Soul Jazz Vinyl & CDs

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: Curated by the legendary producer Arthur Baker, Breakers Revenge is a comprehensive compilation of original funk, soul, Latin, disco and electro tracks from 1970-1984. These tracks, ranging from well-known classics to hidden gems, have become legendary in the world of breakdancing. Featuring seminal tracks like Dennis Coffey's 'Scorpio', The Jimmy Castor Bunch's 'It's Just Begun' and Afrika Bambaataa's groundbreaking 'Planet Rock', this collection embodies the essence of breakdancing culture. The percussive breakdowns and infectious beats of these tracks have not only been the soundtrack to countless block parties and park jams but have also been sampled by numerous hip-hop artists and producers. With extensive liner notes and track-by-track breakdowns, Breakers Revenge is perfect time capsule for fans of breakdancing, hip-hop and music enthusiasts.

Review: For the latest in their series of "giant 45s" - loud 12" pressings of classic cuts from the Studio One vaults - Soul Jazz has decided to offer-up a fresh pressing of Brentford All Stars' 'Greedy G'. Based on James Brown classic 'Get On The Good Foot', the track was famously sampled by Boogie Down Productions on their iconic cut 'Jack of Spades'. It remains a bona fide party classic, adding a bass-heavy, Hammond-heavy reggae spin to Brown's insatiable funk groove. As it did the last time Soul Jazz issued it back in 1988, it comes backed with the deeper and more laidback 'Granny Scratch Scratch', another classic cut from Studio One's in-house backing band.

Review: Here's a killer reissue from the Soul Jazz archives which is finally getting a repress. It's hardly surprising when the reissue becomes as sought after as the holy grail original jam from 1970, a sublime instrumental anthem of soulful, skanking perfection with Cedric Im Brooks flexing his sax in glorious style over a beautifully rough n' ready rhythm. It was shortly after this recording was laid down Brooks went on to form The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari with Count Ossie, which tells you all you need to know about the heritage we're dealing with here.

Review: The unequalled Soul Jazz label is serving up some monster funk this month and they don't come much bigger than these two cuts from Chuck Carbo. Opener 'Can I Be Your Squeeze' is a super catchy, break heavy and funk fulled party jam to destroy the floor. Written and produced by the celebrated Eddie Bo, it comes with big drums from New Orleans stick man James Black. On the flip is the ever so slightly more mellow but not less dance 'Take Care Your Homework Friend.' These have long been hard to find and now come pressed nice and loud on fresh wax.

Review: Soma sub-label Avoidant Records recently put out a fantastic collection fo electro cuts but it was a digital only release. Now some of the standouts from it get pulled together on this fresh new 12"that joins the dots between Europe and Detroit. DJ Godfather kicks off with some rapid fire 313 electro, squirrelling bass and slick claps then 'One Direct Line' from The Exaltics is more cosmic and blissed out with lush ambient synths. On the flip, Flug goes hard with mad digital patterns and Blaktony layers up jacking drums, corrugated bass and dark hits. Great stuff.

Review: There is currently only one copy of this on Discogs and it is listed at a rather eye watering L1200. Thankfully this reissue means you can own an undeniably brilliant tune for a much more reasonable price. It is a seminal New Orleans joint from the main man Eddie Bo who made it for the hugely popular group The Explosions. Juanita Brooks is the powerhouse soul sister who provides the vocals and on the other side is something just as good - a deep soul gem to warm you to your core.

Review: Soul Jazz Records are focusing on the fertile New Orleans scene right and and are reissuing a load of out of print, hard to find or eye watering expensive 45rpms. Most of them have been written and produced by the legendary funk machine that is Eddie Bo and this one features in the pocket drum playing from New Orleans's great James Black. His super tight rhythms power along both parts of these big, party start funk tunes. Expressive and guttural vocals light up each one with plenty of horns for good measure.

Review: Stone cold classic alert! First released on Studio One back in the late 1970s and a guaranteed reggae floor-filler ever since, 'Feel Like Jumping' is not only one of Coxsone Dodd's most potent productions, but also one of Marcia Griffiths' greatest moments. Now available again on a heavyweight vinyl pressing with extra bass-weight, the track us built around an infectious rhythm, dancing horn riffs, sweet backing vocals and a life-affirming lead vocal from Griffiths' celebrating the sheer joy of dancing. The flipside Dub Specialist revision is superb too - a genuinely bone-shaking, sub-heavy dancefloor dub that places echoing snippets of Griffiths' lead vocal and reverberating horns at the heart of the action.

Review: Curated as part of the iconic street artist's Tate exhibition this year, The World Of Keith Haring unites many of the talented souls Keith knew, or was inspired by, during his prolific rise as one of the most vital cultural spokesmen through the 70s and 80s. Soundtracking the gritty downtown NYC streets he made his first mark on, this limited collection captures the whole melting pot from b-boy culture with cuts such as "E.T Boogie" and "Bump N Grind", raw boogie and soul ("Over & Over") and pure drama ("The Guardian Angel Is Watching Over Us"). A powerful collection as striking and relatable as his own signature.

Review: Gilles Peterson's obsession with Cuba is long running and well documented over various compilations from across the years. His latest focusses on Experiments in Latin Music from 1975 to 85 and the title suggests it will be the first of an ongoing series on Soul Jazz, compiled in collaboration with Stuart Baker. Across three vibrant sides of vinyl all manner of grooves are offered up, some more traditional, some bravely out there, all drawing on the jazz, funk, Brazilian tropicalia and disco - mixed with classic Latin and salsa - which made it to the island in the 70s.

Notes: Brand new edition of Soul Jazz Records' massive deluxe 400-page Punk 45s cover art book edited and compiled by Jon Savage (author of the seminal book on punk, England's Dreaming) and Stuart Baker (founder of Soul Jazz Records).

This new edition comes with a new introduction from Bobbie Gillespie, founder of Primal Scream (who has recently also published his memoirs Tenement Kid).

Contributors include Peter Saville, Richard Hell, Richard H Kirk, Seymour Stein, Geoff Travis, Martin Moscrop, Glenn Branca, Jamie Reid, Dave Robinson, Roger Armstrong, Martin Mills, Gee Vaucher, Savage Pencil, Dennis Morris and more.

This book is a revelatory guide to hundreds and hundreds of original 7" record cover sleeve designs - visual artefacts found at the heart of the most radical and anarchistic musical movement of the 20th century.

As well as the encyclopaedic visual imagery featured inside, the book also includes interviews with a number of significant figures in punk music: artists and groups including Richard Hell, Martin Moscrop (A Certain Ratio), Richard H Kirk (Cabaret Voltaire), Glenn Branca and David Thomas (Pere Ubu); record label owners including Seymour Stein (Sire Records), Geoff Travis (Rough Trade), Roger Armstrong (Chiswick), Martin Mills (Beggars Banquet), Dave Robinson (Stiff Records), David Brown (Dangerhouse); and the celebrated designers involved in creating punk's original iconic imagery - Peter Saville (Factory Records), Gee Vaucher (Crass Records), Jamie Reid (Sex Pistols), Gee Vaucher (Crass Records) and Dennis Morris (Public Image Limited).

The revolutionary do-it-yourself ethic of punk was applied to the aesthetic of design as much as it was to music, and record sleeves acted as lo-fi signifiers of anarchy, style, fashion, politics and more with an urban and suburban invective courtesy of the 1000s of new bands - punk, post-punk, pre-punk, nearly-punk and more - that emerged at the end of the 1970s.

This book is an exhaustive, thorough and exciting celebration of the stunning artwork of punk music - everything from the most celebrated and iconic designs through to the stark beauty of the cheapest do-it-yourself lo-fi obscurities.

Review: Legendary U.S jazz drummer and Black Panther Steve Reid and his band, The Legendary Master Brotherhood, are best known for their cult classic debut Nova from back in the late 70s. He also played in Sun Ra's Arkestra, was a Motown session drummer and backed James Brown at the Apollo. His other album Odyssey Of The Oblong Square is no slouch either though. It is a deep spiritual jazz classic from the master drummer and Vietnam conscientious objector. This special one-off reissue comes on lovely gold vinyl meaning those long and often fruitless searches for a hard to find original are no more.

Review: Legendary U.S jazz drummer and Black Panther Steve Reid and his band, The Legendary Master Brotherhood, are best known for their cult classic debut Nova from back in the late 70s. He also played in Sun Ra's Arkestra, was a Motown session drummer and backed James Brown at the Apollo. His other album Odyssey Of The Oblong Square is no slouch either though. It is a deep spiritual jazz classic from the master drummer and Vietnam conscientious objector. This special one-off reissue comes on lovely gold vinyl meaning those long and often fruitless searches for a hard to find original are no more.

Review: Rekid is the alter-ego of Matt Edwards. With numerous recording projects (Rekid, Radio Slave, Quiet Village, Mathew E, Sea Devils) Matt Edwards’ music breaks down the traditional barriers of dance music and exposes influences from Walter Gibbons to Andy Weatherall to DJ Harvey to create a truly unique sound. "85 Space/Retrospective" are two more amazing slabs of tech/disco/slowed down house, his trademark sound as a taster for his forthcoming album "Made In Menorca".

Review: There's a lot going on here, and a lot of pure goodness at that. Fans of the Soul Jazz imprint rarely shut up about the label's output quality, and this latest LP from Trees Speak - their second to date - is a case in point. A record that sounds as though it was raised on some of the finest outsider music from the 1960s, 70s and 80s, the whole thing is saturated in pop references but doesn't come across forced or lazy.

You don't have to listen hard to hear the kind of proto-electro and Krautrock that came from the likes of Can, Popul Vuh and Neu!, John Carpenter's movie scores or traits of the No Wave movement that took subterranean New York by storm a few decades ago. Stylistically, the result is a sonic place that has as much attitude as it does edge, equal parts grit and groove, funk and rock, soul and sleaze.

Review: Studio One Soul 2, the highly anticipated second volume of Soul Jazz Records' acclaimed Studio One series, dives deep into Jamaica's enduring love affair with American Soul and Funk. This special 18th anniversary edition features a vibrant array of legendary reggae artists like Horace Andy, The Heptones, Cornell Campbell, and Ken Boothe, all of whom got their start at Studio One before achieving global success. The album features a unique blend of classic and obscure American Soul and Funk tracks, reimagined with a distinct Jamaican flavour. Standout tracks include Cornell Campbell's stunning recut of The Mad Lads' Curtis Mayfield-penned 'Ten to One,' Winston Francis' soulful interpretation of The Five Stairsteps' 'Don't Change,' and Devon Russell's powerful take on 'Make Me Believe in You,' which arguably rivals Mayfield's original. This collection, featuring a mix of classics, rare gems, and previously unreleased tracks, has been meticulously remastered. Perfect for a serious reggae enthusiast, this compilation embodying the Studio One ethos of reworking influential soul records into a Jamaican soundscape.

Review: The 18th-anniversary edition of Studio One Soul 2 brings back a long out of print classic and one of Soul Jazz Records' best-selling collections. This second volume delves into Jamaica's deep connection with American soul and funk and features legendary reggae artists like Horace Andy, The Heptones, Ken Boothe, Jackie Mittoo, and more. These Studio One veterans reinterpret classic and obscure tracks by soul icons such as Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, and Al Green. The album showcases a mix of classics, rare and unreleased tracks, all digitally remastered, so it stands tall as one of the best celebrations of the enduring influence of American soul on Jamaican music.

Review: It's been a while since Soul Jazz tapped into the seemingly bottomless well that is the Studio One archives. This latest trawl through "Sir" Coxsone Dodd's landmark label focuses on the Jamaican imprint's ska output in the "downbeat" period between 1962 and 1965. It was in this period that the ska movement, reflecting Jamaica's newfound independence from the UK, truly began to find its own voice. While that alone makes Studio One Ska Fever worthy of further inspection, it's the tracklist - heavy on early scene classics such as "Freedom Sounds", "Marcus Garvey" and "Mad World", as well as lesser known gems and early works from Lee 'Scratch' Perry and the Wailers - that makes is essential listening.