A damn funky record – way more so than you might expect from the "string" in the title! The group's kind of an answer to the Soulful Strings ensemble headed by Richard Evans for Cadet/Concept in Chicago – and like that group, it mixes up funky rhythms with some sweet large orchestrations – in a style that's almost a precursor of blacksploitation funk to come in the 70s! Paul Riser handles arrangements – very much in the same spirit of Evans – and he picks up a hip Motown groove that bridges sweeping soul and gritty funk – all played to perfection by an ensemble led by Gordon Staples, and featuring players from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra! There's lots of funky nuggets in the set – and titles include excellent originals like "Strung Out", "Toonie", and "Sounds of the Zodiac" – plus "The April Fools", "The Look Of Love", "Get Down", "If Your Love Were Mine", "Someday We'll Be Together", and "From A Heart That's True To Only You". Beautiful high-quality reissue – of a record that's darn hard to find on wax! (Soul, Now Sound) CD

Music from Dusty Springfield, Shawn Phillips, Mark Lindsay, Marvin Hamlisch, Dionne Warwick With Glenn Jones, Tom Jones, Burt Bacharach, Richard Chamberlain, Gene Pitney, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, and more. (Soundtracks, Now Sound) CD

The second album from Don Tiki – a hip loungecore combo with a lot more to offer than meets the eye! The group are clearly inspired by the late 50s wave of exotica that flowed freely along the LA/Honolulu corridor – but they've also picked up plenty of later influences that help them open their sound, and take it past the obvious. Add to that a great batch of players in the group – including percussionist Carlinhos De Oliveira, who holds the set down with some great work throughout, plus solid support on flute, keyboards, and guitar – and a few occasional vocals that float in with dreamy surprise! Titles include the Sergio Mendes-eque "Heat", plus the tracks "Wet Cave", "Other Side Of The Moon", "El Producto", "That Hypnotizing Man", "Axoloti", "Sweet & Sour", "The Natives Are Restless", and "Primitiva". CD