A long-overdue return for Khari and Jiva – the kind of pairing that first won us over to neo soul many years back – and sounding equally wonderful here! The album begins with a reworking of the James Mason classic "Good Thing" – and it only gets better and better from there – moving through the positive, sophisticated sort of music that Jiva gave us right from the start – that farther side of the contemporary soul spectrum where people are still making thoughtful, well-crafted sounds! The set includes vocals from Brenda Nicole Moorer, Cleveland Jones, Linsdey Webster, and Lizz Wright – and titles include James Mason tunes "Good Thing" and "Sweet Power Your Embrace" – plus "Show Me The Way", "Heaven's Design", "North Node", "Hard Times", "Capricorn City", and "Warm Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky collaboration of new and old players – as trumpeter Roy Hargrove explores a range of classic styles with a host of excellent guest stars! The RH Factor project includes work by Bernard Wright, Cornell Dupree, Karl Denson, and other funk luminaries – and it also features great vocal performances from the likes of Common, Q-Tip, Erykah Badu, and D'Angelo. The groove soars from Miles-inspired electric to the heavy funk of George Clinton – and makes plenty of side-trips in between – exploring a range of soulful jazz, both new and old, and coming off a lot better than we might have thought! Titles include "Pastor T", "I'll Stay", "Common Free Style", "Juicy", "The Stroke", "Poetry", "Liquid Streets", "The Joint", and "Forget Regret". LP, Vinyl record album

Really mindblowing work from Jose James – an artist we loved right from his very first record, but one who has us completely over the top with this record – a set that may well push James from the soul underground into firmly classic territory – the sort of space that will have the record standing strong with soul classics from decades back, and for a long time to come! Jose's tremendous vocally, but there's also an extra-special spirit to some of these tunes – one that's still very strongly in the hands of the man himself, even though James opens the door for plenty of guests – a lineup that includes Ledisi, Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah, Aloe Blacc, Lizz Wright, Eric Truffaz, and others – not the kind of guests who overwhelm and take a too-strong turn in the spotlight, but the right sort of addition to the core sound. Titles include a surprisingly great remake of "Just The Way You Are" – plus "Turn Me Up", "I Need Your Love", "Saint James", "Take Me Home", "Oracle", "Feels So Good", "I Found A Love", and "You Know What I Do". LP, Vinyl record album

We've loved the music of soul singer Ledisi since her first self-released album back in the 90s – and since that time, she's matured even more as a vocalist – to a point where she can easily take on the music of Nina Simone with all the glory it deserves! This special set features Ledisi singing with accompaniment from the Metropole Orkest and New Orleans Jazz Orchestra – each of whom bring a sense of fullness, but in different ways – as Ledisi stretches out the tunes with the kind of sophistication and richness that Nina might have done – but in a voice that's all her own. The set features guests appearances from Lizz Wright and Alice Smith – but Ledisi hardly needs them at all, as she's very firmly in the lead – on titles that include "Feeling Good", "Wild Is The Wind", "Work Song", "Four Women", "Ne Me Quitte Pas", "My Baby Just Cares For Me", and "I'm Going Back Home". LP, Vinyl record album

We've loved the music of soul singer Ledisi since her first self-released album back in the 90s – and since that time, she's matured even more as a vocalist – to a point where she can easily take on the music of Nina Simone with all the glory it deserves! This special set features Ledisi singing with accompaniment from the Metropole Orkest and New Orleans Jazz Orchestra – each of whom bring a sense of fullness, but in different ways – as Ledisi stretches out the tunes with the kind of sophistication and richness that Nina might have done – but in a voice that's all her own. The set features guests appearances from Lizz Wright and Alice Smith – but Ledisi hardly needs them at all, as she's very firmly in the lead – on titles that include "Feeling Good", "Wild Is The Wind", "Work Song", "Four Women", "Ne Me Quitte Pas", "My Baby Just Cares For Me", and "I'm Going Back Home". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest records we've ever heard from Esperanza Spalding – a set that almost feels as if she's stepping back into some of the more experimental, individual qualities that made her so different at the start! There's definitely some appealing, catchy songs here – but the record is one to definitely be taken as a whole – this really lovely tapestry of voice and music that shimmers and glistens throughout – tunes that work together as a single suite that really keeps the album sounding fantastic all the way through, in this blend of jazz and soul that comes not just from Esperanza's vocals and work on bass, but also from the piano of Leo Genovese, who co-wrote most of the material on the album. Wayne Shorter plays on one track, the record features guest vocals from Corey King and Ganavya, and the set features 13 tracks, all numerically titled "Formwela". LP, Vinyl record album

Lizz Wright continues to grow and grow with each new release – with a style that's maybe more globalist than just the jazz and soul vocal modes that first informed her music – this really expressive mode that's moved into territory that's all Lizz's own – and which takes all these different shapes throughout the set! A key force in creativity here is bassist Chris Bruce – an artist we loved years back, when he was part of our Chicago scene – clearly a talent who's also evolved tremendously, and is a great partner for Wright, with whom he co-wrote some of the album's best tracks. The set features guest appearances from Meshell Ndegeocello, Brandee Younger, and Angelique Kidjo – and titles include "Root Of Mercy", "Sweet Feeling", "Lost In The Valley", "Circling", "Who Knows Where The Time Goes", "No More Will I Run", "This Way", "Your Love", and "Sparrow". LP, Vinyl record album