SOUL RECOMMENDATIONS MAY 2016

Review: Fresh from 68: Atlanta family trio Scott Three only ever recorded two singles and remained something of a local sensation thereafter. It's a shame as there's a real Jackson Five feel to their delivery, especially on "Running Wild" where the session band breaks down and each member pops above the dense music bed. "Gotta Find A New Love" takes a much bluesier tact with rougher instrumentation and an almost rocky build on the choruses. Spotted passing hands for sizeable sums on one bidding site, this is the first time it's been pressed in over 45 years.

Review: Mississippi's Jealous Kind Of Fella Garland Green enjoys a long overdue revisit from Expansion as two of his 1977 recordings (from his second album Love Is What We Came Here For) receive their first ever 45" outing. "Let Me Be Your Pacifier" is the soul soothing ballad of with swooning horns and measured delivery that allows each instrument to shine. "I've Quit Running The Streets" looks more towards Motown for inspiration with its big bold horns and relentless energy and well-polished soul power.

Review: It was France's l'Arome Productions that had first reissued this spectacular selection of Ethiopian soul and funk back in 2009 but, since then, this particular compilation has turned into something of a cult-classic within the digging world, and it has been repressed by Heavenly Sweetness on three different occasions. None of this is in the least bit surprising given just how special the sounds on here truly are, and if you're a fan of Mulatu then this will hit the spot big time! Moreover, tunes by the likes of Samuel Belay, Mahmoud Ahmed - who has appeared on Mississippi's reissue schedule - and Girma Beyene go much further than the usual dosage of far-out funk, leading us to a tense, dimly lit scenario that is both hypnotic and totally different from anything else. Highly recommended, a timeless slice of history.

Review: Two highly contrasting soul cuts from Lack Of Afro's forthcoming fifth studio album Hello Baby. "I Got The Rhythm" is a firing workout that taps deep into mid '60s Motown, all sweaty and slightly rough around the edges yet still tighter than a banker's hedge fund. "All My Love" is a much silkier, string-based session that taps more into the late 70s pop style of soul with delicious vocals from London soulstress and previous LOA collaborator Juliette Ashby. A great introduction to the album.

Review: The young and spritely Jamma Dee has only recently popped up on our radars, and we're happy to see that the lad is back so soon on the equally fresh-faced Arcane for another bag of funk-laded, boogied-out tuneage. This tight little eight-tracker will appeal to fans of material on Peoples Potential Unlimited, where Jamma Dee unloads a sublime blend of new-age boogie, ketamine-laced cyber disco, and drunken pseudo house. Along with Moon B, this guy is single-handedly reshaping our conception of disco, and moulding it into a fine vessel for come deep, far-out meditations.

Review: London's Soul Brother unit has been out of the picture for a little while, but you can always rest assured that the mythical Putney-based shop will come up with some solid reissue goodness. This time, the gold comes through a resurrection of Bill Harris' material, a legendary jazz trombonist who started his trade way back in the late 1950's. There's two versions of "Am I Hot Am I Cold" here, a short version for the dance, and a long version that delves deeper into the percussion, goes heavier on the drum breaks and lifts the track to higher grounds thanks to those prophetic vocals. A certified jazz-funk monster.