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Lost funky work from Cortex – previously unissued material from this famous 70s combo from France – filled with jazzy rhythms and plenty of great keyboard work! The style is a bit more soul-based than on the first few Cortex albums – with English language vocals on most numbers, soaring out along with the keyboards into the grooves – but the overall sound of the album is still super-tight, and very much in the mode of the best US jazz funk from the late 70s with vocals – such as later work on Kudu or Fantasy Records. The uptempo numbers have a nice clubby feel – but never one that's too disco, just jazz funk for the dancefloor – and the CD features 12 numbers that include "Said I Do", "Stand & Move", "Moanin", "I Heard A Sigh", "Back To My World", "A Winning Team", "High On The Funk", "Mailys", and "Emily".

An amazing set of funky 45s from New Orleans and other points deep south – with a mix of obscure bits and a few "classic" Crescent City grooves! Southern Fried Funk is a collection of singles originally issued on regional labels such as Tou-Sea, Deesu, Quinvu, Budd, Gold Cup, Malaco, Milk and more – corralled here on CD by the reverent revivalists at Grapevine Records – who respect the more famous numbers, but also include plenty of other rare ones to keep the interest of more hardcore collectors! What we really love about this particular comp is the deep soul feel of the tracks – with all of the raw, thundering, sweaty funk elements in full force – but the material still has a soul feel underneath. It's the real thing! 22 tracks in all: "Get Out Of My Life Woman", "Underdog Backstreet" by Warren Lee, "Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky (From Now On)" by Lee Dorsey, "It's A Hang Up Baby" by ZZ Hill, "Real Soul" by Ted Ford, "Make It Real (Right On)" by Betty Ford, "I'm A Carpenter (Parts 1 & 2)" by David Robinson, "I Tired it And I Liked It' by Jewel Bass, "You Made Your Bed" by Eddie Bradford and more!

Not disco Moroder, but schlager Moroder – great early recordings from German maestro Giorgio, done before his famous dancefloor hits of the later 70s – and with a very groovy sound throughout! The music here is more pop than soul, but often has these sweet and freaky little touches – a bit like the way that French pop artists of the late 60s would cop an American mode, then turn it around with some cool local touches of their own – or trip things out with a few inflections borrowed from psych or other new rock modes! Some tunes are playful and catchy, others are more ballsy and brash – especially as the set moves on, and the music hits those immediate pre-disco years that make for some of Moroder's most compelling. Massive 2CD package features 51 rare cuts from these early years – titles that include "Cinnamon", "Tempo D'Amore", "Underdog", "Watch Your Step", "Bla Bla Diddly", "Love's Morning Land", "Mah Na Mah Na", "Crippled Words", "Lie Lie Lie", "Collico", "Heaven Helps The Man", "Bricks & Mortar", "It's A Shame", and "Today's A Tomorrow".

Excellent early work from Giorgio Moroder – recorded in the pre-disco years, with a trippy rock style that mixes electronics and some surprisingly soulful guitar work! The overall style is almost a prog take on the beat group sound with some poppy touches – a cool blend that was shared briefly by other European groups of the time, before they stretched out and got a bit more trippy. The album's got some nice moogy touches, tight drums by Keith Forsey, and even a bit of keyboards from Max Gregor Jr. Most tracks have vocals, but also kick off with a strong foot instrumentally – making for some great rock break moments that are worth the album alone, even though the full songs are pretty nice too! Titles include the epic "Tears", "Lord Release Me", "Watch Your Step", "Pauline", "Son Of My Father", "Automation", "London Traffic", "Spanish Disaster", and "Underdog". CD features lots of bonus tracks too – including "Today's A Tomorrow", "Everybody Join Hands", "I'm Free Now", "Non Ci Sto", "Take It Shake It Break My Heart", and "Underdog (mono)".

Featuring the knob twirling techniques of Scotty Hard. Remix by the Underdog.

Bob Dorough and Dave Frishberg are two of the most enigmatic singers in jazz – both carving out a strange little space for themselves in the hipster crossover scene of the late 60s, and continuing to grow tremendously through the seventies as both writers and performers. Both have a perfect blend of humor and swing, and working here together, they create a sparkling performance that must have been wonderful to see live. Backing is intimate and jazzy, with the main focus on the singers – and their talent for witty rapping to the crowd. Titles include "Devil May Care", "Too Long In LA", "You Are There", "I'm Hip", "Nothing Like You", "The Underdog", and Dorough's Saturday Morning anthem, "Conjunction Junction"!