The grooviest work so far from the Hi-Fly Orchestra – a set that moves even farther past the sublime territory of their debut, into a really classic blend of soul jazz and Latin rhythms – produced to perfection with a wonderfully solid feel! Instrumentation here is all live – a blend of sax, flute, trombone, Fender Rhodes, piano, and plenty of percussion – all handled with a feel that takes us back to some of our favorite territory on Verve Records from the 60s, those wonderful records that blended elements from the Latin underground with some of the harder jazz leanings of the period – a legacy these guys are happy to add to with their wonderful grooves. Miriam Aida guests on vocals on two cuts, but most titles are instrumental – and tunes include "Afro Boo", "Carioquinha", "Polonesa", "SP Samba", "Mrs Shing A Ling", "Hi Fly Stomp", "Mambo Atomico", and a surprisingly groovy cover of "Crosstown Traffic". CD

An overlooked gem from the years when most of the rest of the world had forgotten about the JBs – but Fred Wesley and the group were still going strong! The set's a great meeting of two funky generations – the classic James Brown funk of the late 60s and early 70s, and some of the revival modes that sprung up on the London scene at the end of the 80s – heard to best effect here in the way the album was recorded – with core horns from Wesley on trombone, Maceo Parker on alto sax, and Pee Wee Ellis on tenor – plus added London grooves in a real Brand New Heavies mode! The groove is nice and hard, and the album's way more of a classic-styled funk outing than most of the other JBs-revival titles from the same stretch – thanks to rock-solid production from the Soulciety family too. Noel McKoy, Jay Ella Ruth, and other Brit funk talents help out on the set – and titles include "What Goes Around", "Chillin With Fred", "Picture On The Wall", "Homeboy", "Push", and "I Like It Like That". (Soul, Deep Funk) CD

Khruangbin are well on their way to becoming superstars with this set – a package that revisits scraps of songs they'd never been able to work just right in the past, and has a way of making them all shine freshly in a very different light! Sure, the funk trio at the core are still in place – but the music has this more expansive quality, and almost a sunny vibe that fits the image of the window on the cover – as things are warmed up with a bit of smoothness that really complements their groove – almost a nod to mellower soul at times, which will really surprise listeners of some of their other work. Yet at the same time, Khruangbin never stop reworking themselves – either through collaborations with others, or fresh projects like this – with tracks that include "May Ninth", "Three From Two", "Juegos Y Nubes", "Todavia Viva", "Pon Pon", "Farolim De Felgueiras", and "Les Petits Gris". CD

The Tibbs serve up a very classic style of soul – as you might guess from the retro image on the cover – very 60s-oriented, with hard-driving rhythms from the group's well-crafted lineup, all topped with mighty dynamic vocals from lead singer Roxanne! And sure, this isn't new territory for the market – but The Tibbs do it a lot better than most, and the vocals, horns, and grooves all come together with a sharper focus and real commitment to the sound than most other groups who are swimming in the same water. Titles include "For Lack Of Better Words", "Give Me Reason", "Chicken Bones", "Rafaela", "Guess I'm Guilty", "Last Train", and "In Orbit". CD

The Tibbs serve up a very classic style of soul – as you might guess from the retro image on the cover – very 60s-oriented, with hard-driving rhythms from the group's well-crafted lineup, all topped with mighty dynamic vocals from lead singer Roxanne! And sure, this isn't new territory for the market – but The Tibbs do it a lot better than most, and the vocals, horns, and grooves all come together with a sharper focus and real commitment to the sound than most other groups who are swimming in the same water. Titles include "For Lack Of Better Words", "Give Me Reason", "Chicken Bones", "Rafaela", "Guess I'm Guilty", "Last Train", and "In Orbit". LP, Vinyl record album