Mad messed-up funk from the cool Bay Area scene of the early 70s – a set that features all these great offbeat arrangements from Clifford Coulter, who plays piano, guitars, melodica, and even Varitone guitar – and also sings a bit – in a hip lineup that features more guitar from Mel Brown, trumpet from Harry Edison and John TUrk, tenor from Plas Johnson and Bill Perkins, and drums and conga from Ron Beck – all in a style that's very different than more mainstream work on Impulse Records, and different than its spiritual modes too! "VJC", plus "Do It Now", "Yodelin' In The Whatchamaname Thang", "Ridin On Empty", and "Worry About It Later". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Tight funky instrumentals from Brother Jack McDuff – an Atlantic groover that's probably closer to his late 60s gems for Cadet Records than it is his earlier work for Prestige! The solos are shorter, but they're packed nicely around the rhythms – played by a combo that features a young Melvin Sparks on some mighty nice guitar – plus Leo Johnson on tenor and Ray Appleton on drums! The groove is tight and choppy, with little bits of funk, and McDuff's usual sense of humor and warmth – and for the record, Jack wrote loads of original tracks, including "Mush Melon", "Snap Back Jack", "Strolling Blues", and "Do It Now". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A beautiful early album by Elizete Cardoso – arguably one of the first bossa nova records ever, and a set that features some great early tracks penned by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius De Moraes! The record is a haunting showcase for the genius of Jobim and Vinicius, and it includes early recordings of many many tracks that have now become bossa standards – like "Chega De Saudade", "Outra Vez", "Modinha", "Janelas Abertas", and "Cancao Do Amor Demais". The orchestrations are beautiful – arranged by Jobim, who also plays piano – and featuring a bit of guitar from Joao Gilberto, amidst flute, trombone, trumpet, and a bit of strings. Elizete's voice is richer and more emotional than that of most of the later bossa divas – and the record is a key link in a number of Brazilian musical traditions! CD

Although The Contours will be forever known for their perpetual oldie "Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance)", they're also an excellent soul group with a hard raw sound, and a lot more to offer than you'd expect! This 25 track compilation of the group's sublime Motown work really includes some of their best cuts – loads of tight little groovers that perfectly sum up the group's heavy Detroit groove. Titles include "You Get Ugly", "Can You Do It", "Come On And Be Mine", "Searching For A Girl", "Baby Hit & Run", "Pa, I Need A Car", "Gonna Win You Back", "Move Mr Man", "Look Out For Stop Sign", "It's So Hard Being a Loser", "It Must Be Love", and 2 versions of "Do You Love Me". CD

A classic "discovery" of tenor saxophonist Von Freeman – one that was already relatively late in his career, but a key appearance on Atlantic under the auspices of Roland Kirk! The setting here is as loose and laidback as Von needs to really do his thing – backing by a trio that features fellow Chicagoan John Young on piano, plus Sam Jones on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums – all hanging back nicely to let Freeman dominate the set on tenor. The album's noteworthy for its inclusion of a few original tunes by Von – "White Sand", "Portrait Of John Young", "Doin It Right Now", "Brother George", and "Catnap" – all of which mark a nice contrast from some of the more traditional standards that show up on other Freeman albums of the 70s. CD

The long-overdue release of an album that should have been a Neo Soul classic! The team of Otis Cooper and Shugg David recorded this gem of a set back in the mid 90s along with help from longtime friend and producer Raphael Saadiq – but due to shifting priorities at the major label, the set was shelved and is only now finally seeing the light of day! Despite the wait, though, the album bristles with electricity and has a totally fresh sound – bubbling over with the warmth and soul of the best Saadiq production work of the time, and hitting a vibe that's almost in the same mode as his own recent Ray Ray recordings. But even more charming are the talents of Otis & Shugg – two down-to-earth vocalists who work in a style that's nicely free of cliche, and which really shows them setting a tone that would be followed by many other make singers in the Neo Soul years to come. Titles include "Right On Track", "Fantasy", "If You Want It", "My First Mistake", "Round & Round", "Indiana", "This Is My Phone Call", and "Something Inside Of Me". CD

Prime live material from the Ramones – recorded on the final night of 1977, right when the group was at the height of their power! If you ever got a chance to see The Ramones back in the day, the sound was really amazing – every bit as short, sharp, and focused as the studio records – but even more so, as the group would work through their set list with razor-sharp intensity, almost this juggernaut of punk rock sound that never lets up from start to finish! That quality is definitely in place here, as the whole thing tears through an incredible set list that includes "California Sun", "Rockaway Beach", "Teenage Lobotomy", "I Wanna Be A Good Boy", "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker", "Suzy Is A Headbanger", "I Don't Care", "Havana Affair", "We're A Happy Family", "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue", "Let's Dance", "Chainsaw", "Do You Wanna Dance", "You're Gonna Kill That Girl", "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment", "Glad To See You Go", and "Blitzkrieg Bop". CD

5 classic albums from Nina Simone – packaged together in one sweet little set! First up is Nuff Said – a great little album from Nina – mostly recorded live at the Westbury Music Fair, with a hip mix of jazz, soul, and folk that's stretched out in a slightly informal setting that always brings out the best of Nina's vocals! Tracks include "The Backlash Blues", "Please Read Me", "Sunday In Savannah", "Why? (The King Of Love Is Dead)", and the nice jazzer "In The Morning". Plus, the album also includes one straight soul number – "Do What You Gotta Do", with some great arrangements by Horace Ott. Next is To Love Somebody – one of Nina's greatest records – recorded with her cool combo that included Weldon Irvine! Weldon's on organ on the set, and he co-wrote the two-part track "Revolution" with Simone, one of the album's strongest numbers! That track is set amidst covers of other hip 60s material, including "Turn Turn Turn", "To Love Somebody", "I Can't See Nobody", and "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" – all done with a freely righteous style that has Nina cutting loose at the end of the 60s! Black Gold is a real classic from Nina, one of the excellent sets she cut with the Stroud Productions imprint during the early 70s! The style here is even hipper than her late 60s work on Philips – with a mixture of open-ended jazz and soul that's best summed up in the album's extended reading of "Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair", and a great version of "To Be Young Gifted & Black", which was written by Weldon Irvine, who's probably playing piano here with Nina. It Is Finished is the kind of record that once made purists turn up their noses, but which is now being rediscovered as a unique jazz/soul crossover album, filled with loads of nice moments! The instrumentation's pretty darn interesting – and includes sitar, harp, Spanish guitar, and other odd percussion instruments. Includes Nina's nice version of "Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter", plus "I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl", "Dambala", "Obeah Woman", and "The Pusher". Nina Simone & Piano is a strong back to basics session for Nina, one that featured her piano and vocals only, a very spare approach that was markedly different from her work a few years previously for other labels. Nina's tone on the piano is incredible – and she's working with some striking modern jazz changes that offset the folksiness of her vocals in a fantastic way, creating a sound that's a lot fuller than you'd expect! Titles include "Seems I'm Never Tired Lovin You", "Compensation", "Everyone's Gone To The Moon", "Nobody's Fault But Mine", "I Think It's Going To Rain Today", "The Desperate Ones", "The Human Touch", and "Another Spring". CD

Ashford & Simpson don't need to ask at this point – their in full 70s soul stride here, and it's not good, it's great! By this point in the late 70s, Nick and Valerie are firmly holding the foreground as artists in their own right after many years of acting as songwriters for other soul and R&B hitmakers – writing, singing, and producing their own work in a now-established tradition of sophisticated soul and uptempo grooves! What they had not done to this point was produce a number of big hits for themselves, and that tide started to turn this this excellent album that's among their best ever! Includes a number of singles that would help them begin to break through to later huge chart success, which was by now richly earned. Titles include "Is It Good To You", "Ain't It A Shame", "It Seems To Hang On", "Flashback", "The Debt Is Settled", and "Get Up And Do Something". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive crossover from Johnny Nash – a record that gave the 70s the chart-topping title hit, and which helped Johnny mix his Caribbean roots with contemporary soul! The set's a huge change from the sometimes-faltering styles Nash had tried in the 60s – often a bit more mainstream than he was able to do well, which is why the deeply personal approach of this album's such a striking contrast. Nash arranged and produced himself, and really hits a vibe here that stands out even from his other 70s recordings – beautifully balanced, on titles that include "Comma Comma", "Guava Jelly", "Stir It Up", "I Can See Clearly Now", "We're All Alike", "How Good It Is", "Cream Puff", and "You Poured Sugar On Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great collection – five full albums from keyboard giant Patrice Rushen, plus bonus tracks too! First up is Patrice – her first album for Elektra, and a stunning blend of funky jazz and soul! The record really has Patrice stepping out from her earlier years at Prestige – working in some surprisingly great vocals next to tight lines on Fender Rhodes, synth, and clavinet, handled with a smooth and soulful quality that's wonderful all the way through – a blend of soul and jazz that few other players could do this well – no matter how many others tried to copy her style over the years! Rhythms are as hard and heavy as on the Prestige years, and the keyboards have a great sort of focus too – just the right mix of jazz to offset the vocals – which themselves are a wonderful discovery. The whole album's a gem – and tracks include the great funky classic "Hang It Up", plus "Changes (In Your Life)", "When I Found You", "Play", "Didn't You Know?", and "Music Of The Earth". Pizzazz is one of the records that not only helped break her out of the jazz funk ghetto, and right into the mainstream – but a set that also had a pretty profound influence on the progression of soul in the early 80s! Rushen sings as well as plays keyboards – and really pushes the use of jazzy elements that would take R&B to the next level – almost inventing the 80s groove sound in the process! The whole thing's a totally sweet mix of funk and soul, tightened up to get everything in the door at the same time – and titles include "Givin It Up Is Givin Up", "Call On Me", "Haven't You Heard", and "Let The Music Take Me". Posh is an all-out, all-access affair – a great way for anyone to get into the grooves of the mighty Patrice Rushen! Patrice is at the height of her powers here – equally magic on keyboards and vocals, and coming up with groove after groove in a sublime blend of 70s jazz funk and Minnie Riperton-esque soul! The whole album's a winner – real magic that never gets old, and the kind of LP that makes you understand why you'll find Patrice's records in just about any soul collection from the time! Tracks include "I Need Your Love", "Time Will Tell", "The Dream", "Never Gonna Give You Up", and "Don't Blame Me". Straight From The Heart is one of those albums that completely cemented her standing in the world of jazz, funk, and soul – and a wonderful summation of everything she'd done in the years before! The young Patrice was already a breakout keyboardist on the west coast scene of the mid 70s – turning out great work on her own, and adding her talents to plenty of others – but here, she emerges as a soaring soul star in her own right – a talent who's really worked her way up, with a quality level that's head and shoulders above most of her peers! Rushen produced the set with Charles Mims, and there's a righteous blend of jazz and soul that's at the level of Minnie Riperton, so that even the catchiest cuts come off with a sense of sophistication and warmth that's so different than so much other 80s soul and fusion. Titles include the classic "Forget Me Nots", plus "Number One", "I Was Tired Of Being Alone", "Where There Is Love", "Breakout", "If Only", and "Remind Me". The album Now is a masterpiece of 80s groove with lots of jazzy touches! The keyboard sound has evolved a bit here – compressed with more electronic percussion than on Patrice's earlier records, but still done with a degree of soul that sets it apart from work by most of her contemporaries – and the music has this warm flow that really sets Rushen apart from the rest – a sublime mix of soul, funk, and fusion that holds together perfectly throughout! Titles include "Gotta Find It", "Gone With The Night", "My Love's Not Going Anywhere", "High In Me", "To Each His Own", "Heartache Heartbreak", and "Feels So Real". 5CD set features bonus tracks from original 12" singles – and other remixes too! CD

Ashford & Simpson don't need to ask at this point – their in full 70s soul stride here, and it's not good, it's great! By this point in the late 70s, Nick and Valerie are firmly holding the foreground as artists in their own right after many years of acting as songwriters for other soul and R&B hitmakers – writing, singing, and producing their own work in a now-established tradition of sophisticated soul and uptempo grooves! What they had not done to this point was produce a number of big hits for themselves, and that tide started to turn this this excellent album that's among their best ever! Includes a number of singles that would help them begin to break through to later huge chart success, which was by now richly earned. Titles include "Is It Good To You", "Ain't It A Shame", "It Seems To Hang On", "Flashback", "The Debt Is Settled", and "Get Up And Do Something". CD

A fantastic tribute to the great Jean Carne – a singer who started out in jazz, working with then-husband Doug Carn on spiritual sessions and drummer Norman Connors on his soulful sides of the 70s – then shifted over to the Philadelphia International label, where she really helped Philly soul find new direction moving into the 80s! Jean always brings all the sophistication of her roots into her music – making her way more than just another soul singer, and instead a vocalist with a great range of expression that has her opening up in just the right way, no matter what the setting. This excellent collection is filled with classics from her years on Philadelphia International, and also includes some rare 12" mixes and duets with other artists too. Titles include "Free Love", "No Laughing Matter", "Don't Let It Go To Your Head", "You Can't Come Back Now", "There's A Shortage Of Good Men", "Time Waits For No One", "Lonely Girl In A Cold Cold World", "Bet Your Lucky Star", We Got Some Catchin Up To Do", "When I Find You Love", "Was That All It Was (12" mix)", "What's On Your Mind (12" mix)", "Revelation/Infant Eyes", "Mystic Stranger", "Completeness", and "If You Don't Know Me By Now" – plus "I'm Back For More" with Al Johnson, "Sweet & Wonderful" with Glenn Jones, "You Might Be Surprised" with Roy Ayers, "Love Is Beautiful" and "Dreams Of Tomorrow" with Dexter Wansel, "Keep In Touch" and "The Look Of Love" with Grover Washington, and "Dindi", "Love's In Your Corner", and "Valentine Love" with Norman Connors. CD

A Capitol classic from Meli'sa Morgan – filled with sweet 80s grooves, and delivered with a style that's nicely lighter than some of her contemporaries! Morgan can still manage a nice hook when she wants, but the album's also got her working as a richer soul artist overall – eschewing the obvious chart territory of other 80s female singers, and stepping back to hit some great midtempo modes that really let her open up with amazing vocals! The mode's almost a female take on the quiet storm style at its best moments – and titles include "Now Or Never", "Lies", "Fool's Paradise", "Heart Breaking Decision", "Do You Still Love Me", and "I'll Give It When I Want It". LP, Vinyl record album

A really beautiful second album from Fabiano Do Nascimento – and a set that really blows away his debut! This record's got an "instant classic" vibe right from the start – the kind of set that you could easily listen next to 70s gems by artists like Lo Borges, Milton Nascimento, or Edu Lobo – with a sound that hangs between the complexity and soul of all three of those artists – but a presentation that's also very personal and unique! Fabiano plays acoustic guitar throughout, with a cascading vibe that's incredibly compelling – and often offset by light flute and percussion, which skitter alongside his beautiful vocals – in ways that are always upbeat, but never too polished – really preserving this organic core in his music! The sound is sublime – sophisticated, but very organic – and if you know us at all, we're not ones to throw around the term "classic" lightly when it comes to Brazilian music. Titles include "Planalto", "Baiao", "Brasilerinho", "Ja Que Tu", "Oye Nana", "O Tempo", "Canto De Xango", and "Louva A Deus Mantis". CD

Laidback and lovely trumpet work from the legendary Ruby Braff – heard here in the company of pianist Hank Jones, and recorded in a very intimate small group setting! The bulk of the CD features material from Ruby's excellent Ruby Braff Goes Girl Crazy album for Warner Brothers – a recasting of the Gershwin score as an instrumental vehicle for Braff, Jones, Al Cohn, and Jim Hall – all played in a mellow and open-handed style that brings a new sense of swing to the tunes! Rhythm is by George Duvivier or Bob Haggart on bass, and Buzzy Drootin on drums – and titles include "Embraceable You", "Treat Me Rough", "But Not For Me", "I Got Rhythm", and "Bidin My Time". 4 more tracks on the CD are pulled from the album You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me – again with Jones on piano, plus Mundell Lowe on guitar – on titles that include "When Your Lover Has Gone", "Let's Do It", and "Taking A Chance On Love". Last up are 5 more tunes from the album Easy Now – with Roy Eldridge also on trumpet, plus Jones and Lowe again – on the tracks "Yesterdays", "Someday You'll Be Sorry", "Give My Regards To Broadway", "Willow Weep For Me", and "This Is My Lucky Day". CD

A classic "discovery" of tenor saxophonist Von Freeman – one that was already relatively late in his career, but a key appearance on Atlantic under the auspices of Roland Kirk! The setting here is as loose and laidback as Von needs to really do his thing – backing by a trio that features fellow Chicagoan John Young on piano, plus Sam Jones on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums – all hanging back nicely to let Freeman dominate the set on tenor. The album's noteworthy for its inclusion of a few original tunes by Von – "White Sand", "Portrait Of John Young", "Doin It Right Now", "Brother George", and "Catnap" – all of which mark a nice contrast from some of the more traditional standards that show up on other Freeman albums of the 70s. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best Billy Taylor albums of the 60s – thanks to some great big band backing by Oliver Nelson! Nelson's touch was golden at this point, and he could make just about any instrumentalist swing like a hammer – which is what he does with Taylor on this album, taking his normally flowery keyboard style, and holding it in place with some extremely tight orchestrations. Tracks are a mix of soul jazz groovers and jazzy pop tunes – and titles include "Soul Sister", "That's Where It Is", "Stolen Moments", "Freedom", "A Lot Of Livin To Do", and "I Wish I Knew". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice reissue of some of Johnny Alf's rare bossa nova sides from the mid 60's! Unlike some of the other Brazilian bossa artists who made it big in the states (like Jobim and Joao Gilberto), Johnny Alf was a major talent in Brazil, but never really got exported properly. His sound is warm and mellow, and he's sings and plays piano in a sweet sultry way. Most of the stuff on here has him performing in front of larger orchestrations, with some good jazzy moments, and some that are more lush and romantic. The stuff's all great, though, and it's an excellent lost chapter in the history of bossa nova that we've had trouble getting up until now! Cuts include "Ceu Alegre", "Bossa So", "Gismi", "Imenso Do Amor", and "Samba Sem Balanco". CD

West coast harmony soul genius – a full early album of work by The Ballads – a sweet soul group who really live up to their name! The tracks here are all mellow soul with a near-perfect quality – vocals that step and slide together in a gentle, heartfelt sort of way – never too slick, and always with a heartbreaking sound that rivals some of the better-known east coast examples of the genre. Production is by Willie Hutch, Leon Ware, and Clarence Paul – and the album's a super-rare effort from the mostly-singles Venture label – with tracks that include "Good Bless Our Love", "You're The One", "I Love You Yeah", "The Gift Of Love", "Weakspot", "Hey Diddle Diddle", and "Goodnight My Love". CD also features 9 more bonus tracks – including "Right Track (parts 1 & 2)", "I Can't See Your Love", "Do It Now", "I Love You Yeah", and "I Hope I Never Fall In Love". LP, Vinyl record album

The Beatles at their late best – 1968's self-titled set, now immortalized as The White Album! The White Album capped offed a period of intense creativity for the band with a double that's as freewheeling as anything they'd ever release. It's got raw rockers with wry lyricism, tender acoustic balladry, psych blues jams and some flat out weird bits. As was always the case, John's and Paul's songs cover the majority of the sides, but The White Album also features what's arguably George's most vital moment as a Beatle with "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". Other tracks include "Back InThe USSR", "Dear Prudence","Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", "Happiness Is A Warm Gun", "Martha My Dear", "Rocky Raccoon", "Why Don't We Do It In The Road", "Julia", "Yer Blues", "Sexy Sadie", "Helter Skelter", "Revolution 1", Good Night" and more. CD

The Beatles at their late best – on 1968's self-titled set – now immortalized as The White Album! The White Album capped offed a period of intense creativity for the band with a double that's as freewheeling as anything they'd ever release. It's got raw rockers with wry lyricism, tender acoustic balladry, psych blues jams and some flat out weird bits. As was always the case, John's and Paul's songs cover the majority of the sides, but The White Album also features what's arguably George's most vital moment as a Beatle with "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". Other tracks include "Back InThe USSR", "Dear Prudence","Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", "Happiness Is A Warm Gun", "Martha My Dear", "Rocky Raccoon", "Why Don't We Do It In The Road", "Julia", "Yer Blues", "Sexy Sadie", "Helter Skelter", "Revolution 1", Good Night" and more. LP, Vinyl record album