Bargain Bins #02
Are you collecting records on a budget, but you still have the itch to do some digging? The BeatCaffeine Bargain Bins series will highlight three great records on a bi-monthly basis that can often be found for five dollars or less.
Follow the Bargain Bins Spotify Playlist to hear highlights from each of the records featured in this series.
The Pointer Sisters
Steppin’
(1975/ABC Blue Thumb)
Steppin’ was the fourth release (third studio album) from the Oakland-based sister quartet, and it represented a slight shift in to a more funkier R&B sound than their previous two breakthrough studio recordings. The album features some soulful funk tracks like “Going Down Slowly,” “Chainey Do,” and the chart-topping hit single “How Long (Betcha’ Got a Chick on the Side),” which is considered by many as one of the group’s overall greatest tracks. The record feature an incredible cast of backing musicians including funk guitar legend Wah Wah Watson, Herbie Hancock and two other members of The Headhunters, Bill Summers and Paul Jackson. A definite must-own for 70s funk fans!
The Ramsey Lewis Trio
Another Voyage
(1969/Cadet)
Another Voyage represents one of Ramsey Lewis’ funkiest electric sessions. The late sixties recording features Lewis on Fender Rhodes, Cleveland Eaton on electric bass, and Maurice White (prior to establishing Earth, Wind & Fire) on both drums and kalimba. The album includes a number of great jazz-funk tracks including “Bold And Black,” the backyard party jam “Do What You Wanna,” the soulful “If You’ve Got It, Flaunt It,” and mid-tempo groover “Uhuru,” which ranked #82 on BeatCaffeine’s Top 100 Jazz-Funk list. Another Voyage also includes a solid instrumental rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour.” Outside of maybe Lewis’s 1974 Sun Goddess album, this is arguably Ramsey Lewis’ best recording. You might see this record go for anywhere up to around $12, however I’ve come across is for less than $5 overa dozen times.
Michael Henderson
Solid
(1976/Buddah Records)
A great soulful cosmic funk effort from electric bassist and jazz fusion icon Michael Henderson, who is also well know for his collaborative efforts with Norman Connors, Johnny Taylor, The Dramatics, and on many of Miles Davis’ best electric recordings including Live-Evil, On The Corner, the Jack Johnson soundtrack, Get Up With It, Ife, and many others. Even though he has been heavily featured on many classic recordings since the early seventies, Solid is Henderson’s debut album under his own name, and also includes the bassist on vocals and guitar throughout the recording. Some of the highlights include the heavy funk cuts “You Haven’t Made It To The Top,” “Time,” and the title track “Solid,” however the track that is ultimately worth the price of admission is soulful jazz-funk vocal gem “Let Love Enter.” This classic track, which was recently reissued by Athens of The North on a forty-five release, is a great two-stepper that seems to get better each time you hear it.
BEATCAFFEINE BARGAIN BINS PLAYLIST
(This playlist will be updated monthly)
