Juno Recommends Funk / Reissues February 2019

Review: Repress! GAMM flex back sixteen years to the very beginning with a rerun of their first ever release. Cue label mainstay and firm friend, Fredrik Lager AKA Stockholm groove monster Red Astaire who launched the label in style with these two cult edits; "Follow Me" takes D'Angelo to some pretty psychedelic places while "The Wildstyle" struts with serious sentiments of 'unity' and some of the strongest JB chops available on 45. A timeless record that sparked the tales of both Red Astaire and GAMM. Not to be slept on.

Review: No less than 45 years since she recorded her first single, the legendary Chaka Khan with a new album as relevant and up to the minute as anything pretenders a third of her age could dream of. "Hello Happiness" finds Khan drawing on the legacy of her roots while keeping things fresh, upbeat and contemporary, with THAT voice front and centre. Lead single "Like Sugar" has been tearing it up all over the place for good reason - with Switch on production chopping up classic Fatback Band break "The Bus Stop," Khan sounds as fierce as ever.

Review: Milano heavyweight producer Turbojazz known for his stuff on Local Talk, G.A.M.M, CT-HI and more. He is also a member of Jaxx Madicine together with Parker Madicine returns with an infectious classic afro-funk release containing two high energy reworks of Manu Dibango and Fela. Peak time stuff! On the A side we have the sleazy exotic '70s funk of "The New Bell" while on the flip, you are treated to the jazz-funk laced trip of "Fight To Finish" where the drummer does his best impression of Jab'o Starks blending together an early funk and hip-hop rhythm.

Review: Jalapeno superfunkers Smoove & Turrell celebrate a decade of their unique, fast lane dancefloor soul with this epic 18 track double LP that digs deep into their extensive five album body of work so far. Powerful, hooky and characterised consistently by John Turrell's gutsy, heart-punching vocal style, across the set we're blessed with everything from sparkling disco ("Beggarman") to stomping northern soul ("I'm A Man") via lavish 80s style funk and straight up Hammond slapping sweaty funk ("Lay It On Me"). A fittingly supersize sized set to celebrate a landmark anniversary for the northern troupe; here's to another 10 years.

Review: Given the vastness of his back catalogue, you'd think there would be plenty of re-issue-friendly gold buried in Eddie Palmieri's discography. "Spirit of Love", first released as a single in 1978, certainly ticks a lot of boxes: the spiraling, disco-era chunk of boogaloo/jazz-funk fusion remains popular on specialist dancefloors - especially jazz-dance ones - and original copies frequently change hands online for well over 50 quid. Like the original 7", this edition of the singles also comes backed with the sweaty Brazilian style jazz brilliance of "Lucumi, Macumba, Voodoo", which also happens to be the title track of the LP that "Spirit of Love" was plucked from.

Review: American jazz-funk organist Reuben Wilson is probably best known for his 1976, Chess-released slammer "Got To Get Your Own". He released plenty more tasty treats before and after that, including a raft of fine albums. It's on one of those sets (1972's "The Sweet Life", fact fans) that these songs first featured. Wilson's version of Marvin Gaye classic "Inner City Blues" is particularly potent. It features the organist playing a jazzy lead melody that replaces Gaye's original vocal, note for note. It's brilliantly done, with his backing band providing stellar support via a heavy, low-slung take on the song's familiar groove. Over on the flip Wilson layers up organ and sax lines on a suitably soft focus cover of Clifton Davis's teary-eyed soul favourite "Never Can Say Goodbye".

Review: No less than 45 years since she recorded her first single, the legendary Chaka Khan with a new album as relevant and up to the minute as anything pretenders a third of her age could dream of. "Hello Happiness" finds Khan drawing on the legacy of her roots while keeping things fresh, upbeat and contemporary, with THAT voice front and centre. Lead single "Like Sugar" has been tearing it up all over the place for good reason - with Switch on production chopping up classic Fatback Band break "The Bus Stop," Khan sounds as fierce as ever.

Review: Japanese imprint Ultra Vybe is midway through a seven-inch series focusing on some of the many gems tucked away on albums released by legendary U.S "funky jazz" label Groove Merchant in their early 1970s. Their latest picks are taken from pianist Larry Willis's 1973 set "Inner Crisis". You'll find the album's title track - a warm, mesmerizing and surprisingly melancholic fusion of restless organ lines, jammed-out electric piano solos, classic jazz horns and fussy grooves - on side B, with "Out On The Coast" on the A. This jaunty jazz-funk affair is far more hard-hitting, thanks in no small part to some rousing sax lines, blistering funk drums, razor-sharp jazz guitars and a seriously heavy bassline.