One of the greatest albums ever from Dayton – the kind of bouncy, funky combo who really put Ohio soul on the map at the start of the 80s! The group's got a wonderfully tight ensemble style that mixes both male and female vocals with bumping bass and sweet jazzy keyboards – all very much in a mode that's similar to some of their Capitol label contemporaries – like BB&Q Band or Mystic Merlin – with perhaps just an undercurrent of the Roger/Zapp sound too. Titles include the groover "Cutie Pie", plus the tracks "Let Me Know", "Wanna Be Your Man", "You Lift Me Up", and "Fool Was He". Includes bonus track "The Sound Of Music (ext remix)". CD

One of the greatest albums ever from Dayton – the kind of bouncy, funky combo who really put Ohio soul on the map at the start of the 80s! The group's got a wonderfully tight ensemble style that mixes both male and female vocals with bumping bass and sweet jazzy keyboards – all very much in a mode that's similar to some of their Capitol label contemporaries – like BB&Q Band or Mystic Merlin – with perhaps just an undercurrent of the Roger/Zapp sound too. Titles include the groover "Cutie Pie", plus the tracks "Let Me Know", "Wanna Be Your Man", "You Lift Me Up", and "Fool Was He". LP, Vinyl record album

A real cooker in the Atlantic Records' 60s series from Preservation Hall – a record that definitely keeps up the groove throughout! Side one features work by the combo of drummer Paul Barbarin – a lively player with a romping approach to rhythm – one that perfectly suits the trad sounds from Ernie Cagnolatti on trumpet, Waldren "Frog" Joseph on trombone, and Louis Cottrell on clarinet. Titles include "Too Late", "The Second Line", and "Give It Up". Side two features a great group led by legendary trumpeter Ernie "Punch" Miller – with sweet horn work from a lineup that includes Louis Nelson on trombone and George Lewis on clarinet – the latter of whom is in perfect late formation on his well-crafted solos. Titles include "Nobody Knows The Way I Feel This Morning", "Preservation Blues", and "Hindustan". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent bossa session led by pianist Oscar Castro-Neves and his band, and recorded during the blitz of early bossa sessions by the Audio Fidelity label! The group's a large one, but not too large to lose the groove – and Castro-Neves put the whole thing together so that the album's always got a nice bounce to it, and so that the jazz component comes through nice and strong! There's loads of good groovers on here, all played with a very strident hard bossa feel – and tracks include "Outra Vez", "O Menino Desce O Morro", "Chora Tua Tristeza", "Zelao", "Doralice", and "Patinho Feio". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's gotta be one of the most righteous school band records ever – way more than just a bunch of students doing big band numbers, and instead a killer batch of spiritual jazz numbers, directed by the legendary Alvin Batiste! The record's one of a rare few 70s sets of this nature – one that shows a group of younger musicians really reaching out for bold new sounds – every bit as complex and soulful as work on labels like Strata East or Black Jazz, with a fiery power that signals a new generation of the jazz underground! And while Batiste is at the head of the group, there's plenty of other great younger players too – including Henry Butler on piano, Henry Scott on flute, Kirk Ford on tenor, Reginald Houston on baritone, Raymond Deggs on trumpet, Julius Farmer on bass, and Herman Jackson on drums! Side one features burning ensemble numbers that include "Music Came", "Tunjii", "Straight Life", and "North American Idiosyncrasy" – and side two features early material by the Henry Butler Trio, on titles that include "So What", "In My Solitude", and "Milestones". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's gotta be one of the most righteous school band records ever – way more than just a bunch of students doing big band numbers, and instead a killer batch of spiritual jazz numbers, directed by the legendary Alvin Batiste! The record's one of a rare few 70s sets of this nature – one that shows a group of younger musicians really reaching out for bold new sounds – every bit as complex and soulful as work on labels like Strata East or Black Jazz, with a fiery power that signals a new generation of the jazz underground! And while Batiste is at the head of the group, there's plenty of other great younger players too – including Henry Butler on piano, Henry Scott on flute, Kirk Ford on tenor, Reginald Houston on baritone, Raymond Deggs on trumpet, Julius Farmer on bass, and Herman Jackson on drums! Side one features burning ensemble numbers that include "Music Came", "Tunjii", "Straight Life", and "North American Idiosyncrasy" – and side two features early material by the Henry Butler Trio, on titles that include "So What", "In My Solitude", and "Milestones". LP, Vinyl record album

A set recorded in the 90s, but one that brings together a host of players who recorded for Riverside Records in the late 50s and early 60s! The core sound is right in keeping with the label's best mix of hardbop, modern, and soul jazz at the time – and the ensemble is mighty tight, and hardly the "jam session" group you might expect! Instead, the record features a sextet with Nat Adderley on cornet, Jimmy Heath on tenor, Buddy Montgomery on vibes, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Albert Tootie Heath on drums – all coming together with the solid sock you might expect from some of Nat's classic Riverside dates with brother Cannonball Adderley! Tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Hi Fly", "Jive Samba", "Big P", "Back To Back", "You've Changed", and "Pannonica". CD

A tribute to Thelonious Monk, but one that's done with a real soul jazz swing – thanks to a lineup of players from the late 50s/early 60s glory days of the Riverside Records label! The core group could take just about any sort of music and make it great – but they sound especially nice here working with the modern compositions of Monk – swinging them in the same sort of angular, soulful way that Eddie Davis and Johnn Griffin did on some of their famous records from years back – but even more fleshed out instrumentally, too. Players include Nat Adderley on cornet, Jimmy Heath on tenor, Buddy Montgomery on vibes, Barry Harris on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Albert Tootie Heath on drums. Titles include "Bemsha Swing", "Four On Six", "Work Song", "Gemini", "Well You Needn't", "Round Midnight", and "West Coast Blues". CD

A European disco world that's ripe for rediscovery – one that's much more obscure than better-known club work from Germany, France, and Italy – but which may well be even groovier than the work from those three scenes! The package is a great complement to some of the funk and jazz sets on the Sdban label – and like those, it really digs deep – to uncover a vast array of music from the small nation – which was clearly a hotbed of groovy activity in the 70s, at a level that none of us realized at the time! The tunes here mix together funk and pop, soul and disco – all in ways that criss-cross strongly with more familiar modes of the period – but often have an offbeat quality, and sometimes a surprising sense of humor that comes through in the mostly English lyrics in the lead. 2CD set features 30 tracks – and titles include "Ethereo Disco" by R Roland, "King Kong" by Carl Watson, "Baby Won't You Turn Me On" by Charles Watson, "Sexy" by Lovedream, "La Gomme" by L2, "Cool & Get Up" by Quartz, "I'm Free" by Steve, "Groovin To The Music" by Flame, "Queen To The Pharoah" by Marianne, "Feel So Glad" by Dan Davis, "Ivro De Vie" by Kevin Moraine, "Be My Love Tonight" by CC Band, "Strange How You Move" by Venus, and "Bubblegum" by Bubble. CD

A European disco world that's ripe for rediscovery – one that's much more obscure than better-known club work from Germany, France, and Italy – but which may well be even groovier than the work from those three scenes! The package is a great complement to some of the funk and jazz sets on the Sdban label – and like those, it really digs deep – to uncover a vast array of music from the small nation – which was clearly a hotbed of groovy activity in the 70s, at a level that none of us realized at the time! The tunes here mix together funk and pop, soul and disco – all in ways that criss-cross strongly with more familiar modes of the period – but often have an offbeat quality, and sometimes a surprising sense of humor that comes through in the mostly English lyrics in the lead. Part 1 of the vinyl series features 16 tracks – and titles include "Ethereo Disco" by R Roland, "King Kong" by Carl Watson, "Baby Won't You Turn Me On" by Charles Watson, "Sexy" by Lovedream, "La Gomme" by L2, "Cool & Get Up" by Quartz, "I'm Free" by Steve, "Groovin To The Music" by Flame, "Queen To The Pharoah" by Marianne, "Feel So Glad" by Dan Davis, "Ivro De Vie" by Kevin Moraine, "Be My Love Tonight" by CC Band, "Strange How You Move" by Venus, and "Bubblegum" by Bubble. LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark in modern jazz – from the stark stares of the band on the cover, to the starkly haunting music in the grooves! The record makes a bold statement right from the outset – and more than lives up to its promise in the sound within – an amazing approach to modern jazz that's still quite powerful, even all these many years later! The group features Ornette Coleman on alto, Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, Charlie Haden on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums – moving at a fast, highly rhythmic pace that still leaves us breathless – filled with angles, but wrapped up in soul. The group make severe statements about the future of modern music in tracks like "Humpty Dumpty", "Beauty Is a Rare Thing", and "Kaleidoscope" – bouncing the efforts of the whole group off the beat, in a way that's both challenging and groove-heavy at the same time, a key summation of the genius of Ornette's early vision! LP, Vinyl record album

A gem of a record from the Cali scene of the late 60s – even though it was recorded in LA by a band from Canada! 49th Parallel are one of the great lost groups from the time – a combo who've got a sound that's very fresh, very much their own, yet who also resonate with all the best elements of the period – as they weave their own unique blend of psych and sunshine pop styles through the music! There's occasional horns on the record at times, but never in a jazz rock way – just a touch of brass to give things a bit more punch, used lightly and rightly, and in a very groovy way. Sometimes the guitars get a bit freaky and fuzzy, but never in any style that's overblown to threaten the sweetness of the vocals – and titles include "Now That I'm A Man", "Get Away", "Eye To Eye", "Missouri", "Lazerander Flitchy", "Twilight Woman", "Close The Barn Door", and "The People". CD features lots more bonus tracks – the titles "All Your Love", "Laborer", "You Do Things", "She Says", "Citizen Freak", "I Need You", "Goodtime Baby", and "Up To No Good" – plus some single mixes too! CD

Tight funky grooves from the jamband underground – one of the strongest albums of this type to come out in years! Stanton Moore's at the head of a small all-star combo that includes Skerik and Karl Denson on sax, Brian Seeger on guitar, and Chris Wood on bass – and Stanton's work on drums is excellent, dancing around the kit with a fantastic flourish, jamming the groove in just the right way to bring out the freest funkiest work in the two-sax frontline. The rhythms are a mix of Bay Area funk, New Orleans soul, and a bit of classic soul jazz – and the production of the set is excellent, nicely stripped down and spare, despite the major label status of the record, which often means a bit too much muddling around in the mix! Titles include "Let's Go", "Tang The Hump", "Launcho Diablo", "Prairie Sunset", "Things Fall Apart", and "Hunch". CD

A great debut LP by a near-forgotten act that blossomed briefly at the end of the 60s folk-rock boom – and deserve more than sidebar status in the book of modern music history! Earth Opera incorporated many styles into a sound that may not seem uncommon today, but was idiosyncrastic and unique in it's day, and still sounds great! The group was born from the collaboration of Peter Rowan and a young David Grisman, who recruited the rest of the members from the Boston Be-In and built an east coast take on the sounds that were sweeping California in the mid and late 60s. There's some nice jazzy influence creeping in to the bands singer/songwriter-plus vibe, with 10 songs in all, including "The Red Sox Are Winning", "As It Is Before", "Dreamless", "To Care At All", "Home OF The Brave", "The child Bride", "Close Your Eyes & Shut The Door", "Time & Again", "When You Were Full Of Wonder", and "Death By Fire". LP, Vinyl record album

A gem of a record from the Cali scene of the late 60s – even though it was recorded in LA by a band from Canada! 49th Parallel are one of the great lost groups from the time – a combo who've got a sound that's very fresh, very much their own, yet who also resonate with all the best elements of the period – as they weave their own unique blend of psych and sunshine pop styles through the music! There's occasional horns on the record at times, but never in a jazz rock way – just a touch of brass to give things a bit more punch, used lightly and rightly, and in a very groovy way. Sometimes the guitars get a bit freaky and fuzzy, but never in any style that's overblown to threaten the sweetness of the vocals – and titles include "Now That I'm A Man", "Get Away", "Eye To Eye", "Missouri", "Lazerander Flitchy", "Twilight Woman", "Close The Barn Door", and "The People". CD features lots more bonus tracks – the titles "All Your Love", "Laborer", "You Do Things", "She Says", "Citizen Freak", "I Need You", "Goodtime Baby", and "Up To No Good" – plus some single mixes too! CD

Includes the songs "Green Eyes", "Let Me Off Uptown", "Kick It!", "After You've Gone", "Rockin' Chair", "Armour", "Stop! The Red Light's On", "Watch The Birdie", "The Walls Keep Talking", "Skylark", "Bolero At The Savoy", "Thanks For The Boogie Ride", "Keep 'Em Flying", "Pass The Bounce", "Ball Of Fire", "Harlem On Parade", "Knock Me A Kiss", "Barrelhouse Bessie From Basin Street", "That Drummer's Band", "Murder He Says", "Bop Boogie", "Watch Out", "Swiss Lullaby", and "Why Fall In Love With A Stranger". CD

One of Slide Hampton's first albums – and a massively hard-wailing set that will make any doubters sit up and take notice! The set really packs a punch – as Slide leads a hip group that features Freddie Hubbard, Richard Williams, Bernard McKinney, and George Coleman through some tightly woven arrangements that manage to swing with the grace of small combo work, yet wail with the intensity of a big band. Great solos pop out all over the set – and there's a soul jazz groove that makes the album sound like a classic Prestige session. Titles include "Asseveration", "Hi Fly", "Sister Salvation", and "A Little Night Music". LP, Vinyl record album

Three groovy 70s albums from Buddy Rich! Roar Of 74 is one of the funkiest Buddy Rich albums of the 70s – a mad screaming affair that's overflowing with great tunes! The band on the set is very full – with a heck of a lot of trumpets in the brass section, set next to searing sax work by the great Pat LaBarbera. But even better is the rhythm section – which grooves in a hard electric funk mode, thanks to guitar from Joe Beck, bass from Tony Levin, and some surprisingly smoking drums from Buddy himself! Tracks are all very nicely grooving – and titles include "Kilimanjaro Cookout", "Nuttville", "Senator Sam", "Waltz Of The Mushroom Hunters", and "Big Mac". Last Blues Album has a misleading title, as there's nothing "blues" about this set – as Buddy Rich is working with some of the best soul jazz players of the Groove Merchant label – on a set that's one of his few small combo albums from the 70s! The vibe is very relaxed and laidback, and even Buddy's tight drumming can't over-hype the sound. Tracks are longish and open – more in the Prestige jazz mode of the 60s than the usual funkier style of the Groove Merchant label – and the sextet features Jimmy McGriff on organ, George Freeman on guitar, Kenny Barron on electric piano, Illinois Jacquet on tenor, and Bob Cranshaw on bass. Titles include "Soft Winds", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "How Long", "Courage", and "Alright". Very Live At Buddy's Place is hard-swinging Buddy Rich from the prime early 70s years – not exactly an all-out funk affair, but still a great groover, with plenty of hip little big band numbers! The groove here is nice and lean – and Buddy and the group are working at Buddy's own club – hitting that trademark all-out Rich sound, but still leaving plenty of room for the soloists. The group's got some great soul jazz players – including Sonny Fortune on alto, Jack Wilkins on guitar, and Kenny Barron on piano – as well as some really smoking tenor work from Sal Nistico, who's always adaptable to a setting like this. The album's got a tasty version of Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon", plus other nice tracks that include "Sierra Lonely", "Nica's Dream", "Billy's Bounce", "Cardin Blue" and "Jumpin At The Woodside". CD

Always-great work from Minnie! "Lover & Friend" begins with a spare piano note, stops, moves again, then the whole band swings into the mix in a nice jazzy feel – Minnie stepping up to the plate with a warm vocal and a nice bounce to her sound. "Return To Forever" is quite spare – bubbling up out of nowhere, mostly just Minnie's vocals, with a restrained backing that really has an edge! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A great little album by James Brown – and very different than his other work! He cut this one with the groovy Dee Felice Trio – a jazz-based combo that he recorded on their own for King, on another very rare, very excellent record. The band's in similar form here, although not necessarily as funky – and they do a great job of giving James' vocals a jazzy twist that they don't have on other albums – proving yet again that The Godfather can handle just about any sort of groove that he wants! Features a wonderfully groover version of "Sunny", which moves along very nicely – plus remakes of "There Was A Time" and "Cold Sweat", along with the tracks "Uncle" and "That's Life". LP, Vinyl record album