RUN'S LOSSLESS LIBRARY

2012-01-29T14:13:00.001-05:00

Ray Goodman & Brown - Stay
SOUL | FLAC | CUE | LOG | COVER | 241MB | 40:34
Polydor 1981

01. Stay
02. Good Ole Days
03. How Can Love So Right (Be So Wrong)
04. Pool Of Love
05. Till The Right One Comes Along
06. Heaven In The Rain
07. Only You (And You Alone)
08. Midnight Lady
09. When The Lovin Goes Out Of The Lovin
10. Lovers Night (Rain In May)

Ray, Goodman & Brown pay homage to doo wop on a very nostalgic-sounding LP. Billy Brown leads "Only You," originally done by the Platters; the backing vocals by Al Goodman and Harry Ray are straight from the '50s. "Good Ole Days" parodies doo wop; the amusing song contains all the elements of street-corner harmony, including hokey bass parts and escalating falsettos runs. Two of their most beautiful songs, the whimsical "Heaven In the Rain" and "Pool of Bad Luck," with its clever lyrics, are simply delicious. The title cut, "Stay," is a new composition with rudimentary roots; it sets the tone for the album. The concept strays at times, but this still rates as one of their best. ~ Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide

thanks to Zeeeeee!!

2012-01-29T09:21:00.001-05:00

Black Nasty - Talking to the People
FUNK | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | COVERS | 230MB | 37:00
Enterprise 1973

01. Talking To The People
02. I Must Be In Love
03. Nasty Soul
04. Getting Funky Round Here
05. Black Nasty Boogie
06. Where Doin Our Thing
07. I Have No Choice
08. It´s Not The World
09. Rushin Sea
10. Booger The Hooker

Like Rare Earth and early Funkadelic, Black Nasty took a very rock-minded approach to Detroit soul and funk -- probably too rock-minded for many program directors at black radio. And at the same time, Black Nasty was too funky and soul-oriented for FM rock radio. So Black Nasty fell through the cracks in the early to mid-'70s, although it enjoyed some commercial success after evolving into the ADC Band and recording the major funk hit of 1978, "Long Stroke." The band's only album as Black Nasty, Talking to the People, was a commercial disappointment but a creative triumph. Those who savored the Motor City funk/rock experiments of Rare Earth and early Funkadelic will find a lot to admire about gritty, hard-edged smokers like "Nasty Soul," "Getting Funky Round Here," and the single "Black Nasty Boogie" (which brings to mind John Lee Hooker's work with Canned Heat). To its credit, Black Nasty has no problem turning around and providing silky, mellow slow jams such as "Rushin' Sea" and "I Must Be in Love," both of which feature singer Audrey Matthews. It is Nasty's other lead singer, Terrance Ellis, who handles the more up-tempo gems. Originally a vinyl LP, Talking to the People was reissued on CD in 1999. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

Audrey Matthews - Vocals
Artwell Matthews - Drums
Terrance Ellis - Vocals
Mark Patterson - Bass
Jackie Cosper - Guitar
Thomas Carter - Keyboards

2012-01-28T09:19:00.001-05:00

Joe Bataan - Riot!
BUGALU | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | COVERS | 289MB | 40:27
Fania 1970

1. It's a Good Feeling
2. For Your Love
3. Muneca
4. Pa Monte
5. What Good Is a Castle
6. Daddy's Coming Home
7. Mambo de Bataan
8. My Cloud
9. Ordinary Guy

A real killer from the legendary Joe Bataan – an album of righteous power that really lives up to the dynamic promise of the title and cover! Joe Bataan's in top form throughout – serving up a blend of Latin grooves and 60s soul influences that few other artists of the time could touch – soaring and upbeat one minute, but mellow and laidback the next. There's a number of longer tracks on here that really move past the standard Latin Soul modes – bringing in bits of descarga jazz, instrumental soul, and mellower ballads to Joe's already-great blend of styles. The depth here is tremendous, and nearly every track's a winner! Titles include the slamming "It's A Good Feeling (Riot)", "Muneca", and "Mambo De Bataan" – plus the soul tracks "What Good Is A Castle", "My Cloud", "Daddy's Coming Home", "Ordinary Guy", and "For Your Love". © 1996-2012, Dusty Groove America, Inc.

Joe Bataan - Vocals, Piano
Joe Fuentes - Trombone
Eddie Nater - Timbales
Louie Devis - Bass
Richie Cortez - Coro
Lorenzo Galen - Conga
Louie Gonzalez - Vocals
Ruben Hernandez - Trombone
Milton Albino - Bongos

2012-01-27T15:32:00.001-05:00

Bernard Wright - Nard/Funky Beat
FUNK+JAZZ | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 743MB | 78:57
GRP 1981 + Arista 1983

01. Master Rocker
02. Firebolt Hustle
03. Haboglabotribin
04. Spinnin
05. Just Chillin Out
06. Bread Sandwiches
07. Music Is The Key
08. We’re Just The Band
09. Solar
10. Get Your Lover Back
11. Funky Beat
12. Video Generation
13. Won’t Let Me Love You
14. Mr. Clean
15. Move Your Body
16. Joy Spring
17. Keep On Doing That Right Thing

Early 80s greatness from Bernard Wright – the benchmark Nard from '81 and his Funky Beat from '83 – in a single set! Nard is a masterpiece of smooth jazzy funk – and super-hip session headed up by the young keyboardist! Wright's working here with an insider crowd of jazz funk players that includes Bobby Broom, Dave Grusin, Marcus Miller, and Don Blackman, whose funky style is very similar to Wright's. The record sort of picks up the groove where some of the Fantasy Records sessions of the 70s left off – mixing together jazz and soul into a captivating blend that's made even better by Dave Grusin's tight production. Includes Don Blackman's sample classic "Haboglabotribin", a nice version of Weldon Irvine's "Music Is The Key", and the cuts"Just Chillin' Out", "Master Rocker", and "Bread Sandwiches". Funky Beat is his second album – an 80s groove electro classic that's quite different than his first LP! It takes Bernard firmly into a b-boy jazz mode – working keyboards, bass, and drum programs into a groove that's farther reaching and more soulful than anything that Herbie Hancock was doing at the time. And as with his first album, Bernard's got plenty of great help on this one – as the record features work by Weldon Irvine, Lenny White, Dave Grusin, and others. The album includes some great Weldon Irvine compositions – like a remake of "Mr Clean", and the sweet vocal numbers "Won't You Let Me Love You" and "Keep On Doing That Right Thing", both of them warm wonderful tunes that stand with the best work on the album! Also includes a straight jazz version of "Joy Spring", and the breakin' tracks "Funky Beat", "Get Your Lover Back", "Video Generation", and "Move Your Body". © 1996-2012, Dusty Groove America, Inc.

Bernard Wright - Clavinet, Fender, Keys, Piano, Vocoder, Vocals
Don Blackman - Fender, Piano, Vocals
Weldon Irvine - Fender
Marcus Miller - Bass
Alvin Flythe - Tenor Sax, Rap
Mike Flythe - Drums, Rap
Ron Miller - Guitar
Kevin Oliver - Guitar
Eddie Jackson - Horn
Bobby Jones - Moog, Clavinet
Howard Grate - Drums
Roy Haynes - Drums
Bobby Broom - Guitar
Dennis Chambers - Drums
Charley Drayton - Drums
Bobby Floyd - Vocals
Ed Jackson - Horn
Nick Maroch - Guitar
Jimmy Owens - Horn
Heidi Taylor - Vocals
Steve White - Vocals
Buddy Williams - Drums
Delia Alexander - Vocals
Solita Alexander - Vocals
Crusher Bennett - Percussion
Sekou Bunch - Bass (Electric)
Rachele Cappelli - Vocals
The Children - Vocals

2012-01-23T09:46:00.006-05:00

Billy Preston - Music Is My Life
SOUL | FLAC | CUE | LOG | COVER | 311MB | 48:05
A&M 1972

01. We're Gonna Make It
02. One Time or Another
03. Blackbird
04. I Wonder Why
05. Will It Go Round in Circles
06. Ain't That Nothin
07. God Loves You
08. Make the Devil Mad
09. N---g-r Charlie
10. Heart Full of Sorrow
11. Music Is My Life

Although this was an erratic album, keyboardist and vocalist Billy Preston landed his lone number-one pop hit with "Will It Go Round In Circles." Preston tried everything from gospel and message tracks to rock and pop, but outside of "Circles," nothing else generated even a listen. Among Preston album cuts, "God Loves You" and "Ain't That Nothin'" are quite interesting. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide

Billy Preston - Piano, Organ, Vocals
George Johnson - Guitars
Louis Johnson - Bass
Hubert Heard - Keyboards
Manuel Kellough - Drums
Tom Scott - Saxophone
Jim Horn - Saxophone
George Bohanon - Trombone
Buck Monari - Trumpet
Paul Hubison - Trumpet
Clydie King - Vocals
Oma Drake - Vocals
Venetta Fields - Vocals
Gwen Guthrie - Vocals

2012-01-22T06:39:00.001-05:00

Rufus/Chaka Khan - Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan
FUNK+SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 341MB | 39:15
ABC 1975

01. Fool's Paradise
02. Have A Good Time
03. Ooh I Like Your Loving
04. Everybody Has An Aura
05. Circles
06. Sweet Thing
07. Dance Wit Me
08. Little Boy Blue
09. On Time
10. Jive Talkin

One of the most talented bands of the '70s, Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan is the groups' fourth release in close to three years. Although this effort doesn't have the epiphanies of 1974's Rufusized, Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan has them becoming more established as one of the best bands in R&B. The first track, Gavin Christopher's "Fool's Paradise" displays Khan's skill at screaming notes and making complex ideas sound simple, and vice versa. That art is put to work throughout Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan. "Everybody's Got an Aura" surely could be dismissed as babble but Khan gives the sentiments a ring of truth even as she shouts, "Everybody's got karma!" The lilting yet propulsive "Circle" has great bass work from Bobby Watson as Khan sings likeable and spacy lines, the best being, "My love is like a zero/It is nothing and everything." The albums biggest track, the smoldering "Sweet Thing," has Tony Maiden's gentle guitar and Kevin Murphy's economical electric piano chords. The song is arguably the group's best as Khan's bittersweet vocal provided a standard many singers have attempted to approximate to no avail. The party starters "Have a Good Time" and "Dance Wit Me" both tread familiar ground and pale in comparison to the classic "Once You Get Started." The last track, a cover of "Jive Talking," is inexplicably slowed to a crawl, therefore, diminishing its appeal. Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan perfectly captures their unconventional sound and features Tower of Power on horns and Clare Fischer's string arrangements. This album is one of their best and is recommended. ~ Jason Elias, All Music Guide

Andre Fischer - Drums, Vocals
Kevin Murphy - Keyboards
Bobby Watson - Bass
Chaka Khan - Vocals
Tony Maiden - Guitar, Vocals
Greg Adams - Trumpet
Emilio Castillo - Tenor Sax
Mic Gillette - Trombone
Lenny Pickett - Saxophone, Flute

2012-01-20T13:18:00.000-05:00

Slave - Stone Jam

FUNK | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 407MB | 52:56
Cotillion 1980

01. Let's Spend Some Time
02. Feel My Love
03. Starting Over
04. Sizzlin' Hot
05. Watching You
06. Dreamin'
07. Never Get Away
08. Stone Jam
09. Feel My Love (Disco Mix)
10. Sizzlin' Hot (Single)
11. Watching You (Single)

The funk of the late '70s and early '80s can be divided into two main categories: hardcore funk (Parliament/Funkadelic, Cameo, Rick James, the Gap Band, the Ohio Players) and the type of smoother, so-called "sophisticated funk" associated with Rufus & Chaka Khan, Average White Band, Chic and Teena Marie. Slave first made a name for itself nationally playing the sweatiest, hardest funk, but when singer/drummer Steve Arrington's role in the Dayton, OH outfit increased, Slave shifted to more of a "sophisti-funk" approach. Except for "Sizzlin' Hot" and the title song, there's little on Slave's fifth album, Stone Jam, that can be called hardcore funk. From the laid-back hit "Watching You" to addictive jams like "Dreamin'," "Feel My Love" and "Let's Spend Some Time," this sleeker, consistently melodic Slave is every bit as appealing as the Slave that gave us such aggressive gems as "Slide" and "Screw Your Wig on Tite." Arrington's lead vocals played a major role in the success of this gold album (which Rhino reissued on CD in 1997), and the sexy lead singing of Starleana Young (who would soon make Aurra successful) certainly didn't hurt things either. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

Steve Washington - Trumpet, Vocals

Danny Webster - Guitar, Vocals
Starleana Young - Vocals
Jimmy Douglass - Vocals
Mark Adams - Bass
Tom Lockett - Saxophone, Vocals

Steve Arrington - Drums, Vocals
Charles Carter - Saxophone
Mark Hicks - Guitar
Curt Jones - Guitar, Vocals
Floyd Miller - Trombone
Ray Turner - Keyboards

2012-01-18T04:14:00.000-05:00

Dirty Dozen Brass Band - Buck Jump
NORLEANS | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 392MB | 54:31
Mammoth 1999

1. Unclean Waters
2. Run Joe
3. Duff
4. Dead Dog in the Street
5. Old School
6. Pet the Kat
7. Inner City Blues
8. Time
9. Nuttballus

If you have been yearning for the original sound of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band to return, Buck Jump is it. Produced by John Medeski, the ensemble returns to their roots, but with a twist. They remain the ultimate party group, but are fastened to the stage with a drummer, organist, the full complement of horns sounding funky and fresh with that deep tuba and baritone sax underpinning; there's some daring improvisation rooted in counterpoint and upper-atmospheric blasts that are a familiar signature of this progressive New Orleans dance machine. Everything on the nine-song CD is saturated with, as one of the titles suggests, old-school style. The solos are inspired, riffs fly left and right, and they aren't afraid to moan and wail. Horn charts are tight as can be, repeated figures give the others a platform to improvise, and occasionally a calypso beat creeps in, as on the classic "Run Joe" or the Latin-inflected "Pet the Kat." It's all in the name of fun: upbeat, positive, and with nary a trace of excess. They're at their zenith on "Duff," the collective Dozen reaching out and hammering the upper registers of their instruments, and at their most soulful on "Inner City Blues," approaching it in a most unconventional way. Of course, this band needs to be heard live for full effect, but this recorded effort might be their best yet. Every cut is solid, and the high level of musicianship is clearly evident. Singular in their stance and sound, mature like never before, and bent on having a really good time, this Dirty Dozen CD sets the bar high in mixing jazz and joy -- a hard combination to beat. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide

Gregory Davis - Trumpet
Kevin Harris - Tenor Sax
Roger Lewis - Baritone Sax
Efrem Towns - Trumpet
Julius McKee - Tuba, Sousaphone
Terence Higgins - Drums
Kirk Joseph - Sousaphone
Richard Knox - Piano
Corey Oswald - Trombone
Damon Baptiste - Timbales, Conga
Chris Sevrin - Bass
Keith Anderson - Trombone
Kerry Hunter - Snare Drum
Cayetano Hingle - Bass Drum
John Medeski - Hammond, Wurlitzer

2012-01-17T05:38:00.006-05:00

Ray Barretto - Acid
BUGALU | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 403MB | 35:14
Fania 1968

1. El Nuevo Barretto
2. Mercy, Mercy, Baby
3. Acid
4. Deeper Shade of Soul
5. The Soul Drummers
6. Sola Te Dejare
7. Teacher of Love
8. Espiritu Libre

Ray Barretto's Latin/soul crossover record of 1968, Acid includes a few tracks of his ebullient, instrumental salsa, but also plays off the boogaloo craze of the past few years with a few Latin soul numbers. The crossovers "A Deeper Shade of Soul," "Soul Drummers," and "Teacher of Love" (all written by Barretto himself) are a lot of fun, but the (relatively) straight-ahead salsa of "El Nuevo Barretto" and the title track easily edge out the competition. It's nowhere near as psychedelic as the title would indicate, but Acid holds up nevertheless as a great document of the late-'60s confluence of Latin, funk, and soul. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

Ray Barretto - Vocals, Conga
Roberto Rodriguez - Trumpet
Louis Cruz - Piano
Rene Lopez - Trumpet
Adalberto Santiago - Percussion, Vocals
Pete Bonet - Vocals, Guiro
Orestes Vilato - Timbales
Bobby Rodriguez - Bass
Jimmy Sabater - Vocals

2012-01-15T09:08:00.004-05:00

GAP Band - GAP Band III
FUNK | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 322MB | 45:05
Polygram 1980

1. When I Look In Your Eyes
2. Yearning For Your Love
3. Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)
4. Nothin' Comes To Sleepers
5. Are You Living
6. Sweet Caroline
7. Humpin
8. The Way
9. Gash Gash Gash

This record signalled a seismic change in the funk landscape: Parliament/Funkadelic, Ohio Players, Rufus and Tower Of Power had split up; War and even Earth, Wind & Fire were losing steam; Kool & The Gang had gone pop; James Brown and Sly Stone were approaching self-parody. Disco, often unduely blamed for the death of funk, was fading away. The Gappers came up with a new electrofunk approach on the single "Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Treat Me Bad)": crunching Moog bass line, crashing programmed snare, no horns, and a tortured, pleading vocal straight out of Stax - it was their first R&B #1. Together with Dazz Band's similar "Let It Whip" and maybe George Clinton's "Atomic Dog," it's practically a subgenre unto itself - though in fact a bigger influence on Prince's early 80s sound than the more frequently cited Rick James. "Humpin'" and "Gash Gash Gash" (Ronnie on lead vocal) are in a similar vein; the only big departure is "The Way," which I swear sounds like the Doobie Brothers with its mannered falsetto vocal and prominent electric piano. The other Gap staples - EWF hornfests ("Are You Living") and gentle ballads ("Yearning For Your Love," Top Five R&B) - are also better than usual, making this an easy choice. --David Bertrand Wilson, WARR.org

GAP:

Charlie Wilson - Keyboards, Vocals
Robert Wilson - Bass, Vocals
Ronnie Wilson - Trumpet, Keyboards

John Black - Keyboards
Raymond Calhoun - Percussion, Drums

Fred Jenkins - Guitar
Melvin Webb - Drums
Robert Whitfield - Keyboards
Ronnie Kaufman - Drums

Earl Roberson - Trombone

Wilmer Raglin - Trumpet

2012-01-15T08:19:00.004-05:00

Joe Bataan - Poor Boy
BUGALU | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 299MB | 39:16
Fania 1969

1. Poor Boy
2. Freedom
3. Pepe el Toro
4. Obatala
5. Uptown
6. Sad Girl
7. Bravo
8. Pajarito
9. So Young

Singer/pianist Bataan was one of the biggest stars of Latin-soul, that moment when the bugalú and the jala jala made it look as though a bilingual, Afro-Latin New Yorican sound might be here to stay. Sad Girl was one of the hits of the time, but this 1969 release attested that there was more to Bataan than one hit even though he never really got the chance to prove it. A splendid blend of slow, groovy Latin Soul with a healthy dose of Jala thrown in for good measure

Joe Bataan - Piano, Vocals
Richie Cortez - Cowbell, Vocals
Nelson De Jesus - Vocals
Louie Devies - Bass
Milton Albino - Bongos
Lorenzo Galan - Congas
Tito Gonzalez - Piano
Eddie Nater - Timbales
Joe Fuentes - Trombone
Ruben Hernandez - Trombone
Johnny Pacheco - Director

2012-01-09T02:35:00.001-05:00

Billy Preston - The Kids & Me
FUNK | FLAC | CUE | LOG | COVER | 231MB | 33:29
A&M 1974

01. Tell Me You Need My Loving
02. Nothing From Nothing
03. Struttin
04. Sister Sugar
05. Sad Sad Song
06. You Are So Beautiful
07. Sometimes I Love You
08. St. Elmo
09. John The Baptist
10. Little Black Boys And Girls
11. Creature Feature

Billy Preston right in the middle of a classic 70s run -- hitting a trademark blend of soul, jazz, funk and even a tinge of gospel -- all with a sound that's very much his own, and which puts him in the same company as Sly Stone or Stevie Wonder! Preston's market was a bit more mainstream than those two, but at this point in his career he's very much on top of his game -- really pulling together all the experience of woodshedding in the 60s, and bursting forth with a sense of funk power and pride that's totally great! Billy plays a fair bit of different keyboards on the set -- and rhythms run from the respected Preston romping modes, to others that are a bit more laidback and soulful. Titles include the hit "Nothing From Nothing", plus "St Elmo", "Sometimes I Love You", the famously sampled "You Are So Beautiful", "Creature Feature", "Tell Me You Need My Loving", "Sad Sad Song", and "Sister Sugar". © 1996-2012, Dusty Groove America, Inc.

Billy Preston - Keyboards, Vocals
Bobby Watson - Bass
Tony Maiden - Guitar
Al Perkins - Banjo
Hubert Heard - Keyboards
Manuel Kellough - Drums
Kenneth Lupper - Keyboards
Joe Walsh - Slide Guitar
Tom Scott - Saxophone
Jim Horn - Saxophone
George Bohanon - Trombone
Buck Monari - Trumpet
Paul Hubison - Trumpet

Dig the future Rufus duo of Bobby Watson and Tony Maiden on the bass and lead guitars. I'm assuming the horn section is the same one from his last two albums, but that's not etched in stone. Can never really be sure this is why I like to get the artwork and linear notes. Say what you want about Mr. Preston, he knew how to pick great musicians and understood that the music itself it what last the test of time. Right on!!

thank you to my funk brotha Whoodshecoo for this gem

2012-01-08T22:50:00.004-05:00

Slave - Just A Touch of Love
FUNK | FLAC | CUE | LOG | COVERS | 228MB | 37:00
Cotillion 1979

1. Just A Touch Of Love
2. Are You Ready For Love?
3. Funky Lady
4. Roots
5. Painted Pictures
6. Thank You
7. Shine
8. Warning

In 1977, Slave's self-titled debut album (which boasted the number one R&B smash "Slide") earned the Dayton outfit a reputation for playing sweaty, aggressive, in-your-face funk. But when Slave provided its fourth album, Just a Touch of Love, in 1979, it was clear that the Midwesterners were determined to soften their approach. "Funky Lady (Foxy Lady)," "Roots," and the hit title song (all of which boast Steve Arrington on lead vocals) are definitely the work of a smoother, sleeker Slave -- and yet, the band still had plenty of grit. This excellent album left no doubt that Slave was still a funk band, although it wasn't as in-your-face as the Slave that gave listeners "Slide" and "Screw Your Wig on Tite" in 1977. Arrington, who first recorded with Slave on 1978's The Concept, played a major role in its evolution -- and two other lead vocalists who make important contributions to this LP are Starleana Young and Curt Jones (both of who went on to form Aurra, the group that hit big with "Are You Single" in 1981). Arrington, Young, and Jones weren't original members of Slave, but all of them proved valuable when Slave opted to embrace a smoother style of funk. And all of them do their part to make Just a Touch of Love one of Slave's finest albums. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

Mark Adams - Bass, Vocals
Marc Hicks - Guitar, Vocals
Danny Webster - Guitar, Vocals
Steve Washington - Trumpet
Raye Turner - Keyboards
Tom Lockett - Saxophone
Floyd Miller - Trombone, Trumpet
Starlena Young - Vocals
Curt Jones - Vocals
Steve Arrington - Drums, Vocals

Thanks to Blaq for posting the entire 5 album box set!

2012-01-06T23:54:00.006-05:00

Caroline Crawford - Nice & Soulful
SOUL | FLAC | CUE | LOG | 300DPI | 250MB | 34:11
Mercury 1979

1. I'll Be Here for You
2. Can't Hold Me Back
3. Love Me or Leave Me
4. The Strut
5. The Facts of Life
6. Havin Fun

A stunning set of soul tunes from the lovely Caroline Crawford -- produced by Bohannon, and some of his best work from the time! Caroline's got a great style that moves past other club singers of the time -- much more soulful and sophisticated than simple disco diva styles, drenched in a deeper soul sound that grounds the album nicely in a strong tradition of 70s soul. The production is tight, but unobtrusive -- a bit like some of the best work that Barry White did with singers of a similar style -- and the whole album sparkles with a freshness that will make you say "Hey, why I have I been missing this one all these years?" Titles include "The Strut", "I'll Be Here For You", "Havin Fun", "Facts Of Life", and "Love Me Or Leave Me Alone". © 1996-2011, Dusty Groove America, Inc.

Caroline Crawford - Vocals, Harp
Hamilton Bohannon - Drums, Percussion
LeRoy Emmanuel - Guitar
Lorenzo Brown - Percussion
Rick Rouse - Guitar
Mose Davis - Keyboards
Ted Waterhouse - Bass
Rod Lumpkin - Keyboards
Melvin Ragin - Guitar
Danny Turner - Saxophone
James Patterson - Saxophone

thanks to brotha Disco for this!

2012-01-06T02:16:00.001-05:00

Bobbi Humphrey - Freestyle [Bonus tracks]
JAZZ+FUNK | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 372MB | 46:54
Epic 1978

01. Home Made Jam
02. My Destiny
03. I Could Love You More
04. Sunset Burgandy
05. Freestyle
06. If You Want It
07. If You Let Me
08. Good Times
09. Home-Made Jam [US 12”]
10. Sunset Burgundy [Single]

Some of Bobbi Humphrey's greatest work of the post-Blue Note years – an album that's filled with soulful fusion tunes throughout, all with a great focus on her funky flute! Bobbi also sings a bit on the set, but in a way that's pretty darn great – wonderfully sweet at times, with a bit of an influence from Minnie Riperton that really warms up the set. Arrangements are by Cleveland Eaton, with a bit of help from Art Jenkins – and production is by Ralph MacDonald, who clearly has a great ear for the blend of jazz and soul that Bobbi's going for on the set. And although Larry Mizell's not on board, some of the cuts here still have that stepping/sliding sort of groove from Bobby's Mizell-produced Blue Note years – a really wonderful sound that's a perfect showcase for her uniquely jazzy talents on the flute! Tracks include "Freestyle", "Home Made Jam", "Sunset Burgundy", "Good Times", "My Destiny", "I Could Love You More", and "If You Want It". This Soulmusic.com edition has 2 bonus tracks: "Home-Made Jam (Extended Version)" and "Sunset Burgundy (Single Version)". © 1996-2012, Dusty Groove America, Inc.

Bobbi Humphrey - Flute, Vocals
Ralph MacDonald - Conga, Percussion
Richard Tee - Keyboards
Arthur Jenkins - Clavinet
Steve Gadd - Drums
Eric Gale - Guitar
Anthony Jackson - Bass
David Spinozza - Guitar
Stevie Wonder - Harmonica
Marcus Miller - Bass

Link provided upon request

2012-01-03T02:40:00.003-05:00

Temptations - Meet The Temptations
SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 303MB | 37:14
Gordy 1964

01. The Way You Do the Things You Do
02. I Want a Love I Can See
03. Dream Come True
04. Paradise
05. May I Have This Dance
06. Isn't She Pretty
07. Just Let Me Know
08. Your Wonderful Love
09. The Further You Look, the Less You See
10. Check Yourself
11. Slow Down Heart
12. Farewell My Love
13. Oh, Mother of Mine
14. Romance Without Finance

The Temptations' first LP, released three years into the group's history with Motown, is also a great record, even though it wasn't really an album so much as a collection of their early singles, hooked around their then new hit, "The Way You Do the Things You Do." Those expecting the classic Temptations sound should also be aware that David Ruffin is absent from all of the tracks except "The Way You Do the Things You Do," which was cut just after he joined, replacing Elbridge "Al" Bryant. Thus, the 14 cuts on this CD (12 off the original album plus two bonus tracks) represent the evolution of the act and its sound, as well as a succession of producers -- Andre Williams and Mickey Stevenson on "Oh, Mother of Mine" and "Romance Without Finance," the group's earliest 45 pairing, issued on the short-lived Miracle label; Norman Whitfield, for one single; Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson; and finally Robinson. The differences are fascinating -- "Oh, Mother of Mine," sung by Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks sharing the lead, has an exuberant doo wop-based sound mixed with a serious soulful quality that would eventually define the group; "Romance Without Finance" is a little less derivative, with a heavier, fuller band sound (especially the guitars), but both tracks are rooted in a fast dance beat, in keeping with the tastes of the times (early 1961), and neither had the hooks to make it distinctive unto itself. Several of the Gordy-produced numbers seem highly derivative of other, more familiar songs by other acts -- "Paradise" sounds like the Four Seasons covering Maurice Williams' "Stay," and "Isn't She Pretty" comes off like a rewrite (albeit a very pretty one, no joke intended) of the Isley Brothers' "Respectable." These and other Gordy-written and -produced numbers are attractive enough, but not special as songs or productions, despite some excellent singing. One group composition, "Check Yourself," produced by Gordy, is interesting for its abrupt tempo change, and features a beautifully expressive Paul Williams lead vocal. But the Smokey Robinson cuts are where the group's sound blossoms, their harmonies suddenly soaring elegantly with Williams' voice cutting through the center while an understated but fully integral band sound provides the foundation. Coupled with his songwriting, those numbers and Robinson helped put the Temptations on the charts -- and well up on the charts -- after three years of failure. The sound on the 1999 reissue of this album is excellent and then some (the Earl Van Dyke Band never sounded better), and the notes, although minimal, give some frame of reference for the album's release. An excellent mid-priced release that will delight fans and casual listeners. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

2011-12-31T13:49:00.002-05:00

Mass Production - Firecrackers
FUNK | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 480MB | 66:31
Atlantic 1996

01. Firecracker
02. Can't You See I'm Fired Up
03. Turn Up the Music
04. Wine-Flow Disco
05. Inner City
06. Welcome to Our World
07. Forever
08. Sunshine
09. Sun Dancer
10. Angel
11. Never Ever
12. Victory '83

Firecrackers: The Best of Mass Production is a comprehensive collection of the late-'70s soul band, featuring the majority of their R&B hits, including "Welcome to Our World (Of Merry Music)," "Turn Up the Music," and the Top Ten R&B hit "Firecracker." The compilation spans from their first album in 1977 to their farewell 1983 record, hitting every peak along the way. Though the material isn't always consistent -- some of the lesser-known songs have dated rather badly -- Firecrackers remains the definitive retrospective of Mass Production. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Ricardo Williams - Synth, Linn Drum, Vocals
Samual Williams - Drums
Tyrone Williams - Keys, Vibes
Kevin Douglas - Bass, Keys
James Drumgole - Clavinet, Trumpet
Rodney Phelps - Guitar, Keys
Agnes Kelly - Log Drums, Vocoder
Larry Marshall - Vocals
Gregory McCoy - Keys, Sax, Vibraslap
Emmanuel Redding - Linn Drum
Joseph Simthers - Trumpet
Lecoy Bryant - Guitar, Vocals
Reginald Case - Bass
Herbie Mann - Flute
Harold Watkins - Trombone
Dean Williams - Bass

2011-12-28T15:52:00.001-05:00

Bohannon - Summertime Groove
FUNK | FLAC | CUE | LOG | 600DPI | 276MB | 35:53
Mercury 1978

1. Let's Start the Dance
2. Listen to the Children Play
3. Me and the Gang
4. Let's Start the Dance [Finals]
5. I Wonder Why
6. Summertime Groove
7. The Street Dance

One of the biggest and best albums ever for Hamilton Bohannon – filled with quirky rhythms and really unusual grooves! Bohannon was one of the key forces in setting the scene for disco in the early 70s – and by the time the rest of the country was hitting the dancefloor in the middle part of decade, he was still moving forward, into a whole new realm of groove! The tracks on this set have some really mad rhythms – skittish and scattered, still with a dancefloor approach, but with lots of odd touches that set them apart from the rest of the pack. A key example of this is the great tune "Me & The Gang", which has this off-key piano loping out over chunky beats – but the whole thing's great, with a lot more of a sly edge than you'd expect from the cover. Titles include "Summertime Groove", "The Street Dance", "Let's Start The Dance", "Listen To The Children Play", and "I Wonder Why". © 1996-2011, Dusty Groove America, Inc.

Hamilton Bohannon - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
Carolyn Crawford - Vocals
Mose Davis - Keyboards
Leroy Emmanuel - Guitar
Rod Lumpkin - Keyboards
Ted Waterhouse - Bass
Lorenzo Brown - Percussion

2011-12-27T22:02:00.001-05:00

Martha & the Vandellas - Dance Party

SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | COVERS | 254MB | 30:23
Gordy 1965

01. Dancing in the Street
02. Dancing Slow
03. Wild One
04. Nowhere to Run
05. Nobody'll Care
06. There He Is
07. Mobile Lil the Dancing Witch
08. Dance Party
09. Motoring
10. The Jerk
11. Mickey's Monkey
12. Hitch Hike

One of the great party albums of the 1960s, Dance Party was, oddly enough, the work of a Motown act that wasn't known for delivering great albums. Martha & the Vandellas had enjoyed some serious hits from 1964 onward, but hadn't quite measured up in the LP department until the release of Dance Party in the spring of 1965. Made up of material from singles that went back to the previous summer, the album benefited from the presence of the group's biggest single, "Dancing in the Street," its follow-up, the hypnotically pounding, driving, soaring "Wild One," and the classic "Nowhere to Run," surrounded by a trio of well-above-average B-sides and covers of such Motown dance standards as "Mickey's Monkey" and "Hitch Hike." Even the rest was hardly filler, however, with Martha Reeves turning in a gloriously impassioned performance on the ballad "There He Is (At My Door)" and the group acquitting itself beautifully on "Motoring." Each side was always good for at least two plays at any self-respecting teen party of the '60s, and it all still holds up today. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

2011-12-14T15:49:00.002-05:00

SKYY - SKYY
FUNK+DISCO | FLAC | CUE | LOG | 300DPI | 437MB | 62:22
Salsoul 1979

01. This Groove Is Bad
02. First Time Around
03. Lets Turn It Out
04. Fallin In Love Again
05. Stand By Me
06. Disco Dancin
07. Lets Get Up
08. First Time Around (Remix)
09. First Time Around (Disco)
10. First Time Around (Special)

This was the debut album for this self-contained octet. Their first release was the dance number "First Time Around." It was a mixture of funk and disco. A very lengthy musical track with some vocals added here and there; ideal for a party. It sealed the top 20 inside 14 weeks. It was followed by "Let's Turn It Out." Funk was the focus here for the Brooklyn based band. Chanting party vocals, improvising solos and Solomon Roberts master of ceremonies wail keep this groove on the move. However, it was only on the charts for nine weeks peaking at 65. A bonafide party song, as are most of these selections and solid ones they are. "Stand By Me" is the only ballad; it's trimmed in a pop texture. Though disco was on its last leg, its popularity still warranted groups including it in their repertoire and Skyy has its share. ~ Craig Lytle, All Music Guide

Solomon Roberts - Guitar, Vocals
Gerald Lebon - Bass, Vocals
Tommy McConnell - Drums
Bonny Dunning - Vocals
Delores Dunning - Vocals
Denise Dunning - Vocals
Kevin Davis - Conga
Anibal Sierra - Keyboards
Larry Greenburg - Keyboards
Randy Muller - Producer, Flute, Keys

thanks to And4ever for this

THIS ALBUM'S BAD....YEAH

2011-12-11T22:36:00.001-05:00

Bootsy Collins - The Name Is Bootsy Baby!
FUNK | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG ART | 352MB | 38:55
Warner Brothers 1977

1. Ahh...The Name Is Bootsy, Baby
2. Pinocchio Theory
3. Rubber Duckie
4. Preview Side Too
5. What's a Telephone Bill?
6. Munchies for Your Love
7. Can't Stay Away
8. Reprise: We Want Bootsy

Bootsy Collins' debut solo album, Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's Rubber Band, was an extremely tough act to follow, but thankfully, there are no signs of a sophomore slump (either creatively or commercially) on his second album, Ahh...The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! Most P-funk addicts consider this 1977 LP essential listening, and it isn't hard to see why they feel that way. Everything on the album is excellent; that is true of up-tempo smokers like "The Pinocchio Theory" and the title song as well as slow, moody, eerie offerings such as "What's a Telephone Bill?" and "Munchies for Your Love." The lyrics are consistently humorous and clever, the grooves are consistently infectious. You can think of Ahh...The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! as a meeting of the funk minds -- Collins produced this record with his mentor, George Clinton, who co-wrote all of the material. So Clinton has a lot of input and gives Ahh...The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! the distinctive P-funk sound that Parliament/Funkadelic was known for. But at the same time, he encourages Collins' originality -- Bootsy's Rubber Band sounds like a Parliament/Funkadelic spin-off (which is exactly what it was), but not a Parliament/Funkadelic clone. Without question, Ahh...The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! is essential listening for lovers of hard 1970s funk. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

RUBBER BAND:

Bootsy - Space Bass, Drums, Vocals
Fred Wesley - Trombone
Catfish - Guitar
Bernie Worrell - Keyboards
Jerome Brailey - Drums
Michael Brecker - Trumpet
Randy Brecker - Saxophone
Gary Cooper - Drums, Vocals
Rick Gardner - Trumpet
Glen Goins - Guitar
Richard Griffith - Trumpet
Michael Hampton - Guitar
Joel Johnson - Keyboards
P-Nut - Vocals
Maceo Parker - Saxophone
Garry Shider - Guitar
Kash - Drums

Bootsy Collins - Bootsy? Player of The Year

FUNK | FLAC | CUE | LOG | PNG ART | 335MB | 45:33
Warner Brothers 1978

1. Bootsy What's the Name of This Town
2. May the Force Be With You
3. Very Yes
4. Bootzilla
5. Hollywood Squares
6. Roto-Rooter
7. As in "I Love You"

Released in 1978 at the height of Parliament-Funkadelic mania, Bootsy? Player of the Year finds Bootsy far from short of quality material despite his affiliation with the numerous P-Funk-affiliated projects being churned out at this time. In fact, this album finds Bootsy at his peak; his previous two albums may have their share of brilliant moments and were no doubt filled with great ideas, melodies, and funk, but here he seems to have perfected his songwriting. There really isn't a dull song on Bootsy? Player of the Year. The up-tempo songs -- "Bootsy?," "Bootzilla," "Roto-Rooter" -- rate as some of the most exciting P-Funk material ever released, each song clocking in over five minutes and chock-full of elastic basslines. On the other hand, the abundance of slow jams -- "May the Force Be With You," "Very Yes," and "As In (I Love You)" -- helps maintain a good balance, providing a breather from the sweatier moments. Then there is "Hollywood Squares," a song that teeters somewhere between a dance song and a ballad, sometimes picking up the pace, other times slowing it down to a strut. Along with Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's Rubber Band (1976) and Ahh...The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! (1977), Bootsy? Player of the Year rates among the most enjoyable P-Funk albums ever. Unfortunately, it also marks the end of a glorious run. By the following year, 1979, it was clear that the P-Funk army was running out of fresh ideas, and Bootsy was no exception, as he'd struggle creatively for a couple years to come. This makes Bootsy? Player of the Year seem all the more special in retrospect, because it was among the last of the great P-Funk releases. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide

2011-12-11T22:23:00.001-05:00

Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill
ROCK | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | 600DPI | 320MB | 41:01
ABC 1972

01. Do It Again
02. Dirty Work
03. Kings
04. Midnight Cruiser
05. Only a Fool Would Say That
06. Reelin' in the Years
07. Fire in the Hole
08. Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me)
09. Change of the Guard
10. Turn That Heartbeat Over Again

Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were remarkable craftsmen from the start, as Steely Dan's debut, Can't Buy a Thrill, illustrates. Each song is tightly constructed, with interlocking chords and gracefully interwoven melodies, buoyed by clever, cryptic lyrics. All of these are hallmarks of Steely Dan's signature sound, but what is most remarkable about the record is the way it differs from their later albums. Of course, one of the most notable differences is the presence of vocalist David Palmer, a professional blue-eyed soul vocalist who oversings the handful of tracks where he takes the lead. Palmer's very presence signals the one major flaw with the album — in an attempt to appeal to a wide audience, Becker and Fagen tempered their wildest impulses with mainstream pop techniques. Consequently, there are very few of the jazz flourishes that came to distinguish their albums — the breakthrough single, "Do It Again," does work an impressively tight Latin jazz beat, and "Reelin' in the Years" has jazzy guitar solos and harmonies — and the production is overly polished, conforming to all the conventions of early-'70s radio. Of course, that gives these decidedly twisted songs a subversive edge, but compositionally, these aren't as innovative as their later work. Even so, the best moments ("Dirty Work," "Kings," "Midnight Cruiser," "Turn That Heartbeat Over Again") are wonderful pop songs that subvert traditional conventions and more than foreshadow the paths Steely Dan would later take. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic
ROCK | WAV | CUE | LOG | 300DPI | 243MB | 34:06
ABC 1974

01. Rikki Don't Lose That Number

02. Night by Night

03. Any Major Dude Will Tell You

04. Barrytown

05. East St. Louis Toodle-Oo

06. Parker's Band

07. Through with Buzz

08. Pretzel Logic

09. With a Gun

10. Charlie Freak

11. Monkey in Your Soul

Countdown to Ecstasy wasn't half the hit that Can't Buy a Thrill was, and Steely Dan responded by trimming the lengthy instrumental jams that were scattered across Countdown and concentrating on concise songs for Pretzel Logic. While the shorter songs usually indicate a tendency toward pop conventions, that's not the case with Pretzel Logic. Instead of relying on easy hooks, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen assembled their most complex and cynical set of songs to date. Dense with harmonics, countermelodies, and bop phrasing, Pretzel Logic is vibrant with unpredictable musical juxtapositions and snide, but very funny, wordplay. Listen to how the album's hit single, "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," opens with a syncopated piano line that evolves into a graceful pop melody, or how the title track winds from a blues to a jazzy chorus -- Becker and Fagen's craft has become seamless while remaining idiosyncratic and thrillingly accessible. Since the songs are now paramount, it makes sense that Pretzel Logic is less of a band-oriented album than Countdown to Ecstasy, yet it is the richest album in their catalog, one where the backhanded Dylan tribute "Barrytown" can sit comfortably next to the gorgeous "Any Major Dude Will Tell You." Steely Dan made more accomplished albums than Pretzel Logic, but they never made a better one. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Steely Dan - Countdown To Ecstasy
ROCK | FLAC | CUE | LOG | COVERS | 302MB | 41:12
MCA 1973

1. Bodhisattva

2. Razor Boy

3. The Boston Rag

4. Your Gold Teeth

5. Show Biz Kids

6. My Old School

7. Pearl of the Quarter

8. King of the World

Can't Buy a Thrill became an unexpected hit, and as a response, Donald Fagen became the group's full-time lead vocalist, and he and Walter Becker acted like Steely Dan was a rock & roll band for the group's second album, Countdown to Ecstasy. The loud guitars and pronounced backbeat of "Bodhisattva," "Show Biz Kids," and "My Old School" camouflage the fact that Countdown is a riskier album, musically speaking, than its predecessor. Each of its eight songs have sophisticated, jazz-inflected interludes, and apart from the bluesy vamps "Bodhisattva" and "Show Biz Kids," which sound like they were written for the stage, the songs are subtly textured. "Razor Boy," with its murmuring marimbas, and the hard bop tribute "Your Gold Teeth" reveal Becker and Fagen's jazz roots, while the country-flavored "Pearl of the Quarter" and the ominous, skittering "King of the World" are both overlooked gems. Countdown to Ecstasy is the only time Steely Dan played it relatively straight, and its eight songs are rich with either musical or lyrical detail that their album rock or art rock contemporaries couldn't hope to match. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Steely Dan - Aja
ROCK | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 404MB | 40:01
ABC 1977

1. Black Cow
2. Aja
3. Deacon Blues
4. Peg
5. Home at Last
6. I Got the News
7. Josie

Steely Dan hadn't been a real working band since Pretzel Logic, but with Aja, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen's obsession with sonic detail and fascination with composition reached new heights. A coolly textured and immaculately produced collection of sophisticated jazz-rock, Aja has none of the overt cynicism or self-consciously challenging music that distinguished previous Steely Dan records. Instead, it's a measured and textured album, filled with subtle melodies and accomplished, jazzy solos that blend easily into the lush instrumental backdrops. But Aja isn't just about texture, since Becker and Fagen's songs are their most complex and musically rich set of songs -- even the simplest song, the sunny pop of "Peg," has layers of jazzy vocal harmonies. In fact, Steely Dan ignores rock on Aja, preferring to fuse cool jazz, blues, and pop together in a seamless, seductive fashion. It's complex music delivered with ease, and although the duo's preoccupation with clean sound and self-consciously sophisticated arrangements would eventually lead to a dead end, Aja is a shining example of jazz-rock at its finest. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

2011-12-04T07:53:00.001-05:00

Dynasty - Your Piece of The Rock
SOUL | FLAC | CUE | LOG | COVER | 258MB | 39:44
SOLAR 1979

1. Your Piece of the Rock
2. I Don't Want to Be a Freak
3. Satisfied
4. When You Feel Like Giving Love
5. It's Still a Thrill
6. I Don't Want to Be a Freak

Produced by Leon F. Sylvers III, Dynasty's debut LP Your Piece of the Rock sported the almost-eight-minute long disco smash "I Don't Wanna Be a Freak (But I Can't Help Myself)," which went to number 36 on the R&B charts in the fall of 1979. The title track, "Satisfied," and "Still a Thrill" were also dancefloor favorites. The midtempo ballad "Dial My Number" hearkens back to the producer/group leader's work with his family, the Sylvers. Your Piece of the Rock was reissued as a 1999 CD, and some of the album's tracks can be found on Greatest Hits and the 1994 Sequel CD The Best of Dynasty. [This edition contains one bonus track.] ~ Ed Hogan, All Music Guide

DYNASTY:
Kevin Spencer - Keys, Vocals
Nidra Beard - Vocals
Linda Carriere - Vocals
Leon Sylvers - Bass, Drums

DL

Thanks to the DAP-King for the next two!

Dynasty - Adventures in the Land of Music

SOUL+DISCO | FLAC | CUE | LOG | COVERS | 333MB | 48:58
SOLAR 1980

1. I've Just Begun to Love You
2. Groove Control
3. Take Another Look at Love
4. Day and Night
5. Do Me Right
6. Something to Remember
7. Adventures in the Land of Music
8. Ice Breaker
9. I've Just Begun to Love You [live]

By 1980, it was obvious that Dick Griffey's Solar Records had as distinctive and recognizable a sound as Motown and Stax in the 1960s or Philadelphia International in the 1970s. Put on just about any late-'70s or early- to mid-'80s recording by the Whispers, Shalamar, Midnight Star, or Dynasty, and it only takes a few notes to realize that you're listening to a Solar recording. Dynasty wasn't as big as the Whispers or Shalamar, but the Los Angeles-based vocal group did enjoy a few hits and made some valuable contributions to the Solar catalog. Adventures in the Land of Music, which came out on vinyl in 1980 and was reissued on CD by the Canadian Unidisc label in 2001, is Dynasty's second album -- and it is arguably the group's most essential. Adventures contains the Angelinos' biggest hit, "I've Just Begun to Love You," as well as the equally danceable single "Do Me Right," but the singles aren't the only things that make this album produced by Leon Sylvers III worth owning -- Adventures also contains a lot of memorable album tracks, which range from dance-oriented numbers like "Ice Breaker," "Day and Night," and "Groove Patrol" to the soul ballad "Take Another Look at Love." Dynasty is best remembered for up-tempo dance and disco-funk material, but "Take Another Look at Love" demonstrates that the group was quite capable of handling romantic soul ballads. Because Dynasty favored a lot of male/female vocal interaction and was so Solar-sounding, the group was often compared to another part-male, part-female group, Shalamar. But Dynasty had an appealing identity of its own, and that identity serves the quartet well on this excellent sophomore effort. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

DYNASTY:

Kevin Spencer - Keys, Bass, Vocals
Nidra Beard - Vocals
Linda Carriere - Vocals
William Shelby - Keys, Synths
Leon Sylvers - Bass

DL

Dynasty - The Second Adventure
SOUL | FLAC | CUE | LOG | COVERS | 297MB | 42:40
SOLAR 1981

01. Here I Am
02. Pain Got a Hold on Me
03. A Man in Love
04. Give Your Love to Me
05. You're My Angel
06. Love in the Fast Lane
07. Revenge
08. Give It Up for Love
09. High Time
10. That Lovin' Feeling

While not quite as free flowing as their previous album, the bombastic "Adventures In The Land of Music", Dynasty's third album, titled "The Second Adventure", is still a nice effort. The first song, "Here I Am", by itself, makes this CD worth buying. SOLAR Records super producer, Leon Sylvers, becomes an official member of the group and they're also joined by newcomer William Shelby. Nidra Beard (now married to Sylvers) and Linda Carriere are back with their wall of sound vocals and the group definitely has more energy when the ladies are doing the singing. Unfortunately, the male leads aren't quite as strong yet they do most of the singing on the slower tempo songs often relegating the ladies to background singers. However, the fellows do bang out some nice funk with the underrated "Pain Got A Hold On Me". Leon Sylvers may not be the greatest vocalist, but the man can hammer out bass lines with the best of them. Shelby's Moog is better than average as well. --RunawayTrane, Unda The Radar

DYNASTY:
Kevin Spencer - Piano, Vocals
Leon Sylvers - Bass, Vocals
William Shelby - Moog, Vocals
Nidra Beard - Vocals
Linda Carriere - Vocals

PERSONNEL:
Wardell Potts - Drums, Percussion
Rickey Smith - Fender
Foster Sylvers - Bass
Patricia Sylvers - Synthesizer
Bo Watson - Fender
Joey Gallo - Synthesizer
Kenneth Gant - Bass
Melvin Gentry - Drums, Guitar
Wayne Milstein - Percussion
Richard Randolph - Guitar
Ernest Reed - Guitar
Stephen Shockley - Guitar

DL

2011-12-04T06:53:00.001-05:00

Lee Morgan - The Gigolo [RVG Edition]
JAZZ | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 461MB | 47:32
Blue Note 1965

1. Yes I Can, No You Can't
2. Trapped
3. Speedball
4. The Gigolo
5. You Go to My Head
6. The Gigolo [alt]

Lee Morgan was the leading trumpeter in hard bop during the 1960s and he recorded quite a few classic albums for Blue Note. This is one of them. The CD reissue (which adds an alternate take of the title cut to the original five-song program) features Morgan at his best, whether playing his memorable blues "Speed Ball," an explorative ballad version of "You Go to My Head," a lengthy "The Gigolo," or his other two originals ("Yes I Can, No You Can't" and "Trapped"). There are no weak selections on this set and the playing by the leader, Wayne Shorter on tenor, pianist Harold Mabern, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Billy Higgins is beyond any serious criticism. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

PERSONNEL:
Lee Morgan - Trumpet
Wayne Shorter - Tenor Sax
Harold Mabern - Piano
Bob Cranshaw - Upright Bass
Billy Higgins - Drums

Lee Morgan - Sonic Boom
JAZZ | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 452MB | 74:14
Blue Note 1979

01. Sneaky Pete
02. The Mercenary
03. Sonic Boom
04. Fathead
05. I'll Never Be the Same
06. Mumbo Jumbo
07. Free Flow
08. Stormy Weather
09. Mr. Johnson
10. The Stroker
11. Uncle Rough
12. Claw-Til-Da
13. Untitled Boogaloo

This is indeed a welcome curiosity. The 2003 version of Lee Morgan's Sonic Boom was recorded in 1967, was not released until 1979, and then was quickly deleted. When it was reissued on CD in the 1990s, it was only in print for a short time as well. While one might think the third time is the charm, you'd have to reconsider. Blue Note has made the set available as part of its so-called connoisseur series, meaning it will only be available for a limited time once more. Issued in glorious 24-bit remastered sound, Sonic Boom is here re-released along with a huge bonus, a 1969 session that was originally the latter half of the 1978 double-LP The Procrastinator. The personnel here is completely different: on the earlier set, Morgan was accompanied by Cedar Walton, Ron Carter, Billy Higgins, and David "Fathead" Newman. On the latter, Julian Priester, George Coleman, Harold Mabern, Walter Booker, and Mickey Roker are in the house. Sonic Boom showcases Morgan stretching his hard bop pedigree to the breaking point, such as on tracks like "The Mercenary," with its wide-open, nearly Latin groove. Walton's deep, left-hand chord work offers a fat, open bottom for Morgan's solo to lift off from. And it's directly to the piano that Morgan plays. On the title cut, angular lines and a knotty head offer Higgins an opportunity to dance all around the time. Newman's solo has an edgy urgency not usually associated with him. Walton plays wild, syncopated chords in the middle, to which Higgins reacts by triple-timing the band. On the 1969 session, Morgan's charts are even more expansive. Coleman's "Free Flow" is blues that has mutated into a post-bop cavalcade of sonances and intervals. Mabern's "Mr. Johnson" is a minor-key masterpiece with the front line playing a long, loping melody that enters the harmonic frame of Cuban folk music and son. Coleman's solo is one of the most emotionally wrought in his recorded oeuvre. Conversely, Priester's "The Stroker" is a funky, Latin-tinged swinger with a lovely, physical solo by the trombonist and Morgan plays some gorgeous fills as Roker bottles up the middle eight before splitting the tune wide open in its last two minutes. Despite the great differences in approach, these two sessions complement each other well; Morgan fans would be well advised to snag this one before Blue Note yanks it from the catalog once more. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

Lee Morgan Quintet: (Tracks 1-6):

Lee Morgan - Leader, Trumpet
David Newman - Tenor Sax
Cedar Walton - Piano
Ron Carter - Bass
Billy Higgins - Drums

Lee Morgan Sextet: (Tracks 7-13):

Lee Morgan - Leader, Trumpet
Harold Mabern - Piano
George Coleman - Tenor Sax
Walter Booker - Bass
Julian Priester - Trombone
Mickey Roker - Drums

2011-11-27T20:45:00.001-05:00

Brenda Russell - Get Here
SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 359MB | 35:26
A&M 1988

1. Gravity
2. Just a Believer
3. Piano in the Dark
4. This Time I Need You
5. Make My Day
6. Le Restaurant
7. Midnight Eyes
8. Get Here

Eight years had passed between Brenda Russell's excellent eponymous debut and the release of Get Here, and with that so did the tone and palette of R&B songwriting and production. Gone were many of the warm, analog-birthed sessions and in their place came the digital age of sterile, crisp production values designed to target the top of the pop and adult contemporary charts. But this time around, Russell managed to transcend these changes and deliver another potent album-length performance. Get Here delivered two outstanding hits, including the adult contemporary radio favorite "Piano in the Dark," which earned her three Grammy nominations and remains the biggest hit of her career. And just as Luther Vandross covered her song "If Only for One Night" and turned it into a hit, so did Oleta Adams covering "Get Here," which resulted in the biggest single of Adams' career. ~ Rob Theakston, All Music Guide

2011-11-27T20:31:00.001-05:00

Maze featuring Frankie Beverly - Inspiration
SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 334MB | 41:07
Capitol 1979

1. Lovely Inspiration
2. Feel That You're Feelin
3. Call On Me
4. Timin
5. Welcome Home
6. Woman Is A Wonder
7. Ain't It Strange
8. Lovely Inspiration (Instr)

Arguably Maze's best album, hands down, Inspiration lives up to its grandiose title. Frankie Beverly's compositions are executed to perfection by the seven-piece Maze ensemble: Atigunta Sun (drums), Wuane Thomas (lead guitar), Sam Porter (keyboards), McKinley Williams (vocals and percussion), Roame Lowry (vocals and congas), Robin Duhe (bass), and Frankie Beverly (rhythm guitar and lead vocals) — the originals. If you're still down after listening to "Lovely Inspiration"'s positive, glowing, shimmering praise to the Supreme One, you have some serious issues. The fusion of R&B and reggae on "Feel That You're Feelin'" fueled its way up the R&B chart rungs; it remains a staple of Maze's live show. It's hard to get any better than "Call Me," on which Beverly outdoes himself during a sensitive, tear-jerking confession of a man whose woman left him for another; the parting is handled with maturity, and the lamenting lover extends an invitation for his ex to call him if it doesn't work out, or if she has a change of heart. Just as inspiring is the spirited "Timin'," a rollicking number about keeping your spirits up because, if it doesn't work out, it's not solely your fault, it's just a matter of timin'; why Capitol held back on this track is mystifying, since it has all the elements of a monster. That kick-happy beat is extended to "Welcome Home," a tune about a lover returning after discovering the grass wasn't greener on the other side of the fence. "Women Is a Wonder" is a slow tribute to women featuring some tantalizing guitar notes from Thomas; very nice, but a better bet if the supplementary vocals hadn't been buried so deep in the mix. Captivating, tinkling chimes introduce the laid-back "Ain't It Strange"; the vocal interaction between Beverly, Duhe, Williams, and Lowry are reminiscent of the Frankie Beverly & the Butlers years. An instrumental version of "Lovely Inspiration" ends the masterpiece. ~ Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide

MAZE:

Frankie Beverly - Guitar, Vocals
Roame Lowry - Conga, Vocals
McKinley Williams - Percussion, Vocals
Sam Porter - Keyboards
Ahaguna Sun - Drums
Wuaneg Thomas - Guitar
Robin Duhe - Bass

Maze - Joy and Pain
SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 324MB | 43:11
Capitol 1980

1. Change Times
2. The Look In Your Eyes
3. Family
4. Roots
5. Joy And Pain
6. Southern Girl
7. Happiness

With their fourth album, Joy and Pain, Maze and Frankie Beverly once again went gold with little or no support from pop radio. One of the band's most celebrated releases, this classic soared to the top of the R&B charts thanks to such hits as "Southern Girl" and the haunting title song (which, in 1988, rapper Rob Base would use without Beverly's permission). In interviews, Beverly expressed some disappointment over the fact that Capitol promoted Maze as strictly an R&B act and made no effort to promote Joy and Pain to pop audiences. And yet, Beverly wasn't about to become less R&B-oriented in order to cross over -- his contention was that, like Al Green and Marvin Gaye, he could reach pop radio without having to compromise. An essential album, Joy and Pain is the work of a band that made consistently rewarding soul and funk by sticking to its guns. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

MAZE:

Frankie Beverly - Guitar, Piano, Vocals
Sam Porter - Organ, Piano (Electric)
Ron Smith - Guitar
Billy Johnson - Drums
Roame Lowry - Conga, Vocals
McKinley Williams - Percussion
Robin Duhe - Bass
Kevin Burton - Keyboards
Kahlil Gibran - Poetry

2011-11-22T06:55:00.001-05:00

Kool & the Gang/Bar-Kays - Back2Back

FUNK | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 326MB | 38:48
Masters 2004

01. Celebration
02. Ladies Night
03. Joanna
04. Fresh
05. Get Down on It
06. Freakshow on the Dance Floor
07. Move Your Boogie Body
08. Soul Finger
09. Shake Your Rump to the Funk
10. Hit and Run

Super funk groups Kool & The Gang and The Bar-Kays perform some of their biggest hits live. Kool & The Gang abscound from the early funk and perform mainly their 80's pop songs while the Bar-kays go all in with their 70's stuff and even include a remake of Soulfinger (considered a remake since the majority of the original crew isn't on it). Sorry Kool, but the Bar-kays win this one in a lanslide

2011-11-15T05:38:00.001-05:00

Patti Labelle - Playlist: The Best of Patti Labelle

SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 465MB | 73:43
Legacy 2011

01. Love, Need and Want You
02. Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)
03. If Only You Knew
04. My Love, Sweet Love
05. Somebody Loves You Baby (You Know Who It is)
06. Come into My Life
07. Lady Marmalade
08. Joy to Have Your Love
09. Music Is My Way of Life
10. Rocking Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu
11. Shoot Him on Sight
12. I Don't Go Shopping
13. Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)
14. Teach Me Tonight [Me Gusta Tu Baile]

Playlist: The Very Best of Patti Labelle covers the singer’s late-‘70s and early-‘80s solo albums for Epic and Philadelphia International -- the period just prior to her pop peak. The disc also throws in Labelle-the-group’s “Lady Marmalade” as a sop to those who aren’t otherwise familiar with this phase of Labelle’s career, which produced a handful of charting R&B singles, such as “I Don’t Go Shopping,” “Joy to Have Your Love,” and “Music Is My Way of Life,” all of which are included here. It’s not a thorough anthology of her singles from this period, but it does provide a decent overview. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide

2011-11-10T01:12:00.000-05:00

Spinners - Happiness Is/Spinners 8

SOUL | FLAC | CUE | LOG | COVER | 463MB | 75:25
Atlantic 1976 & 1978

01. Now That We're Together
02. You're All I Need in Life
03. If You Can't Be in Love
04. The Rubberband Man
05. Toni My Love
06. Four Hands in the Fire
07. The Clown
08. Wake up Susan
09. I'm Gonna Getcha
10. I'm Tired of Giving
11. Painted Magic
12. You Got the Love That I Need
13. Heaven on Earth (So Fine)
14. Back in the Arms of Love
15. (Love Is) One Step Away
16. Easy Come, Easy Go
17. Baby I Need Your Love

With dance music driving everything else off the charts, Creed and Bell responded with the seven-minute, irresistably cheesy "The Rubberband Man," which may be the group's best known hit. Otherwise, though, it's the usual lush, midtempo romantic soul, and compositionally a big dropoff from the previous discs: the same themes ("You're All I Need In Life"), familiar-sounding melodies ("Toni My Love"). The big counterexample is Jefferson/Hawes/Simmons's gorgeous "Four Hands In The Fire"; they also contributed two lesser tunes, while Life co-wrote "Now That We're Together" and M. Burton came up with the flat "The Clown."

Meanwhile, Spinners 8 is the first album post-Wynne, and John Edwards does his best to sing in the same high register. No change in Bell's approach, but he has trouble finding memorable songs, aside from the memorably grating "I'm Gonna Getcha"... The single "Heaven on Earth (So Fine)," by Casey James, isn't much, but there are three standout tracks: B. Lamb's fast "Back In The Arms Of Love," James/Thom Bell/Leroy Bell's medium "Easy Come, Easy Go," and best of all, James and Leroy Bell's slow, anthemic "Baby I Need Your Love (You're The Only One)." Jefferson and Simmons wrote just one song, "I'm Tired Of Giving." --David Bertrand Wilson, WARR.org

THE SPINNERS:
Philippe Wynne - Lead
Bobbie Smith - Tenor
Henry Fambrough - Baritone
Pervis Jackson - Bass
John Edwards - Lead
Bill Henderson - Tenor

Spinners - From Here to Eternally/Love Trippin
SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 524MB | 78:39 | 2CD
Atlantic 1979 + 1980

01. It's a Natural Affair
02. Don't Let the Man Get You
03. Plain and Simple Love Song
04. Are You Ready for Love
05. I Love the Music
06. One Man Wonderful Band
07. If You Wanna Do a Dance
08. Once You Fall in Love
09. Love Trippin
10. Heavy on the Sunshine
11. Cupid/I've Loved You for a Long Time
12. I Just Want to Be with You
13. Streetwise
14. I Just Want to Fall in Love
15. Now That You're Mine Again
16. Split Decision
17. I'm Takin' You Back
18. Pipe Dream

I tend to disagree with this reviewer; I think there are a few choice cuts here:

Only three singles sprang from the release of From Here to Eternally (1979) and Love Trippin' (1980) combined, so this two-fer is hardly a musical powerball. It's not remotely close to their early-'70s LPs, with the unpredictable Philippe Wynne leading the charge and producer Thom Bell in a zone. Wynne's gone; his replacement, John Edwards, a seasoned soul singer, does an admirable job. "Cupid"/"I Loved You For a Long Time" was the Spinners' last significant hit before becoming pop Top 40 nonfactors. A second single, "Now That You're Mine Again," went unnoticed, and the third, "I Just Want to Fall in Love," gets more plays via Internet Real Audio and Window Media than it did when Atlantic Records released it. Bell relies on Bobbie Smith's light tenor and Henry Fambrough's pleasant but colorless tenor for too many leads; after too many doses of them you welcome Edwards' biting, expressive full-bodied vocals with open ears. Other than the previously mentioned singles and "Streetwise," "Love Trippin'," and "Split Decision" (on which Pervis Jackson's bass is unleashed), there's nothing else among the 18 tracks you'll want to hear twice. ~ Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide

THE SPINNERS:
Bobbie Smith - Tenor
Henry Fambrough - Bass
John Edwards - Lead
Billy Henderson - Tenor
Pervis Jackson - Baritone

MUSIC

ART

2011-11-03T05:43:00.002-04:00

Spinners - Pick of the Litter

SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | COVERS | 234MB | 33:52
Atlantic 1975

1. Honest I Do
2. I Don't Want to Lose You
3. Love or Leave
4. Sweet Love of Mine
5. All That Glitters Ain't Gold
6. You Made a Promise to Me
7. Games People Play
8. Just as Long as We Have Love

For their fourth Atlantic Records outing, the Spinners -- Henry Fambrough (baritone vocal), Billy Henderson (tenor vocal), Pervis Jackson (bass vocal), Bobbie Smith (tenor vocal) and Philippe Wynne (tenor vocal) -- cook up another sizable serving of Philly Soul under the care of producer/arranger Thom Bell. Following on the heels of three sequential gold records, it is not particularly surprising that they would continue in the same vein. The danceable R&B grooves -- especially the undeniably memorable "They Just Can't Stop It (The Games People Play)" -- not to mention the soulful slow jams, were ultimately a factor in making Pick of the Litter (1975) the Spinners' most successful long-player. Although the entire affair clocks in at just over half-an-hour, they pack a great deal into the effort, commencing with the dynamic mid-tempo "Honest I Do." The four-on-the-floor tempo and compact string arrangement are part and parcel of what made their sound so instantly discernible among concurrent copycat combos. They likewise had Wynne's versatile vocals in their arsenal, which was no doubt a significant component in their second 7" side, the compelling "Love or Leave." Instrumentally, the distinctive distorted guitar and refined brass accompaniment are all courtesy of Bell's singular musical vision, and faultlessly executed by the equally unmistakable MFSB Orchestra. "All That Glitters Ain't Gold" is a catchy number sporting a brisk propelling rhythm and score foreshadowing Bell's work with Elton John on "Mama Can't Buy You Love." The batch of ballads on Pick of the Litter are proportionately excellent as well, highlighted by Dionne Warwick's second guest appearance. Fambrough's debut as a solo lead demonstrates a gentle and supple intonation, perfectly matched to Warwick's agile and affective style. The album's primary focus track was the aforementioned "They Just Can't Stop It (The Games People Play)." The slightly, albeit judiciously edited version became a crossover smash, landing in the upper reaches of the Pop Singles survey and topping the R&B countdown in July of 1975. Trading vocals with Wynne and Jackson -- whose resonant "12:45" interjection became a hallmark of the song -- is backing session singer Barbara Ingram. Because the group was touring at the time, Fambrough was unavailable to put the finishing touches on the recording. Bell was under the gun to complete the production, so he chose Ingram to step in, and in doing so lent a whole new dimension to the lyrical banter. Those seeking a thoroughly solid effort Philly Soul are encouraged to spin the appropriately named Pick of the Litter. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide

2011-11-03T05:33:00.004-04:00

Spinners - Yesterday/Today/Tomorrow [Bonus Tracks]
SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 455MB | 73:41
Atlantic 1977 + 1981

01. Me and My Music
02. I Found Love
03. I'm Riding Your Shadow
04. You're the Love of My Life
05. I Must Be Living for a Broken Heart
06. Honey, I'm in Love with You
07. Just to Be with You
08. You're Throwing a Good Love Away
09. Yesterday Once More/Nothing Remains the Same
10. Almost All the Way to Love
11. The Winter of Our Love
12. Be My Love
13. Give Your Lady What She Wants
14. Long Live Soul Music

During the '70s, the Spinners' pairing with Philadelphia producer Thom Bell resulted in some of the most fulfilling and immaculately produced albums of the era. The pairing brought the group six gold singles and five gold albums. Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow in effect drew the hitmaking ways to a screeching halt. The group had declined shortly after 1975's Pick of the Litter. That was perfectly acceptable. Both Mighty Love and Pick of the Litter were two of the best albums of the '70s so there wasn't anywhere to go but down. The lyrical decline that was evident on this album's predecessor, Happiness Is Being With the Spinners, is even clearer here. In fact, most of the sessions on this album were recorded at the same time as Happiness Is Being With the Spinners. The problems with this were seen immediately. "Me and My Music" like most songs about the joys of the music are always danger zones and folksy rural asides of lead singer Phillipe Wynne made it even more cloying. The elegiac "I'm Riding Your Shadow Down to Love" is so beautifully arranged -- from the strings to the near three-dimensional harmony -- that it made it easy to overlook the incoherent lyrics. As for hit potential, the likeable "You're the Love of My Life" was this album's best shot at a hit single but was left unreleased. Not that it would have made much of a difference at this point. This was Phillipe Wynne's swan song and the fact that he was ready to barrel out the door put a damper on the festivities. Both "Just to Be With You" and "Throwing a Good Love Away" recall his past glories without half of the charm. In an odd note, on the track "Honey, I'm in Love With You" produced and arranged by Thom Bell's brother Tony Bell, is a good-natured song that seemed custom made for Phillipe Wynne, but he's not even on it. The lead on the track is John Edwards. He attempts Wynne's aphorisms and rhythm style before giving up and unleashing high-pitched wails and his own barrage of ad-libs. Taken on its own, Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow is a good effort, but the Spinners' earlier '70s efforts are where the consistently great work is found. ~ Jason Elias, All Music Guide

2011-11-02T04:56:00.000-04:00

Sade - Promise
VOCAL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 458MB | 54:27
Epic 1985

01. Is It a Crime
02. Sweetest Taboo
03. War of the Hearts
04. You're Not the Man
05. Jezebel
06. Mr Wrong
07. Punch Drunk
08. Never as Good
09. Fear
10. Tar Baby
11. Maureen

Sade's second album improved on the performance of her debut, as "Sweetest Taboo" was a huge hit and "Never as Good as the First Time" landed in both the R&B and pop Top 20. She was once again the personification of cool, laid-back singing, seldom extending or embellishing lyrics, registering emotion, or projecting her voice. This demeanor made her more desirable in the minds of many fans and was perhaps the ultimate misapplication of the notion of sophistication. But this album topped the pop charts and eventually went triple platinum. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide

PERSONNEL:
Sade Adu - Vocals
Stuart Matthewman - Saxophone
Andrew Hale - Keys
Paul Denman - Bass
Terry Bailey - Trumpet
Pete Beachill - Trombone
Carlos Bonnell - Guitar
Martin Ditcham - Percussion
Dave Early - Drums
Jake Jacas - Vocals

2011-11-01T04:08:00.000-04:00

Pharoah Sanders - Karma [RVG]
JAZZ | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 343MB | 38:25
Impulse! 1969

1. The Creator Has A Master Plan
2. Colors

Pharoah Sanders' third album as a leader is the one that defines him as a musician to the present day. After the death of Coltrane, while there were many seeking to make a spiritual music that encompassed his ideas and yearnings while moving forward, no one came up with the goods until Sanders on this 1969 date. There are only two tracks on Karma, the 32-plus minute "The Creator Has a Master Plan" and the five-and-a-half-minute "Colours." The band is one of Sanders' finest, and features vocalist Leon Thomas, drummer Billy Hart, Julius Watkins, James Spaulding, a pre-funk Lonnie Liston Smith, Richard Davis, Reggie Workman on bass, and Nathaniel Bettis on percussion. "Creator" begins with a quote from "A Love Supreme," with a nod to Coltrane's continuing influence on Sanders. But something else emerges here as well: Sanders' own deep commitment to lyricism and his now inherent knowledge of Eastern breathing and modal techniques. His ability to use the ostinato became not a way of holding a tune in place while people soloed, but a manner of pushing it irrepressibly forward. Keeping his range limited (for the first eight minutes anyway), Sanders explores all the colors around the key figures, gradually building the dynamics as the band comps the two-chord theme behind with varying degrees of timbral invention. When Thomas enters at nine minutes, the track begins to open. His yodel frees up the theme and the rhythm section to invent around him. At 18 minutes it explodes, rushing into a silence that is profound as it is noisy in its approach. Sanders is playing microphonics and blowing to the heavens and Thomas is screaming. They are leaving the material world entirely. When they arrive at the next plane, free of modal and interval constraints, a new kind of lyricism emerges, one not dependent on time but rhythm, and Thomas and Sanders are but two improvisers in a sound universe of world rhythm and dimension. There is nothing to describe the exhilaration that is felt when this tune ends, except that "Colours," with Ron Carter joining Workman on the bass, was the only track that could follow it. You cannot believe it until you hear it. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

PERSONNEL:
Pharoah Sanders - Tenor Sax
James Spaulding - Flute
Lonnie Liston Smith - Piano
Ron Carter - Bass (Upright)
Leon Thomas - Percussion, Vocals
Frederick Waits - Drums
Julius Watkins - French Horn
Reggie Workman - Bass
Richard Davis - Bass (Upright)
Billy Hart - Drums
Nat Bettis - Percussion

2011-10-29T16:01:00.000-04:00

The Spinners - Chrome Collection

SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | COVER | 1.48GB | 238:56 | 3CD
Rhino 2003

DISC 1:
01. That's What Girls Are Made For
02. I'll Always Love You
03. Truly Yours
04. What More Could a Boy Ask For?
05. Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music
06. It's a Shame
07. We'll Have It Made
08. I Wish I Could Sleep
09. Just Can't Get You Out of My Mind
10. Just You and Me Baby
11. Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You
12. I Could Never
13. I'll Be Around
14. One of a Kind
15. We Belong Together
16. Ghetto Child
17. How Could I Let You Get Away
18. Could It Be I'm Falling in Love
19. Love Has Gone Away
20. Love Don't Love Nobody
21. I'm Coming Home

DISC 2:
01. Since I Been Gone
02. He'll Never Love You Like I Do
03. Mighty Love
04. There's No One Like You
05. I've Got to Make It on My Own
06. Living a Little, Laughing a Little
08. Then Came You
09. Sitting on Top of the World
10. I Don't Want to Lose You
11. Love or Leave
12. You Made a Promise to Me
13. They Just Can't Stop It
14. Toni My Love
15. The Rubberband Man
16. Now That We're Together
17. Wake up Susan
18. Me and My Music
19. You're Throwing a Good Love Away
20. Painted Magic

DISC 3:
01. Heaven on Earth (So Fine)
02. Back in the Arms of Love
03. (Love Is) One Step Away
04. Easy Come, Easy Go
05. If You Wanna Do a Dance
06. Are You Ready for Love
07. (A) Plain and Simple Love Song
08. Body Language
09. Working My Way Back to You
10. Cupid/I've Loved You for a Long Time
11. I Just Want to Fall in Love
12. Now That You're Mine Again
13. Yesterday Once More/Nothing Remains the Same
14. Long Live Soul Music
15. You Go Your Way
16. Love Connection
17. Never Thought I'd Fall in Love
18. Magic in the Moonlight
19. Funny How Time Slips Away
20. Right or Wrong
21. Memories of Allison

The three-CD box set The Chrome Collection doesn't miss anything that might be considered essential by virtually any Spinners fan, including as it does the major and minor chart hits from the early '60s through the mid-'80s, as well as numerous album tracks. To be honest, even if you're a big Spinners fan, you're not going to be missing much if you opt for the two-CD One of a Kind Love Affair. And if you're a general Spinners fan, Rhino's more basic single-disc The Very Best of the Spinners should satisfy. But in its favor, The Chrome Collection does include some hits that don't even make it onto One of a Kind Love Affair, particularly their 1980 Top Five smash "Cupid"/"I've Loved You for a Long Time," as well as their 1966 Motown Top 20 R&B charter "Truly Yours," numerous low-charting items from the late '70s and early '80s, and some album tracks from throughout their lifespan. Also, it's good how seven tunes from the Motown era kick off the set before getting into the Atlantic catalog that comprises all but one track of the rest of the box. Sensibly, it draws most heavily from the group's early- to mid-'70s prime, and particularly from their earliest Thom Bell-produced sessions; in fact, it has all ten songs from their self-titled 1973 debut Atlantic LP. The 60-page booklet with a detailed career summary is another nice perk. As for drawbacks, this might be too much lush soul at once for all but the most sweet-toothed soul fans, and much of disc three, covering 1977-1989, fails to measure up to the preceding two CDs, both commercially and artistically. Note, incidentally, that the versions of "Sadie" and "Painted Magic" are new edits done especially for this release, and that 22 of the tracks appear in their single versions, though these tend to be their later and less impressive singles. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

note: this box set is primarily radio edits and single versions

2011-10-25T22:41:00.000-04:00

Kid n Play - 2 Hype
RAP | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 332MB | 44:06
Select 1988

01. Rollin with Kid n Play
02. Brother Man Get Hip
03. Gittin Funky
04. Soul Man
05. Damn That DJ
06. Last Night
07. 2 Hype
08. Can You Dig That
09. Undercover
10. Do the Kid 'N Play Kick Step
11. Do This My Way

Kid 'n Play have been unfairly branded as pop sellouts over the years, despite the fact that they really never had a big crossover hit single. It was more their image that crossed over -- they had their own unique sense of visual style, yet they were positive, non-threatening, and, well, too gosh-darn friendly for the taste of street-level purists. Plus, they were young and clean-cut enough for middle-class teenage audiences to identify with. Accusations of being soft notwithstanding, those qualities are exactly what give their debut album, 2 Hype, its refreshing charm. There isn't much on the duo's minds other than friendship, dancing, and dating, and everything stays pretty innocent -- Kid even confesses to being shy around girls on "Undercover." If all of this seems safe and lightweight, it's also a tremendous amount of good, clean fun. Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor's production keeps things danceable and engaging throughout; the sound is fairly spare, with funky and occasionally club-friendly beats, catchy instrumental hooks behind the choruses, and basic DJ scratching. The whole album is pretty consistent, and the songs that were singles -- "Rollin' With Kid 'n Play," "Gittin' Funky," and "2 Hype" -- are nearly matched by some of the album tracks, particularly "Brother Man Get Hip," the story songs "Last Night" and "Undercover," and the explanation of the duo's signature dance move, "Do the Kid 'n Play Kick Step." Neither Kid nor Play is a master technician on the mic, but they're both quite respectable, in contrast to some of the would-be pop idols who followed in the years to come. And even if its sound and style are very much of their time, 2 Hype still holds up surprisingly well, thanks to Kid 'n Play's winning personalities. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

DL

This album is sooooooo underrated. It's on my 10 best hip hop album ever list

2011-10-24T15:40:00.002-04:00

M-Zee Band - Doctor Rhythm
SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 366MB | 34:56
Mirage 1981

1. Doctor Rhythm
2. Who's Funkin' You
3. Bop Box
4. Sure Shot
5. I'm Savin' It for the One I Love
6. Fun House
7. Street Beat

M-Zee is Michael Zager – or at least his initials – and the M-Zee Band is easily one of his best projects from back in the day! The set's got a funky groove that's much heavier than some of his other late 70s work – especially some of the more commercial disco efforts – and things are pretty lean throughout, with a real 80s groove focus on beats, basslines, and catchy keyboard bits! Vocals are surprisingly soulful, and wrapped around the rhythms nicely – and titles include "Street Beat", "Doctor Rhythm", "Bop Box", "Who's Funkin' Who", and "Fun House". © 1996-2011, Dusty Groove America, Inc.

DL

2011-10-10T19:37:00.001-04:00

VA - Carolina Funk: First In Funk
FUNK | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | COVERS | 458MB | 75:57
Now Again 2008

01. Creation of Music - Primitive
02. Darkness - Gamith
03. Just Take Your Time - Innersouls
04. Super Good - Dynamite Singletary
05. King Cobra - Mongoose
06. Interpretation - Soul Impossibles
07. Can We Rap - Carleen & The Groovers
08. Stand Up and Be a Man - Sundia
09. Ease It to Me - Tempo's Band
10. Bad Woman - Frankie & The Damons
11. You Ain't Miss It - Roy Roberts
12. The Road - Black Experience Band
13. Funky Soul Brother - The Soul Drifters
14. Let's Go - James Reese
15. So Very Hard to Make It - Paul Burton
16. Message to Society - Wally Coco
17. Doing What You Need to Do - Anthony Burns
18. Theme of Blackbyrds - The Black Exotics
19. Funky Mind - Donnie Brown
20. Good Time - George Campbell
21. Funky Party Time - The JDs
22. Progressive Movement - Ultimates

Jazzman blow the roof off the Carolina scene here – digging through a wealth of rare 70s funk to explode the myth that the states are only home to beach music and shag tunes! The grooves here are every bit as gritty as previous Jazzman outings to Texas, Florida, and the Midwest – and the package offers up a few classics, some unreleased numbers, and a bunch of tunes we've never heard before – all supported by the kind of in-depth notes that Jazzman does better than anyone else! And sure, we've been digging funky 45s for years – but its sets like this that almost get us more excited in the music than the originals – thanks to the overall conception and quality of the work. Titles include "Creation Of Music" by Primitive, "Darkness" by Gamith, "Just Take Your Time" by Innersouls, "Super Good" by Dynamite Singletary, "Funky Soul Brother" by The Soul Drifters, "The Road" by Communicators & Black Experience Band, "Theme Of Blackbyrds" by The Black Exotics, "Good Time" by George Campbell, "Funky Mind" by Donnie Brown, "Doing What You Need To Do" by Anthony Burns, "JD's Funky Party Time" by JD, "Bad Woman" by Frankie & The Damons, "Ease It To Me" by Shirlean Williams & The Tempo's Band, "Stand Up & Be A Man (part 1)" by Sundia, and "You Ain't Miss It" by Roy Roberts. US edition of the same CD on the Jazzman label from the UK – but with a different cover image. © 1996-2011, Dusty Groove America, Inc.

2011-10-10T19:27:00.002-04:00

Sade - Lovers Rock

VOCAL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 440MB | 44:19
Epic 2000

01. By Your Side
02. Flow
03. King of Sorrow
04. Somebody Already Broke My Heart
05. All About Our Love
06. Slave Song
07. Sweetest Gift
08. Every Word
09. Immigrant
10. Lover's Rock
11. It's Only Love That Gets You Through

Lovers Rock, the title of Sade's first album of the 21st century, could be taken on many levels. Never before has the singer infused more mainstream rock elements (prominent strummed guitars) into her music as evidenced by the first single, "By Your Side." That's not to say that she has eschewed her own tried-and-true brand of smoky, dusky ballads. The singer/songwriter is reunited with co-producer Mike Pela and musician/songwriters Andrew Hale, Stuart Matthewman, and Paul S. Denman; and Lovers Rock finds them all in fine form. "Somebody Already Broke My Heart," "Every Word," and "Lovers Rock" are vintage Sade. ~ Ed Hogan, All Music Guide

PERSONNEL:

Sade Adu - Vocals
Stuart Matthewman - Guitar, Woodwind
Andrew Hale - Keys
Paul S. Denman - Bass
Leroy Osbourne - Vocals
Andy Nice - Cello
Janusz Podrazik - Keys
Karl Vanden - Percussion

Sade - Diamond Life

VOCAL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | COVERS | 289MB | 44:38
Epic 1984

1. Smooth Operator
2. Your Love Is King
3. Hang on to Your Love
4. Frankie's First Affair
5. When Am I Going to Make a Living
6. Cherry Pie
7. Sally
8. I Will Be Your Friend
9. Why Can't We Live Together

It could have been that Sade (collectively, the vocalist Sade Adu and her band) would have remained the darlings solely of the British underground rare-groove scene, but their sound proved irresistible to the mainstream, and the rest is history. Caught at the beginning of her career in 1985, Sade's cool vocals and exotic looks grabbed everyone's attention. But equally as important to Diamond Life's success was the velvet muscle of the band's accompaniment, a sinewy after hours groove, laden with minimalist funk. Eight of the nine tracks are self-penned. Straddling R&B, this disc lays out the hooks and sultry allure that became Sade's soulful standard--intelligent and sexy at the same time. --Derek Rath, Amazon.com

PERSONNEL:

Sade Adu - Vocals
Stuart Matthewman - Sax, Guitar
Andrew Hale - Keys
Paul S. Denman - Bass
Gordon Matthewman - Trumpet
Terry Bailey - Trumpet
Paul Cooke - Drums
Martin Ditcham - Percussion
Dave Early - Drums

2011-09-30T10:09:00.001-04:00

Ronny Jordan - A Brighter Day

JAZZ | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 500MB | 73:14
Blue Note 2000

01. Brighter Day
02. Aftermath
03. Mackin
04. Why
05. Mystic Voyage
06. Breauxlude
07. London Lowdown
08. Two Worlds
09. Mambo Inn
10. Rio
11. New Delhi
12. Seeing Is Believing
13. 5/8 in Flow
14. Brighter Day (Remix)

As the reality of Y2K took hold, no doubt many artists went with forward-thinking album titles for their first efforts of the new millennium. But guitarist Ronny Jordan wasn't thinking of trendiness or even the calendar shift when he called his Blue Note debut A Brighter Day. His 1992 jazz/hip-hop-fused release The Antidote made him an instant star on London's burgeoning acid-jazz scene. Over the next few years and recordings, however, his pioneering success in this genre proved as much a curse as a blessing, as his sound got muddled through working with outside producers. The wide stylistic diversity on the self-produced A Brighter Day -- which takes him on excursions into Brazilian, Latin, straight-ahead, even Indian music, with only a few passing nods to his acidic roots -- makes for his most organic and honest effort to date. The title also celebrates his most effective electric guitar playing thus far. On the aptly titled "Two Worlds," Jordan spins a crisp, Wes Montgomery-styled melody over an increasingly aggressive bossa-minded percussion pattern, holding occasional but few bar conversations with the uppity, Latin-styled piano of Marcus Persiani. Jordan also goes the Brazilian route on "Rio," albeit with a subtler, more spiritual edge; his muted guitar dances over a sparse rhythm pattern, as haunting angelic vocals ease in and out. A gentle Indian flute harmony and a soaring female chant alternately wrap around his high-toned strings, all over the patter of Shivas Shankar's tablas on a spirited reworking of Victor Feldman's "New Delhi." When he's not exploring the world, Jordan reconnects with the jazz roots that predated his acid-jazz days. A longtime fan of Roy Ayers, he reworks the vibist's 25-year-old "Mystic Voyage" into a funky jam session, holding sparkling, improv, call-and-response exchanges between electric guitar and vibes; it's as if the fan is asking the master, "Am I doing all right?." Vibes also play a crucial role on "5/8 in Flow"; Stefon Harris bubbles over the oddly metered drum pattern of Jeff "Tain" Watts between tight guitar melodies that firmly display Jordan's Wes Montgomery and Grant Green influences. It's clear that Jordan is more at home with all this exploring, but he can't resist paying homage to the sounds that made him famous. His guitar gallops gleefully over a hefty B-3 harmony on "London Lowdown," and DJ Spinna creates cool scratches and otherworldly effects between gentle guitar lines on the hypnotic, retro-minded "Mackin'." ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide

PERSONNEL:

Ronny Jordan - Guitar, Programming

Bruce Flowers - Piano, Fender, Keys
Jeff "Tain" Watts - Drums
Poogie Bell - Drums
Zachary Breaux - Guitar
Brian Mitchell - Hammond
Clarence Penn - Drums
Marcus Persiani - Piano
Stephanie McKay - Vocals
Ian Martin - Bass
Mos Def - Vocals
Neil Clarke - Percussion
Andy Gonzalez - Bass (Upright)
Philip Hamilton - Voices
Roy Ayers - Vibraphone
Onaje Allan Gumbs - Piano
Stefon Harris - Vibraphone
Todd Horton - Trumpet
Steve Wilson - Flute
Jill Jones - Vocals

Ronny Jordan - The Quiet Revolution

JAZZ | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 344MB | 52:12
4th and Broadway 1993

01. Season for Change
02. In Full Swing
03. Slam in a Jam
04. Mr. Walker
05. The Jackal
06. Come With Me
07. The Morning After
08. Under Your Spell
09. Tinsel Town
10. Vanston Place (00 Am)

Ronny Jordan emerged from the British club jazz explosion of the 1990s seemingly determined to salvage the jazz guitar from middle class cocktail bars and make it hip again. He had a world-wide hit with his jazz-funk cover of "So What" and with The Quiet Revolution had two acid jazz compilation favourites released: "Season For Change", with Gangstarr's lead rapper Guru, and "The Jackal" featuring poetess Dana Bryant. The latter being surprisingly disconcerting for a dance hit: a haunting story of a mysterious ghetto figure it aims at the head as well as the feet. Throughout the album Jordan's playing is accomplished rather than amazing and is usually to be found propelling amiable jazz-funk tunes. His playing is neat and compact, and if it lacks a little emotional depth it is attractive nonetheless. So maybe the album title is rather misleading, a more accurate one would have been "gentle reform", but then that doesn't quite have the same ring to it. Still, it is well worth your vote. ~ Acidjazzy.blogspot.com

PERSONNEL:

Ronny Jordan - Guitar
Simon Law - Keys
Ross Anderson - Guitar
Tony Mason - Drums, Percussion
Joel Campbell - Synths, Keys
Guru - Rap
Truth Anthony - Rap
Gary Belfield - Flute, Sax
Dana Bryant - Vocals
Sola Akingbola - Percussion
Faye Simpson - Vocals

2011-09-17T07:18:00.001-04:00

Donny Hathaway - Extension Of A Man

SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 480MB | 47:38
Atco 1973

01. I Love The Lord; He Heard Me Cry
02. Someday We'll All Be Free
03. Flying Easy
04. Valdez In The Country
05. I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
06. Come Little Children
07. Love, Love, Love
08. The Slums
09. Magdalena
10. I Know It's You
11. Lord Help Me

Ranging from inner-city soul to orchestral grandeur to a bluesy ballad to easy-listening pleasantries, Extension of a Man was Donny Hathaway's most ambitious LP, the justly titled capstone to his phenomenal career. Coming, however, from one of soul music's most widely talented figures, this wasn't exactly a surprise; both of his previous studio full-lengths, Everything Is Everything and Donny Hathaway, treated soul as merely a starting point to express his multitude of ideas concerning music and arrangement, song and performance. On Extension of a Man, the ambition began and peaked with the opener, a six-minute orchestral piece titled "I Love the Lord; He Heard My Cry, Pts. 1-2." Arranged and orchestrated for 45 musicians by Hathaway himself, it applied the buoyant optimism of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue to a religious context, and segued smoothly into the transcendent "Someday We'll All Be Free," one of Hathaway's most beloved songs. The next two pieces, "Flying Easy" and "Valdez in the Country," were also Hathaway originals, first recorded during the late '60s as part of Chess studio groups; the first is a piece of pop-soul fluff lifted up by his superb reading, the second a smooth jazz-fusion jam with Hathaway illustrating on electric piano his excellent improv capabilities. "Love, Love, Love" and "Come Little Children" were the charting singles, the former a sublime love song heavily influenced by Marvin Gaye's What's Going On. Unfortunately, these disparate pieces, brilliant as they are, don't coalesce into a single work as well as on his masterpiece Everything Is Everything, but Hathaway never stops impressing with his conceptions of arrangement and performance. Crippled by depression, he would never release another solo album during the last five years of his life, though among the projects he'd hoped to record was the four-part concerto Life, to be performed by the Boston Pops Symphony Orchestra with him in the conductor's chair, and the score of an epic biblical film. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

PERSONNEL:

Donny Hathaway - Vocals, Keys
Willie Weeks - Bass
Cornell Dupree - Guitar
Keith Loving - Guitar
Ray Lucas - Drums
Phil Bodner - Reeds
David Spinozza - Guitar
Grady Tate - Drums
Phil Upchurch - Guitar
John Littlejohn -Guitar
Ralph MacDonald - Percussion
Wayne Andre - Trombone
Fred White - Drums

2011-09-17T06:45:00.005-04:00

Kenny Garrett - Black Hope
JAZZ | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 446MB | 65:53
Warner Brothers 1992

01. Tacit Dance
02. Spanish-Go-Round
03. Computer "G"
04. Van Gogh's Left Ear
05. Black Hope
06. Jackie & The Bean Stalk
07. Run Run Shaw
08. 2 Step
09. Bone Bop
10. Books and Toys
11. Bye Bye Blackbird
12. Last Sax

The "other Kenny G" is Kenny Garrett, an alto and soprano saxophonist, has graduated from the top jazz schools in the country: the Duke Ellington Orchestra, the Mel Lewis Orchestra, the Freddie Hubbard Quintet, Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers and the very last Miles Davis band. He applies the lessons of that education to his mostly acoustic and altogether fine new album, Black Hope. The seven numbers that feature conga drummer Don Alias tend to have a steadier R&B groove, and the album's title cut is a transparent tribute, complete with background chatter and conga groove, to Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On." On these numbers, Garrett uses the tender, wounded sound that was Davis' signature to imitate a gospel soul singer yearning for something just beyond reach. As if that weren't enough, Garrett then puts his vocal-like phrases through countless jazz variations and then invites pianist Kenny Kirland to do the same. On the four tunes where drummer Brian Blade and bassist Charnett Moffett hold down the bottom by themselves, Garrett favors a big, blustery bop sound. On the 10-minute epic blowout "Computer G," and on the brisk reworking of "Bye Bye Blackbird," guest saxophonist Joe Henderson and Garrett both sound romantic and physical even as they're inventing fresh harmonic paths on the spur of the moment. Between the Davis and Henderson approaches, Garrett is able to cover a lot of ground, and he has matured into a major jazz composer. He wrote 11 of the dozen tunes on Black Hope, constructing difficult challenges for his bandmates and each time leading them into the clear. --Jeffrey Himes, Amazon.com

PERSONNEL:

Kenny Garrett - Alto, Soprano Sax

Brian Blade - Drums

Kenny Kirkland - Piano, Synths

Charnett Moffett - Bass

Ricky Wellman - Drums

Don Alias - Percussion

Joe Henderson - Tenor Sax

2011-09-12T06:45:00.000-04:00

Chuck Brown - We Got This

FUNK | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | COVER | 702MB | 94:26
Raw Venture 2010

DISC 1 - NEW STUDIO SONGS

01. All for You
02. Funky Stuff
03. Jingle Jangle
04. LOVE
05. Senorita

DISC 2 - WE GOT THIS [LIVE]

01. Wind Me Up!
02. Rappaz R.N. Dainja
03. We the People
04. Funky Beat
05. I'm Your Man
06. It Don't Mean a Thing
07. Midnight Sun
08. Moody's Mood for Love
09. Woody Woodpecker
10. Give the Bass Player Some
11. Harlem Nocturne
12. Ego
13. Single Ladies
14. Run Joe
15. Give It Up for Little Benny
16. Do You Know What Time It Is?
17. Cat in the Hat
18. Freak-A-Deek
19. One on One
20. Lock It
21. Chuck Baby
22. Bustin' Loose

PERSONNEL:

Chuck Brown - Guitar, Vocals
Mandell Taylor - Drums
Mighty Mo - Conga
Cherie Mitchell - Keys, Vocals
Brad Clements - Trumpet
K.K. Donelson - Vocals
Miles Simmons - Keys

DL

Abbey Lincoln Wails

2011-09-09T02:59:00.004-04:00

Abbey Lincoln - That's Him

VOCAL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 285MB | 49:29
Riverside 1957

01. Strong Man
02. Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe
03. My Man
04. Tender As A Rose
05. That's Him
06. I Must Have That Man
07. I Must Have That Man (tk 03)
08. I Loves You Porgy
09. I Loves You Porgy (tk 01)
10. When A Woman Loves A Man
11. Don't Explain

This CD reissue brings back singer Abbey Lincoln's second recording and first for Riverside, adding alternate takes of "I Must Have That Man!" and "Porgy" to the original LP program. Lincoln is accompanied by quite an all-star roster (tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, trumpeter Kenny Dorham, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Max Roach) and, even this early, she was already a major jazz singer with a style of her own. Lincoln was careful from this point on to only interpret lyrics that she believed in. Her repertoire has a few superior standards (including several songs such as "I Must Have That Man!" and "Don't Explain" that are closely associated with Billie Holiday) plus Oscar Brown, Jr.'s "Strong Man" and Phil Moore's "Tender as a Rose"; she takes the latter unaccompanied. "Don't Explain" is slightly unusual in that Paul Chambers is absent and Wynton Kelly makes an extremely rare appearance on bass. All three of Abbey Lincoln's Riverside albums (each of which have been reissued through the OJC imprint) are well worth several listens. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

PERSONNEL:
Abbey Lincoln - Vocals
Max Roach - Drums
Sonny Rollins - Tenor Sax
Wynton Kelly - Piano
Paul Chambers - Bass
Kenny Dorham - Trumpet

2011-09-04T22:18:00.000-04:00

Bloodstone - Natural High
SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 470MB | 64:51
London 1973

The bulk of this is their debut album from 1972, featuring everything from a Bo Diddley medley to gospel-bred harmonies to Hendrix-derived guitar licks. Plus the hit, a beautiful fusion of all the above in the form of a sweet'n'dreamy soul ballad. The best early-'70s Isley Brothers album that the Isley Brothers didn't make themselves. (And believe me, there were plenty trying.) This reissue includes a previously uncollected 1972 single ("Girl (You Look So Fine)"/"Judy, Judy") and four outtakes, including a bizarre yet respectful "Little Green Apples." The annotation by Wayne Edwards is superb, and the discography complete. ~ Dave Marsh, All Music Guide

BLOODSTONE:
Charles McCormick - Bass, Vocals
Melvin Webb - Conga, Timbales
Roger Durham - Percussion, Vocals
Charles Love - Guitar, Vocals
Willis Draffen - Guitar, Vocals
Hense Powell - Piano
Gordon DeWitte - Organ
Eddie Summers - Guitar, Drums, Vocals

TRACKLISTING:
01. You Know We've Learned
02. Who Has the Last Laugh Now
03. Peter's Jones
04. That's the Way We Make Our Music
05. Damn That Rock & Roll
06. Natural High
07. I Need Your Love
08. Tell It to My Face
09. Ran It in the Ground
10. Never Let You Go
11. Girl (You Look So Fine)
12. Judy, Judy
13. Sadie Mae
14. Take These Chains
15. You Don't Mean Nothin
16. Little Green Apples

2011-08-29T09:33:00.003-04:00

Cedar Walton - Animation/Soundscapes
(1978/1980)
Jazz/Funk | FLAC | Log | Scans | 563MB

Tracklist:

1 Animation
2 Jacob's Ladder
3 Charmed Circle
4 Another Star
5 Precious Mountain
6 March Of The Fishman
7 If It Could Happen
8 Ala Eduardo
9 Warm To The Touch
10 The Early Generation
11 N.P.S. 12 Latin America
13 Sixth Avenue
14 Naturally

Dallas-born Cedar Walton rose to fame playing piano for three years in Art Blakey's hard bop group, the Jazz Messengers, in the early 1960s but like many jazz musicians, by the time the '70s had arrived, he had abandoned straight ahead jazz and was travelling along a jazz-fusion path in search of a new audience. After a succession of albums for a variety of small labels, Walton landed at a major record company, Columbia, in 1978. He stayed with Columbia for two years and during his tenure recorded two albums, 'Animation' and 'Soundscapes,' which have now been reissued for the first time on a single CD by Putney's redoubtable Soul Brother label.
Largely overlooked – even by the most diehard of fusion devotees – Walton's two Columbia albums prove to be lost gems of a much-maligned musical sub-genre. Stylistically, they have much in common with Bob James' CTI and Tappan Zee work from the same period. 'Animation' is probably the stronger of the two, with the deftly-arranged 'Jacob's Ladder' standing out with its tight ensemble playing – saxophonist Bob Berg and trombonist Steve Turre provide the nucleus of the brass section - and Walton's funky Fender Rhodes piano. There's also a great instrumental take on Stevie Wonder's Latin-inflected 'Another Star,' which hurtles along thanks to the combination of Al Foster's propulsive drumming and Paulinho da Costa's percussion playing. A Latin vibe also pervades the sinuous 'If It Could Happen,' and the propulsive groover, 'Ala Eduardo.'
1980's 'Soundscapes' features a similar line up of musicians though is augmented by the powerful presence of Freddie Hubbard on 'The Early Generation' and singer Leon Thomas, who adds his distinctive vocal tones to the set's mellow opener, 'Warm To The Touch.' Other standouts include 'Latin America' and 'Sixth Avenue.' All in all, this is a great 'twofer' and should appeal to fans of smooth fusion.

2011-08-28T22:38:00.002-04:00

Submitted by Guitar Gus!!!

Ronnie Laws - Pressure Sensitive

SOUL | FLAC | CUE | LOG | COVERS | 203MB | 35:17

Blue Note 1975

Classic bit of 70's fusion, played by Ronnie on tenor and flute, and with a group that includes some excellent keyboard work by Joe Sample. The highlight of the record is the big sample cut "Tidal Wave", but it also includes the great groover "Always There", which was covered a million times over by other bands during the 70's. Wayne Henderson produced, and the record is an archetypal example of his "At Home Productions" sound. © 1996-2011, Dusty Groove America, Inc.

PERSONNEL:

Ronnie Laws - Saxophones, Flute, Vocals
Jerry Peters - Keys, Synths

Joe Sample - Clavinet, Piano (Electric)
Mike Cavanaugh - Clavinet, Piano (Electric)
Wilton Felder - Bass
Steve Gutierrez - Drums

Roland Bautista - Guitar
John Rowin - Guitar
Clint Mosley - Bass
Michael Willars - Drums
Joe Clayton - Conga

TRACKLISTING:

1. Always There
2. Momma

3. Never Be the Same
4. Tell Me Something Good
5. Nothing to Lose
6. Tidal Wave
7. Why Do You Laugh at Me?
8. Mis' Mary's Place

2011-08-25T03:21:00.000-04:00

Isaac Hayes - Joy
SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 367MB | 47:45
Enterprise 1973

With seven massive number one records trailing in his wake, Isaac Hayes donned his stylin', funky gold-chain link vest once again and capped 1973 with Joy, a set which might have proven the lucky-streak breaker -- it missed the top spot by one place -- but still waded into gold-record waters with ease. "Joy" itself, of course, was the album's crowning glory, a gargantuan 15-minute piece which essentially devoured side one of the album (the accompanying "I Love You That's All" is merely an afterthought). Heady, smoky, ubiquitous -- an instrumental and vocal foray into the land of good grooves -- it was sexy and sassy, with strings and innuendo stripped bare and smoothly built to lead anyone within earshot toward a classic climax. The song continued to impact via sampled revitalization from as far afield as TLC, Massive Attack, Eric B. & Rakim, and Big Daddy Kane. But don't forget that Joy is an entire album, with Hayes continuing his silky vocal assault across a further three slow, simmering songs. The best, and perhaps most interesting, is the closing "I'm Gonna Make It (Without You)." Markedly un-steamy, the song finds Hayes trading in his come-ons, choosing instead to open up and lay himself down in the wake of a broken romance. It's Joy's most touching moment, equally on par with the opener. Indeed, with those two glorious bookends, this album becomes a must-have for any '70s soul aficionado. ~ Amy Hanson, All Music Guide

PERSONNEL:
Isaac Hayes - Piano, Keys, Vocals

ISAAC HAYES MOVEMENT:
Michael Toles - Guitar
Charles Pitts - Guitar
Lester Snell - Keys
James Alexander - Bass
Gary Jones - Percussion
Willie Hall - Drums

HOT BUTTERED SOUL:
Pat Lewis - Vocals
Diane Lewis - Vocals
Rose Williams - Vocals

TRACKLISTING:
1. Joy
2. I Love You That's All
3. A Man Will Be a Man
4. The Feeling Keeps on Coming
5. I'm Gonna Make It

2011-08-23T12:00:00.000-04:00

Isaac Hayes - To Be Continued
SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 310MB | 42:05
Enterprise 1970

Released in late 1970 on the heels of two chart-topping albums, Hot Buttered Soul (1969) and The Isaac Hayes Movement (also 1970), Isaac Hayes and the Bar-Kays retain their successful approach on those landmark albums for To Be Continued, another number one album. Again, the album features four songs that span far beyond traditional radio-friendly length, featuring important mood-establishing instrumental segments just as emotive and striking as Hayes' crooning. Nothing here is quite as perfect as "Walk on By," and the album feels a bit churned out, but To Be Continued no doubt has its share of highlights, the most notable being "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'." The album's most epic moment opens with light strings and horns, vamping poetically for several minutes before Hayes even utters a breath; then, once the singer delivers the song's orchestral chorus, the album hits its sentimental peak -- Hayes elevating a common standard to heavenly heights once again. Elsewhere, "Our Day Will Come" features a nice concluding instrumental segment driven by a proto-hip-hop beat that proves just how ahead of his time Hayes was during his early-'70s cycle of Enterprise albums. It's tempting to slight this album when holding it up against Hayes' best albums from this same era, but a comparison such as this is unfair. Even if Ike isn't doing anything here that he didn't do on his two preceding albums -- Hot Buttered Soul, The Isaac Hayes Movement -- and isn't quite as daring as he is on his two successive albums -- Black Moses, Shaft -- To Be Continued still topples any Hayes album that came after 1971. It didn't top the R&B album chart for 11 weeks on accident -- this is quintessential early-'70s Isaac Hayes, and that alone makes it a classic soul album. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide

PERSONNEL:
Isaac Hayes - Vocals, Piano, Vibes
Hot Buttered Soul - Vocals

THE BAR-KAYS:
James Alexander: Bass
Cliff Acred: Bass
Ben Cauley: Trumpet
Michael Toles: Guitar
Ronnie Gordon: Keys
Harvey Henderson: Saxophone
Roy Cunningham: Drums
Willie Hall: Drums

MEMPHIS HORNS:
Johnny Davis: Trumpet
Bill Bell: Trombone
Ernie Bernhardt: Trumpet
Jackie Thomas: Trombone

MEMPHIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA:

Edwin Hubbard: Flute
Robert Snyder: Violin
Ann Spurbeck: Violin
James Terry: Flute
Nick Vergos: English Horn
Nick Vergos: Oboe
John Wehlan: Violin
Vincent de Frank: Cello

TRACKLISTING:
1. Ike's Rap I
2. Our Day Will Come
3. The Look of Love
4. Ike's Mood/You've Lost That Lovin Feelin
5. Runnin Out of Fools

2011-08-22T01:47:00.000-04:00

Bill Withers - Naked & Warm

SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | COVER | 254MB | 41:07
Columbia 1976

An incredible set from Bill Withers – a record that's part of his "second chapter" of 70s soul, when he was working for Columbia Records, and dropping a bit of the acoustic vibe of his start – yet still sounding completely sublime, and head and shoulders above most of his contemporaries! There's a wicked undercurrent of funk in the set – loads of great keyboards in place of the acoustic guitar that used to dominate the Withers sound – and the keys sound beautiful next to Bill's unique vocals, making them sound even more soulful than ever! Don Freeman handles most of the keyboards (thanks, Don!) – and titles include "If I Didn't Mean You Well", "Close To Me", "Naked & Warm", "My Imagination", and "Where You Are". © 1996-2011, Dusty Groove America, Inc.

PERSONNEL:
Bill Withers - Vocals, Guitar
Don Freeman - Electric Piano
Benorce Blackmon - Guitar
Larry Tolbert - Drums
Clifford Coulter - Moog
Melvin Dunlap - Bass
Jerry Knight - Bass
Crusher Bennett - Percussion
Larry Nash - Electric Piano
Youseff Rahman - Electric Piano
Dorothy Ashby - Harp
Geoffrey Leib - Guitar
Kwasi Dzidzomu - Conga

TRACKLISTING:
1. Close To Me
2. Naked & Warm
3. Where You Are
4. Dreams
5. If I Didn't Mean You Well
6. I'll Be With You
7. City of the Angels
8. My Imagination

2011-08-21T16:29:00.000-04:00

Bill Withers - Making Music

SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | COVERS | 279MB | 43:57
Columbia 1975

It can prove somewhat difficult to place Bill Withers among his peers. Despite a brief revival thanks to Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown, he will always remain something of an outsider to the soul movement. Starting out as an aircraft mechanic for the Navy, his performing career happened more or less by accident. Surprised to be invited to re-record his own demos -- a modest Withers had intended his songs for others -- he came forth with two brilliant albums chock-full of intriguing stories on mournful alcoholics, adulterers, and his late grandmother's hands. His exceptional talent as a storyteller placed him perhaps more in league with West Coast singer songwriters like Stephen Stills, who helped out on his debut, Just as I Am. A Vietnam chant, "I Can't Write Left Handed," placed him further apart as a socially conscious performer. The accompanying album, Live at Carnegie Hall, makes clear Withers is about total commitment to the music and music alone. Once called "the poet Stax never had" by onetime producer Booker T., his influence on artists like Ben Harper and Erykah Badu is not to be taken lightly. Much of the above can be said about Making Music. Because of the regretful demise of Withers' original label, Sussex, his fifth album was released on Columbia. It possesses the same down-to-earthiness and eye for ordinary day life as his former releases, though the production sometimes trades the organic "feel" for the familiar "end of the '70s slickness." He's excused since at least he didn't turn disco! No dancing across the floor for Bill: friends and family is what remains important to him, as becomes evident from the portrait on the album cover's backside and in songs like "Family Table" and "Don't You Want to Stay." Even when a song does not seem to have a subject but itself ("Sometimes a Song"), Withers and band deliver it with an urgency that would make Barry White shiver. To stay on the subject: instead of White wondering "what he's going to do with you," wouldn't you rather have Withers "Make Love to Your Mind"? ~ Quint Kik, All Music Guide

PERSONNEL:

Bill Withers - Vocals
Melvin Ragin - Guitar
James Jamerson - Bass
Ralph MacDonald - Percussion
Harvey Mason - Drums
Ray Parker - Guitar
Ernie Watts - Soprano Sax
George Johnson - Guitar
Louis Johnson - Bass
Dave Grusin - Keys
David Walker - Guitar

TRACKLISTING:

01. I Wish You Well
02. The Best You Can
03. Make Love to Your Mind
04. I Love You Dawn
05. She's Lonely
06. Sometimes a Song
07. Paint Your Pretty Picture
08. Family Table
09. Don't You Want to Stay
10. Hello Like Before

2011-08-16T05:22:00.001-04:00

Incognito - Inside Life

JAZZ-FUNK | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 464MB | 51:46
Talkin Loud 1991

Inside Life has got a nice blend of jazzy-funk tracks and some smooth R&B that Incognito has become famous for. Though without Maysa in the fold on the vocals, it seems like there's a little something missing. Jocelyn Brown and Chyna do a credible job of holding it down, but there is far less vocals than we've grown accustomed to over the years. That's alright though because that just means now we get more from Bluey and company. The instrumental jazz-funk more tha makes up for the loss of their future true songbird. Songs include "Love In the Dark", "Soho", "One Step To A Miracle", "Smile", "Gypsy" and their great cover of "Always There".

TRACKLISTING:

01. Inside Life
02. One Step To A Miracle
03. Journey Into Sunlight
04. Gypsy
05. Promise You The Moon
06. Sketches In The Dark
07. Metropolis
08. Love Is The Colour
09. Soho
10. Always There
11. Crazy For You

2011-08-14T20:24:00.001-04:00

Professor Longhair - Rum & Coke
BLUES | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 462MB | 65:26
Rhino 1993

Upon listening to Rum and Coke, the 1993 entry in a long line of albums by Professor Longhair, one can't help noticing how much he sounds like the one and only "King of Rock and Roll" himself, Elvis Presley. Until one realizes that the good Professor was born in 1918 and making Rhythm-n-Blues music before Elvis Presley was even a twinkle in his mama's eyes. That's all you really need to know about this national treasure of a musician, his band (which includes Uganda Roberts, George Davis and "Big" Will Harvey) and this shake, rattle and roll fest of an album. Nuff said ~ RunawayTrane, UndaTheRadar

PERSONNEL:
Professor Longhair - Piano, Vocals
Tony Dagradi - Soprano, Tenor Sax
Uganda Roberts - Conga
George Davis - Bass
Big Will Harvey - Guitar
Andy Kaslow - Trumpet
David Lee - Drums

TRACKLISTING:
01. Every Day I Have the Blues
02. Jambalaya
03. Rum and Coca-Cola
04. Medley
05. Mardi Gras in New Orleans
06. Whole Lotta Lovin
07. Gone So Long
08. Doin It, Pt. 2
09. How Long Has That Train Been Gone
10. Hey Now Baby
11. 501 Boogie
12. Junco Partner
13. She Ain't Got No Hair
14. Gone So Long [2nd Convo]

DL

2011-08-14T00:10:00.002-04:00

WAR - Youngblood
OST | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 380MB | 48:14
United Artists 1978

Soundtrack to the blaxploitation film. Even though this was a flop compared to the band's last few records, it's actually respectable. There are a lot of atmospheric experiments ("Searching For Youngblood & Rommel") and skeletal jams flavored with snippets of movie dialogue ("Junk Yard"). However, the band does pull out three quality tunes in their characteristically upbeat style: the hypnotic, ten-minute title track; the goofy "Sing A Happy Song"; and the appropriately self-referential "This Funky Music Makes You Feel Good," a groovy six-minute dance mantra that's so enthusiastic you hardly notice its utter aimlessness. And some of the instrumental stuff is interesting: the kinetic salsa number "Flying Machine (The Chase)" has impressive flute and piano solos, and there's a remarkably authentic-sounding snippet of jazz ("Superdude," with Dickerson's bass walking like crazy) and a mellow synth-plus-electric piano number that's strongly reminiscent of Stevie Wonder ("Youngblood & Sybil"). Far from a key record, but it's pleasant background music and has some personality. Produced by Goldstein, Jordan and Scott. --James Alroy, WARR.org

WAR:
Lonnie Jordan - Organ, Piano
Howard Scott - Guitar, Vocals
Papa Dee Allen - Bongos, Conga
Charles Miller - Woodwinds
Lee Oskar - Harmonica
Harold Brown - Drums
B.B. Dickerson - Bass

TRACKLISTING:
01. Youngblood
02. Sing a Happy Song
03. Keep on Doin
04. The Kingsmen Sign
05. Walking to War
06. This Funky Music Makes You Feel Good
07. Junk Yard
08. Superdude
09. Youngblood and Sybil
10. Flying Machine
11. Searching for Youngblood and Rommel
12. Youngblood (Reprise)

DL

2011-08-13T23:59:00.001-04:00

Baby Huey - The Living Legend
SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 486MB | 41:11
Curtom 1971

Baby Huey's only album, released after his untimely death, is titled The Living Legend with good reason. He was legendary in his appearance, a 400-pound man with a penchant for flamboyant clothing and crowned by a woolly Afro, a look that is best illustrated by one of several rare photos included in the Water Records edition that shows our man in a wide-lapeled polka-dot shirt with a lime-green jacket. Beyond his unusual appearance, though, he was graced with a stunning, fierce voice on par with Otis Redding and Howard Tate, wailing and howling one moment and oddly tender and sentimental the next. Nowhere on Living Legend is his range more apparent than the opening track, "Listen to Me," where listeners are introduced to both the enigma of Baby Huey and his diamond-tough psychedelic funk backing band, the Baby Sitters. The high-energy instrumental workout "Mama Get Yourself Together" is worthy of the J.B.'s and a hazy, spiraling ten-minute rendition of Sam Cooke's chestnut "A Change Is Going to Come" confirms that the Baby Sitters could hold their own with Blood, Sweat & Tears. Further lore that catapults The Living Legend from good to great: the production was helmed by Curtis Mayfield, reason enough to make it near essential, and is highlighted by three of his compositions, "Mighty Mighty," which Mayfield and the Impressions recorded a few years earlier; "Running," a classic Mayfield cut that can only be heard here ripped to glorious bits by a band that is trying to let every member solo; and "Hard Times," which Mayfield himself would revisit on his 1975 album There's No Place Like America Today, although Baby Huey's razor-edged reading remains the definitive version -- no small caveat considering Mayfield not only wrote the tune, but could rightfully be considered one of the architects of soul to boot. ~ Wade Kergan, All Music Guide

BABYSITTERS:
Baby Huey - Vocals
Melvin Jones - Organ, Trumpet
Johnny Ross - Guitar, Bass
Othello Anderson - Flute

TRACKLISTING:
1. Listen to Me
2. Mama Get Yourself Together
3. A Change Is Going to Come
4. Mighty, Mighty
5. Hard Times
6. California Dreamin
7. Running
8. One Dragon Two Dragon

DL

2011-08-11T02:57:00.002-04:00

RAMP - Come Into Knowledge
SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | COVER | 252MB | 41:49
Blue Thumb 1977

Centered around onetime Spinners utility players John Manuel (drums) and Landy Shores (guitar), Saturday Night Special -- presumably named after Norman Connors' Reggie Lucas-written song of the same name -- played in and around its hometown of Cincinnati during 1975 and 1976, basing live sets on reimagined versions of R&B hits that leaned toward sophisticated funk. Once Roy Ayers caught a gig and got involved, the band changed its name to Ramp ("Roy Ayers Music Productions") and recorded its one album, produced by Ayers with tight associates Edwin Birdsong and William Allen. The material swings between anti-gravity soul and hard-edged funk otherness, a unique mixture that could've only been encouraged or enhanced by Ayers and Birdsong. "Give It," one of Birdsong's contributions, tumbles and swings, repeatedly unfurling and recoiling, made all the more off-center by Sharon Matthews and Sibel Thrasher's frantic projections: "Earth can be lonely in the middle of the night/We must love now so our minds can take flight." "The American Promise," with all its nerved-up guitar scratches and alternately forthcoming and demanding assertions, could be mistaken for early Pointer Sisters or even Bohannon. The likes of "I Just Love You," "Daylight," "Come into Knowledge," and "Look into the Sky," along with a particularly radiant look at "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" (originally recorded less than a year prior for Ayers' album of the same title), drift along with sweet melodies and silken rhythmic layers that linger for days, rivaling similarly bliss-inducing, spiritually minded Ayers Ubiquity classics like "Searching" and "Red, Black and Green." Due to an untimely shake-up at the Blue Thumb label, the album was barely released, receiving nothing in the way of promotion beyond word of mouth. Few outside the band's local supporters and Ayers' keen following were in the know, and it languished in obscurity until A Tribe Called Quest sampled "Daylight" for "Bonita Applebum." Vinyl "reissues" surfaced. A couple tracks were licensed for compilations. Universal Japan put a stop to the nonsense in early 2007 by releasing the album for the first time on CD; later in the year, Verve licensed the disc for U.S. release. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide

PERSONNEL:
John Manuel - Drums
Sharon Matthews - Vocals
Landy Shores - Guitar
Sibel Thrasher - Vocals
Nate White - Bass
Roy Ayers - Vibes, Keys

TRACKLISTING:
1. The American Promise
2. I Just Love You
3. Give It
4. Everybody Loves the Sunshine
5. Come into Knowledge
6. Try, Try, Try
7. Daylight
8. Look into the Sky
9. Deep Velvet

DL

2011-08-09T14:57:00.004-04:00

Willie Bobo - Hell Of An Act To Follow/Bobo
(1978/1979)
Latin/Jazz | FLAC | Log | Scans | 508MB

Tracklist:

1 Always There 5:12
2 Keep That Same Old Feeling 5:14
3 Together 3:45
4 Pisces 3:54
5 Dindi 6:22
6 Snort of Green 4:26
7 Fairy Tales for Two 4:23
8 Sixty-Two Fifty 3:26
9 Palos 5:14
10 Comin' Over Me 3:48
11 Latin Lady (Cecila's Song) 4:20
12 It's Over 3:41
13 Reason for Livin' 6:25
14 Reason Why 2:53
15 Set You Free 4:54
16 Father and Son 3:39
17 Always There [Remix][*] 6:46

Willie Bobo was one of the great Latin percussionists of his time. Bobo began on the bongos at age 14, but he is best known for his Timbales and Conga playing in Afro Cuban Jazz . Willie Bobo was the stage name of William Correa the nickname Bobo is said to have been bestowed by the jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams in the early 50's .William Correa grew up in Spanish Harlem New York City . where he met Mongo Santamaria shortly after his arrival and studied with him while acting as his translator, and later at age 19 joined Tito Puente for four years. Bobo and Santamaria became part of the Cal Tjader Modern Mambo Quintet, who released several albums as the mambo craze reached fever pitch in the late '50s.
After working with Cal Tjader and Herbie Mann and Santamaria with whom he recorded the evergreen Latin standard "Afro-Blue" — Bobo stepped forward in 1963 with his first recording as a leader. But it was after recording 3 solo albums that Willie featured on Cal Tjader's classic 'Soul Sauce' which brought him to the attention of Verve records , where he made 8 albums between 1965-68 that established him as a solo artist. These albums contained a mixture of original material and Latin covers of R&B and pop songs.HIs bands included many future band leaders like Joe Farrell and Chick Corea. During the 60's he also played on many great recordings made by artists including MIles Davis, Cannonball Adderley, Herbie Hancock, Wes Montgomery and Chico Hamilton.
In 1969, he moved to Los Angeles where he led jazz and Latin jazz combos, appeared on Billy Cosby's first comedy series (1969-1971) and short-lived 1976 'Cos' variety show, he also appeared on Cosby's Bad Foot Brown and Bunions Bradford Funeral Marching Band album on Sussex, the label where he made his 1971 album 'Do What You Want To Do' that features the popular track 'Broasted Or Fried'. After an album on Blue Note, Willie signed to Columbia in 1978 where he recorded these two albums which were to be last of his career, as he died from cancer in 1983 aged 49.
'Hell Of An Act To Follow' was produced by Wayne Henderson for At-Home productions. The album featured some great musicians including Bobby Lyle and Conga/Latin Percussionist Victor Pantoja. Henderson gave Bobo a more sophisticated production style and the album has become a 'jazz funk' classic. It features a great and possibly definitive version of Ronnie Laws classic 'Always There', we also include the rare remix promo only 12" version as a bonus cut. There are also covers of The Crusaders 'Keep That Same Old Feeling' (featuring Augie Johnson, Sylvia St James and others on background vocals) , Lyle's 'Pisces' and A.C Jobim's 'Dindi' which Bobo said was his favorite song, on which Willie gives a good vocal rendition. .
The second album featured is 'Bobo' from 1979 was produced by Willie along with Stan Silverberg, and features in the main a different band to 'Hell Of An Act'. It is much more of a vocal album featuring Errol Knowles on the popular 2 stepper 'Comin Over Me', the ballad 'It’s over' and the up-tempo dancer 'Reason For Livin', with Willie being more evident on 'Palos'.

2011-08-09T01:49:00.005-04:00

Marlena Shaw - Sweet Beginnings (1977)
R&B/Soul / WAV / Log / Cue / PNG 600 dpi / 436MB / 40:16
Label: SME (Japan) / Catalog No. SRCS 9826 / Released 2001

Tracklist

1. Pictures And Memories
2. Yu-Ma Go Away Little Boy
3. The Writing's On The Wall
4. Walk Softly
5. Sweet Beginnings
6. Look At Me, Look At You (We're Flying)
7. No Deposit, No Return
8. Johnny
9. I Think I'll Tell Him

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YFWIKZHD

Pass: blaq

2011-08-04T05:28:00.002-04:00

Gang Starr - Step In The Arena
RAP | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 363MB | 50:35
Chrysalis 1990

The album on which DJ Premier and Guru perfected the template that would launch them into underground stardom and a modicum of mainstream success. Guru's deadpan monotone delivery was shockingly different from other early-'90s MCs, many of who were either substituting charisma for substance or engaging in hardcore "realism" without really commenting on black inner-city life or offering ways to alter the situation for the better. But it is Guru who sounded like the real clarion call of and to the street on Step in the Arena ("Why bring ignorance/where we're inviting you to get advancement," he intones on "Form of Intellect"). Step in the Arena was the first real mature flowering of his street-wise sagacity. His voice would grow more assured by the next album, but here Guru imparts urban wisdom of a strikingly visible variety. It's easy to allow yourself to get caught up in the fantasy of hardcore rap, but it is somewhat more involving and disorienting to hear truth that avoids exaggeration or glorification. Guru is not easy on any aspect of the inner city, from the "snakes" that exploit the community ("Execution of a Chump") to those that are a product of it ("Just to Get a Rep"), and the result is a surprising but hard-fought compassion ("Who's Gonna Take the Weight?" pleads for the acceptance of responsibility, for not taking the easy path). He seems to have somehow developed a hopefulness out of the bleak surroundings. DJ Premier was already near the top of his game at this early point. His production seems less jazz-fueled on Step in the Arena, opting more for spare guitar lines and tight beats, as well as his unmistakable vocal cut-up style of scratching for a slightly warped and out-of-phase soundscape. ~ Stanton Swihart, All Music Guide

TRACKLISTING:
01. Name Tag (Premier & the Guru)
02. Step in the Arena
03. Form of Intellect
04. Execution of a Chump (No More Mr. Nice Guy)
05. Who's Gonna Take the Weight?
06. Beyond Comprehension
07. Check the Technique
08. Lovesick
09. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
10. Game Plan
11. Take a Rest
12. What You Want This Time?
13. Street Ministry
14. Just to Get a Rep
15. Say Your Prayers
16. As I Read My S-A
17. Precisely the Right Rhymes
18. Meaning of the Name

DL

Gang Starr - Daily Operation
RAP | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 479MB | 53:48
Chrysalis 1992

On Step in the Arena, DJ Premier and Guru hit upon their mature sound, characterized by sparse, live jazz samples, Premier's cut-up scratching, and Guru's direct, unwavering streetwise monotone; but, with Daily Operation, the duo made their first masterpiece. From beginning to end, Gang Starr's third full-length album cuts with the force and precision of a machete and serves as an ode to and representation of New York and hip-hop underground culture. The genius of Daily Operation is that Guru's microphone skills are perfectly married to the best batch of tracks Premier had ever come up with. Guru has more of a presence than he has ever had, slinking and pacing through each song like a man with things on his mind, ready to go off at any second. Premier's production has an unparalleled edge here. He created the minimalist opening track, "The Place Where We Dwell," out of a two-second drum-solo sample and some scratching, but is also able to turn around and create something as lush and melodic as the jazz-tinged "No Shame in My Game" without ever seeming to be out of his element, making every track of the same sonic mind. For an underground crew, Gang Starr has always had a knack for crafting memorable vocal hooks to go with the expert production, and they multiply both aspects on Daily Operation. Every song has some attribute that stamps it indelibly into the listener's head, and it marks the album as one of the finest of the decade, rap or otherwise. ~ Stanton Swihart, All Music Guide

TRACKLISTING:
01. Daily Operation (Intro)
02. Place Where We Dwell
03. Flip the Script
04. Ex Girl to Next Girl
05. Soliloquy of Chaos
06. I'm the Man
07. 92 Interlude
08. Take It Personal
09. 2 Deep
10. 24-7-365
11. No Shame in My Game 12. Conspiracy
13. Illest Brother
14. Hardcore Composer
15. B.Y.S.
16. Much Too Much (Mack A Mil)
17. Take Two and Pass
18. Stay Tuned

DL

2011-08-02T15:49:00.002-04:00

Taj Mahal - Like Never Before
BLUES | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | TIFF | 324MB | 47:18
Private Music 1991

Taj Mahal is a walking encyclopedia of black music and one of its most genial, enthusiastic partisans. To the catalog of genres he has mastered, both as a musician and as a scholar, contemporary R&B now can be added. Like Never Before finds him integrating synths, programming, turntable trickery and high-gloss studio polish on certain tracks. Understandable, that: Like everyone else, he wants to be heard. But unlike everyone else, he has assimilated a broad inventory of styles, sees them all as part of an evolving continuum and wants to share that wisdom. Taj Mahal has been processing acoustic and electric blues, ragtime, calypso, reggae and native African forms for a quarter of a century now. So while Like Never Before makes its timely nods to current trends, it also slips into older, more rough-hewn modes. The album can be seen as a guided tour, starting from a point familiar to contemporary listeners and then gradually backtracking into the blues and other roots styles. Because it also is the most crisp, detailed recording Taj has ever made – fuzzy sound quality has been a hindrance on some of his wonderful early work – Like Never Before might just be the definitive Taj Mahal album.

"Don't Call Us" opens the album with a showbiz truism – "Those same people you meet on the way up/Are the same people you meet on the way down" – as Taj's gruff voice provides a shot of soul among the synths. "River of Love" could be an old Temptations side – it's bright and upbeat, with caressing harmonies. From there on out, Taj gets noticeably more idiomatic and eclectic. He slips into Jamaican patois and reggae rhythms on "Scattered" and avails himself of Howlin' Wolf-like moans on "Blues With a Feeling." Taj's friendly nature and big, smile-filled voice make "Ev'ry Wind (in the River)" convey well-being without leaving a saccharine aftertaste. The neatest act of assimilation is the way D.J. Jazzy Jeff is worked into a jumping, old-time boogie called "Squat That Rabbit," whose lyrics are a pastiche of familiar blues rhymes. By the time Taj gets to "Love Up" and "Cakewalk Into Town" (a Dixieland-style remake of his best-known song), the horn section is out and blowing, and friends like Dr. John and the Pointer Sisters help him turn up the heat. Finally, a breathtaking reworking of "Take a Giant Step" – yes, the Monkees tune penned by Carole King and Gerry Goffin and first recorded by Taj in 1969 – closes the album, its instrumentation pointing to Africa, and Taj's vocal gently targeting the heart. ~ Parke Puterbaugh, Rolling Stone (Posted: Sep 19, 1991)

GUEST APPEARING:
Hiram Bullock
DJ Jazzy Jeff
Pointer Sisters
Dr. John
Sheryl Crow
Hall & Oates
Howard Johnson

TRACKLISTING:
01. Don't Call Us
02. River of Love
03. Scattered
04. Every Wind
05. Blues With a Feeling
06. Squat That Rabbit
07. Take All the Time You Need
08. Love Up
09. Cakewalk into Town
10. Big Legged Mamas Are Back in Style
11. Take a Giant Step

DL

Taj Mahal - Phantom Blues
BLUES | APE | CUE | LOG | 300DPI | 349MB | 47:58
Private 1996

An eclectic bluesman would seem to be a contradiction in terms, but Taj Mahal, who has moved through the worlds of folk, rock, and pop to reach his present categorization, fits the description, and here he takes several pop and R&B oldies that came from blues roots -- "Ooh Poo Pah Doo," "Lonely Avenue," "What Am I Living For?," "Let the Four Winds Blow" -- and returns them to those roots. He also calls in such guest stars as Eric Clapton and Bonnie Raitt, who have more than a nodding acquaintance with the blues, to assist him. The result is progressive blues hybrid that treats the music not as a source, but as a destination. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

PERSONNEL:
Taj Mahal - Dobro, Harp, Vocals
Tony Braunagel - Drums
Jon Cleary - Piano, Wurlitzer
David Hidalgo - Accordion
Larry Fulcher - Bass
Mick Weaver - Organ
Freeze Gullory - Rubboard
James Hutchinson - Bass
Darrell Leonard - Trombone, Trumpet
Bernard Anderson - Tenor Sax
Johnny Lee Schell - Guitar
Joe Sublett - Tenor Sax

TRACKLISTING:
01. Lovin In My Baby's Eyes
02. Cheatin On You
03. The Hustle Is On
04. Here In The Dark
05. Fanning The Flames
06. I Need Your Loving
07. Ooh Poo Pah Doo
08. Lonely Avenue
09. Don't Tell Me
10. What Am I Living For?
11. We're Gonna Make It
12. Let The Four Winds Blow
13. Love Her With A Feeling
14. The Car Of Your Dreams

DL

2011-08-02T15:31:00.001-04:00

Shuggie Otis - Here Comes Shuggie Otis/Freedom Flight
FUNK+BLUES | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | COVER | 493MB | 77:51
Epic 1970-71

It took an Australian label to pick up the gauntlet thrown down by David Byrne with his Luaka Bop reissue of Shuggie Otis' forgotten 1975 classic, Inspiration Information. In the ensuing two years, no U.S. label stepped up to license the rest of the catalog, which consists of only two more recordings, Here Comes Shuggie Otis, from 1971, and 1972's Freedom Flight. Australia's Raven, one of the world's premier reissue labels, has picked up the gauntlet in spades and presents both on a single, gorgeously remastered CD. Shuggie's earlier outings stand on their own two feet as well. Here Comes Shuggie Otis was released when the guitarist and songwriter was only 14. His father, Johnny Otis, produced the recording, and co-wrote the album with his son. Some of the session players include Wilton Felder, Stix Hooper, Leon Haywood, Al McKibbon, Preston Love, and many others, including a chamber string group. Shuggie's vocals were not yet confident, but the groove-heavy tunes and his guitar playing more than compensate. The production is a shape-shifting morass of fades and phasers with lots of space. Standout tracks are the baroque psychedelic blues of "Oxford Gray," the tough guitar and B3/piano interplay on "Funky Thithee," the beautiful and tender "Jennie Lee," the funky horn-driven R&B on "Hurricane," and the shimmering, sacred blues of "Gospel Groove." On Freedom Flight, the roots of Inspiration Information are everywhere. Shuggie wrote four of the album's seven tunes, did all the arrangements, and helped Johnny with production suggestions. The senior Otis produced the set and allowed all of Shuggie's "weird" ideas full-reign in production, and he was joined by a host of musicians from the first album, along with George Duke, Aynsley Dunbar, and the backing chorus of Clydie King, Venetta Field, and Shirley Matthews, among others. Shuggie plays a slew of instruments on the set. Its centerpiece is "Strawberry Letter 23" that filled out Inspiration Information's reissue, but there are no weak cuts here. Sample the guitars on "Sweet Thang," "Purple," and "Freedom Flight," the latter displays two extended jamming exercises with lots of wondrously magical production touches; the former is a visionary bottleneck number that is warm and oozes soul. The bassline on "Me And My Woman" prefigures that distorted keyboard bass P-Funk trademarked earlier, by two years. The CD is rounded out by the inclusion of "One Room Country Shack," a cut from Al Kooper Introduces Shuggie Otis.There are fine if unexciting liner notes and some cool photos, as well as complete discographical information in the booklet making this package every bit as essential as Inspiration Information. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

PERSONNEL:
Shuggie Otis - Bass, Guitar, Vocals
Johnny Otis - Piano
Stix Hooper - Drums
Wilton Felder - Bass
Leon Haywood - Keys, Organ

TRACKLISTING:
01. Oxford Gray
02. Jennie Lee
03. Bootie Cooler
04. Knowing
05. Funky Thithee
06. Shuggie's Boogie
07. Hurricane
08. Gospel Groove
09. Baby, I Need You
10. The Hawks
11. Ice Cold Daydream
12. Strawberry Letter 23
13. Sweet Thang
14. Me and My Woman
15. Someone's Always Singing
16. Purple
17. Freedom Flight
18. One Room Country Shack

DL

2011-07-31T05:29:00.004-04:00

Terri Lyne Carrington: The Mosaic Project (2011)
Jazz | FLAC | Log | Scans | 460MB

Tracklist:

1. Transformation
2. I Got Lost In His Arms
3. Michelle
4. Magic And Music
5. Echo
6. Simply Beautiful
7. Unconditional Love
8. Wistful
9. Crayola
10. Soul Talk
11. Mosaic Triad
12. Insomniac
13. Show Me a Sign
14. Sisters On The Rise (A Transformation)

Terri Lyne is joined by Dianne Reeves, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Nona Hendryx, Cassandra Wilson, Esperanza Spalding, Helen Sung, Tineke Postma, Geri Allen, Patrice Rushen, Ingrid Jensen, Sheila E., and Gretchen Parlato.

"The Mosaic Project" is a beautiful gathering of great female artists, yet the beauty is also in the fact that you don't hear gender. You hear many strong musical ideas based in jazz, performed on the highest of levels. For me there is magic in every piece because of the incredible line up of players and guest artists. Though it is my project, it is the personalities, the lives, and the talent of all of these women that make this project so special and indeed a group offering and unique statement we made together based on common, yet diverse, points of view.

2011-07-29T21:57:00.002-04:00

Archie Bell/Drells - Dance Your Troubles Away
SOUL | FLAC | CUE | LOG | COVERS | 221MB | 36:37
TSOP 1975

Although Archie Bell & The Drells had recorded earlier with Gamble & Huff on Atlantic, this is their first album for the team's own label – and it's a killer! In a way, Archie and group were sort of responsible for getting Gamble & Huff their own famous imprint in the first place – because their work with the team on Atlantic yielded some instant hits that really pointed the way towards the hit Gamble & Huff style of the 70s, and that sound is brought up-to-date nicely on this set. The record really retains the strong vocal sound of earlier years – and has some of the best harmonies the band ever recorded, very much in the mode of The O'Jays or Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. McFadden & Whitehead and Bunny Sigler wrote most of the material, backing is by the Instant Funk group, and the Gamble & Huff team handled production on all cuts. Titles include "Let's Groove", "I Won't Leave You Honey, Never", The Soul City Walk", "Dance Your Troubles Away", and "I Love You (But You Don't Even Know It)". © 1996-2011, Dusty Groove America, Inc.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Let's Groove
2. I Could Dance All Night
3. I Won't Leave You
4. Dance Your Troubles Away
5. The Soul City Walk
6. Let's Go Disco
7. I Love You

DL

thanks to brotha Dap for this

2011-07-29T21:05:00.003-04:00

Donald Harrison - Nouveau Swing
JAZZ | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 450MB | 65:31
Impulse! 1997

On his Impulse! Records debut, Donald Harrison mixes his usual straight-ahead work with rhythmic elements from tropical climates. Albert Wonsey plays appropriate piano on all tracks, though Harrison employs two different rhythm sections, Christian McBride and Carl Allen for the more conventional tunes and Ruben Rogers and Dion Parson for the others. The others include "Bob Marley," twhich borrows its rhythmic feel from such later Marley songs as "Exodus"; "Little Flowers," which also has a Caribbean lilt; "Septembro," the requisite samba; and "Duck's Groove," the requisite New Orleans second-line number. The concept is slight and inconsistently applied, as if Harrison was looking for something distinctive, but not too challenging. As ever, he is a proficient alto player with a comfortable retro style. But one might have expected more from producer Tommy LiPuma, who is usually able to make things lively even if not impressive, and one certainly hoped for more from Harrison, who is too old to be a young turk yet still shows no signs of mature mastery. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

PERSONNEL:
Donald Harrison - Saxophones
Anthony Wonsey - Piano
Christian McBride - Bass
Reuben Rogers - Bass
Dion Parson - Drums
Carl Allen - Drums

TRACKLISTING:
01. Nouveau Swing
02. Bob Marley
03. Come Back Jack
04. Little Flowers
05. Eighty-One
06. Sincerely Yours
07. Setembro
08. One of a Kind
09. New Hope
10. Christopher Jr
11. South Side People
12. Dance Hall
13. Duck's Groove
14. Amazing Grace

DL

Donald Harrison - Indian Blues
JAZZ | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 445MB | 55:41
Candid 1992

If you have been following the HBO series "Treme", you have seen the story line where Delmond talks his father into recording an album that combines Mardi Gras Indidan chants with jazz. This album is probably the inspiration for the story line. If you haven't watched "Treme" and/or are not familiar with the tradition of Mardi Gras Indians in New Orleans, just let the chants roll over, under and through you. You won't understand a word, don't even try, just listen to the spirit. Then you'll get Donald Harrison, Jr., himself an Indian Chief and jazz musician, mixing it up.

Donald Harrison, Jr. has covered a lot of musical territory in his career, from playing with Jack McDuff, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Terence Blanchard and Don Pullen in the 1980s, to playing with the re-formed Headhunters band in the 1990s, to charting hits in the smooth jazz category with his group Donald Harrison Electric Band, to performing as a producer, singer and rapper in the traditional Afro-New Orleans Culture and Hiphop genres with his group, The New Sounds of Mardi Gras. Indian Blues defies a formal categorization. It is "modern" jazz, along with the New Orleans style piano of Dr. John, along with traditional songs of the Indians. Did I hear someone say "gumbo"? Yah, you right.

GUARDIANS OF THE FLAME:
Donald Harrison Jr - Saxophones, Vocals
Big Chief Smiley Ricks - Conga, Bottle
Carl Allen - Drums, Bass Drum
Phil Bowler - Bass
Cyrus Chestnut - Piano
Bruce Cox - Tambourine
Mac Rebennack - Piano, Vocals
Donald Harrison Sr - Vocals

TRACKLISTING:
01. Hu-Ta-Nay
02. Indian Blues
03. Shallow Water
04. Ja-Ki-Mo-Fi-Na-Hay
05. Indian Red
06. Two-Way-Pocky-Way
07. Cherokee
08. Hiko Hiko
09. Uptown Ruler
10. Big Chief
11. Walkin Home
12. Shave Em Dry

DL

2011-07-26T15:31:00.002-04:00

Pieces Of Peace - Pieces Of Peace
SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 450MB | 55:36
Quannum 2007

Unearthed from the dusty shelves of Scarab Records (the Pharaohs-owned label), the only full-length (and one of very, very few records) by Chicago's soul/funk outfit Pieces of Peace presents a band whose lack of success came not from a deficiency in talent but from the inability to stay together. Shortly after they finished their self-titled debut in 1972, the group went on a six-month tour, a tour that ended up breaking them apart. It wasn't until 35 years later that a trio of cratediggers (DJ Shadow among them) brought the band from obscurity into, while not exactly the mainstream, at least into better availability, with the release of the album on San Francisco's Quannum Records. And it's a good thing they did, because Pieces of Peace, though not groundbreaking in scope, is a nice addition to the contemporary music coming out of places like Detroit, Chicago, Columbus, and Buffalo, mixing funk, soul, and jazz cleanly and warmly. "I Still Care" is poppy and sweet, featuring singer King Johnson's thick baritone and nicely picked electric guitar, while "Pollution" is a "Mercy Mercy Me"-inspired call to "clean up our scene," complete with a great jazzy trumpet solo from future Earth, Wind & Fire member Michael Davis, who articulates sharply and quickly, rolling up and down scales in bursts. It's actually in their solos where Pieces of Peace best display their musical acumen. Their basic 16- and 32-bar grooves, while certainly well executed and solid, aren't particularly exciting. But when the band launches into the time-signature-change-laden "Yesterday's Visions," where the keyboards venture near experimental territory, swooping and spacy and even atonal at times, the drums swing and the horns (Davis plus saxophonist Jerry Wilson, with help from the Pharaohs' Aaron Dodd on tuba) arch over the organ and loose bass, they're at their strongest, moving into the ether and back to the ground without ever losing their purpose or direction. It's too bad Pieces of Peace didn't come out when it was meant to, in 1972; it probably would've done quite well. But for those of us who were able to stick around, the album is worth the wait. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide

PIECES OF PEACE:
Jerry Wilson - Saxophones, Cowbell
Michael Davis - Trumpet, Trombone, Timbales
Ben Wright - Organ, Piano, Vibes, Vocals
Bernard Reed - Bass, Vocals
John Bishop - Guitar, Vocals
Fred Crutchfield - Drums
Aaron Dodd - Tuba
Joel Brandon - Flute
Derf Raheem - Congas, Whistle
King Johnson - Vocals

TRACKLISTING:
1. Cease Fire
2. Pollution
3. Flunky For Your Love
4. I Still Care
5. Peace & Blessings
6. Yesterday's Visions
7. Pollution (Instrumental)
8. Yesterday's Vision (Instrumental)

DL

2011-07-25T03:24:00.002-04:00

Curtis Mayfield - Roots
SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 408MB | 53:22
Curtom 1971

Perhaps Mayfield's most varied and musically complex work, though it's not as hit-filled or consistent as Curtis. The opening "Get Down" is powerful polyrhythmic funk, and Mayfield even plays Santana-like lead guitar to complete the effect. Mayfield also displays his usually concealed guitar skills on the bluesy ballad "Now You're Gone," where he turns in a convincing B.B. King impression. Throughout the string arrangements (by Pate) are fascinating ("Beautiful Brother Of Mine"), and the rhythm section (the same crew from Live!) gets creative while holding down a solid beat. As usual, Mayfield's lyrics are directly social-political, and he creates an eerie mood to go with it on the harrowing "Underground," replete with screams and ominous guitar. Good as it is, though, the album's not wall-to-wall brilliant: the side-closers "We Got To Have Peace" and "Love To Keep You In My Mind" are pleasant pop but nothing special, and the mellow "Keep On Keeping On" wears out its welcome with a long running time and no clear melody. Also in 1971, Curtom artist Ruby Jones released a self-titled LP with "production supervision" by Mayfield; the disc includes a cover of his "Stone Junkie." --David Bertrand Wilson, WARR.org

PERSONNEL:
Curtis Mayfield - Guitar, Bass, Vocals
Henry Gibson - Congas, Bongos
Craig McCullen - Guitar
Tyrone McCullen - Drums
Joseph Scott - Bass

TRACKLISTING:
01. Get Down
02. Keep On Keeping On
03. Underground
04. We Got to Have Peace
05. Beautiful Brother of Mine
06. Now You're Gone
07. Love to Keep You in My Mind
08. Underground [demo]
09. Get Down [Single]
10. We Got to Have Peace [Single]
11. Beautiful Brother of Mine [Single]

DL

(artwork on this is not very good, sorry it could not be helped)

2011-07-22T14:17:00.002-04:00

Joe Henderson - Power to the People
JAZZ | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 317MB | 42:39
Milestone 1969

Tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson (1937-2001) was the elliptical alternative to John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter when these sessions were recorded in 1969 on the Milestone label under Orrin Keepnews' production, with Miles Davis' sidemen: Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter on electric and acoustic piano and bass and drummer Jack DeJohnette. Their jazz-fusion sound is evident on the super-bopped "Afro-Centric" and the ostinato-anchored title track, which both featured the little-known trumpeter Mike Lawrence. The angular, radioactive blues "Isotope" and the lilting waltz "Black Narcissus," which debuted on this date, are two of the leader's compositional contributions to the jazz canon. The standard "Lazy Afternoon" and Ron Carter's darkly moody "Opus One-Point Five" are the only non-Henderson contributions. The last track, the pianoless, spontaneously-created "Foresight and Afterthought (An Impromptu Suite)," previews the groundbreaking trio recordings Henderson made for the Blue Note and Verve labels in the 1980s and '90s, when his genius was fully appreciated. --Eugene Holley, Jr., AllAboutJazz.com

PERSONNEL:
Joe Henderson - Tenor Sax
Herbie Hancock - Piano
Michael Lawrence - Trumpet
Ron Carter - Bass
Jack DeJohnette - Drums

TRACKLISTING:
1. Black Narcissus
2. Afro-Centric
3. Opus One-Point-Five
4. Isotope
5. Power To The People
6. Lazy Afternoon
7. Foresight And Afterthought

DL

2011-07-22T14:04:00.001-04:00

Joshua Redman - Joshua Redman
JAZZ | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 450MB | 65:09
Warner Brothers 1993

In the early to mid-'90s, no "Young Lion" was hyped to death by jazz critics more than Joshua Redman; to hear some critics tell it, he was as important a saxophonist as John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, or Sonny Rollins. The problem with such excessive hype is that it gives a young talent like Redman way too much to live up to at an early age; the tenor man was only 22 when this self-titled debut album was recorded, and he needed time to grow and develop. Nonetheless, Redman did show a lot of promise on this CD, which isn't in a class with Coltrane's A Love Supreme or Rollins' Saxophone Colossus (some critics really did have the audacity to make such claims) but showed Redman to be a swinging, expressive improviser who had impressive technique as well as versatility. Redman's playing is greatly influenced by funky, big-toned soul-jazz tenors like Eddie Harris, Gene Ammons, and Red Holloway, but his probing, searching qualities bring to mind Coltrane. Redman's gritty soul-jazz workout on James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)" demonstrates that he isn't a stuffy neo-conservative, while his enjoyable interpretations of "Body and Soul" and Thelonious Monk's "Trinkle Tinkle" illustrate his ability to play "in the tradition," as hard boppers are fond of saying. Dizzy Gillespie's "Salt Peanuts" is pure bop, and Redman (whose acoustic support on this album includes pianist Kevin Hays, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Gregory Hutchinson) gets into a Coltrane-influenced post-bop groove on his own "Sublimation." Joshua Redman isn't a masterpiece, but it let us know that he was certainly someone to keep an eye on. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

PERSONNEL:
Joshua Redman - Tenor Sax
Christian McBride - Bass
Clarence Penn - Drums
Kenny Washington - Drums
Kevin Hays - Piano
Gregory Hutchinson - Drums
Paul Laduca - Bass
Mike LeDonne - Piano

TRACKLISTING:
01. Blues on Sunday
02. Wish
03. Trinkle, Tinkle
04. Echoes
05. I Got You
06. Body and Soul
07. Tribalism
08. Groove X
09. Salt Peanuts
10. On the Sunny Side of the Street
11. Sublimination

DL

2011-07-20T04:58:00.002-04:00

Al Green - Everything's OK
SOUL | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 380MB | 47:36
Blue Note 2005

Al Green's second record for Blue Note reunites the same cast of characters who made his comeback disc, 2003's I Can't Stop, such a success. Willie Mitchell is behind the boards, the cream of old-school Hi musicians is here, and Green hasn't lost a step vocally. In fact, it sounds like he has gained a step somehow; his crazed screams, hollered interjections, and whoops of joy seem more assured and his falsetto is clear and strong. The songs are here, too, with a good mix of uptempo movers (the rollicking "Build Me Up," the high-energy title track, and "Nobody But You") and sweet, string-laden ballads ("Perfect to Me," "Real Love," and "All the Time"). Green sounds on fire most of the time, really letting loose on "Everything's OK," testifying on "Be My Baby," and ripping it up like a kid everywhere else. Mitchell's production is wonderfully organic but also very lush, as there is a higher reliance on strings, background singers, and percussion to fatten up the sound this time out. This is often a sign that the singer is losing it somehow, but there is no cover-up being perpetrated here -- they are just shooting for the richest, lushest sound possible. And getting it, too. Such is the magic that Mitchell and Green conjure that they can rescue duff tracks like the terminally mawkish "You Are So Beautiful" with some unconsciously soulful vocals and subtle production, just like they did in the '70s. Speaking of the '70s, this record marks a step away from the Hi nostalgia of I Can't Stop. There are fewer obvious backward nods in the sound (hardly any of that Hi organ!) and in the songwriting; instead, the duo seem focused on creating a modern soul record with none of the trappings of earlier recordings, and they succeed dramatically. Consider I Can't Stop the rehab assignment in Triple A, while Everything's OK is the home run Green fans have been dreaming about. It may not replace Let's Stay Together or I'm Still in Love With You, but you could play it back to back with either of them and not hear much difference other than time. Too bad about the amateurish cover art, though -- it is the one thing about the record that pales in comparison to Al Green's best. ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide

TRACKLISTING:
01. Everything's OK
02. You Are So Beautiful
03. Build Me Up
04. Perfect to Me
05. Nobody But You
06. Real Love
07. I Can Make Music
08. Be My Baby
09. Magic Road
10. I Wanna Hold You
11. Another Day
12. All the Time

DL

2011-07-20T04:50:00.002-04:00

Heatwave - Candles [Expanded]
SOUL | FLAC | CUE | LOG | 300DPI | 583MB | 79:32
Epic 1980

Heatwave had come a long way from 1977's smash "Boogie Nights" by the time the decade rolled over. They still were masterfully pulling together a smooth blend of soul, funk, and disco, but numerous lineup changes over two years took their toll. At the same time, though, the ease with which they brought a more subtle texture to their music was testament to their enduring dedication. And even through vocalist Johnnie Wilder Jr. was paralyzed in an automobile accident before recording, he was able to return to the band to cut studio vocals for Candles, making this album a joyous occasion. Full of smooth soul breaks and fiery funk riffs packed around a healthy helping of pure disco, Candles does pale somewhat in comparison to earlier singles, but nevertheless remains a strong addition to the genre -- no easy feat for any album appearing after disco's true heyday. By 1980, most bands had forgotten how important a good groove was in their haste to synthesize anything not nailed down. Heatwave did not. And that is reflected across this album. From "Gangsters of Groove," which gave the band their hit, to the effusive "Jitterbuggin" and the absolutely marvelous "Turn Around," Heatwave keeps their feet firmly in organic territory. Johnnie Wilder Jr.'s "Goin' Crazy," meanwhile, could still turn in a slab of soft funk. Candles also boasts a staggering five tracks penned by former bandmate Rod Temperton, now carving out a career penning hits for Michael Jackson and Rufus, among others. The partnership he retained with his old crew certainly adds an interesting slant to their overall sound. This is a strong album, better perhaps than its predecessors given its resulting cohesion. The frenzy is gone, to be replaced by a sweet sound -- a different kind of Heatwave, then; one which percolates, rather than hitting you straight on. ~ Amy Hanson, All Music Guide

TRACKLISTING:
01. Gangsters of the Groove
02. Jitterbuggin
03. Party Suite
04. Turn Around05. Posin Til Closin
06. All I Am
07. Dreamin You
08. Goin Crazy
09. Where Did I Go Wrong
10. Gangsters of the Groove [Single]
11. Jitterbuggin [UK Single]
12. Where Did I Go Wrong [US Single]
13. Posin Til Closin [UK Single]
14. Turn Around [US Single]
15. Find Someone Like You [B-Side]
16. Wack That Axe [B-Side]
17. Gangsters of the Groove [UK 12"]
18. Posin Til Closin [UK 12"]

DL

2011-07-20T04:39:00.002-04:00

Soul Searchers - Salt of the Earth
SOUL | FLAC | CUE | LOG | COVERS | 249MB | 40:37
Sussex 1974

The second Soul Searchers LP expands the band's music into deep and dark new dimensions. While boasting an even funkier street-smart approach than the previous We the People, Salt of the Earth achieves new levels of jazz-inspired sophistication as well. The much-sampled "Ashley's Roachclip" and "I Rolled It, You Hold It" are brilliant evocations of mind-warping psychedelia, but the group also slows down and gets straight with a shimmering reading of the classic Bacharach/David love song "Close to You." Between those two extremes lurk angular yet soulful grooves with all the widescreen power of contemporaries like Earth, Wind & Fire and Kool & the Gang, but with a structural complexity all their own. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

SOUL SEARCHERS:
John Buchanan - Trombone, Piano, Vocals
Chuck Brown - Guitar, Vocals
Lloyd Pinchback - Flute, Saxes
Donald Tillery - Trumpet
John Euwell - Bass
Kenneth Scoggins - Drums, Percussion
Lino Druitt - Congos, Bongos

TRACKLISTING:
1. I Rolled It You Hold It
2. Blow Your Whistle
3. Close To You
4. Funk To The Folks
5. Ain't It Heavy
6. Windsong
7. Ashley's Roadclip
8. We Share
9. If It Ain't Funky

DL

Soul Searchers - We The People
SOUL | FLAC | CUE | LOG | COVERS | 244MB | 39:32
Sussex 1972

The Washington, D.C.-based group had two singles from this album featured on the Billboard R&B charts: "We the People" and "Think." The former is an aggressively-paced number with a social message for the times; it features an instrumental vamp. It peaked at 40 after only six weeks on the charts. The second single was "Think." Penned by James Brown, it features his distinctive horn arrangement. It, too, has that upbeat rhythm. It peaked at 43 inside five weeks. The two ballads on this album are "When Will My Eyes See" and "Your Love Is so Good," and both contrast each other. The former is pop-oriented and the latter is soulful. The remaining tracks are in the vein of the two released singles. All are seasoned with the thick, gritty sound of the early '70s. ~ Craig Lytle, All Music Guide

SOUL SEARCHERS:
Chuck Brown - Vocals, Guitar
Lloyd Pinchback - Flute, Saxes, Vocals
John Buchanan - Trombone, Piano
Donald Tillery - Trumpet, Percussion, Vocals
John Euwell - Bass, Vocals

PERSONNEL:
Kenneth Scoggins - Drums
Lino A. Druitt - Conga
Horace Brock - Organ
Hilton Selton - Organ

TRACKLISTING:
1. We The People
2. Your Love Is So Doggone Good
3. It's All In Your Mind
4. Soul To The People
5. Think
6. 1993
7. When Will My Eyes See
8. Blowout

DL

2011-07-17T10:14:00.002-04:00

Marcus Miller - Tutu Revisited (2011)
Funk/Jazz | FLAC | Log | Scans | 893MB

Tracklist:

CD 1:
1. Tomaas (12:13)
2. Backyard Ritual (8:58)
3. Splatch (14:25)
4. Portia (9:20)
5. Jean-Pierre (13:23)
6. Aida ( 6:18)
7. In a Sentimental Mood (9:14)
CD 2:
1. Hannibal (11:28)
2. Don't Lose Your Mind (18:33)
3. Tutu (11:25)
4. Full Nelson / Perfect Way (8:15)
5. Human Nature / So What (13:40)

This two-CD set is a better bet than last year's A Night in Monte Carlo: it celebrates the same creative funkiness of the mid-80s Miles Davis bands that bass guitar virtuoso and composer/arranger Miller had a big hand in, but here in more focused form, without symphony orchestras or singers. The canny Miller still goes for a soul-pop bravura and some technical posturings Miles would have avoided (hard to imagine the Prince of Darkness doing anything as uncool as swapping quotes from Sonny Rollins's St Thomas with his sidemen, or letting his bass guitarist acknowledge a sharp sax solo with a congratulatory sliding-note whoop) but there's a lot of very inventive jazz-making here, particularly from the gifted young partnership of trumpeter Christian Scott and saxophonist Alex Han. Powerful 80s Miles themes – notably Splatch, Portia, Tutu, Full Nelson and Human Nature – mingle with earlier jazz landmarks, like a tender bass clarinet account of In a Sentimental Mood, and a brisk So What that includes Miller playing the famous Miles 1959 solo as a bass guitar feature. It's as much a general jazz celebration for funk audiences as it is about Miles alone, but Christian Scott is the ideal bearer of the late trumpeter's legacy. John Fordham

2011-07-14T04:08:00.003-04:00

Instant Funk - Instant Funk
DISCO | FLAC | CUE | LOG | COVERS | 373MB | 55:27
Salsoul 1979

Instant Funk was a nine-piece funk unit discovered by Bunny Sigler. The members included Raymond Earl (bass), Kim Miller (guitar), Scotty Miller (drums), Dennis Richardson (piano), James Carmichael (lead and background vocals), Larry Davis (trumpet), Johnny Onderlinde (tenor and alto saxes), Eric Huff (trombone), and George Bell (guitar). The Trenton, NJ, natives created a stir locally as "the T.N.J.'s". Fireworks exploded when Salsoul released "I Got My Mind Made Up." Swirling, screaming horns announce the chorus; hand claps, tambourines and a maniacal rhythm guitar battle the heavy bottom; a woman delivers erotic lines for added impact. Salsoul followed the number 20 pop and number one (for three weeks) R&B hit with "Crying," a race horse whose relentless beat only subsides near the fade; Carmichael's vocal is passionate, almost deranged. "Never Let Me Go Away," a rare Instant Funk ballad, was so overblown, the melody got buried. Spooky voices and haunted house sounds wallpaper "Dark Vader"'s comic book lyrics and funky hooks. Rolling horns pump "I'll Be Doggone" (not the Marvin Gaye hit), a cooker that rolls for seven minutes. Four of the eight tracks are killers; the other four should have been killed. [The 1993 reissue adds a remix and a different version of "I Got My Mind Made Up."] ~ Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide

PERSONNEL:
Raymond Earl - Bass
Kim Miller - Guitar
Scotty Miller - Drums
Johnny Onderlinde - Saxophones
Eric Huff - Trombone
James Carmichael - Vocals
Larry Davis - Trumpet
Michael Ray - Trumpet
Bunny Sigler - Piano
Jimmy Sigler - Organ
George Bell - Guitar
Charles Williams - Conga
Dennis Richardson - Piano
Frederick Bahler - Synths

TRACKLISTING:
01. I Got My Mind Made Up
02. Crying
03. Never Let It Go Away
04. Don't You Wanna Party
05. Wide World of Sports
06. Dark Vader
07. You Say You Want Me to Stay
08. I'll Be Doggone
09. I Got My Mind Made Up [12" Mix]
10. I Got My Mind Made Up [Single]

DL

2011-07-14T04:04:00.003-04:00

The Funky 16 Corners
FUNK | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 549MB | 74:01
Stones Throw 2001

This outstanding collection of funk singles compiled by Stones Throw Records includes 16 songs recorded between 1968 and 1974 by obscure underground groups from America. One of the strongest crossover funk labels of the last decade, Stones Throw pays due respect to modern music's forgotten grandfathers on this most grooving recorded history lesson of impeccable quality. Anchored by the Highlighters' classic "The Funky 16 Corners," whereby the Indianapolis group upped the ante in 1969's craze for bands counting "corners" (read: hit me three times!) by breaking the recorded benchmark with 16, this compilation leans heavily on the James Brown sect and celebrates the lesser-known groups of the genre, who with high talent and low budget put to tape some of the most raw funk ever captured to date. Representative modernist Cut Chemist of Jurassic 5 even gets an interpretation slot with "Bunky's Pick" on one of two bonus tracks. Every track is essential to the record and every groove a lost gem. An informative 16-page booklet with full-color photos is included. ~ Nic Kincaid, All Music Guide

TRACKLISTING:
01. Intro - Ebony Rhythm Band
02. Dap Walk - Ernie and the Top Notes
03. Let's Go - Reese
04. Trespasser - Bad Medicine
05. The Funky 16 Corners - Highlighters Band
06. The Kick - Rhythm Machine
07. What About You - Co Real Artists
08. Interlude - Ebony Rhythm Band
09. The Dump - Soul Vibrations
10. Jody's Freeze - Reese
11. Kashmere - Kashmere Stage Band
12. Fish Head - Slim And the Soulful Saints
13. Tighten Up Tighter - Billy Ball & The Upsetters
14. Southside Funk - Soul Seven
15. Can We Rap - Carleen & the Groovers
16. Beautiful Day - Spider Harrison
17. Go to Work [Alt] - Revolution Compared to What
18. The Phantom - Bubbha Thomas & The Lightmen Plus One
19. In the Rain - The Wooden Glass
20. Outro - Ebony Rhythm Band
21. Bunky's Pick - Cut Chemist
22. The Funky Buzzard - James Bell & The Turner Brothers

MUSIC
ART

2011-07-13T15:41:00.002-04:00

Dynasty - The Second Adventure
SOUL | FLAC | CUE | LOG | COVERS | 297MB | 42:40
SOLAR 1981

While not quite as free flowing as their previous album, the bombastic "Adventures In The Land of Music", Dynasty's third album, titled "The Second Adventure", is still a nice effort. The first song, "Here I Am", by itself, makes this CD worth buying. SOLAR Records super producer, Leon Sylvers, becomes an official member of the group and they're also joined by newcomer William Shelby. Nidra Beard (now married to Sylvers) and Linda Carriere are back with their wall of sound vocals and the group definitely has more energy when the ladies are doing the singing. Unfortunately, the male leads aren't quite as strong yet they do most of the singing on the slower tempo songs often relegating the ladies to background singers. However, the fellows do bang out some nice funk with the underrated "Pain Got A Hold On Me". Leon Sylvers may not be the greatest vocalist, but the man can hammer out bass lines with the best of them. Shelby's Moog is better than average as well. --RunawayTrane, Unda The Radar

DYNASTY:
Kevin Spencer - Piano, Vocals
Leon Sylvers - Bass, Vocals
William Shelby - Moog, Vocals
Nidra Beard - Vocals
Linda Carriere - Vocals

PERSONNEL:
Wardell Potts - Drums, Percussion
Rickey Smith - Fender
Foster Sylvers - Bass
Patricia Sylvers - Synthesizer
Bo Watson - Fender
Joey Gallo - Synthesizer
Kenneth Gant - Bass
Melvin Gentry - Drums, Guitar
Wayne Milstein - Percussion
Richard Randolph - Guitar
Ernest Reed - Guitar
Stephen Shockley - Guitar

TRACKLISTING:
01. Here I Am
02. Pain Got a Hold on Me
03. A Man in Love
04. Give Your Love to Me
05. You're My Angel
06. Love in the Fast Lane
07. Revenge
08. Give It Up for Love
09. High Time
10. That Lovin' Feeling

Thanks to Zeelurker for this contribution
get his links with your own account with Multiload:

Part 1 | Part 2

and of course you can get my RS links as well

2011-07-13T06:06:00.011-04:00

Miles Davis - Tutu (Deluxe Edition) 2CD (2011)
Funk/Jazz | FLAC | Log | Scans | 1016MB

TRACKLIST:

CD 1
Tutu Remastered Album

1. Tutu
2. Tomaas
3. Portia
4. Splatch
5. Backyard Ritual
6. Perfect Way
7. Don’t Lose Your Mind
8. Full Nelson

CD 2
Live At Nice Fest 1968

1. Opening Medley
2. New Blues
3. Maze
4. Human Nature
5. Portia
6. Splatch
7. Time After Time
8. Carnival

A 2 CD deluxe edition of the most important album of Miles Davis’ late career, featuring the remastered album and a whole night’s performance from the Nice Festival of 1986 never released before. May 2011 will mark the 85th birthday of Miles’ birth.

In 1985, Miles Davis shocked the music world by moving from Columbia to Warner Bros. He immediately started working on an album called Perfect Way after a tune by Scritti Politti, later renamed Tutu by producer Tommy LiPuma. When Tutu (a tribute to Desmond Tutu) was released in 1986, it re-ignited Miles Davis’ career, crossing over into the rock and pop markets and winning Davis two Grammy Awards. The album was a key factor in raising Davis’ status to an international superstar.

2011-07-13T02:26:00.001-04:00

Ramsey Lewis - Salongo
JAZZ | WAVPACK | CUE | LOG | PNG | 332MB | 35:38
Columbia 1976

Those shocked or even dismayed by the lack of jazz on 1975's Don't It Feel Good would no doubt be pleasantly surprised by this. Released in 1976 and produced by Maurice White and Charles Stepney, Salongo offers a more substantial look at African and Latin styles. Around this time Lewis always had the good fortune to be supported by good bands and excellent side players like Verdine White, Ernie Watts, Jorge Strunz, as well as many others. The first track, "Slick" mixes Latin flourishes with straight-ahead jazz. The only less than stellar track is "Aufu Oodu," which has Lewis getting lost in the Earth Wind and Fire-derived production style. More convincing is the title track and it has a great bassline, tough drumming, strong horn arrangement, and, of course, smooth and quick electric piano solos from Lewis. The seductive Brazilica is a non-cloying experiment in Latin music, and is well known by fans of commercial '70s jazz and quiet storm. For the poignant "Nicole," Lewis plays both electric piano and acoustic with equal deftness and emotion. The last track, the methodical "Seventh Fold," was written by Stepney and has his characteristic adventurous approach and a sweeping string arrangement. Salongo earns most of its raves by being one of the few albums of the time to sidestep commercial considerations. The effort is also one of Lewis's best at getting his eclectic nature and is more enjoyable than the better-selling Sun Goddess. ~ Jason Elias, All Music Guide

PERSONNEL:
Ramsey Lewis - Piano, Keys
Byron Gregory - Guitar
Verdine White - Bass, Vocals
Don Myrick - Tenor Sax
Maurice White - Drums, Vocals
Derf Raheem - Flute, Vocals
Jimmy Bryant - Clavinet
Steve Cobb - Drums, Vocals
Tang - Vocals
Ron Harris - Bass

TRACKLISTING:
1. Slick
2. Aufu Oodu
3. Rubato
4. Salongo
5. Brazilica
6. Nicole
7. Seventh Fold

DL

2011-07-12T09:19:00.009-04:00

Lettuce - Rage! (2008)
Funk/Jazz | FLAC | Log | Scan | 370MB

Track Listing:

01. - Blast Off (3:43)
02. - Sam Huff's Flying Raging Machine (3:24)
03. - Move On Up (feat. Dwele) (3:34)
04. - King of the Burgs (3:21)
05. - Need to Understand (3:45)
06. - The Last Suppit (5:02)
07. - Dizzer (1:47)
08. - Makin' My Way Back Home (feat. Nigel Hall) (4:41)
09. - Salute (4:29)
10. - Speak E.Z. (4:32)
11. - Express Yourself (3:32)
12. - Relax (3:51)
13. - By Any Shmeeans Necessary (3:11)
14. - Mr. Yancey (bonus track) (3:02)

The second studio set from this sideman supergroup of sorts follows its debut by six years but maintains a similar approach. While the first album recorded by the eight-piece ensemble (that gets together only sporadically between other full time gigs) was funk-influenced, this is pure '70s styled retro funk. Think Earth, Wind & Fire, P-Funk, the Crusaders, Tower of Power, James Brown, Rufus with Chaka Khan, you get the idea. To further cement the old school feel, the band recorded with mics and tube compressors from the era. The result is nearly an hour of non-stop, predominantly instrumental, rump shaking jazz-funk fusion that, while obviously indebted to its predecessors, shimmers with a natural energetic groove of its own. These guys play off each other with enthusiasm and are clearly having a ball. All but two tunes are Lettuce compositions with drummer Adam Deitch (50 Cent, Talib Kweli, John Scofield) writing or co-writing eight selections. The three piece horn section gets all AWB on "Salute" and the band finds its Meters "Cissy Strut"-ing heart in "Speak E.Z." The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band's "Express Yourself" and Curtis Mayfield's "Move on Up" make for two representative and slightly left-of-center covers that fit perfectly with the album's electric boogie vibe, but the rest of the self-penned tracks are nearly as good. The group borrows liberally from its forerunners but does so with such integrity and respect it's impossible to criticize Lettuce for ripping off the licks, lines and riffs of the '70s greats in their record collections. Rather, this is party music made to liven up any shindig and might also encourage some youngsters to search out the sources behind Lettuce's funky blasts. That seems to be at least part of the band's intent. The rest is just to have fun paying tribute to music that inspires them and hope the listener's feelings are mutual. ~ Hal Horowitz

2011-07-08T19:28:00.002-04:00

Roy Ayers Ubiquity- A Tear To A Smile
JAZZ + FUNK | FLAC | CUE | LOG | COVER | 256MB | 40:54
Polydor 1975

A Tear to a Smile holds a unique place in Roy Ayers' vast catalog. Released in 1975, it follows a string of albums that began in 1971 with He's Coming where the great vibraphonist and bandleader pioneered his own seamless blend of funky jazz. They all had grooves, but jazz arrangements dominated; vocals were used only as accents on his instrumental mix. The two albums that immediately preceded this one were the stellar Virgo Red and Change Up the Groove, both issued in 1974. What is immediately apparent on the latter of these is how effortless Ayers made it all seem; and why, perhaps, for his own artistic development, he needed to change direction. Having always loved soul and being deeply interested the newly emergent R&B of groups like Earth, Wind & Fire, the Isley Brothers, and Parliament, the music on Tear to a Smile is a logical extension of what he'd accomplished earlier. The funk and proto-disco sounds on this set are easily as sophisticated as his jazz-funk records, but there are key differences. The place of vocals on the album is a great starting point. With talented singers such as Dee Dee Bridgewater, Edwin Birdsong, Debbie Burrell, and Carolyn Byrd taking prominent roles on the set, the listener's attention goes directly to the human voice. That said, the instrumental quotient is equally high, with other players here such as bassist William Allen (who wrote or co-wrote most of these tracks and acted as the session's arranger), pianist Harry Whitaker, and drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, among others.

The set kicks off with the Carl Clay-Wayne Garfield funk number "2000 Black," with Ayers on the Arp, a nasty bassline, and a killer backing chorus. Ayers' and Garfield's lead vocals lead a deceptively tough dancefloor number. Ayers' own "Magic Lady" melds mystic-sounding synths, sophisticated melodies, and vocals, and a laid-back, breezy backbeat into a first-class seduction tune. His vibes, in fill spots between verse lines, and a full of horn section (with Jon Faddis!) punching up the rhythm section are simply ace. There's a stellar reading of EW&F's "That's the Way of the World," that's jazzier than the original and features a killer vibes workout by Ayers. Other notables on the set are Allen's tough, uptempo funker "Ebony Blaze," which utilizes some of the Afro-beat techniques employed Fela Anikulapo Kuti (whom Ayers would later collaborate with) that reveal both Allen and Ayers were doing some deep and wide-ranging listening. Another Allen winner is the elegant and atmospheric "Time and Space," with a fine vocal by Bridgewater. Hard funk makes an appearance in "No Question," and the title track, which closes the set, is outer-space funky soul at its best, and provides a sonic hint at the direction Ayers' sound would take on his follow-up album, the classic Mystic Voyage. This is a stellar meld of soul-funk with some wonderfully sophisticated, jazzy overtones. As transitional moments go, this one is an unqualified success. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

TRACKLISTING:
01. 2000 Black
02. Magic Lady
03. Show Us a Feeling
04. Ebony Blaze
05. Time and Space
06. No Question
07. The Way of the World
08. The Old One Two
09. Miles
10. A Tear to a Smile

DL