A really cool document from the contemporary Finnish scene – a large multi-generational group organized by trumpeter Hernik Otto Donner – with lots of original music by Donner and pianist Seppo Kantonen! CD

Titles include "Paw Paw", "Wanjiku", "Esthesis", "Prez", "Hawk", and "Melisma". CD

We love this Jazz Liisa series from Finland – as it features unreleased work from the 70s, but which matches the quality of some of our favorite German and Japanese jazz records of the time! The first half of the set was recorded for Finnish radio, and features a group that really shows the power of that scene at the time! The lineup features trumpeter Mike Koskinen at the helm – blowing in a much more outside way than some of his later studio albums, with a cascading array of tones and soundshapes that recall some of the hipper British work of the end of the 60s – such as records like Mike Westbrook or Michael Gibbs – both of whom would be good comparisons here, especially in the tension between the idea of the group, and the strong solos of the individual members. Other players include Juhani Aaltonen on tenor and flute, Mircea Stan on trombone, Kaj Backlund on trumpet, Pekka Poyry on flute and soprano sax, Olli Ahvenlahti on piano and Fender Rhodes, and Edward Vesala on drums – and titles include "PS DC", "Murusia 2", "Numero Puolitoista", "Song For Sally", and "Peretelmia". On the second half, Otto Dorner's just the conductor on the set – but it's also clear that he's a very musically-minded fellow, as the action he gets from the group on the session is really wonderful! The players are all sharp-edged instrumentalists who represent the cream of the Finnish jazz scene of the time – Juhani Aaltonen on tenor and flute, Markku Johansson on trumpet, Seppo Paakkunainen on baritone, and Christer Boustedt on alto – all musicians who really bring a lot of their individual voices to the performance, and are given great space to solo by Donner – in a way that reminds us of some of the more open-ended bigger band performances from the MPS Records releases of the early 70s. Titles include "Och Tusen Tusen Strala Ock", "For Her", and "Saxballad". CD

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Funky samba and modern beats collide in this great set of tracks by Max De Castro – a newer gem on the Trama label, with a similar spirit to the label's debut by Otto, and recent work from Brazil in the modern samba soul vein! Max is clearly inspired by 70s soul artists like Tim Maia or Cassiano – but he's also got an ear for the modern studio, pushing his work out of the straight soul vein with some pretty adventurous production and arrangements! Titles include "Afrosamba", "Samba Raro", "Ella Disse Assim", "Onda Differente", "Flash", and "Voce E Eu". CD

Franz Von Klenck on alto sax, Helmut Rheinhardt on alto and baritone sax, Johnny Feigl on baritone sax, Werner Schulze on bass, Bobby Schmidt on drums, Mary Lou Williams and Werner Drexler on piano, Kurt "Bubi" Aderhold and Paul Martin on tenor sax, Helmut Hauck, Otto Bredl and Werner Betz on trombone, Heinz Herrmannsdorfer on lead trombone, Klaus Mitschele, Rolf Schneebiegl and Siegfried Achhammer on trumpet, Gottfried "Hanne" Wilfert on lead trumpet, and Caterina Valente on vocals. CD

Includes the songs "Take The "A" Train (Intro)", "Caravan", "Three Cent Stomp", "Yesterdays","Things Ain't What They Used To Be", "Blues On The Double", "Kissin' Bug", "(Otto Make That) Riff Staccato", "Cotton Tail", "I'll Buy That Dream", "Fickle Fling", "Autumn Serenade", "How Deep Is The Ocean (How High Is The Sky)", "Goin' Up","Jump For Joy", and "I Wonder Why". CD

A great package of work that features material from some of the famous 40s films directed by Otto Preminger for 20th Century Fox – served up on two CDs' worth of hard-to-find soundtrack recordings! Fallen Angel is from 1945, and features a lovely main theme by David Raksin with a few jazzier and mellower variations – plus the vocal number "Slowly", sung in two versions – one by Alice Faye and one by Dick Haymes! Where The Sidewalk Ends is a gem from 1950 – and has a city-styled score by Cyril Mockridge that's mighty nice – complete with Alfred Newman's theme "Street Scene", and mixed with dramatic numbers that paint a nicely gritty urban scene! Laura is represented by the longer "Laura Suite" by David Raksin – featuring the main theme with some great orchestra variations. Daisy Kenyon is from 1947, and is represented by two longer Raksin numbers – "Daisy Kenyon" and "Love On The Cape". Last is the thrilling Whirlpool from 1949 – done with a heady Raksin score that has lots of differing mood and instrumental changes – a total of 17 tracks that almost work like a sonic movie themselves! CD

A beautiful jazzy score by Duke Ellington – and a fitting companion to this classic Otto Preminger film! The record captures Ellington at a perfect moment – right during his Indigos period of increased sophistication, when his band was at an all-time level of perfection – and really shaking free of the too-familiar modes of the past. Ellington's music has a wonderful range of feeling here – even more so than usual, given the shifting scenes of the film – and the players are an all star lineup that includes Clark Terry on trumpet, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Johnny Hodges on alto, and Jimmy Hamilton on clarinet. Titles include "Upper & Outest", "Almost Cried", "Sunswept Sunday", "Happy Anatomy", "Flirtibird", and "Low Key Lightly". Plus, the CD features a huuuuge amount of bonus tracks – including other tunes from the movie, outtakes, and even the original single version of the theme! 26 cuts in all! CD

Masters At Work have always had a talent for making wonderful club numbers that maintain the flavor of the source, like this batucada derived groover, with some nice percolating MAW touches and a rich, bouncy vocal melody. The other 2 numbers, Otto's "Bob" and Tenoria Junior's "Nebulosa" provide a wonderful counterpoint to the heavier club groove with their breezy vibe. CD

Music from Sam Collins, Gus Cannon, Papa Harvey, Rube Lacy, Bo Carter, Furry Lewis Son House, Geeshie Wiley, Jim Thompkins, Skip James, King Solomon, Otto Virgial, Roberet Johnson, Muddy Waters, and more – 40 tracks in all! CD

With Bubber Miley, Tricky Sam, Sonny Greer, Otto Hardwick, Don Redman, Charlie Irvis, Rudy Jackson, and June Clark. CD

Johnny Hodges on alto sax, Duke Ellington on piano, Harry Carney on baritone sax & clarinet, Jimmy Blanton on bass, Otto Hardwick on alto sax & clarinet, Barney Bigard on tenor sax & clarinet, Sonny Greer on drums, Freddy Guy on guitar & whistle, Ben Webster on tenor sax, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown & Tricky Sam Nanton on trombones, Rex Stewart & Wallace Jones on trumpets, Ray Nance on trumpet, vibes & vocals & Herb Jeffries & Ivie Anderson on vocals. CD

Johnny Hodges on alto sax, Duke Ellington on piano, Harry Carney on baritone sax and clarinet, Jimmy Blanton on bass, Otto Hardwick on alto sax and clarinet, Barney Bigard on tenor sax and clarinet, Sonny Greer on drums, Freddy Guy on guitar and whistle, Ben Webster on tenor sax, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown and Tricky Sam Nanton on trombones, Rex Stewart and Wallace Jones on trumpets, Ray Nance on trumpet, vibes and vocals and Herb Jeffries and Ivie Anderson on vocals. CD

Moss Freed on electric guitar, Laura Jurd, Charlotte Keeffe and Sam Eastmond on trumpet, Tullis Rennie on trombone, Rachel Musson on tenor saxophone, George Crowley on tenor saxophone and clarinet, Chris Williams on alto saxophone, Rosanna TeronBerg on flute and piccolo, Brice Catherin on cello, Otto Wilberg on double bass, Steve Beresford and Elliot Galvin on piano, Will Glaser and James Maddren on drums, and Pierre Alexandre Tremblay on electronics and electric bass. CD

A beautiful jazzy score by Duke Ellington – and a fitting companion to this classic Otto Preminger film! The record captures Ellington at a perfect moment – right during his Indigos period of increased sophistication, when his band was at an all-time level of perfection – and really shaking free of the too-familiar modes of the past. Ellington's music has a wonderful range of feeling here – even more so than usual, given the shifting scenes of the film – and the players are an all star lineup that includes Clark Terry on trumpet, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Johnny Hodges on alto, and Jimmy Hamilton on clarinet. Titles include "Upper & Outest", "Almost Cried", "Sunswept Sunday", "Happy Anatomy", "Flirtibird", and "Low Key Lightly". Plus, the CD features a huuuuge amount of bonus tracks – including other tunes from the movie, outtakes, and even the original single version of the theme! 26 cuts in all! CD

A beautiful jazzy score by Duke Ellington – and a fitting companion to this classic Otto Preminger film! The record captures Ellington at a perfect moment – right during his Indigos period of increased sophistication, when his band was at an all-time level of perfection – and really shaking free of the too-familiar modes of the past. Ellington's music has a wonderful range of feeling here – even more so than usual, given the shifting scenes of the film – and the players are an all star lineup that includes Clark Terry on trumpet, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Johnny Hodges on alto, and Jimmy Hamilton on clarinet. Titles include "Upper & Outest", "Almost Cried", "Sunswept Sunday", "Happy Anatomy", "Flirtibird", and "Low Key Lightly". CD

Wallace Jones, Cootie Williams, Ray Nance, trumpet: Rex Stewart, cornet, Joe Nanton, Lawrence Brown, trombone, Juan Tizol, valve trombone, Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwick, Ben Webster, Harry Carney. Chauncey Haughton, reeds. Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, piano, Fred Guy, guitar, Jimmie Blanton, Alvin "Junior" Raglin, bass, Sonny Greer, drums: lvie Anderson, Herb Jeffries, Ray Nance, vocals. Arrangements by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. CD

Alexander Hawkins on piano, Shabak Hutching on reeds, Otto Fischer on electric guitar, Neil Charles on bass, Stephen Davis on drums, and Richard Olatunde Baker on percussion. CD

Featuring Harold Baker, Quentin Jackson, Jimmy Hamilton, Don Byas, Raymond Fol, Wendell Marshall, Sonny Greer, and Otto Franker. CD

With Lawrence Clark on tenor, Davis Whitfield on piano, Otto Gardner on bass, and Franklin Kiermyer on drums. CD

Al Cohn, Hermann Martireiter, and Petri Kral on tenor saxophone, Al Porcino, Claus Reichstaller, Franz Weyerer, and Peter Tuscher on trumpet, Otto Staniloi and Thomas Faist on alto saxophone, Thomas Zoller on baritone saxophone, Auwi Geyer, Erwin Gregg, Gerd Fink, and Jon Welch on trombone, Robert di Gioia on piano, Paulo Cardoso on bass, and Wolfgang Hafner on drums. CD

A great documentation of this rare live set from 1940 – one of the best slices of Ellington from the time! Johnny Hodges on alto sax, Duke Ellington on piano, Harry Carney on baritone sax and clarinet, Jimmy Blanton on bass, Otto Hardwick on alto sax and clarinet, Barney Bigard on tenor sax and clarinet, Sonny Greer on drums, Freddy Guy on guitar and whistle, Ben Webster on tenor sax, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown and Tricky Sam Nanton on trombones, Rex Stewart and Wallace Jones on trumpets, Ray Nance on trumpet, vibes and vocals and Herb Jeffries and Ivie Anderson on vocals. CD

Duke Ellington on piano with Rex Stewart on cornet, Cat Anderson, Shelton Hemphill, Taft Jordan & Ray Nance on trumpets, Joe Nanton, Claude Jones & Lawerence Brown on trombones, Jimmy Hamilton on clarinet & tenor sax, Johnny Hodges & Otto Hardwick on alto saxophones, Al Sears on tenor saxophone, Harry Carney on baritone saxophone & clarinet, Ray Nance on violin, Fred Guy on guitar, Junior Raglin on bass, Sonny Greer on drums with vocals from Ray Nance, Joya Sherill & Al Hibbler. CD

A beautiful session from Italian trumpeter Fabrizo Bosso and saxophonist Javier Girotto – one that's filled with all the Latin Moods promised in the title! The set steps nicely off some of Bosso's other recent work for Blue Note – with a sound that's evocative, but also pretty lively too – especially given the small combo setting for the date! Bosso's trumpet and flugelhorn come into great play with Girotto's soprano and baritone sax lines – dancing beautifully over some rhythmic backings shaded in with keyboards, piano, and electric bass. The large booklet features some poetic prose that really set the scene for each tune – and although there's a bit of vocals on the record, most numbers are instrumental. Titles include "Volver", "Matias", "Pescao Blanco", "Wide Green Eyes", "Ochenta", "El Cacerolazo", "African Friends", and "Penny". CD

An extended live session from the team of Clifford Brown and Max Roach – recorded together at the Cotton Club in Cleveland at the end of May in 1956 – over the course of three nights of performance that are all represented in this overstuffed set! The group here is a classic one – with Brown on trumpet, Roach on drums, Sonny Rollins on tenor, Richie Powell on piano, and George Morrow on bass – an ensemble that's been famously documented on record by Emarcy, but which is heard here in a more relaxed, rougher-edged mode – not just because of the slightly amateur sound quality on the CDs, but also because of the open-ended, club-styled performance by the group. What the date lacks in polish, it more than makes up for in edge – especially from Rollins, who's really beginning to stretch out during these years. Titles include a 23 minute take on "Get Happy", a 14 minute "Untitled Blues", a 13 minute "Delilah", a 16 minute "Jordu", an 18 minute "Nice Work If You Can Get It", a 19 minute version of "I'll Remember April", and a 10 minute take on "Daahoud" – plus versions of "Lover Man", "Take The A Train", "Valse Hot", "Lover", and "What's New". CD also features 3 bonus tracks – the same group broadcast from Town Casino in Buffalo in February of 1956 – on "Round Midnight", "Daahoud", and "The Blues Walk". CD

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Nice mixture of boppish and swing-based material, and an excellent soulful session that has Illinois Jacquet playing in a stripped-down setting with Ben Tucker on bass, Alan Dawson on drums, and Barry Harris on piano, who adds a nice warm dimension to the set. Jacquet's tone is fantastic as always, and it's a real treat to hear him work his way around the tracks in a relatively free environment. Titles include "Sassy", "Bottoms Up", "Jivin With Jack The Bellboy", and his classic "Port Of Rico". CD

2 lost sessions from early 60s tenor titan Wild Bill Moore – an R&B inflected player who only cut a few sides on his own, all of them a unique mix of jazz with some of the more screaming R&B saxophone tendencies! This set brings together two albums that feature Bill rocking with a Latinized rhythm section – Ben Riley on drums, Joe Benjamin on bass, and Ray Barretto on conga, kicking things up from the bottom. One album features Johnny Hammond Smith on organ, the other Junior Mance on piano – and both sets groove nicely with a wealth of original tracks! Titles include "Heavy Soul", "A Good Un", "Tearin Out", "Wild Bill's Beat", "Sister Caroline", "Bottom Groove", "Bubbles", "My Little Girl", and "Down With It". CD

A quartet date with Rich Perry on tenor sax, Cyrus Chesnut on piano, George Mraz on bass, and Al Foster on drums. Tracks include "Mr. Pastorius", "Lisa Marie", "San Felice", "Goodbye Porkpie Hat", and "Strange Blues". CD

One of the more interesting later sessions from the Art Ensemble – one in which the group push their African influence strongly, by teaming up with the Amabutho Male Chorus for a real Soweto soul sound! Oddly, the Art Ensemble are the ones in African garb on the cover – while the chorus is going more for a late 80s American male fashion look – but in the grooves of the record, the two units come together nicely – and make for a set of tunes that have the AACM sound heading way way past Graceland (that's a Paul Simon/Ladysmith Black Mambazo reference, not an Elvis one!) – really coming up with some compelling cross-cultural sounds in the process. Titles include "African Woman", "Coming Soon", "Black Man", "Fresh Start", and "The Bottom Line". CD

Genius work from Les Baxter – two of his best albums for Capitol, back to back on one CD! Ritual Of The Savage is one of those must-have albums from the 50s – a super-huge record upon its initial release, and an album that pushed the genre of exotica far further than most others at the time! Before this record, most attempts at exotica were simple instrumental pop, colored with slight worldly instrumentation – or too-dreamy recordings, putting over a sleepy version of life on the islands. Enter Les Baxter, who had an amazing ear for sounds, rhythms, and arrangements – one that was the first to record this sort of music in a way that was sonically evocative, and could stand on its own without other referents. Instrumentation is often conventional, but used oddly here – and Baxter's original compositions are all pretty darn great – playful without being goofy, and nicely mixing Latin and Pacific rhythms at the bottom. Titles include "Busy Port", "The Ritual", "Coronation", "Jungle Jalopy", and Les' original version of "Quiet Village". Heck, even the cover is gorgeous – with a brilliant blue illustration of some guy putting the moves on a woman amidst spooky tribal relics! The Passions is a really obscure box set recording – done as Les Baxter's classic exploitation of "a woman's passions", using vocalist Bas Sheva in the role of the tormented female! Shiva's got a bold, evocative style that's not unlike Yma Sumac – and she sings here wordlessly, as an added instrument on top of Baxter's orchestrations – playing the role of the inner psyche of woman, on titles that include "Lust", "Terror", "Joy", "Hate", "Ecstasy", and "Despair"! The whole thing's a mini docu-drama in sound – beautifully recorded in a flurry of red, blue, and other chromatic hues – not as exotic as Baxter's other work from the 50s, but equally great as a modern sonic psychoanalytic text! CD

The second comeback effort from Booker T Jones for Anti-! All around, it's a more sharply-honed and classics-steeped set than its solid, but more southern rock-inflected predecessor – one the finds the Stax organ titan backed by co-producers ?uestlove & Rob Schnapf, Dennis Coffey and others on the sessions, and allstar guest vocals on a few numbers! It's really well done and a worthy effort from a true giant! The heart of the album is the loosely grooving organ soul instrumentals – with a quite a bottom end wallop, thanks to ?uesto, and the incomparable Booker T in great form – but the handful of guest vocalists include Sharon Jones, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Lou Reed, Matt Berninger and Booker T himself. Titles include "Walking Papers", "Crazy", "Progress", "Down In Memphis" with Booker T on vocals, "Representing Memphis" with Sharon Jones & Matt Berninger, "The Bronx" with Lou Reed (weird, but it kinda works!), "The Vamp", "Harlem House" and "Rent Party". CD

A beautiful love letter from Dee Dee Bridgewater to her adopted home of Paris – sung in French, and with a feel that's quite different than much of her recent work! The style here wonderfully mixes together bits of jazz and more traditional chanson – in a style that recalls some of the recent work by Claude Nougaro, but which also has traces of some of Dee Dee's more intimate work as well. Marc Berthoumieux plays accordion on a number of tunes on the set, and Ira Coleman contributes some warmly soulful basslines that give the session a nice bottom grounding – especially on the mellower tunes. Titles include "Mon Homme", "Et Maintenant", "La Belle Vie", "Dansez Sur Moi", "Avec Le Temps", "Les Feuilles Mortes", and "Ne Me Quitte Pas" – plus the Japanese exclusive bonus track "L'Hymne A L'Amour". CD

One of the more legendary albums on Blue Note from the label's classic run – and for many folks, the quintessential album from guitarist Kenny Burrell! Burrell had been playing for a number of years, and had been already recorded by Blue Note on some other excellent records – yet here, there's really something different going on – a bit more of a groove, and a harder edge from Kenny's guitar – augmented with superb work from a group that features Stanley Turrentine on tenor, Major Holly on bass, Bill English on drums, and the great Ray Barretto on congas! The vibe is fantastic, and Turrentine's horn has a raspy edge that's beautiful – while the whole record moves with a very rhythmic groove – thanks to Ray's extra percussion contribution on the bottom! Titles include the classic groover "Chittlins Con Carne", an early jazz dance classic – plus "Soul Lament", "Wavy Gravy", and "Mule". CD

A great example of the cool, classy swing that Benny Carter hit in the 1960s – a groove that was more regularly brought to backings for standout singers of the time, but which also works beautifully here in an instrumental mode! Carter's alto sax is at the top of the charts, but the album's almost more of an ensemble effort overall – with great reed work from Bud Shank on alto, Teddy Edwards and Bill Perkins on tenor, Bill Hood on baritone sax, Don Abney on piano, Barney Kessell and Mundell Lowe on guitar – all coming together as kind of a mini-large ensemble – never that big in the number of players, but grooving with a great sense of poise, class, and soul. There's a number of originals written by Carter, including "Doozy", "Prohibido", "Come On Back", "Rock Bottom", "We Were In Love", and "Titmouse" CD

Some of the most striking work we've heard from Neneh Cherry in years – and a great follow-up to her previous project with The Thing! This set has Neneh working with producer Kieran Hebden – who returns Cherry to the offbeat, arty sound of her early years on the British scene – particularly her excellent work with Rip Rig & Panic! As with that period, the rhythms here are key – but are also rhythms that really veer from the usual – odd basslines and beats that provide a jagged bottom underneath Cherry's soulfully flowing vocals – a sense of counterpoint that really gives the album a lot of power. Titles include "Naked", "Spit Three Times", "Blank Project", "Cynical", "422", "Out Of The Black", "Dossier", and "Everything". CD

The team of Al & Zoot are wonderfully reunited in this classic 70s session – an album that still crackles with all their best twin-tenor frontline styles, but which also has a more fluid, free, and easygoing feel than their work in the 50s! The rhythm session on the set features some great work by Horace Parlan on piano, giving the set a nice gutbuckety bottom, and making the whole thing come across with a lot more soul than you might expect. Titles include "Motoring Along", "Fallin", "What The World Needs Now", and "Stockholm LA". CD also features 3 bonus tracks too! CD

Previously-unreleased live work by one of Miles Davis' most important groups ever – a Bitches Brew-era lineup, playing live at the Fillmore East a month before the record was released to the public – which makes this performance one of the first times the world had ever heard jams like this! The group's heavy on rhythm here – a rumbling groove brought up from the bottom, courtesy of the drums of Jack Dejohnette, basses of Dave Holland, and percussion of Airto – sewn together beautifully by the Fender Rhodes work of Chick Corea – easily some of the noisiest sounds the instrument ever produced! Miles plays trumpet, and Wayne Shorter's on soprano and tenor sax – on titles that include "Directions", "Spanish Key", "Masqualero", "Miles Runs The Voodoo Down", "Bitches Brew", and "It's About That Time/Willie Nelson". CD

Includes work with Jimmy Blythe's Owls, the Beale Street Washboard Band, and Jimmy Bertrand's Washboard Wizards featuring Louis Armstrong, and his own group the Black Bottom Stompers. 16 cuts in all. CD

Music from Duke Ellington And His Kentucky Club Orchestra, The Washingtonians, Traymore Orchestra, Duke Ellington And His Cotton Club Orchestra, The Hotsy Totsy Gang, the Jungle Gang, Bill Robinson accompanied by Irving Mills and His Hotsy Totsy Gang, The Six Jolly Jesters, and Earl Jackson And His Musical Champions. CD

Landmark work by one of the greatest jazz outfits of the early 60s! Art Farmer and Benny Golson were both known as well-composed players during the 50s – strongly soulful, but often with a fine sense of arrangement that usually tended towards the lyrical side of things. With this group, though, they turned that approach towards a heavier sounding style of jazz – tightly stepping soul jazz, in the manner that was being explored at the time by Cannonball Adderley, Art Blakey, and others – presented by Farmer and Golson with a bit more groove and a wonderful kick at the bottom! This album's the first the group cut together – and apart from trumpet by Farmer and tenor by Golson, it also features Curtis Fuller on trombone, McCoy Tyner on piano, Addison Farmer (brother of Art) on bass, and Lex Humphries on drums. Includes the massive original recording of "Killer Joe", which went onto become one of the most recorded jazz standards ever, plus the tracks "Blues March", "Mox Nix", "Park Avenue Petite", and "I Remember Clifford". Perfect tone, perfect groove, and a perfect sound all the way through! CD

Ella's performing songs written by or associated with Duke–what could be better? Here she's backed by two different Ellington groups–-one a big band, the other a small group, whose members included Stuff Smith, Barney Kessel, and Ben Webster. Titles include "Rockin' In Rhythm", "Caravan", "Take The A Train", "Clementine", and "Perdido", all performed with the with the big band, and "Satin Doll", "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)", "Cottontail", and "Do Nothing Till You Here From Me", backed by the small group. Sublime! CD

An incredible record from the southern scene of the 70s – a really unique set that's filled with righteous soul touches, and which really stands out from most other southern soul of the time! The feel here is often in a cosmic mode with plenty of jazz at the bottom – a sound that's influenced by Earth Wind & Fire, but which is also carried off here in a more laidback mode that seems to get equal inspiration from soulful fusion of the mid 70s. The group has both male and female singers trading things back and forth nicely and sometimes coming together on the choruses – creating an overall feel that's almost like Roy Ayers at times. And as with Ayers' best work, there's a tightness and focus to the whole record that's really wonderful – a cohesive groove that's way more than just a few ensemble funk tracks cut in the studio, and which really displays a wide musical vision! Titles include "My Queen", "Clock In", "Fantasy Garden", "Clap Song", "Love & Affection", "My Dreams", and "Magnificent Choo Choo". CD