Grady Tate - Lady Love / Moondance Grady Tate’s cover of the Jon Lucien penned track Lady Love sees its first ever reissue on Expansion, courtesy of Ralph Tee. The original, released on Janus as a promo back in 1974, is an uptempo rendition of Lucien’s tune, a Latin-inflected soul track with a stark percussive backbone that contrasts against sharp orchestral arrangements, soaring strings and a bold horn section, carrying the track towards luxurious musical territories. The incessant pounding of conga drums and deep, crooning vocals make this an ideal summer anthem, a rare and in-demand single which never saw...
Wayne Shorter – Adams Apple (Blue Note) Adams Apple is the tenth album in the solo cannon of saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Recorded in 1966 and released in 1967, the set is a combination of post and hard bop styles of playing, featuring an experienced quartet of Herbie Hancock on Keys, Reginald Workman on bass, Joe Chambers on drums and Shorter on reeds. The album was recorded while Shorter was a prominent member of Miles Davis’ second great quintet—alongside Hancock, an invaluable member of the lineup whose calculated and skillful playing on this date are crucially important factors behind its sound....
War released this great album 'The World Is A Ghetto' in late 1972. It was a massive success commercially and the band's only No 1 R&B and pop chart album. 'Cisco Kid' is a classic crossover funky jam, which sold a million copies on the day of release, which still sounds great today 50 years on. 'Where Was You At' is another funky groove with syncopated New Orleans drum line. ' City Country City' is a wonderful 13 minute opus which goes through many changes of pace reflecting the title. It was originally featured in the Blaxploitation film 'The legend...
Step by Step were a 12 piece soul group founded in the Brewery State of Wisconsin—Milwaukee to be precise. The title track off the album, I always Wanted To Be In The Band, became a rare and in demand Modern Soul single which has exchanged hands for large sums of money in recent years. Newer generations will have heard it being played by Mafalda and Floating Points, certainly a track that the Melodies International crew would play at their parties and a lively, upbeat stepper that infuses sweet harmony vocals and chicken pickin’ guitar licks. The album is a lovely...
Theo Croker’s latest offering Love Quantum is enough to challenge expectations and pique the interests of the modern listener. The trumpeter, initially discovered by Dee Dee Bridgewater who went on to nurture him in the mid noughties, has released a slew of experimental Jazz albums in recent years. His take on Jazz is informed by a laundy list of contemporary influences, namely hip-hop, electronica and neo-soul, while he channels the musical lineage and playing power of Jazz. His tenure with Bridgewater as a soloist (trumpet) and his musical background as a producer/beatmaker certainly evidence of these musical characteristics. His music...
London Jazz and Afro stalwarts Kokoroko return to Brownswood Records with their virgin album Could We Be More—following on from a number of feel good singles that enlarged their popularity over the last few years. Their Brownswood debut and pride of place on the 2018 We Out Here compilation, Abusey Junction, became a foundational track for the group, upon which the weight of expectation and calls for them to record a full length studio album—notwithstanding their most recent 12” single Baba Ayoola—grew and grew. After a long awaited period, these calls have finally been answered as the London Octet return...
The Outta Sight label issued has many great 45's over the past decade or so. We still have many of the Modern Soul and Northern Soul singles they issued in stock including many of the limited edition full centre DJ Copy and Red vinyl variants. Many of these are now out of press and will not be repressed, so grab these whilst you can, before they become rarities themselves. This feature lists everything we still have in stock. Happy Diggin Laurence
Phyllis Hyman possessed one of the most distinctive and greatest Female Soul voices of all time. During the 70's and 80's and early 90's she recorded many great tracks, most of which are included in this 2LP Essential Phyllis Hyman vinyl compilation. Her soulful dancefloor classics 'You Know How To Love Me' (long version), 'Under Your Spell' along with her classic 2 stepper 'Don't Tell Me Tell her' are of course included. Phyllis excelled on ballads and mid tempo songs and 'Living inside Your Love', 'Loving You Losing You' , 'We Should be Lovers' and her version of 'Betcha By Golly...
For many Soul fans the most significant and best Soul album of all time, Marvin Gaye classic 'What's Going On' reaches 50 years. This special anniversary vinyl edition has been lovingly remastered from the original analogue tapes for the first time in decades and is presented as a limited edition 2LP Set with a booklet. The second LP contains the original mono 7" versions of 'What's Going On' , 'Mercy Mercy Me' , 'Inner City Blues' , 'Holy Holy' the Full length version of 'God Is Love' and the non album B side 'Sad Tomorrow', along with stripped down, no...
Max Roach – Members Don’t Git Weary (Real Gone Music) Max Roach’s 1968 post-bop classic sees a reissue on Real Gone Music. Featuring Gary Bartz on saxophone, Andy Bey on vocals, Stanley Cowell on keys, Charles Tolliver on trumpet and Jymie Merrit on electric bass, the album is an experimental and emancipating experience and a particularly exciting moment for Jazz, a civil rights era howl and an expressive, dazzling performance that turns your expectations upside down. The instrumentation, for example, is progressively electric, Stanley Cowell opting to play part electric and part acoustic piano Merrit on electric rather than upright...
