New Grooves — All Formats  

One of the coolest projects we've heard from Bongolian in years – a great collaboration with vocalist Fay Hallam, who really helps his grooves find a great sense of focus! Unlike other efforts of this nature – the usual "soul diva with funk group" outing – Fay and Bongolian have gone for a sweet approach that's somewhere in the best mod modes of the 60s, but which also have some nice early 80s touches too – almost the kind of mod revival energy you'd find filtered through the London scene in the years after punk – but put together with the kind of deeper contemporary sound we'd expect from Bongolian – a real respect for the right recording styles for Hammond organ, bongo beats, and other key instrumental touches. Fay is great, too – with a vocal approach that almost has a Swing Out Sister kind of ear for really classic inflections, but without ever sounding like a copycat style at all – a rare balance that really makes the music sparkle! Titles include "Shallow Moon", "Lost In Sound", "Freefall", "Dancing", "Lights Are Coming Down", "Get Off The Bus", "I Can't Cry", and "Gathering".

A killer full-length set from Fabio Nobile – an artist who's been making hip singles for a number of years, but who really sparkles in the space of an extended album! Fabio's groove is always warm and jazzy – a bit like some of the best moments from Italian contemporaries on Schema Records, but also touched with a wider range of influences too – Brazilian jazz, 70s fusion, and sunny vocal modes that really make the music shine! Instrumentation is often a mix of programmed rhythms and acoustic jazz elements – again, very much in a Schema mode – and there's a range of great vocalists on the record, wonderful singers who include Agata Leanza, Lorraine Bowen, Rosella Key, Lehan Gyn, and Tanya Michelle – each of whom has their own special touch for the tunes. Great stuff throughout – lively, positive, and a real delight – with titles that include "Day What A Day", "Zozoi", "Fly To The Moon", "Love Is Gone", "San Diego", "Always Love", "Didn't You Know", "D'Improvviso", "O Samba", "Back With You", and "Toto Mi Amor". CD also features 2 bonus tracks – "Always Love (Sunaga T Experience rmx)" and "Didn't You Know (Gerardo Frisina main mix)".

An overlooked gem from the early years of Schema Records – a straight jazz set that crackles with classic modal energy! The group's really a great one – and features some tremendous trumpet from Fabrizio Bosso – plus trombone from Gianluca Petrella, piano from Stefano Bollani, and saxes from Gaetano Partipilo – mostly all players who've really gone on to make a name for themselves after this set! There's a really classic feel here – somewhere between the Italian jazz of the Basso/Valdambrini group, and some of the best hardbop on Saba/MPS. The group falls into none of the cliches that you might expect – quite a surprise at the mid 90s time of the session, but a bit more common in today's club jazz era – and the production here is wonderful too, just right for the 60s feel of the record. Titles include "Mr. Kenyatta", "Argento D'Africa", "Unit 7", "Mira", and "Modal Convention".

Some of the tightest tracks we've ever heard from Chico Mann – and some of his most soulful too – a great set of work that really has him stepping past some of the rougher structures of earlier years, and showing a new love of 80s keys and beats as well! The album's got a skittish funky quality that's mighty nice – still with the messed-up edges we've always loved in Mann's funk, but with some tight guitar riffs and bumping basslines that push things forward more strongly than ever before! There's lots of nice vocals, too – some from female singers (including Kendra Morris), some from Chico himself – on cuts that include "Edge Of It", "Long Time Gone", "Magic Touch", "Esta Bueno", "Comes & Goes", "One Day Late", "Vengo A Ti", and "Oye Mira".

Some of the tightest tracks we've ever heard from Chico Mann – and some of his most soulful too – a great set of work that really has him stepping past some of the rougher structures of earlier years, and showing a new love of 80s keys and beats as well! The album's got a skittish funky quality that's mighty nice – still with the messed-up edges we've always loved in Mann's funk, but with some tight guitar riffs and bumping basslines that push things forward more strongly than ever before! There's lots of nice vocals, too – some from female singers (including Kendra Morris), some from Chico himself – on cuts that include "Edge Of It", "Long Time Gone", "Magic Touch", "Esta Bueno", "Comes & Goes", "One Day Late", "Vengo A Ti", and "Oye Mira".

Orgone's second full length for Ubiquity and it's a monster – taking a rough, rugged, and uber soulful live funk vibe into a deeper and even livelier realm! The group's sound is more finely honed from a couple of years of hard touring – and it's paid off wonderfully. The sound is more sharply focused, but with swagger to spare on both the funky instrumental workouts and showpieces for soulful singer Fanny Franklin. From sun toasted Cali funk & soul to strains of classic Afrobeat, boogaloo and and funk rock (the guitar sound is terrific on this one) – they nail everything their shooting for, and pull it all together in tight package that's ultimately all their own. A total win for Orgone and Ubiquity Records. Titles include "The Last Fool", "Crazy Queen", "Give It Up", "Cali Fever", "Overtime", "Mantana", "The Only One", "Doing Me Wrong", "The Cleaner", "It's Time Tonight" and "Sandstorm".

Jazzy bossaness abounds – in this fab 6th volume of the always-great Break N Bossa series! This time around, the crew at Schema have gone a bit deeper than usual for the tunes – picking out a good blend of singles that show the true evolution of the bossa influence on the European scene – not just bossa nova remix material, but a wide range of cosmically grooving tunes that have taken the beats of Brazil to a whole new level! And as usual, the Schema interpretation of the bossa sound is all top-shelf all the way – making for a really great set that's filled with wonderful tunes. Titles include "Zenith" by Soulstance, "Running With The Devil (Buscemi rmx)" by Puddu Varano, "Destino (Ben Human inst rework)" by Eli Goulart, "Black Forest Stomp (Gerardo Frisina rmx)" by Hipnosis, "Revelation" by S-Tone Inc, "Listen Love" by UFO, "Malandragem" by Drumagik, "Lift Up" by Soulstance, "Clouds" by Big Bang with Jessica Lauren, "Guaio A Caracas" by Paul & Mark, and "Carnival Espirito" by Big Bossa. Plus, this 2CD set features a bonus disc, mixed live – the "Jazz Con Bossa Session"! The set's handled by Luciano Cantone, and titles include "Uam Uam" by Povo, "Arabesque (Micatone rmx)" by Nicola Conte, "Silver N Jazz" by Cai, "Trading Eights" by The Five Corners Quintet, "Keep You Hird" by Hird, "Feliz Viaje" by Buscemi, "Corsa Notturna" by Vuca, "Barloventenho Blues (Gerardo Frisina rmx)" by Frank Hernandez, "Tunnel (Fragmentorchestra rmx)" by The Dining Rooms, and "Sophisticated Samba" by Gerardo Frisina.

A soaring batch of boogie from the Sunburst Band – the group's long-awaited second album, and just as incredible as the first! Dave Lee's really gone all out for this session – dipping back into his classic references to feature vocals by older club singers that include Norma Jean and Lucy Martin of Chic, Taka Boom, and even Linda Clifford – while still getting the group to groove in that instant-classic blend of clubby rhythms and jazzy riffs! The sound is incredible – like finding some lost indie disco album from the end of the 70s – steeped in soulful production, and coming across as a stone winner on every single track! Imagine the excitement you felt when you first heard Incognito – and at that, you've only got a small bit of the sound! Titles include "Twinkle", "We Will Turn You On", "Until The End Of Time", "Fly Away (parts 1 & 2)", "Far Beyond", and "Just Do It".

Funky soul, but with a touch of jazz – almost a mod soul undercurrent that really sets these guys apart from the rest! The blend is great – nice and tight, yet never too slick – almost the sort of direction Georgie Fame should have gone in the early 70s, had he stayed on the right track – with lots of lead vocals from songwriter Frank Montis, who's got this raspy sound that's perfect for his hip lyrics! Frank also plays Fender Rhodes and Hammond as well – amidst some great horns, and backing vocals from Laura Vane on a number of cuts too. Tracks include "Make It Right", "Fading", "Right From Wrong", "Façade", "Life Is Short", "We'll Meet Again", "Sunny", "Straightforward Fascination", and "Live My Life".

Digital music in a physical realm – a great little project that collects together a range of groundbreaking sounds from the online music scene – then puts them together in a well-presented compilation! The music here is all pretty darn fresh – a wicked batch of 21st Century soul, hip hop, nujazz, and more – all the sort that might have been issued on labels like Compost or Sonar Kollektiv a decade ago, but which hardly makes it on record these days! Yet thanks to the great efforts of Heavenly Sweetness, these grooves are getting some great exposure – almost like catching a great slice of Gilles Peterson's radio show. 2CD package features both volumes 1 & 2 – 29 titles that include "Drum Talking" by Mo Kolours, "Grandma" by Bobby Blunt, "Fall In Love" by Badbadnotgood, "Hold On" by KRTS, "Una Peripecia" by Buddy Sativa, "Journey Through My Mind" by Bug, "Conflict Of A Man" by Erimaj, "Kalimba Song" by Abjo, "Controlled Feelings" by Opolopo Voltage, "Where You Gone" by INT, "Journey To The Shore" by Dopegems, "Muscles" by Bonnie Banane, "Freak Out" by Natronix, "YBMJ" by Monkeyrobot, "Dealing" by Up High Collective, "Paintball" by Monster Sneaker, and "All Matter" by Modlee & Vlooper.

Finally – a full length album from I Ced, an artist we've been loving for his work on singles and with other singers for the past few years – really blowing our mind with this initial extended set! The record's got all the cosmic soul we've come to expect from Ced's production – a really personal, almost poetic approach to the style – and one that's nicely far from some of the overdone cliches that have been bogging things down for other artists. And this time around, I Ced also handles some of the best vocals himself – really grabbing us with his singing, and working with other vocals from Sophia Vasquez, who brings in just the right sort of sweetness to the record. The album's easily the greatest thing to come so far from the Record Breakin label – and it gets our bet for one of the best underground soul records of the past few years! Titles include "Love Is The Conqueror", "Flyin Under Water", "Fly", "All In My Mind", "Give It Effect", "She's Gone", and "Don't Lay Low".