The J.b.'s

' The JB's grab at a piece of the disco market that made Van McCoy a solo star with this production. It's excellent throughout despite James Brown's subdued arrangements on some songs. "(It's Not the Express) It's the JB's Monaurail," usually a six-minute song, rambles for over eight. Fred Wesley's funky trombone peppers "All Aboard the Soul Funky Train" (an update of "Night Train"). "Transmograpfication" is similar to jazz trumpeter Eddie Henderson's crossover attempts on his Sunburst and Realization albums. "Thank You for Letting Me Be Myself and You Be Yours" is better than the title, with a Dyke and the Blazers-type vocal that sets it right.' Andrew.Hamilton@allmusic.com

' This album is a 'mutha' like James Brown would probably say! Tight jam after tight jam, concluding to the tightest, which has been hinted towards the whole records with snippets of the track - "You Can Have Watergate Just Gimme Some Bucks And I'll Be Straight". It has an insane groove, which in turn explains, why it has been sampled so much. If you dig downright dirty and deep funk, get this @avax for free! ' sirherbert@discogs.com (rated 5/5)

"The J.B.'s recorded under various billings in the early '70s, including The J.B.'s, Fred Wesley & the J.B.'s, The new J.B.'s, Maceo & the Macks, The First Family, the Last Word, and others. This double CD gathers 30 of the prime tracks by all of the above configurations from the first half of the '70s, including all nine of their chart hits and quite a few rare singles and long versions." RichieUnderberger@allmusic.com

In addition to backing Brown on stage and on record during this era, the J.B.'s also recorded albums and singles on their own, sometimes with Brown performing on organ or synthesizer. Their albums were generally a mixture of heavy funk tracks and some more jazz-oriented pieces. They scored a number of chart hits in the early 1970s, including "Pass the Peas," "Gimme Some More," and the #1 R&B hit, "Doing It to Death". Credited to "Fred Wesley & the J.B.'s", "Doing It to Death" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in July 1973. Nearly all of their recordings were produced by Brown and most were released on his own label, People Records. Like most of James Brown's music, the J.B.'s recorded output has been heavily mined for samples by hip hop DJs and record producers.

' After growing frustrated with James Brown's fleeting focus, and a decline in the popularity of the sound the original JB's left to join George Clinton's "Parliament". James Brown continued to tour with differing versions of the J.B.'s, including a late-'70s outfit dubbed the J.B.'s International, but for all intents and purposes, the true J.B.'s no longer existed. This is the last of the James Brown produced JB's Albums. However, though mainly written and produced by James Brown this record is more disco-orientated. It's an absolute must for people who want to discover another aspect from these funkmeisters. ' source: discomusic.com

The Jazz Club series is an attractive addition to the Verve catalogue. With it's modern design and popular choice of repertoire, the Jazz Club is not only opened for Jazz fans, but for everyone that loves good music.