A smoking live performance from these two Chicago blues legends – recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, but with a gritty electric vibe that's very much like the duo's best work back home! The approach is very stripped-down and unadorned – just vocals by both Guy and Wells – with Buddy on guitar and Junior on harmonica – plus additional piano from Pinetop Perkins, and even the mighty Bill Wyman on bass. Wyman produced the set – very faithfully too – and titles include "How Can One Woman Be So Mean", "Hoodoo Man Blues", "My Younger Days", "Messin With The Kid", and "Ten Years Ago". CD

A pair of classic albums from The Undisputed Truth! First up is Method To The Madness – a gem from the second chapter of the group – that time when they stepped away from Motown, and followed producer/creator Norman Whitfield to his own label in California! The shift of record companies also marks a cool shift in styles too – an approach that still has all the bold, bassy elements you'd know from the earlier hits – but one that also has some fuller, more cosmic elements too! The set begins with a weird electronic spoken number that's almost experimental – then brings up the bass for a bit of heavy funk, while also using electric elements in a way that really points the way to sounds that other big funk groups would cop at the start of the 80s – but which really sound fresh here. Titles include "Sunshine", "Take A Vacation From Life (And Visit Your Dreams)", "Life Ain't So Easy", "You + Me = Love", "Cosmic Contact", "Hole In The Wall", and "Let's Go Down To The Disco". Smokin has them still going strong with Whitfield, in a groove that's every bit as wonderful as their early years! There's a killer mix of funk and deeper soul here that few other acts could handle this well – a way of hitting the flashy funk of Sly & The Family Stone or Graham Central Station – but also not falling into any showbiz traps, either – in a mode that really his the group not only respecting the role of each member, but also working together in a very cohesive way on the album. The result is a great little set that balances funky grooves with some excellent cosmic soul cuts – supported by great session work from giants like Wah Wah Watson, Walt Downing, and Jack Ashford. Titles include "Show Time", "Space Machine", "I Can't Get Enough Of Your Love", "Misunderstood", "Sandman", "Atomic Funk", and "Talkin To The Wind". CD

With Ron Isley. 12-inch, Vinyl record

An obscure session that Chet recorded in the mid 60's with a rhythm section from Detroit that includes the Kirk Lightsey, Herman Wright, and Roy Brooks – and that features some firey playing by George Coleman on tenor. Tracks include "Rearin' Back", "Grade A Gravy", and "Fine & Dandy". Much more soulful than some of Chet's other LPs – and a record that was oddly licensed both to Prestige and Roulette! CD

A smoking live performance from these two Chicago blues legends – recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, but with a gritty electric vibe that's very much like the duo's best work back home! The approach is very stripped-down and unadorned – just vocals by both Guy and Wells – with Buddy on guitar and Junior on harmonica – plus additional piano from Pinetop Perkins, and even the mighty Bill Wyman on bass. Wyman produced the set – very faithfully too – and titles include "How Can One Woman Be So Mean", "Hoodoo Man Blues", "My Younger Days", "Messin With The Kid", and "Ten Years Ago". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest 60s recordings from the Wyton Kelly Trio – thanks to some wonderful guest work from guitarist Wes Montgomery! Montgomery's working here in a gusty, rootsy style that recalls his best soul jazz sides from the earlier years – and which have a feel that's quite different than his later, more largely-arranged work for Verve. The Kelly Trio is in perfect form – with Wynton's heavy left hand leading the group on the piano, and superb rhythm backing from the team of Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. Tracks are longish, with some nice solos – and include the 13 minute original "No Blues", plus "If You Could See Me Now", "Unit 7", "Four On Six" and "What's New". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

An excellent set of funky jazz tracks from the legendary MPS label! The folks at Crippled Dick have outdone themselves this time – and have even surpassed their previous set of MPS grooves by collecting a totally excellent batch of cuts, most of which haven't ever been reissued before! If you pay attention to jazz funk at all, you'll know that the German-based MPS label is one of the world's best sources for incredible grooves – and the label had a 20 year tradition of mixing musics from many different sources, and for delivering some of the most groundbreaking funk of the 20th century! Titles on this stunning set include "Titty Chickie Fitterbug" by Jasper Van't Hof, "Faces In Reflection 2" by George Duke, "Scratches" by Charly Antolini, "Knock Out" by Dieter Reith, "Miss Maggie" by Rolf Kuhn, "Powerstart" by Roland Kovac, "Baiafrock/Volker" by The New Dave Pike Set, "Volcano's Daughter" by Nelson Riddle, and "Bulgarian Beans" by Rimona Francis. LP also contains the bonus cuts "Sarava" by Baden Powell, "The World Is A Ghetto" by George Shearing, and "Grand Nite For Swinging" by Mary Lou Williams. LP, Vinyl record album

A great set that brings together Eddie Lockjaw Davis' early Cookbook sessions – cut for Prestige in a key transitional moment, when Lock was trying to break past the R&B roots of earlier years, and emerge as a more sophisticated jazz soloist, capable of carrying an idea way past the short format of singles and jukebox sides. The sessions provide a perfect format for such an effort – as the tracks are long and open-ended, and match Eddie with a great quintet that includes Shirley Scott on organ and Jerome Richardon on flute. Includes the classic "The Rev", plus "Stardust", "The Chef", "In The Kitchen", "Three Deuces", "Skillet", and "The Broilers". CD

2LP set that brings together Kelly's recordings for Vee Jay from the late 50s and early 60s – featuring mostly trio material, with the likes of Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones, plus a few quintet tracks, cut with Lee Morgan and Wayne Shorter added in. Titles include "Pot Luck", "Skatin", "Temperance", "Weird Lullaby", and "Wrinkles". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest 60s recordings from the Wyton Kelly Trio – thanks to some wonderful guest work from guitarist Wes Montgomery! Montgomery's working here in a gusty, rootsy style that recalls his best soul jazz sides from the earlier years – and which have a feel that's quite different than his later, more largely-arranged work for Verve. The Kelly Trio is in perfect form – with Wynton's heavy left hand leading the group on the piano, and superb rhythm backing from the team of Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. Tracks are longish, with some nice solos – and include the 13 minute original "No Blues", plus "If You Could See Me Now", "Unit 7", "Four On Six" and "What's New". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest 60s recordings from the Wyton Kelly Trio – thanks to some wonderful guest work from guitarist Wes Montgomery! Montgomery's working here in a gusty, rootsy style that recalls his best soul jazz sides from the earlier years – and which have a feel that's quite different than his later, more largely-arranged work for Verve. The Kelly Trio is in perfect form – with Wynton's heavy left hand leading the group on the piano, and superb rhythm backing from the team of Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. Tracks are longish, with some nice solos – and include the 13 minute original "No Blues", plus "If You Could See Me Now", "Unit 7", "Four On Six" and "What's New". CD

Features Eric Alexander on tenor, Peter Bernstein on guitar, and Joe Farnsworth on drums! CD

Titles include "Bo Diddley", "Love The One You're With", "Let It Rock", "Jesse James", "Someday", and "Heavy Music". CD

The Undisputed Truth are still going very strong at the end of the 70s – working with original producer Norman Whitfield, in a groove that's every bit as wonderful as their early years! There's a killer mix of funk and deeper soul here that few other acts could handle this well – a way of hitting the flashy funk of Sly & The Family Stone or Graham Central Station – but also not falling into any showbiz traps, either – in a mode that really his the group not only respecting the role of each member, but also working together in a very cohesive way on the album. The result is a great little set that balances funky grooves with some excellent cosmic soul cuts – supported by great session work from giants like Wah Wah Watson, Walt Downing, and Jack Ashford. A few cool keyboard lines further cement the sound of the record – and titles include "Show Time", "Space Machine", "I Can't Get Enough Of Your Love", "Misunderstood", "Sandman", "Atomic Funk", and "Talkin To The Wind". LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Nas & Slim Thug. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Features Gil Goldstein on keyboards, Tim Landers on bass, Dean Brown on guitar, and Billy Cobham on percussion. LP, Vinyl record album

With Cecil Monroe on drums. CD

The classic debut! Tracks include "More Than A Feeling", "Peace Of Mind", "Hitch A Ride", "Smokin", "Let Me Take You Home Tonight", and "Foreplay/Long Time". CD

The classic debut! Tracks include "More Than A Feeling", "Peace Of Mind", "Hitch A Ride", "Smokin", "Let Me Take You Home Tonight", and "Foreplay/Long Time". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare TK Records effort from James Brown – very much in the best uptempo funk mode of the later Polydor years! The groove here is quite similar to those better-known efforts – grooves that are a bit quicker than a few years before, but still played in a core JB funky style – live and lively, with plenty of emphasis on the rhythms! Brown often referred to his style here as disco, but it's a lot more like some of the P-Funk progressions of the period – a mode that's more polished than a grittier funky generation, yet far from smooth club or disco overall. There's plenty of choppy little groovers that make the record great – and titles include the long cut "Rapp Payback", plus "Funky Men", "Smokin & Drinkin", "Stay With Me", and "Mashed Potatoes". CD

A rare TK Records effort from James Brown – very much in the best uptempo funk mode of the later Polydor years! The groove here is quite similar to those better-known efforts – grooves that are a bit quicker than a few years before, but still played in a core JB funky style – live and lively, with plenty of emphasis on the rhythms! Brown often referred to his style here as disco, but it's a lot more like some of the P-Funk progressions of the period – a mode that's more polished than a grittier funky generation, yet far from smooth club or disco overall. There's plenty of choppy little groovers that make the record great – and titles include the long cut "Rapp Payback", plus "Funky Men", "Smokin & Drinkin", "Stay With Me", and "Mashed Potatoes". CD

The monumental debut of BT Express – and an excellent funk album that often gets overlooked by fans of the music because of the band's bigger fame as a disco group! This first record has the combo grooving hard and instrumentally – in the mode of a tight blacksploitation soundtrack, with plenty of tight wah wah guitar riffing, conga beats, and funky flute and sax – topped off by just the right amount of strings to make the set soar even more! The album's best known for the title track "Do It (Til You're Satisfied)" – which was a big hit, but is still an excellent groover – and the set also includes loads of other great cuts too – like "Express", which was the original song that the created the JBs' response track "Monorail"; "This House is Smokin'", which has lots of funky descending horn bits; and other great tunes that include "Mental Telepathy", "If It Don't Turn You On", and "Do You Like It". LP, Vinyl record album

The monumental debut of BT Express – and an excellent funk album that often gets overlooked by fans of the music because of the band's bigger fame as a disco group! This first record has the combo grooving hard and instrumentally – in the mode of a tight blacksploitation soundtrack, with plenty of tight wah wah guitar riffing, conga beats, and funky flute and sax – topped off by just the right amount of strings to make the set soar even more! The album's best known for the title track "Do It (Til You're Satisfied)" – which was a big hit, but is still an excellent groover – and the set also includes loads of other great cuts too – like "Express", which was the original song that the created the JBs' response track "Monorail"; "This House is Smokin'", which has lots of funky descending horn bits; and other great tunes that include "Mental Telepathy", "If It Don't Turn You On", and "Do You Like It". CD features two bonus tracks – the original 7" single versions of "Express" and "Do It". CD

A raw cooker from the Chicago scene of the 70s – the best kind of gritty electric blues that was being recorded by the indie labels, even at a time when other bigger companies were trying to turn it into cliche! Eddie Campbell is great here – with raw vocals that captivate instantly, which are then followed by some really nice guitar solos too – lean, and with a quality that's both bold and fragile on the strings at the same time. The group also features a young Carey Bell on harmonica – getting plenty of solos in too – plus piano from Lafayette Leake and bass from Lurrie Bell, on titles that include "She's Nineteen Years Old", "Weary Blues", "Cheaper To Keep Her", "Smokin Potatoes", "King Of The Jungle", "We Both Must Cry", and "The Red Rooster". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful tribute to one of the first great pairings of Hammond and tenor – the saxophone of Eddie Lockjaw Davis and the organ of Shirley Scott – presented here in four classic albums that would forever change the face of jazz! The "cookbook" in the title is a reference to the name of the first three records in the set – The Eddie Lockjaw Davis Cookbook records, volumes 1 to 3 – and the set is completed with the great album Smokin, which also pairs Scott and Davis together! The records were key dates for both players – for Davis, a way to firmly move into the world of jazz after roots in more R&B-styled recordings – on long tracks that really showed the world what a tremendous soloist he could be when he had the chance to stretch out. And for Scott, a way to showcase her budding talents on the Hammond – in ways that have a lot more bite than her later trio sides, and which also mark her as a different organ jazz stylist from contemporary Jimmy Smith. All four records here are presented with a new set of notes, and in a really wonderful package overall – finally together after all these years! CD

A legendary album – and for good reason too – a set that's as mysterious as it is funky, and a record that's stayed at the top of our crates for years! The album features a really unusual collective of musicians, pulled together under the guidance of producer Paul Winley – a group that features George Benson on guitar, Dave Baby Cortez on organ, Willis Jackson on tenor sax, and Earl Williams on some massively funky drums! The music's a mix of funky jazz and gritty soul – put together with some really weird studio touches – including an uncredited male voice that comes in and out of the tracks, bad-rapping along with some very hip commentary. Ann Winley sings the female vocals on the set – often egged on by the dude – but the real charm of the record lies at the bottom – the wicked drums, funky basslines, and choppy instrumental bits that have gotten the set sampled plenty over the years. Titles include the classic "Smokin Cheeba Cheeba" alone, the groovy "Finger In It", a great breakbeat version of "Ain't No Sunshine" with a tenor solo by Willis Jackson, and the slow bluesy talking cut "Fed Up", a baaaad rap about a couple splitting up – done here in both vocal and instrumental versions. CD

One of the greatest albums ever from Blue Note tenor giant Hank Mobley – a set that really explodes in all the new directions Hank was taking in the 60s! Mobley in the 50s was already the stuff of legend – a tremendous soloist on tenor, and every bit his own man – firmly focused forward with a voice that was already tremendous – but which was turned towards a lot of new ideas with records like this! Both Mobley's phrasing and rhythmic construction are different here than a few years before – still every bit as soulful as ever, but able to open up with richer imagination, especially on the strong original tunes on the set. The group's great – a quintet that offers up both guitar from Grant Green and piano from Wynton Kelly – and rhythm is by the mighty team of Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Tracks are longish, with plenty of room for solos – and titles include "Smokin", "Greasin Easy", "Workout", and "Uh Huh". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums ever from Blue Note tenor giant Hank Mobley – a set that really explodes in all the new directions Hank was taking in the 60s! Mobley in the 50s was already the stuff of legend – a tremendous soloist on tenor, and every bit his own man – firmly focused forward with a voice that was already tremendous – but which was turned towards a lot of new ideas with records like this! Both Mobley's phrasing and rhythmic construction are different here than a few years before – still every bit as soulful as ever, but able to open up with richer imagination, especially on the strong original tunes on the set. The group's great – a quintet that offers up both guitar from Grant Green and piano from Wynton Kelly – and rhythm is by the mighty team of Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Tracks are longish, with plenty of room for solos – and titles include "Smokin", "Greasin Easy", "Workout", and "Uh Huh". CD also features the bonus track "Three Coins In The Fountain". CD

A strange little record, but a great one too – a posthumous album that took older Wes Montgomery sides and souped them up a bit after his death! The core material here is quartet recordings done in 1965 – Montgomery's guitar in a hip group with Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – other material recorded at the same time as the Smokin At The Half Note set, discovered later by Verve, and augmented with fuller backings from Claus Ogerman for this record in 1968. In contrast to some of Wes' other albums of this nature, the core combo grooving was done first, which then ends up directing Ogerman's arrangements – and not the other way around – making for a really unique mix of sounds, especially on some of the longer tracks. Titles include "Four On Six", "Oh You Crazy Moon", "Willow Weep For Me", "Misty", "Impressions", and "Portrait Of Jennie". CD

Additional material and unreleased from one of the greatest 60s recordings from the Wynton Kelly Trio – thanks to some wonderful guest work from guitarist Wes Montgomery! Montgomery's working here in a gusty, rootsy style that recalls his best soul jazz sides from the earlier years – and which have a feel that's quite different than his later, more largely-arranged work for Verve. The Kelly Trio is in perfect form – with Wynton's heavy left hand leading the group on the piano, and superb rhythm backing from the team of Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. This massive set marks the first official release of all these tracks that were recorded at the time, but not on the original Verve album Smokin At The Half Note – with work from Larry Ridley on bass on a number of tracks, and titles that include very long versions of "The Song Is You", "Star Eyes", "Four On Six", and "Cherokee" – plus takes on "Cariba", "Blues", "Laura", "Impressions", "Mi Cosa", "No Blues", and "All The Things You Are". CD

Two contemporary soul giants – coming together in a set that's even better as a whole than their work apart! As you might guess from the name, Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak are going for a classic old school style working together as Silk Sonic – soul music that's heavy on both 70s funky modes and early 80s grooves – but presented with some contemporary flourishes from time to time, at a level that really gets at the charm that both artists have on their own – somehow magnified as they work here together as a duo! The harmonies and trading vocal leads are great – and titles include "After Last Night", "Skate", "777", "Put On A Smile", "Fly As Me", "Leave The Door Open", "Smokin Out The Window", and "Blast Off". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from Slave – an album that's still got the hard funk of earlier years, yet which also has the group sweetening up their sound in a great sort of 80s groove way! Most tracks kick along with that great rolling bass sound that the group practically invented – and which has been their everlasting legacy to mainstream funk – and Steve Arrington's still in the group on lead vocals, really hitting some soaring notes that help the tunes groove even more – all of which maybe makes the record one of the most perfect distillations of everything that made Arrington and Slave such a standard-setting group for the 80s! Titles include "Party Lites", "Snap Shot", "Smokin", "Wait For Me", "Funken Town", and "Steal Your Heart". CD features bonus tracks – "Snap Shot (12" version)" and "Wait For Me (7" version)". CD

Tracks include "Boom Bash", "Do The Egyptian", "New York New York", "Let's Rock The House", "Time For Peace", "Watt U Got 2 Say", and "House Is Smokin" LP, Vinyl record album

The classic debut! Tracks include "More Than A Feeling", "Peace Of Mind", "Hitch A Ride", "Smokin", "Let Me Take You Home Tonight", and "Foreplay/Long Time". CD

The monumental debut of BT Express – and an excellent funk album that often gets overlooked by fans of the music because of the band's bigger fame as a disco group! This first record has the combo grooving hard and instrumentally – in the mode of a tight blacksploitation soundtrack, with plenty of tight wah wah guitar riffing, conga beats, and funky flute and sax – topped off by just the right amount of strings to make the set soar even more! The album's best known for the title track "Do It (Til You're Satisfied)" – which was a big hit, but is still an excellent groover – and the set also includes loads of other great cuts too – like "Express", which was the original song that the created the JBs' response track "Monorail"; "This House is Smokin'", which has lots of funky descending horn bits; and other great tunes that include "Mental Telepathy", "If It Don't Turn You On", and "Do You Like It". CD features two bonus tracks – the original 7" single versions of "Express" and "Do It". CD

One of the greatest albums ever from Blue Note tenor giant Hank Mobley – a set that really explodes in all the new directions Hank was taking in the 60s! Mobley in the 50s was already the stuff of legend – a tremendous soloist on tenor, and every bit his own man – firmly focused forward with a voice that was already tremendous – but which was turned towards a lot of new ideas with records like this! Both Mobley's phrasing and rhythmic construction are different here than a few years before – still every bit as soulful as ever, but able to open up with richer imagination, especially on the strong original tunes on the set. The group's great – a quintet that offers up both guitar from Grant Green and piano from Wynton Kelly – and rhythm is by the mighty team of Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Tracks are longish, with plenty of room for solos – and titles include "Smokin", "Greasin Easy", "Workout", and "Uh Huh". LP, Vinyl record album

A strange little record, but a great one too – a posthumous album that took older Wes Montgomery sides and souped them up a bit after his death! The core material here is quartet recordings done in 1965 – Montgomery's guitar in a hip group with Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – other material recorded at the same time as the Smokin At The Half Note set, discovered later by Verve, and augmented with fuller backings from Claus Ogerman for this record in 1968. In contrast to some of Wes' other albums of this nature, the core combo grooving was done first, which then ends up directing Ogerman's arrangements – and not the other way around – making for a really unique mix of sounds, especially on some of the longer tracks. Titles include "Four On Six", "Oh You Crazy Moon", "Willow Weep For Me", "Misty", "Impressions", and "Portrait Of Jennie". LP, Vinyl record album

A great album from Willis Jackson – a real sleeper, and with a very groovy feel! Willis smokes with an organ combo that has Butch Cornell at the keys, and which also features Vince Corrao on guitar and Franklyn Robinson on trumpet. The tracks are a mix of originals and Beatles covers (believe it or not!), and Willis is in that playful mid-60s mode, where he's working with so much profiency on the tenor that he can take some groovy chances on the solos. The rhythm's got a great Cadet soul jazz vibe to it – and the album fits nicely with some of Jack McDuff's work on the same label. Titles include "Yesterday", "Hard Day's Night", "Goose Pimples", and "Doin' The Mudcat". CD

... CD

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

With featured soloists Chuck Findley on trumpet, Don Menza on tenor, Ron King on flugelhorn, Conte Candoli on trumpet, Ted Nash on alto, Ross Tompkins on piano, Joe Romano on alto, and Pete Christlieb on tenor. LP, Vinyl record album

Features James Moody on tenor sax. Tracks include "Desert Storm", "Nuestro Bolero", Thelonious Monk's "I Mean You", "Out Of Nowhere", "Giant Steps", and "Linda's Moody". CD

One of the greatest Cannonball Adderley albums from the Riverside years – a completely smoking live date recorded in San Francisco, often with long tracks that really let the group open up and do their thing! The lineup here is that classic one that first grabbed attention – the group with brother Nat on cornet, Sam Jones on bass, Louis Hayes on drums – and a young Bobby Timmons on piano, really cooking things up with tremendous drive, energy, and a sense of the groove! Titles include a great workout on Timmons' classic "This Here", plus originals "You Got It" and Spontaneous Combustion", and a great version of "Hi Fly". Soul jazz at its best, by one of the groups who gave the genre its name in the first place! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most hard-hitting Latin albums from the 50s on RCA – a set released with jokey liner notes from Frank Jacobs of Mad, next to some Jack Davis cartoons – but a set that's got smoking percussion, great horns, and even some very cool use of vibes! LP, Vinyl record album

A nice bit of funky blues, and a very strange record to appear on Motown! The production style and presentation are very rootsy – right down to the photo of Luther on the front cover, who's smoking a cigarette, but trying to pretend it's a joint! The style is electric blues of the Chicago school, but given a bit more of a country funk kind of sound. Titles include "Bad News Is Coming", "Dust My Broom", "Evil Is Going On", "Rock Me Baby", and "Raggedy & Dirty", which actually has some very nice drums! LP, Vinyl record album

The second smoking Live Oblivion set from Brian Auger and crew – twice as long, and maybe even twice as funky as the first! The tunes on here all really push the ten minute mark – stretching out the original Auger conception on studio sides, and featuring plenty of room for really wicked solo work on organ and electric piano! The live setting seems to inspire the group to even greater new heights – and there's an intensity here that makes for some really great moments. Titles include the wonderful break-heavy version of "Compared To What" – plus "Second Wind", "Maiden Voyage", "Straight Ahead", "Freedom Jazz Dance", and "Inner City Blues". CD

The second smoking Live Oblivion set from Brian Auger and crew – twice as long, and maybe even twice as funky as the first! The tunes on here all really push the ten minute mark – stretching out the original Auger conception on studio sides, and featuring plenty of room for really wicked solo work on organ and electric piano! The live setting seems to inspire the group to even greater new heights – and there's an intensity here that makes for some really great moments. Titles include the wonderful break-heavy version of "Compared To What" – plus "Second Wind", "Maiden Voyage", "Straight Ahead", "Freedom Jazz Dance", and "Inner City Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent gimmick from the United Artists label – a way of mixing their strong run of 60s soundtrack hits with the world of jazz – thanks to Count Basie and his group taking on a whole host of themes from the successful James Bond films! Count Basie brings a soulful swing to the work of John Barry, who scored most of these cuts – hitting hard on the tracks with his own smoking piano, and an orchestra filled with some of his best players – including Al Grey on trombone, Eric Dixon on saxes, and Freddie Greene on guitar – plus guest tenor work from Eddie Lockjaw Davis, an artist who wasn't credited on the session at he time. Arrangements are by Chico O'Farrill and George Williams – and titles include "Thunderball", "From Russia With Love", "007", "Girl Trouble", and "Goldfinger". LP, Vinyl record album

Chuck Berry is definitely on top with this classic Chess Records set – an album that shows that Berry always had a lot more to offer than some of his oldies rocker contemporaries! Sure, there's a few hits here, but the overall quality of the music is more in the mode of Chess blues of the time – lots of raw backings that are as heavy on piano lines and romping rhythms as they are Chuck's own searing lead guitar – a sound that definitely sets the tone for generations to come, and which is always heard best here in its early hoke-free setting. The whole album's wonderful, and even familiar hits sound newly brilliant in this context – a smoking lineup that includes "Jo Jo Gunne", "Around & Around", "Hey Pedro", "Anthony Boy", "Sweet Little Rock & Roller", "Almost Grown", "Roll Over Beethoven", and "Maybellene". LP, Vinyl record album

The Black Pumas went from underground status to much bigger fame in just a short span of time – and this smoking second album will definitely continue that nonstop rise to stardom! As before, the group are heavy on older references to funk and soul, but given a lean, contemporary spin in the production – handled by Adrian Quesada, with all the richness he's forged on countless other projects over the years – so that the grooves and instrumentation are right on the money, and augmented by these slight sonic surprises that really keep things interesting! The vocals seem even better than before – raw, raspy, and very powerful – on titles that include "Mrs Postman", "Gemini Sun", "Sauvignon", "Angel", "Hello", "Chronicles Of A Diamond", "Ice Cream", and "More Than A Love Song". CD

The Black Pumas went from underground status to much bigger fame in just a short span of time – and this smoking second album will definitely continue that nonstop rise to stardom! As before, the group are heavy on older references to funk and soul, but given a lean, contemporary spin in the production – handled by Adrian Quesada, with all the richness he's forged on countless other projects over the years – so that the grooves and instrumentation are right on the money, and augmented by these slight sonic surprises that really keep things interesting! The vocals seem even better than before – raw, raspy, and very powerful – on titles that include "Mrs Postman", "Gemini Sun", "Sauvignon", "Angel", "Hello", "Chronicles Of A Diamond", "Ice Cream", and "More Than A Love Song". LP, Vinyl record album

Smoking live material from Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers – a set recorded at Birdland, aka The Jazz Corner Of The World – home to a number of key performances by the group! The lineup here features a key transitional version of the group – with the younger Lee Morgan on trumpet and Bobby Timmons on piano, already setting the combo on fire with their new ideas and very bold work on solos – and the great Hank Mobley on tenor, who'd worked with Blakey for a few years at this time – and provides this deeply soulful grounding that's as great as his own records, but maybe even a bit more open in the live setting. The great Jymie Merritt is on bass – one of Art's secret weapons over the years – and the set list of this first volume includes "Hipsippy Blues", "Justice", "Just Coolin", and a nice version of "Close Your Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

What can we say? Booker T and crew are always tops in our book – and this album's as strong a batch of their classic singles as you'll ever find! Book's organ is the sound of a generation, and Steve Cropper's sinister vamping on guitar gives even the poppier tracks a hard edge that still sends shivers down our spine! Includes the breakbeat track "Hip Hug Her", plus "Green Onions", "Boot Leg", "Tic Tac Toe", "Red Beans & Rice", and "Jellybread". Smoking! LP, Vinyl record album

James Brown, proud and loud – a smoking 60s album that provides a great link between his earlier styles and his freer roots – with a brilliant blend of funk, soul, and a touch of raw R&B! Given the power of The Godfather at this point, there's no denying that even the older cuts have a punch that few others could match – making for a record that feels mighty darn unified, despite the stretch of time between a few of the recordings. Titles include the funky gems "Ain't That a Groove (pts 1 & 2)", "The Scratch", "Is It Yes or Is It No", and James' great version of "The Bells" that's always been one of our favorites – plus Just You & Me", "I Love You Yes I Do", "Come Over Here", and "I Don't Mind". The cover also comes with an "autographed" photo of James on the back with the text "James Brown Fans – Frame This 8 x 10 Picture" – and an image that says "Soul Brother #1 Is Peeking At You Thru The Key Hole"! LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album that forever changed the face of live recordings – and soul music too! As has been told and retold often, King records not only had the genius idea of bringing recording equipment into the Apollo Theater to catch James in a smoking live setting – the sort of show that really set his fans on fire – but they also went out of their way to record and re-record the audience, creating a wonderful interplay on the record between James and the crowd. The result is the stuff of legend – and the record's filled with loads of nice tracks like "I'll Go Crazy", "Try Me", "I Don't Mind", "Lost Someone", "Think", "Night Train", and the massive medley featuring "Please Please Please/You've Got The Power/I Found Someone/Why Do You Do Me/I Want You So Bad/I Love You Yes I Do/Strange Things Happen". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic killer from trumpeter Tom Browne – a smoking set that still has all the jazz funk touches of his earlier records, yet which also picks up a bit of an electro vibe as well! The move here is a bit like that taken by some of Browne's labelmates on GRP at the time – particularly Bobby Broom and Bernard Wright – and offers up a great mix of jazzy roots and some of the newer sounds hitting the streets in the early 80s – a vibe that's maybe one of the first moments when older genres of music were beginning to show an influence from hip hop! Maurice Starr handles most of the production, and really makes things tight throughout – but Tom himself does a great job of keeping things interesting with the solos, augmenting the electric vibe with some rock-solid acoustic playing. Titles include "Rockin Radio", "Angeline", "Brighter Tomorrow", "Never My Love", "Mr Business", "Cruisin", and "Feel Like Makin Love". LP, Vinyl record album

That's a real Roger Dean-styled image on the cover, which maybe heralds the sound that's going on here for the Budos Band – an approach that's even heavier than before, with maybe stronger guitar and bass at times – yet a vibe that still bristles with the group's great use of percussion and horns! There's maybe a new sort of majesty going on here – as if someone whispered to the band that they could be at the top of the deep funk spectrum if they stepped on the gas a bit more – which they definitely do on this super-sharp set, delivering a half-dozen tunes that are completely smoking throughout! Titles include "Devil Doesn't Dance", "Kritn", "Crescent Blue", "Passage To Ashinol", "Curled Steel", and "Frontier's Edge". LP, Vinyl record album