Frankie Beverly and crew can't miss at this point – and as usual, Maze stands head and shoulders above most of its soul contemporaries from the time. The overall feel is nice and warm, with plenty of focus on Frankie's sweet smooth vocals – and the band grooves behind him in a slightly jazzy style that must have sounded like an instant classic at the time and still sounds great today. With the classic "Back In Stride", plus "Reachin Down Inside", "Can't Stop The Love", "Too Many Games" and "Magic". CD

Frankie Beverly and crew can't miss at this point – and as usual, these 2 albums by Maze stands head and shoulders above most of its soul contemporaries from the time. The overall feel is nice and warm, with plenty of focus on Frankie's sweet smooth vocals – and the band grooves behind him in a slightly jazzy style that must have sounded like an instant classic at the time! There's a total of 16 tracks on 2 CDs, and titles include "Too Many Games", "Back In Stride", "Magic", "I Want To Feel I'm Wanted", "Reachin Down Inside", "I Wanna Thank You", "Love Is The Key", "We Are One", "Right On Time", "Never Let You Down", and "Metropolis" – plus "Twilight", which was only ever available as a 12" single b-side! CD

Maybe the greatest moment ever from Paul McCartney & Wings – a set that features killer hits and lesser-known gems – all woven into a fantastic 70s sonic tapestry! The production and presentation of the record are wonderful – the whole thing was virtually a pop art piece when it came out – and Paul's got a way of both being intimate and charming, and helping push the whole group with soaring energy that really made them huge at the time. The album's got great production – and also features guest work from Allen Toussaint, Tom Scott, and Dave Mason. Side one is a non-stop flow of pop genius – woven from the tunes "Venus & Mars", "Rock Show", "Love In Song", "You Cgave Me The Answer", "Magneto & Titanium Man", and "Letting Go" – and side two follows up with so many great surprises – including "Treat Her Gently Lonely Old People", "Medicine Jar", "Spirits Of Ancient Egypt", and "Listen To What The Man Said". LP, Vinyl record album

Two killers from drummer Buddy Miles – back to back in a single set! First up is Buddy Miles Live – a really searing set of live performances from 1971, often done in a way that has the band stretching out and jamming heavily! The core group seems a bit bigger than usual – with a lineup that includes guitar and organ alongside some heavier tenor, alto, trumpet, and trombone. The horns come on strong, but are offset by lots of searing guitar from Charlie Karp – and Buddy, as usual, is a real monster on the drum kit. There's plenty of instrumental moments here that cook with funky soul intensity – and titles include "Wrap It Up", "Joe Tex", "Take It Off Him & Put It On Me", "Down By The River", "Place Over There", "The Segment", and "Them Changes". Message To The People is a really fantastic album from drummer Buddy Miles – an artist that many folks know for his key rock work in the Band Of Gypsys group of Jimi Hendrix, but a musician with an equally great ear for soul and funk as well! Miles began in Electric Flag, and certainly has ties to the world of psych – and here, he mixes funkier currents with lots of strong trippy guitar from Marlo Henderson – a player we don't know that well, but who adds some great lines that are a lot like some of the Phil Upchurch contributions over at Chess/Cadet at the same time. Miles sings on most numbers, with that nicely honest vocal approach we love so much – but there's a few instrumental moments too, and the set's got some great use of horns throughout, which brings in some southern funky currents too. Titles include "Joe Tex", "Place Over There", "The Segment", "Don't Keep Me Wondering", "Sudden Stop", and "That's The Way Life Is". CD

A really fantastic album from drummer Buddy Miles – an artist that many folks know for his key rock work in the Band Of Gypsys group of Jimi Hendrix, but a musician with an equally great ear for soul and funk as well! Miles began in Electric Flag, and certainly has ties to the world of psych – and here, he mixes funkier currents with lots of strong trippy guitar from Marlo Henderson – a player we don't know that well, but who adds some great lines that are a lot like some of the Phil Upchurch contributions over at Chess/Cadet at the same time. Miles sings on most numbers, with that nicely honest vocal approach we love so much – but there's a few instrumental moments too, and the set's got some great use of horns throughout, which brings in some southern funky currents too. Titles include "Joe Tex", "Place Over There", "The Segment", "Don't Keep Me Wondering", "Sudden Stop", and "That's The Way Life Is". 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

An odd little groover from Chicago – but a great one! "Have Some Fun" has this incredible groove – stop/start, with lots of scratchy guitar underneath the female vocals of the track – sung in ensemble mode, almost with this weird "call" type style! Then, the flipside takes the tune into instrumental territory with the Mod Lads – lots and lots of vamping, peppered with raw guitar work instead of the vocals! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Dang! Does David Murray ever stop re-inventing himself? We think not – and this album is great proof of that fact! The set's a really tasty batch of Latin Jazz numbers – played to perfection by Murray and a host of excellent New York musicians, working together in large group format with a sound and style that's at the peak of perfection for this sort of recording. Murray wrote all the tunes, so the album goes way past the cliches of Latin-ized standards that you're probably sick of hearing anyway – and it's steeped in a soulful approach to the genre that really grabbed our ears from the first note! Titles include "Giovanni's Mission", "Sad Kind Of Love", "Mambo Dominica", "Break Out", and "Aerol's Change". CD

Hip hop for the Gainsbourg fan? This Handsome Boy Modeling School spin off has Nathaniel Merriweather, aka Dan The Automator, working in his smoothest, sexiest, loungiest mode ever! Like Handsome Boy, Lovage is packed to the rafters with mysterious guest appearances, including the turntable and mixing skills of Kid Koala, Chest "Prince Paul" Rockwell, Afrika Bambaataa, and Maseo of De La Soul. Guest vocalists include Jennifer Charles of Elysian Fields, Damon Albarn, and Mike Patton. Tracks include "Ladies Love Chest Rockwell", "Pit Stop (Take Me Home)", "Anger Management", "Everyone Has A Summer They Want To Remember", "To Catch A Thief", "Lies And Alibis", "Book Of The Month", "Strangers On A Train", "Sex (I'm A)", "Tea Time With Maseo", "Herbs, Good Hygiene, & Socks", and the best song named after a bad Burt Reynolds movie ever, "Stroker Ace". CD

Hip hop for the Gainsbourg fan? This Handsome Boy Modeling School spin off has Nathaniel Merriweather, aka Dan The Automator, working in his smoothest, sexiest, loungiest mode ever! Like Handsome Boy, Lovage is packed to the rafters with mysterious guest appearances, including the turntable and mixing skills of Kid Koala, Chest "Prince Paul" Rockwell, Afrika Bambaataa, and Maseo of De La Soul. Guest vocalists include Jennifer Charles of Elysian Fields, Damon Albarn, and Mike Patton. Tracks include "Ladies Love Chest Rockwell", "Pit Stop (Take Me Home)", "Anger Management", "Everyone Has A Summer They Want To Remember", "To Catch A Thief", "Lies And Alibis", "Book Of The Month", "Strangers On A Train", "Sex (I'm A)", "Tea Time With Maseo", "Herbs, Good Hygiene, & Socks", and the best song named after a bad Burt Reynolds movie ever, "Stroker Ace". LP, Vinyl record album

The rare first album by The Next Movement! The band was an obscure Chicago group that had a funky soul sound with a bit of clubby feel to it – not really disco, but more in a mode that was in line with east coast groups of the mid to late 70s, especially those from Philly. This album has lots of help from the Chicago scene – and Tom Tom Washington handled a number of the arrangements, with that bounce he was putting into his soul arrangements at the time. Nice tracks include "Never Stop Dancin", plus "Sweat It Out", "Night Stalker", "You're The One", "Kid Stuff", and "How Did We Get To This (The Letter)". LP, Vinyl record album

Man, these guys keep blowing our minds again and again with each new album – stretching out even farther than before, yet still hanging on to all the best elements of their sound! This time around, Nostalgia 77 still have the bolder jazz style forged on their previous experimental recordings – but the groove is a lot more focused and dynamic – soaring out with the depth of a spiritual soul jazz session from the 70s – and often topped by some great vocals from Lizzy Parks, a wonderful singer with qualities that remind us of Dee Dee Bridgewater or Jean Carn back in their earliest days! The bass is right up front on most tracks – giving the tunes a darkly pulsating feel – and the instrumentation is mostly acoustic, and certainly spontaneous – a very welcome change from some of the stiffer, colder modes of the downtempo generation! Titles include "Quiet Dawn", "Arora", "Wildflower", "Stop To Make A Change", "Dreamers Dance", and "Little Steps". CD

A really unusual album from the mighty Ohio Players – material from their first full length set, and a record that's very different than their better-known work on Westbound and Mercury – but every bit as great! The band is tight and funky, but in a sort of deep soul 60s way – with arrangements and playing that have a hard edge, and with nice guitar rhythm tracks – a bit trippy and fuzzy at times, but also with a style that's got more of a 60s vintage than the headier styles they hit at Westbound. The group are great in this format – and the album includes lots of great original tracks – like "Bad Bargain", "Lonely Street", and "Street Party" – plus very cool covers of "Summertime" and "Mother In Law". Other titles include "Here Today & Gone Tomorrow", "Stop Lying To Yourself", "Over The Rainbow", "Find Someone To Love", "Cold Cold World", and "The Man That I Am". This great CD version is brimming over with great bonus tracks from 45s and other recordings – a total of 24 tracks in all, with bonus material that includes "Alabama Soupbone (parts 1 & 2)", "It's A Crying Shame", "A Little Soul Party", "Love Slips Thru My Fingers", "Trespassin", "You Don't Mean It", "A Thing Called Love", and "Neighbors". CD

Chicago modern soul LP from the early 80's, recorded for Jerry Butler's Fountain label. The group were one of the few last links in the Chicago soul scene at the time – and they've got a good harmony sound that hearkens back to mid 70s work by groups like The Chi-Lites or Windy City. Most tracks are in the midtempo range, with a fair bit of synthesizer and keyboard work – but the vocals are still the strongest part of the record, and they're allowed to shine nicely. Cuts include "You Make It Happen", "Keys To The City", "Strong On You", "Rock Me Gently – Heavy Love", "When You Stop To Think", and "Don't Be Selfish". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic early material from Vernon Oxford – already one of the most distinct country singers of his time! Titles include "Woman Let Me Sing You A Song", "Baby Sister", "Stone By Stone", "Babies Stop Your Crying", "Roll Big Wheels Roll", "Honky Tonk Girls", and "Let's Take A Cold Shower". 28 tracks total. CD

A rare early moment from the legendary Austrian group Paternoster – sounds that predate their one and only cult-status album – originally created for the equally legendary film, Die Ersten Tage! The music here was never issued commercially at the time – and the release of these sounds adds a much-needed page to the slim book of Paternoster – especially since the creative flair of these songs really fleshes out our understanding of the group! As with their vocal music, most of the style here is slow, but jamming – kind of mellow prog, almost – but lighter, too – and with a moodier vibe, given the absence of lyrics – which lets the offbeat guitar parts do most of the speaking for the group. The whole thing's fragile, yet jagged – earthy, but cosmic – and the set features 30 tracks in all, appearing here on record for the first time ever! 3CD version features a bonus CD2, with 7 more film cue tracks – and CD3, which features demo versions of the songs "I Wanna Bring You Down", "Not Like You", "Paternoster", "Old Danube", "Mammoth Opus", "The Pope Is Wrong", and "Stop These Lines". CD

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

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

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

Nice collection of rootsy New Orleans music with a dozen tacks in all, including Professor Longhair "Go To The Mardi Gras" and "Big Chief (parts 1 & 2)", Al Johnson "Carnival Time", the Hawketts "Mardio Gras Mambo", the Wild Magnolias "Handa Wanda (parts 1 & 2)", "New Suit" and "(Big Chief Like Plenty Of) Fire Water", Stop, Inc "Second Line (parts 1 & 2) and Earl King "Street Paradise". CD

Killer funk from the Italian scene of the 70s – work by the Pulsar Music Ltd combo, originally used as the soundtrack for the crime classic Milano Violenta! Italian crime films were really hitting their height at the time – documenting the new wave of terror that was hitting the cities in the 70s – and music like this perfectly set the scene, with a sharp mix of funk, jazz, and other urban elements – all served up in a non-stop barrage of totally great cuts, of the sort that you'd only find sparsely on American soundtracks of the period. Music is composed by Italian jazz great Enrico Pieranunzi with Silvano Chimenti – and titles include "Leyla Theme", "Running", "Walking At Sunrise", "Six In", "Swinging Day", "Blue Funk", "Dreamland", and "Cat Theme". LP, Vinyl record album

Massive work from one of the funkiest drummers of all time – the legendary Bernard Pretty Purdie, stepping out here in a batch of instrumentals that may well be his greatest album ever! Bernard's drums are right up front in the mix – leading off all tunes with a full, funky, echoey sort of approach that's unlike anything else we can think of – and certainly different from any other late 60s albums of this type! The production is totally great – and has a way of pulling out some of the weirdest aspects of the music – which itself features guitar from Billy Butler and Eric Gale, bass from Bob Bushnell, tenor and flute from Seldon Powell, and organ and piano from Richard Tee – who also handled all the arrangements on the set! The centerpiece is the hit single "Funky Donkey", but just about every track's a groover in its own way – and titles include "Soul Drums", "Bill's Groove", "Jimmy's Back", "Testifyin", "Modern Jive", "Blow Your Lid", "Bee N Tee", and "Soul Bossa Nova". This new edition includes 8 bonus tracks, with a couple rare 45 tracks and more that have never been released – all soulful & funky – well paired with the Soul Drums album! Bonus tracks are in stereo, and include "Alexander's Rag Time Band", "Genuine John", "Soul Clappin", "If You Never Cried", "Stop" and "Time Is Tight". Also comes with a nice booklet with new liner notes, and choice quotes from Purdie's peers and those he influenced, from Galt MacDermot to Large Professor. LP, Vinyl record album

Massive work from one of the funkiest drummers of all time – the legendary Bernard Pretty Purdie, stepping out here in a batch of instrumentals that may well be his greatest album ever! Bernard's drums are right up front in the mix – leading off all tunes with a full, funky, echoey sort of approach that's unlike anything else we can think of – and certainly different from any other late 60s albums of this type! The production is totally great – and has a way of pulling out some of the weirdest aspects of the music – which itself features guitar from Billy Butler and Eric Gale, bass from Bob Bushnell, tenor and flute from Seldon Powell, and organ and piano from Richard Tee – who also handled all the arrangements on the set! The centerpiece is the hit single "Funky Donkey", but just about every track's a groover in its own way – and titles include "Soul Drums", "Bill's Groove", "Jimmy's Back", "Testifyin", "Modern Jive", "Blow Your Lid", "Bee N Tee", and "Soul Bossa Nova". This new edition includes 8 bonus tracks, with a couple rare 45 tracks and more that have never been released – all soulful & funky – well paired with the Soul Drums album! Bonus tracks are in stereo, and include "Alexander's Rag Time Band", "Genuine John", "Soul Clappin", "If You Never Cried", "Stop" and "Time Is Tight". Also comes with a nice booklet with new liner notes, and choice quotes from Purdie's peers and those he influenced, from Galt MacDermot to Large Professor. CD

Massive work from one of the funkiest drummers of all time – the legendary Bernard Pretty Purdie, stepping out here in a batch of instrumentals that may well be his greatest album ever! Bernard's drums are right up front in the mix – leading off all tunes with a full, funky, echoey sort of approach that's unlike anything else we can think of – and certainly different from any other late 60s albums of this type! The production is totally great – and has a way of pulling out some of the weirdest aspects of the music – which itself features guitar from Billy Butler and Eric Gale, bass from Bob Bushnell, tenor and flute from Seldon Powell, and organ and piano from Richard Tee – who also handled all the arrangements on the set! The centerpiece is the hit single "Funky Donkey", but just about every track's a groover in its own way – and titles include "Soul Drums", "Bill's Groove", "Jimmy's Back", "Testifyin", "Modern Jive", "Blow Your Lid", "Bee N Tee", and "Soul Bossa Nova". This new edition includes 8 bonus tracks, with a couple rare 45 tracks and more that have never been released – all soulful & funky – well paired with the Soul Drums album! Bonus tracks are in stereo, and include "Alexander's Rag Time Band", "Genuine John", "Soul Clappin", "If You Never Cried", "Stop" and "Time Is Tight". Also comes with a nice booklet with new liner notes, and choice quotes from Purdie's peers and those he influenced, from Galt MacDermot to Large Professor. CD

Queen Samantha offer up a nice mix of modes here – taking on the Box Tops' classic oldie "The Letter", before launching into some originals of their own – all in the best longform disco mode of the TK Records family of labels at their height! The group's singers aren't listed on the back cover, which only notes the musicians on the set – a combo of French players who work with arrangements from Harry Chalkitis – with riffing guitars over driving percussion, all in that tight Euro disco style of the time! The rhythms dominate, but the vocals provide some nice glue to the set – on titles that include "The Letter", "1864", "Don't Stop I Feel Good", and "Singing Hallelujah". LP, Vinyl record album

Queen Samantha offer up a nice mix of modes here – taking on the Box Tops' classic oldie "The Letter", before launching into some originals of their own – all in the best longform disco mode of the TK Records family of labels at their height! The group's singers aren't listed on the back cover, which only notes the musicians on the set – a combo of French players who work with arrangements from Harry Chalkitis – with riffing guitars over driving percussion, all in that tight Euro disco style of the time! The rhythms dominate, but the vocals provide some nice glue to the set – on titles that include "The Letter", "1864", "Don't Stop I Feel Good", and "Singing Hallelujah". CD features the bonus track "The Letter (French album version)". CD

A soulful, spiritual set from the start of the 80s – served up by a group who seem to have only recorded this one rare album, yet who come across like a combo with a much longer legacy! There's a laidback approach to the music that reminds us of similar work from the Cali scene in the 70s – although these guys seem to be from Connecticut, and work with a lineup that includes keyboards, trombone, bass drums, and a nice use of flute and saxes. Other players come into the mix from time to time – percussion, bass, tenor, and acoustic guitar – and the track "Moments Of Silence" has vocals from soulful female singer Kharmia. All other cuts are instrumental – and include "Can't Stop Now", "Why Must I Go", "Marketplace", "In My Apartment", and "Breeze". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing music from Sun Ra & The Arkestra – sounds recorded during the same marathon session that gave the world the records Other Planes Of There, When Sun Comes Out, and When Angels Speak Of Love – but titles that are much more obscure overall! The initial release of the material featured very misleading notes, but the true details of the session are even more impressive – as Ra plays a variety of unusual instruments alongside piano – including the piano strings, space organ, and clavioline – alongside some sublime straight horn work from John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto and oboe, Pat Patrick on baritone, Danny Davis on alto and clarinet, Walter Miller on trumpet, Robert Cummings on bass clarinet, and Ali Hasaan on trombone! The lineup here has that raw power the Arkestra first unleashed after their initial move to New York – almost a sense of new freedom in the new environment – even at a time when they weren't clicking on a financial level, but still continued to push forward with new ideas in music! Some passages have this great approach that links the cosmic ideas of the Arkestra with older traditions of jazz soloing – while others reflect the growing concern of the group with new textures and sounds – making for some very impressive elements on both the horns and percussion. The group is completed by Ronnie Boykins on bass, Art Jenkins on space voice and percussion, and Tommy Hunter on drums, percussion, and some mighty nice reverb – and titles include "Biosphere Blues", "Intergalactic Research", "Earth Primitive Earth", "New Planet", and "Continuation To Jupiter Festival". Beautiful 2CD reissue features sublime sounds from the original tapes, remastered – plus a full bonus CD of unreleased tracks that include "Blue York", "Conversation Of The Universe", "Red Planet Mars", "Cosmic Rays/Next Stop Mars", "The Myth", "Meteor Shower", "Infinity", "The Beginning Of", and "Endlessness". CD

A wonderful session recorded in New York in 1963 – and featuring the band at its progressive best! The album has many dark overtones, and features a core group that includes Marshall Allen, Danny Davis, John Gilmore, and Pat Patrick – playing their usual horns, plus percussion, amidst reverb by Thomas "Bugs" Hunter and performances by Ra on gong, pianoforte, and clavioline. The whole set has an open-ended "loft jazz" kind of feel – typical for the mid 70s New York avant scene, but groundbreaking at the time of this recording. Titles include "Celestial Fantasy", "The Idea Of It All", "Next Stop Mars", and "Ecstasy Of Being". CD

A real grand slam from Rare Earth – a late 70s set, but one that shows that they're still one of the greatest blue-eyed soul groups of all time! If anything, the period seems to bring out even more of the soulful side of the group – with a shift to fuller arrangements that include work from McKinley Jackson and David Campbell, all wrapped up nicely by producer John Ryan – who really knows how to let the group find their groove, but all without trying to polish things up in an AOR sort of way! The blend is great – definitely equal parts rock and soul – and titles include "My Eyes Only", "Save Me Save Me", "Mighty Good Love", "Stop Her On Sight", "You Got My Love", and remakes of "Heard It Through The Grapevine", "When A Man Loves A Woman", and "I Wish It Would Rain". CD

The second half of the recording legacy of the legendary Otis Redding – all material that was issued after his tragic death in 1968 – tracks recorded during the 60s for Stax Records, but issued by Atlantic, who'd taken over the material during the same year that Otis left the planet! When Redding died, interest in his music was at an all-time high – and his non-stop flow of creativity at Stax left behind plenty of gems that were unissued while he was around – presented here initially in four full albums in the box – including The Dock of the Bay, The Immortal Otis Redding, Love Man, and Tell the Truth – all presented with their original artwork. Then, and even cooler, the set features two more LPs' worth of material – all the mono singles that were issued during this time, a total of 24 more tracks that really complete the package. The box is beautiful, and stands as a nice complement to the complete Stax material from earlier years! LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the hippest Max Roach work of the 60s! This album features one half of the set that was issued on Affinity as a double LP. This first side is made up of 3 tracks featuring Clifford Jordan on tenor, Coleridge Parkinson on piano, and Abbey Lincoln on some vocals – all recorded at an unknown location in 1961: "Long As You're Living", "Who Will Buy", and "Love For Sale". The second side has 2 tracks from a concert in Paris, with Max's group that included Tommy & Stanley Turrentine, as well as Julian Priester. The tracks are long and open-ended – with an approach that you wouldn't find on the group's Mercury sides from the time – both Roach originals: "Kardouba" and "Stop Motion", with the Turrentines stretching out in a soul jazz searching mode that's quite different than their Blue Note work. LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the hippest Max Roach work of the 60s – issued here professionally for the first time in years! The first tracks in the set are from a concert in Paris, with Max's group that included Tommy & Stanley Turrentine, as well as Julian Priester. The tracks are long and open-ended – with an approach that you wouldn't find on the group's Mercury sides from the time – and two Roach originals in particular – "Kardouba" and "Stop Motion" – are especially great, and have the Turrentines stretching out in a soul jazz searching mode that's quite different than their Blue Note work. This approach is continued strongly in the set – which features Clifford Jordan on tenor, Coleridge Parkinson on piano, and Abbey Lincoln on some vocals – all recorded at an unknown location in 1961. Again, the Roach originals – especially "This Night Mountain" and "Ceciliana" – are the tunes to watch – but there's also some great other work, including "Jordu", "Who Will Buy", and "Love For Sale". CD

A lovely little tribute to one of our favorite songwriters of all time – the lyrical genius Tommy Wolf, whose compositions were first championed back in the 50s and 60s by Bob Dorough, Jackie & Roy, and Blossom Dearie! Wolf's got a wonderful way with a twist of a phrase – playful, but never too silly – just freshly original in a world of overdone standards, and a reminder that creative American songwriting didn't stop with Cole Porter and Harold Arlen! Bobbi's voice has a warmly sweet quality that makes for a slightly different approach to the material than others before her – and backing on the record is by a piano trio led and arranged by Chick Cicchetti. Titles include "There Are Days When I Don't Think Of You At All", "Say Cheese", "I'm Alright Til You Touch Me", "It's Nice Weather For Ducks", "You Smell So Good", "I've Never Been Anything", and "A Face Like Yours". LP, Vinyl record album

The Roots return with their first album on Def Jam – a rich batch of soulful, heavier moods, cultural reflection, and some incredible modern Philly funk playing behind the thoughtful rhymes – probably the deepest album to appear on Def Jam in the past decade or so! Game Theory shares a tendency with their earlier masterwork Things Fall Apart in its way of applying an uplifting, riveting groove to tracks with some genuine hurt and despair. Sonically, Game Theory is its own animal. We NEVER would have pegged this record for the Def Jam debut – it's way too good! Tracks include the PE-referencing "False Media", "Game Theory" feat Malik B, the single "Don't Feel Right" feat Maimounta Youssef, "In The Music" feat Malik B & Porn, "Take It There" feat Wadud Ahmad, "Baby" feat John-John of Nouveau Riche, "Here I Come" feat Dice Raw of Nouveau Riche & Malik B, "Long Time" featuring Peedi Peedi & Bunny Sigler, "Clock With No Hands" feat Mercedes Martinez of Jazzyfatnastees, "Can't Stop This" and more. CD

A wicked batch of Latin groovers from Willie Rosario – one that takes all the energy of his rare indie sides from the 60s, and fuses it with the tight approach to Latin Soul being hipped up by Atlantic at the time! The whole thing's great, and has a vibe that's very lively overall – with tracks that run the gamut from mambo jazz to boogaloo – and titles that include "Mi Chamaco", "Viento En Popa", "Cuca La Loca", "Light & Sweet", "Stop & Go", and "Watusi Boogaloo". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible lost album from Motown's David Ruffin – material recorded for his third solo album, but unreleased at the time – and presented here with a whole bunch of rare bonus material too! The quality of the work is incredible – done in a soaring style that's a perfect summation of the genius of Motown at the end of the 60s. Ruffin really steps away from his work with the Temptations here, and moves masterfully into the role of a solo star – working with such strength that we're puzzled as to why Motown never issued the set – but even more delighted to finally have it back out in such a great package! The original album was supposed to feature 12 tracks, but the set adds in an additional 11 numbers that were recorded during the same time, including a few rare mono mixes. The whole thing's great – and includes the incredible track "Each Day Is A Lifetime", plus "Out In The Country", "I Want You Back", "Let Somebody Love Me", "It's Gonna Take A Whole Lot Of Doin", "Heaven Help Us All", "Mountain Of Memories", "You Make Me Do Things I Don't Want To Do", and "Don't Stop Lovin Me". CD

An incredible lost album from Motown's David Ruffin – material recorded for his third solo album, but unreleased at the time – and presented here with a whole bunch of rare bonus material too! The quality of the work is incredible – done in a soaring style that's a perfect summation of the genius of Motown at the end of the 60s. Ruffin really steps away from his work with the Temptations here, and moves masterfully into the role of a solo star – working with such strength that we're puzzled as to why Motown never issued the set – but even more delighted to finally have it back out in such a great package! The original album was supposed to feature 12 tracks, but the set adds in an additional 11 numbers that were recorded during the same time, including a few rare mono mixes. The whole thing's great – and includes the incredible track "Each Day Is A Lifetime", plus "Out In The Country", "I Want You Back", "Let Somebody Love Me", "It's Gonna Take A Whole Lot Of Doin", "Heaven Help Us All", "Mountain Of Memories", "You Make Me Do Things I Don't Want To Do", and "Don't Stop Lovin Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Later Motown work from David Ruffin, but still pretty darn great – thanks to vocals that rise to the top, no matter what the tune! The album was co-produced by Van McCoy and Charles Kipps, with arrangements by McCoy – but the overall sound is light years away from some of Van's poppier albums of the time – much more in line with the kind of classy soul that we'd come to expect in Ruffin's music. There's a Philly sparkle to many of the tunes, and titles include "I Can't Stop The Rain", "Nightmare", "You're My Piece Of Mind", "Questions", "I'm Jealous", "Rode By The Place", and "Hey Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic collection of images from Times Square, pulled from the years before Disney took over – at a time when the action moved 24 hours a day, and at a non-stop pace! Bill Butterworth was right on the streets during the early 80s – and presents stunning full color shots of a range of figures from the Deuce – strippers, short order cooks, merchants, hustlers, b boys, Guardian Angels, and others – often in posed portraits in their environs, but occasionally captured in more candid ways too. The look and feel of the photographs is great – similar to some of the Powerhouse books on old school hip hop culture – and the whole thing is hardcover, and overflowing with great shots. Book

Leon Russell at the height of his powers – really firmly on his own in the lead, after so many years in the background – and working with a confidence that makes the whole thing completely charming right from the get-go! Like a rare few – a short list that might include Mose Allison, Dr John, or Georgie Fame – Russell is able to reference roots without any sort of hoke, and easily make them into a sound and style that's all his own – in this case with some mod touches of the jazz promised in the title, but also touches of Texas, New Orleans, and maybe a bit of his Tusla home turf too. Titles include versions of "If I Were A Carpenter", "Smashed", "Wild Horses", and "The Ballad Of Hollis Brown" – plus the originals "Stop All That Jazz", "Mona Lisa Please", "Working Girl", and "Time For Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A treasure trove of lost work from Sandy Salisbury – all recorded during the same time he was working with Curt Boettcher in the legendary group The Millennium! The songs are all as lovely as the image on the cover – and on his own, often overdubbing his vocals to create his own harmonies, Sandy's got this quality that's maybe even sweeter and more sophisticated than you'd know from his other records – almost Beatles-esque, especially of the more melodic tunes that Paul McCartney would front during the later years of that group. All work is from Sandy's own archives, appearing here for the first time ever – and titles include "Silent Lonely Night", "Do I Miss You", "Tomorrow", "Six O'Clock", "Once I Knew A Little Dog", "Butter Me Over", "The Sun Always Shines On Suzanna", and "Everyone Should Be In Love". CD features seven more bonus tracks too – including "Tale Of A Timeless Love", "Some Other Place", "I Can't Stop The Hurting", and "She's Got The Power". CD

A fantastic new chapter in music from Cecile McLorin Salvant – a singer who's only been with us for a little more than a decade, has already gotten a Grammy and a MacArthur Genius Grant – yet hasn't let that stop her from being even more creative than ever! Cecile's still very much a jazz singer at the core, but there's also an expressive range here that we might never have guessed on her earlier records – and that's saying a lot, as those albums really blew us away! The singer's really breaking out of just the world of jazz vocals here – rising with star power, ala Gregory Porter or Esperanza Spaulding – but also maybe going deeper at the same time too. Titles include a surprising remake of "Wuthering Heights", plus "Thunderclouds", "Unquiet Grae", "Moon Song", "Trail Mix", "The World Is Mean", "Obligation", "Optimistic Voices/No Love Dying", "I Lost My Mind", and "Dead Popular". CD

A fantastic new chapter in music from Cecile McLorin Salvant – a singer who's only been with us for a little more than a decade, has already gotten a Grammy and a MacArthur Genius Grant – yet hasn't let that stop her from being even more creative than ever! Cecile's still very much a jazz singer at the core, but there's also an expressive range here that we might never have guessed on her earlier records – and that's saying a lot, as those albums really blew us away! The singer's really breaking out of just the world of jazz vocals here – rising with star power, ala Gregory Porter or Esperanza Spaulding – but also maybe going deeper at the same time too. Titles include a surprising remake of "Wuthering Heights", plus "Thunderclouds", "Unquiet Grae", "Moon Song", "Trail Mix", "The World Is Mean", "Obligation", "Optimistic Voices/No Love Dying", "I Lost My Mind", and "Dead Popular". CD

A fantastic new chapter in music from Cecile McLorin Salvant – a singer who's only been with us for a little more than a decade, has already gotten a Grammy and a MacArthur Genius Grant – yet hasn't let that stop her from being even more creative than ever! Cecile's still very much a jazz singer at the core, but there's also an expressive range here that we might never have guessed on her earlier records – and that's saying a lot, as those albums really blew us away! The singer's really breaking out of just the world of jazz vocals here – rising with star power, ala Gregory Porter or Esperanza Spaulding – but also maybe going deeper at the same time too. Titles include a surprising remake of "Wuthering Heights", plus "Thunderclouds", "Unquiet Grae", "Moon Song", "Trail Mix", "The World Is Mean", "Obligation", "Optimistic Voices/No Love Dying", "I Lost My Mind", and "Dead Popular". LP, Vinyl record album

A set recorded late in the career of Millie Scott – given that she contributed vocals to some hip girl groups in the 70s – but a standout solo moment too, and one that showed she could make some big waves on her own! The album's got a nice early urban sort of feel – echoes of street soul in the mix, but never as much as you might find on some of the indie efforts of this sort on labels like Next Plateau or Sutra – just the right amount to keep things away from the mainstream cliches of the time. Most numbers have a fair bit of beats at the bottom, but they're often well done, and never dominate Millie's vocals too much – and tracks include "Automatic", "Prisoner Of Love", "Love Me Right", "Let's Talk It Over", "2 Hot 2 Handle", and "One Stop Lover". LP, Vinyl record album

Nothing too manic here, as the grooves are all nicely laidback – in that sweetly smooth Shakatak style! The album's definitely a bit more contemporary-styled than some of the group's earlier ones – rhythms that are mostly programmed, and keyboards that have a later 80s sound – but which are still warmed by some of the jazzy touches of before. The vocals are in the lead on most numbers – handled by Jill Saward, who's become a more forceful vocalist in the space of the group's increasingly urban sound. Titles include "Money", "Time Of My Life", "Dr Dr", "Releasin The Feelin", "Walk The Walk", "Slow Dancing", "Mr Manic & Sister Cool", and "Something Special". CD version has 4 bonus tracks: "Never Stop Loving You", extended and dub versions "Mr Manic & Sister Cool" and "Walk The Walk (Remix)". CD

An incredible record – the kind of album that only Blue Note could put out, and an instant classic that will sound wonderful forever! The album's truly one of the great ones – one of those Blue Notes that still makes you stop and pause when you hear it, even though you've heard it a million times in Starbucks and places like that. Horace Silver is working here at the height of his powers – lyrical, free, yet also damn soulful, in a style that makes for some of the most evocative jazz-based grooves cut to wax at the time. Carmell Jones is in the group, and plays some of his best trumpet ever – and Joe Henderson really drives the whole session home with some incredible tenor work. Other group members include Teddy Smith on bass and Roger Humphries on drums – and titles include the instantly famous "Song For My Father", plus "Que Pasa", "The Kicker", and "Calcutta Cutie". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible record – the kind of album that only Blue Note could put out, and an instant classic that will sound wonderful forever! The album's truly one of the great ones – one of those Blue Notes that still makes you stop and pause when you hear it, even though you've heard it a million times in Starbucks and places like that. Horace Silver is working here at the height of his powers – lyrical, free, yet also damn soulful, in a style that makes for some of the most evocative jazz-based grooves cut to wax at the time. Carmell Jones is in the group, and plays some of his best trumpet ever – and Joe Henderson really drives the whole session home with some incredible tenor work. Other group members include Teddy Smith on bass and Roger Humphries on drums – and titles include the instantly famous "Song For My Father", plus "Que Pasa", "The Kicker", and "Calcutta Cutie". This great CD reissue also adds a whole bunch of extra cuts to the original album, including new material never heard before, and a trio version of "Que Pasa". 10 cuts in all! CD

An incredible record – the kind of album that only Blue Note could put out, and an instant classic that will sound wonderful forever! The album's truly one of the great ones – one of those Blue Notes that still makes you stop and pause when you hear it, even though you've heard it a million times in Starbucks and places like that. Horace Silver is working here at the height of his powers – lyrical, free, yet also damn soulful, in a style that makes for some of the most evocative jazz-based grooves cut to wax at the time. Carmell Jones is in the group, and plays some of his best trumpet ever – and Joe Henderson really drives the whole session home with some incredible tenor work. Other group members include Teddy Smith on bass and Roger Humphries on drums – and titles include the instantly famous "Song For My Father", plus "Que Pasa", "The Kicker", and "Calcutta Cutie". This great CD reissue also adds a whole bunch of extra cuts to the original album, including new material never heard before, and a trio version of "Que Pasa". 10 cuts in all! CD

A great group from the 70s AOR scene – one that never fully got its due, but which never let that stop them from doing their best! Silver have this great harmony style that's somewhere in the territory of America – kind of a post-Beach Boys version of male group pop that's years beyond the modes of the 60s, and wrapped up here with near-perfect production that makes the harmonies sound even more heavenly they might have a few years before! All group members sing – John Batdorf, Brent Mydland, Greg Collier, Tom Leadon, and Harry Stinson – and most write tunes on the record, too. Titles include "Musician", "All I Wanna Do", "Memory", "Right On Time", "Goodbye So Long", "Wham Bam", and "Trust In Somebody". LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning sounds from Sly & The Family Stone – a searing live performance from 1968, and one that appears here for the first time ever! The music is wonderful – harder, heavier, and even funkier than some of the group's famous records from the period – and that's saying a heck of a lot, if you know the strength of those albums! Given that the group were turning out a non-stop array of great studio records at the time, we can guess that Epic records didn't have any room in their release schedule to get this one out in the 60s – but given the quality of the music, we're also surprised it took so long for the concert to get released – because it offers up a rich document of that other side of Sly and the group – that way of setting fire to a live crowd that made them such a hugely important crossover act at the time, and a key force for uniting audiences from both sides of the scene. Some tracks are nice and long, and really open up – and others are shorter and tighter, but still pack a hell of a punch – and tracks include "M'Lady", "Life", "Are You Ready", "Won't Be Long", "We Love All Freedom", "Music Lover", "Dance To The Music", "Love City", and "Turn Me Loose/I Can't Turn You Loose". LP, Vinyl record album

Fuzzy funk from the Italian scene of the early 70s – a really landmark record that ties together all the best elements happening in the soundtrack, sound library, and psych scene at the time! The group features two guitars and lots of organ and keyboards from the leader – really stretching out on the side-long title track "Under Pompelmo", which is a massive jam, but one that never trips out too much to stop being funky – a surprisingly great groove that stays right in the pocket for all of its 16 minutes and 50 seconds! The flipside features shorter tracks, but equally great – all like some lost sound library funk numbers of the period, but served up by a small combo with more focus on guitar and weird production styles – on titles that include "Honda", "When I See You", "Echoes From Canyon", and "To Rebound". CD

A big moment for the British ska scene – and the soundtrack to a film that featured live work by nearly all of the big names at the time! The album features live work by artists who owed a lot to 2 Tone, but who'd even moved onto bigger fame by the film – but who are working here in a nice back-to-basics mode – and titles include live versions of "Concrete Jungle", "Man At C&A", and "Nite Klub" by The Specials; "Mirror In The Bathroom", "Big Shot", and "Ranking Full Stop" by The English Beat; "Inner London Violence" and "Lip Up Fatty" by Bad Manners; "Easy Life" by The Bodysnatchers; and "Razor Blade Alley" and "One Step Beyond" by Madness. LP, Vinyl record album

A mod soul classic from the great Edwin Starr – a set that bridges his years in the Detroit underground and his sudden rise to fame at Motown! The tracks here have a really deep basement grooving sort of vibe – catchy, but less poppy than the usual Motown – and more with the kind of grit you'd find on some of the smaller indies of the time – not just in Edwin's vocals, but in the overall rhythms as well! There's loads of dancefloor soul cuts here, mixed with some overlooked gems – and the whole thing's wonderful, especially if you only know Edwin's later hits. Titles include "Agent Double O Soul", "I Am The Man For You Baby", "Stop Her On Sight", "I Want My Baby Back", "Soul Master", "Headline News", and "My Weakness Is You". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic CD collection – one that brings together all five volumes of Stereolab's Switched On albums in one set – a huge collection of unusual material and rare singles! On the original Switched On record, moog, fuzz, and farfisa have never sounded so great together – and although these guys drank deep of the well of 60s pop magic before making this modern-day classic – they also come off sounding pretty darn original on their own! When this gem of a record first hit the world, it was as if all of us were hearing music from the cosmos for years, but could never find a way to make it part of our everyday lives. Then along come Tim Gane, Laetitia Sadier, and crew – and completely change the world for the better! An album that no home should be without – with titles that include "Contact", "Super-Electric", "Doubt", "Brittle", "Au Grand Jour", "The Way Will Be Opening", and "Changer". Refried Ectoplasm is the second in the holy trinity of "switched on" albums from Stereolab – a set that collects together all the unusual recordings and other side bits the group were doing in the early years of their career – standing strong as a testament to their non-stop efforts to forever push the boundaries of electric fuzzy pop! The vocals Laetitia Sadier are completely sublime – almost a bridge between the darker modes of the previous pop generation and all the new ideas of the world to come – when the rest of rock music would finally catch up to these guys, and realize that the best path to the future is through the past! Titles include "Farfisa", "John Cage Bubblegum", "Tempter", "Exploding Head Movie", "French Disko", "Harmonium", "Revox", "Mountain", and "Sadistic". By the time of Aluminum Tunes (Switched On Vol 3) – it had only been a few years since the previous Switched On set, but Stereolab had already created so much musical magic, they needed a double-length record to keep the whole thing intact! The sound here is somehow getting even more dreamy and wonderful – definitely showing their work with the mighty Sean O'Hagan, and also really opening up into all the many musical ideas that Tim Gane was picking up from his never-ending search for unusual records! The 60s swirl through time and space, and make the future sound even better than we could have imagined it – while the Channel is drained, and England and France become one in a genius marriage of pure pop modes. Titles include "The Extension Trip", "How To Play Your Internal Organs Overnight", "Space Moment", "Iron Man", "The Long Hair Of Death", "One Note Samba/Surfboard", "Percolations", "1000 Miles An Hour", "Klang Tone", and a great take on the theme to "Get Carter". Switched On 4 is full of fantastic sounds from Stereolab – an assortment of rare singles and other unusual recordings that were mostly issued on their own Duophonic label, and which are far more obscure than their bigger label albums during the same period! Even though Stereolab gave the world some undeniable classics in the late 90s and early 00s, they were also working endlessly, and seemed to record more than they could ever fit on a full length set – which resulted in all the cool singles, limited releases, and other material included here – not dusty tapes pulled from the archives, but beautiful work that often returns the group to all the space age charms of their first few records! The package is huge – 25 tracks in all, of varying length – and titles include "Barok Plastik", "Calimero", "Fried Monkey Eggs (voc)", "Solar Throw Away", "Variation One", "Monkey Jelly", "Explosante Fixe", "Jump Drive Shut Out", "The Super-It", "L'Exotisme Interieur", "Pandora's Box Of Worms", "Retrograde Mirror Form", "Nomus E Phusis", "I Feel The Air Of Another Planet", "Outer Bongolia", and "Intervals". Includes tracks from Duophonic 45s, Underground Is Coming EP, Moog, First Of The Microbe Hunters, and work from compilations, unreleased tracks, and even a collaboration with Brigitte Fontaine! Switched On 5 is maybe the coolest entry so far in this really wonderful series – a set that's overflowing with rare and unusual work from Stereolab – most of it done at a time when the group were riding high on a major label, but still managed to issued a huge amount of music on their own, and work in a variety of collaborative settings too! One of our favorite is their work with Nurse With Wound, and tracks from that partnership begin this set – which then moves into rare singles, work with artists, compilation contributions, and plenty more – all with the usual Stereolab charm, but often with a nicely different vibe too! Titles include "Simple Headphone Mind", "Symbolic Logic Of Now", "Magne Music", "Forensic Itch", "Spool Of Collusion", "Robot Riot", "Trippin With The Birds", "Cybele's Reverie (live)", "Nth Degrees, "Refractions In The Plastic Pulse (Autechre Feebate mix)", and "Plastic Mile (original version)". CD

A masterpiece of harmony soul – one of THE all-time greats of the genre, and a lasting treasure from The Stylistics! The album really took vocal soul to a whole new level for the 70s – pushing from the sometimes fragile ballad style of the late 60s into a smoother, more mature sound that was impeccably produced, yet still had all the depth of feeling as before! Maestro Thom Bell is the man to thank for the greatness of this album – as his production and musical vision really helped The Stylistics hit levels that few other groups like this were reaching at the time. Titles include their seminal long version of "People Make the World Go Round" – which, at 6 minutes in length, was really unusual for the time. Other titles include "Stop Look & Listen", "Betcha By Golly Wow", "You're A Big Girl Now", "If I Love You", "Ebony Eyes", and "You Are Everything". CD

A masterpiece of harmony soul – one of THE all-time greats of the genre, and a lasting treasure from The Stylistics! The album really took vocal soul to a whole new level for the 70s – pushing from the sometimes fragile ballad style of the late 60s into a smoother, more mature sound that was impeccably produced, yet still had all the depth of feeling as before! Maestro Thom Bell is the man to thank for the greatness of this album – as his production and musical vision really helped The Stylistics hit levels that few other groups like this were reaching at the time. Titles include their seminal long version of "People Make the World Go Round" – which, at 6 minutes in length, was really unusual for the time. Other titles include "Stop Look & Listen", "Betcha By Golly Wow", "You're A Big Girl Now", "If I Love You", "Ebony Eyes", and "You Are Everything". LP, Vinyl record album

The great lost folk rock album from Jim Sullivan – who himself, literally went lost several years later – a set that's beautiful, yet just loose and ragged enough! It's a bit of a hybrid of folk and country rock, particularly in the acoustic guitars and laidback, warm vocals by Sullivan – but it's also got some Cali warmth – sweet strings and some horns and flute, pairing up with the looser, back porch style at the core quite wonderfully. Some great players from the LA studio scene played on the sessions – including members of the iconic Wrecking Crew – and it sounds like it! UFO came out on the small Monnie label, made hardly a dent, and after another record for the Playboy label, Sullivan disappeared, never to be heard from again in 1975 – lending a bit of a spooky air to the album, but the backstory truly not relevant to the quality – it's excellent, with or without the lore! Includes "Jerome", "Plain As Your Eyes Can See", "Roll Back The Time", "Whistle Stop", "Highways", "UFO", "So Natural", "Johnny", "Sandman" and more. CD

The great lost folk rock album from Jim Sullivan – who himself, literally went lost several years later – a set that's beautiful, yet just loose and ragged enough! It's a bit of a hybrid of folk and country rock, particularly in the acoustic guitars and laidback, warm vocals by Sullivan – but it's also got some Cali warmth – sweet strings and some horns and flute, pairing up with the looser, back porch style at the core quite wonderfully. Some great players from the LA studio scene played on the sessions – including members of the iconic Wrecking Crew – and it sounds like it! UFO came out on the small Monnie label, made hardly a dent, and after another record for the Playboy label, Sullivan disappeared, never to be heard from again in 1975 – lending a bit of a spooky air to the album, but the backstory truly not relevant to the quality – it's excellent, with or without the lore! Includes "Jerome", "Plain As Your Eyes Can See", "Roll Back The Time", "Whistle Stop", "Highways", "UFO", "So Natural", "Johnny" and "Sandman". LP, Vinyl record album

The great lost folk rock album from Jim Sullivan – who himself, literally went lost several years later – a set that's beautiful, yet just loose and ragged enough! It's a bit of a hybrid of folk and country rock, particularly in the acoustic guitars and laidback, warm vocals by Sullivan – but it's also got some Cali warmth – sweet strings and some horns and flute, pairing up with the looser, back porch style at the core quite wonderfully. Some great players from the LA studio scene played on the sessions – including members of the iconic Wrecking Crew – and it sounds like it! UFO came out on the small Monnie label, made hardly a dent, and after another record for the Playboy label, Sullivan disappeared, never to be heard from again in 1975 – lending a bit of a spooky air to the album, but the backstory truly not relevant to the quality – it's excellent, with or without the lore! Includes "Jerome", "Plain As Your Eyes Can See", "Roll Back The Time", "Whistle Stop", "Highways", "UFO", "So Natural", "Johnny" and "Sandman". LP, Vinyl record album

A double-length disco fantasy from Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder – both very much at the A double-length, 4 act disco fantasy from Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder – both very much at the height of their powers here – and able to keep up enough energy to make it through what was originally 2LP set! The work's a unified sort of story – kind of a disco opera of sorts – but more than the lyrics or the story, what makes the album great is the rhythms – full-on and non-stop, rolling strongly from tune after tune in a highly energized blend. Titles include "Once Upon A Time", "Fairy Tale High", "Queen For A Day", "Now I Need You", "Dance Into My Life", "A Man Like You", "I Love You", and "Rumor Has It". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer from the early days of The Supremes – and way more than you'd guess from the "hits" in the title! The record's not really a roundup of the hit singles already out on 45 – and is actually just an apt title for what the album was destined to be – a stone hit that really put these Motown legends on the map! Production is by the Holland/Dozier/Holland team – with a marvelous wall of sound-style groove that really pushes the vocals forward tremendously – that brilliant all-in Motown mode of the best early years, where the Detroit studio was working overtime to make things sound amazing. Titles include the massive hit "Stop! In The Name Of Love" – but the whole thing's a solid effort with no filler, and other cuts include "I'm In Love Again", "He Holds His Own", "Whisper You Love Me Boy", "The Only Time I'm Happy", "Nothing But Heartaches", "Honey Boy", and "Back In My Arms Again". LP, Vinyl record album

A soaring stormer from T-Connection – and a set that has them sounding even better than before! There's a perfection here the group didn't have with earlier releases – a quality that goes way past indie funk ensemble, into the realm of some of the best mainstream acts on the bigger labels at the time – company shared by a rare few, like Earth Wind & Fire, Ohio Players, or the Bar-Kays! Things are every bit as funky as before – but there's a way of putting the tunes together that really blows us away – fusing all the elements together perfectly, and making everything work towards the groove – yet all without making anything sound too slick or polished either. Mighty nice all the way through – and titles include "Funky Lady", "Don't Stop The Music", "Funkannection", "Saturday Night", "At Midnight", and "Love Supreme". CD

A soaring stormer from T-Connection – and a set that has them sounding even better than before! There's a perfection here the group didn't have with earlier releases – a quality that goes way past indie funk ensemble, into the realm of some of the best mainstream acts on the bigger labels at the time – company shared by a rare few, like Earth Wind & Fire, Ohio Players, or the Bar-Kays! Things are every bit as funky as before – but there's a way of putting the tunes together that really blows us away – fusing all the elements together perfectly, and making everything work towards the groove – yet all without making anything sound too slick or polished either. Mighty nice all the way through – and titles include "Funky Lady", "Don't Stop The Music", "Funkannection", "Saturday Night", "At Midnight", and "Love Supreme". CD

A soaring stormer from T-Connection – and a set that has them sounding even better than before! There's a perfection here the group didn't have with earlier releases – a quality that goes way past indie funk ensemble, into the realm of some of the best mainstream acts on the bigger labels at the time – company shared by a rare few, like Earth Wind & Fire, Ohio Players, or the Bar-Kays! Things are every bit as funky as before – but there's a way of putting the tunes together that really blows us away – fusing all the elements together perfectly, and making everything work towards the groove – yet all without making anything sound too slick or polished either. Mighty nice all the way through – and titles include "Funky Lady", "Don't Stop The Music", "Funkannection", "Saturday Night", "At Midnight", and "Love Supreme". LP, Vinyl record album

Howard Tate is one of the most overlooked soul singers of the late 60's – or at least he was, until finally getting his due in recent years! Howard's got an incredible vocal style that ranks him right up there with the best deep soul singers of his time – and a heartbreaking way of delivering a vocal that's completely sublime. His lack of recognition at the time might have had something to do with the fact that although Tate recorded for Verve, the company was mostly a jazz label – and didn't really push its soul catalog that strongly. But don't let the label fool you, because this is prime soul material – on a par with the best from Stax or Atlantic at the time – with Jerry Ragovoy doing the production, and Howard singing a great mix of hard soul and smoother uptown sounds. The CD features 17 tracks in all – titles include "Part Time Love", "Night Owl", "Give Me Some Courage", "Sweet Love Child", "How Blue Can You Get", "Half A Man", "Get It While You Can", "Stop", "Glad I Knew Better", and "Look At Granny Run Run". CD

A hell of a document of what Cecil Taylor could do when he was at his best – just one man and one piano, but a universe of sonic exploration and non-stop energy throughout! The set features a rare 1968 live performance in Poland – done at the nation's famous Jazz Jamboree festival – and Taylor is completely unbound during the 43 minute "Respiration" which takes up the entire album – even more so than on some of his better-known records from a few years before – and solo, without even having to pay attention to other group members on the stage – so that he can just focus his frenzied attack on the piano, which must have been reduced to splinters by the time the set was over! Yet this isn't just bombast, as the whole thing has that intrinsic logic that makes a Taylor solo set like this so brilliant – a complete understanding of all the possibilities of the instrument, really pushing them to the limits, but also with a cohesive mission that makes the whole thing come together in a fantastic way. CD

Groundbreaking southern soul material that instantly established Tex as one of the strongest artists of his generation! Joe's got a down-home, preaching of life style that's completely honest, and that pushes past a lot of the hoke of other singers of the time – and as you'll hear on his tunes on the set, when Joe has something to say, he says it, and in a voice that makes you believe he's talking only to you. Includes "You Got What It Takes", "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show", "Are We Ready", "Together We Stand", "There Is A Girl", "Fresh Out Of Tears", "Heep See Few Know", "For Your Love", "Hold What You've Got", and "You Better Get It". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest reggae crossover tunes of all time! "Now That We Found Love" is a killer tune written by Gamble & Huff – and redone by Third World in a smooth stepping mode that forges Philly modern with Jamaican rhythms, a perfect blend in this case, and an instant classic! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Rare live work from the legendary Three Sounds trio – tracks recorded at a small jazz club in Seattle, at a time when the group were turning out their classic albums on Blue Note and Verve! There's a looser, more laidback vibe to some of these cuts than those studio records – and Gene Harris is especially amazing on his solos – blowing our mind even more than before with his deft, soulful approach to the keys – almost hitting Bobby Timmons territory on some of these tracks, given his non-stop ability to groove while still opening up on the melody! All tracks also feature the great Andy Simpkins on bass – a wonderfully warm player who really shapes the sound – and drummers include Carl Burnett, Bill Dowdy, and Kalil Madi – depending on the tunes. Material was recorded in 1964, 1966, and 1968 – and very well-recorded, too – presented here with a clarity that rivals their albums of the decade. Titles include "AM Blues", "Girl Talk", "Blue Genes", "Night Has A Thousand Eyes", "Rat Down Front", "The Boogaloo", "Caesar & Cleopatra", and "The Shadow Of Your Smile". CD

One of the most amazing jazz vocalists of our generation returns here with an incredible group – a majestic combo to match all the spiritual inclinations in his music – with work from Kamasi Washington on tenor, Mark De Clive-Lowe on piano, Miguel Atwood Ferguson on viola, and both Carlos Nino and Derf Reklaw on percussion! Dwight Trible on his own is already more than enough to get us to run out and buy a record – but here, the combination of his unique voice with these musicians makes for an album that's an instant masterpiece – and one that even has lots of new colors and styles compared to some of Dwight's previous work! Songs include numbers by older west coast spiritual jazz heavyweights – like Horace Tapscott, Linda Hill, Nate Morgan, James Leary, and Jesse Sharps – mixed with some of Trible's own songs, and versions of work by Carmen Lundy, Oscar Brown Jr, and Donny Hathaway. From top to bottom, start to stop, the album's a treasure – with tracks that include "It's All About Love", "Thank You Master", "Song For My Mother", "Brother Where Are You", "Some Other Time", "These Things You Are To Me", "Desert Fairy Princess", and "Mothership". CD

One of the most amazing jazz vocalists of our generation returns here with an incredible group – a majestic combo to match all the spiritual inclinations in his music – with work from Kamasi Washington on tenor, Mark De Clive-Lowe on piano, Miguel Atwood Ferguson on viola, and both Carlos Nino and Derf Reklaw on percussion! Dwight Trible on his own is already more than enough to get us to run out and buy a record – but here, the combination of his unique voice with these musicians makes for an album that's an instant masterpiece – and one that even has lots of new colors and styles compared to some of Dwight's previous work! Songs include numbers by older west coast spiritual jazz heavyweights – like Horace Tapscott, Linda Hill, Nate Morgan, James Leary, and Jesse Sharps – mixed with some of Trible's own songs, and versions of work by Carmen Lundy, Oscar Brown Jr, and Donny Hathaway. From top to bottom, start to stop, the album's a treasure – with tracks that include "It's All About Love", "Thank You Master", "Song For My Mother", "Brother Where Are You", "Some Other Time", "These Things You Are To Me", "Desert Fairy Princess", and "Mothership". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most amazing jazz vocalists of our generation returns here with an incredible group – a majestic combo to match all the spiritual inclinations in his music – with work from Kamasi Washington on tenor, Mark De Clive-Lowe on piano, Miguel Atwood Ferguson on viola, and both Carlos Nino and Derf Reklaw on percussion! Dwight Trible on his own is already more than enough to get us to run out and buy a record – but here, the combination of his unique voice with these musicians makes for an album that's an instant masterpiece – and one that even has lots of new colors and styles compared to some of Dwight's previous work! Songs include numbers by older west coast spiritual jazz heavyweights – like Horace Tapscott, Linda Hill, Nate Morgan, James Leary, and Jesse Sharps – mixed with some of Trible's own songs, and versions of work by Carmen Lundy, Oscar Brown Jr, and Donny Hathaway. From top to bottom, start to stop, the album's a treasure – with tracks that include "It's All About Love", "Thank You Master", "Song For My Mother", "Brother Where Are You", "Some Other Time", "These Things You Are To Me", "Desert Fairy Princess", and "Mothership". CD

An amazing bit of funk from early 70s Brazil – an ultra-rare album, but one that almost beats some of the bigger Brazilian classics of the time! The recording has a very unusual approach – a non-stop blend of songs on each side – which makes for long, continuous tracks that mix together funk, jazz, samba, and other rootsy elements – often with a lot of percussion at the core, but also featuring electric bass, and some nice flute too! Lead singer Embaixador has this deep, rich sound – which is then countered by a vocal group, ala samba – and the overall approach is definitely in the deepest, hippest modes of the samba soul generation – and much more unbridled than more conventional albums. The whole thing's wonderful – and titles include "Walk By Jungle", "Dandara", "Fareua", "Oan", "Pae Joao", "Madrugada Sem Luar", and "Menina Da Janela". CD

2 Chainz was bubbling up in the underground for a number of years before this full length debut – including work under his earlier name of Tity Boy – and that experience clearly gave him plenty of muscle to burst upon the scene with the kind of intensity that made the record a big burner right from the start! Production has plenty of those sinister elements that were really popping big at the time – and titles include "Dope Peddler", "Crack", "I Luv Dem Strippers", "Stop Me Now", "Ghetto Dreams", "In Town", "Money Machine", "Extremely Blessed", and "No Lie" – with features from Drake, Kanye West, Dolla Boy, John Legend, Lil Wayne, and Nicki Minaj. LP, Vinyl record album

Rare funk from the East Bay scene of the early 70s – every bit as heavy and hard-hitting as grooves from Sly Stone on the other side of the water at the time! Two Things In One may not be a household name, but they groove as hard as any of the best big funk acts of the early 70s – awash in the free-thinking, open spirits of the Family Stone generation – and graced with a nice dose of spiritualism in the vocals – almost a dash of Stevie Wonder that helps deepen these tunes way more than you'd expect! Production is nice and raw – honed at Oakland's Music City studios – and the album's like finding a whole pile of funky 45s you never even knew about – with a nice diversity in grooves throughout, but a tight cohesive style overall. Titles include "Stop Telling Me", "Snag Nasty", "Silly Song", "Let's Get It Together", "Overdoes Of Your Love", "You're No Good", and "Together Forever". CD

One of the best-remembered albums from the Underground Kingz – a set that was even more expansive than most of the big hip hop records on the charts at the time – which leaves plenty of room for the Kingz and all of their entourage to do their thing! The set features plenty of guests, both older school and newer artists, some of whom balance the harder sound at the core with some soulful warmth – others of whom fan the flames a bit more. Outkast famously help shape the sound of "Intl Players Anthem" – and other features include Too Short on "Life Is 2009", Rick Ross on "Cocaine", Charlie Wilson and Willie D on "Quit Hatin The South", Talib Kweli and Raheem DeVaughn on "Real Women", and Big Daddy Kane and Kool G Rap on "Next Up" – next to other tracks that include "Underground Kingz", "Like That", "Living This Life", "Stop N Go", "How Long Can It Last", "Grind Hard", "The Game Belongs To Me", and "Swishas & Dosha". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that definitely funked our head up at the time of its release – a rock-solid follow up to the UMCs Critical Beatdown – and another record that has us just wishing they'd given us more music in this incarnation! A very young Kool Keith is key to the album – giving it an early dose of that special charm that would later make him a star, as a very fresh approach in hip hop at the time – working next to killer production from Ced Gee and Moe Love! The album's brimming over with gems – including the classics "Poppa Large", "Chorus Line Pt. 2", and "Make It Happen" – plus "Funk Radio", "Stop Jockin Me", "Bust The Facts", "I Like Your Style", "MC Champion", "Go For Yourz", "Message From The Boss", "Pluckin Cards", "You Ain't Real", "Moe Love On The 1 & 2", and "Porno Star". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique collection of sounds from the legendary Piero Umiliani – one that was created to be given away at a wedding party, and was never sold to the public at the time! The work here is the coolest, grooviest side of the Umiliani spectrum – and mixes together rare soundtrack material with sound library gems – all with a focus on the kind of jazzy, funky, and moogy numbers that Piero can do so well! The set features 22 tracks in all – and titles include "Princess", "Cinque Bambole Rosa", "Swing Com Sempre", "Gassman Blues", "Bob E Elen", "Alba Sul Mare", "Bus Stop", "Flirt A Rio", "Mah Na Mah Na", "I Micione E La Gattin", "La Pupa Del Gangster", "Topless Party", and "Essere Donna". CD