... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of Roy Ayers' biggest albums ever – and also one of his deepest, too! The whole thing's an incredible album of mellow jazzy soul – and it shows Roy at the crossroads, perfecting his earlier funk style with a sweet mellow R&B edge, getting a bit slicker, but still staying on the righteous path, and opening up a whole new bag in soul music. There's a wonderful electric vibe running through the record – not just from Roy's vibes, but from the Fender Rhodes and Arp work by Phillip Woo – and the amazing energy of the rest of the group too. Features the landmark title cut – "Everybody Loves The Sunshine", one of those tunes that becomes more and more of a classic each year – plus spiritual numbers like "Third Eye" , "Keep on Walking", and "The Golden Rod". Very righteous, and with a cool dope jazzy groove! CD

One of Roy Ayers' biggest albums ever – and also one of his deepest, too! The whole thing's an incredible album of mellow jazzy soul – and it shows Roy at the crossroads, perfecting his earlier funk style with a sweet mellow R&B edge, getting a bit slicker, but still staying on the righteous path, and opening up a whole new bag in soul music. There's a wonderful electric vibe running through the record – not just from Roy's vibes, but from the Fender Rhodes and Arp work by Phillip Woo – and the amazing energy of the rest of the group too. Features the landmark title cut – "Everybody Loves The Sunshine", one of those tunes that becomes more and more of a classic each year – plus spiritual numbers like "Third Eye" , "Keep on Walking", and "The Golden Rod". Very righteous, and with a cool dope jazzy groove! CD

Five incredible albums from the legendary Roy Ayers – all presented in a single set! First up is Tear To A Smile – one of the best early soul albums by Roy Ayers! Roy's working here with Dee Dee Bridgewater, Edwin Birdsong, William Allen, Harry Whitaker, and other hip players – a perfect crew to forge Roy's unique blend of jazz and soul. This is perhaps the first record to really have Roy stretching out in this mode – moving more fully away from funky jazz, into a ream of vocal tracks that would make him one of the most unique artists of the 70s. This mid 70s period of Roy's career was remarkably fertile, creatively as well as for sheer productivity – and Tears To A Smile is one of them that shows some the most artistic growth, and also a deeper sense of soul! Features righteous cuts like "2000 Black", "Ebony Blaze", "Time & Space", and "A Tear To A Smile" – plus the mellow "Magic Lady", and a great remake of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's The Way Of The World". Next is Mystic Voyage – an archetypal album by Roy – and one that really shows him at the turning point! Gone are the trippier jazz funk moments of earlier albums – and in their place are some tight grooves and wonderfully spacey soul. Roy hits the dancefloor with one of his first uptempo funk numbers "Brother Green", a catchy groover with lots of clavinet, and the massive "Life Is Just A Moment", a storming 2-part number that rolls along with a pounding almost house-like groove. "Mystic Voyage" shows the sweet jazzy side of Roy – as it's a vibes-heavy instrumental with a light stepping groove, perfect for the mellow direction he'd take on other records. The album also features some great off-beat funk numbers that recall earlier albums – including the break-heavy "Spirit Of Doo Doo", plus "Funky Motion" and "The Black Five". Everybody Loves The Sunshine is one of Roy Ayers' biggest albums ever – and also one of his deepest, too! The whole thing's an incredible album of mellow jazzy soul – and it shows Roy at the crossroads, perfecting his earlier funk style with a sweet mellow R&B edge, getting a bit slicker, but still staying on the righteous path, and opening up a whole new bag in soul music. There's a wonderful electric vibe running through the record – not just from Roy's vibes, but from the Fender Rhodes and Arp work by Phillip Woo – and the amazing energy of the rest of the group too. Features the landmark title cut – "Everybody Loves The Sunshine", one of those tunes that becomes more and more of a classic each year – plus spiritual numbers like "Third Eye" , "Keep on Walking", and "The Golden Rod". Vibrations is fantastic – a set that tightens up the groove from previous Polydor productions, yet still keeps all the soul intact! The record picks up the style begun with the Mystic Voyage album, and pushes it to some slightly tighter territory – a more focused Roy Ayers sound that's totally great, and which makes the album sparkle wonderfully throughout! All aspects of Roy's talents are perfectly balanced here – his warm vocals and jazzy vibes, his uptempo grooves and mellower rhythms – played to perfection by a hip lineup of players that includes Philip Woo on electric piano, Justo Almario on tenor sax, and Steve Cobb on drums. Edwin Birdsong guests a bit on the record – bringing in a nice edge to a few tunes – the album's got a really unique dark undercurrent, even in smoother moments – that subtle Roy Ayers' approach that's always made him one of our all-time favorite artists. Titles include the wonderful jazz-tinged "Searching", a great midtempo stepper that we really love; the funky break track "The Memory", a righteous number that feels like work from earlier records; the clubby classic "One Sweet Love to Remember"; and the sweet instrumental "Vibrations", which has a mellow kickback feel! Other tunes include "Higher", "Domelo (Give It To Me)", "Baby I Need Your Love", and "Better Days". Last up is Lifeline – a sublime blend of mellow numbers and some of his more club-oriented grooves of the time – all wrapped together with a genius that we can only describe as Ayers-like! The album's a beautiful example of the balance that Roy was striking in his work at the time – because alongside some of the more upbeat, catchy numbers, there's other tracks that are a fair bit more laidback, and almost abstract at times – a wonderful extrapolation of that sensitive Ayers blend of jazz and soul, with key emphasis on the vibes and keyboards. Titles include the massive groover "Running Away" – which you'll recognize from a key sample history over the years – and club cuts "Cincinnati Growl", "Fruit", "Sanctified Feeling", and "Stranded In The Jungle" – plus the more laidback cuts "Gotta Find A Lover", "I Still Love You", "Lifeline", and "This Side Of Sunshine". Also features bonus tracks – "Evolution (7" mix)", "Domelo (7" mix)", and "Running Away (12" long version)". CD

A masterpiece of funky soul – and one of the greatest albums of the early 70s! It all comes together on this one – funk, soul, politics, and production – and the record is still one of the clearest examples of James Brown's genius that you'll ever find! Recorded during the same sessions as the JBs album Damn Right I Am Somebody – Payback has the group backing James with amazing intensity, playing on and on for very long stretches, improvising jams that perfectly match the vocals, which are often as improvised as the music. The most famous example of this style at work is "The Payback", which begins with a simple head arrangement, then has James riffing off on politics and power, letting the band come in at just the right moment, dropping solos that are still some of the best ever recorded on a funk album. The rest of the album's equally great, and even though most tracks run close to 10 minutes, and the album's a 2LP set, most of the material stays fresher than any 3 minute funk record we've ever heard. Some tracks are separated by these cool voices that rise up as seques – and titles include "Stone To The Bone", "Mind Power", "Take Some Leave Some", and "Shoot Your Shot". CD

Two side-long jams from the great Wilburn Burchette – each of which work together to make for a mad journey in sound that's every bit as spooky as the image on the cover! This is one of those sets that has Burchette using eerie keyboards and electronics as even more than his more familiar guitar – really building things up slowly, and with this sinister sense of sound throughout – hardly relaxing music for meditation, and certainly the kind of record that would have gotten Burchette kicked out of the new age underground of the 70s! LP, Vinyl record album

Two side-long jams from the great Wilburn Burchette – each of which work together to make for a mad journey in sound that's every bit as spooky as the image on the cover! This is one of those sets that has Burchette using eerie keyboards and electronics as even more than his more familiar guitar – really building things up slowly, and with this sinister sense of sound throughout – hardly relaxing music for meditation, and certainly the kind of record that would have gotten Burchette kicked out of the new age underground of the 70s! LP, Vinyl record album

Yussef Dayes works here under a title that was first coined by Rahsaan Roland Kirk to refer to jazz – but Dayes takes the term to a whole new level with this groundbreaking set – really moving past jazz to unlock a whole field of soulful expression – served up an excellent group at the core, and key contributions from very hip guests throughout! Dayes has always been someone who defies expectations, but here he's going past just some sort of unconventionality to really make his own mark in music – letting an instrumental solo take center stage when needed, or working through vocals in another moment – but all with this effortless flow that really comes together over the course of the album! The group features Charlie Stacey on keyboards, Alexander Bourt on percussion, and Venna on tenor – and guests include Shabaka Hutchings, Leon Thomas, Miles James, Theon Cross, Chronixx, and others. Titles include "Early Dayes", "Afro Cubanism", "Black Classical Music", "Rust", "The Light", "Pon Di Plaza", "Marching Band", "Tioga Pass", "Cowrie Charms", "Crystal Palace", and "Presidential". CD

Yussef Dayes works here under a title that was first coined by Rahsaan Roland Kirk to refer to jazz – but Dayes takes the term to a whole new level with this groundbreaking set – really moving past jazz to unlock a whole field of soulful expression – served up an excellent group at the core, and key contributions from very hip guests throughout! Dayes has always been someone who defies expectations, but here he's going past just some sort of unconventionality to really make his own mark in music – letting an instrumental solo take center stage when needed, or working through vocals in another moment – but all with this effortless flow that really comes together over the course of the album! The group features Charlie Stacey on keyboards, Alexander Bourt on percussion, and Venna on tenor – and guests include Shabaka Hutchings, Leon Thomas, Miles James, Theon Cross, Chronixx, and others. Titles include "Early Dayes", "Afro Cubanism", "Black Classical Music", "Rust", "The Light", "Pon Di Plaza", "Marching Band", "Tioga Pass", "Cowrie Charms", "Crystal Palace", and "Presidential". LP, Vinyl record album

Four classic albums from Dynasty – served up here with bonus material too! First up is Your Piece Of The Rock – a set that has Dynasty working with snapping grooves with a nice sort of electro undercurrent –- all the handiwork of Leon Sylvers, who also plays bass and drums on the record – and really helps Dynasty find their groove! The tracks here are all quite long, and offer up plenty of space for the players to jam nicely – a group that includes Fred Jackson on saxophone, Gene Dozier on keyboards, and Oscar Brashear on trumpet. Dynasty are pretty good too – a bit more than just a club trio filling in vocals from time to time – and titles include "Satisfied", "Your Piece Of The Rock", "I Don't Want To Be A Freak", "When You Feel Like Giving Love", and "It's Still A Thrill". Next is Adventures In Music – almost a fusion of older sweet group soul with some of the more bottom-driven modes forged by the Solar label! The keyboards are upfront, the basslines strong, and the group is completely tight on the money – at a level that made them one of the strongest 80s proponents of the Solar Records groove. The title cut here is our favorite – a sweet stepper that bursts out with this blast of sound that's totally great – completely captivating, and filled with cascading sounds that really grab us. Other tracks include "Ice Breaker", "Something To Remember", "Day & Night", "Do Me Right", and "I've Just Begun To Love You". Next is Second Adventure – the kind of set that shows why the group went on to become one of the strongest things going in the second chapter of the Solar Records soul empire from LA! The album begins with a rock-solid punch, then continues strongly throughout – basslines, guitar riffs, and funky drums all right on the money – used in a way that's somehow fresher than most of the larger funk groups of the time – and with a nice balance between mellower moments that still seem to have a gentle kind of groove. The energy is wonderful throughout – and titles include "Give It Up For Love", "Love In The Fast Lane", "Revenge", "Here I Am", "A Man In Love", and "You're My Angel". Last up is Right Back At Cha – a set that's super tight and right on the money – that wonderfully catchy approach to 80s R&B that was the hallmark of Dynasty at their height! The tunes are a hook-heavy blend of funk and upbeat modes – all brightly glowing with that style that made Solar Records one of the leading lights of the Cali soul scene in the decade – and which gets some extra special treatment here from one of their most consistent groups! Titles include "That's The Way I Feel About You", "Check It Out, "The Only One", "Questions", "Straight Out", and "Does That Ring A Bell". 3CD set also features 9 bonus tracks – all 7" single mixes of hits from the albums! CD

A really fantastic set of work from the wonderful Margo Guryan – songwriter of some of the hippest tunes of the late 60s scene, and one who only gave the world one full album of music before stepping aside from the studio! Margo's got roots in jazz, but also comes across with a cooler, more sophisticated style too – a blend that makes her a really unique figure, and which also maybe helps explain why her songs were recorded by such a wide range of other artists – as we can really see her charms encouraging others to dip into her music! This huge box set brings together most of the too-small recorded legacy of Guryan – her classic Take A Picture album, the great 27 Demos set that came out in later years, and a number of unreleased songs as well – all wrapped up with a beautiful package and a huge amount of notes. The set features 16 never-issued titles, and a total of 46 tracks in all – and titles include "There I Was", "Goodbye July", "If I Lose", "You Promised", "More Understanding Than A Man", "Sun", "Think Of Rain", "The 8.17 Northbound Success Merry Go Round", "What Can I Give You", "Under My Umbrella", "I Don't Intend To Spend Christmas Without You", "Timothy Gone", "The Hum", "Goodbye July", "Hold Me Dancin", "I Like To See The Bad Guys Win", and "California Shake". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe some of the most spiritual work we've ever heard from French pianist Francois Tusques – working here on two long tracks that really show some strong development in his Intercommunal Free Dance Music Orchestra concept since the 70s! The tracks are partly modal and rhythmic in structure, but have wilder twists and turns along the way – not ear-bracing avant blasts, but instead some of the more long-haired expressions that had been showing up in French avant jazz from the mid 70s onward – a very special brew that makes this album wonderfully unique, even amidst other unique recordings on the scene! The title track, "Le Musichien" is a long track with Tusques on piano, Sylvain Kassap on tenor, Yebga Likoba on soprano sax, Ramadolf on trombone, Jean-Jacques Avenel on bass, and Carlos Andreau on voice – really spinning out some beautiful sounds. The flipside features "Les Amis D'Afrique", another fantastic number with many of the same players – but also with Daniele Dumas on soprano sax, and twin congas from Sam Ateba and Kilikus, who really add a lot to the track. LP, Vinyl record album

It's maybe no secret that the French love American jazz – but it's a bit more specific that their love of the music goes back to the earliest years of the style – a key period between the world wars where the French not only embraced the new sound of jazz, but also created a welcome audience for key American figures as well! Author Jeffrey H Jackson does a great job of unpacking these early years – and works with a variety of sources that includes personal memoir, press accounts, and even music criticism – to give a very vivid portrait of these important years for jazz outside of the US. Softcover edition is 266 pages. Book

Karma was a group made up of some of the better west coast studio jazz players of the 70s – including Oscar Brashear, Ernie Watts, and George Bohanon – but despite the strength of their individual members, the group never really put things together all that strongly. They're not bad, but it's just that the soul jazz/spiritual promise of the group's name and cover art doesn't really seem to show in their slick music. Titles include "Difference Of Opinion", "Abundance", "Spotty Funk", and "Now That's Bionic". LP, Vinyl record album

Cool work from a combo that's maybe a bit smaller than you'd guess from the "league" in their name – as the group's just the trio on the front, which features Zak Sokolow on guitar, Jake Faulkner on bass, and Nicholas Baker on drums and percussion – three musicians who really manage to make some unusual sounds with their instruments! Sokolow's got this style of guitar that's very compelling – partly in that older South American mode borrowed from surf guitar, as you'd hear on chicha and cumbia recordings – but with all sorts of effects that really space things out, and sometimes make it feel as if there's a chorus of players working at once! And the percussion of Baker gets nice and rootsy at times – again echoing some Latin currents, but with a sense of rhythm that's nicely different too – which is augmented by the way that Faulkner handles his bass. The whole thing's in a unique space between jazz, Latin, and maybe a bit of small combo funk – with titles that include "Figueroa", "Angels Point", "Ghosts Of Gardena", "Danza De La Lom", "Rebecca", "Moonlight Over Montebello", and "72 Monte Carlo". CD

A great project from Josh Milan of the legendary combo Blaze – a group that so perfectly brought a genuine depth of soulful songwriting integrity to the dancefloor scene from the mid 80s house era onward – and Milan carries on that tradition with the debut of his Honeycomb Music project! Josh wrote and produced each track on the 2CD package – with some great voices from the contemporary scene and names we're seeing for the first time! Live instrumentation and strong songs stand out here, just as they did for Blaze – with a nicely elongated dancefloor groove – most running between 5 & 7 minutes. Each of the 2CDs run north of 45 minutes, with tracks by Angela Johnson, Crystal Johnson, T'Zelle, Lamone, Honey Sweet feat Cassio Ware, Chinahblac, Lamone, Sandra St. Victor and others. Includes "Kipepeo" by T'Zelle, "Raul Rosario, We Miss You" by Honey Sweet, "Forever I Do" by Angela Johnson, "GOD" by Dawn Tallman, "Under The Moonlight" by Cinnamon Brown, "Who Am I" by Crystal Johnson, "Your Eyes" by Lamone, "Till You Go Home" by Chinahblac and more. CD

A brilliant portrait of one of the most unique women in jazz – South African singer Sathima Bea Benjamin, an artist who had a huge impact on scenes in both the US and Europe – and one who maybe did as much for other artists and the music in general as she did for her own career! The book is a very loving account of Benjamin's long musical journey, trans-Atlantic lifestyle, and cultural challenges – put together with collaborator Carol Ann Muller, who does a great job of giving voice to some of Benjamin's ideas, and focus to key moments that really highlight her contributions. Softcover edition has some black and white images, and is 348 pages in length. Book

Post-Mingus work from reedman George Adams and pianist Don Pullen – three albums in a single set! Decisions is one of those key records that has George Adams and Don Pullen reinventing expectations of jazz for the 80s – both musicians with plenty of ear for the outside, but also coming back home with a well-rounded, deeply-rooted approach that's crucial in taking the American jazz legacy another step forward! Like some of their similar contemporaries, who could also be avant at times, and straight at others – Adams and Pullen have no concern with setting themselves in one camp or another – and not only flesh out the spirit of the record with both of those aspects of their playing, but also have some surprisingly bluesy undercurrents at times. The group features George Adams on tenor, Don Pullen on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums – and titles include "Decisions", "Triple Over Time", "I Could Really For You", "Message Urgent", and "Trees & Grass & Things". Life Line is a strong outing from this key post-Mingus collaboration – and a record that really shows both Don Pullen and George Adams really coming into their own! Pullen's piano can have plenty of edges, as can Adams' tenor – but there's also some warmer, lyrical moments that really round things out – kind of a balance between righteous energy and deeper quietude that the musicians might have learned during their time with Charles Mingus – taken to a logical small group extension here. Adams also plays a bit of flute, which is especially nice – and the group also includes Cameron Brown on bass and Dannie Richmond on drums. Titles include "The Great Escape Or Run John Henry Run", "Seriously Speaking", "Soft Seas", and "Protection". Live At Montmartre is solidly soaring work from tenorist George Adams – recording live here with pianist Don Pullen, one of his best musical partners during the 80s! The album's got a bit more of a bite than some of the pair's studio sessions – a bit straighter overall, but recorded with a nice degree of energy, and some long tracks that really let both players open up nicely – in a combo that also features John Scofield on guitar, Cameron Brown on bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums. The inclusion of Scofield's guitar changes up the group's sound in a nice way – adding in some more chromatic elements that really stand out – and titles include "IJ", "Flame Games", "Song Everlasting", and "Forever Lovers". CD

Fantastic stuff – and one of the greatest records ever by Brazilian keyboardist Antonio Adolfo! The album was recorded at the end of the 70s, and has a sound that's a lot like the best fusion work by Azymuth – a great mix of jazz and funk, plus more dynamic Brazilian elements – all wrapped together in a way that a rare few hybrids do this well! There's great keyboards right up front in the mix – and the backing has some tight percussion that crackles along and gives the album a heavy bottom and a great groove. The album was originally only issued on the tiny Artezanal label – but it feels like a lost gem from the classic funk years at Fantasy Records – internationally funky, far past just a Brazilian music gem. Titles include the massive break cut "Cascavel", plus other nice tracks like "Viralata", "A Marcha", "Assanhada", "Vermelhinho", and "Brincadeira Em Mi Bemol". LP, Vinyl record album