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

Smoking blues from Billy Boy Arnold – an artist who never got the fame as some of the bigger acts on Chess Records in the 60s – but who could certainly cook with the best Chicago electric sound! Arnold sings and plays guitar on the record – with a bold, upfront quality that easily makes the record one of the best in this series on Prestige – thanks in part to backing from a youthful group that includes Mighty Joe Young on guitar and Lafayette Leake on piano! Titles include "School Time", "Evaleena", "I Love Only You", "Two Drinks Of Wine", "Billy Boy's Blues", and "You Better Cut That Out". CD features the bonus track "Playing With The Blues".

An incredible package – and one that features three of the most important records ever cut by the Art Ensemble Of Chicago! All three albums were recorded at the Saravah Studios in the summer of 1969 – during a time when the Art Ensemble of Chicago were making big waves on the Parisian scene (including their work in the film Les Stances A Sophie) – and finding a way to refine their new Chicago sound in the world away from the Windy City! These were the albums that really put the Art Ensemble on the map – letting them find new freedoms, and reach new heights in expression – in a mode that even surpassed previous recordings by individual members back home. The lineup is very heavy on reeds – with a variety played by Roscoe Mitchell and Joseph Jarman – and features bold trumpet from Lester Bowie, warm basslines from Malachi Favors, and a range of percussion and other instruments by all members of the group! The set comes in a nice book-like cover, with a booklet inside – and titles include "Reese & The Smooth Ones (parts 1 & 2)", "Rock Out", "Brain For The Seine", "Dexterity", "Jackson In Your House", "The Waltz", and "Song For Charles".

Seminal Chicago sounds from cornetist Josh Berman – and a record that's not just a key example of his talents, but of the whole energy of the Windy City scene as well! There's a nice gag in the "His Gang" on the cover of the record – but it's also somewhat well put, too – as Berman's definitely got ears for the old-time sounds such a name might imply – yet always has ways of making those older modes come out with freshly modern energy! The balance is amazing – and really shows Josh's ear for trad jazz, mixed with his contemporary avant expressions – a pan-historical jazz mode that's hardly ever been handled this well – except maybe by Jaki Byard at a few moments. At some level, the instrumentation reads like an old trad band – cornet, clarinet, trombone, bass clarinet – but the sounds here are definitely 21st Century – played by a great "gang" that includes Guillermo Gregorio on clarinet, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Jason Stein on bass clarinet, Keefe Jackson on tenor, Jason Adasiewicz on vibes, Josh Abrams on bass, and Frank Rosaly on drums. Berman's arrangements are wonderful – very offbeat, but swinging too – and titles include "Sugar", "Mobile & Blues", "Liza", "Cloudy", "One Train May Hide Another", and "Jada".

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

Sweet Hammond grooves and deep soul vocals from Wayne Carter – an artist rooted in jazz, but who plays here in a solid funky 45 vibe! The album features a half dozen rare tracks recorded by Carter in western Illinois – gritty little numbers that never even made it to the Chicago scene of the time, and which are beautifully brought to light in this limited edition set! Some tunes have a fierce, full, funky backing – a real surprise, given the little studio setting of the sessions – and Carter's got this raspy voice that steps out strongly with his own bold lines on the organ. Titles include "Wahoo Wahoo Wahoo", "Peter In Or Out", "That's Cancer", "Trock Rock", "Let's Run Away From The World", and "Mad Mouth Woman".

A rare and beautiful treasure from Chicago's Phil Cohran and his legendary Artistic Heritage Ensemble – material recorded at the end of the 60s, but only issued here for the first time ever! The sound on the record is amazing – much deeper, and more forceful than anything else we've ever heard from Cohran – almost in Sun Ra Arkestra territory at times, given the group's out-there playing, and bold collective action! The lineup is similar to other Cohran recordings from the time – Phil on cornet, Henry Gibson on congas, Pete Cosey on guitar, Louis Satterfield on bass, Charles Williams on alto, Don Myrick on tenor, Charles Handy on trumpet, Willie Woods on trombone, and Aaron Dodd on tuba – a group that's a wonderful bridge between the two important Chicago generations headed by Sun Ra and Earth Wind & Fire. Armageddon is an extended piece, divided up into five different musical acts – conceived by Cohran in the late 50s, and recorded here in 1968 – with some great help from The Spencer Jackson Family on the leadoff track "Motherless Child". Other titles include "Creation Of The Beast", "The Warning", "The Window", and "Armageddon" – a clear reference to the power of the atom bomb!

Amazing work from the legendary Phil Cohran – and a much-needed collection of his rare singles on the Zulu label! The work here is contemporary to the sides issued by Phil's Artistic Heritage Ensemble on their two famous records – but the sound is often a bit tighter, and funkier too – kind of the 45 distillation of sounds the group was working out in larger format on the full albums! As with those classics, the approach is amazing – a hip blend of jazz, soul, and African elements – very much in the spirit of Sun Ra, Cohran's predecessor on the Chicago scene – but often with a lot more groove, and a lot less avant garde elements. Players on the set include Charles Williams on alto, Don Myrick on baritone, Charles Handy on trumpet, Louis Satterfield on bass, Pete Cosey on guitar, and Henry Gibson on timbales and conga – all working at a level that easily rivals the best from Ra, Salah Ragab, Mulatu, and other space jazz legends from the time! Titles include "The African Look", "Loud Mouth", "New Frankiphone Blues", "Frankiphone Blues", "Detroit Red", "El Hajj Malik El Shabazz", and "Black Beauty".

A triple pack of early magic from Natalie Cole! Inseparable is Natalie's stunning debut for Capitol Records in the mid 70s – a real surprise, and a set that should have had the singer blossoming even more than she did at the time! As with some of the other Capitol soul sessions of the time, the album's done very firmly under the guidance of Charles Jackson and Marvin Yancey – a pair who give Natalie just the right sort of backing to launch her career – a sound that's full and rich, deeply sophisticated – but also still plenty soulful, almost in the mode of some of Minnie Riperton's work at the time. Given the pair's Chicago roots – and the arrangement help from Richard Evans – that comparison is no surprise, and Natalie rises to the occasion nicely. Titles are all originals too – and include "Needing You", "Joey", "I Can't Say No", "Something For Nothing", "I Love Him So Much", "You", "Your Face Stays On My Mind", and the huge hit "This Will Be". Next up is Natalie – a record that really has Natalie Cole finding her groove – not needing any help from her famous familial legacy, thank you – and instead stepping out with a tight, proud mode that really helped refine the sound of female soul in the 70s! The album's got plenty of influences from the Chicago soul scene – including songwriting and production from the team of Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy – and work from key session players like Richard Evans and Gene Barge, who worked in the Curtom Studios to craft the grooves on the set! Titles include "Keep Smiling", "Mr. Melody", "Heaven Is With You", "Can We Get Together", "Touch Me", "Hard To Get Along", and "Good Morning Heartache". Unpredictable is an album that reunites Natalie Cole with the smooth soul team of Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancey – the team who did such a great job with Natalie's Capitol debut, and who really continue the groove here too! The album's got a rock-solid approach through and through – a quality that has Natalie really standing out on her own as a positive young artist in soul – without any need to nod towards her father, as in later years. And Jackson and Yancey bring a nice dose of Chicago soul class to the affair – which turns out to be a perfect match for Natalie's vocals! Titles include "Be Mine Tonight", "Party Lights", "This Heart", "I've Got Love On My Mind", and "Still In Love".

A mellow soul classic from Chicago – and one of the last great records to come out of the city's hip 70s soul scene! We know very little about Crystal Winds – save for this excellent record, one of the few titles issued on the short-lived Cash Ear label, a south-side imprint in the tradition of 70s powerhouse labels like Curtom or Chi-Sound. The work's got a wonderfully polished feel – lots of jazzy harmonies on the vocals, and a smooth midtempo groove that reminds us of some of the best work on Fantasy Records, especially those handled by Wayne Henderson and At Home Productions. Includes a great jazzy stepper called "Signs of Winter's Time", plus other great tracks like "So Sad", "Love Ain't Easy", and "It's A Wondrous Thing".

Miles Davis' first-ever performance in Japan – a really unique concert that featured the quintet with Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – augmented by a young Sam Rivers on tenor! The presence of Rivers really gives the set an edge – and although Miles is holding Sam a bit more in check than on some of his "new thing" albums from the time, there's an overall quality here that's different than the other Davis quintet albums of the time. The set was one of a number of important Miles Davis live sessions from the period – including albums from Berlin, Antibes, and Chicago – and titles include "If I Were A Bell", "My Funny Valentine", "So What", "Walkin'" and "All Of You".

A quadruple-header of a set – four great albums together in one cool box! First up is the first album from the great Special Edition group of drummer Jack DeJohnette – a wickedly sharp record that's as equally tight on the reeds as it is on the drums! The album features brilliant work on tenor and bass clarinet from David Murray, and equally nice alto from Arthur Blythe – both criss-crossing and soaring out effortlessly in each others' company – amidst complex rhythmic impulses from DeJohnette on drums, and both bass and cello from Peter Warren. Jack also plays a bit of piano and melodica as well – and titles include "One For Eric", "Zoot Suite", "Central Park West", "India", and "Journey To The Twin Planet". On Tin Can Alley, the great Chico Freeman really shines with drummer Jack DeJohnette – lending his tenor, flute, and bass clarinet to the album – and helping make it a really reed-heavy affair! John Purcell's also in the frontline with Chico – playing alto, baritone, and flute – and in addition to Peter Warren's bass and cello, the album Jack DeJohnette also plays drums, congas, piano, and organ too! The range of instrumentation almost echoes some Chicago AACM roots at times – but with that tighter focus that musicians like Jack were bringing to their work at ECM – and titles include "Riff Raff", "The Gri Gri Man", "I Know", and "Pastel Rhapsody". Inflation Blues is a record that bristles with energy right from the start – spurred on by the creative rhythms that have always made Jack DeJohnette one of the most inventive drummers of his time! The group features a triple-threat lineup with Baikida Carroll on trumpet, Chico Freeman on tenor and soprano sax, and John Purcell on alto, baritone, flute, and clarinet – especially nice at points when the reedmen shift and turn with sharp edges learned from the earlier avant years, yet given a nice focus here under DeJohnette's leadership. Jack penned all original tunes for the set, and there's a depth to his writing that really marks a move forward – possibly some of his richest musical statements on record ever! Titles include "Ebony", "Inflation Blues", "Slowdown", and "The Islands". Album Album is a record that really dives deep with a rich mix of creative rhythms and inventive horn lines! The album still has Jack staying true to his more avant roots – working with tenor from David Murray, alto and soprano sax from John Purcell, baritone and tuba from Howard Johnson, and bass from Rufus Reid – a lineup that's a bit bigger than on other Special Edition albums, and which is used to fill in even more colors and deeper elements than before. Some of the tunes are wonderfully vivid in approach – and titles include "Festival", "Third World Anthem", "Zoot Suite", "Ahmad The Terrible", and "New Orleans Strut".

Sweet Chicago soul from this ex-lead singer of the Drew-Vels! The tracks are arranged and conducted by Phil Wright, and they have a pretty nice groovy soul feel – in the Capitol mode of the late 60s. The record's got a fair number of covers, like "I, Who Have Nothing", "What the World Needs Now", and "Midnight Confessions" – but there's also a lot of good soul cuts, too, like the title cut "I've Been Here All The Time", "Just Can't Forget About You", and Patti's great version of "Hard to Handle"!

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!

A never-heard soundtrack for a never-seen film – and a record that's every bit as funky as better-known sets from the blacksploitation era! Final Solution were a small time group from Chicago's west side in the 70s, but on this wicked little soundtrack they sparkle just as brightly as Isaac Hayes, Willie Hutch, Curtis Mayfield, or any of our favorite soundtrack soul artists from the time – working in a really righteous approach to soul with lots of heavy rhythms on the bottom and rumbling bass in the mix – so that even when the tunes are mellow, there's still a bold, brash sort of power to the set! The vocals are mostly delivered in harmony style, again with a nice edge – a bit like The Impressions work on Three The Hard Way, but with more of an indie soul feel overall, given the production circumstances. Once again, our hats are off to Numero for unearthing this gem – and as usual, the full tale of the group, the movie, and the music is told at length in the accompanying 16 page booklet! Titles include "Brotherman", "Never Coming Back Again", "I Don't Care", "Girl In My Life", "Gotta Get Through To You", "One Day", "I'm Ready For Love", "Theme From Brotherman", "No Place To Run", and "We Can Work It Out".

A never-heard soundtrack for a never-seen film – and a record that's every bit as funky as better-known sets from the blacksploitation era! Final Solution were a small time group from Chicago's west side in the 70s, but on this wicked little soundtrack they sparkle just as brightly as Isaac Hayes, Willie Hutch, Curtis Mayfield, or any of our favorite soundtrack soul artists from the time – working in a really righteous approach to soul with lots of heavy rhythms on the bottom and rumbling bass in the mix – so that even when the tunes are mellow, there's still a bold, brash sort of power to the set! The vocals are mostly delivered in harmony style, again with a nice edge – a bit like The Impressions work on Three The Hard Way, but with more of an indie soul feel overall, given the production circumstances. Once again, our hats are off to Numero for unearthing this gem. Titles include "Brotherman", "Never Coming Back Again", "I Don't Care", "Girl In My Life", "Gotta Get Through To You", "One Day", "I'm Ready For Love", and "We Can Work It Out".

An amazing album by the great guitarist Eddie Fisher – and completely unlike his later funk records! Eddie plays stripped down jazz with a small combo that includes organ by Robert Selby, bass by Paul Jackson, and some rhythm guitar by Phil Westmoreland – and the twin-guitar approach creates this super-dope style that's light years ahead of its time, with a sophistication that points the way to later mid 70s work on labels like CTI and Kudu! Eddie's guitar work is an incredible exercise in spareness and soulfulness – best heard on the fantastic "Third Cup", a long drawn-out jazz stepper that's got to be heard to be believed. The cut's been a favorite on the Chicago jazz stepper's scene for years – and it alone is worth the price of the album. However, the record features some other wonderful stuff – like a sublime version of "Shadow Of Your Smile" that runs for a bubbling 12 minutes – plus the originals "Shut Up", "Scorched Earth", and "Two By Two".

An amazing album by the great guitarist Eddie Fisher – and completely unlike his later funk records! Eddie plays stripped down jazz with a small combo that includes organ by Robert Selby, bass by Paul Jackson, and some rhythm guitar by Phil Westmoreland – and the twin-guitar approach creates this super-dope style that's light years ahead of its time, with a sophistication that points the way to later mid 70s work on labels like CTI and Kudu! Eddie's guitar work is an incredible exercise in spareness and soulfulness – best heard on the fantastic "Third Cup", a long drawn-out jazz stepper that's got to be heard to be believed. The cut's been a favorite on the Chicago jazz stepper's scene for years – and it alone is worth the price of the album. However, the record features some other wonderful stuff – like a sublime version of "Shadow Of Your Smile" that runs for a bubbling 12 minutes – plus the originals "Shut Up", "Scorched Earth", and "Two By Two".

A pair of killer albums from The Five Stairsteps – 1967's self-titled set for Windy C – plus '68's Love's Happening by The Five Stairsteps & Cubie – together with bonus track on this great set from Outta Sight UK! The Five Stairsteps album is a landmark batch of sweet soul – recorded by the still youthful group that included a 13 year old Kenny Burke! The kids were brought together by their parents Clarence and Betty Burke, but it was Curtis Mayfield who really gave them a push – as he discovered them, produced them, and wrote some excellent songs for them during their best early years. Mayfield's sweet soul style forged with The Impressions runs through most of these tracks – and although the group is young, they really do a fantastic job with the material, and infuse it with a soulfulness way past their years. Titles include "Danger She's A Stranger", "World Of Fantasy", "Ooh Baby Baby", "Don't Waste Your Time", and "Behind Curtains". Love's Happening might be the best record ever by this Chicago soul group! The record's got a full batch of original tracks written and produced by Mayfield – including their amazing, funk steeped version of "Don't Change Your Love", with a breakbeat that lit up the sampler culture for years! That raw drum sound is in effect on even the more delicate numbers, and the lead vocals and harmonies soar or sink deep to the soul, as the groove demands. There's also some kind of tripped out touches in the production in spots, making for a nice balance of sweet soul and leftfield touches. Kind of an underappreciated effort in the grand scheme of Curtis Mayfield productions, but wholly essential! Other titles include "Stay Close To Me", "New Dance Craze", "Baby, Make Me Feel So Good", and "Little Young Lover". 5 bonus singles in the set: "Ain't Gonna Rest (Til I Get You)", "You Can't See", "Change Of Pace", "Madame Mary" and "We Must Be In Love".

A long-overdue collection of work by this sublime Ohio soul group of the 60s – a trio of lovely ladies with a really tremendous sound! Gigi & The Charmaines are hardly the girl group cliche you might think from their sweet name and the image on the cover – and on most of the numbers here, they're hard-rolling at a pace that's somewhere between the best Detroit Northern Soul of the time, and some of the sweeter female soul that was coming out of Chicago at the end of the 60s. Ace have really outdone themselves with the collection – and bring together the group's singles on the Columbia, Date, and Fraternity labels – as well as some other key sides that have them performing vocals on records by other artists in the lead! CD features a whopping 28 tracks in all, plus a full set of notes – with titles that include "Guilty", "Poor Unfortunate Me", "Eternally", "Girl Crazy", "If You Ever", "I Idolize You", "Rockin Old Man", "On The Wagon", "What Kind Of Girl Do You Think I Am", "All You Gotta Do", "GI Joe", "I Can't Go On This Way", and "I Don't Want To Lose Him" – plus "I'm So Satisfied" with Max Falcon, "Lucy Miloo" with Kenny Smith, "Baby Please Don't Go" with Carl Edmonson, and "Baby What's Wrong" with Lonnie Mack.

Massively mellow funk – played by a cool Chicago trio that's heavy on the electric keys! The group's led by the team of keyboardist Gregory Bibb and guitarist James Norris – with the former working through a set of tasty keys that include Fender Rhodes, clavinet, and farfisa! Rhythms are lean, laidback, and nicely stripped-down – funky, but chilled out – in a kind of a groove that was years ahead of its time, and which is now only finally getting its due. There's some really heavy drums on the best cuts – hard, but with rhythms that are slightly off-kilter, in a way that makes for a really refreshing groove, even when the group's covering work by other artists. The whole thing's instrumental – with the original tracks "Brother Marcus" and "Changing Things" – plus great covers of "Love & Happiness", "Shaft", and a great version of "Ain't No Sunshine". Nice laidback funk, with a super-dope sound that's as a hip as the cover!

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

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

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

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

Queen of Soul is right! Heck, on these early albums, Etta practically invented soul – or at least invented a deep soul style of singing that would be taken up by countless other female singers during the 60s, but rarely matched with this kind of brilliance. Straight up beatiful stuff! The arrangements are uncredited, but we think they're probably by Riley Hampton – who did so much of Etta's other wonderful work in the early 60s. The recordings for sure took place at points between '62 and '64, mostly in Chicago, with couple in New York and one in Nashville. One other thing that is crystal clear about the sessions is that she had access to the very best musicians and the best sound possible – all you need is a listen to know that! The album's an all-solid, all-soul record with loads of obscure tunes and not a bit of filler! Titles include "Flight 101", "Bobby Is His Name", "Breaking Point", "Mello Fellow", "Do Right", and "Somewhere Out There". This first ever proper CD release is loaded with excellent bonus material – recordings from the same early-to-mid 60s period – 13 of them "You Got Me Where You Want Me", "Only Time Will Tell", "Pushover". "You Can't Talk To A Fool", "Would It Make Any Difference To You", "Pay Back", "Tomorrow Night", "I Can't Hold It Any More" and more. 23 tracks in all!

A really really amazing package – the full story of the early years of Syl Johnson – one of the funkiest soul singers to ever come from Chicago! Syl's music has become the stuff of legend over the years – initially collected in rare funky 45s and two even rarer albums – then sampled heavily, compiled frequently, and spun out to a huge global audience that Johnson never had back in the day. Yet throughout the years, things were never done properly – and certainly with any sense of history or continutiy that would unite the music – until now. The folks at Numero have really outdone themselves this time – not just by including both CD (4 of them) and LP (6 of those) versions of the music in the set – but also by coming up with one of the most attractive, uniquely packaged records we've ever seen! The box and booklet alone are completely beautiful – the latter filled with vintage photos, personal recollections by Syl, and some great Numero writing – not to mention much-needed details on the recordings within. And the LPs each come in their own jackets – two of which mimic the original Twinight albums, the other four of which create Shama, Trip, and Federal label albums of Johnson's music – records that didn't exist back in the 60s, but which look as if they've come from a time machine! The CDs come in a very cool LP-styled jacket – and the whole thing slides together as sweetly as the funky music within. None of the Hi Records material is included – just material from labels that include Twilight/Twinight, King/Federal, Shama, TMP/Ting, Zachron, One-Derful, Cha Cha, Special Agent, and P-Vine – including a number of tracks never issued before. We could write for hours about how great this set is – but honestly, one look, or one listen, and you'll be hooked!

The funkiest album that Syl Johnson ever recorded – filled with short, tight cuts that play more like a stack of funky 45s than the standard soul album of the time! The record draws from the great run of singles that Syl cut for Twinight Records at the end of the 60s – some of the hardest soul coming out of Chicago at the time, with a gritty feel that's right up there with some of James Brown's best late 60s work – or even better, some of the other obscure acts working in the American underground at the time. A few tunes are familiar from their popularity as classic 45s – but the album's got lots more wonderful numbers that are lesser-known – and all of them are great! Titles include the classic Syl Johnson sample cut "Different Strokes" – plus "Dresses Too Short", "I Can Take Care of Business", "Soul Drippin", "Sorry Bout Dat", "Same Kind Of Thing", and "Come On Sock It To Me".

One of THE indie soul treasures of the 70s – a wickedly funky record that blends together jazz, soul, and club – and which stands out with a sound that's all its own! You may well know the tag "moods and grooves" – as the record's had an influence on countless scenes, and has been referenced by many artists over the years. But nothing beats this original set, a sublime batch of electric grooves performed by a core combo of electric keys, bass, and congas – augmented by sweetened strings and some occasional chorus vocals – bad-stepping around the grooves in a mostly-instrumental mode that rivals (if not betters) some of the best funky soundtrack work of the decade! Titles include "Time", "Chicago Calypso", "Funky Music", "Flute Salad", and "Gotta Get-A-Way".

The rare second album from Juju – the avant jazz collective who'd later morph into funk band Oneness Of Juju, but who still sound pretty revolutionary here! There's a bit more focus than before – still energy that's a lot like the best righteous jazz groups coming out of Chicago or St Louis at the same time, but maybe a bit more direct, too – and really showing some of the stronger spiritual tones that would only blossom more strongly in later years! Reedman Plunky Nakabinde is firmly at the helm of the group – on tenor, flute, and soprano sax – but the set also features great work from Lon Moshe on vibes and percussion, Babatunde on congas and drums, Phil Branch on bass, and Al-Hammond Raul on piano and percussion. The sounds are a bit less Afro-styled than on the Oneness records, but still have all the great spiritual currents – and titles include an excellent version of Pharoah Sanders' "Black Unity", plus the original tunes "Contradiction","Nia", "Black Experience", and "The End Of The Butterfly King". Features two bonus tracks – "Live Revolution" and "Live Revolution Continues".

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

One of THE electric blues records of the 60s – a seminal set by Albert King that was probably blasted out of more college dorm rooms than southside juke joints, but which still more than deserves its due! The set was recorded by Stax with a nice raw sound – guitar very much upfront, but also set amidst arrangements that have a bit more soul than the average Chicago blues session from the same time. The set features a number of originals by Stax regulars like Booker T and David Porter – and titles include "The Hunter", "Born Under A Bad Sign", "Crosscut Saw", "Down Don't Bother Me", "Laundromat Blues", and "Personal Manager". CD features some great bonus tracks – an "Untitled Instrumental", plus previously unissued alternate versions of "Born Under A Bad Sign", "Crosscut Saw", "The Hunter", and "Personal Manager".

Reedman Oliver Lake at his most creative – stepping out here on a sublime set of 70s improvisations – all put together with a really spiritual feel! There's a very open, collaborative feel to the music – and the set was recorded in St Louis, at a time when Lake was a key part of that city's scene – and who here also seems able to attract some other musicians from the AACM in Chicago as well! As a result, the album's a wonderful document of the new ideas bursting forth at the start of the 70s – that richly creative moment when local scenes were coming together in various cities to find new ways of jazz beyond Coltrane and Dolphy – giving a player like Lake some of the most imaginative outlets of his career. Oliver plays alto, soprano, flute, and other small instruments – and other players include Baikida Carroll and Floyd Leflore on trumpets, Joseph Bowie on trombone, John Hicks on piano, Clovis Bordeaux on electric piano, Don Officer on bass, Charles Bobo Shaw on drums, and Don Moye on congas too. Titles include "Africa", "Tse Lane", "Eriee", "Zip", and "Electric Freedom".

Reedman Oliver Lake at his most creative – stepping out here on a sublime set of 70s improvisations – all put together with a really spiritual feel! There's a very open, collaborative feel to the music – and the set was recorded in St Louis, at a time when Lake was a key part of that city's scene – and who here also seems able to attract some other musicians from the AACM in Chicago as well! As a result, the album's a wonderful document of the new ideas bursting forth at the start of the 70s – that richly creative moment when local scenes were coming together in various cities to find new ways of jazz beyond Coltrane and Dolphy – giving a player like Lake some of the most imaginative outlets of his career. Oliver plays alto, soprano, flute, and other small instruments – and other players include Baikida Carroll and Floyd Leflore on trumpets, Joseph Bowie on trombone, John Hicks on piano, Clovis Bordeaux on electric piano, Don Officer on bass, Charles Bobo Shaw on drums, and Don Moye on congas too. Titles include "Africa", "Tse Lane", "Eriee", "Zip", and "Electric Freedom".

A fantastic lost album from one of the 60's most under-rated female singers – done in a style that's far hipper than Barbara's work for Atlantic! The set's got a vibe that's totally great – proud and righteous – stepping out in a mode that shakes off the sweetness of Barbara's earlier records, and grooves into a much more mature 70s-styled groove – handled perfectly by producer Ollie McLaughlin! Although Barbara and Ollie hailed from Detroit, the set was actually recorded in Chicago at the end of the 60s – with arrangements by Mike Terry, and a sophisticated groove that has some of the bounce of records by JoAnn Garrett or Marlena Shaw at the time. Every cut is a winner – and the album's a no-filler gem that we treasure in our soul collection! The record includes of great tracks, including "Baby That's A No No", "Break Away", "Anyway", "You Made Me A Woman", "Oh, Be My Love", "How Can I Tell", and "Slip Away". CD also features 3 bonus tracks – "That's The Way I Like It", "Ask The Lonely", and "Why Did It Take You So Long".

Sweet, funky, and outtasite – one of Ramsey Lewis' greatest albums of the 60s – cut under the supervision of Chicago soul maestro Charles Stepney! The album's an amazing mix of jazz, funk, and the more baroque and spacey elements – that were running through the Chicago soul and jazz scene of the time – all coming together under the guidance of Lewis and Stepney, with a sound that points the way towards countless 70s recordings to come! Highlights include a bit of kalimba from drummer Maurice White, some great guitar from Phil Upchurch, and plenty of tasty electric keys from Ramsey himself – really laying back in a righteous kind of groove – hitting new heights on tunes that include "Bold and Black", "If You've Got it, Flaunt It", "Do What You Wanna", "Cecile", "Wanderin Rose", and "Opus #5".

A classic bit of Chicago house goes mainstream – and a suprisingly big hit from the late 80s. The main reason most folks bought this album was for Louis' "French Kiss", a sex-sound infused house cut with a "fast-then-slow-then-fast" groove that was endlessly dropped into mixes on radio and in clubs at the time. However, like late 80s house contemporaries Blaze, Louis actually turned out to be a pretty interesting soul talent when given a whole album to work with – and although "French Kiss" is on the beat-heavy "dance" side of the album, there's also a pretty interesting "romance" side that has some nice home-made late 80s soul tunes with great warm keyboard-heavy production. Titles include "Lil Tanya", "The Luv U Wanted", "6 AM", and "Brittany".

One of the darkest records to ever come out of the Chicago scene of the 70s – an unreleased gem from Medusa – a group who really know how to go head to head with some of the most frenetic acts of their generation! The set's got a blistering array of guitars right up front in the mix – brilliant solos that are very much in the metal mode, yet without all the posturing that usually comes along with such dexterity – a style that's often more content to hide behind the larger, darker trappings of the entire group! There's plenty of cuts on the set that would have set late night FM radio on fire at the time – plus a few more than would definitely have been too dangerous for the airwaves too – and Numero's done a wonderful job of resurrecting this lost nugget – giving it a lavish velvet-covered jacket, with the kind of presentation that no big record labels would have paid for at the time! Titles include "Strangulation", "Temptress", "Feelings Of Indifference", "Black Wizard", "Frustration's Fool", and "Unknown Fear".

A classic set of smooth 70s soul from an under-recognized genius! Phillip Mitchell is a bit like his Atlantic Records contemporary Sam Dees – in that he wrote a lot of material for other singers, recorded a handful of singles, and worked mostly in the southern scene – but he also had a sophisticated, modern style that sounded a lot more like work coming out of New York, Philly, or Chicago. This lost album for Atlantic is a great example of that fact – as it was recorded at Muscle Shoals, but also features some Philly elements too – creating a great mix of modes that's wonderfully unique! There's a feel here that's just like some of the best work from Leroy Hutson, Johnny Bristol, or Leon Ware at the same time – a majestic, mature approach to soul that's simply tremendous. Titles include "In Between Lovers", "Top Of The Line", "I'm So Happy", "Let's Get Wet", "Paying The Price", and "If It Ain't Love It'll Go Away". Also features the bonus track "Take Me Away".

A Windy City classic – from Vee Jay Records! The MJT grooves like nobody's business, thanks to a core rhythm group that includes Harold Mabern on piano, Walter Perkins on drums, and Bob Cranshaw on bass! Add to the mix a young Frank Strozier on alto, fresh from Memphis (he made the trip to Chi-town with buddy Harold Mabern), and the smoking trumpet of Willie Thomas, and you've got one of the tightest combos to never make it in the big time – a killer little group that was almost a Chicago secret back in the day, but one that's well worth discovering if you've got any sort of a love for hardbop or soul jazz! This oft-overlooked gem is one of the best hardbop albums to ever come out of Chicago, and it's got some great originals by Mabern – like "Richie's Dilemma" and "Make Everybody Happy" – plus a nice version of Booker Little's "Sweet Silver".

The second LP by this obscure group from Chicago who never really managed to crack the big time, but who managed to be one of the bigger independent soul acts of the early 80's. Like their first, this one was recorded in Chicago with a sound that's similar to some of the other modern soul stuff that was coming out of the city's crumbling soul scene – good harmonies at the core, with all of the best songwriting elements of the glory days, but a bit more of a modern finish over the top. Still, Omni were always committed to a strong soul groove – as you can tell from their back cover thanks and endorsements to Leroy Hutson, Frankie Knuckles, and other Chicago soul giants! Cuts include "Body Groove", "Just How Bad", "Leave It Up To Me", "Out Of My Hand", and "All For The One".

A dancefloor classic – one of the strongest albums ever by Al Hudson, Alicia Meyers, and the whole One Way crew! The record's got a sweet soulful feel that provides a nice counterpoint to its bass-heavy grooves – popping along at that midtempo pace that was Al's popular remedy for disco on the dancefloor, and which had a crucial effect on soul at the time. The album still plays mighty big here in Chicago, where a classic 80s groove can reign supreme if it's strong enough – and tracks include "You Can Do It", "I Am Under Your Spell", "Music", "Come Dance With Me", and "Now That I Found You".

The long-awaited return of The Pyramids – easily one of the hippest spiritual jazz ensembles of the 70s! This new recording has all the earthy brilliance of the group's classics – with leadership from reedman Idris Ackamoor, who's continued a dedication to righteous sounds on his own during the past few decades – which means he's hardly coming out of retirement here, just re-focusing his ongoing energy towards the classic Pyramids sound! Instrumentation is heavy on percussion and organic elements – and the tunes do a great job of blending freewheeling performance with more focused grooves – an Afro-avant mode that really lives up to the group's legacy, carried off here by players who include Kenneth Nash on drums and percussion, Kimathi Asante on bass, Kash Killion on bass and cello, Bradie Speller on congas and electronics. Titles include "Memory Ritual", "Time Capsule", "What The World Needs Now", "Nebulosity", "Otherworldly", "Boundless Eternities", "Cloud Rider", "Uttering Sacred Words", and "They Came From Chicago".

An amazing set of music – two rare albums from Ohio funk legend Lou Ragland, plus bonus tracks, and a whole set of unreleased sessions too – a huge amount of new music, even if you've got some of the previous reissues! First up is the legendary Hot Chocolate album – one of the greatest lost funk records of all time! The group is not the British pop band, but an Ohio funk group led by the great guitarist Lou Ragland. The album's originally from Canada, which makes it super rare – and these guys are funky funky funky, and kick some major booty with a heavy guitar sound that's just great! Some of the cuts are instrumental, and some of them have some excellent soul vocals that are produced with a nice deep sound that's brought out nicely by the excellent quality of the reissue. The record's got a bit of Sly Stone, a bit of Grant Green, and a bit of Mike James Kirkland – with a tasty raw indie soul vibe – and the original album was only pressed up at 500 copies. Titles include "So Dam Funky", "Ain't That A Groove", "Sexy Moods Of Your Mind", "Messin With Sly", and "What You Want To Do" – plus 8 more tracks from the same vintage – "Good For The Gander" by Hot Chocolate, "I Travel Alone" and Big Wheel" by Lou Ragland, "Red Robin" and "I've Got Something Going On" by Volcanic Eruption, and "I Can't Take It" and "What The Doctor Prescribed" by Lou Ragland & Hot Chocolate. Next is The Conveyor – the second album from Lou Ragland, stepping out here in a great set of mellow soul tracks! The album's quite different from the heavy funk of the Hot Chocolate album – more of a message-oriented approach to soul, in the vein of similar 70s indie work by Mike James Kirkland. The arrangements are also bigger – not smooth, but ambitious, in a style that perfectly matches the higher vision Lou's going for in tracks like "Understand Each Other", "What Should I Do?", "The Next World", and "It's Got To Change". Conveyor also comes with bonus tracks too – "Tend To Your Business" by Wildfire, plus "Since You Said You'd Be Mine" and "I Didn't Mean To Leave You" by Lou Ragland. And last up is an incredible batch of unreleased material – maybe the biggest and best so far from Ragland – tracks that have this really ambitious quality that mixes soul, funk, and larger orchestrations – especially some light strings, which really expand the sound, and push the music into this righteous territory that reminds us a lot of the creative experiments in Chicago during the Cadet/Concept years! Lou's vocals are great, and the message is totally righteous – and even though the tape quality is slightly aged, the soulful vibe really comes through – on cuts that include "Understand Each Other", "It Ain't My Fault", "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love", "Spend My Life Loving You", "Until I Met You", and "Brother Louie". Lovingly packaged by Numero – with a huge booklet of photos and history – and cool mini-LP sleeves too!

An amazing collection of work from Jackie Ross – a singer who was arguably the greatest female soul artist in Chicago during the 60s! Jackie's got a really wonderful approach – sweet on top, but with a hard punch below – very much at the best level of some of Motown's heavyweights of the same period – but not nearly as well-known! That aspect makes this set a really fresh discovery – not just Jackie's few hits, but lots of other rare album and single material too – including a few unreleased tracks that really round out the collection wonderfully. And as you'd guess from Ace/Kent, the packaging and presentation is wonderful – not just crystal-clear quality to the recordings, but really rich notes and images that make the whole thing sparkle way more than any previous collection of Ross' work for Chess. Titles include "Everything But Love", "Selfish One", "Misty", "Wasting Time", "You Really Know How To Hurt A Girl", "Honey Dear", "My Square", "Stick To One", "Dynamite Lovin", "Take Me For A Little While", "I Dig His Style", "Trust In Me", "It's Going All The Way", "Jerk & Twine", "I've Got The Skill", and "Haste Makes Waste".

Two disco albums from Evelyn Thomas – back to back on a single CD, with tracks from an unreleased third album as well First up is I Want To Make It On My Own – a Casablanca stormer from Evelyn Thomas – a set that makes mighty full use of her strong vocals for the clubs, but which also features some quick-stepping production from Ian Levine! There's a nice polish to the record, but in an older sort of style – so that the lead singer is respected when the lyrics are flowing free, yet the tracks are also more than long enough to step out with plenty of longer disco modes too. A few tracks have some nice hooks that would more than make them stand on their own as soul singles – and titles include "I Want To Make It On My Own", "Back To Reality", "Thanks For Being There", and "It's The Magic Of Your Touch". Have A Little Faith In Me is filled with tight long tracks that work perfectly with the bold vocals of singer Evelyn Thomas – grooves that build up long before the lyrics come into the mix – in the best style of club classics on the AVI label! Ian Levine's at the helm once again – guiding Thomas in the studio – but the arrangements have an even tighter punch than before – a nice touch of Chicago groove from arrangers Danny Leake and Fiachra Trench. All titles are nice and long – and tracks include "My Head's In The Stars", "Love Isn't Just An Illusion", "Have A Little Faith In Me", and "No Time To Turn Around". CD features three unreleased bonus tracks that are all mighty nice – recorded after the second album, but never released – including the slinky groover "Sleaze", plus "Summer On The Beach" and "Love In The First Degree".

The funk-tinged, pyschedelic soul album from Muddy Waters – one that irritated many a blues purist in its day – but it's finally reaching its earned status as a leftfield gem! You know, in the immediate years after this one (and similar funky blues albums on Chess/Cadet) was released, it was downplayed as a cheap attempt to sell out Muddy's classic blues sound. These days, it's treasured by many of us as a unique funky session that merged the best of Chicago's funk, soul, and blues worlds – taking Muddy's sound way past earlier records and into uncharted waters. It's similar to some of the work on Chess at the time by Bo Diddley and Etta James – and it includes lots of nice updated groovers like "I'm A Man", "I Just Want To Make Love to You", "Hoochie Coochie Man", "Same Thing", "She's All Right", and "Tom Cat". Arrangements are by Charles Stepney, too!

The funk-tinged, pyschedelic soul album from Muddy Waters – one that irritated many a blues purist in its day – but it's finally reaching its earned status as a leftfield gem! You know, in the immediate years after this one (and similar funky blues albums on Chess/Cadet) was released, it was downplayed as a cheap attempt to sell out Muddy's classic blues sound. These days, it's treasured by many of us as a unique funky session that merged the best of Chicago's funk, soul, and blues worlds – taking Muddy's sound way past earlier records and into uncharted waters. It's similar to some of the work on Chess at the time by Bo Diddley and Etta James – and it includes lots of nice updated groovers like "I'm A Man", "I Just Want To Make Love to You", "Hoochie Coochie Man", "Same Thing", "She's All Right", and "Tom Cat". Arrangements are by Charles Stepney, too!

One of Joe Williams' standout classics from the 50s – just the sort of record that put him on top of his game at the time! The album's one of Joe's classic outings with Count Basie – one recorded for Roulette with a slightly looser, slightly rawer feel than their work together on Verve. Joe's rendition of "Everyday I Have The Blues" is a near-definitive one – tight, syncopated, and grooving in a style that stretches back to its roots, but which also steps out with a fresh sort of groove that points the way towards changes in soulful vocal styles during the 60s. Other titles work equally well in the mode – bluesy, but never hokey, all freshened up by the Basie approach of the time – and titles include "Baby Won't You Please Come Home", "Going To Chicago", "Joe Sings The Blues", and "What Did You Win".

Funky 45s galore – a treasure trove of rare singles all pulled from the legendary Brunswick Records! The label's probably best known for its string of hits and big albums in the late 60s and early 70s – but during that time, the company also cut some killer material that never got the credit it was due – sublime soul and furious funk that easily stands with the best Chicago work coming out at the time! Some of the artists here scored big with hits for Brunswick, but most of them are folks you might not know at all – at least not from these recordings, which are all pretty darn rare – and hardly the stuff you'll find on other Brunswick compilations – or other rare soul sets for that matter too! Titles include "Do The Whoopie" by Sugar Pie DeSanto, "Your Love Controls My World" by Johnny Williams, "Stay With Me Baby" by BW & The Next Edition, "Tell Me" by Rocky Roberts & The Airedales, "You Brought Out The Good In Me" by Otis Leavill, "Do The Tighten Up" by Major Lance, "Chip Off The Old Block" by Johnny Jones & The Casual, "Come Over To My Side" by Billy Butler, and "Getting Nowhere Fast" by Floyd Smith.

An essential look at the key years of the Chicago house scene – the time when the city's musicians were carving out a whole new space in sound! Although early house first began as an extension of some of the later modes of disco and 80s club, influences from European post-punk and post-disco work soon crept into the mix, and pushed the Chicago artists to work in a darker, edgier sound that was completely unique! The work from this period is filled with stark, spare electronics – not the cheesy kind that showed up often in New York electro records, but intense analogue bits that had a really dark, dystopic space age sort of quality – laid out over harsh beats and bass, and often presented with no additional vocals at all. For the collection, Soul Jazz do a great job of picking out the best of the early acid house scene in Chicago (the key recordings before the term got picked up overseas, and used to make some very dodgy dance music at the end of the 80s) – and then they go on to pull together some of the best strands of the house revival in Chicago in the early 90s, including key work from the Cajual label. 2 CD set features 17 tracks in all – including "This Is Acid" by Maurice, "Do You Want To Percolate" by The Sweat Boyz, "Beyond The Clouds" by Mr Fingers, "Go Wild Rhythm Track" by Virgo, "Acid Crash" by Tyree, "Dum Dum (part 2)" by Fresh, "Acid Bass" by Roy Davis Jr, "Phuture Jacks" by Phuture, "I've Lost Control" by Sleezy D, "Take Me Higher" by Virgo Four, "Acid Over" by Tyree, "Box Energy" by DJ Pierre, "Video Clash" by Lil Louis, "Explorer" by Green Velvet, "Like This" by Two Of A Kind, "Acid Tracks" by Phuture, and "Downfall" by Armando.

An essential look at the key years of the Chicago house scene – the time when the city's musicians were carving out a whole new space in sound! Although early house first began as an extension of some of the later modes of disco and 80s club, influences from European post-punk and post-disco work soon crept into the mix, and pushed the Chicago artists to work in a darker, edgier sound that was completely unique! The work from this period is filled with stark, spare electronics – not the cheesy kind that showed up often in New York electro records, but intense analogue bits that had a really dark, dystopic space age sort of quality – laid out over harsh beats and bass, and often presented with no additional vocals at all. For the collection, Soul Jazz do a great job of picking out the best of the early acid house scene in Chicago (the key recordings before the term got picked up overseas, and used to make some very dodgy dance music at the end of the 80s) – and then they go on to pull together some of the best strands of the house revival in Chicago in the early 90s, including key work from the Cajual label. 2LP set features 8 tracks in all – including "This Is Acid" by Maurice, "Do You Want To Percolate" by The Sweat Boyz, "Beyond The Clouds" by Mr Fingers, "Go Wild Rhythm Track" by Virgo, "Acid Crash" by Tyree, "Dum Dum (part 2)" by Fresh, "Acid Bass" by Roy Davis Jr, and "Phuture Jacks" by Phuture.

An essential look at the key years of the Chicago house scene – the time when the city's musicians were carving out a whole new space in sound! Although early house first began as an extension of some of the later modes of disco and 80s club, influences from European post-punk and post-disco work soon crept into the mix, and pushed the Chicago artists to work in a darker, edgier sound that was completely unique! The work from this period is filled with stark, spare electronics – not the cheesy kind that showed up often in New York electro records, but intense analogue bits that had a really dark, dystopic space age sort of quality – laid out over harsh beats and bass, and often presented with no additional vocals at all. For the collection, Soul Jazz do a great job of picking out the best of the early acid house scene in Chicago (the key recordings before the term got picked up overseas, and used to make some very dodgy dance music at the end of the 80s) – and then they go on to pull together some of the best strands of the house revival in Chicago in the early 90s, including key work from the Cajual label. 2LP set features 9 tracks in all – including "I've Lost Control" by Sleezy D, "Take Me Higher" by Virgo Four, "Acid Over" by Tyree, "Box Energy" by DJ Pierre, "Video Clash" by Lil Louis, "Explorer" by Green Velvet, "Like This" by Two Of A Kind, "Acid Tracks" by Phuture, and "Downfall" by Armando.

A massive overview of the genius Chicago scene of the late 60s – and a set that's overflowing with some of the heaviest music ever recorded! The collection focuses on the most groundbreaking work from the later Chess years – particularly the funky blues, psychedelic soul, and tripped out jazz that was coming out of the Cadet Concept studios in the hands of producers like Charles Stepney, Richard Evans, and Marshall Chess! The Chess groups were ahead of their time by decades – blending together styles without a thought of simple genre restrictions, often forsaking chart fame and record sales in pursuit of an adventurous groove. And while some of the artists on the set may be familiar names, we can promise that most of them are presented in styles that you may not have heard before – as the collection features many unreissued numbers that are making their first reappearance here! 2LP set comes with a great set of notes on the inner sleeve – and features 20 tracks in all, including "Please Newsboy" by Eve Barnum, "Burning Spear" by Soulful Strings, "More & More" by Little Milton, "Baltimore Oriole" by Lorez Alexandria, "Soul Vibrations" by Dorothy Ashby, "Evil" by Howlin Wolf, "Stereo Freeze" by The Stereos, "The Way I Feel" by Phil Upchurch, "Mama's Got A Good Thing" by Laura Lee, "The Wailer" by Sonny Cox, "Leave It In The Hands Of Love" by Fontella Bass, "Why Am I Treated So Bad" by The Majestic Choir & The Soul Stirrers, "She Suits Me To A Tee" by Buddy Guy, "Memory Band" by Rotary Connection, and "In My Body's House" by Gene Chandler.

The best look at Chicago's legendary Twinight label that we've ever seen – a massive 2CD set that goes way past the obvious hits, and really digs into the heart and soul of this unique little record company! Twinight is best known as the home of Syl Johnson during his legendary run of funky soul singles at the end of the 60s – but the company was also home to a lot of other great talent during the same stretch – harmony vocal groups, sweet soul singers, funky combos, and more – all of which you'll hear in this incredible little set! (And in fact, the set does such a great job of presenting the other artists on Twinight, that it leaves out Syl Johnson entirely – so the package is a 100% non-Syl set – which is ok with us, because you can always get Johnson's work on other reissues.) The Numero Group have really outdone themselves this time around – using their careful ear to pull out the best lost bits from Twinight, remastered here with wonderful sound – and a brilliant 32 page booklet that tells the story of the label, and also includes loads of vintage photos. The set's a must-have for any fan of quality funk or soul – and the package includes a whopping 40 titles that include "Goin Man Huntin" by Jo Ann Garrett, "I've Made Up My Mind" by Josephine Taylor, "A New Day" by The Notations, "Nevermore" by Renaldo Domino, "Yesterday's Mistakes" by Jimmy Jones, "I'll Always Love You" by Velma Perkins, "Life Walked Out" by Mist, "Put Out The Fire by Mystiques, "You & Me Baby" by Kaldirons, "Rosemarie" by Dynamic Tints, "Remind Me" by Schiller Street Gang, "Is It Meant To Be" by Krystal Generation, "Pardon My Innocent Heart" by Nate Evans, "Package Of Love (part 1)" by Dynamic Tints, "The Devastator" by Stormy, "Mama" by Annette Poindexter, "Pass It On (part 1)" by Pipes Of Peace, "My Sunshine Girl" by Radiants, "Let Me Come Within" by Renaldo Domino, "Soul Strokes" by Sidney Pinchback, and "Can You Find Me Love" by Harrison & The Majestic Kind.

A great little discovery from the 60s – work from a teeny tiny Canadian label, but all of it pretty darn great! Not many groups recorded for the Gaeity Records label, but they all seem to be pretty well skilled at picking up on the best elements of 60s psyche pop and garage – all delivered here with a simple but effective groove that's almost a bridge between the LA and Chicago scenes of the mid 60s. CD features 24 tracks in all – broken into sections group by group – and titles include "World Of Dreams" and "Only In America" by The Plague, "Lies" and "Nature's Love" by Solid Reputation, "So Much In Love With You" and "My Time Is Comin" by The Checkerlads, "If You Can Dig It" and "Ode To A Cucumber, A Berry, & A Flower" by The Dewline, "Lexington Avenue" by Farmer John, "Yours Until Tomorrow" and "That's The Tune" by Flying Colours, "To Be Back Home" and "I Brought My Love With Me" by NRG/Merriday Park, and "Baby Get Out" and "Set Me Free" by Portland Street South.

Damn funky gospel soul – the sort you'd hardly expect from spiritual folks like these, but which flourished strongly alongside more standard church-related work in the 70s! The package is a stunning follow up to Numero's first Good God volume – and really digs even deeper than that great set – pulling out a mad flurry of rare funky 45s that easily match any hip secular soul at the time, at least in the spirit of the groove! The lyrics are definitely on the righteous tip, but never too much so – and the earthly rhythms at the bottom of most tracks is more than enough to help pitch the grooves strongly towards anyone who's never even set foot inside of a church. As usual, Numero do an excellent job with the notes and details on all cuts – showing they really put a hell of a lot of thought into the collection – and titles include "I Know I've Been Changed" by Victory Travelers, "Pray A Little Longer" by Lucy Sister Soul Rogers, "Packing A Grip" by Golden Echoes, "Like A Ship" by Pastor TL Barrett & The Youth For Christ, "Been Trying" by Chicago Travelers, "The Same Thing It Took" by Inspirational Gospel Singers, "Somebody Watching You" by Sacred Four, "Peter & John" by Andrew Wartts & The Gospel Storytellers, "I Thank You Lord" by Little Chris & The Righteous Singers, and "Share Your Love" by Sensational Five Singing Sons.

Damn funky gospel soul – the sort you'd hardly expect from spiritual folks like these, but which flourished strongly alongside more standard church-related work in the 70s! The package is a stunning follow up to Numero's first Good God volume – and really digs even deeper than that great set – pulling out a mad flurry of rare funky 45s that easily match any hip secular soul at the time, at least in the spirit of the groove! The lyrics are definitely on the righteous tip, but never too much so – and the earthly rhythms at the bottom of most tracks is more than enough to help pitch the grooves strongly towards anyone who's never even set foot inside of a church. As usual, Numero do an excellent job with the notes and details on all cuts – showing they really put a hell of a lot of thought into the collection – and titles include "I Know I've Been Changed" by Victory Travelers, "Pray A Little Longer" by Lucy Sister Soul Rogers, "Packing A Grip" by Golden Echoes, "Like A Ship" by Pastor TL Barrett & The Youth For Christ, "Been Trying" by Chicago Travelers, "The Same Thing It Took" by Inspirational Gospel Singers, "Somebody Watching You" by Sacred Four, "Peter & John" by Andrew Wartts & The Gospel Storytellers, "I Thank You Lord" by Little Chris & The Righteous Singers, and "Share Your Love" by Sensational Five Singing Sons.

A fantastic package that explores the full range of genius on the legendary avant label BYG/Actuel – one of the most important European imprints at the end of the 60s! Actuel was home to some of the best avant garde jazz coming out of Paris in the late 60s and early 70s – an especially important document of the post-68 revolution in European music – at a time when so many American players where showing up in France, and finding great opportunities in the new freedoms of the scene! The package features seminal sides from US avant musicians – like Steve Lacy, Anthony Braxton, Clifford Thornton, Don Cherry, Jimmy Lyons, Archie Shepp, Sonny Sharrock, Sunny Murray, Grachan Moncur III, and The Art Ensemble Of Chicago – and it also features work by European musicians like Claude Delcloo and Jacques Coursil, plus genre-busting work by MEV and Gong as well. The 3CD box features a 48 page book – with lots of great illustrations, and notes from Thurston Moore and Byron Coley – and the set features 26 long tracks in all!

One of our favorite compilations of all time – a smoking batch of soulful jazz from the 60s, with a slight bit of funk and blues thrown in as well! The set's exactly what's promised in the title – jazz cuts, but with an ultra-cool mod vibe – the kind of soulful sounds that played big with the younger London crowd digging American music in the mid 60s – and also the kind of music you'd be likely to find blasting out of a backroom jukebox on the west side of Chicago! There's loads of rare single mixes of LP tracks on the set, and a number of smoking 45s from artists you might know better from more mainstream work – really hitting hard here, alongside a few special numbers from the indie underground too. Tracks are cool enough for old school hipsters – but appealing enough to bring in a new listener too – and as proof of that, we've given this one away for many years as a Christmas present. The collection features 25 tracks in all – non-stop pleasure throughout – with titles that include "Soul Shoutin" by Shirley Scott, "Tengo Tango" by Cannonball Adderley Sextet, "Whip It On Me" by Billy Hawks, "Yeh Yeh" by Mongo Santamaria, "Black Talk" by Charles Earland, "I'm Ready" by Otis Spann, "Mama Rufus" by Merced Blue Notes, "Theme From NYPD" by Johnny Hammond, "Step Out & Get It" by The Nomos, "Why Don't You Do Right" by Mark Murphy, "Collard Greens" by Freddie McCoy, "Theme From The Carpetbaggers" by Jack McDuff, "Filthy McNasty" by Eddie Jefferson, "Evil Ways" by Cal Tjader, "Kenny's Theme" by Kenny Burrell, and "Games" by Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones.

Rare soul galore, but great soul too – a smoking selection of rare nuggets from the late 60s, including a fair bit of cuts that have never been on CD before! The package seems to be nicely heavy on talents from the Chicago scene – which is A-Ok with our Windy City ears – but also features great bits from down south and out west too – and the tunes step and soar along with grooves that break way past obvious 60s modes, and show that there's a continued great run of music to be discovered from this really amazing time! The whole thing's great – not a bit of filler at all – and titles include "I'm Stuck On You" by The Poets, "Just What Do You Plan To Do About IT" by Little Jerry Williams, "You Never Do Right" by The Fi-Dels, "Soon As Darkness Falls" by Roscoe Shelton, "Wonderful Nite" by Ruby Andrews, "All I Need" by June Conquest, "I Can't Hear You" by Betty Everett, "New Guy" by The Dynettes, "My Love Is Gone" by The Shadows, "Good Lovin Man" by Delores Hall, "The Night The Angels Cried" by Johnny Dynamite, "If There's Anything Else You Want" by Roddie Joy, "That I Love You" by Paul Johnson, and "I'm Walking Away" by Denise Chandler.

The sweet sound of 70s Blue Note – a really wonderful stretch for the label, and a time when the company was stretching out in a range of sublimely soulful directions! This period's probably best known for the influence of Larry Mizell on some of the label's key players, but it's also got plenty more to offer too – Brazilian influences in the rhythms, electric undercurrents in the instrumentation, and some especially soulful vocals on some of the best-remembered tracks. Old players are born anew, new players rise to lofty heights, and the whole thing's an amazing discovery in jazz – filled with key tracks that do a better job of summing up 70s Blue Note than our few worlds ever could! 20 tracks in all – including "Chicago Damn" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Koko & Lee Roe" by Gene Harris, "Love So Far Away" by Donald Byrd, "Fun House" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Cheshire Cat" by Ronnie Foster, "Kumquat Kid" by Eddie Henderson, "People Make The World Go Round" by Bobby Hutcherson, "In Pursuit Of the 27th Man" by Horace Silver, "You're Everything" by Carmen McRae, "Route" by Moacir Santos, "Sassy Soul Strut" by Lou Donaldson, "Always There" by Ronnie Laws, "Essence Of Mystery" by Alphonse Mouzon, and "Motherland" by The Waters.

Rare soul from Minneapolis – a surprisingly great source for grooves in the years before Prince and Morris Day! Turns out, the Twin Cities were already funky, way before the Purple One came into being – as you'll hear in this wealth of rare singles from the late 60s on up through the 70s – all of them mighty darn soulful, and most of them pretty dang funky as well! The wealth of work is really surprisingly – with strong echoes of styles going on in the Chicago and Detroit scenes at the time, but maybe even more surprising, given that Minneapolis/St Paul didn't have nearly the same amount of resources. The package is easily one of the best ever done by the Secret Stash label – a set that really ups the level of their reissues – with a motherlode of killer cuts that include "Love Me Leave Me" by The Valdons, "Sweet Smell Of Perfume" by Maurice McKinnies & The Champions, "Work Your Flapper (part 1)" by Jackie Harris & The Champions, "She's A Whole Lot's A Woman" by Mojo & His Chi 4, "I Ain't Gonna Cheat On You No More" by Willie Walker, "Save Me" by Wanda Davis, "Saxophone Disco" by Morris Wilson, "Honey From The Bee" by Willie & The Bumblebees, "The Max" by Prophets Of Peace, "Get Up" by The Lewis Connection, and "Rusty McDusty" by Morris Wilson.

Their hardest to find (and first?) LP on Brunswick, and a stellar bit of Chicago soul with crack arrangements by Sonny Sanders and Eugene Record. Nearly every cut's an original, with classics by Eugene Record like "Give It Away", "I Like Your Lovin", "Are You My Woman?", "Let Me Be The Man My Daddy Was", and "You're No Longer A Part Of My Heart". Great group vocals, and proof that the east coast wasn't the only place turning out good harmony groups at the time!

One of the greatest harmony soul albums to ever come out of Chicago – a sublime batch of tracks that showed that the mighty talents of The Lost Generation could easily match the best vocal group work coming out of the east coast at the time! The sound here is somewhere in the moody, mellow territory of early Moments or Whatnauts – tunes that are steeped in older vocal group traditions, but turned towards a more badass mode for the 70s – a style that still keeps some sweet and fragile aspects in tact, but which also has a great undercurrent of darkness too! The group get some great help in the studio here from arranger Tom Washington, bandleader Willie Henderson, and producer Eugene Record – the last of whom was already figuring out how to record vocals wonderfully with his own group, The Chi-Lites. Titles include the group's amazing single "The Sly The Slick & The Wicked" – recorded with an amazing echoey feel that's worth the price of the album alone! Other tracks include a few remakes of tunes from their contemporary harmony competitors – with ttles that include "Love Land", "Love on a Two Way Street", "Someday", "Sorry I Can't Help You", "You're So Young But You're So True", "Wait A Minute", and "Give Me Just a Little More Time".

A funky soul instrumental classic – all the way through! The team of Eldee Young and Redd Holt first came to prominence with Ramsey Lewis' first Chicago trio, then branched out on their own as a jazz act – but by the time of this set, they'd picked up a hipper, funkier late 60s sort of soul groove – and were working with larger backings and a nice deal of extra bass! The pianist in the group is the super-dope Hysear Don Walker – a player who uses space as much as he uses notes – providing a cool counterpoint to the funky and jazzy riffing of the Young/Holt bass/drum combo. The album includes the landmark track "Soulful Strut" – with tinkling piano over funky backings mixed with sweetened strings – and other tracks include "Funky Is As Funky Does", "Baby Your Light Is Out", "Who's Making Love", "Ain't There Something Money Can't Buy?", "Be By My Side", and "Please Sunrise". A high point in the Chicago soul scene – with backings by Willie Henderson!

One of our favorite compilations of all time – a smoking batch of soulful jazz from the 60s, with a slight bit of funk and blues thrown in as well! The set's exactly what's promised in the title – jazz cuts, but with an ultra-cool mod vibe – the kind of soulful sounds that played big with the younger London crowd digging American music in the mid 60s – and also the kind of music you'd be likely to find blasting out of a backroom jukebox on the west side of Chicago! There's loads of rare single mixes of LP tracks on the set, and a number of smoking 45s from artists you might know better from more mainstream work – really hitting hard here, alongside a few special numbers from the indie underground too. Tracks are cool enough for old school hipsters – but appealing enough to bring in a new listener too – and as proof of that, we've given this one away for many years as a Christmas present. The collection features 25 tracks in all – non-stop pleasure throughout – with titles that include "Soul Shoutin" by Shirley Scott, "Tengo Tango" by Cannonball Adderley Sextet, "Whip It On Me" by Billy Hawks, "Yeh Yeh" by Mongo Santamaria, "Black Talk" by Charles Earland, "I'm Ready" by Otis Spann, "Mama Rufus" by Merced Blue Notes, "Theme From NYPD" by Johnny Hammond, "Step Out & Get It" by The Nomos, "Why Don't You Do Right" by Mark Murphy, "Collard Greens" by Freddie McCoy, "Theme From The Carpetbaggers" by Jack McDuff, "Filthy McNasty" by Eddie Jefferson, "Evil Ways" by Cal Tjader, "Kenny's Theme" by Kenny Burrell, and "Games" by Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones.

One of the few ECM sides recorded by the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – easily some of the hippest work the label issued at the time, and a key way for the avant collective to get a bit of large audience exposure! The sound is still very much in the best AEC style here – and if anything, ECM's sensitivity to sound has allowed the group to explore some of the farther reaches of their sonic sensibilities – those contemplative moments that could sometimes be lost in the hands of other producers, captured beautifully here in a range of instruments far too many to mention! Some of the bolder tracks have Lester Bowie's trumpet right out front – almost hinting at his own solo association with the label – and titles include "Care Free", "Magg Zelma", "Full Force", and "Old Time Southside Street Dance".

Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt go head to head in this classic album of tracks that perfectly captures the joy and fury of their live performances from years before! The record was cut in Chicago with a very hard rhythm section that includes John Houston on piano, Charles Williams on bass, and George Brown on drums – and it's way heavier than the usual Verve "meeting of the masters" session, and feels more like a record that should have been issued on Prestige or Argo. Both players are impeccable, and the solos stretch out for a long long very live time. Titles include "Blues Up & Down", "The One Before This", and "Counter Clockwise" – but these guys even groove amazingly on standards like "Autumn Leaves" and "No Greater Love".

Two killers from Chicago guitarist Bobby Broom – both recorded near the start of his career! First up is Clean Sweep, killer set from a player who should have been huge – ultra-sweet guitarist Bobby Broom, a player we'd vote to become the next big heir to the sound of Wes Montgomery or George Benson! This debut set is a wicked mix of jazz and soul – recorded right at the best stretch of the early GRP label, with a similar blend and sense of depth as the label's initial albums by Don Blackman and Bernard Wright! The core groove focuses strongly on Broom's guitar, but there's also some great vocal numbers too – and it turns out that Bobby's a surprisingly good singer, too – with a nicely honest vocal approach that works great alongside his guitar. Arrangements are by Broom, Dave Grusin, and Marcus Miller – and titles include "No Bad Vibes", "Saturday Night", "Niqui", "Share My Love", "She's My Reason", and "Remember When". Next up is Livin For The Beat is the second LP by this oft-overlooked, but excellent Chicago soul jazz guitarist – and a record that's quite different than his first! Like the second album by Bernard Wright, fellow labelmate at GRP/Arista, Broom's moving into a mode that's more electro/"street" for this second album – which means that there's a lot of keyboards and electronic percussion on the set, giving some tracks a proto-breaking kind of sound – more of a street-level sound than the smoother jazz mode of the first set – which makes for a really surprising change, and helps keep the record away from mainstream fusion cliches of the time. The best cuts, though, are in a smooth 80s groove mode – and Broom shows that he's strong on the vocal tip as well as the guitar. Titles include "Let It Go", "Let's Stay Together", "Rubye", "He Said I Love You", "Beat Freak", "Give Me Your Love", and "Magic Johnson".

Possibly the greatest album ever by the legendary Chicago soul singer Terry Callier! Terry's rich mellow voice is mixed with superb arrangements from the Cadet studio team, with Charles Stepney at the head, and the result is completely sublime. The songs are longer than on earlier albums – and spun out with a complex groove that mixes equal parts of jazz, folk, and soul with the soaring spiritual vibe that was running through the Chicago scene at the time. The first side alone is the stuff that legends are made of – with classic tracks like "Dancing Girl", "What Color is Love", and "You Goin' Miss Your Candyman" all in a row, sewn together in a wash of love, soul, and emotion that you'd be hard pressed to find on any other album from the time. Other tracks include "I'd Rather Be With You", "Just As Long As We're In Love", and "You Don't Care" – and the whole album's a masterpiece beyond compare!

Their hardest to find (and first?) LP on Brunswick, and a stellar bit of Chicago soul with crack arrangements by Sonny Sanders and Eugene Record. Nearly every cut's an original with great group vocals – roof that the east coast wasn't the only place turning out good harmony groups at the time! Includes Eugene Record-penned or co-penned clasics like "Give It Away", "I Like Your Lovin", "Are You My Woman?", "Let Me Be The Man My Daddy Was", and "You're No Longer A Part Of My Heart". 10 tracks in all.

One of Patti's excellent (and rare) soul albums for Capitol from the late 60s – proof that the uptown sound could come out of the Windy City! The album's got a great bouncy Chicago 60s soul approach – with that sort of pop swing feel that a lot of the Chi-town female singers were laying down at the time, less "little girl" than before, and with a sophisticated groove that really opened up the material. Titles include "Baby I Just Don't Feel It", "Without A Doubt", "Pee Wee", "I Get A Funny Feeling", and her great cover of "Workin On A Groovy Thing".

A richly ambitious work from flautist Nicole Mitchell – an artist who gets better and better with each new album, expanding her vision and growing into a role that clearly makes her one of the most important next-generation members of Chicago's AACM! The album's a suite of tracks for Nicole's expanded Black Earth Ensemble – a group made up of a variety of players from the Chicago scene, augmented by vocals on a number of tracks – for a richly spiritual sound that takes us back to the most ambitious soul jazz recordings of the 70s. There's a wonderful interplay here between gentle moments and bolder statements – and Mitchell's flute and vocals are supported by strong sax work from David Boykin, as well as other instrumentation that includes trumpet, cello, violin, trombone, bass, and the usual wide range of percussion and added instruments you'd expect from an AACM session like this! Titles include "Time For Change", "Wondrous Birth", "Curbside Fantasee", "In The Garden", "Skating", "For Daughters Of Young Love", "Wanna Make You Smile", and "Future's Meditation".

A legendary album from Chicago – recorded by a group with ties to Sun Ra, Phil Cohran, and Earth Wind & Fire! The set's got a sound that more than lives up to all those references – a vibe that's jazzy and soulful, yet often quite righteous too – imbued with the sort of spirit you'd guess from the group's name and the album's cover image – but often served up with a tight enough groove to make the set a favorite for fans of funk as well! There's a really special mix going on here – and unlike other ensembles of the time, The Pharoahs never go too far out – and instead really have the great sort of focus you'd hear even more strongly with Earth Wind & Fire. The lineup features Louis Satterfield on bass, Willie Woods on trombone, Don Myrick on saxes, Black Herman on drums, and Derf Reklaw on percussion and flute – and titles include "Ibo", "Somebody's Been Sleeping", "Damballa", "Freedom Road", "Great House", and "Black Enuff".

Seminal work from the legendary Jimmy Reed – spare and bluesy numbers that were some of the best work coming out of Chicago at the time! There's a snapping quality to the rhythms here that was a keen inspiration to generations of better-known artists – and in a way, it's amazing to go back to these originals to hear how spare and earthy Jimmy's original recordings were. Titles include "Big Boss Man", "Found Love", "Meet Me", "Hush Hush", "I'm Nervous", "Going By The River (parts 1 & 2)", and "Come Love".

Some of the most godlike soul music to be recorded on this planet, and two of the best-ever albums by this amazing Chicago collective that included the late Minnie Riperton, and who were arranged and produced by the great Charles Stepney! Both albums feature swirling complex arrangements, filled with strange time changes, chord passages, and nice jazzy bits. Inside it all, the group's cool male/female vocal sound rings out – with Minnie singing on some cuts along, and in duet on others. Includes the band's classic "I Am The Blackgold Of The Sun" (covered recently by NuYorican Soul), plus "The Sea & She", "Hey Love", "Song For Everyman", "The Weight", "Respect", "Salt Of The Earth", and "Vine Of Happiness". Imagine if Scott Walker met The Dramatics, and you've only got part of the picture!

A massive overview of the genius Chicago scene of the late 60s – and a set that's overflowing with some of the heaviest music ever recorded! The collection focuses on the most groundbreaking work from the later Chess years – particularly the funky blues, psychedelic soul, and tripped out jazz that was coming out of the Cadet Concept studios in the hands of producers like Charles Stepney, Richard Evans, and Marshall Chess! The Chess groups were ahead of their time by decades – blending together styles without a thought of simple genre restrictions, often forsaking chart fame and record sales in pursuit of an adventurous groove. And while some of the artists on the set may be familiar names, we can promise that most of them are presented in styles that you may not have heard before – as the collection features many unreissued numbers that are making their first reappearance here! CD set comes with a 40 page set of notes – and features 20 tracks in all, including "Please Newsboy" by Eve Barnum, "Burning Spear" by Soulful Strings, "More & More" by Little Milton, "Baltimore Oriole" by Lorez Alexandria, "Soul Vibrations" by Dorothy Ashby, "Evil" by Howlin Wolf, "Stereo Freeze" by The Stereos, "The Way I Feel" by Phil Upchurch, "Mama's Got A Good Thing" by Laura Lee, "The Wailer" by Sonny Cox, "Leave It In The Hands Of Love" by Fontella Bass, "Why Am I Treated So Bad" by The Majestic Choir & The Soul Stirrers, "She Suits Me To A Tee" by Buddy Guy, "Memory Band" by Rotary Connection, and "In My Body's House" by Gene Chandler.

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.

The underground of Chicago explodes in the mainstream – as Rhino offers the world a dozen soul tunes lifted from the city's hot steppers scene of the past 10 years. (Never mind the fact that by the time this one came out from Rhino, the stepping scene in the city was not what it had been years before!) Forget the packaging of the material, though, and focus on the fact that the set's just a great batch of mellow soul tracks – including "Be Thankful For What You Got" by William DeVaughn, "The Fruit Song" by Jeannie Reynolds, "This Feeling's Killing Me" by The Jones Girls, "Staten Island Groove" by Down To The Bone", "Teach Me (Something About Love)" by Blue Magic, "Mr Smooth" by Michael Franks, "Key To The World" by LJ Reynolds, "Life In The Country" by The Ebonys, "Soft & Easy" by The Blackbyrds, and "In & Out Of Love" by Patti Austin.

Ah for the day of the hometown radio station – those halcyon 70s years when local rock powerhouses really reigned the airwaves, and could shape the listening tastes of an entire region of listeners! And back in the day, some of the stations were so strong, they acted as key forces in the record business too – putting out compilations that drew attention to up-and-coming artists from their local scene – often featuring a fair bit of great work that never got exposure otherwise! With this sweet little set, Numero Group pay tribute to this overlooked genre of album – the kind that we bought years ago from Chicago stations like WLUP or WKQX – but presented here by the imaginary WTNG (The Numero Group – get it?) As with any other Numero collection, the set's overflowing with rare material – but the vibe is different than most of what they've featured so far – lots of cool, mellow, underground 70s rock – well-produced, but locally issued – with a flavor that's quite different than the bigger work coming from the coasts at the time. The whole thing's a wonderful musical discovery – the kind we've really come to expect from Numero over the years – with tracks that include "Aladdin" by Roach Band, "Try To Be True" by Caroline Peyton, "Your Love Rolled Over Me" by Timoth, "I'd Like To Touch A Star" by Lester Brothers, "Between Us" by Cream & Sugar, "Fantasy Woman" by Lorren Cornelius, "Heaven's Child" by Dwain Virgil, and "I Got Cha" by Green flow.

Brilliant work by a singer we know little about – but who really sparkles on this session! Singer Laurie Allyn was making something of a name for herself on the Chicago scene of the mid 50s when she was courted by Mode Records, and brought to LA for this rare studio session – but unfortunately the label went out of business not long after the tunes were recorded, and the album never saw the light of day at the time! The quality of the music is tremendous – higher than even the other Mode vocal sessions, and done with a depth and feeling that we'd rank with a rare few others from the 50s. Marty Paich handled arrangements on the record, and Laurie's backed by a core group that includes Al Viola, Red Mitchell, Mel Lewis, and Paich – plus larger horns and additional strings on a number of tracks. And although we always appreciate Paich's arrangements, the charm here is mostly Laurie's own – as she sings with a sultry sensitivity to the material that really transforms the familiar tunes into deeply personal statements. That quality's a rare one, even for a well-known singer – and we're extra happy that this great session's finally seen the light of day at last! Titles include "Easy Living", "You're So Bad For Me", "You Go To My Head", "All I Need Is You", "Paradise", "Take Me In Your Arms", and "That's What A Woman Is For".

Killer live work from Jug – recorded during the early 60s in Chicago, with just an organ-based trio, and very much in the feeling of the best small-group lounge jazz shows of the day! The material is issued here in a 1967 version, its first release – but the grooves were recorded at the DJ Lounge in Chicago – at a time when Gene Ammons was turning out some very raw, rough-edged material! Organist Eddie Buster does a pretty darn good job of wailing away, and Ammons is in very different, very freewheeling form than on many of his other studio sessions from the time. Gerald Donovan is on drums – and titles include "Fast Track", "Foot Tappin", "Scrapple From The Apple", and "Jug's Blue Blues".

Two club corkers by Black Ivory – back to back on a single CD! The self-titled Black Ivory album is a pivotal set for the group – released at a time when Black Ivory, like so many other east coast vocal groups, was making the transition away from an older sweet soul style to a more sophisticated club vocal sound. The group's producing themselves here – and we're guessing that most of the real work is being done by Leroy Burgess, although Patrick Adams still appears to be working with the group on the string and horn arrangements – giving things just the right sort of underground disco twist to make things groove! The record includes the great club track "Walking Downtown (Saturday Night)", a longtime fave around Chicago – plus "White Wind", "Making Love In My Mind", "Could This Be Magic", "Longer Ride", and "Can't You See". Hangin Heavy is filled with killer grooves from Black Ivory – a trio who've really come a long way here since their roots – stepping out with proud, soulful tones that are a perfect fit for the upbeat grooves of the set! There's still a touch of fragile harmonies at times – but overall, the group have a much more mature, adult vibe – set to tight late 70s club arrangements from Patrick Adams and Leroy Burgess – both of whom stay far away from any mainstream disco cliches, and really hit a sweet underground vibe for the set! Titles include the classic club track "Mainline", plus "Peace & Harmony", "Get Down (Comin' Down)", "You Turned My Whole World Around", and "Rest Inside My Love".

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

Possibly the greatest album ever by the legendary Chicago soul singer Terry Callier! Terry's rich mellow voice is mixed with superb arrangements from the Cadet studio team, with Charles Stepney at the head, and the result is completely sublime. The songs are longer than on earlier albums – and spun out with a complex groove that mixes equal parts of jazz, folk, and soul with the soaring spiritual vibe that was running through the Chicago scene at the time. The first side alone is the stuff that legends are made of – with classic tracks like "Dancing Girl", "What Color is Love", and "You Goin' Miss Your Candyman" all in a row, sewn together in a wash of love, soul, and emotion that you'd be hard pressed to find on any other album from the time. Other tracks include "I'd Rather Be With You", "Just As Long As We're In Love", and "You Don't Care" – and the whole album's a masterpiece beyond compare!

A rare and beautiful treasure from Chicago's Phil Cohran and his legendary Artistic Heritage Ensemble – material recorded at the end of the 60s, but only issued here for the first time ever! The sound on the record is amazing – much deeper, and more forceful than anything else we've ever heard from Cohran – almost in Sun Ra Arkestra territory at times, given the group's out-there playing, and bold collective action! The lineup is similar to other Cohran recordings from the time – Phil on cornet, Henry Gibson on congas, Pete Cosey on guitar, Louis Satterfield on bass, Charles Williams on alto, Don Myrick on tenor, Charles Handy on trumpet, Willie Woods on trombone, and Aaron Dodd on tuba – a group that's a wonderful bridge between the two important Chicago generations headed by Sun Ra and Earth Wind & Fire. Armageddon is an extended piece, divided up into five different musical acts – conceived by Cohran in the late 50s, and recorded here in 1968 – with some great help from The Spencer Jackson Family on the leadoff track "Motherless Child". Other titles include "Creation Of The Beast", "The Warning", "The Window", and "Armageddon" – a clear reference to the power of the atom bomb!

A great solo performance from Jerome Cooper – not just drums and percussion, but work on flute, balaphone, and other instruments too! Cooper really brings all of his most thoughtful elements into play here – working slowly, and covering space with ideas that really take some time to stretch out and find themselves – then confidently move forward to open up new chapters in the performance – a bit like some of the best early moments of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago, but presented here as a solo act! Side one features "The Unpredictability Of Predictability", in four movements – and side two features "Bert The Cat".

One of the best tracks from this Chicago funk legend! The tune starts with a great break, has a fuzzed-out Superfly kind of groove, and funks it on in a totally righteous way! Loads of great fuzzy guitar – and a very hip sound that takes it past most of The General's other work!

An album of duets that Curtis cut with rising disco star Linda Clifford – who by 1980 may well have been earning more money for Curtom than Curtis! The album's about half disco tracks, half soul duets in a Chicago mode – and arrangements are by Gil Askey and Norman Harris. Tracks include "Ain't No Love Lost", "It's Lovin Time", "Love's Sweet Sensation", "Between You Baby & Me", and "The Right Combination".

The long-awaited return of The Pyramids – easily one of the hippest spiritual jazz ensembles of the 70s! This new recording has all the earthy brilliance of the group's classics – with leadership from reedman Idris Ackamoor, who's continued a dedication to righteous sounds on his own during the past few decades – which means he's hardly coming out of retirement here, just re-focusing his ongoing energy towards the classic Pyramids sound! Instrumentation is heavy on percussion and organic elements – and the tunes do a great job of blending freewheeling performance with more focused grooves – an Afro-avant mode that really lives up to the group's legacy, carried off here by players who include Kenneth Nash on drums and percussion, Kimathi Asante on bass, Kash Killion on bass and cello, Bradie Speller on congas and electronics. Titles include "Memory Ritual", "Time Capsule", "What The World Needs Now", "Nebulosity", "Otherworldly", "Boundless Eternities", "Cloud Rider", "Uttering Sacred Words", and "They Came From Chicago".

A great little album from Jeannie Reynolds – and her lasting contribution to underground soul! Jeannie's vocals are nice and deep – with hints of southern diva phrasing, filtered through some of the tighter soul styles coming out of Chicago and other points north at the time! Detroit talents LJ Reynolds, Tony Hester, and Don Davis produce – save for one song by Michael Henderson – and the big highlight is the slow groover "The Fruit Song", a sly seductive stepper of a track, with rolling congas, sweeping strings, and a very catchy hook from Jeannie. That number runs for about 7 minutes long – and the album also includes a number of nice shorter cuts, like "I've Still Got My Pride", "The Feelin' Ain't There", and "You Want To Get Your Hands On A Woman" – all wonderful numbers that will have you loving Jeannie as one of your favorite new discoveries in 70s soul!

A kick ass harmony soul record from Chicago! 21st Century were part of a young soul group trend that had come out of the city – and which included bigger stars like The 5 Stairsteps and Brighter Side Of Darkness – but the album really doesn't focus on their youth so much as it does on their strong vocal harmonies. Some tracks have kind of a heavy righteous Temptations-ish sound, which the band does well – but the really great cuts are spacey and mellow, which works perfectly for the group's falsetto vocalizing. Includes the stellar "Remember The Rain", plus "Child", "Tricks Are Made for Kids", "If By Chance", "You're My Only World", and "Mirror Mirror".

Trumpeter Corey Wilkes and a great group pay homage to Miles Davis at Chicago's legendary Velvet Lounge in May of 2010! Miles' spirit and soul are in each note here, but the group doesn't set out to simply cover the material – these are fresh, yet deeply influenced perspectives. It kicks off with a slow-building take on the Jerome Kern-penned "Yesterdays" that feels like Miles' late 60s style, and it works really well. The pieces are each pretty spacious and it's great that way – you don't want 'em to end! Kevin Nabors is on tenor, Greg Spero on keys, Junius Paul on bass, Xavier Breaker on drums and Kahil El Zabar on percussion. Includes "Yesterdays", "It's About That Time", "Tutu" and "So What/In It's Right Place" – running 15 to 26+ minutes each.

Way more than just a simple "survey" of Chicago soul – and instead, a whopping collection of work from the vaults of Dakar Records – nearly all of it produced by Chi-soul genius Carl Davis! Back in the 60s, Davis' work was a seminal force in shaping the sound of the Windy City – particularly that lightly stepping, sometimes loping groove that showed up in Carl's productions for Okeh and Brunswick, and which was used even more heavily once he launched Dakar! And while Dakar was kind of a partner label to Brunswick for many years, the company also had much firmer Chicago roots – and mostly issued a variety of rare singles by artists who never cut full LPs – either for the bigger labels at the time, or at all! This extremely well-done package digs through the finest Dakar work of the late 60s and early 70s – tracing a groove that starts with the trademark Chicago sound of the 60s, then moves into a much more righteous style as the 70s move in. CD features 28 titles in all – including "Love Had To Be You" by Jean Shy, "Forever & A Day" by Wales Wallace, "Cowboys To Girls" by Jalynne Sound, "Just To Make You Happy" by Shirley Karol, "Baby Jane" by Otis Clay, "I'm In Danger" by The Visitors, "You're So Right For Me" by Johnny Sayles, "You Babe" by Carl Davis, "Love Uprising" by Mister T, "You Brought Out The Good In Me" by Otis Leavill, "Follow The Leader" by Major Lance, "I Choose You" by Donald Height, "Broken Home" by Ben Monroe, and "It's All Over Between Us" by Lee Charles.

The sweet sound of 70s Blue Note – a really wonderful stretch for the label, and a time when the company was stretching out in a range of sublimely soulful directions! This period's probably best known for the influence of Larry Mizell on some of the label's key players, but it's also got plenty more to offer too – Brazilian influences in the rhythms, electric undercurrents in the instrumentation, and some especially soulful vocals on some of the best-remembered tracks. Old players are born anew, new players rise to lofty heights, and the whole thing's an amazing discovery in jazz – filled with key tracks that do a better job of summing up 70s Blue Note than our few worlds ever could! 20 tracks in all – including "Chicago Damn" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Koko & Lee Roe" by Gene Harris, "Love So Far Away" by Donald Byrd, "Fun House" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Cheshire Cat" by Ronnie Foster, "Kumquat Kid" by Eddie Henderson, "People Make The World Go Round" by Bobby Hutcherson, "In Pursuit Of the 27th Man" by Horace Silver, "You're Everything" by Carmen McRae, "Route" by Moacir Santos, "Sassy Soul Strut" by Lou Donaldson, "Always There" by Ronnie Laws, "Essence Of Mystery" by Alphonse Mouzon, and "Motherland" by The Waters.

Rare soul from Minneapolis – a surprisingly great source for grooves in the years before Prince and Morris Day! Turns out, the Twin Cities were already funky, way before the Purple One came into being – as you'll hear in this wealth of rare singles from the late 60s on up through the 70s – all of them mighty darn soulful, and most of them pretty dang funky as well! The wealth of work is really surprisingly – with strong echoes of styles going on in the Chicago and Detroit scenes at the time, but maybe even more surprising, given that Minneapolis/St Paul didn't have nearly the same amount of resources. The package is easily one of the best ever done by the Secret Stash label – a set that really ups the level of their reissues – with a motherlode of killer cuts that include "Love Me Leave Me" by The Valdons, "Sweet Smell Of Perfume" by Maurice McKinnies & The Champions, "Work Your Flapper (part 1)" by Jackie Harris & The Champions, "She's A Whole Lot's A Woman" by Mojo & His Chi 4, "I Ain't Gonna Cheat On You No More" by Willie Walker, "Save Me" by Wanda Davis, "Saxophone Disco" by Morris Wilson, "Honey From The Bee" by Willie & The Bumblebees, "The Max" by Prophets Of Peace, "Get Up" by The Lewis Connection, and "Rusty McDusty" by Morris Wilson.

One of the last great blues artists to record for the Jewel/Paula label – and a key figure in the Chicago underground as well! Buster Benton works here with a style that's definitely got the Chicago electric vibe of the 70s – but which also echoes earlier, rootsier modes as well – often delivered with a style that's a lot earthier than most of the other blues work coming out at the time on bigger labels – exactly the kind of sound that kept Benton a club favorite back in the day. Titles include "Sweet 94", "Spider In My Stew", "Sorry", "Lonesome For A Dime", "Do It In The Rain", "Lean On Me", "Love Like I Wanna", "Born With The Blues", "Dangerous Woman", and "Money Is The Name Of The Game".

Mindblowing work from Lol Coxhill – mostly long solo improvisations, but with one surprising big band track as well! The leadoff track is the longest and our clear favorite – titled "Music For Feathery Fronds", and recorded amazingly in the fern room of the Lincoln Park Conservatory in Chicago – a place we've spent much time over the years, and which seems to really inspire Lol to new ends as he blows solo, improvised, for almost 30 minutes at one go! Two other solo tracks – "Relaunch One" and "Relaunch Two" – were both recorded in London, and are equally excellent – and the set also features a cool ten minute track titled "The Unlaunched Orchestra" – performed by a large group with Paul Rutherford on trombone, Ian Smith on trumpet, Veryan Weston on piano, Michael Kosmides on theremin, and a number of other British players as well.