A blistering album of Latin funk – a set that's got a lean vibe but a very classic sound – one that's put together in the same mode as the excellent run of funky 45s from the long-running Original Gravity label! Nestor Alvarez is Neil Anderson – who handles drums, guitars, keyboards, percussion, and plenty more too – layered in with contributions from funky horn combo The O'Gees, and added keyboards, trumpet, trombone, and flute – depending on the cuts. And despite the one man activity at the core, the sound is very live, and very real – especially as the presence of the others really expand out the groove – and make the whole thing feel like a fresh take on the late 60s world of Latin soul and Latin jazz! Titles include "Joanna", "Un Bucanero Mas", "Original Gravity (parts 1 & 2)", "Melting Pot", "En Candela", and "El Ladron En La Noche". LP, Vinyl record album

Recent genius from the true king of Latin Soul – the mighty Joe Bataan, sounding every bit as great now as he did back in the day! Bataan gets some very hip backing from Los Fulanos – a Barcelona-based combo who help recreate the tight sound of Joe's early grooves from the late 60s, with just a touch of the funk he picked up in the 70s too – a really great blend that helps Bataan breath fresh new life into a range of classics from years back. The set list includes some of our favorite Latin Soul gems from Joe, and both the rhythms and production styles are completely faithful to the originals – but also aren't just simple copycat versions either. After so many years in obscurity, it's great to see Bataan back in action so strongly – cooking it hard and heavy on cuts that include "Latin Soul Square Dance", "Gypsy Woman", "Mestizo", "The Bottle", "Johnny's No Good", "Special Girl", "Subway Joe", "Puerto Rico Me Llama", and "Rap O Clap O 2008". (Latin, Deep Funk) CD

An organ trio, nice and spare – with the sort of style that always seems to make the Hammond sound great in funk! The group have a lean approach – funky drums, guitar, and organ – and there's no vocals or other elements in the mix – yet the rhythms also change up nicely from standard soul jazz modes too – so that there might be some grooves that are slightly different than you might hear in a Meters-inspired group, mixed with some of the chunkier funk cuts that still hold the whole thing tightly in place! The production is great too – never too clean, but with a few spacious moments that keep things fresh – on titles that include "Outro Lugar", "More Space", "Dr Kiffi", "Not Yet", "Let's Talk", "One Way", "Sector 3", and "Lost Avenue". LP, Vinyl record album

Hazy beatcraft steeped in Indian soundtrack style funk, strings and percussion from the indefatigable Madlib – Volumes 3 & 4 in the Beat Konducta series of the increasingly adventurous and conceptual outings – 2 volumes on 1CD! This time out Madlib, er, Beat Konducta is conducting beats, strings & things from India and/or otherwise East – but the way in which the beats bluntly thump is quintessential Madlib – you know it and love it from the first beat! 'Lib really breathes fresh life into this approach – going miles deeper than anyone out there doing the Bollywood-hip hop hybrid – coming up with a sound all his own. CD version includes the complete Volumes 3 & 4. Masterful! Titles include "Enter Hot Curry", "Indian Hump", "Onthanewthing", "Indian Deli", "Rumble", "Dancing Girls Theme", "Piano Garden", "Dark Alley Incidental Music", "Early Party", "Fifth Chant", "The Rip Off (Scene 3)", "Sitar Ride", "Get It Right", "More Rice", "Indian Bells", "Smoke Circle", "Sha Sound", "Another Getaway", "Raw Ground Wire", "Main Title" and more. (Hip Hop, Deep Funk) CD

A great little Christmas record from Kelly Finnigan – one of those all-fresh, completely original Christmas records that's really set apart from the pack – not only a nice addition to the Holiday canon for years to come, but also a really wonderful showcase for Kelly's talents too! The set hearkens back to old school soul Christmas sets, but also has a vibe that's a bit more distinct too – a special spirit that comes from all the original tunes that Finnigan wrote for the record, which are done in a mix of funky and bad-stepping mellow modes! Honestly, the record might be the best thing that Finnigan has ever given us – and as a Christmas record, that's just icing on the cake. Titles include "To Be Young At Christmas", "A Joyful Sound", "Waiting On The Big Man", "Merry Christmas To You", "The Only Present Is Me", and "No Time To Be Sad". (Holiday Music, Deep Funk) CD

British saxophonist Art Themen played on some killer records back in the day – including modern classics from Stan Tracey and Graham Collier – and here, he brings his legendary sound to a project with the younger Greg Foat – an artist who's always doing great things to open up the boundaries of the music, and provided a wonderful showcase for Themen's well-crafted lines! The album's got some of the sunny sparkle you might guess from the cover, but it's definitely a jazz record at the core, and not some sort of advertisement for a vacation in Aspen – glistening with all the hip keyboard lines and electronics we love in Foat's other music, and warmed up nicely by saxophone lines from Art that give the whole thing plenty of soul. Titles include "Fresh Snow", "Off Piste", "Sis No Hyp", "Yrsno", "Apres Ski", and "La Partida". (Jazz, Deep Funk) LP, Vinyl record album

The stunning debut as a solo act for Durand Jones – a set that's even deeper and more powerful than his work with The Indications, at a level that shows that Jones is a soul singer with a hell of a lot of potential, and not just another voice working in a funk band! There's plenty of deep soul styles going on here – tunes that are more laidback and slow-stepping than before, so that Jones can really unfurl his vocal majesty, and create a sound that provides a fresh new chapter in the legacy of southern soul – not a retro rehash of modes from Stax or Atlantic, but a real 21st Century take on the territory! Titles include "See It Through", "I Want You", "Lord Have Mercy", "Someday We'll All Be Free", "Letter To My 17 Year Old Self", "Sadie", "Wait Til I Get Over", "Gerri Marie", and "That Feeling". CD

The stunning debut as a solo act for Durand Jones – a set that's even deeper and more powerful than his work with The Indications, at a level that shows that Jones is a soul singer with a hell of a lot of potential, and not just another voice working in a funk band! There's plenty of deep soul styles going on here – tunes that are more laidback and slow-stepping than before, so that Jones can really unfurl his vocal majesty, and create a sound that provides a fresh new chapter in the legacy of southern soul – not a retro rehash of modes from Stax or Atlantic, but a real 21st Century take on the territory! Titles include "See It Through", "I Want You", "Lord Have Mercy", "Someday We'll All Be Free", "Letter To My 17 Year Old Self", "Sadie", "Wait Til I Get Over", "Gerri Marie", and "That Feeling". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky combo, but one with a real difference – as they seem to find whole new corners of the globe in which to work their magic – almost an imagined space of cultural criss-crossing, all set to some mighty funky bass and drums! The core element here is the guitar – which echoes exotic modes that seem to move from Mexican folk, to contemporary Tuareg sounds, and even a bit of southwest guitar instrumental echo – but all in ways that are very fresh and different, and which also sound quite unusual compared to the usual use of guitar in a funky combo! There's a bit of vocals on the album, but really the guitar is the main "voice" – and one that speaks volumes – on titles that include "Lady & Man", "Como Te Quiero", "Shades Of Man", "Maria Tambien", "Como Me Quieres", "A Hymn", and "Rules". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the most fantastic record to date from the hands of Adrian Younge – a project done in collaboration with Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and one that features guest appearances from some of the musical giants who first inspired Dusty Groove many years Back! The core energy of the set comes from Younge and Muhammad – who are in a similar funky soul groove as their previous Midnight Hour recording serving up a blend of jazz and soul in a mode that clearly draws a lot of 70s inspiration, but which also has this very fresh, contemporary energy too. Yet there's also a strong difference here once each of the guests step into the mix – a stellar lineup that features alto from Gary Bartz, Fender Rhodes from Marcos Valle and Joao Donato, flute from Brian Jackson, drums from Ivan Mamao Conti, and Hammond B3 from the great Doug Carn – all players who really up the jazz ante for the record, and make the whole thing sound even deeper than most of Younge's other recordings. Titles include "Distant Mode", "Nancy Wilson, "Down Deep", "Apocaliptico", "Jazz Is Dead", "Hey Lover", "Nao Saia Da Praca", and "Conexao". CD

A fantastic setting for the sublime vocals of Marcos Valle – the Brazilian singer who first rose up during the bossa years, soon expanded into mindblowing styles of his own – and has then had a few great revivals over the years! Yet this record may well give Marcos the fresh spin he really needed – while also respecting the soulful, jazzy currents of his early 70s work – set up with the kind of perfect arrangements and production that Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad have brought to this Jazz Is Dead series – but which comes out sounding completely different here, thanks to the qualities of Valle's vocals – which maybe sound more rhythmic and jazzy than we've heard in years. Incredible throughout – with titles that include "A Gente Volta Amanha", "Our Train", "Gotta Love Again", "Oi", "Isso E Que Eu Sei", "Quiera Bem", and "Nao Saia Da Praca". CD