Maybe one of the greatest jazz albums of all time – a real breakthrough moment for the legendary John Coltrane, and the blueprint for generations of jazz records to come! Trane was already breaking down plenty of boundaries before Love Supreme – but he knocked it out of the park for the album – which is a full-length suite of spiritual expression, one that gives even greater focus and message to Coltrane's long-spiralling style of soloing on the tenor sax! The group here is the classic quartet – McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – taking Trane up to the heavens on waves of modal energy, but also holding his spirit closer to the planet than on some of later, more outside performances. There's a slight bit of vocalization on the record – that chanted energy that imbues the set with so much love – and movements include "Acknowledgement", "Resolution", "Pursuance", and "Psalm". CD

An album that's quite different than you might expect from the title – one of the most adventurous records issued on Impulse during the life of John Coltrane! The tracks here are all quite free and far-reaching – hardly the mellow "meditations you might expect – and more the new unbridled sense of energy that Trane was letting loose in the post-Love Supreme years. The group here features some tremendous tenor from Pharoah Sanders – joining the core lineup of McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – who himself is inspired to new heights by the addition of Rashied Ali as a second drummer. The work has a searing emotive quality that goes beyond most that Coltrane had recorded before this point – and titles include the classic "The Father The Son & The Holy Ghost", plus "Love", "Consequences", "Serenity", and "Compassion". CD

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A surprisingly wonderful set from The Controllers – recorded years after their late 70s classics, but with a great mellow 80s style that makes some great use of their harmonies! The style here is a mix of smooth quiet storm and mellow midtempo grooving – and although some of the electric arrangements have a definite 80s sound, the vocals are great, and there's some wonderful hooks on the tunes that really come out with a nice little punch. Titles include "Bad Bad Jama", "Distant Lover", "Stay", "So Glad", "My Secret Fantasy", "Got A Thang", and "Break Out The Love". CD

A landmark album from The Crusaders – and a set that really has them sweetening up their groove with lots of tasty R&B touches! The guitar's a bit more pronounced in the mix on this one – setting up some tightly funky rhythms that almost seem to free up the horns even more for solo work – resulting in a sound that brings together all the best bits of the LA scene into one impeccable album of smooth jazzy funk! Titles includes their classic "Stomp & Buck Dance", plus lots of other nice groovers like "Double Bubble", "Time Bomb", "The Well's Gone Dry", "Whispering Pines", "Lillies Of The Nile", "Greasy Spoon", and "Super Stuff". A double-length set, too – at a single CD price! CD

The Crusaders standing tall at the start of the 80s – getting great grooves from the lean trio of Wilton Felder on saxes and bass, Joe Sample on keyboards, and Stix Hooper on drums! The mighty Barry Finnerty handles most of the guitar solos here – although David T Walker also plays a bit too – and other high-end guests round out the sound with a very professional feel, including Billy Preston on organ, Marcus Miller on bass, and Larry Carlton on more guitar. As with other Crusaders albums of this vintage, vocals play a part in the sound – sung here by Joe Cocker on two tracks, sounding almost better here than on his own material. Titles include "Standing Tall", "This Old World's Too Funky For Me", "Luckenbach Texas", "The Longest Night", and "Sunshine In Your Eyes". CD

One of our favorite albums ever from The Crusaders – a set that really sums up all the tightness they'd forged in the 70s, while still showing a new sense of soul and funk as well – expertly balanced with flawless LA production! The album may well be the group's equivalent of a Steely Dan album – no surprise, given the work they'd done on sessions for that group – and the title cut is the massive extended version of "Street Life", with killer vocals from Randy Crawford – and other titles include "My Lady", "Night Faces", "The Hustler", and "Rodeo Drive". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection of tracks recorded during the late 60s and early 70s – when the Dells were at their peak, recording at Cadet with arrangers and producers like Charles Stepney, Bobby Miller, and Don Davis. Titles include "Love Is Blue (I Can Sing A Rainbow)", "There Is", "Give Your Baby A Standing Ovation", "The Love We Had Stays On My Mind", and "My Pretending Days Are Over". 11 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest collaborations between the mighty Dells and the great arranger Charles Stepney – a studio talent who really brings some magic to their fantastic harmonies! Stepney adds in all these amazing touches to the record – including John Cage-styled prepared piano on two tracks, and plenty of soaring orchestrations that really up the power of the group's sound! Titles include the wonderful progressive tune "There Is", a great long remake of "Stay In My Corner", and the cuts "Wear It On Our Face", "The Change We Go Through", "Higher & Higher", "Close Your Eyes", "Run For Cover", "Love Is So Simple", "Oo I Love You", and "When I'm In Your Arms". CD

A live set from Deodato – but one that's very much in the mode of his best CTI studio sessions – with soaring, over the top keyboard work that's totally great – backed by some tightly compressed guitar, bass, and drums, with just enough funk in the mix to keep things interesting! As with other Deodato records from the time, there's a mix of moods here that comes together nicely – a range that goes past his easy hits, and shows Deodato to be one of the hippest, most soulful keyboard talents of his generation. Titles include a great version of "Super Strut" that grooves for over 8 minutes, and which has some firey guitar that really competes with Deodato's work on the keys – and other tracks include "Farewell To A Friend", "Pavane For A Dead Princess", "Rio Sangre", and "Jivin". LP, Vinyl record album

Key proof that Deodato kept on making great records after leaving CTI Records – and in a way, the kind of set that allowed him a bit more freedom to grow than some of his contemporaries! The vibe here is a bit tighter than before, but in a way that makes many numbers even funkier – played by small combos on all tunes, with players that include Hubert Laws, Steve Gadd, John Tropea, and other early 70s fusion heavyweights – all jamming with Deodato's great work on electric piano and clavinet! There's a great variety of material here, but as usual with Deodato, even familiar tunes get really transformed – in this case into soulful fusion numbers with a sound that we never would have expected! Titles include "Caravan", "Funk Yourself", "Crabwalk", "First Cuckoo", and versions of Marcos Valle's "Adam's Hotel" and Led Zep's "Black Dog"! LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet keyboard soul from Deodato – a set that steps off nicely from the strengths of his big hits on CTI, hitting a similarly flowing groove that's really great! The instrumentation here is a bit more expanded than before, but never in a way that buries the keyboards – and Deodato's right out front on a range of electric keys that get some great support from John Tropea's finely-honed work on guitar! Titles include "Havana Strut", "Whirlwinds", "West 42nd Street", and a nice cover of Steely Dan's "Do It Again". And heck, even the album's version of Glen Miller's "Moonlight Serenade" manages to come off like a funk tune! LP, Vinyl record album

The Dramatics hit an 80s groove mood here – and as on their clubbier sides from the end of the 70s, the vocals are still wonderful – and more than anything, the set's a strong soul-based set that still has the group at the top of their game! Ballads actually sparkle the best here – and showcase that wonderfully full mode that was the best side of The Dramatics harmonies – but the uptempo tunes are good, and have breakout moments that sparkle nicely. Production is by Ron Banks and LJ Reynolds, but Don Davis still oversees the whole thing – and titles include "It Ain't Rainin", "Wecome Back Home", "Love Is Here", "Be With The One You Love", and "Music Is The Peoples Choice". CD

A real standout in the career of Lesley Duncan – a singer who started in more folksy modes, but who gets warmed up here by just the right AOR touches – at a level that really seems to bring out the best in her music! The songs still have the more personal touches of some of Lesley's earlier work, but they somehow are strengthened by the well-crafted arrangements – which are still nicely laidback, never too commercial – yet handled in a way that makes Duncan's vocals open up with slightly jazzy touches, and maybe rival some of the better-known female singer/songwriters of her generation. Titles include "Jumped Right In The River", "I Can See Where I'm Going", "Moon Bathing", "Pick Up The Phone", "Helpless", and "Fine Friends". CD

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A seminal meeting of the old and new generations of jazz in the 60s – put together in perfect Impulse fashion! At some level, this is actually an early 60s John Coltrane Quartet album – with Duke Ellington sitting in for McCoy Tyner on piano, as that's the lineup on about half of the album – tracks that feature Coltrane on tenor, Elvin Jones on drums, and Jimmy Garrison on bass, all working with Ellington on the keys. On other titles, though, the album features Coltrane playing with a Duke-ish trio that has Aaron Bell on bass and Sam Woodyard on drums – slightly less modern, but with a nice sense of depth throughout! Overall, the the record does a great job of balancing between the best talents of both players – and titles include "Big Nick", "The Feeling Of Jazz", "Take The Coltrane", and "My Little Brown Book". CD

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Harold Faltermeyer provides the instrumentals – and the set also features vocals tracks from Annabella, Melissa Manchester, Elizabeth Daly, and Beth Anderson! CD

A great place to start with Fela! This 2CD set features the "best best best best" of Fela's classic mid 70s recordings – and it includes a total of 13 cuts, with some of them obviously edited down to shorter takes than the extended ones that appear on the full LPs. With all the Fela material out there on the market these days, this set's a very welcome addition – as it offers up a very strong sampling of some of his best work, and includes many classic titles like "Army Arrangement", "Lady", "Shakara", "Gentleman", "Zombie", "Water No Get Enemy", "No Agreement", "Roforofo Fight", "Coffin For Head Of State", "ODOO", and "Sorrow, Tears, & Blood". 158 minutes of music! CD

Really mindblowing work from Fela – a seminal 70s set that may well open up even more than any other album from the time – as the leader and Africa 70 stretch out on a single track that takes up the entire record! "Confusion" is almost proggish at the start – with a long passage that just features drums from Tony Allen and some really offbeat electric piano from Fela – slowly building up a groove out of the darkness, then letting the rest of the group come into the mix – all at a level that definitely sets the tune on fire for the righteous politics of the lyrics! The whole thing's no sloppy, over-extended jam – and instead, the record's a great demonstration of the care and craft that Fela brought to his musical vision at the time. The Gentleman LP is represented here by 3 songs – "Gentleman", "Igbe (Shit)", and "Fe Fe Naa Efe" – all of which are brimming with angry energy, and a heavy brassy overdrive! Loads of African funk grooves, packed onto one superbly done CD! CD

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Teddy Riley's second LP with Guy, one of many groups he held the helm for, laying down the blueprint for New Jack Swing, the sound that would rule modern chart soul for years. Like some of the other music of that era, this LP sounds a lot better to us now than it did then, when we had to act all hard and pump NWA from our jeeps. 16 tracks on the CD version including "Wanna Get With U", "Teddy's Jam 2", "Let's Chill", "D-O-G Me Out", "The Future" and "Let's Stay Together" – plus "Smile", "Total Control", "Where Did The Love Go" and more. CD

Merle's always great – even post-Capitol, recording here for MCA! Titles include the great title cut – plus Haggard originals "The Immigrant", "The Dream", "It's Been A Great Afternoon", and "Love Me When You Can". CD

Tracks include "The Runner", "Too Much To Lose", "Skipchaser", "One Way Out", "Red Dragon", and "Theme From A Modern Affair". CD

36 tracks over two CDs featuring work by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra plus small and midsize groups including his quartet, quintet, and sextet. Players include Kenny Dorham, Charles Mingus, Johnny Griffin, Arnett Cobb, and Leonard Feather. CD

Later work from Heavy D & The Boyz, with production by Pete Rock on "It's A New Day", "Love Sexy", and "Blue Funk"; DJ Premier on "Here Comes The Heavster" and "Yes Y'All"; and Steely & Clevie on "Girl"! CD

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An 80s soul classic from Imagination – one of the few groups who could manage to take silly costumes, electronic rhythms, and goofy covers – and some how manage to come up with a rock-solid set of soul! This album's great proof of that fact – as it's initially got an off-putting look, but really opens up nicely in the grooves – skipping along some very catchy 80s groovers with great harmonies on the vocals! There's a warmth and richness to the music that only deepens as you listen to the record more – and titles include "Burnin Up", "Body Talk", "Tell Me Do You Want My Love", and "In And Out Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

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At the end of the 60s, Milt Jackson and Ray Brown cut some very groovy records together – teamed up in a great pairing of styles that pushed both of them way past the more standard sounds of earlier years! This album's one of the best of the bunch – as it features pianist Monty Alexander joining the pair, bringing in some warmly soulful elements on piano – in ways that are a great bridge between his work for MGM and MPS! The set also features great tenor from Teddy Edwards – blowing with a deep tone and a sharp edge – and in addition to vibes by Jackson and bass by Brown, the group also features Dick Berk on drums. The set was recorded live at Shelly's Manne-Hole – and titles include Alexander's "That's The Way It Is", plus "Blues In The Basement", "Wheelin & Dealin", and "Tenderly". CD

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This nice soulful sleeper was not that recognized in the 70s, but in the 90s, it's become a huge favorite in the Chicago's steppers scene, thanks to the excellent two-step groover "Love's Gonna Last". It's a great cut, with sweet soulful vocals, and a totally catchy midtempo groove – and the whole album has a similar stepping groove, as well as an honest and intimate quality that shines through the otherwise slick arrangements. Other cuts include "All My Loving", "Take My Love", "Better Wake Up Girl", and "One Last Chance". LP, Vinyl record album

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A great collection of Jordan's material from the mid 40s to the mid 50s – starting with his jazzy numbers of the earlier years, and moving into the more blues/rock 'n roll sound of later recordings. His band always sounds great and it also sounds like they're having a good time especially when they participate in the dialogue of the songs. There are a total of 20 songs and they include "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie", "Saturday Night Fish Fry", "Barnyard Boogie", "I Want You To Be My Baby", "Caldonia", "Run Joe", "School Days", "Buzz Me", "Beans & Corn Bread" and "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin". CD

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Produced by The Neptunes. 12-inch, Vinyl record

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BB King at his late 60s best – working here in the company of producers Johnny Pate and Quincy Jones, and serving up a great blend of blues and soul in the process! The set's less a "best of", than a collection of ABC work that doesn't seem to be on the other full albums of the time – mostly produced by Johnny Pate, with those great Chicago soul touches that helped his work with King really cross new boundaries – and finally give BB the kind of full, forceful approach that Bobby Blue Bland had been getting for years. The Quincy Jones cuts are two from the soundtrack to For Love Of Ivy – both pretty groovy, with a socking soul punch – and titles on the full album include "Tired Of Your Jive", "Don't Answer The Door", "The BB Jones", "Paying The Cost To Be The Boss", "All Over Again", "I Don't Want You Cutting Off Your Hair", "Sweet Sixteen", "Meet My Happiness", and "You Put It On Me". CD

4CDs, and loads of vintage work – including key cuts from BB's ABC and MCA years, plus rare singles, early material, and even some unissued tracks! CD

An excellent set by BB King – one of his best from the 60s, and a smoking live set recorded at Chicago's legendary Regal Theatre! The enthusiasm at the venue shows that BB's Memphis-honed style is a perfect fit for the electrified Chicago sound of the 60s – and the recording really brings out some wonderful responses from the audience – making the record a blues equivalent of James Brown's famous Live At The Apollo set! The record features introductions by Chicago DJs Pervis Spann and E Rodney Jones – and tracks include "Every Day", "Please Love Me", "Worry Worry", "Woke Up This Morning", "Help The Poor", and "You Upset Me Baby". CD

An excellent set by BB King – one of his best from the 60s, and a smoking live set recorded at Chicago's legendary Regal Theatre! The enthusiasm at the venue shows that BB's Memphis-honed style is a perfect fit for the electrified Chicago sound of the 60s – and the recording really brings out some wonderful responses from the audience – making the record a blues equivalent of James Brown's famous Live At The Apollo set! The record features introductions by Chicago DJs Pervis Spann and E Rodney Jones – and tracks include "Every Day", "Please Love Me", "Worry Worry", "Woke Up This Morning", "Help The Poor", and "You Upset Me Baby". CD

70s BB King back to back – two full albums in one set! Midnight Believer is one of the most tightly-produced of BB King's albums for MCA, but a set that's still filled with undeniable charm – and which really shows King more than able to step up to some well-deserved superstardom! There's a bit of an LA finish to the backings, but things are never too smooth – and BB's vocals and guitar both really shine in this setting – with inflections and edges that are just wonderful throughout! The balance is great – that rare ability that MCA had to serve up such records at the time – and titles include "A World Full Of Strangers", "Midnight Believer", "Never Make A Move Too Soon", "Hold On", "I Just Can't Leave Your Love Alone", and "When It All Comes Down". Take It Home is a great late 70s set from BB King – a record that really echoes that mix of jazz and blues that he first had when coming out of the Memphis scene – but in a style that's very different than his initial recordings! Here, King plays with some great production help from The Crusaders, who also play on the record too – and add a hip current of LA groove to BB's vocals and guitar – never too slick or tight, but really opening up the record in ways that show the sophistication of his playing – that subtle current of jazz influences that made him so different than the rest! Titles include "Second Hand Woman", "Take It Home", "The Beginning Of The End", "Tonight I'm Gonna Make You A Star", "Happy Birthday Blues", and "Same Old Story". CD

Titles include "Six Silver Strings", "Big Boss Man", "Double Trouble", "My Guitar Sings The Blues", "My Lucille", "Into The Light", and "In The Midnight Hour". LP, Vinyl record album

A great late 70s set from BB King – a record that really echoes that mix of jazz and blues that he first had when coming out of the Memphis scene – but in a style that's very different than his initial recordings! Here, King plays with some great production help from The Crusaders, who also play on the record too – and add a hip current of LA groove to BB's vocals and guitar – never too slick or tight, but really opening up the record in ways that show the sophistication of his playing – that subtle current of jazz influences that made him so different than the rest! Titles include "Second Hand Woman", "Take It Home", "The Beginning Of The End", "Tonight I'm Gonna Make You A Star", "Happy Birthday Blues", and "Same Old Story". LP, Vinyl record album

The title tells the story of the album's concept – as Teddi King pays tribute to a dozen male "kings" of music – including Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dick Haymes, and Billy Eckstine! The tunes are all signature numbers by each of the male stars – redone by Teddi here with a female twist, and set to backings by Lew Douglas and Johnny Richards – both of whom give Teddi some of the best support of her 50s career. Richards' backings are especially great – nicely dynamic, in a way that breaks past some of Teddi's sleepier qualities – and even on the mellower numbers, the King vocals are in full force, sung with even more promise than on previous albums for RCA. Titles include "Flamingo", "Unforgettable", "April Showers", "A Cottage For Sale", "This Love Of Mine", "Keeping Out Of Mischief Now", and "Temptation". CD

With Oscar Castro Neves, Airto Moreira, Alex Acuna, Paulinho Da Costa, Victor Feldman, Lenny White, and others CD

With Dave Grusin on Rhodes and piano, Larry Carlton on guitar, Chuck Domenico on bass, John Guerin on drums, and Joe Porcaro and Emil Richards on percussion. CD

With Dave Grusin on Rhodes and piano, Larry Carlton on guitar, Chuck Domenico on bass, John Guerin on drums, and Joe Porcaro and Emil Richards on percussion. LP, Vinyl record album

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Includes the songs "The "In" Crowd", "Since I Fell For You", "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child", "Look-A-Here", "A Hard Day's Night", "Something You Got", "Hang On Sloopy", "Blues For The Night Owl", "High Heel Sneakers", "Up Tight (Everything's Alright)", "Julia", and "Wade In The Water". CD

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With 48 tracks including "Sneaking Around", "She Put A Spell On Me", "Blind Man", "Country Style", "Let Me Down Easy", "Twenty-Three Hours", "Moanin' For Your Girl", and "Grits Ain't Groceries". CD

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The Mac Band get their name from Charles and Derrick McCampbell – who duet on lead vocals on the set – but they also draw plenty of their sound from the team of LA and Babyface, who handle the leadoff tracks on the set – while also getting plenty of production help from David and Wayne Lewis as well! The record's got a great late 80s quiet storm shimmer – the vibe that makes the mellowest tracks on the record the best – sweetly stepping with a gentle groove that allows for plenty of flow for the vocals on the top! Titles include "Got To Get Over You", "Midnight Lady", "Girl Your Love's So Fine", "You Plus Me", "Stalemate", "Jealous", "Stuck", and "That's The Way I Look At Love". CD

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Includes the songs "Gypsy Woman", "It's All Right", "I'm So Proud", "Keep On Pushing", "Amen", "People Get Ready", "Woman's Got Soul", "We're A Winner", "Choice Of Colors", "Freddie's Dead", and "Superfly". CD

Hal McKusick is one of the most frequently overlooked reed players of the 50's – and until this great reissue of his rare Decca recordings came out a few years ago, his work was mostly only known to collectors of rare stuff who had the money to check him out. Now, though, this great 15 track set brings together some of McKusick's best sides for Decca (which were also probably his best sides ever), and the material is a haunting mix of bebop with a tighter approach to arrangements – sort of in the style of some of Benny Golson's work from the same time. Not surprisingly, the CD includes a version of Golson's "Whisper Not", plus the tracks "Last Day Of Fall", "Stratusphunk", "Ponsu", "For Art's Sake", and "Down & Dirty". CD

A post-Philly International album from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, but one that still keeps their groove very much intact – thanks to instrumental help from Norman Harris, Ron Baker, Vince Montana, Earl Young, and a host of other Sigma Sound talents! Although recorded in the early 80s, the set's actually got a stripped-down quality that really reminds us of the earliest days of Philly International – kind of a back-to-basics approach that really works well for The Blue Notes, at a time when so many other groups might have been tempted to push off into clunkier territory. We might miss Teddy Pendergrass a bit in the lead, but the vocals are still totally top-shelf – very much in the best group soul mode of the time – and titles include "Hang On In There", "Come Go With Me", "Ain't That Love", "Tell Me Why", "I'm In Love With You", and "Have I Told You I Love You Today". CD

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Great work from Rose Murphy – one of the most unique talents of her generation, and an artist with a style that's really unlike anyone else we can think of! At one level, Murphy's a great pianist – ala Hadda Brooks – but she's also got a high range of singing, with vocals that are more in the light upper reaches hit by Blossom Dearie – which makes for quite a contrast to her work on the keys! Then there's also her very rhythmic way of singing, which often has some playful inflections – most notably the use of the "chee chee" or "chi chi" phrase, which comes through on a fair bit of the tunes here. LP, Vinyl record album

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Titles include "Don't Think About It", "Whammy", "Set It Out", "Oh Girl", "I Can't Help Myself",a nd "Starry Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album