The world of Dexter Story just keeps getting bigger and bigger – not just because he's a richly collaborative player, but also because he's got this musical style that really opens up to so many different elements – but without ever sounding like he's trying to crash them together in any sort of inorganic way! Instead, Dexter draws evenly from spiritual jazz, Ethiopian rhythms, underground soul, and some of the best strands of 21st Century grooves – opening up the door for his own wonderful lead lyrics, while creating and exploring a planet of his own. Guests on the record include Carlos Nino on percussion, Te'Amir Sweeney on drums, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on strings, and Randal Fischer on tenor – and the set features guest vocals from Haile Supreme, Marie Daulne, Endeguena Mulu, Sudan Archives, Jimetta Rose, and Kibrom Birhane – although Dexter gets plenty of time in the lead too. Titles include "Mamdooh", "Buna Be Chow", "Gold", "Techawit", "Shuruba Song", "Bahir", "Abebaye", and "Jijiga Jijiya". CD features the Japanese only bonus track "Wejene Aolo" – which features work from Kamasi Washington! CD

Sublimely soulful funk from Kudu – a very tight combo with a great mixture of classic grooves and modern influences. Vocalist/bassist Sylvia Gordon has a wonderful voice – warm and mellow, with a heck of a lot of soul, put forward with the utmost of confidence. The group behind her is a spare combo, mixing keyboards and percussion in a mode of styles that touch on drum and bass rhythms, move back to classic funk, and take off again in a spiralling new groove. The feel's a bit like Julie Dexter on her excellent Piece of Mind ep – and you'll find this one to be every bit as fresh! Titles include "Sugar", "Surprise", "Temptation", "Relax", "Cinemajik, and "Tell Me A Bedtime Story". CD