Sweet modern soul with a sound that would get picked up on years later by the LA G-Funk scene. The album's produced by War's Far Out production team – and it's got a smooth sound that's mixed with moogy keyboards and compressed instrumentation on the best cuts. Some tracks are a bit too funky, but the mellow ones are very tasty. Includes the excellent track "Summer Love", plus "Cream City", "Magic Night", "Lonely Princess", and "Jungle Desire". LP, Vinyl record album

Trumpety magic from Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass – a record that's known not only for its classic cover of a model dipped in whipped cream, but also for it's tremendously groovy groove! The Tijuana sound is very firmly in place by the time of this set – Mexican-inspired, but compressed down into a sweet little LA groove in that magical A&M way – never too over the top, done in a way that takes a previously-hokey brassy sound, and smoothes it out for the Now Sound generation! Titles include the hit single "Whipped Cream", plus "Taste Of Honey", "Green Peppers", "Bittersweet Samba", "Lemon Tree", "Ladyfingers", and "Butterball". LP, Vinyl record album

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

One of Aretha Franklin's undisputed classics from her late 60s run on Atlantic Records – a seminal session that furthered her deep soul agenda with key backings from Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd – both of whom handle the mix of rawness and polish that made Aretha so great at the time! The Sweet Inspirations provide sublime backing vocals behind Franklin's maturing delivery of the lyrics – and the music is by an all-star group of players that includes Spooner Oldham, Bobby Womack, Jimmy Johnson, King Curtis, Tommy Cogbill, Roger Hawkins, and even Eric Clapton – clearly the cream of the crop, more than willing to be part of such an amazing set! Cuts include "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman", "Chain Of Fools", "Money Won't Change You", "Come Back Baby", and "Ain't No Way". CD includes the bonus tracks "Chain of Fools (unedited version)", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (mono single version)", "Since You've Never Been Gone (Sweet Sweet Baby) (mono single version)", and "Ain't No Way (mono single version)"! CD

You gotta love a record with song titles like "Marijuana", "Drugstore", and "Hurrycane" – and we can definitely promise that the overall sound definitely matches those trippy references! The record's one of the most obscure Italian sound library sets from the time – and really has a feel that's more like an offbeat jazz album overall – never too outside, but definitely modern – with very strong passages from the saxophone, flute, and trumpet players in the group – who work nicely alongside some sweet organ and guitar, which provide some excellent psychedelic touches! Tony Iglio himself handles the Hammond – and wrote and arranged all the tunes – and in addition to the three mentioned above, other titles include "Jungla", "Yatagan", "Yellow Drops", "Soft Cream", and "Velvet". CD

A funky party all the way through – and the one and only album we've ever seen from Johnny Otis main tenor player in the 60s! The set's got a vibe that's much funkier than some of Johnny's own records of previous years – and really shows that looser, more open style he was bringing to his ensemble at the time – and in addition to Preston's tenor, the set's also got work by a young Shuggie Otis – who's really wailing with some trippy licks on guitar! The overall feel is very much in the funky 45 mode – and most cuts are instrumentals, occasionally with a bluesy twist – and one number – "Cool Ade" – has a hip call-response vocal that's mighty nice! Other titles are equally sweet – and include "Hoe Cakes & Sorghum", "Cream Dream", "Neck Bones", "Chili Mac", and "Pot Likker". LP, Vinyl record album

Early soul from one of Motown's first great groups – the mighty Marvelettes, really sparkling here in a style that's a bit earthier than some of the later Motown hits! The vocals are wonderful – sweet yet honest, and crackling with a mode that goes far beyond standard girl group conventions. Most tunes are originals from the cream of early Motown writers – William Stevenson, Norman Whitfield, and the Holland-Dozier-Holland team – and titles include "Strange I Know", "Smart Aleck", "My Daddy Knows Best", "Why Must You Go", "Too Strong To Be Strung Along", and "Silly Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

A great record – and the kind of lost soul that has group collectors digging through the used bins year after year! Smoke hailed from Kansas City, and they were sweet harmony group in the mode of many of their east coast contemporaries. The record was recorded in 1976, but has a sound that's more 1972 or 1973 – with some uptempo righteous cuts, and some heavenly floating ballads that really hit the best sort of group soul harmony heaven! The record appears to have been recorded in Chicago – as the engineer is Paul Serrano, and the arrangements were handled by Benjamin Wright. Tracks include "I Can Feel Your Love (Comin' Down On Me)", "Cream Of The Crop", "I'm So Lonely", "Have I Really Lost You", and "Don't Take Your Love". A smooth groove classic through and through! LP, Vinyl record album

One of Aretha Franklin's undisputed classics from her late 60s run on Atlantic Records – a seminal session that furthered her deep soul agenda with key backings from Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd – both of whom handle the mix of rawness and polish that made Aretha so great at the time! The Sweet Inspirations provide sublime backing vocals behind Franklin's maturing delivery of the lyrics – and the music is by an all-star group of players that includes Spooner Oldham, Bobby Womack, Jimmy Johnson, King Curtis, Tommy Cogbill, Roger Hawkins, and even Eric Clapton – clearly the cream of the crop, more than willing to be part of such an amazing set! Cuts include "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman", "Chain Of Fools", "Money Won't Change You", "Come Back Baby", and "Ain't No Way". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Aretha Franklin's undisputed classics from her late 60s run on Atlantic Records – a seminal session that furthered her deep soul agenda with key backings from Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd – both of whom handle the mix of rawness and polish that made Aretha so great at the time! The Sweet Inspirations provide sublime backing vocals behind Franklin's maturing delivery of the lyrics – and the music is by an all-star group of players that includes Spooner Oldham, Bobby Womack, Jimmy Johnson, King Curtis, Tommy Cogbill, Roger Hawkins, and even Eric Clapton – clearly the cream of the crop, more than willing to be part of such an amazing set! Cuts include "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman", "Chain Of Fools", "Money Won't Change You", "Come Back Baby", and "Ain't No Way". LP, Vinyl record album

Raw, sweet, deadpan pop songs about summer mornings, the ice cream man, rollercoasters, and cars from the strangely whimsical Jonathan Richman! This is Jonathan's third album for Beserkely (and the second to come out in early '77) – and the true beginning of the second phase of his career, which cast him as an oddball manchild who rattled out weird, three chord tunes about whatever seemed to be going through his development-arrested mind at the time. It's all still very sweet, very catchy, and all about acoustic stream of consciousness cuteness. This was all still very amazing in the mid 70s – well before tongue-in-cheek hipsters like the Violent Femmes used Richmond-esque quirkiness as pure gimmickery. It may a notch below his previous couple of classic albums – but Rock And Roll is still a gem! "The Sweeping Wind", "Ice Cream Man", "Summer Morning", "Fly Into Mystery", "Roller Coaster By The Sea", "Coomyah", "Egyptian Reggae", and "The Wheels On The Bus". CD

Features very long takes on "Sweet Wine" and "NSU" – plus "Sleepy Time Time", "Lawdy Mama", and "Rollin & Tumblin". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the great "songbook" albums by the Rubber Band – and a very different set than their better-known Hendrix record! As you'd guess by the title, this session has the group taking on Cream – performing instrumental versions of some of the group's most groove-heavy tunes, but doing so in a way that avoids the risk of falling short of Eric Clapton's guitar work – by just not using much guitar at all! Instead, the versions of the tunes are funkily baroque – still with heavy Ginger Baker-styled drums on the bottom, but often using strings and woodwinds in weird ways to carry the rest of the tune. The approach is almost like some of the best Brit Easy records from the time – with a full orchestral sound thinned into a tight rock funk groove! The set's got an especially great version of "Strange Brew", with organ that sounds like it could be played by Alan Hawkshaw – plus the tracks "White Room", "Deserted Cities Of The Heart", "Toad", "We're Going Wrong", "Those Were The Days", "Sunshine Of Your Love", and "Sweet Wine". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic solo work from Ginger Baker – a musician who only seemed to get better and better the farther he moved away from Cream and Blind Faith! A set like this really gives Ginger a chance to open up and explore all the many musical currents that were grabbing his interests – served up here in a mix of jazz, funk, rock, and soul delivered by a lineup who are every bit as stunning as the music on the album! In addition to plenty of work from Baker on drums, the set features jazz contributions from the excellent Harold McNair and Chris Wood, who both play saxes and flute – plus drums from the legendary Phil Seamen – as well as a heck of a lot more sax and organ from Graham Bond, plus bass from Ric Grech, guitar and vocals from Denny Laine, organ and vocals from Steve Winwood, percussion from Neemoi Acquaye, and lots more contributions from a lineup that's almost too big to mention. The results are wonderful – and titles include "Toady", "Let Me Ride", "We Free Kings", "12 Gates Of The City", "Do U No Hu Yor Phrenz R", and "Sweet Wine". CD

Mayer Hawthorne's looking a bit cheesy on the cover, but sounding pretty darn great within – really sparkling with those mellow soul elements that have just gotten better and better with each new release, at a level that's a plenty strong musical answers to any of the haters out there! There's a warm glow to the set – a sense of heart-ful feelings that clearly inspire Mayer in his lyrics, and which really comes through on the slower-paced tracks on the set! Titles include "Standby", "Cream Interior", "Hawthorne Rides Again", "Without You", "Physical Touch", "The Pool", "Deeper Vibration", "Tell Me", "Deuce & A Quarter", "On The Floor", and "Sweet Temptation Woman". CD features the bonus track "Eyes Of Love". CD

Incredible work from Spencer Wiggins – a late 60s Memphis singer who travelled in the same circles as James Carr, Percy Sledge, and Otis Redding, but who hardly ever got his due – despite talents that were clearly equal to his contemporaries! This beautifully-done set brings together 14 tracks that Wiggins recorded for Goldwax Records in the late 60s – a label that was also home to Carr's best work, and who does an equally great job with Spencer's deep-burning vocals on these sides. Many of the tracks on the set were written by the cream of the crop of southern soul writers at the time – George Jackson, Quinton Claunch, Isaac Hayes, and others – and backings are often spare and subtle, really letting Wiggins' vocals take center stage! Titles include "I'm A Poor Man's Son", "Lonely Man", "Sweet Sixteen", "He's Too Old", "Anything You Do Is Alright", "I Never Loved A Woman The Way I Love You", "Old Friend", "Up Tight Good Woman", "Take Me Just As I Am", "Once In A While", "The Power of A Woman", "I'll Be True To You", and "Lover's Crime". LP, Vinyl record album

A soaring set from the great Eddie Kendricks – and a record that brings his Detroit roots into play with the best Philly grooves of the time – thanks to production from the mighty Norman Harris! Harris works with the cream of the crop of the Sigma Sound scene, and cooks up these beautifully flowing grooves for Eddie – clubby tracks that work perfectly for his sublime vocal approach, mixed with some wonderful mellow moments that have this really heartbreaking intensity – maybe even a bit more depth than some of Kendricks' previous few records. A great example of this is the wonderful cut "The Newness Is Gone" – among other killer tracks that include "Born Again", "Sweet Tenderoni", "Don't Put Off Until Tomorrow", and the great "To You From Me". LP, Vinyl record album

50 Trojan master cuts on 3 CDs – all original, unfettered with deep reggae masters! Many of these 60s & 70s cuts went on to be pop hits in later covers by Blondie, UB40, Selector, Shaggy, and many others, but these reggae, rocksteady, and ska originals are as the title informs, the real deal by the cream of the Trojan roster! 50 cuts on three CDs, including "Cherry Oh, Baby" by Eric Donaldson, "Many Rivers To Cross" by Jimmy Cliff, "I Will Never Let You"by Cornell Campbell, "Wear You To The Ball" by U-Roy, "Mr. Fix It" by Max Romeo, "Sweet Sensation" by the Melodians, "Johnny Too Bad" by the Slickers, "Groovin' Out On Life" by Ken Parker, "Soul Rebel" by Bob Marley & The Wailers, "My Best Girl" & "The Tide Is High" by the Paragons, "Blood & Fire" by Niney the Observer, "Let Your Yeah Be Yeah", "Time Hard" & "Long Shot Kick De Bucket" by The Pioneers, "Red Red Wine" by Tony Tribe, "Crying Over You" & "Everything I Own " by Ken Boothe, "Love Of The Common People" by Nicky Thomas, "Rudy A Message To You" by Dandy Livingstone, "Monkey Man" by the Maytals and tons more! CD

These guys may be obscure, but they've got a super-sharp sound – one that's filled with lots of acid-drenched guitar, played with a tightness that rivals most of their bigger contemporaries at the time! Group members all had a history working with other acts – including Buffalo Springfield, The Bobby Fuller Four, and Don & The Goodtimers – so that might expect the well-done, professional approach to the record – as it does its evolving sense of heavier guitar work at the end of the 60s. Whatever the case, though, the set's plenty great to stand on its own – even without that pedigree – filled with Cream-styled fuzzy guitar lines that are totally great, focused vocals sung by group members at once, and a batch of well-penned tunes that almost deserve to be classics. Titles include "Sweet Mama", "Love Is Here", "Yellow's Dream", "Feel Like A Bandit", "Loveless Lives", "No Regrets", and "Winding Your String". 2 bonus tracks on this CD version – mono versions of "Marianne" and "Yellow's Dream". CD

Mayer Hawthorne's looking a bit cheesy on the cover, but sounding pretty darn great within – really sparkling with those mellow soul elements that have just gotten better and better with each new release, at a level that's a plenty strong musical answers to any of the haters out there! There's a warm glow to the set – a sense of heart-ful feelings that clearly inspire Mayer in his lyrics, and which really comes through on the slower-paced tracks on the set! Titles include "Standby", "Cream Interior", "Hawthorne Rides Again", "Without You", "Physical Touch", "The Pool", "Deeper Vibration", "Tell Me", "Deuce & A Quarter", "On The Floor", and "Sweet Temptation Woman". Features the bonus track "Eyes Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible lost moment in the career of Screamin Jay Hawkins – material that was recorded in London in the mid 60s, and with a very different flavor than most of Hawkins' other material! There's a mod jazz approach to this set that's totally great – as Jay's raw vocals come into play with a sweet-grooving Hammond, in a combo that also features some sharp work on guitar, and some strong sax solos too! The upbeat, jazzy vibe is totally great – and gives Screamin Jay a whole new focus for his vocals – and for his songwriting, too – as most of the material here is original. And while Hawkins is always best remembered for his spooky, gimmicky cuts, this material is equally great in a totally different way – and, if it were pursued further, might have given the man a whole new direction in his career. Make no mistake, there's still plenty here to love if you're a longtime fan of Screamin Jay Hawkins – but you'll also really appreciate the mod grooves in the set as well! Titles include "I Wanna Know", "In My Dream", "Change Your Ways", "Serving Time", "Please Forgive Me", "Move Me", "My Marion", and "All Night". Plus, CD features a whopping 12 bonus tracks – a few alternate takes, and other versions of album songs – plus the titles "I'm Lonely" and "Stone Crazy". CD

Current Rage were one of the more obscure groups to come out of the Athens, GA scene in the early 80s – but they've also got all the instantly creative energy that made that short-lived world of music every bit as exciting as some of the best New York sounds at the time! There's a nicely choppy approach to the rhythms going on here, and plenty of strong guitar play too – deft music that's somewhere in the territory of Pylon, and like that group, maybe a warmer US answer to British post-punk sounds of the same time. Titles include "Right Side Of The Brain", "Bitte Schoen", "Sweet Torture", "My Dog Sam", "Looking Through Gels", and "Scream In The Dark". Expanded version features bonus tracks that include "Adventures In America", "Punch A Clock", "The Theme", "Constant Hiss", and live tracks "My Dog Sam", "AF", "Tequila", and "The Book Pressed Flowers". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing sounds from Polish composer Andrzej Korzynski – penned for a legendary horror film from the early 80s! The movie goes way beyond typical grit and gore – with a surreal bent that's made it the stuff of much discussion over the years – and Korzynski's music definitely lives up to the spirit of the images on the screen – mixing 80s electronics with offbeat strings, odd percussion, and other compelling bits – often used in very short songs that shift often throughout the course of the album – easily making the record one of the most playful we've ever heard from Finders Keepers – yet also one of the darkest too! A few sweet keyboard melodies offset some of the spookiness in a nice way – and titles include "Helen Has Green Eyes", "Opetanie 1", "The Night The Screaming Stops", "Blue Ford B AZ6", "Heinrick's Demise", "Mark Looks In The Fridge", "What Is It", and "Closely Observed Anna". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet 70s grooving from South America – the only album ever recorded by this great little group from Uruguay! The set was done at the end of the 70s, but it's got a style that recalls the best electric work from the US and UK at the start of the decade – sort of a blend of funky easy, jazzy instrumentals, and some of the hipper styles of the sound library scene! There's a sweetness to many of the tunes, to be sure – but they've also got a snapping rhythm that's mighty nice, and plenty of great bits on guitar, keyboards, and just a hint of funky flute and sax – plus some occasional Latin rhythms that change things up nicely. The overall sound almost reminds us of some of those early 70s Brazilian groups that would offer up their take on a European instrumental groove – such as Super Erotico – but the end result is also a bit more funky too! Titles include the great originals "El Ladron" and "Maranata" – plus versions of "Charlies Angels", "Song For My Father", "Carly Carola", and "Primal Scream". CD

Bass heavy funk from Larry Graham – a record done when he was moving into the solo spotlight a bit more than before, but a set that's still got an undeniable Graham Central Station groove! The tunes are tight, but never too polished – and lie in a sweet little space that's somewhere between Bootsy Collins & Zapp, with all the best elements that both of those artists were showing at the time. A few tunes get a bit more sweetly soulful, but never too much so – just a nice change of pace to showcase Larry's growing confidence in his vocals. Titles include "Sneaky Freak", "Star Walk", "Foxy Lady", "Tonight", "Scream", and "The Entertainer". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great little funky record – even if it's a bit of a mystery in the record racks at times! This group were one of a number to use the name Smoke during the 70s – but at some point they were forced to change their name to Black Smoke, and you'll see the record listed both ways, but with the same cover. The band's a mixed ensemble of funk players – and they've got a sound that begins with a bass-heavy Average White Band groove, but moves into some more sophisticated playing with plenty of jazz funk touches. No surprise that the album's produced by Wayne Henderson, who handled some of the best jazz funk of the 70s – and in a way, the group probably sounds more like Pleasure (who Henderson also produced) than anyone else. The album features the extremely catchy soul tune "What Goes Around Comes Around", which has sweet ensemble vocals riffing along in a jazzy groove – plus the tracks "Screamin", "There It Is", "Freedom Of The Mind", and "Turn This Thing Around". CD

A wonderful collection of New Orleans soul legend Allen Toussaint's recordings for Reprise in the 70s! The Reprise years were really magical period for Allen, recording some of the greatest music of his career – mixing funk with heavy soul early in the decade and with a bit more sweetness and polish as the years progress – but even at his most mainstream ready, the groove is very much traceable to the gritty, funkier Crescent City sounds of his younger years. Amazing stuff that we grow more and more fond of with each passing year! Includes "From A Whisper To A Scream", "What Is Success", "Am I Expecting To Much?", "On Your Way Down"., "Soul Sister", "Country John", "Last Train", "What Do You Want The Girl To Do?", "Lover Of Love", "Motion", "Viva La Money", "With You In Mind", Night People", "Happiness" and more. 16 tracks in all. CD

A dancefloor classic! The album's the second by Gregg Diamond's Bionic Boogie, and head and shoulders above the rest – a sublime blend of soul and club that's hardly been matched again! Diamond manages to make things groove, but never loses sight of the soulful styles that make the record so great – and works here with key contributions from a young Luther Vandross, who gives the album some of the same strong vocal arrangements he brought to his own first two albums on Atlantic! Luther sings lead on the album's legendary track "Hot Butterfly", and works in a group with Cissy Houston on other tracks – sweetly soaring with vocals that go far beyond most disco efforts of the time. Simply sublime, and with classics that include "Hot Butterfly", "Paradise", "Cream (Always Rises To The Top)", "Chains", and "When The Sh*t Hits The Fan (Rocket Pocket)". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky funky Maynard – and a sweet set of electric big band jazz that's got plenty of nice moments! The album features a core rhythm group that really goes to town – jamming in sort of a Clarke-Boland sort of way, with lots of propulsive changes that create a full-on and often funky groove – as Maynard and other horns blow like mad over the top, sending the album into screaming, soaring grooves that almost never let up. The record was Maynard's first US effort in a long time – and was produced by Teo Macero with a very electric-conscious sound that further enforced the hipness of the music! Titles include "Pochahontas", "Awright Awright", "Nice N Juicy", "SOMF", and "Mother Fingers". LP, Vinyl record album

Both of the rare albums on the tiny Tuba label, cut by jazz vibist Johnny Lytle in the 60s! The Loop is one of the coolest, grooviest albums ever from jazz vibist Johnny Lytle – a set that really leans into the impact that he was having with the soul instrumental crowd, and which serves up tunes in these short, tight grooves that show why Johnny was the king of the stepping dancefloor in the 60s! The set's still done with producer Orrin Keepnews, who'd handled Lytle's earlier jazz sides – but the tunes are shorter, and have the grooves punched up nicely – with plenty of cool Hammond work from organist Milt Harris, and tight drums from Peppy Hinnant – augment6ed with work from Willie Rodriguez on congas, and guest piano from Wynton Kelly on a few cuts! The whole thing's sweet and groovy, and the set features Johnny Lytle originals "Big Bill", "The Shyster", "Possum Grease", "The Man", "The Loop", and "Hot Sauce" – plus a cool cover of "Cristo Redentor". New & Groovy is one of Johnny Lytle's great recordings for the Tuba label, and probably one of the albums that shows his funky jazz vibes style at its best! The whole thing is very nicely stripped down - and the focus of the album is on down-and-dirty groovers, perfect for the jazzy stepper set that still digs Lytle loads! Lots of short groovy ditties on here which match Lytle's vibes and Milt Harris' organ. The group also includes Wynton Kelly on piano, George Duvivier on bass, Jimmy Cobb on drums, and Montego Joe on conga and percussion. Tracks include "The Snapper", "Selim", "The Pulpit", and "Screamin' Loud", "Too Close For Comfort" and more. CD

Some of our favorite work ever by Esther Phillips – served up on a compilation that does a great job of sorting through her classic 70s sides for Kudu, CTI, and Mercury! Back in the 60s, Esther sung in a sad and bluesy sort of soul style – but in the 70s, at the time of these recordings, Esther picked up a sweet electric vibe, really hipping up her sound with lots of funky guitar, bass, and keyboards. The result is tremendous – as you'll hear on this set – as Esther works with arrangers that include Pee Wee Ellis, Bob James, Benny Golson and Harvey Mason to cut some wickedly soulful tunes! The set includes 18 tracks in all, with titles that include "Use Me", "Home Is Where The Hatred Is", "That's All Right With Me", "I've Never Found A Man", "Brother Brother", "From A Whisper To A Scream", "All The Way Down", "Black Eyed Blues", "Native New Yorker", "Changing", "SOS", "We've Got A Good Thing Going", "You Think Of Him", "Bedtime Stories", and "I Hope You'll Be Very Unhappy About Me". CD

A pretty sweet little album from Ike & Tina Turner – recording during a period when it seemed like they had contracts with just about every soul label on the market! This one's definitely got that hip "play it for the Fillmore crowd" sound that you'd expect from Blue Thumb – with less of the raw soul of earlier albums, and more of that "studio rootsy" feel that was sure to be big with the kids. There is a great little funk number, though – the incredible "Bold Soul Sister", which has great funky drumbeats, chicken scratch guitar, dipping basslines, and screaming vocals by Tina Turner that make the number sound like a lost little funky 45! Other tracks are more bluesy, and include "The Hunter", "Early In The Morning", "You're Still My Baby", "You Got Me Running", and "The Things I Used To Do". LP, Vinyl record album

Current Rage were one of the more obscure groups to come out of the Athens, GA scene in the early 80s – but they've also got all the instantly creative energy that made that short-lived world of music every bit as exciting as some of the best New York sounds at the time! There's a nicely choppy approach to the rhythms going on here, and plenty of strong guitar play too – deft music that's somewhere in the territory of Pylon, and like that group, maybe a warmer US answer to British post-punk sounds of the same time. Titles include "Right Side Of The Brain", "Bitte Schoen", "Sweet Torture", "My Dog Sam", "Looking Through Gels", and "Scream In The Dark". Expanded version features bonus tracks that include "Adventures In America", "Punch A Clock", "The Theme", "Constant Hiss (demo)", and live tracks "My Dog Sam", "AF", "Tequila", and "The Book Pressed Flowers". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

A nice selection of classic 60s soul numbers, focusing on women who like to exercise their pipes, and while we had remembered this set hewed close to the mainstream, there's a few nice little nuggets on here that they dug a little deeper for. 14 tracks in all: "The Nitty Gritty" by Shirley Ellis, "Tell Mama" by Etta James, "Hard To Handle" by Patti Drew, "Bold Soul Sister" by Ike & Tina Turner, "Lee Cross" and "You Send Me" by Aretha Franklin, "Heartbeat" by Gloria Jones, "Stay With Me" by Lorraine Ellison, "Wang Dang Doodle" by Koko Taylor, "I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)" by Barbara George, "Rescue Me" by Fontella Bass, "Hypnotized" by Linda Jones, "Why (Am I Treated So Bad)" by the Sweet Inspirations, and "Ask Me" by Maxine Brown. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album of early 60s soul tracks from South Africa – issued here in the US by Mercury! The record's got some amazing stuff – including at least 2 tracks that seem to be directly ripped off later by Hugh Masekela for "Grazing in the Grass". Titles include "Brown Pepper" by Cassius The Great, "Ice Cream & Suckers" by Soweto Stockvel Septette, "Mr Bull No 4" by Mr. Bull, "Sweetie Love" by Jabulani Quads, "School In" by SDV Swing Band, and "Lindi" by TV Sisters. Great stuff! LP, Vinyl record album

David Boykin works here in a very different guise than his usual role as a saxophonist – stepping out here with a range of different singers, in a set of tracks that showcase a whole new side of his talents! The music is a mix of modern jazz vocals and contemporary soul modes – different depending on the singers, who shift from cut to cut – at a level that sometimes echoes June Tyson or Abbey Lincoln, other times reflects more contemporary work from the underground! As always with Boykin's CDs, the notes are a bit spare, so it's hard to tell who did what in terms of the music – but we can say that the set features vocals from Abeeku, Consuela Ivy-Vaughn, Dark Mery, Liz Mputu, and Ugochi – on titles that include "Listen Up", "She Was Screaming", "What The Afrofuture Say", "Slow Sweet Burn", "Conspiracy", and "Of My Voice". CD

Two of the best Nelson Riddle instrumental albums for Capitol Records – both of them nice and jazzy! Let Yourself Go is totally great – a set that soars out with the fire and energy of some of the best jazz-based big band albums of the 50s – with plenty of room for strong solos from the individual players (who sadly aren't named in the notes, but who are most likely the cream of the crop of the west coast!) In keeping with the Riddle vibe, there's some great twists and turns in the music – but hardly ever in a way that's just gimmick for gimmick's sake. Titles include "You're An Old Smoothie", "Let's Face The Music & Dance", "You Are My Lucky Star", "Let Yourself Go", "Darn That Dream", and "I Can't Escape From You". C'Mon Get Happy is a wonderful album too – a set that's almost like soundtrack jazz at its best – well conceived, and tightly arranged – but with some strong moments of individual instrumentation! There's a slight touch of sweetness at times, but never in a way that's too string-heavy – and instead, the emphasis here is mostly on the horns, which burst out with a great sense of power and sound. Titles include "Rain", "Diga Diga Doo", "Get Happy", "Time Was", "Without A Song", "Jeannine", and "September In The Rain". CD

Later work from trombonist Albert Wynn – sides cut after a 33 year absence from the recording studio – as part of the excellent Chicago Living Legends series on Riverside! The work has a tight trad jazz feel – but with a bit more space than you might find for solo expression in some of Wynn's earlier, shorter sides – and players include Bill Martin on trumpet (and a bit of vocals), Darnell Howard on clarinet, and either Blind John Davis or Bus Moten on piano. Titles include "Bourbon Street", "How Long Blues", "Ice Cream", "Nobody's Sweetheart", and "In The Evening". CD also features 2 bonus tracks "How Long Blues (alt)" and "I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody Non O This Jelly Roll". CD

Three groovy 70s albums from Buddy Rich! Roar Of 74 is one of the funkiest Buddy Rich albums of the 70s – a mad screaming affair that's overflowing with great tunes! The band on the set is very full – with a heck of a lot of trumpets in the brass section, set next to searing sax work by the great Pat LaBarbera. But even better is the rhythm section – which grooves in a hard electric funk mode, thanks to guitar from Joe Beck, bass from Tony Levin, and some surprisingly smoking drums from Buddy himself! Tracks are all very nicely grooving – and titles include "Kilimanjaro Cookout", "Nuttville", "Senator Sam", "Waltz Of The Mushroom Hunters", and "Big Mac". Last Blues Album has a misleading title, as there's nothing "blues" about this set – as Buddy Rich is working with some of the best soul jazz players of the Groove Merchant label – on a set that's one of his few small combo albums from the 70s! The vibe is very relaxed and laidback, and even Buddy's tight drumming can't over-hype the sound. Tracks are longish and open – more in the Prestige jazz mode of the 60s than the usual funkier style of the Groove Merchant label – and the sextet features Jimmy McGriff on organ, George Freeman on guitar, Kenny Barron on electric piano, Illinois Jacquet on tenor, and Bob Cranshaw on bass. Titles include "Soft Winds", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "How Long", "Courage", and "Alright". Very Live At Buddy's Place is hard-swinging Buddy Rich from the prime early 70s years – not exactly an all-out funk affair, but still a great groover, with plenty of hip little big band numbers! The groove here is nice and lean – and Buddy and the group are working at Buddy's own club – hitting that trademark all-out Rich sound, but still leaving plenty of room for the soloists. The group's got some great soul jazz players – including Sonny Fortune on alto, Jack Wilkins on guitar, and Kenny Barron on piano – as well as some really smoking tenor work from Sal Nistico, who's always adaptable to a setting like this. The album's got a tasty version of Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon", plus other nice tracks that include "Sierra Lonely", "Nica's Dream", "Billy's Bounce", "Cardin Blue" and "Jumpin At The Woodside". CD