... CD

Plenty of blues power here – a searing live set recorded by Albert King before a very enthusiastic crowd at the Fillmore in the late 60s! The album's filled with lots of King's sharp-edged guitar lines – searing with a bit more soul than your usual bluesman, possibly in part because the backing group's so tight! At times, there's almost a bit of funk in the mix – given that the rhythm section romps it up pretty strongly – and the record stands nicely apart from some of the blues cliches that were creeping into the mix at the time. Titles include the 10 minute workout "Blues Power" – plus "Watermelon Man", "Night Stomp", "Blues At Sunrise", "Please Love Me", and "Look Out". (Blues, Soul) CD

The later years of Dennis Coffey at Westbound Records – tunes that show a bit of a move away from the rougher funk of his roots, but which are still filled with plenty of sharp-edged work on guitar! Coffey's groove here is more in the club vein that Westbound hit in the mid 70s – upbeat, uptempo rhythms that drew strongly on the label's earlier legacy in funk – but pushed a groove more towards the popular disco styles of the time! Yet Coffey's tunes are never throwaway disco – and from the perspective of these many decades later, they're really just fast funk numbers with a bit of strings – still heavy on tightly snapping rhythms, and filled with loads of beautiful guitar lines from Dennis. This hip package from Ace goes out of its way to focus on the funkiest bits from these years – and the set features 15 titles that include "Wild Child", "Live Wire", "Some Like It Hot", "Free Spirit", "Back Home", "Finger Lickin Good (7" version)", "Sweet Taste Of Sin", "Calling Planet Earth (12" version)", "High On Love", "Gimme That Funk (7" version)", and "Our Love Goes On Forever". CD

Earth Wind & Fire cut this one a few years before the actual turn of the century – but that's a-ok with us, because Maurice White & company were always years ahead of their time! The record steps nicely off the modes used by EWF during the 80s – the tighter, more focused approach to the groove that showed up on their later Columbia sides, but which was still quite a bit better than most of their contemporaries – especially the legions of groups who grew up to copy their sound through the years! Production and percussion are a bit 90s-sounding, but surprisingly undated years later – thanks to a continuing commitment to righteous themes and jazz-based flourishes in the tunes – as well as some nice use of kalimba interludes to give the record occasional earthy moments! Philip Bailey still holds sway on some of the mellower ballads – and titles include "Even If You Wonder", "Sunday Morning", "Blood Brothers", "Divine", "Honor The Magic", "Super Hero", "Just Another Lonely Night", "Love Across The Wire", and "Chicago Blues". CD

Funky club from 70s France – a great blend of disco, jazz funk, and slightly warmer soul – all served up by keyboardist Christian Gaubert with vocals but the ultra-sweet Last Exit group! Gaubert's style is right up there with the best European club at the time – tight rhythms, soaring keyboards, and an overall sound that's much deeper than some of the competing work coming from other territories at the time – especially the colder club sounds of Germany. Most lyrics are in English, and sung in an ensemble style by the group – and Gaubert's keys include Fender Rhodes, clavinet, and acoustic piano. Titles include "It", "Man On A Wire", "Sweet & Fool Like A Child", "Sweet Maryline", "Keep On Keep On", "Running Wave", and "Going Ups & Coming Downs". LP, Vinyl record album

A heavy load of funk from one of the greatest funk groups of all time! The set brings together original early Sansu/Josie recordings by The Meters – from that magical point when they were redefining the sound of instrumental soul with these lean, mighty killers from the New Orleans scene! Titles include "Funky Miracle", "Look A Py Py", "Tippi Toes", "Cissy Strut", "Chicken Strut", "Live Wire", "Here Comes The Metermen", "Message From The Meters", "Ride Your Pony", and lots more! LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "Cissy Strut", "Live Wire", "Sophisticated Cissy", "Look-Ka Py Py", "Pungee", "Tippi-Toes", "Soul Island", "Cabbage Alley", "People Say", "Hey Pocky A-Way", "Just Kissed My Baby", "Jungle Man", "Out In The Country", "Fire On The Bayou", "They All Ask'd For You", and "Trick Bag". CD

A well-done look at a genre that kind of snuck in under the wire – music that carries some late traces of electro, touched with underground club styles, but also delivered in a way that's plenty darn catchy, with a great ear for a hook and a groovy sort of sing-song lyric! The music is heavy on beats, basslines, and keyboards – all bursting out with plenty of energy – maybe a brightened up take on street soul from the early 80s, but usually with a younger female singer, which helps the music bubble along in a really great way! The package is new territory for Ace Records, but they've done a great job of bringing together both key cuts and overlooked gems – all hand-picked by Bob Stanley, with a set list that includes "Two Of Hearts (12" version)" by Stacey Q, "Don't Be Shy (radio voc)" by Janelle, "Lover Girl" by Meg, "Let's Go (radio)" by Nocera, "Funky Little Beat" by Connie, "When I Hear Music" by Debbie Deb, "I Wonder If I Take You Home" by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force, "Together Forever (radio)" by Lisette Melendez, "Dreamin" by Will To Power, "Take Me In Your Arms" by Lil Suzy, "Thief Of Hearts" by Cynthia, "Fascinated (12" version)" by Company B, and "Baby Talk" by Alisha. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

A well-done look at a genre that kind of snuck in under the wire – music that carries some late traces of electro, touched with underground club styles, but also delivered in a way that's plenty darn catchy, with a great ear for a hook and a groovy sort of sing-song lyric! The music is heavy on beats, basslines, and keyboards – all bursting out with plenty of energy – maybe a brightened up take on street soul from the early 80s, but usually with a younger female singer, which helps the music bubble along in a really great way! The package is new territory for Ace Records, but they've done a great job of bringing together both key cuts and overlooked gems – all hand-picked by Bob Stanley, with a set list that includes "Two Of Hearts (12" version)" by Stacey Q, "Don't Be Shy (radio voc)" by Janelle, "Lover Girl" by Meg, "Let's Go (radio)" by Nocera, "Funky Little Beat" by Connie, "When I Hear Music" by Debbie Deb, "I Wonder If I Take You Home" by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force, "Together Forever (radio)" by Lisette Melendez, "Dreamin" by Will To Power, "Take Me In Your Arms" by Lil Suzy, "Thief Of Hearts" by Cynthia, "Fascinated (12" version)" by Company B, and "Baby Talk" by Alisha. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe one of the best reggae collections the Soul Jazz label has ever given us – a really rich collection of tracks from the Studio One collection, all with female singers in the lead – a good number of which have never been reissued before! Soul Jazz has been covering the Studio One catalog for many years – but this time around, they seem to have dug even deeper than before – mixing in lots of rare nuggets alongside the few familiar tracks – all to showcase a wonderfully soulful blend of singers who cut some great work for the label! The music begins in the rocksteady years, and moves onward – presented by Soul Jazz with their great ear for a set list, usual detailed notes that really get at the history of the artists and music. Titles include "Feel So Good" by Denise Darlington, "My Man Is Gone" by Angela Prince, "Welcome You Back Home" by Jackie & Doreen, "Friends & Lovers" by Rita Marley, "You're No Good" by Marcia Griffiths, "Sleeping Tree" and "Barb Wire" by Nina Soul, "Turn Turn Turn" by Jennifer Lara, "New World" by Myrna Hague, "Melody Life" by Marcia Griffiths, "Can I Change My Mind" by Hortense Ellis, and "Buck Town Corner" by The Jay Tees. (Reggae, Soul) CD

Later work by a group fronted by fusion keyboard maestro Bayete – known most to Dusty Groove customers for his two classic albums on Prestige, both of them Herbie-esque soulful explorations. Some of that fusion feel is still here on this set – which is a mixture of smooth soul, rock fusion, and some compressed LA production. The group's a quartet, and Bayete's singing and playing keyboards – and the album's got some really wonderful moments that are a lot more soulful than you'd expect from the album's Krafterk-like cover. Titles include "Here I Am Now", "What's Done", "Give It To Me", "Live Wire", "Y 2 Me", and "So You Wanna Be". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning 4CD tribute to the genius of Al Green – stuffed with 61 tracks from his classic years at Hi Records, and packaged in a super-nice format with a 64 page booklet! The set's got some great snippets from interviews, next to classic songs, a few unreleased and rare performances, and some great photos, notes on the music, and a full discography! Titles include "Back Up Train", "Hot Wire", Stop & Check Myself", "Guilty", "True Love", "Driving Wheel", "Free At Last", "Mimi", "Take Me To The River", "Rhymes", "The Love Sermon", "Bell", "Chariots Of Fire", and "Simply Beautiful". CD

Island compilation of some of the Meter's best sides for the Josie label, including such rare funk goodies as "Tippi Toes", "Live Wire", "Chicken Strut", "Ride Your Pony", "Cissy Strut", "Funky Miracle", "Sophisticated Cissy", and more! Groovy textured cover, and a great batch of tracks from the old days! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums ever in the history of funk – the first album by The Meters, and virtually the blueprint for countless funky records to come! The set marked a key moment when energy from the funky 45 underground of 7" singles was able to step forward into the space of a full LP – yet all without losing any of the intensity of the smaller format at all – with an all-killer, no-filler approach that makes the whole thing burn all the way through! The album's bubbling over with classics – all hard-hitting instrumentals played by the group in an effortlessly tight style, produced to perfection by Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn in their classic 60s New Orleans style. A blinding masterpiece of bass, drums, and scratchy guitar – with tracks that include "Cardova", "Cissy Strut", "Sophisticated Cissy", "Here Comes The Meter Man", "Ease Back", "Ann", "6V6 La", and "Live Wire". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums ever in the history of funk – the first album by The Meters, and virtually the blueprint for countless funky records to come! The set marked a key moment when energy from the funky 45 underground of 7" singles was able to step forward into the space of a full LP – yet all without losing any of the intensity of the smaller format at all – with an all-killer, no-filler approach that makes the whole thing burn all the way through! The album's bubbling over with classics – all hard-hitting instrumentals played by the group in an effortlessly tight style, produced to perfection by Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn in their classic 60s New Orleans style. A blinding masterpiece of bass, drums, and scratchy guitar – with tracks that include "Cardova", "Cissy Strut", "Sophisticated Cissy", "Here Comes The Meter Man", "Ease Back", "Ann", "6V6 La", and "Live Wire". LP, Vinyl record album

Martha and the girls' entry into Motown's well-done series of 70s multi-LP collections – this one only a double-length set, but still filled with plenty of great bits by the group! The set features a solid decade's worth of work – material from the trio's 1962 start at Motown, up to some of their even better albums for the label in the early 70s. Titles include "Bless You", "Honey Love", "Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things", "My Baby Loves Me", "Honey Chile", "Jimmy Mack", "I Promise To Wait My Love", "Benjamin", "Tear It On Down", "In & Out Of My Life", "Live Wire", "Wild One", "Motoring", "Nowhere To Run", "Quicksand", "Love Is Like A Heat Wave", and "I'll Have To Let Him Go". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique album for Chaka Khan – one in which she teams up with a host of jazz artists to craft a classic-styled set of vocals! Given that Chaka was at the height of her 80s groove solo career at the time of this one, the move is a surprising one – but also a great chance for Chaka to show that she has a lot more to offer than just pop chops, as she sounds pretty darn great scatting on these classic jazz numbers. And as proof that the set was definitely a serious jazz effort, Chaka's got a great lineup on the album – a group that includes Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Joe Henderson on tenor, Chick Corea on piano, and Lenny White on drums. Titles include "Them There Eyes", "All Of Me", "Take The A Train", "Hire Wire", "The Aerialist", and "I Hear Music". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky guitar and a bucket of fried chicken – two things that go perfectly together here on a record that's one of the last of Dennis Coffey's great run in the early 70s! The album marks some of the shift in Coffey's role on the Detroit soul scene as the decade moved on – as it features close collaboration with longtime musical partner Mike Theodore, who was helping the scene move past 60s soul into the world of 70s club – a style that's showcased very heavily here with all sorts of fantastic rhythms, and even backing female vocals that provide a soulful addition to Coffey's work on guitar! There's almost a Sigma sound vibe to the record at times, but the grooves are even funkier with a drum snap at the bottom – on titles that include "Finger Lickin Good", "I've Got A Real Good Feeling", "El Tigre", "Live Wire", "Some Like It Hot", "Wild Child", "If You Can't Dance To This", and a nice remake of David Bowie's "Fame". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of albums from this famous Brazilian trombonist – all of them great! First up is Sweet Lucy – a wonderful album from Raul De Souza, cut during the height of his fame on the California scene! Like Raul's other work for Capitol, this record really sparkles from tight help from George Duke – who handles production, and some of the arrangements – and really helps De Souza find a tight jazzy groove! The instrumentation is a bit leaner than some of Raul's other records of this nature, which is a nice thing – as you get to hear plenty of keyboards from Patrice Rushen, Fender Rhodes from Dawilli Gonga, trumpet from Freddie Hubbard, and percussion from Airto. There's a bit of chorus vocals at times, but the main focus is on Raul's trombone solos – and cuts include of Joao Donato's "Banana Tree", plus "Sweet Lucy", "New Love", "Wild & Shy", "Bottom Heat", "Wires", and "At Will". Don't Ask My Neighbors is a tremendous moment for trombonist Raul De Souza – working here in a style that's light years past his roots in bossa nova! The set's got a heavy California vibe – a late 70s blend of jazz and soul handled by producer George Duke, who also arranges many tracks on the record – but still leaves plenty of room for Raul to step out strongly in the lead! Things are never too overdone, and handled with that sunny style that players like Duke did so well – lots of warm jazzy elements in the backings, coming from Fender Rhodes by Bobby Lyle, percussion from Airto, and drums from the great Harvey Mason – who really brings an edge to some of the groovers. Titles include a killer cover of the Skip Scarborough tune "Don't Ask My Neighbors" – plus "La La Song", "Overture", "At The Concert", "I Believe You", and "Jump Street". Til Tomorrow Comes is filled with soaring sounds from Raul De Souza – a Brazilian musician who first recorded under the name of Raulzinho during the bossa nova years – but one who's at the height of his powers here working on the Cali scene at the end of the 70s! Raul manages to blend his lead instrument with fuller arrangements from Arthur Wright – who brings in plenty of the best elements from contemporary R&B, adds in some backing vocals, yet never diminishes Raul's presence on the record at all! Instead, De Souza seems to draw all sorts of energy from the folks around him on the sessions for the record – really stepping out with the best sort of jazz funk grooves that Capitol Records were laying down at the time – as you'll hear on cuts that include "Up & At It", "Self Sealing", "Pleasurize", "Fe No Me Nol", and "Til Tomorrow comes". CD features bonus tracks – single versions of "Til Tomorrow Comes", "Sweet Lucy", and "Daisy Mae". (Jazz, Soul) CD

Sweet Lucy, and mighty groovy – a wonderful album from Raul De Souza, cut during the height of his fame on the California scene! Like Raul's other work for Capitol, this record really sparkles from tight help from George Duke – who handles production, and some of the arrangements – and really helps De Souza find a tight jazzy groove! The instrumentation is a bit leaner than some of Raul's other records of this nature, which is a nice thing – as you get to hear plenty of keyboards from Patrice Rushen, Fender Rhodes from Dawilli Gonga, trumpet from Freddie Hubbard, and percussion from Airto. There's a bit of chorus vocals at times, but the main focus is on Raul's trombone solos – and cuts include of Joao Donato's "Banana Tree", plus "Sweet Lucy", "New Love", "Wild & Shy", "Bottom Heat", "Wires", and "At Will". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Gary Numan plays on the Numan-penned song, "I Dream Of Wires". Chris Franz from Talking Heads also makes a guest appearance. (Rock, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A great slice of work from the New York underground of the post-disco years – served up by a family of labels that had been making things happen through most of the 70s! The set focuses strongly on the singles issued by the Posse and Spring Records labels – the former a new offshoot of the latter, especially geared towards 12" singles that were strongly focused on both the new sounds of the clubs and the streets – including lots of electro, bass-heavy funk, hip hop-inspired grooves, and mabye even some elements that would soon point the way towards house music to come! This side of the Spring Records label has never been covered in detail like this before – and the choice of cuts is as great as the notes on the music – which finally gives the Posse singles their due in the scene from back in the day. Titles include "We Come To Jam" by Blaze, "Sing A Song" by Lonnie Youngblood, "Have Your Cake" by Body, "Wired For Games (long version)" by C Brand, "Workin Out" by Ritz, "Live It Up (short vocal)" by Fonda Rae, "Get Up An Dance" by Mynk, "Spread Love" by Fatback, "Let's Get Nice (7" vocal)" by Glory, and "Got To Have Your Lovin (short vocal)" by Feel. (Funky Compilations, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet Lucy, and mighty groovy – a wonderful album from Raul De Souza, cut during the height of his fame on the California scene! Like Raul's other work for Capitol, this record really sparkles from tight help from George Duke – who handles production, and some of the arrangements – and really helps De Souza find a tight jazzy groove! The instrumentation is a bit leaner than some of Raul's other records of this nature, which is a nice thing – as you get to hear plenty of keyboards from Patrice Rushen, Fender Rhodes from Dawilli Gonga, trumpet from Freddie Hubbard, and percussion from Airto. There's a bit of chorus vocals at times, but the main focus is on Raul's trombone solos – and cuts include of Joao Donato's "Banana Tree", plus "Sweet Lucy", "New Love", "Wild & Shy", "Bottom Heat", "Wires", and "At Will". (Jazz, Soul) CD

A great slice of work from the New York underground of the post-disco years – served up by a family of labels that had been making things happen through most of the 70s! The set focuses strongly on the singles issued by the Posse and Spring Records labels – the former a new offshoot of the latter, especially geared towards 12" singles that were strongly focused on both the new sounds of the clubs and the streets – including lots of electro, bass-heavy funk, hip hop-inspired grooves, and mabye even some elements that would soon point the way towards house music to come! This side of the Spring Records label has never been covered in detail like this before – and the choice of cuts is as great as the notes on the music – which finally gives the Posse singles their due in the scene from back in the day. Titles include "We Come To Jam" by Blaze, "Sing A Song" by Lonnie Youngblood, "Have Your Cake" by Body, "Wired For Games (long version)" by C Brand, "Workin Out" by Ritz, "Live It Up (short vocal)" by Fonda Rae, "Get Up An Dance" by Mynk, "Spread Love" by Fatback, "Let's Get Nice (7" vocal)" by Glory, and "Got To Have Your Lovin (short vocal)" by Feel. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD