An amazing shift for Family – the group's first album after Rick Grech left for Blind Faith – and a set that has the group really reinventing their sound! The vocals of Roger Chapman are maybe even more dynamic and upfront than ever before – really finding that special sort of spirit that made him one of the most unique talents on the British scene of the time – but maybe the most unusual aspect of the record is the presence of new group member Poli Palmer – who brings in all these cool new sounds on keyboards, flute, and vibes! Those elements create a richness in the sound that wasn't there before – one that seems to give the vocals of Chapman even more focus than usual – on titles that include "Drowned In Wine", "Some Poor Soul", "Love Is A Sleeper", "The Cat & The Rat", "A Song For Me", "Wheels", "Stop For The Traffic Through The Heart Of Me", "Hey Let It Rock", and "93's OK J". LP, Vinyl record album

Spiritual work from the great Charles Moffett and his talented family – all of whom have matured nicely by the time of this recording! Gone is the sloppiness of some of the earlier Moffett Family albums, and in its place is a tight soulful groove – with a progressive soul jazz sound that reminds us of the best moments on the Strata East label during the 70s! Charnett Moffett's on bass, Charles plays alto and tenor, Mondre plays trumpet, Codaryl's on drums, Charisse sings on two tracks, and Charles Sr. plays some nice vibes along with his usual drums. Tracks include "Mandingo Warrior", "Magic Of Love", "Short Stuff", and "The Gift Is Love". CD

A great little showcase for some truly legendary jazz lifers – Ira Sullivan and Stu Katz – collaborators of more than a half century doing their thing wonderfully over a handful of dates at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago in the summer of '10! This is literally a Family Affair, that ain't just a title – with Stu's son Steve Katz producing, playing bass on one number, and given credit for documenting the fellas at this stage of the game. Sullivan's on saxes, trumpet and fluegelhorn, Katz is on vibes most of the way, but sits at the piano for "Pennies From Heaven". Dan Trundel is also on piano, with Dennis Carroll on bass and George Fludas on drums. Includes "Blues Two Views", "Gee, Matthew", "Scrapple From The Apple", "Take The 'A' Train", "Yesterdays" featuring vocals by Lucia Newell, "Stablemates", "Lullaby Of The Leaves" and more. CD

One of the coolest albums ever issued from this all-star group – a 50th anniversary tribute to two classic albums from 1969 – In A Silent Way by Miles Davis, and Stand by Sly & The Family Stone! The pairing is a great one – as Miles was listening to a lot of Sly in the late 60s, and the Family Stone were a key part of the SF scene at the time – but the group here makes the whole thing come across as way more than just a recasting of classics – because, like other tributes to their inspirations, the Collective have a really strong way of making things completely their own! Sly tracks alternate with Miles numbers – and vocals are handled by Martin Luther McCoy, who's worked with The Roots – in a group that also includes Warren Wolf on vibes, David Sanchez on tenor, Etienne Charles on trumpet, Adam Rogers on guitar, and Edward Simon on piano. The vocal tracks are nice and long – with a lot more jazz instrumentation than vocals – and titles include "I Want To Take You Higher", "Sex Machine", "In A Silent Way/It's About That Time", "Everyday People", 'You Can Make It If You Try", "Shh/Peaceful", and "Sing A Simple Song". CD

Hard to find a stronger early album by Sly – as this one has him still funking hard, but also getting his soul bag together a bit more, hitting some really righteous vibes that mix together politics and partying in an incredibly seductive way. The album's filled with anthemic numbers like "Sing A Simple Song", "Stand", "Don't Call Me N_gger Whitey", and "Everyday People" – classic crossover material for the heady crowd of the late 60s – and it also includes a very cool 13 minute track called "Sex Machine", which is a messed-up stoner funk number that shows Sly's ties to the Fillmore freakout scene! LP, Vinyl record album

Hard to find a stronger early album by Sly Stone – as this one has him still funking hard, but also getting his soul bag together a bit more – hitting some really righteous vibes that mix together politics and partying in an incredibly seductive way! The album's filled with anthemic numbers like "Sing A Simple Song", "Stand", "Don't Call Me N*gger Whitey", and "Everyday People" – classic crossover material for the heady crowd of the late 60s – and it also includes a very cool 13 minute track called "Sex Machine", which is a messed-up stoner funk number that shows Sly's ties to the Fillmore freakout scene! CD

A great little set of 70s soul – and one of the more obscure groups to ever record for the TK Records family of labels! Not to be confused with the Laura Nyro hit "Eli's Coming", this group's one that's headed up by Philly Soul maestro Bobby Eli – composer of, producer for, and guitarist on countless 70s soul hits! The group's Bobby's own, and has a sound that's very much in keeping with the best Philly disco of the period – with likely suspect players that include Ron Kersey on keyboards, Vince Montana on vibes, and Larry Washington on congas. Most tunes feature a 3-woman vocal chorus singing the lyrics – very much in the classic Philly female disco group mode – and titles include "Heavenly", "Foxfire, "Lickety Split", "Love Chant", "Why Don'cha", "Hop Scotch", and oh, a version of "Eli's Coming"! CD

An incredible album by Roy Ayers – but one that's often overlooked because it was a rare indie effort issued between Roy's years at Polydor and Columbia! The session's Roy's only full album for Uno Melodic – the label he formed to showcase the talents of Sylvia Striplin, Ladies Of The Eighties, and others – and it's done in a snapping, boogie-styled groove that's very similar to the work by other Uno acts at the time. There's still plenty of the late Polydor Roy in the mix too – especially on the album's mellower numbers, which glide along nicely with all the right jazzy touches we love in a classic Ayers groove! Highlights include the excellent "Chicago", a really dark funk track with a mad descending groove; the Fela-styled "Black Family"; the warmly jazzy "Lots Of Love", an instrumental with vibes along strings; and the bass bumping "Everybody", a wicked later funk number! Other tracks include "And Then We Were One", "DC City", "Drive", and "Fast Money" – all great too! CD

Stellar early 70s work from John Dankwork – in a 2CD set! Full Circle is simply one of the greatest albums we've ever heard from the Brit maestro – a big band album as in earlier years, but one done with lots of hip 70s touches! The feel here is halfway between that of sound library grooving and some of the larger group 70s sessions on MPS – often funky at times, but with freshly modern solo work that breaks out from the larger ensemble nicely to accentuate the mood of the tunes. Players include Alan Branscombe on vibes, John Taylor on piano, Joe Moretti on guitar, and Kenny Wheeler on trumpet – and tunes include Mike Vickers' "Eleven Plus", Mike Gibbs' "A Family Joy" and "Triple Portrait", Keith Jarrett's "Grow Your Own", and Dankworth's "Academy One" and "Earthman". Also features a nice bass-y take on "You Are Too Beautiful". Lifeline is another great one – also reminding us of some of the larger MPS projects of the same time. The tracks have a bit of an electric glow in the basswork and production, but the main focus is on acoustic big band grooving – with breakout solos, and some tighter ensemble passages. Includes the sweet suite "Lifeline", which has a few funky moments – plus"Tomorrow's World", "WRVR", and "Fighting The Flab". Players include Don Rendell, Tony Hymas, Ken Gibson, and Dankworth himself. CD

One of the most righteous albums ever from jazz vibes legend Johnny Lytle – a soaring, spacious set that's almost to Lytle's career what Gears was to Johnny Hammond's! Of course, Lytle's groove here is different – no Mizell production, and a mellower feel overall – but the unbridled space of 70s Milestone is definitely a key influence here – and Johnny stretches out here like never before! The players are all pretty hip – and include Daahoud Hadi (aka Butch Cornell) on electric piano and organ, Marvin Cabell on flute and tenor, Bob Cranshaw on bass, Betty Glamann on harp, and Jozell Carter on drums – all perfect mates here for Johnny's spiritual exploration of sound with his vibes – in ways that are almost more amazing than work from Bobby Hutcherson or Roy Ayers at the time! Titles include an amazing original called "Libra", plus "Tawhid", "Where Is The Love", "Family", and a version of "People Make the World Go Round". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic combination of modern jazz talents – the groundbreaking Gary Burton Quartet, and the young avant ensemble of trombonist Mike Gibbs! The set begins with a fantastic performance by Burton's group – heard here in a lineup that has the guitar of Dave Pritchard sharing equal chromatic roles with Burton's beautiful vibes – alongside sublime bass from Steve Swallow, and drums from Bill Goodwin. Gary solos on a great version of "Chega De Saudade", and other tunes include "General Mojo's Well Laid Plan", "Arise Her Eyes", "And On The Third Day", "Ballet", and "Portsmith Configurations". CD 2 features a full set by Gibbs' group – in a rare recording before their debut album – with a lineup that includes Kenny Wheeler and Trevor Barber on trumpets, Alan Skidmore and Ray Warleigh on saxes, Chris Spedding on guitar, and Chris Pyne on trombone with Gibbs. Tracks are all long, and really beautiful – and include "Nowhere", "Walter L", "Tanglewood 63", and "Sojourn/June The 15th 1967". There's also vibes on these performances, but the notes are a bit unclear – so we're not sure if they're by Burton, or Frank Ricotti – who also worked with Gibbs. Burton's group returns on the funky track "Doin The Pig" – and then CD3 features a full second performance from earlier in 1969 – with a group that also includes John Surman on soprano, Mike Osborne on alto, Henry Lowther on trumpet, Jack Bruce on bass, and Ricotti on vibes. Titles on this set include "Feelings & Things/June The 15th 1967", "Sweet Rain", "Family Joy Oh Boy", and "Fly Time Fly Sigh". CD