A stone classic from Switch – one of Motown's leading hopes in the early 80s soul scene, and for good reason too! These guys have a wonderfully well-rounded approach – great on ballads and even more compelling on groovers – a balance here that puts them proudly in the company of contemporaries like Maze or Slave, with a sound that's sometimes right in the middle of both. We love the mellow cuts especially, as they really give the group a chance to show off their vocal chops – and singers include both Bobby and Tommy DeBarge. Titles include "Keep Movin On", "Get Back With You", "Don't Take My Love Away", "I Finally Found Someone New", and "My Friend In the Sky". LP, Vinyl record album

The tenor of Stan Getz meets the baritone sax of Gerry Mulligan – and then they switch things around for half of the record, as Stan picks up the baritone and Mulligan takes on tenor! Gerry always seems to open up whole new sides of his playing when sharing the leader spotlight with another star – and here, in the company of Getz, he hits a shimmering, sparkling sound that's really great, and filled with feeling. Stan's wonderful too – very much in his best mid 50s Verve period – working in a groove that's deep and laidback, with a strong undercurrent of warmth – thanks to familiar rhythm backing from the trio of Lou Levy on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Stan Levey on drums. Titles include "Anything Goes", "Ballad", and "That Old Feeling". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work by Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, working here with the young Chicago group Manchild – a funky soul outfit that was one of the city's last big new acts of the 70s. The band never really broke the charts that strongly – and on their funky cuts, they sound a bit too much like a copycat version of other successful 70s funk groups. However, they really do a nice job on the ballads – like most of the Chi-Sound groups from the late 70s – and they come off with a nice compressed vocal approach that reminds us of the best work of Switch during the same time. Includes a surprisingly good version of "Takin It To The Streets", plus "Especially For You", "We Need We", and "These Are The Things That Are Special To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare material from this early Polish jazz festival! Side one features a trad jazz group – but side two features a more interesting combo with Emil Mangelsdorff on clarinet, with an unusual switch of instruments for the date – Albert Mangelsdorff playing guitar instead of trombone – and Joki Freund playing piano instead of tenor! LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet funky combo from the Montreal scene of the 70s – working here in a killer set of never-issued material! Quintonal have an approach that's tight and right on the money – electric, but never in a too-fusiony style – and instead kind of a step forward for 60s soul jazz or European modal grooves – served up by a quintet lineup that includes tenor, trumpet, and some mighty nice keyboards! The combo got their initial inspiration from Canadian jazz legend Nick Ayoub – who was their teacher – and you can definitely hear some of Ayoub's modern inspirations in the music at times, mixed with warmer, more soulful elements that also tie them to the hippest funky jazz in the US – particularly small groups working far from the major label scene. Most tracks are originals, and the material here was pulled from vault tapes for an album recorded by the band in the mid 70s, but never issued at the time – although one track was issued on a rare tour EP that came out in 1976. Titles include "Poster", "Sept Quatre", "Running Shoes", "Soul Love", "Time Compulsion", "Switch", "Antoine", "Ballade Pour Liane", and "Push Up". LP, Vinyl record album

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

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Acid rocky moogy stuff! The record's one of those "let's do a lot of pop covers on the moog" – and it features moogy updates of 60's tunes like "Get Back", "Jumpin' Jack Flash", "Feelin' Groovy", "Yummy Yummy Yummy", and "Time of the Season", which sounds the best of all the tracks. Russ Barnard put the whole thing together, and it's got a very groovy sound! LP, Vinyl record album

One of Anthony Braxton's great records for BYG, and like the other one, a very cool session that has Braxton playing in a vibe that shows his AACM roots much more clearly than a lot of other sessions! He's playing here with a number of other Chicago expatriates – including Leo Smith on trumpet, Steve McCall on percussion, and Leroy Jenkins on violin – and between them, the four players handle a huge amount of string, reed, percussion, and keyboard instruments, switching off and on in a warmly experimental sound that characterizes the best work of the Chicago avant garde from the time. Tracks include "The Light On the Dalta", "Simple Like", and one of Braxton's weird symbol compositions. Ironically, this French session from the late 60s still stands as one of the best ways to witness the budding Chicago genius of the AACM! LP, Vinyl record album

Classic early album of electronic music that features some nice pieces by Walter Carlos – "Dialogues For Piano & 2 Loudspeakers" and "Variations For Flute & Electronic Sound" – both recorded in the years before he switched on Bach, and long before he changed to Wendy. Other works include "Le Tombeau D'Edgar Poe", based on a poem by Mellarme; "Vocalise" by Tzvi Avni, which features a Berio-esque juxtaposition of voice and electronics; and "Study No 1" by Andres Lewin-Richter, an attempt to achieve tonal instrumental qualities from electronic sources. LP, Vinyl record album

A great 60s moment not just for reedman Charles Lloyd, but also for pianist Keith Jarrett – who was a key part of Charles' group for a few years at the time – and who really opens up on this classic set! Tracks are long and very open – reaching in a spiritual sort of way with definite Coltrane overtones, yet also showing that more complexly rhythmic mode that made Lloyd a standout in previous groups before he was a leader – a quality that's really augmented by the presence of Jack DeJohnette on drums! Lloyd plays both tenor and flute – and Jarrett switches to soprano sax on one number! Titles include"Journey Within", "Love No 3", "Memphis Green" and "Lonesome Child". LP, Vinyl record album

Giorge may have switched the "e" in his name, but that's not the only thing that makes him stand out – because the album's something of an underground classic from the 80s, even though it's issued on a major label! Pettus is a great singer with a really mature feel – a quiet storm vocalist who really sparkles on the mellow cuts, and manages to sing with a deeply expressive feel that offsets any of the stiffer rhythms in the background. The album features some production by Kashif, who's probably a good comparison to Pettus – and titles include "My Night For Love", "Can You Wait", "I'm Good For You", "One Track Mind", "Trouble In Paradise", and "Make It Right". LP, Vinyl record album

The best that the New York indie scene had to offer in the 60s – a killer set of short, hard tracks from Orlando Marin! The album features a number of vocalists – Willie Torres, Elliot Romero, Cheo Feliciano, and Chivirico Davila – some of the best of the time, switching off from track to track to provide a lot of variety to the session. The album's also got a great instrumental groover called "Llengue" – and other cuts include "El Loco", "El Timbalero", and "Meche". LP, Vinyl record album