Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Two masters of the free / improvisational jazz form, Don Cherry and Jon Appleton, are rare to come by these days. Both artists are highly sought after and difficult to find on the second-hand market, so a reissue of their work - especially together - is the perfect kind of treat for our Thursday morning tasting sessions. This reissue of "Don" comes in 7" format, and its wonky, spaced-out horns and subtle electronics are every bit as strange and daring as they were back in 1970. "Jon", on the flipside, is just as twisted, and possibly even further out there into the ether. Bloody hell...1970! Highly recommended.

Review: Favourite Records' new reissues series come with a new concept; each classic track comes with an exclusive bit of artwork on each side of the 12" sleeve. This time, they compile two speedy funk tracks from Crystal and J.E.K.Y.S.; 'Funky Biguine' is an homage to the French ballroom style of the same name, from which it draws influence, while 'Looking For You' is a devotional dream from J.E.K.Y.S., a French band singing in English. Slick, quick, and affecting stuff.

Review: Diamond & James, aka Jesse James and Shirley Diamond, unite for a timeless collaboration that will swell the heart. First introduced by the late Harvey Scales, Jesse and Shirley's partnership flourished over time while Shirley, an educator from Atlanta, balanced her performing career with teaching, always showcasing her talents on weekends and school breaks. She has graced stages alongside music icons like Atlantic Starr and Bobby Bland, proving herself to be a versatile talent with notable releases like 'You Don't Have To Be Sad, To Sing The Blues' and 'Strong Woman'. This one 'You Don't Know Who You Sleeping With,' is a duet produced by Felton Pilate that highlights their enduring musical synergy and dedication to their craft.

Review: Mr Bongo take this next one back to 1984 and 1985 with a tasty little split release from The Egyptian Lover and Jamie Jupitor. Both tunes offer unique takes on the famous electro funk sound and cult Los Angeles-based producer, vocalist and DJ The Egyptian Lover goes first with seminal track 'Computer Love (Sweet Dreams). It's a deep space exploration with melodic bass and slake drum work. The Lovers's disciple Jamie Jupitor heads up the reverse with the more high speed and edgy style and angular beats of 'Computer Power.' Both tunes make for irresistible body music.

Review: Hip-hop head and dizzyingly dexterous DJ J Rocca is back with another musical celebration of the exit from office of the worst president in the history of the United States of America. This is the 6th such volume of 'Impeach' and it is a tight woven tapestry and skilful mash-up of no fewer than 14 flips of surely one of the most sampled songs in the history of hip hop. Masterfully mixed together and limited to 500 copies, this is a strong sonic statement that will stand the test of time.

Review: Jah Screechy's 'Walk & Skank' on the Just Is label will have you doing just that. It is a tune that really will ignite dancefloors with its infectious rhythm and rich reggae vibes and is a rather timeless anthem that showcases Screechy's distinctive vocal style. It blends effortlessly with the track's pulsating bassline and hypnotic beat to embody the essence of Jamaican dancehall culture. On the flip is a signature 'Dubwise' version with even heavier drum rotations and party-pumping energy. Jah Screechy's status as a reggae legend is assured and this is sonic proof.

Review: Jesse James makes a welcome return to Soul Junction with a single led by his inventive re-imagining of Fred Neil's classic road-tripping anthem, 'Everybody's Talking At Me'. In James' hands, backed up by a fully decked out Motown-ready band, the track becomes an uplifting stomper with a dazzling arrangement from Willie Hoskins. It was originally recorded in 1971 during James' self-financed session at Searra Sound Studios in Berkeley. On the flip, James revisits one of the tracks from his 1990 album Looking Back, given an outing on 45 for the first time.

Review: Jaribu Afrobeat Arkestra are an entirely unique phenomenon, a Japanese collective pushing forward Neo-Afrobeat with heavy influence of the classic Japanese jazz sound and the long tradition of covering iconic western soul/funk tracks. Aretha Franklin's 'Rock Steady' is a collaboration with fellow Japanese artist Tina (aka Luv Tina), a decorated vocal powerhouse in the early 2000s R&B landscape, culminating in a mind-boggling genre mashup that defies expectations. The J.A.A. chorus section matches Tina's power perfectly with the blaring jazz instrumental, with phenomenal sax and trumpets. Swipe this coloured reissue before it goes again, you have to hear it to feel it.

Review: This classic wedge of roots originally came back in 1977 but has a distinctly futuristic edge even now. The license for the reissue comes from Jasaro's Everand Thompson which will be great news to collectors as currently an original of this, even though no one can be found on second-hand markets, will cost you the best part of three hundred quid. Everand Thompson and Jasaro really struck gold with 'Suffering' which pairs fat dub and tweaked synth energy with a meaningful and pained vocal. The Simba version fleshes out the heavy riddim with more effects and extra vocals.

Review: Aussie duo Jayse & Steve P are so low profile that we can't source quite enough information to introduce them, but when the edits are this good - we'll just let the music speak for itself. The pair are back with another collection of boogie-funk edits; on the A-side there's some sexy and neon-lit late-night vibes, and over the flip the retro styles carry over with a low slung electro-funk jam featuring a quite familiar and absolutely infectious hook.

Review: An iconic soundtrack to a classic blaxploitation flick, JJ Johnson and Martha Reeves & The Sweet Things turned a collective head when they simultaneously composed their core themes for Willie Dynamite, directed by obscure director Gilbert Moses. This ineluctable screen treat stars Roscoe Orman and Diana Sands in a quintessential portrayal of early '70s New York pimping, with the central character's foibles giving rise to a latent conscience when he comes into contact with a young social worker. As is often the case with the blaxploitation genre, Willie Dynamite begins with the lead character cruising down the streets of New York in some kind of fancy car, and 'tracked by the central theme: the theme of Reeves' 'Willie D' is clear as day, lyrically portraying D's hustle as 'magic', "never treating two girls the same", "it's no different from any other industry". 'Keep On Movin' On' contrasts this with a note of modesty, signaling the movie's inevitable tonal shift; nor should you miss the B-side instrumentals 'Willie Chase' and 'Parade Strut'.

Review: Eugene Lamont Johnson aka Lamont Johnson is known amongst those who now as the first man to ever become renowned internationally for playing freestyles R&B bass. What a lovely fact. The Michican born artist first came to note as a session musician with Gloster Williams &The King Vision and then went on to work with various other bands. Here we get presented with two of his previously unreleased dance tunes. They feature various different local Detroit musicians and vocalists with the a-side being a male vocal led feel good bunker and the flip driven by a synthesised baseline and big female vocal. Boogie-tastic.

Review: Hamburg based soul outfit Angels of Libra serve up a second single here in collaboration with Irish singer/songwriter Nathan Johnston. It's based on a bunch of instrumentals recorded on a TASCAM 388 8-track in a remote house outside Copenhagen by producer Dennis Rux with the group. The classic sounds were finished off with a more new school vocal style a la Anderson Paak to result in a track that is impossible to date but easy to love, with rich horns and seductive bass. It's a tune about the burning passion we all feel when we meet someone new and immediately fall for.

Review: Some songs are just eternal, no matter how many times you've heard them, and often those same songs are the ones which you never get round to owning on vinyl. It's an easy trap to fall into with Joy Division's most celebrated moment, given the ubiquity of the song, but don't underestimate how special it is to stick on when you need it most. Cleopatra continue their series of seminal songs pressed onto splatter vinyl with this all-time classic, backed up by another non-album essential from Ian Curtis and co, "Leader Of Men'.

Review: Carlton Jumel Smith earned himself the title Mr Soul, being one of NYC's foremost exponents of a faithful sound which keeps the Motown flame alive. Having released a couple of singles on Timmion last year as well as linking up with Dojo Cuts on Colemine, now Smith is stepping out on Mocambo with the riotous party starter 'Keep On Swinging', a heated affair with sassy brass, overdriven guitar licks and the man himself holding it down with a killer vocal turn. 'Hope' on the flip is a funkier number which calls to mind classic Curtis Mayfield, not least thanks to that sprightly percussion section. Great modern soul music which knows where it's coming from.

Review: Deptford Northern Soul Club go in on this new single compiler. On the A-side comes a rare and true cut from singer-songwriter Velma Perkins, a paean for optimism in the form of 'Yes, My Goodness, Yes', which despite its affirmations only appeared as a rare and expensive B-side on her first ever 7". On the B-side comes Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum & Durr, whose 'You Can't Blame Me' originally appeared as a single for their then-incarnation as The Revelations.

Review: Ras Beats sounds as good as any classic era New York hip hop artist, but is actual a contemporary beat maker who also brings his own perspective to the mixing table. "And I Say" is one of his biggest tunes to date from back in 2018 and now it gets its first vinyl pressing. John Jiggs' boom-bap production is crisp and cavernous, with big hits making for big beats that Was raps over in fine style. An instrumental is also included on the flip of this tidy, limited edition 7".

Review: Gamm has become known for its edits of disco, house and jazz classics but back in the day it used to drop red hot hip hop reworks of golden era sounds. It seems they are now getting back to that with this new three party 7" inch series which is focussed on the American east coast. Lee Gomez aka Wipe The Needle has produced these beats, which are all new, but the vocals will be recognised to hip hop heads. Classic producers are referenced in the sounds here such as Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Dilla and DITC. They make for a couple of dusty and ageless joints that will turn the head of any hip hop fan.