Albums and Singles of The Year 2016

Louie Vega ‘Starring XXVIII’ is our top album of 2016 a mixture of Soul, Soulful House and Jazzy grooves, a superb uplifting set. Frank McComb returned with his best in years ‘Soul Mate’ being our Soul album of the Year. Kindred and the Family Soul ‘Legacy of Love’ was also their best in over a decade another excellent Soul album. Chantae Caan took us on a ‘Journey to Golden’ and delivered an excellent quality debut album backed in places by Snarky Puppy. Terisa Griffin made her best album to date and what a ‘Revival of Soul’ it is, with great soulful vocals and fine instrumentation. Myles Sanko made what is quite probably the best ever British Soul album the career defining ‘Just Being Me’. Lindsey Webster signed to a bigger label but still retained her unique identity with the classy ‘Back to your heart’, and Zo gave us ‘Skybreak’ essential for Foreign Exchange fans.
See this link for all our new Soul Albums of the Year 2016

2016 was an incredible year for Jazz. Top of the pile was an amazing album by Trumpeter Theo Croker ‘Escape Velocity’, we haven’t heard music like this for many years. It just piped Terrace Martin ‘Velvet Portraits’ another great album fusing Jazz, Soul , Funk and a little hip-hop to great effect. Shola Adisa Farrar joined with Florian Pellissier Quintet to make the best vocal jazz album of the year, the deep and at time spiritual ‘Lost Myself’. Tom O’Grady from Cambridge is Resolution 88 who made a superb heavy jazz fusion album ‘Afterglow’. Ashleigh Smith charmed us with her vocal Bossa Jazz set ‘Sunkissed’.

Brazilian Ed Motta made what is probably his best album ‘Perpetual Gateways’ like a jazzier Steely Dan in places, real jazz in others. Our own Sean khan had a great set ‘Muriel’ featuring guest vocals including Omar, Heidi Vogel and Sabrina Malheiros. Cuban Dayme Arocena delighted us with her ‘One Takes’ another Jazz album of the year

See this link for all our new Jazz Albums of the Year 2016

There were some great Smooth Jazz albums in 2016, Richard Elliot ‘Summer Madness’ was the best, but also check albums from Gerald Albright, BWB, Rippingtons, U-Nam, Kim Waters and more

See this link for all our Smooth Jazz Albums of the Year 2016

There were fewer Reissues this year than in recent Years but there were some real gems. ‘This is Eleanore Mills’ was our pick for Soul Reissue of the year, a great lesser known 70’s Soul gem from the All Platinum vaults. Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes ‘To Be True’ is one of their best albums a real Philly Soul classic.
The JB’s ‘Doing it to Death’ is an iconic Funk album and the re-master in a mini LP sleeve sounds fantastic. Anglo Saxon Brown are a less well known Philly band, their album ‘Songs For Evolution’ is an underground classic, so its first CD issue is very welcome. Undisputed Truth’s two great funky soul Whitfield album’s ‘Method to the madness’ and ‘Showtime’ came on one CD set. Garland Green’s overlooked ‘Love is what we came here for’ is a great late 70’s Soul set. There was a welcome career anthology from the Emotions ‘Blessed’. Rasputin’s Stash ‘Hidden Stash’ was their unreleased third album and included some real gems.

See this link for all our Soul Reissues of the Year 2016

The Soul Brother Anthology of Mark Murphy aptly titled ‘The Jazz Singer’ was our Jazz reissue of the year. and highlighted just how many great tracks this guy recorded. Another unmissable anthology was Grover Washington ‘Definitive’ a superb double CD containing all his classics. There were also 2CD Anthologies from Dexter Wansel ‘Stargazer’, Ramsey Lewis ‘Hot Dawgit’ and George Duke ‘Shine on’. Banda Black Rio ‘Maria Fumacia’ and Azymuth ‘Outburo’ are Brazilian Jazz Funk classics. World Experience Orchestra’s two rare Spiritual jazz albums came in a 2CD set ‘The Beginning of a New Birth/As Time Flows on’

See this link for all our Jazz Reissues of the Year 2016

2016 saw some great Compilations ‘Mainstream Modern Soul’, Soul on the Real side Vol 5’, ‘Sprirt of Philadelphia Vol 4’, ‘Beauty’, ‘Black Gold’, ‘Extra Added Soul’ and ‘Greg Belson’s Divine Disco’ were all superb compilations of heritage material whilst ‘Soul Togetherness 2016’ has proved to be one of the most popular of this long running series highlighting contemporary dance floor winners

See this link for all our Compilations of the Year 2016

Vinyl has made a big comeback in recent years, 2016 saw an avalanche of New and reissue LP’s and 45’s.
The LP’s you can see on Pg 10 includes classics like the first two Earth Wind & Fire albums, James Brown ‘Payback’ , rarities from Wood Brass and Steel, Eramus Hall, Air and Niagara and unissued Harry Becket

See this link for all our Vinyl Albums of the Year 2016

45’s highlights include hard to find classics from Dee Edwards, Bill Harris, Africano, Ethel Beatty, Charisma Band and Betty Moorer, new cuts from Mark Staggers, McCrei , Sensationelles and Soulfuledge and unissued tracks from James Reese

See this link for all our Vinyl Singles of the Year 2016