Favorite France Vinilo y CD

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: Venezuelan band Esperanto have been back in the spotlight as their self-titled debut album got a much needed repress no so long ago. Now French gang Favorite turn their attention to the band's second album, Vegas, which is a real grail for many collectors. It has been remastered for the occasion and comes on gatefold vinyl. The record was written after bandleader Jorge Aguilar made a trip to the world famous trip and was dazzled by the neon lights and vivid colours, all of which clearly influenced this record and its vibrant mix of jazz-funk, boogie and disco.

Review: Here's something slightly unexpected from disco, boogie, funk, soul and Afrobeat enthusiasts Favorite Recordings: a debut album from Le Deal, a swinging quartet made up of some of France's most storied jazz performers. The quartet, which is helmed by keys player Florian Pellissier, recorded the set at the legendary Van Gelder studio in NYC, a space stepped in jazz history. For that reason, it's not surprising that the album's five winding, ear-catching tracks have a classic jazz feel, with a mixture of horn and piano solos stretching out over a double-bass/drums rhythm section that's tight and together throughout. While the whole album is superb, it's the LP's most upbeat moments - see opener 'Traficantes' and the opening instalment of the flipside 'Mexican Junkanoo Suite' - that really stand out.

Review: Favorite Recordings latest release takes us back to 1977 via a new edition of Mexican jazz-funk-fusion outfit Sacbe's self-titled debut LP. For those unfamiliar with the album's charms - and let's face it, that's most of us - it offers a vibrant, colourful blend of dazzling jazz musicianship (think extended electric piano solos, mazy Clarinet lines, punchy trumpet and evocative sax), heady jazz-funk grooves and lashings of additional tropical percussion. Highlights include the hot-to-trot double bass solos and deep chords of 'Androneda', the endlessly evocative and deliciously sun-kissed title track, the laidback bliss of 'Page' and the heavyweight goodness of 'Caribe'.

Review: It would be fair to say that Twylyte '81 aren't exactly one of the better-known soul-jazz acts of the boogie era. In fact, the Frank Jones, Jnr-helmed act released just one album, "The First Coming", in 1981. It's near impossible to find original copies, so France's Favorite Recordings has done the decent thing and offered up this fully licensed reissue. It's a terrific album all told, with the trio offering up a killer mixture of soulful jazz tracks, effervescent jazz-funk numbers, disco-tinged dancefloor cuts and the kind of heart-achingly good slow jams that tend to get overlooked by DJs when they acquire albums of this sort.

Review: Favorite Recordings founder Charles Maurice - initially better-known by his production alias Pascal Rioux - has long been regarded as a dusty-fingered crate digger, so his new compilation series, Fusion Global Sounds, is hotly anticipated. He says it will be an outlet for jazz-funk and fusion tracks of the 1970s and early '80s, mostly made by artists in different parts of the world whose fame never spread further than their own local scenes. You'll find numerous highlights on the series' debut, from the breezy, morning-fresh loveliness of Renato Anselmi's 'Hello Mr Acuvis' and the sun-soaked, afternoon shuffle of The 1960 Band's 'Keep That Same Old Feeling', to the dream pop-influenced sparkle of Otoshakers' 'Simpere Tu' and the righteous dancefloor hedonism of Sundance's 'Buster'.

Review: Favorite Recordings founder Charles Maurice - initially better-known by his production alias Pascal Rioux - has long been regarded as a dusty-fingered crate digger, so his new compilation series, Fusion Global Sounds, is hotly anticipated. He says it will be an outlet for jazz-funk and fusion tracks of the 1970s and early '80s, mostly made by artists in different parts of the world whose fame never spread further than their own local scenes. You'll find numerous highlights on the series' debut, from the breezy, morning-fresh loveliness of Renato Anselmi's 'Hello Mr Acuvis' and the sun-soaked, afternoon shuffle of The 1960 Band's 'Keep That Same Old Feeling', to the dream pop-influenced sparkle of Otoshakers' 'Simpere Tu' and the righteous dancefloor hedonism of Sundance's 'Buster'.

Review: Favorite Recordings returns with the second edition of its compilation series: Fusion Global Sounds. Comprising eight rare and hidden tracks produced between 1976 and 1984 in various parts of the world, this hot-off-the-plate comp delivers a mighty-fine array of dynamic, soul-feeding jazz, soul, disco, jazz and funk delicacies. As a fine collector of jazz-funk and fusion for many years, curator Charles Maurice can be credited for sourcing the ingredients for and cooking up this fine spread of forgotten entrees, this time brought together by a common Brazilian influence.