Sophisticated soul from William Salter – a lost treasure from the Ralph MacDonald camp at the end of the 70s, and a vocalist that we only know from this one obscure album! MacDonald produced the set with William Eaton – who also did the arrangements, as he did on some of Ralph's own work – and Salter sings lead in a style that's part modern soul, part adult – working with some nice jazzy touches on the best cuts. The album's got work from jazzers like Bob James, Eddie Daniels, and Jon Faddis – plus backup vocals from Patti Austin and Valerie Simpson – and the best tracks groove along at midtempo pace with a sunny kind of finish. There's a few clunkers on here, but the good cuts more than make up for them – and titles include "You Got Style", "It Is So Beautiful To Be", "Three Days Of Flowers", "Lena", and "When You Smile" – a nice jazzy stepping tune! LP, Vinyl record album

Sublimely satisfying work from Ashford & Simpson – a stone killer from the height of their late 70s glory days on Warner Brothers! The pair are working together wonderfully at this point – wrapped up in that blend of upbeat soul and righteous undercurrents that made them a real cut above in mainstream soul – getting great help from arrangers William Eaton, Paul Riser, and Al Gorgoni – all of whom know how to hit that perfect Ashford & Simpson balance between tightness, class, and soulful spontaneity! Backings are always filled with lots of jazzy touches, too – the kind of sophisticated soul elements other would cop from the pair in years to come – and titles include "Over & Over", "It's You", "If You're Lying", "Couldn't Get Enough", "Destiny", "So So Satisfied", and "Tried Tested & Found True". LP, Vinyl record album

Great small combo work by Roberta Flack, recorded early in her career, when she was still one of the hippest things around – and it's among her best records! Roberta's really come into her own as vocalist at this point and solidifying here personal style – with that clear tone and perfectly controlled style and phrasing – balancing a jazzy sensibility with the emotions of her gospel roots. A few tracks have some large arrangements by Arif Mardin, William Eaton, or Deodato – but most tracks feature a core group of studio jazz players that includes players like Joe Farrell, Richard Tee, Chuck Rainey, Hubert Laws, and Bernard Purdie. Includes a version of Eugene McDaniels' "Sunday & Sister Jones", plus "Go Up Moses", "To Love Somebody", "Let Them Talk", and "Sweet Bitter Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Aretha Franklin and electric piano – a really great combination that makes for a whole new level of soulfulness in the 70s! The album's one of Franklin's greatest of the decade – a deepening of the sound she first brought to Atlantic in the 60s, and a maturation of that groove – in a way that pushes Aretha strongly past cliches, and into some really great new territory! Arrangements here are by Arif Mardin and William Eaton – and most numbers feature small combo instrumentation at the core, with electric piano played by Aretha, Richard Tee, and Donny Hathaway. Titles include "If You Don't Think", "Oh Baby", "With Pen In Hand", "Let Me In Your Life", "I'm In Love", and "Every Natural Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

Soaring soulful fusion from Eric Gale – part of his great run for Columbia Records in the late 70s, and a set that's got a nicely grooving bottom – thanks to production from Ralph MacDonald, and arrangements from William Eaton! The groove's uptempo at times, but always in a jazz-funk mode – and mostly played with smaller group instrumentation at the core – including keyboards from Richard Tee, bass from Anthony Jackson, and drums from either Steve Gadd or Harvey Mason – both cats who can hold up a groove on a date like this. Titles include "Let Me Slip It To You", "Part Of You", "Trio", "Nezumi", and "Holding On To Love". LP, Vinyl record album

The sublime first album from Randy Crawford – a set that's got a very strong jazzy vibe throughout – and which really shows the great place from which Randy started! There's a careful and classy mix of jazz, soul, and modern R&B throughout – never overdone, but often filled out with just the right sort of larger charts to match that incredible range of Crawford – that singing style that few other artists could match! Arrangements are by William Eaton and Larry Carlton – both with lots of jazzy undercurrents – and titles include a killer live version of "Everything Must Change", plus the tracks "I Had To See You One More Time", "I've Never Been To Me", "I Let You Walk Away", "Something So Right", and "Don't Let Me Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Roberta Flack still sounding great in the early 80s – co-produced with Ralph MacDonald, William Eaton, and William Salter – who all give the record a nice jazzy finish! The group's a small combo with Grover Washington Jr, Richard Tee, Eric Gale, and other 70s fusion talents – and the record's got a smooth jazzy groove that's almost in the mode of Sade's work from a few years later. A nice little step into and 80s modern vibe – without compromising here classic level jazzy soul! Titles include "I'm The One", "Til The Morning Comes", "Love & Let Love", "In The Name Of Love", "Making Love", and "My Love For You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the sweetest, funkiest 70s sets from reedman David Fathead Newman – an album that has the saxophonist blowing over some great arrangements from William Eaton – who brings in a full sound that almost gives the album a soundtrack sort of vibe! Newman's tenor, alto, and flute get plenty of solo space throughout – and the richer arrangements by Eaton really bring in a strong set of feeling to the record – a depth that David wouldn't have been able to achieve on his own, and which really seems to influence the level of his solos. Other players are great too – and include Richard Tee on organ, Cornell Dupree on guitar, and Bernard Purdie on drums – and the set includes a number of tracks by Allen Toussaint, including "Yes We Can Can", "Happy Times", and "Freedom For The Stallion". Other titles include "Missy", "You Can't Always Get What You Want", and "Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet Motown grooving from Grover Washington – a set that has him working with slightly larger backings than his Kudu years, but in a way that still lets his soulful horn stand strongly out front! As always, Washington is a killer talent on the soprano sax – able to inflect the instrument with these soulful twists and turns that he virtually invented at the time, and which so many others have tried to copy over the years. Yet the set also has Grover on a bit of tenor and baritone sax, too – plus some flute – all over arrangements mostly handled by the man himself, with a bit of help from William Eaton. Titles include "Snake Eyes", "Bright Moments", "Easy Loving You", "Love", and "I Can't Help It". LP, Vinyl record album

Grover Washington blows over some great arrangements from William Eaton – full, but lean too – and with the same sort of slinky groove that always worked best for Grover back at Kudu Records! The sound is tight, but never too slick – that magically soulful approach that always made Grover a real standout from his contemporaries – one of the few cats who could smooth out jazz without ever losing its soul – thanks to lots of well-crafted lead lines on soprano sax! Titles include "East River Drive", "Jamming", "Little Black Samba", "Be Mine", and "Reaching Out". LP, Vinyl record album