Lets Talk

The elusive gemstone of 1970s Harlem soul

and funk from the Ray Alexander Technique,

officially reissued for the first time with

bonus tracks and previously unreleased

alternate mixes.

Renowned for its enviable combination of musical

muscle and malleability, guitarist / songwriter

Raymond Alexander Jenkins' tight four-piece unit was

so revered on the uptown club circuit that it was

offered the opportunity to serve as the Apollo Theater

house band. Jenkins demurred, hopeful and

confident in his group's chances at making it on

its own, and Let's Talk is the sublime result of

their hard work.

Independently released and recorded with a distinctly

lo-fi charm, it is a collection of unabashedly sincere

songs that perfectly encapsulates the era's heady

milieu of Black pride and cultural awareness, and the

plaintive emotion of struggling to realize dreams

whilst navigating a city and neighborhood in decline.

Personal tragedy coupled with Jenkins' inability to

gain traction as a musician, would haunt him for

years. But Let's Talk's reputation would eventually

spread via word-of-mouth praise amongst soul and

funk connoisseurs and record collectors. Now

elevated to exalted status, it may finally be more

widely appreciated as a testament to Jenkins' gifts.