James Mason has been big with diggers for years, and original copies of Rhythm Of Life tend to go for astronomical prices with good reason. First released in 1977, the album is a masterpiece of soulful jazz funk that gave birth to a few early disco classics. Mason was a keyboard player and songwriter who worked with Roy Ayers, and several Ayers associates appear on the record including Justo Almario on saxophone, Philip Woo on piano, and a young Narada Michael Walden on drums. The most known tracks are the breakbeat classic "Funny Girl" and the funky grooves of "Sweet Power Your Embrace," but nearly every cut is a winner, including the uptempo soul of "Free," a Ron Hardy favorite, and the jazzy "Slick City." Mason would go on to write and produce Wuf Ticket's boogie disco classic "The Key," the proto house of "Nightgruv," and the slo-mo boogie soul of "I Want Your Love."