Massive work from this funky Nigerian cat – a set that offers up a key mix of James Brown funk and home-grown elements – all in a blend that's totally unique! The 1970 album mixes together equal parts African highlife and American soul – making for a style that's heavy one minute, lighter the next – and always changing things up in a really dynamic way! Percussion plays a big role on the funkier cuts, and guitar is on most numbers too – used with a lyrical, rhythmic style on the highlife numbers – and a much more hard-vamping approach on the funkier ones. Includes killer versions of "Mother Popcorn", "Let Yourself Go", "There Was A Time", "I Feel Alright", and "Cold Sweat" – plus the tracks "Okere Gwonko", "Everybody Needs Love", "Onuro", and "Magic Feet". (Global Grooves, Soul) CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A rare live set from Otis Clay – much more obscure than his later Japanese album that circulated in the 80s – and captured at a time when Otis was coming off his famous stretch at Hi Records! The set features great small combo backing by an American group – and titles include "Precious Precious", "All Because Of Your Love", "Is It Over", "Turn Back The Hands Of Time", "Trying To Live My Life Without You", "I'm Qualified", "Let Me In", and "I've Got To Find A Way". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone cold classic from Teddy Riley! Forget what you might think about the cliches of New Jack Swing, because this record is a landmark of modern soul, one of the freshest R&B albums from the 80s, and it still sounds great today. After starting things out with Wrecks N Effect, Riley moved over to Guy – who really made his hip-hop heavy New Jack sound work great, because they had much better vocal chops than earlier groups, and they could fuse a tight harmony to the funky sound in style that not only got them loads of airplay (and record sales!), but which inspired a whole generation of American soul. This first album's their best, and it includes lots of nice smooth jammers – like "Spend The Night", "Piece of My Love", "Teddy's Jam", "Groove Me", and "Goodbye Love". CD

(Neo Soul, Soul) CD

... CD

One of the greatest Supremes albums of the 70s – a rare live Japanese session that wasn't even issued in the US at the time! The album follows strongly in the spirit of the other Motown Japanese live sets of the time – with really tight backings behind the group on stage, and a powerful, spontaneous sound that really seems to take off even more strongly than the studio albums. The girls' vocals are great – and really nicely unfettered on some of the tunes – stepping out with strong leads and soulful harmonies that are a good reminder that the group was still burning strong at this point. Titles include "Stoned Love", "TCB", "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You", "Bad Weather", "Cherry Cherry", and "Somewhere". LP, Vinyl record album

The legendary debut of Bobby Caldwell – a blue-eyed soul singer who borrowed just the right amounts from AOR and R&B! Bobby's got a voice that's really great, and wrapped up warmly amidst keyboards and larger arrangements that all come across with a very cool compressed style – almost as if Caldwell discovered that midtempo and mellow style on some of the Earth Wind & Fire albums from a few years before, and used it as inspiration to craft a classic groove that's very much his own! The set features Bobby's huge classic "What You Won't Do For Love" – but the whole album's great, and other titles include "Special To Me", "Can't Say Goodbye", "My Flame", "Love Won't Wait", "Come To Me", "Down For The Third Time", "Take Me Back To Then" and "Kalimba Song", another nod to Maurice White and crew, to be sure! Also includes a bonus track – the TK version of "Can't Say Goodbye". CD

A rare live set from Otis Clay – much more obscure than his later Japanese album that circulated in the 80s – and captured at a time when Otis was coming off his famous stretch at Hi Records! The set features great small combo backing by an American group – and titles include "I've Got To Find A Way (To Get You Back)", "Let Me In", "Precious Precious", "If I Could Reach Out (And Help Somebody)", "Slow And Easy", "Is It Over/That's How It Is (When You're In Love)", "Turn Back The Hands Of Time", "Trying To Live My Life Without You",and "I Die A Little Each Day". CD

A silly title, but a surprisingly nice LP – one that takes Chaka back to the style she used on her classic Echoes Of An Era session – the 80s jazz side in which she recreated an older style of jazz vocal work! Chaka's working here with backings by the London Symphony Orchestra, but the sound's pretty darn jazzy overall – with a seemingly small piano combo from the orchestra providing most of the rhythm, as the strings and woodwinds come in on the larger, lusher moments. Tracks are mostly older numbers, and include some surprisingly nice 60s tunes – with titles that include "Goldfinger", "Diamonds Are Forever", "To Sir With Love", "Teach Me Tonight", "Is That All There Is", "The Best Is Yet To Come", "Hey Big Spender", and "Hazel's Hips" – plus a Japanese excluive remix of "To Sir With Love". CD

Spacey Frenchy disco stuff, recorded in French Canada, where they do that sort of thing pretty well. 4 long tracks with a space theme to them, including "Conquest Of The Stars", "Beyond Orion", and "Mission To Lyra". LP, Vinyl record album

Two Latin funk classics – back to back in a single set! First up is the self-titled Azteca album – a crowning moment for the west coast Latin scene in the 70s – a wonderful Bay Area set that brings together some of the best talents working on that scene at the time! The set's got a great blend of modes – Latin soul, touches of funk, and plenty of the jazzy inflections you'd expect from a lineup that includes Coke Escovedo on timbales, Paul Jackson on bass, Lenny White on drums, George Muribus on Fender Rhodes, Tom Harrell on trumpet, and Victor Pantoja on congas! Vocals are by Pete Escovedo – who brings in a heady soulful sound to the set – and the vibe is a bit like work by Malo or El Chicano, but even more jazz-based overall! Titles include "Peace Everybody", "Empty Prophet", "Can't Take The Funk Out Of Me", "Azteca", "Ah! Ah!", and "Mamita Linda". Next is Pyramid Of The Moon – a really special record from a really special group – one of two sublime 70s gems from Azteca – a wicked blend of jazz, funk, Latin, and soul – all put together by a young Coke Escovedo! Coke's ostensibly the leader of the group, but there's also a richly collaborative feel going on – a style that brings together jazz players like Tom Harrell on trumpet, Mel Martin on saxes, George Muribus on Fender Rhodes, and Flip Nunez on organ – and Latin players like Victor Pantoja on congas, Coke Escovedo on timbales, and Pete Escovedo on added percussion. In fact, the set's a key early example of the strength of the Escovedo family – and like their best later efforts, the set really stretches out and pushes the boundaries of conventional genres. There's also some great guest work from Lenny White on drums, Mike Nock on keyboards, and Neal Schon on guitars – and vocals are by a range of singers who really keep things fresh. Titles include "Red Onions", "Mazatlan", "Whatcha Gonna Do", "Mexicana, Mexicana", and "Love Is A Stranger". (Latin, Soul) CD

Later work from Otis Clay, but also one of his greatest albums ever! The record features him with some fuller arrangements than usual – in less of a bluesy mode than during the Hi years, with a smooth sound that really brings out a whole new side of his style. The set was recorded in Chicago for the Japanese market – and the arrangements are by Benjamin Wright, Bill McFarland, and Clay himself. Includes the massive groover "The Only Way Is Up", an anthemic modern dancefloor number that later yielded a bit hit for Yazz – plus the tracks "Cheatin In The Next Room", "All I Need Is You", "Special Kind Of Love", "Messin With My Mind", "Turn Back The Hands Of Time", and "Check It Out". LP, Vinyl record album

A bit of a change for Allen Toussaint – the kind of an album that makes good use of all the connections he was making during the early 70s, when he was becoming the darling of the Warner Brothers scene in LA. Overall, Allen's getting pretty smooth by this point – so smooth that even some rootsy production by Jerry Wexler still makes it hard to remember that he got his start in the raw New Orleans soul scene – but at its heart, the album's still got a good talent for the kind of rolling groove that Toussaint brought to his own work, and that of so many other artists, in earlier years. This album features lots of LA studio backing, with players like Richard Tee, Victor Feldman, Paulinho Da Costa, Larry Carlton, and others of that ilk. Titles include "Motion", "Night People", "Just A Kiss Away", "Declaration Of Love", and "Viva La Money". LP, Vinyl record album

A great entry in this series that not only always delivers the goods, but does so at a price that's a hell of a great bargain for all the excellent music involved! Expansion Records brings together a handful of titles from their own releases in recent years, plus other neo soul gems from the global underground – both American and British artists, some better-known names, some great up-and-comers waiting to be discovered – all of which makes for a package that packs plenty of punch! Most tracks appear here on CD for the first time ever – and the 3CD set features 35 titles that include "I'd Rather Be In Love With You (the sax way)" by Sheree Brown, "Intoxicated Love" by Castella, "If You Wanna Know What's Missing" by Julian Jonah with Dutch Robinson, "Think About" by Sugar & Heath, "Soul N'Samba" by Tyrone Lee, "Baby Let's Go (soul mix)" by Narada Michael Walden, "Step With Me" by Victor Haynes, "I Love Me Too" by Carol Riddick, "Do You Remember" by Steven Thad, "I Found Love" by Rose Spearman & Soul City Connection, "Harvest For The World" by Patrice Isley, "Keep On Giving (rmx)" by Shaila Prospere, "Smooth" by Con Funk Shun, "Elementary" by Robert Imtume Owens, "Sometimes" by Brian Power with Cornell CC Carter, "Right The Wrong" by Natasha Watts, and "Could It Really Be" by Mike Lindup with Tony Momrelle. (Neo Soul, Soul) CD

It might be a bit of a stretch to say that things were going mod in 1957 – as the London mod movement still had a few years to come – but modern jazz was certainly taking over the scene in the city, thanks to a huge rise of homegrown acts who were serving up their own response to American work on labels like Blue Note and Prestige! This set's full of some of the best to appear at the time – a great lineup of London players at their best – with cuts that include "Sputnik" by Dick Heckstall Smith, "Cheek To Cheek" by the Jazz Couriers, "Monkey Business" by Kenny Graham's Afro Cubists, "Cinders" by Vic Ash Plus Four, "Chelsea Bridge" by Derek Smith, "Four" by Tubby Hayes & Victor Feldman, "Headin North" by Johnny Keating, "Salt Air" by Dave Lee, "Act One Scene One" by Kenny Baker's Half Dozen, and "Pittsburgh Opener" by Ronnie Scott. As a bonus, the set also features a full CD of American artists who were also making Soho hop at the time – work by Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Miles Davis, and others. (Jazz, Soul) CD

Latin soul percussionist Willie Bobo hits a new dimension here – singing as well as playing timbales, hitting a groovy groove that's perfect for his rough and ready vocals! The track list is a mix of 60s soul covers and a few very tasty original tunes – all done in a mod style that's right up there with the best sound of Verve at the end of the 60s. The players on the record are great – with Latin and jazz talents that include Sonny Henry, Freddie Waits, Jimmy Owens, and Victor Pantoja – grooving in tight combo format to support Willie's vocal efforts. Tracks include "Psychedelic Blues", "Sham Time", "Lisa", "Grazing In The Grass", "The Look Of Love", and "Yellow Days". (Latin, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

BB King brings in a sweet dose of jazz to his work – just a touch of the funkier backings that some of his electric contemporaries were getting at the time – maybe not as hard-wailing as some of the Chess funky blues records, but definitely somewhere in that direction! Players on the date include Mel Brown and Jesse Davis on guitars, Bobby Bryant on trumpet, Red Holloway on tenor, Plas Johnson on baritone, Clifford Coulter and Victor Feldman on piano, and the great Earl Palmer on drums. Titles include "Help The Poor", "Can't You Hear Me Talking To You", "Midnight", "I Got Some Help I Don't Need", "I've Been Blue Too Long", "Lucille's Granny, and "Can't You Hear Me Talking To You". (Blues, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A new year's always a new way to fall in love with contemporary soul music – thanks to the annual gems we always get in this great series from Expansion Records! For decades, the UK label has been one of the best outlets for new music from the neo soul underground – and in recent years, as so many releases are digital-only, their efforts with this collection series is even more important – as provides a massive overview of great contemporary soul cuts that may never make it to any sort of physical format at all! There's other cuts from album released mixed in with singles and more obscure cuts – and as always, the set list is superb – a batch of 35 tracks that include "Dot Dot Dot" by Marquel Jordan, "Something Like This (breakdown rmx)" by Tristan, "Don't Throw Our Love Away" by Ashley Scott, "Love Can Make You Feel So Happy" by Ipso Facto, "Slow Motion" by Kenya with Noel Gourdin, "This Is Worth It" by Blue Soul Ten, "While I'm Alone" by Alton McClain Scarborough, "Such A Good Feelin (Don-E chuffed mix)" by Rich Beggar, "Alone Again" by Ernie & The Family McKone, "Light Up My World" by Victor Haynes, "Soul Steppin (Soul Syndicate rmx)" by Shirley Jones, "Move Me No Mountain" by Lisa Dietrich, "I Believe" by Khari Cabral & Jiva, "Moods" by The R&R Soul Orchestra, "Here We Got Again" by Output/Input, "Now's The Time For Us" by Julian Joseph, and "If It Feels Good" by We Are One X-Perience. (Neo Soul, Soul) CD

A hip batch of underground poetry tracks – collected together by the Before Columbus Foundation, a group dedicated to promoting the works of African-American and Native American artists! Despite the 1980 date, the collection has a feel that's similar to earlier righteous poetry albums on the Folkways label – proof that the flames were still burning strong in the underground, even though artists such as these weren't getting as much mainstream attention at the end of the 70s! Most readings are recorded live, with a relatively spare, stark sound – and performances include "Dope" by Amiri Baraka, "St Louis Woman" by Ishmael Reed, "For The Poets" by Jayne Cortez, "Bark Is What Us Dogs Do" by David Meltzer, "Flipochinos, Being Your Woman, & Pacific Lover" by Cyn Zarco, and "Artist/Art This" by Victor Hernandez Cruz. (Spoken Word, Soul) CD

The second great album from Peruvian funk legends Black Sugar, and a set that's every bit as great as the first – perhaps even more so from a keyboard perspective, given that there's plenty of sweet organ and moog that filter through the set! The record's got the group sounding even tighter than before – mixing Latin rhythms with some great elements from American soul and funky fusion – all wrapped up nicely with a personal, heartfelt sort of approach that's really great. Victor Coco Salazar handles arrangements, guitars, and vocals – and the album features killer covers of "Valdez In The Country" and "Don't You Worry About A Thing" – plus the originals "Fuego", "Checan", "All Your Love", "Wake Up", and "I Want To Believe". (Latin, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Allen Toussaint's complete recordings for Warner – a trio of classic albums from one of the greatest forces in Crescent City soul, plus rare live tracks – in a perfect 2CD set! Includes the complete Life Love & Faith, Southern Nights and Motion albums – from a creatively fruitful 70s period when Toussaint was mixing a bit of funk into the heavy soul mix, and even some mellow LA soul touches – coming up with a blend of styles without ever betraying his New Orleans roots! New Orleans legends like Leo Nocentelli, Zig Modeliste, Art Neville and George Porter Jr factor in to the Life Love & Faith and Southern Nights sessions, along with LA sessions all stars like Richard Tee, Victor Feldman, Paulinho Da Costa, Larry Carlton and producer Jerry Wexler on the Motion sessions – this this excellent Rhino CD anthology also include 10 previously unreleased live records! Titles include Soul Sister", "Victims Of The Darkness", "Am I Expecting Too Much", "Out Of The City", "Goin Down", "Electricity", "Fingers & Toes", Southern Nights", "Basic Lady", "Last Train", "Worldwide", "You Will Not Lose", "When The Party's Over", Motion", "Night People", "Just A Kiss Away", "Declaration Of Love", "Viva La Money" and more from the studio recordings, plus "Touch Of Love", "Brickyard Blues", "What Is Success", "Shoo-Ra", "Last Train" and more live tracks! CD

A fantastic look at the Spring Records label in New York – a company that had a few big crossover hits in the 70s, but also issued a lot more rare and obscure material over the years – with a long legacy that even hit the early years of the old school scene! One of Spring's great contributions was finding a way for fast funk groups to shift into a disco mode when the earliest years of the clubs got going – but there's also a lot more going on here too – including some great deep soul ballads, warm midtempo steppers, and cuts that point the way towards the modern soul generation on the rise. The package also features six never-issued cuts, alongside some well-chosen and overlooked Spring Records gems – all put together with the usual strong notes and excellent sound we love from Ace/Kent! Titles include "If We Get Caught I Don't Know You" by Prince Philip Mitchell, "Falling In Love" by Victor Tavares, "Save The Best For Me" by The Determinations, "Do You Feel Me" by Act I, "I'm The Other Half Of You" by Maxine Weldon, "If You Could Turn Into Me" by The Fatback Band, "Magic's In The Air" by Ronnie Walker, "Hold On" by Ray Godfrey, "If You Say You Love Me" by Us, "The Storm Is Passing Over" by Jackie Verdell, "Beauty" by The Joneses, "Kill The Monster" by Flower Shoppe, "I Ride Alone" by The Internationals, "Get Right" by Richard Barbary, "Daddy's Coming Home" by Prince Harold, and "Of Your Life" by Vernon Brown. CD

Funk, soul and funky soul from the Bay Area – fantastic early-to-mid 70s numbers from the scene sprung from Ray Dobard's Music City Record Shops and label – numbers by Darando, Chucky Thurmon, Houston Outlaws, Kevin Burton, Benida Madison, Dry Ice, Victor Green, Love Uprisers, Soul Messengers and more! The artists nail a number of funky modes here – from raw, rumbling stripped down numbers to more grooving organ backed gems, both tightly snapping and loosely lumbering numbers, a bit of jazz funk and more – usually with powerhouse vocals. 17 tracks in all: "Just A Man" by Chucky Thurmon", "The Rock That Killed Goliath" by Al Tanner, "Is It Right" by Kevin Burton, "Time Flies" by Benida Madison, "A Lonely Place" by Bob Carson, "Eddie Boogaloo" by Love Uprisers, "Ruby Dee" by The Cookin' Bag, "Gimme Some (Version 1)" by Darando and more. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD