A great bit of blue-eyed soul from the German scene of the 60s – music by a group who have a sound that's like some of the best UK soul acts of the same period – definitely rooted in American modes, but also tinged with a bit of 60s mod as well! Vocals are all in English, and tunes are all originals – which really puts these guys ahead of so many of their contemporaries, who were often just covering tunes from the US! There's lots of Detroit soul influence in the arrangements, which are upbeat and swinging – and even the occasional garagey moments still have a way of coming across with a nice current of R&B. Titles include "Save Me Save Me", "See How They Run", "Only With You", "I Didn't Trip You Baby", "You Made A Man Out Of Me", "We Can't Be Friends", "That Ain't Where It's At", and "You Let Me Live". LP, Vinyl record album

Twin-saxophone magic from the team of Sonny Stitt and Booker Ervin – playing together here on some great long tracks that get plenty of support from Don Patterson on the Hammond! The set's got a very open, very jamming sort of quality – with Book on tenor, and Stitt on both tenor and alto sax – showing his talents strongly, and bringing a hard-edged confidence to the record that's really great. The quartet's remaining member is Billy James on drums – a frequent partner of Patterson, and a nice loose-edged rhythmic force that really matches the energy of the others. Titles include "Soul People", "Sonny's Book", "C Jam Blues", and a ballad medley of "I Can't Get Started" and "The Masquerade Is Over". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the richest albums from the Kudu years of Grover Washington – a double-length set that shows the full range of his soul and imagination! The album was done in collaboration with Bob James – who arranged and conducted all tracks, and also plays keyboards on the date – and the style is kind of an added extension of other Washington work on Kudu, with added string and chorus bits to round out the sound! Things are still wonderfully soulful – thanks to James' sense of space and timing on the charts – and if anything, the added voices and orchestrations bring an almost soundtrack-like quality to the record – but one that still leaves plenty of room for Washington's solos on tenor, alto, and soprano sax! Most tracks are quite long – really stretching out with lots of room for fresh ideas – and titles include a 15 minute version of "Trouble Man", plus "Taurian Matador", "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "Masterpiece", "Aubrey", and "Don't Explain". LP, Vinyl record album

Soul Jazz have done it again! As with their classic NuYorica, Strata East, and Black Jazz comps, this one's a definitive sampling of rare funky stuff that you'll never find otherwise. The set brings together 14 classic Jamaican tracks from the 60's and 70's – and unlike a lot of the other weak-ass reggae comps out there, every cut on here is a winner (or if you prefer, 100% Dynamite!) Great cuts include "Armageddon Time" by Willie Williams, "Stereo Freeze" by Jackie Mittoo, "Granny Scratch Scratch" by Sound Dimension, "Popcorn" by The Upsetters, and lots more! There's also some great Jamaican covers of American funky soul classics – like The Marvels' version of "Rock Steady", and Phyllis Dillon's great remake of Marlena Shaw's "Woman of the Ghetto". Lots more goodies, and the usual Soul Jazz high standard – which is 100% Dynamite! CD

A legendary collection of rare Jamaican grooves – the first-ever reggae compilation from Soul Jazz Records – and a mighty dip into the huge catalog of Studio One! The collection's over a dozen years old, but it's still incredibly crucial – and this re-presentation gets new mastering, which ups the sound even more – and continues to focus on the kind of unusual tracks that went onto make the whole Dynamite series so great! The package gets way past the overdone roots reggae material that smoked up so many American dorm rooms in the 70s and 80s – and instead focuses on harder, more soulful tracks from the formative years of reggae – all the kind of brilliant productions handled by the legendary Clement Dodd. Great cuts include "Armageddon Time" by Willie Williams, "Stereo Freeze" by Jackie Mittoo, "Granny Scratch Scratch" by Sound Dimension, "Popcorn" by The Upsetters, "I Love The Way You Love" by Bunny Brown, "Give Rasta Glory" by Cedric Brooks, and lots more – and there's also some great Jamaican covers of American funky soul classics – like The Marvels' version of "Rock Steady", and Phyllis Dillon's great remake of Marlena Shaw's "Woman of the Ghetto". Lots more goodies, and the usual Soul Jazz high standard – which is 100% Dynamite! Features 5 more tracks than the original version, too. LP, Vinyl record album

A totally great little collection – one that doesn't just focus on the big crossover hits from the legendary Brunswick Records, but also includes some obscure funk and soul gems from the label's later years too! The package is very nicely done – ten 7" singles, all packaged in a nice heavy box – and the track selection is great, and includes a number of cuts that were never issued on funky 45s back in the day, and make their debut here in the format! Titles include "The Lovemaniacs" by Boobie Knight & The Universal Lady, "Bounce Rock Skate Roll (parts 1 & 2)" by Vaughan Mason & Crew, "Break Your Back" and "Soulful Football" by Willie Henderson, "Waiting On Your Love" and "I Like What You're Doing To Me" by Young & Company, "Purple Haze" by Johnny Jones & The Casuals, "Fly" and "I Love You Love You Completely" by Exit 9, "Talking The Teenage Language" and "Sly Slick & Wicked" by Lost Generation, "How Can You Say Goodbye" by Sidney Joe Qualls, "Are You My Woman" by The Chi-Lites, "I Can't Do My Thing" by Barbara Acklin, and "Light My Fire" by Young Holt Unlimited. 7-inch, Vinyl record

An incredible look at an obscure Detroit soul label – a tiny little company, but home to some really great funk and soul! The Big Mack label ran somewhat sporadically through the 60s and into the early 70s – but during that time, it managed to cut some incredible tunes with a really unique feel – work that had a rougher edge than most of the Detroit soul on the bigger labels and indies – often with an earthy quality that's miles and miles from Motown! Label owner Ed McCoy had a great ear for male singers, instrumental combos, and vocal groups – but as the 60s rolled on, he also picked up a few hip female acts as well – and throughout the whole stretch, he had a way of producing a tune that we can only describe best as slightly messed up – a sound that's often slightly tripped up, oddly spacious, and which makes the elements of the music fall into each other with a crashingly intense kind of sound! Far from being a mess, this approach only seems to cook things up more – giving an edge to tracks that might have sounded more lackluster with conventional production – and further electrifying these obscure utterings from the Detroit underground. As with other Numero collections, the work here is wonderfully worth discovering – and presented with full notes, photos, and a history of the label. LP features 20 tracks that include "Bui Bui" by L Hollis & The Mackadoos, "Get It Right" by Soul President, "Crooked Woman" by Edd Henry, "Fever" by Essence, "If You Feel It" by Ms Tyree Sugar Jones, "The Feeling Is Mutual" by Manhattens, "I See Her Pretty Face" by The Grand Prix's, "Let's Give Our Love A Try" by Mae Young, "I'll Be On My Way" by Bob & Fred, "Mini Skirt" by The Sleepwalkers, "Monkey Time Shine" by L Hollis & The Mackadoos, "The Man Puts Sugar In My Soul" by Mae Young, "You Drive Me Crazy" by The Grand Prix's, "Got To Have It" by Soul President, and "Your Replacement Is Here" by Edd Henry. LP also features a bonus track not on the CD – "I'll Be On My Way (inst)" by Bob & Fred. LP, Vinyl record album

More funky breaks than Evel Knevel after the Snake River Canyon jump! The groove hounds at BGP records were set loose on the Ace catalog – which includes holdings from Atlantic, Stax, Volt, Westbound, and other funky classic labels – and they managed to come up with a killer batch of funky cuts, even though this is their 3rd dip into the crates! If anything, perhaps they dipped even deeper this time – especially as some of the once-trusted sources for breaks, like the famous Ultimate Breaks & Beats series, are now disappearing from the market. Titles include "Soul Pad" by The Coasters, "I Walk On Gilded Splinters" by Johnny Jenkins, "T Plays It Cool" by Marvin Gaye, "Nappy Dugout" by Funkadelic, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by Jimmy Ponder, "Get Out Of My Life Woman" by The Mad Lads, "The Rose" by 50 Foot Hose, "Holy Ghost" by The Bar Kays, "No Strings Attached" by The Mad Lads, "After Laughter Comes Tears" by Wendy Rene, "River's Invitation" by Freddie Robinson, "This House Is Smokin" by BT Express, "Music Man (parts 1 & 2)" by Pleasure Web, and "I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over" by David Porter. CD

An excellent groover from the legendary Vince Montana! Vince arranged, produced, conducted, and wrote just about all of this second album by hard-grooving Salsoul Orchestra – and the album's a no-nonsense batch of disco instrumentals that's way better than many of the fake albums of the type that sprung up in the group's wake. The players include the cream of the Sigma Studios team – including the Baker/Harris/Young triad – and the tracks have a wonderfully soulful sound, with loads of great instrumentation on guitar, bass, percussion, and Montana's jazzy vibes! Titles include "It's Good For The Soul", "Nightcrawler", "Nice N Naasty", "Salsoul 3001", "Ritzy Mambo", and "It Don't Have To Be Funky (To Be A Groove)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the richest albums from the Kudu years of Grover Washington – a double-length set that shows the full range of his soul and imagination! The album was done in collaboration with Bob James – who arranged and conducted all tracks, and also plays keyboards on the date – and the style is kind of an added extension of other Washington work on Kudu, with added string and chorus bits to round out the sound! Things are still wonderfully soulful – thanks to James' sense of space and timing on the charts – and if anything, the added voices and orchestrations bring an almost soundtrack-like quality to the record – but one that still leaves plenty of room for Washington's solos on tenor, alto, and soprano sax! Most tracks are quite long – really stretching out with lots of room for fresh ideas – and titles include a 15 minute version of "Trouble Man", plus "Aubrey" and "Masterpiece"! LP, Vinyl record album

An all-classic volume of this wonderful series – one that offers up way more rare 70s tracks than on some of their previous editions – including a lot of cuts that we'd never heard before! Lots of this work is in a really unique spot – not funk, not mainstream soul, but also not disco or club either – and instead in a territory that's a bit pre-modern soul, when artists were turning towards upbeat modes, both in sound and spirit – but still mostly keeping things at a warmly personal level! Some of these tunes remind us of some of our favorite Chicago soul – like work from the Brunswick/Dakar label – but others have more of an east coast vibe, and the tunes flow together wonderfully in that way that really makes us know when we've stepped into something special. Titles include "Something New About You" by Silent Majority, "Funny How We've Changed Places" by Debra Anderson, "Thanks But No Thanks" by General Crook, "Woman" by The Nicky Newarkers, "You Got To Know Better" by Touch Of Class, "When A Boy Falls In Love" by Willie Hutch, "I Love You" by Weldon Irvine, "Soul Travelin (part 1)" by Gary Byrd, "Mr Magic Man" by Wilson Pickett, "I Need Your Love" by Clydene Jackson, "Open Up Your Heart" by Wood Brass & Steel, "I Trust You" by Billy Paul, "Now That You're Gone" by Sonny Turner & Sound Limited, "I Only Hurt Myself" by Lonnie Youngblood, and "Better Late That Never" by Diane Ducane. CD

Sharp-edged work from a cool Dutch combo – one co-led by pianist Rob Agerbeek and saxophonist Ruud Brink – both great players, even if they're not well known over here in the US! Agerbeek's got years of jazz work under his belt by the time of this set – and he plays with a sound that's quickly imaginative to live up to the bop title, but also has a warmer, more sensitive approach too – one that unfolds beautifully as the album rolls on, and makes it much more than just a bop-revival affair. Brink's great too – and mostly plays tenor with a raspy, soulful tone – but also plays a bit of clarinet, and even sings a bit on two tracks too. Remaining quartet members include Harry Emmery on bass and Jo Krause on drums – and titles include "Pardon My Bop", "It's You Or No One", "I Can't Get Started", "Four", and "The Red Door". CD

A great little collection of work from Japanese jazz singer Akiko – pulled from her first few Verve albums, and packaged into one really beautiful set! Unlike other contemporaries on the Japanese scene, who tend to be a bit more soul-based, Akiko goes for a style that's often more classically jazz-based – a mode the echoes back to sounds of the 50s and 60s, yet which is also served up with hipper production and instrumental touches from younger collaborators – especially Sunaga T, who had a hand in some of the best numbers here! The package is almost as beautiful as the music – done in an old Limelight Records style with a booklet in the middle that includes photos of all the album covers. Titles include "Funky Monkey Boy (English version)", "Good Morning Heartache", "Skindo Le Le", "You've Changed (funk version)", "Fly Me To The Moon", "Do You Know", "Far Beyond", "So Tired", and a few cool interludes and intros! CD

Wild & beautiful! This album's impossible to describe accurately, and it's the only record we've ever seen by the enigmatic Latin-tinged duo Alzo & Udine! The groove has a tight jangly feel, with nice lows, very catchy hooks, and amazing vocals from Alzo & Udine that kind of feel like Mel & Tim mixed with Joe Bataan mixed with The Young Rascals mixed with Jose Feliciano – if you need a comparison! The vocals are laid over spare arrangements that feature bass, guitar, and conga – vamping away in sort of a folk/soul groove – and although the overall approach is quite spare, the quality of the music is heavenly. At some level, the album had to have been a mistake – as it's got a whimsey and honesty that would never have gotten it on the charts – but that's exactly why we love it so much. Titles include "Something's Going", "C'Mon & Join Us", "This Room", "Want Your Love", "Hey Hey Hey, She's OK", and "Define". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing transformation in jazz – the first 6 albums by Texas tenor giant Curtis Amy, packaged together in one box set! Amy had a deep gutsy sound that was similar to other Texas tenors coming out of the state during the postwar years – and initially, his first recordings in LA were done in a spirited soul jazz mode – often teaming with organist Paul Bryant, in loose and free albums that had the feel of some of the east coast sides cut for Prestige at the time. As the early 60s wore on, though, Amy really opened up – and started working with some of the hipper younger players of the LA scene, to shift his groove from straight soul jazz into more of a modally-inspired sound. The 6 albums on this set document this incredible transformation – already tremendous at the start, but even more revolutionary as Amy moved onto work with players that included Carmell Jones, Bobby Hutcherson, Frank Strazzeri, Jimmy Bond, Jack Wilson, and Roy Ayers. Amy's never gotten his due on the reissue market before, and although one of these albums has seen the light of day on CD, most of the other material is showing up here for the first time on reissue – making the limited numbered set even more important than most of the other Mosaic sets! Tremendous work all the way through – and a release that's bound to finally get Amy the attention he deserves. 36 tracks in all – with a great set of notes! CD

A classic album of classy vocals – one that helped set a whole new tone in 80s soul music! Anita had already gained a bit of experience on the soul scene before this set, but with this record she emerged as a full-formed diva who could effortlessly blend jazz and soul into a magnificent new sound. The production has a few touches that date the record a bit, but there's a timelessness to the set that was apparent to listeners the moment it was released. Titles include "Mystery", "No One In The World", "Sweet Love", "You Bring Me Joy", and "Caught Up In The Rapture". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Gato Barbieri's later recordings – but don't hold that against it! The set's a smoother effort than most of Gato's earlier work, but it's also still pretty darn soulful – done in a way that allows plenty of space for his raspy reed work on tenor to flow over the top of larger arrangements that have a nice electric touch. Players include Eric Gale and Joe Beck on guitars, Don Grolnick on keyboards, and Mtume and Ralph MacDonald on percussion – both of whom give the tunes a nice earthy undercurrent when needed. And while we might be put off by the larger, more heavily-arranged sound – Gato himself is still in charge of the charts, and keeps things nicely focused in a soulfully expressive way! Titles include "Firelies", "Fiesta", "Europa", "Don't Cry Rochelle", "Behind The Rain", "Los Desperados", and "I Want You". LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning soul from the great Joe Bataan – a really groundbreaking mix of modes that's right up there with the best of the Spanish Harlem scene of the late 60s! The album is Joe Bataan's debut for the Fania Records label – and the start of an incendiary run of Latin classics that forever changed the face of the New York scene – a mindblowing mix of Latin rhythms and soul-based inspiration, served up in a mix of English and Spanish language lyrics! The title track is a sublime cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Gypsy Woman" – one that's even more heartbreaking than the original – and other titles include "Ordinary Guy", Sugar Guaguanco", "So Fine", "Fuego", and the groovy "Chickie's Trombone" – a tight little jammer that shows that Joe's group also drew plenty of inspiration from the descarga scene too. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarest funky records of all time – the hard-to-find second album by Beginning Of The End! This West Indian combo hit it big with their first album on Alston, but this second set, for some strange reason, never really got distributed – which is a damn shame, because it's every bit as funky as their first! The uniquely choppy rhythms of the group's first album are every bit as great here as on the first set – and if anything, the band's instrumentation is even better, especially on the guitar, which is wickedly tight, and played with a super-dope flanged-out approach on the solos. Vocals are great too, maybe even more soulful than before, especially on the album's few midtempo cuts – and the album's a must-have for any fan of the group's funky sound! Titles include "That's What I Get", "Super Woman", "Bluestrain", "Jump In The Water", "Falling Apart At The Seams", and "Trip To Nowhere". LP, Vinyl record album

Bob Berg's hardly in the shadows here, as the album's got a punch that's mighty nice – one of Berg's slightly fusion-tinged sessions from the end of the 80s, held down nicely by his strongly soulful work on tenor! The electricity in the lineup comes from the keyboards of Jim Beard and guitar of Mike Stern, plus electric bass from Lincoln Goins and Will Lee – yet Berg's bold, acoustic notes ring out beautifully in the setting – almost apart from the rest of the instrumentation, in ways that cascade wonderfully amidst the soulful setting of the rhythms. Titles include "Either Or", "The Crossing", "In The Shadows", "Stay That Way", and "Games". CD

Not the first ever Best Of Big Star compilation, but perhaps the best of we've seen – put together with the partipation of drummer Jody Stephens – featuring most of the very best tracks from all three Big Star LPs, recordings that have hardly aged a day since the early 70s! The carefully chosen tracklist touches on all the bands most rewarding facets, and short of being all of the classic original LPs, we'd be hard pressed to recommend a better entry point the band's classic ouvre. Includes the single versions of "In The Street", "Don't Lie To Me", "September Gurls", "Jesus Christ" "Watch The Sunrise" and "O, My Soul", plus "Thirteen", "I'm In Love With A Girl", "Feel", "When My Baby's Beside Me", "Take Care", "Life Is White", "The Ballad Of El Goodo", "Nightime", "Back Of A Car" and "Thank You Friends". LP, Vinyl record album

A strange bit of soul from the later years of CTI – and one of the few albums we've ever seen from the enigmatic John Blair! Blair is an artist with a bit of a cosmic vibe – kind of a spacey sense of soul that maybe fits his appearance on the cover – and which is couched here in kind of a flanged-out rock style that's a bit different than some of the other CTI sessions of the time! D avid Matthews handled the arrangements – mixing in a bit of his funk with some fuzzier currents – and the great Googie Coppola joins John on vocals on a number of cuts, using a spacey soul style that's mighty nice. Titles include "Feather Lite & Honey Smooth", "I'm A Wizard", "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", "Moonlight Serenade", "We Belong Together", and "Don't Feel That Way No More". CD

Incredible work by Willie Bobo – a slamming record of hard funky instrumentals, one that sounds different than any of his other albums! The record's a killer all the way through – a mixture of Latin and deep 70s funk, one of the few perfect fusions of the styles, held up beautifully all the way through the set. We've always liked Willie a lot, but honestly, we don't know how he managed to make a record this funky – but we're also not arguing, just enjoying the grooves with tremendous delight and surprise. Great all the way through, and includes the break cuts "Do What You Want to Do", "Broasted or Fried", and "Soul Foo Young" – plus a version of "Dindi", which, for some reason, Willie seemed to record every chance he got! Other titles include "Shut Up & Pay Attention", "Come Together", and "Never You Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

Angela Bofill's 3rd album for Arista – a tight set of 80s modern and pop soul tunes, arranged and produced by Narada Michael Walden with some jazzy touches in the right moments! Angie's taking things to a sophisticated soul level with this one – stepping out on a few ballads with a proud and emotive style, but still sounding best on the mellow grooving tunes, which seem to be the best fit for her voice. Titles include "On & On", "Something About You", "Stop Look Listen", "Time To Say Goodbye", "Holdin Out For Love", and "Only Love". CD

A brilliant soul album! That's right, we said SOUL album! Bowie was at the height of his Ziggy Stardust fame when this one was recorded – a drastic left-turn in styles, forged during a point in his American tour when he could take a break, head to Philly, plug in at the Sigma Sound Studios, and come up with some fantastic little soul tunes, thanks to help from Luther Vandross! The album sparkles with the best sound of Luther's early work – and you'll hear more than a bit of Luther's work on his own, and his tunes with Gregg Diamond on the set. Features the sublime tracks "Win", "Fascination", "Right", "Somebody Up There Likes Me", and "Can You Hear Me" – as well as the hits "Young Americans" and "Fame". LP, Vinyl record album

The first solo album from Johnny Bristol – a genius soul talent who did a bunch of great work for Motown as a writer and arranger, breaking out here on his own! Like so many other behind-the-scenes talents from the late 60s, Johnny turned out to be an excellent soul artist in his own right – even though he only got to cut a rare few albums during the 70s – and this debut album already has him emerging straight away as a fully-formed talent! The vibe is a great mix of Detroit and California Motown – arranged by HB Barnum, and produced with a style that's tight, but still open and fluid too. Backings mix soulful strings with sweet harmonies – and lots of the tunes have a great 70s mellow soul groove. Titles include "Woman Woman", "I Got Your Number", "You & I", "It Don't Hurt No More", and the anthemic "Hang On In There Baby". CD

A landmark album that forever changed the face of live recordings – and soul music too! As has been told and retold often, King records not only had the genius idea of bringing recording equipment into the Apollo Theater to catch James in a smoking live setting – the sort of show that really set his fans on fire – but they also went out of their way to record and re-record the audience, creating a wonderful interplay on the record between James and the crowd. The result is the stuff of legend – and the record's filled with loads of nice tracks like "I'll Go Crazy", "Try Me", "I Don't Mind", "Lost Someone", "Think", "Night Train", and the massive medley featuring "Please Please Please/You've Got The Power/I Found Someone/Why Do You Do Me/I Want You So Bad/I Love You Yes I Do/Strange Things Happen". CD features four bonus tracks – the mono single mixes of "Think", "Lost Someone", "I'll Go Crazy", and a shorter version of the medley. CD

A very unusual setting for the legendary Ruth Brown – the singer who first rose to fame singing raw-edged R&B tracks for Atlantic Records in the 50s – but who works here in a much jazzier mode overall! The set features backings from Peter Matz – who often accompanied the classier singers of the time – and Ruth really does a great job of mixing her bold vocals with his jazzy charts – soaring to new heights in a way that swings nicely, and makes for much deeper soul than most of Matz's other projects. Musicians include Hank Jones on piano, Clark Terry on trumpet, Barry Galbraith on guitar, Urbie Green on trombone, and Richard Davis on bass – and there also seem to be some female backup singers in a few spots too. Titles include two from Nellie Lutcher "Hurry On Down" and "He's A Real Gone Guy" and Dick Hyman's "Watch It", "Whispering Grass", "I Know Why", "Here's That Rainy Day", and a very interesting interpretation of "On The Good Ship Lollipop" – which almost makes the whole tune sound like a sad ballad. CD

A very unusual setting for the legendary Ruth Brown – the singer who first rose to fame singing raw-edged R&B tracks for Atlantic Records in the 50s – but who works here in a much jazzier mode overall! The set features backings from Peter Matz – who often accompanied the classier singers of the time – and Ruth really does a great job of mixing her bold vocals with his jazzy charts – soaring to new heights in a way that swings nicely, and makes for much deeper soul than most of Matz's other projects. Musicians include Hank Jones on piano, Clark Terry on trumpet, Barry Galbraith on guitar, Urbie Green on trombone, and Richard Davis on bass – and there also seem to be some female backup singers in a few spots too. Titles include two from Nellie Lutcher "Hurry On Down" and "He's A Real Gone Guy" and Dick Hyman's "Watch It", "Whispering Grass", "I Know Why", "Here's That Rainy Day", and a very interesting interpretation of "On The Good Ship Lollipop" – which almost makes the whole tune sound like a sad ballad. LP, Vinyl record album

A great album of jazzy tracks that features the hard left-hand piano of Ray Bryant over sweet soul arrangements by Richard Evans, in the same style that Cadet used for some of Ramsey Lewis' best work from the time! Ray also arranged a few of the cuts, in a mode that's just like Evans' – and the album features a dozen soul jazz groovers that stand with some of Ray's best work of the time. Titles include "Ode To Billie Joe", "Ramblin", "Natural Woman", "Pata Pata", "Poochie", "Paper Cup", and "Doing My Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set that's extremely well-titled – as BT Express were one of the hottest ensemble funk acts of their time! The groove here is definitely aimed at a more disco-oriented dancefloor than before – but the overall sound is plenty funky enough for our ears – thanks to some amazing horn passages arranged by Carlos Ward, whose own work on sax and flute really add an edgey quality to the set. Ward's horns are really fantastic – cutting and turning with a sharply-honed tone that keeps things fresh throughout – even when the rhythms are hitting more of a mainstream dancefloor sound. Titles include the group's mellow soul version of "Now That We've Found Love", plus "Herbs", "Time Tunnel", "Energy To Burn", "Can't Stop Groovin Now Wanna Do It Some More", and "Make Your Body Move". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most righteous albums of the 21st century so far – and an instant classic we'll be loving for years! Build An Ark are a seriously heavy soul jazz ensemble, with roots and traditions that stretch back to the most righteous days of the 70s underground – the brainchild of producer Carlos Nino and vocalist Dwight Trible – and featuring work by soul jazz stalwarts that include Phil Ranelin, Nate Morgan, Derf Reklaw, Adam Rudolph, and others – all coming together in a fresh, new expression of the righteous ideals that first motivated their original work! Under the guidance of Nino, the group really gels together nicely – working in a loose mode that's a nice change from the tighter cosmic 21st century soul of the European scene – and returning to the organic, almost folksy forms that first emerged on 70s independent labels like Tribe, Strata East, and Nimbus. LA luminary Nate Morgan plays some great Fender Rhodes on many of the album's best tracks – and singer Dwight Trible has a soulful range that's somewhere between the style of Terry Callier and Leon Thomas. The album features a massively beautiful remake of Pharoah Sanders "You've Got To Have Freedom" – one that's very different than the original – plus a host of other great cuts that include Stanley Cowell's "Equipoise", Phil Ranelin's "Vibes From The Tribe", Ronnie Laws' "Always There", and Michael White's "Guidance" – as well as the original tracks "Peace & Love", "Conversations", "Precious Priceless", and "Love Is Our Nationality". CD

One of Jerry Butler's funkiest moments of the 70s – served up in a fantastic soundtrack co-penned and arranged by the great Jerry Peters! Peters is best known for his hip work with a variety of soul acts in the studio, but he really steps out here for the score to Melinda – a lesser-known blacksploitation film from the early 70s, but one that boasts a heck of a great soundtrack! Peters approach here is a bit more baroque than some of his contemporaries – and he uses stepping strings equally alongside funky rhythms – creating a groove that's complicated, yet still plenty darn funky – and a sound that's as soulful on the mellower tunes as it is on the standout uptempo ones. Jerry Butler sings vocals on "Speak Truth To The People", "Tank's Theme", "Love is", and "Melinda Reprise" – but the instrumental tracks are even better, and inlcude the clavinet groover "Part III", the sitar-styled "Melinda Latino", and the cuts "Music For Tank's Boat", "The Blues (Dope Pusher's Theme)", and "I Can't Let You Go". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet electric work from Ron Carter – subtle magic in the best CTI mode! Ron arranged the set himself, but he's working with a core group of CTI players that includes Bob James and Richard Tee on electric piano, Hubert Laws on flute, Ralph MacDonald on percussion, and Billy Cobham on drums – shifting mood, tone, and color with ease as each new track on the album emerges – and uniting the whole proceedings with work on acoustic bass and piccolo bass! Not funky, but very soulful – with a keen sense of space, but never too much so to make things snoozy. Titles include "Blues Farm", "Hymn For Him", "Two Beat Johnson", and "R2, M1". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the darkest tracks we've ever heard from Gene Chandler – or any other singer, for that matter! "Suicide" is an immensely compelling tune that tells the tale of a sad lonely fellow on the way home from work, contemplating suicide by jumping off a building – and thinking about how the tragedy will read the next day in the paper! Gene is heartbreaking, and the complex arrangements take the track to the next level. "This Bitter Earth" is a more familier soul standard, but Gene does it proud – with a sweet sophisticated style that works perfectly. 7-inch, Vinyl record

A classic from Merry Clayton – and a record whose title follows from her big fame of singing on the original version of "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones! The sound here is a lot more soul-based, as you'd guess – arranged beautifully by Gene Page, with a really righteous feel that's perfect for Merry's deeply soulful vocal approach – and produced to perfection by Lou Adler, with some surprising help from Curtis Amy – one of our favorite saxophonists ever. Music is by a hip cast of top-shelf talents from the coast – including Billy Preston on organ, Joe Sample on piano, David T Walker on guitar, and Paul Humphrey on drums – all nice and tight, but totally right in the pocket with their grooves. Titles include Merry's classic version of "Gimme Shelter", plus "Tell All The People", "I've Got Life", "Here Come Those Heartaches Again", and "Good Girls". LP, Vinyl record album

A great set of 60s British folk vocals and guitar from Shirley Collins & Davy Graham from 1964 – a mix of folk revival styled traditionals rearranged as well as some sharp originals! Collins voice is sweat, searching and soulful as ever hre, and Graham's guitars are wonderful – a clear precursor British folk and rock guitarists to come. Includes "Nottamun Town", "Proud Maisrie", "The Cherry Tree Carol", "Pretty Saro:, "Rif Mountain", "Jane, Jane", "Bad Girl", "Dearest Dear", "Blue Monk", "Grooveyard", "Love Is Pleasin'" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

It's past the disco years, and Crown Heights Affair have emerged nicely – with a sweet modern soul style that's got a bit of 80s groove, and which shows a lot more soul than some of their earlier work! The band's singing in a sweet harmony style that works very well with the music – and we might be tempted to compare this one to some of the great early 80s Philly International work by The Stylistics and The Futures! Titles include "Heart Upside Down", "Somebody Tell Me What To Do", "Let Me Ride On The Wave Of Your Love", and "I Got Somethin For Ya". CD features three bonus tracks – "Let Me Ride On The Waves Of Your Love (orig 12" version)", "Somebody Tell Me What To Do (single version)", and "Wine & Dine You (single version)". CD

Instantly timeless work from Martinho Da Vila – a set that's every bit as powerful as his classic albums from the 70s – and done with an even more personal sound! Martinho first rose to fame at a time when there was a big wave of new samba recordings in Brazil – a mode that still held onto the roots, but also pushed the music with a fullness in terms of production – never too commercial, yet still quite different than the approach used here – which is very intimate, and maybe makes the album one of the singer's most impressive ever! The passage of years has only made Martinho's vocals better, and amidst the spare percussion and stringed instrumentation, he really carries the sound of the record beautifully – making us feel as if we've stumbled upon to his genius all over again, but at an even more powerful level. Titles include "Samba Sem Letra", "Amanha E Sabado", "Danadinho Danado", "Choro Chorao", "Soul Brasileiro", "Muita Luz", "Sarava Sarava", and "Daqui De La E De Acola". CD

A lost album from 70s funk diva Betty Davis – and one that's every bit as essential as her music released back in the day! The set was recorded hot on the heels of Betty's classic Nasty Gal album – but it's got a groove that's almost more in the territory of her first two records on the Just Sunshine label – very hard, heavy, freaky, and fuzzy – with lots of sharp-edged guitar licks wrapped up around Davis' badass vocals – which have just as much attitude as ever! It's not clear why the album never saw the light of day back in the 70s, but it's an essential follow-up to Davis key classics – undeniably funky music by one of the most unique figures ever in soul – the kind of set that would have been a bomb, had it dropped in the 70s – and which will have an even greater impact when let loose in the 21st Century. Titles include "Stars Serve You Know", "Bottom Of The Barrel", "Crashin From Passion", "Whorey Angel", "It's So Good", "Is It Love Or Desire", "Bar Hoppin", and "Let's Get Personal". LP, Vinyl record album

The biggest-label release ever cut by 70s funk legend Betty Davis – but a set that's every bit as hard and heavy as the indie dates that preceded it! Davis is at the top of her form here – bad-stepping amidst the heavy drums and freaked-out guitars that easily made her one of the funkiest folks working in the 70s – an artist who was definitely very much into her own bag, and who's only finally getting her due all these many years later! In a way, the groove is even leaner than before – especially the drums, which are turbocharged with energy, and set a badass vibe for the record throughout – mixing up equal parts of rock, funk, and soul – almost with the genre-busting modes that wouldn't really show up on the New York scene until a number of years later. The whole thing kicks ass – and titles include "Nasty Gal", "Talkin' Trash", "Dedicated To The Press", "FUNK", "Getting Kicked Off Havin Fun", "Shut Off The Light", "This Is It", "The Lone Ranger", and "Feelins". Great new pressing of the classic – with a 32 page booklet that includes liner notes, lyrics, and lots of cool photos! CD

Great work from Tyrone Davis' under-recognized years at Columbia Records – a wonderful set of mature modern soul numbers that really let the singer find a whole new groove! The whole thing's nicely free of any sort of commercial overtones – and instead, the album has Davis really spinning out this rich, warm groove – arranged throughout by James Mack, who brings in a perfect Chicago balance of soul and sophistication – elements that many of Tyrone's contemporaries cooked up in the past, but hardly did this well at the time! And Davis' vocals somehow seem better than ever – more expressive in more ways, but never overtone – really illustrating that path that deep soul took to the Windy City, while changing up its sound in the process. Titles include a remake of "Turn Back The Hands Of Time", plus "Just My Luck", "I Won't Let Go", "You're Heaven Sent", "You Made Me Beautiful", and "Let's Be Closer Together". CD

An early album from drummer Jack DeJohnette – and one of the first records to really show the full range of his talents! The players on the record are all a wonderful batch of well-matched up-and-comers from the soul jazz scene of the time – and include Stanley Cowell on piano and electric piano, Miroslav Vitous on bass, Bennie Maupin on tenor and flute, and Eddie Gomez on bass. DeJohnette's on drums, as you'd guess - but also plays melodica on a few tracks on the album, giving it a weird, eerie quality that really stands out. One of the best of these moments is the album's version of Cowell's "Equipoise" – done fantastically as a jagged little mellow groover, and worth the price of the record alone! Other tracks verge between more out jamming, introspective soul jazz, and Miles-style flowing electric work – and titles include "Brown Warm & Wintry", "Requiem No 1", "Miles' Mode", and "Papa Daddy & Me". LP, Vinyl record album

2 mid 70s albums by Lou – recorded for the Cotillion label – and in a sweet mellow style that's a whole different sound than his Blue Note work! Lou's playing over some larger electric backings, mostly arranged by Mike Goldberg, with some nice electric piano touches that float underneath Lou's soulful alto solos on the tracks. The overall groove is more in an instrumental soul mode – and the CD includes a nice cover of Minnie Riperton's "Lovin' You", and the Isley's "For The Love Of You" – plus the cuts "Keep Your Woman", "Walkin Sally", "Maker's Dream", "Too Much To Explain", "Passion Fruit", "Comin Thru The Backdoor", and "Here's Lovin At You". CD

A really unique album for Lou Donaldson – especially for his early 70s run on Blue Note! The session lives up to its title by offering up a batch of soulful ballads from Lou – tunes that really focus on his sweet lines on alto, yet set amidst some larger backing arranged by Wade Marcus – which also feature some wonderful Fender Rhodes from Derek Smith in the mix! The groove is relatively gentle, and has a nicely laidback sort of feel – the kind of lush yet soulful sounds that Marcus could do so well almost a CTI/Kudu vibe, but a bit more easygoing overall. Titles include a version of Lou's "Blues Walk", plus "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life", "The Long Goodbye", "Stella By Starlight", "You've Changed", and "Autumn In New York". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the greatest female soul from the southern scene at the start of the 70s – two monumental albums from singer Doris Duke, both produced by Swamp Dogg and packaged here with some rare bonus cuts too! Doris' work has always been some of our favorite from the deep soul scene – honest, personal, and earthy – with a quality that goes way beyond the cliches of other female soul singers from the south – an aspect that's even more surprising, given that Swamp Dogg was in on the mix! Doris has a way of putting over a tune that's really incredible – that kind of intimate, one-on-one mode that brings to mind the kind of chills we first felt when hearing Otis Redding on Stax – and which somehow manages to hold on strong over all the tracks on the set. At 26 numbers in all, the package is a tremendous rare soul treasure – and features the full tracks from the album I'm A Loser and A Legend In Her Own Time – plus some rare singles cut by Doris under the name Doris Willingham. Titles include "He's Gone", "Feet Start Walking", "Ghost Of Myself", "I Wish I Could Sleep", "It Sure Was Fun", "I'd Do It All Over You", "If She's Your Wife", "Bad Water", "To The Other Woman (I'm The Other Woman)", "Too Much To Bear", "Your Best Friend", and "Divorce Decree". CD

A beautifully baroque batch of tracks, written and arranged for the Electric Prunes by the great David Axelrod – a really groundbreaking mix of modes that had quite an impact back in the late 60s! The record shows Axelrod's perpetual fascination with the spiritual – mixed with that great modern style of funk that he was forging at Capitol during the late 60s. The record's not really preachy, nor is it proggy. It's more of a complex blueprint of rock, jazz, funk, and touches of soul – all hung together on the same sort of "mass" structure that Axelrod would later use with Cannonball and on his own. Titles include "Kyrie Eleison", "Gloria", "Benedictus", and "Sanctus". LP, Vinyl record album

A masterpiece through and through from arranger Gil Evans – a record of swinging modern backdrops, used to showcase both the solo talents of a young Cannonball Adderley, and the dynamic energy of Evans himself! Cannon's sharp-edged early tone is a really great sound for the record – far more modern than you might expect from later funk and soul sides of the 60s – and perfectly poised next to Gil's larger back drops to reignite a host of older tunes with new energy! And while the titles are familiar, the readings certainly are not – as the Evans pen has really changed things up beautifully – as you'll hear on numbers that include "St Louis Blues", "King Porter Stomp", "Willow Tree", "Struttin' With Some Barbeque", "Lester Leaps In", "Round About Midnight", "Manteca", and "Bird Feathers". LP, Vinyl record album

Four incredible albums from the young Georgie Fame – plus a bonus CD of rare material, bonus tracks on all CDs, and 18 previously unreleased tracks – all in a box set with a 48 page book, 5 postcards, and a poster too! First up is Rhythm & Blues At The Flamingo – blistering early work from a young Georgie Fame – a set that definitely lives up to the Rhythm & Blues in the title! The set was recorded live at London's hip Flamingo club – and Georgie and The Blue Flames are very much in command of the crowd – burning with the intensity of a American small organ combo, especially the early 60s variety that often played equal parts soul jazz and R&B! Georgie's on the Hammond, and also sings with a rough-edged style that's plenty soulful, and incredibly appealing – a mode that oozes charisma, but never sounds fake or forced. Titles include "Do The Dog", "Eso Beso", "Work Song", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Shop Around", "Humpty Dumpty", and "You Can't Sit Down". Fame At Last is a brilliant mix of jazz, soul, and R&B – all filtered through a mod sort of London freshness, as early proof that the city could always take some great things from our own musical roots, and feed it back to us with a whole new flavor! Georgie's no copycat here, though – and the sound is instantly Fame-like – a style that's really not the sort that any Americans were doing at the time, and certainly never this well. Hard-burning Hammond colors most of the tunes here – played with a tightly vamping quality – but it's Georgie's charmingly crackling vocals that really win us over! Titles include "Gimme That Wine", "Pink Champagne", "Monkeying Around", "Green Onions", "Let The Sunshine In", "Get On The Right Track Baby", "I'm In The Mood For Love", and "I Love The Life I Live". Sweet Things is a definite sweet thing from Georgie Fame – a record that has him filling in his sound even more than before, with tremendously soulful results! The backings here are bigger than before – a bit tooled in an American soul mode, but still with that beautifully raspy Georgie Fame touch – lots of jazzy inflections on the vocals, and a way of handling a tune, even a familiar one, and really working it on his own level. Hammond still fills in most of the tunes, but other instrumentation includes some nice African percussion from Speedy Acquaye, saxes from Pete Coe, and some nice bold drums from John Mitchell. These come out to the forefront on the classic funky tune "Music Talk" – and still sound great on other numbers that include "The World Is Round", "Last Night", "Dr Kitch", "My Girl", "Ride Your Pony", and "Sweet Thing". Sound Venture is one of the jazziest early albums from Georgie Fame – a set that has him singing with the big band of Harry South, at a level that's a lot more complicated than some of his other work with The Blue Flames! The style here still has that mod 60s London feel, but it also has some deeper inflections as well – modes borrowed a bit from Jon Hendricks or Mose Allison, yet served up with even greater complexity – at a level that really points towards the tremendous growth Fame would unleash over the next few years. Members of the group include Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, Tony Coe, Dick Morrisey, Kenny Wheeler, and many other key Brit jazz figures of the time – and titles include "Three Blind Mice", "Dawn Yawn", "Feed Me", "Lovey Dovey", "Lil Darlin", "Lil Pony", "I Am Missing You", and "Many Happy Returns". CD5 is Bend A Little – a package with 20 unusual titles – demos, rare tracks, and outtakes – including unreleased tracks, IBC recordings, and even two German tracks too! Plus, each individual CD comes with bonus tracks – 40 bonus tracks, in addition to the 20 more titles on the Bend A Little set – a huge amount of material! CD

Blistering early work from a young Georgie Fame – a set that definitely lives up to the Rhythm & Blues in the title! The set was recorded live at London's hip Flamingo club – and Georgie and The Blue Flames are very much in command of the crowd – burning with the intensity of a American small organ combo, especially the early 60s variety that often played equal parts soul jazz and R&B! Georgie's on the Hammond, and also sings with a rough-edged style that's plenty soulful, and incredibly appealing – a mode that oozes charisma, but never sounds fake or forced. Other instrumentation includes tenor, baritone sax, bass, drums, and conga – plus some great guitar from Big Jim Sullivan – and titles include "Do The Dog", "Eso Beso", "Work Song", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Shop Around", "Humpty Dumpty", and "You Can't Sit Down". This 2016 edition comes loaded with a huge number of bonus tracks, too – with 1964 BBC Session recordings of "Night Train", "Walking The Dog", "Do-Re-Mi", "You're Breaking My Heart" wtih Long John Baldry and more, plus "Parker's Mood", "Molasses", "Funky Mama (Blue Moon Bootleg Version)", "Money (That's What I Want)" and lots more. 10 tracks on the original album – plus 13 bonus tracks! CD

Blistering early work from a young Georgie Fame – a set that definitely lives up to the Rhythm & Blues in the title! The set was recorded live at London's hip Flamingo club – and Georgie and The Blue Flames are very much in command of the crowd – burning with the intensity of a American small organ combo, especially the early 60s variety that often played equal parts soul jazz and R&B! Georgie's on the Hammond, and also sings with a rough-edged style that's plenty soulful, and incredibly appealing – a mode that oozes charisma, but never sounds fake or forced. Other instrumentation includes tenor, baritone sax, bass, drums, and conga – plus some great guitar from Big Jim Sullivan – and titles include "Do The Dog", "Eso Beso", "Work Song", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Shop Around", "Humpty Dumpty", and "You Can't Sit Down". This 2016 edition comes loaded with a huge number of bonus tracks, too – with 1964 BBC Session recordings of "Night Train", "Walking The Dog", "Do-Re-Mi", "You're Breaking My Heart" wtih Long John Baldry and more, plus "Parker's Mood", "Molasses", "Funky Mama (Blue Moon Bootleg Version)", "Money (That's What I Want)" and lots more. 10 tracks on the original album – plus 13 bonus tracks! CD

A beautiful album of understated brilliance – one of Art Farmer's early shifts into the sublime, and an easily-blown batch of trumpet tracks that always takes our breath away! There's a sense of relaxed freedom here that's really tremendous – a difference from some of Farmer's more arranged, or more hard-blown moments of the 50s – and a real move into notes that are airier and more open – almost effortless at times, and played like nobody else! The group's a quartet – with Tommy Flanagan on piano, Tommy Williams on bass, and Albert Heath on drums – and the tracks are all in the four to five minute range, with Art crafting lyrically soulful lines over the top. Titles include "Who Cares", "Out Of The Past", "Younger Than Springtime", "That Ole Devil Called Love", and "Goodbye Old Girl". CD

A great little album by this wonderful trumpeter – and one that we passed up for years because we were afraid of the words "brass" and "shout" in the title! If you're a Farmer fan, though, don't worry about this being some sort of snoozy "bold n brassy" session – because it's a much more subtle record, and features some excellent lead solos by Farmer, set amidst a larger group arranged wonderfully by Benny Golson! Golson brings a great sense of balance to the album – mixing some larger horn passages with soulfully snapping rhythms, all at a level that still allows plenty of space for Farmer to solo sweetly on trumpet. Other players on the record include Lee Morgan on trumpet and Curtis Fuller on trombone, Percy Heath on bass, and either Philly Joe Jones or Elvin Jones on drums – and titles include "Minor Vamp", "Nica's Dream", "Stella By Starlight", "Moanin", "April In Paris", and "Five Spot After Dark". LP, Vinyl record album

A great later album by Art Farmer – done with a driving Latin-tinged feel and a mellifluous groove that really shows the best side of Art's playing! The set was recorded while Art was living in Vienna, and the group features Jimmy Heath on soulful tenor, soprano sax, and flute, plus some great piano work by Fritz Pauer. Jimmy Woode's in the rhythm section, giving the set the light dancing feel he brought to his best work for MPS – and the album's got a lot of drive, especially on cuts like Heath's "The Gap Sealer" or "Cascavelo", another great original from the session. Other tracks include "The Day After", "Con Fab", and "Cocodrilo". This is another in the excellent crop of new MPS remastered editions – with the crispest sound quality possible on CD! CD

A trio of wonderful albums from Jose Feliciano – all brought together here in a single set! First up is That The Spirit Needs – a sublime one from Jose! The record pushes past the easy Latin pop style of the late 60s, and features Jose working through hip rock tunes – both of his own creation, and by writers like Elton John and Cat Stevens. The real highlight of the album is an incredible reading of "Wild World" – done with a mix of fast guitar, strings, and even a bit of Brazilian-tinged scatting that breaks down in the middle and always makes us stop cold! The rest of the record's almost as good, and titles include "Daytime Dreams", "Mellow Feeling", "Come Down Jesus", "Pay Day", and "Only Once". Memphis Menue is an excellent album from Jose Feliciano – recorded with a lot of Memphis soul influences, as the title indicates, but still with that beautifullly jazzy style that he was using in his earlier LA recordings. Steve Cropper helped produced and arrange with Jose, and the Memphis Horns back up the group on a number of tracks. The real charm, though, is Jose – whose breezy vocals and sweet guitar work is right up there with his best work of the time, a sublime mix of soul, strings, jazz, and Chicano grooves. Titles include "River Song", "Magnolia", "One More Mile", "Never Leave You", "It Doesn't Matter", "Where Is My Woman", and "Movin". Compartments is sparklingly soulful work from Jose Feliciano – a key early 70s effort, and one that shows the growing sensitivity in his music – the move way past simple covers of other people's songs, even though those were pretty great too! Jose's voice has gotten even more compelling in the process, and he's also developing a bit as a songwriter too – most notably on the album's title track, which was co-written with Bill Withers. Steve Cropper helped produce, but the album's way more in Jose's bag than Cropper's – and titles include a great version of "Yes We Can Can", plus "Simple Song", "Compartments", "Sea Cruise", "I'm Leavin", "Things Are Changin", "Peace Of Mind", "Hey Look At The Sun", and "Don't Fail". CD

A really fantastic album from the legendary Lee Fields – a set that blows us away every bit as much as his stellar My World album! Like that set, this one's got kind of a moody early 70s vibe – almost a New Jersey soul approach at times, but tinged with more southern modes – mixed with bits of Lee's more familiar funk at others – but often with this moody, almost mellow vibe that's such a fresh take on the territory that Fields has been exploring for years! Lee's lost none of the deep soul elements in his vocals, but there's a shift in arranging styles that's really great – and superbly delivered by the Expressions – a subtle darkness that shows why Fields is really one of the true greats out there in the contemporary funk underground – a true soul singer who's never content to just rest on the laurels of previous success. Titles include "Let Him In", "Lover Man", "Make This World", "How I Like It", "Special Night", "I'm Coming Home", and "Where Is The Love". CD

A really fantastic album from the legendary Lee Fields – a set that blows us away every bit as much as his stellar My World album! Like that set, this one's got kind of a moody early 70s vibe – almost a New Jersey soul approach at times, but tinged with more southern modes – mixed with bits of Lee's more familiar funk at others – but often with this moody, almost mellow vibe that's such a fresh take on the territory that Fields has been exploring for years! Lee's lost none of the deep soul elements in his vocals, but there's a shift in arranging styles that's really great – and superbly delivered by the Expressions – a subtle darkness that shows why Fields is really one of the true greats out there in the contemporary funk underground – a true soul singer who's never content to just rest on the laurels of previous success. Titles include "Let Him In", "Lover Man", "Make This World", "How I Like It", "Special Night", "I'm Coming Home", and "Where Is The Love". LP, Vinyl record album

The Frightnrs have plenty more to say here – and they say it in a really sharp-edged approximation of older rocksteady modes! The group are contemporary, but like the best acts on Daptone, they've got an instantly classic feel – thanks to instrumentation and production that take us right back to late 60s Kingston, but with some of the sharper funky currents we've come to expect from the label! And while The Frightnrs may pitch themselves as an old school reggae act, they're also one that have a heavy dose of soul – almost a late night New Jersey current to their music at times – as if the All Platinum/Stang label put out their own version of Jamaican soul. The approach is great, and very unique – and titles include "Hey Brother", "Gotta Find A Way", "What Have I Done", "Nothing More To Say", "All My Tears", "Purple", "Dispute", and "Till Then". CD

A near-lost album of 80s soul from Rosie Gaines – produced, arranged, and mostly written by Rosie with help from a few key associates – and done in a nicely mellow style that has a deeper feel than most other work from her contemporaries! Instrumentation is definitely in the 80s mode – with a fair bit of electric percussion and keyboards – but Rosie's vocals aren't content with just sliding along with the rhythms, and have a deeply soulful range that we really like a lot, and which totally makes the record great. We've always been surprised that this set didn't push her onto bigger fame – but over and above that mystery, the record's a great one that holds together beautifully over the years. Titles include "I've Gone Too Far", "Skool-ology", "Caring", "Frustration", "Wake Up", "Good Times", and "What Are We Coming To". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few cases in the history of pop music where the record is worth all the hype! Marvin blew everyone's mind when he unleashed this amazing suite of political soul tunes – not only just because he'd moved past the simple love songs of earlier years, but also because he was working with an amazingly complicated approach to soul music, one that would touch the work of others for years to come. David Van DePitte arranged and conducted the whole album – with soaring orchestrations mixed with smooth modern soul, in a style that reminds us a lot of the work of Charles Stepney at Cadet, who'd been doing this sort of thing for years but with less success. In the hands of Marvin Gaye, though, the material has an amazing quality – and all the disparate elements of the album are fused together in one powerful message by Marvin's incredible voice. One that we never tire of, and a record to be listened to all the way through every time. Titles include "What's Goin On", "Save The Children", "Flyin High (In The Friendly Sky)", "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)", and "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)". CD

The title of the record may sound a bit scientific, but the music within has a very human appeal – sweet funky rhythms forged by the team of DJ Rocca and Stefano Ghittoni – the latter of whom you might know from previous productions with The Dining Rooms! The sound here is maybe an even more stripped-down take on that group's approach – very classic in the core elements used, but very contemporary in presentation overall – almost with a lean, very rhythmic approach that takes us back to the earliest years of Italo House – especially in the warmth of the tunes – but with a vibe that's also much more 21st Century overall! Titles include "Jupiter", "Cosmic Double Bass", "Past Present & Future", "Soul Place", "Memories", and "Carrie System". CD

Outstanding Dizzy Gillespie material – from one of his most overlooked periods! The time is the mid 60s, and after a few years of working with Lalo Schifrin in his group, Dizzy's changed his Latin bag from hard-edged Cubop to mellower more complicated Bossa and modal jazz. The result is some of the most sophisticated playing in Dizzy's career – hitched to a groove that's still filled with soul and fire, and which rolls on in a compelling way that always hooks us hard! The group features Kenny Barron on piano, and reed work by James Moody, one of the other great secrets of the mid 60s! Tracks are all long – and titles include "One Note Samba", "Con Alma", "Umh, Umh", and "Chega De Saudade". CD

Excellent funk from Dizzy Gillespie – featuring all 3 of his albums for the legendary Perception label! The Real Thing is an amazing mix of funky jazz, cool rhythms, and some nice Latin-tinged grooves – and it's a stunning representation of the way that Dizzy kept on growing as a musician, long after his bebop years were over. James Moody sits in with some very funky tenor, and Mike Longo is on piano. Tracks include "N'Bani", "Matrix", "Soul Kiss", "Ding A Ling", and "Alligator" – all short, hard, and funky! Next up is Portrait Of Jenny, which has a cool electric feel that you don't really associate with Diz. The whole album has a sly sweet funky sound that's part CTI/part Latin-tinged Dizzy – and the real strength is the great Mike Longo, who plays some amazing stretched out piano lines, which work perfectly with the basslines on the record as a foil for Dizzy's sparkling trumpet solos. The album's got 4 long cuts – including the excellent "Me N Them", plus "Olinga" and "Diddy Wa Diddy". The last set is Giants – a live recording that features Dizzy with Mary Lou Williams and Bobby Hackett, in a pretty mellow, pretty straight setting that shows that Diz could still play straight jazz when he wanted to. Titles include "Love For Sale", "Caravan", "My Man", and "Birks Works". 2 CDs, with 21 tracks in all! CD

An excellent soundtrack to this early 70s thriller that starred George C Scott! Jerry Goldsmith with some strong action themes that are very much in a Lalo Schifrin mode – mixing guitar, electric harpsichord, and strings with a harder-edged groove so that there's a lot of space in the overall blend of elements – allowing each one to step out nicely, identified on its own! Even the mellower tracks are great – with an airy feel that recalls some of Michel Legrand's best action scores at the end of the 60s – with colors that flow out and really give the record a sense of soul! Steve Lawrence sings "The Last Run" in a mode that recalls Matt Munro's performances on other thriller soundtracks – and other titles include "Claudie's Stockings", "The Trap", "Border Crossing", "Rickard Escapes", and "Double Cross". This CD also includes the music from Wild Rovers. CD

Five classic Blue Note albums from tenor giant Dexter Gordon – all packaged together in a single set, with very cool LP-styled sleeves! Doin Allright has Dexter Gordon working with that fully mature Blue Note sound of his – a rich approach to soloing that keeps the tracks cooking with excitement! The group on the set's an all-star lineup that includes Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Horace Parlan on piano, George Tucker on bass, and Al Harewood on drums – and the tunes are a great blend of soulful rhythms and bop improvisation – heard especially well on the album's landmark tune "Society Red"! All tracks are great, though – and other titles include "You've Changed", "For Regulars Only", and "I Was Doing All Right". Dexter Calling is a real classic from Dexter's first big "comeback" period – and represents the strength of his Blue Note years at their best! Gordon's rich, full tone isn't diminished a bit here – and his inventive blowing is given free reign on a set of quartet numbers recorded with Kenny Drew, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones. The album's got a few strong originals from Gordon – "Soul Sister", "Ernie's Tune", and "I Want More – plus the very sweet Kenny Drew tracks "Modal Mood" and "Clear The Dex"! Swingin Affair is an amazingly simple – but amazingly satisfying session from Dexter Gordon! The group's a totally solid quartet with Sonny Clark on piano, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and the groove is right in the pocket with a solid solid soulful feel that you don't always get on Gordon's other Blue Note albums! There's a simple elegance here that's really beautiful – Gordon at his post-bop best, but without any of the over-extended modes of his too-long solo years – a mix that's really rare, and carried off impeccably for this set. The record starts with the amazing "Soy Califa", a nice hardbop number with a good Latiny feel, then slides into lots of other nice ones like "McSplivens", "The Backbone", and "Don't Explain". One Flight Up is an unusual set for both Dexter and Blue Note – first, because the set was recorded in Europe (not at Rudy Van Gelder's), and second because the tracks are all quite long! The album was recorded in Paris – and is cut in an open-ended format that's very much in the mode that Gordon would later use on late 60s and early 70s sessions for European labels. The group features (then) local contemporaries Kenny Drew on piano, and Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass – and is rounded out by Donald Byrd on trumpet and Art Taylor on drums. Tracks are long, but not meanderingly so – and feature a great mix of Blue Note hardbop, with some of the "roomier" recordings that were given to American players in Europe. Side one features an extended reading of Donald Byrd's "Tanya", and other tracks include Kenny Drew's "Coppin' The Haven", and a version of "Darn That Dream". Gettin Around is a really unusual album for Dexter Gordon – one that has him working in a quintet with vibes by Bobby Hutcherson! Hutcherson's sound really transforms the session, giving it a shimmering middleground that disperses the dominance that Gordon's tenor usually has – and creating a warm, fluid feel that's really great. Barry Harris is in the group on piano – providing some wonderful accompaniment that's a great fit for Hutcherson's vibes – and the rest of the group is completed by the excellent rhythm section of Bob Cranshaw on bass and Billy Higgins on drums! The album includes a great version of "Manha de Carnaval", plus a Dex original, "Le Coiffeur" – and the tracks "Heartaches", "Who Can I Turn To", and "Everybody's Somebody's Fool". CD

Five classic Blue Note albums from tenor giant Dexter Gordon – all packaged together in a single set, with very cool LP-styled sleeves! Doin Allright has Dexter Gordon working with that fully mature Blue Note sound of his – a rich approach to soloing that keeps the tracks cooking with excitement! The group on the set's an all-star lineup that includes Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Horace Parlan on piano, George Tucker on bass, and Al Harewood on drums – and the tunes are a great blend of soulful rhythms and bop improvisation – heard especially well on the album's landmark tune "Society Red"! All tracks are great, though – and other titles include "You've Changed", "For Regulars Only", and "I Was Doing All Right". Dexter Calling is a real classic from Dexter's first big "comeback" period – and represents the strength of his Blue Note years at their best! Gordon's rich, full tone isn't diminished a bit here – and his inventive blowing is given free reign on a set of quartet numbers recorded with Kenny Drew, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones. The album's got a few strong originals from Gordon – "Soul Sister", "Ernie's Tune", and "I Want More – plus the very sweet Kenny Drew tracks "Modal Mood" and "Clear The Dex"! Swingin Affair is an amazingly simple – but amazingly satisfying session from Dexter Gordon! The group's a totally solid quartet with Sonny Clark on piano, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and the groove is right in the pocket with a solid solid soulful feel that you don't always get on Gordon's other Blue Note albums! There's a simple elegance here that's really beautiful – Gordon at his post-bop best, but without any of the over-extended modes of his too-long solo years – a mix that's really rare, and carried off impeccably for this set. The record starts with the amazing "Soy Califa", a nice hardbop number with a good Latiny feel, then slides into lots of other nice ones like "McSplivens", "The Backbone", and "Don't Explain". One Flight Up is an unusual set for both Dexter and Blue Note – first, because the set was recorded in Europe (not at Rudy Van Gelder's), and second because the tracks are all quite long! The album was recorded in Paris – and is cut in an open-ended format that's very much in the mode that Gordon would later use on late 60s and early 70s sessions for European labels. The group features (then) local contemporaries Kenny Drew on piano, and Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass – and is rounded out by Donald Byrd on trumpet and Art Taylor on drums. Tracks are long, but not meanderingly so – and feature a great mix of Blue Note hardbop, with some of the "roomier" recordings that were given to American players in Europe. Side one features an extended reading of Donald Byrd's "Tanya", and other tracks include Kenny Drew's "Coppin' The Haven", and a version of "Darn That Dream". Gettin Around is a really unusual album for Dexter Gordon – one that has him working in a quintet with vibes by Bobby Hutcherson! Hutcherson's sound really transforms the session, giving it a shimmering middleground that disperses the dominance that Gordon's tenor usually has – and creating a warm, fluid feel that's really great. Barry Harris is in the group on piano – providing some wonderful accompaniment that's a great fit for Hutcherson's vibes – and the rest of the group is completed by the excellent rhythm section of Bob Cranshaw on bass and Billy Higgins on drums! The album includes a great version of "Manha de Carnaval", plus a Dex original, "Le Coiffeur" – and the tracks "Heartaches", "Who Can I Turn To", and "Everybody's Somebody's Fool". CD

Smooth and silky jazz funk from trombonist Urbie Green – a record that's much more in a mainstream R&B fusion mode than his earlier work – yet also arranged by David Matthews in a soulful style that still keeps things pretty real on the best cuts! The group's a good one for the mellow groove of the material – and includes Mike Mainieri on keyboards, Eric Gale on guitar, Jeremy Steig on flute, and Toots Thielemans laying down a bit of harmonica – all kicking back in classic 70s CTI styles. Titles include the nice modal groover "Mertensia", plus "Manteca", "Foxglove Suite", "Another Star", and "Goodbye". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Johnny Griffin's hard blowing LPs as a leader for Jazzland – recorded with a crack lineup that includes Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Julian Priester on trombone, Wynton Kelly on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Albert Heath on drums! This is the kind of work that the term "hard bop" was coined for – sharp-edged jazz at its best – informed strongly by earlier bop and modern modes, but also played with a deeper dose of soul overall. The six players come together perfectly throughout – working with a tightness that matches most Blue Note work of the time – and titles are a great set of tracks that includes 3 by Chicago pianist Norman Simmons, and 1 by the great Babs Gonzales. Tunes include "Olive Refractions", "The Message", "Lonely One", "Playmates", and "63rd Street Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few 70s albums from the wonderful Major Harris as a solo act – and a lesser-known set that's a great follow up to the Major's previous records for Atlantic! The vibe here is a bit less Philly, but still in that mellow grooving style that works so well for Harris' vocals – a mature modern soul mode, with some excellent production from Jerry Ragovoy, who co-arranged the set with David Matthews. A few of the numbers go for a clubby feel, the best tracks are the mellower ones – which have Harris hitting those mature and personal notes that always made him one of the best romantic male soul singers of his time. Titles include "Lucky Day", "Night Moods", "How Do You Take Your Love", "Pretty Red Lips", "You're So Good You're Bad", "Your Sweet Song", and "This Is Forever". LP, Vinyl record album

Far and above the best album by sweet soul vocalist Major Harris! Harris had knocked around for years in vocal groups during the 60s, and had even sung for a bit with The Delfonics in the early 70s – but this album is his crowning achievement, a landmark of sweet Philly soul with some wonderful ballad work that he'd never be able to match again! Bobby Eli wrote, produced, and arranged most of the material – and although he had a bit of help from Norman Harris and Ron Kersey on some of the record, the core of the album is that perfect ballad style that Eli could do when he wasn't working on groovers. The centerpiece of the album is the stellar "Love Won't Let Me Wait" – a killer quiet storm soul number – and the record also features a great remake of "Sideshow", which Eli also cut with Blue Magic. Other tracks include "Loving You Is Mellow", "After Loving You", and "Each Morning I Wake Up". 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

Not actually the first album by Donna Hightower – given that she cut some great blues-tinged material for Capitol Records in the 50s – but a set that really captures the singer in that strong run she had on the European scene of the 70s – the material appears to have been recorded in Spain – when she was opening up into a range of sophisticted soul styles! There's a number of original tracks on the set, and titles include "If You Hold My Hand", "I Hve Nothing To Do Until Tomorrow", "The World Today Is A Mess", "Dreams Like Mine", "I Made My Bed", "Fly Me To The Moon", and "Say Merry Christmas For Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those great sessions that was originally issued on the Warwick label during the early 60s, and repackaged with less notes during the early 70s. As with most of the Warwick jazz sessions, this one's excellent – and features a mixture of hardbop and soul jazz modernism that's totally in the pocket all the way through. Hubbard's at his hardest, and Lateef cranes nicely through the mix as a more straight-ahead soloist. Titles include "Chantized", "Flutie", "Do I Love You", and "The Court". LP, Vinyl record album

Very different work than usual for superdrummer Paul Humphrey – a warm, acoustic set of soul jazz – with a very different approach than his 70s albums! Humphrey's really stepping out here as a strong straight jazz leader – working with a group that includes west coast hornmen Buster Cooper, Oscar Brashear, and Herman Riley – arranged by the pianist in the group, Llew Mathews. The tunes are nearly all originals – done with a post-Horace Silver style that mixes the soulful and the introspective, and which slides into lots of warm tones and colors, all while still keeping its groove. Titles include "My Mind Is Free", "Thiago", "Snap", "Roundabout", and "Return To The Nightsong". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of incredible records from Bobby Hutcherson – two on CD for the first time ever! Highway One is a wicked post-Blue Note session from Bobby Hutcherson – one that's put together in a different way than his previous work, but still completely sublime throughout! The feel is almost to Hutcherson's earlier work what Woody Shaw's Columbia recordings were to his – tighter, with sharper production – yet still wonderfully soulful and with a strong sense of spirit. Key soloists include Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and Hubert Laws on flute – and the record also features George Cables on acoustic and electric piano, Cedar Walton on acoustic piano, and Eddie Marshall on drums. Includes the lovely "Sweet Rita Suite", plus "Circle", "Secrets Of Love", and "Bouquet". Conception is a really beautiful album from Bobby Hutcherson – late in his 70s career, but handled with the soulful depth of his brilliant early 70s work on Blue Note! The group's got George Cables on piano and Eddie Marshall on drums, plus a bit of extra percussion work by Bill Summers – and they're augmented by some larger arrangements on a number of tracks, but in a way that never gets in the way of the core souful playing on the record. Cedar Walton put the whole thing together with a masterful talent – both leading, arranging, and producing – and Bobby's never sounded better carving out his message on vibes. Titles include "Remember To Smile", "No Siree Bob", "Dreamin", "Dark Side Light Side", and "Quiet Fire". Un Poco Loco is a surprisingly great album by Bobby Hutcherson – and like his other albums for Columbia, a record that manages to be smooth, yet still has an edge! The format's bigger and more ambitious than previous years, but it's also an extension of the modal soulful style he forged with Harold Land – a really stretched out approach to the vibes that differs nicely from his 60s work, and which has some really soulful touches throughout. The group features George Cables on electric and acoustic piano, John Abercrombie on guitar, and Peter Erskine on percussion – but the real strength of the set is Bobby, who slides between vibes and marimba with a skittish energy that really cracks a lot of life into the set. Titles include "Un Poco Loco", "Ivory Coast", "The Sailor's Song", "Ebony Moonbeams" and "I Wanna Stand Over There". CD

A surprisingly great album by Bobby Hutcherson – and like his other albums for Columbia, a record that manages to be smooth, yet still has an edge! The format's bigger and more ambitious than previous years, but it's also an extension of the modal soulful style he forged with Harold Land – a really stretched out approach to the vibes that differs nicely from his 60s work, and which has some really soulful touches throughout. The group features George Cables on electric and acoustic piano, John Abercrombie on guitar, and Peter Erskine on percussion – but the real strength of the set is Bobby, who slides between vibes and marimba with a skittish energy that really cracks a lot of life into the set. Titles include "Un Poco Loco", "Ivory Coast", "The Sailor's Song", "Ebony Moonbeams" and "I Wanna Stand Over There". CD

A pair of Capitol classics from Charles Jackson – back to back on a single CD! First up is Passionate Breezes – a smoking solo debut from Chicago's Charles Jackson – a hell of a great singer, songwriter, and producer – who'd already had great fame in the Independents, and was working hard at Capitol records with Marvin Yancey to help shape the early years of Natalie Cole! During that time, Jackson stepped into the studio, and really stunned us with this sublime set of his own – a wonderfully mature batch of soul tunes that really reflects the great changes for male singers in the 70s – a mode that was particularly helped along by Windy City contemporaries Jerry Butler and Walter Jackson. Yet Charles has a warmth here that's all his own – gently stepping along grooves arranged by Mark Davis and Gene Barge – the latter of whom helped co-produce the record with Yancey. Yancey also wrote most of the cuts with Jackson – and titles include "Love Of You", "I Really Want You", "The Train", "Get On Down", "Passionate Breezes", and a remake of "Ooh Child". Gonna Getcha Love is great modern soul from Charles Jackson – stepping out here in his role as a solo artist after early fame with The Independents! Although Jackson himself was becoming a key force in production and songwriting for other Capitol artists (most notably Natalie Cole), this second set for the label has Chuck working with Gavin Christopher in a warm west coast groove. Christopher produced and wrote a good number of the tracks on the set – and Jackson's style here is a bit more bouncy and buoyant than before – not really 80s groove, but sliding into a slightly more uptempo mode. Titles include "At The Party", "I'm Gonna Get Your Love", "I Finally Found My Love", "I'm Through With You", "I Love You Only", and "Just For Your Lovin". CD

A tremendous second step for Chicago soul legend Walter Jackson – packaged here with a huge amount of bonus tracks as well! The core album is a sublime mix of new tunes and re-imagined standards – and a set that takes Walter Jackson into even more sophisticated soul territory than before! The record is proof that the up and coming soul artists of the 60s had a key place alongside the more established mainstream acts on the other side of the fence – as Walter's working here with arranger Riley Hampton to re-cast a number of familiar tunes in his cool Iceman soul mode – changing the themes, rhythms, and inflections of the tracks for a more contemporary soul market – and also interspersing them with a few great new songs of his own! The approach is amazing – far better than even Jerry Butler or Chuck Jackson's work in a similar idiom – and the album features the sublime hit "Welcome Home", plus the Van McCoy tunes "Suddenly I'm All Alone", "Still At The Mercy Of Your Love", and "The Magic's Gone" – alongside versions of "Moon River", "Let It Be Me", "Imagination", and "My Funny Valentine". Added to the original album are 7 more rare tracks pulled from singles – some of the true gems in Jackson's 60s career for Okeh – with titles that include "Deep In The Heart Of Harlem", "Cold Cold Winter", "That's When I Come To You", "Special Love", "One Heart Lonely", "I Think It's Going To Rain Today", and "The Folks Who Live On The Hill". CD

A great lost chapter in the career of the Jackson 5 – the group's last album for Motown, plus the hard-to-find Boogie set – issued by the label in 1979 and featuring rare work from earlier years! Joyful Jukebox Music was recorded in the early 70s, but features very different work than the group's usual Motown tunes – done with a soaring tightly-grooving style that sounds a lot more like the work they cut under the name of The Jacksons for Philly International. (No surprise, since the set was issued around the time the group were working for the label.) The arrangers on the set include Dave Blumberg, Freddie Perren, James Carmichael, and Gene Page – and the album's got plenty of great lively tunes that include "Window Shopping", "You're My Best Friend, My Love", "Love Is The Thing You Need", "Pride & Joy", and "Make Tonight All Mine". Boogie hails from 1979, but also features work from the early 70s – tracks recorded during the glory years of the group's best Motown era, 7 of which were unissued at the time – and packaged under the Boogie title to cash in on the chart success that Michael Jackson was having with the Off The Wall album. Again, the sound here is a different one than on other Jackson 5 albums of the time – with some great elements that really expand past the 3 hits that are included – into deeper soul modes that show the group always willing to take on new challenges. Titles include "One Day I'll Marry You", "Oh I've Been Blessed", "Love's Gone Bad", "I Ain't Gonna Eat My Heart Out Anymore", "Just Because I Love You", and "I Was Made To Love Her". Then, as if 2 albums' worth of material wasn't enough, the CD also features the full 15 minute version of "Hum Along And Dance" – a killer Norman Whitfield number done here by the group in heady, funky Temptations mode! CD