Hardly any "recycling" going on here – as Taj Mahal takes bluesy roots and turns them in a whole new direction for the 70s, evolving the music way past the level most other bluesmen were working in at the time! At some level, Mahal's style is far more rootsy than most early 70s blues artists – often more acoustic guitar and percussion than you'd expect – but there's also a looser, freer presentation of the material – opened up a lot more than any delta bluesman from many years back, and often touched with some jazzier inflections on some of the phrasing. Plus, the music here features some unusual elements from time to time – including kalimba, tuba, banjo, and even some backing vocals by The Pointer Sisters. The album was recorded live, with a nicely organic feel – and titles include "A Free Song", "Corinna", "Conch Close", "Kalimba", "Bound To Love Me Some", "Richochet", "Gitano Negro", "Cakewalk Into Town", and "Texas Woman Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

One of only two albums cut by the Four Souls group of drummer Lenny McBrowne – a really cooking combo that should have gotten greater exposure back in the day! The west coast group were clearly one of the hippest acts working on their scene at the time – as they've got a unique blend of soul jazz and modernism – one that cooks with Jazz Crusaders-like energy at points, but also has some sharper edges too – a bit in the vein of the wonderful JFK Quintet from the DC scene. Players in the group include Terry Trotter on piano, Don Sleet on trumpet, Daniel Jackson on sax, and Herbie Lewis on bass. Jackson's a real standout in the group – a player with a great edge and real sense of feeling, and one we'd love to hear more of. Titles include "Soul Sisters", "Invitation", "Dearly Beloved", "Lazinka's Tune", "Cerise", and "McBrowne's Galaxy". LP, Vinyl record album

Leonard Cohen's debut for Columbia, one of the most astounding first albums if its era, and to this day a towering achievement in both songwriting and myth making! The production is that perfectly haunting mix of sparseness and grandeur, with Cohen's lyricism piercing and penetrating wonderfully – his voice never sounded better, and this is certainly one of the great "lightening in a bottle" efforts that was hard to top by Cohen or anyone else in the more poetic upper levels of pop music. Includes ""Suzanne", "Master Song", "Winter Lady", "The Stranger Song", "Sisters Of Mercy", "So Long, Marianne", "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye", "Stories Of The Street", "Teachers" and "One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong". CD

A fantastic blend of gospel and modern soul – and a set that definitely hangs more towards the latter, given the superb backings on the set! The great Horace Ott produced, after years in the secular soul world – and he definitely gives the tremendous voice of Shirley Finney the kind of soaring energy that really pushes her over the top – in a mix of modes that includes some great clubby numbers that have Shirley very much in the same territory as the Clark Sisters at the same time! Titles include "Give Your Best To The Master", "God Is Real", "Go On There's Something Telling Me To Go On", "Pray Again", "Lead Me Guide Me", and "Lovely Day Just A Little Talk With Jesus". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge hit for Aretha Franklin – and a record that brought her famous vocals to a whole new generation of listeners! The sound is definitely different than before – a change from both the deep soul of Atlantic years, and the initial classy approach of her time at Arista – and working with lots of help from Narada Michael Walden, Aretha gets an 80s groove that turns out to be a perfect platform for her sound – one that lets her vocals really take off, while still getting plenty of great hooks as well – all in a mode that somehow sounds far less commercial than we remember at the time. Includes the massive hits "Freeway Of Love" and "Who's Zoomin Who" – plus "Ain't Nobody Every Loved You", "Push", "Integrity", "Sisters Are Doin It For Themselves", and "Sweet Bitter Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work by Peggy Lee – very different than most of her later more pop-oriented recordings! Peggy signed to Decca as a solo act right after working with bigger bands in the 40s, and her recordings for the label are wonderful – featuring many ballads and torchy numbers, recorded in small-combo fashion, in a style that's similar to some of Chris Connor's later Bethlehem work, plus some larger arrangements that push her even further, and which move into a wealth of interesting styles that show her to be an incredibly talented vocalist. The package features a total of 46 tracks in all – and tracks include "Black Coffee", "Lover", "You Go To My Head", "Let Me Go Lover", "Joey Joey Joey", "My Old Flame", "Street Of Dreams", "Where Flamingos Fly", "Johnny Guitar", "Sisters", "Bouquet Of Blues", "Love Letters", and "Sans Souci". CD

A solid bit of heavy funk – and one of the last strong-selling soundtracks of the blacksploitation era! Sure, you know the hit "Car Wash", but there's plenty of other great numbers that rank the 2LP set right up there with the best of its genre. There's a lot of nice instrumentals on the album that feature a tight smooth funky sound – with good work on clavinet, wah wah guitar, and horns – all quite different than the usual work of Whitfield and Rose Royce at the time. The group do a good job on the vocal cuts, working in that soulful early 70s Motown mode that Whitfield was working on with other acts – and the whole album's as great a debut for Rose Royce as anyone could have hoped for. Features the hit title cut, plus "I Wanna Get Next To You", "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is", "Zig Zag", "Mid Day DJ Theme", "I'm Going Down", "Crying", "Doing What Comes Naturally", and "Righteous Rhythm". The Pointer Sisters sing on one track, "You Gotta Believe". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe one of the coolest country Christmas collections we've ever heard – but then again, we'd expect no less from the folks at Bear Family! There's a lot of great original tunes here – which are mixed with country-fied takes on more popular Holiday songs from the midcentury years – often served up here by singers that were the bigger names of their generation, caught in a very special setting for the month of December! As usual with Bear Family, the presentation is great – vivid images inside and out – and notes on every single track – supporting a selection of 27 titles that include "I'll Be Walking The Floor This Christmas" by Ernest Tubb, "Senor Santa Claus" by Jim Reeves, "Christmas Dinner" by Tennessee Ernie Ford, "Snowdeer" by Carl Smith, "They Shined Up Rudolph's Nose" by Johnny Horton, "Santa Claus Jr" by Eddi Cletro, "It's Christmas Every Day In Alaska" by Hank Thompson, "It Was Jesus (undubbed)" by Johnny Cash, "Reindeer Boogie" by Hank Snow, "The Christmas Boogie" by Davis Sisters, "I'm Your Private Santa Claus" by Eddie Arnold, "I'm Gonna Tell Santa Claus On You" by Faron Young, "Captain Santa Claus" by Bobby Helms, "Santa's Big Parade" by The Louvin Brothers, and "Christmas In My Hometown" by Sonny James. CD

26 rare Detroit soul singles – all cut by the many lovelies who recorded in the city, but never got as big as some of the huge stars on the Motown label. That's a-ok with us, though, because these gals have a raw, honest quality that's really refreshing – and finding this set is like unlocking a treasure trove of a lost soul tradition. Titles include "Midnight Johnny" by Liz Lands, "Goodbye Cruel World" by Linda Griner, "Lonely Lonely Girl Am I" by The Velvettes, "You're Gonna Love My Baby" by Barbara McNair, "I Got A Feeling" by Barbara Randolph, "Baby Boy" by Juanita Williams, "Sweetheart Darling" by Rose Batiste, "I'm Spellbound" by Tamiko Jones, "Keep On Lovin Me" by Frances Nero, and "You Need Me" by The Lewis Sisters. CD

A treasure trove of rare and unusual gospel recordings from the Memphis scene – work done for the tiny JCR imprint of the also-tiny D-Vine Records label – a real wellspring of under-discovered talent from the south! JCR was kind of the bush league for D-Vine – a custom label that let gospel acts press their own records, some of which were then pulled up to record for the main imprint – some of whom never fully got their due – a great assortment of soulful groups collected here for the first time ever! There's some really wonderful material here – and the set really shows that embrace of deeper soul styles that the gospel world was making in the late 60s on labels like Chess or Peacock, carried over strongly here with a very special Memphis sort of vibe. Titles include "Rock My Soul" by The Masonic Travelers, "Too Late Too Late" by The Chosen Wonders, "You Can't Hurry God" by The QCs, "In The Last Day" by The Hewlett Sisters, "Keep On Pushing" by The Calvary Nightingales, "Call On Him" by The Silver Wings, "Someone Who Cares" by The Dixie Wonders, "I Want To Move A Little Higher" by The Seven Souls, "Sinner Man" by The Bible Tones, "Every Knee Must Bow" by The Southern Nightingales, and "Just Over The Hill" by The Spiritual Harmonizers. CD

Hard-hitting early work from Ike & Tina Turner – raw, unbridled, and surprisingly tight – yet without any of the cliches or overdone righteousness that marred their later years! Tina's still singing here often as part of the backing group, stepping out for a soulful lead at times, but also very much in touch with her supporting sisters – and there's a number of tunes that have a really nice focus on Ike's raw and raspy guitar work, which we always like a lot! All tunes are Ike Turner originals – freshly voiced tracks, and none of the crossover covers that the pair later included in their work – and titles include "Hard Times", "I Don't Need", "Chicken Shack", "Gonna Have Fun", "It's Crazy Baby", "Am I A Fool In Love", "Don't You Blame It On Me", and "Hurt Is All You Gave Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A treasure trove of rare and unusual gospel recordings from the Memphis scene – work done for the tiny JCR imprint of the also-tiny D-Vine Records label – a real wellspring of under-discovered talent from the south! JCR was kind of the bush league for D-Vine – a custom label that let gospel acts press their own records, some of which were then pulled up to record for the main imprint – some of whom never fully got their due – a great assortment of soulful groups collected here for the first time ever! There's some really wonderful material here – and the set really shows that embrace of deeper soul styles that the gospel world was making in the late 60s on labels like Chess or Peacock, carried over strongly here with a very special Memphis sort of vibe. Titles include "Rock My Soul" by The Masonic Travelers, "Too Late Too Late" by The Chosen Wonders, "You Can't Hurry God" by The QCs, "In The Last Day" by The Hewlett Sisters, "Keep On Pushing" by The Calvary Nightingales, "Call On Him" by The Silver Wings, "Someone Who Cares" by The Dixie Wonders, "I Want To Move A Little Higher" by The Seven Souls, "Sinner Man" by The Bible Tones, "Every Knee Must Bow" by The Southern Nightingales, and "Just Over The Hill" by The Spiritual Harmonizers. LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of funky guitar gems – all served up in a single set! Black Velvet is a stone laidback set from O'Donel Levy – one of the greatest soul jazz guitarists of the 70s, and a player who sounds fresher and fresher to us over the years! This album's 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! Windows is a great later album from O'Donel Levy – recorded after his initial flurry of work for the Groove Merchant label, but still plenty darn nice! The sound here is slightly smoother and a bit more electric than before – with Levy's sweet guitar work snaking out over some larger backings that almost have a funky soundtrack feel. The groove is still great, and O'Donel brings plenty of his trademark chromatic lines to the set – guitar parts that almost sound even better in this setting! Titles include "Moisturizer", "Green Machine", "Panama Red", and a track called "I Believe In Miracles", which is not the Jackson Sisters' hit, but a nice mellow groove with vocals that sounds like some of the George Duke soul cuts! Dawn Of A New Day features totally wicked guitar work from the mighty O'Donel Levy – easily one of the hippest talents to ever work for the Groove Merchant label! Levy's got a sound here that's a bit like Wes Montgomery on some of his late 60s sides, but also a fair bit funkier overall – a style that's steeped in soul and schooled on advancements in the 70s generation of funk fusion and blacksploitation soundtracks. Backings are relatively large – arranged by Manny Album, with players who include Charles Covington on organ and electric piano and Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet. Tracks include covers like "I Wanna Be Where You Are", "People Make the World Go Round", and "Maiden Voyage" – plus some nice originals, like "Dawn Of A New Day" and "Baa Waa". CD

A long-overdue look at the amazing Clark Sisters – a fantastic gospel group, and one with a vocal depth that we'd put right up there next to any of our favorite soul acts of the time! The Clarks are maybe best known for their landmark track "You Brought The Sunshine" – a completely righteous blend of gospel, soul, and disco that crossed over very big back in the day – but the group have an endless amount of great music to offer, a great deal of which is brought together in this wonderful set! The sisters always kept a strong ear towards the secular soul styles of their day – but they also always pushed things with the sort of amazing vocal interplay that used to only be the territory of male gospel groups in earlier decades – fantastic harmonies, soaring leads, and really great group formation. And if you're not a completely huge fan of gospel, don't worry – because the message here is often a more general one of positivity, which really lifts up the spirit of the tunes in a universal way. Titles include "You Brought The Sunshine (single edit)", "Everything Is Gonna Be Alright", "He Keeps Me Company", "Patience", "I'm Going To Have Just What I Want", "Power", "Overdose Of The Holy Ghost", "My Mind Is Made Up", "Nothing To Lose All To Gain", "No Other Name", "Keep On Looking Up", and "I Found What I'm Looking For". CD

The fantastic debut of The Pointer Sisters – an album that's a lot deeper than most of their crossover pop from years to come! At the time of the album's release, the trio were a badass group of female singers on the Bay Area scene – out to redefine the role of the girl group in soul – working not only with righteous power that was a real change from modes of the 60s – but also this trans-temporal quality that had them reaching back with ease for references from decades past, which also includes a surprising amount of jazz! The highlight here is the group's classic funky break version of Allen Toussaint's "Yes We Can Can" – and other titles include "Naked Food", "Wang Dang Doodle", "Sugar", "Pains & Tears", "Jada", "River Boulevard", and "Cloudburst". LP, Vinyl record album

The title and cover are very appropriate for this one – because there's a wickedly stepping groove to the set – one that makes the album the group's funkiest ever! Forget any thoughts you may have about The Pointer Sisters, or the cliches that later came to mar their career – because this is a wonderfully sophisticated album, arranged with a proudly hip groove that's very much the best part of mainstream 70s jazz funk. Tom Salisbury handled the backings, and is working here with a lineup that includes Bil Summers, Wah Wah Watson, Paul Jackson, Herbie Hancock, and Stevie Wonder – all of whom bring some incredible electric jazz touches to the set! Titles include "How Long (Betcha Got A Chick On The Side)", "Sleeping Alone", "Easy Days", "Chainey Do", "Wanting Things", and "Going Down Slowly". LP, Vinyl record album

The Allman Brothers at their best – and a key 70s set that may well have the group working at their peak! All their best southern roots are firmly tied together here – not just the country-touched approach to rock that was the group's calling card, but also their ties to some of the Georgia soul scene as well – an element that really surfaces in some of the album's piano lines and rhythms, which really help underscore the depth of the tunes – and give the group a solid footing that's stronger than some of their more cliched contemporaries. These tunes hold up wonderfully over the years – and have a visionary approach that almost sparkles even more strongly here in the 21st Century than when we first started digging their sounds on radio back in the 70s. Titles include "Southbound", "Jessica", "Pony Boy", "Wasted Words", "Ramblin Man", "Come & Go Blues", and "Jelly Jelly". LP, Vinyl record album

The fantastic debut of The Pointer Sisters – an album that's a lot deeper than most of their crossover pop from years to come! At the time of the album's release, the trio were a badass group of female singers on the Bay Area scene – out to redefine the role of the girl group in soul – working not only with righteous power that was a real change from modes of the 60s – but also this trans-temporal quality that had them reaching back with ease for references from decades past, which also includes a surprising amount of jazz! The highlight here is the group's classic funky break version of Allen Toussaint's "Yes We Can Can" – and other titles include "Naked Food", "Wang Dang Doodle", "Sugar", "Pains & Tears", "Jada", "River Boulevard", and "Cloudburst". CD

An amazing bit of soul – and one of the rarest funk records of the 70s! This masterpiece was recorded by The Jackson Sisters, a semi-gospelly soul group that has a sound that's a bit like The Voices of East Harlem, but that's a lot harder, and that has a deeper soul sound overall! At times, the group is funky – as on their incredible track "I Believe In Miracles", a rare groove classic if there ever was one, and one of the most in-demand tracks we've ever stocked. At other times, the girls have a mellower soul sound, with great raw harmonies that remind us of the Volt work by The Emotions, but with much rougher instrumental backing. This album's the only one they ever cut – and it's just about impossible to find in the original pressing (and in fact, we've never seen a copy!) Apart from the amazing cut "Miracles", this one includes loads of gems like "Rockin' On My Porch", "Shake Her Loose", "(Why Can't We Be) More Than Just Friends", and "Boy, You're Dynamite"! LP, Vinyl record album

No opera here – but a really unique early live show by The Pointer Sisters, one that shows the Bay Area quartet to be one of the most diverse soul acts of their generation! The double-length set features the girls singing a mix of older jazz tunes and a few newer tracks – scatting in vocalese one minute, and singing straighter soul the next – all with larger group backing from an orchestra directed by Tom Salisbury. There's a real "show" feeling to the album – as it was recorded even with the group's introduction on stage, as well as plenty of crowd response and an overall format that gets at the highly-entertaining mode of the Pointers in their early years. Titles include "Yes We Can Can", "Jada", "Black Coffee", "Cloudburst", "Let It Be Me", "Hands Up/Wang Dang Doodle", "Steam Heat", "Fairytale", "Shaky Flat Blues", "Love In Them There Hills", and "Salt Peanuts". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard and heavy female soul from the mighty Chess Records – and a selection of tracks that features plenty of funk in the mix too! The sisters on this set are not of the sobbing kind – as the package goes for a proud-stepping approach to soul that puts the ladies in charge right from the very first note – backing their deeply soulful vocals with a righteous set of backings, and really upping the power of tunes with some sock-solid production all the way through! Most of the tunes are from the late 60s, when Chess was bringing a good deal of funk into the mix – and plenty are from rare singles that haven't been reissued for years! 20 tracks in all, and part of this great Mojo Chess series – with titles that include "Dirty Man" by Laura Lee, "Git Out" by Mitty Collier, "Liberation Conversation" by Marlena Shaw, "Take Me For A Little While" by Jackie Ross, "Don't Mess With The Messer" by Koko Taylor, "In Orbit" by Joy Lovejoy, "Cheater Man" by Irma Thomas, "Sally Go Round The Roses" by The Jaynettes, "California Soul" by Marlena Shaw, "My Babe" by Mitty Collier, "I Surrender" by Fontella Bass, and "I Don't Wanna Fuss" by Sugar Pie Desanto. CD

Sublime female soul from one of the hippest labels we can think of – a company who was always taking a chance, always trying something new, and always willing to give exposure to some great new artists! This cool collection is definitely the best side of Brunswick Records on the Chicago scene – as it features a few better-known singers, mixed with lots more artists who never issued a full album for the label – but who cut some wonderful singles that are even better than some of the imprint's bigger hits! There's a stunning array of greatness here – from sweet soul numbers that lope along in a warm groove, to badass tracks that have a funkier vibe – all handled by the usual top-shelf talents that made bigger Brunswick artists so strong. Titles include "My Baby's Gone Away" by Shirley Karol, "Walk On My Side" by Jackie Ross, "Caution" by September, "Love Is" by The Promises, "Where Do You Go" by Lyn Roman, "Raining Teardrops" by The Demures, "It Hurts To See You Happy" by Sylvia St Claire, "What Kind Of Girl" by Demetriss Trapp, "What Did I Do" by The Sweethearts, "Memories & A Broken Heart" by Linda Hopkins, "The One Who Really Loves You" by Sugar Pie De Santo, "Love Had To Be You" by Jean Shy, "That's What You Are To Me" by Tracie Robbins, "The 3rd Movement" by Sunni Nash, and "Higher & Higher" by Erma Franklin. CD

One of the most unique albums on the Strata East label – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given the creative energies flowing through that legendary jazz outlet! Descendants Of Mike & Phoebe is a righteous little project put together by Spike Lee's father, Bill Lee, and his brothers and sisters (Cliff Lee, Grace Lee Mims, and Consuela Lee Moorhead) – working here in a group named after their slave ancestors, who are paid tribute in a beautifully flowing batch of tunes! Lee's round, warm bass tones are firmly at the head of the group on most numbers – recorded at a similar level to his excellent work with Clifford Jordan on Strata East during the same time – and other instrumentation includes piano from Consuela, flugelhorn from Cliff, and percussion from Sonny Brown and Billy Higgins – all used in a wonderfully evocative style that's even better than some of Lee's later soundtrack work. A few numbers feature vocals from Grace – singing wordlessly and with a really heavenly sort of quality – and together, the whole group have a undeniable sense of power and majesty, yet also one that's touched by a really personal sense of poetry too. Titles include a great version of Lee's "Coltrane", which was more famously recorded with Clifford Jordan – plus "Chick Chick", "Attica", "Too Little, Too Late", "Boll Weevil", "Don't Be A Stranger", and "Well Done, Weldon". CD

One of the most unique albums on the Strata East label – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given the creative energies flowing through that legendary jazz outlet! Descendants Of Mike & Phoebe is a righteous little project put together by Spike Lee's father, Bill Lee, and his brothers and sisters (Cliff Lee, Grace Lee Mims, and Consuela Lee Moorhead) – working here in a group named after their slave ancestors, who are paid tribute in a beautifully flowing batch of tunes! Lee's round, warm bass tones are firmly at the head of the group on most numbers – recorded at a similar level to his excellent work with Clifford Jordan on Strata East during the same time – and other instrumentation includes piano from Consuela, flugelhorn from Cliff, and percussion from Sonny Brown and Billy Higgins – all used in a wonderfully evocative style that's even better than some of Lee's later soundtrack work. A few numbers feature vocals from Grace – singing wordlessly and with a really heavenly sort of quality – and together, the whole group have a undeniable sense of power and majesty, yet also one that's touched by a really personal sense of poetry too. Titles include a great version of Lee's "Coltrane", which was more famously recorded with Clifford Jordan – plus "Chick Chick", "Attica", "Too Little, Too Late", "Boll Weevil", "Don't Be A Stranger", and "Well Done, Weldon". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty fantastic selection of rare disco tracks from the American underground – all of them infused with a spiritual message, but served up with grooves that go head to head with some of the best underground club of the time! The mix of positive energy and upbeat grooves is wonderful – and if you've ever heard the Clark Sisters club classic "You Brought The Sunshine", then you'll definitely know the spirit of these tunes! If you're worried about the message being one that you're not into, don't – because there's sort of a universal spirit going on here – one that gets past conventions of the church, and which really goes for a general uplifting message that's totally great – almost a precursor to some of the positive house in more recent decades. And speaking of house, there's less of that here than you'd expect – as most of the instrumentation and production are strongly in the best New York underground modes from the disco years – with less of any 80s or electro soul elements. Titles include "I Believe" by Calvin B Rhone, "Imitations" by Johnson Family Gospel Singers, "Change" by Wisdom, "On That Other Shore" by Harrison Jones & The Voices Of Harmony, "I've Been Converted" by The Converters, "Ain't No Way To Do Wrong" by New Creation, "Take It To The Streets" by Prophecy, "Let The Lord Come In Your Life" by Wisdom, "Keep The Fire" by Paradise, and "Jesus Is On The Mainline" by Mr Jesse R McGuire. CD

Lost funky work from one of the soulful sisters of Aretha Franklin! Erma's got a hard-hitting style that's right up there with Aretha's best for Atlantic – and on this album, she's working in Chicago with Johnny Pate, Sonny Sanders, and Willie Henderson – for a harder-hitting sound than her famous sis, really in the groove with the best of Brunswick from the late 60s! There's as much funk on the record as there is the deep soul you'd expect from the Franklin family, and Erma's vocals are incredible – equally at home with the original tracks on the record, as well as some late 60s hits that are nicely soulized by the boys in the band! Titles include "Hold On I'm Coming", "Baby I Love You", "Light My Fire", "You've Been Cancelled", "Can't See My Way", and "Gotta Find Me A Lover". CD features five bonus tracks – including "Whispers", "It Could've Been Me", "I Just Don't Need You", "Higher & Higher", and "I Get The Sweetest Feelin". CD

A killer compilation of cuts by The Pleasure Seekers – the criminally overlooked teen garage rock girl group with roots in the feral mid 60s Detroit scene! The band's relative obscurity is all the more surprising, given that it's the first band featuring glam rock trailblazer Suzi Quatro – with her sisters Patti, Nancy and Arlene in the lineup at one point or another, making this a bonafide sister act – along with equally roaring friends Pami Benford, Diane Baker, Darline Arone, Nan Ball and Nancy Rogers moving in and out of the lineup during the 1965-1968 run immortalized here. Raw, raucous and tuneful – really tremendous stuff! Titles include "Gotta Get Away", "What A Way To Die", "White Pig Blues", "Mr Power", "Elevator Express", "Good Kind Of Hurt", "Light Of Love", "Never Thought You'd Leave Me", and "Brain Confusion". CD

An incredibly righteous record from the legendary Andy Bey – an artist who's risen back to fame in recent years as a relatively straight jazz singer – but who was in some very heady territory here in the early 70s! Bey first rose to fame as part of the vocal trio, Andy & The Bey Sisters – and while that group's 60s recordings were already wonderful, Andy soon stepping out into tremendous territory of his own – working with Max Roach, Horace Silver, and Gary Bartz – and adding some unique spiritual and socially conscious vocals to some of their best jazz records at the end of the 60s! This set's one of Andy's few solo moments from the time – and really follows up the groove strongly – with lots of help from the mighty William Fischer, who wrote some of the tracks, and plays keyboards – although Bey is clearly the main compositional force here. The album includes a remake of "Celestial Blues", which Bey recorded famously with Gary Bartz – and which is in a leaner, even funkier take here – and other titles include "Being Uptight", "Tune Up", "Hibiscus", "Experience", and "The Power Of My Mind". CD

An incredibly righteous record from the legendary Andy Bey – an artist who's risen back to fame in recent years as a relatively straight jazz singer – but who was in some very heady territory here in the early 70s! Bey first rose to fame as part of the vocal trio, Andy & The Bey Sisters – and while that group's 60s recordings were already wonderful, Andy soon stepping out into tremendous territory of his own – working with Max Roach, Horace Silver, and Gary Bartz – and adding some unique spiritual and socially conscious vocals to some of their best jazz records at the end of the 60s! This set's one of Andy's few solo moments from the time – and really follows up the groove strongly – with lots of help from the mighty William Fischer, who wrote some of the tracks, and plays keyboards – although Bey is clearly the main compositional force here. The album includes a remake of "Celestial Blues", which Bey recorded famously with Gary Bartz – and which is in a leaner, even funkier take here – and other titles include "Being Uptight", "Tune Up", "Hibiscus", "Experience", and "The Power Of My Mind". LP, Vinyl record album