Super review by Cal Gibson, of The Secret Soul Society and Scruffy Soul Recordings.

Jazzanova have been so good for so long that they’re perhaps in danger of being taken for granted: if its Jazzanova it must be good – simple as that. Twenty five plus years of music making have not dimmed their impeccable curatorial skills: these cats always know where it’s at – sniffing out the finest, freshest soulful fusions from the global underground. Go all the way back to 1999 and Caravelle, for example, and you’re right in it from the off: they’re bumping and boogie-ing their way around the world’s dancefloors – don’t stop ‘til you drop indeed.

Here they hook up with Amir, Waajeed, and Henrik Schwarz, for a poke around the immense Strata Records back catalogue, starting off with their funkified take on the Lyman Woodward Organization’s Creative Musicians. Vocalist Sean Haefeli ably steps up to tackle the hymn to creativity, providing a sterling interpretation of the original’s blueprint. The souljazz stylings of the OG given a rather tasty Afrobeat flex: subtly and superbly done.

Waajeed rumbustiously bumps things into Detroit beatdown territory: darker, sweatier, bassment boogaloo vibes – a red light and a feeling. Schwarz ladles on the horns freely over the 4/4s: again heading for the floor, laser-guided melodies intact.

The awesome original cuts also gets a welcome run out and there’s a badass album about to drop: looks to me very much like Jazzanova are indeed still crazy after all these years. You wouldn’t want it any other way, right?

Jazzanova`s Creative Musicians, including remixes from Waajeed and Henrik Schwarz is out now on BBE.