Back catalogue: Funk Soul & Jazz

Notes: Introducing Jazzman's own exclusive range of brand new 7" hard-wearing wooden record cases, in equal measure stylish and functional, solving the age-old problem of storing, transporting & displaying your precious 45s once and for all!

The PRO Large holds 150 x 7" records, and is available in your choice of 2 finishes: Dark Walnut or Graphite Grey.

This new updated design is again custom made to an exact specification in limited numbers. They don't just look the business, they've been built for professional use and will last for many years to come.

Ugly, bulky industrial cheap n' nasty mass-produced flight cases they are not! No flimsy plastic, chipboard, MDF or cheap cardboard either! These cases are hand-crafted from ethically-sourced & hard-wearing wood, the ultimate 7" record cases for all serious record collectors & professional DJs.

Each case has been hand-made in the EU from wood that has been sourced from managed and sustainable forests. They have been custom built to Jazzman's exact specifications before being stained and lacquered for a durable finish:

The lid is fully removable via detachable metal hinges so you have unfettered access to your records
Interior lined with soft & durable black felt to add both extra cushioning and a luxurious feel. Each interior is also embossed once with Jazzman's shiny 45CASE logo
All corners made with extra strong interlocking dovetail joints
Dual metal catches on the front are lockable with padlocks (not included) to keep your records secure from unwanted attention
Strong metal brackets feature on all corners to further protect against knocks & damage
Wood sourced from managed and sustainable forests
The base has 4 sturdy rubber feet to protect the bottom of the case when standing
Each cases has dual compartments, securely holding up to 150 of your prized 7" records. The interior dimensions will also accommodate double-bagged 45s.

Important note: due to the innate variability of wood grain, each box is unique and will differ slightly to the image shown. Records are for illustration purposes only and are not included!

Details:

Exterior size: 420 x 220 x 220mm
Weight when empty: 3.2kg (7lb)
Weight with 150 records: 11kg (24lb)

"I'm really impressed with this box, nobody's made them like this for years, a nice new home for my best stuff" - Mark 'Butch' Dobson (World #1 Northern Soul DJ)

"Jazzman are already known for making great records, well done to them for making the nicest record boxes I've seen in years" - Norman Jay MBE

"Sturdy and with a classic design, this is the best 7" box I have come across" - Eddie Pillar (Acid Jazz)

"Northern, Funk, Rockabilly, Garage - these are the boxes to keep 'em in, f*** marvellous!" - The Legendary Keb Darge

Review: Earthtones have got a new albumin the way and this is the very first and very tasty teaser single from it. This one is actually a collaboration with longtime friend and co-producer Oliwa and it has a stunning lead vocal that is full pf passion and heart ache and comes from Colombian-Canadian talent Lido Pimienta. The drums are slow, heavy and cumbia influenced extra bass synths, keys, guitars and drums all making it feel contemporary as well as traditional. We're told "the vision of this track is one of upliftment of womxn and femmes everywhere."

Review: Kyle Hall treats us to a new and special pressing of his standout Equanimity EP which was last reissued back in 2020. This one comes on limited edition translucent teal vinyl and was initially put out to mark the ten-year anniversary of Detroit native Hall's own Wild Oats label. In that decade he has established it as one of his hometown's finest for dusty deep house explorations. The four tracks on it are just that with a whimsical melody over bumpy beats on the opener, then more zoned-out beats on '4wrd Motion' and glitchy kicks and hits on 'No More Moon'. Last of all is the star-gazing cosmic house of 'Ghosten 4 A 2nd X'. A timeless EP for sure.

Review: Well Curated is a series of releases and parties that - in its own words - "reflects the ethnomusicology of the last 50 years of music" - and aims to reach into all genres, merging classic styles and breaking down barriers. Steve Spacek occupies the A-side with the breezy broken beat and soul-in-space of 'Alone In Da Sun', while Lukid's 'Hair Of The Dog' is a more intense counterpart, with wobbling sub-bass and swirling, surging atmospherics hovering above.

Review: Given the anger in the United States surrounding the antics of President Trump, it was almost inevitable that we'd see a cover version of Roy C Hammond and the Honey Drippers' Nixon-era funk bomb "Impeach The President" at some point. It's a great cover, too, with Fysah Thomas providing a sassy, venomous lead vocal over a fine, horns-and-drumbreaks-heavy funk backing track courtesy of backing band The Get Down Underground. On the flip they completely re-build the track, re-casting it as an authentic dub reggae workout complete with delay-laden vocal and horn snippets and an all new rhythm track. It's rather brilliant all told and arguably even better than the A-side version.

Review: Reposado aka Tequila Funk brings more Latin and Afro flavours magic to this new 7". It makes a perfectly international soundtrack for global dancefloor fun with A-side 'All You Got To Do' bringing an uptempo soul vibe with some legendary guitar from the one and only Jimmy James, while some soulful background cooing comes from Alex Rose. It's a feelgood gem that will unite all who hear it and then the reverse is a salsa-tinged delight. 'Original' has masterful piano from Marina Albero and is an irresistible gem that completes a fine two-tracker.

Review: When Tatsuro Yamashita first released 'Christmas Eve' in 1983, it didn't receive a huge amount of attention. It was only when the track was picked up for an advert in the late 80s that it caught on became a seasonal favourite in Japan, going on to become one of Yamashita's biggest hits. Now it's being repressed in this 40th anniversary commemorative edition right in time for the impending festive season, featuring a bonus version of the B-side version of 'White Christmas' recorded for the Happy Xmas Show. If you want a quintessential ingredient for the Japanese Christmas experience, look no further.

Review: From the grave, Prince is serving up a banger just in time for Christmas fun this year in the form of a one-sided 12" on Warner. It found him working with his trusty New Power Generation and features the 'damn near 10 min' mix of the song 'Gett Off' which is sure to fire up any dancefloor. It was originally a single - also served up as a one-sider - to promote Prince's new band with a cover that boldly declared that "Nothing can stop Prince and the New Power Generation" and was only issued on 1500 copies, so this is a great treat for fans to own all these years later.

Review: Smoove returns with his label Wack Records and delivers two killer cuts straight from the heart of Motown. Utilizing original multitrakcs from the home of Rick James and The Supremes, Smoove gets his swirv on and delivers two uptempo hip-hop bangers, curveball-tinged with the instrumental backings of Motown. On the A, 'Empty World', we hear an attention-grabbing Nas mashup ('Life's A Bitch'), while the aforementioned artists are equally as well fused on the much more positive B-side.

Review: House music has been huge in South Africa for some time, and not just in the underground but everywhere - it can be heard on radio, bleeding from car stereos and out of boomboxes all over the townships. It has its own distinctive twist and influences and some of those are explored on this new Voom Voom 12", which is just the second from this label. It features different remixes of two originals and all are steeped in sun-drenched synths, with funky Afro rhythms underpinning the lush vocals. A heart warming EP of real house depth.

Review: Tony Touch's 'Apaga La Luz' single gets reworked here by several different artists across the new double 12" on Vega which kicks off with a new take from the man himself. His Tony Touch OG mix brings raw horn work to the Latin tech beats and edgy percussive textures. The Mike Dunn Re-Touch is a big one with more Latin vocal flair and coarse drum textures. David Guetta brings his big room energy to a remix and Pablo Fierro offers a more raw dub with tropical heat emanating from the core. Further reworks come from David Morales and Two Soul Fusion.

Review: This 2024 edition marks the return of Joe Bataan, via the same track that made his name in 2004. Vampi Soul first welcomed the Latin Soul king to the label two decades back, facilitating the release of his 2005 album Call My Name. The pre-release singles for the album were 'Chick-A-Boom' and 'Cycles Of You', packed onto a single 7"; these quickly became DJs' favourites and have thus since remained long out of print. As it was twenty years ago, 'Chick-A-Boom' is a simultaneously upbeat but ghostly track, with Bataan's vocals quadrupling up in a wall of sound while providing the vibe equivalent of a Jackie Chan flick. 'Call My Name', meanwhile, goes heavy on the clavichord and synth whistle, as Bataan revels in a funereal theme, dancing, thundersticking into the great beyond.

Review: Vampisoul dedicate one more 7" to another fresh-from-the-woodfired slice of modern cumbia, this time from the eponymous La Cumbia Moderna De Soledad band and Machuca Cumbia respectively. On the A, the former band offer up a two-toning cumbia version of Rod Stewart's 'Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?', sparse but well-wrought in its sound. The B is a treat that vibrates at a different, but equally as effective frequency, being a convincingly retro take on the Bee Gees' 'Stayin' Alive', and lending the song's ineluctable melodies a Latin twist by way of hypnotic percs and guitars.

Review: Tito Puente's classic 'Guayaba' has been rerecorded by a plethora of artists over the years, but it's safe to say these two covers by Sonora de Lucho Macedo and La Logia Sarabanda are among the best. In their respective versions, we find two proper dancefloor shakers for all tropical heads out there, recorded under the influence of the early 70s Latino rock. Here Vampi Soul reissue this precious gemlike cut, with the two versions never paired together before, on 45 for the first time.

Review: Peru has enjoyed a thriving and exciting music scene since the mid-1960s. Bands such as Los Saicos, Los Shain's, and Los York's, to name just a few, released a number of brilliant records that drove young fans crazy and set an example for many to follow. The end of the decade brought about an evolution in sound and new music, as Peruvian bands kept an eye on the groundbreaking British and US artists. One of them was Traffic Sound, founded in Lima in 1967. Over a very short period of time the band managed to successfully develop their career, and by 1971 their Latin influences had overpowered the psychedelic prog vibe of their previous records. The song became a local hit and several versions were recorded by different Peruvian artists. On the other side of this single we find Black Sugar, a Peruvian band considered to be a pioneer group in Latin America in mixing funk influences with rock and Latin rhythms. In 1976, following their gig at Coliseo Amauta in Lima, opening the night for the legendary Spanish band Barrabas, they started to show a growing interest in disco music, resulting in some line-up changes with members leaving the project due to their lack of interest in the new sound and new ones joining in. Their own take on 'La Camita' was released in 1978, and adds a modern twist to the original song.

Review: This a unique release that features a song that was released by two different bands during within the same year. The song 'Meshkalina' was by a psychedelic and prog band from Peru called Traffic Sound and then, soon after, by Latin duo Paco Zambrano and Reynaldo Murrieta under the name Paco Zambrano Y Su Combo. The latter version is more traditional and Latin while the Traffic Sound version is more psychedelic garage rock band-like. Two formidable and very different versions featured on limited splattered 7" vinyl.

Review: Prolific Japanese jazzers Nautilus - made up of drummer Toshiyuki Sasaki, keyboardist Daisuke Takeuchi, and bassist Shigeki Umezawa - present their latest 7" release 'A Story About You'. It's an emotive A-and-B-sider of mournful mood, with the A-side cemented by rolling pianos and a central lyric-melody performed by Mariko's talkbox, and B-sider 'Sweet Power Your Embrace' coming as a cover of the 1977 classic by James Mason. Signaling news of a full-length album to come - you'd better fasten your seatbelts.

Review: You can always count on Nautilus to deliver the most sophisticated covers of soul and jazz standards. The Japanese jazz funk outfit have a pristine approach to their craft, but they also know how to edge their own personality into the versions they lay down. So it goes as they approach the monumental 'Move On Up' by Curtis Mayfield, which is no small task. The actual cut on this 7" is the DJ JIN re-edit, which makes the track fit comfortably on a 45 but also makes sure it works for the DJs out there. On the flip 'Beyond The Redemption' has a more uptempo feel thanks to the sharp angles of the drums and the ascendant keys gliding over the dynamic low end.

Review: Richard Caiton has many great soul treasures in his arsenal and several labels have gone digging for them over the years. After a great reissue of his 'Thank You' gem on Record Store Day last year, now Upright have dug out 'I Like To Get Near To You.' He originally recorded it for the label back in 1969 and it is one of the standouts in his discography all these years later. It is a super short but super sweet soulful gem with raw drums and horns leading the way next to life-affirming strings and a heart aching vocal.

Review: A collection of remixes that take the original Amy track and transform it into a dance-oriented experience. The Alix Alvarez Sol Channel mix on the A-side is a house remix that adds a driving beat and energetic synths. In contrast, the Al Usher remix on the B-side takes a more soulful approach, infusing the track with a 1970s vibe. Two remixes that showcase the versatility of the original song and offer a fresh take on Winehouse's iconic vocals.

Review: This is a translucent vinyl yellow version (though we also have a regular black pressing) of some reissued soul treasure from 1983, penned and produced by the legendary Larry McGee. Over four decades old, it seamlessly blends disco, UK street soul, and boogie into an irresistible tune, perfect for both dance floors and romantic home listening. With lovestruck vocals, persuasive basslines, and sultry saxophone lines, "Space Lady" captivates from start to finish. Flip over this 7" vinyl, and you'll discover an extended version tailor-made for DJs, ensuring smoother deployment on the turntables. A true gem that shines bright, even after all these years.

Review: Silent Majority was one of many monikers for an enduring Philadelphia soul band best known as The Formations, made up of Jerry Akines, Johnny Bellmon, Reginald Turner and Victor Drayton. Their chameleonic name-changes - which also included Hot Ice and The Corner Boys - allegedly owed to a lack of commercial success, which produced an incentive for the band to constantly metamorphose at the suggestion of various labels and other market forces. Regardless of success in their own time, these Silent Majority gems, 'Frightened Girl' and 'Something New About You', are more than tantamount to their talents, sifted from the only two 7" vinyl records attributed to the band in the late 60s.

Review: Second time around for Kon's fabulous re-rubs of Twilight's slept-on 1986 disco-boogie gem 'You're In Love', which first dropped on seven-inch almost a decade ago. Vinyl copies of the 45 are hard to come by, so this Ubiquity Records re-issue is most welcome. Kon's takes stick closely to the original - these are multi-track tweaks, rather than revolutionary remixes - while subtly beefing up the groove and highlighting the band's weighty synth bassline. On the A-side you'll find the full vocal take - all sweet vocals, crispy disco drums, colourful synths and clipped, Chic style guitar licks - while the flip-side 'Dub' is a marginally more minimalist, groove-focused affair, with delay-laden vocal snippets and swirling instrumental textures echoing across the sound space.

Review: DJ, producer and edits maestro Oswald Moris spent 2020 focused on library music trawling and editing, following a welcome invitation by some friends to spend time at their home studio. Honing his then penchant for ‘70s and ‘80s library music, Oswald and company took this source as a starting point to jam and record their own personal interpretations of the style. ‘Drug Song’ and ‘Heat Haze’ are two choice selections from these sessions, both coming as notable reinterpretations of the saliently infectious numbers by Belgian library musician Janko Nilovic, who set the tone for library music’s crossover with soul with the album Soul Impressions. For library music heads with an ear for the ongoing evolution of the genre, these covers are welcome diversions.

Review: Last year, Wonderwheel Recordings founder returned to Turntables on the Hudson with The Remix Machine, a vast digital compilation (and eight-track vinyl sampler) featuring some of the countless reworks he's completed since the 1990s. This second 12" expands on that set, serving up six more of the New York-based producer's favourite re-rubs. There's plenty to set the pulse racing throughout, from the rolling Cuban house business of his Megablast tweak ('La Isla'), and a low-slung, d&b-influenced Latin breaks take on OVEOUS & QVLN, to a suspenseful slab of psych-funk-goes house (the New Yorker's tweak of 'Yiorti' by Antois Antonio), and even some bouncy, low-tempo Balkan beats (Balkan Bump's 'Codek America'). Hot global fusion business!

Review: Much loved soul, jazz and hip hop fusionists Moonchild are back on their home label Try Thoughts with another magnificent and widescreen album. Reflections builds on their sonic foundation with subtle evolutions in sound but plenty of the recognisable tropes that have made this outfit so well loved as they, inspired by their own Tiny Desk performance, revisit, rework and reimagine their old songs. There are acoustic versions of their hit singles and overall the record finds the laid-back LA based trio once again epitomise a mix of intricate, progressive musicality with a chilled out vibe.

Review: 'On A Magic Carpet Ride' was a single originally written by Randazzo/Pike who worked on a lot of Little Anthony records. It is a Northern Soul classic, as is a much sought after and hugely expensive version by Bradford born singer Kiki Dee, who was the first white British female to be signed to Motown in 1970. This cheeky one-sided 7" makes the soul stunner available once more in original form and is full of big bouncing drums, string stabs, soaring vocals and unbridled upbeat joy.

Review: The much loved Tramp label is mighty good at serving up the soul and this time it is the buttery smooth sounds of Stroke they turn to for this reissue. The original 45rpm is one of those rare as hens' teeth cuts that cost way too much to buy even if you do track one down. The A-side is the sort of wonderfully uplifting tune that brings life-affirming joy to your life. On the flip is something really quite different - a more rock-tinged funky stepper by the name of 'The Real Deal'.

Review: The super Tramp label has done it again here with another mighty soul 7" that packs an irresistible punch. These cuts are super hard to find and fairly pricey for anyone who manages to unearth them, though they have been out on the superb Feeling Nice Vol.4 compilation album. Donnie Sanders is in top form here with 'Shing-A-Ling Baby' starting with big raw horns perform a smooth and low slung bassline arrives and things get moving with swagger. 'Naptown USA' is a more upbeat and party starting funk cut with big organ chords.

Review: Marseille's Mofak lays down yet another two modern boogie cuts for the fans. The titular 'Rock Your Money', featuring the vocal talents of Said (IAM) and Elois Scroggins, makes ample use of appended vocoder and telephoning lead vox; all comes wrapped in an ultimately bouncy number, against which Scroggins' vocals are stark. On the B, we hear 'System 3.0', a logical continuation of the A-side's theme, albeit this time gladly accepting the femme vocal assurances of AprilSoul, while Mofak himself hops on the vocoder; both paint a picture of a systematic love, one which cannot survive without vice and indulgence.