Mister Magic

Excellent Collection Featuring Lonnie Liston Smith, Brecker Brothers, Ronnie Laws, Maze, Jean Carne, Grover Washington Jr & Many More. Amazon Review by Olukayode Balogun: This is without a doubt, the best jazz funk compilation I've ever bought. I went after it because I wanted Ramsey Lewis's version of the Grover Washington, Jr tune, "Sassy Stew", featuring the legendary sax player himself. It appears on Lewis's 1982 live album "Live At The Savoy" but I couldn't find that on CD anywhere for love or money.

Ahead of what would have been Fred Rogers 95th birthday on March 20, GRAMMY® and Emmy winning music producer Dennis Scott is preparing to reissue a special deluxe version on March 17 of the 2019 album, Thank You, Mister Rogers: Music & Memories, his second recorded collection of Fred’s original music by way of Bob Frank Distribution & The Orchard (orcd.co/ThankYouMisterRogers) and ThankYouMisterRogers.com.
Originally released in 2019, the album features recordings from music icons like Micky Dolenz, Sandi Patty, Vanessa Williams, Jim Brickman, Jon Secada, Lee Greenwood, Rita Wilson, Tom Bergeron, The Cowsills, Jaci Velasquez, Kellie Pickler, Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. The new deluxe reissue will include a newly recorded version of “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” by singer-songwriter and guitar virtuoso Parker Hastings, along with artist interviews, and track commentary.

Esther Phillips was an American singer, best known for her R&B vocals. She was a versatile singer and also performed pop, country, jazz, blues and soul music. In 1975, she released a disco-style update of Dinah Washington's "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes", her biggest hit single since "Release Me". It reached the Top 20 in the United States and the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart. The accompanying album of the same name became her biggest seller yet, with arranger Joe Beck on guitar, Michael Brecker on tenor sax, David Sanborn on alto sax, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Steve Khan on guitar and Don Grolnick on keyboards.

The Big Payback is a 4CD box set of rare soul and funk released in 1998 by Clubmasters. It consists of 10 songs on each disc, featuring the works of Syl Johnson, Eddie Bo, Chuck Carbo, and Nu Sound Express, a few of which have been sampled over the years in hip-hop. Many of these recordings are sourced from vinyl.

Alongside the same trio, bassist Michael Palazzolo and drummer Billy Kilson, that made 2018's critically-acclaimed Espresso album, Feel Like Making Live! captures James performing a career-spanning selection of material live in the studio.

Earlier work by Marvin also figures on Motown Funk Volume 2, including “Closing Jimmy’s.” This was part of the original score from Trouble Man, the 1972 so-called “blaxploitation” movie for which Gaye wrote and produced the soundtrack music. Motown Funk Volume 2 will be available exclusively through participating Record Store Day retailers as a 2LP set on colored vinyl. In addition to two tracks by Gaye, the artists featured include the Commodores, Stevie Wonder, Edwin Starr, Eddie Kendricks and the Undisputed Truth. The set’s compiler, Johnny Chandler, describes its contents as “funky soul, jazz, ’60s, ’70s and even some early ’80s ‘new’ funk courtesy of the Dazz Band’s ‘Let It Whip’.”

2018 release. Bob James, the Grammy Award-winning jazz keyboardist, arranger, record producer, record executive, and founding member of Fourplay, returns with Espresso, his first solo-led project in 12 years.

Bob James-Grammy Award-winning Jazz keyboardist, arranger, record producer, record executive, and founding member of Fourplay, returns with a new album, Espresso, his first solo-led project in 12 years. Album tunes, penned by James, reflect the same inventiveness and musical fluency that persuaded Quincy Joines to become his mentor and champion back in 1963. His expressiveness through both writing and performance permeates the rocking minor-key blues of "Bulgogi," the definitive cool jazz of "Topside," the funk strut of "Submarine," the whispered beauty of "Promenade," the turbulent, more complex yet supremely listenable "Mojito Ride" and every other moment on Espresso. The Bob James Trio is complete with drummer Billy Kilson and bassist Michael Palazzolo.