Back catalogue: Funk Soul & Jazz

Review: Big Crown is one of our favourite labels here at HQ. The funk and soul they serve up is perfectly aged yet never overly nostalgic and this new one is another case it point. It's the latest from the Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band and features two singles take from their latest and greatest album Expansions which landed back in June. As always they bring their own unique steel drum sounds and tropical Caribbean vibes to funk music. 'Raise It Up' is a deep cut joint with big horns and rippling steel drums puddles while 'Space' is a more lumpy groove with the drums more front and centre.

Review: Bjorn Wagner's Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band have put out several fresh albums and many great 7"s on Big Crown and 'Hotline Bling' is another one. The mysterious Hamburg outfit brings their famous steel pan sound and reaches new heights here as they again cover songs that span genres and range from mega-hits to album cuts. Their own unique approach is to mix up the traditional sounds of Trinidad and Tobago with the original source material to leave you ready to dance all night long.

Review: For the latest release on their on-point Brasil 45s sub-label, Mr Bongo takes a trip back to 1977, and the early days of legendary fusion outfit Banda Black Rio. Both the cuts here are taken from the band's brilliant debut album, Maria Fumaca, and see them fusing Brasilian samba and jazz sounds with the righteous, dancefloor-friendly grooves of funk and disco. "Maria Fumaca" itself is a deliciously sunny and sweaty affair, with punchy horns, eyes-closed guitar solos and jazz-funk electic piano lines rising above a carnival-ready samba-funk groove. The U.S funk influence comes to the fore more on flipside "Mr Funky Samba", which sounds like Azymuth jamming with members of the T.K Disco, Philadelphia International and Salsoul house bands. Yep, it's that good.

Review: The Moiss Music label seems to like to drop their EPs two at a time. They did it in February and they're doing it again in May. This eighth outing collects four more lively disco cuts, each with their own subtle influences. Berobreo's 'White Rabbit' for instance has funky undertones with loopy guitar riffs and nice breaks. The Magic Track's 'Jamming With Mom' meanwhile is more sensuous and deep, with late-night synth work and seductive vocals. Oldchap's 'I Want To Show You' has an expressive soul vocal with more low-slung grooves and Alexny's 'Not Bad' then gets quick, clipped and loopy for its lip-pouting disco thrills.

Review: KC

Review: Dan Boadi left his native Ghana to take his highlife sound to American audiences after he had his 1967 breakout debut 'Abrabo'. That was a regional hit and soon after came this tune which was recorded at Paul Serrano's studio in Chicago. It showcased the real breadth and depth of his sound as it called upon reggae, acrobat, halide and funk to demand your ear with a chugging drum groove. Add in the colourful orchestration that makes the tune soar and a you have a record that is a true musical melting pot that stood Boadi pat in his new home of the Windy City.

Review: Timmion Records presents the debut 7" vinyl single from Bronze, Silver & Brass, an eight-piece brass ensemble making waves with 'Conrad's Lesson' b/w 'Ward to Ward'. This release offers two spectacular tracks showing the group's influences from soulful stage band music to New Orleans street funk. On Side-1 'Conrad's Lesson' features a pulsing midtempo groove, driven by funky drums and mellow horn melodies. On Side-2 'Ward to Ward,' delivers upbeat New Orleans second line funk, brimming with syncopated beats and spirited horn arrangements, capturing the essence of celebration and joy. Inspired by the soulful sounds of the Kashmere Stage Band and Curtis Mayfield, as well as contemporary brass trailblazers like Young Blood Brass Band and Hot 8 Brass Band, Bronze, Silver & Brass blends these influences into a unique and infectious sound. Their debut single invites listeners to celebrate the rich heritage of brass music while keeping it severely funky. Get ready to march to the rhythms of Bronze, Silver & Brass.

Review: Talented funk, jazz and soul outfit Bronze, Silver & Brass are back on Finland's finest Timmion Records with a second outing that confirms their top-shelf credentials. This latest high-grade outing opens with 'Renard's Groove which bursts forth and has a speedy, dramatic rhythm driven by tight guitar riffs and breakbeat energy, ll with hints of 1970s cinematic charm. Then comes 'Brass In Motion' which slows the tempo with a smooth, mid-paced jazz-funk groove. It balances its funky vibe with a lyrical, laid-back charm and is another gem from this increasingly essential band.

Review: GrandMagnetto, masters of skanking pop reggae covers,
return with 'Everybody's Talkin' by Harry Nilsson, off of
the Midnight Cowboy soundtrack. Blundetto transformed
the track into a killer deep dubby hit. Both tracks are storming.

Review: Craft Music's Good For Dance series continues with its second instalment and this one has been curated by none other than DJ Craft himself. Joining him are talented pals Schmoltz, Bogdan Ra, Romain FX, and Outra, also known as Joutro Mundo. These deep diggers are celebrated for their prowess in unearthing hidden gems and transforming them into dancefloor anthems and that's what they do here as each artist brings a unique flavour to the mix. Schmoltz's 'Luv The States' is a peak-time percussive disco jam, Bogdan Ra brings some slap-funk drums and glossy Italo synths and 'Tell Me Why' has crunchy drums and jagged synth stabs before a camp closer in 'Colosso'.

Review: Benson's first album since rejoining Warner Music Group earlier this year, it was originally recorded in 1989 but was never released. It features the celebrated composer-arranger Robert Farnon and his orchestra and Farnon's lush arrangements beautifully complement Benson's soulful vocals and fluid guitar work on American standards like 'Autumn Leaves,' 'At Last,' and 'My Romance', as well as reimagined pop classics such as the Beatles' 'Yesterday' and Leon Russell's 'A Song For You.' The album was delayed and subsequently lost until recently rediscovered in Benson's archive and with the help of pianist, composer and arranger Randy Waldman, Benson has revived and remastered the recordings, adding new overdubs and choral arrangements. This release adds a new chapter to Benson's illustrious career, following his tenure with Warner Records from 1976 to 1993, during which he released 12 studio albums, including the triple-platinum Breezin'. Recognised as a jazz master by the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) in 2009, Benson continues to be a giant in both jazz and contemporary music.

Review: Funkadelic superstar George Clinton knew many a side project as a producer; one was the ingenious, part-cyborg duo, The Brides Of Funkenstein. It was Clinton's idea that two other backing singers, Lynn Mabry and Dawn Silva, become the Brides Of Funkenstein, a character he invented for the 1976 Parliament LP, The Clones Of Dr Funkenstein. So popular were the brides that Clinton wasted no time in signing them to Atlantic Records; their debut album here followed the rip-roaring fan feedback that ensued from their debut single 'Disco To Go' / 'When You're Gone' in the US. The decision to break the male-fronted P-funk mould was intentional: simply *that many* Clinton instrumentals could not be credited to the man alone. "He's got thousands of tracks. He's got a whole cupboard full of them. He's got enough tracks to keep him in albums for two years," once chimed Mabry. Enchanting each jam with mecha-augmented femme flair, we're urged to be taken to the limit, across a blistering seven, smackout tracks. Mark 'Warship Touchante', the star tune by far: a wonky hi-NRG nutter, splattered with surreal, performative electronic vocal effects.