Fantastic funky soul from a very mysterious figure – Georgia's Nathan Bartell, a singer with a deep soul style, and an under-exposed legacy that mostly involves a few indie label singles, and countless work in the smaller clubs of his state! The blend of music here is a bit different than most collections of this nature – as Nathan's work spans both the hard-hitting funky 45 world of the 70s, and the emerging groove styles of the 80s – which means that the record begins with the kind of funky material you'd guess from other southern singles of the time, then moves into midtempo modern soul that's more in the territory of Leon Ware! The mix of modes is a great testament to the under-recognized strengths of Bartell – an artist who kept on growing, even if the rest of the world wasn't paying attention at the time. Titles include "I Feel It Coming", "Top Going Down Bottom Going Up", "Moving On", "Some One Like You", "Ooh Baby I Love You", "Mystery Lady", "I Want Your Love", "See Me Cry", "If I Could Win Your Love", and "Jody & John". CD

LaRombe Baker hails from Philly, but he's best known for his late 70s work on the LA scene – a place where he was continually bubbling under, but never fully got the chance he deserved! Hearing this set, it's clear that LaRombe was one of the great almost-rans of his generation – an artist with the chops to record great soul material without the supervision of any major label or big producer – yet one without the savvy to get such music into the hands of a force that would give it the place it deserved! According to the notes, Baker came to close to working with Motown, Solar, and Curtom – but maybe the fact that those labels passed on tracks as great as these is what makes them so special – a beautifully balanced album of boogie numbers and mellow soul tracks – well-written, beautifully arranged, and topped with great vocals from the man himself. The set's one to put next to your gems from Leon Ware and Ronnie McNeir from back in the day – and titles include "It's All In Your Mind", "Sweet Sensation", "Spread My Wings", "In The Light", "U R The 1", "The Ultimate", and an alternate take of his one issued single "You're The Best". CD

Southern funk from the end of the 60s – served up by a great little combo that features the raspy voice of Ike Noble in the lead, and some great backings from the well-named Uptights! The tracks here are on the rawer side of the Stax Records sound – gritty and groovy, with that great mix of deep funk in the rhythms and raw soul in the lyrics that the Memphis scene could do so well – maybe even better here from Ike and the group, who worked across the river in Arkansas! This is the first-ever full length set to look at Noble's music with the Uptights – and titles include "Good Thing", "Money Won't Change You", "It's Bad", "I Take What I Want", "Foxy Mama", "Look A Little Higher", "She's Got To Be Loved", "Just A Dream", "To Love Me Like You Do", "There's Gonna Be A Better Day Coming", "That's The Sound Of My Heart", and "That's What I Get". LP, Vinyl record album

We're not sure if Arthur Ponder ever really got crowned prince on the Georgia scene of the early 80s – but given the class and quality of the tracks on this set, he definitely comes across like some sort of royalty! In truth, only a few of the songs here were ever issued at the time – a bit of solo material, and some that feature Arthur working with the group Sideshow – both of which have a modern soul update of older deep southern modes – killer vocals from Ponder in the lead, set to arrangements that are sometimes warm, sometimes mellow, and occasionally done with more of an upbeat groove! The package is the first-ever full length to showcase the music of Ponder – and titles include "Sexy Lady", "You Are The One For Me", "It's You Girl", "You Talk Too Much", "Lonely Girl", "If You Want My Love", "Let's Get Together For The Wrong We Have Done", and "Whatcha Gone Do About It". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare sounds from the Nashville scene, but hardly the Tennessee soul you'd expect – as Lee Tracy and Isaac Manning work here on a set of home-recorded tracks that have a very lean, electronic vibe overall – nicely mixed up and messed-up, with a style that's uniquely their own! There's certainly some inspiration here from 80s soul modes like boogie and electro, but Tracy and Manning have weaned things down to their core elements, and almost create some sort of futurist take on the music – a stark sci-fi approach to soul, and one that maybe feels a lot more like some sort of contemporary creation than you'd guess from home tapes from back in the day! Some tracks are warmer and vocal, some more instrumental and electronic – and the music is a fascinating blend of modes, served up on tracks that include "Talk To Me Girl", "Hope You Understand", "Look Out Here I Come", "Take My Hand", "Have A Great Day", "I Love My Mama", "Booty Head/Take A Little Walk", and "Talk Around Town". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet selection of lovers rock tracks that take on big soul hits of the 70s – tunes that often have a bubbling bit of reggae in the rhythms, but which always feature a strong soul-based singer right up front! The tunes offer up not just a great example of the way that lovers rock could transform American soul when it was at its best – but also bring together some lesser-known gems of the genre – which sound way better to our ears than some of the more commercially produced lovers work of the time! The package is maybe even better than the fantastic first volume from the label – and titles include "Just The Two Of Us" by Lorna Fletcher, "Fool's Paradise" by Valerie Harrison, "Don't Keep Me Waiting" by Chosen Few, "Blood's Thicker Than Water" by Trevor Walters, "Holding Back The Years" by Pete Campbell, and "Smile" by Toyin Adekale. Note: This revised edition of Vol 2 features the new cut "Don't Look Any Further" by Byron Walker & Sandra Edwards. CD

A sweet selection of lovers rock tracks that take on big soul hits of the 70s – tunes that often have a bubbling bit of reggae in the rhythms, but which always feature a strong soul-based singer right up front! The tunes offer up not just a great example of the way that lovers rock could transform American soul when it was at its best – but also bring together some lesser-known gems of the genre – which sound way better to our ears than some of the more commercially produced lovers work of the time! The package is maybe even better than the fantastic first volume from the label – and titles include "Just The Two Of Us" by Lorna Fletcher, "Fool's Paradise" by Valerie Harrison, "Don't Keep Me Waiting" by Chosen Few, "Blood's Thicker Than Water" by Trevor Walters, "Holding Back The Years" by Pete Campbell, and "Smile" by Toyin Adekale. Note: This revised edition of Vol 2 features the new cut "Don't Look Any Further" by Byron Walker & Sandra Edwards. LP, Vinyl record album

If you don't know the music of Brief Encounter, prepare for a revelation – as the group were relatively obscure, even back in their prime – but managed to cut some of the hippest soul records that were ever issued on the Carolina scene! Brief Encounter aren't southern soul or combo funk – although they can handle the best elements of both modes – and instead, they've got this wonderfully wide-ranging sound that allows them to embrace so many rich styles at once – equally great on a ballad as on a groover, and as vocally sensitive as they are musically intense. The group only issued one full album back in the day – reissued successfully over the years – but this package brings together all their rare singles, including one from the early Sounds Of Soul incarnation of the group. Titles include "Where Will I Go", "Get A Good Feeling", "In A Very Special Way", "Human", "Total Satisfaction", "I'm So In Love With You", "We're Going To Make It", "I Want You So Much", "I'm Crazy About You", and "What About Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the most amazing work we've heard so far from Greg Foat – and that's really saying a lot, as the British keyboardist has given us some really incredible records over the years! The work's got a more ambitious vibe than some of Greg's straighter jazz sets – with large arrangements that also bring in voices at times – used in a really haunting way that's part late 60s Chess/Cadet Records, part acid folk – even though the instrumentation is mostly jazz overall! The core group also features this great mix of older British jazz giants and contemporary musicians – the legendary Ray Russell on guitar, with Duncan Lamont on tenor, Art Themen on soprano and tenor, Nat Steele on vibes, Warren Hampshire (of Hampshire & Foat) on guitar and percussion, and Moses Boyd, Clark Tracey, and Malcolm Catto on drums! Lamont is especially great – with these old school tenor solos that bring a strong current of soul to the more complex arrangements – and Foat himself plays piano, keyboards, and harmonium. Titles include versions of Tim Buckley's "Driftin" and Piero Piccioni's "Endless Love" – plus originals "The Mage", "The High Priestess", "Incantation", and "The Magic Radish". LP, Vinyl record album

Igloo Records was a teeny tiny label on the LA scene of the early 70s – but all of its releases turned out to be killers – most handled by the hip-looking Leon Gardner on the cover! The music is often heavy with the kind of deep funk you'd expect from rare singles at the time – but Gardner also has an ear for more complex sounds at times, and brings in some jazz moments that really give the Igloo titles a unique vibe – always with plenty of grit in the grooves, as befits a small indie label – but with an ear for the music that also makes us wonder what Gardner could have done, had someone given him the keys to a bigger label and studio for his productions! We'd love a bit more in the way of notes – but that's to be expected, as Leon was somewhat of a mysterious figure – and the music is more than great enough on its own, with titles that include "Farm Song", "Be There", "My Love Is Growing", "Who Are You", "Beef Jerky", "Tuff Lover", "Wonderful World Of Children", "You Gonna Cry", and "You Don't Care" by Leon Gardner himself – plus "You're My Love" by Eddie Lewis, "I've Cried" by The Jhamels, and "Petty Cash" and "Ropeokra" by Wallace Petty Combo. CD

Two soulful cuts, both reworked – part of this great series from Athens Of The North! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A very cool collaboration between Greg Foat and James Thorpe – a set that's billed more as a sound library session than some of Foat's other jazz projects – even though the sound is equally appealing if you love those records too! The set is self-described as "futuristic analogue cosmic synth library cues for TV, film, and radio" – but it's also got a much warmer sound than you might expect, very much in keeping with the natural image on the cover – as Foat and Thorpe eschew some of the colder keyboard styles of other library records, and instead really let things glow with that organic vibe that usually informs Greg's music, as gentle rhythms set the pace for Fender Rhodes, Hohner pianet, and a host of Korg and Roland keys. There's also a touch of vibes, some field recordings, and other cool touches – on tracks that include "Balloon Ride", "Circadian Rhythms", "Grockle Box", "Living The Dream", "Platform Game", "Stacey's Theme", and "Elementary Physiology (parts 1 & 2)". CD

One of the most unique albums to ever come out of the Miami soul scene of the 70s – a sublime set of work that we'd easily rank right up there with the best material of the time from Donny Hathaway or Stevie Wonder! Milton Wright has a really jazzy groove to his music – and he mixes his own acoustic guitar lines with warm keyboards and unusual rhythms that often have a bit of synth or moog – never too much, and almost more of a Mizell-like touch, but a bit more understated overall! The cuts are wonderfully written – quite righteous, almost with a Terry Callier sort of sensitivity – and Milton's vocals more than have the chops to live up to the heady batch of artists we're comparing him to in these notes. The sound is amazing throughout – one of those soul records that feels like nothing else you've ever heard, but which you can't live without once you've heard it! Titles include "Friends & Buddies", "Keep It Up", "Brothers & Sisters", "Get No Lovin' Tonight", "Po Man", "Black Man", and "Silence That You Keep". This amazing package not only features the 10 track album that was originally issued – but also a special 8 track first version of the album, with a different track sequence and different mix too. Consider it a double-take on this long lasting soul treasure from the 70s! CD

Fantastic funky soul from a very mysterious figure – Georgia's Nathan Bartell, a singer with a deep soul style, and an under-exposed legacy that mostly involves a few indie label singles, and countless work in the smaller clubs of his state! The blend of music here is a bit different than most collections of this nature – as Nathan's work spans both the hard-hitting funky 45 world of the 70s, and the emerging groove styles of the 80s – which means that the record begins with the kind of funky material you'd guess from other southern singles of the time, then moves into midtempo modern soul that's more in the territory of Leon Ware! The mix of modes is a great testament to the under-recognized strengths of Bartell – an artist who kept on growing, even if the rest of the world wasn't paying attention at the time. Titles include "I Feel It Coming", "Top Going Down Bottom Going Up", "Moving On", "Some One Like You", "Ooh Baby I Love You", "Mystery Lady", "I Want Your Love", "See Me Cry", "If I Could Win Your Love", and "Jody & John". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic Latin soul from the late 60s New York scene – two tracks with superb arrangements by Hector Rivera! David Coleman's got a great voice – raspy, but strong – really soaring out on the lyrics to "Drown My Heart" while the band has all these sharp, edgey, downturning grooves! "My Foolish Heart" is a killer remake of the standard – one taken in a completely new way by Rivera's Latin arrangements – which build and build along with the vocals! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A warm modern soul groove with plenty of charm – the kind of tune that's well put-together but never too smooth! There's a perfect sensibility to the whole thing – lightly funky rhythms, jazzy horns, and riffing guitar – all setting up the hook beautifully before the vocals come into the mix and really win us over! "Blame It On Me" is a mellower track, but a wonderful one too – really great vocals in the lead, with harmony backup – all in a slow-burner that makes for a mellow soul masterpiece! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Spacey sounds from the dream team of Warren Hampshire and Greg Foat – a set that feels a bit like music that Foat previously recorded under his own name, but which also has a more spiritual sound overall! Hampshire plays guitar and auto harp, and Foat plays Fender Rhodes, vibes, and other keyboards – but those instruments are just part of the sound here – as there's also some added strings, tenor, and other elements from time to time – inflecting the music with a visionary quality that reminds us of some of the more freethinking records coming out in the early 70s – especially the kind of small label sets that were years ahead of their time, and only finally getting their due all these many years later. The presentation of the package echoes the style of older Michael Garrick material on the UK Argo Records – and there's definitely a depth here to live up to that spirit, but also a warmer vibe overall. Titles include "How The Nights Can Fly", "Lullaby", "The Solar Winds", "A Long Way Home", and "All Washed Up". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Too young to have caught a 70s funk band in the clubs? Here's the solution – a rare performance by a cool combo from Tulsa – captured live in a very hip club setting! The mode here is different than sounds experienced on a funky 45 – as the tracks are open, long, and have a nicely jamming vibe – really pushing towards the 10 minute mark on each track, as the group lets their instrumental interplay flow, peppering the performance with lyrics to egg the instruments on! The group features Fender Rhodes, riffing guitar, bass, and drums – plus two lead singers, and a sometime female backup – on the original cuts "Love Everything About You", "Valentine Love", "Just A Song", and "Keep On Smiling". LP, Vinyl record album

LaRombe Baker hails from Philly, but he's best known for his late 70s work on the LA scene – a place where he was continually bubbling under, but never fully got the chance he deserved! Hearing this set, it's clear that LaRombe was one of the great almost-rans of his generation – an artist with the chops to record great soul material without the supervision of any major label or big producer – yet one without the savvy to get such music into the hands of a force that would give it the place it deserved! According to the notes, Baker came to close to working with Motown, Solar, and Curtom – but maybe the fact that those labels passed on tracks as great as these is what makes them so special – a beautifully balanced album of boogie numbers and mellow soul tracks – well-written, beautifully arranged, and topped with great vocals from the man himself. The set's one to put next to your gems from Leon Ware and Ronnie McNeir from back in the day – and titles include "It's All In Your Mind", "Sweet Sensation", "Spread My Wings", "In The Light", "U R The 1", "The Ultimate", and an alternate take of his one issued single "You're The Best". LP, Vinyl record album