One of the great albums that Red Rodney recorded during his comeback in the late 50's, and one that features the great Philadelphia tenor player Billy Root! Root's playing is one of the highlights of this LP, and he wails with a soulful intensity that maks the whole album crackle. Tracks include "5709", "Red Hot and Blue", "Whirlwind", and "Shelly", all of which were written by Danny Kent, the piano player on the session. Quite tough to find on vinyl, so extra-nice to have on Japanese CD! CD

Funky keyboard work from Frank Strazzeri – a player who's really stretching out here in the 70s, with a massively cosmic vibe you'd never have guessed from his earlier work! Strazzeri had recorded and played heavily around the LA scene by the time of this mid 70s release – but most of his other work was a bit restrained, and hardly as wonderfully soulful as this! Frank's working here on moog and electric piano – in a group that includes Sam Most on tenor, Bobby Shew on trumpet, and Don Alias on percussion – grooving with Frank in a gently funky way that's got a heck of a lot of soul, and which makes for some nice extended tunes. Titles include "After The Rain", "Rush Hour", "Philadelphia Flyer", "Cloudburst", and "The Third Eye". CD

A great album follows up the sound of the Jerry's first for Philly International – a smooth mellow style that grooves in an all-adult mode that's a perfect setting for the aging Iceman's vocals! The Butler voice is always a wonderful treat, but cast amidst the warm and sophisticated arrangements of John Usry, Dennis Williams, and Wade Marcus, Jerry really finds a space to call his own – a way of reclaiming a style of soul he'd virtually invented in his early Vee Jay years, but which had gotten away from him during the growth of the genre during the 70s. Titles include "Don't Be An Island", "The Best Love I Ever Had", "We've Got This Feeling Again", "Reach Out For Me", "Tell Me Girl", and "Would You Mind". CD

A pivotal album from The O'Jays – and an undeniable Philly classic! The record was the third the group cut for the Philadelphia International label – but it was really the first one that pushed their strong righteous soul agenda, sort of a mix of message-oriented lyrics and heavy soul (ala The Temptations), fused with the warmer more sophisticated styles of the Philly sound! The blend is perfect – and has a way of getting the message from the underground right into the living room – and a bit onto the charts as well! From the image on the cover – which features the group in a slave ship setting – to politics of tracks like "Don't Call Me Brother", "For The Love Of Money", "Put Your Hands Together", and "This Air That I Breathe", the record's an extremely unified effort – kind of to the O'Jays what What's Going On was to Marvin Gaye. Other titles include "You Got Your Hooks In Me", "Now That We Found Love", and "People Keep Tellin Me". Includes bonus track "Put Your Hands Together" – recorded live in London. CD

Well, in our opinion, Cal went Latin right from the start, practically. Still, this "Goes Latin" LP is one of his best of the genre from the old days, and features a host of great players like Lonnie Hewitt, Chombo Silva, Mongo Santamaria, Paul Horn, and Willie Bobo. The album includes Cal's semi-hit "Black Orchid", plus "Mi China", "Bonita", "Contigo", and "Mambo At The M". Very nice, with a sound that would become Cal's trademark in the years right after this album. Cal Tjader Quintet is a great little Latin session from Cal – recorded with extra percussion from Benny Velarde and Luis Miranda, plus rhythm from the Duran brothers, Manuel (piano) and Carlos (bass). The groove's nice and heavy, pretty driving on most cuts, a perfect foil for Cal's jazzy vibes. Titles include "A Minor Goof", "Laura", "Lullaby In Birdland", "Undecided", and Cal's classic reading of Tito Puente's "Philadelphia Mambo". CD

How this burningly bad set has remained under wraps for so long is beyond us, but thanks to the folks at Honest Jon's, it's been brought to the much needed light of day! An excellent set collecting work from throughout the career of Cedric Im Brooks, spanning a wide assortment of styles, but all with a deep spiritual approach that Brooks gathered from time spent in his youth in Philadelphia, where he fell under the influence of Sun Ra, almost joining the Arkestra before returning home to Jamaica. The set jumps from heavy, dark roots and Nyabhingi influenced reggae, including some nice dubbed out versions, to Jamaican jazz sides like his take on Horace Silver's classic "Song For My Father", to some tightly snapping disco influenced grooves and bouncing afrobeat rhythms that would make Fela proud! 19 tracks in all, including "Free Up Black Man", "Satta Massa Gana", "Jah Light It Right", "Lambs Bread Collie", "Salt Lane rock", "Rasta Lead On Version", "Sly Mongoose", "Africa", "Collie Version", "Rebirth" and "Sabebe". CD

Sparkling modern soul from the lovely Phyllis Hyman – and an album that has the singer picking up the wonderfully smooth groove that had become the Philly International sound of the mid 80s. This format works surprisingly well for Phyllis – quite possibly more so than it did even for longer-running artists on the label – as it gives her a great showcase for the more sophisticated and adult sort of themes that were really emerging in her music, the kind of classy soul that Hyman helped forge strongly at the time. Titles include the great numbers "Old Friend", "Ain't You Had Enough Love", "If You Want Me", "Living All Alone", and a nice version of "What You Won't Do For Love". CD

Tracks include "Tiny Dancer", "Someone Saved My Life Tonight", "Philadelphia Freedom", "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", and "Grow Some Funk Of Your Own". CD

The title's a bit hokey, and the cover is too – but the record's a really great batch of tenor, organ, and guitar lines – served up with guitarist Randy Johnston at the helm, and featuring great contributions from Eric Alexander and Joey DeFrancesco! Drummer Mickey Roker completes the quartet – kicking things along with his classic sound – and Joey's strong ability to handle basslines with the organ gives the record a nice rumbling feel up from the bottom. Alexander's tenor is perhaps a bit less pointed than on other albums of the 90s, but his presence is always a welcome one – and titles include "Minor Mystery", "Sunday In New York", "The Philadelphians", "Wonder Why", and "Blues For The New One". CD

Recorded on February 14, 1989 at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia. CD

Three killer albums from pianist Frank Strazzeri – all brought together in a wonderful demonstration of his genius during the 70s! First up is Taurus, a record that's also known as View From Within – a date that has Frank playing Fender Rhodes with a wonderful sound – that open quality he always had in acoustic piano, stretched out even more with the space allowed by The Rhodes! The group features work from Conte Candoli on trumpet, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Don Menza on tenor and flute, in a nicely laidback vibe – with tracks that include "Strazzatonic", "Taurus", "Lazy Moments", "View From Within", "Calcutta", and "Sphinx". Frames is a great overlooked set from the 70s – one that has the mighty Frank Strazzeri working some real magic on Fender Rhodes – with an open style that's completely wonderful, and warmed up even more with help from Don Menza on soprano sax and flute, Frank Rosolino on trombone, and Gary Barone on trumpet. Titles include "Frames", "Injun Jo", "Jo Gee", "Ballad Of The Matador", and "La Mosca". After The Rain is filled with funky keyboard work from Frank Strazzeri – a player who's really stretching out here in the 70s, with a massively cosmic vibe you'd never have guessed from his earlier work! Strazzeri had recorded and played heavily around the LA scene by the time of this mid 70s release – but most of his other work was a bit restrained, and hardly as wonderfully soulful as this! Frank's working here on moog and electric piano – in a group that includes Sam Most on tenor, Bobby Shew on trumpet, and Don Alias on percussion – grooving with Frank in a gently funky way that's got a heck of a lot of soul, and which makes for some nice extended tunes. Titles include "After The Rain", "Rush Hour", "Philadelphia Flyer", "Cloudburst", and "The Third Eye". CD

Music from Soul Survivors, The Intruders, Archie Bell & The Drells, Jerry Butler, The O'Jays, The Intruders, Dusty Springfield, Wilson Pickett, Billy Paul, Bunny Sigler, Laura Nyro & LaBelle, Joe Simon, Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes, The Ebonys, and more. CD

Music from Soul Survivors, The Intruders, Archie Bell & The Drells, Jerry Butler, The O'Jays, The Intruders, Dusty Springfield, Wilson Pickett, Billy Paul, Bunny Sigler, Laura Nyro & LaBelle, Joe Simon, Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes, The Ebonys, and more. CD

A breakout solo moment from the great Edwin Birdsong – an artist who participated in some of Roy Ayers great albums of the 70s, and who cut some great underground records of his own – but who finally got the chance to step into the limelight on this set for Philadelphia International! Birdsong's always been his own man – one of the quirkiest funk artists you'll ever find – and the set's got a very different vibe than anything else from the Gamble & Huff house of hits – mostly because Edwin produced and arranged the whole thing on his own. There's a few slight Roy Ayers touches at times – we sometimes think of Edwin as the Bootsy to Roy's George Clinton – and the rhythms have a nicely romping groove that's more Bohannon than the usual disco tracks. There's also some mellower numbers – like the great "Autumn Eyes" and "Lollipop (Slow)", both of which have a mellow Ayers steppin' groove – and other more upbeat titles include"Cola Bottle Baby", "Phiss Phizz", "Kunta Dance", "Goldmine", and "Freaky Deaky Sities". CD features lots of 12" single bonus tracks – "Phiss Phizz (12" disco)", "Lollipop (12" disco)", "Goldmine (12" disco)", "Freaky Deaky Sities (12" disco)", and "Kunta Dance (part 1)". CD

The first full album from the great Ray Bryant – recorded shortly after his famous Epic Records session with Betty Carter! The album's got Ray grooving in a hard early soul jazz mode – working in a trio with either Kenny Clarke or Osie Johnson on drums, and Wyatt Reuther on bass – at a level that still shows some influence from other pianists, but already with that unique hard-left style that would make Bryant a big favorite in short years to come. Candido joins in on congas on 2 of the album's best tracks – a hard grooving take on "Night In Tunisia", plus Ray's classic "Cubano Chant", a dancing Latin groover that went onto become an oft-recorded Latin Jazz standard – and other titles include "Pawn Ticket", "Philadelphia Bound", and "Off Shore". CD

One of the nicer things about the global centralization of culture into the hands of a few giant companies is that you can at least get a "greatest hits" comp like this which spans the artists career on a number of different labels! As proof, you'll find killer stuff from Jean's best years, on Buddah, Philly Intl, and Columbia – with tracks like "Back For More" with Al Johnson, "Valentine Love" with Norman Connors, "Free Love", "Don't Let It Go To Your Head", "Was That All It Was", "When I Find You Love", and "Closer than Close". 16 cuts in all, and way better than we expected from a US major! CD

A fantastic tribute to the great Jean Carne – a singer who started out in jazz, working with then-husband Doug Carn on spiritual sessions and drummer Norman Connors on his soulful sides of the 70s – then shifted over to the Philadelphia International label, where she really helped Philly soul find new direction moving into the 80s! Jean always brings all the sophistication of her roots into her music – making her way more than just another soul singer, and instead a vocalist with a great range of expression that has her opening up in just the right way, no matter what the setting. This excellent collection is filled with classics from her years on Philadelphia International, and also includes some rare 12" mixes and duets with other artists too. Titles include "Free Love", "No Laughing Matter", "Don't Let It Go To Your Head", "You Can't Come Back Now", "There's A Shortage Of Good Men", "Time Waits For No One", "Lonely Girl In A Cold Cold World", "Bet Your Lucky Star", We Got Some Catchin Up To Do", "When I Find You Love", "Was That All It Was (12" mix)", "What's On Your Mind (12" mix)", "Revelation/Infant Eyes", "Mystic Stranger", "Completeness", and "If You Don't Know Me By Now" – plus "I'm Back For More" with Al Johnson, "Sweet & Wonderful" with Glenn Jones, "You Might Be Surprised" with Roy Ayers, "Love Is Beautiful" and "Dreams Of Tomorrow" with Dexter Wansel, "Keep In Touch" and "The Look Of Love" with Grover Washington, and "Dindi", "Love's In Your Corner", and "Valentine Love" with Norman Connors. CD

... CD

Excellent work by this oft-overlooked east coast harmony group! Like a rare few groups at the time, The Ebonys had a sound that mixed male and female harmonies – in a sweetly mellow sound that was a lot hipper than more famous groups that used the style, and which had all the best elements of the Philly group approach of the early 70s. The set features some great tracks by Gamble & Huff – plus the group's incredible tune "Life In The Country" – a slow mellow stepper that never gets old! Other tracks include "Hook Up & Get Down", "I Believe", "Sexy Ways", "Nation Time", and "You're The Reason Why". CD

Wonderful live work from the second chapter of Billie Holiday's career – that stretch when she was barred from performing in most New York clubs, due to the loss of her cabaret card – which actually seemed to lead to a wider range of exposure in venues across the country! The overstuffed 2CD set brings together a number of very well-recorded live dates from cities that include Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Boston – plus work from a show in Brussels, and a TV appearance on Steve Allen's early Tonight Show – some material that's only been out partially before, mixed with other tracks that are seeing the light of day for the first time ever. Most numbers have very small combo backing – with players who include Carl Drinkard, Jimmy Rowles, or Bobby Tucker on piano – plus Herbie Harper on trombone, Neal Hefti on trumpet, Red Norvo on vibes, and Paul Quinichette on tenor. But the real star is clearly Billie throughout – and these tracks aren't just "extras" added to her studio work or live sides for Verve – and instead show how Holiday always shone throughout her career, and continued to bring a very personal approach to every performance. 2CD set features a whopping 42 tracks, with lots of notes – and titles include a number of Holiday standards, plus some lesser-known gems too. CD

Teddy Pendergrass and crew get a bit more political than on earlier releases, and adopt the righteous bubbling soul groove that had put the O'Jays over the top a few years earlier – with incredible results! The title cut – "Wake Up Everybody" – would prove to be a great example of the political Philly International hit formula applied to socially conscious themes, but the record probably scored even bigger with the club crossover hit "Don't Leave Me This Way". Other tracks include "Keep On Lovin You", "Tell The World How I Feel About Cha Baby", "I'm Searching For A Love", and "You Know How To Make Me Feel So Good" – the latter two of which also feature female vocals by Sharon Paige. Bobby Martin, Norman Harris, and Ronnie Baker did the arrangements – and this was Teddy's last LP with the group. This edition includes the bonus track "Don't Leave Me This Way (Tom Moulton Mix)". CD

... CD

Billy Paul at the height of his powers – able to capture the ears of the crossover audience, yet still stay very strongly on message – all with this righteous power that maybe makes Billy one of the hippest mainstream soul stars of the 70s! Gamble & Huff are at the helm, and arrangements at Sigma Sound are by Lenny Pakula, Norman Harris, and Bobby Martin – but throughout the whole thing, it's Billy's delivery that really sends the record over the top – the new sense of maturity he brings to the huge hit "Me & Mrs Jones", the funky vibe of "Am I Black Enough For You", and the wealth of great work on tracks that include "I'm Gonna Make It This Time", "I'm Just A Prisoner", "Brown Baby", and "Let's Stay Together". A masterpiece of sophisticated soul that not only had Billy crossing over big, but which opened whole new doors in the market for black male singers! CD also features a bonus 9 minute version of "Me & Mrs Jones" – recorded live in London, 1973! CD

Sublime stuff! When Teddy left Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, he was making one of the best moves of his career – as you'll hear on these amazing tracks, totally perfect bits of modern soul that moved the career of Teddy up about a zillion notches, and which also had a profound effect on the overall development of male soul vocals. 15 tracks in all – including "Turn Off The Lights", "Close the Door", "Love TKO", "I Don't Love You Anymore", "The More I Get, The More I Want", "The Whole Town's Laughing At Me", "You Can't Hide From Yourself", and the amazing "Come Go With Me". CD

A massive batch of righteous soul – plus sound bites and calls to action by some of the most pivotal voices of the era! This collection aims to be the soundtrack of an era that called for a revolution, and if the movement didn't wholly ingratiate into American culture, the passion and the music certainly did! The set features well known numbers mixed with some relatively lesser known numbers, together with some of the most fiery dialogue from icons of the Black Power movement. Tracks include "You're The Man" (parts I & II) by Marvin Gaye, "Let's Clean Up The Ghetto" by Philadelphia International All Stars, "Right On" by Sons Of Slum, "Tell It Like It Is" by SOUL, "Give The People What They Want" by the O'Jays, "Blackenized" by Hank Ballard, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised by Gil Scott-Heron, "My People. . .Hold On" by Eddie Kendricks, "I Am Somebody" (Part 2) by Johnnie Taylor, "We Got More Soul" by Dyke & The Blazers and tons more, plus sound bites by Huey Newton, Kathleen Cleaver, Stokely Carmichael, H Rap Brown and Malcolm X. 38 tracks on two CDs! CD

A half dozen great soul and dance cuts from the label that dominated commercial R&B throughout the latter half of the 70s: "Love Is The Message" and "Mysteries Of The World" by MFSB, "For The Love Of Money" by the O'Jays, "Breaking & Entering" by Dee Dee Sharp Gamble, "Do It Any Way You Wanna" by People's Choice and "Music Is My Way Of Life" by Patti Labelle. CD

A great sense of righteousness and groove – the key mix that made the O'Jays so great back in the day – and which really helped put the Philly International enterprise on the map! The album's miles from the group's simple harmony soul roots – even though those were pretty darn great – and it blends together soaring backings with a sweet Gamble/Huff finish, and really makes some magic in the way the whole thing comes off. Titles include the great mellow ballad "Stairway To Heaven", the party groovers "Livin For The Weekend" and "I Love Music" – and the cuts "Unity", "You & Me", and "She's Only A Woman". CD