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A classic from Cannoball and producer-partner David Axelrod – truly great stuff and maybe even better than the Zodiac set Cannonball did for Capitol! The formula is similar to that one – with David Axelrod producing, electric keyboards by Hal Galper and George Duke, spacey solos by... read more

Late stuff by Cannonball, with a dope spacey electric sound, no doubt due to some very nice keyboards on the session by George Duke. The album's a bit mellower than some of the others on Fantasy, but it makes up for that with a warm snaking mellow funk groove. Brother Nat gives a helping hand on... read more

Rare promo only single-sided version of Cannonball's exploration into the life of John Henry. The record has all the elements of the classic Fantasy sound in place – including production work by David Axelrod – and there's a few nice funky moments, with lyrics by Joe Williams and Randy... read more

Sweet funky 70s work from Cannonball Adderley – a record that has him revisiting older tunes from his early soul jazz years – but in ways that give them a whole new electric vibe overall! The album's actually Cannonball's last full studio set, but it's also one of his greatest too... read more

The only album ever from Allspice – but a hell of an incredible soul record – and one that's kept the group's name strong with collectors and rare groove fanatics for years! The album's on of the best Fantasy Records productions by Wayne Henderson and his At Home team – and like... read more

Although he's best known for his albums on Capitol, David Axelrod cut this great record for Fantasy during the mid-70s, and it features Cannonball Adderley producing Axelrod's work (instead of the other way around, as on Cannonball's albums from the time). The tracks here are a bit more jazz funk... read more

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One of 70s rock's finest moments – the second album from Big Star! With Chris Bell out of the picture, one could successfully argue the traits lacking from the first album, but this thing stands up as work of genius all its own – with a raw, shambling immediacy to the songs that cuts... read more

A great little sleeper from the Blackbyrds – a record that never gets as much due as their earlier records that have a hard funky feel, but offer instead a tasty batch of smoother jazz funk numbers that show the group still continuing to grow. Donald Byrd's still at the production helm... read more

Not as funky as some of the earlier Blackbyrds albums, but one in which they've still got a pretty nice modern soul sound, of the sort that was being pushed on other Fantasy albums of the time. George Duke produced the record, and titles include "Do It Girl", "Love Don't Strike... read more

A fantastic album from this legendary jazz funk combo – a bit smoother than their first, but that's the great thing about it! The record has the band getting even tighter than before – coming up with an amazing jazz-inflected funk groove that still leaves us breathless after all these... read more

One of the greatest sides of The Blackbyrds' music – their mellower, more chilled-out tunes – all tracks that we like almost as much as their funkier classics! Although the combo first earned their name for upbeat, sharp-edged funky fusion, they also had a wonderful way with a laidback... read more

There's nothing unfinished about this business – as The Blackbyrds are at the top of their game here – working in a sweet blend of jazz, funk, and soul – all produced to perfection by their mentor Donald Byrd! The groove is quite similar to some of Byrd's best from the time... read more

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A killer little soundtrack – and one that's quite different than the usual blacksploitation set, but still pretty funky overall! The film Black Girl was a surprisingly sensitive movie directed by Ossie Davis in the early 70s – not as much about action as it was about the everyday life,... read more

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A completely beautiful version of the 50s jazz classic recordings by the Dave Brubeck Trio! Comes in high quality, textured sleeve with that reproduces the original release's cover art – and comes on transluscent red colored vinyl.... read more

Not necessarily a record of interviews – as the title might make you think – but one of Bruce's best records for Fantasy! The album's got some very edgey bits that approximate his live material, and which take the best part of his cleaner act, and transfer them well to record. Titles... read more

An unusual 70s promo album – featuring Lenny Bruce material from his early Fantasy albums!... read more

Very nice 2LP set that brings together some of Lenny's best moments recorded for Fantasy – including many that aren't currently on CD. The album includes the classic "Thank You, Masked Man", plus "Lima Ohio", "Dijinni In the Candy Store", "Comic At The... read more

Possibly the most famous of all the Lenny Bruce albums on Fantasy – as it's the one that has a crazy image of Lenny having a picnic in a cemetery! Lenny's genius is still in formation here – but the record does have some great moments, like the oft-sampled "Religions Inc",... read more

Issued after Lenny's death, but a record that contains some of his best bits ever! In fact, the later date of the album probably allowed Fantasy to get away with some rawer material, so you'll hear more of the "true" side of Lenny – especially on the album's live tracks. We think... read more

Classic early Lenny Bruce work on Fantasy – a groundbreaking set of tracks that features some great shorter snippets, plus a few of the longer, more drawn-out routines that soon became Bruce's stock in trade during the more controversial years – those live riffs that really set Lenny... read more

Features tenor and flute from Jerome Richardson – and electric and acoustic piano from Kirk Lightsey.... read more

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A pair of overlooked albums from Clover – a great Bay Area group from the start of the 70s – best known for later work with Elvis Costello and Huey Lewis! Clover is a great start for a very cool group – a set that definitely draws on some of the "out of the city" sounds... read more

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A should-be Cali country rock classic by Chris Darrow – and a real rare gem of a record we'd put right up there with the best of its kind! Multi-instrumentalist Darrow might be best known to psych enthusiasts – as he was a founding member of Kaleidoscope – but as a session player... read more

A should-be Cali country rock classic by Chris Darrow – and a real rare gem of a record we'd put right up there with the best of its kind! Multi-instrumentalist Darrow might be best known to psych enthusiasts – as he was a founding member of Kaleidoscope – but as a session player... read more

The Fantasy debut of Dengue Fever – delivering beautifully on the promise of earlier work – a major step from one of the most adventurous groups anywhere! Dengue Fever have always been steeped heavily in 60s & 70s Cambodian rock, a style that blended myriad influences in its heyday... read more

A killer collection of work by The Dramatics – featuring their greatest tracks from the early Stax years – seminal work that helped redefine the group soul sound of the 70s! There's a great blend of southern and east coast harmony modes here – and the package is filled with the... read more

One of Duke's last albums – and a great one! The session is right up there with some of Ellington's best late "suites" – an extended work that features writing around exotic themes, played by stalwarts like Paul Gonsalves, Harold Ashby, Rufus Jones, Cootie Williams, and Harry... read more

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A great live date from Bill Evans – one of his essential sides of the 70s, even if you've already got a bunch of other Evans live material! We know what you're thinking: "Do I have this one? Seems to be a lot of tunes here that I've got on other Evans recordings." But take it... read more

A charming little set from the great Dave Frishberg – easily one of the hippest singers and songwriters in jazz during the past few decades! The set's got Dave working solo – just singing along with his own piano accompaniment – in a whimsical way that matches the same sort of... read more

A killer instrumental album of hard organ grooves and funky basslines! This was the album that broke Funk Inc out of their Indianapolis scene, and made them a force to be forever reckoned with in the history of funky jazz. The album grooves hard in the same sound as some of the classic work by... read more

A great lost chapter in the Larry Mizell story – a record that's not nearly as well known as Mizell-produced jams for Bobbi Humphrey or Johnny Hammond, but which is every bit as great! Roger Glenn's a funky flute player with a really great groove – California groovy, with just a touch... read more

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A beautiful record of light, lyrical piano jazz – and one of the best-selling jazz albums ever on Fantasy Records! Vince Guaraldi started the set as a tribute to the film Black Orpheus – and some of the album features his nice renditions of Jobim/Bonfa tunes like "Manha De... read more

Great early work from the amazing Vince Guaraldi – an album issued in the 60s on the wave of his rising fame, but which was most likely recorded a few years earlier! The group here is Vince's key early trio with Eddie Duran on guitar – grooving with Vince in drumless splendor that... read more

Nice stuff from Woody Herman – recorded in the years after his funky albums on Cadet, and with a similar style that mixes jazz, pop, and little bits of electric playing! Alan Broadbent plays electric piano on the set, and the group's joined by guitarist Mike Bloomfield on a number of cuts as... read more

Funky Woody from the 70s – an excellent and overlooked album, one that has Woody leading a great group with a fair bit of electric players, in a funky big band style that sparkles with the best of the genre! The group's filled with younger unknown players – but from the sound of the... read more

James Hunter at the Daptone Studios – working here with Bosco Mann production, and a sound that's much rawer than before! James has always had one hell of a voice, but this time around he also gets a bit more bite in his music too – a funky undercurrent that's more late 60s soul than... read more

We love this record – a larger concept album from Jackie & Roy – almost their Ishtar moment! It's late in the career of Jackie & Roy, but the pair haven't faltered a bit. Bogie is a surprisingly great live set from 1988 – a dozen songs dedicated to Humphrey Bogart,... read more

A very nice little Milt Jackson album – cut in the mode of some of his excellent soul jazz group sides from the mid 60s. This set pushes Milt past the format of much of his other work – especially that of the MJQ – as it features him in a very soulful sextet, working with Tommy... read more

The only album we've ever seen by Janice – aka Janice Barnett – a set that's got some great smooth production from the legendary Harvey Fuqua! The set's got a sound that's almost in a Salsoul mode at times – not totally disco, but with some uptempo elements – mixed in with... read more

The only album we've ever seen by Janice – aka Janice Barnett – a set that's got some great smooth production from the legendary Harvey Fuqua! The set's got a sound that's almost in a Salsoul mode at times – not totally disco, but with some uptempo elements – mixed in with... read more

Pretty amazing work from one of the greatest under-rated talents of 50s modern jazz! John LaPorta was a brilliant multi-instrumentalist who's probably best known for his work with Mingus in the mid 50s Jazz Workshop years, and for his earlier sides with Woody Herman – but it's on records... read more

A pretty hip set of big band arrangements – very much along the lines of early 50s Stan Kenton, with a tight swing, but a nicely modern undercurrent as well! The arrangements, as the title indicates, are all by Gerry Mulligan – and in addition to the piano of Elliot Lawrence, players... read more

Incredible stuff! The CD features work from four seminal modern mid 50s groups – all recorded at the Blackhawk nightclub in San Francisco at the height of their powers. About half the CD features work by a young Charlie Mariano – playing here with a sextet that includes Dick Collins... read more

Very righteous work from Esther Marrow – a soul sister who sings with a hell of a lot of power! The set's an overlooked gem in the Fantasy catalog of the 70s, and it's one of only two secular soul albums cut by Marrow – and quite possibly the best of the bunch, too! Esther's got some... read more

One of the hippest albums ever cut by Letta Mbulu – a perfect mix of her Soweto roots and the funky styles of her adopted California home! The album's the only one that Mbulu ever recorded for Fantasy Records – and the style brings together those great sing-song vocal modes perfected... read more

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A sweet album of modern soul on Fantasy – with a sophsticated style that reminds us a bit of Phyllis Hyman in parts, especially on the album's mellower tracks. A few numbers are done in an uptempo groove – and Paulette's not really that great at these, as her subtle vocals tend to get... read more

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A fantastic bit of spiritual jazz funk – and one of the rarest 70s albums on Fantasy Records! The group's headed up by Nat Adderley Jr (son of the famous Nat Sr) on keyboards and vocals – and the ensemble is a hip, young collective with an approach that reminds us of work by Oneness Of... read more

A pair of killers from Dave Pike – early work in a tremendous career in music! First up is Bossa Nova Carnival – a sublime set of bossa nova numbers, all written by the bossa pianist Joao Donato! Joao doesn't actually play on the record, but his compositions here are enough – as... read more

Quite possibly the funkiest album ever from Pleasure – and that's saying a heck of a lot! The album grooves from the very first note – and moves through some of the group's tightest, most rock-solid numbers – all of which use their trademark blend of funky and soul, but which... read more

Fantastic jazz funk by one of the best bands in the genre! This is probably Pleasure's most sought-after album, and it includes the classic breakbeat cut "Bouncy Lady", which begins with a nice hard drumbreak, and ends the same way! The record has a tight, smooth, soulful feel –... read more

A wonderful album from Pleasure – one of the few jazz funk bands who actually seemed to get better and better the more they recorded! Unlike some of their contemporaries, who kind of lost their edge when the production got slicker, Pleasure actually picked up more of a beat, and tightened up... read more

Wonderfully tight work from Pleasure – a record that definitely lives up to the lean, clean image on the cover – as it's got the group honing their funky skills even more strongly than before! Wayne Henderson's at the helm, finding the group hit this razor-sharp groove that comes... read more

Joyous grooves indeed – the second album by this legendary 70s jazzy soul outfit – and a landmark album in the Fantasy Records Bay Area funk mode! The record will forever be remembered for the cut "Joyous" – a monster groover with a killer hook, strong funky playing,... read more

Joyous grooves indeed – the second album by this legendary 70s jazzy soul outfit – and a landmark album in the Fantasy Records Bay Area funk mode! The record will forever be remembered for the cut "Joyous" – a monster groover with a killer hook, strong funky playing,... read more

Killer funky cuts, back to back! "Thoughts Of Old Flames" is slower than the usual Pleasure groove – but that doesn't stop it from being a killer – slowly stepping with a marvelous groove, and some of the most hook-heavy vocals the group's ever used! "Glide" is... read more

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A legendary concert – recorded at Massey Hall in Toronto, with a previously-unmatched quintet of superstar bop players – Charlie Parker on alto, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bud Powell on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums – all coming together in a performance... read more

Striking modern work from jazz singer Lucy Reed – no surprise, though, given that arrangements here are by the likes of Gil Evans, George Russell, and Eddie Higgins! Reed's got a beautiful sense of tone – a clarity that comes through right away, but which is never miscast in these... read more

Excellent early work from trumpeter Red Rodney – one of the most compelling, and often overlooked talents of the 1950s, and a firey player with a tone unlike anyone else. This 19 track CD features tunes from his classic Modern Music From Chicago set for Fantasy, plus titles from the album... read more

A pair of modern moments from George Russell – back to back on a single CD! Stratusphunk is not "phunk", in the way you might think of "funk" – but an album that sets a whole new standard for modern jazz in the 60s – thanks to the fresh ideas of George Russell!... read more

An excellent obscure Mongo Santamaria album – and one that features a nice jazzy groove played by one of Mongo's best groups ever! The band features Joao Donato, the famous Brazilian pianist, doubling up on trombone on a number of tracks – something you never hear on his Brazilian... read more

Includes "Raga Palas Kafi", " Raga Bilashkani Todi", "Raga Ramdas Malhar" and "Raga Malika".... read more

Quite possibly the greatest album ever from Side Effect – a wonderful set that mixes their soulful harmonies with some killer jazz funk from Wayne Henderson! The album may be the most perfect realization of the groove that Henderson was going for during his At Home Productions years –... read more

Quite possibly the greatest album ever from Side Effect – a wonderful set that mixes their soulful harmonies with some killer jazz funk from Wayne Henderson! The album may be the most perfect realization of the groove that Henderson was going for during his At Home Productions years –... read more

Quite possibly the greatest album ever from Side Effect – a wonderful set that mixes their soulful harmonies with some killer jazz funk from Wayne Henderson! The album may be the most perfect realization of the groove that Henderson was going for during his At Home Productions years –... read more

One of the many Philly-based, club-oriented projects that centered around Butch Ingram and the Ingram family during the late 70s – Slick have an approach that takes long grooves, builds them out instrumentally, adding in a fair bit of keyboards and moog, like some of the Canadian groups of... read more

Promo-only single, featuring this later Fantasy club groover! "I Don't Know" is one of the few lasting tracks from Spiders Webb – but it's a tasty fast funk number that still holds up to a jazz dance crowd.... read more

A great little set from Sylvester – 3 sides recorded live in San Francisco, one more recorded in the studio! All the sides have a complicated approach to the groove – larger orchestrations that really show Syl pushing his conception of soul to the max, sounding really wonderful, and... read more

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An overlooked gem from Sylvester's years on Fantasy Records – a set that has him working strongly with soul maestro Harvey Fuqua, in a really great blend of disco and more laidback modes! There's a balance here that's like early Luther at his best – a way of being proudly poised, yet... read more

Sylvester's definitely heading for the sound he would embrace more in the 80s – working here with more electronic-driven rhythms, in a stretched-out clubby mode that's more in keeping with the style of Giorgio Moroder than his earlier work for Fantasy. Given his great vocals, though, Syl... read more

A great little album of jazz funk – and the only record we've ever seen by this group! The 3 Pieces may not have lasted long in the record business, but this rare album from 1975 has made them legends on the rare groove scene for years. The record was cut during the height of the jazz funk... read more

One of our favorite Cal Tjader albums ever – and one of the first to have his vibes working alongside Fender Rhodes! The record's a surprising little set from the start of the 70s – one that almost has Cal picking up some of the New York sounds of a few years before, then mixing them... read more

One of the fantastic electric Cal Tjader sessions from the 70s – with that mixture of vibes and electric piano that made his work of the time take on an even funkier sound than before! Lonnie Hewitt's at the keyboards here – and he's got a sly, slinky groove that's totally great –... read more

A rare little straight ahead set from Cal – not nearly as Latin as some of his other sides for Fantasy at the time, and done in a gently grooving way that's mighty nice! The group's a quartet (in case you couldn't guess from the title!) – with Gerald Wiggins on piano, Eugene Wright on... read more

A real standout session from Cal Tjader – a straight jazz side from the late 50s, recorded with a hip group that includes Vince Guaraldi on piano, Gene Wright on bass, and Al Torre on drums. Although Cal's possibly better-remembered for his Latin work of the time, the record is a good... read more

An excellent album from legendary vibist Cal Tjader – and one of his truly electric albums! A key factor to the greatness of this one is keyboardist Al Zulaica – who plays some amazing Fender Rhodes on the album, really unlocking a whole new sound of Cal's vibes in the process! The... read more

Classic 50s Cal Tjader – and important, to boot – as it's a pivotal moment in the fusion of Latin rhythms with 50s period jazz! This great 10-inch vinyl is beautifully done – reproducing the original cover art in a high quality tip-on sleeve – and on orange colored vinyl.... read more

Sweet, smooth, and soulful – a heck of a great album from Stanley Turrentine, and one that's recorded in a mode that steps off nicely from his best work at CTI! The sound's a bit tighter than most of his sides as Mister T, but the groove is still quite similar – a warm approach to... read more

Stanley blows it sweet, mellow, and soulfully – in this wonderful post-CTI session from the 70s! The set features some swirling larger arrangements from Gene Page – done with a bit of the CTI sound lurking in the mix, but also a more complicated groove that almost takes on soundtrack-li... read more

Soulful Stan – working here with some larger arrangements from David Van De Pitte, but still sounding incredibly great! The format's tighter, smoother, and more soul-based than that on Stan's CTI albums from the 70s – with shorter tracks and a bigger band – but that format also... read more

Soulful Stan, over arrangements by Claus Ogerman! Titles include "Papa T", "Joao", "Birdland", "Nightwings", "Don't Give Up On Us", and "If You Don't Believe".... read more

Two mellow jams from Mr T – back to back on a single CD! On Have You Ever Seen The Rain, Stanley Turrentine blows it sweet, mellow, and soulfully – in a wonderful post-CTI session from the 70s! The set features some swirling larger arrangements from Gene Page – done with a bit... read more

A 70s soulful classic from the mighty Stanley Turrentine! Stan's not the bad "Mister T" on this set – he's more in a smooth, mellow mode – blowing over some nice soulful arrangements by Gene Page, ones that take the CTI funk approach, add in some strings, and create a bit of... read more

Full funky work from the great Stanley Turrentine – an album that has him blowing beautifully over larger backings arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman! Claus is a bit more fluid here than usual – still using a fairly orchestral approach to the record, but also bringing in some of... read more

A hip split single from the club years at Fantasy Records! "I Got The Feeling" is a really soaring number from Two Tons – soulful, buoyant, and grooving – with some electro touches from Patrick Cowley on this mix! "Space Bass" is a warmer number overall –... read more

An excellent selection of Johnny Guitar Watson's wonderful mid 70s numbers, combining a laid back, funky approach with some more sophisticated arrangements and production touches. Most of the tracks have a mellow mid tempo feel, with some a nice spacey vibe and Watson's bluesy phrasing. 10 tracks... read more

A rare funk album from west coast legend Larry Williams – very different than his heavy R&B of the late 50s, or the brief soul comeback he had with Johnny Guitar Watson in the 60s – and instead a heavy groover with a trippy Cali sound! The record's got a sharp groove right from the... read more