Nubiyan Twist really open up their sound here – in part by opening the door to a rich array of guest singers and instrumentalists – a lineup that includes Cherise, Pat Thomas, Soweto Kinch, Ria Moran, and Nick Richards – all artists who help bring a different personal flavor to each track, helping to expand the mix of contemporary soul and global elements that we loved on the last record by the group! The vibe is very much in the best contemporary London mode – right down to the rhythms, which are continuously shifting and fresh – on titles that include "Keeper", "Buckle Up", "Morning Light", "Tittle Tattle", "24/7", "Wipe Away Tears", "if I Know", and "Ma Wonka". (Global Grooves, Neo Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest soul albums of the past 20 years – an instant classic the day it was released! When this killer came out in the UK in 1991, it was one of the best soul records we'd heard in years. Carleen Anderson, the then-unknown daughter of Bobby Byrd & Vicki Anderson, sung some of the deepest vocals we'd heard in years – and she was backed by funky soundscapes filled with references and homages to greats like Roy Ayers, Leroy Hutson, Leon Ware, 24-Carat Black, and many others – all now well-remembered artists from the rare groove years of the 70s, but at the time just barely-remembered echoes from the past who were being kept alive in the British soul scene. The record was (and is) impeccable – a wondrous treat for fans of the kind of rare groove material we stock at Dusty Groove – and it features stellar performances by the likes of Carleen Anderson, Master Ace, Johnny Lytle, Maceo Parker, and others! This US version features a few remixes from the original UK album – and titles include "All I Have (Young Ideas mix)", "Funky Yeh Funki (Mek It)", "Talkin What I Feel", "Move On", "Apparently Nothin (Soul River)", "Get Yourself Together (parts 1 & 2)", "Freedom Suite", "Step Right On (original mix)", and "As We Come (To Be)". CD

A wonderful reworking of a wonderful record – as Root Soul take on all the tracks from Shuya Okino's Destiny record – and delivery them with an old school funky club sound! The instrumentation is great – live and very spontaneous, with an energy that takes us back to vintage Salsoul or some of the best Philly club work of the 70s – or a bit like Brand New Heavies at times, especially on the tracks that feature N'Dea Davenport on vocals! That great singer appears on three of the album's excellent tracks – alongside other work from Navasha Daya, Diviniti, and Pete Simpson – who each get a few tracks too. Titles include "Destiny", "Still In Love", "Look Ahead", "Let Nothing Change You", "Deep Into Sunshine", "Give Your Love A Chance", "Just Do It", "Take A Look At Yourself", and "Sun Will Rise". (New Grooves, Neo Soul) CD

That's almost an Earth Wind & Fire-styled image on the cover – and the Brit Funk Association definitely live up to the spirit of that scene – which is maybe no surprise, given that group members have a legacy that goes way back for many years on the UK soul scene! There's a warmth to the record that's really timeless – an updating of classic 70s modes that's almost in the Incognito mode, but which is often jazzier at times, with some great focus on horn solos over the vocals – a bit like the mix of jazz, soul, and funk that Wayne Henderson brought to his classic production efforts back in the day! The group give a nod to one of those classics with a sweet cover of "Always There", and serve up a nice take on "Pick Up The Pieces" – alongside tracks that include "Freedom Dancin", "Driftin", "Snowfall", "Elevation", "Let It Flow", and "Take It In Stages". CD

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) CD

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 remixed version of Incognito's Tales From The Beach album – but one that feels more like a collaborative effort from all the talents involved, working together with the original tunes almost in tribute to the mighty power of the group! The mixers here are all either contemporaries of Incognito, or a slightly younger generation who've clearly been influenced by their classic blend of jazz funk and soul – and unlike other remix projects, which might wreck the original brilliance of the album, this one serves to push it forward even further – taking Bluey's initial inspiration, and moving strongly upward with a great sense of warm and soul. Titles include "Step Aside" remixed by Dimitri & DJ Meme, "Feel The Pressure" remixed by Mark De Clive-Lowe, "Happy People" remixed by Christian Prommer, "Love Joy Understanding" remixed by Tortured Soul, "Freedom To Love" remixed by Simon Grey, "I Come Alive" remixed by DJ Day, "Tales From The Beach" remixed by Outside, "I Remember A Time" remixed by Francis Hylton, and "Freedom To Love" remixed by Yam Who. CD

No beach music grooves here – just sublimely soulful work from Incognito – played with the sort of perfection we've come to expect in their albums! The title's a tribute to the sunny grooves heard by Bluey in his youth in Mauritius, and the album was recorded with a similarly warm feel too – given that some of the sessions were done in Italy and Indonesia! Instrumentation is as tight as ever – soulful, jazzy, and never too slick or smooth – and with singers that include Maysa, Joy Rose, Tony Momrelle, and Imaani, the record's got a vocal range that's as great as its instrumental one. Ski Oakenfull and Matt Cooper play a fair bit of keyboards, which warms the tunes up nicely – and titles include "Freedom To Love", "Happy People", "Step Aside", "I've Been Waiting", "When The Sun Comes Down", "Tales From The Beach", "Silence Of My Mind", and "It May Rain Sometime". CD

London's Total Refreshment Centre has been one of the world's hippest musical venues in recent years – a fantastic showcase for all the sorts of groundbreaking, genre-busting work that's been happening in the city – as well as host to some equally free-thinking artists from around the globe! There's not set styles here – music moves easily between jazz, soul, funk, hip hop, and some more cosmic styles at times – similar to the energy of the International Anthem label's more inventive projects – one of whom appear on the set. Many of these artists have not gotten the full exposure they're due, either releasing material on small labels or just online – and it's wonderful to have all this material pulled together in such a great statement on the forefront of jazz in the 2020s! Titles include "Closed Circle" by Byron Wallen, "Visions" by Soccer 96 with Kieron Boothe, "Crescent (city swamp dub)" by Jake Long, "Eloquence" by Matters Unknown with Miryam Solomon, "Isa"by Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange with Noah Slee, "Black" by Neu Grafik with Brother Portrait, and a nice reworking of the Stanley Cowell classic "Plight" by Resavoir. (Jazz, Neo Soul) CD