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Wow, we knew almost nothing about this record! Freddy Briggs is the main force behind Coldwater Stone – as he wrote and produced all the tracks, and sings lead vocals throughout the record. His style's sort of a mix of funk and soul, and he works in the heavier style that was used by some of the other bands on the legendary GSF imprint – but also has a nice southern soul style in the best moments! Not as grittily funky as the Skullsnaps, but a fitting labelmate – and with a smoldering, geniune soulfulness that's positively killer – a record that's as rare as any other on the label, if not more so! Titles include "End Of the World", "Jefferson Park", "Outside Love Affair", "You're the One", "Biggest Mistake In The World", and "Without The One You Love". This excellent CD version from Outta Site UK packages the remastered Coldwater Stone's Defrost Me album with 2 bonus tracks: "Sound Off" and "I'm So Sorry", with credit and top billing to Freddy Briggs – with notes that provide some insight in the man that we simply didn't have before and we appreciate it!

Sly Stone's definitely back on the right track here – returning to the heights of his earlier powers in this late 70s comeback album for Warner Brothers! The record's got a lot of touches of the old Sly funky sound, but it's done in a slightly tighter style too – a bit more polish than before, yet still never slick – just nicely focused, and proof that Stone still had his groove together at the time! There's some really great songwriting on the record – and a nice undercurrent of gentler soul, too – and titles include the sublime "The Same Thing (Makes You Laugh Makes You Cry)" – plus "Remember Who You Are", "Shine It On", "If It's Not Addin Up", "Who's To Say", "Sheer Energy", and "It Takes All Kinds".

Angie Stone's first for Saguaro Road – one that she's calling a more personal project than some of her recent work – and sure enough, it's a strong one! We actually dug Angie's couple of albums for the rebooted Stax label in the late 00s – but you know what, if Angie's happier with this one, we are, too. It's filled with solid songs, from easygoing modern soul ballads, to some classic dancefloor soul inspired gems, and beyond – and it's all done with Angie's true soul vocals out front. It’s well produced, but done with an eclectic, indie soul spirit that's indeed a bit less pop than some of her later recordings. A win! Includes "Do What You Gotta Do", "Backup Plan", "Proud Of Me", "First Time", "Guilty", "Alright", "Livin' It Up", "Right In Front Of Me", "Rich Girl", "Push 'N'Pull", "U Lit My Fire", "Sisters" and more.

One of The Maestro's true materpieces! Fragile, sexy, sinful soul, held together by interwoven strings and keyboard lines, with Barry's voice over the top like rich cream on a sweet piece of cake. Includes the long versions of "Honey Please, Can't Ya See" and "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up", plus "Hard To Believe That I Found You".

An insane bit of choppy jazz funk – and easily the best record ever cut by this monster combo! The group's a trio of jazz fusion luminaries – with Steve Grossman on tenor, Don Alias on drums and percussion, and Gene Perla on bass and piano – and the best cuts have a raw chopping groove to them that other groups at the time were trying to cop, but could never match! Includes the insane break track "Sweetie Pie", plus Stevie Wonder's "Creepin", "Duet", "King Tut", "Samba De Negro" and "Vaya Mulatto".

One of Antonio Carlos Jobim's greatest records – and a perfect blend of his subtle bossa genius with the moody electric sound of CTI! Jobim plays electric and acoustic piano, guitar, and sings a bit – and Deodato handled the arrangements with a breezy brilliance that matches all the magic of Jobim's wonderful compositions, but gives them a slightly more fluid feel too – in a way that's somewhat more sophisticated than the sound of Jobim's previous CTI outings – Tide and Wave. Other players on the album include Joe Farrell on soprano sax, Hubert Laws on flute, and Airto on percussion – and there's a great mix of Brazilian and American styles on the set – electric, sinister, breezy, and always wonderful! Includes the titles "Sabia", "God & The Devil In The Land Of The Sun", "Children's Games", "Stone Flower", "Brazil", "Tereza My Love", and "Choro". Also comes with a bonus alternate of "Brazil".

Great disco grooves from the TK Records empire of Henry Stone – home to countless club goodies at the end of the 70s! The package brings together some of the more obscure numbers issued on various TK labels – a nice change from some of the overdone TK hits that have been reissued a lot more heavily over the years – showing that there's plenty left to discover in the Henry Stone archives! Many of the numbers have a soaring Miami disco groove – long tracks with nice instrumental moments in the middle, and lots of great guitar bits, basslines, percussion, and keyboards wrapped up in the mix. Tracks on this second volume include "At The Disco Dance" by Wizdom, "Let's Love" by Foxy, "Danger" by Gregg Diamond's Starcruiser, "Burning Love Breakdown" by Peter Brown, "Beyond The Clouds" by Quartz, "If There's Love" by Amant, "One Love" by Celi Bee, and "Hey Sexy Dancer" by Rocky Mizell.

That's Brenda & Herb, not Peaches & Herb – Herb Rooney and Brenda Reid of the excellent 60s group The Exciters – grooving together here in a really full-on vocal approach that's clearly inspired by the best aspects of Ashford & Simpson! Tracks have a lush, full feel – arranged by Lou Hemsey in a mode that works equally well on the dancefloor tracks and on the mellower numbers – and there's an ambitious approach that could fall flat on its fact, but hangs together well – thanks to the overall execution of the set! The group may not be one of the best-remembered pair from the disco years – but they do a great job here of matching the best work of their contemporaries. Titles include "I Think I'm Gonna Like This", "Lie Down", "I Wanna Make You My Sweetheart", "Two Of Us", "Look What They've Done To Our City", and "What Goes Around".

Contemporary soul from Miami – a set issued by the legendary Henry Stone, and done with a vibe that's a great update of his TK Records sound from the 70s! Certified Slim is a singer with a definite southern pedigree – a soulful style that's got a few undercurrents of blues, in a way that reminds us a lot of Latimore – yet with a markedly more youthful feel. Like Latimore, Slim gets some great keyboards bubbling underneath his vocals – and some sweet riffing guitar that's definitely a key element in keeping the Henry Stone sound strong. Titles include "Lease To Own It", "Move Somethin", "If It's Love You Want", "Baby I Will", "So Independent", and "She's Her Own Boss".

Sweet Miami funk from the team of George "Chocolate" Perry and Clay Cropper – one of the rarest TK albums from the time, and also one of the funkiest too! The sound here is slightly polished, but never too much – a bit more in the sound of bigger Florida groups, like Miami, with a tight groove overall, but still enough sharper funky bits on the edges! George plays bass and Clay handles guitar and keyboards – and the vocals seem to be sung by both parties, often in that slightly-flanged Miami style of the time. Titles include "My Uncle Funky", "Sweet Mary", "Cream Is Rising To The Top", and "Two Different Worlds" – plus the excellent mellow soul track "Free (I'll Always Be)", which has a nice sweet sound in the same vein as work by Milton Wright.

Eight soulful brothers of the Luckett family – all coming together here in a wonderful gospel set from the 70s! The harmonies are tremendous, and often balanced with great leads from Rev LC Luckett – creating the kind of interplay you might get in the front of a church, yet given a lot more soulful focus for the album – often with a vibe that takes us back to soulful interplay from rootsier records of the 60s! The album's a tremendous one – the sort of obscure gospel set that definitely gets you digging for more spiritual sides – and a key illustration that many male groups of this nature were almost more soul than some of their secular contemporaries. Titles include "Just Moving On", "Around This Altar", "Joy When I Think About", "Help Me To Carry On", and "Where He Leads Me".

A killer album of southern soul harmony from The Facts Of Life – a trio with one female singer, two guys, and a great sound overall! The album's actually produced by Millie Jackson – and has that great blend of modern and southern modes that she was hitting in her best mid 70s years. The sense of interplay and harmony between the singers is a bit like Soul Children at their height – and the album's also got some warm Muscle Shoals backing that really makes the whole thing come off right! Titles include "Did He Make Love To You", "We Can't Hide It Anymore", "I'm Way Ahead Of You", "This Ain't No Time To Sleep Apart", and "It's Only A Matter Of Time".

Way more than disco, a bit different than funk, and a lot cooler than you might guess from the image on the cover – a stone classic from Miami groovers Foxy, and easily one of their best records ever! The set's nice and tight right from the start – not really disco, but more of a compressed approach to funk, with some surprising Latin touches too – especially in some of the percussion moments that really open up, creating a nice sense of energy to the record! The group have more than enough tightness to cross over to the AOR crowd, but they still keep things sharp on most tracks – and make the album real TK standard from the glory days. Titles include "Devil Boogie", "Hot Number", "Chicapbon Chicapbon", "Headhunter", "Lady", "Give Me That Groove", "Lady Of The Streets", and "Give Me A Break".

A live take on the Foxy sound of the clubs – served up here without any studio support at all, at a level that really showcases their talents as a funk band! There's still a strong sense of compression in the grooves – that Foxy way of laying down the lyrics right along with the guitar and basslines – but the concert setting makes for a sharper sound overall, and maybe a looser one too – especially on some of the rhythms, which have a great spontaneous feel – as does the crowd noise in the background, which serves to enhance the party sound of the record! Titles include "Ba Ba Cool", "Party Boys", "Hot Number", "Get Off", "Sex Symbol", and "Banshee".

An overlooked gem from the glory days of the TK soul empire – a mix of sweet soul steppers and more upbeat groovers – all set to tight arrangements from Snoopy Dean! There's a great Miami groove to most numbers – especially that modern soul style that started coming in during the Lew Kirton generation – almost more of a Philly sense of sophistication at times, which comes through especially well on the midtempo numbers! Joey's vocals have a nice sort of rasp to them – a bit less polished than the arrangements, which makes for a nice sense of balance – and titles incude "Let's Boogie On Down", "Get All You Want", "Give Me Your Love", "Rhythm In My Bone", "It's Here", and "Funny Feeling".

An unusual set from Kracker – a record that's possibly more rock/pop at the core, but one that definitely shares some of the soulful touches of other albums on the Dash label too! The group dress like a funk band on the album's flipside photo – and they've got vocal interplay that's not unlike some of the blue eyed soul groups on the east coast – set to rhythms here that are sometimes disco, sometimes a bit more flamboyant pop – and titles include "Woman", "Lucky Are Those", "Lady Of My Life", "Alarm Clock Blues", "Back In My Arms Again", and "Gentleman Of Men".

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

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

Sweet late 70s grooves from Latimore – a bit less bluesy than at the start of the decade, but in a mighty nice way! The set's got loads of warm undercurrents – and shows Latimore pushing his southern soul roots into a modern soul mode – with surprisingly great results – a style that really lifts him up from before, and avoids any of the bluesy cliches he might hit in later years! In fact, the record's a really unique moment from Latimore – and one we wish he would have stayed in longer – a nicely mature set that really helps focus all the sensual energy of the previous albums – and give it a whole new place to go. Titles include "Life Of The Party", "Ain't No Comin Back", "Take It All", "Yes We Can", "You", "Do It Now", and "Discoed To Death".

Tight and soulful blues from Little Milton – just the sort of record that helped him cross over to bigger audiences back in the day, and a set that still sounds plenty great all these many years later! The set was done in Chicago – arranged by James Mack, with backing vocals from Kitty & The Haywoods – and the sound is a sweet west side mix of rootsy and soulful elements – a blend that shows the same growing sophistication of the Malaco scene at the time, at a level that moves nicely away from college circuit blues cliches of the 70s. Milton's vocals are wonderful – raspy and appealing with a Tyrone Davis-like charm – and titles include "Friend Of Mine", "Don't Turn Away", "You're Gonna Make Me Cry", "It's All Bad News", "Sundown", "Bring It On Back", and "Baby It Ain't No Way".

A Miami soul classic from the 70s – and a legendary pairing of George and Gwen McCrae – with results that soar past the individual work by the pair! Gwen's vocals are killer – deep, soulful, and still with the bite of her own TK albums – and the grooves here echo a bit more of George's world, but in a way that really makes for great interplay between the two singers – a back/forth sort of energy that pushes things away from any sleepy moments and throwaway tracks – and which also offers up a great 70s Miami take on the soul duo mode of the 60s. The record includes the wonderful "I'll Do The Rocking", plus "Mechanical Body", "Winners Together Or Losers Apart", "The Rub", "You And I Were Made For Each Other", "Let Your Love Do The Talking", and "I'm Coming At You".

An underground gem from Gwen McCrae – and the record that first set the tone for her dancefloor classics for Atlantic in the 80s! The album has Gwen shaking off some of the southern soul of her roots – stretching the genre out to hit notes that are much more in tune with modern soul of the time – a warmly sophisticated approach that uses Gwen's vocals to best effect on a variety of adult themes, but which also kicks in some great midtempo and mellow grooves on the set. A perfect example of this is the album's sublime stepper "All This Love I'm Givin" – a track that works perfectly on the dancefloor, yet which also has a heck of a lot of deep soul too – and the rest of the album follows in a similarly sublime sort of groove. Other titles include "I Can Only Think Of You", "I Found A Love", "Maybe I'll Find Somebody New", "The Melody Of Life", and "The Joy".

Massive Miami grooves from Robert "Rocky" Mizell – not one of the Mizell brothers from the west coast, but a Florida artist with a sound that's equally nice! The album's the only one we've ever seen from Rocky, and it's got a sweet TK Records groove all the way through – rhythms that are definitely on the funkier side of Miami soul, arranged by Rocky himself, and produced to perfection by Willie Clarke! The tunes are all originals – mostly collaborations between Mizell and Clarke – and the album's got a great way of sounding smooth while still keeping things funky – that perfect Miami balance that would soon disappear when things got a bit more commercial. Titles include "Shake Your Body Down", "This Must Be Love", "Never Never Girl", "Hey Sexy Dancer", "Take It Easy Babe", and "Come To Me".

One of Jackie Moore's best albums ever – and a tight batch of deep soul tunes produced by 70s maestro Brad Shapiro! Jackie's vocals are wonderful – full of feeling, and delivered with an honest, upfront quality that really ranks with some of the best southern soul singers of the time! Shapiro's touch is great, too – and works the same sort of magic here that he did with Millie Jackson – serving up a blend of rootsy numbers, plus some smoother 70s groovers that really offer up a great way for southern soul to keep on growing. The set was recorded at Muscle Shoals and Criteria, with a great mix of modes – and the mellow cuts have these great bubbling guitars and organ behind the vocals, really making them some of the best numbers on the record. Titles include "At The Top Of The Hill", "Tired Of Hiding", "Hurting Inside Out", "The Bridge That Lies Between Us", "Never Is Forever", and "Heart Be Still".

A sweet disco set from the late 70s – the only one we've ever seen by the Partners, who we're guessing were some sort of European studio combo! The sound is mighty nice – exactly what you'd guess from the title – the best sort of funky Euro disco style of the time, with some sweet harmony vocals that almost have a Bee Gees vibe – yet never nearly as poppy as their disco tunes! There's a warmth here that marks the Paris in contrast to other European club sounds of the time – and attention to lyrics that goes way past the usual "let's throw a singer at some grooves" – especially on the album's mellower cuts. Titles include "Partners", "Friday", "Dance", "Green Eyes", and "Love Meant To Be".

An overlooked gem from Wilson Pickett – recorded in the post-Atlantic years, and with some great funky moments mixed in with those undeniably soulful vocals from the Wicked Pickett! Arrangements are by Brad Shapiro, who works the same magic here with Wilson that he did with a handful of other southern soul artists – updating their groove a bit more for the 70s, while also still respecting the best rootsy elements of the vocals. The style's a lot like some of Joe Tex's best funky moments from the same time – save that Wilson's vocals are even rawer and grittier – and titles include "I'm Gonna Do It All Over", "That Woman", "Best Part Of A Man", "Let Me Know", "Sweetwater Jail", and "It's Gonna Be Good".

Funky big band work from Bill Pursell – a set that's got some of the disco charm you'd expect from the image on the cover – but one that also has some other jazzy elements too! There's not really a Nashville sound to the record – at least not in country music terms – and if anything, the record really reminds us of the way that some older New York big bands shifted up their groove during the disco generation – blending older jazz and Latin modes with elements more aimed at a contemporary dancefloor – including groovier rhythms, added strings, and female chorus vocals! Titles include "Sandwich Spread" – a nice original worth the price of the record alone – plus "Peter Piper Pumped His Pecks", "Deja Vu", "Now", "Every Day Of The Week", "Bump Me Baby", and "Hold My Hand When We're Going Home".

Sweet spacey disco from Quartz – and a set that definitely lives up to the icy image on the cover! The set's in the best mode of the French club scene of the 70s – a groove that certainly draws complex instrumentation from the progressive moments of a few years before – but which also hones things into a much tighter, funkier groove for the clubs – really the beginning of the Euro Cosmic sound, especially given the great keyboards on the record! Rhythms almost have a pre-house approach at times – although once the instrumentation kicks in, things get a bit more complex – and the vocals are often merely there as another element in the mix – leaving most of the focus on the keyboards! Side one features the extended "Quartz", and other tracks include "Chaos", "For Geromine", and "Beyond The Clouds".

A monster of a rare funk album – recorded by a tight little combo who should have been huge! Raw Soul Express have a touch of jazz in their playing – coming off here with a sound that reminds us of Wood Brass & Steel, and a rare few other funk acts of the time who knew how to do more than just hit a heavy drum and pluck a noisy bass! Not that the band is slick, though, because they definitely earn the "raw" in their name with some sharp edges on the instrumentation – it's just that they're great at what they do, with a quality level that shows up on more than a few of the album's sparkling tracks. Titles include "RSE", "Burn The Candle", "Music Meditation", "Right On", and "Emergency".

Plenty of Magic here from T-Connection – a clubby set of tracks, yet one that's still put together more like a funk combo record from the mid 70s! The instrumentation is mindblowing – impeccable guitar and basslines, set to snapping rhythms that really capture the best Miami funk mode before smoother disco took over – especially impressive on the longer tracks on the set! The whole thing's great – more like a pile of fast funky 45s than the usual disco record – and titles include the long "Do What You Wanna Do", plus "Disco Magic", "Got To See My Lady", "Peace Line", "Monday Morning", and "Mothers Love".

Great work by one of the funkiest disco bands of the late 70s! T Connection were always a step above most of their contemporaries, especially some of the weaker pop disco acts on the TK family of labels – which was the group's home during these years. They brought a really solid conception to all of their work in the early days – and this record's a great mix of soul and funk club tracks, done with a precision that almost approaches Earth Wind & Fire in the mid 70s – razor-sharp, and right on the money throughout! Vocals are tasty, there's lots of nice guitar work, and the production has a modern sound that points ahead to the 80s groove years. Tracks include "Totally Connected", "Let's Do It Today", "Choosing", "That's Love", and "Ecstasy".

Timmy Thomas live, in front of a massive crowd in Johannesburg – really grooving with enthusiasm that's captured beautifully in the recording! The set's a great reminder that Timmy had lots of power away from the studio – that he wasn't just drum machine bits and disco riffs, and could more than hold his own like some of the bigger soul singers of his day. Thomas has a great presence on the stage, introducing the tunes – and his vocals are quite possibly even more powerful here than on any of his studio work too! Titles include a great version of "Why Can't We Live Together" – plus "Touch To Touch", "Rainbow Power", "Drown In My Own Tears", "Sweet Brown Sugar", and "Sipho Mazibuko (La La La)".

A massive groover from Timmy Thomas – really hitting here on all burners, and moving with a groove that's much fuller than the drum machine fills of his early years! The sound is Miami club at its best – wickedly uptempo rhythms that are played with razor-sharp intensity – still mostly funk at the core, with lots of live instrumentation that moves at a precision that's hard to beat! Timmy still adds in some great sweet moments from time to time – reminding us of his skill with a ballad – but the groovers also push him into Bohannon territory – which is quite a compliment from us! King Sporty handled the arrangements and production – and definitely deserves credit for the grooves – and Betty Wright adds in a bit of sweet guest vocals too. Titles include "Touch To Touch", "When A House Got Music", "Game Of Life", "Africano", "Torrid Zone", "Love For The People", and "Sweet Music".

A Miami soul masterpiece from start to finish – and a lesser-known record from drum machine hit maestro Timmy Thomas! The album's got the feel of Timmy's classic Why Can't We Live Together album – but the overall sound is a bit fuller and richer, with a soulfulness that grabs us right away – and holds on through the entire set! Most of the tracks have that warm percolating early drum machine undercurrent that Timmy virtually pioneered at the time – followed by some great guitar work from Willie "Little Beaver" Hale, and some vocals from Timmy that sometimes have a nice deep soul feel. The album's worth it alone for the title track "You're The Song I've Always Wanted To Sing" – but the whole thing's great, and tracks include "Deep In You", "Let Me Be Your Eyes", "I've Got To See You Tonight", "One Brief Moment", "Ebony Affair", and "Deep In You".

A downtempo classic in the post-K&D world – a selection of dubs of the Tosca tune "Chocolate Elvis", done by talents that include Boozoo Bajou, Rodney Hunter, Babby Mammoth, Quant, and others! The package features 11 different takes on the tune – all in very different styles that sound like whole new songs – expanded out to a full album's worth of material!

One of the sweetest fusion sets ever recorded from guitarist Phil Upchurch – a set that's less trippy than his earlier albums, but one that more than makes up for that with a tightly soulful groove! Production is by John Tropea and George Benson – and you can definitely hear their touches here – giving Upchurch a strong sense of focus, yet still allowing plenty of room for those cool sounds and odd lines on his guitar. Arrangements are great throughout – partly handled by Leon Pendarvis, who also plays keyboards on the record with Richard Tee – and augmented by string and flute backings from Deodato. Titles include a great take on "Strawberry Letter 23" – plus "Free", "Good Times", "Church Street Station", "It's Almost Five", "Foolin Around", and "Cyrenna".

A massive blend of funk, soul, and gospel – from a small side label in the TK Records universe of the 70s! The sound is like some of the best soul LPs on TK from the time, and the arrangements have a nice warm feel – plenty of sweet Miami elements in the music, especially in the rhythms, which really know how to groove! The King James Version is comprised of five female singers, working with the warmth and depth you might get with Voices Of East Harlem – and they're arranged by keyboardist Gloster Williams, who also wrote some of the material, and delivers these solid lines that really hold the whole thing together. Most of the tracks have a distinct vocal lead, with harmony backing in the style of The Sweet Inspirations – and the album's honestly the sort of set you'd expect to hear on Atlantic Records in the early 70s – given the depth and feeling in the music. Titles include "What Good Is A Song", "There's Not A Friend", "Touch My Life", "No, Not One", and "Get Ready For This".

One of the most unique albums to ever come out of the Miami soul scene of the 70s – a sublime set of work that we'd easily rank right up there with the best material of the time from Donny Hathaway or Stevie Wonder! Milton Wright has a really jazzy groove to his music – and he mixes his own acoustic guitar lines with warm keyboards and unusual rhythms that often have a bit of synth or moog – never too much, and almost more of a Mizell-like touch, but a bit more understated overall! The cuts are wonderfully written – quite righteous, almost with a Terry Callier sort of sensitivity – and Milton's vocals more than have the chops to live up to the heady batch of artists we're comparing him to in these notes. The sound is amazing throughout – one of those soul records that feels like nothing else you've ever heard, but which you can't live without once you've heard it! Titles include "Friends & Buddies", "Keep It Up", "Brothers & Sisters", "Get No Lovin' Tonight", "Po Man", "Black Man", and "Silence That You Keep".

A stone classic from this famous Chicago spiritual leader of the 70s – and an album that's got a nice balance between intimate soul numbers and larger tracks that have the whole Mount Zion Baptist Church along for support! The set's definitely got the strongly soulful vibe of Barrett's Like A Ship album – a strong ear for the best secular elements of the time, which are used liberally in the instrumental backing – to really send home the message in the music! Most tunes really soft-pedal the religion, and instead go for an overall feel that really crosses over to regular soul music – a fact we can attest to, given how many times we turn this up in older collections of 70s soul records. Titles include "Do Not Pass Me By", "So Many Years", "Oh What A Day", "I Want To Be In Love With You", "These Are The Words", and "After The Rain".

A strange but great chapter of The Blue Notes – working here without Harold Melvin or Teddy Pendergrass, but still sounding pretty great on their own! This version of The Blue Notes is a male quartet – not the Melvin group with Sharon Paige who were recording for ABC – and they get some fresh help in the studio from George Perry, who brings in this soaring groove that still echoes earlier Philly work, but also has a bit more of a clubby vibe overall! The style's never disco, but makes for some great uptempo soul – the sort that really lets the group's wonderful vocal style soar strongly – a rich blend that's totally great even without Teddy, and which has a great mix of raspy leads and warm harmonies. Titles include the wicked jazzy dancer "The Girl Makes Me Wanna Sing" – plus "It's Over", "Memories", "Standing By You Girl", "People Are Running Around", and "The Truth Has Come To Light".

Sweet Miami funk from the team of George "Chocolate" Perry and Clay Cropper – one of the rarest TK albums from the time, and also one of the funkiest too! The sound here is slightly polished, but never too much – a bit more in the sound of bigger Florida groups, like Miami, with a tight groove overall, but still enough sharper funky bits on the edges! George plays bass and Clay handles guitar and keyboards – and the vocals seem to be sung by both parties, often in that slightly-flanged Miami style of the time. Titles include "My Uncle Funky", "Sweet Mary", "Cream Is Rising To The Top", and "Two Different Worlds" – plus the excellent mellow soul track "Free (I'll Always Be)", which has a nice sweet sound in the same vein as work by Milton Wright.

The cover's a silly one, but the record is rock-solid all the way through – a wonderful blend of funky jazz and warmer soul, and a real lost treasure from the 70s TK Records empire! Fat is Fats Gallon – who plays drums on the record, and also sings lead vocals a bit too – with this raspy southern soul style that's a great counterpoint to the smoother sounds on the set! Things get plenty funky and tough throughout – and the small combo lineup ensures that the record steers quite clear of the more commercial styles that were coming out of the Miami scene in the 70s. There's a jazzy inflection to most of the instrumentation, which makes for some compelling changes that have kept this set going strongly with new generations over the years – and the instrumentation includes loads of great guitar and keyboard bits too. Titles include "Doing Bad", "Tip Of My Tongue", "How Can I Explain", "Magician Man", "Life Is A Beautiful Thing", "Satan's Dream", and "Free My Mind".

Latimore's digging deeper, and sounding greater than ever – working at Muscle Shoals with some great Miami production from Steve Alaimo – and coming across with a sound that's even warmer and more sophisticated than before – yet still very true to its deep soul roots too! At a time when some of Latimore's contemporaries might have been heading for the disco, he keeps it real and focuses on the best mellow modes that always made him so great – particularly those which use keyboards next to his unique vocal approach. Heck, even the album's odd cover of "Tonight's The Night" sounds pretty darn great – although we're even more partial to the original tracks like "Out To Get Cha", "We Got To Hit It Off", and "Dig A Little Deeper" – as well as his sweet version of George Jackson's "Ain't Nothing Like A Sweet Woman's Love".

Latimore takes on the music of Ray Charles – and finds a whole new groove in the process! The set's contemporary, but recorded with relatively laidback instrumentation – at a level that never pushes things too hard, and instead hits the right sort of jazzy undercurrent to make the music come off well. Instrumentation is heavy on piano and keyboards – played by Latimore himself – and a few cuts feature larger horns, or female backing vocals – sung by a group that includes Gwen McCrae. Titles include "Hit The Road Jack", "Unchain My Heart", "Drown In My Own Tears", "Crying Time", "What'd I Say", "I Can't Stop Loving You", and "I Got A Woman".

An excellent early album from the amazing Little Beaver – a set that's also probably one of his best ever – served up with some extra-dope guitar, and nice deep Miami soul production by Steve Alaimo! Beaver handled all the arrangements – which means that there's plenty of room for his great guitar to come to the forefront – and this album also features some of his great vocal work, set in a style that's a lot rawer than later releases – rooted a bit more in deep soul and blues, which fits nicely with the guitar. Titles include the single "Joey", plus the long "Katie Pearl", and a nice cover of "Two Steps from the Blues", which features his funky soul guitar on a nice solo – plus the tracks "What The Blues Is", "That's How It Is", "I'm Losin the Feelin", and "Give A Helping Hand".

Heady funk from the glory days of the Miami soul scene in the 70s – the second smoking album by the group named after the city! The sound here is a bit tighter than before, but in a good way – a style that has the group's core funk energy mixed with some added strings and horns from Mike Lewis – all served up by producer Willie Clarke in that hip, syncopated TK groove of the time! Robert Moore leads the group on percussion – and this time around, there's some really great electric elements to the sound – especially the guitar parts, which have a cool snakey feel at points. Titles include "I'll Hold The Groove", "Kill That Roach", "Hold On To What You Got", "Mr Notorious", "Come Dance With Me", and "Do It Together".

Excellent work by this sweeeeeet Miami funk ensemble – one of the tightest combos to ever grace the Sunshine State! This is the first of the group's two albums for the Drive/TK label – and it's got a great sound that mixes rougher funky 45 type playing, with some of the smoother production of the Miami scene – handled in this case by Willie Clarke & Clarence "Blow Fly" Reid! The whole thing's great, with a hard-ripping sound that's well worth all the praise the group have gotten over the years. Titles include the breakbeat cut "Chicken Yellow", plus their great 2 part single "Party Freaks", which has a cool Shaft-like groove to it – as well as the tracks "Same Ol Beat", "Funk It Up", and "Freak On Down My Way".

A killer album from Paulette Reaves – a hip singer from the TK Records scene of the 70s, but one who never fully got her due at the time! Paulette's got a really wonderful style here that's partly deep soul, partly jazz-inflected – an approach that almost has more of the sophistication of 70s Philly sessions, especially given the mix of mature modes that come across in both the vocals and some of the instrumentation. Production is by Clarence Reid, Snoopy Dean, and Chocolate Perry – all of whom polish things enough to match the maturity in Reaves' vocals, yet never take the record into too-commercial territory – including the other styles you might find at TK. Titles include the sublime "Jazz Freak" – a classic stepper that has Paulette running down a list of her favorite artists in the lyrics – and other tracks include "You Are My Star", "We'll Try It Again", "I Forgot To Be Your Lover", "Flesh", and "Sweet Bitter Love".

An obscure female soul project from 70s-era TK Records – one that features production by Clarence Reid, hence the group's name! The groove here is very much in the best Miami club mode of the time – upbeat, but still nicely gritty overall – more fast funk in the instrumentation, with slight touches of strings – and vocals from the quartet that slide nicely into the rhythms, which themselves bear plenty of TK touches! The whole thing's got a feel that's a lot better than you might guess from the cover – kind of a rougher take on the Gwen McCrae vibe of the time, almost set loose to do things with a more relaxed approach overall. And the vocals are surprisingly strong at points too – with one singer coming to the forefront with a deeper soul mode than you might expect. Titles include "I'll Be Damned If It's Me", "What Am I Gonna Do", "Push Me Back In The Corner", "More Of A Woman", "That's How It Is When You Are In Love", "New York City", and "This Time Tomorrow".

A soaring stormer from T-Connection – and a set that has them sounding even better than before! There's a perfection here the group didn't have with earlier releases – a quality that goes way past indie funk ensemble, into the realm of some of the best mainstream acts on the bigger labels at the time – company shared by a rare few, like Earth Wind & Fire, Ohio Players, or the Bar-Kays! Things are every bit as funky as before – but there's a way of putting the tunes together that really blows us away – fusing all the elements together perfectly, and making everything work towards the groove – yet all without making anything sound too slick or polished either. Mighty nice all the way through – and titles include "Funky Lady", "Don't Stop The Music", "Funkannection", "Saturday Night", "At Midnight", and "Love Supreme".

A tight bit of dancefloor funk from the duo of Frank and Eddie Dillard – one on guitar, one on bass, and both on vocals – both working here with some great clubby production from Walter Murphy! The set's got a bit more edge than Murphy's own records – thanks to the emphasis on the Dillard instrumentation – and the rhythms are often nice and sharp, in that disco style that's almost hinting at a break at points – and which might have been at home in a South Bronx mix as much as in the clubs! The set includes the single "Full Tilt Boogie" plus other tracks that include "I Like Funky Music", "Sky High", "Everybody's Got One, "We Came To Play", and "Bad Motor Folk".

Neither country, nor disco – despite what the cover might make you think – and instead a wonderful batch of southern soul that's even rootsier than most of the work from the 70s on the TK label! The album was actually recorded in Chicago with arrangements by Gene Barge – who used to do some pretty great work for Chess – and has a sound that's laidback and mellow, but often in ways that are very different than other Windy City soul of the 70s. In a way, the shift follows that great migratory pattern from the south up to Chi-town at the time – where Lee's groove was always popular in the clubs – and by that, we mean the smaller neighborhood joints, and hardly ever a disco at all! Titles include "We're Gonna Make It", "Me & My Woman", "I'm Willing", "The Love You Saved", and "I Think It's You".

There's not much of a cover on this one – but the music is plenty plenty funky – and the set features a great selection of rare work recorded as funky 45s for the TK family of labels in the 60s and 70s! The groove here is much harder and deeper than you'd expect if you only know TK from its bigger hits of the time – a fiercely wailing approach that shows that the label could record some excellent funk that easily matched the best work coming out of the northern cities at the time. And in fact, there's very few "Miami" touches here overall – because the groove these guys lay down is often much more in keeping with styles we know from Ohio, Chicago, and New York groups of the time. But whatever the origin or label, we can say that the set's an excellent one for any fan of deep deep deep funk – and it features a total of 14 tracks that include "Cutting Room (Hot Pants)" and "It's Allright" byOcean Liners, "Lay It On Me Baby" by Willie Johnson, "Hey Sexy" by King Tutt, "I'm Afraid Of The Dark" by Jonny K, "Funky Cat" by James Knight, "Look What You Can Get" by Funky Nassau, "Nasty Dog" by The Mighty Dogcatchers, "Soul Food" by Franky Seay, and "I Got A Thing For You Baby" by Mr Percolator.

It's easy to get Beaver Fever when things sound this great – a wonderful modern soul take on the sound of Little Beaver from the 70s – serve up with plenty of warm tones, and a nicely matured version of Beaver's styles! All the bluesy bits from the start are gone, and some of the funkier edges have been smoothed down – but in their place are some great grooves that move along with a cool jazzy vibe that often makes great use of Beaver's guitar – a style that's almost like some of the more mature modern soul from up north, instead of the usual 70s Miami groove. A few tunes echo the earlier years – like the great remakes of "Party Times" and "Katie Pearl" – and other tracks include "Thank You For My Life", "I Feel Like Crying", and the groovy "Groove-On".

A landmark album from the Miami soul scene of the 70s – the record that put Gwen McCrae on the map, and showed to the world that the TK sound was about to dominate the charts! There's a really unique groove to the set – part older southern soul, part percolated electric modes – that funky groove that Little Beaver, Timmy Thomas, and some of Gwen's TK contemporaries had been cooking up at the time. Both Beaver and Thomas are working on the sessions – as are Willie Clark, Latimore, and George Perry – and even the backup vocals are hip – with help from George McCrae, Betty Wright, and KC of Sunshine Band fame. But throughout it all, Gwen's the real star – singing with an impeccable vocal approach that's full of soul, yet never overdone – heard to amazing effect on the classic track "90% Of Me" – and other gems that include "For Your Love", "He Keeps Something Groovy Going On", "It Keeps On Raining", "He Don't Ever Lose His Groove", "Move Me Baby", and "Let Them Talk".

A surprisingly great new album from Gwen McCrae – one that has her returning to hit territory of years back, and re-recording older Miami soul hits from the 70s! The sound is far better than we could have hoped for – very much in the older spirit of the TK label, thanks to production by George Perry and Henry Stone that keeps things simple, and which doesn't clutter up the tunes with too many modern flourishes. The musicians are all great too – and include Perry, Little Beaver, Latimore, and Timmy Thomas – the last two of whom also sing on the record! Gwen's not only singing her own hits here either, but tracks by other TK artists like Betty Wright, Paulette Reaves, and Bobby Caldwell – performed very nicely here in versions that are almost as great as the originals. Titles include "Jazz Freak", "What You Won't Do For Love", "Rock Your Baby", "Why Can't We Live Together", "90% Of Me Is You", "Clean Up Woman", "Honey Honey", "You Gotta Love Me", "Rockin Chair", "Misty Blue", and "Party Down".

An obscure female soul project from 70s-era TK Records – one that features production by Clarence Reid, hence the group's name! The groove here is very much in the best Miami club mode of the time – upbeat, but still nicely gritty overall – more fast funk in the instrumentation, with slight touches of strings – and vocals from the quartet that slide nicely into the rhythms, which themselves bear plenty of TK touches! The whole thing's got a feel that's a lot better than you might guess from the cover – kind of a rougher take on the Gwen McCrae vibe of the time, almost set loose to do things with a more relaxed approach overall. And the vocals are surprisingly strong at points too – with one singer coming to the forefront with a deeper soul mode than you might expect. Titles include "I'll Be Damned If It's Me", "What Am I Gonna Do", "Push Me Back In The Corner", "More Of A Woman", "That's How It Is When You Are In Love", "New York City", and "This Time Tomorrow".

T-Connection are definitely on fire with this smoking little set – a killer batch of late 70s club, done with almost equal parts funk, soul, and disco! As with their debut, the group here are right on the money instrumentally – playing with a dexterity that few other large funk groups could match this well – especially blistering on some of the album's longer tracks too. There's also a great sense of balance to the record too – a ballad, some midtempo numbers, and a more well-rounded feel that also shows the group going for a wider palette of sounds than just their usual grooves. But as always, the upbeat club tracks are the best – and titles include "Lady Of The Night", "On Fire", "Cush", "Groove To Get Down", and "Let Yourself Go".

Rare 70s work by Bobby Byrd – sides done for the Brownstone and International label, most of which feature work by members of the James Brown universe, and some production by James Brown himself! The best tracks on the set are from the early 70s – and feature Bobby working in that incredibly tight, incredibly fast-grooving mode he first forged with James – heard to best effect on some key live recordings, and served up here in some equally great studio sides that feature help from Fred Wesley and Brown. A few other cuts keep the funky fire burning with some surprisingly nice Miami touches – with Clarence Reid on production, but Bobby more than strongly in the mix on some great vocals. There also appears to be a few tracks from later years – featuring Byrd with singers Vicki Anderson and Martha High, plus a group that also includes Bootsy Collins and Fred Wesley – and 2 more that are later live numbers. The set features 11 tracks in all, and is a great counterpart to Bobby's one and only album for the King label – with tracks that include "Never Get Enough", "Hang It Up", "Back From The Dead", "The Way To Get Down", "Feel Good Friday", "Sayin It & Doin It Are Two Different Things", "Let Me Know", and "Tell Me What's On Your Mind".

Incredible funky guitar – an all-instrumental gem from the legendary Little Beaver – quite different than his other vocal albums of the 70s, and a fair bit funkier too! The sound here is amazing – lots of snakey compressed guitar parts, nice wah wah moments, and a dope laidback groove that's similar to Shuggie Otis on his Inspiration Information album, but a little funkier too! Especially sweet are the sudden changes within the tunes – which find a killer groove, take a left turn or two, and then fall back into the groove nicely. Beaver wrote most of the cuts, and the track list includes "Hit Me With Funky Music", "Loosen Up", and "Tribute To Wes". But some of his best playing comes out on the covers, which have a nice laidback feel, in the best dope Little Beaver style – like "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Let's Stay Together", and "Summertime". Total perfection!

Sublimely satisfying work from Ashford & Simpson – a stone killer from the height of their late 70s glory days on Warner Brothers! The pair are working together wonderfully at this point – wrapped up in that blend of upbeat soul and righteous undercurrents that made them a real cut above in mainstream soul – getting great help from arrangers William Eaton, Paul Riser, and Al Gorgoni – all of whom know how to hit that perfect Ashford & Simpson balance between tightness, class, and soulful spontaneity! Backings are always filled with lots of jazzy touches, too – the kind of sophisticated soul elements other would cop from the pair in years to come – and titles include "Over & Over", "It's You", "If You're Lying", "Couldn't Get Enough", "Destiny", "So So Satisfied", and "Tried Tested & Found True". CD features 4 bonus tracks – "Over & Over (12" disco mix)", "Over & Over (Simphouse M&M mix)", "Tried Tested & Found True (12" disco mix)", and "Tried Tested & True (Simphouse M&M mix)".

One of the greatest and most historically important compilations ever put together by our friends at Light In The Attic – the first ever (!!!) anthology devoted to Stax sax great Charles "Packy" Axton! Packy was a founding member of the Mar-Keys and a cat who played with the best of them – Steve Cropper, Booker T, Teenie Hodges, Donald "Duck" Dunn and many more – all of whom can be heard on this mindblowing set of benchmark vocal and instrumental singles from the mid 60s – truly the blueprint material for the great Stax and all around Memphis soul to come! It features singles cut for labels such as USA, Bar, Hollywood and Pure Soul – soul/R&B vocal numbers and proto-funky instrumentals. Amazing, amazing stuff recorded at Royal and Ardent Studios with some of the greatest soul music players to ever come together – so highly recommended! Includes "Holiday Cheer", "Bullseye", "Hung Over", "I'll Always Love" and "Late Late Party" by The Martinis, "No Ending" and "No Love Have I" by Stacy Lane, "House Full Of Rooms", "Out Of Control" and "I'm A Fool (In Love)" by LH & The Memphis Sounds, "Stone Fox", "Hip Pocket" and "Greasy Pumpkin" by The Pac-Keys, and "Hole In The Wall" by The Packers. 17 tracks in all – treated beautifully by team LITA – with a thick booklet of notes (by Andria Lisle) and full of vintage photos of the players, shots of the inner labels of the original singles, details for each track and more.

The only album ever by The Barrino Brothers – a stellar early 70s harmony group, and one who could sing with the best of the east coast scene of the time! The whole set's got a feel that's very much in the best mode of groups like The Modulations, Soul Generation, and even The O'Jays – as the group's got a deeper, more solid sound than some of the more fragile outfits of their era. Production is very strong – thanks to the Holland-Dozier-Holland powerhouse sound of the time – and the group's vocals are supported on a full groove that really helps send the whole thing over the top! The title cut "Livin High Off The Goodness Of Your Love" is a stone classic – and other nice tracks include "Rain", "I Had it All", and "It Doesn't Have to Be That Way". Loads of bonus tracks too – including "Trapped In A Love", "I Had It All (single)", "I Shall Not Be Moved", "Livin High Off The Goodness Of Your Love (inst)", "Livin High Off The Goodness Of Your Love (single)", "Born On The Wild (voc)", and "Born On The Wild (inst)".

A stone classic from Blood Sweat & Tears – and a record that went onto have a tremendous impact in jazz, rock, funk, and soul! The group's format is plenty darn famous – adding a lot of horns to hip riffing grooves – but despite countless plays on oldies stations over the years, this initial album still has a power that's undeniable – a way of putting the whole thing together that really uses the best elements of the late 60s studio – handled with sweet production from James William Guerico that rivals his best work for Chicago! Even the lead vocals by David Clayton Thomas hold up nicely – and the set includes the classics "Variations On A Theme By Eric Satie", "And When I Die", "Smiling Phases", "More & More", "Spinning Wheel", and "You've Made Me So Very Happy". CD features bonus live tracks – "More & More" and "Smiling Phases".

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

The second album from Brass Construction – heavy horns, basslines, and stellar dancefloor grooves – a stone classic! The first one was totally great, but they cast a wider stylistic claim on II – their trademark funky sound is still very firmly in place, but they bring more to the plate. The rhythms and percussion have a more globally steeped flare at points on the album, and there's a more smoldering, slightly mellower vibe on some tracks, without sacrificing the funk. The whole thing's fused together wonderfully – with the larger group moving with the energy a much smaller combo – and titles include "Sambo", "Screwed", "Get To The Point", "What's On Your Mind", and "Now Is Tomorrow".

Seminal work from The Brecker Brothers – 6 of the group's best albums, plus the two Blue Montreux live albums – packaged together in one very cool set, in tiny LP-like sleeves! The self-titled Brecker Brothers album is the first super effort from the team of Randy & Michael Brecker, whose twin-horn frontline forged a very popular sound in the mid 70s – some really well-crafted numbers, done with a strong smooth approach that still sits well after all these years! Back To Back features the twin horns of Randy & Michael Brecker, along with alto by David Sanborn, keyboards by Don Grolnick, and guitar by Steve Khan – but one of the things that really makes the album great is the vocal arrangements, which were handled by Luther Vandross, who also sung on the album along with Patti Austin. The set's got a great soulful feel – with some wonderful mellow groovers that have a sweet 70s sound! Don't Stop The Music is a stone classic from The Brecker Brothers – working with touches of club and disco grooves to give an even smoother edge to the jazz funk of the pair. And thanks to some solid soloing that's not afraid to go for the easy spots, the album's a lot more solid than an number of sound-a-like copycat LPs to come out at the time! Heavy Metal Be Bop is tight and funky jamming, with a bit more guitar here than on some of their other records – hence, possibly, the title! Keyboards and guitar jam strongly, but Randy and Michael still get in plenty of space for their solos – pushing their jazz licks with the jamming intensity that might normally be relegated to guitar heroes in the rock world. On Detente, the Brecker's are still rooted in jazz, but definitely step out with plenty of soul in the mix too – vocals from DJ Rogers, Carl Carlwell, Luther Vandross, and others – all of whom really add a lot to the set! On Straphangin, the BBs manage to groove with a sharpness and depth that most of their smoother fusion contemporaries just weren't hitting – an edge that reminds us of the deeper roots these guys had before they started hitting the mainstream! Last up are the live fusion classics Blue Montreux Vols 1 & 2 – both recorded as a unique live all-star outing by a group of Arista's best jazz players at the time! The group's an octet, but plays together in differing formations throughout the record – with Warren Bernhardt on keyboards, Michael Brecker on saxes, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Steve Jordan on drums, Steve Khan and Larry Coryell on guitars, Tony Levin on bass, and Mike Maineri on vibes – the last of which really make for some of the best numbers on the album!

A masterpiece of funky soul – and one of the greatest albums of the early 70s! It all comes together on this one – funk, soul, politics, and production – and the record is still one of the clearest examples of James Brown's genius that you'll ever find! Recorded during the same sessions as the JBs album Damn Right I Am Somebody – Payback has the group backing James with amazing intensity, playing on and on for very long stretches, improvising jams that perfectly match the vocals, which are often as improvised as the music. The most famous example of this style at work is "The Payback", which begins with a simple head arrangement, then has James riffing off on politics and power, letting the band come in at just the right moment, dropping solos that are still some of the best ever recorded on a funk album. The rest of the album's equally great, and even though most tracks run close to 10 minutes, and the album's a 2LP set, most of the material stays fresher than any 3 minute funk record we've ever heard. Some tracks are separated by these cool voices that rise up as seques – and titles include "Stone To The Bone", "Mind Power", "Take Some Leave Some", and "Shoot Your Shot".

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

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

A beautiful album by Ron Carter – and quite rare, too! The record features a group that's got a nice 70s modal soul jazz sound – with players that include Herbie Hancock on acoustic and electric piano, Hubert Laws on flute, Sam Brown on guitar, and both Billy Cobham and Grady Tate on drums – all working in sweet small group mode alongside Carter's excellent work on acoustic and Fender bass. The sound is sometimes spacey, sometimes groovy – and marks a key chapter in Carter's career, one that has him stepping out of the background into a great role as a leader – setting the stage for many more albums to come in the 70s! Titles include the very funky "Uptown Conversation", plus the tracks "Half A Row", "Doom", and "Einbahnstrasse". Very soulful, with a stone mellow moody groove!

One of the most highly-regarded albums of Hank Crawford's 60s run on Atlantic Records – a set when everything seems to come together just right – and provide an even better showcase than usual for Hank's soulful lines on alto sax! The set also features tenor from David Newman – easily a perfect companion to Crawford for the record – and the rhythms have a nicely laidback, easygoing vibe – almost more Prestige Records soul jazz than the usual Atlantic style of the time. The set's got some warm mellow instrumental versions of blues classics, plus a few originals like "Lorelei's Lament", "Blue Stone", and "Playmates".

80s groove galore – a pair of classic albums form Dayton! Hot Fun is a wonderfully sweet groover from Dayton – a group that's equal parts modern soul and 80s groove – and outta site all the way! The album's big title hit is a remake of Sly Stone's classic "Hot Fun In The Summertime", done in such a way that it's got a cool skating stepper's groove to it – and set amidst some jazzy riffing and ensemble vocals that are totally great. The rest of the album follows in a similar mode – really bouncy and joyous, with mixed male and female vocals stepping out over a set of lean, mean 80s groovers that should have been huge! Tracks include "Hot Fun", "Patiently", "We Can't Miss", "Meet The Man", "Movin Up", and "Gunch". Feel The Music is a massively wonderful album from Dayton – an album that has the group really getting their groove together – still sticking a bit in the older funk mode from the past, but also bringing in some warmer, deeper touches to their music too! There's a solidness here that's undeniable – a balance of rhythms and instrumentation that few other soul groups of the time were hitting – topped by vocals that have a nice dose of jazz in the mix too, with the sort of sophistication you might expect to hear from some of Wayne Henderson's At Home productions. Production is nice and warm, never too cold or commercial – and titles include the group's great cut "The Sound Of Music" – not the theme from the Broadway show, but a great two-stepper that's instantly infectious – plus "Caught In The Middle", "It Must Be Love", "Promise Me", and "Lookin Up".

A stone pop soul winner from DeBarge – the kind of record that made the group a heck of a lot of money back in the 80s, and which sounds surprisingly great to our ears today! The record features lots of electro arrangements – fuzzy keyboards and bass pedals grooving around in a way that's got traces of "street" electro, mixed with some super-smooth LA production, and used brilliantly by the group in a family-based pop harmony way that stretches back to some of the great 70s groups of the same style – like The Sylvers or the Stairsteps. A heck of a lot nicer than we remember, and pretty great all the way through – with tracks that include "I Like It", "I'll Never Fall In Love Again", "All This Love", "I'm In Love With You", "Can't Stop", "It's Getting Stronger", and "Life Begins With You".

A stone pop soul winner from DeBarge – the kind of record that made the group a heck of a lot of money back in the 80s, and which sounds surprisingly great to our ears today! The record features lots of electro arrangements – fuzzy keyboards and bass pedals grooving around in a way that's got traces of "street" electro, mixed with some super-smooth LA production, and used brilliantly by the group in a family-based pop harmony way that stretches back to some of the great 70s groups of the same style – like The Sylvers or the Stairsteps. A heck of a lot nicer than we remember, and pretty great all the way through – with tracks that include "I Like It", "I'll Never Fall In Love Again", "All This Love", "I'm In Love With You", "Can't Stop", "It's Getting Stronger", and "Life Begins With You".

Classic stuff from the man who brought the Exotica sound to the mainstream! We hardly need to tell you about these albums – as they're virtually the blueprint for countless exotica albums to come, a mixture of 50s easy listening, strange tropical rhythms, and odd little sound effects! Denny's playing with his original combo of Arthur Lyman, Augie Colon, and John Cramer – in a mixture of piano, percussion, vibes, and lots of bird calls! Tracks include "Stone God", "Island Of Dreams", "Escales", "When First I Love", "Bacoa", "Ebb Tide", "Rush Hour In Hong Kong", "Singing Bamboos", "Jungle Flower", "Busy Port", "Lotus Land", and his hit recording of "Quiet Village".

Brilliant work from Adriana Evans – quite possibly her greatest record so far, and that's saying a lot, given how much we've loved everything she's done! There's a perfect, professional vibe to the whole set that's really amazing – soul music like soul music's supposed to be done – tight, yet never commercial – and peppered with these very slight, subtle 60s influences on some of the horn parts and other instrumentation, while still getting bumped along by some modern rhythms at the bottom. The depth to this record is astounding – and we're even more in love with Adriana's music than ever, and bet you'll be too, after hearing this wonderful album. Titles include "Waiting", "Suddenly", "Midnight", "Let You Get Away", "Weatherman", "El Sol", "Sooner Or Later", "Never Thought", and "Set In Stone".

Smoking soul from the mighty Lee Fields – and a set that really has him getting back to his roots, as well! The record's billed as a follow-up to the previous My World – but it's got a style that's much more deep soul, much more southern-tinged than that great record – a beautiful indication of Lee's rich legacy in soul music – which stretches back decades, with rare releases on small indie labels! Yet the sound here is much stronger than Fields ever got back in the day – thanks to help from The Expressions, and some sublime Truth & Soul production – a combination that really has the record feeling as if it were recorded for Atlantic at Muscle Shoals at the end of the 60s. Lee's vocals really rise to the setting, and may well be some of his best in years – and that's saying a hell of a lot, given how great he always is! A stone home run throughout – with titles that include "Faithful Man", "Wish You Were Here", "Moonlight Mile", "Walk On Thru That Door", "Still Hanging On", "You're The Kind Of Girl", and "I Still Got It".

A stone classic from Flaming Ember – a combo with a sound rooted in rock, but filled with plenty of soul too – making they a key funky crossover act in the early 70s! These guys borrow the best of Motown soul and the best of the jazzier rock groups of the time – and often use lots of raw congas in with their percussion – which keeps things grooving with plenty of soulful inflections. There's some nice psych production at times – a bit like the best Norman Whitfield modes at the start of the 70s – and titles include "Flashbacks & Reruns", "The Empty Crowded Room", "Going In Circles", "Westbound #9", "Spinning Wheel", and "Shades Of Green". CD features three bonus tracks – "Filet De Soul", "Don't You Wanna Wanna", and "Desert Village".

A score from Fabio Frizzi that's surprisingly delicate and beautiful in many moments – with some spacey early 80s production flourishes in others – pretty strong stuff from the Frizzi, and with quite a surprising sound given the dark bloody horrors suggested by the film's title and accompanying artwork! It's a psychological horror film, but the music is fairly light and lovely for stretches – flute, soaring strings and slow-building tension – sometimes combined with heavier, echoey drums and percussion, and somethings letting the percussion lead the way. Includes "Living In The Past", "Fate's Melody", "Chill Atmospheres", "Closer To The Solution", "Living In The Past", "Drums In Trouble", "Death's Melody", "Assassinio Al Cimitero Etrusco", "Stone That Hides", "Horrible Premonition" and more.

Fantastic funk from a group who definitely earn their name – a sweet jelly bean jar of 70s groovers – played in this great compressed bass-heavy style! The group hail from southeast Asia, but sing in English throughout – and play tunes that clearly echo their love of American funk by groups like War or Sly & The Family Stone – both covered here, but in ways that really tune the tunes inside out nicely! There's never too much jamming on the instrumentation, but the production has a way of folding the edges into the middle – creating this cool cross-filtered sound that works especially well on the vocals, and gives them this offbeat quality that really furthers the charm of the set. Titles include "Stand II", "Assassination", "Spill The Wine", "Get It Together", "You Got Me", and "Thank You". CD features the bonus track "Jerry Beans Xtract".

An expanded version of this classic – with 5 more bonus tracks, 4 of which were arranged by Ennio Morricone! The core album is incredible 70s work from the lovely Astrud Gilberto – a rare effort for the CTI label that has her teaming up with arranger Eumir Deodato and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine – all in a groove that's totally different than most of her earlier work! Astrud's breathy vocals are still wonderfully intact – but they're given a more spacious approach in the arrangements – strings mixes with rolling basslines, soaring keyboards, and stone cold tenor from Stanley – in a groove that's simply wonderful, and which takes off in a whole new direction than before! Other players include Airto, Sivuca, Hubert Laws, and Dom Um Romao – and tracks include classic versions of "Ponteio", "Vera Cruz", and "Zazueira" that are all some of the most grooving takes on the tunes ever – plus "Historia De Amor", "Where There's A Heartache", "Brazilian Tapestry", and "Wanting Things". Bonus tracks include "If Not For You", "Acercendome A Ti", "Argomenti", "En Tu Piel", and "Un Donna Che Ti Ama".

A stone classic from the great Gwen Guthrie – a singer who forged some brilliant vocals in the backdrop of other folks' soul sessions – then really exploded forth as a star on her own, with a handful of key albums in the early 80s! This cooker really shows off Guthrie's ear for the clubs – and has this style that's not really 80s groove, not really street soul – but a great blend of both, and put together in ways that seem to prefigure so many other soul styles in years to come – even as far forward as the new jack years. Gwen's strong vocals work perfectly with the arrangements – which have a tightly produced electric sound that could overcome weaker singers, but which only push Gwen into bolder vocals than before! Titles include the classic "Ain't Nothin Goin On But The Rent", plus "I Still Want You", "Stop Holding Back", "Outside In The Rain", "Close To You", and "You Touched My Life". CD also features four bonus tracks – "Save Your Love For Me", a duet with Surface – plus "Close To You (7" mix)", "Ain't Nothin Goin On But The Rent (12" club mix)", and "Outside In The Rain (7" mix)".

Early work from Gwen Guthrie – produced by Sly & Robbie, but with a sweet modern soul sound that's got a lot less of their influence than you'd guess! The sound is much more New York than Jamaica – and that's probably due to some great instrumental backing on keyboards by the likes of Harry Whitaker, Bernie Worrell, and Wally Badarou – all massive talents that bring a nice sweet jazzy sound to the best cuts on the record. There's a definite 80s sing-song groove going on – in that not-yet-top-of-the-charts soul sound that you'd hear on the better small urban stations at the time – moving back and forth nicely, in a strong link between the mainstream and the underground clubs! Tracks include "Hopscotch", "Seventh Heaven", "Oh What A Life", "Younger Than Me", and a nice cover of Sly Stone's "Family Affair". CD features 3 bonus tracks too – "Padlock (Larry Levan special mix)", "Hopscotch (Larry Levan rmx inst)", and "Peanut Butter (Larry Levan special mix)".

Soulful reggae legend Beres Hammond – still going strong on 2012's double album One Love, One Life – which is a nice, timeless take on his tried-and-true mix of lover's rock and straighter soul – and well produced by Beres and Chris Chin! Honestly, pretty much everything we've heard from Beres in recent years has been pretty strong – smartly focusing on the more timeless elements of Jamaican music and global soul – and One Love, One Life is right up there with the best of it! Breezy rhythms, soulful songs and charming vocals by Hammond! 20 tracks on 2CDs: Can't Waste No Time", "No Candle Light", "Lonely Fellow", "My Life", "More Time", "The Song", "Crazy Dreams", "Still Searching", "Don't You Feel Like Dancing", "Not Made Of Steel", "Prime Time", "Family", "Can't Make Blood Out Of Stone", "Truth Will Live On" and more.

Man, these guys never seem to miss – and always come up with some great little tunes that snap along in a really compelling way! This album might be easy to overlook in favor of the band's bigger classics, but it's a stone winner all the way through – with a number of tunes that groove on beautifully with tight hooks, skipping beats, warm vocals, and that beautifully compressed production style that always gave Heatwave a sound that slide perfectly into an AM soul radio groove. And sure, there's a few hooks here that feel like they're "borrowed" from some of the bigger hits – but they work wonderfully as a reprise of greatness, and keep us half stepping into the album even more. Titles include "Razzle Dazzle", "Eyeballin'", "Raise A Blaze", "First Day Of Snow", "One Night Tan", "All Talked Out", "Disco", and "Therm Warfare". The Big Break UK remastered edition ahs 5 bonus tracks: "Birthday (7" Version)", "Eyeballin' (US 12" Disco Version)", "One Night Tan (US 7" Version)", "Therm Warfare (UK 7" Version)" and "Birthday" (US 12" Version)".

Not experienced? Well, this album will help push you over the top – as it's done for decades of listeners from the heyday of young Jimi Hendrix all the way up to the present! The set's a classic through and through – a blueprint not just for the genius of Hendrix, but for generations of guitar heroes to come – as you might expect with a lineup that includes "Hey Joe", "Manic Depression", "The Wind Cries Mary", "Fire", "Third Stone From The Sun", "Are You Experienced", and "Purple Haze".

Not experienced? Well, this album will help push you over the top – as it's done for decades of listeners from the heyday of young Jimi Hendrix all the way up to the present! The set's a classic through and through – a blueprint not just for the genius of Hendrix, but for generations of guitar heroes to come – as you might expect with a lineup that includes "Hey Joe", "Manic Depression", "The Wind Cries Mary", "Fire", "Third Stone From The Sun", "Are You Experienced", and "Purple Haze".

A really amazing live set from Jimi Hendrix – recorded in Berkeley at a very fervent time in that city's scene – which spins out in some amazing interplay between the musicians on the stage, and the rapturous fans in the audience! Hendrix is right on the money throughout – ripping through guitar lines that remind us that there's few out there who can still touch his genius in this stretch – and the show's recorded with just the right focus on Jimi to really make his power resonate strongly throughout! The set features the full second set of the May 30 performance from 1970 – presented in order, in its entirety, with beautiful mastering. Titles include "Pass It On", "Hey Baby", "Foxy Lady", "Purple Haze", "Star Spangled Banner", "Hey Joe", "Stone Free", and even an introductory part that's pretty compelling!

Suburban LA psychedelia from the dawn of the 70s – the rare self-titled album from The Human Zoo! The Human Zoo started out as The Circus, eventually cutting this underappreciated album for Accent Records. Even in a freewheeling, anything goes era of Cali rock, The Human Zoo have a pretty far reaching vibe – from stripped down guitar based garage psyche, to more of a pummeling, fuzzed out take on blue eyed R&B, to looser, roomier grooves. Titles include "IT's Got To Be", "Na-Na", "Funny", "Late To My Resurrection", "Stone Sassy Fox", "The Human Zoo", "The Time Was Over" and more.

2 Isley Brothers gems from 2 different eras – back-to-back on a single CD! 1969's It's Our Thing is a stone classic – the album that kicked off their successful T-Neck label, and established that mighty Isleys sound that would have such a huge influence in the 70s! It's filled with sinister, sexy numbers that bristle with energy that's still heard best here at the point of its creation! Tracks include "It's Your Thing", "Give the Women What They Want", "He's Got Your Love", "I Know Who You Been Socking It To", "Don't Give It Away", "He's Got Your Love", "Save Me", "Feel Like The World", and "Somebody Been Messin". Go All The way came about a decade later – at the end of the 70s, and the Isleys are still going strong – keeping it real and going for a smooth soul sound that would be one of their biggest strengths during the early 80s! This sound can be heard to perfection on the tracks "Say You Will" and "Here We Go Again", both wonderful numbers that have this strident groove that's part "Harvest For The World", part compressed guitars and keyboards working in a smooth wall of sound. Those two alone are more than worth the price of the record, and other titles include "Pass It On", "Go All The Way", and "The Belly Dancer" – all done in the Isleys' trademarked "part 1 & 2" style!

The cover's a bit gimmicky, but the album's a stone classic – a wicked later Motown moment from the Jackson 5 – and one that has them working with the super-grooving team of Holland-Dozier-Holland! Brian Holland handles production work for the team, and although his touches only appear on about half the record, he really helps the Jacksons hit that wickedly righteous groove that was the trademark HDH sound over that the Invictus label – a bassy, bottom-heavy Detroit sound with just a bit of psychedelic funk as well! Additional production is by Mel Larson & Jerry Marcellino – and titles include "Forever Came Today", "Moving Violation", "You Were Made Especially For Me", "Honey Love", "Body Language", "All I Do Is Think Of You", and "Breezy". CD also includes a bonus track – "Forever Came Today (disc-o-tech version)".

One of our favorite albums ever from Eddie Jefferson – one of the last sessions he ever recorded as a leader, and a stone cooker through and through! The arrangements here are by Slide Hampton, who hits a really soulful groove for the set – one that moves away from some of the more experimental modes of other Jefferson dates of the 70s, and hits a snapping, swinging style that moves Eddie back to his hippest modes of the 60s. Hampton plays trombone in the group, and other players include Charles Sullivan on trumpet, Richie Cole on alto, Junior Cook on tenor, Hamiet Bluiett on baritone, and Harold Mabern on piano and electric piano. Leon Thomas produced the record, and Joyce Lawson guests as the female voice on a remake of "Moody's Mood For Love". Other titles include a killer version of Duke Pearson's "Jeannine" that is probably worth the price of the album alone – and there's also "Benny's From Heaven" and "Freedom Jazz Dance", both of which are great, too – plus "Summertime", "Exactly Like You", and "Night Train".

A overlooked gem in Elvin Jones' Blue Note career – and an album that's virtually the blueprint for the Stone Alliance sound forged later in the decade by bassist Gene Perla and reedman Steve Grossman! Both players are working to full effect on this smoking little set – mixing some of the more spiritual modes of other group members with their own sharper-edged, funky-leaning styles – all held together perfectly by both Jones' tight work on drums, and his expansive musical vision! Other players are great too – and include Pepper Adams on baritone sax, David Liebman on flute and tenor, and Jan Hammer on acoustic piano – an instrument he handles with surprising subtlety and soul. Many cuts have a hard, choppy groove – and titles include a remake of "Gee Gee", plus "One's Native Place", "Mr Jones", and "What's Up – That's It".

A stone classic from Roland Kirk – and a record that beautifully balances his modern ideas and playful energy – as you might guess from the title! While posing as the "whistleman", Roland's also pushing the boundaries of jazz a few steps forward too – not just in modern terms, but in spiritual ones too – showing that there's a way of letting loose that doesn't always have to be cold or artsy, but personal and soulful too. There's still echoes of the hardbop of the Mercury years, and plenty of inventive reed work from Kirk – on tenor, alto sax, manzello, stritch, and even nose flute too. The album was recorded live with a very hip cast that includes Lonnie Smith and Jaki Byard on piano, Charles Crosby on drums, and Major Holley on bass – and tracks include "Roots", "Here Comes The Whistleman", "Step Right Up", and "Aluminum Baby".

A beautifully bright album from pianist Steve Kuhn – a superb 1986 session that matches his work on the keys with bass from Ron Carter and drums from Al Foster! The trio have a soulful swing right from the start – a vibe that you don't always hear on other albums from Kuhn, and which really unleashes some of his most lyrical sounds of the decade – a style that's as fresh and inventive as before, but which also soars a bit more strongly too – driven on with a warm feeling that definitely comes from the company of the group. The album's a stone classic in the Kuhn catalog – and titles include "Two By Two", "Ulla/Trance", "Jitterbug Waltz", "Little Old Lady", and "Yesterday's Gardenias". CD features two previously unreleased tracks – "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise" and "Never Let Me Go".

A pair of killers from Kwick – back to back on a single CD! First up is the self-titled Kwick – sweet 80s groove from a quartet who were once known as The Newcomers, and recorded some Memphis singles for Stax – but who here reemerge more than fully-formed – leaping into the new decade with an amazingly rich sound! Given the group's previous work, the vocals here are really wonderful – trained on old school harmony modes, and refitted to some more contemporary rhythms – yet all in a way that never loses the depth that made them so great in the first place. Although never super-huge, the group have a quality level that rivals the best of their contemporaries in this mode from the time – making this debut a stone gem to rival the best from acts like Switch or Tavares. Titles include "I Want To Dance With You", "Can't Help Myself", "Serious Business", "Let This Moment Be Forever", and "Tonight Is The Night". To The Point is a wonderful second set from Kwick – a bit more grooving than their first, with added emphasis on funky bass bits and keyboards – yet a set that's still filled with all the great vocals from before! It's not easy to harmonize tightly while stepping along with a lively rhythm, but Kwick make it all sound perfect here – super-tight, yet never uptight – in a rare blend that few other groups could ever reach in such a setting! The whole album's a charmer – and titles include "Split Decision", "Nightlife", "You're The Star Of My Show", "You're The Kind Of Girl I Like", "No Winner No Loser", and "I Choose You".

Fantastic French funk – a record that's unlike any other deep funk combo we can think of – because Caroline Lacaze sings in her native language instead of English! The grooves are stepped in the best funky 45 styles of the late 60s, but the vocals also echo the more soulful sound of the French pop of the time as well – making the record a sweet hybrid that really stands out from the pack – and which will certainly help freshen up any collection of contemporary funk! Caroline's sung before on projects with the Mighty Mocambos, and she gets strong support from them on this debut set of her own – a stone smoker that include "Soultempo", "Je Reste", "Toujours Lui", "Laisse Tomber", "Ici", "Minutes D'Insouciance", and "En Route Madame".

A stone classic from reedman Ronnie Laws – and an album that really helped set a whole new standard for funky fusion in the 70s! Laws works here with great Wayne Henderson production – which gives the album an even sharper sound than other Blue Note sets of this vintage – and that kind of tight blend of funk and jazz you'd find in the Crusaders, with a similar no-nonsense approach in the grooves! Henderson's got a great way of never being too smooth – and Laws responds with some wicked solos on tenor, soprano sax, and flute – soaring out over the course of the whole wonderful album. Titles include "Goodtime Ride", "Just Love", "Saturday Evening", "Friends & Strangers", "Nuthin Bout Nuthin", "New Day", and "Same Old Story".