An overlooked album of funky guitar! Arthur Adams was one of the many excellent west coast session players of the early 70s – and if you check the notes on some of your favorite California soul albums, you'll find that you've probably heard his guitar an awful lot over the years! As with some of the other Fantasy albums of the mid 70s, this one gives a more obscure player a chance to step out in the light – as Adams does wonderfully with smooth jazz funk production by Wayne Henderson, which brings out some great tonal colors in Adams' guitar playing. There's a bit of a New Orleans sound in the record, but the real feel is Fantasy Records jazz funk – as you'll hear on the cuts "Chicago Sidewalk", "Bumpin' Around", and "That's the Way It's Gonna Be". LP, Vinyl record album

Arthur Adams has his roots in blues, but he comes across here with a wonderfully warm Cali soul sort of vibe – that mix of earthy currents and tighter touches that was showing up in some of the best Fantasy Records work of the period! On the album It's Private Tonight, Arthur sings and plays guitar, and he's set up nicely in some larger backings that include help from jazz/funk greats like Joe Sample on keyboards, George Bohannon on trombone, Phil Upchurch on guitar, Wilton Felder on bass, and Ernie Watts on alto – all great players who make the record way more than just another blues session! Tracks include "I'm Going Home", "I Gotta Help My People", "Happiness", and "Get On The Ground". Home Brew is great – an overlooked album of funky guitar! Arthur Adams was one of the many excellent west coast session players of the early 70s – and if you check the notes on some of your favorite California soul albums, you'll find that you've probably heard his guitar an awful lot over the years! As with some of the other Fantasy albums of the mid 70s, this one gives a more obscure player a chance to step out in the light – as Adams does wonderfully with smooth jazz funk production by Wayne Henderson, which brings out some great tonal colors in Adams' guitar playing. There's a bit of a New Orleans sound in the record, but the real feel is Fantasy Records jazz funk – as you'll hear on the cuts "Chicago Sidewalk", "Bumpin' Around", and "That's the Way It's Gonna Be". Plus, 2CD set features 17 more bonus tracks – including "Last Night", "Got Your Back", "She's A Superwoman", "Is That You", "Let Your Hair Down", and "She Drives Me Out Of My Mind". CD

Soulful blues and bluesy soul – a sweet split CD of work from Al King and Arthur Adams – both singers originally from the south, but relocated to the California scene for the best recordings of their career! Al King's got a great vocal approach – not really blues, and more in the soulful style that certain 60s singers were taking as a new approach to the genre – somewhere in the territory of Bobby Blue Bland, but without Bobby's trademark rasp. The cuts here all feature laidback backings and a mellow groove that really lets King inflect the notes wonderfully – and titles include "Without A Warning", "Get Lost", "Maybe My Last Song", "My Name Is Misery", and "Better To Be Yourself". Arthur Adams is a name you're bound to recognize from countless 70s sessions – with singers, on soundtracks, and even with jazz artists like The Crusaders – but the cuts here represent Art at the earliest point in his career – fresh on the LA scene from Texas, singing and playing guitar with plenty of soulful southern modes! Tracks here feature both Adams on his own, and dueting with either Edna Wright or Mary Love – on titles that include "She Drives Me Out Of My Mind", "I'm Lonely For You", "I Need You", "Is That You", "Let's Get Together", and "Gimme Some Of Your Lovin". CD

One of our favorite records of all time! We've got to admit, this one's an acquired taste, but if you dig cool LA studio pop from the early 70's, this record's a real treasure! Nick DeCaro was probably best known to the world as an instrumental arranger for A&M (he did a lot of the Claudine Longet albums), but this record from the early 70's has him singing in a set of cool spacey tracks that mix studio pop and jazz for a sound that's unlike anything else we've ever heard before. Nick's backed by a tight group that includes LA jazz players like Arthur Adams, Wilton Felder, Paul Humphrey, Harvey Mason, and David T. Walker – and the sound is very compressed, very laidback, and very very hip. Tracks include "Under The Jamaican Moon", "Wailing Wall", and great versions of "Getting Mighty Crowded" and Stevie Wonder's "Angie Girl". Remember, it's an acquired taste, but if you like stuff like middle period Steely Dan or Maria Muldaur, you'll really dig this one! LP, Vinyl record album

Martha Reeves' first solo album for MCA – an all-out studio affair that's quite different from her classic 60s work for Motown! The album's done in a way that really focuses on the deepest side of Martha's vocals – in a way that goes for the sort of "rootsy" soul that was cropping up heavily on majors at the start of the 70s – well-recorded in LA studio sessions, but featuring styles that were decidedly down-homey. Players on the album include Billy Preston, Dennis Doffey, Joe Sample, and Arthur Adams – all of whom bring a tightly professional focus to the backings – and Martha's helped on backup vocals by both Clydie King and Jim Gilstrap. Titles include "Power Of Love", "My Man", "Sweet Misery", "Wild Night", "You've Got Me For Company", "Storm In My Woul", "Facsimilie", and "Many Rivers To Cross". CD also features bonus tracks "Stand By Me", "Our Day Will Come", and "I Sure Do Love You" LP, Vinyl record album

Martha Reeves' first solo album for MCA – an all-out studio affair that's quite different from her classic 60s work for Motown! The album's done in a way that really focuses on the deepest side of Martha's vocals – in a way that goes for the sort of "rootsy" soul that was cropping up heavily on majors at the start of the 70s – well-recorded in LA studio sessions, but featuring styles that were decidedly down-homey. Players on the album include Billy Preston, Dennis Doffey, Joe Sample, and Arthur Adams – all of whom bring a tightly professional focus to the backings – and Martha's helped on backup vocals by both Clydie King and Jim Gilstrap. Titles include "Power Of Love", "My Man", "Sweet Misery", "Wild Night", "You've Got Me For Company", "Storm In My Woul", "Facsimilie", and "Many Rivers To Cross". CD also features bonus tracks "Stand By Me", "Our Day Will Come", and "I Sure Do Love You" CD

A mid-80s comeback album from Nina Simone – and a set that shows her continuing to experiment with new modes as the years move forward! Back in the 60s, Nina effortlessly folded together her jazz vocal roots with new ideas in folk, soul, and other styles – and here she expands that approach to embrace some currents of 80s soul – sometimes with a quality that really has her trying to evolve into the new generation. The set features keyboards and arrangements from Hence Powell, guitar from Arthur Adams, and backings from the Waters – on titles that include "Fodder On Her Wings", "I Sing Just To Know That I'm Alive", "For A While", "Touching & Caring", "Saratoga", and "It's Cold Out Here". CD

A mid-80s comeback album from Nina Simone – and a set that shows her continuing to experiment with new modes as the years move forward! Back in the 60s, Nina effortlessly folded together her jazz vocal roots with new ideas in folk, soul, and other styles – and here she expands that approach to embrace some currents of 80s soul – sometimes with a quality that really has her trying to evolve into the new generation. The set features keyboards and arrangements from Hence Powell, guitar from Arthur Adams, and backings from the Waters – on titles that include "Fodder On Her Wings", "I Sing Just To Know That I'm Alive", "For A While", "Touching & Caring", "Saratoga", and "It's Cold Out Here". LP, Vinyl record album

Plenty of darkness here from Phil Upchurch – those great tones and notes he worked so well back in the 70s – all with that near-perfect quality that made him one of the most in-demand players of his day! The style here is a bit different than some of Phil's previous work in Chicago – as the set was recorded on the west coast with support from players who include Joe Sample on piano, Arthur Adams on rhythm guitar, Chuck Rainey on bass, and Harvey Mason on drums. But that shift of locale hasn't dampened Phil's sound at all – and he's still getting a bit of hometown help from Donny Hathaway, who arranged a few tracks and also plays a bit of electric piano on the record. Other arrangements are by Nick DeCaro, and titles include "Love & Peace", "Darkness, Darkness", "Cold Sweat", "Fire And Rain", "Please Send Me Someone To Love" and "Inner City Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge amount of 12" singles, stuffed into one mighty nice 4CD set – maybe not the greatest of all time, but still pretty darn wonderful overall! The set does an especially great job of looking at a late 70s moment when some of the hipper soul artists were able to get the extra space of a 12" single to really open up their sound – grooves that move past the shorter space of a 7", and really do plenty in the process – often in ways that are much more interesting than some of the overplayed disco of the time. There's 43 long grooves on the set – all 12" singles – and titles include "Space Age" by Jimmy Castor, "You Are A Star" by Aquarian Dream, "Flashlight" by Parliament, "Good Times" by Chic, "Ten Percent" by Double Exposure, "I Should've Loved Ya" by Narada Michael Walden, "Fantastic Voyage" by Lakeside, "You're My Occupation (ext)" by Chaz Jankel, "Expansions" by Lonnie Liston Smith, "And The Beat Goes On" by the Whispers, "You Got The Floor" by Arthur Adams, "Do It Any Way You Wanna (Tom Moulton mix)" by People's Choice, "Do What You Wanna Do" by T-Connection, "Twilight (inst)" by Maze, "You + Me + Love" by Undisputed Truth, "More Bounce To The Ounce (parts 1 & 2)" by Zapp, "Now That We Found Love (disco mix)" by Third World, "Hi Tension" by Hi Tension, "Dancing In Outer Space" by Atmosfear, "Money's Too Tight To Mention" by Valentine Brothers, "Searching" by Change, and "Running Away" by Roy Ayers. CD

Al's first major label record – cut when he was an emerging soul jazz vocalist, but before he'd gone totally over the top in super-slick hit mode. The album's got a good 70s LA jazzy backing, with guests like Dave Grusin, Arthur Adams, and Larry Bunker keeping the music moving at a nice pace. Includes the title cut "We Got By", plus "Sweet Potatoe Pie", "Spirit", "Susan's Song", and "Alladin's Lamp". LP, Vinyl record album

Two top trumpet talents – coming together beautifully on this groovy late 70s set! Both Herb Alpert and Hugh Masekela had a big rise to fame in the 60s – Herb, for his Tijuana Brass albums on A&M – and Hugh, for the way that he brought South African jazz currents to the American soul mainstream! Given that both had strong presence on the Cali scene in their time, the pairing here is a great one – and works well with some larger jazz backings that color things out in a mix of soul, fusion, funk, and some slight South African touches. Other players on the set include Lee Ritenour and Arthur Adams on guitars, Paulinho Da Costa on percussion, James Gadson on bass, and Hotep Cecil Bernard on piano – and titles include "Skokiaan", "Moonza", "Lobo", "African Summer", "Ring Bell", and "Happy Hanna". LP, Vinyl record album

Gil Evans never stopped growing as the years went on – a leader who was always open to new ideas and new modes of expression – which he reached for strongly, even as his older "modern" contemporaries started to sound out of date! This excellent late 70s session is a key illustration of Evans' continual drive – as he works in modes that equally embrace acoustic and electric elements, but never like a funky big band record, or some of the electrification added to older groups – instead with this richly visionary way that brings all the elements together at a level that's completely sublime! The lineup features Gil on piano, alongside almost equal use of keyboards from Pete Levin – and other players include Arthur Blythe and David Sanborn on alto, George Adams on tenor, Marvin Hannibal Peterson and Ernie Royal on trumpet, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, and Keith Loving on guitar – an extremely varied group that comes together beautifully under the leadership of Evans. Side one features a brilliant reworking of the Billy Harper tune "Priestess", which runs for almost 20 minutes in length – and side two features Charles Mingus' "Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress Then Silk Blue" – plus "Lunar Eclipse" and "Short Visit". LP, Vinyl record album

Wickedly funky work from the Jazz Crusaders – a pivotal set that has them electrifying their groove a bit more from the 60s, yet still not hitting the smother sound of later years! The core soul jazz mode of the group's start is still nicely in place – hard-hitting grooves from Wayne Henderson on trombone, Wilton Felder on bass, Stix Hooper on drums, and Joe Sample on keyboards – really opening up in an electric mode that's warm, but never mellow – really giving the album a strongly righteous undercurrent. Added to the mix are guitars from Arthur Adams and Freddy Robinson – both of whom really open up the groove and underscore the funkier elements – and again, in ways that have a lot more edge than on later Crusaders dates. The whole thing's great, filled with hard groovy cuts – and titles include a great version of "Golden Slumbers", plus "Jazz", "Jackson", "Rainy Night In Georgia", "Time Has No Ending", "Hard Times", and "Funny Shuffle". CD

One of Quincy Jones' best soundtracks of the 70s – a massively funky record that's full of the kind of hip electric grooves you always look for on some of his other albums, but don't always find in such strong supply! The lineup here is great – wicked guitar lines from Arthur Adams and David T Walker, keyboards from Clare Fischer, and heavy drums from the great Paul Humphrey – and the whole thing follows nicely in a "Hicky Burr" sort of mode – with some especially nice Fender Rhodes moments in the mix! There's a few more complicated cuts that really round out the sound wonderfully – and the whole thing has had a heck of a lot more staying power than the film! Heck, even the appearance of Little Richard on vocals at a few points sounds surprisingly great – and titles include the classic sample cut "Snow Creatures", which has an amazing intro and a very dark mood – next to other cuts that include "Passin The Buck", "Rubber Ducky", "Money Is", "Do It Do It", and "Money Runner". CD

One of Quincy Jones' best soundtracks of the 70s – a massively funky record that's full of the kind of hip electric grooves you always look for on some of his other albums, but don't always find in such strong supply! The lineup here is great – wicked guitar lines from Arthur Adams and David T Walker, keyboards from Clare Fischer, and heavy drums from the great Paul Humphrey – and the whole thing follows nicely in a "Hicky Burr" sort of mode – with some especially nice Fender Rhodes moments in the mix! There's a few more complicated cuts that really round out the sound wonderfully – and the whole thing has had a heck of a lot more staying power than the film! Heck, even the appearance of Little Richard on vocals at a few points sounds surprisingly great – and titles include the classic sample cut "Snow Creatures", which has an amazing intro and a very dark mood – next to other cuts that include "Passin The Buck", "Rubber Ducky", "Money Is", "Do It Do It", and "Money Runner". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky organ and plenty of vamping – a really tight little set from the mighty Charles Kynard – who's working here with a really wide-ranging command of the keyboard! As with some of the other Mainstream Records sessions of the time, the backings here are somewhat full – arranged and conducted by Richard Fritz with a style that's almost soundtrack funk at points, but which still has a more jazzy feel overall – thanks to the space given to Kynard's organ solos, and to backings from players who include George Bohannon on trombone, Arthur Adams on guitar, and Paul Humphrey on drums. The set features a surprising cover of Joe Quarterman's classic "I Got So Much Trouble On My Mind" – one that's almost as funky as the vocal original – plus "The World Is A Ghetto", "Superstition", "Zambezi", "Summer Breeze", "Momma Jive", and "You've Got It Bad Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

Hugh Masekela kicks off the 70s with this wonderfully bold statement – a record that's light years from the shorter, simpler instrumentals of his earliest American years – and which really shows Hugh trying to reach out for a new groove! Masekela sings a bit on the set – often with this raspy tone that echoes his slight grimace on the cover – and instrumentation includes lots of work from other LA electric jazz giants, including members of The Crusaders – with Joe Sample on Fender Rhodes, Monk Montgomery and Wilton Felder on bass, Arthur Adams on guitar, and Larry Willis on piano. Some of the best tracks have earthy percussion at the bottom – congas by Francisco Aguabella – which complicates the rhythms in a great way – and titles include "Woza", "I Can't Dance", "Make Me A Potion", "Sala Le Mane", "Traces", and "Leave Us Alone". LP, Vinyl record album

Once an overlooked late Verve album, now a solid classic – and easily one of the funkiest albums ever from organist Jimmy Smith! The groove here is far different than the more familiar Jimmy Smith Verve sessions of the 60s – and the tracks open up in a really extended mode – vamping and jamming with a definite influence from funk, as Jimmy and the combo explore some of the hippest corners of their sound! Players include Paul Humphrey on drums, Wilton Felder on bass, and Arthur Adams on guitar – plus a bit of harmonica from Steve Williams – and there's almost lessons learned here from some of the Latin funk going on in the LA scene of the time. The set was recorded live, and features the great title cut – "Root Down" – a long drawn out groover with a slow funk feel that was made famous by a Beastie Boys sample years back – and other great cuts include "Slow Down Sagg", "Sagg Shootin His Arrow", and "Let's Stay Together". The CD features a nice amount of bonus material – including full unedited performances of "Sagg Shootin' His Arrow", "Slow Down Sagg", and "Root Down", plus the cuts "For Everyone Under The Sun" and "Let's Stay Together". CD

One of the first-ever albums issued by Clement Coxsone Dodd on the Kingston scene – and the start of a huge legacy of music to come on his Studio One record label! The work here is already marking new territory for Jamaican music – strongly influenced by American jazz and R&B of the postwar years, but already finding rhythms that would really burst out in the years of ska and rocksteady to come – as horns and vocals mix it up with rhythms that are definitely different than anything that was getting recorded up north in the US! The album mixes great vocal group and solo singers with instrumental acts to – in a set list that includes "Lonely Boy" and "My Heart" by The Charmers, "Campus Hop" and "Rub Up" by Dennis Sindrey, "Freedom" by Clancey Eccles, "I Was Wrong" by Winston Samuels, "I Need A Little Loving" by Owen Gray, "Beeston Street Riff" by Clue J & The Blues Blasters, "Little Willie" by Aubrey Adams & The Blues Blasters, "I Love You" by Zoot Simms & Arthur Robinson, and "I've Done You Wrong" and "Donna" by The Blues Busters. LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little dip into the catalog of the LA-based Kent/Modern label – the legendary imprint that started in the R&B years, and stayed strong in the soul generation – providing inspiration and a name for the Kent branch of UK-based Ace records, home to some of the best reissues in the Dusty Groove catalog! And while Kent issued some great material back in the day, they also recorded a fair bit of work that never hit the pressing plants – some of which is on this collection, which mixes unreleased numbers with rare singles from back in the day! The set features 28 sublime numbers – a mixture of sweet soul, hard soul, group harmony, and a bit of funk – rare tunes all of them, most never issued on any full length albums. Titles include "I Got Love" by The Other Brothers, "I've Got To Win Your Love For Me" by The Sims Twins, "Baby You're Alive" by The Styles, "The Hunch" by Gene Taylor, "Come Back Baby" by Tami Young, "I'm Gonna Be Sweeter" by Clay Hammond, "You've Got It" by Johnny Williams, "Gimme Some Of Your Lovin" by Arthur Adams, "I Dig It The Most" by Jackie Day, "Down In The City" by The Marvellos, "Make A Little Love" by Lowell Fulsom, "New Lease On Life" by The Universals, "The Sun Don't Shine Every Day" by The Saints, and "That's A Rockin Good Way" by Vernon & Jewel. CD

A pretty amazing batch of soul, R&B, and funk from the Nashville scene – from an astonishing range of years, too! Of course the memorabilia industry that is "Music City USA" is dominated by country music and pop, and this long, long, LONG overdue collection of singles from 1945-1970 demonstrates how much more was going on in East Tennessee beyond Chet Atkins and the Opry! The tunes range from jump blues & soul of the late 40s and 50s, and on through the harmony soul of the 60s and the pre-funk late 60s. 38 tracks on two CDs: "Nashville Jumps" by Cecil Gant, "Just Walkin' In The Rain" by The Prisonaires, "Baby Let's Play House" by Arthur Gunter, "Christene" by Little Hank Crawford, "You Can Make It If You Try" by Gene Allison, "Somebody, Somewhere" by Larry Birdsong, "Monkey Doin' Woman" by Shy Guy Douglas, "What'd I Say" by Etta James, "Snap Your Fingers" by Joe Henderson, "I Want To" by Joe Tex, "The Chokin'" Kind" by Joe Simon, "Rediscover Me" by Johnny Adams and tons more! CD

Music from Johnnie Lee Wills & His Boys, Charlie Adams, Billy Barnett, Hank Locklin, Larry Nolen & The Bandits, Terry Fell, Rod Morris, Kenny Roberts, Pee Wee King, Buck Griffin, Curley Williams, Charline Arthur, Jimmy Dolan, and more - 33 tracks in all. CD