The lovely Kim Sang Hee takes on the music of both Tom Jones and Burt Bacharach – in a setting that has her working with nicely different backings for each of the different sources! The Burt Bacharach material is maybe our favorite – as Kim's sweet voice works wonderfully with the small combo backing of pianist Masahiko Sato, who really seems to get the right sense of space and timing for the Bacharach tunes that include "April Fools", "I'll Never Fall In Love Again", "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head", and "This Girl's In Love With You". The Tom Jones material includes a range of different songs associated with Jones, not necessarily written by him – with groovy larger backings from the New Herd of Toshiyuki Miyama, with arrangements by Norio Maeda – on cuts that include "It's Not Unusual", "Little Green Apples", "Delilah", and "Green Green Grass Of Home". LP, Vinyl record album

A bit more of a stripped-down set than other work that Benny Sings has given us in recent years – definitely a record with the vibe of the beat tape promised in the title – but one that still has some of the soulful elements that Benny's given us on other records too! The hip hop element is stronger here than usual, right down to the record's guests – who include Koreatown Oddity, Cola Boyy, Mocky, St Panther, Rae Khalil, and others – and Benny put the album together out of elements that weren't used in the final version of his album Music – but which still carry some of the soulful currents of that set. Titles include "Money & Guns", "Don't Look", "CGEOOL", "Green Grass", "Watch Me Heal", "Song 13", and "Mag Ik In Je Huid". LP, Vinyl record album

A very hip group from the London scene, and one who've got a slightly different origin than most – in that they initially started out as a house band for a spoken word event – then grew into a really great group on their own! In the best contemporary London fashion, there's a real openness to genres and styles here – jazz at the core, but plenty of contemporary soul – especially considering the range of guests on the record – a lineup that includes Joe Armon Jones, Shabaka Hutchings, Sampha, Kae Tempest, and others. The core lineup features Biscuit on flute, Raven Bush on violin, Peter Bennie on bass, and Kwake Bass on drums and percussion – but the record flows with so many other contributions, sounds, and styles as well. Titles include "Acute Truth", "Fix", "On Grounds", "Can We Do This", "Soapbox Soliloquy", "Hither Green", "Dreaded", "Wavelet", and "Round Again". LP, Vinyl record album

The first Grateful Dead album on Arista, and a set that definitely marks a new chapter for the group – one that has them using a surprising amount of soul references in their music, in part through some heavy vocal contributions from Donna Jean Godchaux! The arrangements are fuller than before at times – with some elements added later to expand the sound of the group at the core – in ways that are sometimes respectful, sometimes a bit more forceful in the way they approach the sound. Highlights include the laidback "Estimated Prophet", and the long "Terrapin Station" suite – plus "Sunrise", "Passenger", "Samson & Delilah", and a surprising cover of "Dancin In The Streets". LP, Vinyl record album

A gem of a record from the great Sonny Greenwich – an open-toned guitarist with a style that's unlike anyone else we can think of – a Canadian player who never got much exposure down here in the US, but who really stands apart from most of the jazz guitarists of his generation! There's this unusual sense of color and phrasing that really makes Sonny stand out – chords that almost feel as if they're broken open and exposed from a Wes Montgomery sort of tightness – able to move with a sense of fluidity, but a unique sense of rhythm that's definitely Greenwich's own. The rest of the group here really match the spirit of his music – maybe more so than on any other record of his as a leader – a great lineup that includes Don Thompson on electric and acoustic piano, Rick Homme on bass, Terry Clarke on drums, and Clayton Johnson on percussion. All tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Peace Chant", "Lilly Lotus", "Parting", and "Starlight". LP, Vinyl record album

Although Blue Note is probably one of the most iconic record labels on the planet, the company's also done a great job of reinventing itself as the years go on – always showing that they've still got an ear for the same sort of new talent that made Blue Note so important back in the day! This time around, the label's following a bit of the spirit of their previous Re:Imagined set, in that they're also working with a fair bit of young artists from the UK scene – but the set list is also maybe a bit less slavish to hits from the Blue Note catalog, which really opens up the overall sound of the record with a mix of very different vocal and instrumental contributions! As before, the scope is great, and the package is a double-length one – with titles that include "Fort Worth" by Binker Golding, "It" by Yazz Ahmed, "Through The Noise" by Nubiyan Twist, "Don't Know Why" by Partheope, "Morning Side Of Love" by Ego Ella May, "Green With Envy" by Oscar Jerome & Oscar #Worldpeace, "Lost" by Daniel Casimir with Ria Moran, "Epistrophy" by Theon Cross, "Feel Like Making Love" by Kay Young, "Harvest Moon" by Maya Delilah, "Infant Eyes" by Reuben James, and "Where Are We Going" by Venna & Marco. LP, Vinyl record album