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While not exactly "subliminal", this one's a nice set of moody instrumental tracks, played by Leo Diamond in the same spooky harmonica style that he used for his Skin Diver Suite. Unlike other harmonicists, like The Harmonicats, Diamond doesn't use the instrument for a lot of goofy pyrotechnics. Instead, he creates spare, breathy waves of sound with the instrument, and creates a sound that's almost like early Theremin. Tracks include "Laura", "Off Shore", "Dream Train", "Rain", and "High On A Windy Hill". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic bit of lost hardbop – an obscure ABC album that has Kenny Dorham working with his Jazz Prophets group! The combo's a quintet with a unique lineup that includes Dick Katz on piano, JR Monterose on tenor, Sam Jones on bass, and Arthur Edgehill on drums – and the whole set's got an open-ended sort of approach that's much more like albums of the time on Blue Note or Savoy than it is the usually more staid ABC jazz sides of the 50s! Monterose and Dorham are fantastic, and really open up on the 5 tracks on the album – all of which are long enough to give the players plenty of room to blow. Probably one of the best jazz records ever recorded for ABC – with titles that include "The Prophet", "DX", "Tahitian Suite", and "Blues Elegante". CD

A nicely priced collection of work The Dramatics recorded for ABC in the late 70s – quite different than their earlier sides for Stax/Volt, with a smooth harmony approach that pushed them even further into the limelight than before! The group's got some excellent male leads that really make the songs sparkle – and the smooth Detroit production of the tunes works well on both the mellow and uptempo numbers. Titles include "Be My Girl", "Finger Fever", "After This Dance", "Say The Word", "Sundown Is Coming", "Welcome Back Home", "Shake It Well", "I Can't Get Over Youg", and "Richest Man Alive". CD

Killer Four Tops material from the early 70s – and a record that proved that they didn't need to be on Motown to still keep churnin' out the hits! The sound is sophisticated, and pushes past the standard format of the group's good-selling records for Motown – hitting a classic AM Radio soul groove that's best summed up by the album's monster hit "Ain't No Woman (Like The One I've Got)", one of those tracks that will probably be played around the world for years and years and years. The rest of the record's just as great, and includes loads of tasty numbers – like the excellent title cut "Keeper Of The Castle", plus "Love Music", "Turn On The Light Of Your Love", and "Remember What I Told You To Forget". Soulful and sophisticated, and a nice break from the Motown years! LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Great stuff! Although the Four Tops are always best known as a Motown group – they actually manage to do quite well away from the label, and cut some excellent sides for ABC during the mid 70s! This CD brings together 14 of those cuts – including "Are You Man Enough", the great theme to Shaft In Africa, plus other nice ones like "Keeper Of The Castle", "Sweet Understanding Love", "Midnight Flower", "Save It For A Rainy Day", "One Chain Don't Make No Prison", "We All Gotta Stick Together", "I Just Can't Get You Out Of My Mind", and "Catfish". CD

An early unusual project from Larry Coryell! LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Guess Who I Saw Today", "Day By Day", "Fine & Dandy", "Saturday Night Is The Loneliest Night Of The Week", and "First Impression". LP, Vinyl record album

A season-themed album from Eydie Gorme – a great date from the early years, and one that has her working with jazzy backings from the great Don Costa! Don's got a great ear for both sides of Eydie's talents – the upbeat, swinging style that always sounds cheery – and the straighter, more serious way with a ballad that doesn't always get its due! The tunes all have season-based themes – a format used by other singers over the years, certainly, but a really great foil here for Gorme's many-varied talents – as the shifting months of the year give her good reason to change her tune from track to track. Titles include "Love Is A Season", "Winter Night", "June In January", "On The First Warm Day", "I'll Remember April", "Easter Parade", and "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent early work from Al Hudson – a soulful talent who stood his own in the late 70s, forging an up-tempo funk sound that lived long past disco, and which was sort of a platform for groups of the 80s to build a new dancefloor sound. Hudson relied heavily on bass-y funk to hit his groove, but he also gave strong focus to the good singers who worked with his groups – adding in good ballads that act as a showcase to members like bassist Kevin McCord, who sings some great vocals on this set. The album kicks off with the up-tempo groover "Spread Love", an anthemic dancefloor tune that almost points the way towards soulful house, and it's got some other nice cuts, like the ballads "Lost Inside Of You" and "Love Me Forever", plus the funky numbers "How Do You Do", and "Dance, Get Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime echoey pop from the young Brian Hyland! Includes the title track, and a fair bit of original numbers too – all set to arrangements by Stan Applebaum. LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Far more than a regular greatest hits – this is a full-fledged album, and one that includes a number of cuts that were singles for the group, but which don't really show up on other albums. The set is all-original, all-Curtis Mayfield penned, and all Johnny Pate arranged material – with tracks like "I'm So Proud", "Gypsy Woman", "Sad, Sad Girl & Boy", "You Must Believe Me", "Grow Closer Together", "Never Let Me Go", and "Talking About My Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

There's no need for The Impressions to push from behind – because with a record like this, they're very firmly in the driver's seat! The album's a treasure through and through – one of the greatest documents of 60s soul from the Chicago scene – filled with sublime original compositions by a young Curtis Mayfield, set to great arrangements from the legendary Johnny Pate! The sound here is immaculate – a groove that's slightly stepping, gently lilting – just enough to get things moving, but with plenty of care not to smother the fragile harmonies of the group. And as on other of the best ABC albums by The Impressions, there's not a hint of filler here – just one great track after another, with titles that include "Amen", "I Made A Mistake", "Don't Let It Hide", "Keep On Pushing", "Somebody Help Me", "Long Long Winter", and "I've Been Trying". LP, Vinyl record album

A major winner from The Impressions! Virtually all of their material for ABC was excellent – and this LP is no exception, as it's got loads of original Curtis Mayfield compositions, and plenty of great arrangements by Chicago soul legend Johnny Pate. The group is extremely soulful at this point – and they sound great on just about every cut. Titles include "Ten To One", "I'm So Proud", "Sister Love", "Little Boy Blue", "Girl You Don't Know Me", "I Gotta Keep Movin", and "A Woman Who Loves Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic 60s Impressions material, with the legendary lineup firmly in place, and the great Johnny Pate handling all arrangements – really giving them that sense of righteous power that pushed their music past a lot of the previous group soul sounds of the Chicago scene – with a sophistication in both the instrumentation and harmonies that's completely sublime! The album mixes Curtis Mayfield compositions – like "Lonely Man", "Just One Kiss From You", "Falling In Love With You" – with special Impressions' takes on tunes that include "My Prayer", "Without A Song", "Answer Me, My Love", "I Want To Be With You", and "Nature Boy", which the group does incredibly well. Proof that the Impressions could shine, whatever the setting! LP, Vinyl record album

The title and cover say it all – because The Impressions here are at the top of their game – riding high on a tremendous wave of soul, and soaring forth with a sense of pride and power few other groups could match! Maestro Johnny Pate is on board to handle the arrangements and production – and he helps Curtis Mayfield and the group reach a sound that's sophisticated throughout, but still retains a deeply personal sensibility. The harmonies are tremendous – never too sweet or too smooth, and always with that slightly fragile quality that made The Impressions one of the most human soul groups of their era. Nearly all the tunes are originals from Curtis – and titles include "Riding High", "Too Slow", "Man's Temptation", "I'm A Telling You", and "I Need To Belong To Someone". LP, Vinyl record album

Less Curtis Mayfield tunes than usual – but the record still sounds great! The arrangements are by Johnny Pate, who handled the group's best work of the 60s – and he gives all the material a great sound that perfectly matches the smooth raspy harmonies of the trio. Curtis contributed the song "Don't Cry My Love", Pate wrote "Oo You're A Livin Doll", and other tunes include "East Of Java", "Sermonette", "The Look Of Love", and "Just Before Sunrise". LP, Vinyl record album

A new level of pride and power for The Impressions – as you might guess from the bold statement of the title track! It may seem hard to believe from the perspective of the 21st Century, but back in the mid 60s, a message like "We're A Winner" was quite a strong one – a new anthem of righteous identity that was one of the first truly political statements from a young Curtis Mayfield, and a great precursor of the genius to come in the 70s! But even at this early state, there's still plenty of genius going on – not just in Mayfield's sublime songwriting, but also in the harmonies of the group, and the beautiful treatment they get in the studio from arranger Johnny Pate. The album's one of their key classics from the ABC years – and titles include "We're A Winner", "Moonlight Shadows", "Nothing Can Stop Me", "I'm Gettin Ready", "Let Me Tell The World", and "Little Brown Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

One of the grooviest records ever by the wonderful vocal team of Jackie & Roy – a sweetly swinging 50s session, with great LA jazz backings from the orchestra of Bill Holman! There's a breezy vibe to the whole thing that's years ahead of its time – not pop harmony vocals, but an approach that's strongly rooted in jazz, but also loosened up from the strict vocalese of the bop singers too. The cover's got Jackie & Roy playing on a slide at the sea – and that free and easy image certainly sums up the feel of the music – a lightly playful blend of jazz vocalese, ballads, and strong duet numbers, all sung with the usual Jackie & Roy charm. The set includes some great tunes, too – including "Pent Up House", "Free & Easy", "So It's Spring", and "Aren't You Glad You're You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite albums by the team of Jackie & Roy – a really special little set that features small combo backing, great tunes, and some of the best vocals of their early career! The album features Roy playing piano in a quartet with Barry Galbraith on guitar, Milt Hinton on bass, and Osie Johnson on drums – and there's a lightly jazzy feel to the whole set, one that really works well with the vocals from the pair. Jackie takes the lead on some numbers, but most have her and Roy singing duets – in that cool mix of scatting and lyrical interplay they do so well. Pretty groovy stuff – especially for the 50s – and titles include "Let's Get Away From It All", "You Inspire Me", "Where Did The Gentleman Go", "The Glory Of Love", "I Love You Real", and "Miz Margret". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Hairy Hypochondriac", "My Door Is Open", "Getting Old", "Looking For My Lady", "Madness", and "Kick Back Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare rocker on ABC Records! LP, Vinyl record album

A lost gem from Keith's "with horns" period – a quintet session from the mid 70s, recorded with a group that features Dewey Redman on tenor, plus Charlie Haden on bass, Paul Motian on drums and percussion, and Guilherme Franco on additional percussion. The feel is a bit straighter than Jarrett's excellent Death & The Flower set – as the tunes have a highly rhythmic component, and make good use of the extra percussion to create a flowing, organic groove. There's still a nice loose feel overall, though – almost a take on the loft jazz sound, especially at the moments when Jarrett goes a bit outside on piano. Titles include "Shades Of Jazz", "Southern Smiles", "Rose Petals", and "Diatribe". CD

A split 70s LP – with two earlier classics! First up is How I Feel About Jazz – an important early album from Quincy Jones! Q's working here in some of his hippest settings of the 50s – scoring longish versions of jazz tunes for groups that include players like Lucky Thompson on tenor, Herbie Mann on flute, Art Farmer on trumpet, Phil Woods and Gene Quill on alto sax, Hank Jones on piano, and even Charles Mingus on bass! As with most Jones albums of the time, Quincy has a way of making a bigger group sound nice and lean – hitting some especially nice edges along with the rhythms, and really showing the way towards a new soulful sound for a bigger band. Titles include a sublime 10 minute version of "Walkin" that kicks off the album with a great soulful groove – plus original tunes "Evening In Paris", "Stockholm Sweetnin", and "Boo's Blues", as well as a version of Cannonball Adderley's "Sermonette". Next is Quintessence – a very soulful set of big band material from Quincy Jones – recorded during that tight early 60s period when his arrangements just couldn't fail! The album's his only session for Impulse, and it's got a slightly deeper style than his work from the time for Mercury – a bit more sophisticated, with nice modern touches that take the tunes in surprising directions. Part of the greatness of the set lies in the players – as the album features work by Curtis Fuller, Thad Jones, Stu Martin, Freddie Hubbard, Patty Brown, Phil Woods, and Jerome Richardson – and titles include "Robot Portrait", "Hard Sock Dance", "The Twitch", and "For Lena & Lennie". LP, Vinyl record album

BB King in London – not playing live, but working in the studio with a host of British musicians he'd inspired over the years! The lineup varies from track to track, giving a nice sort of variety to the album – and the overall feel is a bit like some of the Chess London sessions of the time – but maybe more blues overall! Features work by Peter Green on guitar, Steve Marriott on harmonica, Alexis Korner on acoustic guitar, Gary Wright on electric piano and Hammond, Ringo Starr on drums, and The Mystery Shadow on Hammond – and titles include "Ghetto Woman", "Wet Hayshark", "Part Time Love", "We Can't Agree", and "Blue Shadows". LP, Vinyl record album

There's some bigger arrangements here than you'd usually get on a BB King album of the 60s – but they're used in a really great way that makes the album one of our favorites by King from his years at ABC! Johnny Pate arranged and produced, and he gives the whole thing a Chicago soul punch that's mighty nice – a mix of blues and soul that's not unlike some of the best Bobby Blue Bland work at Duke a few years before – and a blend that's really a lot like some of the best indie soul coming out of Chicago's west side in the late 60s too. The album's a killer all the way through, and it's great to hear BB in such a setting – on cuts that include "Dance With Me", "Heartbreaker", "I'm Not Wanted Anymore", "Having My Say", "That's Wrong Mama", "Now That You've Lost Me", "Until I Found You", and "Worried Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

BB King brings in a sweet dose of jazz to his work – just a touch of the funkier backings that some of his electric contemporaries were getting at the time – maybe not as hard-wailing as some of the Chess funky blues records, but definitely somewhere in that direction! Players on the date include Mel Brown and Jesse Davis on guitars, Bobby Bryant on trumpet, Red Holloway on tenor, Plas Johnson on baritone, Clifford Coulter and Victor Feldman on piano, and the great Earl Palmer on drums. Titles include "Help The Poor", "Can't You Hear Me Talking To You", "Midnight", "I Got Some Help I Don't Need", "I've Been Blue Too Long", "Lucille's Granny, and "Can't You Hear Me Talking To You". LP, Vinyl record album

A very weird, and very groovy record from Portia Nelson – who most folks know just as a singer and actress! This set has Nelson playing the Vox organ – using its weird sounds on a mix of cool pop instrumentals – including "Soho Strut", "Call Me", "March Of The Fuzzie Wuzzies", "Thread Needle Street", "Sunny", and "Tingle Tangle Town". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Great 60s material from this classic duo – a mixture of witty duets and great straight singing! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A really great post-Philly International album from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – the group's first after the departure of Teddy Pendergrass, and a set that shows them hardly missing a beat! The group are still recording at Sigma Sound, with Melvin at the production helm – and they've also got that great balance between a deep-voiced lead singer (new arrival David Ebo) and the soaring harmonies of the rest of the group. Tunes are wonderfully written – the right mix of personal and political from the group's biggest years – and the album's got a really great sense of pace and timing overall, maybe even more so than previous records. Titles include "Hostage", "He Loves You And I Do Too", "Stay Together", "Sandman", "Big Singing Star", and "Reaching For The World". LP, Vinyl record album

Kickin it is – as the album's way more than just the typical gospel you might expect – and is a perfect example of the way the Mighty Clouds Of Joy helped cross the bridge between secular and spiritual sounds in the 70s! The record has a groove that most other mainstream soul acts could ever hope for – served up by stellar southern producer David Crawford, and arrangements from Mike Terry – on an album that almost grooves enough for the clubs, and brings in lots of new energy to the male gospel quintet format! These guys are hardly your grandfather's gospel group – and instead get downright slinky and sexy with the way they approach the music – almost giving Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes a run for their money, on excellent cuts that include "Mighty High", "Leanin", "I Got The Music In Me", "Millionaire", "Touch My Soul", and "Everything Is Love". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent early album form Johnny Nash – one that's quite different than his later hits, and which has Johnny singing in a jazzy sort of mode that reminds us a lot of Jesse Belvin! Like Belvin, Johnny's got a warmly sweet voice that's lighter than Billy Eckstine, Joe Williams, or other contemporaries crossing the bounds between jazz and R&B – and this album showcases that style especially well, by setting Nash up with some strong arrangements from Don Costa – all nicely bright, and with plenty of breakout jazz moments. Titles include "I'm Beginning To See The Light", "I Got Rhythm", "S Wonderful", "Baby Won't You Please Come Home", "Baby Baby Baby", and "It's All Right With Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from west coast saxophonist Bill Perkins – playing here in a mode that's quite different than his more famous 50s recordings! The style here is almost one you'd hear on late 60s A&M Records – definitely "quietly there", with a blend of Perkins' reeds and light organ, piano, guitar, and percussion. The style is very subtle, and often very spare – mixed differently on each number, and shaded nicely with an equal focus on sound shapes as on jazz. There's a bit of a late 60s Paul Desmond feel here, but even more restrained – and other players include Victor Feldman on piano and organ, John Pisano on guitars, and Larry Bunker on drums. Titles include "Emily", "Quietly There", "Time For Love", "Just A Child", and "Shining Sea". LP, Vinyl record album

Pettiford's second album of big band tracks for ABC during the 50s – a more open-ended set than the previous one, with modernist touches that really make the set sparkle nicely. Part of these are due to Gigi Gryce, who plays alto on the record, and probably had a bit of a hand in arrangements. Other players include Art Farmer, Jerome Richardson, and Al Grey – and tracks include "I Remember Clifford", "Little Niles", "Now See How You Are", and "Seabreeze". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of Della Reese's greatest records – and a unique little session cut "live in the studio" before a very appreciative crowd! Bobby Bryant wrote out some very hip charts for the session, and they're made even better by organ work by Bill Doggett and piano lines by Gerald Wiggins – both of whom are in Della's group on the record. The whole thing's got a very nice groovy feel – similar to some of the best pop jazz coming out of LA at the time – and titles include "Gotta Travel On", "Girl Talk", "Driftin Blues", "Good Morning Blues", and "Detour Ahead". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of Della's grooviest records, and a great little live set – recorded at the Playboy Club in Hollywood, with backing by the soulful Bobby Bryant Quintet. The group features some nice tenor work by a young Hadley Caliman, and groovy organ by Henry Caine – all of which sets Della's vocals in a much nicer groove than on some of her other albums from the 60s. Tracks include "So Nice", "Good Times", "Big City", and "Don't You Know" – and many tracks are preceded by a hip monologue, in a manner that's similar to that used on some of the best Lou Rawls albums for Capitol. LP, Vinyl record album

Great work by one of the archetypal funky soul bands of the 70s – and a group whose impact is still being felt today! Of course, one of the reasons for that is Chaka Khan's incredible vocals – caught here at a prime early point, and very nicely set against some warm electric keyboards and tight groovy guitars – which provide a groove that's live and spontaneous, and never too forced – just the right kind of energy to work perfectly with her approach to the lyrics, without any of the too-polished modes you'd fine from copycat groups trying to fake a sound like this. Rufus had been with Chaka for years by this point – fusing together a sublime blend of funk, soul, jazz, and rock – a sound they forged woodshedding in Chicago in the early days, let loose in perfect studio territory on the west coast of the 70s. The whole thing's a classic – and titles include "Jive Talking", "Sweet Thing", "Fools Paradise", "Circle", "Everybody Has An Aura", and "On Time". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those records that everyone seemed to own, back in the day – and for good reason, too – as Rufus and Chaka have a way of opening ears of folks who dig so many different styles – from soul to rock to funk and jazz – but all with a groove that's totally their own! The record's one that definitely broke the group big out of their Chicago roots – thanks to the incredible "Tell Me Something Good" – an amazing workout that's the perfect mainstream showcase for Chaka's great voice, made even better by the use of one of those cool Peter Frampton-vocoder thingies! The album also features some other excellent material that's a bit more restrained, and more in the band's usual jazz funk mode – like "Ain't Nothing But A Maybe", "You Got The Love", "Smokin Room", and "Sideways". LP, Vinyl record album

Funk, soul, jazz, and plenty more – all wrapped up into this 70s masterpiece from Rufus – the kind of record that not only never gets old, but which still has folks wondering how the group could have gotten things this perfect all these many years later! Chaka Khan and the group are in sublime formation here – tight, but never slick – sublimely soulful, but never in a way that sounds like they're trying to copy anyone else at all – always in this unique blend of all the best elements from all their favorit styles, fused into a fresh new sound that's completely Rufus-like all the way through! Titles include the incredible track "Stop On By", plus the instrumental "Rufusized", "I'm A Woman", "Somebody's Watching You", "Please Pardon Me (You Remind Me Of A Friend)", and "Right Is Right". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Although he later went on to be an overused arranger for hipster pop vocal acts, the great Bobby Scott started his career with tight jazz material like this – haunting original compositions with a west coast bent, but filled with a lot more soul than anything else coming out of the LA cool scene. This set captures Scott on piano with a quintet that features the strong two-horn frontline of John Murtaugh on tenor and Marty Flax on baritone, playing a tightly composed, post-4 Brothers sort of style. The players are not that well known – but the interplay between them is great, and the record is one of Scott's best jazz albums. Titles include "The Old Man", "Theme III", "Myrt", "Sally's Pound Cake", and "Every Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the grooviest 50s albums ever from the legendary Zoot Sims – a session that uses overdubbing to let Zoot create a one man horn section – blowing on record at the same time on alto, tenor, and baritone sax! The approach is far from the gimmicky sound that you might expect – and the results are really wonderful – an all Zoot-voiced sax section that has some of the smoother qualities of other 50s sextet dates (including Zoot's for RCA), but which has that great Sims' bite on all the solos! Other players include John Williams on piano, Knobby Totah on bass, and Gus Johnson on drums – and titles include a great vocal version of "Where You At", plus "Zonkin", "Pegasus", "Noshin", and "Minor Minor". LP, Vinyl record album

When we were playing this, someone in the office said "What's the deal with these guys? Did they just do sound-a-like versions of other people's hits?" On some of their other records, we might say no – but this one's pretty much a Pickwick-esque remake/remodel of late 60s rockers – like "Who Do You Love", "Last Time", "Let's Spend The Night Together", and "Tell Him No" – all done in kind of a hard rockin, semi-bluesy style. LP, Vinyl record album

The amazing debut of Soft Machine! It's hard to find a more seminal moment of jazz rock from the British scene – and there's certainly few albums from its generation that stand up as well over the years as this one! The trio of Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, and Michael Ratledge carve out the future of progressive playing on this excellent set of shorter tunes that still offer up all the hard jamming of later years. Beat group morphs into prog jazz before your very eyes – on tracks like "Hope For Happiness", "Why Am I So Short", "Save Yourself", "Priscilla", "So Boot If At All", "A Certain Kind", "Lullabye Letter", and "Why Are We Sleeping?". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime early work from Robert Wyatt and crew – a psychedelic accented jazz rock classic that never gets old – and a visionary set that inspired a generation! The heavily fuzzy guitar sound is transcendent on Volume Two – with sudden jazzy changes, augmented by horns, and all done with a sly sense of humour for which the group doesn't get enough credit. The set's broken up into two different "concept" halves – and side one is "Rivmic Melodies" – and includes "Pataphysical Introduction", "A Concise British Alphabet", "Dada Was Here", and "Out Of Tunes". Side two is "Esther's Nose Job" – with the parts "Pig", "Fire Engine Passing With Bells Clanging", "Orange Skin Food", and "A Door Opens & Closes". Wyatt's on vocals and drums; Hugh Hopper is on bass, guitar, and alto; and Mike Ratledge plays some great Lowry and Hammond organ, plus a bit of harpsichord and flute! LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime early work from Robert Wyatt and crew – a psychedelic accented jazz rock classic that never gets old – and a visionary set that inspired a generation! The heavily fuzzy guitar sound is transcendent on Volume Two – with sudden jazzy changes, augmented by horns, and all done with a sly sense of humour for which the group doesn't get enough credit. The set's broken up into two different "concept" halves – and side one is "Rivmic Melodies" – and includes "Pataphysical Introduction", "A Concise British Alphabet", "Dada Was Here", and "Out Of Tunes". Side two is "Esther's Nose Job" – with the parts "Pig", "Fire Engine Passing With Bells Clanging", "Orange Skin Food", and "A Door Opens & Closes". Wyatt's on vocals and drums; Hugh Hopper is on bass, guitar, and alto; and Mike Ratledge plays some great Lowry and Hammond organ, plus a bit of harpsichord and flute! LP, Vinyl record album

An undisputed masterpiece, and a record we never tire of hearing – unabashedly the inspiration for our years of jazzy exploration as adults, even though it was probably the closest thing we ever got to the genre as wee lads! Walter Becker & Donald Fagan raise their already-high bar to new heights here – creating one of those rare records that flows together so beautifully, it's hard to remember where some songs begin and others end. There's a sense of perfection in everything about the record – the sound, the songs, the instrumentation – all woven together beautifully without any sense of self-consciousness. One majestic flow that starts with "Black Cow", and runs through classics that include "Aja", "Deacon Blue", "Peg", "Home At Last", "I Got The News", and "Josie". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A tripped-out batch of freedom rock tunes – pulled together to accompany Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper's famous trip across the wasteland of late 60s America! The set includes Steppenwolf's anthemic "Born To Be Wild", as well as their "The Pusher" – plus "Kyrie Eleison" by The Electric Prunes, "Don't Bogart Me" by The Fraternity Of Man, "Wasn't Born To Follow" by The Byrds, "If You Want To Be A Bird" by The Holy Modal Rounders, and "It's Alright Ma" and "Ballad Of Easy Rider" by Roger McGuinn. LP, Vinyl record album

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... LP, Vinyl record album

A double album recorded for ABC after Charles left Warner Brothers and the 103rd Street Rhythm Band behind – but still very much an extension of that group's later stretched-out funky records! Nice long cuts with grooves that are a little bit more jazzy than his earlier 60's stuff. Tracks include the title cut, plus "You Threw It All Away", "1,2, 3, You & Me", and the extended "Nonsense", which takes up all of side 4. LP, Vinyl record album

Majestic music from the mighty Popcorn Wylie – the Detroit soul legend best known for his work in the 60s, but an artist who really shines on this rare 70s set for ABC! The album was done during the same stretch as Lamont Dozier's ABC work – and like those records, this set features killer arrangements and production from McKinley Jackson – who updates an older Detroit groove strongly, while still keeping all the real soul elements of Popcorn's music intact! Dozier helped a bit on some of the tunes, and the whole thing's got a soaring, joyous feel that's really wonderful – uptempo without being uptight, positive without sounding hokey, and perfectly in a unique space that's all its own. Gene Page and Paul Riser throw in a bit of soul on some tracks too – sweetening things up with just the right touches of strings and horns – and Popcorn's vocals are great, especially on some of the more hauntingly-constructed tunes. Titles include the massive "ESP", which begins with an echoey breakbeat, then rolls into a great hook – plus "Trust In Me", "How Did I Lose You", "Georgia's After Hours", "Lost Time", "I Can Take The World On With You", "Both Ends Against The Middle", and "Singing About You And Me". CD

An unusual set – given that Johnny Young plays his blues on mandolin – in a quartet with Louis Myers on guitar, Richard Evans on bass, and Bill Warren on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Features work by Bobby Bland, Johnny Ace, Junior Parker, OV Wright, Joe Hinton, The Casuals, The Rob Roys, The El Torros, and more! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet batch of soulful fusion from alto saxophonist Sonny Criss – quite different than the small group acoustic sessions that made up most of his career – but a shining light in his later revival, and an album that really got him in touch with a wider range of listeners! The style here is full and soulful – arranged by Wade Marcus with a mix of larger jazz ensemble playing, and a bit of strings – similar to styles used a the time for Lou Donaldson, Willis Jackson, and other 60s reedmen. Criss is right out front on alto, and other players include Blue Mitchell on trumpet and Patrice Rushen on keyboards – working nicely here in a style that's almost Kudo or CTI. Titles include "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing", "Turn Me Loose", "Stolen Moments", and "Midnight Mellow". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best non-Winchester albums from the team of Ferrante & Teicher – not as crazy as some of their work, but still with some good elements of the piano trickery that made them famous. Titles include "Out Of This World", "East Of The Sun", "Over The Rainbow", "Stars In My Eyes", and "Stella By Starlight". Also features the original tracks "Serenade To A Star" and "Beyond The Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album