... CD

... CD

Gregory Porter arrives on Blue Note Records – and the result is Porter's most fully-formed set so far – just the kind of album that will push him firmly into the limelight – a place that we've felt he's deserved for quite a few years! Porter's a hell of a singer, and a hell of a songwriter too – and although his roots are in jazz, he's got a rare ability to step between genres with plenty of soul – a special space that belongs to a very rare few – like Nina Simone, Bill Withers, Roberta Flack, or Gil Scott-Heron! Gregory's voice is amazing, his lyrics are both personal and pointed – and he does so much here with so little, the album should be handed out to the hundreds of mis-directed vocalists who think that a few extra tweaks in the studio is all they really need. Most numbers just feature small combo backing, with wonderfully warm piano from Chip Crawford – and the whole thing's got a timeless feel that makes us think this is the beginning of a rich new season for Porter. Titles include "Free", "Water Under Bridges", "Lonesome Lover", "Liquid Spirit", "No Love Dying", "Brown Grass", "When Love Was King", and "Wind Song". CD

Gregory Porter arrives on Blue Note Records – and the result is Porter's most fully-formed set so far – just the kind of album that will push him firmly into the limelight – a place that we've felt he's deserved for quite a few years! Porter's a hell of a singer, and a hell of a songwriter too – and although his roots are in jazz, he's got a rare ability to step between genres with plenty of soul – a special space that belongs to a very rare few – like Nina Simone, Bill Withers, Roberta Flack, or Gil Scott-Heron! Gregory's voice is amazing, his lyrics are both personal and pointed – and he does so much here with so little, the album should be handed out to the hundreds of mis-directed vocalists who think that a few extra tweaks in the studio is all they really need. Most numbers just feature small combo backing, with wonderfully warm piano from Chip Crawford – and the whole thing's got a timeless feel that makes us think this is the beginning of a rich new season for Porter. Titles include "Free", "Water Under Bridges", "Lonesome Lover", "Liquid Spirit", "No Love Dying", "Brown Grass", "When Love Was King", and "Wind Song". This great 3LP deluxe version features special guest bonus tracks on the fifth side – Water Under The Bridge" with Laura Mvula, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" with Jamie Cullum and "Grandma's Hands" with Ben L'Oncle Soul – plus Rainer & Grimm, Claptone, 20syl, St Germain and Knuckle G remixes on the sixth side! LP, Vinyl record album

Electric funk from Freddie Hubbard – a great 70s session that has him bringing in a bit more soul to the mix than usual! Things are a bit tighter here than on the CTI sides, but still pretty open and fluid – almost in a Donald Byrd mode with Larry Mizell, given the fuller backings on the set, and Hubbard's lean, clean tone on the top! Hubbard did the arrangements with George Cables – who plays some wonderful keyboards on the set, and keeps things solid throughout – creating the kind of open lines that always seems to get the best out of Freddie. Other players include Ray Parker on guitar, Carl Randall on tenor and flute, Henry Franklin on bass, and Spider Webb on bass – and a few cuts have some chorus vocals, which again take on a great Mizell-like quality in the mix. Titles include "Kuntu", "Put It In The Pocket", "Liquid Love", "Yesterday's Thoughts", "Lost Dreams", and a version of "Midnight At The Oasis". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool collection, and one that's got a very special focus – an imaginary soundtrack for the record-breaking British summer of 1976 – a searingly hot time that really pushed the nation to the brink! Bob Stanley's given us some great collections on Ace Records before – often with Pete Wiggs, or as Saint Etienne – and this set continues the very special vibe of those sets, by bringing together cuts that we never would have thought would work so well otherwise – a sublime mix of soul, rock, and pop – all glowing together with the warm vibe of the summer of 1976! Titles include "I'm Mandy Fly Me" by 10CC, "Walking So Free" by Spike Janson, "Sugar Shuffle" by Lynsey DePaul, "Liquid Sunshine" by John Cameron, "Not On The Outside" by Sylvia, "You Are My Love" by Liverpool Express, "You're The Song" by Hollywood Freeway, "Discover Me" by David Ruffin, "Stoned Out" by Simon Park, "Montreal City" by Azimuth, "Stay With Me" by Blue Mink, "Music" by Carmen McRae, "Rock N Roll Star" by Barclay James Harvest, "Fallin In Love" by Hamilton Joe Frank & Reynolds, "Inspiration Information" by Shuggie Otis, and "Miss My Love Today" by Gilbert O'Sullivan. Imagine the mixtape from Guardians Of The Galaxy, but done by a much hipper ear, and you'll get a good idea of this one! CD

Here's where it started getting weird for Bolan & T Rex – with strange bits of soul and other elements in the shiny, spacey veneer! Includes "Venus Loon", "Sound Pit", "Galaxy", "Change", "Teenage Dream", "Interstellar Soul", "The Meathawk Immaculate", "Nameless Wildness", "Liquid Gang", "The Leopards Featuring Gerdenia & The Mighty Slug" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

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

Classic guitar highlife music from Ghana! Guitarist Eric Agyeman helped revive the moribund style, reinventing with the electric guitar and injecting some of the liquid magic of Congolese rumba. Beginning in the early 60s he worked with a bevy of great bands, including Dr. K. Gyasi & His Noble Kings and the mighty A.B. Crentsil & the Sweet Talks. Crentsil and Agyaaku – another of the great vocalists of the modern highlife era – sit in on lead vocals for one track each, leaving the lion's share of the vocals to Thomas Frempong – who contributes one of the most killing tracks to the great Ghana Soundz collection – who handles them with soul and grace. Agyeman's fluid guitar here contributes some sublime solos, but the real treat is the stellar rhythm work. Tracks include "Matutu Mirika", "Abenaa Na Aden?", "I Don't Care", "Nea Abe Beto", and "Odo Bra". CD

A key album in the Isley Brothers "extended funk" mode of the 70s – a style in which the group approached nearly every tune by adding in a "part 2" in order to stretch out the groove! The style here is bass-heavy funk, but less of the sort that other groups were using at the time – because the Isleys still bring in plenty of soul to the mix, and resist popping the bass too much so that they still have plenty of space for the slinky vocals that always make their work so great. Most of the titles on the album have this extended approach, and titles include "I Wanna Be With You (parts 1 & 2)", "Liquid Love (parts 1 & 2)", "Winner Takes All", "Love Comes & Goes (parts 1 & 2)", "Let's Fall In Love (parts 1 & 2)", "Let Me In Your Life (parts 1 & 2)", "Life In The City (parts 1 & 2)", "Go For What You Know", and "Mind Over Matter (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

Legendary work from Goldwax Records – pulled from a stretch when the Memphis imprint was really going strong! By the time of these tracks, Goldwax was really coming into their own – picking up some of the best soul currents of the Memphis scene – and rivaling the Stax/Volt powerhouse in terms of quality – especially on the deep soul tracks that Goldwax seemed to do better than anyone else! This 2CD package is a wonderful overview of these golden years for the label – and it features every single single, both a and b-sides intact – presented with detailed notes on each release. Some of the work is the stuff of Memphis soul legend – mixed in with some more unusual, lesser-known bits from the scene – including a few rock, blues, and country numbers as well. 54 tracks in all – with titles that include "Anything You Do Is Alright" by Spencer Wiggins, "Don't You Believe Him" by Ivory Joe Hunter, "Cry Me A Hand Full" by The Terrys, "Say You Need It" by Barbara Perry, "Lovable Girl" by James Carr, "When You Look In The Mirror" by Eddie Jefferson, "What Time Ye Got" by Gene Bowlegs Miller, "Little Things" by Jeannie Newman, "Forgetting You" by James Carr, "Hello Daughter" by Leroy Daniel, "I Can't Forget You" by The Yo Yos, "Good Times" by George & Greer, "Walking Out On You" by Spencer Wiggins, "Qualifications" by The Ovations, "Liquid Mood" by Timmy Thomas, "Call On Me" by Percy Milem, "Me & My Imagination" by The Ovations, and "The Wife Of The Life Of The Party" by Kathy Davis. CD

Dreamy electronics from Leon Lowman – a batch of tunes that were all recorded in a small Rhode Island studio at the cusp of the 80s, and which feature a fair bit of Fender Rhodes and Arp throughout! The tunes are an unusual mix of jazz and spacier modes – done in a style that's often more structured than other indie keyboard albums of this type, as Lowman brings in some great grooves at just the right moments – and makes a few of these tunes surprisingly soulful – almost a laidback small combo version of some of the more cosmic grooves that were showing up in clubs at the time. The record's got a killer remake of "Bumpin On Sunset" that's worth the price of admission alone – and other tracks are mostly originals, and include "Andrea", "Listen", "Narrow River", "Friends", "Fluorescent Funk", "Back To The Grassland", and "Liquid Diamonds". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of albums from this Guyana group – both recorded overseas, and with a really unique sort of vibe! Young Ones Of Guyana On Tour was recorded in 1970, while the group was in London – at the legendary Landsdowne Studios, home to some really groundbreaking jazz at the time – a location that must have left some sort of imprint on the combo, as they work here in a mix of different styles that includes soul, Latin, and even Jamaican modes – often using strong lead guitar upfront, usually peppered with very cool Farfisa organ lines too. Many of the cuts are instrumentals, and some are vocals – and the mix reminds us a lot of the sorts of variety you'd get on a late 60s rocksteady album. Titles include "Liquidator", "Monkey Man", "Express Way", "Love Can Make You Happy", "No More Heartaches", and "Meditation". Reunion was recorded in Toronto in 1973 – after the group took a hiatus from recording for a bit, to reemerge here with a style that's definitely matured for the time! The organ has shifted from Farfisa to Hammond, but still used in these nice lean lines – and the vocals are more prominent, and maybe more soulful too – especially when the group take on some American soul tracks from the time. Titles include "Guitar Man", "Hooked On Me", "Poppa Joe", "Oh Girl", "If Loving You Is Wrong", "Suriname", "Ain't No Sunshine", and "Lean On Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A terrific career-spanning anthology from one of Congolese music's most popular and influential figures! Papa Wemba first made his mark in 1969 as a co-founder of Zaiko Langa Langa, one of the great modernizers of Congolese rumba who employed a multiple singer frontline and ditched the horn section in favor of an all-guitar line-up. Wemba carried on this progressive mindset when he formed his own group, Viva La Musica, in 1974. The first CD of this excellent collection covers his early work with the band, where sublimely liquid guitar percolates, glides, and splashes over complex Cuban-flavored grooves. The second CD finds Wemba broadening his appeal as he spread his operations into Europe. While the sound definitely becomes slicker, his vocals remain deeply soulful and strong, the guitars even more crystalline, and the dense polyrhythms sturdier than ever. Wemba has come under fire in recent years, accused of illegally smuggling Africans into Belgium, but this essential document reminds us of his greatest accomplishments. Tracks include "Mere Sperieure", "Amina", "Bukavo Dawa", "M'Balumuna", and "Mi Amor". CD

The genius of Roy Ayers knows no end – and as this set of unreleased work from the 70s proves, Roy was always working at top form back in the day – even above and beyond his classic albums from the time! The grooves here are tremendous – funky, soulful, jazzy, and every bit as wonderful as the work that Roy did for his classic albums on Polydor – and in a way, the whole set's even tighter and heavier than any of Roy's full LPs, because it's a distillation of his sound from the time, hand-picked from the vaults with an ear towards the kind of timeless grooves that have been a huge influence on many worlds of music for years! You've never heard any of these tunes before, but we can promise you'll love them every bit as much as Roy's tracks on albums like Coffy, Vibrations, Mystic Voyage, and other classics – and the quality of the set only further pushes our jaw-dropping respect for the man! Titles include "Holiday", "Kwajilori", "I Am Your Mind (part 2)", "Touch Of Class", "Third Time", "Come To Me", "Wide Open", "Funk In The Hole", "Liquid Love", "Tarzan", "Sunshine (demo)", and "I Like The Way You Do It To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Never-issued work from Jamaican singer Al Brown – tapes that were thought to be lost for years, then were recently rediscovered and brought back to life by the talents of Paolo "Dub Files" Baldini! The work has a righteous quality at the core – very soulful vocals from Al, resonating with a sense of message and power, while Inner Force provide gently-stepping rhythms which are then expanded and amplified in the dubs by Baldini! The music is never too forced, and everything flows together wonderfully – with a very vintage approach from the early days of the digital age, so that the whole thing really seems to come across like a dub version of the original album issued back in the day. Titles include "Dub Me Again", "Ghetto Situation", "Liquid Dub (part 1)", "Poor & Simple Version)", "Family Version", "Ghetto Love (part 1)", and "Dub Of Books". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky collaboration of new and old players – as trumpeter Roy Hargrove explores a range of classic styles with a host of excellent guest stars! The RH Factor project includes work by Bernard Wright, Cornell Dupree, Karl Denson, and other funk luminaries – and it also features great vocal performances from the likes of Common, Q-Tip, Erykah Badu, and D'Angelo. The groove soars from Miles-inspired electric to the heavy funk of George Clinton – and makes plenty of side-trips in between – exploring a range of soulful jazz, both new and old, and coming off a lot better than we might have thought! Titles include "Pastor T", "I'll Stay", "Common Free Style", "Juicy", "The Stroke", "Poetry", "Liquid Streets", "The Joint", and "Forget Regret". LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful collection – an important re-investigation of the unusual mix of sounds and styles on the New York scene in the years after disco – a time when funk, punk, hip hop, and art were all colliding at once – providing a really fresh antidote to the staid sounds of Studio 54! The "disco" in the title should be taken lightly – as these cuts didn't play at the slick uptown dance spots – but were instead the soundtrack for the cool spots happening downtown, as the previous loft culture morphed into clubs, in this very special blend of the energy of CBGB and the underground soulful dancefloors. The set list is filled with classics from this time – and titles include "Cavern" by Liquid Liquid, "Tell You Today (voc)" by Loose Joints, "Walking On Thin Ice (re-edit)" by Yoko Ono, "Over & Over" by Material, "Spasticus Autisticus (version)" by Ian Dury & The Seven Seas Players, "Kiss Me Again (original edit)" by Dinosaur, "Move" by Nicky Siano, "School Bell/Tree House" by Indian Ocean, "I Walk" by Don Cherry, "Voices Inside My Head" by Common Sense, and "Wheel Me Out" by Was Not Was. LP, Vinyl record album

A funky collaboration of new and old players – as trumpeter Roy Hargrove explores a range of classic styles with a host of excellent guest stars! The RH Factor project includes work by Bernard Wright, Cornell Dupree, Karl Denson, and other funk luminaries – and it also features great vocal performances from the likes of Common, Q-Tip, Erykah Badu, and D'Angelo. The groove soars from Miles-inspired electric to the heavy funk of George Clinton – and makes plenty of side-trips in between – exploring a range of soulful jazz, both new and old, and coming off a lot better than we might have thought! Titles include "Pastor T", "I'll Stay", "Common Free Style", "Juicy", "The Stroke", "Poetry", "Liquid Streets", "The Joint", and "Forget Regret". CD

Never-issued work from Jamaican singer Al Brown – tapes that were thought to be lost for years, then were recently rediscovered and brought back to life by the talents of Paolo "Dub Files" Baldini! The work has a righteous quality at the core – very soulful vocals from Al, resonating with a sense of message and power, while Inner Force provide gently-stepping rhythms which are then expanded and amplified in the dubs by Baldini! The music is never too forced, and everything flows together wonderfully – with a very vintage approach from the early days of the digital age, so that the whole thing really seems to come across like a dub version of the original album issued back in the day. Titles include "Dub Me Again", "Ghetto Situation", "Liquid Dub (part 1)", "Poor & Simple Version)", "Family Version", "Ghetto Love (part 1)", and "Dub Of Books". CD features bonus tracks – "Liquid Dream", "New Family", "Dub On The Land", "Tribulation Dub (part 1)", and "Dub Me Again (part 2)". CD

The first album by The Tom Tom Club – a group that started out as a side project by Talking Heads members Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz – but which went onto have a surprising life of its own! Like the Talking Heads at the start of the 80s, Tom Tom Club were very open to pulling together rhythms from the soulful underground – bits of Caribbean influence and certainly some sounds from hip hop too – but used in these cool sing-songy tunes that also had ties to the same New York underground scene that gave the world ESG and Liquid Liquid! Yet there's also a nicely complex set of textures, too – thanks to work on the record by Adrian Belew and Steve Stanley – both of whom can balance out funky elements and more interesting textures. The record took off immediately with the track "Genius Of Love" – inspired by hip hop, and respected by that scene too – as was the album's classic "Wordy Rappinghood". The whole thing's great – an excellent document of the moment, but more timeless too – and other titles include "L'Elephant", "As Above So Below", "On On On On", "Lorelei", and "Booming & Zooming". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent! An astounding 4CD set covering 15 years worth of fine Jamaican music, stopping at all the relevant points for novices, but digging deeply enough to unearth some nice hard to get bits for the initiated. The first disc in the set, Train To Skaville, represents an 8 year block during the formative years of the 60s, starting out with some Mento cuts, then a couple of nice Jamaican R& B numbers on through a nice batch of Ska. Disc 2, Do The Reggay, focus on the transition to Rocksteady and early reggae from 1968 to 1970, as the tempos started to get a little more laidback, and the dawn of the 70s gets highlighted with disc 3, Black & White: Reggae Rising. Disc 4, The Time Has Come, brings it all together collecting a tremendous batch of roots rock. 90 tracks in all, the set includes Derrick Morgan "Fat Man", Stranger Cole "Rough & Tough", Don Drummond & Tommy McCook "Music Is My Occupation", Roland Alphonso & The Soul Brothers "Phoenix City", Desmond Dekker & The Aces "Rudy Got Soul", Keith & Tex "Stop That Train", Toots & The Maytals "Do The Reggay", Lee Perry People Funny Boy", the Untouchables "Tighten Up", the Pioneers "Longshot Kick The Bucket", Gregory Isaacs "Don't Let Me Suffer", Harry J Allstars "The Liquidator", Niney "Blood & Fire", Ken Parker "Groovin Out On Life", Bob Marley & The Wailers "Small Axe", Horace Andy "I Fell Good All Over", Junior Byles "A Place Called Africa", Zap Pow "This Is Reggae Music", Slim Smith "The Time Has Come", Big Youth "S90 Skank", Burning Spear "Marcus Garvey", and way too many more to list here! CD

Don't let the cover put you off, as this isn't some marching band record – although the set does have plenty of funky drums! There's a jazzy vibe to the record that's different than most other Venezuelan records of the time – and overall, the whole thing has maybe the feel of some sort of sweet European sound library funk album – one that mixes electricity in the rhythms with some acoustic touches on the horns – all served up with a slight touch of Latin complexity in the rhythms! The group's a tentet, and have a great way of moving between full ensemble modes and individual solos – on titles that include "Algo Misterioso", "Lerede", "La Verdad", "Zambo", "La Fuga De Gumersindo", "Torta De Pan", "Y Pasa Todos Los Dias", and "Liquido Elemento". LP, Vinyl record album