All Categories — All Formats  

Spacey funk and electronic sound library grooves from the mid 70s to early 80s – great stuff with a focus on the neon lighted, pulsating synth enhanced sounds of a perceived future – and previously unreleased! It's earliest material in the set is a Bernard Estardy track from 1975 that feels like a real precursor to the later grooves to come – Moog heavy spaciness that's more akin to early 80s grooves – which this set is heavily steeped in – with material by Marc Monsen, John Fiddy & Sammy Burdson, Gunter Greffenius, James Saunders and many more. Electro disco theme music, dramatic synth sequences, space funk and synth sounds galore! Includes "Robotory" by John Fiddy & Sammy Burdson, "Evasion" by Claude Perraudin, "Jupiter" by Gaston Borreani, "A Chance To Win 1 & 2 (Edit)" by Milan Pilar, "Video Funk" by VDB Joel, "Hercules" by Chris Evans-Ironside, "Tic Tac Ring" by Bernard Estardy, "Space Race" by Sammy Burdson, "Point Of Impact" by Gunter Greffenius and more. 16 tracks in all.

Classic schooled superhero team Czarface – with Wu Tang veteran Inspectah Deck with 7L & Esoteric – and they get even heavier with a guest appearance Action Bronson! Includes the standout "Czardi Gras (It's Raw Again)" plus the instrumental and "Wake Up Show" promo spot of the B-Side.

Wicked grooves from the German scene of the 70s – that stretch of the sound library generation when things were getting even more electronic than before – and picking up some great funky dancefloor modes in the process! Most of these numbers are heavy on keyboards – especially the more electronic types that warrant the "cosmic" in the title of the collection – usually delivered over clean, clear, upbeat rhythms that bring plenty of club, disco, and boogie modes to play in the process! Think of this one as the blueprint for the best Euro club sounds of the late 70s and early 80s – but since the tunes are even shorter and more focused, they pack a hell of a lot more punch too! Features work from sound libraries that include Media Music, DeWolfe, Sonimage, Jollymay, Golden Ring, Intersound, and more – with cuts that include "Greenwich Street" by Klaus Weiss, "Bacchanales Estardiennes" by Bernard Estardy, "Poursuite Dans La Nuit" by Roger Davy, "Spectator" by Tom Elliot, "Coordinates Meeting" by Peter Thomas, "Bio Rhythm No 3" by Thomas Clausen, "Flying Objects" by Roger Webb, and "Ele Toldoth" by Helmuth Brandenburg.

Stunning funk from the UK sound library scene of the 70s – a second great entry in this series that really ups the ante for the genre! The tunes here are pulled from a host of leading production companies at the time – and they offer up a sweet array of instrumental modes from the period – from jazzy riffing grooves to more ambitious soundtrack numbers with a really complicated vibe – yet one that never strays from the core funk promised in the title! In addition to offering cover scans of the original record, the package also tells a brief history of each imprint involved – Peer, Rouge, Programme, Bruton, and others – kind of a mini-lesson in sound library stalwarts – set here to some very groovy tunes. Titles include "City Police" by Dave Gold, "Nevada Junction" by Steve Gray, "Hot Property" by Keith Mansfield, "Fuel Injection" by Alan Hawksworth, "Flash Barrier" by John Hawksworth, "Beatin It" by T Elerth, "Thrust" by Nick Ingman, "Fast Drive" by Frank McDonald & Gerry Shury, "Gun Man" by John Saunders, "Product Efficiency" by Johnny Pearson, "Punch Drunk" by Duncan Lamont, "Riff Raff" by Martin Kershaw, and "Hit Man" by Sound Prospect.

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

Spacey funk and electronic sound library grooves from the mid 70s to early 80s – great stuff with a focus on the neon lighted, pulsating synth enhanced sounds of a perceived future – and previously unreleased! It's earliest material in the set is a Bernard Estardy track from 1975 that feels like a real precursor to the later grooves to come – Moog heavy spaciness that's more akin to early 80s grooves – which this set is heavily steeped in – with material by Marc Monsen, John Fiddy & Sammy Burdson, Gunter Greffenius, James Saunders and many more. Electro disco theme music, dramatic synth sequences, space funk and synth sounds galore! Includes "Robotory" by John Fiddy & Sammy Burdson, "Evasion" by Claude Perraudin, "Jupiter" by Gaston Borreani, "A Chance To Win 1 & 2 (Edit)" by Milan Pilar, "Video Funk" by VDB Joel, "Hercules" by Chris Evans-Ironside, "Tic Tac Ring" by Bernard Estardy, "Space Race" by Sammy Burdson, "Point Of Impact" by Gunter Greffenius and more. 16 tracks in all.

Wicked grooves from the German scene of the 70s – that stretch of the sound library generation when things were getting even more electronic than before – and picking up some great funky dancefloor modes in the process! Most of these numbers are heavy on keyboards – especially the more electronic types that warrant the "cosmic" in the title of the collection – usually delivered over clean, clear, upbeat rhythms that bring plenty of club, disco, and boogie modes to play in the process! Think of this one as the blueprint for the best Euro club sounds of the late 70s and early 80s – but since the tunes are even shorter and more focused, they pack a hell of a lot more punch too! Features work from sound libraries that include Media Music, DeWolfe, Sonimage, Jollymay, Golden Ring, Intersound, and more – with cuts that include "Greenwich Street" by Klaus Weiss, "Bacchanales Estardiennes" by Bernard Estardy, "Poursuite Dans La Nuit" by Roger Davy, "Spectator" by Tom Elliot, "Coordinates Meeting" by Peter Thomas, "Bio Rhythm No 3" by Thomas Clausen, "Flying Objects" by Roger Webb, and "Ele Toldoth" by Helmuth Brandenburg.

The standout set from Donna Allen – a real up-and-comer in 80s soul music, and a singer who'll always be remembered for this gem of an album! The record's got a positive, upbeat groove that works perfectly with Allen's vocals – a style that's bit lighter and more fluid than some of the more commercial soul of the time, yet still very much right on the money in the hook department – often served up with the kind of keyboards and basslines that would have been used with other artists a few years before. The album's mellower cuts really let Allen open up and show her vocal range – and titles include "Daydreams", "Satisfied", "Sweet Somebody", "Serious", "Wild Nights", "Bit By Bit", and "Another Affair". CD features bonus tracks – "Serious (12" ext)", "Satisfied (12" long)", "Sweet Somebody (12" rmx)", "Serious (single)", "Satisfied (single)", "Sweet Somebody (single)", and "Serious (12" delirious mix)".

A pair of hard-wailing tenor albums on Verve – both of them great! Boss Tenors In Orbit is a studio album, but one that really has Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt recreating some of the bold energy of their live shows – coming across with a vibe that's much more Prestige Records than Verve, thanks to the presence of the Don Patterson trio on the set! Backing is by Don on Hammond, Paul Weeden on guitar, and Billy James on drums – a nicely loose combo that really lets the tenorists stretch out and show their stuff. The cuts are mostly standard material – "John Brown's Body", "Walkin", "Long Ago And Far Away" – but the twin-tenor sound is great, and Patterson's free organ lines riff away nicely! On Boss Tenors, Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt go head to head in this classic album of tracks that perfectly captures the joy and fury of their live performances from years before! The record was cut in Chicago with a very hard rhythm section that includes John Houston on piano, Charles Williams on bass, and George Brown on drums – and it's way heavier than the usual Verve "meeting of the masters" session, and feels more like a record that should have been issued on Prestige or Argo. Both players are impeccable, and the solos stretch out for a long long very live time. Titles include "Blues Up & Down", "The One Before This", and "Counter Clockwise" – but these guys even groove amazingly on standards like "Autumn Leaves" and "No Greater Love".

The vibrations here are mighty heavy – a wicked bottom that gives way to some righteous female vocals – all tied together by little horn solos that show an almost equal jazz tip to the single as well as funk! The drums are especially nice – tight and heavy – and there's some great funky flute that comes in even more strongly on the flute mix on the flipside!

Derek Bailey in all of his unfettered glory – working here solo, on some very extended passages – on a great recording that offers up the entirety of a full concert from the end of the 80s! Bailey's guitar work here seems to be even more inventive than his famous experiments of the 70s – amazing work on the strings that still seem to have a sense of musicality, even when reaching for strange sounds and timings – that sense of soul that always comes through in his music, and which makes all the other folks who try to copy his mode just fall flat in their attempts! The performance features two long passages – "Let's Hope We're All In The Right Place" and "We Could Be Here For A Few Hours" – and the shorter "Which Bit Would You Like Again" – titles that all show the wit that Bailey brings to his playing too.

Man, these guys really know how to groove – and even on a bigger label, with a more commercial image, they still manage to come up with a tight little set! There's a key ear for a bassline and beat that keeps The Bar-Kays standing stronger than most of their contemporaries – a sense of rhythm schooled in years of indie funk that comes through even on the mellower cuts here – which themselves show an even better side of the group in this generation, one that comes across great here on a few slower numbers that have a sweetly stepping groove. Titles include "Nightcruising", "Freaky Behavior", "Feels Like I'm Falling In Love", "Touch Tone", "Hit & Run", "Unforgettable Dream", "Traffic Jammer", and "Backseat Driver". CD also features a bonus single mix of "Hit & Run".

Really early sounds from the great John Barry – a huge amount of tracks recorded with his combo for the Drumbeat TV show in the UK! The program had a strong focus on the emerging rock and roll sounds of the late 50s – and the John Barry Seven were a perfect group to provide musical accompaniment – professional enough to handle the gig in just the right way, but youthful enough to come up with plenty of sharp-edged sounds! The instrumentation's often heavy on guitar, but features some trumpet lines from Barry too – and although the set features some instrumentals by the group, there's also a lot of vocal numbers – with singers who include Derry Hart, Adam Faith, Bob Miller, Sylvia Sands, Roy Young, Vince Eager, and others. 40 tracks in all – including "Mad Mab", "Bees Knees", "Don't Leave Me", "Slippin & Slidin", "Rockin Sandy", "Get Happy", "Italian Style", "Beatnik", "Catwalk", "I Go Ape", "Shame On You Miss Johnson", and "Buzzin".

A sweet debut from soul singer Regina Belle – a nice dose of class and sophistication in the world of mid 80s R&B! Regina's got a well-developed style right from the start – the kind of poise that you might hear from someone like Phyllis Hyman, especially on the mellower cuts – with nice undercurrents of jazz that really help send the whole thing home – and really keep the album away from cloying commercial styles too! The set features some mighty nice instrumental elements alongside the vocals – including keyboards from Dexter Wansel and alto from Don Myrick – and titles include "Show Me The Way", "Intimate Relations", "Gotta Give It Up", "So Many Tears", "Please Be Mine", and "You Got The Love". CD features lots of bonus tracks – "Without You", "Show Me The Way (ext)", "You Got The Love (rmx)", "How Could You Do It To Me (rmx)", "So Many Tears (cool mix)", and "Show Me The Way (inst)".

One man psychedelic funk jams from Blue and his Bluefunks project – bass player for the ATL's hip hop funk band (who backed Outkast live) – doing his own thing here on HomeCookedTapeHissInfestedFunks! Blue's heavy bass groove leads the way, boundlessly straddling genres and making his own style out of it all. He plays all the instrumentals on the set and does the singing – it's his show all the way. You hear his love of classic raw funk rock and psych soul throughout. Creative energy permeates the home spun vibe in away that reminds of Cody Chesnutt, but Blue's sound is all his own. "Nay...Na-Na", "Moments Golden", "See Thangz", "Act A Fool", "On The Wall", "Watcha Wanna Do", "Step It Up", "Feenin'" and more.

One of the hippest records ever to come out of Chicago – the sole recording by Boscoe, a group who was even more obscure and experimental than contemporaries like The Pharoahs or Artistic Heritage Ensemble! Like those groups, Boscoe has a very unique, very visionary approach – one that's not content just to echo the standard post-Coltrane modes that other spiritual jazz groups around the country were hitting – but which instead moves into territory that touches on the darker sides of funk, soul, and spoken word of the time – all with a message that's incredibly powerful, and conception that's wonderfully fresh throughout! The group's lineup features tenor, trumpet, trombone, guitar, bass, and drums – but they way they're put together is often far different than other funky combos – and it's clear that the group had as much of a sensibility about the overall sound of their record as they did their freer grooves. At times, there's a righteousness here that recalls the best of the early Westbound Records scene from Detroit – but there's an even higher agenda too, which is more in keeping with the spiritual aspriations of their Chicago contemporaries, and which really show up in the lyrics. The whole album's a masterpiece from start to finish – unlike anything that we can think of, still ripe for rediscovery today, and just the kind of set that makes us prouder than ever of our Chicago heritage! Titles include "We Ain't Free", "Money Won't Save You", "Now and Den", "He Keeps You", "I'm What You Need", and "Writin' On The Wall".

A set that definitely lives up to its title – a stone stormer from Brainstorm – one of the tightest funky ensembles of their generation, and one of the few who could go deep while still laying down a groove! The set's got a perfect balance of modes – enough of the appeal of bigger mainstream funk acts of the time, but also some righteous undercurrents that really show the group's roots – both in the approach of the lyrics, and in the jazzy instrumentation of the backings – which often show a righteous side of the group that's mighty surprising! The record's one that just grows and grows with each new listening, and is put together with some great sharp-edged production by Jerry Peters – who has a way of showcasing all the most interesting elements, while still keeping things focused too. Titles include the classic "Wake Up & Be Somebody" and "Loving You Is Really My Game" – plus "Waiting For Someone", "We Know A Place", "Hangin' On", "Easy Thangs", and "This Must Be Heaven". Great expanded version – in a cool book-like cover, with new notes, and bonus tracks that include "Lovin Is Really My Game (parts 1 & 2)", "Lovin Is Really My Game (single mix)", "Wake Up & Be Somebody (long)", and "Wake Up & Be Somebody (short)".

The first-ever full length set from Bronx River Parkway – a wonderful blend of Latin and funk styles that follows beautifully from their strong run of funky 45s! The groove here is sort of a deeper, dirtier take on the Fania sound of the 70s – almost a re-imagining of the late 60s Latin Soul vibe, pretending that it still held on strongly through the following decade – and picked up all sort of weird little twists, turns, and unusual instrumental elements! The group's ties to the El Michels Affair show strongly at points – no surprise, as Leon Michels is in both groups, and produced this set – but the sound is nicely different too, with a bit more of an east coast Latin vibe. Wonderful stuff overall – and proof that the right corners of the deep funk underground still know how to keep things fresh! Titles include "Song For Ray", "Agua Con Sal", "La Valla", "El Resbalon", "San Sebastian 152", "Me Toca", "Mi Corazon", "Para Los Rumberos", "Donde", and "Nora Se Ve".

Deep southern soul from vocalists Chuck Brooks, Joe Wilson and George Soule – a both gritty and and some sweeter material cut at Malaco Studios, mostly in the early-to-mid 70s – with some rare 45 numbers, and others that were never issued at all! The Chuck Brooks tracks are wonderful and show a real range, from funky, stripped down numbers to bigger productions that still have plenty soulful grit to them! The Joe Wilson tunes are just as strong – with a heavy bottom end to the rhythms, organ and vamping soul guitar in the mix, and uniquely emotive vocals from Chuck. The set's closed out by a trio of tunes by George Soule, solid, moody, a mix of soul, a bit of southern rock & pop, and Motown ballad influences. Really incredible stuff! Includes "Loneliness (Is A Friend Of Mine)", "Baby Please Don't Set Me Free", "You Can't Be In Two Places At The Same Time", "Once Up A Love Affair" and more by Chuck Brooks, "(Don't Let Them) Blow Your Mind", "Sweetness", "When A Man Cries", "Our Love Is Strong", "Don't Look Back", "Go On And Live", "Walking Away From True Love" and more by Joe Wilson, "Talking About Love", "The Easiest Think I've Ever Done" and "That's Why I'm A Man" by George Soule. 25 tracks in all!

A stone classic from Brother James – a wonderful 60s album build around the incredible track "Cold Sweat", served up here in a massive two-part version, and surrounded by a good range of material that really show James in a great variety of styles! The Godfather's vocals burst out nicely with some wonderfully soulful overtones, no matter what the tune – and titles include "Fever", "Good Rockin Tonight", "Back Stabbin", "Mona Lisa", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "Nature Boy" and "I Want To Be Around" – as well as "Cold Sweat (parts 1 & 2)".

Further genius from James Brown at the start of the 70s – a record that's starting to show some of the more open-ended grooves he'd explore with the JBs on their own albums – longer, stretched-out tracks that are way more than simple funk and soul! There's a sense of freewheeling energy here that's totally great – dynamic, powerful calls from James at the top of most tunes – and incredibly sharp work on horns and rhythm from the band – cutting grooves and turning lines like no other combo in the business, all with a great mix of deep soul and hard funk! The album features the 7 minute killer version of "Let a Man Come In & Do The Popcorn", plus "World (parts 1 & 2)", "It's A New Day (parts 1 & 2)", "Give It Up or Turn It Loose", "If I Ruled The World", "The Man In The Glass (part 1)", and "I'm Not Demanding (part 1)". A treasure trove of funk and soul!

An undisputed groover! The track's a killer uptempo one from James' later years on King – and it's got this amazing beat that snaps along at a full deep stride. Very nice stuff, and the kind of tight grooving that would show up later in his work with the JBs – done here earlier, with a great raw groove.

A slammin' set of heavy R&B numbers from James Brown – combined in here with some other nice tracks from King Records artists of the time! The set almost has the same feeling as some of the James Brown Show albums – in that James is presented with other hard-hitting artists of his time – yet the difference here is that the others are King Records giants in their own right. The album features about 50% material by James – all hard hitters that include "Suds", "Hold It", "Scratch", "Night Train", "Cross Firing", and "Night Flying" – nearly all of which are instrumentals, in the best early King tradition! These are followed up by other tunes, mostly instrumental, from other artists – including "Doin Everything" and "Switch A Roo" by Henry Moore, "Tonk Game" by Hank Marr, "Bushy Tail" by Clifford Scott, "The Wobble" by The Wobblers, and "Just A Little Bit Of Everything" by Herb Hardesty'.

Oscar Brown's score for a hip play that he wrote (one of his many plays!) – performed by him, Sivuca, and Jean Pace. Despite the "show" quality of the material, this actually stands simply as a great Oscar Brown Jr. LP, and the production is nice and intimate, and sounds just like an ordinary studio album. Sivuca's great, and his breathy voice and playing really open up Oscar Brown with some great Brazilian touches. And as usual, the writing's great, especially on tracks like "Brown Baby", "Mother Africa's Day", "Funky World", and the great version of "Afro Blue", featuring Oscar's classic lyrics. Also features a wonderful version of Johnny Alf's "Sky & Sea" – done by Sivuca with an incredible lilting groove!

The second album from disco superstar Peter Brown – and a batch of tracks that's a bit less clubby than before! Brown's emerging here more as a fully-fledged pop singer in his own right – showing at least a bit of confidence by putting himself on the front cover this time around, even though his back is to the camera! The tunes are catchy, and co-produced with Cory Wade – who'd helped so strongly with Brown's Fantasy Love Affair classic for TK Records – and there's plenty of that sweetly compressed production in this set too. Titles include the crossover classic "Love In Our Hearts" – which almost has a Queen-like chanting groove – plus "Penguin", "West Of The North Star", "Leadmeon", "Got To Get The Show On The Road", "It's Alright", and "Crank It Up".

One of the first ladies of soul music – served up here in a classic album of Atlantic Records singles from the 50s! As you'd guess from the title, the tunes are a mighty rocking batch of tracks – upbeat, hard-edged groovers that really show off Brown's strong vocal range – and which often feature the kind of bluesy, jazzy-tinged grooves that seemed to work best for her style! The album's definitely a blueprint of female soul to come – and is stuffed with classics that include "Lucky Lips", "Mambo Baby", "Daddy Daddy", "Wild Wild Young Men", "5 10 15 Hours", "So Long", "It's Love Baby", and "Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean".

A classic killer from trumpeter Tom Browne – a smoking set that still has all the jazz funk touches of his earlier records, yet which also picks up a bit of an electro vibe as well! The move here is a bit like that taken by some of Browne's labelmates on GRP at the time – particularly Bobby Broom and Bernard Wright – and offers up a great mix of jazzy roots and some of the newer sounds hitting the streets in the early 80s – a vibe that's maybe one of the first moments when older genres of music were beginning to show an influence from hip hop! Maurice Starr handles most of the production, and really makes things tight throughout – but Tom himself does a great job of keeping things interesting with the solos, augmenting the electric vibe with some rock-solid acoustic playing. Titles include "Rockin Radio", "Angeline", "Brighter Tomorrow", "Never My Love", "Mr Business", "Cruisin", and "Feel Like Makin Love". CD features bonus tracks – "Bye Gones (12" version)", "Rockin Radio (special 12" mix)", and "Cruisin (dub)".

One of the greatest albums ever from BT Express – tighter, smoother, and classier than the group's early funky disco sessions – and with a cosmic sound that shows them really growing at the time! The sound here steps off from both the group's own horn-heavy disco sides of the 70s, and from the more righteous ensemble funk work of the Earth Wind & Fire generation – and there's also a nice undercurrent of the snapping midtempo rhythms that would show up even later in the early 80s indie club scene. Funk is still very much a part of the BT Express sound – and even when coming together like an all-pro outfit, the group are still hitting hard on the rhythms and well-crafted guitar parts. A wonderful record throughout – the kind of late session that could easily be overlooked, but which represents some of the group's best work! Titles include "Takin' Off", "Does It Feel Good", "Closer", "Better Late Than Never", and "Have Some Fun".

Previously-unreleased work from the Budos Band – recorded a few years back in Brooklyn, and finally seeing the light of day on this sweet vinyl-only EP! The grooves here are wonderful – and show the group really picking up a lot of global elements in their funk – some key Ethiopian lines in the horn passages and keyboards, mixed with deeper American elements in the rhythms – all wrapped up with the kind of perfect production that's always made the Daptone label one of the most trusted imprints we know for deep funk! Stunning throughout – and why the hell they didn't release this stuff years back is beyond us – but we're more than happy to have it now. The set features 6 tracks that include "Ephra", "Nobody's Bulletproof", "Smoke Gets In", "Hidden Hand", "Mas O Menos", and "The Proposition".

Surprisingly nice work! Like the rest of Solomon's post-Atlantic LPs, this one has a sound that's different than his classic work, but which also exposes a whole new side of his talent, and range of vocals that didn't always show up for Atlantic. Solomon arranged and produced here, and the sound is mellow and a bit modern, but still with excellent southern soul touches. Most of the tracks are new, and are dedications to Martin Luther King Jr., who was the inspiration for the album. The stuff's a lot more political than most of Solomon's work, as you might guess by titles like "I Have A Dream", "Now Is The Time", "Social Change", and "Mountain Top".

Early genius from The Carpenters – a really tremendous little album, and one that's quite different than their soft rock hits of the 70s! There's a plenty playful feel to the set – energy that comes right off the best Sunshine Pop of late 60s A&M Records – to which this album is a perfect link – a mode in which the studio's as much a part of the sound as Richard and Karen's own contributions – wrapped up with a heavenly approach by producer Jack Daugherty. Tunes are simpler, sometimes more personal – and there's lots of nice basic music touches along the way – a piano here, sweet keyboard there, some gentle drums, and more – all to make the music sound totally groovy! If you've ever heard the Roger Nichols music for A&M, and wondered how he could have such a later link to this pair, this is the album to show you the way. Titles include "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing", "Your Wonderful Parade", "Turn Away", "All Of My Life", "Ticket To Ride", "Don't Be Afraid", "What's The Use", and "Someday".

One of the greatest long-form albums from the Clarke Boland Big Band – a sophisticated suite that not only shows off the writing ability of Francy Boland, but also demonstrates the group's ability to swing like a mofo, even when things are serious! The album's a jazz suite written by Boland, and dedicated to the great prisons of England – where Johnny Griffin was once kept "At Her Majesty's Pleasure", due to non-payment of some income tax. The experience of Griffin led Boland to explore the idea of the British penal system with a number of powerful emotional themes, and the result of this writing is one of the CBBB's best albums of the late 60s – filled with rich colors and tones that go far beyond the earlier modes of the group, but without some of the too-complicated elements that sometimes show up in later suites. A good part of the album's success comes from the strength of the soloists – players who include Johnny Griffin and Ronnie Scott on tenor, Tony Coe on clarinet, Sahib Shihab on flute and soprano, Kenny Wheeler and Benny Bailey on trumpets, and Ake Persson and Nat Peck on trombones. Titles include "Pentonville", "Wormwood Scrubs", "Doing Time", "Broadmoor", and "Going Straight".

Coltrane plays the blues, but in a way like nobody else – stepping off of the deeply soulful sound of his late Prestige years, and moving into even more open and exploratory space for Atlantic! The setting is bare bones and simple – and many of these numbers begin with the sort of simple vamp that might characterize a blowing session for other labels, but which still has a strong degree of focus for this date. Rhythm is from McCoy Tyner on piano, Steve Davis on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – and there's some great sharp edges from Coltrane here, especially on the numbers that feature tenor sax in the lead. Side one of the album features more standard bluesy vamps, but side two really opens up into some tremendous numbers that show the first great hint of modal energy – rollingly enchanting titles that still leave us breathless after all these years! Tracks include "Blues To Elvin", "Blues To Bechet", "Mr Syms", "Mr Day", and "Mr Knight".

A full length debut knockout for The Congregation – who had more-or-less been serving as the live soul house band on the north side of Chicago in the months leading up to Right Now Everything – and deservedly so! The group might take the most cues from classic raw soul and live show R&B – but they've also clearly soaked up plenty of garagey rhythms, uptempo blues and rave-up gospel – and most importantly, they're somehow delivering their raucous stage intensity in the studio. Vocalist Gina Bloom has the grit and the genuinely soulful spirit of singers who have been at it for decades – but this is a fairly young group – which is important, because we're hoping they'll continue to slay us for many years to come! The excellent band includes Chuck Sansone on keys and percussion, Charlie Wayne on guitar, Joe DeBord on bass, Dan Wendt on drums, Brian Crane on trumpet, Nick Nottoli on trombone and Erik Eiseman on sax. Includes the title track, "When There's Fighting", "Real Thing", "Darlin'", "High Class", "I Know You Will", "You'll Always Be Alright With Me", "I Will Forget You" and more.

A classic live album – one of the first in soul music, and a beautiful set of smooth soul tunes from Sam Cooke! Sam's singing at the high-end nitespot The Copacabana – and like many live sets performed there, this one's tailored a bit to the classy crowd at the show – but that doesn't stop him from using his voice to perfection, sweetly crafting beautiful lines on a batch of standards given the soul treatment, plus a few of Sam's own hits. And sure, it's easy to criticize this album after the release of the Live At The Harlem Square album in the mid 80s – which was recorded a year earlier, but rejected by RCA in favor of this album's crossover potential – but keep in mind that for most folks who didn't grow up with the hindsight of reissues, this album was all they had, and it still had quite an impact in the soul market. Titles include "The Best Things In Life Are Free", "Try A Little Tenderness", "If I Had A Hammer", "Twistin The Night Away", "You Send Me", and "This Little Light Of Mine".

A great 2-fer – featuring both of Noel Coward's Columbia albums in one 70s set. First up is Noel Coward In New York – a very cool album from Coward – a talent you're probably more familiar with as a playwright, but who also happens to be quite the entertainer! This album is one of two great sets that Coward recorded live in the US in the mid 50s, and they really show him opening up a lot from earlier recordings – singing with an ease and swinging style that adds a whole new level to his classic compositions. It helps that Peter Matz is handling the backing and arrangements – jazzing up Noel's tunes with a nice 50s style – and the live setting of the recordings make them come off well, especially as the audiences are very enthusiastic! Titles include "Wait A Bit Joe", "Why Must The Show Go On", "I Like America", "Luisa", "I Went To A Marvelous Party", and "20th Century Blues". Next is Noel Coward at Las Vegas, one of our favorite vocal albums of the 50s – an incredibly witty live set from Noel Coward, recorded in Las Vegas, with a very different style than some of his other records! The Noel Coward you'll hear here is still steeped in the mannered wit of his earlier plays, but he's also let himself go considerably – working in front of a live audience with an eager ear for well crafted lyrics and innuendo. The songs are mostly numbers from Coward's earlier shows, but they're sung in a hip swinging loungey style that really gives them legs – moving them past their staid roots into strong 50s vocal territory. Includes 2 great remakes of Cole Porter numbers – "Let's Do It" and "Begin The Beguine", both with Coward's own lyrics – plus "Uncle Harry", "A Bar On The Piccola Marina", "World Weary", and "Mad Dogs & Englishmen".

A collection of rare projects from southern club artist Cyril Walker – a great batch of early 80s groovers with a decidedly indie feel! The tracks are heavy on beats and keys – and the rhythms are on the more electro side of boogie – still nice and bouncy, with a definite ear for the dancefloor – but with a lean quality that strongly recalls some of the New York street soul sounds of the time – even though Cyril recorded the set in North Carolina! Some of the tracks feature female lead vocals – depending on the project – and titles include "Won't You Serve Him" by The Project, "Saturday Night" and "Will You Show Up" by Marcel Evans, and "You're A Star", "Let's Partay", "So Proud", and "Too Quick" by Mile High Pie.

With a photo like that on the cover, we've gotta say that we did Pat Dahl too! The set's a relatively obscure little vocal album, cut by a singer we've never heard of otherwise – with a sexy 60s image that either meant that she had a successful live career in small clubs, or was somebody's secret girlfriend! But despite that fact, the music is actually pretty great too – just the right sort of slinky approach to jazz that you might expect – and served up here with a surprisingly top-shelf batch of arrangements – supposedly penned only for the session by Pete Rugolo, Marty Paich, Shorty Rogers, and Benny Carter! Backings are lively, and jazzy, and titles include "Ten Cents A Dance", "Show Me", "Lonely Woman", "Someone To Watch Over Me", and "I'm In Love With the Honorable Mr So & So".

A should-be Cali country rock classic by Chris Darrow – and a real rare gem of a record we'd put right up there with the best of its kind! Multi-instrumentalist Darrow might be best known to psych enthusiasts – as he was a founding member of Kaleidoscope – but as a session player, he's worked with an eclectic roster of major players that includes Frank Zappa, Gram Parsons, Leonard Cohen, Sly Stone, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and others. His solo work is akin to some other great, but better-known Cali country rockers, and honestly, we'd rate this record up against the aforementioned Mr. Parsons – it's really that good – but with more eclectic instrumentation. Catchy songs that are well sung and expertly-crafted – with Chris playing guitars, mandolin, dobro, fiddle and just about anything else with strings on it – and some light percussion, too! Other players include Ed Black, Loren Newkirk, Arnie Moore and Mickey McGhee – plus a sweet group of backing vocalists that includes Jennifer Warren. Titles include "Beware Of Time", "Lovers Of Sleep Abed Tonight", "Shawnee Moon", "Move On Down The Line", "Song For Steven", "Cocaine Lil", "Alligator Man", "Keep On Trying", "New Zoot", "The Show Must Go On", "The Sky Is Not Blue Today" and "We Can Both Learn To Say I Love You".

A massively wonderful album from Dayton – an album that has the group really getting their groove together – still sticking a bit in the older funk mode from the past, but also bringing in some warmer, deeper touches to their music too! There's a solidness here that's undeniable – a balance of rhythms and instrumentation that few other soul groups of the time were hitting – topped by vocals that have a nice dose of jazz in the mix too, with the sort of sophistication you might expect to hear from some of Wayne Henderson's At Home productions. Production is nice and warm, never too cold or commercial – and titles include the group's great cut "The Sound Of Music" – not the theme from the Broadway show, but a great two-stepper that's instantly infectious – plus "Caught In The Middle", "It Must Be Love", "Promise Me", and "Lookin Up".

A massively wonderful album from Dayton – an album that has the group really getting their groove together – still sticking a bit in the older funk mode from the past, but also bringing in some warmer, deeper touches to their music too! There's a solidness here that's undeniable – a balance of rhythms and instrumentation that few other soul groups of the time were hitting – topped by vocals that have a nice dose of jazz in the mix too, with the sort of sophistication you might expect to hear from some of Wayne Henderson's At Home productions. Production is nice and warm, never too cold or commercial – and titles include the group's great cut "The Sound Of Music" – not the theme from the Broadway show, but a great two-stepper that's instantly infectious – plus "Caught In The Middle", "It Must Be Love", "Promise Me", and "Lookin Up".

A massively wonderful album from Dayton – an album that has the group really getting their groove together – still sticking a bit in the older funk mode from the past, but also bringing in some warmer, deeper touches to their music too! There's a solidness here that's undeniable – a balance of rhythms and instrumentation that few other soul groups of the time were hitting – topped by vocals that have a nice dose of jazz in the mix too, with the sort of sophistication you might expect to hear from some of Wayne Henderson's At Home productions. Production is nice and warm, never too cold or commercial – and titles include the group's great cut "The Sound Of Music" – not the theme from the Broadway show, but a great two-stepper that's instantly infectious – plus "Caught In The Middle", "It Must Be Love", "Promise Me", and "Lookin Up".

A much-needed look at the mighty Sugar Pie DeSanto – a singer who really rocked Chess Records back in the 60s! DeSanto came to the label already boasting one hell of a groove – a rock-solid sense of rhythm that made all of her tunes groovers right from the get-go – and a raw vocal power that easily rivaled, if not beat, that of Etta James – her labelmate at Chess, and partner on a few duet tracks here! The collection's a non-stop soul party throughout – as upbeat as Northern Soul, but with plenty of deep soul elements as well – and it's the first time many of these cuts have been brought together on CD, and certainly never before as wonderful as this. Kent serves up some great notes and vintage photos with the package – the latter of which show Sugar Pie in action on stage, clearly one of the sexiest singers to work the circuit back in the 60s! Titles include "In The Basement (parts 1 & 2)", "Soulful Dress", "Witch For A Night", "Ask Me", "Good Timin", "Mr & Mrs", "Mama Didn't Raise No Fools", "Crazy Lovin", "There's Gonna Be Trouble", "Jump In My Chest", "Somewhere Down The Line", "Use What You Got", "Never Love A Stranger", "I Love You So Much", "Go Go Power", and "I Don't Wanna Fuss".

The only full album ever recorded by the legendary Sam Dees – an artist who's probably best known for his songwriting skills on other records, but who really shines here as a lead star on his own! Dees' approach is wonderful – a bit rootsy, with some slight southern soul elements – but also righteous and progressive, with a bit of a Curtom vibe in the mix – a perfect blend for Dees' upfront presentation of the lyrics, and the powerful message in his music! And the lyrics are sublime – really thoughtful words that go way past any standard cliches – mixing the personal and politics in ways that few other records did this well – a quality that's made this one a lasting treasure for years. Titles include "Child of the Streets", "Claim Jumpin", "Troubled Child", "So Tied Up", and "Good Guys".

The only full album ever recorded by the legendary Sam Dees – an artist who's probably best known for his songwriting skills on other records, but who really shines here as a lead star on his own! Dees' approach is wonderful – a bit rootsy, with some slight southern soul elements – but also righteous and progressive, with a bit of a Curtom vibe in the mix – a perfect blend for Dees' upfront presentation of the lyrics, and the powerful message in his music! And the lyrics are sublime – really thoughtful words that go way past any standard cliches – mixing the personal and politics in ways that few other records did this well – a quality that's made this one a lasting treasure for years. Titles include "Child of the Streets", "Claim Jumpin", "Troubled Child", "So Tied Up", and "Good Guys". CD features 6 bonus singles too – including "I'm So Very Glad", "Signed Miss Heroin", "Fragile Handle With Care", "Save The Love At Any Cost", "Child Of The Streets (single)", and "So Tied Up (single)".

Rootsy work from the 70s – not disco style, per the title! We don't care whether you dub him the original Ragnam Piza or the Dub Organizer, Dillinger chats it up in nice style on this set of bouncing Bunny Lee rhythms, keeping himself busy, so you don't have to! The bionic dread unleashes a storm of microphone fury, with each track followed by it's dub version, on cuts like "African World Wide", "Truth & Right", "Don't Take Another Man's Life", "Trial & Crosses" and "Jah Show Them The Way". 12 in all.

A wonderful album – one of those underground classics that seems to show up in everyone's record collection, even though it was never a huge chart hit. Double Exposure are part of the "second wave" of East Coast vocal groups – and like their contemporaries, they mix the sweet harmony soul tradition of earlier years with the burgeoning clubby sound that was coming out of Philly. The set's produced by the Baker/Harris/Young team – who also play on the album along with the rest of the Sigma Sound crew – and the songs feature some stunning anthemic club numbers, plus a few surprisingly sweet harmony tunes. Includes their huge cut "Ten Percent", the amazing positivist groover "Everyman" – and the cuts "My Love Is Free", "Gonna Give My Love Away", and "Just Can't Say Hello". CD features some great bonus tracks too – including "Ten Percent (Walter Gibbons 12" disco)", "Everyman (Joe Claussell 12" disco)", "My Love Is Free (Tom Moulton 12" disco)", "Ten Percent (single)", "Everyman (single)", and "My Love Is Free (single)".

An excellent collection of Charles Earland's early 70s work for Prestige – a great set of grooves that trace his evolution from straight organ/tenor soul jazz, into the realm of more complicated arrangements that would show up heavily in his later fusion work! Players on the tunes include Lee Morgan, Houston Person, Virgil Jones, Melvin Sparks, Idris Muhammad, and Harvey Mason – and tracks include shorter numbers and single edits that include "Milestones", "More Today Than Yesterday", "Speedball", "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head", "Leaving This Planet", "I Was Made To Love Her", and "Black Talk".

A pair of great albums – brought together in one super-heavy package! First up is the legendary East Of Underground record – an uber-obscure LP recorded in 1971 by a group of US Army serviceman at the Armed Forces Network studios in Frankfurt, Germany – originally used as a recruiting tool during the Vietnam war! Given the strength of the set, we wouldn't be surprised if plenty of folks signed up for a tour of duty after hearing it – as the set cooks like some of the best American funk from the indie 45 world at the time. The production is nice and dark – with an echoey quality that makes us guess the album was a live recording – done by American servicemen with the feel of some backroom funk show from the Indy or Ohio scene of the 70s. Some of the tracks are familiar numbers from American hits – but redone here with a nicely gritty feel – and titles include the awesome medley "Bet'Ya Never Lose My Love California Dreamer" – plus "Higher", "Smiling Faces", "Hell Below", "Getting Over", "Popcorn/Santana", "I Love You", "Java Girl", and "Walk On By". The set also includes the Soap album – a very similar record with a mix of rock and soul, done with the same sort of US Army-endorsed approach – and some great raw production that really makes the album sparkle! Many tunes are covers, but they're played here with a gritty live energy – so that even the rock tunes feel a bit funky at times – given a really odd edge. Titles include weird versions of "Uncle Albert", "Ticket To Ride", "Southern Man", "I Just Want To Celebrate", "Get Together", and "Walk Away".

Fresh and modern big band work – with a nice dash of soul, and some of the early traces of funk that would later show up heavily in Ellis' 70s work! Tracks are long, and in compelling time structures – as indicated by the titles – and groove with an MPS-like approach to the work – strong solos bursting out from the larger band, and very strong rhythms pushing most of the tracks nicely over the top! Players include Ira Schulman, Ruben Leon, Dave Mackay, and Ron Starr – and titles include "Barnum's Revenge", "Upstart", "Thetis", "Orientation", and "Freedom Jazz Dance".

A nice collection of early work by The Emotions – pulled from their 2 early albums for Volt, as well as a few singles for the label. The set came out in 1979, and is clearly designed to catch the eye of late 70s customers hopped up on the group's disco hits – but the tracks were all recorded in the early 70s, and have a great Memphis soul sort of approach. Titles include "Baby I'm Through", "Stealin Love", "The Best Part of A Love Affair", "So I Can Love You", "Show Me How", "From Toys To Boys", and "Baby I'm Through". 14 tracks, and many are produced by Isaac Hayes & David Porter!

Amazing sounds from Fela – a previously-unreleased live show from the mid 80s – almost three times as long as a studio album, and appearing here for the first time ever! Given that there's very few live recordings of Fela at all, the album's quite a treasure – and is almost even more important, as it's one of the few from a time when Fela was hardly recording at all – yet clearly, from the concert performance, able to groove as strongly in the 80s as he could back in his heyday of 70s Afro Funk! Recording quality is a bit "live", but the album more than makes up for that fact with some very extended performances – tracks that usually spin out past the half hour mark, with even more jamming than on Fela's studio albums. Titles include "Beast Of No Nation", "Just Like That", "Confusion Break Bones", and "Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense".

Oh, the feeling here is more than good – as the album's a stunner from the legendary Jose Feliciano, the kind of set that never fails to make us smile when we hear it! Jose's really evolved here from his earliest days – going even farther past the genius of his late 60s work for RCA, and picking up a host of more righteous soul influences in the process – really coming up with a great sound for the 70s! The record is filled with surprising gems – the kind of cuts that will make you go "damn!", and have you digging for other Feliciano records from the same time. Highlights include an excellent remake of Stevie Wonder's "Golden Lady", with loads of jazzy changes – plus the originals "Virgo", "Hard Times In El Barrio", and his classic theme to "Chico and the Man" – a cut that sounds especially great on this album, in ways we never appreciated when watching the show. Other numbers include "Essence Of Love", "Stay With Me", "You're No Good", and "I've Got To Convince Myself".

These guys are great – a sublime harmony combo with a sound that's always a treat, and which makes digging up their singles always worth while! Both sides on here are wonderful – sung perfectly, and arranged by Johnny Pate with a slight lilt that really hits a sweet Chicago groove, keeping things nice and fresh, and allowing the vocals some great play!

50 brings the leaders of the '07 record sales marathon to Curtis – including Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke and Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls – plus G-Unit standbys Young Buck & Tony Yayo, and his longtime champions Dr Dre & Eminem. Titles include "My Gun Go Off", "I'll Still Kill" feat Akon, "Come & Go" feat Dr Dre, "Ayo Technology" feat Justin Timberlake, "Movin' On Up", "Straight To The Bank", "Amusement Park", "Fully Loaded Clip", "Follow My Lead" feat Robin Thicke, "Peep Show" feat Eminem, "All Of Me" feat Mary J Blige, "Touch The Sky" with Tony Yayo and more.

Bouncy, beat-heavy soul from Five Star – really stepping out strongly on this self-titled set! The music's nothing new, and very familiar to fans of mainstream soul at the time – but the group really serve things up with a stronger edge than on previous releases – handling much of the production and songwriting themselves, often with a catchy, hook-heavy style that reminds us a lot of projects from the Jackson family around the same time. Titles include "Treat Me Like A Lady", "I Can Show You Love", "Hot Love", "Feel Much Better", "I'm Still Waiting", "Don't Stop", and "Lost In You". 2CD set features lots of bonus tracks – including "Act One (7" version)", and a whopping four mixes of "Hot Love", and eleven more mixes of "Treat Me Like A Lady".

A classic 70s soul soundtrack – and a dream of a combination! Curtis Mayfield wrote the soundtrack and produced the album – and the result is a killer batch of 70s soul tracks that matches Aretha's strong vocals with the hip Curtom sound of Chicago! Aretha was still doing pretty well at this point, but the album really gave her a push – and the super-hip setting let her record some of her best work of the 70s. If you own only one Aretha Franklin album from the 70s, it should probably be this one – as the mixture of soul, funk, and soundtrack grooves is great, and a refreshing change from some of the cliches that could show up on other records. Features the sublime "Something He Can Feel", plus "Loving You Baby", "Look Into Your Heart", "Sparkle", and Jump".

Sweet guitars, creepy keyboards, and even a bit of funk from time to time – all wrapped up beautifully in this vintage horror soundtrack from Goblin! There's a bit less rock here than on other Goblin albums – and instead, there's almost a John Carpenter-like sense of spareness that comes through especially well in the keyboards – with some great moody numbers that step along in a slowly-building style, almost like the best of 70s cop show work – moving the group past some of their more rockish or jamming postures. The spare, minimal approach only seems to make things spookier than before – and titles include "Vibrazioni", "Metamorfosi", "Visioni", "Patrick", and "Transmute".

The legendary Brazilian vocal group – caught live on the Ensaio TV program! The performance is from much later years in the Golden Boys' history – far from the time of their 60s hits – but the vocals are still wonderful, and captured here with an intimacy that really lives up to the other recordings done on the famous show. There's a huge amount of tracks here – amazing how much these guys can get into the space of an hour – and some titles are English numbers, redone in a cool new Brazilian mode! Titles include "Little Darling", "Abertura", "Rua Augusta", "Quando", "E Papo Firme", "Te Amo", "Foi Assim", "Andanca", "Dois Pra La Dois Pra Ca", "Fumace", "Marcianita", "O Ritmo Da Chuva", and "Samba".

Two albums that really show why we love Benny Golson so much! Turning Point is an incredible, and oft-overlooked album from the great Benny Golson – and one of the few early albums that really point the way to his huge run of work for decades to come! The style here is a bit looser, and more open than some of Golson's previous albums – less of a focus on arrangements, and more on the spontaneous interplay between his tenor and the crack rhythm section – which features Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – a dream lineup who really make the record sparkle. But the real star of the show is Golson – who's hitting this raspy, soulful tone he never had before – much freer of soul jazz formalities, and with a modern edge that's wonderful – as you'll hear on titles that include "Alone Together", "Turning Point", "Stella By Starlight", and "Dear Kathy". On Free, things aren't as tightly structured as on some of Benny's more arranged albums of the period – and he opens up wonderfully in a small group setting – playing in a beautifully confident tone, but with a slightly raspy edge – cutting, changing, and swinging perfectly in lines that are masterfully crafted, yet full of raw emotion. The group's a thoughtful quartet, and includes Tommy Flanagan on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – and tracks that inlcude "Sock Cha", "Shades Of Stein", "Just By Myself", and "Just In Time".

Different is right – as this obscure early 60s side shows Chico Hamilton really opening up, moving past the modern chamber style of the late 50s, into the freer modal rhythms that characterized his incredible work of the 60s! The group's the beginning of that sound too – with Charles Lloyd on tenor and flute, Gabor Szabo on guitar, and Albert Stinson on bass – joined by George Bohannon on trombone, who slides around the grooves to expand the bottom of the album's sound nicely! The album's perhaps not as "eastern" as some of Hamilton's mid 60s work – but the roots of that sound are definitely there, with stretched out tracks that really show some great writing and playing working together! Titles include "Voice In The Night", "A Different Journey", "The Vulture", "One Sheridan Square", and "Sun Yen Sen".

Overlooked gems from this key reedman on the Brit modern scene of the 60s – two rare albums in a single package! First up is Movement – one of the most obscure albums recorded by Joe Harriott – leading light of the British avant scene in the 60s – and one of the best, too! The album features Harriott working with a quintet that includes Shake Keane on trumpet, Pat Smythe on piano, Bobby Orr on drums, and Coleridge Goode on bass – playing in territory that's somewhat in the neighborhood of his Abstract and Free Form albums, but also a bit more inside, with more of a focus on swinging, hard-hitting jazz. The rhythms are often quite tight and soulful, and although the album's touched with lots of angular moments – both in the solos and backings – the overall sound is wonderfully grooving and tremendously captivating! The album's got that perfect blend of modern, modal, and soul that make the best Brit jazz albums from the mid 60s so wonderful – and the set list includes original tunes such as "Movement", "Spaces", "Blues On Blues", "Revival", "Beams", and "Count Twelve". High Spirits is pretty unique – a set of takes on tunes that come from a musical show, but recast strongly as soulful sides for the Harriott combo! Pianist Pat Smythe re-arranged all tracks in the set – and really gives them a new sort of energy – opening them up for lots of solo work on his own piano, plus alto from Harriott, and some beautiful trumpet lines from the great Shake Keane – a player who always sounds great next to Joe. The rest of the group features Coleridge Goode on bass and Bobby Orr on drums – and titles include "Home Sweet Heaven", "Something Tells Me", "Go Into Your Trance", "I Know Your Heart", and "Was She Prettier Than I".

A weird batch of folksy rock tunes – composed and produced by Harley Hatcher for Sidewalk Enterprises, and sounding a lot more like a Sidewalk or Tower soundtrack than something on RCA. The groups are the usual obscurities that would show up on a Mike Curb soundtrack – pictured on the back cover, but still leaving us to wonder if they really existed at all. Tracks include "Holiday Rider" by The Saturday Revue, "Jailer Let Me Go Home" and "A Hurt In My Heart" by Don Epperson, "Playin Hard To Get" by Billie & Blue, and "Wine Women & Song" by Terry Stafford.

Heaven 17 soften up their politics a bit with this second album (yet still address class inequality issues with the title!) – but they also manage to replace their Marxist agenda with some groovier, more soul-based tunes – just the kind of material that helped push them out of import obscurity into more of a crossover market in the US! The album's fondly remembered for the electro dancefloor numbers "Temptation", "Come Live With Me", and "Let Me Go" – all of which stand a cut above the work of their predecessors Human League, and show an ability to go past simple electronic pop riffs – even if they are all pretty darn catchy! Other tracks are great too – and the record has a joyous, optimistic quality that's every bit the best side of this scene from the early 80s generation. Titles include "We Live So Fast", "Best Kept Secret", "Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry", and "Key To The World".

Not as much of an all-out funk party as some other kung fu soundtracks of the 70s – but a really great record that's filled with plenty of great spoken bits too! The album's the soundtrack to the Kung Fu TV show, which starred David Carradine – and it's mostly made up of "Eastern" sounding cuts that have a moody soundtrack feel, done in a traditional orchestral mode – spare, brooding numbers that almost feel like they're pulled from 60s Italian westerns and peplum films, but with some exotic twists and turns too! But almost best of all are the spoken bits – dialogue from the show with hokey takes on Eastern philosophy – completely charming from today's perspective, and a great counterpart to the music. Titles include "Sign Of The Dragon", "Dark Angel", "Time Of The Soul", "An Eye For An Eye", "Caine's Theme", "The Ancient Warrior", and of course, "Grasshopper"!

Two Verve albums from Johnny Hodges – both relatively obscure, and both pretty darn great! The Eleventh Hour is an overlooked gem from Johnny Hodges – a 60s session that hearkens back to the "with strings" Verve mode of the 50s – but one that also updates the approach strongly, thanks to some well crafted arrangements by Oliver Nelson! Nelson's work in the jazz backings for soloist mode during the 60s was some of the best of the big band genre – and although his work here is much more in the mellow tone mode than his backings for players like Jimmy Smith and Lou Donaldson, Hodges is still getting top shelf treatment, some really wonderful washes of sound and color that show that his tone is still very much alive! A nice preface to the pair's classic set for Flying Dutchman – and with tracks that include "Something to Live For", "Don't Blame Me", "Warm Valley", "The Eleventh Hour", "Guitar Amour", and "You Blew Out The Flame In My Heart". Sandy's Gone is a set that has the sweet alto sax of Johnny Hodges working with great arrangements from Claus Ogerman – a mode that's a bit more groovy and 60s than some of Johnny's previous work – in a setting that offers up a nice change for his sound! Claus is in fine form here – swinging with the same style as his own instrumental records for RCA in the 60s – echoes of his German roots, especially in the use of bass at the bottom – which gives even some of the gentler tunes a nice kick we're not used to hearing in Johnny Hodges material. Johnny's got a sound that's soulful, yet sweet too – almost pop, but still very strongly rooted in jazz – on titles that include "Again", "Sandy's Gone", "Monkey Shack", "Scarlett O'Hara", "Candy's Theme", and "Follow Me".

Pre-Motown work from Brenda Holloway – a host of rare west coast sides recorded for indie labels like Class, Donna, and Era! The package offers up an amazing look at this early point in Holloway's career – and shows a sound that's surprisingly right in line with her better-known Motown recordings – already very well-developed vocal lines that show a great degree of class, while still swinging out with a hell of a lot of soul! The styles are a bit more varied than in later years, but in a good way – showing Brenda to be quite a versatile singer, yet really holding onto her sense of self, no matter what the groove. There's great notes, photos, and label scans in the booklet – and the set includes material recorded under Holloway's own name, plus projects with other groups too. Titles include "I'll Give My Life", "Constant Love", "Suddenly", "Hey Fool", "Echo", "The Nursery", "Every Little Bit Hurts", "You're My Only Love", "I Never Knew You Looked So Good", "I Ain't Gonna Take You Back", and "Gonna Make You Mine".

Definitely a soulful tapestry here – as the trio of Edna Wright, Shellie Clark, and Carolyn Willis are at the height of their 70s powers – soaring forth in a massive trio mode, and one that really rewrites the sound of girl group soul for the 70s! There's a bouncy, upbeat groove to the record – kind of a pre-disco approach, but one that's still strongly rooted in the best Detroit soul mode of the Holland-Dozier-Holland team too – balanced with just the right sort of force that makes the trio sound great, and all without any of the cliches that this sort of group might hit a few years later! Titles include the Honey Cone classics "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show (parts 1 & 2)" and "Want Ads", plus the tracks "VIP", "The Day I Found Myself", "Stick Up", "Don't Count Your Chickens", "All the Kings Horses", and "How Does It Feel". CD features the bonus track "We Belong Together (single version)".

An amazing record – quite possibly the best ever by Chicago soul legend Leroy Hutson! The whole thing's a smooth soul masterpiece beyond compare – a stunning blend of great songwriting, sexy vocals, and buttery production that rank it up there with the best work of 70s giants like Marvin Gaye, Leon Ware, or Roy Ayers. Leroy's got a voice that's both warm and mellow, yet incredibly honest at the same time – and the songs on the record show a range of colors and emotions that perfectly fit his unique style. Features mellow "Cool Out", the funky "Lucky Fellow", the sweet "All Because Of You", and the sublime cuts "It's Different" and "Can't Stay Away". The whole thing's great – and is one of the crowning achievements of the Chicago soul scene!

The first new album from Iggy & The Stooges since Raw Power – that's 40 g****amn years if you're counting – and it's a pretty damn good! Yeah, we're gonna say it again, as it's probably necessary to repeat it: the first new album from Iggy & The Stooges (aka, the version of the band with James Williamson on guitar) in 4 decades is worth picking up. Yes, really! Frankly, it shouldn't be such a surprise, given that their live show is still essential, but after the Stooges proper reunion album The Weirdness (with the now deceased Ron Asheton on guitar. . .but like this new version of the band, it featured latter day Stooge Mike Watt on bass to replace the earlier departed Dave Alexander) bombed bigtime, expectations were low. Rather than try to replace the frenzied Raw Power vibe, they're really just out to make a fun, snarky, profane, no BS rock 'n' roll record here and that's what they do. Iggy has been more of a weird crooner in the studio in recent years than the wild-eyed howler that he becomes on stage, and that's what he does here, too. On top of the balls out rockers, there's a couple of surprisingly strong acoustic numbers – and occasional Stooge sax honker Steve Mackay makes a welcome appearance. The best Iggy album in years, with or without the Stooges! Titles include "Burn", "Sex & Money", "Job", "Gun", "Unfriendly World", "Ready To Die", "DD's", "Dirty Deal", "Beat That Guy" and "The Departed".

One of the most roosty albums on Blue Note – and a fairly straight session of African percussion tracks by Solomon Ilori and his Afro Drum Ensemble! Unlike similar albums by Art Blakey, this one lacks any strong sort of jazz component – and really just features fairly straight African tracks, with heavy percussion, and touches of highlife grooves. The record features guitar by Jay Berliner, bass by Ahmed Abdul-Malik, and flute by Hosea Taylor – plus work by Montego Joe, Garvin Masseux, Chief Bey, and Robert Crowder, who often show up on other 60s sessions of this nature. Titles include "Follow Me To Africa", "Tolani", and "Ise Oluwa". Plus, the CD also features 3 very long bonus tracks – much more stretched out and open-ended, but also with more of a jazz component as well – thanks to trumpet from Donald Byrd, tenor and flute from Hubert Laws, and piano from Coleridge Perkinson – who was the musical director of both sessions! These tracks are all previously unreleased – and all are numbers that run on for more than 11 minutes, with titles that include "Gbogbo Omo Ibile", "Agbamurrero", and "Igbsei Aiye".

Weldon Irvine's last album for a major label – and a key set that marks the debut of the legendary Don Blackman! Irvine's still very much in charge of the session, but Blackman's emerging here with the strength that would show up on his later soul sessions – singing lead vocals on some of the best cuts on the record, and also playing acoustic piano next to Weldon's bank of electric keys. Tunes are nicely varied throughout – returning to the exploratory nature of some of Irvine's earlier records – and there's even some great mellower numbers that are some of our favorite tracks on the set – including the sublime stepper "I Love You", the gently spacey "Music Is The Key", and a sweet instrumental cover of "What's Going On". Other tracks include "Sinbad", "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing", "Do Something For Yourself", and "Here's Where I Came In".

The Isleys sure aren't out to prevent teen pregnancy with the title of this set – but given the strength of the album, we can easily forgive them for any lack of social consciousness! In an era when countless young artists are copping the Isley groove of the 70s, the Brothers are back to show the world that they still do it best – with Ronald's vocals crackling sweetly over the top of the tunes, and plenty of classic guitar from Ernie on the bottom! Tunes are all in that vein that the Isley's virtually invented back in the day – mellowly stepping along a gentle groove that's perfect for the aging sound of Ronnie's voice – and although production is by a host of younger talents who include R Kelly, Jermaine Dupri, Manuel Seal, Troy Taylor, and Tim Kelley and Bob Robinson, the overall sound is still very firmly in a classic Isleys mode! Titles include "Blast Off", "Heaven Hooked Us Up", "Forever Mackin", "Pretty Woman", "Gotta Be With You", "You're My Star", and "Just Came Here To Chill".

An all-star soundtrack to this comedy film from the 70s – starring Raquel Welch, Bill Cosby, and a very young Harvey Keitel! Most of the tracks on the set are from other A&M albums, but there's a few tunes that are original to the set – including the vocal track "No Love Today" by Michelle Phillips, served up in an instrumental reading by Pete Jolly. Paul Jabara also contributed the tune "Dance", in 2 versions – and other cuts, from other albums, include "Mellow Out" by The Crusaders, "Thunder Thumbs & Lightnin Licks" and "Get The Funk Out Ma Face" by The Brothers Johnson, "My Soul Is A Witness" by Billy Preston, and "Show Me The Way" by Peter Frampton.

Millie Jackson's feelin bitchy – and letting a whole new side of her talents show! After the sweet southern soul sound of her early recordings, the Jackson style takes a sharp shift here – letting a bitchier side show up more strongly, and really setting the tone for the next great chapter of her music! Some of the set still features the older style production work by Brad Shapiro – but that's also pushed out by a smoother more modern soul feel on most of the record – one that has Millie emerging with a lot more pride, presence, and power than ever – all-woman, and all in control! Titles include the 10 minute Latimore cut "All The Way Lover", which has a great monologue that would even make Latimore blush – plus the tracks "A Little Taste Of Outside Love", "Feelin Like A Woman", "Angel In Your Arms", and the great "If You're Not Back In Love By Monday". CD also features 3 bonus tracks – "Lovin Your Good Thing Away (alt vocal)", "Angel In Your Arms (alt vocal)", and "If You're Not Back In Love By Monday (alt vocal)".

Dark and moody work from Keith Jarrett – a record that builds strongly off his ensemble feeling of the Impulse years, but which also seems to carry a bit more of the introspective vibe he was building up in some of his more stripped down solo recordings! The group's still a great one here – with Dewey Redman on reeds, Charlie Haden on bass, Paul Motian on drums, and Guilhermo Franco on percussion – and the tunes, although long and somewhat free, still show Jarrett's great ear for a lyrical melody – carried off wonderfully without cliche, and still with more sharp edges than you might expect. Titles include "Rotation", "Everything That Lives Laments", "Flame", and "Mysteries".

Incredible work from the Jazz Crusaders – a brilliant album of longer tracks that has them working at their soulful, sophisticated best! The record's great proof that the Crusaders had a depth that many rarely gave them credit here – as they're working here in a complicated set of rhythms, tones, colors, and patterns that easily matches some of the best Blue Note mid 60s work by Hank Mobley or Lee Morgan! All tracks are recorded live, and in very long takes that show the combo effortlessly setting up the rhythms – then stepping out with extended solos that are surprisingly exploratory and modern-sounding. Titles include "Trance Dance", "Summer Madness", "Young Rabbits", and "Freedom Sound".

One of the greatest records we've ever heard from Jazzanova – a set that really returns the group to their roots, and features live funk instrumentation, and ultra-soulful vocals from singer Paul Randolph! The sound is unlike anything Jazzanova's done in the past – even tighter, and more soulful than their excellent Of All The Things album – with a lean groove that's light years away from some of their too-electric moments from a decade ago! A number of tunes here are tracks from the group's more electronic years, but redone with much warmer live instrumentation –and the evolution in the music is mindblowing, with stunning results – a record filled with instant classics – as funky drums mix with jazzy horns, and set up a perfect vibe for the complex yet soulful sound of Randolph's vocals. Titles include "Little Bird", "Flashback", "No Use", "Lucky Girl", "I Human", "Let Me Show Ya", "Theme From Belle Et Fou", "Fedime's Flight", and "Boom Clicky Boom Klack".

One of the greatest records we've ever heard from Jazzanova – a set that really returns the group to their roots, and features live funk instrumentation, and ultra-soulful vocals from singer Paul Randolph! The sound is unlike anything Jazzanova's done in the past – even tighter, and more soulful than their excellent Of All The Things album – with a lean groove that's light years away from some of their too-electric moments from a decade ago! A number of tunes here are tracks from the group's more electronic years, but redone with much warmer live instrumentation –and the evolution in the music is mindblowing, with stunning results – a record filled with instant classics – as funky drums mix with jazzy horns, and set up a perfect vibe for the complex yet soulful sound of Randolph's vocals. Titles include "Little Bird", "Flashback", "No Use", "Lucky Girl", "I Human", "Let Me Show Ya", "Theme From Belle Et Fou", "Fedime's Flight", and "Boom Clicky Boom Klack".

A different sound than usual for Syl Johnson – but a record that still has loads of those amazing vocals we love from Syl! The style's mostly modern soul – with a tightness that's different from the grit of earlier Johnson albums – that mode in which other singers of the time were tightening up their bag too. The approach works especially well on the midtempo groovers – which have the bite of Johnson's vocals providing a great contrast tot he smoother grooves of the instrumentation – in ways that really deepen the feel of the tunes, but in ways that are very different than classic work from Syl. Titles include "Mystery Lady", "Blue Water", "Who's Gonna Love You", "You're The Star Of The Show", "Gimme Little Sign", and a 9 minute "Otis Redding Medley".

A great bit of 70s electric work from Quincy – and probably his funkiest album ever! Quincy's really stepping out here from the straighter and spacier styles of earlier records – going for more of the dirty grooves he was cutting up for soundtrack albums, and hitting notes that were a lot more fitting for the blacksploitation era. The record includes the massive funky track cut "Hikky-Burr", which was the theme to the first Bill Cosby Show, and which has a sinister groove, and some wild shouted lyrics! Also features two more great themes – "Ironside" and "The Anderson Tapes" – both of which have a cool electric sound to them, and the nice title cut, which actually features Quincy on vocals! Other tracks include "Cast Your Fate To The Wind", "What's Going On", "Brown Ballad" and more.

A great little set from this solo member of the Jones Girls – and one of the strongest new sets on Philly International in the 80s! Shirley delivers a warm set of sparkling modern soul tracks that really show the growth and the maturity of the Philly sound in the 80s – getting way past the simple club of the early years, and moving into a more adult mode that's helped along strongly by top-shelf production from Bunny Sigler, Dexter Wansel, Reggie Griffin, and Gamble & Huff. Titles include "She Knew About Me", "Breaking Up", "Do You Get Enough Love?", and "Always In The Mood".

A classic bit of London funky guitar from Ronny Jordan – the heir apparent to Grant Green and Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones – and one of the best new players of his generation! The set takes the older funky guitar styles of the 60s soul jazz generation, and fuses it with a 90s nujazz approach – to come up with some tight groovers that have a surprisingly classic feel, yet which also sparkle with the fresher sounds of the time – some of the hip rhythms that were bubbling around in London during the Talking Loud and early Acid Jazz years. Titles include a great remake of "So What", the jazz/hip hop classic "Get To Grips", and the cuts "Cool & Funky", "Summer Smile", "Show Me", "Nite Spice", and "After Hours".

Rare early work from Joyce – a much-needed collection that brings together all the hard-to-find early bits recorded by this fantastic Brazilian singer – songs from compilations, live albums, singles, soundtracks, and other obscure sources! The 20 track set is a real treasure trove if you love Joyce (and we certainly do!) – a way to hear some of these overlooked gems from the initial years of her career – cuts that often show a slight bossa influence, but which also bring in some more complicated modes too – a few trippy touches here, some jazzy inflections there – all wrapped up with the sound that's set Joyce apart from her contemporaries for years. The package has notes that list the source for each track – and titles include "Kyrie", "Andrea", "Copacabana Velha De Guerra", "Dia De Vitoria", "Olhos Feiticeiros", "A Vez E A Voz Da Paz", "Sei La", "Peba & Pobo", and "Pessoas".

The first album by the group that later went on to become Oneness Of Juju! The album was recorded with a group that featured Plunky Nakabinde and Lon Moshe on reeds and percussion – plus Babatunde on congas and drums – and the overall sound is very much in kind of an Art Ensemble Of Chicago mode - with more "out" soloing overall, mixed with some of the spiritual jazz leanings that would show up more on the group's later work. The album's a fitting record for the Strata East label – as it shows the imprint's equal ability to carve up heavy avant work and more strident spiritual soul jazz. And if we say so ourselves, Plunky's really a wailer on tenor and soprano – sounding a lot like Kalaparusha or some of the other AACM players from the time! Titles include "(Struggle) Home", "Soledad Brothers", "Freedom Fighter", and "Nairobi/Chants".

Wonderful work from Ty Karim – a singer who definitely lives up to the "soul goddess" promised in the title! Ty might not be the biggest name in California soul, but she's a hell of a great talent here – starting out in the 60s with upbeat Northern Soul groovers – then moving into the 70s with material that's even deeper, and a bit more sophisticated – laidback numbers that really show a maturation in style, and which are filled with wonderful twists and turns! Ty's vocals have a burning quality that's quite surprising, given her kittenish look on the cover – and as the themes get hotter, her singing gets even more righteous – making the whole package a really wonderful journey in soul. And although most of these numbers were issued (or recorded, but unissued) by tiny indie labels, they often have a very full, spacious approach to production – one that's really trying to hit the heights of Detroit or New York at the time. A good number of these cuts weren't issued at the time, and together with the rare singles, they really go a long way towards filling in the gaps in Ty's too-short career on record – further illuminated in the detailed notes from Ady Croasdell. Titles include "Lighten Up Baby", "Help Me Get That Feeling Back Again", "Only A Fool", "All At Once", "Lightin Up", "I Ain't Lying", "You Just Don't Know", "Natural Do", "I'm Leavin You", "All In Vain", "After Your Love Has Gone", "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight", and "Don't Make Me Do Wrong".

Wonderful work from Ty Karim – an LA singer from the 60s, just waiting to be rediscovered! Ty might not be the biggest name in California soul, but she's a hell of a great talent here – starting out in the 60s with upbeat Northern Soul groovers – then moving into the 70s with material that's even deeper, and a bit more sophisticated – laidback numbers that really show a maturation in style, and which are filled with wonderful twists and turns! Ty's vocals have a burning quality that's quite surprising, given her kittenish look on the cover – and as the themes get hotter, her singing gets even more righteous – making the whole package a really wonderful journey in soul. And although most of these numbers were issued (or recorded, but unissued) by tiny indie labels, they often have a very full, spacious approach to production – one that's really trying to hit the heights of Detroit or New York at the time. A good number of these cuts weren't issued at the time, and together with the rare singles, they really go a long way towards filling in the gaps in Ty's too-short career on record. Titles include "Lighten Up Baby", "Help Me Get That Feeling Back Again", "Only A Fool", "All At Once", "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight", "Wear Your Natural Baby", and "Don't Make Me Do Wrong".

A smoking little set from DJ Kemit – done in that great old school mode we used to love – in which a hip producer gets vocal help from a range of key contemporary singers! Vocals here are from the best of the best – Eric Roberson, N'Dambi, Osunlade, Frank McComb, Lady Alma, Carl McIntosh, Choklate, and others – each of whom step in on a different track, and really help shade in the different flavors of the record! Kemit comes up with a different groove for each guest – often one that really helps show them at their best – and titles include "Digital Love", "You Don't Know", "Funky 8 Ball", "Inside Out", "Summers Night", "Spread Love", "Never Go Away", "Fortune Teller", and "I Was I Am".

A career-spanning BB King anthology in a heavy-duty box – nicely representative of his roots and evolution over the decades – and including a great 64-page, hardback booklet of essay and photos! The CDs are chronological – with Disc One covering 1949-1964, Disc Two taking care of the rest of the fertile decade of the 60s, Disc Three spanning 1970-1983 and Disc Four from 1984 to 2003. Ladies & Gentleman. . . , simply put, has to be our favorite of all the BB King retrospectives we've seen. His styles over the years are so well consolidated, and the material that's chosen is so prime – from the early talking blues, to the show-stopping 60s electric blues, to the best of late career highlights – it's hard to find much fault! Even the packaging is handsome – and it's got 77 songs on 4CDs: "When Your Baby Packs Up", "Three O'Clock", "You Upset Me Baby", "Night Life", "The Thrill Is Gone", "Lucille", "Why I Sing The Blues", "Nobody Loves Me But My Daughter", "Chains And Things", "Guess Who", "Ghetto Woman", "Let The Good Times Roll (Live)", "Into The Night", :When Loves Comes To Town", "I'm Moving On", "Caldonia", "Ten Long Years", "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" and many, many more.

The roots of The Knack – and some really amazing tracks that were recorded years before their famous debut on Capitol! The sound here is great and gritty – mostly just Doug Feiger and Berton Averre working out tunes in the studio – using guitar and bass, and serving up the vocals with a nicely sneering style! Even more amazing is that most of these tunes were recorded in 1973 and 1975 – yet already show the pair's tremendous ear for a tight riff and unstoppable hook – that core essence of everything we love about The Knack – but with an even rawer feel too. Titles include "Who'll Set You Down", "Little Lies", "Flower My Fate", "Weiss On Rye", "Have A Heart", "Corporation Shuffle", "Get On The Plane", "Lazer Days", and "Good Girls Don't".

The roots of The Knack – and some really amazing tracks that were recorded years before their famous debut on Capitol! The sound here is great and gritty – mostly just Doug Feiger and Berton Averre working out tunes in the studio – using guitar and bass, and serving up the vocals with a nicely sneering style! Even more amazing is that most of these tunes were recorded in 1973 and 1975 – yet already show the pair's tremendous ear for a tight riff and unstoppable hook – that core essence of everything we love about The Knack – but with an even rawer feel too. Titles include "Who'll Set You Down", "Little Lies", "Flower My Fate", "Weiss On Rye", "Have A Heart", "Corporation Shuffle", "Get On The Plane", "Lazer Days", and "Good Girls Don't".

Sublime solo work from Steve Lacy – a perfect demonstration of the great leap forward he took on the soprano sax in the early 70s – documented beautifully on overseas recordings like this! The core of the set features material recorded in Avignon in 1972 – with Lacy using his instrument in wonderfully expressive ways – not just "free" or "out", but really melodic and lyrical at points too – a side that doesn't always show up in some of his more aggressive solo performances, but which really comes through on tracks like "Cloudy", "The Stations", "Josephine", "Original New Duck", and "Weal". CD features four more previously unissued tracks from these same sessions, then more great solo work from 1974 in Berlin – again never issued before – a whopping 9 bonus tracks in all, with titles that include "The Owl", "The Dumps", "The New Moon", "Dome", and "Holding".

A second great comeback set from Latimore – working beautifully with producer George Chocolate Perry, who helps him hit a groove that's just like his classic 70s work for TK! As with those records, the vibe here is a laidback blend of blues and soul – lots of great electric piano work stepping along on most numbers underneath Latimore's slinky vocals – which themselves show a slight touch of age, but are still as sensual as ever! There's more smooth soul than the blues and rhythm in the title – a good thing to us – and titles include "Mr Right Now", "Singing & Playing The Blues", "Don't Give Up On Our Love", "City Life", "Around The World", and "Every Day Is A Beautiful Day".

An overstuffed collection of greatness from Latimore – an extended set that's filled with warm soulful classics from the 70s – and a few more gems from later years too! Latimore's always had a really unique approach – steeped in southern soul, yet delivered with some slightly bluesy touches too – and in a way, the tracks on this set have really helped bridge two different worlds in the south over the past few decades – as evidenced by the large and diverse crowds that always show up to a Latimore performance! The package features 15 tracks in all – most with loads of great keyboard bits from Latimore too – and titles include "Big Ol Pretty Girl", "Nanna Puddin", "Around The World", "Let's Straighten It Out", "Keep The Home Fires Burnin", "I Pity The Fool", "Stormy Monday", and "Cat Got My Tongue".

Amazing music from trombonist George Lewis – five different albums that each show a different side of his talents! First up is Shadowgraph 5 – a great early Black Saint, and a key example of the way the AACM spirit thrived overseas, thanks to the efforts of labels like this! The work is quite serious and experimental – almost compositional in nature, and definitely heading towards the AACM promise of "Great Black Music" – and other players include Roscoe Mitchell on saxes, Leroy Jenkins on violin, Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, Douglas Ewart on bass clarinet and other reeds, and Abdul Wadud on cello. One track even has Lewis playing the Moog in addition to trombone and tuba! Imaginary Suite is a duet with Douglas Ewart – and features Lewis both on trombone and electronics – and even his trombone at times is "electronically modified", making it a really cool-sounding instrument. Ewart plays a bit of percussion – plus bass clarinet and flute – and often hits some electronically-sensitive sounds with his reeds, making the album a really compelling interplay between acoustic and electric elements. Homage to Charlie Parker is hardly the bebop outing you might expect from the title, and instead a set of complicated work that's heavily in the AACM tradition! Side one features "Blues" – an investigation of older blues harmonics, but done in a very freeform, experimental way – with tenor trombone from Lewis, piano from Anthony Davis, bass clarinet from Doug Ewart, and moog from Richard Teitelbaum. Change Of Season is a killer tribute to the music of Herbie Nichols – played by a committed batch of modernists who are clearly inspired by his genius – including Misha Mengelberg on piano, Steve Lacy on soprano sax, and Han Bennink on drums. The set's completed by Dutch Masters – Lewis' last album for the label, done with a compelling lineup that includes Misha Mengelberg on piano, Steve Lacy on soprano sax, Ernst Reyseger on bass, and Han Bennink on drums – but in a style that's very different than the previous Change Of Season album.

A beautiful book on five key forces in American advertising of the 20th Century – and one with an especially strong focus on the important work of the Mad Men generation! The lavish book is filled with full color images, printed on heavy paper in an oversized format – and interspersed with details on the careers of each of the five ad men named in the title – Leo Burnett, David Ogilvy, Marcel Bleustein Blanchet, Bill Bernbach, and Albert Lasker – each given their own section in the book, laid out to show an aesthetic progression up through the 70s. The presentation is wonderful – like finding a pile of old magazines to pore through, and about the same size as well – and the full color book is 140 pages, with heavy stock paperback covers.

Beautiful brown-eyed soul from the Ohio scene of the 70s – just the sort of record you might have expected to hear from East LA or Spanish Harlem back in the day – but even more amazing to come from Cleveland! The group are a Latin combo at the core, but they've soaked up plenty of soul influences from the late 60s and early 70s – bringing in bits of harmony soul, funk, and other hip touches to really expand their groove – in ways that are similar to the changes Joe Bataan and his contemporaries were going through at the time! There's a few funky instrumentals that get nicely tripped out, offset with some wonderful mellow soul numbers, and a few straighter Latin bits – all of which show a really amazing range for the group. As usual, Numero does a great job of bringing their whole story to light through the great notes – but even without them, we're plenty happy with the music on the set! Titles include "Loving You", "To Be Sure", "Here We Go Again", "Cold Wine", "Trivialities", "Just Call Me", and "Listen People".

A cool promo-only radio record – one that features tracks from LTD's earlier albums on A&M, mixed with interview bits and dialogue – more than enough to act as a special radio show in itself! The album is divided up into five banded segments, each with a few songs, interviews with group members, and narration from Jim Maddox. Pretty cool stuff – and not issued commercially at the time!

Two of our favorite albums by The Main Ingredient – back to back on a single CD! Euphrates River is a wonderfully complex batch of tunes that shows that the group were taking a cue from some of their hipper contemporaries, and pushing past a stock hit formula. Bert DeCoteaux was still arranging, but the group produced themselves, giving the record a sexy funky feeling in the best parts, not that dissimilar from some of Marvin Gaye's work, or records by groups like The Isley Brothers or The O'Jays. Includes great versions of two Seals & Crofts songs – "Summer Breeze" and "Euphrates" – both a perfect example of this style, as is "Happiness Is Just Around The Bend" – plus a great reading of Willie Hutch's "California My Way", which has a super-dope sample at the beginning. Of course, the album still includes material like their hit " "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely", a sweetly style AM radio pop hit in the band's best style of earlier years. Afrodisiac is one of the most righteous albums ever from the Main Ingredient – as you might guess from its title and stylish cover! The group are really opening up here – and show a distinct Stevie Wonder influence throughout – not just because they perform their own hip takes on a number of tunes by Stevie, but also because Wonder himself plays a bit on the record! Rhythms are inventive, and grooves nice and complex – way past standard chart soul, into a heady mix that holds up beautifully over the years. Keyboards slide in great with the harmonies – and titles include great versions of Stevie Wonder tunes "Superwoman", "Where Were You When I Needed You", "Something Lovely", "Girl Blue", and "I Am Yours" – plus the great breakbeat track "You Can Call Me Rover", which has a very tight drum sound at the beginning, and tight soul harmonies all the way through. Also features a hip take on the Isleys' "Work To Do" too!

Very strange record that's made up of excerpts of Marsh's solos from a live set recorded by Peter Ind at the Half Note. Ind somehow felt that Marsh's solos were the only thing worth saving from a huge set of tapes that he made of the show, so he edited down the tapes to these 2 minute segments, that have Marsh blowing on titles like "Out Of Nowhere", "Fishin' Around", "Lennie's Pennies", and a number of unnamed titles.