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Maybe the greatest record we've ever heard from Beggar & Co – a set that sparkles strongly from a host of excellent guest work – not just from Incognito, but also from some key American musicians as well! The groove is tighter than ever – and very much in the 70s-inspired... 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

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 positive, powerful set from the always-great Sheree Brown – a new recording, but one that sparkles just as much as her rare classics for Capitol Records at the start of the 80s! Like those gems, there's a blend of jazz and soul here that's really wonderful – a special sound that puts... read more

Killer modern soul, from one of the masters of the genre! This set by Keni Burke features some strong compositions that rank with his good work for RCA from the early 80's, and the production, while a bit more modern, is still pretty sensitive to Keni's good smooth soul sound. Includes the... read more

Quite a different sound than Jean's Philly International recordings – although certainly a logical extension – a sweeter than sweet set from the mid 80s that in turn celebrates and transcends the production style of the era! Overall, Closer Than Close is a smooth batch of mellow... 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

Really sweet later work from The Chi Lites – 2 classics on a single set! The sound on Heavenly Body is less Brunswick Chicago soul than before – and the group step along in warm and sophisticated backings that sparkle in the best Chi-Sound style – uptempo at some times, but sweet... 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 pair of mellow soul and jazzy groove masterpieces by Norman Connors – You Are My Starship form '76 and Romantic Journey from '77 in a single set! The former opens with the heavenly title cut – which features Michael Henderson on vocals and Gary Bartz on sax. Bartz plays on a number... read more

A pair of killers from Dayton – two albums back to back on a single CD! First up is Dayton – the first album by this excellent 80s groove ensemble – and a key part of the Ohio funk scene of the end of the 70s! Forget the more famous funk acts you may know from Ohio, because... read more

80s groove galore – a pair of classic albums form Dayton! Hot Fun is a wonderfully sweet groover from Dayton – a group that's equal parts modern soul and 80s groove – and outta site all the way! The album's big title hit is a remake of Sly Stone's classic "Hot Fun In The... read more

A sweet mellow groover from the mighty Lamont Dozier – a set that's not nearly as well known as his earlier work of the 70s, but one that has the Motown man still riding strong! In contrast to the fuller, clubbier grooves of Dozier's ABC work, most of the tunes here are a bit more laidback... read more

A pair of overlooked gems from Ronnie Dyson – both of which show there's way more to love than just his early hits! On Love In All Flavors, Ronnie's older than during his falsetto soul early years – and he's working here with some impeccably mature Chicago soul arrangements by Gene... read more

A great little album from The Emotions – largely because it sounds a lot like prime mid 70s Earth Wind & Fire, with female vocals added over the top – ultimately, pulling away with a soulful charm all its own! Maurice White produced the whole set, and it's got a soaring spacey... 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... read more

An overlooked chapter in the Zapp/Roger story of the 80s – the only album ever issued by vocalist Bad Bobby Glover! Roger Produced, and there's plenty of Zapp talent on hand for the record, too – which means that the overall groove is heavy on the kind of funky basslines, electrified... 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... read more

A pair of late 70s Motown gems from Cuba Gooding – back to back on a single CD! The well-titled 1st Cuba Gooding Album is his first project on his own, done after a classic stretch in the Main Ingredient! Gooding's working here with help from Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter – the hit... 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... read more

An amazing bit of jazz funk from Johnny Hammond – and one of his greatest LPs! This is the first album that Johnny recorded with Larry Mizell, cut right before the pair of them went onto do the landmark Gears album. While this one never became as famous as Gears, it's got some fantastic... read more

A pair of gems from High Fashion – back to back on a single CD! Feelin Lucky is an 80s groove classic – and a killer bit of Captiol Records soul from High fashion! Of all US major labels, Capitol was probably putting out the best soul in the early 80s – and this is a tight... read more

Finally, a sweet compilation of some of the best numbers from latter day Motown girl group High Inergy – sunny soul that shines especially brightly with the benefit of hindsight! They managed to hit the charts early on, but it's pretty easy to see how these ladies could be unjustly... 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... read more

An irresistible classic from Miles Jaye – possibly his best-known album, bouncing along with plenty of beats at the end of the 80s! The rhythms are plenty programmed, but Miles' vocals provide a great warm sense of contrast – soaring out with fluid, mature tones that are mighty nice,... read more

Smooth and sweet soul from Jeffree – an unsung 70s vocalist with a really great approach! Jeffree, aka Jeff Perry, is the brother of Greg Perry – and works in a similar style to his more famous brother – warmly grooving soul with a fluid, mellow approach – served up with... read more

A pair of killers – back to back on a single CD! First up is the killer debut from the Dazz Band – issued way back when they were named Kinsman Dazz, and when "dazz" was a reference to the fact that the group could play both dance music and jazz! That jazzy element is... read more

A pair of killers from Kwick – back to back on a single CD! First up is the self-titled Kwick – sweet 80s groove from a quartet who were once known as The Newcomers, and recorded some Memphis singles for Stax – but who here reemerge more than fully-formed – leaping into the... 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... read more

A jazzy soul masterpiece from Webster Lewis – light years away from the rougher funk he cut at the start of the 70s! The album's beautifully put together – almost perfect at all points, at a level that we'd rank right up there with the best work by Leroy Hutson, Roy Ayers, or 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... 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... read more

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

A standout set from guitarist Wilbert Longmire – one of a few classics cut in the 70s for Bob James' Tappan Zee label, done with some great help from James on production and arrangements too! The vibe is very much in the best spirit of the Kudu Records label at the time – plenty of... read more

Two of our favorite albums by The Main Ingredient – back to back on a single CD! Euphrates River is a wonderfully complex batch of tunes that shows that the group were taking a cue from some of their hipper contemporaries, and pushing past a stock hit formula. Bert DeCoteaux was still... read more

Group soul titans The Manhattans – still going strong at the end of the 70s & beginning of the 80s – a pair of underappreciated albums together in a single set! First up is 1981's Black Tie – recorded in Chicago with producer Leo Graham – who brings a somewhat polished... read more

A late 70s dancefloor soul set from Mascara – an album and group that's notable for a number of reasons – most importantly for being a pre-solo star showcase for the great Luther Vandross! Mascara is an interesting international joint effort – with instrumental tracks recorded in... read more

One of our favorite 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 – soaring, soulful, jazzy, and righteous – wrapped up in a blend that's... read more

One of the greatest lost treasures on Motown – the rare third album from Ronnie McNeir, an artist who did plenty for the label back in the 70s, but only managed to ever get this one record released! The set's a gem – arguably his best record ever – and that's saying a lot, given... read more

Smooth and jazzy soul from the team of James Mtume and Reggie Lucas – two of the finest producers and arrangers in their field! The set brings together tracks recorded by the pair with a host of different artists across a host of different labels – offering for the first time a true... read more

The long-overdue release of an album that should have been a Neo Soul classic! The team of Otis Cooper and Shugg David recorded this gem of a set back in the mid 90s along with help from longtime friend and producer Raphael Saadiq – but due to shifting priorities at the major label, the set... read more

A pair of killers from Ozone – back to back on a single CD! Jump On It is filled with jumping grooves from Ozone – a smoking little set that's tight and right – and completely wonderful throughout! The set's got that perfect blend of funk and groove that always made Ozone so... read more

The first two albums from Ozone – back to back on a single CD! Walk On is the great debut of Ozone – a group who'd worked previously as the backing band for Billy Preston – which should give you an idea of how great they are! The group have a razor-sharp way of putting things... read more

A long-overdue collection of smooth 80s soul from the lovely Perri – a female vocal quartet who cut a few albums for MCA years back, and who have reemerged in recent years as Anita Baker's backup group! On their own, though, the Perri sisters are a heck of a great outfit – one of the... read more

A killer blend of soul and funk from Pockets – a group with a very jazzy pedigree in their roots, but who stretch forth here with some great studio help from the Kalimba Productions team of the Earth Wind & Fire empire! The groove is very much in the best 70s EWF mode – tight, but... read more

An excellent smooth soul classic – with production by the legendary Al Johnson! The group began as a harmony soul ensemble in the 60s, but by the time of this recording in the late 70s, they'd transformed into Positive Change, and were getting a very sweet soul tip from Johnson! The record... read more

A pair of post Philly International gems from Lou Rawls on Epic – Now Is The Time from '82 and Close Company from '84 – in a single set! Now Is The Time is a solid soul effort from Lou, still working wonders here in the early 80s on a record that stands the test of time surprisingly... read more

The first couple Rene & Angela records for Capitol – together for the first time on this great CD from Expansion! First up, is the great self-titled debut from Angela Winbush and Rene Moore as a duo – a tight batch of modern soul that sounds great to this day! There's a mixture... read more

A solid smoker from the lesser-known Jeannie Reynolds – a hell of a 70s soul singer, and one who should have been huge – especially given the rich vocals on this set! Jeannie's brother LJ Reynolds handles production this time around, and he brings in a nice sharper edge to the set... read more

A pair of classic early 80s soul albums from ex-Dramatics singer LJ Reynolds! The self-titled '81 set is killer material in a modern Detroit mode all the way through – with top-shelf production by Reynolds, Don Davis, and Ronnie McNeir/ Ronnie, who'd been lost to the industry for a few... 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... 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... read more

A long-overdue compilation dedicated to the work of the great soul jazz vocalist Leon Thomas. If you don't know Thomas' own work, you might recognize him as the vocalist on some of Pharoah Sanders' great recordings, like "The Creator Has A Master Plan" and "Hum Allah Hum Allah".... 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 –... read more

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A long-overdue reissue – both of Cedar Walton's fusion albums for Columbia – back to back on a single CD! Animation is one of Cedar Walton's mid 70s funky jazz efforts – acoustic keys often traded for electric piano, grooving with a funky bigger band, almost in a Ramsey Lewis... read more

A great album from Bobby – different than his earlier albums for United Artists, but in a good way – one that revives his whole career, and takes his sound into a whole new direction! The album's got a smooth soul finish with some touches of synth funk – produced by Bobby and... read more

Ashford & Simpson recorded plenty of great work on their own, but they were also a tremendous pair of songwriters – and had a way of penning can't-miss work that sounded great in just about anyone's hands! This collection is great testament to that fact – as it starts with gems the... read more

A warm, easygoing and sprawling 2CD set from the Expansion and Jazz FM team – the third and best yet in their Funky Sensation series – with both hits and relatively underappreciated numbers! It's wonderful stuff all the way – and well chosen by Mike Vitti & Ralph Tee –... read more

Hats off to Kloud 9 for this excellent set of music – new tracks from the current soul underground, all produced and supported by the mighty talents of the Kloud 9 duo! There's a much more unified feel here than other collections of this type – thanks to a set of original tunes penned... 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 –... read more

A wicked little collection that really lives up to its name – a set that's filled with warmth and good energy throughout – not to mention a great array of overlooked soul tracks too! Most of the numbers here are lesser-known gems from the late 70s and early 80s – upbeat, but not... read more

There's a heck of a lot of great music here – a whopping 35 tracks of contemporary and vintage soul, all put together for the price of a regular single CD! The package is the latest in the excellent Luxury Soul series – based around artists who have worked the UK series of the same... read more

Soulful luxury at a mighty nice price – 3CDs and 35 tracks of music from both the contemporary underground, and back in the day! The package is one of the best so far in this annual series – and like the others, it has a great way of turning up unusual numbers we might have missed... read more

A sterling collection of soul tunes compiled by legendary UK DJ Richard Searling – heavy on sweet symphonic soul numbers from the 70s and tightly crafted groovers from the 80s! Searling has a deep affinity for mellow soul nuggets with lightly soaring horns, grooved out vocals and keys. It's... 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... read more

A pretty impressive testament to the songwriting of Skip Scarborough – a great compilations of soaringly soulful numbers he wrote from some of the best and biggest soul & R&B singers and groups of the late 70s onward! The set is pretty heavily weighted with numbers from the last... 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... read more

Soul sounds that work perfectly together – on a set that's maybe the most compelling of the Soul Togetherness series so far! There's loads of great contemporary numbers here – some nuggets from the underground, a few more mainstream tracks, and even a few mixes that really transform... 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... 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... read more

The third volume in Expansion's excellent series of fantastic soul from Philly – one soaringly melodic, soulful masterpiece after another – the best set yet! Expansion hasn't rushed these Spirit Of Philadelphia compilations onto the market – number 3 comes nearly decade sense we... read more

An amazing document of the wide wide reach of Earth Wind & Fire at the end of the 70s – that joyous, righteous spirit that not only flowed through their own music, but seemed to touch most of the soul and jazz world as well! The set's a much-needed look at the way that energy from EWF... read more