The long-anticipated second album from Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings is a stunner – undoubtedly stronger than the group's fantastic debut – and a record that not only transcends the late model funk revival genre, but stands on footing as solid as the best hard funky soul of the late 60s and early 70s! If you're expecting a rehash of the heavy funk jams that burned on the Dap Dippin' album you won't be disappointed, but get ready for a deep, natural (hence the title) soulfulness that not only caught us off guard, but really forms the big, hard-beating heart of the album. The frothing, frenetic funk is as tight as ever, and in spots just as furious, but the attention to songcraft this time out is just as searing and indelible. The eight piece Dap Kings continue to be the best band in the land – with El Michels on baritone sax, Neal Sugarman on tenor, Homer Steinweiss on drums, not-so-secret weapon Bosco Mann on bass, vibes and piano. Guest appearances include fellow Daptone powerhouse vocalist Lee Fields on the the duet "Stranded In Your Love", and strings courtesy of the Bushwick Philharmonic, but make no mistake, this is the band's album. Amazing stuff from in indispensable group – an album that'll keep spinning in our circles for as many years as the great albums by the gritty soul forefathers do! Tracks include "How Do I Let A Good Man Down?", "Natural Born Lover", "My Man Is A Mean Man", a soulful reading of Woodie Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land", "Your Thing Is A Drag", "Fish In A Dish" and "All Over Again". CD

The fantastic final album from Sharon Jones – a wonderfully deep talent who was taken from us all too soon! The set's maybe the ultimate setting for Sharon's incredible voice – as it features both her longtime core combo, the Dap-Kings – as well as additional backings from the Bushwick Philharmonic – a small ensemble of strings who really help elevate the music to classic status! If you're worried that the strings might soften the sound, the very first note of the record will put your mind at rest – as will the heavy drums that mark just about every track, and keep things hard and funky throughout. If anyone ever doubted that the Daptone label was our modern equivalent of Stax Records or Atlantic, this will certainly be the set to change their mind – and will also stand forever as a bittersweet reminder of all the greatness that Sharon Jones gave us over the years. Titles include "Searching For A New Day", "Rumors", "Matter Of Time", "Sail On", "Just Give Me Your Time", "Come & Be A Winner", "Call On God", and "These Tears". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime work from one of the coolest funky combos around – a group who aren't content to just hit the same funky styles as other outfits – and one who really stretch strongly in their pursuit of new sounds! The set's definitely funky – especially on the drums – but there's also this amazing interplay between the horns, weird sounds from the organ, and cool extra touches on auto harp and ukulele – which gives the music these exotic elements that are simply mindblowing! The set's a stone smoker from the start – instrumental, but in ways that let the Menahan Street Band open up way more than when working with a singer – showing us that they've got some of the freshest ideas in the contemporary funky underground. Titles include "The Crossing", "Sleight Of Hand", "Three Faces", "Keep Coming Back", "Seven Is The Wind", "Driftwood", and "Ivory & Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

The Menahan Street Band are always pretty exciting to our funk-trained ears – but this time around, there seems to be a little something extra in the mix – a sound that has all these great little strange twists and turns around the edges, while still keeping all the mellow funk of the group's previous records at the core! The production is really special – different than more familiar contemporary funk records – with a wider-ranging sound that almost evokes the funkier styles in older soundtrack or instrumental albums – even though these guys aren't going for a retro-styled vibe at all. Instead, the music is completely fresh, and completely original – served up with a sound that will expand your listening way past El Michels and the Dap Kings – even though the group features members of both. Titles include "The Starchaser", "Rainy Day Lady", "The Duke", "Parlor Trick", "Stepping Through Shadow", "There Was A Man", "Glovebox Patrol", and "Silkworm". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the most searing album we've ever heard from Antibalas – a set that's completely on fire from the very first note, both musically and politically – and which burns with an intensity that seems to blow away all their previous music! Make no mistake, we've always loved these guys – but this time around, there's an urgency that really grabs us – maybe because of the political climate in which the set was recorded, or maybe just because these guys always keep growing and maturing, where so many other similar combos are just content to stick in the same territory. The lead vocals by Duke Amayo are incredible – with a righteous power that demands to be heard – and the horns are more creative and colorful than ever, with some fantastic solos on the album's very long tracks. And of course, the grooves are great – that blend of riffing guitars and percussion that Antibalas have updated from 70s Afro Funk – on titles that include the three-part "Tombstown" suite, plus "Hook & Crook" and "Gold Rush". LP, Vinyl record album

Damn amazing work from Charles Bradley – an instant soul classic for all generations, as you'll hear from the very first note! Not only are Bradley's vocals incredible – the kind of once-in-a-long-time approach he brought to his debut – but the backings and production are completely sublime too – magical music from the Menahan Street Band, who sound here like some lost combo from 60s Memphis, but without any of the hoke that reference might imply – instead that really unique approach that you'd only find on one of your few favorite vintage soul albums – maybe Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers, or Jesse James on his 60s album for 20th Century! Yet the sound here isn't just vintage for vintage sake, either – as there's an intensity that's very present, contemporary, and urgent – a sound that doesn't die – and which just gets better and better with each new listen. Tremendous stuff – even from the Daptone universe we've been loving for years and years – with titles that include "Strictly Reserved For You", "You Put The Flame On It", "Dusty Blue", "Love Bug Blues", "Hurricane", "Through The Storm", "Confusion", and "Where Do We Go From Here". LP, Vinyl record album

The great thing about Lee Fields is that he just keeps on giving – giving us the sort of deep soul music that first caught our ears back when he was recording in near obscurity for a small southern label – and which has finally gotten the attention it deserves in recent decades! Lee's got the ability to sing at the level of an Otis Redding or James Carr, but without sounding like he's trying to copy the classics – and for good reason too, as Lee is the classic – maybe a bit younger than Redding and Carr, but not by much – and more than able to take southern soul strongly into the contemporary generation, with slow-burning genius on titles that include "Ordinary Lives", "Sentimental Fool", "The Door", "Forever", "Two Jobs", "Without A Heart", "Your Face Before My Eyes", and "Extraordinary Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunner – the first full album by deep funk singer Sharon Jones, and an instant soul masterpiece! The album's right up there with the best work by James Brown divas like Marva Whitney, Vicki Anderson, and Lyn Collins – and overall, we might dare say that the album's even better than any of theirs, as it's an all-solid, all-funky effort all the way through! Backings are by the Dap-Kings – grooving hard in a sock-soul funky 45 mode that never lets up – and we can't think of a better album of funky female soul to recommend this year, or maybe even this decade. Just when you thought you'd be saying "they don't make soul music like this anymore" – here it comes to whomp you on the head! Titles include "Got A Thing On My Mind", "Make It Good To Me", "Casella Walk", "Pick It Up, Lay It In The Cut", "Give Me A Chance", "The Dap Dip", "What Have You Done For Me Lately", and "Got To Be The Way It Is". LP, Vinyl record album

The fantastic final album from Sharon Jones – a wonderfully deep talent who was taken from us all too soon! The set's maybe the ultimate setting for Sharon's incredible voice – as it features both her longtime core combo, the Dap-Kings – as well as additional backings from the Bushwick Philharmonic – a small ensemble of strings who really help elevate the music to classic status! If you're worried that the strings might soften the sound, the very first note of the record will put your mind at rest – as will the heavy drums that mark just about every track, and keep things hard and funky throughout. If anyone ever doubted that the Daptone label was our modern equivalent of Stax Records or Atlantic, this will certainly be the set to change their mind – and will also stand forever as a bittersweet reminder of all the greatness that Sharon Jones gave us over the years. Titles include "Searching For A New Day", "Rumors", "Matter Of Time", "Sail On", "Just Give Me Your Time", "Come & Be A Winner", "Call On God", and "These Tears". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing sounds from one of the best funky combos of the past few decades! Antibalas have certainly risen to fame in the years since we first heard their Afro-styled grooves – working famously in the Fela musical, and reaching generations of ears with their own brilliant records. Yet throughout it all, they've always stayed true to their sound – and, if anything, are even sharper, tighter, and funkier than before – all extremely adept not only at playing their instruments, but at hitting the right sort of sound to cut through all the BS that was holding back funky Afro grooves for years! Part of that sound comes from superb Daptone production by Gabriel Roth – who really knows how to keep things lean and mean and full of energy. But the core credit really goes to the group – who never cease to amaze us here – and continually come up with fresh sounds on their keyboards and horns – and inventive rhythms to match! Titles include "Dirty Money", "The Rat Catcher", "Ari Degbe", "Ibeji", "Sare Kon Kon", and "Him Belly No Go Sweet". LP, Vinyl record album

Jaw-dropping work from Charles Bradley – a stunning album that's maybe his best so far – and that's saying a hell of a lot, given the quality of his previous work! There's a focus and power here that really puts Charles on top – from the bold statement at the start of the record, to the range of expressive, emotive lyrics all the way through – given superb support in a range of deep soul and funky currents from the likes of Budos Band, Menehan Street Band, Gospel Queens, Saun & Starr, and Sha La Das! Yet none of these guests ever feel like they're sharing the spotlight with Charles – because, like the James Brown Show of the late 60s, all these super-strong talents are working in constellation around Bradley's majesty – a bold soul vision that's never burned this brightly before. Titles include "Ain't It A Sin", "Nobody But You", "Good To Be Back Home", "Things We Do For Love", "Crazy Love", and "Slow Love" – plus a cover of Black Sabbath's "Changes". LP, Vinyl record album

Gritty, powerful raw soul from Charles Bradley – the full length debut from the 62-year-old Brooklyn singer – backed perfectly by The Menahan Street Band! It's incredible, a record that sounds just as rawly emotional and impeccably soulful in 2011 as it would have in 1971 – much like the work Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, there's no mistaking this for anything but the real deal. Rough hewn in beautifully so – with perfect, funky backing by team Menahan. A timeless treasure! Titles include "In You (I Found A Love)", "I Believe In Your Love", "The Telephone Song", "Golden Rule", "How Long", "Trouble In The Land", "Since Our Last Goodbye", "Heartaches And Pain", "The World" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant mix of Afro and deep funk styles – the kind of grooves you'd get if Fela Kuti hung out with The Meters in the late 60s! Budos Band recall the genius of 90s deep funk combo The Daktaris – and have a similar love of older African rhythms touched by a newer indie funk sound – a complexity in the group's well-arranged horn parts, but a simplicity to their rhythms that makes the album cook like some of our favorite classics from years back. Sax and trumpet lines are mixed nicely with heavy percussion and a fair bit of organ at the bottom – creating a murky groove that has a bit of New Orleans in the mix, but also has most of the instruments stepping along with the rhythm – in a very cool take on the Africa 70 sound. Tracks are all instrumental, and all incredible – and the record's one of the freshest we've heard from the deep funk underground in years – a second-generation set that gets way past simple copycat funk and into its own unique groove! Titles include "Budos Theme", "Ghost Walk", "King Charles", "Eastbound", "Across The Atlantic", "Up From The South", "TIBWF", and "Monkey See Monkey Do". LP, Vinyl record album

A great third album from Staten Island instrumental funk titans The Budos Band – who've brought eclectic inspiration all along and have always colored from a much broader palette of styles than most of their peers – going even further this time out and delivering their best yet! The Daptone House Of Soul blueprint is a big part of the recipe, as it should be. Classic funky soul grit holds it all together and each cut has an unshakable groove, but with that in full effect, the group is free to explore. The Budos horns are as impeccable and communicative as ever, with brass that ranges from classic stateside funk and Afro influences. The percussion (bongos, clave, cowbell and more) is just as broadly thought out and tightly delivered, snakey bass lines, flute and the sometimes secret weapon on Budos Band III, the electric organ – which brings a bit of a garage psych/funk rock vibe. Truly exceptional work from the one of the best bands of their generation! Includes "Rite Of The Ancients", "Black Venom", "River Serpentine", "Unbroken, Unshaven", "Nature's Wrath", "Golden Dune's", "Budo's Dirge", "Raja Haje", "Crimson Skies", "Mark Of The Unnamed" and "Reppirt Yad" (a funked up Lennon/McCartney cover...read it backwards, kids). LP, Vinyl record album

It's hard to believe that the Budos Band have been around long enough to give us five full albums – but along the way, they've also picked up plenty of power to add to their sound! This time around, the guitars seem even sharper than ever – full and fuzzy, and maybe even touched with some elements that might have made some of the bigger 70s groups weep – almost as if the BB are trying to create a whole new generation of prog funk in the process! All the other elements are still in place – lots of heavy drums, rumbling bass, and some mighty nice horns – but when mixed with the strength of the guitars, even the horns feel as if they're hitting some new currents – like when artists like Dick Heckstall Smith or Alan Skidmore might jam along with a funky guitar riff from way back. Titles include "The Enchanter", "Spider Web (part 1)", "Old Engine Oil", "Veil Of Shadows", "Arcane Rambler", "Valley Of The Damned", and "Rumble From The Void". LP, Vinyl record album

It's hard to believe that the Budos Band have been around long enough to give us five full albums – but along the way, they've also picked up plenty of power to add to their sound! This time around, the guitars seem even sharper than ever – full and fuzzy, and maybe even touched with some elements that might have made some of the bigger 70s groups weep – almost as if the BB are trying to create a whole new generation of prog funk in the process! All the other elements are still in place – lots of heavy drums, rumbling bass, and some mighty nice horns – but when mixed with the strength of the guitars, even the horns feel as if they're hitting some new currents – like when artists like Dick Heckstall Smith or Alan Skidmore might jam along with a funky guitar riff from way back. Titles include "The Enchanter", "Spider Web (part 1)", "Old Engine Oil", "Veil Of Shadows", "Arcane Rambler", "Valley Of The Damned", and "Rumble From The Void". LP, Vinyl record album

You might know Cochemea Gastelum from his work in The Dap-Kings over the years – but this time around, the saxophonist is very much his own man – blowing a version of his instruments that often seems electrified, ala classic Varitone from the late 60s – used in these really new and compelling ways! Cochemea has occasional tribal impulses that belie his look on the cover – but all in this very focused way that never sounds too indulgent, and which instead always steps back to the soulful territory we love from Daptone Records! And yet the record's also maybe something new for the label too – looser, never straight funk or soul – as Cochemea heads up this fantastic ensemble that's very heavy on percussion, which drives the sound with a raw, rootsy vibe – while Victor Axelrod plays keyboards, and the man himself blows on alto, flute, and bass clarinet. A real killer – with titles that include "Maso Ye'Eme", "All My Relations", "Sonora", "Los Muertos", "Mescalero", "Song Of Happiness", and "Mitote". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest grooves from the legendary Desco Records years – a brilliant album of modern Afro Funk done by The Daktaris – in a groove that's just as hard-hitting as any of Fela's work from the 70s! The album was one of the first to bring back an older African style to current funk – and even years later, it's still one of the best examples of the sound – a razor-sharp session that helped set the stage for better-known Antibalas work to come! Percussion and guitar is super-heavy throughout – produced with that bare-bones Desco style, and handled in a way that makes you think the record might be some treasure from mid 70s Nigeria – a trick the label tried to pull when it was released! Cuts include a cover of Fela's "Upside Down", James Brown's "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose", and the originals "Super Afro-Beat", "Daktari Walk", "Voodoo Soul Stew", and "Quiet Man Is A Dead Man". CD

One of the greatest grooves from the legendary Desco Records years – a brilliant album of modern Afro Funk done by The Daktaris – in a groove that's just as hard-hitting as any of Fela's work from the 70s! The album was one of the first to bring back an older African style to current funk – and even years later, it's still one of the best examples of the sound – a razor-sharp session that helped set the stage for better-known Antibalas work to come! Percussion and guitar is super-heavy throughout – produced with that bare-bones Desco style, and handled in a way that makes you think the record might be some treasure from mid 70s Nigeria – a trick the label tried to pull when it was released! Cuts include a cover of Fela's "Upside Down", James Brown's "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose", and the originals "Super Afro-Beat", "Daktari Walk", "Voodoo Soul Stew", and "Quiet Man Is A Dead Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Monumental Afro Soul from El Rego Et Ses Commandos – El Rego's best recordings from the late 60s to early 70s – a beautifully done compilation put together by Daptone and Frank Gossner, the deep digging West African music expert behind Voodoo Funk! Theophile Do-Rego is a legend in his native Benin, essentially credited as the godfather of Benin funk – but to date, he hasn't been celebrated around the world nearly as famously as the superstars of African music hailing from Nigeria and Ghana. That's something that can change really quickly if enough people pick up this truly great compilation of pioneering recordings. Singer El Rego and his excellent, diversely capable band – sax and flute by Baboni Oudou, sax by Michel Diogo, guitar by Oscar De Souza, trumpet by Emmanuel Ganssounou, guitar by Roger Coffi, tumba by Marcelin Kpohonon, additional vocals by Christian Agueh, and bass by band leader Paul Hounnou – take a tighter approach to funky soul. Just a couple tracks on this set roll past the 4 minute mark – which gives it a tighter soul sound, along with some Benin blues and some riveting JB-indebted vocal affections. We owe Voodoo Funk and Daptone big for putting this together! Includes "Feeling You Got", "Zon Dede", "E Nan Mian Duku", "Dkobime", "Dis-Moi Oui", "Djobime", "Hessa" (the centerpiece of the album, 3 minutes of Afro Soul perfection. . .the whole set is great, but this track is unforgettable), "Kpon Fi La", "Do Do Baya", "Vive Le Renouveau", "Achuta", "Cholera" and "Ke Amon-Gbetchea". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning return to form by Lee Fields, one of the 70s' lost funky geniuses – heard here in the initial set that would catapult him back in the spotlight for a whole new generation! The record was issued by Desco Records – the key precursor to Daptone, Soul Fire, and other modern funk imprints – and it's got a sound that feels like was lifted from the vaults of James Brown's People label, circa 1972! Unlike other "funk revival" titles of the 90s (especially those by ex-JBs Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker), this one's got a totally perfect sound, and was produced with a loving adherence to the classic 70ss funk sound that made Lee' early records so great – raw vocals, mixed with equally sharp instrumentation – all put together with help from Bosco Mann, Gabriel Roth, and Philippe Lehman – the latter two of whom had been bootlegging older funk records, but were finally ready to try their hand at something of their own. The instrumentation is a tight batch of drum-heavy, bass-heavy, break-heavy grooves – and Lee's voice is incredibly rich and soulful, approaching near-Godfather-like sensibilities! We love this one to death, and it's probably the most perfectly-formed album that Desco ever issued. Titles include "Bad, Bad, Bad", "Let's Get A Groove On", "Watch That Man", "Put It On Me", and "Steam Train". Great great great – and a real smoker! LP, Vinyl record album

Really heady sounds from Frightnrs – a group who've changed up their sound slightly since their last full length release – at a level that makes them even more interesting than ever before! The group still draw heavily from older rocksteady and soulful reggae modes – but it also feels as if they're leaning a bit more heavily on sweet soul modes from the early 70s too – coming across with the warmth of a harmony vocal record on the lyrics, while still also reveling in the best sort of slow-stepping, dub heavy rhythms in the music! Dan Klein handles the vocals, always with a great sense of echo – and Chuck Patel adds lots of great organ and keyboards to the music – including some great spacey effects. Victor Axelrod did a superb job with production – and titles include "30 56", "You Still", "Profilin", "Expectations", "Tuesday", "Always", "Maybe Isle", and "Why Does It Feel Like A Curse". CD

The great James Hunter – sounding even better than before – thanks to sock-solid soul production from Daptone Records! James already recorded at Daptone Studios before – for his previous record – but this set's completely in the hands of the label, from top to bottom – and features wicked Bosco Mann production, and the best sort of vintage soul instrumentation that Hunter's ever had! The groove here is mid 60s soul, with a slight mod undercurrent – the sort of Detroit-informed work that always played big with UK soul fans, but given a slight R&B twist at times too – especially in the great use of organ on most of the cuts. Hunter's always been a great singer, but he's never hit these heights before – and the blend of talents here is perfect. Titles include "Stranded", "Satchel Foot", "In The Dark", "If That Don't Tell You", "This Is Where We Came In", "A Truer Heart", and "Hold On". CD

Damn damn damn – maybe the funkiest album ever from Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings! The group have always been great, but there's something here that goes even farther than usual – an especially funky snap on the drums at the bottom, even on more laidback tunes – and a stone classic approach to funky soul, one that's definitely been honed to a "T" through their important work on the road during the previous few years! And Sharon Jones is great – with vocals that are way deeper and much longer-lasting than any rehab outpatient wannabe – sending home these tunes with a quality that may well pass most of her classic female soul inspirations from back in the day. And even though the set brings together some older singles and other odd bits, it's got a rock-solid punch that makes it a very unified album throughout! Titles include "Settling In", "I'm Not Gonna Cry", "When I Come Home", "Ain't No Chimneys In The Projects", "New Shoes", "Without A Trace", and "Inspiration Information". CD

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They might be borrowing her band, but they sure can't dampen her soul – because Sharon Jones is strongly back in action, and sounding funkier and more deeply soulful than ever! Given that Sharon wasn't singing back in the 60s, it's hard to think we'd be calling her the real deal – but in a world of crossover classic-copping soul singers, or slightly rewarmed older acts, Jones is a true treat through and through – the kind of soul singer whose work still recalls the best era of the funky 45 underground! The mighty Dap-Kings are in full force here – snapping along the groove with a range of classic soul influences – styles borrowed from Memphis, Miami, Muscle Shoals, and more – all sifted down to some of the tightest grooves any singer ever had the chance of working with! The production is amazing – as sharp-edged as the music – and handled by Bosco Mann with a sound that's as faithful to the roots as the cover might imply. Titles include "100 Days 100 Nights", "Tell Me", "Be Easy", "Nobody's Baby", "When The Other Foot Drops Uncle", "Something's Changed", "Keep On Looking", "Answer Me", and "Humble Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare work from Sharon Jones – and a record that's a bit different than some of her other work for the Daptone label! The set features the group doing cover versions of tracks by other artists – some that appeared as singles over the years, others commissioned for projects, and a few that never saw the light of day at all – brought together here to make a unique posthumous album from Sharon and the Dap-Kings! If you know the tightness of the group, and Jones' classic style of soul vocals, you'll know you're in for a treat – a bit like when Otis Redding might have taken on a familiar tune for Stax – in a lineup that includes "Inspiration Information", "Take Me With U", "What Have You Done For Me Lately", "Signed Sealed Delivered", "Just Dropped In", "Giving Up", "Rescue Me", "In The Bush", "It Hurts To Be Alone", and "Trespasser". CD

Rare work from Sharon Jones – and a record that's a bit different than some of her other work for the Daptone label! The set features the group doing cover versions of tracks by other artists – some that appeared as singles over the years, others commissioned for projects, and a few that never saw the light of day at all – brought together here to make a unique posthumous album from Sharon and the Dap-Kings! If you know the tightness of the group, and Jones' classic style of soul vocals, you'll know you're in for a treat – a bit like when Otis Redding might have taken on a familiar tune for Stax – in a lineup that includes "Inspiration Information", "Take Me With U", "What Have You Done For Me Lately", "Signed Sealed Delivered", "Just Dropped In", "Giving Up", "Rescue Me", "In The Bush", "It Hurts To Be Alone", and "Trespasser". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest new groups we've heard on Daptone in a long time – an instrumental combo that's definitely funky, but which has some of the exotic touches you might expect from their name! There's a nice current of strings that slide in alongside more familiar funk instrumentation – some violins, cellos, and even a harp – used to give the groove this expansive vibe that's partly blacksploitation soundtrack, but much more than that as well! Both Leon Michels and Neal Sugarman are in the group on tenor sax – but the real brainchild here seems to be Toby Panzer, who produced and arranged, and who plays a range of sublime sounds on organ, clavinet, harpsichord, vibes, and percussion! Titles include "Sirens Of Jupiter", "Saturn", "Pluto's Lament", "Mercury's Odyssey", "Europa & The Bull", "Sagittarius By Moonlight", "Neptune", "Mars", and "Diana By My Side". LP, Vinyl record album

The second Brooklin in the title here is a city in Brazil – referenced by the group as a place of new inspiration, which seems to come through in some occasionally more complicated rhythms on the set! If you love the previous work by this Hammond-heavy combo, don't fret – as there's plenty of funky organ here to love. But there's also some occasional nods to the legacy of Brazilian groove too – which breaks organist Adam Scone out of his deep funk box a bit, as he works alongside guitarist Jimmy James and tenorist Neal Sugarman – with a vibe that's nicely loose at times, tighter at others, and always right on the money! Titles include "It Wasn't Meant To Be", "Anadira", "Cold 40s", "In Our Hands", "What's Her Name", "It Wasn't Meant To Be", and "Brooklyn To Brooklin". LP, Vinyl record album

The greatest album to date from Sugarman 3 – one of the funkiest combos of the past 50 years! The group's organ/sax sound has never sounded so great – and it's pumped up even further here from some added guest instrumentation, including drums from Bernard Purdie, plus vocals on a number of cuts from deep funk legends Lee Fields, Charles Bradley, and Naomi Davis. The whole thing's as funky as funky can be – the kind of a record that would be selling for $300 if it came out in the 70s, and which is even nicer to have at a low everyday price! Titles include "Shot Down", "Modern Jive", "Funky So & So", "Take It As It Come", "Pure Cane", "Promised Land", "Country Girl", "La Culebra", "Down To It", "Honey Wagon", and "Bosco's Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

The extra "e" in the name of Thee Sacred Souls really takes us back – to the legendary Thee Midniters of the scene in east LA – a scene whose sound clearly had a big influence on this contemporary trio! As with the best work of that older generation, there's a heartbreakingly soulful sound going on here – sweet soul, but with deeper currents – often slow-stepping, at a level that really lets the emotion in the vocals build up – as lead singer Josh Lane knocks it out of the park on a blue-tinged record that's completely sublime! Production is nice and lean, in the best Daptone style – tuned towards moodier, late nite material than some of the company's funk – on titles that include "Sorrow For Tomorrow", "Lady Love", "Can I Call You Rose", "Easier Said Than Done", "Overflowing", "Future Lover", "Happy & Well", and "Love Comes Easy". CD

Damn amazing work from Charles Bradley – an instant soul classic for all generations, as you'll hear from the very first note! Not only are Bradley's vocals incredible – the kind of once-in-a-long-time approach he brought to his debut – but the backings and production are completely sublime too – magical music from the Menahan Street Band, who sound here like some lost combo from 60s Memphis, but without any of the hoke that reference might imply – instead that really unique approach that you'd only find on one of your few favorite vintage soul albums – maybe Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers, or Jesse James on his 60s album for 20th Century! Yet the sound here isn't just vintage for vintage sake, either – as there's an intensity that's very present, contemporary, and urgent – a sound that doesn't die – and which just gets better and better with each new listen. Tremendous stuff – even from the Daptone universe we've been loving for years and years – with titles that include "Strictly Reserved For You", "You Put The Flame On It", "Dusty Blue", "Love Bug Blues", "Hurricane", "Through The Storm", "Confusion", and "Where Do We Go From Here". CD

The great thing about Lee Fields is that he just keeps on giving – giving us the sort of deep soul music that first caught our ears back when he was recording in near obscurity for a small southern label – and which has finally gotten the attention it deserves in recent decades! Lee's got the ability to sing at the level of an Otis Redding or James Carr, but without sounding like he's trying to copy the classics – and for good reason too, as Lee is the classic – maybe a bit younger than Redding and Carr, but not by much – and more than able to take southern soul strongly into the contemporary generation, with slow-burning genius on titles that include "Ordinary Lives", "Sentimental Fool", "The Door", "Forever", "Two Jobs", "Without A Heart", "Your Face Before My Eyes", and "Extraordinary Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous work from Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – a set that took a bit longer to hit the racks than expected, but which really shows a richness that more than makes up for the delay! Sharon's a singer who's always been great – but she steps out strongly here with a sense of maturity that seems to take her vocals even farther than before – and The Dap Kings are more than ready to match her energy with some funky work of their own! Jones has gone through a lot in recent years – both with the band and in her own personal life – and the record's a proud summation of life's challenges and triumphs, served up in the instant-classic style that has made Sharon one of the greatest living soul singers of the past few decades. Bosco Mann knocked things out of the park with his raw production – and also wrote a good number of tracks on the set too – and titles include "Making Up & Breaking Up", "Long Time Wrong Time", "People Don't Get What They Deserve", "Retreat", "Stranger To My Happiness", and "Now I See". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare work from Sharon Jones – and a record that's a bit different than some of her other work for the Daptone label! The set features the group doing cover versions of tracks by other artists – some that appeared as singles over the years, others commissioned for projects, and a few that never saw the light of day at all – brought together here to make a unique posthumous album from Sharon and the Dap-Kings! If you know the tightness of the group, and Jones' classic style of soul vocals, you'll know you're in for a treat – a bit like when Otis Redding might have taken on a familiar tune for Stax – in a lineup that includes "Inspiration Information", "Take Me With U", "What Have You Done For Me Lately", "Signed Sealed Delivered", "Just Dropped In", "Giving Up", "Rescue Me", "In The Bush", "It Hurts To Be Alone", and "Trespasser". CD

The second Brooklin in the title here is a city in Brazil – referenced by the group as a place of new inspiration, which seems to come through in some occasionally more complicated rhythms on the set! If you love the previous work by this Hammond-heavy combo, don't fret – as there's plenty of funky organ here to love. But there's also some occasional nods to the legacy of Brazilian groove too – which breaks organist Adam Scone out of his deep funk box a bit, as he works alongside guitarist Jimmy James and tenorist Neal Sugarman – with a vibe that's nicely loose at times, tighter at others, and always right on the money! Titles include "It Wasn't Meant To Be", "Anadira", "Cold 40s", "In Our Hands", "What's Her Name", "It Wasn't Meant To Be", and "Brooklyn To Brooklin". CD