The Grateful Dead are maybe looking a bit more classy on the cover than they would have back in the early days – and they've classed their sound up a bit here too – not entirely slick or polished, but definitely delivered with a very different focus than the Warner years, or than their live material of the time! The move is part of that more tuneful, song-based approach that marked the group's Arista years – a good move to really get them into that special space between roots rock and classic rock, while still allowing them all that identity that was very much their own. This isn't an attempt at a hit, just a refinement of their ideals – which come together nicely on "Althea", "Lost Sailor", "Saint Of Circumstance", "Antwer's Placebo", "Don't Ease Me In", and "Alabama Getaway". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the key live Grateful Dead albums from the 80s – a set that's a bit of a partner to Dead Set, as the tracks were recorded around the same period – and a record that definitely showcases the love of acoustic roots that had really been foregrounded in the group's music by the end of the 70s, especially in a concert setting! The shift is no real surprise, as the sound was always there at the core – but the vibe here is far from the freakier world of the SF scene, and more in the territory that Jerry Garcia was exploring on his many side projects of the 70s. There's plenty of great guitar interplay between Garcia and Bob Weir – and titles include "The Race Is On", "Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie", "Dire Wolf", "Dark Hollow", "Monkey & The Engineer", "Deep Elem Blues", "Cassidy", "China Doll", "Been All Around This World", "Rosalie McFall", "Ripple", and "On The Road Again". LP, Vinyl record album

A big late 70s moment for the Grateful Dead – a set that has the group working with Lowell George in the production chair, and cooking up a roots rock blend that showed up on plenty of turntables at the time! The record's kind of an extension of the territory of Terrapin Station, but maybe more catchy overall, and with that warmer, song-based mode that marked the Dead's Arista years – really emphasized on some tracks by the presence of Donna Godchaux in the group. Titles include "Serengetti", "Fire On The Mountain", "I Need A Miracle", "Good Lovin", "France", "Shakedown Street", "If I Had The World To Give", and "All New Minglewood Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A big late 70s moment for the Grateful Dead – a set that has the group working with Lowell George in the production chair, and cooking up a roots rock blend that showed up on plenty of turntables at the time! The record's kind of an extension of the territory of Terrapin Station, but maybe more catchy overall, and with that warmer, song-based mode that marked the Dead's Arista years – really emphasized on some tracks by the presence of Donna Godchaux in the group. Titles include "Serengetti", "Fire On The Mountain", "I Need A Miracle", "Good Lovin", "France", "Shakedown Street", "If I Had The World To Give", and "All New Minglewood Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

The first Grateful Dead album on Arista, and a set that definitely marks a new chapter for the group – one that has them using a surprising amount of soul references in their music, in part through some heavy vocal contributions from Donna Jean Godchaux! The arrangements are fuller than before at times – with some elements added later to expand the sound of the group at the core – in ways that are sometimes respectful, sometimes a bit more forceful in the way they approach the sound. Highlights include the laidback "Estimated Prophet", and the long "Terrapin Station" suite – plus "Sunrise", "Passenger", "Samson & Delilah", and a surprising cover of "Dancin In The Streets". LP, Vinyl record album

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A heck of a charmer from Haircut 100 – one of a handful of great UK albums from the early 80s that mixed post-punk energy with warmer touches from jazz and Latin – all in a blend that's completely wonderful overall! Haircut 100 were never trying to change the world – and they certainly never passed themselves off as a real jazz combo – but they've got a great way of adding in just the right touches on sax, congas, and even a bit of vibes – all to create a captivating setting alongside Britpop guitar lines and the great vocals of Nik Heyward. Nik's way more appealing here than on his later work – unabashedly groovy, on tunes that include the classic "Love Plus One", alongside "Snow Girl", "Lemon Firebrigade", "Favourite Shirts", "Milk Film", "Surprise Me Again", and "Fantastic Day". LP, Vinyl record album

Live solo work by Roland Hanna – a set that starts out kind of slow, as Hanna performs 2 Ellington crowd-pleasers – but which then really takes off as he moves into his own beautiful compositions! These really have Hanna unfolding on the keys, and playing with a rich lyrical quality that always marked his best work – and which makes him a compelling player that can really hold sway even in a solo set. Titles include "Wistful Moment", "Perugia", "Time Dust Gathered", and "A Child Is Born" – as well as versions of "Take The A Train" and "I Got It Bad & That Ain't Good". LP, Vinyl record album

The last moment of greatness from Heaven 17 – and a set that continues the trend towards more soulful expression the group began with their previous record! This time around, the production is warmly touched with many soul-based elements that nicely offset the colder electro pop of their roots – aspects of which include the Phenix Horns, borrowed from Earth Wind & Fire, as well as the Afrodiziak backing vocal group, which features a young Caron Wheeler in her days before Soul II Soul! It may be a stretch, but the record does have a key place in the evolution of UK soul in the 1980s – certainly its most poppy aspect to be sure, but one that has an undeniable charm, and which really managed to bridge a number of different cultures with its approach. Titles include "Sunset Now", "The Fuse", "The Skin I'm In", "Flamedown", "Reputation", "And That's No Lie", "Shame Is On The Rocks", and "Five Minutes To Midnight". LP, Vinyl record album

Smooth mellow soul by Michael Henderson – taking up where he left off with his work with Norman Connors, and proving that he was an even better vocalist than bassist. The overall sound of this one's perhaps a bit slicker than his first 2 albums on Buddah – but there's still some strong modern soul moments, and good production from the Sigma Sound Studios. The best cuts have a smooth mid-tempo groove – not unlike the modern soul coming out of Philly at the time, and perfectly suited to Henderson's jazzy sensibilities. Titles include "Take Me I'm Yours", "Whisper In My Ear", "Am I Special", "One To One", and "In The Night-Time". LP, Vinyl record album

A great setting for Hoggard's vibes – with help from Dave Grusin, who also arranged – as well as Dave Valentin, Marcus Miller, Patti Austin, and Chico Freeman. Titles include "Samba Pa Negra", "West End Dancer", "Kalima's Garden Song", and "Days Like These". LP, Vinyl record album

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An insane tribute to one of the greatest female soul singers to emerge in the 70s – the magnificent Phyllis Hyman, a vocalist who first began in jazz, then moved to soul music to help chart a whole new sound for the future – a new sort of sophistication that was key to a shift in the way that female soul singers came across – with plenty of pride, maturity, and subtle power that really comes through in these recordings! Right from the start, Hyman was very much her own artist – as you'll hear in this set, which begins with some of her earliest, jazziest work, and includes a few contributions with Norman Connors – then moves through a rich legacy of full length albums before Phyllis was taken from our planet all too soon! The set features nine full albums, most with some bonus tracks – and albums include Phyllis Hyman, Somewhere In My Lifetime, You Know How To Love Me, Can't We Fall In Love Again, Goddess Of Love, Living All Alone, Prime Of My Life, I Refuse To Be Lonely, and Forever With You. 119 tracks in all! CD

Tracks from Phyllis' years at Buddah and Arista – some of her finest work, and most of it an extremely unique blend of smooth jazz and modern R&B, done in a style that many tried to copy over the years. The tracks are produced by the likes of Skip Drinkwater, Mtume, and Chuck Jackson – and titles include "Gonna Make Changes", "You Know How To Love Me", "Under Your Spell", "Somewhere In My Lifetime", "Tonight You & Me", "Betcha By Golly Wow", "Your Move, My Heart", and "The Answer Is You". Liner notes by Nelson George, too! CD

A classic 1979 album from Phyllis Hyman! Hyman was one of the few female singers who started in the pre-disco years and managed to move through the disco years with a good groove – but never get totally swamped by the production styles of the day. She stuck close to her roots as a jazzy soul singer, and produced great albums like this – which mixed pop club grooves with more sophisticated arrangements, handled very well here by the production team of Reggie Lucas and James Mtume. Titles include the stormer "You Know How To Love Me", plus "Some Way", "Under Your Spell", "But I Love You", and "Give A Little More". Includes bonus tracks – 7" versions of "You Know How To Love Me", "Under Your Spell", "You Sure Look Good To Me", and "Riding The Tiger". CD

Titles include "Dynamite", "Sweetest Sweetest", "Escape From The Planet Of The Ant Men", and "Come To Me" – plus "Tell Me I'm Not Dreamin", a duet with Michael Jackson – and "Take Good Care Of My Heart", a duet with Whitney Houston. LP, Vinyl record album

Two uptempo sides by this ex-singer of The Charimen Of The Board. David Van De Pitte arranged, and the record's got a bit of a modern soul sound – which suits the General's unique voice just right! 7-inch, Vinyl record

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Post-Motown grooving from Eddie Kendricks – still very much in a boogie mode all the way through! "Whip" is our favorite track here – as it's got a straightforward clubby groove that lets Eddie do plenty on his own with the vocals, especially on the great hook! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A real standout in the later catalog of the Kinks – a record that gave the group a number of minor hits, and which let them rock out a bit more than usual – in a style that was clearly influenced by the punk of the period, but which also had sort of a Pete Townsend-esque quality to it. Titles include "Superman", "Catch Me Now I'm Falling", "National Health", "Pressure", "Misery", "A Little Bit Of Emotion", and "Attitude". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice transition from the overwrought concept albums of mid 70s Kinks – and a shift into tighter, shorter, more condensed tunes that got the group firmly back on track! The concepts here are each confined to the space of a single tune – taking Ray and the group back to the best approaches of their initial 70s recordings – and coming up with a few really catchy numbers in the process! Titles include "Sleepwalker", "Sleepless Night", "Brother", "Full Moon", "Life Goes On", "Stormy Sky", and "Mr Big Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Reedman Oliver Lake at his most creative – stepping out here on a sublime set of 70s improvisations – all put together with a really spiritual feel! There's a very open, collaborative feel to the music – and the set was recorded in St Louis, at a time when Lake was a key part of that city's scene – and who here also seems able to attract some other musicians from the AACM in Chicago as well! As a result, the album's a wonderful document of the new ideas bursting forth at the start of the 70s – that richly creative moment when local scenes were coming together in various cities to find new ways of jazz beyond Coltrane and Dolphy – giving a player like Lake some of the most imaginative outlets of his career. Oliver plays alto, soprano, flute, and other small instruments – and other players include Baikida Carroll and Floyd Leflore on trumpets, Joseph Bowie on trombone, John Hicks on piano, Clovis Bordeaux on electric piano, Don Officer on bass, Charles Bobo Shaw on drums, and Don Moye on congas too. Titles include "Africa", "Tse Lane", "Eriee", "Zip", and "Electric Freedom". CD

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A landmark set of fusion from Jeff Lorber – the major label debut of his group, and the virtual blueprint for a sound that many would try to copy over the years, but never quite match! The style's almost a summation of the CTI/Kudu approaches of the mid 70s – with Lorber setting down a sweet groove in a variety of keyboards, working with bassist Danny Wilson and drummer Dennis Bradford to create some serenely spacious grooves that have a lot of polish, but also still a nice degree of soul. Guest players really open up things nicely – especially Dennis Springer, who plays a variety of saxes on the set – as well as Joe Farrell, Freddie Hubbard, and Doug Lewis. Titles include "Toad's Place", "Country", "Tune 88", "Lights Out", "Rain Dance", and "Water Sign". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album, put together to accompany one of Muhammad Ali's finest moments on the big screen – in a blend of music that's way deeper than the usual sounds you'd hear ringside! Michael Masser helmed the set – produced and wrote most of the material – but also with key contributions from George Benson, whose vocals grace some of the sweeter songs on the album – plus Mandrill, who help with some of the more hard-driving funky cuts! The set features the extended clubby groover "Ali Bombaye" – an almost Afro Funk-ish tune, performed by Mandrill – and other cuts include the mellower "I Always Knew I Had It In Me" and "The Greatest Love Of All", both sung by George Benson, plus "Ali's Theme", which is pretty nice. LP, Vinyl record album

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A nice Japanese collection – with an unusual cover image! Titles include "Words", "Valleri", "Shades Of Gray", "I Wanna Be Free", "Pleasant Valley Sunday", "Steppin Stone", "Star Collector", "She", "Last Train To Clarksville", and "Listen To The Band". LP, Vinyl record album

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With Master P, Mystikal, Phiness, and Silkk The Shocker. 12-inch, Vinyl record

New York Mary is a fusion combo with Bruce Johnstone on saxophones, Rick Petrone on bass, Joe Corsello on drums and percussion, Allan Zavod on keyboards, Donald Hahn on trumpet, and Tim Breen on guitar. LP, Vinyl record album

A disco sci-fi classic – as Gene Page takes John Williams' second big soundtrack hit of the 70s, and propells it along with a string-heavy club groove! The tune's got some nice moogy bits in the mix, some surprisingly funky rhythms at times, and a smooth soulful groove that's far more than we might have expected! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A classic – with Brinsley Schwarz on guitar, Jack Nitzsche on production, and titles that include "Protection", "Love Gets You Twisted", "Saturday Nite Is Dead", "Local Girls", "Discovering Japana", and "Waiting For The UFOs". LP, Vinyl record album

Solid funky work from Ray Parker Jr & Raydio – a set that's lean and focused, and still very much in the earlier Raydio groove! Parker's still a bit away from the spotlight at this point – leaving the band to have the strongest role in the record, which is a great thing, given how well they strike a soulful groove – blending funkier rhythms with smoother soul production, all to set Ray up for lead vocals. Titles include "Two Places At The Same Time", "It's Time To Party Now", "Can't Keep From Cryin", "For Those Who Like To Groove", and "Tonight's The Night". LP, Vinyl record album

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Includes the hometown favorite – the Chicago Bulls 'theme' music, "Sirius"– and of course, "Eye In The Sky". LP, Vinyl record album

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One of Iggy's better solo albums – with all the manic vocals you'd want and expect, but with some really cool production touches and oddball, yet accessible songs. You got love Iggy for kicking of a high stakes second album for Arista with a song about wanting a rubber dolly and hanging out with transvestites – flavored by a circus-y organ rather than blistering Stooges-style guitars. This was a man not kleen on repeating himself, and Soldier's still a fascinating effort. Includes "Loco Mosquito", "Ambition", "Knocking 'Em Down (In The City)", "Get Up & Get Out", "Mr Dynamite", "Play It Safe", "Take Care Of Me", "I Need More", "Dog Food", "I Snub You" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

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One of a rare few albums cut as a leader by reedman Dudu Pukwana – maybe best known for his role in the South African jazz group The Blue Notes, and an undeniable force on the London scene in the late 60s and early 70s! This special set is a great merging of both worlds – as Pukwana works here with older partners Mongezi Feza on trumpet and Louis Moholo on drums – but also gets help at times from other players of the London underground – Elton Dean on saxello, Nick Evans on trombone, and Keith Tippett on piano! But perhaps the two key players here are Lucky Ranko on guitar and Ernest Mothole on electric bass – both of whom provide a pulsing rhythm that brings more of a South African sense of groove to the music than some of Dudu's other more freely-improvised material with his famous group. Frank Roberts warms things up with some great work on keyboards too – and there's a definite South Africa via London vibe going on here – on titles that include "Madodana", "Diamond Express", "Tete & Barbs In My Mind", and "Ubaqile". LP, Vinyl record album

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A soaring, spacey set from the mighty David Sancious – one of his 70s albums that's almost a genre unto itself, given the many different elements that David mixes into the music – touches of jazz, fusion, funk, and soul – but also delivered with the proficiency you might find in a record by a prog player too! No surprise, Sancious has backgrounds in all of those scenes, and wraps that experience together wonderfully here – playing keyboards, guitar, and handling lead vocals – with some added vocal support by female singers who emphasize some of the more soulful aspects of the music when the other musicians step out to solo and jam! Titles include "Dance Of The Glory & Playfulness", "The Dawn", "Dance Of Serenity & Strength", "Gone Is The Veil Of Illusion", "Dance Of Gratitude & Devotion", and "Dance Of Purification". CD

With a long list of guest stars including Mary J Blige, Big Boi, Sean Paul, Joss Stone, Anthony Hamilton, Steven Tyler, Los Lonely Boys, will.i.am, and others. CD

A great little album that's often overshadowed by its hit – the 15 minute "B-Movie", which was sort of an overly-wrought protest piece about how the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980 was going to turn America into a bad b-movie. Not that that track's bad – although its politics have certainly dated by now – but the real strength of the album are the jazzy numbers, written in Gil's beautiful righteous style forged in the soul jazz underground of the 70s. These include the stellar "Is That Jazz?", a contemplative track about the future of the art form, a mellow version of Bill Withers' "Grandma's Hands", the moody "Storm Music", and "Gun", a good groover with a message about the right to bear arms. LP, Vinyl record album

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Titles include "Going Under", "People Have The Power", "Up There Down There", "The Jackson Song", "Dream Of Life", and "Where Duty Calls". LP, Vinyl record album

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Includes the classic "The Power"! CD

One of Lisa's greatest cuts, with a sweetly soaring hook that's a perfect example of the catchy grooves she could hit when she wanted to! Remixes by Gail Sky King – and the single is promo only. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A 70s gem from singer/songwriter Al Stewart – a set that was part of his long-overdue rise to global fame – after quietly giving the world a number of great and overlooked albums from the UK scene! The vibe here is similar to the preceding set – the classic Year Of The Cat – in that Al's got all of his sharp songwriting and very unique vocal phrasing intact – all set to sharp production that brings out the real strengths of his catchier moments, and certainly pushes Al far past the more Dylan-inspired territory of his earliest years. Titles include the wonderful title cut "Time Passages" – plus "Song On The Radio", "Life In Dark Water", "Valentina Way", "A Man For All Seasons", "Almost Lucy", "The Palace Of Versailles", and "Timeless Skies". LP, Vinyl record album

The biggest record that Al Stewart ever cut – as you no doubt know from the oft-played title track – but a set that also stands as a great testament to all the many years he'd been crafting fine music before fully getting the recognition he deserved! Stewart's got a way with words that's like few of his contemporaries – maybe a bit like Donovan, with whom he shares a similar vocal approach – and also a clear early love of Bob Dylan, yet an immediate evolution past that influence – so that the whole thing is very much in a world of Al's own, with some slight 70s mainstream production, but not enough to soften the music into more mainstream AOR – despite the fame of the hit. Titles include, of course, "Year Of The Cat", plus "One Stage Before", "Flying Sorcery", "Broadway Hotel", "Lord Grenville", "If It Doesn't Come Naturally Leave It", and "Midas Shadow". CD

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Excellent Revenant reissue that brings together the full set from Cecil's 1962 performance at Cafe Monmartre. He's playing here in a trio that has Jimmy Lyons on alto and Sonny Murray on drums, and the music's a key link between his later seventies stuff, and his earlier work that you can find on OJC reissues. The set has 2 takes of "Lena", plus "Trance", "What's New?", "Nefertiti, The Beautiful One Has Come", and "D Trad, That's What". CD

Excellent Artista/Freedom reissue that brings together the full set from Cecil's 1962 performance at Cafe Monmartre. He's playing here in a trio that has Jimmy Lyons on alto and Sonny Murray on drums, and the music's a key link between his later seventies stuff, and his earlier work that you can find on OJC reissues. The set has 2 takes of "Lena", plus "Trance", "What's New?", "Nefertiti, The Beautiful One Has Come", and "D Trad, That's What". With great liner notres, too! LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful free-flowing work by Cecil Taylor – and a key album to document his solo piano genius in the 70s! The album's an extended live performance, recorded at Montreux in 1974 – in an open, unbridled style that really shows the open spirit in Taylor's work at the time. The set includes one long piece, divided into 5 movements that include "Abyss", "Petals & Filaments", and "Crossing" – plus 2 shorter tracks "Jitney No 2" and "After All No 2". LP, Vinyl record album

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The Thompson Twins get some Nile Rodgers production! LP, Vinyl record album

Includes "Hold Me Now" and "Doctor Doctor". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes "If You Were Here", "Lies", "Love Is On Your Side", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

With Lil Jon and Sean Paul. 12-inch, Vinyl record

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Gino Vannelli still going strong well into the 80s – hitting this sweet blend of soul, rock, and crossover vibes – all in a style he virtually invented for himself in the 70s! The long perm look may have kept Gino out of crates in later years, but there's a top-quality feel to the record that's quite different than most of his contemporaries – a subtle sense of drama that's often undercut with a sense of soul, in ways that made Gino an undeniable influence on blue-eyed singers in years to come – as well as on a whole generation of R&B ballad singers too. Titles include "Santa Rosa", "Put The Weight On My Shoulders", "Stay With Me", "Sally", "Seek & You Shall Find", and "Living Inside Myself". CD

Beautiful solo work from Mal Waldron – a tribute to Billie Holiday, the singer with whom Waldron worked during the vinyl years of her life! LP, Vinyl record album

With Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder on "That's What Friends Are For". LP, Vinyl record album

An Arista groover from Dionne Warwick! Here she's working in warm, mature territory – a sound that's a bit more like the vibe she explored on her late 70s records – a maturing past the original Bacharach years, with an all-adult style that really works with her voice. Titles include duets with Johnny Mathis on "Got You Where I Want You" and "Friends In Love" – plus "Never Gonna Let You Go", "Can't Hide Love", "Betcha By Golly Wow", "More Than Fascination", "For You", and "A Love So Right". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet 80s soul from Dionne Warwick – an album that features a fair bit of production work from Barry Gibb – and a sometime sound that definitely shows his presence! The style here is smoother than Dionne in earlier years – with a nice undercurrent of jazz in the instrumentation, one that helps keep things hipper than you might expect – and which avoids a lot of the cliches of early 80s pop soul that might muck things up. Gibb's touch helps things glide nicely at times – a bit of that soulful Bee Gees flourish – and tracks include "Heartbreaker", "It Makes No Difference", "Take The Short Way Home", "Just One More Night", "You Are My Love", and "Our Day Will Come". CD

Great early 80s work from Dionne Warwick – mostly recorded live, with a slightly looser feel than some of her studio sets of the time! The double-length set features three sides live, and an additional set of studio material – and the live tracks are possibly the greatest in the bunch – as they show the aging Warwick really sparkling wonderfully in front of an enthusiastic crowd, stretching out naturally without too much studio adjustment to her voice. The set includes a 19 minute medley of older hits – 13 in all, packed in a very tight space – but even better are some of the more contemporary soul tunes, which are great when handled with Dionne's smoother tones. Titles include "What You Won't Do For Love/In The Stone", "Don't Make Me Over", "Deja Vu", "Easy Love", "There's A Long Road Ahead Of Us", "Some Changes Are For Good", and "Now We're Starting Over Again". CD