Roy Lee Johnson & The Villagers (LP) franhealy-shoplifting complete with replica old-school style

complete with replica old-school style tip-on gatefold jacket

4 Loving You (It Ain't Easy)

" Portrait in Jazz was the first of four albums by the Evans/LaFaro/Motian team

and would go on to headline Glastonbury a year later

• Features Vanguard's iconic logo and "Recordings For The Connoisseur" tag line

Roy Lee Johnson & The Villagers (LP) franhealy-shoplifting complete with replica old-school styleDetails An unsung monster from the waning hours of the Stax empire, Roy Lee Johnson & The Villagers' eponymous LP is as funky as anything the label ever released. While its sound is unmistakably Stax its elegant yet earthy sensibility couldn't come from anywhere else the music expands on the formula via tight, hypnotic grooves and scorching guitar licks. The up tempo "I Can't Stand This Loneliness" is the unqualified highlight, but there's not a bum