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Five killer albums from Billy Cobham – all records that really define his strength on the drums in the 70s! The music here is a groundbreaking mix of jazz, rock, and a bit of funk – a style of which Billy was one of the greatest proponents at the time – not just on albums like these, but in other key collaborations and session work as well! Yet these records really showcase Cobham at his best and boldest – working with a strength on the drum kit that's as forceful as most funk players of the period, yet which often takes off in even more propulsively jamming ways. Things are mixed up nicely a bit over the course of the records, but there's definitely a unified groove that holds the whole thing together! Features the full albums Spectrum, Total Eclipse, Crosswinds, Funky Thide Of Sings, and Shabazz – all packaged in tiny LP sleeves!

A very full-on hard heavy fusion album! Drummer Billy Cobham lays down some massive hard beats, while Tommy Bolin wails away on guitar, Jan Hammer pounds on electric piano, and Lee Sklar noodles on electric bass. 2 cuts feature a different lineup with Joe Farrell and Jimmy Owens – but the rock-heavy one dominates the album, with a very hard sound. The best cut is the slow mellow funk number "Red Baron", which has great breaks and nice electric piano. Other titles include "Stratus", "Taurian Matador", "To The Women In My Life", and "Quadrant 4".

The funky fusion classic from guitarist Volker Krieger – finally issued in a great CD edition! Easily one of Krieger's best albums, Spectrum was remarkably cut in just two days at MPS Studios in 1971 – with a group that includes Peter Baumeister on drums, Cees See on bongos and percussion, Peter Trunk on bass and cello, and John Taylor on Hohner electric piano. It kicks of with the amazing track "Zoom", a seriously funky maelstrom of groovy funky guitar and percussion that mixes in washes of sitar and Eastern effects here and there for a really trippy effect! The album doesn't try to duplicate the frenzy whipped up by the opener right away, and finds a much more relaxed groove in tracks like "So Long, For Now", "More About D", "Ach Kina", and "Instant Judgement" before flailing away in the exciting closer "Strings Revisited". One of the great ones from MPS – and a hugely influential one to the progression of 70s jazz funk. A really groovy record!

Includes music by Joy, I:Cube, Sylk 130 featuring Mark Bell, Erro, and others picked by Gilb-R.

An excellent collection of tight modern soul and funky uptempo numbers – cuts that aren't really disco, but which are smoother than the usual funk you'd hear on the Jazzman label – a really unique hybrid that's hand-picked by the mighty Fryer! Lots of the grooves here have a cool indie feel – a bit like Fantasy Records funky soul of the late 70s, and a bit like some of the more soulful club of the east coast scene at the time – and given the tightness of the instrumentation, there's often some nice jazzy touches in the mix – making some of the solos as appealing as the vocals! Most tracks here are of late 70s vintage, although there's a few bits from other years too – and titles include "People" by Elipsis", "Simple Song" by Zebra, "Life Goes On" by Freak, "Rollercoaster" by George Smallwood, "Mellow Feeling" by Barbara Lynn, "Funktown" by Nate Calhoun, "I've Got It" by Tolbert, "Party & Get On Down" by Big Apple Band, "Give Me One More Chance" by Target, "You're The One" by Kings Go Forth, "You're The Best" by Larom Baker, "What About The Child" by Gold, and "Keep Her Happy" by Phillip Wright.

A tremendous debut from Ace Spectrum – a harmony quartet who never cracked the charts as much as some of their east coast contemporaries, but who were every bit as great as the bigger names on the east coast scene! The album's got a soaring sound that's strongly influenced by Philly, but recorded in New York – a warmly compressed style that's professional and focused, and beautifully put together with arrangements from Bert DeCoteaux and production by the team of Tony Silvester and Ed Zant. We love the group the best on the mellower cuts – which have a quality that's deeply personal amidst the smoothness – but even the more upbeat tracks are plenty darn great too! Titles include the sublime slow numbers "Moving On" and "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" – plus "Don't Send Nobody Else", "If You Were There", "Pickup", "I Don't Want To Play Around", and "Me & My Love".

The second chapter in a mighty 70s trilogy from Ace Spectrum – a killer set recorded for Atlantic Records, and easily some of the best group soul issued by the label in the decade! Ace Spectrum change things up a bit here from the obvious – hitting a variety of modes that move between tightness you might expect from The Spinners to some of the looser styles bubbling up in the indie underground at the time. Some tunes get a bit funky – almost with a blacksploitation undercurrent, which really comes as a nice surprise – and arrangements are by Patrick Adams and Bert DeCoteaux, trading back and forth throughout the album to keep things fresh! Titles include "Low Rent Rendezvous", "I Just Want To Spend The Night With You", "Beautiful Love", "Do You Remember Yesterday", "Without You", "Trust Me", and a surprisingly compelling version of "Laughter In The Rain".

An excellent collection of tight modern soul and funky uptempo numbers – cuts that aren't really disco, but which are smoother than the usual funk you'd hear on the Jazzman label – a really unique hybrid that's hand-picked by the mighty Fryer! Lots of the grooves here have a cool indie feel – a bit like Fantasy Records funky soul of the late 70s, and a bit like some of the more soulful club of the east coast scene at the time – and given the tightness of the instrumentation, there's often some nice jazzy touches in the mix – making some of the solos as appealing as the vocals! Most tracks here are of late 70s vintage, although there's a few bits from other years too – and titles include "People" by Elipsis", "Simple Song" by Zebra, "Life Goes On" by Freak, "Rollercoaster" by George Smallwood, "Mellow Feeling" by Barbara Lynn, "Funktown" by Nate Calhoun, "I've Got It" by Tolbert, "Party & Get On Down" by Big Apple Band, "Give Me One More Chance" by Target, "You're The One" by Kings Go Forth, "You're The Best" by Larom Baker, "What About The Child" by Gold, and "Keep Her Happy" by Phillip Wright.

The folks at Plastic dig a little deeper than usual for this one, and they turn up a nice batch of cuts – some obscure, some better-known – to define the genre of 60's Noir. The 16 tracks on the compilation are a mix of crime/spy type tracks, moody jazz vocal tracks, and dark moody orchestral themes. Although some of the stuff is a bit funky, the mood is much different than the usual funk compilation, and has more of an overall spooky feel. Tracks include "Out Of This World" by Mark Murphy, "Crossfire" by The Hurricanes, "Ennloro" by Percy Faith, "Jesus Christ Superstar" by Armando Sciascia, "Goldfinger" by Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers, "Love For Sale" by Eartha Kitt, "Harlem Love Theme" by JJ Johnson, and more by Lalo Schifrin, Cal Tjader, Oscar Brown, and others!

An excellent collection of tight modern soul and funky uptempo numbers – cuts that aren't really disco, but which are smoother than the usual funk you'd hear on the Jazzman label – a really unique hybrid that's hand-picked by the mighty Fryer! Lots of the grooves here have a cool indie feel – a bit like Fantasy Records funky soul of the late 70s, and a bit like some of the more soulful club of the east coast scene at the time – and given the tightness of the instrumentation, there's often some nice jazzy touches in the mix – making some of the solos as appealing as the vocals! Most tracks here are of late 70s vintage, although there's a few bits from other years too – and titles include "People" by Elipsis", "Simple Song" by Zebra, "Life Goes On" by Freak, "Rollercoaster" by George Smallwood, "Mellow Feeling" by Barbara Lynn, "Funktown" by Nate Calhoun, "I've Got It" by Tolbert, "Party & Get On Down" by Big Apple Band, "Give Me One More Chance" by Target, "You're The One" by Kings Go Forth, "You're The Best" by Larom Baker, "What About The Child" by Gold, and "Keep Her Happy" by Phillip Wright.

2 of Cedar Walton's funkier albums for Prestige, released back to back on one CD! Spectrum has a nice hard piano sound, and feautres some very tight grooves that sound as if they might have been lifted from a mid 60s Herbie Hancock Blue Note LP. Titles on that one include the groovy "Higgins Holler", plus "Jake's Milkshakes" and "Spectrum". The second album on the CD is the incredibly rare Electric Boogaloo Song, and it's got Walton playing some electric piano with a group that includes Blue Mitchell and Clifford Jordan (who also appear on Spectrum). Titles on that set include "The Electric Boogaloo Song", "Impressions Of Scandinavia", and "Ugetsu", which Walton wrote and performed when he was with the Jazz Messengers. Very nice stuff, and some rare material that we never see on wax!

Sort of a budget Stylistics compilation that doesn't include all the good stuff, but which has some of their big hits like "You Are Everything", "Betcha By Golly Wow", "You'll Never Get to Heaven", "You Make Me Feel Brand New", and "Stop, Look, Listen". There's a lot of other stuff we're not that familiar with, but there's 18 tracks in all, so there's bound to be something you want.

A sweet modern soul groover from Stevens & Foster – a tune that bounces and builds beautifully, but still stays lean and groovy in the end! There's a great groove to the bassline on the track – almost jazzy changes, mixed with a soaring female vocal lead – complicated at times, yet always nicely focused too! "What Would I Have" follows with very mellow energy – laidback, and building up the vocals even more than before – all to serve up a mighty powerful ballad in the end!

Two club stormers from Exit 9 – the obscure funky combo who only issued a single album on Brunswick Records in the 70s! "I Love You" is completely sublime – upbeat and very quick, but with a jazzy complexity right from the start – complicated rhythms that still soar forward strongly, with a vibe that's a lot more righteous than most tunes of this nature! "Miss Funky Fox" is a groove that definitely lives up to its name – a tightly funky number that snaps and moves with unbelievably sharp energy right from the start!

A sweet sweet boogie groove from Arnie Love & The Lovettes – a tune that bumps along with tight bass right from the start – then gets tight horns, a soaring keyboard line, and a hell of a lot of energy – even before the vocals come into the mix! Arnie's singing has a slightly rough edge – offset by the girls' voices – which gives the tune a really multi-faceted sort of charm. "Invisible Wind" is darker and a bit more urgent – but an equally appealing groover too!

A bursting treasure chest of prime rocksteady from Treasure Isle – featuring incredible 60s soulful and steady rockin' numbers by Alton Ellis & The Flames, The Paragons, Lester Sterling & Tommy McCook, The Melodians, Phyllis Dillon, The Three Tops, Joya Landis, Dobby Dobson, John Holt and many more! The consistency throughout this set, as well as the geniune love for the material that went into compiling is pretty wonderful – as are the songs. It's all from the fertile period of the rocksteady style, that soulful and steady sound that simmered out of the preceding ska style – spanning '66-'68 – backed by Duke Reid and backed by Tommy McCook & The Supersonics. 40 tracks on 2CDs: "Girl I've Got A Date", by Alton Ellis & The Flames, "You Don't Need Me" by Melodians, "In The Midnight Hour" by The Silvertones, "Wear You To The Ball" by The Paragons, "Queen Majesty" by The Techniques, "It's Raining" by The Three Tops, "Soul Serenade" by Tommy McCook & The Supersonics, "I'm A Loving Pauper" by Dobby Dobson, "Angel In The Morning" by Joya Landis and many more.

A sweet little album of funky instrumental guitar! The record's one of the most obscure on the Westbound label – and it features guitar player Donald Austin going to town on 13 short little cuts with a tripped-out funky groove – sometimes fuzzy, usually funky, and always with that heavier kind of sound you'd expect from Westbound in the early 70s! Austin's guitar is very much in the mode of Eddie Fisher, Eddie Senay, or other kicked-back jazz funk players from his generation – an approach that's probably got a bit of Hendrix somewhere back in the mix, but which is more focused on the tighter side of the funk and soul instrumental spectrum! The album's like finding a stash of rare funky 45s – loads of great short tracks with titles that include "Sex Plot", "Crazy Legs", "You Want It, You Got It", "Side Saddle", "Nanzee", "Pea Shooter", "Do Me Right", and "Shake Your Head".

A far-reaching early gem from Roy Ayers – a set that's much more jazz-based than his later work, and a record that has him touching base with the Blue Note and Strata East sides of the jazz spectrum! The lineup here is incredibly hip – a mix of players that includes a young Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Harold Land and Joe Henderson on tenor, Jack Wilson on piano, and Reggie Workman on bass – not to mention Roy himself on some mighty great vibes! There's a surprising spiritual undercurrent to the music – pointing the way towards jazz to come in the 70s – and titles include "Glow Flower", "Ayerloom", "Virgo Vibes", and "In The Limelight" – plus an early take on Charles Tolliver's "The Ringer".

A far-reaching early gem from Roy Ayers – a set that's much more jazz-based than his later work, and a record that has him touching base with the Blue Note and Strata East sides of the jazz spectrum! The lineup here is incredibly hip – a mix of players that includes a young Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Harold Land and Joe Henderson on tenor, Jack Wilson on piano, and Reggie Workman on bass – not to mention Roy himself on some mighty great vibes! There's a surprising spiritual undercurrent to the music – pointing the way towards jazz to come in the 70s – and titles include "Glow Flower", "Ayerloom", "Virgo Vibes", and "In The Limelight" – plus an early take on Charles Tolliver's "The Ringer".

A dark little western soundtrack from Luis Bacalov – one that's quite brooding overall, despite a rather catchy vocal tune on the title! There's some very odd instrumentation here – watery piano lines, floating bits of guitar, off-tuned strings – all used at different intervals, and in different ways – without as strongly of a unified feel as other albums of this nature. But it's those shifting sounds that make the record great – always creating an unsettling sort of mood, and one that's almost always in the darker, starker side of the spectrum. CD features a whopping 37 tracks in all – including 2 vocal renditions of the "Django" theme by Rocky Roberts, and 2 more by Roberto Fia – plus loads of instrumentals from the film!

Not what you might expect when shopping for African music – unique electronic sounds from Cameroon musician Francis Bebey – as heavy on keyboards as other 70s work is on guitar! There's still plenty of acoustic elements in the mix though, too – lots of earthy percussion at the bottom, which links some of these tracks to other styles of the time – even though some of the more unusual tunes here have these great electronic sounds that almost feel like they came from the late 70s German underground! The mix of modes is breathtaking – as if Moebius and Roedelius recorded with musicians from Lagos – shaking off the colder sounds of the Conny Plank side of the spectrum, to come up with a warm new style that's really unique! Titles include "La Condition Masculine", "Sahle", "The Coffee Cola Song", "Super Jingle", "Pygmy Love Song", "Agatha", "Catching Up", and "Divorce Pygmee".

Tremendous work from Bilal – and further proof that his life on the indie side of the soul spectrum has been a very good thing! There's a crispness to the record that crackles right from the start – slight cosmic touches in the beats, but never too over the top – just enough to electrify the vocals and push Bilal past any sort of mainstream soul – and help him deliver the rich promise we first heard in his music so many years ago – but never found this fully formed during his major label stretch! There's some nice electric bits that percolate forth – moogy keys or sparkling samples – yet the vocals still have all the core warmth that's kept us coming back. Titles include "Astray", "Lost For Now", "West Side Girl", "Back To Love", "Longing & Waiting", and "Butterfly", which features a guest appearance from Robert Glasper!

An album on Muse, but one with the same hip grooves as Walter Bishop's excellent work on the Black Jazz label! Like those gems, this set features Bishop working on Fender Rhodes – hitting a groove we never would have expected in the old days, and really going for a style that's at the hippest end of the soul jazz spectrum of the 70s! Other players include Randy Brecker on trumpet, Gerry Niewood on tenor and flute, and George Young on soprano and alto sax – and the horns are all arranged tightly by Mitch Farber, in a way that adds an extra edge to the record, but still leaves plenty of space for Bishop's solo flights on the keys! Titles include great versions of "Soul Village", "Coral Keys", and "Soul Turnaround" – plus the cuts "Philadelphia Bright", "Sweet Rosa", and "Valerie".

A great focus for the Bill Black Combo – an album of bluesy tunes that seem to bring out a bit more soul than usual in their music – at least for this time in the group's history! Many of the numbers are older tracks that fall into the category of crossover blues – tunes played more by jazz artists than gritty bluesmen, which make them a good fit for the instrumental style of the combo – tuned a bit more towards the bluer side of the spectrum by the group's electric guitar and bass, and topped with some especially nice work on horns. Titles include "Basin Street Blues", "I'll Never Be Free", "Birth Of The Blues", "Peter Gunn", "Weary Blues", "St Louis Blues", and "Blues In The Night".

Wow! The one-and-only album by Trinidadian combo Black Truth Rhythm Band – a completely incredible one at that – hypnotic Caribbean funky soul, jazz and wildly impressive musicianship all around by this group led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Oluko Imo. The record was made in the mid 70s era in which the Afro Funk sound was hitting it's peak – when African rhythms and James Brown style funk were being fused so furiously – but Black Truth Rhythm Band take a different approach, working more with sounds from African spectrum and the West Indies. It's really amazing stuff that takes unpredictable twists from stripped down rhythms, to jazzy guitars and cosmic synths – always with straight up brilliant playing by the group. A fusion of African rhythms, strains of Calypso and boundary free jazzy grooves that balance and exploratory sensibility with tight, irresistible rhythms. Soundway raises the bar once again! Titles include "Ifetayo", "You People", "Saved Musician", "Kilimanjaro", "Aspire", and "Umbala" – plus a bonus 7" single with the track "Imo".

Wow! The one-and-only album by Trinidadian combo Black Truth Rhythm Band – a completely incredible one at that – hypnotic Caribbean funky soul, jazz and wildly impressive musicianship all around by this group led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Oluko Imo. The record was made in the mid 70s era in which the Afro Funk sound was hitting it's peak – when African rhythms and James Brown style funk were being fused so furiously – but Black Truth Rhythm Band take a different approach, working more with sounds from African spectrum and the West Indies. It's really amazing stuff that takes unpredictable twists from stripped down rhythms, to jazzy guitars and cosmic synths – always with straight up brilliant playing by the group. A fusion of African rhythms, strains of Calypso and boundary free jazzy grooves that balance and exploratory sensibility with tight, irresistible rhythms. Soundway raises the bar once again! Titles include "Ifetayo", "You People", "Saved Musician", "Kilimanjaro", "Aspire", "Umbala" and the bonus track "Imo".

Quite possibly THE James Brown album of the mid 60s – a solid set of hard-grooving tracks, based around the monster title hit "I Got You (I Feel Good)"! The tune's one of those numbers that has been used a gajillion times over the years in commercials and promos – but which never sounds better than here, on James' original version – one of those cuts that never gets old! The hit's also nicely offset by a number of other more obscure numbers that make the album really worth tracking down – titles that include "I Can't Help It (I Just Do Do Do)", "Good Good Lovin", "I've Got Money", "Three Hearts In A Tangle", "You've Got The Power", and "Love Don't Love Nobody" – all on the rougher side of the JB spectrum.

Quite possibly THE James Brown album of the mid 60s – a solid set of hard-grooving tracks, based around the monster title hit "I Got You (I Feel Good)"! The tune's one of those numbers that has been used a gajillion times over the years in commercials and promos – but which never sounds better than here, on James' original version – one of those cuts that never gets old! The hit's also nicely offset by a number of other more obscure numbers that make the album really worth tracking down – titles that include "I Can't Help It (I Just Do Do Do)", "Good Good Lovin", "I've Got Money", "Three Hearts In A Tangle", "You've Got The Power", and "Love Don't Love Nobody" – all on the rougher side of the JB spectrum.

An amazing album from Build An Ark – even more spiritual and far-reaching than their first – and still with a vibe that rivals some of the most righteous jazz ever issued in the 70s on labels like Impulse and Strata East! The ensemble features both older and younger players – coming together in a collective exploration of some of the hipper sides of the jazz spectrum – all in a mode that recalls early genius of Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, and others from many years back – recorded in a style that's completely sensitive to the nuances of the music. Carlos Nino produced, and also contributed some of the tunes – and group members include Dwight Trible on vocals, Nate Morgan on piano, Adam Rudolph on kalimba, and Derf Reklaw on congas – but that's only the tip of the iceberg, given the size of the group. Titles include "Sunshine", "Healing Song", "Love Sweet Like Sugar Cane", "Dawn", "River Run", "When Ancestors Speak", "Morning Glory", "In Her Smile", and "You Yourself Are The Key To The Universe".

A 22 track collection of work by Mike Cambpell – a little-known Bay Area vocalist from the 80s, with a sweetly swinging style that's very much in the tradition of Mark Murphy, another San Francisco contemporary. The CD features 12 tracks from Campell's 1982 album Secret Fantasy, originally issued on the Palo Alto Jazz label – plus another 10 tracks from various sessions throughout the 80s, all with a similar warm small combo feel. The tracks are a mix of originals, standards, and some hipper fare from the left end of the jazz vocal spectrum – and titles include "Dat Dere", "Early", "Another Star", "I'm Always Drunk In San Francisco", "Round Midnight", "Soft Strum Blues", "And It All Goes Round & Round", "Mystery", "Alone Again", and "High Wire".

A landmark session that gathered together just about every hip British jazz and jazz/rock musician of the time – and brought them together into one super-cool orchestra of sound! Robert Fripp produced the record, and Keith Tippett is the overall music director – but the album's got a feel that's much more in the avant side of the UK jazz spectrum – particularly the trippier side of the Deram/Decca label of the late 60s – like work by Mike Westbrook or Mike Gibbs! The lineup is huge – with Elton Dean and Dudu Pukwana on alto sax, Alan Skidmore and Gary Windo on tenor, Ian Carr and Mongesi Fesa on trumpets, Mark Charig on cornet, Nick Evans and Paul Rutherford on trombone, Keith Tippett on piano, Brian Godding on guitar, Robert Wyatt and John Marshall on drums, and Maggie Nicholls, Julie Tippett, Mike Patto, and Zoot Money on vocals – plus lots of strings as well!

A landmark session that gathered together just about every hip British jazz and jazz/rock musician of the time – and brought them together into one super-cool orchestra of sound! Robert Fripp produced the record, and Keith Tippett is the overall music director – but the album's got a feel that's much more in the avant side of the UK jazz spectrum – particularly the trippier side of the Deram/Decca label of the late 60s – like work by Mike Westbrook or Mike Gibbs! The lineup is huge – with Elton Dean and Dudu Pukwana on alto sax, Alan Skidmore and Gary Windo on tenor, Ian Carr and Mongesi Fesa on trumpets, Mark Charig on cornet, Nick Evans and Paul Rutherford on trombone, Keith Tippett on piano, Brian Godding on guitar, Robert Wyatt and John Marshall on drums, and Maggie Nicholls, Julie Tippett, Mike Patto, and Zoot Money on vocals – plus lots of strings as well!

One of the most easy-going Motown albums of the early 80s – a set that steps past some of the heavier funk the label's other acts were using, and which goes for kind of a crossover mix of ballads and heartfelt numbers! The title track is something of a post-70s feminist statement, although one that's gotten a bit cheesy over time – and Charlene sings here in this slightly emotive style that's partly soul, but which also makes a big nod to the growing adult contemporary side of the spectrum too. Titles include "I've Never Been To Me", "Hey Mama", "Can't We Try", "It Ain't Easy Comin Down", "I Won't Remember Ever Loving You", and "If I Could See Myself".

Sweet 80s grooves from Cherrelle – a set that really has the singer cooking strongly with the production team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis – complete with all the heavy beats you might expect! Jam and Lewis borrow plenty of bottom sounds from the styles of hip hop and electro, and do a great job of mixing the rhythmic elements with Cherrelle's catchy vocals – all in a way that really blows away some of their more chart-topping productions, as the tunes have a bit more of an underground appeal! Make no mistake, this is definitely the poppier side of the soul spectrum – but there's also a freshness here that goes way past Janet Jackson – and which retains some of that smoother, more sophisticated sound we always love in the Tabu label. Titles include "You Look Good To Me", "High Priority", "Artificial Heart", "Saturday Love", "Oh No It's U Again", and "New Love". 2CD version features a cool book-style cover, new notes, and 11 bonus tracks that include "Artificial Heart (dance rmx)", "Oh No It's U Again (ext version)", "Saturday Love (ext version)", "Saturday Love (feelin luv ext mix)", "Saturday Love (Steve Anderson rmx)", and "You Look Good To Me (ext rmx)".

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

A pair of overlooked gems from 70s singer/songwriter Marty Cooper – an artist who definitely leans towards the country side of the spectrum, but also comes across with more of a mellow rock feel too! A Minute Of Your Time is a 1972 set for the Barnaby label – one that beautifully mixes Cooper's raspy vocals with tunes that run from country twang to jazzier lines – especially on the tunes that feature sweet electric piano, and a bit less acoustic guitar. There's a knowing wink to some of these tunes – almost an echo of Lee Hazlewood, although Marty's a lot more sincere – and titles include "The Indiana Girl", "I Wrote A Song", "Mama Was A Cowgirl", "Cowboys & Daddies", and "To Say Goodbye To Anne". If You Were A Singer is a German-only album from the end of the 70s – but one that has Marty Cooper still working in the best mellow modes of his earlier work – kind of a commentary on country music and country ideals, nestled in a style that's real enough to have appeal to the mainstream it's commenting on. Titles include "Wine Wine Wine", "Stephen", "Like A Gypsy", "A Second Hand Song", and "Ten Dollar Room". CD features one bonus track – the previously unissued "The Biplane Evermore".

Sublime work from Alaide Costa – a beautifully mature album from the late 80s, and one that has her working with a host of great guest help from the Milton Nascimento camp, and the jazzier side of the MPB spectrum! In addition to vocals from Milton on one cut, the set also features appearances by Rique Pantoja on keyboards, Gilson Peranzzeta on piano, Wagner Tiso on piano, Ivan Lins on vocals, Cristovao Bastos on piano, Paulinho Da Viola on vocals, Sebastiao Tapajos on guitar, and Toninho Horta on vocals and arrangements! The music is spare, but has this depth that works perfect with Alaide's rich vocals – often just a few instruments echoing out alongside Costa's lead, with the balance between fullnest and restraint that you'd find in the best recordings by Nascimento or Lins. Titles include "Absinto", "Amiga De Verdade", "Quem Sabe", "Estrada Do Sertao", "Cinema Antigo", "Mais Que A Paixao", and "Morrer De Amor". CD features two bonus tracks – "Dois Coracoes" and "Teu Simples Nao".

An excellent 70s Italian film score – penned for a political thriller, but handled with a fair bit of sweet and lovely themes! The album's one of the best we've ever heard from Francesco De Masi, and it nicely mixes his usual strong talents for action with a bit more warmth that befits the sexier side of the Italian cinematic spectrum. Sweet strings glide in alongside tighter electric basslines on some tracks – and others feature evocative woodwind bits, haunting piano, and a few more dramatic orchestrations – all wrapped up with really lovely sound throughout, and reissued here in a wonderful new package that really fits the music! There's a few vocal tracks – "Tomorrow Is A Foreign Land" and "Time On My Hands" – sung in English by Melody – and other titles include "The Story Of A Dream", "Running Against The Time", "Cape Town Harbour", "Soldiers Aboard", "Red Clouds", "Ending A Dream", "Suspect & Love", and "You'll Kill Her". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – LP versions of "Running Against The Time" and "The Story Of A Dream".

The Voice is certainly the most beautiful sound in the world here – thanks to the vocals of the amazing Edda Dell'Orso! Edda's was THE voice heard in virtually all the best Italian soundtracks of the late 60s/early 70s era – that floating, dreamy singer who graced countless Morricone film scores, and also appeared on a fair bit of work by other composers too! And although Edda could also sing with some darker, sharper edges, the work here is all from the more beautiful side of the sound spectrum – and focuses on Dell'Orso's haunting wordless vocals, plus a few lyrical numbers – set amidst a backdrop of bossa rhythms, light instrumentation, and slightly groovy rhythms. The package features a whopping 21 tracks in all – with Edda's vocals on tunes that include "Con O Senzo Sole" and "Scacco All Regina" by Piero Piccioni, "Love Is A Woman" and "Let's Find Out" by Armando Trovajoli, "El Primo Baso" and "Delirio Secondo" by Ennio Morricone, "Eva's Beguine" by Roberto Pregadio, "Messalina Theme" by Giacomo Dell'Orso, and "Angelo E Giuditta" by Armando Trovajoli.

Wicked stuff – and 2 tracks that offer a whole new take on the modern sound of deep funk! "Creation" is a weird little offbeat number that snaps along the beats, blasts them with horns, and almost goes for a Chicago Brunswick sort of style! There's a bit of strings lilting along with the grooves, and even some vibes that seem to sneak out from time to time! The vibes come in even more strongly on the flipside – making "Behind The Blue Curtains" sound somewhere between the work of Lionel Hampton on Brunswick, and some of the recent instrumental funk from the Madlib side of the spectrum!

Strings are king in this rare set from guitarist Herb Ellis and jazz violinist Stuff Smith – a date that's possibly more on Stuff's side of the spectrum, but which comes during a short by great run of Ellis work for Epic in the early 60s! Tracks are longer than you might expect – especially for a Smith session – with an open feel that's got an almost Verve-like energy. Ellis gets some great open solos on the date, and Stuff vocalizes on two tracks in this cool raspy way – and titles include "Skip It", "Blues For Janet", "Get Acquainted Blues", and "Hillcrest".

A soaring classic from The Emotions – thanks to some supreme help from the Earth Wind & Fire side of the soul spectrum! This set has the trio really sounding great – with Kalimba Productions by Maurice White and Charles Stepney – and a good deal of EWF help on the instrumentation as well! The girls break out of the rootsier style used on their earlier Stax recordings, and manage to fit perfectly with the jazzy tinges of the new grooves – and, along with Ramsey Lewis and EWF, the Emotions were part of a hugely successful trinity during the late 70s – one that took the indie soul roots of the Chicago scene and turned it into landmark big business for Columbia Records. The album's got a new approach to female group soul that would go onto shape R&B for years to come – and titles include "Flowers", "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love", "We Go Through Changes", "Special Part", and "You've Got The Right To Know". CD features a bonus single version of "Flowers".

Plenty of crazy rhythms here – as singers Chiemi Eri and Carl Jones are joined by Japanese jazzmen who include Nobuo Hara & His Sharps & Flats, saxophonists Sadao Watanabe and Sleepy Matsumoto, guitarist Shungo Sawada, and the Hideo Shiraki Quintet! The backings on all tracks are superb – and elevate the already-great team of Eri and Jones to a wonderful new level – one that easily matches some of the hippest vocal jazz sessions cut in the US during the same period, especially some of the more inventive albums on the soul jazz side of the spectrum. Titles include "The Big Twister", "My Funny Valentine", "Just Squeeze Me", "Love Is Here To Stay", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", and "Midnight Sun Will Never Set".

A spacey bit of 70s jazz gets some great mixing here from Finnish studio maestro Didier – and the result is a tune that's almost as dark as some of his original work under the Didier's Sound Spectrum banner! "Ufology" begins with lots of weird analogue electronics – clearly enough to make you think you're having a Close Encounter – but then a really hard drum break comes into the mix, muted slightly at the bottom, and larger jazz orchestrations build over the top! The whole thing sounds like a great funky electronic 70s soundtrack number – and it's presented with some great bonus beats on the flip. Single also includes the track "No Comments" – another great tune from the 70s, done here with a really funky mix of electric rhythms and big band soloing!

Grant's First Stand – and a mighty one at that! The set was recorded when Green was a guitarist fresh on the scene – showing up in New York from St Louis, where he'd been discovered by Lou Donaldson and brought to Blue Note with great acclaim! For this first date, Green's heard in really stripped-down company – just Hammond from Baby Face Willette and drums from Ben Dixon – a spare trio setting that makes for a madly cooking little record, and one without some of the smoother edges of Greens' later years! The set's as raw and soulful as Willette's own Blue Note classics – and is very much in the side of the spectrum that Donaldson was bringing to the label at a time – a much-needed dose of new energy from the Prestige Records side of the tracks. Every track's a winner – and titles include "Blues For Willarene", "Baby's Minor Lope", "Miss Ann's Tempo", and "A Wee Bit O Green".

Grant's First Stand – and a mighty one at that! The set was recorded when Green was a guitarist fresh on the scene – showing up in New York from St Louis, where he'd been discovered by Lou Donaldson and brought to Blue Note with great acclaim! For this first date, Green's heard in really stripped-down company – just Hammond from Baby Face Willette and drums from Ben Dixon – a spare trio setting that makes for a madly cooking little record, and one without some of the smoother edges of Greens' later years! The set's as raw and soulful as Willette's own Blue Note classics – and is very much in the side of the spectrum that Donaldson was bringing to the label at a time – a much-needed dose of new energy from the Prestige Records side of the tracks. Every track's a winner – and titles include "Blues For Willarene", "Baby's Minor Lope", "Miss Ann's Tempo", and "A Wee Bit O Green".

One of the most obscure chapters in the career of Ennio Morricone – important avant garde work recorded in the mid 60s, just at a point when he was beginning to rise in soundtrack fame! The ensemble is a key Italian modernist group featuring Morricone, Giovanni Piazza, Mario Bertoncini, Egisto Macchi, Gualtiero Branch, Jesus Villa Rojo, and Francesco Evangelisti – mostly classically-trained musicians, but working here in a set of improvisations that are extremely spare, and which are very much at the lower end of the sound spectrum. Many of the sounds on the set are right at the frontiers of hearing – and others, while more present, disappear as quickly as they emerge – further enforcing the mystery and mood of the record. And while the overall style is quite different than Morricone's soundtrack work, the group was clearly a key testing ground for his ideas of sound and space that emerged later. Titles include "Soup", "Scratch", "Settimino", and "Eflot".

An excellent record from Hiss Golden Messenger – who blend rootsy, but freewheeling instrumentation with artful, ambitious songwriting – and they're one of the most creative groups around making brilliantly original music that still hold true to southern folk and roots history The anchors are singer/guitarist/mandolin player MC Taylor and guitar and bass player Scott Hirsch – but the music is fleshed out by a large group of great musicians on a diverse list of instruments – piano, Rhodes and Hammond on the keyboards spectrum, banjo, fiddle, pedal steel and and array of acoustic and electric strings, sax and more. In a way, it's the mix of traditional reverence and straight up newness is reminiscent of The Band in the late 60s and early 70s – but they ultimately have a vibe all their own. Includes "Red Rose Nantahala", "Sufferer (Love My Conqueror)", "I've Got A Name For The Newborn Child", "Devotion", "Hat Of Rain", "The Serpent Is Kind (Compared To Man)", "Cheerwine Easter", "Busted Note", "What Shall Be (Shall Be Enough)".

Some of the coolest work we've ever heard from Chicago flautist Nicole Mitchell – a really wonderful record that shows the full spectrum of her talents! The set's recorded with a trio that includes Hamid Drake on percussion and Harrison Bankhead on bass and cello – both players who can swing things inside one minute, then go freely outside the next! This approach is really important to the album's vibe – as some of the best tracks actually have a tight rhythmic pulse you might not find on other sessions from Mitchell – almost a bit funky at points, with a righteous groove – alongside other tracks that have a more open-ended, improvisatory feel. Bankhead's bass is especially nice – round and soulful throughout – and Mitchell plays flute, alto flute, and piccolo on the record. Titles include "Sho Ya Right", "Beloved's Reflection", "Affirmation Of The One", "Anaya With The Moon", "Wheatgrass", and "Song For Ma'at".

Sweet sound library funk from Joy Unlimited – an early 70s German combo heard here on their rarest record ever! As with the group's commercial releases, there's a wicked blend of funky jazz and hard-riffing instrumentation – and unlike other records, this one's got an even leaner, meaner groove – all instrumental, and with a great focus on key elements of the sound – funky flute here, sweet keyboards there, and lots of tightly-played guitar lines – which really help give the music a nice edge! The set's got a sound that's a lot like some of the best MPS funk of the time – no surprise, given that it comes from the same scene – and instrumentation includes Fender Rhodes, flute, guitar, saxes, marimba, trumpet, and lots of sweet drums. Titles include "Jamara", "Soul Gravy", "Homunkulus", "Breeding Ground", "Jigsaw Man", "Blue Box", "Parabolica", "Spectrum", "Herbie", and "Laguna Seca".

A rare "with strings" session for altoist Lee Konitz – recorded back in his great years with Verve, set to wonderful arrangements from a young Bill Russo! The style here is a bit darker and more spare than some of the other albums of this type from the time – and Russo brings plenty of somber tones to the record – not in a bad way, but in a style that lets Lee's horn be the most strongly redeeming feature of the session – often stepping forth in relatively unfettered mode, with many of the strings at the lower end of the sound spectrum. Titles include the extended "An Image Of Man", plus "What's New", "Blues For Our Children", "The Daffodil's Sake", and "Music For Alto Saxophone & Strings".

Psychedelic jazz & funky numbers from Volker Kriegel – a compilation of grooves from his MPS albums of the early-to-mid 70s! Funky electric and fuzzed out jazz from albums such as Lift!, Octember Variations, Spectrum and Elastic Menu – was well as choice selections from records by The Dave Pike Set – of which Volker was an integral member and perhaps best remembered for! Titles include "Spiral Crackers", "Lift!", "Circus Gambert", "Let's Say Windmill", "Suspicious Child", "Mather", "The Secret Mystery of Hensh", "Mild Maniac" and more.

A really unique moment of music – rare duets between Steve Lacy and Joe McPhee – the latter of whom is playing soprano sax alongside Lacy! The material was recorded at the same time as Lacy's solo set Clinkers, but never issued at the time – and McPhee's a real revelation on soprano sax, especially in Lacy's company – a very different voice than Steve, in a way that really makes the record bristle with energy! The range of sounds the pair create are amazing – very much in the most sound-sensitive side of Lacy's spectrum. The album features one 19 minute track – "The Rest" – pressed up on a one-sided piece of vinyl.

Tremendous work from the legendary Prince Lasha – a rare UK-only date from 1966 – and one that has the reedman working away from more familiar contemporaries like Sonny Simmons and Eric Dolphy! The approach on this session is very unique – as Lasha includes harp with the instrumentation, played by David Snell in a style that's right up there with Dorothy Ashby's best jazz work. Pianist Stan Tracey is also on board – playing beautiful notes that have a sharp modern edge, while still falling on the inside of the spectrum – and Lasha himself is especially great – blowing plastic alto sax and wooden flute, both of which have a slightly offbeat sound – but one that's surprisingly warm, which makes the album one of his most sensitive and soulful sessions ever! The tunes are a mix of standards and originals – and there's a wonderful sense of balance here – sounds that are sometimes more inside than other records from Lasha, but which have a really Dolphy-like sense of expression – right at home amidst a wider history of jazz, yet also reaching for new ideas at the same time. Pure genius throughout, and a record that was never made available to audiences in the US. Titles include "Nuttin Out Jones", "Impressions Of Eric Dolphy", "Out Of Nowhere", "Just Friends", "Body & Soul", and "Everything Happens To Me".

The album's got a great old style cover – and a wonderful groove to match – plenty of cosmic beats and spacey keyboards from Eric Lau, plus some other sweet touches as well! The set's more in a funk mode overall – and one that will definitely please fans of the spacier side of the 70s spectrum – almost a distillation of territory spanned by cats like Herbie Hancock or Ronnie Foster, but filtered into a 21st Century aesthetic too – so that the best bits come to the forefront, and really give the album a lean sort of crackle. Most of the record is instrumental, and titles include "Cruise Control", "Sometime", "Home Run", "PPG", "Warp", "Minnie", "Love Love Love", "What's Going Down", "Noma", "Give Light Give Love", and "Change".

A landmark album of the 60s – and a record that forever put Gloria Lynne on the map! The album's got a sense of poise and class that was almost a genre into itself – one that crossed Gloria over big with the title hit version of "I Wish You Love", but which was also supported here by 11 other gems all arranged in similar glistening style by Marty Paich. The set's got a great blend of jazz, soul, and pop – using strings alongside Gloria's deeply soulful vocals – and often inflecting tunes with just the right sense of jazz to put them on the hipper side of the spectrum. Titles include "I Wish You Love", "End Of A Love Affair", "Be My Love", "I Know Love", "There Is No Greater Love", "Love I've Found You", "And This Is My Beloved", "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", and "If You Love Me".

Mike's come a long way from his early soul days with Dennis Coffey – working here to lay down a set of spacious disco tunes with a dreamy finish – really stretching out with the same sort of glide you'd find in the best Philly club at the time! The record's actually quite strong on the disco side of the spectrum – well-crafted work with a sound that's full and rich, but never cliched – definitely Theodore's moment to shine in the 70s, taking the torch from his old partner Coffey, who had his time in the sun a few years before! Titles include "Cosmic Wind", "The Bull", "Moon Trek", "Brazilian Lullaby", and "Belly Boogie".

The great Joe Henderson joins pianist Mulgrew Miller for this wonderful album – lending his sharp-edged tenor tone to really make the session stand out from Miller's more common trio dates! Henderson and Miller both have a great ear for the darker side of the spectrum – hitting notes that are never too far out, nor too modern – but which have a rich sense of color that's really wonderful – a bottom-searching sort of feel that gives the album a hell of a lot of feeling! The rest of the quartet features Ron Carter on bass and Tony Williams on drums – beautiful partners who are matched with years of experience, which they're only happy to bring to the date. Henderson sits out two numbers – "Ambrosia" and "Exact Change" – but sparkles strongly on the tracks "The Countdown", "Tetragon", "What The World Needs Now Is Love", "Crystal Palace", and "August Afternoon".

Electric funk, with some mighty nice horns – a mix of saxes from Takeru Muraoka – plus trumpet and flugelhorn from Susumo Kazuhara too! We're not sure, but it almost feels as if Takeru's a bit overdubbed – using alto, tenor, and soprano together at various points to give the album a nice strong line over the top – while tight drums, Fender Rhodes, guitar, and percussion get things moving underneath! There's a great balance going on here – a sound that's not nearly as slick as more mainstream Japanese fusion of the time – but rhythms that are still tight and focused, and never on the more overindulgent side of the spectrum. The blend keeps things soulful and funky throughout – on cuts that include "Bon Voyage", "Quaser", "Hot Wind", "May Storm", "Lady Boogie", and "Ode To Naska".

The second album by this sublime 70s soul harmony group – and a real treasure trove of under-discovered soul numbers all the way through! Most tracks are written by group member Bobby Poindexter – making for a fresh, unified batch of tunes – handled by the quartet in a style that's even more mature than their previous work – really hitting some heights that should have made them huge! Yet despite that lack of fame to score again with the same big hit as "Thin Line" from their debut – or maybe because of it – the record's a great fresh discovery – the kind of treasure you'll love if you dig east coast group soul as much as we do – especially work along the Philly/New Jersey side of the spectrum. Titles include "Peace In The Valley Of Love", "Bad Bold & Beautiful Girl", "Love Goes Good When Things Go Bad", "What Is The Definition Of Love", and "Trying Girls Out".

The first really major album from Rare Earth – issued on their own self-named subsidiary of Motown! The set's a perfect blend of the rich undercurrents of the heady Detroit scene of the late 60s – at one level a tripped-out rock record with styles that almost hint at MC5, at another level a batch of blue-eyed funky soul, with keen appreciation for the grooves coming out of the headier end of the Motor City indie spectrum! There's lots of tripped-out guitar work on the set – reminiscent of contemporary work by Dennis Coffey and George Clinton – mixed with a Mitch Ryder, R&B-inspired vocal style that actually comes across pretty darn well. Added to this is the group's flat-out ability to jam – showcased best in the side-long title cut "Get Ready" – a massive jammer which runs for nearly 22 minutes, and takes up all of side two! Other tracks include "Train To Nowhere", "Magic Key", "Tobacco Road", and "In Bed".

Roctober strikes again with another fantastic issue of music wisdom and knowledge from the far side of the spectrum! This time around, the spotlight's on Zory Zenith & Zolar X – who are covered in unusual detail – but our Dusty Groove ears are most tuned to the articles on Archie Bell, Kraftwerk, and Bernie Worrell. Yet as usual, we find our eyes straying all over the issue – captivated by features on oddball artists we'd never heard before, and drawn in by the always-great reviews, comics, and smaller bits in the magazine! Other features include It's The Law, Hall Of Dynamic Greatness, Gaybot, Nardwuar Vs Tommy Chong, and Willie Restum.

A great little overlooked session of large group work from George Romanis – really noteworthy for some incredible solo work from a variety of top-shelf players! At first glance, the record appears to be nothing fancy – versions of work by Gershwin, Ellington, Cole Porter, and Rodgers & Hart – but Romanis puts the whole thing together with some great Kenton-like touches – really using the whole group to best effect to color in the fullest spectrum of sound on the tunes, yet also allowing a lot of space for players like Eddie Bert, Jerome Richardson, Al Cohn Joe Venuto, and Barry Galbraith the room to solo. The overall ensemble is not that large – about 10 players at most – and the way they work together here is really incredible. Titles include "Too Darn Hot", "Someone To Watch Over Me", "Love Walked In", "Bewitched", "Solitude", and "Mood Indigo".

A really unique funky gem – and a near-legendary single from Scorpio & His People! "Unforgiven" has a brilliant blend of deep funk and falsetto vocals – stepping slowly over the top with a surprising amount of power, while the band turns, dips, and chugs along heavily at the bottom – all with a bad-strutting groove that's heavy on the bassy end of the spectrum – which makes for a great contast to the lyrics! "Theme From Movietown Sound" has a similar blend, but a different groove too – thanks to these heavy piano lines that roll back and forth with the rhythms!

Even thought it may well be the last issue to see print, Signal To Noise does it again – digging deeper than the rest, and really blowing our minds with the range of sounds they find in the left end of the spectrum! This issue's got a great feature on the pre-history of The Residents – a long piece that really fills in a lot of gaps – and also includes articles on Fluxus legend Ben Patterson and guitarist Sam Shalabai – plus shorter bits on Vanessa Rossetto and Rodrigo Amado. There's also loads of great reviews and concert bits too – which we'll really miss if this is actually the end!

A real treasure, and a record that may well be our favorite Jimmy Smith album for Verve – a masterful meeting of his smoking Hammond work with some swingingly sophisticated arrangements by Oliver Nelson and Claus Ogerman! Both Nelson and Ogerman bring a fuller spectrum of horn work to the album than heard on other Smith sides of the time – using an almost orchestral approach to the backings, one that pushes Jimmy even further into the stratosphere as he solos madly on the organ! But don't think that the larger backings are clunky at all – because they're not – and there's a surprisingly deep soul to all the proceedings on the album, making it one of the tightest, grooviest, and deeply soulful records that Jimmy cut after leaving Blue Note! The LP includes two very long cuts – killer versions of "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Wolf" and "Slaughter On 10th Avenue" – plus shorter takes on "Bluesette", "Women Of The World", and "Wives & Lovers" that are all plenty amazing too!

Righteous jazz, with plenty of soul – a killer collection of the mid 70s work of Lonnie Liston Smith – all based around his legendary recordings for the Flying Dutchman label! Lonnie got his start on the hippest side of the jazz spectrum – including work with Pharoah Sanders on Impulse – but by the time of these tracks, he'd found a way to beautifully mix the righteous energy of his roots with some sweet mid 70s jazz funk touches – all served up in a sublime blend of electric keyboards and acoustic piano, and often expanded with lyrics that helped Smith cross over into a soul audience too! Few artists ever handled the balance as well as Lonnie – although this work certainly inspired dozens of others to try – and the set's a beautiful testament to his lasting power, with 15 great tracks that include "Visions Of A New World", "Cosmic Funk", "Get Down Everybody", "In Search Of Truth", "Expansions", "Beautiful Woman", "Golden Dreams", "Astral Traveling", "Meditations", "Devika", "Shadows", and "Sunbeams".

Wonderfully warm work from the late 70s years of Lonnie Liston Smith – material from his key stretch a Columbia Records, a time when he'd really learned to tighten up his groove a bit from earlier years, yet still keep all the deeper soul intact! The set kicks off with Song For The Children from 1979 – a set done by Lonnie with help from Bert DeCoteaux, who's still clearly aiming the record at the soul side of the spectrum – using Lonnie's cosmic blend of keyboards, rhythms, and vocals just the right way – and hitting some sounds that are a bit more righteous than other Columbia Records fusion acts of the time. Some cuts feature lead vocals by James Robinson – and other instrumentation includes saxes from Dave Hubbard and guitar by Ronnie Miller. The album kicks off with the soul jazz number "A Song For The Children", and other tracks include "Aquarian Cycle", "Street Festival", "Gift Of Love", and "Midsummer Magic". (Note that the reissue leaves off the track "Fruit Music", due to space restrictions.) Exotic Mysteries is one of the fullest-sounding albums ever cut by Lonnie Liston Smith – but one of the greatest albums too! The set has Smith really taking off a bit more than on his work for RCA or Flying Dutchman – hitting some fuller sounds in the studio, thanks to backings arranged by Berg DeCoteaux, who's clearly trying to push Lonnie's groove a bit more towards a soul fusion audience of the time, yet always without losing any of the righteous energy that makes the music so great. There's a wonderful blend of acoustic and electric keyboards on the set – wrapped up in bits of strings, and propelled strongly to the skies with some great rhythms that include bass work from a young Marcus Miller, who also wrote some of the tracks on the set. Vocals aren't often in the lead – usually just sung by a chorus, if at all – and some of the best numbers here have a laidback groove that's totally wonderful – nice and mellow, with lots of room for the keys! Tracks include "Quiet Moments", "Space Princess", "Night Flower", "Mystical Dreamer", "Magical Journey", "Singing For Love", and "Exotic Mysteries".

Compelling compositions from the great Henry Threadgill – recorded here with a really like-minded batch of players who perfectly help him realize his musical vision! There's a nicely snakey feel to some of the tunes here – almost a journey in jazz expression from the left side of the spectrum – lead with a bit more strength than some of Threadgill's other contemporaries, but still allowing plenty of room for solo expression! Two percussionists drive the ensemble – Pheeroan Aklaff and John Betsch – and other players include Ray Anderson on trombone, Rasul Siddik on trumpet, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Deidre Murray on cello – as well as Threadgill himself on flute, alto, tenor, and clarinet. Amina Claudine Myers contributes vocals on one number – "A Piece Of Software", which features lyrics by Cassandra Wilson – and other titles include "Just Trinity The Man", "Homeostasis", "Higher Places", "Subject To Change", and "This".

Billed on the cover as "the big operation for 16 channels", this cooker from the Tokyo Cuban Boys really gives the sound spectrum a run for its money – taking the group's previous Latin vibe, and inflecting it with a good dose of 70s funk in the process! The album's a live one, but has the intensity of some of the best funky big band studio sets from the EU at the time, particularly the MPS label – and the arrangements by Norio Maeda ensure that things are always hip, even when swinging – especially on the album's numbers that bring in some slight touches of Japanese musical elements, like bamboo flute. Titles include "Sakura Sakura", "Yagi Bushi", "Awa Odori", "Roku Dan", and "Shika No Toone".

A really unique group – with a sound that's unlike anything else we've ever heard before! The Eastern European players certainly aren't a household name on this side of the Atlantic – but they've got a very inventive approach to their music here – using four acoustic basses, each recorded at different parts of the stereo spectrum – plus some additional tuba to really further the deep sounds in the set! Songs are improvised and have incredible interplay at the low end of the sonic spectrum – with bass from Szilard Mezei, Ervin Malina, Zoltan Csanyi, and Erno Hock – plus tuba from Kornel Papista. Titles include "Hep 17B", "Hep 15F", "Hep 58/2", and "Hep 16".

Two mellow jams from Mr T – back to back on a single CD! On Have You Ever Seen The Rain, Stanley Turrentine blows it sweet, mellow, and soulfully – in a wonderful post-CTI session from the 70s! The set features some swirling larger arrangements from Gene Page – done with a bit of the CTI sound lurking in the mix, but also a more complicated groove that almost takes on soundtrack-like proportions at times – a warmly-flowing groove that's lush without being soppy, and which really sets Turrentine up nicely for some sophisticated, mature solos on tenor. Stan's got some great company on the record – including Patrice Rushen on keyboards, David T Walker on guitar, and Freddie Hubbard on trumpet – and although the set's laidback, it's a lot more soulful than you might think – almost like a hip mellow soul set from the time, but with tenor instead of vocals. Includes covers of the Earth Wind & Fire tunes "Reasons" and "That's The Way Of The World", plus the tracks "Touching You", "T's Dream", and "Have You Ever Seen The Rain". Use The Stairs is a near-forgotten date from 1980 – recorded at a time when Stanley Turrentine was still steeped in the fuller arrangements picked up during his CTI years – blowing beautifully as a soloist in the larger setting! The sound here is plenty darn hip – thanks to arrangements from Wade Marcus, who keeps the proceedings more in the soul side of the spectrum than the smooth jazz one. And as always, Turrentine almost sounds better here than in a small group – blowing with a "voice" that's tremendous, and which speaks volumes in a very small space. Other players include Cedar Walton on piano, Gene Bertoncini on guitars, Phil Bodner on reeds, and Grady Tate on drums – and titles include "Tomorrow", "The Lamp Is Low", "Till The Very End", "Jordu", "On A Misty Night", and "Pay The Price".

A long-overdue reissue – both of Cedar Walton's fusion albums for Columbia – back to back on a single CD! Animation is one of Cedar Walton's mid 70s funky jazz efforts – acoustic keys often traded for electric piano, grooving with a funky bigger band, almost in a Ramsey Lewis mode – a really great shift that makes the record a nice change from the usual Walton groove! Cedar's a lot busier on the keys than Ramsey was at the time, though – not as kicked-back Fender Rhodes as he is keeping up a tight and soulful fusion groove. The approach is quite different from Walton's other albums of earlier years, but actually works quite well – and the album's a tasty set of smoother soul and funk-infused numbers, with a hint of Brazilian touches as well! Tracks include "Another Star", "Charmed Circle", "Jacob's Ladder", "Precious Mountain", "If It Could Happen", and "Ala Eduardo". Soundscapes is brilliant work from Cedar Walton – a wonderful bit of soulful fusion from the crucially overlooked late 70s years of Columbia Jazz. The album's got a blend of soul and jazz that's similar to work at the time by Bobby Hutcherson or Freddie Hubbard – occasional vocals, larger lusher production, and a style that was really well suited to bringing together the best of fusion and soul, without resorting to tricks or gimmicks. The album's filled with really wonderful cuts that are completely unlike most of Walton's other work – and which show him to be an amazing talent in the soul end of the spectrum, not just in the soul jazz one that we're used to. Tunes are wonderful, arrangements are brilliant – and the album manages to be smooth without losing any depth. Titles include the great groover "Latin America", plus "Warm To The Touch", "NPS", "Sixth Avenue", and "Naturally".

A seminal jazz rock statement from drummer Tony Williams – one that has him stepping out quite far from his original "new thing" recordings of the mid 60s! The album's got a genre-forming sound that's incredibly fierce – a power trio churning of Williams drums, John McLaughlin's guitar, and Larry Young's free-thinking work on organ. The tunes are long and jamming, but also have a tight rhythmic focus that never gets too sloppy – and which virtually set the stage for a whole generation of 70s fusion players in years to come! Young and McLaughling are especially great – working here with Williams to pound out sheets of sound in a cosmic trippy maze of riffs and grooves, certainly enough to inspire the most addled rocker to head over to the jazz section! CD features the full 8 track original set – with titles that include "Sangria For Three", "Something Spiritual", "Spectrum", "Via The Spectrum Road", "Emergency", "Beyond Games", "Where" and "Vashkar".

Tommy was more of a jukebox star than a jazz one – but this album's a great batch of mellow tenor tunes, with a sound that's somewhere in the R&B-ish end of Gene Ammons' spectrum! The format is simple – Tommy blows mellow lines over small combo backing with either piano or organ. Some tracks are a bit more upbeat, almost in a Clifford Scott mode – but Tommy keeps things pretty simple overall, with a real focus on the horn. Titles include "Mr Movin Is Groovin", "Hard", "Aw Shucks", "Tommy's Dream", and "Man With A Horn".

A great later project from Zulema – one done in the years after her fame on bigger labels, but still pretty darn great overall! The groove here is quite different than the records she did back in the 70s – much more in the street soul mode you'd expect from the TSOB label – with lots of tightly popping basslines, sweet-stepping keyboards, and a set of rhythms that runs mostly in the boogie and 80s groove side of the spectrum! Turns out, Zulema's vocals are a perfect fit for the style – and where she might have overdone some tunes at points in the 70s, she's really fitting right in with the stronger backings here – kicking things very nicely with group co-member Al MacDowell. (Zalmac = Z + Al Mac) Titles include "What's In It For Me", "Dreamin", "See What Your Love Has Done", "Friends", "Whatcha Gonna Do About It", "I Get Down", "Happy Feelings", and "What Am I Doing".

Recent grooves, but often done with a richly classic feel – one that recalls the waning years of the Chicago Soul scene at the start of the 80s! The package is an effort from the re-activated Chi-Sound label – and it takes up where Carl Davis modern soul imprint left off – a smooth, mellow approach to contemporary R&B that's served up with plenty of class, and pointed directly at the new wave of dancefloor steppers in Chicago! Vocals here are by a variety of different singers, but there's a unified feel to most of the music – an approach that stays mostly in the mellower side of the spectrum, but still maintains a good sense of groove – one that comes from gently stepping beats, warm keyboard parts, and some slight jazzy touches to class things up a bit. Titles include "Soul" by Barry J, "Steppin All Over The World" by Gold Boy, "1st Fruit" by Stephen Dawson, "Steppin Into Darkness" by Paris, "Hang Time" by Kozii, "Better Step Up "by Theresa Davis, "High Steppin" by Sherry Scott, and "Time & Time Again" by Nicole Steel.

A great batch of rare gospel tracks – served up with plenty of soul, and mostly in the great group harmony mode that often crosses over to the secular side of the spectrum! Most of these tracks are mighty raw – making the set feel almost more like a deep soul compilation than a spiritual one – and the music's delivered in a great 10" package that's almost as lovely as the sounds on the vinyl! Titles include "Clouds Hanging Low" by The Missionaries, "You Better Mind" by The Skylifters, "This May Be The Last Time" by Missionary Mamie Sample, "The Lord Will Make A Way" by The Sensational Six, and "My Lord & I" by The Willenette Gospel Singers.

This series is really getting its groove on – expanding past its usual range of fuzzy rockers, and showing a really full spectrum of underground female rock from the 60s! The vibe ranges from offbeat pop to weirdly-tuned folk to surf-styled numbers – and the tracks feature a number of non-US records too, showing a big boom in the girl group scene at the time! The overall package is nicer looking than previous volumes, with the usual notes on the obscure artists included – and titles include "Baby What Am I Doing" by Lynda Van Dyck, "I Want Your Love" by The Pussycats, "Et La La La La" by Adele, "Baby You Know It Ain't Right" by Jenny & The Rascals, "Dans Le Ventre D'Une Enorme Baleine" by Karo, "Gonna Have A Good Time" by The Clingers, "Perro Que Ladra" by Tammy, "He's Not The Same" by The Villagers, and "Crying In A Storm" by Emy Jackson.

Hardly the gospel of your father's generation – and hardly even the gospel of previous Numero releases either – as the set's a wonderfully offbeat batch of tracks that definitely lives up to the "apocryphal" in the title! Production sounds and musical styles go way past the mainstream – and lots of these numbers feel like secular soul from the definite left end of the spectrum in the 70s – especially the mellower cuts, which have a trippy quality that comes from weird instrumentation and unusual studio work – often matched by vocal presentation that's anything but spiritual, and which feels more like Darondo overall! These tunes are a real discovery – a deeper level of unusual gospel recordings than even the funk and or soul sides featured on other compilations – all pulled from the hinterland of self-released albums and singles from back in the day. As usual, Numero's done as great of job with the notes and packaging as they have with the music – really telling the full tale of this unusual stream of music – in a smoking set that features "That's All I Need" by Sensational Saints, "A Message Especially From God" by Robert Vanderbilt & The Foundation Of Souls, "Come Holy Spirit" by God's Band, "Faith" by Soul Superiors, "Can't Run This Race Alone" by Flying Eagles Gospel Singers, "Searching For The Truth" by Dwain Vinyard, "Get Involved" by Jonah Thompson, and "I Hear You Calling" by Francis Reneau & The Mission Singers.

Hardly the gospel of your father's generation – and hardly even the gospel of previous Numero releases either – as the set's a wonderfully offbeat batch of tracks that definitely lives up to the "apocryphal" in the title! Production sounds and musical styles go way past the mainstream – and lots of these numbers feel like secular soul from the definite left end of the spectrum in the 70s – especially the mellower cuts, which have a trippy quality that comes from weird instrumentation and unusual studio work – often matched by vocal presentation that's anything but spiritual, and which feels more like Darondo overall! These tunes are a real discovery – a deeper level of unusual gospel recordings than even the funk and or soul sides featured on other compilations – all pulled from the hinterland of self-released albums and singles from back in the day. As usual, Numero's done as great of job with the notes and packaging as they have with the music – really telling the full tale of this unusual stream of music – in a smoking set that features "That's All I Need" by Sensational Saints, "A Message Especially From God" by Robert Vanderbilt & The Foundation Of Souls, "Come Holy Spirit" by God's Band, "Faith" by Soul Superiors, "Can't Run This Race Alone" by Flying Eagles Gospel Singers, "Searching For The Truth" by Dwain Vinyard, "Get Involved" by Jonah Thompson, and "I Hear You Calling" by Francis Reneau & The Mission Singers.

A wealth of rare work from the Italian scene of the 60s – some amazing tracks we never would have heard otherwise! Instead of other sets of this nature, which are often straight beat, garage, or psyche – this collection features a really great range of styles – kind of a true spectrum of Italian pop in the 60s – yet without any of the cloying commercial modes that a term like "pop" might imply! Production on most of the tracks is really great – lots of cool twists and turns and studio touches that keep things interesting – and which almost make a lot of these numbers feel like some of the occasional rock numbers you'd hear blaring from a radio or jukebox in an early 60s Italian film. Features 18 tracks in all, with a nice booklet of original record art too – on titles that include "Thunderball" by Bob Mitchell, "Dormi Dormi" by Oscar, "L'Apassionata" by Enzo Jannacci, "Ascolta Mio Dio" by Peppino Gagliardi, "Impazzivo Per Te" by Adriano Celentano, "Chiaccio Bollente" by Tony Dallarna, "Lo Spillo" by Fausto Mola, and "Gira Gira" by I Fuggiaschi.

A massive collection of soulful groovers – tunes that packed the dancefloors in the days before disco, and which definitely show the harder edge of the soul spectrum! The set starts off with mid-60s tunes based around a simple rhythm and a quirky dance gimmick – then branches out into some hard-hitting sock-soul numbers from later in the decade, and eventually slides into some sweet 70s funk! The overview of tunes is a great one, with some tasty familiar numbers, some great obscurities, and a few tracks that have been massively hard to find on CD! Titles include "The Greasy Frog" by Jeb Stuart, "The Matador" by Major Lance, "The Dip" by The Whispers, "Jerk It" by The Gypsies, "The Chicken" by Jackie Lee, "The Meditation" by TNT Band, "Broadway Freeze (parts 1 & 2)" by Harvey Scales & The Seven Sounds, "Walkin The Duck" by The Triumphs, "Temptation Walk" by The Entertainers IV, "Moon Walk (parts 1 & 2)" by Joe Simon, "Bumpin & Stompin" by Garland Green, "Bus Stop" by Fatback Band, and "Do The Sissy" by Albert Collins. 26 tracks in all!

Funky mod grooves galore – and a sublime second set in the Le Beat Bespoke series! This one is even better than the first – and seems to dig even deeper in the crates to come up with a range of rare singles from around the globe – all dripping with heavy drums, fuzzy guitars, and sweet sweet Hammond organ work! Many numbers have vocals, and most are from the rockish side of the spectrum – but they've all got a romping, grooving bottom end that more than makes them a little bit funky – usually in a groove that's way different than the sort you'd find on other funky compilations! The notes are great, the tracks are amazing, and the CD's one of the freshest funky sets to hit our racks in a long long time. CD features 20 titles that include "Madeline" by Dick Turpin, "Dude" by Poppys Haunted House, "Springtime" by Jimmy Thomas, "One Two Boogaloo" by The Light Nites, "Little Louise" by Shere Khan, "I Found You" by The Tops, "You Know He Did" by Mary McCarthy, "Rouge Rouge" by Christie Luame, "Truth In My Tears" by Louisa Jane White, "Berlin" by Heidi Bruhl, and "Run Shaker Life" by Paul Nicholas.

Blues from the delta, beautifully compiled by the folks at Yazoo – in a classic collection that shows why they've always been one of the most trusted sources for music like this! The package really expands strongly on the sounds of Charlie Patton and Robert Johnson – both of whom are included, but featured with a host of contemporaries who really show the whole spectrum of this fertile scene during these crucial years. Titles include "Special Rider Blues" by Skip James, "Billy Goat Blues" by John Byrd, "Tallahatchie River Blues" by Mattie Delaney, "Delta Blues" by Son House, "Dead Shrimp Blues" by Robert Johnson, "Gang Of Brownskin Women" by Harvey Hull, and "Be True Be True Blues" by Henry Sims.

A trio of Mexican rock acts from the start of the 70s – all brought together in one very groovy compilation! The set begins with work from Los Papos – a Guadalajara group with a very heavy sort of sound – one that features plenty of fuzzy guitars that are often mixed with organ lines with a nice sense of darkness – about as heavy as you might get for the time, with vocals that kind of burst out over the top with a real sense of starkness. Next up is Free Minds, led by guitarist Jorge Aguilera, whose work really helps give their music a nice edge – a guitar-driven groove that's somewhat powerful and which has the vocals sliding in alongside with a nicely sinister feel. A few of their tracks are a bit sweeter, which makes for a nice contrast. Last up is Polvo, represented here by only two songs, both of which are great – and very high up on the fuzzed-out side of the spectrum. Titles include "I See You Very Lonely", "My God", "Wake Up", and "Push Me Very Slow" by Los Papos; "Buscando Alrededor", "Neurosis", "Dejame", and "Campanas En El Camino" by Free Minds; and "Have You Ever Been There" and "Can't Get Enough" by Polvo.

Another incredible batch of soulful disco – a set curated by legendary DJs/groove junkies Joey Negro and Sean P! Joey and Sean previously served as the architects of BBE's stellar Disco Spectrum series – and they've brought their A-game over to Z Records from what we can only hope will be another long-living series! The set skews to the obscure numbers – applying the disco tag liberally, really focusing on tight, punchy string-laden soul numbers – mostly from the tail end of the 70s and even spilling into the early 80s for a few numbers! It's that incredible period with Curtom and Stax influenced soul, funky drums and percussion, groovy early fusion, first school hip hop and the deeper dance music of the era melded into pure magic! 23 tracks on 2CDs, featuring a handful of Joey Negro re-edits for consistency! Titles include "Got To Keep On Trying (Joey Negro re-edit)" by Tenderness. "Ebonite (Joey Negro re-edit) " by Disco Fox, "La Sunshine" by Aura, "Changes" by Chain Reaction, "You Got Me Hung Up" by King Tut, "Happy" by Sandi Havens, "Kilimanjaro" by Letta Mbulu, "Manhattan" by Laura Greene, "My Chance To Dance" by Mahogany, "Love Message" by Sargeant & Malone and more!

A sprawling compilation of the folk rock, Brit blues, jazzy songcraft, oddball comedic and otherwise boundlessly fresh music from the roster of Transatlantic Records in the 60s & 70s! It's a mix of the still revered and largely forgotten – and the quality is high on both sides of that spectrum! Includes numbers by Bert Jansch, The Dubliners, Ralph McTell, Gerry Rafferty, Pentangle, Gryphon, The Purple Gang, Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoias, Stefen Grossman and many more. 42 tracks on 2CDs: "Ye Jacobites By Name" by The Johnstons, "Wild Rover" by The Dubliners, "Streets Of London" by Ralph McTell, "Come Sing Me A Happy Song. . ." by Bert Jansch, "The Handsome Meadow Boy" by Dransfield, "Mother Nature's Son" by Gryphon, "Sign On The Dotted Line" by Gerry Rafferty, "Summertime Blues" by Mick Farren, "In Time" by Pentangle and many more.