A few current favourites, jazz and world vibes mainly, care of Secret Soul Society’s Cal Gibson.
The Goss One & Cali remix of Highlife is subtle, sweet and dancefloor primed: irrepressible guitar lines and beats that shimmer in the sun from this Belgian collective. A joyful Afrocentric noise that works a wonky magic.
First nations bassist Davin Ojala swings his way through eight short pieces that foreground his 4 string jazzual flex. Pick Your Poison is a highlight: rolling and tumbling and bumbling around with serious abandon. The whole album is strong all round: a winner.
Beatdown dynamics from Itamar Kluger: low, slow and full of Turkish glow – Phantom Love is the lead out track and it’s a deep delight – narcoleptic nuances all round. With an album to follow this is a cracking starter cut for sure.
Made In Senegal | Orchestra Baobab | Strut
Celebrating fifty years of magical mystical music making Strut pull off a major coup: 9 years on since their last LP and Orchestra Baobab sound as compelling as ever: highlighted cut Ana Maria is a lilting, tilting slice of laidback Dakar goodness, sweet and sunny and soulful as hell.
Disco Star – ديسكوستار | Alsarah & the Nubatones
There’s a Nickodemus & Apelika remix for the dancefloor but the lithe charms of the original is the one on repeat: Sudanese folk flipped into a pop-flecked flavour that’s unique and charming in the same breath. Sounds like nothing else around which is always a neat trick to pull.
Dance Of The Universe Orchestra | You Make Me Want To Sing
A private press obscurity dug up by Paul Murphy and sounding wholesome and frolicsome for fun times in the sunshine. Vocal jazz licks, childlike wonder, bangs, booms, bips and bops – it’s all on show and sounding wonderful. Jazz Room strikes again, no doubt!
Msindaba Jazz Band | Msindaba Jazz Band | Imetoka Collective
From Tanzania and heavy on the drums and the horns: four strong cuts for the far out dancefloors with the pick maybe being the vocal-led Wakali Wa Kizi Hazi. Uncompromising, headstrong and glorious. Not for the faint of heart, you’ve got to admire the depth of the passion. Strong.
Can You Feel It? Vol.5: Modern Soul, Disco & Boogie 1977-88 | Tramp
Another unmissable collection from Tramp chock full of rarities and unheard minor classics: 13 firing bits and pieces with a favourite possibly being Tory Wynter‘s heartfelt Oh Let The Rain Fall Down. Heartbreakingly good stuff. The rest of the album is just as good: snap it up.
Richard Stepp | When We Meet Again | Expansion
When We Meet Again is perfect summer loving soul: it might be 47 years old but there’s a freshness and a vitality that’s wholly timeless – a modern soul classic in the making. If this was released last week you wouldn’t be surprised: a true little gem.
The Visitors | Motherland (Remastered 2026) | Jazz Dispensary
The original album came out on Muse in 1975, Earl and Carl Grubbs on alto and tenor sax going deep and spiritualised on the title cut: the remastering is warm and friendly and sounds divine. A real find for the soul-searchers amongst us – seek and ye shall indeed find. A captivating collection.
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