Good King Bad
Artist: George Benson

The R&B elements get stronger, the sound and mix are more attuned to the dancefloor, yet this brings out the best in George Benson's funky side. Thanks in part to the more rigid beat, Benson pares down his style to its rhythmic essentials, refusing to spray notes all over the place at random, and as a result, the record cooks and dances. His... Read More

Free as the Wind
Artist: The Crusaders

There's a terrific reason why the triple-CD Crusaders retrospective The Golden Years included six of Free as the Wind's eight tracks -- the material. Indeed, side one of the LP version may be the strongest single side of original tunes that the band ever put together. It opens with Joe Sample's driving, tense title cut, and flows flawlessly... Read More

Chain Reaction
Artist: The Crusaders
Community Score: 6.50

One of the tastiest concoctions of the mid-'70s jazz-fusion era, Chain Reaction finds the Crusaders at the top of their form. The compositions are both accessible and memorable, and the playing is uniformly excellent. Guitarist Larry Carlton delivers some of his finest licks and funkified rhythm work. Wayne Henderson shows there is a place in... Read More

Heavy Weather
Artist: Weather Report
Community Score: 7.88

Weather Report's biggest-selling album is that ideal thing, a popular and artistic success -- and for the same reasons. For one thing, Joe Zawinul revealed an unexpectedly potent commercial streak for the first time since his Cannonball Adderley days, contributing what has become a perennial hit, "Birdland." Indeed, "Birdland" is a remarkable... Read More

The Three
Artist: Joe Sample

This Japanese East Wind LP (which was made available domestically on the now-defunct Inner City label) features pianist Joe Sample, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Shelly Manne exploring five jazz standards plus Sample's "Funky Blues" in purely straight-ahead fashion. One of Joe Sample's finest sessions as a leader, this obscure outing is... Read More

Swing Street Café
Artist: Joe Sample

This album is one of keyboardist Joe Sample's more interesting solo dates. He pays tribute to vintage R&B with performances of such soulful tunes as "Hallelujah, I Love Her So," "Rockhouse," "C.C. Rider" and "After Hours." Assisted by guitarist David T. Walker, bassist James Jamerson, drummer Earl Palmer and several horn players (including tenor... Read More

Electric Guitarist
Artist: Jon McLaughlin
Inner Worlds
Artist: Mahavishnu Orchestra
Community Score: 2.00

The state of the second Mahavishnu Orchestra continued to be volatile in 1975, with violinist Jean-Luc Ponty out, keyboardist Gayle Moran replaced by Stu Goldberg, and all string and horn backings removed, leaving just a steaming quartet and this lone remarkable album. The addition of Goldberg, a more interesting musician than Moran, is... Read More

Sunburst
Artist: Eddie Henderson

Switching over to Blue Note, which was then reaping a fortune with Donald Byrd's R&B outfit, Eddie Henderson pursued a harder, earthier, more structured, funk-driven sound on his first album while maintaining some of his marvelously spacier instincts for spice. Henderson continued to keep several components of the Herbie Hancock Septet together,... Read More

Street Life
Artist: The Crusaders

Although the Crusaders could not have known it at the time, their recording of "Street Life" (which features a memorable vocal by Randy Crawford) was a last hurrah for the 20-year old group. Their recordings of the next few years would decline in interest until the band gradually faded away in the 1980s. However this particular set is well worth... Read More

Browne Sugar
Artist: Tom Browne

Straight fusion set by trumpeter Tom Browne, replete with double-tracked vocals and songs heavy on backbeats and light on solos. Everything is nicely played, and the album did do moderately well on charts and with Adult Contemporary audiences. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide Read More

The New Boss Guitar
Artist: George Benson

George Benson was only 21 when, on May 1, 1964, he recorded his first album as a leader, The New Boss Guitar of George Benson. At that point, the guitarist had yet to become a huge name in jazz, although many of those who knew Benson for his work with Jack McDuff's group (which he joined in 1962) agreed that he showed great potential. Benson... Read More