Originally on Strata Record Label 1974 USA. Considered to be one of two Holy Grails on the label.
Legendary Spanish Harlem raised percussionist with an impressive array of wicked albums! This album "Burned Sugar" released in 2008 is one in a series of 3 fierce and never released sessions while Sabu was alive which were released on Sweden's Mellotronen Record label.
Linda Sharrock, best known for her voice work on ex-husband Sonny’s two albums : Black Woman 1969 and Monkey-Pockie Boo 1970. This total monster "(In) The Abyssity Of The Grounds-God" was released in the UK in 2016 on #GoldenLabRecords. It's a triple vinyl release that is nothing short of freaked out, primal free jazz at it's most fierce energised pummel. It's a mind mauler that has so much beauty within it's entirety that only a seasoned listener could possibly feel. An awesome piece of work from an incredibly talented and deep woman. Her band here are fucking insanely bangin' !!!
Absolute KILLER from Los Angeles based Own Marshall. Started recording in'74 on this "Holy Grail" LP finished and released sometime in 1975. Outsider mix of Spiritual Jazz and insanely creative, funky, cosmic psychedelia. A original pressing of this will run you $ 1500. Happy hunting !
There were no other more consistently vital jazz artists ever than Pharoah Sanders IMHO. An extremely long career and a HUGE catalogue of STELLAR releases from any period in his time on earth. Insanely influential, Sanders could combine all the beauteous lushness and hair raising pummelling within one composition and make the hardiest aficionado have a WTF moment! Dude has no shit albums! "Elevation" from 1974 #ImpulseRecords is a barn burner of wickedness and then some!
Don Covay & The Jefferson Lemon Blues Band
Don Covay was an American legend who was pivotal as said by many in the progression of Soul and R&B/Blues in the 1960's. Covay wrote a pile of famous songs which became huge for other artists(look him up and follow the dots!) This great work "The House Of Blue Lights" for Atlantic Records in 1969 is an absolute killer!
Born in Mississippi and later based in Los Angeles these fella's got their start in Gospel in The 1950's. In '66 a storm started and the Chambers Brothers soon epitomised the hard rockin' soul funk sound of the 1970's...NO DULL MOMENTS and still today as fresh and vital as a fucking daisy decades later! Crank this fucker up! RESPECT ! 💕💣👽
Manhattan, N.Y. funk legend Jimmy Castor got his start in Doo wop acts in the late 1950's. In 1972 this hard funk killer "It's Just Begun" (debut album) was released on the RCA label. In Canada the track "Troglodyte (Cave Man)" from this LP made it to Number 1 in the charts and in the USA # 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The whole record is smokin' !
The piano work from McCoy Tyner is prominent throughout and in a weird way to me at least, provides a grounding of melody (although of course, whacked at times). The piano acts as a frame for the onslaught and keeps Ascension from being completely off the rails! This is essential Coltrane released by #ImpulseRecords in 1966
February 10, 2026 #BlackHistoryMonth Day 10 . CharlieRouse 's "Two Is One" LP released on Strata-East Records is a true, funky soul-jazz wet dream! . Recorded in 1974, released in '75, the record features among others; Stanley Clarke on electric bass, legendary drummer David Lee, percussionist Airto Moreira and guitarist Paul Metzke. This LP is exceptional and a MUST listen !!!
Born out the civil rights movement of the 1960's, Spiritual Jazz became embraced as a vehicle of the deepest expression celebrating culture and religion amongst the African-American population in the USA. IMHO two of the greatest labels that sprang out of the genre in the early 1970's were Strata-East and Tribe Records. Tribe were based in Detroit and were a collective of local musicians. "A Message From The Tribe" is the inaugural release from 1973 and brilliantly defines the label. It is a benchmark for the incredible music that followed in the scene with all of the Tribe releases in the 70's worth their weight in gold! They are all must hear records!
The exceptional Ohio, USA born, free/spiritual jazz group The Pyramids are beyond the pale. Leader Idris Ackamoor is near untouchable as a creator and still goes strong to date at age 75! The albums recorded and released in the 70's are essential! His new albums with The Pyramids still follow the true path to higher elevation and are top shelf. The video in the link is insane and is a must see and hear. My heart, soul and brain are so positively moved by their message, creativity and existence....💕👽
"The Last Poets are a group of poets and musicians, rising from the late 1960s African American civil rights movement. Jalaludin M. Nuriddin, an Army paratrooper who chose to go to jail instead of fight in the Vietnam War, founded the group in prison after converting to Islam and performing the "spoken word" to a rhythmic beat." "This Is Madness" was the groups 2nd LP appearing in 1972 and is a politically charged giant! The Last Poets are the true originators of Hip Hop! Essential listening 💣💕👽
LOVE
In 2012 #HighNoonRecords announced an official release by Arthur Lee and his band LOVE that nobody had ever owned. Recorded and shelved in...."Black Beauty", the never-before-released masterpiece by Arthur Lee’s legendary band Love is making its first-ever official release in any format, anywhere! Chosen as one of Time Magazine’s most anticipated releases, critics are hailing the album as an instant classic. Black Beauty is that rarest of rock artifacts: an un-released, full-length studio album, from an undisputed musical genius
American jazz drummer Steve Reid sat on the throne behind Ornette Coleman, James Brown, Fela Kuti, Sun Ra, Martha Reeves, Freddie Hubbard, Dionne Warwick, to name a few. Reid served time in prison in the late 60's/early70's as a conscientious objector (Vietnam war). In 1974 he began an incredible journey which saw him unleash a dozen brilliant albums with himself as the driver. Prior to is death in 2010 he made a handful of these LPs with #KeiranHebden (#FourTet) ALL WICKED! The "Live at the South Bank" double LP set with #MatsGustafsson was hands down one of my personal faves of of 2011 (released posthumously) The LP pictured here is from 1976 called "Rhythmatism" and it's a killer!
American trumpeter who had a long and prolific career. Was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and after leaving that group, sank his teeth into being band leader. In the late 60's Byrd really embraced the jazz-funk thing and made a string of killer LPs in that vein. "Black Byrd" #BlueNoteRecords from 1972 was framed by "Ethiopian Knights" and "Street Lady", so if you know, you know.
I remember reading an article about Fela way, way back in the mid 1970's in Time magazine. The article was fascinating and thrilling to me. A musician, super politically active, a commune, raided by the army, jail, many wives and Ginger Baker !!?? I hunted that particular LP down and it blew me away. During the 80's and 90's I dove deeper into not only Kuti's discography but that of the Afrobeat genre in general of which Fela is often credited as being the Godfather of. Suffice to say he is more than worth a deep dive and for sure read about him in detail. Start here with this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fela_Kuti .
I think it's so wicked that Fela Kuti was awarded posthumously a Lifetime Achievement Award and just a couple of weeks ago. It's also the first time ever that a Grammy has been awarded to an African artist !!! The LP pictured is 1973's "Afrodisiac and is a total funky MONSTER !!!
settled in San Francisco taking up the saxophone and at the same time became a top rated disc jockey on underground FM radio station, KSAN. Roland formed the improvisation ensemble, Infinite Sound that recorded a groundbreaking album in 1974 for 1750 Arch Records entitled INFINITE SOUND. His legendary 1st solo recording ISOPHONIC BOOGIE WOOGIE was released in 1980 on his Flow Chart Record label. Relocating to New York later in the 80's he performed with many renowned composers, performers and dancers, joined the Offs and produced their “First Record” on 415 Records. His entire recorded catalogue is wicked. The track in the link is taken from his album entitled "Mystiphonic" on #EMrecords from 2013.
Tony played drums for Miles Davis. Tony made a batch of killer LPs under his own name. The band on "Turn It Over" from 1970 is John McLaughlin, Jack Bruce, Larry Young...nothing more to say...Proof of POWER is hearing this and many other albums from Tony Williams ! RESPECT !
Solidarity Unit, Inc were an offshoot of BAG (Black Artists Group), based in St. Louis, Missouri. A 10 member collective lead by drummer Charles "Bobo" Shaw with Oliver Lake, Joseph Bowie and others, this ultra rare free jazz LP (1972) was recorded in concert on the day Jimi Hendrix died and dedicated to him. The album features off the chart guitar histrionics from Richard Martin who lends and over the edge ferocity to the affair. ULTRA KILLER!
Buddy Miles was an American Funk and Rock drummer who had an illustrious career which included playing with Wilson Pickett, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, John McLaughlin and many others! Buddy was a founding member of the legendary Electric Flag and had a slew of his own records, the best of which are from the period of the late 60's through the mid 70's. These LPs predominately issued on the Mercury record label are all still findable and normally inexpensive! Well worth hearing for sure !
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Don L. Lee was raised in Detroit. He changed his name to Haki R. Madhubuti after a trip to Africa in 1974. Renowned as the founder of Third World Press, Lee is globally respected as an author, educator and poet. His LPs "Rise Vision Comin" 1976 and "Nation" 1984 are absolute killers and MUST hears ! Deep, Spiritual Jazz at it's very best !!!
Absolute stone cold killer and the lone LP 1972 from East Coast USA's Bobby Hamilton and his combo. A stellar jazz-funk-psych fusion work that should have been HUGE IMHO. Grooves galore and superb arrangements made "Dream Queen"(original run of 500 copies), a genre benchmark of the times!
Chicago biggies lead by Maurice White, who have sold nearly 100 million albums since 1971!! Their first 5 albums are excellent Funk-Soul monsters of the time. "The Need Of Love" (1971: 2nd LP that year) is a fave of mine. Not so big on anything post 1974 as they changed once largely embraced by the global mainstream. To each their own and enough said.
Free Jazz-Fusion behemoth and not a guitar in sight. New York at The Fillmore East in 1970 with Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Steve Grossman, Airto, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette. 14 of the LPs released under Miles's Trumpet between 1969 and 1977 with loads of different ace personnel are untouchable for the prowess and playing within the grooves. Show me better, I dare you...
"The Godfather of Soul" James Brown and one of roughly 13 or so albums from my fave period of 1970-1975. Despite being critically dissed by a number of critics, "Get On The Good Foot" had a 17 week run on the charts. Typical tough funk for Brown and his band and chock full of groove and floor fillers with a few soul ballads for good measure.
Really excellent, deep soul-jazz LP off the east coast USA from 1975. A rare private pressing that the UK label Universal Sound resuscitated in 2012. Strachan (pronounced "Strawn), leads a 10 piece group through the 9 tracks on this record as composer, guitarist and pianist. "Soul Translation: A Spiritual Suite" is up there alongside anything on the Tribe and Strata-East labels for sure! A sold trip...
Dynamic and much loved husband and wife team who made a shitload of wicked music together between 1958 and 1976. Ike was a bit of a shithead with regard to his treatment of Tina, which is brutal 100% but there's no denying the fires they lit musically. Tina has one of the all-time greatest voices IMHO and Ike was a master musician, composer and arranger. The period of their greatest work for me was between 1968 and 1973 encompassing roughly 12 LPs and 6-8 are essential. Tough and rockin' R&B, Soul, Blues and Funk! Just wicked ! "Outta Season" is a killer album and the cover is a superb political statement.
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