Funky genius from a mighty unique group – one who've drunk deep on the classic steel band sounds of the 70s, but who've also refined that groove with a contemporary funk approach too! The group's the brainchild of Bjorn Wagner – who you might know from The Mighty Mocambos – and the sound here is every bit as well-crafted as that combo, but with the difference of steel drums in the mix! The drums provide most of the melodic elements, while the funky backings kick things up nicely – all at a level that's maybe even funkier than some of the best funky steel drum albums of the 70s – especially across the space of the entire album. Titles include "Xxplosive", "Touchdown", "Burn", "Real Hot", "Hoola Hoop", "1 Thing", "Crockett Theme", "Bocas Del Dragon", "Bushfire", and "I Love You". (Global Grooves, Deep Funk) LP, Vinyl record album

Short instrumentals from drummer Harry James – produced in a way that often has a slight hip hop influence at times, but mostly in the way the other instruments are layered into the mix! Harry's drums are often live, and nicely crackling – and there's some great use of piano on the record – often acoustic, but produced with some cool effects that give it a nice wash of color, mixed with contributions from other guests like Keefe Jackson, Rob Frye, and Gerald Bailey. The tunes are short, nicely melodic, and with this crispy blend of drumbeats and sentiment. Titles include "Shaving Ahab", "Tumbleweed", "Mickey's Mantle", "Bucket Boy", "Dragon Juice", "Twenty Five Brookside", and "Crusher Of Babylon". (Jazz, Deep Funk) LP, Vinyl record album

A killer trio with a really wonderful sound – one that's equal parts jazz and funk, but which also maybe has a strong inspiration from 70s electric modes – not in a way that's too spacey or trippy, but which really uses the right sense of space between the notes to open up the groove! The lineup features drums, keyboards, and guitar – all beautifully combined without too much hype or fanfare, but definitely in a way that's less familiar than other combinations of the instruments – and which has plenty of sweet electric funk appeal throughout! This CD-only release combines the group's Mosaic EP and their Murmurations album – for a total of nine tracks that include "Cannonball", "Pocket 5", "Breakthrough", "Miles Away", "Dragonfly", "Mariposa", "Ivory Mountain", and "Transcoso". (Jazz, Deep Funk) CD

A contemporary collection, but one that really hearkens back to the brown-eyed soul of the Texas scene in the late 60s and early 70s – a moment when local groups were picking up on some of the vibes of East LA – reveling in the rich history of Texas soul and blues, but mixing it with funkier currents as well! After the recent interest in Sunny & The Sunliners, there has been a great wave of contemporary acts echoing the Texas sound of years back – and here, producer Adrian Quesada serves up core instrumentation that's a great blend of mellow-yet-funky soul – while different vocalists come in to the mix and really send things over the top! The set features contributions from a nice variety of artists – and titles include "Ain't No Big Thing" with Johnny Hernandez, "I've Got Soul" with David Marez, "Just Me & You" with Amalia Mondragon, "Boogaloo En Monterey" with Ruben Ramos, "One Woman Man" with David Hidalgo, "Love Reverberation" with Johnny Benavidez, "Funky Chick" with Brownout and Tomar Williams, and "Look At My Soul" with Black Pumas and Kam Franklin. (Funky Compilations, Deep Funk) LP, Vinyl record album