Al Martino plays off his big fame here as Johnny Fontane in The Godfather – serving up an album that includes the title hit of the film, plus a number of other modern Italian-styled numbers! By the early 70s, the Italian fare of Al's old days was fading, but thanks to Coppola and the film, there seemed to be a new market for music like this – so Martino headed into the studio with Peter DeAngelis, one of the better arrangers for such a record, and cooked up a pretty nice little set that updated the Neopolitan pop sound for the 70s. Titles include "Just Say I Love Her", "The Rise & Fall Of A Fool", "Speak Softly Love", "I Have But One Heart", "A Man Without Love", and "You're Breaking My Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

A set of incredible records from Charles Mingus – all presented together in one mighty nice package! First up is Mingus Moves – a fantastic fresh new chapter in the career of Charles Mingus – a set that features the addition of two key players who would really shape his sound in the 70s – Don Pullen on piano and George Adams on tenor, both completely wonderful here! The group also features excellent trumpet from Roland Hampton, a player we don't know from many other settings – and the set also features some really nice vocal work from Honi Gordon and Doug Hammond. Titles include "Canon", "Moves", "Wee", "Flowers For A Lady", "Opus 3", and "Newcomer". CD also features bonus tracks – "Big Alice" and "The Call". Changes is key 70s work from Charles Mingus – an album that was recorded over the course of three days of creative activity at the end of 1974, but somehow split into two different albums under the Changes name! The lineup here is prime 70s Mingus – George Adams on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Don Pullen on piano – young players who really give a fresh voice to Mingus' musical ideas, and help him find this beautiful late life sense of color, tone, and timing that's completely sublime! Titles on this second volume include "Sue's Changes", "Devil Blues", "Remember Rockefeller At Attica", "Free Cell Block F Tis Nazi USA", "Black Bats & Poles", "For Harry Carney", and "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love" – which features a guest appearance by Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and Jackie Paris on vocals. On 3 Or 4 Shades Of Blues, Charles Mingus is returning to the soulful gospel-influenced mode he swung big in the early 60s! The record's something of a later predecessor of the classics Blues & Roots for Atlantic and Mingus (x5) for Impulse – and the style is slightly less dramatic, but still quite steeped in soulful explorations that feature plenty of notes from the bluer side of the spectrum! Players include George Coleman and Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Larry Coryell on guitar – and titles include new takes on "Better Git Hit In Your Soul" and "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" – plus"Nobody Knows", "Noddin Ya Head Blues", and "Three Or Four Shades Of Blues". Next is Cumbia & Jazz Fusion – one of the most enigmatic albums that Charles Mingus ever recorded – especially in his later years! The set features two very long tracks done by Mingus for use in a film about cocaine traffic between New York and Columbia – but considering the nature of the music, and the freely exploratory style, both numbers here stand very well on their own! Although touched with some of the Latin influences you might expect from the title, the sounds are often darker and more brooding than, say, the Mingus style on the classic Tijuana Moods set. And instead, there's a very serious soundtrack-like vibe going on through most of the set – larger jazz orchestrations used to beautifully underscore subtle themes, and breakout solo moments from players who include Mauricio Smith on flute, Paul Jeffrey on tenor sax, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone. The album also features a fair bit of added percussion – and features two long tracks, "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion" and "Music For Todo Modo". Me Myself An Eye is complicated later work from Charles Mingus – a great illustration of the way his power to command a large ensemble never wavered as the years went on! The album features two different large groups of players – filled with modernists young and old – including Ricky Ford, George Coleman, and Michael Brecker on tenors; Ronni Cuber and Pepper Adams on baritone; Randy Brecker and Jack Walrath on trumpets; Lee Konitz on alto, Larry Coryell on guitar, Slide Hampton on trombone, and Eddie Gomez on bass. Side one features the 30 minute track "Three Worlds Of Drums", and side two contains a remake of "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting", plus "Devil Woman" and "Carolyn Keki Mingus". Something Like A Bird is one of the last albums Charles Mingus ever gave us – before departing this planet way way too soon! The set shows the increasing sophistication of Mingus' music in these later years – a mode that almost echoes the path that Duke Ellington would take in his final decade – a move towards some larger-form material that still holds onto all the raw energy of the early days, but finds a way to not only bridge larger musical ideas – but musical generations as well! As part of this, the set's got a wonderful lineup – with Lee Konitz on alto, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, George Coleman on tenor, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – and titles include the long title track, "Something Like A Bird", split up over 2 sides of the LP, plus "Farewell Farwell". CD

Clara Moreno's working here with some famous help in the credits – but the sound of the album is definitely all her own, and even better than some of her other great sets in recent years! The style is mostly bossa, but served up with a slightly modern approach – not one that's electrified or remixed, but nicely free of cliches that try to hard to conjure up images from the old days – done in a sparely evocative mode that really gets to the best heart of the bossa, and re-presents it wonderfully with Clara's youthful talents! Moreno's on vocals throughout – although Celso Fonseca sings a bit on a few duets – and instrumentation includes acoustic guitar from both Fonseca and Joyce on some tracks, plus drums by Tutty Moreno. Most instrumentation is acoustic, and quite stripped down – sometimes only a bit of guitar, bass, and percussion behind the vocals – giving Clara plenty of room to stand on her own, center stage. Titles include "Rosa De Ouro", "Litoranea", "Sabe Quem", "Sei La", "Moca Flor", "Mon Manege A Moi", "Tenderly", "Ela Vai Pro Mar", "Vem Morena Vem", and "Copacabana". CD

A wonderful package – a set that brings together two rare funk albums by Newban, an early version of Atlantic Starr – plus bonus tracks too! The first Newban record is one of the sweetest ensemble funk albums of the 70s – and a record that's gone on to become a classic, despite the fact that most people know little about the group! Newban have a sound that's almost a jazzier take on the Earth Wind & Fire groove of the time – a style that's warm and fluid, and which really gets past the cliches of other larger funk acts – and manages to find a space in sound that's all its own! There's lots of odd phrasings and chords on the set – creating these very blue passages even when the group's grooving in an uptempo mode – almost like the sense of sadness that creeps out from Stevie Wonder's work during his best early 70s years. The sound is totally unique, and uniquely wonderful – and the album includes the classic "Father Time", plus the cuts "Magic Lady", "Mellow Days, Easy Nights", "Fatback Sally", and "Hungry Grin". Newban 2 is every bit as great as the first album – if not better – with some excellent excellent lost material that's the kind of stuff that still keeps you diggin' for the hard ones. Includes the track "Greenburgh", with a tight funky intro and a smooth sweet soul groove, plus lots of other great cuts like "Free Your Mind", "Easin' Through", "Find a Place to Live", and "Rhythm & Rhyme". This deluxe package also features three rare bonus tracks – "Oh Wow", "Miracle Holiday", and "Bells" – tracks recorded before the first two albums! CD

One of the best albums that Lou Rawls cut with the team of HB Barnum and David Axelrod – that incredible duo who made some of his 60s Capitol albums so great! The style here is wonderful – upbeat grooves from Barnum – who brings more soul into Lou's music than before – recorded by Axelrod with the right sort of sharpness and punch – that special quality he brought to Cannonball Adderley's 60s soul classics too! Rawls is really at home in the setting – stepping out in some points with these hip monologue passages that are as great as his singing – maybe even better, too – as they show a whole new side of Lou's personality – that badass, totally hip quality that people might never have expected from the early days. One of the best of these is the excellent "Old Man's Memories", about a guy sitting on a bench in Washington Park on the south side of Chicago, which then rolls into an amazing version of "It Was A Very Good Year". Other tunes have a great mix of soul and jazz – and titles include "Love Is A Hurtin Thing", "A Whole Lotta Woman", "Don't Explain", "Old Folks", and "Breaking My Back (Instead Of Using My Mind)". CD

One of the best albums that Lou Rawls cut with the team of HB Barnum and David Axelrod – that incredible duo who made some of his 60s Capitol albums so great! The style here is wonderful – upbeat grooves from Barnum – who brings more soul into Lou's music than before – recorded by Axelrod with the right sort of sharpness and punch – that special quality he brought to Cannonball Adderley's 60s soul classics too! Rawls is really at home in the setting – stepping out in some points with these hip monologue passages that are as great as his singing – maybe even better, too – as they show a whole new side of Lou's personality – that badass, totally hip quality that people might never have expected from the early days. One of the best of these is the excellent "Old Man's Memories", about a guy sitting on a bench in Washington Park on the south side of Chicago, which then rolls into an amazing version of "It Was A Very Good Year". Other tunes have a great mix of soul and jazz – and titles include "Love Is A Hurtin Thing", "A Whole Lotta Woman", "Don't Explain", "Old Folks", and "Breaking My Back (Instead Of Using My Mind)". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing moment for singer Dianne Reeves – the first in a long line of excellent records for the Blue Note label – and a wonderfully tight blend of jazz and soul, put together at a level that instantly pushed Reeves into the territory of previous giants like Phyllis Hyman and Marlena Shaw! Like both of those singers, Dianne's got roots in jazz, but also pushes towards more of an R&B vibe at times – but never in a way that's commercially aimed at the charts, especially in comparison to some of her contemporaries. There's a really rich feel to the whole album – thanks to help from George Duke, who produced and played keyboards – alongside other musicians like Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Ndugu Chancler on drums. Titles include "Chan's Song (Never Said)", "I'm OK", "Sky Islands", "Harvest Time", "Yesterdays", and "Better Days". CD

There never was a second volume of work from Robert Savage – but maybe that's because he has enough musical adventures on this set to last him a lifetime! Savage is better known as Bobby Arlin, who started out with The Leaves – and his guitar here is far more searing than his work on the LA scene of the late 60s – certainly informed by the rise of British hard rock at the time, but with a boldness that's all its own! The odd cover is hardly a hint at what's inside – as Bobby works with a lean trio of just bass and drums, and none of the trappings that prog-like image might make you expect – qualities that are underscored with some occasional rootsy inflections, and a nice sort of attitude in the vocals. Titles include "Seven Days Drunk", "Don't Run & Hide", "Beaver Baby", "Milk Run", "Save Us From The Cyclops", and "Road Apples". CD

An excellent double-length live set from Gil Scott Heron – recorded right in the middle of his classic years on Arista Records, and with an extended groove that shows just how great he could be in a concert setting! Many of these tracks are quite long, with both instrumental solos and a more freewheeling vibe from Gil – who seems to put even more power into the sorts of messages that always make his music so wonderful. The group features flute from Vernon James and tenor from Ron Holloway – and Gil himself plays plenty of great keyboards, including Fender Rhodes – which brings a very fluid vibe to his vocal presentation. Tracks include "We Almost Lost Detroit", "B Movie", "Better Days Ahead", "Washington DC", "Shut Em Down", "Winter In America", "Angola Louisiana", "Johannesburg", and a great 15 minute take on "The Bottle". LP, Vinyl record album

A key crossover set from Gil Scott-Heron – still every bit as political as his earlier work, but with a stronger sense of soul as well! The great Brian Jackson is firmly in tow here – bringing warm keyboards and a nice little groove to most of the tracks – and the previous acoustic moments are replaced with more electric instrumentation overall, but never in a way that seeks to dampen Gil's message, nor push him into easy commercial territory. Instead, the tighter rhythms seem to really hammer home some of the lyrics – most famously in "Angel Dust", which almost touched a wider audience than the drug itself – and equally nicely on cuts that include "Cane", "Angola Louisiana", "Show Bizness", "Better Days Ahead", and "Madison Avenue". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from Sly & The Family Stone – hard-grooving, fast-funking, and really setting the scene for countless groups to come! The album's a messed-up funky party, with plenty of short little tracks that have a mix of funk, soul, and rock – perfect for the crossover crowd from whence Sly sprang, and who would become his biggest supporters into the 70s. And almost best of all, there's hardly any hits here – just tight little numbers that are as fresh today as they were back at the end of the 60s – all the kind of righteous funk the group could do better than anybody else! Titles include "Fun", "Plastic Jim", "Dynamite!", "Chicken", "Into My Own Thing", "Life", "Love City", "I'm An Animal", and the seminal "Jane Is A Groupee". CD features 4 bonus tracks – including "Pressure", "Sorrow (inst)", "Seven More Days", and "Dynamite (single)". CD

One of the best-ever albums by the Supremes – and filled with stone classics, to boot! As the title states, Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard team up with Holland Dozier Holland – and they really to create the sound that would put them and Motown on the map. A couple of the biggest hits are laid down, but album also features tracks that are arguably even better to hear these days – as they spin out that quintessential Motown sound but aren't hampered by the ubiquity of the oldies radio staples! Titles include "You Keep Me Hanging On", "Love Is Here And Now You're Gone", "I Guess I'll Always Love You", "I'll Turn To Stone", "It's The Same Old Song", "Love Is In Our Hearts", 'There's No Stopping Us Now" and "Love Is Like A Heatwave". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent session of rare bossa material, recorded at the legendary Paramount Theatre, the temple to bossa nova! The album features tracks by a number of different artists, handled with a lot more care and a lot better recording quality than other live bossa sessions – and the result is one of the best compilations from the old days that we can think of. Features an amazing version of "Nana" by The Zimbo Trio, with a great funky bass breakdown in the middle – and other great tracks include "Vivo Sonhando" by Wanda De Sah, "Antes E Depois" by Oscar Castro Neves, "Tem Do De Mim" by Quarteto Em Cy, and a great duet on "Terra De Ninguem" by Marcos Valle and Elis Regina! CD

Bluesy sounds, with plenty of soul – a really special mix of modes that follows strongly in the spirit of Kent Records' other "new breed" compilations! The music here isn't really R&B, but it isn't 60s soul either – and instead has a cool mix of soulful rhythms with ruffer touches on the vocals, sax lines, and guitar – the kind of sounds we've always dug from King Records in their heyday, but which are pulled here from a variety of different labels! Most numbers are obscure indie singles from the first half of the 60s – and as usual with Kent, they're compiled with top-notch sound, and stellar notes that really illuminate the material – in a manner that's way better than those public domain sets on the market these days. Titles include "The Twitch" by Danny White, "Cruel World" by Roosevelt Powers, "Lucky Girl" by Joan Duvalle, "Breaking Hearts" by Varetta & The Thomases, "Let Me Know" by Robbie Lee, "Playboy" by Billy Ray, "Real Real Love" by Ray Agee, "What Did I Do Wrong" by The Ovations, "I Can't Even Enjoy My Home" by Big Charley & The Domans, "Something Funny Is Going On" by Bertha Tillman, and "Bossman" by Deane Hawley. CD

Deep soul from the glory days of the Memphis scene – not the better-known work recorded at Stax, but material from the smaller American Sound Studio – a new game in town during the late 60s, and a place that forged it's very own legacy in Memphis music! American recorded a variety of styles – a bit like Muscle Shoals – but this collection not only focuses most strongly on the soul music cut at the studios, but also work by "The Memphis Boys" – the superb in-house session group that included top-shelf talents like Reggie Young and Tommy Cogbill on guitar, Bobby Emmons on keyboards, and Chips Moman at the head of the group. The great Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham also did plenty of work for American – on material that was issued on a variety of labels – Atlantic, Cameo, Bell, Sound Stage 7, Smash, and others – all collected here with a deep set of notes that really gets at the special vibe going down at American. Titles include "Burning Fire" by Arthur Conley, "Someone To Take Your Place" by Bobby Marchan, "I Don't Want To Have To Wait" by James & Bobby Purify, "Ain't That True Love" by Oscar Toney Jr, "There's A Heartbreak Somewhere" by Roscoe Shelton, "Comin To Bring You Some Soul" by Sam Baker, "It Ain't Fair" by Ben E King, "Don't Take Your Love" by The Blossoms, "So Much Love" by Dusty Springfield, "Broadway Walk" by Bobby Womack, "Holdin On" by Jerry Lee Lewis, and "On The Other Side" by Lee Jones & The Sounds Of Soul. CD

A fantastic funky follow-up to the first Mr Thing compilation from BBE – and a set that's equally filled with rare and soulful grooves! If we didn't know better, we'd swear he went into our crates and pilfered our own record collections – because the package contains plenty of overlooked cuts that we've loved for years, but which have never gotten their due – and not even all of them are from totally obscure pressings or small indie labels – just the kind of records that people pass over sometimes, because they don't know how great they sound! There's lots and lots and lots of deeply funky numbers on the collection – and the package really takes us back to the glory days when BBE compilations were always turning us onto something new – especially during the Keb Darge glory days. Titles include "Back Ground Music" by Kalyanji Anandji, "Searching For Soul" by Jake Wade & The Soul Searchers, "ABC" by Hot Butter & Soul, "Spooky Do" by Dick Walter, "The Horse" by Val Merral's Orchestra, "It's Just Begun" by Hot City Bump Band, "Sally" by Frank Pleyer Big Band, "Love Is Just A Word" by Johnny Griffith Inc, "Can't Stop Talkin" by Art & Ron, "Family Affair" by The Generation Gap, "Gacek" by Jerzy Milian, "Rockin Chair" by John L Watson with White Mouse, "Pink Panther" by Alan Tew, "Twinkle Stars Boo Galoo (live)" by Oscar Harris & The Twinkle Stars, "The Message" by Tinga Stewart, and "Pru Urebu" by The Rias Orchestra. LP, Vinyl record album

A trilogy of albums from this unique group – presented here with all their original artwork, and a bit bonus booklet of notes and images too! First up is Love & Poetry – the killer debut of this heady power trio from the British Isles – one who've got some of the same harder rock leanings as some of the other lean groups of their time, but who also seem to manage to hang onto some psychedelic fuzziness too – a fantastic approach that's always made Andwella such a unique group! The bass is nicely brooding, drums are plenty hard, and the great UK reedman Bob Downes adds a bit of sax and flute to the record. There's a wonderfully unique vibe throughout – and titles include "Clockwork Man", "Man Without A Name", "Sunday", "Andwella", "High On A Mountain", "Shades Of Gray", and "Take My Road". World's End is a set that begins with one of the greatest funky rock tracks ever – then leaps into the fray with a whole host of wonderful tunes! That track is the mighty "Hold On To Your Mind" – well worth the price of the album alone, and a tune that takes all the funky energy of the freakbeat scene, and moves it into more sophisticated rock territory! The rest of the record continues the shift to sophistication that makes this second album from Andwella so great – really well-penned songs that manage to do a lot with a little, use familiar instrumentation in unusual ways, and there's some nice use of flute, piano, and organ along the way – deepening their sound in all the best ways. Titles include "Hold On To Your Mind", "Just How Long", "Michael Fitzhenry", "Lady Love", "I'm Just Happy To See You Get Her", and "World's End (parts 1 & 2)". On the cover of People's People, Andwella are looking a bit shaggier and more mature, and they're sounding that way too – really pushing their vocals with more soulful qualities than before, which are a perfect fit for the searching qualities of the music! There's almost a US roots current to the record at times – the sort of vibe that should have made an already-great band even better – and which really takes Andwella on a surprisingly long musical journey in just a very short span! Titles include "She Taught Me To Love", "World Of Angelique", "Saint Bartholomew", "Are You Ready", "Lazy Days", "Behind The Painted Screen", and "Four Days In September". LP, Vinyl record album

We always like the work of Ulysses Owens Jr on drums, but we might love it even more here – as Owens works as a leader at the head of a group of young, bright musicians who really live up to the new beat promise of the title! The songs are full of life and imagination – bursting forth with bright colors and a warm range of expression, as the group stretches out on longer performances that shift effortlessly between combo voicing and individual solos. Players include Sarah Hanahan on alto, Benny Benack and Anthony Hervey on trumpets, Luther Allison on piano, and Philip Norris on bass – and the great Milton Suggs sings on one cut, "Heart Full Of Rhythm". Owens is dynamic throughout – and titles include "London Towne", "Better Days", "Bird Lives", "Helen's Song", and "Soulful". CD

A great look at the huge influence on 60s soul from Burt Bacharach – a rich legacy that goes way beyond the big hits from Dionne Warwick, to include a wealth of work from artists you might not expect! Back in the early days, Burt was the tall white guy running around the Brill Building – where he made key connections to a range of different artists, and was able to already hit the ground running – with a huge legacy that would go onto inform soul singers for years to come! In fact, we'd almost say that Bacharach's music sounds even better in the hands of these singers than in more mainstream pop artists – and although a few of these cuts are well-known hits, you'll find plenty more great ones here to discover. Titles include "Alfie" by The Delfonics, "Reach Out For Me" by Willie Tee, "Message To Martha" by Jerry Butler, "Long After Tonight Is All Over" by Irma Thomas, "Another Tear Falls" by Marv Johnson, "Walk On By" by Gloria Gaynor, "Anyone Who Had A Heart" by The Orlons, "The Look Of Love" by Nina Simone, "Forgotten Man" by Gene McDaniels, "A House is Not A Home" by Mavis Staples, "Don't Make Me Over" by Brenda & The Tabulations, "This Empty Place" by Cissy Houston, and "My Little Red Book" by Tony Middleton with Bacharach himself! CD

A mindblower – and the kind of record we only come across once in a blue moon! Tony Aiken & Future 2000 were an obscure mid 70s group from New York – all players skilled in the burgeoning club scene of the time, but who also had their roots in Caribbean music – coming together for this unique record in a festive blend of early disco and funky styles! The record's got a great home-grown feel – a warm ensemble effort that's got equal parts soul and groove – and which bubbles over with personal touches that really make the tracks stand out from the pack. Includes the side-long jammer "Unity Sing It Shout It", plus the funky disco classic "Better Days", and the soulful cuts "She Loves Me", "Good Things", and "Time Tunnel". CD also features lots of bonus tracks too – "Jah Music", "Jah Music (dub)", "Doing Fine", "Doing Fine (dub)", "Skanking On The A Train", and "Holy Father". CD

A trilogy of albums from this unique group – presented here with all their original artwork, and a bit bonus booklet of notes and images too! First up is Love & Poetry – the killer debut of this heady power trio from the British Isles – one who've got some of the same harder rock leanings as some of the other lean groups of their time, but who also seem to manage to hang onto some psychedelic fuzziness too – a fantastic approach that's always made Andwella such a unique group! The bass is nicely brooding, drums are plenty hard, and the great UK reedman Bob Downes adds a bit of sax and flute to the record. There's a wonderfully unique vibe throughout – and titles include "Clockwork Man", "Man Without A Name", "Sunday", "Andwella", "High On A Mountain", "Shades Of Gray", and "Take My Road". World's End is a set that begins with one of the greatest funky rock tracks ever – then leaps into the fray with a whole host of wonderful tunes! That track is the mighty "Hold On To Your Mind" – well worth the price of the album alone, and a tune that takes all the funky energy of the freakbeat scene, and moves it into more sophisticated rock territory! The rest of the record continues the shift to sophistication that makes this second album from Andwella so great – really well-penned songs that manage to do a lot with a little, use familiar instrumentation in unusual ways, and there's some nice use of flute, piano, and organ along the way – deepening their sound in all the best ways. Titles include "Hold On To Your Mind", "Just How Long", "Michael Fitzhenry", "Lady Love", "I'm Just Happy To See You Get Her", and "World's End (parts 1 & 2)". On the cover of People's People, Andwella are looking a bit shaggier and more mature, and they're sounding that way too – really pushing their vocals with more soulful qualities than before, which are a perfect fit for the searching qualities of the music! There's almost a US roots current to the record at times – the sort of vibe that should have made an already-great band even better – and which really takes Andwella on a surprisingly long musical journey in just a very short span! Titles include "She Taught Me To Love", "World Of Angelique", "Saint Bartholomew", "Are You Ready", "Lazy Days", "Behind The Painted Screen", and "Four Days In September". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Roy Ayers' greatest albums of the 70s – a set that tightens up the groove from previous Polydor productions, yet still keeps all the soul intact! The record picks up the style begun with the Mystic Voyage album, and pushes it to some slightly tighter territory – a more focused Roy Ayers sound that's totally great, and which makes the album sparkle wonderfully throughout! All aspects of Roy's talents are perfectly balanced here – his warm vocals and jazzy vibes, his uptempo grooves and mellower rhythms – played to perfection by a hip lineup of players that includes Philip Woo on electric piano, Justo Almario on tenor sax, and Steve Cobb on drums. Edwin Birdsong guests a bit on the record – bringing in a nice edge to a few tunes – the album's got a really unique dark undercurrent, even in smoother moments – that subtle Roy Ayers' approach that's always made him one of our all-time favorite artists. Titles include the wonderful jazz-tinged "Searching", a great midtempo stepper that we really love; the funky break track "The Memory", a righteous number that feels like work from earlier records; the clubby classic "One Sweet Love to Remember"; and the sweet instrumental "Vibrations", which has a mellow kickback feel! Other tunes include "Higher", "Domelo (Give It To Me)", "Baby I Need Your Love", and "Better Days". CD

A pair of killers from Cameo – back to back on a single CD! Cameosis is full-on frenetic funk from Cameo – one of the group's tightest albums, yet still without any of the too-slick sounds of later years! The sound here is amazing – and we always find ourselves wondering how a group of guys can hit such perfect grooves with just a bunch of basses, guitars, and keyboards – a totally on-the-money style that vamps, leaps, and jumps with energy throughout. The vocals are great too – bubbling up in the mix almost like another instrument – and the album's got a depth that so many other copycat funk records from the time just couldn't touch. Wonderful throughout – with tracks that include "Shake Your Pants", "Cameosis", "On The One", "We're Goin Out Tonight", and "Please You". Also features a bonus 7" mix of "Shake Your Pants". Feel Me is a great 80s groove from Cameo – but one that's still done in the group's best early funk ensemble mode! There's maybe a bit more emphasis on the basslines and keyboards than before, but the sound of the music is still wonderfully full and spontaneous – very much in keeping with the warmly collaborative look of the group on the cover, who really sound like they're having a hell of a lot of fun making the record! The rhythms have a razor-sharpness that just about nobody else can touch – and there's all these cool little instrumental flourishes that sneak into the mix and really keep things interesting – odd sounds on familiar instruments, moogy moments on keyboards, and even some vocal inflections that come as a nice surprise. There's two nice mellow cuts – "Feel Me" and "Is This The Way", which have a sweetly compressed harmony sound on the lyrics – and funky numbers include "Better Days", "Keep It Hot", "Roller Skates", and "Is This The Way". CD

A great 80s groove from Cameo – but one that's still done in the group's best early funk ensemble mode! There's maybe a bit more emphasis on the basslines and keyboards than before, but the sound of the music is still wonderfully full and spontaneous – very much in keeping with the warmly collaborative look of the group on the cover, who really sound like they're having a hell of a lot of fun making the record! The rhythms have a razor-sharpness that just about nobody else can touch – and there's all these cool little instrumental flourishes that sneak into the mix and really keep things interesting – odd sounds on familiar instruments, moogy moments on keyboards, and even some vocal inflections that come as a nice surprise. There's two nice mellow cuts – "Feel Me" and "Is This The Way", which have a sweetly compressed harmony sound on the lyrics – and funky numbers include "Better Days", "Keep It Hot", "Roller Skates", and "Is This The Way". LP, Vinyl record album

The second chapter of the underground Boston legacy of Dredd Foole & The Din – a strong stretch of material from a time when Dredd was working with the Volcano Suns! Early Din-related material had Mission Of Burma providing the instrumentation – and the shift here to Volcano Suns makes for music that's maybe a bit more in tune with the American underground of the mid 80s – that shift away from punk that made the Suns' own recordings so crucial, and which saw some of this material released during the glory days of Homestead Records! The package features two full albums – Eat My Dust Cleanse My Soul and Take Off Your Skin – both reissued here for the first time – plus lots of live material, recorded both at The Rat in Boston, and at CBGB – plus some rare studio material too – all in a package that has detailed notes, new mixing, and a total of 40 tracks in all. Titles include "No Gun", "I'm Crying", "Not The Same", "People Are Strange", "Paralyzed", "Criminal", "Greatest Band In Hell", "Shoulda Known Better", "So Strange", "I Can't Stand It", "Sonic Web Theme", "Not A Beast", "Slack", and "Put Down". CD

A pair of New York soul gems back to back – the third and fourth albums from the legendary Chuck Jackson! First up is Encore – fantastic work from the great Chuck Jackson – a singer who was really at the height of his powers during these early years of his career! Chuck's maybe best known for heartbreaking material – and the notes on the album actually refer, oddly, to these songs as "the crying towel variety" – but what Jackson brings to his music is this strong sense of pride and power – this depth of reserve that makes you feel like he'll never give up, no matter how hard the going might be – a quality that southern soul singers would soon poach from Jackson and other singers up north, and make their own style of music. Yet back at the start, few folks did it better than Jackson – as you'll Hear on cuts that include the wonderful hit "Tell Him I'm Not Home", plus "Lonely Am I", "Blue Holiday", "Getting Ready for the Heartbreak", "Don't Believe Him Donna", "Tomorrow", "Two Stupid Feet", "Another Day", and "Invisible". Next up is Mr Everything – rock-solid set of heartbreaking soul – the sort that few others could touch at the time! Jackson often doesn't get his due in the history books these days – but records like these were landmark moments of pride, power, and open male emotion – of the sort that went onto inform generations of soul music to come – and help future artists find their way, guided by the emotional frankness of Jackson's approach! Backings are carefully balanced – tight, but never too polished to overwhelm Chuck's vocals – which soar out with a raw power that blows away Sam Cooke or some of Jackson's other contemporaries. Titles include "D-5", "I Need You", "Human", "I'm Your Man", "Tears Of Joy", and "Somebody New". CD

Damn wonderful solo work from Chaka Khan – a record that holds onto all the best funky elements of her 70s music with Rufus – but also finds a way to put the lady even more strongly out front! There's maybe a bit more of a clubby vibe here than before, but never in a cheesy or commercial way – as the mighty Arif Mardin is at the production helm, and arguably does an even better job with Chaka than on his classic productions for Aretha Franklin! The vocals soar out beautifully, but the grooves are every bit as great – with these warm jazzy touches that make the album instantly seductive – and a level of sophistication that's kept this one strong for many many years. Titles include the wonderful stepper "Any Old Sunday", plus "We Got Each Other", "We Can Work It Out", "Night Moods", "What Cha Gonna Do For Me", and "Father He Said" – plus "I Know You, I Live You", a big Chicago house cut from the old days. LP, Vinyl record album

A set of incredible records from Charles Mingus – all presented together in one mighty nice package! First up is Mingus Moves – a fantastic fresh new chapter in the career of Charles Mingus – a set that features the addition of two key players who would really shape his sound in the 70s – Don Pullen on piano and George Adams on tenor, both completely wonderful here! The group also features excellent trumpet from Roland Hampton, a player we don't know from many other settings – and the set also features some really nice vocal work from Honi Gordon and Doug Hammond. Titles include "Canon", "Moves", "Wee", "Flowers For A Lady", "Opus 3", and "Newcomer". CD also features bonus tracks – "Big Alice" and "The Call". Changes is key 70s work from Charles Mingus – an album that was recorded over the course of three days of creative activity at the end of 1974, but somehow split into two different albums under the Changes name! The lineup here is prime 70s Mingus – George Adams on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Don Pullen on piano – young players who really give a fresh voice to Mingus' musical ideas, and help him find this beautiful late life sense of color, tone, and timing that's completely sublime! Titles on this second volume include "Sue's Changes", "Devil Blues", "Remember Rockefeller At Attica", "Free Cell Block F Tis Nazi USA", "Black Bats & Poles", "For Harry Carney", and "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love" – which features a guest appearance by Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and Jackie Paris on vocals. On 3 Or 4 Shades Of Blues, Charles Mingus is returning to the soulful gospel-influenced mode he swung big in the early 60s! The record's something of a later predecessor of the classics Blues & Roots for Atlantic and Mingus (x5) for Impulse – and the style is slightly less dramatic, but still quite steeped in soulful explorations that feature plenty of notes from the bluer side of the spectrum! Players include George Coleman and Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Larry Coryell on guitar – and titles include new takes on "Better Git Hit In Your Soul" and "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" – plus"Nobody Knows", "Noddin Ya Head Blues", and "Three Or Four Shades Of Blues". Next is Cumbia & Jazz Fusion – one of the most enigmatic albums that Charles Mingus ever recorded – especially in his later years! The set features two very long tracks done by Mingus for use in a film about cocaine traffic between New York and Columbia – but considering the nature of the music, and the freely exploratory style, both numbers here stand very well on their own! Although touched with some of the Latin influences you might expect from the title, the sounds are often darker and more brooding than, say, the Mingus style on the classic Tijuana Moods set. And instead, there's a very serious soundtrack-like vibe going on through most of the set – larger jazz orchestrations used to beautifully underscore subtle themes, and breakout solo moments from players who include Mauricio Smith on flute, Paul Jeffrey on tenor sax, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone. The album also features a fair bit of added percussion – and features two long tracks, "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion" and "Music For Todo Modo". Me Myself An Eye is complicated later work from Charles Mingus – a great illustration of the way his power to command a large ensemble never wavered as the years went on! The album features two different large groups of players – filled with modernists young and old – including Ricky Ford, George Coleman, and Michael Brecker on tenors; Ronni Cuber and Pepper Adams on baritone; Randy Brecker and Jack Walrath on trumpets; Lee Konitz on alto, Larry Coryell on guitar, Slide Hampton on trombone, and Eddie Gomez on bass. Side one features the 30 minute track "Three Worlds Of Drums", and side two contains a remake of "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting", plus "Devil Woman" and "Carolyn Keki Mingus". Something Like A Bird is one of the last albums Charles Mingus ever gave us – before departing this planet way way too soon! The set shows the increasing sophistication of Mingus' music in these later years – a mode that almost echoes the path that Duke Ellington would take in his final decade – a move towards some larger-form material that still holds onto all the raw energy of the early days, but finds a way to not only bridge larger musical ideas – but musical generations as well! As part of this, the set's got a wonderful lineup – with Lee Konitz on alto, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, George Coleman on tenor, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – and titles include the long title track, "Something Like A Bird", split up over 2 sides of the LP, plus "Farewell Farwell". CD

A much better record than you'd expect – one of Duke's funkiest sessions, and a hard swinging big band set with a great late 60s feel! The group is all-class all the way – with players that include Pearson, Bob Cranshaw, Mickey Roker, Marvin Stamm, Julian Priester, Frank Foster, and Jerry Dodgion – and the tracks are short, but with an expansive groove that takes this one way past regular big band jazz, and into the mode of some of the hipper European groups at the time. Includes the classic track "Groundhog", which has a nice funky break on it – plus the cuts "New Girl", "Bedouin", "New Time Shuffle", and "Mississippi Dip". Plus, this CD also features 6 bonus tracks lifted from the album Now Hear This – an equally great album in a similar mode, with titles that include "Make It Good", "Minor League", "Disapporachment", "Tones For Joan's Bones", and "The Days Of Wine & Roses". CD

Bubblegum glam badassery from Suzi Quatro – her namesake and possibly best album – leading off with the killer "48 Crash" and barely letting up from there! Punchy, arse kicking and catchy rock & roll from a real 70s pioneer! It's a ridiculous shame that on our shores, Suzi is better remembered for Happy Days than this damned record! Other tracks include "Glycerine Queen", "Shine My Machine", "I Wanna Be Your Superman", "All Shook Up", "Skin Tight Skin", "Get Back Mama", "Shakin All Over" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent double-length live set from Gil Scott Heron – recorded right in the middle of his classic years on Arista Records, and with an extended groove that shows just how great he could be in a concert setting! Many of these tracks are quite long, with both instrumental solos and a more freewheeling vibe from Gil – who seems to put even more power into the sorts of messages that always make his music so wonderful. The group features flute from Vernon James and tenor from Ron Holloway – and Gil himself plays plenty of great keyboards, including Fender Rhodes – which brings a very fluid vibe to his vocal presentation. Tracks include "We Almost Lost Detroit", "B Movie", "Better Days Ahead", "Washington DC", "Shut Em Down", "Winter In America", "Angola Louisiana", "Johannesburg", and a great 15 minute take on "The Bottle". CD

A great little collection of work by the Temptations – stretching back to their early days at Motown, and sticking with the group through the 70s, and into the early 90s. The package is quite nicely done – better than the average Motown "best of" – and titles include "It's Growing", "Psychedelic Shack", "Superstar", "Just My Imagination", "Hey Girl", "Let Your Hair Down", "Shakey Ground", "Power", "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", "Cloud Nine", "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me", "Runaway Child Running Wild", "I Can't Get Next To You", "Ball Of Confusion", "Don't Look Back", and "Dream Come True". Steppers take note: the CD also features the 12" surgery mix of "The Joneses". 27 tracks, with rare photos, and new notes by Otis Williams! CD

One of the best later albums by French tenor genius Barney Wilen – a true gem that's far better than the title might indicate! The tunes, as you might guess, are all themes from French films – stretching back to the late 50s jazz/new wave days, when Wilen recorded on a few brilliant soundtracks with Miles Davis and Art Blakey – and moving forward into later years to include a few great tunes from the 60s French scene. The group on the set is Mal Waldron's excellent trio with Stafford James on bass and Eddie Moore on drums – the three of them rounding out the tunes with a strong degree of soul, and lots of open notes and space, which lets Wilen do some incredible work on both tenor and soprano saxes. Tunes are all quite long, and really depart from the original structures – and titles include "Un Homme Et Une Femme", "Les Parapluies De Cherbourg", "Manha De Carnaval", "No Problem", and "Julien Dans L'Ascenseur". CD

An incredibly well-crafted set of soulful hardbop – the kind of record that the Posi-Tone label seems to do better than just about anyone else these days – and which is so tight, so together, the whole thing almost seems effortless! Yet there's clearly a lot of effort going in here – original songs by some members of the group, and a crack cohesion of all the players, right from the start – an ace lineup that features Alexa Tarantino on saxes and flute, Caili O'Doherty on piano, Tony Davis on guitar, Adi Meyerson on bass, and Joe Strasser on drums! The album bursts out of the gate, filled with color and life – and there's an especially magical combination of the piano, bass, and guitar as they trade tones and colors together in the rhythms. Titles include "Reach Within", "Le Var", "Lake Sebago", "Mr M", "Salt & Vinegar", "Your Smile Keeps Me Sane", and "El Gran Birane". CD

Incredible music from the key cultural year of 1966 – all hand-selected by the mighty Jon Savage! From punk to soul to plenty of places in between, when Savage has something to say we're always more than willing to listen – and this time around he really opens up our ears with a double-length collection of 48 tracks all recorded during a single year, each of which represents a key cultural shift at the time! The package isn't hits from the charts, or underground psych – and instead brings together smoking instrumentals, rare soul, proto-punk, trippy folk, and lots more – some familiar tracks, a few classics, and lots more obscure gems – all nestled together at a level that may well rewrite your understanding of the 60s. Forget the summer of love, because 1966 is the year when lots more happened – as Savage outlines in his massive track selection and great notes for the package. Titles include "Love At Psychedelic Velocity" by The Human Expression, "The Spy" by The Guys From Uncle, "Night Time" by The Strangeloves, "Nothing Comes Easy" by Sandie Shaw, "Greetings" by The Monitors, "I'll Be Your Mirror" by The Velvet Underground, "One Of These Days" by The Rooster, "You Better Believe It Baby" by Joe Tex, "7 & 7 Is" by Love, "Do You Come Here Often" by The Tornados, "Love's Gone Bad" by Chris Clark, "In The Past" by We The People, "One Hour Cleaners" by The Blue Things, "Foolish Woman" by Oxford Circle, "Hang On To A Dream" by Tim Hardin, "Batman" by Link Wray, "You Keep Me Hangin On" by The Supremes, "I'm A Boy" by The Who, "Come On Back" by Paul & Ritchie, and lots lots more! CD

Like finding a time machine – one that takes you back to the glory days of the New York club scene at the end of the 70s! Much has been written about Larry Levan – the genius DJ behind the Paradise Garage, and a leading force in club music who pulled the genre from the ashes of disco cliches and cold pre-programmed throwaway tracks. Levan not only had an ear for picking the most soulful tunes of the underground, buy he also had an extremely good talent for putting tracks together – a talent that got him plenty of work as a remixer in the early 80s, but which is also heard here exactly as you'd have heard it at the Paradise Garage back in 1979! The set is a magical document – a live mix performed by Levan at the Paradise, recorded with excellent sound, and spread over 2 CDs! Levan comes up with killer groovers we've never heard, and other monsters that we'd forgotten about, and which sound even better in this stunning mix of music. Titles include "It's Magic" by Damon Harris, "Put Your Body In It" by Stephanie Mills, "By The Way You Dance" by Bunny Sigler, "Right In The Socket" by Shalamar, "Here We Go Again" by Peoples Choice, "Bad Mouthin" by Motown Sounds, "Let Yourself Go" by The Supremes, "Angel In My Pocket" by Change, "Smack Dab In The Middle" by Janice McClain, "Sun Sun Sun" by Jacki, and "Erucu" by Jermain Jackson". 20 tracks in all – and all expertly mixed! CD

Soul and gospel, gospel and soul – a beautiful marriage in music that's summed up perfectly in this sweet little set! It's no secret that gospel music had plenty of influence on soul back in the early days – but as the genre went on, soul ended up throwing a mighty sound back at gospel too – so that by the late 60s, both musics were pretty well tied together in styles, themes, and spirit! This collection digs even deeper than the already-great first volume from Soul Jazz – and brings together a wide range of work that illustrates the powerful effect that soul had on gospel back in the late 60s and 1970s – righteous lessons learned from the secular side of the spectrum, folded back to make the spiritual even hipper than before! As always with Soul Jazz, plenty of care went into the set – and the music is provided with an extremely thoughtful track list that goes way past the obvious – as well as a good set of notes to back up the choices. Plus, the tunes here are often quite funky – almost making the package a "gospel funk" collection! 20 tracks in all – including "We Should All Thank The Lord" by The Lovers Of God, "I'll Keep A Light In My Window" by NYCC, "Why Am I Treated So Bad" by Sweet Inspirations, "Let Him Come In" by Howard Lemon Singers, "Keep Trying" by Mildred Clark, "Dead End Street" by Clara Ward, "Since I've Been Born Again" by Martha Bass, "You'd Better Get A Move On" by Louise McCord, "Do Your Thing" by Marion Gaines Singers, "Praise His Name" by The Stovall Singers, "Let Them Talk" by Meditation Singers, "When Will It End" by The Sensational Cymbals, and "After The Rain" by Pastor TL Barrett. CD

One of Roy Ayers' greatest albums of the 70s – a set that tightens up the groove from previous Polydor productions, yet still keeps all the soul intact! The record picks up the style begun with the Mystic Voyage album, and pushes it to some slightly tighter territory – a more focused Roy Ayers sound that's totally great, and which makes the album sparkle wonderfully throughout! All aspects of Roy's talents are perfectly balanced here – his warm vocals and jazzy vibes, his uptempo grooves and mellower rhythms – played to perfection by a hip lineup of players that includes Philip Woo on electric piano, Justo Almario on tenor sax, and Steve Cobb on drums. Edwin Birdsong guests a bit on the record – bringing in a nice edge to a few tunes – the album's got a really unique dark undercurrent, even in smoother moments – that subtle Roy Ayers' approach that's always made him one of our all-time favorite artists. Titles include the wonderful jazz-tinged "Searching", a great midtempo stepper that we really love; the funky break track "The Memory", a righteous number that feels like work from earlier records; the clubby classic "One Sweet Love to Remember"; and the sweet instrumental "Vibrations", which has a mellow kickback feel! Other tunes include "Higher", "Domelo (Give It To Me)", "Baby I Need Your Love", and "Better Days". LP, Vinyl record album

Badfinger comes into their own on No Dice – with a few buzzing rockers this time out, a pretty huge step from the more easygoing pop of Magic Christian Music (sweet as that stuff is) – with harder hitting groovers that kind of predict some of more tuneful power pop to follow in Badfinger's wake, but showcasing some pretty intense emotion, too, on the classic "Without You" and other tracks. Titles include "I Can't Take It", "I Don't Mind", "Blodwyn", "Better Days", "It Had To Be Me", "Believe Me", "We're For The Dark", "No Matter What" and more. This Capitol pressing includes 5 bonus tracks "Get Down", "Friends Are Hard To Find", "Mean Mean Jemima", "Loving You", "I'll Be The One" – plus 5 bonus tracks! CD

A very groovy soundtrack to this cool British film – starring a young Jack Wild in his pre-HR Puffenstuff days! The film's kind of a mod kids film – with a number of bright and peppy tunes mixed with others that are either more serious or more jazzy – a blend of rock and more familiar soundtrack instrumentation that really keeps things interesting! The Bee Gees contribute a number of great tracks – like "Melody Fair", "In The Morning", "First Of May", and "To Love Somebody". Even better, though, are the instrumental bits by the Richard Hewson Orchestra – which include "Teacher's Chase", a killer groover with some sweet electric harpsichord and strings, plus the cuts "Working On It Night & Day", "Spicks & Spacks", and "Melody Fair". Peter Knight put the whole thing together, too! LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album of 70s soul – and perhaps the most enduring full LP by this enigmatic harmony group! The vocals of General Johnson alone are more than enough to win us over – some of the most distinct lead soul singing we've ever heard, pitched perfectly with the backings of the rest of the group. But the overall package is even better – righteous arrangements that really show the new Holland-Dozier-Holland energy for the 70s – more of a punch than most of Motown a few years before, and open to some headier elements that only serve to do even more with the vocals! Titles include the group's huge hit "Give Me Just A Little More Time", a totally compelling number with a scattershot beat, and some wonderful lead vocals from the always-great General Johnson – plus, their cover of Clarence Carter's "Patches" – which was a big single for them – and the tracks "Bravo Hooray", "Since The Days Of Pigtails & Fairytales", "Come Together", "You've Got Me Dangling on a String" and "Tricked & Trapped". CD

The first post-Tommy Boy De La Soul album – and it's a winner! We've been on board with De La throughout their long career – anyone with open ears must know that even their spottiest records (and this is NOT one of those) feature at least a handful of treasure tracks. Grind Date is easily the best later De La Soul album, and brevity is as key to the album as the group's proven longevity. 12 tracks, 49 minutes, no skits. Two songs in you'll find the stellar "Verbal Clap", one of J Dilla's finest productions ever, with precise on beat rhymes by De La. Other highlights include "He Comes" with Ghostface, a soulful track that would sound just as great on Ghost's Supreme Clientele. Is Grind Date the new sound for the mid 00s? Will it blaze trails and be co-opted by the next hot producers? Are the lyrics as solid as they could be? Probably not in each scenario, but that's not the point – these guys are consummate musicians, molding their rhyme schemes to the tracks with focus and precision. Most critics will say this is De La's best album since Stakes Is High. We'll say it's better! Featuring production by Dave West, J Dilla, Madlib and 9th Wonder – plus guest appearances by Yummy, Ghostface, Carl Thomas, MF Doom, Common and others. Other tracks include "The Future", "Much More" feat Yummy, "The Grind Date", "Shopping Bags", "Days Of Our Lives" with Common, "Come On Down", "Rock Co. Kane Flow" featuring MF Doom and more. CD

A pair of albums from the legendary Johnny Dyani – packaged here in one great little set! Rejoice features searing live work from Johnny Dyani – a set that has the bassist opening up strongly in a trio with Mongezi Feza on trumpet and Okey Temiz on drums and percussion! Feza sounds even better here than usual – blowing these long, inventive solo lines that match the work of Ted Curson for 70s fire – really spurred on by Okey's creative changes, into a soulful space that may well be some of Mongezi's most spiritually expressive of the 70s! Dyani's bass is strong, and ever-present – never needing to dominate, but always felt as this rich pulse – and powerful melodic element at just the right moments. Titles include "Mad High", "Makaya Makaya", "Pukwana" and "Imbomgolo". CD also features an unreleased track from the same performance – the 20 minute "Mad High Revisited". Together is a record that really gets back to Johnny Dyani's roots in South African jazz! Although Dyani and his expatriates in the Blue Notes helped give London a new sound of avant jazz expression in the 70s, the music here returns to the warmer melodic style of their early 60s days – with loping rhythms that draw on regional tradition, and soulful interplay between the alto of Dudu Pukwana, tenor of Peter Shimmy Radise, and keyboards from Dyani – who shifts his instrument for this special recording! The group also features use of guitar, congas, whistles, and a South American harp – used in rhythmic ways that pulsate warmly – on titles that include "Kalahari", "Tula Tula", "High Priest", "Johnny's Kwela", and "Together". CD

Was there ever such a great run of records as the legacy of Earth Wind & Fire at Columbia in the 70s and 80s? It's hard to imagine a better one – as the strength of this collection will attest! Earth Wind & Fire didn't start their career at Columbia, but they really took off at the label right away – finding new heights of pride, power, and righteous energy – and a way of combining all their best soul, funk, and jazz roots into something completely new – reaching a much wider audience with their message, yet still staying true to themselves as well – an amazing balance that never wavers throughout the set. The package is filled with classic albums – including Last Days & Time, Head To The Sky, Open Our Eyes, That's The Way Of The World, Gratitude, Spirit, All N All, I Am, Faces, Raise, Powerlight, Electric Universe, Touch The World, and Heritage – and also features the Best Of CD, with single mixes of bigger hits, and the bonus Constellations album too – with rare tracks, live tracks, and some Maurice White productions too. Every album comes in a tiny LP-styled sleeve – and the box has a booklet of notes as well! CD

We've loved the music of Lee Fields for many many years – but these days, he seems to be sounding even better than ever – taking all of his decades of experience in soul music, and blending his deep soul roots with an even more mature, open sort of style! And even though Lee's early work was great, we never would have imagined the greatness he can hit with a record like this – a set that draws on so many currents of classic soul, but finds a way to make a statement that's totally personal, totally original, and totally out of sight all the way through! Fields has a fantastic raspy vocal style, but he never just lets that stand as his calling card – because he's really bringing new inflections, new inspirations to the music – all while working with superb backing from Leon Michels and The Expressions. If you can imagine Hi Records mixed with James Brown mixed with New Jersey soul mixed with Daptone mixed with The Impressions – then you've only got part of the multi-faceted genius of this set. Titles include "Two Faces", "You're What's Needed In My Life", "Love Prisoner", "Will I Get Off Easy", "It Rains Love", "Love Is The Answer", "A Promise Is A Promise", and "Blessed With The Best". CD features the bonus track "Don't Give Up". CD

We've loved the music of Lee Fields for many many years – but these days, he seems to be sounding even better than ever – taking all of his decades of experience in soul music, and blending his deep soul roots with an even more mature, open sort of style! And even though Lee's early work was great, we never would have imagined the greatness he can hit with a record like this – a set that draws on so many currents of classic soul, but finds a way to make a statement that's totally personal, totally original, and totally out of sight all the way through! Fields has a fantastic raspy vocal style, but he never just lets that stand as his calling card – because he's really bringing new inflections, new inspirations to the music – all while working with superb backing from Leon Michels and The Expressions. If you can imagine Hi Records mixed with James Brown mixed with New Jersey soul mixed with Daptone mixed with The Impressions – then you've only got part of the multi-faceted genius of this set. Titles include "Two Faces", "You're What's Needed In My Life", "Love Prisoner", "Will I Get Off Easy", "It Rains Love", "Love Is The Answer", "A Promise Is A Promise", and "Blessed With The Best". LP, Vinyl record album

New music from the legendary Headhunters – that crucial 70s funk combo who grew out of their role working with Herbie Hancock to become one of our favorite groups of that decade! Years later, they still sound pretty darn wonderful too – altered a bit in terms of the lineup, and slightly shifted in sound – but in the best way possible, so that they're not just rehashing the old days, and are instead exploring new territory – maybe even jazzier than on their famous albums for Arista from back in the day, and arguably even better here on the Ropeadope label than some of their other records in recent years. The drums of Mike Clark are rock-solid throughout, and augmented by the percussion of Bill Summers, who also plays a bit of keyboards – as does Stephen Gordon, who handles Fender Rhodes and piano – while Donald Harrison serves up all sorts of great alto solos throughout! Titles include "Kongo Square", "Actual Proof", "Stop Watch", "HH 75", "Vaspurakan", and "Over The Bar". CD

This trio of key contemporary AACM musicians from Chicago pay tribute to the organization's fifty years of shaping the sound of jazz – in a set that features their own unique interpretations of older compositions by older AACM members! The trio setting really seems inspirational all the way around – and the album's maybe some of the most striking work we've heard from all players in the last few years – a set that's able to swing straight one minute, but rejoice in freedom the next – all with that balance of structure and improvisation that we love in the music of Mike Reed! Reed's wonderfully dynamic on the drum kit – he seems to get better and better every year – and Nicole Mitchell is amazing on flute, and really takes the instrument past both conventional expressions, and even some of her own previous work. Tomeka Reid rounds the group out on cello, playing with much more of an edge here than usual – and titles include "Bernice/Days Fly By With Ruby", "BK", "The Clowns", "Have Mercy On Us", "Light On The Path", "Munkt Munk", and "Composition 23B". CD

A hilarious set of tracks pulled from the early days of the National Lampoon Radio Hour – featuring work by a number of talents who'd go on to rule comedy in the 70s and 80s: Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Christopher Guest, Bryan Doyle & Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and Gilda Radner. The tracks are all pretty darn hilarious – with the kind of edge, biting satire, and freewheeling farce that graced the early Saturday Night Live sketches – made all that much better because the tunes were recorded for freeform FM stations at late night hours. Titles include "The Immigrants", "Save The Whales", "Deteriorata", "Kung Fu Christmas", and "I'm A Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest studio talents of Europe in the 70s! Janko Nilovic may not be a household name, but he was a seminal force in the Parisian studio scene during the 60s and 70s – cutting jazz, funk, pop, and Latin sides with a nutty genius that we'd be hard pressed to beat on this side of the Atlantic! He had a mad talent for mixing unmixable elements – in the kind of way we might ascribe to some of the better MPS groovy sides, or some of the weirder European funk albums, like the classic work of Duke Of Burlington. This long-overdue 2 volume set takes a rich look at Nilovic's talent - and provides some of his best obscure work in a very handsome package. Titles on this first volume include "Gipsy Funk", "Shacking Pop", "Electric Days", "Cross Rolls", "Blow Down", "Centre Atomique", and "Scratching Machine". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best albums that Lou Rawls cut with the team of HB Barnum and David Axelrod – that incredible duo who made some of his 60s Capitol albums so great! The style here is wonderful – upbeat grooves from Barnum – who brings more soul into Lou's music than before – recorded by Axelrod with the right sort of sharpness and punch – that special quality he brought to Cannonball Adderley's 60s soul classics too! Rawls is really at home in the setting – stepping out in some points with these hip monologue passages that are as great as his singing – maybe even better, too – as they show a whole new side of Lou's personality – that badass, totally hip quality that people might never have expected from the early days. One of the best of these is the excellent "Old Man's Memories", about a guy sitting on a bench in Washington Park on the south side of Chicago, which then rolls into an amazing version of "It Was A Very Good Year". Other tunes have a great mix of soul and jazz – and titles include "Love Is A Hurtin Thing", "A Whole Lotta Woman", "Don't Explain", "Old Folks", and "Breaking My Back (Instead Of Using My Mind)". CD

Three great albums in one package! Steam is a later set from Archie Shepp and a real lost gem – quite different from his earlier works, especially the better known late 60s sessions – and a surprisingly nice album that runs through some truly excellent longer takes – filled with warmth and tenderness you wouldn't expect! Steam was recorded in early 1976, in a stripped down setting, with Cameron Brown on bass and Beaver Harris on drums. The group wonderfully rolls through Ellington's "Solitude", Shepp's "Steam", and the epic "A Message From Trane", a tremendous number written by the great Cal Massey – and Shepp plays both tenor and piano on the record. CD reissue includes bonus tracks not on the original album – "Ah Leu Cha" and "52nd Street Theme". Lover Man is an overlooked treasure from his years as a straight jazz musician – a time we come to appreciate more and more as the years go by! The Shepp heard here is one who's still got all the raw tone and bite of the old days, but also finds a way to swing things on a set of familiar standards – so that he's cutting these great raspy lines out of tunes you might already know – but which are taking on a whole new life in the process. The small combo also features Dave Burrell on piano – another player who could go out, but instead here hangs inside, yet uses all the knowledge of his reach to keep things interesting. A few of the tracks feature vocals from Anne Lowman – with Shepp alongside on tenor – and the rest of the group features Herman Wright on bass and Steve McCraven on drums. Titles include "Brand New World/Breaking A New Day", "My Funny Valentine", "Stars Are In Your Eyes", "Lush Life", and "Yesterdays". Something To Live For is a set of standards from Archie Shepp – but one that's done in a much less traditional way than you might expect – that new standard of returning to roots, but doing them differently that Shepp first began in the 70 – and which really colored the rest of his recording career in a really strong way! Shepp plays tenor, but also vocalizes on many tracks – almost more talking than singing at times, with a raspy, almost bluesy style – but not blues at all – an element that's warmed up by the sparkling trumpet and flugelhorn of Eddie Henderson, whose role in the lead is equally as important as Archie! The rest of the group features John Hicks on piano, George Mraz on bass, and Idris Muhammad on drums – all players who make great contributions in more subtle ways – on tunes that include "You're Blase", "California Blues", "My Foolish Heart", "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing", and "Something To Live For". CD

The cover feature is a deep dive into the last days of Roy Wood's and Jeff Lynne's The Move and their, well, move to Electric Light Orchestra – who, needless to say, would become of the one of the biggest and most tuneful pop rock behemoths of its time – and where better to find this fascinating musical history than in the pages of the always great Shindig! This issue also has pieces on the Incredible String Band, 80s mod, Matt Berry, Brinsley Schwarz, Chris Stamey, Rodriguez and more – plus the always excellent regular columns, features, rare photos and nice range of reviews! Magazine

Wonderful material from Nina Simone – working here still with one foot in the jazzier style of early days, but with haunting elements of the later progressive style to come! The "pastel" in the title shouldn't imply any sort of softness on Nina's part, because if anything, she's really sharpening up her game a lot here – packing a punch that wasn't allowed so strongly on some of her earlier recordings. The album features an incredible 10 minute version of "Sinnerman", arranged by Nina with complicated jazzy riffing and a nice breakdown in the middle that's completely sublime – and other tracks include "Be My Husband", "End Of The Line", "Chilly Winds Don't Blow", "Strange Fruit", and "Ain't No Use". LP, Vinyl record album

2 Capitol albums by Kay Starr – back to back on 1 CD! Jazz Singer features Kay in a straighter jazz mode – working with arrangements by Van Alexander on standards and 50s tunes that include "All By Myself", "I Never Knew", "My Man", "Breezin Along With The Breeze", "Sunday", "Hummin To Myself", and "Happy Days & Lonely Nights". The Fabulous Favorites features some of Kay's earlier hits for Capitol, re-recorded with better sound, but very similar arrangements – so much so that you probably won't notice the difference from the earlier versions. Titles include "So Tired", "Side By Side", "Allez Vous En", "Foolin Around", and "Wheel Of Fortune". 24 cuts in all! CD

A soaringly joyous album from British trumpeter Kenny Wheeler – one that has him leading a larger group in a style that resonates with similar projects of the time from artists like Mike Westbrook or Michael Gibbs! Wheeler delivers some magnificent trumpet and flugelhorn solos – very much at the more straightforward, soulful side of his range – and the ensemble is overflowing with work from top-shelf contemporaries – including Mike Taylor on some key electric piano lines, next to Mike Osborne on alto, Tony Roberts on tenor, Ian Hamer on trumpet, Bobby Lamb and Keith Chrsitie on trombones, Alan Branscombe on acoustic piano, Ron Mathewson on bass, and Tony Oxley on drums and percussion. The feel of the record is great – very much like better-known sessions where some of the top-shelf UK talents come together in a unified voice – and the set also features guest tenor from Evan Parker, trombone from Chris Pyne, and vocals from Norma Winstone. Winstone sings on "Song For Someone" – and other instrumental tracks include "Mikei", "Some Days Are Better", and "CP EP". CD

A set that really lives up to its title – as all these rare tracks really have a special sort of feeling – a warm spirit and positive energy that's way different than you might expect from the title! In fact, it's probably not even fair to call this work disco at all – as most of the tracks are simply upbeat and grooving – working in modes that move from faster ensemble funk to some of the better underground club styles of the late 70s – all pulled from rare 7" singles, too – a format that seems to compact and energize the music in ways that are very different than the sprawling sounds of a 12" single! All the cuts here are brand-new to our ears, but won't be soon – as we'll be playing this collection again and again over the years – thanks to a set list that includes "She Really Needs Love" by Mahana, "You Can Win" by Bileo, "These Are The Good Times" by Popsicles, "I'm Loving You" by Cloudburst, "Life Is A Miracle" by Jax Transit Authority, "We Are Here To Party (7" mix)" by Gratitude, "Love Episode" by Strivers Show Band, "Paradise's Love" by Bordeux, and "Days Gone Past" by Darrell Johnson. LP, Vinyl record album

Really cool cuts from that magical moment when monster movies, rock and roll, and the 45rpm single all collided together – creating a short-lived but fantastically rich underground of really weird and wonderful records! The music here is a great mix of instrumentals, vocal numbers, and plenty of tracks that use odd effects to create all these sonic touches that make the records even better than just the sum of their parts – like mini-movies or musical cartoons, all with elements that hearken back to the glory days of horror movies! Titles include "Lock Your Door" by Ken Meyer, "Night Walk" by Dick D'Agostin, "The Prowler" by The Idols, "Shock Hop" by Johnny Cale, "Vampire" by The Cyrstals, "The Nightmare" by The Nightmares, "Zombie Walks" by Rebel Rousers, "Rigor Mortis" by Gravestone Four, "Night Sweats" by The Sadists, "The Chiller" by Googie Rene, "Egor's Chant" by Ziggy Gee & His Combo, "The Morgus Creep" by Morgus With The Daringers, and "Haunted Sax" by The Nite Caps. LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible music from the key cultural year of 1966 – all hand-selected by the mighty Jon Savage! From punk to soul to plenty of places in between, when Savage has something to say we're always more than willing to listen – and this time around he really opens up our ears with a double-length collection of 48 tracks all recorded during a single year, each of which represents a key cultural shift at the time! The package isn't hits from the charts, or underground psych – and instead brings together smoking instrumentals, rare soul, proto-punk, trippy folk, and lots more – some familiar tracks, a few classics, and lots more obscure gems – all nestled together at a level that may well rewrite your understanding of the 60s. Forget the summer of love, because 1966 is the year when lots more happened – as Savage outlines in his massive track selection and great notes for the package. Titles include "Love At Psychedelic Velocity" by The Human Expression, "The Spy" by The Guys From Uncle, "Night Time" by The Strangeloves, "Nothing Comes Easy" by Sandie Shaw, "Greetings" by The Monitors, "I'll Be Your Mirror" by The Velvet Underground, "One Of These Days" by The Rooster, "You Better Believe It Baby" by Joe Tex, "7 & 7 Is" by Love, "Do You Come Here Often" by The Tornados, "Love's Gone Bad" by Chris Clark, "In The Past" by We The People, "One Hour Cleaners" by The Blue Things, "Foolish Woman" by Oxford Circle, "Hang On To A Dream" by Tim Hardin, "Batman" by Link Wray, "You Keep Me Hangin On" by The Supremes, "I'm A Boy" by The Who, "Come On Back" by Paul & Ritchie, and lots lots more! CD

Oh for the glory days of the 7" single – that magical late 50s/early 60s time when it seemed like there was an endless supply of weird and wonderful records all the time – and at prices that allowed them to circulate easily, even if they weren't big hits! (And why are 7" singles so expensive these days?) The package is a fantastic testament to that wonderful musical moment – when you might stumble across a backroom jukebox, stuffed with overlooked gems – just waiting for you to discover them, and get them blasting out of the bassy speaker with the drop of your dime. Few folks know this generation better than Lux and Ivy of The Cramps – a pair who were record collectors before they even made a single of their own – and the set features a stunning 50 rare nuggets – with titles that include "The Mash" by Bud Spudd & The Sprouts, "No Time" by The Titans, "Purr Kitty Purr" by Sid King & The Five Strings, "Time Machine" by The Gamblers, "Little Bitty Girl" by The Memories, "The Little Martian" by Jan Amber, "The Last Meal" by Hurricane Harry, "Hello Schoolteacher" by The 4 After 5s, "Peach Fuzz" by Bob Taylor, "Zindy Lou" by The Mariners, "My Memories Of You" by Yolanda & The Natural, "Wolf Call" by Mark Anthony, "Nameless" by Bob Strauss, "Heartbeat" by The Threeteens, "I Dreamed I Was Elvis" by Sonny Cole & The Rhythm Roamers, "Mental Cruelty" by Larry & Dixie Davis, and "Bodacious" by The US Rockets. CD

A mindblower – and the kind of record we only come across once in a blue moon! Tony Aiken & Future 2000 were an obscure mid 70s group from New York – all players skilled in the burgeoning club scene of the time, but who also had their roots in Caribbean music – coming together for this unique record in a festive blend of early disco and funky styles! The record's got a great home-grown feel – a warm ensemble effort that's got equal parts soul and groove – and which bubbles over with personal touches that really make the tracks stand out from the pack. Includes the side-long jammer "Unity Sing It Shout It", plus the funky disco classic "Better Days", and the soulful cuts "She Loves Me", "Good Things", and "Time Tunnel". CD also features lots of bonus tracks too – "Jah Music", "Jah Music (dub)", "Doing Fine", "Doing Fine (dub)", "Skanking On The A Train", and "Holy Father". CD

Excellent organ groovers from the great Jimmy McGriff! The set pulls together some fantastic tracks from Jimmy's years at Veep, Sue, Solid State, and Capitol – including many great short funky cuts that haven't really shown up on other reissues before. The fidelity of the set is way way better than other reissues – and the CD is filled with hard wailing Hammond groovers that will blow your mind! Jimmy's touch on the keys was amazing back in these days – filled with loads of straight jazz fire, but also touched with a keen sense of humor that has him throwing in these amazing curve balls on the keys, riffing away in surprising twists and turns that always keep the cuts interesting! Titles include "Criss Cross", "Step One", "Blue Juice", "Black Pearl", "The Worm", "Ain't It Funky Now", "Fat Cakes", "Where It's At", "Cash Box", "Kiko", "The Last Minute", and "Discotheque". CD

A set of incredible records from Charles Mingus – all presented together in one mighty nice package! First up is Mingus Moves – a fantastic fresh new chapter in the career of Charles Mingus – a set that features the addition of two key players who would really shape his sound in the 70s – Don Pullen on piano and George Adams on tenor, both completely wonderful here! The group also features excellent trumpet from Roland Hampton, a player we don't know from many other settings – and the set also features some really nice vocal work from Honi Gordon and Doug Hammond. Titles include "Canon", "Moves", "Wee", "Flowers For A Lady", "Opus 3", and "Newcomer". CD also features bonus tracks – "Big Alice" and "The Call". Changes is key 70s work from Charles Mingus – an album that was recorded over the course of three days of creative activity at the end of 1974, but somehow split into two different albums under the Changes name! The lineup here is prime 70s Mingus – George Adams on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Don Pullen on piano – young players who really give a fresh voice to Mingus' musical ideas, and help him find this beautiful late life sense of color, tone, and timing that's completely sublime! Titles on this second volume include "Sue's Changes", "Devil Blues", "Remember Rockefeller At Attica", "Free Cell Block F Tis Nazi USA", "Black Bats & Poles", "For Harry Carney", and "Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love" – which features a guest appearance by Marcus Belgrave on trumpet and Jackie Paris on vocals. On 3 Or 4 Shades Of Blues, Charles Mingus is returning to the soulful gospel-influenced mode he swung big in the early 60s! The record's something of a later predecessor of the classics Blues & Roots for Atlantic and Mingus (x5) for Impulse – and the style is slightly less dramatic, but still quite steeped in soulful explorations that feature plenty of notes from the bluer side of the spectrum! Players include George Coleman and Ricky Ford on tenor, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Larry Coryell on guitar – and titles include new takes on "Better Git Hit In Your Soul" and "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" – plus"Nobody Knows", "Noddin Ya Head Blues", and "Three Or Four Shades Of Blues". Next is Cumbia & Jazz Fusion – one of the most enigmatic albums that Charles Mingus ever recorded – especially in his later years! The set features two very long tracks done by Mingus for use in a film about cocaine traffic between New York and Columbia – but considering the nature of the music, and the freely exploratory style, both numbers here stand very well on their own! Although touched with some of the Latin influences you might expect from the title, the sounds are often darker and more brooding than, say, the Mingus style on the classic Tijuana Moods set. And instead, there's a very serious soundtrack-like vibe going on through most of the set – larger jazz orchestrations used to beautifully underscore subtle themes, and breakout solo moments from players who include Mauricio Smith on flute, Paul Jeffrey on tenor sax, Jack Walrath on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone. The album also features a fair bit of added percussion – and features two long tracks, "Cumbia & Jazz Fusion" and "Music For Todo Modo". Me Myself An Eye is complicated later work from Charles Mingus – a great illustration of the way his power to command a large ensemble never wavered as the years went on! The album features two different large groups of players – filled with modernists young and old – including Ricky Ford, George Coleman, and Michael Brecker on tenors; Ronni Cuber and Pepper Adams on baritone; Randy Brecker and Jack Walrath on trumpets; Lee Konitz on alto, Larry Coryell on guitar, Slide Hampton on trombone, and Eddie Gomez on bass. Side one features the 30 minute track "Three Worlds Of Drums", and side two contains a remake of "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting", plus "Devil Woman" and "Carolyn Keki Mingus". Something Like A Bird is one of the last albums Charles Mingus ever gave us – before departing this planet way way too soon! The set shows the increasing sophistication of Mingus' music in these later years – a mode that almost echoes the path that Duke Ellington would take in his final decade – a move towards some larger-form material that still holds onto all the raw energy of the early days, but finds a way to not only bridge larger musical ideas – but musical generations as well! As part of this, the set's got a wonderful lineup – with Lee Konitz on alto, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, George Coleman on tenor, Eddie Gomez on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – and titles include the long title track, "Something Like A Bird", split up over 2 sides of the LP, plus "Farewell Farwell". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the great "songbook" albums by the Rubber Band – and a very different set than their better-known Hendrix record! As you'd guess by the title, this session has the group taking on Cream – performing instrumental versions of some of the group's most groove-heavy tunes, but doing so in a way that avoids the risk of falling short of Eric Clapton's guitar work – by just not using much guitar at all! Instead, the versions of the tunes are funkily baroque – still with heavy Ginger Baker-styled drums on the bottom, but often using strings and woodwinds in weird ways to carry the rest of the tune. The approach is almost like some of the best Brit Easy records from the time – with a full orchestral sound thinned into a tight rock funk groove! The set's got an especially great version of "Strange Brew", with organ that sounds like it could be played by Alan Hawkshaw – plus the tracks "White Room", "Deserted Cities Of The Heart", "Toad", "We're Going Wrong", "Those Were The Days", "Sunshine Of Your Love", and "Sweet Wine". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool bit of blue-eyed soul from Chuck Senrick – recorded in the hinterlands of Michigan in the late 70s, but with a timeless vibe that's made the set ripe for rediscovery all these many years later! Chuck uses acoustic guitar, electric piano, and some spare drum machine lines – which puts part of the sonic quality of the record in the territory of Timmy Thomas or Shuggie Otis, save for the fact that Senrick's got these jazzy inflections in his vocals, but with particular phrasing – almost Kenny Rankin meets Cat Stevens, although such a tag might be too specific to highlight Chuck's particular charms! Whatever the case, the album's a gem – way better than its obscure status might make you think – with titles that include "Celebration Lover", "Kids", "The Duke Is Gone", "Drop A Dime", "Wedding Trilogy", "Downtown", "Gray Days", and "Dreamin". LP, Vinyl record album

Key proof that the German MPS label could take an American player, and make them even better! By the time of the 60s, the small combo accordion grooving style of Art Van Damme had waned considerably – sounding a bit dated compared to the changes in American music at the time. However, it took the genius ears at Saba/MPS to bring Art over to Germany – and let him work in a setting that updated his style nicely – with changes in rhythms, different production, and instrumentation that included vibes, flute, guitar, and even some added sax! The 2 albums on the set are two of Art's best for the label – and they go miles beyond his American work of earlier years, taking the accordion into some incredibly sweet grooving territory that sparkles with the best Snowflakes sound! Titles include "Sunny", "Easy To Love", "My Little Boat", "Watch What Happens", "The Way You Look Tonight", and "Yellow Days". LP, Vinyl record album

Searing grooves from 70s Ghana – a set of tracks from the glory days of the Essiebons record label, mixed with a number of killers that weren't issued at the time! The music burns with a fire right from the start – and the package includes a fair number of really funky nuggets that not only stand side by side next to American 70s soul, but which also show the world that with cuts like these, the best of Ghana could easily rival their better-known contemporaries on the Lagos scene! The collection is wonderful – the Analog Africa label at its best, brimming over with gems that include "Dee Mmaa Pe" by Joe Meah, "Africa" by Seaboy, "Yeaba" by CK Mann & His Carousel 7, "Shakabula" by Santrofi Ansa", "Say The Truth" by Ernest Honny, "Wonnim A Bisa" by Black Masters Band, "Egye Tu Gbe" by Sawaaba Band, and "Medley" by Nyame Bekyere. LP, Vinyl record album