There's some sweet 80s basswork on this one – that kind of dipping pedal groove that's peppered with plenty of keyboards – all making for this bright, crackling sound that gets plenty of deeper soul elements from Bobby Boyd's vocals! Lots of percussion kicks off "Girl I Like You" – giving the whole thing a tribal groove sort of vibe – while riffing guitar and keyboards set off the rhythms next to the sparkling vocals of Bobby and the group! Nice breakdown near the end, too. 7-inch, Vinyl record

Two rare groovers from Bobby Boyd! "Love Goddess" has this great sort of building vibe at the start – a bit like the way the "Shaft" theme rolls in, but totally different too – especially when Bobby hits the great lyric in the lead! "Good News" is as upbeat as you might expect – with these bright horns over a romping groove that has plenty of bass at the bottom – all to support Bobby's fantastic vocals, which have a message that's as positive as the music! 7-inch, Vinyl record

An obscure bit of boogie from Brief Encounter – a southern soul group known best for their mid 70s sides for the Sound Stage Seven label, stepping out here in a completely different 80s groove! Most tracks are upbeat and dancefloor funky – plenty of bass on the bottom and some sweet electric keys – but often used in a way that's more in a 70s ensemble funk mode than the keyboards you'd hear on other early 80s indie soul. There's a warmth here that's quite nice, and most tracks feature the larger group harmonizing on vocals – in a way that sounds especially sweet on the mellower tracks. And while the recording quality of the original record is sometimes a bit muted, the group themselves sound plenty great – really bouncing along wonderfully with a soaring groove and a sense of tightness that goes beyond their indie roots! Titles include "Sweet Tender Loving", "We Want To Play For You", "Now I Know I Love You", "Rocking", "Since I Met You Girl", "Just For Love", "Open Up Your Heart", and "If You Want My Love". Features the bonus track "Always". CD

An obscure bit of boogie from Brief Encounter – a southern soul group known best for their mid 70s sides for the Sound Stage Seven label, stepping out here in a completely different 80s groove! Most tracks are upbeat and dancefloor funky – plenty of bass on the bottom and some sweet electric keys – but often used in a way that's more in a 70s ensemble funk mode than the keyboards you'd hear on other early 80s indie soul. There's a warmth here that's quite nice, and most tracks feature the larger group harmonizing on vocals – in a way that sounds especially sweet on the mellower tracks. And while the recording quality of the original record is sometimes a bit muted, the group themselves sound plenty great – really bouncing along wonderfully with a soaring groove and a sense of tightness that goes beyond their indie roots! Titles include "Sweet Tender Loving", "We Want To Play For You", "Now I Know I Love You", "Rocking", "Since I Met You Girl", "Just For Love", "Open Up Your Heart", and "If You Want My Love". Features the bonus track "Always". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the most amazing work we've heard so far from Greg Foat – and that's really saying a lot, as the British keyboardist has given us some really incredible records over the years! The work's got a more ambitious vibe than some of Greg's straighter jazz sets – with large arrangements that also bring in voices at times – used in a really haunting way that's part late 60s Chess/Cadet Records, part acid folk – even though the instrumentation is mostly jazz overall! The core group also features this great mix of older British jazz giants and contemporary musicians – the legendary Ray Russell on guitar, with Duncan Lamont on tenor, Art Themen on soprano and tenor, Nat Steele on vibes, Warren Hampshire (of Hampshire & Foat) on guitar and percussion, and Moses Boyd, Clark Tracey, and Malcolm Catto on drums! Lamont is especially great – with these old school tenor solos that bring a strong current of soul to the more complex arrangements – and Foat himself plays piano, keyboards, and harmonium. Titles include versions of Tim Buckley's "Driftin" and Piero Piccioni's "Endless Love" – plus originals "The Mage", "The High Priestess", "Incantation", and "The Magic Radish". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool collaboration between Greg Foat and James Thorpe – a set that's billed more as a sound library session than some of Foat's other jazz projects – even though the sound is equally appealing if you love those records too! The set is self-described as "futuristic analogue cosmic synth library cues for TV, film, and radio" – but it's also got a much warmer sound than you might expect, very much in keeping with the natural image on the cover – as Foat and Thorpe eschew some of the colder keyboard styles of other library records, and instead really let things glow with that organic vibe that usually informs Greg's music, as gentle rhythms set the pace for Fender Rhodes, Hohner pianet, and a host of Korg and Roland keys. There's also a touch of vibes, some field recordings, and other cool touches – on tracks that include "Balloon Ride", "Circadian Rhythms", "Grockle Box", "Living The Dream", "Platform Game", "Stacey's Theme", and "Elementary Physiology (parts 1 & 2)". CD

A very cool collaboration between Greg Foat and James Thorpe – a set that's billed more as a sound library session than some of Foat's other jazz projects – even though the sound is equally appealing if you love those records too! The set is self-described as "futuristic analogue cosmic synth library cues for TV, film, and radio" – but it's also got a much warmer sound than you might expect, very much in keeping with the natural image on the cover – as Foat and Thorpe eschew some of the colder keyboard styles of other library records, and instead really let things glow with that organic vibe that usually informs Greg's music, as gentle rhythms set the pace for Fender Rhodes, Hohner pianet, and a host of Korg and Roland keys. There's also a touch of vibes, some field recordings, and other cool touches – on tracks that include "Balloon Ride", "Circadian Rhythms", "Grockle Box", "Living The Dream", "Platform Game", "Stacey's Theme", and "Elementary Physiology (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

Gratitude are definitely here to party – stepping out of the gate with a mighty quick tempo that sets up the tune nicely – as bursting horns intersperse with the catchy, upbeat lyrics – definitely a call to the dancefloor! "Loving You" has this cool moogy keyboard – sliding up and down the groove at the start, then getting a great solo near the end – while the vocals have more of the unusual-yet-catchy style of the a-side! 7-inch, Vinyl record

The team of Warren Hampshire and Greg Foat have already given us some amazing music on record – but this strangely-titled set may well be their crowning achievement so far! The set's got kind of a creepy look and feel – and a layout that replicates some of the more sophisticated UK jazz titles on the Argo Records label at the end of the 60s. And the style here is very much in keeping with that spirit – this straight mixture of light and darkness, delivered by the duo in a way that's more subtle than before – yet even more powerful too! Hampshire plays guitars, organ, and other keyboards – and Foat adds in more keyboards and bass, while both handle some other effects and sounds – but the real difference here is the album's use of larger string arrangements – not full orchestrations, but just the right kind of light colors and shadings that you might have heard on a record by Nick Drake, Colin Blunstone, or some of the other hipper British singers at the start of the 70s. The approach is more holistic than their previous jazz efforts – not entirely in that side of the spectrum – and more a beautiful record of rich yet melancholy instrumentals. Titles include "Crows Feet", "The Hive", "The Elderflower", "Honey Dreams", "Rain Clouds", "Winter Bound", and "The Fly & I". LP, Vinyl record album

Every time we hear a new project from the team of Warren Hampshire & Greg Foat, we feel like they've raised the bar a little bit, and this homage to sound library jazz might be their best yet! Creative as they are, Hampshire & Foat don't merely cover or adapt the compositions of any legendary 60s or 70s sound library publishers, instead putting together their own moody original material that's inspired by it. There's a loosely moody quality here with a pretty expansive vibe! The duo handles guitars, autoharp, keys, effects and the direction of a stellar band that brings sax, harmonica, flute, strings and drums to the mix. We're really happy this billed as Volume 1 – we're eager for more! Includes "Jasmine", "Mariposa", "Antonio's Theme", "Coastal Drive", "Lost In Nostalgia", "Echo Flute & Bowed Bass", "Pizzicato Strings", "Solo Stremes", "Main Theme", "Solo Fender Rhodes", "Walking Bass & Echo Flute" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The duo of Warren Hampshire and Greg Foat keep on getting more and more interesting as the years go on – to a point where they seem to be carving out a really special place in music that might well be a genre of their own! The music here represents a wonderful evolution of their skills together – sounds that are still steeped in older elements of jazz, funk, and other modes – but which have also taken on a new sort of complexity, yet all without ever losing the organic, immediate approach that makes them so compelling! There's a blend here that's as if an Italian soundtrack of the 70s used spiritual jazz for its instrumentation – long flowing tracks that unfold with a gentle sort of beauty – with Hampshire on guitars and percussion, Foat on organ, guitar, piano, and kalimba – and other instrumentation on bells, gongs, flute, and percussion. Titles include "The Solitude Of Certitudes", "Woody Bay", "Out On The Side", "The Undercliff", "The Snake & The Weasel", and "The Clock Tower". CD

Spider Harrison has some massive drums underneath his vocals here – working with a bassline at a pace that's even quicker than the speed of his vocals, which have this dark, sinister vibe! The flipside focuses even more on the drums – and has the whole thing in this really crispy, sharp sort of style that's mighty nice – and even funkier! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A rare sweet soul single from Kansas City Express! The group was actually based closer to Springfield, MO than KC – but they have a sound that would do any midwest scene plenty proudly! "This Is The Place" has a laidback, but rich sound – with lovely female lead vocals and strong group back up – with a tight backbone of bass and drums, a sweetly soulful guitar groove and some nice piano, sax and trumpet in the mix. It's killer tune – and even if it's the group's only recorded legacy, it's still a great one! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A sweet bit of electric work from 70s Brazil – the only album we've ever seen from Helio Matheus, and one of those rare gems that's every bit as great as its legend might imply! Helio works here in this spacious territory that has a compressed groove on the bottom, and a wide sound on the sides – where the vocals, guitar, and keyboards move together with these airy, jazzy modes that are a bit like the electric 70s material of Joao Donato or Marcos Valle! Helio's maybe a bit more soulful overall, and has a raspy quality in his vocals that's more than charming enough, even if you can't understand his vocals – and he uses a fair bit of acoustic guitar amidst the electric elements in the arrangements, which further warms things up in a great way. Most of the tunes are originals by Matheus, and the set features Fender Rhodes from Ze Roberto, and arrangements by Chiquinho De Moraes – on titles that include "Ausencia", "Voce Se Foi", "Camisa 10", "Comunicacao", "Cidadezinha", "Mais Kriola", "Marraio", "Meu Diario", and "Meu Mundo De Monstros E Fantasias". LP, Vinyl record album

James McKenzie looks a bit down to earth on the cover, but he sounds a lot more high-end on record – a budding blue-eyed soul singer, with a strong penchant for AOR production – but always served up in a homegrown style that's nice and lean! Were he working in LA in the late 70s, James might have scored some big hits – but instead, he worked privately, in Florida – recording under both his own name, as The McKenzie Brothers – recording an album of material under each! This set brings together the best tracks from both records, and is a strong addition to that genre of "underground AOR" that's been getting some strong traction in recent years – with titles that include "Felt Her Fire", "Lady Is Love", "Tomorrow Is Your Own", "Wonderful To Be In Love", "I Hope She Don't Hurt You", and "Joni's Little Song". CD

James McKenzie looks a bit down to earth on the cover, but he sounds a lot more high-end on record – a budding blue-eyed soul singer, with a strong penchant for AOR production – but always served up in a homegrown style that's nice and lean! Were he working in LA in the late 70s, James might have scored some big hits – but instead, he worked privately, in Florida – recording under both his own name, as The McKenzie Brothers – recording an album of material under each! This set brings together the best tracks from both records, and is a strong addition to that genre of "underground AOR" that's been getting some strong traction in recent years – with titles that include "Felt Her Fire", "Lady Is Love", "Tomorrow Is Your Own", "Wonderful To Be In Love", "I Hope She Don't Hurt You", and "Joni's Little Song". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool combo from the LA scene of the 70s – a tight funky group, topped with two female soul singers – all working together in a style that's got a wonderful mixture of warmer edges and grittier sounds at the core! The two female singers really give the set a unique vibe – as they help bring focus to the instrumentation of the group, with a lot more presence than the usual throw-in female vocals of the time – hardly the backing chorus mode of a disco record, and instead a great balance to the sharp guitar lines and keyboards from the musicians! We've not heard of any of the players in any other setting, but they're very good – clearly able to handle jazz if they want, but aimed here towards a sophisticated funk style that's equally great on the mellow steppers as it is on the more upbeat tracks. Titles include "Heavenly Feeling", "World Full Of People", "Do You Hear Me Talking To You", "Dreaming Our Lives Away", "A Thank You Song", "Fantasies & Dreams", and "I'd Like To Stay". LP, Vinyl record album

An underground mellow soul gem from the 70s – recorded on the Detroit scene with lead vocals by Judy Pollak, and backings by a very hip soul trio! 33 1/3 are way more than just an instrumental group – as they also harmonize behind Judy a fair bit – really elevating the soul quotient of the record, and almost making us wonder what they'd sound like on their own! Pollak is a pretty compelling singer, though – and has this light, airy style that's a bit like Asha Pulthi, but maybe without the many-octave range – which makes for a very unique contrast in the way she's paired with the group. Titles include "You're Mine", "Mr DJ", "Fascinating", "Billy's Coming Back", "Still In Love", "Come With Me", and "More Than Words". LP, Vinyl record album

That's drummer Dennis Young on the cover – looking as he might when he was a key member of Liquid Liquid – that killer New York underground group from the early 80s, whose complex funky rhythms were a big part of that scene at the time! Dennis here is working from the years after that group – on a host of much more obscure recordings that continue the mix of electric and acoustic elements that made Liquid Liquid so great – all with Young on a great range of percussion, with additional help on keyboards, guitar, bass, and other instrumental elements. Most tracks are instrumental, a few have never been released, and the whole thing feels a lot like the sound of Liquid Liquid, had they kept on going to the other half of the 80s – on titles that include "Berlin", "Safari Western", "Somerset Hills", "Volcano Cathedral", "You Turn Me On", "Tarzan Meets Jane", "Primitive Substance", and "Montezuma". CD

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