A stone 70s classic from the Isley Brothers – a set recorded right at the height of their glory days – at a time when their sound was completely on the money! The cover has the group on stage – a photo taken during their run of arena concerts at the time – but the album's a studio effort throughout, and really shows the group's increasing understanding of the way the right production would bring out all the best elements in both their instrumentation and vocals! In fact, although the groovers are great, the group are maybe at their height with the impeccable production on two ballads – the sublime "Voyage To Atlantis" and "Footsteps In The Dark" – served up alongside the midtempo tune "Tell Me When You Need It Again", another great track that almost has the same power as the other two. But the whole thing's great – in the best Isley Brothers 70s way – and tracks include "Climbin Up The Ladder", "The Pride", and "Go For Your Guns". LP, Vinyl record album

Four important albums from Jade Warrior – all brought together here in a single set! Floating World is the first album in Jade Warrior's mid-70s run for Island Records – and a set that marks a key shift for the group – a moment when they leaned even more heavily into their interest in global sounds, dropped most of their vocals, and used their impeccable instrumentation to take off in really amazing ways! The core duo of Tony Duhig's guitar and Jon Field's flute serve up most of the instrumentation here – and both players handle plenty of percussion too – yet there's a richness to the record that's undeniable too, which is a great testament to the way the pair make really special music together! Martha Mdenge serves up some guest vocals on the final track "Quba", the group take on the legendary "Monkey Chant" of Balinese music, and other titles include "Red Lotus", "Clouds", "Mountain Of Fruit & Flowers", "Waterfall", and "Easty". Kites is one of the most ambitious records ever from Jade Warrior – a set that expands their core sound in a wonderful way, with all sorts of great guests who really add a lot to the music! As before, the duo of Tony Duhig and Jon Field are at the core – guitar, flute, and plenty of percussion – but augmented here with all sorts of cool contributions by guests who include Fred Frith on violin, Gowan Turnball on saxes, and Jeff Westley on electric piano – plus Clodagh Simonds on a bit of vocals – all really bringing a new sort of majesty to the sort of music that the group delivered on their previous record – but without losing the sense of intimacy either. Titles include "Towards The Mountains", "Wind Song", "The Emperor", "Songs Of The Forest", "Quietly By The River Bank", and "The Last Question". Waves is a key moment in the continuing evolution of Jade Warrior – and a set that nicely moves the group from the prog styles of their roots, into leaner territory that's almost jazz-based at times! Some of the group's contemporaries were making such shifts, but usually in a way that was more heavy handed – where the lightness that Jade Warrior had on previous records really guides the music here – as they work with their core combination of keyboards, flute, guitar, and plenty of percussion – with additional work from Dave Duhig on lead guitar, Maggie Thomas on alto recorder, and Steve Winwood on moog, piano, and keyboards! There's a bit of vocals on the record from a female singer – but most of the tracks just have this gentle instrumental flowering – moving through an album-length suite that includes the tracks "Caves", "Groover", "River To The Sea", "Song Of The Last Whale", "The Sea", and "Wave Birth". Way Of The Sun is a set that's got a few sharper edges than some of the previous records by Jade Warrior – yet one that still hangs nicely in that Eastern-inspired blend of jazz and prog that made their Island Records years so great! As before, the album works as a unified whole – each track crucial to the overall feel of the set – with plenty of excellent work on flute from Jon Field, amidst more conventional guitar, keyboard, and percussion. There's some occasional nice guest moments on flugelhorn, harp, and saxes – and titles include "Sun Ra", "Dance Of The Sun", "Heaven Stone", "Moontears", "Sun Child", "Carnival", and "Death Of Ra". CD

The 4th in Bob James legendary run of Fender Rhodes classics for CTI – and a record that still has him working with the dark edges that made the first few so great! As usual with these sets, there's a way of putting over the groove that's really unique – not really funky, but spacious enough to make even the simplest instrumental statements resonate with a punch that other fusion records never had – a James-like approach to rhythm and sound that's totally great, and which is made even better by key contributions from CTI labelmates who include Hubert Laws, Eric Gale, and Art Farmer. James plays Fender Rhodes, Arp, and clavinet – and titles include the funky sample cut "Tappan Zee", plus "Nights Are Forever Without You", "Where The Wind Blows Free", "Pure Imagination", "Treasure Island", and "El Verano". LP, Vinyl record album

A great group gets even better – thanks to some heavenly production from the legendary Ed Motta! Ed's an artist that we love tremendously for his own work – particularly the recent groundbreaking sides on the Trama label – but here he's working in the studio in support of Jazzinho, giving their already-great groove an added touch of warmth, soul, and imagination! As on their debut, Jazzinho work strongly in a jazzy 70s territory – hitting the best notes of Brazilian fusion from that time, and coming off with an especially soulful sound on the vocals – which are mostly backed up by live combo instrumentation. Ed's participation here runs past even his control of the studio board, as he sings a bit, arranges some, and also plays guitar and percussion – really acting as a special extra member of the group for this set! Main vocals are by Guida De Palma, and titles include "The Lagoon Monster", "Aos Meninos De Angola", "Symmetry", "Tide", "Symetrie", "Afro Luso Brasileiro", "Aos Meninos De Angola", "Cancao De Embalar", "Da Tempo Ao Tempo", and "Look Inside". CD

An overlooked gem from the years when most of the rest of the world had forgotten about the JBs – but Fred Wesley and the group were still going strong! The set's a great meeting of two funky generations – the classic James Brown funk of the late 60s and early 70s, and some of the revival modes that sprung up on the London scene at the end of the 80s – heard to best effect here in the way the album was recorded – with core horns from Wesley on trombone, Maceo Parker on alto sax, and Pee Wee Ellis on tenor – plus added London grooves in a real Brand New Heavies mode! The groove is nice and hard, and the album's way more of a classic-styled funk outing than most of the other JBs-revival titles from the same stretch – thanks to rock-solid production from the Soulciety family too. Noel McKoy, Jay Ella Ruth, and other Brit funk talents help out on the set – and titles include "What Goes Around", "Chillin With Fred", "Picture On The Wall", "Homeboy", "Push", and "I Like It Like That". CD

An overlooked gem from the years when most of the rest of the world had forgotten about the JBs – but Fred Wesley and the group were still going strong! The set's a great meeting of two funky generations – the classic James Brown funk of the late 60s and early 70s, and some of the revival modes that sprung up on the London scene at the end of the 80s – heard to best effect here in the way the album was recorded – with core horns from Wesley on trombone, Maceo Parker on alto sax, and Pee Wee Ellis on tenor – plus added London grooves in a real Brand New Heavies mode! The groove is nice and hard, and the album's way more of a classic-styled funk outing than most of the other JBs-revival titles from the same stretch – thanks to rock-solid production from the Soulciety family too. Noel McKoy, Jay Ella Ruth, and other Brit funk talents help out on the set – and titles include "What Goes Around", "Chillin With Fred", "Picture On The Wall", "Homeboy", "Push", and "I Like It Like That". CD

Essential funk in a single set – three killer albums from James Brown's legendary backing group! First up is Food For Thought – the classic first album by The JBs – James Brown's Fred Wesley-led backing band, and the force behind most of his greatest records of the early 70s! The band are incredible at this point – sharper, harder, and funkier than just about any other combo around – and that includes all the thousands of groups in the funky 45 underground who were always trying to copy their sound, but never got things this right! Not only are the rhythms the stuff of legend – but the use of the instruments is far far above the norm – as can be heard on the mindblowing "The Grunt", which was sampled heavily by Public Enemy to great fame – and which features a saxophone solo that sounds more like a whistling tea kettle! The set collects some of the group's best early singles, and includes all of the short little funky cuts that made them a legend right out of the box – "Pass the Peas", "The Grunt", "These Are The JBs", "Hot Pants Road", "Wine Spot", "To My Brother", "Blessed Blackness", "Theme From King Heroin", "Escapism (parts 1 & 2), and "Gimme Some More" – all together here in one tight little album of massive funky hard beats and breaks! Doing It To Death is an incredible album – a landmark piece of funk that nobody should be without, funk fan or not! The album is the second to feature James Brown's famous backing combo of the early 70s – and unlike their first one, which was really more of a collection of singles, this album has the group playing hard, long, and loud, in the free funk improvisational mode that was James' real contribution to the music at the time. The tracks are all incredibly long, with James at the forefront, egging the band on with shouts and comments – but also letting them open up large instrumentally, playing in a mode that's as much jazz as it is funky soul. The whole thing's peppered with some nice shorter segues between tracks – but the long cuts are the winners, and are some of the best funk ever recorded! Titles include "Mo Peas", "Doing It To Death", "La Di Da La Di Day", "You Can Have Watergate, Just Gimme Some Bucks & I'll Be Straight", and "Sucker". Last up is Damn Right I Am Somebody – quite possibly our favorite record by the JBs, ever! The set starts with a wonderful conversational bit – rapping and musing on the idea of "Damn Right, I Am Somebody" – showing the group in a political and righteous mode for the first time ever. The grooves then kick in – with the same heavy funk as on earlier records, but also a nice nod towards experimental production – from strange fade ups and fade downs, to stark time and rhythm changes, and even bits of electronics used to create some very cool moments in the grooves! The whole thing's as dead funky as can be, and is stuffed with insane classics like "Blow Your Head", "Same Beat", "Damn Right I am Somebody", "I'm Payin' Taxes, What am I Buyin'", and a great cover of Marvin Gaye's "You Sure Love to Ball"! CD

A killer 2CD set of funky grooves by one of the best backing bands ever! The JBs were James Brown's legendary combo during his monster funk years of the early 70s – and this well-selected compilation brings together 30 rare tracks from their best years! The set's got a great set of notes – and it stretches beyond work by the JBs alone to include cuts from other groupings of the band, like Maceo & The Macks, The Last Word, The First Family, and The New JBs. Titles include "Rockin Funky Watergate", "Keep On Bumpin Before You Give Out Of Gas", "Soul Power 74", "My Brother (parts 1 & 2)", "The Grunt (parts 1 & 2)", "Dirty Harri", "More Peas", "Watermelon Man", "Givin Up Food For Funk (parts 1 & 2)", "JB Shout", "Blessed Blackness", "Same Beat (parts 1, 2, & 3)", and "Gimme Some More (Very Live)". Nice nice nice – and with a fair number of non-LP tracks! CD

A fantastic slice of lost work from the legendary JBs – including the track that first got Bootsy Collins and company the job as James Brown's backing band! The set leads off with that gem of a groove – the fast funky "More Mess On My Thing" – a tune that's got the sort of impeccable sharpness the JBs would bring to the James Brown universe in the early 70s – complete with tight drums, effortless basslines, and horn lines so tight they could cut glass! "The Wedge" follows – a sweet organ-driven instrumental with a vibe that's a lot like "Brother Rapp" – but stretched out as a long instrumental jam! And that approach really takes off on the super-long "When You Can Feel It Grunt (If You Can)" – a tune that begins with the band doing their own version of "Let The Music Take Your Mind", before going off into all the these other directions on the first-ever issue of the complete take of the tune! CD

A damn great little record – a small label indie side, but a set that had an unusually strong influence on vocal jazz in the 60s – really setting a new standard for the generation to come! Marv swings things with a hip, sophisticated style – shaking off some of the excesses of the Billy Eckstine generation, going for the leaner modes of the Frank Minion set – and coming up with some groovy tunes that really sparkle in his hands! Marvin plays piano and celeste, and the set also features organ from Charles Kynard and Groove Holmes, flute and tenor from Buddy Collette and Clifford Scott, trumpet from Carmell Jones, and guitar from Hank Crawford – about as hip a backing group as you could hope to pull from the LA scene! The set includes the killer "Big City" – penned and sung by Jenkins, but covered by plenty of others – plus "Chicago", "Small Town", "City Blues", "Visit Me Today", and "I'm Always Drunk In San Francisco". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic run of records from Waylon Jennings – brought together in a single package! First up is Lonesome Onry & Mean – a pivotal album for Waylon Jennings – the record where he really found the new direction that would finally get him the fame he deserved – delivered in a way that's free from all the later cliches, and which also ties Waylon pretty strongly to the hipper currents of the underground – especially that point where singer/songwriter genius intersected with country! The production is his own, and vastly different than the late 60s records – even though we love those to death too – and that magical Jennings vocal approach does fantastic things to tunes by Steve Young, Mickey Newbury, Kris Kristofferson, and others! Titles include the fantastic "Lonesome Onry & Mean", plus "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues", "Freedom To Stay", "Lay It Down", "You Can Have Her", "Pretend I Never Happened", "San Francisco Mabel Joy", "Sandy Sends Her Best", and a great take on "Me &Bobby McGee". Honky Tonk Heroes is genius material from Waylon Jennings – one of those career-defining records from the early 70s that completely put him on top, and heralded a whole new generation in country music! The set's maybe equally noteworthy as a showcase for the up-and-coming Billy Joe Shaver, who wrote much of the songs on the record – and it's also a great showcase for the important production talents of Tompall Glaser, who really gets the spirit of the music right! Titles include great versions of "Honky Tonk Heroes", "Old Five & Dimers Like Me", "Ride Me Down Easy", "Black Rose", "Willy The Wandering Gypsy & Me", "Omaha", and "Ain't No God In Mexico". This Time is one of those Waylon Jennings records from a time when he could do no wrong – fighting the stronger powers at RCA to really find his voice – recording at the studio of Tompall Glaser, with great production help from Willie Nelson – who was enjoying his own transformation at the time too! As with the previous two gems from this period, the choice of material and presentation is great – songs by Willie, JJ Cale, and Billy Joe Shavers – in a set of titles that include "Heaven Or Hell", "It's Not Supposed To Be That Way", "This Time", "Pick Up The Tempo", "If You Could Touch Her At All", "Walkin", "Slow Rollin Low", "Louisiana Woman", and "Slow Movin Outlaw". Ramblin Man is Waylon Jennings at peak mid 70s perfection! Ramblin' Man fits in stylistically with the gruff honky tonk hero mode he first fully realized a couple albums earlier, but he's still fiercely blazing trails here, pairing his gruff lead vocals with sweeter female harmonies on some tracks, changing the groove from laidback swagger to fast-paced honky tonk, working in some tender ballads with the gruffer numbers...Waylon at his best. Starts up with the eternal title track and equally classic "Rainy Day Woman" and hardly lets up in greatness from there, with "Cloudy Days", "The Hunger", "It'll Be Her", a great cover of the Allman Brothers' "Midnight Rider", "Memories Of You And Me", "Amanda" and more. Features bonus tracks too – "Laid Back Country Picker", "The Last One To Leave Seattle", "Big Big Love", "Got A Lot Going For Me", "The Last Letter", and "The One I Sing My Love Songs To". CD

One of Quincy Jones' best soundtracks of the 70s – a massively funky record that's full of the kind of hip electric grooves you always look for on some of his other albums, but don't always find in such strong supply! The lineup here is great – wicked guitar lines from Arthur Adams and David T Walker, keyboards from Clare Fischer, and heavy drums from the great Paul Humphrey – and the whole thing follows nicely in a "Hicky Burr" sort of mode – with some especially nice Fender Rhodes moments in the mix! There's a few more complicated cuts that really round out the sound wonderfully – and the whole thing has had a heck of a lot more staying power than the film! Heck, even the appearance of Little Richard on vocals at a few points sounds surprisingly great – and titles include the classic sample cut "Snow Creatures", which has an amazing intro and a very dark mood – next to other cuts that include "Passin The Buck", "Rubber Ducky", "Money Is", "Do It Do It", and "Money Runner". CD

One of Quincy Jones' best soundtracks of the 70s – a massively funky record that's full of the kind of hip electric grooves you always look for on some of his other albums, but don't always find in such strong supply! The lineup here is great – wicked guitar lines from Arthur Adams and David T Walker, keyboards from Clare Fischer, and heavy drums from the great Paul Humphrey – and the whole thing follows nicely in a "Hicky Burr" sort of mode – with some especially nice Fender Rhodes moments in the mix! There's a few more complicated cuts that really round out the sound wonderfully – and the whole thing has had a heck of a lot more staying power than the film! Heck, even the appearance of Little Richard on vocals at a few points sounds surprisingly great – and titles include the classic sample cut "Snow Creatures", which has an amazing intro and a very dark mood – next to other cuts that include "Passin The Buck", "Rubber Ducky", "Money Is", "Do It Do It", and "Money Runner". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet 80s groover from KC and his Sunshine Band – a set that's got the group sounding a lot different than during their Miami hit years of the 70s – but still every bit as groovy! The style is more 80s funk than before – a bit more emphasis on the keyboards, and basslines that rocked straight through the grooves – and Wayne "KC" Casey's voice often uses that cool level of processing you'll know from his hits, but in a wider range that even makes for some unusual moments on the mellower cuts and the ballads. Overall, there's still lots of sunshine in the mix – that ebullient atmosphere that always made KC and the group so great – and titles include "Don't Run", "Give It Up", "You'd Gimme Some More", ""When You Dance To The Music", and "You're Going Out Of Your Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

Solid 80s grooving from Kool & The Gang – a group who inspired so many others in the early 80s soul generation, but who could still do it better than most of the rest! The style here is tight and smooth, but never too slick – and Deodato's giving the group some really great production for the album – helping them to focus their energy and soar soulfully, but without resorting to any stiff gimmicks or cliches! There's a great groove running through most of the numbers here – a confident quality that's never too commercial, and which bubbles along nicely throughout. Titles include "Street Kids", "Big Fun", "As One", "Hi De Hi Hi De Ho", "Let's Go Dancin", and "Pretty Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album from Kool & The Gang – a record that pushes the group past their roots as a funky 45 combo, and into larger, more righteous territory overall! There's some nicely spiritual vibes running through the set – almost as if they borrowed a bit of energy from Earth Wind & Fire, while still hanging onto the core of their own funky groove – a style that's maybe summed up best on the album's killer cut "Little Children" – a very righteous jazzy soul number that's been sampled to great use, and one that introduced a great mellow sound for the group! The whole set's great, though – and other tracks include the dancefloor classic "Open Sesame", plus "Super Band", "Gift Of Love", "Whisper Softly", "Love", and "Sunshine". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album from Kool & The Gang – a record that pushes the group past their roots as a funky 45 combo, and into larger, more righteous territory overall! There's some nicely spiritual vibes running through the set – almost as if they borrowed a bit of energy from Earth Wind & Fire, while still hanging onto the core of their own funky groove – a style that's maybe summed up best on the album's killer cut "Little Children" – a very righteous jazzy soul number that's been sampled to great use, and one that introduced a great mellow sound for the group! The whole set's great, though – and other tracks include the dancefloor classic "Open Sesame", plus "Super Band", "Gift Of Love", "Whisper Softly", "Love", and "Sunshine". This remastered edition from Big Break UK includes 3 bonus tracks: "Open Sesame (Groove With The Genie) – Part 2 (Single Version)", "Super Bad (Single Version)" and "Open Sesame (Groove With The Genie) (Promotional 12" – Special Disco Version)". CD

What can we say? Despite the stupid appearance of the band, "White Horse" was a classic breakdance/electro track that crossed over so big it had kids in Kansas running out to buy parachute pants and squares of linoleum to play along with the kids in the Bronx. Despite that runaway hit fame, though, the cut's a compelling one – with that perfect mix of post-disco post-punk grooves, warm in just the right places, and coldly appealing in others. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A crowning achievement from Lakeside – one of the key albums to link Ohio funk roots with a smoother LA groove – all served up in a way that had limitless influence for years to come! Bass is definitely at the head of these arrangements, but there's plenty of great guitar too – riffing and scratching in a way that percolates the tunes wonderfully – keeping plenty of funk in the mix without falling into the too-uptight traps that sometimes mired other groups. But almost even better are the vocals – which are tight and well-placed – never an afterthought, but always a key part of the groove, thanks to plenty of great hooks that really send the tunes home! Titles include "Eveready Man", "Say Yes", "Strung Out", "Fantastic Voyage", "I Need You", and "Your Love Is On The One". LP, Vinyl record album

A crowning achievement from Lakeside – one of the key albums to link Ohio funk roots with a smoother LA groove – all served up in a way that had limitless influence for years to come! Bass is definitely at the head of these arrangements, but there's plenty of great guitar too – riffing and scratching in a way that percolates the tunes wonderfully – keeping plenty of funk in the mix without falling into the too-uptight traps that sometimes mired other groups. But almost even better are the vocals – which are tight and well-placed – never an afterthought, but always a key part of the groove, thanks to plenty of great hooks that really send the tunes home! Titles include "Eveready Man", "Say Yes", "Strung Out", "Fantastic Voyage", "I Need You", and "Your Love Is On The One". CD features bonus tracks – original single mixes of "Your Love Is On The One" and "Fantastic Voyage". CD

A massive collection of work from Lakeside – one of the leading lights of the Solar Records label in the early 80s, and one of the label's key groups in helping to redefine funk in the decade! Lakeside take the large ensemble funk format of the late 70s, and give it a leaner, cleaner groove – really winnowing things down so that everything's right on the money, and the grooves come out great – while still also holding on to enough soul music energy in the vocals, songwriting, and presentation to set themselves apart from some of the more facile groove groups of the time. This 3CD set features 42 killers from Lakeside's glory days, pulled from their full range of recordings for Solar – titles that include "Rough Rider", "One Minute After Midnight", "Fantastic Voyage", "From 9:00 Until", "I Need You", "Strung Out", "Your Wish Is My Command", "The Urban Man", "Back Together Again", "We Want You", "Raid", "Turn The Music Up", "Real Love", "Untouchable", "Show You The Way", "Tinse Town Theory", "Money", "Party Patrol", "Still Feeling Good", "Bullseye", "U Got It Goin On", "All For You", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", "If You Like Our Music", "I Can't Get You Out Of My Head", "Shot Of Love", and "Your Love Is On The One". CD

A great little groover on Brunswick – with that kind of choppy club funk feel that you'll also find on some of the label's other obscure 12" singles, like the classic "You Are The One", by AMFM. The track's got a very nice groove – and the hook's enough to keep the track grooving nicely throughout! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Mighty nice work from Leones – an Italian duo, but one whose sound is a perfect fit for the Star Creature label – as they come across here with a really cosmic blend of drums and keyboards, often cut with plenty of jazz! The drums are live at most moments, which really opens up the flow of the music – and gives the whole thing a beating heart that's very different from more clubby material of this nature – a spontaneous groove that really has the keyboards stretching out with some solo moments, instead of just vamping along with the groove! The whole thing's nice and lean, and instrumental throughout – on titles that include "Dawn Of The Day", "The Fugitive", "Refresh & Smile", "Love The Sea You'll Be Free", "Last Sunset In The Savannah", and "The Running Gazelle". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the strongest sessions recorded by pianist John Lewis in the 50s – a date that shows depths of his talents that run even greater than his work with the Modern Jazz Quartet, quite possibly because is work on piano is at the forefront of the record throughout! There's a sense of darkness here that really fits the image on the cover – a style that's stated clearly on piano lines that are often as spacious as they are gentle, but which also have a moodier undercurrent below, thanks to Lewis' careful choice of keys and notes. The backing is often quite spare – Lewis sometimes plays just with Connie Kay's drums, or the guitar of either Jim Hall or Barry Galbraith – and at its fullest, the record features 2 trio numbers with the bass of Percy Heath and drums of Connie Kay. Tracks are lyrically and thoughtfully composed – and titles include "Two Lyric Pieces", "Harlequin", "D&E", "Little Girl Blue", and "Warmeland". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the biggest jazz albums of the 60s – and a crucial crossover set from the legendary Ramsey Lewis trio! The record's a live one, which gives the group a perfect chance to show off their special genius – not just soulful grooves from Ramsey on piano, but wickedly sharp and playful basslines from the great Eldee Young, and equally inventive work on drums from Redd Holt – both fantastic players who would soon break out on their own as Young Holt Unlimited! There's a surprising mix of modes on the record, too – as Ramsey begins with the group's classic reading of "The In Crowd" – formerly a soul tune, but maybe more of a hit here in their instrumental reading – then runs through material that really showcases the creative depth of the group, on titles that include "Love Theme From Spartacus", "Felicidade", "Come Sunday", and "You Been Talkin Bout Me Baby". CD features 2 non-LP bonus tracks! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the biggest jazz albums of the 60s – and a crucial crossover set from the legendary Ramsey Lewis trio! The record's a live one, which gives the group a perfect chance to show off their special genius – not just soulful grooves from Ramsey on piano, but wickedly sharp and playful basslines from the great Eldee Young, and equally inventive work on drums from Redd Holt – both fantastic players who would soon break out on their own as Young Holt Unlimited! There's a surprising mix of modes on the record, too – as Ramsey begins with the group's classic reading of "The In Crowd" – formerly a soul tune, but maybe more of a hit here in their instrumental reading – then runs through material that really showcases the creative depth of the group, on titles that include "Love Theme From Spartacus", "Felicidade", "Come Sunday", and "You Been Talkin Bout Me Baby". CD features 2 non-LP bonus tracks! LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible piece of percussive work by the always-enigmatic Liquid Liquid! The record is one of their sparest, and has more hard drumming than others – less of a dance-oriented groove, and a very experimental vibe that reminds us of the group's unique role on the New York scene! There's lots of New York downtown elements running through here – from percussion breaks, to ESG-like jamming, to bits of post-prog, Can-like drumming – which stretches out in this really cool, really dark way. Instrumentation includes marimba, roto toms, sawblades, metalphones, berimbau, and even a bit of bass clarinet from Elliott Sharp. Possibly the best of their records – with the cuts "Push", "Eyes Sharp", "Zero Leg", and the 2-part "Lock Groove". LP, Vinyl record album

The beginning of an amazing run on RCA for vocalist Jon Lucien – working here in a sublime blend of styles that's way beyond simple soul or standard jazz! Lucien's got a sound that's unlike anything we can think of – apart from the countless imitators who've tried for his style in recent years – and this initial RCA album is a musical masterpiece that's filled with joy, life, and emotion – all without any of the cliches that such a reference might imply! Arrangements are by Lucien, with some occasional help from Horace Ott and Stanley Rubinstein – all a swirling blend of strings, jazz, and some groovier rhythms at the bottom that have made this record an underground favorite for years. Titles include a killer version of "Who Will Buy", done as a breezy jazz groover, in a way that's made it a classic jazz dance track for years – plus "I Am Now", "How Insensitive", "Love For Sale", and "Dindi" – all given the lush, lovely, swirling, soulful Lucien sound! LP, Vinyl record album

A diverse batch of rare soul singles by singer and guitar player Barbara Lynn – the complete Tribe, Jet Stream, Copywrite and Starflight singles – wonderful stuff cut from the mid 60s to late 70s! All of these labels are parts of the empire South Texas musical force Huey P Meaux – and Barbara delivers beautiful throughout the years with material the evolved with the times. It ranges from classic level mid 60s stripped-down guitar, bass, drums & handclap- backed soul tunes, to more horn heavy uptempo numbers, to mellow funk, bluesier soul and a bit of disco as the years went by. This set focuses on the Meaux material, but Barbara also cut some incredible material for Atlantic during this period – and a couple of stellar singles from that run are included, too. Includes "I'm A Good Woman", "Running Back", "Until I'm Free", "Club A Go-Go", "Movin' On A Groove", "Disco Music", "Take Your Time", "Sugar Coating Love", "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry", "Call My Bluff Baby", "Takin' His Love Away (Ain't Gonna Be Easy)", "You Better Quit It", "You Finally Got Your Good Thing Back" and more. 24 tracks in all. CD

Plenty real soul here – a killer collection of Columbia grooves by Cheryl Lynn – a set that runs right from the clubby start to the more commercial finish of her time at the label! The package is a great illustration of Cheryl's ability to rise to the occasion in just about any setting – and although work is handled by a variety of producers – including Marty Paic, Ray Parker Jr, Barry Blue, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, and even Luther Vandross – Cheryl always comes out on top in the end! Titles include her great vocals on "Georgy Porgy" by Toto, presented here in its disco version – plus Lynn classics "Got To be Real", "Star Love (disco version)", "All My Lovin", "I've Got Just What You Need", "I've Got Faith In You", "Encore (single)", "If This World Were Mine", "It's Gonna Be Right", "Shake It Up Tonight", and "Day After Day". CD

A rare gem from Maceo Parker – the second album cut with his King's Men group in the short time he was away from James Brown in the early 70s! The set was done for the Excello southern soul label, and it's got a bit of a different groove than his work for House Of Fox with the same group – a style that's got a bit more conventional southern production overall, and grooves that run towards soul a bit more than funk – although the whole record is still pretty darn funky overall! Players in the group include Charles Sherrell, Melvin Parker, and Jimmy Nolen – and titles include "Funky Music Machine", "Dreams", "TSU (Aristocrat of Bands)", "Funky Tale To Tell", and "Born to Wander". CD

Brilliant modern jazz from German trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff – recording here in 1964, but sounding years ahead of his time, with an amazing a blend of jazz and Asian styles! The album's one of Mangelsdorff's best ever – a set of rhythmic tunes that seem clearly informed by the work of Ornette and Joe Harriott, but also based along eastern themes picked up by the group on a tour of the Orient – and performed by a sharp-edged quintet that includes Heinz Sauer on tenor and soprano sax, Gunter Kronberg on alto, Gunter Lenz on bass, and Ralph Hubner on drums. There's some nice traces of MPS/Saba modal and Jazz Meets the World styles – and overall, the rhythmic pulse keeps things from getting as free and out as on Mangelsdorff's 70s sides – really soaring, but never too far out – and always with a cool exotic groove. The whole thing's great – instantly striking, and always a treasure – and titles include "Sakura Waltz", "Now Jazz Ramwong", "Raknash", "Theme From Vietnam", and "Burungkaka". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible lost slice of music from the young Bob Marley – an unissued set of recordings done at the Capitol Studios in LA, at a time when the Wailers were just beginning to rise in global power! The session came at an unusual moment for the group – they had come to the US to tour with Sly & The Family Stone, and were fired because the audiences were not yet ready for their groove – leaving the group a bit astray in California. But an opportunity arose to record at Capitol, a performance that was also filmed – and the result is this amazing set of tracks that captures Bob and the group at a level that's even different than their massive Island Records sets to come. There's a current of funk running through a number of these tracks, and a lean groove that's wonderfully soul-drenched throughout – not just in Marley's vocals, but in the overall performance of the rest – a tight sextet that includes Peter Tosh, Joe Higgs, Aston Barrett, Carlton Barrett, and Earl Lindo. Titles include "Rastaman Chant", "Midnight Ravers", "Put It On", "Stop That Train", "Get Up Stand Up", "You Can't Blame The Youth", "Slave Driver", "Duppy Conqueror", and "Burnin & Lootin". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet grooves from the great Bob Marley – a set cut at a time when Marley was really riding his international fame – and able to create the kind of music that reached out way more than conventional reggae! The Kingston roots of the sound are still very firmly in place – but there's also a more globally-expansive vision here too – partly the tight production on the music, partly the warm feelings that ebb and flow throughout the entire set – a vibe that's very different than American soul, and which has turned out to be surprisingly encompassing over the years. Titles include "Is This Love", "Running Away", "Kaya", "Satisfy My Soul", "Easy Skanking", "Sun Is Shining", "She's Gone", "Misty Morning", "Crisis", and "Time Will Tell". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic work from Hugh Masekela – and the album that pushed him over the top! The record features his version of "Grazin In The Grass", a runaway instrumental hit when it was issued – and a sly little groover that was based upon some earlier South African pop melodies that Hugh copped from his roots. The group's a tight little quintet with Al Abreu on tenor and soprano sax, William Henderson on piano, Chuck Carter on drums, and Henry Franklin on bass. The whole thing's great – and tracks include "Stop", "Bajabula Bonke", "There Are Seeds To Sow", "Vuca", "Almost Seedless", and "No Face, No Name, and No Number". LP, Vinyl record album

Massive! This is probably the best-ever album of rollerskating grooves – and is the most famous entry into a short-lived funk genre that sprung up around the rollerskating craze of the late 70s and early 80s. The rollerskate sound took a tight stepping funk groove from earlier years, and mixed it with the extended instrumental style of club music – creating a sound that was a mix of funk and disco that worked perfectly for skating around a track, and which had a huge influence on the beat of early hip hop. The centerpiece of the album's the massive sample track "Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll" – an instantly recognizable number that features tight vamping guitar and good choppy rhythms. The cut's offered up here in 2 parts – and the rest of the record's just as great, with titles that include "Roller Skate", "We're Gonna Funk You Up", and "Thinking About You Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

Massive! This is probably the best-ever album of rollerskating grooves – and is the most famous entry into a short-lived funk genre that sprung up around the rollerskating craze of the late 70s and early 80s. The rollerskate sound took a tight stepping funk groove from earlier years, and mixed it with the extended instrumental style of club music – creating a sound that was a mix of funk and disco that worked perfectly for skating around a track, and which had a huge influence on the beat of early hip hop. The centerpiece of the album's the massive sample track "Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll" – an instantly recognizable number that features tight vamping guitar and good choppy rhythms. The cut's offered up here in 2 parts – and the rest of the record's just as great, with titles that include "Roller Skate", "We're Gonna Funk You Up", and "Thinking About You Baby". CD features some great bonus tracks – the 12" version of "Bounce Rock Skate Roll (parts 1 & 2)", plus "Jammin Big Guitar" and "Rockin Big Guitar". CD

A heavier, darker prime era set from Massive Attack – and rightly remembered as a classic! The grooves are still really strong, but the trip hop pioneers are delving more deeply into a bass heavy dub trip with a deep, rumbling bottom running throughout the tracks and some distorted guitar and reverb drenched key and sample bits punctuating the cuts. Stunningly strong to this day – which is no mean feat given the rapid musical evolutions of the 90s onward! Includes "Angel", "Risingson", "Teardrop" (which features vocals by Cocteau Twin Elizabeth Fraser), "Inertia Creeps", "Exchange", "Dissolved Girl", "Man Next Door", "Black Milk", "Mezzanine" and "Group Four". CD

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that works as well as a 70s soul album as it does a hip action film score! The track list alone reads as a who's who of 70s funk – filled with gems that include "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Little Child Runnin' Wild", "Give Me Your Love", and "Superfly" – and the rest of the set is equally great, essential listening throughout! Cassette

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that works as well as a 70s soul album as it does a hip action film score! The track list alone reads as a who's who of 70s funk – filled with gems that include "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Little Child Runnin' Wild", "Give Me Your Love", and "Superfly" – and the rest of the set is equally great, essential listening throughout! CD

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that works as well as a 70s soul album as it does a hip action film score! The track list alone reads as a who's who of 70s funk – filled with gems that include "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Little Child Runnin' Wild", "Give Me Your Love", and "Superfly" – and the rest of the set is equally great, essential listening throughout! CD

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that works as well as a 70s soul album as it does a hip action film score! The track list alone reads as a who's who of 70s funk – filled with gems that include "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Little Child Runnin' Wild", "Give Me Your Love", and "Superfly" – and the rest of the set is equally great, essential listening throughout! LP, Vinyl record album

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that works as well as a 70s soul album as it does a hip action film score! The track list alone reads as a who's who of 70s funk – filled with gems that include "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Little Child Runnin' Wild", "Give Me Your Love", and "Superfly" – and the rest of the set is equally great, essential listening throughout! Plus, this set also features a whole bonus CD – one that brings together extra tracks, unreleased cuts, alternate versions, instrumental versions, and even some cool radio promotional spots! with the "Check Out Your Mind" instrumental studio jam, the full-length version of the instrumental "Junkie Chase", the demo version of "Ghetto Child", and lots more! Great stuff – and in a lovely fold-out package, with the same foldover die-cut cover of the original LP! CD

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that works as well as a 70s soul album as it does a hip action film score! The track list alone reads as a who's who of 70s funk – filled with gems that include "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Little Child Runnin' Wild", "Give Me Your Love", and "Superfly" – and the rest of the set is equally great, essential listening throughout! Plus, this set also features a whole bonus CD – one that brings together extra tracks, unreleased cuts, alternate versions, instrumental versions, and even some cool radio promotional spots! with the "Check Out Your Mind" instrumental studio jam, the full-length version of the instrumental "Junkie Chase", the demo version of "Ghetto Child", and lots more! CD

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that works as well as a 70s soul album as it does a hip action film score! The track list alone reads as a who's who of 70s funk – filled with gems that include "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Little Child Runnin' Wild", "Give Me Your Love", and "Superfly" – and the rest of the set is equally great, essential listening throughout! LP, Vinyl record album

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that works as well as a 70s soul album as it does a hip action film score! The track list alone reads as a who's who of 70s funk – filled with gems that include "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Little Child Runnin' Wild", "Give Me Your Love", and "Superfly" – and the rest of the set is equally great, essential listening throughout! Plus 2 bonus tracks, the single mix of "Freddie's Dead" and "Superfly". CD

Curtis Mayfield's lasting classic – and an album that the world will remember forever! Apart from being his hugely successful entry into the blacksploitation soundtrack field, this album's also a monster set of grooves that includes some of Curtis' funkiest work ever – a record that works as well as a 70s soul album as it does a hip action film score! The track list alone reads as a who's who of 70s funk – filled with gems that include "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead", "Little Child Runnin' Wild", "Give Me Your Love", and "Superfly" – and the rest of the set is equally great, essential listening throughout! Plus 2 bonus tracks, the single mix of "Freddie's Dead" and "Superfly". CD

A live album from the mighty Frankie Beverly and Maze – and a set that's every bit as important as their studio classics for Capitol Records! It's always a sign of how huge Frankie Beverly was during the 80s that Capitol let him cut not one, but two double live albums during the early part of the decade – and this one, his first, has the band grooving wonderfully before a crowd going mad in the Crescent City – while the group keep all the perfection, sharp grooves, and sophisticated soul that they had on record! The songs retain all the charm of the studio renditions – and are stretched out a bit more in the live setting, with some really nice interplay with the crowd – who are clearly going nuts in the presence of the group. Titles include the famous live version of "Joy & Pain" – sampled heavily back in the day – plus other classics that include live takes on "Happy Feelins", "Southern Girl", "Look At California", "Before I Let Go", "We Need Love To Love", "The Look In Your Eyes", "Running Away", "Reason", "Feel That You're Fallin", "You", and "Changing Times". LP, Vinyl record album

A live album from the mighty Frankie Beverly and Maze – and a set that's every bit as important as their studio classics for Capitol Records! It's always a sign of how huge Frankie Beverly was during the 80s that Capitol let him cut not one, but two double live albums during the early part of the decade – and this one, his first, has the band grooving wonderfully before a crowd going mad in the Crescent City – while the group keep all the perfection, sharp grooves, and sophisticated soul that they had on record! The songs retain all the charm of the studio renditions – and are stretched out a bit more in the live setting, with some really nice interplay with the crowd – who are clearly going nuts in the presence of the group. Titles include the famous live version of "Joy & Pain" – sampled heavily back in the day – plus other classics that include live takes on "Happy Feelins", "Southern Girl", "Look At California", "Before I Let Go", "We Need Love To Love", "The Look In Your Eyes", "Running Away", "Reason", "Feel That You're Fallin", "You", and "Changing Times". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of classic live albums from Frankie Beverly & Maze – Live In New Orleans from 1981, and Live In Los Angeles from 1986 – originally 2LP sets, perfectly paired here as a 2CD set! First up is Live New Orleans, in which the band grooves wonderfully before a crowd going mad in the Crescent City! The songs retain all the charm of the studio renditions – and are stretched out a bit more in the live setting, with some really nice interplay with the crowd. The set is heavy with early Maze classics – including "Southern Girl", "Look At California", "Before I Let Go". "We Need Love To Love", "The Look In Your Eyes" the big sample track "Joy & Pain" and more. Live In Los Angeles was issued a half decade later cut during the 80s – and is even more proof that the Maze style of soul music was not only thriving, but succeeding strongly outside the studio, regardless of air play and album sales! The general groove is very similar to the band's classic work from the late 70s – with tight modern soul grooves, all graced by the magnificent vocals of Frankie Beverly, one of the generations best singers! Includes the cuts "Happy Feelins", "We Are One", "Back In Stride", "Freedom", "I Wanna Be With You", "When You Love Someone", and "Running Away". CD

A striking little set from vibesman Freddie McCoy – not just for the cool superhero image on the front cover, but also for the tight grooves underneath! The album's one of McCoy's most unified for Prestige – as all tracks feature a core quartet with Freddie on vibes, Charlie Wilson on piano, Steve Davis on bass, and Rudy Lawless on drums – not your usual Prestige players, and all musicians who really make the album sparkle! There's a bold soul jazz vibe running through the set – similar to some of Freddie's other work, but a bit more open too – and titles include a groovy take on "Girl From Ipanema", plus the soul jazz classics "Speak Out, Deagan!" and "Hav' Mercy" – as well as the cuts "Yesterdays" and "Spider Man". CD

A legendary meeting of talents in the Studio One studios – the wickedly-grooving Soul Defenders and the heartbreakingly soulful Freddie McKay – both coming together here on an album that was an instant Studio One classic! The Soul Defenders have a slow-stepping groove with a nice current of darkness – a bit like that moodier vibe that some of the more underground soul balladeers were using behind their vocals up north, especially in Philly and New Jersey. The Defenders have a much more Kingston spin, of course, and are graced with excellent lead guitar work from Jah Privy – whose tones ring out nicely next to Freddie's fantastic voice. Tracks include "Picture On The Wall", "You Are Not The Kind", "High School Dance", "Watch Your Step", "Can't Go On", and "Old Joe". CD features lots of bonus tracks – including "I Am A Freeman", "My True Love", "Old & Grey", "Love Is A Treasure (extended)", "Picture On The Wall (version)", "You'll Be Sorry (version)", "Drunken Sailor (version)", and "Picture On The Way (version 3 – with Prince Junior)". CD

Funky grooves merge into sweet soulful moments – on this wonderful debut from an obscure Chicago group! The music is clubby at points, but also mellows out at others – mixing bassy grooves with spacier moments that have an especially nice vibe – and which really showcase a sophisticated modern soul side of the group! And the production work features plenty of old talents from Brunswick Records – including Chicago soul giants Carl Davis, Eugene Record, and Sonny Sanders – who really put the record together with a lot of care, at a level that should have made these guys huge. A great lost set, but well worth discovering – and tracks include "Volcanic Voodoo", "Take It To The Top", "What Makes You Wanna Lie To Me", "You're My Everything", "Show Him The Way To Go", and "Worry". CD

Heavy heavy funk from this hard-rocking group! The Midnight Movers were a tripped out combo who used a heck of a lot of guitar work in their grooves – and who also had a 4-part sax section that riffed heavily over the beats, creating a mad wailing approach that was as hard and full-on as any of their contemporaries on the end of the 60s funk scene. This set's the first-ever collection to look at their work – and it features tunes from their rare album on the Elephant label, plus a few obscure singles that include 2 sides cut with the singers Skip & Ernest. The sound is great – better than we remember – and titles include "Funk Ain't Nothing But A Scent", "Crabs", "Pickin & Chippin", "Sweet Darlin", "Try Our Thing", "Truckin", "Long Train Runnin", "Masai", and "Put Your Mind In The Pocket". CD features a number of bonus tracks too – including the legendary "Follow The Wind (part 1 & 2)". CD

Heavy heavy funk from this hard-rocking group! The Midnight Movers were a tripped out combo who used a heck of a lot of guitar work in their grooves – and who also had a 4-part sax section that riffed heavily over the beats, creating a mad wailing approach that was as hard and full-on as any of their contemporaries on the end of the 60s funk scene. This set's the first-ever collection to look at their work – and it features tunes from their rare album on the Elephant label, plus a few obscure singles that include 2 sides cut with the singers Skip & Ernest. The sound is great – better than we remember – and titles include "Funk Ain't Nothing But A Scent", "Crabs", "Pickin & Chippin", "Sweet Darlin", "Try Our Thing", "Truckin", "Long Train Runnin", "Masai", and "Put Your Mind In The Pocket". LP, Vinyl record album

Kickin it is – as the album's way more than just the typical gospel you might expect – and is a perfect example of the way the Mighty Clouds Of Joy helped cross the bridge between secular and spiritual sounds in the 70s! The record has a groove that most other mainstream soul acts could ever hope for – served up by stellar southern producer David Crawford, and arrangements from Mike Terry – on an album that almost grooves enough for the clubs, and brings in lots of new energy to the male gospel quintet format! These guys are hardly your grandfather's gospel group – and instead get downright slinky and sexy with the way they approach the music – almost giving Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes a run for their money, on excellent cuts that include "Mighty High", "Leanin", "You Are So Beautiful", "I Got The Music In Me", "Millionaire", "Touch My Soul", and "Everything Is Love". CD features two bonus tracks – single mixes of "You Are So Beautiful" and "Mighty High". CD

An unusual chapter in the label-hopping career of Charles Mingus – a one-off date recorded for Mercury right after Mingus' legendary sessions for Columbia! The format here may well be Mingus' most ambitious to date – as the album features larger groups than before, exploring a range of musical ideas that run from Charles' own highly political expressions of the Civil Rights era to some of his landmark explorations of Duke Ellington! As always, the individual players in the group are given a strong voice in the proceedings – and the record bristles with energy from solos by Ted Curson, Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, Jimmy Knepper, Yusef Lateef, and a young Joe Farrell – as well as vocal performances by Lorraine Cousins, who sings on the classic "Weird Nightmare" and the haunting "Eclipse". A tremendous record throughout – filled with life, imagination, and boundless creativity – with titles that include "Mingus Fingus no. 2", "Weird Nightmare", "Eclipse", "Bemoanable Lady", "Half Mast Inhibition", and "Prayer for Passive Resistance". LP, Vinyl record album

A righteous group soul classic from the 70s – the one and only album from The Modulations, and a lasting classic that almost beats the multiple album runs of some of their contemporaries! The group's a southern harmony quartet at their core, but they also get some really great backings on the set – a Philly vibe that really matches the best work from the Gamble & Huff stable, but with more of an indie vibe too – fitting for the Buddah Records placement of the set. The record features studio help from Norman Harris, Vince Montana, and Bobby Eli – whose work on the record helps link the style to the righteous grooves of groups like Soul Generation or True Reflection – both a good comparison to The Modulations too! Titles include "It's Rough Out Here", "I Found Love At Last", "Those Were The Best Days Of My Life", and "I'll Always Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

A mindblowing album from James Moody – of the sort that opens up a whole new facet of his career! The record takes off from Moody's early 60s work for Chess – his post-bop recordings that started displaying a deeper side of his musical consciousness – and which occasionally featured work by composer/arranger Tom McIntosh. McIntosh's presence is felt very strongly here – as he produced the whole session, and contributed a few tracks – working in the Nola Penthouse studios at a level of hipness we never would have expected! Moody plays tenor, alto, and flute – working with a really great group that includes Patti brown on piano, Albert Heath on drums, Reggie Workman on bass, and Thad Jones on trumpet – and the scope of the work is far beyond anything you'd expect! The record's got a stunning early funk track by Edward Bland – "If You Grin You're In", which features a tripped-out organ line mostly just holding one note – while drums pound hard, and Moody blows it over the top – all set to this flattened production that makes the whole thing sound really eerie! Other great tracks include the loping groover "Capers", the wonderfully moody flute number "Wayward Plaint" (written by Dennis Sandole, of the oft-overlooked Sandole Brothers), and the tracks "Em Prean Shore" and "Buster's Last Stand". Tremendous throughout – and completely essential, whether you already like Moody or not! LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the coolest record we've ever heard from Moonchild – a set that's an all-acoustic outing, and one that offers up fresh takes on some of their older tunes – in ways that are maybe even more soulful and stunning than before! The instrumentation often includes some great work on reeds, especially flute – and the vocals of Amber Navran have this way of folding together with the grooves, which are also more seductive, through the live interplay of bass, drums, and percussion. The only electric element at times is a bit of Fender Rhodes – which we can hardly argue with – and the performances are all live, on titles that include "Back To Me", "The List", "Cure", "Run Away", "Money", and "The Truth". CD

Maybe the coolest record we've ever heard from Moonchild – a set that's an all-acoustic outing, and one that offers up fresh takes on some of their older tunes – in ways that are maybe even more soulful and stunning than before! The instrumentation often includes some great work on reeds, especially flute – and the vocals of Amber Navran have this way of folding together with the grooves, which are also more seductive, through the live interplay of bass, drums, and percussion. The only electric element at times is a bit of Fender Rhodes – which we can hardly argue with – and the performances are all live, on titles that include "Back To Me", "The List", "Cure", "Run Away", "Money", and "The Truth". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the funkiest sets ever from Mother's Finest, and maybe our favorite album from the group's late 70s run on Epic Records! Production is by Skip Scarborough, who brings up some of the group's more soulful currents, but without losing their rocking impulses from before – and singer Joyce Kennedy's never sounded better in the setting! Basslines seem to take more prominence than before – and there's less of the rockish guitar solos – and a few tracks even have those cool, compressed midtempo grooves that Skip could do so well. Titles include "Mr Goodbar", "Tell Me", "Love Changes", "Watch My Stylin", "Can't Fight The Feeling", and "Give It Up". LP, Vinyl record album

Heady sounds from Mushroom – a surprisingly long-running act who've been giving the world a great blend of funk and prog for decades! These guys hail from the Bay Area, and have clearly drunk deep of that location's legendary music scene – yet they also sometimes echo the soulful side of Can as well – spinning out long tracks with plenty of grooves, and lots of cool instrumental touches on flute, sax, vibes, and gongs! Matt Cunitz produced the record, and serves up some mighty cool keyboards – Fender Rhodes, Hammond, Clavinet, Moog, and more – on titles that include "Marc Moved To Buffalo", "In Dreams Begin Responsibilities", "Looking For Adventure", "One Ton Anvil", and "Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful". LP, Vinyl record album

Heady sounds from Mushroom – a surprisingly long-running act who've been giving the world a great blend of funk and prog for decades! These guys hail from the Bay Area, and have clearly drunk deep of that location's legendary music scene – yet they also sometimes echo the soulful side of Can as well – spinning out long tracks with plenty of grooves, and lots of cool instrumental touches on flute, sax, vibes, and gongs! Matt Cunitz produced the record, and serves up some mighty cool keyboards – Fender Rhodes, Hammond, Clavinet, Moog, and more – on titles that include "Marc Moved To Buffalo", "In Dreams Begin Responsibilities", "Looking For Adventure", "One Ton Anvil", and "Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic-styled soul from Musiq Soulchild – his debut set for Def Soul, and the start of a great run of mellow grooves! As you might guess from the compressed wording of the title, the tunes here have a great set of flow – a laidback, kicked-back sort of sound that's not nearly as full-on or swaggering as other male soul of the time. Musiq's even more relaxed than D'Angelo here – and the tunes are awash in warm keyboard lines and mellow bubbling beats – all with plenty of room for Musiq to stretch out in some sweeeeeet vocal lines. Titles include "Speechless", "You & Me", "Just Friends (Sunny)", "Girl Next Door", "Mary Go Round", "Love", "Poparatzi", and "You Be Alright". LP, Vinyl record album

Mystic Merlin runnin' at Sixty Thrills A Minute! It's a sweet ride, too, piloted by one of the best of the funky soul groups on Capitol. This one! As you might guess from the title, the record's got a bit more uptempo stuff than on their earlier album, and the band works incredibly well in this mode – moving briskly, but smoothly – and locked into unshakably solid grooves! Includes a couple of standouts tracks in "Goddess Of The Boogie" and "Haunting You (Crystal Ball)" – but the whole record is really nice! Other titles include" "Sixty Thrills A Minute", Sign Of the Times", "Monkey Love", "Hideaway", and "Get It For Yourself". LP, Vinyl record album

A totally excellent album! Sure, Peter Nero could be one of the sleepier piano players of the 60s – but on this little gem, he's playing moog, and it sounds great! Nero's taking moog to the sweet soundtrack groovers "Midnight Cowboy" and "The Windmills Of Your Mind" – which both come out in a dark spooky style, and "Windmills" sounds especially great, as it begins with a moogy breakbeat that would make Perry-Kingsley weep! Moog's also heard on "Be In" and "Let the Sunshine In" from Hair – and the album also includes 4 other numbers from Galt MacDermot's funky musical, like "Aquarius", "Hair", and "Good Morning Starshine". Frank Hunter did the arrangments – and there's a lot of nice funk running through the LP! (Also issued under the title From Hair To Hollywood.) LP, Vinyl record album

A second great set from Nomade Orchestra – a Brazilian group who bring a trans-global approach to jazz-based instrumentation – with a resulting sound that's unlike anyone else we can think of! These guys aren't in the usual Brazilian groove, and they're also not like some of the Afro Funk combos that have sprung up on that scene – and instead they seem to take the nomad in their name seriously, and wander the globe searching for sounds and styles to fit into their music! Instrumentation is especially strong on saxes – alto, tenor, and soprano – which really emphasize some of the more dramatic currents in the music – and the group's also heavy on percussion, with some slight electric touches on keyboards and guitar. Titles include "Jardins De Zaira", "Felag Mengu", "Estrada Para Camomla", "Olho Do Tempo", "Terra Fertil", "Rinoceronte Blues", and "Vale Da Boca Seca". CD

A classic set from all-true Alexander O'Neal – and maybe one of his last great records for the Tabu label! The set's got a nice balance of groovers and mellower moments – really showing the growing diversity of O'Neal as an artist, as he tries to move away from some of his bigger ballads. The rhythms are often handled by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis – who themselves are going for a leaner style than in the 80s, yet still have that undeniable funky punch in the mix! At tines, Alexander's not leading the songs so much as stepping into the grooves – but at other times, he comes as the strong singer that first emerged in the mid 80s. Titles include "What Is This Thing Called Love", "The Yoke", "Time Is Running Out", "All True Man", "Midnight Run", "Used", "Shame On Me", and "The Morning After". CD

An overlooked bit of mid 70s funk from the Ohio Players – cut right at the height of their brilliant Mercury years! The album's got a smooth and slinky finish that has the band tightening up a lot from their Westbound years – going for a compressed spacey soul sound on some of the album's mellower numbers, in a style that's equally as mindblowing as their heavier funk. This approach makes for some really nicely tripped-out tunes that have some nice jazzy touches – expanding the group's sound way past the hits, into some complicated grooves that are plenty darn nice! Titles include "Contradiction", "Who'd She Coo?", "Far East Mississippi", "Tell The Truth", "My Life", "Bi-Centennial", and "My Ladies Run Me Crazy". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing funk from The Ohio Players – the group's debut album for Westbound Records, and a landmark batch of tracks that never gets old! The sound here really has the group stretching out a lot – working on tunes that are extended, but never as overindulgent as their labelmates Funkadelic – always keeping to a groove that's focused, yet also free to explore its bad self in the new freedoms of the 70s. There's a strong undercurrent of funky jazz running through the set – mixing great riffing alongside the tight rhythms and tripped-out vocals – all brought together with that deep deep deep production sound that Westbound gave the world as its own legacy in the wake of Norman Whitfield's experiments at motown. Titles include the wonderfully jamming "Players Balling", and the funky numbers "Reds" and "Singing In The Morning" – plus more soulful tracks "I Wanna Hear From You" and "Never Had A Dream". CD

Mindblowing funk from The Ohio Players – the group's debut album for Westbound Records, and a landmark batch of tracks that never gets old! The sound here really has the group stretching out a lot – working on tunes that are extended, but never as overindulgent as their labelmates Funkadelic – always keeping to a groove that's focused, yet also free to explore its bad self in the new freedoms of the 70s. There's a strong undercurrent of funky jazz running through the set – mixing great riffing alongside the tight rhythms and tripped-out vocals – all brought together with that deep deep deep production sound that Westbound gave the world as its own legacy in the wake of Norman Whitfield's experiments at Motown. Titles include the wonderfully jamming "Players Balling", and the funky numbers "Reds" and "Singing In The Morning" – plus more soulful tracks "I Wanna Hear From You" and "Never Had A Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing funk from The Ohio Players – the group's debut album for Westbound Records, and a landmark batch of tracks that never gets old! The sound here really has the group stretching out a lot – working on tunes that are extended, but never as overindulgent as their labelmates Funkadelic – always keeping to a groove that's focused, yet also free to explore its bad self in the new freedoms of the 70s. There's a strong undercurrent of funky jazz running through the set – mixing great riffing alongside the tight rhythms and tripped-out vocals – all brought together with that deep deep deep production sound that Westbound gave the world as its own legacy in the wake of Norman Whitfield's experiments at Motown. Titles include the wonderfully jamming "Players Balling", and the funky numbers "Reds" and "Singing In The Morning" – plus more soulful tracks "I Wanna Hear From You" and "Never Had A Dream". CD features a whopping 7 bonus tracks – some previously unissued – including "Climax", "What's Going On", "Time & Space", "Ain't That Loving You", "If You Were My Woman", and "Feelin Alright". CD

2 Ohio Players classics – back to back on one CD! Skin Tight is the band's first album for Mercury – and although one might have the temptation to say that the label cut down the radical funk sound of the trippy Westbound years, the move also taught the band to sharpen up their act, and get out of the repetitive sloppy groove into which they'd been lapsing during the past few years. The record's a lot smoother than earlier work – with a polished funky sound that would soon push the band right up there with Earth Wind & Fire at the top of the soul charts. And although there's familiar funky numbers like "Skin Tight", "Jive Turkey", and "Streakin Cheek To Cheek" – the best moment on the entire album is the wonderful spacey soul number "Heaven Must be Like This", a seven minute mellow groover that's got a sophisticated jazzy soul style, with voices and piano soaring into the heavens, in a way that always still sends chills down our spine! That cut shows the band's tremendous growth – and it's one of their best-ever! Fire is one of the biggest albums ever for Ohio Players – a set that took their earlier funk sound and targeted firmly at the mainstream with a lean, mean groove that a million other groups copied at the time! There's still plenty of the soul of the early years in the group's approach here – and sometimes, the mellower tracks show a wonderful talent for harmonies coming even more fully to the top. But the real appeal of the record has always been the bold, bassy grooves that hit strongly just as ensemble funk was exploding in the mainstream during the early years of disco – making plenty of space for the Players and their contemporaries to grab up new audiences who never would have touched a record like this five years before! There's plenty of grit in the grooves on the best numbers – a style that's maybe not as dirty as on Westbound, but still more than enough to make any real funk fan proud. Titles include "Fire", "Together", "Together/Feelings", "It's All Over", "Runnin' From the Devil", "Smoke", "What The Hell", and "I Want To Be Free". CD

Some of the funkiest grooves recorded in the UK during the early 70s – the wicked first album by the Olympic Runners, a group who almost got their start by accident! The combo was booked to back up bluesman Jimmy Dawkins for a one-off session in London – but worked together so well in the studio, jamming before Dawkins showed up, that they decided to make it a go with a groove of their own – and this fantastic funky album is the result! The tracks are all instrumental, mostly short and midtempo – with tight changes, lots of guitar and keyboards, and a vibe that's almost in the spirit of Average White Band – but grittier and funkier overall. The title cut – "Put The Music Where Your Mouth Is" – begins with this riffed bass part that's virtually a blueprint for the BDP generation of samples – and other cuts include "Everyone A Winner", "Do it Over", "Taco Toes", "Grab It", "Sproutin Out", "Just Once Is Enough", and "Be My Main Squeeze". LP, Vinyl record album

Two funky classics – back to back on a single CD! Put The Music Where Your Mouth Is features some of the funkiest grooves recorded in the UK during the early 70s – the wicked first album by the Olympic Runners, a group who almost got their start by accident! The combo was booked to back up bluesman Jimmy Dawkins for a one-off session in London – but worked together so well in the studio, jamming before Dawkins showed up, that they decided to make it a go with a groove of their own – and this fantastic funky album is the result! The tracks are all instrumental, mostly short and midtempo – with tight changes, lots of guitar and keyboards, and a vibe that's almost in the spirit of Average White Band – but grittier and funkier overall. The title cut – "Put The Music Where Your Mouth Is" – begins with this riffed bass part that's virtually a blueprint for the BDP generation of samples – and other cuts include "Everyone A Winner", "Do it Over", "Taco Toes", "Grab It", "Sproutin Out", "Just Once Is Enough", and "Be My Main Squeeze". Out In Front features funky, fantastic grooves from this hip UK combo of the 70s – a set that's heavy on keyboards and guitars, all produced with this cool compressed feel by the mighty Mike Vernon! The sound is kind of a mix of 70s American funk from the mainstream, and some of those great British studio styles of the period – that way of comping all instruments down on a groove that you'd find in better glam and pop – turned here towards a much more soulful style for the Olympic Runners! Tracks include "Freeze on Funk", "Dump the Bump", "Panic Button", "Exit City", "Get This Thing Down", "Coucou N Flying Fish", and "Go No Further". CD

Lost soulful sounds from Osiris – one of the many high-concept funk ensembles to spring up in the wake of Earth Wind & Fire – and one of the better ones too! The combo's got some mighty tight grounding in the bass work of Tyrone Brunson – stepping out here in an early role to really help forge the group's groove from the bottom up – basslines with percussion, then jazzier elements on the top – including some wicked work by Fred Wesley & The Horny Horns! Those added horns really pack a lot of punch on the record – working perfectly with the group vocals that step out on most of the numbers – maybe not in ways that are as righteous as you'd guess from the title or the cover, but plenty darn groovy overall. Titles include "You & I", "Love In Your Heart", "I'll Never Let You Go", "Fantality", "Say You Will", and the jazzy stepper "Travelin Salesman". CD

A very cool group, and one who are every bit as groovy as they look on the cover – a hip early 70s Indonesian quartet, and one who mix together equal parts rock and funk – but all with a very trippy sound throughout! These guys are incredible – an under-discovered group who've clearly drunk deep of some of the best Anglo influences of the time, but also then come up with a unique hybrid of their own – singing English at times, Indonesian at others – and mixing up fuzzy guitars with freaky rhythms in styles that are often a few years behind the rest of the world – more late 60s funky than you might expect from the date of the tracks, but in a way that's A-OK with us! The groove and the group are plenty playful throughout – and titles include "Come On You dance", "Rock & The Sea", "Jakarta City Sound", "Haai", "Let Us Dance Together", "Indonesia My Lovely Country", "Bye Bye", "Mengapa Begini", and "Kampung Halaman". CD

A very cool group, and one who are every bit as groovy as they look on the cover – a hip early 70s Indonesian quartet, and one who mix together equal parts rock and funk – but all with a very trippy sound throughout! These guys are incredible – an under-discovered group who've clearly drunk deep of some of the best Anglo influences of the time, but also then come up with a unique hybrid of their own – singing English at times, Indonesian at others – and mixing up fuzzy guitars with freaky rhythms in styles that are often a few years behind the rest of the world – more late 60s funky than you might expect from the date of the tracks, but in a way that's A-OK with us! The groove and the group are plenty playful throughout – and titles include "Come On You dance", "Rock & The Sea", "Jakarta City Sound", "Haai", "Let Us Dance Together", "Indonesia My Lovely Country", "Bye Bye", "Mengapa Begini", and "Kampung Halaman". LP, Vinyl record album

Easily our favorite album ever by Ann Peebles – not just for the beathead title track, but also because it seems to be the one record where she brings a bit something extra to the studio! The sound is certainly in the classic Hi Records mode here – thanks to production by Willie Mitchell – but there's also a deeper groove overall, a stronger burning bottom, and an all-soul sound to most tracks that goes way beyond simple cliches of southern soul. Ann's vocals are tremendous throughout – sometimes sweet, sometimes mean – and titles include the sublime "I Can't Stand The Rain", plus "Run Run Run", "One Way Street", "You Keep Me Hangin On", and "If We Can't Trust Each Other". CD