Totally wonderful work from this overlooked 60s duo – Jon Abdnor and Javonne Braga – a pair who recorded for the very cool underground pop powerhouse Abnak Records, and have this rough-edged quality that really makes the music wonderful all the way through! The style is as groovy and pop psych as you might expect from the image on the cover – but there's a particular sort of execution here that really makes the music stand out – in part a sense of male/female vocal pairing that has all the unique charms of a Lee Hazlewood project, but more rough around the edges – so much so at some times they almost come across like John Doe and Exene singing on early records by X. A tremendous treat throughout – with titles that include "Gift Of Love", "You Don't Care", "How Come", "I Want Some More", "Thursday Morning", "Drums", "Doctor Jon The Medicine Man", and "Truly Truly True". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare funk gem from Stax Records – a strange mix of rock and funk, originally recorded for the label's Gospel Truth subsidiary, which is why it's kind of gotten lost in the cracks over the years! The group's got a very heavy ensemble funk sound – a blend of organ, sax, and percussion – all coming together in a loose studio jam style on the best cuts, as you might guess by the name "Round Robin"! Tracks include "Life Is Funky", "Alpha", "Peace of Mind", and "Dreamers". LP, Vinyl record album

A hell of a record of Latin Jazz – recorded in the UK, but with a vibe that puts the whole thing right up there with some of the most inventive American albums of a few years before – such as Latin jazz classics by Sabu Martinez, Cal Tjader, or Eddie Palmieri! Robin Jones is the leader, and plays drums and timbales here – and the group are a tight sextet who work with no vocals at all – just flutes and saxes from Olaf Vas, a great talent who really shades in the sound – plus piano and Rhodes from Ian Henry, bass from Percy Borthwick, and percussion from Simon Morton and Tony Uter. Given the lack of other instrumentation, there's a fantastic focus on the percussion, reeds, and piano – and the whole thing's a cracker through and through, with titles that include "Africa Revisited", "Urubu", "Con Fuego", "Denga", and "Sucio Mambo". LP, Vinyl record album

We have to admit, even if this record wasn't a fierce salvo loaded down with tough dancehall tracks, we'd still love it for the great photos of Levy in a red, green and gold Robin hood getup on the cover! Junjo Lawes and Roots Radics may well have robbed from the rich for the mighty blasts of rhythm under Levy's outstanding vocals on this set that keeps up the pressure from start to finish! 10 tracks in all, including "Robin Hood", "Rock And Come In", "Love Sister Carol", "Gonna Tell Your Girlfriend", "You Come To Ask What Is Love", "Why Did You Leave Me", "Na Broke No Fight Over No Woman", "When Friday Comes", "Like How You Kiss & Caress Me" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique combo, and one that's definitely what's promised in the title – a lineup that's heavy on trombones, given a nice kick at the bottom from guitar, bass, and drums! The players come together here in a really wonderful sound – partly extending from the postwar multi-trombone experiments of JJ Johnson and Kai Winding, but with occasional nods to New Orleans music, Afro Funk, and other styles that can be heavier on the horns! Female trombonist Nabou Claerhout leads the group, which features four other trombonists on most tracks – and the leadoff track also features guest work from Robin Eubanks. Titles include "Wistful", "A Duet For Three", "Hutch", "Murphy All The Way", "Slide Unit", and "A Day At The Huge Field With A Little House". LP, Vinyl record album

A superb stripped down set from former Blue Note and South African ex-pat Dyani, joined by drummer Clifford Jarvis. The two bounce rhythms and pulses off each other on a wide open set featuring lots of solo moments for both, plus some vocal and piano contributions. 6 numbers in all, including "Afrikan Anthem (Zulu)", "Afrikan Blues", "Ithi-Gqi", "Lonely Flowers", "South Afrikan" and "The Robin Irland Struff". LP, Vinyl record album

A really heady set from the contemporary jazz scene in South Africa – a record led by groundbreaking drummer Asher Gamedze, and one that has all these wonderfully righteous currents soaring from a surprisingly small group! Gamedze's sense of rhythm is nicely offbeat – different than you might expect, especially for a group led by a drummer – and the small group features intersecting lines from the trumpet of Robin Fassie and tenor of Buddy Wells, as singer Julian Deacon Otis lends vocals to really top the whole thing off in a wonderful way. Bassist Thembinkosi Mavimbela provides moody undercurrents to the whole thing – and titles include "Melancholia", "If It Rains To Pursue Truth", "Turbulence's Pulse", "Out Stepped Zim", "Sometimes I Think To Myself", and "Underground Formation". Plus, this physical edition features three bonus tracks recorded with the Another Time Ensemble, which has guitar, alto, bass, and electronics – titles that include live versions of "Melancholia", "If It Rains", and "Out Stepped Zim". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool record, and one that digs deep into the earliest days of the disco scene – that time in New York where there weren't any records being made as strictly "disco" cuts – and DJs had to make their pick of soul and funk records from a time when the music was really changing things up! The album's heavy on New York and Philly-based tracks, and some of the artists here are ones who'd had an earlier life in soul music, but were picking up the rhythms, adding in some larger arrangements, and creating grooves that really knocked the whole thing out of the park! The presentation here is based on a famous 1975 article that looked at the underground scene out in Brooklyn for New York magazine – later made famous as Saturday Night Fever – and as such, the tracks here are full of surprises, and very different than the usual disco-inspired compilation. Titles include "Just As Long As We're Together (single version)" by Gloria Scott, "After You've Had Your Fling" by The Intrepids, "Welcome To The Club" by Blue Magic, "Mellow Me" by Faith Hope & Charity, "Got To Get You Back" by Sons Of Robin Stone, "Date With The Rain (LP version)" by Eddie Kendricks, "Georgia's After Hours" by Richard Popcorn Wylie, "If That's The Way You Feel" by White Heat, "It's The Same Old Story" by Act 1, "Tell Me What You Want" by Jimmy Ruffin, "Night Of The Wolf" by Ivano Fossati, "The Whole Damn World Is Going Crazy" by John Gary Williams, "You Can't Hide Love" by Creative Source, "Wendy Is Gone" by Ronnie McNeir, "Free & Easy" by Satyr, and "Keep It Up" by Betty Everett. LP, Vinyl record album

The fourth Prince soundtrack in less than a decade – and a record that follows nicely after Purple Rain, Batman, and Parade, but with a slightly different spirit too – thanks to an ever-expanding Paisley Park family that included George Clinton, Morris Day, and Mavis Staples! The older funk acts are fine, and add to the spice – but it's clear that the main attraction here is Prince, although The Time are pretty darn welcome too! The set features vocal performances from Tevin Campbell, George Clinton, Mavis Staples, TC Ellis, and Robin Power – and titles include "New Power Generation", "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got", "Love Machine", "Tick Tick Bang", "Shake", "Thieves In The Temple", "Still Would Stand All Time", "Graffiti Bridge", and "The Latest Fashion". LP, Vinyl record album

Anderson.Paak heads to Ventura for this one – and something about that sunny coastal city brings out his soul influences after the primarily hip hop-leaning Oxnard! Paak leads on his raspy sung style for this one, an easygoing hip hop soul sound that's built to last, and again bringing in a heavy hitting of roster guests – including Andre 3000, Nate Dogg, Lalah Hathaway, Brandy and even Smokey Robinson – on tracks including "Come Home", "Make It Better" with Smokey Robinson, "Reachin' 2 Much", "King James", "Goodheels" with Jazmine Sullivan, "Yada Yada", "Jet Black" with Brandy, "Twilight" and "Chosen One" with Sonyae Elise and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime second chapter of work from Booker T & The MGs – pulled from a time when Stax Records was stepping out of the influence of Atlantic, and really opening the door to a wide variety of new soul sounds! That approach is definitely in place here – as the tracks really evolve past the early hits of the group – with more unusual rhythmic patterns, laid down by the great Al Jackson on drums and Donald Duck Dunn on bass – while Steve Cropper provides all the riffing genius on his guitar, and Booker T pushes things over the top with completely sublime work on organ! All players are really changing up their groove, especially as the singles here progress from the 60s into the 70s – and the package features a-sides and b-sides, and even a few post-Booker T cuts by the MGs. Titles include "Kinda Easy Like", "Melting Pot", "Sunday Sermon", "Something", "Fuquawi", "Sugarcane", "Blackside", "Neckbone", "Soul Clap 69", "Slum Baby", "Meditation", "Johnny I Love You", "Time Is Tight", "Jamaica This Morning", "Over Easy", "Heads Or Tails", "Mrs Robinson", and "Soul Limbo. LP, Vinyl record album

The name of the group may be obscure, but it's one of the key ensembles who recorded as part of the legendary Deram jazz series at the turn of the 70s – directed by cellist Paul Buckmaster, and featuring trumpet from Ian Carr and soprano sax from Brian Smith! The style here mixes together strings and freer jazz styles – in a tightly scored way that makes for shifting patterns in sound and mood. Overall, there's a quality to the work that always seems to be yearning for the next level – especially on the earlier tracks on the album, which kind of set the stage – and then open up at the final half of the record in some especially groovy numbers that feature Chris Karan on tabla! Other players include Peter Robinson on electric piano, Diana Lewis on acoustic piano, and Barry Morgan on drums – and titles include "Chitinous", "Dance", "Aldebaranian Song", and "Ronkproat'tn". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent album of funky drumbreaks – cut by a drummer who's a legend among funk fans, but who hardly ever gets mentioned in history books of jazz! Les DeMerle was a lesser-known LA player, and he had a monster approach to the kit – which is why most of the few albums he cut are very in demand for fans of a good funky drum break, as well as the longer grooves! This one's a stellar session that mixes together straight funk with some strong choppy fusion numbers – and it was issued on the tiny Dobre label, which came out with some excellent obscure sides during the 70s. Raul De Souza's on trombone, Milcho Leview plays piano, and Robby Robinson plays plenty of nice electric keyboards. Includes the break-heavy tracks "Moondial" and "Funk It!", the jazz dance cut "Canned Heat Suite", the choppy funky "Bacchanal", and the great groover "Kaballa". 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

One of the true giants from the Harvest Records prog years – a masterpiece of a trio album, and one that has even more power than most fuller groups of the time! The core lineup features John Gustafson on bass and vocals, Pete Robinson on keyboards, and Mick Underwood on drums – and the trio do a fantastic job of shifting modes from track to track, really keeping things interesting as the subject matter and song length shifts. There's also some nice use of additional strings – arranged by Robinson, handled by Paul Buckmaster – and titles include "Gemini", "Laughin Tackle", "Entropy", "Black Sheep Of The Family", "Good Lord Knows", and "Up On The Ground". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic solo work from Smokey Robinson – recorded a few years before his monumental Quiet Storm album, but with a very similar high level of quality! Willie Hutch co-produced the album with Smokey, and working with arrangements by Hutch and Gene Page, they transform Smokey's sound into a sophisticated 70s modern one, adding in slight touches of funk, and complicated backings that really let him open up as a singer, both vocally and emotionally. The whole thing's got a wonderful mellow soul groove, and titles include "Wanna Know My Mind", "Baby Come Close", "The Family Song", "Just My Soul Responding", "Holly", "A Silent Partner In A Three-Way Love Affair", and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" LP, Vinyl record album

Legendary work from Smokey Robinson and his wonderful group – a killer set from the second all-male version of The Miracles – recorded with some wonderfully soaring harmonies! The group's got a nice bite on the bottom here – a groove to go with the "go go" promised in the title – at a level that made these Miracles really take off on Motown dancefloors, yet still also have the late nite appeal of the earlier group too. The album includes the big hit dance number "Going To A Go Go", the classic ballad "Tracks Of My Tears", and loads of other wonderful numbers like "Ooo Baby Baby", "Let Me Have Some", "All That's Good", and "My Girl Has Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

A great take on sweet soul sounds from the past – served up here by a mighty hip group who mix slow funky modes with some mighty nice vocals! The record's got a mix of deep funk production and some of the warmer qualities of east coast group soul from the New Jersey scene at the start of the 70s – almost an All-Platinum/Stang sort of record from the hands of George Kerr and Sylvia Robinson, but with some fuller, more forward-moving cuts that also echo the Record Kicks label too! There's light strings that really help the record soar – and the lead vocals of Mark Sexton are mighty nice throughout, especially when he gets support from a few backup singers too. Titles include "Better Late Than Never", "The Other Side", "Trouble On My Mind", "Love Can't Be Borrowed", "Beck & Call", "This Could Last Forever", and "Daydreaming". LP, Vinyl record album

The great Sylvia Robinson hit the charts in the 70s with a huge crossover hit – but somehow, this album from the time has always been one of her trickiest to find – a complete gem through and through, done with a slinky, sexy style that's completely outta sight! Robinson's maybe best known as the force behind Sugarhill Records – but a few years before, she was already a maestro in the studio at the helm of the Vibration/All-Platinum label – cooking up sublime New Jersey soul tracks with other groups, and using all those talents on her own vocals as well! There's a mellow, midtempo groove to the set – just like Sylvia's big hit – and the approach is perfect for her sensual vocals – on titles that include "I Can't Help It", "Pussycat", "Soul Je T'Aime", "Sho Nuff Boogie", "Private Performance", "The Notion", and "Coward's Way Out". LP, Vinyl record album

Jazz harp genius Amanda Whiting takes on a host of older tracks here – and completely makes them her own, thanks to some very sensitive, spiritual handling of the material! The group is a trio – Deej Williams on bass and Tony Robinson on drums – and they take the tunes in a style that's very open, but gently rhythmic – allowing Whiting's work on the strings to open up all these beautiful currents on the songs – really transforming them, at a level that reminds us of the way that Dorothy Ashby could take a simple tune and lift to the heavens with her own famous work on the instrument! Titles include a great reading of Freddie Hubbard's "Little Sunflower" – plus the famous Astor Piazzolla tune "Libertango", and takes on "Caravan", "Can't Get You Out Of My Head", and "In A Sentimental Mood". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest, most righteous albums ever cut by pianist Jessica Williams – a set where it feels like all of her ideas come together perfectly, and are carried forward by a wonderful lineup of players! The group is small, but there's a very large feel to the whole thing – such that there's moments when we have to remind ourselves that this is still a small combo, even if Williams' music make things feel larger and more ambitious – a lineup that includes the great Eddie Henderson on trumpet, plus Jim Grantham on tenor, Kim Stone on bass, Henry Robinette on guitar, and Dave Tucker on drums. Williams is superb throughout on piano – and titles include "To The Children Of The Future", "The Demise Of Armored Man", "Weapon Of Truth", "Up The Entropy Slope", and "Longing". Expanded version features lots of bonus tracks – including "Power Of Love", "Gratitude", "The Shroud", "All Strange", and "Orgone". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool collection – one that's maybe best summed up by the word "ecstatic" in the title – as the package presents a blend of work from artists who easily skirt both the spiritual and secular side of soulful music, united together with a very joyous, uplifting vibe in their sound! This isn't classic gospel from the years when you might hear a guitar or organ behind a small group of harmonizing vocals – and instead, much of this work was created at a time when soul music had already been going strong for years – and while gospel might have initially helped in the formation of soul, it's clear that things are also moving the other direction in these tracks – as many of these artists borrow from the power of righteous soul styles, and use it to inflect their joyous message with a great new energy! Titles include "Everything Is Gonna Be Alright" by Keith Barrow, "Is There Anybody Here" by The Alvin Darling Ensemble, "Trouble's Brewin" by The Meditation Singers, "Satisfied" by Andre Crouch & The Disciples, "Let Your Feet Down Easy" by Dorothy Norwood, "If You Believe Your God Is Dead" by Swan Silvertones, "The Upper Way" by The Violinaires, "Elijah" by Roscoe Robinson, "Till I've Got This Feelin Of Love" by Dyson's Faces, and "Nothing Can Stop Me Now" by Destiny. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album, and very unique! Sarah Webster Fabio was a hip 70s poet with a very righteous sound – and she's working here with funky backings by a tight group that includes family members, in a style that's similar to early 70s work by artists like Wanda Robinson and Camille Yarborough – both of whom also mixed together funk and poetry! The album's got a massive funky cut called "Sweet Songs" – the kind of groover we never tire of, with tight drums, great guitar, and wonderful vocals by Sarah herself. There's lots of other great tunes too – with titles that include "Juju For Grandma", "Still A Red Hot Axe", "Chromo", "If We Come As Soft Rain", and "Jujus/Alchemy Of The Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Groundbreaking 70s work from Lee Scratch Perry – served up here with both work from The Upsetters, and a long list of "friends" – different singers who take the lead on some of the productions, which are then presented back to back with dub versions of the tracks that overflow with great contributions from a top-shelf lineup of musicians! Players on the cuts include Willie Lindo and Ernest Ranglin on guitars, Winston Wright on organ, Vin Gordon on trombone, and Richard Dirty Harry Hall on tenor – but the real talent here is clearly that of Perry, who's able to move between soulful vocal leads and some deeper, darker Black Ark sounds on the rhythms. Titles include "Mr Money Man" by Danny Hensworth, "Brother Noah" by The Shadows, "Traveling" by Debra Keese, "Ethiopian Land" by Peter & Paul Lewis, "Land Of Love" by Sons Of Light, "Peace & Love" by Shaumark & Robinson, "Freedom Street" by Eric Donaldson, "My Little Sandra" by Leo Graham, "Long Long Time" by Winston Heywood, "White Belly Rat" by Lee Perry, "A Wah Dat" by Junior Dread, and "Feelings" by Sharon Isaacs – and the set features dub versions of every cut by The Upsetters too! LP, Vinyl record album

Tight, spare, and mighty funky – a set of contemporary cuts served up in a sound library style, but with a lot more grit in the grooves than most! These guys really dig funky drums, heady basslines, and raw guitars – of the sort that makes some of these tracks feel a lot more like funky 45 instrumentals than you might guess from the cover – and which are mixed with a few more laidback tracks that make great use of keyboards too! The set's got an instrumental diversity that's great, but which also mostly sticks to the heavy funk side of the spectrum – on titles that include "The Gaffer", "Soul Bay", "Firework", "They Live", "Strobing Lights", and "Move". LP, Vinyl record album

We love the work of bassist Henry Grimes – and he sounds especially wonderful in this very open set of improvisations with trumpeter Ted Daniel, in a series of performances that also features work from Michael Marcus on Bb and A clarinets! The recording quality is great – so that you really get to hear the textures of the deeper, darker lines on Grimes' bass – and the mix of horns keeps things interesting, too – especially as Daniel also blows a French hunting horn! Marcus' work on clarinet is nice and deft – often blown with the soulfulness of a different sort of reed instrument, but in creative open space first explored by musicians like Perry Robinson or Jimmy Giuffre – and titles include "Quism", "Reconciliation", "Truth Telling", "Sonic Corridors", and "Spiral Landscapes". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest moments ever from pianist Sadik Hakim – a player most people know for his contribution to the American bop scene of the late 40s – but an artist who grew even more strongly during his later years in Montreal! This album's a real highlight from that overlooked time in Hakim's career – a set that not only has the musician playing both Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano, but which also highlights his tremendous skill as a writer, too – with a richness that easily rivals the best on the European scene of the time – such as some of our favorite London jazz musicians, or the great work on MPS. Side one features the extended "London Suite" – a work that's poetic, but also pretty darn groovy too – and side two features on shorter compositions that include "Liliane", "Grey Cup Caper", and "Moon In Aquarius" – all carried off beautifully by a group that includes Al Khabyyr Sayyd Abdul on alto and flute, Billy Robinson on tenor, and Peter Leitch on guitar. LP, Vinyl record album

The Temptations sing the work of Smokey Robinson – and they've even got Smokey along to help them out on production! Given the high Robinson quotient on the set – both on production and songwriting – you'd almost expect this one to be a copycat of The Miracles' music at the time. Yet The Temps really manage to bring plenty of their own greatness to play on the material – deepening some of the songs with wonderful harmonies, and creating a sound that's often a bit less sweet and a bit more soulful than Smokey's approach with his own group. Titles include "It's Growing", "Who's Loving You", "What's So Good About Goodbye", "Depend On Me", "Way Over There", and "What Love Has Joined Together". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic early Temptations – a wonderful little record produced by Smokey Robinson with a sweet group finish! The harmonies are impeccable, and the sound is perfect Motown – tight and classy, but with enough rough edges to keep things soulful at the best parts – and there's a romping sort of groove to many tracks, almost making the album sort of a mini-Motown dance party of sorts! Titles include "Just Another Lonely Night", "The Girl's Alright With Me", "Don't Look Back", "Since I Lost My Baby", "Everybody Needs Love", "My Baby", "You've Got To Earn It", and "Born To Love You". LP, Vinyl record album