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When Allen Toussaint restarted his solo career in 1970 with Toussaint (aka From a Whisper to a Scream), he leaned heavily on songs he had written for other artists, as well as a couple of covers. It was a good way to jump-start his career, and with its elastic, elegant arrangements, it set the groundwork for 1972's Life, Love and Faith, his first album for Reprise/Warner. Toussaint seized the opportunity as a way to stretch out his sound, refining it and expanding it so it was grounded in New Orleans R&B but also encompassed hard funk and smooth soul.

Though it was a soul album through and through, it also had the feeling of being part of Reprise's considerable singer/songwriter stable -- such artists as Randy Newman, Bonnie Raitt, Little Feat, and Joni Mitchell -- and if anything, Life, Love and Faith feels more of a piece with this group than it does with most music coming out of New Orleans in the early '70s because it also captures an eccentric genius pursuing his idiosyncratic vision. Here, it seems as if Toussaint has found every permutation of his signature sound, which is pretty much the sound of New Orleans R&B. He revives the classic, easy-rolling groove on "Soul Sister"; turns it seriously, deeply funky on "Goin' Down" and "Victims of the Darkness"; gets trippy on "Out of the City (Into Country Life)"; treads nimbly with a Philly soul variation on "She Once Belonged to Me"; and crafts a tremendous, dramatic ballad with "On Your Way Down," one of the finest songs he ever wrote. It's a textured, multi-layered record that may not be the purest dose of Toussaint, but is the one album that truly exhibits how deep and wide his talents ran. – All Music

With the Verve Remixed project, Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women, Melanie Charles sets out to take this group of songs and breathe new energy into them. Melanie was immediately drawn to the rapturous voices of Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughn who inspired her to record arrangements of “God Bless the Child” and “Detour Ahead.” This album is a love letter to the unheralded labor of black women. Melanie asks listeners to be accountable to black women as much as they care for their works. –Rough Trade

Future Shock present a reissue of Tim Maia's 1978 self-titled album. Tim Maia was a Brazilian musician, songwriter, and businessman known for his iconoclastic, ironic, outspoken, and humorous musical style. Maia contributed to Brazilian music within a wide variety of musical genres, including soul, funk, disco, jazz, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, romantic ballads, samba, bossa nova, baião and música popular Brasileira (MPB). He introduced the soul style on the Brazilian musical scene. A must for all the funk/soul fans around. – Forced Exposure

Curtis Harding makes music that exists in both past and present. He's proudly informed by vintage soul and R&B sounds of the 1960s and '70s while showing love and respect for contemporary hip-hop and possessing a mindset that's tuned into the world in 2021. Harding's first two albums, 2014's Soul Power and 2017's Face Your Fear, were outstanding works that confirmed he was as talented as anyone in the retro-soul community, with the addition of a visionary outlook and songwriting skills that set him apart from his peers. Harding's third LP, 2021's If Words Were Flowers, finds him going from strength to strength, with a set of tunes that deliver an emotional impact while finding him continuing to stretch his musical boundaries. The rich bass, echo-laden guitars, and layers of percussion are familiar from his previous releases, and Harding and producer Sam Cohen have added lush string and horn arrangements and massed vocals on several numbers that boost the atmospherics, reinforce the psychedelic undertow of the melodies, and give the music a feeling of thematic unity that adds to the effectiveness of the material, individually and as a suite. Much of If Words Were Flowers was written and recorded during a time of unrest and uncertainty in the United States, and without calling out specific political and social themes by name, it plays very much as a product of its time, with Harding using love as a metaphor to discuss human understanding and compassion as well as its absence (especially on the cool but impassioned "Where Is the Love"). The arrangements often nod to the conscious funk and soul anthems of the late '60s and early '70s, both in their taught grooves and the mingled moods of hope and confusion. And Harding continues to impress as a vocalist, delivering strong, authoritative, and perceptive performances on all eleven tracks. Harding drew the title If Words Were Flowers from the old saying that you should give flowers to those who matter in your life while they're around, not after they're gone, and this music is a gift to a world in need of some loving care; it's never sappy but offers a message of spiritual succor to those who need it, and it's a great, rewarding listening. – All Music

This exclusive Jazz-Fusion album is a work composed by famous Hawaiian composer/musician/educator Gary Washburn. "A Life in a Day" was a project to fulfil a National Endowment of the Arts grant that he was awarded, and he performed to fulfil a State Foundation grant that was also awarded to him. Gary composed the music in Hilo specifically for the individuals who performed the music (in the same way that Duke Ellington composed for his band), It's a concept album.

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The Justin Thyme line-up played a series of shows across the island, and they were initially recorded on a 4-channel recorder. The songs was introduced to brother and producer Kent Washburn, and he agreed to release it on his independent label EmKay Records. The album was mixed and pressed, but the distribution company he was with doubled it up and the album never really made it to the public. The musical styles used by Washburn to present this unique conceptual representation include traditional and contemporary Jazz, Funk, Pop and, in some passages, classical.

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A Life In A Day is a musical suite of 13 movements, conceived and composed by Gary Washburn under the auspices of a grant from The National Endowment For The Arts. Written specifically for the Justin Thyme ensemble, the work programatically depicts cycles of life from conception and formulation through self-realization and fulfillment, and on to death which in turn presents rebirth and evolution. "Circles are cycles of shapes that spiral out and back...Always beginning and ending at the same point, Yet perpetually completing a timeless journey Out and back..." – Mad About Records

Before there was War there was Señor Soul, which saxophonist/flutist Charles Miller formed in Long Beach, California; he played on Brenton Wood sessions for Double Shot, who released their loose interpretation of Miriam Makeba’s ‘Pata Pata,’ the hit that led to this blinding debut LP. Blending funk, Latin jazz and psychedelic soul, the group makes a range of material their own, led by Miller and vibraphonist Edwin Stevenson; everything from Heard It Through The Grapevine to Psychotic Reaction gets the Señor Soul treatment, rendered with equal doses of sensitivity, humour and funky flavour. Long before Miller recruited members of Nightshift to morph Señor Soul into War, this top-notch debut is a stone-cold winner from first note to last, a must-have for all funk and Latin jazz afficionados. – Survival Research

Super Rare and impossible to find Modern Soul/Funk private press LP from Miami! Almost impossible to find an original copy of this 1983 Modern Funk Soul Boogie Masterpiece – Bandcamp

Ten years after his first album Bad Bad things, musician Max Guiguet aka Blundetto unveils his second album Good Good Things on Heavenly sweetness. The circle of intimates already present on the first album (Blundetto, Hindi Zahra, General Electric, Chico Mann) has expanded to include regular accomplices (Biga Ranx) and artists with whom Blundetto felt an obvious connection (Crime Apple, Leonardo Marques) for this second opus.
Guided by this roadmap written by Blundetto, all of them have succeeded one another to put their colours and spread their musical soul for a few minutes. Take the direction of Brazil, Africa or Latin America, get dizzy in the Jamaican fumes, get chipped on the salient angles of hip hop. As a conductor, Blundetto builds a beautiful musical mosaic through this album. – Pan-African-Music.com

Inspired by bands like Tower Of Power and Earth, Wind & Fire, The Rhythm Of Life claims its identity in the funk-and-soul universe with inventive arrangements, clever rhythms, and a timeless quality that transcends the notion of what music from Hawaii should sound like.

There couldn’t have been a more perfect collaboration with which to launch the Aloha Got Soul label. Working with Mike has been a blessing. Coincidence has found us time after time along our journey. We share a mutual respect for each other’s honesty and we believe in the power of music that comes from the soul. By placing his complete trust in me to re-present his music to today’s audience, Mike has given me the confidence and experience to make Aloha Got Soul a successful record label.

In a landscape that’s been transformed by time, commercialization, and the internet, the music of Hawaii’s past is beckoning to make waves once again. I’d like to make sure this time it won’t go unnoticed. – Aloha Got Soul

Third reissue in our Makoto Kubota reissue program with the release of "Dixie Fever" recorded in Hawaii in 1976 and co-produced by Haruomi Hosono. Like its predecessors, 'Sunset Gang' and 'Hawaii Champroo', 'Dixie Fever' continues to explore American and Island music through a Japanese prism with a skilful mix of blues, swamp funk and America adding an exotic edge to the whole. It is the first time the album is released outside of Japan and the LP features remastered audio by Makoto Kubota himself. – Solid Records / We Want Sounds

Recorded in 1976, 'kellee' is the second album for the amazing lady soul singer after her debut album 'maiden voyage' released on black jazz records. Special Indeed

Alan Hawkshaw (piano/Hammond) and Shadow’s drummer Brian Bennett are responsible for some of the slickest, funkiest and most sought-after library records ever made in the UK, particularly ones recorded on the legendary KPM label. Their work has now become the go-to place for sampling in music today. Artists such as Dilla, Nas, and the xx, right through to the billion selling Kanye & Drake have taken Hawkshaw’s and Bennett’s immaculate beat-driven soundscapes for their own usage.

Their new album, in full, iconic KPM cover is a return to the laidback jazz-funk that helped Alan and Brian demonstrate their library chops. The album is classic Hawkshaw/Bennett. It swings, it grooves, moves and thrills with a flair these two have perfected over years. Standout tracks such as "Hole In One", "In The Clouds", "Interchange", "Oasis", "On The Nile" and "Corcovado" are no mere excursions in nostalgia, for they carry lots of deft studio work that many a producer would give their right arm for. Hawkshaw’s arrangements allow the drums, guitar, bass, strings, Hammond, flute and brass to swirl elegantly around the 12 original tracks; a masterclass in recording.

Cut by Pete Norman, housed in a beautifully designed Richard Robinson sleeve and pressed at 180g by Record Industry in Holland, this release has been afforded the care and attention it rightly deserves. Essential. – Be With Records

Leobardo Acosta Quintanar was born in Huetamo, Michoacán in 1925. He was a notable drummer, composer, arranger, and orchestrator.

In 1970, he recorded a last LP for Capitol with a small combo formed with some of his closest peers. The sound engineer for these sessions, Rogiero Silva, recalls that it happened in the night time. Leo was always very demanding in his studio hours with all of his musicians and that he did not tolerate mistakes or setbacks, but he was fully relaxed and enjoying this one very much. For this last LP, entitled “ACOSTA” but known as "El Leon”, all the compositions are originals, unlike his previous albums where the labels required him to record at least 6 songs that were hits on the popularity charts.

The genius of this album lies in Leo's ability to synthesise the influence of jazz and funk fusions with Latin rhythms, well dominated by him. The stand out “Rencorosa”, has strong influence of “Evil Ways” by Willie Bobo, via Santana. “Noches de Viaje” is a superb mid tempo funk, one of the best examples of its kind and the funny dialogues in “Carga Pesada“ denote the atmosphere of Leo's nightclub life, drum solo included. “Melodía de Amor Eterno" shows a more spiritual jazz side where the Hammond B3 by Mario Patrón and the Sax tenor by Tomás “La Negrita” Rodriguez take center stage. Unfortunately the album went unnoticed on the radio and sold poorly, despite the fact that two 45rpm records were released as promotional items: Rencorosa / Noches de viaje and Rosa Rosita / Mi Guitarra.

Mad About Record proudly presents, for the first time worldwide, the reissue of this cult record, one of the rarest in Latin Jazz. - Mad About Records

Here To Stay was the second album from Detroit soul singer Darrell Banks. Banks was a one-semi-hit wonder who was killed by a policeman less than a year after Here to Stay was released. – VMP

Here to Stay is a Nexus point—and arguably the Nexus point—in the conversation between the Memphis soul sound of Stax Records (which released this album via its Volt imprint) and the more polished, pop-oriented Detroit soul sound, as epitomized by Motown. Banks was a vessel for Stax to try to make albums that would appeal to people buying thousands of Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross records, a performer who could, with his gravely, powder-keg voice—along with authentic Detroit musicians and production, recorded in Detroit—bridge the gap between the then preeminent modes for soul music, and bring Stax more of the mainstream commercial success experienced by Motown. Banks never accomplished that feat, and neither did Stax, for that matter. But Here To Stay got close. - VMP

The ultimate collector's board pursued by soul-funk-rare groove freaks all over the world is the world's first official LP reissue with an original jacket!

One of the best in the collection of Sadar Bahar, known as one of the world's leading collectors / DJs, and also includes the blockbuster funk "Open Soul" that is essential for heavy play!

Released in 1976 by Chicago's local label Stage Productions, this is the only album by a six-member soul band led by the four Burton brothers, and most of the original albums are on the market. It is no exaggeration to say that it is the ultimate collector's album that everyone wants once, such as always exceeding US $ 1000 even when it is traded without any trouble! A spectacular and groovy funk "OPEN SOUL" (B1) that uses all the B-sides of the record for more than 20 minutes, the finest funky tune "Let's Get With The Beat" (A5) and the killer instrument "Hurt Perversion" Even if you go through the whole album such as (A3), it is one that is full of things to listen to! – P-Vine

First Reissue in over 20 years! With the original copy fetching silly prices, it’s a big delight to have this rare funk & soul record reissued on P-vine in top quality! Sweet soulful harmonies and instrumentation all over these grooves, lyrical content close to the heart and an all-around sing-along vibe. Lovely!  

Hailing from south-east London, Joel Culpepper is an artist who’s been on Mr Bongo's radar for some time now. With a unique soulful voice and explosive showmanship, Joel’s star is rising. His sonic palette blends an array of genres and influences, that looks back to the greats whilst simultaneously absorbing London’s contemporary musical landscape. His charismatic Colors Studios performance of ‘Woman', the standout cut from Joel’s 2017 EP ‘Tortoise’, has amassed over 13 million views on YouTube (and counting).

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Joel's debut album, 'Sgt Culpepper’, is an incredible modern soul album and the product of a two-year undertaking which saw him attract an array of respected producers and musicians from the UK and beyond, a testament to the reputation he had already built as a dynamic songwriter and performer among his contemporaries. With executive production from Swindle (Ezra Collective, Mahalia), mastering from Joker (Stormzy, Kojey Radical) and with co-productions that include the likes of legendary pop producer Guy Chambers, Raf Rundell (The 2 Bears), Shawn Lee (Saint Etienne, Kelis), and Tom Misch, Sgt Culpepper is a demonstration of the power of community, mingling self-reflection with wider social commentary. The record is split into four chapters: The Battle, which includes previous singles ‘W.A.R’ and ‘Return’, The Surrender, embodied by recent single ‘Poetic Justice’; The Love and The Lesson.

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Joel’s desire to forge a sense of collectivism was the lifeblood for 'Sgt Culpepper', resulting in the diverse roster of talent attached to the project. As well as the aforementioned names, the record includes production from the likes of British multi-instrumentalist Redinho, South London rapper and Roc Nation signee Kay Young, Linden Jay (Poppy Ajudha, Rejjie Snow), and Grammy-award winning songwriter Jimmy Hogarth. "I've been inspired by how the UK jazz and Grime scene supports each other, it’s similar to what happens in the states. Collectives like Odd Future, Aftermath and the earliest being Motown. It’s soul’s turn to band together here, likeminded independent musicians working to support the scene and each other as a whole.”

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Through charismatic storytelling, personal epiphanies, and the formation of a new creative collective that underpins his craft, 'Sgt Culpepper' ushers in a new era for Joel as an artist. – Mr Bongo

Expanding their palette just a little, Children Of Zeus manage the delicate art of the follow up. Placing their artistry in a fresh context, ‘Balance’ feels just right, merging the sound of their debut with fresh elements, without losing the innate character that makes them feel so special. True trailblazers of a very specific strand of UK soul music, Children Of Zeus are way out in front of the pack. – Clash Music

The world's first LP reissue with a sophisticated sound that makes soul, funk, and AOR fans groan and a high-quality funka soul band super rare board!

Stevie Wonder "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", Tower of Power "Ebony Jam", and Earth, Wind & Fire's familiar "Can't Hide Love" are full of killer song covers!

The only work released in 1977 by the black-and-white and mixed 8-member funka soul band "Moon Pie" based in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. The original version is a collector's item that is famous for its rarity, but it is also highly evaluated for its high quality sound that made soul, funk, and AOR fans groan with its skillful performance and various arrangements! The contents are still the classic covers of the 70's such as Tower of Power (A1), Steely Dan (A4), Commodores (B1), and Creative Source (B4) that reproduces the arrangement of Earth, Wind & Fire as it is. Recorded on the cover! Among them, Stevie Wonder (A3) with the finest arrangement that ascends to the sky at once with the elegant samba tone of the midfield solo part from the slow Bossa is inevitable in agony! – P-Vine

We are proud to present the first full international release for another lost classic from the Black Fire Records archives, ‘Southern Energy’, the only album recorded by R’n’B and jazz collective Southern Energy Ensemble in 1977.

“As Southern Energy, we played the chitlin circuit and ended up gigging most weekends at clubs, universities and military bases in Virginia and North and South Carolina,” remembers leader Marvin Daniels. After meeting Plunky Branch and Jimmy Gray, they recorded some high energy sessions during 1977. “Southern Energy was tight,” continues Daniels.

“The album was all about positive messages and celebrating real people." The band would break up soon after the members left college. Canned following the original recording, the album eventually surfaced on a limited CD and LP on Black Fire in 1993. ‘Southern Energy’ has been remastered from the original tapes by The Carvery, and features unseen photos and brand-new sleeve notes by co-bandleader Marvin Daniels. - Strut

Strut presents one of the most in-demand and significant albums from the archives of Jimmy Gray’s Black Fire Records, ‘Bow To The People’ (1976) by theatre collective Theatre West, based out of Dayton, Ohio.

Recorded at Arrest studios in Washington in ’76, ‘Bow To The People’ brought together songs from several of Theatre West’s best known plays including Bow To The People, The System and Black Love and unflinchingly explored serious issues around drug addiction, mental health and cultural awareness. “The whole idea of Bow To The People was to honour our black forefathers,” explains Dillard. “It was important to do that for the kids that didn’t know.”

Shelved following the original recording, the Bow To The People album eventually surfaced on a limited CD on Black Fire in 1993. Now receiving its first full international release, the album features the previously unreleased tracks ‘Man Of Many Means’ and ‘I Don’t Knpw Much About Love’ and has been remastered from the original tapes by The Carvery. - Strut

This is some serious top shelf material out of Baltimore and a certified masterclass in sweet symphonic soul. Optimistics was originally released in 1970 on Turbo and it’s every bit as essential as The Chi-Lites, The Delfonics and The Moments yet nowhere near as known. Those original copies are ridiculously rare and, of course, the prices are equally ridiculous.

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Optimistics is a killer LP throughout, beloved of discerning hip-hop producers worldwide and routinely championed by the legendary Pete Rock. The genius George Kerr has handled the production on what is an album of beautiful, naïve soul for mind and body. It’s bursting with goodness and, like the best of its genre, it radiates a heart-breaking ambience that cuts right to the core. The whole LP is a winning blend of slow, spine-tingling ballads and joyously upbeat tracks. It’s a case of A+ vocals, melodies and harmonies over beautiful playing and arrangements. It deserves to be canonical.

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This fresh reissue has been mastered with the usual care by Simon Francis and cut by the legendary Pete Norman. The artwork has been lovingly reproduced by the Be With team. Optimistics should be known to a much wider audience. We’ve hopefully gone some way towards rectifying that. – Light In The Attic

Caiphus Semenya, AKA Mr Letta Mbulu, is a South African legend, and Listen To The Wind, his iconic debut album, is simply a superb modern-soul/boogie album. It’s also incredibly rare, especially in good condition, so Be With is delighted to present this reissue.

Listen To The Wind is stylistically diverse but the ingredients are never diluted. There are elements of boogie, soul, funk and jazz, all shot through with pan-African flavour, and moving effortlessly from uptempo floor fillers to more meditative, slower soulful tracks. Produced by Caiphus himself, he makes full use of a stellar line up of session musicians including Nathan East, Michael Stanton, Sonny Burke and Paulinho DaCosta. And of course, there are Letta’s show-stopping vocals. To our ears, Listen To The Wind is just one big party, and lord knows we need that more than ever right now.

All that’s missing is you. – Be With Records

Amid the swirling sounds and scenes intersected by Los Angeles’ sprawling freeways, John Carroll Kirby is somewhere at the centre of it all, shirt open, hair slicked back. He circles the city’s buzzing jazz movement with his soul-dappled instrumentals and is a keysman, composer and producer who’s been enlisted by some of the most exciting names in contemporary pop: Frank Ocean, Mark Ronson, Harry Styles, Blood Orange, and Solange Knowles, whose incendiary past two albums, A Seat at the Table and When I Get Home, were shaped in part by Kirby.

He sees himself as more of a Ry Cooder character, the guitarist who co-directed the Cuban ensemble Buena Vista Social Club. “He’s a kind of genreless musician,” says Kirby. “He’s just centred around guitar and where that fits into different scenarios. I’m trying to do something similar, but with the keyboard.” – The Guardian