Lee Konitz on alto sax and Michel Petrucciani on piano. Tracks include "I Hear A Rhapsody", "To Erlinda", "Lover Man", "Ode", and "Lovelee". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Pianist Uli Lenz really sparkles here – in the company of the tremendous rhythm duo of Cecil McBee on bass and Joe Chambers on drums! The recording's a live one – as you'll know from the title – and the tracks are long, open, and very fluid – balancing some of the modern elements in Uli's piano with the strong, soulful currents that both the bass and drums bring to the music – modes that are especially strong on the original tunes on the album by Lenz, but which really transform the few familiar numbers too. Chambers is a complete delight – and the album's a great reminder of all the wonderful elements he brought to jazz in his early years – on titles that include "Don't Trust The Mirror", "Midnight Candy", "Five For Bob", "Inner Urge", "Sophisticated Lady", and "Freedom Jazz Dance". CD

The soulful sound of Bukky Leo takes off in all sorts of directions here – served up in a sweet soup of remixes by some great overseas talents! The work has the same Afro Funk vibe as some of Bukky's classic records – complete with his searing tenor work and strong lead vocals – set up in core instrumentation that includes plenty of percussion, keyboards, and super-tight horns – elements that are reworked and expanded here through the different mixes in the set! Tony Allen plays drums on some tracks – and titles include "Scelleton (Gilles Peterson mix)", "Annarkey (Dennis Bovell mix)", "Genre Jam (Leslie Laurence mix)", "Obedun (Orlandon Voorn mix)", "Summer Sax Breeze (Leslie Laurence mix)", and "Unisex Dilemma (Laurie Laurence mix)". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Nice! We don't know if this is the same Love, Devotion, & Happiness that later recorded for RCA – but the single's an obscure one, on a tiny Chicago label, with arrangements by Tom Tom Washington. "Joy Sweet Joy" is a nice mellow mid-tempo track, with a dope production sound, and sweet soulful female vocals. 7-inch, Vinyl record

A wonderful album by Barry White – a bit later than some of the early 70s hits, but one of his most satisfying records overall! The perpetual favorite on the album is the great groover "Strange Games & Things", a slow sly funky track that's been sampled often over the years, and which is a perfect summation of the mix of heavy drums and orchestra that made Barry's records so great. The album's also got a lot of other very nice groovers, most of which have a more uptempo sound than "Strange Games", but all of which are very nice. Titles include "Brazilian Love Song", "My Sweet Summer Suite", and "You, I Adore". LP, Vinyl record album

With Katsutoshi Morizono and Kiyotsugu Amano on guitar, Yoshinori Kaketa on piano, DX-7, and Fender Rhodes, Kazuo Kimura and Akira Okazawa on bass, Tomihiro Maeda and Yuichi Togashiki on drums, Tadaomi Anai on percussion, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

A great pairing – just Warne Marsh on tenor and Red Mitchell on bass! Tracks include "Cherokee", "It's You Or No One", "Everything Happens To Me", "Sippin' At Bells", and "These Foolish Things". CD

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... CD

A wonderfully wicked album from Curtis Mayfield – one that's not nearly as famous as his Superfly set, but which is every bit as great! The groove here is lean, mean, and totally righteous – a bit more stripped-down than some of the rumbling funk of other Curtom efforts, and served up with a fluid groove that makes the album a killer from start to finish! As with Superfly, there's a nice blend here between uptight funky tracks and some more laidback soul – showcasing both sides of the Curtis Mayfield sound of the 70s – the brash society-changing soul, and the mellower, more fragile voice that first came to prominence in The Impressions. Titles alone tell you the vibe of the record – and they include "Ain't Got Time", "To Be Invisible", "Kung Fu", "Suffer", "Power to the People", and "Make Me Believe In You". LP, Vinyl record album

Two reed geniuses, working together in sublime formation – an extended, open live performance setting – which makes for incredible interplay throughout! There's a beautiful balance between unity and conflict going on here – Evan Parker and Joe McPhee both blowing soprano and tenor, with McPhee on a small bit of pocket cornet as well – crafting lines that sometimes snake out alongside each other, flowering in the open space of improvisation – sometimes chafe next to each other, but in ways that create a magical tension of sonic possibilities – growing to a sound that's way more than the sum of its parts. The set features seven live improvisations – all recorded in the space of the Chicago Cultural Center in 2003. CD

A contemporary gem from Paulette McWilliams – the Chicago singer who was part of Rufus before Chaka Khan, worked with Luther Vandross, and who's given the world decades of great contributions after cutting her rare solo debut on Fantasy Records in the 70s! This set shows Paulette very much in charge of her game, and working at a level that really lives up to her legacy in soul music – with well-crafted tunes that really gain a lot from her vocals, set up in these lean, but grooving arrangements that always let you know that the singer is the star of the scene! Titles include "Sometimes Your Eyes", "New Tunes Old Grooves", "Share", "These Are The Sweet Things", "Tell Me You Love Me", "Take A Drink Of Me", and "That's How I Am". CD

... CD

Stephanie Mills in fine formation here – working with the team of James Mtume and Reggie Lucas, who helped the lady reach the heights of her career in the early 80s! The sound here is catchy and contemporary, but hardly ever too commercial – just relaxed and grooving, in a mode that lets Stephanie's vocals flow nicely over the top, but with a bit more of an easygoing feel than in her records of previous years. As usual, Lucas and Mtume bring a nice touch of jazz into the album – a subtle warmth that makes the best moments sparkle, really resonating nicely with Mills' vocals. Titles include the massive hit "Never Knew Love Like This Before" – plus "Sweet Sensation", "Try My Love", "I Just Wanna Say", 'Wish That You Were Mine", "D-a-n-c-i-n'", "Still Mine", and "Mixture Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of great records from the production hands of Prince Jammy – back to back on a single CD! First up is Bitter Sweet – one of those key records that helped Sugar Minott earn the sweet reputation that really echoed his name – as the set's got these easygoing grooves that are perfect for his warmly crackling vocals – richly expressive, but without every sounding overdone – all set up in these great instrumental elements produced and arranged by Prince Jammy! The groove is different than some of the sharper modes that were creeping in during the digital generation – very casual, with a quality that has the easygoing vocals from Minott stepping out nicely on cuts that include "I'm Not For Sale", "Give The People", "Never Too Young", "Be Careful", "Right Track", "Can't Get Over", "Save The Children", and "This World". Reggae On Broadway is a gem from Johnny Osbourne – hardly the kind of album with polish and glam that you'd expect from a Broadway title, and instead this mellow, laidback session that really showcases the genius of Prince Jammy in the studio! Given the date of the recording, things could be a lot more commercial, or a lot cleaner in a digital way – but Jammy keeps the proceedings casual and cool, which lets those magnificent vocals of Osbourne flow out in a really great way. Titles include "Let Me Your Chopper", "Live Right", "Folly Ranking", "Water Pumping", "Reggae On Broadway", "Mr Walker", "Sing Along", and "Can't Leave Jah". Great Doctor Bird package – excellent sound, and very detailed notes! CD

A lost smoker from the legendary tenorist Hank Mobley – recorded relatively late in his career, at a time when his music on Blue Note was really taking some great new directions! The approach here is maybe a bit more straightforward than those records, but still completely amazing – as Mobley's soloing with all these unusual twists and turns, and phrasing that you never would have heard a few years before – all while working with a variety of Dutch backing combos on these live performances from the Netherlands in 1968! One group features Pim Jacobs on piano, Wim Overgaauw on guitar, Ruud Jacobs on bass, and future avant legend Han Bennink on drums – and another features the great Rob Agerbeek on piano, with Hans Van Rossem on bass and Cees See on drums. There's also two studio performances with the larger Hobby Orkest ensemble – quite an unusual setting for Hank, and a great one too – and titles include "Summertime", "Twenty Four & More", "Three Way Split", "Vierd Blues", "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", "Sonny's Tune", "Autumn Leaves", and "Blues By Five". CD

A classic set of 70s crossover deep soul – recorded in the mode of similar work by Betty Wright or Laura Lee, and done with a similar mix of raw southern vocals and tighter production! About half the work was handled by the team of Dave Crawford and Brad Shapiro – working in the Criteria Studios in Miami to give Jackie a sound that's similar to Shapiro's work with Millie Jackson. The other half was produced in Philly, by the Young Professionals team of LeBaron Taylor, Tony Bell, and Phil Hurt – who give Jackie a warm, gliding, sweet 70s Philly groove! And although you might think that this Philly/Miami split would make for a mixed bag of tunes, the album's surprisingly unified – and in a way, does plenty to link together the growing dancefloor scenes in both cities. Titles include "Willpower", "Both Ends Against The Middle", "Time", "Something In A Look", "Clean Up Your Own Yard", "If", and "Darling Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarest albums on the Groove Merchant label – and one of the best! Ramon Morris has a sweet tone on the tenor that works very well with the electric piano in his tight little combo – grooving with a style that's like the best Black Jazz funk records of the time – mixing together bright notes, funky rhythms, and plenty of great chord changes! Cecil Bridgewater's on trumpet, and the band has a really righteous feel – with lots of real soul and thoughtful playing mixed into the jazz funk grooves of the record. Massive – with titles that include "Sweat", "Lord Sideways", "Sweet Sister Funk", and a nice version of "People Make The World Go Round". LP, Vinyl record album