A nice funky soul album by Eddie – who by this point was really electrifying his sax, playing a bit of piano, and even singing in a range of different styles. The best moments are those that kind of push the envelope technique-wise – operating with a lot of different effects on the horn and keyboards – backed up by percussion by Willie Bobo, trumpet by Oscar Brashear, and "guitorgan" by Robert Muldrow! Not perfectly realized, but an interesting set of funk experiments. Titles include "Get On Up & Dance", "Why Must We Part", "It Feels So Good", and the spacey "Abstractions", a real stoner number in the Shuggie Otis mode! LP, Vinyl record album

A funky party all the way through – and the one and only album we've ever seen from Johnny Otis main tenor player in the 60s! The set's got a vibe that's much funkier than some of Johnny's own records of previous years – and really shows that looser, more open style he was bringing to his ensemble at the time – and in addition to Preston's tenor, the set's also got work by a young Shuggie Otis – who's really wailing with some trippy licks on guitar! The overall feel is very much in the funky 45 mode – and most cuts are instrumentals, occasionally with a bluesy twist – and one number – "Cool Ade" – has a hip call-response vocal that's mighty nice! Other titles are equally sweet – and include "Hoe Cakes & Sorghum", "Cream Dream", "Neck Bones", "Chili Mac", and "Pot Likker". (Soul, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible bit of electric funk from the hinterlands of Ohio – an obscure album that hardly saw the light of day back in the 70s, making its first national debut in this excellent reissue! The sound of the set is incredible – moody Fender Rhodes, Arp, moog, and organ over bass and percussion that ranges from spare and skittish, to funky and full-on! A few tracks feature a bit of vocals, but the album's mostly concerned with the interplay between the keys and the percussion – tripping out in wonderfully open-ended tracks, the best of which offer almost a keyboard alternative to the spacey sound of Shuggie Otis in the mid 70s! Titles include "One Slave One Gun", "Quiet Isle", "Untitled", "Ja Ja", "Summer Time", "Punk Fun", and "Hypertension". (Soul, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album from one of the greatest talents on the Chicago soul scene of the late 60s – guitarist Phil Upchurch, a player with an amazing sound! Phil could work in worlds that were equal parts soul and psychedelia – making his guitar a perfect accompaniment for the best Chicago soul of Curtis Mayfield, Donny Hathaway, Minnie Riperton, and other greats of the time. This album's easily one of Phil's best – a mindblowing set of arrangements put together by the groundbreaking producer Charles Stepney – bringing together bits of jazz, rock, soul, and funk – all providing the perfect genre-blending space for Upchurch to solo! Given that there's no singer on the set, Phil's work on guitar is a lot freer than you're used to hearing – in a really great way, one that puts him in a space somewhere between Shuggie Otis and Jimi Hendrix! Brilliant all the way through, with tracks that include "Adam & Charlene", "You Wouldn't You Couldn't Be True", "Crosstown Traffic", "More & More", "Black Gold", "America", and "As You Said". (Soul, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most badass records ever issued by funky guitarist David T Walker – a set that's got a looser, freer vibe than some of his other albums – and which puts Walker in territory next to Shuggie Otis and Phil Upchurch from the same time in their careers! The set's equal parts jazz, funk, and soul – although is instrumental throughout, with Walker's great guitar work providing the only "voice" on the set! Instrumentation is nice and lean – with some electric piano at points, but mostly a strong focus on the guitar – all recorded in the manner of a blues album in terms of the grit, but nice and funky overall. Titles include "Doo Doo", "Plum Happy", "Love Vibrations", "Listen to The Sun", and "Come Together". Lots of stoned-out guitar funk! (Soul, Jazz) CD