Tony Aiken & Future 2000 - Unity Sing It Shout It (1976)

A mindblower! Tony Aiken & Future 2000 were an obscure mid 70s group from New York -- all players skilled in the burgeoning club scene of the time, but who also had their roots in Caribbean music -- coming together for this unique record in a festive blend of early disco and funky styles!

The record's got a great home-grown feel -- a warm ensemble effort that's got equal parts soul and groove -- and which bubbles over with personal touches that really make the tracks stand out from the pack. Quoting the liner notes 'Unity speaks for itself in a world that's slowly pulling apart we all need to stop and think 'Unity' not just for one but for everyone 'Unity''. Includes the side-long jammer "Unity Sing It Shout It", plus the funky disco classic "Better Days", the soulful cuts "She Loves Me", "Good Things", and the great instrumental "Time Tunnel".

Enjoy it!

Greg

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Melvyn Price - Rhythm and Blues (1974)

A lost bit of 70s soul jazz and global funk percussion from conguero & trombonist Melvyn Price – an incredible set of heavily rhythmic grooves recorded in Stockholm in 1974 – originally a private press effort, rediscovered a few years back by Wax Poetics Records!

Melvyn grew up outside of Detroit, and he cut his teeth with the freeform Afrikan Folk Ensemble before relocating to Sweden in the 60s, where he thrived in the country's healthy and creative jazz scene. He's joined by a great group of international players who bring diverse flavors to the overall sound, with Latin and African styles of percussion from Price, Jon Dill and Luis Agudo, drums by Gunnar Nyberg and Fredrik Noren, piano by Bjorn Wolff, fluidly jazzy tenor sax from Ed Epstein, and bass by Guy Roellinger, whose work here often sounds like the stuff of funky 70s soundtracks. The rhythms are absolutely impeccable – with the conga and percussion as the driving force of the sound! Titles include "Voodoo Love Dance", "Toward Brazil", "Behind Kungstradgarden", "Happiness Is. . .", "Five O'Clock Traffic" and "Last Train".

Enjoy it!

Greg

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Sheila Landis and Her Bandits of Bebop -Guess I'll Call It Love (1981)

A great session of groovy jazz vocals, with a light breezy finish by Sheila Landis and her band! The set was recorded in Michigan – but it's got a flowing groove that feels like the best of the San Francisco scene at the time, lightly dancing vocals with a hip edge, in the mode that Mark Murphy was using a lot at the time. The group is tight in a small combo mode – with a mixture of acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes, plus just the right amount of guitar and saxes to give the tunes a bit of flourish.

The album's filled with great original tunes – including "Love Robs Your Reason", "Where You Gonna Put Your Blues?", "There's Never Enough There For Me", "Lonely Wine", and "Guess I'll Call It Love" – plus the wonderful groover "Parenthe-Seizure", which you'll recognize from its appearance on a few compilations here and there.

Enjoy it!

Greg

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Pucho & the Latin Soul Brothers - Jungle Fire! (1969)

One of my favorite albums by this funky Latin combo! The record differs from some of their earlier Prestige albums in that the tracks are longer, more instrumental, and have a hard fuzzy electric groove. The band jams hard in a way that's more like some of the funk combos of the early 70s, than the Latin groups from which they came — and the results of this mix are wonderful!

Includes two funky numbers written by Sonny Phillips – "The Spokerman" and "Jamilah" – plus a great extended cover of "Cloud Nine", and the amazing break cut "Got Myself A Good Man". Great horn work from the funky Pazant Brothers, plus Seldon Powell, who also plays flute and tenor on the album – and other jazz funk stars on the album include Bernard Purdie, Billy Butler, and Neal Creque, Pucho's right hand man!

Enjoy it!

Greg

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