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Two spiritual jazz gems – back to back, and both from the excellent Deep Jazz combo! "Spirits Up Above" is that great Roland Kirk classic – taken here at a tightly swinging pace, and with a female lead vocal duo that really gives it a great flavor – putting the lyrics upfront even more than before, almost like the Bey Sisters – yet still leaving some room for a nice solo in the middle! "No Doubt" is an original by the group – resplendent with acoustic basslines right from the start, which set the tune off in a modal waltz mode that's mighty nice!

One of the most amazing players to ever pick up the vibes – an artist with the sort of boundless creativity that Walt Dickerson and Bobby Hutcherson brought to the instrument in the 60s! Jason Adasiewicz has an amazing ear for both sound and music – and manages to balance the two perfectly – reaching for completely fresh sounds from the vibes, yet also with a sense of structure that's never too free – really maintaining a musical, melodic approach that keeps us rapt and attentive all the way through! Jason's music has always been great, but these recent Delmark sets are even a cut above – proof that both the label and the new Chicago scene are powerful forces in 21st Century jazz. The trio features excellent work by like-minded musicians Natt McBride on bass and Mike Reed on drums – and titles include "The Volunteer", "Pillow", "Run Fly", "Solo One", "Diesel", and "Waiting In The Attic".

This one's got it all – fuzzy instrumentals, sweet harmonies, and some nice trippy parts too – all wrapped up in a set that's easily one of the best Tower Records rock soundtracks of the 60s! Most of the schlocky biker soundtracks from the time are already pretty darn great – but this one's even a cut above – put together with a special quality that's always made us dig this one the most! The album features a great cut called "Hellcats" – a harmony rocker by The Sunrays, and just as great as their own album tracks. The set also features an instrumental "Hellcats" and "The Angry Mob" by The Arrows – plus psych oriented tracks by Davy Jones & The Dolphins, including "The Only Way To Fly", "Mass Confusion", and "Let's Live A Little" – and "I'm Up" and "The Marionettes" by Somebody's Chyldren.

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

Mindblowing music from The Association – a heady double-length package that features every single the group ever cut for the Valiant and Warner Brothers label – which together make for an amazing evolution in sound! Although best remembered for their few soft rock hits, The Association were a hell of a group who never stopped growing back in the 60s – from sublime folksy harmonies at the start, to more complicated baroque pop as years went on, to some psych elements, and even a return to rootsier sounds they never had in the first place – always delivered with qualities that were head and shoulders above most of their contemporaries – and perfectly put together in the best LA studio styles, with help from giants like Curt Boettcher, Gary Paxton, Bones Howe, and others. The group also became quite skilled in the studio themselves – as you'll hear in the book's copious notes and comments from members themselves – all a perfect package for a set that features 37 mighty tunes that include "Six Man Band", "Goodbye Columbus", "Like Always", "No Fair At All", "Standing Still", "Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies", "Looking Glass", "Birthday Morning", "Makes Me Cry", "PF Sloan", "Just About The Same", "Traveler's Guide", "I Am Up For Europe", "Hear In Here",a nd "Forty Times" – not to mention some bigger hits!

A great blend of Brazilian roots and piano jazz – played here by a trio that's all-solid, all the way through – serving up some really wonderful music that never relies on bossa cliches, or any sort of tricks and gimmicks! Instead, there's a really rich mixing of modes – one that's so deep down, it comes through with its own fresh flavor out on the top – thanks to magically fluid work from the trio of Helio Alves on piano, Nilson Matta on bass, and Duduka Da Fonseca on drums! There's plenty of sets out there that boast titles and concepts like this one – but trust us when we say that this trio's really head and shoulders above most of the rest. Titles include "Embalo", "O Cantador", "Cosntelacao", "O Boto", "Luiza", "Bolivia", "Isabella", and "Quebra Pedra".

A sweet set of sounds from disco maestro Boris Midney – an artist who rarely recorded under his own name, but was the guiding force behind a great range of famous studio projects! The first half of the set features music from the Companion album – a set moves along in a way that's really a cut above the usual dancefloor groove – tight, lean grooves that draw a lot from just a little – never too overblown, in the way that mainstream disco might be – and instead this nicely compressed blend of tight drums, sweet keyboards, and other instrumental lines fused together in a way that works well with the spare vocals. Titles include "This Is A Test", "There's A Way", "Step On Out", "Living Up To Love", and "I Feel Delight" – plus bonus tracks "Living Up To Love (12" mix)", "Step On Out (12" mix)", and "Step On Out (rhythm track)". The second half features some great singles from Midney – real one-off projects, but offered in enough mixes to almost make for a full LP apiece! Titles include "Can He Find Another One (west side)", "Can He Find Another One (east side)", and "Can He Find Another One (inst west)" by Double Discovery; "Dddance (voc)", "Dddance (beats)", "Dddance (inst)", and "Dddance (alt mix)" by Boris Midney; and "Thanks For Loving Me" by Boris Midney.

A trio of early 80s efforts from Con Funk Shun in a 2CD set – with bonus tracks! Touch is a killer from the group – one of the few mainstream funk groups who actually managed to sound better and better with each new record – and on this set, they really seem to come into their own! Titles include "Too Tight", "Lady's Wild", "Give Your Love To Me", "Kidnapped", "Welcome Back To Love", "Touch", and "Play Widit". Includes 2 bonus tracks: "Lady's Wild (12" Version)" and "Body Lovers (12" Version)". 7 is not the group's 7th album, but a bold statement of the unity they feel as a 7 piece ensemble – perfectly lived up to in the record's well-crafted grooves! The album's one of Con Funk Shun's best overall – really solid, but never too slick, very tight in the bass department, but still soulful on the vocal tip, and never afraid to slip into a sweeter, more mellow tune. Titles include "Straight From The Heart", "Bad Lady", "Promise You Love", "I'll Get You Back", "A Song For You", and "California 1". To The Mix has snapping grooves and a sweet clubby sound. The bass is tight, the keyboards are electric, and the rhythms are great – never forced or stiff, and always flowing with a sense of soul that's head and shoulders above most of the group's contemporaries. Vocals are strong too – especially on the numbers that step things down a few notches – and titles include "Ms Got The Body", "Let's Ride & Slide", "Everlove", "Hide & Freak", "You Are The One", "Take It To The Max", "The Freak", and "Love's Train". Includes the bonus "Ms Got The Body (12" Version)" and an instrumental version.

The amazing second album from Deep Jazz – and every bit as spiritual and soulful as the first! These guys really blew us away with their debut, and we're loving them even more this time around – and can honestly say that they're one of the few contemporary combos to ever get our favorite sounds of the 70s just right – that magical music that came out on labels like Strata East and other small indies of the time – that post-Coltrane generation when musicians really stretched their skills to the heavens in search of new sounds! The arrangements, production, and execution here are wonderful – with no modern tricks or gimmicks to get in the way at all – and in addition to great warm acoustic bass from group leader Jerker Kluge, the set also features alto, tenor, flute, bass clarinet, and piano – plus some great Alice Coltrane-like harp, sweet percussion, and even female vocals on a few cuts. Titles include the great originals "No Doubt", "The Meeting", "Movement", "Mystic Sky", "Invisible", and "East & West" – plus great versions of "Little Sunflower" and "Spirits Up Above".

Quite possibly the greatest record ever from Clifton Dyson – a solo effort that has him stepping away from his Dyson's Faces group, and emerging as a heck of a great singer on his own! The album's got a warm modern soul feel throughout – much more mid 70s indie than you'd guess from the date on the record – and every aspect of the record is great – from the vocals to the instrumentation to the tight production on the record – a sound that's professional, and really a cut above the usual effort of this type. Al Johnson and Rodney Brown helped on arrangements – and titles include the extended groover "Slow Your Body Down", which takes up all of side one – plus "Hypnotize", "I'm Giving Up", and "So Lonely".

A gem of a record from the same Pernambuco early 70s scene that gave us Lula Cortes, Ze Ramalho, Geraldo Azevedo, and Alceu Valenca! This obscure little set has lots of the earthier tones that showed up in work by the above artists – a style that mixes folksy touches with bits of psychedelia – kind of a north east answer to the growing sound from the Minas Geraes generation around Milton Nascimento. Many of the tunes here are fairly mellow – building slowly with an honest, earthy integrity – and mostly relying on acoustic instrumentation to carry the gentle poetry of the lyrics, but still coming across with enough of an edge to appeal to fans of stronger South American rock. Titles include "Canto Funebre", "O Tempo", "Noite", "Desespero", "Cancao De Outono", "Do Amigo", and "Romance Da Lua Lua".

Nice little soundtrack, written as the follow-up to the 1962 film The Interns. Like that one, there's some nice party sequences here – easily jazzy numbers grooving along nicely, in the style of Hagen's best work of the 60s. Strings mix with jazzy rhythms and some strong instrumental solos, and overall, the soundtrack's really a strong cut above the usual one for this type of movie – and filled with some really great jazz-based tracks. Titles include "Goodbye To Nancy", "Needle Stickin Blues", "Split", "Considine & Laura", "A Matter Of Time", "A Slight Case Of Rape", and "New Interns Watusi".

Heaven 17 soften up their politics a bit with this second album (yet still address class inequality issues with the title!) – but they also manage to replace their Marxist agenda with some groovier, more soul-based tunes – just the kind of material that helped push them out of import obscurity into more of a crossover market in the US! The album's fondly remembered for the electro dancefloor numbers "Temptation", "Come Live With Me", and "Let Me Go" – all of which stand a cut above the work of their predecessors Human League, and show an ability to go past simple electronic pop riffs – even if they are all pretty darn catchy! Other tracks are great too – and the record has a joyous, optimistic quality that's every bit the best side of this scene from the early 80s generation. Titles include "We Live So Fast", "Best Kept Secret", "Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry", and "Key To The World".

Soulful, not surreal – a sublime set of sounds from Incognito – one of the few groups who could ever stay this great for so long! The record's overflowing with everything we love about Incognito – that warm blend of soul, jazz, and funk – trained in the best 70s elements at its core, but served up with a lean, tight quality that not only belies the group's London roots, but their potent force in contemporary soul in the 21st Century! And although other recent albums have been great, there's really something special going on here – an extra-great element that we really can't put our finger on exactly, but which had us loving this one from the very first note. Vocals are great – sung by Vanessa Haynes, Natalie Williams, Mo Brandis, and the mighty Maysa – and titles include "The Less You Know", "The Stars From Here", "This Must Be Love", "Thoughtful Fantasies", "Restless We Are", "Rivers On The Sun", and "Above The Night".

Seminal 70s southern soul from Millie Jackson – a record that's head and shoulders above most of what she recorded in later years! Before she got all naughty and raunchy, Millie Jackson was one of the best female soul singers to come out of the south – and this album's a work of understated brilliance that brings a new level of emotion and feeling to the music. The whole thing's conceived as a bit of a concept album – one in which Millie's a bit fragile at the start, due to unfulfilled love – then regains her confidence by confronting those around her, and eventually steps forth boldly as a proud, new woman. Jackson put together the record with producer Brad Shapiro – and the overall style is Muscle Shoals, but with a more sophisticated twist – thanks to inventive use of strings alongside the more standard soul rhythms. Highlights include a great remake of "If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don't Want To Be Right" (complete with a nice bit of spoken dialogue!) – plus "I'm Through Trying To Prove My Love To You", "It's Easy Going", "I'm Tired Of Hiding", "Summer (The First Time)", and the great "It's All Over But The Shouting". CD also features 4 bonus tracks – including alternate "live vocal" versions of "I'm Tired Of Hiding", "I'm Through Trying To Prove My Love To You", and "Feel Like Making Love" – and an instrumental called "A House For Sale" by The Muscle Shoals Swampers!

Our favorite album ever from Roland Kirk – and a beautiful mix of two different sides of his genius! Side one's got Roland doing these crazy takes on late 60's pop cuts like "My Cherie Amour" and "Say a Little Prayer", plus his own "songs", done with soulful vocals and a straight-on approach that shows him trying to break out of the avant jazz underground, and reach a wider audience with a spiritual message on tracks like "Search For The Reason Why" and "Spirits Up Above". If this description sounds like a mess, it's not – because this side of the album is one of Kirk's most brilliant statements ever about jazz, soul, love and freedom! Side two has Roland in a straighter vein – running through a tight live set from Newport 1968, handled with fire and imagination, the kind of boundless energy he always brought to his public appearances. Tracks on that set include "One Ton", "Three For The Festival", "Afro Blue", and some great remarks by Roland!

Sublime soul from the mighty Laura Lee – one of the best deep soul singers of the 70s, even though she recorded with the mostly-northern team of Holland Dozier Holland! The set shows that the trio really knew how to change it up after leaving Motown – and although Lee had recorded for Chess in the 60s, she really finds her groove here – mixing southern soul with a dose of 70s funk – all of which really stands out from most of her contemporaries! Laura's voice is sweet and dusky, in the mode of some of the best underground singers of her day – but also rises above the rest, thanks crack arrangements by HB Barnum and Eugene Moore – who mix strings and soul into a stellar blend of styles! Titles include the breakbeat classic "Crums Off The Table", which begins with some great hard drums – plus the cuts "Every Little Bit Hurts", "I Can't Make It Alone", "Mirror Of Your Soul", and "I Need It Just As Bad As You". Features a bonus unedited version of "I Need It Just As Bad As You".

A classic from Johnny Mathis' second run at Columbia! Up Up & Away is Mathis' first set back at the label after a brief hiatus – a record that shows a newly mature style that's wonderfully suited for Johnny's amazing voice! Mathis tones are every bit as perfect as before – but he's also got a maturing approach to the lyrics that's really nice – maybe a bit more pause, or thoughtfulness, which only increases the sense of feeling in the tunes. Of course, the great charts by Glenn Osser also help too – lush, but never sleepy, and showing their own sort of maturation too. Titles include "Misty Roses", "Drifting", "When I Look In Your Eyes", "I Thought Of You Last Night", "Far Above Cayuga's Waters", and "Where Are The Words".

A standout classic from one of the all-time overlooked greats – the sublime Mystic Merlin, a group who cut a handful of killers in the early 80s! The group's biggest claim to fame is a young Freddie Jackson on vocals – but they're honestly much more an ensemble act than a backup for a lead star – and have this wonderfully-crafted blend of soul, jazz, and funk that never lets up – a really sophisticated groove, yet one that still knows how to be straight ahead and funky too! This classic set is wonderful all the way through – far from cliche, and head and shoulders above most of their contemporaries – with a wonderful array of grooves that includes the killer cut "Mr Magician", plus "Your Love", "Rock The World", "Full Moon", "Back To Zero", "Mindreader", and "Love Is What You Need".

A standout classic from one of the all-time overlooked greats – the sublime Mystic Merlin, a group who cut a handful of killers in the early 80s! The group's biggest claim to fame is a young Freddie Jackson on vocals – but they're honestly much more an ensemble act than a backup for a lead star – and have this wonderfully-crafted blend of soul, jazz, and funk that never lets up – a really sophisticated groove, yet one that still knows how to be straight ahead and funky too! This classic set is wonderful all the way through – far from cliche, and head and shoulders above most of their contemporaries – with a wonderful array of grooves that includes the killer cut "Mr Magician", plus "Your Love", "Rock The World", "Full Moon", "Back To Zero", "Mindreader", and "Love Is What You Need". CD features a bonus single version of "Mr Magician".

Amazing early work from The O'Jays – tracks recorded a decade before their big fame at Philly International – with a heartbreaking harmony feel all the way through! Even at the start, The O'Jays were a cut above – and as you'll hear here, they come across with an especially deep soul approach to harmony vocals – one that's perfect both for mellow cuts, and for some of the more uptempo groovers here – work so great, we always wonder why it took these guys a full decade to achieve the chart fame they deserved! But never mind that, because this excellent collection finally gives these Imperial years their due – and offers up a whopping 28 tracks in all, every Imperial Records single in one sweet little package – with great mastering and notes too. Titles include "Stand Tall", "The Storm Is Over", "Crack Up Laughing", "How Does It Feel", "Lonely Drifter", "Whip It On Me Baby", "Lipstick Traces", "Oh How You Hurt Me", "No Time For You", "Pretty Words", "Stand In For Love", "Friday Night", "Time Is On My Side", and "Let It All Out".

Great later work from Pleasure – a group who are probably best-known for their classic 70s albums on Fantasy Records, but one who kept the groove riding high in some early 80s years at RCA! This set's a shimmering jewel – a great mix of funky rhythms and mellower moments, all wrapped up in that blend of modern soul and 80s groove that RCA was really hitting perfectly for a few key years at the start of the decade. The sound's definitely different than the Fantasy years, but in a way that nicely has the group maturing a bit – changing things up, yet still holding onto all the best elements that made them a cut above most of their contemporaries. Keyboards come in a bit more than before, and there's some really tasty bass-driven numbers – on titles that include "Take It To The Streets", "Sending My Love", "Give It Up", "Sassy Baby", "It's So Hard", "Stone Love", and "All The Way".

Laetitia Sadier's second excellent post-Stereolab album – a mix of breezy and moody avant pop with some occasionally strident lyricism – a rewarding record that's reminiscent of the timelessly innovative Stereolab, but it's ultimately much more personal! The vibe is less indebted to vintage keyboard atmosphere, though there's some nice use of Moog and other subtle electronics – and the songs really stand out above the atmospherics. We were Stereolab fans right up to the end, so it's all the more rewarding to have Laetitia in such great form outside of that beloved group. Recorded in Toulouse and in Chicago. Titles include "The Rule Of The Game", "Find Me The Pulse Of The Universe", "Silent Post", "Auscultation To The Nation", "Between Earth And Heaven", "Lightning Thunderbolt", "Fragment Pour Le Future De L'Homme", "Invitation Au Silence" and more.

The Salsoul Orchestra at its finest, with Vince Montana at the helm, crafting some superb arrangements that have all of the positivity of the best funky club groove the band can come up with, and little of the campy disco sound that other soundalike bands were starting to hit! The group's format is still head and shoulders above most of its imitators here – a perfect balance of larger orchestrations and tighter rhythms for the club – handled with all the best Philly elements that Montana brings to play. Titles include the superb soul track "Run Away", which features excellent lead vocals by Loleatta Holloway – one of her best tracks ever – and other instrumental titles include the funky "Getaway", plus "Magic Bird Of Fire", "It's A New Day", and "Alpha Centuri".

The coolest music we've heard so far from this fantastic funky talent – served up here in an ultra-cool package that also offers up four different cover images over two separate pieces of music! Sammi's got a name that's a bit unwieldy, but he serves up the groove with a sound so tight, we almost feel like we're back in the glory days of a good Quincy Jones funky soundtrack – thanks to a tight punch that Samuelsson brings to his large lead ensemble, which often moves here with the sharper sound of a much smaller funky combo! The arrangements are amazing – and the grooves run between styles that include touches of 70s Afro Funk, European-styled MPS jazz funk, and the promised blacksploitation modes mentioned above. Instrumentation is wonderful throughout – and honestly, there's nobody out there making music like this at the moment – and certainly nobody who gets the sound so right, tight, and on the money as Sammi! Titles include "Afromars", "1st Man From Iceland", "Ethiopian", "Afrobit", "Fola", "Peace", "Dubnotic", and "Ekki Stela Afrika Folkinu".

Gil Scott-Heron at his early best and most revolutionary – circa Small Talk At 125th And Lenox, Pieces Of Man and Free Will, plus a host of rare and unreleased material – the complete Flying Dutchman Masters in a masterfully compiled anthology! Rather than simply collecting the original Flying Dutchman albums into a box set, BGP does a terrific job here of organizing it by style. Disc One (Songs) focuses on the soul-based songcraft – while Disc Two (Poetry, Jazz & Blues) features the strident jazzy poetry that inspired most hip hop and spoken word to come. Disc Three features alternate takes and rarities – all of which have never been officially released before now! The set includes every recording that Gil made for Flying Dutchman that's known to exist – and if you're keeping tally, that's all of the tracks from the above-named classic albums – plus the great "Artificialness" from Pretty Purdie's Stand By Me record with Gil on vocals – and the surviving alternate takes. Even if you have all of the original albums, the set is worth picking up for the bonus material and the thick, nicely done booklet of notes and photo – which really adds some top notch historical perspective. 51 tracks on 3CDs: "Lady Day And John Coltrane", "Home Is Where The Hatred Is", "Whitey On The Moon", "Free Will", "Pieces Of Man", "Brother", "Ain't No New Thing", "The Needle's Eye", "The Get Out OF The Ghetto Blues", "Evolution (And Flashback)", "Billy Green Is Dead", "The Middle Of Your Day", "Save The Children", "Who'll Pay Reparations On My Soul?" and many more.

A solid smoker from the SOS Band – maybe one of the group's best-remembered albums, and for good reason too! The set's got a groove that's beautiful right from the start – 80s funk that's really a cut above, and touched with just the right mix of jazzy elements and warmer moments too – giving the whole record a much more balanced feel than similar efforts of the time! Production is from Ricky Sylvers and Gene Dozier – the latter of whom we especially love, and who no doubt helps bring his years of soulful experience into the great sound of the set. Titles include "You Shake Me Up", "Have It Your Way", "Your Love", "High Hopes", "Good & Plenty", and "Groovin".

Moogy, groovy, and really wonderful stuff – a set of rare private recordings made by the team of Scott Ludwig and Maximillian Crook, both electric inventors and very groovy musicians in their own right! The pair have a bit of a connection to Del Shannon – who used their Musitron instrument on the chorus of his hit "Runaway" – and a few of these tracks were actually produced by Shannon himself, in later years away from pop fame. But over and above that brief connection to mainstream pop, this work more than stands out on its own – and crackles with a sound that's simple, yet intense – almost a 60s garage rock aesthetic applied to electronic instrumentation, with a result that's got the appeal of some of Bruce Haack's work, but none of the child-like themes. Ludwig's playing the Sonocon and Crook is on the Musitron – both instruments of their own invention, and with a fuzzed-up approach to analogue electronics – and the CD features a range of material from in-home recordings and a rare live date! Titles include "Beeswax", "Our Electronic Bag", "Space Child", "Hero", "Punk Walk", "Firefighter's Theme", "The Diamond", "Runaway", "Caravan", "Hawaiian Vibes", and "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight".

A pair of incredible early Motown albums from Mary Wells – one of the label's first truly great singers – in a great single set from Kent UK! Mary Wells never sounded better than in her Motown years – and 1962's The One Who Really Loves You is key proof of her talents, as it's overflowing with laidback and mellow soul tunes – done in Mary's great blend of bluesy and classy styles! Titles include classics like "Drifting Love", "Strange Love", "The Day Will Come", "I've Got A Notion", "The One Who Really Loves You", "You Beat Me To The Punch", "Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right", "I'll Still Be Around" and more. The follow-up Two Lovers features the subtitle And Other Greatest Hits, but it's actually a great batch of songs that were most newly-recorded by Mary at the time – and not at all a simple round-up of singles! The approach here has just a little more rawness than some of the girl groups Berry Gordy was scoring hits with at the time, but also a sense of urban classiness. As is their wonderful way, Kent goes above and beyond here – with a great booklet of notes and photos – which shines a light on the making of these great records. Wonderful stuff! Titles include "Two Lovers", "Guess Who", "My 2 Arms - You = Tears", "Goody, Goody", "Stop Right Here", "Laughing Boy", "Looking Back", "(I Guess There's) No Love", "Was It Worth It" and "Operator".

Heavy soul from the great Spanky Wilson – an album that explodes with energy right from the start – in a groove that definitely lives up to the title! Spanky's got a great mix of funk and class on this set – a punch in the rhythms at points, yet also a poise in the way she delivers the lyrics – a blend that's a bit like Marlena Shaw in her earlier years – and set to some killer arrangements from the great HB Barnum! Barnum gives the record all the cool punch of his great 60s work with Lou Rawls – and nearly all the material was written by the obscure Howlett Smith – an excellent lost writer who had a real talent for coming up with cool little soul songs that rise above the usual bag of his generation. This material works great for Spanky, and together, the pair, along with Barnum, cook up a unique lost soul treat! Titles include "Apartment 101", "On The Morning After", "The Other Girl", "You're Gonna Miss Me", "Love Has Me By The Hand", and "Mighty Great Feeling".

A sweet 10 year anniversary round-up of some of the best timelessly soulful releases from he Melting Pot Music team to date – and it's the best kind of "best of" compilation – one that's carefully curated and released as a limited 5 X 7" box set! It's a pretty solid representation of the MPM stylistic reach – with crackling underground soul and modern takes on classic era hip hop – with strong vocals, smart rhymes and jazzy soul beatcraft – and some tunes that blend a bit of all the above. Great stuff from Miles Bonny, Suff Daddy, DJ Day, Twit One, Eric Lau and others. Includes "Four Hills" by DJ Day, "Gnac" by Suff Daddy, "Ausdruck" by Fleur Earth, "Gil Scott-Heron Lament" by Miles Bonny, "Soul 69" by A-Ko, "Hornoxn" by Twit One, "Planet Rock (Jazz)" by Breakout, "Moog Boy 4 Life" by Dexter, "The Light (Eric Lau Remix)" by Funkommunity and "Droptop (Hade Remix)" by TBRCK.

One of the coolest sets the Numero Group has ever released – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given their already-mighty catalog! Although the label issued a previous dip into the enigmatic Boddie Recording company of Cleveland, this massive package brings together a whopping 57 tracks from the Boddie studios and related labels – many of which have never been reissued before, even by Numero – and all of which offer up a mindblowing microcosm of the American scene in the 60s and 70s – a wealth of rare funk, soul, psych, gospel, and more – all of it the kind of gritty material that 45 collectors die for! But just as cool as the music is the package itself – a heavy box with a flap that fits around five LPs, two booklets, flyer reproductions, and even a Boddie greeting card! There's loads of rare photos, band information, studio details, and more – billed by Numero as a "self-contained record industry" in one box. Musically, the whole thing's right on par with other Numero releases – maybe even above them, given the wide range and depth of the collection – and artists include Bo & The Metros, Inter Circle, King James Version, Ricky Hodges, Jackie Russell, Angela Alexander, Frankie Pighee, Chantells, AC Jones, Harvey Hall, Headlines, Modern Detergents, Penny North, JC Akins, Little Anthony Mitchell, Gospel Fabulators, Royal Kings, Corinthian Singers, Brother Bill, Victory 5, and many more.

Jump blues, rollicking R&B, proto rock, Northern Soul and otherwise rawly stomping stormers selected by DJ Andy Smith – a cool compilation of late 50s and 60s treasures that you might hear on one of his Jump Up Twist club nights! There's some familiar names in the set list for deep digging fans of any of the above styles, but there are no tracks that come even close to being overplayed, and each one is a winner – cuts by Wynonie Harris, Wynona Carr, Al Ferrier, Toni & The Showmen, Johnny Guitar Watson, Alton Ellis, The Skatalites, Luther Ingram, Mickey Champion, The San Francisco TKOs and more. Titles include "Bloodshot Eyes" by Wynonie Harris, "Ooo Little Girl" by Floyd Dixon, "Tracks To Your Mind" by The Sounds Of Lane, "Ska Beat" by Alton Ellis, "Collie Bud" by Skatalites, "Hit, Git And Split" by Young Jessie, "Make Up Your Mind" by San Francisco TKOs and more. 23 in all.

An excellent collection of rare regional gospel recordings from the 60s through the 80s – all of them with a timeless feel that really fits other collections of this nature from Mississippi Records! Despite the vintage of the tracks, most of them have a very spare sound – just vocals and a bit of instrumentation, usually guitar or organ – a raw, rootsy approach that's completely sublime, and which shows that the best gospel modes are still going strong, as long as you know where to look! The voice is supreme in most numbers – and titles include "Time Has Made A Change" by Southern Jubilees, "Ain't It Sweet" by Southland Missionary Singers, "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" by Fantastic Voices Of Joy, "What Time Is It" by Ethel Profit, "Up Above My Head" by Rev R Henderson, and "Your Close Friends" by Ike Gordon.

The final Warner Brothers album from Dionne Warwick – and a smooth, sophisticated affair done with full arrangements from Michael Omartian! The sound's still not as pop disco as you might expect from the time, and Dionne's gentle vocals are often cast in backings that step along nicely with a mellow, midtempo groove – one that's a bit like some of the best Philly soul of the period, yet still with a bit more California polish overall. The album works surprisingly well as a soul record – and really puts Warwick in the company of a whole generation of younger singers who'd risen above her by this point in the 70s. Titles include "One Thing On My Mind", "Don't Ever Take Your Love Away", "Livin It Up Is Startin To Get Me Down", "Since You Stayed Here", "A Long Way To Go", and "Keepin My Head Above Water".

The coolest music we've heard so far from this fantastic funky talent – served up here in an ultra-cool package that also offers up four different cover images over two separate pieces of music! Sammi's got a name that's a bit unwieldy, but he serves up the groove with a sound so tight, we almost feel like we're back in the glory days of a good Quincy Jones funky soundtrack – thanks to a tight punch that Samuelsson brings to his large lead ensemble, which often moves here with the sharper sound of a much smaller funky combo! The arrangements are amazing – and the grooves run between styles that include touches of 70s Afro Funk, European-styled MPS jazz funk, and the promised blacksploitation modes mentioned above. Instrumentation is wonderful throughout – and honestly, there's nobody out there making music like this at the moment – and certainly nobody who gets the sound so right, tight, and on the money as Sammi! Titles include "Afromars", "1st Man From Iceland", "Ethiopian", "Afrobit", "Fola", "Peace", "Dubnotic", and "Ekki Stela Afrika Folkinu".

A solid smoker from the SOS Band – maybe one of the group's best-remembered albums, and for good reason too! The set's got a groove that's beautiful right from the start – 80s funk that's really a cut above, and touched with just the right mix of jazzy elements and warmer moments too – giving the whole record a much more balanced feel than similar efforts of the time! Production is from Ricky Sylvers and Gene Dozier – the latter of whom we especially love, and who no doubt helps bring his years of soulful experience into the great sound of the set. Titles include "You Shake Me Up", "Have It Your Way", "Your Love", "High Hopes", "Good & Plenty", and "Groovin". Great reissue – with book-styled cover, lots of notes, and bonus tracks that include "High Hopes (edit)", "Good & Plenty (7" version)", "Good & Plenty (12" version)", "Groovin (special version)", and "Your Love (US 12" version)".

Rob Swift, Total Eclipse & Roc Raida make with a murderous mix set – 60 minutes of the hottest X-ecutioner beats, breaks, and rhymes plus a sampling of some of the best hip hop of the last 10 or so years worth of beats. The X crew seamlessly cut up some of the hottest underground work, but they're not so stuck up that they won't occasionally pop their heads above the surface. They also splice pulp film dialogue and sound bites, rivaling Cut Chemist and Automator in the outer space cheese vein while keeping the hard core street feel. Nice!!!

The first LP of smooth Gospelly soul by one of the best groups working on Stax in the early 70s – and a stunning blend of styles that pushes way past its roots! Yeah, this stuff's kinda religious, but it's hidden underneath some fantastic soul arrangements, and given such power by the group's voices that you hardly notice the gospel message. Rance plays cool electric piano on a number of cuts, and the tracks include "Love Power", "Everything Is Gonna Be Alright", "Up Above My Head", and "What Is This?".

The amazing second album from Deep Jazz – and every bit as spiritual and soulful as the first! These guys really blew us away with their debut, and we're loving them even more this time around – and can honestly say that they're one of the few contemporary combos to ever get our favorite sounds of the 70s just right – that magical music that came out on labels like Strata East and other small indies of the time – that post-Coltrane generation when musicians really stretched their skills to the heavens in search of new sounds! The arrangements, production, and execution here are wonderful – with no modern tricks or gimmicks to get in the way at all – and in addition to great warm acoustic bass from group leader Jerker Kluge, the set also features alto, tenor, flute, bass clarinet, and piano – plus some great Alice Coltrane-like harp, sweet percussion, and even female vocals on a few cuts. Titles include the great originals "The Meeting", "Movement", and "Don't Get Drowned" – plus great versions of "Little Sunflower" and "Spirits Up Above".

A tight groover from The Gap Band – already past the "V" in their classic run of 80s albums, and still very might at the top of their game! The core trio work here with sweet production from Lonnie Simmons – a pairing that continues to set the group up above most of their competition, and give them a groove that goes way past the obvious. Mellow cuts stand out as strongly as upbeat ones – and if anything, the mellow groovers are the best! Titles include "The Sun Don't Shine Everyday", "Weak Spot", "Video Junkie", "Beep A Freak", "Don't You Leave Me", "Disrespect", "I Believe", and "I Found My Baby". CD features bonus tracks – "Beep A Freak (12" long version)", "I Found My Baby (12" club/dance mix)", "Disrespect (12" club mix)", "Beep A Freak (12" special dance mix)", and "I Found My Baby (12" rmx with breakdown)".

The first two albums from Ozone – back to back on a single CD! Walk On is the great debut of Ozone – a group who'd worked previously as the backing band for Billy Preston – which should give you an idea of how great they are! The group have a razor-sharp way of putting things together – tight and funky, yet never over the top – and definitely a real cut above most of their contemporaries – even at this heady time for soul music! The balance of their sound is wonderful – with some occasional smooth moments amidst the jazzy funk – and the whole thing feels more like some of the best Capitol Records groovers of the time, instead of what you might expect from early 80s Motown. Titles include "Cosmic Egg", "Ego", "Walk On", "This Is Funkin Insane", "That J", and "You On My Mind". Send It is filled with killer grooves from Ozone – an overlooked early 80s group on Motown, and easily one of the label's strongest suits of the time! The group have the tighter sound of most of the Motown work of the time – but they also manage a looser, more organic sort of approach to their groove – a sound that's almost more in the ensemble funk and 80s groove best of the Capitol Rare scene of the time, and a lot less like some of the more chartbound acts on their label. There's plenty of bass in the backings, but it's never used in a way that's too over the top – and the group balance things out nicely with a careful approach to vocals and some more sensitive ballads. Titles include "Keep On Dancin", "Over & Over Again", "Gigolette", "Do What Cha Wanna", "Tune Up", and "Girl I Can't Wait". Also includes a 12" single mix of "Gigolette".

Clarence Reid at his funky best – heard here on a wicked wicked groove – one with a vibe that's right up there with the sharp-edged best of Joe Quarterman! Reid's always great at this point in his career – but there's something about this single that's even a cut above – the way the bass comes down on its own, between the horns and the drums – creating this extra layer that's almost its own groove on the cut! "Mr Hot Stuff" is similar, but a bit different too – with drums that break nicely, and some mighty mean piano too!

A damn great bit of 80s soul – the only album ever issued by Smoke City, but a killer set that we've loved for many years – especially given the group's link to the Chicago scene! The set's perfectly put together – head and shoulders above so much other major label soul of the time – with a mature, sophisticated groove that's really wonderful – almost an extension of the styles explored by Philly International at the start of the 80s, taken forward at a time when so many others were amping up their drum machines and going for too-commercial riffs in their grooves. The vocals alternate nicely between lead male singer Daveon Overton and female singer Starr – and the album also alternates between 80s groove, quiet storm numbers, and even a few slyly jazzy numbers that are perfect for the hipper side of the mainstream soul spectrum at the time. Titles include "Dreams", "Life Of the Party", "Time To Jam", "Back Seat Kind Of Girl", "In The World Of Fantasy", and "Cafe Francois".

A pair of overlooked gems from Nancy Wilson – on CD for the first time ever! The Sound Of Nancy Wilson is mighty darn groovy – a wonderful blend of upbeat late 60s modes, and some of the more compressed class of her earlier years! Arrangements are by Jimmy Jones, who finds just the right balance of jazz and soul to work perfectly with Wilson – so that when things are bouncy and swinging, she's got the punch to beat all the younger soul singers who were copping her game at the time – and when they're mellow, she shows that she can still blow anyone else out of the water on a sad-tinged ballad! Familiar tunes are reworked wonderfully by Jones – who definitely gives them all the sound of Nancy here – and titles include the righteous "Black Is Beautiful", plus "Below Above", "The Rules Of The Road", "Peace Of Mind", "The Other Side Of The Tracks", "It Only Takes A Moment", "Alone With My Thoughts Of You", and "This Bitter Earth". Nancy is a self-titled set from Nancy Wilson – and a record that definitely lives up to everything the Nancy name meant at the end of the 60s! The album's got a depth that can take on comers from all corners – enough class and sophistication to match the modes of Marlena Shaw or Dionne Warwick, but also enough punch to tackle the heavier soul styles of singers like Aretha Franklin or Fontella Bass – thanks to some heavier groovers on the package! There's loads of fresh numbers on the record – many given a great blast of jazz and soul by arranger Jimmy Jones – and titles include "Prisoner Of My Eyes", "Looking Back", "You'd Better Go", "What Do You See In Her", "We Could Learn Together", and "Player Play On".

Bobby Womack at the height of his powers – perfectly balancing southern soul roots and 70s soul polish – with an amazing sound that was unlike anyone else at the time! The set was recorded at Muscle Shoals, but has a quality that goes way beyond any of the standard modes from the studio – almost as if Bobby brought a special sort of magic to the sessions that made everyone rise above the sometimes too-familiar work they were giving to the bigger names who were traipsing through the studio. Of course, a big part of the success of the album comes from Womack's amazing vocal delivery – that style that's raspy, yet warm – and which is a perfect fit for the well-penned tunes on the set. Titles include "I'm Through Trying To Prove My Love To You", "Nobody", "If You Can't Give Her Love Give Her Up", and a very cool version of "The Look Of Love".

A very cool set! This one comes in a hardcover book-like package – and not only includes the main record, but two full other records as well! Across 110th Street is one of the best blacksploitation soundtracks of the early 70's – not only for the great title cut by Bobby Womack, "Across 110th Street", but for the excellent hard-hitting instrumentals by J.J. Johnson, which are perfectly in the groove of the blacksploitation generation! Lots of wah-wah guitar, funky keys, and tight riffing by the band – especially on the cuts "Harlem Clavinette", "Hang On in There", and "Harlem Love Theme". Also features "Do It Right" and another vocal version of "Hang On In There", both by Bobby. Facts Of Life features Bobby Womack at the height of his powers – perfectly balancing southern soul roots and 70s soul polish – with an amazing sound that was unlike anyone else at the time! The set was recorded at Muscle Shoals, but has a quality that goes way beyond any of the standard modes from the studio – almost as if Bobby brought a special sort of magic to the sessions that made everyone rise above the sometimes too-familiar work they were giving to the bigger names who were traipsing through the studio. Of course, a big part of the success of the album comes from Womack's amazing vocal delivery – that style that's raspy, yet warm – and which is a perfect fit for the well-penned tunes on the set. Titles include "I'm Through Trying To Prove My Love To You", "Nobody", "If You Can't Give Her Love Give Her Up", and a very cool version of "The Look Of Love". Looking For A Love Again is perfect pivotal Bobby! The record still has the raspy southern soul edge of earlier albums, but it benefits from some great smooth funky backing, laid down at Muscle Shoals with a host of legendary studio giants like Clayton Ivey, Roger Hawkins, Jimmy Johnson, and Truman Thomas. Includes killer funky stepper "You're Welcome, Stop On By", which has been sampled and covered many times over the years – plus "I Don't Wanna Be Hurt By Ya Love Again", "Let It Hang Out", "Lookin For A Love", "Doing It My Way", and "Don't Let Me Down".

One of the most amazing players to ever pick up the vibes – an artist with the sort of boundless creativity that Walt Dickerson and Bobby Hutcherson brought to the instrument in the 60s! Jason Adasiewicz has an amazing ear for both sound and music – and manages to balance the two perfectly – reaching for completely fresh sounds from the vibes, yet also with a sense of structure that's never too free – really maintaining a musical, melodic approach that keeps us rapt and attentive all the way through! Jason's music has always been great, but these recent Delmark sets are even a cut above – proof that both the label and the new Chicago scene are powerful forces in 21st Century jazz. The trio features excellent work by like-minded musicians Natt McBride on bass and Mike Reed on drums – and titles include "The Volunteer", "Pillow", "Run Fly", "Solo One", "Diesel", and "Waiting In The Attic".

A pretty darn nice deep soul album – the only one we've ever seen from singer Bill Brandon, and a real obscurity on the mostly-disco Prelude labe! The album was put together by the team of Moses Dillard and Jesse Boyce, but it's much more laidback and mellow than the clubbier work by the pair – very much in a mature 70s southern soul mode – that cut-above, no-cliches style that very few male singers of the generation were able to hit! A few numbers pick up the pace, but usually only slightly – and even on these, Brandon's warm vocals sound great – flowing and grooving with a quality that's almost like Walter Jackson, but a bit deeper soul overall. Titles include "Baby, Love is A Two Way Street", "Hands Full Of Nothing", "Just Can't Walk Away", and "Can't We Just Sit Down And Talk It Over". CD also features the bonus track "We Fell In Love While Dancing (12" version)".

There's plenty of Afro Funk combos working today, but these guys are one of the greatest – a totally hip French ensemble with a really amazing sound! Fanga has a groove that's really a cut above – a way of pulling together all the best elements of the 70s generation of Afro Funk, and sifting them out with a new sense of power – a boldness that grabs you right from the get-go, and which makes the album way more than just a simple copycat of Fela modes! The percussion is especially great – nicely gritty on the bottom, and played with a sharp sense of focus – and the keyboards also stand out too, with a haunting quality that spooks things up nicely and unsettles some of the best tunes. The group also have plenty of space in their egos for outside help from others – and the album features key guest work from Tony Allen and Segun Damisa. Titles include "Crache La Doleur", "Noble Tree", "Natural Juice (Ashanti mix)", "I Didn't Know", "Kononi", "Iba", "Bolli", and "Ni I Matoro".

These guys may not be a household name, but they're a heck of a great group – and one of the best European combos we've heard from the time! Staffan is a pianist, and Lars is a trumpet and cornet player – and it's clear that the group have taken some cues from the classic Cannonball Adderley Sextet of the Riverside years. But even more importantly, they seem to be working here in that "soul jazz into modern" style that showed up on a lot of the Cannonball-produced records from the same period – a mode that's still somewhat grounded in a rootsy, rhythm-based sound – but which also breaks out with some incredible tones, colors, and modes – shading in the set with a depth that we never would have expected! The CD features a range of different recordings by the group – including one with vocals by the lovely Monica Zetterlund – and the overall quality of the work is at or above that of the usual Blue Note or Prestige session from the same period! 11 tracks in all – with titles that include "Paronet I Montecello", "Atarax", "Fin Sikt Over Havet", "Pia", "Juan Les Pins", "Farfars Vals", and "Maybe Tomorrow".

The first full length version of this overlooked 70s soundtrack from Italian maestro Stelvio Cipriani – a pretty cool mix of styles that shows off some of Cipriani's best modes of the time! The main theme has this slow-stepping, almost sexy sort of quality – quite a surprise, given the doggy nature of the film – but it's also mixed with other moments that either show off Stelvio's ear for a fast moving, jazzy line – or his growing flair for the kind of jaunty, playful line that would show up more in his soundtracks in later years. A few tunes feature inventive woodwinds, but most of the focus is on the keyboards – used in all the modes described above. 17 tracks in all – two from the original 45 rpm release, plus others from the film!

Amazing sounds from Moonchild – a group as lovely as their name! The style here is slinky and stellar – spacey funk that's heavy on keyboards, yet really laidback too – stepping along in a cool cosmic vibe that's perfect for the lead vocals of Amber Navran – a hell of a great singer who really makes her voice work well with the keys! The album's really a cut above the rest – very fresh, with a crisp edge that's wonderful – and proof that there's still some great folks out there in the underground making righteous music like this! Titles include "Back To Me", "Be Free", "Out Of My Mind", "Ocean Deep", "Gone", "What Shall We Do", and "Turn It Up".

Ammnesia? We don't know about you, but we still haven't forgotten these seminal house tracks from Larry Heard – easily some of the most exciting work of the Chicago scene – and music that really marked a bit step forward for the sound of the dancefloor at the time! Larry's working here on some really amazing keyboards – often used in ways that have a direct link back to 70s electronics from Herbie Hancock and others, yet served up in a leaner, stripped-down mode that went onto influence a whole batch of British musicians in the next decade as well. The whole thing's way more interesting than just the usual batch of dance tracks – and although the analogue keys have plenty of "acid" elements – they're also really a cut above that genre too. Titles include "Can You Feel It", "Washing Machine", "Beyond The Clouds", "Stars", "Waterfalls", "For So Long", "Amnesia" and "Mystery Of Love".

Turkish psych, funk, and disco – plus cross-pollinated grooves created from all of the above! If you don't know the Turkish scene of the 70s, there's plenty here to love – a really wicked combination of Western modes and local elements – styles that echo out in some of the classic arabesk rock of the scene, as well as some more unusual modes that are a great addition here. The full length set follows up on previous 12" singles from Nublu – but offers all original material from back in the day, with no edits or remixes at all – just killer classics that show why the Turkish scene of the time is well worth digging up! Titles include "Cemalim" by Erkin Koray, "Yaz Gazeteci" by Derdiyoklar, "Nem Alacak Felek Benim" by Cem Karaca, "Ikimiz Bir Fidaniz" by Kamuran Akkor, "Hal Hal" by Nazan Soray, "Derman Bulunmaz" by Ersen & Dadaslar, "Teselliye Sen Gerek" by Nazay Soray, and "Binboganin Kizi" by Baris Manco & Mogollar.

A key link in the early career of Blossom Dearie – and a fab album of jazzy vocal tracks throughout! Before Blossom recorded some of her 50s sides for Verve in the US, she was living in France and working with The Blue Stars – a cool male/female jazz vocal group that went onto become the prototype for later acts like The Swingle Singers, Lambert Hendricks & Ross, and Les Double Six! This 1954 album by the group was actually a minor hit in the US, where their swinging harmony version of "Lullaby Of Birdland" crept up the charts for a few weeks. The album's even cooler than the hit, though, and has lots of groovy jazz vocal tracks in French, with the sort of vocalese harmony scatting that you probably already know from the more famous groups mentioned above. You can always pick out Blossom's distinctive voice in the group, but the real strength is the groovy group vocals – shining beautifully in one of the first great recordings of vocalese harmony! Tracks include "Gina", "Embrasse Moi Bien", "La Danse Du Baiser", "Toute Ma Joie", and a version of "Mister Sandman" that's been renamed "Mister L'Amour".

The title's no joke, as Earth Wind & Fire are definitely part of the electric universe of early 80s Columbia Records – the galaxy that also includes Herbie Hancock during his electro years! As a result, there's a lot more keyboards and electric rhythms in the set than before – a new setting for the still-positive expressions of the group – one that works especially well on the mellower cuts! These really have the group opening up their best ballad modes – stretching out to crossover nicely, yet still with a quality level that's head and shoulders above most of their contemporaries. Of course, the sweet vocals of Philip Bailey really help put over some of the best cuts too! Titles include "Moonwalk", "Touch", "Could It Be Right", "Sweet Sassy Lady", "Spirit Of A New World", and "We're Living In Our Own Time".

Great later work from The Manhattans – an album that's perhaps the group's last big commercial effort, but a set that also has all the depth of some of their older harmony classics too! There's a touch of 80s groove in the mix at points, but the vocals are mostly the main attraction here – still wonderfully crafted, with that "cut above" quality that helped The Manhattans set a whole new standard for male group soul during their Columbia years – especially on ballads! Things are tight, but never too slick – a balance that few older groups could ever hit this well during the early 80s – and titles include the single "Crazy", plus great slow jams that include "Just The Lonely Talking Again", "Start All Over Again", "Forever By Your Side", "Lover's Paradise", "Love Is Gonna Find You", and "I'm Ready To Love You Again" – plus the groover "Locked Up In Your Love".

A dancefloor classic! The album's the second by Gregg Diamond's Bionic Boogie, and head and shoulders above the rest – a sublime blend of soul and club that's hardly been matched again! Diamond manages to make things groove, but never loses sight of the soulful styles that make the record so great – and works here with key contributions from a young Luther Vandross, who gives the album some of the same strong vocal arrangements he brought to his own first two albums on Atlantic! Luther sings lead on the album's legendary track "Hot Butterfly", and works in a group with Cissy Houston on other tracks – sweetly soaring with vocals that go far beyond most disco efforts of the time. Simply sublime, and with classics that include "Hot Butterfly", "Paradise", "Cream (Always Rises To The Top)", "Chains", and "When The Sh*t Hits The Fan (Rocket Pocket)".

A perfect title for a perfect record – especially given all the love we've felt from Build An Ark over the years! The album's a masterpiece through and through – easily the greatest statement ever from this already-amazing band – a contemporary ensemble, but one that we'd seamlessly rank right next to our righteous favorites on labels like Impulse Records, Tribe, or Strata East – with all the political power and sense of social mission those references would imply! The song titles alone will give you a great idea of the beautiful vibe behind Build An Ark – tunes like "Celebrate", "How Do We End All This Madness", "Love Is Everywhere", "World Peace Now", and "This Prayer For The Whole World" – which re-ignite the Love Supreme candle first lit by John Coltrane in the 1960s – burning brightly again in the 21st Century, and almost even more inspiring – given the youthful energy of the group. As always, mainman Carlos Nino deserves a hell of a lot of credit for getting something this great, this right – but the group is also very clearly a collective, and draws amazing energy from members who include Dwight Trible, Kamau Daaood, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Damon Aaron, Jim Lang, and others. In addition to above-mentioned titles, other tunes include "Sweet Thing", "World Music", "More Love", "In The Park", and "Play The Music".

A really amazing little record – way more than usual for this sort of live recording – given that it features some very unique performances together by artists we've never heard on the same stage otherwise! The premise is simple, but wonderfully effective – in that the album brings together some of the leading lights of the Columbia/CBS jazz stable at the time – a massive lineup of talent from a few key generations in jazz, sounding surprisingly great hear together! All tracks are nice and long – and titles include a brilliant version of "Infant Eyes" by a quartet with Stan Getz on tenor and Bob James on piano; "Fried Bananas" with Dexter Gordon on tenor, Slide Hampton on trombone, Woody Shaw on trumpet, and George Duke on piano; "Bahama Mama" with Bob James on keyboards, Bobbi Humphrey on flute, Eric Gale and Steve Kahn on guitars, and Billy Cobham on drums – and the long jam session tracks "Montreux Summit", "Blues March", and "Andromeda" – which feature work from most of the players above, all working in one large group – plus added flute from Hubert Laws and Thijs Van Leer, percussion from Ralph Maconald, and bass from Alphonso Johnson.

A pair of great ones from this overlooked soul group from Illinois! Modern Heart is wonderful work from Champaign – a really self-contained group, and one who really rise above the rest of the early 80s soul scene! The album's got a tightness that's hard to beat – yet a sound that's never too slick or commercial either – kind of that best balance you'd find more in late 70s mainstream soul work, save for the fact that any upbeat numbers here have more of an 80s groove style than a disco one. The mellow tracks balance things out nicely, and show a deeper songwriting sound from the group than we might have expected – further testament to the strength of the album, along with the group's own arrangements and production. Titles include "Cool Running", "Party Line", "Try Again", "Let Your Body Rock", "Get It Again", "Love Games", and "Walkin". Woman In Flames is sweet, tight, and right on the money – a stellar bit of soul from Champaign – one of those great 80s groups who never seemed to get their due, but managed to make some really wonderful music right from the start! The album's got a slightly heavier production tip than before – arrangements from James Newton Howard that link Champaign a bit more to the sound of their mid 80s contemporaries – especially some of the other groups on Columbia. Yet there's also a healthy core to the album that comes from the group's own contributions – their continued strong sense of songwriting and performance, which makes their overall sound a lot less reliant on outside help than other groups of the period. Titles include "This Time", "Off & On Love", "Be Mine Tonight", "Mardi Gras", "Capture The Moon", "Woman In Flames", and "Intimate Strangers".

The first album from Chapter 8 – a set that's probably best remembered for introducing the world to Anita Baker, but one that's also pretty darn great on its own! Chapter 8 have a sharply soulful focus, one that takes them a bit above some of the other mainstream ensembles of the time – a balance of grooving rhythms and deeper feelings that's just about perfect – about at the level you might get from Maze or LTD, two other groups who both sported equally soulful lead singers! Gerald Lyles sings the male parts alongside Anita, and the blend is perfect – one that should have made the record even bigger than it was at the time, but maybe all that much better, since the lack of hit quality really keeps things fresh. Titles include the singles "Ready For Your Love" and "I Just Wanna Be Your Girl", plus "Don't You Like It", "Let's Get Together", "Come & Boogie", "I Go Disco", and "We Need Love".

Excellent early work by The Chi-Lites – work that instantly soars above that of most of their contemporaries – with that incredible Windy City soul sound forged by the group's Eugene Record and producer Carl Davis! The groove is wonderful – free and easygoing, yet tight and right on the money too – lighter than the dancefloor styles of Detroit, a bit more sophisticated too – yet never apt to fall into all of the overly-emotive styles of the east coast too. This balance is what makes the group so wonderful – and really comes through on this early album – a treasure trove of songs penned by Eugene Record too! Titles include "Let Me Be The Man My Daddy Was", "Give It Away", "What Do I Wish For", "My Whole World Ended", "24 Hours Of Sadness", and "To Change My Love".

Mid 60s surf grooves from Jerry Cole – blazing guitar-led instrumentals, though this is not a simple, quickie cash-in on the surf trend – it's a actually a top notch taste of expert LA studio genius! Cole is a brilliant guitarist, and the Spaceman he assembled for the Surf Age record features the crème of the crop of LA studio geniuses from the period – including Hal Blaine, Earl Palmer, Steve Douglas and others. The mix of searing guitars with a raw rhythms with virtuoso musicianship really puts this record above and beyond most others! Includes "Surf Age", "Martian Surf", "Night Rumble", "Night Rumble", "Power Surf", "Bronze Surfer", "Jerry's Jump", "Deep Surf", "Racing Waves", "One Color Blues", "Ride-Um!" and more. CD includes 6 bonus tracks, too: "Boss Dance", "Super Charged", Drag Shot", "Wild Willys", "The Screamer" and more!

A great early album from Con Funk Shun – a mix of funkier tunes and some excellent smooth modern ones in step with the mellower work by Cameo or Maze – done with more soaringly emotional sounds that moves beyond their peers! A love for earlier 70s styles might be what pushes Secrets above and beyond – honest, intimate, and at times just more focused in the vocals department than both the funky soul groups of the time and the quiet storm singers of the approaching early 80s – and still doesn't spare the bass, horns and funky interplay! High points include the closing instrumental "Indian Summer Love" and funky centerpiece "Ffun" –plus "Doowhachawannadoo", "Who Has The Time", "Secrets", "Tear In My Eye" and "I'll Set You Out OK".

A nice 6 song mini LP/EP scorcher from Portsmouth, NH garage rockers The Connection! Seven Nights To Rock is a hook-filled blast – with a tight, no frills and no-nonsense style inspired by the greatests 60s garage sounds – and a tuneful delivery that's above and beyond so many of their contemporary peers. The group not only has a great ear for hooks, but the ability to pull them off with a mix of raucous rock and sweeter harmonies. Fun stuff! Includes "Seven Nights To Rock", "I Think She Digs Me", "Comes 'N Goes", "Bad To Worse", a cover of The Ramones rarity "Yeah Yeah" and in another cool nod to The Ramones – the Connection original "Gonna Leave You" features production by Ed Stasium – producer/engineer of some the Ramones most treasured material!

A sublime trio set from Strata East mainman Stanley Cowell – a set cut later than his run at that famous label, and in a mode that's a bit more straightforward too – but still equally soulful, and handled with a conception that's far above most of his contemporaries! The group is perfectly balanced – Cowell on acoustic piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums – all players that have strong melodic impulses, which really bring a sense of lyricality to the music. There's a majestic flow to most numbers – different than the modal impulses of Stanley's music a decade before, but still quite powerful, even at mellow moments. The set features a great remake of "Equipoise", plus the tracks "Lady Blue", "Musa & Maimoun", "Dr Jackle", "November Mood", and "Dave's Chant".

A surprisingly great album from DeBarge – proof that the group really had something great at the start! Much as we'd like to dismiss DeBarge for their dated costumes and silly covers, the group still stands as one of the strongest pop acts from early 80s Motown – and have an undeniably catchy groove that still has appeal after all these years! Of course, part of the strength of this one is actually the mellower numbers – sung in a wonderfully sweet harmony mode that was instantly timeless. The best of these is "Stay With Me", sampled to great effect, and a tune elevates this album above all the rest – but there's plenty of other tasty numbers too, including "Time Will Reveal", "Need Somebody", "Be My Lady", "Love Me In A Special Way" and "Queen Of My Heart".

Delegation really hold onto their groove in this rock-solid second set – an album that burns with vibrant energy right from the start – but all in ways that are really a cut above the usual uptempo soul of the time! Rhythms are a key part of the sound, but it's the trio's vocals that really hold us rapt – a warmly glowing approach to the lyrics, and one that still keeps things plenty soulful, even when tunes are upbeat, catchy, and very firmly aimed at the dancefloor! These guys were never huge at the time, but they've got a near-perfect sound throughout – a sense of funk that rivals some of the large-member ensembles, and a warmth with their vocals that matches some of the solo acts of the period. Titles include the sublime "In Love's Time", which has a great Earth, Wind & Fire kind of groove – plus "Singing", "Feels So Good", "In The Night", "Gonna Keep My Eyes On You", "12th House", "Turn On To City Life", and "I Wantcha Back".

Delegation really hold onto their groove in this rock-solid second set – an album that burns with vibrant energy right from the start – but all in ways that are really a cut above the usual uptempo soul of the time! Rhythms are a key part of the sound, but it's the trio's vocals that really hold us rapt – a warmly glowing approach to the lyrics, and one that still keeps things plenty soulful, even when tunes are upbeat, catchy, and very firmly aimed at the dancefloor! These guys were never huge at the time, but they've got a near-perfect sound throughout – a sense of funk that rivals some of the large-member ensembles, and a warmth with their vocals that matches some of the solo acts of the period. Titles include the sublime "In Love's Time", which has a great Earth, Wind & Fire kind of groove – plus "Singing", "Feels So Good", "In The Night", "Gonna Keep My Eyes On You", "12th House", "Turn On To City Life", and "I Wantcha Back".

Delegation really hold onto their groove in this rock-solid second set – an album that burns with vibrant energy right from the start – but all in ways that are really a cut above the usual uptempo soul of the time! Rhythms are a key part of the sound, but it's the trio's vocals that really hold us rapt – a warmly glowing approach to the lyrics, and one that still keeps things plenty soulful, even when tunes are upbeat, catchy, and very firmly aimed at the dancefloor! These guys were never huge at the time, but they've got a near-perfect sound throughout – a sense of funk that rivals some of the large-member ensembles, and a warmth with their vocals that matches some of the solo acts of the period. Titles include the sublime "In Love's Time", which has a great Earth, Wind & Fire kind of groove – plus "Singing", "Feels So Good", "In The Night", "Gonna Keep My Eyes On You", "12th House", "Turn On To City Life", and "I Wantcha Back". Bonus tracks include "Singing (12" special disco mix)", "Singing (single)", and "12th House (single)".

One thing you have to remember about The Dells – they always sound great! Even here, in later years, their sound is superb – a rich, deep approach to harmonies that's still head and shoulders above most other groups in the business! The production on the set is by Norman Harris and the Harris Machine – and some tracks get a Philly groove on, while others stick in a mellower ballad mode that's completely dominated by the group. Niceness abounds, and titles include "Private Property", "God Helps Those", "Don't Trick Me, Treat Me", "Wasted Tears", and "How Can One Man Be So Lucky". CD features a bonus track – a US single edit of "Private Property".

Another great achievement from this groovy Italian group – an album that's head and shoulders above anything they were doing just a few short years ago! The Dining Rooms deep to deepen their sound more and more with each new record – hitting a range of tones and colors that take them far beyond their initially simple rhythms, and into a space that's filled with thoughtful lyrics and sensitively-penned tunes! Most of the tracks here hit a groove that's somewhere between mid and downtempo – about half of which feature vocals by guests who include Toco, Dodo Nkishi, Sean Martin, Renaud Chaure, and George Anne Kalweit. There's a fair bit of Fender Rhodes sliding through the tunes, and some warm acoustic basslines as well – really grounding the music in a classic sort of style, even though the overall execution is fairly contemporary. Titles include "Ceremony", "Free To Grow", "Thank You", "Fatale", "Ink", "Cobra Coral", "On The Beach", "Hear Us Now", "Etage Noir (parts 1 & 2)", and "Appuntamento A Trieste".

A soulful 70s set from Cheo Feliciano – cut-above salsa done in close collaboration with songwriter C Curet Alonso, who wrote most of the songs on the set! Bobby Valentin handles arrangements – and the groove here has that joyous, upbeat style of his own work at the time – pushed forward strongly with basslines from Bobby, plus Ray Barretto on congas, Vinnie Bell on guitar, Dave Carey on vibes, and Larry Harlow on piano. The core combo's nice and tight, and gives the album a personal feel that matches the tunes nicely – and titles include "Nabori", "Salome", "Guaguanco Te Dedico", and "Hace Furo", a nice jazzy mambo track.

One of the best records ever cut by this soulful Philly female trio! The album's one of the first on Salsoul's Gold Mind subsidiary – and it features sparkling club production by the Harris/Baker/Young team – a landmark force not only in Philly disco, but 70s female soul as well – as their backings for groups of this nature are always sensitive to the complexities of the vocals! The record's mostly uptempo – with plenty of soaring tracks that still retain the more soulful sound of the group's early work – and the songwriting's generally tight, a few notches above earlier albums on Warner – showing that their return to the indie fold was a very good move. Titles include the classic "Let No Man Put Asunder" – plus "Doctor Love", "Indian Giver", "Do Me Again", and a great version of Stevie Wonder's "Love Having You Around". CD features lots of bonus tracks – including "Doctor Love (single)", "Love Having You Around (single)", "Indian Giver (single)", "Doctor Love (12" Tom Moulton mix)", "Let No Man Put Asunder (12" Shep Pettibon mix)", and "Let No Man Put Asunder (12" Frankie Knuckles mix)".

We couldn't fit all the mixes in the title above, so for "1-800 Suicide" the mixes are: "New vocal version", "New vocal acapella", "Flip Squad mix", 'Gangsta mix", "Poisonous mix", "Poisonous mix inst", "Guillotine mix" and the "Dig Deep mix" and for "Mommy What's A Gravedigga?" the mixes are: "RZA mix clean", "Rza mix inst", "Uptight Cratedigga mix" and "Uptight Cratedigga inst".

John Hicks works in some really wonderful company here – a trio with bassist Curtis Lundy and drummer Idris Muhammad – both of whom really add a lot to the date! We're always big fans of Lundy's sound on bass – and his approach here has the same warm-rolling quality you'd find in his own best 80s work – really helping to push Hicks' lyrical agenda on the piano with a rhythmic support that's tremendous. Muhammad's pretty great too – definitely on the understated side of his talents, that nicely subtle sound he developed in the 80s – and Hicks, as always, is more than a cut above most of his contemporaries, and continues a long legacy of extremely soulful work on the keys of the piano. Titles include "Pas De Trois", "Hold It Down", "Airegin", "Coral Keys", "Ted's Delight", and "Blue In Green".

A wicked 80s groove from the mighty Ingram Family! Ingram were one of those groups that actually got better as they got slicker – and by the time of this 1983 release, Butch, James, and William Ingram had had more than enough experience working together and with other artists to really forge a strong sophisticated soul sound. The record's a lot better than many of its group-soul contemporaries' – and it's more of an extension of a 70s harmony group style than it is a throwaway 80s group funk album. The songwriting's a notch above what you'd expect – and the overall soul component is very high. Titles include "Share A Dream", "No One", "Smoothin Groovin", "Spoken Words", and "Groovin On A Groove".

An excellent Quincy Jones score that stands head and shoulders above the soundtrack to the first film in this series, In The Heat Of The Night. Q is in fine fine form with this material – adding in a lot more funk than before, to fit the uptown theme of the film. There's lots of nice jazzy tracks on the record, and some tight funky ones that made the soundtrack virtually a blueprint for the blacksploitation sound of the 70s! Titles include "Soul Flower", "Call Me Mr. Tibbs", "Black Cherry", "Blues For Mr. Tibbs", and "Fat Poppadaddy".

Transition is right, as the cover has Barbara floating above a Curtis Mayfield-ish scene of drugs, war, gambling, and Satan. The music isn't nearly as dope as the cover, but the album does include the odd track with a political message, like "World in a Crisis", "Trigger Happy People", and "The Devil is Busy". Arrangements are by Norman Harris, Richard Rome, and Bobby Eli – and the album's got sort of a "Philly consciousness" sound, similar to some of the semi-political vocal groups that were operating at the time. Other tracks include "Sunday Saint (Weekday Sinner)", "Half Sister, Half Brother", and "Time Is Running Out".

A genius group from the glory days of the New York avant scene of the 70s – yet one who haven't been nearly as well-documented as some of their contemporaries! The lineup here is legendary – a quintet with Charles Brackeen on tenor, flute, and soprano sax, Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, William Parker on bass, Roger Blank on drums, and Tony Waters on percussion – working in ways that are really a bridge between the starker sounds of the ESP generation, and some of the looser, more collaborative energies of the loft jazz scene that was on the rise! This recording from 1974 is some of the only surviving work by the group – a well-recorded radio performance that has the group working through a number of compositions in sequence, often with very spiritual results. The package features rich recollections on the quintet by Ahmed Abdullah, and some great vintage images as well – and titles include "Face Of The Deep", "Redemption/Consecration", "Above The Cross/My Divine", and "Time & Money".

Definitely the sort of album to make you feel better – given the tight, soulful sounds of Ndugu Chancler and this Chocolate Jam Company! The album's got roots in jazz – Ndugu's a drummer with work on countless other albums – but also steps out with plenty of soul, too – thanks to vocals from Ndugu, Leo Miller, Josie James, and Maxi Anderson – who often sing together in this warm style that fits perfectly with the grooves in the set! Instrumentation is definitely a cut above the usual session of this type – no surprise, given the jazz and fusion heavyweights in the lineup – and the tunes are catchy and grooving, yet never clunky or commercial at all. The blend is sublime – the sort that's made the record a standout for years – and titles include "Send You My Love", "Space Connection", "Make You Feel Better", "Jungle Journey", "Love Anew", and "Come Into My Life Again". CD features three bonus tracks – "Shadow Dancing (7" version)", "Take Some Time (7" version)", and "Love Anew (7" version)".

Pre-Philly magic from The Spinners – a wonderful early album recorded for Motown – done with a heady Detroit sound that's quite different than their later work in the 70s! The album already has the group sounding amazing on the harmonic tip – definitely a cut above the groups that came before them – with that brilliant Spinners ability to harmonize heavily while still hitting a groove! Arrangements are by Paul Riser, Wade Marcus, and David Van DePitte – all of whom keep things full, but never overblown – presenting music with a perfect polish for the group, but in quite different ways than the later Philly groove. Titles include the classic original version of "It's a Shame", plus "My Lady Love", "Souly Ghost", "Ooh Child", "In My Diary", "My Whole World Ended", "I've Got To Find Myself A Brand New Baby", "Bad Bad Weather", and "Pay them No Mind".

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

The stuff of legend – and one of the greatest albums ever from Brazil's Tamba Trio! The group have a sound here that goes way beyond standard bossa jazz – in that amidst the piano, bass, and drums, the trio also harmonize vocally too – swirling together the lyrics, which are often wordless, in these cool jazz riffs that are really amazing – soaring out above the instrumentation, to create a whole new layer of grooves! Arrangements are by the group's pianist, Luiz Eca – who really reaches a high point in his musical development here – and titles include the classics "Boranda", "Barumba", and "Consalacao" – plus "Yansa", "Moto Continuo", "Nuvens", and "Pregao".

A smoking disco double-header from THP Orchestra – two excellent albums back to back, with loads of bonus tracks too! Early Riser has a groove that really has the group starting out strongly – a perfect early disco approach that's funky and instrumental, but which often echoes some other earlier instrumental eras too – partly in the choice of songs, partly in the way that familiar grooves are disco-fied for the 70s! There's more covers here than in later years, but all of them are done mighty well – with a strong use of funky guitars and keyboards that keep a nice edge on the rhythms. Titles include "Theme From SWAT", "More", "Dawn Patrol", "Early Riser", "Crazy Crazy", "Manha De Carnaval", and "Sugar Sugar". CD features 8 more bonus tracks added to the album – including "Theme From SWAT (orig 7" mix)", "Early Riser (orig 12" mix)", "Manha De Carnaval (7" edit)", "Fightin On The Side Of Love (12" mix)", "Fightin On The Side Of Love (inst 7" mix)", and "Fightin On The Side Of Love (inst 12" mix)". Two Hot For Love is a great little disco album – really a cut above its contemporaries, thanks to some great instrumentation overall! Side one features the extended "Two Hot For Love" title track – presented as a mini-suite of sorts with lead vocals from Barbara Fry, a singer who's really a lot more soulful than you'd expect. But even better are the keyboards by Michael Lewis – soaring out with similar spacey touches to his own AVI work, and bringing in some interesting interplay to the tune. Side two features some shorter tracks – including a great funky remake of "Manha De Carnival" with more great Lewis keyboards – plus "Crazy Crazy", "Dawn Patrol", and "Early Riser" – all longer versions than on the group's first album. CD features lots of bonus remixes of the title single "Two Hot For Love" – including an "RCA 12" mix", "7 inch b-side", "Pete Waterman 12" edit", and a few more single mixes.

One of the few funky albums ever cut as a leader by Larry Willis – a super-hip keyboard player who's best known for his work with Jackie McLean and Hugh Masekela, but who sounds even better as a leader! This album's a gem all the way through – with a free-thinking soulful sound that's head and shoulders above the rest of the work on Groove Merchant at the time. Players include Harold Vick, Roland Prince, and Eddie Gomez – and the overall groove is an incredible array of soulful rhythms, played by Larry on electric piano, in a mode that makes the record feel like a lost gem from Strata East or Black Jazz. Includes the cuts "Out On The Coast", "153rd Street Theme", "Inner Crisis", and "Bahamian Street Dance".

Massive music from the Congotronics series – most of it making an initial vinyl appearance here in this luxurious box set! There's way more here than you'd expect – six full records of music, a bonus single, and a beautiful book too – plus digital information for all the music too, so you can download everything to your favorite portable device! The set's overflowing with some of the most killing contemporary sounds from Africa – including the albums Congotronics 1 by Konono No 1, the compilation Congotronics 2 – Buzz'n'Rumble From The Urb'n'Jungle, the album In The 7th Moon by Kasai All-Stars, the album Tres Tres Fort by Staff Benda Bilili, and the brand-new Konono No 1 album Assume Crash Position! The box also has a specially designed book with loads of photographs from the contemporary scene in Kinshasa, plus a 7" single with two exclusive tracks – "Coupe-Jarret" by Kasai Allstars & Akron/Family, and "Bana Mbende" by Kasai Allstars. And if that's not enough, the bonus USB drive includes 9 more videos, in addition to all the music from the albums above!

A beautiful record that not only shows how great the basswork of Ingebrigt Haker Flaten can be – but also what a great collaborator he is in an improvised setting! We've loved other albums from Flaten, but somehow this one really feels like a cut above – bass lines that have these incredibly powerful moments, with just the force of a few low notes – mixed with instrumentation from a well-chosen quartet lineup of Joe Morris on guitar, Joe McPhee on tenor, and Nate Wooley on trumpet! The horns seem to take off to the skies at some points, really let loose – but other times really seem to feel the sonic setting provided by Ingebrigt, as they slowly move to add in their own textures. Morris is nicely restrained at some moments – and titles include "Pent", "Times", "Port", "Giants", "Knicks", "Rangers", and "As If".

A jazz rock classic that still sounds pretty darn tasty today – forged on the heels of Chicago and Blood Sweat & Tears, but with a sound that's leaner and meaner! The group's led by trumpeter Bill Chase – hence their name – and features lead vocals by GG Shinn and Terry Richards, both in a style that's got the same blue-eyed jazz soul overtones as that used by the groups mentioned above. The real strength of the tracks, though, is their jazzy backings – horn-heavy, as you'd expect, and hitting some great riffs and licks on the album's side-long title "suite", which features many instrumental passages. Titles include "Hades", "Aphrodite (parts 1 & 2)", "Zeus", "Poseidon", "Cronus", "It Won't Be Long", "I Can Feel It", and "Night".

A super-funky set – two vintage albums from Con Funk Shun – back to back on a single CD! The self-titled Con Funk Shun album is quite different than their later, better known hits! The group sure knew how to slap that bass, even back on this first album for Mercury – but then again, they – along with other big Mercury groups like The Ohio Players – were pioneering the bass-heavy sound that would influence countless bands over the next decade in soul. This first album's actually one of the group's best, with some nice rough edges that we like even more than the smoother sound of later albums. And oddly, some of our favorite cuts are the mellower ones – like the smooth jazzy instrumental "Foley Park", which has a nice moogy solo in the middle. Other good mellow cuts include "Another World", which almost has a "Summer Madness" quality to it, plus "Forever Just Ain't Long Enough" and "Never Be The Same". Secrets is a great early album from Con Funk Shun – a mix of funkier tunes and some excellent smooth modern ones in step with the mellower work by Cameo or Maze – done with more soaringly emotional sounds that moves beyond their peers! A love for earlier 70s styles might be what pushes Secrets above and beyond – honest, intimate, and at times just more focused in the vocals department than both the funky soul groups of the time and the quiet storm singers of the approaching early 80s – and still doesn't spare the bass, horns and funky interplay! High points include the closing instrumental "Indian Summer Love" and funky centerpiece "Ffun" –plus "Doowhachawannadoo", "Who Has The Time", "Secrets", "Tear In My Eye" and "I'll Set You Out OK". CD also features a bonus track – "Ffun (12" version)" – a clubby killer!

One of the best records ever cut by this soulful Philly female trio! The album's one of the first on Salsoul's Gold Mind subsidiary – and it features sparkling club production by the Harris/Baker/Young team – a landmark force not only in Philly disco, but 70s female soul as well – as their backings for groups of this nature are always sensitive to the complexities of the vocals! The record's mostly uptempo – with plenty of soaring tracks that still retain the more soulful sound of the group's early work – and the songwriting's generally tight, a few notches above earlier albums on Warner – showing that their return to the indie fold was a very good move. Titles include the classic "Let No Man Put Asunder" – plus "Doctor Love", "Indian Giver", "Do Me Again", and a great version of Stevie Wonder's "Love Having You Around".

The second album from Foreign Exchange – the formerally bi-continental project of North Carolina MC, and nascent soul singer Phonte of Little Brother, and transplanted Dutch producer Nicolay – who take an even deeper turn into spacey soul on Leave It All Behind! Given that Phonte is singing rather than rapping, you'd be tempted to say that Foreign Exchange has left hip hop behind, but hip hop is in the heart and soul – and the group was born of the idea of hip hop as an evolving art form – so rhymes or not, it's hip hop to us. The spacey, jazzy melodic groove here finds producer Nicolay in peak form – a nice balance between thumping bass, beats and mellow atmospherics, and the mood is impeccable. We're pretty much stunned at how well Phonte is developing as a vocalist, with laidback lead and overdubbed backing vocals that go back the heart & soul comment above. A left turn for a duo that was adventurous to begin, with an excellent move to the next level! Titles include "Daykeeper", "Take Off The Blues", "All Or Nothing/Coming Home For You", "I Wanna Know", "House Of Cards", "Sweeter Than You", "Valediction", "If She Breaks Your Heart", "If This Is Love", "Something To Behold" and "Leave It All Behind".

The oft-covered Bob Dylan songbook never sounds so soulful – classic interpretations of Dylan's canon from a great, far reaching roster of black artists – from the the ever-stirring Staple Singers, southern soul heroes Howard Tate and OV Wright, charismatic country soul from Brook Benton, great gender role perspective flipped versions by Nina Simone and Patti LaBelle, a funky tamborine take by Con Funk Shun and much more! It’s another excellent entry in the Songwriter Series from Ace Records, extra excellent in that it takes an obvious hero of 60s Songwriter – and actually pulls together songs that'll take you by surprise for their depth – whether you treasure Dylan, deep 60s & 70s solo & group R&B, funk, folk soul...or all of the above! Includes "Blowin In The Wind" by OV Wright, "Girl From The North Country" by Howard Tate, "The Man In Me" by The Persuations, "Lay lady Lay" by The Isley Brothers, "Emotionally Yours" by The O'Jays, "All Along The Watchtower" by Bobby Womack, "Maggie's Farm" by Soloman Burke, "Mr. Tamborine Man" by Con Funk Shun and more. 20 tracks in all.

Ruthless Cali group gangsta from Above the Law – the first and probably their best LP! A benchmark – one of the planks on the bridge between the earlier efforts from NWA, Eazy E and the click and the later Dre & Snoop heyday. Livin' Like Hustlers has a few tracks produced by Dr Dre, and the rest by ATL and Laylaw. Includes "Murder Rap", "Livin Like Hustlers", "Menace To Society", "Just Kickin Lyrics", "Untouchable", "Another Execution", "Freedome Of Speech", "Flow On" and "Ballin".

If the 60's ever had a "hit" jazz record, it was probably this one! The album's a sparkling live session featuring the trademark soul jazz sounds of the Cannonball Adderley group with Joe Zawinul on acoustic and electric piano, and brother Nat Adderley on cornet. The tracks have a long soulful groove, with gutbucket solos from the 3 above-mentioned players, and tight live production by a young David Axelrod. Titles include "Sticks", "Hippodelphia", "Sack O Woe", and the classic "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" – a jazz theme that you'll recognize instantly!

One of our favorite groups from the Factory Records scene of the early 80s –with a sound that was a bit leaner and lighter than some of their Factory labelmates – but still very much in the same dark post-punk territory that the label was known for. The core instrumentation is mostly sharp guitars, with touches of the cold keyboards that were part of the Factory sound, and a slight spaciness to some of the group's tracks – a dreaminess that trips out nicely, and almost points the way towards sounds to come on later indies from the UK scene. Lyrically, Crispy Ambulance's work is a bit subdued – as the vocals are really buried in the mix, and almost secondary to the overall sound – with a moody quality that almost makes you not want to pry that much into what the band are going on about anyway! But that's really part of the charm of the group's work – heard to good effect here on tracks that include "Are You Ready?", "Travel Time", "The Force & The Wisdom", "The Wind Season", "Death From Above", "We Move Through The Plateau Phase", "Bardo Plane", "Chill", "Federation" and "Simon's Ghost".

A surprisingly great album from DeBarge – proof that the group really had something great at the start! Much as we'd like to dismiss DeBarge for their dated costumes and silly covers, the group still stands as one of the strongest pop acts from early 80s Motown – and have an undeniably catchy groove that still has appeal after all these years! Of course, part of the strength of this one is actually the mellower numbers – sung in a wonderfully sweet harmony mode that was instantly timeless. The best of these is "Stay With Me", sampled to great effect, and a tune elevates this album above all the rest – but there's plenty of other tasty numbers too, including "Time Will Reveal", "Need Somebody", "Be My Lady", "Love Me In A Special Way" and "Queen Of My Heart".

Another great achievement from this groovy Italian group – an album that's head and shoulders above anything they were doing just a few short years ago! The Dining Rooms deep to deepen their sound more and more with each new record – hitting a range of tones and colors that take them far beyond their initially simple rhythms, and into a space that's filled with thoughtful lyrics and sensitively-penned tunes! Most of the tracks here hit a groove that's somewhere between mid and downtempo – about half of which feature vocals by guests who include Toco, Dodo Nkishi, Sean Martin, Renaud Chaure, and George Anne Kalweit. There's a fair bit of Fender Rhodes sliding through the tunes, and some warm acoustic basslines as well – really grounding the music in a classic sort of style, even though the overall execution is fairly contemporary. Titles include "Ceremony", "Free To Grow", "Thank You", "Fatale", "Ink", "Cobra Coral", "On The Beach", "Hear Us Now", "Etage Noir (parts 1 & 2)", and "Appuntamento A Trieste".