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Released in 1980 just as George Clinton's P-funk empire had reached the brink of its existence, Bootsy protégé Roger Troutman proved himself a worthy successor with Zapp's self-titled debut album and its subsequent two follow-ups. In actuality, Zapp originally was a branch of the Parliament/Funkadelic collective, as group leader Roger Troutman was originally signed to Clinton's short-lived CBS subsidiary, Uncle Jam Records. After Troutman completed the album with CBS' money, Clinton's help, and Bootsy's production, Warner Bros. stepped in, offered Roger a considerable sum of money, and slyly bought the album -- leaving a distressed Clinton with no Zapp album for his shaky boutique label. Propelled by the dancefloor smash "More Bounce to the Ounce," the album quickly became a considerable hit. It was here that Troutman first defined the vocoder-laden funk aesthetic that would become his trademark for the remainder of his career. In addition to the near ten-minute "More Bounce," the album also featured "Be Alright," another epic jam that slowed down the funk to a smoked-out, almost ballad-like tempo (both songs would later fuel numerous early-'90s West Coast rap hits via sampling). Of the remaining four songs, "Funky Bounce" and "Brand New Player" also stand as perennial standouts, further affirming Troutman's dense funk aesthetic. Later Zapp albums would have their moments, but this debut is absolutely solid from beginning to end, in addition to being the foundation from which Troutman would base all later work, and with "More Bounce to the Ounce" and "Be Alright," it houses two of the best moments in '80s funk. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide

Building upon the unprecedented success of Zapp's self-titled debut and group leader Roger Troutman's solo debut, The Many Facets of Roger, along with those two album's hit singles -- "More Bounce to the Ounce" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," respectively -- Troutman returned in 1982 with Zapp II, a strong album again propelled by a mammoth single, "Dance Floor." Outside of the infectious single, which topped the R&B singles chart, Troutman stuck to his patented formula of vocoder-laden funk on each of the album's other songs. There isn't anything new here that wasn't on Zapp or The Many Facets of Roger, just more of the same; of course, this isn't exactly a bad thing, as Troutman retreads familiar ground effectively. At this point in his career, Troutman wasn't short on ideas and was able to inventively lay down dense, carefree funk with ease -- in sum, there's literally no filler here, impressive when you consider his prolific output during this era. Not quite as fresh as the first Zapp album but still a great album for its era. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide

Recorded live for a radio broadcast on November 28, 1962 in Stefaniensaal, Graz Austria while Coltrane and his quartet were on tour in Europe. This is Coltrane and his “classic quartet”, one of the most famous jazz quartets of all time, featuring jazz all-stars McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones. This is the same line-up that would go on to record the seminal “A Love Supreme,” just two years later.

Coltrane can be heard here expanding his improvisations and reworking Trane standards like “Impressions” and “The Inch Worm,” a modal piece in the style of “My Favorite Things,” as well as his very personal interpretation of Cole Porter’s classic ballad “Everytime We Say Goodbye.”

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Co-produced and mostly co-written by Prince and Khan, and it's as funky as you could hope for: fat bass, gutsy horns (by the Hornheadz), solid riffs that somehow never sound derivative ("I'll Never Be Another Fool"), crazy touches like the title track's heavy breathing-meets-jazz piano. Studio gadgets are used to add interest and excitement, not as crutches or ploys for commercial acceptance. (In short, the record is everything New Power Soul wasn't, but that's a story for another day.) Khan's voice is always given plenty of room, and several tracks feature that "Wall of Chakas" vocal section than which there is nothing better ("This Crazy Life Of Mine"). There are also several choice ballads: "Remember U," "Journey 2 The Center Of Your Heart," which for some reason has been lying in Prince's vault for years. Larry Graham drops by on a remake of his hit "Hair," but stays in the background so that the track is a statement about individualism instead of just a bass showcase. Weak links are a cluttered remake of Prince's "Don't Talk 2 Strangers," and "Reconsider (U Betta)," a soothing jazzy number spoiled by a distractingly prominent snare. Queen Latifah adds incidental rapping to "Pop My Clutch," and some members of the New Power Generation turn up here and there, but most instruments are by That Purple Guy. --David Bertrand Wilson, WARR.org