A sweet bit of funky jazz vocals from Oscar Brown Jr – recorded during his early 70s stay at Atlantic Records, in a style that's very different than his early work! The tracks are all still original numbers by Oscar – penned with that clever bad-rapping approach to the lyrics that always earned him a huge audience in the cognoscenti. The feel is a bit more electric than before, with Richard Tee on electric piano, Cornell Dupree on guitar, and percussion by Ralph MacDonald. A few cuts have female backing vocals, and titles include "Gang Bang", "Feel the Fire", "Dime Away from a Hot Dog", and "Young Man". (Vocalists, Soul) CD

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Quite a different record than Gil Scott-Heron's previous "New Here" set for XL – and an album that goes much more back towards the roots of the XL label – with plenty of electronics from Jamie XX mixed in alongside Gil's heartfelt vocals and key spoken bits! There's still plenty of that Scott-Heron essence to keep our ears on the music – but the overall presentation is far less in the "authentic" mode that XL used on the previous record – a style that might, if you were the type to get a bit touchy about things, seem to discredit Gil's voice as just another sonic element in the mix. Titles include "The Crutch", "UR Soul & Mine", "I'll Take Care Of U", "Jazz", "I'm New Here", "Home", and "My Cloud". CD

A masterpiece of mid 70s jazz rock – from an obscure combo that features work by fusion legend Todd Cochrane Bayete! Bayete recorded two wonderful albums for Prestige before this set – and although the record has him moving into a much more rock-based style than on his fusion sessions, there's still a really cosmic groove at play here – infused with Bayete's soulful vocals and strong keyboard lines! Titles include "My Pearl", "Comin Through", "One N One", "Geni Geni", "There's A Way", "ITD", "Automatic Man", and "Atlantis Rising Theme". CD

A stunning little set from Incognito – the group's first full album on Talkin Loud records, and a set that's head and shoulders above their earlier jazz funk from the 80s! The sound here has a real "instant classic" quality – not just because it's dripping with the best references from the jazzier side of 70s soul (think Fantasy Records at its best!) – but also because it's so well put together, with a sense of instrumentation that's tight, yet an overall groove that's relaxed and fairly spontaneous – something that was quite rare at the time the record was released! Bluey is at the height of his powers here – stepping strongly into a run of great work that would last for well over a decade – and other key figures include Maysa Leak on vocals, Kevin Robinson on trumpet, and Graham Harvey and Peter Hinds on keyboards. Titles include a killer remake of Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing", plus "Change", "Colibri", "Magnetic Ocean", "Closer To The Feeling", "Tribal Vibes", "Pyramid", and "I Love What You Do For Me". (Neo Soul, Soul) CD

A flagship record from the wonderful Dome label – one of the hippest homes to contemporary soul on the other side of the Atlantic – and a company that's given us great music for over two decades! This set is one of their key early releases – a brilliant set from Hil St Soul – a singer who just grew and grew in popularity after this release. Hil's got a sweetly jazzy style – a bit like some of the underground NuSoul singers in the US in at the same time, but maybe with some of the crispness of the London scene too – and she sings here with some nicely restrained arrangements that have a good focus on beats and lots of warm instrumentation over the top, never too hype, just right for her personal style. Titles include "Strictly A Vibe Thing", "Just A Matter Of Time", "Nostalgia", "Concrete Jungle", "Free Spirit", "There For Me", "Until You Come Back To Me", "For Your Love", and "Props". (Neo Soul, Soul) CD

A really tremendous album from the legendary Gil Scott-Heron – and a set that stands as one of his greatest statements from the 70s! The record is a wonderful example of Gil's work in two different styles – sweet mellow jazzy soul, and harder heavier protest poetry – the latter from his roots as a writer in touch with the streets, and the former part of a brilliant new direction that he was taking on the Flying Dutchman label. Side one features classic jazzy tracks recorded with Brian Jackson – like "Free Will", "The Middle Of Your Days", "Speed Kills", and "Did You Hear What They Said?". Side two moves over to a much sparer sound – and has Gil reciting some of his poetry with very heavy percussion, and a very righteous approach. The wisdom and knowledge of those pieces is a perfect example of the kinds of issues that were haunting black America in the early 70s – especially on the tracks "No Knock", "The King Alfred Plan", and "Sex Education: Ghetto Style". CD version features 8 bonus tracks – alternate versions of some of the heavier-duty tunes on the album, some of which are quite different than the originals! Also includes new notes and photos! CD

A great later set from Nina Simone – quite sensitive at times, and with a different feel than some of her 70s work – but one that's still pure Simone all the way through! There's a return-to-classic feel going here – the sort of album that Jimmy Scott and others were making in the same early 90s stretch – when record labels realized that all the clunkier modes vocalists were saddled with in the 80s just weren't working, and that everyone was much better off with warmer strings and jazzier instrumentation pulled from years past. The approach gives the album a more classic jazz vocal style than some of Simone's other work, especially on the ballads – and tunes were arranged by Nina, Richard Evans, Jeremy Lubbock, and John Clayton. Titles include "A Single Woman", "Lonesome Cities", "Papa Can You Hear Me", "Just Say I Love Him", "The More I See You", and "Love's Been Good To Me". (Vocalists, Soul) CD

Some of the first truly sublime work from Johnny Guitar Watson – mid 50s R&B sides cut for the Modern label in LA, served up in a wonderful blend of blues roots, jazzy inflections, and that undeniable Johnny Guitar sense of power and personality! Even at this early age, Johnny had a style that was unlike anyone else – electric guitar-based blues at its roots, but served up with a hipper, smoother, more jazz-inspired style – one that was a perfect match for the wit and charm of Watson's vocals. The 16 track collection is still one of the best documents of Johnny's talents from the time – and it's filled with classics that include "She Moves Me", "Hot Little Mama", "Motor Head Baby", "Hot Little Mama", "Ruben", "Ain't Gonna Hush", "The Bear", "Those Lonely Lonely Nights", and "Three Hours Past Midnight". CD

2 Nancy Wilson Capitol sets from 1966 – back to back on one CD! From Broadway With Love is Broadway material – but given the Nancy Wilson twist – and sung in a mode that's a lot more soulful than other records of its type! Nancy's at her strong early Capitol best here – working with arranger Sid Feller in a set of tunes that get some nice syncopation and jazzy inflections from Sid – pushing them past their showier roots, and into leaner territory that really matches the class of the Nancy Wilson voice! And although they all came from musicals, most titles have had their own life as standards and pop songs – making the record less of a dip into Broadway than just a continuation of modes that Wilson was already exploring at Capitol in the 60s. Titles include "I've Got Your Number", "He Loves Me", "Here's That Rainy Day", "Hey There", "Makin Whoopee", and "Young & Foolish". Tender Loving Care has Nancy singing with arranger Billy May – who comes across here with a bit more sensitivity than usual for his Capitol work, especially given the 60s time of the recording! Sometimes, May is using full strings as a broad pillow of sound for Nancy's vocals – but other times, he strips things down and goes for a livelier, jazzier approach that's even better – one that helps give the familiar tunes a new lease on life in the hip Wilson style of the 60s. Titles include "As You Desire Me", "Like Someone In Love", "Don't Go To Strangers", "Tender Loving Care", "Love-Wise", "Try A Little Tenderness", and "Close Your Eyes". (Vocalists, Soul) CD

Great early work from Lowell Fulson – tracks recorded in the 50s for Chess Records – all in Chicago, and a fair bit more obscure than some of Lowell's better-known sides from the 60s! There's still a nicely gritty groove going on here – a style that's rooted in blues, but which often comes across with some of those more sly, more wicked moments that have always made Fulson one of our favorites – almost a slightly jazz or funk undercurrent at points, and a bit different than the regular Chess groove. Titles include "Do Me Right", "Trouble Trouble", "Hung Down Head", "Tollin Bells", "Low Society", "Check Yourself", "That's All Right", and "I Want To Know". (Blues, Soul) CD