A great summation of Jose Feliciano's genius during his initial years at RCA – that unique mix of Chicano soul, acoustic folk, and Latin rhythms that made him sound unlike anyone else at the time! There's a charm to this work that's undeniable – an instantly compelling feel that makes you understand just why folks went so nuts for Jose right from the start, and why his particular growth and contribution to American music was as important from his perspective during these years as was Stevie Wonder's over at Motown! The set features a mix of live work, singles, and album tracks – and titles include his haunting version of "California Dreaming", plus "Hitchcock Railway", "Nature Boy", "Light My Fire", "Susie Q", "Hi Heel Sneakers", "Destiny", "Malaguena", "Life Is That Way", and "Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing record! By all rights, this shouldn't be so good – but it's an incredible album of haunting tracks that really has us coming back again and again over the years. The formula is simple: Jose plays late 60s pop tunes on acoustic guitar, and sings them in his spacey soulful voice. Backings are by George Tipton, plus a jazz combo made up of Jim Horn, Ray Brown, and Milt Holland – but it's Jose that really makes the whole thing amazing! His style of presentation is like anything else we can describe – filled with sadness and soul, but enough joy to keep moving forward. He takes tracks like "Light My Fire", "In My Life", "Sunny", and "California Dreamin", and transforms them into an amazing document of the darkness hidden behind the sun of southern California. "California Dreamin" is especially amazing – and Jose's version is one of the best soul songs of all time! LP, Vinyl record album

Back in the 60s, the Grass Roots already had this tight, compressed energy that was totally great – a quality that also makes their 70s work like this so wonderful too! There's a focus here that's totally great – horns informed by earlier soul music styles, and vocals that borrow a bit too – upbeat and bubbling, but with maybe a nicely mature vibe too – still hook-heavy, but slightly different than the earlier hits – on titles that include "Just A Little Tear", "Pick Up Your Feet", "Where There's Smoke There's Fire", "Ballad Of Billy Joe", "We Almost Made It Together", "Ain't No Way To Go Home", and "Claudia". LP, Vinyl record album

As you like it – and we like it plenty! The album's a stunner from pianist Friedrich Gulda – one that still shows plenty of his high-powered, high-technique roots – but one that also really has him opening up a bit, too – almost bringing in a dose of soul jazz from the American scene, mixed up in really nice ways with the MPS ethos of the time! The group's a trio, with killer drums from Klaus Weiss and bass from JA Rettenbacher – but Gulda really dominates most tracks, playing with this fluid, open vibe that's mighty nice – extremely creative and compelling, and light years more compelling than some of the Oscar Peterson records cut for MPS during the same period. Titles include "Light My Fire", "Blues For HG", "All Blues", "East Of The Sun", and "I Only Have Eyes For You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few beautiful early albums cut by John Handy for Roulette – and an obscure session that has him playing alto with a quartet that includes a young Walter Bishop Jr. on piano. Handy here is fresh from his work with Mingus – and his alto is filled with fire and emotion, yet also touched by a great deal of warm soufulness. His work with Bishop on the album hearkens towards later directions in 70s soul jazz – but it's also firmly rooted in a modernist hardbop vein. Titles include "Strugglin", "No Smiles Please", "Blues For MF", and "Afternoon Outing". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost Ohio soul treasure – the initial effort by a singer with a hell of a voice, but one who languished in obscurity after the poor response to this debut LP! Barbara Howard really knocks it out of the park here – singing like a deep soul diva with a hell of a lot of power and focus – but also moving effortlessly through material from a variety of modes, often given a bit of a jazzy twist in the backings – almost as if Howard's trying to be the southern soul answer to Nancy Wilson on Capitol Records! There's maybe a Spanky Wilson vibe to the whole thing – with a similar punch in the arrangements – and titles include "The Man Above", "Save Your Love For Me", "Light My Fire", "My Song", "I Need You", "Welcome Home", "You've Made Me So Very Happy", and "For Once In My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Uncensored is right! Millie's live shows during the 70s were a lot raunchier than any of her records – and were usually filled with profanity, off-color jokes, and plenty of frank and foxy references to sex. She'd built her name on record through sweet heartbreaking southern soul sides – but this album gives the at-home listening crowd one of their first tastes of Millie in the raw, and it contains many classic monologues and lots of witty patter that Millie still uses in live shows to this day. Includes a great version of "If Loving You Is Wrong", with a hip rap in the middle; a nice take on "Keep The Home Fire Burnin", with a similar monologue to that used by Latimore in his live sets; a version of "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?", the "Phuck U Symphony"; a piece on "The Soaps", and "Didn't I Blow Your Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic 70s work from KC & The Sunshine Band – a record that's not as hit-heavy as previous efforts, but still a plenty great set that's filled with catchy dancefloor funk! KC's clearly feeling the heat of the disco fire he helped to ignite a few years before – and there's definitely an ear hear towards tracks that would boom out nicely on a heavier sound system – kind of a deepening of the sometimes bargain basement production the group got on earlier TK records. That approach doesn't dampen the groove, though, and there's still a nice mix here of soul, funk, club, and tropical modes – sometimes a bit off the mark, but still a heck of a lot better than most of the group's contemporaries! Titles include a remake of "It's The Same Old Song", plus "Who Do Ya Love", "How About A Little Love", "Sho-Nuff'" and "Come To My Island". LP, Vinyl record album

A standout classic from Fern Kinney – and a set that not only marked a big moment of evolution for southern soul, but also for the Mississippi scene as well! The set was recorded at the Malaco studios in Jackson, but has a vibe that's much closer to some of the TK Records material from Miami – that maturation of southern soul during the disco era – as warmer, more modern touches came into play with rootsier styles of vocals! Mike Lewis handled the string arrangements – giving the record the same disco vibe as some of his other work of the time, including Anita Ward's big debut – and Fern's vocals have this higher range than usual for a southern singer – almost more innately tuned towards clubby rhythms. Titles include a big hit remake of King Floyd's "Groove Me" – really marking the change from the original version – plus "Baby Let Me Kiss You", "Pillow Talk", "Sun Moon Rain", "Angel On The Ground", and "Under Fire". LP, Vinyl record album

Our favorite album ever from Roland Kirk – and a beautiful mix of two different sides of his genius! Side one's got Roland doing these crazy takes on late 60's pop cuts like "My Cherie Amour" and "Say a Little Prayer", plus his own "songs", done with soulful vocals and a straight-on approach that shows him trying to break out of the avant jazz underground, and reach a wider audience with a spiritual message on tracks like "Search For The Reason Why" and "Spirits Up Above". If this description sounds like a mess, it's not – because this side of the album is one of Kirk's most brilliant statements ever about jazz, soul, love and freedom! Side two has Roland in a straighter vein – running through a tight live set from Newport 1968, handled with fire and imagination, the kind of boundless energy he always brought to his public appearances. Tracks on that set include "One Ton", "Three For The Festival", "Afro Blue", and some great remarks by Roland! LP, Vinyl record album

In case you think the folks at Chess were putting too fine a point on the earthy origins of Ramsey's jazz, the title's actually one that follows from an earlier album Ramsey cut for Mercury – and features a similar cover of a shovel digging in the dirt! The tracks are a great blend of the rich approaches to piano jazz performed by the Lewis trio with Eldee Young and Red Holt – with some tracks bluesy, some tracks upbeat, some whimsey, and a few that groove in very surprising places. Titles include "Volga Boatman", "Around The World In 80 Days", "Hello Cello", "Blues For The Nighty Owl", and "Gonna Set Your Soul On Fire". LP, Vinyl record album

Weird and wild sounds from Screaming Lord Sutch – and a set that has as many "heavy friends" at play as his better-known previous album for Cotillion! As with that set, the vibe here is an odd mix of older beat group styles from mid 60s London, but filtered through a generation that's already bursting out with hard rock, psych, and prog inspiration – which means any nod towards older rock and soul roots come out sounding very offbeat in the end! Players include Ritchie Blackmore on lead guitar, Keith Moon on drums, and Noel Redding on bass – and titles include "Country Club", "Great Balls Of Fire", "Bye Bye Johnny/Johnny B Goode", "Gotta Keep A Rocking", and "Hands Of Jack The Ripper", which is mini-horror movie itself! LP, Vinyl record album

The first Thelonious Monk album for Columbia Records – and one of the best, as well – a beautiful illustration of the way that his shift in labels really set some new fire to his music in the early 60s! The group is Monk's sharp-edged quartet with the amazing Charlie Rouse on tenor, John Ore on bass, and Frankie Dunlop on drums – a group that's beautifully understated, but able to do incredible things in the company of the pianist – hanging back to let Thelonious take center stage one minute, then swinging hard together the next. The set includes great renditions of Monk classics that really illustrate his new energy at Columbia – and titles include "Bolivar Blues", "Bye-Ya", and "Monk's Dream" – plus great remakes of "Body & Soul" and "Just A Gigolo". LP, Vinyl record album

Given the coolness of the Swedish jazz scene in the postwar years, we can imagine that the arrival of Charlie Parker on the scene must have set things on fire quite a bit! The album's a great example of the Bird magic even in the most unusual of circumstances – as the settings are less than key, the recording quality a bit muted, and the players all fine, but sometimes not as well matched as they might be – yet none of that matters to Charlie, because he soars out here with the kind of hard-burning solo work that's all-Parker, all the way – pure jazz magic that's still strongly inspiring, even after all these years. The set features live recordings done at Folkets Park and an unknown restaurant, with players that include Rolf Ericson on trumpet, Gosta Theselius on piano, and Rowland Greenberg on trumpet – and titles include "Body & Soul", "Strike Up The Band", "Star Eyes", "Cool Blues", "Fine & Dandy", and "How High The Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

Greg's definitely showing off all his chops on this one – working with help from a huuuge array of famous guest stars – including The Pointer Sisters, James Ingram, Howard Hewett, Jackie Jackson, Michael Jackson, Robbie Nevil, and others. And while the bulk of the record really shows the influence of these mainstream 80s soul artists – and not always in a good way – the record also sports a brilliant tune done with Donald Fagan of Steely Dan, the sweetly grooving "Lazy Nina", which sounds like the best work off Fagan's Nightfly, and has Greg and Don duetting on vocals! Titles include "Behind The Mask", "Signals", "Shake It", "Countdown To Love", "Come As You Are", and "Playin With Fire". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing early work from Ricardo Ray – material that's got a lot more fire than some of his better-known sides from the 70s! The album's a stone cooker all the way through – played by a tight young group with lots of descarga energy in their blood, and some of the pre-Latin Soul styles that were creeping around the New York scene – that cool combo sound that Joe Cuba was getting with his own group. Bobby Cruz is already with Ray at this point, and he does a great job on the vocal numbers on the album – but the real treat is Ricardo's group – who play with a hard jazzy intensity on the best tracks. These include the descarga "Here Comes Richie Ray", the jazz mambo "Jango", the jazz descarga "Theme", and the storming "Mi Guaguanco". Other cuts include "Summer Love", "The Shadow Of Your Smile", and "El Montuno De Hoy". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure one from Della Reese – and a set with a nice touch of soul, too! The album was produced by Della herself, with arrangements by Peter Myers – and titles include "Fire & Rain", "Funny", "Bein Green", "If Loving You Is Wrong", and versions of the Bill Withers tunes "Let Me In Your Life" and "Who Is She & What Is She To You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite albums ever from the mighty DJ Rogers – one of the most positive, powerful voices in 70s soul music! The set's a sublime Rogers showcase all the way through – as DJ wrote, arranged, and produced the whole record – in partnership with the Earth Wind & Fire Kalimba Productions imprint – which is perfect placement for the set, as it shares all the best righteous energy with that famous group at its height! DJ's vocals are trained in the church – both technically and spiritually – but they soar out here in some secular lyrics that really help bring a sense of warmth and love to the universe – a really rare blend of modes from both sides of the fence that rivals the best 70s work by Rance Allen or Donny Hathaway. Backings are perfect – maybe even more focused and moving than on some of Rogers' previous albums – and titles include "Hold Me", "Sold On You", "When Love Is Gone", "Changed", "You Take Me Higher (Brazilian Lover)", "All My Love", and "Love Brought Me Back". LP, Vinyl record album

Probably THE album you truly need to own from Koko Taylor – and a completely great one, recorded way before she'd become a cliched fixture paying the bills on the frat boy tourist blues scene! The tracks here were recorded over a few years in mid-to-late 60s Chicago – mostly with production from Willie Dixon, who also co-wrote most of the tunes on the set! The groove is nice and gritty – electric Chess Chicago blues at it's finest, but also with a good sense of soul in the mix – and tracks include the fiery hit "Wang Dang Doodle", plus "Fire", "29 Ways", "I Don't Care Who Knows", "Nitty Gritty", and "Love You Like A Woman". Amazing stuff! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last totally righteous albums by the Temptations – recorded at the end of their progressive run at Motown, and done with some really hard-hitting tunes and production from Norman Whitfield! Tracks step off with that beautiful mix of badass soul, heavy production, and soaring harmonies that always made the group so great during this period – and the tracks are some wonderful numbers that get way way past the hit-bound material of other albums. Paul Riser handled arrangements for the set, bringing in a few sweet touches that are very much appreciated on the mellower numbers – and titles include the extended mellow funky number "Zoom" – plus "1990", "I Need You", "You've Got My Soul On Fire", "Heavenly", and "Ain't No Justice". LP, Vinyl record album

Stanley blows it sweet, mellow, and soulfully – in this wonderful post-CTI session from the 70s! The set features some swirling larger arrangements from Gene Page – done with a bit of the CTI sound lurking in the mix, but also a more complicated groove that almost takes on soundtrack-like proportions at times – a warmly-flowing groove that's lush without being soppy, and which really sets Turrentine up nicely for some sophisticated, mature solos on tenor. Stan's got some great company on the record – including Patrice Rushen on keyboards, David T Walker on guitar, and Freddie Hubbard on trumpet – and although the set's laidback, it's a lot more soulful than you might think – almost like a hip mellow soul set from the time, but with tenor instead of vocals. Includes covers of the Earth Wind & Fire tunes "Reasons" and "That's The Way Of The World", plus the tracks "Touching You", "T's Dream", and "Have You Ever Seen The Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

A bit of soul, a bit of jazz, and some nice funky touches at the bottom – a killer little set from the great Spanky Wilson! Wilson's got a really unique place in music – at one level a soul singer with enough sophistication to rival the sound of Marlena Shaw or Nancy Wilson – but at another level, an artist capable of really letting loose – hitting heavier, funkier modes that neither of those singers could ever touch! This set may well be Wilson's masterpiece – put together with excellent production and arrangements from the great HB Barnum – here coming off a great run of work for other artists in the 60s, and focusing all that experience on making Spanky sound great. Titles include "Kissing My Love", "If I Could", "You", "Don't Mess With Bill", "Light My Fire", "Sunshine Of Your Love", "Hurtin", and "The Love That A Woman Should Give To A Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal southern soul from the legendary Clarence Carter – one of his early killers for Atlantic Records, all of which really stand out from most of his work to come in later years! There's a raw, raspy brilliance here that's undeniable – the blind singer stepping out with incredible confidence on a host of tunes that really run the gamut – numbers of love and loss, mixed with a few more contemporary pop tracks – but all given a unique Muscle Shoals twist that really transforms them. Carter wins our heart from the start with his version of "I'd Rather Go Blind" – then keeps on soaring through cuts that include "Think About It", "Steal Away", "Look What I Got", "That Old Time Feeling", "Let Me Comfort You", "Weekend Love", "Light My Fire", and "Too Weak To Fight". LP, Vinyl record album

A genre-defining moment from pianist Keith Jarrett – a record that really set the world on fire, and which continues to charm all these many decades later! Although Jarrett had already made some amazing music in a trio setting during the 60s, and in his more freewheeling groups with Dewey Redman in the early 70s, it's this sort of format that forever put him on the map – long, extended improvised passages on solo piano – played at a level that's still extremely lyrical, tuneful, and thoughtful – quite different than the free jazz waves that were building at the time! And while so many other people copied the style over the years, nobody does it better than Jarrett – especially on this landmark outing for the style. The work is amazing – extremely compelling as little melodies drift in and out of the waves of piano improvisation – without any of the sloppiness of some of Jarrett's imitators, and a surprising sense of soul and direction throughout! LP, Vinyl record album

Latimore was one of those singers who never stopped being great – and even here, on a small release that never got him the fame of his 70s albums, he still sounds wonderful! His voice is sublime – easily one of the most distinct in southern soul, with an ability to be raspy and nasty one minute, and warm and smooth the next – set up here in backings that showcase the newer modes of soul that Malaco were forging at the time – which seems to work perfect for Latimore. Titles include a smooth stepping version of "Let's Straighten It Out", plus "We Don't Make Love Anymore", "Take Me Down", "I'll Do Anything For You", and "Hell Fire Lovin". LP, Vinyl record album

Soaring soul from Stephanie Mills – one of the lady's all-time hits, and for good reason too! The album really gives Stephanie's great voice a lot of focus – an upbeat, uptempo groove that sets her firmly on the dancefloor, but always with a touch of class – and a lot more depth than some of the easy come/easy go disco divas of her day! Thanks here is clearly due to the team of Reggie Lucas and Mtume – who strike strongly with the album as one of their key early productions – the sort of work that really helped push mainstream soul a bit further at the end of the 70s, and set some new tones for a lot of growth in the next decade. The keyboards on the record are almost as nice as the vocals – played by Hubert Eaves and Harry Whitaker with a nice degree of sensitivity – hardly the stronger keyboard voice of the early 80s soul scene, and often with a dose of jazziness that's really appreciated. Titles include "What Cha Gonna Do With My Lovin'", "Deeper Inside Your Love", "Feel The Fire", "Put Your Body In It", "Starlight", and "Don't Stop Dancin". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Charles Mingus' true classics – and an essential album in any jazz collection! This 1959 gem was recorded by Mingus at a key point in his career – when he was rising from the jazz underground into the ranks of America's elite jazzmen, penning some of the most challenging work of his career, and working with incredible younger players that interpreted his work with a great deal of fire! The tracks are a bit more tightly arranged than work on some of Mingus' previous work for labels like Atlantic and Bethlehem, but that also gives them a razor-sharp emotional edge that's carried off perfectly by players who include John Handy and Shafi Hadi on alto saxes, Booker Ervin on tenor, Willie Dennis and Jimmy Knepper on trombones, Horace Parlan on piano, and Dannie Richmond on drums. The album is filled with key Mingus classics – like "Better Git It In Your Soul", "Boogie Stop Shuffle", "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat", and "Fables of Faubus" – plus "Self Portrait In Three Colors", "Open Letter To Duke", and "Bird Call". LP, Vinyl record album

A bold statement from former members of the Charles Mingus group – working here together as a unit after the passing of Mingus, in a set that has some of the best fire and energy of Charles' later years! The tracks here are all Mingus compositions – performed in longish takes that allow for some great solo work from John Handy on alto, Joe Farrell on tenor, Jimmy Owens on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone – and rhythm on the session is by the trio of Don Pullen on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums. Titles include "Goodbye Porkpie Hat", "Boogie Stop Shuffle", "My Jelly Roll Soul", and "Sweet Sucker Dance". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the many 70s "children" of Earth Wind & Fire – and an obscure righteous soul combo from the east coast! The group's led by Osiris Marsh – who wrote all the tracks, and sings vocals over the group's bass-heavy keyboard-driven grooves. The record's not as great as some of its other ilk – despite a fair bit of promising references – but it does feature lots of slapp bass work by Tyrone Brunson, very much a precursor to Brunson's own work of later years, if you dig that sort of thing. Titles include "Damn", "Consistency", "Gamin", and "Almost (Never Gets There)". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer blend of soul and funk from Pockets – a group with a very jazzy pedigree in their roots, but who stretch forth here with some great studio help from the Kalimba Productions team of the Earth Wind & Fire empire! The groove is very much in the best 70s EWF mode – tight, but never uptight – impeccably played throughout, but with a looseness that also really hearkens back to the small club origins of the group. Lead singer Larry Jacobs really makes the tunes cook – with a style that's deft enough to match the instrumentation, yet still strong enough to soar soulfully on its own. The blend is sublime throughout – and titles include "Tell Me Why", "Take It On Up", "Heaven Only Knows", "Got To Find My Way", "Sphinx", "In Your Eyes", "Happy For Love", and "You And Only You". LP, Vinyl record album

Ahhhh . . . The Salsoul Orchestra at its finest, with Vince Montana at the helm, crafting some superb arrangements that have all of the positivity of the best funky club groove that made the group great – without any of the disco schlock of their contemporaries! The group's format is still head and shoulders above most of its imitators here – a perfect balance of larger orchestrations and tighter rhythms for the club – handled with all the best Philly elements that Montana brings to play. Titles include the superb soul track "Run Away", which features excellent lead vocals by Loleatta Holloway – one of her best tracks ever – and other instrumental titles include the funky "Getaway", plus "Magic Bird Of Fire", "It's A New Day", and "Alpha Centuri". LP, Vinyl record album

Sonny Stitt's work for Verve was some of his best on record – and this album is a perfect illustration of that bold claim! Sonny's blowing here in a wonderful style – a bit more restrained than on his early bop sides, more complicated than on his later soul jazz sessions, and all together totally solid, totally in-the-pocket – with not a note out of place, nor a moment of superfluous blowing on the set. Stitt's extremely confident here – dominating the intimate quartet setting with lots of fire, warmth, and imagination. The rhythm section includes Jimmy Jones on piano, Jo Jones on drums, and Ray Brown on bass – and tracks include "Sonny's Tune", "Down Home Blues", "Alone Together", and "Norman's Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last great pop records from Donna Summer – thanks to super huge radio and video play for the title cut – and to a huge amount of tuneful tracks put together by producer/arranger Michael Omartin! By this point, Summer isn't trying to fool anyone that she's a deeper soul artist – and has really relaxed into a reworking of her previous 70s disco mode – a catchier, more crossover-pointed style that kept Donna's fire going a lot stronger than most of her club diva contemporaries from the decade before. Titles include "She Works Hard For The Money", "Woman", "Stop Look & Listen", "Tokyo", "People People", and "I Do Believe". LP, Vinyl record album

The first in a legendary run of Collectors Showcase records on the Constellation label – mid 60s efforts that pull together hard to find work from earlier years, all in a package that's almost as collectable as the originals! The set's presented by the Magnificent Montague in the liner notes, and it features work from a variety of artists, most on the Fire/Fury labels. Titles include "Do Re Mi" and "Ya Ya" by Lee Dorsey, "Wiggle Wobble" by Les Cooper, "Soul Twist" by King Curtis, "There's Something On Your Mind (parts 1 & 2)" by Bobby Marchan, "Fanny Mae" by Buster Brown, "I'm So Happy" by Teen Chords, and "Every Beat Of My Heart" by Gladys Knight & The Pips. LP, Vinyl record album

Disco sounds from the Caribbean scene of the 70s – a really unique mix of regional styles with the kind of rhythms that were coming from New York and Philly at the time! The groove here is really unique – even different than some of the reggae or African disco numbers of the time – as the sunny style of Trinidad & Tobago and other islands turns out to be a perfect fit for clubby elements – mixing riffing instrumentation with playful lyrics that would have been right at home in older musical modes, but which are tuned just right here to match the energy of the disco generation. And these cuts have an appeal that goes way beyond any sense of novelty or gimmick – often served up with a soulfulness that meets or beats mainstream US disco of the period. Hats off to Cultures of Soul for bringing all these great grooves together – on a set that includes "Dance With Me" by Odessey One, "Feel Like Dancing" by Levi John, "Instant Funk" by Merchant, Be Yourself" by Mighty Duke, "The Rebels" and "Living On A String" by Wild Fire, "Peace Without Love" by Ronnie Butler And The Ramblers, "Rockers Delight" by Prince Blackman (a nicely simmering Jamaican funk take on "Rappers Delight"), "Got To Have You" by Joanne Wilson, "Disco Music" by Trinadad Troubadours – plus the bonus tracks "Got To Have You (Whiskey Barons Rework)" and "Dance With Me (Al Kent Version)" by Odessey One. LP, Vinyl record album

The first album by Atlantic Starr – a tight set of modern soul tunes with a very different feel than their later work! Part of the credit goes to Bobby Eli – who arranged and produced the set, giving it a feel that's almost late Philly – tight, sophisticated, and right on the money at all the best points! There's a number of sweet mellow ballads with lead vocals by Sharon Bryant, and other tracks that groove in an uptempo way that points towards more of the group's 80s work – a great mix of modes that makes for a really well-developed album right out of the gate. Titles include "Gimme Your Lovin", "The Love I Never Had", "Visions", "Keep It Comin", "Stand Up", "Where There's Smoke There's Fire", "We Got It Together", and "Being In Love With You Is So Much Fun". LP, Vinyl record album

Early bluesy soul from Buster Brown – in the fierce tradition of Fire Records. Tracks include "When Things Go Wrong", "Madison Shuffle", "John Henry", "Sincerely", and "I'm Going But I'll Be Back". LP, Vinyl record album

Jean Carn was one of the best-ever singers to hit the Philly International label – a sophisticated diva with a style that would strongly influence soul music for the next 10 years, and a downright compelling voice that crafted some of the best modern soul of her generation. Although Jean started out as a spiritually-oriented singer working with husband Doug Carn and Earth Wind & Fire, this debut album has her grooving in a style that resembles the classy Columbia sound of Marlena Shaw. Like Shaw, Carn takes the best of her jazz roots, and strips off the nonsense to adapt to a more modern style. Gamble & Huff take a great deal of care with the album – and are careful not to bury Jean's voice in overly club-oriented arrangements, as they occasionally did with other female singers. Includes the hit groover "Free Love", plus "Don't You Know Love When You See It", "You Are All I Need", "You Got A Problem", and "If You Wanna Go Back". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album from vocalist Betty Carter – not her first time in the recording studio, but maybe one of the first full length sets to really communicate all the genius she was bringing to the field of jazz vocals in the postwar years! The record is one of Carter's more sophisticated sessions, and it's one of the few from the old days to really capture her jazzy vocals well in a large group setting – using arrangements from Richard Wess to bring some nice modern currents to the proceedings. As always, Betty handles the material with a great deal of class, and an incredible sense of poise and emotion – and thee set list is nice, too, and includes many lesser-known tracks – like "For You", "Jazz (Ain't Nothin' But Soul)", "Don't Weep For the Lady", "My Reverie", and "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album from The Emotions – largely because it sounds a lot like prime mid 70s Earth Wind & Fire, with female vocals added over the top – ultimately, pulling away with a soulful charm all its own! Maurice White produced the whole set, and it's got a soaring spacey sound that provides a perfect spiritual edge to the girls vocals – taking them way past the hits, into much more sophisticated soul territory. There's a beautifully righteous vibe going on throughout – a sound that's almost like Minnie Riperton at her 70s Capitol best – and titles include "Love Vibes", "Walking The Line", "Time Is Passing By", "I Wouldn't Lie", "Smile", and "Spirit Of Summer". LP, Vinyl record album

A motherlode of Al's classic soul hits from the early and mid 70's, with essential tracks like "Love & Happiness", "L-O-V-E", "Livin For You", "Full Of Fire", and "Take Me To The River". Great stuff, all sung with Al's perfect voice and great Hi Records backing. LP, Vinyl record album

Landmark stuff, and a beautiful album that mixes soulful tracks with Donny's nascent jazz sensibility! The set's a key chapter in the history of soul music – a record that has Donny emerging from shadows of the Chicago studio scene to become one of the most promising soul artists of the 70s. The album was recorded in Chicago, with a host of great players that had been gigging for years in the Chess studios – and the record is the rich culmination of talents that had been brewing in the Windy City for years. Includes the monster hit "The Ghetto" – one of Donny's best-known tracks and a rollicking funky number – in a full extended version with a good instrumental breakdown. Also features a remake of "Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)", which shows Donny's strong ties to the Earth, Wind, & Fire organization – plus moody spiritual numbers like "I Believe To My Soul", "Thank You Master", and "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work by John Klemmer – filled with the kind of fire and emotion that you don't get on many of his other records! The set was recorded live at two different venues – and it's a choppy slightly-funky batch of modal soul jazz tunes, with an approach that makes it feel like a lost album on Strata East. On side one, Mike Nock is on Fender Rhodes, Wilton Felder plays bass, and Eddie Marshall is on drums. Titles on that set include "Blood Of The Sun" and "How Cum Ya Got Ta Rip Off Your Brothers?". Side two was recorded live at Montreux, and features more Fender Rhodes, plus backing by Cecil McBee and Alphonze Mouzon. Klemmer plays tenor with echoplex processing, and titles include "Free Love" and "Tree Of Forbidden Fruit". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet electric Ramsey Lewis – an overlooked gem from the Columbia Records years, filled with loads of great grooves, and some pretty mighty keyboards! Part of the record has Ramsey working with Larry Dunn of Kalimba Productions – getting plenty of the Earth Wind & Fire groove that made so much of his Columbia sessions sparkle – while the rest of the set has the great Bert DeCoteaux handling things, and giving Lewis just the right mix of sophistication and soul he was using with other Columbia acts at the time. The album's a perfect example of the way that Ramsey stepped way ahead of the pack during this time in his career – using keyboards and grooves together in ways that so many artists today are still trying to match – but never hit it this right! Titles include "Camino El Bueno", "Caring For You", "Intimacy", "That Ole Bach Music", "Skippin", "Tequila Mockingbird", and "Wandering Rose" – that cool cut by Neal Creque! LP, Vinyl record album

A stone Motown classic – and a tune that really set the 60s "go go" soul groove on fire! But even better is the sweet b-side – the majestic "Choosey Beggar", a great ballad track with incredible lead vocals from Smokey! 7-inch, Vinyl record

One of the real standouts in the career of Ricardo Ray and Bobby Cruz – a record of incredible tightness, and one that set a whole new level for Puerto Rican salsa in the 70s! There's still a few traces here of the Latin Soul years – sometimes in the rhythms, at other times in the record's use of an additional female vocalist – who sings behind Bobby's vocals in a really cool way on some of the best numbers. But the main focus here is really on the tightness of the instrumentation – razor-sharp in the arrangements, and served up in a lean mix of piano, trumpets, and percussion. Titles include a nice slow funk remake of "Fire & Rain", plus "Sondido Bestial", "No Tin Pena", "La Vimari", "Cha Cha Huele Chango", and "Volver". LP, Vinyl record album

Recorded at Sigma Sound and produced, arranged and conducted by Vincent Montana Jr., this is a compilation of some of the Salsoul Orchestra's big disco tunes. Montana composed just about every song on the record and the tracks include "Nice N Naasty", "You're Just The Right Size", "Chicago Bus Stop (Ooh, I Love It)", "Salsoul Hustle", "Magic Bird Of Fire","It's Good For The Soul", "Salsoul Rainbow", and "Salsoul: 3001". A total of twelve tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

Damn wonderful work from Woody Shaw – a sublime set for Columbia Records, and one that's head and shoulders above most major label jazz of its generation! Woody's still in his most soulful modes here – the soaring, spiritual, joyous tones we always love in his Muse Records work from a few years before – delivered here with a tightness and vision that even goes beyond those records – thanks to help from Mulgrew Miller on piano, Gary Bartz on alto sax, Steve Turre on trombone, Stafford James on bass, and Tony Reedus on drums. As with most of Shaw's best records, this is truly a great group effort – from the bold tones of Turre, to the soul-drenched pulsations of James, to the highly rhythmic modes from Miller's piano – all fused together perfectly under Woody's magical vision as a leader, and set fire on tunes that include "United", "Katrina Ballerina", "Pressing The Issue", and "The Greene Street Caper", and "Blues For Wood". LP, Vinyl record album

About as classic as you can get for the early Supremes – a set that has the group really hitting hard on all levels, thanks to production from the team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, plus a bit of help from Smokey Robinson – all of whom really help push the Supremes out of simple girl group soul – into the realm of Motown genius they would nearly rule for years to come! Tunes are by HDH, Norman Whitfield, and Smokey – top-shelf songwriting that further enforces the strength of the set – with that mix of poise and class, yet soul and feeling that always graced the group at their best. Titles include the sublime "When The Love Light Starts Shining Through His Eyes", plus the classics "Where Did Our Love Go" and "Baby Love", and the tracks "Come See About Me", "I'm Giving You Your Freedom", "Your Kiss Of Fire", "Ask Any Girl", and "A Breath Taking Guy". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible work from the amazing Dorothy Ashby – a brilliant set of funky and spiritual tunes, set to full backings from Chicago soul arranger Richard Evans! This album is easily one of Ashby's greatest, and it's dedicated to the writings of Omar Khayyam – one of the forces guiding Dorothy's more spiritual sound at the end of the 60s, clearly opened up in a way that's not unlike the direction of Alice Coltrane's work, but a lot more focused and a lot more funky! Ashby not only plays her usual jazz harp, but also koto as well, and even sings a bit too – and the larger group directed by Evans features work by Stu Katz on vibes and kalimba, Lenny Druss on flutes, and Cash McCall on guitar – all in a groove that's really a precursor to the Earth Wind & Fire generation of the Chicago scene! Titles include the amazing break "The Moving Finger" – worth the price of the album alone – plus "Dust", "Joyful Grass & Grape", "Heaven & Hell", "Wax & Wane", "Shadow Shapes", "For Some When Young", "Myself When Young", and "Drink". LP, Vinyl record album

Peabo Bryson's first for Capitol – and a sublime blend of modern soul that's light years ahead of any of his later work! Part of the credit goes to Richard Evans – who's worked out these wonderfully smooth stepping arrangements that are a perfect accompaniment for Peabo's deep voice, but which also avoid any of the syrupy indulgence of later records. And sure, Peabo's still got that expressive tone – but he's keeping it mean and lean to let the music keep on going strongly in a Capitol Rare kind of way. Titles include "Reaching For The Sky", "Hold On To The World", "Love From Your Heart", "Love Walked Out On Me", "You Haven't Learned About Love", and "Feel The Fire". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from the mighty Norman Connors – a set that's heavy on grooves, but which has all the jazzy depth of his early work too! The set features arrangements by some killer modern soul talents – Al Johnson, McKinley Jackson, and Paul Riser – who beautifully blend their own sweet touches with Connors' rich ideas – carried out here with some sublime vocals by Al Johnson himself, plus work from Jean Carn, Glenn Johnson, Adaritha, and The Jones Girls too! The instrumental vibe is as strong as well – with great solos from Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and Gary Bartz on alto – and the combination of all these talents alone is testament to the continuing great vision of Norman Connors – one of the few cats who could make an album like this work so well! Titles include a great version of Steely Dan's "Black Cow", plus "Melancholy Fire", "Take It To The Limit", "Justify", "You've Been On My Mind", and an excellent remake of "I Don't Need Nobody Else". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet 80s classic from Finis Henderson – and the kind of record that should have launched him on a much bigger run as a lead singer! Despite the plastic look of the cover, the album's really solidly put together – produced by Al McKay with a vibe that definitely echoes his work with Earth Wind & Fire, and a style that also shows some of Henderson's roots in the Chicago group Weapons Of Peace – which means lots of jazzy inflections with the grooves, in a style that works perfectly for Finis' style of singing. And given that Henderson has a range that sometimes hits Philip Bailey territory, the match is a great one – and gives the album a sense of class that other Motown soul from the time didn't always have. Titles include "Lovers", "Making Love", "Skip To My Lou", "Vina Del Mar", "Crush On You", "I'd Rather Be Gone", and "You Owe It All To Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet 80s soul from the mighty Glenn Jones – one of the best mainstream singers of his generation, as you'll hear on this set of mellow grooving tunes! Instrumentation's pretty electric at most moments – lots of synth, keyboards, and beats – but Glenn's well-trained vocals bring in a nice sense of humanity and depth to most numbers – especially the mellower tracks, which are really some of the standout moments in the set. Production's handled by La La and Hawk Wolinski – and titles include "Be My Lady", "Love Will Show Us How", "Stay", "Set The Night On Fire", "All Work No Play", and "Take It From Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant 70s album from bassist Sam Jones – a player who rose to fame with Cannonball Adderley at the start of the 60s, and worked on his own as a leader too – but who really seemed to take off during the time of this recording! Sam's sense of groove and arranging is very strongly in place here – a sense of fire that was no doubt developed with Cannonball, but given a much wider vision on Jones' 70s albums like this – records that might well be some of the few to find a new space forward in the decade for a 60s soul jazz aesthetic! Sam's bass is right out front, and gets some good exposure on a few of the tunes' intros, too – and the rest of the lineup is excellent – with Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Bob Berg on tenor, Slide Hampton on trombone, Barry Harris on piano, and Louis Hayes on drums. Titles include "Miss Morgan", "Laverne Walk", "Sam's Things", "Trane's Changes", "Blue's", and "Stablemates". LP, Vinyl record album

Eddie Kendricks, vintage 1978 – and still very much in the great grooving mode he brought to his earlier solo material for Motown! Even in this giant dancefloor generation, Eddie's got something very special and unique – a voice that can still sound as heartbreaking on a groover as it can on a ballad – and which has a way of linking an earlier generation of fragile male soul vocals with a new sense of 70s masculinity – of which Kendricks was one of the leading lights in soul! There's moments here that might well match some of the best late 70s work by artists like Marvin Gaye or Leroy Hutson – and the strong arrangements are by Andrew Louis Smith – a name we don't really know at all, but who should be thanked for helping the record avoid any disco cliches. Titles include "How's Your Love Life Baby", "One Of The Poorest People", "Love Love Love", "The Best Of Strangers Now", "Don't Underestimate The Power Of Love", "Ain't No Smoke Without A Fire" and "Maybe I'm A Fool To Love You". 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

Genius jazzy soul from Webster Lewis – one of his amazing late 70s sets for Epic Records! By this point in his career, Lewis had honed his keyboard craft to perfection – and on albums like this one, he laid down some excellent smooth soulful fusion that soared in a righteous way that few other artists of his generation could match! The sound's never cheesy, and has a wonderfully fusion-based bottom that's served up by a range of great players that include Paul Jackson, James Gadson, and Bennie Maupin – and which is topped off by very jazz-sensitive production from Lewis and Herbie Hancock. Most cuts have vocals – some by Lewis himself – and the album includes the monster dancefloor cut "Give Me Some Emotion", plus the cuts "Fire", "Go For It", "You Deserve To Dance", and "The Love You Give To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A well-titled set – as it's the mid 70s, and the Ohio Players were certainly turning out a lot of gold! Their move to Mercury Records from the smaller indie Westbound was a real winning move – as it gave them a smoother soul feel that only expanded their groove, not restricted it! This tasty "best of" set features most of their top work from those years – with killer tunes that include "Love Rollercoaster", "Fire", "Skin Tight", "Who'd She Coo", "Feel The Beat", "I Want To Be Free", "Fopp", "Far East Mississippi", "Only A Child Can Love", "Jive Turkey (part 1)", and the great "Sweet Sticky Thing"! LP, Vinyl record album

Pivotal work from Duke Pearson – a brilliant set that perfectly sums up all the criss-crossing of styles he was working on in the late 60s – and comes up with a wonderful blend of electric jazz, Brazilian rhythms, and just a touch of 70s soul! Pearson plays some sweet Fender Rhodes on the set, in addition to acoustic piano – and there's some other wonderful instrumentation in the mix too – including flute and guitar from Hermeto Pascoal, making a rare Blue Note appearance – plus sweet flutes from Jerry Dodgion and Lew Tabackin, both blowing in kind of a CTI-ish way – as well as tenor from Frank Foster, trumpets from Collins/Shepley, and wonderful drums from Mickey Roker – whose inventive rhythms here really helps set fire to Duke's new ideas. Flora Purim sings on a few tracks – pre-Fantasy Records, and turning in some of her greatest vocals ever – and titles include a wonderful version of "Stormy", plus "Book's Bossa", "Gira, Girou", "Hermeto", "Emily", and "It Could Only Happen With You". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from Riddle – a bandleader who always did great work with other singers, but who could really be sleepy on his own, until the late 60s, when he started to change his groove a lot, and really open up his sound! This album's a perfect example of that move – as it's got organ, electric guitar, and Fender bass mixed with Riddle's already well-arranged horn sextion – creating a lilting groove that really kicks the best tracks along nicely, giving them a slightly funky sound that's similar to the work that Riddle later did for MPS. Titles include "Gentle On My Mind", "Tell Someone You Love Them", "Don't Rain On My Parade", "Stoned Soul Picnic", "Where Do I Go", and a great cover of "Light My Fire". LP, Vinyl record album

Bold work from Max Roach – great material from the piano-less quartet that features Odean Pope on tenor and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet! The style here follows strongly from Roach's Horo and Japanese recordings of the late 70s – as the album features one long track, with plenty of creative improvisation from the horn players – and rhythmic moments that get mighty open from Max, who's really on fire at this point in his career. Tyrone Brown plays electric bass, which makes for a nice sort of pulse – and Pope and Bridgewater solo with real force, recalling the same soulful spirit of Roach albums from eyars past! One long track – "Scott Free" – a soulful, spiritual gem throughout. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest Woody Shaw albums of the 70s – a masterpiece of soulful expression, filled with the kind of righteous touches we always love in Woody's work! The album's recorded live, with an even more open feeling than some of Shaw's studio sets – and features an excellent group of modernist 70s soul jazz players – all wrapped together with fire and imagination, and the sort of soaring rhythms that really makes the all shine brightly! Players include Rene McLean on alto and flute, Frank Foster on tenor and soprano, Slide Hampton on trombone, Ronnie Matthews on piano, Stafford James on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – and at some surprising moments, the horn players also play a bit of percussion! Titles include a killer reading of "In The Land Of The Blacks" – plus "Jean Marie", "Hello To The Wind", and "Obsequious". LP, Vinyl record album

A truly unbelievable album from Billy Stewart – maybe his standout moment of the 60s, and a record that set him apart from every other singer of his time! Stewart's famous vocals break out instantly on the huge hit "Summertime" – a leadoff number that really sets the record on fire – and sets the scene for an amazing batch of tunes that follow a similar format – familiar tracks that are completely recast in a new mode by Billy – pyrotechnic soul vocals that are as filled with feeling as they are shaped by technique! Backings are great, too – full and a bit jazzy at points – and with just the right sort of energy to keep things bouncing along all the way through. Titles include "Summertime", "A Foggy Day", "Canadian Sunset", "Time After Time", "Misty", "Moon River", "My Funny Valentine", and "That Old Black Magic". LP, Vinyl record album

Massive work from Sun – a tightly crafted batch of dancefloor funk that reminds us of some of our favorite work from Fantasy Records at the time – especially some of the more righteous groups that blended equal parts jazz and soul! Sun's got a tightness here that's amazing – right up there with Earth Wind & Fire at their best, but not as commercial overall – and instead, always delivered with a nice sense of righteous energy! The set kicks off with the wicked "Sun Is Here", a guitar-driven groover with a very famous sample riff – and a sound that's somehow more stripped-down and jazz funk-driven than a lot of the group's other tunes. Other cuts are pretty great too, with lots of warm bubbly soulful moments – and titles include "Dance", "Long Drawn Out Thang", "I Had A Choice", "Sun Of A Gun", and "You're The One". LP, Vinyl record album

An 80s album by McCoy Tyner, but easily one of his most soulful sessions ever – thanks to help from Phyllis Hyman and a host of great guest stars! The sound's a bit more tightly arranged than some of Tyner's 70s sessions, but there's still plenty of fire here too – a bit of a Latin inspiration in the rhythms, really giving new focus to McCoy's post-Coltrane sense of searching spirituality! Hyman sings wonderfully on the album's classic "Love Surrounds Us Everywhere", a brilliant blend of jazz and soul that recalls mid 70s Norman Connors – and on the beautiful ballad "I'll Be Around". Other players here include Gary Bartz, Stanley Clarke, and Carlos Santana – who comes off surprisingly nicely in this setting. Tracks include "Love Surrounds Us Everywhere", "Hannibal", "I'll Be Around", "Senor Carlos", "In Search Of My Heart", and "Island Birdie". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice one, and a strange batch of instrumental grooves played by what is billed as an early version of War – with Lonnie Jordan on piano and organ, Harold Brown on drums, Magnificent Montague on congas, and Bobby Womack on guitar! The liner notes lists the group as being made up of members of The Packers, The Romeos, and The Soul Runners – and if you know those groups from their funky 45's, then you'll get a feeling of the funky instrumental sound of this album. It's not really like War at all, but it's a great batch of lost funky tracks from the LA scene, with titles like "On Fire", "La Chanson", "Blusing Tears", "Moving Along", "Cup Of Soul", "Time Is Tight", and "The Bamboche". LP, Vinyl record album

The only solo album ever recorded by Maurice White – an upbeat and soulful set that's right up there with his best 80s work in Earth Wind & Fire! Like that group at the time, White's hitting a rhythmic side that's more electronic at points – letting beats and keyboard bits stand in for the previously-acoustic drums and percussion – yet all in a way that still retains that great EWF style of soul! Things are tight, but never too slick or commercial – and although the songs are catchy, they're never nearly as cloying as some of the other mainstream soul from the time. There's some surprisingly sweet moments that really show a new side of Maurice's talents, and titles include "Switch On Your Radio", "Stand By Me", "Sea Of Glass", "I Need You", "Invitation", "Lady Is Love", "The Sleeping Flame", and "Children Of Afrika". LP, Vinyl record album

Jazzman take on the Cali scene – and the results are every bit as amazing as you might imagine! Like previous Texas, Florida, and Midwest Funk comps on the label, this volume is essential listening all the way through – a massive dig into rare west coast grooves of the late 60s and 1970s – presented with excellent notes on every single track, and more than enough historical detail to put the music in perspective! The whole thing's fully legit, with great mastering on most cuts – and the track list is filled with rare gems we've never seen on any other collections before – a massive funky treasure trove that includes "Turn It Over" by Chucky Thurmon, "Farm Song" by Leon Gardner, "What Goes Around Comes Around (part 1)" by Arthur Monday, "Get It Right" by Rhon Silva, "Funky Fire" by Billy Larkin, "WB" by California Gold Notes, "Curse Upon The World" by Apple & The Three Oranges, "Cold Heat" by Lil Lavair & The Fabulous Jades, "Bones" by Winter, "Smokin Tidbits" by Edwards Generation, "Al's Place" by Enrique Olivarez Y Los Vampiros, "Talking About My Baby" by John Heartsman & Circles, "What's Going On" by Mr Clean & The Soul Inc, and "All Bundled Into One" by Water Color. LP, Vinyl record album

A key album in the evolution of the Millie Jackson sound and style – as she leaves behind the weepy soul of earlier albums, and moves into the fierce, proud-stepping mode that would define the "bad girl" of later, raunchier years! In case you can't figure out where Millie's going with her bag, the title is emphasized by a photo of a toilet seat on the back cover – and Millie literally takes the sh*t out on the record – in a series of tunes that have a real bad-rapping approach. Production is by longtime associate Brad Shapiro, but the overall sound is sweetened nicely by David Van De Pitte – who adds in full strings and voices to emphasize the attitude behind the songs. Titles include "Go Out & Get Some", "Put Something Down On It", "He Wants To Hear The Words", "Here You Come Again", and a great version of Latimore's "Keep The Home Fire Burnin", complete with an additional rap on the subject, entitle "Logs & Thangs". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunner of a live record from Mother's Finest – one that almost comes across with all the majesty and power of the more famous arena rock albums of the time, but which also has plenty of the group's funky touches intact as well! As before, the music here is a wicked take on fuzzy guitar-based rock – one that's often more funk and soul overall, but easily able to cross into both camps and leave plenty of fans behind! If the audience enthusiasm is to be believed, these guys are tremendous on stage – and titles include "Mickey's Monkey", "Fire", "Somebody To Love", "Magic Carpet Ride", "Watch My Stylin", and "Love Changes". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic Stax stuff from Johnnie, with great arrangements that mix blues and soul, and which offer a perfect backing to his soulful voice. Al Jackson produced the session, and the track list includes "Where There's Smoke There's Fire", "That Bone", "That's Where It's At", and "You Can't Keep A Good Man Down". LP, Vinyl record album