Acid Jazz/Funk Jazz 1973-1978 Recommendations

Entering a new jazz phase. I'm looking for some groove based jazz. Similar to Grover Washington Jr or something like Lonnie Liston Smith.

 

Bump

 

Herbie Hancock - Headhunters, Thrust, Manchild
Brecker Brothers
Weather Report (anything with Jaco on bass)

 

You might want to check out the Legends Of Acid Jazz series on Prestige. Beware of some of the worst artwork I've ever seen. The series is filled with jams like this:

 

I'd like to recommend the following:

Idris Muhammad - Power Of Soul
Donald Byrd - Places And Spaces
Herbie Hancock - Flood
Bob James - Touchdown
Johnny Hammond Smith - Gears
Ronnie Laws - Pressure Sensitive
Bobbi Humphrey - Fancy Dancer
Roy Ayers - Mystic Voyage
Ramsey Lewis - Sun Goddess
Deodato - Love Island
Joe Farrell - Canned Funk

There's a lot more that I like, but those are some great albums right off the top of my head you may enjoy.

 

Thanks for the recommendations, puffyrock2!
I really like the Johnny Hammond Smith "Gears" and Ramsey Lewis "Sun Goddess" albums you mentioned.
Any more to recommend if I like these? (I discovered also "Salongo" by Lewis. Great!)

 

Thanks y'all.

 

Big John Patton. Look for the albums he did with Grant Green....some tasty grooves to be sure.

 

Get the compilation "Move to Groove".

 

I really dig the Johnny Hammond Smith album from 1974 called Higher Ground.

Another vote for Herbie Hancock's Headhunters and Flood.

Oh, and Weather Report - Mysterious Traveler!!!! Amazing stuff.

 

Check out pretty much anything on the CTI or KUDU record labels from the early/mid 70's. Funky fusion for days, hip-hop producers made careers off these records in the early 90's.

 

And we can't forget Roy Ayers Ubiquity, some of the best music of the genre:

 

Can't forget this one either, amazing that Donald Byrd's career spanned hard bop to straight up funk...

 

One last choice, another straight jazz player who got with the groove in the 70's. This is a certified Acid Jazz dancefloor mover:

 

There is a lot of good stuff on this collection too:

 

Anything/everything on Sonny Lester's Groove Merchant label.

Everything by Donald Byrd in the '70s.
Everything by The Crusaders in the '70s.
Everything by Ramsey Lewis in the '70s.
Everything by Dr.Lonnie Smith.
Everything by Roy Ayers in the '70s.
Sit On It by Jimmy Smith - pretty different from what you'd expect from him.

...and many more!

Anything on East Wind or Black Jazz labels, if you're into something off the radar

You could also check Passport from Germany.

 

Herbie Hancock - V.S.O.P
This is a live album, featuring three of Hancock's bands. The first group is essentially Miles Davis' second quintet but with Freddie Hubbard on trumpet. This is straight up jazz not fusion. The second group is his first electric fusion group, more space music than full blown funk. The third group is his then current, post-Headhunters funk band. If you like your fusion funky, this is the sh!t.

Jimmy Smith - Root Down
Another live recording. The organ maestro with a small group of funk players. It reminds me in some ways of Curtis/Live! (even though it's an instrumental jazz album not a vocal soul album); something about the stripped back approach. No horns. Wah-wah guitar, bass, drums, congas. Killing it. (I know you are a big Marvin Gaye fan. Former Marvin sidemen 'Wah-wah' Watson and Ray Parker Jr play on this:really funky, tasteful players, and taken out of Motown and placed in a jazz setting they have more room to shine.)

Edit: just noticed your timeframe. The Jimmy Smith is 1972, but I still think it's worth a listen.

 

Might be a few years after 1978 for these 2 albums, along with his other JAZZ-FUNK albums but:

 

Trumpeter Eddie Henderson's leader-dates all through the 70's were pretty fantastic. He was in Herbie Hancock's Headhunters, and had a style informed by Miles' electric-era playing. Highly recommended!

 

Any of the red-listed tracks at the following link:
Jazz-Funk/Fusion Albums from the United States - Rate Your Music »