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A wonderful album from Muhal – with all the soulful spiritualness of his best 70s work, more stripped down than later orchestrated efforts, and with a gentler more intimate approach than earlier work. The set is mostly solo piano – although Abrams also plays some occasional percussion... read more

One of their early classics, and still one of the greatest groups with roots in the Chicago AACM scene. Henry Threadgill, Fred Hopkins, and Steve McCall play modern experimental versions of compositions by Jelly Roll Morton and Scot Joplin – plus Threadgill's own "Paille Street".... read more

A soaring set of grooves from one of the world's greatest percussionists – a standout set as a leader from Airto, and a key set in his wonderful run of work from the 70s! The album's still got the loose, free feel of Airto's earliest work, and isn't nearly as crossover-oriented as some of... read more

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A jazz funk masterpiece, and THE record by the legendary Don Blackman – the only one issued under his own name for many many years, and a famous little set that's been sampled endlessly over the years, and for good reason! The vibe here is one that's barely been matched again – a blend... read more

A jazz funk masterpiece, and THE record by the legendary Don Blackman – the only one issued under his own name for many many years, and a famous little set that's been sampled endlessly over the years, and for good reason! The vibe here is one that's barely been matched again – a blend... read more

Angela Bofill's 3rd album for Arista – a tight set of 80s modern and pop soul tunes, arranged and produced by Narada Michael Walden with some jazzy touches in the right moments! Angie's taking things to a sophisticated soul level with this one – stepping out on a few ballads with a... read more

An Arista winner from Angela Bofill – one that has her working strongly with Narada Michael Walden – who helps Bofill on production and songwriting for part of the album, and really helps bring a nicely solid feel to the set! The tunes are more in an 80s soul mode than before for Angie... read more

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A landmark set from a group who only ever gave the world two albums – but who've gone on to have a huge influence over the years! This initial offering from Breakwater is a masterful blend of jazzy fusion and mellower soul – a sound sifted together so perfectly, it really tops the rest... read more

A landmark set from a group who only ever gave the world two albums – but who've gone on to have a huge influence over the years! This initial offering from Breakwater is a masterful blend of jazzy fusion and mellower soul – a sound sifted together so perfectly, it really tops the rest... read more

No splashdown here – as Breakwater are every bit as soaringly soulful as they were on their debut set! The groove here is that perfect blend of jazz and soul that only a few groups in the 70s really got right – maybe Pleasure, or The Blackbyrds – and most certainly Breakwater,... read more

No splashdown here – as Breakwater are every bit as soaringly soulful as they were on their debut set! The groove here is that perfect blend of jazz and soul that only a few groups in the 70s really got right – maybe Pleasure, or The Blackbyrds – and most certainly Breakwater,... read more

Soulful fusion from The Brecker Brothers – a set that's one of their standout efforts from the 70s – and a record that went onto influence a whole generation of jazz musicians too! The album features the twin horns of Randy & Michael Brecker, along with alto by David Sanborn,... read more

Seminal work from The Brecker Brothers – 6 of the group's best albums, plus the two Blue Montreux live albums – packaged together in one very cool set, in tiny LP-like sleeves! The self-titled Brecker Brothers album is the first super effort from the team of Randy & Michael Brecker... read more

A stone classic from The Brecker Brothers – working here at a new level for 70s jazz fusion! Sure, it's as slick as it can be – with touches of club and disco grooves to give an even smoother edge to the jazz funk of the Brecker Brothers – but thanks to some solid soloing that's... read more

Two killers from Chicago guitarist Bobby Broom – both recorded near the start of his career! First up is Clean Sweep, killer set from a player who should have been huge – ultra-sweet guitarist Bobby Broom, a player we'd vote to become the next big heir to the sound of Wes Montgomery or... read more

A key bit of jazz funk from trumpeter Tom Browne – still grooving strong here, with a sublime mix of modern soul, funky jazz, and some of the 80s groove touches that showed up on the best GRP titles from the time! The album's got a smooth compressed groove – kind of post-Donald Byrd,... read more

A key bit of jazz funk from trumpeter Tom Browne – still grooving strong here, with a sublime mix of modern soul, funky jazz, and some of the 80s groove touches that showed up on the best GRP titles from the time! The album's got a smooth compressed groove – kind of post-Donald Byrd,... read more

A classic killer from trumpeter Tom Browne – a smoking set that still has all the jazz funk touches of his earlier records, yet which also picks up a bit of an electro vibe as well! The move here is a bit like that taken by some of Browne's labelmates on GRP at the time – particularly... read more

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An excellent album of smooth soul tracks – one that reaches back to some of Norman's earlier records for inspiration, and which takes the sound up a few notches to expand the groove. Norman gets help on the arranging tip from Al Johnson, McKinley Jackson, and Paul Riser – which is why... read more

A pair of groovers by Norman Connors from the start of the 80s – Take It To The Limit and Mr C – together in a single set! Take It To The Limit is excellent album of smooth soul – one that reaches back to some of Norman's earlier records for inspiration, and which takes the sound... read more

A fantastic bit of modern soul from Norman Connors – proof that he was still growing and changing as an artist, continuing to push his groove into whole new areas as the 70s progressed. The record takes the smooth jazzy sound of the earlier Buddah sides, sharpens it into a more sophisticated... read more

A fantastic bit of modern soul from Norman Connors – proof that he was still growing and changing as an artist, continuing to push his groove into whole new areas as the 70s progressed. The record takes the smooth jazzy sound of the earlier Buddah sides, sharpens it into a more sophisticated... read more

With Larry on guitars, Mike Mandel on keyboards, and Joe Beck on bass and acoustic guitar!... read more

Incredible work from the young Stanley Cowell – one of his first albums ever, but already a step ahead of most of his contemporaries! The set's a trio date, unlike some of Cowell's later albums for Strata East – and it's got a wonderful blend of soaring piano lines and more complicated... read more

A crossover classic from Deborah Cox – a record that's filled with plenty of tuneful tracks, yet sung with a surprising depth of soul! Production is top-shelf on most numbers – and is often in that great 90s mode that's reintroducing warmer sounds that had slipped out of soul music the... read more

A crossover classic from Deborah Cox – a record that's filled with plenty of tuneful tracks, yet sung with a surprising depth of soul! Production is top-shelf on most numbers – and is often in that great 90s mode that's reintroducing warmer sounds that had slipped out of soul music the... read more

Tremendous work from trumpeter Ted Curson – and one of the few records that shows up often in his oeuvre, but which is every bit as great as his rare and expensive albums! Side one features killer material from Curson's group with tenorist Bill Barron – three cuts recorded in Paris in... read more

Rhymes by II Unorthodox and Juice.... read more

A really heavily-jamming album from Larry Coryell's Eleventh House group – certainly to be expected, given that the lineup includes John Lee on bass, Mike Mandel on keyboards, and Alphonse Mouzon on drums! The sound has plenty of rock-fusion touches – and Coryell's guitar is searing,... read more

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A real standout from Aretha Franklin's years on Arista – a set produced by Luther Vandross, with a soaring groove that really opens Aretha up nicely! Luther's more in the mode here of his 70s club productions than his 80s hits – that warm, midtempo vibe that's full of lush moments, but... read more

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Aretha's grooving sweetly on a record that's produced by Luther Vandross – and a damn strong one, too! Aretha wasn't the first, or the last classic soul singer to embrace the modern sounds of the early 80s, but relatively few outshined their younger peers as brilliantly as Aretha does here. ... read more

An early 80s gem from Aretha Franklin – one of the best of her years at Arista Records, thanks to solid help in the studio from the mighty Arif Mardin! Mardin's in perfect form here – the same blend of older soul and jazzier, more sophisticated styles that he was also bringing to Chaka... read more

An early 80s gem from Aretha Franklin – one of the best of her years at Arista Records, thanks to solid help in the studio from the mighty Arif Mardin! Mardin's in perfect form here – the same blend of older soul and jazzier, more sophisticated styles that he was also bringing to Chaka... read more

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A great little record from the time when Pierre Moerlen was making the shift from the prog of Gong's roots into some warmer, jazzier tones! The style here is a mix of sharp-edged guitars and keyboards, and plenty of percussion – drums, vibes, marimbas, and more – used by Moerlin in a... read more

Completely sublime grooves from GQ – a second set that's almost even better than their first – thanks to perfect production, and wicked rhythms that are right on the money, track after track! The group start the set with a flurry of upbeat grooves that really show the full potential of... read more

Completely sublime grooves from GQ – a second set that's almost even better than their first – thanks to perfect production, and wicked rhythms that are right on the money, track after track! The group start the set with a flurry of upbeat grooves that really show the full potential of... read more

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A really strong debut from Anthony Hamilton – easily the strongest album we've ever heard on the usually much more commercial So So Def label! Anthony seriously vibrates the rich depth of southern soul on every cut here, as filtered through late-model natural hip hop beats and vibes. He's... read more

Live concert DVD plus bonus CD of never before-released recordings of "Comin From Where I'm From" and "Charlene".... read more

Hmmm....we're not sure if this is the same Harlem River Drive that recorded with Eddie Palmieri, but we've got to assume that they are, as we can't imagine 2 bands using the same name at the same time, and both apparently from New York. "Need You" has also got a sound that's kind of a... read more

The second album by this legendary 70s funk combo – best known as Herbie Hancock's backing band, but sounding great here on their own. The album's much more of a solid soul effort than the first one – which was great, but felt more like Herbie Had stepped out of the studio for a minute... read more

The second album by this legendary 70s funk combo – best known as Herbie Hancock's backing band, but sounding great here on their own. The album's much more of a solid soul effort than the first one – which was great, but felt more like Herbie had stepped out of the studio for a minute... read more

A landmark bit of jazz funk – from one of the greatest backup groups of the 70s! Herbie Hancock first brought The Headhunters to light – working with the San Francisco-based combo that included Bennie Maupin, Mike Clark, Paul Jackson, and Bill Summers – using their sound to give... read more

A landmark bit of jazz funk – from one of the greatest backup groups of the 70s! Herbie Hancock first brought The Headhunters to light – working with the San Francisco-based combo that included Bennie Maupin, Mike Clark, Paul Jackson, and Bill Summers – using their sound to give... read more

A seminal set of grooves – two Headhunters classics on a single set! First up is Survival Of The Fittest – a landmark bit of jazz funk from one of the greatest backup groups of the 70s! Herbie Hancock first brought The Headhunters to light – working with the San Francisco-based... read more

Arista Freedom release of 2 different sessions by Julius Hemphill – one from 1975, with Arthur Blythe, Hamiet Bluiett, and Abdul Wadud; the other from 1972, with Bluiett, Wadud, and Baikida Carroll. The 1972 session's a bit more interesting, and was recorded in St. Louis by Oliver Sain (of... read more

Smooth mellow soul by Michael Henderson – taking up where he left off with his work with Norman Connors, and proving that he was an even better vocalist than bassist. The overall sound of this one's perhaps a bit slicker than his first 2 albums on Buddah – but there's still some strong... read more

Jennifer Holliday's strong '91 set – with material that's par for the course for Arista soul efforts of the late 80s and early 90s – but Holliday outshines it with her powerful, emotional and wonderful voice! Definitely an underappreciated set, particularly for fans of powerfully... read more

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Phyllis Hyman's nicely balanced here between the two key sides of her early career at its best – working with straight soul production from Chuck Jackson, and slightly more complicated grooves handled by Norman Connors! The pair really bring a nice sense of balance to the record, and in a... read more

The last Arista album from Phyllis Hyman – and a set that really sums up all the genius she expressed at the label! Some tunes are upbeat and catchy – the kind of tracks that had Hyman reaching a much wider audience in the early 80s – while others are more sophisticated and... read more

The last Arista album from Phyllis Hyman – and a set that really sums up all the genius she expressed at the label! Some tunes are upbeat and catchy – the kind of tracks that had Hyman reaching a much wider audience in the early 80s – while others are more sophisticated and... read more

Warm and wonderful work from Phyllis Hyman – a set that's a lot more mainstream soul than her music of a few years before, but she delivers it with a strong commitment to the more complicated styles of her roots! The sound here is full and proud – a nice extension of the work that... read more

A classic 1979 album from Phyllis Hyman! Hyman was one of the few female singers who started in the pre-disco years and managed to move through the disco years with a good groove – but never get totally swamped by the production styles of the day. She stuck close to her roots as a jazzy... read more

Maybe not dynamite, but an album that definitely has an explosive feel right from the start – thanks to some 80s grooves that really help re-ignite the solo career of Jermaine Jackson! Jermaine's soaring vocals are right at home in these beat-heavy arrangements – sparkling with a sense... read more

Bold 80s soul from Jermaine Jackson – a set that's heavy on beats and keyboards, but which still leaves enough space for his gentler-toned vocals! The upbeat tracks here sometimes get a bit dramatic, which makes us like the ballads more – sweeter-styled numbers that are much better... read more

Bold 80s soul from Jermaine Jackson – a set that's heavy on beats and keyboards, but which still leaves enough space for his gentler-toned vocals! The upbeat tracks here sometimes get a bit dramatic, which makes us like the ballads more – sweeter-styled numbers that are much better... read more

Bold 80s soul from Jermaine Jackson – a set that's heavy on beats and keyboards, but which still leaves enough space for his gentler-toned vocals! The upbeat tracks here sometimes get a bit dramatic, which makes us like the ballads more – sweeter-styled numbers that are much better... read more

One of the few secular soul albums ever cut by Genobia Jeter – a gospel singer who broke into R&B with this smooth mid 80s effort – a mix of tracks handled by different producers, taking Genobia from mellow quiet storm numbers into more club-oriented groovers. Hubert Eaves handles... read more

A tight little album from Tamiko Jones – one of the most enigmatic singers to come out of the south, stepping proud here in a sound that's almost in the Hotlanta vein! Tamiko's working with an assortment of Muscle Shoals musicians on the set – and the style of the album is a mixture of... read more

A tight little album from Tamiko Jones – one of the most enigmatic singers to come out of the south, stepping proud here in a sound that's almost in the Hotlanta vein! Tamiko's working with an assortment of Muscle Shoals musicians on the set – and the style of the album is a mixture of... read more

An 80s soul classic from Kashif – an artist who really helped transform R&B at the time, all without the benefit of a last name! The album's completely arranged and produced by Kashif himself – cementing the reputation he'd begun working behind other artists in the earlier part of... read more

An 80s soul classic from Kashif – an artist who really helped transform R&B at the time, all without the benefit of a last name! The album's completely arranged and produced by Kashif himself – cementing the reputation he'd begun working behind other artists in the earlier part of... read more

A monumental bit of 80s soul – the first solo album from Kashif, issued hot on the heels of a few years spent penning and producing work for a range of bigger artists! Given his experience with the pros, Kashif's emerging here as a very fully-formed talent in soul – a singer with a way... read more

A monumental bit of 80s soul – the first solo album from Kashif – issued hot on the heels of a few years spent penning and producing work for a range of bigger artists! Given his experience with the pros, Kashif's emerging here as a very fully-formed talent in soul – a singer... read more

A standout classic from Kashif – one of those key 80s albums that brought him to light as a tremendous powerhouse in mainstream soul! Thanks to the wonders of recording science, Kashif was able to write, produce, arrange, and perform everything on the album himself – a great trick that... read more

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A real standout in the later catalog of the Kinks – a record that gave the group a number of minor hits, and which let them rock out a bit more than usual – in a style that was clearly influenced by the punk of the period, but which also had sort of a Pete Townsend-esque quality to it. ... read more

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A nice transition from the overwrought concept albums of mid 70s Kinks – and a shift into tighter, shorter, more condensed tunes that got the group firmly back on track! The concepts here are each confined to the space of a single tune – taking Ray and the group back to the best... read more

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Reedman Oliver Lake at his most creative – stepping out here on a sublime set of 70s improvisations – all put together with a really spiritual feel! There's a very open, collaborative feel to the music – and the set was recorded in St Louis, at a time when Lake was a key part of... read more

Reedman Oliver Lake at his most creative – stepping out here on a sublime set of 70s improvisations – all put together with a really spiritual feel! There's a very open, collaborative feel to the music – and the set was recorded in St Louis, at a time when Lake was a key part of... read more

A real classic from Jeff Lorber – the kind of record that crossed-over immediately, and had a huge influence on so many different scenes! The style is smooth sweet fusion – of a sort that Lorber virtually helped invent, and so many others helped to ruin in later years – but here,... read more

An overlooked gem from that great early stretch when Arista was leading the pack when it came to jazzy, sophisticated funk – really hitting hard with groups like Breakwater and Locksmith, and also giving us this sweet little set from Madagascar! The group may not be that well-known by name,... read more

Wonderfully tight work from Mandrill – a real standout from the years at Arista – and a set that seems to take all the key instrumental energy of the Polydor years, and focus it on a soulful groove that's even more soaring than before! The energy is wonderful – very much like the... read more

Wonderfully tight work from Mandrill – a real standout from the years at Arista – and a set that seems to take all the key instrumental energy of the Polydor years, and focus it on a soulful groove that's even more soaring than before! The energy is wonderful – very much like the... read more

Legendary drummer Harvey Mason in sweet jazz funk groove at Arista – a way stronger record than we remembered! Harvey played on some of our favorite jazz funk records of all time – including the massive Gears LP by Johnny Hammond among so many other great albums – and on his on... read more

Smooth soulful jazz from Harvey Mason – one of his strong 70s winners for the Arista album, and a record that really brings a new level of class to his sound! There's less of the grit in the grooves than you might expect from the down-home reference of the title – and in a way, the... read more

Smooth soulful jazz from Harvey Mason – one of his strong 70s winners for the Arista album, and a record that really brings a new level of class to his sound! There's less of the grit in the grooves than you might expect from the down-home reference of the title – and in a way, the... read more

One of the best solo records from Harvey Mason – best known as the drummer on some really monster 70s funky fusion sessions (such as Johnny Hammond's Gears album) – but a surprisingly well-rounded R&B artist overall! As with Norman Connors, another fusion drummer gone soul star,... read more

Easily the greatest album ever by funky drummer Harvey Mason – and quite possibly the only one to live up to the rhythmic complexity that Mason brought to countless other fusion sessions for other groups in the 70s! The tracks are all spacious and snapping with brilliantly funky touches... read more

Given that Harvey worked on some of the best fusion sessions of the 70s, it's more than safe to give him "most valuable player" award – because without his drums, many a record would have faltered! Here, though, Mason's much more in his all-out soul mode – singing, playing,... read more

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One of the best-realized Python studio albums!... read more