... LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique record, and one with a very unusual pedigree – as the group features key members of some acts from the Ivory Coast in the late 70s, mixed with various Motown session players in the studio – all in a way that offers up a completely different take on Cali soul from the time! The African artists contribute a lot of vocals and work on kora that's especially beautiful – and the other players are led by Gregg Middleton on bass, who also does all the arrangements – and the combo features Ernie Fields on saxes, Nolan Smith on trumpet, and Fred Wesley on trombone! Every song has a nicely different flavor – and titles include "Fasso", "Sing A Happy Song", "Desire", "I Love All", and "Mogofindeou Sopeunte". LP, Vinyl record album

Great old school sounds from Quincy Jones – the kind of smoking big band album we'd know from his early years on ABC or Mercury Records! The Q's done many great things in the years since those albums – including great work in the soul music and soundtrack fields – but it's great to know he can still turn out a jazz cooker like this when he wants – thanks in part to great help as a co-leader from reedman Sammy Nestico! The horns are totally tight – that great old Quincy way of coming on strong, then letting individual voices break out of the pack – and players include Ernie Watts, Gerald Albright, and Gary Foster on saxes; Oscar Brashear and Wane Bergeron on trumpets; George Bohannon and Bill Watrous on trombones – all great players who really make the record kick. The set also features guest solo work by Hubert Laws on flute, and Kirk Whalum on tenor and soprano sax – and Emil Richards even turns in a bit of vibes, too. Titles include "Grace", "Jelly Roll", "The Joy Of Cookin", "Ya Gotta Try Harder", "Lisett", and "No Time Like The Present". CD

A very unusual moment from the mighty Bernie Worrell – the keyboardist that most folks know for his work as part of the P-Funk universe of George Clinton – stepping out here on an early 90s album done in collaboration with producer Bill Laswell! Like most of Laswell's other projects around the time, there's a spirit here that's not only genre-busting, but also aimed towards some of the more unusual possibilities of collaboration – at a level that has Bernie working with talents from soul, funk, jazz, and some other styles too – a lineup that includes Amina Claudine Myers, Fred Wesley, Marty Erlich, Umar Bin Hassan, Buckethead, and Vincent Chancey – all coming together in musical modes that are very different than Bernie's best-known solo album from the early 80s. There's a very dark spirit here at times – that layered sound that Laswell did so well – but mixed with these other moments that have a surprising sense of jazz majesty – almost with the spiritual core of a Bill Lee soundtrack. Titles include "The Mask", "Moon Over Brixton", "Witness For The Defense", "Set The Tone/Victory", "Gladiator Skull", and "Fields Of Play". CD

Way way way more than the usual Northern Soul compilation – an all-winning batch of rare soul tracks that go a lot deeper than usual – all hand-picked by the expert soul crew at Grapevine Records! The set does swing with the kind of upbeat and uptempo soul tracks that you'd expect from a Northern set – but the vocals are also harder, and the soul runs deeper – making for the kind of collection that could be equally appreciated by fans of southern and deep soul as well! A number of the tracks have a nice rootsy quality that really focuses on the vocals – letting the singers come out full strength, and dominate the set with some wonderfully heartfelt lyrics. Titles include "Think It Over" by The Chesterfields, "Cheatin Kind" by Don Gardner, "Hold Me In Your Arms" by Eddie Holman, "Ever Again" by Bernie Williams, "You're Gonna Miss A Good Thing" by John Bowie, "Seven Day Lover" by James Fountain, "Thank You Baby" by Matt Brown, "Nothing's Too Good For My Baby" by The Springers, and "Hey You Don't Fight It" by The Montclairs. 24 tracks – and a heck of a great deal for this much greatness! CD