... LP, Vinyl record album

A holy grail of funky music – the one and only album ever cut by Marie Queenie Lyons, a heck of a hard soul singer who's best known for her rare funky 45s! The album is stunning – every bit as great as any of Marie's singles, and with an incredibly unified sound that should have made the album an instant soul classic as soon as it was released. Think Marva Whitney, Vicki Anderson, Lyn Collins, and other sock-soul divas – and you've only got part of the picture, as Marie really pushes things over the top, and enjoys some great raw production that really sends the whole thing home! Plus, some of the tracks on the set were written by a young Don Pullen, who supposedly also played on the record – in a rare funky appearance in his pre-avant jazz days. Includes a funky remake of "Fever", plus the cuts "I Don't Want Nobody To Have It But You", "Your Key Don't Fit Anymore", "You Used Me", "Daddy's House", "See & Don't See", "Your Thing Ain't No Good Without My Thing", "I Want My Freedom", and "Try Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Recent genius from the true king of Latin Soul – the mighty Joe Bataan, sounding every bit as great now as he did back in the day! Bataan gets some very hip backing from Los Fulanos – a Barcelona-based combo who help recreate the tight sound of Joe's early grooves from the late 60s, with just a touch of the funk he picked up in the 70s too – a really great blend that helps Bataan breath fresh new life into a range of classics from years back. The set list includes some of our favorite Latin Soul gems from Joe, and both the rhythms and production styles are completely faithful to the originals – but also aren't just simple copycat versions either. After so many years in obscurity, it's great to see Bataan back in action so strongly – cooking it hard and heavy on cuts that include "Latin Soul Square Dance", "Gypsy Woman", "Mestizo", "The Bottle", "Johnny's No Good", "Special Girl", "Subway Joe", "Puerto Rico Me Llama", and "Rap O Clap O 2008". CD

Massive work from this funky Nigerian cat – a set that offers up a key mix of James Brown funk and home-grown elements – all in a blend that's totally unique! The 1970 album mixes together equal parts African highlife and American soul – making for a style that's heavy one minute, lighter the next – and always changing things up in a really dynamic way! Percussion plays a big role on the funkier cuts, and guitar is on most numbers too – used with a lyrical, rhythmic style on the highlife numbers – and a much more hard-vamping approach on the funkier ones. Includes killer versions of "Mother Popcorn", "Let Yourself Go", "There Was A Time", "I Feel Alright", and "Cold Sweat" – plus the tracks "Okere Gwonko", "Everybody Needs Love", "Onuro", and "Magic Feet". CD

A record that's every bit as groovy as you might guess from the title – served up by one of the most unique combos to record for Colombia's Discos Fuentes in the 70s! Afrosound certainly have plenty of rhythms and sounds that resonate with their contemporaries at the top of the South American scene – but they also use rootsier percussion, and served up a rawer sound too – definitely bringing back some West African modes, after that scene had an earlier influence from the world of Afro-Cuban music! There's some especially cool keyboards that get all weird and distorted – like electric guitar on some Peruvian records – balanced with plenty of live, loud percussion – on titles that include "Banana De Queso", "Baila Felipe", "Negua", "Ponchito De Colores", "Carruseles", "Zaire Pop", "Rapsodia Del Chinito", "Me Voy De La Vida", "Salsa Con Tabaco", and "La Negra Saramuya". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky African work from Fred Fisher – a Nigerian trombonist who crafted his own unique groove at the end of the 70s! Fred both sings and plays trombone – the latter with a Fred Wesley-like soulfulness – and his rhythms here are really wide-ranging, and embrace a host of new styles coming into play at the time – including a fair bit of influences from American soul! Some cuts have a rootsy groove, while others move into tighter dancefloor territory – never in a commercial style at all, but with traces of boogie and other 80s modes in the mix. Vocals are sometimes in English, which furthers the global appeal of the music – and the set brings together tracks from 4 different albums by Fisher. Titles include "Say The Truth", "Asa Sa", "Iye Ye Mu Elediamemisise", "No Way", "Let Love Free", "WTFS", "Beautiful Dancer", "Happy Blue Night", "The Beginning Ishan", "Ehimedede", "Babajoo", and "Ebi Lolo". 2LP set features 12 tracks in all. Note: The music on the whole set is great, but there are a few tracks that suffer sound-wise from some distortion in the masters used. Most of the other tracks are fine, though. LP, Vinyl record album

A hip little set from Ruth Brown – miles away from her earlier R&B for Atlantic, and much more in the adult, righteous, and contemporary mode you'd expect from the title! The session's one of the key sides from the late 60s Skye Records catalog – and like others on the label, it features Gary McFarland production, and some great small group backings by a group that includes Richard Tee on organ, Billy Butler on guitar, and Herbie Lovelle on drums. Ruth's trials and tribulations are listed in detail inside the notes – and the record was one of the first re-discovery efforts that Brown undertook – a session that was trying to help her pay her dues, and expose her to the same sort of audiences that were lapping up Aretha Franklin at the time, but not giving as much attention to older singers. Tracks are a mix of (then) contemporary numbers and updated older tunes – with titles that include "Yesterday", "Please Send Me Someone To Love", "Lookin Back", "Try Me & See", "Miss Brown's Blues", "My Prayer", and "This Bitter Earth". CD

Heavy Nigerian funk from the great Segun Bucknor – an artist who was working during the same Afro Funk revolution as Fela Kuti & Africa 70, but one who never fully got the exposure he deserved on a global level! By the time of these cuts, Segun had already been working hard in a variety of different groups – and he emerges at the start of the 70s with a bold new vision in music – one that draws on the same American soul and funk inspirations that you'll hear on the records of Geraldo Pino, but which also has some moodier elements at times too – a heady current that's clearly inspired by the psych generation, and taken to some more message-oriented lyrics at times. The blend is wonderful, especially when most cuts have these deeply funky rhythms at the bottom – and this 2CD package is a fantastic introduction to his music, with 16 long cuts that include "Sorrow Sorrow Sorrow", "Poor Man No Get Brother", "Dye Dye", "Only In My Sleep", "Adanri Sogbasogba", "Baby Get Your Thing", "Love And Affection", "Son Of January 15th", "La La La", "Gbmojo", "Ayinde Ogo", "Who Say I Tire", "You Killing Me", "Adebo", and "That's The Time". CD

A rare set with a very unusual vibe – as the group features vocal harmonies that seem to echo Cuban and Mexican modes of the 60s, but set to grooves that are much more in keeping with their Peruvian roots! There's some especially great electric guitar in the mix – of the sort you'd hear on chicha cuts, but used with a stronger vibe overall – especially when some solos soar out as the vocal step aside – and the rhythms of the record are raw and rootsy, with an edge that's very different than Latin vocal groups were using anywhere up north at the start of the 70s! The whole thing is filled with plenty of fresh sounds and unusual groovers – and titles include "Me Voy A Monsefu", "Sandungueate", "Oye Mi Son", "El Tic Tac", "Flaca Y Despeinada", "Compay Gallo", and "Yo Me Voy De Aqui". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary record from one of the most unique Latin groups of their time! In an early 70s world where many Latin combos were going for class and poise, the Ghetto Brothers moved in another direction entirely – working here with a fair bit of electric guitar alongside more familiar Latin rhythms – all to push along some wonderfully soulful vocals! The record's got a very different feel than most east coast Latin work of the time – one that's a bit like some of the Chicano soul of the west coast, but not nearly as smooth, and with a definite nod towards both funk and singer/songwriter work of the mainstream! The guitar's really upfront in the mix – riffing off at the start of most tracks – and the vocals have a slightly sweet quality, supported by harmonies from the rest of the group at times – making for a wicked blend of modes that's extremely compelling. A record that's as filled with soul and feeling as it is with hard-edge groovers – featuring titles that include "You Say You Are My Friend", "Ghetto Brothers Power", "I Saw A Tear", "Girl From The Mountain", "There Is Something In My Hearth", "Got This Happy Feeling", and "Viva Puerto Rico Libre". LP, Vinyl record album

A later entry in the avant jazz scene in Argentina, but one that really continues that fresh burst of new energy that was began in the 60s! The music is freely improvised, but always with a nod towards Argentine culture, which takes the sounds very far from European free jazz – maybe more organically spiritual overall, with a blend of acoustic and electric elements that makes for a very unique sound! The lineup changes a bit from track to track, but core players include Marcelo Peralta on alto, flute, tenor, and piano – plus Jorge Mancini on electric bass and guitar, Victor Da Cunha on bongos and congas, and Mariana Potenza on flute, percussion, and other instruments. Tracks are long, and really beautiful – and titles include "Otra Forma De Vidala", "Un Hilo De Luz", "Bajo El Sol Del Sur", "Improvisacion Sobre Baguala", and "Almas Liberadas". LP, Vinyl record album

Really incredible work from Litto Nebbia – a sometimes-overlooked Argentine artist from the 70s, and one who's got the genius of Brazilian contemporaries like Marcos Valle, Edu Lobo, or Arthur Verocai! As with all three of those giants, Litto's music exists in a space that's all its own – using familiar instrumentation from jazz and other styles, but with results that are completely unique – high ideas, but delivered in a mode that's very down to earth – in music that was completely timeless from the moment it was released! This incredible 2LP set is overflowing with gems from his key years – titles that include "Querida Miusi", "Despertemos En America", "Transeuntes", "El Revolver Es Un Hombre Legal", "Brian's Coral", "Cueca's Song", "Para Mi Suerte", "Cancion Para Domingo Cura", and "El La Tierra El Sol". LP, Vinyl record album

Orquesta Olivieri cut one fantastic late 60s album for the legendary Speed Records – and this set is much more obscure, and maybe even greater than that Latin classic! Bobby Marin's at the production helm, and he's still holding onto some of the best elements of the Latin soul era, while also allowing the group to freely soar into a salsa space too – a wonderful blend that's not unlike territory that Joe Bataan or Joe Cuba were hitting, but with less English vocals overall. Both Felix Pagan and Paquita De Jesus handle vocals – and the group's got a three trumpet lineup, with piano, bass, and plenty of percussion. Titles include "Tabaratiando", "Maria Isabel", "There's No Other Girl", "Los Muchachos De Belen", "Cuando Tu Me Quieras", and "Preferi Perderte". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool blend of familiar Latin rhythms and South American electric guitar – use of the instrument that's more typically associated with genres in Peruo and other scenes on the west of the continent – but used here in a very cool set from the late 60s Venezuelan scene! The music has plenty of echoes of New York Latin at the core – with vocals that showcase some of the more soulful Spanish styles that would really flourish during salsa, mixed with fast-stepping percussion that keeps the grooves cool – while the guitar steps in and does all sorts of great things, equally as foregrounded as the vocals! Titles include "Oyelo", "Principe Llego", "Violeta", "Pa'Lante", "Mi Inspiracion", "No Pares El Guaguanco", "Pachanga Ple", and "Todo Se Acabo". LP, Vinyl record album

A vocal gem from the Peruvian scene of the 60s, but one that's also got some killer rhythms too – really romping piano and percussion, topped with some tight horn work – all of which really sets the singers on fire! The set's got that nicely offbeat vibe of some of the best Mag Records releases from the decade – an unbridled approach that's nicely unpolished, and which has these raw edges that really keep the music vibrant – every bit as much so now as when the set was first released! The singers change up nicely, but the album's got a nicely unified vibe – and features tunes that include "Mucho Ritmo", "Guaracheros", "Fiesta En El Aire", El Dulcesito", "Dimelo Corazoncito", "Quinto Llamando", and "Ola". LP, Vinyl record album

A complete killer from the Peruvian scene of the 60s – a set that shows just how special it is when the leadoff descarga track breaks into a searing saxophone solo within the first few seconds! Things don't let up after that – and Al Valdez keeps things moving and grooving at a level that rivals the best of the New York scene of the time – but maybe even more amazing given that he was working in a much smaller setting down south in Lima! Every track is a gem, and the record is rock-solid throughout, with excellent piano, percussion, and just the right use of horns – on titles that include "Dame Tu Carino", "Aprieta", "Guajira", "Tabaquera", "El Columpio", "Pachanga Se Baila Asi", "Que Rico Sabor", and the smoking title cut "Gozando". LP, Vinyl record album

Wganda Kenya were one of the most unique groups to record for the Discos Fuentes label in the 70s – and they were maybe also one of the coolest, too – as they never stopped in their pursuit of a groove, and were always able to mix together so many different styles at once! This gem of a record has some elements that begin in more familiar Colombian modes, but the group also bring in touches from American soul, Afro Funk, and lots more too – all with unusual instrumentation and production, at a level that really sets this album apart from the pack! Very different stuff than mid 70s sounds on Fania or Vaya – with titles that include "La Torta", "Dulce De Guayaba", "Mira Para Arriba Mira Para Abajo", "Mammy Boy", Tifit Hayed", "Fiebre De Lepra", and "Entre Tu Y Yo". LP, Vinyl record album

Massive rhythms from this legendary 70s group – one created in the Discos Fuentes studios in Colombia – as a way to combine some of the bigger African and Caribbean rhythms of the time! The sound is very percussive, and very raw – lots of acoustic elements in the rhythms, mixed with occasional guitar lines here and there – and topped with vocals that are often collaboratively chanted – creating this really strong vibe to the set as the grooves roll on! There's never a dull moment on the set – plenty to please fans of classic Discos Fuentes, and also echoes of other South American scenes – on titles that include "Por Una Negrita", "El Yoyo", "Bayesta", "Fayab Fayab", "El Evangelio", and "An Naus". LP, Vinyl record album

A dozen heavy groovers from the legendary Discos Fuentes – pulled from a time when the Colombian label was really finding its sound and strengths – mixing together older strands of Afro Cuban inspiration with a special vibe that would soon make their scene rival the Latin music power of New York and Puerto Rico! The percussion is pretty darn heavy on most of these tracks – almost a fusion of the rootsier modes of early years with some of the more sophisticated musical elements developed in the small combo years of the New York 60s Latin scene – but also touched with some styles that are completely Colombian, yet still in a formative early moment that's never predictable or commercial at all. Titles include "Atiza Y Ataja" by Los Supremos, "El Vidriero" by Fruko Y Sus Tesos, "Coco May Ma" by Combo Las Vegas, "Cumbia En Do Menor" by Lita Barrientos, "Manue" by Michi Sarmiento Y Su Combo Bravo, "Cumbia Loca" by Conjunta Miramar, "Safari Safari" by Tita Duval Y El Nuevo Ritmo De Bobby Ray, and "La Pluma" by Peregoyo Y Su Combo Vacana. CD

A rich serving of grooves from the contemporary Spanish scene – a surprisingly strong place for heavy funk and heady rhythms – played here by a wealth of groups we've never heard before! The package is a real revelation – an indication that there's plenty going on in Spain that our ears have been missing, and proof that all the funky reissues by the Vampi Soul label have definitely been leaving their mark on the younger generation too! Most cuts here have a deep funk or funky jazz vibe – and most are instrumentals too – played by 24 new groups, none of whom appeared on the previous volume in this series – further proof that Spain is really going strong. Titles include "No Te Cruces" by Funklab, "Extra" by Watch TV, "Madrid Boogie" by Venue Connection", "Happy" by Elkano Browning Cream, "Funky Business" by Umbabaraumba, "Rootdown" by Mr Thinkalot, "Meny Un" by Zunk, "Terra Plain" by The Psyco Pixie Puck, "Keep Behind This Line" by Brabenders, "Be A Looser" by Afro Soul" Toating, "Constellation Man" by Mother Groove, and "Snatch" by Superstero. CD

Scientist spins out on a dub-driven power boat – scanning the swamps to drive out the vampires and a host of other ghouls too – all while reinventing Jamaican music in the process! The record's filled with lots of cool electric elements – those weird production effects and electronic doodles that make the music of Scientist so revolutionary – especially when spun out over a still-familiar backdrop supplied by Roots Radics, with a core essence that's very much from the pre-digital world of Jamaican music. Rhythm tracks were done at Channel One, and Scientist mixed the set at King Tubbys – a host of dub mini-masterpieces that include "The Voodoo Curse", "Dance Of The Vampires", "Blood On His Lips", "Cry Of The Werewolf", "the Mummy's Shroud", "The Corpse Rises", "Night Of The Living Dead", "Your Teeth In My Neck", "Plague Of Zombies", and "Ghost Of Frankenstein". 2LP version features a full bonus record of vocal versions – by Wailing Souls, Wayne Jarrett, Johnny Osbourne, and Michael Prophet! LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy soul from Ike Quebec – one of Blue Note's greatest players of the 78 era in the 40s, stepping out here on one of his brilliant comeback sets from the early 60s! The set features Ike blowing in an all soul jazz mode – working with a quartet that includes some great work from organist Freddie Roach – swinging here in a great straight ahead mode, and really pushing Ike to lay out some of the best solos of his later Blue Note years. There's a few tracks on the set that step out in a tight modal jazz groove – organ vamping as Ike blows away – and titles include "Heavy Soul", "Que's Dilemma", "Acquitted", and a very spooky version of "Nature Boy". CD features the bonus track "Blues For Ike". CD

A really legendary group from the underground 70s scene in Chicago – one who've got all the chops and capabilities of the bigger groups of the time, but who never fully got their due – maybe in part because of the racy image on the album's cover! The group are a sharp funky ensemble –and work with a hard jamming sound that's clearly influenced by the city's Earth Wind & Fire, but not nearly as slick or as broadly spiritual in scope – more like the grit of the funky 45 generation has been littered into the grooves of a full length record! The standout cut on the album is the 20 minute "Open Soul" – an album-side jammer that has lots of vamping and hard grooving, and just a little bit of singing – but the other side's equally great, with shorter soul tracks that have a nice harmony vocal approach. Titles include "Hurt Perversion", "It Ain't Fair", "Lovers To Friends", and "Hurry On Up Tomorrow". LP, Vinyl record album

A really legendary group from the underground 70s scene in Chicago – one who've got all the chops and capabilities of the bigger groups of the time, but who never fully got their due – maybe in part because of the racy image on the album's cover! The group are a sharp funky ensemble –and work with a hard jamming sound that's clearly influenced by the city's Earth Wind & Fire, but not nearly as slick or as broadly spiritual in scope – more like the grit of the funky 45 generation has been littered into the grooves of a full length record! The standout cut on the album is the 20 minute "Open Soul" – an album-side jammer that has lots of vamping and hard grooving, and just a little bit of singing – but the other side's equally great, with shorter soul tracks that have a nice harmony vocal approach. Titles include "Hurt Perversion", "It Ain't Fair", "Lovers To Friends", and "Hurry On Up Tomorrow". CD

Heavy soul from Ike Quebec – one of Blue Note's greatest players of the 78 era in the 40s, stepping out here on one of his brilliant comeback sets from the early 60s! The set features Ike blowing in an all soul jazz mode – working with a quartet that includes some great work from organist Freddie Roach – swinging here in a great straight ahead mode, and really pushing Ike to lay out some of the best solos of his later Blue Note years. There's a few tracks on the set that step out in a tight modal jazz groove – organ vamping as Ike blows away – and titles include "Heavy Soul", "Que's Dilemma", "Acquitted", and a very spooky version of "Nature Boy". CD

Heavy soul from Ike Quebec – one of Blue Note's greatest players of the 78 era in the 40s, stepping out here on one of his brilliant comeback sets from the early 60s! The set features Ike blowing in an all soul jazz mode – working with a quartet that includes some great work from organist Freddie Roach – swinging here in a great straight ahead mode, and really pushing Ike to lay out some of the best solos of his later Blue Note years. There's a few tracks on the set that step out in a tight modal jazz groove – organ vamping as Ike blows away – and titles include "Heavy Soul", "Que's Dilemma", "Acquitted", and a very spooky version of "Nature Boy". CD features the bonus track "Blues For Ike". CD

Heavy soul from Ike Quebec – one of Blue Note's greatest players of the 78 era in the 40s, stepping out here on one of his brilliant comeback sets from the early 60s! The set features Ike blowing in an all soul jazz mode – working with a quartet that includes some great work from organist Freddie Roach – swinging here in a great straight ahead mode, and really pushing Ike to lay out some of the best solos of his later Blue Note years. There's a few tracks on the set that step out in a tight modal jazz groove – organ vamping as Ike blows away – and titles include "Heavy Soul", "Que's Dilemma", "Acquitted", and a very spooky version of "Nature Boy". CD

The best collection we've ever seen of the work of funky soul legends Dyke & The Blazers – a double-length set that features full, unedited versions of their classics – plus a whopping batch of previously unreleased tunes! Dyke & The Blazers had a groove that was mighty solid back in the late 60s – a hard-vamping, tightly rhythmic groove that easily matched the best early funk of the time from Charles Wright, Sly Stone, or James Brown – and which was often served up with a rougher edge, and an overall sound that was a lot more dangerous! However, many of the group's singles really trimmed down their performances – shaving off key instrumental moments that are lovingly re-attached here, and combining them with some even rarer tracks that never saw the light of day back in the 60s. The whole thing's amazing – and the 2CD set features a whopping 33 tracks in all, split into one disc of material recorded in Phoenix, and one more of tracks from Hollywood! Titles include "Black Boy", "Stuff", "Moon", "Booga Jivin", "Runaway People", "Funky Broadway Time (parts 1 & 2)", "Swamp Walk", "Extra Funk", "Let A Woman Be A Woman Let A Man Be A Man", "Soul Cake", "She Knows It", "Let's Do It Together", "Bring It On Back", "Funky Walk (parts 1 & 2)", and "Triple Funk". CD

Scientist spins out on a dub-driven power boat – scanning the swamps to drive out the vampires and a host of other ghouls too – all while reinventing Jamaican music in the process! The record's filled with lots of cool electric elements – those weird production effects and electronic doodles that make the music of Scientist so revolutionary – especially when spun out over a still-familiar backdrop supplied by Roots Radics, with a core essence that's very much from the pre-digital world of Jamaican music. Rhythm tracks were done at Channel One, and Scientist mixed the set at King Tubbys – a host of dub mini-masterpieces that include "The Voodoo Curse", "Dance Of The Vampires", "Blood On His Lips", "Cry Of The Werewolf", "the Mummy's Shroud", "The Corpse Rises", "Night Of The Living Dead", "Your Teeth In My Neck", "Plague Of Zombies", and "Ghost Of Frankenstein". 2CD version features a full bonus record of vocal versions – by Wailing Souls, Wayne Jarrett, Johnny Osbourne, and Michael Prophet! CD

Funky madness from the legendary Rhythm Makers – a dancefloor combo with a really incredible groove! The group has an approach that's a lot like Kool & The Gang at their best, or like some of the best mid 70s albums by the Kay Gees or Fatback – lots of bass at the bottom, very tight vamping by the band, and a wikki-wikki funky sound that's totally great! Many of the tracks on the set make good use of moog or keyboards – never too much, but just the right dose to spook things up a bit – and although many of the cuts have vocals, the overall focus is still in the instrumentation – which always comes across pretty darn great, and which is played with incredible precision throughout! The combo later morphed into GQ, but they've got a much rawer sound here – and titles include "Can You Feel It (parts 1 & 2)", "You Better Believe It", "Soul On Your Side", "Zone", "Funk N You", and "Street Dreamin". CD features an insane number of bonus tracks – 10 in all – with the unreleased cuts "Position", "Wonderful", and "Lover's Lane" – plus "Can You Feel It (orig special disco 12")", "You're Never Too Old (single)", "Prime Cut (single)", "Touch (single)", and "How Much I Love You (single)". CD

A nice little package, one that brings together three American releases of music by London's legendary Georgie Fame! First up is the classic Yeh Yeh – a brilliant mix of jazz, soul, and R&B – all filtered through a mod sort of London freshness, as early proof that the city could always take some great things from our own musical roots, and feed it back to us with a whole new flavor! Georgie Fame's no copycat here, though – and the sound is instantly Fame-like – a style that's really not the sort that any Americans were doing at the time, and certainly never this well. Hard-burning Hammond colors most of the tunes here – played with a tightly vamping quality – but it's Georgie's charmingly crackling vocals that really win us over! Titles include "Gimme That Wine", "Pink Champagne", "Monkeying Around", "I Love The Life I Live", "Point Of No Return", "Preach & Teach", "Get On The Right Track Baby", and the hit "Yeh Yeh". Next is Get Away – a great little album from Georgie Fame – with a hard raw soul sound that shows what a big crossover potential he had with the UK soul market – so much so that this batch of material was issued in the US as well! The album's got some wonderful arrangements – quite raw, with some nice organ, and plenty of heavy vocals from Georgie in a strong blue eyed soul mode. Titles include "Sitting In The Park", "Get Away", "Sweet Thing", "Ride Your Pony", "The In Crowd", "Last Night", and "Music Talk". Hall Of Fame is a bit of a best-of – a record that features some singles, and some album tracks – the latter of which aren't included here, as they'd be duplicated. The remaining material is Fame at his raw early best – working in a great soulful style, with plenty of jazzy charms – on cuts that include "Outrage", "Lil Darlin", "Sunny", "In The Meantime", "Something", "Do Re Mi", and Fame's own "Like We Used To Be". CD also features 9 more bonus tracks, some live recordings – titles that include "Bend A Little", "Telegram", "It Ain't Right", "Don't Make Promises", "Many Happy Returns", "I'm In Love With You", "Shop Around", "Green Onions", and "Do The Dog". CD

A great mix of heavy funk and sweeter ballads from the Isley Brothers – and a record that's filled with two-part tracks that really let them stretch out and groove! The tunes have a bit more bass and keyboards than before – an approach that's even more electric than Isley funk of a few years back, and which steps out in some tightly vamping rhythms that still crackle with plenty of warmth and soul – especially on the mellower numbers, which dominate side two of the record, and really make this one worth having! Mellow tracks include "For The Love Of You (parts 1 & 2)", "Sensuality (parts 1 & 2)", and "Make Me Say It Again (parts 1 & 2)" – and funkier numbers include "Fight The Power (parts 1 & 2)", "The Heat Is On (parts 1 & 2)", and "Hope You Feel Better Love (parts 1 & 2)". CD also features a bonus track – a live version of "Fight The Power", recorded "live" in the studio, and never released before! CD

A great mix of heavy funk and sweeter ballads from the Isley Brothers – and a record that's filled with two-part tracks that really let them stretch out and groove! The tunes have a bit more bass and keyboards than before – an approach that's even more electric than Isley funk of a few years back, and which steps out in some tightly vamping rhythms that still crackle with plenty of warmth and soul – especially on the mellower numbers, which dominate side two of the record, and really make this one worth having! Mellow tracks include "For The Love Of You (parts 1 & 2)", "Sensuality (parts 1 & 2)", and "Make Me Say It Again (parts 1 & 2)" – and funkier numbers include "Fight The Power (parts 1 & 2)", "The Heat Is On (parts 1 & 2)", and "Hope You Feel Better Love (parts 1 & 2)". CD also features a bonus track – a live version of "Fight The Power", recorded "live" in the studio, and never released before! CD

An instant groove from King Curtis – and a record that's even more deeply soulful than some of his other Atlantic albums! The title cut's a killer – a hard-vamping number that pushed funk further into the mainstream back in the day – and lots of the rest of the album follows suit, by bringing in some of the rougher King Curtis edges that usually only showed up on b-sides of 45s – while other full albums usually focused on sweeter sounds. There's a few of those here too – but even those tracks have a looser, more personal feel than before – not as much "perfect" soul sax, and a bit more grit. Arrangements are by Arif Mardin and King Curtis – and Duane Allman plays guiter on some cuts! Titles include "The Weight", "Sing A Simple Song", "Instant Groove", "Hey Jude", "Games People Play", "La Jeanne", and "Foot Pattin". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic funk from a totally obscure group – Portland's Shades Of Brown, a combo not to be confused with the Chicago group who recorded for Chess Records – but one who share a very similar sense of righteous soul! There's a heady groove to the record right from the start – carefully vamping rhythms laced with organ, riffing guitar, trumpet, and tenor – all in support of the superb lead vocals of Gregg Smith, a singer with an expressive style that really sends the whole thing home! The tunes are often laidback enough to really find their groove – longer than two minute funky 45 numbers, and infused with a very deep soul vibe overall. The set features four killer cuts – "Teasin Woman", "Girl In The Streets", "Black Woman", and "Searchin For Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Lonnie Smith's a long way from his Blue Note years here – but the sound is still plenty darn great, thanks to some fuller arrangements from the great Brad Baker – of B Baker Chocolate Company fame! The whole thing's quite electric – with Lonnie on Fender Rhodes and other keyboards on most tracks, and rhythms that bring in bits of strings amidst the smaller jazz combo vamping – a blend that's smoothly soulful, but still more than funky enough to please our ears. Lonnie even sings a bit on the record, too – in this slightly-spacey quality that has echoes of Stevie Wonder – but the main focus overall is on his keyboards, which step out nicely over the backings. Titles include "Keep On Lovin", "What I Want", "No Tears Tomorrow", "Sizzle Stick", "Lean Meat", and "Filet O Sole". CD

Quite an unusual little album for Gerald Wiggins – a set that features him on the Hammond organ instead of the piano, recorded as a rare soul jazz outing by a young David Axelrod! The session's got a vamping intensity that's quite different from most of the other LA jazz on the Hi Fi label, and overall the record sounds a lot more like work on Prestige at the same point – with Wiggins using a real stops-out approach to the Hammond, and Harold Land blowing some loose and relaxed lines on the tenor sax that are mighty soulful! The trio's completed by drummer Jackie Mills, and the overall spirit is very much in the mode of work by Shirley Scott or Don Patterson. Titles include "Yes Dove", "Don't Get Around Anymore", "Wiggin Out", and "Teach Me Tonight". CD

An obscure album of southern funky soul from Chuck Armstrong – an artist we know from his earlier funky 45 work in Chicago, but who sounds quite different on this set! The album was produced by George Kerr in New Jersey, but it's got a rolling, vamping approach on most cuts – a sound that's somewhere between Muscle Shoals and the nascent Jackson style of the 70s – a bit smoother than 60s deep soul, but still with a mighty nice edge – and handled perfectly by Kerr! Chuck's vocals are well-suited to the set, and a few numbers bear traces of his earlier more northern sound – and the whole thing's the kind of rare soul killer that only turns up once in a blue moon. Titles include "Sweet Foxy Woman", "You Got To Deal With It", "Shackin Up", "Goodness Gracious", "I'm A Lonely Man", "She Had The Right", and "Nightmare". CD

A tremendous look at the early years of the legendary Joe McPhee – a set that's based around his classic Nation Time album, and which features other live material from the same time – including a Hat Hut album, and two CDs' worth of previously unissued work! The core album is legendary – a gritty set that features a mighty funky drummer, and some of the most soulful work that Joe ever recorded. Joe plays tenor and trumpet in sweet lineup that features bubbling organ, vamping rhythms, and some sweet modal elements mixed together in percussion, guitar, and Fender Rhodes. Titles include the hard wailing "Nation Time" – plus "Shakey Jake", an excellent 13 minute funk number – and the moodier "Scorpio's Dance". Next is the searing Black Magic Man album – an early release on the Hat Hut label, but recorded during the same December 1970 performance as Nation Time – almost showing the bolder, freer sound of the group – but still coming across with some surprising soulful elements too. The original album is expanded by the addition of the unreleased "Song For Lauren" alternate takes – and the core record includes "Black Magic Man", "Hymn Of The Dragon Kings", and "Song For Lauren". The next two CDs feature material recorded in 1969 and 1970 – at Vassar and in Poughkeepsie – with Joe and group working through some similar spiritual and soul jazz territory as on the Vassar CD issue from the same label. The music is heavy on elements you'd hear from the Nation Time album – Hammond, guitar, and even some electric bass and vibes – used in styles that run from soul jazz, to modal, to more experimental – all on very long tracks that have McPhee really stretching out on tenor and trumpet! Titles include "Cold Sweat", "Breakaway Theme", "Untitled", "Nation Time", "Sunshower", "Spring Street", and "Contemplation". All 4CDs come in very cool LP sleeves, in a slipcover box, a 60 page booklet of notes, photos, and information on the music! CD

A great Crusaders album – and one that's a perfect bridge between their earlier soul jazz styles, and their tighter funkier electric one. The album was recorded live at the Roxy, and the group is augmented by Larry Carlton on guitar, who gives the tracks a nice razor edge at his best moments. All songs are pretty long – and the band is in extremely good form, jamming away with lots of funky vamping, and breaking out with some very soulful solos. Titles include "Scratch", "Hard Times", "So Far Away", and "Way Back Home". CD