Various Artists - R&B Scene / Various - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Funky soul from Witchita, Kansas - an unlikely locale, but home to some really great music - courtesy of the Smart brothers, and their ultra-hip club! This wonderful entry in the Eccentric Soul series from Numero really brings that lost scene to life - telling the tale of the brothers, their club, and some of the wickedly funky artists that graced their stage - a host of obscure groups, singers, and instrumentalists who really made Kansas cook, back in the day! The groove here is plenty darn hard - as raw as some of the best funky 45s you might find from points north, warmed up with occasional southern soul elements - and always produced with rough-and-ready vibe that gets to the heart of the grit right away. The set comes with a beautiful 28 page booklet - filled with vintage photos, in support of the Smart story, told by Dante Carfagna and Rob Sevier - but even without this added feature, the CD itself would be wonderful - essential listening for fans of all things funky!

UK two CD collection. Dust My Rhythm & Blues is the first of this series, devoted to the R&B recordings released on Modern Record's third major subsidiary, Flair, between 1953 and 1956. Originally Modern's Hillbilly and Country imprint, after nine releases in that field, the Biharis switched Flair over to R&B - which is where our story begins. 50 tracks. Ace.

The third in Numero's Eccentric Soul series traces the roots of disco back to 1964 via a troop of marching misfits.