It’s hard to believe that it’s been ten years since we heard a new release from the incomparable Joyce.  The Brazilian songstress’s rich tone has resulted in countless quality recordings and her latest release is no exception. “Tudo”, meaning ‘everything’ in Portuguese showcases her beautiful voice over an assortment of breezy compositions. Among the highlights are “Bolou”, a beautiful blend of acoustic guitar sublime piano melodies. Other delights are “Domingo De Manha”, “Dor de Amore Agua”and “Sem Poder Dancar” is blissful Bossa Nova. Joyce has always been surrounded by musicians and the music throughout “Tudo” is superb. Simply stated Joyce has picked up where she left off with another triumph that will lift your spirits and tantalize your eardrums.

Reg Dancy

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With their second lp, The Greg Foat group display their musical horizons by playing a number of styles; composing modal jazz compositions as well as cosmic jazz inspired funk.  Although there are twelve tracks “Girl and Robot with Flowers” features six alternate takes of the title track with each piece taking on a life of it’s own.  Part 1 is an atmospheric jazz piece that features Rob Mach on Sax.  The band stretches out on Part 3 & 4; the former is a scorching funk tune with bassist Phil Achille laying down a hearty groove. Before you know it Part 3 eases into Part 4, changing tempo and shifting into mellow funk with spacey soundscapes.  Some of the best moments occur on the two featured ballads.  “For a Breath I Tarry” is a warm ethereal tune highlighted by Rob Mach’s melodic soloing  while “Blues for Lila” is a warm emotive tune that features Greg in a trio setting.  The Greg Foat Group eliminate any thoughts of a sophomore slump with another impressive lp and another golden nugget from Jazzman records.

Reg Dancy

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Many of you may remember Vincent Helbers aka Seravince from his band Flowriders. While his 2007 release “R.U.E.D.Y.” was a soul infused broken beat treat, his latest project “Hear to See” is a mellow jazz flavored soulful Aphrodisiac. Helbers creates warm intense compositions while drummer Richard Spaven provides shivering jazzy rhythms throughout this set.  If that wasn’t enough Vocalist Renee Neufville’s deep tone heightens the mood on several tracks here, especially “Perfect Stranger” and “World Won’t Stop”. MC/Vocalist Esperanzah seductive wordplay is “Rika” is another highlight. “High” is a funky number aided by the vocals of Sharlene Hector. This is one of those soulful treats that will ease into your system with little effort. Don’t try to fight it, just sit back and enjoy it.

Reg Dancy

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Brooklyn based producer KRTS (Kurtis Hairston) has teamed up with the Berlin based label Project Mooncircle for his thematic albeit dark full length release.  “The Dread Of An Unknown Evil” is an exploration of moods filled with deep electronic grooves and spacey synths.  Some of the highlights are cosmic house inspired “Close The Closet Door”. “Your Eyes” is heartwarming in an eerie sort of way due in part to the deep enchanting vocals of Stevee Wellons.  “Regret To Retreat” is a light, ethereal mid tempo tune with thick beats. KRTS, known for beat making ability demonstrates on this release that he is equally adept at hypnotic compositions as well.

Reg Dancy

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Upon listening to “A Love Surreal” the new release from Bilal, it’s evident that this record finds him in brighter spirits. Whereas “Air tights Revenge” had some dark moments, the mood is considerably lighter on his new release. Although there are moments when he deals with setbacks and losing love, there are many blissful moments and he appears to be having fun in the process. Musically the album has a jazz rock blend filled with tasty melodies that’s reminiscent of early Steely Dan. That’s evident on the tracks “Back to Love” and “Winning Hand”. “Right At The Core” follows suit as well plus the presence of pianist Robert Glasper here with an assist from the vocal trio King pays big dividends. Glasper creates beautiful melodies on “Butterfly”, a beautiful ballad that highlights the chemistry between these two musicians. “Never Be The Same” is a soulful slow burner that was recently sung by Joy Denalane that certainly qualifies as dim the lights music. Finally free of contractual constraints, Bilal is able to create music with no limitations. This isn’t watered down RnB, instead it’s a refreshing collection of quality that merely scratches the surface of his immense talent.

Reg Dancy

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Jose James wants this to be clear; he’s no longer a Jazz singer. Despite this being his debut for the historical Jazz label known as Blue Note, he’s broken free of the restrictions that come with the title so that he can make music without boundaries.  Rest assured that after one listen to “No Beginnings No End”, you’ll applaud the direction he is heading in. James new release fuses elements of soul, hip-hop and folk brought to life by the likes of Robert Glasper, Chris Dave, bassist Pino Palladino and others. The disc kicks off with “It’s All Over Your Body”, a sultry down-tempo tune with a thick groove that oozes warmth and sensuality. “Do You Feel” is a bluesy soul burner that features a wonderful solo from Pianist Kris Bowers. James also performs duets with two talented vocalists here as well. Moroccan singer Hindi Zahra’s voice blends seamlessly with James on “Sword & Gun” and Emily King on the lovely “Heaven On The Ground”. King, who wrote the latter, also wrote the folk flavored “Come To My Door” as well. Jose James sets the mood for love and the high level of quality compositions that make up this superb disc will put you in the mood, rest assured.

Reg Dancy

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Let me take this opportunity to crown Amalia as the Queen of Intergalactic Funk. In recent years all she has done is deliver outer worldly funk deluxe treats for the consistently productive Tokyo Dawn label. Three years after her impressive debut “Art Slave”, she’s back with “Makings Of” which features collaborations with some of today’s emerging funk all-stars. Amalia kicks things off the slinky synth driven “Just Like Magic”, a tune she performed with the duo from San Francisco known as B. Bravo and Teeko. Another certified funkateer in Reggie B teams up with Amalia to serve up some 80’s flavored mid-west funk in “Hysteria”. “Body Snatchers” featuring Blaktronics is totally on some outer limits funk filled with twisted synths and erotic vocals. “Still In Love” featuring Sagemonk doesn’t pack the edge of most tracks here but that doesn’t mean you won’t move to this funky dance track. If you’re not familiar with Amalia then time to crawl from under that rock and put “Makings Of”  on repeat. It’s the perfect disc to get introduced to the funkiest lady on the scene today.

Reg Dancy

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Weedy, one half of the duo known as 40 Winks compiles a collection of Spiritual Jazz edits. Weedy does a superb job of weaving beats and rhythms together as though he was playing one continuous tune. Despite the fact that only four selections are over three minutes the disc hits the mark by setting the tone for deep soulful jazz vibes that fuels your body and lifts your spirit. Weedy sets the mood with a sampling of Nina Simone on “For Us”. “Nocturnal” is rhythmic Afro-soul with blustering horns. “The Blue” is filled with heavenly rhythms by way of the Harp layered over some funky drumming. As far as edits go, “Retrospect Suite” is a work of art, a very satisfying listen and is worthy of your attention.

Reg Dancy

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Not only can Richard Spaven keep the time, he can also compose infectious Jazz rhythms with grooves steeped in hip-hop and move people from both genres in the process. Spaven has been a sought after drummer for years now and came up with the idea for this trio project while on tour. “The Sure Co.”, the latest release from the Jazz Refreshed imprint will leave you wishing this was an album. Instead it’s just a five track ep, albeit a superb one. The synergy created by the trio is evident right from the beginning from pianist Grant Windsor’s dazzling melodies on “The Sure Chimes”. Guest vocalist Nailah Porter earthy tones adds another layer on the shivering “Loose Shots”. Bassist Neville Malcolm lays down scorching grooves throughout the session and shines especially on “Persephone”. This is gorgeous work from Spaven and after serving us a few appetizers it’s time to deliver us a full length lp to showcase his artistry.

Reg Dancy

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Columbian Soul is a fitting way to describe the new release from Quantic & Alice Russell and the results from this collaboration are nothing short of superb. What’s great about this record is how it shifts from deep rooted soul onto traditional Columbian music while featuring stellar instrumentation throughout. The title track, for instance is pure psychedelic soul with strings that serves as the canvas for Alice’s soaring vocals. “I’ll Keep My Light In My Window”, complete with gospel fused harmonies and strings will awaken your spirits. Meanwhile Combo Barbaro, a multicultural collective of talented musicians provide an authentic Columbian vibe and a spirited rhythm section throughout, particularly on “Road to Islay” and “Magdalena”.  Will Holland’s explorations in music have always paid dividends for the listener and he has struck gold with this release.

Reg Dancy

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