Johnny Benavidez hits it right on the money here – serving up a set of laidback soul that feels like the classic material that would play big on the scene in East LA – music that's heartbreaking, but deep at the same time – graced with these very personal vocals from Johnny, and given just the right sort of backing from Cold Diamond & Mink! The whole thing is nice and easygoing – sweet soul, of the variety that you'd be more likely to hear from a harmony group, but with Benavidez giving a lead presence that's a bit like Joe Bataan in a similar mode – which makes for the kind of record that's perfect to put on late into the night, windows open, breeze blowing in, when you just want to kick back and turn down. Titles include "Playing The Fool", "Dedicated To You", "Somebody Cares", "Your Last Song", "Let's Get Together", "Do What You Wanna Do", "My Echo Shadow & Me", and "Tell Me That You Love Me". CD

Amazing work from Rickey Calloway – an overlooked soul singer with a resume that goes back to the 70s, and one who's definitely kept the spirit of James Brown alive and well with music like this! In a world of young singers trying for a classic vibe, Rickey's the real deal – and served up the goods not just with his fantastic way of putting over a lyric, but also with just the right sort of backup and production – qualities that keep all the tracks on here sounding like some vintage 45s from back in the days when Calloway first started hitting the studios down in Florida! The set's the first-ever vinyl album issued under Rickey's name, and is killer all the way through – with titles that include "Stay In The Groove", "Shed A Tear", "Jump Back (parts 1 & 2)", "That's On You", Tell Me", "Come On Home", "Get It Right", "Shake It Up Shake It Down", and "Work It". LP, Vinyl record album

The long-anticipated second album from Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings is a stunner – undoubtedly stronger than the group's fantastic debut – and a record that not only transcends the late model funk revival genre, but stands on footing as solid as the best hard funky soul of the late 60s and early 70s! If you're expecting a rehash of the heavy funk jams that burned on the Dap Dippin' album you won't be disappointed, but get ready for a deep, natural (hence the title) soulfulness that not only caught us off guard, but really forms the big, hard-beating heart of the album. The frothing, frenetic funk is as tight as ever, and in spots just as furious, but the attention to songcraft this time out is just as searing and indelible. The eight piece Dap Kings continue to be the best band in the land – with El Michels on baritone sax, Neal Sugarman on tenor, Homer Steinweiss on drums, not-so-secret weapon Bosco Mann on bass, vibes and piano. Guest appearances include fellow Daptone powerhouse vocalist Lee Fields on the the duet "Stranded In Your Love", and strings courtesy of the Bushwick Philharmonic, but make no mistake, this is the band's album. Amazing stuff from in indispensable group – an album that'll keep spinning in our circles for as many years as the great albums by the gritty soul forefathers do! Tracks include "How Do I Let A Good Man Down?", "Natural Born Lover", "My Man Is A Mean Man", a soulful reading of Woodie Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land", "Your Thing Is A Drag", "Fish In A Dish" and "All Over Again". CD

No suffering here – as these guys have an upbeat, joyous sound that really grabs us right away – a warm vibe that's very much their own, and which is a nice change from some of the more posturing retro soul on the market! In fact, although these guys work in an old school mode of live instrumentation and strong female lead vocals, there's none of the stock 60s or 70s modes at play – as The Suffers come across with this contemporary style that's made even better by the spontaneity in their musicianship, and the clear amount of great feeling they all get working together – all in support of the totally great lead vocals of Kam Franklin! In a world where so many others might by trying to just copy a big name singer of the 60s, Kam's very much her own person – with phrasing, lyricism, and a personality that come through right away – and which might be equally at home with beats and keyboards, but really take off in the jazzier currents of the rest of the group. Titles include "Dutch", "Midtown", "Giver", "Stay", "Peanuts", and "Slow It Down". CD

The jazz component of this wonderful series just seems to get deeper and deeper with each new release – despite what you might think from the title – and this time around, the presence of LA collective Katalyst really knocks things out of the park! The set's an all-instrumental one – and the Fender Rhodes, saxes, and other elements of the group really warm up the core sound laid down by Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – so much so that while other volumes in the series seem to have an artist joining the core duo, this one feels a bit more like they're sitting in on a session that's wonderfully driven by the soulful flow of Katalyst! Tracks are long and beautiful – with a masterful way of building, and a sense of energy that just seems to build as the record goes on – on titles that include "Dogon Cypher", "Juneteenth", "Summer Solstice", "Corridors", "Daybreak", "The Avenues", and "Reflections". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from this New Orleans combo – a Latin act that feels like they'd be much more at home in the Spanish Harlem scene of the 60s, especially given the soulful undercurrents of this set! On previous releases, the group already showed a great talent for crafting just the right sort of classic Latin groove – tight percussion and sharp instrumentation, all honed down with the rhythms in a way that really carried a strong old school punch. But this time around, they've got all that and more – a stronger Latin soul spirit than before, which really comes through in the pacing and presentation of the songs – holding back sometimes to give the listener more, in ways that few young Latin groups seem to get! The style is wonderful – and in addition to older New York modes, these guys bring in a few other elements as well – always without any hoke or gimmick at all. Titles include "Dejame", "Mary Wants To Boogaloo", "Oye Mamacita", "Hasta", "Sad Eyes", and "Swahili Baby". CD

A nicely mellow album from blue-eyed soul veteran James Hunter – still done with the same deep soul currents as his other Daptone records, but slowed down a peg and with a nice focus on ballads and love songs! There's a moody, late nite vibe going on at some of the best moments – almost in the territory of early 60s uptown soul by singers like Jerry Butler or Clyde McPhatter during his Mercury Records years – but given a different spin with the leaner instrumentation of the group – who get the best sort of Daptone treatment in the studio, with a raw edge that really makes Hunter sound great! All tracks are originals, penned with almost a Sam Cooke sort of vibe – and titles include "I Don't Wanna Be Without You", "Something's Calling", "It Was Gonna Be You", "This Is Where We Came In", "He's Your Could've Been", "Mm Hmm", "Heartbreak", and "Who's Fooling Who". LP, Vinyl record album

The Medeski, Martin, & Wood trio is augmented by the guitar of John Scofield – and the result is one of their funkiest records in years! There's almost a back-to-basics sort of style going on here – the kinds of grooves the trio first brought to the table during their groundbreaking years on Gramavision – back at a time when nobody was jamming that much, and few modern groups could ever really get a funky sound right. Back at that point, John Scofield was just beginning to get a bit funky too – so in a way, this record's almost like a merger that should have happened a decade ago – but hey, better late than never, especially when it sounds this nice! There's still plenty of left-field sounds and notes in the mix, even when the style is more directly funky – and Scofield's doing plenty here to match the inventive styles on the keyboard from John Medeski. Titles include "In Case The World Changes Its Mind", "Little Walter Rides Again", "Tootie Ma Is A Big Fine Thing", "Hanuman", "Telegraph", "Julia", "What Now", "Down The Tube", and "Legalize It". (Jazz, Deep Funk) CD

Johnny Benavidez hits it right on the money here – serving up a set of laidback soul that feels like the classic material that would play big on the scene in East LA – music that's heartbreaking, but deep at the same time – graced with these very personal vocals from Johnny, and given just the right sort of backing from Cold Diamond & Mink! The whole thing is nice and easygoing – sweet soul, of the variety that you'd be more likely to hear from a harmony group, but with Benavidez giving a lead presence that's a bit like Joe Bataan in a similar mode – which makes for the kind of record that's perfect to put on late into the night, windows open, breeze blowing in, when you just want to kick back and turn down. Titles include "Playing The Fool", "Dedicated To You", "Somebody Cares", "Your Last Song", "Let's Get Together", "Do What You Wanna Do", "My Echo Shadow & Me", and "Tell Me That You Love Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from leading lights of the neo classic funk scene – the mighty Breakestra – their debut for Strut Records and some of the best work they've ever done! Music Man Miles & the crew knock us out each time, and the 4 years between the stellar Hit The Floor LP and this one was worth the wait. The funky undercurrent is the common connective tissue, with deep soul sounds in the mix, too, with multi instrumentalist Miles on lead vocals on a number of tunes, Mix Master Wolf doing his thing on others, plus guests Afrodyte, Chali 2na and the late DJ Dusk – and some tight instrumentals. They run the gamut from stripped down JBs style feverishness, to gritty jazz funk, Latin percussion, and beyond. Breakestra helped kick start the underground funk scene back in the late 90s, and they're as strong as ever a decade later! Titles include "Need A Little Love", "Dark Clouds Rain Soul", "Come On Over" feat Afrodyete, "Back At The Boathouse", "Get It Right", "Show You The Way", "Me & Michelle". "Posed To Be" feat Chali 2na, Mixmaster Wolf & DJ Dusk, "Joyful Noise", "Lowdown Stank", "Set The Sun" and more. CD