A sublime blend of Caribbean roots and contemporary soul – and a set that's even more fantastic than the previous album from David Walters! Walters is one of those globe-trotting talents who manages to pick up all sorts of great inspirations along the way, then forge them into something that's all his own – music that would certainly live up to the heritage of his roots in the West Indies, but with a global current that really fits the best spirit of the Heavenly Sweetness label and their excellent legacy of crossing boundaries with effortless ease! If the world were a better place, this album would be huge – showing up in all sorts of scenes and charts – yet we don't mean that in any sort of commercial way at all, as Walters has a way of being a really unique superstar without any sort of pretense or ego. Titles include "Soul Tropical", "Don't U", "Light", "Toxic Tropic", "Vanse Carnival", "An Lot Soley", "La Vi A Bel", "Gimme Love", and "No One (Captain Planet disco edit)". (Global Grooves, Neo Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Take it from us, Leon Bridges is no gold-digger – as with music like this, he'll be bringing plenty of the gold himself – as the record is the sort that should really put Bridges over the top! Leon's already been giving us some great sounds in recent years – but this set has Bridges emerging as a fully-formed soul star in his own right – not just the voice that's been winning us over already, but a sense of confidence and power in his lyrics – not ego, but self – wide enough so share space here on collaborations with Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin, and Ink – who all get a chance to bring a strong something extra, and not just show up as names on paper. Titles include "Born Again", "Motorbike", "Why Don't You Touch Me", "Magnolias", "Steam", "Sho Nuff", "Gold-Diggers", "Blue Mesas", "Don't Worry", and "Sweeter". LP, Vinyl record album

Gregory Porter arrives on Blue Note Records – and the result is Porter's most fully-formed set so far – just the kind of album that will push him firmly into the limelight – a place that we've felt he's deserved for quite a few years! Porter's a hell of a singer, and a hell of a songwriter too – and although his roots are in jazz, he's got a rare ability to step between genres with plenty of soul – a special space that belongs to a very rare few – like Nina Simone, Bill Withers, Roberta Flack, or Gil Scott-Heron! Gregory's voice is amazing, his lyrics are both personal and pointed – and he does so much here with so little, the album should be handed out to the hundreds of mis-directed vocalists who think that a few extra tweaks in the studio is all they really need. Most numbers just feature small combo backing, with wonderfully warm piano from Chip Crawford – and the whole thing's got a timeless feel that makes us think this is the beginning of a rich new season for Porter. Titles include "Free", "Water Under Bridges", "Lonesome Lover", "Liquid Spirit", "No Love Dying", "Brown Grass", "When Love Was King", and "Wind Song". This great 3LP deluxe version features special guest bonus tracks on the fifth side – Water Under The Bridge" with Laura Mvula, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" with Jamie Cullum and "Grandma's Hands" with Ben L'Oncle Soul – plus Rainer & Grimm, Claptone, 20syl, St Germain and Knuckle G remixes on the sixth side! (Vocalists, Neo Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the most righteous music we've ever heard from keyboardist Robert Glasper – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given his legacy of albums over the years! This project feels different than the previous Black Radio releases by Glasper – different than his initial blending of jazz modes and contemporary soul – and maybe more strongly driven by mission and purpose, with a quality that really comes through right from the very first note! Glasper's piano and keyboards still have that strong sense of shape we love so much – but they're maybe more heady and serious, and really set a fantastic tone for the album's many contributions from important voices like Esperanza Spaulding, BJ The Chicago Kid, Amir Sulaiman, Lalah Hathaway, Common, Posdnuos, Q Tip, Gregory Porter, Ledisi, HER, and others – a lineup who really elevate the already-sublime tone of the record. We've always found inspiration in the music of Robert Glasper – but it's also an amazing thing to see him rise to an almost statesman-like position with a project like this – on titles that include "Black Superhero", "Shine", "Why We Speak", "Better Than I Imagined", "Everybody Love", "It Don't Matter", "Heaven's Here", "Forever", and a surprisingly strong cover of "Everybody Wants To Rule The World". (Jazz, Neo Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Drummer Emanuel Harrold is way more than just a musician on the set – and the record is way more than jazz as well – as Emanuel works with some great guests throughout, and turns the whole thing into a record that's more like some soul-styled soundsystem overall! There's definitely plenty of jazzy moments on the set – nice work on flute, alto, Fender Rhodes, and guitar – but the singers who appear on different cuts really help shape the sound of the record in great ways – given a lot of freedom by Harrold to do their things, at a level that's very different than just a vocalist joining in on a jazz session. Gregory Porter gives us one of his best songs in years – the wonderful "I Think" – and singers on other cuts include Shareef Keyes on "See", Crystal Ransom on "Brighter Day", Saunders Sermons on "Good Word", and Malcolm Jamal Warner on "We Da People" – and other cuts include "Shine Light" and "Fight Harder" – the last of which features trumpet from Keyon Harrold. (Jazz, Neo Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic new chapter in music from Cecile McLorin Salvant – a singer who's only been with us for a little more than a decade, has already gotten a Grammy and a MacArthur Genius Grant – yet hasn't let that stop her from being even more creative than ever! Cecile's still very much a jazz singer at the core, but there's also an expressive range here that we might never have guessed on her earlier records – and that's saying a lot, as those albums really blew us away! The singer's really breaking out of just the world of jazz vocals here – rising with star power, ala Gregory Porter or Esperanza Spaulding – but also maybe going deeper at the same time too. Titles include a surprising remake of "Wuthering Heights", plus "Thunderclouds", "Unquiet Grae", "Moon Song", "Trail Mix", "The World Is Mean", "Obligation", "Optimistic Voices/No Love Dying", "I Lost My Mind", and "Dead Popular". (Vocalists, Neo Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

It's been four years since Lewis Taylor's stunning debut album – but it's been worth the wait! Few recent singers have grabbed our attention so much – and we'd put Lewis into an "instant classic" soul category that would include the elite group of Omar, Monday Michiru, Jamiroquai, and Laurnea. The production on this album's a bit heavier than on his first one – with more beats creeping into the mix, and a bit more bass pumping up his voice – but this doesn't make Lewis falter a bit, as he holds it firm all the way through, with a vocal intensity that we wish was showing up in most of the chart soul these days! Titles include "Never Be My Woman", "You Make Me Wanna", "Lewis II", "Into You", "Blue Eyes", and "The Way You Done Me". LP, Vinyl record album