A great entry in the series that first put the Numero label on the map – their incredible Eccentric Soul exploration of very local scenes! As with previous volumes, this one focuses on a tiny imprint that put out some great music, but which escaped the attention of so many others away from ... LP, Vinyl record album(Funky Compilations LP)
Massive! This is probably the best-ever album of rollerskating grooves – and is the most famous entry into a short-lived funk genre that sprung up around the rollerskating craze of the late 70s and early 80s. The rollerskate sound took a tight stepping funk groove from earlier years, and ... LP, Vinyl record album(Soul LP)
Warm jazz vocals, and some great instrumentation too – thanks to work from the sublime 70s bassist Isao Suzuki! Singer Noriko Miyamoto's on the cover, but the album's got the same great glow as Isao's other albums of the decade – a really refreshing approach to jazz arrangements, with ... CD(Vocalists CD)
A fantastic entry in this excellent series – in part because more than half of the music here appears for the first time ever! Yet despite the unreleased status of the tracks, they definitely live up to the "masterpieces" promised by the title – great grooves from a time when ... CD(Soul CD)
A real landmark of bad-walking soul – one of two rare albums cut by vocalist Esther Marrow, easily one of the hardest singing sisters of her generation! Esther's got roots in gospel, but she's singing here in a righteous mode that features plenty of funky undercurrents in the backings – ... CD(Soul CD)
One of the few American releases by this legendary Japanese fusion artist – and a pretty funky little record as well! Ryo Kawasaki plays lead guitar and the very cool "string synthesizer" on the set – making for a sweet mix of electric grooves that has some really great ... CD(Jazz CD)
A great little modern soul group, and one who've got a style that's all their own – maybe one that comes from their mix of St Louis roots and the California release of this rare debut album – a set that showcases that blend with organ from the mighty Oliver Sain, and bass from ... LP, Vinyl record album(Soul LP)
Quite possibly the greatest soul band ever to come out of Milwaukee – and a tight little ensemble who've got a really great sound! The overall feel of their work is a bit hard to peg – as the group are equally great at mellow midtempo group numbers as they are at tighter, clubbier ... LP, Vinyl record album(Soul LP)
Mid 70s magic from the Mighty Two – the team of Joe Gibbs and Errol Thompson, who together here craft a set of tracks that are very much at the top of the roots reggae generation! The work is a nice shift from the more polished styles at the bigger labels – lean energy that comes from ... CD(Reggae CD)
A jazzy tribute to the mighty Madlib – one that serves up a swirling mix of vibes, Fender Rhodes, and drums that really remind us of some of his best early side projects in the early days of Stones Throw! The groove is nice and lean, and Fred's at the helm of the group on drums and ... LP, Vinyl record album(Deep Funk LP)
A set that brings together the earliest music by Ghost Funk Orchestra – previously only out there in the digital world and on cassette, and a great start to the legacy of the group! As with some of their recent albums, the vibe here is a spooky take on deep funk – bits of psychedelic ... CD(Deep Funk CD)
NSI stands for "new sounds from the islands" – and that's definitely what you'll get here from this combo who serve up a fantastic blend of Antilles rhythms and contemporary club funk – all very much in the best spirit of the early zouk movement at the time! There's lots of ... LP, Vinyl record album(Global Grooves LP)
Seminal sounds from the Nigerian scene at the start of the 70s – music from the key figure of Celestine Ukwu, an artist who helped to reinvigorate the highlife style of years past, and pave the way for Afro Funk changes in years to come! Celestine's sound is nice and lean here – very ... LP, Vinyl record album(Global Grooves LP)
That's the later Kool & The Gang logo on the front cover, but this killer set brings together all their greatness from the early days – a fantastic run of funk that set a whole new standard for the 70s! Right from the start, the group had something different going on – a leaner, ... CD(Soul CD)
Hammond-heavy funk from Scone City Players – a group led by organist Adam Scone, and featuring work from The Dap-Kings and Menahan Street Band – all of whom do a fantastic job of giving the organ lines some really massive support! There's a raw vibe here that takes us back to some of ... CD(Deep Funk CD)
One of the better albums on the Alligator Records label from Chicago – a set by Fenton Robinson that's not far different from his earlier work on the 77/Sound Stage Seven label – which means that there's more of a southern soul vibe to the record at times than some of the more crowd-plea ... LP, Vinyl record album(Blues LP)
A South African jazz set from the end of the 60s, but one with a different vibe than some of the rest – as the group have a lean style that still also seems to mix a fair bit of Township elements in with the jazz – which makes for tracks that have a wonderfully playful mix of modes, and ... LP, Vinyl record album(Jazz LP)
Wonderful work from Leon Thomas – easily one of his greatest albums ever, and a set that was recorded at the same time he was working with Pharoah Sanders! Thomas really rose to fame on Sanders' classic "The Creator Has A Master Plan" – and this set really takes off from that ... LP, Vinyl record album(Vocalists LP)
Heady sounds from Curtis Knight – the American soul singer who's maybe best known for 60s collaborations with a young Jimi Hendrix – recording here with a UK group named Zeus, who have an equally legendary guitarist in the lineup – the great Eddie Clarke, who'd later rise to fame ... LP, Vinyl record album(Soul LP)
Two reed geniuses, working together in sublime formation – an extended, open live performance setting – which makes for incredible interplay throughout! There's a beautiful balance between unity and conflict going on here – Evan Parker and Joe McPhee both blowing soprano and ... CD(Jazz CD)