Back catalogue: Funk Soul & Jazz

Review: For those in the know, this new collab between veteran Portuguese DJ and producer Dedy Dread and fast-rising Hawaiian singing star Olivia Ruff has been a long time coming. But it was worth the wait. The opener 'Cover Me' features Ruff's, well, slightly rough - or at least gravelly - vocals over a rhythm and bass instrumental. It's accented with wispy chords, neat little guitar riffs and crunchy claps. Flip it over and you'll find a remix by label founder The Rebel and Roman pianist and producer Shiny D. Their version is a modern update with brilliant reggaeton rhythms.

Review: Classic soul band The Moments serve up a couple more gems for this red hot series on Dynamite Cuts. First is a steamy, seductive, sexy version of the Lee Forsey classic 'Ride Your Pony'. The gentle drums, the swinging synths and the sting sounds are all topped with butter-smooth vocals. On the back side is something just as majestic and heart warming - 'Sugar Sugar' is a real singalong gem with nice sax stabs, freaky synth bass that never stops squelching and just good vibes that you never want to end.

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: There's not a huge amount we can say with certainty about O$VMV$M. The act is based in Bristol, UK, and certainly reinforce preconceptions of the city as a hotbed for leftfield stuff. Whether that's politics, art, or, in this case, music. Or perhaps all three. Beach Road is as much an exercise in sound-as-art as it is music per se, and as such is a strong statement about the lack of vision and imagination stalking streaming services and record shops alike in 2023.

None of which is to say that O$VMV$M's six-track EP isn't packed with incredible music. 'Diablo', one of the wildest, strangest efforts here, is disjointed mutant pop-electronica that seems like someone is warming up for an MPC showcase, and exemplifies our point. It's pleasurable to hear, but fascinating to take apart. Similar points can be made about the sparse, glitchy percussion of 'Beach Road' and 'Follow', making this one for the deep dive enthusiasts.

Review: Should you be able to find original copies of the two dusty-fingered classics featured on this "45", your bank balance was be significantly smaller. Of course, just because something is rare and expensive doesn't make it good, but Jimmy Thomas's 1969 cut 'Springtime' is genuinely brilliant. Released when funk-rock was arguably at its height, it sees the legendary soul man belting out Alan de Roches' lyrics over a Hammond-heavy fusion of soul, funk and Hendrix-style heavy rock. This time round, it comes backed with a relatively hard to find - on vinyl, at least- chunk of reggae/soul/rhythm & blues from iconic Jamaican singer Owen Grey. It's superb, of course, but we still prefer the incendiary A-side.

Review: One of the UK's most distinctive, consistent and authentic male soul voices returns with his eighth album in 27 years... And it's a serious piece of work. Rich in range, warmth, creativity and a keen eye on the dancefloor, everything about him feels refreshed and energised. Highlights include the Dilla-meets-Iz & Diz style "This Way That Way", the glistening Balearic charm of "Feeds My Mind", the syrupy organs and harmonies on "Insatiable". Winding down with the almost filmic narrative "Grey Clouds", it's one of those records that will have you leaping up, flipping to side A and starting all over again. Feel the love.

Review: Joshua Smeltink is a pianist and producer who works under the On-Ly alias. Since around 2017 has he been playing local bars as well as being a part of a number of different bands. He is currently busy with his own On-Ly band which features Carl Lindeberg on bass, Henry Hicks strumming the guitar and Bryce Zelno from Astral Feld on drums. This heavyweight new album explores worldly rhythms with plenty of off-beat grooves, finger clicks, hulling great drum hits, dark synth sounds and expressive broken beats and jazz melodies to make for an album that is as primal sounding as it is beautiful.

Review: Oscar Peterson had a steady thing going with Verve which carried him through his early career, but after a 14-year stretch with the label he wrapped things up with this album. The jazz pianist was joined by Ray Brown on double bass and Ed Thigpen on drums, between them tackling a number of pop songs, bossa nova, film themes and standards. Producer Jim Davis was committed to capturing the live feeling of the band and approached the recording sessions in October 1964 as such. This reissue follows Verve's exacting attention to detail, with transfers from analogue tape and presented in deluxe gatefold packaging.