The best album yet from Anthony Hamilton – one of major label soul's saving graces of the mid 00s – and one of the few cats out there making records that melds an organic groove with production that's crisp & poppin'! Anthony's songs dip into the time-honored soul style of songs about love and the heartbreaking loss of it – but there's an easygoing groove to the sound that transcends subject matter – and a consistency that eludes most of his contemporaries! Nice stuff from a major talent! Tracks include "Where Did It Go Wrong?", "Southern Stuff", "Can't Let Go", "Ain't Nobody Worryin'", "Pass Me Over", "Sista Big Bones", "Never Love Again", "I Know What Love's All About" and more. CD

A really strong debut from Anthony Hamilton – easily the strongest album we've ever heard on the usually much more commercial So So Def label! Anthony seriously vibrates the rich depth of southern soul on every cut here, as filtered through late-model natural hip hop beats and vibes. He's definitely influenced by Erykah Badu's sound and Voodoo-era D'Angelo (which HAS to be the most influential serious soul album of the last decade or so), but the groove is a lot sweeter and less tortured than D's. It's really warm and inviting all the way through – crisp beats, tight keys, bass and percussion, and light guitar accent Anthony's lilting and layered vocals very nicely. All of the elements are just familiar enough to let you cozy up to the material right off the bat, but Hamilton's his own man here – nothing's directly bitten, just nicely approximated. Tracks include "Mama Knew Love", "Cornbread, Fish and Collared Greens", "Since I Seen't You", "Charlene", "I'm A Mess", "Comin' From Where I'm From", "Lucille", "Float", "My First Love" and more. A nice record from the not-so-dirty south! CD

A Def Jam classic from Tashan – and a record that really helped bridge the gap between male soul and hip hop in the 80s! The style's still as warm and soulful as most of Tashan's contemporaries, but the record definitely shows a bit of street soul in the rhythms too – often just a bit gentle, but prefacing the changes that would come more strongly in the next decade – an aspect that really made this one stand out from the rest! Tashan's vocals are in a classic romantic mode, but often set to beats that provide a nice contrast and a good sort of punch – a definite Def Jam mode that's famously heard on the title track. Titles include "Ooh We Baby", "So Much In Love", "I Don't Ever", "Love Is", "Read My Mind", "If Words Can Express", "Chasin A Dream", and "Strung Out On You". CD

Classic work from Nina Simone – and an album that definitely lives up to its title! Nina Simone certainly emerged as the high priestess of soul during her monumental stretch for Philips Records in the 60s – as she moved way past jazz, way past some of the folk she'd begun tapping into, and into this new righteous territory that paved the way for countless other hip singers to come! Simone does a great job of mixing gutbuckety roots with hipper, 60s soul inflections – and the set's a treasure trove of great tunes – including her awesome reading of "Work Song", plus "Brown Eyed Handsome Man", "Come Ye", "I Hold No Grudge", "I'm Going Back Home", "I'm Gonna Leave You", "Take Me To The Water", and "The Gal From Joe's". CD

A fantastic set from a singer who really should have gotten bigger fame at the time – an artist who played keyboards with Doug Sahm, and definitely absorbed some of that Texas brew of sounds – but who also has a soulful style that's very much his own when he steps out in the lead! Part of the album's strength is its soul-drenched arrangements from Harold Batiste – served up in a way that might well make the set Wayne Talbert's most soulful at the time – although as with the others, there's some original material here that's especially nice, and quite unusual – and which really works well with his raspy vocals! Titles include "I Put A Spell On You", "She Put The Hurt On Me", "Trouble", "Take Another Look", "Mr Barley Corn", "I Found A Little Girl", "Don't You Know Little Girl", "Getting Married Soon", "Life's Windows", and "Crankiola Narcissis Buds". CD

A massive tribute to the genius of soul in the Windy City – a wonderful compilation that really gets at the special sound Chicago brought into play during the early years of soul! The set is filled with key cuts from the Chi-town scene of the time – some of them lesser-known that the famous hits always associated with our hometown – and beautifully selected to really capture a moment when soul music was first starting to come together as a style! You can definitely hear roots from Chicago blues, gospel, and R&B in the cuts – but they're definitely all soul, all the way through – a killer batch of nuggets that manages to offer up fresh bits from some big names, and uncover some great cuts by some less familiar folks. The package features full track-by-track notes on the tunes by Bill Dahl – and titles include "Tragic" by The Sheppards, "At The Party "by Wade Flemons, "Hi Diddley Dee Dum Dum" By The Dells, "Tell Him" by The Drew-Vels, "I've Got A Girl" by Major Lance, "Senorita I Love You" by The Impressions, "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" by Don & Bob, "My Heart Cries" by Etta & Harvey, "Isle Of Sirens" by Jerry Butler, "Enchanted Garden" by The Accents, "You've Got A Great Love" by The Chanteurs, "Father Knows Best" by The Radiants, "Let Em Try" by Rosco Gordon, "Behind The Curtains" by Jan Bradley, and "Puppy Love" by Barbara Lewis. CD

A great look at an obscure indie soul label from the Cleveland scene at the end of the 60s – and a company that's definitely a cut above, given that it released some early O'Jays singles in the years before their crossover fame in the 70s – and members of that group also wrote a fair bit of singles for the label too! Besides a tie to the O'Jays, the Saru label also had a tight, well-chosen roster – one that really helped make Cleveland a hotbed for sweet soul at the time – easily competing with the hippest singers and groups from Philly, New York, and New Jersey – thanks to a string of excellent 45s on both the Saru imprint, and related Horoscope Records! As usual with Numero, the whole package is filled with fantastic details and photos that are as compelling as the music itself – and as for the music, this time around the Numero folks really get to the heart of the matter with a non-stop array of excellent material – not unreleased tapes, but killer 45s that really show Saru as a hell of a great soul label during its short run of records. Titles include "For The Rest Of My Life" and "Tears Don't Care Who Cry" by The Out Of Sights, "I Believe" and "Are You Man Enough" by Sir Stanely, "Stand In For Love" and "Love's Needed" by Pandella Kelly, "Come Back Boy" and "The Last Time" by The Ba-Roz, "Bound" and "I Remember You" by Ponderosa Twins, "Just To Be With You" and "Got To Make It Right" by Elements, "Can't Make It Without You" by Michael Bell, "Got To Get My Broom Out" by David Peoples, "Just To Be With You" by Bobby Dukes, and "Now He's Home" and "Shattered Man" by The O'Jays. CD

Killer soul from a tiny label on a tiny scene – the small Tammy Records imprint, not to be confused with Motown partner Tamla – a really great indie from the Youngstown scene in east Ohio, and a company who cut some killer soul in the 60s and 70s! The label seem to have an especially great ear for group soul – both the 60s variety and the 70s mellow soul approach – and the album's filled with cresting harmonies that really blow us away, and which are definitely a new discovery to our ears – as we'd never heard any of this material before! If you dig east coast soul of the New Jersey/Philly style from the 60s and 70s, you'll find plenty to love here – on a nicely unified set, as much of the work comes from a small band of artists. Titles include "I Finally Found True Love" and "Hesitate One Time For Me" by Lynn Minor & His Band, "Shakin It Down (part 1)" by Steel City Band, "Oh Love" and "Give Me A Little Taste Of Your Love (part 2)" by Iron Knowledge, "Wonderful To Be Loved" by Ice Cold Love, "Should I Believe You" by The Snapshots, and the cuts "True Love Is Hard To Find", "Angel's Theme", "Nightmare Strut", "He's Got To Go", and "Dance Party (part 1)" by JC & The Soul Angels. LP, Vinyl record album

Killer soul from a tiny label on a tiny scene – the small Tammy Records imprint, not to be confused with Motown partner Tamla – a really great indie from the Youngstown scene in east Ohio, and a company who cut some killer soul in the 60s and 70s! The label seem to have an especially great ear for group soul – both the 60s variety and the 70s mellow soul approach – and the album's filled with cresting harmonies that really blow us away, and which are definitely a new discovery to our ears – as we'd never heard any of this material before! If you dig east coast soul of the New Jersey/Philly style from the 60s and 70s, you'll find plenty to love here – on a nicely unified set, as much of the work comes from a small band of artists. Titles include "I Finally Found True Love" and "Hesitate One Time For Me" by Lynn Minor & His Band, "Shakin It Down (part 1)" by Steel City Band, "Oh Love" and "Give Me A Little Taste Of Your Love (part 2)" by Iron Knowledge, "Wonderful To Be Loved" by Ice Cold Love, "Should I Believe You" by The Snapshots, and the cuts "True Love Is Hard To Find", "Angel's Theme", "Nightmare Strut", "He's Got To Go", and "Dance Party (part 1)" by JC & The Soul Angels. LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool set, and one that goes way past the usual 60s soul and pop modes that usually define a girl group compilation – as this one goes way way back, and traces female harmony modes from the early swing years onwards – served up in a massive 82 track package that's overflowing with surprises! The material really shows the evolution of the mode in a great way – mixing early 78rpm tracks with postwar 45s and LP titles – in modes that include jazz, soul, R&B, and pop – all supported by the usual great French and English notes that we love from this label! CD3 features all early 60s material, with a few decades spanned on the previous 2CDs – work by artists who include Daindridge Sisters, Angels, Blossoms, Cookies, Poni-Tails, Bonnie Sisters, Beverly Sisters, Clark Sisters, Shirley Gunter & The Queens, Paulette Sisters, Chordettes, Raelettes, Quin-Tones, Paris Sisters, Royalettes, Starletts, Charmaines, Dinning Siters, Fontaine Sisters, Boswell Sisters, The Enchanters, and others. CD

A massive batch of boogaloo gems – all wrapped up in one mighty package! Tico Records was one of the first great New York indie labels to focus on Latin music in the postwar years – and by the time of the huge late 60s boom in the world of Latin Soul, the label were definitely in a great position to turn out some killer work from a variety of artists! Some of the label's artists were aging, but reinvigorated by the energy of the younger generation – who also got access to the top shelf Tico presentation, as they brought in some of the best soul styles from East Harlem to trim things down from the larger Latin ensembles of the previous generation, and really send things home with a funky sort of groove. This set's a great overview of these key years at Tico – and titles include "Sock It To Me" and "Psychedelic Baby" by Joe Cuba, "Tighten Up" and "The Horse" by Al Escobar, "Fever" by La Lupe, "Be's That Way" and "Bobo Do That Thing" by Willie Bobo, "El Watusi" and "Babalu" by Ray Barretto, "Hit The Bongo" and "Coye Como Va" by Tito Puente, "My People" by Joe Panama, "Come An Get It" and "The African Twist" by Eddie Palmieri, "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In" by Celia Cruz & Tito Puente, "Madrid" by Candido, "Times They Are A Changin" by Jimmy Sabater, "El Pito" and "Bang Bang" by Joe Cuba, "Fat Mama" and "TP's Shing A Ling" by Tito Puente, and "Yes I Will (part 1)" by Gilberto Sextet. LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of rare soul tracks from the west coast scene of the 60s – one that has the Ace/Kent label returning to the territory of some of their earliest compilations, but with lots of fresh and unreleased material in the mix! The Kent and Modern labels trace their roots back to the initial outpouring of postwar R&B on the Los Angeles scene – and by the time of the 60s, the companies were in a great position to pick the hippest, coolest cats from their city's soul underground – often recording so much music, only a portion of it was ever released back in the day! That's definitely the case here – as 8 of the 14 tracks on the collection never saw release in the 60s – making the collection a fantastic mix of rare and released Northern Soul from the city of angels. Titles include "Wanting You (alt)" by Jimmy Bee, "Lay This Burden Down" by Arthur Wright & His Orchestra, "Love Is Gonna Get You" by Peggy Woods, "Can It Be Me" by Mel Williams, "Baby Without You" by Gene & Gary, "Nobody But Me" by The Other Brothers, "Make Me Yours" by ZZ Hill, "Hey Stoney Face" by Mary Love, "No Puppy Love" by Johnny Copeland, "This Man Wants You" by Wally Cox, and "Get To Steppin" by Jackie Day. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer collection of 70s soul – and one that focuses on the incredible scene that was going on in New Jersey at the time! The state was very adjacent to Philly – both geographically, and in style, with a great blend of harmony soul and upbeat grooves – but there's also a special kind of indie vibe going on in the music too – some rougher edges than Gamble & Huff might have used, and production modes that really bring out the honest, human qualities in the music! The NJ scene at this time is one of our go-to spots for 70s soul – and if you're not hip, this collection will definitely open your ears to the greatness that was going on. This volume divides into two batches of tracks, each by legendary producers on the scene – one side of work by Paul Kyser, the other by George Kerr – with cuts that include "Puzzle Man" by Norma Jenkins, "Look Over Your Shoulder" by The Escorts, "Breakin Up A Happy Home" by Barbara Jean English, "Come On Get Dancing" by Pride Of The Ghetto, "She Comes Up" by Storm, "One More Time Y'All" by The Nu-Sound Express, "I Need Your Love" by The Dynamic Beltones, and "That's The Way It's Got To Be" by Soul Generation. LP, Vinyl record album

A great little collection – and one that definitely gets the "soulful" in the title right! The cuts here are from some of our favorite mellow soul artists of the 70s – tracks that move, but in a nicely laidback way – with funky rhythms moving slower than on club cuts, at a level that also follows some of the best steppers' modes in our home city of Chicago! Many of these songs were slept-on the first time around, but have gone to become classics over the decades – thanks to the work of soul collectors and DJs around the globe – and also thanks to labels like Soul Brother, who never let us down when it comes to a collection! Titles include "Yes It's You" by Sweet Charles, "There You Go" by Edwin Starr, "She's My Summer Breeze" by The Reflections, "I'm Your Lover" by Ronnie McNeir, "Ain't That Mellow Mellow" by Willie Hutch, "Wanted Dead Or Alive" by Voices Of East Harlem, "Save The Children" by Marlena Shaw, "I Don't Want To Be Second Best" by Jeannie Reynolds, "Strung Out For Your Love" by The Dramatics, "Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City" by Bobby Blue Bland, "Evil Vibration" by Mighty Ryders, "Give Me Your Love" by Sisters Love, and the extended mix of "Playing Your Game Baby" by Barry White. CD

Fantastic 70s material by this unique Brazilian combo! The sound is perhaps a bit less funky than some of their other records, but the songwriting is excellent, and the production is top notch – in a way that opens up the voices and gives the record a lot more soul than usual. Filled with beautiful tracks of subtle beauty – and titles that include "Dona Flor E Seus Dois Maridos", "Sexto Sentido", "Chuculatera", "Toro De Lagrimas", "Maldita Hora", and "Diacho De Dor", with a guest appearance by Maria Crueza. LP, Vinyl record album

Lurrie Bell just seems to get better and better with age – taking on a depth of tone in his guitar work that definitely marks his long years on the Chicago scene! This set's got Lurrie in mostly a small combo mode – singing and playing guitar with just a bit of organ, bass, and drums – plus additional horns and harmonica on a few other cuts. Titles include "Blues In My Soul", "My Little Machine", "South Side To Riverside", "If It's Too Late", and "Blues Never Die". CD

2 great sessions from pianist Curtis Clark – a crucially overlooked player, and one with a style that bridges the modernist gap between Thelonious Monk and Cecil Taylor! The first 5 tracks on the set are all (coincidentally enough!) tunes by Monk – played with a trio that includes Wayne Dockery on bass and Louis Moholo on drums, in a style that really changes up the mood of the original compositions, yet still keeps all their angular charm. Titles include "Misterioso", "Monk's Mood", "Light Blue", and the great "Worry Later/San Francisco Holiday". The remaining 6 tracks on the CD feature the trio with Dockery and Moholo, expanded to a septet with players that include Tristan Honsiger on cello, Felicity Provan on trumpet, and Tobias Delius on tenor sax. These tunes are nearly all originals by Clark, and some of them are a fair bit straighter than his other work of the time – almost in a soulbop mode on the best numbers. Titles include "Sean", "Two Shadows In The Mist", "Nelson", and "Diaphane". CD

One of the greatest albums we've ever heard from organist Joey DeFrancesco – a record that burns with strongly soulful work by Bobby Hutcherson! Hutcherson really helps Joey really flesh out his standard Hammond groove for the set – pushing the organ into broad new colors on both the ballads and uptempo numbers – and almost creating a sound that brings back echoes of some of the Johnny Hammond Smith and Lem Winchester collaborations back in the early 60s! George Coleman plays tenor solos on 2 tracks in the set, but the real sax credit here goes go Ron Blake – who plays tenor, soprano, and flute throughout – sparking the most driving tracks with a searing edge that's really great. DeFrancesco takes off on some Larry Young-ish riffs at times, but keeps things in check overall – and titles include a great remake of Hutcherson's classic "Little B's Poem", plus the originals "Down The Hatch", "Colleen", and "The Tackle" – and a nice take on "Somewhere In The Night", one of those tracks that never lets us down! CD

The original album of lovely clarinet work by Buddy DeFranco –backed by Oscar Peterson's quartet – plus a mammoth bonus number that runs nearly half an hour! The players includes Ray Brown on bass, Herb Ellis on guitar, and Louis Bellson on guitar. The tracks are open-ended, in that swinging Verve style used on the best mid 50s LPs – and while the Peterson group doesn't work in the same soul style of some of DeFranco's recordings with Sonny Clark, they make up for it with their own light touch that helps DeFranco take some chances on his solos! Titles include "Sweet & Lovely", "Fascinating Rhythm", Pick Yourself Up", "Love For Sale", and "Easy To Love". As a bonus track for this edition you get the 23+ minute "Lullaby In Rhythm" – recorded with the same personel plus all star winds Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Harris and Flip Phillips – with great soloing throughout! CD

Nice work from this funky jazz combo – a group who owe plenty to the sound of 60s soul jazz on Prestige and Verve Records, but who also do plenty to make their own mark as well! The album's issued on the same label as the Haggis Horns, and these guys definitely use strong interplay between the horns to make their mark – the trumpet of Nick Malcolm and tenor of Jake McMurchie, set out over some nice grooves from keyboardist George Cooper – who plays piano, organ, and Wurlitzer – plus a bit of vibes as well! There's vocals on one track from Doc Brown – the cut "Rolling On A High" – and all others are instrumental, and include "The Long Haul", "Chasing Fantasies", "Snakebite Playfight", "Net Zero", and "Enigma" – which was recorded live in Paris. CD

The early years of Quincy Jones, summed up in all their greatness – material from a time years before Quincy became a superstar in the world of soundtracks and soul, yet was already breaking new ground in the field of large ensemble jazz! Q had a special spark, right from the start – and you'll definitely hear that here, in a succession of albums and bonus material that highlight his uniquely swinging, soulful sense of arrangement – and his great ear for individual musicians, at a level that makes the groups here really work as all-star lineups, filled with musicians who often recorded as leaders on their own, but came together in tight formation under Jones' leadership. The set features a few bonus tracks recorded in Sweden in the late 50s – plus the full albums Birth Of A Band, Go West Man, This Is How I Feel About Jazz, Great Wide World Of Quincy Jones, I Dig Dancers, Around The World, Quintessence, and Big Band Bossa Nova – all served up in a big box with 78 tracks in all – and full notes in French and English! CD

Wonderful work from Ty Karim – a singer who definitely lives up to the "soul goddess" promised in the title! Ty might not be the biggest name in California soul, but she's a hell of a great talent here – starting out in the 60s with upbeat Northern Soul groovers – then moving into the 70s with material that's even deeper, and a bit more sophisticated – laidback numbers that really show a maturation in style, and which are filled with wonderful twists and turns! Ty's vocals have a burning quality that's quite surprising, given her kittenish look on the cover – and as the themes get hotter, her singing gets even more righteous – making the whole package a really wonderful journey in soul. And although most of these numbers were issued (or recorded, but unissued) by tiny indie labels, they often have a very full, spacious approach to production – one that's really trying to hit the heights of Detroit or New York at the time. A good number of these cuts weren't issued at the time, and together with the rare singles, they really go a long way towards filling in the gaps in Ty's too-short career on record – further illuminated in the detailed notes from Ady Croasdell. Titles include "Lighten Up Baby", "Help Me Get That Feeling Back Again", "Only A Fool", "All At Once", "Lightin Up", "I Ain't Lying", "You Just Don't Know", "Natural Do", "I'm Leavin You", "All In Vain", "After Your Love Has Gone", "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight", and "Don't Make Me Do Wrong". CD

A mighty nice pairing of talents – the great Van Morrison, working here in a soul jazz setting with plenty of work on Hammond from the equally great Joey DeFrancesco! The album's a lot like the one that Van cut with Georgie Fame years back – and with all that organ, the sound is a bit like Fame's work of the 60s – much more in a soul jazz mode than any of Morrison's work from his early years, and a great setting for his mature vocals – which still have all the charm of before, but have maybe changed in a way that suits a jazz setting more than the albums of his early solo years. The group's also got some strong tenor from Troy Roberts, and Joey plays some trumpet too – on titles that include "Celtic Swing", "Sticks & Stones", "Close Enough For Jazz", "Goldfish Bowl", "Have I Told You Lately", "All Saint's Day", "Hold It Right There", "Miss Otis Regrets", and "Magic Time". LP, Vinyl record album

What a great record! This one seems to be nothing fancy at the outset – mostly covers of soul and pop tunes, done by The Originals in an early 70s harmony soul mode – but the overall quality of the record is incredible, with a mixture of rough and sweet vocals that sends just about every tune over the top, more in an east coast indie mode than most of the other group work on Motown at the time. Arrangements are by Willie Shorter, Paul Riser, and HB Barnum – but it's the vocals that will floor you, on tracks that include "The Exodus Song", "The Rovin Kind", "Love Is Life", "I've Got A Need For You", "Make It With You", "Come Rain Or Come Shine", and "Lie No 2". LP, Vinyl record album

Hidefumi Toki is easily one of our favorite Japanese players from the 70s – an excellent alto saxophonist who always comes across with a sense of soul that's even deeper than his instrument! Toki has a way of putting together a session that's totally great – relaxed and open, with a lot of searching energy in his horn, yet never in a way that's ever forced or too outside – just kind of an organic exploration of the alto tones, but at a level that's much more common for 70s spiritual tenor players. This album's a real treasure from his Japanese catalog of the time – and features some very sweet keyboards from Mikio Masuda, plus rhythm from Ikeda Yoshio on bass and Steve Jackson on drums – on longish tracks that include "Sky View", "Rain Doctor", "Taro's Birthday", "I Love You Porgy", and "Let's Get Together". CD

One of the few later recordings we've seen from tenorist Eddie Chamblee – a player who first rose to prominence on the Chicago scene of the 50s, and one who's got a well-bitten style that creates a deeply soulful tone! Eddie's roots are more in swing than bop, but there's also a quality here that recalls some of the earliest soul jazz sides on Prestige – especially as Eddie's working in a combo that includes organ and vibes from Milt Buckner. Other players on the session include Earl Warren on alto sax, Arnett Cobb on tenor, and Buster Cooper on trombone – and titles include "New Green Onions", "Gone", "Jacques That's The Blues", "Pour Chamblee", "Soul Food Boogie", "A Pretty Song", and "Twenty Years After". CD features a number of bonus tracks! CD

A real lost treasure – and an incredible session that offers a real meeting of minds that's far more than you'd expect from the simple cover and title! The set is a later one for Vee Jay, and it brings together half of the Jazz Messengers with a batch of west coast players – in a groove that wonderfully mixes together different traditions and rhythms in jazz – and which steps out with a sound that's far more than the sum of its parts! Art Blakey, Lee Morgan, and Curtis Fuller join a group headed by Buddy De Franco, and featuring Victor Feldman on piano and vibes, plus Victor Sproles on bass and Freddie Hill on trumpet. The sound of the group is quite unusual – and a lot lighter than you'd guess – giving Buddy plenty of room to solo in a breezy style that's grown tremendously since his 50s recordings – pushed along by some heavier soul from Art and the group. Titles include "Rain Dance", "Blues Bag", "Twelve Tone Blues", "Kush", and "Cousin Mary". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavenly sweet soulful stuff from the Ben E. King years, including "Hey Senorita", "Lonely Winds", "Oh My Love", "Sweets For My Sweet", "Room Full of Tears", and more – plus the unreleased cuts "Sometimes I Wonder" and "Night Shift". Same great package as the other volumes, with a reproduction of an original cover on the front, and great notes inside. CD

An album that definitely lives up to its title – as congolero Francisco Aguabella comes on hard, hitting strong throughout – and serving up a wicked blend of Latin, funk, and soul! The mid 70s set is a standout recording from Aguabella – done after he left the group Malo, and one of the best west coast takes on the modes that scene was changing up from New York at the time – really transforming the sound of contemporary Latin with a trans-genre vibe that was easily some of the most revolutionary music of the period. Rhythms are acoustic, but there's a nice dose of electric energy too, thanks to some sweet keyboards. Some cuts have English vocals, others are instrumental – and titles include "Hitting Hard", "I Wanna Know", "Cisco", "Image of a Star" and a nice version of Edu Lobo's "Casa Forte". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums ever from Lorez Alexandria – an ultra-hip singer who recorded for Impulse and King, but who sounds especially wonderful on this rare date for Chess Records! The album's got a groove that definitely lives up to its title – a jazzy, bouncy sort of rhythm that's definitely "for swingers only", and which is a nice contrast to overdone torch or standard jazz vocal modes. Alexandria's singing is completely sublime – quite fluid, yet with a soulful depth that's really amazing – and her backing combo is equally hip – a group led by John Young on piano, and also featuring George Eskridge on guitar, Jimmy Garrison on bass, Phil Thomas on drums, and Ronald Wilson on flute and tenor – an obscure player whose reed work really makes the album sparkle! The song choices are great too – a mix of some under-recorded gems and a few blue-toned classics – all redone amazingly by Lorez with a sound that's quite unique. Titles include her classic Argo reading of "Baltimore Oriole", which begins with an amazing drum/bass passage that's worth the price of the album alone – and other tracks include "The End Of A Love Affair", "Baltimore Oriole", "All Or Nothing At All", "Mother Earth", "Love Look Away", and "Traveling Down A Lonely Road". CD

Perhaps one of the straightest albums that Lorez ever cut – but still pretty darn great! She's got a unique voice that's capable of being fairly smooth and mainstream, yet still manages to hit these wonderful soulful passages that transform any kind of material and makes it her own. That's definitely the case in this set, which features mostly standards (done with a "touch of jazz"), but which also move past the regular vocal jazz album of the time. There's a lot of deep soul in the best cuts – and titles include "Better Luck Next Time", "Long Ago & Far Away", "Then I'll Be Tired Of You", and "Lush Life". CD

Ben E King joins the Average White Band for this sweet 70s set – a killer record that not only stands as one of King's best efforts of the decade, but one that also gives the group a great new frontman! Ben's not the only singer on the record, but his presence here can definitely be felt – deepening up the grooves nicely, and giving the already-great AWB sound an even more badass feel! Titles include the classic "Star In The Ghetto", a funky remake of "What Is Soul", an earlier hit for King – plus "Keepin It To Myself", "Imagine", "Someday We'll All Be Free", "Get It Up For Love", and "The Message". CD features bonus tracks – original single versions of "Star In The Ghetto" and "Get It Up For Love". CD

A trio of solo albums from Phillip Bailey – presented here with bonus material too! First up is Continuation – an 80s soul classic from Philip Bailey – stepping out here from Earth Wind & Fire in a set that has him sparkling strongly as a solo act! The vocals still have that trademark Bailey sound – a wonderful range that's never overdone, and which seems to shine especially well on the mellow and midtempo tunes in the set! Production is by George Duke, who does a lot to preserve the jazzier warmth of Bailey's previous settings – and although there's a bit more crossover potential here, the sound is still never too commercial or aimed at the charts. Titles include "It's Our Time", "Trapped", "I Know", "I'm Waitin For Your Love", "Desire", "The Good Guy's Supposed To Get The Girls", and "Your Boyfriend's Back". Next is Chinese Wall – a big breakthrough for Philip Bailey – and a record that was kind of a second-level explosion for the Earth Wind & Fire sound in the 80s! There's a definite crossover feel to the record – a style that takes Bailey's soulful vocals, and mixes them with lots of catchy hooks – in ways that push the Kalimba aesthetic even more into mainstream modes. Yet the album's still got some solid soul grounding, too – thanks to arrangements by Tom Tom and Arif Mardin – which is a nice contrast to the production by Phil Collins, who also guests on the hit "Easy Lover". Other cuts include "Time Is A Woman", "Go", "Walking On The Chinese Wall", "Photogenic Memory", "I Go Crazy", and "Children Of The Ghetto". Last is Inside Out – a set that has Philip Bailey working with Nile Rodgers, who gives him a lean, clean sound that works perfectly with his vocals! The sound is a nice change from the direction Bailey was heading in previously – a return to the focused soul of the later Earth Wind & Fire years, with his amazing lead opening up in ways that few other singers can match. Tunes are pretty well-penned too – catchy, but never cloyingly commercial – and titles include "State Of The Heart", "Welcome To The Club", "Special Effect", "Because Of You", "Take This With You", "The Day Will Come", "Back It Up", and "Echo My Heart". 3CD set features nice bonus material – "I Know (ext dance mix)", "Love Is Alive", "Easy Lover (with Phil Collins)", "Walking On The Chinese Wall (single)", "State Of The Heart (dub mix)", "Twins (with Little Richard)", "Twins (club mix)", and "Easy Lover (ext dance mix)". CD

A jazz record, but one with a vibe that's all its down – and a sound that definitely echoes some of the tropical elements hinted at in the title and on the cover! Laurent Bardainne is a saxophonist who blows with a really rich sound – nicely soulful, and with a raspy, laidback quality that's really seductive – set up here amidst a mix of acoustic and electric elements, including great percussion, occasional keyboards, and just the right electric basslines to trip things along in a sweet midtempo groove! The mix of jazz soloing and nods to global elements takes us back to similar French albums of the 80s – and most of the set is instrumental, although there are occasional vocals from guests, next to great use of outside sound recordings too. Titles include "Singing", "Eden", "We Try", "Serpent Kaa", "Gobules Rouges", "Dance For Eternity", "Welcome", and "Meilleur". CD

This isn't the first time that pianist Kenny Barron and bassist Dave Holland have played together – but there's definitely something special about the record that really grabs our ears – and it's not just the excellent work on drums by Johnathan Blake! Barron's at his roundest, most soulful sort of tone – really grabbing the notes out of the air in this wonderful way – and Holland really follows suit too, with this very personal, organic approach that's such a change from some of his more experimental work of years back – and which makes him a stunning part of the group, especially at all those many moments when he and Barron dance around each other's sound with this beautifully resonant vibe. Titles include "Until Then", "Porto Alegre", "Without Deception", "Speed Trap", "Secret Places", "Worry Later", and "Pass It On". CD

These guys may not be the baddest boys of the industry – they'd have to go a long way to reach that title – but they definitely do a good job of bringing a touch of attitude to the world of harmony soul – blending hip hop inspiration with old school formation, in a style that's similar to DRS and some of their other contemporaries! And sure, their name might make them seem like a bit of a joke, but the record stands nicely next to similar efforts of the time – in part because these guys can really sing when they want, a quality that's kept the record stronger over the years than you might expect. Titles include "Nasty", "Where Will You Go", "Addicted To You", "One Night Of Freedom", "Baby Hold On", "Da Choice Is Yours", and "Ecstasy". CD

More a retrospective of Celi Bee's best disco work than a true greatest hits collection – but plenty darn great nonetheless, given her flair for a catchy, kitschy club tune! Celi's definitely one of the campiest talents of her generation – but she's also plenty darn comfortable in that role too, and brings a sense of poise and presence to these tunes that really makes them work. She's clearly not one of the most soulful divas in the disco, but she's also clearly very much at home on the dancefloor – and shows a great talent here for rising above the crowds with her freewheeling interpretations of the tunes! CD features a whopping 14 tracks in all – maybe all the titles Celi ever recorded during her big years – and selections include "Superman", "Fly Me On The Wings Of Love", "One Love", "Macho", "Closer Closer", "Comin Up Strong", "Alternating Currents", "Blow My Mind", "For The Love Of My Man", and "Half A Love". CD

The start of an amazing legacy in Brazilian music – and a record that really lives up to its title! Jorge Ben completely reinvents the samba here – and comes up with his own new groove in the process – by blending sharp acoustic guitar lines with rootsy percussion – all at a level that's far more rhythmic than the used of the instrument in bossa nova. There's definitely a bossa element – but Joao's singing is a lot more soulful, as is the overall performance – and the styles started here not only launched Ben's career, but also had a huge influence on generations of musicians to come! Titles include the sublime original version of "Mas Que Nada" - plus "Tim Dom Dom", "Chove Chuva", "A Tamba", "Balanca Pema", and "Rosa Menina Rosa". Great stuff, and essential all the way through – we promise! LP, Vinyl record album

That's retox, not detox – a set of funky instrumentals from saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, who's also got some great vocalists along for the ride! This is the first we've heard of Benjamin – and she's definitely a fully-formed talent right from the start – not just on her work on alto and soprano sax – but also on the larger arrangements done for the record, which have a sweet mix of jazz, funk, and soul that's mighty nice! Guest singers really flesh out the sound of the record – which features contributions from Tracy Nicole, Amp Fiddler, Maya Azucena, Krystle Warren, and Jacoria Marzett – and titles include "Soul Squad", "Get Down", "Human Being", "My Love", "Share My Life", "Maceo", and a cover of "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing". CD

A bit more of a stripped-down set than other work that Benny Sings has given us in recent years – definitely a record with the vibe of the beat tape promised in the title – but one that still has some of the soulful elements that Benny's given us on other records too! The hip hop element is stronger here than usual, right down to the record's guests – who include Koreatown Oddity, Cola Boyy, Mocky, St Panther, Rae Khalil, and others – and Benny put the album together out of elements that weren't used in the final version of his album Music – but which still carry some of the soulful currents of that set. Titles include "Money & Guns", "Don't Look", "CGEOOL", "Green Grass", "Watch Me Heal", "Song 13", and "Mag Ik In Je Huid". LP, Vinyl record album

The Black Pumas went from underground status to much bigger fame in just a short span of time – and this smoking second album will definitely continue that nonstop rise to stardom! As before, the group are heavy on older references to funk and soul, but given a lean, contemporary spin in the production – handled by Adrian Quesada, with all the richness he's forged on countless other projects over the years – so that the grooves and instrumentation are right on the money, and augmented by these slight sonic surprises that really keep things interesting! The vocals seem even better than before – raw, raspy, and very powerful – on titles that include "Mrs Postman", "Gemini Sun", "Sauvignon", "Angel", "Hello", "Chronicles Of A Diamond", "Ice Cream", and "More Than A Love Song". CD

The Black Pumas went from underground status to much bigger fame in just a short span of time – and this smoking second album will definitely continue that nonstop rise to stardom! As before, the group are heavy on older references to funk and soul, but given a lean, contemporary spin in the production – handled by Adrian Quesada, with all the richness he's forged on countless other projects over the years – so that the grooves and instrumentation are right on the money, and augmented by these slight sonic surprises that really keep things interesting! The vocals seem even better than before – raw, raspy, and very powerful – on titles that include "Mrs Postman", "Gemini Sun", "Sauvignon", "Angel", "Hello", "Chronicles Of A Diamond", "Ice Cream", and "More Than A Love Song". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible record from Bobby Blue Bland – and quite possibly the greatest one he ever made! The set's got an amazing something special that's unlike most other material of the time – a bit blues, but a lot of soul too – still with some echoes of R&B in the jazzier charts used for the backdrop, but presented with a rock-solid style that definitely points the way towards many sounds and styles to come in the 60s. And although Bland recorded many of these tracks as separate singles, there's a way they're put together here that makes the whole thing sound completely marvelous together – a really well-conceived track list that shows that Bobby's an even greater artist in the space of a full record. The arrangements are perfect, and Bobby's rough soulful voice is blended in this amazing way with killer horn arrangements that are far more sophisticated than most stuff that ever came after this, and which never get in the way, but only back up his deep emotion. The album's a motherlode of classics by the man, with gems that include "Two Steps From The Blues", "Cry Cry Cry", "I Don't Want No Woman", "I'm Not Ashamed", "Don't Cry No More", "Lead Me On", and "I Pity The Fool". And hell, even his version of "St James Infirmary" is pretty wonderful – something we never thought we'd say about that song. CD

A great collection of funky New Orleans genius from the legendary Eddie Bo – an artist who made music in many different modes over the years in Nola, but who comes across here with a sound that's definitely in the funkiest side of his spectrum! There's lots of cuts on the collection that were only issued as funky 45s – the kind of deeply funky numbers with heavy drums that made Bo such an early favorite for the sampling scene, and which continue to give his work such a sense of urgency over the years! This isn't the slow-rolling, head-nodding side of Crescent City soul, and instead is its much funkier cousin – as you'll hear on tracks that include "Hook & Sling", "Check Your Bucket", "Funky Yeah", "The Thang (parts 1 & 2)", "If It's Good To You It's Good For You", "Sissy Walk", "Eddie's Rubber Band", and "Hey Mama Here Comes the Preacher". CD

The first-ever full length set of work from Howard Bomar – a singer who only issued a few rare 45s back in the 60s, yet kept on making music for years! From the very first tune, you'll hear that Bomar has a fantastic voice – that sort of searching, searing style that you'd hear from some of the best of the 60s – almost with a Stax Records level of production at times, but also varied a bit more over the course of the record, especially on some of the few later tracks! Howard's definitely in the deepest side of the deep soul spectrum – even as the instrumentation gets a bit more modern – and titles include "Let It Be Me", "I'll Be There", "Best Of Luck To You", "I'm Gonna Love You", "Set Down Fo I Fall Down", "She's A 911", "What Love Has Joined Together", and a remake of "Purple Rain". CD features bonus tracks – "Down Home Georgia Girl", "Something Beautiful", "I'd Like To Be", "Crazy Bout You Baby", and "Just Let Me Love You". CD

An amazing second chapter for The Music Machine – working here with the last name of leader Sean Bonniwell in their name – in a groove that's even weirder and wilder than before! The group take on an odd new sound here – still the heady brew of fuzz and Hammond on their original garagey recordings from LA – but with a mode that also really lets Bonniwell's offbeat character come to the forefront – both in the odd lyrics, and his stark presentation in the lead – a Sunset Strip sense of personality that's almost up there with Kim Fowley at times! The record's definitely one of the weirder, more edgey sides cut for Warner Brothers in the mid 60s – and titles include "Astrologically Incompatible", "Double Yellow Line", "The Trap", "Soul Love", "Bottom Of The Soul", "Me Myself & I", and "The Eagle Never Hunts The Fly". CD features an insane 49 tracks in all – the full 14 track album, other Warner singles, and demos and rare material that includes solo tracks by Sean Bonniwell too! CD

A sublime second chapter of work from Booker T & The MGs – pulled from a time when Stax Records was stepping out of the influence of Atlantic, and really opening the door to a wide variety of new soul sounds! That approach is definitely in place here – as the tracks really evolve past the early hits of the group – with more unusual rhythmic patterns, laid down by the great Al Jackson on drums and Donald Duck Dunn on bass – while Steve Cropper provides all the riffing genius on his guitar, and Booker T pushes things over the top with completely sublime work on organ! All players are really changing up their groove, especially as the singles here progress from the 60s into the 70s – and the package features a-sides and b-sides, and even a few post-Booker T cuts by the MGs. Titles include "Kinda Easy Like", "Melting Pot", "Sunday Sermon", "Something", "Fuquawi", "Sugarcane", "Blackside", "Neckbone", "Soul Clap 69", "Slum Baby", "Meditation", "Johnny I Love You", "Time Is Tight", "Jamaica This Morning", "Over Easy", "Heads Or Tails", "Mrs Robinson", and "Soul Limbo. LP, Vinyl record album

Booker T & The MGs – definitely doing their thing on this late 60s cooker – and moving their instrumental sound into a whole new range than before! The album has a very groovy feel – nice and tight, with especially great organ and guitar lines – often tuned towards 60s hits by other soul artists, but reworked strongly by the group's wonderful rhythms, and turned into a really cooking batch of Memphis soul instrumentals! There's a few key original tunes on the set – like the title track "Doin Our Thing" – and the cuts "I Can Dig It" and "Blue On Green" – but the covers are equally great, and include versions of "Ode To Billie Joe", "You Keep Me Hangin On", "Expressway To Your Heart", and "Let's Go Get Stoned". LP, Vinyl record album

Booker T's definitely getting a bit funky with this one – stepping off with the incredible title cut, a tune which really complicates the groove from the earlier years! The sound is still solid Memphis soul, with a raw instrumental vibe – but the grooves are even better than before, and the set includes loads of great original number written by the group – the kind of cool tunes they most likely cooked up while jamming live in the studio! These gems include the seminal "Hip Hug Her" – plus "Carnaby Street", "Booker's Notion", "Soul Sanction", "Double Or Nothing", and "Slim Jenkins' Place". But the covers are groovy too – and include a version of "Pigmy", plus "Groovin" and "Sunny". LP, Vinyl record album

Booker T's definitely getting a bit funky with this one – stepping off with the incredible title cut, a tune which really complicates the groove from the earlier years! The sound is still solid Memphis soul, with a raw instrumental vibe – but the grooves are even better than before, and the set includes loads of great original number written by the group – the kind of cool tunes they most likely cooked up while jamming live in the studio! These gems include the seminal "Hip Hug Her" – plus "Carnaby Street", "Booker's Notion", "Soul Sanction", "Double Or Nothing", and "Slim Jenkins' Place". But the covers are groovy too – and include a version of "Pigmy", plus "Groovin" and "Sunny". LP, Vinyl record album

That's almost an Earth Wind & Fire-styled image on the cover – and the Brit Funk Association definitely live up to the spirit of that scene – which is maybe no surprise, given that group members have a legacy that goes way back for many years on the UK soul scene! There's a warmth to the record that's really timeless – an updating of classic 70s modes that's almost in the Incognito mode, but which is often jazzier at times, with some great focus on horn solos over the vocals – a bit like the mix of jazz, soul, and funk that Wayne Henderson brought to his classic production efforts back in the day! The group give a nod to one of those classics with a sweet cover of "Always There", and serve up a nice take on "Pick Up The Pieces" – alongside tracks that include "Freedom Dancin", "Driftin", "Snowfall", "Elevation", "Let It Flow", and "Take It In Stages". CD

The DOG here stands for drums, organ, and guitar – played, in order, by Cecil Brooks II, Kyle Koehler, and Matt Chertkoff – a hip little trio that definitely lives up to the groove we've come to expect from Brooks! Years back, when first recording for Muse Records, Brooks really won us over as a real traditionalist in the soul jazz mode – a 90s artist who could still hang onto the best energy of the 60s Prestige Records sound. And all these many years later, Cecil's still one of the best cats to come up with that sound – heard here in a really cooking blend of Hammond, guitar, and drums – all recorded live at Brooks' own club in New Jersey – a spot that holds onto the long Garden State tradition of heavy Hammond grooves. Titles include "Tu Tu", "Theme From Mannix", "Sunny", "Hey Joe", "Penn Relays", "Don't Know Why", and "They Long To Be Close To You". CD

The greatest so far from this soulful Chicago group – a combo who are making big waves way beyond the Windy City, thanks to the tremendous vocals of JC Brooks! The album bursts out with a power the group have never had before – a tightness and focus that shows that these guys are definitely the real deal – and have definitely found their own unique voice in a world of copycat soul and funk – a groove that's completely contemporary, yet firmly rooted in the best bits of the past too – as fresh a change to funk and soul as some of the rootsier styles normally associated with Bloodshot Records! Brooks is a hell of a frontman in a live setting, but doesn't always come across this well on record – and the album may well be the first to really show the singer at his best. Titles include "Howl", "Married For A Week", "Rouse Yourself", "Security", "Ordinary", "Control", "Cold", and "River". CD