Hard hitting Spanish funk, soul, r&b and moddish gems - the second volume of Sensacional Soul from the late 60s and into early 70s, even better than the first volume and treasure from the folks at Vampi Soul! The Spanish soul sound here is rugged and raw, usually with furious drums, gritty, ... (Funky Compilations)

Jazzy folk soul survivor Terry Callier returns to Mr Bongo with Hidden Conversations -- with Terry's soul searching lyricism, warm vocals, and mood setting acoustic guitar paired with laidback production by trip hop pioneer Robert Del Naha of Massive Attack! The styles work pretty well together -- ... (Soul)

A groovy set from 70s Spain! This 1971 groover was recorded by keyboardist Alfonso Santisteban and his La Nueva Banda De Santisteban -- in a style that's very similar to some of the best Italian soundtrack work of the time, and bits of bossa! Alfonso plays both electric and acoustic piano -- and ... (Latin)

Groovy soul & 60s mod pop, but there's nothing cheesy about it -- a fantastic set of uptempo obscurities that range from sock hop pop, to storming Northern Soul, fuzzed out Hammond tunes, and beyond! The 14 tracks are split evenly between more soul & r&b based numbers, and fuzzier, ... (Rock)

A really amazing record -- even more incredible than you might guess from the cover and title! The whole thing's definitely a "party" in sound -- as the record takes lots of familiar instrumentation and mixes it with odd sound effects and weird production tricks -- creating a space age ... (Now Sound)

Incredible funk, soul, jazz, post psychedelia and funk rock from the JJ Band -- recorded in Brussels and featuring core players who were also integral members of Chakachas & El Chicles! The JJ Band find a hard grooving style steeped in horns, with heavy drums, bass and percussion, fuzzy guitar ... (Soul)

A little hippy dippy, but pretty great overall! The album is kind of a soul jazz loft session -- a bit more freewheeling than some of the efforts from the same time on Strata East, but with a similar feel. The group features a lot of modal tracks with a spiritual vibe -- played on flute, piano, ... (Jazz)

An arresting duo set from Joelle Leandre & George Lewis -- a performance from the2008 Vision Festival in NYC -- with Lewis' trombone dancing around, breezing in & out, challenging, and complimenting Leandre's resonant, impassioned, and imposing work on double bass. It was a highly ... (Jazz)

The roots of Congolese rumba -- served up here in a host of cool recordings from the 50s, in a package that really sheds new light on these under-exposed years of the genre! As you'd guess from the title, there's a fair bit of Latin rhythms at play here -- a key Cuban contribution back to the ... (Global Grooves)

Cool Italian spy soundtrack work from the 60s -- back to back film scores from the crucially overlooked Robby Poitevin! First up is AD3 Operazione Squalo Bianco -- a really hip soundtrack that mixes mellow tones with more upbeat moments -- sometimes using spare organ to create a weird watery feel, ... (Soundtracks)

Great stuff from trumpet player Cicci Santucci and tenor sax maestro Enzo Scoppa -- playing with an incredible small combo on the New Tradition album -- their first record as Santucci Scoppa in many years! New Tradition stands up proudly with the classic Italian jazz, jazz funk, and sound libary ... (Jazz)

Sexy grooves from 70s France -- exactly the kind of record that we'd never find coming out in the US! Philippe Nicaud has this whispering, talking sort of style -- kind of a cross between Serge Gainsbourg and Rod McKuen, set to music that's much more in the spirit of the former -- with hip funky ... (French)

A diverse mix of styles from William Kurk -- soulful, jazzy and unpredictable from one tune to the next! William's channel's 70s Stevie Wonder here, as he's done on previous Sounds, but he draws from deeper well of influences, too -- and applies his own unique approach. The record starts out ... (Neo Soul)

The cover goes for the far reaching realm of Brit pop psychedelia tunesmiths Kippington Lodge -- featuring interviews with Nick Lowe and Brinsley Schwartz -- and there's loads more in this issue of Shindig! Includes pieces on freshly rediscovered Rodriguez, plus the Poets, HP Lovecraft, Sandy ... (Magazines)

Late 70s funky soul from Jorge Ben -- not as totally all-out funky as his classic work from earlier in the decade, but still pretty darn nice! The tracks bounce along with a tight samba soul approach that's built very much on Jorge's earlier experiments -- handled with a bit more modern soul on ... (Brazil)

Rich, vibrant work from Louis Moholo & his Unit -- with resonant emotion in the overall mood, but also an improvisational approach that balances the sound very deftly! Moholo's work of the 00s has been pretty visionary, and this one's no exception -- don't go expecting sentimentalism, given ... (Jazz)

Brilliant work from Benin -- an ear-opening compilation that's filled with wonderful grooves we've never heard before! The rhythms are unusual, instrumentation hypnotic, and vocals really offbeat -- making the whole thing sound very different than more familiar African work we've stocked -- ... (Global Grooves)

A bigger step into a piano led jazzy style from Allen Toussaint -- grooving in a timeless Crescent City influenced sound -- a wonderful record, one we'll go back to for years to come! Allen's been a huge part of the New Orleans musical landscape for many, many years, and it's not a stretch to ... (Soul)

Raw mid 60s moddish grooves from Les Gottamou -- a bass/drums/organ trio featuring French jazz funk & pop geniuses Nino Ferrer & Bernard Estardy! Drummer Richard Hertel takes are of the bottom end, these 4 tunes are as cool as can be -- and the guitar free approach lends a funky edge to it. ... (Funky 45's)

A very weird little compilation -- one made up of the kind of funky, freaky, psychedelic tunes you'd find on the Finders Keepers label -- but mixed up a bit too! There's a very strong Andy Votel vibe going on with the package -- grooves from the kind of cool rare nuggets that Andy's dug up for ... (Funky Compilations)

Previously-unreleased work from the Budos Band -- recorded a few years back in Brooklyn, and finally seeing the light of day on this sweet vinyl-only EP! The grooves here are wonderful -- and show the group really picking up a lot of global elements in their funk -- some key Ethiopian lines in the ... (Deep Funk)

The mighty Ted Taylor is profiled this issue, and he graces the cover of Soul Up North -- The Fan's Fanzine for great Northern Soul! Ted's given a nice little bio, and which is followed be a comprehensive discovery -- and other items this time out include part 2 of their excavation On The Rare ... (Magazines)

Seminal work from Claude Nougaro -- easily one of the coolest French singers ever! This album shows an early example of Nougaro's interest in Brazilian music -- and also his love of American jazz as well -- heard most strongly on the record's French covers of work by Dave Brubeck, Ray Brown, and ... (French)

A really cool little package -- one that features rare 20s recordings from the Middle East, alongside a host of modern "responses" to the original music! The first half of the set follows beautifully in the spirit of other recent sets from Honest Jons -- digging through the archives of ... (Global Grooves)

Amazing work from Fitz Gore -- an overlooked tenor player who made some pretty heady records on the European scene of the late 70s! Fitz originally hails from Jamaica, but worked heavily on the French, German, and Scandinavian scenes of the 70s -- blowing some mighty mean tenor that has equal ... (Jazz)

Improvisational musings around the spirit of John Coltrane -- anchored by an emphatic reading by poet Frank Medioni -- and played with a genuine depth by players including clarinetist Sylvain Kassap, drummer Ramon Lopez and double bassist Claude Tchamitchian. There's an ascendant mood, for sure, ... (Jazz)

A mix of big, bouncing 80s style electro funk beats, classic hip hop, a little bit of Miami bass, and some sly synth soul touches from Baron Zen -- featuring vocals by Dave Dub and remixes by James Pants and Peanut Butter Wolf! The main version "Strange Woman's Room" is a straighter, ... (Hip Hop)

One of the greatest soul records of all time -- and an album that we'd never part with! Gloria Scott only ever recorded this one full LP -- but that's more than enough, as the whole thing's a masterpiece -- produced by Barry White with the best of his 70s approach, and featuring songs written by ... (Soul)

Unreleased boogie from Eleanor Goodman -- a lost 80s session that's resurrected from rare studio tapes, and presented here for the first time ever! The album's got a really great blend of clubby numbers and mellower, midtempo soul cuts -- lots of spare, stark rhythms that have a real street sort ... (Soul)

Quantic is back with his Combo Barbaro -- featuring a hint at the greatness to come from the Tradition In Transition LP -- a mix of Latin, Caribbean and African combo vibes with universally resonant funk, jazz & soul! "Linda Morena" starts with just a bit of acoustic guitar, and gets ... (Funky 45's)

Funky psychedelic hip hop from Willie Isz -- aka cosmic hip hop beatmaker and Khujo Goodie of the legendary Goodie Mob -- a set that manages to be both hazy and tripped out, but pretty hard hitting, too! It was hard to get around a Stankonia-or-later Outkast or Gnarls Barkley comparison when we ... (Hip Hop)

Massive music from bassist Teruo Nakamura -- a set that brings a Japanese take to the US fusion scene of the mid 70s -- blending Teruo's warm, soulful vision with some great work from players who include Steve Grossman and Carter Jefferson on reeds, Lonnie Smith on keyboards, and Harry Whitaker on ... (Jazz)

90s Brit Pop is the cover feature -- with pieces on Blur & Oasis, the godfather of the scene Paul Weller, plus Suede, Pulp, The Look, Supergrass, Elastica, Menswear, Trainspotting and much more -- plus Q&A's with many of the era's players -- going deep with photos, timelines, and much more. ... (Magazines)

One of the greatest Northern Soul albums ever -- completely great all the way through, and filled with songs that have been burning up dancefloors for years! The vocals are incredible -- soaring harmonies that hold together perfectly, even when the grooves are hard and heavy -- and the ... (Soul)

Brilliant work from this acoustic jazz combo -- a set that's got all the classic elements you might expect from its cover, but one that also comes across with some of the fresher jazz styles you'd find on labels like Schema or Ricky Tick! The group are more of a large combo than a full orchestra -- ... (New Grooves)

Plenty of twisting here -- and a surprisingly hip little collection that takes a look at the many incarnations of the famous dance craze in the early 60s! If you think you've already got the twist sussed out, then think again -- because there's way more to the style than just big hits by Hank ... (Soul)

Amazing stuff! Jorge Ben never made a bad record in the 60s -- and this is one of his best! The album's filled with tight jaunty numbers that mix big band samba arrangements with quickly strummed guitar, and Jorge's wonderfully raw vocals -- all classic stuff for Jorge, but a style that we never ... (Brazil)

A second heavy dose of sounds from the Panamanian scene of the 60s and 70s -- a long-overdue companion to the previous volume of the series on Soundway, filled with rare gems that are finally getting their first exposure to the world outside the isthmus! The sounds here are completely fresh -- ... (Global Grooves)

An oft-overlooked jazzy gem from Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson -- and a beautifully swinging session that has Gil toning it down a bit, and working into a nicely musical groove that gets past the heavy politics of earlier years! The record's a great showcase for the more upbeat side of Gil's ... (Soul)

A fantastic early record by Sahib Shihab -- a motherlode of modal jazz grooves, cut during the early days of the Clarke-Boland Big Band! The record features a core group of players from that ensemble -- including Shihab on alto, baritone, and flute, plus Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass ... (Jazz)

Sunshine Pop from the top of the charts -- a great look at some of the best-remembered tunes from this sweet 60s genre! Lots of other Sunshine Pop collections focus on the obscurities of the scene -- but honestly, some of the hits really represent the best work of the groups included -- the kind ... (Rock)

The Acid Jazz label may be best known for giving the world its namesake genre, but the company also cut some killer soul cuts along the way -- standing out as an early imprint that showcased the fresher side of underground soul on the London scene! This collection does a great job of bringing that ... (Funky Compilations)

Cosmic hip hop soul from Om'Mas Keith, Shafiq Husayn & Taz Arnold -- a long awaited proper full length from the Sa-Ra Creative Partners -- and an excellent one! Sa-Ra's signature spacey funk & beatcraft, hypnotic and boundless grooves have been critical behind the scenes for some of their ... (New Grooves)

The final chapter of Lula Cortes amazing run of music in 70s Brazil -- a small label release that brilliantly blends together a range of psychedelic influences -- all with a gritty edge that's quite different than what you might expect from the date of the album! Things here are every bit as ... (Brazil)

A groove so funky, the Soul Investigators have made it their theme! The tune's a sweet sort of change for the group -- a cut that's still plenty darn funky, but in a laidback way that almost reminds us of El Michels territory -- snapping drums and a warm, loping bassline that drives the whole ... (Funky 45's)

Surprisingly sensitive work from French pianist Francois Tusques -- a player we often know from much more bombastic sessions, captured here in a beautiful solo date recorded at his home! Tusques is still extremely creative here -- lots of the modern elements that always make his music so striking - ... (Jazz)

Jazzy takes on familiar tunes -- a great little record that rummages through the pop canon of the past few decades, then comes up with vocal jazz versions of the tunes that are totally great -- really transforming the original compositions in a totally great way, all without any sort of gimmicks! ... (New Grooves)

Rare work from a really unique group in British jazz -- one that takes older players from the hardbop generation, such as Tubby Hayes and Phil Seamen -- and has them jam with younger musicians who have a very outside, freewheeling approach! The album features two long tracks -- both live studio ... (Jazz)

Rare early electronics from Henk Badings -- one of the most adventurous composers of the postwar European scene -- heard here in some killer recordings from the late 50s and early 60s! Badings' music is often very edgey -- electronics that have sharp tones, weird frequencies, and a quality that ... (Out Sound)

A rare early 60s set from the Jacques Pelzer Quartet -- a pivotal figure in the Belgian and European jazz scenes -- a really great set that wins with both a complicated, invigorating freshness, as well as working in the tightly grooving, linear jazz sounds that were happening internationally at the ... (Jazz)

A killer combination of sounds -- the searing tenor sax of Getatchew Mekuria and the raspy guitars of The Ex -- brought together here in really unique cross-cultural formation! Mekuria's influence really transforms the sound of The Ex -- bringing their anarchic spirit into a strongly Ethiopian ... (Global Grooves)

A mindblowing set from Little Richard -- a stunning comeback session from the start of the 70s -- recorded at Muscle Shoals with a heavy funk component in the mix! Richard arranged and produced the record himself -- and it's a beautiful illustration of his genius -- hardly dimmed at this point in ... (Soul)

A treasure trove of dubbed up numbers from Tommy McCook & The Supersonics -- Errol Brown cuts of classic rocksteady rhythms produced by Duke Reid for Treasure Isle Records -- trailblazing 70s dubs of the first order that are as slow burningly brilliant today as ever! The set features the best ... (Reggae)

"Fonky Soul" and tripped out, spacey hip hop from Dudley Perkins -- produced by Georgia Anne Muldrow! "Fonky Soul" is that, but it's stellar hip hop, too, with a thick P-Funk Mothership inspired bottom end groove, and Dudley in his most hip hop centric mode. "Sally" ... (Hip Hop)

A great one from Fanga -- a fresh new track that wasn't on their Natural Juice album, presented here in a super-extended version! "Dounya" is an Afro Funk jam that runs for over 20 minutes long in both parts -- split over two sides of the single, and featuring some great work from the ... (Global Grooves)

A marvelous package of work -- one that features 6 full albums by The Marvelettes, plus a huge amount of bonus material as well -- all done up in beautiful Hip-O Select style, with an excellent booklet of notes! The set does the world a much-needed service, and finally brings these gems back out ... (Soul)

An oddball uber primitive electro beat backed slice of weirdness put out by Peanut Butter Wolf on his new Stones Throw imprint Good Time Records -- kind of creepy numbers from Folerio, a cat who looks a little bit like PB Wolf might look if he donned a black wig and a Sharpee styled mustache. Hmm, ... (Funky 45's)

A bizarre postwar effort from composer Gordon Jenkins -- and one of the first full concept albums ever recorded! The record tells the tale of "seven dreams" experienced by narrator Bill Lee -- set to lush orchestrations by Jenkins, and delivered with lots of lively vocalizations by ... (Now Sound)

A great little album from Roy Ayers -- a very funky record that's almost all instrumental all the way through! The sound is a bit in the vein of Roy's Live At Montreux set -- but funkier overall, thanks to some very heavy rhythms on the bottom -- and an approach to the tunes that's short, tight, ... (Soul)

Heavy soul from Jackie Lee -- one of the most hard-grooving singers to record on the west coast scene in the 60s! The package pulls together all of Lee's legendary sides for the Mirwood label -- the classic Northern Soul album The Duck, and lots of equally great singles that have the smooth-toned ... (Soul)

Incredible work by The Exciters -- material we totally love to death, most of which is a lot harder-hitting than the group's earlier hits in the 60s! The package pulls together their post-UA recordings for the Bang, Shout, and RCA labels -- the first to of which are represented by singles, the ... (Soul)

A heady bit of mid-70s psych from Connecticut -- the second album from Dr Hooker Band -- recorded in 1974, but not issued until many years later! The album's a true treasure that deserves wider recognition -- at some level as heady as any of the best known indie psych sets from the late 60s, but ... (Rock)

Amazing funky jazz from the 70s -- a completely rare little set recorded in the Bay Area scene of the time -- featuring hip trumpet work from Woody Shaw, and lots of cool keyboards from Patrick Gleeson! The feel here is somewhere in the territory of work that Gleeson did with Herbie Hancock in the ... (Jazz)

The last set of duets from the team of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell -- and a sublime set of tracks that really stretches their partnership even further than before! It's no secret that Terrell was Marvin's favorite partner in the studio -- and you can really hear his strong feeling for her in the ... (Soul)

A great follow-up to the first volume in this series -- and one that shows the evolution of the Spanish groove in great ways since the 70s! The last collection featured older work, but this one's almost all contemporary -- yet most of the groups here more than live up to the funk promised in the ... (New Grooves)

Amazing work from singer Dee Alexander -- a wonderfully soulful album of jazz vocals, and one that we'd rank right up there with our favorite records by Carmen Lundy or Dee Dee Bridgewater! Dee's a singer who's worked in Chicago for years, but we've honestly only begun to appreciate her talents of ... (Vocalists)

Spirit, swing, and a whole lot more -- a mighty collection of music all hand-picked by the legendary Nicola Conte! There's a deeply soulful groove to the whole thing -- and a touch of the exotic as well -- and the package really reminds us a lot of the great Gilles Peterson Universal collections ... (Funky Compilations)

Searing big band work from tenorist Erik Norstrom -- work recorded in the 80s, but which mostly burns with the fire of large ensemble material from earlier years! There's a great balance of styles here -- some of the hard-grooving modal lines you'd find in the Euro big band work of the 60s, and ... (Jazz)

Amazing stuff from Isaac Hayes! Although Ike had first appeared on LP with the album "Introducing", this was the first record to really expose his true soul genius -- and it was also the first release on Ike's successful sub-label at Stax, Enterprise Records. The record shows that for ... (Soul)