A massive batch of funky soul jazz – the Second Movement (to the first album Swiss Movement) of the collaboration of Eddie Harris and Les McCann! The vibe here is even freer, and hipper, than on the first set – with a host of long tracks that have Les really working the Fender Rhodes into some great grooves, as Eddie blows along some mean, mad Varitone with equal charm! Players include Bernard Purdie, Buck Clarke, and Cornell Dupree – and titles include "Saima", "Carry On Brother", "Universal Prisoner", and the brilliant sample cut "Shorty Rides Again"! LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet funky soul from Les McCann – one of the best of his 70s albums that bring in a lot of vocals with the keyboards – and served up in some tight tunes that really pack a nice sort of punch! The album doesn't have the long jammers of some of McCann's other records from the time – but the shift to shorter, focused tunes is a nice one – thanks to Bert De Coteaux, who keeps things carefully poised to bring out all the best in Les' talents – even his vocals, which seem to sound even more moving on the mellow cuts here than the more upbeat and righteous ones! McCann plays a range of different keyboards – including Fender Rhodes – and the CD's got two great instrumental cuts, "Us" and "Butterflies" – plus the tracks "Well Cuss My Daddy", "Why Is Now", "Changing Seasons", "Says Who Says What", and "Let Your Learning Be Your Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

This might well be the best album that Les McCann ever cut during the 70s! It's got some killer electric piano riffs, of the sort that are being sampled heavily today by the kids, and which are getting his music to a whole new generation. The tracks have a tight spacey funk sound, and they don't have any of the vocals that (we feel) can often get in the way of some of Les' later works! Loads of great tracks, including "The Harlem Buck Dance Strut" and "Dunbar High School Marching Band", both of which are nice and sexy and funky, and with a cool dope sound to them! Other tracks include "Before I Rest", "Soaring (At Sunset)", and "Sometimes I Cry". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer live set by Les McCann – and one that actually him playing with some horns! The record was cut early in McCann's career, with his Ltd trio that had Herbie Lewis on bass and Ron Jefferson on drums – plus some great guest work by Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Stanley Turrentine on tenor, and Frank Haines on tenor. We can't stress how much these players add a groove to Les' group – as we always enjoy his piano playing, but find most of his trio sets a bit sleepy. Instead, this one grooves like a rare Blue Note – and the tracks are long with plenty of great solo interplay. Titles include "Cha Cha Twist", "Chip Monck", and "Maxie's Changes". CD

An early vocal set from Les McCann – quite unusual, and pretty darn soulful as well! The album's done in a mode that foreshadows Les' move to soul during the 70s, and features him singing to some hip arrangements by Gerald Wilson – in a soulful, jazzy style that was common for LA of the mid 60s – somewhere in a space between Lou Rawls and Arthur Prysock – with all the hip, adult aspects you'd expect from those references! Tunes include a fair bit of standards, but swung in really fresh ways by Wilson – and McCann's got this restrained style of singing that's really great – almost as if he's hiding a broken heart beneath his groove. Tracks include "It's Way Past Suppertime", "Next Spring", "Bye Bye Black Bird", "Deed I Do", "I Cried for You", and "Wonder Why". LP, Vinyl record album

The 70s genius of Les McCann – opened up here wonderfully in the space of a double-length live performance! Tracks are all nice and long – and Les steps out strongly on Fender Rhodes and clavinet, ringing out with amazing tones that are really wonderful – kind of the electric depth of the Circles record, mixed with some of the sharper soul of other early 70s albums! The small group features great conga work from Buck Clarke, who kicks in some great elements to really drive the rhythms – and the open space of the record really gives Les plenty of room to sing alongside his keyboards. Titles include "Carry On Brother", "Home Again", "Get Yourself Together", "Compared To What", "Cochise", and "Price You Got To Pay To Be Free". CD

A great Latin groove from the mighty Les McCann – a smoking set that adds in extra percussion from Willie Correa – who gives the record a sound that's quite a change from the usual McCann groove! The percussion is wonderful throughout – and given that the great Paul Humphrey is already playing drums in the trio, the whole thing's got a rhythmic zest that never lets up – way different than just the usual "with conga" style you'd hear on a Prestige Records piano trio record – and instead a groove that's definitely dedicated to the boldest Latin piano modes of the time! The track list includes a lot of originals, such as "McCanna", "Zulu", "Bastuto Baby", "Shaam-Pu II", and "Narobi Nights" – plus versions of "Que Rico" and "It Had Better Be Tonight". LP, Vinyl record album

The extremely successful union of two of Atlantic's biggest funky jazz stars, caught live in Switzerland, with the amazing Benny Bailey sitting in on trumpet. The tracks are long and funky, and are virtually a blueprint for pop soul jazz playing of the time – mixing slinky rhythms with some breakout solos that show that all players are still deeply committed to a strong jazz sound. Titles include "Cold Duck Time", "The Generation Gap", "Kathleen's Theme", and their great version of "Compared To What", with the famous vocal by Les that made the track a soul jazz vocal hit! LP, Vinyl record album

The extremely successful union of two of Atlantic's biggest funky jazz stars, caught live in Switzerland, with the amazing Benny Bailey sitting in on trumpet. The tracks are long and funky, and are virtually a blueprint for pop soul jazz playing of the time – mixing slinky rhythms with some breakout solos that show that all players are still deeply committed to a strong jazz sound. Titles include "Cold Duck Time", "The Generation Gap", "Kathleen's Theme", and their great version of "Compared To What", with the famous vocal by Les that made the track a soul jazz vocal hit! CD also features the bonus track "Kaftan". CD

A real cooker – and a stone soulful set that works some real magic at so many levels! First off, the record brings together two of the hottest talents on the west coast scene of the 60s – pianist Les McCann, and the firey young Jazz Crusaders – who are really burning here with a tightness and sense of energy that's amazing. But more than that, the record also features Les hitting some keys alongside his usual piano – both electric piano and Hammond, which come off here with a great sound – especially alongside Joe Sample's additional work on acoustic piano and organ. Horn solos are great – with tight work from Wilton Felder on tenor and Wayne Henderson on trombone – and titles include "Big City", "Spanish Castles", "Damascus", "Blues For Yna Yna", "This Here", and "All Blue". CD

Wild electric work from Les McCann – an album of free, open sounds that's quite a change from his styles of the 60s – and from most of his other work of the 70s too! Side one features an extended 26 minute track titled "The Lovers" – a slow-building number that has Les on sublime Fender Rhodes, as things build slowly with this really spiritual current that comes from the addition of Yusef Lateef on reeds, Cornell Dupree and David Spinozza on guitar, Corky Hale on harp, and both Bernard Purdie and Alphonse Mouzon on drums! The track is loose, but builds into some great funky moments – almost a keyboard version of electric Miles Davis at the time, but a lot more soulful. And side two continues the heavy keyboard vibe – with a killer remake of Les' classic "Beaux J Poo Poo" and a similar "Poo Pye McGoochie", both with the kind of choppy funky grooves Les laid down with Eddie Harris a few years prior! LP, Vinyl record album

This might well be the best album that Les McCann ever cut during the 70s! It's got some killer electric piano riffs, of the sort that are being sampled heavily today by the kids, and which are getting his music to a whole new generation. The tracks have a tight spacey funk sound, and they don't have any of the vocals that (we feel) can often get in the way of some of Les' later works! Loads of great tracks, including "The Harlem Buck Dance Strut" and "Dunbar High School Marching Band", both of which are nice and sexy and funky, and with a cool dope sound to them! Other tracks include "Before I Rest", "Soaring (At Sunset)", and "Sometimes I Cry". CD

Cool keyboards from Ari Borger – a Brazilian jazz player, but one who's steeped in American soul jazz sounds of the 60s! The album's a bit more jazz than keyboard funk, but it's still pretty funky too – especially on some of the numbers that pick up the groove with some distinct mod soul influences. Some cuts are heavy on Hammond, others feature Fender Rhodes, and a few more straight acoustic piano – but always played with a heavy left hand, in a sort of Ray Bryant or Les McCann sort of way! Other instrumentation includes lots of guitar, bass, and percussion – and titles include "Nem Vem Miles", "Tributo A Oscar Peterson", "B3 Solo", "Senor Blues", "Trip Song", "Blind Man", and "Soul GI". CD

Simple stuff – but very nice! Ray's working here in a live trio setting – ala Ramsey Lewis or Les McCann from the same time – and his work on the album has a similar gutbuckety soul feel to it. The rhythm section of Jimmy Rowser bass and Rudy Collins drums is very tight – and the best cuts kick along with a heavy groove that's a lot more than you'd expect from the setting. Titles include "Little Suzie", "Takin My Ease", "City Tribal Dance", and "Prayer Song". LP, Vinyl record album

Wayne Davis' moody soul record for the Black Fire label. A strange mix of styles with a spiritual edge and a trans-genre feel to it. Not totally jazzy like the Oneness of Juju records for the label, but not really a soul record either. Sort of in the vein of Roberta Flack or Les McCann's soul jazz stuff from the early 70s, with touch of DC. righteousness to it. Tracks include "Strive On and Be Strong", "The Garden", "Look at the People!", and Al Johnson's "Dawn of a New Day". CD

Wayne Davis' moody soul record for the Black Fire label. A strange mix of styles with a spiritual edge and a trans-genre feel to it. Not totally jazzy like the Oneness of Juju records for the label, but not really a soul record either. Sort of in the vein of Roberta Flack or Les McCann's soul jazz stuff from the early 70s, with touch of DC. righteousness to it. Tracks include "Strive On and Be Strong", "The Garden", "Look at the People!", and Al Johnson's "Dawn of a New Day". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic pairing of two key Japanese talents of the late 60s – pianist Takehiro Honda and reedman Sadao Watanabe – both of whom come together here on a record that's one of their most soulful of the time! Honda's clearly drinking deep from the soul jazz modes of Ramsey Lewis, Les McCann, and Ray Bryant – and really makes the tunes move with a strongly rhythmic vibe on his left hand, which is amplified by the round basslines and tight drums in the combo – working with a well-crafted groove that would be right at home on an American label like Chess or Prestige at the time. Watanabe blows with a very soulful vibe, too – even more than on his own records on Takt – and while he's not on every track, his presence here is really wonderful. Titles include "Quiet Sea", "Stella By Starlight", "Minton Blues", "Hey Jude", and "Ain't Tell You A Good Way But". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from the trio of pianist Joe Sera – a very soulful player who could give 60s Les McCann or Oscar Peterson a run for their money! Some tracks feature added vibes or guitar – and titles include "Playin", "Mac's Blues", "Watermelon Man", "Ehe He", "Fuzzy & Wild", "Can't Get Over The Bossa Nova", "So Danco Samba", and "Corcovado". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual combination – as bluesman Bumble Bee Slim gets backing from a host of west coast jazz talents – including Curtis Amy on tenor, Groove Holmes on Hammond, Lou Blackburn on trombone, and Les McCann on piano! 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

Where it's at with Stanley Turrentine – circa 1962 – a time when the tenorist was really hitting on all burners, and turning out some tremendous work for Blue Note! The album's got Stan working with a special guest – a rare Blue Note appearance from pianist Les McCann, who's also at the height of his early career here – and really brings great energy to a quartet that also includes Herbie Lewis on bass and Otis Finch on drums. Les' piano has a nice bit – and really makes for a great groove alongside Stan's round, warm, raspy tone – a righteous sort of energy that drives the record strongly, in ways that are different than some of Turrentine's other sessions of the time. The whole thing's a cooker – and titles include "Pia", "Smile, Stacey", "Dorene Don't Cry I", and "Light Blue". CD also features a bonus take on "Light Blue". CD

Music from Miroslav Vitous, Les McCann, Billy Cobham, Larry Coryell and Alphonse Mouzon, Passport, and Jean-Luc Ponty. CD

Here it is, the mother of them all! The set's got 8CDs worth of killer soul, funk, and Rhythm & Blues – all culled from the rich history of the Atlantic records label, and lovingly put together with great notes and everything! Although this sort of set usually tends to be a bit simplistic, this box actually features a beautiful mix of tracks, lots of which are hard to get in any format. It's a lot to go through, but it's worth the trip! We can't even begin to list the tracks here, there's 203(!) of them in all, but some of the artists include the Bar Kays, the Beginning of the End, Archie Bell & The Drells, Ruth Brown, Solomon Burke, the Capitols, Clarence Carter, the Chords, the Cookies, Don Covay, King Curtis, Tyrone Davis, the Drifters, Roberta Flack, King Floyd, Aretha Franklin, Major Harris, Donny Hathaway, the Ikettes, Willis Jackson, Nat Kendricks & The Swans, Barabra Lewis,the Mar-keys, Les McCann & Eddie Harris, Stick McGhee, Otis & Carla, the Persuaders, Percy Sledge, The Spinners, Willie Tee, Joe Tex, Chuck Willis, Betty Wright and loads more! CD

Where it's at with Stanley Turrentine – circa 1962 – a time when the tenorist was really hitting on all burners, and turning out some tremendous work for Blue Note! The album's got Stan working with a special guest – a rare Blue Note appearance from pianist Les McCann, who's also at the height of his early career here – and really brings great energy to a quartet that also includes Herbie Lewis on bass and Otis Finch on drums. Les' piano has a nice bit – and really makes for a great groove alongside Stan's round, warm, raspy tone – a righteous sort of energy that drives the record strongly, in ways that are different than some of Turrentine's other sessions of the time. The whole thing's a cooker – and titles include "Pia", "Smile, Stacey", "Dorene Don't Cry I", and "Light Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

Promo sampler from Atlantic/Atco with selections by Passport, Eddie Harris, Modern Jazz Quartet, Keith Jarrett, Stanley Clarke, Billy Cobham, Herbie Mann, Les McCann, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and Yusef Lateef. LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little promo sampler issued in the mid 70s on Atlantic – issued with the tag line "If You're Reaching Out For Soul, Grab Atlantic Records" – and giving you good reason to! 10 numbers in all, with "Without Love" by Aretha Franklin, "Sitting On Top Of The World" by the Spinners, "Three Ring Circus" by Blue Magic, "The Morning Song" by Les McCann, "Moon Germs" by Billy Cobham, "Rilly?" by Oscar Brown Jr, "Satin Soul" by Gene Page, "Disco Queen" by Hot Chocolate, "Pick Up The Pieces" by the Average White Band and "Is It In" by Eddie Harris. LP, Vinyl record album

Early soul jazz piano work from Takehiro Honda – recorded in a style that's quite different than most of his later albums! The sound here is full and rich – with Honda's work on the keys augmented by fuller backings arranged by Teddy Adams – all recorded in the US (we think), with a quality that's a fair bit like some of the best soul jazz coming out of LA at the end of the 60s! Honda plays both acoustic and electric piano – and the groove has a hiply vamping style that's always verging on funky, but which is a bit more laidback overall. The record echoes with plenty of the best influences from Les McCann, The Crusaders, Gerald Wilson, and other west coast soul jazz figures – and titles include "Greasy Spoon", "Sham Time", "Ain't Tell You A Good Way But", "Ain't It Funky Now", "What's Going On", and "Check Out Your Mind" CD

One of the hardest-hitting electric sets ever cut by Ramsey Lewis – a live performance from the start of the 70s, done with a really gritty groove! Ramsey's on both Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano – the former of which is played with even more forces than on his Cadet studio recordings – heard here in small group formation, without any added studio backings – just the guitar of Phil Upchurch, the bass of Cleveland Eaton, and the drums of Morris Jennings. The tracks are a bit longer than usual for Ramsey on Cadet too – and often hit these down-n-dirty modes that are similar to turn of the 70s work by Les McCann or Junior Mance. Tracks include "Do Whatever Sets You Free", "Them Changes", "Unsilent Majority", "Something", and "See The End From the Beginning". CD