Funky breaking madness! Nice 12" single of Herbie's big hit cut with Bill Laswell – which sounds surprisingly better today than it did back in 1983. Lots of nice early electro keyboards – and some nice scratching from Grandmaster D St! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A definite monster from Herbie Hancock – one of those great records from Hancock's second chapter at Columbia Records – a time when he was really evolving as an artist, and able to take on the world of soul as well as he did with jazz and fusion! The groove is a great fusion of the funky elements that Herbie created on some of his wilder earlier records, and the tighter style of funky soul at the time – a mode that's much hipper than disco, with almost a CTI current at times – but qualities that are even groovier in the hands of Herbie! The set's got some vocals – leads by Gavin Christopher, and backup by The Waters – and there's plenty of sweet keyboard lines as well – at a level that still blows away all the younger cats who were trying to horn in on Herbie's action. Includes the funky classic "Stars In Your Eyes" – which has a bassline that just won't quit – a sweet stepper called "Making Love", and the cuts "It All Comes Round", "Don't Hold It", and "Saturday Night". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A classic album of all-out soul from Herbie Hancock – done in close collaboration with Rod Temperton of Heatwave – in a jazzy-styled version of that group's own great groove! Temperton handled arrangements and a lot of songwriting, and most cuts have lead vocals from Wayne Anthony – who does a nice job with the lyrics, but still leaves Herbie some space for keyboard solos too – in a groove that's a fair bit warmer than some of the other keyboard-heavy soul records of the time. Production is by Narada Michael Walden, Herbie, and Jay Graydon – and titles include the jazzy stepping gem "Getting To The Good Part", plus "Lite Me Up", "The Bomb", "Can't Hide Your Love", "The Fun Tracks", and "Motor Mouth". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Sweet keyboard grooves from Herbie Hancock – and a set that has him taking up some of the territory of younger players he'd inspired – like Bobby Lyle, Webster Lewis, or Rodney Franklin! There's a fair bit of soul in the mix here, including some great work on vocoder – blended in with Hancock's work on jazzy keyboards – all wrapped up in a cosmic level that really fits the image on the cover, and which acts as a preface for some of the electro work to come in the early 80s! The blend is great – with that sublime balance that Hancock did better than anyone else – and titles include "Trust Me", "You Bet Your Love", "Tell Everybody", "Honey From The Jar", and "Knee Deep". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A classic album of all-out soul from Herbie Hancock – done in close collaboration with Rod Temperton of Heatwave – in a jazzy-styled version of that group's own great groove! Temperton handled arrangements and a lot of songwriting, and most cuts have lead vocals from Wayne Anthony – who does a nice job with the lyrics, but still leaves Herbie some space for keyboard solos too – in a groove that's a fair bit warmer than some of the other keyboard-heavy soul records of the time. Production is by Narada Michael Walden, Herbie, and Jay Graydon – and titles include the jazzy stepping gem "Getting To The Good Part", plus "Lite Me Up", "The Bomb", "Can't Hide Your Love", "The Fun Tracks", and "Motor Mouth". CD features a bonus track – "Lite Me Up (12" mix)". (Jazz, Soul) CD

A great little soul album from Herbie Hancock – but one that's often lost in the valleys between his bigger hits of the time! The record was cut in the space right before Herbie's big "Rockit" success – and it's a sweet bit of funky fusion that has a good dose of R&B in the mix – similar to other records from Hancock's Columbia label keyboardist contemporaries – like Rodney Franklin, Webster Lewis, or Charles Earland! All orchestrations are performed by Herbie on a host of keyboards and synthesizers, and just about every cut has vocals – from singers who include Sylvester, Gavin Christopher, and The Waters. But even with this soul component, Herbie still keeps things jazzy – using a good bit of keyboards to open up the tunes in the middle, and hitting hard on all numbers with that classic Hancock approach to funk! Titles include "Magic Number", "Tonight's The Night", "Everybody's Broke", "Help Yourself", and "Satisfied With Love". CD also features the bonus "Magic Number (disco mix)". (Jazz, Soul) CD

A legendary pairing of talents – as Japanese jazz singer Kimiko Kasai works alongside Herbie Hancock – in a setting that's very much on the soul side of the spectrum! Both Herbie and Kimiko started out with a straighter jazz sound in their early years – but by the end of the 70s, they'd both picked up plenty of influences from R&B – although Kasai's work was largely unknown to American audiences. This set is one of those rare Japanese-only sessions by Herbie at the time – a few of which have gotten released overseas as the decades have gone on – and Hancock is in his best keyboard groove, and also gets additional help on the keys from Webster Lewis – who no doubt brings a strong soul current to the music too. Other musicians include Bennie Maupin on soprano and tenor sax, Paul Jackson on bass, Ray Obeido on guitar, Alphonse Mouzon on drums, and Bill Summers on percussion – in a groove that's like a tighter take on the sound of The Headhunters. Kimiko sings in English – and titles include some great versions of Herbie Hancock tunes – including "Maiden Voyage", "Sunlight", "Butterfly", "Tell Me A Bedtime Story", and "Harvest Time" – plus a great take on Stevie Wonder's "As", the cut "Head In The Clouds", and the funk-steeped opener "I Thought It Was You". (Vocalists, Soul) CD

Seminal sides from Herbie Hancock – amazing material recorded for Warner Brothers in the years between his time at Blue Note and his big fame at Columbia Records – all sides that definitely show Hancock as one mighty righteous cat! Herbie's really stretching past his more conventional jazz of earlier years here – working both with a bit more electricity in his keys, and some larger arrangements that have a wonderful sense of flow and funk – a groove that definitely puts Hancock on a par with Quincy Jones at his funky best during the early 70s! The album's filled with great grooves pulled from the Warner Brothers albums by Hancock – including some quite long numbers – titles that include the funky nuggets "Wiggle Waggle", "Lil Brother", and "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" – plus "Sleeping Giant", "Crossings", "Quazar", "Ostinato", and "You'll Know When You Get There". (Jazz, Soul) CD

An early album as a leader from the great Roy Ayers – a set that captures the vibes man at a time when he'd been working on the west coast soul jazz scene, and was stepping into even greater fame in the group of Herbie Mann! Yet this set is definitely Roy's own – kind of an introduction to the more righteous sounds he'd pursue in the 70s, set up in an instrumental mode with great help from Herbie Hancock on piano, Gary Bartz on alto, Charles Tolliver on trumpet, and Hubert Laws on flute – all ultra-hip players who really bring a lot to the record! And despite the colorful cover, and its reference of a pop hit, there's a much deeper vibe going on here – on titles that include a great version of Jobim's "Wave" – done like we've never heard it before – plus the original cuts "What The People Say", "Lil's Paradise", and "A Rose For Cindy". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The final album from Betty Davis – and a killer cap to her stunning run of female funk classics in the 70s! The album was recorded at the end of the decade, but has a sharpness that's every bit as great as her earlier work for the Island and Just Sunshine labels – grooves that are more than sharp enough to match that raspy edge in Betty's vocals – given support with instrumentation that's a lot more mid 70s funk than some of the more disco-oriented productions in mainstream soul at the time! There's a fullness to the record that sometimes recalls Labelle at their best, or maybe even solo work from Nona Hendryx – but as always, Betty is very much her own woman, and opens up some new doors on a few mellow cuts or jazzier moments that come as a nice surprise, and which balance out the album in a great way. The set features work from Herbie Hancock on keyboards and Alphonse Mouzon on drums – and titles include "Quintessence Of Hip", "She's A Woman", "I've Danced Before", "I Need A Whole Lot Of Love", "Hangin Out In Hollywood", "Crashin From Passion", "You Take Me For Granted", and "No Good At Falling In Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A real step forward for Quincy Jones – a record that really shows the jazzman moving into sophisticated new territory – a sound that's just right for the CTI generation! The album's got a vibe that's a bit similar to Quincy's Walking In Space album, but it's a lot deeper too – touched with some of the African elements you might guess from the title – arranged in ways that are often quite spacious, so that the tunes really take some time to find just the right groove! Backings are large, but show the leaner elements that Jones was bringing to his soundtrack work – and instrumentation includes vibes from Milt Jackson, marimba from Don Elliott, flute from Hubert Laws, soprano sax from Jerome Richardson, trumpet from Freddie Hubbard, trombone from Al Grey, and guitar from Eric Gale. Keyboards figure strongly – played by Herbie Hancock and Bob James – and special features include a bit of guitar and whistling from Toots Thielemans, plus some soulful vocals from Valerie Simpson. "Gula Matari" is an incredible 12 minute tribal groove – and other titles include a killer take on Nat Adderley's "Hummin", plus "Walkin" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The hands of Webster Lewis are on a classic Fender Rhodes on the cover – and you'll hear plenty of that instrument on this collection, along with all the other many keyboards that Lewis can handle so well! Webster started out as a straighter jazzman in his early years, but by the time of these tracks he was at the top of his game in the world of soulful fusion – picking up a torch first lit by Herbie Hancock and Ramsey Lewis, and blending it with more influences from soul music too – which means that in addition to great keyboard solos from Lewis, you'll also hear wonderful vocals on most of these cuts – a key element that really helped Webster cross over into so many worlds at the time. As with work from the same period by Patrice Rushen, there's a sublime blend going on here – one that still sounds tremendous all these many years later, and which is presented with a great selection of cuts – including the rare "Japanese Umbrella" and "Boston" – plus "El Bobo", "Barbara Ann", "Hideaway", "Give Me Some Emotion", "Dancer", "Do It With Style", "Let Me Be The One", "Touch My Love", "Reach Out", "Love Won't Harm No One", and "There's A Happy Feeling". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing moment for singer Dianne Reeves – the first in a long line of excellent records for the Blue Note label – and a wonderfully tight blend of jazz and soul, put together at a level that instantly pushed Reeves into the territory of previous giants like Phyllis Hyman and Marlena Shaw! Like both of those singers, Dianne's got roots in jazz, but also pushes towards more of an R&B vibe at times – but never in a way that's commercially aimed at the charts, especially in comparison to some of her contemporaries. There's a really rich feel to the whole album – thanks to help from George Duke, who produced and played keyboards – alongside other musicians like Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Ndugu Chancler on drums. Titles include "Chan's Song (Never Said)", "I'm OK", "Sky Islands", "Harvest Time", "Yesterdays", and "Better Days". (Vocalists, Soul) CD

Few folks get a classic groove as right as T-Groove – and here, he's working with the George Kano Experience for an even more classic vibe – this wonderful blend of soul, jazz, funk, and boogie – all put together with the best sort of 80s groove production! The album's got a wonderfully understated vibe – so much so, the whole thing almost feels like the kind of lost major label production from back in the day – the sort of the set that was cut with top-shelf talents in the studio, then under-promoted by the record company – only to be discovered years later by rare groove hounds like us! Yet it's contemporary, and hopefully will get the attention it deserves – overflowing with great tracks that include a clubby remake of Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island", topped with the lyrics penned by Mark Murphy in the 70s – plus tracks that include "Shallow Naked Love", "Timeless Groove", "Haven", "Do It Baby", and "Secret Lover". (Neo Soul, Soul) CD

A funky fusion classic from guitarist Wah Wah Watson – his only album as a leader, despite countless appearances as a sideman on 70s soul, jazz, and pop sessions! The album's got a really wonderful sort of west coast groove – one that takes bits of spacey fusion, bassy funk, and mellower soul – and wraps them up with a fresh and imaginative approach, not to mention plenty of wah wah work on guitar! Players on the set are a superstar array of the best talents in Watson's field – and include Bennie Maupin, Herbie Hancock, Dave Grusin, Joe Sample, and The Waters, who sing vocals on a few cuts. The set includes the killer instrumental "Bubbles", one of our favorite mellow grooves ever – plus the tracks "Goo Goo Wah Wah", "My Love For You Comes & Goes", "Good Friends", "Love Ain't Somethin", and "Sunset Boulevard". CD

Hypnotic organ funk from Lyman Woodard – an old bandmate of Dennis Coffey, and one of the shining lights of the 70s Detroit scene! This is amazing, amazing stuff – Woodard's electric piano, organ and occasional mellotron and Norma Bell's alto saxophone lend a cosmic funk aspect throughout, very much like Death Wish-era Herbie Hancock – with a laidback, tripped-out groove that's really mindblowing! Ron English accents the thing perfectly with his languid guitar and bass groove, while Leonard King and Lorenzo Brown's drumming and percussion can keep the groove adrift, or tear it up in a funky maelstrom depending on the mission of the cut. It's totally essential Strata jazz funk – and a record we've rarely seen in the original pressing. Tracks include "Saturday Night Special", "Joy Road", "Belle Isle Daze", "Creative Musicians", "Cheeba", "On Your Mind", "Allen Barnes", and "Help Me Get Away". Features bonus tracks "Saturday Night Special (lost alt mix)" and "Bell Isle Daze (lost alt mix)". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of funky electric albums from Stanley Clarke's mid 80s R&B years – 1984's Time Exposure, ''85's Find Out and '86's Hideaway – in a 2CD set! Time Exposure has a lot of 80s electro funk in the mix, particularly Clarke's impeccable bass lines, which are heavy throughout. Titles include "Play The Bass '10", "Heaven Sent You", "Speedball", "Future Shock" and the great title track. Find Out follows somewhat similar territory, an 80s synth funky set with a few surprising twists – including an electro/funk/old school rap cover of "Born In The USA"! Other tracks include "Find Out", "The Sky's The Limit", "Stereotypica" and "Psychedelic". Hideaway makes a move towards more delicate synth soul for Clarke – who assembles an impressive guest list that includes Stanley Jordan, Herbie Hancock and Stewart Copeland. Titles include a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed", plus "My Love, Her Inspiration", "Where Do We Go", "Old Friends" and "When It's Cold Outside". (Jazz, Soul) CD

Killer keyboards from the legendary George Duke – and one of his most righteous albums for the MPS label! The album's a spectacular set that showcases both sides of Duke's genius at the time – his spacey, soulful approach to a laidback tune – and his more jamming styles on the harder cuts! Instrumentation is somewhat spare – just keyboards and piano from George, who also sings a bit – plus Ndugu Chancler on drums and John Heard on bass – both playing with a freely creative energy that's definitely motivated by Duke. There's a beautiful mix of electricity and acoustic warmth on the set – never too forced, and clearly an inspiration for countless players in years to come – maybe even more so than Herbie Hancock's work of the time. Drums are great too – and snap tightly for plenty of nice breaks on the set – which are in turn augmented by mellower keys from Duke, who also sings with a sweetly electric soul style. Titles include "Capricorn", "The Opening", "Psychosomatic Dung", "North Beach", "Faces In Reflection", "Maria Tres Filhos", and "Da Somba". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful album of spacey jazz funk! Eddie Russ was a 70s keyboard genius – right up there with Lonnie Liston Smith and Herbie Hancock in our book, although he never reached the fame of either of those players. This album's one of Eddie's best – and it's got a smoothly produced soul jazz sound that's almost a takeoff on the style of Smith's excellent records for Flying Dutchman – but a bit cooler overall, and with a great feel that links back to Russ' years in the Detroit scene. Tracks are uptempo and jazzy, with a strongly soulful vibe that features lots of electric keyboard work over the top of fast dancing rhythms. A few cuts have sweet female soul backup vocals, and additional instrumentation includes trumpet, sax, and guitar. Tracks include "Zaius", "Salem Avenue", "Poko Nose", and "See The Light". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic bit of space age funk – and maybe one of the greatest moments ever from Philly Soul maestro Dexter Wansel! The album goes way beyond any of Wansel's other work – and blends his warm soulful styles with some of the more keyboard-oriented funk that was coming out of the Herbie Hancock camp during the mid 70s – a vibe that's every bit as electric and spacey as you'd guess from the cover! Some cuts have a bit more of a soul focus, but others have loads of jazzy keyboards from Dexter – driven on by some great drums at points too. Titles include Wansel's legendary version of "Theme From the Planets" with the much sampled breakbeat at the beginning – plus the funky "Life On Mars", and the tracks "One Million Miles From The Ground", "You Can Be What You Wanna Be", "Prophet Named KG", "Rings Of Saturn", and "Stargazer". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Masterpiece records from Philly soul maestro Dexter Wansel – stepping out here in a beautiful blend of jazz and soul! Life On Mars is a fantastic bit of space age funk, easily the best album that Wansel ever recorded – and a sublime blend of Wansel's Philly grooving sensibility with some of the more keyboard-oriented funk that was coming out of the Herbie Hancock camp during the mid 70s. The result is a tight batch of crossover tracks that work well both as jazz funk groovers, and as smoother modern soul tracks. Includes the version of "Theme From the Planets" with the much sampled breakbeat at the beginning – plus lots of other nice ones, including "Life On Mars", "Rings Of Saturn", and "Stargazer". What The World Is Coming To moves the focus back to soul a bit more than Life On Mars – but also keeps in plenty of jazzy touches! Dexter's groove here is similar to the best work he did with other Philly vocalists in the same time – and the set features guest vocals from Jean Carn and Terri Wells, sliding into a warmly soulful realm on the mellower tracks, and stepping out with a fully jazzed up groove on the more upbeat numbers. Titles include "What The World Is Coming To", "Dreams Of Tomorrow", "Holdin On", "Dance With Me Tonight", "Disco Lights", and "Prelude #1". 1978's Voyager is a bit like Dexter's space jazz classic Life On Mars – and with those fat, thumping bass lines, elastic lead guitar, atmospheric soul vocals and loads and loads of keys – spatial work on Rhodes, Moogs and ARPs! It's all done in a funky style not always heard on Philly – plus Dexter arranged and produced just about everything! Tracks include "Solutions", "Voyager", "I'm In Love", "Latin Love", and "I Just Want To Love You". 1979's Time Is Slipping Away is a straighter Philly soul outing than some of Wansel's earlier work – a nice batch from a talent that was responsible for crafting some of the best smooth modern numbers at the end of the 70s! It features the killer cut "The Sweetest Pain" – a smooth stepper with some subtle keyboard grooving behind warm female vocals by Terri Well – plus "Funk Attack", "New Beginning", "One For the Road", "It's Been Cool", and "I'll Never Forget (My Favorite Disco)". CD

A landmark bit of jazz funk – from one of the greatest backup groups of the 70s! Herbie Hancock first brought The Headhunters to light – working with the San Francisco-based combo that included Bennie Maupin, Mike Clark, Paul Jackson, and Bill Summers – using their sound to give his work the right dose of funk it needed to reach new audiences during the decade. This album's the first to feature the group on their own, without Herbie – and if we don't mind saying so, they sound even better without him! The whole thing's a wonderful mix of jazz funk grooves and very unusual rhythms – and the record contains the monster full length version of "God Make Me Funky", which is 9 minutes and 35 seconds of non stop funk, plus the cuts "If You've Got It, You'll Get It", "Magic", and "Here & Now". CD

One of the earliest of bassist Alphonso Johnson's funky fusion albums for Epic! Moonshadows is a nice little set of choppy grooves that recalls the best Herbie Hancock moments of the early 70s, plus some of the side projects of the Headhunters. Warmly funky, but with a nice edge – with a more jazz funk rooted sound than the later, slightly heavier Spellbound! The great group of players includes Patrice Rushen is on keyboards, Benny Maupin on reeds, Lee Ritenour on guitars, Airto Moriera on percussion, Gary Bartz on sax, plus Narada Michael Walden and Ndugu Chancler on drums. Tracks include "Stump", "Cosmoba Place", "Involuntary Bliss", "On The Case", "Amarteifio", "Pandora's Box" and the breezy "Up From The Cellar", which features vocals by Flora Purim! (Jazz, Soul) CD

The Dude at the height of his powers – serving up a smooth blend of soul and jazz that set the standard for an entire generation! As with some of his other 70s albums, Quincy's working here with a host of great talents that make the record sizzle – guests that include Hubert Laws, Herbie Hancock, Patti Austin, Luther Vandross, Gwen Guthrie, Eric Gale, and others – all of whom put their egos aside, and bring their best bits to the table working under Quincy's guidance! The album includes a great version of "Superwoman", plus the tracks "Tell Me A Bedtime Story", "Love Me By Name", and "Love, I Never Had it So Good". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The hands of Webster Lewis are on a classic Fender Rhodes on the cover – and you'll hear plenty of that instrument on this collection, along with all the other many keyboards that Lewis can handle so well! Webster started out as a straighter jazzman in his early years, but by the time of these tracks he was at the top of his game in the world of soulful fusion – picking up a torch first lit by Herbie Hancock and Ramsey Lewis, and blending it with more influences from soul music too – which means that in addition to great keyboard solos from Lewis, you'll also hear wonderful vocals on most of these cuts – a key element that really helped Webster cross over into so many worlds at the time. As with work from the same period by Patrice Rushen, there's a sublime blend going on here – one that still sounds tremendous all these many years later, and which is presented with a great selection of cuts – including the rare "Japanese Umbrella" and "Boston" – plus "El Bobo", "Barbara Ann", "Hideaway", "Give Me Some Emotion", "Dancer", "Do It With Style", "Let Me Be The One", "Touch My Love", "Reach Out", "Love Won't Harm No One", and "There's A Happy Feeling". CD

A killer bit of soulful fusion – recorded by the legendary drummer Alponse Mouzon after his harder-jamming 70s years, in a mode that brings in some nice currents of jazz funk and soul! The group's an all-star lineup – Herbie Hancock on Fender Rhodes and piano, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Lee Ritenour on guitar, and Paul Jackson on bass – working together strongly under the guidance of Mouzon, who's really finding a new side of his talents here. The tunes groove wonderfully – never too over the top, and always in the smooth soulful mode that was the best part of major label fusion in the late 70s. Mouzon plays a fair bit of keyboards next to Herbie's acoustic and electric piano, and tracks are long, with some really nicely jazzy grooves. Titles include "The Jogger", "Do I Have To", "Space Invaders", and "The Next Time We Love". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A top-shelf set of smooth fusion work from Alphonse Mouzon – recorded with a host of excellent players from the LA scene, in a style that sits nicely with his work from the earlier part of the decade. The overall feel is smooth, but there's some nice funky undercurrents on the tunes, thanks to Al's great drum work – and the players on the set really help keep the quality high – as you'd guess from names that include Paul Jackson Jr, Tom Scott, Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker, and Lee Ritenour. Titles include "Saving My Love For You", "I Don't Want To Lose This Feeling", "That's Right", "Everybody Party", and "Step Into The Funk". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The only major label session cut by Chicago 80s groove trio Omni – done with a tighter feel than some of their indie work, but still pretty nice! The set's pretty heavy on electric drums, bass, and keys – but the strongest suit of the group is still their vocals – which come to the forefront strongly on the album's mellower numbers. Includes the Herbie Hancock-styled "Roctron", plus the cuts "Let Me Run It", "All For The One", "Only The Beginning", and "On & Off". LP, Vinyl record album