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A warm set of groovers from Flip Nunez – a San Francisco-based pianist with a great Latin tinge, working here in a fantastic setting that makes for one of his greatest recordings! The album was recorded in SF in 1976, and it's got the laidback groove of some of the best sides coming from the area at the time – a sweet blend of fusion, Latin, and modal jazz grooving. Nunez plays electric piano, clavinet, piano, and organ – and a few tracks feature his vocals, which have a confident style that's somewhere between Mark Murphy and Tony Benett (in his jazzier mode.) The centerpiece of the album is a long mellow-grooving version of "See You Later", a tune that Flip wrote, and which has been covered on a number of other jazz dance classics over the years – but the album's filled with great tunes, like "D'ju Like Me", "This Time For Good", "Why Did You Come Into My Life", and "Mr Cool", a sweet little funky tune!

Way more than just an album with Gene Ammons as a leader – and instead, a set that truly earns the "all stars" listed on the cover – thanks to a great array of supporting players, and a very loose, open-ended jam session style that lets everyone get in plenty of solo space! Ammons' tenor is tremendous, but he's also a great collaborator here, too – working with Idrees Suliman on trumpet, Pepper Adams on baritone, Mal Waldron on piano, Art Taylor on drums, Doug Watkins on bass, and Ray Barretto on conga – in a mode that's maybe slightly tighter than some of the blowing sessions Prestige was doing at the time, but which still has that key longform creative energy that made the hardbop generation so great. Titles include "Blue Gene", "Scamperin", "Blue Greens n Beans", and "Hip Tip" – and all tracks are long, with plenty of focus on solos!

Arguably one of the greatest rock and roll albums of all time – and the key flowering of the partnership between David Bowie and Mick Ronson! The guitars here are heavy – so much so that the record's always crossed over big with crowds who are always suspicious of Bowie's artier work of the 70s – and represented a crucial moment when his groundbreaking music also found a large mainstream audience as well. And despite the fact that Ziggy's an androgynous space rocker with a spurious pedigree, the manufactured posturing of the album's come to be taken quite literally over the years – a vivid text of alienation, expression, and redemption – served up beautifully over a host of classic tracks that include "Five Years", "Soul Love", "Moonage Daydream", "Suffragette City", and "Ziggy Stardust" – all further proof of Bowie's 70s ability to slide in wherever he wanted with ease!

Like Dave Brubeck's legendary Time Out set? Try this one – a great record that takes off from the concept of the first, but which goes in some very fresh new directions – using the same great group with Paul Desmond on alto, Eugene Wright on bass, and Joe Morello on drums! Dave's still working out some nutty time signatures here – but apart from the science, the thing that really makes the record cook is Desmond's alto – icy, edgey, floating, and always a treat – almost even more amazing in the space of some of these offbeat numbers. Titles include "Maori Blues", "Far More Drums", "Bluetee", "Far More Blue", and "It's A Raggy Waltz".

One of the first albums from guitarist Kenny Burrell as a leader – a date that has him working with players from his hometown scene in Detroit – in case you couldn't guess from the title! Kenny's style here is a bit different than on the Blue Note dates of the time – almost a bit more personal, and leaner – which is a surprise, given the usual heavier feel of a Savoy session. Other players include Pepper Adams on baritone, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – and before you complain, we know that not all of these guys are from Detroit – but that's the way they titled the thing, so you'll have to write to the label! Adams is a bit down in the mix, so he never over-dominates Burrell's tone – but he still gets plenty of space to sparkle on his solos, working with those sharp edges that make his Savoy appearances so great. Titles include "Your Host", "Afternoon In Paris", "Apothegh", "Cottontail", and "Tom's Thumb".

A mellow soulful classic by John Coltrane – and one of his best-remembered early albums for Prestige! The session has all the gentle glow that you might guess from the title – a laidback, open-ended approach that has Coltrane blowing long solos over rhythms from the trio of Red Garland piano, Paul Chambers bass, and either Jimmy Cobb and Art Taylor on drums – with just a bit of guest trumpet from either Freddie Hubbard or Wilbur Harden on three of the album's four tracks. The tunes are plenty long, and even with the added soloists, Coltrane still gets in plenty of space – on titles that include "Stardust", "Time After Time", "Love Thy Neighbor", and "Then I'll Be Tired Of You".

Prime symphonic disco from the mighty John Davis and his well-named Monster Orchestra! The set's got a dramatic flourish that still mixes in plenty of live instrumentation – including keyboards and flute from John, plus some nice congas from Larry Washington! John sings lead vocals on most cuts, but uses some cool processing to kind of space out the sound – making for a compressed and flanged-out sound that's poppy, but really compelling. And although the whole thing sounds hokey, the quality of the grooves is actually pretty great from an instrumental standpoint. Titles include "Once Upon A Time", "We Can Fly", "Up Jumped The Devil", "You Gotta Give It Up", "You're The One", "The Magic Is You", and "Recapitulation".

One of the more obscure chapters in David Axelrod's years at Capitol – a record featuring comeback vocals from singer Ann Dee – a talent from earlier years, getting a bit of an update here from Ernie Freeman on arrangements and Axelrod on production. There's no standout funky numbers, but Axe's production gives the record a nice degree of space that pushes it pas the usual pop styles of the time – kind of in the realm of some of Nancy Wilson's more sophisticated sides. Titles include "Woman In A Man's World", "Free Again", "The Look Of Love", "The Sun In My Life", and "Your Zowie Face".

A rare European gem from Johnny Griffin – recorded in quartet formation with backing from the rhythm trio of the Clarke Boland Big Band! Johnny was working with the trio in the bigger group at the time, but he gets plenty of space to state his case here – stretching out on hard-bitten, almost-modern solos that are some of his most adventurous to date on record – supported strongly on the album's longish tracks by Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums! There's a quality to Griffin's tone that's incredible – urgent, edgey, but never too far out – completely in command of itself, and able to run free, but without wasting at note at all – unlike some of his over-stretched European solos of later years. The set features beautiful long readings of Boland's "Night Lady" and "Old Stuff", plus Griffin's "Scrabble", and versions of "Summertime", "All The Things You Are", and "Little Man You've Had A Busy Day".

A killer early album by the great Leroy Hutson! Hutson had originally been a later member of The Impressions – replacing Curtis Mayfield briefly after he'd gone solo – but he also had spent a fair bit of time noodling around the Chicago soul studio scene of the late 60s and early 70s. This album is kind of a "bustin' out of the studio" album in it's presentation of Hutson's material. The record features a number of great sweet soul cuts – like "Ella Weez" and "Can't Say Enough About Mom" – mixed with nice funky tracks, like "The Ghetto '74", which is a remake of "The Ghetto", a tune that Hutson wrote with Donny Hathaway. The record's a prime example of the genius of Chicago soul in the 70s – with great arrangements that have a lot of space for Leroy's singing, yet still come down hard and nasty in parts, like some of the funkier stuff on Curtom.

A monster – and quite possibly one of the greatest Fender Rhodes albums of all time! Bob James is really at the height of his powers here – stepping out with a sound that's a lot smoother than some of his earlier work, yet in a groove that's never too slick or too overproduced – as happened with some of his later records on the Tappan Zee imprint. Here, James is still a master of space and sound – using the Fender Rhodes with bell-like tones to craft some key grooves that are still having an amazing impact today, more than 30 years after the album was initially recorded! There's a darkness here that we totally love – and tracks include the legendary "Take Me To The Mardi Gras", which has been sampled by Run DMC and loads of others – plus"The Golden Apple", "I Feel A Song", "You're As Right As Rain", "Farandole", and "Dream Journey".

Great work from Grace Jones – still riding high on a disco wave here, but also finding her own space and sound too! The mighty Tom Moulton produced, ensuring some great sound for the set – and arrangements are by Thor Baldursson and John Davis, both of whom bring in nice sense of fullness, but never smother Grace too much – a key factor, given that her vocal approach is often a bit more restrained than some of the other disco divas of the time. There's less covers here than before, and Grace herself even penned some of the tunes. Titles include "Suffer", "Sinning", "Saved", "Atlantic City Gambler", "On Your Knees", and "Don't Mess With The Messer".

A real step forward for Quincy Jones – a record that really shows the jazzman moving into sophisticated new territory – a sound that's just right for the CTI generation! The album's got a vibe that's a bit similar to Quincy's Walking In Space album, but it's a lot deeper too – touched with some of the African elements you might guess from the title – arranged in ways that are often quite spacious, so that the tunes really take some time to find just the right groove! Backings are large, but show the leaner elements that Jones was bringing to his soundtrack work – and instrumentation includes vibes from Milt Jackson, marimba from Don Elliott, flute from Hubert Laws, soprano sax from Jerome Richardson, trumpet from Freddie Hubbard, trombone from Al Grey, and guitar from Eric Gale. Keyboards figure strongly – played by Herbie Hancock and Bob James – and special features include a bit of guitar and whistling from Toots Thielemans, plus some soulful vocals from Valerie Simpson. "Gula Matari" is an incredible 12 minute tribal groove – and other titles include a killer take on Nat Adderley's "Hummin", plus "Walkin" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water".

One of the greatest Quincy Jones albums of all time! The record's a spacey jazz masterpiece – and it combine's Quincy's soulful soundtrack vision with the excellent production talents of Creed Taylor, for a monster album of long drawn out cuts that mix soul jazz with more sophisticated arrangements! Bob James plays electric piano on a number of cuts, and in a way, the record's kind of a blueprint for some of James' later CTI albums. Titles include "Killer Joe", "Dead End", "Walking In Space", and "Love & Peace".

The sweet debut from guitarist Earl Klugh – a player whose sound went onto dominate late 70s fusion in a big big way! Klugh's clearly stepping here into a space allowed by George Benson at the time – a blend of jazz and R&B that's warmer and mellower than work previously done on Blue Note in the decade (or on CTI and Kudu for that matter) – one that's less focused on rhythm than it is on tone, and the kind of setting that allows Earl to shine wonderfully. There's a lot less of the cheesiness here that would hurt Klugh's later albums, and the overall presentation is nicely retrained – arranged by Dave Grusin at a time when he still knew how to bring a good deal of soul into a session, avoiding cliche and letting the soloist step forth unmarred. Other players include Lee Ritenour, Harvey Mason, and Grusin himself – and Klugh plays both electric and acoustic guitar, on tunes that include "Angelina", "Slippin In The Back Door", "Vonetta", "Waltz For Debby", and "Wind & The Sea".

A stone laidback set from O'Donel Levy – one of the greatest soul jazz guitarists of the 70s, and a player who sounds fresher and fresher to us over the years! This album's a bit more laidback than some of Levy's other sets for Groove Merchant – with larger arrangements that feature Charles Covington on electric piano and organ, Fats Theus on tenor and flute, and Billy Skinner on trumpet – but the approach actually works well, as the slow-moving tracks trip out over a lot of space, giving O'Donel plenty of room to craft his uniquely spacious and chromatic solos. Titles include versions of "Watch What Happens", "Love Story", "Call Me", "You've Made Me So Very Happy", and "Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time", plus the originals "Granny" and "Nature's Child", both of which have a nice little groove!

Smooth soulful jazz from Harvey Mason – one of his strong 70s winners for the Arista album, and a record that really brings a new level of class to his sound! There's less of the grit in the grooves than you might expect from the down-home reference of the title – and in a way, the record's a similar shift to well-produced R&B as Michael Henderson or Norman Connor's work from the same time – a soaring, fluid groove that's still supported by solid jazz instrumentation, but which also has a nice dose of soul in the mix! Players here are a real all-star lineup – with talents that include Dorothy Ashby, George Benson, Ronnie Foster, Bob James, and Phil Upchurch – and most cuts have vocals, by The Waters and others. But possibly best of all is the production – which is by Harvey, and really wonderful – sophisticated and smooth, but never slick – a really careful balance that really puts him right up there with Norman Connors or Roy Ayers! Titles include "Pack Up Your Bags", "Till You Take My Love", "Funk In A Mason Jar", "What's Going On", "Set It Free", "Space Cadets" and "Freedom Either Way".

A modernist classic from 60s Blue Note! The album's one of Jackie McLean's greatest from the time – and one of his seminal "new thing" sessions cut with young modernists Grachan Moncur and Bobby Hutcherson. 3 of the 4 long tracks on the record were written by Moncur, and have a similar approach to his own recordings for Blue Note – moody and introspective, in a style that's as concerned with sound and space as it is jazz and rhythm – and Hutcherson's vibes are beyond compare here, with have a sinister metallic quality that he only used briefly in his early career! The whole record's a gem, and one not to pass up! Titles include "Kahlil The Prophet", "Riff Raff", and "Love & Hate".

An overlooked later gem from the Modern Jazz Quartet on Atlantic – a live set recorded at the Lighthouse, and one with a funkier tone than some of the group's earlier work for the label! Milt Jackson seems to be a bit more in charge of the sound on this set – as the tracks have that earthy quality he was bringing to his own solo albums of the time – yet still ring out with the sense of sound and space that's clearly directed by the John Lewis influence. The whole thing's wonderfully spare – with a sense of timing and grace that's impeccable, yet which also never fails to swing – and titles include "The Spiritual", "Baseball", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", "Intima", "Novamo", "For Someone I Love" and "What's New".

One of the biggest albums ever for Ohio Players – a set that took their earlier funk sound and targeted firmly at the mainstream with a lean, mean groove that a million other groups copied at the time! There's still plenty of the soul of the early years in the group's approach here – and sometimes, the mellower tracks show a wonderful talent for harmonies coming even more fully to the top. But the real appeal of the record has always been the bold, bassy grooves that hit strongly just as ensemble funk was exploding in the mainstream during the early years of disco – making plenty of space for the Players and their contemporaries to grab up new audiences who never would have touched a record like this five years before! There's plenty of grit in the grooves on the best numbers – a style that's maybe not as dirty as on Westbound, but still more than enough to make any real funk fan proud. Titles include "Fire", "Together", "Together/Feelings", "It's All Over", "Runnin' From the Devil", "Smoke", "What The Hell", and "I Want To Be Free".

The second solo album by The Chef – a record that had hard time finding space outside the massive shadow of his first solo landmark Only Built 4 Cuban Linx – and like other Wu Tang solo albums of the era, there's a number of gems on here that really never had a chance to get over a bar set set so high. Titles include "Yae Yo", "Casablanca", the Pete Rock produced near classic "Sneakers", "Raw", "Pop S**t", My Favorite Dred", "Live From New York", "100 Rounds", "Power", and "Forecast".

One of the tightest 70s albums from Buddy Rich – a record that's got some smooth and soulful touches, and a groove that's quite different than most of his other work! Chicago soul maestro Richard Evans handled the arrangements for the record – and he's got a great way of making things groove, even with a larger groove – leaving plenty of space for key solos from players who include Jon Faddis on trumpet, Joe Farrell on tenor sax, Ross Trout on guitar, and Kenny Barron on electric piano! Most numbers are somewhat upbeat and clubby – like some of the funky fusion on the Kudu label from the time – and a few numbers feature chorus vocals from a trio of female soul singers that includes Rhetta Hughes, Vivian Cherry, and Lain Grooves. Titles include "Yearnin Learnin", "Speak No Evil", "Fight The Power", "Sneakin Up Behind You", and the great "How Long" – which features the famous "Betcha Got A Chick On The Side" sampled by Salt N Pepa!

A relatively obscure chapter in David Axelrod's career at Capitol – a record of instrumental themes from the film The Bible, plus other 60s epics – like Spartacus, Ben Hur, and so on. Axelrod only produced the album, but you can definitely hear his influence on Rose's sound – still pretty lush and string-heavy here, but with a new sense of space that's quite nice, and lots of the darker shifts you'd hear from Axelrod's work at Capitol during the time. Titles include themes from "The Robe", "Ben Hur", "Spartacus", "Exodus", and "The 10 Commandments".

David Ruffin teams with Van McCoy for this sweet little set – and the result is a great batch of grooves that swell with Ruffin's soulful sound of the 70s, but sway with the warm McCoy dancefloor modes of the time! Van wrote nearly all the tracks in the set – and handled all arrangements and production – but the record's far less disco than you'd guess, thanks to cracklingly earnest vocals from Ruffin, who's still given plenty of space to shine center stage on the record. The balance is essential, and is carried off here in a manner similar to the best Philly soul albums of its type. Titles include "First Round Knockout", "On & Off", "Good Good Times", "Ready Willing & Able", "Everything's Coming Up Love", "Discover Me", "Until We Said Goodbye", and "Let's Get Into Something".

Nothing too manic here, as the grooves are all nicely laidback – in that sweetly smooth Shakatak style! The album's definitely a bit more contemporary-styled than some of the group's earlier ones – rhythms that are mostly programmed, and keyboards that have a later 80s sound – but which are still warmed by some of the jazzy touches of before. The vocals are in the lead on most numbers – handled by Jill Saward, who's become a more forceful vocalist in the space of the group's increasingly urban sound. Titles include "Money", "Time Of My Life", "Dr Dr", "Releasin The Feelin", "Walk The Walk", "Slow Dancing", "Mr Manic & Sister Cool", and "Something Special".

One of the many Philly-based, club-oriented projects that centered around Butch Ingram and the Ingram family during the late 70s – Slick have an approach that takes long grooves, builds them out instrumentally, adding in a fair bit of keyboards and moog, like some of the Canadian groups of the same time. Tracks include "Space Bass", "Sexy Cream", "The Whole World's Dancin", and "Put Your Pants On".

The crowning achievement of Spirit – and a record that you probably could have found in any college dorm room in the early 70s! The record's really a cut above for their generation – an expansive effort that hangs together with a bit of a concept, and which interweaves strands of rock, folk, and a bit of jazz – yet also a record that has a lot more polish than other efforts of its type, and which trades a bit of psychedelic indulgence for a tighter focus that really lets the best tunes sparkle wonderfully! Production is great – clear, but trippy at the same time – and Randy California's guitar work has never sounded better. Titles include "Nature's Way", "Animal Zoo", "Love Has Found A Way", "Mr Skin", "Soldier", "Street Worm", and "Space Child".

A tightly funky set from The Temptations – a record that has the group still standing strong in the post-Norman Whitfield years – working here with producer Jeffrey Bowen in a groove that's almost got some P-Funk touches at times! Things are somewhat polished, but still in the best mainstream funk mode of the time – and in a way, the record's almost a blueprint for the style that so many California groups would pick up in the next few years – upbeat grooves, often driven with some heavy bass at the bottom, but still with enough room for well-crafted vocals on the top. Arrangements are by James Carmichael on most tracks – and the backing group includes Wah Wah Ragin and Eddie Hazel on guitar, both of whom get plenty of space to work out on the set. Tracks include the instrumental "Happy People" – plus "Glass House", "Shakey Ground", "The Prophet", "A Song For You", "Firefly", and "I'm A Bachelor".

One of the fantastic electric Cal Tjader sessions from the 70s – with that mixture of vibes and electric piano that made his work of the time take on an even funkier sound than before! Lonnie Hewitt's at the keyboards here – and he's got a sly, slinky groove that's totally great – a sound that's even more spacious than Tjaders' vibes, and which seems to push Cal into a whole new space in sound. The rest of the group includes Rob Fisher on acoustic bass, Pete Riso on drums, and the great Pancho Sanchez on congas – who further helps hold down the Latin side of the sound. Titles include a stellar 12 minute reading of Cal's "I Showed Them", which is pure funk all the way through – plus "Bluesology", "Body & Soul", and the extended "Black Orpheus Medley".

An incredible album from one of the greatest talents on the Chicago soul scene of the late 60s – guitarist Phil Upchurch, a player with an amazing sound! Phil could work in worlds that were equal parts soul and psychedelia – making his guitar a perfect accompaniment for the best Chicago soul of Curtis Mayfield, Donny Hathaway, Minnie Riperton, and other greats of the time. This album's easily one of Phil's best – a mindblowing set of arrangements put together by the groundbreaking producer Charles Stepney – bringing together bits of jazz, rock, soul, and funk – all providing the perfect genre-blending space for Upchurch to solo! Given that there's no singer on the set, Phil's work on guitar is a lot freer than you're used to hearing – in a really great way, one that puts him in a space somewhere between Shuggie Otis and Jimi Hendrix! Brilliant all the way through, with tracks that include "Adam & Charlene", "You Wouldn't You Couldn't Be True", "Crosstown Traffic", "More & More", "Black Gold", "America", and "As You Said".

Cool quirky post-punk work from The Waitresses – a group who maybe were never as big as Blondie or Romeo Void, but shared a very similar space at the time! This album's best known for the classic "I Know What Boys Want" – a naughty little number that got plenty of dancefloor and radio play back in the day – but the whole album's an equally enjoyable romp, with lots of jagged guitars, sharp-edged rhythms, and cool snot-nosed vocals from Patty Donahue! Mars Williams blows some mighty reeds in the group – and titles include "I Know What Boys Want", "Wise Up", "It's My Car", "No Guilt", "Heat Night", and "Go On".

The second trip into the studio for Cedar Walton's mighty Eastern Rebellion ensemble – and every bit as great as the first! This time around, the lineup's a bit different – with Bob Berg in on tenor, and Curtis Fuller expanding the group on trombone – but the groove is still the same – wonderfully in the pocket soul jazz, swinging with a gentle and fluid glide that's really tremendous. The work ranks up there with the best of Walton's recordings ever – and the tunes are all originals with a rich imagination for tone, soul, and color – and plenty of space for strong solo work. Titles include "The Maestro", "Sunday Suite", "Ojos De Rojo", and "Fantasy In D".

Great keyboard funk from Deodato – one of his excellent mid 70s sessions for MCA, all of which are sometimes eclipsed by his CTI work, but still equally groovy! As with most of the other MCA records, the songs here are shorter than before – but in a way that allows for even more punch in the groove – especially on the bottom end of the tracks, which hit hard in a space that's somewhere between 70s soundtrack funk and more conventional fusion. The style's not nearly as slick as some of D's contemporaries were going at the time – and there's a nice range of material here that really makes for a complex vibe! Titles include "Theme From Star Trek", "Peter Gunn", "I Shot The Sherriff", "Black Widow", "Amani", "Juanita", and "Univac Loves You".

One of the trippiest albums recorded for Verve in the 60s – a unique 2LP set by Japanese psyche artist Harumi – and a record that stands proudly next to the best by Zappa or the Velvets at the time! The double-length space of the record really helps give it some shape – as Harumi starts out sweet, then gets a bit wilder, and increases the sense of experimentation as the set rolls on – so that the final track is a side-long psychedelic jam that's topped with spoken passages by Harumi's parents and sister! We like the poppier tunes the best, though – and they feature a mix of orchestrations, fuzzy guitar, and vibes – all layered with a really beautiful sense of sound, to accompany vocals by Harumi and Rosko. There's a gentle, breezy, and sometimes slightly funky quality to these numbers – Sunshine Pop with a trace of jazz – and exactly the kind of psyche album you might imagine from Verve in the 60s! Titles include "Sugar In Your Tea", "Caravan", "Hunters Of Heaven", "Talk About It", "First Impressions", "Don't Know What I'm Gonna Do", "Hello", "What A Day For Me", "We Love", "Fire By The River", and "Samurai Memories".

If this is disco, point us in the direction of Studio 54! The album's one of Ra's greatest from the 70s – recorded in Italy in 1978, and featuring some incredibly otherworldly keyboards. The track "Disco 3000" is an incredible workout on synthesizer, with a tiny bit of drum machine, a little "Space Is The Place" breakdown, and all of the wild sound you'd expect from a Sun Ra album. The cut goes on for quite some time, and is really fantastic. Side two of the record features two more long tracks – the sweetly soulful "Friendly Galaxy", a great soul jazz number, and "Dance Of The Cosmo Aliens", which has spooky organ, frenetic bass, and somber percussion!

A really brilliant little record from Nat Adderley – one that shows him shaking off the groove gotten from brother Cannonball, and finding some great space all on his own! The setting here is tight and funky – at a level that's a bit more arranged than a small combo soul jazz session, but which still has plenty of sharp edges and bold notes! The groove's a bit like Kudu Records from the time, but less electric overall – and Nat's cornet is featured in a hip combo with John Stubblefield on reeds, Onaje Allen Gumbs on piano and keyboards, and Buddy Williams on drums. There's plenty of great funky riffing in the set, but also some wonderfully laidback grooves that really sparkle with electric piano from Gumbs – and titles include a surprisingly wonderful version of "MASH", plus "Hummin", "Midnight Over Memphis", "The Traveler", "Listen To The Rain", and the Latin-tinged "Amor Sonador".

A great little groover from David Axelrod – cut years after his more famous work at Captiol, and more of a funky fusion record, but still pretty darn great! The record's got lots of nice keyboards, and is sort of an extension of the style he begun on the Heavy Axe album from the mid 70s. Arrangements have a great sense of space and spareness, which makes the cuts standout from the usual jazz funk numbers of the time – and which create the same sort of juxtaposition of silence and funk that's made Axelrod's earlier albums a favorite with sample-heads for years. Tracks include "Mrs. OJA", "Aunt Charlotte", "Mujer Extrana", and "Tony Poem". Great stuff!

A great little James Bond soundtrack – written for one of the lesser-remembered Bond films, but filled with nice moments! There's a darker, moodier feel here than on some of Barry's other Bond scores – lots of stretched out tracks that have a bit more space than usual, and odd instruments punctuating the themes with an eerie, other-worldly edge that almost reminds us of some of the best Italian thriller work from the time. Nancy Sinatra sings a very moody title track – and other tunes include "Takana's World", "The Wedding", "Mountains & Sunsets", "A Drop In The Ocean", "Bond Averts World War Three", and "The Death Of Aki".

Nicer work than usual for Elmer – at least for this period – a sweet 70s score that mixes some groovy vocal numbers, upbeat action themes, and more standard orchestral tunes. There's a sense of space to the work that's quite nice – almost as if Bernstein had been taking tips from some of the Italians of the time – and overall, the album's got more than a few really nice and interesting tracks! Vocal tunes include "Where Have You been All My Life" by Trevor Chance, "Gold" by Jimmy Helms, and "Wherever Love Takes Me" by Maureen McGovern – and instrumental tunes include "Diggin", "Flight", "Flood", "Sunday At The Mine", and "The Lovers".

An album of dark and subtle beauty – and still one of our favorite Miles Davis albums of all time! The set's not as earth-shattering as some of Davis' other work of the 60s, but that's why we like it so much – because the emerging genius of the group with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Tony Williams is held in a really special place here – one that ruminates quietly on space and soul, while Davis majestically directs tones and colors that he'd never gotten in a small group format before! Titles include the amazing "Iris", one of Miles' most haunting themes – plus "Little One", "RJ", "ESP", "Mood", and "Agitation".

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah, Y- Y- Y- Y- Y- Y- Y-eah, this is one of best art rock albums of all time – the Eno produced full length debut of Devo – the caustic, sarcastic and fun soundtrack to society's devolution! There's nothing we don't love about Devo at this point, from their unprecedented use of multimedia, to the hard to pull off fusion of sneering social and pop culture satire with good humored fun, and that's just the conceptual stuff. The songs are original and inimitably great, too, with those squeeling synth punk dynamics. Tracks include (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (best rock cover ever?) "Jocko Homo", "Mongoloid", "Uncontrollable Urge", "Space Junk", "Come Back Jonee", "Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin')" and more.

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah, Y- Y- Y- Y- Y- Y- Y-eah, this is one of best art rock albums of all time – the Eno produced full length debut of Devo – the caustic, sarcastic and fun soundtrack to society's devolution! There's nothing we don't love about Devo at this point, from their unprecedented use of multimedia, to the hard to pull off fusion of sneering social and pop culture satire with good humored fun, and that's just the conceptual stuff. The songs are original and inimitably great, too, with those squeeling synth punk dynamics. Tracks include (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (best rock cover ever?) "Jocko Homo", "Mongoloid", "Uncontrollable Urge", "Space Junk", "Come Back Jonee", "Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin')" and more.

An amazing second CTI set from Freddie Hubbard – one that takes off nicely from Red Clay territory, and starts to hit an even funkier mode! The tracks here are all relatively long, with a huge amount of solo space for Freddie on trumpet, Joe Henderson on tenor, George Benson on guitar, and Herbie Hancock on piano. The title track "Straight Life" has a style that's quite searing and righteous at points – almost some of Freddie's boldest playing on record from the time. It's followed by an excellent take on Weldon Irvine's "Mr Clean" – one that's rompingly funky while still as righteous as the work on side long title track – played with some great electric piano from Herbie and sweet guitar lines from Benson. The set closes with a mellow take on "Here's That Rainy Day", played in a way that reminds us of Hubbard's more lyrical style – but still with plenty of CTI 70s overtones.

Rough and raw classics from Louis Jordan – served up with a bit more of an R&B tinge than some of his work from the late 40s! There's a searing quality here that really hits hard on the instrumentation – guitar parts and saxophone riffs that clearly mark the space that Jordan helped allow in American music at the time – moved into nicely by the group here on their renditions of classic tracks from the Jordan book! Titles include "Run Joe", "Early In The Morning", "Caldonia", "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby", "Beware, Brother, Beware", and "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens".

An incredible album of Latin funk – the only-ever record from this west coast combo headed by the legendary Benny Velarde! Benny's a name that you might recognize from earlier, straighter Latin dates for Fantasy – or for countless studio work during the 70s – but here, he's really got a talent for a funky 70s groove – and manages to hit a unique space that's somewhere between conventional funk, west coast Latin, and some of the hippest blacksploitation grooves of the time! The album also features some under-credited work from Lalo Schifrin – who was tied to the project somehow (Velarde claims that the record was killed by MGM upon release because of a feud with Lalo) – but never really fully credited in the notes. There's a definite link here with some of Schifrin's funkier soundtrack of the period – a great blend of jazzier elements and headier 70s funk – all served up with a tightness that has made the record one of our favorite funky treasures for years! Titles include "The Ghetto", "Latin Slide", "Who You Fooling", "Road Runner", "Soul Sauce", "Cocoa Leaf", and "Move Your Hands".

Sweet electric soundtrack work from the team of Hubert Laws & Earl Klugh – made even better by the fact that the whole thing's written and arranged by Patrick Williams! Williams' work is always a treat – with a good sense of space, timing, and groove that pushes past some of the more obvious styles that were creeping into both Laws' and Klugh's work at the time – making for a nice batch of tracks that have a late CTI/Kudu feel, polished up a bit for the soundtrack scene. Titles include "Down River", "Piccolo Boogie", "The Edge", "The Caper", "The Scuffle", and "Ready To Run".

A killer bit of soulful fusion – recorded by Mouzon after his harder-jamming 70s years, with an all star group that includes Herbie Hancock, Lee Ritenour, Freddie Hubbard, and Paul Jackson. The tunes groove wonderfully – never too over the top, and always in the smooth soulful mode that was the best part of major label fusion in the late 70s. Mouzon plays a fair bit of keyboards next to Herbie's acoustic and electric piano, and tracks are long, with some really nicely jazzy grooves. Titles include "The Jogger", "Do I Have To", "Space Invadors", and "The Next Time We Love".

2nd pressing of one of the most obscure sessions for the legendary Mode label – a one-off date by The Bernie Nerow Trio – a group that was actually led by pianist Peter Nero, working on the original album under a "nom de date", but billed here on the 2nd pressing with full credits! The Nero sound here is much jazzier than on any of his more overblown pop instrumental sides from the time – a lightly leaping approach that still allows plenty of space for his strong command of the keys, yet which never succumbs to its own excesses. Rhythm is by the team of Max Wayne on bass and Dick Stein on drums – and the record's got a gentle warmth and easygoing feel that we like a heck of a lot! Titles include "Lullaby Of The Leaves", "Scratch My Bach", "Red's Romp", "Love For Sale", "How About You", and "Our Love Is Here To Stay".

Quite possibly the best-remembered album from Pharoah Sanders' legendary run at Impulse Records – a set that crossed over big, and sold to countless folks who might not have bought a jazz album this hip otherwise! The record was Sanders' first in the wake of Coltrane's passing – and it's a beautiful extended suite of tracks that flows with a sense of grace, power, and majesty that's simply breathtaking – a new level of expression in spiritual jazz – and virtually the blueprint for an entire generation to come! The album features the classic track "The Creator Has a Master Plan" – spanning a tremendous amount of space and time – and featuring Leon Thomas' classic vocals on the lyrics! Thomas also returns on the cut "Colors", which is a bit more outside, and quite free overall – and other players on the date include Lonnie Liston Smith on piano, James Spaulding on flute, Julius Watkins on French horn, Ron Carter and Richard Davis on bass, and Freddie Waits and Billy Hart on drums.

Dexter Wansel keeps up the space jazz funk groove that was begun on Life On Mars – with those fat, thumping bass lines, elastic lead guitar, atmospheric soul vocals and loads and loads of keys – spatial work on Rhodes, Moogs and ARPs! It's all done in a funky style not always heard on Philly! Dexter arranged and produced just about everything – and cuts include "All Night Long", "Voyager", "Solutions", "Latin Love", and "Time Is The Teacher".

One of the first albums from guitarist Kenny Burrell as a leader – a date that has him working with players from his hometown scene in Detroit – in case you couldn't guess from the title! Kenny's style here is a bit different than on the Blue Note dates of the time – almost a bit more personal, and leaner – which is a surprise, given the usual heavier feel of a Savoy session. Other players include Pepper Adams on baritone, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums – and before you complain, we know that not all of these guys are from Detroit – but that's the way they titled the thing, so you'll have to write to the label! Adams is a bit down in the mix, so he never over-dominates Burrell's tone – but he still gets plenty of space to sparkle on his solos, working with those sharp edges that make his Savoy appearances so great. Titles include "Your Host", "Afternoon In Paris", "Apothegh", "Cottontail", and "Tom's Thumb".

A definite soul based session for Donald Byrd – and that's saying a lot here, because his previous decade's worth of work had all had some sort of R&B focus! The main force behind the set here is Isaac Hayes – who's producing, arranging, and playing most of the keyboards on the album. Oddly, Ike's not singing at all – and vocals are instead handled by Rose Williams, Diane Davis, Pat Lewis, and Myra Walker – plus the Hot Buttered Soul group on backing vocals. Most tunes have such a strong vocal focus that Byrd's horn gets far less solo space than before – but overall, the album's still got a nice mix of funky jazz and modern soul, and grooves a lot better than most other efforts of this nature from the time. Great, long overlooked grooves from Byrd! Titles include "Sexy Dancer", "Midnight", "High Energy", "Star Trippin", "Forbidden Love", and "Everyday".

A nice little collaboration between saxophonist Hank Crawford and guitarist Calvin Newborn – a record that turns out to be one of the best from both players for the time! Crawford's managed to shake off some of the hoke of his earlier records – and although his sound here isn't earth-shattering, it's a lot fresher than it might be – with a laidback use of the alto that's augmented by some especially nice Fender Rhodes, as part of Hank's growing talents on the keyboard. Crawford also arranged and produced, but Newborn still gets in plenty of space too – using some bluesier licks to bring in an earthier tone, while still also staying in the smoother feel of the record. Titles include a remake of "Breezin", plus "Centerpiece", "Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You", "I Can't Stand It", "I Had A Dream", and "Frame For The Blues".

One of the most fantastic Booker Ervin albums from the sixties – a really soulful set that combines his gutsy tenor with some crackling fresh modern touches! Booker's working here with a larger group than usual – a sextet that creates a bit more of an ensemble feel than usual – with less of the space for Booker to stand alone on his solos, and a rolling groove overall that has traces of some of the best Blue Note work of the time. That group features Jimmy Owens on trumpet, Garnett Brown on trombone, and Jaki Byard on piano – plus some spectacular rhythm work from the team of Richard Davis on bass and Alan Dawson on drums. There's some wonderfully dark touches throughout – thanks to the players in the group – and titles include "Aluminum Baby", "Bachafillen", and "Not Quite That Way".

Massively soulful, massively stepping – and one of the greatest albums ever from the team of Art Farmer and Benny Golson! The record sparkles with an amazing edge – rhythm totally in place from the trio of Cedar Walton, Tommy Williams, and Albert Heath – and horns braced over the top with a clean-blown sound that's as impeccable as it is soulful! Farmer, Golson, and trombonist Tom McIntosh update the soulfully arranged style that Golson first forged in the 50s – taking it into earthier territory with more of a soul jazz flair, but still allowing for the space and modern edge that made Golson's work noticeable from the start. The album features some great originals, and key takes on jazz standards from the time – an all-great run of titles that includes "The Cool One", "Blues On Down", "Hi Fly", "Bean Bag", and "Con Alma".

Pure genius from Russ Garcia – one of our favorite arrangers of the 50s, and one of the few who could be modern, swinging, and surprisingly soulful at the same time! The set features Garcia's Wigville Band – a mid 50s ensemble that featured the leading lights of the west coast scene, arranged in a style that had plenty of the tight counterpoint of the time, but which also broke out in these amazingly expressive solos. Charlie Mariano, Bill Holman, and Jimmy Giuffre all get some key moments in on these sides – blowing beautifully in a very small amount of space, but packing some tremendous meaning into their well-crafted solos. Tunes include "Smogville", "The Lonely One", "Rock Road", "Wigville", "Butter Duck", "Then The Lid Blew Off", and "Love Row".

A noteworthy session from pianist Hampton Hawes – a rare quartet session from the 50s (at a time when Hawes was mostly working in trios) – and also a three volume set of releases, all recorded in the space of a single night! The album is truly an All Night Session – as the material here was recorded during the night of November 12 and early morning hours of November 13, 1956 – with an unusual group that features Hawes on piano, Red Mitchell on bass, Bruz Freeman on drums, and Jim Hall on guitar! Hall's ringing tones are a perfect partner for Hawes' light approach to the keys – and the relaxed, extended nature of the recording has both players really opening up on some of the album's longish tracks. Titles on this volume include "I'll Remember April", "I Should Care", "Woody'N You", "Two Bass Hit", "Will You Still Be Mine", "April In Paris" and "Blue 'N Boogie".

A key album in the Isley Brothers "extended funk" mode of the 70s – a style in which the group approached nearly every tune by adding in a "part 2" in order to stretch out the groove! The style here is bass-heavy funk, but less of the sort that other groups were using at the time – because the Isleys still bring in plenty of soul to the mix, and resist popping the bass too much so that they still have plenty of space for the slinky vocals that always make their work so great. Most of the titles on the album have this extended approach, and titles include "I Wanna Be With You (parts 1 & 2)", "Liquid Love (parts 1 & 2)", "Winner Takes All", "Love Comes & Goes (parts 1 & 2)", "Let's Fall In Love (parts 1 & 2)", "Let Me In Your Life (parts 1 & 2)", "Life In The City (parts 1 & 2)", "Go For What You Know", and "Mind Over Matter (parts 1 & 2)".

One of Ramsey Lewis' best albums of the 60s – a killer Cadet record that stands right up there with classics like Maiden Voyage and Mother Nature's Son! As on those records, arrangements here are mostly by Charles Stepney, who comes up with that righteous blend of soul, strings, and jazz that really takes Ramsey to the next level – and the great Chicago soul arranger Richard Evans handles a few tracks here too, bringing a slightly funky undercurrent to the record. Part of the record seems to take off from Stepney's sessions for Minnie Riperton – particularly the cuts "Distant Dreamer" and "Rainy Day In Centerville" – both done here as instrumentals – and a version of "Golden Slumbers" is clearly from the Beatles' sessions used for Mother Nature's Son. The album's essential listening through and through – Ramsey really taking things past the simple structure of the trio, yet never losing his soul in the process. Other titles include "You've Made Me Feel So Very Happy", "Time & Space", "Do I Love Her", "Close Your Eyes & Remember", "Whenever Wherever", and "The Love I Feel For You".

A pivotal session from the late 60s – one that has Jackie pulling things back a bit from his "new thing" period, and turning towards the spiritual soulful groove that would characterize his early 70s work! The album bristles with excitement – still very much informed by a knowledge of the space explored during Jackie's avant years, but never quite willing to go to that space – especially if it means sacrificing the soulful swing of the set! The group's filled with young soulful modernists – including Woody Shaw, Lamont Johnson, Scott Holt, and Jack DeJohnette – and Jackie himself seems to be working out a whole new phase of his career with each new track – showing that even when he was at his "new thing" best, he was still ready to move on! Tremendous stuff, and one of our favorite Blue Notes from the time – and one of the most soulful too! Titles include "Floogeh", "Message From Trane", "Toyland", and "Boo Ann's Grind".

A very apt title – as Jackie McLean sits in for a soulful session with the Great Jazz Trio of Hank Jones, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – all "old bottles" at this point in their career, but working together beautifully to brew some very mellow "new wine"! The album's easily one of the best in the trio's run of the time – as Jackie's alto sax really helps flesh things out a bit more than usual – and moves the album past the trio sound of their other records. McLean gets plenty of space to do his thing on the longer tracks – and the piano of Jones, bass of Carter, and drums of Williams have a solid, soulful approach that's really wonderful. Titles include 2 McLean originals titled "Appointment In Ghana Again" and "Little Melonae Again", both remakes of older tunes – plus "Confirmation", "Bein Green", and "Round Midnight".

A brilliant standout in a late 60s world of blues rock – a set that goes way beyond what most of Steve Miller's contemporaries were doing at the time – to find a brave new world that's all its own! As before, the drums are key to the group's sound – harder and funkier than most of their contemporaries – with a propulsive energy that really pushes the group past any sort of sleepy cliches, and allows Miller to grab a whole host of other influences, and manage to forge them into the sound. Tim Davis is the mighty man on the kit – really kicking it throughout – and other surprising guests include Ben Sidran on guitar, and an appearance by Paul McCartney on one track too! Titles include "Space Cowboy", "Got Love Cause You Need It", "Celebration Song", "In My Dark Hour", "Kow Kow", and "Brave New World".

Oliver Nelson's follow-up to his classic Blues & The Abstract Truth session for Impulse – and like that one, a tremendous little album – filled with deep tones and wonderful colors in sound! The group here's a bit larger than before – an ensemble that includes Phil Woods on alto, Ben Webster on tenor, Thad Jones on trumpet, Pepper Adams on baritone, Roger Kellaway on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Grady Tate on drums. The album includes some superb original compositions by Nelson – just the kind of overlooked jazz numbers that make the set great – and as with most of his arrangements from the time, there's a perfect balance between group force and intimate solo space! Titles include "The Critic's Choice", "Blues & The Abstract Truth", "One For Bob", and 2 versions of Dave Brubeck's "Theme From Mr. Broadway".

Mellow, magical, and moody – a sublime set from the great Jack Sheldon – working both as a vocalist and jazz trumpeter! Sheldon first cut his teeth as part of the west coast scene of the 50s – but by the time of this sweet little record, he'd elevated himself into a unique space that made him a regular fixture on TV during the 60s and 70s – always entertaining, and with a vocal style that was as raspy and rough as his trumpet solos were cool! This set for Dot is Jack's second for the label – and it's a great mix of styles all handled by Don Sebesky. Sebesky scores some tunes that focus on Jack's trumpet – with breathy solos that drift across some sweet 60s easy arrangements – offset by others that feature Sheldon's growling vocals, rumbling along in a jagged, jaunty sort of mode. The whole thing's filled with lots of groovy 60s touches – of the sort you'd expect much more from a record on A&M than on Dot. Titles include "The Boy's Got Soul", "Happy Together/Honey Pie", "Afterthoughts", "Meet A Cheetah", "I Think He's Hiding", and "Shangri-La".

One of the best live jam sessions on MPS – a really freewheeling performance, filled with an assemblage of all star players! As the title indicates, the set was recorded live in Colorado in the early 70s – and all titles here are quite long, quite lively, and filled with great solo space – taken strong advantage of by some of the best players here, some of whom didn't get to record in this format much at the time. There's a mostly swing-based style going on here, but there's also a bit of bop as well, depending on the players on each track. Players work in various groupings, and artists include Carl Fontana, Kai Windingk, Urbie Green, and Trummy Young on trombone; Zoot Sims, James Moody, and Flip Phillips on tenor; Victor Feldman and Dick Hyman on piano; Budd Johnson on baritone and soprano sax; and Mousie Alexander and Alan Dawson on drums. Titles include "The Hymn", "On The Trail", "Just Squeeze Me", "Oleo", "Emily", "Undecided", and "Lover Come Back To Me".

Space seemed to be a logical direction for Lenny White to go – since his high-powered fusion drumming style is enough to power him right out of the galaxy! This album's a hard heavy batch of funky fusion tunes – with lots of hard drums by Lenny, and spacey spacey keyboards by the great Don Blackman! Patrick Gleeson had a hand in some of the synthesizer work, and he gives the album a similar astral sound to the work he did on the Mercury label at the same time. There's a lot of guitars in the lead, but they sound pretty nice next to Lenny's heavy drums – and titles include "Heavy Metal Monster", "Assault", "Climax", "Universal Love", "The Great Pyramid", and "Remembering".

Mellow soul and soaring club – all nicely balanced together in this first album from the group Anacostia! There's a sound here that's slightly different than some of the other east coast groups of the time – a willingness to slow things down, then groove them up – all with a sound that's polished, but never in a too-commercial sort of way. In fact, most of these tunes seem to aim for a space that's pretty far both from radio, and conventional disco – despite the fact that Van McCoy supervised the production, which is mostly handled by Charles Kipps. There's a fair bit of strings in the backings, and keyboards are by Richard Tee – on titles that include "Looking Over My Shoulder", "Heartache In Disguise", "We Can't Live Life Alone", "I Can't Stop Loving Her", "Baby I'm Available", and "Face The Fact".

Sound, space, tone, and color – a tremendous effort from trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, and a record with a really unique feel! The album features a wonderful group that includes Brookmeyer on valve trombone, Stan Getz on tenor, Gary Burton on vibes, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – all coming together in a way that's extremely equally-weighted – with less of Brookmeyer as the leader, than as a warm friend, gathering together a few key players in the studio. Given that Getz worked with Brookmeyer back in the early 50s, and had Burton in his group at the time, the album's always a link between both sides of a decade in Stan's career – but with the presence of the modernists on the rhythm team, there's a sound here that's much more unique – one that has a place for Stan's wonderful tone, and Brookmeyer's airy phrasing – but which also drives along in a rhythmically pulsing mode that almost puts Burton's vibes at the top of the set on some numbers. There's a change in mood from tune to tune that gives the record a remarkable depth, but without sounding schizophrenic – and titles include "Bracket", " Wrinkle Time", "Jive Hoot", "Skylark", "Sometime Ago", and "Who Cares".

A great early demonstration of the bold talents as a leader from trumpeter Maynard Ferguson – heard here in a loose, open-ended performance that's more of a jam session than anything else! The style's almost similar to the Clifford Brown jam dates for Emarcy from the same time – two long tracks that are driven by well-crafted rhythms – and which really soar with open solo work from Ferguson on trumpet, Bud Shank on alto, Bob Cooper on tenor, and Bob Gordon on baritone. The work is nicely boppish and a fair bit more open than most of the players were getting at the time – and Maynard himself is often back a far bit to let everyone get in some good solo space! Each track lasts a side – and titles include "Night Letter" and "Somebody Loves Me".

Marty Paich takes on a host of Broadway tunes from the 50s – but as always with his best work, the result is something quite far from its roots – an amazing batch of jazzy instrumentals that owes very little to the original conception of the tunes! Paich's got an incredible ear for arrangements here – one that manages to make a large ensemble swing with even more dynamic modes than some of his 50s LA contemporaries, but never in ways that fall into some of the more hi-fi oriented tricks or gimmicks of the time. There's always great space for solo voices and personal feelings in the music – which is important, given that the lineup includes Art Pepper on alto, Bill Perkins on tenor, Jimmy Giuffre on baritone, and Stu Williamson on trumpet – not to mention the legendary Scott LaFaro on bass. Titles include "I Love Paris", "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face", "It's All Right With Me", "Just In Time", "Lazy Afternoon", "If I Were A Bell", and " Younger Than Springtime".

Warm, mellow, and completely sublime – the mighty America at the height of their powers – working with a quality that nobody else can match! The trio wrap together all the best ideas that were bubbling under in the LA scene of the late 60s – vocal harmonies, studio perfection, and even touches of rootsy instrumentation – yet find a space to work all these elements together in a rich sound that's completely unique – amazingly understated at times, despite a near-perfect level of production! The whole album's great – even their original version of "Muskrat Love" – nestled in here next to "Rainbow Song", "Submarine Ladies", "Molten Love", "Green Monkey", and "Goodbye".

A great little album by Roy Ayers – one that features none of his hits, but which has great examples of both sides of Roy's talents at the time. The dancefloor side of Roy kicks in with "Love Will Bring Us Back Together", an extremely catchy groover that's very much in the mode of "Running Away", with plenty of choppy funky riffs, and a good soul base at the core. Even better, though, is the mellow spacey side of Roy – which shows up wonderfully in the cuts "Is It Too Late To Try" and "If You Love Me" – two overlooked gems that float along in a perfect blend of jazz and modern soul, with great breathy vocals and vibes, very much in the spirit of stuff on the You Send Me album.

Quite possibly the greatest moment ever for Burt Bacharach – and that's saying a heck of a lot, considering the greatness of all of his work! The record's a slightly-overlooked gem from Burt's 70s years – a record that steps off the compressed sophistication of his best 60s work for A&M, but pushes things slightly into even more adult territory – a space that's beyond simple instrumental pop, and which features complicated rhythms, amazing songwriting, and a batch of tunes so great, you'll be coming back to this one for years to come! The record leads off with the sublime "Something Big", a building vocal number that always sends chills down our spine – then follows with the skittish rhythm of "Monterey Peninsula", almost drum and bass at times! Even the mellower tracks are great – somewhat soulful, and always touched with unusual phrasings, timings, or jazzy changes that are simply mindblowing. Other tracks include "The Balance of Nature", "Lost Horizon", "Walk The Way You Talk", "Reflections", "Long Ago Tomorrow", and "I Might Frighten Her Away".

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

Nice moody set of tracks written by Duke Ellington, and played by a trio that features vibist Teddy Charles, bassist Oscar Pettiford, and pianist Hall Overton. All three men are committed modernists, and they play here without drums, and with a lot of space to lay down some dark edgey arrangements of tracks like "The Mooch", "Sherman Shuffle", and "Main Stem". Moody stuff, with a very spooky sound at times, and some excellent interplay between the vibes and piano.

Moody magic from Miles Davis and Gil Evans – one of the pair's most perfectly poised albums together, and a set with a slight bossa nova undercurrent! Evans' shimmering horn patterns are in fine form here – complicated, but never in cold and too-modern ways – just the right sort of backdrop for Miles' muted solo work – blow with a great sense of space and care throughout! There's almost a soundtrack sort of depth to the record, but the solos still keep the jazz element nicely in focus – and titles include "Summer Night", "Wait Till You See Her", "Aos Pes Da Cruz", "Song #1", "Song #2", "Corcovado", and "Once Upon A Summertime".

Heavily layered work from George Duke – a record that seems to push all his influences and aspects at once, sometimes getting in the way of each other, but sometimes making for some very nice grooves! The best tunes on the set are those that have a bit of space in them – letting Duke stretch out on the keys in between the notes, or croon in that wispy, spacey style that we always liked best on his MPS albums. Dianne Reeves guests on vocals on the sweet stepper "You & Me", which is worth the price of admission alone – and other tracks include "Up On It", "Sing It", "Down In It", "Carry On", and "What Do They Really Fear".

One of George Duke's best albums for the MPS label – and a set that has a sound that's a little bit more soul than before! The album uses a fair bit of vocals alongside Duke's funky keyboards – but in a way that's not nearly as smooth as some of his albums for Epic, and which still retains all the best spacey and cosmic bits of his roots! The record's got a strong west coast soul feel – with elements of some of the jazzy funk of the Fantasy Records/Bay Area scene, and elements of the electric funk that was starting to come out of LA at the time – and there's a huge host of guest stars on the record, including Johnny Guitar Watson (who sings on one track), Emil Richards (who plays marimba), and Flora Purim (who does her usual thing!) Titles include "Chariot", "Someday", "That's What She Said", "Sister Serene", "Prepare Yourself", "Rokkinrowl", and "Look Into Her Eyes".

A pretty great 70s album from Gil – with some nice electric playing, and a good groove on the best cuts! The overall approach is still very striking – a 70s equivalent to Gil's famous 60s work – and as always with Evans, the players in the ensemble are impeccably well-chosen, with giants like Hannibal Marvin Peterson, Billy Harper, Ryo Kawasaki, Joe Gallivan, and a young Dave Sanborn handling the solos. Includes the odd spacey Tony Williams number "There Comes A Time", plus a cover of Hendrix's "Little Wing" – both of which have vocals by Peterson. Other tracks include "Aftermath Of The Fourth Movement Children Of The Fire", "Anita's Dance", and "Makes Her Move".

An amazing record! By all rights, this shouldn't be so good – but it's an incredible album of haunting tracks that really has us coming back again and again over the years. The formula is simple: Jose plays late 60s pop tunes on acoustic guitar, and sings them in his spacey soulful voice. Backings are by George Tipton, plus a jazz combo made up of Jim Horn, Ray Brown, and Milt Holland – but it's Jose that really makes the whole thing amazing! His style of presentation is like anything else we can describe – filled with sadness and soul, but enough joy to keep moving forward. He takes tracks like "Light My Fire", "In My Life", "Sunny", and "California Dreamin", and transforms them into an amazing document of the darkness hidden behind the sun of southern California. "California Dreamin" is especially amazing – and Jose's version is one of the best soul songs of all time!

Later stuff, but a pretty unique album from Herbie! The sound's a bit smoother than some of the groundbreaking electric albums, but the playing's top-shelf, and the record features a number of jazz funk numbers with soulful vocals – including work by Gavin Christopher and The Waters. Think of the record as work by Lonnie Liston Smith from the same time, and you'll really come to appreciate the funky grooves of "Don't Hold It" and "Saturday Night", and the spacey soul of "Making Love" and "Stars In Your Eyes".

An excellent document of how the rawer soul jazz spiritualism of the early 70s smoothed out to become the spacey mellow fusion of the late 70s. The players all have their jazz funk chops – and include Paul Humphrey, Herbie Hancock, Bennie Maupin, and Bill Summers – and they've taken years at their craft to perfect their interplay in a subtle fashion, without the heavier full-on message of earlier days. Skip Drinkwater's producing the set – and as on some of his best work from the time, he manages to give the whole thing a smooth sound, yet still retain a lot of the soul. Lots of nice grooves, with almost a Larry Mizell feeling to them. Titles include "Mahal", "Ecstasy", "Butterfly", and "Cyclops".

Free-flowing and angular reed work from Francois Jeanneau – a fair bit more soulful than you might guess from the "techniques" in the title! The setting is relaxed and almost informal, but moves along with that subtle sense of groove that often marked the best Owl Records sessions from years back – a rhythmic approach that comes from the flowing piano of Michel Graillier, the punctuated bass of JF Jenny-Clark, and the tight drum work of Aldo Romano. Jeanneau's out sometimes, but mostly just fluidly exploratory – a bit post-Coltrane, but with more space between the notes at times. Titles include "En Marge", "Autrefois Les Baleines", "Heliodanse", "Le Lynx", and "Techniques Douces".

Spacey sounds from out of the ether – Kraftwerk's wonderful tribute to radio, spun out in the same spare electronics they used to give some love to the computer, too! The album's the first by the group to really work as a unified suite of tracks – building up wonderfully over the course of both sides of the record – with themes that return, and bubble through other themes – creating a sense of careful, conceptual interplay that really blows away most of their 70s contemporaries – at the same time winning them a much bigger audience in the mainstream. Titles include "Radioland", "Airwaves", "News", "The Voice Of Energy", 'Uranium", "News", and "Ohm Sweet Ohm".

A tight batch of organ groovers with a raw R&B feel, recorded by the obscure St Louis organist Sam Lazar – with a very young Grant Green on guitar! The album's a bit different than Sam's other records for Argo – in that the tunes are all quite short, with a tight fast sound that's almost more R&B at times than jazz – a very unusual setting especially for Grant Green! The guitar is nice and loud – really racing to keep up with Lazar's fast work on the Hammond – and other members of the group include Willie Dixon on bass and Chauncey Williams on drums. Titles include "Mad Lad", "Space Flight", "Caramu", "Funky Blues", and "Big Willie".

An obscure late 60s rock opera – but a pretty great one too, and a set with some rougher, more soulful moments than Hair, Oh Calcutta, or any of its contemporaries! The instrumentation here is really great – almost in a Melvin Van Peebles mode at times, with basslines that step around in odd, almost skittish rhythms – and guitar bits and keyboards that get funky, but often in a way that's kind of quirky. Vocals are by both the authors, as well as actor Joe Morton and Yolande Bavan – the latter of whom makes one of her few rare appearances on record after working with Dave Lambert and Jon Hendricks! Tracks themselves have a definite Hair influence – slightly hippieish, but a bit more soulful – and produced here by Nik Venet with a style that lets in plenty of the "space" that made similar contemporaneous projects at Capitol so great. Titles include "Salvation", "1001", "Honest Confession Is Good For The Soul", "Ballin", "For Ever", "Deadalus", "Let's Get Lost In Now", "Back To Genesis", and the hit "If You Let Me Make Love To You Then Why Can't I Touch You".

An early vocal set from Les McCann – quite unusual, and pretty darn soulful as well! The album's done in a mode that foreshadows Les' move to soul during the 70s, and features him singing to some hip arrangements by Gerald Wilson – in a soulful, jazzy style that was common for LA of the mid 60s – somewhere in a space between Lou Rawls and Arthur Prysock – with all the hip, adult aspects you'd expect from those references! Tunes include a fair bit of standards, but swung in really fresh ways by Wilson – and McCann's got this restrained style of singing that's really great – almost as if he's hiding a broken heart beneath his groove. Tracks include "It's Way Past Suppertime", "Next Spring", "Bye Bye Black Bird", "Deed I Do", "I Cried for You", and "Wonder Why".

A great batch of harmony vocal tracks – nearly all of them with an upbeat, kind of silly approach – similar to The Coasters at their best! The Olympics owed a lot to the late 50s Atco recordings The Coasters did with Lieber & Stoller – and they had a similar tight-lipped approach, with lots of vocal tricks, and a set of song themes that runs through the dregs of pop culture of the time – titles like "The Slop", "Little Pedro", and "Private Eye". Other tracks include "Baby Hully Gully (parts 1 & 2)", "Dance By The Light Of The Moon", and "Big Boy Pete". The Marathons were actually The Vibrations – recording under another name, to showcase their more novelty type numbers – again like The Coasters, and also a bit like The Cadillacs. Titles by them include "Oink Jones", "Chicken Spaceman", "Tight Sweater", "Peanut Butter", and "Talkin Trash".

A beautiful later score from the legendary Miklos Rosza – a masterpiece that draws on all of his many years in film, yet serves things up with a more subtle approach than before! There's a sense of space here that we don't always hear in Rosza – almost a pausing between the notes, creating a sense of reflection that really expands the gentle sentiment of the tunes – while still building to a bit of drama at a few key moments. Nothing here is overdone at all – and the soundtrack is a great reminder that in the serious film score world, away from the hits, the mid 70s could be a very golden period! Titles include "Providence", "Sonia Et Le Saint Suaire", "Feuillages", "Poursuite", and "Valse Crepusculaire".

A 70s classic from Phoebe Snow – one of those records that it seemed like everybody had to own back in the day – and for good reason! Phoebe's vocals are wonderful – laidback, but inflected with plenty of personality – at times kind of hovering in a 70s space between Minnie Riperton and Joni Mitchell, but often underscored with some folksy acoustic guitar – which makes for a nice contrast to the jazzy backings! Arrangements are a masterpiece of understatement – really letting Snow's spirit come right up front in the mix – and our hat's off to Pat Williams for some great work on the record. Titles include "Two Fisted Love", "Inspired Insanity", "Pre-Dawn Imagination", "All Over", "Isn't It A Shame", "Sweet Disposition", and "No Regrets".

Funky rhythms and modal grooves – all held together nicely by the raspy vocals of JJ Vianello! The record's got echoes of other recent work from Italy – particularly some of the Mario Biondi recordings, in its mix of well-chosen modes from the 60s! But JJ's also got a bent that's more soul than some of the jazz of other projects like this – and effortlessly steps back and forth between genres throughout the space of the album! Instrumentation's by a core small combo, but there's lots of jazzy contributions from guests – and some rhythms at the bottom that push the grooves a bit more towards the dancefloor at times. Vianello sings in English on most cuts – and titles include great covers of "Cincinnati Kid" and "Sympathy For The Devil" – plus "Just A Game", "Your Smile", "Fire", "Such A Shame", "Your Morning Smile", "Sparami", and "Love Rains On Me".

Funky fusion in a runaway spaceship – the second album by Larry Young's cosmic heavy Fuel ensemble! The album's a perfect batch of jazzy keyboard grooves in a tradition that includes Lonnie Liston Smith, Johnny Hammond, and Charles Earland during his Mercury years – with Larry on moog, organ, Hammond B-3, Fender Rhodes, and other cool keyboards – grooving with a sound that ranges from fast and choppy to sweet and spacious. Julius Brockington also plays a lot of funky keys on the set next to Larry, and although a few tracks have vocals, the real focus here is on the instrumentation. Titles include "Startripper", "Message From Mars", "Moonwalk", "Sticky Wicket", and "Flytime". His last album, and a nice bit of far-reaching funk!

A post-Blue Note effort, and Donald's changing things up a bit with his 125th Street Orchestra and Uptown Singers – funking along in a way you'd expect from the longwinded title! Byrd loostens up the smoother backgrounds of his recent Larry Mizell helmed work, and in their place are grooves that have more of a heavy slap bass sound, punchier horns and guitars! There are lotes nice moments that are a bit more restrained than the comparably full-on funk approach – and these have a spacey fusiony soul quality that reminds us of similar work that Byrd was doing with The Blackbyrds at the time. One of the best cuts is "Your Life Is My Ecstasy", which has some great bubbling Moog behind it, which creates a sound that you've heard sampled famously by Tribe Called Quest. Other nice ones are "Loving You", which features vocals by Jim Gilstrap, and a remake of Duke Pearson's "Cristo Redentor", a big hit for Don in the 60s, which is redone here in an excellent slow funk mode that feels like Bob James' work on CTI. Others include "Have You Heard The News", "In Love With Love" and "Close Your Eyes And Look Within".

Funky 70s work from Lalo – with a bit of a disco twist, and plenty of the electric jazz funk elements that were showing up in his soundtracks at the time. Lalo's on keyboards, playing a cool host of electric ones that give the record a nice spacey sound over the top of the funky arrangements. There's plenty of nice guitar work – either by Eric Gale or John Tropea – which gives the cuts some nice choppy funky bits that drive them a bit harder than you might expect. Includes an amazing funk remake of "Quiet Village", plus "Dragonfly", "Black Widow", "Baia", "Turning Point", and a version of the "Jaws" theme!

Late stuff by Cannonball, with a dope spacey electric sound, no doubt due to some very nice keyboards on the session by George Duke. The album's a bit mellower than some of the others on Fantasy, but it makes up for that with a warm snaking mellow funk groove. Brother Nat gives a helping hand on both cornet and production duties, and the group also features Airto, Alphonso Johnson, Jack DeJohnette, and Alvin batiste with guest spots by Flora Purim and Ron Carter. Tracks include "New Orleans Strut", "Salty Dogs", "Lovers", and "Children of Time".

A bit silly at times, but still pretty great! Bill Cosby teams up with old LA cronie Stu Gardner to do a set of tracks that are parodies of other big soul artists of the early 70s – and thanks to Stu's good work with the music, most of the tracks work a lot better than you'd expect! The record leads off with some sly slinky Barry White parodies – including "Yes, Yes, Yes" and "Shift Down"; then goes into a great James Brown funk number, "I Luv Myself Better Than I Luv Myself". It's hard to figure out where some of the other tracks are going – but the album also features a great spacey jazz number with lots of keyboards, "You're Driving Me Crazy".

Fabulous stuff – one of the legendary albums that funky flute player Bobbi Humphrey cut with producer Larry Mizell! The record's a prime example of the Mizell genius at work – as Larry's arranged these fantastic backdrops for Bobbi's flute – soaring keyboard lines, layers and layers of rhythm, and just enough space for Bobbi to come in and send the record to the heavens with her spiritually grooving sound. Harvey Mason plays drums, Jerry Peters is on keyboards, and the rest of the group's an all-star LA studio jazz assemblage – perfectly fit together by Larry's arrangements and production in that classic cosmic mid 70s Mizell wall of sound! Tracks include "Fun House", "Satin Doll", "San Francisco Lights", and "New York Times".

A live set that features Ahmad on acoustic and electric piano, and which contains two long tracks – "Bogota" and "Extensions". The groove is fairly lively, with lots of long flowing solos from Ahmad, and nary a dull moment from Jamil Sulieman on bass and Frank Gant on drums. Although the record isn't as moody as some of his other ones from the time, it's a strong straight jazz session, with a good spacey groove.

A killer debut set from Maurice Starr – probably best known for his later efforts as a talent scout and producer, but a surprisingly great soul artist on his own! As you might guess from the spacey jumpsuit on the cover, there's a nice dose of early 80s funk in the set – further enforced by the album's heavy collaboration with Michael Jonzun, who co-wrote and produced the whole thing too! Tunes are surprisingly catchy and well put-together – often with a fair bit of live instrumentation, but some sweet electro touches too – a great mix that warms things up way more than you might expect. There's even a few nice mellower moments which round things out strongly – and cuts include "In My Life", "Moving On Up", "I Wanna Dance With You", "Come See Me Sometime", "Start All Over", "Dance To The Funky Groove", and "When I Say I Love You".

Spacey fusion from guitarist Danny Toan – sometimes upbeat, sometimes laidback, and always pretty soulful! The record's got a feel that's a bit different than some of the better-known fusion artists of the time – almost more like an instrumental soul album in points, with Danny's guitar filling in for the vocals. Most tracks have keyboards – Fender Rhodes or Arp – which really set the mood nicely – and one track features some guest work from Alphonse Mouzon. Titles include "Killian", "Double Fault", "Flightus", "Kunta Kinte", and "Snapper City".