Pure genius from America – the kind of record that forever transformed the sound of the mainstream in the 70s! There's a balance here that's completely sublime, right from the start – a summation of all that went before in popular music, wrapped up into a whole new sound that's light years ahead of most music of its generation! The group use acoustic instrumentation and warm harmonies – yet never in a way that's folksy at all – often more jazzy in their phrasing, yet not jazz either – really just a sound that we can only sum up as "America-like" – and maybe add the word "perfect" too. Titles include the classic "Ventura Highway" – plus "Moon Song", "Only In Your Heart", "Till The Sun Comes Up Again", "Saturn Nights", and "California Revisited". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure genius from the B Baker Chocolate Company – a set that's equal parts fusion and soul, held together by these rich arrangements that really send the whole thing home! The album's never too slick, yet has a sense of perfection that matches some of the best soulful fusion dates at Blue Note or Fantasy in the mid 70s – a quality that's especially strong on the vocal tracks on the set – one of which features Lew Kirton in the lead! The players are all totally top-shelf – and include Lonnie Smith and Jimmy McGriff on keyboards, John Faddis and Marvin Stamm on trumpets, and Jimmy Ponder on guitar – and the set's got a beautiful balance that few other records like this can match. Lew Kirton sings on "It's Where You're Coming From", and "Dreamer" features Gene Scott – and instrumental tracks include the funky classic "Snowblower", plus "Carousel" and "Spirit Level". LP, Vinyl record album

Genius, pure genius – and the kind of female soul tune we'll never tire of! From the first note, the track oozes sadness – really blue in its approach, setting the scene perfectly for Brenda's great interpretation of Van McCoy's lyric. The hook's incredible – the kind that would grab you even coming out of the muddiest AM radio! The flip's nice too – a bit more upbeat, but with a similar approach. 7-inch, Vinyl record

Pure genius from the great Sonny Clark – one of the key Blue Note albums recorded in his all-too-short career – and a set that offers up his perfect blend of modern jazz ideas and hardbop energy! The group here is an all-star one – with a young John Coltrane making one of his few Blue Note appearances – alongside Donald Byrd on trumpet and Curtis Fuller on trombone – a frontline that's brimming over with young enthusiasm and fresh concepts – as Clark moves things along with Paul Chambers on bass and Art Taylor on drums! Titles include two of Sonny's landmark compositions – "News for Lulu" and "Sonny's Crib" – plus smoking renditions of "Speak Low" and "With a Song in My Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure genius from Donny Hathaway – a 70s soul giant who burned brightly for just a few years, then was taken away from us all too soon! In our book, Donny is every bit a giant of the decade as Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield – and you'll hear work here that easily matches the best of both, topped with some of the musical complexity that made Hathaway such a budding talent in the studio – ready to give his gifts to so many, and be shared with the world! Every cut's a gem – and titles include "The Ghetto", "Giving Up", "Someday We'll Be Free", "To Be Young Gifted & Black", "A Song For You", "What's Going On", and "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" – as well as Hathaway's Holiday classic "This Christmas" – maybe the tune that most people know the best. Also features famous duets with Roberta Flack on "Where Is The Love", "The Closer I Get To You", "You've Got A Friend", "Back Together Again", and "You Are My Heaven". LP, Vinyl record album

An essential bit of 70s soul jazz – a real standout in both the catalogs of tenorist Clifford Jordan, and the Stata East label! This is one of those few records where every element is perfect, and all players rise together to a new level of expression – and we'd easily rank this one right up there with John Coltrane's Love Supreme or Pharoah Sanders' Kharma for sheer magnitude of sound and message! Clifford Jordan is at the height of his tenor powers – cutting sharp lines, stretching out his notes, and hitting all these dark edges that had never appeared in his work – and the rest of the group is great too – with Stanley Cowell on piano, Bill Lee on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Higgins is amazing, and gives the set a sort of lyrical freeplay that makes Jordan's hard solos come alive in a magical way – and Cedar Walton also plays piano on a few numbers, pushing things forward with the sense of warmth and imagination that always made him a treat in the 70s! Every cut's a winner, and the set list includes "John Coltrane", "Alias Buster Henry", "Glass Bead Games", "Biskit", and "Bridgework". Great stuff, and a huge amount of music! LP, Vinyl record album

Pure crossover genius from Buddy Miles – a great mix of funky soul and rockish touches – and the kind of record that easily put Buddy in the same camp as Sly Stone or The Isley Brothers with mainstream audiences of the time! Tracks here are a bit longer and more jamming than work by either of those two artists – with the kind of heavy guitar and horns that played heavily to the Fillmore crowd – but the overall sound of the record is a fair bit more soulful and even funkier than some other Miles' efforts from the earlier years too, with plenty of his tight drums in the mix! Titles include a great 12 minute reading of the title track "We Got To Live Together" – plus "Take It Off Him & Put It On Me", "Runaway Child", "Walking Down The Highway", and "Easy Greasy". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from the UK soul scene – music from a time when some of the bigger names overseas were starting to grab interest on US charts, but were only the tip of the iceberg next to some of the overlooked artists on this set! If you dig the sounds of Loose Ends, Soul II Soul, and Mica Paris, you'll find plenty to love here – as the set's overflowing with 80s and 90s-styled soul tracks that make great use of beats and more contemporary production in a great way – almost bringing back a more organic approach in the music, at a time when American R&B could come off sounding a bit too stiff or commercial. And we'll be honest in saying that although we were scouring the racks for imports during this generation, there's plenty of cuts here that are still new to our ears – a superb set list that includes "Straight to The Top" by Purely Fizzycal, "Passion" by Taffy, "Hold Your Head Up" by Weekend In Paris, "Don't Touch "by Cavalier, "Coming Back" by Bovel, "What You Do For Me" by Pure Silk, "Take Me There" by Marcelle Moncrieffe, "Life (club mix)" by Sam, and "Step By Step" by Kofi. LP, Vinyl record album

The only album ever cut as a leader by tenor saxophonist Charles Brackeen during his early years – and a real standout in the catalog of the legendary Strata East label! The set's got an unusual history – in that it's part of the Dolphy Series, recorded before the label started by Clifford Jordan – as a way of giving a strong showcase to so many new ideas that were bursting in jazz during the late 60s! Here, Brackeen's tenor is set up with a trio of musicians most familiarly associated with Ornette Coleman – Don Cherry on trumpet, Charlie Haden on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums – a unit that's completely on fire, and freer than before – yet each graced with such strong individuality, every aspect of the record is a complete delight. Brackeen is amazing (why the hell didn't he record more like this at the time?) – but the bass, trumpet, and drums are all very distinct too – the perfect power of free improvisation when it's done right. Titles include "Rhythm X", "Hour Glass", "CB Blues", and "Charles Concept". LP, Vinyl record album

This is the kind of killer hard soul material that made James' late 60s years so incredible! "There Was a Time" is one of our favorite-ever tracks by him, and it's got a massive kind of soulful energy that's sometimes missing from other tracks at the time. "I Can't Stand Myself" is a winner, too, and features James wailing hard in a pure unbridled soulful moment! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Incredible work from The Dramatics! "Devil Is Dope" is this amazing slow funky track about a guy who goes to Hell – and it begins with this hard rumbling bass, and some great sound effects of flames buring the guy! "Hey You" is fantastic, too – and shows the group at their pure harmony best! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Wonderful stuff – and one of THE greatest Al Green cuts of all time! "Let's Stay Together" has a warm and bubbling feel that only Al could cook up – pure Memphis genius that was never to be duplicated again! "Tomorrow's Dream" is a great tune too – with snapping funky drums underneath, and Al getting a bit rougher on the vocals! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A really early record by a young, fresh-faced George Jones – his full length debut, actually – released in 1957 by Starday, not too long after his debut appearance at the Grand Ole Opry! George had been recording some artistically promising, if underselling singles for a couple years prior, including the now legendary rockabilly sides (on which he was billed as "Thumper" Jones), but this was his first full length showcase as a rising country singer. The title is pure showbiz, as George wouldn't be a big star for a couple more years. He was ready, though! The songs are great, and he wrote or co-wrote most of 'em – and oh man, that VOICE – this is where the legend begins, people! Includes the early classic "Why, Baby, Why", and a whole bunch of great tunes, including "You Gotta Be My Baby", "Ragged But Right", "It's OK", "Still Hurtin'", "Boat Of Life", "Let Him Know", "Play It Cool" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Pure genius from Curtis Mayfield – and a record that's got all the righteousness and political power you might guess from the cover! The album burns with a sense of empowerment that's every bit the best strength of Curtom in the 70s – a sublime blend of heavy soul, funky undercurrents, and far-reaching arrangements that still always manage to groove! And Curtis' vocals are great too – echoing out with a newfound presence that far surpasses the raspy quality of his early work with The Impressions. Arrangements are by Rich Tufo, production is by Mayfield, and titles include "Future Song" (aka "Future Shock"), "Keep on Trippin", "Can't Say Nothin", "Back To The The World", and "Right On For The Darkness". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost spiritual jazz classic from pianist Nate Morgan – maybe the musician's best-remembered moment, and for good reason too! The set's got this soaring, spiritual vibe that's much more early 70s than you'd guess from the date of recording – a post-Coltrane spirit with lots of modal energy in the rhythms, carved out by Nate in these bold, dark lines on piano – and topped with some excellent work on alto sax from the great Dadisi Komolate! Both players were key figures in the under-documented LA scene of this period – and work together to make tremendous sounds on this album – on titles that include "He Left Us A Song", "Journey Into Nigritia", "Morning Prayer", "Mother", and "Study in CT". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure beauty and joy from Michel Petrucciani – a record that captures the pianist in all his 80s genius – working in a trio with Palle Danielsson on bass and Eliot Zigmund on drums, but clearly driving the whole engine with his boundless energy on the keys! The tracks are all quite long, and even familiar themes are nicely transformed – although our favorites are the original numbers by Michel, which dominate the record and really seem like the best sort of showcase for that special spirit that made him such a standout during his too-short recorded career. Titles include "The Prayer", "Our Tune", "Face's Face", "Regina", and "Night & Day". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite records ever on the legendary Nimbus label – a special home to spiritual jazz on the west coast at the end of the 70s – and crucial for giving us some really unique talents like this! Adele Sebastian may have only ever cut this one album as a leader, but she's a hell of a flute player with a very deep, spiritual vibe – these sublime lines that soar and stretch out over modal rhythms – played by a totally hip group that includes Rickey Kelley on vibes, Roberto Miranda on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums and a bit of gembreh – a string instrument that brings a nicely exotic vibe to the record. The group's rounded out by Bobby West on piano and Daoude Woods on percussion – and the songs have this open flow that's wonderful – never too far out, but always searching – as the group soar through a version of McCoy Tyner's "Man From Tanganyika", plus the tracks "Desert Fairy Princess", "Belize", "Prayer For The People", and "Day Dreamer". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure mainstream 70s pop genius, the most fully-formed of all early Supertramp albums – and a record that's filled with a surprising amount of great Fender Rhodes moments too! The set's a masterpiece from start to finish – filled with themes of loss and loneliness, but served up by the group with an incredibly redemptive sense of majesty and power – really fresh for the time, and still wonderful all these many years later – despite the fact that so many of these songs have gone onto become classics. The keyboards on the set work perfectly with the oddly-timed rhythms of the tunes – and there's a great blend here between high concept and straight ahead pop – on titles that include "School", "Bloody Well Right", "Asylum", "Dreamer", "Rudy", and "Crime Of The Century". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure genius from the great Art Tatum – mostly material from a 1949 live performance at The Shrine in LA, plus some other tracks too – all presented here for the first time! LP, Vinyl record album

The first moment of genius from trumpeter Charles Tolliver – a set that wasn't originally issued on the Strata East label, but which really set the tone for all the genius to follow on Tolliver's label! At the time of the record, Charles was part of a whole new generation of hardboppers who were coming up in a world of new ideas – a time when Coltrane, Shepp, and Ayler were transforming the left side of jazz – while other musicians were pushing the boundaries of more familiar modes too. Tolliver worked with Horace Silver, Max Roach, and others at the time – and here, he's a brilliant leader right out of the box – set up with an all-star combo that features Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums – perfect partners for exploring the new music that Charles brings to the record. Gary Bartz joins the group on the second half – another young player about to transform a generation – and the whole album's a dream all the way through, with the mix of soul and spirit of some of Woody Shaw's first records, or maybe Bartz's first few albums for Milestone. Titles are all Tolliver originals – and include "Household Of Saud", "Earl's World", "Paper Man", "Lil's Paradise", and "Right Now". Also features a bonus track – "Repetition (take 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from trumpeter Charles Tolliver – not as well known as his Strata East sessions with Music Inc, but equally great! The sound here is a bit different than some of Tolliver's other albums of the 70s – as the group features the guitar of Nathan Page in place of the usual piano – working with an incredible rhythm duo of Steve Novosel on bass and Alvin Queen on drums, both players who gel together beautifully here, making the album a rhythmic delight throughout! Page's guitar often has these weird little edgey moments, which seems to bring out the same in Tolliver – adding in a new complexity to his well-known style of far-reaching lines on trumpet. The album's got 4 long tracks, nicely hung together with a sound that's searching, but never too loose to swing – and titles include "Earl's World", "Impact", "Truth", and "Compassion". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprising side of the legendary Stax Records – especially if you only know the Memphis powerhouse as an outlet for funk and soul! There was always a bit of crossover between country and soul – even in the early days, a label like King Records could easily handle both – or a company like Atlantic could find a way to make its soul singers handle country tunes with ease. Yet the approach here is pure country – tracks recorded during the final few years of Stax – at a time when the company was both growing strongly, thanks to the fame of Isaac Hayes and others – and also trying out new ideas to round out the strength of their operation. Given their proximity to Nashville, and the fact that Memphis studios like Sun or Ardent had handled country-styled sounds – the move seemed to be a good one, and definitely comes across here in the quality of the tracks! The music has a nice left-of-Nashville vibe – almost like some of the growing wave from Austin soon to come, but also a bit like the cooler indie 45 country market of the 70s – which is finally getting its due these days. Either way, the sounds here are way past the hits, and way past the more standard modes of the time – and show that Stax Records could bring as much of a magic touch to country as they could to other sounds they recorded. Titles include "Hippie From The Hills" by Roland Eaton, "The River's Too Wide" by Karen Casey, "That Glass" by Eddie Bond, "Sweet Country Music" by Becki Bluefield, "My Girl" by Danny Bryan, "Satisfied Woman" by Paige O'Brian, "All The Love You'll Ever Need" by Cliff Cochran, "A Mom & A Dad For Christmas" by Lee Denson, and "Truck Driver's Heaven" by Roger Hallmark. LP, Vinyl record album

A dream of a record from the LA spiritual underground of the 70s – and one of the only records we've ever seen from reedman Gary Bias! The date's got a soulful depth that makes it one of the most compelling albums on the legendary Nimbus label – a rhythmic pulse that's often modal, and a sense of spiritualism in the solos that often has Gary stretching out strongly on alto, soprano sax, or flute – yet always with an inherent focus, and strong sense of direction! Other players are equally great too – David Tillman on piano, Rickey Kelly on vibes, Roberto Miranda and John Heard on bass, and Fritz Wise on drums – and the tunes are wonderful original numbers that mark Bias as an extremely strong voice in jazz – one that should have gotten better exposure over the years. The album's got a great Strata East sort of vibe – and titles include "As Children Play", "East 101", "Asiki", "Arthur's Vamp", and "Dear Violet". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool concept album from the Chicago scene of the late 60s – a set that has dreamy sunshine pop harmonies blended with some darker psychedelic elements – all at a level that resonates strongly with the Dunwich production the whole thing received! There's almost a UK late 60s vibe to the whole thing, although the harmonies are pure US sunshine too – served up by a variation of The Castaways, who you'll know from earlier catchy classics! Guitar lines – both acoustic and electric – and other production elements provide a nicely sinister core – and the whole thing is a lost gem really worth rediscovering. Titles include "Recess With Mrs Grim", "Death & The Reality", "Time Marches On", "Theme From House Of Leather", "Sarah's On Her Knees", "She Lives With Me", and "There Is Love In The Country". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest Donald Byrd albums ever – a smoking live performance spread out over two different records – all with some of the tightest, most grooving work that Byrd ever recorded in his early years on Blue Note! Part of the strength of the set is the group – as Don's trumpet is alongside the brilliant baritone of Pepper Adams – who plays with the deftness of a tenor, but with a richer, fuller sound – and the group also includes the great Duke Pearson on piano, who has this way of comping out tunes that are soulful, but richly lyrical too. The group's completed by Lex Humphries on drums and Laymon Jackson on bass – and titles on this second volume include a stunning long version of Pearson's "Jeanine", plus the tracks "Pure D. Funk" and "Kimyas". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark first album from drummer Norman Connors – a spiritual jazz masterpiece that builds wonderfully on the post-Coltrane tradition! Norman is years away from his smoother soul recordings at this point, and coming out of a righteous jazz background that included work with Marion Brown and Archie Shepp. For this initial set, Norman's in incredible company – working with players that include Herbie Hancock on both electric and acoustic keys, plus Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Gary Bartz and Carlos Garnett on saxes, Stanley Clarke on bass, and Billy Hart and Airto on percussion – plus a chorus of vocalists on the album's mighty title cut! Tracks are all long, spiritual, and freely exploratory – but never in a style that goes too far outside, or that forgets the joy and love that can spring forth in a forward-thinking session like this one! Titles include "Dance Of Magic", "Give The Drummer Some", "Morning Change", and "Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

A spiritual jazz masterpiece from drummer Norman Connors – one of those unique albums he cut before moving into soul music – done at a level that rivals the early 70s genius on labels like Strata East or Impulse Records! Connors worked with many contemporaries on those labels, and gets a good degree of help from them here, too – in a massive lineup that includes Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Gary Bartz on alto, Carlos Garnett on tenor, Buster Williams on bass, Bill Summers on drums, and even Dee Dee Bridgewater on a bit of vocals too! With a lineup like that, it would be easy to lay back and just do nothing – but you can really hear Connors' musical vision taking the lead – that warmly soulful approach that was there right from the start, given some great focus here by producer Skip Drinkwater. Tracks are all long, and free-flowing – a bit out at times, but always returning to the modal pulse of Connors' soulful rhythms. Titles include "Carlos II", "Kumakucha", "Holy Waters", "Revelation", and "Love From The Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

A genius bit of work from the legendary Weldon Irvine – a mightily righteous effort that more than lives up to its heady title and cover! After turning out 2 great albums on his own indie Nodlew label, Weldon really steps into greatness with this set – using the bigger budget of his deal with RCA to expand out his musical vision in a number of different directions. Keyboards are still very much at the forefront of his sound – played with that heavily vamping left hand that makes his work so funky – but there's also a focus on lyrics here too – sung by Weldon with support form singers Ojuleba & Nalo, in a way that creates a righteous "many voiced" mode on the lyrical tracks! Things get plenty jazzy on side two, though – and a few key tracks really take off in a heavily jamming way, mixing Weldon's keys with additional reeds, guitar, and percussion. Titles include excellent track "Walk That Walk, Talk that Talk", plus other great ones like "Love Your Brother", "Let Yourself Be Free", "Quiet", "I'll Name It Tomorrow", and "Love Jones". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little change for John Mayall – a set that has the British singer picking up some strong funky touches from Allen Toussaint – the New Orleans soul legend who produced and arranged the record, and wrote most of the tunes too! For a brief time in the mid 70s, the Toussaint touch was pure magic, and that's definitely the case here – as the record helps Mayall really re-focus his energy with a lean, tight sort of sound – yet one that's never slick or commercial as well! Toussaint plays plenty of Fender Rhodes and clavinet on the album – and titles include "Lil Boogie In The Afternoon", "Who's Next Who's Now", "Just Knowing You Is A Pleasure", "Mess Of Love", "The Boy Most Likely To Succeed", and "There Will Be A Way". LP, Vinyl record album