Maybe the funkiest album ever from Detroit guitar genius Dennis Coffey – a set that takes off nicely from his early funky 45s, but which also delivers the goods in a longer-form mode that's completely outta sight! We love Coffey's later albums on Sussex Records, but the vibe here is even more raw – a core combo with Lyman Woodard playing some amazing lines on organ, with just bass and drums for support – letting both of the players really stretch out and do their thing! The drums are great, very funky throughout, with plenty of breaks – and titles include some great Galt MacDermot grooves like "Let The Sunshine In", "Sodomy", and "Aquarius" – plus other excellent covers and originals, like "Hair & Grits", "Hey Jude", "Do Your Thang", "Iceberg's Thang", "It's Your Thang", and "Electric Thang". (Soul, Jazz) CD

A pair of albums from saxophonist Wilton Felder – back to back on a single CD! We All Have A Star offers up solo sounds from Crusaders reedman Wilton Felder – a really great set that's very much in the best vibe of his larger group at the time – yet one that also offers up a stronger focus on Wilton's sublime solo work on tenor! The album's got plenty of Crusaders help on board – given that Stix Hooper and Joe Sample produced the set along with Wilton – and the vibe's a wonderful blend of electric backings, with especially great keyboard lines, and Felder's well-phrased saxophone lines over the top! A few cuts feature vocals – sung by Angela Bryant or Debbie Demoia Ross – and titles include "We All Have A Star", "I Know Who I Am", "The Cycles Of Time", "Why Believe", "Ride On", and "You & Me & Ecstasy". Inherit The Wind is one of the best Crusaders-related solo projects – a soulful bit of fusion from saxophonist Wilton Felder, co-produced with his fellow Crusaders! The album's got the best sunny finish of the group's late 70s albums – traces of Latin, funk, and soul bubbling through a warm jazzy mix – staying soulful all the way through, and coming up with a sound that's smooth, but never sleepy. The blueprint for a million other records – none of which ever sounded this good! Titles include "Insight", "LA Light", "Until The Morning Comes", "Someday We'll All Be Free", and "Inherit The Wind". CD

A sweet electric set from the great Herbie Mann – one of his best of the time! Like a number of his contemporaries recording jazz for Atlantic, Herbie had moved pretty firmly into a funky soul mode by the mid 70s – adding in lots of electric instrumentation and vocals to keep up with the success of some of the bigger-selling jazz albums of the time. Oddly, this approach actually sounds pretty darn good to us – especially having the hindsight of over 25 years to get over the shock of any sort of perceived "sell out". The players are all pretty tight, and Herbie manages to keep things pretty hip on all tracks, sticking to his roots in Latin-influenced playing. The record features remakes of "Comin Home Baby" and Joe Cuba's "Bang Bang", plus a version of Astor Piazzolla's "Deux Xango", and the orignals "Paradise Music", "Body Oil", and "Waterbed". LP, Vinyl record album

A wild and groundbreaking record recorded by the great French tenor player Barney Wilen! Although he got his start as a bebopper in the 50's, Wilen sort of dropped out of sight by the end of the 60's – and only emerged from time to time to cut strangely experimental sides. This record is unlike anything he ever made, and features a wild mix of African rhythms, ambient sound, and Wilen's deep deep tenor. By this point, Wilen had been absorbing a lot of different influences, from Coltrane, to Pharoah Sanders, to some of the European free players, and his sound is a weird mish mash of styles that weaves in and out of all the stuff on the record. It's a haunting bit of afro jazz and funky noise, with some cuts that are spacey, and others that are nice and funky. Includes the cuts "Afrika Freak Out" and "Zombizar", plus lots of other goodies! LP, Vinyl record album

A wild and groundbreaking record recorded by the great French tenor player Barney Wilen! Although he got his start as a bebopper in the 50's, Wilen sort of dropped out of sight by the end of the 60's – and only emerged from time to time to cut strangely experimental sides. This record is unlike anything he ever made, and features a wild mix of African rhythms, ambient sound, and Wilen's deep deep tenor. By this point, Wilen had been absorbing a lot of different influences, from Coltrane, to Pharoah Sanders, to some of the European free players, and his sound is a weird mish mash of styles that weaves in and out of all the stuff on the record. It's a haunting bit of afro jazz and funky noise, with some cuts that are spacey, and others that are nice and funky. Includes the cuts "Afrika Freak Out" and "Zombizar", plus lots of other goodies! CD