The classic album of short funky Chicago soul dance tracks, recorded for Mar V Lus as the follow-up to Alvin's huge "Twine Time" single. Most of the cuts on here have the same sort of groove, and most of them were written by either Andre Williams or Monk Higgins, with the kind of hard soul approach they were taking at the time with Chicago soul. Tracks include "Burn Just A Hair", "Do It One More Time", "Barracuda", "Hawk Eye", and "Bump". A potentially great record that's marred only by the rough recording quality of the Mar V Lus studios – every copy we've come across has sounded somewhat distorted and dirty, regardless of how clean the vinyl is . LP, Vinyl record album

The classic sound of Funkadelic, reworked by a key selection of contemporary talents from the Detroit scene – but never in a way that wrecks the originals at all! Unlike other remix projects, which might break up the music to a point that you can hardly recognize the original grooves – this set does a wonderful job of maintaining all the integrity of the famous funky recordings by the group, while also letting some artists from the group's hometown also include a few of their own contributions too – all in ways that really expand the original vision of the music, while keeping things in a funky soul vein all the way through! Given all the greateness of Detroit grooves in recent years – from that city's very fertile underground of producers and musicians – the sound here is still even more amazing than we expected, and the album's a very fitting one to be issued on the Westbound label. The set's double-length, and for good reason too – and titles include "Music 4 My Mother (Underground Resistance mix)", "Sexy Ways (Recloose disco flip)", "Get Your Ass Off & Jam (Marcellus Pittman rmx)", "You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure (Alton Miller mix)", "Super Stupid (Dirtbombs version)", "Music For My Mother (Andres Wo Ahh Ay voc mix)", "Cosmic Slop (Moodymann mix)", "Be My Beach (Mophono & Tom Thump)", "Let's Make It Last (Kenny Dixon Jr edit)", "Let's Take It To The Stage (Amp Fiddler @Ya mix)", "Undisco Kidd (Gay Marvine edit)", "Looking Back At You (Ectomorph stripped & dubbed)", and "Standing On The Verge (Anthony Shake Shakir & T Dancer rmx)". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice record by Brass Fever, and a one that was recorded before their more disco-y Time Is Running Out LP. The band includes a host of great horn players like George Bohannon, Jerome Richardson, Oscar Brashear, and John Handy – plus some good solos by Odell Brown on keyboards. Five long cuts, including covers of "Sunshine Superman" and "Lady Marmalade", plus the cuts "Djingi" and "Bach Bone". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic bit of jazzy fusion from Chick Corea and the legendary Return To Forever group that included Flora Purim and Airto! The sound of the album influenced a generation, and although the album was overlooked by groovers for years, partly due to its success, it still sounds surprisingly fresh – skipping along with an amazing mix of fusion, Brazilian rhythms, and free-thinking solos! The album's overflowing with great-grooving goodies – and titles include the great original version of "Captain Marvel", plus "Light As A Feather", "Spain", and "500 Miles High". LP, Vinyl record album

A gem of a record from one of the coolest UK groups of the 60s – served up here in a German release that maybe gives The Creation one of their most vibrant covers ever! Despite the European issue of the material, the tracks here are all Brit brilliance from the group and producer Shel Talmy – served up in their incredible blend of mod grooves, garagey rawness, and early psych production – sharp and tight at the same time, and years ahead of its time! Titles include "Can I Join Your Band", "Making Time", "Tom Tom", "Biff Bang Pow", "Painterman", and "Nightmares" – plus covers of "Cool Jerk", "Hey Joe", and "Like A Rolling Stone". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard to go wrong with Al Green at this point – 1973, when the mighty one was at the height of his secular soul powers – and when the sweetly compressed production style of Willie Mitchell just couldn't miss! There's a homey, earthy feel to the record that's really great – a sound that kicks back and lets the soul flow magically – never forcing things at all, nor taking them into the sort of easy hit territory that would have been a temptation at this point. And if anything, the album's a wonderful exercise in understatement – the kind of gently flowing soul that Green virtually invented at the time, and which few other singers could hope to match! Titles include the excellent "Let's Get Married", plus "Livin For You", "Free At Last", "Home Again", "So Good To Be Here", and "Beware" – all original tracks written by Green! LP, Vinyl record album

Ray Barretto's definitely going down different road here – and sounding amazingly great in the process! The record is unlike anything else that Ray did at the time – a stunning batch of fusion tracks, with more of an electric jazz approach than usual – one that's a soaringly sublime blend of Latin, fusion, and soul – all delivered with a near-perfect sound throughout! There's a depth of soul and sophistication here that's hard to match – save, perhaps, by Bobby Vince Paunetto's mid 70s gems – and the group features killer Fender Rhodes from Eddy Martinez, plus a three trumpet frontline dancing together with a sound that's a lot more soul jazz than Latin leads. Billy Cobham plays drums, Art Webb is on flute, and titles include "Lucretia The Cat", "Oracion", "The Other Road", "Little Ting", and "Abidjan Revisited". LP, Vinyl record album

An oft-overlooked funky soul gem from the incredible Roy Ayers – taking turns with both uptempo material and more smoothed out soul sounds – all done with Roy's trademark jazzy approach to the dancefloor! No Stranger To Love is a sly, and often funky set that deserves to be mentioned with his more famous dancefloor ready work of the late 70s – and if it gets an extra point two for the incredibly cool cover photo, the slow burning grooves more than deliver on the promise! The album does a really nice job of rolling out both the sultry jazzy soul and the funkier Ayers modes, with sweet strings in spots, Roy's incomparable vibes, bass and keyboard grooving, and vocals that set the mood for both the slow jams and the funky stuff! Includes the extended mellow number "Don't Let Our Love Slip Away", one of Roy's better downtempo moments, plus great stuff like "Don't Stop The Feeling", plus "What You Won't Do For Love", "No Stranger To Love/Want You", "Shack Up, Pack Up, It's Up (When I'm Gone)", "Don't Hide Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare 60s session from European vocalist Pedro Biker – singing here in English with backing by a very cool combo that includes Sahib Shihab! The sound is tighter and a bit more groovy than most other American male vocal sides from the time – a groove that's often snapping, swinging, and sometimes slightly modal – thanks to sharp rhythm from Bent Axen on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Bjarne Rostvold on drums. Sahib is probably the best player, though – and his saxophone work here really helps color in the tunes nicely – with a slightly modern sound that pushes a nice edge into the record! Titles include "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart", "Willow Weep For Me", "Just In Time", "Green Dolphin Street", "Stella By Starlight", and "Everything Happens To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant update of the older Blue Note All-Stars concept – a set that features a tremendous lineup of the contemporary talents who've helped shape the new sound of the label in recent years – including trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, keyboardist Robert Glasper, bassist Derrick Hodge, guitarist Lionel Loueke, drummer Kendrick Scott, and tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland. The set's produced by Glasper, and has all the open, soulful currents of his own great records for the label – but also really draws a lot from the contributions of the other heavyweights too – as they work together on a se of mostly original tunes, all with shapes and sounds that you never would have expected on Blue Note in years past. We're huge fans of this direction of the label – and appreciate the way that they've found a way to keep things creatively soulful, but without rehashing the past or resorting to easy gimmicks. There's a depth here that would have made the old school proud – and titles include "Bayyinah", "Cycling Through Reality", "Witch Hunt", "Second Light", "Freedom Dance", and "Message Of Hope" – plus a few shorter tracks dedicated to Bruce Lundvall, the always-optimistic champion who headed the label in the years before his death. LP, Vinyl record album

An early gem from trumpeter Tom Browne – a set that not only firmly established Browne as one of the best young players of his generation, but which also paved the way for a whole new direction for jazz funk in the 80s! The record is a perfect example of how great the mix of R&B rhythms and jazz fusion instrumentation could be – groovy enough to capture a whole new audience from the soul market, but still more than respectful of the solo talents of the leader – but all without any attempt at smooth jazz commercialism at all! There's some great hard funk moments on the set – and Browne approaches the music in a way that's nicely different than Donald Byrd or Freddie Hubbard, two older players who first helped forge this sound in the 70s – and whose path Tom's clearly taking, but with new directions of his own. There's almost more of a street-worthy vibe to the set – quite a surprise if you only know later records on the GRP label – and the arrangements are by Tom, Weldon Irvine, Lesette Wilson, and Dave Grusin. Titles include the funky classic "Funkin' For Jamaica", plus "Her Silent Smile", "Moon Rise", "Nocturne", "Forever More", and "Weak In The Knees". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of classic work by Dave's group with Paul Desmond – featuring 5 tunes from West Side Story, inlcuding "Tonight", "Somewhere", "Maria", and "I Feel Pretty", plus others from shows and standards. The group, as usual, really opens up the tunes – and Desmond's icily skating alto really makes the best of the material. Other titles include "What Is This Thing Called Love", "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World", and "Night & Day". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of classic work by Dave's group with Paul Desmond – featuring 5 tunes from West Side Story, inlcuding "Tonight", "Somewhere", "Maria", and "I Feel Pretty", plus others from shows and standards. The group, as usual, really opens up the tunes – and Desmond's icily skating alto really makes the best of the material. Other titles include "What Is This Thing Called Love", "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World", and "Night & Day". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest records ever from guitarist Philip Catherine, and one of the funkiest too – thanks to a really sharp edge that you won't find on some of his other albums, and lots of Fender Rhodes from the legendary Marc Moulin too! Some of Catherine's other records of the 70s were a bit laidback or noodly – but this set's got a strong, soulful drive all the way through – a nice focus that may well come from the production of Sacha Distel, himself a onetime guitarist! But the group's just got things right on the money, right from the start – with some very strong funky drums from Freddy Rotheir, plus trombone from Jiggs Wigham and both bass and flute from Freddy Deronde. Titles include "Bassline", "Let's Put It Like This", "Stream", "Foire", "Face", "Jeux Interdits", and "Memphis Talk". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that might have been a step into cliche for Alice Cooper – but one that still stands surprisingly strong after all these many years! Sure, the Coop as spook-master is very firmly stated on the cover and title – and yes, the record does feature an appearance from Vincent Price – but all the searing intensity of the group at the start is still firmly in place – produced with groundbreaking genius by Bob Erzin, who almost seems to be laying down a blueprint for later generations that run the gamut from metal to goth to post-punk. Titles include "Black Widow", "Welcome To My Nightmare", "Devil's Food", "Department Of Youth", "Cold Ethyl", "Years Ago", "Escape", and "Only Women Bleed". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few cases in jazz where an oft-played classic still resonates with power! The record itself is a key cap to Miles Davis' already-groundbreaking years of the 60s – a bold step forward, not just for his nascent electric sound, but also for jazz in general – and the benchmark by which so many other records would be judged (and fail) in years to come! The double-length set makes full use of all four sides of the record – expanding the flow (as well as the lineup) of the original Davis modal vision – and using all players to amazing effect, so much so that most players here turn out some of their best recorded work ever! The lineup is virtually a whose who for the sound of fusion in the 70s – including Wayne Shorter on soprano sax, Bennie Maupin on bass clarinet, Joe Zawinul and Chick Corea on keyboards, John McLaughlin on guitar, Dave Holland on bass, and Lenny White and Jack DeJohnette on drums – plus Jumma Santos and Don Alias on added percussion. Titles include "Pharaoh's Dance", "Spanish Key", "Sanctuary", "Bitches Brew", "John McLaughlin", and "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down". LP, Vinyl record album

A key early appearance on record by Sonny Rollins – recorded here with Miles Davis and Jackie McLean in the landmark Dig session! The album's the stuff that 50s bop dreams are made of – a session that has up-and-coming modernists working in the new freedom of the long playing record, in a way that allows them to break past the shorter, more urgent sound of the 78rpm single! Rollins is young, but a surprisingly strong voice on the set – and Jackie McLean's alto is incredibly sharp at this point, with strong hints of the genius to come later in the decade. The rest of the lineup includes Walter Bishop on piano, Tommy Potter on bass, and Art Blakey on drums – and tracks include Miles' classic version of "It's Only A Paper Moon", plus "Denial", "Out Of The Blue", "Dig", and "Bluing". LP, Vinyl record album

70s soundtrack work from Eric Demarsan – done for one of the more obscure political thrillers from director Costa Gavras! The music features work by George Arvanitas on piano, Guy Pedersen on bass, and Daniel Humair on drums – plus "musique magnetique" by Takis! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the grooviest albums of the 60s – and the first album in Donovan's legendary run with producer Mickie Most! The sound here is light years away from the heavy Dylan of Donovan's first recordings – and is steeped in eastern influences that sparkle in both the songwriting and arrangements – and which can be most strongly heard in the album's trademark use of tablas and electric sitar! Donovan's vocals are completely sublime, too – done in that raspy, almost lispy style that brings out all the best edges in his songwriting – and the lyrics of the tunes are a mind-expanding array of themes that really pushed the boundaries of 60s pop. Titles include the sublime classic "Sunshine Superman", plus "Bert's Blues", "The Fat Angel", "The Trip", "Celeste", "Three Kingfishers", and the funky funky "Season Of The Witch"! LP, Vinyl record album

An Afro Funk set with a very special vibe – a bit different than some of the other work of the time, and a standout performance from singer/instrumentalist Vicky Edimo! Vicky's a he, in case you didn't know (we didn't) – and his touch on percussion and keyboards is nicely moody in all the right ways – touched with a blue current on some of the vocal tracks, sharper and funky at a few other points, and very trippy on the album's two mellow instrumentals – which might well be the real standout tracks on the set! Production is great – lean and clean, without some of the too commercial touches that some Afro soul records had at the time – and titles include the great instrumentals "Stormy Rain" and "Marina Drive", plus the boogie number "You", and the tracks "Thank U Mama" and "It's Not Serious". LP, Vinyl record album

A set of cuts that definitely have Yvonne Elliman tuned strongly for the dancefloor sound of the late 70s – following up the success of her previous hit with some groovers from the team of Steve Barri and Michael Omartian – but which also hits some of her mellower modes too! In fact, Elliman does a great job of never going too far towards a disco cash-in move – and instead reminds the listener that she's got a longer resume of richer, more sophisticated work – brought out by her expressive vocals in a variety of formats. Titles include the classic "How Long", plus "Love Pains", "Savannah", "Greenlight", "Cold Wind Across My Heart", "I'm Gonna Use What I Got To Get What I Need", and "Rock Me Slowly". LP, Vinyl record album