Lovely work from Marisa Monte – perhaps a bit sweeter than some of her earlier stuff, but pretty darn catchy, and with some excellent production by Arto Lindsay! The tracks have a mellow breezy feel, with a compressed production style that includes a lot of flanged-out guitar, subtle electronics, and warm acoustic touches. As with most of Marisa's albums, the record's filled with work by famous guest stars – like Joao Donato, Arnaldo Antunes, Marc Ribot, Carlinhos Brown, and others. Titles include "O Que Me Importa", "Nao E Facil", "Perdao Voce", "Abololo", "Gotas De Luar", and "Agua Tambem E Mar". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible record from funky drummer Idris Muhammad! Idris is probably known for his funky break work on Blue Note and Prestige records sessions of the late 60s and early 70s – but by the time of this 1974 album, he was really expanding his style, hitting a laidback groove that went way beyond the simple drum break, into a world of complicated fills and riffs that forever changed the face of funk. The best example of this is the album's standout groove – the massive cut "Loran's Dance", which has a mellow jazzy vibe that you'll recognize from its popular use as a sample cut over the years (by the Beastie Boys, DJ Shadow, and others.) All cuts are long and mellow, and other titles include "Power Of Soul", "Saddest Thing" and "Piece of Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

A contemporary group, but one who bring out a classic Cali soul vibe – particularly that sound that played very well in East LA back in the day – when mellow sweet soul was the biggest thing on the scene! The sound here is wonderful – fragile but strong at the same time – and served up by a group who are larger than a small combo, but who never get in each others' way at all – so that the tunes have all the heartbreaking sense of space that you'll fine in a classic sweet soul single! Yet there's often a nice little groove, too – a slow funk touch that's brought to the record by drummer Joseph Quinones, who's also the producer – and clearly lets his drums help guide the more fragile side of the proceedings. Titles include "Talking Back", "Like I Can Give", "Keep On Calling", "What's His Name", "Hold On", "It's Such A Shame", "Give It Up You Fool", and "Can't Do That To Her". CD

Includes tracks by Ultraviolet, Amber, Rising Star, Mellow Trax, Ovation, Van Gott, Darude, V-One, Timo Mass, Kamaya Painters, Eyekon, Gee Moore, Blu Peter, and others – 40 trakcs total. CD

A killer early set from The Commodores – and exactly the kind of record that shows why the group was so great at the start! Long before they were the giants of adult pop, the group were a tight funk act who were able to really balance mellow moments with more full-on grooves – a quality that meant they could slide into a warm harmony soul number at one point, then boom the bass right out of the box the next – all with a quality that at this point was light years ahead of most of their contemporaries! There's lots of modes here that other groups would cop more strongly in years to come – but the album's still better than any others that tried to imitate its strengths – thanks to classic cuts like "Hold On", "Free", "(Can I) Get A Witness", "Sweet Love", "Mary Mary", and "Gimme My Mule" – as well as the great spacey instrumental "Cebu", which has an excellent moogy Dexter Wansel-ish vibe! That cut alone is a major discovery for anyone who doesn't know the group at this point – and will show you that they can be totally hip when they want. LP, Vinyl record album

A sparkling debut from Detroit's Dwele – a sweet vocalist in the Donny Hathaway tradition, but with a tight, beat heavy soul sound that glides between 70s soul jazz, mellowed-out Jay Dee synth hop groove, and the natural soul vibe ?uestlove brings to his productions! We first caught wind of Dwele on Slum Village's "Tainted" single, and that's a good indication of the sound you'll find on the debut. Mellow, trippy keys and sound washes drench the album from beginning-to-end, with Dwele's often deeply layered vocals weighing the bright, modern groove aspects of the sound with a rich sense of soul history. There's a slight 70s soul jazz vibe, too, in spots – a sophisticated studio groove with bright bass and some sunny, soulfully strummed electric guitar. Dwele finds some truly nice middle ground between the natural soul scene, modern groove, and the mellower beats and grooves of the best Detroit hip hop of recent years – a scene that Dwele indeed was a player in before finding his soul muse. Great stuff – similar enough to some of his contemporaries – but still wholly unique in Dwele's embrace of a bright, sunny, polished sound that still manages to maintain naturally soulful grit and grease! The title track is a classic – crackly, thumping beats, sweetly chiming keys, and capital M Moody vocals – and many others are nearly as strong! Includes "Truth", "Find A Way", "Day At A Time", "Subject", "Sho Ya Right", "Possible", "Money Don't Mean A Thing", the bonus track "Let Your Hair Down", and more. 15 in all on the CD. CD

Margie Joseph gets a hipper treatment than on earlier records – a mix of east coast styles that adds in some Philly and early modern mellow arrangements, both of which provide a great contrast to Margie's southern-tinged vocals! The approach here is great – a fulling up and fleshing out of Joseph's initial promise – with strong arrangements from Arif Mardin, focused around smaller combo backing by players who include Bernard Purdie on drums, Richard Tee on keyboards, and Norman Harris on guitars. The groove is nice and lean on the bottom, but Margie's vocals are augmented by a brace of backing singers – Judy Clay, Cissy Houston, and others – all of whom create a sense of interplay that's similar to Aretha Franklin with The Sweet Inspirations on earlier records. But Margie's also upfront in the mix on most numbers – singing personally, and somewhat intimately with an easygoing sense of soul. Titles include Margie's own "Ridin' High", Paul Kelly's "Come Lay Some Lovin On Me" and "Come With Me", Norman Harris' "(Strange) I Still Love You", and a great version of Stevie Wonder's "To Know You Is To Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

Philly soul classics from The Manhattans – the mid 70s self-titled gem and After Midnight from the dawn of the 80s! The Manhattans album is one of their best of the 70s, and a record that showed that they were firmly out of the indie ghetto, and totally on top of their game! The record features arrangements and production by Bobby Martin and Bert DeCoteaux – bubbling along in that soaring style that you'd recognize best from Philly International albums of the time, but which also has some nice traces of the mellower ballad work that first put the group on the map. Every tune is perfect – the kind of sublime soul that easily explains why a record like this could be found in every single record collection of every single soul listener of the time – and titles include "La La La Wish Upon A Star", "We'll Have Forever To Love", "Take It Or Leave It", "Reasons", "Wonderful World Of Love", "Searching For Love", and the incredible "Kiss & Say Goodbye". Several bonus tracks, too! After Midnight is stellar Manhattans from the start of the 80s – and proof that the group could still hold strong, even at a point when soul music was really changing up around them! The sound is somewhat smoother than before, but never in a throwaway style – and as you might guess from the title, the record's a mostly-mellow affair that really hones in on the great ballad style that the group had perfected during their time at Columbia! The vocals are superb – not nearly as fragile as in the early days, but really still filled with a great sense of warmth and humanity – the group really maturing into a special space of their own. Arrangements are by James Mack, Benjamin Wright, Bert DeCoteux, and others – and titles include the hit "Shining Star", plus "It's Not The Same", "Just As Long As I Have You", "If My Heart Could Speak", "One Life To Life", "The Closer You Are", and "Girl Of My Dream". CD

A record of pure genius – and one of the greatest albums ever to come out of the British jazz rock scene! Matching Mole was a bit of a supergroup at the time – one that featured the piano, drums, and voice of Robert Wyatt next to the guitar of Phil Miller – topped off by additional piano, organ, and electric piano – in a wonderfully spacey, wonderfully mellow style that's never been matched again! If you dig the quieter, gentler side of Wyatt's work – or some of Miller's most intimate recordings on Virgin – you'll totally flip over the album – but even that's not giving it it's full due, because the sound is totally unique. Wyatt's vocals are wonderfully personal, and almost heartbreaking at times – handled with a fragility that few others of his generation had the courage to match! Titles include "Part Of The Dance", "Signed Curtain", "O Caroline", "Instant Kitten", "Beer As In Braindeer", and "Dedicated To Hugh But You Weren't Listening". LP, Vinyl record album

Magical work from Lonnie Liston Smith – one of those players who actually seemed to get better the more he worked on major labels! The album's a really wonderful blend of mellow jazz and soulfully spiritual themes – at one level inspired by Roy Ayers-styled crossover material, but at another still very much in the righteous camp of some of Lonnie's earlier records. A few tracks have vocals, but others step along in a sweet and smooth instrumental mode that mixes up acoustic piano and keyboards very nicely! Titles include "In The Park", "Speak About It", "Love Is The Answer", "On The Real Side", "Give Peace A Chance", and "The Enchantress". LP, Vinyl record album

Magical work from Lonnie Liston Smith – one of those players who actually seemed to get better the more he worked on major labels! The album's a really wonderful blend of mellow jazz and soulfully spiritual themes – at one level inspired by Roy Ayers-styled crossover material, but at another still very much in the righteous camp of some of Lonnie's earlier records. A few tracks have vocals, but others step along in a sweet and smooth instrumental mode that mixes up acoustic piano and keyboards very nicely! Titles include "In The Park", "Speak About It", "Love Is The Answer", "On The Real Side", "Give Peace A Chance", and "The Enchantress". CD features lots of bonus tracks – including "Space Princess (special disco version)", "A Song For The Children (7" single mix)", and 7" single versions of "Give Peace A Chance", "Free & Easy", "Bridge Through Time", and "Love Is The Answer". CD

A wonderfully freaky sound library set from the start of the 80s – one that definitely echoes the drugs promised in the title, but with a vibe that's very different than late 60s psychedelia! The record is heavy on 80s keyboards and electronics – and there's some cuts that have a mellow, pillow-like vibe – mixed others that take you on a bad trip, but in the best way possible – echoing some 80s horror keyboard modes, but with a nicely thematic vibe! Some tracks here have been famously sampled – and titles include "Soft Hallucinations", "Floating Illusions", "Destroyed Dreams", "The Morning After", "Lost Chance", "Euphoria", and "Horror Trip". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the livelier albums cut by guitarist Chuck Wayne – a player who's sometimes heard in some very mellow settings! This set's got Chuck's guitar in a variety of small groups throughout the session – with players that include Gene Quill on alto, Caesar Di Mauro on tenor, Don Joseph on trumpet, and Eddie Costa on vibes and piano – all well suited with a nice mix of modern small group styles, in a mode that's not unlike some of the sides that Joe Puma cut with Costa. There's a tightly arranged feel at some points, but a more laidback one at others – and Wayne's guitar rings out nicely in the mix, on tracks that include "Lover Man", "Rockabye Bay", "Body & Soul", "Snuggled On Your Shoulder", "Carmel", and "Love For Sale". CD

The last in Beau Williams' great run of albums for Capitol Records in the mid 80s – and a sweet little set that equally balances quiet storm ballads with more uptempo groovers! Williams is one of the great unsung male vocal acts of his generation – and he's got a great way here of putting over a mellow track with a level of care and sensitivity that weren't always that common in mainstream soul at the time – a approach that reminds us more of Marvin Gaye or The Isley Brothers in years before, than you might guess from the date of the album. Production is by William Reinhart, McFadden & Whitehead, Williams, and others – and titles include "I Found A Love", "All Because Of You", "There's Something About You", "Give Me Up", "Don't Be Gone To Say", "No More Tears", and "Been Too Long". LP, Vinyl record album

Bury your love deep, deep down with ?uestlove – a soundtrack compilation of strangely sweet soul misery – and the superior sequel to the Babies Makin' Babies set on BBE! This time ?uestlove programs a number of 70s soul tunes, some relatively rare, which provide the bittersweet sounds of heartbreak. Many of the tracks have the lightly symphonic mellow soul sound that dominated the first Babies Makin' Babies set, with others that put more of a focus on the electric keys, and simmering funk number or two for good measure. A great listen – as both a thematic showpiece and as straightforward soul compilation! Tracks include "Our Love Has Died" by Ohio Players, "Mother And Son Bedroom Talk" by Blackbyrds, "Anti Love Song" by Betty Davis, "If You Don't Love Me" by DJ Rogers, "Cause We Ended As Lovers" by Syreeta, "I'm Sorry" by Delfonics, "I Almost Lost My Mind" by Albert King, "That's The Way I Feel About Cha" by Bobby Womack, "You're Supposed To Keep Your Love For Me" by Jermaine Jackson, "One Look Over My Shoulder" by Average White Band and "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" by Al Green. CD

A great illustration of the sorts of qualities that always made the British scene so interesting over the years – as even in the big year of hits that was 1972, these groups still had a way of coming up with all sorts of interesting modes and really fresh styles – maturing the earlier experiments of prog rock, going for some continued inventiveness in more edgey groups, and furthering a new generation of songwriting that took things way past too-familiar pop themes! The depth of music here is really great – and although the set features a few bigger names, they're easily matched with a number of groups who never charted on our side of the Atlantic, and who were really part of the record-buying cognoscenti on both sides of the ocean – represented here by the kind of album nuggets that really pushed this generation past singles and 45s! As with other Esoteric packages in this series, the choice of cuts is great – never too familiar, but also never too obscure for obscure's sake – as the 55 track package moves through work by Khan, Bombadil, Pretty Things, Ten Years After, Skin Alley, Rare Bird, Edgar Broughton Band, Uriah Heep, Hawkwind, Atomic Rooster, Barclay James Harvest, Mellow Candle, Van Der Graaf Generator, Help Yourself, Matching Mole, Bond & Brown, Vinegar Joe, Nektar, Family, Free, and others! CD

A new standard in Holiday music, served up by some of the more contemporary artists to record for the legendary Deutsche Grammophon label! The vibe here is similar to some of the more ambient works of the Max Richter generation of talents on the label – but there's also some more pronounced holiday spirit at times too – kind of a mix of moody and mellow moments with a few others that have a bit more touch of holiday cheer. Some cuts are originals, others are reinterpretations of classics – and titles include "Sleep For Mama" by Vikingur Olafsson, "Wanting To Believe" by Roger & Brian Eno, "Coventry Carol" by Balmorhea, "Carol Of The Bells" by Vanbur, "Nu Zijt Wellekome" by Abbot, "What Gently Flowers" by Dustin O'Halloran & Bryan Senti, "Lo How A Rose E'er Blooming" by Ane Brun, and "Sinfonia" by Joep Beving. CD

A pretty great album of mellow jazz tracks – recorded in a very spare setting that has trumpeter Ruby Braff playing with pianist Ellis Larkins, and no other accompaniment! The setting's quite unusual for the time, and it makes for a relaxed intimate meeting between two strong talents that really differs from the work that either of them were recording elsewhere. But even more incredible is the way that the two players come together without additional support – working beautifully in a format that would have others faltering – always swinging the tunes despite the lack of bass or drums, and clearly very at home here with the extra space that lets both of them open up creatively! Titles include "Where Or When", "I Could Write A Book", "The Girl Friend", "Little Girl Blue", and "Thou Swell". CD

A modern soul classic – and the first album recorded by 70s mellow soul maestro Al Johnson, a great artist whose lent his talents to countless others over the years! The sound is incredibly tight and plenty darn soulful – very much in the spirit of mid 70s classics by Leroy Hutson, Ronnie McNeir, and Leon Ware – with a massively personal approach that hits hard on both the groovers and the mellower cuts. There's a style here that's nicely rougher than that on Al's better-known album for Columbia – but one that shows that he can still cook up impeccable tunes without a major label budget for production! Titles include the great groover "I've Got My Second Wind", plus "Let's Go Home Together", "Peaceful", "Come Check Out This Love", and "Let Me Love You". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive package of work from the mighty Kool & The Gang – 6 full albums from the 80s, served up here in a 3CD set! First up is Ladies Night – a shameless dancefloor cash-in move – but a record that's still pretty darn great as well! You all know the big title cut "Ladies Night", so we won't bother to describe it – but we can say that the group wisely hooked up with Deodato, who produced, mixed, and even played keyboards on the album. Deodato keeps a nice jazzy punch in the tracks, while still moving towards the slickly produced funk sound that was the group's main approach at the time of the record. JT Taylor's on vocals, and the album's even got a few mellow cuts – like the crossover easy number "Too Hot" – amidst the midtempo 80s grooves that really step out and make the whole thing move. Other tracks include "Ladies Night", "Hangin Out", "Tonight's The Night", "If You Feel Like Dancin", and "Got You Into My Life". The next album is Something Special indeed – as the album was one of the biggest hits for Kool & The Gang, and showed that the group still had plenty of energy left to groove into the 80s! The record features production work by Brazilian music maestro Eumir Deodato – who by this point had become a sweet and smooth talent with a real flair for putting over a modern soul groove! Deodato's approach is really great – smooth, yet soulful, without any tricks or gimmicks – and a real appreciation for lead vocals and a catchy little hook! The album features the group's party classic "Get Down On It", plus "Steppin Out", "No Show", "Pass It On", "Be My Lady", "Take My Heart", and "Good Time Tonight". As One is solid 80s grooving from Kool & The Gang – a group who inspired so many others in the early 80s soul generation, but who could still do it better than most of the rest! The style here is tight and smooth, but never too slick – and Deodato's giving the group some really great production for the album – helping them to focus their energy and soar soulfully, but without resorting to any stiff gimmicks or cliches! There's a great groove running through most of the numbers here – a confident quality that's never too commercial, and which bubbles along nicely throughout. Titles include "Street Kids", "Big Fun", "As One", "Hi De Hi Hi De Ho", "Let's Go Dancin", and "Pretty Baby". In The Heart is a sweet set that's part of a big early 80s run from Kool & The Gang – a time that saw the funk legends really hitting the mainstream, and winning over a huge new audience in the process! Given that the Gang virtually invented ensemble funk at the start of the 70s, they're perfectly poised here to move into modes that so many of their younger competition were trying – but never did so well – that blend of 80s elements and more sharply-fused funk instrumentation, all honed down into a tightly snapping groove. The real surprise, though, is the group's growing ability for ballads – which put records like this into hands of folks who never would have dug their funk a few years before. And while we might have had a few problems with that shift at the time, the passage of years has got the whole thing sounding pretty darn great to our ears – especially in comparison to so much weaker work from the time. Titles include "In The Heart", "Joanna", "Tonight", "Straight Ahead", "September Love", "You Can Do It", and "Home Is Where The Heart Is". Last up is Emergency – one of the key classics from the second chapter of the group – when their lineup and sound were a lot leaner than before, and they managed to cross over big to a much wider audience than before! The upbeat cuts show that the group were still kings of the funky dancefloor – and the mellower ones are equally great too – showing a rising ballad style that proved to be the group's big crossover card at the time – a way of putting over a laidback track, but with plenty of soul. This approach is heard to great effect on the album's great single "Cherish" – and other tracks include "Bad Woman", "Surrender", "Emergency", "Misled", "Fresh", and "You Are The One". CD

A great little jam session from Verve – done in a style that's looser and freer than some of the JATP albums, and with a smaller group overall! Players include Stan Getz, Paul Gonsalves, and Coleman Hawkins on tenor, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, and Wynton Kelly on piano – plus bass by Wendell and drums from JC Heard. There's a rougher, more spontaneous quality here than even on some of the other Norman Granz jam session records – a feel that's almost more "real" overall, as if you were catching the players all working together in a club. Each side features 2 long tracks – one upbeat and one mellow – and the tenor interplay alone is worth the price of the record! Titles include long takes on "Dizzy Atmosphere" and "The Way You Look Tonight" – plus 2 additional ballad medleys! LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime mix of tunes put together by Jazzanova to celebrate the 5th anniversary of their groundbreaking radio show – one that features 6 completely exclusive tunes, plus a wealth of other great bits from a variety of different artists! The vibe here is laidback and mellow, yet still plenty soulful – almost in the Secret Love territory explored by Jazzanova in earlier years, but with a fair bit more electricity overall, and a really global sort of consciousness in the soulful vocals on the tunes! Even when things get a bit abstract, they're still plenty funky – and there's a crisp, crackling sensibility that unites all the different tracks in the mix. 20 tracks in all – including "Just A Lil Lovin" by Jazzanova & Outlines, "In The Remix (Starship interpretation)" by Capital A, "Candlelight" by Wahoo, "Or At Least" by The Slapped Eyeballers, "Excelsior" by Ame, "Intermission" by Soulphiction, "Flashback (Jazzanova's mashed bag)" by Fat Freddy's Drop, "Skitsophrenic (part 2)" by Leroy & Darnell, "Nowhere (Atjazz Astro Black mix)" by Clara Hill, "My Vision (Dixon edit)" by Agora Rhythm, "Sun Of A Beach (London mix)" by Pharoah Roche, "Beatzeps" by Jaslopski, "Step Off" by Arken, "I Just Wanna Sing For You" by Norman Weeks & The Revelations, "So Long" by Nicola Kramer, and "No Memory Of Time (reggae version)" by Eva Be with Joe Dukie. CD

An all-star soundtrack to this comedy film from the 70s – starring Raquel Welch, Bill Cosby, and a very young Harvey Keitel! Most of the tracks on the set are from other A&M albums, but there's a few tunes that are original to the set – including the vocal track "No Love Today" by Michelle Phillips, served up in an instrumental reading by Pete Jolly. Paul Jabara also contributed the tune "Dance", in 2 versions – and other cuts, from other albums, include "Mellow Out" by The Crusaders, "Thunder Thumbs & Lightnin Licks" and "Get The Funk Out Ma Face" by The Brothers Johnson, "My Soul Is A Witness" by Billy Preston, and "Show Me The Way" by Peter Frampton. LP, Vinyl record album

A great Tokyo meeting from this wonderful trio – and a great little record that even stands out from most of their others from the time! The set's got a surprising amount of original material by the members of the group – as each player contributes at least one title – and these compositions really help give the whole thing a very fresh, personal vibe – quite different than the more common use of standards on some of their other albums. And although Hank Jones is billed as the "owner" of the group on the title, the set is the same sort of wonderfully collaborative effort as usual – with some specially brilliant work on bass from Ron Carter, and well-chosen work on drums from Tony Williams. Titles include "Forever", "To Destiny", "Pink Lady", "GJT", and "Mellow Blues". CD

One of the most beautiful records to come out of the early 70s – a tremendous indie effort from a young Weldon Irvine! Irvine put this album together as sort of a musical "time capsule" of his generation – an effort to capture the era's thoughts, feelings, and emotions through a mix of music, vocals, and a few spoken bits – all woven together in a way that changes moods nicely, but always keeps the same righteously spiritual vibe! Weldon plays keys that are both electric and acoustic throughout – and he's joined by a very hip batch of players who include Jimmy Owens, Lenny White, Alex Blake, George Cables, and others – all working here in a very rough-edged and soulful mode. Titles include the classic break track "Bananas", the sweet vocal number "Deja Vu",and the soul classic "Feelin' Mellow" – also covered by Fatback Band, but even better here in the original! Other tracks include "Soul Sisters", "Watergate Don't Bug Me", "Spontaneous Interaction", and "I Am". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most beautiful records to come out of the early 70s – a tremendous indie effort from a young Weldon Irvine! Irvine put this album together as sort of a musical "time capsule" of his generation – an effort to capture the era's thoughts, feelings, and emotions through a mix of music, vocals, and a few spoken bits – all woven together in a way that changes moods nicely, but always keeps the same righteously spiritual vibe! Weldon plays keys that are both electric and acoustic throughout – and he's joined by a very hip batch of players who include Jimmy Owens, Lenny White, Alex Blake, George Cables, and others – all working here in a very rough-edged and soulful mode. Titles include the classic break track "Bananas", the sweet vocal number "Deja Vu",and the soul classic "Feelin' Mellow" – also covered by Fatback Band, but even better here in the original! Other tracks include "Soul Sisters", "Watergate Don't Bug Me", "Spontaneous Interaction", and "I Am". CD

One of the most beautiful records to come out of the early 70s – a tremendous indie effort from a young Weldon Irvine! Irvine put this album together as sort of a musical "time capsule" of his generation – an effort to capture the era's thoughts, feelings, and emotions through a mix of music, vocals, and a few spoken bits – all woven together in a way that changes moods nicely, but always keeps the same righteously spiritual vibe! Weldon plays keys that are both electric and acoustic throughout – and he's joined by a very hip batch of players who include Jimmy Owens, Lenny White, Alex Blake, George Cables, and others – all working here in a very rough-edged and soulful mode. Titles include the classic break track "Bananas", the sweet vocal number "Deja Vu",and the soul classic "Feelin' Mellow" – also covered by Fatback Band, but even better here in the original! Other tracks include "Soul Sisters", "Watergate Don't Bug Me", "Spontaneous Interaction", and "I Am". LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever full length album from Big Joe Williams, despite a much longer legacy as a blues singer in the south – captured in a few different intimate settings in St Louis by the then-fledgling Delmark Records! The approach is very lean, of the sort that made the record a key statement in the folk blues revival at the end of the 50s – with Joe playing this really unique nine string guitar from two different instruments put together, and singing with this really compelling trill in his voice that marks the singer as very distinct from so many others in his generation. JD Short adds harmonica and a bit of guitar – and titles include "Mellow Peaches", "No More Whiskey", "Tailor Made Babe", "Omaha Blues", "Juanita", "Tailor Made Babe", and the interesting "Big Joe Talking" – which has Williams speaking a bit on his life! CD

Havana Candy, indeed – as singer Patti Austin's in her sweetest mode of the 70s – stepping off of years of background vocals for others, and really emerging as a great soul star on her own! Patti got the chance to cut some soul singles back in her early days – but work like this really unlocks her jazzier side, too – that spirit she developed in her work with Quincy Jones, taken to even more expressive heights on her own. Arrangements are by Larry Rosen and Dave Grusin – moody, mellow in a style that's perfect for Patti's voice – and players on the set include Grusin on keyboards, Eric Gale on guitar, Richard Tee on keyboards, and Ralph MacDonald on percussion – all-star CTI players who really keep things rights! Titles include "I Need Somebody", "We're In Love", "Lost In The Stars", "Havana Candy", and "I Just Want To Know". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing blend of astral jazz and atmospheric orchestral soundscapes – composed and directed by coronetist Rob Mazurek! Exploding Star Orchestra is an apt name, but it's more of a bright and glorious explosion than a calamitous one – a sweeping couple of soundtracky suites that's the culmination of a couple years of work by Mazurek and a major contribution from Nicole Mitchell on flute – plus Jeb Bishop on trombone, Corey Wilkes on flugelhorn, Jeff Parker on guitar, John McEntire on marimba and tubular bells, John Herndon on drums, Jim Baker on piano & ARP, Jazon Adasiewicz on vibes, Matthew Lux on bass, Mike Reed on drums, percussion & saw, and others. It's part informed improvisation, part boundary free composition, and pretty wonderful all the way through! We expected something special, but this one goes above and beyond. Following the Frequency project by about 6 months, this is the second near classic avant garde jazz album on Thrill Jockey in a relative short stretch! 2 multi-part titles: The 70s style soul jazz groover "Sting Ray And The Beginning Of Time" (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 – Psycho-Tropic Electric Eel Drum and Part 4), "Cosmic Tomes For Sleep Walking Lovers" (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 – Fifteen Wais Towards A Finite Universe, and Part 5) – and the mellow, piano led centerpiece "Black Sun". CD

A trio of funky classics from Faze-O – collected here with bonus tracks too! First up is their debut, Riding High – a spacey soul classic – with a sound that never gets old! Faze-O will be forever remembered for their massive cut "Riding High", the leadoff on this album – a stretched out slow funk jam that has amazing keyboards, floating guitars, and a super-dope groove that's stayed fresh from the moment it was first set to wax back in 1977! This album's the group's first, and best – and it's a really wonderful record that blends together funky fusion and heavy soul – filled with killer cuts arranged by the Ohio Players, and with lots of great keyboards by the group! Includes, of course, the massive cut "Riding High" – plus "Toe Jam" and "Funky Reputation"! The second album is a definite Good Thang from Faze-O – easily the masters of snakey funk at the end of the 70s! The set's got loads of great elements that echo the group's Riding High debut – a groove that never goes too far over the top, and which kicks back at a pace that so many others would copy a few years later – a vibe that's a bit Ohio, a bit Cali, yet crafted here with a vision that's totally unique to the band! Horns are a bit heavier than before, but there's still plenty of great keyboards too – and the vocals definitely recognize that they're the second star of the record, and usually defer to the rhythms on most numbers. Tracks include "Good Thang", "Party Time", "Space People", "Who Loves You", and "Funky Lady". Breakin The Funk is wicked funk from Faze-O – a group who seem even tighter than before on this smoking album – yet still hold onto all the laidback modes that made them so great in the first place! There's a lean quality here that really prefaces the direction so many funk acts would take a few years later – a way of compressing everything down on the rhythm, to get past some of the excesses of too-large funk groups, or some of the overblown qualities of the disco generation! Faze-O were definitely out front with this approach, and continue to craft it strongly here – and the album's got a few great mellow tracks too – a great illustration of the claim made in the liner notes – that "Faze-O music is carefully built in panels of melodic phases, to sensuously put you in a funky but heavenly mood of time and rhythm." Titles include "See You Through The Night", "I'm Thankful", "I Still Love You", "Let's Rock", and "Ya Ba Da Ba Duzie". Features bonus tracks – 7" single mixes of "Riding High", "Breakin The Funk", "Good Thang", and "Who Loves You". CD

The first-ever full length album from Big Joe Williams, despite a much longer legacy as a blues singer in the south – captured in a few different intimate settings in St Louis by the then-fledgling Delmark Records! The approach is very lean, of the sort that made the record a key statement in the folk blues revival at the end of the 50s – with Joe playing this really unique nine string guitar from two different instruments put together, and singing with this really compelling trill in his voice that marks the singer as very distinct from so many others in his generation. JD Short adds harmonica and a bit of guitar – and titles include "Mellow Peaches", "No More Whiskey", "Tailor Made Babe", "Omaha Blues", "Juanita", "Tailor Made Babe", and the interesting "Big Joe Talking" – which has Williams speaking a bit on his life! LP, Vinyl record album

The hardest to find of the David McCallum albums on Capitol – and like the others, a very nice set of moody tunes with arrangements by HB Barnum, and hip production by David Axelrod! Axelrod gets in some very nice moments on the set, slipping in some dark passages underneath simple pop tunes – a blend of late 60s covers and a few cool originals for the set, like "White Dasies", "Oh My", and "BB". Also includes versions of "98.6", "I'm A Believer", "Mellow Yellow", "California Dreamin", and "Mercy Mercy Mercy". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime solo material from the great Teddy Pendergrass – the kind of record that instantly proves that his departure from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes was a great idea, as the man alone is even more of a power to be reckoned with! The set's a cornerstone in that great second wave of Philly soul from Gamble & Huff – that point when the rest of the world was picking up on the disco grooves they forged earlier in the 70s, and they went for a more adult, more sophisticated style with singers like Teddy, Jean Carn, Phyllis Hyman, and others. The whole thing's perfect – and nicely balances between mellow moments and groovers – with gems that include the always-great "Close The Door", the massive "When Somebody Loves You Back", and other cuts that include "Get Up Get Down Get Funky Get Loose", "Life Is A Song Worth Singing", "Cold Cold World", and "It Don't Hurt Now". LP, Vinyl record album

More than just a great overview of Lou Rawls' jazz work for Capitol Records – because the set also features 3 previously unissued numbers that Rawls recorded with the Curtis Amy Sextet! Those 3 tracks are almost worth the price of the album alone – as Amy's combo was one of the hippest on the LA scene of the time, and offers Lou a rare opportunity to sing in a more relaxed setting than some of his more tightly arranged big band numbers. But honestly, all the work here is pretty darn great – and even the already-issued tracks are tremendous – a great illustration of how Lou linked together jazz and blues during the 60s soul era – and came up with a classy, sophisticated groove that inspired many others in years to come! Arrangements are by Benny Carter, Onzy Matthews, and HB Barnum – and titles include "Nobody But Me", "How Long How Long Blues", "Blues For Weepers", "Something Stirring In My Soul", "I Wonder", "Let's Burn Down The Cornfield", "Old Folks", "Somebody Have Mercy", and "Why Do I Love You So" – as well as the 3 unissued numbers, "Fine & Mellow", "Mean Old World", and "Long Gone Blues". CD

A hell of a classic from UK singer Lewis Taylor – one of the best blue-eyed soul albums recorded in the 90s, and a record that's still years ahead of its time! In a stretch when so many others were putting out fake soul – or breathing heavily on downtempo records – Taylor found a way to really deliver something new and unique, yet also come across with the classic mellow flow of 70s work by artists like Marvin Gaye or The Isley Brothers! Taylor's vocal delivery here owes plenty to both, but the production is very crisp and individual – handled by Lewis himself, and in a spare mix of modes that's quite different than some of the more stock "beats and keys" modes that would take over underground soul in the next decade! Instead, there's this great range of subtle tones and textures that work beautifully alongside Taylor's sublime vocals – all to suit some beautifully-written tunes too. Titles include "Lucky", "Track", "Betterlove", "Right", "Spirit", "Bittersweet", and "Whoever". 2CD set is wonderful – and includes 12 more bonus cuts from singles and other projects – including "Asleep When You Come", "You Got Me Thinking", "Waves", "Trip So Heavy", "A Little Bit Tasty", "Lewis III", "Pie In The Electric Sky/If I Lay Down On You", "I Dream The Better Dream", "Bittersweet (ext)", and "Lucky" in three different mixes by Kruder & Dorfmeister! CD

A treasure trove of rare postwar blues from the west coast – material cut for Dootsie Williams, best known as the head of the seminal Dootone label in LA! The set offers both tracks from Dootone and Williams' rarer imprint Blue – the latter of which existed from the late 40s into the early 50s, and featured a fair bit of excellent material done in the more laidback bluesy mode of LA after the war – styles popularized by Charles Brown, Cecil Gant, and others – echoed strongly in many of the performances here. As the set rolls on into the later 50s, some of the tracks pick up a bit more of an R&B sound – but the work is still relatively unified here, thanks to a good focus on the more blues-based work on Dootone. 30 tracks in all, plus some really great notes – all at the usual high Ace level! Titles include "Rent Day" by Stormy Herman, "Richmond Blues" by Betty Hall Jones, "West Coast Baby" by Johnny Taylor & His Mellow 5, "I Got A Country Girl" by Bobby Nunn, "Everybody's Jumpin Tonight" by Dootsie Williams & His Rhythm Kings with Joe Turner, "You'd Better Come Home Baby" by Violet Hall, "The Hole In The Wall" by Cleo Brown, "Are You Ready To Go Steady" by Paul Monday, and "Katy Lee" by Fats Gaines. CD

Smooth early 80s work from Patti – a bit over the top at times, but nicely restrained at others. Despite the fact that Patti's in the hands of top Philly International talents like Gamble & Huff, and Dexter Wansel – the effort's still very much her own, in full diva mode over a range of styles, from uptempo to mellow. Titles include "Family", "Boats Against The Current", "Shoot Him On Sight", "Over The Rainbow", "The Spirit's In It", and "I Fell In Love Without A Warning". LP, Vinyl record album

His first album, and his best! After working as the silent talent on albums by David Bowie, Gregg Diamond, and others – Luther Vandross finally got the chance to cut an album on his own, and it's incredible! The record has a perfect sound – one that verges on disco, but never falls into any of its cliches; touches on mellow soul, but never gets too mellow; and which always goes for the best hook in a song, instead of resorting to trickery. The whole thing's pretty darn great – and the record includes "Funky Music (Is a Part of Me", a remake of the track "Fascination" that he cut with Bowie, plus the tunes "The 2nd Time Around", "Emotion Eyes", "This Strange Feeling", and "It's Good For The Soul (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

Burning work from Lonnie Smith – one of the few players from the 60s Hammond generation who can still grab our ears as strongly as ever! Over the past few decades, Smith's developed a sound that's even freer than before – but still equally groovy – a gliding, open approach to organ jazz that's almost brought in some pages from the Larry Young book, but still comes off with all the swing and soul that Lonnie brought to his best early sides on Blue Note! This session's a brilliant trio date – just Smith's Hammond, the guitar of Jonathan Kreisberg, and drums of Jamire Williams – a wonderful combo who soar beautifully together – hitting modes that remind us of Larry Young/Grant Green collaborations at some points, and Don Patterson/Pat Martino grooves at others. Smith's got a great ear for bottom tones here – and even at quieter points, manages to get our speakers bumping on the shelves – a true testament to the richness of sound you'll hear on cuts that include "Sweet & Lovely", "Spiral", "Beehive", "Sukiyaki", "Frame For The Blues", and "Mellow Mood". CD

A laidback set of spiritual work on flute from Ronald Snijders – a musician who only recorded overseas, but has a great way of resonating with some of the best American soul jazz trends of the 70s! Ronald Snijders is way more than a flautist, too – as he plays all the instruments here, overdubbed in a way that gets the warmth and spontaneous quality of a combo – even though it's all just Ronald himself! Some tracks just feature Ronald on solo flute, but others add in keyboards, percussion, guitars, and more – creating a warm and mellow sound that ranks with the best American indie soul jazz of the time, and which also features a few nice organic tracks that definitely live up to the Natural Sources title! Tunes include "Galibi", "Seven Wings", "Skin Source", "Busy Street", "Todo Bere", and "Temple Of Faith". CD

John Williams come back! All is forgiven! We'll hardly complain anymore about all those overblown top-selling scores after hearing this gem from the early 70s! The record is a treasure – completely unlike any work that Williams did in later years – quite possibly because the film itself is a quirky little love story, starring James Caan and Marsha Mason in the sort of offbeat "when losers meet" sort of film that could have only been made in the early 70s. Some of the tunes on the set are nicely funky – almost in a Lalo Schifrin way – and others are mellow, but nicely moody, in a really understated scene-setting style that's great. Toots Thielemans plays some great harmonica on a few of the mellower cuts, and Paul Williams sings vocals to 3 of the tracks on the set, all contributed by him. Titles include "Wednesday Special", "New Shooter", "Boxing Montage", "The Ferry Ride", "Neptune's Bar", "Nice To Be Around", and "Maggie Shoots Pool". LP, Vinyl record album

One of many volumes in Charly's great series of reissue compilations exploring the huge independent urban soul legacy of the 60's – covering ground from east to (mid)west! This set, like the others, has a huge amount of hard to get 45-only tracks, and features tracks originally issued on labels like SSS International, Mellow, Vee jay,. Sound Stage 7, Diamond and USA. 16 numbers in all, including "You'll Always Be In Style" by Sidney Barnes, "Now I'm In Love With You" by Marvin L Sims, "I Won't Stop To Cry" by Stormy, "I Don't Want To Hurt Nobody" by Ruby Winters, "Why Don't You Write" by Lee Bates, "I Can't Be Your Part Time Baby" by Gwen Davis, "Just Like A Yo Yo" by Ruby Winters, "My Love Is Gone" by the Shadows, "I Better Run" by Barrett Strong, "My Man Don't think I Know" by Gwen Davis, and "But I Couldn't" by Willie Harper. LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous collection of 70s soul – one of our favorite-ever compilations from the UK Kent label! The set focuses on the lesser-known gems of the Spring and Event labels – companies who were well-known for bigger hits by Joe Simon, Millie Jackson, and others – but who also cut some sublime singles in a modern soul mode, many of which were new discoveries to our ears before this CD! The package is really incredible – filled with 23 cuts that really opened our ears to the labels, and which do a fantastic job of blending mellow, sophisticated, and bits of southern soul in the 70s! Titles include "What Did I Do Wrong" by The Mayberry Movement, "You Didn't Love Me Anyhow" by Act One, "I Can't Believe You Love Me" by Lou Jackson, "House For Sale" by Millie Jackson, "Alakazam" by Sonny Ross, Time" by Don Williams & The Exchange, "There's Another In My Life" by Phillip Mitchell, "Can I Get A Witness" by Jackie Verdell, "C'Mon & Give It Up" by Clare Bathe, "Please Come Home" by Garland Green, "I'm The Other Half Of You" by Ray Godfrey, and "Lead Me On" by The Internationals. CD

Quite possibly our favorite album from MFSB – the legendary Philly instrumental group from the 70s! The record's completely sublime all the way through – and is perhaps the most perfect illustration of that subtle blend of funk, soul, and disco that makes the group so great – a sound that was copied by others like Salsoul Orchestra or Instant Funk, but almost never done as perfectly as on this sweet little set! The album's got some chorus vocals on a few cuts, but mostly hangs out in an instrumental mix of Philly rhythms, jazzy solo moments, and some soaring strings that really help fill up the groove. There's a definite summer theme going on – and titles include the great McFadden & Whitehead "Summertime And I'm Feelin Mellow", plus "We Got The Time", "Hot Summer Nights", "Picnic In the Park", and "Sunnin & Funnin". LP, Vinyl record album

They call it Lowrider Soul on the west coast – and back east, it's maybe known more as sweet soul, or harmony soul – especially given that there's so many groups who are important to the sound! But whatever you want to call it, think of the work here as the perfect sort of slow-stepping, mellow moving soul cuts that sound even better when the lights go down – not because they're sleepy, but because the burning energy of the groups seems to work a very special sort of magic after dark! The collection is wonderful – every bit as sublime as the great first entry in this series – and it's full of the kind of laidback group soul tunes that never get old, presented here with superb sound and a great set of notes. Titles include "What Am I Going To Do" by Houston Outlaws, "A Man That Is Not Free" by Soul Sensations, "You Can't Blame Me" by Johnson Hawkins Tatu & Durr, "Trust In Me" by The Magicians, "That's The Way Our Love Is" by The Radiations, "My Sweet Baby" by The Mark-Keys, "Don't Take Your Love From Me" by The Perfections, "Here It Comes" by The Persians, "It Hurts So Much" by The Superbs, "Can't Nobody" by Brothers Of Soul, "Somebody Please" by The Vanguards, "Sad Sad Story" by The Ethics, and "Someone" by The Lovers". CD

Contemporary grooves with a cosmic undercurrent – some wonderful tracks from the Kindred Spirits label – a real 21st Century heir to spiritual modes of expression from the 60s and 70s! As with the first volume in this series, the styles here are heavy on influences from jazz – especially in the keyboards – but also bring in a fair bit of current sounds as well – broken beats, choppy rhythms, and spun-out instrumental bits that are often in the spirit of the post-4 Hero generation. The few warmer, mellower moments flesh out the record with a fair bit of spirit – and although some of the tracks have been out on other Kindred Spirits releases, there appear to be others here exclusive to the set. Titles include "Raw War" by Mweslee, "Dirtdegree" by Tom Grago, "Holdin Up" by Rich Medina, "Wonderlove (Jazzanova rmx)" by Heavy, "Till Tomorrow" by Rednose Distrikt, "Moving In Circles" by Nomo, "Door Of The Cosmos (12" mix)" by Build An Ark, "Spread" by Meikbar, "Roll On" by Flowriders, "Dickriders" by INT, and "Say What" by Chico Mann. CD

A really cool collection of work from Polish sound library talent Henryk Debich – all 70s material that was designed to evoke the feel of the modern city – including many tracks that were issued in a special cassette series for daily commuters! The material was recorded at the Polish Radio studios, and mixes groovy 70s elements with fuller orchestrations – some disco rhythms at points, mellower soundtrack touches at others – keyboards often stepping out strongly from the fuller arrangements in a way that's a bit like Italian or UK sound library material at the same time! Titles include "UFO", "Obsydian", "Marmyszka", "City", "Choral I Final", and "Perforowany Parmezan". CD features four bonus tracks too! CD

A great mix of heavy funk and sweeter ballads from the Isley Brothers – and a record that's filled with two-part tracks that really let them stretch out and groove! The tunes have a bit more bass and keyboards than before – an approach that's even more electric than Isley funk of a few years back, and which steps out in some tightly vamping rhythms that still crackle with plenty of warmth and soul – especially on the mellower numbers, which dominate side two of the record, and really make this one worth having! Mellow tracks include "For The Love Of You (parts 1 & 2)", "Sensuality (parts 1 & 2)", and "Make Me Say It Again (parts 1 & 2)" – and funkier numbers include "Fight The Power (parts 1 & 2)", "The Heat Is On (parts 1 & 2)", and "Hope You Feel Better Love (parts 1 & 2)". CD also features a bonus track – a live version of "Fight The Power", recorded "live" in the studio, and never released before! CD

A slightly different set than some of the others in this mighty nice series – in that this entry's got a vocalist – singer Lauren Santi, who brings some very soulful, wordless moments to the album! Mario Luciano handles a great range of keyboards, and the tunes have a lean, laidback vibe that's really great – like the mellower moments on the Shaft soundtrack, or those cool cuts from a blacksploitation soundtrack when the hero's either finding love, or back home licking his wounds after a fight! Titles include "Cosmic Portals", "The Yellow Field", "Donte's French", "Excursion", "Solar Journey", "Blue Miles", "When It's Real", and "Inner Search". LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff from Pucho and the Latin Soul Brothers – still grooving hard in the early 70s, with a nice mixture of Latin funk and sweet 70s jazz grooving. The group's as strong as ever – and still features the amazing Pazant Brothers, as well as William Blivins on vibes, Harold Alexander on flute, and Leo Williams on guitar. The best cuts have an uptempo groove that's right in the NuYorica vein – but even the mellower cuts have a strong dose of jazz and soul, very much in the vein of groups like Ocho. Features a version of Neal Creque's "Cease the Bombing", Kenny Burrell's "Chitterlings Con Carne", and a nice mellow version of Coltrane's "Naima". Also includes the great originals "Inside The Corn" and "Hard Hats"! LP, Vinyl record album

Modern Muscle Shoals material from The Rose Brothers – a male quartet with one foot in an older harmony soul mode, and the other firmly set into the bigger modes of the 80s! Mellower moments mix with electro elements on this debut album – with a vibe that's almost more east coast than Alabama, but which still retains a bit of a deeper soul vibe on the laidback numbers and ballads. Jimmy Lewis and Rich Cason produced – and Cason handled arrangements – on titles that include "I Get Off On You", "The Edge Of Goodbye", "Burglar", "One More Time", "War Zone", and "Freeky Lover" – and the Rick James-styled groover "Wall To Wall Freaks". LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than just a Gershwin Songbook sort of record – thanks to some tremendous blowing here by Zoot Sims, who's mellowed nicely with age, and comes up with a wonderful sound for the record! It may just be us, but there seems to be a lot more soul in Zoot's horn than ever before – more humanity, and a sort of pausing, almost faltering approach to the tunes that takes them way past their overdone versions. The rest of the group includes Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, George Mraz, and Grady Tate – but the Sims' sound is the main star of the set – and it's really wonderful! Titles include "The Man I Love", "Embraceable You", "Summertime", "Isn't It A Pity", "I've Got A Crush On You", and "Lady Be Good". CD

Way more than just a Gershwin Songbook sort of record – thanks to some tremendous blowing here by Zoot Sims, who's mellowed nicely with age, and comes up with a wonderful sound for the record! It may just be us, but there seems to be a lot more soul in Zoot's horn than ever before – more humanity, and a sort of pausing, almost faltering approach to the tunes that takes them way past their overdone versions. The rest of the group includes Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, George Mraz, and Grady Tate – but the Sims' sound is the main star of the set – and it's really wonderful! Titles include "The Man I Love", "Embraceable You", "Summertime", "Isn't It A Pity", "I've Got A Crush On You", and "Lady Be Good". CD features three bonus tracks – "They Can't Take That Away From Me", and previously-unissued alternate takes of "Oh Lady Be Good" and "I've Got A Crush On You". CD

Quite possibly the best of the Heath Brothers' post-Strata East albums – and one of the few to capture the spacious sound and hipper undertones that made their first record so great! The style here is certainly more conventional – slightly in that "embrace all jazz tradition" mode that was sometimes popular at the time – but there's still plenty of hip moments here too, including flute and soprano sax work from Jimmy Heath, keyboards from Stanley Cowell, and bits of kalimba too – although used a lot more sparely than before. The record's probably most reminiscent of Heath's best straight work of the time – and titles include "In New York", "A New Blue", "Mellowdrama", "Changes", "Prince Albert", and "Artherdoc Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Mid 70s genius from the Isley Brothers – a record that has them firmly hitting their superstar mode with a fantastic blend of mellow soul and guitar-heavy funk! The record's got a sense of class, care, and poise that's head and shoulders above most of the group's contemporaries – an ability to rock out one minute, then slow things down for a beautiful ballad the next – all while maintaining enough credibility to still hold onto older fans, yet also reach out to a much bigger audience in the mainstream. Titles include the sublime "Ain't I Been Good To You (parts 1 & 2)", a long track with a sinister bassline and a dark groove that really makes it great, a great cover of "Hello It's Me" that's even better than the original, and the key mellow cuts "Lover's Eve" and "Brown Eyed Girl" – plus "Live It Up (parts 1 & 2)", "Need A Little Taste Of Love", and "Midnight Sky (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Frank Zappa projects ever – an album of mixed rock and soul tracks from Ruben Guevara and his group The Jets – all done in a style that tries to recapture the sound of East LA in the 60s! Some numbers are in a rocking mode, but others hit a mellower harmony style that's even better – almost doo wop at times, but with a sweeter soul style. There's a few silly moments, but thankfully not as much as on a regular Zappa album – and titles include "Sparkie", "Dedicated To The One I Love", "All Nite Long", "Spider Woman", "Charlena", "Santa Kari", "Mah Man Flash", and "Almost Grown". CD

Here's the side of 70s Isleys that we like the best – the mellow side! This tasty little collection features some hits by the group, but the best part about it is that it's got a focus on some of the more soulful ballads and laidback material, with less of the harder funky stuff. Tunes include such slow jam classics as "For The Love Of You (parts 1 & 2)", "Summer Breeze", "You Are Love", "Harvest For The World", "Hello It's Me", "That Lady (parts 1 & 2)", and "Hope You Feel Better Love (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

The Isley Brothers in prime 70s mode here – hitting a warm and wonderful blend of soul and funk throughout – always delivered with that sweet talent for smooth understatement that makes them so great! The costumes on the front cover may be freaky, but the grooves are nicely restrained – and by this point in the decade, the brothers have definitely learned that their strongest suit is often their mellow one – tracks that groove, but often in more subtle ways! Titles include the massive slow jam track "Groove With You", plus "Take Me To The Next Phase (parts 1 & 2)", "Love Fever (parts 1 & 2)", "Fun & Games", "Ain't Givin Up No Love", and "Coolin Me Out (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work from one of the most important production teams of recent times! Jazzanova have sharply defined the modern European taste for Brazilian and Latin-inflected grooves on the dancefloor – beginning in the mid 90s with work for the (then) new Compost Records imprint, and working up to present days with countless remix efforts for other artists. Sadly, Jazzanova have yet to cut an album of their own work – and this double-length set is probably the best full way to experience their rich talents. It features 20 tracks in all, many with a strong Brazilian or bossa flavor, and most with a tight dancefloor approach to jazz. Titles include "We Who Are Not As Others" by 4 Hero, "Soul Power" by Marcshmellows, "Carajillo" by Truby Trio, "Get Into My Groove" by Incognito, "Amazon Adventure" by Azymuth, "Words Of Love" by Soul Bossa Trio, "Welcome To The Party" by Har-You Percussion Group, "Planet Of Breaks" by Visit Venus, "Burnin" by Tate's Place, "Toda Tersafeira" by Soul Quality Quartet, "Circe" by Ursula Rucker, "Fifths" by Ski, and "Complete Life" by Liquid Lounge – all remixed by Jazzanova! CD