A nice late 70s album you might have passed over because of the terrible cover art. "Party Freaks, Come On" was Ron Louis Smith's big dancefloor hit from the late 70's, and it's got a nice uptempo Miami funk groove to it – sort of like the stuff by Jimmy Bo Horne, or other artists from the era. The rest of the set's mostly similar uptempo funk, but there's a couple of nice, crisply produced modern soul numbers in the vein of the Natural High compilations, like "Come On And Do It" and "Love Talk". Also includes "The Worm", "Make Me Know It", "We Like To Party" and "You're My Everything". CD

The best work ever from the great Johnny Adams – a Crescent City soul singer with a hell of a lot of power, brought into wonderfully strong focus here on these early recordings for the Ric & Ron label! Johnny recorded later in Nashville and Jackson, but he's never sounded better than on these early sides – which have a depth of feeling and timeless power that we'd rank right up there with some of the most important names during the early years of soul. The material is nicely free of overdone New Orleans styles – and instead has this care and class that really reaches out from the roots of the material, to showcase Johnny as a singer with a great deal of care and class, but one who's still able to let loose in the best deep soul modes too. Adams hardly ever got the chart coverage he should have deserved – but this 24 track set will more than support his strong legacy – with detailed notes, and a stunning array of tracks that include "Closer To You", "Teach Me To Forget", "Who You Are", "Showdown", "A Losing Battle", "Life Is Just A Struggle", "Cold Cold Heart", "Coming Around The Mountain", and "Nowhere To Go". CD

An excellent overview of the second half of the short run of the Ric & Ron labels – tiny imprints from New Orleans in the early years of soul music, but a crucial force in the development of the Crescent City sound! The work here is mostly from the early 60s, and really shows New Orleans soul coming into its own – finding a way to fuse together all the rich array of sounds, styles, and cultural influences that made the sound of the city so unique – with lots of romping rhythms, deeply soulful vocals, and some mad piano lines that really add that signature New Orleans touch! Nearly every cut here is a winner, and this Ace Records presentation of the label's legacy is easily the best treatment of Ric & Ron we've ever seen. The set features 24 tracks – including some rare and unissued numbers – and titles include "Send Me Your Picture" by Bobby Mitchell, "A Losing Battle" by Johnny Adams, "Unemployed" by Warren Lee, "Check Mr Popeye" by Eddie Bo, "Honest I Do" by Tommy Ridgley, "I Guess I Always Will" by Jimmy Easterling, "I Don't Talk Too Much" by Martha Carter, "The Git Back (part 1)" by Guitar Joe Morris, "Question Of Love (demo)" by Barbara Lynn, and "Carnival Time (demo)" by Al Johnson. CD

An excellent double-length live set from Gil Scott Heron – recorded right in the middle of his classic years on Arista Records, and with an extended groove that shows just how great he could be in a concert setting! Many of these tracks are quite long, with both instrumental solos and a more freewheeling vibe from Gil – who seems to put even more power into the sorts of messages that always make his music so wonderful. The group features flute from Vernon James and tenor from Ron Holloway – and Gil himself plays plenty of great keyboards, including Fender Rhodes – which brings a very fluid vibe to his vocal presentation. Tracks include "We Almost Lost Detroit", "B Movie", "Better Days Ahead", "Washington DC", "Shut Em Down", "Winter In America", "Angola Louisiana", "Johannesburg", and a great 15 minute take on "The Bottle". CD

A proud 60th anniversary celebration for The Temptations – still going strong as one of the greatest vocal groups in the Motown empire! Over the years, a range of well-chosen younger singers have come in to replace ailing members – but founder Otis Williams is still a key member of the group, and leads the lineup strongly through the kind of material that really sparkles in the well-crafted harmonies of the group! And sure, it's years past the 60s period when the Temps were one of the guiding forces in soul – but they still sound pretty darn essential here, even overshadowing a guest appearance by Smokey Robinson on once track once their vocals let loose. Production is by Narada Michael Walden, Smokey, Ron Tyson, and Williams in collaboration with TC Campbell – on titles that include the great anthem "When We Were Kings", plus "Let It Reign", "Is It Gonna Be Yes Or No", "Time For The People", "I Want It Right Now", and "Elevator Eyes". CD