Retro soul, Chicago style. “I’ve been here since 1963” sings a small chorus of voices, including the great jazz singer Dee Alexander, on the opening track of the Chicago Soul Jazz Collective’s new On the Way to be Free (out May 13 on JMarq Records). The tune sets a clear tone: They aren’t playing kids’ games. “Mama, Are We There Yet?” has the sing-along melody and interlaced backing of mid-70s Funkadelic. The rest of the album goes for a jazzier throwback, like some lost CTI Records sides or Earth, Wind & Fire deep cut ballads. Such comparisons might be a bit of high praise for the compositions, but Alexander makes good songs great again and again across the nine tracks. The groove got me scrambling the digital stacks for Chicago-based Soul Message Band’s People (via Know You Know Records) from February for their take on the Barbra Streisand song that gave the album its title, as delivered by guest vocalist Hinda Hoffman. Both bands are driven by strong organs and keyboards (Amr Fahmy for the Collective and the Band’s Chris Foreman). Add to the mix “Somebody Save Me” by the Staples Jr. Singers (the relation to Pops Staples and his musical family is purely spiritual)—one of the two advance singles from the new Luaka Bop reissue of their sole album, 1975’s When Do We Get Paid—and you’ve got a solid start on an old-school summer mixtape.