A very groovy 70s set from the mighty Jack McDuff – one that has him taking a bit of a Charles Earland turn, as he adds in some other keyboards to his work on Hammond – including some nice bits on Fender Rhode and moog! George Benson plays a fair bit of guitar solos on the set, and the record also features Pee Wee Ellis on alto and tenor, and Ray Mantilla on congas and percussion! Titles include some great long groovers – including "Blue Monsoon", "A Long Goodie", and a nice cover of "Don't Mess With Mister T". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet 70s work from Sonny Stitt – quite different than his bop years, but with a smooth funky finish that puts it in the same territory as CTI or Kudu Records in the 70s! Sonny's getting full backing here – arrangements by Don Sebesky, who crafts some elegant and slinky sounds for the album's gently grooving tracks – and although the set's not a hard-edged funk effort, it's got the same mix of soul and jazz that you'd find in some of Stanley Turrentine's work of the time. Sonny Plays both alto and tenor, and Roland Hanna handles the electric piano. Highlights include the bouncy "Blue Monsoon", a nice mellow version of "The World Is A Ghetto", and the tracks "Got To Be There", "Fifty Per Cent", and "Ben". LP, Vinyl record album

Once again, Talib Kweli delivers the goods, with thoughtful rhymes over tight, snappin' beats, and more than just a touch of soul to keep things nice! Guest appearances from Bilal, Black Thought, Mos Def, the Cocoa Brovaz, Pharoah Monche and Mos Def alongside production by the Soulquarians, Kanye West, DJ Quik, and Erik Krasno of Soulive (among others. . .) keep this long player fresh from start to finish. 15 tracks in all, including "Get by", "Shock Body", "Waitin For The DJ", "Talk To You", "Guerilla Monsoon Rap", "Put It In The Air", "The Proud" and "Where Do We Go". LP, Vinyl record album