A wonderful tribute to the Impulse Records label – one that's put together with as much graphic sensitivity as you'll find on the company's album covers of the 60s! The book is incredibly well researched – both from archival material and over 50 interviews with artists and producers... read more
Kako and Totico do way more than jump start the car with this killer collaboration – and really make the record burn brightly with a classic 70s salsa sound! There's lots of dark twists and turns to the set – not just from the horn parts and the way they roll along the grooves easily... read more
Not the US group Kaleidoscope, but a Mexican one – very fuzzy and tripped out, with English language lyrics all the way through! The production is nice and muddy – in just that right psyche way to make the vocals lay on top of the guitars lay on top of the basslines – which gives... read more
Nice little soundtrack for this obscure thriller starring Sean Connery. Michael Kamen (ex-New York Rock & Roll Ensemble) lays down some groovy tracks with a good 70's crime/thriller feel. Some tracks are more orchestral, but there's some nice moments with a good bass-y feel. Titles include... read more
Wonderful work from Ty Karim – a singer who definitely lives up to the "soul goddess" promised in the title! Ty might not be the biggest name in California soul, but she's a hell of a great talent here – starting out in the 60s with upbeat Northern Soul groovers – then... read more
A stormer! "Get Down" is a killer from the Kay Gees – a cut that begins with a Kool & The Gang type riff, and which grooves with a sweet ensemble funk sound all the way through! "My Favorite Song" is a winner too – with a similar funky feel, and a mad love-orien... read more
Massive massive Miami funk – and a record that seems to sound better and better as the years move on! Sure, KC and crew were a chart-topping act, but this first album's a stellar batch of heavy cuts – featuring great instrumentation on clavinet, conga, guitars, and horns – all... read more
Includes "Snake", "Been Around The World" feat Ja Rule, "Step In The Name Of Love (rmx)", "Who's That" feat Fat Joe, "Ignition", "You Knock Me Out", and "Dream Girl".... read more
A killer second set from Johnny Kemp – and a great showcase for the talents of a young Teddy Riley too! Teddy helped out with the album's leadoff track – the excellent "Just Got Paid", one of those 80s soul numbers that broke big right of the box – and which has gone... read more
One of the hippest Stan Kenton albums of the 60s – a set of original compositions by Dee Barton – Stan's drummer at the time, and a composer to rival the great ones who contributed to the Kenton group of the 40s and 50s! Barton's work here is totally great – modern, but never too... read more
Keyboard Circle (Rob Franken & Jan Huydts) —
Keyboard Circle ... CD
678 Records (Netherlands),
1976. New Copy ....
$18.99
A wicked collaboration between Dutch keyboardists Rob Franken and Jan Huydts – a set that has the pair of them really stretching out on Fender Rhodes, Arp, clavinet, and other keyboards – with only a bit of drums to back them up! Yet although the set's got a really freewheeling sort of... read more
No need to be cautious here – as the album's the sort you can jump into right away – thanks to some wicked grooves from legendary guitarist Calvin Keys! Calvin's had a great revival in recent years, but this album's the stuff that first put him on the map – a brilliant early date... read more
One of THE electric blues records of the 60s – a seminal set by Albert King that was probably blasted out of more college dorm rooms than southside juke joints, but which still more than deserves its due! The set was recorded by Stax with a nice raw sound – guitar very much upfront,... read more
A tight date from 1977, and one that follows nicely in the spirit of King's later Stax sides, but with a slightly smoother groove. There's a bit of the Detroit 70s mode going on in the set – that rough-and-smooth quality that you'd find on a Don Davis production, which proves to be a... read more
One of the most political of Dr King's albums – recorded in 1967, but issued after his death when the Vietnam War was still going strong. The album's one of the great titles on Motown's short-lived Black Forum imprint, and is a lot stronger stuff than some of the other King albums they... read more
King Crimson —
Beat ... LP
Warner,
1982. Very Good+ ....
$7.99
King Crimson —
Islands ... LP
EG,
1972. Near Mint- ....
$13.99Just Sold Out!
One of our favorites by King Crimson – and a record with a lot more jazz than some of their others! Players include Mel Collins on lots of flutes and saxes – plus guests Keith Tippett on piano, Mark Charig on cornet, and Harry Miller on bass!... read more
King Curtis —
Do Your Thing ... CD
Atco/Wounded Bird,
1970. New Copy ....
$10.9911.98
Very cool stuff – a rare European-only album that brings together some of King Curtis' funkiest tracks ever – and which really stands as one of the most perfect full records we've ever heard from the King! The sound here is more Stax Records than some of the mellower cuts that Atlantic... read more
Beautiful beautiful record, and still one of the greatest jazz vocal albums ever made. The great King Pleasure sings in a raspy vocalese style similar to Jon Hendricks or Eddie Jefferson, but with a sense of warmth and delivery that the two of them never seem to reach. The set list here features... read more
Some of the greatest spiritual jazz of the late 60s – and 2 of Rahsaan Roland Kirk's best Atlantic albums back to back on one CD! The Inflated Tear is a landmark album from Roland – one of his key 60s sides for Atlantic records, and an amazing blend of soul jazz, hardbop, and freer... read more
Roland Kirk —
Domino ... LP
Mercury,
1962. Good ....
$8.99
A key early album from reedman Roland Kirk – at set that really has him strongly finding his voice in jazz, and transforming most of modern music in the process! The set's a perfect illustration of the way that Roland could swing with soul, yet still reach out with bold new ideas too –... read more
Something Special indeed – as the album was one of the biggest hits for Kool & The Gang, and showed that the group still had plenty of energy left to groove into the 80s! The record features production work by Brazilian music maestro Eumir Deodato – who by this point had become a... read more
Classic early funkiness from Kool & The Gang! "Kool & the Gang" is a hard funky groover – very worthy of the group's name, with that full-on horn/guitar groove that they virtually pioneered! "Raw Hamburger" is excellent too – with a slowly building, trumpet... read more
Kool & The Gang —
Kool Jazz ... LP
De-Lite,
Early 70s. Very Good+ ....
$12.99Just Sold Out!
A great album – even if most of the cuts are on other records! The set's designed to focus on the jazzier side of Kool & The Gang – and it sifts through the first few albums to come up with some of the more sophisticated (yet still totally funky!) numbers by the band, giving a good... read more
A shameless dancefloor cash-in move – but with a few nice touches! You all know the big title cut "Ladies Night", so we won't bother to describe it – but we can say that the group wisely hooked up with Deodato, who produced, mixed, and even played keyboards on the album. ... read more
Kool & The Gang —
Open Sesame ... LP
De-Lite,
1976. Very Good Gatefold ....
$5.99
A magic carpet ride of funky soul from Kool & The Gang – classic Open Sesame from '76 – one that took the group to a higher level! It's not as rawly funky as some of the group's earlier albums, but they do still bring it, just with a cooler spirtual vibe that we never expected... read more
One of the group's first really monster cuts! The track shows the band moving past a straight funk mode, hitting a more message-oriented approach that bears some resemblance to some of the more righteous funk/jazz ensembles at the time. The cut starts out with a spare, spiritual intro –... read more
After this one, there was no turning back for Kool & The Gang! The record has them bringing their underground funk sound to the masses – with a choppy riffy groove that stands out almost as a public challenge to all the other pretenders that had been cropping up on major labels during... read more
Erkin Koray —
Arap Saci ... LP
Turkofon/Pharaway Sounds (Spain),
Mid 70s. New Copy 2LP ....
$32.99
The Jimi Hendrix of Turkey? That may well be the case with the legendary Erkin Koray – a musician who may not have had the pure chops of Hendrix, but who definitely helped transform the guitar sound of an entire generation! Erkin's got this massively wicked groove – rooted in years of... read more
A masterpiece of Turkish psychedelia – and quite possibly the greatest album ever from Turkish psychedelic maestro Erkin Koray – a mad blend of sounds that definitely lives up to its "elektronik" title! Most numbers feature a weird blend of electric guitar and baglama –... read more
Peter Kuhn —
Ghost Of A Trance ... LP
Hat Hut (Switzerland),
1981. Near Mint- Gatefold ....
$28.99
With Kuhn on tenor, alto, and bass clarinet – plus William Parker on tuba, Phillip Wilson on percussion, Bill Horvitz on guitar, Wayne Horvitz on electro-acoustic piano, and Mark Miller on vibes.... read more
Hip work all around – 2 incredible albums from the mighty Charles Kynard! Afro-Disiac is the rarest of all Charles Kynard albums – and a real standout groover from the classic funk days of Prestige! The album's a really creative outing – with arrangements by Richard Fritz that... read more
A 70s group, but one with a relatively traditional feel – a groove that definitely lives up to the charanga in their name, but which also features a bit more horns over the top! The mighty Art Webb is in the combo on flute – playing with that same sharp-edged, soulful sound that graced... read more
Patti's first two solo albums – recorded after splitting with the group Labelle, moving into a more sophisticated Diva soul mode that kept her strong for years to come! The albums are a lot better than you might think, especially if you've experienced some of Patti's more cliched work –... read more
Caroline Lacaze —
En Route ... LP
Legere (France),
2013. New Copy ....
$17.99
Fantastic French funk – a record that's unlike any other deep funk combo we can think of – because Caroline Lacaze sings in her native language instead of English! The grooves are stepped in the best funky 45 styles of the late 60s, but the vocals also echo the more soulful sound of... read more
A book we can really get behind – partly because we're a groovy local retailer, just like the ones featured in the pictures! The volume is exactly what's promised in the title – a beautiful look at storefronts in Brooklyn – from local grocery stores, to mom and pop neighborhood... read more
A lost chapter in the legendary Harold Land/Bobby Hutcherson relationship – and a record that often gets overlooked. The set is a great moody mellow bit of jazz funk, recorded with Buster Williams on bass, Bill Henderson on electric piano, and Billy Hart on drums. Mtume sits in on congas,... read more
Richard Lanham —
Thou Swell ... CD
Richard Lanham,
2013. Used ....
$4.99Just Sold Out!
Latimore's first album – and a classic bit of Miami soul! The record's something of a groundbreaker – as it mixes older southern soul with some bluesy inflections – using small combo instrumentation and a warm sweet sound on production to create a new groove that pushed soul... read more
Stacy Lattisaw —
With You ... LP
Cotillion,
1981. Very Good+ ....
$2.99
A real move forward in the career of Stacy Lattisaw – an album that has her coming across with a much more mature feel than before, even though she was still quite young at the time! The record's got an unabashedly poppish sensibility, but one that also has some of the more complicated modes... read more
Hubert Laws —
Family ... CD
Columbia/Wounded Bird,
1980. New Copy ....
$10.9911.98
Wonderful sounds from Hubert Laws – and like some of his best CTI work of a few years before, a set that really goes way beyond any easy expectations! There's moments of ambition here that really link the record to Laws' CTI sides – that mix of fuller arrangements and higher-concept... read more
One of the most sublime Hubert Laws albums for CTI – a set that features his incredibly soulful flute work floating over these beautiful large arrangements by Don Sebesky – all ticked by some sweet electric piano from Bob James! The sound is perfect – that balance of soul and... read more
A great modern soul album – and the new release from Maysa Leak, the lovely voice behind some of Incognito's best albums! If you know Incognito, you can guess the sound here – but the overall approach is different, with a lot more emphasis on soul sounds and jazzy arrangements, all... read more
Raphy Leavitt —
Jibaro Soy ... CD
Borinquen/Disco Hit,
1973. New Copy ....
$12.9914.99
An early classic from the great Raphy Leavitt – one of the leading underground lights of the 70s salsa scene, especially if you get away from the Fania/Tico side of the universe! There's a strong sense of soul to the record right from the start – one that comes more from the delivery... read more
Moncho Lena really cooks here on timbales – leading a tight little combo that easily rivals Tito Puente's group of the time! There's a jazzy flourish to most numbers here – as the group is driven by Moncho's rhythms, then opens up on trumpet and piano! Hector Rivera handles the keys,... read more
John Lennon —
Imagine ... CD
Apple,
1971. Used ....
$5.99
Not the out there primal scream of Plastic Ono, and more of an impeccably produced, easy to love landmark from John Lennon! The title track, beautiful as it is, is so heavily ingrained into rock & roll myth making machine that it's become too easy to overlook how great most of the songs on the... read more
Some of the greatest albums in rock and roll are those that were never released – including some that finally saw the light of day after decades, like the Beach Boys' Smile! This book really gets at that fact beautifully – showing how, although never issued, some of these key creative... read more
Super-dope stuff throughout – and maybe the best album ever by this legendary 70s guitar player! O'Donel Levy's got this tremendous sound that comes from playing an electric hollow body – in a tone that takes the best bits of Grant Green and Wes Montgomery, and strips them down for a... read more
O'Donel Levy —
Windows ... LP
Groove Merchant,
1976. Very Good+ Gatefold ....
$16.99
A great later album from O'Donel Levy – recorded after his initial flurry of work for the Groove Merchant label, but still plenty darn nice! The sound here is slightly smoother and a bit more electric than before – with Levy's sweet guitar work snaking out over some larger backings... read more
One of the strongest sessions recorded by pianist John Lewis in the 50s – a date that shows depths of his talents that run even greater than his work with the Modern Jazz Quartet, quite possibly because is work on piano is at the forefront of the record throughout! There's a sense of... read more
A late 60s groover from the second Ramsey Lewis trio – the one that features Cleveland Eaton on bass and Maurice White on drums, both doing a pretty great job of filling the spot vacated by Eldee Young and Red Holt! The album's a live one, cut in the successful mode of Ramsey's records with... read more
Ramsey Lewis —
Groover ... LP
Cadet,
Mid 60s/1972. Very Good ....
$1.99
A set of classic Ramsey Lewis recordings with his trio of Eldee Young and Redd Holt, all of which were recorded during the 60s for Argo/Chess, but not released until this set in 1972. The tracks all came from the same live set that spawned the group's hit single version of "Hang On... read more
In case you think the folks at Chess were putting too fine a point on the earthy origins of Ramsey's jazz, the title's actually one that follows from an earlier album Ramsey cut for Mercury – and features a similar cover of a shovel digging in the dirt! The tracks are a great blend of the... read more
A killer live set from Ramsey Lewis and his classic early 60s trio – a record that's not nearly as well known as The In Crowd, but every bit as great! Drummer Red Holt and bassist Eldee Young really get in some great elements here – working with Ramsey's piano in a groove that's far... read more
Ramsey hits the Hayes/Porter hit, and gives it his usual soul instrumental twist. "Struttin' Lightly" is an early track written by Cleveland Eaton, and played by Ramsey's trio with Eaton and Maurice White.... read more
One of the hardest-hitting electric sets ever cut by Ramsey Lewis – a live performance from the start of the 70s, done with a really gritty groove! Ramsey's on both Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano – the former of which is played with even more forces than on his Cadet studio... read more
A late date for Brit bandleader Vic Lewis – but a great one too, thanks to a strong focus on the bossa nova sounds of the 60s! The mode's a real change for Lewis, who could sometimes be a bit stiff – and the new groove definitely opens things up nicely – as does the album's work... read more
Rare funk from the same Minneapolis scene that gave the world Prince – a legendary indie set from the end of the 70s, put together by Lewis brothers Pierre and Andre! Despite their French names, the duo have a mighty American groove on the set – a wicked approach to funk that's very... read more
Dave Liebman & Lewis Porter —
Surreality ... CD
Enja (Germany),
2012. Used ....
$9.99Just Sold Out!
Lil Jon & The Eastside Boys —
Kings Of Crunk ... LP
TVT,
2002. Near Mint- 2LP ....
$2.99
Tracks include "Throw It Up", "Knockin Heads Off", "B***h", "I Don't Give A. . . ", "Rep Yo City", "Push that N****, Push That H**", "The Weedman", "Diamonds", "Nothin On", "Ohh Na Na Naa Naa", "... read more
Anthony and crew were one of the few groups who actually got better when they moved from the raw indie scene to the slicker major label one – as you'll hear perfectly on this set of some of their best work for the Veep/DCP/United Artists label. Teddy Randazzo handled all the arrangements and... read more
Little Beaver —
Joey ... CD
Cat/Henry Stone,
1972. New Copy ....
$10.9912.99Just Sold Out!
An excellent early album from the amazing Little Beaver – a set that's also probably one of his best ever – served up with some extra-dope guitar, and nice deep Miami soul production by Steve Alaimo! Beaver handled all the arrangements – which means that there's plenty of room... read more
Little Brother —
Minstrel Show ... CD
Atlantic/ABB,
2005. Used ....
$3.99Just Sold Out!
Little Brother transitions to the majors with their soulful underground sound intact – and deliver an effort that in the best moments improve upon the already classic Listening LP! It looks like this just isn't going to go over with the TRL crowd, despite the Atlantic logo. The soul sample... read more
Messed up funky soul from the Chicago scene – a beautiful package of rare singles from Little Ed & The Soundmasters! The style here is a bit hard to describe – as Ed and crew were schooled in blues, but brought up during the 60s soul underground – and clearly managed to pick... read more