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One of the greatest Roy Ayers albums of all time – and one of the rarest! The record is right in the same vein as Roy's groundbreaking He's Coming LP – a righteous mix of soul jazz, subtle funk, and some of the cosmic wisdom that Roy was spreading among the jazz funk underground – all wrapped up beautifully, but never in a way that's like commercial soul of the time. There's a few instrumental tracks on the album, plus some vocal ones that show that off-beat male/female style that Roy would use more famously in later tracks like "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" or his work with Ramp. Players include Harry Whitaker on electric piano, Edwin Birdsong on organ, Alphonse Mouzon on drums, Jumma Santos on congas – and titles include a version of Nat Adderley's "Hummin", done as "Hummin In The Sun", and very much in the Ramp vein. Also features instrumental cuts "The Fuzz", which has Roy's vibes toned way up, and the cool mellow "The Painted Desert", a really offbeat slow jazz number. The group also does a great job with Edwin Birdsong's "Pretty Brown Skin", picking up the song as a really anthemic groover that gives the record a nice kick! CD also includes the rare 45-only track "He Gives Us All His Love" – originally done for the movie Cold Turkey.

A killer side project from Roy Ayers – recorded right around the same time as the Ramp album, but with a different feel over all – proof that the Ayers empire was really exploding at the end of the 70s! The vibe here is quite similar to some of Roy's own albums over at Polydor – a great balance between upbeat groovers and mellower steppers – all done with a nice undercurrent of jazz, thanks to some sweet keyboards from Philip Woo and saxes from Justo Almario – both of who played often with Ayers as well. The vocals are especially great – wrapped up warmly along the rhythms, mixing the male/female leads of Jimmy Haslip and Sylvia Cox with some additional backing vocals from group members – creating a righteous ensemble sound that's totally wonderful, and very much in the Roy Ayers spirit. Titles include "Spread It", "If You Wanna See The Sunshine", "The Five Flies", "Midnight After Dark", and "Love Is Love".

One of the greatest Roy Ayers albums of all time – and one of the rarest! The record is right in the same vein as Roy's groundbreaking He's Coming LP – a righteous mix of soul jazz, subtle funk, and some of the cosmic wisdom that Roy was spreading among the jazz funk underground – all wrapped up beautifully, but never in a way that's like commercial soul of the time. There's a few instrumental tracks on the album, plus some vocal ones that show that off-beat male/female style that Roy would use more famously in later tracks like "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" or his work with Ramp. Players include Harry Whitaker on electric piano, Edwin Birdsong on organ, Alphonse Mouzon on drums, Jumma Santos on congas – and titles include a version of Nat Adderley's "Hummin", done as "Hummin In The Sun", and very much in the Ramp vein. Also features instrumental cuts "The Fuzz", which has Roy's vibes toned way up, and the cool mellow "The Painted Desert", a really offbeat slow jazz number. The group also does a great job with Edwin Birdsong's "Pretty Brown Skin", picking up the song as a really anthemic groover that gives the record a nice kick!

It's like a dream come true – 13 previously unissued recordings by Roy Ayers, all from the height of his glory years on Polydor! Roy's work from this time is some of our favorite ever – a burning blend of jazz, soul, and funk – handled with impeccable charm, and a level of soul that few other artists of the time ever matched. Roy's genius was strongly documented at the time by a series of excellent Polydor albums – but there was also a heck of a lot of great material that never saw the light of day, and which is every bit as great as the classics that we've come to know and love over the years. Hearing this set is incredible – like upping our already-massive appreciation of Roy's talents, and like finding a lost corner of soul music history that nobody's ever heard before. The tunes are all amazing – a great blend of jazzy soul, mellow soul, and dancefloor groovers – and the package is only the tip of the iceberg, from what we've been told! The full album does a great job to not cross over too much with the 12" singles previously issued in this "Virgin" series – and titles include "What's The T", "I Really Love You", "Sugar", "Mystery Of Love", "Green & Gold", "Brand New Feeling", "I Did It In Seattle", "I Just Wanna Give It Up", "Together Forever", "Boogie Down", "I Am Your Mind", and a great alternate version of "Mystic Voyage"!

The genius of Roy Ayers knows no end – and as this set of unreleased work from the 70s proves, Roy was always working at top form back in the day – even above and beyond his classic albums from the time! The grooves here are tremendous – funky, soulful, jazzy, and every bit as wonderful as the work that Roy did for his classic albums on Polydor – and in a way, the whole set's even tighter and heavier than any of Roy's full LPs, because it's a distillation of his sound from the time, hand-picked from the vaults with an ear towards the kind of timeless grooves that have been a huge influence on many worlds of music for years! You've never heard any of these tunes before, but we can promise you'll love them every bit as much as Roy's tracks on albums like Coffy, Vibrations, Mystic Voyage, and other classics – and the quality of the set only further pushes our jaw-dropping respect for the man! Titles include "Holiday", "Kwajilori", "I Am Your Mind (part 2)", "Touch Of Class", "Third Time", "Come To Me", "Wide Open", "Funk In The Hole", "Liquid Love", "Tarzan", "Sunshine (demo)", and "I Like The Way You Do It To Me".

One of the coolest DJ bags we've seen in years – one that goes for the style of a classic airline flight bag, but which also comes with all the durability of the best record bags too! The square bag is nice and large – slightly bigger than the requisite square 12" of most like this – which means it's easy to slide in your records after unzippering the top and corner seams – which let the vinyl rest snugly inside, amidst a divider that can be expanded as needed to create two separate spaces within! The styling is great – with trim on the edges that also serves to provide extra protection – and the strap can be shortened enough to be held by hand – or expanded to carry the bag over your shoulder. Lastly, the bag also has four "feet" on the bottom, which allows its square design to rest firmly while you dig through the bag for your favorite wax! Seems to hold about 20 to 25 records, depending on the vintage.

Some of the funkiest tracks on the mighty Luv N Haight and Ubiquity labels – no surprise, given that all of them have been sampled over the years! The bulk of the work here is 70s funk – of the gritty, obscure sort that Luv N Haight first started digging 20 years ago, and has continued to reissue at a rock-solid level – overlooked gems from the American underground, brought back to life not just through key hip hop samples, but also from the label's own series of excellent compilations and reissues! The package includes a number of out of print tracks – and titles include "Searching For Soul (part 1)" by Jack Wade & The Soul Searchers, "Spread The News" by Perfect Circle, "Boys With Toys" by Gap Mangione, "Sweetest Thing In The World" by Turner Brothers, "Africana" and "Do Whatever Turns You On (part 2)" by The Propositions, "Hang On In There" by Mike James Kirkland, "Getting Down" and "We Know We Have To Live Together" by Eugene Blacknell, and "Plenty Action" by Soft Touch.

A great step forward for the Afro Latin Vintage Orchestra – even better than their previous album, and a set that beautifully mixes together jazz, Latin, and African elements into one seamless groove! Percussionist Masta Conga is at the head of the group – leading the ensemble with a unique vision that's less of the overdone Afro Funk you might know from other contemporary combos – and more of a classic 60s blend of elements – especially that unique hybrid of Latin modes you'd get from west coast groups – like the Afro Latin Soultet or Afro Blues Quintet – both clear choices of inspiration, given this group's name! Yet there's also some 70s elements moving through the grooves too – thanks to great Fender Rhodes lines, and bits of other keyboards too – often used in these cool spare ways that work perfectly with the mix of funk and Latin in the rhythms, and occasional bits of strings as well. Most tracks are instrumental, although there are a bit of vocals on the set – and titles include "Requiem Pour Un Grooveur", "Petrof Sublimination", "Onze De France", "Gibbon's Dub", and "Dimension 7".

Another round of funky Ape Breaks from producer Shawn Lee – some of the most solid break tracks we've ever stocked – all nice and simple, with the drums, riffs, fills, and skits laid out in an easy to use way! The BPM's of the tracks are all nice and slow too – 100 bpm or less – making for a tasty batch of funky tracks that have a nice almost-classic sound. Tracks include "Mayfair", "Honky Tonk", "The Duck", "Hit Me", "Barney Miller", "Fish Break", "My Left Foot", "Ruff Stuff", and "Dead Beat".

The sound of Detroit rises high on this excellent full length set from John Arnold – a wonderfully soulful set of skittish beats and jazzy grooves! Arnold's working here with artists that include Amp Fiddler, Ayro, Malik Alston, and Mady Kouyate – and grooving in a style that reminds us a lot of our favorite recent underground work from London, but which also has a lot of the pulsating soul of the Detroit scene of the past 20 years! Tunes shift easily between instrumentals and vocal numbers – always with some over the top touches that sets them apart from the run of the mill – and titles include "Broken", "Fabric", "Anaconda", "Neighborhood Science", "Get Yourself Together", and "I Can Be".

If the story is stripped down avant funk instrumentals with subtle stylistic twists and turns, it's a story worth telling – and that's what Clutchy Hopkins puts down on The Story Teller – an album that manages to be among his most raw and direct and his most adventurous at the same time! There's an almost low fi approach to the production, as well as an emphasis on drums, percussion and keys that keeps it all cohesive, but the range of styles he rolls in and out while doing that is pretty incredible! Hazy, raw mood funk, bits of South American and other points global influenced guitar and percussion, trippier keys and most always a sinister bass groove. The persona is low less mysterious than ever, but the leftfield funk sound is as impressive as ever! Includes "Giraffe Crack", "Laughing Jockey", "Miles Chillin", "Truth Seekin", "Nina", "Truch Seekin", "Drunk Socks", "Verbal Headlock" and more.

Reel-y great grooves from Shawn Lee – perhaps his funkiest record in years, and one that has a definite cinematic feel too – as you might guess from the title! The style here is blacksploitation funk at its finest – stripped down to its best core elements, and served up by Lee with a lean, mean groove that shows that he really understands the roots of the genre – and knows how to get the sound just right – while still bringing in some of his own core touches too! As we've come to expect from Shawn, the beats are mighty nice – and the album's overflowing with breaks – plenty of funk to drive along the album's heavy keyboards and guitar riffs in the lead. Titles include "Boomwack", "The Definition Of Funk", "Big Ben", "Rocks On Rocks", "Soho Chase", "Straight To Video", "Piano Milano", "Daylight Robbery", and "Biker Chick".

The Monophonics definitely have a way of getting inside your brain – using a cosmic slop of fuzzy guitars and funky basslines to eat away your grey matter more than a maggot inside your cranium! Yet even past that heavy Funkadelic reference, they've also got a richer vibe too – elements of 60s psych mixed in with their funk – particularly in the way that the younger generation's been re-digging crates from the early 70s these days – especially some of the more farther-flung tracks from the global underground. There's slight Afro elements at times, garagey bits at others, and even some well-timed rhythms that help the whole thing have a good sense of focus – and save it from the overindulgence that toppled the hippie generation before they even got started. Titles include "Mirage", "Bang Bang", "Temptation", "In Your Brain", "Sure Is Funky", "There's A Riot Going On", "Say You Love Me", "They Don't Understand", and "Thinking Black".

The Monophonics definitely have a way of getting inside your brain – using a cosmic slop of fuzzy guitars and funky basslines to eat away your grey matter more than a maggot inside your cranium! Yet even past that heavy Funkadelic reference, they've also got a richer vibe too – elements of 60s psych mixed in with their funk – particularly in the way that the younger generation's been re-digging crates from the early 70s these days – especially some of the more farther-flung tracks from the global underground. There's slight Afro elements at times, garagey bits at others, and even some well-timed rhythms that help the whole thing have a good sense of focus – and save it from the overindulgence that toppled the hippie generation before they even got started. Titles include "Mirage", "Bang Bang", "Temptation", "In Your Brain", "Sure Is Funky", "There's A Riot Going On", "Say You Love Me", "They Don't Understand", and "Thinking Black".

Orgone's second full length for Ubiquity and it's a monster – taking a rough, rugged, and uber soulful live funk vibe into a deeper and even livelier realm! The group's sound is more finely honed from a couple of years of hard touring – and it's paid off wonderfully. The sound is more sharply focused, but with swagger to spare on both the funky instrumental workouts and showpieces for soulful singer Fanny Franklin. From sun toasted Cali funk & soul to strains of classic Afrobeat, boogaloo and and funk rock (the guitar sound is terrific on this one) – they nail everything their shooting for, and pull it all together in tight package that's ultimately all their own. A total win for Orgone and Ubiquity Records. Titles include "The Last Fool", "Crazy Queen", "Give It Up", "Cali Fever", "Overtime", "Mantana", "The Only One", "Doing Me Wrong", "The Cleaner", "It's Time Tonight" and "Sandstorm".

The great Luv N' Haight album of unreleased material by legendary Chicago soul jazz group Pharaohs – live tracks that serve as a vital document of the group outside the studio! There's 5 long tracks here, 4 of them recorded live, plus an unreleased gem from the Awakening sessions. Standouts include is a spacey version of "People Make The World Go Round and the extended drum suite of a closer – but it's excellent throughout! Other titles include "Pharaohs Love Y'All", which is a stellar funk jam, plus "African Roots". Nice heavy vinyl, too. Essential!

A bigger and more uniquely soulful sound for Triple P – aka cosmic DJ production duo Platinum Pied Pipers, rechristened as PPP with the addition of vocalists Coultrain and Karma to the group on the wonderful Abundance! The vocals, and a tighter focus on great songs than on an overall vibe, makes this a huge leap forward for an already excellent crew. Even when it was mainly just the duo of Waajeed and Saadiq, the PPP vibe was eclectic – it still is, but with the vocalists and some grittier instrumentation, they're now tapping a deeper reservoir of soul and funk. Horns, funky drums, handclaps, keys and the male & female vocals reign it in for a tighter approach – still with the soaring cosmic vibe of earlier work. They're also proudly representing a classic Motown, 80s Detroit club grooves, string accented soul and gritty funk – never sounding dated, and very much of the here and now, representative of PPP's timeless approach. Far more than abundant – a bounty! Titles include "Angel", "Smoking Mirrors", "On A Cloud", "Love Affair", "Go, Go, Go", "Ain't No If's Or Maybe's", "Pigeon Hole", "Lovers & Haters", "American Pimp", "Dirty Secrets", "Goodbye" and more. 15 tracks on the CD.

Beautiful material from this legendary Bay Area soul jazz combo! The Sons & Daughters of Lite have an incredibly spiritual sound – one that sounds sort of like the best groups on the Strata East label, with touches of Roy Ayers or James Mason-esque soulfulness, but with a little less polish. Many of the cuts have sweet female vocals in the lead – with backing that includes vibe, electric piano, tenor, alto, and percussion by Babatunde. The record's a great one if you dig spiritual jazz funk – along the lines of Gary Bartz, The Pharoahs, or Oneness Of Juju – and Luv N Haight have done a stellar job of repackaging the album! Titles include the classic mellow groover "Let The Sun Shine In", plus "Fly Away", "Operation Feed Yourself", "Darkuman Junktion", and "Ju Ju's Door".

Two edits of rare cuts from Tommy Stewart – both of them great! "Practice What You Preach" is heavy on moogy moments – bubbling beautifully over the cut's funky club bottom – then getting sweetened by strings, and cut up and stretched out by this great edit! "Bump & Hustle" is a rare groove gem – plenty funky all the way through – and really taken to the top in this extended edit!

A great full-length set from Dandy Teru – a producer who's been making a fair bit of waves in the underground in recent years – finally stepping into the limelight here himself! Teru's got a great ear for a crispy beat and cosmic keyboard line – often fusing the two together in a trans-spatial way that creates a nice undercurrent of older soul and funk, yet which still retains a really contemporary vibe! This approach works really well for the range of talents helping Dandy out on the set – including Ty, Moka Only, Rita J, Quiet Dawn, Count Bass D, Tchad Unpoe, and Sarah Gessler – all different voices that help shape the sound of the record, and really unleash the variety in Teru's approach. Titles include "Fragile Things", "Below", "Wake Up Now", "Burned", "Waters", "Clouds Catcher", and "Rwvnll" – plus a few remix tracks too.

Mighty nice beats from Dandy Teru – chunky and crispy, and topped with some wonderful vocal work from Ty and Sarah Gessler – trading back and forth between lyrics and rhymes, and really bringing some nice energy to the cut! Quiet Dawn provide remixes on the flipside, and really add a lot of jazzy intensity to the cut – spacey keys, and a fusion-like energy in the rhythms that completely transforms the tune and almost gives it a London sort of feel!

A definite beast from Ikebe Shakedown – easily one of the group's funkiest tunes ever! The groove on "Beast" is nice and slow – Afro Funk at a laidback pace, which makes the whole thing unfurl with even more drama than usual – and helps make each percussion punch mean even more than before! "Road Song" has this cool dipping, bubbling sort of vibe – almost a psych touch at times, especially when these cool string-like piano bits come into the mix!

Incredible tabla funk from Shawn Lee and his Incredible Tabla Band – inspired by both classic drum breaks and Indian tabla and sitar-flavored psych funk – a full on covers set of the landmark Bongo Rock album (and more) by Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band in this mad mode! The genesis of this album was simply Lee's desire to cover the standout track "Apache", but, Shawn isn't the kind of artist to stick a toe into a project – nope, he goes right off the conceptual deep end, putting his own creative stamp on music that's proudly adherent to whatever the classic inspiration. It's especially amazing here – what could have been a mere novelty covers album of what you could argue was originally something of a novelty album (novel, though furiously creative and influential) is perhaps the most brilliant moment of Shawn Lee's career-to-date! Drum and percussion heavy genius that helped form the blueprint of hip hop – fused with buzzing and thumping Indian funk-styled grooves – pure genius from Shawn Lee with Prithpal Raiput on tablas, Andy Ross on saxes & flutes, Dom Glover on trumpet and Mick Talbot on Hammond. Includes "Let There Be Drums", "Apache", "Bongolia", "Last Bongo In Belgium", "Dueling Bongos", "Inna Gadda Da Vida", "Raunchy '73" and "Bongo Rock '73" – all covers from the original 1973 version of the Bongo Rock album – plus "Sing Sing Sing" and "Pipeline" from the '74 follow up.

The Monophonics definitely have a way of getting inside your brain – using a cosmic slop of fuzzy guitars and funky basslines to eat away your grey matter more than a maggot inside your cranium! Yet even past that heavy Funkadelic reference, they've also got a richer vibe too – elements of 60s psych mixed in with their funk – particularly in the way that the younger generation's been re-digging crates from the early 70s these days – especially some of the more farther-flung tracks from the global underground. There's slight Afro elements at times, garagey bits at others, and even some well-timed rhythms that help the whole thing have a good sense of focus – and save it from the overindulgence that toppled the hippie generation before they even got started. Titles include "Mirage", "Bang Bang", "Temptation", "In Your Brain", "Sure Is Funky", "There's A Riot Going On", "Say You Love Me", "They Don't Understand", and "Thinking Black".

Very cool and groovy bossa piano jams, given a modern twist by this Japanese group with one foot in the past and one foot in the future. Includes their great remake of Sivuca's arrangement of "Ain't No Sunshine", plus "Bayu Bayu", "Call Me Mr. Vibes", "Mambo Parisienne", and lots lots more.

A great step forward for the Afro Latin Vintage Orchestra – even better than their previous album, and a set that beautifully mixes together jazz, Latin, and African elements into one seamless groove! Percussionist Masta Conga is at the head of the group – leading the ensemble with a unique vision that's less of the overdone Afro Funk you might know from other contemporary combos – and more of a classic 60s blend of elements – especially that unique hybrid of Latin modes you'd get from west coast groups – like the Afro Latin Soultet or Afro Blues Quintet – both clear choices of inspiration, given this group's name! Yet there's also some 70s elements moving through the grooves too – thanks to great Fender Rhodes lines, and bits of other keyboards too – often used in these cool spare ways that work perfectly with the mix of funk and Latin in the rhythms, and occasional bits of strings as well. Most tracks are instrumental, although there are a bit of vocals on the set – and titles include "Requiem Pour Un Grooveur", "Petrof Sublimination", "Onze De France", "Gibbon's Dub", and "Dimension 7".

If the story is stripped down avant funk instrumentals with subtle stylistic twists and turns, it's a story worth telling – and that's what Clutchy Hopkins puts down on The Story Teller – an album that manages to be among his most raw and direct and his most adventurous at the same time! There's an almost low fi approach to the production, as well as an emphasis on drums, percussion and keys that keeps it all cohesive, but the range of styles he rolls in and out while doing that is pretty incredible! Hazy, raw mood funk, bits of South American and other points global influenced guitar and percussion, trippier keys and most always a sinister bass groove. The persona is low less mysterious than ever, but the leftfield funk sound is as impressive as ever! Includes "Giraffe Crack", "Laughing Jockey", "Miles Chillin", "Truth Seekin", "Nina", "Truch Seekin", "Drunk Socks", "Verbal Headlock" and more.

Reel-y great grooves from Shawn Lee – perhaps his funkiest record in years, and one that has a definite cinematic feel too – as you might guess from the title! The style here is blacksploitation funk at its finest – stripped down to its best core elements, and served up by Lee with a lean, mean groove that shows that he really understands the roots of the genre – and knows how to get the sound just right – while still bringing in some of his own core touches too! As we've come to expect from Shawn, the beats are mighty nice – and the album's overflowing with breaks – plenty of funk to drive along the album's heavy keyboards and guitar riffs in the lead. Titles include "Boomwack", "The Definition Of Funk", "Big Ben", "Rocks On Rocks", "Soho Chase", "Straight To Video", "Piano Milano", "Daylight Robbery", and "Biker Chick".

A few of the nicer tracks off of the highly underappreciated Soulmates LP. Some of the best abstract west-coast styles here, featuring Aceyalone on "Faces Of The Deep", and Freestyle Fellowship on the Z-Trip remix of "Planets Ain't Aligned". You can't get away with this IN the club, but it's great if you want to get away FROM the club.

Massive work by Quantic – his third album, and easily the best one so far! There's a sophistication to the grooves here that we never would have expected in the earlier recordings – a keen love of a globe's worth of influence – summed up in the deeply changing mood of the set, as the music runs from breezy bossa to heavy Afro rhythms, sweet soul jazz, and classic 70s deep funk! The gimmicks are gone, the strings are cut, and the only thing supporting Quantic at this point is his own genius for the groove. Great throughout, and with surprising guest work by funk legend Spanky Wilson, Afro funk singer Sonny Akpan, and fellow Tru Thoughts labelmate Alice Russell – on tracks that include "Mishaps Happening", "Use What You Got", "Angels & Albatrosses", "Prelude To Happening", "Perception", "So Long", "Furthest Moment", and "Trees & Seas".

A great full-length set from Dandy Teru – a producer who's been making a fair bit of waves in the underground in recent years – finally stepping into the limelight here himself! Teru's got a great ear for a crispy beat and cosmic keyboard line – often fusing the two together in a trans-spatial way that creates a nice undercurrent of older soul and funk, yet which still retains a really contemporary vibe! This approach works really well for the range of talents helping Dandy out on the set – including Ty, Moka Only, Rita J, Quiet Dawn, Count Bass D, Tchad Unpoe, and Sarah Gessler – all different voices that help shape the sound of the record, and really unleash the variety in Teru's approach. Titles include "Fragile Things", "Below", "Wake Up Now", "Burned", "Waters", "Clouds Catcher", and "Rwvnll" – plus a few remix tracks too.

A mix of contemporary club and Afrobeat – served up in a sweet limited edition single! "More Heavy" starts with a bouncing beat, but gets more Afro Funk as things move on – adding in percussion and horns with a nice 70s vibe – then mixing things up even more with some excellent vocal chorus bits too! "Dem Know" has a snapping snare-heavy groove that almost feels like a classic break – lifted and reworked – but then also moves into some excellent vocals that echo Fela's sort of righteousness!

A sweet mix of twangy guitar and dubby rhythms – served up here in a limited edition single! The production's mighty nice – and definitely lives up to the Echocentrics' name on "Don Alejo" – but the groove then shifts to a nicely world-styled mode on "Dundar" that's more focused and catchy, with nice female chorus vocals! "Pionera" has more great vocals along the same line – and these cool bursts of jazzy instrumentation that really help color the tune!

The much anticipated full length debut of Brooklyn Afro Funk and psych soul-influenced combo Ikebe Shakedown – following up their tight, promising EP on the Colemine label with an excellent self-titled set on Ubiquity! One of our favorite things about Ikebe Shakedown's style is the way they blend signature elements of classic Afro Funk and soul with more broadly influenced grooves. Heavy horns and pummeling drums, vamping guitar licks and elastic basslines are prominent and funky – but they work with more measured and spaced out material, too. It's roomy enough to let the individual musicianship shine, and the production is really great. Includes ""Tujumba", "Kumasi Walk", "No Name Bar", "Tame The Beats", "Don't Contradict", "Refuge", "In Circles", "Asa-Sa", "The Hold Up", "The Viking" and "Five Points". 10 tracks on the vinyl.

Beautiful material from this legendary Bay Area soul jazz combo! The Sons & Daughters of Lite have an incredibly spiritual sound – one that sounds sort of like the best groups on the Strata East label, with touches of Roy Ayers or James Mason-esque soulfulness, but with a little less polish. Many of the cuts have sweet female vocals in the lead – with backing that includes vibe, electric piano, tenor, alto, and percussion by Babatunde. The record's a great one if you dig spiritual jazz funk – along the lines of Gary Bartz, The Pharoahs, or Oneness Of Juju – and Luv N Haight have done a stellar job of repackaging the album! Titles include the classic mellow groover "Let The Sun Shine In", plus "Fly Away", "Operation Feed Yourself", "Darkuman Junktion", and "Ju Ju's Door".

One of the rarest and greatest Roy Ayers albums of all time – the sly, funky and spiritual masterpiece He's Coming from 1971 – really the beginning of the funk years from Roy Ayers Ubiquity! This one's a totally solid mix of soulful jazz, jazzy soul and righteous funk – and it's straight up wonderful all the way through – with a groove that's hugely influential to say the least! Includes the amazing track "We Live In Brooklyn Baby", which has a slow sample bassline in the intro that's just incredible – plus groovy cuts like the spiritual funk classic "He's a Superstar", "He's Coming", and "Sweet Tears". The lineup includes Sonny Fortune on soprano sax and flute and Billy Cobham drums and percussion, and the record's co-arranged by Harry Whitaker, who's also on keys and vocals – with other tracks include "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", "Ain't Got Time", "I Don't Know How To Love Him", "Sweet Butterfly Of Love" and "Fire Weaver". Amazing stuff, really a beautiful encapsulation of Roy Ayers in peak form!

The great lost Darondo album – amazing Bay Area funky soul from a singular talent – and material that we did not even know existed! It was cut for Ray Dobard's Music City label – purportedly in just a couple of marathon sessions – most of which we've never heard before now, which is mindblowing in and of itself, as we had thought Ubiquity Records mined what little was available of Darondo for their killer Let My People Go compilation. Lo and behold – here's some more, and it's just as incredible! Slinky, stripped down funk and some sweeter soul that's as much influenced by Memphis recordings as it is the Bay Area – but all with Darondo's distinctive, freewheeling gritty baritone and when the mood strikes, piercing falsetto vocals. A total treasure! 16 tracks on the CD version: "I Don't Understand It", "I'm Gonna Love You", "Didn't I", "Luscious Lady", "Saving My Love", "Gimme Some", "Do You Really Love Me", "Listen To My Song", "Sexy Mama", "The Wolf", "Kings Man" and more.

The great lost Darondo album – amazing Bay Area funky soul from a singular talent – and material that we did not even know existed! It was cut for Ray Dobard's Music City label – purportedly in just a couple of marathon sessions – most of which we've never heard before now, which is mindblowing in and of itself, as we had thought Ubiquity Records mined what little was available of Darondo for their killer Let My People Go compilation. Lo and behold – here's some more, and it's just as incredible! Slinky, stripped down funk and some sweeter soul that's as much influenced by Memphis recordings as it is the Bay Area – but all with Darondo's distinctive, freewheeling gritty baritone and when the mood strikes, piercing falsetto vocals. A total treasure! The vinyl edition has 10 tracks and approximates the album as it should have been issued in 1974 – with "I Don't Understand It", "I'm Gonna Love You", "Didn't I", "Luscious Lady", "Saving My Love", "Gimme Some", "Do You Really Love Me", "Listen To My Song" and more.

One of the rarest and greatest Roy Ayers albums of all time – the sly, funky and spiritual masterpiece He's Coming from 1971 – really the beginning of the funk years from Roy Ayers Ubiquity! This one's a totally solid mix of soulful jazz, jazzy soul and righteous funk – and it's straight up wonderful all the way through – with a groove that's hugely influential to say the least! Includes the amazing track "We Live In Brooklyn Baby", which has a slow sample bassline in the intro that's just incredible – plus groovy cuts like the spiritual funk classic Jesus Christ Superstar "He's a Superstar", "He's Coming", and "Sweet Tears". The lineup includes Sonny Fortune on soprano sax and flute and Billy Cobham drums and percussion, and the record's co-arranged by Harry Whitaker, who's also on keys and vocals – with other tracks include "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", "Ain't Got Time", "I Don't Know How To Love Him", "Sweet Butterfly Of Love" and "Fire Weaver". Amazing stuff, really a beautiful encapsulation of Roy Ayers in peak form!