Sweet electro funk from the second half of the 80s – served up here by a group with a vibe that's much more like the indie styles of the start of the genre! The set's heavy on beats, basslines, and keyboards – and even includes some vocoder bits too – all with a lean groove that's pretty darn great throughout – very much in a boogie funk mode, but with some occasional variations that really keep things interesting! Even the slower cuts rely strongly on the beats, but never in a way that's heavy handed – and some warmer keyboard washes even hit at bigger label potential for the group – although we certainly like them more in this indie mode. Titles include "Shake Me", "She's Got It Going", "Can't Let Go", "Procrastinator", "This Time We'll Win", "Get It On", and "We're Gonna Have Fun Tonight". CD

A heady batch of work from the Miami scene of the 70s – all of it from the legendary TK Records family of labels, headed up by superproducer Henry Stone! Over the years, some folks have taken Henry to task for his operational strategies – but there's no denying that he's a key figure in helping the sound of the south move from the 60s into the 70s – picking up plenty of funk and sophistication along the way! The set's overflowing with classics from Stone's empire at the time – including many cuts that have been sampled or reworked heavily in recent decades – titles that include "I'm Too Tough For Mr Big Stuff" by Vicki Anderson, "Miami Funk" by The Funky Bunch, "Cramp Your Style" by All The People, "Keep It Up" by Milton Wright, "Sleep On Dream On" by Raphael Munnings, "Smokin & Drinkin" by James Brown, "Miss Hot Stuff" by Clarence Reid, "The Rub" by George & Gwen McCrae, "Funkadelic Sound" by Little Beaver, "Future Place" by Jimmy Castor, "I Like My Birdie" by Leon Phillips, "Throwdown" by The King Tutt Band, "Back From The Dead" by Bobby Byrd, "Shake N Bump (part 1)" by Snoopy Dean, and "You're The Song I've Always Wanted To Sing" by Timmy Thomas. LP, Vinyl record album

Incredibly lovely work from Joyce – quite possibly her best album in years, and a set that's filled with the same scatting brilliance we loved in her classics from the 70s and 80s! The set's done in collaboration with husband/drummer Tutty Moreno – and the pair lead a small combo with a nicely jazzy feel that further enforces the freely soaring lines in Joyce's vocals! Instrumentation includes a shifting array of saxes, flute, clarinet, and piano – plus plenty of warm guitar from Joyce, played with a crystal clear and sensitive sound. Titles include "Garoto", "Sabe Quem", "Tema Pro Baden", "Bodas De Vinil", "Magica", "Penalty", "April Child", "Shangri-La", and a great cover of Tenorio Jr's classic "Embalo". CD

Sweet sweet Joyce, one of our favorite Brazilian singers ever – sounding better than ever too! The album has Joyce working with Banda Maluca – a group that features husband Tutty Moreno on drums, plus keyboards by new groove sensation Bugge Wesseltoft! The style of the music retains all the light and breezy touches of Joyce's best older work, but also has some jazzy flourishes that really sound great – like Fender Rhodes and other keyboards by Bugge, flute and sax work by Teca Cardoso, and even a bit of clarinet on a few tracks – snaking between the lovely vocals with a sad and blue tone. The record's really wonderful, and shows Joyce still growing tremendously as an artist – loosening up her vocals in a host of great new compositions, and showing that she's every bit as important a force as she was when she grooved the world with her first few solo albums. Titles include "Os Medos", "For Hall", "Cartomante", "Samba Do Joyce", "Chuvisco", "Mal Em Paris", "A Banda Maluca", and "Pause, Bite". CD

Brilliant work from one of our favorite Brazilian artists ever – a singer who only seems to get better with age, and who's working here with some beautiful help from Dori Caymmi! Caymmi plays guitar and sings on a good portion of the album with Joyce – helping to flesh out the overall sound and give it a bit more depth – taking Joyce's already-wonderful mix of breezy vocals, bossa rhythms, and light guitar, and inflecting it with a strong sense of history and tradition. With Dori on board, Joyce is actually freed from playing guitar on most of the record – a feature that seems to bring even more force to her vocals – and as usual, husband Tutty Moreno is in the group, providing some lightly dancing rhythms on the drum kit! Titles include "Mercador De Siri", "Rio Bahia", "Jogo De Cintura", "Saudade Da Bahia", "Demoro", "Pra Que Chorar", "Joaozinho Boa Pinta", and "Flor Da Bahia". CD

Our favorite female Brazilian singer, Joyce, pays tribute to our other favorite female Brazilian singer, Elis Regina! The set was recorded a few years back, and Joyce is backed by a group that includes her husband Tutty Moreno on drums, plus Dori Caymmi, Joe Lovano, Mulgrew Miller, and Renee Rosnes. The set's longer than you'd expect, and includes classics from the Elis Regina songbook – like "Canto De Ossanha", "Upa Neguinho", "Aquarela Do Brasil", "Aquas Do Marco", and "Astronauta". The album's a bit mellow, but like all other Joyce recordings from overseas sources, it's way better than her recent work on major labels, and it really captures the best side of her cool gentle style! CD