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Second LP from Nas's rhyming partner, from the days before Jay Z decided to take QB down a notch. Pretty much overlooked but not a bad effort, and nearly as dope as his first album. Includes "I'm Known", "How Ya Livin", "The Payback", "Pieces Of A (Black)... read more

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Not one filler track on this strong debut LP from one of the dopest female MC's in a while. And without the soft porn gimmicks MC's too often use to get over. Tracks include "True Honey Buns", "I Confess", "Word Play", "UKNOWHOWWEDU", "3 Tha Hard... read more

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A magical assortment of music from Archie Bell & The Drells -- the legendary Texas funk who first got on a Philly groove with early help from the team of Gamble & Huff on Atlantic -- here returning the favor with 3 really wonderful albums done for the pair's Philly International label! If... read more

A second chapter for boy band 80s soul! After Bobby Brown set off on his own, the remaining three members of New Edition decided to remain a group and give it a go, and far from being a sad collection of the leftover members, their debut album was actually one of many successful New Jack Swing... read more

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One of the biggest and best albums ever for Hamilton Bohannon -- filled with quirky rhythms and really unusual grooves! Bohannon was one of the key forces in setting the scene for disco in the early 70s -- and by the time the rest of the country was hitting the dancefloor in the middle part of... read more

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Excellent funky Christmas! Not everyone knows it, but James Brown cut a fair number of Christmas albums during the 60s -- 3 albums, and a bunch of singles to be exact! They're all super-rare, but this great comp brings together some of the best material from those years -- and nearly all the... read more

A full LP that combines early work by Dave Brubeck -- pulled together from a few 10" LPs, and packaged in a nice cartoony cover. The record features the work of his octet -- a group that gives a rare opportunity to hear Brubeck in a large group setting, and one that also features work by Cal... read more

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A late treasure from June's years at Capitol -- an album that easily earns its "intimate" tag, by featuring June with almost no musical backings at all! Instrumentation on the set is provided only by Don Bagley on bass, Al Viola on guitar, and some occasional flute work by Bud Legge --... read more

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John Coltrane's classic -- and only -- recording as a leader for Blue Note! The album's no throwaway date, though -- as it stands strongly with both Coltrane's other label work of the time, and with the best of the late 50s Blue Note scene -- a time when the label was really cooking at full... read more

"I rap with the Passion of Christ, Ni**a, cross me!" BE isn't exactly a back-to-basics LP in the vein of his classic work for Relativity -- but it is indeed a return to a focused, genuinely soulful, no BS approach -- and it's a very welcome one at that! It seems like Com was a bit... read more

NuHop? Common newcomers who buy Electric Circus for the single with Mary J Blige are going to be left with some head scratching -- but if you like the spiritual/psychedelic Com that was hinted at on Like Water For Chocolate, this may be the follow up you were waiting for! This is still hip hop --... read more

A fantastic cover, and some great music to match -- a key early classic in Chris Connor's late 50s run for Atlantic Records! As on her debut for the label, Ralph Burns handles the arrangements here -- in a mode that's somewhat modern, but never too academically so -- with just the right pitch to... read more

A beautiful title for a beautiful record -- one that sums up the subtle sense of sadness that makes the work of Chris Connor so great! There's a sense of longing here that steps out from the very first tune -- one that's beautifully moody, without being overindulgent or too emotive. Backings are... read more

One of Chick Corea's greatest moments on record -- the self-titled album by the legendary Return To Forever group -- a combo that included Joe Farrell on saxes, Flora Purim on vocals, Airto on percussion, and Stanley Clarke on bass! The sound is archetypal 70s fusion at its best -- filled with... read more

Maybe this one doesn't have as many hits as their first LP, but the production by Muggs still holds up. With "Throw Your Set In The Air", "No Rest For The Wicked" (their dis to Ice Cube), "Killa Hill" (with production by RZA), "Stricktly Hip Hop", and 11... read more

A good collection of work from Miles' early days at Columbia working with Coltrane, up through the pre-Bitches Brew years with the classic Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams lineup. Titles include "Walkin (live)", "All Blues (live)", "Someday My... read more

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The epic second De La Soul album -- a slightly deeper record than the upbeat 3 Feet High And Rising, but to us it's just as irrefutably classic -- and among the best hip hop full lengths ever! The trio is still working with Prince Paul, so despite the cover image and declaration of the end of the... read more

Another hard batch of razor sharp, political street hop from Dead Prez. Tracks include "Paper Paper", "Coming Of Age", "When Mama Cries", "Window To My Soul", "Out In The World", "Red Black & Green", "Afrika", "Hood... read more

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Tracks include "It's Funky Enough", "Beautiful But Deadly", "Lend Me An Ear", "Portrait Of A Master Piece", "Let The Bass Go", "No One Can Do It Better", "The D.O.C. & The Doctor", "Mind Blowin", and five more.... read more

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We had pretty low expectations for this project, but there are actually quite a few cuts on here that live up to the EPMD glory days. Guest appearances by all the old Hit Squad MC's Das Efx, Keith Murray, Redman, and Nocturnal.... read more

The second album of heavy east coast funk and slow rolling rhymes from the brothers from Brentwood. Nice, fat trunk rattling production and Eric and Parrish's trademark back and forth rhymes keep this set fresh,even today. Loaded with classics: "So What Cha Sayin'", "Get the... read more

An incredible album from Bill Evans -- and maybe THE record you need in your collection if you're trying to understand his contribution to jazz! The album's one of Evan's first sides from the Village Vanguard -- and features the legendary trio that included Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motian on... read more

One of the heaviest house albums we've heard from Peven Everett in years -- a set that's filled with upbeat, joyous grooves -- all done with the same deep soul you'd expect from other recent records! The whole thing's a great step back towards some of the classic grooves from Everett's Chicago... read more

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A very different album than Ella's more jazz-based Holiday set for Verve -- recorded in a mode that's much more focused on the serious side of the season! The format here has Ella singing with larger backings in a style that has some slight gospel overtones, and which focuses on the broadest range... read more

The debut album from Floetry -- a sweet batch of NuSoul tunes with a street harmony feel! The pair are London-bred, spent time in Atlanta's hotly bubbling scene, and are now part of the massive Philly underground that's been rocking the world over the past few years. This debut more than puts... read more

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A recent trio session by lesser-known pianist Keith Greko -- a sensitive artist on the keys, and a player with surprising charm and depth! At one moment, Greko hits the keys with McCoy Tyner-like waves of sound -- but at the next, he'll step back and tickle them gently, working almost like a... read more

A really unique album in the career of Johnny Griffin -- and one of the few entries in the short-lived "jazz meets folk" genre of the 60s! The record features Griffin blowing through versions of older folk numbers -- mostly traditional tunes, re-arranged by Johnny here with a swinging... read more

An amazing record -- one with a depth that goes way beyond its simple roots, and which has gone on to become one of the true Christmas classics of the 20th Century! Although a Christmas soundtrack, the album's more of a tapestry of sadness, longing, and loss -- the best qualities that always... read more

Teddy Riley's second LP with Guy, one of many groups he held the helm for, laying down the blueprint for New Jack Swing, the sound that would rule modern chart soul for years. Like some of the other music of that era, this LP sounds a lot better to us now than it did then, when we had to act all... read more

Titles include "King Cobra", "Riot", "Maiden Voyage", "Watermelon Man", "Driftin", "Dolphin Dance", "One Finger Snap", "Cantaloupe Island" and "Speak Like A Child".... read more

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Includes the best of the early Heltah Skeltah singles and the rest is still up there with the best the Boot Camp Clique has to offer. With "Lefleur Leflah Eshkoshkha" featuring OGC, "Operation Lockdown", "Clans Posses Crews & Cliques", "Letha Brains Blo"... read more

You probably know the music -- as the record got a lot of press when it came out -- but in case you don't, some tracks feature Herbie Hancock and Christian McBride backing Joe up, and others have Eliane Elias and Oscar Castro-Neves. Titles include "Boto", "Felicidade", "Pas... read more

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Searing work by Freddie Hubbard -- an instant classic that has him playing with a heck of a lot more fire than on his later recordings! The album's got a really sharp modern edge -- one that's extremely bracing, especially considering the mellow soul of later Freddie -- done in a tight Blue Note... read more

Amazing work from Freddie Hubbard -- one of his best albums ever! The title cut's a classic, but all cuts on the album are great -- and really set a whole new standard for soul jazz in the 70s! Unlike the freer runs of Miles Davis, Freddie takes things into territory here that's open, yet tightly... read more

One of Bobby Hutcherson's greatest records ever -- and a session that never got released at the time! The album's an excellent quartet session, one that's very much in the best spirit of Bobby's great Happenings album on Blue Note -- and it features a similar group that includes Hutcherson on... read more

A relatively mellow recent effort from Bobby Hutcherson -- one that has him playing both vibes and marimba, and going for a laidback style that allows plenty of spaces for tonal colors and shades of sound! The group's a quintet, with Kenny Garrett on alto, Geri Allen on piano, Christian McBride on... read more

A classic! This is one of the rarest of the rare of all Blue Note albums -- and it's the only-ever session cut as a leader by the great tenor player Fred Jackson! The album's a really heavy burner -- an all-out organ/tenor assault with the kind of gutbuckety soul groove that only peaked on a rare... read more

An incredible collaboration from John Coltrane and Milt Jackson -- and one that gives Milt one of his sharpest records ever! The setting is relatively straight -- tenor from Coltrane, vibes from Jackson -- plus rhythm from Hank Jones on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Connie Kay on drums. Yet... read more

One of the best Motown Christmas albums ever -- a really playful romp through a set of classic Holiday tunes, all sung by the youthful Jackson 5 at their best! There's a charm here that's undeniable -- and the energy of the group at this point in their career makes the music way more than just a... read more

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An 80s crossover classic -- a set that's probably a bit more dated than some Holiday albums you might own, but which still got plenty of spins in plenty of houses back in the day! The Jets sing with just the style you'd expect from their curls -- sweet, soulful, and a little bit poppy too. There's... read more

Kanye West finally dropped the full length in early '04 -- and it's one of the best hip hop albums of the year. Kanye is probably the hottest beats producer of the year, too, having dug through the greatest soul hooks of the past few decades for his samples, and piled on the chunkiest, catchiest,... read more

Although recorded a bit later than some of Gladys Knight's better-known Holiday work, this album's actually our favorite of the bunch -- because it's got a looser, more soul-based feel that gets beyond some of the overdone modes of earlier Christmas work! Gladys is clearly trying to get more... read more

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A pivotal album in the career of Peggy Lee, and one that marked her turning from a singer of pop and swing material, to a sensitive interpreter of jazz material. The album's one of the best-ever by Peggy, and features the kind of material that's not easy to find amidst the bulk of her pop-oriented... read more

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Classic dancefloor electronics from Giorgio Moroder -- and the "first electronic live to digital album", which must have cost a bundle to make! Giorgio is in prime electro disco mode here -- spinning out long lines of catchy synthesizer tunes -- in a way that takes Kraftwerk aesthetic... read more

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The first album, with "Life's A Bitch", "One Love" and "It Ain't Hard To Tell" -- what more do we need to say? How about beats by Primo, Pete Rock and Large Professor? Did this one get 5 mics from the Source? Didn't that count for something at the time? At any... read more

The Neptunes, who did the beats for ODB's "Got My Money" & Mystikal's "Shake Ya A**" before they became the huge producers of the moment drop the first release under their own pseudonymous name. The music and verses are completely different from their big hits (and any hip... read more

Backed by the New York Choral Society, American Boychoir, Orchestra Of St Luke's, Orchestra Of The English National Opera, and more.... read more

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A real standout Christmas soul session from the 80s -- a decade when the soul Christmas album seemed to almost fall by the wayside! Alexander's working here with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis -- and although the sound's a bit contemporary, the spirit of the holiday more than shines through, thanks to... read more

A real standout Christmas soul session from the 80s -- a decade when the soul Christmas album seemed to almost fall by the wayside! Alexander's working here with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis -- and although the sound's a bit contemporary, the spirit of the holiday more than shines through, thanks to... read more

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A darkly-grooving killer from pianist Horace Parlan -- and one of our favorite Blue Note albums ever! Although Parlan's always a great player on other sides for the label, this album has him stepping out with an extra edge that's really amazing -- working with brothers Tommy and Stanley Turrentine... read more

A rather late recording for Pepper, but a great one played with some fierceness that you might not expect from the date of the recording. It helps that he's accompanied by a remarkable rhythm section of George Cables, George Mraz and Elvin Jones, all seasoned vets by this point, and playing with... read more

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Not really a "Broadway" album, as you might guess from the title -- although Tito and group do play a version of the soul hit "On Broadway" on the set -- but a nicely-honed set with a strong Latin jazz groove, much more back to basics than some of Tito's work from the 70s. ... read more

The first Raydio set from guitarist Ray Parker -- an artist who'd worked on countless session gigs by the time of this album, which gave him more than enough chops to get things right from the start! The sound is tight and definitely aimed at the charts, by Ray also brings his own sort of groove... read more

Redman's 3rd LP, and he's still not letting up. The funky noble drop his buddah-blessed rhymes on "Whateva Man", "Yesh Yesh Y'All", "Smoke Buddah", and "Rock Da Spot". 17 tracks in all.... read more

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