Strut Vinyl & CDs

Review: Two tracks taken from the new self titled album on Strut from guitar legend Dennis Coffey, the man responsible for the B-Boy classic and million-copy selling ''Scorpio''. Dennis was also a member of the Motown Funk Brothers backing band and was key to bringing heavy wah wah guitar to soul and R&B during the late 60s. Stones Throw artist Mayer Hawthorne assists on the A Side, covering a George Clinton penned track with Mayer's vocals sounding soulfully sweet. On the flip Milwaukee outfit Kings Go Forth get to grips with a new composition, a fantastic dancefloor shaker with funk rock overtones and heavy on the Hammond organ. Tough stuff all round - Dennis Coffey is back!

Review: 12-piece improvisational outfit Nubiyan Twist made a big impression with their 2015 debut album (also called "Nubiyan Twist"), a set that gleefully joined the dots between Afrobeat, jazz, hip-hop, soul and much more besides. Here they make their debut on Strut Records with two more reasons to be cheerful. A-side "Tell It To Me Slowly", featuring guest vocals from Nick Richards, is particularly good, with soulful male and female vocals rising above a loose-limbed broken beat rhythm, warm electric piano riffs, jazzy guitar solos and Afro-tinged horns. Nubiya Brandon joins in the fun on flipside "Sugar Cane", a lolloping, head-nodding slab of hip-hop soul/dub fusion that's as delicious as a Michelin-starred meal and a fraction of the price.

Review: Strut rings in the holiday season with a special reissue of The Qualities' rare 1961 single 'It's Christmas Time' b/w 'Happy New Year To You!', originally released on Sun Ra's Saturn label. This mysterious vocal harmony group, guided by the visionary Sun Ra, captures a unique moment in music history. Likely recorded around 1956, the festive tracks showcase Sun Ra's influence, blending jazz and harmony group experimentation. Remastered and restored, this exclusive 7" features a new picture sleeve designed by Liam Large, making it a collector's item that celebrates both the holidays and Sun Ra's boundary-pushing legacy.