We've loved the music of Shaun Escoffery for many years now – right from that time when he emerged from the UK scene as key talent in the Omar generation – the kind of strong songwriting voice and confident singer that really helped mark a difference from the world of soul in the US! Escoffery has evolved wonderfully over the course of his superb recordings – and here, he continues to grow even more – coming on strong, and maybe with more of a 60s soul inspiration than ever before – kind of a romping, vibrant approach to the music that echoes the Motown generation, while still also sounding immediately contemporary, and graced with a production style that maybe makes Shaun's vocals sound even more powerful than ever! We've been waiting decades for Escoffery to get the international fame he deserves – and maybe this record is the one that will put him over the top, given the strength of the songs and the overall set as a whole. Titles include "River", "Imagine", "Lucky", "Soldier", "Heat", "With These Eyes", "Need To Believe", "Candle", "You Remind Me", and "Surrender". CD

There's nothing humble about the sound of Wayne Escoffery on this great little set – as the tenor giant really comes on strong, blowing with a ferocity that really matches the energy of the rest of the group! There's a stunning rhythm trio at the core – David Kikoski on piano, Ugonna Okegwo on bass, and Ralph Peterson Jr on drums – who work together with these bold, chunky building blocks of sound – even when things are mellow – which seems to give Escoffery's horn a sense of majesty we don't always hear on other records, and which rises up even more when joined by guest work from Randy Brecker on trumpet and David Gilmore on guitar! The album's also got some interesting spiritual elements at the core – fresh reworkings of pieces of a mass by Benjamin Britten, re-arranged for small combo energy by Escoffery – mixed with originals by some of the group. Vaughn Escoffery sings on "Sanctus" – and other titles include "Quarter Moon", "The Humble Warrior", "Chain Gang", "Back To Square One", "AKA Reggie", and "Undefined". CD

Why isn't Shaun Escoffery bigger? He's easily been one of the top soul singers in the world for over a decade – and a record like this should be in everyone's collection! Shaun's always had a cutting edge sound in his music – and this time around, he inflects it with a bit of classic soul too – mixing his 21st Century style with a sound that puts him rock solidly in the territory of Al Green, Marvin Gaye, or Bobby Womack – all artists we wouldn't hesitate to compare Shaun to – given the depth and consistency of his music! The record's a stunner – maybe the one that will finally break Escoffery to a bigger global audience – and even if it doesn't, it's one you'll be loving for years – which we know we will. Titles include "Love Shine Down", "Evergreen", "Healing Me", "When Love Is Gone", "Here Comes The Rain Again", "Lost For Words", "Win Again", and "Teachers". CD

We love this group – and with each new record, they give us reason to love them even more – and realize that their totality is even greater than the sum of their many all-star parts! The lineup alone is enough – Wayne Escoffery on tenor, Jeremy Pelt on trombone, James Burton III on trombone, Victor Gould on piano, Rashaan Carter on bass, and Mark Whitfield on drums – but together, they sound even more amazing – kind of crackling and bristling with energy, as if the players are keenly engaged in each other's company – not in a competitive way, but with a collaborative energy that even tops most other groups comprised of leaders in a single combo! Soaring colors are balanced by beautiful depths – and titles include "Iron Man", "For The Kids", "No Words Needed", "Twin Towers", "Involuntary Servitude", "Mr Willis", and "Ascension". CD

The mighty DJ Spinna has a way of making already-great music sound even greater – by using just the right sort of soulful touch to augment subtle elements in the original tunes that might have otherwise gone overlooked – to unlock a richer, more righteous energy that really serves the tunes well! And while we've loved Spinna's remix work on countless singles over the years, we're even happier to hear it all in one place like this – in a nicely overstuffed collection that has so many great Spinna touches, it could well be a Spinna album on its own – especially since the DJ always has such a warmly collaborative relationship with so many different artists. Tracks include "Days Like This (Spinna & Ticklah club)" by Shaun Escoffery, "Live In The Light (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Fertile Ground, "Moonlight (DJ Spinna Galacti Soul voc)" by Bah Samba, "Dirty Mind (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Animal House, "Dear Friend (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Loftsoul with Lisa Millet, "Crossroads (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Alison Crockett, "Closer (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Goapele, "A Better Day (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Louie Vega with Raul Midon, "Why (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Tortured Soul, "I Remember Love (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Yvett Rovira, and "Rideaway Getaway (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Agent K with Carleen Anderson. CD

Eric Reed on piano, Julius Tolentino & Wessell Anderson on alto saxophone, Barak Mori on bass, Walter Blanding Jr. on clarinet, Rodney Green on drums, Renato Thoms on percussion, Wayne Escoffery on tenor & soprano saxophone, Dion Tucker & Wycliffe Gordon on trombone & Marcus Printup & Mike Rodriguez on trumpet. CD

The mighty DJ Spinna has a way of making already-great music sound even greater – by using just the right sort of soulful touch to augment subtle elements in the original tunes that might have otherwise gone overlooked – to unlock a richer, more righteous energy that really serves the tunes well! And while we've loved Spinna's remix work on countless singles over the years, we're even happier to hear it all in one place like this – in a nicely overstuffed collection that has so many great Spinna touches, it could well be a Spinna album on its own – especially since the DJ always has such a warmly collaborative relationship with so many different artists. Tracks include "Days Like This (Spinna & Ticklah club)" by Shaun Escoffery, "Live In The Light (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Fertile Ground, "Moonlight (DJ Spinna Galacti Soul voc)" by Bah Samba, "Dirty Mind (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Animal House, "Dear Friend (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Loftsoul with Lisa Millet, "Crossroads (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Alison Crockett, "Closer (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Goapele, "A Better Day (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Louie Vega with Raul Midon, "Why (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Tortured Soul, "I Remember Love (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Yvett Rovira, and "Rideaway Getaway (DJ Spinna rmx)" by Agent K with Carleen Anderson. CD