help here from both Michael Lovesmith as songwriter and arranger, and Angelo Bond as songwriter on a few cuts! The album's a killer all the way through – and stands as proof that Ozone were one of those great overlooked Motown acts at the start of the 80s – one who really should have been huge. Titles include "Your Love Stays On My Mind", "Mighty Mighty", "Ozonic Bee Bop", "Jump On It", "Rock & Roll Pop & Soul", and "Come On It". Lil Suzy is a smoking batch of funky grooves that has a lot more edge than most of the other work going on at the label at the time! There's echoes of Rick James funk in the mix, but the overall style is looser and freer too – almost with an ear towards some of the indie club styles of the time, yet tuned towards the tightness that you'd expect from Motown at its best. The arrangements are superb, and the band have a way of keeping the ensemble upfront throughout – yet also avoiding any of the cliches that other groups would hit so often. Occasional sweet moments really help balance the sound – and titles include "Shake It Down", "You'll Never Know How Much", "Ain't Got Far To Go", "I'm Not Easy", and "Let The Ozone Take Your Mind".

An all-star effort from The Temptations – and a well-titled set that has the group brimming over with classic vocal talent! The group's expanded to a seven-piece outfit for the album – with Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin back in the fold, singing alongside Dennis Edwards, Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, and the rest of the group! Motown also culled together some top-shelf production talent for the set too – including Berry Gordy, Rick James, Barrett Strong, and Smokey Robinson – all of whom produce numbers for the record. Some of the tracks are in an 80s groove modes, and others are mellower ballads that offer plenty of space for vocal interplay – and titles include "I've Never Been To Me", "Backstage", "More On The Inside", "Standing On The Top", "Lock It In The Pocket", and "You Better Beware".

Life! Liberty! Vengeance! A wild and very cool soundtrack for Tarantino's dual Blacksploitation/Spaghetti Western homage Django Unchained – featuring bits from some of our favorite Italian western composers mixed up with classic and contemporary funky soul and hip hop! It's the kind of soundtrack that could only happen for Quentin Tarantino – with rare and hard-to-find compositions by Luis Bacalov, Ennio Morricone, Riz Ortolani and Jerry Goldsmith on one hand – along with a few seemingly antithetical new compositions on the other – including a track penned by star Jamie Foxx for Rick Ross, a James Brown "Payback" remix with a vocal from the 2Pac archive, plus ones by Anthony Hamilton, John Legend and others! Last but not least, it's got some great bits of film dialogue by Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson and Leonardo DiCaprio. Titles include "Django" by Luis Bacalov, "The Braying Mule" by Ennio Morricone, "Nicaragua" by Jerry Goldsmith with Pat Metheny, "Day Of Anger" by Riz Ortolani, "Unchained (The Payback/Untouchable)" by James Brown with 2Pac, "Who Did That To You?" by John Legend, "100 Black Coffins" by Rick Ross, "Trinity (Titoli)" by Annibale E I Cantori Moderni and many more.

Genius work from one of the greatest Southern Soul studios ever – Muscle Shoals' legendary Fame Studios – the start of a huge wave of great music in the 60s, and a genre-changing sound that's still going strong today! The package is the best we've ever seen to look at Fame – not just a killer selection of the studio's music – 75 tracks that bring together rare singles, hits, and some lesser-known gems – but also a beautiful hardcover book, filled with pages and pages of great notes, vintage images, and more – really telling the unique take of Fame, producer Rick Hall, and all the mighty talents who helped make Muscle Shoals one of the most important sites for soul music in the 60s and 70s. Titles include "Ten Miles High" by David & The Giants, "Search Your Heart" by George Jackson, "Let Them Talk" by Dan Penn, "Two In The Morning" by Spooner's Crowd, "Lady In The Rain" by Lowell Fulson, "Wanted Lover" by James Govan, "Grits & Gravy" by The Fame Gang, "Get Involved" by George Soule, "What Color Is Love" by Roscoe Robinson, "Laugh It Off" by The Tams, "Thief In The Night" by Ben & Spence, "Take Me Just As I Am" by Mitty Collier, "I'm Just A Prisoner" by Candi Staton, "Thread The Needle" by Clarence & Calvin, and "Slippin Around With You" by Art Freeman.

We can't get enough of Fame Records – that legendary powerhouse of southern soul in the 60s and 70s – and fortunately, the vaults of the studios have finally been opened after all these decades – and we're really getting the full picture of all the genius that went down in Muscle Shoals! This tremendous little package is essential southern soul listening for both the collector and newcomer – a whopping 24 tracks that virtually define the sound of the genre at its height – handled perfectly by producer Rick Hall and his core combo of crack musicians – working way past cliche to create some tremendous music on the set! A few of the artists here are names you'll know from Fame hits, a few more are lesser-knowns from the scene at the time – and a few more are even completely unknown – singers who weren't listed on the master tapes or studio records, but who are issued here because their vocals are so great. Titles include "Long Ago" by Ben & Spence, "It Tears Me Up" by James Barnett, "Take Me Back" by George Jackson, "Unfortunately" by Jackie, "Have Pity On Me" by Billy Young, "Don't Let It Be Sad" by June Conquest, "Fool For A Woman" by Prince Phillip, "Take It All Off" by Clarence Carter, "Are You Teasing Me" by Linda Carr, "I Can't Stop" by Big Ben Atkins, "Get In A Hurry" by Joe Simon, and "Midnight Affair" by George Soule.

From Rick James' girlfriend to one of the biggest soul stars of the early 80s, Teena Marie more than earned her place at Motown – and she gave the label some of its biggest-selling albums in the post-Marvin years. This set of 14 cuts includes some of her best moments from those days – like 'I'm A Sucker For Your Love", "Behind The Groove", "Yes Indeed", "Don't Look Back", "Deja Vu", "Square Biz", and the perennial fave "Portuguese Love".

A warm, easygoing and sprawling 2CD set from the Expansion and Jazz FM team – the third and best yet in their Funky Sensation series – with both hits and relatively underappreciated numbers! It's wonderful stuff all the way – and well chosen by Mike Vitti & Ralph Tee – with full-length treasures by Roy Ayers, Rick James, Cameo, Rene & Angela, Willie Hutch, Dazz Band, Charles Earland, Teen Marie and The Gap Band to name but a few. What we love about the Funky Sensation series is the sort of informal, unfussy vibe. It's not so much about shining a lot on particular labels, producers or well-defined scene – and very much about simply putting together some sensationally funky, jazzy and soulful music, nearly all of it from the mid 70s to early 80s, together in a generous double-sized set! 26 tracks on 2CDs – and over 150 minutes of music. Includes "Running Away" by Roy Ayers, "Circles" by Atlantic Starr, "Now That We Found Love" by Third World, "So Fine" by Howard Johnson, "Man Power" by Lalomie Washburn, "I Believe In Miracles" by The Jackson Sisters, "I Need Your Lovin'" by Teena Marie, "I'l Be Good" by Rene & Angela, "Get It Up For Love" by Tata Vega, "Outstanding" by The Gap Band, "Let The Music Play" by Charles Earland and many more.

A stellar collection of far reaching 70s funk – bridging schools of funk brilliantly – from fusiony grooves, to disco, to rawly raucous, and smoothed out and soulful – a mix of famous material that crossed over with others that are best known to crate diggers! The set's in the German Jazz Club series – and includes great stuff from Deaodato, Pleasure, Rose Royce, Betty Davis, Parliament, Rick James, The Bar-Kays, Ohio Players, Southside Movement and many more. 18 tracks in all: "Funk Yourself" by Deodato, "Let's Dance" by Pleasure, "Supernatural Feeling" by Blackbyrds, "Unfunky UFO" by Parliament, "This Is It" by Betty Davis, "Blow Your Head" by Fred Wesley & The JBs, "Shake Your Rump To The Funk" by Bar-Kays, "Funk Talk" by Southside Movement and more.

A lost little gem from the Rick James camp – a bit obscure, despite the fact that Val's a former Bride Of Funkenstein! Val's not as well known as some of the other artists that Rick James worked with back in the 80s – but given her resume, she's got a solidly soulful sound that works perfectly with the hook-heavy tunes on the set! The style's a great blend of 80s groove and some of the more mainstream soul modes of the time – bouncy little tunes that are heavy on keyboards and rasping guitar – served up with a tight sound, but still a few shades to the left of chart soul – in a way that keeps things pretty darn fresh throughout! Rick James "conceived" the album, and arranged, produced, and mixed a number of tracks – and titles include "Mind Games", "Seduction", "Make Up Your Mind","Tellin' Me Lies", "If You Should Ever Be Lonely", and "Come Hang Out".

A stunning solo effort – Teena's second on Epic, and proof that she could still put out the goods on her own! Don't worry about the absence of Rick James here – as things are mighty tight, and right on the money – that wicked blend of funk and soul that got Lady T a great start right out of the box – still undeniably one of the most powerful one-woman moments in soul music! Teena wrote, arranged, and produced the whole thing – and tracks include "Light", "Jammin", "Out On A Limb", "Alibi", "Youngblood", "Lovergirl", and "My Dear Mr. Gaye". CD also features 5 bonus tracks – "Lover Girl (US single)", "Lovergirl (US 12" dance mix)", "Lovergirl (US single inst)", "Jammin (dance – long)", and "Out On A Limb (12" single edit)".

Subtitled "Live At the Apollo Vol 3", but waaay better than any of the earlier volumes, this monster 2LP live set has James and the JB's wailing away in a freewheeling live set of hard hard hard funky grooves. Excellent work by the band, and a great way to see how sharp they were out of the studio, and proof that their funkiness was not the product of any clever editing tricks. Stone cold all the way through, with lots of great funky solos, cool rapping by James, and long versions of tracks like "Sex Machine", "Escape-Ism", "Make It Funky", and "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose".

The first great, label-spanning compilation of great 50s & 60s tracks by a variety of artists with some little in common in some cases, but share at least one unbreakable bond – they recorded these tracks with the incredible James Burton on guitar! It's got fiery, pivotal rockabilly Dale Hawkins and Bob Luman, pop takeover numbers by Ricky Nelson, rustic charisma from Lee Hazlewood, benchmark honky tonk from Merle Haggard, harmony country rock from Buffalo Springfield and much more – including numbers credited to James Burton himself and with Ralph Mooney. Includes "Susie-Q" by Dale Hawkins, "Red Hot" by Bob Luman, "Cannonball Rag" by James Burton, "Blood From A Stone" by Ricky Nelson, "A Child's Claim To Fame" by Buffalo Springfield, "Swamp Surfer" by Jimmy Dobro, "Someday, Someday" by The Shindogs, "Just For A While" by Carol Williams, "Tryin' To Be Someone" by David & Lee and more.

An amazing full length collection of work from Rickey Calloway – an artist we've really only known from individual singles, but one who packs a hell of a punch in the space of this rock-solid CD! Rickey's groove is right out of the James Brown camp of the glory days – tight tight tight instrumentation, filled with lots of riffing grooves that are right on the beat – topped with Rickey's amazing vocals, which feel like they're lifted from some obscure funky 45s from back in the day! Production is nice and raw on most numbers and there's a few mellower deep soul tracks which help round out the sound wonderfully – giving the set the full scope you might normally expect to hear from Lee Fields. The packaging on this one's a bit slim, but the music's totally great – and the set features 16 killer cuts that include "Tell Me", "Lose It", "Shed A Tear", "Groove Master", "Get The Groove", "That's The Way", "Paying My Dues", "Get It Right", "A Letter", "I'm In Love", and "The Feeling".

A trio of sex film soundtracks from 70s England – but done in a way that's a lot classier than you might expect! The sounds here aren't the usual bump-n-grind you might expect from US porno – and instead, the tunes are really great soundtrack numbers, penned with a distinct undercurrent of sound library work of the period – sweet jazzy moments, soft erotic themes, electric touches, and some subtle funky bits too – mostly used in very short cues for the film, but occasionally stretched out to more song-long levels as well. The package is a great discovery – given that we haven't seen the films or heard the music at all – and it features a whopping 34 tracks that include "Heavy Keyboard", "Tight For Time", "Tricky Hand", "On Stage", "Bicycle Girl", "Home Again", "Fiona's Theme", "You Turn My Legs To Water", "The Tension Mounts", and "House Of Straw".

Great lost work from the legendary Phil Cohran and his Artistic Heritage Ensemble – a composition that was recorded during the group's late 60s years on the Chicago scene – but which has never been released until now! The album stands beautifully alongside the group's self-titled classic and their tribute to Malcolm X – and like those amazing records, this one has a feel that's all its own – an exploration of Moorish elements in Spanish culture – which comes off as a Latin-inflected sound with African roots! The lineup here is similar to other Cohran classics – Donald Myrick on baritone sax, Charles James Williams on alto, Eugene Easton on tenor, Charles Handy on trumpet, Willie Woods on trombone, Aaron Dodd on tuba, Pete Cosey on guitar, Henry Gibson on congas, and Louis Satterfield on bass – a mix of musicians that includes members with Sun Ra and Earth Wind & Fire listed in their resumes! Cohran's vision in the suite is wonderful – and the music has all the depth and righteous energy of his self-titled record, but a bit more Latin fire too – a beautiful blend that really makes us appreciate his genius even more than before, and which finally gives us another record of his to love after all these years.

Ravi Coltrane's first album for Blue Note – put together here with production help from Joe Lovano, who also plays a bit of guest tenor too! The album's got a really dark edge – and really works strongly in those edgier sides of the spectrum – those modes that Coltrane's developed best in the past decade or so – which are almost more saxophonic elements of a maturing Wayne Shorter than they are those of his famous father! Ravi's got a good sense of space between his notes – never bridging the gaps with flurries of sound, and instead making these bold statements that swing together nicely, with help from a lineup that includes Geri Allen and Luis Pedromo on piano, James Genus and Drew Gress on bass, and EJ Strickland and Eric Harland on drums. In addition to tenor from Lovano on two tracks, the set also features some guest trumpet from Ralph Alessi – on titles that include "The Change My Girl", "Spirit Fiction", "Klepto", "Roads Cross", "Cross Roads", "Yellow Cat", and "Check Out Time".

One of the greatest grooves from the legendary Desco Records years – a brilliant album of modern Afro Funk done by The Daktaris – in a groove that's just as hard-hitting as any of Fela's work from the 70s! The album was one of the first to bring back an older African style to current funk – and even years later, it's still one of the best examples of the sound – a razor-sharp session that helped set the stage for better-known Antibalas work to come! Percussion and guitar is super-heavy throughout – produced with that bare-bones Desco style, and handled in a way that makes you think the record might be some treasure from mid 70s Nigeria – a trick the label tried to pull when it was released! Cuts include a cover of Fela's "Upside Down", James Brown's "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose", and the originals "Super Afro-Beat", "Daktari Walk", "Voodoo Soul Stew", and "Quiet Man Is A Dead Man".

A killer album of soul jazz piano instrumentals – produced by James Brown! The Dee Felice Trio were a groovy combo from Cincinnati, and James Brown took a shine to them at some point in the late 60s. They backed James on one record, but their big moment was this album – which had James producing, and the group grooving nicely on some hard piano jammers! The sound's a lot more stripped-down than usual for James, but the groove is very nice! Includes an excellent funky version of "There Was A Time", a great cover of Marcos Valle's "Crickets Sing For Anamaria", and the tracks "Summer In The City", "In Heat", "Both Sides Now", and "Never". Features 3 bonus tracks too – "Nightingale", "Little Liza Jane", and "There Was A Time (single version)".

A trio of Blue Note albums from guitarist Stanley Jordan! First up is Magic Touch – a crucial album for the jazz guitar in the 80s – the debut effort of Stanley Jordan, and a set that exploded with a very fresh sound! Jordan has a really unique way of handling his instrument – playing up and down the fret board with both hands – in ways that are often so lyrically compelling and musically complicated that Blue Note had to package the album with a "warning" that there were no overdubs or production tricks on the set – as you might find from other contemporary players on labels like ECM! Instead, Stanley's got a sound that's surprisingly warm and personal – and which, in a way, is recorded with a style that echoes the legend of his initial discovery by the label, while playing in the subway. Titles include "A Child Is Born", "Fundance", "Angel", "The Lady In My Life", "Round Midnight", and "Eleanor Rigby". On Standards Vol 1, guitarist Stanley Jordan takes on a set of standards – not just older tunes from the American songbook, but also some gorovy soul and pop numbers as well! Jordan plays solo throughout – in that open, lyrical style that we loved on his debut – and titles include "Sunny", "The Sound Of Silence", "Send One Your Love", "Moon River", "Guitar Man", and "My Favorite Things". Flying Home features Stanley Jordan in a new sort of soulful setting – one that takes his guitar from the previous solo setting of initial Blue Note albums, and gives it a fuller and smoother groove overall! The production and arrangements are by Preston Glass – a master of smooth jazz in these early years, and one of the few who could still keep things deeply soulful, even while adding in some more mainstream elements – in this case just the right touches to help get Jordan's guitar across to the same 80s audience that was digging cats like Earl Klugh or Bob James. Glass plays a fair bit of keyboards in the set – and titles include "Tropical Storm", "Can't Sit Down", "The Music's Gonna Change", "Flying Home", "The Time Is Now", and "Brooklyn At Midnight".

Massive massive work from Starship Orchestra – a trio of talents from the Norman Connors universe, but one who get some heavy help in the studio from arrangers Bobby Lyle, McKinley Jackson, and Jerry Peters! There's a real Aquarian Dream sound at play here – all the best energy of Connors' soulful years of the mid 70s, fused into a jazzier vibe overall – played to perfection, yet without any commercial touches at all – a really amazing thing for a major label album of the time! We've loved this record for years, and easily rank it right up there with the most sophisticated grooves of the time – like the best from Roy Ayers or Leroy Hutson, with some echoes of James Mason's wonderful album too. One cut has lead vocals from Joe Saulter – and other players include Lyle and Peters on keyboards, Wah Wah Watson and Paul Jackson on guitars, Don Myrick on saxes, and Louis Satterfield and George Bohannon on trombones. The whole thing's perfect – and titles include "You're A Star", "The Genie", "All Those Things", "Serious Business", and "New York New York".

Genius work from Moody – and a larger session than usual – one that shows his strong talents with an expanded lineup! Moody's working here with players that have a definite Dizzy Gillespie Big Band bent – including trumpeter Dave Burns, trombonist William Shepherd, baritonist Pee Wee Moore, and pianist Jimmy Boyd – but they're working with Moody in a groove that's got equal parts modern alongside the bop, in a way that makes for some complicated arrangements that bristle with electricity. There's almost a bit of Gigi Gryce or Benny Golson in the spirit of the set – and Moody's work on alto is an especially good example of this on the record. Eddie Jefferson makes a great vocal appearance on "Disappointed" – and other tracks include "Little Ricky", "Big Ben", "Show Eyes", "Hard To Get", and "And You Called My Name".

A real standout set from the 80s years of trumpeter Woody Shaw – a solidly burning live set that blows away most of his studio work from the time! The album's noteworthy first of all for the presence of Bobby Hutcherson on vibes – whose soulful spiritual approach of the period dovetails nicely with the strongly righteous tone of Shaw's horn – but the rest of the group is great too, and benefits from extremely strong bass work from Stafford James, tight drums from Tony Reedus, spiraling piano lines from Mulgrew Miller, and some bold lines on trombone from a young Steve Turre! Tracks are all quite long – really flowing with an open, soulful sort of energy that really puts Shaw at the top of his power, and almost urges Hutcherson onto new heights in the process. Titles include "To Kill A Brick", "Apex", "Orange Crescent", and "All The Things You Are".

Genius work from Moody – and a larger session than usual – one that shows his strong talents with an expanded lineup! Moody's working here with players that have a definite Dizzy Gillespie Big Band bent – including trumpeter Dave Burns, trombonist William Shepherd, baritonist Pee Wee Moore, and pianist Jimmy Boyd – but they're working with Moody in a groove that's got equal parts modern alongside the bop, in a way that makes for some complicated arrangements that bristle with electricity. There's almost a bit of Gigi Gryce or Benny Golson in the spirit of the set – and Moody's work on alto is an especially good example of this on the record. Eddie Jefferson makes a great vocal appearance on "Disappointed" – and other tracks include "Little Ricky", "Big Ben", "Show Eyes", "Hard To Get", and "And You Called My Name".

An expanded version of the material that originally appeared on the Nothing Is album – stretched out here into a 2CD set that features loads of extra unreleased cuts from the recordings! The core album is one of the best non-Saturn Sun Ra albums of the 60s – material recorded live on a tour of New York colleges in 1966, and very much in a spirit that captures the Arkestra at their best! Longer tracks are juxtaposed nicely with shorter ones – in a way that has the group running very outside one minute, yet stepping soulfully back to the center the next – never schizophrenicly, but in a mode that really displays the full range of energy pulsing in the group. Interesting instrumentation on the set includes Ra on clavoline, plus Carl Nimrod on the beautiful-sounding "sun horn" – and other players include Marshall Allen on alto, John Gilmore on tenor, Pat Patrick on baritone, and James Jacson on log drum and flute. This 2CD version features both a first and second set, with even a bit of material from a soundcheck, too – a total of 25 titles that include "Theme Of The Star Gazers #2", "Is Is Eternal", "The Exotic Forest #2", "Space Aura", "Velvet", "Dancing Shadows", "Next Stop Mars", "Outerspaceways", "Shadow World", and "Sun Ra and His Band From Outer Space".

One of Sun Ra's best non-Saturn live sets of the 70s – a nice little record that shows the group mixing it up with equal parts avant garde and straight ahead jazz, all handled in that ever-growing large group style that made them a real force to be reckoned with in a concert setting! The album was recorded during the 1976 Montreux Jazz Festival, and has a bit more focus and polish than some of the other Arkestra live material from the time – a mature, coherent sound that almost points the way towards some of their work to come in the 80s – when Ra and the group were finally reaching the wider audience they deserved. The set's a double-length one, and features players who include John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, Pat Patrick on baritone, Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Craig Harris on trombone, and James Jackson on Ancient Egyptian Infinity drum – which is always a treat. Ra plays solar organ and moog, as well as piano – and titles include "Of The Other Tomorrow", "On Sound Infinity Spheres", "El Is The Sound Of Joy", "Gods Of The Thunder Realm", "Gods Of A Thunder Realm", "The House Of Eternal Being", and "Lights On a Satellite".

Heartbreaking soul from King Records – a really great side of the label's output – but one that hardly ever gets its due, given the King reputation for blues and funk! The work here is wonderful, though – every bit on a par with the best ballad soul and tear-swept tunes from the east coast indie scene of the 60s – served up with lots of slow-moving instrumentation, deep harmony vocals, and production that really seems to increase the melancholy of the music! A few names here are ones you'd not normally associate with the style, and others are great discoveries from the rich catalog of King Records – a much-needed package that's filled with rare gems! Titles include "Have No Fear" by Ricky Lyons, "Why" by James Duncan, "I Need You" by The Snapshots, "Tell the Whole World" by June Sims, "Too Much For Me To Bear" by Barbara Burton & The Messengers, "Here Comes The Hurt" by Hank Ballard, "Buddy Boy" by Charles Spurling, "Your Love Was Good For Me" by Marva Whitney, "Fran" by Thomas Bailey, "My Pillow Stays Wet" by James Duncan & The Duncan Trio, "My New Love" by Lynn Davis, and "A City Called Loneliville" by Dee Dee, Joseph, & David.

Nothing green here, as the frontline is comprised of some well-seasoned players – working together in a really soulful sort of harmony! Tenorist Ricky Ford is joined by Eddie Henderson on trumpet and Kirk Lightsey on piano – opening up wonderfully in a live set handled with classic old school modes – the same sort of style Ricky was first laying down with his early albums on Muse Records – but somehow even bolder and more mature here in these later years! Most tracks are long, and Ford does a hell of a lot with his solos – as does Henderson – and the album gets some great rhythmic energy from James Lewis on bass and Doug Sides on drums – on titles that include "Stills Swingin", "Horn & Soul", "The Melon Man", "A Maiden's Voyage", and "Green Note".

Oh No once again delivers on the conceptual front – an allstar hip hop project built on Dolemite samples – produced and arranged by Oh No and featuring a stellar guest roster with Erick Sermon, MF Doom, Evidence, Alchemist, Big Pooh, Frank Nitt, Roc C, Guilty Simpson, Jose James, Phife Dawg and more! Rudy Ray Moore and his Dolemite are a vital part of underground hip hop' DNA, so to Oh No's credit, he doesn't go for most obvious fodder or weigh it all too heavily with movie dialogue or the most memorable soundtrack bits. Like the best hip hop ever made, Oh No crafts personal, unique and original music out of samples, and this record belongs to him and his guests! Includes "Real Serious" with Evidence & Alchemist, "The Guns" feat Guilty Simpson & MED, "Time" feat Roc C & Chino XL, "Hallucinations" feat Prozack Turner, "Ohnomite Jazz", "Touch It" feat Frank Nitt, "Dues N Donts" feat Jose James & Phife Dawg, "Runnin The Show" feat Erick Sermon. CD features 2 bonus tracks: "Life Games" feat LMNO and "Overload" feat Wildchild.

They're not lying about the title on this one – as the package definitely overflows with deep disco and boogie! But even more importantly, the whole thing's plenty darn rare, too – really killer tracks that we haven't seen compiled elsewhere – and which really represent the cream of the crop of the underground 12" scene in the late 70s and early 80s. Most numbers are nice and long, and veer towards the warmer sounds of the late disco era, rather than the harder sounds in the decade to come – a great reminder that there's still plenty of soulful club gems out there if you know where to look – and in that respect, this compilation's a great place to do so. Titles include "You Don't Care (Long Version)" by China Burton, "Live For Love (12" Extended Mix)" by GC Cameron, "Hot Thang" by Cash, "Bumpsie's Whipping Cream (Savares Mix)" by TJ James & The Fist-O-Funk Orchestra, "I Need You" by Ricky Womack, "Don't Fight The Feeling (12" Mix)" by Master Force, "Closer" by Chemistry, and "Brotherson" by Ojeda Penn.

A beautiful look at the groundbreaking Vanguard Records label – a key force in the sound of folk music in the 60s – and a hell of a great place for blues, jazz, and psych as well! The package really brings together the full scope of the Vanguard contribution to music at the time – and goes out of its way to select key tracks that are career-defining moments for some artists, and important early and offbeat appearances for others – these wonderful little gems that really show the freedom and opportunities that Vanguard offers for so many artists. The package features 83 tracks in all – wrapped up with a heavy book that runs through the music on a track-by-track basis – offering up plenty of history along the way! Titles include "Rock & Roll Music" by Circus Maximus, "North Country Blues" by Bob Dylan, "Easy Does It" by Sandy Bull, "Janis" by Country Joe & The Fish, "I'm So Glad" by Skip James, "Deep River Blues" by Doc Watson, "Walls Of Time" by Bill Monroe, "Many A Mile" by Patrick Sky, "Wish I Was A Punk" by Notes From The Underground, "Soldier Blue" by Buffy Saint Marie, "Rene's Theme" by Larry Coryelle, "Sold American" by Kinky Friedman, "Sail" by Oregon, "Mobile Line" by Jim Kweskin, "Dope Again" by Serpent Power, "Hello Stranger" by Mike Seeger, and "The Death Of Stephen Biko" by Tom Paxton.

Sun Ra's really moving forward with this classic set – refining the sound of his Chicago-based Arkestra, and reaching for new territory that moves him way past familiar jazz modes! The cover bills the group as playing "music from tomorrow's world" – and you can definitely hear that on some titles here, including one number that features Ra on some really haunting celeste, and another that features Marshall Allen making weird noises with his mouthpiece! The group is all greats from the old days – John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on flute, Pat Patrick on baritone and flute, James Spaulding on alto and flute, Hobart Dotson on trumpet, Charles Davis on baritone, and Ronnie Boykins on bass – and titles include "Hours After", "Saturn", "Ancient Ethiopia", and "Blues At Midnight".