... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Massively solid boogie work from Jeffrey Osborne and LTD – still grooving beautifully at the end of the 70s, and working here with top-shelf production from Bobby Martin! The set's got that buoyant LTD groove that was a perfect foil for Osborne's soaring vocals – a sound that never fell into the cliches of some of Osborne's later solo work, and which was a perfect match between ensemble funk, dancefloor rhythms, and the charisma of a strong lead singer. There's a few smoother ballads on the set that point the way towards later years, but the bulk of the set is very much in the group's best boogie mode – and titles include "You Gave Me Love", "Lovers Everywhere", "Don'tcha Know", "Shine On", "Where Did We Go Wrong", "Getaway" and "Lady Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Les McCann captured live on piano and vocals. Tracks include "The Girl From Ipanema", "Beau J Poo Boo", "Gus Gus", and a nice version of Marv Jenkins' "Big City". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible debut from Public Image Limited – one of the most striking records of its generation, and a huge surprise – given that the Sex Pistols had broken up just a few months before! The record is the key transition of Johnny Rotten into John Lydon – and the whole thing is light years ahead of the Pistols in terms of boundless creativity and originality – different from Lydon's own earlier revolutionary punk act and different from pretty much everything else on the late 70s landscape – even darker than punk, if you can imagine that! The dissonant, driving post punk guitars and sneering vocals are recognizable, sure – but the dubby textures and more angular touches are so far outside the box and so hugely influential that it's hard to fathom myriad underground rock acts existing without it. Of course, part of the credit also goes to the amazing band that John Lydon assembled to put the whole thing together – a quartet that includes incredible guitar from Keith Levene, and heady bass from Jah Wobble – both key parts of the sound. Titles include "Theme", "Religion", "Religion II", "Annalisa", "Public Image", "Low Life", "Attack" and "Fodderstompf". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Lou's most jazz-oriented albums – featuring backing by Les McCann's famous trio with Leroy Vinnegar and Ron Jefferson, perfectly suited to Lou's soulful renditions of the tunes on the album. Most of the numbers are bluesy ones, but as usual, Lou manages to give them his own hip twist – always a pleasure for us! Titles include "In The Evening", "Sweet Lover", "Willow Weep For Me", "Stormy Monday", and "'Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness If I Do". CD features 3 bonus cuts – "A Little Les Of Lou's Blues", "Blues Is A Woman", and an alternate take of "Stormy Monday". CD

... CD

An incredible debut from Public Image Limited – one of the most striking records of its generation, and a huge surprise – given that the Sex Pistols had broken up just a few months before! The record is the key transition of Johnny Rotten into John Lydon – and the whole thing is light years ahead of the Pistols in terms of boundless creativity and originality – different from Lydon's own earlier revolutionary punk act and different from pretty much everything else on the late 70s landscape – even darker than punk, if you can imagine that! The dissonant, driving post punk guitars and sneering vocals are recognizable, sure – but the dubby textures and more angular touches are so far outside the box and so hugely influential that it's hard to fathom myriad underground rock acts existing without it. Of course, part of the credit also goes to the amazing band that John Lydon assembled to put the whole thing together – a quartet that includes incredible guitar from Keith Levene, and heady bass from Jah Wobble – both key parts of the sound. Titles include "Theme", "Religion", "Religion II", "Annalisa", "Public Image", "Low Life", "Attack" and "Fodderstompf". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little set of groovers from LTD – both of them nice boogie numbers! We're partial to "Back In Love Again" – one of the group's best cuts in our book, a tight little groover with a great little hook! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A quartet session that features Les McCann working with Leroy Vinnegar on bass, Ron Jefferson on drums, and Joe Pass on guitar. Pass' guitar opens the group up nicely – expanding Les a bit past some of the gospel drenched work of earlier yesr. Tracks include "Maichen", "Bernie's Tune", "So What", "On Time", and "Fondue". CD

Killer funk from the Italian scene of the 70s – work by the Pulsar Music Ltd combo, originally used as the soundtrack for the crime classic Milano Violenta! Italian crime films were really hitting their height at the time – documenting the new wave of terror that was hitting the cities in the 70s – and music like this perfectly set the scene, with a sharp mix of funk, jazz, and other urban elements – all served up in a non-stop barrage of totally great cuts, of the sort that you'd only find sparsely on American soundtracks of the period. Music is composed by Italian jazz great Enrico Pieranunzi with Silvano Chimenti – and titles include "Leyla Theme", "Running", "Walking At Sunrise", "Six In", "Swinging Day", "Blue Funk", "Dreamland", and "Cat Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Lou's most jazz-oriented albums – featuring backing by Les McCann's famous trio with Leroy Vinnegar and Ron Jefferson, perfectly suited to Lou's soulful renditions of the tunes on the album. Most of the numbers are bluesy ones, but as usual, Lou manages to give them his own hip twist – always a pleasure for us! Titles include "In The Evening", "Sweet Lover", "Willow Weep For Me", "Stormy Monday", and "'Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness If I Do". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime spiritual jazz from the 70s scene in Detroit – and a record that really represents an evolution of the previous sounds that you might have heard on the Motorcity's Tribe Records! The sound here is straightforward and soulful – a bit of electricity at the bottom and some fluidly gliding horn work on the top – plus some key vocals from a group that includes Kim Weston in the lead, supported by other female singers – in a righteous mode that really makes the best tunes sparkle! Other players include Phil Ranelin on trombone, Nasi Hafiz on vibes, Miller Brisker on tenor and piano, and Sylvia Truner on harp – all working together in a largeish group with the best spiritual energy of groups on Strata East! The whole thing's great – a beautiful lost treasure, and the kind of record that's rarely carried off so perfectly – and titles include "Song For M", "A Little Love For You", "Mark I", "Ja-Mil", "Nobody Had To Tell Me", "Arjuna", and "Now You're Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

One of LTD's biggest from the 70s – a sweet mix of mellow soul and boogie, handled to perfection by the talents of Bobby Martin! Jeffrey Osborne's vocals are really running strong at this point – well-suited to both funk and ballads, with none of the cliches that started creeping into his solo work in later years. Titles include "Stranger", "Share My Love", "Say That You'll Be Mine", "One On One", and "Dance N Sing N". LP, Vinyl record album

LTD without Jeffrey Osborne, and sounding pretty darn great – moving here in a boogie-centrist groove that's heavy with bass on the bottom! In a way, the group's almost freer to work here as a funky ensemble without their former spotlight star – and the record's got a really wicked groove that's right up there with the best major label funk of the time – upbeat, romping, and very groovy throughout – never as clunky as work that was hitting the charts, and with some great horn and guitar work to keep things in warmer territory of the decade before. Rhythms are surprisingly hard at times – much harder than you'd expect, and with more of a 70s feel than the 80s groove you'd expect from the date – and titles include "Love Magic", "Kickin Back", "Burnin Hot", "April Love", "It Must End", and "Stay On The One". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best albums ever by LTD – featuring some wonderful early vocals by Jeffery Osborne, and stellar production by the team of Larry and Fonce Mizell! The Mizell Brothers sound a lot different here than they do on their Blue Note work – more deeply soulful, with a sound that's perfect for the mellow jams and boogie-inspired grooves of LTD. The album really holds together wonderfully as a whole – bridging gaps between a number of different soul styles of the time, and overflowing with great tracks like "Let The Music Keep Playing", "Time For Pleasure", "Love To The World", "The Word", "Love Ballad", and "Get Your It Together". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little groover from LTD – and a set that's got everything coming together perfectly in the mix! The set features arrangements from Philly Soul maestro Bobby Martin – who brings together this wonderful blend of styles – funk, smoother soul elements, and the kind of upbeat, clubby grooves that really worked well for the group – but at a level that also really set them apart from most of the disco generation. Jeffrey Osborne's vocals really shine on this one, too – and the record includes the cuts "Back In Love Again", "Stay With Me", "We Party Hearty", "Material Things", and "Age Of The Showdown". LP, Vinyl record album

Jeffrey Osborne's really emerging strongly here in the mellow soul mode – especially on the album's two great ballad cuts, "Concentrate On You" and "We Both Deserve Each Other", both of which are smooth mellow steppers with a modern soul approach that's slightly less overblown than Osborne's 80s work. Bobby Martin produced, and tracks include "Holding On", "Jam", "Don't Stop Loving Me Now", and "Let's All Live & Give Together". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Produced by Phil Spector! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A classic bit of baroque soul by the Checkmates Ltd – and one of the most unusual Phil Spector productions of all time! Sonny Charles and The Checkmates were a soul group that had been knocking around for a few years before the set – singing in a strong blend of rocking styles that made them a crowd-pleaser on the live circuit of the 60s. But for this set, the group really took things to a whole new level – working with Spector in the studio to craft a complicated set of tunes that really takes them way way past their roots. Side one features some shorter, straighter soul tunes – including "Love Is All I Have To Give", "Spanish Harlem, "I Keep Forgettin", and "Black Pearl" – but side two is really wonderful – and has the group performing the "Hair Anthology Suite" – based around tracks from the Galt MacDermot score to the musical Hair – all filtered through the genius talents of Spector. Thanks should also be given to arrangers Dee Barton and Perry Botkin Jr, whose baroque arrangements further help to make the album a gem! LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... CD

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A mighty deep dig into the overlooked soul scene in Virginia – put together by the same folks who gave us the fantastic Raw Soul/Ol Virginia Soul compilations a number of years back! The set focuses on the special studio productions of Lenis Guess – head of LGA Records, and a strong force in the underground scene in Norfolk – a city east of Richmond, and one that had its own great little soul scene for a number of years too! Some of the material here was issued on very small run 7" singles – but a number of others also never saw the light of day back in the 70s, yet are killers that resonate equally well with the singles – raw soul with a nicely gritty vibe, and some slight traces of the more upbeat modes that were hitting VA at the time. Titles include "Keep My Company With You" and "You Don't Believe I Love You" by Deltones Ltd, "Your Love Gave Me Peace Of Mind" by 35th Street Gang, "You Don't Miss Your Water" and "How Long Have I Been A Fool" by Jato Vondel, "Don't Wake Me Up" by Jack & The Mods, "No Steps Away" by Lenis Guess & The Royal Robins, "Home Ain't Home" and "Find Yourself Another Baby" by The Symbolics, and "Sentimental Love (inst)" by Little Wink & Eddie's 25th Century Band. LP, Vinyl record album

Early solo work by Jeffrey Osborne – cut hot on the heels of his great albums with LTD! The set's got some nicely jazzy production from George Duke – never too over the top, and never as stiff as that used on some of Osborne's later work in the 80s – just nicely grooving in a mellow style, with an approach that makes the most of his deeply soulful vocals. Titles include "New Love", "I Really Don't Need No Light", "On The Wings Of Love", "Ready For Your Love", "You Were Made To Love", and "Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album for Jeffrey Osborne – and a record that showed the world that he could stand proudly on his own away from his old group LTD! The album was actually his second solo outing, but the first to really gel together in that hit-making blend of ballads and catchy mid-tempo pop tunes – a crossover sound that put Osborne firmly on top at the time. As with Osborne's previous set, George Duke is at the production helm, keeping things in a lightly jazzy 80s soul mode. Titles include "Don't You Get So Mad", "We're Going All The Way", "Stay With Me Tonight", "Plane Love", "Greatest Love Affair", "Other Side Of The Coin", "When Are You Comin Back", and "Forever Mine". CD

Maybe not the complete roots of African funk, but a set that does a great job of bringing together a range of different cuts that show the new sounds and styles that were really hitting the scene as the 70s moved in – work from a wide variety of sources, but which all seems to share a sound and spirit with some of the newly independent African nations! There's a few African funk cuts in the mix, but the more interesting ones are almost those from the Anglo world that show a similar sense of groove, but with a slightly different vibe – coming across here on cuts that include "Waterbed (inst)" by LTD Exchange, "African Queen" by Allez Allez, "Them Changes" by Lionel Hampton, "Sangandongo" by Niagara, "Wassahoumba" by Africa Djole, "Do The Choo Choo" by Jack Ashford, "Africa Gone Funky" by Screaming Jay Hawkins, "Super Kumba" by Manu Dibango, "Tite Rope" by Harold Alexander, "Fat City Strut" by Mandrill, and "Corey Died On The Battlefield" by Wild Magnolias. LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy funk from the Bahamas – a whole bunch of groups that will show you that Nassau had a lot more to offer than The Beginning Of The End! The groove here is totally wonderful – somewhat like American funk of the late 60s and early 70s, but served up with some very unusual rhythmic patterns too – a bit Jamaican at times, but certainly not reggae – and somewhat sunny and Caribbean styled, but not in a way that's cheesy or filled with any hokey island-styled stereotypes. Instead, the tunes are deeply funk and soulful – grooving with plenty of dark edges and gritty instrumentation that's often heavy on the guitar. Many numbers have vocals, and those are great too – and as usual with the Numero label, the whole thing's put together with amazing notes and packaging, so that you get a full history lesson and a heck of a lot of photos to support the music too! Titles include "Gonna Build A Nation" by Cyril Ferguson, "Mustang Sally", "I Am The Man For You Baby", and "Funky Fever" by Jay Mitchell, "Theme From Shaft" by Esquires LTD, "Gimme Some Skin (inst)" by Frank Penn, "Words To My Song" by Dry Bread, "People Won't Change" by Willpower, "Take Five" by Ozzie Hall, "Watcha Gonna Do Bout It" and "The Time For Loving Is Now" by Mustangs, "Honesty Is The Best Policy" by Gospel Chandeliers, and "Don't Touch That Thing" by Sylvia Hall. CD

Sam Dees is a hell of a singer, and he's a hell of a songwriter too – one who's worked not just with the southern soul stars of his roots, but also a much wider range of soul talents too! This wonderful collection really gets at the strength of Dees' amazing ability to pen a special soul tune – as it features work from a surprisingly huge array of talents from all sides of the soul spectrum – including a fair bit of vocalists we never knew worked with Sam's material. We love Dees' own records to death – and have enjoyed many of his demo recordings over the years, too – but a set like this really shows the important influence he had on soul music in the 70s – the way he touched so many folks, and helped them out with his meaningful lyrics. The set features great notes on Sam and his contribution – and 22 tracks that include "Where Did We Go Wrong" by LTD, "Vanishing Love (UK rmx)" by The Chi-Lites, "Girl Overboard" by Dorothy Moore, "So Your Love Finally Ran Out" by Les McCann, "Run To Me" by Sidney Joe Qualls, "Save The Overtime" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "Seconds Of Your Love" by Johnnie Taylor, "One In A Million You" by Larry Graham, "Spoiled By Your Love" by Anita Ward, "What A Way To Put It" by The Temptations, "Good Guys Don't Always Win" by Ray Crumley, and "My World" by Sam Dees himself! CD

An essential collection of work from the Japanese scene of the 70s – as set that really gets at the "something special" that made jazz from this generation so unique! Japanese musicians were early adopters of American modes – and the scene had great bop recordings from the 50s onward – but as the 70s approached, old and young musicians really started experimenting with a whole new range of styles – some mixed older Japanese instrumental modes with contemporary jazz, others tried a poetic approach to modal jazz, some were spiritual, and a few even got downright funky – but in ways that were very different than American jazz funk! This set brings together key examples of all those great styles – in a package that features detailed notes from Yusuke Ogawa, the man who's taught us plenty over the years – with titles that include "Mustache (live)" by Takeshi Inomata & Sound Ltd, "Fourth Expression" by Masahiko Togashi, "Do It" by Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media, "Romance" by Hiroshi Suzuki, "Tochi Mo Kurumi Mo Fukiotose" by Masahiko Sato, "Breeze" by Soul Media, "Adult's Day" by Toshiyuki Miyama & The New Herd, "Sakura Sakura" by Tadaki Misago & Tokyo Cuban Boys, "Muraiki" by Minoru Muraoka, "Mago Uta" by Count Buffalo & The Jazz Rock Band, "D51" by Kiyoshi Sugimoto, and "Breath Prologue" by Hozan Yamamoto, Masahiko Togashi, and Yosuke Yamashita. LP, Vinyl record album

A really amazing set of recordings – vocal sessions done by Fred Astaire in the later season of his career – recorded in the studio with intimate backing by a Verve group that includes Oscar Peterson, Barney Kessel, Charlie Shavers, and Flip Phillips! The material features lovely new interpretations of tunes made famous by Astaire in films, but offered here in a much more relaxed, jazz-based mode. And whether you're a fan of his films or not, Astaire is one heck of a great singer – and hearing him in a setting like this, without the distraction of dancing or film, is really great proof of that fact! Titles include "Cheek To Cheek", "S'Wonderful", "You're Easy To Dance With", "Fascinating Rhythm", "Top Hat White Tie & Tails", "No Strings", and "I Concentrate On You" – plus a few instrumental numbers by the combo. LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "The Wait", "Reincarnation", "Gotta Dance", "The Wall Will Fall", and "20th Century Ltd". CD

A pretty astonishing creative leap for Wire – a record that still holds all the short, sharp, energy of their Pink Flag debut – but which also opens up the group to all these weird elements they'd explore in later years and solo work too! The record is almost the group's equivalent of work by Swell Maps – still very punk in construction, but already getting experimental too – a mix that instantly set the group apart, and has kept them in territory that nobody else has ever been able to touch. Titles include "Heartbeat", "Practice Makes Perfect", "Being Sucked In Again", "I Am The Fly", "Outdoor Miner", "Sand In My Joints", "I Feel Mysterious Today", "Marooned", "French Film Blurred", "Mercy" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A stunningly huge look at the post-punk scene in the UK from the late 70s into the start of the 80s – served up here in an overview of bands both classic and obscure, which makes for a package that's filled with surprises throughout! The work here all comes from a time right after the initial explosion of punk rock opened the door for groups to experiment in a variety of ways – not just short sharp songs, but work that includes electronic experiments, reggae influences, moody minimalism, and industrial noise – all coming together in a way that made these years such an exciting time to be listening to music! The package features a massive 105 tracks on 5CDs, along with a very hefty booklet of notes on all the groups and tracks included – a lineup that includes The Birthday Party, Robert Wyatt, The Cure, The Flowers, Art Attacks, Subway Sect, Spizzoil, O Level, Glaxo Babies, Crazies, Public Image Ltd, Occult Chemistry, Again Again, The Slits, Disco Zombies, Nightingale, 23 Skidoo, Five Or Six, Kan Kan, The Membranes, Apartment, Soft Boys, Swell Maps, Gang Of Four, Tubeway Army, Throbbing Gristle, Section 24, and dozens of others. CD

Funky sounds from the Harlem scene – an incredibly rich collection of work from the Rojac and Tayster labels – a set so massive, it's like finding a box of rare funky 45s and deep soul singles in the back of some old record store! The package offers up way more work than we might have expected from our knowledge of a few key funk classics from the labels – a treasure trove of under-discovered gems from the grittiest years of the New York scene – most of them cut in the pre-disco years, with raw edges that almost feel more like southern soul and funk than other work from the Big Apple! This overstuffed set also comes with a sweet booklet of notes – really telling the tale of the labels and related enterprises – plus 44 tracks that include "Where Were You" by Kim Tolliver, "Meet Me Halfway" by Lillie Bryant, "Old Love Never Dies" by Big Maybelle, "Something Special About My Baby" by Clarence Reid, "I Love My Baby" by International GTOs, "No Better For Ya" by Jo Armstead, Love Love Love" by Chuck Flamingo, "Christmas In Vietnam" by Private Charles Bowens & The Gentlemen From Tigerland, "Everybody's Going Wild" by Curtis Lee & The KCPs, "Lovin Lies" by Third Guitar, "This & That" by Jo Armstead, "Don't Lose Your Groove" by Lavell Hardy, "Nwanne Nwanne Nwanne" by Aleke Kanonu & Tolbert The Miracle Man, "Lucky Man" by Damn Sam The Miracle Man, "Baby Don't Cry" by Third Guitar, and "Whip Ya" by Chuck A Luck & The Lovemen Ltd. CD

The first album from Chapter 8 – a set that's probably best remembered for introducing the world to Anita Baker, but one that's also pretty darn great on its own! Chapter 8 have a sharply soulful focus, one that takes them a bit above some of the other mainstream ensembles of the time – a balance of grooving rhythms and deeper feelings that's just about perfect – about at the level you might get from Maze or LTD, two other groups who both sported equally soulful lead singers! Gerald Lyles sings the male parts alongside Anita, and the blend is perfect – one that should have made the record even bigger than it was at the time, but maybe all that much better, since the lack of hit quality really keeps things fresh. Titles include the singles "Ready For Your Love" and "I Just Wanna Be Your Girl", plus "Don't You Like It", "Let's Get Together", "Come & Boogie", "I Go Disco", and "We Need Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most supremely classic of all classic hard rock albums! As huge as the debut was, Led Zeppelin II is the record that proved that the group were going to be in it for the long haul – with a righteous raw power that's still being felt all these many decades later! Nobody else could touch this one – and the album is filled with iconic cuts that include "Whole Lotta Love", "Ramble On", and"Heartbreaker" – plus the ridiculous Bonzo showcase "Moby Dick", and "Bring It On Home". CD

A pivotal album for Jeffrey Osborne – and a record that showed the world that he could stand proudly on his own away from his old group LTD! The album was actually his second solo outing, but the first to really gel together in that hit-making blend of ballads and catchy mid-tempo pop tunes – a crossover sound that put Osborne firmly on top at the time. As with Osborne's previous set, George Duke is at the production helm, keeping things in a lightly jazzy 80s soul mode. Titles include "Don't You Get So Mad", "We're Going All The Way", "Stay With Me Tonight", "Plane Love", "Greatest Love Affair", "Other Side Of The Coin", "When Are You Comin Back", and "Forever Mine". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's maybe a bit misleading – as most folks think of day-glo as a color associated with some of the most throwaway culture of the 80s – but the brightness of the hue definitely marks the big explosion in styles during the key British year of 1978 – a time when the punk revolution of 1977 opened the door for a big range of modes to follow! It might be said that the post-punk years came immediately after the initial days of punk – and they definitely begin here, as hard and fast modes are mixed with more unusual styles that include mod revival moments, electronic experiments, and even some offbeat pop – expressions of humor, anger, and a shifting political landscape – served up as an amazing document of the creative intensity of the time! As with other Cherry Red boxes, the overall package is great – a huge amount of notes to support the 79 tracks within – a diverse array of music from Blue Steam, The Others, UK Subs, The Jam, Monochrome Set, Wreckless Eric, Spizzoil, Public Image Ltd, 999, The Stranglers, Japan, The Only Ones, Magazine, Alternative TV, Slush, Time Machine, Eater, The Bozos, Tyla Gang, Ed Banger, No Sweat, The VIPs, John Cooper Clarke, Scritti Politti, Penetration, Stiff Little Fingers, Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoias, Teardrops, Coventry Automatics, Menace, Bleach Boys, Jilted John, Zones, Electric Chairs, and many more! CD

Heavy funk, hand-picked by Will "Quantic" Holland – and an incredible set that's easily one of the best funk collections we've ever stocked! Will definitely knows his thing, and for the collection, he's dug through the rich catalog of Jazzman 45 reissues in recent years – pulling together some of the best bits from 7" wax, and putting them together into one completely tight collection. The package not only features tremendous tracks all around – most of which are making their CD debut here – but it also includes full liner notes on each number, scans of each label, and even a "funk 45 rarity guide" that's pretty darn handy! And sure, you may already have some of these in your collection as Jazzman or Funk 45 reissue 7" singles – but at this price, the collection's a heck of a great way to get them all together – and it's got the Quantic stamp of approval too. Titles include "Egg Roll" by The M&S Band, "Ooh Ah Ee" by Vern Blair Debate, "Ain't No Other Way" by Herman Hitson, "Tra La La" by The Great Deltas, "Just Plain Funk" by James Polk & The Brothers, "The World (part 1)" by Sandi & The Matues, "Fast Man" by PC's Ltd, "Stay Together" by Soul Excitement, "The Loneliest One" by Gene Anderson, "Boilin Water" by Tony Bowens & The Soul-Choppers, "I Turn You On" by Latin Breed, and "Mystery Of Black (part 1)" by Shades Of Black. CD

A huge collection of work from funk and soul legend Jimmy Castor – an artist who cut a big number of incredible records for a variety of different labels – almost all of which are in this set! In truth, Jimmy's got a huge legacy in soul that goes back to early years in vocal groups – but this set picks up with his late 60s Latin soul material, then rolls into his famous funk work for RCA and Atlantic Records in the 70s, and continues with great club tracks from the following decade! There's a massive 45 tracks on the 3CD set – a fitting tribute to Castor's never-ending genius – and titles include "Hey Leroy", "It's Just Begun", "Soul Serenade", "Luther The Anthropoid", "Bertha Butt Boogie", "Troglodyte", "It's Just Begun", "Southern Fried Frijoles", "Daniel", "Tribute To Jimi", "LTD", "Psych", "You Better Be Good", "Hallucinations", "Love Train", "One Precious Word", "The Everything Man", "Dracula (part 1)", "The Return Of Leroy (part 1)", "I Just Wanna Stop", "Party People", "Need Your Lovin", "E Man Par Tay", "Space Age (12" mix)", "Super Love", "Bom Bom", "Supersound", "Don't Do That", "King Kong", and lots more! CD

Late live recordings from the mighty Dexter Gordon – 3 CDs worth of material recorded at the Keystone Korner in the late 70s, all with an inventively-blown power to match Gordon's earlier live sets from the European scene! The format here is similar – with Dexter out front, laying down incredible lines on tenor sax – and getting support from George Cables on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Eddie Gladden on drums. But in a way, the music here is even stronger than before – as Gordon's got a sharper edge, focused solo approach, and is working with an agility that really leaves us breathless. The tracks are long, but have the energy of Gordon's shorter studio tracks for Columbia at the time – and although we're not always huge fans of the "soloist in unfettered live setting" style of recording, we've gotta admit that we really love these tracks! Titles include "You've Changed", "It's You Or No One", "Antabus", "Backstairs/LTD", "The Panther", "Tangerine", "Gingerbread Boy", and "I Told You So". CD

Later genius from Dexter Gordon – an album recorded upon his return to the US in 1976, and done in a style that breaks the bounds of some of his sessions in Europe! Gordon seems to take new life in the recording – moving past the simple role of main soloist on familiar tunes, and stepping into a much more strongly group-minded leader – one who grooves easily with the piano of George Cables, bass of Rufus Reid, and drums of Eddie Gladden – in a session that's overflowing with soulful invention. Even older tunes take on a new spark of life in these arrangements – and Gordon's phrasing has this "bite" that comes through beautifully, even in the mellower moments. Titles include "Tanya", "I Told You So", "LTD", "Moment's Notice", and "As Time Goes By". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A killer second set from Section – a combo made up of key 70s studio players like Danny Kootch Kortchmar and drummer Craig Doerge! The style here is partly fusion, partly instrumental rock – but never too jamming overall, and recorded with a good spacious sound. Because of the restraint the group uses, there's a tight, crisp sound to the record that results in some solidly grooving numbers – recorded with a bit of a Southern California flourish in the production, but never as slick as the super-huge records these players would work on in years to come! Titles include "Smilin Ed", "El Mirador Bolero", "A Kind OF Albatross", "One Drum", "Bullet Train", "Forward Motion", "Baby Lame", "Get Down Piltdown", "The Garden Of Ryoanji", and "Burning Bush". LP, Vinyl record album