Rhino continues with their admirable excavation of the Atlantic vaults with this, their second round of some of the label's '60s jazz highlights. In the spotlight are such instrumental heavyweights as Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Eddie Harris, Charles Mingus, Hank Crawford, and Yusef Lateef, and on the vocal end there's fine work by Betty Carter and Mose Allison. Yes, this album might have a tough time competing with similar collections from the Blue Note and Impulse! imprints. But then again, those labels would be hard-pressed to come up with a selection as varied as this: From the truly idiosyncratic Ellington musings of Kirk ("Creole Love Call") to a taste of Aquarius age jazz by Charles Lloyd ("Dreamweaver: Meditation/Dervish Dance"), this 14-track disc truly runs the '60s jazz gamut.

Thanks to the 1970s and '80s soul jazz movement and its 21st century counterpart, acid jazz, the Hammond B-3 organ has shown a remarkable ability to survive and adapt to changing musical trends – all without changing its swirling, pulsing tone one little bit. The Hammond Street anthology from Acid Jazz mixes in tracks from a couple of veteran B-3 players like Jimmy McGriff and Reuben Wilson with tracks from newer combos, and even though these newer groups cover songs like Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," what is immediately obvious here is how much a B-3 sounds like a B-3 no matter what kind of clothes you drape over it. Highlights include the hard-charging "Itchy Feet" by the Past Present Organisation (which opens the disc), the ragged and energy-overloaded "Clubtown" by the Trashmonkeys, McGriff's "Ain't It Funky" (which indeed it is), and Wilson's "Sugar," a classic piece of soul jazz.

Funky Unkle is a high-energy, Spokane Washington-based funk band. An 8-member (give or take) supergroup composed of talented musicians hailing from some of our city's favorite local acts, Funky Unkle features tight horn lines and danceable grooves that keep people moving throughout their electric live performances. Influenced by groups such as Lettuce, Polyrhythmics, Snarky Puppy, and other similar artists, Funky Unkle hopes to continue spreading their love of funk to the Pacific Northwest and beyond with their debut album, FUNKLE!

As its title portends, Black Velvet boasts a smooth, rich texture absent from O'Donel Levy's subsequent Groove Merchant sessions - its mellow, stoned-soul sensibilities nevertheless complement the guitarist perfectly, affording him the space to weave a series of righteously beautiful solos. Like so many Groove Merchant efforts, the album relies far too much on the pop charts for material - pap like "You've Made Me So Very Happy," "I'll Be There," and "Theme from Love Story" turns up like bad pennies - but the arrangements are lovely, spotlighting contributions from organist Charles Covington, reedist Fats Theus, and trumpeter Billy Skinner. Levy also proves himself a composer of some distinction, contributing a pair of charming originals, "Granny" and "Nature's Child."

Dawn of a New Day expands the Baroque funk horizons introduced on the brilliant Breeding of Mind, O'Donel Levy's previous collaboration with arranger Manny Albam. A bigger, bolder effort, Dawn's panoramic sound also borrows much from blaxploitation cinema. Joined by collaborators including trumpeter Cecil Bridgewater and organist Charles Covington, Levy's remarkable leads seem to cut and paste elements from across the history of jazz guitar, most closely recalling the lean, mean genius of Wes Montgomery and Grant Green. His solos are graceful yet muscular, each note crackling with energy. The material here is also excellent, sidestepping the usual Groove Merchant soul and pop warhorses in favor of material including "Maiden Voyage" and "People Make the World Go Around." Levy's originals are also strong, in particular the title cut.

Breeding of Mind pairs guitarist O'Donel Levy with arranger Manny Albam for a genre-defying set that embraces elements of jazz, funk and baroque pop - the end result is soulful and sublime, couching Levy's uncommonly expressive tone in a series of bold, lush contexts that underline the sophistication of his craft. Backed by bassist Eric Ward, organist Charles Covington and drummer Chester Thompson, Levy transcends the limitations of Groove Merchant warhorses like "Never Can Say Goodbye" and "We've Only Just Begun" with aplomb, winnowing deep inside their familiar melodies to reveal new layers of loveliness, but Breeding of Mind is undoubtedly best served by originals like "Cherries" and "The Chocolate Horse," which address contemporary funk sensibilities with remarkable imagination and intricacy.

Simba is one hot album of funky soul-jazz. O'Donel Levy had played with Richard "Groove" Holmes and Jimmy McGriff on other albums for producer Sonny Lester's Groove Merchant label, and even had one released under his own name (Black Velvet), but this was something different. Black Velvet had a couple Levy originals, but relied heavily on cover tunes. For Simba, Lester brought in Manny Albam to supply both the tunes and the arrangements, and it makes all the difference in the world. The songs are catchy and funky, and play to Levy's strengths as a player. The arrangements are fantastic, played by a who's who list of '70s session men (including a young David Sanborn and Tony Levin, who throws down throughout)…

Following on the heels of George Benson's crossover blockbuster Breezin', Windows casts O'Donel Levy in the same mainstream, fusion-inspired mold, complete with vocals. To Levy's credit, the album never feels like a sell-out bid, and if anything, the mellow context underscores the chromatic beauty of his singular guitar aesthetic. With its bold, lush arrangements, the album at times boasts a cinematic splendor calling to mind the blaxploitation sound. Inasmuch as funk is ever subtle, Windows is ripe with nuance and resonance, yet never falls prey to the sleepiness of smooth jazz.

Purists who've followed Scott over the years may balk at such a commercial collection, but the music is as fun as the guys who are playing it, so who can argue? Scott wrote only two of the nine songs, and interestingly enough, "Desire" and "We Belong Together" are the least exciting tunes, thought they mellow out the pace a bit. Covers of the Average White Band's '74 hit "Pick up the Pieces," Buddy Miles' song as the energetic title cut, Earth, Wind & Fire's brassy "Serpentine Fire," and Coltrane's bluesy "Dahomey Dance" are party tunes all the way, and this band featuring L.A. clubbers Barnaby Finch, Pat Kelley, and Tim Landers help the expressive Scott bring the passionate funk to life.

British crossover jazz, funk, and pop outfit Shakatak are a sophisticated ensemble who have enjoyed a long career. With a sound steeped in contemporary jazz and R&B, they found success with both instrumental albums and pop vocal productions. Formed in London in 1980, Shakatak originally featured keyboardists Bill Sharpe and Nigel Wright, guitarist Keith Winter, bassist Steve Underwood, and drummer Roger Odell. The group quickly scored an underground hit with its debut single "Steppin'." Collection includes: Invitations (1982); Down On The Street (1984); City Rhythm (1985); Street Level (1993).

Banda Black Rio is a Brazilian musical group from Rio de Janeiro that was formed in 1976. It has a repertoire based on funk but also including samba, jazz and Brazilian rhythms.

Cory Wong is an American guitarist, songwriter and producer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has released several works as a solo artist and in partnership with others. His background spans several genres including jazz. He has performed with Vulfpeck, Stay Human and Chris Thile. His most recent album, Elevator Music for an Elevated Mood, was released in 2020.

"Flamagra" is the 6th studio album by American record producer Flying Lotus. It was released on May 24, 2019, by Warp Records. It is his first album since 2014's You're Dead! The lead single, the spoken-word "Fire Is Coming" featuring David Lynch, was released along with its video on April 17, 2019. The album also features contributions from Anderson Paak, George Clinton, Little Dragon, Tierra Whack, Denzel Curry, Shabazz Palaces, Thundercat, Toro y Moi and Solange.

The Best of the Love Unlimited Orchestra collects 15 tracks by Barry White's groundbreaking instrumental support outfit. Their sound as assembled by White – thick layers of sweet strings, pulsing beats, chunky wah-wah guitars, plus tinkling piano and gently swelling horns – played a huge role in creating the blueprint for disco, not to mention countless porn soundtracks. In addition to backing White and his female protégées Love Unlimited, the Love Unlimited Orchestra also made their own recordings, naturally with White at the helm. Although they recorded up to 1983, their commercial heyday lasted from 1974-1977, when they charted regularly on the pop, R&B, and disco/club listings. They even scored a number one pop hit right out of the box with 1974's "Love's Theme," a watershed record in the history of disco. That's here, of course, plus the Orchestra's other chart hits: "Satin Soul," "Rhapsody in White," "Forever in Love," "My Sweet Summer Suite," "Bring It on Up," and their theme from the 1977 remake of King Kong.