The Pan Afrikan People's Arkestra steps out here in a very large version of the ensemble – led by the great Horace Tapscott on piano, and stretching out on some very long tunes that are filled with strong solo work from different members of the group! Key players include Adele Sebastian and Aubrey Hart on flute, Desta Walker and Sabir Mateen on tenor, Billie Harris on soprano sax, Louis Spears on cello, Lester Robertson on trombone, Johnny Williams on baritone, and Tapscott on piano – most of whom are musicians you might know from the classic set of Nimbus label material from the LA scene at the time. The vibe here is maybe a more spiritual take on territory explored by Sun Ra and his Arkestra – and this release, like others in the series, marks the first time this music is available to the public! Titles include long takes on "Noissesprahs", "Jitterbug Waltz", "Village Dance", and "Many Nights Ago" – plus the shorter "Crepuscule With Nellie" and "Middle Age Madness". CD

A cool little album from the Kansas City scene – a mix of jazz, soul, and vocals – played by a mixed group that includes organ, guitar, vibes, and percussion! The sound is swinging soul jazz, but with vocals out front at times – and the sound is nicely rough around the edges, hardly the commercial affair you might guess from a group with "slick" in their name! These guys are clearly well suited to handling a variety of crowds, as you can tell from the shifting moods of the record – but they've also got a good talent for cooking up some good soulful tunes of their own, like the bossa-inspired "People's Choice", the mellow steppin "Voodoo Village", or the soul jazz groover "Crisco" – which begins with a really great break! The whole thing's pretty nice, and there's a few tasty cuts that also feature scatting vocals going together with the guitar. Titles include "Somewhere Along The Way", "Teach Me Tonight", "Gypsy In My Soul", and "Next Time You See Me". (Soul, Jazz) CD

An excellent double-length set from Horace Tapscott's Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra – an extremely righteous ensemble that was one of the hippest things going on the LA jazz scene of the 70s! The vibe is free and spiritual, but it also has a wonderful groove pulsating underneath many of the tracks – that heir to the Impulse Records style that Tapscott and other Nimbus Records artists carried on well into the early 80s. The group here features some of Tapscott's Nimbus labelmates – including Sabir Matteen and Billy Harris on tenor saxes, Linda Hill on piano, Adele Sebastian on flute, Roberto Miranda on bass, and Jesse Sharps on soprano sax – and in a way, the album's almost a live summation of all the mighty talents brewing on the Nimbus label at the time! Tracks are all quite long, and titles include a great version of Sebastian's "Desert Fairy Princess", plus "Macrame", "Future Sally's Time", "Noissessprahs", "Village Dance", "LTT", and "Lift Every Voice". CD