Funky genius from the mighty K Frimpong – an album recorded in Germany in the mid 80s – but a set that cooks like some of the best West African funk from the decade before! The sound is lean and mean, and there's plenty of grit in the grooves – a lot more bass and funky drums than some of the softer highlife of the period – with percussion that kicks in fantastically right at the start, and never lets up! The vocals are great too – and it's almost like Frimpong is working like some James Brown-styled leader – really coming up with the goods right from the start, and urging his ensemble onto non-stop grooving on the album's four long tracks. Titles include "Abrabo", "Abusuafo", "Enaa", and "Susu Dwa W'Ananum". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic guitar work from K Frimpong – and plenty of other fantastic sounds too – all rolled up in his unique blend of Afro funk and high-life – served up here on four nice long tracks! There's vocals on the record, but the guitar and rhythms are what really drive the train – especially in some places as the vocals almost feel like exclamatory passages in response to the sharpness of the instrumentation! Things move pretty darn quickly on most cuts – which makes the guitar work even more amazing, especially in comparison to conventional highlife – on titles that include "Abrubo", "Acheumpomaa", "Ohere A Oda Apakaw Mu", and "Aboagyewaa". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky highlife stunner from the mighty K Frimpong – an artist who always seems to find a way to make a familiar groove sound even heavier than you might expect! That's definitely the case here – as rattling percussion really sets the scene for every track – sometimes with instrumentation that's a bit more familiar to the best highlife jams of the times, but other times with a hard and heavy early 70s funk approach that's in the best James Brown tradition! The album features four extended tracks that are all nice and long – and although there's vocals on the record, the main appeal is the fantastic instrumentation – on titles that include "Daben Ni", "Me Yee Owu Den", "Nye Mea", and "Me Da A Onnda". LP, Vinyl record album

The sublime first album from K Frimpong – a really unique blend of hi-life and Afro Funk, but served up with all these unusual touches that make the album stand out from even most of the rest of the revolutionary sounds that were coming from Ghana at the time! There's this sense of flow that has each side of the record moving with non-stop energy – and an approach to rhythm that's almost as if the whole thing was moving forward like water – a tide of bass, percussion, riffing guitar, and organ – bubbling, dipping, and chugging in a way that seems completely effortless – while Frimpong urges the group on with his well-inflected vocals and lead guitar! Titles include "Nana Bue Me", "Mofofoo", "Komofo Adu", "Otwie", "Osaw", "M"Anoma", "Moma Yen Sore", and "Susuansu". LP, Vinyl record album

Roger Damawuzan looks a bit like an American soul singer on the cover of this excellent collection – and his music often comes across in the same way, with a nice undercurrent of funk in the rhythms, and very powerful vocals from the leader! The set's the first we've ever seen to focus on Damawuzan's music – and brings forth a killer batch of tracks recorded in Togo in the late 70s and early 80s – some with a definite James Brown influence in the grooves, others more open to more familiar West African elements you might hear in some of Roger's contemporaries – but still always delivered with this lean, mean style that's mighty soulful! The Hot Casa label is one that we've really grown to trust for the funkier side of vintage African recordings, and this set is no exception – filled with great grooves that include "Wait For Me", "Do You Know My Name", "I Need A Horse", "Tirez Tirez", "Motherless Child", "Vino La Medo", and "Agbe Fe Avi". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the greatest album to date from the quintet of pianist Florian Pellissier – an artist we've been loving for years, and who just seems to get a greater sound and focus with each new release! This set has Florian's group recording at the famous Rudy Van Gelder studio – working with a sense of warmth that comes through instantly in the music – as Pelissier's compositions bring together some really unique interplay between the group's tenor from Christophe Panzani, trumpet from Yohann Loustalot, bass from Yoni Zelnik, and drums from David Georgelet. Despite the title and the cover, there's not much of a Brazilian vibe here – and instead, we might say that the energy of the group is like a small combo take on spiritual jazz inspirations – shorter songs, a bit more compact – but with a far-flowing vibe that's wonderful – maybe the way that some key late 60s Blue Note work could come across.. Titles include "Baron Samedi", "Between The Fars", "Live At The Vanguard", "Biches Dans L'Espace", and "Jungle De Guyanne". CD

Maybe the greatest album to date from the quintet of pianist Florian Pellissier – an artist we've been loving for years, and who just seems to get a greater sound and focus with each new release! This set has Florian's group recording at the famous Rudy Van Gelder studio – working with a sense of warmth that comes through instantly in the music – as Pelissier's compositions bring together some really unique interplay between the group's tenor from Christophe Panzani, trumpet from Yohann Loustalot, bass from Yoni Zelnik, and drums from David Georgelet. Despite the title and the cover, there's not much of a Brazilian vibe here – and instead, we might say that the energy of the group is like a small combo take on spiritual jazz inspirations – shorter songs, a bit more compact – but with a far-flowing vibe that's wonderful – maybe the way that some key late 60s Blue Note work could come across.. Titles include "Baron Samedi", "Between The Fars", "Live At The Vanguard", "Biches Dans L'Espace", and "Jungle De Guyanne". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little album from Vaudou Game – a set that's got a leaner feel than some of their previous records, but in a way that also makes the whole thing funkier too! The group's a quartet this time around, and working with lots of guitar riffs and bass from lead singer Peter Solo – next to keyboards, drums, and a bit of percussion – all served up in a style that echoes older Afro Funk modes, but with a much more stripped-down vibe that's pretty darn unique! We love the change, and actually think the album's the group's best so far – and really does a great job of showcasing the unique spirit and energy of Peter in the lead. Titles include "Lady Bobo", "Mon Canape", "Tell Me", "Bella", "Be My Wife", "Yome", "Tu As Deconne", and "Zorromi". CD

A sweet little album from Vaudou Game – a set that's got a leaner feel than some of their previous records, but in a way that also makes the whole thing funkier too! The group's a quartet this time around, and working with lots of guitar riffs and bass from lead singer Peter Solo – next to keyboards, drums, and a bit of percussion – all served up in a style that echoes older Afro Funk modes, but with a much more stripped-down vibe that's pretty darn unique! We love the change, and actually think the album's the group's best so far – and really does a great job of showcasing the unique spirit and energy of Peter in the lead. Titles include "Lady Bobo", "Mon Canape", "Tell Me", "Bella", "Be My Wife", "Yome", "Tu As Deconne", and "Zorromi". LP, Vinyl record album

Cracklin' hot stuff by Orlando Marin and his orchestra – so cracklin' hot that the cover's got some firemen putting out a blaze! Orlando's on timbales and Chivirico Davila sings on some cuts, and the band's got a tight battery of percussionists that keep the groove going at nearly every moment. The album's got a good descarga track called "Esta De Bala", a mambo called "Ritmo Bembe", and a few tight pachanga cuts like "Aprovechate", "No Se Detengan", and "La Casa". Very cool stuff, and one of the hard to find early LPs on Alegre. LP, Vinyl record album

Surprisingly great work from an artist who was very young at the time – Paris-born Francis Mbarga, who cut this Afro groove classic when he was only 7 years old! Despite that age, though, the sound is very fully-formed – thanks to tight studio backing from a combo of sharp guitar, bubbling bass, and snapping drums – all of whom flesh out Francis' music ideas, while he calls along with the lyrics! "Ravissante Baby" takes up all of side one – and side two features the even groovier "Look Up In The Sky", which has some English lyrics, a funky groove, and a weird offbeat vibe that we might place somewhere in the territory of William Onyebar for complete uniqueness! LP, Vinyl record album

Jorma Kaukonen on heavy guitar and lead vocals – with Jack Casady on bass, Sammy Piazza on drums and percussion, and Papa John Creach on violin and vocals! LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible set of funk from the legendary Dennis Coffey – an unissued live performance from the hip Detroit scene of the late 60s – featuring Coffey's amazing guitar with the Hammond of Lyman Woodard! Together, the two are a pair of funky terrors – steeped in all the best soul and jazz styles that the Motor City had to offer at the time, but also not afraid to trip out, too – so that there's a psychedelic funk influence going on – as the group stretches out and opens up in ways that are even more wild than Coffey's later albums on Westbound! Drummer Melvin Davis completes the trio, and the whole thing's a monstrous jam that not only more than lives up to its promise – but which also has a much heavier, hipper feel than you'd guess from the title and cover art. Tracks include long takes on "Fuzz", "Maiden Voyage", "Casanova", "The Look Of Love", "Wade In The Water", "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", and "The Big D". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic double-live set from Kiss – issued almost hot on the heels of their Kiss Alive album, and equally great! The group are at the height of their 70s power here – searing through versions of "Detroit Rock City", "I Stole Your Love", "Beth", "God Of Thunder", "Calling Dr Love", "Christine Sixteen", "Hard Luck Woman", "Makin Love", "Love Gun", "King Of The Night Time World", "Ladies Room", "Any Way You want It", "Larger Than Life", and "Shout It Out Loud". LP, Vinyl record album

Loads of classics – including "Calling Dr Love", "Love Gun", "Hotter Than Hell", "God Of Thunder", "Deuce", "Detroit Rock City", "Beth", "Black Diamond", "Rock & Roll All Nite", and "Rock Bottom". LP, Vinyl record album

Here you go – everything you'll need to recreate the magic of the old days, except the cocaine! 2LPs worth of classic club tracks – including "In The Bush" by Musique, "YMCA" by Village People, "Let's All Chant" by Michael Zager Band, "Hot Shot" by Karen Young, "Got To Be Real" by Cheryl Lynn, "Hot Jungle Drums" by DC La Rue, "Le Freak" by Chic, and "Disco Nights" by GQ. LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent compilation of early work by Elis – including many hard to find tracks from her older albums on Philips! The set includes killer bossa-inflected cuts – like "Upa Neguinho", "Roda", "Lunik 9", "Arrastao", "Canto De Ossanha", and "Casa Forte" – and it comes packaged in a cover with an early photo of the lovely lady, and her signature across the front! LP, Vinyl record album

Ahh, the dancefloor soul perfection of the beautiful Donna Summer – and classic late 70s production by Giorgio Morodor and Pete Bellotte – songs that are played often, even to this day, but will never be played out! Was this the one that coined the phrase "shipped gold, returned platinum?" We can't remember, but whatever the case, it's one of those sets that used to be ubiquitous, but which now we can hardly ever find in good shape! Includes shorter mixes of "Love To Love You Baby" and "I Feel Love" – plus the hits for the album "On The Radio" and "Enough Is Enough". Other cuts include "Last Dance", "Hot Stuff", "Bad Girls", and a shortened version of "MacArthur Park". LP, Vinyl record album