About as close as you'll get to soul jazz with Oscar Peterson – and a very groovy set recorded with some good Latiny influences in the playing, and kind of a pop soul style in the arrangements! The core trio of Peterson on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums (a very soulful group already) is augmented by added timbales by Marshall Thompson and conga by Master Henry Gibson – great extra percussion that really makes the whole thing groove nicely! The album was recorded in Chicago, and has a sound that's very much in the best Cadet Records style of the time – filled with soulful groovers that include "Mas Que Nada", "Samba Sensitive", "Amanha", "Soulville Samba", "Samba De Orfeu", and "Call Me". CD

Features Pope, Sam Reed, Julian Pressley, Robert Landham, Bootsie Barnes, Joe Suddles, and Bob Howell on saxophones–plus Eddie Green on piano, Gerald Veasley on bass, and Dave Gibson on drums. Titles include "Doug's Prelude", "Elixir", "Prince LaSha", "Heavenly", and "Cis". CD

Stellar early 70s work from John Dankwork – in a 2CD set! Full Circle is simply one of the greatest albums we've ever heard from the Brit maestro – a big band album as in earlier years, but one done with lots of hip 70s touches! The feel here is halfway between that of sound library grooving and some of the larger group 70s sessions on MPS – often funky at times, but with freshly modern solo work that breaks out from the larger ensemble nicely to accentuate the mood of the tunes. Players include Alan Branscombe on vibes, John Taylor on piano, Joe Moretti on guitar, and Kenny Wheeler on trumpet – and tunes include Mike Vickers' "Eleven Plus", Mike Gibbs' "A Family Joy" and "Triple Portrait", Keith Jarrett's "Grow Your Own", and Dankworth's "Academy One" and "Earthman". Also features a nice bass-y take on "You Are Too Beautiful". Lifeline is another great one – also reminding us of some of the larger MPS projects of the same time. The tracks have a bit of an electric glow in the basswork and production, but the main focus is on acoustic big band grooving – with breakout solos, and some tighter ensemble passages. Includes the sweet suite "Lifeline", which has a few funky moments – plus"Tomorrow's World", "WRVR", and "Fighting The Flab". Players include Don Rendell, Tony Hymas, Ken Gibson, and Dankworth himself. CD

One of the greatest albums ever from the legendary soul singer Curtis Mayfield – even though it's different than most of the rest as well! Curtis is captured here in a small club, with a tight band, spinning out these extended readings of some of his best tunes – both tracks he sang with The Impressions, and as a solo act – completely transformed here in the righteous energy of the setting! The vibe is similar to the classic Donny Hathaway Live album from the same time – save for the fact that this set is double-length, and maybe even more powerful as Curtis sings and plays guitar in a small group with additional guitar, bass, and drums – and some very hip percussion from Master Henry Gibson, of Pharoahs fame. Tracks include "We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue", "Stare and Stare", "Check Out Your Mind", "Stone Junkie", "I Plan To Stay A Believer", "If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go", "Mighty Mighty", and "The Makings Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums ever from the legendary soul singer Curtis Mayfield – even though it's different than most of the rest as well! Curtis is captured here in a small club, with a tight band, spinning out these extended readings of some of his best tunes – both tracks he sang with The Impressions, and as a solo act – completely transformed here in the righteous energy of the setting! The vibe is similar to the classic Donny Hathaway Live album from the same time – save for the fact that this set is double-length, and maybe even more powerful as Curtis sings and plays guitar in a small group with additional guitar, bass, and drums – and some very hip percussion from Master Henry Gibson, of Pharoahs fame. Tracks include "We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue", "Stare and Stare", "Check Out Your Mind", "Stone Junkie", "I Plan To Stay A Believer", "If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go", "Mighty Mighty", and "The Makings Of You". CD

One of the greatest albums ever from the legendary soul singer Curtis Mayfield – even though it's different than most of the rest as well! Curtis is captured here in a small club, with a tight band, spinning out these extended readings of some of his best tunes – both tracks he sang with The Impressions, and as a solo act – completely transformed here in the righteous energy of the setting! The vibe is similar to the classic Donny Hathaway Live album from the same time – save for the fact that this set is double-length, and maybe even more powerful as Curtis sings and plays guitar in a small group with additional guitar, bass, and drums – and some very hip percussion from Master Henry Gibson, of Pharoahs fame. Tracks include "We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue", "Stare and Stare", "Check Out Your Mind", "Stone Junkie", "I Plan To Stay A Believer", "If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go", "Mighty Mighty", and "The Makings Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of gems from the legendary Rotary Connection – an early Chicago group that featured Minnie Riperton on vocals, and Charles Stepney on production! Songs is amazing soul from Rotary Connection – and one of their greatest albums! The "songs" concept has the group working over a bunch of tunes by other folks – and the record features many late 60s rock titles, redone with the group's incredible baroque soul sound. Charles Stepney did the arrangements, and the music has that airy eerie quality that worked perfectly for Minnie Riperton's amazing voice. Includes a stellar cover of "Respect", with a slow trippy groove that has been sampled over the years – plus a wild cover of "Tales of Brave Ulysses" that virtually defines the term "psychedelic soul". Other tracks include "The Weight", "This Town", "The Salt Of The Earth", and "Sunshine Of Your Love". Hey Love is a massively beautiful piece of work by "the new Rotary Connection" – a version of this groundbreaking Chicago soul ensemble which featured Phil Upchurch, Henry Gibson, and Charles Stepney – the cream of the Chicago production scene! Minnie Riperton's still in the band on vocals, and her work on the LP is similar to that on the legendary Come To My Garden LP. The album features the incredible track "I Am the Blackgold of the Sun" – a haunting soul anthem that has been a favorite of groovers for years, and which was later made into a house track by NuYorican Soul. A great album all the way through, and filled with loads of excellent cuts! Other tracks include "If I Sing My Song", "Hey, Love", "Love Has Fallen On Me", and a cover of Terry Callier's "Song For Everyman". CD

Really cool cuts from the French club scene of the 70s – a weird and wonderful assortment of sounds that all came from producer Daniel Vangarde and his Zagora Record label – a place where all sorts of criss-crossing styles could work together in a really wonderful way! Some moments have cool moogy electronics, others take off from funky French soundtrack productions, and others echo the currents of soul and global music that was getting a chance to try something new in the French studios – clearly given plenty of the right inspiration from Vangarde himself! Most of these cuts never got release in the US, and the selection of tracks is wonderful – a very fresh take on territory we thought we knew already – on selections that include "Midemman (Theme Midem 74)" by The Lovelets, "Dancin Machine" by Who's Who", "I'm Looking For Jeremy" by Soul Iberica Band, "Laugh" by La Boca, "Voyager II (12" version)" by Starbow, "Moog Jealousy" by The Electronic System, "Des Que T'As Dit Disco T'As Tout Dit (ext)" by Rocky & Vandella, "Kono Samourai" by Yamasuki, "Greek Girls" by The Great Disco Bouzuki Band, "Let Me Love You Tonight" by Vicky Edimo, "Come To America (disco inst)" by Gibson Brothers, "La Nuit Des Requins" by La Compagnie Creole, "AIE (A Mwana)" by Black Blood, and "La Poursuite" by Daniel Vangarde himself. CD

Killer organ jazz from the Chicago scene of the late 60s – one of the few Chess albums recorded by organist Odell Brown, an artist who'd go on to behind-the-scenes fame in the world of soul later on in the 70s! Here, Odell hosts a cool combo that features his own Hammond work in the lead – with other local players who include Artee "Duke" Payne on alto, Tommy Purvis on tenor, Phil Upchurch on bass, and Master Henry Gibson on conga – all grooving nicely through short "combo" oriented organ cuts like "Get Off My Back", "Mirar, Mirar", "She's Coming My Way", "Tough Tip", and "No More Water In The Well". They play with a mix of funkiness and virtuosity, and with the same sense of wit as contemporaries like the Jack McDuff group or Young-Holt Unlimited! CD

Killer organ jazz from the Chicago scene of the late 60s – one of the few Chess albums recorded by organist Odell Brown, an artist who'd go on to behind-the-scenes fame in the world of soul later on in the 70s! Here, Odell hosts a cool combo that features his own Hammond work in the lead – with other local players who include Artee "Duke" Payne on alto, Tommy Purvis on tenor, Phil Upchurch on bass, and Master Henry Gibson on conga – all grooving nicely through short "combo" oriented organ cuts like "Get Off My Back", "Mirar, Mirar", "She's Coming My Way", "Tough Tip", and "No More Water In The Well". They play with a mix of funkiness and virtuosity, and with the same sense of wit as contemporaries like the Jack McDuff group or Young-Holt Unlimited! LP, Vinyl record album