Funky funky Bobby! "Gotta Have Money" is a fast bluesy number – done in a fast vamp mode, one that really works well with Bobby's vocals, and gives the tune an almost sock-boogaloo style. "Camel Walk" is the real groover though – with bass picking around a nice complicated groove, very jumping in that "camel walk" mode from the late 60s! 7-inch, Vinyl record

One of Bobby's greatest albums – a mix of electric blues and southern soul, forged in the heat of the Malaco studios in Jackson! The album's titled after Rush's incredible 8 minute track "Sue" – a tale of young love that has a hilarious monologue in the middle about this "high stool/low stool" trick that's worth the price of the album alone. Other tracks include "Think (parts 1 & 2)", "Talk To Your Daughter", "In The Morning", "Straddle The Fence", and "Be Still". LP, Vinyl record album

Matt Murphy is a hell of a guitarist – one with roots in Memphis, and many years of work on the Chicago electric scene – where he recorded as a key session man during the 50s, on a range of classic tracks you'll hear on this set! In truth, Murphy maybe never got his full due a as a frontline name until later work in the Blues Brothers – but here, as a much younger musician, he's still completely on fire – adding his skills to tracks by some of the biggest names of the time! Titles include "Slim's Blues", "Lend Me Your Love", "Sassy Mae", "Lonesome", "I'll Just Keep On Singing The Blues", "Four Years Of Torment", and "Little Piece Of Mind" by Memphis Slim; "Lonesome Room Blues" and "Messin With The Man" by Muddy Waters; "You're My Angel" and "Bad Women Bad Whiskey" by Junior Parker; "Drifting From Town To Town" and "Good Lovin" by Bobby Blue Bland; "Do Yourself A Favor" and "You Never Miss Your Water" by Billy The Kid Emerson – and more with Chuck Berry, Otis Rush, and Earl Forrest! CD

The great Harold Mabern kicks it hard with a key core group – then finds a way to open up with some surprise guest artists as well – including singers Gregory Porter, Kurt Elling, Jane Monheit, and Norah Jones! The core of the album features Mabern's piano rocketing out with rhythm from John Webber on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums – and getting some strong tenor work from the mighty Eric Alexander – and as the set goes on, the group also brings in Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, Peter Bernstein on guitar, and Steve Turre on trombone. But the key force here is the singers – especially Porter and Elling, who seem to find an old school space with the group that really takes them back to their roots. Elling sings on "You Needed Me", "Portrait Of Jennie", and "Billie's Bounce"'; Porter sings on "Afro Blue" and "The Man From Hyde Park"; Monheit sings on "I'll Take Romance" and "My One & Only Love"; and Norah Jones sings on "Don't Misunderstand" and "Fools Rush In". CD also features Alexis Cole on "Such Is Life" – and the instrumental tracks "The Chief", "Mozzin", and "Bobby Benny Jymie Lee Bu". CD

A classic set from this legendary Detroit festival – a mighty assemblage of roots and jazz performers that was put together by John Sinclair! The event was legendary at the time – and has lived on strongly via this great recording by Atlantic – one that really gets at the special fire of all the performers, and their very enthusiastic welcome by the audience too! Most of the material here is blues – but the set features a key track from Sun Ra & His Solar Myth Arkestra – a performance of "Live Is Splendid" from the Space Is The Place Suite. Other tracks include "I Walk On Gilded Splinters" by Dr John, "Road Runner" by Jr Walker, "Wang Dang Doodle" by Koko Taylor, "Gambler's Blues" by Otis Rush, "Ain't That Loving You" by Bobby Blue Bland, "Honey Bee" by Muddy Waters, "Form Kinetic" by CJQ, "Dust My Broom" by Johnny Shines, and "Goin Down" by Freddie King. CD

A very well-titled set – and the best so far in this cutting-edge series! The "beats and pieces" this time around are mostly underground club tracks from the past few years – the cream of the crop of the best bits that hit our New Grooves section, often served up in harder-to-find mixes that represent the best version of the tunes so far! There's no overall stylistic logic to the set, which is what makes it so great – as mellow soul steps into funky club, into spacey fusion, global house, 21st century groove, then dancefloor jazz! 2CD set features 22 tracks that include "Wake Up" by Herbert, "La Malanga (Kenny Dope rmx)" by Bobby Hutcherson, "Fall Into You" by Stateless, "Hot In Here" by Tiga with Jake Shears, "Take Off (Nicola Conte's Campi's Idea version)" by Nathan Haines and Marco Di Marco, "Bukom Mashie" by Oscar Sulley & The Uhuru Dance Band, "Somebody New" by Georg Levin with Clara Hill, "Besides Myself" by DJ Shaheer Williams, "Timbuktu" by Pan African Electronic Beats, "Someone To Love" by Crusho, "Love & War (version)" by Amp Fiddler, "Forty Days" by Billy Brooks, and "Fall Into You" by Stateless. CD

A very well-titled set – and the best so far in this cutting-edge series! The "beats and pieces" this time around are mostly underground club tracks from the past few years – the cream of the crop of the best bits that hit our New Grooves section, often served up in harder-to-find mixes that represent the best version of the tunes so far! There's no overall stylistic logic to the set, which is what makes it so great – as mellow soul steps into funky club, into spacey fusion, global house, 21st century groove, then dancefloor jazz! 2CD set features 22 tracks that include "Wake Up" by Herbert, "La Malanga (Kenny Dope rmx)" by Bobby Hutcherson, "Fall Into You" by Stateless, "Hot In Here" by Tiga with Jake Shears, "Take Off (Nicola Conte's Campi's Idea version)" by Nathan Haines and Marco Di Marco, "Bukom Mashie" by Oscar Sulley & The Uhuru Dance Band, "Somebody New" by Georg Levin with Clara Hill, "Besides Myself" by DJ Shaheer Williams, "Timbuktu" by Pan African Electronic Beats, "Someone To Love" by Crusho, "Love & War (version)" by Amp Fiddler, "Forty Days" by Billy Brooks, and "Fall Into You" by Stateless. CD

Includes tracks by Eddie Cochran, Ritchie Valens, Billy Storm, Ricky Nelson, Skeeter Davis, Brian Hyland, Dale Ward, Larry Finnegan, Bobby Darin, Percy Faith, and The Flamingos. CD

A pair of funky jazz sets from Bennie Maupin – '77's Slow Traffic To The Right and '78's Moonscapes – together in a single set! Slow Traffic To The Right is Maupin's first LP for Mercury, and a great bit of spiritual funky jazz that recalls a lot of the sound of his work with The Headhunters. The first track, "It Remains to Be Seen", is an excellent groover, with some very dark keyboard work by Patrice Rushen, and the rest of the tracks are pretty great too. Pat Gleeson produced and plays synth on the LP, and the cuts include "Quasar", "You Know the Deal", "Water Torture", and "Lament". Next up is Moonscapes – a really great solo set from the great Bennie Maupin – part of an excellent run of records as a leader, cut during the stretch when he was riding to great fame with The Headhunters! The vibe here is deeper and more spiritual than his work with that group – still somewhat influenced by the Herbie Hancock electric years – with loads of wonderful keyboards from Bobby Lyle – but also stretched out with these spacious solos from Bennie on soprano, tenor, bass clarinet, and flute! Maupin also throws in a bit of electronics, too – as does the mighty Pat Gleeson, who produced the record, and also adds in some great keyboard work to give the whole thing a spacey edge that really lives up to the title and cover. Titles include "Nightwatch", "Sansho Shima", "Anua", and "Just Give It Some Time". CD