Brilliant later work by Bobby Blue Bland – done with backings that are much fuller than on his earlier albums – a mixture of strings and horns that really expand the sound! That doesn't keep things from being soulful, though – as Bobby's in incredible form vocally, really rising to the occasion of the session with some of his best vocal performances of the decade. Great throughout – and one of his few true classic sessions after the early Duke years. Titles include "Today I Started Loving You Again", "I Take It On Home", "I Hate You", "If Fingerprints Showed Up On Skin", and "Too Far Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of ABC Records classics from Bobby Blue Bland – back to back on a single CD! First up is Get On Down – brilliant later work by Bobby Blue Bland – done with backings that are much fuller than on his earlier albums – a mixture of strings and horns that really expand the sound! That doesn't keep things from being soulful, though – as Bobby's in incredible form vocally, really rising to the occasion of the session with some of his best vocal performances of the decade. Great throughout – and one of his few true classic sessions after the early Duke years. Titles include "Today I Started Loving You Again", "I Take It On Home", "I Hate You", "If Fingerprints Showed Up On Skin", and "Too Far Gone". Reflections In Blue is a bit of a shift for Bobby Blue Bland – a record that picks up some slight touches of the disco generation, thanks to arrangements by Michael Omartin – but a record that, thanks to Bobby's fantastic vocals, still really stands out from the pack! The shift is a bit like the one that Johnnie Taylor was taking at the time – music that's still rooted in southern soul and blues, but which has some slight updates at a few points – but never in a way that's trying to put Bobby on the dancefloor at Studio 54! Instead, warmer keyboards, strings, and some well-crafted guitar lines are used in a few spots – while other tracks retain more of the horn-heavy arrangements that made his Duke Records material so great. Throughout it all, Bland is vocally fantastic – on titles that include "It Ain't The Real Thing", "The Soul Of A Man", "I Got The Same Old Blues", "Five Long Years", "It's All Over", and "If I Weren't A Gambler". CD

Remixes by Sean Mystro Mather, Geoff Wilkinson & Jim Hawkins, Nitin Sawhney, and Q Burn's Abstract Message. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A double album set of classic & contemporary Camp Lo – the solid Get Down Brothers on the contemporary tip and the bonus On The Way Uptown LP on the classic tip! Get Down Brothers finds working nicely in modern, but not at all trend hopping effort with straight up hip hop and some clubbier sounds that don't weigh down the veteran rhyme craft. Titles includes "Genie Alert", "Crocket & Tubs" with YahZarah, Love Is Love", "Strings", "Black Connection", "What They Know", "This Is Lo" and more. On The Way Uptown features early 90s era demos from their uberclassic Uptown Saturday Night plus some nice pre-Uptown Saturday Night material! 12 tracks including "Sugar Streets", "Coolie High Is Life", "Short Eyes", "World Heist", "Sparkle (110th St Demo)", "Superfly", "Hollywood At The Disco" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The dawn of millennium classic by Dead Prez – and angry, revolution-minded effort from a period on major label hip hop that sorely lacked such strident players – and if it didn't make any huge waves commercially, that only strengthens its legacy! Sticman & M1 are at the top of their game lyrically, the beats are are exciting to this day, and it all adds up to one of the strongest politically minded hip hop records of its time. Titles include "Wolves", "Hip Hop", "They Schools", "The Pistol", "Discipline", "Enemy Lines", "Mind Sex", "Propaganda", "You'll Find A Way", "Police State", and many more. LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing slice of music from the legendary David Axelrod – quite different than his better-known sides for Capitol and Reprise Records – and plenty darn funky overall! Axelrod is at his studio best here – stepping off the funky jazz modes he produced for Cannonball Adderley, and taking a shot at that territory on his own! In a reversal of modes, Cannonball actually handles the production – with help from Jimmy Bowen – which leaves Axelrod alone to compose, arrange, and direct the group on the set. The album's got a fair bit of electricity in the mix – heavy keyboards from Joe Sample, and some really fuzzy guitars – plus lots of choppy reed work from Joe Sample and Ernie Watts, all wrapped up with some monstrously funky drums from Ndugu Chancler. There's a very bottom-heavy groove to the record – one that makes for a few completely amazing breaks, and a very funky sound overall – and Axelrod does an amazing job of controlling the players here – so that nobody jams too much, and the grooves are always right on the money! The whole thing's great – a sublime symphony of instrumental funk all the way through – and titles include "Reverie", "Miles Away", "Go For It", "Ken Russell", "1000 Rads", and "One". LP, Vinyl record album

The rare, late 80s gem from Black Rock & Ron – dedicated to and featuring production by the late, great Paul C McKasty – along with some production by Jazzy Jay and Skeff Anselm. You can hear Paul C's influence in the edits, the tightness of the beats and the layering and chopping of the samples, which definitely pushes this set to higher level. The rhymes are impressive, too – especially in the heavier, rawer and harder hitting tracks. Solid duo rap and tight production from the Hollis, Queens crew. Titles include 'You Can't Do Me None", "Black Is The Word", "That's How I'm Livin'", "Getting Large", "I'm Tired", "3 Brothers And Yvonne", "Rap Life", "Act Like You Know" and "Black, Rock & Ron (video mix)". 15 tracks in all. CD

An early 90s Native Tongues classic – one that sounded great way back when, and has held up beautifully over the years – and rightly considered amongst the greatest hip hop albums ever! Wolf In Sheep's Clothing is playful rap at its best, with funky and and funny cuts galore – but the title is apt, as the wit is pretty sharply barbed – especially when they're skewering hardcore and gangsta cliches. It's as brilliant as ever. Includes the massive "Flavor Of The Month", "Similak Child", "Pass The 40", "To Whom It May Concern", "Butt In The Meantime", "Strobelite Honey", "Are You Mad?", "Blunted", "For Doz That Slept" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A never-issued James Brown album from 1972 – a killer live performance from The Apollo Theater – and one that features a fair bit of help from other members of his People Records crew! James performs a bit on the record – but the set also features some great instrumental sides from the JBs, who get almost half the set – plus a few songs each by Bobby Byrd and Lyn Collins – two of the greatest singers to ever work with The Godfather! There's also some great introductions by Danny Day – in that usual hip style we love from James' concert recordings – and titles include "Wine Spot", "From The Back Side", "Hot Pants Road", "Honky Tonk", "Pass The Peas", and "Gimme Some More" by The JBs – plus "I Know You Got Soul", "If Loving You Is Wrong I Don't Want To Be Right", and "Keep On Doin What You're Doin" by Bobby Byrd; and "Do Your Thing", "Think", and "I'll Take You There" by Lyn Collins. LP, Vinyl record album

A wicked lost album of righteous funk and poetic knowledge from the great Gary Byrd! Gary began his life as a soul DJ in New York, but by the early 70s, he was using his rich voice to create recordings designed to educate as much as entertain. That said, the album is as funky as it is strident, and innovatively soulful – it's got raw and heavy drums and horns the burst in, but there's also roomier, slinkier grooves created to frame Byrd's voice and mood. The arrangements are by Chico O'Farrill and he really delivers. Gary Byrd's storytelling and spoken delivery leads the way, though – righteousness without bitterness, angry yet agreeable – truly brilliant and unique work! Titles include "To You Beautiful Black Sister", "If The People Only Knew (Power To The People)", "Shining Black Prince", "Country Preacher", and "How Long My People" and more. This great 2011 CD edition from Get On Down includes the bonus "Soul Travelin' Pt I (The GBE)" and "Soul Travelin' Pt I (The GBE)". CD

Cypress Hill's debut masterpiece – one of the biggest and best first albums in 90s hip hop! There's little we can add to the canon when it comes to describing this album's impact, but it's still pretty revelatory. Like other west coast rap heavies of the time, Cypress Hill documents real world street violence with a darkly comic sensibility, redefined usage of the word "blunt" forever more, and simply delivered one of the most influential rap (or rock. . .considering the astonishing crossover success) albums of the decade. "How I Could Just Kill A Man", "Hand On The Pump", "Hole In The Head", "Real Estate", "Stoned Is The Way Of The Walk", "Phunky Feel One", "Pigs", "Latin Lingo", "Something For The Blunted", "Psychobeatbuckdown" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few albums ever cut by Les DeMerle, one of the hippest drummers of his time – made legendary thanks to legions of samplers and beatheads in the 90s! This is certainly one of Les' best ever efforts – a tight batch of funky big band tracks, with lots of nice grooves, and a very hip lineup that includes Frank Foster, Joe Beck, Chris Woods, Arnie Lawrence, and Charles Sullivan – all coming together in some great tunes that have very unusual rhythms, and a great format that puts the drums in line with the hip playing in the reed section! The album includes Les' famous version of "A Day in the Life", which begins with a monster funky intro – plus the cuts "Fusion – Pro & Con", "Underground", "Deflections 1, 2, 3, & 4", and "Aquarius". This great 2011 edition from Get On Down has 2 bonus tracks: "The Raven" and his version of "I Am The Walrus"! CD

Amazing Latin soul – and the first record ever by the youthful George Guzman! The grooves kick in from the word "go" – with strong electric bass setting the scene, and lots of dark, descending blue notes – copped from 60s soul and jazz influences, and crafted perfectly to fit the Spanish Harlem sound of the time! Lyrics are mostly in English, and nearly every track is a mad groover – of the sort that will make your stereo perk up its too-tired ears! Trust us, this one's a gem – a record we'd recommend to anyone – and filled with wonderful tracks like "Lazy Boogaloo", "French Boogaloo", "Herba Buena", "Chant Of The Isles", "Marilu", and the goofy "Banana Freak Out"! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the funkiest songs ever from Issac Hayes – presented here in the non-stop, 33 minute jam session that gave the world the shorter single! The whole thing is amazing – and even more of a chance to see Hayes' genius in the studio than some of his full albums – as Ike conducts the core Bar-Kays group, and some additional strings and vocals – through passages that are tight and funky one minute, then freaky and fuzzy the next – with lots of cool time changes, instrumental shifts, and other sweet styles that make the whole thing feel more like an extended funk symphony than just a single song! This is the first time this full performance has ever been released – and the single features both parts, plus a bonus "rhythm section mix". Also comes with a cool booklet of notes! LP, Vinyl record album

Pivotal early dub! Depending upon whose history of the Jamaican recording industry you subscribe to, this is can be considered by many to be the first dub LP – and whether that's proveable or not, it's certain among the first! History aside, it's a mighty set with some raw early dub style workouts at the hands of Errol Thompson at the renowned 16 North Parade recording studio run by Randy's, with some deft production by Clive Chin. Needing virtually no introduction, the Impact All Stars drop some incredible rhythms, many which will be immediately recognizable as having been versioned from massive numbers for Augustus Pablo, Junior Byles and the Soul Vendors. Titles include "Java Dub", "Cheating Dub", "ET Special", "Ordinary Version Dub", "Hide Away Dub" and "Black Man's Dub". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky funky Thailand – just about the only 70s funk group we've ever seen from that part of the globe, and a great one at that! The Impossibles work in a tightly-crafted ensemble funk style that's clearly influenced by Kool & The Gang – but which also has the group hitting some well-polished notes on a few of the album's vocal numbers – in a totally cool groove that's got plenty of hard funky riffs at the bottom, sweet horns in the middle, and some great compressed pop vocals on the top! The album's a real lost treasure – one that we've never seen on this side of the Atlantic – and was oddly recorded and issued in Sweden in the mid 70s! But this album is way more than just a musical oddity – as it's super-funky all the way through, with a level of quality that will have it at the top of your crates for a long, long time! Titles include "Hotpepper", "Give It Up", "California", "C'mon Baby", "Easy To Be Hard", "Pretty Thing", "Love Will Keep Us Together", and "Love The Life You Live". CD

Just-Ice wasn't actually part of the old school – although to some, the 1986 release might seem pretty darn close – but he definitely does a good job here of keeping things nice and clean on his classic debut! Production is from Mantronik, but there's also a harder edge than most of his other work in the studio – maybe thanks in part to edits by the great Chep Nunez, who was responsible for doing some great work on the Ultimate Breaks & Beats series! The sound blasts out of the deck with a very booming 80s sound – and the set also features some human beatboxing from DMX, who often explodes with the quality of a drum machine. Titles include "Back To The Old School", "Gangster of Hip Hop", "Latoya", "Cold Gettin Dumb", "Little Bad Johnny", and "Put That Record Back On." The picture cover is a dope notebook-style graffiti drawing of Just-Ice, DMX, Latoya, and Mantronik – that last of whom is carrying a Roland 909! LP, Vinyl record album

The percussion-heavy soul gem from Herman Kelly & Life – recorded in both Brazil & Miami – and awash with killer drum work all the way through! The album's a key part of the Miami sound especially – and really shows the way that city's 70s funk scene used congas heavily – really filling up the middle of a cut with even more energy than usual! The album's best known for the classic sample cut "Dance to the Drummer's Beat" – which is offered up here in a nice extended version, with a long percussion break that makes it even tastier than usual – and the record's also got a few other uptempo cuts like "Who's the Funky DJ?" and "Do The Handbone" – plus the tracks "Time After Time", "A Refreshing Love", and "Share Your Love". CD

Soaring salsa from the mighty Lebron Brothers – a group who first burst on the Latin scene with a strong run of Latin Soul recordings, but who are taking a more straightforward approach here! Yet that change hardly makes any difference, as the Lebrons still have that bold, youthful energy that made their records such a great change from some of the too-big bands of the previous generation in Latin music – and their shift from boogaloo to salsa is a great example of the way the key younger acts were helping make the waves that so many other artists would follow! Pablo Lebron sings lead vocals, and Angel and Jose Lebron co-lead the mighty tight grooves – which include alto from Gabe Gill and tenor from Herman Saldana – both players who keep a soulful sound to the set. Titles include "Mi Fracaso", "Si Ti", "Todo Lo Hechaste Ha Perder", "Orgullo, Riqueza Y Lujo", and "Tus Recuerdos". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from the New York underground of the late 60s – an album that's as magical as its title implies! Latin definitely goes psychedelic on this one – burning through a cloud of smoke with a brilliant blend of soul, jazz, and the hipper rhythms of the Spanish Harlem scene at the time. Many lyrics are in English, and the groove is a punchy blend of Latin Soul, boogaloo, and shing-a-ling styles – plus a storming descarga number to cap off the end of the set! Titles include "Descarga Lebron", "Mary Mary", "My Cool Boogaloo", "Mala Suerte", "Mi Mambo", "Tall Tale", and an original tune called "Summertime Blues" that's very different than the more famous hit! LP, Vinyl record album

Very groovy stuff from the Capitol heyday of the late 60s! The record ostensibly gives TV star (from "U.N.C.L.E.") David McCallum a chance to conduct a set of groovy instrumentals – but David Axelrod produced the album, and HB Barnum did some of the arrangements in the same groovy style he used on some of his best Capitol work! The record features a cool Axelrod composition called "The Edge", which is as good as anything from any of his 3 Capitol albums – plus other nice tracks like "Final", "Five O'Clock World", "Call Me", "Batman", and "Far Away Blue". CD

One of Charles Mingus' true classics – and an essential album in any jazz collection! This 1959 gem was recorded by Mingus at a key point in his career – when he was rising from the jazz underground into the ranks of America's elite jazzmen, penning some of the most challenging work of his career, and working with incredible younger players that interpreted his work with a great deal of fire! The tracks are a bit more tightly arranged than work on some of Mingus' previous work for labels like Atlantic and Bethlehem, but that also gives them a razor-sharp emotional edge that's carried off perfectly by players who include John Handy and Shafi Hadi on alto saxes, Booker Ervin on tenor, Willie Dennis and Jimmy Knepper on trombones, Horace Parlan on piano, and Dannie Richmond on drums. The album is filled with key Mingus classics – like "Better Git It In Your Soul", "Boogie Stop Shuffle", "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat", and "Fables of Faubus" – plus "Self Portrait In Three Colors", "Open Letter To Duke", and "Bird Call". This fantastic 2LP set features a bonus album – with 6 tracks never before on vinyl – including "GG Train", "Pedal Point Blues", "Girl Of My Dreams", and alternates of "Better Git It In Your Soul", "Bird Calls", and "Jelly Roll". LP, Vinyl record album

The cover looks a bit cheesy – like some sort of Star Search graphic – but the album's a rock-solid gem from the second decade of Nigerian funk – recorded in Lagos with a great boogie vibe, and a groove that's as heavy on keyboards as it is on riffing guitar and percussion! Peter Abdul's got this falsetto style of singing that's quite unusual for the Nigerian scene – one that echoes American sweet soul of the 70s, but set to a groovier style – and backing vocalists often help push over the top to new heights – as he stretches his range over the top of the longer grooves in the set! Titles include "Just Start To Understand You", "Don't You Know", "Baby I Love You", "Get Down With Me", "Let's Do It", and "Sisi". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge batch of work from Change – all the group's classic albums from the 80s, plus some great work from later years too – all with bonus tracks added to most of the records! First up is Glow Of Love – the classic debut from Change – and the start of an amazing run of groovers in the early 80s! The set's got a tight, jazzy feel throughout – a stripped-down approach to disco modes, with the same focus on the basslines that you'd find in work by Chic – but a style that's almost even more instrumentally focused overall, given the great range of studio players who worked on the set. Yet there's also some key vocal moments, too – work by Luther Vandross that really helps make some of the best tracks sparkle, and which went onto catapult Vandross into a rich solo career on his own. Next is Miracles – a brilliant second set from Change – working here without Luther Vandross on lead vocals, but hardly missing a beat at all! As before, the basslines are at the core of the set – a sweet stripped-down approach that brings even more focus onto the bottom of the groove for early 80s dancefloors – with loads of numbers that step along in a really groovy mode – one quite far from the cliches of disco, and inflected by loads of jazzy elements that keep things fresh over the years! Vocals are by James Robinson – previously with Lonnie Liston Smith – Diva Gray, and Jocelyn Shaw. Sharing Your Love is sweet modern soul from this great group – one of the brightest points in major label soul during the early 80s! Change, ironically, is a group that went through a number of line-up changes, even in their prime – with the tight, clubby, yet genuinely soulful production a constant. This record is made all the better for the beautifully soulful dual lead vocals of James Robinson and Deborah Cooper. The tracks have deeply layered live instrumentation – keyboards, guitar, percussion, horns and strings – blended seamlessly with early 80s production touches. This Is Your Love is an overlooked set from Change – a record that possibly wasn't as hit-worthy as some of their previous efforts – yet one that still had the group very much at the top of their game! By this point, Change had really evolved past being just a studio project, into a rock-solid soul group with a definite ear for a groove – particularly the tight, lean sort of rhythms that percolated in the post-Chic era – making a perfect fit for the slightly jazzy production of the record. Bassbits and beats drive most of the rhythms, but there's still a nice degree of warmth – and vocals are handled by Deborah Cooper, James Robinson, Rick Brennan, and Timmy Allen – who each seem to get their moment in the spotlight, furthering the well-rounded sound of the record. Next is Change Of Heart – a game-changing album from Change – a real breakthrough for the early 80s international soul combo! Change Of Heart has some great production by Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis – and on top of that, it's perhaps the best set of songs the group had recorded to to date. Jam/Lewis wrote half the tunes and produced most of the album, which is front-loaded with some of the best of them. Turn On Your Radio is not nearly as well-known as their first few hits, but still in that all-solid approach to the groove that was the Change trademark during the early 80s! The sound is a bit more stripped down than before – tight beats and keyboards, mostly in a mellow to midtempo mode – all topped with vocals from male and female members of the group! Change still have a great way with a hook here – an approach to soul that's tight and professional, yet not nearly as cloying as some of the chart-climbing acts of their generation. And as before, the keyboards are almost as great as the vocals – with slight jazzy inflections that warm up the tunes nicely! Last up is Love 4 Love – a 2018 comeback for Change – still sounding great all these many years later, but in a slightly different way! The balance between all elements here is fantastic – as the music has all the best parts of the group's earlier music, but also updates the sound a bit – in the way that a combo like Incognito or Brand New Heavies were updating older soul music back in the 90s, by grabbing all the strongest parts of the past, and fusing them into a fresh lean groove. The songs are upbeat, positive, and full of the kind of catchy hooks that Change always did so well! Box set features 78 tracks in all – with bonus tracks added to most albums! CD

An album with a very mod-looking cover – and a set that's also overflowing with lots of mod-styled tracks to match – a cool current of soul from the 60s, but still handled with the sharper 70s vibe of young Attractions! Production is by Nick Lowe – and although The Jam were also turning towards more soul-styled sounds at the time, Elvis and Lowe may well have done them one better with this set. Titles include "Love For Tender", "Opportunity", "The Imposter", "Secondary Modern", "King Horse", "Possession", "High Fidelity", "Riot Act", "Human Touch", "Beaten To The Punch", and "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down". This edition also comes with an expanded booklet, restored art, archival photos, and new liner notes by Elvis – plus a bonus disc with 30 freakin' extra tracks! Lots of unreleased tunes, live versions, alternate versions, demos and more: "So Young", "Girls Talk", "Getting Mighty Crowded", "Dr. Luther's Assistant", "Just A Memory", "Hoover Factory", "Ghost Town" and sooooo many more. 50 songs on two CDs! CD

There's some sharp jazzy changes at the start of this groove – a mix of instruments on the rhythms that show why Ipa Boogie could almost challenge Kool & The Gang at their sound – but also bring in some deeper West African touches to send the tune over the top! "Africa" is a tune with a longer jamming sound on their album – but cut down here to a shorter take that really sends home the hook! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Three full albums from Juicy Lucy – plus bonus tracks too! First up is the self-titled debut from Juicy Lucy – an American act who made a trip to the London scene in the late 60s, where they found a way to forge a whole bunch of influences into a very unique groove! Had they stayed back home in Cali, Juicy Lucy might have gravitated towards the Bay Area scene, and ended up sounding a bit freakier and hippieish – but in London, they sharpened their sound, unleashed some deeper bluesy currents, and put the whole thing together with a mix of wit and flair that really set them apart! The group boasts great lead vocals from Ray Owen, a cool mix of electric and acoustic sax parts from Chris Mercer, strong lead guitar from Neil Hubbard, and a range of great sounds from Glenn Ross Campbell – who uses steel guitar and mandolin in ways that are very different than American groups of the time. Forgive the album its quickly-dated, exploitative cover – because it's got a lot more to offer than that – and titles include "Chicago Northwestern", "Train", "Nadine", "Mississippi Woman", "She's Mine She's Yours", and "Just One Time". Lie Back & Enjoy It is hard and heavy work from Juicy Lucy – a group who are even stronger here on this second set than on their debut – effortlessly spinning out lines that are very much in the best hard rock modes of the period, but which also retain some nice bluesy influences as well! The group's a sextet – and in addition to some very unique vocals from singer Paul Williams, who also plays piano and congas, the set also has some surprisingly nice use of steel guitar and mandolin, but never in ways that sound like the instruments might in the handling of some of the Cali crowd at the time. Lead guitar is from Mick Moody, sax and keyboard lines are from Chris Mercer, and titles include "Pretty Woman", "Built For Comfort", "Whisky In My Jar", "Hello LA Bye Bye Birmingham", "Thinking Of My Life", and "Willie The Pimp". For Get A Whiff Of This, the title's a bit of a joke, especially in relation to the cover – but Juicy Lucy come on strong here, with a searing sound that shows that they're way past the novelty of the image on the front! Over the course of the previous records, the group really honed their unique blend of American blues and Brit hard rock inspiration – very well-focused here, with a sound that paves the way for some of the bigger crossover acts that would soon dominate American radio in the mid 70s – something the group unfortunately never got the chance to do. Titles include "Mr Skin", "Midnight Rider", "Mr A Jones", "Sunday Morning", and "Jessica". 2CD set features the bonus b-side tracks "Walking Down The Highway" and "I Am A Thief". CD

Joe's up in New York, working with producer Raeford Gerald in that early 70s "southern goes disco" mode that pushed Joe further up the charts than might have been expected. Joe's vocals still have that strong down-home honesty, but most of the tracks on the album have a mid 70s east coast club groove that's not really disco, but more in that Tyrone Davis/Johnnie Taylor smooth southern modern mode. Titles include "Get Down Get Down", "In My Baby's Arms", "Music In My Bones", "It's Crying Time In Memphis", and "Fire Burning". CD

One of the first collections on the now-legendary Expansion label – a wicked batch of modern soul and mellow grooves – initially compiled back in the early 90s, at a time when few other folks were looking at this music! The track list is wonderful – a hip batch of cuts that's perfect for a mellow stepping dancefloor, or for laidback, late nite soulful listening – and even after all these years, many of these numbers still haven't been compiled heavily on other labels. Titles include "Curious" by Midnight Star, "Stay" by The Controllers, "Happy" by Surface, "Heaven Sent You" by Stanley Clarke, "Portuguese Love" by Teena Marie, "Why People Fall In Love" by Ronnie McNeir, "Oasis" by Helen Baylor, "Gonna Get You Home Tonight" by Eugene Wilde, "Buttercup" by Carl Anderson, "Tic Tok" by Lorenzo, and "Don't Be So Distant" by Gary Taylor. CD

The funky Root Down EP by the Beastie Boys – riding high on a mid 90s creative peak! Root Down featuring a trio of versions of the title track and Ill Communication album standout, based on the Jimmy Smith's classic of the same name – and in hindsight, you really have to hand it to the Beasties, not only sampling and celebrating classic early 70s jazz funk, but for their earnest wish to introduce Jimmy Smith to the pop culture kids of the 90s – including a killer remix by the mighty Prince Paul. Also includes some live recordings from the time of classic Beasties tracks like"Time For Livin", "The Maestro", "Somethin's Got To Give", Time To Get Ill", thier punky "Heart Attack Man", "Sabrosa" and "Flute Loop". LP, Vinyl record album

How 50 manages to stand out as such a genuinely exciting MC is in such a crowded field of street hip hop is as mysterious as it is beside the point. Dr. Dre's love for that minimalist ghetto synth orchestra sound is in full depth here, this is probably as strong as any production work he's ever done, layered right over 50's denser, more blunted underground style with G Unit. This isn't just a production triumph though – 50's lazy, amused and knowing delivery is as infectious as it is instantly identifiable – and is no more derivative than any other gunshot-accented work out there. Slim says it best on one of his guest spots when he calls 50 the "juggernaut of this rap isht whether you like it or not". "What Up Gangsta", "Patiently Waiting", "Many Men (Wish Death)", "In Da Club", "High All The Time", "Back Down" and more. CD

A blues album, but one with a difference – thanks to some tremendous help from the legendary Johnny Otis and his young son Shuggie! Despite the fact that the leader is billed as Guitar Slim Green, Shuggie actually plays some lead guitar on the record too – adding in some cool, complicated solos that point towards his genius to come as a solo act – and which also get some nicely romping rhythms from Johnny on drums! The Otis family was definitely bringing a lot of funk into their sound at the time, which they share plenty with Slim here – helping to make the record way more than just another late 60s rootsy blues session, and instead a great west coast criss-crossing of modes. Titles include "Shake Em Up", "My Little Angel Child", "5th Street Alley Boogie", "Old Folks Blues", "This War Ain't Right", and "Big Fine Thing". Also features two bonus tracks, both unissued – "My Marie" and "Rock The Nation". CD

A key album in the evolution of the Millie Jackson sound and style – as she leaves behind the weepy soul of earlier albums, and moves into the fierce, proud-stepping mode that would define the "bad girl" of later, raunchier years! In case you can't figure out where Millie's going with her bag, the title is emphasized by a photo of a toilet seat on the back cover – and Millie literally takes the sh*t out on the record – in a series of tunes that have a real bad-rapping approach. Production is by longtime associate Brad Shapiro, but the overall sound is sweetened nicely by David Van De Pitte – who adds in full strings and voices to emphasize the attitude behind the songs. Titles include "Go Out & Get Some", "Put Something Down On It", "He Wants To Hear The Words", "Here You Come Again", and a great version of Latimore's "Keep The Home Fire Burnin", complete with an additional rap on the subject, entitle "Logs & Thangs". LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection – 7 full albums from Kleeer, plus a full disc of bonus material too! First up is I Love To Dance – the first-ever album from Kleeer – and a set that's already got them head and shoulders above most of their contemporaries! The set's got just a bit of the keyboards that would later really define the Kleeer sound – and has some surprising disco elements, too – used by the quartet as a way to step away from the overblown mainstream of the time, into a groove that's leaner and cleaner for the next generation! Winners is a record that really has the group solidifying their sound – compressing keyboards, guitar, and grooves together in a sublimely boogie-heavy mode! Kleeer were really at the forefront of the coming 80s groove scene – and Woody Cunningham and the group draw heavily here from their previous experience with Patrick Adams, yet move into a smoother, tighter finish that set a new standard for the coming generation. License To Dream is seminal 80s work from Kleeer – a really wonderful record with a sound that's a heck of a lot more soulful than some of the group's contemporaries! A lot of the credit here goes to singer/songwriter Woody Cunningham – whose lead vocals really give the album a wonderfully solid feel, and push Kleeer away from the cliches of the keyboard-heavy generation – into a mode that sports tight lyrics, heartfelt leads, and a well-rounded sound that mixes equal parts ballads and groovers. Taste The Music is a classic from Kleeer – one of the best groups of their sound at the time – as they always have a perfect blend of new-style rhythms and keyboards with old school approaches to deeper soul grooves! The album's nicely heavy on that extended keyboard vibe that seems to have added that extra "e" to the group's name – and the keys are often used to punctuate the chorus of the tunes, then lay things down for the next round of grooves – all in a style that's very much the group's own! Get Ready is a record that nicely balances their funkier side with a better talent for more soulful styled numbers! The cover's got an 80s "workout" look that makes you worry that the record might be some aerobic material – but the grooves are often far more complicated than that, and stream out with some nice keyboard lines on the best numbers. Intimate Connection is one of the group's standout classics, and a set that's produced with kind of a jazzy finish by Deodato, who also plays some nice keyboards on the record! The Kleeer sound is at its height here – tight, warm, and filled with great harmonies on the vocals – which are then underpinned by a lot of keyboards and bass pedal work, yet in a way that never overwhelms the vocals. On Seeekret, the triple "e" is the key to the album's sound – as Kleeer are still very much at the top of their game, and opening up nicely with that string "wheeet" sound they get on their keyboards! The album's one of their key 80s partnerships with Deodato – who really helps them balance their sound, and come across with a style that's surprisingly rich and soulful – way more so than some of the other beats and keyboard acts of the time! The set also features a bonus CD – with 15 more tracks that include single mixes, remixes, and instrumentals! CD

LTJ Experience started out as one of the few great Italian club artists to carry forward the disco sound of the glory years into the final decade of the last century – and since that time, he's just continued to evolve his sound – to a point where he comes across here with a wonderfully lean, clean groove that's quite far from his roots! The album's very spare in presentation – hardly any information, save for a list of song titles and bpm notations – and LTJ's got the same approach in his music – really focusing on a few key elements for each cut, but building things up in a way that still manages to hold onto some warmer funk currents as well – that sense of soul we've always loved in his music from the start. Titles include "Walking Groove", "To The Disco", "Inside Groove", "Black Machine", "Up & Go", "I'll Never Change Up On You", "Slow Fire", "Feel Inside", and "Don't Let The System Get You Down". CD

A big one for Billy Ocean – and a set that has the singer sounding even more confident and powerful than ever before! Ocean's not afraid of a hook by this point in his career, and the album's filled with the kind of catch crossover tune that Billy could do better than just about anyone else – music that got him a big audience way beyond soul, especially on the other side of the Atlantic. Titles include "The Colour Of Love", "Calypso Crazy", "Here's To You", "Because Of You", "Get Outta My Dreams Get Into My Car", "Stand & Deliver", and "Gun For Hire". LP, Vinyl record album

A very wild album from Ricardo Ray – sort of a mix of Latin soul styles in the mode of work by Mongo Santamaria, but a lot more messed up! The album's got a number of 60s soul covers – but they're done here by Ricardo in kind of a party Latin mode, touched with a bit of garage soul vocals, in a way that makes the whole album quite upbeat and playful throughout – filled with non-stop groovers that keep on delivering the goods! Our favorite cut is the original "Soul Mexico", which has this storming chanting verse, that then unwinds into a totally catchy chorus with overlapping melodic lines – but the whole album's great, and other tracks include "Ya Ya", "I Want You To Be My Girl", "Mony Mony", "Shout", and "Soul Man". CD

Two classic Chicago sessions by Sonny Stitt – both recorded with the little-known organist Eddie Buster! First up is Move On Over – a bit rough around the edges, but a very tasty set from Stitt! The album's sort of free-spun organ session – with Stitt on alto and tenor, Joe Diorio on guitar, Eddie Buster on Hammond, and work by the great Nicky Hill on alto. Tracks are loosely put together – almost in a one-take mode, with the sort of feel that you'd get if you caught the group out live in Chicago (which is where Buster had recorded some of his few other recordings) – and titles include "Shut The Back Door", "A Natural Fox", "Move On Over", "Dexter's Deck", and "My Mother's Eyes". Next up is Sonny Stitt At The DJ Lounge – cut during the underground days of the early 60s, when both Sonny and Gene Ammons seemed to be recording for just about every jazz label around, and when they both seemed to be doing an awful lot of work in Chicago. This album was done in a flurry that Jug and Stitt cut for Argo during 1961 – and it's a Stitt-only session, recorded at the super-hip DJ Lounge, owned by Chicago spinner McKie Fitzhugh down at the intersection of 63rd and Cottage Grove. The group's an organ combo, with Eddie Buster on the Hammon, Joe Shelton on drums, and John Board joining in for a bit more tenor. (Interesting to note is the fact that Board made a number of classic soul session appearances later on in the decade – but this is one of his few jazz recordings.) The set's very hard-grooving – with longish tracks that let Stitt and Board go head to head in the same style he was used to with Ammons. Titles include "McKies", "Jay Tee", "Free Chicken", and "Blue Moon". CD

Bassist Eddie Gomez hardly ever has a down stretch – especially given all the creative combinations he's worked in over the years – and this rare 70s album from Japan is more of a high point than anything "down" at all! The record's a trio date, with killer work on Fender Rhodes and piano from Takehiro Honda – who's easily one of our favorite Japanese pianists of the time, and a musician who really brings a different sort of energy to the record than some of Gomez's other sessions with piano players, especially Bill Evans. Drummer Elliot Zigmund is also nicely creative, too – really working the kit in unusual ways, and often staying back a bit so that Eddie can get some wonderful space in the lead, especially at the start of some of the songs. The whole thing's great – an overlooked moment of genius from Gomez – and titles include "Caprice", "Half Life", "Blues E", "Dream Passage", and "Down Stretch". CD

An expanded version of Little Richard's one album for Okeh Records – served up here with a number of bonus tracks, three of which are previously unreleased! The album's got a strong mix of soul and R&B – with Richard still working at the height of his powers from earlier years, yet also picking up some nice influences from 60s soul to hip his sound up a bit. The funk of later years is still to come, but the backings on the set are nice and tight, and groove with a lot of sock-soul electric bass that helps the tunes move a lot better than you might think – and mostly without the cliches of some of Richard's bigger hits! CD features 17 tracks in all – and titles include "Poor Dog", "Never Gonna Let You Go", "I Need Love", "I Don't Want To Discuss It", "Get Down With It", "Well", and "Don't Deceive Me" – plus previously unreleased numbers "Hound Dog", "Golden Arrow", and "Rocking Chair". CD

A fantastic album by The Dramatics – with a harder funkier sound than you'll find on most of their other records of the time – a gritty gem from the group's early years, and a record that really deserves its placement on the Stax label! The record has the group moving into a post-Temptations style of righteous soul – grooving hard with a really heavy bottom on funky numbers like "Get Up and Get Down" and "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get", and even dropping a bit of a drug reference on the cut "Marry Don't Cha Wanna" – one of those messed-up lyric numbers we'd expect from a Latin Soul group! But the album's also got a sweet side too – as it features the amazing ballad cut "In The Rain", which has some of the most amazing production you'll ever find on the Stax label – harmony work that rivals the greatness of the east coast scene of the time. Other tracks include "Gimme Some", "Thank You For Your Love", and "Hot Pants In The Summertime". LP, Vinyl record album

The Kay-Gees' funkiest record ever – a set that's harder and sharper than anything else they'd ever record in years to come! Grabbing this one up is like finding a lost Kool & The Gang album from the early years – which is no surprise, since Ronald Bell of the group produced, and wrote a lot of the songs with the group – maybe acting as their mentor, and definitely giving the young group a great showcase for their boundless energy, and tight skills in the groove department! The band are incredibly tight – with lots of hard drums, choppy guitar, and the rolling party feel that made Kool & The Gang so great during their best years – captured here with a similarly raw production style. There's some great horns that blast in and out, sounding very off-beat at the best moments – like the classic "Who's the Man With the Master Plan", sampled by YZ many years ago – or other funky cuts like "Ain't No Time", "Get Down", and "You've Got to Keep on Bumpin". LP, Vinyl record album