Returning to the formula of his classic Hi albums, Al Green assembled a fine collection of originals and covers for Truth N' Time. Although Green is in good voice, and his version of "Say a Little Prayer" is impressive, the album feels a bit like a holding pattern, simply repeating ideas that were more fruitful the first time around. Given the generally listless nature of Truth N' Time, and the way Green sounds vaguely uninterested in the material, it's not a surprise that it was his last secular record for a very long time.

Patrice Rushen's Watch Out was the singer/songwriter/producer's sole Arista album. The playful, upbeat title track single was a Top Ten R&B hit. The production duo of Jerry Knight and Aaron Zigman (the Jets, Natalie Cole's Everlasting) contributes the crystalline ballad "Somewhere," which was a popular radio-aired LP track, and the peppy, charting follow-up single "Anything Can Happen." Other tracks to watch out for are the cute, mid-tempo "All My Love"; the tasty slow jam "Till She's out of Your Mind"; the tumbling, funky third single "Come Back to Me"; and the rollicking "Tender Lovin'."

Maysa holds unique status in the world of R&B/Jazz. Her incomparably lush, sensuous vocals have garnered her legions of loyal, loving fans. As featured vocalist of the UK super group Incognito, core member of Stevie Wonder's Wonderlove and, of course, through her own albums and concerts, Maysa has been thrilling R&B and Jazz audiences for decades. Blue Velvet Soul is far and away the most sensuous and heartfelt recording of her brilliant career. Maysa thrills us with a stirring rendition of Quiet Fire a loving tribute to her mentor and role model Nancy Wilson that will leave you breathless.

The final offering from the magical collaboration between Al Green and producer Willie Mitchell, Have a Good Time found the dynamic duo in the midst of a creative crossroads. Green had just purchased a church and was looking to pour his energies into his congregation and his newly appointed title of Reverend. While the message and tones of religion aren't as obvious on Have a Good Time as they were on Full of Fire, they still do make appearances here and there. But it wasn't just a change in Green's life that made Have a Good Time so distinct from the earlier classics; it was also the changing shift in cultural tastes (thanks in no small part to the emergence of disco to the forefront of America's collective dance consciousness)…

Full of Fire is the second to last '70s effort that Al Green co-produced with Willie Mitchell. While much of Green's previous work (I'm Still in Love With You, Call Me, Al Green Explores Your Mind) spotlighted Green's skill at doing songs filled with romance and longing, on Full of Fire he's more concerned with his burgeoning religious nature. Although that may seem slightly boring, the album is better structured and, as a whole, comes off even better than Al Green Is Love. The first track, "Glory, Glory," sneaks in religion so deftly that even Willie Mitchell probably didn't even get it until the track was done. One of the few romantic tracks, the sweet and old-fashioned "Always," has him coming in soft with much charm…

A fabulous assortment of artists from different areas of the rock genre give a glorifying tribute to Curtis Mayfield in a sparkling 17-song package. Gladys Knight, Stevie Winwood, Lenny Kravitz, Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, The Isley Brothers, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Phil Collins, Stevie Wonder, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Tevin Campbell, Narada Michael Walden, Repercussions, Branford Marsalis.

Al Green was the first great soul singer of the '70s and arguably the last great Southern soul singer. With his seductive singles for Hi Records in the early '70s, Green bridged the gap between deep soul and smooth Philadelphia soul. He incorporated elements of gospel, interjecting his performances with wild moans and wails, but his records were stylish, boasting immaculate productions that rolled along with a tight beat, sexy backing vocals, and lush strings. The distinctive Hi Records sound that the vocalist and producer Willie Mitchell developed made Al Green the most popular and influential soul singer of the early '70s, influencing not only his contemporaries, but also veterans like Marvin Gaye. Green was at the peak of his popularity when he suddenly decided to join the ministry in the mid-'70s…

Funk legend Maceo Parker is to release his first new studio album in 8 years. Soul Food - Cooking with Maceo will be released on 26 June, 2020 and will be the first album on the Mascot Label Group new imprint, The Funk Garage.

This Sony UK entry in the Original Albums Classics series contains five Boz Scaggs recordings; one of which is a true classic, two more which should be, and two more middling albums. These are the remastered versions of these recordings. The inarguable standout in the pack is the legendary Silk Degrees album from 1976, which includes, as bonus cuts, three live versions of tunes on the album’s track list: “What Can I Say,” It’s Over,” and “Jump Street.” Two very important recordings in Scaggs’ catalog that are included here both preceded Silk Degrees: Moments, issued in 1971, reveals (whether he admits it or not) Van Morrison’s influence on the singer and songwriter…

Although the title of the new recording from impromptu trio Jeff Lorber, Chuck Loeb and Everette Harp is ‘Jazz Funk Soul’, what it actually provides is top-notch jazz-fusion of the sort that aficionados had despaired of ever experiencing again. Make no mistake this is contemporary jazz of the highest order and certainly the most interesting release of the year so far. However, considering the pedigree of those involved this is hardly surprising.

When an act called Sisters Love were offered a cameo in the blaxploitation film The Mack, their manager suggested that Willie Hutch do the soundtrack. It came to be one of the great '70s film scores, including a pair of classic funk tunes, "Brothers Gonna Work It Out" and the title cut. The results proved to be another soundtrack that far surpassed the quality of its film.

Columbia's 1998 collection of Earth, Wind & Fire's Greatest Hits in many ways stands as the group's definitive compilation. Even though there have been more extensive overviews of the group's work, such as the triple-disc set The Eternal Dance, this is the first collection to contain all of the group's biggest hits on one disc. All but one ("Love Music") of the ten songs from 1978's The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire are included, while six of the ten songs from The Best Of, Vol. 2 are featured; the remaining two cuts on the 17-track collection are the minor early single "Kalimba Story" and the album cut "Gratitude." These are fine additions to the album, but the true meat of the collection lies in the hits – "Shining Star," "That's the Way of the World," "Sing a Song," "Getaway," "Got to Get You Into My Life," "September," "Boogie Wonderland," "After the Love Has Gone," "Let's Groove," and so many others. They might not be presented in chronological order (the only flaw in this otherwise flawless collection), but it's a sheer delight to have all of the hits on one terrifically entertaining and valuable disc.