The Heavenly Sweetness label celebrates its first ten years in business – with a special birthday present of all-exclusive unreleased tracks! This set doesn't look back at the previous decade of the label, but instead points the way forward – with a wonderful selection of newly-recorded tracks by some of hte label's best artists – including some who've helped define their groove strongly in recent years, and some whose talents are soon to be presenting full length sets for the company! As with the previous ten years of records, the music here is a fantastic blend of new styles and global elements – some strands of soul, jazz, and hip hop influences – but often used in ways that are completely fresh and contemporary – at a level that's made Heavenly Sweetness one of our go-to labels for new and interesting sounds over the past decade. Titles include "You Party Too Much" by The Mule, "O Circo" by Cotonete", "Have A Little Faith" by Blundetto and Ken Boothe, "An Ba Galba" by Roger Raspail and Vincent Segal, "Tijan Ka (2017 version)" by Edmondy Krater and I Live, "Tijan (Hugh LX rmx)" by Edmondy Krater, "F*ck With The Police" by Florian Pellissier Quintet with Roger Raspail and Nawer, "Hip Hop Muse (Lefto rmx)" by Rongetz Foundation, "Be The River" by Anthony Joseph and Hanyo, and "Move In Silence" by Guts with Patrice, Feve, Djeuhdjoah, and Lieutenant Nicholson. (New Grooves, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

The funky sitar of Ananada Shankar – recorded in the 80s, but with all the brilliance of his 70s work! Like his other great albums, the production's a mix of soundtrack and funky instrumental styles with more traditional Indian ones – and the bulk of the set comes off sounding like some lost Bollywood score from the 70s – funky and spacey at the bottom, without as much of the clunky styles that you might expect from the cheesy 80s image on the cover. The set includes the long mellow tune "2001", plus shorter groovier numbers that include "Planet X", "Flights Of Fantasy", "Universal Magic", "The Voyager", "Vibrations", and "Explorations". LP, Vinyl record album

More killer work from Senegal's legendary Orchestra Baobab! This CD collects music from two of the band's best late-period albums, Mouhamadou Bamba (1980) and Sibou Odia (1981), both cut prior to the band's celebrated Pirate's Choice sessions. All of the group's trademarks are present – the rollicking Afro-Cuban grooves and the gorgeous Mandinkan and Wolof melodies sung with muezzin-like soul by Thione Seck, Rudy Gomis, and Balla Sidibe. Still, it's the utterly sublime lead guitar by the brilliant Barthelemy Attisso that captivates us most. A number of the tracks were later rerecorded for Baobab's comeback album Specialist in All Styles, but there's something about the beautifully murky aura here that's lost on the slicker remade versions. Really, you can't go wrong with anything waxed by Baobad. Ten great tracks including "Boulmamine", "Doomou Baaye", "Bon Bon 1", "Autorail", "Sou Sedhiou", and "Ndiambaane". CD

One of the most starkly beautiful recordings in Paul Horn's career – with spiritually resonant, almost spine tingling solo flute and some chants, all recorded in the Taj Majal one day in April of 1968! It's really all about the atmosphere, as it would have to be given the location – with Horn playing of the amazing echo in a completely wonderful way, never feeling anything less than wholly authentic and genuinely inspired! Titles include "Vibrations", "Akasha", "Jumna", "Shah Jahan", "Mantra II/Duality", and "Unity". Paul Horn follows up his Inside The Taj Majal set – in someways leaving behind the stark, spare initimacy of that set for a more layered and tailored approach – and also leaving behind his more pronounced jazz roots for a more earthy and nature themed mode! Like Inside, it's a solo flute record and a spatial exploration – this time handled with a number of different flutes, and also dabbling in overdubbing – with wind and other nature sounds, up to and including some live dolphin sound effects! Titles include "The Mahabhutas" suite, plus "Centaur", "Morning Song", "Haida", and "Mass: Kyrie". (Jazz, Global Grooves) CD

No soundclash here – as the grooves are all right on the money, and fit perfectly together throughout – a blinding blend of tropical-styled sounds that really lives up to the promise of the package! Sofrito have outdone themselves here – and come up with the kinds of tracks we'd never have found in a million years of digging – mostly vintage numbers from the late 70s and early 80s tropical scene – mixed with a few contemporary numbers that seem to have an equally classic sort of vibe! The package is an instant global grooves party right from the start – and titles include "O Ti Yo" by Midnight Groovers, "Cumbia Y Tambo" by La Pesada, "Ebolo" by Bell'A Njoh, "Vibrations Groove" by Lord Shorty & Vibrations International, ""Mwekuru Muthao" by Melodica Teens Band, "La Zorra Y El Perol" by Grupo Canalon De Tinbiqui, and "The Path (Sofrito edit)" by Concept Neuf. LP, Vinyl record album

A gimmicky record, but one that's pretty darn great – thanks to a very unusual approach that mixes the music of Miles Davis with Indian instrumentation! The players are a big part of the album's success – as they include Miles Davis alums like Gary Bartz on alto sax, Lenny White and Jimmy Cobb on drums, Michael Henderson on bass, Pete Cosey on guitar, Dave Liebman on flute, and Ron Carter on bass – and although a few tracks feature Wallace Roney on trumpet, that instrument is possibly one of the least-featured in the set! Instead, Miles' legacy is traced through very different territory – with a much stronger emphasis on the sitar, sarod, and percussion used on the record – often played with a spacious, exploratory feel that's quite unusual. Most numbers are completely transformed from their famous original versions – and titles include "Miles Runs The Voodoo Down", "Blue In Green", "In A Silent Way", "All Blues", "Spanish Key", "So What", and "Miles From India". (Jazz, Global Grooves) CD

Heavy-jamming Afro Funk from Osibisa – the group's first 2 albums, back to back in one 2 CD package! Osibisa were one of the most popular Afro Funk groups of their generation – with a globe-spanning influence that made them as well-received over here in the US as they were in their post-colonial UK home. The sound on both sets is great – and captures the group at their raw early best – when they were mostly fusing together bits of jazz and soul with African rhythms, and going for a groove that was lightly playful, and infused with a strong sense of joy and celebration! Titles include "Oranges", "Akwaaba", "Ayiko Bia", "The Dawn", "Y Sharp", "Survival", "Move On", "Rabiatu", and the group's classic "Music For Gong Gong". CD

A really cool collection of cuts that we might never have encountered otherwise – all brought together in celebration of 20 years of work from the If Music shop, who clearly just keep on refining their ears over the years! There's so many cuts here that fall in a special space between familiar genres – jazzy instrumentation mixed with folksy vocals, electronic rhythms mixed with warmer instrumentation, ethnic instrumentation fused with jazzy expression, and blends that really keep things interesting throughout – especially as most of these cuts are nice and long, and really explore the ideas at their core! Titles include "We Are Not Invisible" by Ola Szmidt, "Big Kalimba" by Greetje Bijma Kwintet, "Fidji" by Christine Schaller, "Sunday Sea Improvisation" by Tamar Osborn, "Fall In To Me (alt version)" by Emanative & Liz Elensky, "Turkish Showbiz" by Atilla Engin Group, "Dennison Point" by Tenderlonious, and "At The Speed Of Light" by Sarathy Korwar. (Funky Compilations, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Nearly 50 years African music from each corner of the continent – in celebration of 50 years of independents for the majority of the regions – with icons & legends and many more that are comparably unknown or yet to cast such a great shadow. It features material from the 60s through the 00s and tracks by Miriam Makeba, Mulatu, Cesaria Evora, Rail Band, Manu Dibango, Bembeya Jazz National, Orchestra Baobab, Salif Keita, Alpha Blondy, Angelique Kidjo, Amadou & Miriam, Mamadou Barry and many more. 50 tracks on 4CDs and comes with a nice booklet of notes & photos: "Pata Pata" by Miriam Makeba, "Yekermo Sew" by Mulatu, "Soul Makossa" by Manu Dibango, "Sodade" by Bonga, "Keme Bourema" by Balla Et Ses Balladins, "Behido" by Ernesto Djedje, "Cono" by Salif Keita, "Bamba" by Baaba Maal, "Batonga" by Angelique Kidjo, "Africa Five" by Mamadou Barry and many more. CD

A really fantastic little collection – a look at the way that sounds from the Caribbean changed over nicely when brought to the UK scene – where immigrants from former British territory really helped to transform the sound of London in the 70s! The music here is served up in a range of different styles – certainly reggae, but with plenty of funk and soul too, mixed with other elements from the islands – all brought into new play together when taken up in the UK! Right from the start, the English artists were starting to put their own spin on things – so the cuts within offer up all these great new directions – maybe even more surprises than you're used to finding on some of the other collections from the Soul Jazz label! The presentation of material is superb, and there's some very detailed notes as well – with cuts that include "No Time For Hello" by Harry Beckett, "Ooh Boy" by Sandra Reid, "Don't Call Us Immigrants" by Tabby Cat Kelly, "RK1" by The Terrorist, "Black Pride" by Brown Sugar, "Don't Let It Go To Your Head" by Black Harmony, "Positive Vibrations" by Pebbles, "Love Money" by Funk Masters, "Ragga Trip" by Ragga Twins, "Be Thankful For What You've Got" by Winston Curtis, "Fug" by Cymande, "Sticks Man" by Black Slate, "Rising To The Top" by Dee Sharp, "Misty Winter" by Digital Mystikz, "Compelled" by Cosmic Irden, and "Still In Love" by Janet Kay & Alton Ellis, and "Java Bass" by Shut Up & Dance. (Funky Compilations, Global Grooves) CD