Chuck Brown and his Soul Searchers group are past the arch jazzy funk of their days on Sussex Records – and they're heading more towards that ensemble sound that would drive the DC Go Go scene in the early 80s. The formula is heard to best effect on the big hit "Bustin Loose", an old school party funk jam that you'll probably recognize immediately – and which put Chuck and the group firmly back on the map for another few years! The group also does a pretty good remake of "If It Ain't Funky", which was on one of the earlier Soul Searchers albums – and the album includes the original cuts "Gotcha Now" and "Game Seven". CD

Mellow soul is right – because this set swings like some great lost 70s session on Muse or Mainstream! Pete Yellin was playing way back in the day, and his work on alto and soprano is joined here by Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Chick Corea on piano, Carl Allen on drums, and Vincent Herring on additional saxes. The best cuts on the record have a post-Coltrane searching mode that's augmented with a tighter hardbop approach – and Pete Yellin produced the set with a no-nonsense approach that gets the best out of the group's sound. Titles include "Shaw Thing", "Mellow Soul", "Song For Lynn", "Dr J", and "Warm Valley". CD