A fantastic later album from Gil Scott-Heron – a set that came out in the mid 90s, at a time when Gil had been away from the studio for many years – but definitely hadn't lost any of the qualities that made him so great in the first place! Despite the space of a decade, the album picks up right where the Arista records left off – and in fact, maybe even gives things a deeper, jazzy current after the last few – just the right sort of production to support both Gil's message in his lyrics, and the jazz vocal style that always makes that message come across so well. The album's got a nice extended track called "The Other Side", plus nice ones like "Don't Give Up", "Spirits Past", and "Spirits". CD

One of a handful of righteous classics issued on Motown's Black Forum imprint in the early 70s – and a set that's maybe even more righteous than the rest – as it features a whole host of message-oriented tracks put together by the poet Amiri Baraka! The set was recorded live at the Apollo – and features both artists who have become legends in African American expression, and others who've not gotten their due over the years, but who are preserved wonderfully here in the setting of the performance – which bristles with a raw energy that's very different than some of the more good time records recorded at the legendary venue the decade before. Titles include "Black Is" and "What's Happening To The Heroes" by Kali, "A Folk Fable For My People" by Johari Amini, "Boppin" by David Henderson, "The Poet The Dreamer" and "Brothers The Struggle Must Go On" by Norman Jordan, "Notes From A Guerilla Diary" by Aski Mohammad Toure, "See Her Image In The River" by the Original Last Poets, "Pimp's Last Mack" by Stanley Crouch, "One Thousand Nine Hundred & Sixty Eight Winters" by Jackie Early, "Hip Men" by Amus Moore, and "Holy Days by Larry Neal. (Spoken Word, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Do Ya Wanna Go Dancin", "Rock Around The Clock", "Let's Make Love Tonight", "Round & Round & Round", "Spirits", "The Little Rock Dancer From Dallas", "Dance With Me", and "Midnight Fever." LP, Vinyl record album

Phyllis Hyman's nicely balanced here between the two key sides of her early career at its best – working with straight soul production from Chuck Jackson, and slightly more complicated grooves handled by Norman Connors! The pair really bring a nice sense of balance to the record, and in a way the set may well be one of the deepest that Hyman cut during the 80s – a set that avoids some of the too-classy or too-contemporary modes that later held back her vocals a bit – and which instead goes for all the warmth and sensual soul that first made Phyllis rise to fame during the 70s! There's a gentle glow to the record that really shines through – a sense that even in the studio, working for a label like Arista, Phyllis Hyman could work with the same deep spirits as the more righteous albums of her youth. Titles include "Can't We Fall In Love Again", "I Ain't Asking", "Sunshine In My Life", "Don't Tell Me, Tell Her", and "Just Another Face In The Crowd". CD

Maybe our favorite-ever album from Minnie Riperton during the 70s – a sweet, smooth jazzy gem that really makes some of the best use of her vocals! There's a sophistication here that's a great 70s counterpart to Minnie's earlier work with Charles Stepney – served up here in a very different style, but one that really sets Riperton apart from any of her contemporaries – in a unique blend of soul, jazz, and much deeper spirits – all handled with the sense of pride and style you'd expect from Minnie's image on the cover! All tracks were co-written by Riperton and Richard Rudolph – and a few get some great help from Leon Ware too. Titles include the massive track "Baby, This Love I Have" – a slow funk number that's be sampled many times over the years – plus the spacey tunes "Minnie's Lament", "Inside My Love", and "Alone In Brewster Bay", remade from Minnie's first LP – and the titles "Simple Things", "Feeling That Your Feeling's Right", and "Don't Let Anyone Bring You Down". CD

Maybe our favorite-ever album from Minnie Riperton during the 70s – a sweet, smooth jazzy gem that really makes some of the best use of her vocals! There's a sophistication here that's a great 70s counterpart to Minnie's earlier work with Charles Stepney – served up here in a very different style, but one that really sets Riperton apart from any of her contemporaries – in a unique blend of soul, jazz, and much deeper spirits – all handled with the sense of pride and style you'd expect from Minnie's image on the cover! All tracks were co-written by Riperton and Richard Rudolph – and a few get some great help from Leon Ware too. Titles include the massive track "Baby, This Love I Have" – a slow funk number that's be sampled many times over the years – plus the spacey tunes "Minnie's Lament", "Inside My Love", and "Alone In Brewster Bay", remade from Minnie's first LP – and the titles "Simple Things", "Feeling That Your Feeling's Right", and "Don't Let Anyone Bring You Down". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary album from the Texas scene of the 70s – exactly the kind of set that helps the city of Austin live up to its massive reputation for music! The group's got a wonderful blend of jazz, soul, and funk – a unique blend that reminds us of our favorite funky Fantasy Records sides from the Bay Area scene, but which is even more special here as a standout set from Austin. Like some of the best ensemble funk sets of the 70s, the groove's choppy one minute, jazzy the next – really drawing from the many spirits that inhabit the 8-piece lineup, in ways that really let everyone's talents sparkle. Drums are nice and tight, and the keyboard and saxophone work is wonderful too – and titles include "Ghetto Tool", "Groove Awhile", "Keep Your Eyes On The Merchandise", "Funk N Roll", "Frozen Tundra Lady", and "Radiator". CD

Rare funk from the East Bay scene of the early 70s – every bit as heavy and hard-hitting as grooves from Sly Stone on the other side of the water at the time! Two Things In One may not be a household name, but they groove as hard as any of the best big funk acts of the early 70s – awash in the free-thinking, open spirits of the Family Stone generation – and graced with a nice dose of spiritualism in the vocals – almost a dash of Stevie Wonder that helps deepen these tunes way more than you'd expect! Production is nice and raw – honed at Oakland's Music City studios – and the album's like finding a whole pile of funky 45s you never even knew about – with a nice diversity in grooves throughout, but a tight cohesive style overall. Titles include "Stop Telling Me", "Snag Nasty", "Silly Song", "Let's Get It Together", "Overdoes Of Your Love", "You're No Good", and "Together Forever". CD