A massive record – and an instant legend the day it was released! Masters At Work host the beautiful meeting of a host legendary artists – Roy Ayers, George Benson, Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente, Jocelyn Brown, Vince Montana, and others – all united in a magical session that brings Latin firmly back to the dancefloor with the power and majesty of the best 70s recordings! The whole thing's amazing – a fantastic mix of Latin, funk, jazz, and house that's inspired a whole new generation of musicians – and which has still yet to be duplicated years later! Includes the massive remake of "I Am the Blackgold of the Sun", plus "Runaway", "Sweet Tears", and the great cover of Bob James' "Nautilus". CD

Boogie soul inspired gems from club legend Ron Trent! "Boogie Down" is a richly layered gem working on a number of levels – first and foremost as a dance floor win, pairing non-stop beats with spacey keys – and going to a deeper level with some wonderful use of vibes! The flip side's "In The Light" is similar to Side A in the dance floor friendly aspect, but this one nods to early Prince in the tight pop funk/soul keyboards. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Excellent work from one of the most important production teams of recent times! Jazzanova have sharply defined the modern European taste for Brazilian and Latin-inflected grooves on the dancefloor – beginning in the mid 90s with work for the (then) new Compost Records imprint, and working up to present days with countless remix efforts for other artists. Sadly, Jazzanova have yet to cut an album of their own work – and this double-length set is probably the best full way to experience their rich talents. It features 20 tracks in all, many with a strong Brazilian or bossa flavor, and most with a tight dancefloor approach to jazz. Titles include "We Who Are Not As Others" by 4 Hero, "Soul Power" by Marcshmellows, "Carajillo" by Truby Trio, "Get Into My Groove" by Incognito, "Amazon Adventure" by Azymuth, "Words Of Love" by Soul Bossa Trio, "Welcome To The Party" by Har-You Percussion Group, "Planet Of Breaks" by Visit Venus, "Burnin" by Tate's Place, "Toda Tersafeira" by Soul Quality Quartet, "Circe" by Ursula Rucker, "Fifths" by Ski, and "Complete Life" by Liquid Lounge – all remixed by Jazzanova! CD

One of the richest and most complex recordings we've ever heard from Silent Poets – a brilliant blend of strings, soul, and sounds! The style here is a bit more cinematic than before – taking cues from recent Silent Poets work, but unlocking a new sense of majesty in the music – one that unfolds gently as the tunes go on, and really finds a unique place for itself in the modern sound spectrum. There's a sense of confidence and power here that goes way beyond the last few Silent Poets records – and the initial forays into this type of music have finally found their place, and come together much more strongly here. Shawn Lee delivers a bit of guest work on the record, and titles include "Rock Star", "From Earthling", "Future", "Dumb Girl", "Next Episode", "Man On The Street", "Fate", and "Wonder". CD

You might know Dave Lee under his other name of Joey Negro, which has long been associated with some of the best clubby cuts on both sides of the Atlantic – but whatever the case, whoever the name, the man himself has always given us nothing but top-shelf work – a tradition that's definitely continued with this wonderful set! Dave/Joey has always had a really great ear for the classic – carrying forward the best sorts of 70s and 80s elements from the world of funk, club, and soul – all with a sense of perfection that rivals the work of bigger names like Incognito or Brand New Heavies, and always served up with a killer ear for the dancefloor! Here, Dave steps forth with a dozen new tracks under an array of various group names and projects – all produced with the love promised in the title, and a heavy dose of soul as well. Titles include "Do It Again" by Rare Essence with Lifford, "Starlight" by Dave & Omar, "Love Walked In The Room" by Jayenne with Gina Carey, "Raise A Blaze" by Foreal People with Xan Blacq, "Want Me Back" by Mistura with Jemini, "Power Of The Mind (power trip mix)" by Dave Lee with Billy Valentine, "Let's Do It In Style" by The Sunburst Band, "Taste My Love" by Dave Lee with Billy Valentine, "Face The Love" by The Sunburst Band with Angela Johnson, and "If You Ever Need Someone" by Mistura With Tiffany T'Zelle. 2CD version features a full bonus CD of remixes – 10 more tracks that include "After The Rain (Dave Lee destination boogie mix)" by Str4ta, "Don't Leave Me This Way (Dave Lee Philly World mix)" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, "Mountains (Dave Lee live & direct ext mix)" by The Vision with Adreya Triana, "Prospect Park (Dave Lee disco reshake)" by Prospect Park, "Use Your Imagination (Dave Lee reimagined mix)" by Kokomo, and "One Plus One (Dave Lee ext mix)" by Leroy Burgess. CD

Marc Mac knocks it out of the park once again – serving up just four songs, but with a sense of soaring power that beats most other full length records in this territory! The album's the last in Mac's series of global efforts, and although Japan is the focus this time around, it's mostly in the titles of the tunes – as the record continues that really strong evolution past 4Hero roots that have made Marc's recent releases so wonderful, and which have us hoping that he'll soon be giving us lots more full length records too! Titles include "Tokyo Nightlife", "Kambei", "Electric City Don't Sleep", and "Yasuke Soul". 12-inch, Vinyl record

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

A really unique album, and one that's a bit hard to describe on words (which means you might want to run over to the bandcamp link!) – as Naima Farao has all the jazzy currents you might expect from her first name, but also opens up here in a blend of cosmic soul, spacey instrumentation, and all sorts of other really cool touches – a bit like some of the post-jazz London experiments in recent years, but with some deeper soul currents in the mix on most numbers! Naima's got a breathy way of singing at times, which really sparkles with the instrumentation – yet she can then swing into a deeper style that's equally powerful, and which takes off and runs on the best tunes. The set features guest appearances from Ilhan Ersahin and Napoleon Maddox – and titles include "Vortex", "Heirloom", "Run", "Buoyancy Of Water", "Process", "Roll Back In", and "Increase The Light". (Neo Soul, New Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

A bold move forward for Re:Jazz – a record that's even more cohesive than their first few, and which shows them emerging much more strongly as a group! As before, the approach here has the combo offering soulful jazz versions of tunes from the more popular side of the spectrum – but unlike before, there's a warmly flowing sense of energy that unites the whole record – an approach that's often topped by the vocals of Inga Luhning, an expressive singer who really gives the record a good focus – even though the record also features a bit of guest singing by Alice Russell and Ernesto. There's a sense of power and entitlement to the music here that goes way beyond the earlier releases – almost as if the band have stopped being tentative about their efforts, and move confidently forward with a sense that their music is really making a difference. Titles include "People Hold On", "Gabrielle", "Finally", "Rock It", "Too Many Holes", "Promised Land", "Back Home", "Not About Me", "Plastic Dreams", "Return To Damara", and "Stewed". CD