Totally obscure, utterly beguiling and shockingly relevant to today's music scene, this 1971 pairing of guitarist Ernie Calabria and soul singer Barbara Massey is a good example of why reissue labels exist. Prior to this recording, Calabria had played on sessions for Harry Belafonte, Nina Simone and Anita Carter, while Massey had sung backup for Jimi Hendrix, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock and Cat Stevens among others. With those influences, the duo made exactly the kind of album you might expect a funky, folky (!), psychedelic soul gem graced with a stellar list of sidemen (e.g. Joe Beck and Keith Jarrett) that vanished without a trace in the more stratified world of early '70s music retail. Nowadays, of course, the record's mix-and-match blend of styles sounds amazingly current thanks in part to disco pioneer Eumir Deodato's orchestrations and its oft-sampled sound has won devotees from the jazz, soul, psych and funk factions of crate diggers worldwide. Nevertheless, this Real Gone release marks its first legitimate release on CD, with added liner notes by Pat Thomas. For starters, check out the slow-burning version of Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody to Love" you're gonna fall instantly in love with this album.