Here Only Good Music For All

Horace Andy & Errol Scorcher - Unity Showcase 1980 (Reggae)

2012-01-28T02:19:00.000-08:00

1 - Horace Andy - Mr. Babylon

2 - Horace Andy & Errol Scorcher - Come On &

3 - Horace Andy - Tonight (Showcase)

4 - Horace Andy - Unity (Showcase)

5 - Horace Andy & Errol Scorcher - Fruit Of Love

Mix at King Tubby's

Recorded at Channell One & Harry J

The Reflections - Love On Delivery (Soul)

2012-01-26T07:44:00.000-08:00

A1 Day After Day (Night After Night)

A2 Love On Delivery (L.O.V.)

A3 Now You've Taken Your Love

A4 Are You Ready (Here I Am)

A5 She's My Summer Breeze

B1 All Day, All Night (Runnin' Around)

B2 One Into One

B3 Telephone Lover

B4 How Could We Let The Love Get Away

B5 Three Steps From True Love

A modern soul classic – and a darn hard record to find! The Reflections were an obscure male quartet with a sound that mixed deep soul vocals and smooth modern production, and as far as we know, they only ever cut this one LP for Capitol. Melba Moore gave the group their start, and the album features arrangements by the likes of Paul Griffin, Bert DeCoteaux, and JJ Jackson – all of whom really help the harmonies find a great sort of groove. Includes the wonderful spacey soul cut "She's My Summer Breeze", plus "Are You Ready", "One Into One", "Now That You've Taken Your Love", and "Love On Delivery". Great stuff – and one of those gems that keeps us diggin for the rare stuff!

Charles Hilton Brown - Owed To Myself (Funk)

2012-01-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

1 Try a Little Tenderness

2 I'M Coming Home

3 Tell Me Once Again

4 Maddox

5 Love Train

6 G.R.F.

7 Ain't No Sunshine

8 Arguments

This gem of an album from Charles Hilton Brown was recorded in Italy in 1974; among the eight tracks featured here are excellent renditions of "Try A Little Tenderness" and "Ain't No Sunshine."

Rare Album Recorded N 1974 During Charles' Stay In Italy.

Personnel: Roy Edwards (trumpet, trombone); Pete Nelson (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, organ, keyboards); George Gabriel (drums, percussion).

O.V. Wright - Unlimited (Soul)

2012-01-21T02:49:00.000-08:00

1. I've Been Searching

2. Nothing Comes To A Sleeper

3. The Only Thing That Saved Me

4. He's My Son (Just The Same)

5. You Must Believe In Yourself

6. Lost In The Shuffle

7. I'd Rather Be Blind, Crippled And Crazy

8. Please Forgive Me

9. Are You Going Where I'm Coming From

10. Ghetto Child

11. Memory Blues

12. I'm Going Home (To Live With God)

OV Wright at the top of his game -- working here with classic Memphis production from Willie Mitchell, and a sound that should have knocked Al Green right off of the charts! Wright's vocals have a rougher edge than Al's, and the record's really dripping with deep soul feeling -- a slow-burning energy that's perfectly handled by Mitchell, in ways that echo some of OV's bluesier roots, but keeps things in the more sophisticated Memphis modes of the 70s. The balance is perfect, and instrumentation is handled by a batch of Hi Records regulars -- including the Memphis Horns with Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love. Wright really rises to the occasion for the whole album, and the set's arguably better than any of his later work for Hi -- although that stuff is all pretty darn wonderful too! Titles include "I've Been Searching", "Lost In The Shuffle", "I'd Rather Be Blind Crippled & Crazy", "Ghetto Child", "You Must Believe In Yourself", and "I'm Going Home". Beautiful reissue pressing too -- with deep notes on the music, details of the session, vintage images, and even an OV Wright Discography too!

Hawaii Music !

2012-01-20T06:29:00.000-08:00

It's called the "Pupu Mix", a free mixtape packed with 30 minutes of quality homegrown music that’s funkier than a Hawaiian mosquito’s tweeter. This mixtape is an appetizer to the main course: a mix and tee release by Aloha Got Soul and Fitted set to drop later this year. Yes, this music is all from Hawaii!

Pupu Mix: Aloha Got Soul x Fitted Hawaii (free mixtape) by alohagotsoul

Listen & Download on Soundcloud now.

audio: http://snd.sc/yaPDY8

artwork: http://bit.ly/w5bJ8f

original post on Aloha Got Soul: http://wp.me/p10Uv2-xc

Join them at : www.alohagotsoul.com

Peace

Tarika Blue - Tarika Blue (Smooth Jazz)

2012-01-18T04:23:00.000-08:00

1. Dreamflower (the music for Erykah Badu's #1 hit "Didn't Cha Know")

2. Truth Is The Key

3. Love It

4. Things Spring

5. You'll Be With Me

6. My Love Is So Free

7. Charlie

8. Jimi

9. Blue Neptune

10. Sunshower

11. Revelation

12. Downtown Sound

13. Sun Thru Winter

Do not let it happen again! Tarika Blue made 2 LPS of quite uncatagorizable musics (only the fabulous one LP "Wonders" Full Moon might be comparable for that time), the musical concept of these college mates was TOO harmonically/melodically advanced to fall into what soon was to become the "Quiet Storm" or "Smooth Jazz" moviment, not quite "out" enough to ride with the Miles Davis "electric bag", and not full of machinegun -like showboat soloistics as the Mahavishnu Orchestra or Chick Corea's Return to Forever.

Instead, Philip Clendenon attracted the straight ahead jazz guitarist Ryo Kawasaki, and the funkier Jazz meets Hendrix approach of James Mason(Who had his career resurrected the last few years also), along with the Coltrane influenced sassofones of Marvin Blackman, and Justo Almario's more rounded approach on the same axe!

Beautiful dreamlike compositions which are NOW being catagorized as "spritual jazz"(from the Coltrane/Faroah Sanders) to some anglualr funk jazz, emfasis on the JAZZ, not just mindless throw away sounds that seem to captivate the radio audience who believe they listen to "jazz'.

Frasing and melody in all the solo work float and dance over an excellent harmonic chordal concept.

I have heard some one in the "nu Soul" school has sampled the incredibly beautiful opening track, "Dreamflower". Who it was, I forget, but she has "good taste"!

They play the stars outta these compositions, excelente mesmo!

Red Garland - Red's Good Groove (Jazz)

2012-01-16T05:11:00.000-08:00

1. Red's Good Groove

2. Love Is Here to Stay

3. This Time the Dream's on Me

4. Excellent

5. Take Me in Your Arms

6. Falling in Love With Love

Recorded in 1962, this is a laid back affair thats worth getting if you're a keen fan of swinging Jazz. Amazingly this album was only remastered in 2001 and its already out of print in the UK.

The musicians on the album are some of the very best:

Red Garland - Piano

Blue Mitchell - Trumpet

Pepper Adams - Baritone Sax

Sam Jones - Bass

Philly Joe Jones - Drums

Red Garland of course most famously worked with Miles Davis and here he's in top form backed by the classy musicians above. Its great to hear the the sadly underused baritone Sax. What a beautiful sound it makes.

My favourite track is the lovely version of Gershwins marvellous "Love Is Here To Stay". A great song and a superb version.

This was a one-off session that deserves to be better known.

Mitch Murder - Burning Chrome (Pop/Funk)

2012-01-12T02:24:00.000-08:00

1. Mitch Murder- Off World Prelude

2. Mitch Murder - The Heat Is On

3. Mitch Murder - Midnight Mall

4. Mitch Murder - Action Bike

5. Mitch Murder - Beach Interlude

6. Mitch Murder - Montage

7. Mitch Murder - Hollywood Heights

8. Mitch Murder - Running Out Of Time

9. Mitch Murder - Ravaged Skies

10. Mitch Murder - End Theme

Mitch Murder perfectly captures an 80's aesthetic where so many have only half-succeeded before. For me, this is the essence of great movie scores and soundtracks from that time period. Not over-produced, full of raw energy and emotion and pleasantly devoid of over the top irony. This album is a must have for any 80's music fan or electronic music enthusiast.

Madlib - Medicine Show No. 12 (Rap)

2012-01-11T05:34:00.000-08:00

Each volume of the medicine show has something that makes it unique and worth revisiting. Some are challenging but genius (i.e. #6); some are different after repeated listens (i.e. #4); some will appeal to very different audiences (i.e. #8 vs. #9), but all hold up on every single track and reflect Madlib's skills. This one is no different.

It is essentially a Madlib hip hop mash tape. He digs through his crates to find beats to mix with hip hop vocals from a variety of artists. And in typical Madlib fashion, he blends in skits. Some of the tracks will be recognized from other Madlib productions. And that's what makes it a great cap to the series -- the tracks have elements of the funk, psy-rock, brazil, jazz, afro-beat, and soul that are in their own volumes.

A great listen, one that grew on me. As a hip hop effort, it stands well on its own, though some may find the tracks end just as they get going. As a volume in the Medicine Show series, it's a great way to end the series

James Carr - A Man Needs A Woman (Soul)

2012-01-09T10:50:00.000-08:00

A1 A Man Needs A Woman

A2 Stronger Than Love

A3 More Love

A4 You Didn't Know It But You Had Me

A5 A Woman Is A Man's Best Friend

A6 I'm A Fool For You

A7 A Loosing Game

A8 A Message To Young Lovers

B1 Life Turned Her That Way

B2 Gonna Send You Back To Georgia

B3 The Dark End of the Street

B4 I Sowed Love And Reaped A Heatache

B5 Let It Happen

B6 You Gotta Have Soul

B7 You Hurt So Good

B8 You've Got My Mind Messed Up

Everybody who loves soul music should own this LP. Why James Carr never went to fame and fortune like other soul singers is a mistery since he could have taken on Otis Redding, Solomon Burke and their contemporaries any day.

J. Rawls - The Liquid Crystal Project (Rap/Jazz)

2012-01-08T02:07:00.000-08:00

1. Liquid Intro

2. The D E Effect

3. Heart Throb

4. Infancy

5. A Tribute To Dilla

6. Remember When

7. Simple Game Plan

8. So Fly

9. Still Taking It EZ

10. A Tribute To Bobby

11. Running

12. Cao

13. A Tribute To Troy

14. Crystal Outro

15. Bonus Track

For a long time, I have had this vision of a different type of hip-hop and jazz fusion. I like to call this version Jazz-hop, because it is jazzy with all the elements of hip-hop inside of it. It's most evident in the drums! The boom-bap of hip-hop form is present; the smoothness of jazz is present. Put those two together and it's so right!

This is something for the thirty-something cats that yearn for a more mature music. We grew up on hip-hop and live for the boom-bap, but we don't really have any tolerance for the nonsense most rappers are talking about today. This is for the hip-hop connoisseur that can appreciate good hip-hop merged with a touch of jazz.

Bill Evans - You Must Believe in Spring (Jazz)

2012-01-06T05:29:00.000-08:00

1. B Minor Waltz (For Ellaine)

2. You Must Believe In Spring

3. Gary's Theme

4. We Will Meet Again (For Harry)

5. The Peacocks

6. Sometime Ago

7. Theme From M*A*S*H (Aka Suicide Is Painless)

Quintessential late period Bill Evans, demonstrating that he maintained the same high levels of musical integrity and inspiration throughout his long career. His phrasing, sense of timing and unfailing beauty of tone set an example from which many classical pianists could usefully learn (and indeed it is good to see that Jean Yves Thibaudet has recorded an excellent album of Evans compositions). Evans had a unique piano sound influenced by Bebop but also by classical composers such as Chopin and Debussy. It is so distinctive, in fact, that you only have to hear a few chords to know that it is Evans playing. As a result his music is harmonically richer than most jazz, yet remains completely accessible to a non-jazz audience. This album is one of his most memorable - standout tracks include his version of 'The Peacocks', whose mysterious melody is perfect material for Evans' improvisational skills, 'The Theme from MASH' (one of only a few jazz versions of this tune), and the title track. Listening to this album is inevitably tinged with a sense of sadness as one realises that it was one of his last studio recordings, but he left behind a marvellous legacy and remains the most influential jazz pianist of the late 20th century.

Message For All

2012-01-03T12:53:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody there is something new on the website !

First of all, happy new year to all : )

Please don't forget to click on advertising to show that our work is appreciated, it's free, it's costing you nothing. One click on it when you come can save the website and help me to propose you the best music possible.
I've many visitors per days but just few of them help me by this free act of kindness it's a pity (just 0,2%)...

Encore un message de rappel car nous avons constaté que le site engendre de plus en plus de visites, néanmoins 0,2% des visiteurs cliquent sur les pubs ce qui prouve un certains manque de reconnaissance de la part de nos visiteurs. Un clique sur une des pubs ne vous coute strictement rien par contre de notre coté cela prouve que notre travail est apprécié. Nous pouvons grace à l'argent récolté vous proposer de nouveaux albums, de meilleurs articles.

If you want to follow the crew : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sogoodmusic/136806809684893

Thanks, Merci & stay tuned ! Peace

Sogood'

Shin-Ski of Martiangang - Shattered Soul on a Pastel Sky (Rap)

2012-01-03T02:22:00.000-08:00

1. Prelude (Shintro) starring as Martiangang

2. It's All Real feat. The Procussions

3. Elements feat. Dagha

4. Koyoi feat. Apani B Fly MC

5. Time feat. Othello

6. Flow High feat. Nikko

7. Steps 2 Heaven

8. Have You Been a Good Girl feat. Funky DL

9. Let You Slide feat. Louis Logic

10. You Did It Again starring as ShinSight Trio

11. Rough Draft feat. Time Machine

12. Till the Day We Die (Lonely Nights Theme Reprise)

13. Peace of Mind feat. Melodee from La Melodia

14. Harmonia feat. Yuichiro Kato & Takasada Inada

15. Finale (Martian Odyssey)

Shin-Ski is a member of Shinsight Trio. He produced cliché from Dagha's The Divorce LP in 2008. Shattered Soul On a Pastel Sky his first album. On Elements appears Dagha with a sample of Scenario from A Tribe Called Quest, Apani B Fly on Koyoi, on You Did It Again, Shinsight Trio. All beats & cuts by Shin-Ski.

Andy Bey - Experience And Judgment (Jazz/Funk)

2012-01-01T07:43:00.000-08:00

1. Celestial Blues

2. Experience

3. Judgement

4. I Know This Love Can't Be Wrong

5. Hibiscus

6. You Should've Seen The Way

7. Tune Up

8. Rosemary Blue

9. Being Uptight

10. A Place Where Love Is

11. Trust Us To Find The Way

12. The Power Of My Mind

Andy Bey is one of the most criminally underrated jazz singers and musicians, who has excelled in each and every style he has attempted over his 40-plus-year career. From his work with the Bey Sisters to memorable collaborations with Horace Silver, Gary Bartz, Duke Pearson and many others, that spellbinding voice has actually improved with time. Fans of Bey's two fabulous "comeback" albums "Ballads Blues & Bey" and "Shades Of Bey" shouldn't approach this expecting anything similar. This is 1974, pure 1974, with a spacy jazz-funk orientation with period "Search your mind, know your spirit, universal love, get to the essence of life"-type lyrics. This record has long been prized by many in the DJ/rare groove community and is a notorious source of samples. Although some will find it dated, its quirky charms and righteous intentions will definitely catch the ears of many more. And his singing is as great as ever, proving steely enough to cut right through the electric arrangements replete with loads of Fender Rhodes and early synths. Fans of Gil Scott-Heron and Roy Ayers, step right this way!

Saunders Sermons - Classic Delight (RNB/Neo Soul)

2011-12-30T02:15:00.000-08:00

1. Day Dreaming

2. Don't You Understand

3. Straighten Up and Fly Right

4. I Need

5. Gee Baby, Aint I Good To You?

6. In A Sentimental Mood

7. Most Beautiful

That's 5 "U Betta Go Boy's!" out of 5! Classy, classy, classy! He deserves to be heard! There's nothing like the execution of real musicianship cohesive with real stylistic vocalization, especially since it is so prevalent for young, "so-called musicians" today, to bestow the contrary! Utilizing a smooth, sensual, whispery, 'Lovely Lana Luna' on The Jetsons, media advertisement voice, I would say, "Silky Saunders Sermons the Second, "Classic Delight". Get yours today, right away and don't delay!

Bon Iver - Emma, Forever Ago (Indie Pop)

2011-12-29T06:17:00.000-08:00

1. Flume

2. Lump Sum

3. Skinny Love

4. The Wolves (Act I and II)

5. Blindsided

6. Creature Fear

7. Team

8. For Emma

9. Re: Stacks

It's hard to believe that For Emma, Forever Ago is the work of one man. But when Justin Vernon's old band split he hauled himself (and presumably plenty of instruments and recording equipment) to his dad's hunting cabin in the woods of Wisconsin for the coldest season and worked through his issues in musical form. (The name comes from the French for "good winter"--"bon hiver"). By the start of the spring thaw he had recorded the bulk of this stunning debut, originally self-issued to acclaim last year in the USA and now picked up for a British release. Vernon's voice grabs the ear from the start, switching easily into a smooth falsetto (and unusually for a white indie lad, without the slightest intent of emulating Prince). The formula is straightforward. He layers his vocal harmonies, while a gently strummed acoustic rhythm guitar just about holds the centre. All else from horns to slide guitar is mere detail. The quality is rough and ready but the effect is strangely similar though to the slick vocal confections of European women like Bjork and Camille, all mystery and distance. It's the musical equivalent of reading someone else's diary. In code. Through a dirty window. Enigmatic songs like the elegantly stumbling "Creature Fear" with its rowdy horn parts, the resolute opener "Flume" and the evanescent "Team" are just so pretty they seem to glide by without leaving a mark in the snow. Vernon is apparently a straightforward and friendly guy, but For Emma, Forever Ago genuinely sounds like something from a far off place.

Don Covay -See-Saw (Soul)

2011-12-28T05:04:00.000-08:00

A1 See-Saw

A2 The Boomerang

A3 Everything's Gonna Be Everything

A4 Fat Man

A5 Precious You

A6 Iron Out the Rough Spots

B1 Please Do Something

B2 I Never Get Enough of Your Love

B3 The Usual Place

B4 A Woman's Love

B5 Sookie Sookie

B6 Mercy, Mercy

Atlantic soul album from Don Covay! 60's soul at his best !

Pockets - Come Go With Us (Soul)

2011-12-26T13:50:00.000-08:00

1 - come go with me

2 - pasado

3 - one day at a time

4 - doin' the do

5 - in the pocket

6 - nothing is stronger

7 - Elusive Lady

8 - Wizzard Wuzzit

The great first album from Pockets. We'd go anywhere with these guys! Pockets was of the few lucky bands to fall under the Kalimba Productions/EWF umbrella, and they burst out out of the gates here with a smooth jazzy soul style that was definitely helped by a proximity to Maurice White – but they up the tempo on and the energy on some tracks, too, and it's terrific everywhere they take us. This album's probably their best and at has not one unworthy moment – with the killer opener "Come Go With Me" plus "Nothing Is Stranger", "In The Pocket", "Elusive Lady", "Doin' The Do" and "Pasado".

Luther Vandross - This Is Christmas (Soul)

2011-12-24T04:25:00.000-08:00

1. With a Christmas Heart

2. This Is Christmas

3. The Mistletoe Jam (Everybody Kiss Somebody)

4. Every Year, Every Christmas

5. My Favorite Things

6. Have Your Self a Merry Little Christmas

7. I Listen to the Bells

8. Please Come Home for Christmas

9. A Kiss for Christmas

10. O' Come All Ye Faithful

Rather than a do a rehash of many of the obvious traditional tunes that fill special holiday albums by contemporary performers, maestro Luther Vandross opted for the task of creating no fewer than 7 of the 10 tracks included on his 1995 Christmas release. The result is an album that demonstrates why Vandross is still considered the preeminent black male vocalist of close to two decades: as on typical Vandross recordings, the production is crisp and strong and the vocals are flawless. As usual, he employs the cream of musicians and background vocalists (including the inimitable Cissy Houston and Darlene Love, who is featured on the Motown-like duet "I Listen to the Bells")--the perfect backdrop for Vandross's distinctive sound, exemplified on the standout title track. "The Mistle Toe Jam" has the party-like feel of Vandross sides like "Bad Boy" and the more recent "Nights in Harlem," while "Every Year, Every Christmas" (cowritten with Richard Marx) is a soulful slow jam. A surprising reading of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic "My Favorite Things" shows that if Vandross ever chose to, he could easily do a fine album of jazz standards, while "O Come All Ye Faithful" (featuring an all-star choir that includes Valerie Simpson) is given the album's most traditional reading. Standouts include the gorgeous "Please Come Home for Christmas" and the almost funky "A Kiss for Christmas." Easily one of the best Christmas albums around.

Sam Dees - The Show Must Go On (Soul)

2011-12-23T10:47:00.000-08:00

01 - Child Of The Streets

02 - The Show Must Go On

03 - Come Back Strong

04 - Just Out Of My Reach

05 - Claim Jumpin'

06 - Troubled Child

07 - What's It Gonna Be

08 - Worn Out Broken Heart

09 - Good Guys

10 - So Tied Up

Sam Dees's album The Show Must Go On from 1975 on Atlantic records.

Classic 70's album, nothing to add just enjoy this jewel.

VA - Saudade Cocomo (Rap/Jazz)

2011-12-21T04:15:00.000-08:00

01 iman - take my hand

02 jazz liberatorz - slow down

03 the globetraddas - love

04 dj deckstream feat junji chiba - creeper

05 valentin - walking

06 brown tempo - homeage

07 asayake production - spinning a hold

08 bulljun - aquarium mood

09 elefante mecanico - no te enamores

10 diytokion - round trip

11 45 - lost vibes

12 curumin - solidao gasolina

Jazzy Hip Hop is a fusion of alternative hip hop and jazz, developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Lyrically it has often been intellectual, often socio-political or Afrocentric in content. Musically the rhythms have been typically those of hip hop rather than jazz, over which are placed repetitive phrases of jazz instrumentation: trumpet, double bass, etc. The amount of improvisation varies between artists: some groups improvise lyrics and solos, while a great deal of them do not.

Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma (Instru)

2011-12-20T03:10:00.001-08:00

1. Clock Catcher

2. Pickled!

3. Nose Art

4. Intro//A Cosmic Drama

5. Zodiac Shit

6. Computer Face//Pure Being

7. ...And The World Laughs With You ft. Thom Yorke

8. Arkestry

9. MmmHmm ft.Thundercat

10. Do The Astral Plane

11. Satelllliiiiiiiteee

12. German Haircut

13. Recoiled

14. Dance Of The Pseudo Nymph

15. Drips//Auntie's Harp

16. Table Tennis ft. Laura Darlington

17. Galaxy In Janaki

When global bass music matriarch Mary Anne Hobbs recently told The Fader ''Flying Lotus, for me,is like the Hendrix of his generation'', it seemed more than an audacious opinion, and with the arrival of Cosmogramma, it's revealed as a revelation. In the past couple of years since his debut album, Los Angeles, Flying Lotus has grown into the position of being far more than a producer, he has helped materialize a far-reaching strain of musical ideology that has encompassed not only a global family of like-minded artists, but also a nearly infinite palate of planetary (and interplanetary) sonics. No longer simply an outgrowth of Ellisona's machines, the music here is also the product of live instrumentalists from the worlds that Cosmogramma engages. There's the constant bass presence of ''Thundercat'', a cornerstone of Sa-Ra Creative; there's Rebekah Raff's harp connecting the dots between the music of Harry Partch and Ghostface Killah (both of which she's performed); there's an appearance by the tenor sax of Steven's cousin and jazz royalty, Ravi Coltrane, and by the voice of one Thom Yorke, an Oxford bloke taking respite from singing in the most influential rock band of the 21st century.

Funk Factory - Funk Factory (Funk)

2011-12-19T02:44:00.000-08:00

1.Watusi Dance

2.Horsing Around

3.Rien Ne Va Plus

4.After All the World Goes Home

5.Next Please

6.Music in Me

7.Funk It

8.Lilliput

9.Sinkin' Low

Bernard Purdie - Soul Drums (Funk/Jazz)

2011-12-13T11:23:00.000-08:00

1. Soul Drums

2. Bee 'N' Tee

3. Caravan

4. Soul Bossa Nova

5. Jimmy's Back

6. Funky Donkey

7. Bill's Groove

8. On The Outskirts Of Minitown

9. Testifyin'

10. Modern Jive

11. Blow Your Lid (But Watch Your Cool)

All u need to know about this one is Bernard Purdie from the late 60's. Loaded with the usual session guys. Bernard is one of the best drummers of all time. A groove master ! A lot more explosive in this one. not his usual laid-back, awesomely deft grooves.

Bobby Brown - Don't Be Cruel (RNB)

2011-12-13T07:18:00.000-08:00

1. Cruel Prelude

2. Don't Be Cruel

3. My Prerogative

4. Roni Listen

5. Rock Wit'cha

6. Every Little Step

7. I'll Be Good to You

8. Take It Slow

9. All Day All Night

10. I Really Love You Girl

Although his first solo record tanked, this release looked like the beginning of a superstar career. Brown, a former lead vocalist with New Edition (he was replaced by Johnny Gill, but both men participate in most NE reunions) has an appealing, if somewhat grainy, voice. It's a good match for the hip-hop beats that underpin some of the best songs here, especially "My Prerogative," which at the time sounded like an anthem. His ability to deftly merge R&B's upscale and hip-hop street esthetic (both Teddy Riley and Babyface produce tracks on this CD) changed the role of the rake hero. Sadly, this was Brown's lone significant musical moment as a solo artist. Except for marrying Whitney Houston, his life since has become a skein of self-destructive activities.

Herbie Hancock - The Prisoner (Jazz)

2011-12-12T04:04:00.000-08:00

1. I Have A Dream

2. The Prisoner

3. Firewater

4. He Who Lives In Fear

5. Promise Of The Sun

This 1969 recording is a loose suite of pieces inspired by Martin Luther King and the struggle for black civil rights. Hancock wrote four of them and arranged bassist Buster Williams's "Firewater," expanding his working sextet to a nonet for the date with flute, bass clarinet, and bass trombone. The additional winds add delicacy and texture to an already powerful band, and the expanded palette allows Hancock to show untapped strengths as an orchestrator, enlarging the harmonic inference of strongly felt themes that are by turns majestic, assertive, and pensive

War - The World Is A Ghetto (Soul/Funk/Jazz)

2011-12-10T07:14:00.000-08:00

1. The Cisco Kid

2. Where Was You At

3. City Country City

4. Four Cornered Room

5. The World is a Ghetto

6. Beetles in the Bog

Best known for its distinctive fusion of Latin-flavored jazz, funk, rock, and soul, War was unquestionably one of the most successful fusion bands to emerge in the early '70s. Initially working with Eric Burdon, former lead singer with the British '60s band the Animals, the seven-member team enjoyed a commercial breakthrough with 1971's "All Day Music." The follow-up, The World Is a Ghetto took War mainstream thanks to the crossover success of the title track, a top 10 pop and R&B smash as 1972 became 1973. Cuts like the 13-minute-plus jazz-flavored adventure known as "City, Country, City" alongside the witty "Where Was You At" and the eerie "Four Cornered Room" were standouts on the six-track album. But it was the immediacy of the No. 2 pop single "The Cisco Kid," with its catchy hook that helped give the band a chart-topping No. 1 gold-selling album in 1973, arguably the best representation of its work as groove pioneers of the day.

Stairsteps - Second Resurrection (Soul/Funk)

2011-12-06T07:22:00.000-08:00

A1 From Us to You

A2 Pasado

A3 Theme of Angels

A4 Lifting 2nd Resurrection

A5 Time

B1 Throwin' Stones Atcha

B2 Far East

B3 In the Beginning

B4 Tell Me Why

B5 Salaam

he Five Stairsteps were already an established R&B family by the time they changed their name to just "The Stairsteps" in 1970, and scored big with "Ooh Child"...however, there was a long lull, until Billy Preston brought them to the attention of ex-Beatle George Harrison, who signed them to his Dark Horse label. In 1976, They emerged with the classic underrated Funk album, "Second Resurrection"... sadly, it never got the attention it deserved, although a single, "From Us To You" was an R&B hit. Another song, "Pasado" became an R&B charter for the group Pockets when they did their own version....

The Stairsteps would fade again for a few years, until they resurfaced as the Invisible Man's Band, scoring a hit with "All Night Thang". Bassist Keni Burke became a solo artist, as well as an in-demand session musician--He would also score big with his solo 1982 hit, "Rising to The Top"...

A few years ago, Mojo magazine listed Second Resurrection as one of their "Funk Albums You Must Own"

Nujabes - Spiritual State (RAP)

2011-12-05T10:35:00.000-08:00

01. Spiritual State (ft. Uyama Hiroto)

02. Sky Is Tumbling (ft. Cise Star)

03. Gone Are The Day (ft. Uyama Hiroto)

04. Spirale

05. City Light (ft. Substantial & Pase Rock)

06. Color Of Autumn

07. Down On The Side

08. Yes (ft. Pase Rock)

09. Rainy Way Back Home

10. Far Fowls

11. Fellows

12. Waiting For The Clouds (ft. Substantial)

13. Prayer

14. Island (ft. Uyama Hiroto & Haruka Nakamura)

The new album of the legend of Japan, if you don't take this it's an huge mistake ! I'll highly recommend this !

R.I.P. Nujabes

The Moments - Moments With You (Soul)

2011-12-05T02:32:00.000-08:00

A1. We Don’t Cry Out Loud

A2. With You

A3. Oh I Could Have Loved You

A4. I Don’t Wanna Go

B1. Come In Girl

B2. La La La

B3. Running

B4. Stay

B5. Slap Your Hands To The Music

The Moments were one of those silky smooth vocal groups like Stylistics, Spinners, Chi-lites, Main Ingredient.

This vinyl is an excellent introduction to one of the finest smooth soul groups.

Sylvia Striplin - Give Me Your Love (Funk-RNB)

2011-12-04T05:59:00.000-08:00

1. Look Towards the Sky

2. Toy Box

3. You Can't Turn Me Away

4. All Alone

5. Give Me Your Love

6. Will We Ever Pass This Way Again

7. Searchin

8. You Said

This is one of the BEST oldschool underground albums ever. Roy & Sylvia making it happen.

Midnight Star - No Parking On The Dance Floor (Funk)

2011-12-03T03:05:00.000-08:00

1. Electricity

2. Night Rider

3. Feels So Good

4. Wet My Whistle

5. No Parking (On the Dance Floor)

6. Freak-A-Zoid

7. Slow Jam

8. Playmates

While "Freak-a-zoid" is probably its best known track, "No Parking On The Dance Floor" is an album that smacks of class from start to finish. Undoubtedly Midnight Star was a group with a lot of talent. Containing what I believe are three of the most underrated RnB singers of their time (Watson, Gentry, and Lipscomb), Midnight Star was able to produce an album with all key ingredients in abundance; grinding-groovin'-sweetness. For example, the dance numbers, "Freak-a-zoid" "Electricity" and the title track, are simple in construction, yet wickedly hypnotic with a decidedly "electro" flavour and thudding Zapp-like basslines. The mid-tempo songs are upbeat and thoroughly melodic, "Wet My Whistle" is a great example of laid back Eighties groove.

However, the 'piece de resistance' on this album has got to be "Slow Jam," possibly my favourite duet ever. The chemistry between Lipscomb and Watson is palpable and features the two fantastic vocalists at the top of their game; the melody is unmistakeable, unforgettable, and elevates an already great album into the lofty realms where "classics" dwell.

Only very rarely do groups produce an album where all the ingredients synergise to create something great. No Parking On The Dance Floor was "it" for Midnight Star; awesome vocals, great songs, banging grooves

Caesar Frazier - Hail Caesar! (Jazz/Funk)

2011-12-02T05:17:00.000-08:00

01 - Hicky-burr

02 - Ellie's love theme

03 - See-f

04 - Hail ceasar !

05 - Make it with you

06 - Runnin' away

Vontel - Tru 2 Life (Rap)

2011-12-01T02:00:00.000-08:00

01 Just Anotha Day In Phoenix

02 Livin' Da Real Gangsta Life

03 Pimping Ain't Easy

04 Loungin'

05 Parlay In My 64

06 Hoes Need Love Too

07 Just Clownin'

Finally i'm BACK

2011-11-30T13:49:00.000-08:00

I'm back dear Followers : ) ! After 10 days of none posting i'm back to propose you the best music possible, so if you want to help the site in a free way, just click sometimes on the ads on the top of the website ! Thanks n stay tuned

Les amis je suis finalement back, après un leger problème je suis de retour pour vous proposer la meilleure musique possible, si vous voulez aider le site d'une façon gratuite, un clique de temps en temps sur les pubs m'aideront grandement. Merci et restez connecté sur sogoodmusic !

Wess & The Airedales - The Sound Of Soul (Soul/Funk)

2011-11-20T10:49:00.000-08:00

1. Chapel of Dreams

2. My Sun is Shining

3. Papa's Got A Brand New Bag

4. Stop Foolin' Yourself

5. High Heel Sneakers

6. Until You Came Along

7. For Your Precious Love

8. Where Did Our Love Go

9. I'll Never Turn My Back On You

10. I've Got My Eyes On You

11. You Brought It All On Yourself

12. She Found Out

Wess used to be the bassist of the band, but he took over as frontman in 1967 (he was an Italian addition I think). This is a great album! I've never heard any other albums by the Airedales so if anyone has any them post 'em please. I have to rush off to work to work so excuse the poorer-than-usual blurb. You might recognize Papa's Got a Brand New Bag (James Brown cover) and Where Did Our Love Go (Supremes cover). Though the album is called The Sound Of Soul, if you've been enjoying the soul posts I've been uploading then this album might be a bit deceptive: it's very funky and upbeat.

DJ Okawari - Mirror

2011-11-19T01:49:00.000-08:00

1. Sound of Silence feat.KAORI

2. Luv Letter

3. You Gotta Be feat.AMADORI

4. Pack Light feat.ERIKO

5. Afterschool

6. Following the Dream

7. Free Bird feat.SIERRA

8. Sweet Light

9. All I Have feat.AMANDA DIVA

10. Minamo

11. Evening Comes 2

For those of you that scan google blog search religiously, or stay up on independent music in other ways, I know what you might be thinking: Great, another japanese producer with an album. This year I have heard albums from other Japanese producers, namely Cradle Orchestra and Prisma, that share a very relaxed aesthetic with DJ Okawari’s latest release through Libyus Music, Mirror. Perhaps I simply hadn’t noticed in previous years, when Japan seemed to essentially revolve around Fat Jon and Nujabes, but there hasn’t been such a deluge of restrained, delicate hip-hop in quite a long time, if ever. The only other touchstone I have for Japanese hip-hop production is DJ Honda, who for all intents and purposes appears to be an anomaly.

This rounded-edges, smooth aesthetic is made pretty clear on the two opening tracks, “Sound of Silence” and “Luv Letter”. The first features relaxing, breathy vocals from KAORI, and a jazzy piano that plays continuously over very, very light hip-hop drums. This blueprint is important to note early because it continues to dominate most of the tracks. For example, “Free Bird” and “All I Have” are essentially smooth jazz and contemporary R&B. Amanda Diva guests on the latter, and accompanied by a pretty slick (though reminiscent of Kenny G) saxophone appears game for making as exciting a song as possible.

However, her vocals are a little blurry, and many times come out hard to understand. Which would be disappointing if I hadn’t already been put through Okawari and Amadori’s cover of Des’ree’s American R&B hit “You Gotta Be”, a track where Amadori is given ample time to prove she wouldn’t have made it in the ’90s R&B market, or any decade for that matter. Her mumbly, breathy vocals (which could be part of Okawari’s blueprint for the album and partially out of her control) ruin all the fun of the track’s charm, and her vocals lack the sexual element Des’ree had measured so well. The album’s other key aesthetic belongs (surprisingly?) to Final Fantasy and other role-playing game soundtracks. The piano-driven, not-exactly-at-all-hip-hop “Minamo”, “Afterschool” and especially “Luv Letter” sound more like overworld themes or shopping mall muzak than foreground music or, more exactly, like it should be marketed as hip-hop. Scratches can be found on “Evening Comes 2″, the final track, and trip-hop informs the personality of “Following the Dream”, but many of the tracks have a lighter than air feeling that makes the album as a whole quite difficult to pay attention to, or appreciate in a hip-hop context – just like those Cradle Orchestra and Prisma records. The only time the whole thing really comes together into a complete package is on mid-album highlight “Sweet Light”, which blends many elements of smooth NPR-oriented jazz with the mid-level, bouncy 808 bass that fellow international producers J.R. & Ph7 wield so effectively.

Earth Wind & Fire The Need Of Love (Jazz/Funk)

2011-11-18T01:45:00.000-08:00

01. Energy

02. Beauty

03. I Can Feel It In My Bones

04. I Think About Lovin' You

05. Everything Is Everything

This is early,primal Earth,Wind & Fire-heavier on the fire

then the wind."Energy" is a free jazz-funk number more indicative

of the Art Ensamble Of Chicago then anything else while "Beauty"

and "I Think About Lovin' You" are both Sherry Scott-led soul

ballads of the first degree while "I Can Feel It In My Bones" and

"Everything Is Everything" are more classic EWF funk jams.Yes it

will be a shock for "Shinning Star"-era fans to hear this gravel

raw album but remember-this is another record label,another group

lineup and really another era in music.Delectable!

SOGOOD's Friend - New Young Fresh Artist -> WAX MANTIC

2011-11-17T05:48:00.000-08:00

Composer & Sound Engineer, developed an sensibility, admiration of music from the debut of his adolescence, notably of Hip Hop music.

His music is kind of hip hop with soul, funk, jazzy influences, air, atmospheric mood, a mixture of jazzysoul, space vibes....Among others.

His influences range from an extensive genre of musics, artists, musicians, producers, labels...

Great Black Music, O.S.T, Concrete music, Electronic, Rock Prog, Hip Hop among others....

To name a few, the late and great Jay Dee ( R.I.P), Natives Tongues vibes, Bomb Squad, Hi-Tek, Brian Eno, Bob James, Weather Report, Mizell Brothers, Creed Taylor, Dj Premier, SA-RA, Rick Rubin...

Of course that can't be an exhaustive list, there's so many talents....

Thanks for checking out the page, hope you like what you hear, and feel it!

For Inquiries, Collab, Beats... : yousrikhattali@gmail.com

Also if you want to stay in touch with him :

Tweeter : WaxMantic

Facebook: WaxMantic

Here a selection of Wax Mantic's sounds (possible to download it):

Where Am I ?! by Wax Mantic

Don't Give Up! by Wax Mantic

Land Of Passion by Wax Mantic

Cloud by Wax Mantic

Quiet by Wax Mantic

Addict Exchange by Wax Mantic

This is just a selection if you want to hear more, this is the way :http://soundcloud.com/wax-mantic

Dont hesitate to support him, n encourage this high talented guy who reminds me the great J. Dilla !

Peace !

VA - Mushroom Jazz Vol 1 (Rap/Jazz)

2011-11-17T01:58:00.000-08:00

1. Bossa Nova - Mr. Electric Triangle

2. Remember Me - Blue Boy

3. Get This - Groove Nation

4. Pick Me Up - Deadbeats

5. Gibby Music - Apollo Grooves

6. Midnight Calling - Naked Funk

7. Midnight Calling (Fly Amanita Remix) - Mark Farina

8. If We Lose Our Way - Paul Johnson

9. In Hale - Hydroponic Groove Session

10. Warm Chill - Julius Papp

11. Music Use It - Lalomie Washburn

12. Longevity - J Live

This CD is simply the product of all good music combined. Hip-Hop beats, Jazz, Vocals, Blues, you name it. The title "mushroom jazz" is just perfect to describe the kind of music. It's jazzy and trippy. In my opinion, people who are into hardcore rap wouldn't like it. This is not a rap album. It is the beats that sound like hip-hop but with instruments and vocals layered on top of it. If you just want to chill out or want to create a lounge atmosphere, then this is the CD to play. This album is just the beginning of the series of whole new sounds!

Penny Goodwin - Portrait Of A Gemini

2011-11-16T04:22:00.000-08:00

01 - Today Is the First Day

02 - Trade Winds

03 - Rain Sometimes

04 - Lady Day & John Coltrane

05 - That's All Right With Me

06 - He's Come Back

07 - Too Soon You're Old

08 - Slow Hot Wind

09 - What's Going On

10 - Amazing Grace

A legendary bit of jazzy soul recorded by Penny Goodwin, an obscure female singer from Milwaukee. Penny has a warm style that is pretty darn nice on its own, but it’s made even better by the great arranger Richard Evan, who helped out a lot on the session, along with Phil Upchurch (G), and Morris Jennings (Ds).

The feel is very much in the Chicago sophisti-soul mode and, at times, the record sounds a lot like Marlena Shaw’s best work in the ’70s, particularly her sides for Blue Note in the early part of the decade. Originally released on a Milwaukie Label, only 2000 copies were Pressed. Used vinyl copies of the original Portrait of a Gemini album were going for five hundred dollars in the collectors market at one point.

Candido - Thousand Finger Man (Jazz,funk)

2011-11-14T12:32:00.000-08:00

1. Jump Back

2. Come On Choo-Choo Train

3. Soul Limbo

4. Tony's Theme (From The Film Lady In Cement)

5. Hallelujah! I'm Comin' Home

6. Thousand Finger Man

This record may not please latin music or jazz aficionados, but is notable for the title track. "Thousand Finger Man" is a house music and dance staple and can reliably put people on the dance floor.

So Good So Dance - Compilation (Electro,Funk)

2011-11-11T14:17:00.000-08:00

01- Fred Falke - 808 PM At The Beach

02- Miami Horror - I Look To You

03- Various - Save Me Now

04- Futurecop! - The Only Way (feat. Keenhouse)

05- Pnau - Embrace (Fred Falke and Miami Horror remix)

06- Data Base - New Disco

07- SebastiAn - Arabest

08- Grum - runaway (album version)

09- Tesla Boy - Spirit of the night

10- Flashworx - Odaiba Chase

11- Mitch Murder - The Heat Is On

12- Miami Nights 1984 - Miami Funk

13- Teenage Bad Girl - Hold Me Tight

14- Louis La Roche - The Wall (Album Version)

15- Blende - One-Sided (Original Mix)

16- DSL-Supa Love-(instrumental-version)

17- Surkin-I_N_Y_N

18- Lazerhawk - Electric Groove

19- Kavinsky - Nightcall (Breakbot Remix)

20- Rubix - Baiser Sur La Disco (Rubix Refix)

21- Breakbot - Baby I'm Yours

22-aeroplane -we cant fly

23- Air - So Light Is Her Footfall Breakbot-Remix

24- College - A Real Hero (Feat. Electric Youth)

BONUS : 25- Digikid84 - Bboy Underground (Album Rework)

Here the last SOGOOD's mixtape, just enjoy !

Smoke - Risin' (Soul)

2011-11-09T02:17:00.000-08:00

01. I Can Feel Your Love

02. I’m So Glad You Came Along

03. Rainy Night

04. Cream Of The Crop

05. I’m So Lonely

06. Have I Really Love You

07. Now You’re Gone

08. You Will Always Be A Part Of Me

09. Don’t Take Your Love

10. Make Believe

Steve Colemand & Five Elements - Black Science

2011-11-08T07:11:00.000-08:00

1. The X Format (Standard Deviation)

2. Twister

3. Turbulence

4. Beyond All We Know

5. A Vial Of Calm

6. Black Phonemics

7. Ghost Town

8. Magneto

9. Cross-Fade

10. Black Phonemics (Reprise)

This album was my first introduction to Steve Coleman. It is simply amazing in both its complexity and groove, which it does in every song. Mr. Coleman used to offer transcriptions of his compositions. I don't believe he does so any more. Too bad, because some heads boggle the brain while keeping you fascinated and attentive. Marvin "Smitty" Smith's drumming is on top of the beat, never missing, and some grooves you'll want to imitate if you're a musician.

I have heard many of Mr. Coleman's other recordings but this remains my favorite. Do whatever you can to find it! It's amazing to me that it is out-of-print.

Fontella Bass - Free (Soul)

2011-11-07T02:35:00.000-08:00

1. To Be Free

2. Hold on This Time

3. I Want Everyone to Know

4. I Need to Be Loved

5. Talking About Freedom

6. I Need Love

7. Wiping Tears

8. Now That I Found a Good Thing

9. Who You Gonna Blame

10. It Sure Is Good

11. I'm Leaving the Choice to You

12. Homewrecker

13. It's Hard to Get Back In

14. My God, My Freedom, My Home Listen

Recorded in 1972. Originally released on Paula (LP 2213). Includes liner notes by Mick Patrick & Malcolm Baumgart.

Fontella Bass's classic R&B recording, FREE, formerly NOW THAT I FOUND A GOOD THING, is a fun and deep-pocketed groove album that's good for what ails you. Bass's singing is life affirming and truly stirring.

FREE contains Fontella Bass's most well-known 1965 hit, "Rescue Me," a song that almost has Bass competing for Aretha Franklin's title as the Queen of Soul. Other songs, such as "I Need Love," find Bass adopting a down-home 12/8 blues feel. On this tune, she's echoed by a background choir of singers who create a distinctly gospel feel. A buoyant, invigorating album, FREE offers 11 tracks of solid performances and inspired songwriting.

Bobby Patterson - It's Just A Matter Of Time (Soul)

2011-11-05T03:55:00.000-07:00

01 - If You Took A Survey

02 - I Get My Groove From You

03 - Make Sure You Can Handle It

04 - Everything Good To You (Don't Have To Be Good For You)

05 - How Do You Spell Love

06 - Recipe For Peace

07 - Quiet! Do Not Disturb

08 - She Don't Have To See You (To See Through You)

09 - Right On Jody

10 - I Just Loved You Because I Wanted To

11 - One Ounce Of Prevention

12 - This Whole Funky World Is A Ghetto

Bobby Patterson is similar to many other Dallas-based blues musicians, he is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who continued the soul-blues tradition of people like Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland, Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett.

However, unlike some of these other singers, Patterson has worked in all aspects of the blues record business.

Patterson is a songwriter, a producer, a promotion man, and a label owner.

Bobby Patterson began performing when he was 10, playing guitar and drums.

While still in his early teens, he formed a band called the Royal Rockers, who won talent contests in and around Dallas.

In 1957, one of the talent contests led to a trip to California to track a single for Liberty Records, which was never released.

Patterson then went on to nearby Arlington College, where one of his classmates was the son of a local record company owner.

In 1962, Patterson recorded ‘You Just Got To Understand’ for Abnak Records. The single wasn’t terribly successful, but it convinced the label’s owner, John Abnak, to start a soul division, called Jetstar Records.

Patterson recorded for Jetstar for the next six years, becoming a songwriter, producer and promotion man in the process.

Bobby’s regional hits, all self-penned, on the Jetstar label included ‘Let Them Talk’ (also popularized by Little Willie John) and, with his Mustangs, ‘I’m Leroy, I’ll Take Her,’ ‘Broadway Ain’t Funky No More,’ ‘T.C.B. Or T.Y.A.,’ ‘My Thing Is Your Thing,’ ‘The Good Old Days’ and ‘I’m In Love With You.’

In 1969, after a string of regional hits, Abnak Records folded and Patterson recorded his own self-produced album.

Shortly after that, he quit recording under his own name to produce and promote records made by other artists.

As a producer, Patterson has worked with Fontella Bass, Chuck Jackson, Ted Taylor, Shay Holiday, Roscoe Robinson, The Montclairs, Tommie Young and Little Johnny Taylor.

Patterson’s songs have been recorded by Albert King (’That’s What The Blues Is All About’) and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, who recorded and had success with his ‘How Do You Spell Love?’.

More recently, Patterson has been back on the comeback trail, recording and releasing an album, ‘Second Coming’, in 1996 on his own Dallas-based Proud Records.

Miami Nights(1984)- Early Summer

2011-11-04T13:13:00.000-07:00

1. Intro

2. Early Summer

3. Elevator of Love

4. On the Run

5. Interlude

6. Sunset Cruise

7. Miami Funk

8. One Last Time

9. Outro

osso Corsa Records is proud to present the first release from Miami Nights 1984! The album is called "Early Summer" and the emotion that accompanies the music adds up to be the perfect soundtrack for your beach party or summer cruise. The songs on the album reflect the memories and feelings of old romantic John Hughes movies and will instantly set your imagination wild with visions of fast cars and bikini babes.

The Fabulous Counts - jan jan (Funk)

2011-11-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

1- It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World

2- Simple song

3- Hey Jude

4- Bite

5- Soulful Strut

6- Dirty Red

7- Who's Making Love

8- Scrambled Eggs

9- Other Thing

10- Girl From Kenya

11- Jan Jan

The first record by the group who would record for Westbound as the Counts, this is the predecessor of those slick funky boys. The vibe here is distinctly Meters-ish and -- dare it be said -- a bit lifeless, the same problem with their earlier efforts. The album is mostly redeemed, however, by the title track, a classic two-and-a-half minutes of nasty, stinging funk. If you can't get enough of razor-sharp dudes in matching suits, by all means get this record. If your need for that stuff is passing, grab yourself a single of the title track and smile.

Rufus & Chaka Khan - Rags To Rufus (Funk)

2011-10-28T03:26:00.000-07:00

1. You Got The Love

2. I Got The Right Street (But The Wrong Direction)

3. Walkin' In The Sun

4. Rags To Rufus Rufus

5. Swing Down Chariot

6. Sideways

7. Ain't Nothin' But A Maybe

8. Tell Me Something Good

9. Look Through My Eyes

10. In Love We Grow Rufus

11. Smokin' Room

This Rufus/Chaka album ranks a strong second in my personal fave category of the group's work behind the incomparable, Ask Rufus.

This disc has a more funky/folksy overtone than others but is a cohesive, well put together collection of songs.

Of course, 'Tell Me Something Good' set it off for the disc but hidden gems that I'd never heard of until I bought this like the beautifully sublime 'In Love We Grow', 'Smoking Room' & 'Ain't Nothin But A Maybe' should have also been mega hits in their day. Other standout tracks to me are: 'You Got The Love' & 'Walkin In The Sun'.

This group, with its racially diverse members indeed created a unique sound in the r&b genre and cemented a place for themselves as one of the great groups of all time. I'd highly recommend this disc if you're trying to build a Rufus/Chaka collection.

Lloyd Price - Music...Music ( Soul )

2011-10-27T02:30:00.000-07:00

1. What Did You Do With My Love
2. Music-Music
3. Love Music
4. Mr.&Mrs.Untrue
5. Street Love
6. You Brought It On Yourself
7. Uphill Peace Of Mind
8. N'sele

Atlas - Atlas (Funk/Soul)

2011-10-26T01:56:00.000-07:00

Hey, Man!

Pasteboard

Skybird, Fly

Necessity

Ain't No Sunshine

Play It Cool

Rhode Island

We Are Happy

Let's Not Believe

C'est dans le même esprit qu'un Kool & The Gang ou Earth, Wind & Fire des débuts, bien qu'il soit sortie en 1977.

Outre une magnifique reprise de "Ain't No Sunshine", l'album contient des perles comme "Necessity" ou "Play It Cool".

Cold Blood - Thriller! (Jazz/Funk)

2011-10-25T02:09:00.000-07:00

1. Baby I Love You

2. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life

3. Feel So Bad

4. Sleeping

5. Live Your Dream

6. I'll Be Long Gone

7. Kissing My Love

This is one of my all time top ten faves. Defintely a desert island classic. Took so long to get released in the states, but worth the wait. Crank up "Feel So Bad" to hear those horns, and tell me you don't get goosebumps at that track's climax.

D.J. Rogers - Love, Music & Life (Soul/Funk)

2011-10-23T07:41:00.000-07:00

1. You Against You

2. Love Is All I Need

3. Beauty And The Beast

4. She Has Eyes For Me

5. Hold Out For Love

6. Love Will Make It Better

7. No Need To Say Goodbye

8. No Price

9. Saved By Love

10. Love Is On The Way

Issued in the fall of 1977, Love, Music & Life finds D.J. Rogers in a more orchestrated setting. The set's first single was the crystalline ballad "Love Is All I Need," featuring background vocals by Deniece Williams. Other standouts are the lush, bouncy "She Has Eyes for Me," whose spicy arrangement is reminiscent of "Let My Life Shine," the redemptive "Saved By Love," and "You Against You," whose strong message most reflects Rogers' gospel roots.

Soul Jazz Presents British Hustle the Sound of British Jazz Funk (Jazz/Funk/Soul)

2011-10-22T01:31:00.000-07:00

1. British Hustle - Hi Tension

2. Solar Heat - Olympic Runners

3. Put the Word Out - Heatwave

4. Southern Freeze - Freeze

5. Children of the Ghetto - Real Thing

6. What Are You Gonna Do - Kandidate

7. Dancing In Outer Space - Atmosfear

8. Don’t Tell Me - Central Line

9. Saoco - Gonzalez

10. London Town - Light Of The World

11. Burning Up - Imagination

12. Somebody Help Me Out - Beggar and Co

13. Talking About Love - FBI

Full title - British Hustle - The Sound Of British Jazz/Funk From 1974-1982. 2003 compilation charts the rise of British jazz-funk & disco from it's roots in the early 1970s through to it's heyday at the start of the 1980s. Artists include Hi Tension, Olympic Runners, Heatwave, Freeze, Real Thing, Kandidate, & more. 13 tracks with a slipcase. Soul Jazz.

Chaka Khan - What Cha' Gonna Do For Me (RNB)

2011-10-21T03:29:00.000-07:00

1. We Can Work It Out

2. What Cha' Gonna Do For Me

3. I Know You, I Live You

4. Any Old Sunday

5. We Got Each Other

6. And The Melody Still Lingers On (Night In Tunisia)

7. Night Moods

8. Heed The Warning

9. Father He Said

10. Fate

11. I Know You, I Live You (Reprise Version)

Ms. Khan's Third Solo Album on Warner Bros. Is Arguably her Best Collaborative Effort with Legendary Producer Arif Mardin. The Repertoire Here Has More of an Overt Nod to Jazz with the Inclusion of "And the Melody Lingers on (Night in Tunisia) which features a Lyrical Tribute to Jazz Heroes and Cameo Appearances from the Late Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock and an "Excerpted" Passage from Charlie Parker. The Biggest Hit on the Charts this Album Produced was "i Know You, I Live You", While the Title Track was Favoured by Many FM Stations at the Time. An Oh So Solid Effort from One of R&b's Greatest Voices.

Harry Whitaker - Black Renaissance: Body, Mind And Spirit (Jazz)

2011-10-20T02:08:00.000-07:00

1. Black Renaissance

2. Magic Ritual

Having already achieved varying degrees of commercial and critical success with Roy Ayers' Ubiquity project and Robert Flack, Harry Whitaker went into the studio to record Black Renaissance: Body, Mind & Spirit, a tone poem reflecting on the state of African American music in the 1970s. Debunking the myth of the record's rarity aside (scarcely available for decades until its 2002 reissue by Ubiquity), this album is a map of the African American musical canvas -- a symphony of melding influences as far reaching as Sun Ra's call and responses to the future, John Coltrane's tonal meditations to the holy spirit, and the electronic wizardry of Herbie Hancock's "Raindance" all nestled together in unison. The strength of this album lies in all these variables and Whitaker's own unique composition sensibilities bringing it all together in a way that's accessible to people unfamiliar with any of the aforementioned artists. Black Renaissance: Body, Mind & Spirit is a haunting echo of progression in a time where innovation was the norm, not the exception.

Lightheaded - Wrong Way (Rap)

2011-10-19T02:41:00.000-07:00

1.Orientation

2.Timeless

3.In The Building

4.Individually Wrapped

5.Showcase

6.Bing Pong

7.Short Stories

8.Soul Power

9.Afraid Of The Dark See

10.Unconditional

11.Wrong Way

12.Uhh!

13.Eye To Eye

14.Speak Your Peace

15.Surprise Cypher

Wrong Way is the 2005 album from the Portland, Oregon based trio of MC's Braille, Othello and producer/MC Ohmega Watts. This album is about taking us every way but the wrong way. With thoughtful lyrics, up-tempo b-boy jams and sprinkles of social commentary, Wrong Way is Hip-Hop that harkens back to better times without sounding dated. 15 total tracks.

Clarence Wheeler & The Enforcers - Doin' What We Wanna

2011-10-18T01:47:00.000-07:00

1. Hey Jude

2. Sham Time

3. Theme From Electric Surfboard

4. Right On

5. Dream Bossa Nova

6. Doin' What I Wanna

7. C.W.

If you dug the era of Pop Jazz, well this is one of the all time greats. My two favorites on the Wheeler album is 'Hey Jude' and 'Doin What We Wanna.'

Jewel - Cut n Polished (Funk/Soul/Jazz)

2011-10-17T01:07:00.000-07:00

1. Gotta Make It Better

2. We Cannot Say Goodbye

3. Song Of Life

4. Rhythms Of Home (Majai)

5. You’re So Jealous

6. Something You Should Know

7. Soon You’ll See The Way

8. Jewel’s Groove

An incredible record by this little known obscure Chicago group. It sparkles with the brilliance of Earth Wind & Fire from their best period a few years before. The group have a sound that definitely earns the “polished” in the title — but never slick — with a great balance of soul/jazz/funk and warmth that filled the best EWF albums in the mid 70s.

Tribe - Ethnic Stew LP (Funk)

2011-10-16T06:44:00.000-07:00

A1.The World Should Learn To Party Together

A2.Lovin' On The Outside

A3.Tribe

A4.We've Got To Live Together

A5.Think People

B1.Young Warrior

B2.Let Me Into Your Life

B3.Siggy Siggy

B4.What Am I Gonna Tell My Wife

B5.Smoke (Part.1)

An underrated gem !

Poison - On Our Way To Number One (Funk)

2011-10-15T02:01:00.000-07:00

1. Our Place In Time

2. Do What You Wanna Do

3. How I Wish For Yesterday

4. Magic Words

5. Cosmic Dancing

6. Let Me Lay My Funk On You

7. Unity Man

8. You Can't Run Away From Yourself

9. Let Your Fingers Do The Walking

10. Music Is Our Destiny

11. Get Up And Move You Body

Remastered reissue of the funk act's 1976 album

Cunninlynguists - Oneirology (Rap)

2011-10-14T03:56:00.000-07:00

1. Predormitum (Prologue)

2. Darkness (Dream On)

3. Phantasmata

4. Hard As They Come (Act I)

5. Murder (Act II)

6. My Habit (I Haven't Changed)

7. Get Ignorant Listen

8. Shattered Dreams

9. Stars Shine Brightest on the Darknest of Night

10. So As Not To Wake You (Interlude)

11. Enemies with Benefits

12. Looking Back

13. Dreams

14. Hypnopomp (Epilogue)

15. Embers

With every release dating back to their 2001 debut album "Will Rap for Food," the Cunninlynguists have proven time and again to be arguably the best the hip-hop world has to offer, and ten years later, their beautifully crafted concept album "Oneirology" only further strengthens that claim. It's their first studio album since 2007's "Dirty Acres," and though they've provided us plenty of superb music in the meantime by releasing perfectly crafted EP's and contributing several features on other underground artists' albums, there's nothing quite like a Cunninlynguists studio album to remind us how startlingly talented this southern trio is. Comprised of MC's Deacon the Villain and Natti, and producer Kno, the Cunninlynguists possess incredible lyrical ability and production skills that lean more towards music-composing rather than "beat-making," and they manage to flawlessly weave them together to create albums that are intelligent, intricate, and enjoyable from the first track to the last with no wasted space. Here on "Oneirology," which means "the study of dreams," the Cunninlynguists explore the mysterious state of dreaming and what events in real life cause specific dreams to enter the mind in the first place.

The Cunninlynguists sound begins and ends with their production, and here, mastermind producer Kno takes the ethereal, magical sounds developed on his recent solo album "Death is Silent" and modifies them to produce a more lucid, dreamy soundscape. The album flows perfectly, with each track having its own distinctive sound yet remaining incredibly consistent and true to the dream-concept of the album. Kno has proven himself adept in the past at making sparser beats to draw the listener's attention to the lyrics, but here he uses everything from synthesizers to high-pitched electric guitars to vary his sound, resulting in lush yet organic melodies that will reveal new, astonishing details with each consecutive listen. The amount of production layers presented to us in "Oneirology" is simply staggering, and it firmly places Kno in the same conversation as DJ Premier and Stoupe of Jedi Mind Tricks for the greatest rap producer ever.

The album is worth listening to for the production alone, but MC's Deacon and Natti provide us with an equally enjoyable set of lyrics for each track to give any rapper in the game today a run for his money. Ranging anywhere from intelligent to inspirational, Deacon and Natti's rhymes stay true to the themes of the songs (driven by Kno's production) and their flows are always smooth and easy on the ears. The lyrics for the most part explore the dreamer's thoughts through different scenarios going on in his life, but sometimes, as in "Stars Shine Brightest," they're simply a celebration of the beauty of nighttime and its marriage with the mind.

The verses, along with seemingly every single aspect of this album, are a reminder of how dedicated this trio is to using every ounce of their energy to create the best, most thematically consistent piece of art they're capable of making. The raw talent these guys possess is extraordinary, but even more amazing is how all of it is fully realized in what will be another classic album in their incredible discography. It is clear from the outset of this album that the Cunninlynguists had an inspired idea in mind for their latest work, and "Oneirology" fulfills every one of those ambitions, resulting in the most sharply produced and best rap album yet of the young decade.

Pleasure- Dust Yourself Off (Funk/Jazz)

2011-10-13T02:47:00.000-07:00

1. Dust Yourself Off

2. Reality

3. My Love

4. Midnight At The Oasis

5. Music Is My Life

6. Plastic People

7. What Is Slick

8. Straight Ahead

Dust Yourself Off is the debut album by Portland, Oregon-based R&B group Pleasure.

Fantastic jazz funk by one of the best bands in the genre! This is probably Pleasure's most sought-after album, and it includes the classic breakbeat cut "Bouncy Lady", which begins with a nice hard drumbreak, and ends the same way! The record has a tight, smooth, soulful feel – similar to the best stuff coming out of the west coast Fantasy records scene at the time. There's lots of nice Wayne Henderson production on the record – with his trademark talent for snapping the drums nice and tight, while keeping the grooves nice and mellow. Includes the cuts "What Is Slick", "Reality", "Plastic People", and a great cover of "Midnight At the Oasis"! Reissued on very heavy vinyl, in a beautiful cover – and way better than any other Fantasy/Prestige reissues we've had! (Some of the LPs have some incidental marks on the vinyl that should not affect play.)

Chris Bowden - Slightly Askew (Jazz)

2011-10-12T03:24:00.000-07:00

1 Only Angst See All

2 Crockers and Killers See All

3 Zoo Zoo See All

4 W'p De F' n' Doo

Listeners wondering why Ninja Tune would release a jazz record need know only one fact to make sense of it: Chris Bowden has arranged and anchored tracks from 4hero and the Herbaliser, two of the brightest dance-production collectives to flirt with jazz playing. As experienced listeners may guess, Slightly Askew proves that Bowden has kept a few ideas in reserve for this occasion. It's the work of a free jazz big band (17 pieces, including four violins and a pair of cellists) and, as such, will mean much more to fans of jazz than electronica. The group opens up immediately on the lengthy opener, "Only Angst"; noisy but very structured, the 20-minute piece features most players working through what can only be described as section arrangements while flutes, trombone, and alto Bowden explode with brief, fiery solos. Though "Crockers and Killers" and "Zoo Zoo" begin as small-group numbers (with the fractured drum work embodied in West London's broken-beat scene, of which 4hero is a part), both gradually expand and continually find new territory to explore. Excepting only a few scattered seconds of keyboards, there's no sound synthesis at work here -- just the amazing free-form musings of a large group organized by one of Britain's brightest young musicians. Now, if only they think to stock it in the jazz section.

Johnny Hammond - Wild Horses Rock Steady (Soul/Jazz)

2011-10-11T02:34:00.000-07:00

1. Rock Steady

2. Who Is Sylvia?

3. Peace Train

4. I Don't Know How to Love Him

5. It's Impossible

6. Wild Horses

Six tracks including, 'Rock Steady' (Aretha Franklin), 'Peace Train' (Cat Stevens) & 'Wild Horses' (Mick Jagger/Keith Richards). Featuring Grover Washington Jr., George Benson, Eric Gale, Ron Carter & Billy Cobham.

Don Downing - Doctor Boogie (Funk)

2011-10-10T13:44:00.000-07:00

01.Dream World

02.Lonely Days Lonely Nights

03.Doctor Boogie

04.I Don’t Love You Like I Used To

05.Playmate

06.Sugar And Spice

07.Love Doctor

08.Half Past Love

Michael Henderson - Fickle (Funk)

2011-10-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

1) Fickle

2) Feeling Like Myself Once Again

3) One Step At A Time

4) Thin Walls

5) You Wouldn't Have To Work At All

6) Assault With A Friendly Weapon

7) Love Will Find A Way

8) Whip It

Jerry Moore - Life is a constant journey home (Soul)

2011-10-09T04:34:00.000-07:00

1. Life Is a Constant Journey Home

2. Drugged

3. Anti Bellum Sermon

4. This Is My Time

5. Ballad of Birmingham

6. Winds of Change

7. Let Go, Reach Out

I cannot get over how amazing this album is. Very little information is available on Moore, who turned street preacher shortly after this recording. The haunting opening track, "Life is a Constant Journey Home", is based on "The Ballad of Birmingham" and the bombing of an Alabama church by the KKK. Each subsequent track has a tale all its own, ranging from Love, the Civil Rights movement, acceptance, and faith. Strangely, all meld together into one beautiful, connected song: "Drugged" talks of Winds of Change, "This is My Time" begins with the words Life is a Constant Journey Home and "Anti Bellum Sermon" urges to Let Go, Reach Out. Moore has a deeply soulful voice and the music ranges from jazzy to soul to acoustic. He certainly has the voice and conviction to insprire and connect with people. All we are left with is this poignantly strong recording. Seven tracks is too short!

The Crusaders - Standing Tall (Funk)

2011-10-08T03:34:00.000-07:00

Standing Tall

I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today

Sunshine In Your Eyes

This Old World's Too Funky For Me

Luchenbach, Texas (Back To The Basics Of Love)

Longest Night

Reprise: I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today (Instrumental)

Wonderful infectious album,With the addition of a young great Marcus miller,funky as always thunder thumbs Louis Johnson,and always soulful Joe Cocker

The J.B.'s - Hustle With Speed (Funk)

2011-10-07T04:51:00.000-07:00

1. Everybody Wanna Get Funky One More Time, Pt. 1-2

2. (It's Not the Express) It's the J.B.'s Monaurail

3. Here We Come, Here We Go, Here We Are

4. Transmograpfication

5. Thank You for Letting Me Be Myself and You Be Yours

6. Taurus, Aries and Leo

7. Things and Do

8. J.B. Shout

9. Alone Again

10. Sportin' Life

11. Dirty Harry

The JB's grab at a piece of the disco market that made Van McCoy a solo star with this production. It's excellent throughout despite James Brown's subdued arrangements on some songs. "(It's Not the Express) It's the JB's Monaurail," usually a six-minute song, rambles for over eight. Fred Wesley's funky trombone peppers "All Aboard the Soul Funky Train" (an update of "Night Train"). "Transmograpfication" is similar to jazz trumpeter Eddie Henderson's crossover attempts on his Sunburst and Realization albums. "Thank You for Letting Me Be Myself and You Be Yours" is better than the title, with a Dyke and the Blazers-type vocal that sets it right.

The Roots - Things Fall Apart (Rap)

2011-10-06T02:18:00.000-07:00

1. Act Won (Things Fall Apart)

2. Table Of Contents (Parts 1 & 2)

3. The Next Movement

4. Step Into The Relm

5. The Spark [Explicit]

6. Dynamite!

7. Without A Doubt

8. Ain't Sayin' Nothin' New

9. Double Trouble

10. Act Too (The Love Of My Life)

11. 100% Dundee

12. Diedre Vs. Dice

13. Adrenaline!

14. 3rd Acts: ? Vs. Scratch 2 ... Electric Boogaloo

15. You Got Me

16. Don't See Us

17. The Return To Innocence Lost

18. Act Fore...The End?

Very few hip-hop groups make it to their fourth full-length recording, and perhaps only the Roots have made it to that level while still ascending. Although lyrical and musical vision is sorely lacking from most hip-hop (as Puff and Master P have proved, vision isn't necessary to bum-rush the mainstream goldmine), such qualities are cornerstones of the Roots' music. Their second recording, 1995's Do You Want More?!!!??!, and its follow-up, 1996's Illadelph Halflife, intelligently linked hip-hop to its musical forebears funk and jazz, and their lyrics provided unique, postnationalist hip-hop critiques. On Things Fall Apart (named for the Chinua Achebe novel) the sextet takes on a more somber tone, but at no cost to their musical innovations. "If we had to depend on black people to eat, we'd starve to death," says Denzel Washington, sampled from Mo' Better Blues, at the outset of the recording. It's not self-pity--rather, the group frequently returns to the theme of how many African Americans confuse uniformity with unity. Musically, the group is at its best with guests like Mos Def and Talib Kweli from Black Star contributing some old-school fun and technique to "Double Trouble." Erykah Badu's supple vocals on "You Got Me" are offset by innovative percussion, including an organically developed jungle beat. At a point when most rappers are running on fumes, the Roots are synthesizing new ideas.

Bobby Timmons -This Here Is Bobby Timmons (Jazz)

2011-10-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

1. This Here

2. Moanin'

3. Lush Life

4. The Party's Over

5. Prelude to a Kiss

6. Dat Dere

7. Come Rain or Come Shine

Bobby Timmons one of the prime leaders of the soul jazz era wrote some of the finest pieces in that era, such as Dat Dere, This Here, and Moanin'. Most people only know of Bobby Timmons as a sideman Most people only know of Moanin' in the setting of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Same as Dat Dere. This Here was written for Cannonball Adderley's Quintet, which Bobby was in, in San Francisco. But hey when you have a pianist like Bobby Timmons who needs those horns any way? This album demonstrates Bobby's talents to the full from standards and ballads like Lush Life to My Funny Valentine to his awesome pieces Dat Dere, Moanin', and This Here. This album truly shows Bobby, one of the finest soul jazz pianists, as a leader not a sideman and at his prime. Any one familiar with Dat Dere, Moanin', or This Here should definitely check this album out.

James Mason - Rhythm Of Life (Funk/Jazz)

2011-10-05T01:56:00.001-07:00

1 Sweet Power Your Embrace

2 Good Thing

3 Free

4 Mbewe

5 Funny Girl

6 Slick City

7 Rhythm of Life

8 Hey Hey Hey

9 I've Got My Eyes on You

10 Dreams

Jazz-funk fans, believe the hype: James Mason's Rhythm of Life is every bit the overlooked classic its small but fanatical cult following has built it up to be. Smoothly soulful (but not slick) and spiritually uplifting throughout, the album's blend of funky fusion and progressive R&B is hardly the stuff purist dreams are made of, but anyone who loves the deep grooves of Donald Byrd or Mason's former employer, Roy Ayers, will immediately understand why this is considered a masterpiece in acid jazz circles. Breezy ballads and ferocious up-tempo groovers alike benefit from Mason's sure sense of songcraft and his knack for full-bodied arrangements. Mason plays all the guitars and loads of vintage synths (two different ARPs and Fender Rhodes electric piano among them), so he's largely responsible for the instrumental meat of every track. And though he's a strong soloist when he chooses, his focus is more on creating luxurious textures and working the grooves. And work them he does -- the faster tracks are amazingly driving for the jazz-funk genre, taken at tempos that would be fast even for R&B or rock, with lots of frantically slapped bass from Gene Torres. Clarice Taylor's vocals are far more soulful than the charmingly amateurish jazz-funk norm; what's more, the songs -- all but one co-written by Ninoska Escobar -- aren't just perfunctory groove vehicles, but feel more substantially structured than is typical for the genre. At least four -- "Sweet Power Your Embrace," "Free," "Funny Girl," and "Slick City" -- have become rare-groove club standards, and the title cut is an absolute monster. Records like Rhythm of Life -- catchy, funky, richly textured, and utterly joyous -- are a huge reason the acid jazz movement came into being; since their virtues aren't as prized by hardcore jazzers, they might otherwise be consigned to oblivion. Thankfully, this one was rescued.

Kellee Patterson Kellee (Soul)

2011-10-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

1. I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More, Baby

2. What You Don't Know

3. Mister Magic

4. You Are So Beautiful

5. I Love Music

6. Stop, Look & Listen To Your Heart

7. Jolene

8. Time To Space

9. Once Not Long Ago

1976 released by Kellee Patterson

David "Fathead" Newman - Lonely Avenue (Soul)

2011-10-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

1. Fuzz Listen

2. Precious Lord

3. Symphonette

4. Lonely Avenue

5. 3/4 of the Time

6. Fire Weaver

David "Fathead" Newman plays the tenor sax and the flute. It's melodic, fun, "sunny" and the compositions are more than interesting !

Da Grassroots - Passage Through Time LP (Rap)

2011-10-03T03:03:00.000-07:00

1. Intro

2. Spears of Ice f/Q-Bot

3. Thematics f/Arcee

4. Eternal f/K-Os & Thrust

5. Precious Metals f/Ghetto Concept

6. Kenny's Query

7. Last Days f/Marvel & G-Knight

8. Price of Livin' f/Mr.Roam from the Plant

9. Pylar Sanchez f/Remy Rezzin'

10. Intermission

11. Informercial

12. Postal Work f/Mr.Roam from the Plant

13. Body Language f/Saukrates & Choclair

14. The Approach

15. Black Dove f/Schizm

16. Kenny's Theme

17. Melancholy Blue

18. Political Proverbs f/Cryp2nite & Q-Bot

19. A Mother's Love

20. Born II Roam f/Mr.Roam from the Plant

21. Revival (Three Rhyme Superstars) f/Arcee, Schizm, Fatski, & DJ S.O.S.

22. Drama f/Elemental (Bonus Track)

23. Living Underwater f/Elemental (Bonus Track)

24. Living Underwater

Masters of understated musical eloquence, production trio Da Grassroots have been key figures in the rise of the Toronto hip-hop scene. For their full-length debut, they've recruited a bunch of sharp hometown MCs to bless their tracks. Obviously vinyl junkies, Mr. Attic, Swiff, and Mr. Murray raid their crates to serve up sophisticated arrangements that consistently fit the MCs' flows and deliver head-nodding satisfaction. The snaky guitar loop on "Body Language," featuring Saukrates and Choclair, connects lovely with the lascivious rhyme content, while "Postal Work"'s off- kilter dub workout fuels Mr. Roam's random verbals. Everything from apocalyptic visions ("Last Days") to throwback pass-the-mic sessions ("Revival") are delivered by the MCs, but the trio maintain cohesive sonic control over the proceedings, weaving in a chilled-out instrumental ("Melancholy Blue") and archaic soundbites, to hone a deftly executed platter of complementary beats and rhymes. This is what good music sounds like

Monk Higgins - Little Mama (Soul/Jazz)

2011-10-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

1. Little Mama

2. Walking In My Sleep

3. Trusting You (La, La, La Song)

4. So Far Away

5. Can't Stop

6. Black Fox

7. If

8. Heaven Only Knows

9. God's In The Blessing Business

10. Highway Number 101 (Pacific Coast Highway)

The Arkansas Saxophonist Monk Higgins (real name Milton Bland) made two hugely sought after jazz/funk/soul albums for United Artists in 1972. The first was "Heavy Weight" - and then came this - "Little Mama".

Produced by LARRY MAXWELL, the "Little Mama" LP was originally released on Liberty/United Artists UA-LA005-F in the USA in late 1972 - this 2004 remaster is a straightforward reissue of that funky rarity and is part of EMI Europe's "Masters Of Funk & Soul" Remaster Series.

The MUSICIANS for "Little Mama" were:

MONK HIGGINS - Tenor Saxophone & Organ

JOE SAMPLE [of The Crusaders] - Piano, Clavinet & Harpsichord

CLARENCE McDONALD - Piano

WILTON FELDER [of The Crusaders} - Bass

FREDDY ROBINSON - Guitar & Harmonica

AL VESCOVO - Guitar

SPECIALTIES UNLIMITED - Backing Vocals

PAUL HUMPHREY - Drums & Percussion

The gatefold inlay has knowledgeable liner notes by noted "Chicago Soul" writer ROBERT PRUTER, but the big news is the SOUND. 24-bit remastered (34:50 minutes), the sound quality is exceptional - fantastically clear, muscular - funky -as-f**k basically.

The covers of Carole King's "Tapestry" classic "So Far Away" and the huge Bread/David Gates' hit "If" both benefit from the girly vocals of Specialties Unlimited - in fact they're on 9 of the 10 tracks. The cover of Freddy Robinson's "Black Fox" is slinky (the only song without vocals), but my favourite is the wonderfully catchy "Can't Stop" (lyrics above). It has the best guitar/bass intro, which then slides into organ and sax, then in come the sassy girls with "...can't stop...can't stop..." Really great stuff.

Norman Feels - Where Or When (Soul)

2011-10-02T02:32:00.000-07:00

1 Shame

2 Movie

3 I'll Show You the Way

4 Till You Come Back to Me

5 You Made Me Feel Better

6 I'll Always Love Just You

7 You Can't Stop My Love

8 Where Or When

9 Johnny Get Your Gun

10 Mr. Wanna Be

Midnight Star - The Beginning (Funk)

2011-09-30T13:46:00.000-07:00

1. Keep The Spirits High

2. You're A Star

3. Follow The Path

4. Set Me On Fire

5. Make It Last

6. Searching For Love

7. Two In Love

Aside from the uber-cool Star Trekian CD cover fans of Midnight Star's heavily synthesized 80's techno sound will not find what they're looking for here.'The Beginning' was realesed in 1980 about five years after the band was officialy formed and the Calloway brothers and company were then doing straight funk-very much in the vein of Cameo,Con Funk Shun and Fatback.During this point their main weakness (like that of many funk bands of this period) is the ballad-both "Follow The Path" and "Searching For Love" are deadly dull-plain and simple.

'You're A Star" is the funkiest tune here as well as one of the more individual.On "Keep The Spirits High","Set Me On Fire" and the closer "Two In Love"-all unbridled uptempo funk it is clear what variety of funk Midnight Star favored at this point-a heavily produced dancable approch with alot of rhythm guitar,echoplexing and synthesizer flourishes;more often then none not a stripped down musical approch.That's not a bad thing since many of the songs hold up well to the concept.The bands first hit "Make It Last",like the rest of this album doesn't sound remotely like anything Midnight Star are currently associated with-a very early Rick James-ish late 70's Motownish dance-funk number.Like The Dazz Band,Cameo,The SOS Band and other 80's era synth funk bands Midnight Star got their start in this far more traditional vein.The electro sounds wouldn't start to appear until 1982's 'Victory' LP but standing as a good sampler of Midnight Star's potent,if slightly derivitive funk beginings this will do very nicely.And one wonders what would have happened if the Calloways had decided to have the band stick with this sound and never develope into the synth-funk that would later make them famous.My guess is they may have had a cult following at best but never,as they did,achieve true fame.

Coke Escovedo -Coke amazon (Soul/Funk)

2011-09-30T01:04:00.000-07:00

1. No One To Depend On

2. Why Can't We Be Lovers

3. Rebirth

4. Easy Come Easy Go

5. Love Letters

6. Hall's Delight

7. If I Ever Lose This Heave

8. What Are You Under

9. Make It Sweet

10. Life Is A Tortured Love A

Classic Reissue from 1975. The First of Three Albums that Thomas "Coke" Escovedo Produced for Mercury Records. He Worked with Carlos Santana and Formed the Band Azteca, but Never Achieved the Widespread Recognition that was Accorded Brother Pete and Niece Sheila E. Nonetheless, We Still have his Recordings to Remind Us that Talent Truly Does Run in the Family

James Brown - Sex Machine [Live at home in Augusta] (Funk)

2011-09-29T01:46:00.000-07:00

1. Get Up I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine

2. Brother Rapp

3. Bewildered

4. I Got The Feelin'

5. Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose

6. I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up The Door I'll Get It Myself)

7. Licking Stick - Licking Stick

8. Lowdown Popcorn

9. Spinning Wheel

10. If I Ruled The World

11. There Was A Time

12. It's A Man's Man's Man's World

13. Please, Please, Please

14. I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)

15. Mother Popcorn

After the legendary Live at the Apollo and the even better Love Power Peace: Live at the Olympia, James Brown could be forgiven if this 1970 live set disappoints. But this is Brother James, so skip the forgiveness. Sex Machine is the bomb, capturing a thrilling moment in Brown's funky revolution. The disc features 12 hot and sweaty, and sometimes slinky, live cuts recorded with the James Brown Band in 1969, plus three more studio jams (including a 10-minute title track) with his next band, the great JB's. "Can I get into it?" James shouts at the top. Oh man--does he even have to ask?

Reuben Wilson - Got to Get Your Own (Soul/Jazz)

2011-09-28T13:17:00.000-07:00

1 What the People Gon' Say

2 In the Booth, In the Back, In the Corner, In the Dark

3 Back Rub

4 Tight Money

5 Stoned Out Of My Mind

6 Together (You & Me)

7 Got to Get Your Own

Reuben Wilson is best known for the series of gently grooving soul jazz LPs that he cut for Blue Note in the late `60s and early `70s, but GOT TO GET YOUR OWN, his sole outing for Chess Records' notoriously eccentric Cadet imprint, is arguably the highlight of his catalogue. It's a unique outing that sees Wilson discarding the straight-ahead grooves of his Blue Note material for a more baroque psychedelic sound, featuring fiercely distorted organ workouts and unstoppable ensemble playing from legendary session men like JB saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis and funky drummer Bernard Purdie.

A standout funk session from organist Reuben Wilson, a hammond player best known for his Blue Note albums of the early 70s, who steps out wonderfully here in a rare date for Chess Records. The setting is quite unique, a mixture of Wilson's soaring organ

Charles Wright - In The Jungle, Babe (Sou/Funk)

2011-09-28T04:44:00.000-07:00

1 Till You Get Enough

2 I'm a Midnight Mover

3 Light My Fire

4 Comment

5 Everyday People

6 Must Be Your Thing

7 Love Land

8 Oh Happy Gabe (Sometimes Blue)

9 Twenty-Five Miles

10 Joker, The (On a Trip Through the Jungle)

Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band were near the peak of their popularity on this, their third Warner Brothers LP featuring three chart singles. Artistically, they are right there. The rough unevenness of LP number one is gone, and it flows smoother than their second album -- which spawned "Do Your Thing." "Till You Get Enough," a heavy dose of funk, charted at number 68 pop and 12 R&B in 1969; the slow, sensuous "Love Land" faired much better overall at number ten pop and number 20 R&B in 1969. A final single, "Must Be Your Thing" (1970), charted at number 67 pop and 12 R&B. The band also affix their disjointed rhythmic approach to remakes of Edwin Starr's "Twenty Five Miles," the Doors' "Light My Fire," and Wilson Pickett's "I'm a Midnight Mover." In the Jungle, Babe is easily the most satisfying album of the bands' career.

The Politicians - Psycha Soul Funkadelic (Funk)

2011-09-27T06:41:00.000-07:00

1. Psycha-Soula-Funkadelic

2. The World We Live In

3. Church

4. Free Your Mind

5. Everything Good Is Bad

6. A Song For You

7. Speak On It

8. Funky Toes

9. Politicians Theme

10. Close Your Big Mouth

11. Love Machine - Vocal

12. Love Machine - Instrumental

P funk and funkadelic was big in detroit around 69-70 and so on it's no secret norman whitfield of motown fame went to see funkadelic with a tape recorder and used many of funkadelic's riffs on tracks he used for the temptations and other motown acts he produced anyway the politicians was influenced heavlily by funkadelic as well and this cd shows but knowing george he got hip to the stuff everybody was doing he knew he was being cloned so the good doctor went to orbit check out free your mind, and maggot brain and you'll see he left whitfield, motown, invictus and the politicians stuck in 1970 still funk fans should love this whitfield tried to catch up to p funk with undisputed truth but we know how george clinton thinks do we?

Byard Lancaster - Funny Funky Rib Crib (Jazz)

2011-09-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

1. Just test

2. Work and Pray

3. Rib Crib 1

4. Rib Crib 2

5. Loving Kindness

6. Dogtown

7. Us (bonus track)

First official reissue of this obscure and rare Palm label imprint recording from 1979. Byard Lancaster most definitely established himself as one of the leading figures in the Free Jazz movement, which happily surprised many of his fans with more funky orientated grooves on the Funny Funky Rib Crib. The album is a collaboration with many great jazz artists including cult pianist Francois Tusques (Le Nouveau Jazz), African guitarist Francois Nyombo (Lafayette Afro Rock Band) + Jef Gilson disciples Del Rabenja, Sylvain Marc and Zizi Japhet.

9th Wonder-The Wonder Years NEW (Rap)

2011-09-26T05:32:00.000-07:00

1. Make It Big Ft. Khrysis

2. Band Practice Pt 2. Ft. Phonte & Median

3. Enjoy (West Coastin') Ft. Warren G, Murs & Kendrick Lamar

4. Streets Of Music Ft. Tanya Morgan & Enigma of Actual Proof

5. Hearing The Melody Ft. Skyzoo, Fashawn & King Mez

6. Loyalty Ft. Masta Killa & Halo

7. Now I'm Being Cool Ft. Mela Machinko & Median

8. Never Stop Loving You Ft. Terrace Martin & Talib Kweli

9. Piranhas Ft. Blu & Sundown of Actual Proof

10. Peanut Butter & Jelly Ft. Marsha Ambrosius

11. One Night Ft. Terrace Martin, Phonte & Bird and the Midnight Falcons

12. Your Smile Ft. Holly Weerd & Thee Tom Hardy

13. No Pretending Ft. Raekwon & Big Remo

14. 20 Feet Tall (Remix) Ft. Erykah Badu & Rapsody

15. That's Love Ft. Mac Miller & Heather Victoria

16. A Star U R Ft. Terrace Martin, Problem & Gq

After years of speculation and delays, multi-platinum, Grammy award winning producer 9th Wonder is set to release his long awaited solo album The Wonder Years on September 27th. The former Little Brother member brings a star-studded cast to the album that includes Erykah Badu, Raekwon, Talib Kweli, Murs, Mac Miller, Saigon, Kendrick Lamar, Warren G, Big K.R.I.T, Pharoahe Monch, Marsha Ambrosius, Skyzoo, Big Remo, Rapsody, and former Little Brother groupmate Phonte Coleman. In addition to a string of critically acclaimed albums with Little Brother, as well as a number of collaborative projects with Murs and Buckshot, 9th Wonder has also produced for some of the biggest stars in the world, a list that includes Jay-Z, Destiny's Child and Erykah Badu. 9th Wonder's cultural influence goes well beyond reaching fans through his music. The producer is currently a professor at Duke University, and recently had a documentary entitled The Wonder Year released that followed a year in the life of 9th Wonder. ''If there was ever a better time to express how I feel about hip-hop music, black music, or just music in general...it would be to do it now....on this project. My career has been from the depths of the underground, to the pop charts, but it has always stayed my sound, and what I believed in to be pure...welcome to the Wonder Years,'' says 9th Wonder

Cameo - Ugly Ego (Funk)

2011-09-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

1. I'll Be with You

2. Insane

3. Give Love a Chance

4. I Want You

5. Ugly Ego

6. Anything You Wanna Do

7. Friend to Me

8. Two of Us

Cameo was still feeling its way in 78 when this one dropped. The funk is still PFunk/EWF horn based, heavy on syncopation and bottom. The ballads are sweet, especially Give Love a Chance and Friend to Me. The winner though is the title cut, after the last verse, Cameo just breaks it down and lets the rhythm section go off. Word Up would give the band the mainstream success it was looking for but UGLY EGO is classic Cameo.

Terry Callier - What Color Is Love (Soul)

2011-09-24T02:06:00.000-07:00

1. Dancing Girl

2. What Color Is Love

3. You're Goin' Miss Your Candyman

4. Just As Long As We're In Love

5. Ho Tsing Mee (A Song Of The Sun)

6. I'd Rather Be With You

7. You Don't Care

At about 1:58 into the astonishing "Dancing Girl" (the opening nine-minute track of "What Color Is Love") it gets very quiet and the acoustic guitar holds the speakers alone - then Don Myrick's tasteful sax work floats in followed by keyboard flourishes and some wickedly arranged strings by Charles Stepney... The effect is absolutely magical...

And after you've put your jaw back into place, you're left standing there with a genuine incomprehension... how has something this lovely and genuinely soulful been forgotten? Why isn't this huge??

"What Color Is Love" was released on LP in March 1973 in the USA on Cadet CA 50019 and is the second of three albums Callier made for the Chess offshoot label Cadet in the Seventies - the first was "Occasional Rain" in 1972 (see separate review) and the third was "I Just Can't Help Myself" in 1975.

Both "What Color..." and "Occasional Rain" are part of Universal's "ORIGINALS" series - Jazz, Soul, Fusion and Latin LPs reissued and remastered onto CD from a multitude of labels under the Universal umbrella. All use generic artwork (the originals name and band on the left of the sleeve as pictured above) and are gatefold card digipaks issued at mid-price. Although the card digipaks are aesthetically pleasing as mini-repro LP sleeves, unfortunately most come without booklets - this album's recording credits on the inner flap for instance are barely legible. Which is a bummer because if ever an album deserved fresh liner notes, history, photos, a new interview - but alas...

The good news however is the beautiful remaster (40:44 minutes). The tape transfers for the whole series in general have been done in the late 2000's to superb standards by top engineers like Gavin Lurssen and Erick Labson - and in this case by KEVIN REEVES. So mellow, so lovely... a great job done.

As well as the wonderful breath of "Dancing Girl" (lyrics above) - highlights include the huge build up on Side One's closer "You Goin' To Miss Your Candyman" (co-written with Phyllis Braxton), the "I-must-hit-the-road but I wanna..." soft-soul of "I'd Rather Be With You" (co-written with Larry Wade and Jerry Butler) and the so 5th Dimension girly vocals of Kitty Haywood, Shirley Wahls and Vivian Harrell on "You Don't Care" - a song so up with hippy-love-and-harmony that it may have some of you going to work in a sunny disposition on the drizzliest of Monday mornings...

PHIL UPCHURCH features on Guitar throughout, while another soul-hero associated with the album is CHARLES STEPNEY who arranged, conducted and produced the project to such sweet effect (also played keyboards). He was involved in The Rotary Connection with Minnie Riperton, produced four albums with The Dells and even twiddled the knobs on the iconic and now much-vaulted psych-blues-fusion album "Electric Mud" by Muddy Waters. I'd personally scour down anything he had a hand in - a genius...

Like Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On", Donny Hathaway's "Extension Of A Man", Stevie Wonder's "Innervisions" and Callier's predecessor to this "Occasional Rain" - this is a proper soul album - a gem all the way through and still beautiful and inspiring to this day - some 30/40 years after the event. Why isn't the LP artwork of this masterpiece on someone's t-shirt somewhere as the ultimate street-cool - who knows? But you owe it to yourself to check it out.

Of late Terry Callier has morphed (like Richie Havens) into a sort of elder statesman of soul still spreading his gospel of love and understanding - check out "Timepeace" from 1998 - unbelievably good and relevant to the now and not just past glories.

Gil Scott Heron - Free Will (Soul)

2011-09-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

1. Free Will

2. The Middle of Your Day

3. The Get out of the Ghetto Blues

4. Speed Kills

5. Did You Hear What They Said?

6. The King Alfred Plan

7. No Knock

8. Wiggy

9. Ain't No New Thing

10. Billy Green Is Dead

11. Sex Education: Ghetto Style

12. ...And Then He Wrote Meditations

Gil Scott-Heron is in his own League.his Music&Words are still Striking after all of these Years.His Genius COvers so Many Styles&Topics with Such Ease.even though when you here the Material here you know he put his Heart&Soul into it.You Feel Jazz,Rap,Blues,Soul,Pop,World in his Work.Did You Hear What they Said alone Represents many Styles&Feels From this Genius.Check this Out from one of Musics Greatest Minds.

King Curtis - Instant Groove (Jazz)

2011-09-23T02:05:00.000-07:00

1. Instant Groove

2. Hey Joe

3. Foot Pattin'

4. Wichita Lineman

5. Games People Play

6. Sing a Simple Song

7. The Weight

8. La Jeanne

9. Little Green Apples

10. Somewhere

11. Hold Me Tight

12. Hey Jude

King Curtis was an R&B saxophonist who had numerous charting albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was tragically stabbed to death in 1971 at the early age of 37. One of his albums featured another great musician who died young, Duane Allman. That album is Instant Groove, which reached # 160 on the Billboard album charts in 1969.

Soundbombing Vol1 (Rap)

2011-09-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

1. Intro - Evil Dee

2. Flipside - Ra The Rugged Man

3. Fire In Which You Burn - Indelible MCs

4. Lune TNS - Company Flow

5. Nightwork - Sir Menelik AKA Cyclops 4000

6. Arabian Nights - Shabaam Sahdeeq

7. Fortified Live - Reflection Eternal

8. Show Me Your Gratitude - L-Fudge

9. 'Till My Heart Stops - Ra The Rugged Man

10. Freestyle - Mos Def

11. So Intelligent - Sir Menelik AKA Cyclops 4000

12. Empire Staters - B-One

13. If You Can Huh... - Mos Def

14. Universal Magnetic - Mos Def

15. What If? - L-Fudge

16. My Crown - Black Attack

17. 2000 Seasons - Reflection Eternal

Hip-hop compilations are a dime (bag) a dozen, and there's plenty of continuous-mix albums around. What makes this one special? Simple. It's a well-put-together mix of Rawkus Entertainment's best singles of 1997, and Rawkus is known for concentrating on strong MCs and creative DJs--hip-hop that holds up over time, not just the flavor of the moment. (Rawkus is also responsible for the excellent Lyricist Lounge, Volume One compilation.) Check out "Fire in Which You Burn," which puts the Indelible MCs over a sitar-tinged, raga-esque backing track, or the acclaimed--if still up-and-coming--Company Flow and Mos Def. Also good: Ra the Rugged Man, who comes across as a junior Busta Rhymes; Black Attack's jazzy "My Crown"; and Kool Keith's guest spot (always a treat) on Sir Menelik A.K.A. Cyclops 4000's "So Intelligent."

B. B. & Q. Band - The Brooklyn Bronx & Queens Band (Funk)

2011-09-22T02:02:00.000-07:00

1. On The Beat

2. Time For Love

3. Don't Say Goodbye

4. Starlette

5. Mistakes

6. Lovin's What We Should Do

7. I'll Cut You Loose

When the Guadeloupe born businessman and executive producer Jacques Fred Petrus and his main musical producer and co-worker Italian Mauro Malavasi (today a well-known producer of artist like Andrea Bocelli) in 1981 had a bunch of tracks ready for release they created a new band. They named it "The Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens band", or just B. B. & Q. band as they most often later on was called, after the three main areas in New York. The dynamic duo, that in 1975 had created the "Goody Music Production" company (later transformed to Little Macho Productions), had earlier during the late 70s created and produced bands like Macho, Revanche, Peter Jacques band and foremost Change.

In 1981 all of them, except Change were either gone or put aside at the expense of other and newer projects, and B. B. & Q. band were one of them. Via New York guitarist Doc Powell net of contacts Petrus hired Paris Ford (called Peewee Ford on the debut record) on bass guitar and his "cats" containing Abdul Wali Mohammed on guitar, Ike Floyd as lead singer, Dwayne Perdue on drums and Kevin Nance on keyboards to be the band.

Even though they released only four albums between 1981 and 1985 the band should have had much more attention than they actually received back then, and even today, they certainly earn it! On this brilliant 1981 self titled debut album of which the genius Malavasi wrote six of the eight tracks you'll get a smooth pop funk set of music with infectious melodies and punchy guitars. The album includes the excellent dance hit "On the beat" that reached the number 8 spot on Billboard's chart. But you'll also get the irresistible "Time for love" with a powerful and haunting song effort, joyous, "Starlette", with a dreamy break, and "Mistakes" with plenty of groovy guitars!

Leo's Sunshipp - We Need Each (Soul/Funk)

2011-09-21T03:11:00.000-07:00

1. Give Me The Sunshine

2. I'm Back For More

3. Get Down People

4. Madame Butterfly (Mini-Tro)

5. Madame Butterfly

6. I'm Back For More (Mini-Tro)

7. Give Me The Sunshine (Mini-Tro)

8. Get Down People (Mini-Tro)

originally released in 1978. Tracks include the ultimate rare groove classic, 'Give Me The Sunshine' & the original version of 'I'm Back For More' which was later a massive hit for Al Johnson & Jean Carn.

Dave Hamilton Detroit City Grooves (Funk/Jazz)

2011-09-20T07:24:00.000-07:00

1 Soul Suite

2 Sweeter the Juice

3 Brother Ratt

4 Tell Your Mama

5 Pisces Pace See All 2

6 Pisces Pace 2

7 Yesterdays

8 Take It in Stride

9 Marriage Is a State of Mind

10 Cracklin' Bread

11 Can You Dig It

12 Who You Trying to Fool

13 Deacons

14 Ain't It a Groove

15 El Taco

16 Blue Funk

Dave Hamilton is known more as a Detroit soul producer than as a recording artist -- that is, to the relatively small number of serious soul collectors who are even aware of who he is. Hamilton did, however, record some material under his own name, dating all the way back to the mid-'50s. This CD compilation sticks solely to the instrumental soul-jazz-funk material the multi-instrumentalist cut between 1967 and the early '70s, about half of which would have probably comprised an unreleased 1970 album called Soul Suite. While four of the tracks appeared on obscure 1967-1971 singles and a couple of others showed up on CD compilations in the late '90s, the rest make their first appearance on this disc. It might not be brilliant or exert a magnetic pull beyond aficionados of this particular form of groove. But it's actually quite nice instrumental soul mood music, more unassuming and easygoing than much of the stuff that's championed by devotees of this subgenre. The frequent use of silky guitar lines, vibes, and Stevie Wonder-like harmonica pushes this a little into lounge-easy listening territory, but in some of the best senses of that description. Those who want something a little tougher won't go away starving, either, as "Brother Ratt" opens with some outer space wah-wah, sliding into a nicely funky workout with astral vibes flourishes. The guitars (often using wah-wah effects) and basses can get pretty hard-hitting in a smoothly percolating way, particularly on "Yesterdays," where some just slightly dissonant harmonica bleats add a nice edge. It's a modest collection, but an attractive one, and a more pleasurable listen than many an acid jazz reissue with more hip credibility.

Wah Wah Watson - Elementary

2011-09-19T14:53:00.000-07:00

1. Goo Goo Wah Wah [Instrumental]

2. Love My Blues Away

3. Cry Baby

4. My Love for You Comes and Goes

5. Together (Whatever)

6. Sunset Boulevard

7. Love Ain't Somethin' (That You Get for Free)

8. I'll Get by Without You

9. Bubbles [Instrumental]

10. Good Friends

After years of infusing his wah-wah guitar licks on countless sessions, Melvin "Wah Wah Watson" Ragin cut a deal with Columbia Records for this unsuccessful solo album that did so poorly Watson didn't have another solo release for 24 years. Columbia pushed this as fusion-jazz; well, some of it is, but it's really just good "head music." "Cry Baby" sounds like a track left off Sly & the Family Stone's There's a Riot Going On album; not a sad tune as its title suggests, but a jaunty stepper more related to funk than jazz. "Bubbles" is soft and understated with a clandestine groove, with Watson easing up on the wah-wah's. You'd think Norman Whitfield was in the studio on "Goo Goo Wah Wah" going by the countless gadgets and studio tricks employed on this likeable sprinter that's pushed by threatening tomtom drums: great chase music. Some of L.A.'s finest studio musicians are with Watson on this one.

Betty Davis - Betty Davis (Funk)

2011-09-19T02:25:00.000-07:00

1. If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up

2. Walkin Up the Road

3. Anti Love Song

4. Your Man My Man

5. Ooh Yeah

6. Steppin In Her I. Miller Shoes

7. Game Is My Middle Name

8. In the Meantime

If you're not familiar with the album, then you're really missing out. Funk simply doesn't come any better than this. It's hard, heavy, wild, and erotic funk from the top shelf. Could this be the greatest funk album of all time? I haven't heard anything that even comes close to matching this.

5th Dimension - Star Dancing (Funk)

2011-09-18T05:05:00.000-07:00

01. You Are The Reason

02. Hold Me

03. Going Through The Montions

04. You Are The Most Important Person In Your Life

05. Star Dancing

06. You're My Lifetime Opera

07. Slipping Into Something New

08. We Could Fly

09. A Good Love

This was the 1st album that the group did after the departure of Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis Jr. and Ron Townson. Not only that, but the group didn't have longtime producer Bones Howe, or their arrangers & musicians who were all part of their classic sound. So, the 5th carried on with original members Florence LaRue and Lamonte McLemore, and on this album added Danny Beard [ who passed away in a fire sometime after the release of this album ], Terri Bryant and Mic Bell. Basically, everything that was a mainstay for the group changed, and this is a whole different sound on this, the first of 2 albums that they did for Motown in the late 70's. The concentration is on R&B and dance songs, and HOLD ME is the standout on this album - a percolating dance song with female/male leads, and 5th-like background vocals. It figures that this is the best song here, as longtime arranger ReneDeKnight did the vocal arrangements on it. SLIPPING INTO SOMETHING NEW could easily have been the title of this album, and is a good one too. And YOU ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN YOUR LIFE wriiten & produced by Pam Sawyer/Marilyn McLeod is great too. The title cut STAR DANCING is pretty funky, and has vocals all over the place. Must have been the popularity of Star Wars around that time. YOU'RE MY LIFETIME OPERA is another song that more's in the traditional of the original 5th. All in all, I give Florence , Lamonte and the new members credit for moving on, getting a whole new sound and working with new writers and producers including Hal Davis, Harold Johnson, & Michel Rubini . Occasionally, you do hear some inklings of the 5th's trademark blends in some of these songs. It appears that each member gets a lead , although it doesn't say who sings lead on each track. It's a nice updated sound for the 5th, but certainly didn't add up to any hits for the group.Actually, the group sounds fresh & invigorated with a new energy. I thought that the last few original 5th albums on Bell became too adult contemporary sounding. STAR DANCING is fresh, funky & a pretty good listening experience. Released in 1978, and the first of their 2 albums for Motown.

BaadAsssss Cinema The Sounds Of Blaxploitation (Funk/Soul)

2011-09-17T14:56:00.000-07:00

1 People Get Up And Drive Your Funky Soul

2 Expansions

3 Coffy Is the Color

4 Pusherman

5 We Be's Gettin' Down

6 Truck Turner (Main Title)

7 Big Papa

8 Happy Head

9 Be thankful for what you got

10 Express l

11 Cornbread

12 Bottle

13 Sweetback's Theme

Sure, there are other great soul and funk collections, including the hot UK release Harlem Sessions and the big Rhino release Can You Dig It? The '70s Soul Experience. But none comes with such an exacting unifying premise. A riveting paean to the blaxploitation film era, BaadAsssss Cinema opens with a swift kick in James Brown's "People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul." And then the set finds a million ways to groove and sidle in its 57-minute expanse. Here's Curtis Mayfield's "Pusherman" from Superfly alongside Isaac Hayes's theme from 1974's Truck Turner and War's "Happy Head" from Ghetto Man. Horns, slow-mo funk, and fat rhythms swirl amid orchestral arrangements; it's a sound that locks hand-in-glove with the films of the period.

Hidden in plain view are some terrific links with the soul-jazz movement, including organist Lonnie Liston Smith's mind-expanding "Expansions," vibist Roy Ayers's "Coffy Is the Color," and trumpeter Donald Byrd's Blackbyrds churning out "Cornbread." Assembled to accompany the BaadAsssss Cinema Festival, this set gives Marvin Van Peebles, the movement's Godfather, his due with the ultimate throwdown: Earth, Wind & Fire's "Sweetback's Theme," from the first Blaxploitation salvo, the $14 million-grossing 1971 urban epic, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. This is supreme stuff.