Broken Beat/Nu Jazz/Nu Soul charts

Review: Chris Bangs is widely, albeit not so, known for coining the term 'acid jazz'. If it weren't for him it's likely we wouldn't have modern day future jazz pushers like Soul Jazz or Brownswood. This new compendium, 'Firebird', charts the DJ and producer's latest sonic explorations, blurring the boundaries between every influence from contemporary jazz, UK electronic dance, and Latin dance styles from bossa nova to salsa. It also contains several examples of what is known as his 'East Coast' sound, which pays homage to the fusion of jazz and funk and which spread throughout UK nightclubs as far back as the early 80s.

Review: Simultaneously reaching back into the roots of Samba whilst reconfiguring the sound for a new context, Dominco Lancelloti's Sramba is an ingenious contribution to the world of Brazilian jazz. Recorded over two months in Lancelloti's home studio in Lisbon, and inspired by a couple of Russian-designed synths that came into the artist's possession, this is a project that was born out of experimentation. The opening track, 'Ere', features hypnotic guitar riffs and skittering drum sequences that gradually build into an infectious groove over the course of the track. On the B-side, 'Nada Sera De Outra Maneira' takes a softer turn with glittering hints of piano and a central narrative driven by velvety vocals. This is an exciting new take on Samba that opens up a new world of creative possibilities.

Review: Veteran producer, selector and all round champion of impeccable grooves Alex Attias is back on BBE with a second volume of his "Lillygood Party" collection. These are some seriously tasteful jams skirting house but with an emphasis on soul. Peven Everett sounds resplendent on Stacy Kidd's "How Bad I Want Ya" while The Elements Of Life's "Children Of The World" is a soaring slice of jazz funk strapped to a smooth house beat. There's even Pharoah Sanders jamming his sax over a peppy rhythm section and spiritually charged house meanderings from Universal Tongues featuring Elle. It's a collection that surprises and satisfies at every turn.

Review: Paul Murphy's Jazz Room Records serve up two underground dance floor hits from the London circuit here. Latin supergroup Wild And Infectious's 'Caliente' takes care of the a-side and has banging piano riffs and heavy bass laid down by Descarga originator Cachao, all run through with some superb driving vibes from Tany Gil with a big percussion meltdown from Walfredo De Los Reyes added for good measure. ON the reverse, The Vienna Art Orchestra serve up a great new version of a Bud Powell classic.

Review: Portuguese producer Fradinho takes care of the fourth release from Eclectic Beats Music and does them proud. This is a sunny and worldly trip through broken beat with hints of musical styles from Brazil and Africa, jazz licks, funk and soul. The lively instrumentalism brings plenty of energy to the cuts starting with 'Afro Fado' which has big horns and 'Brasilenco' which is aimed squarely at the rump. 'Cabanas' is a more pensive and spiritual cut and 'Freedom' pairs soft chords with prickly stick work. Two further gems will have you moving and feeling in equal measure.

Review: The Jazz Room is a hotly curated selectors' V/A compiled by jazz expert and BBE label owner Paul Murphy. Following the success of the original comp first released in 2019, this one comes up after a full four years' worth of curating and mulling, and aims to represent the full range of both classic and contemporary jazz sounds, from New Orleans to Latin jazz, in quick succession. Consisting of contemporary jazz versions of the likes of Fela Kuti, Raul Monsalve and, for some reason, The Human League, said contributions by the likes of Cruisic and Clare Fischer aim to trace the - yes, the - comprehensive throughline of jazz from past to present, all while refusing to abstain from BBE's trademark eclecticism. Highlights include 'Rebel No. 23' and Fast 3's Hammond-organ-injected 'Don't You Want Me'. Most importantly, no track goes without a driving, bright-bursting mood of energy.

Review: Mistura Pura is an alias for Italian jazz funk artist Federica Grappasonni, who first came to light via the 2018 album Hollywood Spritz on Ubiquity. After a follow-up two years later, finally Grappasonni is back with this classy 7", which we can only assume precedes another long player for Ubiquity soon after. 'Vamo Vive' and 'Ed E' are everything you could wish for from her welcome return, bursting with infectious groove and exquisite musicality. Cop this smoking hot single now and be the first to spread the good word about this stellar artist and her latest sounds.

Review: German DJ and producer Rainer Truby first unveiled the Glucklich series of compilations way back in the 90s, when fusions of Brazilian music, jazz, soul, funk and electronic were making their very first commercial splashes. This reissue of the sixth edition of the series, first released in 2003, hears 14 tracks of nu-Brazilian groove by the likes of Azymuth, Marcos Valle, Sabrina Malheiros and Celia Vaz. You're not likely to hear a psychedelic acid downtempo version of 'Everybody Loves The Sunshine' anywhere else any time soon.

Review: This is a new compilation album by the German DJ and producer Rainer Truby, coming as the sixth installment of the Glucklich series, which aims to showcase the best in contemporary jazz and jazz-adjacent music on an international scale. It's the latest to top up a longstanding series, which has been going since 1994. What one might call nu-jazz, broken beat and nu-soul appears across as string of contributions from the likes of Kyoto Jazz Massive, Nicola Conte, Jazzanova, Quantic and more on this slinky curator's gem.