Neo Soul -- Recently Added -- CD  

There's no escaping the Detroit in the grooves here -- as the album's got a classic sound that stretches back to the city's crossover days at the end of the 60s -- that magical time when soul, rock, and funk acts were playing to the same crowds all over town -- and breaking down a lot of musical ...

A tremendous second set from Tuomo -- a Finnish singer, but one with a voice to rival that of American soul greats from the 70s! The sound here is a bit more complex than Tuomo's debut -- sometimes in a warm, laidback vibe that reminds us a bit of Hi Records production -- other times with a bit ...

A brilliant solo debut from Tuomo -- a singer we know from his work with the Finnish group Quintessence, stepping out here in even more soulful territory on his own! Tuomo's got a warmly raspy sound that's all-classic, all the way -- a unique voice that could well become one of our favorites from ...

Sweet jazzy work from Ray Gaskins -- saxophonist, keyboard player, and a surprisingly great singer too -- working here in a smooth little set that gives him a chance to show off every side of his talents! Ray plays a good deal of the instruments on the record himself, overdubbed with a cool sort ...

Soulful stuff from the Scandinavian scene -- a great album from this overlooked Finnish singer who's got a sound right up there with some of the best British female soul artists of recent years! The backings are often tight and funky mostly played live, with nice drum and keyboard bits that keep ...

Sweet, laidback modern soul from Gianna -- warm, sophisticated, and with some jazzy touches -- produced by Kendall Duffie of Kloud 9, and with a sound that's floats nicely in that kind of easygoing mode! Gianna hails from Texas, but she has a universal style, with a casual, elegant sound -- with ...

An infectious batch of soul tunes from Raheem DeVaughn -- his long overdue debut for Jive Records! Raheem stands apart from many in the mainstream soul and neo soul, not because he wears his influences so proudly on his sleeve, but in the way he wears them. Raheem's soul style is born of love for ...

Raphael Saadiq takes throwback soul and r&b to the next level on The Way I See It -- rolling in a groove that recalls 60s Motown, grittier group soul, the sophisticated strings of the 70s scene, and subtle contemporary touches that keep it in the here and now! An awareness of the past and the ...

A crispy little record from Anthony Valadez -- one that's got a really unique take on 21st Century soul -- certainly cosmic, but with some great earthy touches too! Valadez keeps things nice and slow on most tracks -- letting the grit sink down into his grooves, which usually have a bit of crackle ...

Sweet sweet work from Teodross Avery -- a musician who's way more than the smooth jazz player you might expect! Teodross steps out here as a mini-maestro in soul -- writing and producing the whole album with a well-rounded, soul-based approach that has Teo in the lead on saxes -- but also makes ...

Mindblowing work from the Soul Unsigned series -- only three volumes old, but already one of the best sources we know for tapping into the Neo Soul underground! As with the previous two sets, the quality level here is very high -- music of the sort that really keeps us digging for hip soul sets ...

The Soul Lounge is back again -- serving up a hell of a lot of great music, all at a ridiculously low price! The package is overflowing with contemporary soul cuts from both sides of the Atlantic -- great material from UK labels Dome and Expansion -- both companies we've really come to trust for ...

A bold shift for N'Dambi -- and a record that's far different than the jazzy introspection of her Tunin Up & Cosignin album! The sound here is much tighter and more focused -- witth N'Dambi hitting a funkier groove overall -- a style that hearkens back to her initial debut, but which also ...

Silky soul galore -- and a great tribute to the genius of Frankie Beverly & Maze! Back in the late 70s, Maze really set a whole new standard for adult, mature soul -- taking the genre to some great heights with their classic Capitol Recordings -- all of which still sound as perfect today as ...

Sublime soul from Peven Everett -- a beautifully-crafted album that moves well beyond some of his homemade productions of recent years! This set's got all the silky soul that first made us love Peven's music -- that open, flowing groove that's almost organic, and which makes you feel like Everett's ...

Sublime soul from Heston -- an artist who's perhaps a bit underrecorded, compared to some singers of his generation -- but one who really knows how to come out of the box with some great stuff, once the time is right! The album's a great evolution in sound since we'd last heard from Heston -- even ...

Karl Denson's come a long way here since his earlier funk sides from years back -- and for the record, his tiny universe gets expanded nicely by the addition of Meshell Ndegeocello on bass! The groove here is rich and full -- almost a late 60s funky soul approach -- but harder than we're used to ...

Georgia Anne Muldrow's cosmic funky soul keeps rolling on -- bring even more depth to her evolving, unstoppable creative energy with Umsindo! The album is a dedicated Afrocentric social awareness, but she steers clear of strident righteousness in favor of a funky, soulful elemental vibe -- mixing ...

Astral soul, spacey hip hop and funked out grooves from Ms One & The Gang -- aka Georgia Anne Muldrow and a stellar roster of guests, as well as alter egos and pseudonyms for both Georgia and fellow traveler Dudley Perkins -- including Stacey Epps, Black Milk & Big Pooh, Ms One (Georgia), ...

Wonderful work from Kloud 9 -- one of the classiest soul acts around, and one of the few who really know how to make the male duo style work! The mix of vocals here is totally great -- a smooth, fluid approach that slinks around the gentle rhythms of the set nicely, but never in ways that have a ...

A heck of a lot of great music for the money -- 3CDs worth of contemporary soul recordings -- a whopping 40 tracks in all, priced under $20! As with previous volumes of this series, a good number of the tracks come from the excellent recent catalog of the Dome Records label -- with a few key ...

The amazing first album from Conya Doss -- a groundbreaking album from the first wave of the Neo Soul revolution -- finally back out on CD! On this first album, Conya's already at the top of her game -- really moving forward past more familiar modes of singers like Jill Scott or Erykah Badu -- and ...

Jiva gets plenty of love, and spreads the loving back, too -- in this sweet little collection that not only features remixes of their own work, but also has some Jiva-remixed tracks as well! The core vibe is very much in the best Jiva Atlanta soul mode -- warmly righteous, and filled with positive ...

Damn wonderful music from Eric Roberson -- an artist who never lets us down! Eric's got a style that's unlike anyone else we can think of -- warm, wonderful, and full of joy -- without any posturing modes at all, and a down to earth sensibility that's kept him at the top of our playlists for years ...

A long-awaited full length set from Yolanda Johnson -- an artist who first grabbed our ears with her Violet Flower EP a few years back! Yolanda's really grown a lot in the space since that first record -- moving her groove into some fresh territory that almost has a bit of an 80s soul vibe at ...

Funky soul from The Revelations and lead vocalist Tre Williams -- a deeply soulful set that's a great mix of classic soul and funk influences, but hardly a throwback -- actually quite a timeless, live band soul set! Some of the tunes feel like a modern spin on Hi Records style soul, with punchy ...

A wicked set of soul from overseas -- a mix of clubby numbers and mellower tracks, all put together with a quality level that definitely lives up to the title! Most of the work here is from the French scene, which has really been getting back on track in recent years -- returning to some of the ...

Tremendous work from N'Dambi -- a set that really moves her career forward strongly, while still holding onto the best soulful sound of her roots! The album's N'Dambi's first for a big label -- the newly-reformed Stax -- but it's got a perfectly balanced sound that's sure to please any past fans ...

Jazzy goodness from Saunders Sermons -- a damn great talent we're happy to be hearing -- and just the sort of artist we need to keep things fresh in the contemporary soul underground! Sermons plays trombone on the record, as well as sings, and that mix of talents definitely comes through in his ...

Not sure what the Tokyo connection is here, apart from the cover image, but this second volume of Independent Soul Divas is even better than the first -- a sweet collection of the best Neo Soul around, featuring some familiar names, and some equally great artists who are still bubbling up in the ...

A massive package of tracks -- 3 CDs' of music from the Unwrapped series, plus a great bonus disc too! The core work is a batch of smooth, jazzy instrumental takes on hip hop hits -- from Hidden Beach Records! If you scratch just a little bit below the surface of the Hidden Beach roster, digging ...

A nice collection of modern soul from a roster of independent singers -- including LaSonya Gunter, Rena Scott, LeNora Jaye, Stephanie Renee and more -- put together by Astral22 for Trans Phatt Records! Trans Phatt is positioning themselves, in their own words, as a venue for "nu groove with ...

A beautiful album from the team of Mercedes Martinez and Tracey Moore -- aka Jazzyfatnastees, a group that's far better than their name! Mercedes and Tracey sing harmony vocals on most tracks -- drifting in a sweet and soulful style that recalls classic moments from singers like Minnie Riperton or ...

Jill Scott's a singer with a mighty generous spirit -- and in addition to her own (all too few) recordings over the years, she's made some tremendous appearances on records under the leadership of other artists -- a good deal of which are included in this set! Jill's not the kind of singer to just ...

The most deeply soulful set so far from Ivana Santilli! The beats and bottom of the record are a lot heavier than before -- and set perfectly to Ivana's well-voiced lyrics, which go far beyond simple soul cliches, and really show a nice push forward in her songwriting abilities over the years. It' ...

A sweet soul set from Alessia Piermarini -- an Italian singer, but one with a vibe that matches some of our favorite American artists from the contemporary underground! The album's got a wonderful feel throughout -- lots of warm Fender Rhodes on all tracks, which makes for a perfect combination ...

The greatest set to date from Atlanta's Jiva -- a group who've grown tremendously over the years, and who've always rewarded our interest with some really amazing music! And while previous efforts were already great, this record's a huge step forward -- a set that's focused, balanced, and totally ...

Damn great work from Ledisi -- an artist who hasn't missed a beat since moving to the majors a few years back -- sounding almost funkier than ever before, thanks to some impeccable production and razor-sharp instrumentation! Ledisi's vocals are beyond challenge -- old school deep soul we first ...

A righteous blend of soul and jazz -- handled by an up-and-coming trumpeter from the Chicago underground scene! Kafele's not a Chicago native, but he definitely draws strongly on the city's soulful roots -- blending spiritual jazz modes with smoother soul styles in a mix that reminds us a lot of ...

Nothing too confessional here, but a really focused little set from Russell Taylor -- delivered with a bit more force than his previous record, showing a real evolution in his talents as a singer! Our favorite cuts here are the mellower ones -- which trip along with a sensual sort of groove, but ...

A fantastic full length set from Deborah Jordan -- a singer we know mostly for her wonderful work with Silhouette Brown on an album that was one of our favorites from the London scene a few years back! This set has all the cosmic crackles of Jordan's previous work with Dego & Kaidi Tatham -- ...

Brilliant work from America's next great soul singer -- the incredible Eric Roberson, one of the freshest male soul vocalists in years! At one level, Eric's work is steeped in the classic styles of Donnie Hathaway and Marvin Gaye -- but at another, it's completely without cliche or stylistic ...

The genesis of a modern soul genius -- Eric Roberson's first album, finally back in print, and filled with a wonderful assortment of early work! Eric kind of set this one up as an introduction to his wide range of talents -- including notes in the booklet about each tune and the story of its ...

Instant genius from the mighty Eric Roberson -- easily one of the greatest soul singers we've ever heard -- and that's saying a lot, given how many records we've listened to over the years! Eric's one of the few artists who can bring a smile to our face from the very first note of a new album -- ...

Another dazzling batch of tunes from Meshell Ndegeocello -- an incredible songwriter and performer who may have peaked commercially a few years back, but she is still maturing in ways that stretch far, far beyond the chart singles she scored in the past! The woman has never put out the same album ...

One of the most brilliant debuts we've heard in awhile -- a set from keyboardist/composer/arranger Aaron Jerome -- put together with a depth that reminds us of classics from the late 60s Cadet Records scene, yet which comes across with a more contemporary vibe overall! Jerome's got a really ...

Wicked work from the Chicago scene -- a batch of amazingly soulful grooves from DJ Inc & The Soul People! We've been digging Inc's music for years, and have really watched him grow from a simple beatmaker into a guy with a great ear for a slinky, smooth-stepping soul tune -- and this time ...

A loosely grooving set of tunes steeped in gritty blue eyed soul, west coast funk, and a wealth of classic soul & groove rock influences from coast-to-coast by Danny Chaimson & The 11th Hour -- led by keyboardist & vocalist Chaimson and featuring members of Orgone, Connie Price & ...

Funky soul from the great Alice Russell -- the first effort on her own label, and a killer set that's right up there with the greatness of previous albums! TM Juke produced, but the record has an even more stripped-down and soulful feel than before -- a blend of funk and soul backings that allow a ...

One of our favorite groups of all time -- taken to a whole new level! Fertile Ground, to us, is one of the most exciting groups currently recording -- a masterful group of musicians steeped in a soulful style that stretches back to the most righteous groups of the 70s, but who also have a keen ear ...