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A tremendous package of work from Ornette Coleman – five albums issued under his own name, and one collaboration with Jackie McLean too! First up are At The Golden Circle Vols 1 & 2 – important second chapter work from Ornette Coleman – a record that marked a real shift in his sound from the Atlantic Records years – issued by Blue Note at a level that gave the rest of the world a chance to see what Ornette had been cooking up on the underground scene! The album was recorded in Stockholm – in the tradition of European live performances that saw Coleman grow so strongly in the mid 60s – and the tracks are long, free, and full of improvised moments – with Ornette adding in trumpet and violin next to his familiar alto – in a trio with David Izenzon on bass and Charles Moffett on drums – both fantastic players who can be loose at the right moments, and bring things back at others. Tracks are long and unbridled – with less of the rhythmic changes that you'd hear in work by the classic quartet, and more of a full-on fierce soloing mode. Titles include "Snowflakes & Sunshine", "Morning Song", "Faces & Places", "Dee Dee", "Dawn", "The Riddle", and "Antiques". Next is Empty Foxhole – one of our favorite Ornette Coleman albums of the post-Atlantic 60s years – a set that still hangs onto some of the bold rhythmic conception of his previous records, but also points the way towards his freer jazz modes to come! The group's a trio – with really tremendous work from Charlie Haden on bass, able to match Coleman's energy with effortless ease, and really getting a lot of room to leave his mark on the music – plus the very young (10!) Denardo Coleman, who plays drums here with this stark, simple style that's not only completely unique, but which also leaves a lot of open room left for Haden and Ornette to really stretch out. Ornette plays his usual alto, plus trumpet and violin – and titles include "Good Old Days", "The Empty Foxhole", "Zig Zag", and "Freeway Express". Next is New York Is Now – a pretty bold statement from saxophonist Ornette Coleman, but one that definitely shows his shift in role – from a major force on the LA underground of the early 60s, to an artist who was helping pave the way for a huge wave of growth on the New York downtown scene in years to come! Ornette's at his most late 60s unbridled here – freer than before, and working with a lineup that includes Jimmy Garrison on bass and Elvin Jones on drums – still no piano at all – plus great work from Dewey Redman on tenor, who really burst into new prominence with this album. Ornette plays a bit of violin alongside alto sax – and tracks include "Toy Dance", "Round Trip", "Broad Way Blues", and "We Now Interrupt For A Commercial". Then comes Love Call – a really great late 60s session from Ornette Coleman – one that shows is increasing expansion in sounds and styles, and which also offers a bridge between avant jazz generations too! That bridge comes in the presence of Jimmy Garrison on bass and Elvin Jones on drums – a surprising Coltrane rhythm duo, working here with Ornette's mindblowing work on alto sax, and tenor from a young Dewey Redman – already a crucially intense player here next to Coleman, as both are set free in a group without any piano – that Ornette melding of rhythm and melody, but with a very different vibe than the Atlantic years! Coleman blows trumpet on one tune – and titles include "Love Call", "Airborne", "Check Out Time", and "Open To The Public". The set also includes the album New & Old Gospel – one of Jackie McLean's last "new thing" albums for Blue Note – and a very unique record that features Ornette Coleman on trumpet! The sound here is stark and hard – slight hints of the soulfulness that the "gospel" in the title might imply, mixed with the angular exploratory sound that McLean had been forging at Blue Note during the mid 60s – a wonderful balance that really gives the record a lot of bite! The album's easily one of the most "out" that McLean ever recorded, and the group also includes Lamont Johnson on piano, Scott Holt on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all pushing themselves in the company of the avant jazz giants. Tracks include the extended "Lifeline" suite, which takes up all of side one – plus "Old Gospel" and "Strange As It Seems". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure later album from Lesley Gore – and a set that's far more mature and adult than you might know from her 60s girl pop hits! The album's cut for Motown's MoWest subsidiary, and has the same hip style as other albums on the label at the time – kind of a California singer/songwriter style, which fits well with all the original material penned by Gore for the album – arranged with kind of a gentle, glowing sound by Artie Butler and the team of Michael Omartin and Jimmie Haskell. The approach is laidback and warm on most numbers, with compressed orchestrations that would be right at home behind Dionne Warwick – and titles include "She Said That", "Out Of Love", "For Me", "The Road I Walk", "Someplace Else Now", "Mine", and "Be My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

The soundtrack to Francis Ford Coppola's first film, and a surprisingly groovy batch of tracks! John Sebastian composed the whole score, and unlike most of the other albums by The Lovin Spoonful, this one's got a lot of instrumental numbers, arranged by the great Artie Schroek – short little grooves with a really nice feel, and mixes of percussion, horns, and guitar that come off with a great groovy 60s sound! The vocal numbers are pretty great too – and titles include the sublime "Darling Be Home Soon", plus "Miss Thing's Thing", "Letter To Barbara", "March", "The Finale", "Try & Be Happy", "Wash Her Away", and "Lonely". LP, Vinyl record album

Great later work from The Paragons – the Jamaican vocal group who are probably best-remembered for their early work in the rocksteady years, but who here deliver a well-crafted batch of roots reggae material, all under the production genius of Bunny Lee! The set's laidback in all the right ways – with gentle grooves from The Agrovators, who capture some of the mellower modes of the early years – while updating the sound with more righteous elements that bring a very different vibe to the sweeter soul vocals! The themes are nicely different than before, too – and titles include "That All I Want", "Come A Little Closer", "A Place Called Zion", "Heaven & Earth", "Positive Movements", "Life Spoilers", and "Dirty Streets". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that was issued by the Pricewise budget subsidiary of Scepter Records – but one that also features some great lesser-known work by The Shirelles – material that was still unreleased at the time of this LP, mixed here with some bigger hits to round things out nicely! The groove is right up there with other Shirelles work of the time – upbeat, soulful, and definitely setting a new standard for girl group soul. Titles include "Sha La La", "Maybe Tonight", "Tonight You're Gonna Fall In Love With Me", "Not for All The Money", "Lost Love", and "Time Will Tell". LP, Vinyl record album

A never-issued album by funky guitar legend Melvin Sparks – recorded right after his final record for the Westbound label, and appearing here for the first time ever! Sparks first rose to fame via funky work with Lonnie Smith and Lou Donaldson in the late 60s, the cut some killer albums of his own and with organist Leon Spencer in the 60s – before disappearing a bit until a great revival in more recent years! This set represents Sparks right before he dropped off the map – a session that's done with a sweet jazz funk vibe that shows the way that labels like Westbound were picking up some of the style of the successful CTI/Kudu imprint – mixing some larger charts with the leader's solo strengths – allowing maybe some more soulful influences in the rhythms, while still going for a jazz funk approach overall. The set's much more instrumental than Sparks' last record for Westbound, which had more vocals – and although a few tracks have an upbeat clubby style, most of the music is more in a midtempo mode. Titles include "Love Tones", "I'm Funky Now", "I'm Gonna Funk You Up", "You're Gonna Make It", "The Truth Hurts", "Make It Good", and "Disco Booty". CD

A funky treasure trove from Apple & The Three Oranges – a group we hardly know at all, but who really blow us away with the cuts on this collection! The groove is plenty hard right from the get-go – the best of the funky 45 underground of the early 70s – which means that there's more 60s rawness on the record than you'd get from bigger-label funk at the time – as Ed "Apple" Nelson still works here with a mostly underground vibe! Ed plays drums – which are mighty hard on most numbers – and his vocals have this offbeat, off-kilter, over the top quality that almost reminds us a bit of the Hank Ballard/James Brown recordings for late 60s King – particularly in the way that Nelson's completely unbridled with his energy. The whole thing's great – one of the best funky collections we've heard in years – and presented with a rich amount of notes and historical information too. Titles include "Free & Easy (parts 1 & 2)", "Moon Light", "Curse Upon The World", "What Goes Around Comes Around", "Down Home Publicity", "True Love Will Never Die", "Gotta Stand For Something (parts 1 & 2)", and "I'll Give You A Ring". CD features a massive 52 page booklet, too! CD

A funky treasure trove from Apple & The Three Oranges – a group we hardly know at all, but who really blow us away with the cuts on this collection! The groove is plenty hard right from the get-go – the best of the funky 45 underground of the early 70s – which means that there's more 60s rawness on the record than you'd get from bigger-label funk at the time – as Ed "Apple" Nelson still works here with a mostly underground vibe! Ed plays drums – which are mighty hard on most numbers – and his vocals have this offbeat, off-kilter, over the top quality that almost reminds us a bit of the Hank Ballard/James Brown recordings for late 60s King – particularly in the way that Nelson's completely unbridled with his energy. The whole thing's great – one of the best funky collections we've heard in years – and presented with a rich amount of notes and historical information too. Titles include "Free & Easy (parts 1 & 2)", "Moon Light", "Curse Upon The World", "What Goes Around Comes Around", "Down Home Publicity", "True Love Will Never Die", "Gotta Stand For Something (parts 1 & 2)", and "I'll Give You A Ring". Features a great 16 page booklet with extensive liner notes and photos! LP, Vinyl record album

Ashford & Simpson don't need to ask at this point – their in full 70s soul stride here, and it's not good, it's great! By this point in the late 70s, Nick and Valerie are firmly holding the foreground as artists in their own right after many years of acting as songwriters for other soul and R&B hitmakers – writing, singing, and producing their own work in a now-established tradition of sophisticated soul and uptempo grooves! What they had not done to this point was produce a number of big hits for themselves, and that tide started to turn this this excellent album that's among their best ever! Includes a number of singles that would help them begin to break through to later huge chart success, which was by now richly earned. Titles include "Is It Good To You", "Ain't It A Shame", "It Seems To Hang On", "Flashback", "The Debt Is Settled", and "Get Up And Do Something". LP, Vinyl record album

A great return to form for drummer Donald Bailey – a player who's probably best known for his work in the classic Jimmy Smith Trio of the late 50s/early 60s – but who sounds especially amazing here in a recent, righteous recording! Bailey's working with some very tight talent – the mighty Odeon Pope on tenor sax, Charles Tolliver on trumpet, George Burton on piano, and Tyrone Brown on bass – all players with a lot of depth in their music, and a brooding intensity that makes the record burn a lot more fiercely than anything Bailey ever recorded back in the day. The horns are especially nice – and although Tolliver's only on two of the album's nine tracks, Pope more than holds his own on the others – blowing that heady tenor sound that always grabs attention right from the get-go. Titles include "Blues It", "Gone Now", "For All We Know", "USQ/Trilogy", "Blue Gardenia", "Plant Life", and "Variations". CD

West coast harmony soul genius – a full early album of work by The Ballads – a sweet soul group who really live up to their name! The tracks here are all mellow soul with a near-perfect quality – vocals that step and slide together in a gentle, heartfelt sort of way – never too slick, and always with a heartbreaking sound that rivals some of the better-known east coast examples of the genre. Production is by Willie Hutch, Leon Ware, and Clarence Paul – and the album's a super-rare effort from the mostly-singles Venture label – with tracks that include "Good Bless Our Love", "You're The One", "I Love You Yeah", "The Gift Of Love", "Weakspot", "Hey Diddle Diddle", and "Goodnight My Love". CD also features 9 more bonus tracks – including "Right Track (parts 1 & 2)", "I Can't See Your Love", "Do It Now", "I Love You Yeah", and "I Hope I Never Fall In Love". LP, Vinyl record album

William Bell was one of the first great soul singers to record for the legendary Stax Records in Memphis – an artist who really helped set the tone for deep soul singles to come from the likes of Otis Redding and Johnnie Taylor – and one whose early work is still some of the best he ever gave us! This well-done package brings together all of Bell's first 14 singles for the label, both a-sides and b-sides – standing together as a testament to all the greatness the singer brought to the fray right from the start – as Stax not only found a way to record him so much differently than he would have been handled in other spots, but also matured along with Bell to keep on creating fresh magic as the 60s moved on! As always with Ace/Kent, the presentation is wonderful – a detailed set of notes that matches the wonderful set list – which includes "Formula Of Love", "Just As I Thought", "Whatcha Gonna Do", "I Told You So", "Don't Stop Now", "Crying All By Myself", "I'll Show You", "Monkeying Around", "Ain't Got No Girl", "Every Man Oughta Have A Woman", "Never Like This Before", "Marching Off To War", "Soldier's Goodbye", "One Plus One", "Eloise", "You're Such A Sweet Thing", "Don't Make Something Out Of Nothing", and his great farewell to Otis Redding, "Tribute To A King". CD

A bittersweet set of vocals from Polly Bergen – recorded with a sound that really fits her sad-eyed look on the cover! Although Bergen's voice is sometimes confident and full, it's nicely restrained here – often somewhat dark-toned and moody – in ways that remind us of Morgana King, especially in the way that Polly holds back at just the right moments – keeping things mature by never getting too overly emotive. There's a nice sense of depth to the record that goes way beyond simple pop singing – and Luther Henderson's arrangements further help color the sound of the set – by giving it a sense of unity that almost reminds us of some of Sinatra's best blue-toned late 50s albums for Capitol. Titles include "By Myself", "When The Wind Was Green", "All Alone", "Glad To Be Unhappy", "Too Late Now", "He Didn't Call", and "Not Like Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Blam is right – an all-out batch of funky tracks from The Brothers Johnson – captured here right in the middle of their classic period with Quincy Jones! The Q's at the helm on production for the set, and the record's a great extension of their earlier efforts with the man – but a bit more Johnson-tuned (if we can say that in mixed company) – with the bass upfront on some of the best numbers, and a surprisingly strong male ballad approach on some of the gentler tunes. There's a slightly jazzy undercurrent at times, and tracks include "Rocket Countdown/Blastoff", "Ride-O-Rocket", "Streetwave", "Blam", "So You Won't Stay", "Ain't We Funkin Now", and "Mista Cool". LP, Vinyl record album

The one and only album by this righteous funky combo from Ohio! Although Brute Force were an American group of the late 60s, they've got a sound that brings in traces of the African rhythms that were bubbling under at the time – similar to some of the best London groups of the post-colonial years, like Cymande, Demon Fuzz, or Asiko. There's often a jagged and jazzy style on the bottom of the grooves, topped with brighter horn flourishes, and combined with a vocal approach that has some slight folksy touches – very hip, progressive, and as righteous as you'd expect from the cover! Sonny Sharrock sits in on some tracks, and the titles include "Some Kind Of Approval", "Doubt", "Ye Le Wa", "Do It Right Now", "The Deacon", and "Monster". CD

Not the same Candido that you might know from Salsoul Records or 50s Latin fame – and instead a younger percussionist who cut this legendary album for Joe Bataan's Ghetto Records label! The set's got a rootsy vibe that's mighty nice – right up there with the best of the Fania salsa scene at the start of the 70s – and Candido plays timbales in a group that also features two trumpets, tenor, and trombone – plus lots more piano, bass, and percussion! You might have heard Candido's percussion in the groups of Ricardo Ray or Randy Carlos, but here he's a hell of a leader on his own – on titles that include the mellow soul "Baby Doll", the jazzy "Something Smooth", and the cuts "Palos De Fuego", "Bochinches", "El Lobo", and "Mi Ritmo Cubano". LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than an "encore" of the legendary Clarke Boland album Golden Eight – and instead a whole different set of recordings, done way back in 1961, but unissued until now! The album's a killer through and through – every bit the same sort of gem you'd get with the early Clarke Boland albums of the pre-MPS years – extremely tight large ensemble jazz, driven with plenty of soul in the rhythm section, and swinging with some incredible solos that further deepen the sound! Right from the start, the pair were totally on the money – and work here with a lineup that's filled with key European soloists, including Dusko Goykovich on trumpet, Derek Humble on alto sax, Karl Drewo on tenor, and Fats Sadi on percussion – not to mention the core crack rhythm trio of Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. Titles include the great Boland originals "A Ball For Othello", "La Campimania", "You Dig It", "Pape Satan Aleppe", and "Free Wheel" – plus a great version of "Invitation". LP, Vinyl record album

A large group in a small club – the legendary Clarke Boland Big Band, playing at the home turf of one of their key members – tenorist Ronnie Scott! The set features a very legendary performance by the ensemble – a crack lineup that's easily one of the best ever sported by the CBBB – perfectly mixing American rhythms, and a trans-Atlantic lineup of soloists – all tied together with just the sort of rich arrangements that make the group so great! Things groove right from the get-go – thanks to a rhythm lineup that features Kenny Clarke on drums, and Francy Boland on piano – plus bassist Ron Matthewson, sitting in for the usual Jimmy Woode. The horn players really send things off, though – tight trumpets from Benny Bailey, Idrees Sulieman, and Dusko Goykovich; bold trombones from Ake Persson and Nat Peck; and some searing reed lines from Johnny Griffin and Ronnie Scott on tenor, Derek Humble on alto, Sahib Shihab on baritone, and Tony Coe on both tenor and clarinet. This album features the full "first set" at Scotts by the group – with titles that include "Volcano", "Griff's Groove", "Now Hear My Meanin", "Box 703 Washington DC", and "Thence We Issued Out Again to See the Stars". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful soul album on the Black Fire label – a hip 70s imprint best known for spiritual jazz – stepping out here on a record that has a lot more vocals than their other releases, but which makes for a mighty nice fit! Wayne Davis is wonderful here – singing with the warmth of a Leroy Hutson at times, and some of the more righteous currents of DJ Rogers at others – often with harmony backings that really elevate the tunes, and a jazzy current in some of the instrumentation that ties things strongly back to the other artists on the Black Fire label! One of those groups, Experience Unlimited, lend their horn section for the record – and Davis himself shows off his deeper musical skills by also handling the piano and keyboards on the record. The whole thing is great – and titles include "Morning", "Things See Just Right Now", "Strive On and Be Strong", "The Garden", "Look at the People", and Al Johnson's "Dawn of a New Day". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from Delta 5 – one of our favorite groups from the UK post-punk years, and a group whose funky, dubby approach to punk rivals the best work by groups like The Slits or Gang Of Four! Like both groups, they have smart songs with interesting lyrics – but focused down right into the groove, with lots of heavy interplay between bass and guitar – captured with a razor-sharp sound, and that inherent sense of darkness we love in so many productions from the time! Female singer Ros Allen is in the lead, really belting out the tunes with a great sort of edge – and the set includes the group's three rare singles on Rough Trade, plus BBC sessions and live material – making for an overdue full length collection from these years. Titles include their classic "Mind Your Own Business" – plus "Now That You've Gone", "Try", "Colour", "Make Up", "Triangle", "Innocenti", "Train Song", "Anticipation", "Final Scene", "Shadow", "Circuit", and "Journey". LP, Vinyl record album

Messed-up funky jazz from an obscure early 70s UK group – and an album that really lives up to its trippy cover! The tracks are all long and stretched out – with lots of organ, sax, and spaced out drums – and the overall style is a mix of dub-heavy funk, Afro jazz, and a bit of jazz rock jamming! There's a bit of vocals on the album, but overall most of the set is instrumental – in a really right on and progressive style that we totally love. This is the kind of record that always got passed by in the 80s when everyone was looking for hard James Brown grooves, but which is very much in fashion now with the blunted funky crowd. Cuts include "Hymn To Mother Earth", "Another Country", "Disillusioned Man", and "Mercy (Variation No. 1)" – plus bonus tracks "Fuzz Oriental Blues", "I Put A Spell On You", and "Message To Mankind". CD

A lasting classic from Digable Planets, and a record that really helped push the bar forward for hip hop at the time – at a level that's still kept this one strong all these many years later! Digable Planets weren't the first group to bring in some influence from jazz to their work – but they definitely found the right balance here, and a way of setting things up that was real and organic, instead of maybe just a nodding reference to the past that always felt a bit out of place. The use of live instrumentation next to samples is also key to the record's sound – common now, but pretty important at the time, especially in a world of declining sample access. The trio of Butterfly, Ladybug, and Doodlebug have a wonderful way of tripping through the lyrics – and titles include "The May 4th Movement Starring Doodlebug", "Black Ego", "Dog It", "Jettin", "Borough Check", "Highing Fly", "Dial 7", "The Art Of Easing", "KBs Alley", "Graffiti", "Blowing Down", "9th Wonder", and "For Corners". LP, Vinyl record album

Heady work from one of the heaviest Mexican rock acts of their generation – a group who are as wild and wooly as they look on the cover – and who deliver a set that's got all the punch, power, and psych genius of some of the best UK material from a few years before! There's a really sinister vibe to the record, right from the start – sounds that emerge from the darkness as the drums explode and the guitar sends up a wail of fuzz – yet matched at times with some richer tones on acoustic guitar and even a bit of flute – showing that these guys weren't just being crazy for crazy's sake – and instead really had a sense of vision and purpose. The whole thing's wonderful, and done with English lyrics that should have made it a big global hit – thanks to titles that include "Lost In My World", "Without Thinking", "Eclipse", "Sometimes", "Let's Make It Now", "World Of Love", "I Got The People", "It's Over", "Going Home", and "Who Would Look At Me". CD

Great early work from trumpeter Jon Eardley – captured here at a point when he was a budding young modernist in the 50s! The album features 2 early 10" LPs – Jon Eardley in Hollywood and Hey There Jon Eardley – both recorded for Prestige within a few months in the mid 50s. The first date features Eardley's trumpet right out front in the mix – hard, spare, and a bit angular – with backing from the piano of Pete Jolly, as well as Red Mitchell on bass and Larry Bunker on drums. Titles include "Late Leader", "Indian Spring", "Black", and "Gloss". The second session is even more interesting, as it features Eardley's horn in tandem with tenor saxophonist JR Monterose, brimming with new ideas at this point in his career, and adding a real edge to the tracks. The remaining players include George Syran on piano, Teddy Kotick on bass, and Nick Stabulas on drums – and titles include "Hey There", "Sid's Delight", "Demanton", and "If You Could See Me Now". CD

Amazing box set – five full albums of material, plus lots of bonus tracks too! First up is Flowers – a soaring classic from The Emotions – thanks to some supreme help from the Earth Wind & Fire side of the soul spectrum! This set has the trio really sounding great – with Kalimba Productions by Maurice White and Charles Stepney – and a good deal of EWF help on the instrumentation as well! The girls break out of the rootsier style used on their earlier Stax recordings, and manage to fit perfectly with the jazzy tinges of the new grooves – and, along with Ramsey Lewis and EWF, the Emotions were part of a hugely successful trinity during the late 70s – one that took the indie soul roots of the Chicago scene and turned it into landmark big business for Columbia Records. The album's got a new approach to female group soul that would go onto shape R&B for years to come – and titles include "Flowers", "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love", "We Go Through Changes", "Special Part", and "You've Got The Right To Know". Next is Rejoice – a huge hit for both The Emotions and Maurice White – whose Kalimba Productions handled this album in the same hit mode they'd been using for Earth Wind & Fire! There's a polished, soaring bounce her that definitely shows the Earth Wind & Fire touch – and which takes the girls miles from their rougher, rootsier soul of the Stax/Volt years – yet like all the best EWF records of the time, the sound is also plenty soulful, with lots of righteous undercurrents. The album includes the group's wonderful track "Don't Ask My Neighbors", a heavenly tune that builds on a long tradition of sweet female soul from Chicago; the super-huge "Best Of My Love", a hit on dancefloors and radios for years to come – and many other nice numbers like "Blessed", "How'd I Know That Love Would Slip Away", and "Key To My Heart". Sunbeam is great little album from The Emotions – largely because it sounds a lot like prime mid 70s Earth Wind & Fire, with female vocals added over the top – ultimately, pulling away with a soulful charm all its own! Maurice White produced the whole set, and it's got a soaring spacey sound that provides a perfect spiritual edge to the girls vocals – taking them way past the hits, into much more sophisticated soul territory. There's a beautifully righteous vibe going on throughout – a sound that's almost like Minnie Riperton at her 70s Capitol best – and titles include "Love Vibes", "Walking The Line", "Time Is Passing By", "I Wouldn't Lie", "Smile", and "Spirit Of Summer". Come Into Our World has the sweet Emotions at the top of their game – one of the brilliant albums that has the soulful trio working hand in hand with Earth Wind & Fire! The girls were plenty great in their early years, but working with Maurice White and company, they really took off – hitting a whole new level that really unlocked some deeply spiritual power in their vocals! And sure, the approach also yielded the group plenty of hits – but for good reason, too – given the classic quality and all-great nature of a set like this. Maurice White produced, and the lineup is filled with plenty of Earth Wind & Fire players too – working with some great arrangements from Tom Tom 84, Wade Marcus, and others. Tunes are balanced between clubby numbers and some nice midtempo moments – and titles include "Where Is Your Love", "Cause I Love You", "Come Into My World", "On & On", "I Should Be Dancing", "Layed Back", and "Yes I Am". New Affair has The Emotions breaking free a bit from the Earth Wind & Fire influence, and grooving nicely with a sweet 80s feel! The girls' voices are still quite wonderful – some of the deepest harmonies in the female soul world at the time – and the tunes kick it up nicely in a blend of snapping bassy club tracks and mellower cuts that sweetly sway with their great vocals! Loads of wonderful tracks – and an album not to miss! Titles include "Turn It Out", "There'll Never Be Another Moment", "Now That I Know", "Love Lies", "When You Gonna Wake Up", and "Here You Come Again". 3CD set features 8 bonus tracks – including "Boogie Wonderland (12" mix", "Don't Ask My Neighbors (single version)", "I Should Be Dancin (single version)", "My Baby Dance", "Changes", "Where Is Your Love (single version)", and "Flowers (single version)". CD

An album that's often overlooked amidst some of the bigger "songbook" Verve sessions by Ella Fitzgerald – yet a really special record that shows off a side of Ella that's not ever captured this well on other records! The record was also initially billed as tied into the book and film Let No Man Write My Epitaph – but there's nothing soundtrack-like at all about the performance, as Fitzgerald works with only backing from pianist Paul Smith – a player who sounds wonderful next to the singer, and brings just the right sort of inflections to open up Ella's vocals for the date! There's a spare quality that's completely captivating – proof that Fitzgerald was a hell of a jazz singer at the core, even when her star was rising on the international scene – maybe even more compelling without any large arrangements at all, as she takes on superb material that includes versions of "Misty", "Black Coffee", "Angel Eyes", "I Cried For You", "Who's Sorry Now", "September Song", "Then You've Never Been Blue", and "Reach For Tomorrow". LP, Vinyl record album

An album that's often overlooked amidst some of the bigger "songbook" Verve sessions by Ella Fitzgerald – yet a really special record that shows off a side of Ella that's not ever captured this well on other records! The record was also initially billed as tied into the book and film Let No Man Write My Epitaph – but there's nothing soundtrack-like at all about the performance, as Fitzgerald works with only backing from pianist Paul Smith – a player who sounds wonderful next to the singer, and brings just the right sort of inflections to open up Ella's vocals for the date! There's a spare quality that's completely captivating – proof that Fitzgerald was a hell of a jazz singer at the core, even when her star was rising on the international scene – maybe even more compelling without any large arrangements at all, as she takes on superb material that includes versions of "Misty", "Black Coffee", "Angel Eyes", "I Cried For You", "Who's Sorry Now", "September Song", "Then You've Never Been Blue", and "Reach For Tomorrow". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning batch of tracks from a very unusual LA group of the early 70s – a funk combo at the core, but one that was also equally comfortable with bits of psych and redneck rock as well! The music here was all recorded within a short span of years, and mostly issued on the small Alpha label as a handful of funky 45s – but the style is surprisingly spacious, and shows a strong sense of musicianship from the members of the group – so much so that they seem equally comfortable and right on top of their game, no matter what direction they choose to take! And don't think that this multi-style description means that these guys are too all over the map, because there's a really unified sense of soul that holds the whole thing together – so that when they get a bit rootsy, the result is country soul – or when they get a bit trippy, they hit some Funkadelic-styled sounds. The collection includes great notes on the setting that produced these tracks – penned by Egon, who put the set together with help from Malcolm Catto, DJ Shadow, and others. Titles include "Don't Let Him Take Away Your Mind", "Strange Things", "Heaven & Earth", "Take Time", "We Got Love", "Waterloo At Watergate", "Why Don't You Trust In Me", "Cruising Central Ave", "The Dead Don't Die Alive", and "You're My Precious Someone". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Mr Big", "All Right Now", "Fire & Water", "Remember", "Oh I Wept", and "Heavy Load". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album by The Freedom Sounds – a very cool west coast soul jazz collective, headed by Wayne Henderson, and featuring a great mix of jazz, soul, and Latin rhythms! This set's a little more ambitious than the group's first album – with a number of tracks that groove in a very strong Latin jazz mode, sounding a lot like some of the best work on Atlantic at the time by Mongo Santamaria, Hubert Laws, and others. Henderson's trombone is still a key solo instrument, but the album also features some incredible sax work from Willie Gresham – a player we know little about, but who makes the album cook in the same fantastic way that Hubert Laws and Sonny Fortune did for Mongo's best work of the 60s! The grooves are very right-on, with plenty of excellent percussion work – and titles include the originals "Love-Out", "Behold The Day", and "Soul Sound System", plus some groovy covers, like "All You Need is Love", "What The World Needs Now Is Love", and "Are You Sure?" – all done with a great Latiny groove! LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing setting for the righteous words and message of Nikki Giovanni – as the set has the poet working with backing vocals by the New York Community Choir, who also recorded a great soul album on RCA around the same time – and an overall approach that elevates Nikki's poetry into a very spiritual realm! There's definitely some gospel currents to the music, but Givoanni's words and spoken passages have much more down to earth concerns – the mix of political and personal themes that made her one of the most important young black poets of her generation. The whole thing is fantastic – very powerful throughout, with titles that include "My Tower", "Poem For A Lady Of Leisure Now Retired", "Second Rapp Poem", "Great Pax Whitey", "Poem For Aretha", and "Ego Tripping". LP, Vinyl record album

The complete legacy of Glad – and the related New Breed group as well! The set begins with the group's classic album Feelin Glad – a sweet bit of 60s sunshine, and a record that's every bit as charming as you might guess from the cover – served up by a group who are well into the best harmonies of the time, but also digging for something deeper too! The vibe isn't really psychedelic, but there's certainly some of those elements at play – as the group get help on some larger arrangements from producer Erik Wangberg, who uses just the right touches from song to song to keep things interesting, and from ever falling into too-familiar territory! The record's filled with groovy little original tunes in a variety of flavors – and titles include "Bedtime Story", "A New Tomorrow", "Sweet Melinda", "Silly Girl", "Johnny Silver's Ride", "No Ma It Can't Be", and a cool remake of "Shape Of Things". CD also features 8 more mono Glad singles, mostly of tracks from the album – plus 8 more earlier tracks by The New Breed – all mono singles by an earlier version of the group, already really able to deliver pure Cali harmonic genius! CD

What can we say but more, more, more! Al Green's great – always great – so we're more than happy to have this second volume to his greatest hit set, one that features some unusual tunes from later years, plus classics from his 70s tenure at Hi Records. Titles include "As Long As We're Together", "Back Up Train", "Let's Stay Together (long version)", "Take Me To The River", "Right Now Right Now", "For The Good Times", "Let It Shine", "Funny How Time Slips Away", "I Feel Good", "Wait Here", "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart", "You Say It", "Guilty", and Al's great remake of "To Sir With Love". 18 tracks in all! CD

A lost treasure from the mid 80s Chicago rock scene – the self-titled, self-released first record from Green – with ultra catchy power pop melodies and an excitability that's as infectious as anything that came out of the Chi and other midwestern cities at the time! Green has both a sweetness and rawness that's in line with indie groups that made bigger waves nationally – and might be altogether better. Please don't take us for shameless home team flag wavers here, Green was the real thing, we can't think of a reason beyond bad luck that this record isn't mentioned in the same breath as other great records by groups such as The Replacements. And unlike some of our favorite albums from Chicago underground rock bands of the time, the lean, clear, but no frills production sounds just right to our ears. A total gem ripe for discovery! Titles include "Gotta Getta Record Out", "She's Not A Little Girl Anymore", "Technology", "Baby Why?", "If You Love Me", "For You", "Hurt You", "She, Probably", "Big In Japan" and more. This CD version includes 7 bonus tracks originally from the The Name Of The Band Is Green EP, which was never on CD before now, with EP versions of some album tunes plus "Something About You", "Autograph" and "Away From The Pulsebeat". CD

A lost bit of funky vibes and Fender Rhodes – one of those few records that's as sublime as it is rare – like work by Billy Wooten or Lyman Woodard! The Bobby Hamilton Quintet were an obscure combo from upstate New York – but they've lived on in our hearts (and ears!) with this rare gem from the 70s – a killer set that features Bobby on Rhodes, vocals, and percussion; Mike Gipson (aka Brother Fundi) on vibes, percussion, and electronics; and additional trumpet, tenor, and percussion – used to just the right effect in these totally great arrangements. Most of the tunes on the album are instrumentals – with a very cool, ultra-hip soul jazz approach that's somewhere between the very early Polydor work of Roy Ayers, and the funky electric grooves of the Nineteenth Whole – and the tracks are long, and have a really deep, soulful feel! Titles include "Pearl", "Priscilla", "In The Mouth Of The Beast", "Roll Your Own", and "Dream Queen". LP, Vinyl record album

Not the original Quatermass EP from The Heliocentrics – but material that takes off in an even fuller, heavier direction – and which may well be the funkiest sounds we've heard from these guys so far! The music is stunning right from the very first heavy bassline and sharp drum crackle – more focused, more full-on, and more funky than before – with this mindblowing mix of super-tight rhythms and nicely trippy work on keyboards and guitar – all freaky and fuzzy, but always with a sense of purpose, too – and never just crazy for the sake of crazy! These guys really hit a new high with this set – simply wonderful, and at a level that has us falling in love with them all over again. Titles include "The Pit", "Gas Bottle", "Discovery", "Phenomenon Of Man", "Telekinesis", "Night & Day", "Looking Back", "Mass Psychosis", and "The Final Conclusion". CD

A classic album from the early years of soul music – the only full length set ever served up by the great Joe Henderson – a vocalist with roots in the legendary Fairfield Four gospel group, but sounding equally great here in a secular mode! The arrangements are by Cliff Parham, and they've got this blend of bluesy vocals and jazzier backings – in a style that's very much like the best Duke/Peacock work of the time – with a spectacular focus on Joe's voice in the lead! The whole album's great, filled with unusual material – with titles that include "Sad Teardrops At Dawn", "Right Now", "Big Love", "Just Call Me", "Snap Your Fingers", "After Loving You", and "If You See Me Cry". LP, Vinyl record album

A great overview of the Incredible String Band – early material from the group's first three albums on Elektra, all pulled together in a double-length set that's a perfect introduction to their genius! The core talents here are Mike Heron and Robin Williamson – the founders of the group, and architects of most of the songs – tunes that use a fair bit of the acoustic instrumentation that you'd guess from their name, in an compelling inversion of older Brit folk modes – that same balance between modern and ancient that you'd hear from a few of their hippest contemporaries. The whole thing's great – and we really love to lose ourselves in the music. Titles include "Air", "Job's Tears", "October Song", "Everything's Fine Right Now", "Koeeoaddi Death", "A Very Cellular Song", "Maya", "This Moment", "Way Back In The 1960s", "Painting Box", "Log Cabin Home In The Sky", and "Cousin Caterpillar". LP, Vinyl record album

The title track on this one's a slammer, and the whole album has Leela James really working at the top of her game – maybe using a touch of her maturity to really sharpen her songwriting edge, and serve up the kind of material that really lets us focus on her strengths! There's a confidence here that's great – as James makes no bones about her ability to inhabit a tune, and come across acting like she owns it – a quality that's emphasized by the also-maturing talents of Rex Rideout as co-producer of the set. Yo Yo makes a guest appearance on "I Was Your Woman" – and other cuts include "Thought U Knew", "Good On Me", "Right Back In It", "Satisfied", "Be Your Baby", "Whatcha Done Now", and "When It's Over". CD

The overdue debut as a leader for reedman Josh Johnson – once part of our scene here in Chicago, but also a musician with a wide range of experience that includes work with Leon Bridges, Jeff Parker, and Marquis Hill! Yet despite those ties, Josh breaks out here as a musician with a vibe that's completely his own – doubling up on other instruments at times, and working with contributions from Gergory Uhlmann on guitar, Anna Butterss on bass, and Aaron Steele on drums – in a fluid mix of live instrumentation, effects, and other touches – not as edited as some of the work on International Anthem, but also not a conventional jazz record either. We're hoping to hear plenty more from Johnson to come – but right now we're really digging the cuts that include "Western Ave", "Eclipsing", "Bowed", "Nerf Day", "856", "Return Recoil", and "False Choice". Japanese pressing features the bonus track "Western Ave (extended play)". CD

A sweetly soulful set that proves that Wynton Kelly working for Verve was a heck of a great idea! There's a cohesion and direction to the session that's missing from some of Kelly's other work of the 60s – even though the format is mostly the same, with trio backing that includes Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums. The tunes skip along with a really great little groove – soulful and lyrical, but always concerned with the swing – hitting all the right notes without any hoke, and making us love Kelly more than we expected! Titles include "Swinging til The Girls Come Home", "My Ship", "Out Front", "Never", "Blues On Purpose", "If You Could See Me Now", and "Six Eight" – plus the great Latin-ized groover "Bobo", which features some nice work by an uncredited flute player! CD

A treasure trove of work from the European scene – recordings that were unissued at the time, but which feature fantastic performance by American soloists done for Austrian radio! The core group is led by trombonist Eich Kleinschuster – a player from Vienna who never got much notice on our side of the Atlantic, but who was a fantastic host for visiting musicians in a series of broadcast concerts done by the Austrian radio – with Erich as the leader, and a fair bit of work on piano and Fender Rhodes from the mighty Fritz Pauer – a talent you'll know from some key MPS Records sessions of the period! And the vibe here is very much like MPS at its best – a great meeting of talents, at a level that rises everyone else involved – which makes these sessions superb throughout, no matter the soloist. This Volume 1 features six tracks from the mighty tenorist Clifford Jordan – on "Looking Across", "872", "Leavin Train", "Impressions Of Scandinavia", "Vienna", and "Sandra". Trumpeter Charles Tolliver shows up on the remaining five titles – on titles that include his fantastic "On The Nile", plus "Lil's Paradise", "Paper Man", "Right Now", and "Household Of Saud". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from Kool & The Gang – from a period when they were pushing past their tight early funky sound, into a super-dope mix of electronics and spacey jamming that is still pretty darn revolutionary today! Although you might think the album would be a bit disco by the date, it's not – and instead has the group moving more towards a style of cosmic righteousness that was undoubtedly influenced by the early work (and success) of Earth, Wind, & Fire. The album has a few live cuts - including an amazing 8 minute long live version of "Summer Madness", with an extended keyboard solo that's just great! Other titles include "Cosmic Energy", "Do It Right Now", "Universal Sound", and a remake of "Hollywood Swinging". CD

Maybe the sharpest, funkiest album to date from the great jazz organist Delvon Lamarr – a live set that was done at the Colemine headquarters – but handled with a vibe that makes the whole thing feel like some small club date from the east coast from the 60s Hammond hero generation! Delvon is a monster on the keys – graced with as much a sense of pedal basslines as deft solo work on the keys – alongside support from Jimmy James on guitar and David McGraw on drums – partners in the rock-solid trio that's got to be one of the best funky jazz groups in the world! Tracks are all nice and long – and titles include "Love Land", "Ain't It Funky Now", "Tacoma Black Party", "Move On Up", "You Know When I'm Right Or Wrong", "Memphis", and "Can I Change My Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most righteous sounds we've ever heard from Houston legends The Lightmen – recorded at a time when the group was at their most spiritual, and very firmly following a cosmic path set down by drummer Bubbha Thomas! The music here owes nothing to the hippest sounds coming from the coastal cities – and even the undergrounds of Chicago and Detroit in the early 70s – and in fact, there's a vibe here that would be right at home with the Tribe Records spirit of the motor city, as the group balance their freewheeling inclinations with a nice sense of rhythm as well! Players include Doug Harris on some excellent soprano, tenor, and flute – plus Virgil Solomon on flute and alto, James Hensley on trumpet and light whistle, Joe Singleton on trombone, and Marshia Frazier on electric piano. Titles include "Sorrow Bitterness & Revolution", "Hope", "Blue Tip", "On The Road Home", "Song Of Praise", and "Ujimma". 2CD version features the standard stereo mix and the unissued mono version – plus a great booklet of notes! CD

Funky blues from Little Sonny – very much in the spirit of his Black & Blue album for Stax, in that the album's a mix of Memphis soul and bluesy licks – making for a full-on style that really cooks things up! Sonny sings and plays harmonica, but the best side of the album is the backings – as they get nice and funky on the best tracks, and groove things the way you'd expect from Stax at the time! Titles include "Hard Going Up", "You Can Be Replaced", "Do It Right Now", "My Woman Is Good To Me", "I Want You", and "Sure Is Good". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing sounds from one of the all-time greats – the legendary Little Willie John – not only a key inspiration to James Brown, but one of the formative forces in soul music at the start of the 60s! The material here was cut by King Records at the height of its R&B years, but it also stretches forth towards something new, too – a deeper, more expressive sound that really blows us out of the water, even all these decades later – vocals that are incredible, and virtually a blueprint for the style that would come to be known as deep soul in later years. The package brings together all of Little Willie John's hit singles for King, but also features the much more obscure b-sides too – making it an essential document of these legendary years – with a whopping 32 tracks that include "Now You Know", "Flamingo", "Spring Fever", "I'm Sorry", "My Nerves", "Do Something For Me", "Leave My Kitten Alone", "Let Nobody Love You", "Fever", "Tell It Like It Is", "Letter From My Darling", "Don't Leave Me Dear", "Right There", and "All Around The World". CD

We love the vibes-heavy music of Chien Chien Lu, and love it in an even different way here, as she collaborates with bassist Richie Goods – an artist who really helps deepen the sound of her music, and creates this great balance between bass and vibes that's completely amazing! You might not be likely to put the two instruments together right away, but they sounds fantastic here – as Goods has this melodic way of handling his instrument that stems from some of the best electric bass advances in 70s jazz, yet leaned out with a more contemporary vibe – and given these gentle funky elements in the backings that are mighty nice. All those touches make for a perfect setting for Chien's vibes – every bit as spacious, soulful, and seductive as before. The set features guest vocals from Sy Smith and Jamison Ross, plus keyboards from Big Yuki – and titles include "Rain", "Water", "Dull Ice Flower", "Embrace The Now", and a great remake of the Donny Hathaway tune "Someday We'll All Be Free" – plus a bonus radio edit of "Someday We'll All Be Free"! CD

A hell of a collaboration – core sounds by Madlib, which are then re-arranged by Kieran Hebden – at a level that seems to open up new dimensions in both artists! The sound is definitely Madlib's, but there's also a sense of majesty that seems to flow through the whole thing – almost as if David Axelrod was helping the beatmaker to find a new vision in the studio. And while some of Hebden's work can be a bit cold or too obtuse, there's none of that here at all – as the Madlib elements really keep things rooted to the ground, and in strongly funky territory too – all instrumental, but with voices drifting in and out of the mix as needed. Titles include "Theme De Crabtree", "Road Of The Lonely Ones", "Riddim Chant", "Hopprock", "Loose Goose", "One For Quartabe/Right Now", "Latino Negro", and "The New Normal". LP, Vinyl record album

An artist you might not know at all – but one you'll be digging plenty after hearing this wonderful set! Richard Marks is a guitarist and singer with a very funky, very gritty sound – really right up there with the best of the funky 45 underground of the time – which makes this overstuffed package feel like you've just inherited a sweet stack of rare 7" singles! Marks hardly made it outside of his hometown of Atlanta – but did work over the years with stars like Al Green and Eddie Kendricks – but, thankfully for us, he left behind a strong legacy of small label singles, nearly all of which are included in this beautiful set – along with a full book that tells the tale of Richard's time outside the limelight, plus lots of photos, images, and notes on the music. Titles include "Funky Fingers", "Never Satisfied", "Don't Take It Out On Me", "I'm With You Love", "Pretty Woman Pass On By", "Innocent Bystander", "Speak Now", "Purple Haze", "Why Did You Leave Me", and "Crackerjack". CD

Four early 80s classics from Johnny Mathis – presented here in a single 2CD package! Different Kinda Different is a tremendous start to the 80s for Johnny Mathis – and a set that really continues that strong shift into soul-based territory he begun in the 70s! Gene Page handles a lot of the arrangements here, and gives the whole thing that strong blend of strings and soul that he worked on other 70s classics for different artists – a perfect approach for that magnificent Mathis voice, especially when the tunes have a bit of a groove! Two of the best numbers here – "Different Kind Of Different" and "I'll Do It All For You" – are duets with Paulette McWilliams, who'd recorded on her own, but who really seems to hit her stride with Johnny, and in a way that's different than any of his other soul partners in duets. Other titles include "Never Givin Up On You", "With You I'm Born Again", "I Will Survive", "The Lights Of Rio", and "Love Without Words". Friends In Love is mature 80s work from Johnny Mathis – a set that features two duets with Dionne Warwick, plus some other nice material that shows that Johnny wasn't going to be left behind in the shadows of his older work! At some level, the approach of the 80s, and the rise of a new sort of adult contemporary scene, really helped Mathis find a new audience – especially when teaming with Dionne, who was also having a rebirth at the time! Titles include the classic duet title cut "Friends In Love", and another duet on "Got You Where I Want You" – plus other titles that include "What Do You Do With The Love", "When The Lovin Goes Out Of The Lovin", "I Remember You & Me", and "Somethin's Goin On". Special Part Of Me is a sweet 80s set from Johnny Mathis – one of those great later albums when he brought a good deal of soul into the mix! The feel here is almost more modern R&B than the vocal jazz mode that first brought Johnny fame – and it turns out that the Mathis mode is wonderful for such a setting – rich and full of feeling, and arguably better than some of his younger contemporaries on the charts! The ballads are beautiful, but there's also a few surprising midtempo numbers – and titles include a sublime remake of "Love Won't Let Me Wait", done with Deniece Williams – plus "Love Never Felt So Good", "Simple", "Priceless", "One Love", "Right Here & Now", and "Lead Me To Your Love" – plus "You're A Special Part Of Me", a duet with Angie Bofill. Live is a later live album from Johnny Mathis, and one that brings together classics, newer cuts, and a few titles he'd never sang before – all served up with a sound that shows the continuing strengths of the legendary singer! There's a variety of arrangers used on the set – including Gene Page and Michel Colombier – and titles include "Orange Colored Sky", "When A Child Is Born", "Begin The Beguine", "I Believe In Love", "Fly Away", "99 Miles From LA", and "A Certain Smile". CD

A sweet 80s set from Johnny Mathis – one of those great later albums when he brought a good deal of soul into the mix! The feel here is almost more modern R&B than the vocal jazz mode that first brought Johnny fame – and it turns out that the Mathis mode is wonderful for such a setting – rich and full of feeling, and arguably better than some of his younger contemporaries on the charts! The ballads are beautiful, but there's also a few surprising midtempo numbers – and titles include a sublime remake of "Love Won't Let Me Wait", done with Deniece Williams – plus "Love Never Felt So Good", "Simple", "Priceless", "One Love", "Right Here & Now", and "Lead Me To Your Love" – plus "You're A Special Part Of Me", a duet with Angie Bofill. LP, Vinyl record album

Forget The Stooges, forget Alice Cooper, forget the White Stripes, and maybe even forget Funkadelic – because this landmark album is one that really put the ferocity of the Detroit scene on the map – rising up the city's legacy of raw sounds next to their better-known soul and pop of the 60s – and forever putting MC5 on the great rock and roll map! The group had been honing their craft in the city for a few years before this set – and it was the genius of Elektra Records to capture them live at the city's Grande Ballroom, and not in the studio – which is part of the intensity of the record's charm, especially on the sometimes-edited bit of profanity. Titles include the seminal "Kick Out The Jams", plus "Come Together", "Rocket Reducer No 62", "Borderline", "Motor City Is Burning", "I Want You Right Now", and "Starship". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible step forward for 60s soul singer Gene McDaniels – so much so, that most folks hearing this album can't believe he's the same guy who recorded for Liberty Records a few years before! The album's incredibly righteous right from the start – and has a genre-busting quality that isn't quite soul, but isn't rock or anything else either – and instead, the kind of progressive, "years ahead of its time" sort of set that guys like David Axelrod were cutting in the same stretch. Apart from the title, the whole record's got a strong political message that's probably best embodied in the statement on the back – "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". With words like that, you can definitely bet that Eugene is on the side of the good guys – really pushing a social agenda with some wonderfully-penned tunes on the album – set to cool musical backdrops from the equally-righteous William S Fischer. Titles include "Love Letter To America", "Black Boy", "Outlaw", and "Sagittarius Red". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet modern southern soul by The Meadows – recorded at Muscle Shoals with a warm harmony sound that's better than you'd expect from the date. The album features a nice version of Leon Ware's "I'll Be Your Sunshine", plus the funky cut "Wheels", and the originals "Body Power", "I Can't Understand", "She's Gone", and "I Wanna See You Right Now". LP, Vinyl record album

Monk plays unaccompanied on a mix of standards and originals, including "Monk's Point", "Dinah", "Ruby, My Dear", "Ask Me Now", and a classic version of "I Surrender, Dear" – done spare and moodily, with a really haunting tone! LP, Vinyl record album

A great date from the later revival years of altoist Frank Morgan – thanks to a warm performance from the Cedar Walton trio! One of the great things about late Morgan is the way in which he's able to really fit himself into different settings – still holding onto his soulful roots, but also fluidly picking up the best elements of the groups he works with – such as the rich tones and soaring styles that Walton brings to this session! Cedar's piano always sounds great with a horn, and the warmth in Morgan's alto is quite a different match than some of Walton's tenor-driven sessions – and bassist Tony Dumas and drummer Billy Higgins keep things in just the right subtle side of the spectrum to fit the mood. Titles include "The Rubber Man", "Yes & No", "Manha De Carnaval", "Now's The Time", "Three Flowers", and "Third Street Blues". CD

A great date from the later revival years of altoist Frank Morgan – thanks to a warm performance from the Cedar Walton trio! One of the great things about late Morgan is the way in which he's able to really fit himself into different settings – still holding onto his soulful roots, but also fluidly picking up the best elements of the groups he works with – such as the rich tones and soaring styles that Walton brings to this session! Cedar's piano always sounds great with a horn, and the warmth in Morgan's alto is quite a different match than some of Walton's tenor-driven sessions – and bassist Tony Dumas and drummer Billy Higgins keep things in just the right subtle side of the spectrum to fit the mood. Titles include "The Rubber Man", "Yes & No", "Manha De Carnaval", "Now's The Time", "Three Flowers", and "Third Street Blues". CD

A well-circulated solo set from Junie Morrison – by now working very far from the P-Funk empire, and with a groove that fits in nicely with the sound of 80s soul! The album's heavy on basslines, beats, and keyboards – very much an 80s funk evolution from Junie's 70s roots – with the man himself serving up lead vocals that have a light vibe that's very much in an electro-ready sort of style! A few cuts have more pronounced guitar solos, but with the fuzz trimmed to slide in nicely with the more electronic elements in the mix – that compact 80s mode in which everything comes on right down on top of each other in the mix! Titlesinclude "Tease Me", "Stick It In", "Break 6", "Here With You Tonight", "Show Me Yours", "Gyrate", "Driving In A Porsche", and "Techno Freqs". CD features bonus tracks – "Tease Me (Arthur Baker long mix)", "Tease Me (Arthur Baker short)", "Tease Me (Arthur Baker dub)", "Techno Freqs (UK single)", "Techo Freqs (12" rmx)", and "T-Frequan (dub)". CD