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Two albums back to back from Carl Anderson -- an overlooked singer from the early 80s, finally getting his due! Absence Without Love is a wicked little set from Anderson -- a singer who first found fame on the state, later sung in a spiritual world, but does an especially great job here! Anderson'... read more

The smooth jazzy stylings of Bob Baldwin are always a treat to our ears -- a lot more soulful than those of most of his contemporaries in the genre, especially on this new Expansion release, handled with all the quiet care of the label's best titles. There's lots of smooth keyboards on the set --... 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 of 70s... read more

Two Arista winners from Angela Bofill -- back to back on a single CD! Too Tough has Angela 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... 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 George... read more

The long-overdue release of Inside My Love -- a sublime little set recorded by Trina Broussard in the late 90s -- originally planned for the So-So Def label, but never properly issued at the time! The album's years ahead of most soul of the time -- a great precursor to the Neo Soul explosion that... read more

Smooth modern duets from one of our favorite ladies in soul music! Jean Carne's a heck of a singer -- with a career that stretches back to early soul jazz recordings with (then) husband Doug Carn, to solo recordings on Philly International in the late 70s, to appearances on records by other... read more

A smooth vocal set from actor TC Carson, making his debut here in a surprisingly nice set co-produced with Andre Cymone. Andre gives the album a warm and mellow feel, one that's great for TC, as it doesn't push him too much -- and lets him step into the world of soul with an approach that's as... read more

80s-styled soul from Cool Million -- a contemporary duo, but one with a great ear for the classic sounds of the past! There's a fair bit of keyboard and bassline interplay on the set -- very much in the best spirit of the 80s groove generation, especially some of the less hit-oriented work of the... read more

Great soul from maestro James Day -- working here with a variety of different singers to realize his well-crafted groove! The set's got the perfect balance of mainstream and underground that you'll find on other albums from the Expansion label -- polished enough to take it past the indie... read more

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A rare funky soul classic! This one was originally issued on Brunswick in 1974, and it's darn impossible to find in the original, probably because Brunswick was having a great deal of financial trouble at the time. Whatever the case, the record's a great one -- and it's got a tight ensemble funky... read more

Brilliant work from Adriana Evans -- quite possibly her greatest record so far, and that's saying a lot, given how much we've loved everything she's done! There's a perfect, professional vibe to the whole set that's really amazing -- soul music like soul music's supposed to be done -- tight, yet... read more

A stellar batch of soulful tunes from Adriana Evans -- several numbers from her Walking With The Night album! "Weatherman" is here in both an extended mix and the album version, a timeless soul anthem that's might be one of our favorite Adriana tunes ever, just enough of a classic soul... read more

Smooth modern soul from the 80s -- recorded in 1987 for Epic, but never issued until now. Rosie's produced by Patrick Moten, in a mode that's similar to his work with Anita Baker or Gerald Albright -- and it's a surprise that the album wasn't issued at the time, given its strong hit soul sound. ... read more

Sweet jazzy work from Ray Gaskins -- saxophonist, keyboard player, and a surprisingly great singer too -- working here in a smooth little set that gives him a chance to show off every side of his talents! Ray plays a good deal of the instruments on the record himself, overdubbed with a cool sort... read more

Sweet, laidback modern soul from Gianna -- warm, sophisticated, and with some jazzy touches -- produced by Kendall Duffie of Kloud 9, and with a sound that's floats nicely in that kind of easygoing mode! Gianna hails from Texas, but she has a universal style, with a casual, elegant sound -- with... read more

Nothing medicinal here, at least not in the way we remember as kids -- nothing bitter or off-putting, as Preston Glass has a sound that's every bit as smooth as his name! Preston's a producer with a few decades of mainstream soul and jazz work under his belt -- famous recordings with big name... read more

Sweet funky jazz from the 70s! Gonzalez were an obscure UK combo -- probably known a lot better over in England, but pretty darn hard to find over here in America -- and they've got a tight style that reminds us of some of the more well-produced jazz funk coming out on labels like Blue Note or... read more

A great pair from a great pair -- two Grey & Hanks albums for RCA, back to back on a single CD! First up is You Fooled Me -- a great little debut album from the team of Len Ron Hanks and Zane Grey -- songwriters who'd scored earlier in the 70s with tracks for Jerry Butler and LTD, but who also... read more

Wonderful solo work from Billy Griffin -- the man who headed The Miracles after Smokey Robinson left the group -- heard here on a string of classic 80s sides for Columbia Records! Billy's got a sound that's almost as sweet as Smokey at his best -- but a groove that's a bit deeper overall, and... read more

The first truly great compilation of work by Willie Hutch -- one of the hippest artists in 70s soul! Willie's work for Motown during the 70s was tremendous, not only did he write and perform 2 of the best blacksploitation soundtracks -- Foxy Brown and The Mack -- but he also recorded some killer... read more

Rare work by the late Phyllis Hyman -- a killer collection of obscure sides from some of the best projects of her career, plus some additional titles that have never been issued before! In a world of endless "best of" collections of Phyllis' work, this set is a real gem -- a package that... read more

Wonderful work from Kloud 9 -- one of the classiest soul acts around, and one of the few who really know how to make the male duo style work! The mix of vocals here is totally great -- a smooth, fluid approach that slinks around the gentle rhythms of the set nicely, but never in ways that have a... read more

A killer collection of cuts from Kloud 9 -- easily one of the classiest soul duos going today, represented here with a host of the best tracks from recent albums, plus some hard to find bonus cuts as well! Kloud 9 have a depth rooted in gospel, mixed with some of the warmer styles of the Neo Soul... read more

Genius jazzy soul from Webster Lewis -- one of his amazing late 70s sets for Epic Records! By this point in his career, Lewis had honed his keyboard craft to perfection -- and on albums like this one, he laid down some excellent smooth soulful fusion that soared in a righteous way that few other... read more

Classic club from Webster Lewis -- and much more of an all-out disco affair than some of his later work! The record introduces Lewis' all-encompassing style -- as he writes, arranges, and produces the album at a level that easily matches that of Barry White -- who would later emerge as a mentor... read more

Webster Lewis takes off wonderfully here -- finding a completely unique groove that's equal parts club, soul, and fusion! The album's almost as sublime as Roy Ayers' best from the time -- and has a similar balance that's perfectly done -- a depth of thought that goes way beyond conventional club,... read more

Two great ones from The Main Ingredient -- back to back on a single CD! First up is I Only Have Eyes For You, a great later album from the Main Ingredient -- professional, polished, and filled with wonderful harmony vocals! Maestro Patrick Adams arranged and produced the set -- and he gives the... read more

Two Arista gems from Mandrill -- back to back on a brilliant CD! New Worlds is a bit smoother than some of the group's earlier work, but still plenty darn great -- and in a way, there's a warmer, more soulful vibe going on here that really opens things up! The album kicks off with the incredible... read more

Amazing! This is one of the greatest lost fusion albums ever -- and every track is a masterpiece! The album was originally cut for the tiny Chiaroscuro label in 1977 -- and it's got a sound that's unlike anything else we can think of. Strident jazz riffs meet souful female vocals; soaring... read more

An instant soul classic from singer Frank McComb -- awash in warm touches that take us back to the classic 70s work of Donnie Hathaway and Stevie Wonder -- but done with a sound that clearly Frank's own! The instrumentation is enough to make us love the record -- with lots of Fender Rhodes, mellow... read more

Overlooked Columbia Records work from Jackie Moore -- two great albums on a single CD! First up is I'm On My Way -- a real standout album from Jackie, and a noteworthy comeback after some mellower southern soul recordings in the mid 70s! Jackie's recording here in a style that worked extremely... read more

Modern soul -- with a fair bit of 80s groove arrangements, keyboards, and bass pedal riffing. Titles include "One Love", "Turn To Me", "Stay If You Wanna", "Think Before You Do", and "Take It To Heart".... read more

At last! Someone's finally gone and put together a real collection of Marlena Shaw's fantastic jazzy soul work! Sure, there's been other compilations out on the market -- but this one's the real deal, and spans her years at Chess/Cadet, Blue Note, and Columbia -- years that saw Marlena emerging... read more

Massive massive work from Starship Orchestra -- a trio of talents from the Norman Connors universe, but one who get some heavy help in the studio from arrangers Bobby Lyle, McKinley Jackson, and Jerry Peters! There's a real Aquarian Dream sound at play here -- all the best energy of Connors'... read more

Easily the greatest album ever from brothers John and Billy Valentine -- a seminal 80s groove classic, produced with a sweet jazzy touch from keyboardist Bobby Lyle! The record's a real standout from the time -- a solid soul effort that still manages strong dancefloor appeal -- thanks to a range... read more

Rare and unreleased soul gems from the 70s & 80s -- with loads of mellow jams and sophisticated string-laden bits -- hard-to-find and previously unreleased work from Revelation, Dynamic Superiors, Angela Bofill, Special Delivery, Aretha Franklin, Martha Reeves and many more! The set was... read more

An amazing look at the music of Leon Ware -- one of our favorite soul artists of the 70s! Leon's got a warmly mellow style that's totally great -- heard most famously in collaboration with Marvin Gaye on the classic I Want You album, but equally noteworthy on Leon's own records -- and on a host of... read more

Enough luxury for a prince -- at a price even a pauper can afford! This overstuffed 3CD set is filled with great bits from the wide catalog of Expansion Records -- home to some of the hippest Neo Soul work of the past few decades, and also known as one of the few labels who can really respect an... read more

The 2009 entry in the Luxury Soul series -- a great batch of collections that offer some great music at a real bargain! The 3CD set is overflowing with smooth soul gems -- work issued by the Expansion label family over the past decade or so -- mostly contemporary numbers, but also featuring a few... read more

2010 a modern soul odyssey -- and a fresh entry Luxury Soul series from Expansion UK -- a nice compilation series (and the best annual one we can think of) featuring 3CDs of music for a great price! It's filled with laidback soul, some pretty new and others from past years -- which really works to... read more

A wonderful overview of contemporary female soul -- none of it commercial, and nearly all of it from the mighty Expansion family of labels -- home to some of the hippest Neo Soul around! Work here is from both American and overseas sources, and although a few tracks are issued under the name of a... read more

One of our favorite series ever of modern soul material -- done back in the 90s, when nobody else was willing to dig for tracks these smooth and groovy! There's a great blend of material here -- from mellow soul to jazzy funk, with a few bits of early 80s club as well -- in a way, the collection's... read more

The title's a bit clunky, but the grooves are wonderfully smooth -- a great assortment of hard to find tracks from recent years, all brought together in one totally wicked set! The cuts here are pulled from a variety of sources -- Japanese-only CDs, previously unreleased sessions, and now out of... read more

Sublime soul all the way through -- a tremendous set of modern and mellow cuts from the end of the 70s and start of the 80s -- all put together with a really beautiful feel! There's a perfect balance here -- between mainstream and underground, laidback and grooving -- the classiest sort of soul... read more

The Soul Togetherness series is going strong -- well into its 7th year of release, and still serving up some of the deepest club tracks and underground soul around! Soul Togetherness present modern tracks, but they come out of the same spirit of the Northern Soul scene of the 70s -- with a... read more

A great collection from the Soul Togetherness scene -- a name that can always be trusted to deliver a smoothly grooving tune! Most of the work here is contemporary, but the set includes a few classics too -- key cuts that help support the older-styled vibe that's present in the newer cuts here --... read more

A great collection from the Soul Togetherness scene -- a name that can always be trusted to deliver a smoothly grooving tune! Most of the work here is contemporary, but the set includes a few classics too -- key cuts that help support the older-styled vibe that's present in the newer cuts here --... read more

A soul series we've been loving for a decade -- and for good reason too! Soul Togetherness sets always have a great way of mixing contemporary soul with some sweet older tracks -- particularly the sort from the modern soul years of the early 80s -- when jazzy riffs and sophisticated arrangements... read more

A soul series we've been loving for a decade -- and for good reason too! Soul Togetherness sets always have a great way of mixing contemporary soul with some sweet older tracks -- particularly the sort from the modern soul years of the early 80s -- when jazzy riffs and sophisticated arrangements... read more

Simply the best Philly 70s collection we've heard -- ever! This one goes way past the hits, and moves into work from a variety of labels -- not just the famous tunes on Philly International, but all of the Philly-produced gems that were coming out from other sources and other singers during the... read more

A tremendous follow up to the first Spirit Of Philadelphia collection -- released many years after that seminal set, and with an even farther-reaching selection of music! The first Spirit set focused on the best mellow and midtempo soul efforts of the Philly International label -- but this one... read more