Valerie June’s music is a blend of country and blues with a touch of traditional spirituals thrown in for good measure. This may not be the usual sound to feature in these pages or indeed my record collection but there’s something very special about Pushin’ Against A Stone, in particular Workin’ Woman Blues, a blistering up-tempo, jazzy country-funk outing complete with a blaring horn section. Pure magic! Also check out the laid back bluesy soul groove, Wanna Be On Your Mind and the old school soul stepper The Hour. If you are a fan of Michael Kiwanuka then this is likely to appeal.

Andy Allen

Led by bassist, composer and producer Michael League, Snarky Puppy is a soul/funk collective, who although new to me actually formed in 2004. They’ve had numerous releases, all of which have been instrumental but on Family Dinner they have enlisted the assistance of top notch vocalists to create some outstanding music. The set was recorded and filmed live at Jefferson Center, Roanoke, VA in front of a select audience and this package not only includes the album but also a DVD of the performance. Free Your Dreams kicks off proceedings, a tasty organic soul groove featuring Chantae Cann before touching on other solid moments such as the moody Deep, fronted by N’Dambi and the playful Latin jazz dancer Amour T’es La? with Magda Giannikou. Lalah Hathaway revisits Brenda Russell’s Something, a song which she initially covered on her debut album back in 1990, and boy does she rip it up on this new version, performing vocal acrobatics that are quite simply mind blowing. This is soul with a capital S and deserves to be massive.

Andy Allen

Sandra St. Victor first came to my attention back in 1990 as the vocalist for The Family Stand who recorded the huge club soul track Ghetto Heaven. Although her debut solo album Mack Diva Saves The World was released in 1996, her recording output has unfortunately been slim with Oya’s Daughter marking only her third offering in thirteen years. It’s been well worth the wait though. Produced by Mark de Clive-Lowe this is an edgy future soul outing with Ms St. Victor’s raw vocals sounding as strong as ever. The bounce of What Have We Learned Pt.1 is certainly one of the highlights as is Another Kind Of Diva (Success Hooker) and Grateful with its’ heavy synth stabs. Even better though are Spirit Talk and I Prefer (Oya) but unfortunately both are under three minutes long which just isn’t long enough for grooves this good! A 12” with extended versions of these two tracks would be nice, please!

Andy Allen

First Word was started back in 2003 by DJ Gilla (Aly Gillani) & Andy H in my home city of Leeds and has since developed into a widely respected and diverse label. Their latest release, Counting The Ways by Teotima, a fourteen piece ensemble put together and headed by guitarist and composer Greg Sanders is a real treasure. Horns and swirling strings wrap around soul, jazz, Latin and African rhythms to create an intoxicating mix. Vocalist Ellie Rose Rusbridge adds her haunting folky styling to the wonderful title track and Orange Lamps, both of which are my personal favourites but not to be overlooked are Nearly Everything which has Afro-beat undercurrents and the funky Gloves Off. This album is up there with the likes of The Cinematic Orchestra and The Heritage Orchestra!

Andy Allen

Whilst I am a big fan of the Schema label, in more recent times I feel they haven’t been quite as consistent. With See The Light however, the debut from Helsinki based jazz sextet, the label is again right on point. Led by pianist Kari Setala, who produced and wrote the majority of the material here, Mighty Mighty really kick from the offset with top class dancers such as Backyard Boogie, Dark Sun, Karma, Time’s Up, a version of Stevie Wonder’s Too High plus the title track. Simba sees the band move into Headhunters territory, producing a great slab of spacey jazz-funk but they are equally adept on the down tempo cuts as evidenced on Once Again and the fusion excursion Seventh Sign. A very strong album!

Andy Allen

UK jazz vocalist Zara McFarlane made waves with her 2011 debut Until Tomorrow and her new album, If You Knew Her is even stronger. Angie La La is the first track to grab my attention, a firing dancer which sees Zara using an impressive vocal technique which comes off like a warbling bird. It also features trumpeter/vocalist Lebron Thomas whose rich baritone vocal delivery interplays with Zara’s voice beautifully. There’s a delightful take on Junior Murvin’s reggae classic Police & Thieves, plus the stunning waltz The Games We Played on which Zara is accompanied by piano only. It’s so simple but so powerful it stopped me in my tracks. In a similar vein and with the same impact is Love, the album’s closing track, but touch down anywhere on this set and you’re in for a real treat.

Andy Allen

In 1970 the late, great pianist Michael Garrick released The Heart Is A Lotus on Argo, featuring vocalist Norma Winstone. Previously unreleased, Prelude to Heart Is A Lotus was recorded two years earlier for a BBC radio broadcast and includes three titles from that 1970 release but without Norma. The set does however feature other British jazz royalty, Don Rendell and Ian Carr on saxophone/flute and trumpet respectively. It opens with the title track, a modal masterpiece with Garrick playing harpsichord, which adds an unusual but compelling flavour. The spiritual Temple Dancer takes on an Eastern mood and Song By The Sea is a beautiful gentle piece laced with flute and delicate piano work. Although these are the standout moments for me, this album will serve as a welcome addition for any collector of British jazz.

Andy Allen

An appropriate title for this set by jazz saxophonist Herb Geller, who was indeed an American living and working in Hamburg. Originally released in Germany on Nova in 1975, with a condensed version re-titled Rhyme & Reason issued on Atlantic for the US market the same year, this album has long been in demand, mainly due to the appearance of legendary vocalist Mark Murphy on three tracks. Space A La Mode is probably the most well known of these due to it’s inclusion on a rather suspect looking compilation back in the early 90s but the other Murphy fronted tunes, Sudden Senility and The Power Of A Smile are also wonderful examples of vocal fusion which journey through varying tempos and moods. Earl Jordan is a vocalist I can find very few other recordings by but he puts in a strong performance on the funked up Rhyme & Reason. Tidal Wave, an instrumental dancer is also worthy of note and as for the rest of the album it is made up of instrumental versions of the four vocal tracks.

Andy Allen

You might be familiar with the Shez Raja Collective from his impressive record "Mystic Radikal". ."Soho Live", is the bass guitarist latest recording and it’s an all-star jam session focusing on atmospheric soulful jazz compositions. Raja’s funky bass rhythms set the tone for his accomplished guests to stretch out and they do exactly that. "Karmic Flow" showcases Violinist Pascal Roggins, who creates wonderful melodies throughout the disc. Soweto Kinch drops by and delivers spirited hip-hop rhymes as well. "Eastern Revolution" is another banger filled with slow burning grooves and Middle Eastern rhythms that features Aaron Liddard’s scorching sax solo. Monika Lidke provides vocal phrasings to compliment Raja’s funky bass licks on "Chakras On The Wall". With other notable appearances like Andy Phelps and Shabaka Hutchings, the latter appearing on "Adrenalize", "Soho Live" is certain to provide a funky good time.

Reg Dancy

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Five years after her debut, Algebra Blessett returns with "Recovery". This fourteen track release showcases Algebra’s broad range with a mix of soulful bass heavy tracks, acoustic tunes and some tasty ballads to balance everything out. "Right Next To You" and "Nobody But You" are filled with thick beats and  certain to keep your head on a steady nod. "Writers Block" is a tender tune that finds Algebra wrestling with penning a love song while managing her own emotions. "Better For Me" is a bittersweet ballad where she laments about the unfulfilled dreams of a lost relationship. Indeed Algebra’s superb songwriting skills combined with tight production leads to an entertaining record that serves notice that quality RnB is alive and well.

Reg Dancy

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