Category Archives: Reviews

Still Music’s subsidiary label Past Due has already built up a strong reputation for releasing super rare or previously unreleased disco and boogie cuts complete with remixes on 12”. Now label boss Jerome Derradji teams up with BBE and selects ten tracks for ‘The American Boogie Down’. Some of the tracks have already been out on Past Due but even if you’ve got them there’s plenty here to make this an essential purchase. Highlights include ‘Get It’ by The Morning After, The Right Direction’s ‘Midnight Rhythm’, Devarne’s ‘You Are Number One’, the P-Funk flavoured ‘Get Up Get Down And Let Your Body Pop’ from Geyship Daviz, DIT’s slick ‘You Bring Out The Best In Me’ and the infectious synth laden ‘Galaxy’ by Visions Of Tomorrow’. There’s also a bonus disc featuring all ten tracks mixed by Derradji himself.

Andy Allen

This is a great reissue package which features two albums from the little known jazz saxophonist/flautist Guttorm Guttormsen. ‘Soturnudi’ and ‘Albufeira’ which were originally released in 1975 on MAI and 1979 on Octave respectively both make reference to Latin and spiritual jazz. The results are devastating, particularly on the firing dancers ‘Ny Latin’, ‘Sol Fa’ and ‘Sors Samba’. Guttorsem is equally at home though on the mellower cuts such as the modal ‘Soturnudi’, ‘Poset’ and the melancholy ‘I Ro Og Mak’. With both of the original albums being extremely rare do yourself a favour and pick up this superb CD.

Andy Allen

Trumpeter with Metropolitan Jazz Affair Stephane Ronget steps out on his own to deliver the immaculate jazz set ‘One Leg Dancer’ for the faultless Heavenly Sweetness label. Amongst others he is accompanied by John Betsch on drums on a set of largely self penned tracks (other than his great versions of Billy Paul’s cult classic ‘East’ and John Coltrane’s ‘Spiritual’). From the funky opening cut ‘Five Tigers’ you know this is going to be a rewarding listening experience and things just get better with the beautiful waltz ‘Antoines’, the heavy percussive dancer ‘NY Timbuctu’ and the aforementioned ‘East’ and ‘Spiritual’. Also look out for the 10” which features tracks from the CD plus a stunning Afro-beat flavoured remix of ‘East’ by Patchworks.

Andy Allen

Ubiquity records has become one of my favorite labels over the last few years. Their commitment to releasing quality music by independent artists has resulted in some outstanding projects. One of those standout projects was the Rewind compilations, specifically Rewind 4. It was on Rewind 4 that I was introduced to the band known as Orgone. Their cover of “Funky Nassau” is every bit as funky as the original. Now Orgone finally blesses us with their debut cd, The Killion Floor. Armed with eighteen tracks, Orgone takes us on a journey through the sounds of soul, funk and boogaloo with a laid-back California vibe. On the track “It’s What You Do”, the band demonstrates it’s robust horn and gritty organ playing on this medium tempo funk pleaser . On “Dialed Up”, the band steps out of their easy going vibe by delivering this refreshing uptempo sophisticated soul gem. As the weather begins to heat up, “The Killion Floor” would make a great companion for your barbecue. As a multi-instrumentalist band, Orgone, has laid down the groove for several hip hop acts in the game today. Now it’s their time to show they can rightfully stand out on their own.

Reg Dancy

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Simon S of Futuristica has shown to be on the cutting edge of soul music with releases by Electric Conversation and Low Budget Soul, just to name a few. It appears that he has a good ear for quality hip hop as well because “The Unclosed Mind” by Cleveland native Replife is easily one of the biggest releases this year. With an all star production team featuring Dego, Kaidi Tatham, Mark De Clive Lowe and Atjazz, Replife takes chances on this disc that few rappers dare to take. On “Elevation”, Replife is joined by Deborah Jordan and Noni Limar on this mellow soul jazz flavored track. The Dego produced “Spirit” is a funky synth laden tribute to the late J Dilla. “Out Of Soul”, produced by Don Ray is a wonderful slice of broken soul with a touch of jazz thanks to the trumpet playing of Sean Winters and the scatting of Ki Allen. Some of you may remember Replife from The Politik release last year. The promise he displayed on that project is fulfilled beyond expectations here. Replife sounds wise beyond his years in his delivery and his lyrics offer insight to the depth of knowledge and intelligence the man brings to the table. It all adds up to an outstanding record that delivers quality hip hop and progressive beats from start to finish. There’s no doubt that this disc will remain in the cd rotation for quite some time.

Reg Dancy

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There’s always great anticipation to hear a new release by The Roots. If nothing else they’ve been consistent throughout their career for bringing raw authentic hip hop via live instrumentation to the table. Their latest, “Rising Down” ranks among their best to date and certainly their most politically informative. Even though all but three tracks have someone teaming up with Black Thought, these appearances feel like a family reunion.  On “Rising Down” Black Thought is joined by Mos Def and Styles P to discuss some of the problems that plague the world today. On “Criminal”, Truck North and Saigon drop by to wax poetic about the hard life and injustice of the streets. On “Rising Up”, joined by Chrisette Michelle and newcomer Wale, the group dips into the world of gogo and bangs out a track that is funky and fresh. Where “Game Theory” was very dark, “Rising Down” illuminates with fire. With lyrics to make you think and beats to make you move, what more would you expect from the Roots?

Reg Dancy

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Eric Rico may not be a household name to many but with a voice as golden as his you are sure to love him. In addition, having worked with hip hop artists like “Planet Asia”, “Ladybug Mecca” and “Mystic”, he is equally skilled at producing and songwriting. Eric combines his distinctive voice with some progressive spacey beats to create an impressive debut. He touches on a variety of topics like the future of our youth on the stirring “Children Of The Night”. “Making Love” is a silky soulful slow jam that will draw comparisons to Frankie Beverly. “Too High”, the Stevie Wonder classic receives an overhaul to give it more of a hip hop feel. Eric has been in the game for a long time and it’s clear his time has finally come. “Journey Back To Me” is an impressive debut that will certainly thrust him into the company of emerging nusoul artists.

Reg Dancy

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It’s been over a year since Eric Lau dropped his ep titled: “Eric Lau Presents Dudley Perkins and Friends”. Still, it seems like he came out of nowhere and instantly delivered some serious beats. The promise he showed on those tracks was evidence that a special talent had arrived. Finally our patience has been rewarded with “New Territories”, a gorgeous collection of soulful beats combined with lush vocals from some of the most exciting up and coming vocalists in the game today. One of those vocalists is Tawiah and she is featured on the track “I Don’t Do It To”. Tawiah’s vocals overlap with the dreamy keys and the head nodding beats. On “Time Will Tell”, Eric lays down a melancholy tantalizing soul gem topped off by Sarina Leah’s blissful vocals that springs hope for brighter tomorrows. Newcomer Tosin Tao’s voice may remind you of Donny Hathaway and the track “Don’t Let Them” is a funky soul burner that simmers with every beat. It’s clear that Eric Lau can make beats but he’s not satisfied with just that. The man is serious about making quality soul music with great vocals. I say mission accomplished.

Reg Dancy

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Another gem has been released from the jazz vaults. “Soul Of Africa” is wonderful work from pianist Jef Gilson and Tenor saxophonist Hal Singer that was recorded in Paris during burgeoning jazz scene in the seventies. Jef Gilson was already building a reputation as a talented pianist in Paris while Hal Singer was best known for his RnB work. Together,  they create timeless pieces that serves up an African flavor thanks largely to the percussion work of Del Rabenja and Gerard Rakotoarivony. On “Mother Earth”, the track starts off with Del and Gerard laying down the groove while Hal’s tenor floats above it. This tune is also enhanced by Bernard Lubat on vibes. “Garvey’s Strut” is a real winner as well. Gilson’s work here is spirited and uplifting while Hal’s robust playing is the perfect complement. Soulful and rhythmic, “Soul Of Africa” is essential listening.

Reg Dancy

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Finn Peters has been on the scene for a while but it was in 2006 he made his debut as a leader with the critically acclaimed “Su Ling”. With his second release “Butterflies” there are two noticeable differences.  One is the reliance on his flute playing than on his sax playing. His tone on the flute is impressive and his compositions take these tunes to greater heights. The other difference is while “Su Ling” was more of an acoustic record, “Butterflies” has more of a classical vibe. The title track, "Butterflies", highlights Finn’s engaging and spirited solo with guitarist Dave Okumu. “Atlas” is a brilliant composition that finds Finn on alto sax creating subtle harmonic images while drummer Tom Skinner is interactive with his every move. All selections here are rich in melody and the band approaches each song with passion and tenderness. This is simply another great release by Finn Peters that would be a welcome addition to your collection for those quiet moments.

Reg Dancy

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Somehow Busy People’s debut single ‘The City/‘Someday’ passed me by but thankfully both of these superior broken-soul nuggets are included here. With a whole host of top performances from guest vocalists such as B-Zar, Aminata, Yann, Justin Chapman, Lisa C, Lai Cheun and Jen (all of which are new names to me) ‘Never Too Busy’ continues the broken-soul vibe with other strong moments such as ‘Make It Happen’, ‘Bling Bling’, ‘Get Out’, ‘Not Me’ and ‘Final Words’. This has got to be one of the most consistent albums I’ve heard for sometime so don’t delay, pick up a copy today!

Andy Allen

It may have been ten years between the release of Incognito’s debut album ‘Jazz Funk’ (1981) and their second ‘Inside Life’ (1991) but since then Bluey and his collective have certainly made up for it as ‘Tales From The Beach’ marks their 13th release. As always the production is faultless and although there’s nothing unexpected here it will no doubt please their legion of fans. For me though the real winner on this set is ‘Feel The Pressure’, an infectious jazz-funk meets broken-beat monster co-produced by Ski Oakenfull and featuring Tony Momrelle, Imaani and Joy Rose on vocals.

Andy Allen

Although Inverse Cinematics have been providing us with top quality productions and remixes since 2002 surprisingly ‘Passin’ Through’ is their first long player. It’s been well worth the wait though as this is a fantastic collection of new material (other than the inclusion of the anthemic ‘Detroit Jazzin’’) which effortlessly fuses elements of deep house, jazz and hip-hop. ‘Sundrops’, ‘Sambatime’ and ‘Don’t Give Up’ are all heavy hitters in the vein of the aforementioned ‘Detroit Jazzin’’ but not to be overlooked are ‘Interplanetary Motivations’ and the title track, two slow motion chuggers, plus the jazzy hip-hop jam ‘Take It Back To 86’ featuring Jebidiah.

Andy Allen

Joey Negro and the crew return with their 3rd Sunburst Band album and as with ‘Here Comes The Sunburst Band’ and ‘Until The End Of Time’ it’s packed with outstanding disco delights and boogie bombs. It features vocal performances from the likes of Leroy Burgess and Yolanda Wynns but even better are the Pete Simpson fronted cuts such as the outstanding ‘Our Lives Are Shaped’ and a killer version of David Bowie’s ‘Fashion’. Diane Charlemange graces the classy groove ‘Put A Lyric In It’ and the immaculate stepper ‘Movin’ With The Shakers’ which comes off like a Jones Girls track. Other standouts include ‘Turn It Out’ featuring Taka Boom which is reminiscent of early Level 42 material and ‘Dusk’, a clever if somewhat cheeky cut obviously inspired by Maze’s ‘Twilight’.

Andy Allen

‘Jim’, Jamie Lidell’s follow up to his hugely successful 2005 set ‘Multiply’ sees him journey further into soul territory. He’s ditched much of the electronics in favour of a full backing band, resulting in a real 60s inspired sound. This is particularly evident on the uplifting cuts ‘Another Day’ and ‘A Little Bit Of Feel Good’, both of which could well see some pop chart action, the Sam Cooke influenced ‘All I Wanna Do’ and ‘Green Light’ which is reminiscent of Al Green. The highlight though is ‘Figured Me Out’, a wonderful 80s electro-boogie styled outing which is destined to be huge on the underground dance floors.

Andy Allen