A celebration of 20 years of Groove Merchant, the haven for disco, funk & soul records on Haight St, in San Francisco – also the birthplace of Luv N' Haight & Ubiquity Records! As an anniversary compilation, it's would be appropriate for Luv N' Haight/Ubiquity to make sure that this is one of the best comps they've ever put together – a difficult task, given that these are the folks behind the great Bay Area Funk, California Soul and other great releases – but they pulled it off! The selection of tunes is diverse, yet oddly connective in a soulful, adventurous spirit – whether it's sun-toasted or spacey keyboard-inflected soul, laidback or harder charging funk, groovy psychedelic folk, or rare disco. A very nicely chosen 14 tracks includes "Crystals" by Ron Forella", "You Lied" by Numonics, "Sunlit Horizon" by April Fulladosa, "Stump" by September, "Be Mine" by Lola Johnson, "Date With With Rain" by Frankie Gee, ""Who Is Your Friend" by Soul Liberation, "Get Up And Dance" by Arthur Foy, "Nick Danger" by "Pataphysics" and more. CD

Tracks include "Home Come'n" by Lucky Thompson, "Night Glider" by Groove Holmes, "Cakes" by Jeremy Steig, "Sundance" by Chick Corea, "Love Ain't Nothin But A Business" by Junior Parker, "We've Only Just Begun" by O'Donel Levy, "Inner City Blues" by Reuben Wilson, and "Let's Stay Together" by Jimmy McGriff. LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the best-ever Luv n Haight comp, this one was put together by the folks at the Groove Merchant record store in SF (maybe we'll get such an honor some day), which was formerly owned by Ubiquity. Lots of totally rare cuts here, and many with a real jazzy feel. No duplication from other comps, either – or at least none that we can determine. A little like the Feelin' Good comp, but with more of a hard funk edge, and a bit of a Keb Darge sound. 2 CD bonus cuts, too! CD

The butt-squeezing cover should be enough to let you know that this is one funky album – but if that doesn't get the message across, the grooves certainly do! O'Donel Levy plays tight and funky guitar, and also sings a bit on the set – working with a tight combo that features Charles Covington on keyboards, and some great electric funk arrangements by Dave Matthews! The album's got a more full-on funk approach than some of Levy's more laidback efforts from the time – and the instrumentation's all very hard-grooving, with lots of sweet electric touches! Tracks include "Living For The City", "Sideshow", "Hey, Love", "Are You Foolin' Me", and "Marbles". CD

Gritty gritty gritty! This live set of soul jazz tracks was recorded in Chicago's Cook County Jail on Friday the 13th, 1972 – and we can hardly think of a darker place to record a soul jazz album! Side one features the aptly-named "Freedom Suite", an extended groover played by Jimmy McGriff, and a 2-guitar group that includes George Freeman and Odonel Levy – and side two has Lucky Thompson playing in a soulful group with Cedar Walton on electric piano, on the tracks "Green Dolphin Street" and "Everything Happens To Me". A pretty incredible event to be recorded – trust us, we drive by the jail a fair bit on the way to work! LP, Vinyl record album

Nothing "blues" about this set – as Buddy Rich is working with some of the best soul jazz players of the Groove Merchant label – on a set that's one of his few small combo albums from the 70s! The vibe is very relaxed and laidback, and even Buddy's tight drumming can't over-hype the sound. Tracks are longish and open – more in the Prestige jazz mode of the 60s than the usual funkier style of the Groove Merchant label – and the sextet features Jimmy McGriff on organ, George Freeman on guitar, Kenny Barron on electric piano, Illinois Jacquet on tenor, and Bob Cranshaw on bass. Titles include "Soft Winds", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "How Long", "Courage", and "Alright". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the funkiest Buddy Rich albums of the 70s – a mad screaming affair that's overflowing with great tunes! The band on the set is very full – with a heck of a lot of trumpets in the brass section, set next to searing sax work by the great Pat LaBarbera. But even better is the rhythm section – which grooves in a hard electric funk mode, thanks to guitar from Joe Beck, bass from Tony Levin, and some surprisingly smoking drums from Buddy himself! Tracks are all very nicely grooving – and titles include "Kilimanjaro Cookout", "Nuttville", "Senator Sam", "Waltz Of The Mushroom Hunters", and "Big Mac". CD

One of the funkiest Buddy Rich albums of the 70s – a mad screaming affair that's overflowing with great tunes! The band on the set is very full – with a heck of a lot of trumpets in the brass section, set next to searing sax work by the great Pat LaBarbera. But even better is the rhythm section – which grooves in a hard electric funk mode, thanks to guitar from Joe Beck, bass from Tony Levin, and some surprisingly smoking drums from Buddy himself! Tracks are all very nicely grooving – and titles include "Kilimanjaro Cookout", "Nuttville", "Senator Sam", "Waltz Of The Mushroom Hunters", and "Big Mac". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual album from the mighty Chick Corea – a set recorded at the end of the 60s, at a time when Chick's star was just beginning to rise – but in a style that's both very different than his famous material of the 70s, and his avant fame as part of the group Circle! Chick's definitely got some of the harder, freer tones that he brought to Circle – but overall, there's more of a sense of spiritual jazz to the record – as Chick plays acoustic throughout, in a wonderful lineup that features Woody Shaw on trumpet, Hubert Laws on flute, Dave Holland on bass, and both Jack DeJohnette and Horacee Arnold on drums! The whole thing's got a vibe that's a lot more like Strata East than most other records that Sonny Lester ever produced – and titles include "The Brain", "Song Of Wind", "Converge", and "Sundance". LP, Vinyl record album

A really beautiful later album from Zoot Sims – one that might easily be overlooked, given its understated appearance on a sometimes-cheap label – but a record that really helps Zoot find whole new magic for the 70s! The date's nice and laidback – with great guitar from Bucky Pizzarelli, who himself is really a cut above here – a master of chromes, balancing out the sharply raspy tone that makes Sims' tenor so fantastic – with subtle but strong accompaniment on bass by Milt Hilton, and nicely restrained work by Buddy Rich on drums! The feel is maybe like some of Zoot's work on Pablo, but hipper too – and titles include "Memories Of You", "Summerset", "A Summer Thing", "Somebody Loves Me", and "Nirvana". LP, Vinyl record album

Lonnie Smith's a long way from his Blue Note years here – but the sound is still plenty darn great, thanks to some fuller arrangements from the great Brad Baker – of B Baker Chocolate Company fame! The whole thing's quite electric – with Lonnie on Fender Rhodes and other keyboards on most tracks, and rhythms that bring in bits of strings amidst the smaller jazz combo vamping – a blend that's smoothly soulful, but still more than funky enough to please our ears. Lonnie even sings a bit on the record, too – in this slightly-spacey quality that has echoes of Stevie Wonder – but the main focus overall is on his keyboards, which step out nicely over the backings. Titles include "Keep On Lovin", "What I Want", "No Tears Tomorrow", "Sizzle Stick", "Lean Meat", and "Filet O Sole". LP, Vinyl record album

A 70s set from the great Dakota Staton – but done with a lean, jazzy vibe that really gets back to the spirit of some of her earlier recordings! The group's a small combo, with the great Norman Simmons on piano – always a great accompanist for a jazz singer, and working here with saxophonist Peter Loeb, whose lines help the record sound like more than just the usual trio backing behind a singer. Staton's got some great soulful currents in her sound – and Simmons' piano really brings a wonderful aspect to the session – flowing out with a soulful edge and a lot of playful energy behind Dakota's vocals, creating a great sound that really grounds the set. Titles include "Play Your Hands Girls", "He Will Call Again", "Between 18th & 19th On Chestnut Street", and "Hurry Home". LP, Vinyl record album

Very hip work from Dakota Staton – one of her great early 70s albums for the Groove Merchant label! Backings here are by the band of Manny Albam – in a mode that's jazzy, but inflected with plenty of soul – and which has the same sort of rhythmic pulse that you'd find in Lou Rawls' best later work for Capitol. The style's a great one for Dakota – one that brings a bit more focus and energy to her music, and which almost sets her up more as a soul singer than a jazz one. Titles include "Girl Talk", "Country Man", "Heartbreak", "Make It Easy On Yourself", "How Did He Look", and a really great version of "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know". LP, Vinyl record album

Two early 70s albums by Lucky Thompson – back to back in a single set! First up is Goodbye Yesterday – an album that has Lucky Thompson working in a mode that's quite different than his early years – working in a cool group that includes Cedar Walton on electric piano and celeste, Larry Ridley on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums! While most cuts are relatively straight, they've got an open soulful approach that's quite different from most of Lucky's other work – much more in the vein of recordings by Walton from the time, with an arch soul jazz righteousness to them, and a bit of an electric vibe when Cedar hits the keyboards. Titles include "Fillet Of Soul", "Back To The World", "Home Come'n", "Tea Time", and "Soul Lullaby". I Offer You is an excellent album of mellow soulful tracks by Lucky Thompson – with a sweet 70s groove that's quite different from most of his other recordings! The album's got a cool mellow feel – with Lucky veering much more towards a CTI-ish electric mode than the style he used on most of his other earlier albums, which were in a soul jazz or hardbop style. Thompson plays both tenor and soprano sax – sometimes with hints of a post-Coltrane influence, in lines that are nice and snakey! The group's great too – with Cedar Walton on acoustic and electric piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums – all very soulful players that help bring a righteous sort of energy to the album! Titles include "Munsoon", "Sun Out", "Aliyah", and a good cover of "Moment Of Truth". LP, Vinyl record album

Two Groove Merchant albums by organist Reuben Wilson – back to back in one single set! First up is Sweet Life – a great groover by Wilson, and one of his best albums ever! The funky organist really takes off from the sound of his earlier Blue Note albums here – hitting a vibe that's sharper, darker, and plenty darn righteous – still small combo jazz funk, but with a depth that we wouldn't have expected a few years before! The group's a great one – with Ramon Morris laying down some great lines on tenor sax, plus Bill Hardman on trumpet, Lloyd Davis on guitar, Mickey Bass on bass, and Thomas Derrick on tightly funky drums. The album features Reuben's amazing cover of "Inner City Blues" – which has a great jagged groove that was sampled years back by Tribe Called Quest – and it also includes the groovy cut "Creampuff", plus "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Sugar", "I'll Take You There", and "The Sweet Life". On Cisco Kid, Reuben Wilson's working with an all-hip lineup, with players who include Melvin Sparks on guitar, Garnett Brown on trombone, Bob Cranshaw on bass, Mickey Roker on drums, and Ray Amando on conga. The groove has a nicely choppy approach to rhythm, which you'll hear on the nice remake of "Cisco Kid", a big sample hit over the years – plus the sweet originals "Groove Grease" and "Snaps", both of which are hard and funky! The album's also got a great cover of "Superfly" – and other tracks that include "The Look Of Love", "We've Only Just Begun", and "Last Tango In Paris". LP, Vinyl record album

A very interesting live set from 1969, and one that captures Stan Getz hanging in the balance between a number of different eras! He's playing here in a vein that's very similar to his work on the classic Sweet Rain album – with wonderfully rich emotional solos, filled with pain and longing – but the record also features touches of earlier bossa years, especially on the track "One Note Samba", which features an unnamed female vocalist! The group's a very hip one – with Stanley Cowell on piano, Miroslav Vitous on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – and titles include "For Jane", "All The Things You Are", "Major General", "The Song Is You", "One Note Samba", and "Folk Tune For Bass". CD

Great work from the legendary big band of Thad Jones and Mel Lewis – a live performance recorded in Switzerland at the same time as the group's classic recordings for the Solid State label! Given that the date was recorded by Solid State producer Sonny Lester, the feel here is quite similar – and the album stands strongly alongside the better-known live dates by the group at the Village Vanguard from the same time. As on those records, there's a tremendous blend of driving energy and lyrical musing going on here – qualities that are very hard to balance this well in such a big band, but which became the trademark sounds of the Jones/Lewis group as they helped redirect large ensemble jazz towards new ends as the 60s drew to a close. Players are all top-shelf – with rhythm by Roland Hanna on piano and Richard Davis on bass, alongside the drums of Lewis – plus saxes from Joe Henderson, Pepper Adams, Jerome Richardson, and Jerry Dodgion; trumpets from Richard Williams, Thad Jones, and Snooky Young; and trombones from Eddie Bert and Jimmy Knepper. Titles include "Second Race", "Don't Ever Leave Me", "Come Sunday", "Don't Get Sassy", "Groove Merchant", "Ahh That's Freedom", "The Waltz You Swang For Me", and "Bible Story". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A sweet and jazzy little session from Carmen McRae – an overlooked batch of groovy tunes recorded with small combo backing – with a hip vibe that's a bit different than some of her other 70s work! The sound's pretty soulful overall, and takes off nicely from Carmen's best moments on Atlantic a few years before – mixing in just a bit of electricity to keep things sounding a bit 70s-styled without losing any of Carmen's talent for interpreting a tune. The group features Joe Pass on guitar and Larry Bunker on vibes – and titles include Blossom Dearie numbers "Hey John" and "Inside A Silent Tear", plus "All The Things You Are", "The Right To Love", "Where Are The Words", "It Takes A Whole Lot Of Human Feeling", and "Imagination". CD

One of the rarest albums on the Groove Merchant label – and one of the best! Ramon Morris has a sweet tone on the tenor that works very well with the electric piano in his tight little combo – grooving with a style that's like the best Black Jazz funk records of the time – mixing together bright notes, funky rhythms, and plenty of great chord changes! Cecil Bridgewater's on trumpet, and the band has a really righteous feel – with lots of real soul and thoughtful playing mixed into the jazz funk grooves of the record. Massive – with titles that include "Sweat", "Lord Sideways", "Sweet Sister Funk", and a nice version of "People Make The World Go Round". LP, Vinyl record album

With MF Wanzo, Grover Mitchell, and Bill Hughes on trombones; Gene Goe, Oscar Brashear, W Reed, and Sonny Cohn on trumpets; Charlie Fowlkes on baritone, Marshal Royal and Bobby Plater on alto, Eric Dixon and Eddie Davis on tenor, Freddie Green on guitar, Norman Keenan on bass, and Harold Jones on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

O'Donel Levy plays tight and funky guitar, and also sings a bit on the set – working with a tight combo that features Charles Covington on keyboards, and some great electric funk arrangements by Dave Matthews! The album's got a more full-on funk approach than some of Levy's more laidback efforts from the time – and the instrumentation's all very hard-grooving, with lots of sweet electric touches! Tracks include "Living For The City", "Sideshow", "Hey, Love", "Are You Foolin' Me", and "Marbles". LP, Vinyl record album

You try playing a hollow-body with hands of fire, my friend – and you'll have even greater appreciation of the genius of O'Donel Levy! Jokes aside, though, the album's a great one – and brings together 2 of Levy's best albums for the Groove Merchant label! Simba may be the best album ever by this legendary 70s guitar player! O'Donel Levy's got this tremendous sound that comes from playing an electric hollow body – in a tone that takes the best bits of Grant Green and Wes Montgomery, and strips them down for a hipper, badder 70s sort of mode. The album's got some great blackploitation-esque arrangements by Manny Albam, and O'Donel's groove is nice and lean as he snakes over the top of the record in some very soulful solos! Lots of cool grooves, and titles include "Joni", "Nigerian Knights", "Bad, Bad, Simba" and "Sad, Sad, Simba". Black Velvet is a bit more laidback than some of Levy's other sets for Groove Merchant – with larger arrangements that feature Charles Covington on electric piano and organ, Fats Theus on tenor and flute, and Billy Skinner on trumpet – but the approach actually works well, as the slow-moving tracks trip out over a lot of space, giving O'Donel plenty of room to craft his uniquely spacious and chromatic solos. Titles include versions of "Watch What Happens", "Love Story", "Call Me", "You've Made Me So Very Happy", and "Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time", plus the originals "Granny" and "Nature's Child", both of which have a nice little groove! LP, Vinyl record album

A killer little set from funky organist Lyman Woodard – an old bandmate of Dennis Coffey, and one of the standout stalwarts of the 70s Detroit jazz funk scene! The set features Lyman working in a live setting – grooving out over some mighty long tracks that blend jazz and soul together, in a style that's a bit like some of the best work on the Groove Merchant label from the mid 70s. Lyman himself plays organ on the set, and the group's a largeish one with some ensemble vocals on a few cuts, but a mostly instrumental sound overall. And if you're worried about the later date of the set, don't be – as Lyman cuts a nice lean groove into the whole set – coming up with a soulful sound that's expanded more than a smaller combo record, yet which also isn't too slick or overproduced! Marcus Belgrave plays trumpet on one track, and titles include "Don't Stop The Groove", "Theme In Search Of A Sports Spectacular", "Down Lowe", and "Djarum". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic west coast recording by Stan – recorded at the Shrine Theater in LA in '54, with a group that includes Bob Brookmeyer on trombone and John Williams on piano! The groove is more similar to Stan's eastern sides of the time, given his bandmates here – but the sound is still quite wonderful, and almost a relaxed Verve answer to the sound of some of the Pacific Jazz dates of the period. Rhythm is by Bill Anthony on bass and either Frank Isola or Art Madigan on drums – and titles include "Flamingo", "Lover Man", "Pernod", "Tasty Pudding", "Polkadots & Moonbeams", "Open Country", "We'll Be Together Again", and "Feather Merchant". Great stuff from Getz! CD

A funky electric jazz jam that's been lost for years – very heavy on the keyboards and filled with choppy sax riffs! The sound here is kind of a combination of the Groove Merchant style of the early 70s and some of the tighter intensity of Stone Alliance – as the group (like Stone Alliance) is only a trio, working with instrumentation that includes saxes, drums, and lots of groovy keyboards! The smallness of the group makes for a very sharp-edged sound – one that bristles with electricity, even on the acoustic instruments – and which still stays tight even on the few tracks that bring in other players and a bit of vocals. Mike Longo gives the combo plenty of props in the notes, and also plays some Fender Rhodes on the record – and titles include the massive 20 minute "Jazzberry Patch" jam, the funky vocal track "These Are My Friends", and cuts "Planed Off", "Over Easy", and "Sand N Your Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work from the team of Thad Jones and Mel Lewis – arguably one of their best albums from the late 60s, and a set that's got some really great funky big band numbers! There's a nice bouncing groove to the group that they normally don't have – possibly because Richard Davis is playing some Fender bass on the set, which brings in a nice focus on the bottom end – and the best numbers have a sock-soul feel that's in the best late 60s large group soul jazz mode! Titles include "Tow Away Zone", "Jive Samba", "The Groove Merchant", and "Central Park North". LP, Vinyl record album

Monster funk from Hammond hero Reuben Wilson – an album of hard-burning, bad-walking tunes that are a fair bit different than most of his other work! Although Wilson recorded some pretty traditional organ jazz for the Blue Note and Groove Merchant labels, this album has him working with his "Cost Of Living" group – a combo who only recorded this one album, and which includes Richard Tee on keyboards, Bad Bascomb on bass, Bernard Purdie on drums, and both Houston Person and Pee Wee Ellis on tenor sax! Most cuts have some sort of vocals – sung by either Sammy Turner or Kenny Williams, both of whom really fit the badass spirit of the record, and bring in a nice range of deeper themes from the 70s. There's almost a blacksploitation funk feel to the record at times, although the set's also got more of a soul album focus too – a rare move for Reuben, but one that's made the album a favorite for years! Tracks include the rare groove classics "Got To Get Your Own" and "Tight Money" – plus "Together", "Stoned Out Of My Mind", "What The People Gon Say", "Back Rub", and "In The Booth In The Back In The Corner In The Dark". CD

Excellent work from the team of Thad Jones and Mel Lewis – arguably one of their best albums from the late 60s, and a set that's got some really great funky big band numbers! There's a nice bouncing groove to the group that they normally don't have – possibly because Richard Davis is playing some Fender bass on the set, which brings in a nice focus on the bottom end – and the best numbers have a sock-soul feel that's in the best late 60s large group soul jazz mode! Titles include "Tow Away Zone", "Jive Samba", "The Groove Merchant", and "Central Park North". CD

A classic west coast recording by Stan – recorded at the Shrine Theater in LA in '54, with a group that includes Bob Brookmeyer on trombone and John Williams on piano! The groove is more similar to Stan's eastern sides of the time, given his bandmates here – but the sound is still quite wonderful, and almost a relaxed Verve answer to the sound of some of the Pacific Jazz dates of the period. Rhythm is by Bill Anthony on bass and either Frank Isola or Art Madigan on drums – and titles include "Flamingo", "Lover Man", "Pernod", "Tasty Pudding", "Polkadots & Moonbeams", "Open Country", "We'll Be Together Again", and "Feather Merchant". Great stuff from Getz! CD

Quite possibly the funkiest record ever made by guitarist Joe Pass – a real surprise from an artist we mostly know for his mellower and straight ahead work! The style here is tight electric funk, almost in a Groove Merchant sort of way – and given Joe's heavy use of hollow-body guitar on the record, and the warm chromatic hues in his tone, the style's a fair bit like O'Donel Levy on his 70s classics from the same era. Bassist Carol Kaye had a hand in putting together the record, and there's a similar feel here to her own best grooves – tight, studio-oriented work – but never slick or too commercial! Other players include Joe Sample on keyboards, Paul Humphrey on drums, Tom Scott on sax and flute, and JJ Johnson on trombone – and despite the presence of these heavyweights, the record has a nicely soulful sound that's more indie grit than major label funk! CD adds some bonus tracks to the original record – and features 18 titles that include "Free Sample", "Better Days", "Head Start", "It's Too Late", "Gotcha", "Alison", "The Preacher", "Bass Blues", "Burning Spear", "Slick Cat", "Flying Down To Baja", and "Love Is". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning live recording from Sarah Vaughan – recorded in the late 70s, when she was at a whole new height in her talents – and at a level that's far more dynamic and striking than some of her other records from the time! The double-length set presents the first-ever commercial release of a beautifully recorded performance originally done for NPR – with Vaughan in a very open, expressive mode alongside a trio with Carl Schroeder on piano, Walter Booker on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums – working at a small club in New Orleans with a wonderfully soulful vibe! Vaughan shines beautifully on the ballads, but really blows us away with the swingers – hitting some edges we don't always hear on her 70s sides for Pablo, Groove Merchant, or Mainstream – managing vocal complexity with inherent rhythm, all with effortless ease. The sound quality is wonderful – and titles include "I'll Remember April", "A Lot Of Livin To Do", "The Man I Love", "Watch What Happens", "If You Went Away", "I Could Write A Book", "Time After Time", "Somebody Loves Me", "My Funny Valentine", "Everything Must Change", "Send In The Clowns", "Sarah's Blues", and "East Of The Sun". CD

One of the strangest musical fads of the 60s – stripping! We've never been actually quite sure what started the fad, but there were a number of relatively successful stripping albums during the early part of the decade – the most famous of which was David Rose's The Stripper, two more of which were these sides by Sonny Lester (later known more famously as the head of Solid State and Groove Merchant, and producer of more than a few funky jazz gems!) The style's exactly what you'd expect – campy and goofy, really very much in the stereotyped mode of the stripper sound. LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet and lowdown funky grooves from legendary organist Lonnie Smith (that's DOCTOR Lonnie Smith, thank you!) – played in a style that's surprisingly fresh, and without the cliches of some of Smith's other albums of the past decade. The group on the set is wonderfully laidback – never trying to be overly funky, or to play to the current generation with easy tricks or gimmicks. And Lonnie's perfectly in the cut on most of the tracks – hitting the organ in a mode that recalls classic Prestige Records sessions of the 70s, but occasionally breaking out with styles from some of his freer Groove Merchant years. The group is spare – with just drums, lead guitar, and added rhythm guitar behind Smith's keys – making for plenty of space to jam on cuts that include "The Whip", "Back Track", "Evil Turn", "One Cylinder", "Silver Serenade", and "Your Mama's Got A Complex". CD

Wonderfully soulful grooves from the amazing Lucky Thompson! Despite the simple cover and title, this is a very nice set that brings together some of Lucky Thompson's excellent soulful recordings for the Groove Merchant label during the early 70s. Thompson started out his career as a more traditional tenorist, with a definite post-swing bias – but by the time of these sessions, he'd emerged (after a long stay in Europe) as a more spiritual, more soulful player, capable of deep emotion, and warm flowing introspective solos. He's caught in good company here – as both sessions feature Cedar Walton on keyboards – and the CD features Thompson on both tenor and soprano, which he plays in a delightful way. Titles include "Fillet Of Soul", "Then Soul Walked In", "Home Come'n", "Soul Lullaby", and "Sun Out". CD

Incredibly wonderful work from Lucky Thompson – a collection of tracks from his early 70s recordings for Groove Merchant – tunes done in a style that he hardly ever used again! The work is incredibly soulful – featuring Lucky on both tenor and soprano sax, blowing in a laidback and open-ended way that has traces of the 70s CTI sound, but in a much earthier style overall. Cedar Walton is on piano on all tracks – and about half the set (at least) features him on electric keys, really hitting some spacious notes that glide out into the grooves with the fluid feel of Lucky's great sax work. The whole thing's wonderful – filled with really groovy tracks that show a much more soulful side of Lucky's career than you'd expect from his 50s and 60s work. Titles include "Lazy Day", "Sun Out", "Monsoon", "Back To The World", and "On Green Dolphin Street". CD

Monster funk from Hammond hero Reuben Wilson – an album of hard-burning, bad-walking tunes that are a fair bit different than most of his other work! Although Wilson recorded some pretty traditional organ jazz for the Blue Note and Groove Merchant labels, this album has him working with his "Cost Of Living" group – a combo who only recorded this one album, and which includes Richard Tee on keyboards, Bad Bascomb on bass, Bernard Purdie on drums, and both Houston Person and Pee Wee Ellis on tenor sax! Most cuts have some sort of vocals – sung by either Sammy Turner or Kenny Williams, both of whom really fit the badass spirit of the record, and bring in a nice range of deeper themes from the 70s. There's almost a blacksploitation funk feel to the record at times, although the set's also got more of a soul album focus too – a rare move for Reuben, but one that's made the album a favorite for years! Tracks include the rare groove classics "Got To Get Your Own" and "Tight Money" – plus "Together", "Stoned Out Of My Mind", "What The People Gon Say", "Back Rub", and "In The Booth In The Back In The Corner In The Dark". CD

A way deeper collection that you might expect – hardly the usual mainstream grooves normally associated with "beach" titled compilations – and instead a batch of rare tracks from the 60s and 70s – brought together in a beautiful blend of bossa, funk, Latin, and more! There's a sunny feel to the grooves that does live up to the title – but given the range of records from which the work was pulled together, the overall sound has a much wider-ranging global groove – that magical criss-crossing of styles you get when Brazilian musicians play funk, when Americans sing bossa, and when European artists try on the best sounds from the US! The set's overflowing with goodness – and titles include "Midnight" by Willie Lindo, "Olha O Menino" by Caetano Veloso, "Instant Funk" by Merchant, "Guayabas" by Agustin Pereya Lucena, "Esperar Pra Ver" by Evinha, "Rastaman Rock" by Fabiano Orchestra, "Onda" by Cassiano, "Acapulco Dos De La Tarde" by The Coppers, "Cuando Calienta El Sol" by Tayla Ferro, "Travelin Man" by Stanley Cowell, "Usisilike" by Abeti, "Gimme Love" by Nelson Family, and "Love Song" by Joe Cruz & The Cruzettes. CD

Way more than the sort of fusion you may know from the mainstream – not the smoothed-out mellow jazz of recent years, or the too-jamming styles of the jazz-rock crossover era – and instead an excellent batch of funky electric numbers from the 70s, most of them rare tidbits from the righteous years of the soul jazz underground! Many of the names here will be familiar from bigger recordings, but the tracks on the set here are an ultra-hip batch of work done for indie labels that include Prestige, Muse, Groove Merchant, and Strata East – all records that really reached out for new territory back in the 70s, and which still stand as some of the best work from that era! The set list is really wonderful – filled with some of our favorite tracks from long-lost albums, all brought together in a tremendous assortment that's far greater than even the sum of its already-excellent parts! Titles include "Padali" by Chuck Flores, "Force Of Nature" by Azar Lawrence, "First Impressions" by Shamek Farrah, "Tomorrow's End" by Larry Bright, "First Come First Serve" by Ramon Morris, "Soul Turnaround" by Walter Bishop, "K High" by Nat Adderley, "Rise Of Atlantis" by Carter Jefferson, "Out On The Coast" by Larry Willis, "Gazelle" by Joe Henderson, and "Like A Thief In The Night" by Mike Longo. LP, Vinyl record album

A classic west coast recording by Stan – recorded at the Shrine Theater in LA in '54, with a group that includes Bob Brookmeyer on trombone and John Williams on piano! The groove is more similar to Stan's eastern sides of the time, given his bandmates here – but the sound is still quite wonderful, and almost a relaxed Verve answer to the sound of some of the Pacific Jazz dates of the period. Rhythm is by Bill Anthony on bass and either Frank Isola or Art Madigan on drums – and titles include "Flamingo", "Lover Man", "Pernod", "Tasty Pudding", "Polkadots & Moonbeams", "Open Country", "We'll Be Together Again", and "Feather Merchant". Great stuff from Getz! CD

A great little CD – not only for the very nice price, but for the fact that the double-length set brings together two albums' worth of work that Carmen McRae recorded for the Groove Merchant label in the early 70s! The style here is strongly jazzy, but with a firm dose of soul too – all in a mode that follows nicely from Carmen's late 60s sessions for Atlantic Records, but with a sound that's almost even more focused and in the pocket. The band is largeish, but the rhythms are tight – and even the mellower tunes seem to have a nice sort of lilt at the bottom, one that goes great with the way that Carmen spaces out her vocals on the set. Players include Joe Pass on guitar, Larry Bunker on vibes, Zoot Sims on tenor, and Dick Shreve on piano – and the CD features 19 tracks that include "Hey John", "Inside A Silent Tear", "The Right To Love", "You & I", "Sunshine Of My Life", "The Good Life", "It Takes A Whole Lot Of Human Feeling", "Livin", "Masquerade", "You're Mine You", and "There Will Come A Time". CD

Way more than the sort of fusion you may know from the mainstream – not the smoothed-out mellow jazz of recent years, or the too-jamming styles of the jazz-rock crossover era – and instead an excellent batch of funky electric numbers from the 70s, most of them rare tidbits from the righteous years of the soul jazz underground! Many of the names here will be familiar from bigger recordings, but the tracks on the set here are an ultra-hip batch of work done for indie labels that include Prestige, Muse, Groove Merchant, and Strata East – all records that really reached out for new territory back in the 70s, and which still stand as some of the best work from that era! The set list is really wonderful – filled with some of our favorite tracks from long-lost albums, all brought together in a tremendous assortment that's far greater than even the sum of its already-excellent parts! Titles include "Padali" by Chuck Flores, "Force Of Nature" by Azar Lawrence, "First Impressions" by Shamek Farrah, "Tomorrow's End" by Larry Bright, "First Come First Serve" by Ramon Morris, "Soul Turnaround" by Walter Bishop, "K High" by Nat Adderley, "Rise Of Atlantis" by Carter Jefferson, "Out On The Coast" by Larry Willis, "Gazelle" by Joe Henderson, and "Like A Thief In The Night" by Mike Longo. CD

With nice smooth beats courtesy Pete Nice & Daddy Rich and the Groove Merchantz. Guest spot on background vocals by Lord Sear. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Jazz organ explodes to the next level – on this brilliant and rare session by Larry Young from 1969! The record was Young's last recording for Blue Note, and was never issued at the time – only making a brief appearance in a short series at the end of the 70s – and its obscurity makes it all the more important, as it's the kind of record that would have transformed jazz tremendously if released at the time. On the set, Young delivers on all his 60s experimentation with modal grooves and Coltrane-styled playing – working with a quartet that includes Lee Morgan on trumpet, Herbert Morgan on tenor, and Eddie Gladden on drums – soaring to the skies on long tunes that push the Hammond farther than any organist had ever imagined! And while modern, and freer than before, Young is also playing here without some of the over-indulgent styles of his later jazz-rock work – still sticking to the Blue Note mode, while managing to record in a "new thing" mode long after the label had abandoned the "new thing" sound! Mindblowing – and with titles that include "Visions", "Love Drops", "Trip Merchant" and "Street Scene". CD