Kay-Gees Master Plan: Complete Recordings 1974-78 CD

The Kay-Gees were a rambunctious funk outfit from Jersey City that laid down sweaty grooves perfect for the disco dance floors of the big city across the river. With a heavy debt to Kool Gang (whose Robert and Ronald Bell were the older brothers of main Kaye-Gee and lead guitarist Kevin "Amir Bayyan" Bell ), the band rocked horn-heavy workouts punctuated by party-people-style group vocals, dirty guitar licks, and jazzy instrumental excursions.

The double-disc MASTER PLAN compilation from the OUTTA SIGHT soul reissue series collects a generous 33 tracks from throughout the group's brief career, including the disco staples "You've Got to Keep On Bumpin'," "Master Plan," and "Hustle Wit Every Muscle." Progressing chronologically and featuring all three of the group's LPs, this is a perfect introduction to the Kay-Gees, and quite possibly the definitive and final statement on them as well.

Kay-Gee's: Kevin 'Amir Bayyan' Bell (guitar); Peter 'Ibrahim' Duarte (alto saxophone); Ray Wright (flugelhorn); Kevin Lassiter (keyboards); Michael Cheek (bass guitar); Callie Cheek (drums); Wilson Beckett (bongos); Dennis White.

Personnel: Dennis White (vocals, flute, tenor saxophone, percussion); Peter "Ibrahim" DuArte (vocals, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, piano, percussion); Ray Wright (vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone, piano, synthesizer, percussion); Kevin Lassiter (vocals, keyboards, synthesizer, vibraphone, percussion); Michael Cheek (vocals, synthesizer, percussion); Callie Cheek (vocals, drums, timpani, percussion); Wilson Beckett (vocals, congas, bongos, timbales); Kevin Bell (guitar).

Recording information: De-Lite Sound Corporation Studio, Philadelphia, PA.