Juno Recommends Funk / Rare Groove / Reissues : April 2023

Review: The inimitable BlackCash & Theo are edit masters who are well admired by those who know. Their next outing on the Galaxy Sound Co label is their take on the very rare 'Hey Joyce' by Lou Courtney. It was a favourite of the likes of Cut Chemist and DJ Shadow back in the day and is a real rare groove classic originally from 1967. It has an impassioned lead vocal from Courtney with some super sweet female backing and a beat that is heavy but not overly so. On the flip, lost funk jam, 'Soupy' by Maggie Thrett gets a sympathetic touch-up by these top boys. Another must-have for 45rpm lovers.

Review: One half of Masters At Work, Kenny Dope aka Mad Rackett has worked in every musical field from jungle to big beat to soul and funk remixes, but the latter alias has seen all but four or so releases, and has usually tended towards the more soulful end of the sonic batting cage. 'UFO' and 'B-Boy Strut' are two of the legends' latest, with both tracks on this retroistic 7" working in mad whammy breakbeats and deft song structures, as ever.

Review: Mako & Mr Bristow are top stars of the Stank Soul Edits series and here they take care of a 15th release for the Soul Flip label. Its an imprint with a soft spot for new versions of classic sounds, as the title suggests, and here the pair turn their attention to Jimmy Hicks' reinterpretation of Jean Knight's classic 'Mr Big Stuff' and they draw out the rolling drums and iconic bass riffs then layer in the vocals and tooting horns. On the flip, Candi Staton's 'I'd Rather Be An Old Man's Sweetheart' is in focus and again becomes a real dance floor heater with contemporary oomph.

Review: First released way back in 1980 on the album of the same name, 'Coming To You Live' is one of the most beloved dancefloor jams in the sprawling catalogue of sorely missed soul-jazz organist Charles Earland. Here reissued on seven-inch (and therefore presented in edited form), the track blurs the boundaries between Latin-tinged disco and jazz-funk - all heady female group vocals, heady horns, spacey Herbie Hancock synths and infectious grooves. Over on the flip you'll find original B-side 'Street Themes', a breezier, similarly Latin-tinged jazz-funk cut that features some sensational keys-playing from Earland. In a word: essential.

Review: Vampisoul mainstay Joe Bataan comes through once again this year for a two-track G-funk-whistling pair of soul bits, reissuing the song 'Call My Name', which cemented the crooner's name way back in 2004. A funereal theme overarches the otherwise laid-back and casually-mooded song: "we are gathered here today to remember the departed and have a final say". It's this tension between joyous and lamentatory that nails the Latin Soul artist's overall vision and here you have the potential to whack it on the 'tables once more.

Review: Neil Anderson's unashamedly revivalist Original Gravity label is back once again - when are they not dropping heat, frankly? - with more funk goodness. This time out it is two more massive slices of tasty Latin funk getting served up. The first is Abram & Nestor's 'Four Minutes Of Funk' which is indeed four minutes of funk that will unite dancefloors from here to eternity with its big organ magic. Nestor Alvarez' 'El Trombonista' is as you might guess denied by its big trombone and also boasts some great horn work. These are two steamy and sizzling cuts that prove irresistible.

Review: After much work, Berlin-based reissue label Matasuna Records is finally able to fully and officially reissue these funk classics. After so many bootlegged versions of these it is great to have a high-quality vinyl pressing on nice loud 7". Both of these legendary funk tunes come from the vast vaults of Atlantic Records and have never had their own standalone releases before. On 'Getting Uptown (To Get Down)' United 8 cook up infectious sounds and mix up horns, guitars, drums and bass while on the flip 'Sexy Coffee Pot' from 'Tony Alvon & The Belairs' is an explosion of raw funk energy.

Review: Smoove's latest LP, the retro-modern funk take that is First Class, is primed for a spacious yet packed dancefloor. Smoove's deft emulatory production skills are once again put on full display, collecting vocal samples and original backing tracks from genres like funk, jazz, soul and hip-hop to produce something to the tune of 15 or so remixes. Bustling interpretations of Kraak & Smaak, Una Mas Trio, and Brenda Boykin render this a headsy yet unpretentious dance dazzler.

Review: Philophon reissues two greats from the contemporary band Polyversal Souls, the Afrobeat supergroup who, for close to 20 years, have nailed the sound of the Ghanaian-German diaspora. Their debut single 'Sad Nile' gets a funking looking-back-on here, with its glockenspiel, horns and bustling rhythm section all combining to create a mythical mixture. First dropping in 2007, it sounds just as good in 2023. Thai guitar vibes proffer the B-side on 'Mam Pe'ela Su'ure', a complex bossa nova song with the unusual and magical combination of acoustic guitar, flute (played by Jimi Tenor) and brass.

Review: Mr Bongo continue to churn out top-quality re-edits and here they enlist Danny Krivit aka. Mr. K, the New York producer who has longstandingly helped prop up the dance scene there since the early 1960s. Krivit is responsible for perhaps some of the earliest and most significant disco and funk edits on Earth, so we're more than happy to hear these new ones out, in which he lends his ear to two mambi from Latin extraordinaires Sabu Martinez and Nico Gomez. Percussive clanks and boxy slaps abound on this audiophiles' charm.

Review: Baby Charles was a short-lived project from Brighton which gifted us one stellar LP back in 2008. The band centres around lead vocalist Dionne Charles, whose fierce presence gave the music so much of its power. On the 15th anniversary of its original release, the self-titled album gets a fresh airing via Record Kicks so a wider audience can appreciate the funky genius which poured into this project. With a line-up including Toby Sendall, Georgina Carroll and Siri Beare, and the odd choice crowd-pleaser like their cover of Arctic Monkeys' 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor', there's a lot to love about this outstanding record.

Review: After a sterling run of 7" soul cuts last year, Cannonball get straight back to it with this supremely rare slice from Split Evolution. The Chicago group had some hits in the late 70s and early 80s, but this one slipped through the cracks. Dave Morley from Tesla Groove Records procured a test pressing of this original which had never enjoyed a wider release until now, as sister label Cannonball presses it up for widespread enjoyment. It's a powerful, beautifully rendered slice of soul from the easy-tempo funk of 'Bedroom Eyes' to pitch-perfect B-side 'Let Me Do It', and the ever-devoted soul community will be quick to snap this one up for sure.

Review: This new compilation comprehensively celebrates the work of Bob Thiele, producer extraordinaire and founder of the jazz, funk and soul label Flying Dutchman, which incubated various transnationally renowned talents such as John Coltrane, Gil Scott-Heron, Duke Ellington and Pharoah Sanders. Cycling through each of Thiele's discoveries as though they were akin to scientific breakthroughs like new radioactive isotopes or the wheel, BGP has compiled a monumental collection of greats here, with lesser-cited curveballs from bossa nova great Gato Barbieri, phat instrumental scatter Harold Alexander and Thiele's own Bob Thiele Emergency also in tow.

Review: Hailing from Reno and steeped in cinematic atmosphere, Whatitdo Archive Group return with a single preceding their anticipated new album Palace Of A Thousand Sounds. Coming to us via Record Kicks, 'Forbidden Cove' finds the band leaning in on their strong suits in soul and funk while retaining that widescreen, world-building quality which has marked them out since their 2021 debut LP The Black Stone Affair. Don't sleep on the B-side 'The Cashmere Chamber', which takes us deeper into their smoky, vintage sound.

Review: Portland band The Hemloks deal in a specialty take on the genre of funk: lo-fi twangers with a Western verve. 'Outlaw's Theme' is a 7" single that is both good, bad, and ugly; through plodding wah licks and root-note returns, and with true grit, it searches for a place to dance in the sun.. B-side 'Seaweed', meanwhile, plunges us underwater, dub-delaying its lead guitar line for another less-than-clean yet no less infectious slice of West Coast funk.

Review: 'Dojo Cuts: Pieces' is a retrospective of the Australian funk and soul band's best works, harking all the way back to the six-piece's formation in 2009. Emphasising confidence, rhythmic tightness and unisons above all else, there are selections here ranging from their powerful debut album 'Take From Me' to their latest project 'Rome'. This is a project that flaunts what the band do best; expand outwards from the can't-go-wrong Atlantic/Stax Records template into something greater, not to mention adding a contemporary production sheen.