Various - The Best Of Mastercuts (1996)

The Best Of Mastercuts is a comprehensive multi-disc compilation released in 1996 by Mastercuts, bringing together an extensive selection of essential tracks spanning jazz, soul, funk, disco, and related urban genres. Spanning over three and a half hours of music, this collection captures the evolution of groove-based music from the 1980s and early 1990s, highlighting both mainstream hits and influential underground classics. The set is carefully curated into themed discs, each focusing on a specific stylistic direction: 80’s Groove, Jazz Funk, and Soul. Across the compilation, listeners encounter iconic performances from artists such as Sly & Robbie, Aretha Franklin, Roy Ayers, Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, and Massive Attack, showcasing the diversity and depth of modern Black music traditions. The tracks range from dancefloor-driven funk and boogie to smooth jazz-funk instrumentals and emotionally rich soul ballads. This compilation serves both as a historical snapshot and an accessible entry point into multiple interconnected genres, making it an essential listening experience for collectors and enthusiasts of groove-oriented music.

Tracklist:

CD1 – 80's Groove
01. Sly & Robbie - Boops (Here To Go) (5:23)
02. Gwen Guthrie - Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But The Rent (7:13)
03. Aretha Franklin - Who's Zoomin' Who (Dance Mix) (8:34)
04. Evelyn King - Love Come Down (6:09)
05. The Gap Band - Big Fun (8:32)
06. Odyssey - Going Back To My Roots (5:24)
07. Shalamar - A Night To Remember (4:08)
08. Colonel Abrams - Trapped (4:08)
09. The Whispers - And The Beat Goes On (6:44)
10. James Ingram with Michael McDonald - Yah Mo B There (6:36)
11. Chaka Khan - I Feel For You (Remix) (7:16)
12. Stephanie Mills - Never Knew Love Like This Before (5:25)

CD2 – Jazz Funk
01. Azymuth - Jazz Carnival (6:27)
02. Spyro Gyra - Morning Dance (3:55)
03. Rodney Franklin - The Groove (4:57)
04. Shakatak - Night Birds (6:22)
05. Ned Doheny - To Prove My Love (4:46)
06. Bob James - Sign Of The Times (5:34)
07. Mezzoforte - Garden Party (6:09)
08. Roy Ayers - Can't You See Me (6:54)
09. Average White Band - Pick Up The Pieces (3:57)
10. Lonnie Liston Smith - Space Princess (6:57)
11. Herbie Hancock - I Thought It Was You (8:53)
12. The McCrarys - Love On A Summer Night (4:31)

CD3 – Soul
01. The Jones Girls - This Feeling's Killing Me (3:29)
02. Phyllis Hyman - You Know How To Love Me (7:28)
03. Dennis Edwards feat. Siedah Garrett - Don't Look Any Further (5:21)
04. Soul II Soul - Keep On Movin' (Club Mix) (5:46)
05. Luther Vandross - See Me (5:35)
06. Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy (Paul Oakenfold Mix) (5:16)
07. Teddy Pendergrass - Whole Town's Laughing (3:54)
08. Lavine Hudson - Flesh Of My Flesh (7:38)
09. The Isley Brothers - Between The Sheets (5:31)
10. Mary J. Blige - (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman (2:55)
11. Rose Royce - Love Don't Live Here Anymore (3:53)
12. Loose Ends - Don't Be A Fool (5:46)