The first single from Super Nature, who later went on to fame and fortune after changing their name to Salt N Pepa. "Show Stoppa" is a funny reply to Doug E Fresh's "The Show." The production and rhymes follow the pattern of "The Show", from the live crowd intro to the beatboxing. With early production by Hurby Luv Bug. The 7-minute "Def Mix" is a dub version with extended beatboxing not on the original version. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Why did Motown ever let the Four Tops get away? This album was their last for the label – and it's an excellent one, filled with soul, sweetness, and some of the best arrangements the group had in their later years! The soul component is super-high – with tight group instrumentation that reminds us of the best Philly backing combos of the same time, but leaner too – as Dennis Coffey and Wah Wah Ragin are on guitars, Jack Ashford handles percussion, and Leonard Caston adds some nice funky keyboards. The real talent, though, is the group – and Levi Stubbs is in fine fine form on cuts like "She's An Understanding Woman", "I Am Your Man", "If You Let Me", "Nature Planned It", "Walk With Me, Talk With Me Darling", and "Happy (Is A Bumpy Road)". Even includes a great version of Todd Rundgren's wonderful track "We Gotta Get You A Woman"! LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the deepest work we've ever heard from Jamaican funk giant Boris Gardiner – and a set that might have been called "Ultra Rare Dub" instead – given the obscurity of the recordings! The core material here is from 45s that Boris issues in the early 70s – the kind of heavy grooves that have made him as much of a legend with funk collectors as reggae fans – but the tracks are taken to very different territory than the originals, in keeping with the dub promised in the title – yet with a sense of variety that's very different than other dub albums of this nature! Currents of American soul come into play as much as reggae roots – and instrumentation and rhythms vary nicely throughout, which really keeps things interesting. The original albums were issued in very tiny runs, and titles include "Freedom Roots", "Expression (dub)", "Racking Roots", "Love (dub)", "Paying Roots", "Mine (dub)", "Rider Roots", and "Gimmy (dub)". LP, Vinyl record album

Why did Motown ever let the Four Tops get away? This album was their last for the label – and it's an excellent one, filled with soul, sweetness, and some of the best arrangements the group had in their later years! The soul component is super-high – with tight group instrumentation that reminds us of the best Philly backing combos of the same time, but leaner too – as Dennis Coffey and Wah Wah Ragin are on guitars, Jack Ashford handles percussion, and Leonard Caston adds some nice funky keyboards. The real talent, though, is the group – and Levi Stubbs is in fine fine form on cuts like "She's An Understanding Woman", "I Am Your Man", "If You Let Me", "Nature Planned It", "Walk With Me, Talk With Me Darling", and "Happy (Is A Bumpy Road)". Even includes a great version of Todd Rundgren's wonderful track "We Gotta Get You A Woman"! CD

An Afro Funk band, but one with a difference – a difference that's maybe a bit hard to put in words, but which is definitely there when you dig their grooves! These guys have all the familiar elements – percussion, guitars, horns, and keyboards – but they've got a rhythmic approach that's a bit unusual, and which takes things in a way that's sometimes a bit more laidback than other groups of this nature – sometimes almost as if they're borrowing a bit of East African styles to weave into a Nigerian-inspired music. The keyboards are especially nice, and almost feel like Greg Foat's cooked up an Afro Funk project – and titles include "Last Leap", "Control Per Capita", "Bad Dog", "Xoomba", and "Yetunde" – plus remixes "Bad Dog (Tigerbalm rmx)" and "Last Leap (Taj rmx)". LP, Vinyl record album

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

A very nice little album – and one that moves way past the gimmicky nature that you might guess from the title! The Sun Ra influence is obvious – as it seems natural for the Chicago-based players to show a bit of respect to what's gone before them in the city. The Funkadelic twist might seem a bit more odd, though – but not if you consider the fact that Vandermark's played a heck of a lot with funky jazz combos over the past 10 years, and that Drake can really kick it on the set when he wants to! In fact, the two of them go so full-out on the Funkadelic tunes that you'll be hard-pressed to believe that there's actually only a trio of sax, drums, and bass playing the music! The Ra tunes seem a bit restrained next to the Funkadelic ones – but that also makes for a nice mix of styles on the CD. Titles include "Tapestry From An Asteroid", "Cosmic Slop", "Future", "Super Stupid", "You & Your Folks, Me & My Folks", "El Is A Sound Of Joy", and "Street Named Hell". CD

2 killers by The Temptations! Psychedelic Shack is a Motown classic – with a deep heavy soul sound that mixed in loads of psychedelic elements in a rolling righteous groove that was perfect for the political tenor of the times. The formula worked extremely well for The Temps, and shifted them from being just a regular Motown vocal group into a super soul power that shaped soul music heavily in the next few years. Includes the classic "Psychedelic Shack", plus "Friendship Train", "Take A Stroll Thru Your Mind", "Hum Along And Dance", and "It's Summer". All Directions is pretty darn great, too – with less of a coherent sound, but plenty of great tracks – including "Love Woke Me Up This Morning", "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On", "Papa Was A Rollin Stone", and "Mother Nature". CD

2 killers by The Temptations! Psychedelic Shack is a Motown classic – with a deep heavy soul sound that mixed in loads of psychedelic elements in a rolling righteous groove that was perfect for the political tenor of the times. The formula worked extremely well for The Temps, and shifted them from being just a regular Motown vocal group into a super soul power that shaped soul music heavily in the next few years. Includes the classic "Psychedelic Shack", plus "Friendship Train", "Take A Stroll Thru Your Mind", "Hum Along And Dance", and "It's Summer". All Directions is pretty darn great, too – with less of a coherent sound, but plenty of great tracks – including "Love Woke Me Up This Morning", "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On", "Papa Was A Rollin Stone", and "Mother Nature". CD

The height of French disco – a huge worldwide hit for Cerrone, a nutty bit of space disco that actually holds up pretty darn well over the years! The guy's not really a looker – and the strange "animal operation" cover almost makes this look like a prog rock album – which is where Cerrone probably got his inspiration for the incredible keyboard work on the set – but the record's a killer bit of club that went onto influence generations to come – and is arguably one of Cerrone's best moments ever! Includes the classic "Supernature", a catchy disco groover you'll recognize instantly – plus the tracks "Love Is Here", "Love Is The Answer", and "Sweet Drums". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge batch of material in one well-done set – a package that brings together four classic late 70s albums in a dee jay style – all produced by Joe Gibbs, and two of which have never been on CD before – all with bonus tracks and the usual top-shelf Doctor Bird presentation! As the dee jay mode rose up strongly in Jamaica during the mid 70s, Joe Gibbs was one of the key producers to really get the sound just right – layering the spoken, sing-song vocals over heavy rhythms in just the right way – less abstract than dub tracks, but also a lot looser and more flowing than more mainstream work of the time – especially in comparison to some of the big global reggae hits. At the time of such fame, Gibbs just dug deeper with material of this nature – served up here on the albums Three Piece Suit by Trinity, Under Heavy Manners by Prince Far I, Natty Superstar by Ranking Joe, and Inna Him Head by Prince Mohammed – the last two of which have never been on CD. The set's got 44 tracks in all – which includes bonus titles too! CD

A crowning classic from maestro Waltel Branco – a Brazilian talent who could be smooth and sophisticated, but also pretty darn funky too – especially on this famous album from this 70s! The set takes off in a large ensemble vein of Brazilian grooves from a few years before – kind of more of a kick to the Blue Brazil/Odeon generation, as Branco works with a large string and horn section, but also ensures lots of tightness in the rhythms, and sweet electric touches on keyboards. There's a bit of Brazilian percussion at times – which let you know you're not in familiar CTI territory – and as with so many other great Brazilian albums of the time, the production is superb – really different than on American records of this nature. Titles include "Lady Samba", "Jael", "Satiricon", "Walking", "Luar Do SErgao", "Petit Fils", and "Zoraia". LP, Vinyl record album

Pure lyrical genius from pianist Kenny Drew – working here in a superb trio that features Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass and the great Alvin Queen on drums! There's a special quality to the recording that seems to make each element in the music resonate in fantastic ways – especially the bass of Niels', who at times almost feels like as much the star of the set as Kenny! Titles include "Greensleeves", "Angel Eyes", "Eco Trip", "Nature Boy", "Sunset", "Blues In Green", and "Song Of The Birds". CD

Fantastic work from a really wonderful trio – a group with a sense of space and scope that's completely sublime! We've always loved the piano work of Masabumi Kikuchi, but here he really has this special energy next to the basswork of Gary Peacock – a player who somehow always feels a bit different when he's in a Japanese setting than a more familiar one – a perfect match for the percussion of Masahiko Togashi, who is maybe the freest player on the record at times – and working with that very open, sensitive way he has of handling a drum kit! The recording quality is amazing – all the different elements both separate and together at once – and the whole thing is a real lost treasure from the time, superbly recorded and done with a very timeless quality. This 4CD set brings together everything recorded during these wonderful sessions – some quite long – and titles include "Song In D", "Carla", "Little Abi", "Rambling", "Straight No Chaser", "Moor", "Good Bye", "Peace", "Nature Boy", "Tennessee Waltz", "My Favorite Things", "Summertime", "Begin The Beguine", "Waltz Step", and "Bley's Triad". CD

A great look at the changing tone on the American scene at the end of the 60s – that moment when Vietnam, social unrest, and many other problems weighed heavily on the country's consciousness – and made their presence manifest in all sorts of pop music as well! We're not talking about the familiar sounds of the Woodstock generation – but instead more mainstream artists who had never touched on politics or social issues before – but suddenly found themselves singing alongside the underground about the bigger problems of the day. This package is a superb look at that moment – put together by the team who've given us the great English Weather and Paris In The Spring collections for Ace – with the same care for choice of tracks, and a wealth of wonderful notes that really get at the nature of these unusual tunes. Titles include "Clean Up Your Own Back Yard" by Elvis Presley, "Wine In The Wind" by Anita Kerr Singers, "Paint Me Black Angels" by Eartha Kitt, "This Crazy World" by Paul Anka, "Questions" by Bobby Darin, "Do You Believe This Town" by Dean Martin, "Cardboard California" by Buddy Greco, "Cherrystones" by Eugene McDaniels, "Save The Children" by Teresa Brewer, "Welfare Hero" by Johnny Tillotson, "What Do We Do With The World" by Bing Crosby, "4th Of July" by The Beach Boys, "Mr Businessman" by Ray Stevens, "Paint America Love" by Lou Christie, "Hitchhiker" by The Four Preps, "Brand New Day" by Della Reese, "Saturday's Father" by The 4 Seasons, and "Southbound Jericho Parkway" by Roy Orbison. CD

A crowning classic from maestro Waltel Branco – a Brazilian talent who could be smooth and sophisticated, but also pretty darn funky too – especially on this famous album from this 70s! The set takes off in a large ensemble vein of Brazilian grooves from a few years before – kind of more of a kick to the Blue Brazil/Odeon generation, as Branco works with a large string and horn section, but also ensures lots of tightness in the rhythms, and sweet electric touches on keyboards. There's a bit of Brazilian percussion at times – which let you know you're not in familiar CTI territory – and as with so many other great Brazilian albums of the time, the production is superb – really different than on American records of this nature. Titles include "Lady Samba", "Jael", "Satiricon", "Walking", "Luar Do SErgao", "Petit Fils", and "Zoraia". CD

Fantastic work from a really wonderful trio – a group with a sense of space and scope that's completely sublime! We've always loved the piano work of Masabumi Kikuchi, but here he really has this special energy next to the basswork of Gary Peacock – a player who somehow always feels a bit different when he's in a Japanese setting than a more familiar one – a perfect match for the percussion of Masahiko Togashi, who is maybe the freest player on the record at times – and working with that very open, sensitive way he has of handling a drum kit! The recording quality is amazing – all the different elements both separate and together at once – and the whole thing is a real lost treasure from the time, superbly recorded and done with a very timeless quality. This 4CD set brings together everything recorded during these wonderful sessions – some quite long – and titles include "Song In D", "Carla", "Little Abi", "Rambling", "Straight No Chaser", "Moor", "Good Bye", "Peace", "Nature Boy", "Tennessee Waltz", "My Favorite Things", "Summertime", "Begin The Beguine", "Waltz Step", and "Bley's Triad". CD

A great album of grooves from Taste Of Honey – arguably their best record, thanks to some super production by The Mizell Brothers! The elements that worked so well on the self-titled smash from the previous year are in just as fine a form here – if not better. There's an overall groove that works wonderfully well, and creates a signature Taste Of Honey sound – soulfully soaring female vocals and spacey disco soul backdrops that's works on deeper level as a whole than they got credit for after the huge crossover hit in the months and year earlier. On the production tip, Larry and Fonce really know how to make the girls' vocals glide beautifully in the instrumention – using all the talents they honed in the jazz funk years, and working up a groove that's catchy, yet still pretty darn soulful. Titles include "Dance", "I Love You", "Do It Good", "Race", "Let's Begin", "Your Love", and "The Rainbow's End". LP, Vinyl record album

Marvelous late work from tenorist Barney Wilen – the French reedman who first rose to fame in the late 50s, with crucial recordings with Miles Davis and Art Blakey – then really faded from view for most of the next few decades, before making a fantastic late life comeback, with a sound that was even better than before! We love all of the later Barney Wilen records a great deal, but we especially love his work in a live setting – as over the years, Wilen developed this tremendous ability to really stretch out on a solo, and still remain creative – hitting a level that matches the talents of tenor giants like Dexter Gordon or Johnny Griffin, save for the fact that Barney could also play soprano sax, which he does here, in addition to some of the tenor tunes. The group's a tight quartet – with superb work from pianist Olivier Hutman, who also plays some electric piano in addition to acoustic, plus Gilles Naturel on bass and Peter Gritz on drums. All material is issued here for the first time ever – and titles include "Beautiful Love", "L'Ame Des Poetes", "Little Lu", "Mon Blouson", "Besame Mucho", "Goodbye", "No Problem", "Latin Alley", "Bass Blues", "Doxy", "Old Folks", and "How Deep Is The Ocean". CD

A fantastic collection of work from a real golden age in hip hop – a period that you'll probably guess from the image of the Native Tongues posse on the front – served up here in a compilation that brings together classics from De La Soul, The Jungle Brothers, Monie Love, and many others! The set list is superb – and while most of the tracks are well-remembered gems, and not the kind of rare cuts we usually hear from Ace Records – taken together, they're a tremendous reminder of a time when hip hop really came alive – bursting with wit, wisdom, and a whole new sense of musical imagination! As usual with Ace, the liner notes and other details are great – making this way more than just a slap-dash mix of hits – and titles include "You're Not Coming Home (Mase's funkay recall mix)" by Groove Garden, "Age Ain't Nothin But A #" by Chi Ali, "Bonita Applebum" by Tribe Called Quest, "Sunshine Men" by Freestyle Fellowship, "Peachfuzz" by KMD, "K Sera Sera" by Justin Warfield, "It's A Shame" by Monie Love, "Doin Our Own Dang" by Jungle Brothers, "OPP" by Naughty By Nature, "Doowutchyalike" by Digital Underground, "A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays" by De La Soul, "The Choice Is Yours" by Black Sheep, "All For One" by Brand Nubian, "My Definition Of A Boombastic Jazz Style" by Dream Warriors, "Mama Gave Birth To The Soul Children" by Queen Latifah with De La Soul, "Where I'm From" by Digable Planets, and "We Run Things (It's Like Dat)" by Da Bush Babees. CD

A fantastic collection of work from a real golden age in hip hop – a period that you'll probably guess from the image of the Native Tongues posse on the front – served up here in a compilation that brings together classics from De La Soul, The Jungle Brothers, Monie Love, and many others! The set list is superb – and while most of the tracks are well-remembered gems, and not the kind of rare cuts we usually hear from Ace Records – taken together, they're a tremendous reminder of a time when hip hop really came alive – bursting with wit, wisdom, and a whole new sense of musical imagination! As usual with Ace, the liner notes and other details are great – making this way more than just a slap-dash mix of hits – and titles include "You're Not Coming Home (Mase's funkay recall mix)" by Groove Garden, "Age Ain't Nothin But A #" by Chi Ali, "Bonita Applebum" by Tribe Called Quest, "Sunshine Men" by Freestyle Fellowship, "Peachfuzz" by KMD, "K Sera Sera" by Justin Warfield, "It's A Shame" by Monie Love, "Doin Our Own Dang" by Jungle Brothers, "OPP" by Naughty By Nature, "Doowutchyalike" by Digital Underground, "A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays" by De La Soul, "The Choice Is Yours" by Black Sheep, "All For One" by Brand Nubian, "My Definition Of A Boombastic Jazz Style" by Dream Warriors, "Mama Gave Birth To The Soul Children" by Queen Latifah with De La Soul, "Where I'm From" by Digable Planets, and "We Run Things (It's Like Dat)" by Da Bush Babees. LP features two bonus tracks – "Case Of The PTA" by Leaders Of The New School and "What's Up Doc (K-Cut's fat trac rmx)" by Fu Schnickens. LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing sonic portrait of the modern city – one created on the early 70s Italian scene, but lost to the shifting sands of time, due to its release as a sound library-only album! We've heard Maria Teresa Luciani on a few other records of this nature – but this one may well be her greatest – music that's beyond categorization in the way it presents its subject – not really jazz or soundtrack styles at all, but also not some sort of too-modern compositional idiom either. Instead, the whole thing seems to make some sort of honest, organic sense – as it presents differing aspects of the city, both residential and commercial, public and private – often with a sense of darkness in the immediate approach, but also with a current of hope at times too. Titles include "Public Gardens", "Modern Residential Complex", "Supermarket", "Poor Neighborhoods", "Power Station", "Traffic", and "International Airport". LP, Vinyl record album

The moog wizard Hugo Montenegro takes on the music of Stevie Wonder – in a blend that maybe makes the record one of the coolest that the studio maestro ever recorded! Hugo had already proven that he could groove in the 60s, and he picked up the moog at the end of the decade and started really working magic with the electronics – and here, the songs of Stevie Wonder provide an extra-special setting for his talents – as Hugo mixes in a range of keyboards, including some Arp, with tight studio work from Carol Kaye on bass, Hal Blaine on drums, and Larry Carolton on guitar. Titles include great versions of "Living For The City", "Too High", "Superstition", "Higher Ground", "You've Got It Bad Girl", and "All In Love Is Fair". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic live album from the great Betty Wright – and one of the few recorded documents of the way that classic soul singers would evolve the nature of their songs in a concert setting! Betty's recording for Alston/TK here, but the mode she uses is one that would grace countless performances to come from lots of her southern soul contemporaries, including many who would end up recording for Malaco in the 80s – this warmly personal, all-entertainment approach that really heightens the spirit of the singer way past their familiar songs and lyrics. Betty does some great monologue bits on the album – the most famous of which is on her 8 minute take of "Tonight Is The Night" – hugely superior to the studio version. There's also a great "Clean Up Woman Medley", in which betty sings that song and mixes it with bits of other 70s songs over the course of 11 minutes – showing that she's the one and only clean up woman! Other tracks include "Where Is The Love", "You Can't See For Lookin", "Lovin Is Really My Game", and "A Song For You". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare soundtrack from the mighty Cerrone – recorded right at the height of his electro disco fame, and with a very similar groove! The film was also titled Vice Squad in the US market – and the music here definitely echoes the sleaze of its subject matter – with loads of sweet clubby lines that are heavy in the keyboard styles you'll know from "Supernature" – but maybe even leaner and meaner here – with a stripped-down punch that makes for plenty of funky disco moments! The tracks are mostly groovers, but even the few mellow moments are great – and titles include "Phonic", "Give Me Love", "Make Up", "The Loft", "Strip Tease", "Experience", and "Deauville". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic 80s work from Luther Vandross – the kind of record that catapulted him from the soul music shadows into the major mainstream of the time! The style here is a fair bit more electric than some of Luther's music of the 70s, but the sound is still silky, soulful, and sensuous – thanks to Vandross' amazing vocal approach, which is undeniably one of the greatest of his generation. The tunes often have a snaking midtempo rhythm that works perfectly for Luther's groove – and while a few more numbers get a bit more upbeat, they're still never too over the top, nor commercial in nature. Vandross produced, with some help from Marcus Miller – and titles include "Superstar/Until You Come Back To Me", "For The Sweetness Of Your Love", "I Wanted Your Love", "Busy Body", "Make Me A Believer", "I'll Let You Slide", and "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye" – a duet with Dionne Warwick. LP, Vinyl record album

Classic 80s work from Luther Vandross – the kind of record that catapulted him from the soul music shadows into the major mainstream of the time! The style here is a fair bit more electric than some of Luther's music of the 70s, but the sound is still silky, soulful, and sensuous – thanks to Vandross' amazing vocal approach, which is undeniably one of the greatest of his generation. The tunes often have a snaking midtempo rhythm that works perfectly for Luther's groove – and while a few more numbers get a bit more upbeat, they're still never too over the top, nor commercial in nature. Vandross produced, with some help from Marcus Miller – and titles include "Superstar/Until You Come Back To Me", "For The Sweetness Of Your Love", "I Wanted Your Love", "Busy Body", "Make Me A Believer", "I'll Let You Slide", and "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye" – a duet with Dionne Warwick. CD

A long-overdue fifth entry in this wonderful series – and a set that offers up reggae-styled takes on tunes by Bobby Caldwell, Cerrone, Labelle, KC & The Sunshine Band, and other 70s club giants! As with the previous volumes, the music here is served up by a variety of different artists who've all recorded 7" singles for the Stix label – but who have a nicely unified vibe as they explore the warmer side of reggae elements – maybe almost in lovers rock territory, but with a groove that's got a bit more of a bite, thanks to the inspiration of the original tunes! Tracks include "Supernature" and "Teenage Kicks" by Taggy Matcher, "What You Won't Do For Love" and "Lady Marmalade" by Mato, "Still In The Groove" by Soul Sugar, "You'll Never Know" by Simon Nyabinghi, and "Walk On By" by Paula Mirhan. LP, Vinyl record album

A set that does a fantastic job of blending Cuban roots and modern jazz – but at a level that's completely unlike any other project of this nature! Aruan Ortiz doesn't just take direct inspiration from Cuban music – and instead, he clearly drinks deep, absorbs the right aspects, then puts them back on the planet with a fresh new sound that's all his own – often blocky and rhythmic, and given superb drive here from the bass of Brad Jones and drums of John Betsch – but free sometimes too, with a very open vibe that's completely wonderful, and richly expressive! Titles include "Los Tres Golpes", "Like A Changui", "Canto De Tambores Y Caracoles", "Memorias Del Monte", and "En Forma De Guajira". CD