A nice little record that lives up to the name of the group – a record that's maybe jazz at the core, but served up in very cinematic ways – very much the spirit of the dark, moody image pictured on the cover! This isn't chase, crime, or cop music – but instead maybe the sounds you'd hear on the journey home after the battle – slow funk in the rhythms, peppered with great work on vibes, piano, and mellotron from Pierre Chretien – who also wrote, arranged, and produced the whole record too! Most tunes have a nice light melody over heavier drums and percussion on the bottom – never too over the top, but well-paced in a way that really makes this one stand out from the pack. Titles include "Les Corbeaux", "Eveil De La Cite", "Aube Sur La Ville", "Fleurs De Bitume", "Le Petit Cimetiere", "Apres Le Deluge", and "Illusions Perdues". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare work from the Circle City Band – the first-ever full length album from the group – and a set that brings together their few club singles and a host of previously unreleased tracks! The CCB are well remembered for the roller skating jam "Magic" – and the rest of this set is equally great – with lots of bouncing basslines, snapping beats, and warmly soulful grooves that really sparkle with lots of early 80s funky touches – from the sweet keyboards over the top right down to the crackling rhythms on the bottom! The package is a great discovery – one of those moments when you realize there's a lot more to a group than you'd ever heard before – and the album's way more than a reissue, given the treasure trove of previously unheard 80s grooves in the set! Titles include "Love", "Time Tunnel", "Hello Stranger", "Magic", "Gladiators", "My Place", "Party Lights", "Lonely", and "Hold On". CD

A soaring set from the later years of Detroit funk powerhouse Westbound Records – a record that has the label moving into clubbier territory, but with all the sharpness they brought to their earlier releases! Detroit producers Mike Theodore and Dennis Coffey are at the helm of the record – and although the set has disco elements that include chorus vocals and upbeat rhythms, the approach is maybe more in a fast funk style than more commercial work of the time – which keeps things nice and lean throughout, at a level that's similar to early work from T Connection and some of the hipper groups of their scene! Both Motown legend Earl Van Dyke and Dennis Coffey play on the album – and tracks include "We Got Our Own Thing", "Free To Be Me", "Get A Groove In Order To Move", and "Sure Can't Go To The Moon". CD

A really unique combo, and one that's definitely what's promised in the title – a lineup that's heavy on trombones, given a nice kick at the bottom from guitar, bass, and drums! The players come together here in a really wonderful sound – partly extending from the postwar multi-trombone experiments of JJ Johnson and Kai Winding, but with occasional nods to New Orleans music, Afro Funk, and other styles that can be heavier on the horns! Female trombonist Nabou Claerhout leads the group, which features four other trombonists on most tracks – and the leadoff track also features guest work from Robin Eubanks. Titles include "Wistful", "A Duet For Three", "Hutch", "Murphy All The Way", "Slide Unit", and "A Day At The Huge Field With A Little House". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest American albums to be issued under Kenny Clarke's name – a smoking set of boppish tracks that groove in a very early 50s Blue Note sort of way! And in fact, the tracks are a bit longer than the usual Blue Note bop sides, which makes them open up with some even longer solos – and creates plenty of space for the septet lineups to do their thing. The album features 2 different groups – one with Milt Jackson on vibes, Frank Morgan on alto, Walter Benton on tenor, and Gerald Wiggins on piano; the other with Jackson on piano (!), Henry Coker on trombone, Frank Wess on tenor, and Charlie Fowlkes on baritone. Titles include "Inhibitions", "Klook's Nook", "Telefunken Blues", "Skoot", "Sonor", and "Blue's Mood". CD

A nice funky electric groover from Stanley Clarke's mid 80s R&B years! Time Exposure has a lot of period electro funk in the mix, particularly Clarke's impeccable bass lines, which are heavy throughout! A brilliant mix of 80s fusiony future funk with jazz precision – definitely a funky highlight from this period in Clarke's career – and those bass lines are just unreal! A pretty eclectic roster of guest musicians play on this one, including tenor sax player Ernie Watts, fellow bassist Louis Johnson of Brothers Johnson, singer Howard Hewitt and rock guitar guru Jeff Beck. Titles include "Play The Bass 10", "Are You Ready (For The Future)", "Heaven Sent You", "Time Exposure", "Speedball", "Future Shock", "Spacerunner", "I Know Just How You Feel" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The longest album ever from The Clash – a stunning triple LP set that really shows the group bristling with new ideas and energy throughout! There's a hell of a lot going on here – some cuts that are every bit as strong as the previous records, others that offer a few mis-steps but in a wonderfully playful way – and a few more that really hit this sort of unique mix of genres and politics that could only be summed up as Clash-like at its best! Bits of hip hop, reggae, new wave, funk, and more mix together beautifully – and the album's got a hell of a lot of charm and character, even if you're skipping past a few of the cuts you don't like as much as the others. 36 tracks in all – and titles include "The Magnificent Seven", "Hitsville UK", "Junco Partner", "The Leader", "Police On My Back", "Midnight Log", "The Call Up", "Washington Bullets", "Broadway", "Rebel Waltz", "Look Here", "The Crooked Beat", "Somebody Got Murdered", "Lose This Skin", "Charlie Don't Surf", "Kingston Advice", "Corner Soul", "Let's Go Crazy", "The Sound Of Sinners", "Living In Fame", "Silicone On Sapphire", and "Career Opportunities". LP, Vinyl record album

Early 80s spiritual disco from Charlie Clemons And The Mighty Power Band – which purportedly included members of Watts 103rd St Rhythm Band – recordings Clemons made in 1980 at Warner Brothers Studios – remixed by Tom Noble! Noble adds no new instrumentation, but ratchets up the spacey disco elements of the drums heavy A-side and the more bass driven B-side. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Fantastic funk from South African saxophone legend Winston Mankuku Ngozi – working here in the group The Cliffs, who serve up a sweet 70s vibe for his solos! The instrumentation is great – a rougher-edged take on American jazz funk of the time – almost as if the aesthetic of 60s Prestige Records soul jazz moved forward, but without the same sort of polish – perfect for bringing out the edge in Ngozi's alto, as he blows in a group with Stompie Manana and George Tyefumani on trumpets, Roger Khoza on organ, and Allen Kwela on guitar. Titles include "Revelation", "Ever Green", "Over The Cliff", "Alex Express", and "Gu Gu Lethu". LP, Vinyl record album

Post Funkadelic and Parliament work from George Clinton – an assortment of tracks from a variety of Columbia and Sony-related albums by artists who include Sweat Band, Mutiny, Junie, Bootsy Collins, Mico Wave, Philippe Wynne, and the P-Funk All-Stars! Most of the material here has an early 80s sort of feel – that second wave of P-Funk inspiration after so many other groups were grabbing the Clinton groove – and bass is especially upfront in the mix on most of these numbers, topped with vocals that are definitely in the style first encouraged by George back in the day. Titles include "Funky Kind" and "If Anybody Gets Funked Up" by George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars, "Leakin" and "Party On Plastic" by Bootsy Collins, "Lump" and "Funk N Bop" by Mutiny, "Rappin About Rappin" and "Love Has Taken Me Over" by Junie Morrison, "Instant Replay" by Mico Wave, "Freak To Freak" by Sweat Band, "Breakout" and "Never Gonna Tell It" by Philippe Wynne, and "One Of Those Summers" and "Pumpin It Up" by P-Funk All Stars. CD

Sure, they were hitmakers – but we love these guys, and find them to be one of the most radical vocal groups of all time! Under the impeccable guidance of Lieber & Stoller, the group recorded some of the fiercest vocal numbers of the 50s – mixing incredibly soulful vocals with an almost cartoonish ability to conjure up little pictures with words. This 50-track, 2CD set is an amazing tribute to the group's genius – and it includes a wonderful range of material that begins with their early days as The Robins, and which runs up to later sides cut as funky 45s for the Date label in the late 60s. Features the great funk numbers "Soul Pad", "DW Washburn", and "Down Home Girl" – plus totall excellent doo wop tunes like "Shoppin For Clothes", "Hitchin A Ride", "Girls Girls Girls", "The Slime", "Hongry", "Hey Sexy", "The Shadow Knows", "Sorry But I'm Gonna Have To Pass", "One Kiss", "What Is The Secret Of Your Success?", "Idol With The Golden Head", "Besame Mucho", "Stewball", "What About Us", and "Along Came Jones". Also includes the big hits – but the set goes way past that stuff too! CD

Billy's got no "inner conflicts" here – as the album's a full-on set of heavy jamming, one that features some nice electronics alongside Billy's drums! The album's actually one of our favorite Cobham sessions of the 70s – a record that we'd rank right up there with Spectrum for sheer intensity, and for its ability to appeal to our funk-tuned ears. The variety of rhythms on the record is really really great – earthy and tribal one minute, and electric and spacey the next – all coming off well without trying too hard, and with a feel that's much more jazzy and soulful than some of Billy's more rock-focused work. Players include George Duke as Dawilli Gonga on keyboards, John Scofield on guitar, Julian Priester on trombone, Jimmy Owens on trumpet, and Pete & Sheila Escovedo on percussion. Titles include "Inner Conflicts", "Arroyo", "El Barrio", "Nickels & Dimes", and "The Muffin Talks Back". LP, Vinyl record album

A monstrous bit of jazzy fusion from the 70s – and the record that really put drummer Billy Cobham on the map – virtually creating his own sort of space between jazz, funk, and prog – thanks to the help of an all star lineup too! Cobham is tremendous on drums – and is joined on most of the record by guitarist Tommy Bolin and keyboardist Jan Hammer – both at the height of their early powers – and a few other tracks feature a slightly different lineup, with great work from saxophonist Joe Farrell and trumpeter Jimmy Owens! The drummer is definitely in the space of the territory he would explore with George Duke – but is also maybe looser and more open to new sounds too – really stepping out on cuts that include the slow mellow funk number "Red Baron", which has great breaks and nice electric piano – plus "Stratus", "Taurian Matador", "To The Women In My Life", and "Quadrant 4". LP, Vinyl record album

A monstrous bit of jazzy fusion from the 70s – and the record that really put drummer Billy Cobham on the map – virtually creating his own sort of space between jazz, funk, and prog – thanks to the help of an all star lineup too! Cobham is tremendous on drums – and is joined on most of the record by guitarist Tommy Bolin and keyboardist Jan Hammer – both at the height of their early powers – and a few other tracks feature a slightly different lineup, with great work from saxophonist Joe Farrell and trumpeter Jimmy Owens! The drummer is definitely in the space of the territory he would explore with George Duke – but is also maybe looser and more open to new sounds too – really stepping out on cuts that include the slow mellow funk number "Red Baron", which has great breaks and nice electric piano – plus "Stratus", "Taurian Matador", "To The Women In My Life", and "Quadrant 4". CD

A live bit of fusion supergroup jamming – one in which Billy Cobham and George Duke are joined by Alphonso Johnson and John Scofield in a set of really soulful numbers! The main focus here is straight fusion jamming, but there's also a nice undercurrent of funk and soul in the set as well – and Jon Lucien makes an appearance on the track "Almustafa The Beloved" – a great number with a break sampled by Peanut Butter Wolf! George Duke indulges himself a touch on "Space Lady", a spare electric keys number with a lengthy spoken intro – and other titles include "Do What Cha Wanna", "Frankenstein Goes To The Disco", "Hip Pockets", "Ivory Tattoo", "Sweet Wine", and "Juicy". LP, Vinyl record album

You might know Cochemea Gastelum from his work in The Dap-Kings over the years – but this time around, the saxophonist is very much his own man – blowing a version of his instruments that often seems electrified, ala classic Varitone from the late 60s – used in these really new and compelling ways! Cochemea has occasional tribal impulses that belie his look on the cover – but all in this very focused way that never sounds too indulgent, and which instead always steps back to the soulful territory we love from Daptone Records! And yet the record's also maybe something new for the label too – looser, never straight funk or soul – as Cochemea heads up this fantastic ensemble that's very heavy on percussion, which drives the sound with a raw, rootsy vibe – while Victor Axelrod plays keyboards, and the man himself blows on alto, flute, and bass clarinet. A real killer – with titles that include "Maso Ye'Eme", "All My Relations", "Sonora", "Los Muertos", "Mescalero", "Song Of Happiness", and "Mitote". CD

Hey, don't hold Wayne Cochran's hair against him – because he's one massively soulful dude, despite a high white pompadour – and really knew how to rock the clubs back in the 60s! Cochran's a really unique figure – working with a look that was whiter-than-white, but coming across with a groove that was right up there in the best funky soul mode of the time! Wayne played for the same sort of crowds that went to see Baby Huey & The Babysitters – blending together soul and R&B influences with a really party-oriented groove laid down by his legendary CC Riders backup group – and crossing countless borders along the way, all in pursuit of a socking soul sound! This wonderful set is the best we've ever seen on his music – and features tracks pulled from his sessions for King, Chess, and Mercury – plus a full never-issued live album for King, titled The Wayne Cochran Show. There's more than a few covers here of other 60s soul tunes, but Wayne somehow manages to make most of them sound even better than the originals – bringing in funky arrangements that weren't even used on the hits, and making us wish we'd had a chance to catch his cooking show back in the day. 38 tracks in all – with titles that include "Dance To The Music", "Hold On I'm Coming", "Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa (Sad Song)", "I Can't Turn You Loose", "Hard To Handle", "Chopper 70", "Everybody", "Let Me Come With You", "My Machine", "Get Ready", "Which One Should I Choose", "I'm In Trouble", "The Peak Of Love", "Somebody Please", "I'm Leaving It Up To You", and "Big City Woman". CD

A great later set from guitar genius Dennis Coffey – one that has him continuing the great run of instrumental funk albums he started a few years before – while also changing up the groove a bit more for the time! The set shows some of Coffey's influence working with clubbier acts on the Westbound label – not that the record is disco, as the sound is lean and a lot more laidback – mostly without vocals, save for a few contributions from Brandy – and served up with lots of great instrumental contributions from the Detroit scene – including trumpet from Marcus Belgrave, and saxes and flute from the great Larry Nozero. Coffey's guitar gets plenty of solo space throughout – and titles include "Wings Of Fire", "Back Home", "Free Spirit", "Funk Connection", "Our Love Goes On Forever", "Boogie Magic", and "High On Love". CD

Funky guitar and a bucket of fried chicken – two things that go perfectly together here on a record that's one of the last of Dennis Coffey's great run in the early 70s! The album marks some of the shift in Coffey's role on the Detroit soul scene as the decade moved on – as it features close collaboration with longtime musical partner Mike Theodore, who was helping the scene move past 60s soul into the world of 70s club – a style that's showcased very heavily here with all sorts of fantastic rhythms, and even backing female vocals that provide a soulful addition to Coffey's work on guitar! There's almost a Sigma sound vibe to the record at times, but the grooves are even funkier with a drum snap at the bottom – on titles that include "Finger Lickin Good", "I've Got A Real Good Feeling", "El Tigre", "Live Wire", "Some Like It Hot", "Wild Child", "If You Can't Dance To This", and a nice remake of David Bowie's "Fame". LP, Vinyl record album

There's nothing instant about this album from the great Dennis Coffey – as the set marks a continuing evolution of the fantastic guitar sound he forged on the Detroit scene from the late 60s onward – that wicked blend of funk, soul, jazz, and a bit of rock – served up wonderfully here on a set of sweet instrumentals! This album's nicely different than some of Coffey's previous for the Sussex label, as it's got a few cuts that are quite long jams – both in the seven minute range, and with a groove that trips out at times, maybe a bit like Shuggie Otis was doing during the same generation – but with all these really wonderful charts that have odd elements, and almost come across with an unusual soundtrack/sound library vibe! The long cuts are the excellent "Moon Star" and "Outrageous (The Mind Excursion)" – and the set also includes a great remake of the theme to "Enter the Dragon", plus the sweet originals "Chicano" and "Kathy". CD