A really stunning album from Hammond legend Caesar Frazier – maybe his heaviest album in recent decades, thanks in part to a surprise appearance from the great Jonas Kullhammar on tenor! You might know Jonas for his work on his own Moserobie label – but here, he demonstrates his very wide-ranging skills on tenor, and fits in alongside Caesar's work on the organ with a really great style – soulful, but also offbeat – maybe in the way that Harold Vick could throw in surprises next to the Hammond of Jack McDuff back in the day – and Frazier's pretty wonderful too, really romping with a strong sense of groove and sense of tone that really lives up to his legacy. The rest of the group features Kresten Osgood on drums and Johannes Wamberg on guitar – and titles include "Night In Tunisia", "Jive Samba", "King Of Leonne", "Thieves In The Temple", "I Wanna Make It With You", and "123". CD

A really stunning album from Hammond legend Caesar Frazier – maybe his heaviest album in recent decades, thanks in part to a surprise appearance from the great Jonas Kullhammar on tenor! You might know Jonas for his work on his own Moserobie label – but here, he demonstrates his very wide-ranging skills on tenor, and fits in alongside Caesar's work on the organ with a really great style – soulful, but also offbeat – maybe in the way that Harold Vick could throw in surprises next to the Hammond of Jack McDuff back in the day – and Frazier's pretty wonderful too, really romping with a strong sense of groove and sense of tone that really lives up to his legacy. The rest of the group features Kresten Osgood on drums and Johannes Wamberg on guitar – and titles include "Night In Tunisia", "Jive Samba", "King Of Leonne", "Thieves In The Temple", "I Wanna Make It With You", and "123". CD

Wonderful work from Harry "Little" Caesar – a singer who made some great R&B singles for the west coast scene in the 50s, but hardly ever got his due on the other side of the US! Harry's got a nicely rough edge in his vocals – a style that reminds us a lot of the best male singers at King, like Roy Brown or Wynonie Harris – and although Caesar's perhaps not as raw and raunchy as the latter, he often covers similar down-to-earth topics in his tunes – material that makes these sides a real joy to rediscover! As the title implies, the work here was recorded for a handful of different labels – Modern, Dolphin, and Downey – and together, the tunes paint a vivid picture of this under-discovered talent from LA – a picture that's expanded on nicely by Billy Vera's notes as well. CD features 26 tracks in all – including "Cadillac Baby", "Don't Mention The Blues", "Lying Woman", "Atomic Love", "Going Down To The River", "Move Me", "Personal Question", "Tried To Reason With You Baby", and "What Are They Laughing About" – plus numbers sung with The Turbans, including "The Nest Is Warm", "No No Cherry", and "Tick Tock A Woo". CD

A fantastic funky soundtrack from Riz Ortolani – quite different than some of his bigger hits of the 60s, and full of heavy basslines and lots of great drums! The style here is in the best cop/crime mode of the time – but has even more blacksploitation grit at the bottom than the usual Italian work of the period – with a rawness that really rivals some of the best funky scores by Americans like Johnny Pate or Don Julian – although overall, there's maybe an even higher funk quotient to this record than some of their classics! Take it from us – we're not ones to casually use terms like this – and we really mean it when we say that this rare Italian gem from 1973 might well have you putting aside your copies of Shaft, Superfly, and Black Caesar! CD features the bonus track "Romance Anonimo" – plus 19 more tracks from the film. CD

These guys are known by some as the backing band of Anderson.Paak, but they're a hell of a group on their own – rock-solid right at the core, and able to effortlessly craft a sweet blend of funk and soul – yet also leave room for plenty of guests along the way! The musicianship here is fantastic – classic, yet very much their own – echoing the perfection of 70s studio work, but with a very contemporary vibe and a nicely up-close spirit –a sound that's perfect all the way through, and which makes a great accompaniment to guest work from TI, Shafiq Husayn, Daniel Caesar, Syd, Benny Sings, T Nava, Callum Connor, Conway, Westside Gunn, and even Anderson.Paak. The kind of record that's perfect for bumpin all summer long – with titles that include "Gidget", "Time", "Rene", "Shibuya", "Eternal Light", "The Rivington", "Beauty & Essex", and "On Sight". LP, Vinyl record album

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