Damn great work from the amazing Eddie Harris – a record that's got a perfect blend of jazz and funk, but still holds onto more righteous elements too! Eddie's using his electric sax in a really great way – not as a gimmick at all, but as a way of linking both the soulful and progressive sides of the Chicago jazz scene – much like the way his old bassist Melvin Jackson did on the classic Funky Skull record! The group here is a small one, but features some really surprising work from players who include Muhal Richard Abrams on electric piano, Rufus Reid on electric and acoustic bass, Billy James on drums and Kalimba, Ronald Muldrow on guitar, and Henry Gibson on some mighty nice percussion. Eddie himself is a stunner – working not just on electric tenor, but also trumpet with a reed mouthpiece, and some weird way of vocalizing through a horn as well. The whole thing's got a vibe that matches the hippest, coolest electric jazz of the Cadet/Concept years – and titles include the great groover "Zambezi Dance", plus "Nightcap", "Tampion", "Instant Death", and "Superfluous". LP, Vinyl record album

Funky madness from The New Mastersounds – sounding better here than we remember them in years, with a real nitty-gritty quality that reminds us of their best early singles! The grooves on the set are extremely intense – from the percussion-jamming timbales of "The Tin Drum", to the mad guitar of "Zambezi", to the super-cooking organ of "You Got It All" – and each new track is a delightful surprise, offering a different focus on the group's instrumental strengths – all of which are presented here with raw and stripped-down production! Sam Bell guests on percussion – and other tracks include "Baby Bouncer", "La Cova", "Pure", "Ain't No Telling", "The Minx", and "Land Of Nod". CD

Brit DJ Keb Darge is (and has been for years) one of the world's foremost experts on the funky 45. This masterful comp put together by the folks at BBE brings together an amazing collection of rare tracks lost to the world – nearly all of which have never appeared on other comps of this sort of stuff. Excellent all the way through, with a masterful selection of tracks like "Quit Jive'in" by Pearly Queen, "Gimme Some Skin" by Frank Penn, "Zambezi" by The Fun Company, "Who Dun It" by The Originals Orchestra, and "The First Thing I Do In the Morning" by Joyce Williams. Great all the way through, and compiled with a feel that makes you think you're spending time at some great club night in London! Stormin funkiness! CD

A heck of a great little guitar funk album – a rare early 70s session from the groovy Eddy Senay – an artist that we'd rank right up there with bigger names like Phil Upchurch, David T Walker, Dennis Coffey, or Eddie Fisher at the same time! Fisher's maybe the best comparison here – especially his second album for Cadet – as the style here is clearly born in jazz, but taken through lots of soul and funk territory – so that the instrumental tunes are maybe even heavier on groove than solo space – although Senay manages to deliver plenty with his fuzzy tone on the strings! Eddie's got roots in Detroit, and there's almost some Westbound Records elements taking place here at times – as the set was recorded in the Motor City with help from Johnny Clapton and Thomas Hale on tenor, Rudy Robinson on keyboards, Gordon Camp on trumpet, and some especially great work from Eddie Bongo Brown on congas – whose groove really adds a deeper layer to the tunes. Titles include great remakes of Donny Hathaway's "Zambezi" and Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" – plus "Jubo", "Hot Thang", "Message of Love", and "Down Home". CD