Best of Perception & Today Records compiled by DJ Spinna and BBE Soundsystem

When songwriter/producer Jimmy Curtiss founded Perception in the late ‘60s, he envisioned it as a home for underground rock 'n' roll and as a vehicle for his own songwriting ventures. This changed drastically in 1970, when Curtiss hired an ambitious young songwriter named Patrick Adams to be his chief A&R man. Though only 20, Adams had deep connections in the Harlem club circuit. His signings—which included tough-minded funk outfit The Fatback Band, teen soul sensations Black Ivory, and a host of other acts—quickly turned Perception into one of New York’s finest soul and jazz imprints. This collection compiles 38 gems released on Perception and its subsidiary Today between 1970 and 1974. It’s a remarkably diverse set, featuring everything from the straight-ahead funk of Debbie Taylor’s “Too Sad to Tell" to the airy bossa soul of Brazilian chanteuse Astrud Gilberto, who turns in a bubbling version of Jorge Ben’s anthemic “Take It Easy My Brother Charlie.” Also included are some landmark jazz-funk cuts by the likes of Tyrone Washington and Joe Thomas, plus a few interesting spoken-word pieces by Wanda Robinson.