Thanks for the opinions. And more please!
I'm going to probably get all these eventually but am torn for now.
If it helps form opinions...
Leon Thomas who sings on at least one track on Archie Shepp's album is perhaps best known for being the singer on Pharoah Sanders' The Creator Has A Master Plan but everything I've heard him do is great. I have two Shepp albums I'm absolutely crazy about, but one that I think is only so-so.
I don't own anything by Leroy Hutson and think I really should so that one which is often called his best is mighty tempting. In case you don't know him by name, he replaced Curtis Mayfield as leader singer of the Impressions when Mayfield went solo and later went solo himself. He also was the co-songwriter of Donny Hathaway's "The Ghetto"
The Buddy Miles could be fantasic or just ok (the short samples -- which are hard to judge by -- weren't that great)...seems like the biggest gamble of the four but I do note that its a limited edition, numbered release so it could go out of print. I'm still kicking myself for not picking up those Crazy Horse and Eddie Hazel limited editions that are both now out of print and fetching ridiculous prices on ebay so maybe I should make this one a priority if I'm going to get it. And if you think you've never heard Buddy play before, you probably have. He has a long and distinguished resume including being the drummer on Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland. Strange that the blurb I copied didn't mention this, but Hendrix actually produced this album and wrote the liner notes.
Vicki seems like the safest bet and is probably awesome but on the otherhand I already own a lot from the James Brown camp. I've been using that excuse for a long time though for putting things ahead of this, and I do really want it.
I was planning on only getting one of the above along with:
Clayton Downie "Black Slavery Days"
[img][300:300]http://www.dustygroove.com/images/products/d/downie_clay_blackslav_101b.jpg[/img]
Quote:
Legendary, militant roots numbers from the golden age of reggae, recorded in '75, but first issued on the NYC Clappers label in 1980, and like many Clappers releases, just about impossible to get in any form for years. Clayton Downie’s productions showcase dubwise four JA groups, the Skulls, Mercenaries, Arrow and the Original Survivors, with backing by red hot luminaries like Horsemouth Wallace, Junior Dan, Chinna Smith, Augustus Pablo, Robbie Shakespeare, plus Vin Gordon, Herman Marquis and Bobby Ellis on blazing rebel horns. Heavy only hints at the deep vein they're mining here, 10 tracks in all: "Black Slavery Days", "9 To 5 Dub", "Third World", "Third World Shuffle", "Seek Fire", "How Can A Man Dubwise", "Come Away Jah Children", "Theme For Ras G", "Old Broom" and "Beautiful Land (JA)".
I have a cd-r of this and its incredible. The rip was straight from vinyl though and I'd really like to upgrade.
&
James Mason "Rhythm of Life"
[img][300:300]http://www.dustygroove.com/images/products/m/mason_james_rhythmofl_101b.jpg[/img]
Quote:
Amazing! This is one of the greatest lost fusion albums ever -- and every track is a masterpiece! The album was originally cut for the tiny Chiaroscuro label in 1977 -- and it's got a sound that's unlike anything else we can think of. Strident jazz riffs meet soulful female vocals; soaring keyboard lines spiral out over tight funky drumming; and the whole thing grooves mightily with a production style that's incredibly well-handled. This album's a must for fans of spiritual soulful jazz -- like the classic 70s work of Roy Ayers and Leroy Hutson -- but it's also got a unique voice that's totally its own, and totally compelling. Titles include the breakbeat classic "Funny Girl", the monster groover "Sweet Power Your Embrace", the funky "Slick City", and the massive "Free" -- but every cut's a winner. This is the kind of album that makes us proud to be in business!
I'm wondering now whether to subsitutute out and get more than one of the first four.