12 tracks in all: Quannum MCs & Jurassic 5 "Concentration", Latyrx "Storm Warning" and "Lookin' Over A City" with El-P, Divine Styler & DJ Shadow "Divine Intervention", Maroons "Golden Rule", Quannum MCs & Souls Of Mischief "The Extravaganza", Lyrics Born "Hott People", Blackalicious "One Of A Kind" and "Jada's Revenge", Joyo Velarde "People Like Me", Lyrics Born & the Poets Of Rhythm "I Changed My Mind", and Quannum MCs "Bombonyall". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic first chapter from this legendary funk group – material recorded during their early years on the Phoenix scene, at a time when Dyke & The Blazers must have been the hottest act going down in Arizona! The group here begin with their Funky Broadway roots – taking on that track in their classic version, turning out some great original material of their own, and also jamming nice and long on some tracks here that really show that the group had a lot more energy than just the usual funky 45 combo – maybe more of the intensity of the James Brown Band! Dyke is great in the lead, but the overall sound is wonderful – and titles include "Funky Broadway (parts 1 & 2)", "Triple Funk", "Extra Funk", "Uhh (full length)", "City Dump", "She Knows It", "Tramp (parts 1 & 2)", "Funky Broadway Time (parts 1 & 2)", and previously unissued tracks "Why Am I Treated So Funky Bad (orig mix)", "Extra Funk (alt)", "So Sharp (alt)", "Call My Name", and "Broadway Combination (alt)". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent swinging Bethlehem session from the mid 50s – one that's recorded in LA, but with a sound that's way hotter than most of the label's other west coast sides! The group's extremely tight – and features Marty Paich on piano as the leader, next to great trombone from Herbie Harper and vibes from Larry Bunker! Bunker's vibes offer a nice contrast to the usual smooth west coast group from the time – as he hits the bars with a nice hard clang that wakes everyone up to groove – and Jack Costanzo is on bongos on all tracks, and he adds a great little kick that keeps things fresh, too. Mickey Lynne sings vocals on "That Old Black Magic", and all other tunes – like "Zing! Went The Strings", "Blues In The Closet", and "The Natives Are Restless Tonight" – are instrumental. LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing funk from one of the greatest combos on the New York scene of the early 70s – Pazant Brothers Eddie & Al, heard here on a host of their greatest recordings! The package goes way past any other Pazant reissues we've seen – and features not only work from the group's famous Vanguard album, but way way more work from a host of early singles for the RCA, GWP, and Vigor labels! The 22 track package is overstuffed with horn-heavy funky grooves that mark the Pazants as one of the hottest things going at the time – snapping on the beat with a tightness learned from their old boss Pucho, but also a willingness to explore brassier grooves in a style that seems to be influenced from the New Orleans and Texas scenes of the late 60s. Producer/arranger Edward Bland had a good hand in much of this work – giving the tracks a gritty, nitty, Perception/Today kind of groove – and a few of the very best numbers on the record even bring in some wicked scratchy guitar into the mix! Includes early and later (Vanguard) versions of "Skunk Juice", "New Orleans", "Toe Jam", "Work Song", and "A Gritty Nitty" – plus "Chick A Boom", "Greasy Greens", "Fever", "Juicy Lucy", "Chicken Scratch", "Fly Vines", and "Back To Beaufort". CD