CORNELL DUPREE — Teasin' (1974-2014) RM | Fusion Best Collection 1000 Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Though he had been a key session player for Atlantic since the late 1960s, guitarist Cornell Dupree was finally given the opportunity to record his own date for the label in 1974. Teasin' was co-produced by Mark Meyerson and Michael Cuscuna. Dupree's band for the date was made up of ace session players including drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, bassist Chuck Rainey, percussionist Ralph MacDonald, his fellow Stuff co-founder Richard Tee on keyboards, and saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman. Other horn players on various tracks include Joe Farrell, Ernie Royal, Jon Faddis, Joe Newman, Ernie Royal, Seldon Powell, and Garnett Brown. Given Dupree's pedigree, there's an unmistakable Southern Texas vibe on the set, although it was recorded in New York. It's most notable in the appropriately named "Blue Nocturne," the gospel-flavored "What Would I Do Without You," the rocking "Feel All Right," and the T-Bone Walker-influenced "Okie Dokie Stomp" (Walker was one of Dupree's biggest influences). But the guitar player's jazz-funk side gets plenty of play, too, evidenced the grooving title cut, "How Long Will It Last," and even the Caribbean-tinged "Jamaican Lady." The arrangements on these latter tunes recall the CTI sound quite a bit but are, as a whole, punchier and somewhat more dynamic. This is a feel-good date to be sure, but it features stellar musicianship, good charts, and excellent soloing from Dupree and Newman
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist
1    Teasin' 3:54
Written-By – Curtis Ousley, Delaney Bramlett
2    Blue Nocturne 5:15
Written-By – Curtis Ousley
3    Jamaican Lady 3:52
Written-By – Chuck Rainey, Cornell Dupree
4    Feel All Right 3:18
Piano – Paul Griffin
Written-By – Curtis Ousley
5    How Long Will It Last 3:21
Written-By – Eric Gayle
6    What Would I Do Without You? 5:47
Piano – George Stubbs
Written-By – Ray Charles
7    Okie Dokie Stomp 2:47
Written-By – Plummer Davis
8    Plain Ol' Blues 8:12
Written-By – Cornell Dupree
Credits
Arranged By [Horns] – Chuck Rainey (tracks: 1 to 3), Richard Tee (tracks: 4 to 8)
Baritone Saxophone – Seldon Powell (tracks: 4 to 8), Trevor Koehler (tracks: 1 to 3)
Bass – Chuck Rainey
Drums – Bernard Purdie
Guitar, Sitar – Cornell Dupree
Keyboards – Richard Tee (tracks: 1 to 3, 5, 7, 8)
Percussion – Ralph MacDonald
Saxophone [All Solos] – David Newman
Tenor Saxophone – David Newman (tracks: 1 to 3), Joe Farrell (tracks: 4 to 8), Seldon Powell (tracks: 1 to 3)
Trombone – Garnett Brown
Trumpet – Ernie Royal (tracks: 4 to 8), Joe Newman, Jon Faddis (tracks: 1 to 3)

BOBBI HUMPHREY — Fancy Dancer (1975-2008) RM | Blue Note Rare Groove Series | Two Version | APE (image+.cue), lossless + FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The third and final collaboration between flutist Bobbi Humphrey and Larry Mizell also marked the end of Humphrey's five-album run with Blue Note Records. Humphrey began recording with Larry and his brother Fonce (who provides arrangements and plays clavinet and trumpet here) in the aftermath of Donald Byrd's Black Byrd, the collaborative jazz-funk effort that resulted in a massively successful (and influential) commercial breakthrough for the trumpeter and the label. While not as well known as her Blacks and Blues album, her stellar debut with the pair from 1973, Fancy Dancer is every bit its aesthetic equal. The Mizells lined up a serious crew of studio aces for the date, including trumpeter Oscar Brashear; trombonist Julian Priester; Tyree and Roger Glenn on saxophone and piano, respectively; pianists Skip Scarborough and Jerry Peters (who were part of an army of them on this date); drummer Harvey Mason; bassist Chuck Rainey; and even the great Dorothy Ashby on harp. Recorded at their Sound Factory studio in Los Angeles, Fancy Dancer is a seamless collection of seven tracks that cruise the distance across soulful fusions of funk, Latin grooves, electric jazz, and gauzy vocal choruses that offer a hint as to what the underground dancefloor scenes of Los Angeles and New York were offering in at the predawn of the disco era. Humphrey's flute playing feels effortless as she hovers around and plays through the layers of spacy keyboards, shimmering rhythmic pulses, and seductive textures provided by lilting voices, hand percussion, and breaks. The set comes popping out of the gate with the glorious "Uno Esta," featuring bank upon bank of warm bubbling keyboards, roiling basslines, and hand drums courtesy of Mayuto Correa's congas. Craig McMullen and John Rowin contribute some bright chunky guitars, and Larry lays a fine horn chart in the cut as Humphrey begins the first of three solo breaks. When the chorus comes in, the rhythm shifts; the vibe get funkier but never loses the sheen and polish in the mix.

Following this is the stunning Chuck Davis number "The Trip." Commencing with a cut-time funk break, wah-wah guitars, and three different synth harmonic lines all painting a nocturnal spaced-out groove, Humphrey begins to play fills around and through them. A Rhodes enters and the drums become more pronounced in the mix, just as a guitar begins to play contrapuntal fills under her flute. This is one of the greatest tracks in her catalog because it is simultaneously dreamy and sensual and offers enough head-nodding funk to seduce an army. The title track feels more laid-back at first with its gentle chorus. But some flipped-out psychedelic soul finds its way through in waves of Latin percussion that build a shelf under Roger Glenn's vibes break, which in turn sets up Humphrey's burning flute solo prefiguring a salsa piano line and furious hand drumming in syncopated grooves. "Mestizo Eyes" is a steamy, lusty babymaker with simmering, ratcheted intensity as Rainey's fat-bottom electric Fender bassline belies the chunky wah-wah guitars and synth strings and Dorothy Ashby's harp floats through the center. A chorus of male voices softly chants the title and Humphrey goes to town, rhythmically undulating her solo through the entire mix. There isn't anything approaching a middling moment here -- this is all killer, no filler. Jazz critics may have had their troubles with this set, but no one cared; Humphrey and the Mizells were creating a new kind of largely instrumental funk that was inclusive of everything they could weave in from world music to soul-jazz to club music to pop -- and the public responded.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1 Uno Esta 6:40
Arranged By – Fonce Mizell & Larry Mizell
Written-By – L. Mizell
2 The Trip 5:36
Arranged By – Chuck Davis, Skip Scarborough
Piano – Chuck Davis
Written-By – C. Davis, D. Jones
3 You Make Me Feel So Good 6:12
Arranged By – Fonce Mizell & Larry Mizell
Written-By – F. Mizell-L. Mizell
4 Fancy Dancer 5:42
Written-By, Arranged By – Jerry Peters
5 Mestizo Eyes 4:49
Arranged By – Fonce Mizell & Larry Mizell
Written-By – L. Mizell-F. Mizell, W. Jordan
6 Sweeter Than Sugar 4:20
Whistle – James Carter 
Written-By, Arranged By – Chuck Davis, Skip Scarborough
7 Please Set Me At Ease 6:05
Arranged By – Fonce Mizell & Larry Mizell
Written-By – F. Mizell-L. Mizell, Ruby Mizell
Credits :
Arranged By [Background Vocal] – Larry Mizell, Fonce Mizell
Bass – Chuck Rainey
Clavinet, Synthesizer [Solina], Trumpet – Fonce Mizell
Conductor – Fonce Mizell, Larry Mizell, Sigidi
Congas – Mayuto Correa
Drums – Harvey Mason
Flute, Vocals – Bobbi Humphrey
Guitar – Craig McMullen, John Rowin
Harp – Dorothy Ashby
Marimba, Vibraphone – Roger Glenn
Piano, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Clavinet – Skip Scarborough
Piano, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Synthesizer [Arp] – Jerry Peters
Piano, Synthesizer [Solina, Arp], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Larry Mizell
Tenor Saxophone – Tyree Glenn, Jr.
Trombone – Julian Priester
Trumpet – Oscar Brashear
Vocals – Augie Rey, Bobbi Humphrey, Fonce Mizell, Jesse Acuna, Katherine Lyra, Larry Mizell, Rosario Davila, Sónia Tavares

HERBIE MANN - Push Push (1971-2014) RM / Jazz Best Collection 1000 - 1 / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Flutist Herbie Mann opened up his music on this date for Push Push (and during the era) toward R&B, rock and funk music. The results were generally appealing, melodic and danceable. On such songs as "What's Going On," "Never Can Say Goodbye," "What'd I Say" and the title cut, Mann utilizes an impressive crew of musicians, which include guitarist Duane Allman and keyboardist Richard Tee. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    Push Push 9:55
Electric Guitar – Duane Allman
Written-By – H. Mann
2    What's Going On 4:12
Written-By – A. Cleveland, M. Gaye, R. Benson
3    Spirit In The Dark 9:25
Written-By – A. Franklin
4    Man's Hope 6:54
Arranged By – Herbie Mann
Written-By – H. Mann
5    If 4:29
Written-By – D. Gates
6    Never Can Say Goodbye 3:32
Written-By – C. Davis
7    What'd I Say 4:55
Written-By – R. Charles
- Bonus Track -    
8    Funky Nassau 4:54
Written-By – R. Munnings, T. Fitzgerald
Credits :
Bass – Chuck Rainey (faixas: 1, 2, 6), Donald "Duck" Dunn (faixas: 4, 5), Jerry Jemmott (faixas: 3, 7, 8)
Drums – Al Jackson Jr. (faixas: 4, 5), Bernard Purdie (faixas: 1 To 3, 7, 8)
Electric Piano – Richard Tee
Flute – Herbie Mann
Flute [Alto] – Herbie Mann (faixas: 1, 2, 4 To 6)
Guitar – Cornell Dupree (faixas: 1, 2, 6), David Spinozza (faixas: 3 To 5, 7, 8), Duane Allman
Guitar [Solo] – David Spinozza (faixas: 4), Duane Allman (faixas: 1 To 3, 5 To 8)
Harp – Gene Bianca (faixas: 2, 6)
Organ – Richard Tee (faixas: 1, 2, 6)
Percussion – Ralph MacDonald
Piano – Richard Tee (faixas: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6)