A guitarist worshipped by Jimi Hendrix, an insanely good falsetto singer that even Prince looked up to, an author heavily involved in the American civil rights movement and a top-tier songwriter: Curtis Mayfield was a man of many talents. His groovy symphonies helped form solid links between funk, jazz, blues, soul and traditional gospel. After making his name with The Impressions in the 60s, he embarked on a solo career in 1970. This box set named Keep On Keeping On contains the singer’s first four studio albums, each remastered in Hi-Res 24-Bit quality: Curtis (1970), Roots (1971), Back to the World (1973) and Sweet Exorcist (1974). Here, the rhythm'n'blues enjoy a second life, supported by a wah-wah guitar, careful percussion and an always airy string section. Every topic concerned is a mini-tragedy, socially engaged, anchored in traditional gospel music. The masterful arranging of these albums (especially his masterpiece Curtis, and Roots) can be considered rivals to Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On. It is worth mentioning that this 1970-1974 box set does not include the soundtrack to Superfly, Gordon Parks Jr.’s 1972 film which contains the singles Pusherman and Freddie’s Dead. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz

The choice of Curtis Mayfield to score the blaxploitation film Super Fly was an inspired one. No other artist in popular music knew so well, and expressed through his music so naturally, the shades of gray inherent in contemporary inner-city life. His debut solo album, 1970's Curtis, had shown in vivid colors that the '60s optimist (author of the civil-rights anthems "Keep On Pushing" and "People Get Ready") had added a layer of subtlety to his material; appearing on the same LP as the positive and issue-oriented "Move On Up" was an apocalyptic piece of brimstone funk titled "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go." For Super Fly, Mayfield wisely avoids celebrating the wheeling-and-dealing themes present in the movie, or exploiting them, instead using each song to focus on a different aspect of what he saw as a plague on America's streets. He also steers away from explicit moralizing; through his songs, Mayfield simply tells it like it is (for the characters in the film as in real life), with any lessons learned the result of his vibrant storytelling and knack of getting inside the heads of the characters. "Freddie's Dead," one of the album's signature pieces, tells the story of one of the film's main casualties, a good-hearted yet weak-willed man caught up in the life of a pusher, and devastatingly portrays the indifference of those who witness or hear about it. "Pusherman" masterfully uses the metaphor of drug dealer as businessman, with the drug game, by extension, just another way to make a living in a tough situation, while the title track equates hustling with gambling ("The game he plays he plays for keeps/hustlin' times and ghetto streets/tryin' ta get over"). Ironically, the sound of Super Fly positively overwhelmed its lyrical finesse. A melange of deep, dark grooves, trademarked wah-wah guitar, and stinging brass, Super Fly ignited an entire genre of music, the blaxploitation soundtrack, and influenced everyone from soul singers to television-music composers for decades to come. It stands alongside Saturday Night Fever and Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols as one of the most vivid touchstones of '70s pop music.© John Bush /TiVo

Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote the book on Southern rock with their first album, so it only made sense that they followed it for their second album, aptly titled Second Helping. Sticking with producer Al Kooper (who, after all, discovered them), the group turned out a record that replicated all the strengths of the original, but was a little tighter and a little more professional. It also revealed that the band, under the direction of songwriter Ronnie Van Zant, was developing a truly original voice. Of course, the band had already developed their own musical voice, but it was enhanced considerably by Van Zant's writing, which was at turns plainly poetic, surprisingly clever, and always revealing. Though Second Helping isn't as hard a rock record as Pronounced, it's the songs that make the record. "Sweet Home Alabama" became ubiquitous, yet it's rivaled by such terrific songs as the snide, punkish "Workin' for MCA," the Southern groove of "Don't Ask Me No Questions," the affecting "The Ballad of Curtis Loew," and "The Needle and the Spoon," a drug tale as affecting as their rival Neil Young's "Needle and the Damage Done," but much harder rocking. This is the part of Skynyrd that most people forget -- they were a great band, but they were indelible because that was married to great writing. And nowhere was that more evident than on Second Helping.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

You Get More Bounce with Curtis Counce! is smooth, well-played post-bop. Recorded by Contemporary Records' great West Coast engineer Roy DuNann, and first released in 1957, this reissue features the original title and cover art, as well as improved sound courtesy of an all-analog remastering by Bernie Grundman from the original tapes. It's music for a cocktail party jazz crowd for whom the progressive talents of the era like Charlie Parker, Lee Morgan and Thelonious Monk may have been too raw and inexplicable.  The slightly cool jazz benefits from Carl Perkins' underrated piano playing and tenor saxophone great Harold Land, creating a likable if unambitious program of standards that nob towards the cutting edge.  Parker's "Big Foot"—in which everyone improvises a solo—becomes an effective vehicle for Land. Irving Berlin's "How Deep is the Ocean" proceeds at a languid, some might say, sexy pace. The uptempo "Mean to Me" opens with trumpeter Jack Shelton stating the theme before Land enters with a swinging, full-bodied solo. Sheldon returns and Perkins solos in a performance that could be called "be-Bop for the masses." No envelopes being pushed here but a pleasing listen all the same. © Robert Baird/Qobuz

Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote the book on Southern rock with their first album, so it only made sense that they followed it for their second album, aptly titled Second Helping. Sticking with producer Al Kooper (who, after all, discovered them), the group turned out a record that replicated all the strengths of the original, but was a little tighter and a little more professional. It also revealed that the band, under the direction of songwriter Ronnie Van Zant, was developing a truly original voice. Of course, the band had already developed their own musical voice, but it was enhanced considerably by Van Zant's writing, which was at turns plainly poetic, surprisingly clever, and always revealing. Though Second Helping isn't as hard a rock record as Pronounced, it's the songs that make the record. "Sweet Home Alabama" became ubiquitous, yet it's rivaled by such terrific songs as the snide, punkish "Workin' for MCA," the Southern groove of "Don't Ask Me No Questions," the affecting "The Ballad of Curtis Loew," and "The Needle and the Spoon," a drug tale as affecting as their rival Neil Young's "Needle and the Damage Done," but much harder rocking. This is the part of Skynyrd that most people forget -- they were a great band, but they were indelible because that was married to great writing. And nowhere was that more evident than on Second Helping.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

The first solo album by the former leader of the Impressions, Curtis represented a musical apotheosis for Curtis Mayfield -- indeed, it was practically the "Sgt. Pepper's" album of '70s soul, helping with its content and its success to open the whole genre to much bigger, richer musical canvases than artists had previously worked with. All of Mayfield's years of experience of life, music, and people were pulled together into a rich, powerful, topical musical statement that reflected not only the most up-to-date soul sounds of its period, finely produced by Mayfield himself, and the immediacy of the times and their political and social concerns, but also embraced the most elegant R&B sounds of the past. As a producer, Mayfield embraced the most progressive soul sounds of the era, stretching them out compellingly on numbers like "Move on Up," but he also drew on orchestral sounds (especially harps), to achieve some striking musical timbres (check out "Wild and Free"), and wove all of these influences, plus the topical nature of the songs, into a neat, amazingly lean whole. There was only one hit single off of this record, "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Down Below We're All Going to Go," which made number three, but the album as a whole was a single entity and really had to be heard that way.© Bruce Eder /TiVo

Caruso, Pavarotti, Mario Lanza and many others have all succumbed – with more or less success − to the charms and spells of southern popular songs, filled with sunlight, liveliness and joy of life. Dazzling Latvian mezzo soprano Elīna Garanča takes her shot at this tradition with her first “non-classical” album, released under the Yellow Label of Deutsche Grammophon. Exploring a predominantly masculine repertoire, she masterfully proves music has no barriers and that joy belongs to everyone.Living in the Canary Islands, Elīna Garanča has selected a few pearls, not necessarily the rarest, from the Spanish repertoire, as well as some works from Italy and Latin America, with bespoke arrangements often prepared by her husband and conductor Karel Mark Chichon, who leads the Philharmonic Orchestra of Gran Canaria for this performance. The result is a commingling of songs and extracts of zarzuelas and tangos, including Yo Soy Maria by inevitable and dear Astor Piazolla.The perfect opportunity to experience Elīna Garanča’s irresistible velvety voice and her God-given ability to sing anything with the same enthusiasm. The purity of her vocal line and ability to alter her tone to match the repertoire bestow a new dimension to these popular miniatures, and contribute to slimming, almost abolishing the boundary between opera and popular music. © François Hudry/Qobuz

Curtis Harding has said that his third album is inspired by something his mother—a gospel singer who introduced him to music by Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples—used to say: "Give me my flowers while I'm still here." So he decided to pour out his love and appreciation, via song, for the people he loves before it's too late. Sometimes, that takes on a romantic bent: Bobbing along on rubber-band bass, "The One" finds Harding crooning, "Baby I'm the one/ Baby I'm the one/ Baby I'm the one you need," horns ascending along with him. Other times, it's for family, friends and community. "Hopeful" is a gorgeous, gospel-soul number, in the spirit of the Staples Singers, with majestic strings and a psychedelic breakdown. "Evolution of change to pulsate the mind state/ It's not impossible for our mission to succeed/ You ask 'Are we chosen?'/ I'll say 'Indeed,'" Harding sing-raps. "All the things that cause casualty to your soul/ Let it go/ Most of all be hopeful." Since his 2014 debut, Harding has been like a breath of fresh air, borrowing from garage rock, gospel, blues and, especially, the psychedelic soul of the Temptations and Isaac Hayes, to create something new that feels familiar without leaning too retro. (Leon Bridges also does this well.) Harding calls it "slop 'n' soul," as in the messy bits hogs are fed. "Can't Hide It" lays down a funk riff and insistent drums to go with a Curtis Mayfield style chorus and breakdown. The album's title track will raise the hair on your neck, it's so alive with bright trumpet and sax, and a choir that sounds as big as Up With People. "Explore" stretches out on a bed of slow-cruise drums, dirty sax and mid-century futuristic synth, Harding luxuriating in the cool R&B with Eddie Kendricks-style falsetto lines. He adopts an Auto-Tune rap for "So Low," which opens with spacey synth and a trilling flute that, later in the song, does backflips. "Where's The Love" snaps like the Temptations. "It's a Wonder" simmers in a bath of moody strings and dark, shadowy bass. And the gentle folk-and-soul rocker "Forever More" finds both Harding and the high trumpet parting the clouds like beacons of light. © Shelly RIdenour/Qobuz

On Soul Power (a Qobuzissime record!), Curtis Harding confirmed that modern soul and groovy R&B suit him well. With his first album in January 2015, this flamboyant outsider came to join a family that already included Aloe Blacc, Mayer Hawthorne, Jamie Lidell, Myron & E, Nicole Willis, Lady and Nick Waterhouse, among others... A native of Atlanta, a former backing singer for Cee Lo Green and close to Cole Alexander from the Black Lips, Curtis Harding is striking, both for the eclecticism that he has to offer, and for the ease with which he moves from a love ballad to a funky up-tempo work that verges on Southern soul rock. With his Curtis Mayfield, Aloe Blacc and Shuggie Otis-like melodies, this second album is no less groovy, but a little smoother and with a little more by the way of guitar. Produced by Danger Mouse, Face Your Fear alternates between soul gorged on gospel, and more psychedelic ambiances. But despite this vintage atmosphere that brings a hefty whiff of the seventies, Harding has brought a touch of modernity to make this record an intoxicating cocktail of past and present. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz

More than a decade into their career, Medeski, Martin & Wood continue to expand their sound. This time out, they've enlisted John King (Dust Brothers, Beck, Beastie Boys) as producer and engineer, and he brings a left-field pop sensibility to the table without ever sacrificing the personality and energy of the band. OK, it's not really "pop," but the songs themselves are less overtly "out" than the last couple records despite some wicked, nasty, wonderful tones. The new sound is a thick one, with lots of different layers and perhaps the largest keyboard arsenal ever assembled. On the first track alone, "Anonymous Skulls," you can hear just about every keyboard sound known to man, but it never gets too busy or claustrophobic. In fact, it's almost like the overdubbing process made them more aware of the tunes themselves rather than just the playing, making the songs particularly focused. It's easy to tell this is MMW, with Chris Wood's rich basslines, John Medeski's often percussive virtuosity, and Billy Martin's easily identifiable beats, but all the different layers and bits of ear-candy details really add a new element to the sound. There's also the fairly prominent use of Mellotron, which adds great texture, especially in the sometimes abusive hands of Medeski, who really demonstrates knowledge and mastery of every different keyboard and keyboard style. Forsaking the plethora of guest stars of the last two albums, the only guests are Marc Ribot (on four tracks) with the Sex Mob horns (Steven Bernstein and Briggan Krauss) joining on one of those. Ribot plays with perhaps his thickest, most distorted tone on record on "New Planet," and really lets it rip on "Queen Bee." End of the World Party (Just in Case) is probably the most intricately assembled of the MMW records, but the grooves are still unshakable and the bottom line is that they're still a great band. The fact that they continue to push their sound, even enlisting an almost mainstream "rock" producer to spice things up, is almost a victory in itself in the generally too-safe world of jazz, but the real success is that they keep putting out great records. This is no exception.© Sean Westergaard /TiVo

Recorded in front of an enthusiastic audience and released just one week before Curtis' murder in 1971, Live at Fillmore West is a brilliant confirmation of the saxophonist's place in popular music. Backed up by Atlantic's top session men, as well as Billy Preston and the Memphis Horns, Curtis rips through some of the biggest hits of the day, transforming them into showcases for his soulful playing and the group's outstanding rhythmic interplay. Beautiful renditions of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" and "I Stand Accused" are highlights, but it's full-throttle rockers like "Changes" and "Memphis Soul Stew" that comprise the heart of the album. Curtis occasionally gets lost in the mix, but it doesn't matter; with so much great music going on, you probably won't notice.© Jim Smith /TiVo

Innovative jazz guitarist John Scofield has always utilized the languages of rock, blues, and R&B, from his earliest recordings for Enja and Gramavision through his tenure with Miles Davis. At the end of the 20th century, he indulged them more fervently on 1998's A Go Go with Medeski, Martin & Wood, and with a larger cast on 2000's Bump. But the first Überjam album, issued in 2002, employed funky jazz grooves that stretched all those musics with improvisational discovery. Up All Night followed, using mostly the same band but with added horns to fine effect. A decade later, Überjam Deux reunites the guitarist with guitarist/sampler Avi Bortnick and drummer Adam Deitch from the original unit, and bassist Andy Hess (from Up All Night). John Medeski guests on half-a-dozen cuts; drummer Louis Cato appears on four. With a core band so familiar with one another, Scofield is able to take his relentless curiosity far and wide. Bortnick is a wonderful rhythm guitarist; his fat-chord vamps and biting, single-line fills on either guitar or keyboards offer Scofield a fitting foil, that’s as integral as his own guitar or as the rhythm section to the mix. Bortnick's electronic loop and sample work is equally imaginative. Check the opener "Camelus," where his chunky, soulful four-chord vamp adds ballast to the rhythm section, but also a wiry harmonic center for Scofield. Medeski makes his presence heard on the reggae number "Dub Dub," where his organ comes whispering out of the ether of the implied melody, and adds another dimension to the smoky, head-nodding experience. "Cracked Ice" is jazz-funk at its very best, with Deitch and Hess firing away at the pocket and stretching it for Scofield to move along its ledge. "Al Green Song" may have been written by the guitarist, but it has Willie Mitchell and its subject's feel all through it, via beautiful interplay between Scofield and Medeski. "Scotown," with its Motown bassline, and dynamic chorus, is irresistible. These two tracks are 21st century soul-jazz with an exclamation point. "Toprero" is angular, fusion-like funk with smoking breaks by Deitch, while "Curtis Knew" is a ballad where Scofield tenderly suggests Curtis Mayfield's singing voice in his melody. The only cover here is the Main Ingredient's "Just Don't Want to Be Lonely." Here, while Scofield stays faithful to the spirit of the soul original in both his melodic statement and solo, Bortnick's rhythm guitar suggests later interpretations that have made it a reggae standard as well, creating a new hybrid of breezy yet intuitive invention. For those wary of a band that can re-assemble after a decade and still be vital, Überjam Deux should convince them otherwise; it's not only a logical extension of its predecessor, but despite its relaxed presentation, it is wonderfully creative in its pursuit of heart of the almighty groove.© Thom Jurek /TiVo

The title is intended in an ironic way, as illustrated not only by the cover -- a grim parody of late-'40s/early-'50s advertising imagery depicting white versus black social reality -- but the grim yet utterly catchy and haunting opening number, "Billy Jack." A song about gun violence that was years ahead of its time, it's scored to an incisive horn arrangement by Richard Tufo. "When Seasons Change" is a beautifully wrought account of the miseries of urban life that contains elements of both gospel and contemporary soul. The album's one big song, "So in Love," which made number 67 on the pop charts but was a Top Ten soul hit, is only the prettiest of a string of exquisite tracks on the album, including "Blue Monday People" and "Jesus" and the soaring finale, "Love to the People," broken up by the harder-edged "Hard Times." The album doesn't really have as clearly delineated a body of songs as Mayfield's earlier topical releases, but it's in the same league with his other work of the period and represents him near his prime as a composer.© Bruce Eder /TiVo