Back catalogue: Funk

Review: With 'breaking' making its debut in the 2024 Paris Olympics, it seems an apt time to go back to where it all began and showcase some of the music that first made break-dancers move in the early years of hip-hop culture. Soul Jazz Records clearly agrees, hence this two-disc retrospective of early 'breaker' favourites curated by Arthur Baker - a man who's productions and remixes soundtracked many dancefloor battles in the early 80s. It's a suitably strong selection all told, with dusty funk, soul and funk-rock favourites (Johnny Bristol, James Brown, The Jimmy Castor Bunch, Spanky Wilson) being joined by disco-funk jams (Herman Kelly and Life), extra-percussive workouts (Manu Dibango, Mongo Santamaria, Candido) and a smattering of key Baker productions (Afrika Bambaata and Soul Sonic Force's 'Planet Rock' and his own infectious 'Breakers Revenge').

Review: By the time they released Saci Perere in 1980, carioca outfit Banda Black Rio were amongst Brazil's biggest dance music stars - an outfit whose blends of samba, jazz, disco, funk and MPB moved the heart and feet of the country's dancers. The set remains a timeless Brazilian classic - hence this much-deserved CD reissue. Highlights come thick and fast throughout, from the leisurely sundown headiness of 'Saci Perere', and horn-heavy jauntiness of 'Melissa', to the funky samba-jazz fusion of 'Subindo O Morro', synth-laden downtempo sunshine of 'Amor Natural' and the atmospheric Latin disco-funk of 'Broto Sexy'. An album that should be in every Brazilian music fan's collection.

Review: Benson's first album since rejoining Warner Music Group earlier this year, it was originally recorded in 1989 but was never released. It features the celebrated composer-arranger Robert Farnon and his orchestra and Farnon's lush arrangements beautifully complement Benson's soulful vocals and fluid guitar work on American standards like 'Autumn Leaves,' 'At Last,' and 'My Romance', as well as reimagined pop classics such as the Beatles' 'Yesterday' and Leon Russell's 'A Song For You.' The album was delayed and subsequently lost until recently rediscovered in Benson's archive and with the help of pianist, composer and arranger Randy Waldman, Benson has revived and remastered the recordings, adding new overdubs and choral arrangements. This release adds a new chapter to Benson's illustrious career, following his tenure with Warner Records from 1976 to 1993, during which he released 12 studio albums, including the triple-platinum Breezin'. Recognised as a jazz master by the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) in 2009, Benson continues to be a giant in both jazz and contemporary music.

Review: Funkadelic superstar George Clinton knew many a side project as a producer; one was the ingenious, part-cyborg duo, The Brides Of Funkenstein. It was Clinton's idea that two other backing singers, Lynn Mabry and Dawn Silva, become the Brides Of Funkenstein, a character he invented for the 1976 Parliament LP, The Clones Of Dr Funkenstein. So popular were the brides that Clinton wasted no time in signing them to Atlantic Records; their debut album here followed the rip-roaring fan feedback that ensued from their debut single 'Disco To Go' / 'When You're Gone' in the US. The decision to break the male-fronted P-funk mould was intentional: simply *that many* Clinton instrumentals could not be credited to the man alone. "He's got thousands of tracks. He's got a whole cupboard full of them. He's got enough tracks to keep him in albums for two years," once chimed Mabry. Enchanting each jam with mecha-augmented femme flair, we're urged to be taken to the limit, across a blistering seven, smackout tracks. Mark 'Warship Touchante', the star tune by far: a wonky hi-NRG nutter, splattered with surreal, performative electronic vocal effects.