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A killer set from a group that never lets us down – stepping out here in a sound that's more modern, more mature than their hit work of the 70s – yet still filled with all the sublime harmony soul we'd expect from the trio of Tony Silvester, Cuba Gooding, and Luther Simmons! Wade... read more

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A great step forward for The Main Ingredient – a record that's still got all the harmony soul charm of their earlier work for RCA, but with a tighter feel overall – one that has them moving into the same mature group soul mode as The Manhattans over at Columbia! Production and... read more

Some of the greatest work ever by The Main Ingredient – a selection of their singles for RCA records from the late 60s and early 70s – but one that goes way past just the hits, in order to fully trace the evolution of their heavenly vocal style! The trio started out as an already-great... read more

A pair of great early albums from Main Ingredient – Tasteful Soul from 1970 and Bitter Sweet from 1971 – in a single set! Tasteful Soul is one of the groups earliest records, with a great set of Bert DeCoteaux arrangements, and a totally sweet soul harmony sound! The arrangements are... read more

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A mid 1960s record from the great South African singer Miriam Makeba. Hugh Masekela is responsible for most of the arrangements and leads an impressive groups of musicians for these twelve tracks. The players include Kenny Burrel, Jimmy Cleveland, Moriss Goldberg, Ronnie Fink, Jonas Gwangwa,... read more

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An under-discovered vocalist from the 50s – the great Nancy Malcomb, a singer we'd rank right up there with Chris Connor's best at the time! Nancy's got a very jazzy approach to her work – no surprise, as she plays piano as well as she sings – with support here from a great small... read more

An enduring Mancini classic! And although it's probably best remembered for the sleepy theme "Moon River", the score's actually got some pretty fantastic groovy numbers with a very different feel. These include the lovely "Sally's Tomato", one of our fave melodies ever from... read more

A very weird one – as Henry Mancini pays tribute to the work of John Philip Sousa! As you'd expect from Sousa's marches, most of the work has a parade band military sound – and Mancini, despite his grooviness, hardly breaks format to change the style of the work. The approach has... read more

One of the greatest soundtracks ever from the early years of Henry Mancini – a hip jazzy TV score that we've loved for years! The jazzy theme to "Mr Lucky" is reason enough to buy this album – as it's got these wonderful warm washes of sound, interlayed in a way that makes... read more

A surprisingly nice little record by Henry Mancini – one that's quite different than other albums of Hawaiian tunes! The record is much more a soundtrack than anything else – slightly exotic soundscapes arranged by Hank, and featuring the Baldwin harpsichord on many tunes. That... read more

A great Mancini score for one of the goofiest films of the 60s! Peter Sellers stars as the sitar-playing Indian actor Hrundi Bakshi – next to the lovely Claudine Longet, who makes one of her few film appearances – and the whole thing's set to one of the greatest scores ever by Henry... read more

A classic! This is the record that made Mancini's career, and forever transformed the face of crime and jazz. The record's a stunning batch of instrumentals, played by a crack group of west coast players who also performed regularly in the TV show. Titles include the classic "Peter... read more

Sure, you've heard it a million times – but it's still a fantastic soundtrack! Mancini's whimsical scoring was a perfect touch for this classic Peter Sellers film – and it's made even better by the LA group of musicians who play the music, including Plas Johnson, Pete Jolly, Shelly... read more

One of Henry Mancini's grooviest LPs from the 70s – a mixture of tight large arrangements with a smooth funky edge, similar to some of his best soundtrack work at the time! The rhythm section is great – with Harvey Mason on drums and Joe Sample on keyboards, and guitar by David T... read more

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Really hip work from Italian flautist Gino Marinacci – a player with a sound that's unlike anyone else we can think of, recording here in a group that really matches the best side of his talents! Gino plays a bass flute – which has a nice low-end, rumbling sort of sound – quite... read more

A lost lounge gem from the RCA catalog – with a dreamy exotica feel that's right up there with the best of the bachelor pad era! Gerald Fried arranged and conducted this ersatz studio group, and his overall approach has lots of sweeping woodwinds and percussion, similar to the great Les... read more

A Sunshine Pop treasure – and a record that perfectly straddles a few different strands of late 60s pop! The quintet have fabulous harmonies – of the sort rooted in The Four Freshmen, and given a sunny finish by The Beach Boys – but they also move here in a way that prefaces soft... read more

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Two amazing sets from Harold McNair – a fantastic London 60s flute player with a really sharp edge! The self-titled Harold McNair has the leader working in a tight combo with some nice offbeat sounds – including a lot of breathy, soul-toned notes that remind us a fair bit of Roland... read more

The amazing debut of Ronnie McNeir – a 70s soul maestro we'd rank right up there with Donny Hathaway, Leroy Hutson, or Leon Ware – but one who's possibly even more impressive, given that he cut this record when he was only 22 years old! The album's quite heavy on keyboards –... read more

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A strange, yet cool little record from Terry Melcher! Melcher was the consummate LA hipster – the son of Doris Day, a friend of Brian Wilson, and allegedly the real target of The Manson Family when Sharon Tate was knocked off – that's a whole heck of a lot of 60s and 70s baggage –... read more

A pair of killers from this legendary group! High On Music is one of the funkiest albums ever from The Memphis Horns – that super-tight instrumental combo headed by Andrew Love on tenor and Wayne Jackson on trumpet! Both players had years in the Memphis soul scene under their belt by the... read more

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Little-known Chicago funk group who recorded briefly for RCA. This LP's got production by old Brunswick Chicago soul talents Carl Davis, Eugene Record, and Sonny Sanders, the groove is sort of uptempo and funky, like some of the late Brunswick club work. Tracks include "Volcanic Voodoo"... read more

One of those cool RCA 12" singles from the mid 70s – cuts recorded by groups who never made a bigger wave on the label! This is a great Canadian disco cut with a quick-stepping sort of groove – produced by Tony Green at a level that's a nicely lean take on styles that would... read more

A killer cut by The Metros – one of Detroit soul's best secrets in the 60s! The track is amazing – dipping, turning, and soaring with this groove that even knocks out most Motown classics – and it's backed here by an equally great number, making for one hell of a 45!... read more

One of the greatest Northern Soul albums ever – completely great all the way through, and filled with songs that have been burning up dancefloors for years! The vocals are incredible – soaring harmonies that hold together perfectly, even when the grooves are hard and heavy – and... read more

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Includes the tracks, "Break It Down", "Harlem After Midnight", "Growl", and "Stuff Is Here".... read more

Oh how we love this album – and we think it may well be the best album ever from Charles Mingus! The set was recorded in that magical Mingus year of 1957, but oddly not released until 1962 – missing some of the initial frenzy of his discovery during the Atlantic and Columbia years. ... read more

Oh how we love this album – and we think it may well be the best album ever from Charles Mingus! The set was recorded in that magical Mingus year of 1957, but oddly not released until 1962 – missing some of the initial frenzy of his discovery during the Atlantic and Columbia years. ... read more

Oh how we love this album – and we think it may well be the best album ever from Charles Mingus! The set was recorded in that magical Mingus year of 1957, but oddly not released until 1962 – missing some of the initial frenzy of his discovery during the Atlantic and Columbia years. ... read more

A pretty darn sweet vocal session from the duo of Miucha and Antonio Carlos Jobim – recorded with lots of bossa overtones, very much the same spirit as the legendary Elis & Tom album of the mid 70s! Chico Buarque participates in the session, and Jobim even lends his vocal talents to a... read more

One of Hugo Montenegro's best moog albums – and a killer batch of tracks written by Stevie Wonder! Hugo and crew go to town with a host of electric keyboards – including moogs and Arps, backed up by some straight electric piano – and they lay down 10 smooth funky renditions of... read more

A weird and wonderful record – the early hits of Neil Diamond, played on the moog and ARP by the mighty Hugo Montenegro! The approach to the set is pretty darn cool – as it takes 10 of Neil's best early tunes, and runs them through arrangements by Montenegro that run from funky to... read more

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A standout session from Jack Montrose – one of the most overlooked players on the west coast scene of the 50s! Montrose's tenor work is always a treat, but here, he's playing in an unusual setting that includes Red Norvo on vibes, Joe Maini on alto sax, and Jim Hall on guitar – all... read more

Excellent album that Harvey Fuqua put together with his old band during the time that he had emerged as a successful soul producer at RCA working with bands like The Nite Liters and The New Birth. The album features the group reprising some of their classic doo wop tracks, and giving them a 70's... read more

Of course it's about time for Joe – because as Dave Brubeck's drummer, he was constantly caught in recording sessions that were all about unusual rhythms and timings in jazz! This set's actually a bit looser and freer than some of the Brubeck ones – more straight jazz, recorded with a... read more

Mostly a mellow period score, but with a few favorite Morricone elements firmly in place: solo viola, solo female vocals by Gianna Spagnolo, and an orchestra and chorus conducted by Bruno Nicolai. Titles include "Battle & Red Sea", "In God's Voice", "Exodus Two",... read more

Early darkness from Ennio Morricone – an obscure mid 60s action thriller that combines boldly driving numbers with other tunes that slip into some of the spareness of his work for westerns! The work here is as mod and cool as you might guess from the cover – a bit more in a... read more

Although Buddy Morrow's best known for his more crime-jazz and Night Train jazz work, this album's got him sounding surprisingly great in a set of tracks dedicated to the work of Edgar Allen Poe! The feel of the music shifts wildly from track to track – with a few that feature Keith McKenna... read more

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Includes the tracks, "Hello Lola", "One Hour", "Tailspin Blues", and "Never Had A Reason To Believe In You".... read more

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A very nice soundtrack for this obscure film loosely based on the novel by Joyce – clearly a tough task, given the scope of the original book! Myers' score is suitably crazy – with a strange array of orchestral pieces, moving in and out in a "suite" format, and sounding a lot... read more

A lively band of young British players, packed into a large group with a tight swinging sound that evokes some of the better continental bands of the sort at the time – like the Clarke-Boland Ensemble, the Johnny Dankworth group, and even bits of Mike Westbrook's early work. The set list is... read more

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The tinkling piano of Peter Nero – heard to great effect on these two 60s albums for RCA! On Impressions, the sweet piano of Peter Nero takes on the music of Burt Bacharach – all with results that are every bit as groovy as you might expect! There's a bit more punch to the record than... read more

Believe it or not, the trio features Barre Phillips on bass!... read more

2 long-overdue classics from New Birth – back to back on a single CD! Ain't No Big Thing captures the group near the beginning of their career – when they were sort of a funky soul army, featuring the instrumental talents of The Nite-Liters, the vocal strength of a number of excellent... read more

Great early stuff by the New Birth – with a sound that's a lot funkier than some of their other records! The sound of the album shows how the band had a great formula for taking original tracks and covers, and redoing them with their unique group sound that gave them a good party feel. This... read more

Excellent early album by New Birth – with a good straight ahead soul style, and some nice arrangements by Vernon Bullock, Harvey Fuqua, and Bert De Coteaux. The tracks are a mix of originals and covers, and the band is great throughout – grooving hard in a souful way that makes the... read more

Way more than just another soul group – as The New Birth are almost big enough to be their own sort of soul music village – complete with different neighborhoods along the way! Vocals are handled by the combined groups of The Mint Juleps and Now Sound – gals and guys that soar... read more

Disco breaks! 2 great late 70s disco tracks, with more than a little dose of a funk, nice production courtesy Leon Pendarvis, and a great choral vocal approach that really sets them apart!... read more

A landmark album from the New York Community Choir – a gospel group at heart, but one who've ended up in plenty of 70s soul collections – thanks to the strength of this sweet little set! The vocals are tremendous – proud and righteous, with a power that's undeniable – and... read more

A rare "with orchestra" outing from pianist Phineas Newborn – one that has his gentle keys out front of larger backings by Dennis Farnon – all cast in the kind of dreamy mode you might expect from the title! Yet while the whole thing's certainly got a late night feel, Newborn'... read more

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One of greatest moments of genius by pop vocals eccentric Harry Nilsson – the classic early 70s "story" album The Point – perhaps is most imaginative work! The Point is a weird tale of a kid whose head was differently shaped than the rest of his townsfolk (hey, we're not... read more

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A masterpiece of hard and heavy funk – from one of the best bands of the early 70s! The Nite Liters were a legendary funky combo that provided the backing for some of New Birth's best albums – but on their own, they were even funkier, and had a sound that was part JBs, part Meters, and... read more

Cold, hard, and funky! This might be the greatest album ever by this legendary 70s funk band – and it's got a killer sound that has the tightness of the JBs, the rawness of the early Meters, and the frenzy of a rare funky 45! Includes the incredible "Afro Strut" – worth the... read more

A great album filled with hard breaks, tight choppy guitars, and a deep funky sound. This is one of the best early albums by the Nite Liters, and it's filled with great grooves like "Funky-Doo", "Stinkin Charlie", and "K-Jee" – but just about every track is a... read more

Stone funky funky! This is an excellent reissue of the Nite Liters' classic first album, and a monster batch of funky instrumentals that we'd put up there with the great Meters records on Josie, or the classic JBs LPs on People! There's lots of hard drums, choppy guitars, and good funky grooves. ... read more

A pretty cool record – even if it is mostly a "hi fi" sampler from RCA. The record demonstrates the full range of RCA's Living Stereo method – and it's got Ken Nordine narrating his way through a host of tracks from the label. As is typical with this sort of thing, about... read more

A really beautiful little album from NYCC – the name-shortened version of the New York Community Choir, stepping out here with a sound that's even better than their RCA debut! NYCC draw on a strong secular/spiritual tradition of work by The Art Reynolds Singers or Voices Of East Harlem... read more

A crossover classic from the late 70s – a record that was born in the clubs, but bred in the mainstream – and the start of a very good relationship between Odyssey and RCA! The album will forever be known for its classic cut "Native New Yorker" – a seminal groover that... read more

A crossover classic from the late 70s – a record that was born in the clubs, but bred in the mainstream – and the start of a very good relationship between Odyssey and RCA! The album will forever be known for its classic cut "Native New Yorker" – a seminal groover that... read more

Great funky instrumentals – not really Latin, but given sort of a pop-Latin soul feel by the great Claus Ogerman! The record's one of a few totally great little gems that Ogerman cut for RCA during the mid 60s – and it takes the bass-heavy sound of the German Easy movement of the 60s,... read more

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Deadlier than Dracula – and a lot funkier too! This is the original soundtrack for the classic blacksploitation horror flick starring the baaadest Drac ever to grace the screen of all those shabby downtown theaters that were still around in the 70s – a wicked batch of wah wah tunes... read more

Deadlier than Dracula – and a lot funkier too! This is the original soundtrack for the classic blacksploitation horror flick starring the baaadest Drac ever to grace the screen of all those shabby downtown theaters that were still around in the 70s – a wicked batch of wah-wah tunes... read more

One of the best albums by offbeat jazz singer Annette Peacock – one with a loose, very innovative vibe in arrangements – with some pretty darn cool electronics! Annette not only has a strong voice, she's fearlessly creative in her use of it – and on this album, her vocals are... read more

Short tight ensemble jazz tracks, very much in a LA style from the initial post-cool years – set to tunes written by the legendary Harry Warren. The group includes Pell, Jack Sheldon, Bob Enevoldsen, Paul Moer, and Mel Lewis – and tracks include "Lulu's Back In Town", "Ja... read more

Nice set of funky fusion recorded in Canada, but performed by a group of Italians, including keyboardist Franco D'Andrea. The record's got some good spacey grooves with electric keyboards, and nice choppy fusion tracks in a European 70's style. There's a bit of vocals, but nothing too bad, and... read more

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A great little album of smooth soul cuts from Greg Perry – an extremely talented arranger, producer, and songwriter whose credits includes work in soul, pop, and country – appearing here in one of the few sessions he ever cut under his own name! There's a bit of a southern soul feel... read more

Harder to find album by The Wicked Pickett, recorded in Muscle Shoals, and released with a cover that has him shooting pool with a bunch of ladies. Not really the gangster stuff the cover might imply, but still some nice modern southern soul. Cuts include "What Good Is a Lie", "I... read more

Great later work from Pleasure – a group who are probably best-known for their classic 70s albums on Fantasy Records, but one who kept the groove riding high in some early 80s years at RCA! This set's a shimmering jewel – a great mix of funky rhythms and mellower moments, all wrapped... read more