Do these guys ever lose their touch? We think not – as this album, the group's umpteenth, is pretty darn great! Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick pulled out all the stops on this set – working with a range of vocalists that includes Joy Rose, Kelli Sae, Tony Momrelle, Joy Malcolm, and Brazilian soul legend Ed Motta! The range of voices on the set really gives it a lot of depth – moving past the easy jazz funk moments of earlier sets, and going for an all-solid, all-soulful approach that really blows our mind! Great stuff all the way through – maybe their best album in years – and a record you'll be playing into the next decade. Titles include "Morning Sun", "Who Needs Love", "Stone Cold Heart", "Where Love Shines", "Blue", "Fly", "If You Want My Love", and "Cada Dia". US version features a bonus remix of "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" by The Brand New Heavies. CD

The incredible debut of the mighty Jill Scott – a record that asks and answers a question with the title – then goes on to not only establish Jill as one of the freshest soul music talents of her generation, but also an artist who set the tone for so many others to follow! The record explodes out of the Philly scene with a mixture of underground soul and hip hop production elements – echoing classic modes, yet instantly present too – in a way that still sounds fresher than most of the copycat records that came in its wake – and a good deal of records that preceded it too. Jill scores big with a totally seductive blend of warm instrumentation, subdued funky beats, and immensely captivating soul vocals – and the whole record is awash in Fender Rhodes, giving it a spacey soul sound that will make the record a classic for years to come! Titles include "The Way", "Do You Remember", "Long Rain", "Love Rain", "Honey Molasses", "Slowly Surely", "Watching Me", "One Is The Magic #", and "He Loves Me" – but it's allllll good! The LP includes a remix of "Love Rain" featuring Mos Def! LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the straightest jazz set we've heard to date from Kandace Springs – a record that's got a great old school vibe overall, and the sorts of moody, dark-tinged qualities that takes us back to vintage material by Abbey Lincoln or Nina Simone – something we might not have said about Kandace on previous albums! Springs plays piano, and mostly keeps things in a tight combo mode – with her vocals in the lead, but with occasional guest help from artists who include Chris Potter on tenor, Avishai Cohen on trumpet, David Sanborn on alto, Christian McBride on bass, and Norah Jones on piano and vocals – on tunes penned by artists as diverse as Bob Dorough, Hoagy Carmichael, Lauryn Hill, and Sade. Titles include "Devil May Care", "The Nearness Of You", "Strange Fruit", "Killing Me Softly", "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life", "Ex-Factor", "Pearls", "I Put A Spell On You", and "Gentle Rain". CD

The incredible debut of the mighty Jill Scott – a record that asks and answers a question with the title – then goes on to not only establish Jill as one of the freshest soul music talents of her generation, but also an artist who set the tone for so many others to follow! The record explodes out of the Philly scene with a mixture of underground soul and hip hop production elements – echoing classic modes, yet instantly present too – in a way that still sounds fresher than most of the copycat records that came in its wake – and a good deal of records that preceded it too. Jill scores big with a totally seductive blend of warm instrumentation, subdued funky beats, and immensely captivating soul vocals – and the whole record is awash in Fender Rhodes, giving it a spacey soul sound that will make the record a classic for years to come! Titles include "The Way", "Do You Remember", "Long Rain", "Love Rain", "Honey Molasses", "Slowly Surely", "Watching Me", "One Is The Magic #", and "He Loves Me" – but it's allllll good! The LP includes a remix of "Love Rain" featuring Mos Def! CD

A very righteous set of tracks from Shelley Nicole and her Blakbushe ensemble – a lot more powerful than some of the other underground soul sets of recent years, and done with lots of full-on instrumental touches on keyboards, guitar, and bass – making for a style that recalls some of the best recordings of the Black Rock scene in years past. Shelley herself plays bass, theremin, and sings in a style that's got a lot of bite – delivering lyrics that are a lot more political than usual for an album of this nature, and reminding us of all the power bubbling under in the New York scene during the late 70s and early 80s. Looks like that power's returned – and with a vengeance – on tracks like "3/4 Sh*t", "America's Secret", "Spiritual Revolution", "Scorpio Chile", and "Cheatin Baby Daddy". CD

Amazing work from singer Dee Alexander – a wonderfully soulful album of jazz vocals, and one that we'd rank right up there with our favorite records by Carmen Lundy or Dee Dee Bridgewater! Dee's a singer who's worked in Chicago for years, but we've honestly only begun to appreciate her talents of late – possibly because she's really hipped up her sound a lot over the years, picking up a range of spiritual, soulful influences that push her music to a whole new level – as you might have heard on her recent collaboration with IG Culture. The music on the set is wonderful too – work by Chicago players we know, but have never heard this strongly before – grooving in modal and soulful modes behind Dee's great vocals, with a lineup that includes Miguel De La Cerna and Michael Logan on piano, Harrison Bankhead on bass, and Leon Joyce on drums and percussion. Titles include versions of two tunes by AACM member Henry Huff – "Live" and "You & I" – plus the Alexander originals "Long Road Ahead", "Rossingnol", "Butterfly", and "C U On The Other Side". (Vocalists, Neo Soul) CD

A millennial classic from Erykah Badu – a record that came along right as the current century was starting up, to show a soulful path that would keep things strong for many years to come! The album grabbed a bigger audience than Erykah's first, but still kept things strong – really focusing in on that amazing vocal style that made the singer such a unique talent – and which always had edges that were sharper, and runs that were deeper, than some of her contemporaries who might be able to trick a phrase with a bit of spirit, but never deliver the whole thing in the way that Badu can! Themes are both personal and hinting at her political turns to come – and titles include "Kiss Me On My Neck", "Didn't Cha Know", "My Life", "AD 2000", "Bag Lady", "In Love With You", and "Booty". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice one from Badu – one with a depth of feeling and genuine soulful vibes that live up to its title, despite the fact that she records for one of the world's biggest media conglomerates! It's all about the vibe here. Erykah rolls her syllables, scats and emotes feelings more than an actual narrative in the strongest of these cuts. It's not that she's forgone lyrics, but it's all about the ambience, not radio sing-a-longs. She also dives head first into her organic soul and hip hop hybrid sound a little more sparingly, but still better than most who that followed her lead post-Baduizm. She channels Donald Byrd on the great "Think Twice", which is pretty indicative of the vibe as a whole. The groove is sorta mellow, but in a very tripped-out way, with deep organ washes and synth tones, scratchy soul guitar, and crisp organic beats. There's an appearance by Dead Prez on "Steady On The Grind", and a really sweet old school flavored remake of the great "Love Of My Life" track from the Brown Sugar soundtrack with Queen Latifah and Bahamadia, but for the most part Erykah is sweating soul on her own spiritual plane here. It's gonna take a little while to sink in, but this may be her best album (despite whatever naysaying BS you may read in mainstream reviews.) Tracks include "Bump It", the great single "Danger", "Woo", "Back In The Day" and "I Want You". LP, Vinyl record album

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

Jon Batiste steps out of his jazzy comfort zone, and opens the door to a whole host of global elements – and also manages to step into the world of soul as well! The record's almost to Batiste what the Black Radio projects were to Robert Glasper – showing a growing cultural presence past that of a jazz musician – as Batiste works with a host of guests who include Native Soul, Lana Del Rey, Leigh Anne, Lil Wayne, JJID, and others – fusing jazzy solo work, soulful vocals, and contemporary grooves into a tapestry that is bound to get the Jon Batiste name out there in ways his previous records never did. The approach isn't one for jazz purists, but then again, Jon's never really been a purist overall – and we gladly embrace the project as the sort that's opening doors to new ears, then leading them back to jazz! Titles include "Uneasy", "Call Now", "Boom For Real", "Movement 18", "Life Lesson", "White Space", "Running Away", "My Heart", "Drink Water", "Raindance", and "Be Who You Are". (Jazz, Neo Soul) CD

A mighty fresh debut from Domi and JD Beck – a duo who mix together keyboards and drums at a level that channels lots of styles from the global underground of the past decade or so, but with a jazzier sort of warmth, and a nicely soulful current throughout! The pair first got attention on a track by Anderson Paak, who appears here alongside a list of other luminaries who include Thundercat, Busta Rhymes, Herbie Hancock, Snoop Dogg, and Mac DeMarco – all guests who are maybe more at home in the groove of Domi and JD, than trying to push their own agenda! Anderson signed the duo himself – and titles include "Pilot", "Moon", "Duke", "Take A Chance", "Whatup", "Smile", "Bowling", "Not Tight", "Two Shrimps", and "U Don't Have To Rob Me". (Jazz, Neo Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

That's retox, not detox – a set of funky instrumentals from saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, who's also got some great vocalists along for the ride! This is the first we've heard of Benjamin – and she's definitely a fully-formed talent right from the start – not just on her work on alto and soprano sax – but also on the larger arrangements done for the record, which have a sweet mix of jazz, funk, and soul that's mighty nice! Guest singers really flesh out the sound of the record – which features contributions from Tracy Nicole, Amp Fiddler, Maya Azucena, Krystle Warren, and Jacoria Marzett – and titles include "Soul Squad", "Get Down", "Human Being", "My Love", "Share My Life", "Maceo", and a cover of "Don't You Worry Bout A Thing". (Jazz, Neo Soul) CD

A bit more of a stripped-down set than other work that Benny Sings has given us in recent years – definitely a record with the vibe of the beat tape promised in the title – but one that still has some of the soulful elements that Benny's given us on other records too! The hip hop element is stronger here than usual, right down to the record's guests – who include Koreatown Oddity, Cola Boyy, Mocky, St Panther, Rae Khalil, and others – and Benny put the album together out of elements that weren't used in the final version of his album Music – but which still carry some of the soulful currents of that set. Titles include "Money & Guns", "Don't Look", "CGEOOL", "Green Grass", "Watch Me Heal", "Song 13", and "Mag Ik In Je Huid". LP, Vinyl record album

David Boykin works here in a very different guise than his usual role as a saxophonist – stepping out here with a range of different singers, in a set of tracks that showcase a whole new side of his talents! The music is a mix of modern jazz vocals and contemporary soul modes – different depending on the singers, who shift from cut to cut – at a level that sometimes echoes June Tyson or Abbey Lincoln, other times reflects more contemporary work from the underground! As always with Boykin's CDs, the notes are a bit spare, so it's hard to tell who did what in terms of the music – but we can say that the set features vocals from Abeeku, Consuela Ivy-Vaughn, Dark Mery, Liz Mputu, and Ugochi – on titles that include "Listen Up", "She Was Screaming", "What The Afrofuture Say", "Slow Sweet Burn", "Conspiracy", and "Of My Voice". (Jazz, Neo Soul) CD

A pivotal album from the early 90s – one that not only furthered the rebirth of live funk instrumentation at a time when ditigal elements dominated the scene – but also really opened up that mode to a whole new generation of hip hop as well! At a time when the music was all about the samples and beats, Brand New Heavies took it back to the generation before – and provided live instrumentation for a host of fantastic talents – a legendary lineup that includes performances from Main Source, The Pharcyde, Black Sheep, Kool G Rap, Gang Starr, and Masta Ace – all young and at the top of their game, with a quality level that alone would make the album great – then really sends it over the top when paired with the instrumentation! The whole thing's amazing – still maybe yet to be topped in such a style – and titles include "Who Makes The Loot", "It's Getting Hectic", "Wake Me When I'm Dead", "Soul Flower", and "Bonafide Funk". (Hip Hop, Neo Soul) CD

A pivotal album from the early 90s – one that not only furthered the rebirth of live funk instrumentation at a time when ditigal elements dominated the scene – but also really opened up that mode to a whole new generation of hip hop as well! At a time when the music was all about the samples and beats, Brand New Heavies took it back to the generation before – and provided live instrumentation for a host of fantastic talents – a legendary lineup that includes performances from Main Source, The Pharcyde, Black Sheep, Kool G Rap, Gang Starr, and Masta Ace – all young and at the top of their game, with a quality level that alone would make the album great – then really sends it over the top when paired with the instrumentation! The whole thing's amazing – still maybe yet to be topped in such a style – and titles include "Who Makes The Loot", "It's Getting Hectic", "Wake Me When I'm Dead", "Soul Flower", and "Bonafide Funk". (Hip Hop, Neo Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

The genius of Terry Callier – remixed! One of the greatest things to happen to Chicago soul legend Callier in recent years was his discovery by a host of cutting edge producers and DJs on the European scene – important talents who took his work to a whole new audience, by fusing Terry's original grooves with some more ambitious rhythmic progressions, keyboard lines, and other studio touches. And while you might fear that such knob-twiddling would muddy the waters and dampen Callier's spirit, such was not the case – as work in this vein only seemed to inspire Terry further, to stretch out his wings and reach new musical horizons. The tracks on this set offer a number of recent Callier recordings, remixed by the cream of the current UK and European scene – all as proof of how great this format is when applied to Callier's work. Titles include "Monuments Of Mars (Hopper mix)", "Running Around (Fug city mix)", "Love Theme From Spartacus (4 Hero No Skins mix)", "Sierra Leone (Block 16 mix)", "Darker Than A Shadow (Mitchell & Dewbury mix)", "Love Theme (Zero 7 rmx)", "Imagine A Nation (Funky Lowlives mix)", and "Just My Imagination (Tom Findlay & Keeling Lee mix)". (Soul, Neo Soul) CD

Some of the most striking work we've heard from Neneh Cherry in years – and a great follow-up to her previous project with The Thing! This set has Neneh working with producer Kieran Hebden – who returns Cherry to the offbeat, arty sound of her early years on the British scene – particularly her excellent work with Rip Rig & Panic! As with that period, the rhythms here are key – but are also rhythms that really veer from the usual – odd basslines and beats that provide a jagged bottom underneath Cherry's soulfully flowing vocals – a sense of counterpoint that really gives the album a lot of power. Titles include "Naked", "Spit Three Times", "Blank Project", "Cynical", "422", "Out Of The Black", "Dossier", and "Everything". (Soul, Neo Soul) CD