Monty Alexander on solo piano. LP, Vinyl record album

Classic MPS session by funky pianist Monty Alexander! This one's filled with moody trio material, played by Alexander's tight little group with Senator Eugene Wright on bass and Bobby Durham on drums. Wright's basslines are nice and warm, and roll off in a groovy way with Alexander's tightly punctuated piano lines. The LP includes the tracks "Monticello", "We've Only Just Begun", "Love Story", and "Summer Of 42" – all done in nice groovy versions. The album was issued in Europe with the title We've Only Just Begun – but this is the US version, with a different title but the same cover. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most obscure 70s albums by Monty Alexander for MPS – and a sweet set of piano grooves recorded live in 1974! The album features Monty's group with the great Ernest Ranglin on guitar – working in a mixture of straighter jazz and a few funky numbers that hang nicely on warm bass work by Eberhard Weber, and tight drums by Kenny Clare. Includes a nice reading of Monty's Caribbean tinged number "Alypso", and an even better remake of Herbie Hancock's classic "Chameleon". Other tracks include "Green Dolphin Street", and "Unlimited Love". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Recorded in Milan in late 1985, with Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass and Grady tate on drums and some vocals. LP, Vinyl record album

With Monty Alexander on piano and Jeff Hamilton on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet groover from Don Randi – one of his great 70s sides with the Baked Potato group, and a combination of soulful piano jazz and added percussion – a slightly Latinized approach that makes for some great skipping grooves, almost like Monty Alexander's best work from the time. Tracks include "Leah Rose" and "Tubesteak" – both of which are originals, and very nice groovers. Also features versions of "Mercy Mercy", "Samba De Orfeo", "2001", and "I Found Gold". LP, Vinyl record album

Warm and wonderful work from Phyllis Hyman – a set that's a lot more mainstream soul than her music of a few years before, but one that still shows a strong commitment to the more complicated styles of her roots! The sound here is full and proud – a nice extension of the work that Hyman did with Norman Connors, and not nearly as much in a disco mode as it might be, given the time of the release. And although many of the tracks are somewhat upbeat, they've got a bit more complication in the rhythms than conventional club – thanks to the presence of jazz players who include Herbie Hancock, Monty Alexander, Azar Lawrence, and others. The best production on the record is by T Life, and the team of Skip Scarborough and Larry Alexander – and titles include "Kiss You All Over", "Living Inside Your Love", "Soon Come Again", "Here's That Rainy Day", "Lookin For A Lovin", and "Be Careful (How You Treat My Love)". LP, Vinyl record album

At the end of the 60s, Milt Jackson and Ray Brown cut some very groovy records together – teamed up in a great pairing of styles that pushed both of them way past the more standard sounds of earlier years! This album's one of the best of the bunch – as it features pianist Monty Alexander joining the pair, bringing in some warmly soulful elements on piano – in ways that are a great bridge between his work for MGM and MPS! The set also features great tenor from Teddy Edwards – blowing with a deep tone and a sharp edge – and in addition to vibes by Jackson and bass by Brown, the group also features Dick Berk on drums. The set was recorded live at Shelly's Manne-Hole – and titles include Alexander's "That's The Way It Is", plus "Blues In The Basement", "Wheelin & Dealin", and "Tenderly". LP, Vinyl record album

The brilliant return of one of our favorite funky series ever – filled with top-shelf rarities that represent the best of 70s rare groove and break tracks! It's been a long time since we last saw a volume of Strange Games, but this set shows that it's been more than worth the wait – as BBE have come up with a batch of tunes so great, they must have been working on this one for years! As with other volumes, the names are familiar, but the cuts are all surprisingly hard to find – and they're all hand-picked for their resonance with modern use of the material in hip hop and remix culture – an aspect that makes even obscure tunes echo with a strong familiarity because of a bassline or drum break! And as an added treat, the CD and vinyl both have the same number of tracks – an increasingly rare phenomenon these days – with titles that include "Love & Happiness" by Monty Alexander, "She's My Summer Breeze" by The Reflections, "Come Into My Life" by The Supremes, "LA Night" by Yasuko Agawa, "Looking Up To You" by Michael Wycoff, "Give Me Your Love" by Barbara Mason, "Inside Out" by American Gypsy, "You Are What I'm All About" by The New Birth, "Loving You" by Donald Byrd, "Porcupine" by Nature Zone, "Strange Funky Games & Things" by Jay Dee, "Do It Baby" by The Miracles, "California Dreaming" by Eddie Hazel, and "Reflections" by Bill Conti. LP, Vinyl record album

A key moment in the career of vocalist Ernestine Anderson – a record that not only returned her to the public eye after a flurry of initial sides in the late 50s and early 60s, but which also finally helped Anderson find a sound that worked! The album's done with backing by the Monty Alexander trio – in a style that's bluesy and soul jazz inflected, but with a sweeter west coast sound – almost an early 80s equivalent of the groove explored by Lou Rawls or Ernie Andrews in LA during the mid 60s, but done with an even more relaxed, jazz-based approach here. The title track – "Never Make Your Move Too Soon" – was an instant standout that got Anderson play in many corners of the US – and other tracks are more familiar numbers, but done in a similar mode – with titles that include "Old Folks", "As Long As I Live", "Just One More Chance", "Poor Butterfly", and "My Shining Hour". LP, Vinyl record album