We couldn't think of a better way to describe the sound of Slave than "stone jam"! The band's got a bass-heavy groove, mixed with a lot of soul, in a style that was often copied by many groups in the 80s, but never equalled. The real strength in the band was their songwriting – always fresh, and never too overindulgent in the funky elements. The vocals are tight and soulful, and the restriction of the funky bits makes for some nicely compressed grooves. Steve Arrington's on lead vocals – and tracks include "Watching You", "Never Get Away", "Stone Jam", "Feel My Love", and "Let's Spend Some Time". LP, Vinyl record album

Three 70s killers from Jimmy McGriff! Groove Grease is a nice bit of funky organ work from Jimmy McGriff – a set that's got his famous talents on the Hammond out front of a larger ensemble – but in a way that's very different than some of his albums of that type from the 70s! There's lots of electricity in the mix – electric piano from Horace Ott, bass from Richard Evans, and guitar from Wayne Bennett – mixed with sharp work on horns from Cliff Davis on tenor and flute, Murray Watson on trumpet, and Johnny Beard on baritone – three players who really flesh out the sound! The album's got some excellent stone funky classics – like "The Bird", "Groove Grease", and "Plain Brown Bag" – plus some surprisingly funky readings of standards like "Canadian Sunset" and "Mr Lucky", both made to sound super-nice, thanks to excellent work on bass and drums! Main Squeeze is one of the grooviest albums ever from Jimmy McGriff – a hard-wailing session that's filled with plenty of cooking lines on the organ, and a few especially funky tracks! The groove here is tight, short, and very sharp – strongly in the mode of other post-Sue sessions by McGriff – like The Worm or other Groove Merchant sides – with a style that's often much more focused than Jimmy's earlier years, and strongly turned towards the rhythms of the tunes! A few numbers are more familiar soul jazz, but these are nicely offset by the harder funk numbers of the record – like the romping, stomping break classic "The Main Squeeze", the totally groovy "The Worm Turns", and the fast-vamping "GMI". The group features Jimmy Ponder on guitar and Connie Lester on alto sax – and other titles include "The Sermon", "Stella By Starlight", and "The Blues Train To Georgia". Tailgunner has Jimmy McGriff in a very cool 70s mode – hitting some of the fuller, more soul-based styles that Johnny Hammond and Jimmy Smith were exploring in the middle of the decade – while still also displaying a hell of a talent on the organ as well! The album has extra keyboards from Pat Rebillot and Paul Griffin – which makes for a nice mix of organ and electric piano sounds, plus some occasional moog that's very nicely placed – all backed by a largeish group that has tight horns, and some occasional soul vocals from Al Downing and Denise Wooten. The vocals are often an augmentation of the tunes, and there's still plenty of room for solos by Jimmy in the middle – on titles that include "Tailgunner", "Flexible Flyer", "Sky Hawk", "Grandma's Toe Jam", and "Bullfrog". CD

A groovy little vocal group with a swinging 50s sound – working here with some great jazzy arrangements from trombonist Kai Winding! The style of the set prefaces Winding's pop/jazz sides for Verve in the mid 60s – but has a sound that's somewhat similar – with lead vocals by the male/female Axidentals group, and some trombone-based jazzy backings that showcase Winding's horn amidst a larger brass section. There's a great poppy punch to these tunes – and the Axidentals themselves can be credited for some extremely inventive vocal arrangements at times – in styles that go way beyond those of conventional groups of the period, in a mode that reminds us of some of the work by the Kirby Stone Four or the John LaSalle Quartet. Titles include "Walkin", "Out Of This World", "You Gotta Wail", "No Moon At All", "Day In Day Out", and "Close To You". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful early Verve recording by Basie – one that's packaged here in a great David Stone Martin cover, with a red and blue watercolor of Basie himself. Players include Frank Foster, Frank Wess, Ernie Wilkins, Marshall Royal, Joe Newman, Thad Jones, Bennie Powell, and Freddie Green – plus Basie, of course. Titles include "Two Franks", "Ska Di Didle Dee Bee Doo", "Rails", "Blues Backstage", and "Perdido" – and there's a very strong focus on the best soloists in the group! (Note: this material was also issued under the title The Band Of Distinction – but this is the first version.) LP, Vinyl record album

A rare chapter of James Brown's career – material recorded for producer Henry Stone in the early 90s – at a time when James himself was without a major record contract! Most of these tracks were recorded by Stone, but unissued for years – which is a bit of a surprise, as the overall quality is quite good – very much in the modern funk mode that Brown was forging back in the 80s! And sure, the work here isn't in the same mode as Brown's classics on King or Polydor, but the sound is still pretty great – with beats and instrumentation that are relatively modern, but an overall groove that's quite tight and right, and plenty of room for James' incredible vocals in the lead! Most tracks feature Brown as the lead singer, but there's also a few with vocals by Venisha Brown or Yamma Brown – and one track has James singing a duet with Bobby Byrd! Titles include "Becha Bottom Dollar", "Funk On Ahh Roll", "Respect Me", "God Is Good", "Peace In The World", "I Wanna Be Loved On The 1", "Motivation (rmx)", "Say It Again", and "I Got To Feel It". CD

Rare late 60s work from guitar genius Jerry Cole – and even more compelling than his famous records from earlier in the decade! This collection unearths a lost side of Jerry's career – tripped-out psych instrumentals from 1967 and 1968, recorded under a variety of different aliases – like The Generation Gap, Projection Company, Stone Canyon Rock Group, and T-Swift & The Electric Bag – all groups that didn't exist in real life, but were album-based studio projects by Cole! Jerry's brought a lot more fuzz to the sessions than on his surf and hot rod instrumental tracks – but the groove is mighty tight throughout, with almost a funky undercurrent to some of the best tracks – kind of an American equivalent to the UK freakbeat modes of the period, served up by Cole and a host of tight LA studio musicians. Great stuff throughout – all pulled from the Custom Records catalog – and titles include "Tune Out Of Place", "Fool's Luck", "Wild Times", "Hard Times", "What's Your Bag", "Our Man Hendrix", "Red Eyes", "I Love You I Do", "Expo In Sound", and "The Stinger". CD

A lost treasure from one of our favorite male jazz singers – the oft-overlooked Matt Dennis, known best as the composer of a few famous standards, but also a great vocalist in his own right – with a sad and torchy approach that's kind of unique! This album's got Matt singing and playing piano, with backing that icnludes guitar, trumpet, and a bit of flute – all in a moody mode that really fits the style of the album's selection of songs. Titles include "This Is My Story", "I'm Through With Love", "Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea", "Spring Is Here", "Heart Of Stone", and "For The Losers". LP, Vinyl record album

The birth of a sound and the birth of a legend – Martin Denny's first album in the Exotica series, and a record so great it named an entire genre! Denny certainly didn't invent the tropical style of easy listening that came to be known as "exotica" in the 50s – but with a record like this, he delivered the goods better than anyone else – by taking away all the too-sweet styles of Hawaiian music, and serving up a stripped-down, jazzy kind of sound! The album features Denny's classic original quartet – with Arthur Lyman on vibes and Augie Colon on bongos – and titles include "Stone God", "Jungle Flower", "Busy Port", "Lotus Land", and his hit recording of "Quiet Village". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone killer from the legendary 5 Royales – one of the greatest groups to ever record for King Records in the 50s, and a key force in helping move things forward from doo wop to soul! The balance between Lowman Pauling's lead and the harmonies is amazing – a big inspiration on the young James Brown & The Famous Flames – and many cuts have this hard guitar used in a very rhythmic way, which creates a groove that few other groups could touch! The tracks all have a great hard-edged sound, with little of the schmaltz that can sometimes date these albums a bit too much – just lots of raw group vocals that definitely pave the way for 60s soul, but also have a stronger 50s R&B current in the background! The material is very rootsy soul stuff – and titles include "One Mistake", "Mine Forevermore", "Wonder Where Your Love Has Gone", "I Know It's Hard But It's Fair", and "Get Something Out Of It". CD

A stone classic from Ron Henderson and his excellent Choice Of Colors group – maybe one of the hippest soul acts in North Carolina during the 70s – and one who are certainly different than the groups of that scene who were trying more for a groove that would please vacationers on the coast! Instead, Henderson's a mellow soul genius – with elements in his music that maybe rivals some of the better-known work of artists like Bobby Wilson or Leroy Hutson – but which also has some Jersey/Philly elements at times, too – especially when the rest of the group harmonizes along with Ron's lead! The set features two Allen Toussaint remakes, and the rest is original material by Henderson – titles that include "I'll Be Around", "The Real Thing", "Love Is Gone", "Real Men Can't Be Wrong", "What About Love", "Mary Green", and "Problem Child". LP, Vinyl record album

JJ Johnson's greatest album – without a doubt! This gem of a session was recorded in 1960 in New York, with an incredibly hip sextet that includes Cedar Walton, Clifford Jordan, and Freddie Hubbard. The tracks are all long, hip, and very much in a Blue Note soul jazz mode – very unusual not only for Johnson, but for Columbia records as well. The album feels like it should have been issued on Epic, with those killer Dave Bailey sides from 1961 – which might be why it has frequently gotten lost in Johnson's career, hidden amidst some of the sleepier material that seems to see the light of day more often than this one. The album's a stone winner all the way through – and features Johnson playing some of his gutsiest solos ever. Tracks include "Minor Mist", "In Walked Horace", "Fatback", "Aquarius", and "Shutterbug". LP, Vinyl record album

Two great cuts from 60s female soul singer Tobi Lark! "Challenge My Love" is a mid 60s Detroit groover from the hands of Dave Hamilton – nicely chugging beat underneath, sweet vocals by Tobi, and a bit of a brassy finish on the groove – all making for a nice midtempo dancer all around! "Sweep It Out" is a stone cooker from Tobi Lark – a romping Northern groove that has some weird harmony vocals shooby-doobing underneath Tobi's bold, raw lead – all on top of a rhythm that's completely infectious from the get-go! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A stone laidback set from O'Donel Levy – one of the greatest soul jazz guitarists of the 70s, and a player who sounds fresher and fresher to us over the years! This album's a bit more laidback than some of Levy's other sets for Groove Merchant – with larger arrangements that feature Charles Covington on electric piano and organ, Fats Theus on tenor and flute, and Billy Skinner on trumpet – but the approach actually works well, as the slow-moving tracks trip out over a lot of space, giving O'Donel plenty of room to craft his uniquely spacious and chromatic solos. Titles include versions of "Watch What Happens", "Love Story", "Call Me", "You've Made Me So Very Happy", and "Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time", plus the originals "Granny" and "Nature's Child", both of which have a nice little groove! CD

Quite an obscure one by Love – a mid 70s record that actually has quite a bit of soul in the mix! The album almost seems to be going for a Sly Stone approach – expanding the group past Arthur Lee and crew with a host of additional players that include Harvey Mandel, Bobby Lyle, and Joey Deguero. There's still plenty of bluesy and rocky tracks – but there's also a great cover of William DeVaughn's "Be Thankful For What You Got" – done in a chunky mode that really hits a great groove with us (and which is proof that people were covering the tune even back when it was first released!) Other tracks move between soulful rock, Thin Lizzy-esque compressed guitar numbers, and other styles that show a bit more soul than might be expected. Titles include "Time Is Like A River", "Everybody's Gotta Live", "You Said You Would", "Busted Feet", "With A Little Energy", and "Who Are You". LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff from one of the 70s' best vocal groups! "Seems Like" is stone mellow east coast harmony soul, with a sweet ballad style. "Town Called Nowhere" is even better, and has a nice choppy guitar, and a good midtempo groove. Very nice! 7-inch, Vinyl record

An incredible lost slice of music from the young Bob Marley – an unissued set of recordings done at the Capitol Studios in LA, at a time when the Wailers were just beginning to rise in global power! The session came at an unusual moment for the group – they had come to the US to tour with Sly & The Family Stone, and were fired because the audiences were not yet ready for their groove – leaving the group a bit astray in California. But an opportunity arose to record at Capitol, a performance that was also filmed – and the result is this amazing set of tracks that captures Bob and the group at a level that's even different than their massive Island Records sets to come. There's a current of funk running through a number of these tracks, and a lean groove that's wonderfully soul-drenched throughout – not just in Marley's vocals, but in the overall performance of the rest – a tight sextet that includes Peter Tosh, Joe Higgs, Aston Barrett, Carlton Barrett, and Earl Lindo. Titles include "Rastaman Chant", "Midnight Ravers", "Put It On", "Stop That Train", "Get Up Stand Up", "You Can't Blame The Youth", "Slave Driver", "Duppy Conqueror", and "Burnin & Lootin". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer funk from one of the best-ever bands of the genre! "Cissy Strut" has some killer stone cold choppy guitars, with a sound that was imitated often, but never matched! "Here Comes" is a rolling organ-driven groove – bubbling along at a chunky funky pace! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Killer funky organ – and 100% Dynamite! Jackie Mittoo is one of the all-time great organists – as essential to Jamaica as Booker T was to Memphis, or Jimmy McGriff was to New York. He's legendary these days as the player who completely transformed the Hammond sound with his unique Jamaican instrumental style during his early years with the Skatalites, and on his later solo recordings for Studio One. This set's probably the first time Mittoo's work has been properly packaged and remastered – and the folks at Soul Jazz have done an amazing job of selecting just the right tracks for such a project. The whole thing wails along with a stone rocksteady groove – with plenty of nice drum parts and funky rhythm bits underneath Jackie's soulful organ. If you dug the label's 100% Dynamite series, you'll really dig this one – and the whole thing's very much in the same vein. Tracks include "Drum Song", "Reggae Rock", "Hot Tamale", "Killer Diller", "Black Organ", "Stereo Freeze", "Wall Street", "Darker Shade Of Black", "Juice Box", and "Killer Diller". LP, Vinyl record album

Great small group work – with Kid Ory on trombone, plus Teddy Buckner on trumpet, Frank Haggerty on guitar, Caughey Roberts on clarinet, and Cedric Haywood on piano! Nice David Stone Martin cover, too. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible blend of southern and modern soul – the second album by soul songwriter Sydney Joe Qualls, recorded in both Chicago and Muscle Shoals, with a stone mellow sound that's outta site! The groove here is extremely well-done – tight, but never too slick – and with a soaring quality that marks the best late 70s soul coming out of Chicago at the time, but which also has some rootsier vocals from Sydney. The album's a classic for the standout groover "I Don't Do This" – but the whole thing's pretty darn great, and tracks include "Bad Risk", "I'll Run To Your Side", "Let the Woman Know", "I Could Be So Good For You", and "Where Have You Been". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of near perfect soulful jazz organ sets from Jimmy Smith – 1967's Respect and 1968's Livin' It Up – plus the rare non album single "Mickey Mouse" as bonus track for the first time on CD! Respect is really nice jazz album from Jimmy, although one that got hidden in the years of Jimmy's more "concept" oriented sessions for Verve. Most of the material is quartet stuff, with players like Bernard Purdie, Eric Gale, and Ron Carter backing up Jimmy's soulful organ. The tracks are longer than usual too, with lots of nice soloing going on, and a stone easy soul groove. Includes a tasty loping version of "Get Out Of My Life", with a very different drum groove than usual, plus "Funky Broadway", "T Bone Steak", and "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy". Livin' It Up is a straight up stunner – and quite possibly one of his greatest records for Verve! The set has Jimmy working with arranger Oliver Nelson – in a setting that's got big band backings, but done in a style that's cool enough to cut through all the BS of similar sessions. There's no hoke at all – just a lean and soulful approach that has Nelson serving up a powerhouse jazzy groove underneath – and Jimmy soloing madly over the top! The album's filled with great tunes too – including a fab cover of "Mission Impossible", the original "Big Boss Man", a version of Richard Evans' "Burning Spear", a great takes on "Valley Of The Dolls" and "The Gentle Rain". Great stuff throughout! CD

A stone killer from organist Lonnie Smith – one of his completely cooking early albums for Blue Note, and a hard-burner all the way through! Smith's working here with a really great group that includes Idris Muhammad on drums and Melvin Sparks on guitar – both of whom give the album a really heavy bottom, and almost make the set feel like one of those classic Prestige jammers from the same time. But added to them is a great horn section of Lee Morgan on trumpet, Julian Preister on trombone, and Bennie Maupin on tenor – all of whom give the record a slightly hipper, more modern feel – in keeping with the Blue Note groove of the time. Tracks are all nice and long – and titles include the originals "Turning Point" and "Slow High" – plus versions of "See Saw", "People Sure Act Funny", and "Eleanor Rigby". CD

A killer from the early days of The Supremes – and way more than you'd guess from the "hits" in the title! The record's not really a roundup of the hit singles already out on 45 – and is actually just an apt title for what the album was destined to be – a stone hit that really put these Motown legends on the map! Production is by the Holland/Dozier/Holland team – with a marvelous wall of sound-style groove that really pushes the vocals forward tremendously – that brilliant all-in Motown mode of the best early years, where the Detroit studio was working overtime to make things sound amazing. Titles include the massive hit "Stop! In The Name Of Love" – but the whole thing's a solid effort with no filler, and other cuts include "I'm In Love Again", "He Holds His Own", "Whisper You Love Me Boy", "The Only Time I'm Happy", "Nothing But Heartaches", "Honey Boy", and "Back In My Arms Again". LP, Vinyl record album

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

The first three albums by Undisputed Truth – finally on CD, with bonus tracks too! First up is the amazing debut of Undisputed Truth – one of the coolest new Motown groups of the 70s – and one of the few that really continued the experimental legacy of the label in the late 60s! As with the Temptations during their psychedelic years, Undisputed Truth are handled by superproducer Norman Whitfield – who does a fantastic job of mixing deeper ideas and righteous themes with some of the soaring soul that was the Motown stock in trade – a wonderful blend that made these guys one of the best groups poised to push the label into the new decade! Titles include the huge hit "Smiling Faces Sometimes", plus lots of covers of cool tracks like "California Soul", "Like A Rolling Stone", "Ball Of Confusion", and "You Got The Love I Need". Law Of The Land is an unstoppable groove from The Undisputed Truth – a group who worked with Norman Whitfield in the same psychedelic soul territory as The Temptations – and who arguably got the sound across even better than them! This set's not as much of a bit hit as the group's other records from the time – but that makes it sound even fresher and more fierce – loads of those hard-rolling basslines you'd expect from Whitfield's production – and some soaring arrangements from Paul Riser and David Van DePitte, both of whom give the album a sense of majesty to match its inherent righteousness. Titles include "Law of The Land" and "Mama I Got A Brand New Thing" – plus covers of Temps tunes "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and "Just My Imagination" – and other covers that include "Love & Happiness", "If I Die", "Feelin' Alright", and "Killing Me Softly", done in the full soul mode of the group. Down To Earth features Undisputed Truth at the height of their powers – still working in the psychedelic soul style they forged with Norman Whitfield at the end of the 60s – but with a groove that's tighter and sharper than ever before! We might well call the record the funkiest the group ever cut – as Whitfield's production really brings the rhythms into strong focus, while still letting the righteous message in the lyrics shine through in the group's strong sense of interplay – that back/forth between male and female vocals that really helps the group create a sense of social conversation. Titles include the Whitfield originals "Help Yourself", "Big John Is My Name", "Save My Love For A Rainy Day", and "Law Of The Land" – but the best tracks might be their covers, like "Love & Happiness" and "Our Day Will Come", both totally remade here into great new versions! CD features 6 more bonus tracks – including "Let's Go Back To Day One" and "Gonna Keep On Tryin Till I Win Your Love" – plus single edits of "What's Going On", "What It Is", "You Make Your Own Heaven & Hell", and "Law Of The Land". CD

A set that definitely lives up to its title – a stone stormer from Brainstorm – one of the tightest funky ensembles of their generation, and one of the few who could go deep while still laying down a groove! The set's got a perfect balance of modes – enough of the appeal of bigger mainstream funk acts of the time, but also some righteous undercurrents that really show the group's roots – both in the approach of the lyrics, and in the jazzy instrumentation of the backings – which often show a righteous side of the group that's mighty surprising! The record's one that just grows and grows with each new listening, and is put together with some great sharp-edged production by Jerry Peters – who has a way of showcasing all the most interesting elements, while still keeping things focused too. Titles include the classic "Wake Up & Be Somebody" and "Loving You Is Really My Game" – plus "Waiting For Someone", "We Know A Place", "Hangin' On", "Easy Thangs", and "This Must Be Heaven". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone classic from Brother James – a wonderful 60s album that not only includes the incredible title track – one of James' best groovers from the time – but a set that also showcases his talents in so many other styles too! There's a few wonderful ballads – but completely recast by James into songs of pride and power – and some older R&B-styled numbers that hearken back to his earliest years at King – all of which makes for a really rich demonstration of that unique James Brown energy that nobody else in the 60s could ever hope to touch! The Godfather's vocals burst out nicely with some wonderfully soulful overtones, no matter what the tune – and titles include "Fever", "Good Rockin Tonight", "Back Stabbin", "Mona Lisa", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", "Nature Boy" and "I Want To Be Around" – as well as "Cold Sweat (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful album by Ron Carter – and quite rare, too! The record features a group that's got a nice 70s modal soul jazz sound – with players that include Herbie Hancock on acoustic and electric piano, Hubert Laws on flute, Sam Brown on guitar, and both Billy Cobham and Grady Tate on drums – all working in sweet small group mode alongside Carter's excellent work on acoustic and Fender bass. The sound is sometimes spacey, sometimes groovy – and marks a key chapter in Carter's career, one that has him stepping out of the background into a great role as a leader – setting the stage for many more albums to come in the 70s! Titles include the very funky "Uptown Conversation", plus the tracks "Half A Row", "Doom", "Little Waltz", "Ten Strings" and "Einbahnstrasse". Very soulful, with a stone mellow moody groove! CD

One of the hardest, rawest Four Tops album on 60s Motown – a unique live session, recorded at the Roostertail Nightclub in Detroit – with a sound that shows that the Tops could maybe shine even more away from the studio! Levi Stubbs' leads are especially incredible – not just a powerful force at the head of the songs, but a key factor in driving the energy of the performance – as he reaches out to the crowd with his calls, and whips the rest of the group into a soulful frenzy – no matter what the material. The set includes live takes on Four Tops classics like "It's The Same Old Song", "Reach Out I'll Be There", and "Baby I Need Your Loving" – plus some nice material that's less-iconic, including "The Girl From Ipanema", "I'll Turn To Stone", "I Like Everything About You", and "It's Not Unusual". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic Serge Gainsbourg album – and the BB initials in the title belong to Brigitte Bardot! This rare gem from 1968 is a second set of tracks that Serge cut with Brigitte Bardot – and it's a doozy! The record repeats a few tracks from their other effort (Bonnie & Clyde) – but it's also got some incredible cuts that are exclusive to this album, and which have that stone funky groove that makes the best late 60s work of Serge so in-demand these days! The best tracks include "Mustang", "Initials BB", and "Black And White" – all of which have incredible funky intros that are totally sampleable – and the set also includes "Bonnie & Clyde", "Qui Est In Qui Est Out", "Marilu", "Shu Ba Du Ba La Loo Ba", "Hold Up", "Torrey Canyon", "Dr Jeckyll et Monsieur Hyde", "Comic Strip", and "Bloody Jack". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic soul duets between Marvin & Tammi Terrell – a landmark pair in 60s soul music, and easily one of the best male/female duos in pop music ever! Marvin and Tammi have a way of singing together that makes you feel like they're speaking the tunes, not singing them – a personal, intimate quality that's almost as if we're sneaking in on them behind closed doors – and not hearing their voices cast out in front of full backing in the Motown studios. Even when the tunes are familiar, they're still bracingly emotive – Includes stone classics like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "If I Could Build My World Around You", plus "Hold Me Oh My Darling", "Somethin Stupid", "You Got What It Takes", and "If This World Were Mine". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone cold classic from Teddy Riley! Forget what you might think about the cliches of New Jack Swing, because this record is a landmark of modern soul, one of the freshest R&B albums from the 80s, and it still sounds great today. After starting things out with Wrecks N Effect, Riley moved over to Guy – who really made his hip-hop heavy New Jack sound work great, because they had much better vocal chops than earlier groups, and they could fuse a tight harmony to the funky sound in style that not only got them loads of airplay (and record sales!), but which inspired a whole generation of American soul. This first album's their best, and it includes lots of nice smooth jammers – like "Spend The Night", "Piece of My Love", "Teddy's Jam", "Groove Me", and "Goodbye Love". CD

Quite an unusual pairing – and a wonderful sound, too – just piano and drums, which is unique for both Louis Bellson and Meade Lux Lewis! Back cover also sports a nice David Stone Martin image. LP, Vinyl record album

Rough-edged blues from the west side of Chicago – a stone classic from the mighty Magic Sam – a player who was taken from us all too soon! On the west side, they mix plenty of soul in with their blues – and you can definitely hear that on this stone smoker – a record that has roots in the same scene as Syl Johnson, whose modes definitely creep into the groove at times! Sam's combo here is mighty nice – with Eddie Shaw on tenor, Lafayette Leake on piano, and Mighty Joe Young on guitar – and titles include "Stop You're Hurting Me", "Easy Baby", "What Have I Done Wrong", "It's All Your Fault", "You Belong To Me", "You Don't Love Me Baby", and "San Jose". LP, Vinyl record album

"Somebody's Been Sleeping" is a stone cold 70's soul classic! It starts with a nice high-pitched choppy bit, then rolls into a groove that has a great AM radio soul sound. Nice catchy hook, too! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A stone smoker from Rare Earth – recorded a a time when they were able to easily handle a groove made up of equal parts funk, rock, and soul! The vibe here is almost like War at times – not for the LA touches in the mix, but for the heady and heavy way these guys roll forward – pulling together all the best elements of the underground at the time, and bringing them into their own smoky groove. Instrumentation is wonderful – and some of the cuts have a really great jamming sort of feel – especially the 11 minute reading of "(I Know) I'm Losing You" – originally done by the Temptations, and produced by Norman Whitfield for the album! Other titles include "Long Time Leavin", "Satisfaction Guaranteed", "Nice Place To Visit", "No 1 Man", and a sweet version of "Eleanor Rigby". LP, Vinyl record album

The always entertaining Sauter - Finegan Orchestra presents us with a percussion-oriented record that lapses into slightly "experimental" moments. One of the tracks, "The Minute," is a poem read by Ruth Yorke while the musicians provide some mood music. Each song gets its own unique description on the back cover. Titles include "A Chinese Painting," "Kinetic Energy," "World Without Time," "The Stone Age," and "The Jukes Family Takes A Holiday." LP, Vinyl record album

A stone killer from organist Lonnie Smith – one of his completely cooking early albums for Blue Note, and a hard-burner all the way through! Smith's working here with a really great group that includes Idris Muhammad on drums and Melvin Sparks on guitar – both of whom give the album a really heavy bottom, and almost make the set feel like one of those classic Prestige jammers from the same time. But added to them is a great horn section of Lee Morgan on trumpet, Julian Preister on trombone, and Bennie Maupin on tenor – all of whom give the record a slightly hipper, more modern feel – in keeping with the Blue Note groove of the time. Tracks are all nice and long – and titles include the originals "Turning Point" and "Slow High" – plus versions of "See Saw", "People Sure Act Funny", and "Eleanor Rigby". CD

Damn funky work from the west coast scene of the late 60s and early 70s – just the kind of tracks to dispel the idea that too much sun or cannabis might have left the Cali scene a bit weak! Instead, these cuts are right on the money, stone funky throughout, and light years from any sort of California connotations you may have – no west coast jazz, smooth AOR, or breezy Bay Area – and much more of the grit and groove that was brewing up on funky 45s from all points east! Drums are heavy, guitars are sharp, and vocals are super-righteous – filled with the kind of messages that you could only get across on the sort of small label releases that make up most of this set – and which also include a few unreleased tracks appearing here for the first time ever. As usual with BGP, the package is as superb as the music – great sound, detailed notes, and a wonderful track selection that includes "Earthquake" by Rulie Garcia, "Hang Up (part 1)" by Warm Excursion, "Pickin Cotton" by Johnny Talbot & De-Thangs, "If She Wants To Go" by Choice Of Colors, "Just Ain't My Day" by The Entertainers IV, "The Git Down (parts 1 & 2)" by Little Johnny Hamilton & The Soul Pack, "Strike" by Union, "I'm Gonna Speak Out" by Eddie Horan, "The Man" by Jesse & Anita, "Check Me Out" by Little Denise, "The Sneak" by The Douzer, "You Don't Know The Damage You've Done" by Vernon Green & The Medallions, and "Tuned In Turned On" by Alvin Robinson. CD

For volume 2 of this great series, the folks at BBE got Jasper the Vinyl Junkie to compile a mass of grooves with a hard James Brown drumbreak sound, and a real JB's feel. Some of these are from more recent years – like "Cut Me Loose" by Push, "Tribute to JB Family" by The Last Minister, and "P.O.W.E.R." by Hip Hop Traxx – and some of these are old – like "Zambezi" by Charles Kynard, "Soul Power '74 (remix)" by Maceo & The Macs, and "Got to Get Back to Louisiana" by Elmer & Brenda Parker. They're all stone cold funky, though, and have a hard drum funk groove with a good dancefloor feel. Another nice mix of music that we wouldn't have thought of – from the good folks at BBE! CD

A stone classic from The Brecker Brothers – working here at a new level for 70s jazz fusion! Sure, it's as slick as it can be – with touches of club and disco grooves to give an even smoother edge to the jazz funk of the Brecker Brothers – but thanks to some solid soloing that's not afraid to go for the easy spots, the album's a lot more solid than an number of sound-a-like copycat LPs to come out at the time! There's more than enough interesting jazz funk numbers on here to keep you happy if you dig a soulful fusion groove, and with Steve Gadd and Lenny White on drums, the beats are heavy enough in the right places. Titles include "Tabula Rasa", "Finger Lickin Good", "Funky Sea, Funky Dew", "Squids", "Petals", and "As Long As I've Got Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone groover from the great Ray Bryant – one of his brilliant albums for Cadet from the 60s! Ray's soul jazz trio (with Freddie Waits on drums) is augmented by the 2-horn trumpet section he used on some of his other Cadet recordings from the time – trumpet from Snookie Young and flugelhorn from Clark Terry, both of whom really help the album open up from the usual standard soul jazz trio side! The sound is really unique, and the "bottom" of the brass gives his piano a nice deep sound that you wouldn't necessarily expect from the arrangement – almost a bit of a bounce at the bottom, always helping the groove. The record includes a number of nice originals, like "Little Soul Sister", "All Things Are Possible", "Erewhon", and "Monkey Business" – plus versions of "Gotta Travel On" and "Bag's Groove". CD

A stone groover from the great Ray Bryant – one of his brilliant albums for Cadet from the 60s! Ray's soul jazz trio (with Freddie Waits on drums) is augmented by the 2-horn trumpet section he used on some of his other Cadet recordings from the time – trumpet from Snookie Young and flugelhorn from Clark Terry, both of whom really help the album open up from the usual standard soul jazz trio side! The sound is really unique, and the "bottom" of the brass gives his piano a nice deep sound that you wouldn't necessarily expect from the arrangement – almost a bit of a bounce at the bottom, always helping the groove. The record includes a number of nice originals, like "Little Soul Sister", "All Things Are Possible", "Erewhon", and "Monkey Business" – plus versions of "Gotta Travel On" and "Bag's Groove". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful album by Ron Carter – and quite rare, too! The record features a group that's got a nice 70s modal soul jazz sound – with players that include Herbie Hancock on acoustic and electric piano, Hubert Laws on flute, Sam Brown on guitar, and both Billy Cobham and Grady Tate on drums – all working in sweet small group mode alongside Carter's excellent work on acoustic and Fender bass. The sound is sometimes spacey, sometimes groovy – and marks a key chapter in Carter's career, one that has him stepping out of the background into a great role as a leader – setting the stage for many more albums to come in the 70s! Titles include the very funky "Uptown Conversation", plus the tracks "Half A Row", "Doom", and "Einbahnstrasse". Very soulful, with a stone mellow moody groove! CD

A late 70s classic from jazzy funk master George Duke! Master Of The Game is an excellent mix of jazz, smooth soul, and Latin riffing – really a perfect blend of styles that shows not only how far George's sound had progressed throughout the 70s, it also charts the development of the California scene during the late 70s. George has musical help from Ray Obeido, Roland Bautista, and Sheila E – plus vocals by Lynn Davis, Josie James, and Napoleon Brock. The tracks have a smooth sound that works perfectly with Duke's best keyboard approaches – subduing his tenency to "rock out" a bit, but bringing forward his classic ability to hit a stone mellow groove. Titles include "I Want You For Myself", "Every Little Step I Take", "Look What You Find", "I Love You More", "Dog Man", and "Games". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible 70s work from the lovely Astrud Gilberto – a rare effort for the CTI label that has her teaming up with arranger Eumir Deodato and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine – all in a groove that's totally different than most of her earlier work! Astrud's breathy vocals are still wonderfully intact – but they're given a more spacious approach in the arrangements – strings mixes with rolling basslines, soaring keyboards, and stone cold tenor from Stanley – in a groove that's simply wonderful, and which takes off in a whole new direction than before! Other players include Airto, Sivuca, Hubert Laws, and Dom Um Romao – and tracks include classic versions of "Ponteio", "Vera Cruz", and "Zazueira" that are all some of the most grooving takes on the tunes ever – plus "Historia De Amor", "Where There's A Heartache", "Brazilian Tapestry", and "Wanting Things". LP, Vinyl record album

Think what you might about Rick James, this is actually a pretty darn funky album – with lots of tight bass-heavy grooves! Rick's working here with the Stone City Band, in a style that's leaner and less commercial than some of his later work – going for a mainstream funk approach, but still leaving enough roughness around the edge to make the album appealing to our ears. In a way, the sound here is kind of a tightening up of Fantasy Records funk, given a few P-Funk twists – slick, but never too slick to groove soulfully! Titles include "Bustin Out", "Love Interlude", "High On Your Love Suite", "Spacey Love", "Cop N Blow", and "Fool On The Street". LP, Vinyl record album

A overlooked gem in Elvin Jones' Blue Note career – and an album that's virtually the blueprint for the Stone Alliance sound forged later in the decade by bassist Gene Perla and reedman Steve Grossman! Both players are working to full effect on this smoking little set – mixing some of the more spiritual modes of other group members with their own sharper-edged, funky-leaning styles – all held together perfectly by both Jones' tight work on drums, and his expansive musical vision! Other players are great too – and include Pepper Adams on baritone sax, David Liebman on flute and tenor, and Jan Hammer on acoustic piano – an instrument he handles with surprising subtlety and soul. Many cuts have a hard, choppy groove – and titles include a remake of "Gee Gee", plus "One's Native Place", "Mr Jones", and "What's Up – That's It". CD

A stone Motown classic – and a tune that really set the 60s "go go" soul groove on fire! But even better is the sweet b-side – the majestic "Choosey Beggar", a great ballad track with incredible lead vocals from Smokey! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Great US double LP set compiling two of Baden Powell's MPS recordings from the late 60s! First up is Canto On Guitar – a stone classic from Baden Powell – and one of the greatest meetings of his Brazilian guitar with the European production styles of the late 60s! The sound is incredible – with backing is by a small group that includes bass, drums, and Brazilian percussion – all used sparely and subtly alongside Baden's fragile lines on guitar, and his moody, echoey vocals – which are recorded here in a nicely subdued way. Tracks include "Tributo A Un Amigo", "Ciegos De Noreste", "Samba En Preludio", "Hijo", and the beautiful "Tres Temas De Fe Afro-Brasilena", which evokes a lot of the feel of his classic Afro Sambas set! Next is Tristeza On Guitar – one of Baden Powell's first great bossa sessions in Europe – recorded in a light and lively MPS mode that's a bit different than some of his work at the time in Brazil! Rhythm is by the team of Eberhard Weber on bass and Charly Antolini on drums – both players with non-bossa roots, but who push Powell's groove into some slightly new directions – almost hailing the Brazilian influence that would show up even more strongly in European jazz in years to come! Sidney Smith also adds a bit of flute into some of the tracks on the album – underscoring the moodier moments with a subtle tone next to Powell's more pronounced guitar – and the whole thing's got a sense of poise, grace, and beauty that's simply tremendous! Titles include "Euridice", "Consolacao", "Feitinha Pro Poeta", "Dindi", "Reza", "Samba Triste", and "All The Things You Are". LP, Vinyl record album

Thundering funk from the early 70s Detroit scene – and the complete work of The Propositions, a group who only ever managed to issue a few singles at the time! Due to a typo on the label of one single, the Propositions were also sometimes known as the Prepositions – but whatever the name, the band is pretty darn funky – as you'll hear in this excellent little set. Years back, the folks at Luv N Haight collected together the group's rare singles to make something of a full LP – but now, years later, they've gone back in the vaults and have come up with a huge amount of unreleased work to add to the mix – making for an overstuffed, double-length set that's filled to the rafters with great tunes. Most tracks are in a stone funky 45 mode – but they also groove out a bit longer than the usual single, and give the band plenty of room to roll around some great basslines and horn bits, which are in turn supported by some really wicked work on guitar, organ, and keyboards! Most tunes are instrumentals, and titles include "Funky Disposition", "Live Funk Session", "Do Whatever Turns You On (parts 1 & 2)", "Groovin For The Groove", "Something Different (long edit)", "Sweet Lucy", "Vamping", "Africana", "Free & Easy", "Bad Seed", "You've Been Chose", and "Kool Twist (live garage session 2)". 2CD package is filled with gems – a total of 20 tracks in all! CD

An amazing set of music – two rare albums from Ohio funk legend Lou Ragland, plus bonus tracks, and a whole set of unreleased sessions too – a huge amount of new music, even if you've got some of the previous reissues! First up is the legendary Hot Chocolate album – one of the greatest lost funk records of all time! The group is not the British pop band, but an Ohio funk group led by the great guitarist Lou Ragland. The album's originally from Canada, which makes it super rare – and these guys are funky funky funky, and kick some major booty with a heavy guitar sound that's just great! Some of the cuts are instrumental, and some of them have some excellent soul vocals that are produced with a nice deep sound that's brought out nicely by the excellent quality of the reissue. The record's got a bit of Sly Stone, a bit of Grant Green, and a bit of Mike James Kirkland – with a tasty raw indie soul vibe – and the original album was only pressed up at 500 copies. Titles include "So Dam Funky", "Ain't That A Groove", "Sexy Moods Of Your Mind", "Messin With Sly", and "What You Want To Do" – plus 8 more tracks from the same vintage – "Good For The Gander" by Hot Chocolate, "I Travel Alone" and Big Wheel" by Lou Ragland, "Red Robin" and "I've Got Something Going On" by Volcanic Eruption, and "I Can't Take It" and "What The Doctor Prescribed" by Lou Ragland & Hot Chocolate. Next is The Conveyor – the second album from Lou Ragland, stepping out here in a great set of mellow soul tracks! The album's quite different from the heavy funk of the Hot Chocolate album – more of a message-oriented approach to soul, in the vein of similar 70s indie work by Mike James Kirkland. The arrangements are also bigger – not smooth, but ambitious, in a style that perfectly matches the higher vision Lou's going for in tracks like "Understand Each Other", "What Should I Do?", "The Next World", and "It's Got To Change". Conveyor also comes with bonus tracks too – "Tend To Your Business" by Wildfire, plus "Since You Said You'd Be Mine" and "I Didn't Mean To Leave You" by Lou Ragland. And last up is an incredible batch of unreleased material – maybe the biggest and best so far from Ragland – tracks that have this really ambitious quality that mixes soul, funk, and larger orchestrations – especially some light strings, which really expand the sound, and push the music into this righteous territory that reminds us a lot of the creative experiments in Chicago during the Cadet/Concept years! Lou's vocals are great, and the message is totally righteous – and even though the tape quality is slightly aged, the soulful vibe really comes through – on cuts that include "Understand Each Other", "It Ain't My Fault", "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love", "Spend My Life Loving You", "Until I Met You", and "Brother Louie". Lovingly packaged by Numero – with a huge booklet of photos and history – and cool mini-LP sleeves too! CD

A stone classic from Jimmy Reed – and one of the first few albums on the Vee Jay label! The sound is spare, rootsy, and bluesy – the kind of tunes that made Jimmy an instant favorite, and which were a key force in the Chicago blues sound of the 50s. The set features material recorded for Vee Jay in 1958 and 1957, with Jimmy on vocals, acoustic guitar, and harmonica. Benchmark late 50s Chicago blues! Titles include "Honest, I Do", "You Got Me Dizzy", "Can't Stand To See You Go", "Boogie In The Dark", "You Got Me Crying", "Little Rain", "Roll & Rhumba", his classic "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "She Said Yeah", "Mercy Mercy", "Talkin Bout You", "Cry To Me", "Oh Baby", "I'm Free", "Heart Of Stone", "The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man", "Gotta Get Away", "Good Times", and "That's How Strong My Love Is". LP, Vinyl record album

New York is what is funky! This is a killer new release by a small organ jazz combo from the Big Apple – and they are definitely worthy members of the city's great end-of-the century funk scene that includes Medeski Martin & Wood, Sugarman Three, and The Other Side! The band have certainly spent plenty of time getting their chops up – and they have a very tight organ/guitar sound with a totally live feel to it. The overall groove is right up there with the best classic combos on Prestige – with stone cold funky drumming underneath sweetly strident lines on the Hammond, and some very heavy guitar rhythm parts. In a way, the record really evokes the heavy funk sound of Lonnie Smith's fantastic Blue Note sides from the Late 60s – with a very heavy drum sound nicely kicking it live! The CD's their first – and believe us, it will more than break them out of the box. Tracks include "Arruga De Agua", "Doin Something", "Rudy's Way", "Azucar", and "Steppin". Great stuff – and the kind of small-group recording that makes it worth shopping at Dusty Groove! Plus, this is the new remastered version of the CD – featuring 2 bonus cuts that weren't on the original release! LP, Vinyl record album

Funky genius from the Hotlanta scene of the 70s – the one and only album recorded by Tommy Stewart, a huge force in some of the greatest club tracks of the south, including the massive Spirit Of Atlanta album! The record's a stone winner all the way through – filled with upbeat, uptempo tracks that really bring some funk into the dancefloor. The rhythms are tremendous – all very catchy and snapping, with a groove that goes way past the usual disco record, and which has made the album as much of a favorite amongst funk fans as it has for fans of classic club. Includes the classic groover "Bump and Hustle", plus loads of other excellent tunes like "Get Off Your Seats", "Make Happy Music", "Riding High", "Practice What You Preach", and "Atlanta Get Down". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone cold smoker from the Chicago scene of the 50s – the kind of record we're proud to say came from our hometown! The album brings together the best of some of the under-recognized players in the Windy City at the time – including bassist Wilbur Ware, alto saxophonist John Jenkins, pianist Junior Mance, and a young Johnny Griffin – really tearing up the set on tenor! There's a groove here that's modern, yet soulful – fresh, clear, and very concisely blown – with a number of different musical strands all tied together tightly, and handled by the players with a sharpness that few groups today could hope to match. Titles include the legendary "Mama Daddy", plus "Desert Sands", "Be-Ware", "31st & State", and "Latin Quarters". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone groover from the great Ray Bryant – one of his brilliant albums for Cadet from the 60s! Ray's soul jazz trio (with Freddie Waits on drums) is augmented by the 2-horn trumpet section he used on some of his other Cadet recordings from the time – trumpet from Snookie Young and flugelhorn from Clark Terry, both of whom really help the album open up from the usual standard soul jazz trio side! The sound is really unique, and the "bottom" of the brass gives his piano a nice deep sound that you wouldn't necessarily expect from the arrangement – almost a bit of a bounce at the bottom, always helping the groove. The record includes a number of nice originals, like "Little Soul Sister", "All Things Are Possible", "Erewhon", and "Monkey Business" – plus versions of "Gotta Travel On" and "Bag's Groove". CD

A stone club classic from the early 80s – one of the best mainstream groovers of the post-disco years! Cheatham's a percussionist by trade, but really comes off with something extra here – a smoothly soulful groove that's sublime from start to finish – no filler, no cliches, just the best sort of rhythms the early 80s scene had to offer! Rhythms are a mix of electric and acoustic beats – blended together with a keenly jazzy sensibility, and topped with sweet keyboards that dance wonderfully alongside Oliver's vocals. Titles include the stellar "Get Down Saturday Night", plus "Something About You", "Through It All", "Just To Be With You", "Do Me Right", "Bless the Ladies", and "Make Your Mind Up". CD features the bonus track "Get Down Saturday Night (special extended version)". CD

The funkiest album ever recorded by Lyn Collins – a stone solid set that really lives up to the legacy of her funky 45s! Like those gems, this one has Collins working with James Brown on production and the JBs in the background – creating a razor-sharp groove that's probably the closest any female singer ever came in the 70s to matching The Godfather's groove! The album's got Lyn shifting between heavy funk numbers and mellower soul cuts – really pushing things to the max with an incredibly deep take on a few older favorites, plus some killer new numbers – all produced to funky perfection, with just the right sort of balance between the rough and the tight. Titles include her great version of "Think", a funky sample cut that never gets old – plus the cuts "Things Got To Get Better", "Women's Lib", "Never Gonna Give You Up", "Just Won't Do Right", "Wheels Of Life", and the funkiest version ever of "Fly Me To The Moon". CD

The first-ever release of this lost soul treasure – a rare session from a late 70s group from Tulsa, recording in LA at the studio of Sly Stone! The set's got a groove that's way more than you'd expect from any Oklahoma combo – a mature, modern soul sparkle that's totally great – almost the sort of vibe you'd find from some of the best groups of the time on labels like Elektra or Capitol, but handled here with a bit more indie charm overall! The tracks are all originals, and they balance out mellow steppers and tighter groovers nicely – which makes for an album that's amazingly deep in conception, and way more than just a slap-dash batch of tracks from the studio. We're sure that Sly would have been proud of the work here – and our hat's off to the folks at Lotus Land for finally getting this one released! Titles include "Funky Sounds", "Accept The Truth", "Keep On Smiling", "If You Dance Tonight", "I Love Everything About You", "On A Lovely Night Like This", "I Hope You'll Be", and an untitled track. LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of Lou's funkier work for Blue Note – featuring many gems from the late 60s Idris Muhammad years, stone funky tracks with a jazzy groove that's influenced a few generations of hip hop! Most of these tunes are slowy disappearing from the reissue market – making the compilation even more essential than ever. There's a total of 15 tracks in all – and titles include "Say It Loud", "Snake Bone", "Turtle Walk", "Sassy Soul Strut", "If There's A Hell Below", "Peepin", "Alligator Boogaloo", "Hamp's Hump", and "Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky". CD

A nice collection of famous work by tenor players recorded for Verve and Norgran – all packaged in a classic David Stone Martin cover! Titles include "All Of Me" and "Pastel" by Illinois Jacquet, "Tenderly" and "Almost Like Being In Love" by Ben Webster, "With The Wind & The Rain In Your Hair" and "I Hadn't Anyone Till You" by Stan Getz, "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" and "Take The A Train" by Flip Phillips, and "Swinging On A Star" and "Charlie's Venture" by Charlie Ventura. LP, Vinyl record album

Features work by Gene Krupa, Oscar Peterson, a trumpet battle with Roy Eldridge and Charlie Shavers, and the classic "Jam Session Blues" – all packaged in a box with a David Stone Martin cover! LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful hard burner from Gene Krupa – a perfect example of the way he could skirt different camps of jazz when working in small group format! Players here are all top shelf – and include Ben Webster, Bill Harris, Teddy Wilson, Ray Brown, and Charlie Shavers – a lineup that almost makes the record come across like a JATP All-Star session, save for the fact that the tracks are a bit shorter! Titles include "Don't Take Your Love From Me", "Capital Idea", "Paradise", "Overtime", and "Coronation Hop". David Stone Martin cover, too! LP, Vinyl record album

Nice bit of rocksteady material by Byron Lee & The Dragonaires, touted on the cover as "Carribean's Number One Band". The cover goes onto say "It's Oily! Oily! And Sweet!" – and it's right! This stuff has a nice raw feel, with a stone cold 60s reggae groove, and a lot of nice bubbly, popping party rocking feel. Tracks include "Soul Ska", "Rock Steady", "Bend Down Low", "Musical Pressure", "On The Beach", "Papa Jack", and "OO7". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone winner – on both sides! You already know Hugh's classic "Grazing In The Grass", one of the all-time great Afro Pop numbers – with trademark loud cowbell and wonderful off-beat horn sounds. "Bajabula" is pretty darn great, too – and although it's very very slow, it's got a similar haunting groove, with off-kilter rhythms that make it really compelling. 7-inch, Vinyl record

Two ultra-hip albums from Billy Paul – back to back in a single set! First up is 360 Degrees Of Billy Paul – a record that features Billy Paul at the height of his powers – able to capture the ears of the crossover audience, yet still stay very strongly on message – all with this righteous power that maybe makes Billy one of the hippest mainstream soul stars of the 70s! Gamble & Huff are at the helm, and arrangements at Sigma Sound are by Lenny Pakula, Norman Harris, and Bobby Martin – but throughout the whole thing, it's Billy's delivery that really sends the record over the top – the new sense of maturity he brings to the huge hit "Me & Mrs Jones", the funky vibe of "Am I Black Enough For You", and the wealth of great work on tracks that include "I'm Gonna Make It This Time", "I'm Just A Prisoner", "Brown Baby", and "Let's Stay Together". A masterpiece of sophisticated soul that not only had Billy crossing over big, but which opened whole new doors in the market for black male singers! War Of The Gods is a stone treasure from one of the greatest soul singers of the 70s – and a set you'll regularly find in the coolest of record collections from back in the day! Billy Paul was always one of the hippest talents on Philly International – mixing together soul and jazz influences with a deeper sense of spirituality, and long experience as a sophisticated vocalist. This album's one of his most sublime efforts – kind of a quasi-spiritual record with a similar high-concept approach to some of Marvin Gaye's work from the same time – really righteous, in ways that the Philly label didn't always hit – and which really goes past even most of Billy's already hip previous efforts. Gamble and Huff produced and wrote most of the record – including the two long tracks that make up side one, "I See The Light" and "War Of The Gods", the latter of which starts out slow and moody, then breaks out into a club groove. Other titles include the more standard soul tune "The Whole Town's Talking", plus "Thanks For Saving My Life" and "Peace Holy Peace". CD

Early work from Oscar Peterson – 1952 sessions that originally appeared on 10" album releases, then were issued on this Clef Records set with a cool David Stone Martin cover sketch! The group features Oscar with frequent partner Ray Brown on bass – plus drums from Alvin Stoller and guitar from Barney Kessel – the latter of whom plays in a way that's different than the guitar/piano pairing Peterson got with Herb Ellis. Tracks are all nice and long – and include "Body & Soul", "Oh, Lady Be Good", "The Astaire Blues" and "Stompin At The Savoy". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone killer from organist Lonnie Smith – one of his completely cooking early albums for Blue Note, and a hard-burner all the way through! Smith's working here with a really great group that includes Idris Muhammad on drums and Melvin Sparks on guitar – both of whom give the album a really heavy bottom, and almost make the set feel like one of those classic Prestige jammers from the same time. But added to them is a great horn section of Lee Morgan on trumpet, Julian Preister on trombone, and Bennie Maupin on tenor – all of whom give the record a slightly hipper, more modern feel – in keeping with the Blue Note groove of the time. Tracks are all nice and long – and titles include the originals "Turning Point" and "Slow High" – plus versions of "See Saw", "People Sure Act Funny", and "Eleanor Rigby". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone killer from organist Lonnie Smith – one of his completely cooking early albums for Blue Note, and a hard-burner all the way through! Smith's working here with a really great group that includes Idris Muhammad on drums and Melvin Sparks on guitar – both of whom give the album a really heavy bottom, and almost make the set feel like one of those classic Prestige jammers from the same time. But added to them is a great horn section of Lee Morgan on trumpet, Julian Preister on trombone, and Bennie Maupin on tenor – all of whom give the record a slightly hipper, more modern feel – in keeping with the Blue Note groove of the time. Tracks are all nice and long – and titles include the originals "Turning Point" and "Slow High" – plus versions of "See Saw", "People Sure Act Funny", and "Eleanor Rigby". CD

Rare funk from the East Bay scene of the early 70s – every bit as heavy and hard-hitting as grooves from Sly Stone on the other side of the water at the time! Two Things In One may not be a household name, but they groove as hard as any of the best big funk acts of the early 70s – awash in the free-thinking, open spirits of the Family Stone generation – and graced with a nice dose of spiritualism in the vocals – almost a dash of Stevie Wonder that helps deepen these tunes way more than you'd expect! Production is nice and raw – honed at Oakland's Music City studios – and the album's like finding a whole pile of funky 45s you never even knew about – with a nice diversity in grooves throughout, but a tight cohesive style overall. Titles include "Stop Telling Me", "Snag Nasty", "Silly Song", "Let's Get It Together", "Overdoes Of Your Love", "You're No Good", and "Together Forever". CD

A stone cold smoker from the Chicago scene of the 50s – the kind of record we're proud to say came from our hometown! The album brings together the best of some of the under-recognized players in the Windy City at the time – including bassist Wilbur Ware, alto saxophonist John Jenkins, pianist Junior Mance, and a young Johnny Griffin – really tearing up the set on tenor! There's a groove here that's modern, yet soulful – fresh, clear, and very concisely blown – with a number of different musical strands all tied together tightly, and handled by the players with a sharpness that few groups today could hope to match. Titles include the legendary "Mama Daddy", plus "Desert Sands", "Be-Ware", "31st & State", and "Latin Quarters". CD

An assortment of Nujazz, downtempo, and electronic tracks from Germany – pulled together by the folks at Spinning Wheel Records, who we love for their collections of older groovy bits! The set features many exclusive tracks and previously unissued numbers – and it fits nicely with a Compost or G-Stone-type groove. Tracks from Max Fresh, Wiseintime, Jimpster, Mark De Clive-Lowe, Alex Phountzi, Reunion, Sonic Surfer, The Green Man, uss Gabriel, and BTO Spider & Jeremiah. CD

Funky Funky New Orleans is back – in this 2-part part 2 series! (Confusing, ain't it?) Like the now-famous first volume, both of these second volumes feature a stunning array of rare funky tunes from the Crescent City – obscure funky 45 numbers that go way way past the hits you might find on some of the more general New Orleans compilations, to feature a wealth of material that even we haven't heard before. The sound is a bit rough on a few of these numbers – in a stone-heavy garage funk style that makes the grooves come across even more strikingly than they might otherwise – and there's also a fair bit of 70s jazz funk jamming on these tunes, freer and more upbeat than the usual heavy New Orleans groove. Titles on this first volume include "Quiet Village (parts 1 & 2)" by Dome City Rock Orchestra, "Dull Knifin" by Trick Bag, "Git It" by Sam & The Soul Machine, "Get Down (parts 1 & 2)" by Gary Brown & Soul Machine 2, "Funky Sweep" by Isaac Price II, "Thief" by The Enticers, "Keep The News To Yourself" by Larry Hamilton, "The Joke" by Leonard Harris, and "Gossip" by Larry Hamilton. LP, Vinyl record album

Fab Philadelphia soul on 4 CDs – a massive package of work that really serves up the best from the legendary empire of Gamble & Huff, plus a host of other great Philly numbers too! The package is a great look at the full spectrum of sound in Philly during the 70s – not just the key tracks on the Philadelphia International label, but also cuts that Gamble & Huff had produced for other artists at the end of the 60s, key Sigma Sound sessions for other labels, and some of the classic club tracks that crossed over big and inspired countless imitations! The set is immense – 4CDs, 71 songs, and a 64 page booklet of rare photos and new essays – all priced nicely enough to appeal to both Philly newcomers and longtime collectors. Plus, since Sony BMG's handling Philly International now, there's a good range of titles from a variety of labels – and titles include "Love Is Here" by The Futures, "Slow Motion (part 1)" by Johnny Williams, "Sunshine" by The O'Jays, "Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You" by Wilson Pickett, "Expressway To Your Heart" by Soul Survivors, "I'm Stone In Love With You" by The Stylistics, "Be Thankful For What You Got (part 1)" by William DeVaughan, "Dirty Ol Man" by Three Degrees, "It's Forever" by The Ebonys, "Enjoy Yourself" by The Jacksons, "Free Love" by Jean Carn, "Kiss & Say Goodbye" by The Manhattans, "Let's Groove" by Archie Bell, "Billy's Back Home" by Billy Paul, "Picture Us" by Bunny Sigler, "Then Came You" by The Spinners, "Close The Door" by Teddy Pendergrass, "It's Gonna Take A Miracle" by Deniece Williams, and "See You When I Get There" by Lou Rawls. CD

A stone classic from pianist Monty Alexander – a live date recorded for MPS in the mid 70s, and a set with even more fire than his studio sides for the label! The sound here is quite freewheeling at times – not funky, but in a very romping, gutbuckety mode that marks Alexander as a clear heir to Oscar Peterson in such a setting – but one who's also possibly bringing a bit more groove to the table! Rhythm is from John Clayton on bass and Jeff Hamilton on drums – who are perfect accompanists for Monty's nicely rolling style on the keys! Titles include "Drown In My Own Tears", "Feelings", "Work Song", "Nite Mist Blues", and "Satin Doll". CD

A classic set of Verve tracks, arranged by the great Ralph Burns, very much in the same style as his work on the legendary Jazz Scene set. The set's far from a "soloists with strings" snoozer, and features some stunningly edgey arrangements by Burns, with purposefully off-kilter orchestral parts, which provide a startling counterpoint to solos by players like Flip Phillips, Jimmy Hamilton, Roy Eldridge, Ray Brown, and Bill Harris. Hard to find in any format, and with the tracks "Pimlico", "Perpetual Motion", "Sprang", and "Taxco". Comes in a great David Stone Martin cover, too! LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime work by Dizzy! Although Charlie Parker's "with strings" experiments are always the best known in the Verve catalog, Dizzy's work in this vein is simply amazing, and has him playing in a more avant garde setting than you'll ever hear from the time! The set features tracks that have Dizzy blowing over arrangements by either Johnny Richards or Buster Harding, wrapped up in a beautiful abstract David Stone Martin cover. Titles include "Pile Driver", "Cool Eyes", "Confusion", "Silhouette", and "O Solow", which also has some vocalization from Diz! LP, Vinyl record album

A stone smoker from Rare Earth – recorded at a time when they were able to easily handle a groove made up of equal parts funk, rock, and soul! The vibe here is almost like War at times – not for the LA touches in the mix, but for the heady and heavy way these guys roll forward – pulling together all the best elements of the underground at the time, and bringing them into their own smoky groove. Instrumentation is wonderful – and some of the cuts have a really great jamming sort of feel – especially the 11 minute reading of "(I Know) I'm Losing You" – originally done by the Temptations, and produced by Norman Whitfield for the album! Other titles include "Long Time Leavin", "Satisfaction Guaranteed", "Nice Place To Visit", "No 1 Man", and a sweet version of "Eleanor Rigby". Also included are nine bonus tracks – "When Joanie Smiles", "One World", "The Feeling", "Here Comes The Night" – plus alternate versions of "Eleanor Rigby", "Nice Place To Visit", and "Satisfaction Guaranteed"! CD