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Quite simply James finest album, a double vinyl recorded just after the death of his son in 1973, every track is worthy of its place. The hypnotic funk anthem title track with its driving bass line and funky guitar riffs has been sampled many times as is regarded as a classic. The punchy shuffling 10 min epic ‘Stone To The Bone’, the social consciousness of the 12 min ‘Mind Power’ another funk anthem. The horn backed super funky semi instrumentals ‘Shoot Your Shot’ and ‘Time Is Running Out Fast’ are essentially JB’s tracks. The ballads ‘Doin The Best I Can’...

This classic album from 1974 is the only album that singer songwriter Sam Dees recorded in the 70’s. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, in December 1945 to a large family, Sam formed his first group - The Bossanovians - before he was aged 10. Something of a musical prodigy, he was writing poetry and songs at an age when most of his friends were out playing. Often described as a prolific songwriter and occasional performer, Sam has written nearly four-hundred songs but in a career stretching over 50 years incredibly he's released only three albums! The Social commentary tracks ‘Child of...

Gil Scott Heron’s brilliant 1971 Flying Dutchman album ‘Pieces Of A Man’ was his debut studio album coming a year after the live ‘Small Talk On 125th And Lennox’ and marked a shift from the spoken word format of that record into more song based work. Gil’s observations of life and the melodies he creates are thought provoking and breathtaking, and are matched by incredible musicianship, delivered by an unbeatable line-up. When you have legendary bassist Ron Carter, drummer Bernard Purdie, Burt Jones on guitar and Hubert Laws on Flute (as well as long-time collaborator Brian Jackson on keys) you...

Arguably the greatest soul album ever recorded, this 1971 classic was a commercial and critical success upon release and has rightly remained high in the lists of 'best ever albums'. It was Gaye's for first album to bear his name as a producer and the first to credit Motown's in-house band The Funk Brothers as musicians. The album was conceived as a concept with many of the tracks seguing into each other – the unforgettable opening title track drifts into its twin brother, with both standing as a powerful anti-war protest as well as an incisive observation of social and...

Keyboard wizard Bobby Lyle’s Classic Jazz funk album 'The Genie' from 1977 was the first of a trio of strong Jazz Funk albums recorded in the latter half of the decade and includes the brilliant inventive title track ‘The Genie’, an all time classic, that goes through many changes but retains its groove throughout. His version of his own beautiful track ‘Night Breeze’ previously recorded by Ronnie Laws is another highlight. ‘Mother Nile’ is a mystical track with a deep rhythm structure, and ‘Pieces’ is a lovely dreamy mid tempo track. The more up tempo ‘Magic Ride’ and atmosphere’ You...