A massive live set from Cannonball Adderley – and a record that really shows the growth he'd undergone in just a few short years! The album's done in close collaboration with David Axelrod – who'd handled Cannon's big live dates for Capitol in the 60s – but this record is much more freewheeling, open-ended, fuzz, funky, and electric overall! Tracks are all nice and long, and really trip out in the best way – with keyboards from George Duke in the core group, plus some heavy basslines from Walter Booker, drums from Roy McCurdy, and guitar from Mike Deasy on a number of key tracks. Deasy plays with lots of great wah wah and fuzz – and the album also features guest work from Airto on percussion and Ernie Watts on tenor – plus Cannonball's great alto and the cornet of brother Nat Adderley too. There's a really collaborative feel to the whole thing – as the record steps easily between a lot of heady styles – and titles include "Zanek", "Eye Of The Cosmos", "The Scene", "The Chocolate Nuisance", "The Steam Drill", "Little Benny Hen", and "The Black Messiah". (Jazz, Soul) CD

One of the coolest, baddest, funkiest albums Cannonball Adderley ever recorded – a massive suite of tunes based on the signs of the Zodiac, produced to perfection by David Axelrod, and featuring some hip recitations from the mighty Rick Holmes! The double-length set is completely compelling all the way through – a darkly brooding batch of funky jazz that shows a strong Miles Davis electric influence at points, thanks to Nat Adderley's spacey trumpet lines, Mike Deasy's trippy guitar, and George Duke's excellent keyboards! Other tracks are a bit more laidback, fitting the mood of their respective signs – and overall, the whole thing slips and slides wonderfully from cut to cut – taking you through the star signs with a really righteous, soulful approach. Titles include "Cancer", "Sagittarius", "Pisces", "Aquarius", "Capricorn", "Virgo", "Taurus", "Aries", "Libra", and a special "Introduction". (Jazz, Soul) CD

Nancy Wilson remakes American classics of the 20th century – taking a host of tunes from Gershwin, Ellington, Arlen, Porter, and Berlin – and remaking them in her sophisti-soul style of the 60s! She's got plenty of great help on the sessions – with arrangers that include Gerald Wilson, Jimmy Jones, and Billy May – plus accompaniment from players that include Cannonball Adderley, Hank Jones, and George Shearing. The collection features a total of 44 tracks in all – and titles include "Supper Time", "Sleepin Bee", "Secret Love", "My Ship", "Dearly Beloved", "Sophisticated Lady", "You Don't Know What Love Is", "All Of You", "Bewitched", "The More I See You", "Never Will I Marry", "This Time The Dream's On Me", "Prelude To A Kiss", and "By Myself". (Vocalists, Soul) CD

Music from James Brown, Etta James, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, Aaron Neville, the Impressions, Jackie Wilson, the Originals, the Dells, BB King, the Miracles, Cannonball Adderley, Mary Wells, and more. CD

An amazing slice of music from the legendary David Axelrod – quite different than his better-known sides for Capitol and Reprise Records – and plenty darn funky overall! Axelrod is at his studio best here – stepping off the funky jazz modes he produced for Cannonball Adderley, and taking a shot at that territory on his own! In a reversal of modes, Cannonball actually handles the production – with help from Jimmy Bowen – which leaves Axelrod alone to compose, arrange, and direct the group on the set. The album's got a fair bit of electricity in the mix – heavy keyboards from Joe Sample, and some really fuzzy guitars – plus lots of choppy reed work from Joe Sample and Ernie Watts, all wrapped up with some monstrously funky drums from Ndugu Chancler. There's a very bottom-heavy groove to the record – one that makes for a few completely amazing breaks, and a very funky sound overall – and Axelrod does an amazing job of controlling the players here – so that nobody jams too much, and the grooves are always right on the money! The whole thing's great – a sublime symphony of instrumental funk all the way through – and titles include "Reverie", "Miles Away", "Go For It", "Ken Russell", "1000 Rads", and "One". First time ever on CD – a seminal reissue from Dusty Groove! (Jazz, Soul) CD

One of the best albums that Lou Rawls cut with the team of HB Barnum and David Axelrod – that incredible duo who made some of his 60s Capitol albums so great! The style here is wonderful – upbeat grooves from Barnum – who brings more soul into Lou's music than before – recorded by Axelrod with the right sort of sharpness and punch – that special quality he brought to Cannonball Adderley's 60s soul classics too! Rawls is really at home in the setting – stepping out in some points with these hip monologue passages that are as great as his singing – maybe even better, too – as they show a whole new side of Lou's personality – that badass, totally hip quality that people might never have expected from the early days. One of the best of these is the excellent "Old Man's Memories", about a guy sitting on a bench in Washington Park on the south side of Chicago, which then rolls into an amazing version of "It Was A Very Good Year". Other tunes have a great mix of soul and jazz – and titles include "Love Is A Hurtin Thing", "A Whole Lotta Woman", "Don't Explain", "Old Folks", and "Breaking My Back (Instead Of Using My Mind)". CD