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RECENT ALBUMS (Updated 11th Nov.2008)
2007
4 HERO - PLAY WITH THE CHANGES (Raw Canvas)
U.K. DJ/producers really getting it all right. Great album throughout. Soulful down-tempo dance/Broken beat. Highlights include: Morning child, Look inside, Play with the changes & Our own place.
****
AL CAMPOS - OLD SCHOOL LOVIN' (PositiveSOUL)
Nice Blue-eyed Soul set from this talented Californian (via Denmark) singer/songwriter/Trombone player. Has a cool vibe which you only get from a good live band. Sounding a little like Daryl Hall at times. Highlights include: Old school loving & New York feeling.
*
ALLSTARS COLLECTIVE (THE) - ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC (Specific)
A nice Soulful-Jazzy set produced by and featuring Hamish Stuart (The Average White Band). Featuring the cream of Europe's session musicians and great vocalists too - Including Jocelyn Brown. Highlights include: Remedy & Hey Listen up.
*
ANANDA PROJECT - FIRE FLOWER (King Street)
Really good House/Lounge album that just keeps getting better and better. Highlights include: Fireworks, Stay as you are & Universal love.
***
D.J. DAY - THE DAY BEFORE (Melting Pot Music)
Good cool Hip-Hop/Jazz set from U.S. DJ/producer. Highlights include: Four hills, A place to go & Lovebug.
**
EBONY ALLEYNE - NEVER LOOK BACK (Expansion)
Nice soul album. Although Ebony has an unusual (yet nice) voice (Like a slightly speeded-up Dione Warwick!) the songs work well. Highlights include: Second look & Merry-go-round.
*
KATHY DIAMOND - MISS DIAMOND TO YOU (Permanent Vacation)
Electro(ish) album with a nice early 80's feel at times. Highlights include: On and on.
*
LANU - THIS IS MY HOME (Tru-Thoughts)
Varied album from this southern-hemisphere artist. Touching all bases from Broken-beat, Jazz, latin, Nu-Soul, Hip-Hop & even House. Retro at times but modern too. Worth living with for a while. Highlights include: Rise & Shine.
**
METROPOLITAN JAZZ AFFAIR - METROPOLITAN JAZZ AFFAIR (Infracom)
Nice Jazz set from this French group. Highlights include: Drifting & Find a way.
*
RAW ARTISTIC SOUL - YOU GOT RHYTHM (Gogo)
Nice Jazzy Soulful dance set (with a slight retro feel at times). Highlights include: Zaab, Keep on shining & in their eyes.
*
V.A. GILLES PETERSON DIGS AMERICA VOL. 2 (Ubiquity)
Fine eclectic set of vintage Jazzy-Soul and Jazz rarities. Style wise this sits somewhere in between G.P.'s Jazz Juice and Black Forest compilations. Some great moments. Highlights include: Carris Cleveland - Make love to me, The Diddy's - Intergalactic love song, Steve Parks - Sadness in my Samba & Reverie - In every way.
**
V.A. MAIDEN VOYAGE (Compost)
Great selection from Munich DJ R. Truby reflecting music from his club night. 1970's/early 80's set of Jazzy Two-Step soul. Inspired choices. Highlights include: Toto - Georgie Porgy, Raw Soul Express - The way we live & Xavier - Love is on the one.
****
V.A. - RESONA TOKYO MIDTOWN: MUSIC FOR DESIGN BANK (Rambling)
Wonderful Lounge/Dance compilation from japan. Highlights include: Jimpster -Close to you, Swell Session - Gone, The Rurals - Messages & Shuya Okino - Pieces of you.
***
V.A. - SOUL TOGETHERNESS 2007 (Expansion)
Very good mix of mainly new and recent (with some older) Soul. A must! Highlights include: Wahoo - Don't take it personal, Jazztronik - Beautiful flow, Rene Scott - We can make it better, Karl Frierson - Ten Minutes & D.J. Jazzy Jeff - My souls not for sale.
****
V.A. SUNDAY SOUL SELECTION (Soul Brother)
Nice set of 1970's Modern Soul put together by Solar Radio DJ Shaun Robbins. Highlights include: Pulse - Sunshine, Grace Jones - Sorry & Mac Davis - I'm just in love.
*
V.A. THE WANT LIST vol.3 (Soul Brother)
Great selection of cool hard to find Two-Step Soul. Highlights include: Vernon Burch- Lovely lady, Carl Davis - Show me the way & Ken Williams - Sweet music soft lights & you.
****
V.A. VILLAGE SOUL vol.2 (Expansion)
DJ Terry Jones puts together a nice selection (I like it more than the first one!) of Soul from the 70's to present. It really recreates the feel of the old Shorditch club night. Highlights include: Adeva - Don't think about it, Delegation - One more step to take & Ebonys - Do you like the wy I love you.
**
WILL DOWNING - AFTER TONIGHT (Peak)
Nice mainly mid-tempo (But with a nice edge!) album. Will's best for years. Highlights include: Will's groove & Lovers melody (feat. Roy Ayers).
*
2006
DONALD McCOLLUM - U DON'T WANT MY LOVE (Dome)
Nice Soul album from Germany from this rich voiced Chicago singer. Great production which works best for me on the up tempo tracks. Highlights include: Lose my cool, U don't want my love & You're my everything.
**
D.J. KAWAZAKI - BEAUTIFUL (Columbia)
Strong Japanese (mainly) House/Dance album. Not a bad track on it. Highlights include: The love of music & Like thunder.
***
ISOUL8 - BALANCE (Sonarkollektive)
Wonderful Soulful, Jazz-tinged Dance/Electronica. Good throughout. Highlights include: Give it up, So simple & On my heart.
***
JIMPSTER - AMOUR (Freerange)
British DJ/producer with a great down-tempo House/Electronica set. Highlights include: In so deep & Love you better.
**
JIVA - SUN AND MOON (Expansions)
Great album from this talented USA band - Real instruments and wonderful vocalists.Has a slight Boss-Nova feel, Jazzy and Soulful with some dancers too.
Highly recommended. Highlights include: I realized, Daydreamer & Stars (Louie Vega mix).
***
KOOP - KOOP ISLAND (Atlantic)
Nice (although short!) Jazz album from this Scandinavian group. Great vocals and a real retro feel. (It was sadly missed by almost everyone.) Highlights include: Come to me & I see a different you.
**
KYLE EASTWOOD - NOW (rendezvous)
Nice Jazz album (from Clint's son). Worth a listen. Highlights include: September nights.
*
MARCELL & THE TRUTH - HOPES TO HIGH (Basement Boys recordings)
Nice Gospel-tinged Soul album (similar to The Rance Allen Group in places).
All very good. Highlights Include: Hopes too high, Breath love & Maybe I'm not the man.
***
SHUYA OKINO - UNITED LEGENDS (Especial)
Really great dance album from Japan. Shuya collaborates with a selection of todays hot dance artists. Every track is a winner! (Probably the best album of 2006) Highlights include: Thank you, Is it love, Love is the key & What would I do.
****
VICTOR BROOKS - SAMBA SOUL (Victor Brooks)
Really nice mainly mid-tempo Bossa Nova Jazz-tinged soul album with a cool summer-groove. Good throughout. Highlights include: Lovin' you baby & Believe it or not.
**
V.A. - RAINBOW SOUL vol.1 ( Phuture Lounge)
Good compilation of Nu-Soul from this Manchester lable. Highlights include: Eyes burn & New era by Oezlem.
**
VISIONEERS - DIRTY OLD HIP HOP (BBE)
Great Jazzy Hip Hop set (Has a Mizell Brothers feel at times) from U.K. DJ/producer Mark Mac (of 4Hero). Highlights include: Runnin', The world is ours, Dirty old Bossa Nova & Rollin' for the ride.
****
XANTONE BLACQ - TO THE HEAVENS AND BEYOND (Platinum Fingers)
Absolutely fabulous set of Nu- cool Soulful-Jazzy Dance vibes from this U.K. artist. Highly recommended. Highlights include: Yes I do, Search for the sun & Makes me wanna.
****
2005
( THE BEST YEAR FOR MUSIC I CAN REMEMBER FOR AGES!)
ATAR & THE FUNKADROME - FUNKADROME (Universal)
Great album from this 15 piece London band who sound like a cross between Savanna, Light of the World and Jamiroquai. Has a real late 70's, early 80's feel. Highly recommended. Highlights include: You set my soul on fire, Cruising supanova & Trippin'.
***
BAH SAMBA - FOUR (BKO)
Strong double CD from this great U. K. latin-tinged Jazz-Funk/Soulful-House band. Highlights include: Let the drums speak, Have you got your bootz on & Just want to love you.
**
BRIGETTE - STARLITE LOUNGE (Expansion)
Wonderful Bossa Nova Soul set from this warm voice singer. Great cool mid-tempo vibe running throughout. Highlights include: Much to much, Star & Betcha.
***
BRYAN CORBETT - PRESSURE VALVE (Freestyle)
Nu-Jazz with a broken-beat/ Down-beat feel from this British trumpet player (lots of vocals too!) Really good throughout, every track's a winner! Highlights include: Pressure valve & Corbenover.
***
EARTH, WIND & FIRE - ILLUMINATION (Sanctuary Urban)
Great return to form for arguably the greatest band of all time. Although this sounds like a contemporary Soul/dance album it also sound like vintage EWF too.
Every fan should have this in their collection. Wonderful. Highlights include: Lovely people, Pure gold, The one & Liberation.
****
FIVE CORNERS QUINTET - CHASSIN' THE JAZZ GONE BY (Ricky-Tick)
Wonderful straight ahead Jazz set from this Scandinavian band. Has a retro feel and yet sounds contemporary too. Modern Jazz-Dance at it's best. Great playing and some lovely vocals too. Highlights include: Blue cycles, This could be the start of something (feat. Mark Murphy) & Three corners.
**
GERD - PERSPECTIVES (LEA)
Really strong Nu-Jazz/Hip Hop/Broken-Beat and Soulful set from this Dutch duo featuring some talented vocalists too. Sadly overlooked by most people but well worth a listen. Highlights include: Fire in my soul, In love with you & So real.
**
IAN MARTIN - THE WAY (Expansion)
Strong Soul and Soulful dance album from this talented artist and producer. It has a real early 80's feel at times and at others sound very contemporary. Highlights include: Release, Brother, You are & Movin' on.
***
INCOGNITO - ELEVEN (Dome)
Strong set from this UK super group. Wonderful arrangements and great vocals. Jazz-tinged Soulful-Dance at it's best. Highlights Include: We got music , Come away with me & When tomorrow brings you down.
***
JAMIROQUAI - DYNAMITE (Sony BMG)
Like all JK's albums this one is a mix of Jazz-Funk and Rocky-chart music But the Jazz-Funk is so good. With the possible exception of Incognito I can't think of any group or artist who has made so much cool music over the last 15 years. Although there are a few bad tracks this may well be their best album - The rest of the set is fantastic! Highlights include: Dynamite, Seven days in sunny June, Talullah & Time won't wait.
***
JUKKA ESKOLA - JUKKA ESKOLA (Free Agent)
Great Nu-Jazz set from the trumpet player with The Five Corners Quintet. Sounding like it was recorded in the 1970's. Strong throughout. Highlights include: 1974 & Timber up.
*
MAXINE BRAHAM - IF (BKO)
Nice Nu-Soul set from the UK. For me at it's best on the more up tempo tracks but good throughout. Highlights include: Wherever, I wish & If.
*
POSTMODERN JAZZ (FEAT. ROY AYERS) - LOVE NOT TRUTH (PJCD)
Great slice of contemporary Jazz-Funk. Every tracks a winner. Each time I put it on I find a new favorite. Highlights include : Love not truth, Darkness into light, Everything & Another kind of culture.
***
REBIRTH - THIS JOURNEY IN (Kajmere)
Maybe the best album for over twenty years. As cool a it gets - Jazzy, Funky, Soulful and danceable too. This really is modern Soul/Dance music at it's best. Having an Earth, Wind & Fire/ Roy Ayers and Rufus feel too. Every home should have one! Highlights include: This journey in, Sinkin', Got your madness &
Everybody say yeah.
****
ROY AYERS - MAHOGANY VIBE (BBE)
Nice set from this legendry artist. Although he has recorded some great material with others this is without a doubt his best solo album for over twenty years. Keeping that great 70's feel but bringing it right up to date. Highlights include: I wanna feel you, Ft. Dupont park & Everybody loves the sunshine (feat. Erykah Badu).
*
V.A. GET THIS PARTY STARTED (Expansion)
Chris Hill's great collection of "New school Caister anthems". Really nice original selection of tracks. Recommended. Highlights Include: 66 mellow - New Version Of Soul, Blowin' my mind - Solo, Just you and me - Sean Oliver & Magic - D'Influence.
***
V.A. STRANGE FUNKY GAMES AND THINGS (BBE)
Third installment of this great series and it doesn't disappoint. Wonderful inspired selection of cool soul. A must! Highlights include: Inside out - American Gypsy, Give me your love - Barbara Mason, Come into my life - The Supremes & L.A. nights - Yasuko Agawa.
****
V.A. THE WANT LIST VOL. 2 (Soul Brother)
Much better than vol. 1. This really is a fantastic collection of rare two step soul masterpieces. Highlights include: Barbara Mason - World in crisis, The Vibrations - Shake it up, Samuel Jonathan Johnson - My music & Isaac Hayes - A few more kisses to go.
****
STEVIE WONDER - A TIME TO LOVE (Motown)
Great return to form for this all time great. Without a doubt his best album for about twenty five years. At times this is Stevie at his best. Highlights include: The sweetest somebody I know, Moon Blue, My love is on fire & So what the fuss.
**
A FEW OLDER ALBUMS TOO
Reviews to follow.
AMP FIDLER - WALTZ OF A GHETTO FLY (Genuine 2003)
**
ANTOINIQUE - ANTOINIQUE (X.O. 2003)
*
BLAZE - 25 YEARS LATER (Motown 1990)
***
COOLY'S HOT BOX - DON'T BE AFRAID: GET ON (Jobo 2004)
***
D'ANGELO - BROWN SUGAR (Virgin 1995)
****
DARYL HALL - SOUL ALONE (Sony 1993)
***
ERYKAH BADU - BADUIZM (Motown 1997)
****
ERYKAH BADU - MAMA'S GUN (Motown 2000)
**
GEORG LEVIN - WHEN I'M WITH YOU (Sonar Kollektiv 2003)
**
INCOGNITO - ADVENTURES IN BLACK SUNSHINE (Dome 2004)
***
INCOGNITO - WHO NEEDS LOVE (Dome 2003)
****
INTUIT - INTUIT (Compost 2004)
*
JILL SCOTT - WHO IS JILL SCOTT (Hidden Beach 2000)
**
JIMPSTER - DOMESTIC SCIENCE (Kudos 2002)
****
KOOP - WALTZ FOR KOOP (Sony 2001)
****
KYOTO JAZZ MASSIVE - SPIRIT OF THE SUN (Compost 2002)
*
L.T.J. BUKEM - THE JOURNEY (Kinetic 2000)
**
MARTHA REDBONE - SKINTALK (Blackfeet 2004)
*
MARY J. BLIGE - MY LIFE (MCA 1994)
***
MASTERS AT WORK - NUYORICAN SOUL (Blue Thumb 1997)
***
MODAJI - MODAJI (Laws of Motion 2000)
***
NICOLA CONTE - OTHER DIRECTIONS (Schema 2004)
*
JAMIROQUAI - A FUNK ODYSSEY (Sony 2001)
**
REEL PEOPLE - SECOND GUESS (Defected 2004)
***
ROY AYERS - VIRGIN UBIQUITY (BBE 2004)
***
SEEK - JOURNEY INTO DAY (Dome 2003)
****
SUNBURST BAND - UNTIL THE END OF TIME (Z Records 2004)
***
SUNBURST BAND (THE) - HERE COMES THE SUNBURST BAND (Z 1998)
**
SWING OUT SISTER - WHERE OUR LOVE GROWS (Sanachie 2004)
****
TEENA MARIE - LA DONNA (Cash Money 2004)
****
** MORE SOON **
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