Z Records Vinilo y CD

Review: While his immense contribution to UK dancefloors often goes unacknowledged, Colin Curtis continues to delight dancers - and jazz dancers in particular - well over 50 years after making his first appearance behind the decks. More impressively, he continues to dig for new and previously unearthed music, sharing these finds via the ongoing Jazz Dance Fusion series. Volume four - the latest - showcases 26 tracks across two CDs, mixing hot new and recent jazz dance workouts with buried treasure of all kinds. It's naturally heavy on Latin jazz, fusion and percussive jazz-funk, but also touches on samba, salsa and "Latin spoken word". In other words, it's another sublime selection from one of UK dance music culture's true underground heroes.

Review: Z Recordings chief Dave Lee has teamed up on this one with Omar, a prolific multi-instrumentalist who was awarded an MBE in 2012 for services to music. The result is 'Starlight', a serving of emotive soul funk with a nod to legend Stevie Wonder. Over on the flip, we have the late night boogie-down vibe of Destiny II's 'I'm Here For This' featuring Aria Lyric's powerful vocal delivery, underpinned by an uplifting arrangement that has summertime vibes abound. A new project by Lee, it debuted earlier this year with the excellent 'Play 2 Win'

Review: In its full digital form, Z Records' excellent Life's Better With Disco Comp is an epic 37 tracks deep. Naturally there aren't that many cuts on this sampler 12", but the four on show are undoubtedly amongst the set's many highlights. Boss man Dave Lee kicks things off via a superb classic disco-meets-nu-disco revision of Firefly's 'Love Is Gunna Be On Your Side', before there's a chance to cop an obscure Backroom Productions rework of their early proto-house/garage-house gem (as Ruffneck), 'The Power - The Rhythm'. The mid-'80s fun continues on Larry Levan's vintage remix of Jonny Dynell's 'Rhythm of Love' - a killer fusion of dubbed-out synths and drums and Konk style Latin percussion - while Doug Willis' 'Doug's Disco Theme' is a classic disco-house number from Lee under one of his many alternative aliases.

Review: DJ, curator and producer Dave Lee (fka. Joey Negro) continues to celebrate his 30-odd year long career in music with his second curatorital comp release. The 'Produced With Love' series charts all of Lee's original productions in soulful house and disco, and this second edition includes choices songs by the likes of Destiny II, Leroy Burgess and Andreya Triana. Always collaborative and with effortless attention to funking detail, Lee brings it once again.

Review: Sean McCabe's work has formed a solid backbone for Dave Lee's Z Records in the last couple of years. He has a fresh disco style that pairs the old with the new in essential ways. For this new 12" he teases his new album with a sampler of four reworks and remixes. His take on 'Now What' is deep and glossy, then he takes The Blackbyrds' 'Mysterious Vibes' in a slick and soulful deep house direction complete with standout lead sax. The deep house mood continues on the 'Timeline' remix chi has late night keys and exudes real warmth. Last of all is a fantastic broken beat workout that is lush and jazzy.

Review: Z Records' ongoing 'Attack The Dancefloor 'series of compilation style vinyl EPs has long been a reliable source of disco-fired excellence, and this 21st edition is another high-quality affair. We're first treated to a superb Jimpster revision of recent Mistura single 'Want Me Back', where Jemini's spoken word vocal, jazzy keys and spacey synth sounds rise above loose-limbed deep house beats and wiggly TB-303 lines, before Birdee drops a genuinely joyous, organic-sounding disco-house take on 1991 classic 'Do What You Feel' (now credited to Joey Montenegro, rather than his now retired Joey Negro alias). Elsewhere, Lee's own rework of Lakeshore Commission's Bluey collaboration 'In The Light' is a smooth, soulful, string-drenched delight and the veteran producer's 'Destination Boogie' tweak of Destiny II's 'Play To Win' is a revivalist '80s electrofunk delight.

Review: Under The Influence is Z Records' effort to document and preserve lost, forgotten soul-and-funk-feeding-into-house finds. Rahaan, from Chicago, here gets their attention and praise; a DJ and early progenitor of Chicago house, these tracks (unearthed from the vaults) are expensive and weighty forays through italo, disco and new wave, all carefully chosen by the man himself.

Review: Dave Lee's Z Records looks back to go forward as it offers up a spiffing new 12" of contemporary reworks of 4 classics cuts of various vintages from the ZR back cat. Kicking things off in fantastic fashion is a slap bass and wah clav powered take on Raven Maize's 'Forever Together', originally released in1989, this was the first house cut to feature the now iconic keys riff. Dave's Heavenly Star mix of 'One Kiss' (first out in 1991) is pure hip-swinging soulful disco. Joey Montenegro (who could that be?) offers two classic cuts on the flip side. 'Make A Move On Me' (Original Disco mix) sees the crossover hit from 2005 get a Chic like makeover with its zippy leads and timeless diva vocals. Whilst the special 25th Anniversary Mix of 1998's 'Can't Get High Without U' closes things off with some peak time, tension filled, disco house action!

Review: Originally dropped mid-summer as a digital release, the quality on this remix package from The Sunburst Band was just too good to keep off wax. First up, bandleader Dave Lee himself steps up with a 'Jazz Funk Renaissance' version of 'Listen Love' which frames Wayne Hernandez's stirring vocal turn with molten Rhodes and wah-wah guitars aplenty. Then the Louie Vega-Josh Milan dream team come correct with two spellbinding versions that speak to their prowess in the field of live, deeply rooted house music. For good measure, Lee rounds things off on the B2 with a 'Flute Reboot' for those who just want to zone in on the groove.

Review: This 2023 RSD release on Z Records is a treat for fans of soulful disco and 2-step garage. The A-side features a special 45 version of 'Secret Life Of Us', a catchy and uplifting anthem from The Sunburst Band's fourth album. The B-side showcases a 2-step soul mix of 'Look At The Stars', a smooth and romantic tune from Dave Lee's Produced With Love II album. Both tracks showcase the vocal talents of Maurissa Rose, who adds warmth and emotion to the songs.

Review: Dave Lee aka Joey Negro has pulled together a fine team of remixers here to serve up their own versions of tunes by him, Jakarta, The Sunburst Band and Prospect Park, all for his own Z Records. Freerange boss and deep house Don Jimspter goes first and brings real sunshine to his take on 'He Is.' Detroit badman Andres then does what he does best to 'I Recognise', that is layering in hip hop slanted beats and nice rolling baselines under lush chords. On the flip are two more positive house vibrations to make this a handy EP.

Review: Dave Lee's Z Records continues to fly the flag for disco-tinged house, or house-tinged disco, from new school artists and old-school mainstays. One thing you can be sure of with music n this label is that it will be big, crowd-pleasing tackle that never forgets its roots. There is real religious rapture in the thrilling Doug Godbizniss mix of 'The Mighty Douglas' which gets the EP underway in fine style. After that is a sumptuous, string-laced house classic from Ron Basejam, a lush mix of the wonderfully ethereal 'American Dram' from lounge-y house don Atjazz and classy, hip-swinging vocal house bomb from Dave Lee himself.