One of the most intimate albums we've ever heard from Jimmy Ponder – and one of the most compelling as well! The set's an unusual live date from the early 80s – one that has Jimmy playing entirely solo – just electric guitar hanging out in space on beautifully fluid lines – perfectly crafted, and filled with a sense of rhythm and imagination that doesn't always come through on some of Ponder's fuller combo sessions. And although live, the recording quality is great – well-suited to capture the subtle changes in tone and color that make Jimmy's playing here a surprising joy throughout. Titles include "Work Song", "Freedom Jazz Dance", "Con Alma", "Milestones", and "All The Things You Are". CD

With Peter Washington, Sammy Figueroa, Eddie Gladden, Greg Bandy, Roger Humphries, Victor Jones, Winard Harper, Bill Saxton, John Patton, Lonnie Smith, Lawrence Killian, Benny Green, Mark Soskin, Geary Moore, Houston Person & James Anderson. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Vocals and guitar, and nothing else more – an obscure and compelling little session from the great Joe Lee Wilson! Joe's working here with guitarist Jimmy Ponder – who backs the vocals up with a style that's always rhythmic, and filled with lots of chromatic hues – brightly bursting underneath Wilson's lead with an expressive quality that almost makes us feel like Ponder's singing along himself at times! The overall feel is relatively mellow and relaxed, yet never too sleepy – just intimate and up-close, in a way both artists rarely put forth on record. Titles include "I Follow The Sun", "The Lady", "Come & See", "Nice & Easy", "It's The Same Thing Anywhere", "Deadly Nightshade", and "Who Among You". CD

Hank Crawford on alto saxophone, Jimmy McGriff on organ with George Benson, Wayne Boyd, Cornell Dupree, Vance James, Mel Lewis, Jimmy Ponder, Billy Preston & Bernard Purdie. CD

One of the grooviest albums ever from Jimmy McGriff – a hard-wailing session that's filled with plenty of cooking lines on the organ, and a few especially funky tracks! The groove here is tight, short, and very sharp – strongly in the mode of other post-Sue sessions by McGriff – like The Worm or other Groove Merchant sides – with a style that's often much more focused than Jimmy's earlier years, and strongly turned towards the rhythms of the tunes! A few numbers are more familiar soul jazz, but these are nicely offset by the harder funk numbers of the record – like the romping, stomping break classic "The Main Squeeze", the totally groovy "The Worm Turns", and the fast-vamping "GMI". The group features Jimmy Ponder on guitar and Connie Lester on alto sax – and other titles include "The Sermon", "Stella By Starlight", and "The Blues Train To Georgia". CD

Three 70s killers from Jimmy McGriff! Groove Grease is a nice bit of funky organ work from Jimmy McGriff – a set that's got his famous talents on the Hammond out front of a larger ensemble – but in a way that's very different than some of his albums of that type from the 70s! There's lots of electricity in the mix – electric piano from Horace Ott, bass from Richard Evans, and guitar from Wayne Bennett – mixed with sharp work on horns from Cliff Davis on tenor and flute, Murray Watson on trumpet, and Johnny Beard on baritone – three players who really flesh out the sound! The album's got some excellent stone funky classics – like "The Bird", "Groove Grease", and "Plain Brown Bag" – plus some surprisingly funky readings of standards like "Canadian Sunset" and "Mr Lucky", both made to sound super-nice, thanks to excellent work on bass and drums! Main Squeeze is one of the grooviest albums ever from Jimmy McGriff – a hard-wailing session that's filled with plenty of cooking lines on the organ, and a few especially funky tracks! The groove here is tight, short, and very sharp – strongly in the mode of other post-Sue sessions by McGriff – like The Worm or other Groove Merchant sides – with a style that's often much more focused than Jimmy's earlier years, and strongly turned towards the rhythms of the tunes! A few numbers are more familiar soul jazz, but these are nicely offset by the harder funk numbers of the record – like the romping, stomping break classic "The Main Squeeze", the totally groovy "The Worm Turns", and the fast-vamping "GMI". The group features Jimmy Ponder on guitar and Connie Lester on alto sax – and other titles include "The Sermon", "Stella By Starlight", and "The Blues Train To Georgia". Tailgunner has Jimmy McGriff in a very cool 70s mode – hitting some of the fuller, more soul-based styles that Johnny Hammond and Jimmy Smith were exploring in the middle of the decade – while still also displaying a hell of a talent on the organ as well! The album has extra keyboards from Pat Rebillot and Paul Griffin – which makes for a nice mix of organ and electric piano sounds, plus some occasional moog that's very nicely placed – all backed by a largeish group that has tight horns, and some occasional soul vocals from Al Downing and Denise Wooten. The vocals are often an augmentation of the tunes, and there's still plenty of room for solos by Jimmy in the middle – on titles that include "Tailgunner", "Flexible Flyer", "Sky Hawk", "Grandma's Toe Jam", and "Bullfrog". CD

A nice back to basics session from jazz singer Etta Jones – recorded with backing by a small combo that includes Houston Person on tenor – and done in the laidback style that always seems to bring out the best in her singing. Other players include Idris Muhammad, Jimmy Ponder, and Sonny Phillips – and tracks include "The Way You Look Tonight", "Be My Love", "Don't Misunderstand", and "Gloomy Sunday". CD

A great little album from Person – one of his best for Muse, and a record that sounds a lot better than the cover or title might indicate! The group's a very swinging quintet with Jimmy Ponder on guitar, Sonny Phillips on organ, Frankie Jones on drums, and Buddy Caldwell on congas – and overall, the record feels like a move back to the mid 60s soul jazz mode – Person playing in a relaxed swinging style that was rarely captured on record so well. Titles include "T Bone Steak", "Stolen Sweets", "If Ever I Would Leave You", and "At Last". LP, Vinyl record album

A great mid 70s session from keyboardist Sonny Phillips – very different than his early work! Although Sonny was one of the funky organ players to record for Prestige during the classic jazz funk years, by the time of this recording, he'd emerged as a more spiritual talent, with a looser, freer approach, and a much more open-ended vibe. This 1976 session is a good example of that – as it moves beyond simple funky jazz, into a realm that shows Phillips picking up a lot of outside influences, and going for a style that was mellower, more laidback, and a bit more cosmic – while still hitting some nice funky moments. The set was recorded by Houston Person, and features Phillips on piano and organ, with backing by Ben Dixon, Jimmy Ponder, and Ralph Dorsey. Titles include "Salaam 7", "Goin Home", "My Black Flower", and "Jalal". CD

A really great later Blue Note session from Stanley Turrentine – a small combo set that's almost a return to the format of earlier years! The group's a strong one – and features Shirley Scott on organ, Jimmy Ponder on guitar, and Idris Muhammad on drums – playing in a style that's subtler and more laidback than his work with Lou Donaldson, but which still has a nice funk undercurrent. Stan's horn is in wonderful form on the record – really taking advantage of the longer tracks to open up with a mellow and exploratory tone – and the team of Scott and Ponder especially sounds great next to each other on the album. Tracks include "Boogaloo", "Buster Brown", and "Common Touch". CD also features a bonus 11 minute version of Carolyn Franklin's fiesty cut "Ain't No Way"! CD

A really great later Blue Note session from Stanley Turrentine – a small combo set that's almost a return to the format of earlier years! The group's a strong one – and features Shirley Scott on organ, Jimmy Ponder on guitar, and Idris Muhammad on drums – playing in a style that's subtler and more laidback than his work with Lou Donaldson, but which still has a nice funk undercurrent. Stan's horn is in wonderful form on the record – really taking advantage of the longer tracks to open up with a mellow and exploratory tone – and the team of Scott and Ponder especially sounds great next to each other on the album. Tracks include "Boogaloo", "Buster Brown", and "Common Touch". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great later Blue Note session from Stanley Turrentine – a small combo set that's almost a return to the format of earlier years! The group's a strong one – and features Shirley Scott on organ, Jimmy Ponder on guitar, and Idris Muhammad on drums – playing in a style that's subtler and more laidback than his work with Lou Donaldson, but which still has a nice funk undercurrent. Stan's horn is in wonderful form on the record – really taking advantage of the longer tracks to open up with a mellow and exploratory tone – and the team of Scott and Ponder especially sounds great next to each other on the album. Tracks include "Boogaloo", "Buster Brown", and "Common Touch". CD also features a bonus 11 minute version of Carolyn Franklin's fiesty cut "Ain't No Way"! CD

A massive little record, and a real turning point for alto genius Lou Donaldson – as he uses the set to move from the tight bop of earlier years into a whole new spectrum of funky grooves! Key to this project is drummer Idris Muhammad – who's on the kit, already kicking it up in the way that would make him a jazz funk legend as the 70s began – but so young here, he's working under his original name of Leo Morris! The rest of the group is equally great – with the up-and-coming Lonnie Smith on Hammond and Jimmy Ponder on guitar – plus tight trumpet from Blue Mitchell, who's really hitting his most soulful sound of the 60s. Titles include Donaldson's fantastic funky reworking of "Ode To Billie Joe" – a very famous sample cut over the years – plus the soulful groovers "The Humpback", "Peepin", "The Kid", and a nice take on "The Shadow Of Your Smile". CD

A massive little record, and a real turning point for alto genius Lou Donaldson – as he uses the set to move from the tight bop of earlier years into a whole new spectrum of funky grooves! Key to this project is drummer Idris Muhammad – who's on the kit, already kicking it up in the way that would make him a jazz funk legend as the 70s began – but so young here, he's working under his original name of Leo Morris! The rest of the group is equally great – with the up-and-coming Lonnie Smith on Hammond and Jimmy Ponder on guitar – plus tight trumpet from Blue Mitchell, who's really hitting his most soulful sound of the 60s. Titles include Donaldson's fantastic funky reworking of "Ode To Billie Joe" – a very famous sample cut over the years – plus the soulful groovers "The Humpback", "Peepin", "The Kid", and a nice take on "The Shadow Of Your Smile". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the big stars of Blue Note Records in the 60s, still sounding great here on the revived version of the label in the 80s! Stan's look on the cover may be a bit Cosby Show, but his sound on the tenor is mighty classic throughout – backed by Hammond from Jimmy Smith on most cuts, and Fender Rhodes from Les McCann on a few others – and always set up in a lean small combo mode that really gets away from some of the too-smooth Turrentine albums from just a few years before. Tracks are longish, and a great reminder that Stan's still a hell of a great voice on his instrument – and other players on the set include both Jimmy Ponder and George Benson on guitar, and Ron Carter on bass. Titles include "Plum", "A Child Is Born", "Ah Rio", "The Longer You Wait", and "Straight Ahead". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure genius from the B Baker Chocolate Company – a set that's equal parts fusion and soul, held together by these rich arrangements that really send the whole thing home! The album's never too slick, yet has a sense of perfection that matches some of the best soulful fusion dates at Blue Note or Fantasy in the mid 70s – a quality that's especially strong on the vocal tracks on the set – one of which features Lew Kirton in the lead! The players are all totally top-shelf – and include Lonnie Smith and Jimmy McGriff on keyboards, John Faddis and Marvin Stamm on trumpets, and Jimmy Ponder on guitar – and the set's got a beautiful balance that few other records like this can match. Lew Kirton sings on "It's Where You're Coming From", and "Dreamer" features Gene Scott – and instrumental tracks include the funky classic "Snowblower", plus "Carousel" and "Spirit Level". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest, grooviest 60s albums from trumpeter Donald Byrd – one that has him really reaching out for a hip new sound, but in ways that are different than most of his other material at the time! Key on the date is the placement of electric piano from Duke Pearson – played in this open, flowing style that has all the best hallmarks of Pearson's own work on the instrument for his sessions – yet balanced nicely with the bolder punch of Byrd's trumpet as well. Donald's quite far from any Miles Davis cliches on this one – no too-dark electric modes at all – and instead, the album's got this sense of lyrical soulfulness that we've maybe never heard this strongly again on any of Byrd's other albums. Other players include Frank Foster on tenor, Jerry Dodgion and Lew Tabackin on flute, Julian Priester on trombone, Jimmy Ponder on guitar, and either Idris Muhammad or Joe Chambers on drums. All tracks are nice and long, and very fresh – and include "Weasil", "I Love the Girl", "Fancy Free", and "The Uptowner". CD

One of the coolest, grooviest 60s albums from trumpeter Donald Byrd – one that has him really reaching out for a hip new sound, but in ways that are different than most of his other material at the time! Key on the date is the placement of electric piano from Duke Pearson – played in this open, flowing style that has all the best hallmarks of Pearson's own work on the instrument for his sessions – yet balanced nicely with the bolder punch of Byrd's trumpet as well. Donald's quite far from any Miles Davis cliches on this one – no too-dark electric modes at all – and instead, the album's got this sense of lyrical soulfulness that we've maybe never heard this strongly again on any of Byrd's other albums. Other players include Frank Foster on tenor, Jerry Dodgion and Lew Tabackin on flute, Julian Priester on trombone, Jimmy Ponder on guitar, and either Idris Muhammad or Joe Chambers on drums. All tracks are nice and long, and very fresh – and include "Weasil", "I Love the Girl", "Fancy Free", and "The Uptowner". LP, Vinyl record album

A wealth of work by one of the greatest organists ever – John Patton, aka Big John Patton, a key link between soul jazz and modal approaches to the Hammond! The set brings together some of the best albums Patton recorded for Blue Note – Along Came John, The Way I Feel, Oh Baby, That Certain Feeling, and Understanding – and combines all the tracks from all 5 albums into one fantastic 29 track set! Players on the records include Richard Williams, Fred Jackson, Grant Green, Harold Vick, Blue Mitchell, Jimmy Ponder, Harold Alexander, and Ben Dixon – and the grooves range from tight and funky, to laidback and soulful, to open-ended and exploratory! Great great stuff – and most of these are not in print in the US! CD

A brilliantly bubbling session from Hammond genius John Patton – and a set that serves as a real link between the gutbucket soul of his early years, and some of the fresher phrasing he was beginning to explore at Blue Note! Patton's lines on the keys are a wonderful thing to behold (and behear!) – as they're both rhythmic, but extremely fluid and exploratory – more conceived around some of the new ideas on tenor at the time, and pushing forward roughly into the same territory as Larry Young – but with more of Patton's rootsy soul still intact. Junior Cook is in the group on most tracks on tenor – sounding quite fresh himself in this context as he leaps around with new energy – and the rest of the group features Jimmy Ponder on guitar and Clifford Jarvis on drums. The cuts are all originals, further proof of Patton's genius through his writing – and titles include "String Bean", "I Want To Go Home", "Dirty Fingers", and "Daddy James". CD

With Bill Hardman, Idris Muhammad, Sonny Phillips, Charles Brown, and Jimmy Ponder. CD

A sweet little set from Houston Person – a record that's a nice return to basics, much needed after some of his overproduced sessions of the mid 70s! The group here features a number of old Prestige stalwarts, helping Houston to hit a laidback soul jazz vibe – players who include Jimmy Ponder on guitar, Sonny Phillips on organ, and Idris Muhammad as drums – as well as Bill Hardman on trumpet, whose clean blowing in the front brings Houston back up to speed. Larry Killian plays added percussion on the set – and tracks include "Dameron", "Preachin & Teachin", "My Romance", and "Wildflower". LP, Vinyl record album

More funky breaks than Evel Knevel after the Snake River Canyon jump! The groove hounds at BGP records were set loose on the Ace catalog – which includes holdings from Atlantic, Stax, Volt, Westbound, and other funky classic labels – and they managed to come up with a killer batch of funky cuts, even though this is their 3rd dip into the crates! If anything, perhaps they dipped even deeper this time – especially as some of the once-trusted sources for breaks, like the famous Ultimate Breaks & Beats series, are now disappearing from the market. Titles include "Soul Pad" by The Coasters, "I Walk On Gilded Splinters" by Johnny Jenkins, "T Plays It Cool" by Marvin Gaye, "Nappy Dugout" by Funkadelic, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by Jimmy Ponder, "Get Out Of My Life Woman" by The Mad Lads, "The Rose" by 50 Foot Hose, "Holy Ghost" by The Bar Kays, "No Strings Attached" by The Mad Lads, "After Laughter Comes Tears" by Wendy Rene, "River's Invitation" by Freddie Robinson, "This House Is Smokin" by BT Express, "Music Man (parts 1 & 2)" by Pleasure Web, and "I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over" by David Porter. CD