A double-length package of organ/guitar greatness – and a set that features key 60s work by Hammond hero Jack McDuff and guitarist George Benson! First up is The New Boss Guitar Of George Benson – the first album ever cut by Benson as a leader, a cooker of a soul jazz set, recorded back when George was the guitarist in Jack McDuff's classic 60s quartet! The album's almost a McDuff Quartet one – since Jack's on Hammond and Red Holloway is on tenor – but the group's slightly different too, with the surprising additions of Montego Joe on drums, and Ronnie Boykins on bass! Benson's guitar is amazing throughout – sharp-edged and played with a tightness that's quite different than most of his later work – and titles include "Shadow Dancers", "The Sweet Alice Blues", "Just Another Sunday", "Easy Living", and "Rock A Bye". Next up is Hot Barbeque – one of our all-time favorite albums from Brother Jack McDuff! The combo here is great – with a young George Benson hard-wailing on guitar, cutting lines so fast and furious it's hard to believe – especially if you only know his later work. The legendary Joe Dukes is on drums – dancing all over the place under Brother Jack's great groovy solos – and Red Holloway completes the group on tenor sax! The title track's got a rare vocal refrain – with Jack shouting out "Hot Barbeque" over the organ – and other cuts include "Briar Patch", "Hippy Dip", "601 1/2 North Poplar", and "The Three Day Thang". CD

A nice little album of soul jazz organ tracks by Jack McDuff, and proof that he was always still burning strong! Unlike other Hammond players, who got a bit sloppy in later years, McDuff always kept things interesting, and managed to come up with some creative arrangements and soulful solos that pushed his work way past the usual soul jazz bag. This set was recorded with Cecil and Ron Bridgewater, Houston Person, and Cecil Brooks III – and features a nice set of longish groovers like "Another Real Good'Un", "Rock Candy", "Off The Beaten Path", and "Summertime", which McDuff always does nicely. CD

Excellent stuff – a mid 60s collection of some of Jack's earlier work for Prestige, with a focus on the kind of jukebox-busting tracks that made him a legend right out of the box! Tracks are lean, mean, and with the kind of gutbucket organ groove that made Jack one of the best of the 60s Hammond generation – and titles include "Brother Jack", "Somethin Slick", "Grease Monkey", "Screamin", "Sanctified Waltz", and "Tough Duff". LP, Vinyl record album

Tight funky instrumentals from Brother Jack McDuff – an Atlantic groover that's probably closer to his late 60s gems for Cadet Records than it is his earlier work for Prestige! The solos are shorter, but they're packed nicely around the rhythms – played by a combo that features a young Melvin Sparks on some mighty nice guitar – plus Leo Johnson on tenor and Ray Appleton on drums! The groove is tight and choppy, with little bits of funk, and McDuff's usual sense of humor and warmth – and for the record, Jack wrote loads of original tracks, including "Mush Melon", "Snap Back Jack", "Strolling Blues", and "Do It Now". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent album from Brother Jack – one that has him making a shift from organ to electric keyboards, but in a mode that loses none of his funkiness, none of his soul, and none of his wit! The album's got some wonderfully angular groovers – showing that McDuff was always growing his style, working into grooves that always pushed him past his earlier work. Includes the stellar tracks "The City Bump" and "Layin' Back" – plus "Show Casing", "Half Breed", and "Fourth Dimension". LP, Vinyl record album

Slammin live work from the legendary Brother Jack McDuff – a player who was almost better on the bandstand than he was in the studio! First up is the album Live – a killer, and one of three live sides McDuff cut for Prestige during the 60s – a monster session of stretched-out jazzy grooves, with many fine little dancers, and a raw soulful feel throughout! The group's one of Jack's best – as Red Holloway's tenor blows and hollers over the fingerpoppin' grooves delivered by a young George Benson on his first major guitar gig – and the soulful drums of Joe Dukes scatter across the place, taking the whole band into some incredible rhythms! Titles include cookin' live versions of "Rock Candy", "Sanctified Samba", "Undecided", and "A Real Goodun'". Live At The Jazz Workshop features a group that's one of Jack's best ever – a lineup that includes the twin tenors of Red Holloway and Harold Vick, plus incredibly sharp guitar from a young George Benson, and some of the most unique soul jazz drum work you'll ever hear – courtesy of the amazing Joe Dukes. Despite their individual strengths, which might make this whole thing an ego-fest – all players fit perfectly into place on the album's hard wailing batch of groovers, and groove together with a sympathetic energy that's simply amazing! Titles include a great remake of "Jive Samba", plus "Dink's Blues", "Grease Monkey", "Passing Through", and "Vas Dis". This is the kind of thing live recording equipment was made for! CD

An incredible record – the kind of album that no fan of funky jazz should be without! This album is far and away one of the greatest ever cut by Brother Jack McDuff – and it's a baroquely complicated batch of funky jazz cuts that's still light years ahead of any other record! The tracks are much longer than you'll find on Jack's other work – and the group plays these lines that are laidback and trippy, yet which still have a tremendous amount of funk in them. Guitar sets the tone, spacing out over the drums of the great Joe Dukes; electric bass rumbles at all the low, dark spots; flute and tenor sax cut some sharp edges in the void; and the organ of Brother Jack comes in over the top, and soars with cosmic lines of sound! The album includes the monster cut "Oblighetto", sampled by Tribe Called Quest years back – plus other amazing groovers, like "Flat Backin", "Moon Rappin", and "Loose Foot". CD

In our opinion, Jack McDuff never made a bad album – and this excellent later session is proof of that statement! The album's got a horrible cover – we'll state that from the start – but it's still a great batch of soul jazz organ tracks, played tightly by McDuff, with a group that includes Cecil and Ron Bridgewater, plus Houston Person on tenor, and Grady Tate on drums. The album features a great remake of McDuff's legendary "Theme From The Electric Surfboard" – done here with a bouncing groove that makes the tune perfect for a jazzy stepper's set – plus the cuts "Cap'n Jack", "One Hundred Ways", and "Walkin The Dog". CD

A classic early set from Jack McDuff – and a record that's very much in his own hands, despite the presence of Gene Ammons as a co-leader! The group's more of a McDuff one than an Ammons ensemble – and features the great Joe Dukes on drums, Eddie Diehl on guitar, and Harold Vick on tenor, who plays alongside Ammons' guest appearance on 5 of the album's 6 tracks. The tunes are in that Steppin Out mode – a cross between Jack's gutbuckety R&B work of the early Prestige years, and some of his cleaner grooves of the mid 60s – and titles include "Mellow Gravy", "Watch Out", "Strollin", "Buzzin Round", and "Mr Clean". CD

A really unusual album for Jack McDuff – one that was recorded in Memphis, with a lineup and a feel that's quite different from other Blue Note sessions of the time! There's a lot of electricity bubbling in the record – and although McDuff normally never worked with a bassist on earlier sessions, this one features a unnamed player who really lays out a nice bottom for the whole session – bubbling the tunes with lots of work on the electric, and letting McDuff concentrate on funking things up with the keys of the Hammond! The set features a key recording of Jack's classic "Theme From the Electric Surfboard", plus the funky numbers "Butter (For Yo Popcorn)", "The Vibrator", and "Down Home Style". CD

An unusual Italian session from organist Jack McDuff – and a great one too! Jack's working here in the company of drummer Bobby Durham – whose work on the kit really propels the record strongly forward, giving it the umph that you might expect from McDuff's 60s years with Joe Dukes – but with a groove that's a bit more updated at points, although still pretty classic overall. The horn work is great too – and the album features tenor from Piero Odorici and baritone from Bruno Marini on 4 of the album's 9 tracks – both great players who work together with a strong sense of interplay. Pianist Massimo Farao adds some unusual colors to the record, and drummer Durham sings a bit on two ballads. Titles include "Martasamba", "Basie Instinct", "Deli Blues For Blakey", "Broadway", "Jack-Pot", and "Spectator". CD

A selection of tracks by Jack McDuff that were originally recorded in a few different sessions – then spread about some of his best (and rarest) albums of the mid 60s. Nearly all of the tracks feature Jack's classic quartet with Red Holloway, George Benson, and the great Joe Dukes on drums – and the few that don't have some superb large group arrangements by Benny Golson that provide a wildly swinging platform for Jack's groovy solos. Titles include "Scufflin", "Lew's Piece", "Our Miss Brooks", "From the Bottom Up", and "Lexington Avenue Line". Lots of tracks, and a screamin' organ jazz set all the way through! CD

A very groovy 70s set from the mighty Jack McDuff – one that has him taking a bit of a Charles Earland turn, as he adds in some other keyboards to his work on Hammond – including some nice bits on Fender Rhode and moog! George Benson plays a fair bit of guitar solos on the set, and the record also features Pee Wee Ellis on alto and tenor, and Ray Mantilla on congas and percussion! Titles include some great long groovers – including "Blue Monsoon", "A Long Goodie", and a nice cover of "Don't Mess With Mister T". LP, Vinyl record album

A definite soul summit for the time – with 3 top-shelf players in the lead, all getting plenty of room to do their thing! Both Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt are on tenor in the front, working with the respect and confidence they'd forged together on other co-led sessions from the time – and Jack McDuff's a great addition to the set, playing Hammond with his newly-lean tone, and really helping things move along nicely. Drummer Charlie Persip has a nicely booming style here – one that gets the group out of the box from the get-go, and McDuff's handling all the bass work on the organ, which always makes for a tight rhythmic romp! Most tunes are in that great raw Prestige mode from the old days, as you'd guess by titles like "Tubby", "Dumplin", and "Shuffle Twist" – alongside other numbers that include "Sleeping Susan" and "Out In The Cold Again". CD

A really unusual album for Jack McDuff – one that was recorded in Memphis, with a lineup and a feel that's quite different from other Blue Note sessions of the time! There's a lot of electricity bubbling in the record – and although McDuff normally never worked with a bassist on earlier sessions, this one features a unnamed player who really lays out a nice bottom for the whole session – bubbling the tunes with lots of work on the electric, and letting McDuff concentrate on funking things up with the keys of the Hammond! The set features a key recording of Jack's classic "Theme From the Electric Surfboard", plus the funky numbers "Butter (For Yo Popcorn)", "The Vibrator", and "Down Home Style". LP, Vinyl record album

The Beat Bronco Organ Trio are more than great enough at the core, but they also offer up some great surprises over the course of this fantastic full length album – including slight use of clavinet and mini-moog by Gabri Casanova, who mostly handles the Hammond in the lead – and guest work at a few spots from Chip Wickham on flute and electric piano! There's a few other players who drop in along the way – but the core groove here is from the trio, who not only replicate a 60s soul jazz vibe, but also move things through a deep funk legacy – maybe more in the mode of the Sugarman Three than a Don Patterson or Jack McDuff combo on Prestige – as there are rhythms and elements that pick up bits of 70s funk. Drums are by Antonio Pax Alvarez and guitar is by Lucas De Mulder – and titles include "Hard Play", "Crispy Time", "Easy Baby", "Hey Hey", "Squirtly", "Under Pressure", "Road Trip", and "Electro Pi". LP, Vinyl record album

Yipes! This one made everyone a bucket of money – especially Quincy Jones, whose new Qwest imprint the record was one of the first to grace. George has come a long way from his roots with Jack McDuff here – but in a way that kind of has us impressed, as he's grooving away slickly on guitar, laying down some smooth vocals that we never would have imagined from his mid 60s recordings. Includes the massive hit "Give Me The Night", a cover of "Moody's Mood", and the tracks "Star Of A Story (X)", "Midnight Love Affair", "What's On Your Mind", and "Dinorah, Dinorah". The sound of a million supermarkets and elevators during the 80s! CD

A surprising organ/tenor gem from the 90s – and a really standout set in the career of Don Braden! The set's on a major label, but it's got a soulfully produced groove that makes it feel like some of the best soul jazz on the Muse imprint – really open and flowing, with a sound that shows that the New Jersey sound was alive and well into the 90s! Braden's on tenor, working alongside some guest tenor by David Newman – and the rest of the group features organ by either Jack McDuff or Larry Goldings – plus trumpet by Tom Harrell, guitar by Russell Malone, and some super-solid drum work by either Cecil Brooks or Winard Harper. Titles include "Walkin The Dog", "Brighter Days", "Cousin Esau", "Twister", "Belief", "Organic", and "Saving All My Love For You". CD

Brian Charette wields the Hammond B3 here in a really wonderful way – sometimes using the instrument with a full force that really drives the rest of the group, other times hitting more spacious lines that bring in all these great colors from the horn players on the set – a lineup that includes Itai Kriss on flute, Mike DiRubbo on alto, Kenny Brooks on tenor, and Karel Ruzicka on bass clarinet! Alongside the drums of Brian Fishler, the horns are used almost like a mini-ensemble – filling in next to the organ in the way you might hear on some of the hipper charts used with Jack McDuff at the end of the 60s – although Brian's approach is very much his own. The set includes lots of tasty original tunes – including "Silver Lining", "As If To Say", "Fried Birds", "Elephant Memory", "Power From The Air", "Want", and "Frenzy". CD

Hard wailing! Poppa Lou's caught right at the height of his early Blue Note powers here – recorded in 2 different groups on this set of unreleased sessions from the early 60s! Both sets have Lou in a guitar/organ soul jazz setting – with backing by Grant Green on guitar, and either Jack McDuff or John Patton on organ. The McDuff set features the great Joe Dukes on drums, and the session sparkles like one of McDuff's best Prestige albums from the time. The other session has the classic Patton/Green lineup augmented by trumpeter Irwin Stokes, a lesser-known talent who really opens up the sound nicely. There's a total of 9 tracks in all – a number of them ballads, but done with a lively soulful tone that keeps the whole thing nice and fresh – even after sitting in the vaults for nearly 40 years! Titles include "Star Dust", "Hippty Hop", "Please", "Man With A Horn", and "Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White". CD

Gene Harris on piano, Frank Potenza on guitar, Red Holloway on tenor saxophone, Ernie Watts on alto and tenor saxophone, Jack McDuff on organ, Luther Hughes on bass, Paul Kreibich on drums, and Niki Harris on vocals. CD

An organ trio, and one with plenty of soul – romping drums, riffing guitar, and some mighty sweet work on the Hammond by Delvon Lamarr! This is the first we've ever heard of the group, but they're rock solid and right on the money – working with a lean, hard style that's completely classic, but also a bit contemporary too – maybe swinging in the best sort of space between the Jack McDuff Quartet of the 60s and the Sugarman Three group of Desco Records fame! David McGraw handles the drums with a clear love of funk, and Jimmy James is wonderfully wicked on guitar – never trying to dominate too much, as there's no need – given how much he brings to the overall groove. Delvon's a hell of an organist too – the kind that knows that a little can often go much farther than a lot when handling the electric keys – which he does to set up some sweet solos on cuts that include "Ain't It Funky", "Al Greenery", "Can I Change My Mind", "Walk On By", "Between The Mustard & The Mayo", "Raymond Brings The Greens", and "Little Booker T". CD

A pair of Hammond jazz classics from organist Sam Lazar – back to back on a single CD, with rare bonus tracks too! First up is Space Flight – a tight batch of organ groovers with a raw R&B feel, recorded by the obscure St Louis organist Sam Lazar – with a very young Grant Green on guitar! The album's a bit different than Sam's other records for Argo – in that the tunes are all quite short, with a tight fast sound that's almost more R&B at times than jazz – a very unusual setting especially for Grant Green! The guitar is nice and loud – really racing to keep up with Lazar's fast work on the Hammond – and other members of the group include Willie Dixon on bass and Chauncey Williams on drums. Titles include "Mad Lad", "Space Flight", "Caramu", "Funky Blues", and "Big Willie". Playback is one of a few rare albums from Hammond player Sam Lazar – a lesser-known artist from the same searing generation as Baby Face Willette and Jack McDuff, but a musician who never full got his due! This record was done for the Argo side of Chess Records, and it's got a raw sound that's equal parts soul jazz and R&B – with Sam doing some great work on the keys, and the obscure tenorist Miller Brisker in the group too – a really great musician who works with lots of unique twists – and spurs Lazar onto new heights of playing, with maybe an even farther reach on the keys than his other albums. Lazar wrote most of the set, and the tracks include "Deep", "Fuzz Buzz", "S&S", "Scootin", and "Long Gone". A nice bit of soul jazz, with a deep rootsy sound all the way through! CD also features the bonus two-part 45rpm single of "Space Flight". CD

Fantastic work from the legendary Idris Muhammad – the funky drummer who first rose to fame making breakbeats with Lou Donaldson in the 60s, then recorded some hip soul-based records in the 70s – here really getting back to basics with a set of soulful, spiritual small combo jazz! The record is a beautifully stripped-down session – with Muhammad playing un-funky drums, Ray Drummond on bass, and either Pharoah Sanders or George Coleman on tenor sax. The best tracks are long and lively – with Muhammad dancing out across the drum kit, filled with joy and life, exhibiting that rare straight jazz quality that he only brought to a few recordings, most notably his contemporary sides with Pharoah Sanders. Titles include a great remake of Jack McDuff's "Soulful Drums", plus "Kabsha", "Little Feet", "St M", and "GCCG Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first great albums on the now-legendary Desco label – proof that classic funk was alive and well on at the end of the 20th century! Sugarman Three is an organ-heavy combo led by tenor saxophonist Neal Sugarman – a great player with an ear for classic 60s styles of labels like Cadet or Prestige (and you know we're not light with comparisons like that!) The tunes here have a short, hard, really playful feel that reminds us a lot of the interplay that Jack McDuff and Harold Vick got together on their best albums – and the whole thing's recorded with a no-nonsense, back-to-basics kind of sound that's pure funk all the way through – and not that "too bright" kind of sound you'll get from modern organ jazz sets that try to hard and always fall flat! The combo was little known at the time, but got a great endorsement from Keb Darge on the cover – one they more than live up to with a smoking little set that includes the tracks "Hankerin", "Skunk Walk", "Sock Monkey", "Red Wine", "Sweet Tooth", and "Hot Sauce". Heck, with names like that, you know they've gotta be great! CD

The second fantastic album from Chicago saxophonist Clarence Wheeler and his hard-hitting Enforcers combo – a group who were one of the brightest lights in soul jazz at the start of the 70s, really helping to keep the genre fresh and exciting! The groove here is in the tenor/organ mode first popularized in the 60s – but the overall sound is a lot more expansive, and filled with unusual time changes, complicated rhythms, and inventive solo work that go way beyond more familiar albums of this nature on Prestige or Blue Note! Sonny Burke is the organist in the group, and he's got a touch on the keys that's a lot like Jack McDuff at his best – filled with great sounds and unusual notes that always keep things interesting. Added to that is trumpet from Sonny Covington, guitar from Eric Gale, and tenor from Wheeler – all vamping and grooving in an amazing way! There's a bit of the Charles Earland sound from the same period going on here – and like Earland, the group have a great way of keeping things slightly funky, even when mellow! Titles include a great version of "Broasted or Fried", Charles Earland's "Mighty Burner", Jack McDuff's "The Heebie Jeebie Dance", plus "We've Only Just Begun" and "The Love I've Been Looking For". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice work from the revival years of Jimmy Witherspoon on Bluesway, when he was working with a nice dose of soul and funk in the mix! Some cuts feature arrangements from Chicago soul genius Johnny Pate – and other players include Red Holloway on tenor, Jack McDuff on organ, and Gildo Mahones on Fender Rhodes! LP, Vinyl record album

A set with an 80s cover, but one that features vintage soul jazz throughout – the kind of late 50s/early 60s material that really played big on UK club floors in the early years of Acid Jazz, thanks to work by DJs like Gilles Peterson and Patrick Forge! These are all classic cuts from the US – from labels like Prestige and Chess – served up with plenty of Hammond, riffing guitar, and strong tenor lines – plus occasional vocals too. Forget the look of the package, and imagine some fantastic jazz photographs instead – alongside cuts that include "Camp Meetin" by Sam Lazar, "Moanin" by Art Blakey, "Screamin" by Jack McDuff, "Cerveza" by Boots Brown, "Somethin Strange" by Baby Face Willette, "Meetin Here" by Curtis Amy & Paul Bryant, "Blue Vibes" by Johnny Lytle, "Wade In The Water" by Johnny Griffin, "Vera" by Richard Evans, "Sack O Woe" by Ray Bryant, and "Night In Tunisia" by Buck Clarke. CD

A dream come true! Someone at Blue Note is keeping their eyes and ears on the street and in the clubs – because here's another late model conceptual triumph – a remix project pairing current innovators in the club and hip hop underground with classic numbers from the label's vaults! The concept is simple; classic numbers are given to handpicked remixers, re-doers, and stylistic misfits best suited to re-work that particular number. Mo Wax maestros La Funk Mob open the set with a mellow, club soul tweak of Wayne Shorter's "Oriental Funk Song". Kenny Dope trips out Bobby Hutcherson's "La Malanga" into a bubbly club funk jam. "Kyoto Jazz Massive" completely re-work Eddie Henderson's "Kudu" into a wonderful number all their own. Perhaps the biggest triumph of all here is the consistency throughout; every artist attached brings their A-game (how could they do any less, given a chance to add their own elements to the some of the most influential numbers they could get their hands on?) Amazing, amazing stuff – whether it's the scratched up, hip hop flavor J Dilla brings to Jack McDuff's "Oblighetto" or the righteous electronic groove Jazzanova drops on Eddie Gale's "Song Of The Will", the minimalist, keys and beats drive Osunlade brings into Grant Green's "A Time To Remember". Every track sparkles! Other tracks include DJ Spinna/Donald Byrd "Lansanna's Priestess", 4 Hero/Horace Silver "Won't You Open Up Your Senses", DJ Cam & Erik Truffaz/Donald Byrd "The Emperor", Herbert/Michel Petrucciani "Caravan" and more! CD

Crisply-tailored, yet soulful and groovy mod jazz from the 60s – a slew of great numbers by Byrdie Green, Johnny Lytle, Mark Murphy, Reuben Wilson, The Nightbeats, The Cals, Billy Larkin, Johnny Hammond Smith, Byrdie Smith and more! Lots of great stuff here, from names synonymous to moddish jazz and others that nicely fit that mold for a bit – cats like Buddy Guy, for instance. A sweet, sweet set from the passionate compilers at Kent UK! Includes "The Real Thing" by Troy Dodds, "Finders Keepers" by Floyd White, "Rod Run" by The Reuben Wilson Quartet, "Talkin' About Love" by Tobi Lark, "Screamin'" by Jack McDuff, "Double Love" by The Cals, "Tricky Too" by Gus Jenkins, "Fever" by Buddy Guy, "Work Song" by Clint Stacy, "My Beat" by George Stone, " It's Like Love" by Mark Murphy, "The Village Caller" by The Johnny Lytle Trio and more. CD

Really classic jazz grooves from the vaults of Prestige Records – the kind of cuts that first broke big on the London scene of the 80s, at a time when diggers were setting fire to the rare groove scene too! The cuts here are proof that some of the best work doesn't need to come from completely obscure groups or super-tiny labels – as the music here is exactly the kind of work that made huge waves in the US jazz scene when first released, then went underground for many years – until later collectors and diggers brought it back to the limelight! The great thing is how many of these cuts are all acoustic – no need for electricity to make things funky – as you'll hear on tracks that include "Hiyo Silver" by Bennie Green, "Grease Monkey" by Kenny Burrell with Jack McDuff, "Mau Mau" by Art Farmer, "Mambo Inn" by Billy Taylor with Candido, "Manteca" by Red Garland, "Blue Stompin" by Hal Singer, "Spider Man" by Freddie McCoy, "Filthy McNasty" by Eddie Jefferson, "Flatjacks" by Willie Rodriguez, "Blue Gator" by Willis Jackson, and "Pedro Stroller" by Johnny Lytle. CD

A great little record from the days before George Benson had totally hit his smooth jazz sound of the 70s, and was being pushed by Columbia as a hard wailing soul jazz leader! The record features his classic quartet with Lonnie Smith on organ – grooving away hard hard hard, sometimes even harder than George! Benson's fresh off his work with the Jack McDuff quartet, and his style's nice and lean, with some good riffs, and a very tight approach to the strings. Titles include "The Cooker", "Benny's Back", "Bossa Rocka", and "Benson's Rider". LP, Vinyl record album

Very groovy work from guitarist George Benson – and a set that really helped him make the transition from small group soul jazz to some of his more ambitious work to come! The album's still quite soulful and a bit funky at times – but it also features larger arrangements from the great Tom McIntosh – cast in a blend of modern rhythms, shades, and colors that really help open up Benson's sound. The approach is similar to that McIntosh was using with Bobby Timmons and Jack McDuff at the same time – tight backings, but still with plenty of room for the lead soloist – and Benson's got a great affinity for this sort of album. The tracks are a nice mix of originals and pop items – with cuts like "Sunny", "Thunder Walk", "Walk On By", "Giblet Gravy", and "Sack Of Woe". Plus, the CD features 3 bonus tracks – "Billie's Bounce", and 2 alternate versions of "What's New?". CD

An early moment of genius from the great Grant Green – a set that's a real standout from his other Blue Note albums of the time – even though all of those are plenty darn great as well! Grant's working here with an unusual group – Yusef Lateef on tenor and flute, making a rare Blue Note appearance, and playing with a very soulful, very hardbop edge – and the excellent Jack McDuff on Hammond – a musician who wouldn't show up more at the label for a few more years! Tracks are nice and long, with an open, loping rhythm that's perfect for all three soloists – thanks to Al Harewood on drums, who really helps open things up for Green. Titles include "Grantstand", "My Funny Valentine", "Blues In Maude's Flat", and "Old Folks" – all done in nicely relaxed takes. CD

Great later work from Lonnie Smith – a set that's quite different than his initial Hammond material for Blue Note – but equally excellent in its own sort of way! The album has Lonnie playing both Fender Rhodes and organ – the former with this sweet, tight groove that's mighty nice – a bit like when Johnny Hammond or Jack McDuff touched the instrument on their own albums from the 70s – with all the chunky, funky qualities learned from their solos on the Hammond. Production is by Sonny Lester, and the groups here are relatively big, which gives a bit of a blacksploitation funk to the record – but part of the record also has a leaner group with Joe Lovano on tenor, blowing some beautifully extended solos – as well as George Benson on guitar. Titles include a great ten minute take on "Impressions" – plus "Apex", "Lean Meat", "When The Night Is Right", and "It's Changed". LP, Vinyl record album