Not the typical early 70s record from reeds player Eddie Daniels – a warmer, more appealing than a lot of his work! The finds Daniels working as duo with guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli – with Daniels on clarinet, bass clarinet, flute and alto flute on some really nice bossa inflected numbers, to more of a Latin style on others, and an easygoing jazz feel throughout. It's a pretty laidback effort, fitting nicely in the duo setting, but Daniels getting some nice little solo workouts, but always within the groove. Titles include Kenny Dorham's "Blue Bossa" and Les McCann's "Samia", plus "Wistful Moment", "Emily", "As Long As I Live", "Two For The Road", "Afterthought", "Shine", "A Flower For All Seasons" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

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A sweet little set from Houston Person – a record that's a nice return to basics, much needed after some of his overproduced sessions of the mid 70s! The group here features a number of old Prestige stalwarts, helping Houston to hit a laidback soul jazz vibe – players who include Jimmy Ponder on guitar, Sonny Phillips on organ, and Idris Muhammad as drums – as well as Bill Hardman on trumpet, whose clean blowing in the front brings Houston back up to speed. Larry Killian plays added percussion on the set – and tracks include "Dameron", "Preachin & Teachin", "My Romance", and "Wildflower". LP, Vinyl record album

A great later effort from tenor sax giant Charlie Rouse – a record that's quite different than his 50s hardbop or his 60s modernist work with Thelonious Monk – but still pretty darn great in its own sort of way! The album features Rouse working with a larger ensemble in a batch of tracks that has a distinct Brazilian influence – not one from bossa nova, but from the more sophisticated Brazilian jazz modes of later years – particularly as the style started to pick up from some of the arranging modes used in MPB. The players here are all well-suited to the session – and include Clifford Adams on trombone, Claudio Roditi on trumpet, Dom Salvador on piano, Ted Dunbar on guitar, Amaury Tristao on acoustic guitar, Ron Carter on bass, Bernard Purdie on drums, and Wilbur Bascomb on bass – all working together in a style that's somewhat complicated, yet which has an open-ended flow, and a very joyous sensibility overall! Arrangements are by Dom Salvador and Amaury Tristao – and titles include Salvador's romping groover "On The Corner – a real jazz dance classic – plus "Sertao", "Desencontro", "Alvorada", "Natal No Interior", and "Cravo Canela". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible snapshot of the funky soul genius of Sly Stone in an early transitional period – featuring all the known recordings of his short-lived Stone Flower label and production house from 1969-1970! Sly was a rising star at this point, and while the Stone Flower Productions name had been established already for Sly & The Family Stone's work-to-date, there was a brief period when he and manager David Kapralik set out make Stone Flower an official management and production house – and recorded some great tunes with female vocal trio Little Sister, funky soul singer and harmonica player Joe Hicks and funk rock sextet 6ix – as well as some gems sung by Sly himself. Sly & The Family Stone were soon to take off in a really huge way, his business relationship with Kapalik was becoming strained, and other factors behind-the-scenes made it impossible for Stone Flower Productions to really take root, but this brief period is fantastic. We're so glad it's been dug up and collected here! The cuts are primarily written and produced by Sly Stone – with Sly out front on "Just Like A Baby", "Africa", "Spirit" and "Scared" – and other great tracks include "You're The One" and "Somebody's Watching You" by Little Sister, "Home Sweet Home (Part 2)" and "I'm Going Home (Part 1)" by Joe Hicks, "Trying To Make You Feel Good", "You Can, We Can" by 6ix and more. 18 tracks in all – with a nice booklet of notes by Alec Palao, and an interview with the elusive Sly Stone himself! LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant debut from Sylvester – quite different than his later disco and club work – although still pretty upbeat and groovy overall! The album's a really unique sort of effort – one that's unabashedly gender-bending, but also wonderfully solid from a musical perspective – funky at points, rootsy at others – with an odd blend of 70s soul and older R&B elements, all filtered through the genre-bending sound of the Bay Area scene of the time! Arrangements are by Sylvester and The Hot Band, but Ben Sidran produced, and we're sure that the record's offbeat qualities are partly due to his own great style of the time – that weird, slightly messed-up groove you'd find on Ben's Blue Thumb album. The set features wild covers of "Southern Man" and "My Country Tis Of Thee" – plus "Whiter Shade Of Pale", "Gimme A Pigfoot", "God Bless The Child", "I'm A Steam Roller", "That Is Rock n Roll", and "Come Back Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

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Features Supertramp, John Parr, Tubes, Who, Linda Ronstadt, Elton John, Queen, Phil Collins, Robert Plant, Marshall Tucker Band, and more! LP, Vinyl record album

A far-reaching early gem from Roy Ayers – a set that's much more jazz-based than his later work, and a record that has him touching base with the Blue Note and Strata East sides of the jazz spectrum! The lineup here is incredibly hip – a mix of players that includes a young Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Harold Land and Joe Henderson on tenor, Jack Wilson on piano, and Reggie Workman on bass – not to mention Roy himself on some mighty great vibes! There's a surprising spiritual undercurrent to the music – pointing the way towards jazz to come in the 70s – and titles include "Glow Flower", "Ayerloom", "Virgo Vibes", and "In The Limelight" – plus an early take on Charles Tolliver's "The Ringer". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best solo albums ever recorded by the great Kenny Barron – a set with so much life, so much cover, you really don't need any other instruments at all! Kenny's at a key point in his career here – really stretching out as an individual talent, and getting plenty of room to work on this beautifully-recorded grand piano – whose tones ring out with this soulful, majestic quality that seems to only amplify the genius that Barron brings to the keys! And while there's certainly been other Kenny Barron solo albums over the years – including some great dates from overseas – there's a power and confidence here that's somewhat missing from the rest – this righteous, commanding style that's almost like Stanley Cowell in a similar setting, but more lyrical too. Titles include "Bud-Like", "Calypso", "Body & Soul", "Enchanted Flower", "Star Crossed Lovers", and "Misterioso". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the deepest albums that Count Basie ever recorded – thanks to some great arrangements and backings by Oliver Nelson! Nelson's working in the same groovy mode he used with Jimmy Smith's excellent Verve sessions – and although the record doesn't have the same sort of star soloist in the lead, the Basie band members do a great job of trading off solos over the enigmatic backings crafted by Nelson. A number of the tracks have a Latin flair – and work on electric bass grooves that push the set farther than the usual Basie outing of the time – with a flavor that's right up there with the hippest Nelson sessions for Flying Dutchman, and maybe even a bit like spiritual ensemble material too. Titles include versions of Albert Ayler's "Love Flower" and Pharoah Sanders' "Japan", plus originals by Nelson like "Afrique", "Kilimanjaro", and "African Sunrise". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet 70s funk from the great Oscar Brown – quite a change from his jazz-based work of the 60s, but a great new sitting for all of his wonderful wit and warmth! Brown's still a hell of a songwriter, and one with a very socially-conscious eye – sharper here than before, with lots of comments on the changes in society in the 70s, mixed with a few more heartfelt, personal moments too. There's still a bit of jazz in the mix – thanks to work from Seldon Powell on reeds, and Joe Sample on keyboards – and arrangements are by old friends Floyd Morris, the underground Chicago soul genius – and Sivuca, best known for his Brazilian music, but a great choice here to expand the groove. Brown wrote all the tunes on the record – and titles include "From My Window", "Like A Flower", "Brother Where Are YOu", ""The Lone Ranger", "If You Come Back", and "The Joneses". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album for Donald Byrd – one that marks a key departure in his sound! Donald's really opening up on this one – picking up more of the soulful and the spiritual side of jazz, and moving from the hardbop and modern jazz of his late 50s years – no surprise, since he's surrounded by an incredibly hip group – with Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. The tracks are longish and lyrical, with wonderfully-crafted solos, and some fresh writing from both Hancock and Byrd that really mark the album as one of the most inventive Blue Notes of the time! Titles include a great instrumental version of "Pentacostal Feelin", plus the cuts "Nai Nai", "Night Flower", and "French Spice" – all of which were written by Byrd. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic stuff, and proof that Rosemary Clooney was always one heck of a great singer – with strengths in jazz that you didn't always hear in her pop work! As you'd guess from the cover, Duke Ellington's leading the group on the album – and most of the tracks here are older Ellington standards, reworked with bold vocal lines from Clooney – in a way that's right up there with any of the usual singers with Ellington's band! Players include Clark Terry, Cat Anderson, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, and Harry Carney – and titles include "I'm Checkin Out", "Mood Indigo", "Blue Rose", "Grievin", "Hey Baby", and "Passion Flower". LP, Vinyl record album

A masterful meeting of two 50s modern jazz talents – the trumpet of Miles Davis balanced with the arrangements of Gil Evans – with results that have made the album one of Miles' greatest ever! The sound here is completely sublime – as Davis gets all chromatic and spooky over Evans' edgey arrangements – shimmering nicely in a perfect blend of modernism and lighter, more lyrical touches. The record's filled with loads of the kind of solos that Miles brought to his smaller group records – but they almost flower even more amazingly here in the larger setting. Titles include "Springsville", "Blues For Pablo", "New Rhumba", "Lament", and "Miles Ahead". This is the record that your dad bought to prove that he was cool – so buy it from us and keep up the family tradition! LP, Vinyl record album

The birth of a sound and the birth of a legend – Martin Denny's first album in the Exotica series, and a record so great it named an entire genre! Denny certainly didn't invent the tropical style of easy listening that came to be known as "exotica" in the 50s – but with a record like this, he delivered the goods better than anyone else – by taking away all the too-sweet styles of Hawaiian music, and serving up a stripped-down, jazzy kind of sound! The album features Denny's classic original quartet – with Arthur Lyman on vibes and Augie Colon on bongos – and titles include "Stone God", "Jungle Flower", "Busy Port", "Lotus Land", and his hit recording of "Quiet Village". LP, Vinyl record album

A completely unique little session – and a record that's every bit as musically striking as you might guess from its title and cover! The date's a rare Latin-tinged one for trumpeter Kenny Dorham – a record that takes his usually smooth sound and sets it up against octet backings with horns from JJ Johnson on trombone, Cecil Payne on baritone sax, and Hank Mobley on tenor – plus piano from Horace Silver, bass from Oscar Pettiford, and drums from Art Blakey – plus added congas from Patato Valdes! The expanded group plays with a great sense of power – really pushing Kenny's sound tremendously – and although the album also features a few tracks by a smaller group with less percussion, these also have a bit of a Latin/exotic tinge too. Titles include "Basheer's Dream", "Lotus Flower", "KD's Motion", "Venita's Dance", "Minor's Holiday", "La Villa", and "Afrodisia". LP, Vinyl record album

The crowning achievement of ELO at their best – a double-length set in which the genius of Jeff Lynne gets extra space to fully flower – and his mighty talents don't let up for a minute! The record's given us some classics over the years – standout tracks like "Mr Blue Sky", "Turn To Stone", and "Sweet Talkin Woman" – but the whole thing works perfectly together – as a sublime sonic treat that has all the Lynne studio genius coming into full focus, moving between different textures of electricity and light, through a set of songs that sound infinitely different than the group just a few years before. Other tracks include "It's Over", "Night In The City", "Starlight", "Jungle", "Believe Me Now", "Steppin Out", "Sweet Is The Night", "Standing In The Rain", "Summer & Lightning", "Wild West Hero", "The Whale", and "Birmingham Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes "Warm Valley", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Satin Doll", "Caravan", "In A Sentimental Mood", "Black And Tan Fantasy", "Passion Flower", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Hard to believe that given Duke Ellington's presence at the start of the 60s, there would be an unknown session from the time – but the discovery of this material in the 70s made for another great chapter in the Duke's career during the classic Columbia years! The material here is played by a sweet small group that includes Ray Nance on coronet, Lawrence Brown on Trombone, Johnny Hodges on alto sax, Harry Carney on baritone, Aaron Bell on bass, and Sam Woodward on drums – all working in a format that almost feels a bit more relaxed and intimate than other Columbia sessions – although not with the rough edges you might expect from a lost date. Tracks include "Everything But You", "Black Beauty", "Something To Live For" "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing", "Mighty Like The Blues", and "Dual Highway". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful classic from mid 60s Verve – and the kind of a session that we wouldn't have expected to come off so well! In a style they were using with older artists at the time, Verve brought Ella and Duke into the studio together – with Duke's band and compositions providing the structure of the set, and Ella handling vocals. The tunes are mostly Ellington classics, but they provide a nice change of pace for the Fitzgerald of the 60s – taking Ella into more sophisticated territory on some darker themes that really surprised us. Players are all of the Ellington stalwarts of the time – and titles include "Imagine My Frustration", "Duke's Place", "What Am I Here For", "Azure", "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing", "Passion Flower", and "Something To Live For". LP, Vinyl record album

An underground classic from Beverly Glenn-Copeland – an artist who was later known more as a keyboard player, but who here works in this amazing blend of folk, jazz, and soul! The album's vaguely in the territory of Terry Callier on early 70s Cadet Records, but also has its own special vibe too – deeper, darker sound overall – with subtle blending of acoustic elements that are mixed with Beverly's vocals in a way that's unlike anything we can really describe! The singer has a subtle power – a style that could be too dramatic in the wrong setting, but which is fitted here with musical elements that really help the songs flower in the best sort of way – instrumentation that includes contributions from Jeremy Steig on flute, Don Thompson on piano, and Lenny Breau on guitar. Titles include the fantastic long groover "Erzili", plus "Cumberland Passing", "Song From Beads", "Colors Of Anyhow", "Ghost House", "Swords Of Cold", and "My Old Rag Or Hysterical Virgin". LP, Vinyl record album

A jazz vocal set, but one that offers up a very different version of the format – as the dark vision of pianist Tord Gustavsen is shaped here by singer Simin Tander – who can move between sweet moments, poetic passages, and some much moodier moments! The tunes include a fair bit of numbers from both traditional and global sources, but the presentation is very modern, and very effective – with Gustavsen setting the scene on piano, plus a bit of bass and electronics, and very gentle, spare drums from Jarle Vespestad – while Tander lets the songs slowly flower, seeding lyrics amidst the piano notes – with a gentle blending of voice and instrumentation that's not unlike some of the spare sessions that Karin Krog cut with John Surman, although with a style here that's very much its own. Titles include "Sweet Melting", "A Castle In Heaven", "Imagine The Fog Disappearing", "I See You", "Your Grief", and "Sweet Morning Afterglow". LP, Vinyl record album

Prime Hag, recorded during his peak song writing years in the early 70s, and one of the better LPs recorded with the Strangers! Merle's in his gentler story song mode for much of the record, but with driving Bakersfield honky tonk sound to keep things moving at a tight clip. Haggard penned several of the tunes, including "Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man)", "Turnin' Off A Memory" and "Irma Jackson", but nods to Tommy Collins and Bob Wills for the Bakersfield style stompers – including "Bring It On To My House, Honey", "Wildwood Flower", and "The Funeral", plus Red Foley's great "Old Doc Brown". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work by The Heath Brothers – a lot slicker and smoother than their earlier album for Strata East, but still filled with a soulful jazzy approach that befits their rich talents! By the point of this set, Jimmy Heath, once a rougher talent on the tenor, had emerged as one of the smooth soul maestros on the instrument – ranking next to Grover Washington Jr and Stanley Turrentine for a mellifluous sound and well-timed approach to the solo. Heath's written some great tracks here that are underpinned nicely by brother Percy's strong work on bass – still acoustic amidst some added electric instrumentation on some of the tracks. Titles include "Passion Flower", "Move to The Groove", "Feelin Dealin", "Project S", "The Voice Of The American Saxophone (from Afro American Suite of Evolution)", and "A Time & A Place (There's)". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet breezy work from pianist Horst Jankowski – best known for his easy hits of the 60s, but a heck of a great jazz player as well! This rare MPS session has Horst grooving it up nicely in small combo format – working with guitar, bass, and drums to craft some tunes that are a perfect example of the freely swinging rhythms of MPS at its best, a real departure from American albums of the same style! The whole album's got a bright sunny finish that we really love, and it includes the great groover "Speech Craft", written by the group's guitarist Hans Wenzel – plus the tracks "Black Flower", "Zeroccasion", "Out N Ground", and "Lady Eva" – all pretty darn nice! LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully smooth soul from Evelyn Champagne King – one of her real standouts from the early days, and a tremendous collaboration with producer/arranger T Life! The sound here is upbeat and catchy, but never too poppy – done with a slight hint of that groove that King would hit more famously in the 80s, but served up here with a deeper sense of warmth, and a slightly more laidback feel. King is classy without being cloying – just like a sip of the right sort of champagne – and T Life's backings often have a slight undercurrent of funk. Titles include the club classic "Shame" – plus "Smooth Talk", "Til I Come Off The Road", "Dancin, Dancin, Dancin", "Nobody Knows", "We're Going To A Party", and "The Show Is Over". LP, Vinyl record album

The title says it all – as Yusef Lateef works here in that wonderful mixture of hardbop, soul jazz, and Eastern stylings that he brought to all of his best early sessions as a leader! Lateef himself is playing tenor, flute, and oboe – which he uses to craft these eerie snakecharmer lines that work perfectly with the modal grooves of the tracks – very unusual rhythms for the time, and a real precursor to some of the world jazz experiments to come from overseas. The rest of the group features pianist Barry Harris, drummer Lex Humphries, and bassist Ernie Farrow, who also plays a strange instrument called a rabat – which further adds to the charm of the record. Titles include "Plum Blossom", "Purple Flower", "Three Faces Of Balal", and "Chinq Miau". LP, Vinyl record album

It's the early 70s, and Mose is still going strong – grooving with a unique blend of New Orleans soul and Northern jazz influences, his own particular brand of music, timeless from the day it was born! The setting here is a live one, and Mose is playing with a trio that includes Clyde Flowers on bass and Eddie Charlton on drums. The album features a number of strong originals – including "Look What You Made Me Do", "Powerhouse", "I Don't Worry About A Thing", and "Don't Forget To Smile" – plus versions of "The Seventh Son" and "Fool's Paradise". LP, Vinyl record album

A folk rock set from Eric Anderson, recorded with a bit more bite than some of his earlier work – on titles that include "Foolish Like The Flowers", "For What Was Gained", "Good To Be With You", "Avalanche", "Think About It", "So Hard To Fall", and "It's Comin & It Won't Be Long". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most stripped-down albums from legendary jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby – and one of her earliest records too! The set's got Dorothy right out front in a trio setting – working with bassist Herman Wright and drummer John Tooley – in a wonderfully jazzy take on the sound of the harp – an instrument used here in a way that's never flowery, or linked to classical modes at all – but instead in a very unique space that's somewhere between jazz bass and guitar – as Ashby plucks these hip notes with a very soulful vibe! The album's got a special Chess/Argo sort of vibe – one that really opens up Ashby's Detroit roots. Dorothy wrote two originals for the set – "John R" and "Booze" – and other titles include "Lonely Melody", "Django", "Gloomy Sunday", and "Lil Darlin". LP, Vinyl record album

Percussionist Andrea Centazzo really rises to the occasion here – as one might when meeting with the legendary Derek Bailey at a time when he was really at the height of his powers! Bailey works on both acoustic and electric guitars here – and has a way of creating all these amazing sounds and moments on his instruments – that famous style of improvisation he first unleased on the world at the end of the 60s, honed during the early part of the 70s, and which is in full bloom here! Centazzo is nicely respectful, and really finds a way to match the best of Bailey's impulses – playing a range of percussion instruments big and small. Titles include "Drop Three", "Tutti Cantabile", "Recapitulation Reiteration & Rabbits", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "Jim Never Seems To Send Me Pretty Flowers", and "Drop Two". LP, Vinyl record album

Two jazz giants of the 70s come together on this rare Italian recording from the late 60s – South African pianist Dollar Brand (Abdulla Ibrahim) and Argentine tenorist Gato Barbieri – both working here in spare duo formation, with edges that are a fair bit sharper than most of their later work! The format is incredibly spare – just tenor and piano, plus some occasional cello work by Brand – dark and angular, but also filled with small flowers of hope, flowering in the spontaneous presence of these two great minds – a tremendous spirit that makes the record very different than freer jazz outings, and which maybe points the way towards some of the classic European tenor/piano recordings to come. Tracks are long, with a free flowing quality that's infused with soul and spirit – and titles include "Hamba Khale", "The Aloe & The Wildrose", and "To Elsa". LP, Vinyl record album

A real oddity – a soundtrack on Vee Jay records, the label best known for their groundbreaking work in soul, blues, and jazz. Even stranger, the score is for a schlocky Vincent Price film, based on a Jules Verne story – written by Les Baxter, in the flowery style he used for some of his late 50s, non-exotic work at Capitol. The album is performed by the 100 Men, directed by Cal Carter of Vee Jay – and titles include "Topage", "Flight Concerto", "Philadelphia", "Drifting Clouds", and "Over The Rocks". Nice painted cover, too! LP, Vinyl record album

One of Maria Bethania's first albums, and a beautiful set of live recordings – with a vibe that's a lot more uptempo and swinging than some of her later work! The style here almost has traces of bossa – a lighter, groovier feel at times than some of the more emotive modes that Bethania became known for during her run of 70s MPB. Backing here is by the bossa-esque Terra Trio, and they accompany her deep rich voice nicely on tracks like "Marina", "Carinhoso", "Marginalia II", "Ele Valava Nisso Todo Dia", and a great version of Caetano Veloso's "Baby". Very cool cover, too – with a trippy painting that has Maria's nude torso covered with flowers and bugs! LP, Vinyl record album

Art Blakey at the Keystone Korner – really rattling the rafters with a great lineup that includes Bobby Watson on alto sax, David Schnitter on tenor, and Valery Ponomarev on trumpet! Although the Shorter/Morgan lineup is always hailed as one of Blakey's best, we're also pretty partial to this great late 70s stretch of The Jazz Messengers – as it shows some wonderful early flowering of Watson's alto, and his songwriting abilities; Ponomarev's well-blown trumpet lines; and Schnitter's crisp, sharp lines on tenor – always carved out with a great depth of feeling. Add to the mix some great piano from James Williams, and bass from Dennis Irwin, and you've got a great lineup next to Blakey's drums – all working together in a rough-edged, hard soul space on tracks that include "Pamela", "Unlimited", "Dark Side Light Side", "Blues For Two", and "In This Korner". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest Luiz Bonfa albums we've ever heard! The record was recorded in Paris in 1962 – and it's got a clean lively bossa sound that reminds us a lot more of the catchy early work by Joao Gilberto and Baden Powell than Bonfa's sometimes flowery sessions from the same time. There's a tight jazz combo backing him up – with drums, bass, and flute – and a number of tracks have some wonderful breathy vocals next to Bonfa's driving guitar. There's more than a few great uptempo numbers – and the whole album's really a mad bossa treat! Titles include "Bonfa Nova", "Teu Olhar Triste", "Lila", "Sorrindo", "Bossa Em Re", and "Dor Que Faz Doer". LP, Vinyl record album

Arguably one of the greatest rock and roll albums of all time – and the key flowering of the partnership between David Bowie and Mick Ronson! The guitars here are heavy – so much so that the record's always crossed over big with crowds who are always suspicious of Bowie's artier work of the 70s – and represented a crucial moment when his groundbreaking music also found a large mainstream audience as well. And despite the fact that Ziggy's an androgynous space rocker with a spurious pedigree, the manufactured posturing of the album's come to be taken quite literally over the years – a vivid text of alienation, expression, and redemption – served up beautifully over a host of classic tracks that include "Five Years", "Soul Love", "Moonage Daydream", "Suffragette City", and "Ziggy Stardust" – all further proof of Bowie's 70s ability to slide in wherever he wanted with ease! LP, Vinyl record album

The second volume in this seminal series from the mid 70s – one that did a great job of documenting some of the formative underground playing that was happening in the New York loft scene, almost more creative work than in previous generations, thanks to a lack of commercial venues, and hence, commercial constraints on the music. Tracks include "And Then They Danced" by Marion Brown, "Locomotif" by Leo Smith, "Naomi" by Ken McIntyre, and "The Need To Smile" by a group with Byard Lancaster, Sonelius Smith, Don Moye, and Olu Dara. LP, Vinyl record album

A super-huge moment for Miami funk guru Peter Brown – a record instantly recognized by the silhouetted cover image of a perky nude in a window on the front, and for the very famous title hit, "Do You Wanna Get Funky With Me?" Despite its hit status, the record's actually a pretty nice example of Brown's talents – with plenty of spare cuts that feature keyboards, percussion, and synth – plus some occasional vocals by Betty Wright, Pat Hurley, or the vocal group Wildflower. Titles include "Do You Wanna Get Funky With Me", "Dance With Me", "Without Love", "Fantasy Love Affair", "You Should Do It", and "For Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic soul jazz material from trumpeter Donald Byrd – one of his most sinister (and most rare) albums for Blue Note! The group's a quintet, with frequent bandmate Pepper Adams on baritone, Duke Pearson on piano, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – all grooving with some of the tightness heard on other Adams/Byrd dates, but also a warmer, more open-ended approach to the music, especially on the solos! The tracks slink along with a dark little groove – and although Pearson's piano is often sweetly lyrical, it also has a nice hard sound that works well with the sharp-edged horn lines of Byrd and Adams. The album's very much in the vein of the pair's work on the Warwick label during the same time – and with excellent compositions that include "Say You're Mine", "Duke's Mixture", "The Cat Walk", and "Hello Bright Sunflower". LP, Vinyl record album

This one has the Chambers working in a number of styles, sweating hard in a gritty version of Otis Redding's "I Can't Turn You Loose" and to some funky percussion and call-and-response vocals on "Do Your Thing", and grooving softly on "Guess Who" and others. Other tracks include Pete Seeger's "Where Have All The Flowers Gone", "Love Is All I Have", "You Have The Power - To Turn Me On", "Rock Me Mama", and "Satisfy You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the biggest albums ever from The Chambers Brothers – a set that helped them cross over big into the mainstream – shaking off their previous folksy roots with a rumbling approach to psychedelic soul! The record's got a much heavier groove than any of the group's previous work – a way of hitting a track that still holds onto their gospel-influenced roots, but which also brings in plenty of the fuzzier, funkier touches that were sparking in soul music during the late 60s – especially over at Columbia Records, where their labelmate Sly Stone was capturing a big audience with a very similar sound. The record features the full-length version of the group's massive "Time Has Come Today", an excellent psychedelic soul number that's been lifted for movies and TV shows more times than we can count – and other tracks include "People Get Ready", "Please Don't Leave Me", "In The Midnight Hour", "What The World Needs Now Is Love", "All Strung Out Over You", "I Can't Stand It", "So Tired", and "Uptown". "A New Time, A New Day" has the Chambers working in a number of styles, sweating hard in a gritty version of Otis Redding's "I Can't Turn You Loose" and to some funky percussion and call-and-response vocals on "Do Your Thing", and grooving softly on "Guess Who" and others. Other tracks include Pete Seeger's "Where Have All The Flowers Gone", "Love Is All I Have", "You Have The Power - To Turn Me On", "Rock Me Mama", and "Satisfy You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest jazz-meets-classical albums from pianist Eugen Cicero – thanks to a good amount of Rokoko in the grooves! The more flowery, flourishing style of the Rokoko era proves to be a perfect foil for Cicero's incredible approach to the keys – one that lets him bring even more complicated touches to the piano, while still working with tightly jazzy rhythms from the team of Peter Witte on bass and Charlie Antolini on drums! Witte and Antolini are great throughout – keeping things tight and focused, and making the record way more than a virtuostic exploration of classical themes. As much a jazz record as the best Swingle Singers sides from the 60s – with titles that include a great original called "Bach's Softly Sunrise", plus Bach's "Solfeggio C Moll", Couperin's "L'Adoslecente", and Scarlatti's "Sonate C-Dur". LP, Vinyl record album

Late Nat King Cole – an album from the early 60s for Capitol, featuring expansive arrangements from Ralph Carmichael! The style here is a bit more flowery than on Nat's earlier work – with him singing in kind of a grand voice, amidst large orchestrations and occasional backing chorus vocals – in a mode that's not as smooch or intimate as his classic Capitol sides, but which still has some nice merits – especially in the way that Nat's voice seems to still have a tremendous amount of presence in the setting. Titles include "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face", "Hymn To Him", "With A Little Bit Of Luck", "The Rain In Spain", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Arguably the most classic Alice Coltrane album on Impulse – and a strong group effort that features some great work from Pharoah Sanders! Coltrane leads two different small combos on the record – both with Sanders on saxes, plus either Cecil McBee or Charlie Haden on bass, and Rashied Ali on drums – plus assorted percussion from Tulsi and Majid Shabazz, and some really enigmatic work on oud by Vishnu Wood! Tracks are long and drawn out, and open with the beauty of a field of flowers meeting the dawn – as Alice plays with a sound that's gentle and poetic, but which also has some wonderfully dark undertones. Titles include "Stopover Bombay", "Isis & Osiris", "Shiva-Loka", and "Journey In Satchidananda". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet bit of electric funk, and one of Hank Crawford's greatest records from the 70s – thanks in large part to the great Bob James – who arranged and produced the record with a mighty soulful vibe – leaving Hank lots of room to solo on his own over the top! The groove is really great – and the record gets surprisingly chunky in parts – with heavier rhythms than you might expect from a Crawford album from the time – not exactly the heavier funk of other CTI records, but with a definite taste of that style too. Arrangements are fairly large, and feature keyboards from Richard Tee – plus backing vocals at a few spots – and titles include great versions of "You've Got It Bad Girl" and "Corazon", plus the tracks "Good Morning Heartache" and "Wildflower". LP, Vinyl record album

The massive first album from Creative Source – a really unique group who really helped push the ensemble vocal mode forward in the 70s! The mixed male/female lineup recalls similar groups of the late 60s – but Creative Source also have a deeper, hipper style that comes through right away – a good ear for jazz in their phrasing, and an ability to get past any of the hoke of more sing-song gal/guy groups. The tunes are very progressive, and the album features sublime arrangements from Skip Scarborough – who's working here in a wonderful realization of the style he'd work later for so many other artists. The group does a classic rendition of Scarborough's "You Can't Hide Love", which was a hit for Earth Wind & Fire, plus nice covers of two tracks by Sussex labelmate Bill Withers – "Who Is He & What Is He To You" and "Let Me In Your Life". Also includes the group's own "Oh Love", which is a nice groover – plus "Magic Carpet Ride", "Wildflower", and "Lovesville". LP, Vinyl record album