Back catalogue: All genres

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


It's time to track back 20 years to one of the true gems from Soul Jazz's heavyweight range of compilations. Miami Funk takes into the beating heart of the late 60s-early 70s scene hovering around Florida's most famous city, and introduces us to some of the hip underground cats who were laying down the sweetest grooves at that time. Some it's rocking, some of it rolls, at times it's sweet and elsewhere it's nasty, but as you'd expect the quality never dips. This one has been long out of print, and now a limited run is making its way back, with this coloured vinyl edition sure to fly out, so don't sleep!

Review: Roll out the linoleum for breakdancin' in the streets to Soul Jazz's expertly curated Electro Throwdown: Sci-Fi Inter-Planetary Electro Attack on Planet Earth 1982-89. The compilation documents a distinct period of prolific creativity and sonic futurism, delivering thirteen body-rockin' classics, obscurities, and deep cuts from the '80s. Leading the charge is Professor X's 'Professor X (Saga)', outlining his self-referential bodypopping beat manifesto in sound, while certain other emblematic come procured by originators like The Rickie Clark Company, Jonzun Crew, Mo-Jo, The Troids and Jazaq. Harking to a time when the only prerequisite for rocking a crowd was a TR-808 and a sense of groove, we're more than happy to be beamed back.

Review: Reissued almost ten years on from its first appearance, Soul Jazz's Rastafari compilation resurfaces once more. Famed for its recognition of the religion's influence on the emergence of dub and reggae in the early 1950s through to the 80s, this compilation proves Rastafari's influence and core ideas as inexorable from its sonic expression. Chief among reggae's pioneering players is Oswald Williams, aka. Count Ossie, whose influence is heard here is a sort of orthopaedic sonic stem from which all offshoots follow. Ossie's many posthumous contributions to this compilation, largely with The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari, laid the foundations of reggae as we know it, and are charted from his various nyabinghi chants and drum workouts, and come peppered by those of his sono-spiritual antecedents - the likes of Mutabaruka, Rod Taylor and Bongo Herman.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Secret Superstar Sounds, courtesy of Soul Jazz, offers an eclectic and excellent collection of oddball punk and powerpop rare cuts from little-known bands from the late 70s, including but not limited to The Squares, The Meanies, The Monitors, Plummet Airline, and Krypton Tunes. Falling between the cracks of punk, new wave and post-punk, these unfairly overlooked and forgotten to time gems came from a slew of DIY ethos purists inspired by the messaging of bands like The Desperate Bicycles, Sniffing Glue fanzine and early UK punk labels like Stiff, Chiswick and Rough Trade, recording everything in-house, then sending their recordings to the likes of John Peel and labels with hopes of some airplay or recognition, little of which came. A long-lost micro-genre of unfairly forgotten underground punk (but not punk) gems awaits.

Review: If you assumed it was possible to live without a ska version of the James Bond theme tune then prepare to be taught one of life's great lessons. Assumption is the mother of all f**k ups, basically. Fear not, though, what was a one-off pressing by Soul Jazz for Record Store Day in 2020 is once again available, only this time on gatefold LP rather than five 7" singles. Perhaps not as authentic or ideal for DJs, nevertheless the contents are just as captivating. Celebrating, in part at least, the bond between Bond and the Caribbean - author Ian Fleming lived on Jamaica and several stories are set in the region, and filmed on said island (Dr No, Live & Let Die, The Man With The Golden Gun, No Time To Die) this is evocative stuff. Stick it on, kick back with a Martini, and picture yourself casing out a mark at some beachside party spot, stunning partner in hand, senses subtly on high alert.

Review: Studio One Soul 2, the highly anticipated second volume of Soul Jazz Records' acclaimed Studio One series, dives deep into Jamaica's enduring love affair with American Soul and Funk. This special 18th anniversary edition features a vibrant array of legendary reggae artists like Horace Andy, The Heptones, Cornell Campbell, and Ken Boothe, all of whom got their start at Studio One before achieving global success. The album features a unique blend of classic and obscure American Soul and Funk tracks, reimagined with a distinct Jamaican flavour. Standout tracks include Cornell Campbell's stunning recut of The Mad Lads' Curtis Mayfield-penned 'Ten to One,' Winston Francis' soulful interpretation of The Five Stairsteps' 'Don't Change,' and Devon Russell's powerful take on 'Make Me Believe in You,' which arguably rivals Mayfield's original. This collection, featuring a mix of classics, rare gems, and previously unreleased tracks, has been meticulously remastered. Perfect for a serious reggae enthusiast, this compilation embodying the Studio One ethos of reworking influential soul records into a Jamaican soundscape.

Review: It's been a while since Soul Jazz tapped into the seemingly bottomless well that is the Studio One archives. This latest trawl through "Sir" Coxsone Dodd's landmark label focuses on the Jamaican imprint's ska output in the "downbeat" period between 1962 and 1965. It was in this period that the ska movement, reflecting Jamaica's newfound independence from the UK, truly began to find its own voice. While that alone makes Studio One Ska Fever worthy of further inspection, it's the tracklist - heavy on early scene classics such as "Freedom Sounds", "Marcus Garvey" and "Mad World", as well as lesser known gems and early works from Lee 'Scratch' Perry and the Wailers - that makes is essential listening.

Review: It was originally back in 2005 that Soul Jazz managed to somehow outdo even their own good work with the release of Studio One Roots 2: The Original. The first volume in the series was considered something of a classic amongst dub heads but the second volume was easily as good. It's long been hard to find since then - for a good price at least - so it's great news the label has reissued it here in full, and on limited edition green vinyl no less. Reggae doesn't really get much better than this so snap it up, drop the needle on and turn it up loud.

Review: The mighty Soul Jazz has done it again with this compilation - it features four sides of irresistible ska, soul, rocksteady, funk and dub that traces the history of Jamaican reggae and how American styles like funk and jazz had on it. The record is bursting at the seams with gold from crossover tunes like Tenor Saw's 'Ring the Alarm' to K.C.White's classic 'No, No, No' and Augustus Pablo's always iconic 'Rockers Rock'. Soul Jazz has done all the hard work in digging here so you don't have to.

Review: Soul Jazz Records' Delta Swamp Rock Volume 2 delves into the musical fusion of country, rock, and soul in the American South of the 1960s and early 1970s. Southern rock's rise in the 1970s, led by The Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, created a unique sound blending country, rock, and black music, reshaping white southern working-class youth identity. The roots of this movement trace back to the legendary Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where white studio musicians and r&b legends like Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett collaborated. The release captures that time and includes an extensive book, photographs, interviews and all on lovely double vinyl.

Review: Soul Jazz returns with another of its supremely assembled and vital compilations, and this one focuses on reggae. Down Beat Special offers a thrilling journey through timeless hits carefully selected from Jamaica's revered Studio One Records, the epitome of reggae excellence. From Michigan and Smiley's 'Nice Up The Dance' to Dawn Penn's 'No, No, No' and The Wailers' 'Simmer Down,' this collection pulsates with iconic tracks. Originally a limited edition 7" box set, this remastered edition boasts 18 rare gems, including works by The Skatalites, Bob Marley, and Horace Andy.

Review: Soul Jazz Records' new Miami Sound 2 is a superlative collection of 70s soul, funk, disco and boogie featuring tracks from legendary artists such as Betty Wright, Timmy Thomas, Gwen McRae, Milton Wright, T-Connection and many more, all released on the mighty TK Records musical empire based in Miami, Florida. Centring on the curatorial efforts of TK Records founder Henry Stone, who is credited by Soul Jazz as one of the tastemaking pioneers of boogie, after the early ferments of gritty funk and soul formed out of the arrival of disco in the mid-70s. This compilation snaps up a distinct, unforgettable moment in the pivot from disco into soul, with essential tracks from Betty Wright, to Timmy Thomas, to Raw Soul Express, to T Connection all in tow.