Features Michael Cochrane on piano and Santi Debriano on bass! CD

TK Blue on alto and soprano saxophone, flute and kalimba, Steve Turre on trombone, James Weidman and Onaje Allan Gumbs on piano, Essiet Okon Ossiet on bass, Willie Martinez on bass, and Kevin Jones on percussion. CD

A great little set that really looks at the wide range of sounds handled by Miami's TK Records powerhouse in the 70s – a label that's famous for its big disco hits, but which also had a lot more to offer, too! There's definitely some clubby cuts on the collection, but most of those are nicely past the TK hits of the time – and interspersed here with other numbers that shows the label's great commitment to deep soul, where they were flying the flag strongly after labels like Atlantic or Stax had dropped the ball. There's also some surprisingly smooth, sophisticated cuts – showing the modern soul shift the label was making – and which no doubt would have suited them very strongly into the 80s, had they kept up their 70s steam. Titles include "Secret Lover" by Paulette Reeves, "Ebony Affair" by Timmy Thomas, "That's What I Get" by Beginning Of The End, "Fly" by The Stylistics, "What Do We Do About Our Love" by Leon Debouse, "Can't Do Without You" by Eddie Horan, "Somebody's Gettin It" by Ted Taylor, "That Woman" by Wilson Pickett, "Tonight Is The Night" by Betty Wright, "Put Pride Aside" by Latimore, "People Fall In Love" by Foxy, and "Tired Of Hiding" by Jackie Moore. CD

The title says "soul standards", but the music here is anything but – not familiar hits or well-worn classics, but instead a great array of lesser-known gems from the TK Records powerhouse of Florida soul! The music here really spans the spectrum of the excellent work that TK was doing at the time – and moves between southern soul, a bit of funk, and some of the more modern elements that TK was hitting at the time – bringing a new sort of sophistication to the southern scene. There's a few familiar cuts here, mixed with a lot more rare gems – and titles include "Jazz Freak" by Paulette Reaves, "You're The Song I've Always Wanted To Sing" by Timmy Thomas, "Gettin With My Baby" by Leon Debouse, "You Made Me Want To Dance" by Irene Reid, "Love The Way You Love Me" by Eddie Horan, "How Long" by Brandye, "Caught In The Act" by Facts Of Life, "Puttin It Down To You" by Jackie Moore, "You Can't See For Lookin" by Betty Wright, "Living For Today" by Jimmy Briscoe & The Beavers "Rock" by The JBs, "Best Part Of A Man" by Wilson Pickett, and "Let's Straighten It Out" by Latimore. CD

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

An unusual slice of work from the James Brown Family – material from three different periods – early 60s cuts for Dade Records, early 70s material for Brownstone, and late 70s tracks for TK Records! The collection features some especially rare Dade material – tracks from artists that were working with James Brown, recording off for Henry Stone in a raw early 60s mode with James helping out in the studio – killer cuts that include "I Need Love" by The Baby, "Someone Up & Told Me" by Sonny Till, and "Do The Mashed Potatoes (parts 1 & 2)" by Nat Kendrick & The Swans. The set then features some early 70s cuts that were contemporaneous with the big burst of activity at People Records, but issued on Brownstone – tracks that include "Never Get Enough" and "I Need Help" by Bobby Byrd, "In The Land Of Milk & Honey" by Vicki Anderson, "You've Got To Change Your Mind" by Bobby Byrd, and "Nature (parts 1 & 2)" by The JBs International. The set also has some TK Records cuts – "You & Me Together" by Vicki Anderson, and "Mashed Potatoes" and "Rapp Payback" by James Brown – then also includes more rare cuts, including "Wichita Lineman" by Dee Felice Trio, "I Loves You Porgy" by James Brown & The Famous Flames, and "Win Your Love For Me" by Johnny The Man. CD

Beautiful work from Adegoke Steve Colson – a warmly grooving set cut with vocalist Iqua Colson – possibly one of Steve's straightest records ever, but one of his most soulful, too! Iqua's got a fluid vocal approach that's mighty nice – and the Colson combo swings in a mix of modal moments and soul jazz roots – with work from TK Blue on soprano and alto sax, Andy McCloud on bass, and Reggie Nicholson on drums. Most titles are originals, with a really fresh feel – the kind of hopeful, optimistic spirit of jazz vocals, if you still no where to look – and titles include "Hope For Love", "At The Church Steps", "Picante", "Regina's Lament", "South Of The Border Serenade", and "After Revelation's Ease". CD

The cover's a silly one, but the record is rock-solid all the way through – a wonderful blend of funky jazz and warmer soul, and a real lost treasure from the 70s TK Records empire! Fat is Fats Gallon – who plays drums on the record, and also sings lead vocals a bit too – with this raspy southern soul style that's a great counterpoint to the smoother sounds on the set! Things get plenty funky and tough throughout – and the small combo lineup ensures that the record steers quite clear of the more commercial styles that were coming out of the Miami scene in the 70s. There's a jazzy inflection to most of the instrumentation, which makes for some compelling changes that have kept this set going strongly with new generations over the years – and the instrumentation includes loads of great guitar and keyboard bits too. Titles include "Doing Bad", "Tip Of My Tongue", "How Can I Explain", "Magician Man", "Life Is A Beautiful Thing", "Satan's Dream", and "Free My Mind". CD

The legendary debut of Bobby Caldwell – a blue-eyed soul singer who borrowed just the right amounts from AOR and R&B! Bobby's got a voice that's really great, and wrapped up warmly amidst keyboards and larger arrangements that all come across with a very cool compressed style – almost as if Caldwell discovered that midtempo and mellow style on some of the Earth Wind & Fire albums from a few years before, and used it as inspiration to craft a classic groove that's very much his own! The set features Bobby's huge classic "What You Won't Do For Love" – but the whole album's great, and other titles include "Special To Me", "Can't Say Goodbye", "My Flame", "Love Won't Wait", "Come To Me", "Down For The Third Time", "Take Me Back To Then" and "Kalimba Song", another nod to Maurice White and crew, to be sure! Also includes a bonus track – the TK version of "Can't Say Goodbye". CD

Beats, soul, and fresh style from Electric Wire Hustle – the trio of Mara TK, Taay Ninh and Myele Manzanza – a group from New Zealand with a soulful approach culled from a world of funky soul influences! There's a lot going on here, but like the best modern acts working with soul, funk and hip hop beatcraft, they make it work. There's something of a gritty, murky jazz & soul beat style that reminds of a bit of the benchmark Soulquarian productions of the late 90s, space synth from the Sa-Ra school and more going on here – but it's done with a personal, passionate stamp and unique style they can call their own. A mix of moody beatcraft and soulful vocals. Includes "Waters", "Gimme That Kinda", "Again", "Experience", "Walk On" feat Stacy Epps, "This World" feat Georgia Anne Muldrow, "Burn", "They Don't Want', "Tom Boy" and more. CD

A 21st Century date from Jimmy Scott – recorded live in Tokyo with small combo backing that almost gives him more of a groove than in some of his other late-life sessions! The band's billed as The Jazz Expressions – and features TK Blue on alto and flute, Jon Regen on piano, Hillard Greene on bass, and Dwayne Broadnax on drums – players who are clearly confident enough of their own talents to not be cowed in the presence of Scott – a fact that sometimes obscures the gentler sides of Jimmy's aging vocals, but which can also be appreciated in terms of the way they don't just lay back and go for a sleepy sort of set. Titles include "I'll Close My Eyes", "Why Was I Born", "I Cried For You", "Time After Time", "Pennies From Heaven", and "You Don't Know What Love Is". CD

Brilliant early work from Charlie Mariano – key proof of his genius, and one of the main albums we'd recommend by him! The album has Charlie coming of his years in the Boston scene – boppish at some level, but blowing with a raspy soulfulness that really opens up his horn into new territory – not Charlie Parker, not Lee Konitz, but a whole new space and sound of expression for the alto sax! There's a deftness here that's undeniable – but the album also has a sense of soul and personality that goes way deeper than simply sharp soloing – a quality that easily puts Charlie up there next to Lou Donaldson and Sonny Stitt in the 50s! The CD features work from dates recorded in Hollywood in 1953 and 1955 – all for Bethlehem (under the titles Charlie Mariano Plays and Sapphire, by Stu Williamson) – with 5 tracks that feature a core group with Stu Williamson on trumpet, Claude Williamson on piano, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Max Bennett on bass, and Stan Levey on drums – then 13 more that drop out either Rosolino or Stu for quintet formation. Titles include "Green Walls", "Chloe", "S'Nice", "You Go To My Head", "Slugger", "Just Max", "TK", "Rubberneck", "Jeepers Creepers", and "Strike Up The Band". CD

The birth of Miami soul, and a beautifully done document of the rare Deep City label – home to Willie Clarke, Clarence Reid, and Betty Wright in the years before Alston and TK Records! Way before Miami soul started cracking the charts at the start of the 70s, Deep City was already putting the best parts in place – working with a tight roster of artists and an equally tight in-house band that rose from the ranks of Florida A&M's Marching 100 band – razor-sharp instrumentalists who helped forge a groove worthy to rival the sounds of Memphis, Muscle Shoals, and even the best of Detroit at the time – given that some of the work here has a much sweeter soul sound than other 60s southern soul. As usual, the Numero team have done an incredible job with the package – pulling out rare photos, personal stories, and just the right amount of information to breathe new life into the Deep City label and help it live anew. CD features 17 tracks in all – including "Paralyzed" and "Good Lovin" by Betty Wright, "Am I A Good Man" by Them Two, "Someone To Fulfill My Needs" and "I Love You Baby" by The Moovers, "I Am Controlled By Your Love" and "Willing & Able" by Helene Smith, "Good Thing (part 1)" by Frank Williams & The Rocketeers, "It's My Baby" and "The Upset" by Paul Kelly, and "Stay Away From My Johnny" by Freda Gray & The Rocketeers. CD

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The mighty Mulatu Astatke has given us lots of amazing music over the years – key records both home in Ethiopia and here in the US – yet this performance may well be one of his most special, as it unites the legendary musician with a host of giants from the American scene – all in a one-off performance that finally gave Mulatu his due! The leader handles vibes at the helm of an all-star group that includes Bennie Maupin on flute and soprano sax, Azar Lawrence on tenor, and Phil Ranelin on trombone – all spiritual jazz giants of the 70s who only further expand the genius of Mulatu's music – in the company of some younger musicians who include Miguel Atwood Ferguson on violin and Brandon Coleman on electric piano and organ. The whole thing is very much in keeping with the best Mulatu classics from back in the day, but also pushes things forward wonderfully too, with a lot more jazz in the mix – on titles that include "Yekermo Sew", "The Radcliffe", "Kasalefkut Hulu", "I Faram Gami", "Yekatit", "Mulatu", and "Ebo Lala". CD

Probably the most hyped hip hop album by rock critics of the last decade – but don't hold that against Stankonia, because these ghetto grooves from planet P-Funk were exactly what world needed in 2000! The millenium blowout party jam feel throughout is surely a nice change of pace from all the doom and gloom out there, but they still manage to spit out enough reality to keep things feeling true – particularly in the playful battle of the sexes showdowns. Dre, Big Boi and Organized Noize continue to innovate, even if they are at the top of the charts – and we can't wait to see where they take it all next! Tracks include "Gasoline Dreams", "So Fresh, So Clean", "Ms. Jackson", "Spaghetti Junction", "I'll Call Before I Come" featuring Gangsta Boo & Eco, "B.O.B.", "Xplosion" featuring B-Real, "We Luv Deez Hoez", "Humble Mumble" featuring Erykah Badu, "Red Velvet", "Gangsta Sh*t", "Toilet Tisha" "Slum Beautiful", and "Stankonia (Stanklove)". CD

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Features Donny McCaslin on tenor and soprano sax. CD

Features "Make The World Go Away", "Oh Baby Mine", "Release Me", "The Bells Of St. Mary's", "April In Portugal" and more – 18 tracks in all! CD

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A really fantastic album from Leo Kottke – the kind of 70s material that really set him apart from the rest, and which really gave him a special place away from the acoustic underground of the time! Kottke started out with a album on Takoma Records that was every bit as great a guitar classic as his famous labelmates like John Fahey and Robbie Basho – but by the time of this mid 70s live date, he'd evolved to a level where his guitar playing was even more incredible than before, but also matched with slight vocalizations, and a sense of wit that always helped avoid any too-posturing modes that might have got in his way. At some level, it's almost as if Leo were developing this personality in which the rest of himself was a way of distracting from the genius of the work of his fingers on the guitar – while he was quietly using that instrument to knock you over the head with all these unusual tunings and phrasings. Titles include "June Bug", "Standing In My Shoes", "Hear The Wind Howl", "Eggtooth", and "The Fisherman". CD

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Pick any 10 words out of any Outkast album description on our pages at random, and you'll see how dearly we've loved these boys throughout the years – but truth be told, deep down we didn't think that they would be able to pull off the double album/solo album project(s). We were seriously wrong – Speakerboxxx/Love Below is HUGE in every way, and both halves are great all the way through! If you were worried Big Boi's Speakerboxxx half would be lazy southern hip hop without Andre's freaky presence throughout, you can put those fears to rest right now. Speakerboxxx is a deeply soulful electro hopping pounder from front to back – every bit as innovative as Andre's half! Tracks include "Ghettomusick" (which features one of just two appearances by A3000 on the whole disc), "Bowtie" with Sleepy Brown, "Bust" with Killer Mike, "Church", "Tomb Of The Boom" with Konkrete, Big Gipp and Ludacris, "Flip Flop" with Jay-Z, "The Way You Move" and more. A lot of press has been given to the assumption that Andre 3000 has largely forsaken hip hop on his half (The Love Below) and has instead dived head first into cosmic future funk. Well, the rumors are true. There's lots of straight up jazz piano and horn bits on the Love Below, with Andre's half serious, half tongue-in-cheek romantic soul cabaret croon way over the top. It's steeped in the classic Outkast party vibe, but with lots of Sign Of The Times-era Prince (complete with androgynous distorted vocals), Parliament and Cameo thrown into the mix. Sick, energetic genius! Tracks include the deliriously great "Hey Ya!" single, "She Lives In My Lap", "Love Hater", "Happy Valentine's Day", "Roses", "Good Day, Good Sir", "Behold A Lady", "Pink And Blue", "Spread", "Dracula's Lady" with Kelis, and more. Who the hell knows what they can possibly do to surprise us after this – but wherever Andre 3000 and Big Boi go from here, they each have yet another classic in the discography! CD

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