A groove that's way different than the disco you might hear on this side of the Atlantic in the late 70s – more a tight Afro Funk approach, served up here with riffing guitars and lots of tight horns that descend in a really cool way with the vocals! "We Like To Party" follows in a similar groove – almost echoing the rhythm of the main cut, but with some more playful chorus lyrics too! (Global Grooves, Soul) 12-inch, Vinyl record

A wicked bit of Nigerian funk from the start of the 80s – served up in a very hip blend of Afro Disco and leaner street soul modes! The groove's got some sweet keyboards alongside the catchy sing-song lyric – very uncomplicated, which really lets the focus stay on the rhythms – which are almost in a Tom Tom Club or "Rapture" sort of style! The flipside is equally catchy, too – a cool cut with a stark approach to the groove that's almost influenced by South Bronx party music – but served up here in a unique Afro style too! (Global Grooves, Soul) 12-inch, Vinyl record

An uber-rare album from Orlando Julius & The Afro Sounders – recorded at Ginger Baker's studio in Lagos and originally (apparently quite scarcely) released by Philips in 1973 – wonderful stuff and on par with the excellent material the group recorded in the handful of previous years! The sound is terrific, still fresh and live sounding, but recorded with the best studio technology Julius had access to to date. The drums and percussion are prominent in the mix and so is the bass – with punchy, soulful brass, organs and passionate vocals. Wonderful! Tracks include "Yio Si Da Miliki Beat", "Afro Instrumental", "Osika Ranti", "Buje Buje", "Aseni" and "Kete Kete Koro". (Global Grooves, Soul) CD

An excellent bit of raw funky southern soul from Johnny Jenkins – recorded in Macon, GA, and one of the last relics of the relations that Atlantic Records had with all of the little local scenes in the south! Ton-Ton Macoute is one of those records that manages to blend funk, blues, and southern rock & soul way, way better than so many pretenders from the time – just a damn near perfectly realized set ! Johnny Jenkins sings, stomps, plays guitar and blows harp (with some extra help from Duane Allman on the guitar front), and he runs through tracks like "Blind Bats & Swamp Rats", "Sick & Tired", "Voodoo In You", "Rollin' Stone", "Bad News", "Down Along The Cove", and the absolute classic, classic breakbeat track "I Walk On Guilded Splinters". LP, Vinyl record album

A really rare slice of work from the funky genius Janko Nilovic – not the sound library grooves which have gained him fame over the decades – but instead a batch of rare cuts from his own short-lived record label, which he formed in 1968 with soul singer Davy Jones! Nilovic and Jones wrote all the tunes on the set, and they're presented by a variety of different artists – but have a unified feel that certainly comes from the strong instrumentation provided by Janko! The tunes are in a mix of mod 60s styles – some soul, some Hammond-heavy groovers, and some with a more expansive vibe that's almost a psychedelic take on the spirit of French pop during the period. The set features every a and b-side of the six singles issued by the label – plus four more bonus remixes – and titles include "Voodoo Juju Obsession (parts 1 & 2)" by K Ptyacunthapuserectus, "Lover's Summer Song" and "Moon Man" by Bobby Cannon, "Restless Gringo" and "The Lost & The Lonely" by Spiritus M, "Groovy Kinda Samba" and "The Juju Is The Thing" by Abra K Dabra, "Treasure Lee" and "Voodoo Juju" by Killer Steen, and "Tinka Bell" and "There's A Little Old Lady" by Tinka Bell. (Sound Library, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly the most celebrated album ever from keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith – a groove-heavy classic that's burned up many a dancefloor in its day, yet also a record that features some great mellow moments as well! The title track "Expansions" is virtually a blueprint for the migration of the cosmic jazz sound onto the dancefloor – a tune that's as funky as it is righteous – but other cuts on the album slow down the pace a bit too, and show off the mellower, more introspectively spiritual side that's always made Lonnie way more than just a funky jazz artist. Easily the best place to start in the all-great Lonnie Liston Smith catalog – and featuring tracks that include "Expansions", "Summer Days", "Desert Nights", "Shadows", "My Love", "Peace", and "Voodoo Woman". (Jazz, Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Funky grooves merge into sweet soulful moments – on this wonderful debut from an obscure Chicago group! The music is clubby at points, but also mellows out at others – mixing bassy grooves with spacier moments that have an especially nice vibe – and which really showcase a sophisticated modern soul side of the group! And the production work features plenty of old talents from Brunswick Records – including Chicago soul giants Carl Davis, Eugene Record, and Sonny Sanders – who really put the record together with a lot of care, at a level that should have made these guys huge. A great lost set, but well worth discovering – and tracks include "Volcanic Voodoo", "Take It To The Top", "What Makes You Wanna Lie To Me", "You're My Everything", "Show Him The Way To Go", and "Worry". CD