A hip batch of underground poetry tracks – collected together by the Before Columbus Foundation, a group dedicated to promoting the works of African-American and Native American artists! Despite the 1980 date, the collection has a feel that's similar to earlier righteous poetry albums on the Folkways label – proof that the flames were still burning strong in the underground, even though artists such as these weren't getting as much mainstream attention at the end of the 70s! Most readings are recorded live, with a relatively spare, stark sound – and performances include "Dope" by Amiri Baraka, "St Louis Woman" by Ishmael Reed, "For The Poets" by Jayne Cortez, "Bark Is What Us Dogs Do" by David Meltzer, "Flipochinos, Being Your Woman, & Pacific Lover" by Cyn Zarco, and "Artist/Art This" by Victor Hernandez Cruz. (Spoken Word, Soul) CD

A really fantastic album from James Brown – and an unusual one, too – as it was only ever issued overseas back in the early 70s! The album's got a title that's similar to one of James' Christmas albums, but it's a completely different record – kind of a condensation of some of his best funky moments from the start of the 70s – with a track list that's overflowing with hard funk killers! A good number of the tracks here are two-parters – showing Brown and the group stretching out in the way that the JBs would take even further in years to come – working through "Make It Funky (parts 1 & 2)", "My Part/Make It Funky (parts 3 & 4)", "I'm A Greedy Man (parts 1 & 2)", and "Hey America (parts 1 & 2)". The set also features the socking classic "Soul Power" – plus "Let It Be Me", "I Cried", and a 1967 live Apollo version of "Kansas City" – plus takes on "Let It Be Me" and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" that later had applause added on the Super Bad album. CD

Two sweet sets from Hiroshima – back to back on a single CD! First up is the self-titled first album from Hiroshima – a group who took the 70s experiments in Japanese fusion right into the American mainstream – with a wonderful blend of jazz and soul, and a production style that was never too polished or commercial! The group's led by reedman Dan Kuramota – who plays both sax and flutes, including a bit of Japanese wooden flute – which gives the record a few slight "Eastern" touches a times, although the overall vibe is strongly in the best soulful fusion of the period! In keeping with that approach, there's a bit of vocals on the record – sung in English with a soulful vibe – on titles that include "Lion Dance", "Da Da", "Taiko Song", "Holidays", "Never Ever", and "Kokoro". Odori is a wicked blend of jazz and soul from Hiroshima – a group who've got the smooth blend of styles we love in some of the import-only fusion dates that were coming from Japan in the late 70s! The group's got a few light touches that emphasize their Pacific roots – including light flute lines and touches of koto and shamisen, but often used in more subtle ways than on earlier Japanese albums that mixed these rootsy elements with jazz – and the overall vibe here is one that's got plenty of appeal to fans of crossover fusion from the time, especially the kind with a strong current of soul! There's a bit of vocals on the record, too – and titles include "Winds Of Change", "Odori", "Echoes", "Cruisin J-Town", "Fortune Teller", and "Shinto". (Jazz, Soul) CD

2 albums by the great Eugene McDaniels – back to back on one CD! Headless Heroes is a holy grail for funk collectors – and one that we can't believe got reissued! The record is a monstrously moody LP of jazzy changes and groovy vocals with the classic "Jagger the Dagger", which was sampled to great fame by Tribe Called Quest. The title track was used by the Beasties, and lord knows all of you are looking for more. The rest of this is as groovy as those tracks, with lots of nice moody bits and very righteous lyrics. Other titles include "Supermarket Blues", "Freedom Death Dance", "The Parasite", and "Lovin' Man". Outlaw is a mix of rock and soul that features a strong political message that's probably best embodied in the statment on the back that reads "Under conditions of national emergency, like now, there are only two kinds of people – those who work for freedom, and those who do not: the good guys vs the bad guys". The sound of the record is similar to McDaniels' classic Headless Heroes album (recorded after this one), with jazzy backing, and righteous vocals by the man. Titles include "Love Letter To America", "Black Boy", "Outlaw", and "Sagittarius Red". CD

An incredible step forward for 60s soul singer Gene McDaniels – so much so, that most folks hearing this album can't believe he's the same guy who recorded for Liberty Records a few years before! The album's incredibly righteous right from the start – and has a genre-busting quality that isn't quite soul, but isn't rock or anything else either – and instead, the kind of progressive, "years ahead of its time" sort of set that guys like David Axelrod were cutting in the same stretch. Apart from the title, the whole record's got a strong political message that's probably best embodied in the statement on the back – "Under conditions of national emergency, like now, there are only two kinds of people – those who work for freedom, and those who do not – the good guys vs the bad guys". With words like that, you can definitely bet that Eugene is on the side of the good guys – really pushing a social agenda with some wonderfully-penned tunes on the album – set to cool musical backdrops from the equally-righteous William S Fischer. Titles include "Love Letter To America", "Black Boy", "Outlaw", and "Sagittarius Red". CD

One of the funkiest combos we've heard from the African scene of the 70s – and that's saying a lot, given how much great music was going on at the time! These guys really know how to lean into a long song, and open it up with incredible instrumental sharpness – a way of coming together, and stepping into a solo that's a bit like the JBs in the early 70s – who we think must have been an influence on the way these guys make their music! The set's got two especially great funky numbers – "World People" and "Take Your Soul" – both of which could easily stand next to American funk work of the time. Also includes the earthy groover "Alikali Adajo", and the message cut "Freedom For Africa". (Global Grooves, Soul) CD

A killer! Take the funky genius of Kenny Dope and Keb Darge, set them loose on a pile of rare funky 45s, and you've got one of the best sets of music we've ever carried! Both guys really know their stuff – and they've done an excellent job with this set, which is easily as great as any of the Keb Darge ones, if not better! Hard drums, rumbling bass, blaring horns, choppy guitars, and screaming vocals abound – and the set's a great blend of instrumental and vocal funk, all with that deep deep deep sound that never gets old! Titles include "Get It Off The Ground" by Joe Coleman, "I Got Some" by Billy Gardner, "UFO" by Micky & Them, "Contradiction" by Total Experience, "Soul Food" by Frankie Seay & The Soul Riders, "I Turn You On" by Latin Breed, "Don't Push Your Luck" by The Peacemakers, "Grandma's Funky Popcorn" by The Soul Generals, "Ghost A Go Go" by Richard Rome, and "Cissy Strut N American Woman" by The Willard Posey Reunion. Great stuff – and 20 cuts in all! (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

An amazing compilation – a decade in the making, and filled with wonderful grooves – most of which have never appeared on CD or LP reissues! And while the music itself is already wonderful, the package also includes an amazing 80 page book, too – a rich research project that digs deep into the American underground of the 70s – and features a wealth of photos, images, and historical details on music that never got it's due back in the day! The set's based around the groundbreaking series of Soul Cal 12" reissues put together by Stones Throw about a decade ago – wonderful records that unearthed rare grooves that fall beautifully in a space between funk and club – almost all originally issued on tiny little labels from all over the US, but working together to create a rich vibe in the set. Given the book, there's a Numero-like heft to the whole thing – although the range of grooves is even greater than one of their collections – and titles include "Ecology" by Anubis, "You Can Be A Star" by Luther Davis, "Don't Get Discouraged" by UPC All Stars, "Things Cannot Stop Forever" by Stanton Davis, "Free Your Mind" by Record Player, "Get Down" by Freedom Express, "Keep Running Away" by Clifford Nyren, "Love Is" by Leon Mitchison & The Eastex Freeway Band, "What It Takes To Live" by Key & Cleary, "I'm Gonna Miss You Girl" by Ellis & Cephas, "It's A Bad Feeling" by Mixed Sugar, and "Put A Smile On Time" by Rhythm Machine. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

An incredible addition to the rich legacy of Stax Records – a massive collection of 146 tracks, almost all of which appear here for the first time ever – a set that represents recordings done by all the great songwriters who were working for Stax at the time, most of whom were also recording artists on the label! Given that fact, these aren't scratchy recordings performed by hacks who can't sing – as almost all the material features the sort of top-shelf vocalists who made Stax such a deep soul powerhouse in the 60s and 70s – represented here in a style that shows just how much freedom of creative expression the label allowed its best – very different than the way some of the bigger companies would just cram a song down a quickly-booked session in the studio! Plus, these demo tracks are done in a variety of modes – some with very stripped-down instrumentation, some with fuller groups – and together, they offer a key look at the creative process at Stax – one that's very different than the iconic sound of productions in their Memphis studio, and which really shows an even deeper range of expression through the variety of approaches. The 7CD set has a really cool approach – CDs 1, 2, and 3 feature demos by Stax artists singing their own material; CD4 features Stax singer/songwriters working on non-Stax material; and CDs 5, 6, and 7 feature songs by these artists that were never issued at the time! The set includes work by The Staple Singers, William Bell, Carla Thomas, Bettye Crutcher, Homer Banks, Eddie Floyd, Veda Brown, Frederick Knight, Mack Rice, Delaney Bramlett, Jimmy Hughes, and many others – and the package features 146 tracks in all, with copious notes on the material! CD

An incredible addition to the rich legacy of Stax Records – a massive collection of 146 tracks, almost all of which appear here for the first time ever – a set that represents recordings done by all the great songwriters who were working for Stax at the time, most of whom were also recording artists on the label! Given that fact, these aren't scratchy recordings performed by hacks who can't sing – as almost all the material features the sort of top-shelf vocalists who made Stax such a deep soul powerhouse in the 60s and 70s – represented here in a style that shows just how much freedom of creative expression the label allowed its best – very different than the way some of the bigger companies would just cram a song down a quickly-booked session in the studio! Plus, these demo tracks are done in a variety of modes – some with very stripped-down instrumentation, some with fuller groups – and together, they offer a key look at the creative process at Stax – one that's very different than the iconic sound of productions in their Memphis studio, and which really shows an even deeper range of expression through the variety of approaches. The 7CD set has a really cool approach – CDs 1, 2, and 3 feature demos by Stax artists singing their own material; CD4 features Stax singer/songwriters working on non-Stax material; and CDs 5, 6, and 7 feature songs by these artists that were never issued at the time! The set includes work by The Staple Singers, William Bell, Carla Thomas, Bettye Crutcher, Homer Banks, Eddie Floyd, Veda Brown, Frederick Knight, Mack Rice, Delaney Bramlett, Jimmy Hughes, and many others – and the package features 146 tracks in all, with copious notes on the material! CD