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A nice little record from Bobby -- quite different from his 60s sides for Duke/Peacock, and recorded in California (as you might guess from the title!) with a smoother more soulful approach. The style works well for Bobby -- and kind of gave him a new lease on life during the 70s, as he mixed his... read more

Nice record by Brass Fever, and a one that was recorded before their more disco-y Time Is Running Out LP. The band includes a host of great horn players like George Bohannon, Jerome Richardson, Oscar Brashear, and John Handy -- plus some good solos by Odell Brown on keyboards. Five long cuts,... read more

A more Latin-styled set than usual from The Brass Ring -- as you might guess from the title and cover! The sound is slightly fuller here -- a bit of brassy trumpets used sparingly, but just enough to fill out the groove at times -- and other new elements too, like acoustic guitar, added rhythms,... read more

Mel's a long way here from the dirty funk of earlier years -- in a richly-arranged style that has some of the touches of the disco years, but which also nicely sets up Brown's vocals in a few gentler ballads that are the real winners of the set. These numbers have a honest, almost earthy feel --... read more

One of the jazziest Candido albums ever -- a tight little 50s set that features the master congolero working with a small combo that includes Al Cohn on tenor, Dick Katz on piano, and Joe Puma on guitar! The sound is nice and stripped-down -- bristling with a percussive approach to the grooves... read more

A much-needed look at the music of Carl Carlton -- in a set that fully traces his evolution of sound over the years! There's really three major chapters to Carlton's career here -- early recordings for the Backbeat label, bigger sides for ABC Records, and then his stunning collaboration with Leon... read more

A bit of a hit for the young Carl Carlton -- as the record features his version of "Everlasting Love", done in a mode that has a strident Stevie Wonder groove, with a few more touches of pop orchestrations in the background. The rest of the record has a similar feel, mixing older tunes... read more

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A stunning standout from Ray Charles' years on ABC Records -- and a set that brings in a bit of hard-swinging jazz to the country-styled groove Ray was hitting at the time! Backings are by Ralph Burns, who keeps things pretty hip -- not as modern as some of his 50s charts for other singers, but... read more

Brilliant work throughout -- Ray Charles' classic country album is the stuff of legends -- and what seemed a silly idea at the time was true proof of Ray's genius -- the most successful album of his career and a bona-fide number one hit that rode the charts for years and years! Ray's voice works... read more

Brilliant work throughout -- both of Ray Charles' classic country albums on a single CD package! Volume one is the stuff of legends -- and what seemed a silly idea at the time was true proof of Ray's genius -- the most successful album of his career and a bona-fide number one hit that rode the... read more

Chic caught live at the Mt Fuji Jazz Festival -- a surprisingly consistent setting for great performances from American soul acts! The music was recorded well into the 21st Century, but the energy here is right up there with the best Chic sound of the late 70s -- sharply funky, with loads of great... read more

Cold Blood are still going strong in the mid 70s -- a lot stronger than anyone would imagine for a group that was kind of a white-boy (and girl) soul group coming out of the magical Bay Area scene of the late 60s. The group's actually a lot tighter here than before -- and the instrumentation has... read more

A very groovy mid 60s set from Chris -- recorded with arrangements by Don Costa, and a sound that's quite different than her earlier albums! Don never goes to over the top here, but he does add in some nice groovy touches -- things like bossa rhythms and electric harpsichord, used sparingly, but... read more

Another chapter in the excellent series of recordings made by The Dramatics at ABC -- great group soul gems that are sometimes overlooked because they didn't yield as many hits as earlier sets -- but which are stellar records nonetheless! This one's got all the right elements firmly in place --... read more

One of their best, and a real masterpiece of 70's group soul. The arrangements are sweet, but the group is as hard as they ever were, but free to soar in their singing with the massive arrangements provided by the Detroit Groovesville crew. Ron Banks and LJ Reynolds are in perfect form, and this... read more

One of the Dramatics' best albums, and a real masterpiece of 70's group soul! The arrangements are sweet, but the group is as hard as they ever were, but free to soar in their singing with the massive arrangements provided by the Detroit Groovesville crew. Ron Banks and LJ Reynolds are in perfect... read more

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Their classic, with the great long version of "Float On", which is a monster soul cut that stands tall with steppers and rappers alike. It's probably the best track they ever did, and it's all here in a version that's nearly 12 minutes long -- with loads of samples that you'll recognize... read more

Great stuff! Although the Four Tops are always best known as a Motown group -- they actually did some really wonderful work for ABC Records in the mid 70s -- a time that had the group really stretching out in their style, finding some great new sounds that really kept them alive, and in the... read more

Killer 70s work by the Four Tops -- one of the group's best post-Motown albums, and a really hard-hitting batch of live tunes! There's a sound here that's grittier than just about any other Four Tops album -- and that includes the classics for Motown -- a style that brings together all the group's... read more

Eydie's definitely in love on this one -- given the romantic nature of most of the tunes, and the gentle, ballad-heavy approach of the record -- and although her longtime paramour Steve Lawrence is pictured in a photo on the back cover, the album's all Gorme's own! Backings are by Don Costa, in... read more

Pretty stunning work from the team of Richard Harris & Jimmy Webb -- a shining point in both of their careers! Harris wasn't much of a singer, and was mostly known as an actor before these two albums. He teamed up with Jimmy Webb as the perfect foil for some of Webb's late sixties song-stories... read more

Hardly the disco set you might guess from the title -- and instead, a surprisingly soulful gem from the post-Stax years of Isaac Hayes! There's certainly a bit of uptempo grooving in the mix -- but, as on Ike's Polydor years, the approach is still handled with the deeper sounds that Hayes first... read more

After working for years in the Crusaders, then honing his production skills with excellent work for Fantasy and Mercury, Wayne Henderson put out this album of his own, which drew on a lot of the work he'd been doing during the mid 70s. The album's a showcase for his At Home productions team, and... read more

Sweet falsetto soul from Eddie! "I'll Be There" has Eddie tweaking along in the same mode as "Hey There Lonely Girl" -- slowly stepping his way through some strings and vibes, offering comfort to a lady in the background. "Cause You're Mine" is a great one -- even... read more

A hip mix of raunchy blues and rootsy rock -- all stretched out over a double-length set that's easily one of John Lee Hooker's loosest albums ever! The album has Hooker playing in a number of settings with hip rock and funk players from the California scene -- including Steve Miller, Mel Brown,... read more

Fantastic stuff from John Lee Hooker, and a record that's unlike any other he's ever done! The groove is very hard and funky, with tight drumbreaks and excellent basslines that you'd hardly expect to find on an album by a blues artist -- jamming around with a tight groove that really makes us love... read more

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A great little album of up-tempo soul from Al Hudson -- recorded in the years before he formed his One Way group, but with a similar approach that's kind of an answer to disco, putting a bit more funk into the mix for the dancefloor. His group benefits from the talents of Kevin McCord, who plays... read more

Classic work from Al Hudson -- pre One Way, but in the same uptempo soul vein. Al's working here with arrangements by Kevin McCord, Rudy Robinson, and Dave Roberson -- in a mix of club-heavy tunes that are augmented by a few welcome mellower numbers. Titles include "I Don't Want You To Leave... read more

Excellent early work from Al Hudson -- a soulful talent who stood his own in the late 70s, forging an up-tempo funk sound that lived long past disco, and which was sort of a platform for groups of the 80s to build a new dancefloor sound. Hudson relied heavily on bass-y funk to hit his groove, but... read more

A groovy LP that features this swinging 60s keyboardist playing his versions of some of the bigger soul covers of the day! The album features Hyman on piano, organ, and clavinette, and he's playing with "The Group", a tight little combo that gives him a hip kind of mod edge that wasn't... read more

The complete early-to-late 60s singles of Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions -- some of the best Chicago soul of all time -- and some of our favorite songs of the era, period! All of the great ABC-Paramount era singles are here, from the beautiful, post doo wop vocal gems with Curtis Mayfield's... read more

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Jackie & Roy at the height of their ABC powers -- really stepping out strongly here with a bold jazz vocal approach that nobody else can touch! Both Roy Kral and Jackie Cain get a few moments of their own in the spotlight, especially Jackie, who steps out on a number of the tracks -- but as... read more

Lost bit of soul by Chuck Jackson, recorded in LA in the early 70s, between his Wand hit years, and his later stuff on All Platinum. The sound is sort of a rootsy studio soul sound, if that makes any sense -- but some of the tracks are also a bit funky. There's a great sample on the cut "Talk... read more

Quincy turns his soul jazz arranging style to a band filled with West Coast players, and he gets them to groove a lot more than you'd expect! Players include Herb Geller, Art Pepper, Charlie Mariano, Bill Perkins, and Walter Benton. The tracks are short, with tight solo space, and most of them... read more

Fantastic -- and an important early album from Quincy Jones! Q's working here in some of his hippest settings of the 50s -- scoring longish versions of jazz tunes for groups that include players like Lucky Thompson on tenor, Herbie Mann on flute, Art Farmer on trumpet, Phil Woods and Gene Quill on... read more

Two early 70s burners from BB King -- back to back as a 2CD set! LA Midnight has BB King bringing in a sweet dose of jazz to his work -- just a touch of the funkier backings that some of his electric contemporaries were getting at the time -- maybe not as hard-wailing as some of the Chess funky... read more

One of the first albums ever by this legendary jazz vocal group! LHR do the incredible -- and create a set of vocal renditions of standards by the Basie band, putting jazzy lyrics in to replace the instrumental solos, but keeping the same vibe as the original tracks. The sound and approach is... read more

Denise is shaking off some of the rougher edges of earlier recordings, working here in that modern Detroit style that would show up occasionally on some of these mid 70s ABC soul releases. Arrangements are by David Van DePitte, who gives Denise a smooth soaring sound that pushes her a lot vocally -... read more

A Philly-styled groover from Eloise Laws -- a tune that's got plenty of rolling clubby rhythms on the intro, then gives way to a great soulful lyric that almost hearkens back to Ella's earlier days! "1000 Laughs" is pretty good too -- also upbeat, but somehow just a few notches not as... read more

Weird mix of Philly soul production with vocals that have more of a southern soul kind of feel to them. Charles' voice is nice and rich, and the tracks are arranged by Vince Montana & Norman Harris. Includes some nice ballads, and a few uptempo tracks, including a Philly version of Steely Dan'... read more

The first solo album from the team of Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr -- and a set that's arguably even more soulful than their work together in The 5th Dimension! The pair are lucky to have Groovesville soul maestro Don Davis at the helm -- helping them hit a more mature, more contemporary... read more

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A non-Philly International, non-Teddy LP for the group -- but still recorded in the City of Brotherly Love, with a classic 70's sound that's pretty similar to their work with Gamble & Huff. Titles include "Hostage", "He Loves You And I Do Too", "Stay Together",... read more

2nd pressing of some early material by Wes Montgomery -- a tasty trio session cut when he was working with hometown talent from Indianapolis. The set's a real treat because it features organ work by the great Mel Rhyne, an oft-overlooked player who began with Montgomery, but who got left in the... read more

A great 60s TV soundtrack -- penned by the crucially overlooked Joseph Mullendore, and done with a real Mancini-esque flair! The show itself is the ultra-camp Honey West -- based around the adventures of the female spy in the title -- and although the program itself was short-lived, its soundtrack... read more

One of the greatest blacksploitation soundtracks ever -- a massively beautiful record that goes beyond any cliches of the genre, and serves up a fantastically unique batch of tracks! Chisoul arranger Johnny Pate did the music for the film -- and (dare we say it?) it's even greater that Issac Hayes'... read more

One of the greatest blacksploitation soundtracks ever -- a massively beautiful record that goes beyond any cliches of the genre, and serves up a fantastically unique batch of tracks! Chisoul arranger Johnny Pate did the music for the film -- and (dare we say it?) it's even greater that Issac Hayes'... read more

Genius work from Freda Payne -- a set recorded after her bigger fame years for Invictus/Hot Wax -- but a record that's done with an even deeper feel overall! The album features some key contributions from Lamont Dozier -- who wasn't credited on the original record, due to his continuing contract... read more

A really wonderful little chapter in the rich, and all-too-short career of bassist Oscar Pettiford -- larger group recordings done for ABC in the mid 50s! The sessions show Pettiford to be surprisingly great at such a format -- leading a group through Gigi Gryce arrangements that have a nice... read more

A collection of Lloyd's biggest hits during his early years -- 15 tracks that have plenty of New Orleans influences, yet which also define that unique quality that made Price one of the stand-along singers of his time! Includes hits like "Stagger Lee", "Personality", "Lady... read more

One of Della's grooviest records, and a great little live set -- recorded at the Playboy Club in Hollywood, with backing by the soulful Bobby Bryant Quintet. The group features some nice tenor work by a young Hadley Caliman, and groovy organ by Henry Caine -- all of which sets Della's vocals in a... read more

We love this record! Although Howard Roberts has always been known around here as a competent funky guitarist who's made some pretty good records, this record is totally unlike anything else he did, and it will blow your mind! The whole thing is sort of a complicated electronic instrumental suite... read more

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Two dreamy little albums from Tommy Roe -- definitely more tripped-out than his usual work! First up is It Is Now Winter's Day -- a set that goes way farther than Tommy's "Dizzy" hit, thanks to production and arrangements from Sunshine maestro Curt Boettcher! The style here is... read more

A great lost chapter in the career of Sonny Rollins -- material recorded live at MOMA in 1965, but unissued until this brief package in the late 70s! The work is right up there with Rollins' best for RCA at the time, and almost feels a bit like his live Village Vanguard material from Blue Note --... read more

One of the archetypal funky soul bands of the 70s -- and a group whose impact is still being felt today! Of course, one of the reasons for that is Chaka Khan's incredible vocals -- caught here at a prime early point, and very nicely set against some warm electric keyboards and tight groovy guitars.... read more

A stone cold classic, and probably the best record Rufus or Chaka ever did! By this point, they've honed their soul style into a nice jazzy groove, and Chaka's voice is in total control -- without too much pyrotechnics, and with a nice mellow sound. Includes the classic hit "Hollywood",... read more

God, we love this record -- and we're not ashamed to admit it! Sure, it sold a gazillion copies -- and sure, for some folks it showed the true demise of the Crusaders ensemble. But for us, it's a masterpiece of smooth fusion, and a landmark album of easy jazz that spawned countless imitators that... read more

Sublime early work from Robert Wyatt and crew -- a psychedelic accented jazz rock classic that never gets old -- and a visionary set that inspired a generation! The heavily fuzzy guitar sound is transcendent on Volume Two -- with sudden jazzy changes, augmented by horns, and all done with a sly... read more

The first album from Steely Dan, and already a leading light in the world of 70s rock! The album's got a bit less of the polish of later years, but is still filled with gems -- the kind of tunes that nobody ever seemed to pen before, and which few other groups could match later -- despite the... read more

Superb work from Steely Dan -- and a record that really shows them hitting perfection in the studio! The core sound of this one's jazzier than before -- with some great help on instrumentation from Victor Feldman, Lanny Morgan, Bill Perkins, and other west coast jazzers -- all helping the group... read more

Steely Dan really hitting the heights -- moving into hipper, more sophisticated territory than before -- pushing the envelope with both their music and lyrics, which are completely sublime! It's hard to put our finger on the magic of this one, but it's the perfect summation of everything that's... read more

Magical music from the team of Donald Fagan and Walter Becker -- one of those records that seems to state its existence in simple, straightforward terms -- but which is also filled with undeniably complex moments! There's a definite echo of older jazz here -- heard famously in the Horace Silver... read more

My God, what a record! This one's genius through and through -- a set that sometimes gets eclipsed in the brilliance to come, but which is easily one of our favorites ever by Steely Dan! There's a beautifully focused feel here -- thanks to Donald Fagan's incredible lead vocals, and a sense of... read more

Groovy Toots -- just the way we like him, with a bit of jazz, a bit of easy, and some cool 60s approaches to his sound! The album has Toots on both harmonica and guitar -- working in a stripped-down small combo setting that has some really surprising elements, like piano and organ by Dick Hyman,... read more

Really standout material from Lucky -- an excellent set collecting small group sessions recorded for Paramount in the mid 50s, featuring Oscar Pettiford on bass! The format's a bit like the small combo mode that Americans from larger touring ensembles were recording in Europe -- a bit more... read more

A selection of tracks culled from the days when War were working with Eric Burdon -- during the years 1969 and 1970, when the ex-Animal tried to show the world that he actually had some real soul cred, and hooked up with this hip funky combo from LA to lay down his groove. The tracks are very much... read more

A nice track from Lenny Williams, and though he's from the west coast, he's definitely going for a very Philadelphia sound with this nice uptempo number.... read more

A real classic from Lenny Williams -- most likely his strongest solo album ever! By the time of this set, Lenny had been out of Tower Of Power for a few years, working on his own in the west coast scene. But the real genius here comes from producer/arranger Frank Wilson -- once a key force at... read more

Majestic music from the mighty Popcorn Wylie -- the Detroit soul legend best known for his work in the 60s, but an artist who really shines on this rare 70s set for ABC! The album was done during the same stretch as Lamont Dozier's ABC work -- and like those records, this set features killer... read more