Poland's Ergo Band are a tight combo with a great ear for a groove – sometimes funky in sort of an Average White Band way, sometimes a bit harder jamming, like some of their Eastern Bloc contemporaries! And here, they're joined by singer Grzyna Lobaszewska – who sings on a good number of tracks on the set, in a way that really helps the band find their focus – keeping things in more of a rhythmic mode when Grzyna's singing, so that there's some surprising elements of soul in the music – even though the lyrics themselves are in Polish! The AWB comparison is definitely a good one for the way the group blend great drums, riffing guitar, and horns – and titles include "15 Minut Spozienia", "Nocny Spacer", "A Wiec", "Dzien Jak Blues", "Gdybys", and "Piesn Dla Ciebie". CD features an unreleased live take on the Quincy Jones tune "Boogie Joe The Grinder". (Jazz, Vocalists) CD

Sweet vocals in a spare setting – sung in English by Japanese vocalist Kimiko Itoh, and recorded in New York with arrangements by Richard Tee and Steve Gadd! Given their presence, there's a distinctly 70s feel to the album, despite the date of the session – and most numbers move gently along with Fender Rhodes from Tee, drums from Gadd, bass from Eddie Gomez, and some occasional strings to sweeten things up. The Rhodes behind Itoh's vocals really sounds great – and titles include "Intimate Strangers", "So Foolish Is Love", "He's Gone", "If I Loved You", "Second Chance", "Meet Me On The Moon", and "Follow Me". CD

Jackie & Roy are definitely getting bit wilder here – hitting an electric early 70s CTI mode, and really growing a lot in the process! The session has the vocal pair working with CD players who include Hubert Laws on flute, Joe Farrell on saxes, Roy Pennington on vibes, and Steve Gadd on drums – all working with arrangements from Roy that are every bit as hip as the Don Sebesky treatments they previously got on CTI. The tracks are all longish, with plenty of room for complex vocals and great interaction with the instruments – and the titles are all originals, sounding really great and creative! Titles include "Good & Rich", "The Way We Are", "Waltz For Dana", "Niki's Song", and "A Wilder Alias". CD

Jackie & Roy are definitely getting bit wilder here – hitting an electric early 70s CTI mode, and really growing a lot in the process! The session has the vocal pair working with CTI players who include Hubert Laws on flute, Joe Farrell on saxes, Roy Pennington on vibes, and Steve Gadd on drums – all working with arrangements from Roy that are every bit as hip as the Don Sebesky treatments they previously got on CTI. The tracks are all longish, with plenty of room for complex vocals and great interaction with the instruments – and the titles are all originals, sounding really great and creative! Titles include "Good & Rich", "The Way We Are", "Waltz For Dana", "Niki's Song", and "A Wilder Alias". LP, Vinyl record album

Jackie & Roy are definitely getting bit wilder here – hitting an electric early 70s CTI mode, and really growing a lot in the process! The session has the vocal pair working with CTI players who include Hubert Laws on flute, Joe Farrell on saxes, Roy Pennington on vibes, and Steve Gadd on drums – all working with arrangements from Roy that are every bit as hip as the Don Sebesky treatments they previously got on CTI. The tracks are all longish, with plenty of room for complex vocals and great interaction with the instruments – and the titles are all originals, sounding really great and creative! Titles include "Good & Rich", "The Way We Are", "Waltz For Dana", "Niki's Song", and "A Wilder Alias". CD

A rare Japanese-only session – one that has vocalist Salena Jones joining the fusion supergroup Stuff – in a set that's easily one of the most soulful outings from both artists involved! Although Jones mostly worked overseas, she's got a slinky style here that really fits the groove of the American group – a slow-stepping approach that wraps nicely around keyboards from Richard Tee, and twin guitars from Eric Gale and Cornell Dupree. Steve Gadd's drums keep a nice undercurrent of funk, even when things are mellow – and Tee's arrangements are tight, but never slick or overdone. Titles include "Loving Arms", "My Love", "Everyday", "Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me", "Help Me Make It Through The Night", and "Lately". CD

Not a live album – as you might think from the title – but a tight batch of tunes that shows the full funk and soul talents of the legendary Esther Phillips! The album's got a nicely dark undercurrent at times – a sound that's not as smooth as some of Esther's other Kudu albums from the 70s, with bits of R&B bubbling underneath the more contemporary arrangements. Backings are penned by Pee Wee Ellis and Gary King – and players include Bob James and Richard Tee on keyboards, Hubert Laws on flute, and Bernard Purdie and Steve Gadd on drums – the latter of whom provides a sublime beat on the album's standout funky number "Disposable Society" – one of those great little groovers that never did anything for Esther at the time of its release, but which has really gotten rediscovered in recent years! Other tracks include "Doing Our Thing", "Living Alone", "Can't Trust Your Neighbor With Your Baby", and "I Feel The Same". (Soul, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album

Not a live album – as you might think from the title – but a tight batch of tunes that shows the full funk and soul talents of the legendary Esther Phillips! The album's got a nicely dark undercurrent at times – a sound that's not as smooth as some of Esther's other Kudu albums from the 70s, with bits of R&B bubbling underneath the more contemporary arrangements. Backings are penned by Pee Wee Ellis and Gary King – and players include Bob James and Richard Tee on keyboards, Hubert Laws on flute, and Bernard Purdie and Steve Gadd on drums – the latter of whom provides a sublime beat on the album's standout funky number "Disposable Society" – one of those great little groovers that never did anything for Esther at the time of its release, but which has really gotten rediscovered in recent years! Other tracks include "Doing Our Thing", "Living Alone", "Can't Trust Your Neighbor With Your Baby", and "I Feel The Same". (Soul, Vocalists) CD

With Roy Eldridge on trumpet, Al Grey on trombone, Lee Allen on saxophone, Ray Brown on bass, Jimmy Robbins on piano and organ, Thomas Gadson on guitar, and Earl Palmer on drums. (Blues, Vocalists) LP, Vinyl record album