Juno Recommends Funk / Reissues September 2021

Review: The Soul Sisters label once again pays tribute to the great voices of soul music from over the years. This one comes from the studio of Jm Sharp, who was looked away during look down, keeping himself warm on cold long nights with his own effervescing edit jobs. his one is a sure fire floor filler with side-a intertwining two versions of tunes that pay homage to the Sunshine State with boom bap drums. On the flip, the Monte cold Roy Ayres classic 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine' gets reworked into a noodling slow motion funk jam with fat g-funk bass.

Review: The latest 2021 Record Store Day drop includes a swathe of classic disco, soul and funk records - releases that should be in any DJ's armoury. Vaughan Mason & Crew's 'Bounce Rock Skate Roll', arguably the most famous roller-disco/roller-boogie jam of all time, is not particularly obscure, but it is a must-have. Popular with disco DJs for its squelchy synth bassline, chant-along vocals and sparkling instrumentation, the track has also long been a favourite of block party hip-hop DJs, who love doubling up its metronomic boogie breaks. This seven-inch pressing includes the original version ('Part 1', on the A-side), and the longer 'Part 2' mix that includes the extended, groove-focused instrumental sections that hip-hop jocks love to double-up. If you don't already own a copy, grab one of these.

Review: Any Omar S release is worth checking, but when it also features Detroit funk godfather and Motor City legend Amp Fiddler, as well as Andre Foxxe of Parliament-Funkadelic, then it's pretty much buy on sight. You never know what you're gaping to get with the FXHE boss, and never was that more true than here on this sweet little 7". A-side 'The First One Hundred' is a loop of Omar S's trademark dusty drums and a deeply buried bass guitar riff that is super funky, and 'Dance Your Blues Away (feat Amp Fiddler)' sounds like Prince making house music in Omar S's studio. They are short, but oh so sweet.

Review: Original Gravity serves up cause for lift-off once again with a red hot new Latin-tinged funk 7" from Luchito and Nestor Alvarez. They take one tune each with Luchito going first. The driving drums and big horn stabs of 'Feed Me Good' are joined by some more sultry trumpet solos while the fiery vocals add fuel to the flames. On the flip side, Nestor Alvarez's 'Lechon Y Maduros' is a heavy percussive workout with tons of piano rolls and big horns over a restless beat that shimmies and sways endlessly.

Review:  Ernie K. Doe's infectious and super funky classic 'Here Come The Girls' is maybe best known for being used by Boots on their 2007 advertising campaign. It brought the New Orleans artist and his music lots of fresh attention and deservingly so. In fact, it was even heavily borrowed from by UK pop act Sugar Babes who made a Top 3 hit. But the original is still where it is at. Written by Allen Toussaint, it is a production that any discerning 7" lover need in their racks. It is a real and instant floor filler.

Review: It's a while since we last heard from Breakdown Brass, an ensemble whose epic line-up includes members of almost every major contemporary Brooklyn-based soul and funk act. "Next Episode" isn't a new jam, but rather a timely reissue of their sought-after 2015 cover of Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg's 1999 hip-hop anthem of the same name. It's an absolutely killer cover, all told, with the band replacing all of the original's distinctive sampled loops with heavy brass parts and a range of dizzying instrumental solos. B-side "Monmouth" - an original composition by bandleader Nadav Nirenberg - is almost as good, offering a ballsy bland of fuzzy brass parts and chunky, hip-hop style beats.

Review: Confunktion Records's Mr. Confuse links with Ferry Ultra on this tight new 7". It is a fresh and funky take on nu-disco from Ferry Ultra, who is best known for his work with greats like Roy Ayers, Gwen McCrae, Ann Sexton and Kurtis Blow. There are some strong summer vibes to this one with silky synths and cosmic vibes pervading the dubby, rolling disco beats of the excellent 'Discognized'. It is playful and charismatic, making it all the more fun. On the reverse is a version that will work once the sun has gone down and the party has moved inside.

Review: Carrie Riley & The Fascinations are one of those mythologised outfits who released only one single, but who really nailed that one single. The year of origin is unknown but now the Symphonical Records label that is dedicated to reviving and releasing unissued cuts from often forgotten artists of colour now puts it back on the map. 'Super Cool' is indeed ice cold. The sultry trumpets and low slung bass roll deep and the heart aching vocal is soul perfection. On the flip is the delightfully tender and vulnerable 'Living In A Lonesome House Without You' with its soft vocals and softer grooves.

Review: Ricardo Bomba was not only a studio owner, engineer, pianist and composer, but so too was he an accomplished amateur skateboarder. He lay down these previously unreleased, sun soaked Brazilian tunes in 1978 after years as bandleader with the one and only Jorge Ben's live show. The master tapes were said to have been binned during a heavy studio clear out but the man himself kept a tape copy that has been remastered for this special 7". Mariana Couto provides the angelic vocals while the music all trills with joy and happiness.

Review: Esperanto is widely heralded as a Venezuelan jazz-Ffsion masterpiece. It was first released in 1980 and is a real collector's item that is hard to find an expensive. French label Favourite now presents a first ever reissue of the eponymous LP that was recorded in Caracas by a number of talented musicians. It has strong Latin and funk overtones. Squelchy synth sounds and is a must-have for anyone interested in this fine fusion sound. The band started off playing jam sessions that grew ever more refined to the point that they eventually lay down this enduring masterclass.

Review: Pete Rock and CL Smooth go together like butter and toast. The Originals label pulls another classic from their vast discography here in the form of 'Burning Spear.' It first featured on the pair's seminal 1993 EP and is a flute laced cut with plenty of crisp drum breaks and of course famously fluid flow from Pete. DJ Matman is the studio wizard charged with serving up the edit and flips the original sample with some style. It comes from 'Burning Spear' By S.O.U.L. and is another deep cut funk gem with rolling bass that sweeps you off your feet and takes you on a nice summery trip.

Review: Having previously delivered two near-perfect compilations of gospel-powered disco (the essential Divine Disco volumes one and two), Greg Belson has now turned his attention to obscure gospel-soul and gospel-funk. As you'd expect, the standard is exceptionally high throughout, with Belson digging deep into his crates to present top-notch gems that will be all but unknown to all but the most hardcore gospel collectors. Highlights come thick and fast from start to finish, with our picks including the fiery, breakbeat-driven funk of the Wearland Singers' 'If You See Me Doing Wrong', the organ-heavy sweetness of Allen Gauff Jr & His Combo's 'I Don't Want To Be Alone' and the Gospel Ambassadors' sensational cover of gospel classic 'This Little Light of Mine'.

Review: These days, there are countless bands authentically recreating the fuzzy sounds of 1960s and '70s Black American soul and funk. That wasn't the case when the Poets of Rhythm released their first records in the 1990s. Their attempts to create a new (old) funk sound arguably peaked with 2001's Discern/Define, the German combo's second and final full-length. Here reissued on wax for the first time since with a slightly expanded track list, the album remains a classic collection of funk-some gems that digs deep for inspiration. Yes, there are nods to James Brown, Stax Records and the Meters, but also dusty reggae-soul, Blaxploitation soundtracks and obscure Latino funk. In a word: essential.

Review: Portuguese label Mad About Records has dabbled with reissuing Brazilian music before, though this compilation from boss man Joaquim Paulo is by far and away their most in-depth dive into the South American country's rich dance music heritage. Disco E Cultura Volume 1 focuses on soul, funk, disco, boogie and jazz-funk released in the country during the 70s and '80s, offering up tons of colourful, floor-friendly jams featuring punchy, razor-sharp horn lines, MPB style vocals and grooves to die for. It's all excellent to be honest, though if you're looking for highlights we'd suggest checking Lafayette's brilliant 'Sol De Varao', the Barrio-funk of Franco, the hot-stepping breakbeats and mazy synth solos of Aloisio's jazz-funk gem 'Tema R', and the wonderfully smooth grooves of Grupo Natureza.

Review: You can always rely on Super Disco Edits for exactly that. The long-running label's 68th such serving is from the Ebony Rhythm Funk Campaign and features a couple of their previously unreleased joints. Opener '69 Cents' brings slick and sleek afro drumming with some splendid horn sections powering things along. A smooth and soulful vocal ride in amongst the drum grooves and takes you on a fine trip. On the reverse is 'That Is Why,' which slows things down a little and gets more loved up. The backing vocals lend the whole thing an air of class as the lining trumpets soar and the mellifluous chords sink you in deep.

Review: Vocalist Jodie Richardson continues to assert herself as a modern soul sensation with this new one on Original Gravity. Featuring Neil Anderson on production, drums, bass and keys, this one could be a double a-side such is the equally brilliance of both tunes. 'Pushover' is a powerful tune with driving rhythms backed by big horns as Jodie's beautiful vocals race along up top. It's steeped in classic soul references and is brilliantly unrelenting. On the flip side, 'Treat Me Better' is another belter, this time rolling a little deeper with empowering lyrics about searching for someone better over super tight stick work.

Review: The Drumstream label's Create Breaks series keeps on serving up tidy little 7"s that are packed with electrifying breaks and beats. After a killer second instalment from the 4Hero drummer, now it is the Funkshone founder and band leader Mike Bandoni who steps up with some exclusive new tunes. He is formerly the drummer with the Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band and is a multi-instrumentalist and composer as well as a blistering talented stick man. He shows that off here with a flurry of high-speed grooves, prickly rhythms and even some more slow and seductive stick work.

Review: As the label artwork makes clear, this two-tracker from the Alex Santos Orchestra was made in tribute to Creed Taylor's legendary CTI Records imprint, which during the 1970s released some of the finest jazz, jazz-funk and fusion records ever made. On side A the studio collective gives their interpretation of Freddie Hubbard's 1970 epic 'Red Clay', with the track's most famous musical elements - jaunty sax riffs and mazy electric piano motifs - rising above a funkier, warmer and tighter interpretation of the track's low-end groove. Turn to the flip for their version of Bob James' favourite 'Nautilus', a harder edged cover that combines a faithfully spacey take on the original's electric piano melody with sweatier beats and heavier horns.