An excellent box set that brings together all of the material recorded at the unique Newport Festival in 1972 – the historic shift to New York City after the previous year's effort in Rhode Island was shut down by demonstrators! The package features a whopping 6 albums in all – 4 of which are Jam session volumes, with material from players who include Charles Mingus, Jimmy Owens, Charles McPherson, Buddy Tate, Big Black, Milt Jackson, Max Roach, Jaki Byard, Nat Adderley, Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon, and many others – all playing long, open, live tracks. LP 5 features "The Jimmy Smith Jam" – a very jamming set of work by Smith, with help from Kenny Burrell on guitar and Zoot Sims on tenor. LP 6 is "The Soul Sessions" – featuring soul material from Roberta Flack, Curtis Mayfield, Les McCann, and Herbie Mann. (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Some great tracks from the jazzy soulful genius of Norman Connors! Connors is one of the best crossover soul jazz artists of the 70s – with a masterful blend of styles that's matched by only a few other artists, like Roy Ayers or Leroy Hutson. This set includes tracks from his Buddah and Arista recordings – and the sound is classic all the way through! Titles include "You Are My Starship", "This Is Your Life", "Betcha By Golly Wow", "Valentine Love", "Love From The Sun", and "Once I've Been There". LP, Vinyl record album

A great step forward for The Bar-Kays – an album that actually has them taking on a few mellower moments, amidst the heavy funk you might expect – yet all without softening their groove at all! The album's very much in the best spirit of the group's Mercury debut – still recorded in Memphis, with production that's tight, but never uptight – enough to firmly put the group at the top of the funk superstar scene of the mid 70s, yet never sell out the rich Memphis groove that first got them going! Titles include "You Can't Run Away", "Let's Have Some Fun", "Can't Keep My Hands Off You", "Whatever It Is", and "Shut the Funk Up". (Soul, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album of mellow soul tracks! The record is Lou Courtney's masterpiece – and it's a jam-packed set filled with great tracks that rank right up there with classic 70s work by artists like Marvin Gaye, Leroy Hutson, or Leon Ware! Leon Pendarvis handled most of the arrangements – and the record's got a wonderfully full soul sound – with a mix of moody keyboard-driven groovers and ballads – all topped by excellent vocals from Lou, miles ahead of any work he did in the early days! The best thing, though, is the songwriting, as these tracks rank right up there with the best underground mellow soul we can think of – sophisticated yet not soppy, filled with soulful lyrics about love and losing it, never giving into cliches of other soul from the time. A real dream of an album – and filled with great tracks like "I Will If You Will", "I'm In Need Of Love", "Just To Let Him Break Your Heart", "Somebody New Is Loving On You", and "The Common Broken Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

Genius work from Norman Feels – a virtually unknown mellow soul singer from the 70s, but one who should have been huge! Norman sings with this sweetly crackling style that we loved the moment we first heard it – a sound that's somewhere in territory covered by Marvin Gaye or Leroy Hutson at the time, but which has a personality and intimacy that's Norman's own. Arrangements on the set are by David Van De Pitte – who manages to use full backings, but keep things nice and upfront – never covering over Norman's voice, and allowing the singer to dominate the set with his mellow-grooving charm! Titles include "Shame", "Movie", "You Made Me Feel Better", "Mr Wanna Be", "Where Or When", "You Can't Stop My Love", and "I'll Show You The Way". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great underground groover from the 70s – an album that hardly got any circulation at the time, but which has gone onto become the stuff of legend over the years! The album's a bit unusual, in that it almost feels like an expanded package of 12" singles – as the a-side features four vocal tracks that are all great club numbers – then the b-side has all the same songs, but presented as instrumentals! There's a nicely sophisticated feel to most numbers – almost in the Roy Ayers or Leroy Hutson side of the spectrum – more midtempo mellow club than any sort of disco – and the set includes the classic cut "Give Me the Sunshine", and the original recording of "I'm Back for More", which was the big hit for Al Johnson a few years later. The other two tracks are "Madam Butterfly" and "Get Down People" – and all four of these are also done as instrumentals. LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant first album from Marc Sadane – an artist who never hit big at the time, but who really shines here in a set of mellow and modern soul tracks that's completely sublime! Sadane gets great production help from the team of Mtume and Reggie Lucas – who set his wonderful vocals up in the kind of space you might hear from Leon Ware or Leroy Hutson at the time – a style that's rich and romantic, but never overtone or soppy at all – balanced perfectly at a level that few mature masculine singers could ever do this well! The whole thing's a gem – and the title cut "One Way Love Affair" is a killer, and the record includes loads of other great tracks like "Sit Up", "Love Can't Wait", "Midnight Love Dance", and "Make Up Your Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent smooth soul groover from Johnny Bristol! The album has Johnny stepping into a more sophisticated groove than he used on his early 70s albums for MGM – mixing together styles that sound a lot like those used by artists like Leroy Hutson or Leon Ware at the time, a mix of well-produced backings with just the right touch of strings, keyboards, and tight rhythms. Johnny's voice has a bit rootsier quality than you might be used to for this sort of album – which makes for an even more unique sound, especially on the mellower cuts. Tracks include "Do It To My Mind", "Have Yourself A Good Time Thinkin' Bout The Good Times", "You Turned Me On To Love", "I Sho Like Groovin' With Ya", and "She Came Into My Life". Nice one! LP, Vinyl record album

A wicked reinvention of the sound of Bo Diddley – a set that electrifies his groove even more than before – and takes him into the same mix of funk and blues that Muddy Waters and Howlin Wolf were exploring at the time! This album's right up there with the two Cadet/Chess classics by both of those artists – and is possibly even more messed-up too – with lots of jagged edges that push past the usual Bo Diddley groove – even though that classic sense of rhythm is still at the core to drive things along! We don't know who's playing drums, but they've got a nice heavy handed approach that makes these tracks really boom – and the set's in a massively funky style that's taken far too many years to be acknowledged for in the mainstream! Lots of nice ones, including "Shut Up Woman", "Funky Fly", "Power House", "Black Soul", "Elephant Man", and "I've Got A Feeling". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Eddie Kendricks, vintage 1978 – and still very much in the great grooving mode he brought to his earlier solo material for Motown! Even in this giant dancefloor generation, Eddie's got something very special and unique – a voice that can still sound as heartbreaking on a groover as it can on a ballad – and which has a way of linking an earlier generation of fragile male soul vocals with a new sense of 70s masculinity – of which Kendricks was one of the leading lights in soul! There's moments here that might well match some of the best late 70s work by artists like Marvin Gaye or Leroy Hutson – and the strong arrangements are by Andrew Louis Smith – a name we don't really know at all, but who should be thanked for helping the record avoid any disco cliches. Titles include "How's Your Love Life Baby", "One Of The Poorest People", "Love Love Love", "The Best Of Strangers Now", "Don't Underestimate The Power Of Love", "Ain't No Smoke Without A Fire" and "Maybe I'm A Fool To Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic bit of lost soul from the mid 60s – and the only full length set ever cut by the great James Ray – a hell of a singer, and one with a sound that's as striking as his image on the cover! The production is sharp – thanks to work from Hutch Davie – but Ray's got this rawness that cuts through the charts immediately, and knocks you over with his sheer power and presence – maybe heard most famously on the standout original version of "I Got My Mind Set On You" – a tune covered by others over the years, but never done as great as this version by James! The whole album's fantastic – and other titles include "It's Been A Drag", "Itty Bitty Pieces", "The Old Man & The Mule", and "Welcome To The Floor". LP, Vinyl record album

Warm and wonderful soul from David Ruffin – key proof that the singer could keep on going strong, long after his earlier fame at Motown! The record's got a new sense of sophistication that really breaks David into new territory – a style that's nicely different than the backings Ruffin got from Van McCoy in his later Motown years – and which opens up a more mature sound, courtesy of producer Don Davis – who's casting Ruffin in the same blend of rough and smooth that worked so well for The Dramatics! There's a sophistication here that's completely sublime – a sound that's right up there with Leroy Hutson or Leon Ware – and most tunes hit a mellow or midtempo mode that's totally great! Tracks include "Chain On The Brain", "Break My Heart", "Morning Sun Looks Blue", "Let Your Love Rain Down On Me", "So Soon We Change", and "Sexy Dancer". LP, Vinyl record album

A great one from Gil Scott-Heron – and another wonderful collaboration with Brian Jackson – who handled all the arrangements on this set, and gave the record that sweet jazzy sound that makes Gil's work from this time some of his best ever! There's loads of excellent electric piano from Jackson – whose work in the style made the Winter In America album so great – and the combination of Gil's vocals and his keys really makes the album sublime! Leading the way, Gil's heavy, strong, strident and focused lyricism – presciently and poetically preparing for the 80s as only he could! Includes the single "Shut 'Um Down", "Alien (Hold On To Your Dreams)", "Willing", "Corners", "Late Last Night", and "Push Comes To Shove". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last great 70s soundtracks on Curtom Records – a smoking little set that pairs the music of Curtis Mayfield with the vocals of Mavis Staples! Curtis is very much in charge of the record from the start, and works in a hard-stepping and righteous mode that recalls his earlier work on the Staples' soundtrack for Let's Do It Again – no surprise, given that Piece Of The Action was the next installment in the successful series of films that starred Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier! The sound here is nicely full, hitting that rich mid 70s Curtom mode that sounded so great on Leroy Hutson and Natural Four albums of the time – a slightly more sophisticated approach that mixed in a bit of strings with the heavier funk at the bottom. Titles include "Chocolate City", written by Curtis with Keni Burke and Henry Gibson, plus "Getting Deeper", "A Piece Of The Action", "Orientation", and "Of Whom Shall I Be Afraid". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost little gem from Jerry – recorded towards the end of his years with Mercury. The record's got Jerry working in a much hipper style than before, drawing off the pool of younger Chicago soul talents that he'd begun to collect on some of his earlier albums for Mercury – and the album features tracks by Leroy Hutson, Terry Callier, Marvin Yancey, and the team of Hanks and Grey. Richard Evans handled the arrangements, and they're a good extension of his work at Cadet – with strong bass-heavy soul grooves, augmented by strings and some great funky clavinet work. Titles include the funky classics "I'm Your Mechanical Man" and "You've Been Around Too Long" – plus "High Stepper", "Start Living It Up", "Sing To Me", "Take The Time To Tell Her", and "Playing On You". LP, Vinyl record album

A jazzy combo with plenty of soul – working here with plenty of fusion undercurrents, but in a way that's tied together with some really great vocals on the top! The style's a bit like that of James Mason on his legendary Rhythm Of Life LP – soaring, righteous, and with some slightly cosmic elements – especially in the way the guitar, keyboards, and vibes come together with an upbeat sort of groove! Ted sings, plays piano and vibes, and wrote all the tunes for the set – and the album's a beautiful lost treasure that has plenty of greatness to offer – echoes of Bobby Hutcherson, Roy Ayers, and others – in addition to James Mason – but also a richly personal vibe that's all its own. Titles include "Sweet Bird", "Samba De", "Can You Feel It", "Due Consideration", "If We Took The Time", and "What A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set of smooth 70s soul from an under-recognized genius! Phillip Mitchell is a bit like his Atlantic Records contemporary Sam Dees – in that he wrote a lot of material for other singers, recorded a handful of singles, and worked mostly in the southern scene – but he also had a sophisticated, modern style that sounded a lot more like work coming out of New York, Philly, or Chicago. This lost album for Atlantic is a great example of that fact – as it was recorded at Muscle Shoals, but also features some Philly elements too – creating a great mix of modes that's wonderfully unique! There's a feel here that's just like some of the best work from Leroy Hutson, Johnny Bristol, or Leon Ware at the same time – a majestic, mature approach to soul that's simply tremendous. Titles include "In Between Lovers", "Top Of The Line", "I'm So Happy", "Let's Get Wet", "Paying The Price", and "If It Ain't Love It'll Go Away". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that has Jr Walker and the group stepping out with some of the righteous touches promised in the title – partly in the choice of songs on the set, which are all nicely tucked into that strong mix of deep soul vocals and saxophone lines that had become the Jr Walker groove! The set features work from a number of different arrangers – all the hipper side of Motown in the early 70s, as the list includes, Willie Hutch, Gene Page, and James Carmichael – and tunes include two great originals, one by Hutch, one by Leon Ware. Tracks include "It's Alright Do What You Gotta Do", "Soul Clappin'", "Gimme that Beat (parts 1 & 2)", "It's Too Late", and "Peace & Understanding Is Hard To Find". LP, Vinyl record album

The last Motown album of the 70s for Willie Hutch – and his last LP for the label before comback to the label in the mid 80s! Willie does indeed have nice little funky soul party going on here– with a steady, but not too laidback groove that bridges the more stripped down funk of earlier records to breezier and slightly more elegant soul sounds of the later 70s. There's some nice guitar, bass and Fender Rhodes moments, and the album's got a nice warm soulful sound throughout. Tracks include "Willie's Boogie", "We Gonna Have A House Party", "Soul Strut", "I Never Had It So Good", "What You Gonna Do After The Party", and "After Love Is Gone" – plus bonus single versions of "We Gonna Have A House Party" and "We Gonna Party Tonight". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime sounds from Willie Hutch – a post-Motown album made for Whitfield Records – and a set that's got a wonderfully laidback, mellow funk groove! Gene Page handled the arrangements – and the sound here is more easygoing than some of Willie's funkier work – but in a great way that shows the evolution both of his singing style, and his wicked work on guitar – featured prominently on the cover of the album, and wonderfully throughout the record too! A few things get a bit funky, but they're always balanced by these trippier grooves that we really love – and titles include "Paradise", "Anything Is Possible If You Believe In Love", "And All Hell Broke Loose", "All American Funkathon", "Hip Shakin Sexy Lady", and "Easy Does It". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic solo work from Smokey Robinson – recorded a few years before his monumental Quiet Storm album, but with a very similar high level of quality! Willie Hutch co-produced the album with Smokey, and working with arrangements by Hutch and Gene Page, they transform Smokey's sound into a sophisticated 70s modern one, adding in slight touches of funk, and complicated backings that really let him open up as a singer, both vocally and emotionally. The whole thing's got a wonderful mellow soul groove, and titles include "Wanna Know My Mind", "Baby Come Close", "The Family Song", "Just My Soul Responding", "Holly", "A Silent Partner In A Three-Way Love Affair", and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" LP, Vinyl record album

It's the mid 70s, and The Miracles have been deserted by Smokey – but fortunately the group was extremely well trained in the harmony department, and this album's just about as good as anything they did with him on Motown! The record's got an excellent smooth harmony soul style – and reminds us a lot of some of the Philly albums coming out at the same time. Arrangements are handled by James Carmichael, Freddie Perren, and Willie Hutch – and the record's filled with slinky smooth soul grooves like "Do It Baby", "You Are Love", "What Is A Heart Good For", and "Give Me Just Another Day", one of a few great cuts on the record written by Leon Ware! LP, Vinyl record album

Heavenly soul – and the second album by this fantastic Chicago soul harmony group! The record has stellar production by Leroy Hutson and Rich Tufo, and Hutson wrote a lot of the tracks. One of the best records ever to come out of the Curtom studios, and (dare we say it!) even better than the group's first one. In a market that was dominated by east coast falsetto groups, the Natural Four emerged with kind of a super-dope style that was part Curtom righteousness, part Brunswick vocal harmony, and righteous 70s soul songwriting. And as proof of this style, the album's got loads of great tracks like "While You're Away", "Count on Me", "Heaven Right Here On Earth", and "Love's So Wonderful". 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

Second volume in this series of Motown compilations aimed at the dancefloor – and in spite of the tile, the material here is more soul than disco, but definitely more in the dance vein than the get your groove on side of things. Includes some sublime numbers like "Date With The Rain" by Eddie Kendricks and "Dancing Machine" by The Jackson 5 – plus "You Sure Know How To Love Your Man" by Willie Hutch, "No Matter Where" by GC Cameron, "Bad Weather" by The Supremes, "What Is A Heart Good For" by The Miracles, "I'm A Fool For You" by Undisputed Truth, "Chained" by Rare Earth, and "Law Of The Land" by The Temptations. LP, Vinyl record album

A modern soul classic – and the first album recorded by 70s mellow soul maestro Al Johnson, a great artist whose lent his talents to countless others over the years! The sound is incredibly tight and plenty darn soulful – very much in the spirit of mid 70s classics by Leroy Hutson, Ronnie McNeir, and Leon Ware – with a massively personal approach that hits hard on both the groovers and the mellower cuts. There's a style here that's nicely rougher than that on Al's better-known album for Columbia – but one that shows that he can still cook up impeccable tunes without a major label budget for production! Titles include the great groover "I've Got My Second Wind", plus "Let's Go Home Together", "Peaceful", "Come Check Out This Love", and "Let Me Love You". LP, Vinyl record album