A classic album of classy vocals – one that helped set a whole new tone in 80s soul music! Anita had already gained a bit of experience on the soul scene before this set, but with this record she emerged as a full-formed diva who could effortlessly blend jazz and soul into a magnificent new sound. The production has a few touches that date the record a bit, but there's a timelessness to the set that was apparent to listeners the moment it was released. Titles include "Mystery", "No One In The World", "Sweet Love", "You Bring Me Joy", and "Caught Up In The Rapture". LP, Vinyl record album

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A masterful fusion set from guitarist Lee Ritenour – one that expands his sound a bit more than usual by adding in vocals on a number of tracks – but in a way that really gets at the mainstream soul influences that bubble through his jazz work! The set features key vocal appearances from Patti Austin, Tom Baylor, and Bill Champlin – all singers who really know how to respect the instrumental side of a tune, too – which is great, given that the record also features keyboards from Dave Grusin and Patrice Rushen too. Titles include "That's Enough For Me", "Sugarloaf Express", "What Do You Want", "Matchmakers", "Morning Glory", and "The Storm". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Few people did soulful fusion better than Lee Ritenour back in the early 80s – and the guitarist always seemed to find a way to really link together all the different sounds of the electric genre – from heavy jamming to soulful grooving to a rock-like appreciation for a good hook! Harvey Mason provides some great heavy drums, and also helped Lee produce – which gives the record a sharp, soulful focus that's like some of Harvey's own great records of the time – an undercurrent of funk that more than helps keep the Ritenour vocals moving along! Titles include "Mr Briefcase", "Countdown", "Good Question", "Dreamwalk", "Is It You", and "Just Tell Me Pretty Lies". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Jazzy soul all the way through – and a great little album from Lenny White and the Twennynine combo – a group that features some especially great keyboards from the great Don Blackman! The style here's a bit like some of Blackman's own work – rooted in fusion, but focused towards soul – with vocals on all tracks, but lots of tightly crafted riffs and grooves underneath! Keyboards and guitars are in the forefront on top of Lenny White's drums – but tunes also feature some EWF horn work, and an occasional vocal chorus arranged by Blackman, and featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater and Googie Coppola! Tracks include the classic 80s groover "Peanut Butter", plus "Tropical Nights", "Best Of Friends", "Take Me Or Leave Me", "Citi Dancin", and "Betta". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that strongly continues the special spirit that Grover Washington brought to his music during the Elektra Records years – as one of the few artists who really found a way to move forward from the style of 70s jazz funk, but not fall into some of the smoother jazz cliches that were about to envelop his contemporaries! Part of the strength of the record lies in Grover's strongly soul-based sense of timing – allowing for just the right amount of space between the notes to remind you that you're listening to a jazz soloist first and foremost, even when a guest like Patti Labelle might step in for a bit of vocals. Titles include "Brazilian Memories", "Mixty Motions", "Can You Dig It", "I'll Be With You", "Things Are Getting Better", and "The Best Is Yet To Come". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet electric funk from Womack and Womack – a set that's got the same sort of tight songwriting as their classic Love Wars set from the 80s, but a groove that's maybe even heavier on the beats and keyboards too! The style's still nice and warm, in all the right ways to work with the duo's vocals trading back to back – and in addition to Fender Rhodes from Linda, the album also features some nice worm from Bobby Lyle, Neal Larson, and Eddie Noble on the keys. Titles include "No Relief", "Maze", "Night Rider", "Strange & Funny", "Eyes", and "Radio MUSC Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A standout solo moment for Yazz – the singer who first rose to fame as part of the Coldcut soundsystem, then really broke big at a point when UK soul was cracking the American mainstream! Yazz may have a bleached-out look on the cover, but her sound is deeply soulful – and fits in perfectly with the house-styled grooves on the record – backings that have an unabashed love of disco, at a time when listening audiences were maybe forgiving that music for all of its previous excesses, and strongly embracing its best qualities again – in a groove that's maybe a bit similar to Lisa Stansfield at the time, although with more beats and less strings. Production and backings are by Coldcut, FON, Youth, and other hip talents – and titles include her great remake of "The Only Way Is Up" – plus "Systematic People", "Wanted On The Floor", "Stand Up For Your Love Rights", "Fine Time", "Where Has All The Love Gone", "Got To Share", and "Turn It Up". LP, Vinyl record album

Sensational sounds from Starpoint – an overlooked set from 80s, and one that has the group working with contemporary soul maestro Preston Glass! Glass brings in his own approach to beats and keyboards, and helps the group find a style that's got lots of lean bounce, and a style that maybe picks up a bit of the currents that were touching mainstream soul from the world of hip hop – almost a pre-New Jack Swing approach at times. Titles include "He Wants My Body", "DYBO", "Prove It Tonight", "Sensational", "Another Night", "Touch Of Your Love", and "Second Chance". LP, Vinyl record album

She's back, with another dose of ear candy for those of you who didn't get enough first time around. Timbaland's absent in the producer's seat, but the ghost of his sound is there as Missy Elliott lends a hand on most tracks, with a spare, heavily hip hop influenced vibe. We're not going to pretend this is any kind of groundbreaking stuff, but you can bet this will be the soundtrack to someone's summer out there. Includes "Turn Da Lights Off", "Iceberg", "Could It Be", "Cab Ride", "Things I Don't Mean", "My Man"Sports, Sex & Food", "Small Change", "Two Of Us", "I'm Done" and "We Don't Need No Water". LP, Vinyl record album

This one's a real shift from her earlier jazz-based work, or her recent recordings for Verve – and a sweet funky fusion album that Dee Dee recorded for Elektra in the late 70s. The set was produced by Stanley Clarke, and has a soul/fusion sound that's not that different than his own work of the time, and which works very well with Dee Dee's sweet vocal approach. Players include Bobby Lyle, Ronnie Foster, George Duke, and other strong 70s fusion players – and overall, the record's probably Dee Dee's best non straight jazz album of the 70s. Tracks include "Sweet Rain", "Open Up Your Eyes", "Just Family", "Melody Maker", and "Children Are The Spirit (Of The World)". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweeeeeet groover by Patrice Rushen – her first album for Elektra, and a stunning blend of funky jazz and soul! The record really has Patrice stepping out from her earlier years at Prestige – working in some surprisingly great vocals next to tight lines on Fender Rhodes, synth, and clavinet, handled with a smooth and soulful quality that's wonderful all the way through – a blend of soul and jazz that few other players could do this well – no matter how many others tried to copy her style over the years! Rhythms are as hard and heavy as on the Prestige years, and the keyboards have a great sort of focus too – just the right mix of jazz to offset the vocals – which themselves are a wonderful discovery. The whole album's a gem – and tracks include the great funky classic "Hang It Up", plus "Changes (In Your Life)", "When I Found You", "Play", "Didn't You Know?", and "Music Of The Earth". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work from Patrice Rushen – one of the records that not only helped break her out of the jazz funk ghetto, and right into the mainstream – but a set that also had a pretty profound influence on the progression of soul in the early 80s! Rushen sings as well as plays keyboards – and really pushes the use of jazzy elements that would take R&B to the next level – almost inventing the 80s groove sound in the process! The whole thing's a totally sweet mix of funk and soul, tightened up to get everything in the door at the same time – and titles include "Givin It Up Is Givin Up", "Call On Me", "Haven't You Heard", and "Let The Music Take Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer from Shadow – a modern soul trio who are perhaps best remembered for the work they did with Leon Ware, but who sound pretty darn wonderful here on their own! The record's got a nice sense of groove, but also goes for that perfect midtempo balance that we love in the great run of soul titles from Elektra at this point – never trying too hard to fill in a club space in the post-disco years, and always moving towards the right sort of warmer sounds that keep things real. There's a nice focus to the songs throughout – almost tighter and sharper than the group's other work – and tracks include the mellow "No Better Love" and "Say It Again", both with a nice cold slow jam kind of groove – plus "Get It", "Love Lite", and "I Need Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Starpoint's one of those groups that always seem to be working a notch or two above most of their 80s contemporaries – and even on this mid-decade set, they're still going strong – bouncing around in upbeat rhythms, catchy hooks, and well-balanced instrumentation. Renee Diggs' vocals still sound great on top of the grooves, and even though the overall sound is moving more towards the charts at the time, Starpoint still keep away from ever getting too commercial. Titles include "Emotions", "Object Of My Desire", "See The Light", "Till The End Of Time", "Don't Take Your Love Away", "Restless", and "What You Been Missing". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime jazzy soul from Twennynine – a combo that's headed by drummer Lenny White, but which is a really solid group affair overall! Twennynine have a perfect sense of poise throughout – that great mix of jazzy elements and more straightforward soul that characterized some of the best groups of the early 80s – served up with a bit of polish, but still plenty of nice sharp edges on the grooves. Keyboards slide along nicely with the basslines and drums – and although lead vocals are by Barry Johnson, most of the group members manage to sing a bit throughout the set – fleshing out the grooves wonderfully with some really warm chorus parts. Titles include "Movin On", "Rhythm", "Twennynine (The Rap)", "Just Like Dreamin", "Don't Look Back", "Need You", "Find A Love", and "All I Want". LP, Vinyl record album

Grover Washington blows over some great arrangements from William Eaton – full, but lean too – and with the same sort of slinky groove that always worked best for Grover back at Kudu Records! The sound is tight, but never too slick – that magically soulful approach that always made Grover a real standout from his contemporaries – one of the few cats who could smooth out jazz without ever losing its soul – thanks to lots of well-crafted lead lines on soprano sax! Titles include "East River Drive", "Jamming", "Little Black Samba", "Be Mine", and "Reaching Out". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

If there's anyone we trust with a fusion groove, it's the great Grover Washington – as Washington's 70s albums for Kudu are still the blueprint for mixing saxophone solos with electric jazzy backing – a rich legacy he continued strongly into later years! This early 80s set has Washington soaring to the skies on soprano sax – as expressive a voice on the record as any soul singer might be – and maybe even more so on the few spots that do include vocals. Jon Lucien sings a bit on the record – and if you read these pages, you know how much we love him – but Grover's still the giant here, with a sense of timing and phrasing that few of his contemporaries could ever hope to match in a setting like this. Titles include "Jet Stream", "Sassy Stew", "Dawn Song", "Inside Moves", "Watching You Watching Me", and "Secret Stew". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet sweet set of electric 70s funk – recorded by Booker T during a brief, but well-needed reunion with the MGs! The sound here is quite different than Stax-era MGs – as Booker plays a range of keyboards, not just organ – and the grooves have these great jazz funk touches at the bottom – almost a CTI vibe at times, but packed with the tighter energy you'd expect from the group! Steve Cropper's guitar is great – super-fine, and razor-sharp – really helping cut a nice edge on the cuts – over bass from Donald Duck Dunn and drums from Willie Hall, who's the only new member of the group. In a way, the album feels like mid 70s efforts from Johnny Hammond or Jimmy Smith – sweetly soaring on a let-loose 70s vibe. Titles include the funky break track "Grab Bag", plus "Sticky Stuff", "Moto Cross", "Tie Stick", and "Space Nuts". LP, Vinyl record album

Smoking work from Donald Byrd – post-Blue Note, post-Larry Mizell, and with a modern funk groove that's still pretty darn tasty! Not one to rest on his laurels – which he could have easily done with endless Mizell-based recordings – Donald shifts his groove here towards more of a boogie-styled 80s approach – one that's got the same sort of loping funk that was showing up in the work of Tom Browne and some of the younger players on the scene at the time. There's a fuller, richer, more soul-based approach to the set – but still some strands of the Mizell years – especially in the album's great keyboard work by Clare Fischer, and its use of chorus vocals on a number of tracks. Wade Marcus and George Bohannon helped with arrangements – and titles include a great funky remake of Fischer's "Morning" – plus "Veronica", "Gold The Moon, White The Sun", "Marilyn", "Pretty Baby", and "People Suppose To Be Free". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Funky soul from the great Marcos Valle – a great blend of mellow grooves and upbeat tunes recorded at the same time Valle was working in the US with Leon Ware! The style here is very similar to Ware's 2 albums for Elektra – both of which feature work from Valle, and include tunes that are also done here in Portuguese versions! Marcos makes a real departure from some of his earlier work here, and emerges as a surprisingly great soul star with plenty of talents for penning two-step tunes and keyboard-heavy tracks that glisten with a sweet California groove. A few tracks recall some of Valle's Odeon work – like the baroque instrumental "Camina Grande" – but we're most partial to the soul tracks that dominate the record, and which include "Bicho No Cio", "Pecados De Amor","Garimpando" and "A Paraiba Nao e Chicago". (Brazil, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever release of this lost soul treasure – a rare session from a late 70s group from Tulsa, recording in LA at the studio of Sly Stone! The set's got a groove that's way more than you'd expect from any Oklahoma combo – a mature, modern soul sparkle that's totally great – almost the sort of vibe you'd find from some of the best groups of the time on labels like Elektra or Capitol, but handled here with a bit more indie charm overall! The tracks are all originals, and they balance out mellow steppers and tighter groovers nicely – which makes for an album that's amazingly deep in conception, and way more than just a slap-dash batch of tracks from the studio. We're sure that Sly would have been proud of the work here – and our hat's off to the folks at Lotus Land for finally getting this one released! Titles include "Funky Sounds", "Accept The Truth", "Keep On Smiling", "If You Dance Tonight", "I Love Everything About You", "On A Lovely Night Like This", "I Hope You'll Be", and an untitled track. LP, Vinyl record album

If you've ever doubted the influence of Donald Byrd on jazz, this is an album that will change your mind! Trumpeter Rahmlee covers a wide range of Byrd's styles from the 70s – from the simpler funky jazz of the early Mizell years, to the later more R&B-ish work on Elektra, to some of Byrd's more vocal-oriented recordings – and he actually does a pretty darn nice job, hitting some good funky groove that have a strong trumpet sound. He's got help on the record from hipper soul jazz players like Don Myrick, Derf Reklaw, and Ndugu – and the album's a nice bit of funky jazz that holds together well cover to cover. Titles include "Rise Of The Phenix", "Think", "Never Give Up On You", and "Heartbreaker". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent sampler of her great stuff for Prestige from the 70's, with one track from each of the great LPs Prelusion and Before The Dawn, and the rest pulled from Shout It Out, which is our favorite. Much more soul jazz and funky fusion oriented than her later crossover work for Elektra, this stuff snaps nicely and as always Patrice's touch on the keys is nice. Nearly every track's a winner: "Let Your Heart Be Free", "Let There Be Funk", "What's The Story", "Shout ItOut", "Yolon", "Traverse", "The Hump", "Roll With The Punches", "Sojourn" and "Stepping Stones". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A masterpiece of sweet group soul! This was the first secular record cut by The Voices Of East Harlem – a group who'd had an earlier gospel-tinged album on Elektra, but who are soaring out here in a brilliant mix of righteous mainstream soul styles – courtesy of the Curtom power team of Rich Tufo, Leroy Hutson, and Curtis Mayfield! The album's an unusual non-Curtom effort by the Hutson and Curtom – who collaborated in producing the record with Tufo, who himself did most of the arrangements with Hutson – in a mode that's wonderfully in the same spirit as Leroy's seminal work for Curtom in the mid 70s. There's a depth here that makes the album one of our favorite-ever soul records from the 70s – brilliant not just for the overall sound, but also for the pointed lyrics and really personal feel of the songs. Lead vocals shift between the different tunes – but are mostly handled by Gerri Griffin and Monica Burress, with warm support by the rest of the group. Titles include "Giving Love", "Cashing In", "Could This Be Love", "New Vibrations", and "Wanted Dead or Alive". LP, Vinyl record album