Great later work by Isaac Hayes – working here in a post-Stax, post-ABC mode that has him forging a smooth soul sound that's really great! The Polydor years saw Ike extending the baroque style that he started on earlier work – taking it into a modern soul vein with strings, keyboards, and smooth production that had a lot of Philly soul touches. This 12 track set features some of Ike's best from the years – including winners like "Moonlight Lovin/Menage A Trois", "Out Of The Ghetto", "Lifetime Thing", "It's Heaven To Me", "Zeke The Freak", "Wherever You Are", "You Can't Hold Your Woman", "A Few More Kisses To Go", and "What Does It Take". CD

What can we say? This is one of the greatest soul soundtracks ever! In a market that was dominated by the big-selling Shaft and Superfly albums, Roy slipped in this masterful blend of jazzy vibes and wah wah funk that's easily one of the best-composed records of the blacksploitation genre! The album's much more unified than your average funky soundtrack – and each track moves between styles that you'd hear on any of Roy's great albums from the time. There's heavy funk on the track "Brawling Broads", cool vibes and electric piano on "Aragon", off-beat jazz on "Coffy Sauna", and great soul on cuts like "Coffy Is The Color" and "Coffy Baby". Wonderful all the way through – and another jewel in the already-big crown of the great Roy Ayers! LP, Vinyl record album

One of Roy Ayers' biggest albums ever – and also one of his deepest, too! The whole thing's an incredible album of mellow jazzy soul – and it shows Roy at the crossroads, perfecting his earlier funk style with a sweet mellow R&B edge, getting a bit slicker, but still staying on the righteous path, and opening up a whole new bag in soul music. There's a wonderful electric vibe running through the record – not just from Roy's vibes, but from the Fender Rhodes and Arp work by Phillip Woo – and the amazing energy of the rest of the group too. Features the landmark title cut – "Everybody Loves The Sunshine", one of those tunes that becomes more and more of a classic each year – plus spiritual numbers like "Third Eye" , "Keep on Walking", and "The Golden Rod". Very righteous, and with a cool dope jazzy groove! CD

One of Roy Ayers' biggest albums ever – and also one of his deepest, too! The whole thing's an incredible album of mellow jazzy soul – and it shows Roy at the crossroads, perfecting his earlier funk style with a sweet mellow R&B edge, getting a bit slicker, but still staying on the righteous path, and opening up a whole new bag in soul music. There's a wonderful electric vibe running through the record – not just from Roy's vibes, but from the Fender Rhodes and Arp work by Phillip Woo – and the amazing energy of the rest of the group too. Features the landmark title cut – "Everybody Loves The Sunshine", one of those tunes that becomes more and more of a classic each year – plus spiritual numbers like "Third Eye" , "Keep on Walking", and "The Golden Rod". Very righteous, and with a cool dope jazzy groove! LP, Vinyl record album

One of Roy Ayers' biggest albums ever – and also one of his deepest, too! The whole thing's an incredible album of mellow jazzy soul – and it shows Roy at the crossroads, perfecting his earlier funk style with a sweet mellow R&B edge, getting a bit slicker, but still staying on the righteous path, and opening up a whole new bag in soul music. There's a wonderful electric vibe running through the record – not just from Roy's vibes, but from the Fender Rhodes and Arp work by Phillip Woo – and the amazing energy of the rest of the group too. Features the landmark title cut – "Everybody Loves The Sunshine", one of those tunes that becomes more and more of a classic each year – plus spiritual numbers like "Third Eye" , "Keep on Walking", and "The Golden Rod". Very righteous, and with a cool dope jazzy groove! LP, Vinyl record album

Stellar sounds from the great Roy Ayers – an early 80s album for Polydor, but a set that's still got the wonderfully tight, wonderfully groovy feel of his late 70s albums for the label! Roy's really perfected his sense of balance by this time – and does a great job of balancing groovers with sweet mellow steppers – the kind of cool, compressed, jazzy numbers that we love so much! Ayers heads for the clubs one minute, the bedroom the next – and draws us in beautifully whichever direction he takes – thanks to some sublime vibes and electric piano – and great lead vocals from Roy, and other singers who include Terri Wells, Vivian Prince, John King, and Ricky Williams. Titles include "Ooh", "Let's Stay Together", "Feeling Good""Knock Knock", "Turn Me Loose", "Stairway To The Stars", and "Our Time Is Coming". CD

Stellar sounds from the great Roy Ayers – an early 80s album for Polydor, but a set that's still got the wonderfully tight, wonderfully groovy feel of his late 70s albums for the label! Roy's really perfected his sense of balance by this time – and does a great job of balancing groovers with sweet mellow steppers – the kind of cool, compressed, jazzy numbers that we love so much! Ayers heads for the clubs one minute, the bedroom the next – and draws us in beautifully whichever direction he takes – thanks to some sublime vibes and electric piano – and great lead vocals from Roy, and other singers who include Terri Wells, Vivian Prince, John King, and Ricky Williams. Titles include "Ooh", "Let's Stay Together", "Feeling Good""Knock Knock", "Turn Me Loose", "Stairway To The Stars", and "Our Time Is Coming". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album by Roy Ayers – one that features none of his hits, which means lots of fresh material – and which has great examples of both sides of Roy's talents at the time! The dancefloor side of Roy kicks in with "Love Will Bring Us Back Together", an extremely catchy groover that's very much in the mode of "Running Away", with plenty of choppy funky riffs, and a good soul base at the core. Even better, though, is the mellow spacey side of Roy – which shows up wonderfully in the cuts "Is It Too Late To Try" and "If You Love Me" – two overlooked gems that float along in a perfect blend of jazz and modern soul, with great breathy vocals and vibes, very much in the spirit of stuff on the You Send Me album. Other cuts include "I Wanna Feel It", "Leo", "Take Me Out To The Ball Game", and "Simple & Sweet" – all nice too! LP, Vinyl record album

Pure magic from the height of Roy Ayers' classic 70s run on Polydor – a record that's filled with warm, jazzy grooves – all served up in that unique style that Roy was forging at the time! The album perfectly balances dancefloor tracks with mellower numbers – stepping out one minute with a funky groove on the bottom, then sliding into some slinkier laidback styles that are equally great. William Allen handles the arrangements with Roy, and does the strings himself – and also plays some monstrous bass on most numbers, which really brings up the rhythms from the bottom! Titles include the killer groovers "Sweet Tears", "When Is Real Real", "Let's Do It", and "Freaky Deaky" – and the warm mellow cuts "You Came Into My Life", "Kiss", and "Melody Maker". LP, Vinyl record album

An archetypal album by Roy – and one that really shows him at the turning point! Gone are the trippier jazz funk moments of earlier albums – and in their place are some tight grooves and wonderfully spacey soul. Roy hits the dancefloor with one of his first uptempo funk numbers "Brother Green", a catchy groover with lots of clavinet, and the massive "Life Is Just A Moment", a storming 2-part number that rolls along with a pounding almost house-like groove. "Mystic Voyage" shows the sweet jazzy side of Roy – as it's a vibes-heavy instrumental with a light stepping groove, perfect for the mellow direction he'd take on other records. The album also features some great off-beat funk numbers that recall earlier albums – including the break-heavy "Spirit Of Doo Doo", plus "Funky Motion" and "The Black Five". CD

An archetypal album by Roy – and one that really shows him at the turning point of his sound! Gone are the trippier jazz funk moments of earlier albums – and in their place are some tight grooves and wonderfully spacey soul. Roy hits the dancefloor with one of his first up-tempo funk numbers "Brother Green", a catchy groover with lots of clavinet, and the massive "Life Is Just A Moment", a storming 2-part number that rolls along with a pounding almost house-like groove. "Mystic Voyage" shows the sweet jazzy side of Roy – as it's a vibes-heavy instrumental with a light stepping groove, perfect for the mellow direction he'd take on other records. The album also features some great off-beat funk numbers that recall earlier albums – including the break-heavy "Spirit Of Doo Doo", plus "Funky Motion" and "The Black Five". LP, Vinyl record album

An oft-overlooked funky soul gem from the incredible Roy Ayers – taking turns with both uptempo material and more smoothed out soul sounds – all done with Roy's trademark jazzy approach to the dancefloor! No Stranger To Love is a sly, and often funky set that deserves to be mentioned with his more famous dancefloor ready work of the late 70s – and if it gets an extra point two for the incredibly cool cover photo, the slow burning grooves more than deliver on the promise! The album does a really nice job of rolling out both the sultry jazzy soul and the funkier Ayers modes, with sweet strings in spots, Roy's incomparable vibes, bass and keyboard grooving, and vocals that set the mood for both the slow jams and the funky stuff! Includes the extended mellow number "Don't Let Our Love Slip Away", one of Roy's better downtempo moments, plus great stuff like "Don't Stop The Feeling", plus "What You Won't Do For Love", "No Stranger To Love/Want You", "Shack Up, Pack Up, It's Up (When I'm Gone)", "Don't Hide Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Doobie-doo doobie-doo! One of the catchiest Roy Ayers dancefloor tracks ever – a bassy bumping thumper that wonderfully skirts the line between clubby and funky! The track's got female vocals singing along with the hook – all in a mode that's quite similar to the most uptempo work by Ramp – and the tune may well be best known for it's famous sample use by Tribe Called Quest on their classic "Description Of A Fool"! 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of Roy Ayers' greatest albums of the 70s – a set that tightens up the groove from previous Polydor productions, yet still keeps all the soul intact! The record picks up the style begun with the Mystic Voyage album, and pushes it to some slightly tighter territory – a more focused Roy Ayers sound that's totally great, and which makes the album sparkle wonderfully throughout! All aspects of Roy's talents are perfectly balanced here – his warm vocals and jazzy vibes, his uptempo grooves and mellower rhythms – played to perfection by a hip lineup of players that includes Philip Woo on electric piano, Justo Almario on tenor sax, and Steve Cobb on drums. Edwin Birdsong guests a bit on the record – bringing in a nice edge to a few tunes – the album's got a really unique dark undercurrent, even in smoother moments – that subtle Roy Ayers' approach that's always made him one of our all-time favorite artists. Titles include the wonderful jazz-tinged "Searching", a great midtempo stepper that we really love; the funky break track "The Memory", a righteous number that feels like work from earlier records; the clubby classic "One Sweet Love to Remember"; and the sweet instrumental "Vibrations", which has a mellow kickback feel! Other tunes include "Higher", "Domelo (Give It To Me)", "Baby I Need Your Love", and "Better Days". LP, Vinyl record album

A masterpiece – and don't pass it up! Sure, the date's a bit later than some of Roy's classic work, but the record's got a sound like no other – with a slow mellow jazzy style that shows Roy working at the height of his powers! There's some wonderful spacey production on the record – bringing out elements like the vibes, electric piano, and soulful vocals – and turning them into a seductive blend that trails out over the course of the record, hitting a smooth mellow mode that we love every bit as much as Roy's harder and funkier work. The title cut is an amazing extended remake of "You Send Me", which sounds nothing like the original – and other good cuts include the stepping "And Don't You Say No", and the great cuts "Rhythm" and "Everytime I See You", which have these excellent offbeat rhythm patterns. A real sleeper – but one that you'll go back to again and again because of it's sophisticated jazzy vibe! LP, Vinyl record album

Talk about a meeting of the minds! At the time of this album, Henderson & Ayers were probably the biggest names in the jazz funk business – both with a smooth soulful style that was pushing the genre onto whole new levels, while still keeping firm roots in jazz – a rare blend that few other artists could handle this well! This initial debut from the pair seems to be much more dominated by the spirit of Roy Ayers' work at the time – particularly the mellow jazzed up work he was laying down on albums like Vibrations and You Send Me – a wicked sound that's rooted in modern soul modes, but filled with plenty of warm jazz elements too. The album's got wonderful vibes and electric piano from Roy – and tracks include "Step Into Our Life", "Lovers Should Always Be Together", "No Deposit No Return", "Ooh Baby", and "For Real". LP, Vinyl record album

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The first album by Gregg Diamond's Bionic Boogie group – and a cooker of a set that follows strongly from Gregg's previous Hot Butterfly gem! Luther Vandross isn't on board this time around, but the overall groove is still totally great – upbeat, soaring, and put together with a jazzy undercurrent that really keeps things interesting – far more so than most other mainstream disco sets of the time! Brad Baker – of B Baker Chocolate Company – handled the arrangements – and the grooves spin out nicely from Diamond's keyboards, and a tight mix of strings and jazzy horns. Vocals are from the soulful trio of Gwen Guthrie, Ullanda McCullough, and Zachary Sanders – and titles include "Dance Little Dreamer", "Risky Changes", "Boogie Boo", "We Must Believe In Music", "Feel Like Dancing", and "Don't Lose The Number". CD features 2 bonus tracks – 12" extended mixes of "Dance Little Dreamer" and "Risky Changes". CD

A dancefloor classic! The album's the second by Gregg Diamond's Bionic Boogie, and head and shoulders above the rest – a sublime blend of soul and club that's hardly been matched again! Diamond manages to make things groove, but never loses sight of the soulful styles that make the record so great – and works here with key contributions from a young Luther Vandross, who gives the album some of the same strong vocal arrangements he brought to his own first two albums on Atlantic! Luther sings lead on the album's legendary track "Hot Butterfly", and works in a group with Cissy Houston on other tracks – sweetly soaring with vocals that go far beyond most disco efforts of the time. Simply sublime, and with classics that include "Hot Butterfly", "Paradise", "Cream (Always Rises To The Top)", "Chains", and "When The Sh*t Hits The Fan (Rocket Pocket)". Includes 4 bonus cuts too – "Hot Butterfly (Jim Burgess disco rmx)", "Chains (Gregg Diamond spectacular rmx)", "Fess Up To The Boogie (Gregg Diamond disco rmx)", and "Chains (Jim Burgess disco rmx)". CD

The first solo album from Johnny Bristol – a genius soul talent who did a bunch of great work for Motown as a writer and arranger, breaking out here on his own! Like so many other behind-the-scenes talents from the late 60s, Johnny turned out to be an excellent soul artist in his own right – even though he only got to cut a rare few albums during the 70s – and this debut album already has him emerging straight away as a fully-formed talent! The vibe is a great mix of Detroit and California Motown – arranged by HB Barnum, and produced with a style that's tight, but still open and fluid too. Backings mix soulful strings with sweet harmonies – and lots of the tunes have a great 70s mellow soul groove. Titles include "Woman Woman", "I Got Your Number", "You & I", "It Don't Hurt No More", and the anthemic "Hang On In There Baby". CD

Not a classic from the early years of James Brown – but a later greatest hits package that's gone onto have legendary status – given all the key cuts it includes! Most numbers here are the shorter single versions – and together, they pack a hell of a punch – showing an especially strong focus on the best soul and funk years of the legendary Godfather Of Soul! Titles include "I Got You", "Sex Machine (part 1)", "I Got The Feelin", "Mother Popcorn (part 1)", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag (part 1)", "Think", "Get Up Offa That Thing", "Hot Pants (part 1)", "Superbad (parts 1 & 2)", "Papa Don't Take No Mess (part 1)", "Payback", "Get On The Good Foot", and more! CD

A fantastic lost chapter in the career of genius soul/jazz/funk maestro Roy Ayers – a set that was only ever issued in the UK, and which is a great second part to his Lots Of Love album on the Uno Melodic label! This album features a few tracks from that gem, but in longer versions – mixed with other cuts that were never issued in the US at the time – all with that return to perfection that Roy found on Uno Melodic – which was his own label, and one of the few times in the 80s when he matched the brilliance of his 70s recordings on Polydor! Like those albums, the style here is tight and right in the pocket, but also full of meaning and message too – beautiful songs that are catchy, but far from commercial – funky, but never dance music in a conventional way. The set kicks off with a 7:20 minute version of "Chicago" – one of our favorite Roy Ayers songs ever, natch – and other cuts include "Smiling With Our Eyes", "Good Good Music", "Keep On Movin", "Silver Vibrations", "DC City", and "Lots Of Love". CD

A fantastic lost chapter in the career of genius soul/jazz/funk maestro Roy Ayers – a set that was only ever issued in the UK, and which is a great second part to his Lots Of Love album on the Uno Melodic label! This album features a few tracks from that gem, but in longer versions – mixed with other cuts that were never issued in the US at the time – all with that return to perfection that Roy found on Uno Melodic – which was his own label, and one of the few times in the 80s when he matched the brilliance of his 70s recordings on Polydor! Like those albums, the style here is tight and right in the pocket, but also full of meaning and message too – beautiful songs that are catchy, but far from commercial – funky, but never dance music in a conventional way. The set kicks off with a 7:20 minute version of "Chicago" – one of our favorite Roy Ayers songs ever, natch – and other cuts include "Smiling With Our Eyes", "Good Good Music", "Keep On Movin", "Silver Vibrations", "DC City", and "Lots Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

James Brown really opens up on this early 70s classic – really showing the world the amazing groove he was crafting with his band – who were let loose to jam in the studio, spinning out some really long grooves – which were then cut down to make this sweet little record! The title cut was a big single for James at the time, but it's presented here in its full 9 minute version – a monstrous jam that's equal to anything on the Payback record, or the JBs albums too – and the album also includes the long two-part take of "Escapism", and another funky gem – "Blues & Pants", which snaps along for a solid 9 minutes too! The album's filled with heavy funk, and the longer tracks allow for plenty of instrumental flourishes from Fred, Maceo, and the other JBs – and honestly, the record is more of a People Records session than a Polydor record from James. Includes a monster of a bonus track: the 19+ minute complete take of "Escape-ism". CD

The biggest collection of work we've ever seen from Lee Dorsey – a set that starts with his early Fire/Fury singles at the start of the 60s, then moves through his big recordings for Sansu and other labels that helped establish the New Orleans soul style of the late 60s – then even includes great later work for Polydor, Spring, and ABC – plus some unreleased tracks too! Lee Dorsey is one of the key figures who put the funk in New Orleans Funk – and most of the music here features the production talents of Allen Toussaint and Marshall Seehorn – two Crescent City talents who could always come up with the funk, but who really found their muse in Dorsey's vocals! The 3CD package features 66 tracks in all – and titles include "A Place Where We Can Be Free", "Yes We Can Can", "Freedom For The Stallion", "Sneakin Sally Through The Alley", "Night People", "Soul Mine", "Thank You", "Babe", "Draining", "Lonelyology", "I Gotta Find A New Love", "Ride Your Pony (live)", "Chin Chin", "Behind The 8 Ball", "Ya Ya", "You're Breaking Me Up", "Mess Around", "People Sure Act Funny", "O Me O My O", "Riverboat", "My Old Car Commercial", "What Am I Loving For", "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further", "As Quiet As It's Kept", "Hoodlum Joe", "When I Met My Baby", and "Ixie Dixie Pixie Pie". CD

A great little set from Leroy Hutson – proof that he was still going strong through all his years at Curtom! The vibe here is a bit different than his first few records, and you might be suspicious with Leroy wearing a disco shirt on the front – but the sound is wonderful, and only shows Hutson blossoming into a more sophisticated singer, songwriter, and producer – one with a great ear for the careful balance needed for the modern soul generation! The shift is a bit like Roy Ayers on his late 70s work for Polydor – and Hutson is definitely on a par with Ayers in our book – we'd always put the two side by side for the strength of their work in the 70s. Seminal tracks include "So Nice" and "Right or Wrong" – both of which are amongst some of his best work ever – and other tracks include "Unforgettable", "Funk In My Life", and "Lonely Without You". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little set from Leroy Hutson – proof that he was still going strong through all his years at Curtom! The vibe here is a bit different than his first few records, and you might be suspicious with Leroy wearing a disco shirt on the front – but the sound is wonderful, and only shows Hutson blossoming into a more sophisticated singer, songwriter, and producer – one with a great ear for the careful balance needed for the modern soul generation! The shift is a bit like Roy Ayers on his late 70s work for Polydor – and Hutson is definitely on a par with Ayers in our book – we'd always put the two side by side for the strength of their work in the 70s. Seminal tracks include "So Nice" and "Right or Wrong" – both of which are amongst some of his best work ever – and other tracks include "Unforgettable", "Funk In My Life", and "Lonely Without You". CD features bonus tracks – "Now That I Found You", "Love You Down", and "So Nice (unreleased extended version)". CD

70s soul from Brazil – and a tremendously strong effort from the legendary Tim Maia! This record was Tim's first after an initial run on Polydor – and it shows Maia tightening up his groove even more, but still avoiding the slicker sounds of later years. There's a really focused sound here that's totally great – one that shows that Maia's work was hardly just some happy cross-cultural accident, and instead the careful work of an artist who was out to challenge the best American soul acts of the time! There's a warm little groove to most of the tracks – tripping along lightly in the vein of some of our favorite US mellow soul from the mid 70s – an approach that's mostly soul, but with some funky undercurrents – and often smooth, but never cloying or overly commercial. Titles include "Ride Twist & Roll", "Flores Belas", "Let It All Hang Out", "Sem Voce", "E Necessario", "Leva O Meu Blue", "Pense Menos", and "Musica Para Betinha". (Brazil, Soul) CD

70s soul from Brazil – and a tremendously strong effort from the legendary Tim Maia! This record was Tim's first after an initial run on Polydor – and it shows Maia tightening up his groove even more, but still avoiding the slicker sounds of later years. There's a really focused sound here that's totally great – one that shows that Maia's work was hardly just some happy cross-cultural accident, and instead the careful work of an artist who was out to challenge the best American soul acts of the time! There's a warm little groove to most of the tracks – tripping along lightly in the vein of some of our favorite US mellow soul from the mid 70s – an approach that's mostly soul, but with some funky undercurrents – and often smooth, but never cloying or overly commercial. Titles include "Ride Twist & Roll", "Flores Belas", "Let It All Hang Out", "Sem Voce", "E Necessario", "Leva O Meu Blue", "Pense Menos", and "Musica Para Betinha". (Brazil, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic tribute to one of the greatest soul labels of the 80s – the groundbreaking Uno Melodic imprint, started by soul legend Roy Ayers as a showcase for some of his more creative projects! The vibe here follows perfectly from Roy's classic late 70s work on Polydor – and his famous album with Ramp – with a wicked blend of jazz, soul, and funk – all given a very sophisticated, righteous spin – with rhythms and instrumentation that are way different than the mainstream! That doesn't mean that these tunes aren't groovers – just that many were so far ahead of their time, they've only gotten full acclaim in recent decade – thanks to new discovery by DJs and hip hoppers, who've sampled more than a few of these cuts. The whole thing is wonderful – with a strong focus on some of the female singers that Roy was working with – and titles include "Remember To Remember" by Rick Holmes, "It's Your Love" and "I Know You Care" by Ethel Beatty, "Interlude" by Justo Almario, "Baby Don't You Know (inst)" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Just Keep My Boogie" by Jaymz Bedford, "Everybody" and "Chicago" by Roy Ayers, "Give Me Your Love" and "You Can't Turn Me Away" by Sylvia Striplin, and the cuts "Sing Me", "I Knew That Love", "Ladies Of The Eighties", and "Turned On To You" by Eighties Ladies. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

A fantastic tribute to one of the greatest soul labels of the 80s – the groundbreaking Uno Melodic imprint, started by soul legend Roy Ayers as a showcase for some of his more creative projects! The vibe here follows perfectly from Roy's classic late 70s work on Polydor – and his famous album with Ramp – with a wicked blend of jazz, soul, and funk – all given a very sophisticated, righteous spin – with rhythms and instrumentation that are way different than the mainstream! That doesn't mean that these tunes aren't groovers – just that many were so far ahead of their time, they've only gotten full acclaim in recent decade – thanks to new discovery by DJs and hip hoppers, who've sampled more than a few of these cuts. The whole thing is wonderful – with a strong focus on some of the female singers that Roy was working with – and titles include "Remember To Remember" by Rick Holmes, "It's Your Love" and "I Know You Care" by Ethel Beatty, "Interlude" by Justo Almario, "Baby Don't You Know (inst)" by Bobbi Humphrey, "Just Keep My Boogie" by Jaymz Bedford, "Everybody" and "Chicago" by Roy Ayers, "Give Me Your Love" and "You Can't Turn Me Away" by Sylvia Striplin, and the cuts "Sing Me", "I Knew That Love", "Ladies Of The Eighties", and "Turned On To You" by Eighties Ladies. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album