Three-dimensional magic from the great Jimmy Castor – an artist who'd already conquered the worlds of sweet soul, heavy funk, and Latin by the time of this release! Jimmy draws on all his rich background in the soul underground, and also seems to move with a new sort of sophistication, too – not in a way that's slick or commercial, but which shows Jimmy only deepening his ideas in the era of Marvin Gaye and Isaac Hayes – going for some bigger arrangements and ambitious production, while still staying true to his groovy self! There's a vibe to the record that almost reminds us of some of the creative productions that Harvey Fuqua was doing for RCA at the same time – with New Birth and The Nite-Liters – and Jimmy's maestro seems to be Gerald Thomas, who knows how to spin just the right mood for each different track. There's even a few instrumentals, which showcase Castor's great skills on tenor – ala Stanley Turrentine in a similar mode – and tracks include "How Beautiful You Are", "Helpless", "I'm Not A Child Anymore", "The Lone Ranger", "Revelation", "Whiter Shade of Pale", and the tasty "The Last Ole", which is sort of a rumbling sinister slow funk track. CD

A sublime set of soul instrumentals – very funky work, and sort of a 70s follow-up to the Soulful Strings albums on Cadet Records from the 60s! Maestro Richard Evans is at the top of his game here – stepping out with that hip Chisoul mode he first forged at Chess, tuned here towards some even more sophisticated modes for Atlantic Records! Many of Evan's previous players are on board to make the record great – including Lennie Druss on flute, Paul Serrano on trumpet, Odell Brown on organ, and Phil Upchurch on guitar. Evans himself plays bass for the record – using a very funky bottom sound – and the set also features some wicked vibes from the legendary Billy Wooten, working away from his Nineteenth Hole group on a rare major label date! The sound is blacksploitation soundtrack, part Curtom funk – and titles include the great originals "Pie Daddy's Dream", "Wado City", "Angela My Sister", and the great "Patutu" – which was done by the Soulful Strings – plus a few nice covers like "Mercy Mercy Me" and "Ellie's Love Theme", by Isaac Hayes. CD

Classic Sam & Dave work for Stax – a searing batch of hard soul tracks that forever redefined the concept of a male soul duet! This was the sound that put Sam & Dave over the top hard – and which left a generation of similar acts trying to catch up. The album sports a sublime track list of Stax originals – mostly by the Isaac Hayes/David Porter team, plus a few others by Steve Cropper and other writers – all top-shelf work that really helps the pair do their best! Titles include "Hold On, I'm Comin", "You Don't Know Like I Know", "You Got It Made", "It's A Wonder", "Blame Me", "Don't Make It So Hard On Me", "I Take What I Want", "I Got Everything I Need", and "If You Got The Loving". CD

Johnnie Taylor's first album for Stax – and a tremendous little set that easily stands as one of his greatest records ever! Sure, we love Johnnie in all his incarnations – but there's a special sort of something here – a rawness and earnestness – that makes the whole thing shine right from the start – a crispy sort of Memphis vibe that has the Stax Records team really hitting their stride. The set's filled with great tunes from the team of Isaac Hayes and David Porter – including "I Got To Love Somebody's Baby", "Toe Hold", "Outside Love", "Little Bluebird", and "I Had A Dream" – and also features great versions of "Watermelon Man", "Ain't That Loving You", and "Where Can A Man Go From Here". CD

Incredible work from Spencer Wiggins – a late 60s Memphis singer who travelled in the same circles as James Carr, Percy Sledge, and Otis Redding, but who hardly ever got his due – despite talents that were clearly equal to his contemporaries! This beautifully-done set brings together 22 tracks that Wiggins recorded for Goldwax Records in the late 60s – a label that was also home to Carr's best work, and who does an equally great job with Spencer's deep-burning vocals on these sides. Many of the tracks on the set were written by the cream of the crop of southern soul writers at the time – George Jackson, Quinton Claunch, Isaac Hayes, and others – and backings are often spare and subtle, really letting Wiggins' vocals take center stage! CD features 20 tracks in all, plus some incredible notes – and titles include "The Kind Of Woman That's Got No Heart", "Old Friend", "Once In A While Is Better Than Never At All", "He's Too Old", "Soul City USA", "Walking Out On You", "Who's Been Warming My Oven", "I'll Be True To You", and "Anything You Do Is All Right". CD

Classic 80s funk from Xavier – a group led by bassist Ernest Smith, who'd already had plenty of practice working with Isaac Hayes, The Midnight Movers, and The Coasters during their funky late 60s years! The groove here is similar to some of the other tight funk groups on Liberty at the time – especially Dayton – but Xavier's groove is a bit leaner, too – very nicely turned towards a modern dancefloor with its emphasis on bass upfront in the mix, in a mode that's often nicely placed between boogie and rollerskating jams! Ayanna Little sings lead vocals with Xavier – and the set also features some wicked keyboard work from Rahni Harris – on tracks that include "What Goes Around", "Truly Devoted", "Work That Sucker To Death", and "Love Is On The One". CD

A mainstream selection of funky tracks from classic 70s soundtracks and beyond – mostly familiar numbers, but plenty nice to have all in one place! Titles include "Truck Turner" by Isaac Hayes, "Cornbread" by The Blackbyrds, "Sweetback's Theme" by Earth Wind & Fire, "The Bottle" by Gil Scott-Heron, "Coffy Is The Color" by Roy Ayers, "Expansions" by Lonnie Liston Smith, "People Get Up & Drive Your Funky Soul" by James Brown, "Express" by BT Express, "Big Papa" by Edwin Starr, and "We Be's Getting Down" by Graham Central Station. CD

3rd volume, and the righteous 70's soul and funk tracks keep on coming! Titles include "World Is A Ghetto" by War, "Ike's Mood" by Isaac Hayes, "Trouble Man" by Marvin Gaye, "Love TKO" by Teddy Pendergrass, "Breakout" by Johnny Hammond, "Ironside" by Quincy Jones, "Move On Up" by Curtis Mayfield, "Who Is He & What Is He To You" by Creative Source, "Melting Pot" by Booker T & The MGs, "Westchester Lady" by Bob James, and lots lots more! 25 tracks in all. CD

Funky soundtrack tunes from the early 70s – a great mix of lesser known album cuts and a few other rare gems pulled from Universal's Soul Cinema series! The groove is wah-wah funk, fast riffing drums, tight "chase" theme grooves, and even a bit of soul – and tracks include "Monkey Hustle" by Jack Conrad, "It's Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday" by GC Cameron, "Fat Poppadaddy" by Quincy Jones, "I'm Gonna Catch You" by The Hues Corporation, "The Boss" by James Brown, "Bus Stop" by Harry Betts, "King George" by Roy Ayers, "Give It To Me" by Isaac Hayes, "She Did It" by Barbara Mason & Monk Higgins, and "It Sure Is Groovy" by Gil Bernal. 13 cuts in all! CD

An excellent primer for fans of blacksploitation soundtracks! The set was put together by Ice T as an homage to all the great black action films of the 70s – and it's a good selection of vocal hits from scores that may well be known more for their instrumental funk. And sure, the selection's a bit basic – but it's also a good place to start, and hearing the vocal numbers is kind of a different hook into the films than the usual instrumental riffs. Titles include "Love Doctor" by Millie Jackson, "I Choose You" by Willie Hutch, "Blowin Your Mind" by OC Smith, "Are You Man Enough" by The Four Tops, "Make A Resolution" by The Impressions, "Across 110th Street" by Bobby Womack, "Theme Of Foxy Brown" by Willie Hutch, "Trouble Man" by Marvin Gaye, "Theme From Shaft" by Isaac Hayes, and "Pusherman" by Curtis Mayfield. CD

A deep soul take on the sound of Christmas – served up here in a range of classic Holiday cuts from the legendary Stax Records! The set's nicely different than the previous Stax Christmas set, and features some tunes from later in the label's run – some of those cool singles that they continued to issue for the 12th month of the year, at a label that maybe had them matching Motown as one of the few soul labels really dedicated to putting out a Holiday tune! The package includes a previously-unissued alternate mix of "Merry Christmas Baby" by Otis Redding", and a version of "Blue Christmas" by Carla Thomas" – plus the tracks "Season's Greetings" by Cix Bits, "I'll Be Your Santa Baby" by Rufus Thomas, "Who Took The Merry Out Of Christmas" by The Staple Singers, "Winter Wonderland (take 2)" by Booker T & The Mgs, "Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin" by Albert King, "That Makes Christmas Day" by Rufus & Carla Thomas, "White Christmas" by Rance Allen Group, "The Mistletoe & Me" by Isaac Hayes, "It's Christmas Time Again" by The Temprees, and "What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas" by The Emotions. CD

Sweet and smooth 70s soul – hand-picked with a freshness that should appeal to folks who found these sounds through the hip hop that these grooves laid the sonic groundwork for. The tracks on here aren't as beat or break-heavy as some of the material on other sample-driven collections – but that's fine with us, as the tracks move into a sophisticated soul range that's always a pleasure to hear, bringing together the kind of well-produced 70s tracks we love! Titles include "Sweet Taste Of Sin" by Dennis Coffey, "I'll See You In Hell First" by Phillip Mitchell, "Do It To Me Now" by Fatback, "Don't Risk Your Happiness On Foolishness" by Fantastic Four, "Killing Time" by Natural Essence, "Your Love Is My Desire" by Eramus Hall, "Baby Get Down" by Eddie McLoyd, "Set It Out" by The Detroit Emeralds, "Love Starved" by Shirley Brown, "I'm Gonna Have To Tell Her" by Isaac Hayes, "If I Had The Power" by Johnny Guitar Watson, and "I Got To Have Your Love Now" by Caesar Frazier. CD

2 killers from The Bar-Kays – a heavy funk spectacular all the way through! First up is Gotta Groove – amazing work from the new version of The Bar-Kays – a group who reformed to become a combo as heavy as any of the best funky groups from Detroit, LA, or New York at the time! There's a style here that's a sweet Memphis distillation of ideas bubbling under in music by Sly Stone, Funkadelic, and others – taken to new territory here by a group that was already steeped in 60s soul instrumental sounds! The cuts show a great ear for simple hooks and playful instrumental twists and turns – still with a bit of the trumpet used on Bar-Kays work of the past, but more in a groove that lets the guitar step out nicely with psychedelic soul undercurrents! Tracks include "In The Hole", "Funky Thang", "Grab This Thing", "Street Walker", "Humpin", and "Don't Stop Dancing To The Music (parts 1 & 2)". Black Rock is an album that's every bit as great as the title might imply – heavy guitar-based funk from the second version of The Bar-Kays – one that uses the new instrumental focus to push a groove that's much more black rock than before! There's still a bit of trumpet from the past, but the sound here is much heavier on the bottom – and really fuzzes up the guitar nicely at times to create a hipper sort of soul instrumental vibe! The rhythms are quite hip too – with echoes of the experiments in soul going on at Stax in the work of Isaac Hayes and others – and the album's miles away from the work that the group was laying down a few years before! Definitely one of the hardest-hitting Stax albums of the early 70s – and filled with great tracks like "You Don't Know Like I Know", "Dance To The Music", "Piece Of Your Peace", "Montego Bay", and "Baby I Love You". CD

A great chapter in the career of trumpeter Donald Byrd – his post-Blue Note work with the group 125th Street NYC – which is kind of a second chapter to the jazzy fusion style he developed at the start of the 70s! This time around, there's an equal emphasis on soul and jazz – often with some strong vocals in the lead, but also plenty of room for Donald to stretch out and serve up the kind of perfect solos he worked out with the Mizell Brothers in the years before – modes that are continued here with some great guest help from singers and musicians who include Syreeta, Isaac Hayes, Jim Gilstrap, Wah Wah Watson, and Greg Phillinganes! If you like Donald Byrd albums like Places & Spaces or Stepping Into Tomorrow, you'll find that the sound here is a continuation of that mode – taken into the leaner funk territory that would come to play in the 80s. 2CD set features almost all the best tracks from those years, including some single mixes too – and titles include "Thank You For Funking Up My Life (12" disco version)", "Marilyn", "Butterfly", "Gold The Moon White The Sun", "Sexy Dancer", "Love Has Come Around", "Loving You", "Love For Sale", "Star Trippin", "I Love You", "Midnight", "Your Love Is My Ecstasy", "Have You Heard The News", "People Suppose To Be Free", "Morning", "I'm Coming Home", "Sunning In Your Love Shine", "Everyday", "Falling", "So Much In Love", and "Forbidden Love". CD

The Temptations going in all directions – and all of them pretty darn groovy too! The set's still heavy on the solid, righteous sound of Norman Whitfield – who gives some of the best cuts that psychedelic soul imprint he really perfected with the group – a quality that has a lot more funk than other Motown acts were getting at the time – yet still lets the harmonies soar! A few other numbers showcase a more mature ballad style – different than the sweet soul of their roots, and definitely with an adult vibe we really love. Titles include heavy funk on "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On", and their great cover of Isaac Hayes "Do Your Thing" – some mellow mature covers like "Love Woke Me Up This Morning" and "First Time I Ever Saw Your Face" – plus the long version of "Papa Was A Rolling Stone", and the tracks "Mother Nature" and "Run Charlie Run". CD

A stunning presentation of the legendary Wattstax concert – that huge moment of pride and power when the folks at Stax Records filled up the Los Angeles Coliseum with one of the most memorable shows of the 70s! The meeting of talents here is the stuff of legend – and this great package brings together the complete show in running order – really building up excitement as the concert progresses – with different acts each bringing their own sort of fire to the stage, culminating in a fantastic long finale by Isaac Hayes! The presentation is different than the two double albums that Stax issued back in the 70s – and this expanded package features a number of unreleased tracks in place of material the label later added – such as work from Richard Pryor and The Emotions. There's a whole instrumental section at the start, and more spoken links between some parts – and new material includes unissued work from Kim Weston, Freddie Robinson, Ernie Hines, Eric Mercury, Tommy Tate, Billy Eckstine, and Isaac Hayes – in addition to famous performances by The Soul Children, Jesse Jackson, Rufus Thomas, Albert King, Carla Thomas, William Bell, The Bar Kays, David Porter, The Temprees, Eddie Floyd, and David Porter – plus plenty more from Isaac Hayes too! Great package – with a full color book with new notes and essays, and plenty more too. CD

Nice compilation of soulful grooves that mixes up older material and some of the better modern soul from Irma's current roster of groups. The older tracks include "Dreaming About You" by The Blackbyrds, "Thinking About You" by Sylvester, and "Never Can Say Goodbye" by Isaac Hayes – and the newer cuts include "Rescue Me" by Funky Company, "Feel It" by Freedom Or Not, "Baby I Know" by Babyra Soul, and "Good For Us" by Kama Sutra. A good mix of grooves, and a nice one if you like the modern soul vibe. CD

Majestic male soul from Brunswick Records – the label who recorded some of the best material ever from singers like Gene Chandler and Jackie Wilson, and who also gave lots of other singers a great shot too! This set moves way past obvious Brunswick hits, and includes loads of lesser-known singles that are totally great – some funky, some laidback, and lots of them very very groovy – in that totally hip Chicago soul mode that Brunswick did so well. There's a number of artists here who only recorded briefly for Brunswick, before hitting fame elsewhere – and others who are remembered for the few rare gems they left behind at the label – all brought together here in a wonderful 25 track set. There's plenty of surprises throughout – and titles include "Doing The Feeling" by Alvin Cash, "Contract On Your Love" by Chuck Bernard, "I'll Bet You" by Billy Butler, "Sweet Sweet Revenge" by Alvin Valentine, "Hold On" by Marvin Smith, "This Melody Is For My Baby" by Ben Monroe, "Sweet Temptation" by Isaac Hayes, "Wrapped Up In Your Warm & Tender Love" by Richard Parker, "A Mean Thing" by Donald Height, "Just A Little Misunderstanding" by Johnny Williams, "You Got Me Walking" by Cicero Blake, "Once You Fall In Love" by Eddie Mcloyd, "Just A Thing Called Love" by John Parker, and "You Are" by Bobby Reed. CD

An insane package – one that features the material from the 6CD Complete Concert Wattstax set, plus 5 more CDs from Summit Club Recordings in 1972, plus one more CD of additional material too! First up are 6 CDs that feature a stunning presentation of the legendary Wattstax concert – that huge moment of pride and power when the folks at Stax Records filled up the Los Angeles Coliseum with one of the most memorable shows of the 70s! The meeting of talents here is the stuff of legend – and this great package brings together the complete show in running order – really building up excitement as the concert progresses – with different acts each bringing their own sort of fire to the stage, culminating in a fantastic long finale by Isaac Hayes! The presentation is different than the two double albums that Stax issued back in the 70s – and this expanded package features a number of unreleased tracks in place of material the label later added – such as work from Richard Pryor and The Emotions. There's a whole instrumental section at the start, and more spoken links between some parts – and new material includes unissued work from Kim Weston, Freddie Robinson, Ernie Hines, Eric Mercury, Tommy Tate, Billy Eckstine, and Isaac Hayes – in addition to famous performances by The Soul Children, Jesse Jackson, Rufus Thomas, Albert King, Carla Thomas, William Bell, The Bar Kays, David Porter, The Temprees, Eddie Floyd, and David Porter – plus plenty more from Isaac Hayes too! Great package – with a full color book with new notes and essays, and plenty more too. The Summit Club material follows on five more CDs – material that was partly issued on some other reissues by individual artists, but augmented here with a wealth of unreleased material too! There's a a full show of work from Johnnie Taylor and Rufus Thomas – the latter of whom even does some comedy bits – plus some extra funky performances from The Sons Of Slum, heavy blues from Little Milton, great soul from The Emotions, and a huge amount of never-issued work from the great duo Mel & Tim – arguably better here than on their Stax studio sessions. CD12 features additional recordings that were layered into some of the LP releases issued under the Wattstax name – 15 more tracks that include titles by The Emotions, Isaac Hayes, The Dramatics, Staple Singers, and Eddie Floyd – plus some comedy routines by Richard Pryor. CD