Fountain Of Life Joy Choir Under The Direction Of Kevin Yancy - "I'm So Happy" (Marc Davis & Sadar Bahar edit) (6:17)
Rev Charles H Nicks Presents The Baptist Assembly Of Free Spirit Mass Choir - "Optical Illusion" (Marc Davis & Sadar Bahar edit) (7:20)
Review: If you go to the sort of quality dances where you might hear old sound disco then there is a good chance you will have lost your shit to this one at some point the past. It is a disco gospel 12" curated and edited by Chicago pair Sadar Bahar and Marc Davis. First, they up the energy levels on the joyous Fountain Of Life Joy Choir Under The Direction Of Kevin Yancy tune 'I'm So Happy' which is high speed, high spirit and life-affirming goodness. Then they tweak Rev Charles H Nicks Presents The Baptist Assembly Of Free Spirit Mass Choir's 'Optical Illusion' with swirling big band energy and magnificent organ chords.
Baile De Mascaras (Jamz Supernova & Sam Interface edit) (5:35)
Baile De Mascaras (Jamz Supernova & Sam Interface remix) (6:12)
Review: This release is a story of serendipitous stars aligning. Having released Bala Desejo's anthemic single, 'Baile De Mascaras', back in May 2023, Mr. Bongo could sense that they had a summer classic on their hands. The label always thought that it had the potential to find fans in a dance music audience; and in a further twist of fate, the sensational DJ, producer, and radio presenter Jamz Supernova recently graced their Great Escape in-store event with a phenomenal DJ set. After some feverish digging and emailing to her team, Bongo discovered that she was a fan of the original song and had made a personal edit to play in her DJ sets. Gilles had heard Jamz spinning the edit and asked for a copy, and by sheer coincidence and good fortune, it all fell into place. The track is a beast of an edit that gets heavier and deeper as it progresses.
Review: Mr Bongo take a trip back into the golden era of boogie with this choice reissue from the mighty Elite label. There were countless classics on there back in the day, but they were rarely pressed in mammoth quantities and so some have become highly prized items in the ever-ravenous second hand scene. Beverley Skeete laid down some killer singles in the early stretch of her career, and 'Warm' is one of them. Originally out in 1985 and sounding as funky as ever, it's a great opportunity to cop this jam, which comes backed with the lilting finery of 'If The Feeling Is Right', an evergreen downtempo soul jam originally put out in 1983.
Review: A vault of formerly unreleased Don Blackman material recently surfaced via the Chicago DJ/producer/digger Marc Davis, who in recent years struck up a relationship with the children of the mysterious New York pianist and songwriter. Now this wealth of jams finally gets released: 40 years' worth of unheard Blackman - cassettes, CDs, discs, reel-to-reels, paperwork, even VHS tapes - inevitably once more reignites the obsessive fan interest in his music, which sprang from its already-mystical cult status in the rare funk and soul-digging world.
Review: We'll never tire of the incredible Brazil45 series on Mr Bongo, which has provided an authoritative window into the rich history of 60s and 70s grooves from South America. Here's a missing joint from the series which took some time to come to fruition - a split release featuring Brazilian Boys on the A side and Rubinho E Mauro Assumpcao on the B. 'Super Herois' is an obscure slice of off-kilter, psych tinged funk from 1975 that has the kind of individual sound which could find favour with a lot of different DJs. 'Tudo Ai' has a more recognisable samba shuffle, but much like the A side there's a subtle twist in the sound which leans towards blues rock and jazz, locking down on the rhythm and creating a low-key party starter in its own unique way.
Review: It's no mean feat to win awards with your debut album, but Bala Desejo did just that when they scored big at the Latin Grammys. As soon as you hit play on Sim Sim Sim you'll understand why, as the Rio de Janeiro band demonstrate their canny blend of 60s tropicalia, 70s psychedelia and MPB. It's pure pleasure music, full of wistful escapism and aching beauty, and in drawing so naturally on the best of Brazilian music culture through the ages, they've made something truly woven into the fabric of their home country. Spearheading a new wave of music and art from Rio de Janeiro, Bala Desejo have everything you could possibly want from a new Brazilian project, and more besides.
Everyday I Have The Blues/Stormy Monday Blues (Blues Medley) (8:01)
Little B's Poem (3:07)
Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head (4:38)
Love From The Sun (5:30)
People Make The World Go Around (4:47)
Review: Before she made a name for herself with a string of killer disco, jazz-funk and fusion records in the late '70s and early '80s, Dee Dee Bridgewater was a rising star on the global jazz underground. This period of her career is best exemplified by 1974 debut album "Afro Blue", a fine vocal jazz album recorded in Tokyo with a backing band made up of husband Cecil (a top trumpeter) and high-quality Japanese session musicians. As this reissue proves, the album has lost none of its allure. There's much to set the pulse racing throughout, from the breezy soul-jazz shuffle of opener "Afro Blue" and the emotive "Blues Medley", to the superb slowed-down jazz cover of "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" and blissful "People Make The World Go Round".
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