All Categories — All Formats  

Titles include "Gonna Run", "The Band With No Name", "I'm Coming On", and "Think About The Times".

Live covers of Bikini Kill's "Rebel Girl" and Humble Pie's "30 Days In The Hole".

Other players include Roswell Rudd on trombone, Carlos Ward on alto and tenor, Michael Mantler on trumpet, Eric Gale and Cornell Dupree on guitars, and Richard Tee on piano and electric piano.

An 80s pop treasure – and a real bright spot in a mainstream world that often had plenty of clunky moments! The album represents a great step forward for the duo of Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn – as Watt's arrangements are even fuller and more focused than before – still lots of jazz in the mix, but on a larger scale that's really great – almost pushing them into a classic old school style – with a blend of orchestrations and vocals that's perfect for both the songwriting and Tracey Thorn's vocals! Titles include "Come On Home", "A Country Mile", "Careless", "Sugar Finney", "Come Hell Or High Water", "Fighting Talk", and "Little Hitler".

Beautiful – and a record that still sounds pretty darn great today! When Tracy Thorn and Ben Watt first teamed up to produce this tight little jazz pop gem, little did they know that they'd unleash a landmark sound that would forever transform the face of modern music – a great breath of real acoustic energy in an 80s landscape that was way too overcome with synthesizers and programs! The record mixes jazz and Brit pop into a swirling blend of beautiful little tracks – all graced by the incredibly smart early writing of Thorn and Watt, and some spare arrangements that really retain all the charm of their earlier solo projects too – especially that mature songwriting that made them great from the start. Titles include "Another Bridge", "Bittersweet", "Spice Of Life", "Crabwalk", "Fascination", "Frost & Fire", and "Soft Touch". Incredible 2CD version – with tracks from singles, rare demo recordings, and even some BBC tracks too! Singles include "Laugh You Out Of The House", "Easy As Sin", "Native Land", and "Riverbed Dry" – demos include "Frost & Fire", "Soft Touch", and "Bittersweet" – and BBC tracks include "Never Could Have Been Worse" and "Another Bridge".

Everything But The Girl – smack dab in the middle of a great run during the 80s! The style here moves a bit more towards conventional pop – but there's a depth that still lives up to the group's initial genius – songwriting that's gently expressive, but never overdone – and backings that still steer clear of most of the clunkiest moments that were often holding back other groups at the time. The rich background of Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt is what really makes the whole thing sparkle – that care for a song that they had right from their solo starts – still very much intact here – on titles that include "Love Is Here Where I Live", "These Early Days", "I Always Was Your Girl", "Goodbye Sunday", "Shadow On A Harvest Moon", "Lonesome For A Place I Know", and "Apron Strings". 2CD version features tracks from singles that include – "Home From Home", "I Don't Want To Talk About It", "Another Day Another Dollar", "No Place Like Home", and "Dyed In The Grain" – plus demos of 8 more tracks from the album – and a bonus outtake of "Apron Strings (alt film version)".

The first new album from Iggy & The Stooges since Raw Power – that's 40 g****amn years if you're counting – and it's a pretty damn good! Yeah, we're gonna say it again, as it's probably necessary to repeat it: the first new album from Iggy & The Stooges (aka, the version of the band with James Williamson on guitar) in 4 decades is worth picking up. Yes, really! Frankly, it shouldn't be such a surprise, given that their live show is still essential, but after the Stooges proper reunion album The Weirdness (with the now deceased Ron Asheton on guitar. . .but like this new version of the band, it featured latter day Stooge Mike Watt on bass to replace the earlier departed Dave Alexander) bombed bigtime, expectations were low. Rather than try to replace the frenzied Raw Power vibe, they're really just out to make a fun, snarky, profane, no BS rock 'n' roll record here and that's what they do. Iggy has been more of a weird crooner in the studio in recent years than the wild-eyed howler that he becomes on stage, and that's what he does here, too. On top of the balls out rockers, there's a couple of surprisingly strong acoustic numbers – and occasional Stooge sax honker Steve Mackay makes a welcome appearance. The best Iggy album in years, with or without the Stooges! Titles include "Burn", "Sex & Money", "Job", "Gun", "Unfriendly World", "Ready To Die", "DD's", "Dirty Deal", "Beat That Guy" and "The Departed".

A really wonderful compilation of rare material from the early days of Cherry Red Records – that great British label who brought some incredibly sweet pop into an otherwise dark post-punk world! The set's especially nice for its wealth of material by Everything But The Girl and solo members Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn – as nearly a third of the set is material by various combinations of the above. Includes "Can't", "Tower Of Silence", and "Aubade" by Ben Watt; "Goodbye Joe" by Tracey Thorn; and "Feeling Dizzy" and "On My Mind" by Everything But The Girl. Also includes "My Brilliant Career", "Son Of God's Mate", and "Inside Out" by The Nightingales; "If She Doesn't Smile" and "Thousand Guitars Of St Dominiques" by Fantastic Something; "4 Countries" and "The Coroner & The Inquest" by The Reflections; "This Is For The Moment", "Think", "Rushes", and "The Trial" by Five Or Six; and "The Bridge" by The Monochrome Set.

The first new album from Iggy & The Stooges since Raw Power – that's 40 g****amn years if you're counting – and it's a pretty damn good! Yeah, we're gonna say it again, as it's probably necessary to repeat it: the first new album from Iggy & The Stooges (aka, the version of the band with James Williamson on guitar) in 4 decades is worth picking up. Yes, really! Frankly, it shouldn't be such a surprise, given that their live show is still essential, but after the Stooges proper reunion album The Weirdness (with the now deceased Ron Asheton on guitar. . .but like this new version of the band, it featured latter day Stooge Mike Watt on bass to replace the earlier departed Dave Alexander) bombed bigtime, expectations were low. Rather than try to replace the frenzied Raw Power vibe, they're really just out to make a fun, snarky, profane, no BS rock 'n' roll record here and that's what they do. Iggy has been more of a weird crooner in the studio in recent years than the wild-eyed howler that he becomes on stage, and that's what he does here, too. On top of the balls out rockers, there's a couple of surprisingly strong acoustic numbers – and occasional Stooge sax honker Steve Mackay makes a welcome appearance. The best Iggy album in years, with or without the Stooges! Titles include "Burn", "Sex & Money", "Job", "Gun", "Unfriendly World", "Ready To Die", "DD's", "Dirty Deal", "Beat That Guy" and "The Departed".

An 80s pop treasure – and a real bright spot in a mainstream world that often had plenty of clunky moments! The album represents a great step forward for the duo of Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn – as Watt's arrangements are even fuller and more focused than before – still lots of jazz in the mix, but on a larger scale that's really great – almost pushing them into a classic old school style – with a blend of orchestrations and vocals that's perfect for both the songwriting and Tracey Thorn's vocals! Titles include "Come On Home", "A Country Mile", "Careless", "Sugar Finney", "Come Hell Or High Water", "Fighting Talk", and "Little Hitler". 2CD version features an amazing package – plus b-sides that include "Draining The Bar", "I Fall To Pieces", "Come On Home (acoustic)", "Alfie", and "Almost Blue" – plus demos of "Come On Home", "Careless", "Little Hitler", and "Cross My Heart".

A beautiful record, recorded in the days when Tracy Thorn was just a wee girl, and before she hooked up with Ben Watt to form Everything But The Girl. Despite her young age, though, the songs are incredibly mature, and the 8 tracks on here are still some of the best songs ever written about awkward and unrequited love. Tracy plays spare electric guitar, and sings in a wistful echoey voice, which gives that whole thing an even more haunting quality, and a totally unique sound. After over 15 years, this is still one of our favorite albums of all time! Tracks include "Seascape", "Simply Couldn't Care", "Too Hapy", and "Newly Opened Eyes".

Excellent live set from the early 70's, featuring George Duke, Airto, Ernie Watts, and brother Nat. David Axelrod produced, and the LP's got that nice hard funky sound that he did so well during his stint with Cannonball. Includes the 12 minute groover "The Brakes", plus "Oh Babe", "Music, You All", and "Capricorn". Lots of funky drums and bass, and with a lot of space in the arrangements to let things break down!

A soul record we'd put up there with some of our favorite ones that the city of Chicago produced in the early 70s – and it's literally a soul record – a beautiful gospel set by Pastor TL Barrett & The Youth For Christ Choir, of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, on the city's south side! There's genuine spirit and passion in this record to make it an exceptional gospel record, but it's the deep secular soul production touches and instrumentation that makes this one of the true, uh, holy grails of Chicago soul. The album was cut at the affordable Sound Market Studio, but behind the soaring, spirited lead and chorus vocal arrangements are players supervised by Chess Records sax player and arranger Gene Barge – with legendary players Richard Evans and Phil Upchurch in on the recordings. Raw drums, grooving organ, and incredible bass lines lay the foundation, but it's the voices that really shine on this completely wonderful, totally essential set! Includes "Like A Ship", "Wonderful", "It's Me O Lord", "Ever Since", "Nobody Knows", "Joyful Noice", "Medley...Dr. Watts Hymn & The Disciples Prayer" and "Blessed Quietness".

An underappreciated soul set from George Duke for Epic – his Rendezvous from '84 – an engagement worth keeping! Given the mid 80s release date, you might be expecting a whole lot of programming and drum machine action – there's a bit of it, but this is a really lively set with some great musicianship across the board – and the songs are pretty strong, too. Duke produced, sings and handles an array of instrumentation from keys to synths and programming, with Stanley Clarke, Paulinho Da Costa, Ernie Watts, Oscar Castro Neves and other great players in the mix. Titles include "Got To Get Back To Love", "Take It On", "She Can Wait Forever", "Stay Awhile", "Thinking Of You" (with some nice extended string arrangements), "Secret Rendezvous", and "Ipanema Lady"

With Ernie Watts on tenor, Alan Broadbent on piano, and Lawrence Marable on drums – plus a string orchestra conducted by Broadbent on most tracks!

A bundle of soul from Freddie Hubbard – one that has him blowing beautifully over full arrangements from Bert DeCoteux – the 70s super-soul maestro who really brings a new sound to Hubbard's music! The style's a bit smoother than other Freddie albums of the time, but still really great – a wonderful plenty of his well-timed, well-punctuated work on trumpet with warm grooves supplied by Bert – filled with instrumentation that includes David T Walker on guitar, Ernie Watts on sax and flute, Azar Lawrence on tenor, David Garfield on keyboards, and even Dorothy Ashby on flute. Titles include "Portrait Of Jenny", "Rainy Day Song", "Bundle Of Joy", "From Now On", "From Behind", and "Rahsaan".

A beautiful later Blue Note album from vibist Bobby Hutcherson – a set recorded after his famous association with Harold Land, but with a groove that's wonderfully soulful in a whole different way! Bobby plays marimbas instead of vibes this time around, and he's working with his own arrangements for a slightly larger group – one that has some sweet fusion overtones, and these wonderful mellow funk inflections – so that even the mellow cuts have this warmly glowing, ultra-soulful sound that's mighty nice – a bit like some of the work from Gene Harris around the same time. Other players include Jerry Peters on Fender Rhodes, who also helped out with the arrangements – plus Harvey Mason on drums and Ernie Watts on reeds – and a few tracks feature sweet backing vocals from The Waters. The highlight here is a nice moody extended version of "People Make The World Go Round", but all cuts are great, and titles include "Silver Rondo", "Manzanita", "NTU", and his dark cover of "Theme From MASH".

Killer Jazz Crusaders material! The record captures the group at a perfect time – a point when they were breaking past the tighter shorter formula of earlier material, and moving into a slightly more spiritual conception – yet one that still had a hard swing and a deeply soulful vibe! The record's a prime example of the never-ending energy held by the band – near-perfect on every track, and played with a sense of creative expression that easily puts them at the top of the soul jazz scene in the late 60s! Titles include "Night Theme", "Air Waves", "Uh Huh", "Watts Happening", and "Ice Water".

One of the sharper-edged sessions on the GRP label at the start of the 90s – a self-titled set from keyboardist Kenny Kirkland, who's mostly working here in a stripped-down acoustic mode! The lineup changes a bit from track to track – and in addition to Kenny on keys, the set also features Jeff Tain Watts on drums, Branford Marsalis on tenor and soprano sax, Charnett Moffet on bass, and Don Alias and Jerry Gonzalez on percussion. Some tracks are quite spare – one number is even just a drum solo by Watts – and there's a slightly modern undercurrent at points, as you might find in Marsalis family music of the same point – nothing that's ever too out, but a slightly dark edge that adds a bit more depth than you might expect. Titles include "Celia", "Chance", "Midnight Silence", "El Rey", "Mr JC", "Criss Cross", "Revelations", and "Ana Maria".

Two different sets of "saxophone special" recordings from Steve Lacy – each representing a key shift in his style on the European scene of the early 70s, and capturing him before he'd stratified things into the more standard Lacy modes that would come! The first half of the set has Lacy working with a great lineup that features lots of offbeat guitar from Derek Bailey – really sounding wonderfully here next to Steve's soprano sax – plus Steve Potts on alto and soprano, Kent Carter on amplified bass, and John Stevens on percussion. Sounds are sharp and short, often with the energy of some of Lacy's solo performances – but sonically expanded in a quintet setting – and titles include "38", "Flakes", and "Revolutionary Suicide". The second half features a performance from the following year – again with great guitar from Bailey and saxes from Potts – plus additional saxes from Trevor Watts and Evan Parker, and some electronics from Michel Waisvisz, which is a very nice touch. Titles include "Staples", "Dreams", "Swishes", "Sops", and "Snaps". CD features two album's worth of material – and also features the bonus alternate version of "Snaps".

The album's got a great old style cover – and a wonderful groove to match – plenty of cosmic beats and spacey keyboards from Eric Lau, plus some other sweet touches as well! The set's more in a funk mode overall – and one that will definitely please fans of the spacier side of the 70s spectrum – almost a distillation of territory spanned by cats like Herbie Hancock or Ronnie Foster, but filtered into a 21st Century aesthetic too – so that the best bits come to the forefront, and really give the album a lean sort of crackle. Most of the record is instrumental, and titles include "Cruise Control", "Sometime", "Home Run", "PPG", "Warp", "Minnie", "Love Love Love", "What's Going Down", "Noma", "Give Light Give Love", and "Change".

The classic debut of a young Wynton Marsalis – cut after a stretch when Wynton was working with Art Blakey, and had really sharpened his chops! The record's a wonderful return to straight jazz tradition for Columbia – but it also has some modern moments too – proof that the younger generation of 80s jazz players still had plenty of fresh sounds to bring to the table. Half of the record has Marsalis paired with the VSOP rhythm section – in a way that provides a nice link with the more modern edges of Columbia jazz a decade before. Wynton's sometimes a bit serious in his approach, but also opens up with freer Blakey-inspired moments too – and other players here include Herbie Hancock and Kenny Kirkland on piano, Jeff Watts and Tony Williams on drums, Clarence Seay and Ron Carter on bass, and Branford Marsalis on sax. Titles include "Twilight", "RJ", "Hesitation", "I'll Be There When The Time Comes", and "Father Time".

A sweet funky 45 debut for these 2 great cuts! "Tramp" is the original instrumental backing for the Otis & Carla hit – vocals stripped off and funky drums up large in the mix – making for all the funking vamping madness that first made us love the cut. Love that ripping guitar too! "Better Get A Move On" is a great lost bit of funk from the Wattstax concerts – showing up here for the first time on vinyl, and stepping out with some incredibly righteous vocals from Louise!

An excellent pairing of funk talents – the tight trumpet of Blue Mitchell, and the super-soulful backings of Monk Higgins! Higgins has a groove that was schooled in the funky 45 underground of Chicago – and here, he really finds a great way to pick things up for Mitchell – relieving him of the duties of being a leader on his own, and coming up with tight jams that then let Blue step out as the main solo talent! Other players include Paul Humphrey on drums, Anthony Ortega on tenor, Jim Horn and Ernie Watts on flute, and Monk Higgins himself on organ, tenor, and piano! The whole thing's a great jam, and includes many tasty cuts, like "Deeper In Black", "Jo Ju Ja", "Blue On Black", "Monkin Around", and "Keep Your Soul".

Excellent funky LP cut by Johnny Otis and his late 60's version of "The Johnny Otis Show". Shuggie's playing guitar, Delmar Evans is singing, and Sugarcane Harris even shows up on a few tracks. The LP contains two excellent funky 45 cuts, "Cuttin Up", an instrumental with choppy guitar, and "The Watts Breakaway", with good goofy vocals by Delmar. All this, and the LP's got a nice Jack Davis (of MAD fame)cartoony cover of the band doing surgery on a kid that we assume is Shuggie. to boot!

Some of the greatest funky work you could ever hope to find by Johnny Otis! The package brings together tracks recorded by Johnny in his fantastic post-R&B years – the late 60s and 1970s, when he was scrappling around a variety of small labels, but also getting the chance to use that freedom to cut some incredibly great work! The spirit of the CD retains all the great feel of Johnny's funky live show – as it runs through a variety of different artists, from hip instrumentalists to sock-soul divas to Johnny himself, who's still sounding pretty darn funky at the time! There's some killer material here that makes the package an instant "must-have" for fans of heavy heavy funk – and titles include "Watts Breakaway" by Johnny Otis, "Country Girl" by The Johnny Otis Show, "But I Ain't No More (GSTSKDTS)" by Vera Hamilton, "Spells & Incantations" by Debbie Lyndsey, "Cool Ade" by Preston Love, "Funky Disco Boogie" by Demar & Carla, "I Don't Understand It" by Ice Water Slim & The Fourth Floor, "If You'd Be Mine" by Shuggie Otis, "Comin At Ya Baby" by Johnny Otis, "Jaws" by Johnny Otis, "Hey Boy! I Want You" by Barbara Morrison with the Johnny Otis Show, "You Got To Do It Right" by Willie Jitterbug Webb, and the killer "The Humpty Dump" by The Vibrettes! Also features the previously unreleased "Miss Pretty" by Shuggie Otis!

A cool collection of space-themed club tracks from Gene Page – and possibly one of his greatest albums of the 70s – dispite a gimmicky approach! There's a tightly soaring feel to most of the cuts that's Page at his best – arranging fully with styles borrowed from Barry White, but also hitting with a bit of Philly inspiration too – never too over the top, and never too commercially driven as you might expect from the concept. There's some great moogy bits on the record – and plenty of great session players who include David T Walker and Wah Wah Watson on guitars, Jack Ashford on percussion, and Ernie Watts on alto sax. Great Phillinganes sings a bit on the record – and titles include "Star Trek", "Close Encounters", "Saturn", "Dancin In The Sky", "I Feel Like I've Been Livin", "Beyond The Hole Space", and "I Sho Like To Ride On Your Star".

A pair of great albums from one of the coolest soul arrangers of the 70s – back to back on a single CD! Close Encounters is a cool collection of space-themed club tracks from Gene Page – and possibly one of his greatest albums of the 70s – dispite a gimmicky approach! There's a tightly soaring feel to most of the cuts that's Page at his best – arranging fully with styles borrowed from Barry White, but also hitting with a bit of Philly inspiration too – never too over the top, and never too commercially driven as you might expect from the concept. There's some great moogy bits on the record – and plenty of great session players who include David T Walker and Wah Wah Watson on guitars, Jack Ashford on percussion, and Ernie Watts on alto sax. Great Phillinganes sings a bit on the record – and titles include "Star Trek", "Close Encounters", "Saturn", "Dancin In The Sky", "I Feel Like I've Been Livin", "Beyond The Hole Space", and "I Sho Like To Ride On Your Star". Love Starts After Dark is a wonderfully well-rounded set from superstar arranger Gene Page – quite possibly his most fully-formed album as a lead act on his own! The set's got some great standout groovers – the kind of club cuts that have the vibe that Gene was doing well for so many others – and it's also got some mellow moments served up with a depth that's almost unexpected – thanks partly to some great vocals from Merry Clayton, Phyllis St James, and Charmaine Sylvers – all of whom help the album shine. Tracks are penned by Leon Ware, Leon Sylvers, Ray Parker Jr, and Joe Sample – and titles include "With You In The Night", "Second Time Around", "Put A Little Love In Your Lovin", "Love Starts After Dark", "You Are The Meaning Of This Song", and "I Wanna Dance".

Classic Black Ark soul sides served up here with their funky Upsetters versions! Scratch is fully in his element here, a showcase of jaunty rolling island grooves. It's perhaps not his best known work, but like so much of what he cooked up at the Black Ark, totally essential, from the organ driven rhythm of Juks Dread & Big Youth's "23rd Psalm", to the murky, soulful "Ethiopian Land", to the Upsetter's chugging groove under "Well Judged Dub", voiced as "Judgement Day" by Clive Hilton. Also includes Mystic's "Forward With Jah Orthodox", The Bluebells "Come Along", Watty & Tony's "Rise & Shine" and more. 17 tracks on this CD edition.

A smoking set of late 70s 12-inch disco mixes from Lee Scratch Perry – some of the very best of Black Ark productions from the period, actually – in a 2CD set from Trojan! Disco Devil features numbers that Scratch produced, mixed and tripped out from 1977 to 1979 at Black Ark – elongating some truly stellar material for slow cooking, mostly 7-9 minute workouts of recordings by Max Romeo & The Upsetters, George Faith, The Congos, Junior Delgado, Junior Murvin & Dillinger, Watty Burnett, Lee Perry himself and others. One of the finer selected compilations of prime 70s reggae we've seen from Trojan in a little while! Includes "Norman" by Max Romeo & The Upsetters, "Bad Weed" by Junior Murvin, "Disco Devil" by Lee Perry & The Full Experience, "Roots Train" by Junior Murvin & Dillinger, "Open The Gate" by Watty Burnett, "Neckodeemus" by The Congos, "Party Time" by The Heptones, "Garden Of Life" by Leroy Sibbles and more.

Although Buddy's always been a bit laughable, he was always trying to keep his bag moving, and his band of the late 60s included some pretty darn nice players. The group on this session includes Ernie Watts and Bobby Shew, and the band wails hard and fast in a live setting with lots of tight little numbers. Tracks include "Wack Wack", "Norwegian Wood", "The Beat Goes On", and "Mexicali Nose".

An amazing funky record cut by the American tenor player Hal Singer while he was living in exile in Paris! Although the bulk of Singer's other work is more traditional R&B sax material, this LP has a very good raw funky feel, with some nice tight guitar and organ grooves that spur Singer on to new heights. Manu Dibango sits in on the session on organ and tenor, and the set includes a huge number of funky classics like "Saturday Night In Watts, Act One", "Paris Soul Food", "Malcolm X", and more!

A definite set of bare essentials from the Spontaneous Music Ensemble – especially given that at this point, the group was stripped down to just the duo of John Stevens on percussion and cornet, and Trevor Watts on soprano sax! The material was all recorded live, and the double-length set is an amazing illustration of the genius that Stevens brought to the group – a way of working and reworking a very simple concept – such that the freedom of improvisation was also given a structure, yet one with a logic that would often defy more simplistic conceptions of jazz! The package features a massive 16 previously unissued tracks – a great look at this unique chapter of the group – with titles that include "In The Midlands", "For Phil", "Three Extracts", "Newcastle 72", "Open Flower", and "Opening The Set".

The title here is an apt one – as the SME is a trio on most of these recordings, but augmented by a nice range of players on two of the album's five tracks! The core group features John Stevens on cornet and percussion, Nigel Coombes on violin, and Roger Smith on guitar – working in some relatively subtle sonic space together on their own tracks – but really hitting their stride as the group expands! Added players include Jon Corbett on trumpet, Paul Rutherford on trombone, Trevor Watts and Lol Coxhill on soprano saxes, Howard Riley on piano, and Maggie Nicols on voice – and titles include "Triangle", "Reciprocal", "A Fragment Of Static", and "Newcastle 78A".

Unreleased recordings from that amazing moment when British jazz was really coming into its own – exploring the farther reaches of the avant garde, but in ways that were quite different than American sounds at the time! The lineup here features some of the most inventive London players of the generation– Kenny Wheeler on trumpet and flugelhorn, Paul Rutherford on trombone, Trevor Watts on alto and flute, Evan Parker on soprano and tenor, Barry Guy on bass and piano, and John Stevens on drums and percussion – plus some especially mesmerizing guitar from Derek Bailey on two thirds of the album's tracks. Given the 1966 and 1967 dates, the music is years ahead of its time – and titles include unused tracks for a film soundtrack – "Withdrawal" – plus other Withdrawal tracks, and the longer "Seeing Sounds & Hearing Colours".

A killer live set by Rufus Thomas – recorded right at the height of his funky comeback, before a very right-on crowd at PJ's Nightclub in LA! Rufus was always a great entertainer, and he really opens up in this live setting – doing some nice versions of "Do The Funky Chicken", "Push & Pull", "Walking The Dog", and "Ooh Poo Pah Doo" – and starting out the set with a 12 minute monologue! Heck, the whole thing sounds so great that even the old songs get a new lease on life! CD also features 3 more bonus tracks – we think from the Wattstax concert – titles that include "Do The Funky Chicken", "Do The Funky Penguin", and "The Breakdown".

Mad mad funk, and the fantastic second LP by the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band – the group that proved to everyone that LA could be just as funky as any other city in the 60s! The record draws strongly from the group's indie roots in the funky 45 scene – and the album's filled with short tracks that bump along in jagged rhythms, offbeat arrangements, and some slight touches of sweeter soul. Charles Wright is leading the group on vocals, and taking a stronger presence on these soul-based cuts – but as before, it's the strength of the overall group that really makes the album great – especially the bass work of Melvin Dunlap and the funky drums of James Gadson! Titles include some killer original tracks by the band – like "Do Your Thing", "Giggin' Down 103rd", "Phuncky Bill", "65 Bars & A Taste Of Soul", and "A Dance, A Kiss, & A Song" – plus great covers of "Something You Got", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", and "Knock On Wood".

A rare bit of hardcore poetry by the Watts Prophets – the legendary LA group who were kind of a west coast answer to the Last Poets! The group have a sound that's as striking as the best early work by The Last Poets – a hard-hitting blend of poetry, rhythms, and righteous energy – all recorded in a style that's stripped down, proud, angry, and in stark contrast to the rest of the work coming out in the soul music industry at the time. The album's not only important as a precursor to the west coast hip hop style, but it's a heck of a powerful statement that's as chilling now as it was back in 1971! Titles include "Amerikkka", "Dem N_gger Ain't Playing", "A Pimp", "Hello N_ggers", and "The Prostitute".

Fully righteous work from singer Maxine Weldon – working here with bigger backings from Ernie Wilkins that mix in a bit of blues, soul, and funk! The style's never too polished, and almost has a similar feel to some of Esther Phillips' work on the Kudu label during the early 70s – soulful vocals at the lead, backed by some hip jazz and electric instrumentation from players who include Blue Mitchell and Bobby Bryant on trumpet, Hadley Caliman and Ernie Watts on tenor and flute, George Bohannon on trombone, and Freddy Robinson on guitar. Titles include "Don't Make Promises", "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye", "Country Son", "I'll Remember Today", "Fire & Rain", "I Who Have Nothing", and "Ain't Got Nobody".

A masterpiece of messed-up LA funk – and one of the crowning moments in the career of Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band! Charles and crew do an excellent job with all the tracks – most of which are more open ended than some of their earlier ones, and run on for longer than usual with some good trippy instrumental moments that really stretch out the groove from their funky 45 days. The album includes the stoner funk classic "High As Apple Pie", done here in two "slices", plus the classic "Express Yourself", a monster number that still sounds great every time we hear it – even though it's been used on commercials and sampled plenty of times over the years! Other tracks include "I'm Aware", "Love Land", and "I Got Love"

80s grooves galore – and a sublime collection of rare and underground boogie tunes from a few decades back! The package was put together by rabid collectors Joey Negro and Sean P – and is a welcome contrast to some of the dodgier 80s sets on the market – because Joey and Sean have gone out of their way to present each track with the best sound possible, in a way that lets the keyboards and electro rhythms sparkle with the same energy they had back in the 12" years! But even more than that, the pair have gone out of their way to annotate each track – so that you know that the excellent track list wasn't just a happy accident, and really represents the cream of the crop of the underground 80s scene! 2CD set features 20 tracks in all – including "Love Treatment" by Brenda Watts, "Am I Gonna Be The One" by Colours, "Ease Out" by Mid Air, "Livin Too Fast" by Vera Brown, "I Can Feel Your Love" by Samson & Delilah, "To Please You" by UDM, "Super Super Lovin" by Masurrati, "Happy Music" by Mastermind, "Think Fast" by Pamela Joy, "Deetour" by Karen Young, "Back At Ya" by Kerr, "I'm On The Real Side" by Lisa Hill, "Down For Double" by Cubie Burke, "I Am Going To Love Him" by Sanctuary, and "Love Massage" by Lowrell Simon.

The Enjoy Records Story – but from the early days, when the label was a powerhouse outlet for R&B, blues, and early soul music – years before they also started cutting hip hop as well! The tracks here are all a great illustration of the keen ear of the imprint, and their strong focus on a few key acts who could really knock it out of the park – music that made Enjoy a key player at the start of the soul years of the 60s – even though some of its best artists went onto later fame at bigger labels. The collection is the best we've ever seen on Enjoy during these seminal years – and features a whopping 36 cuts that include "People Sure Act Funny" by Titus Turner, "Hoop & Holler" by Riff Ruffin, "I Believe To My Soul" by Louis Jones, "What Ya Gonna Do" by Noble Watts & June Bateman, "Get It" by Jay Dee Bryant, "Let's Do The Boston Monkey" by Les Cooper, "Don't Lie" by Sammy Taylor, "Sad Song" by The Channes, "Long Time No See" by Ronnie & The Manhattans, "Hot Potato" by The Rinky Dinks, "Ain't Nobody's Business" by Mary B, "It Hurts Me So" by Elmore James, "Soul Twist" by King Curtis, and "What Shall I Do" by Gladys Knight & The Pips.

A selection of Warner Brothers-related funk – but featuring some killer numbers that move way past the hits! This is one of the funkiest compilations we've ever heard from a major label – and it's proof that deep down in their catalogs, the majors were working just as hard as the indies to come up with some killer slabs of funk, as you'll hear in this set of 20 gems recorded between the years 1968 and 1974! Many of these numbers were only issued on 45s – or on long out of print LPs – and even though there's a few numbers on here that you may know, the set's also got a number of others that you probably don't, as it even surprised us with some of its funky goodies! Titles include "Getting Uptown" by United 8, "Don't Come Around Here Anymore" by Mark Putney, "Shop Talk (version 1)" by Cold Blood, "Come Little Children" by Donny Hathaway, "Sexy Coffee Pot" by Tony Alvon & The Belairs, "Soul Machine" by The Meters, "Pop Popcorn Children" by Eldridge Holmes, "What So Never the Dance (parts 1 & 2)" by The Houseguests, "Back On The Streets Again" by Tower Of Power, "65 Bars & A Taste Of Soul" by Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, "Nobody But You Babe" by Clarence Reid, and "You Gotta Know Whatcha Doin" by Charles Wright.

80s grooves galore – and a sublime collection of rare and underground boogie tunes from a few decades back! The package was put together by rabid collectors Joey Negro and Sean P – and is a welcome contrast to some of the dodgier 80s sets on the market – because Joey and Sean have gone out of their way to present each track with the best sound possible, in a way that lets the keyboards and electro rhythms sparkle with the same energy they had back in the 12" years! But even more than that, the pair have gone out of their way to annotate each track – so that you know that the excellent track list wasn't just a happy accident, and really represents the cream of the crop of the underground 80s scene! 2CD set features 20 tracks in all – including "Love Treatment" by Brenda Watts, "Am I Gonna Be The One" by Colours, "Ease Out" by Mid Air, "Livin Too Fast" by Vera Brown, "I Can Feel Your Love" by Samson & Delilah, "To Please You" by UDM, "Super Super Lovin" by Masurrati, "Happy Music" by Mastermind, "Think Fast" by Pamela Joy, "Deetour" by Karen Young, "Back At Ya" by Kerr, "I'm On The Real Side" by Lisa Hill, "Down For Double" by Cubie Burke, "I Am Going To Love Him" by Sanctuary, and "Love Massage" by Lowrell Simon.

Did power pop ever get any more perfect than this? It's hard to think so – and more than 25 years later, this album's got a raw power that's still undeniable! The album features The Jam at their early best – still with the rougher punky edges firmly in place, but also able to bring in some of the more soulful touches that would really dominate Paul Weller's career in later years. The group kicks it hard with tunes that include "Billy Hunt", "A Bomb In Wardour Street", "Down In The Tube Station At Midnight", "Mr Clean", and a great cover of "David Watts" – then surprises us even more with the beautifully gentle tune "English Rose".

A classic statement from the Spontaneous Music duo of John Stevens on percussion and cornet and Trevor Watts on soprano sax – music that definitely lives up to the "spontaneous" name, and which is clearly improvised throughout! The material was all recorded live, but with a sensitivity that really lets the more subtle moments come through – although given the sometime frenzy between the drums and soprano, the larger appeal here is almost the more intense moments! Tracks are all titled "Face To Face" – and the set features seven numbers in all – plus three bonus tracks not on the original album.

A nice little tribute to Boston boy Charlie Mariano – done by the Berklee School Of Music, at a time when the group included John Abercrombie on guitar, Yasuo Arakawa on bass, Alf Clausen on French horn, and Ernie Watts on sax and flute! Herb Pomeroy directs, and titles include "Iberian Waltz", "Miss Blue Eyes", "Little T", "Come Fall", and "Impressions Of Kyoto".

Seminal sounds from cornet player Bobby Bradford – a date recorded in the UK in the early 70s, but with all the free-thinking and imaginative energy as his best sessions in LA! The group pits Bobby's horn against three young modernists – Trevor Watts on alto and soprano sax, Kent Carter on bass, and John Stevens on drums – all working in these long-flowing, very rhythmic numbers that lie somewhere between Bradford's work with John Carter, and the early 60s sound of Ornette Coleman. The alto/cornet interplay is especially nice – very mesmerizing over the course of the album's very long tracks – and Watts turns out to be a great musical partner for Bobby. Titles include "Love's Dream", "Coming On", and "Roswita's Dance". CD features bonus tracks ""She", "HM Louis 1", and an alternate take of "Coming On".

A bundle of soul from Freddie Hubbard – one that has him blowing beautifully over full arrangements from Bert DeCoteux – the 70s super-soul maestro who really brings a new sound to Hubbard's music! The style's a bit smoother than other Freddie albums of the time, but still really great – a wonderful plenty of his well-timed, well-punctuated work on trumpet with warm grooves supplied by Bert – filled with instrumentation that includes David T Walker on guitar, Ernie Watts on sax and flute, Azar Lawrence on tenor, David Garfield on keyboards, and even Dorothy Ashby on flute. Titles include "Portrait Of Jenny", "Rainy Day Song", "Bundle Of Joy", "From Now On", "From Behind", and "Rahsaan".

One of the most sophisticated albums that Bobby Hutcherson recorded with reedman Harold Land – a very hip session that features the arrangements of piano player Todd Cochran – also known as Bayete for a pair of early 70s albums on Prestige! The sound here is more farther-reaching than before for the team of Hutcherson and Land – a deepening of the soulful spirits first cooked up on their earlier collaborations, stretched out to farther-reaching territory in the hands of Cochran's arrangements and compositions. The group's got a full sound too – with trumpet and flugelhorn from Oscar Brashear, trombone from George Bohannon, and added reeds from players who include Ernie Watts, Fred Jackson, and Charles Owens. Harold Land plays tenor and flute, Hutcherson vibes and marimba, and Cochran is on acoustic piano throughout – but the record also features some electric keys from William Henderson. Titles include the 3 part suite "At The Source", plus "Many Thousands Gone", "Clockwork Of The Spirits", and "Mtume". CD also features 3 great bonus tracks – the funky 17 minute "Hey Harold", plus "Jonathan" and "Togo Land".

A really great, oft-overlooked album from the best period of Quincy Jones! This album is quite possibly Quincy's most farthest-reaching – as he works in an array of styles that really shows his growing genius in the studio – not just jazz and soundtrack modes, but more soul-based ones, handled with work from a great array of guest stars who really expand the sound. There's loads of nice bits – like a version of "My Cherie Amour", done with vocals by Leon Ware and Minnie Riperton; a new take on "Bluesette", redone with Toots Thielemans; and the original "Beautiful Black Girl", which features rapping by The Watts Prophets! Other tracks include "Paranoid", "Cry Baby", "Tryin To Find Out About You", and "Listen (What It Is)".

Despite the fact that most of these guys participated in some of the best funky fusion records coming out of the 70s west coast scene, this record's not what it should be – especially when you consider it's got players like George Bohannon, Ernie Watts, and Oscar Brashear. Still, it's not a bad bit of pop funky fusion – in sort of a later Crusaders mode – and it does feature some vocals by Syreeta and Denices Williams. Titles include "Suite Syreeta", "Kwanzaa", "Well", and "Funk De Mambo".

An open-ended live set from Wynton Marsalis' 80s run for Columbia Records – and a set that's sometimes a bit more unbridled than his studio work at the time! There's still plenty of the Marsalis manner in place here – that great talent for subtle shadings, and quiet exploration of sound – but the longer tracks also have Wynton blowing his top a bit more, and really running along with his horn. The group's a quartet – with Marcus Roberts on piano, Robert Hurst on bass, and Jeff Watts on drums – and titles include "Juan", "Autumn Leaves", "Much Later", "Au Privave", "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans", "Just Friends", and "Chambers Of Tain" – plus a few interludes of "Knozz Moe King".

An excellent album of Barry White-styled instrumentals – put together by Barry's right hand man Gene Page, and produced by Barry himself! The record's one of the best that Page ever cut – apart from his seminal blacksploitation soundtracks – and it's very much in the mode of White's Love Unlimited Orchestra albums from the same time, although perhaps with less of a string section. Players are an all-star cast of LA studio groovers that includes David T Walker, Wah Wah Ragin, Ernie Watts, Wilton Felder, and others – and tracks are mostly originals by Page and White. Titles include "Jungle Eyes", "She's My Main Squeeze", "I Am Living In A World Of Gloom", "Satin Soul", and "To The Bone".

An all star hip hop project on Stones Throw – music by the core Quakers trio of Invada Records partners Katalyst & 7Stu7, plus a cat billed as Fuzzface (actually Geoff Barrow of Portishead) – featuring a sick lineup of guests including Guilty Simpson, Jonwayne, Aloe Blacc, Buff1, Diverse, Botty Brown, Phat Kat, Frank Nitty, MED, Prince Po, Finale and more! The Quakers set out with the simple goal of of making the kind of hip hop record they'd want to listen to, trends be damned . . .and it's damn good! Heavy beats and sinister bass lines are a common thread, but this a celebration of depth and diversity in the leftfield hip hop idiom – 41 fairly brief tracks that flow impeccably well and with standout rhymes from an impossibly strong roster of guests. Includes "Big Cat" with Synato Watts, "The Lo", "Sidewinder" with Buff1, "Dark City Lights" with Frank Nitty, "War Drums" feat Phat Kat & Guilty Simpson, "Rock My Soul" feat Prince Po, "Rock My Soul" feat Prince Po, "Sign Language" feat Aloe Blacc, "Oh Goodness" feat Finale and much more.

A killer debut from Rasputin Stash – a funky group who work with all the long-haired inspiration you'd expect from their name! The groove is a mix of guitars and tight horns – undercut by the kind of heavy basslines that later made the group a good fit for Curtom Records, and lots of cool percussion touches that pepper the bottom of the rhythms nicely – with a pretty spontaneous feel! At times, there's almost a Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band vibe to the record, but mixed with some of the trippier influences of the Westbound crew – especially on the guitar – and like those artists, these guys have no trouble at all dipping into a touch of rock here and there to trip out their groove. Titles include "Mr Cool", "You Are My Flower", "Dookey Shoe", "I Want To Say You're Welcome", "Take Me On Back", and "Freaks Prayer".

A vision of the future of avant garde jazz – recorded in 1966, and one of the most groundbreaking titles on the legendary ESP label! Saxophonist Marzette Watts is a player who hardly ever gets his due – but was part of the key new wave of younger players on the east coast scene of the 60s – fitting well in a lineage of Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp, and other important forces in avant jazz at the time. This album's one of the few he ever recorded – along with an important session for Savoy – and is mindblowing right from the start – a fresh blend of new thing ideas with the freer, looser modes of the ESP scene – handled perfectly by a well-chosen group that features Byard Lancaster on alto and flute, Clifford Thornton on trombone and cornet, Sonny Sharrock on guitar, Karl Berger on vibes, Juni Booth and Henry Grimes on bass, and JC Moses on drums. Watts plays tenor, soprano, and bass clarinet – and titles include "Backdrop For Urban Revolution", "Ia", and "Geno".

Mad mad funk, and the fantastic second LP by the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band – the group that proved to everyone that LA could be just as funky as any other city in the 60s! The record draws strongly from the group's indie roots in the funky 45 scene – and the album's filled with short tracks that bump along in jagged rhythms, offbeat arrangements, and some slight touches of sweeter soul. Charles Wright is leading the group on vocals, and taking a stronger presence on these soul-based cuts – but as before, it's the strength of the overall group that really makes the album great – especially the bass work of Melvin Dunlap and the funky drums of James Gadson! Titles include some killer original tracks by the band – like "Do Your Thing", "Giggin' Down 103rd", "Phuncky Bill", "65 Bars & A Taste Of Soul", and "A Dance, A Kiss, & A Song" – plus great covers of "Something You Got", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", and "Knock On Wood".

Fantastic funk from the 60s LA scene – and the first-ever album by a group who would dominate the west coast groove of the time! This first outing by the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band takes off nicely from the group's funky 45 years – using larger arrangements to expand upon their hard and heavy groove, in a style that almost has some funky soundtrack touches at times! Fred Smith produced and is directing the group – and tracks are short, sweet, and filled with groovy touches! Titles include "Spreadin Honey", "Fried Okra", "Soul Concerto", "Watts Happening", "103rd Street Theme", "Whole Hog Or Nothing At All", "Brown Sugar", and "A Little Class & A Little Trash". Great trippy cover too!

Guess who's back, and just in time for the much-needed seasonal funk fix? It's that most appealing tome of all things funky, the one-and-only funk bible! Need we tell you that the Wax Poets have once again outdone themselves? The centerpiece of this issue an ever so timely look at the legendary Wattstax show, a perfect piece for a politically charged season, featuring some of the best photos of the event we've ever seen. Other features include one on the increasingly prominent Antibalas, lost Floridian funk merchants Montgomery Express, Melvin Van Peebles, Eddie Fisher, Part 2 of the Texas Stage Bands piece, a refreshing look at the Beastie Boys (sans mass media hype) and lots more. Another indispensible issue!

An amazing package – filled with loads of rare gems – all vintage vinyl nuggets from the enormous collection of The Cramps! Lux Interior and Poison Ivy are legendary record collectors – and have been digging in thrift stores, warehouses, and basements for many decades – filling a love of music that even predates the formation of their famous group – and which went onto inform the sounds they made on their own! Given that the duo were out there digging for many years before the rest of us, they've definitely gotten their hands on some amazing gems over the years – a good number of which are presented here in an ultra-cool 10" vinyl package – subtitled in ways that really give you an idea of the sounds – "ghoulish exotica", "lip-curling rock n roll", "crazy mixed up sounds", and "instrumental madness". Titles include "The Cave" by Gary Spider Webb, "Wild Man Walk" by The Ebonettes, "Mashed Potatoes" by Noble Watts, "Unitar Rock" by Willie Joe & His Unitar, "Jibba Jab" by Tic & Toc, "From The Top Of Your Guggle" by The Five Blobs, "Gang War" by Gene Maltais, "Sugar Doll" by Johnny Jay, "Bongo Beatin Beatnik" by Joe Hall & The Corvettes, and "Dragon Walk" by The Noblemen.

This one was kind of Motown's answer to the Wattstax albums – a double live set, recorded in Chicago during the Push Expo, headed by Jesse Jackson. The tracks here are more of a mixed bag than some of those on the deeper soul Wattstax albums, but there are some nice moments overall, buried in the large mix of music and artists – many of whom didn't normally record for Motown. The tunes are familiar, but they're presented here in some nicely different live takes. Titles include "Lean On Me" by Bill Withers, "Country Preacher" by Cannonball Adderley, "This Child Of Mine" by Zulema, "Everybody Plays The Fool" by Main Ingredient, "Give Me Your Love" by Curtis Mayfield, "I've Gotta Be Me" by Sammy Davis Jr, "I Wanna Be Where You Are" by The Jackson 5, "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye, "Close To You" by Jerry Butler & Brenda Lee Eager, "On A Clear Day/Killer Joe" by Roberta Flack & Quincy Jones, and "Sunshine" by The O'Jays. Also features some dialogue by Jesse Jackson.

A soul record we'd put up there with some of our favorite ones that the city of Chicago produced in the early 70s – and it's literally a soul record – a beautiful gospel set by Pastor TL Barrett & The Youth For Christ Choir, of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, on the city's south side! There's genuine spirit and passion in this record to make it an exceptional gospel record, but it's the deep secular soul production touches and instrumentation that makes this one of the true, uh, holy grails of Chicago soul. The album was cut at the affordable Sound Market Studio, but behind the soaring, spirited lead and chorus vocal arrangements are players supervised by Chess Records sax player and arranger Gene Barge – with legendary players Richard Evans and Phil Upchurch in on the recordings. Raw drums, grooving organ, and incredible bass lines lay the foundation, but it's the voices that really shine on this completely wonderful, totally essential set! Includes "Like A Ship", "Wonderful", "It's Me O Lord", "Ever Since", "Nobody Knows", "Joyful Noice", "Medley...Dr. Watts Hymn & The Disciples Prayer" and "Blessed Quietness".

A sweet overview of work from the second stretch of the career of Gilberto Gil – and a set that's worth it alone for two of the five albums in the package! The set begins with Refazenda and Refavela – both fantastically funky albums that have Gilberto Gil hitting a soulful style that's very different than before – a mode that's more Jorge Ben than any of Gil's previous work – yet still with some of the sharper, more creative edges that always made him one of the leading lights of 70s MPB! Realce manages to capture a lot of the warmth and imagination of Gil's earlier work. The production's a little smooth in parts, but Gil's beautiful voice and guitar playing are still right out front, especially in some of the more stripped-down tracks. Raca Humana is pretty compelling stuff – almost a new wave album of sorts, recorded with lots of tight guitar work by producer Liminha, and plenty of catchy tunes that sparkle like some lost gems from early 80s radio. And Kayangandaya is a real surprise – an album of reggae tracks, mostly by Bob Marley, recorded in Kingston at the Tuff Gong Studios, with help from the Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths, Judy Mowatt, Sly & Robbie, and others. The record's actually pretty nice – a good blend of the dub-heavy sounds of Jamaica, with some of the rougher soul stylings that Gil was crafting in earlier years – a combination that shouldn't work, but which does nicely.

Did power pop ever get any more perfect than this? It's hard to think so – and more than 25 years later, this album's got a raw power that's still undeniable! The album features The Jam at their early best – still with the rougher punky edges firmly in place, but also able to bring in some of the more soulful touches that would really dominate Paul Weller's career in later years. The group kicks it hard with tunes that include "Billy Hunt", "A Bomb In Wardour Street", "Down In The Tube Station At Midnight", "Mr Clean", and a great cover of "David Watts" – then surprises us even more with the beautifully gentle tune "English Rose".

A smoking little set – an album of jazz takes on Curtis Mayfield classics, played by a hip combo that includes a few musicians from Mayfield's old band! The album's a straight jazz effort all the way through – and the interpretations are so soulful and swinging on their own, you might even forget that Curtis provided the inspiration for the tunes – thanks to work from Wallace Roney on trumpet, Ernie Watts on saxes, Phil Upchurch on guitar, Russ Ferrante on piano, Terri Lyne Carrington on drums, and Henry Gibson on congas! The album's one of the last that Gibson ever cut, and his percussion really helps the whole thing find its groove – providing a nice kick to the work of Roney, Watts, and Upchurch over the top. Titles include "Freddie's Dead", "Superfly", "Beautiful Brother Of Mine", "People Get Ready", "Amen", "Gypsy Woman", and "It's All Right".

Pure brilliance from Babatunde Lea – an artist who sounds as deeply soulful in the 21st Century as he did on his first recordings from a few decades back! This time around, Lea's working with the wonderful Frank Lacy on trombone and trumpet – in a set of work that's all arranged by Lacy, with bold piano lines from Hilton Ruiz – whose playing here really takes us back to those early moments when we first discovered his genius – that unique blend of Latin and spiritual jazz roots that's perfect for a record like this. Things are plenty righteous, but very warm too – and the record stretches out magnificently without trying to hit anyone over the head – that beautiful balance you'd find in a rare Strata East record, maybe even more amazing here, given the contemporary date of the recording! Mario Rivera plays tenor, soprano sax, and flute – and titles include "Soul Pools", "Carolyn's Dance", "1055", "Round The World", "Ejercito Moreno", "Yerba Buena", and "Jackie & The Beanstalk". Also comes with a full bonus CD – Live At Rasselas – a quartet performance with Ernie Watts on tenor, Hilton Ruiz on piano, and Geoff Brennan on bass – on a 25 minute version of "Footprints".

Whopping big issue of this, one of our favorite music mags of all time! This volume's an "update" issue, in which the Roctober staff and contributors write whole new articles on artists and subjects they've covered in past issues. There's plenty here to interest Dusty Groove fans – including work on Jerry Butler, Charles Wright & The 103 Street Watts Rhythm Band, Andre Williams, The Treniers, Sammy Davis Jr., and even Fela Kuti! 150 pages, with lots and lots of great writing!

The second volume of live material recorded at Stax's legendary Wattstax concert in LA. Richard Pryor is the MC, and does a lot of comedy material, and titles include "Steal Away" and "Stop Doggin Me" by Johnny Taylor, "Lift Every Voice" by Kim Weston, "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" by The Dramatics, "Rolling Down A Mountainside" by Isaac Hayes, "Peace Be Still" by The Emotions, and "Can't See You When I Want To" by David Porter. 2LPs, gatefold cover.

Heavy dub from a pair of kings – classic material that features King Jammy engineering sides at King Tubby's studio! The sound here is plenty classic – with a rich, raw Kingston vibe all the way through – as instrumentation from Ansel Collins on piano, Sly Dunbar on drums, Robbie Shakespeare on bass, and Tommy McCook on tenor – is all mixed down into a deep-bottomed set of dubs! Titles include "War & Friction Dub", "Ragamuffin Style Dub", "Liquidation Dub", "Stalowatt Dub", "Mystical Dub", "Hypocritical Dub", "Herb Dub", and "Peaceful Dub".

Not as hard and funky as the early stuff – with that disco sound that was dominating the De-Lite imprint at the time – but also not too bad, as the groove is in a fast funk mode, with plenty of real instrumentation, in that tight east coast studio mode of the mid 70s. Includes their "Kay-Gee's Theme Song", plus "Fat Daddy", "Celestial Vibrations", "Space Disco", and 2 versions of the title track "Kilowatt".

Smooth and funky fusion from Lee Ritenour – top-shelf all the way, and handled with a really soulful groove, thanks to production from the legendary Skip Drinkwater! Lee's all over the top of the guitar in true "Captain Fingers" style, and Skip makes sure he's got plenty going on underneath, too – with an all-star assemblage of players that includes Harvey Mason on drums, Patrice Rushen on keyboards, Dennis Budimir on guitar, Alphonso Johnson on bass, and Ernie Watts on saxes. The keyboards groove as nicely as the guitars (thanks Patrice!), and titles include "Margarita", "Fly By Night", "Dolphin Dreams", "Captain Fingers", and "Sun Song".

Sureshot steps up his game with Elegant Aggression – his most expertly orchestrated set of cinematic hip hop funk to date! The mix of funky beatcraft and live instrumentation here is as strong as anything we've heard from Sureshot Symphony to date – and it's pretty diverse, too – without ever compromising on the tight hip hop funk backdrop. Instrumentation includes lots of funky bass and keys – with some synth, psych funk guitar, horns and more. There's an eclectic batch of mic guests, too – including Coultrain, Moeses Soulright, Mighty Pope, Myron & E, Glen Ricketts & Mad Fanatic, Ohmega Watts and others. Includes "Sureshot Symphony Solution Theme", "Chair On The Ceiling" with Coultrain, "Half Man, Half Bionic", "Four Twenty", "Taste It", Singing Memories" with Noel Ellis, "Easier Said Than Done" feat Ion Anomaly, "Soundbwoy Massacre" feat Glenn Ricketts & Mad Frantic and more. Comes with the bonus LP of instrumentals!

A totally great little single – one recorded by a youthful band from Watts – with all the raw sounds you might guess from the cover image! "New Orleans/Land Of 1000 Dances" is done in a really wild way – lots of raw percussion that sounds like the kids beating on the garbage cans in the photo – with lyrics that are shouted as much as they're sung – in a very festive way! "Nik Nak Paddy Wack" has more of that raw percussion – but also has a bassline, piano, and flute, which helps give the tune a bit funkier feel!