Back catalogue: Funk Soul & Jazz

Review: The third edition in Ten Lovers' Coin series hears Marcello Cassanelli, Caruso and Helen McCormack fuse churnout disco, chicken pickin' guitar and Rhodes solos, in an extravaganza of fresh, sartorial dance music. Never pressing too hard, Cassenelli's 'Starlight' and 'Tropical Breeze' go easy on the master channel, with unhurried pan flutes, roiling strings and twizzling G-synths stuck loosely to a soft but firm electro-tropical backbeat. 'Dream Horizon' is a brilliant outerlude on which to close the side. On the flip, Caruso & Helen McCormack allude equally to the Manchester Street Soul scene of the late 80s with 'Have & Hold', whose razor-edge r&b vocals and low-slung progression lend the record a surprise twist. Their 'Love You More', meanwhile is lushness personified, before Caruso's 'Central' chugs magnficently towards the run out groove with oozing synths and glitterball glamour.

Review: Charlie Charlie's 'Save Us' is a track brimming with raw emotion, and Mondag's remix feels like a perfect counterpart, bringing a subtle touch of melancholy with its soft saxophone solo. The track maintains its weight, but Mondag's approach gives it a dream-like quality, coaxing out the depths of its aching beauty. Bella Boo's edit brings a noticeable shift, tightening the rhythms and infusing the track with a sharper energy, but it never loses the soul of the original. Gerd Janson, meanwhile, offers an ambient version that feels like an entirely different experience - less immediate, but no less absorbing. On the other side, Hypernatural's remixes expand on the dreamlike, almost otherworldly feeling of the originals. Knightlife's take on 'Spirit Walk' stretches the song's already fluid nature, making it feel weightless, while Gerd Janson's remix of 'Stormfront' adds a darker, more reflective mood.

Review: Some may argue that Dimitri From Paris and Tom Moulton have already provided the definitive remixes of Ron Hall, the Muthafunkaz and Marc Evans' 2006 gem "The Way You Love Me". This Glitterbox 12", which features alternative versions of those two legendary reworks, proves that they're wrong. Dimitri's "Glitterbox Retouch" of his Philadelphia International-inspired TSOP Version is a little more focused and tightly edited than its predecessor, but naturally incredibly similar. It's Moulton's "Philly Regrooved Mix", though, that's the real stunner. A near perfect example of Moulton's classic mixing skills, it sees the original disco mixer give space to each instrumental solo before unleashing the now oh-so-familiar vocal. The result is 13 minutes of unashamed disco bliss.

Review: Numero's Hottest Sounds Around series has excelled at unveiling a treasure trove of late-70s Caribbean grooves. Now they look to Trinidad where Stan Chaman's Semp label originally presented the Hamilton Brothers' calypso-disco hit 'Music Makes The World Go 'Round' back in 1978. It is a vibrant sound with multi-layered grooves, plenty of inescapable summer vibes and a tropical edge that cannot fail to bring the good times to any session. On the flip is an instrumental that pairs things back to the bubbly rhythms. What's more, it comes on lovely pink vinyl.

Review: Numero's Hottest Sounds Around collection captures obscure late-70s grooves from the Greater Antilles. Trinidad's Stan Chaman's Semp label delivered Wilfred Luckie's quirky 'My Thing' and the Hamilton Brothers' calypso-disco hit 'Music Makes The World Go 'Round' in 1978. Meanwhile, across the sea, Frank Penn's G.B.I studio recorded Stephen Colebrook's Doobie Brothers-inspired 'Stay Away From Music,' appealing to cruise ship audiences. All three tracks are packaged in a custom Numero sleeve, echoing the design of Edward Seaga's influential Caribbean music label, WIRL (West Indies Records Ltd.). This compilation revives the vibrant, eclectic sounds of the late 70s, providing a fresh look at the music that once enlivened the Caribbean scene.

Review: Mr Bongo are enacting a thorough revisiting of some of the very best soul, funk, MPB and boogie gems to stud their catalogue over the years; at this rate, the tagline "back by popular demand" has become a motto. This careful pairing of mutually constitutive Hanna and Almir Ricardi tunes made up the label's 54th release. 'Daixa Radar' comes first as the initial "rediscovery" of DJ Koco, whose Brazil 45's mix was the functional tipoff. Ricardi's 'To Parado Na Tua' is a similar midtempo boogie cut, produced by the legendary duo of Lincoln Olivetti and Robson Jorge, whose singularly timbral slap-drums are to die for.

Review: Maledetta Discoteca closes out its year with this special blue vinyl featuring a mix of brilliant Italo disco artists. They all hail from Italy and Argentina and are editing originals that span disco, electro, proto-house and more. Hararis' 'Si No Pagan' is the first under the scalpel and is a funky cut with raw drums. Lance's 'Yo Quiero A Lucy' is a more slowed down and seductive sound with 80s synths, Marta Paradise's 'Calling' (edit) is a direct and sugar synth laced house stomper and Alan Strani's 'Tension Salsable' brings things to a closer with a nice stomping disco grove with mysterious synths and lush percussion.

Review: The Brazil45 series has always been pure gold and now come a pair f beauties from Harmony Cats, a vocal quintet-turned-trio from Sao Paulo known for their disco-era hits. Harmony Cats' 'Theme' from 1976 is their most recognised track outside Brazil and is inspired by Rhythm Heritage's Barretta's Theme with its spacey breakbeats, lush vocals and percussive flair, all of which have made it a true crossover classic. On the B-side, 'Seja Como Nos (De Pe No Chao)' delivers an exuberant Brazilian twist on The Jacksons' 'Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)'- it's a guaranteed floor-filler with radiant disco energy and Harmony Cats' signature vocal style.

Review: Brooklyn-born Dennis Harte might only have been eleven when he picked up a Sears Silvertone, but the music on this anthologyirecorded between 1973 and 1974iis anything but juvenile. Collected here for the first time on a single release, these four singles originally appeared under shifting monikers (Dennis Harte, Harte Attack, Harte Brothers and Pure Madness), a strategy cooked up by mentor Carl Edelson to maximise industry exposure. The sound veers between garage soul, basement psych, and scrappy blue-eyed r&bian adolescent echo of The Rascals, The Youngbloods or early Spoonful. 'Summer's Over', written by Edelson, is the emotional peak: a world-weary soul lament, rendered uncanny by Harte's teenaged delivery. 'Running Thru My Mind' plays it cooler but still flickers with melodic instinct and wiry guitar interplay. 'Freedom Rides' charges out with organ-stabbed garage grit, a protest anthem wrapped in biker-jacket energy. 'Treat Me Like a Man' flips a Beatles-influenced B-side by Long Island group The Shandels into something looser and more ragged. Harte would go on to tour with Wilson Pickett, but these early 7"sinever before compiledishowcase a raw, regional talent teetering on the edge of real experience. Efficient Space lands another killer excavation from North America's fringe.

Review: Some labels deal only in pristine soul legitness - and Celestial Echo are one such set of aesthetes. A reissues label, Celestial Echo focuses on modern soul and boogie, and is curated by Miche (Michael Davies) and Stu Clark. Following three impressively chosen sonic chrisms, all reissued in 2024 - releases by Glenda McLeod, Brutal Force and Winfield Parker - comes this fourth foray into one of the best-loved and perhaps only publicly known tunes by the obscure boogie singer Lisa Hill: 'I Am On The Real Side'. New York's Qit Records were the original purveyors of this track, though its initial obscurity is so baffling to us that we'd guess some case of derelict nobility was at play here; either that, or there was just this much amazing soul music being made in the big city at the time! Here, Hill proclaims her place on the right side of love, with a lyrical emphasis on the object of her passions proving themself to her before she submits.

Review: Al Hudson & The Soul Partners' 'Spread Love' remains a cornerstone of Disco, emerging as a highlight from their 1978 album Spreading Love on ABC Records. This track, which has seen numerous covers and samples over the decades, is now officially licensed and remastered for the first time in 46 years by South Street Disco. The release offers a fresh perspective on this classic, with the A-side presenting the extended intro version as heard on the original album, while the B-side features the 1978 12" single version that plunges directly into the groove. This remastered edition not only celebrates the track's enduring legacy but also provides an opportunity for both new listeners and long-time fans to experience it anew.

Review: Chad Jackson and Hallmighty deliver a fresh take on classic sounds with Jazz Be Good To Me on Battle Weapons France. This hip hop/R&B release features two creative tracks. Side-1 showcases Chad Jackson's 'Jazz Be Good To Me,' a lively hip hop groove that echoes the late 80s and 90s, when dance music was a key component of the genre. Jackson updates the early 80s classic by the S O S Band with a vibrant, contemporary twist, making it a perfect fusion of old and new. On Side-2, Hallmighty presents 'What Is Stormy Love,' a masterful mash-up of Haddaway and Diana Ross & The Supremes. This track is produced so seamlessly that it feels like an original song from the late 60s, blending vintage soul with modern production techniques.

Review: Beres Hammond's venture into soul and r&b, backed by a lineup of reggae legends, offers a surprising break from his usual style. The album blends disco-inspired elements with Hammond's rich vocals, yet tracks like 'Keep My Wheel Turning' and 'I'm Lonely' stand out with a raw edge, adding grit to the smooth soul vibes. The title track showcases Hammond's emotional depth in a yearning romantic ballad, yet it's the overall feeling of experimentation that gives the release its unique charm. While this detour into soul isn't a permanent shift, it finds Hammond working at the peak of his expressive powers, offering an unexpected but satisfying listen.

Review: Rob Hardt is a prolific multi-instrumentalist and producer and has spent 30 years crafting hundreds of songs and working with international artists. Known for his influence on soul, funk, rap, and r&b, Hardt leads the band Cool Million which boasts millions of streams on Spotify and Apple Music. His productions are robust and packed with authenticity so always manages to cut through to the big time. This new album is a collection of those sounds, drenched din soul, and featuring plenty of great collaborations that have helped bring his musical visions to life.

Review: Chicago was a hotbed for talent in the 1970s (well, it always has been and always will be, to be honest) and one of the groups to emerge at that time was Heaven & Earth, a vital soul vocal collective. They released four high-quality albums and this one, 'I Can't Seem To Forget You', was the first on Clarence Johnson's G.E.C. Label. It is packed with super sweet vocals and Dwight Dukes' lush falsetto and has never before been reissued. This version from the good folks at P-VINE has an extra bonus cut 'Promises,' which has previously only been available as a single from 1975.

Review: Brazilian artist Hyldon's 1981 album 'Sabor De Amor' is a Latin classic that is well overdue this reissue by Jazzybelle Records. It was the fourth from the soul man, singer and instrumentalist who was, with equally celebrated peers Tim Maia and Cassiano, at the very heart of the Brazilian soul revolution of 70s. This may be his most consistent album with its more than accomplished backing by Azymuth musicians including Alexandre Malheiros on bass, drums from Ivan "Mamao" Conti and Hammond jams from Sergio Carvalho amongst others. The bass is funky, the arrangements are sophisticated and full of sun with noodling jazz melodies and Portuguese vocals all oozing summer magic. From mellow moments like the title cut to more dazzling and upbeat dancers like 'Amor Na Terra Do Berimbau' this isa joyous listen.