Solid 80s grooving from George Duke – a really tightly-crafted set, done in the sweet mix of jazz and soul that he virtually helped to invent during the 70s! There's a gentle soulfulness to the record that we really like – a quality that's surprising, given the date, and the fact that so many artist like Duke were really pushing things over the top at the time – while George could still lay back, and keep things very nicely paced. Many of the tunes on the set are mellow groovers and ballads – stepping along at a sweet pace with lead vocals from Duke, and some larger backings conducted by Charles Veal. Titles include "Shine On", "You", "Dream On", "Framed", "Ride On Love", "Son Of Reach For It", and "Positive Energy". CD features a bonus mix of "Dream On". CD

One of the great ones from the end of the 70s for George Duke – a ridiculously fertile period for Duke, which is a great thing – because he closed out the decade on a wave of excellent releases! On Follow The Rainbow, George is grooving just a bit more smoothly than before, and it's maybe not as much of a jazz album as some of earlier sets – which is just fine, because this album's also got some great modern numbers that follow in an Earth Wind & Fire-style spiritual soul tradition! Sheila E is in the group, and joins Lynn Davis and Josie James on vocals – and the three of them give the record a strong R&B vibe on the best cuts. Titles include "Festival", "Say That You Will", "Funkin' For The Thrill", "I Am For Real (May The Funk Be With You)", "Pluck", "Corine", "Straight From The Heart" and "Sunrise". This Soulmusic.com edition includes 2 bonus tracks: "I Am For Real (single edit)" and "Pluck (single edit)". CD

Tracks include "Dukey Stick", " Reach For It", "Seachin' My Mind", "Sweet Baby", "Lady" and Shine On" – 10 cuts total. CD

A wonderful album from George Duke – and one of our favorite records from his legendary years at Columbia! George Duke's always had plenty of Brazilian elements in his music – but this album really brings them all together – offering up a perfect blend of Duke's keyboards and Cali soul with some key additions from the Rio scene of the time – a mix of singers and musicians who really help round out the sound and authenticate George's ears for Brazilian music! The album was actually recorded down in Rio – and features great contributions from Simone, Milton Nascimento, Roberto Silva, Toninho Horta, and Airto – all working beautifully under Duke's leadership, on cuts that include "Brazilian Love Affair", "Cravo E Canela", "Brazilian Sugar", "Sugarloaf Mountain", "Ao Que Vai Nascer", and "I Need You Now". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet keyboards and lots of funky grooves – one of the best of George Duke's seminal albums for MPS – and a record that captures him at a key middle point in his growth! The sound here is tighter than the trippier records of before, but also never too smooth or commercial – still with plenty of cosmic influences in the funk, and a wealth of great keyboard work that rivals some of Herbie Hancock's best from the same stretch. George sings a bit himself – in a warmly compressed mode that's simply wonderful, and which further expands the grooves – and although much of the album's instrumentation comes from the keyboards, the record also features guest appearances from Airto on percussion and Ndugu on drums – as well as a bit of guest vocals from Flora Purim. Titles include "The Once Over", "Tzina", "Statement", "Love", "Feel", "Funny Funk", "Rashid", and "Cora Joberge". CD

A really great early album from George Duke – quite different than his work for MPS to follow – and more in a groovy late 60s California mode! There's a vibe here that resonates nicely with some other late 60s sessions on Liberty Records – kind of an expansion of a Cali soul jazz mode, similar to the style the Crusaders were starting to go for – but colored in with some of Duke's obviously hip inclinations as well! George plays some great electric piano on the record – and other players include Ernie Watts on tenor and flute, and Jay Graydon on guitar – on titles that include "Soul Watcher", "Since You Asked", "Shades Of Joy", "Alcatraz", and "A Little Bit Of Seven". LP, Vinyl record album

A mighty collaboration between Stanley Clarke & George Duke – working here in a pairing that refueled both of their careers for the 80s! In previous years, both Clarke and Duke had a penchant for really stretching out in complex, experimental modes – but here, they're playing in a relatively stripped-down and focused way – hitting some of the more soul-inspired sides of fusion at the time, although still without the slick or commercial feel of the rising GRP generation. Guitars figure heavily on a number of tracks, and vocals do too – sometimes in ways that are slightly too sweet and almost cloying. Tracks include "Wild Dog", "Louie Louie", "Sweet Baby", "I Just Want To Love You", "Winners", "Let's Get Started", and "Touch & Go". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive tribute to this overlooked west coast pianist of the postwar years – an overstuffed set that features unreleased recordings, rare albums, and lots of other unusual material from the archives of the great Joe Castro! The set follows on the very illuminating Lush Life package from Sunnyside a few years back – and like that box, this one showcases just how many things Joe had going on at the time – even if he only got a chance to issued a rare few records as a leader! CD1 features a series of mid 50s trio recordings done in LA – with work from Paul Chambers, Leroy Vinnegar, and Red Mitchell on bass – plus Philly Joe Jones, Lawrence Marable, and Jimmy Pratt on drums. CD2 isn't Joe at all – but features his own recordings of a very young Paul Bley on piano (1956!), plus singer Flo Handy with backings from pianist George Handy. CD3 returns to the Castro catalog – and offers up the Atlantic album Mood Jazz, with arrangements from Neal Hefti and Ray Ellis – plus six more bonus tracks too. CD4 features another Atlantic album – the great Groove Funk Soul – again with unissued bonus tracks. CD5 features rare trio material, done for Joe's tiny Clover Records imprint – an unusual group with Teddy Kotick on bass and Paul Motian on drums – recorded in New York in 1965. CD6 features even more unusual material from the Clover vaults – a few more with the same trio - plus performances from Teddy Edwards and Bill Holman on tenor, Gabe Balthazar on flute and alto, Al Porcino on trumpet, and Bill Hood on baritone – plus orchestrations, tenor, and oboe from Bob Cooper. As with the previous box, the set is a stunning picture of this overlooked piano genius – filled with treasures in many different flavors! CD

A nice little tribute to soul, jazz and fusion legend George Benson – and a project that's a labor of love for Benson-devotee, soulful spirit and brilliant guitarist U-Nam – with an allstar lineup that features Ronnie Foster, George Duke, Patrice Rushen, Andreas Oberg, Tim Owens, Marcus Millers and others! Benson is an artist who embraced diversity and creative evolution – and this tribute does that legacy proudly. It's rich with fusiony soul groovers that are laced with some truly impeccable guitar work. It's got some throwback swagger in spots, but it's also got some distinctly modern soul appeal – and an all around affectionate spirit. U-Nam plays guitars, keyboards and more here – on top of handling the recording and arrangements – and the guests bring their best! Includes "Weekend In LA" with Rhodes and clavinet by Ronnie Foster and vocals by Andreas Oberg, "Give Me That", "Shiver" and more with singer Tim Owens, "This Masquerade" with more great Fender Rhodes – this time by George Duke, "Hip Ship", "Before You Go/Breezin'" with Patrice Rushen, "Nature Boy" with Stokely Williams and more. CD

Do yourself a favor, and buy this album – you won't be disappointed! The record is a gem all the way through – a really unique mixture of LA soul jazz and African rhythms, with a sound that's almost like Hugh Masekela sitting in with the Jazz Crusaders! Of course, there's a lot of Jazz Crusaders in the set – as Wilton Felder plays electric bass on the album, giving it a fantastic loping groove – but there's also plenty of unique albums on the record, especially its way of approaching the rhythms with a sly, syncopated groove that's immediately infectious! Duke's trumpet solos are great, and they're augmented by tenor work by Chester Washington and trombone by George Bohannon – all nicely grooving on the album's brilliant blend of jazzy tracks. Titles include "Jungle Funk", "Afrikaloo", "Akagruge", "Like It Is", "Mafam", and "Peace Brother". Somebody put this one on CD – and do us all a treat! LP, Vinyl record album

A classic from Cannoball and producer-partner David Axelrod – truly great stuff and maybe even better than the Zodiac set Cannonball did for Capitol! The formula is similar to that one – with David Axelrod producing, electric keyboards by Hal Galper and George Duke, spacey solos by Cannonball and Nat Adderley, and some very hip recitations by Rick Holmes on love, sex, and the zodiac! Holmes is best known as the chappie who cut "Remember To Remember" years later with Roy Ayers – but this album's got a similar "wisdom and knowledge" feel that's pretty wonderful. Titles include "Aquarius: Humanity Plus", "Cancer: All Sides", "Leo: Rosebud", "Aries: Damn Right", "Gemini: Ecstasy", and "Virgo: For Pam". CD

A wonderfully soulful session from percussionist Babatunde Lea – and a shining example of the warm spirits and cross-cultural experimentation going on in the Bay Area scene of the 70s! The record mixes 70s soul jazz with bits of funk, Latin jazz, and breezy west coast touches – making for an album that's got some of the earthy charm of work on labels like Strata East or Black Jazz, mixed with the tighter soulful production of some of George Duke's early 70s sides for MPS. The vibe is incredible – a beautiful mix of warm vocals, tight soloing, and message-oriented grooves – and the whole thing's great all the way through! Titles include "Thailand Stick", "Use Your Hands", "Merely A Suggestion", "Levels Of Consciousness", "Thang", and "Plea From The Soul". LP, Vinyl record album

Very groovy work from these two Brit sound library greats – loads of funky tunes, and great keyboards too – all served up in a massively funky record that was never issued to the public at large! Had this set hit the real record racks in 1974, it might well have challenged some of the greatest material from George Duke or Herbie Hancock – as the tunes are mostly funky, and feature lots of wonderful work on a wide variety of keyboards – sometimes getting all cool and wigged-out, even when the grooves are upbeat – a bit like Herbie in his Sextant years! Titles include "Hit Me Hit Me", "Big Black Cadillac", "Collision Course", "The Executive", "Hovercraft", "Mermaid", "Auto Glide", "Where The Action Is", and "Getting It Together". LP, Vinyl record album

Two of the later Blackbyrds LPs on one CD! Action is a great little sleeper from the Blackbyrds – a record that never gets as much due as their earlier records that have a hard funky feel, but offer instead a tasty batch of smoother jazz funk numbers that show the group still continuing to grow. Donald Byrd's still at the production helm – and the band's got a nice spacey sound that almost reflects directions that other funk groups, like Kool & The Gang, were taking at the time. The best case of this is the massive cut "Mysterious Vibes", a slow jazzy stepper that was sampled to great fame a few years back – but you can also hear it on the cuts "Supernatural Feeling", "Soft & Easy", and "Dreaming About You". Better Days is filled with sweet warm grooves from the mighty Blackbyrds – a set that has George Duke working with the group, giving them some of the electric vibe of his own great work! The sound is less sharply funky than the early days of the group, but still mighty nice – and titles include "Do It Girl", "Love Don't Strike Twice", "What We Have Is Right", and "What's On Your Mind". CD

A nice collaboration between Miles and Marcus Miller from the latter part of Miles career. As much of the recording here is overdubbed, with many multiple instruments played by Miller, it doesn't have the improvised vibe of Miles' classic performances, but the songwriting and arrangements are head and shoulders above much of the contemporary jazz being recorded at the time, Miles is in great form, and the glossy production sits better with us now than ever before. Paulinho DaCosta, George Duke, Michael Urbaniak and Bernard Wright all make guest appearances. 8 tracks in all: "Tutu", "Tomaas", "Portia", "Splatch", "Backyard Ritual", "Perfect Way", Don't Lose Your Mind" and "Full Nelson". LP, Vinyl record album

A strong debut of more commercially oriented material from Coke Escovedo's daughter, hooking up with Prince and Jesse Johnson after stints with George Duke and others. The vibe here, as you probably well know, is very Prince influenced, but infused with a wonderful Latin vibe that really set it apart from the rest of his mid 80s camp. With the hit title track, plus "The Belle Of St Mark", "Oliver's House" and "Next Time Wipe The Lipstick Off Your Collar". LP, Vinyl record album

Four soulful fusion classics from keyboardist Rodney Franklin – all together in a single set! First up is In The Center – wonderful keyboard work from the amazing Rodney Franklin – a player who sounds equally great on acoustic and electric piano! This album does a wonderful job of mixing them both – showing Rodney's more sensitive side on a few acoustic numbers, but then really taking off in a much more groove-based mode for the electric ones – which have a soaring, spacious style that's in that best blend of fusion and soul that was going down at Columbia in the late 70s – but with some spacier Bob James touches too! Most of the cuts were arranged by Byron Olsen, who's got an equally sensitive ear as Franklin – and although there's a bit of vocals on the record, most of the focus is on instrumental grooves – especially Rodney's work on the keys. Titles include the classics "I Like The Music Make It Hot", "Spanish Flight", and "On The Path" – plus "Yours", "Life Moves On", and the extended "Spring Suite". You'll Never Know is fully-formed genius from the amazing Rodney Franklin – one of the best keyboard stars to emerge from the late 70s scene! Franklin's got a great talent for balancing influences from jazz and soul in ways that are similar to contemporaries George Duke and Bobby Lyle – and like both of those players, he still stands strong in jazz, but makes some key nods to soul music on this set – adding in a bit of vocals where needed, and moving into some R&B-drenched fusion lines that all sound pretty darn hip! As on previous records, Rodney plays both acoustic and electric keys – blending them wonderfully for a very deep sound – and the group behind him features some especially nice work on reeds, which bring sharper edges to some of the best tracks on the set. There's a wonderfully deep feel to the whole thing – way more than you'd expect for a major label release at the time – and titles include "Felix Leo", "The Watcher", "The Groove", "Journey", "You'll Never Know", "Return", and "Parkay Man". Next is the self-titled Rodney Franklin – tremendous work from Rodney Franklin – one of our favorite soulful fusion players from the end of the 70s! The album's a keyboard delight through and through – and Rodney plays both acoustic and electric piano, often on the same track – which creates this nicely expanded sound that works well with the album's tight arrangements! There's a fair bit of soul in the mix too – some rhythms that make a few numbers great groovers, courtesy of Tom Tom arrangements – and some other full moments handled by Patrick Williams. Titles include a wonderful version of "Windy City" – the cut you might know from a classic Carl Davis recording – plus "On The Path", "I Like The Music Make It Hot", "Life Moves On", "Creation", and "In The Center". Endless Flight is a brilliant mix of jazz, soul, and fusion – smoothed together nicely, but never in a way that's slick or commercial! Franklin's got a keen ear that lets him sit on both sides of the fence wonderfully – in a way that so many other players tried in later years, but never managed to do without losing their groove or selling out too much. Part of the strength of the album is the way that it mixes together acoustic and electric keys from track to track – deepening the spirit of the album through a good sense of pacing and mood, and also offsetting vocal tracks with some key instrumental numbers. Tom Washington produced and heavily helped in the arrangements – and titles include "Vibrations", "Benetta", "Cancion Para Mi Mama", "Dance Tonight", "Endless Flight", "Return To The Source", "Mensaje De Dios", and a surprisingly great funky take on "Hill Street Blues". Includes one bonus track – "The Groove (single version)". CD

A massive bit of funk – and from 70s France, no less! These guys clearly come from a jazz-based background – and have absorbed some of the best electric influences of their time – working in a keyboard-heavy mode that's clearly inspired by Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, and George Duke – yet also kicking up a groove that's a bit more down and dirty, and more in the instrumental funk mode overall. The sound of the set's incredible – really raw, riffy, and filled with plenty of snapping hard grooves – and the used of the keys is sublime throughout, changing mood from track to track, but always staying funky! Titles include "Penwick", "Marathonic", "Ergocentric", "La Moto Verite", "Psychocross", "Ring Modulator", "Plongee Synthetique", "Kayak", and "Cache Catch". LP, Vinyl record album

Smooth soul and jazzy diva stylings combine in this tight late 80s album by Dianne Reeves. George Duke produced, and tracks include "Eyes On The Prize", "Come In", "Never Too Far", "How Long", "Hello (Haven't I Seen You Before)", and "We Belong Together". CD

With George Duke, Charles Icarus Johnson, Paul Jackosn, and Tony Williams. LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet electric set from Sonny Rollins – and maybe the closest he ever came to cutting a funk record! The set's got that mellow electric funk approach that Prestige was using often in the mid 70s – Sonny's tenor lines getting some great Bay Area studio support from George Duke on keyboards, Bennie Maupin on reeds, Raul De Souza on trombone, Bob Cranshaw on electric bass, and even Mtume on congas – players who work together to create a tight ensemble sound that moves the album nicely along! Titles include the great cut "Newkleus", a space funk jammer that has a nice Headhunters-ish kind of sound – and other tracks include "Gwaligo", "Azalea", and "Cosmet". CD

The sound is never too loud here – and John Scofield's right out in the lead on most numbers, carving out those soulfully-inflected, modern-styled licks that really characterized his sound back in the day! Scofield's emerged as more of a traditionalist in recent years, but on 80s dates like these he was really embracing the bigger sounds of the time – and has a way of mixing his guitar roots with kind of a fuzzier, more electric vibe – of the sort that the Gramavision label could do wonderfully at the time. The group is mostly a quintet, with Don Alias on percussion – and keyboards are by Robert Aries on all tracks, but George Duke steps in with some solos as well. Titles include "Signature Of Venus", "Dirty Rice", "Did It", "Loud Jazz", "Otay", "True Love", and "Igetthepicture". CD

A brilliant album from Kaidi Tatham – deeper by far than anything we've ever heard from him, and way more than you might expect if you only know his singles from the London scene! This set's got a very strong jazz component – monstrous keyboard work from Kaidi that stretches and soars with the kind of sound you might expect from George Duke on MPS – coupled with some leaner, more rhythmic elements that show Tatham's strong ties to the London scene – yet still in ways that really break from its conventions! There's mostly a great groove to the tracks, but there's also a warmth, depth, and spirituality to the record that's really amazing – the kind of new territory that others have found on the excellent Freedom School label – a place that offers a rare outlet for creative expression in times like these. The whole thing's instrumental, and Kaidi played all instruments himself – mixing acoustic percussion with beats, electric keyboards with piano, and coming across with a sound that's far richer than the sum of its core elements. Titles include "Simiya", "I'm High", "So Amazed", "Swift Inspiration", "In Search Of Hope (part 1)", "Do What You Gotta Do", "On A Vibe", "These Things Will Pass", and "He Laughs She Cries". CD

A brilliant album from Kaidi Tatham – deeper by far than anything we've ever heard from him, and way more than you might expect if you only know his singles from the London scene! This set's got a very strong jazz component – monstrous keyboard work from Kaidi that stretches and soars with the kind of sound you might expect from George Duke on MPS – coupled with some leaner, more rhythmic elements that show Tatham's strong ties to the London scene – yet still in ways that really break from its conventions! There's a warmth, depth, and spirituality to the record that's really amazing – the kind of new territory that others have found on the excellent Freedom School label – a place that offers a rare outlet for creative expression in times like these. The whole thing's instrumental, and Kaidi played all instruments himself – mixing acoustic percussion with beats, electric keyboards with piano, and coming across with a sound that's far richer than the sum of its core elements. Titles include "Simiya", "I'm High", "So Amazed", "Swift Inspiration", "In Search Of Hope (part 1)", "Do What You Gotta Do", "On A Vibe", "These Things Will Pass", and "He Laughs She Cries". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last great records ever made by Sarah Vaughan – a really solid session of Brazilian tunes, one that's produced by Sergio Mendes, arranged by Dori Caymmi, and which features guest vocals by Milton Nascimento! The general approach is west coast mellow – as the group features Alphonson Johnson, George Duke, Hubert Laws, Tom Scott, and Ernie Watts – and most of the tunes are English translations of older Brazilian tracks from the 60s and 70s, done by Sarah in an easy, jazzy tone. Titles include "Love & Passion", "Your Smile", "Obsession", "Make This City Ours Tonight", "Nothing Will Be As It Was", and "Photograph". CD

Features George Duke on keyboards, Jean-Luc Ponty on violin, and Jack Bruce on bass – and titles include Frank's classic "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow" – plus "Nanook Rubs It", "Father O'Blivion", "Cosmik Debris", "Exentrifugal Forz", "Stink Foot", and "Apostrophe". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most jamming Zappa albums from the early days – a set that's still got some of Frank's complicated musical leanings in play – but which features interpretation by a smoking group who no doubt helped the great one reach a much larger audience! George Duke plays lots of organ and heavy keyboards – and other players include Aynsley Dunbar on drums, giving the whole thing a great punch at the bottom – plus Mothers luminary Ian Underwood on more keyboards and electric alto sax, Jeff Simmons and Max Bennett on bass, and Frank himself on some mighty amazing guitar! Titles include "The Clap", "Chunga's Revenge", "Tell Me You Love Me", "The Nancy & Mary Music", "Twenty Small Cigars", and "Would You Go All The Way". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost jazz-funk gem – originally recorded at Club Mozambique in Detroit in 1970, but not issued by Blue Note until the mid 90s! The set's right up there with Lonnie's classic Move Your Hand live set – as the tracks are long, free, and very funky, performed by a hip group that includes Joe Dukes on drums, Dave Hubbard on tenor, Ronnie Cuber on baritone, and George Benson on guitar. Lonnie's organ is harder than you'll ever hear it in later years – and tracks include "Scream", "Expressions", "I Can't Stand It", "Peace Of Mind", "Love Bowl", and "Play It Back". LP, Vinyl record album