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One of the original Dramatics, singer Ron Banks strikes out here on his own – a slept on gem from the early 80s! The set's in a similar modern soul mode to LJ Reynolds, who also worked with him in the group, and was having a bit of a solo career of his own at the time. It's got sort of a D-Train feel to it – with classic male soul vocals over instrumentation that includes some slight electro touches, especially on keyboards and drum programs. Banks keeps the whole thing nice and soulful, thanks to some great vocal work, which you'll hear on the smooth mellow track "Let Love Flow", which has a beautiful down-tempo groove, and a nice two-step beat – plus the other mellow tracks like "Make It Easy On Yourself" and "You and Me". Uptempo club cuts include "Truly Bad", "Zap", and "She's So Good to Me".

The Dramatics hit an 80s groove mood here – and as on their clubbier sides from the end of the 70s, the vocals are still wonderful – and more than anything, the set's a strong soul-based set that still has the group at the top of their game! Ballads actually sparkle the best here – and showcase that wonderfully full mode that was the best side of The Dramatics harmonies – but the uptempo tunes are good, and have breakout moments that sparkle nicely. Production is by Ron Banks and LJ Reynolds, but Don Davis still oversees the whole thing – and titles include "It Ain't Rainin", "Wecome Back Home", "Love Is Here", "Be With The One You Love", and "Music Is The Peoples Choice".

One of the excellent recordings made by The Dramatics at ABC – great group soul gems that are sometimes overlooked because they didn't yield as many hits as earlier sets – but which are stellar records nonetheless! This one's got all the right elements firmly in place – killer production by Don Davis, and smooth but real harmonies from LJ Reynolds, Ron Banks, and the rest of the group. There's a few tracks that hit a smooth sort of groove that might be tagged as "disco" – but which is really just an extension of the super-dope mode that the group used in earlier years – and which has a lot more to offer than just a cheap dancefloor cash in. Titles include "Life Is Just A Playground", "Love Birds", "A Marriage On Paper Only", "I'm Hooked On You", "That's My Favorite Song", "I Think About You", and "I Just Wanna Dance With You".

One of the excellent recordings made by The Dramatics at ABC – great group soul gems that are sometimes overlooked because they didn't yield as many hits as earlier sets – but which are stellar records nonetheless! This one's got all the right elements firmly in place – killer production by Don Davis, and smooth but real harmonies from LJ Reynolds, Ron Banks, and the rest of the group. There's a few tracks that hit a smooth sort of groove that might be tagged as "disco" – but which is really just an extension of the super-dope mode that the group used in earlier years – and which has a lot more to offer than just a cheap dancefloor cash in. Titles include "Life Is Just A Playground", "Love Birds", "A Marriage On Paper Only", "I'm Hooked On You", "That's My Favorite Song", "I Think About You", and "I Just Wanna Dance With You".

Although not as instantly captivating as their work for Stax, this set for ABC is still a pretty darn great group soul album! The group haven't lost their touch vocally – and Ron Banks and LJ Reynolds are still incredible singers that push smooth soul to a whole new level. The album includes the sublime "Do What You Wanna Do", one of the best male soul slow jams of the 70s – plus the cuts "Jane", "Stop Your Weeping", "Why Do You Want To Do Me Wrong", and "California Sunshine".

Ron Banks, L.J. Reynolds, and crew deliver up a set of tracks that probably aren't their strongest work of the 70's – but which still have a nice mellow soul sound, thanks to great Detroit production by Don Davis. Tracks include "She's A Rainmaker", "Things Are Changing", "Treat Me Like A Man", and "Come Out Of Your Thing".

One of their best, and a real masterpiece of 70's group soul. The arrangements are sweet, but the group is as hard as they ever were, but free to soar in their singing with the massive arrangements provided by the Detroit Groovesville crew. Ron Banks and LJ Reynolds are in perfect form, and this album is solid all the way through. Titles include "I Dig Your Music", "How Do You Feel", "Thousand Shades Of Blue", "I Cried All The Way Home", and "Good Things Don't Come Easy".

Sweetly smooth grooving from The Dramatics – tighter than their years at Stax, but still tremendous stuff vocally – with a sound that mixes the rough and the sweet like nobody else! The album features works by a number of different producers – including group members Ron Banks and LJ Reynolds, plus Michael Henderson and Don Davis, whose talents are perhaps most responsible for the strength of any of the group's best records. David Van De Pitte does a bit of arranging on the record too – bringing in some of the fuller, clubbier styles he's known for. The album features a sublime mellow harmony track entitled "I Get Carried Away" – plus the tunes "Be My Girl", "I Can't Get Over You", "Stand Up & Move", "Finger Fever", "After This Dance", and "Say The Word".

A sweet, smooth stepper from the great Randy Brown – and a record that's got the same sublime mix of mellow grooves and earthy vocals that you might find on some of Tyrone Davis' best late 70s work for Columbia! Tunes are all plenty darn fresh – written by the team of Homer Banks and Chuck Brooks, who also produced the album – and Randy's got this way of hitting a groove that's confident, but never arrogant – a perfect late 70s masculine mode, of the sort only a handful of singers could handle this well! Titles include "Without You (I Can't Make It Through The Night)", "We Ought To Be Doin It", and "Do You Love Me?" – all of which have great hooks – plus "Do You Love Me", "Love Be With You", and "Love Formula".

An obscure record with a silly title – but a seminal batch of southern soul instrumentals, recorded at the height of the Muscle Shoals scene! The record's a really odd one in the Chess catalog – because it's got the feel of a record that should have come out on Atlantic or Capitol, or more appropriately Fame – as Rick Hall arranged and produced the record, and it features instrumentation by all his best Fame Studios session players, including Charlie Chalmers and Andrew Love on tenor, Gene Miller and Wayne Jackson on trumpet, Jimmy Johnson guitar, Spooner Oldham on piano, Carl Banks on organ, and Roger Hawkins on drums. Chalmers handles the main solo lines on tenor – cutting nice King Curtis-y lines over some well crafted southern soul grooves with a strong funky 45 feel. There's some particularly great cuts on the album – and titles include "Night Rumble", "Velvet Soul", "Groovin", "Soulin", "Two In The Morning", and "Poppin".

One of Sergio Mendes' most dreamy albums – quite different than both his vocal work with Brasil 66, and his smaller combo sides from Brazil! There's still a strong bossa component to the record – but the setting has Sergio's piano lines laid out over larger arrangements with a good jazz component – soloing beautifully with a grace and charm he sometimes didn't have on other projects! Arrangements are by some hip American talents – Clare Fischer, Bob Florence, and Richard Hazard – and the set's filled with bright horns, lush banks of strings, and cascading rhythms – all produced with exceptional sound, so that Sergio's piano goes gliding over the top in a manner that's similar to some of the Luis Eca albums in a similar format. Tracks include "Carnaval", "Boranda", "Nana", and "Bonita".

Bumping, bass-heavy jazz from Lonnie Plaxico – a set that certainly has some of the traces of the Arsenio Hall-ish image on the front cover, but also some slightly hipper elements as well! Plaxico's basswork has a nice sense of darkness on some of the best numbers – almost a version of the New York angularity from the more adventurous years of the downtown scene, turned a bit towards more common jazz modes – then smoothing out on some of the softer numbers. Players here include Greg Osby on alto and soprano, Robin Eubanks on trombone, James Weidman on piano and keyboards, and Graham Haynes on cornet – and titles include "Monotheism", "Chin Lang", "For You", "If You Only Knew", "Your Love Is Like A Dream Come True", "Love's Holiday", and "Shades".

Beautifully balanced 60s work from Archie Shepp – a record that mixes newer freedoms with sharper vision – all wrapped up with some wonderfully intense solo work! As with some of Shepp's other great dates for Impulse at the time, the group's a largeish one – a nonet of players who are arranged tightly at some moments, but set loose on their own at others – in a style that many other leaders would copy in years to come, but never really match as strongly! Trumpet is by Martin Banks and Michael Zwerin, the latter of whom also plays trombone – and other players include Reggie Workman on bass, Beaver Harris and Norman Connors on drums, and added percussion from Ed Blackwell, Frank Charles, and Dennis Charles. Shepp wrote all titles for the date – and there's a great mixture of soulful undercurrents and more angular modern edges in every tune. Titles include "The Magic Of Ju Ju", "You're What This Day Is All About", "Shazam", and "Sorry 'Bout That".

A wonderful record – one you might pass up easily, but not to be missed – as it's one of our straight jazz treasures of the 80s! The album's mostly straight ahead hardbop – recorded with a largeish group that includes Robin Eubanks on trombone, Steve Coleman on saxes, Mulgrew Miller on piano, Ralph Moore on tenor, and Wallce Roney on trumpet. The soulfulness of the players really makes the album sparkle – as all inventively blow around tightly scripted tunes laid down by Smith, driving with the fierceness of some of Art Blakey's best work towards the end of the 60s, recorded here with a lot more energy than the usual Concord session. Titles include "Just Have Fun", "Song Of Joy", "The Creeper", "A Simple Samba Song", and "Love Will Find A Way".

Some of the hippest Detroit soul of the 60s – a wealth of wonderful recordings done by legendary producer Don Davis! In the 70s, Don would make some huge marks in the mainstream with groups like The Dramatics, Dells, and others – but these sides represent the initial flowering of the Davis' genius in the Motor City – a magnificent melding of that scene's tightness with some rootsier, harder-edged vocals that really send the tunes home! We'd be hard-pressed to think of a better start to dig into the Detroit scene past Motown – and in addition to rare singles, the set also features some unissued tracks too. Titles include "Somebody Needs You" by Darrell Banks, "Love On A Lease Plan" by Johnnie Taylor, "Girl Crazy" by Sharon Soul, "A Love That Never Grows Cold" by Jackey Beavers, "I'm The One Who Loves You" by Melvin Davis, "Headache In My Heart" by Debonaires, "I Need You Like A Baby" by Andrea Henry, "Who's Kissing You Tonite" by Herman Lewis, "Has It Happened To You Yet" by Edwin Starr, "That's Why I Love You" by The Professionals, "Deeper In Love" by Robert Ward, "Friday Night" by Steve Mancha, and "When You Lose The One You Love" by Buddy Smith.

Massive work from Darrell Banks – two tracks from his rare album for Stax Records – both of them a perfect example of his unique talents! Banks was one of the deepest soul talents working on the Detroit scene of the 60s – a singer who could hit a motor city groove like the best of his contemporaries, but with raw vocal power that was much more at home alongside the best singers of the southern scene of the time. Both of these cuts show that balance beautifully – and come from some key Don Davis productions for Stax – almost the first step of that Memphis/Detroit bridge that Davis would forge even more strongly in the 70s.

Later material cut by this great singer from the Soul Children. The tracks are produced by Homer Banks, and still have a very strong sound, even though the style's a bit more modern than Blackfoot's classic work. Writing is by Betty Crutcher, Homer Banks, and Chuck Brooks – and in a way, the album's sort of an early 80s updating of the early 70s Stax sound. Titles include "Taxi", "The Way Of The City", "Street Girl", "All Because of What You Did To Me", and "Where Is Love".

A great set from Rebbie Jackson – a batch of 80s groovers that's way different than work from siblings Michael or Janet – and done with a percolating sort of vibe that's quite different from some of the core projects of the rest of the Jacksons universe! Wayne Henderson handled most of the production for the set, and brings in a nice sense of class that pushes the work far from too-commercial soul – that strong balance that always makes his name on a record one key reason to check it out! There's still a bit of Jackson influence on the vocals – as Rebbie gets help from Michael, Tito, and Randy Jackson – alongside additional guest vocals from Gary Glenn, Patryce Banks, Maxie Anderson, and The Weather Girls. Titles include "Centipede", "Play Me", "Open Up To My Love", "Hey Boy", "Come Alive It's Saturday Night", "Ready for Love", and "A Fork In The Road". CD features bonus tracks "Eternal Love (single)", "I'm Just Gonna Love You", "Play Me (12" version)", "Play Me (12" inst)", "Come Alive It's Saturday Night (ext mix)", "Centipede (12" mix)", and "Centipede (12" inst)".

One of Sergio Mendes' most dreamy albums – quite different than both his vocal work with Brasil 66, and his smaller combo sides from Brazil! There's still a strong bossa component to the record – but the setting has Sergio's piano lines laid out over larger arrangements with a good jazz component – soloing beautifully with a grace and charm he sometimes didn't have on other projects! Arrangements are by some hip American talents – Clare Fischer, Bob Florence, and Richard Hazard – and the set's filled with bright horns, lush banks of strings, and cascading rhythms – all produced with exceptional sound, so that Sergio's piano goes gliding over the top in a manner that's similar to some of the Luis Eca albums in a similar format. Tracks include "Carnaval", "Boranda", "Nana", and "Bonita".

Afro-centric jazz from the 70s through the 90s – a real spiritual journey in music, compiled from a host of hard to find records, most of which are long out of print! The music on the collection is from three different decades, but the set's got a wonderfully unified feel – thanks to a strong spiritual current that runs through all the tunes, and a linked heritage of performance that was shared by many of the players over the years. Tracks are from a very diverse set of sources – including many American and European indie labels of the 60s and 70s – and all tunes are long, soulful, and plenty darn righteous! Titles include "Song For Mozambique" by Archie Shepp, "Africa" by Sathima B Benjamin, "The Almoravid" by Joe Chambers, "Our Roots Began In Africa" by Pharoah Sanders, "Days Gone By" by Moe Koffman, "Children" by Nation/African Liberation Arts Ensemble, "Mrafu" by Nate Morgan, "Afro Blue" by J Life, "Desert Fairy Princess" by Adele Sebastian, and "Banks Of The Nile" by Carlos Garnett.

A brilliant testament to the righteous power of soul music in the civil rights era – and key proof that even a subtle message could do a lot back in the day! The package presents the work in roughly chronological order – starting from a time when politics had to be peddled softly, and moving towards a time when things could be a bit more explicit – showing a great evolution of themes of pride and power, offered up in tunes both familiar and obscure. The collection is way more than a "hip hits of the 60s" sort of set – and acts almost as a mini-documentary of the contributions of soul music to civil rights – supported by a great set of notes and photos in the booklet. We're especially happy to see the track "Have You Ever Seen The Blues" by Yaphet Kotto – alongside 22 more titles that include "Blues For Mr Charlie" by Lou Gosset & Joe Lee Wilson, "The Ghetto" by Homer Banks, "We're A Winner" by The Impressions, "When Will We Be Paid" by The Staple Singers, "Oh Lord Why Lord" by Parliament, "Message From A Black Man" by The Spinners, "Run Charlie Run" by The Temptations, "Cryin In The Streets (parts 1 & 2)" by George Perkins & The Silver Stars, "Free At Last" by Jackie Day, "Someday We'll All Be Free" by Donny Hathaway, and "The Prayer" by Ray Scott.

Things definitely get plenty deep on this jazz trip – a great run through the 70s catalog of Muse Records, and one that's filled with some incredible bits that we'd rank right up there with the best work of the time on labels like Black Jazz or Strata East! Muse always had a way of really letting its artists do their thing – and you'll heard that clearly on some of the best cuts here – numbers that offer up surprisingly vibrant sides of the artists included, usually with some righteous undertones. Titles include Eddie Jefferson's rendering of "Freedom Jazz Dance" (and a very crazy one at that), Charles Earland's excellent stormer "Murilley", Kenny Barron's "Swamp Demon", Walter Bishop Jr's "Soul Village", Joao Donato's "Night Tripper", "Old Man Moses" by Grant Green, and three nice ones by Carlos Garnett – "Good Shepherd", "Banks Of The Nile", and "Taurus Woman", from the classic Black Love LP.

Very soulful jazz from Avery Sharpe – who plays acoustic and electric bass on the set – on the bassist and composer's wonderful tribute to and African American abolitionist and women's rights advocate Sojourner Truth! The record is an effective tribute to the brave woman it's named after, and it's also an enlightening one – but it's also a remarkably timeless jazz album by Avery, who has played in bands with some of greatest living legends over the years, as well as writing and recording great work of his own! Onaje Allan Gumbs is on piano, Craig Handy on saxes, Yoron Israel on drums and Duane Eubanks on trumpet. Includes "Isabella's Awakening", "Bomefree", "Ain't I Woman?", "Truth Be Told" and more, a nice version of "Motherless Child" with vocals by Jeri Brown, "Virtuous She Is" and more.

Dark tales from the mid-century American scene – a host of rare blues, folk, and country numbers that went onto become inspiration for a host of rockers in later years! The package is put together with a Mojo stamp of approval – and features the original recordings of tunes that are key roots for Bob Dylan, Led Zepplin, Ry Cooder, Johnny Cash, and others – some classics, others a fair bit more obscure – and brought together here with thoughtful notes by Dave Henderson of Mojo. Titles include "Cast Iron Arm" by Peanuts Wilson, "Vigilante Man" by Woody Guthrie, "Dying Crapshooter's Blues"by Blind Willie McTell, "John Hardy Was A Deperate Little Man" by The Carter Family, "Stack O Lee" by Mississippi John Hurt, "Banks Of The Ohio" by Bascom Lamar Lunsford, "Pretty Polly" by Dock Boggs, "Jesse James" by Almeda Riddle, "Prison Cell Blues" by Leroy Carr, "The Gallis Pole" by Leadbelly, "Ornie Wise" by GB Grayson, and "Miss Otis Regrets" by Ethel Waters.