A beautiful collection of modern mellow music – served up in a set that features very different territory than the usual sorts of compilations given to us by Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs – not the older music that they put together so well, but work from an early 90s moment when the duo were a rising part of the British scene as Saint Etienne! Yet despite that connection, they nicely provide a generous overview of a slightly different vibe – mellow tracks that followed in the wake of the big Brit dance explosion of the late 80s – not entirely the downtempo modes that you might expect, at least in the way that "downtempo" has come to mean instrumental hip hop over the years – and instead, some nicely kicked back tracks from some of the more creative studio talents of the time! Titles include "Never Get Out The Boat (flying mix)" by The Aloof, "Spiritual High (moodfood megamix)" by Moodswings, "Floatation" by The Grid, "Afrika (love & laughter rmx)" by History, "Cascades (hypnotone mix)" by Sheer Taft, "It Could Not Happen (essential trance hall mix)" by Critical Rhythm, "Higher Than The Sun (higher than the Orb ext mix)" by Primal Scream, "Snappiness (7" edit)" by BBG, "I Don't Even Know If I Should Call You (Marshall Jefferson symphony mix)" by Soul Family Sensation, "Temple Head (Pacific mix airwaves)" by Transglobal Underground, and "Speedwell (radio edit)" by Saint Etienne. LP, Vinyl record album

A contemporary collection, but one that really hearkens back to the brown-eyed soul of the Texas scene in the late 60s and early 70s – a moment when local groups were picking up on some of the vibes of East LA – reveling in the rich history of Texas soul and blues, but mixing it with funkier currents as well! After the recent interest in Sunny & The Sunliners, there has been a great wave of contemporary acts echoing the Texas sound of years back – and here, producer Adrian Quesada serves up core instrumentation that's a great blend of mellow-yet-funky soul – while different vocalists come in to the mix and really send things over the top! The set features contributions from a nice variety of artists – and titles include "Ain't No Big Thing" with Johnny Hernandez, "I've Got Soul" with David Marez, "Just Me & You" with Amalia Mondragon, "Boogaloo En Monterey" with Ruben Ramos, "One Woman Man" with David Hidalgo, "Love Reverberation" with Johnny Benavidez, "Funky Chick" with Brownout and Tomar Williams, and "Look At My Soul" with Black Pumas and Kam Franklin. LP, Vinyl record album

Noriyo Ikeda has a look on the cover that's maybe a bit more understated than some of her contemporaries, but comes across on the set with a really vibrant quality – using jazz as much as soul to craft her wonderful vocals, in ways that make for an album that's rich in feeling, even past the boundaries of language! There's some great jazzy currents in the instrumentation – almost prefacing some of the jazzier UK soul to come in the next few years – and Noriyo glides along wonderfully on the grooves, letting them inspire her to tap into a bit extra presence, on titles that include "Sunday Morning", "My Prayer", "Dream In The Street", and "Love Is Like A Party". LP, Vinyl record album

Insanely great sounds from the legendary Tim Maia – easily the most soulful singer in 70s Brazil, and an artist with a heck of a strong ear for funk, too! The music here is an incredible hybrid of American soul and Brazilian elements – especially since some lyrics are in English – and the grooves are often mixed together in a sound that's nice and fuzzy around the edges, with some slight psychedelic elements that makes the cuts a perfect fit for this Luaka Bop series! Yet Tim Maia's hardly a guy who can easily fit into any easy slot or series – because as you'll hear on this set, he's got a vibe that's all his own – a really wonderful approach that's different even from some of his hippest contemporaries in Brazil – and which has gone onto have influence on countless other generations of singers and musicians – including his nephew Ed Motta. The package is great – a real visual tribute to the sounds within – and titles include "Que Beleza", "Ela Partiu", "Do Leme Ao Pontal", "Brother Father Mother Sister", "Quer Queira Quer Nao Queira", "Let's Have A Ball Tonight", "I Don't Care", "The Dance Is Over", "Rational Culture", "You Don't Know What I Know", and "Nobody Can Live Forever". LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue entry in this legendary series of compilations – one that taught us an awful lot about funky soundtrack music back in the day, finally back in action after a long hiatus! This time around, the groove has gotten even deeper – as the series has stretched to include some killer sound library material as well – really mixing together all the jazz, funk, and cinematic elements that were in the previous volumes – yet all with the hip Euro-styled groove that we loved in all of those releases too! There's a huge amount of funky nuggets here, but all with a vibe that's very different than 70s work from the US scene – and although we've missed the Easy Tempo series for many years, we're so glad to have them back – as they're still one of the best. Titles include "Take Me To New York" by Brooklyn Bridge Group, "Undertown" by Orchestra Mustang, "First Time Three" by Roberto Pregadio, "Angelus" by Soul's Soul, "African Flute" by Ninety, "Super Cat" by Les Chakachas, "Sunshine Train" by Hugh Bullen, "Un Uomo Che Lavora" by Carlo Cordara E I Waterloo, "Meeting" by Gino Marinaaci, and "Guida Sicura" by Enzo Scoppa. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best non-Blue Note albums from the early years of trombone giant Curtis Fuller – a definite cooker that more than lives up to its title! At his best, Fully often played his instrument with a style that was more like a trumpet than trombone – isolated notes, sharp sense of rhythm, and an ability to match energy of all his top-shelf contemporaries – which is a key thing here, as the lineup includes Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Jimmy Heath on tenor, and Cedar Walton on drums – almost like a Jazz Messengers album from the time that Fuller was in the group, but without Art Blakey. The whole album's wonderful – and titles include "The Clan", "Newdles", and "Ladies Night" – plus a hard hitting rendition of "Dear Old Stockholm" which runs for 9 minutes. LP, Vinyl record album

BB King hips up his groove a bit here – picking up some of the crossover soul and rock touches used by contemporaries over at Chess/Cadet, and expanding his sound with a range of guests that include Leon Russell, Joe Walsh, and Carole King! Despite the presence of these bigger names, the set's very much in BB's own spirit – mostly focused on his vocals and guitar work, and still mostly including original compositions. A few tunes get nice and funky on the rhythms, although still very much in a blues-based way – and Jimmie Haskell contributes a few larger arrangements from time to time. Titles include "King's Special", "Until I'm Dead & Cold", "You're Still My Woman", "Hummingbird", "Go Underground", and "Chains & Things". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great collection of Chess Records work by JB Lenoir – one of the more unusual singers on the Chicago scene at the time – and one with a sound that's pretty darn great all the way through! Lenoir's tone is a pitch or two up from most of his contemporaries – not as gritty and deep, and with inflections that almost point the way towards soul singers in the generation to come. Yet the backings are definitely in the best Windy City modes of the time – as Lenoir plays some great electric guitar, alongside Alex Atkins on alto, Ernest Cotton on tenor, Joe Montgomery on piano, and Willie Dixon on bass. The set mixes vintage singles with a few unreleased tracks – and titles include "Natural Man", "Don't Dog Your Woman", "Don't Touch My Head", "Five Years", "Mama What About Your Daughter", "Korea Blues", "Let Me Die With The One I Love", "I'm In Korea", and "Carrie Lee". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive crossover from Johnny Nash – a record that gave the 70s the chart-topping title hit, and which helped Johnny mix his Caribbean roots with contemporary soul! The set's a huge change from the sometimes-faltering styles Nash had tried in the 60s – often a bit more mainstream than he was able to do well, which is why the deeply personal approach of this album's such a striking contrast. Nash arranged and produced himself, and really hits a vibe here that stands out even from his other 70s recordings – beautifully balanced, on titles that include "Comma Comma", "Guava Jelly", "Stir It Up", "I Can See Clearly Now", "We're All Alike", "How Good It Is", "Cream Puff", and "You Poured Sugar On Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest records ever cut by The Originals – a shift from Detroit group soul to a smoother California mode, one that really works great for their harmonies! The record was produced by Freddie Gorman and the group – and it's got some great smooth tracks that really sparkle, with hooks and a flourish that we would never have guessed, given the group's earlier work! The backings are great too – so great too that the best cut on the album might well be the instrumental opener "Fantasy Interlude", which has a crackling smooth Leon Ware type sound. Other tracks include "Temporarily Out Of Order", "Don't Put Me On", "Ladies We Need You", and "Take This Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A really standout bit of blue-eyed soul from Gino Vannelli – the kind of record that shouldn't be so great, but really holds up well over the years! The style is tight and studio-oriented – somewhere in the mode of Bobby Caldwell and some of Gino's other cross-over contemporaries – but the album avoids most adult contemporary cliches, and keeps things sounding pretty real overall with some good studio backing, and a sense of jazz amidst the tightness – a bit like Steely Dan, but more poppish. Titles include "The River Must Flow", "I Just Wanna Stop", "Love & Emotion", "Feel Like Flying", "Brother To Brother", "Wheels Of Life", "The Evil Eye", and "People I Belong To". LP, Vinyl record album

A bit soul, a bit rock, with touches of funky folk – almost in the mode of Ellen McIlwaine, who was clearly one of Martha's contemporaries in the hip female singer/songwriter scene. Titles include "Two Bridges", "Black Rose", "Space King", "Livin Outside The Law", and "Byrdcliffe Summer". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredibly cool use of the koto – that stringed Japanese instrument that got some great reworking in the 70s, thanks to hip records like this! The instrument is set up here amidst some sophisticated larger arrangements – in a way that almost takes off from some of the Dorothy Ashby material on Cadet Records, but which also has a richness in sound that echoes some European soundtrack albums too – gentle grooves with warm currents that are mighty nice throughout – as keyboards, guitar, and even a bit of vibes come into the mix to really update the setting for the ancient instrument! The whole thing comes off with a sound that's surprisingly soulful at times – and titles include "Yagi Bushi", Otemoyan", "Mamuro Gawa Ondo", "Gujo Bushi", "Nishinjo Bushi", "Ume No Uta Genka", "Itsuki No Komori Uta", and "Akita Obako". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful beautiful work from tenorist Gene Ammons – and an album that really demonstrates that during the 60s, one of Ammons' strongest suits was his work with a mellow tune or ballad! The tracks here are wonderfully laidback, but never sleepy – very soulful, and solidly put together in that Ammons-made gentle-blown way – using just a few notes to send the message out with a powerful punch, without ever overdoing things the way that a few of his tenor contemporaries might be tempted to do! The group's a great fit too – with the lovely Patti Brown on piano, plus bass from George Duvivier and bass from Ed Shaughnessy – and titles include "Two Different Worlds", "Skylark", "Three Little Words", "Street Of Dreams", and "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To". LP, Vinyl record album

A strange but great chapter of The Blue Notes – working here without Harold Melvin or Teddy Pendergrass, but still sounding pretty great on their own! This version of The Blue Notes is a male quartet – not the Melvin group with Sharon Paige who were recording for ABC – and they get some fresh help in the studio from George Perry, who brings in this soaring groove that still echoes earlier Philly work, but also has a bit more of a clubby vibe overall! The style's never disco, but makes for some great uptempo soul – the sort that really lets the group's wonderful vocal style soar strongly – a rich blend that's totally great even without Teddy, and which has a great mix of raspy leads and warm harmonies. Titles include the wicked jazzy dancer "The Girl Makes Me Wanna Sing" – plus "It's Over", "Memories", "Standing By You Girl", "People Are Running Around", and "The Truth Has Come To Light". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most comprehensive collections of work we've ever seen on Eddie Bo – a really well-done set that finally gets at the full range of his massive funky talents – including a host of rare singles done for a variety of other artists as well! Despite the dates in the title, most of the music here is from the 60s and 70s – music from those glorious years of New Orleans soul and funk – when it seemed like the Crescent City groove could never stop, thanks to the efforts of Eddie and some of his contemporaries! There's a massively heavy groove to most of the numbers here – an emphasis on the funkiest side of Eddie Bo's sound, especially when he's working in the studio with other singers in the lead – and even if you've got some other Eddie Bo reissues in your collection, there's plenty fresh stuff here that makes this one well worth owning. LP notes are great too – a full history of Eddie's long career and all its different chapters. 30 tracks in all – including "Funky Yeah" and "Shelly's Rubber Band" by Curley Moore & The Cool Ones, "What's Good To You (part 1)" and "The La La Man (part 1)" by Oliver Morgan, "Horse With A Freeze (part 1)" by Roy Ward, "Timber (parts 1 & 2)" by Candy Phillips, "Can I Be Your Main Squeeze" by Chuck Carbo, "I'm A Carpenter (part 1)" by David Robinson, "Garden Of Our Trees" by The Explosions, "Reborn" by Marilyn Barbarin, "Live It Up" by James K-Nine, "Mama Here Comes The Preacher" by Doug Anderson, ""Something You Got" by Barbara George" – and the tracks "Chained", "When The Fingers On The Funk", "Rubber Band", "Getting To The Middle", "Check Your Bucket", "Lover & Friend", "Can You Handle It", "Fallin In Love Again", "Gotta Have More", and "We Like Mambo" all by Eddie Bo. LP, Vinyl record album

Funky Bo Diddley – one of Bo's key early 70s sessions for Chess Records – all of which have him stepping out in a much harder groove than years past! The sound here is relatively tight – with Diddley guitar and vocals on top of some larger arrangements from Bob Gallo – backings that mix together sounds from contemporary rock and soul, but always with an ear for the roots that Bo inspired in the first place – put forward towards a new generation with nicely kicking rhythms and really fuzzy guitars! The standout number here is the break classic "Go For Broke" – a drum-heavy instrumental that's worth the price of the record alone – and other titles include the great original "Pollution", plus versions of "The Shape I'm In", "Down On The Corner", "Lodi", "Bad Side Of the Moon", and "Bad Moon Rising". LP, Vinyl record album

Pretty incredible work from Lennie Niehaus – one of his seminal albums for Contemporary – nearly all of which were as poorly titled as this one, but equally worth checking out! This side has Lennie grooving on alto – blowing in a tighter, harder style than most west coasters – more in the realm of Herb Geller or Art Pepper than some of his other contemporaries on the instrument – really shining in a larger group that includes Bill Holman, Jimmy Giuffre, Stu Williamson, and Pete Jolly. Arrangements are beautiful, and there's a lot more soul on the set than you might first expect! Titles include "They Say It's Wonderful", "Rick's Tricks", "Yes Yes Honey", "Rose Room", and "Cooling It". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album from Pleasure – a group who were already great before, but who really seem to hit a great new level with this late 70s classic! Pleasure started out as a sweet jazz/funk combo with a great edge to their music – but by the time of this set, they'd actually gotten even tighter and better – but all without losing their depth at all! Most of the group's contemporaries just got slick and commercial – but instead, Pleasure found a way to hone their skills wonderfully – and take on some new spacey and electric touches in the process – definitely pointing towards the funky future promised in the title. The set's filled with some of the funkiest and most soulful moments of the group's career – including "Space is the Place", which has great funky drums on the intro; the mellow "Thoughts of Old Flames", a real stunner with a great moody feel; and the classic "Glide", a great dancefloor groover that still stands up well. Other tracks are all great too – and include "Universal", "Strong Love", "Nothin To It", and "Dedication To The Past". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet sounds from the lovely lady – one of Patrice Rushen's last truly great albums, and a masterpiece of 80s groove with lots of jazzy touches! The keyboard sound has evolved a bit here – compressed with more electronic percussion than on Patrice's earlier records, but still done with a degree of soul that sets it apart from work by most of her contemporaries – and the music has this warm flow that really sets Rushen apart from the rest – a sublime mix of soul, funk, and fusion that holds together perfectly throughout! Titles include "Gotta Find It", "Gone With The Night", "My Love's Not Going Anywhere", "High In Me", "To Each His Own", "Heartache Heartbreak", and "Feels So Real". 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". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite albums by Teddy Edwards – and one with some organ in the group! This obscure quartet side has Gerry Wiggins playing a rare bit of Hammond – grooving the group with a lean and open-ended soul jazz approach that really has Edwards blowing at his best! The style sits right up there next to Gene Ammons' best albums of the time, and the rest of the group features Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Milt Turner on drums. Titles include "Smokin", "No Regrets", "A Bag Of Blues", "Wiggin", and "Little Steddy" – all originals that get Edwards past the usual bag of soulful standards! LP, Vinyl record album

BB King hips up his groove a bit here – picking up some of the crossover soul and rock touches used by contemporaries over at Chess/Cadet, and expanding his sound with a range of guests that include Leon Russell, Joe Walsh, and Carole King! Despite the presence of these bigger names, the set's very much in BB's own spirit – mostly focused on his vocals and guitar work, and still mostly including original compositions. A few tunes get nice and funky on the rhythms, although still very much in a blues-based way – and Jimmie Haskell contributes a few larger arrangements from time to time. Titles include "King's Special", "Until I'm Dead & Cold", "You're Still My Woman", "Hummingbird", "Go Underground", and "Chains & Things". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible first album from The Moody Blues – way way different than any of their later high-concept work, and much more in the best soul and R&B-drenched material of the UK mod scene of the time! A number of cuts here are remakes of American soul tracks – including their stellar take on "Go Now" – and like some of the Moodies' best contemporaries, like Manfred Mann, the group really transform the material – and don't just offer up blue-eyed takes on the tunes. Instead, there's a free sense of play with the material – leanings that are definitely rockish on the solos, even though the overall vibe is quite soulful – and done with this tightly compressed style that's perfect for the vocals of the young Denny Laine – with a vibe that's further expanded by some nice use of echo in the production. Surprisingly wonderful – and very different than "Knights In White Satin" – with titles that include "Go Now", "I'll Go Crazy", "True Story", "Can't Nobody Love You", "I've Got A Dream", and "Let Me Go". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet sounds from the lovely lady – one of Patrice Rushen's last truly great albums, and a masterpiece of 80s groove with lots of jazzy touches! The keyboard sound has evolved a bit here – compressed with more electronic percussion than on Patrice's earlier records, but still done with a degree of soul that sets it apart from work by most of her contemporaries – and the music has this warm flow that really sets Rushen apart from the rest – a sublime mix of soul, funk, and fusion that holds together perfectly throughout! Titles include "Gotta Find It", "Gone With The Night", "My Love's Not Going Anywhere", "High In Me", "To Each His Own", "Heartache Heartbreak", and "Feels So Real". 2LP version features bonus tracks – "Get Off (12" mix)", "Get Off (inst)", "Feels So Real (edit)", and "Feels So Real (dub)". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from Junko Ohashi – one of those Japanese singers who seem to have a very global appeal, even if you can't understand the lyrics! Ohashi's got an expressive style that reaches back into older modes of vocalization in Japanese pop, but delivers the lyrics with this cool, focused approach that's very much in the best city pop mode – especially when the lyrics are matched with some of the jazzier instrumentation on the set! Production is nice and soulful – clearly borrowing a lot from the best midtempo American soul of the period – and titles include "Tasogare", "Perfume", "A Love Affair", "In Your Lovin", "Dancin", "Another Day Another Love", "Telephone Number", "Sugao No Mamade", and "Lost Love". LP, Vinyl record album

The tenor of Melissa Aldana fits right in here with the contemporary sound of Blue Note – especially given that labelmate Lage Lund is on guitar, and has a way of folding together all the tones from his strings very nicely next to the sharper edges of Aldana's tenor! The set begins with a dedication to Wayne Shorter – and that number maybe really sets the spirit of the album – as Melissa has a way of phrasing that's equally distinct, and very much her own – soulful and modern at the same time, set up in a quintet that also includes Fabian Almazan on piano, Pablo Menares on bass, and Kush Abadey on drums. Titles include "Echoes Of The Inner Prophet", "A Purpose", "I Know You Know", "The Solitary Seeker", "Unconscious Whispers", and "A Story". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful music from Lucas Arruda – an artist who embraces some of the warmest, most soulful styles of Brazilian music from back in the 70s, but manages to deliver them with a crisp contemporary spin! There's a lot of vintage Azymuth-styled grooves here – wicked rhythms, excellent keyboards, and a jazzy sensibility that makes for a magical flow throughout – and while there's some great soulful vocals on the set, the album also has plenty of strong instrumental moments too – a real delight all the way through, and an instant classic that may well even top Lucas' previous albums! Andre Mota lends some great vocals to the set – and titles include "The Mountain", "4:28 AM", "Novos Planos", "Ominira", "Projecoes", "The Bravest Heart", "Chant & Dance", and "Abraco Pro Ed". 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". LP, Vinyl record album

Mary J Blige is as fresh and essential as ever here – still sticking true to the hip hop roots in her soul music, but with a contemporary vibe that shows that she's not just content to rest on her laurels from the old days! The set features key work from DJ Khaled, HER, Anderson Paak, Jadakiss, and others – and there's a style here that's lean, majestic, and mature – really a great fit for the more thoughtful lyrics that Mary's been giving us of late, as she absorbs the ups and downs of life's journey, and has a stronger ability than ever before to find the right way reflect. Titles include "Here With Me", "Love Will Never", "Love Without The Heartbreak", "Enough", "Need Love", "Good Morning Gorgeous", "Come See About Me", "Rent Money", "Tough Love", "Amazing", and "Gone Forever". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing record – one of the best on Motown's short-lived Workshop Jazz subsidiary! The album is the first to feature Roy Brooks as a leader – and the super-hip drummer from Detroit really knows what to do with the opportunity! He's working here with a hip group that includes members of the Horace Silver quintet – including Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor, and Gene Taylor on bass – as well as Detroit contemporaries George Bohannon on trombone and Hugh Lawson on piano. The overall style of the record is quite different from Brooks' work with Silver – and has a much more open-ended feeling emotionally – an early hint at the qualities that Roy would unveil on his rare indie sides at the start of the 70s. The tracks are a mix of soul jazz numbers and others with a rougher-hewn sense of modernism – almost like the excellent work coming out of Chicago during the early 60s, from artists like Gene Shaw or the MJT+3. All the players are at their best, and the album features some of the nicest tenor work we've ever heard from Cook. Titles include "Soulsphere", "Soulin", "Homestretch", "Passin The Buck", and "My Secret Passion". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet soul classic from the young Gene Chandler! The record is built around Gene's hit "Duke Of Earl" – and it features Gene in a ridiculous looking "Duke" costume on the cover – but the record's a great one overall, and features some excellent late-night soul material in a sweet tenor-voiced harmony style! Bill Bunky Sheppard produced the record, and it's got a sophisticated approach that offers a number of different modes for Gene to shine – heartbreaking ballads, rousing uptempo numbers, and some cool exotic tunes. Titles include "Nite Owl", "So Many Ways", "Lonely Island", "Kissin In The Kitchen", "I Wake Up Crying", "Turn On Your Love Light", and "Daddy's Home". LP, Vinyl record album

Really sweet later work from The Chi Lites – proof that the group were still going strong long after their initial chart hits! The sound here is less Brunswick Chicago soul than before – and the group step along in warm and sophisticated backings that sparkle in the best Chi-Sound style – uptempo at some times, but sweet and mellow at others. The vocals are superb – easily adaptable to both sorts of settings, but especially great on the ballads – which really seem to benefit from the move away from some of the more cliched styles that the Chi-Lites were falling into during their last years on Brunswick. Eugene Record produced, and titles include "Love Shock", "Round & Round", "Heavenly Body", "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You", "Give Me A Dream", and a remake of "Have You Seen Her". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album from Crow, and one of those records that should have stood shoulder to shoulder with some of the bigger albums of the time – as these guys have the same blend of blues-inspired hard rock as some of their key contemporaries, while also come cross with an individual flavor that's all their own! Lead singer Dave Wagner has a nicely odd way of delivering a lyric – almost frenetic in feel, and matched with plenty of searing lines from guitarist Dick Weigand. The organ's pretty nice at times too – and titles include a remake of "Slow Down" – plus "The Last Prayer", "Cottage Cheese", "Gone Gone Gone", "Heading North", "Death Down To Your Soul", "I Stand To Blame", "Colors", and "Smokey Joe". LP, Vinyl record album

One thing about The Dells – they were always great! Even here, at the end of the 70s, in settings that are less perfect than their classic work for Cadet or Vee Jay, the group still sound wonderful – more daring vocally than most other harmony groups at the time, cutting through some smoother arrangements with a sublime approach to the material that's all-soul all the way! Arrangements get a bit uptempo and modern, but they're still in a strong Chicago groove – with backings by Tom Tom 84 and Sonny Sanders, and production by Carl Davis and Eugene Record, making for a late 70s update of the classic Brunswick soul approach. Titles include "Look At Us Now", "All About The Paper", "So You Are Love", "Passionate Breezes", and "I Touched A Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

The Dramatics hit an 80s groove mood here – and as on their clubbier sides from the end of the 70s, the vocals are still wonderful – and more than anything, the set's a strong soul-based set that still has the group at the top of their game! Ballads actually sparkle the best here – and showcase that wonderfully full mode that was the best side of The Dramatics harmonies – but the uptempo tunes are good, and have breakout moments that sparkle nicely. Production is by Ron Banks and LJ Reynolds, but Don Davis still oversees the whole thing – and titles include "It Ain't Rainin", "Wecome Back Home", "Love Is Here", "Be With The One You Love", and "Music Is The Peoples Choice". LP, Vinyl record album

A rocksteady classic from The Ethiopians – but a set that also has plenty more going on as well! The duo work here as a Jamaican counterpart to American soul groups – one of the first and best to hit the Kingston scene – but they also open themselves up to lots of other ideas in the process, and sometimes lay back vocally to just let the album open up and groove! Harmonies are The Ethiopians' strongest calling card – but they're often first directed by the rhythms, then slide in to warm things up and give a larger presence to the slow-stepping, midtempo grooves – all delivered with a classic Kingston head-nodding approach. The album's a key genre-building moment in Jamaican music – and titles include the classic "Train To Skaville", plus "Engine 54", "My Love", "You Got The Dough", "Woman's World", "Long Time Now", and "Unchanged Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous comeback for the Art Farmer/Benny Golson Jazztet – recording here in the mid 80s with original members Farmer, Golson, and Curtis Fuller – plus tremendous rhythm support from the trio of Mickey Tucker, Ray Drummon, and Marvin Smitty Smith! The session has less of the tightly snapping groove that was the initial Jazztet calling card in the 60s – and comes across with some of the warmer, more chromatic tones that showed up on the group's last few recordings – and even more so in Art Farmer's work for many years to come. Tracks are all longish, and filled with many interesting twists and turns – and overall the album recalls the brilliant economy of Farmer's best work from the period, with some of the subtle soul that made Golson a player to keep an ear on strongly during the 80s. Titles include "From Dream To Dream", "Back To The City", "Vas Simeon", "Write Soon", and "Without Delay/Time Speaks". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest British funk albums of the 70s – if not all time! FBI may have an American reference in their name, but back in the day, they were the leading lights of the London soul scene – and one of the few groups who could blend together jazz, soul, and funk influences with the same sort of depth and tightness you might get from Kool & The Gang at their best! As with that group during their crucial mid 70s years, there's a style here that's really stretching out – not just copycat funk, but a really deep, personal approach to the groove – such that the mellow tracks have rhythms that are as infectious as the uptempo ones – and the whole record has this sense of righteous soul and almost spirituality – really tying things together beautifully, and making this classic way more than just a typical 70s soul album! A true treasure throughout – well worth all the praise its received over the years – with cuts that include "Love Love Love", "Talking About Love", "FBI", "The Time Is Right To Leave The City", "Bad Deal", and "Let Me Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the more laidback albums from George Freeman's early 70s run – but still a great little set that shows the mellower side of his talents! Despite the sexy style of the cover, the sound here is relatively straight soul jazz – small combo work with Harold Mabern on acoustic piano, Kenny Barron on electric piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Buddy Williams on drums – all in support of Freeman's snakey guitar lines over the gentle rhythms and slinky grooves. George's sound is slightly less tripped-out than on other records, but still has that undeniable Freeman tone – a raspy edge that's quite different than most of his contemporaries! Titles include "I Ain't Got Nobody", "You've Changed", "Groovy Lady", "Squeeze Me", and "Till There Was You". LP, Vinyl record album

Lyrical magic from pianist Ryo Fukui – a lost gem from the Japanese scene of the 70s, and a beautifully flowing album throughout! Fukui's got a wide-open touch to the piano that we totally love – and is easily one of the best of his contemporaries on the Japanese trio scene of the time – working in the open-ended mode that was allowed by labels in Tokyo during the 70s, a style that was never too far outside, but which really allowed the pianist to soar with a driving, rhythmic intensity. There's a bit of a modal groove to some of the tracks on the album, but more than that, there's just a beautiful sense of freedom – a love of sound and texture that's never reduced to mere experimentation, and which has Ryo taking full command of the keys to soar to the skies on waves of acoustic soul. The group on the set features Yoshinori Fukui on drums and Satoshi Denpo on bass – and tracks include "I Want To Talk About You", "Scenery", "Autumn Leaves", "Early Summer", and "It Could Happen To You". LP, Vinyl record album

Lyrical magic from pianist Ryo Fukui – a lost gem from the Japanese scene of the 70s, and a beautifully flowing album throughout! Fukui's got a wide-open touch to the piano that we totally love – and is easily one of the best of his contemporaries on the Japanese trio scene of the time – working in the open-ended mode that was allowed by labels in Tokyo during the 70s, a style that was never too far outside, but which really allowed the pianist to soar with a driving, rhythmic intensity. There's a bit of a modal groove to some of the tracks on the album, but more than that, there's just a beautiful sense of freedom – a love of sound and texture that's never reduced to mere experimentation, and which has Ryo taking full command of the keys to soar to the skies on waves of acoustic soul. The group on the set features Yoshinori Fukui on drums and Satoshi Denpo on bass – and tracks include "I Want To Talk About You", "Scenery", "Autumn Leaves", "Early Summer", and "It Could Happen To You". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic record that not only continues the great blend of sounds that saxophonist Muriel Grossmann has given us in recent years, but also pushes things forward with a stunning combination that really knocks things out of the park! This isn't the first record to feature Muriel with the Hammond of Llorenc Barcelo and guitar of Radomir Milojkovic, but their combination here has a way of soaring to the skies like the mixture of Grant Green and Larry Young a their most far-reaching – so much so that Grossman's work on soprano sax and tenor is maybe an equal third of the record, instead of the dominant voice of the leader – a really generous way of heading up the group, and one that has the record coming across as the beneficiary of that generosity too. Things are still as spiritual as before, but maybe step back a bit to bring in some soulful organ and guitar currents from a previous generation too – at a level that continues to make Muriel one of our favorite contemporary players in jazz! Titles include "Clarity", "Resonance", "Post-Meditation", "Liberation", "Compassion", "Non-Duality", and "Interconnection". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work from this smooth Chicago vocal group! The album may well be the best the group ever recorded – and it features some stellar ballad work produced with a nice spacey tone, almost in a Rose Royce mellow mode – by Jerry Butler's Fountain Productions team and by Clarence Johnson, who brought the group up from the beginning! The real strength of the album, though, is the group's vocals – wonderfully harmonious, but with a rougher edge and a deeper soul than many other 70s groups of the same type. The album includes the massive semi-hit "Guess Who's Back In Town" – plus other good ballads like "How Do You Think You're Gonna Find Love", "Let's Work It Out", and "Distant Melody". The album also features some uptempo numbers – and other tracks include "Run & Tell That", "Dance A Thon", and "No Limit". LP, Vinyl record album

John Hicks works in some really wonderful company here – a trio with bassist Curtis Lundy and drummer Idris Muhammad – both of whom really add a lot to the date! We're always big fans of Lundy's sound on bass – and his approach here has the same warm-rolling quality you'd find in his own best 80s work – really helping to push Hicks' lyrical agenda on the piano with a rhythmic support that's tremendous. Muhammad's pretty great too – definitely on the understated side of his talents, that nicely subtle sound he developed in the 80s – and Hicks, as always, is more than a cut above most of his contemporaries, and continues a long legacy of extremely soulful work on the keys of the piano. Titles include "Pas De Trois", "Hold It Down", "Airegin", "Coral Keys", "Ted's Delight", and "Blue In Green". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collaboration from John Coltrane and Milt Jackson – and one that gives Milt one of his sharpest records ever! The setting is relatively straight – tenor from Coltrane, vibes from Jackson – plus rhythm from Hank Jones on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Connie Kay on drums. Yet there's also a sense of openness here that you'd hardly ever expect on other records by Jackson – especially his contemporaneous sides with the Modern Jazz Quartet – and Coltrane's tenor gets as much room to roam here as it did on Prestige – really cutting some beautifully soulful, open, and flowing lines throughout! Titles include "Bags & Trane", "Three Little Words", "Be-Bop", "Late Late Blues", and "The Night We Called It a Day". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from jazz singer Etta Jones – an effort cut around the same time as her better-known records for Prestige, but one that's maybe done with an even hipper sound overall! Etta's nicely laidback, and hits that soulful, singing mood that makes her so great right from the start – a bit offbeat, but in the best way possible – as Jones brings older bluesy inflections into play with more contemporary ideas – all set to wonderful instrumentation from a cool group that features Junior Mance on piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Joe Newman on trumpet, Frank Wess on tenor, and Mike Manieri on vibes. The song choices are great – and the balance between steppers and mellow cuts is perfect – on titles that include "Swinging Shepherd Blues", "All Right OK You Win", "Moon Man", "Did I Remember", "Lonely Crowd", and "I Was Telling Him About You". 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 great smooth soul session from Carmen McRae – an album that's not nearly as well known as her American sides of the 70s, but which is possibly even better overall! The record features a great batch of smooth soul arrangements by Mario Sprouse – a blend of jazz and contemporary soul modes that's almost in the same space as Marlena Shaw – and the band backing up Carmen is filled with superstar players who include Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Hubert Laws on flute, and Grover Washington on sax. The whole thing's got that well-crafted feel you'd expect from a Japanese session at the time – and it includes many nice moments, like a cover of "Mister Magic" with some nice breaks – plus "New York State Of Mind", "Sweet Alibis", "Come In From The Rain", "This Masquerade", and "I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A very big crossover moment for the Philly sound, and one of the biggest hits by the studio combo that drove the big Gamble/Huff hits of the 70s! The record's a great batch of smooth Philly instrumentals – not really disco, although the tracks certainly crossed over there – more uptempo soul, with the same bouncy sound heard on the vocal hits of the label – a majestic Philly International groove, carefully classy, but still damn soulful too! Includes lots of familiar cuts – like "Zach's Fanfare", "Get Down With The Philly Sound", "Brothers & Sisters", and "South Philly". LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime lost group soul album – featuring The Moods, who we presume to be from St Louis (although we're working on second-hand information, so we're not sure.) The group have a harmony style that's a bit like Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – but with rougher touches, and none of the disco mode of that group's later work – and on this set, they work their way through some wonderful numbers that groove at a midtempo pace, moving in smooth soul modes with electric piano and tenor behind the group's wonderful vocals. A real gem if you dig harmony ensembles – with an approach that's kind of east coast early 70s indie, but which has a tightness that makes us wonder why these guys didn't hit bigger! Titles include "Funk It Out", "Without Her", "Live Today", "Grooving When We Meet", "This Magic", and "You Came Into My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

After working with Al Hudson on earlier records, Alicia struck out on her own a bit more for this album – a tasty batch of smooth soul tracks, with a few uptempo numbers in the tradition of her earlier work. Titles include "I Fooled You This Time", "Here's the Ticket", "I Don't Wanta Bore You", "I Want To Thank You", and "Is It Really Real". Arrangements by Alicia, and production by Kevin McCord. LP, Vinyl record album

A Hollywood Party, recorded in New Jersey – with a groove that's every bit as tight as any of Odyssey's best records, but with a slightly jazzier vibe as well! The set's a great example of the way the trio pushed the 70s soul game further – taking the early 70s RCA AM radio style, and moving it forward with some elements from the club generation – but all at a level that was never throwaway disco either! The record's got a really rich feel from the start – and uses some great jazzy session players to flesh out the group's vocals in a wonderful way. Arrangements are by Sandy Linzer, who co-produced with Charlie Calello – and although there's some obvious disco fullness here, the main focus is on midtempo tunes that glide along in a slightly mellow way – almost like work by Side Effect from the time. Titles include "Lucky Star", "Single Again", "I Dare Ya", "Comin Back For More", "Hey Bill", and "What Time Does The Balloon Go Up". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the biggest albums ever for Ohio Players – a set that took their earlier funk sound and targeted firmly at the mainstream with a lean, mean groove that a million other groups copied at the time! There's still plenty of the soul of the early years in the group's approach here – and sometimes, the mellower tracks show a wonderful talent for harmonies coming even more fully to the top. But the real appeal of the record has always been the bold, bassy grooves that hit strongly just as ensemble funk was exploding in the mainstream during the early years of disco – making plenty of space for the Players and their contemporaries to grab up new audiences who never would have touched a record like this five years before! There's plenty of grit in the grooves on the best numbers – a style that's maybe not as dirty as on Westbound, but still more than enough to make any real funk fan proud. Titles include "Fire", "Together", "Together/Feelings", "It's All Over", "Runnin' From the Devil", "Smoke", "What The Hell", and "I Want To Be Free". LP, Vinyl record album

We know what you're thinking: "These guys were best in the 70s." Hold that thought for a moment and check out this great album – because unlike a lot of their other chart-topping contemporaries from 1972 and 1973, the O'Jays actually continued to mature as a group, and managed to turn out some really fantastic material during the 80s. This album is really quite nice – and feature the band's great harmony stylings set to some beautiful modern soul arrangements, with a really sweet mellow groove throughout. With "To Prove I Love You", "The Answer's In You", "Once Is Not Enough" and "You're The Girl Of My Dreams (Sho'nuff Real)". LP, Vinyl record album

Osunlade's always had a sound that's deep, but this time around his entire approach seems even deeper than ever – maybe because this lavish package is as much a visual treat as it is an audio one! The set's as much of a book as it is a record – a heavy, hardcover package that has beautiful images on each page, writings too – all in tribute to the Orishas who've become a continuing inspiration for Osunlade – and helped move his music away from just simple dancefloor fare! And yet the tracks groove nicely, too – all in that deepest of house modes that the man's been giving us for many years – woven from strands of different cultural inspiration, and given a contemporary soulful spin – mostly from Osunlade himself on live drums, moog, Fender Rhodes, theremin, and other instrumentation – as well as vocals, and some guest help from Gabriele Poso, Oveous Maximus, Chateau Flight, and Tanya Blount. Titles include "No Way", "Pheramones", "Ser Al Santismo", "A Day Without", "Yeku Yeku", "Man O Wirdz", "Trinity Ov Me", "Idiosyncracy", and "Walkin In Paris". LP, Vinyl record album

Not a live album – as you might think from the title – but a tight batch of tunes that shows the full funk and soul talents of the legendary Esther Phillips! The album's got a nicely dark undercurrent at times – a sound that's not as smooth as some of Esther's other Kudu albums from the 70s, with bits of R&B bubbling underneath the more contemporary arrangements. Backings are penned by Pee Wee Ellis and Gary King – and players include Bob James and Richard Tee on keyboards, Hubert Laws on flute, and Bernard Purdie and Steve Gadd on drums – the latter of whom provides a sublime beat on the album's standout funky number "Disposable Society" – one of those great little groovers that never did anything for Esther at the time of its release, but which has really gotten rediscovered in recent years! Other tracks include "Doing Our Thing", "Living Alone", "Can't Trust Your Neighbor With Your Baby", and "I Feel The Same". LP, Vinyl record album

The fantastic debut of The Pointer Sisters – an album that's a lot deeper than most of their crossover pop from years to come! At the time of the album's release, the trio were a badass group of female singers on the Bay Area scene – out to redefine the role of the girl group in soul – working not only with righteous power that was a real change from modes of the 60s – but also this trans-temporal quality that had them reaching back with ease for references from decades past, which also includes a surprising amount of jazz! The highlight here is the group's classic funky break version of Allen Toussaint's "Yes We Can Can" – and other titles include "Naked Food", "Wang Dang Doodle", "Sugar", "Pains & Tears", "Jada", "River Boulevard", and "Cloudburst". LP, Vinyl record album

A bold step forward for the Rascals – and a record that really has them taking some great chances with their music! There's a definite psychedelic influence in the mix, but the sound is also more ambitious too – not just a scattering of elements borrowed from their contemporaries, but a real effort to find a new place for their music – with some wonderful results! The great Arif Mardin is firmly teamed with the group here on arrangements – filling in the rough ideas of the tunes with some near-perfect backings – and the vocals themselves have a quality that's much more deeply personal than before – moving past the simple soul themes of earlier years. Titles include "Silly Girl", "My World", "Easy Rollin", "Please Love Me", "My Hawaii", "I'm Gonna Love You", "Singin The Blues Too Long", and "Sattva". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublimely soulful work from Irene Reid – at one level a record that's in the field between jazz and soul, like albums from Gloria Lynne or Nancy Wilson at the time – but at another level, a key indication of Irene's strong strong vocal approach – one that's much deeper and more soulful than most of her contemporaries in the genre! Clyde Otis handles the arrangements, often using strings in a sweeping way in the background – never sleepy, but to emphasize the richness of Irene's vocals – but the real star of the set is Reid herself, singing in a majestically powerful mode that would captivate even without any other instrumentation at all! Titles include "This Bitter Earth", "If He Walked Into My Life", "A Man Only Does", "For Once In My Life", "I'm Too Far Gone To Turn Around", "Why Did I Choose You", and "Somewhere Along The Line". LP, Vinyl record album

Wall To Wall grooves from the team of Angela Winbush and Bobby Watson – easily one of the duo's best records ever, and a masterpiece of jazzy 80s groove! The sound here is clean, lean, and very bouncy on the bottom – that best blend of keyboard riffs and jazzier basslines that Capitol soul served up in the early 80s – and although tight enough to have hit potential, still more than soulful enough to keep on playing in the underground! The set's rock solid all the way through – with a great mix of midtempo steppers and more uptempo tunes – and titles include the nice groover "Secret Rendezvous", plus "Wanna Be Close To You", "I Love You More", "Love's Alright", and "Come My Way". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic early demonstration of the solo powers of Diana Ross – a live date from Vegas, and one that has her commanding the stage not just as a singer of soul music, but as a female star ready to rival the talents of any of her contemporaries in the mainstream! Ross shines here with a brilliant brightness right from the start – working with a large ensemble that echoes all her best Motown roots, but which also pushes things out in fuller, more vibrant modes too – as Diana runs through tracks that include old soul favorites, jazz standards, and even some surprising choices from the charts – at a level that's filled with poise, class, and soul throughout. Titles include a great "Supremes Medley", plus "Don't Rain On My Parade", "Corner Of The Sky", "I Love You Porgy", "My Man", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", and a "Lady Sings The Blues Medley" with titles from the Billie Holiday songbook. LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little collection of Dee Dee Sharp's early 60s sides for the Cameo label – issued here in a well-done UK package – noteworthy because it's one of the few legit reissues of Dee Dee's work over the years, issued for the UK Northern Soul market, who were always huge fans of her work! The Dee Dee heard here is quite different than that of the smoother 70s soul years – as the tracks are mostly uptempo groovers in a storming early Philly mode. The LP features 20 tracks in all – including "Mashed Potato Time", "Wild", "He's No Ordinary Guy", "Lover Boy", "Do The Bird", "Ride", "Baby Cakes", "Standing In The Need Of Love", "I Really Love Him", and "Willyam Willyam". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Bunny's earliest, and one of his best. Although some of the tracks have an uptempo pre-disco feel, there's none of the excesses of his later albums for Gold Mind. Instead, there's a solid Philly soul groove, and great production by Bunny, with arrangements by Norman Harris and Ronnie Baker. Tracks include "Keep Smilin", "Picture Us", "Love Train", "Things Are Gonna Get Better", and "Your Love Is Good". LP, Vinyl record album

Great uptown early Philly soul album from the late 60's, featuring the talents of a young Bunny Sigler before he got tied up making too many uptempo records. The record features arrangements by Joe Renzetti – in a sweet uptown style that brings out a lot in Bunny's young vocals. Includes the title hit, plus "Can You Dig It", "There's No Love Left", and "Lovey Dovey". Goofy cover, too. LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet 70s groover from the great Lonnie Smith – a soulful little session that has the keyboardist really stretching out in some great ways! At the time, Smith fares a lot better than some of his late 60s jazz organ contemporaries – as he's got a great lean style, perfect for the decade's increasing use of electric keyboards and larger backings! This set's a great example of that style – as Smith moves way from his 60s soul jazz roots, into the soaring blend of jazz, funk, and soul that you'd also hear on Johnny Hammond albums of the time – almost more soul than jazz, given the presence of vocals on some cuts – but still always with more than enough room for the leader to stretch out and solo. Backings are nice and tight – and handled by Brad Baker (of B Baker Chocolate Company fame) – and tracks include "Funk Reaction", "For The Love Of It", "It's Changed", and "When The Night Is Right". LP, Vinyl record album

A great record – and the kind of lost soul that has group collectors digging through the used bins year after year! Smoke hailed from Kansas City, and they were sweet harmony group in the mode of many of their east coast contemporaries. The record was recorded in 1976, but has a sound that's more 1972 or 1973 – with some uptempo righteous cuts, and some heavenly floating ballads that really hit the best sort of group soul harmony heaven! The record appears to have been recorded in Chicago – as the engineer is Paul Serrano, and the arrangements were handled by Benjamin Wright. Tracks include "I Can Feel Your Love (Comin' Down On Me)", "Cream Of The Crop", "I'm So Lonely", "Have I Really Lost You", and "Don't Take Your Love". A smooth groove classic through and through! LP, Vinyl record album

It's time to swing, but with a classy sound throughout – very much the best mix of modes Dakota Staton brought to her key early years at Capitol Records! Backings are by Sid Feller, and are pretty darn jazzy throughout – more so than some of Sid's other work of the time – a perfectly soulful setting for Staton's amazing vocals – very poised at points, yet never as stiff or stodgy as some of her contemporaries. Dakota's got a deep-toned approach to these tracks that really helps make the album way more than just another recording of familiar standards – and instead, does a great job of taking tunes into rich new territory. There's loads of great reedwork – from Phil Woods, Jerome Richardson, and Budd Johnson – and titles include "If I Should Lose You", "When Lights Are Low", "Willow Weep For Me", "But Not For Me", "The Song Is You", and "Until The Real Thing Comes Along". LP, Vinyl record album

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

Disco 9000 is Johnnie Taylor's 3rd release for Columbia – a great batch of smooth soul tracks with a lot less of the "disco" that you'd expect from the title! Johnnie produced the session himself – and the album was recorded as a soundtrack (to a film that was later retitled Fass Black), but works well on its own as a straight soul release. Most tracks are relatively long, in that smooth midtempo groove that Johnnie was using at the time – and the combination of his bluesy vocals and modern soul production really makes the set sparkle! Titles include "I Love You Woman", "Right Now", and "I Don't Know What I'd Do Without You". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer little soul group who recorded with John "Monster" Davis in the mid 70s – really soaring with a groove that rivals some of their bigger contemporaries on the east coast group scene! Touch Of Class sing in a style that's sometimes fragile, but often more suited to the soaring grooves that Davis gives them on the album – a mode that's partly disco, partly pop, and which should have been as huge as any of their Philly or New York contemporaries. There's a "slightly different" feel to the record that we really like – and tracks include "I Just Can't Say Goodbye", "I'm In Heaven", "You Got Nowhere To Come", "One Half As Much", and "I Love You Pretty Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

The final Warner Brothers album from Dionne Warwick – and a smooth, sophisticated affair done with full arrangements from Michael Omartian! The sound's still not as pop disco as you might expect from the time, and Dionne's gentle vocals are often cast in backings that step along nicely with a mellow, midtempo groove – one that's a bit like some of the best Philly soul of the period, yet still with a bit more California polish overall. The album works surprisingly well as a soul record – and really puts Warwick in the company of a whole generation of younger singers who'd risen above her by this point in the 70s. Titles include "One Thing On My Mind", "Don't Ever Take Your Love Away", "Livin It Up Is Startin To Get Me Down", "Since You Stayed Here", "A Long Way To Go", and "Keepin My Head Above Water". LP, Vinyl record album

Not as sublime as some of the group's earlier efforts, but still with a strong harmony sound that keeps things moving nicely ahead. The arrangements are in a smooth soul mode – still uptempo on a number of tracks, in the same style that they were using with the Philly crew. The difference is that there's a bit more of a modern LA soul sound in the mix – although not as much as you'd expect from some of the other albums on the Solar label. Includes the nice midtempo groover "Can't Stop Loving You Baby", plus "World Of A Thousand Dreams", "What Will I Do", "This Kind Of Lovin", and the retro jazzy "The Bright Lights & You Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums ever cut by Ernie Wilkins as a leader – despite his presence as an arranger on countless jazz sessions of the 50s and 60s! Ernie's got a real flair for a tight bounce at the bottom and unusual horn formations at the top – a style that reminds us a lot of Oliver Nelson at his best, and which, like Nelson, often comes across with a more soulful approach than most of his contemporaries! The Wilkins groove is often playful, but never over-indulgent – joyously reveling in its own sharpness, but open enough to let the strong talents in the group do their own thing. Titles include "The Continental", "Broadway", "Gone With The Wind", "Baubles Bangles & Beads", "Somebody Loves Me", "All Of You", and "Gone With The Wind". LP, Vinyl record album

Remember Beach music? Once upon a time we might have argued that was a more contemporary term for an older genre, like northern soul, but this mighty fine collection from the late 60s on Atlantic shows you the sound's been around for quite some time! A great soundtrack for the beach from the Carolina scene – sweetly loping grooves that got heavy play at summer resorts on the southern shores of the Atlantic! While not all the groups originated in the south, the music's gained a special place in the hearts of folks in the Carolinas, who've come to consider the music their own because of it's slightly stepping beat and gentle kind of groove! A dozen numbers in all, including "One Mint Julep" by the Clovers, "Searchin" and "Zing Went The tings Of My Heart" by the Coasters, "Think A Little Sugar" by Barbara Lewis, "CC Rider" by Chuck Willis, "Money Honey" and "Honey Love" by Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters, "Walking Up A One way Street" and "Thank You John" by Willie Tee,"There Goes My Baby" by the Drifters, "Just One Look" by Doris Troy and "Drinkin' Wine Spo Dee O Dee" by Stick McGhee. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer collection of rare 60s soul – very different than you might expect from the title and cover! Remember Beach music? Once upon a time we might have argued that was a more contemporary term for an older genre, like northern soul, but this mighty fine collection from the late 60s on Atlantic shows you the sound's been around for quite some time! A great soundtrack for the beach from the Carolina scene – sweetly loping grooves that got heavy play at summer resorts on the southern shores of the Atlantic! While not all the groups originated in the south, the music's gained a special place in the hearts of folks in the Carolinas, who've come to consider the music their own because of it's slightly stepping beat and gentle kind of groove! A dozen numbers in all, including "Searching For My Love" by Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces, "Teasin' You" by Willie Tee, "Hello Stranger" by Barbara Lewis, "Fat Boy" by Billy Stewart, "Memphis Soul Stew" by King Curtis, "May I" by Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs, "Across The Street" by Lenny O'Henry, "Without Love (There Is Nothing)" by Clyde McPhatter, "Idol With The Golden Hand" by the Coasters, "The Entertainer" by Tony Clarke, "Nip Sip" by the Clovers, and "I (Who Have Nothing)" by Ben E King. LP, Vinyl record album

A great sampler of 60s Detroit soul produced by the fantastic Ollie McLaughlin! Includes "Jan Jan" by the Fabulous Counts and the unbelievable "Almost" by Jimmy Delphs, one of our favorite soul tracks from the period, and a real heartbreaker with an uptempo groove. Lots more great stuff here too, including both well known and hard to get cuts, 15 tracks in all, including by "Cool Jerk" and 'We Got A Thing That's In The Groove" by the Capitols, "Ain't Gonna Give You Up" by the Volumes, "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" by the Counts, "You Better Move" by the Gambrells, "Sing a Sad Song" by Percy & Them, and "Am I Losing You", "Don't Sign The Papers" and "I've Been Fooled Before" by Jimmy Delphs. LP, Vinyl record album

Ashford & Simpson don't need to ask at this point – their in full 70s soul stride here, and it's not good, it's great! By this point in the late 70s, Nick and Valerie are firmly holding the foreground as artists in their own right after many years of acting as songwriters for other soul and R&B hitmakers – writing, singing, and producing their own work in a now-established tradition of sophisticated soul and uptempo grooves! What they had not done to this point was produce a number of big hits for themselves, and that tide started to turn this this excellent album that's among their best ever! Includes a number of singles that would help them begin to break through to later huge chart success, which was by now richly earned. Titles include "Is It Good To You", "Ain't It A Shame", "It Seems To Hang On", "Flashback", "The Debt Is Settled", and "Get Up And Do Something". LP, Vinyl record album

A jazz funk masterpiece, and THE record by the legendary Don Blackman – the only one issued under his own name for many many years, and a famous little set that's been sampled endlessly over the years, and for good reason! The vibe here is one that's barely been matched again – a blend of 70s fusion, bassy funk, and even tighter riffing – all put together with a greater depth and sense of soul than most other records of its type. Blackman's a GRP contemporary of Bernard Wright, Tom Browne, and Weldon Irvine – and there's bits of all their sound in the work here, but somehow Don does it even better – hitting these grooves, notes, and lines that seem to fall from the heavens – and which still stand as some of the hippest music of his generation. A record to file proudly next to your copies of Ramp and James Mason – and like those gems, the kind of record that only happens once in an artists career! Titles include "You Ain't Hip", "Yabba Dabba Do", "Heart's Desire", "Deaf Hook Up Connection", "Never Miss A Thing", and "Holding You Loving You", and "Since You Been Away So Long". LP, Vinyl record album