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Heavy funk from Japan's Soul Media combo – and one of the group's great 70s outings with the engimatic Sammy on vocals! Sammy's got this raw, raspy style that might owe a bit to Janis Joplin at times – but also nods strongly to the work of the American underground at others –... read more

Pretty sweet – country versions of Beatles tunes – sung by Jerry Inman, and played by a combo with Glen Campbell on guitar!... read more

A landmark album from this powerhouse Cuban group of the 70s – their first record issued formally to an American market, and quite possibly their greatest effort of the decade! The sound here is a lot more focused than on the group's Cuban sessions from previous years – not commercial... read more

Secondnd album by this legendary Cuban jazz combo led by the experimental pianist Chucho Valdes. The record's surprisingly great for a Latin album on a major label from the time, and it's got a sense of power and majesty that easily make it one of the group's best sessions. Titles include "Ba... read more

The drum method here is pretty darn funky – as Akira Ishikawa works with backing from a groovy big band – all at a level that's somewhere between funky MPS and some of the jazz rock coming out of the US at the time! The tunes are all instrumental, but borrow plenty of songs from... read more

A wild mix of modes – not just the clash of American rock and Japanese jazz energy – but also the meeting of two different generations of music as well! The session's similar to some of the other groovy 70s albums from Japanese drummer Akira Ishikawa – and like his Count Buffalo... read more

A funky album – but one that we love best for the mellow tracks! Sure, the Isleys could wear flashy suits and play some heavy guitar – but honestly, what we really love them for here are the laidback, loving tunes they do so well. The album includes 2 of their greatest ballad tracks... read more

A key album in the Isley Brothers "extended funk" mode of the 70s – a style in which the group approached nearly every tune by adding in a "part 2" in order to stretch out the groove! The style here is bass-heavy funk, but less of the sort that other groups were using at... read more

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A great set from Rebbie Jackson – a batch of 80s groovers that's way different than work from siblings Michael or Janet – and done with a percolating sort of vibe that's quite different from some of the core projects of the rest of the Jacksons universe! Wayne Henderson handled most of... read more

A smoking second album from Rebbie Jackson – a set that has Rebbie working with strong production help from two of the bigger aspects of the Columbia Records soul family in the 80s – Tito Jackson and Reggie Lucas, who each handle a handful of songs along with David Conley and Howie Rice.... read more

A smoking second album from Rebbie Jackson – a set that has Rebbie working with strong production help from two of the bigger aspects of the Columbia Records soul family in the 80s – Tito Jackson and Reggie Lucas, who each handle a handful of songs along with David Conley and Howie Rice.... read more

Soulful 80s work from Bob James – a record that features him working a bit with Rod Temperton of Heatwave, in a style that's got a few more soul-based modes than before! Temperton wrote half of the tracks on the record – the tighter, catchier ones that often use a bit of backing vocals... read more

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Includes the tracks "Spreadin Knowledge Around" by Harry James with Ben pollack & The Dean's Kids, "Jamaica Shout" by Louis Prima & His New Orleans Gang, "In A Little Spanish Town" by Bunny Berigan & His Boys, and "Swing Brother Swing" by Wingy... read more

One of the first singles from Jamiroquai, and one of the best! Served up here with 6 mixes, 1 the moody "digeridoo" one, and others the "JK", "Cante Hondo", and "original demo" mixes.... read more

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A whopper of a star-studed war film – scored nicely by Maurice Jarre! Titles include "The Paris Waltz", "The Heads Of The Resistance", "Vigil In The Gutters", "The American Tanks", and "The Barricades".... read more

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Hey, that's Phil Woods turning out a great alto solo at the end of "Just The Way You Are"!... read more

Wonderful work by Al Johnson – one of the unsung heroes of mellow 70s soul, finally getting his shot on a major label after many years as a songwriter and arranger for other aritsts. Norman Connors brought Al to Columbia – and as he did with other talents in earlier years, like Phyllis... read more

One of JJ's nicer-grooving albums for Columbia from the 50s – recorded without Kai Winding, and with a quartet that includes Bobby Jaspar on tenor, either Tommy Flanagan or Hank Jones on piano, Percy Heath or Wilbur Little on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. Tracks are short, with a sharp-edge... read more

JJ Johnson's greatest album – without a doubt! This gem of a session was recorded in 1960 in New York, with an incredibly hip sextet that includes Cedar Walton, Clifford Jordan, and Freddie Hubbard. The tracks are all long, hip, and very much in a Blue Note soul jazz mode – very... read more

Hard-grooving stuff from JJ – played with a lot more bite than usual, and recorded live with a group that features Nat Adderley, Tommy Flanagan, and Albert Heath. Tracks include "Now's The Time", "Misterioso", "Walkin", and "Tune Up" – jazz... read more

A strange lost relic from Beach Boy Bruce Johnston – recorded in the mid 70s with some sweet AOR production work by Gary Usher. The album's actually a fantastic slice of late 60s sunny LA pop – and features work by Curt Boettcher, Chad Stuart, and a few other lost pop luminaries –... read more

Rare work from the west coast mainstream pop underground of the 60s – that magical musical place where cats who had bigger gigs were able to make some special sounds in between the chart singles – groovy little records that often got lost amidst the shifting sands of time! Two of the... read more

The sound here is never too much, baby – as Pete Jolly always swings with a great sense of space and style – a timing that makes his music sound groovy, although often in some deceptively simple ways! At first glance, the album's a simple piano trio date – but it really steps out... read more

The first album from Thelma Jones – and a real standout set from mid 70s Columbia! The record is a sweet blend of southern and modern soul, with some fantastic arrangements by Bert DeCoteaux, who also produced the set in a wonderful way that lets Jones retain the deeper qualities of her... read more

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The stellar solo debut of Janis Joplin – fronting her own Kozmic Blues Band after the break from Big Brother! The raw emotion of her voice is as impressive as ever here – and there is more of a rockin' blues vibe here than on her earlier records – thanks the killer horn section... read more

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The only album we've ever seen from Khemistry – but a heck of a sweet little set, and one that's always been dear to our hearts! The trio features two gals and one guy, all working with a great sing-song approach on the vocals – and a snapping 80s groove on the rhythms! There's a... read more

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An older bandleader takes on sounds from two different groovy sources of the 70s – both of them great! Plays Michel Legrand has Andre Kostelanetz serving up some sweet versions of tunes from some of Legrand's famous soundtracks of the 60s and early 70s – most of them done with fairly... read more

An older bandleader takes on sounds from two different groovy sources of the 70s – both of them great! Plays Michel Legrand has Andre Kostelanetz serving up some sweet versions of tunes from some of Legrand's famous soundtracks of the 60s and early 70s – most of them done with fairly... read more

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A nice little 50s album that compiles Gene's work from the early 40s – his groundbreaking early swing sides, some featuring singer Anita O'Day, others with the great Roy Eldridge on trumpet! Tunes are tight, lively, and feature some killer drum work (natch!) – and titles include "A... read more

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A surprisingly nice jazz album from Frankie Laine – one that makes great use of his famous vocals, alongside trumpet from Buck Clayton, trombones from JJ Johnson and Kai Winding, and tenor from Budd Johnson!... read more

How can we even begin to describe the genius of Lambert Hendricks and Ross? The group was a jazz vocal supergroup that merged three talents that had already made a big name in the bebop vocalese field – Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks, and the lovely Annie Ross – and the project was an... read more

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Tremendous work from the legendary Prince Lasha – a rare UK-only date from 1966 – and one that has the reedman working away from more familiar contemporaries like Sonny Simmons and Eric Dolphy! The approach on this session is very unique – as Lasha includes harp with the... read more

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Wonderful sounds from Hubert Laws – and like some of his best CTI work of a few years before, a set that really goes way beyond any easy expectations! There's moments of ambition here that really link the record to Laws' CTI sides – that mix of fuller arrangements and higher-concept... read more

Sweet soulful flute from the great Hubert Laws – gliding high here in a great session from his post-CTI years! The album's a bit more soul-based than some of Hubert's earlier dates – but that change is a great one, and really helps Laws find some rich new energy – a focus in the... read more

Sweet soulful flute from the great Hubert Laws – gliding high here in a great session from his post-CTI years! The album's a bit more soul-based than some of Hubert's earlier dates – but that change is a great one, and really helps Laws find some rich new energy – a focus in the... read more

Hubert Laws hits an 80s groove here – but the shift doesn't seem to dampen his soul at all! At some points, the rhythms are a bit more pronounced than before – bouncy and funky at points, with a slight nod to the clubs – yet other points still have that soft, airy finish that... read more

Sweet electric soundtrack work from the team of Hubert Laws & Earl Klugh – made even better by the fact that the whole thing's written and arranged by Patrick Williams! Williams' work is always a treat – with a good sense of space, timing, and groove that pushes past some of the... read more

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A Brazilian fantasy in music – as Michel Legrand turns his early orchestral approach towards the sound of Rio in the 50s! Given that the work here is from the pre-bossa years, the sounds invoked are a bit of samba, and a bit of the more dramatic instrumentation used in Brazilian music of the... read more

String-heavy early genius from a young Michel Legrand – tracks from some of his best travelogue albums for Columbia from the 50s! The first half of the set is Legrand's original I Love Paris album – a sparkling postwar musical fantasy of Paris, made up of a host of famous themes from... read more

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Massive keyboard work from the great Ramsey Lewis – easily one of his best records ever, thanks to some spaciously funky production by Charles Stepney! Stepney plays keyboards here along with Ramsey, and the twin-keys approach makes for a sound that's extra-special – one that sums up... read more

Sweet electric funk from Ramsey Lewis! The album's one of his best from the 70s – and it's got Ramsey on Fender Rhodes, electric harpsichord, and other keyboards, grooving away in an open-ended 70s mode that still retains all the heavy soul of his classic work for Chess. Morris Jennings... read more

Two electric killers from Ramsey Lewis – back to back in a single package! Funky Serenity is sweet electric funk from Ramsey – one of his best from the 70s, and a set with Lewis on Fender Rhodes, electric harpsichord, and other keyboards, grooving away in an open-ended 70s mode that... read more

An overlooked gem from Ramsey's 70s years at Columbia – a record that has him grooving over larger arrangements, sweeping along in a great blend of soul and class that makes for some really great numbers! Side one of the album features Ramsey playing keyboards on the extended "Legacy&quo... read more

A great little album of mid 70s funk from Ramsey Lewis – very much in the mode of his Earth, Wind, & Fire related work – no surprise, since the album's dedicated to Charles Stepney, whose influence was such a key part of the sound of the group, and of some of Ramsey's other Kalimba-p... read more

A sweet late 70s groover from Ramsey – not as all-out electric as some of his earlier work for Columbia, but done with some nice arrangements that have a full and soulful feel! There's a bit of Kalimba/Earth Wind & Fire soul to the mix – and some tracks have production by James... read more

A tremendous little record, and one of the funky 70s sets that Ramsey Lewis recorded with Earth Wind & Fire! Well, not Earth Wind & Fire entirely – but the Kalimba Productions team of Maurice White and Charles Stepney that gave the group its sound – plus a nice sprinkling of... read more

One of our favorite Ramsey Lewis albums ever – and a perfect summation of the genius that was brewing on the Chicago scene in the late 60s and early 70s! The album has Ramsey working strongly with Earth Wind & Fire – no surprise, given his close ties to Maurice White, who was the... read more

One of our favorite Ramsey Lewis albums ever – and a perfect summation of the genius that was brewing on the Chicago scene in the late 60s and early 70s! The album has Ramsey working strongly with Earth Wind & Fire – no surprise, given his close ties to Maurice White, who was the... read more

Sublime electric work from Ramsey Lewis! Ramsey's working here with his hip 70s group that included Morris Jennings and Cleveland Eaton, and he's playing some fantastic electric piano – a blend of funky grooves and soulful spiritualism, stripped down into a sound that's one of his leanest... read more

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An 80s pop soul classic from Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam With Full Force – with a sound that's insistent and irresistible to this day! This is a solid album full of tunes that stand up strongly with their unstoppable hit singles of the period. Yes, the sound would get a bit too cutesy and... read more

A wonderful bit of soul jazz – much less trippy than some of Lloyd's later work, and handled with a soulful flair that's a mix of Coltrane spiritualism, with an even larger dose of the sort of post-Trane experimentations in jazz that would crop up during the early 70s on smaller independent... read more

2 Columbia killers from Charles Lloyd – back to back in a single set! Discovery is a wonderful bit of soul jazz – much less trippy than some of Lloyd's later work, and handled with a soulful flair that's a mix of Coltrane spiritualism, with an even larger dose of the sort of post-Trane... read more

Lovely work from Charles Lloyd – recorded at the point when he was just pushing off from Chico Hamilton's group, and before he got too noodly for his own good! Side one of the record features Lloyd with his own group – jazzing it up in a mix of flute, guitar, and percussion on a number... read more

Titles include "Whiskey", "Good Friend", "Angry Eyes", "Holiday Hotel", "Just Before The News", and "Your Mama Don't Dance".... read more

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A sweet two-fer from guitarist Wilbert Longmire – two Tappan Zee albums back to back on a single CD! First up is a deep glass of Champagne from Wilbert – classy, sophisticated jazz from the end of the 70s – but still served up with plenty of soul, too! Bob James and Jay... read more

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"Best Of" collection that takes tracks from Jon's Columbia releases Song For My Lady and Premonition. The set's a good batch of tracks with a sweet jazzy soul feel, and the LP includes most of the cuts you'd want from the other Columbia records. Tracks include "Hello Like... read more

A beautiful album from Jon Lucien – one that's been far too neglected over the years! This was Lucien's second album for Columbia – and it's a wonderfully strong effort that fuses together jazz, soul, and Brazilian styles, in a manner that recalls some of his best work for RCA –... read more

A beautiful album from Jon Lucien – one that's been far too neglected over the years! This was Lucien's second album for Columbia – and it's a wonderfully strong effort that fuses together jazz, soul, and Brazilian styles, in a manner that recalls some of his best work for RCA –... read more

Excellent jazzy soul stuff by one of our favorite singers of all time! Jon's in wonderful form here – working in arrangements that are a bit smoother and more modern soul oriented than his earlier work for RCA, but handled in such a way that they only bring out more richness in his... read more

Massive work from the great Cheryl Lynn – and a key bridge between late 70s disco and the newer grooves of the 80s club scene! The album's a mix of midtempo groovers with a few mellower tracks – and it's got a tight, slightly jazzy sound that was very fresh at the time, and which still... read more

Plenty real soul here – a killer collection of Columbia grooves by Cheryl Lynn – a set that runs right from the clubby start to the more commercial finish of her time at the label! The package is a great illustration of Cheryl's ability to rise to the occasion in just about any setting... read more

"Got To Be Real" is one of the most amazing tracks of all time. Not only did it bridge the disco and soul worlds at the time, but through hip hop sampling, it also became an essential old school classic. Still sounds great today, and it's a cut that we can never get enough of.... read more

Cheryl Lynn follows things up nicely from her famous debut – mostly sticking in the same upbeat territory as her earliest club hits – a groove that's perfect for her bold, soaring vocals! The album sports a few mellower cuts, but it's the groovers that really keep things together... read more

Cheryl Lynn follows things up nicely from her famous debut – mostly sticking in the same upbeat territory as her earliest club hits – a groove that's perfect for her bold, soaring vocals! The album sports a few mellower cuts, but it's the groovers that really keep things together... read more

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One of Cheryl Lynn's early killers for Columbia – an album of tight, bouncy, joyous soul all the way through – free from any of the too-commercial touches that sometimes slowed Cheryl's later work! Ray Parker Jr produced the set – and he as well is free from the slicker sounds of... read more

Cheryl Lynn and Luther Vandross – a tremendous combination that makes for one heck of a great record! Luther arranged and produced the entire set – and he does a great job here of pushing Cheryl Lynn into more upbeat territory without getting too poppy or schmaltzy! In a way, the... read more

Cheryl Lynn and Luther Vandross – a tremendous combination that makes for one heck of a great record! Luther arranged and produced the entire set – and he does a great job here of pushing Cheryl Lynn into more upbeat territory without getting too poppy or schmaltzy! In a way, the... read more

Hard to believe that a preppie look could ever be associated with a soul singer, but by the time of this 1983, the preppie craze had spread so much that it actually provided Cheryl Lynn a nice way to update her style! There's nothing preppie about the music, though – and the record's a great... read more

A real revolution in music from Japanese arranger Norio Maeda – a set that takes off with the same rich energy as his soundtrack work, but which also shows off all his keyboard skills as well! The range of styles here is great – from the "auto race" sound effects on the... read more