“The Cleansing” is the new album from Richard E and Sheila Ellis, better known as Annabel (Lee). Sheila’s poetic songwriting and haunting vocal phrasings compliment the cinematic soundscapes arranged by Richard and they resonate throughout this disc. There are two themes to savor here. The A side is intimate acoustic folk highlighted by “Paris, Room 14” and “Move With Me” where  Sheila’s vocals evoke a peaceful dreamy atmosphere. Strings and instrumentation drive the B side and evidence of that lies in the emotive “Autumn Requiem”. “Far” is Avant garde folk and one of the highlights here. This is an intimate and peaceful disc wrapped around abstract sounds and howling classical imagery. A mystical voyage you shouldn’t miss.

Reg Dancy

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Hailing from Australia, Guitarist Dan West, Drummer Ivan “Choi” Khatchoyan and Organist Jake Mason make up the organ grinding trio known as Cookin On 3 Burners. “Lab Experiments Vol.1” is filled with 60s-influenced funk and soul compositions certain to get your groove on. Among the highlights are “Real Life Baby”, a laid back tune with bluesy guitar rhythms from Dan West and soaring vocals from Emmi. “Wind Up” is a funky instrumental filled with wicked organ rhythms and funky guitar riffs. Veteran soul singer and native New Zealander Kylie Audist adds her strong pipes to the sun drenched mid-tempo “More Than a Mouthful”. An engaging album that would easily fit into the crowded classic soul arena and hold it’s own. These cats indeed know how to burn.

Reg Dancy

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“Voyager”, the third full length release from Moonchild displays tremendous growth from the West coast trio. Once again there’s plenty of lush compositions filled with RnB, soul and folk influences. However “Voyager” is heighthen by a string section and a harpist giving this release a fuller sound. Collectively they’ve penned compositions centering around the varying dynamics of love. Amog the standouts are “Cure”, led by Amber Navran’s soothing vocals and gorgeous keyboard melodies. “Now and Then” features funky beats from producer Max Bryk not often heard from their compositions. “Let You Go” is aided by gentle guitar rhythms. It’s easy to see why this trio has garnered a long line of admirers. This disc is filled with one gorgeous composition after another. Three years in the making, “Voyager” is well worth the wait.

Reg Dancy

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The Abstract Orchestra is a big band comprised of jazz musicians from around the UK placing an emphasis on hip-hop with “Dilla”. Their latest release is filled with alternate takes from the catalogue of the acclaimed producer, the late J Dilla. Led by saxophonist Rob Mitchell who mirrors the mixture of rhythms and textures frequently constructed in hip-hop productions. “Fall In Love” brings all the elements together perfectly. Backed by an irresistible drum snare beat and topped off by lush strings and soothing horns. “A.N.G.E.L.” is another banger that highlights the synergy between the strings and horns along with lush backing vocals. “Dilla Mix 1 & 2 is a medley of Dilla treats like “Last Donut” and “Welcome to The Show”. Mitchell and company successfully capture the spirit of hip-hop and Dilla specifically with a superb LP that will remind you of his brillance.

Reg Dancy

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Nigerian born and now based in Berlin, Wayne Snow serves up an array of future tripped out soul sounds with “Freedom TV”. Fellow Berliner Max Graef lends his much sought after production skills to six tracks here as well. Two of those standouts are “Drunk” where Snow’s smooth falsetto rides over a spacey uptempo synth groove. The other is “Rosie”, a slow grinding funk gem that would easily fit into a D’Angelo tracklist. “Nothing Wrong”, produced by Nu Guinea is an uptempo dance floor gem that starts off with simmering percussion followed by an infectious bass groove. After two impressive EPs, Snow has delivered one of the more engaging albums to emerge this year.

Reg Dancy

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One of the pioneers of the West London broken beat scene, Daz-I-Kue shifts gears, relocates to Atlanta and gets into the spirit of the boogie with “Standing On The Wall”. Daz invites a superb collection of vocal talent to capture the essence of seventies boogie grooves. Among the highlights are “We Can Do it” a high energy floor burner featuring Vanessa Freeman. “In The Middle”, a cover of the seventies funk group Unlimited Touch is an engaging boogie tune featuring Joy Jones. “Tonight We’re Gonna” is soaring Disco funk that features legendary Soul and Dance vocalist Leroy Burgess. A splendid collection of soulful dance tunes filled with infectious rhythms certain to get your party on.

Reg Dancy

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The list of musicians Dwight Trible has performed with ranges from hard bop musicians such as Bobby Hutcherson to the late J Dilla. For his latest project entitled “Inspirations” Trible teams up with trumpeter Matthew Halsall on the Gondwana records imprint. The two share a love for transcendental and spiritual jazz and they mesh seamlessly here. On “Tryin Times” Trible’s baritone complements Halsall’s rich tone on the Donny Hathaway composition. Pianist Taz Modi’s tender melodies strike deep emotions on the Coltrane classic “Dear Lord”. Bassist Gavin Barras’s shivering grooves establishes the overall sound for the group. There are other glorious covers such as “Feeling Good” and “What the World Needs Now is Love”. What you need to do now is simply hurry up and purchase this wonderful record. Trible’s totally identifiable voice combined with Halsall’s phrasing and production will no doubt result in repeated listens.

Reg Dancy

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Kieron Ifill, aka K15 and Emerson make up the duo known as Profusion. K15 has rapidly established himself as a premiere producer with an ear for future soul beats and cosmic synths. Emerson velvet vocals has landed him on a number of tasty projects from labels like BBE to Toyko Dawn and others. Although they’ve collaborated for years they’ve finally stepped forward with their debut lp. On the title track “Where Do I Begin” Emerson’s golden vocals glide over warm n spacey chords and a mid-tempo beat. “Golden” has elements of drum n bass complimenting warm synths. “Flying” is filled with heartfelt lyrics and soothing synths. This lp is brimming with warm vibes and representive of the quality of British soul emerging in 2017.

Reg Dancy

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Havana Cultura Anthology”, presented by Gilles Peterson celebrates eight years of the Havana Cultura series. The Havana Cultura initiative was founded in 2007 under the auspices of Cuban rum maker Havana Club. He extended an invitation to Gilles to visit Cuba and listen first hand to the emerging diverse talent channeling all genres. It was an easy decision based on the superb compositions presented here. The Havana Cultura Band figures prominently throughout but there are other sterling performances as well. “Espera Mi Gente” is simmering down-tempo fusion from the band which includes performances from Edrey Riveri aka Ogguere and Danay Suarez on vocals. The energy level kicks up a few levels on “Roforofo Fight” featuring vocalist Mayra Caridad Valdes. Jazz and Hip-Hop mesh seamlessly on “Check La Rima”, the band’s cover of A Tribe Called Qwest’s “Check The Rhyme”. If this is your first exposure to this splendid series then you’re in for a treat. If you’re already familiar then you can expect a continuation of the finest that Cuba has to offer.

Reg Dancy

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Belgian vocalist Liz Aku has made a name for herself with solo projects and collaborations over the past fifteen years. Now she comes into her own with her latest release on Sonar Kollektiv. “Ankhor”, produced primarily by Mara TK from Electric Wire Hustle is a future soul serenade filled with wicked grooves and visual melodies. “Seasons Change”, originally an instrumental from Canadian production duo Potatohead People is filled with airy vibes and heavy drums. Aku’s vocals layered on top is pure bliss. “Secrets Die” is built around warm Rhodes and Natalia Mann’s beautiful harp melodies. “Just What I Need” is the one track performed with a band. Drummer Lander Gyselinck sets the tone and pianist Bram Weijters creates gorgeous melodies. “Breathing Underwater” is one of two sublime duets with Mara TK. Simply one of the best records to emerge this year and one that should propel Aku to a wider audience.

Reg Dancy

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