Review: Matasuna takes us on our global travels once more, this time to Latin America and Venezuela for this dance floor heater from La Retreta Mayor. It is an original from 1976 that now lands on its own 7" for the first time and is backed by a fresh remix from King Most. Elements of Latin, funk and jazz all inform the fiery a-side which also has some rich horns and red hot drums, bass and pianos adding to the intensity. The flip side version still has an organic vibe like the original but with a new intro and outro that have their own flavour.
Review: Legofunk continues to roll out some super sweet dance floor friendly 7"s. This latest one offers two tracks with plenty of hints of Afro house and funky grooves. Vito Lalinga is the man behind it and his 'Yesaye' kicks off with some lush feel good sounds, warming chords and busy rhythms made from acoustic guitars. It's sunny as you like and sure to brighten your mood thanks to its joyous horn work. The Lego re-edit fattens up the bottom end, making it more lady for modern dance floors.
Review: Bett Lou will be well known to soul fans who have dug back through time to learn their stuff. She recorded a classic session in 1979 and this is a seance single taken from it - a cover of Stevie Wonder's 'Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day', backed with a more stripped down instrumental version of 'I Can't Stop'. The a-side reworks the classicist a funky and mid tempo number with lush chord work and drums that tease and please. The flip is a jazzy rework that keeps it low key and seductive.
Review: This must-check dinked 45 brings together two killer and influential jazz recordings from the early 1960s. On the A-side you'll find Yusuf Lateef's inspired cover of Alen North's 'Spartacus Love Theme', a shuffling, Latin-tinged, piano-laden affair that inspired many subsequent interpretations from fellow musical titans (think Ramsey Lewis, Carlos Santana, Eddie Harris and Bill Evans, for starters). It's an effortlessly breezy and life-affirming version that stands apart from the hard-bop jazz jams that Lateef was recording at the time. On the flip you'll find the scarce 7" edit of the Cannonball Alderley Sextet's recording of 'Brother John', a cool jazz interpretation that famously features a rare oboe solo from the track's composer (and Sextet member), Yusuf Lateef.
Review: REPRESS ALERT!: You know that long hot days are fast approaching when it is Brazilian music that you crave. Thankfully the Scruniversal has got us covered with a second release that is as scorching as the first. It pairs MPB, samba and Latin flair with hard-edged hip-hop and funk stylings across a pair of tunes from Scruscru, each one a different collaboration. The first is alongside Tony Lavrutz and has gorgeous vocals and organic percussion paired with cut-up beats and jazzy keys that will ignite any floor on 'Rave Du Brazil.' It is Los Protos's jazz funk groover 'Primavera' that gets the good vibes going on the flip.
Review: Galaxy Sound give this 1997 hip hop classic a new twist with some slick jazz stylings. Lil Kim's "Crush On You", is known by all but here it becomes something completely different: a forgotten jazz funk gem, colourful trumpet leads awash with lush drums and timeless soul. The flipside houses a re-edit of Jeff Lorber's "Rain Dance", which is in fact the original source of the samples on Lil Kim's track, and one that has been used on more than 20 other big time tunes. Here it's subtly tweaked but still remains a classic bit of jazz-flecked hip hop with some proper rude vocals.
Review: Monika Linges' voice sways between jazz and bossa nova with a natural ease that makes it seem like she was born for this. But her latest track pushes things furtherigently drawing you in with a relaxed yet intricate arrangement, before layering in subtle harmonies and rhythmic flourishes. There's a warmth to the way she sings, each note spilling effortlessly into the next, hinting at a deeper emotional core. It's a performance that feels personal yet universal, bringing the complexities of her influences into a fresh light. By the time it fades, you're left with the feeling of something timelessia quiet reflection on both genre and soul.
Review: A rare jazz-funk 12" documenting the timeless work of an epistemic classic. Lonnie Liston Smith's 'Expansions' is normally known as an album, but it's only the central theme, composed first and without an initial ambition to craft a full-length around it, which said album took its name. The high strings of the track 'Expansions' bring a filmic tension to an otherwise louche funk line, laying down a stark contrast that more than justifies its use as the 1974 album's opening track and namesake. On the B-side here, however, comes not one from Smith's Expansions, but rather another opener, 'Cosmic Funk', which was released just six months earlier and documents a much wilder, Afrobeat-adjacent wah-fest, with Smith himself referring to the track and resultant record as an example of 'sci-fi funk'.
Review: A stellar mix of DJ-able breakbeat and northern soul from Luchito Rodriguez and Nestor Alvarez, two of our favourite contemporary funk artists active today (as long as we're certain of their identities, that is). This limited 7" contains two versions of the same killer track: 'Soy Un Hombre' reincarnates the triumphant 'achievement' of manhood through carnal brasses and kettle drums, in a quiver-inducing cover version of Spencer Davis Group's classic track 'I'm A Man'.
Review: Original Gravity return with another pair of tunes to elevate your soul. This time it is Luchito and Nestro Alvarez serving up the sounds on a limited 7" packed with Latin funk. 'Tighten Up' actually couldn't be any tighter. The drums prickle as they race along with breezy sung-spoken vocals up top and big horn work that will liven up any party. On the reverse is a more distinctly samba-styled tune with rich bossa rhythms, plenty of golden percussion and expressive horn work lighting up the grooves. It might be cold outside these days, but it will be warm inside with this one playing.
Review: Original Gravity return with another pair of tunes to elevate your soul. This time it is Luchito and Nestro Alvarez serving up the sounds on a limited 7" packed with Latin funk. 'Tighten Up' actually couldn't be any tighter. The drums prickle as they race along with breezy sung-spoken vocals up top and big horn work that will liven up any party. On the reverse is a more distinctly samba-styled tune with rich bossa rhythms, plenty of golden percussion and expressive horn work lighting up the grooves. It might be cold outside these days, but it will be warm inside with this one playing.
Review: Original Gravity, Luchito Rodriguez and Nestor Alvarez return with yet two more Latin groove versions of funk and soul classics, emulating two sounds not yet brought together enough. 'Dap Walk' is a shot-by-shot cover of the song of the same name by Ernie And The Top Notes - a slick and slippery interpretation that translates the original AAVE of the song's intro into Spanish. 'El Barrio', meanwhile, opts for 70s crime thriller vibes, instrumentally verging on expressionism via djembe, brass sections and vibraslaps.
Review: While some AOTN releases are perplexing exercises in digging and detective gymnastics, others are more of a straight-up selector pleasure for label bossman and soul merchant Fryer. Like these two classics from jazz funk artist Lucien. Both staples in Fryer's sets for 20 years, neither are hard to track down - "Would You Believe In Me" is on his 73 album Rashida while "Sunny Day" is on his 74 album Minds Eye - but neither of them have ever been on 45" before, either. Whether you're familiar with Lucien's unique fusions or this is your first encounter, this release works a treat.
Billy Hawks - "(O Baby) I Do Believe I'm Losing You" (3:03)
Review: This Juno colour vinyl exclusive finds Linda Lyndell serve up her own majestic cover of the classic "What A Man." Her vocal is smooth and buttery but also laden with gravitas, while the sweeping horns and jazzy keys all around her help to lift the spirits. On the flip is an ice cold slice of funk from Billy Hawks in the form of his "(O Baby) I Do Believe I'm Losing You". It's raw soul that glides at high speed with plenty of hip swinging claps. This is a much sought after reissue that will shift quick, so make sure you do too.
Review: Spanish saxophone player and producer Juan Muro first release the Teu Sapato EP way back in 1977. Amongst those who know, the unusual, four-track 7" single has become something of a sought-after item. Here it gets the deluxe reissue treatment via Madmua Records, a label specializing in showcasing overlooked gems from the Spanish musical underground. On the A-side you'll find the gentle bossa nova of "Teu Sapato" - all tango accordions, jazz guitar licks and shuffling rhythms - and the up-tempo, Rhodes-laden bliss of "Por Meu Amor". Flip for two tracks from Muro's Loeme alias: the sun-kissed, Azymuth-down-the-beach samba vibes of "Sou Do Samba Chuva Pau" and the tango-flecked shimmer of "Chuva Pau".
Review: You can always rely on 5 Borough Breaks for some top shelf hip hop. The label's latest missive is a legendary one from O.C. - "Time's Up" is a rousing, hard hitting beat with an even tougher verse that rides on the booming kicks. It also samples Les DeMerle's "A Day In The Life" which just so happens to be pressed on the flip and yes, it is in fact a cover of The Beatles. Here though, it becomes a stirring big bang jazz cut that forms an impressive wall of retro sound that will inject realness and rawness into any party. Like always with this label, quantities are limited so move fast to get your fix.
Leon Thomas - "The Creator Has A Master Plan (Peace)" (edit) (3:02)
Louis Armstrong & Leon Thomas - "The Creator Has A Master Plan (Peace)" (4:06)
Review: 'The Creator Has a Masterplan (Peace)' might have been performed beautifully by Louis Armstrong but it was written by Pharoah Sanders and Leon Thomas. Sanders was the first to record and release it on February 14, 1969 and it has since been covered by the likes of Don Cherry, Krokodil, The Dynamics, Lord Echo and many more artists right up to the present day. Here we get the Leon Thomas versions from 1969 as well as the one he recorded alongside Louis a year later. Two sublime sounds that make the whole world feel at peace.
The Troubleneck Brothers - "Back To The Hip Hop" (4:13)
Les McCann - "North Carolina" (3:25)
Review: Party people in the place to be! Another precision trip into the history books as 5BB take us back to one of the most important neighbourhoods in hip-hop history. This time we head to Harlem and Uptown courtesy of the heavily influential Troubleneck Brothers crew and their '94 nostalgia shock "Back To The Hip-Hop". Still smooth, still reminiscent of the finest foundations, still flowing like water. Meanwhile the B side flexes the drum inspiration with a crisp version of Les McCann's "North Carolina". The party has already started, and now it's about to end.
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