Not a slow burner, but a real cooker – served up here by a sweet London combo with a great mix of spiritual jazz and sweeter soul! Sean Khan leads the group, and plays some mighty sharp-edged alto and soprano sax – and other instrumentation includes Fender Rhodes, bass, and drums – often used in ways that follow Khan's lead on the instrumental tracks – but with a smoother, warmer feel on some of the numbers that feature female vocals in the lead! These cuts have a soulfulness that takes us back to the best years of the London scene – and they really sound great next to the instrumental numbers, which have a sharper feel overall – making for an album that's got a much richer voice than usual for this type of set. Titles include "Fluxman", "Piny Annie", "What Is Jazz", "El Presidente", "Black Narcissus", and "Castro De Castro". CD

Not a slow burner, but a real cooker – served up here by a sweet London combo with a great mix of spiritual jazz and sweeter soul! Sean Khan leads the group, and plays some mighty sharp-edged alto and soprano sax – and other instrumentation includes Fender Rhodes, bass, and drums – often used in ways that follow Khan's lead on the instrumental tracks – but with a smoother, warmer feel on some of the numbers that feature female vocals in the lead! These cuts have a soulfulness that takes us back to the best years of the London scene – and they really sound great next to the instrumental numbers, which have a sharper feel overall – making for an album that's got a much richer voice than usual for this type of set. Titles include "Fluxman", "Piny Annie", "What Is Jazz", "El Presidente", "Black Narcissus", and "Castro De Castro". CD

A beautiful debut from Ruth Koleva – a singer with roots in Bulgaria, but an ability to sing in a really universal style – a crisp take on 21st Century soul music that's bound to make her a real up-and-comer in the global soul underground! The album's got a perfect groove from start to finish – tight live instrumentation that's heavy on Fender Rhodes, served up with a focus that really serves Ruth's wonderful vocals – which have this floating, flowing quality that really matches the keyboards, but has more than enough power to drive home the English language lyrics too. And while we're not sure that Bulgaria's going to be the next hotbed of soul music, we've got great hopes for Ruth herself! Titles include "Falling Back", "Dissonant", "Freak & Fly", "What Am I Supposed To Do", "4AM", "Gone", and "Sista Said No". (Neo Soul, New Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully groovy, chill out soul from Finland's Quintessence – and warm batch of tracks the blends the echoey, tripped out 70s jazz aesthetic with hip hop and club production techniques as seamlessly as just about anything out there! Sublime keys, trumpet and occasional fluegelhorn lilt over programmed beats and live drums, but what really makes the groove standout are the breathy, layered vocals of Emma Salokoski – who sings and sometimes scats in English, with a real affinity for natural soul. 10 tracks in all, including "Sticks & Stones", "1st Impressions", "Never", "Raindrops", "The Right", "Skywalker", "Sparkle" and more! (Neo Soul, New Grooves) CD