Personal Life is the London soul collective formed by Robert Strauss. Their debut “Morning Light” is a superb collection of sweetened soul with funky grooves surrounded by jazzy horns and strings. Each track features warm sophisticated arrangements highlighted by the silky smooth voice of Stuart Lisbie.  Among the highlights are the mid-tempo dance floor friendly tracks like “Classic Lady” and the socially conscious “One Step Closer”.  “I remember” a nice ballad filled with lush romantic arrangements and simple yet enchanting funk. Strauss, who wrote and produced, has captured the essence of quality soul music that was a staple from the late seventies and throughout the eighties. What’s impressive is that “Morning Light” isn’t a throwback record; it’s a refreshing record that fills a gaping hole in the RnB soul genre. Could this be a renaissance? You certainly hope so if they sound as good as this one.

Reg Dancy

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“The Djoon Experience” is an experience in dance culture of great proportions. The infamous club located in Eastern Paris captures the spirit of good vibes and soulful house music. The latter of which is in large supply thanks to acclaimed DJs Joe Clausell and South Africa’s own Black Coffee. If your feet and hips aren’t moving within minutes of “The Djoon Experience” compilation then I suggest you check your pulse. Joe Clausell and Black Coffee blend infectious house music that lifts your spirits and transports House music enthusiasts to a place filled with peace love and harmony. Like all the great DJs, Clausell and Coffee capture the mood of party people that frequent the club and propel them to greater heights with a tasty assortment of past and future classics. Among those treats are Gregory Porter’s “1960 What!”, Hugh Masekela’s “We are One” and Ian Friday’s remix of “My Love Song” featuring Nickson. Other highlights include “All Alone” featuring Vikter Duplaix and the DJ Kent Club mix of “Sunrise” featuring Zaki Ibrahim. There’s much more to savor but believe me, “The Djoon Experience” is a highly recommended purchase that will remind you why you love House music so much in the first place.

Reg Dancy

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Over the past Ten years, with over a hundred releases under their belt, Record Kicks has firmly established itself as the premier label of vintage funk, gritty soul and so much more. This release has compiled 21 selections that represent some of the premiere soul, funk and reggae acts that call the label home. Among the label mates is Hannah Williams & The Tastemakers with their stirring single “I’m a Good Woman”.  Other tasty treats are “Your Love is Mine” by The New Mastersounds with featured vocals from Corrine Bailey Rae. The Baker Brothers are another funk band whose 2011 lp “Time to Testify” received critical acclaim. They follow that up with their new single “Dancing with my mates Til Dawn”. And then there’s Nick Pride and The Pimptones, who provide a crackling summer party jam with “Everything is Better in The Summertime”. Thanks to Record Kicks and other similar labels, funk and soul have a home for years to come.  Treat yourself to a superb disc, not to mention a few more gems from their catalogue.

Reg Dancy

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It’s hard to believe that eight years has elapsed since “Keep Reachin’ Up”; the fantastic debut by Nicole Willis & the Soul Investigators first hit the scene and quickly became a favorite of DJs and classic soul aficionados worldwide. Their sophomore release, “Tortured Soul” picks up right where they left off with a sizzling selection of hot buttered gritty soul. Highlights include “Light Years Ahead” a vintage deep soul hip shaker filled with a thumping bass and strings. “On the East Side” is an achingly slow burning dim the lights groover. “Tell Me When” is another soul gem with thick bass lines and funky horns. Nicole and The Investigators once again strike the right balance between hard rhythms, soft vocals and emotive compositions. It all adds up to a deeply satisfying dose of soul music that you shouldn’t miss.

Reg Dancy

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Tasty hip hop beats and soulful samples have become synonymous with Detroit native Terrel Wallace aka Tall Black Guy”. “8 Miles to Moenart” is a tribute to his roots and of the lineage of the musical Detroit landscape that runs deep. That’s evident throughout this disc that features a touch of electro soul laced with hip hop and Jazz rhythms. Among the highlights are “The Dark Streets” an infectious down-tempo house track with a wicked beat.  “There’s No more Soul” is a warm down-tempo soul gem that is complemented by the wordless phrasing of Diggs Duke. Ozay Moore’s lyrics on “Mon Amie De’ Troit” combined with the laidback hip-hop beat captures the spirit of a day in the life of Detroit. A bit disappointing that there’s eight tracks here but an otherwise superb disc that will keep your head nodding with each listen.

Reg Dancy

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For those already familiar with Martin Iveson aka Atjazz, “More than a Remix”, filled with over thirty tracks ranging from 1997 to 2013 is the gift that keeps on giving. There are so many superb tracks here past and present that define the crisp production and percussive rhythms that we’ve come to know and love from Martin and this just scratches the surface of timeless classics that rest inside the Atjazz vaults. One of his strengths is taking a great record and adding a fresh new element to it. That’s evident on classics such as Jazzanova’s “Dance The Dance” as well as Kerri Chandler’s Deep House crowd pleaser “Rain”. He also breathes new life into recent releases such as the lush recording of Boddhi Satva’s “Who Am I” and Maddslinky’s “Special” featuring Omar. Loyal admirers will simply love this disc while newcomers will delight in sorting through the rich catalogue.

Reg Dancy

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“Everything We Hold” is the third release from Kairos 4Tet and their first for Naim Jazz. Saxophonist Adam Waldmann demonstrates that he’s a gifted composer with a keen ear for melody. The quartet’s cohesion mirrors a veteran band that is focused more on strong lyrical and imaginative compositions as opposed to wasted soloing. This is quite evident on selections like the tender “Narrowboat Man” filled with classical elements and augmented by the voices of Emila Martensson and Marc O’Reilly. “Song for the Open Road” is a haunting folk flavored tune that demonstrates that Soul singer Omar seemingly fits in just about any kind of setting and flourishes. These vocal compositions are surrounded by the “99 Suite”. Inspired by injustices and the need for social change, the suite is divided into four parts in which there are melodic excursions led by pianist Ivo Neame while drummer Jon Scott creates just enough space for others to explore. You won’t find many releases this year that are filled with creative and emotive compositions filled with heartfelt lyrics. Waldmann pulls this off and delivers one of the strongest Jazz releases of the year.  

Reg Dancy

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Gilles Peterson once again shines a light on the hidden gems that are sprinkled all over the globe. This time the beneficiary is the Black Jazz catalogue and he has woven a potent collection of celestial compositions that have been tucked away in their vaults. Notable prime cuts are the fiery “Beauty & The Electric Tub” by Henry Franklin. The Latin treat “Black Orchid” by Gene Russell will certainly lift your spirits and move your feet. The sorely underappreciated Doug Carn has a rich catalogue in his own right and “Higher Ground” will inspire you to delve more into his discography. With other gems like Kellie Patterson’s “Maiden Voyage” you’ll wonder how in the world these tracks didn’t get more shine. Well good music is timeless and their time to shine is now.  

Reg Dancy

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Yatha Bhuta is the collaboration of French producers Arnaud “Onra” Bernard and Buddy Sativa. When you think of Orna you generally think of funky boogie tunes but he takes a departure with this celestial Afro-jazz collection and the results are quite impressive. The opener “Universe Is Love” is deep spiritual jazz where the duo performs all instruments with Onra providing a touch of Spoken word and creating beautiful rhythms on percussion. “360” is another highlight filled with sublime joyful melodies thanks in part to Sativa’s work on Flute and vibes. Aja Monet provides profound poetry on “The Time is Now” and Orna creates melodic rhythms on the Kalimba. “Jazz Combo” captures the spirit of the timeless 60’s soulful jazz compositions we can’t get enough. This is an impressive release by Yatha Bhuta that is a joy to listen throughout and certainly begs for an encore.

Reg Dancy

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J’s Bee has released several albums in Japan but "Isotope", their latest is the first to hit the UK market. This impressive release is filled with deep melodic rhythms enhanced with lush arrangements. The Japanese seven member collective strikes a nice balance in merging multiple genres without overpowering the sound. The controlled intensity is felt from the onset with the opener “Strange Supper”, where the groove simmers and the rhythms percolate, at this point the group has you woven in their web with no release point in sight . “Lights” is a warm and engaging ballad sung by vocalist Yuko Kawasaki and features beautiful solo from Yukiko Matsunaga on piano. “Farewell North Sea” merges lush arrangements with a touch of a dub step groove that is deeply satisfying. On “Chuck It All” they let loose and stir up a touch of funk.  Although “Isotope” has a jazz aesthetic, it seamlessly merges soul, funk and much more with a delicate touch.  This makes for a superb record that will result in repeated listens.

Reg Dancy

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