Archives: Features

'Expensive Shit' is the twelfth full-length album by Afrobeat artist and pioneer Fela Ransome Kuti and his Africa '70 band, released in 1975. Kuti was a legend and was a noted tenor saxophonist, pianist, vocalist, arranger, composer and producer. The title of the album and first track refers to an incident in 1974 where the Nigerian police planted a joint on Kuti. Before he was arrested, he ate the joint, but the police brought him into custody and waited for him to produce the (titular) excrement. According to legend, he managed to use another inmate's feces and was eventually released....

Johnny Hammond classic 1975 album ‘Gears’ was produced by the Mizell Brothers at the top of their game and is one of the all time great Jazz-Funk albums. It includes the funky up tempo instrumental ‘Los Conquistadores Chocolates’, and the Rare grooves ‘Fantasy’ , ‘Tell Me what to do’, the dancefloor classic ‘Shifting Gears’ and beautiful ‘Can’t We smile’. The previously unissued ‘A Child's love’ is featured with fast and superior slow versions, ‘Song for my family’ and more upbeat ‘Detroit Rainbow’ are interesting but can’t match the quality of the tracks on the awesome original album. CD [add_to_cart id=""...

Every once in a while, an album comes along by a new artist that raises the bar and blows you away (think D’Angelo, Badu, Maxwell). Jarrod Lawson has made one of those albums although all together different from those artists, his debut comprises songs and musicianship of such quality it is like a breath of fresh air. Jarrod writes songs with meaning, sings with true feeling and beautiful harmonies, and his keyboard playing is superb throughout. Jarrod sits in the Jazzy Soul camp, vocally somewhere between Benet and Omar, but musically a bit jazzier. Every one of the 12 songs...

Today we shift the focus from albums to box sets. These sets represent superb value as well as being great collections of some of the biggest tracks in their respect genres. We've reduced the prices on three of them until July 1st and we have just one copy of the Holland, Dozier, Holland box. Be quick! MODERN SOUL A soul essential! the next 7 x 7″ box set culled from the vaults of Sony Music and containing 14 super-rare Modern Soul tracks from the Columbia, Epic, Arista and RCA logos including Bobby Womack, Patti Austin, Mandrill, Aretha Franklin, Ujima, Randy...

Chip Wickham’s third album sees the flautist in Spiritual Jazz territory. The first two (‘La Sombra’ and ‘Shamal Wind’) are must buys and ‘Blue To Red’ is no less impressive . The music is accessible, inventive and memorable. Wickham’s playing is superb and beguiling. The album opens with a mystical experience in ‘Blue to Red’ that incorporates influences from around the globe and there is something of Alice Coltrane’s harp led spiritual excursions to the feel. The album slips into a bass led groove on the sublime ‘Route One’ - the rhythm bringing to mind classic Blue Note as well...

Formed in 2016, Chicago’s The Devonns (Pronounced The De Vaughans) are a four piece band that are hugely influenced by The Impressions, Leroy Hutson and Leon Ware as well as contemporaries such as Raphael Saadiq and Jamie Lidell. The beautiful, laid back ‘I Think I’m Falling In Love’ is a highlight with it’s lazy tempo offset by soaring strings and economical horns, Lidell’s ‘Green Light’ is covered and sent through a late 60s filter while the swampy blues of ‘Ain’t That A Man For You’ shows another side. ‘I Know’ is a lovely slab of deep-with-a-beat while ‘Blood Red Blues’...

Quite simply James finest album, a double vinyl recorded just after the death of his son in 1973, every track is worthy of its place. The hypnotic funk anthem title track with its driving bass line and funky guitar riffs has been sampled many times as is regarded as a classic. The punchy shuffling 10 min epic ‘Stone To The Bone’, the social consciousness of the 12 min ‘Mind Power’ another funk anthem. The horn backed super funky semi instrumentals ‘Shoot Your Shot’ and ‘Time Is Running Out Fast’ are essentially JB’s tracks. The ballads ‘Doin The Best I Can’...