... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Raw rockabilly from Arkansas – with work by Bobby Brown & The Curious, plus Johnny Moore, K Owens, Chuck Comer, Earl Smith, and Bill Duniven! LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Brilliant 60s pop from the team of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart – best known for their key early songwriting work for The Monkees, but a heck of a great duo on their own! Boyce & Hart have a sparkly, sunshiney sound that's very much a part of The Monkees generation – a beautiful post-folk, post-surf blend of styles, and one that's served up with all the warmth and charm that made The Monkees so great – yet also with some cool twists and turns that make a record like this so great – the kind of chance-taking that A&M sometimes allowed its artists to take at the time! Backings are super-groovy – arranged by Artie Butler and Don McGinis – and titles include "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite", "Teardrop City", "I Wanna Be Free", "The Countess", "Population", and "Two For The Price Of One" – a great cover of a Larry Williams & Johnny Watson soul tune! LP, Vinyl record album

British reed player Sandy Brown joins the hip group of pianist Brian Lemon – with bass from Tony Archer and drums from Bobby Orr! LP, Vinyl record album

Really early work from Bobby Byrd – a single that's produced by James Brown, but without the funky touches of later years! "I Found Out" has stepping strings next to Bobby's deep soul vocals – and "I'll Keep Pressing On" is similar – again with strings, but plenty deep on the vocals! Both very nice, and in a mode that's similar to some of James' work from the time. 7-inch, Vinyl record

Some of Bobby Byrd's best work ever! "If You Don't Work" is a hard funky killer – done in a tight James Brown way, with lots of choppy guitar, and Bobby's vocals coming off at breakneck speed, just to keep up with the band. Nice simple message, too! "You've Got To Change Your Mind" is a great duet between Bobby and James. It's got a totally catchy hook, and a nice rolling groove that's extremely satisfying. James beats Bobby in the vocal department, but Bobby adds a nice bit of soul in the mix. 7-inch, Vinyl record

The stunning only album ever from the great Bobby Byrd – known to many as a longtime associate of James Brown, and finally getting his chance to shine here in the spotlight! Bobby was in the game before James, and always continued to change his groove in all the right ways with The Godfather – so this late 60s recording has Byrd coming across just like the best last James Brown material on King – with production from James, and backing from the same group too! There's loads of classics here that went onto become huge funky 45s over the years – and big sample cuts too – and titles include "I Need Help (I Can't Do It Alone) (parts 1 & 2)", "Funky Soul", "My Concerto", "You Got To Have A Job (If You Don't Work, You Can't Eat)", and "Hang Ups We Don't Need (The Hungry We've Got To Feed)". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual little soundtrack to this obscure pre-Roots film about slavery – handled with some very nice touches from Gary McFarland, Bobby Scott, and Grady Tate! The music is penned by Scott, and is mostly in that hip blend of jazz and soul roots that he was using on some of his own 60s vocal work – but expanded a bit more here with the groovier styles of Skye Records, thanks to arrangements and conducting from Gary McFarland! The work's not as funky as you might expect, but is still plenty darn great – and there's a few instrumental numbers that are especially great here. Grady Tate sings on the vocal ones, often in the deep-voiced style of his own Skye albums – but with an approach that's a bit more down home and soul-based, which is a nice change – almost like Oscar Brown Jr at the best moments. A number of tracks are done in both instrumental and vocal versions – and titles include "Nightwind", "Slaves", "Black Lullabye", "Another Mornin", and "Pickin Cotton". LP, Vinyl record album

Bobby Williams' classic hard funky soul cut from the early 70's! The track's a killer all the way through – with Bobby shouting "Funky Superfly" in a tone that would make James Brown back into a corner – and the band ripping away in a hard, heavy, very tight groove! A mindblower – and a must-own for any funky 45 fan! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Ward performs with a stellar ensemble led by Bucky Pizzarelli, including Steve Jordan, Bernie Privin, Pee Wee Erwin, Ruby Braff, George Masso, Vic Dickenson, Phil Bodner, Al Cohn, Mickey Crane, Tony Monte, Warren Chiasson, Milt Hinton, Slam Stewart, Butch Miles, and Bobby Rosengarden. Titles include "I've Got The World On A String", "Pennies From Heaven", "Goody Goody", "Jeepers Creepers", "S Wonderful", "Sweet Georgia Brown" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

With cuts by Alyson Williams, Bobby Brown, Cathy Dennis, The Chimes, Doug Lazy, Glen Goldsmith, Jody Watley, Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens, Marathon, Ruth Joy, Seduction, Skipworth & Turner, Stevie V, Tyree, Urban High, and Wang Chung. LP, Vinyl record album

Late great work from the mighty Gerald Wilson – done with a slightly different groove than his 60s sides! The group features Harold Land Jr on electric piano – plus Bobby Bryant on trumpet, Oscar Brashear on trumpet and flugelhorn, Garnett Brown and Thurman Green on trombones, Harold Land and Ernie Watts on tenor and flute, and Mike Wofford on Mason Hamlin BB piano! Tracks are long, and titles include "Lomelin", "Ay Ee En", "Blues For Zubin", "You Know", and "Triple Chase". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Rat Tomato", "I Have Been In You", "Flakes", "I'm So Cute", "Jones Crusher", "Dancin Fool", "Baby Snakes", "Bobby Brown Goes Down", and "Rubber Shirt". LP, Vinyl record album

The first in a legendary run of Collectors Showcase records on the Constellation label – mid 60s efforts that pull together hard to find work from earlier years, all in a package that's almost as collectable as the originals! The set's presented by the Magnificent Montague in the liner notes, and it features work from a variety of artists, most on the Fire/Fury labels. Titles include "Do Re Mi" and "Ya Ya" by Lee Dorsey, "Wiggle Wobble" by Les Cooper, "Soul Twist" by King Curtis, "There's Something On Your Mind (parts 1 & 2)" by Bobby Marchan, "Fanny Mae" by Buster Brown, "I'm So Happy" by Teen Chords, and "Every Beat Of My Heart" by Gladys Knight & The Pips. LP, Vinyl record album

This album set a new level for live music at the time – and is quite possibly one of the greatest presentation of Cocker's talents on record – a set that gives him plenty of space to open up, let loose, and really dig into his repertoire of soul-drenched work. The group on the album's quite tight – with Leon Russell on piano and guitar, Don Preston on rhythm guitar, Bobby Keys on tenor, and Chris Stainton on piano and organ – as well as a huge backing choir of musicians and soul singers backing Joe up, plus solo vocal performances by Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge, Don Preston, and others. Titles include a number of soul, rock, and R&B classics, plus originals by Russell and others. LP, Vinyl record album

One of Aretha Franklin's undisputed classics from her late 60s run on Atlantic Records – a seminal session that furthered her deep soul agenda with key backings from Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd – both of whom handle the mix of rawness and polish that made Aretha so great at the time! The Sweet Inspirations provide sublime backing vocals behind Franklin's maturing delivery of the lyrics – and the music is by an all-star group of players that includes Spooner Oldham, Bobby Womack, Jimmy Johnson, King Curtis, Tommy Cogbill, Roger Hawkins, and even Eric Clapton – clearly the cream of the crop, more than willing to be part of such an amazing set! Cuts include "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman", "Chain Of Fools", "Money Won't Change You", "Come Back Baby", and "Ain't No Way". LP, Vinyl record album

A standout classic from trumpeter Luis Gasca – and a set that may well be the artists' most complete musical vision of the 70s! The group here is larger than on previous records, and Gasca's dropped a bit of his Latin roots in exchange for a soaring, slightly spiritual sound put together by arranger Don Menza – who's really at the top of his game here! There's a perfection and poise that's almost like CTI or Kudu at their best – almost a bit above the usual Fantasy Records session like this from the 70s, too! Other players include Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Menza and Hadley Caliman on reeds, Patrice Rushen on keyboards, and Harvey Mason on some mighty nice drums – which makes for more than a bit of funk in the mix. Titles include the sweet vibes/Rhodes number "Kathy", the stepper "Sara", and the tracks "Visions", "The Way I Feel Sometimes", "Patrice", "Collage", and "Night People". 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". LP, Vinyl record album

A unique little outing for Oliver Nelson – one that breaks him out of the familiar territory of the studio, and puts him in a much more spontaneous live setting! Nelson's playing soprano sax on the album – using the instrument in an edgey way that has echoes of Coltrane, yet which also fits in nicely with the usual Nelson groove – a fully soulful approach to a larger ensemble, heard famously on countless sessions for other artists in the 60s, but even better hear with Oliver at the helm! Other players on the record include Bobby Bryant, Tom Scott, Frank Strazzeri, Mel Brown, and Lou Blackburn – coming together with Nelson in a hip take on the west coast soul jazz groove of the time. Titles include Nelson's own "Miss Fine" and "Guitar Blues", plus lively versions of "Night Train" and "Milestones". LP, Vinyl record album

A soul jazz masterpiece – and one of the rarest albums on the Jazzland label! Tenorist Joe Alexander has a mean, raw tone on the set – clearly influenced by the early 60s soul jazz generation, but also with some nicely off-beat tones that give him a really unique feel. He's backed here by the kind of a group that couldn't go wrong – Bobby Timmons on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Albert Heath on drums – as well as the equally-obscure John Hunt on flugelhorn. Tracks are all long and jamming – much more soulful than some of the other Jazzland sides from the time – with titles that include "I'll Close My Eyes", "Brown's Town", "Terri's Blues", and "Weird Beard". LP, Vinyl record album

Eddie continues the funky groove begun on Instant Funk, and smoothed out over albums like I Need Some Money – and although jazz fans probably gave him hell for going this way, we think this is actually a pretty darn great album! The record takes all of Eddie's experimentation with groovy styles from the early 70s, and filters it through some tighter playing that actually makes the groove a lot more compelling than before. A number of the tracks have vocals, almost in a humorous Bill Cosby mode – but in a way that also preserves the party feel of the cuts. Players include Bobby Lyle, Paul Humphrey, Buck Clarke, and Bradley Bobo – and one Chicago-recorded track features a great assortment from older years that includes Muhal Abrams, Odell Brown, Marshapp Thompson, Willie Henderson, and Richard Evans. Titles include "Tryin Ain't Dyin", "Ooh", "Exempt", "Live Again", "Flowers", "Why Do You Hurt Me", and "It's All Right Now". LP, Vinyl record album

The group's second album – with the hit team of Ralph Tresvant, Bobby Brown, and Bell, Biv, Devoe firmly in place! Features the huge hit "Cool It Now", plus "Kinda Girls We Like", "Maryann", "My Secret", "Mr Telephone Man", and "Hide & Seek". LP, Vinyl record album

A key bit of jazz funk from trumpeter Tom Browne – still grooving strong here, with a sublime mix of modern soul, funky jazz, and some of the 80s groove touches that showed up on the best GRP titles from the time! The album's got a smooth compressed groove – kind of post-Donald Byrd, with Tom taking solos over the top of most tracks, and occasional vocals , wither from a backing group, or an assortment of different lead singers. Players on the set include Bernard Wright, Dave Grusin, Bobby Broom, and Marcus Miller – and tracks include "I Know", "Midnight Interlude", "Let's Dance", "Night Wind", "Making Plans", "Thighs Hihg", and "Magic". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic killer from trumpeter Tom Browne – a smoking set that still has all the jazz funk touches of his earlier records, yet which also picks up a bit of an electro vibe as well! The move here is a bit like that taken by some of Browne's labelmates on GRP at the time – particularly Bobby Broom and Bernard Wright – and offers up a great mix of jazzy roots and some of the newer sounds hitting the streets in the early 80s – a vibe that's maybe one of the first moments when older genres of music were beginning to show an influence from hip hop! Maurice Starr handles most of the production, and really makes things tight throughout – but Tom himself does a great job of keeping things interesting with the solos, augmenting the electric vibe with some rock-solid acoustic playing. Titles include "Rockin Radio", "Angeline", "Brighter Tomorrow", "Never My Love", "Mr Business", "Cruisin", and "Feel Like Makin Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet electric fusion from Dave Grusin – a set that has the keyboardist working with great help from Japanese saxophone legend Sadao Watanabe – plus help from Don Grusin on keyboards, Tom Browne on trumpet, Dave Valentin on flute, Bobby broom on guitar, and Marcus Miller on bass! LP, Vinyl record album

With Ray Brown on bass, Herb Ellis on guitar, Bobbye Hall on congas, Jake Hanna and Jimmie Smith on drums, and Mike Melvoin on keyboards. LP, Vinyl record album

An early gem from Warren Zevon – his first for Asylum and a creative peak – with some of his best remembered songs, and deeper album cuts that are just as great! Zevon's dark sense of humor comes through here, especially on the all time classic "Poor Poor Pitiful Me", but there's some sweeter and more tender material, too. Produced by Jackson Browne and featuring a hell of a great group on the sessions, from Phil Everly, to Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, Carl Wilson, Bobby Keyes and others. "Frank & Jesse James", "Mohammed's Radio", "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead", "Carmelita", and "Backs Turned Looking Down The Path". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly wonderful debut from the Yellowjackets – one of those groups who've become such a cliche that we forget how great they can be when they're on! This original album was cut years before "smooth jazz" meant "too slick to have soul" – and it's got a sweet electric bounce that follows nicely from the 70s R&B fusion experiments of players like Donald Byrd, Tom Browne, and Ronnie Foster. Russell Ferrante plays some great keyboards on the set next to the bass of Jimmy Haslip and drums of Ricky Lawson – and the album's rounded out with some excellent guest work by fusion luminaries that include Bobby Lyle, Ernie Watts, Larry Williams, Paulinho Da Costa, Robben Ford, and Roland Bautista. LP, Vinyl record album