The title certainly gets it right – as the great keyboardist Bob Baldwin turns over some sweet mellow takes on the classic music of Stevie Wonder! Bob's the mainman at the helm for most of the record – working on Fender Rhodes, piano, and other keyboards – and even vocalizing just a bit – and there's also sweet instrumental contributions on the album from U-Nam and Chieli Minucci on guitars, Marion Meadows and Ryan Kilgore on saxes, and Ragan Whiteside on flute – all players who know just how to get into the right sort of 70s vibe that Baldwin's going for on the record! The focus on Stevie's tunes makes the album a bit hipper than some of Bob's other recent albums – although we also like those quite a bit – and titles include "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing", "Creepin", "The Real Thing/Keepin It Real", "Superwoman/Where Were You When I Needed You Most", and "Love's In Need Of Love Today" – plus the Baldwin originals "Stevie" and "Wonder Wander". (Jazz, Neo Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A blistering album from Belgian/Congolese rapper Baloji – music related to his directorial debut in the film Augure, and delivered with even more punch than some of his previous albums! Baloji got his start in the group Starflam, but has really grown strongly as a solo artist – pushing the boundaries of the hip hop elements that informed his roots, and fusing them with Conglese elements in a very strong way – so that the energy on the record really matches the vivid images in the film! The record features guest appearances from Jamila Woods, Mayra Andrade, Sampa The Great, Cha'Brown, Swazzi, and others – and titles include "Maggi", "Cherche Midi", "Tituba", "Autopsy", "Dahlia Noir", "Faux Billets", "Les Dents Du Piegne", and "La Crosse & La Banniere". (Global Grooves, Neo Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

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An underground soul gem from DJ Harrison – aka Devonne Harris – a set that features the man himself on all the instruments, served up in a lean take on classic soul modes of the 70s! Think of the record as a one-man effort to capture some of the charms of Curtis Mayfield or the Isleys – sometimes on short tracks that are more sketches of ideas, but woven together as a much larger whole that really bristles with color and imagination throughout! There's plenty of Fender Rhodes on the set, and Harrison's got this crackling vocal style that's instantly charming – on cuts that include "Cigarette Ember", "Chester Fields", "I Gotta Go To Work", "The Man", "Soul Food Nostalgia", "DayDreaming", and "Chinatown Bus". LP, Vinyl record album

A flagship record from the wonderful Dome label – one of the hippest homes to contemporary soul on the other side of the Atlantic – and a company that's given us great music for over two decades! This set is one of their key early releases – a brilliant set from Hil St Soul – a singer who just grew and grew in popularity after this release. Hil's got a sweetly jazzy style – a bit like some of the underground NuSoul singers in the US in at the same time, but maybe with some of the crispness of the London scene too – and she sings here with some nicely restrained arrangements that have a good focus on beats and lots of warm instrumentation over the top, never too hype, just right for her personal style. Titles include "Strictly A Vibe Thing", "Just A Matter Of Time", "Nostalgia", "Concrete Jungle", "Free Spirit", "There For Me", "Until You Come Back To Me", "For Your Love", and "Props". CD

Beautifully airy work from the Korpi Ensemble – an up-and-coming Finnish ensemble, but one with the power to cross over big in the rest of the world! The music here carries echoes of some of the more recent Finnish underground – a mixture of folksy and jazzy instrumentation, all topped by some lovely female vocals in English – singing lyrics that are contemplative, but never overindulgent – all wrapped together with simple production that keeps the whole thing clean and lean! The work's a bit sweeter than some of the other titles on the Jupiter label, but in a good way – and tracks include "Witness", "Seasons", "Echoes", "Moment Of Love", "Impro", "Uncertain", "I Wish I Knew", and "Still Loving You". CD