All Categories — LPs  

The start of a whole new chapter – with "Shoot To Thrill", "Rock & Roll Ain't Noise Pollution", "Hells Bells", "Back In Black", and "Given The Dog A Bone".... read more

A tremendous debut from Ace Spectrum – a harmony quartet who never cracked the charts as much as some of their east coast contemporaries, but who were every bit as great as the bigger names on the east coast scene! The album's got a soaring sound that's strongly influenced by Philly, but... read more

The second chapter in a mighty 70s trilogy from Ace Spectrum – a killer set recorded for Atlantic Records, and easily some of the best group soul issued by the label in the decade! Ace Spectrum change things up a bit here from the obvious – hitting a variety of modes that move between... read more

A gem of a record from Nat Adderley – filled with short soulful groovers, and done with an upbeat vibe that rivals some of Cannonball's best of the 60s! Joe Zawinul handled the arrangements, so there's definitely a strong influence here from the Cannon group – and although the players... read more

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No music – and as far as we can tell, the whole album's lifted from bits that appeared in the hit TV show. Not that that's a problem, though, as Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner, and crew never fail to please. Bits include "Breasts", "Archie & Maude",... read more

The major label debut of Amuzement Park – almost more obscure than the indie set that preceded it, and kind of in a different mode altogether! There's still a boogie groove to most of the set, but the group are also funking things up a bit more – possibly following a Minneapolis... read more

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Bass heavy funk from Arrington – picking up where that Slave groove left off, moving into a mode that's also picked up bits of 80s groove and old school rhythms. Titles include "Nobody Can Beat You", "You Meet My Approval", "Speak With Your Body", "Weak At... read more

AWB's first for Atlantic – and a nice slice of funk that proves that they can mix it up with the best groups of the 70s! The record's got plenty of sweet electric keyboards over smooth funky basslines – and as the years go by, the band's white boy vocals don't sound nearly as bad as we... read more

If you need to own one album by Average White Band, this is it! The album features the band at their funky best – playing hard and chopping away with a strong crossover sound that put them firmly on the map during the early 70s. Loads of tight rolling basslines and hard drums – all... read more

Sure, it's not classic funky Average White Band, but the album's a great one that showcases the group's best second suit – their smooth compressed late 70s soul sound – a great evolution of their earlier groove, and one that showed them as a great mainstream soul act! The tunes are a... read more

Sublime mid 70s work from The Average White Band – and a record that really has the group deepening their groove a bit – moving past the heavier funk of their roots, into some mellower grooves that are totally great! There's a great undercurrent of jazz in some of the playing here... read more

In case you don't get the joke, the title's a play on the fact that Atlantic Records had just been acquired by Warner Communications – now fully a major label at the end of the 70s! That fact doesn't stop the album from being a good one, though – and AWB work here with Arif Mardin on a... read more

Ben E King joins the Average White Band for this sweet 70s set – a killer record that not only stands as one of King's best efforts of the decade, but one that also gives the group a great new frontman! Ben's not the only singer on the record, but his presence here can definitely be felt... read more

Beautiful stuff from LaVern – and a record that combines the mellow hit "Saved", with some more Beautiful stuff from LaVern – and a record that combines the testifying hit "Saved", with some more great R&B material as well as some grandly accented vocal tunes... read more

Later Atlantic work by LaVern Baker – almost more traditional than her earlier sides! The album has LaVern singing with arrangements by Clyde Otis – lusher backings than in earlier years, giving the record a classic 60s bluesy sort of approach. Titles include "Endless Love",... read more

A nice bit of space age disco fantasy from Boney M – a set that's got a few more electronic touches than some of the group's other records, but which still continues in a straight ahead poppy vein! There's a sound here that's arguably a bit more sophisticated than before – especially... read more

What can we say? Booker T and crew are always tops in our book – and this album's as strong a batch of their classic singles as you'll ever find! Book's organ is the sound of a generation, and Steve Cropper's sinister vamping on guitar gives even the poppier tracks a hard edge that still... read more

A sweet bit of funky jazz vocals from Oscar Brown Jr – recorded during his early 70s stay at Atlantic Records, in a style that's very different than his early work! The tracks are all still original numbers by Oscar – penned with that clever bad-rapping approach to the lyrics that... read more

Hip work from both players – and Jarrett plays electric piano and soprano sax too – in a group that also features Sam Brown on guitar, Steve Swallow on bass, and Bill Goodwin on drums. Titles include "Como En Vietnam", "Fortune Smiles", "The Raven Speaks",... read more

A lost west coast gem from the 50s – a unique quintet session for Atlantic Records, cut by a group co-led by trumpeter Conte Candoli and pianist Lou Levy! There's a bit more fire here than in some of the other sides from the time by the players – especially Levy – and in a way,... read more

Jimmy Castor bursts forward here with a definite supersound – a groove that's different than his fuzzier work for RCA Records, but still equally funky throughout! Castor's still quite the multi-instrumentalist on the record – as in addition to singing lead, he plays plenty of soprano... read more

A soulful smoker from the west coast scene – and some of the only work as a leader we've ever seen from pianist Joe Castro – a player with just the right sense of rhythm and soul to live up to the title! In addition to this rare appearance by Joe, the set's also noteworthy for some... read more

Change get the Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis treatment on this 1984 release – as the pair wrote and produced most of the record. With their help, the group's kicking up the beat a bit more, which gave them the big hit "Change Of Heart", plus the tracks "You Are My Melody", "... read more

Titles include "Hard Times", "Rockhouse", "Sweet Sixteen Bars", "Doodlin", "How Long Blues", and "Blues Waltz".... read more

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Important 70s work from Don Cherry – one of the first albums to bring his overseas experiments to a larger US audience! The set builds nicely off of styles that Don forged earlier in France and Scandinavia – a freer style of music than his work with Ornette Coleman, and a richly... read more

An overlooked gem from Chic – a record cut past their initial fame in the discos, and done in a tightly-stepping 80s groove that's totally great! The style here still has plenty of that sharp-edged Niles Rodgers guitar – but the overall sound is cleaner and leaner too – more in a... read more

Great early genius from the Clarke Boland Big Band – proof that Kenny and Francy were onto something great, right from the start! The album really has the group hitting the heights of their MPS years – stretching out way past earlier big band modes, into the hip mix of rhythms and... read more

Titles include "Quadrant 4", "Moon Germs", "Stratus", "Do What Cha Wanna", "Panhandler", "Pleasant Pheasant", and "Red Baron".... read more

Tight electric fusion from Billy, with some funky drumming, and some tracks that are a bit more subdued. John Scofield is on guitar, Richard Davis plays bass, and Billy drums, plays moog, and handled most of the arrangements. With "Life & Times", "Siesta", "Earthlings&... read more

A very full-on hard heavy fusion album! Drummer Billy Cobham lays down some massive hard beats, while Tommy Bolin wails away on guitar, Jan Hammer pounds on electric piano, and Lee Sklar noodles on electric bass. 2 cuts feature a different lineup with Joe Farrell and Jimmy Owens – but the... read more

Full throttle fusion from Billy Cobham, the kind of stuff we once winced at because of the really over the top moments of heavy, heavy jamming, but that we find ourselves more sympathetic to these days, probably for the more sublime moments that poke through the onslaught here and there, including... read more

A stunning session by Ornette, and one that always seems to get overlooked in discussions of his albums for Atlantic! His quartet here features the amazing Scott LaFaro on bass, and a young Ed Blackwell on drums – both of whom give the tracks an amazing pulse that brings new energy out of... read more

A key album for any fan of classic Ornette Coleman – a 1971 Atlantic release that pulled together tracks from the late 50's and early 60's that didn't make it onto Ornette's earlier records for the label! Why these tracks weren't released at the time is a mystery to all, because the material... read more

Coltrane plays the blues, but in a way like nobody else – stepping off of the deeply soulful sound of his late Prestige years, and moving into even more open and exploratory space for Atlantic! The setting is bare bones and simple – and many of these numbers begin with the sort of... read more

Amazing stuff – and one of Chris Connor's greatest records for Atlantic! There's a depth to this set that passes some of her others from the time – partially because the album features a very hip set of tunes, written by Ornette Coleman, Norman Mapp, John Lewis, Peggy Lee, and others... read more

After Hours is the time when Crawford really hits his stride – playing lean and mellow in that easy soulful way that always seemed to work better than any of his other approaches to jazz. This album's got him blowing alto and even playing a bit of piano, in middle-sized groups that include... read more

Mr. Blues is right! Hank's soulful alto is set in some nice little group settings, playing short tracks that are a mix of originals ("Mr. Blues", "Smoky City", and "The Turfer") and soul or pop tunes. Hank also plays a bit of piano on the record, and other players... read more

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Obscure bit of spiritual soul by Wayne Davis, who also recorded another record for the Black Fire label (home of Oneness of Juju). Roberta Flack guests on this album, and gives him the thumbs up in the notes on the back, and the whole thing's got the same sort of jazzy soul feel of her first album... read more

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With Sidney De Paris on cornet, Omer Simeon on clarinet, Don Kirkpatrick on piano, and Harold Jackson on bass.... read more

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The only full album ever recorded by the legendary Sam Dees – an artist who's probably best known for his songwriting skills on other records, but who really shines here as a lead star on his own! Dees' approach is wonderful – a bit rootsy, with some slight southern soul elements... read more

Did Ellington ever record in concert and it not be great? This wonderful double-length set from the 60s is key proof of his genius in an unfettered live setting – recorded in Paris in 1963 with plenty of dark edges! The tracks are short overall, but Duke's really at the head of the group on... read more

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We have to admit we find these records to be a lot of fun, but no one could possibly buy the spiel in the liner notes about their "effect on the imagination and subconscious of the listener". Two extended soundscapes here: side one is "The Psychologically Ultimate Seashore",... read more

A sublime set of soul instrumentals – very funky work, and sort of a 70s follow-up to the Soulful Strings albums on Cadet Records from the 60s! Maestro Richard Evans is at the top of his game here – stepping out with that hip Chisoul mode he first forged at Chess, tuned here towards... read more

Mindblowing work from Roberta Flack – an album that should be in the collection of any fan of righteous soul music! Forget all the wimpier modes of Flack's later years – because here, the young Roberta is a vision of positive power and spiritual soul – a singer with roots in jazz... read more

What can we say? We've heard this one a million times, it sold over a million copies – but it's still incredible! The record is Roberta's first, and it features her in a mellow trio format, augmented by some occasional larger arrangements by William Fischer. At most points, though, the... read more

A second set of recordings made by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway – recorded, we think, in earlier years, but issued at the end of the 70s, after Donny's untimely passing. The set was co-produced by Eric Mercury and Flack – and is really more of an album by Roberta, with some added... read more

Redd Foxx doing is thing live in '75 at the Apollo – his return to recording after 12 years without a comedy album! You Gotta Wash Your Ass was cut while Sanford & Son was still in production – making this blue performance a gritty return to form for Foxx! It isn't as flamboyantly... read more

A great record from Aretha! She performs with James Cleveland & The Southern California Community Choir for two LPs worth of some super gospel material. The tracks include "Mary, Don't You Weep", "How I Got Over", "Precious Memories", "Wholy Holy",... read more

Aretha Arrives in great style – and a mixture between her earlier vocal jazz years at Columbia, and her later southern soul sides of the 60s! Arif Mardin is already arranging Aretha's work at this point, and the backing group includes southern soul studio giants like Spooner Oldham, Tommy... read more

Aretha's tour of the south continues – recording here at Atlantic's new home in Miami, with studio work from The Dixie Flyers, Dave Crawford, Roger Hawkins, Duane Allman, and Eddie Hinton – all very much in the tradition of the Muscle Shoals work that supported Aretha on earlier... read more

One of Aretha's sadly overlooked 70s gems – a great little session produced by Lamont Dozier, with a mix of smooth soul, driving rhythms, and just the right amount of rough edges to keep things real, very much in the tone of Lamont's own strong work for the ABC label at the same time. Lamont... read more

Given that Atlantic's big claim to fame with Aretha was that they took her from being a supper club jazz singer and made her a hard soul act, we've always been a bit surprised at the way they chose to hook her up with some Bacharach tunes after her first few sides – giving her a classier... read more

Mellow sexy Aretha – with warm arrangements by Arif Mardin, and plenty of nice electric piano by the great Richard Tee. Includes a great version of Stevie Wonder's "I Love Every Little Thing About You", plus the tracks "You Move Me", "You'll Never Get To Heaven"... read more

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The lasting testament of trumpeter Tony Fruscella – a great talent whose powers only flourished briefly on vinyl, and never so brightly as on this LP! The set's a well-composed one – gently grooving numbers arranged and written by Phil Sunkel, played by Tony and a group that includes... read more

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Titles include "Illegal Alien", "Taking It All Too Hard", "It's Gonna Get Better", "Home By The Sea", "That's All", and "Mama".... read more

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Songs from Wind & Wuthering sessions – recorded in 1977 before guitarist Steve Hackett's departure.... read more

One of countless late 50s albums cut in the "Jazz meets Broadway" trend (Jimmy and group play tunes from Meredith Wilson's score to The Music Man) – many of which are better than you might think! This one features Giuffre working in slightly larger groups than usual for the time... read more

One of the warmer Steve Grossman albums of the 70s – a set that moves away from some of the sharper fusion of his indie label sets, but which still has plenty of fire in Steve's horn! Grossman plays tenor and soprano, and the styles range from soul-fusion groovers, to propulsive jazz jammers... read more

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A very groovy set of pop-jazz guitar tunes – originally recorded by Metronome Records in Sweden, but issued here by Atlantic. The core of the recording is Gustafsson's guitar trio, but the record also features some larger backing by Georg Riedel that have a nice airy feel to them. While the... read more

A killer debut from Curtis Hairston – an overlooked 80s soul singer who should have made it big, given the strength of this set! The album's got a tight groove, but is never too commercial – a bit away from other Atlantic soul of the time, thanks to some solid studio help from Kae... read more

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One of Slide Hampton's first albums – and a massively hard-wailing set that will make any doubters sit up and take notice! The set really packs a punch – as Slide leads a hip group that features Freddie Hubbard, Richard Williams, Bernard McKinney, and George Coleman through some... read more

An amazing record, from an amazing player – the mighty Rufus Harley, heard here on tenor, flute, and soprano sax – as well as bagpipes, his "trademark" instrument! Don't be put off by the bagpipes, though, because Harley plays in a righteous soul jazz groove, and uses the... read more

One of Harley's beautiful albums for Atlantic, and a record that shouldn't work at all – but it does! Harley plays bagpipes throughout the album, and he does so in a way that sounds nothing like any of the snoozy Scottish assumptions you may have about the instrument. Instead, Harley draws... read more

A lost classic, and a landmark blending of jazz and world music! The core of the group is that quintet of West Indian alto player Joe Harriott – one of the leading lights of the British jazz scene of the 60s, and a dedicated modernist who was as important to England as Ornette Coleman was to... read more

Not a great jazz record, but a pretty nice funky soul album by Eddie – who by this point was really electrifying his sax, playing a bit of piano, and even singing in a range of different styles. The best moments are those that kind of push the envelope technique-wise – operating with a... read more

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A nice little funk album from Eddie – one that shouldn't work, but does nicely, thanks to a unique approach to the groove! Eddie's still playing plenty of electric sax on the set – and is going for a sound here that's equal parts soul jazz, modal groove, and down and dirty funk! The... read more

We can never get enough of Eddie Harris – and a record like this is a great reason why! Despite all the many different settings Eddie worked in at Atlantic, he still always stayed true to his roots – and a record like this is a perfect example of that – no electric horn, no funk,... read more

Killer stuff – and an amazing album that not only showcases the varitone sax talents of Eddie Harris, but also features some fantastic arrangements by Chicago soul genius Charles Stepney! Harris plugs in right from the start – blowing an electric sax that comes up with some groovy... read more

A very interesting album from Eddie Harris – one that's more of a comedy album than a jazz record – honest! Most of the record features Eddie performing his own comedy material – pretty blue stuff with lots of bad-rapping and profanity – possibly trying to cash in on the... read more

An excellent album from Eddie Harris – whose love of the Varitone sax is pushed to the max here, as he gets funky and wild on a great batch of tracks! The record features some great bass work from Melvin Jackson, plus keyboards from Joe Zawinul and Eddie. Titles include "Silver... read more

One of the last Atlantic Eddie Harris albums! There's a nice mix of funk, straight jazz, and oddball groovers on the set – and players include Don Ellis and Paul Humphrey. Tracks include "Sallie's Theme", "Steps Up", "Brother Wardo", "One Man Section"... read more

A massive batch of funky soul jazz – the Second Movement (to the first album Swiss Movement) of the collaboration of Eddie Harris and Les McCann! The vibe here is even freer, and hipper, than on the first set – with a host of long tracks that have Les really working the Fender Rhodes... read more

Groovy session of piano trio material, recorded in Chicago by the city's "great white hope" of the 60s: pianist Eddie Higgins. The set was recorded for the Dunwich production group (who gave the world The Shadows of Knight), but was licensed to Atlantic for final release. The group's a... read more

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Killer work from Freddie Hubbard – some key transitional sides for Atlantic Records, and easily some of his most soulful work ever! Freddie started out as a bopper on Blue Note, but then made a great shift at Atlantic – exploring space and sound in a really wonderful way, and opening... read more

A wonderful session of hip soul jazz tracks from Freddie Hubbard – mostly short tight and groovy, but played with a sophisticated style that points the way towards the soul jazz sound of the 70s. Soul Experiment is a fitting title – as Freddie works hard with hip players like Billy... read more

Excellent late 50s work by Milt Jackson for Atlantic! Bags & Flutes is very much in the style of Milt's classic Savoy sides from the preceding couple of years – mixing together his jazzy vibes with light lilting solos on flute, either by Bobby Jaspar or Frank Wess, Milt's old compatriot... read more

A wonderful little record – a real standout in both the careers of Milt Jackson and Coleman Hawkins! The album captures Hawk during his great later years – that time when his sound was even more soulful and inventive than ever – with lots of odd modern undercurrents that really... read more

One of the great jazz sessions that Ray Charles cut towards the end of his years at Atlantic Records – a surprisingly great little album with vibist Milt Jackson! The set really shows a side of Milt that didn't always surface in the Modern Jazz Quartet – and Charles is surprisingly... read more

The soulful sax of Willis Jackson meets the Philly Soul mecca of Sigma Sound – and the result is a surprisingly wonderful album! Willis blows in the lead on all tracks, supported by legendary Sigma players – and the sound is a lush and sweetly soulful one, almost an instrumental... read more

Features work by Dave Remington, Max Hook, Marty Marsala, Doc Cenardo, Hal Carnes, and others.... read more

The third album in Margie Joseph's early 70s run for Atlantic Records – and like the rest, a batch of super-tight tunes arranged and produced by Arif Mardin – done with the same sense of sophisticated soul he was bringing to the work of Aretha Franklin at the time! Margie's nicely a... read more