‘Essential Vinyl.’

‘From 1970, the first Lightmen LP pre-dates the deep-set, maverick jazz issued by the likes of Tribe and Strata East. Mostly groove-based and cohesive, though pushing further out than you might expect from later Lightmens.’ A young Ronnie Laws is here, on the verge of hooking up with Hugh Masekela, and then Earth Wind & Fire; stylistically light years away from Pressure Sensitive, his breakout for Blue Note, in 1975. Also Bubbha Thomas on drums, Doug Harris on tenor sax, Carl Adams on trumpet, Kenny Abair on guitar, and Joe Singleton on trombone.

‘Classic Vinyl.’

Unmissable LP from 1973; round about the same time as Coffy.
Murderously pimped versions of Ain’t No Sunshine and Papa Was A Rolling Stone open and close. There is a slinky, bubbling go at Aretha’s gorgeous Day Dreaming, and the classy, tricky jazz-funk of Cocoa Butter. Not to mention the Pan-African title track: stone-cold-killer, energising, utterly essential Roy Ayers funk.

His swansong, in 1962, setting his warmly bluesy, swooping beseechments within the new jazz bossa sound. With Willie Bobo on drums. Kenny Burrell is superb.

Their 1961 Sue Records debut, including I Idolize You and A Fool In Love, plus ten more sides from the same period.

Cornerstone, fully-matured Ubiquity runnings from 1976, with classics like the killer Searching, The Memory, One Sweet Love to Remember, and the laid-back, atmospheric title track. Beloved by the hip hop nation; flipped by luminaries like A Tribe Called Quest, Dilla, Dre, and Common.

Mr Pitiful at his most powerful, with the MGs in 1965.

It’s a Christmas album but fear ye not. It’s from the same six months as How Insensitive and Now Hear This, with Airto running between these sessions and the recording of Bitches Brew. Try the grooving opener, with DP alternating on piano and celeste.