The group's second real album, and one that never manages to totally capture the groove of the first – but which still has some pretty great writing and playing that set it apart from most of the soul of its generation! The cut "Dream On Dreamer" is one of those early 90s groovers that we still delight in hearing on the radio, or in a surprise mix at a club – and the record's got lots of other nice moments, too, like "Snake Hips", "Fake", and "Keep Together". (Neo Soul, New Grooves) CD

There's only one brother in this funky little record – Finnish drummer Teddy Rok, who you might know from some great soulful sets from years back – working here in a lean style that blends funky drums with plenty of other spare instrumental touches! The set's a funk record that's fully informed by hip hop as well – with Teddy playing things in these stark styles that really sound great next to the beats – leading out with plenty of Fender Rhodes, vibes, and other warm instrumentations that speak volumes on the set, even though there's almost no vocals at all! There's a depth here that's missing from so many other contemporary projects of this nature – which is a strong testament to Teddy Rok's years of making great funk and soul records in other formats – as you'll hear on titles that include "Deeper Toner", "Rain Diamond", "Sao Paulo", "Further East", "Futuristic Earth", "King Cesar", and "Duktus". CD

A really wicked compilation, of the sort that BBE first started doing back in the day – a mix of records that spans both scenes and generations, yet which come together with a beautifully integrated vibe! There's a warmth here that's undeniable – currents of jazz, Brazilian, acoustic soul, and more – all wrapped up with a sunny vibe that really makes the whole thing soar wonderfully, as strange musical bedfellows really find a great space to play together that's full of imagination, spirit, and plenty of soul! Titles include "Factory Rhythms" by Jr Quintet, "Life" by Bugs Beddow, "I Had A Friend" by Peter Gallway, "Palavras" by Caixa Cubo, "Mystery Of You" by Jeff Scott, "Place In Space" by Joe Thomas, "Heaven" by Crosswind, "Como Aprendi A Soportar Tus Inseguridades, "Easter Suite (edit)" by John Standefer & Friends, "California (Shawn Lee mix)" by Kirk Reed, "Make The Call (ext version)" by MF Robots, "Smile Upon Your Brother" by Ambassador College Band & New World Singers, and "I Know (demo version)" by Astronauts Etc. (Funky Compilations, New Grooves) CD

J Boogie delivers track after track on Undercover – warm dancefloor material that spans genres and skirts boundaries – electronic soul rave-ups and moodier ones, spacey leftfield hip hop, horns and percussion flavored funk, Latin club bangers and beyond! Includes "Type Of Girl" feat The Mamaz, "Undercover" feat Chrys-Anthony, "It's On Fire" feat Lateef The Truthspeaker, "Go To Work" feat The Pimps Of Joytime, "El Ritmo" feat Deuce Eclipse & Caipa of Bang Data, "Blue Mountain Dub" feat Jazz Mafia, "Salaam", "Big Brother's Drunk", "Space And Time"f eat Gina Rene & Rich Armstrong and more. CD

Classic jazz for the 21st century – a treasure trove of tunes from Verve Records, all remixed for the modern dancefloor! The set's the second in Verve's Remixed series – and unlike the first, which focused mostly on vocal numbers, this one throws in some instrumental killers that are among some of our favorite in the catalog! The overall groove is much more expanded from the first session – way past the standard of floating vocals, keys, and beats – into a realm of abstract jazz that really gets at the heart of the project! 14 tracks in all – with "Manteca" by Dizzy Gillespie remixed by Funky Lowlives, "Here's That Rainy Day" by Astrud Gilberto remixed by Koop, "Naima's Love Song" by Betty Carter remixed by DJ Spinna, "Fried Neckbones & Some Home Fries" by Willie Bobo remixed by Dan The Automator, "Soul Sauce" by Cal Tjader remixed by Fila Brasillia, "Do What You Wanna" by Ramsey Lewis remixed by Mr Scruff, "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair" by Nina Simone remixed by Jaffa, "Mama" by Hugh Masekela remixed by Metro Area, "Whatever Lola Wants" by Sarah Vaughan remixed by Gotan Project, "Blues For Brother George Jackson" by Archie Shepp remixed by Mondo Grosso, and "Brother Where Are You" by Oscar Brown Jr remixed by Matthew Herbert. (Funky Compilations, New Grooves) CD

Brilliant work from Sleep Walker – the Japanese jazzy combo who's held our interest for the better part of the past decade! Sleep Walker were one of the first of their scene to move into classic jazz territory – getting past the beats and programs of other contemporary combos, and moving into straight acoustic modes that are filled with with spirit and soul. There's a very righteous vibe to their music – one that's informed by the best post-Coltrane modes of the Impulse Records generation, particularly Pharoah Sanders, who plays with the group on one track here – lending his horn to the group's own searing tenor sax, keyboards, bass, and drums. This French CD features two exclusive tracks – "Brother Hood" and "Resurrection (Tokyo night mix)" – plus other great cuts from the group's Japanese releases, including "Into the Sun", "Ai No Tabi", "Eclipse", "The Voyage", "Wind", and "River Of Love". CD

A dozen tracks from The Dining Rooms, Troublemakers, J-Walk, Alex Cortiz, J-Walk, Kinobe, Brace, Butti 49, Thievery Corporation, Soulstance, Sidewinder, and Brother Of Soul. CD

A tremendous album from Two Banks Of Four – a group that features work from some of our favorite older members of the British scene – including singer Valerie Etienne, and musicians Chris Bowden and Ski Oakenfull! The album's got a really soaring, spacious feel – with jazzy roots that stretch back to groups like Kalima, and include Fertile Ground, but an overall sound that's very much in step with the current sound of the 21st Century London scene. The tunes are all incredibly soulful – driven by warm acoustic basslines and snapping snare percussion – and the album's got an overall feel that has a lot more real jazz playing than just beats and keys – something we approve of highly! Valerie Etienne's vocals have never sounded hipper – and titles include "Angel's Walk", "One Day", "Banks Of The Nile", "Blues For Brother", "Endless", and "Unclaimed". CD

Tracks from Glance, Soca, Soul Parlor, Needs, Fauna Flash, Georg Levin, Gamat 3000, Pascal Leroc, Matthew Boone, Meitz, and Wighnomy Brothers. (Funky Compilations, New Grooves) CD

A key addition to any collection of The Brand New Heavies! The set features remixes of some of the group's best tracks, plus a few older and rarer cuts, and some other favorites. Titles include "Mind Trips (BNH rmx)", "Bang", "Brother Sister (Angel rmx)", "Keep Together (Jan Kincaid version)", "O Fa Fu", "Keep It Coming", "Midnight At The Oasis", "Worlds Keep Spinning", "Close To You", "Country Funkin", "Dream On Dreamer (Angel rmx)", and "Forever (Soulpower rmx)". (Neo Soul, New Grooves) CD