Back catalogue: Funk Soul & Jazz

Review: 'Strata Records: The Sound Of Detroit Volume 1' is a careful yet exquisite collection of soul, funk and jazz classics from Detroit's rich musical history, throwing back to a time before techno took the Motor City by storm. DJ Amir has curated a diverse selection of songs from the Strata Records catalog, showcasing the label's extensive roster of artists (the likes of Kenny Cox, The Soulmates, and Charles Mingus), and in some cases restoring tracks whose recordings have suffered a loss of quality over the years, for an ultimately soul-bearing listen.

Review: Bristolian turntablist and crate digger Andy Smith has long been renowned for the depth of his funk, soul and hip-hop selections, though it's only in recent years that we've discovered the quality and diversity of his disco collection. He continues to flex those credentials on the third instalment in his Reach Up - Disco Wonderland series. While there's plenty of obscurity on show, as you'd expect, Smith has chosen to include contemporary nu-disco cuts and fresh re-edits alongside vintage picks. So, while we cuts from The Sunshine Band, the disco-highlife of Orlando Julius and some late 70s electro-disco courtesy of French outfit Quartz, we're also treated to fresher tracks and edits from BB Soul, Birdee and Nick Reach Up, Yam Who and Full Intention. Throw in a killer DJ mix of the same material by Skratch Bastid and you have a genuinely essential collection.

Review: The concept behind this new collection on BBE is a simple but effective one: sommelier Frederic Beneix has picked out a selection of wines, and beat maker DJ Cam has dug deep to serve up some rare but fitting musical accompaniments that were produced in the same year. Wine4Melomanes, therefore, is a unique collection of sounds from all over Europe that connects the complexity and sensuality of a tipple with the rhythm and melody of a song. Most are lush and sophisticated jazz cuts that sound good whether you're drinking or not. Delicious.

Review: Japan's revered DJ Muro has put together his first ever compilation for BBE. Diggers Dozen is a real gem with 12 tracks of Japanese jazz-funk and Latin-jazz goodness that fuse traditional instrumental with traditional melodies. These tunes were originally made for the 70s for Nippon Columbia by legendary composers of the time such as Kiyoshi Yamaya, Tadaaki Misago & Tokyo Cuban Boys, Kifu Mitsuhashi, Toshiyuki Miyama and more. Finding these cuts on their original pressings is rare and expensive so don't sleep on this real collector's essential.

Review: 180 Proof Records & BBE Music are continuing to revive the Strata catalogue with Larry Nozero's 1975 passion project, Time. As the final album released by Strata Inc, Time offers a dream-like mix of moods, blending jazz standards like 'All The Things You Are' with the melancholic 'Tony.' Each track on the album, as described by Nozero, is open to individual interpretation, embodying the concept of time itself. Detroit native Nozero, a member of Charles Moore's Detroit Contemporary 5 and a seasoned musician with credits alongside Henry Mancini, Sergio Mendes and Marvin Gaye, created an album fueled by freewheeling expressionism. Collaborating with his cousin Dennis Tini, Nozero crafted pieces that are funky, soulful, and soothing. Tini's 'Tune for L.N.' stands out with its rhythm-centric jazz, while the scat vocals on 'Chronicle Of The Murdered House' and the high-pitched bebop of 'Baubles, Bangles and Beads' add unique dimensions. Remastered from the original reel-to-reel masters, Time has been beautifully restored with original artwork and never-before-seen photos. This new version has been brought to the masses with loving care for new exploration.