Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Soul Jazz returns with another of its supremely assembled and vital compilations, and this one focuses on reggae. Down Beat Special offers a thrilling journey through timeless hits carefully selected from Jamaica's revered Studio One Records, the epitome of reggae excellence. From Michigan and Smiley's 'Nice Up The Dance' to Dawn Penn's 'No, No, No' and The Wailers' 'Simmer Down,' this collection pulsates with iconic tracks. Originally a limited edition 7" box set, this remastered edition boasts 18 rare gems, including works by The Skatalites, Bob Marley, and Horace Andy.

Review: A few years ago, Studio One explored the links between Jamaica and James Bond (where the famous fictional spy's creator, Ian Fleming, famously lived) on Studio One 007, a limited-edition box set of seven-inch singles. Now they've revisited and expanded the compilation, adding more ska and rocksteady interpretations of Bond themes (as well as Bond-inspired Jamaican music used on other films of the late 1960s) and the label's usual extensive liner notes. Our picks of a great bunch include the Soul Brothers' ska interpretation of the 'Thunderball' theme song, their collaborative take on the main Bond theme with Jackie Mittoo, a young Lee Perry on the mic (alongside Bob Marley's backing band, the Wailers) on 'Pussy Galore', and Roland Alphonso and the Studio One Orchestra's 'From Russia With Love'.

Review: If you assumed it was possible to live without a ska version of the James Bond theme tune then prepare to be taught one of life's great lessons. Assumption is the mother of all f**k ups, basically. Fear not, though, what was a one-off pressing by Soul Jazz for Record Store Day in 2020 is once again available, only this time on gatefold LP rather than five 7" singles. Perhaps not as authentic or ideal for DJs, nevertheless the contents are just as captivating. Celebrating, in part at least, the bond between Bond and the Caribbean - author Ian Fleming lived on Jamaica and several stories are set in the region, and filmed on said island (Dr No, Live & Let Die, The Man With The Golden Gun, No Time To Die) this is evocative stuff. Stick it on, kick back with a Martini, and picture yourself casing out a mark at some beachside party spot, stunning partner in hand, senses subtly on high alert.

Review: Soul Jazz Records' Boombox series is back with another crucial installment, this time focussing on the early days of hip-hop, electro and disco rap. These multicultural scenes have their roots in community centres, block parties and street jams that were appearing back in the Bronx. It's another fine and fulsome collection across six sides of vinyl and features some of the many innovative names from between 1979 and 1983. All of them are rare, classic and obscure tracks that come with stunning photography from Sophie Bramly who got rare access to document the early days of this scene in New York.

Review: Soul Jazz Records' Boombox series is back with another crucial instalment, this time focussing on the early days of hip-hop, electro and disco rap. These multi-cultural scenes have their roots in community centres, block parties and street jams that were appearing back in the Bronx. It's another fine and fulsome collection across six sides of vinyl and features some of the many innovative names from between 1979 and 1983. All of them are rare, classic and obscure tracks that come with stunning photography from Sophie Bramly who got rare access to document the early days of this scene in New York.

Review: The latest volume in Soul Jazz's Boombox series, which focuses on the formative years of hip-hop culture, delivers a notably deep dig into some of the innovative and inspired disco-rap, electro and proto-hip-hop records released by independent labels, mostly based in New York City, between 1979 and 1983. It's a genuinely eye-opening affair that boasts a mixture of little-known debut singles from now legendary acts (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Funky Four Plus One More), inspired obscurities (see 'Get Live '83', a rare recording by a Chicagoan high school band), bona-fide dancefloor gems (Mike T, Sangria, the electrofunk-rap of Silver Star), and deliciously deep cuts. Throw in Soul Jazz's usual exhaustive, expansive liner notes, and you have another essential collection from the quality compilation specialists.

Review: The mighty Soul Jazz has done it again with this compilation - it features four sides of irresistible ska, soul, rocksteady, funk and dub that traces the history of Jamaican reggae and how American styles like funk and jazz had on it. The record is bursting at the seams with gold from crossover tunes like Tenor Saw's 'Ring the Alarm' to K.C.White's classic 'No, No, No' and Augustus Pablo's always iconic 'Rockers Rock'. Soul Jazz has done all the hard work in digging here so you don't have to.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record ever so slightly warped & creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent working condition***


'Reggae disco' might not be a very well-known style, but Soul Jazz are hardly intimidated by any sense of obscurity, especially when it comes to a fusion between their two most prized genres. Homing in on reggae disco versions of funk, soul and disco classics, this curt but precious compilation features reggae covers of classics by Michael Jackon, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Candi Staton, with coverers including Risco Connection and the Crashers.

Review: Always impeccably curated and sumptuously presented, the seemingly endless Soul Jazz compilation series turns its attention to first generation punk and post-punk, with the years 1997-1981 their relatively strict boundaries. A short space of time, perhaps, but one that witnessed a massive outpouring of original, fresh sounds as the independent record label movement really got going. As you'd expect, this collects the best of the stuff that went under the mainstream radar - no Pistols or Clash here - but the quality level remains high. Jonny Moped's 'Everything Stops For Baby' is speedy and thrilling and very punk, sample lyric: "walking down the road with my incendiary device / Looking for an ear to blow it up with gelignite". 'O' Levels, meanwhile, set fire to the Surrey suburbs with 'East Sheen', all wiry guitars and couldn't give a toss backing vocals, but the double vinyl set also showcases the experimental advances that followed after punk, with 23 Skidoo's 'Last Words' proving to be the kind of gritty British funk that Section 25 and A Certain Ratio would be making their own shortly afterwards.

Review: It's time to track back 20 years to one of the true gems from Soul Jazz's heavyweight range of compilations. Miami Funk takes into the beating heart of the late 60s-early 70s scene hovering around Florida's most famous city, and introduces us to some of the hip underground cats who were laying down the sweetest grooves at that time. Some it's rocking, some of it rolls, at times it's sweet and elsewhere it's nasty, but as you'd expect the quality never dips. This one has been long out of print, and now a limited run is making its way back, with this coloured vinyl edition sure to fly out, so don't sleep!

Review: If it's Soul Jazz and it's a compilation, you need it in your life, no matter the specific focus of the music, that's how good this label is at putting together its various collections. The brief across this all new double album is Holy Church Of The Ecstatic Soul: A Higher Power Gospel Soul & Funk At The Crossroads 1971-83 and so the results are particularly uplifting and moving, stunning and spiritual. It is packed with artists you likely won't know unless you're already big into this scene and aims to draw on links "between black American gospel music and soul music." The impact of secular music on popular forms cannot be overstated and this collection does a fine job of proving that.

Review: The latest new compilation series from Soul Jazz Records is another doozy. It comes on several formats and this is the CD version of Space Funk - Afro Futurist Electro Funk In Space 1976-84. It is the second volume in the already esteemed series and makes for another twist trip to outer space on body-popping Afro grooves and obscure space funk that was all originally put out on small indie labels in the US between 70s and 80s. The likes of Alien Starr, Maggatron, Tribe, Rich Cason and the Galactic Orchestra and more all feature so prepare yourself for quite the ride.

Review: We're always going to be here for a new compilation series from Soul Jazz Records and Space Funk - Afro Futurist Electro Funk In Space 1976-84 is as good as it gets - even the artwork is killer. This second edition in the series is another twist trip to outer space on body-popping Afro grooves and obscure space funk that was all originally put out on small indie labels in the US between 70s and 80s. Plenty of these bionic joins still sound super fresh and they come from a host of artists you might not have heard of including Alien Starr, Maggatron, Tribe, Rich Cason and the Galactic Orchestra. Strap in, it's quite the ride.