One of the most righteous albums to ever bear the name of King Britt – a selection of spiritual jazz tracks from the 70s, all of which show a definite inspiration for Britt's recent work in the 21st Century! There's no remixes or remakes here – and the collection features all original gems from a few decades back – stretched out and cosmic grooves from some of the leading lights of the soul jazz underground in the post-Coltrane years! Most numbers are obscure tracks licensed from smaller indie labels – brought together beautifully with a sense of depth and darkness that goes way beyond the usual King Britt groove. Titles include "Space Spy" by Grachan Moncur III, "Beyond Yourself" by Brother Ahh, "Scorpio Libra" by Eddie Henderson, "Kawaida" by Herbie Hancock, "Ekim" by Michal Urbaniak, "Yebo" by Mtume, "Conviction" by Dane Belany, "Naima" by Doug & Jean Carn, "The Time Now For Change" by Phil Ranelin, "Moving Pictures 4 The Ear" by Don Cherry, and "Encounter" by Flora Purim. CD

Philippe Sarde's sophisticated score for the film La Guerre Du Feu – also known as Quest For Fire – music that's a fair bit more modern than the prehistoric setting of the movie! Most of the instrumentation is orchestral, but Sarde also allows plenty of space for spare, brooding moments too – passages that have an almost tribal quality at points, and an organically resonant approach at others. The recording has quite a high dynamic range – bursting from silence to fullness in a very short space – then slinking back into the shadows at the next moment! LP, Vinyl record album

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One of Sam Rivers' most freely expressive albums – a set of extended improvisations that features the leader on tenor, soprano, flute, and piano – really spinning out with some strongly expressive solos! The rest of the lineup is quite free too – with Dave Holland on bass and Barry Altschul on percussion – a pair who sometimes hit rhythmic impulses at the best moments, but also often stretch out and do their thing in a relatively free way too – and who work together with Rivers to push forward on that amazing territory that Sam first opened up on some of his classic long improvised performances for Impulse Records at the start of the 70s. Titles include "Judgement", "Hope", "Expectation", and "Vision". CD

Pivotal work from Waldron – stepping out of the blowing session mode, emerging as one of the 60s most striking moderinists. Like a lot of Waldron's records from the time, this set shows an amazing desire for new forms and modern ideas, and the mix of players – Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, Ron Carter, Joe Benjamin, and Charlie Persip – pulls the material in a number of different ways. Carter plays bowed cello, as he did on Dolphy's Out There session, and he gives the set a dark moody feel. Ervin's in his best modernist mode, and he ably trades lines with Dolphy and keeps the whole thing moving nicely. Waldron's writing and arranging is superb, and the tracks feature a lot of weird time structures and unusual modal patterns. Includes the tracks "Status Seeking", "Warm Canto", "Warp and Woof", and "Fire Waltz". LP, Vinyl record album

With Jonathan Lefcoski on piano. CD

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The warm basswork of Ron McClure really sets the scene here – for a record that also opens up with some really well-crafted work on tenor from Rich Perry! Perry's always a player with a subtle edge – one that doesn't strike you right away, but builds up in this really nice way over the course of a record – definitely the case here on a set that mostly features original material from McClure, and the group's pianist Michael Eckroth – who has a way of hitting occasional bright notes that balance the sound of Perry's horn. The group also features Steve Johns on drums – and titles include "Agua Caliente", "When It's Over", "Semi Herbal", "Talkin Turkey", "Bystander", "Two Blocks From Somewhere", and "Turned Around Footprints". CD

One of Sam Rivers' most freely expressive albums – a set of extended improvisations that features the leader on tenor, soprano, flute, and piano – really spinning out with some strongly expressive solos! The rest of the lineup is quite free too – with Dave Holland on bass and Barry Altschul on percussion – a pair who sometimes hit rhythmic impulses at the best moments, but also often stretch out and do their thing in a relatively free way too – and who work together with Rivers to push forward on that amazing territory that Sam first opened up on some of his classic long improvised performances for Impulse Records at the start of the 70s. Titles include "Judgement", "Hope", "Expectation", and "Vision". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of 80s albums from piano genius Ramsey Lewis – all brought together in a single package! First up is Les Fleurs – a bit later than Ramsey Lewis' classic electric sides for Columbia Records in the 70s, but still a pretty great little album – and one that mixes mellow grooves on Fender Rhodes with a nice dose of acoustic piano – in a style that's a bit like Rodney Franklin at the time, but considerably warmer and sweeter overall! The core trio backs Ramsey on acoustic bass and drums – but there's plenty of extra bits added in throughout, including a bit of sax from Ronnie Laws, and some overall arrangements and additional keys from Tom Tom 84 – who really helps keep a sophisticated Chicago vibe in place – almost a ghost of Charles Stepney, lurking nicely in the background. Titles include remakes of "Reasons", "Les Fleurs", and "Super Woman" – plus the tracks "Physical", "With A Gentle Touch", and "Essence Of Love". Fantasy is a sweet 80s set that has Ramsey Lewis showing the world that he's still one of the reigning master of the keyboard – as he opens up here with a whole bunch of keys from that decade, at a level that marks a strong new chapter from his electric work of the 70s! Lewis works alongside additional keyboardists Morris Butch Stewart and Lonnie Graves – and at times, even the rhythms are electric too – influenced by both R&B and hip hop at times, similar to Herbie Hancock electric experiments of the time – but with more of that soulful vibe that we love from Ramsey! There's a bit of vocals on the record – courtesy of Stewart, Maurice White, Brenda Mitchell, Josie Aiello, and Alice Sanderson Echols – on titles that include "Les Clefs De Mon Coeur", "It's Gonna Change", "Victim Of A Broken Heart", "Slow Dancin", "Ram Jam", "This Ain't No Fantasy", "Part Of Me", and "The Quest". Keys To The City is a late 80s effort that still has the piano genius very much at the top of his game – tight, but never in the sleepier territory of some of the smooth jazz artists who were coming into the scene! Ramsey's on piano both electric and acoustic – getting more keyboard help from Larry Dunn, who also handles arrangements – with musicians who include Don Myrick on saxes, Roland Bautista on guitar, and Maurice White on percussion – the last of whom is a key influence here, as it's clear that Lewis is holding onto that great balance of jazz and soul that he furthered in his work with White and Earth Wind & Fire in the 70s. Titles include "Keys To The City", "7/11", "Strangers", "My Love Will Lead You Home", "You're Falling In Love", "Shamballa", and "Love & Understanding". CD

2 albums by the great Eugene McDaniels – back to back on one CD! Headless Heroes is a holy grail for funk collectors – and one that we can't believe got reissued! The record is a monstrously moody LP of jazzy changes and groovy vocals with the classic "Jagger the Dagger", which was sampled to great fame by Tribe Called Quest. The title track was used by the Beasties, and lord knows all of you are looking for more. The rest of this is as groovy as those tracks, with lots of nice moody bits and very righteous lyrics. Other titles include "Supermarket Blues", "Freedom Death Dance", "The Parasite", and "Lovin' Man". Outlaw is a mix of rock and soul that features a strong political message that's probably best embodied in the statment on the back that reads "Under conditions of national emergency, like now, there are only two kinds of people – those who work for freedom, and those who do not: the good guys vs the bad guys". The sound of the record is similar to McDaniels' classic Headless Heroes album (recorded after this one), with jazzy backing, and righteous vocals by the man. Titles include "Love Letter To America", "Black Boy", "Outlaw", and "Sagittarius Red". CD

One of the best Rotary Connection albums for Cadet – with an incredible baroque spacey soul sound that still feels very fresh today! The group's vocals are especially eerie – and float around these wild arrangements by Charles Stepney, peppered with strings, soul, fuzzy guitars, and even slight bits of electronics. The album features their incredible cut "Memory Band" – the one that begins with those cool sitar riffs that have been sampled by Tribe Called Quest and The Fugees. Other tracks include "Ruby Tuesday", "Soul Man", "Amen", "Rapid Transit", and "Black Noise". LP, Vinyl record album

On one of his first tracks since Tribe Called Quest, Q-Tip definitely aims for the dancefloor with two remixes of "Vivrant Thing". One featuring Q-Tip, Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes, and the other featuring Da Franchise, Sonya Blade, Captain, and Harry O. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Music from Main Source, Poor Righteous Teachers, Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth, YZ, Master Ace, Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, D-Nice, The D.O.C., Special Ed, and more. CD

A set that really expands the legend of Factory Records – the famous label who gave the world New Order, Joy Division, A Certain Ratio, and other important post-punk bands – as the set focuses on the equally legendary Hacienda nightclub, which the label opened in Manchester in 1982! Manchester was already a city with a hell of a music scene – but at the Hacienda, all sorts of sounds and styles mixed together – in a spirit that was similar to some of the energy on the New York scene at the time, particularly at a club like Danceteria – where the quest for the new took clubbers way past standard genre designations! The Fac 51 in the title was Factory's way of giving the club a catalog number that was in keeping with its record releases at the time – and the beautiful package features plenty of information on the club and the scene – along with 65 tracks by artists who include Gang Of Four, Section 25, Defunkt, Heaven 17, Medium Medium, The Birthday Party, Kurtis Blow, Shalamar, Barry Gray, Simple Minds, Rockers Revenge, 23 Skidoo, Royal Family & The Poor, Josef K, John Cooper Clarke, Stockholm Monsters, Swamp Children, Iggy & The Stooges, Sugarhill Gang, Laura Lee, Temptations, Trio, Bow Wow Wow, Valentine Brothers, Soft Cell, The Associates, Loose Joints, Suicide, Pale Fountains, and many others. CD

Includes themes from Popeye The Sailor, Mighty Mouse, Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, The Bullwinkle Show, The Jetsons, Magilla Gorilla, Johnny Quest, Atom The Ant, Space Ghost, Speed Racer, Pebble & Bamm-Bamm, Captain Planet, and more! CD

Doobie-doo doobie-doo! One of the catchiest Roy Ayers dancefloor tracks ever – a bassy bumping thumper that wonderfully skirts the line between clubby and funky! The track's got female vocals singing along with the hook – all in a mode that's quite similar to the most uptempo work by Ramp – and the tune may well be best known for it's famous sample use by Tribe Called Quest on their classic "Description Of A Fool"! 12-inch, Vinyl record

An amazing album that has Art Blakey completely reinventing himself for the 70s! Blakey shifts from straight hardbop to kind of a modal soul jazz groove, touched with some of the electric playing of the younger jazz generation, but not enough to qualify as fusion or funk. Instead, he's working with some great younger players – like Carter Jefferson, Woody Shaw, and Michael Howell – hitting a groove that reminds us of some of the best underground soul jazz on labels like Muse or Strata East. Includes the amazing long groovers "Mission Eternal" and "Chant For Bu", a famous Tribe Called Quest sample – plus new electric piano versions of "Moanin" and "Along Came Betty", both of which feature vocals by Jon Hendricks. CD

An amazing album that has Art Blakey completely reinventing himself for the 70s! Blakey shifts from straight hardbop to kind of a modal soul jazz groove, touched with some of the electric playing of the younger jazz generation, but not enough to qualify as fusion or funk. Instead, he's working with some great younger players – like Carter Jefferson, Woody Shaw, and Michael Howell – hitting a groove that reminds us of some of the best underground soul jazz on labels like Muse or Strata East. Includes the amazing long groovers "Mission Eternal" and "Chant For Bu", a famous Tribe Called Quest sample – plus new electric piano versions of "Moanin" and "Along Came Betty", both of which feature vocals by Jon Hendricks. LP, Vinyl record album

A massive classic from Lou Donaldson's funky years with Idris Muhammad on drums – an album that's filled with lots of bottom-heavy grooves, plus some great work on alto, guitar, and organ! Muhammad's drums are in fine fine form here – right up there with his other LD Blue Note work, if not even better – and the rest of the lineup features Leon Spencer and Lonnie Smith on organ, Ted Dunbar and Melvin Sparks on guitar, and Blue Mitchell on trumpet – all top-shelf players who really make the album kick nicely. Titles include the classic cut "Pot Belly", which was sampled by Tribe Called Quest and about a hundred others – plus "Curtis Song", "Sassie Lassie", "Love", and a version of "Tennessee Waltz" that's even a nice one too! LP, Vinyl record album

A funky keyboard treasure – a smoking organ and Fender Rhodes session that is one of the greatest Blue Note albums by Ronnie Foster! Foster plays organ on the set, next to electric piano by Ernie Hayes – and the pair stir up the sound wonderfully as they glide over grooves, soaring on twin keyboard lines that really make for a magical sound! A few tracks get hard and funky, and others have that superdope laidback feel that made all of Foster's early work so great – especially for the Quest-era sample crowd. The album's got some really great 70s soul covers, mixed with a few tasty originals – and titles include "Backstabbers", "Lisa's Love", "Superwoman", "Alone Again (Naturally)", "Sweet Revival", "Some Neck", "Inot", and "It's Just Gotta Be That Way". CD

A really fantastic album from guitarist Grant Green – a set that's every bit as great as his other Blue Note funk albums from the time – but in a very different way! First off, the group has vibes – played by the more obscure Willie Bivens, sometimes with this hard chromatic sound that's really wonderful – especially when combined by the organ work on the set by Ronnie Foster and Neal Creque – both very cool players with an unusual conception – which sends the whole thing off in very hip territory! The mighty Idris Muhammad plays drums – ensuring a very tight bottom – and the group also features Claude Bartee on tenor, who has a strong, soulful vibe. The set includes a fantastic live version of "Down Here On the Ground" – famously sampled by Tribe Called Quest – and other highlights include heavy funk takes on "Let The Music Take Your Mind" and "Sookie Sookie", and the Creque original "Time To Remember". CD

A really fantastic album from guitarist Grant Green – a set that's every bit as great as his other Blue Note funk albums from the time – but in a very different way! First off, the group has vibes – played by the more obscure Willie Bivens, sometimes with this hard chromatic sound that's really wonderful – especially when combined by the organ work on the set by Ronnie Foster and Neal Creque – both very cool players with an unusual conception – which sends the whole thing off in very hip territory! The mighty Idris Muhammad plays drums – ensuring a very tight bottom – and the group also features Claude Bartee on tenor, who has a strong, soulful vibe. The set includes a fantastic live version of "Down Here On the Ground" – famously sampled by Tribe Called Quest – and other highlights include heavy funk takes on "Let The Music Take Your Mind" and "Sookie Sookie", and the Creque original "Time To Remember". LP, Vinyl record album

A hell of a record from the early 80s scene – a set that many folks slept on when first released, yet a record that's gone on to be every bit as classic as work from De La Soul or Tribe Called Quest in their prime! Of course, part of the album's fame has expanded over the years – as the launching board for Daniel Dumile, soon to be MF Doom – yet the record's got all sorts of fantastic energy of its own – all the wit of some of the trio's hip New York contemporaries, but spun a bit differently – and really linked together in a way that makes the record a masterpiece from start to finish! Brand Nubian guest on "Nitty Gritty" – and other titles include "Who Me", "Peachfuzz", "Humrush", "Figure Of Speech", "Trial N Error", "Soulflexin", "Gasface Refill", and the hilarious "Mr Hood At Piocalles Jewelry/Crackpot". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that no hip hop home should be without – the debut album from Main Source, but a set that's more than strong enough to stand next to the best from contemporaries like De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, and Black Sheep! Like all three of those groups, these guys have a way of bringing together fresh rhythms and samples, sharp-edged writing, and a keen sense of wit – all part of that next-generation level of intellectual hip hop that made them so groundbreaking at the time – and which still makes this album a fantastic delight all these many years later! The album introduced the world to the genius of Large Professor – and continues to shine for decades, thanks to tunes that include "Snake Eyes", "Looking At The Front Door", "Live At The Barbecue", "Just A Friendly Game Of Baseball", "Peace Is Not The Word To Play", "Watch Roger Do His Thang", "He Got So Much Soul (He Don't Need No Music)", and "Just Hangin Out". CD

A monster album that's gone onto influence a generation – but which was barely recognized at the time! Singer Eugene McDaniels had scored big with some pop hits in the 60s under the name Gene McDaniels – but here, he steps out in a righteous batch of offbeat funk tunes – filled with politics, offbeat rhythms, and some very weird instrumentation. The whole thing's awash in moody, jazzy changes – of the style that showed up often in samples by Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, and other artists who drew keen inspiration from this record. Titles include the massive "Jagger the Dagger" – plus "The Lord Is Back", "Lovin Man", "Headless Heroes", "Freedom Death Dance", and "Supermarket Blues". CD

Lost legendary work from Guy Skornik – a heady set from early 70s France, and proof that there's a hell of a lot of greatness to discover on that scene! The album's got a blend of psych fuzz and deeper ideas that's not that far from Serge Gainsbourg – although the overall presentation is more cerebral, and influenced by the ideas of GI Gurdjieff, carried out by Skornik in this sublime blend of acoustic elements and larger orchestrations directed by jazzman Ivan Jullien! Like some of the best French work of this time, the album has a wonderful balance between the personal and professional – the intimate and the ambitious – which really makes things exciting and fresh, and very different than anything you might have been digging on this side of the Atlantic at the time. Titles include "Realite", "L'Ile De Paques", "Fulcanni", "Je Vois Ce Que Je Crois", "Quest Ce Que Le Dream", and "Je Ne Sais Pas Je Ne Sais Plus Rien". CD

Includes the albums ; After Hours, Prestige All Star Quartet, Mal 3 – Sounds, Mal 4, Just Wailin, Left Alone, Impressions and The Quest. CD

Not a bad year in retrospect – featuring "Dangerous" by Busta Rhymes, "Lost Ones" by Lauryn Hill, "Intergalactic" by The Beastie Boys, "Deja Vu" by Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz, "Rosa Parks" by Outkast, "Find A Way" by A Tribe Called Quest, and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Very different sounds than what you might expect from the title – not exotica at all, nor some of the more familiar Afro Funk material issued by the Africa Seven label – and instead a great range of tracks that really seems to defy genre or description! Some of the work here is by artists who've gotten a bit more attention in the 21st century, others are still quite obscure – and the music moves between jazzy groovers, spacey soul numbers, and other very offbeat modes – including one track that's a pretty great electric piano solo! Titles include "La Condition Masculine" by Francis Bebey, "Jungle Music" by Benis Cletin, "Distingue 1 (edit)" by Orchestre Lipua Lipua, "The Quest" by Afrocult Foundation, "I Got To Make It" by Aura, "I Don't Want No Body" by Akwassa, "Thanks & Praises" by BG & Fibre, and "Ramer Sans Rame" by Akofa Akoussah. LP, Vinyl record album

Don't know "toytown"? We didn't know the reference either, until we heard this totally wonderful set – and it turns out that the word is a great way to describe a unique moment in British music – one that mixes together whimsical psych, playful pop, and a whole host of groovy moments from artists familiar and obscure – woven together here in a massive collection that's filled with stunning surprises all the way through! The initial impulse is to collect cuts that have a slight nostalgia for childhood and innocence – but as with so much British music of the time, that also means that there's plenty of dark currents and spooky surprises along the way – a not-so-innocent quality in many tracks that really keeps things interesting and on edge all the way through! Yet rather than describe the music to death, we just invite you to dive in and swim through the 87 wonderful tracks in the package – work by a variety of artists that includes David Bowie, Timon, Astronaut Alan & the Planets, Idle Race, Wimple Winch, World Of Oz, The Herd, Fire, Jason Quest, Mark Wirtz, The Tots, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Good Time Losers, The Syn, Majority One, Clifford T Ward, Fire, Jigsaw, Kenny Everett, Simon Dupree, Tomorrow, David Matthews, The Riot Squad, Keith West, and a huge amount of other great acts too – all presented in full detail with the great booklet of notes that comes with the package. CD

Tracks include "Can I Get Open" by Original Flavor, "Lyrics To Go (Tumblin Dice remix)" by A Tribe Called Quest, "Best Kept Secret" by Diamond & The Psychotic Neurotics, "Hot Potato" by Freestyle Fellowship, "The Return Of The Crazy One" by Digital Underground, "Snake Eyes" by Main Source, "93 Til Infinity" by Souls Of Mischief, "Popcorn" by KMD, "Them That's Not" by J-Live, "One Of Those Days" by Schoolz Of Thought, and more. CD

Sublime 70s material from Art Blakey – a double-length set that pulls together most of the tracks from the albums Buhania and Anthenagain, and also throws in a previously unreleased number too! Blakey's groove at this point in his career is quite different than the Jazz Messengers style of the 60s – equally soulful, yet in very fresh ways – really stretching out to embrace the sounds and players of the new generation – with Woody Shaw's trumpet and Carter Jefferson's tenor making some especially strong appearances – and some really standout electric piano work from Cedar Walton, which shapes the sound of the set wonderfully. Jon Hendricks turns in some beautiful vocals on versions of "Moanin" and "Along Came Betty" – and other tracks include the famous "Mission Eternal", sampled by Tribe Called Quest – plus "Without A Song", "Gertrude's Bounce", "Siempre Mi Amor", "One For Trane", "Fantasy In D", and "Chant For Bu". CD

An amazing album that has Art Blakey completely reinventing himself for the 70s! Blakey shifts from straight hardbop to kind of a modal soul jazz groove, touched with some of the electric playing of the younger jazz generation, but not enough to qualify as fusion or funk. Instead, he's working with some great younger players – like Carter Jefferson, Woody Shaw, and Michael Howell – hitting a groove that reminds us of some of the best underground soul jazz on labels like Muse or Strata East. Includes the amazing long groovers "Mission Eternal" and "Chant For Bu", a famous Tribe Called Quest sample – plus new electric piano versions of "Moanin" and "Along Came Betty", both of which feature vocals by Jon Hendricks. LP, Vinyl record album

The classic track from the Spike Lee's "Crooklyn" finally back on vinyl. What more can you ask for – Masta Ace, Special Ed, and Buckshot all at the top of their skills and production from A Tribe Called Quest. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Mindblowing work from Navasha Daya – a singer you might know for her key role in the group Fertile Ground many years back – still one of the most important contemporary acts we've ever stocked at Dusty Groove! Here, Navasha returns as a tremendous soul star on her own – working on these incredible songs of righteous power – in a full concept album dedicated to black families and their quest for freedom in America! Some of the songs are quite topical, others are very universal – and the musical approach here is a mix of deep funk, contemporary soul, and even some surprising 60s and 70s elements – all composed and produced by Fanon Hill, who's Daya's key musical partner on the album. There's still all the jazziness and warmth that we love in the music of Fertile Ground, but the style is also nicely different – and the whole thing is a tremendous statement of power from this always-compelling singer. Titles include "I Am Because We Are", "Operation 666 Poverty", "I Too Dream Of Things Beautiful", "Better Than This", "It's Still About Freedom", "Baltimore Stand Strong", and "Whose Child". CD

A beautiful set of quest-driven songs from Kurt Elling – material directed by inspiration from a passage by Rainer Maria Rilke, then given a spin by Elling that's completely his own! For more than two decades, the singer has redefined the role of the voice in jazz – and here, he's still very much at the top of his game – a fantastic expressionist when singing "straight", and even more compelling when he opens up the full range of his creative process – which he does here often, in the company of a great lineup that includes Marquis Hill on trumpet, Branford Marsalis on tenor, Stu Mindeman on piano, and Jeff Tain Watts on drums. You'll definitely recognize a number of the tunes, but taken together like this – and handled by Kurt – they really have a completely different vibe, as you'll find on "Lonely Town", "Endless Lawns", "The Enchantress", "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall", "A Happy Thought", and "Washing Of The Water". CD

A wonderful album from the Isley Brothers – and a real departure from their funkier sound of the 70s! The album has the group operating in a wonderful smooth soul mode – just what you'd expect from the "between the sheets" in the title, and the silky bedclothes on the cover! The centerpiece of the album is the loving title cut – a wonderfully catchy number that works well not only as a stepper's dancefloor tune, but also as a hip hop sample track (used most famously in Tribe Called Quest's "Bonita Applebum".) The whole thing's great, though – and other tracks include "Choosey Lover", "Touch Me", "Slow Down Children" and "Getting' Over". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic set from the late 80s – one of the first records to really herald the new generation to come with De La Soul and Tribe Called Quest – served up by Native Tongues partners The Jungle Brothers! While this set never got the major label push that debuts by the other groups would have, the set was an instant sensation in the world of hip hop – the start of a new level of wit and wisdom – urban sensibility able to look back at itself, almost a postmodern commentary on the then-short history of hip hop! Production is great – and the JBs not only reworked use of classic samples, but also added a newly jazzy sensibility – on titles that include "On the Run", "Straight Out the Jungle", "Black Is Black", "Braggin & Boastin", "Behind The Bush", "Because I Got It Like That", and the classic "Jimbrownski". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that no hip hop home should be without – the debut album from Main Source, but a set that's more than strong enough to stand next to the best from contemporaries like De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, and Black Sheep! Like all three of those groups, these guys have a way of bringing together fresh rhythms and samples, sharp-edged writing, and a keen sense of wit – all part of that next-generation level of intellectual hip hop that made them so groundbreaking at the time – and which still makes this album a fantastic delight all these many years later! The album introduced the world to the genius of Large Professor – and continues to shine for decades, thanks to tunes that include "Snake Eyes", "Looking At The Front Door", "Live At The Barbecue", "Just A Friendly Game Of Baseball", "Peace Is Not The Word To Play", "Watch Roger Do His Thang", "He Got So Much Soul (He Don't Need No Music)", and "Just Hangin Out". CD

An incredible record – the kind of album that no fan of funky jazz should be without! This album is far and away one of the greatest ever cut by Brother Jack McDuff – and it's a baroquely complicated batch of funky jazz cuts that's still light years ahead of any other record! The tracks are much longer than you'll find on Jack's other work – and the group plays these lines that are laidback and trippy, yet which still have a tremendous amount of funk in them. Guitar sets the tone, spacing out over the drums of the great Joe Dukes; electric bass rumbles at all the low, dark spots; flute and tenor sax cut some sharp edges in the void; and the organ of Brother Jack comes in over the top, and soars with cosmic lines of sound! The album includes the monster cut "Oblighetto", sampled by Tribe Called Quest years back – plus other amazing groovers, like "Flat Backin", "Moon Rappin", and "Loose Foot". CD

The second album from Shuggie Otis – a wild and wooly batch of grooves that really stretches out the sound from the first! Shuggie's got much more of a hand in the arrangements here – and the tunes are grooving in a sweet blend of funk, rock, and soul – really drenched in the best cross-cultural influences going down on the west coast scene of the time – a kind of color-blind quest for the groove that comes across with a really righteous power! Tracks include the original version of "Strawberry Letter 23" – later made famous by the Brothers Johnson, but even trippier here in Shuggie's original – plus the cuts "Ice Cold Daydream", "Freedom Flight", "Sweet Thang", "Purple", and "Me & My Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album from Shuggie Otis – a wild and wooly batch of grooves that really stretches out the sound from the first! Shuggie's got much more of a hand in the arrangements here – and the tunes are grooving in a sweet blend of funk, rock, and soul – really drenched in the best cross-cultural influences going down on the west coast scene of the time – a kind of color-blind quest for the groove that comes across with a really righteous power! Tracks include the original version of "Strawberry Letter 23" – later made famous by the Brothers Johnson, but even trippier here in Shuggie's original – plus the cuts "Ice Cold Daydream", "Freedom Flight", "Sweet Thang", "Purple", and "Me & My Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

Another in the Supperrappin series – the first solo single from Phife of A Tribe Called Quest with two tracks produced by Jay-Dee. Phife's verses and the production on "Bend Ova" are a little harder than his material with ATCQ. But on "Thought U Wuz Nice" the production still has that breezy Jay-Dee feel, with a nice jazzy guitar loop. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Incredible! Two massive Tribe Called Quest sample cuts on one 12" single! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Ok, so it's not the kind of record you'd normally find in a pile of funky 45s – but once Tribe Called Quest called our attention to the great bassline at the beginning, there was no turning back for "Walk On The Wild Side"! "Perfect Day" is nice too – an overlooked number by Lou with a sweet finish, and a really dark center. 7-inch, Vinyl record

Amazingly baroque soul by this legendary crossover group from Chicago! Take 1 part hippy dippy rockers, 1 part young lovely soulful Minnie Riperton, and 1 part crazy wigged out Chess/Cadet soul studios – and you've only got the beginnings of one of the most unique soul bands to come out of the 60s. The group had a feeling that was like no other – and although they were ignored for years, their work is really getting attention again, thanks to legendary samples/remakes by the likes of Tribe Called Quest, Fugees, and NuYorican Soul. Titles on this debut LP include the great "Memory Band" (with the famous wiggy sitar sample), plus "Soul Man", "Lady Jane", "Amen", "Rotary Connection", and "Pink Noise". CD

One of the first really tripped-out albums from Todd Rundgren – a record that makes us think he must have been getting a lot into his head since the time in the studio for Something/Anything! While not a concept album, the record does have a clearly stated "quest for knowledge and quest for love" that kind of colors most of the set – a higher concept that's reached for in the album's array of shorter playful tunes, and ever-changing styles of music. As always, we're still most partial to the gentler, more personal numbers on the set – and these stand out as little oasis between numbers that have a more sonically experimental nature. Titles include a few weird little instrumentals with moogy bits – like "Flamingo" and "Tic Tic Tic It Wears Off" – plus vocal numbers that include "Sometimes I Don't Know What To Feel", "You Don't Have To Camp Around", "Never Never Land", "International Feel", "Just Another Onionhead", "Does Anybody Love You", "Hungry For Love", and "Is It My Name". LP, Vinyl record album

Great stuff from Slave! "Slide" is a monster – tight electric funk, nicely compressed so that it's not too silly, which is why Tribe Called Quest snagged it early for a key sample! "Son Of Slide" is every bit as great – and in fact, the single's probably got the two best tracks by the band on one piece of wax! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Two Groove Merchant albums by organist Reuben Wilson – back to back in one single set! First up is Sweet Life – a great groover by Wilson, and one of his best albums ever! The funky organist really takes off from the sound of his earlier Blue Note albums here – hitting a vibe that's sharper, darker, and plenty darn righteous – still small combo jazz funk, but with a depth that we wouldn't have expected a few years before! The group's a great one – with Ramon Morris laying down some great lines on tenor sax, plus Bill Hardman on trumpet, Lloyd Davis on guitar, Mickey Bass on bass, and Thomas Derrick on tightly funky drums. The album features Reuben's amazing cover of "Inner City Blues" – which has a great jagged groove that was sampled years back by Tribe Called Quest – and it also includes the groovy cut "Creampuff", plus "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Sugar", "I'll Take You There", and "The Sweet Life". On Cisco Kid, Reuben Wilson's working with an all-hip lineup, with players who include Melvin Sparks on guitar, Garnett Brown on trombone, Bob Cranshaw on bass, Mickey Roker on drums, and Ray Amando on conga. The groove has a nicely choppy approach to rhythm, which you'll hear on the nice remake of "Cisco Kid", a big sample hit over the years – plus the sweet originals "Groove Grease" and "Snaps", both of which are hard and funky! The album's also got a great cover of "Superfly" – and other tracks that include "The Look Of Love", "We've Only Just Begun", and "Last Tango In Paris". LP, Vinyl record album

Two excellent albums of funky organ work from the great Reuben Wilson! Both sides were recorded for Groove Merchant after Reuben left Blue Note – and they're actually a lot better than his work for Blue Note, as they have him opening up his groove a lot more, funking it up in a mode that's a lot like Johnny Hammond's work for Kudu. The set features 13 tracks in all – including Reuben's great cover of "Inner City Blues" that was sampled by Tribe Called Quest, plus other funky numbers like "Cream Puff", "The Cisco Kid", "Sweet Life", "I'll Take You There", "Groove Grease", "Snaps", and "Superfly". CD