Columbia Schallplatten & CDs

Review: For the first time on green vinyl, cinematic funk and r&b singer Boz Scaggs gives us the Lowdown. One of the breakthrough hits from his 1976 album Silk Degrees, Scaggs' stylised, night-flighty sound is put on full blast here. Co-written by Scaggs and keyboardist David Paich (Toto), the record's unburdened and frolicking feel acts to disguise its subject matter: Scaggs' intention is double-sided, with the lyrics warning the listener about an unreliable, buttery figure, whose romantic trickery warrants an urgent briefing (hence "lowdown"). A twist arrives at the point of the chorus, when we realise that said bullshit artist might just be Boz himself. Well, we can't quite believe it. Are all us romantics loving a lie, to some extent?

Review: Freddie Hubbard's 1979 version of 'Little Sunflower' is a soul-jazz classic. Since the full version of Hubbard's vocal re-make (the trumpeter first recorded an instrumental take in 1968) only ever appeared on a hard-to-find promo 12", this Record Store Day reissue should be an essential purchase. It remains a gentle, breezy and sunset-ready jazz-dance gem, with Hubbard's emotion-rich vocals and mazy trumpet solos riding Latin-tinged percussion, elastic double bass and some suitably jammed-out jazz pianos.

Review: By the time "Touch Me In The Morning" was mailed out to American DJs in 1979, Marlena Shaw has long since established herself as one of soul music's greatest voices. "Touch Me In The Morning" was merely a promo-only affair, remixed from the shorter "Take A Bite" album version - but it did become something of a dancefloor anthem in certain underground clubs. Here, the sought-after 12" is given a replica reissue, with the stomping, string-drenched title track being accompanied by exactly the same B-side cuts as the '79 pressing.