Kandace Springs - Soul Eyes (2016)

Every so often a new singer emerges who’s able to assimilate multiple musical touchstones and still come off sounding remarkably fresh and unburdened by the past. Kandace Springs is one of those artists. The 27-year-old, Nashville-based singer, songwriter and pianist counts such stylists as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Roberta Flack and Norah Jones as her heroes, but as evidenced by her sparkling full-length Blue Note Records debut, Soul Eyes,Springs mimics none of them.

The Budos Band - Burnt Offering (2014)

 'Burnt Offering,' the new album from The Budos Band, is a wild, booze-fueled ride of hazy riffs, take-no-prisoners horn lines and relentless percussion that summons the occult - an evolved sound for this mighty 10-piece band sparked by their love of Black Sabbath and Pentagram.  'Burnt Offering,' The Budos Band's first album in four years, will be released October 21 on Daptone Records.  Says Pitchfork of The Budos Band: "So tight and in tune that they've basically become this telepathically-communicating instrumental hydra that ambushes you into moving your body on its terms."

The Heliocentrics & Melvin Van Peebles - The Last Transmission (2014)

The Last Transmission is an interplanetary space/love odyssey told in twelve chapters; it comes nearly ten years after Van Peebles’ appearance as the third member of Quasimoto on Stones Throw Records’ 2005 release The Further Adventure of Lord Quas. For the Heliocentrics, The Last Transmission represents their third Now-Again album, following Out There in 2007 and 13 Degrees of Reality in 2013.

Van Peebles makes for the Heliocentrics’ ideal foil: he did graduate work in astronomy in Holland in the 1950s and maintains an avid interest in cosmology. The Heliocentrics, as their name conveys, draw inspiration from both the philosophic leanings of the likes of Stephen Hawkings and interstellar mysteries, like those surrounding the Malian Dogon tribe’s knowledge of the Sirius B star hundreds of years before it was discovered. Their music is as indebted to Sun Ra’s interstellar jazz as it is inspired by psychedelia’s spiritual expanse.

Lee Fields - Emma Jean (2014)

Soul legend Lee Fields has re-teamed with The Expressions for new album Emma Jean. Coming at a time when many new artists are trying to emulate the soul and swagger of the 1960s, Mr. Fields showers us with authenticity on the 11-track set, highlighted by first single “Magnolia.” Hear the refreshed cover of the JJ Cale track that embodies the late, great American singer-songwriter and the Tulsa Sound he helped create. Since releasing his first album in 1969, Fields has continued to make music for the last 45 years.

 And having been on the road, touring non-stop for the better part of the last decade, it's evident that Fields has hit an elevated stride both as a recording artist and live performer. Emma Jean is the follow up to Fields’ widely praised first two Truth & Soul albums—2009’s My World and 2012’s Faithful Man. Lee Fields & The Expressions have forged a distinct soulful sound and a grown style with this album. They’ve pushed their sound in new directions, moving from being content as contemporary soul music royalty and instead delving into and exploring its next steps. 

Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens - Cold World (2014)

With Gabriel (Bosco Mann) Roth at the helm, Naomi and company went into the studio Summer 2013, and cut onto tape what can only be described as bonafide Soul Excitement of the highest order!  At the heart of it, Cold World is a Soul record but the cross section of sub-genres the album weaves through makes it difficult to label it plainly as such.  There are tracks like ‘Sinner’, ‘Heaven Is Mine’, and ‘Humble Me’ that capture the group’s penchant for Soul grooves, seasoned with Naomi’s tough vocal delivery, and the Queens melodic interplay, which captures perhaps better than any of the other tracks, NSGQ’s live show. 

Third Coast Kings - West Grand Boulevard (2014)

Recorded in Ann Arbour with the full band in one room, a minimum amount of effects, processing and microphones and mixed by much respected funk producer Nate Goldentone (Dojo Cuts, The Liberators), West Grand Boulevard is the awaited new album by Detroit finest deep funk combo Third Coast Kings. Their 2012 self titled debut album made a global impression upon its release, the Kings were invited to Japan to perform at Fuji Rock Festival and gained fans all over the world such as Charles Bradley, Craig Charles (BBC), Kenny Dope and Dj Muro. Now the guys are back with a mission: to carry the torch of Deep Funk heritage across the planet.

Kelis - Food (2014)

Kelis describes her sixth album as “a kind of unspoken lovefest”, involving two unlikely partners.

On the one hand, there is Kelis Rogers, who first came to prominence singing the hook of Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s 1999 hit "Got Your Money". This was the visually and sonically compelling 20 year-old whose debut album Kaleidoscope helped usher in the wave of sharp, thrillingly futuristic R&B that dominated the charts in the early Noughties, as exemplified by her global hit, "Milkshake".

On the other there is Dave Sitek, guitarist in acclaimed Brooklyn experimentalists TV On The Radio and producer to a certain kind of smart, indie band (the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Foals and Liars to name a few). 

Ikebe Shakedown - Stone by Stone (2014)

IkebeShakedown’s powerful instrumental soul takes “big unison horns, slinky bass lines, tight little guitar licks—and blends them with tasty grooves culled from '70s-style horn-driven funk (WNYC Soundcheck).” The Brooklyn-based collective is set to follow up their well-received self-titled debut album with the heavier, more mature sound of their second full-length Stone By Stone, out April 15 on Ubiquity Records.

The new album was recorded at the famed “House of Soul” Daptone Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Notes bassist Vince Chiarito, "Thinking of all the great music that has come out of the Daptone Studio really pushed us to refine our songs and grow as a band. It was really inspiring to record there." 

Ambrose Akinmusire - The imagined savior is far easier to paint (2014)

After the stunning modern jazz trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire delivered on the acclaimed When the Heart Emerges Glistening in 2011, he plays it anything but safe on the imagined savior is far easier to paint. With his working quintet — tenor saxophonist Walter Smith, drummer Justin Brown, bassist Harish Raghavan, and pianist Sam Harris — he expands the frame to include guitarist Charles Altura in a sextet or alternating with Smith. In addition, vocalists Becca Stevens, Cold Specks, and Theo Bleckman (all of whom contribute lyrics) appear, as do the Osso String Quartet and flutist Elena Penderhughes. Akinmusire self-produced this set and showcases a diverse range of carefully scripted, genre-blurring compositions — modern classical, vanguard pop, spoken word — in addition to jazz. the imagined savior is far easier to paint is provocative: its moodiness, myriad musical directions, and 79-minute length may be initially off-putting. What is revealed with repeated listening, however, is that this set's achievement is commensurate with its ambition.

Lady Daisey - In My Headphones (2014)

Lady Daisey (Daisey Traynham - Brooklyn, NY) is a soul/funk singer who spent her childhood touring the U.S. with her parent’s band. Raised on the road, home-schooled and surrounded by music, it was natural for her to blossom into the artist that she is. Since then, she’s been following her musical path and developed her own playful style, ranging from sultry love songs to powerhouse feel-good old-school soul. Lady Daisey has played venues and festivals around the globe, spreading her message of love and positivity, soulfully presented over head noddin' Batsauce beats. A small woman with a huge voice, Lady Daisey is sure to grab the attention and steal the hearts of everyone within ear's reach.

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Give the People What They Want (2014)

For over a decade, the band has traveled the world, blowing minds with their explosive live performances and their raw, hand-crafted studio recordings.  While other artists have ridden the crests and troughs of passing fads, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings have bypassed the hype-and-hit superhighway and taken a detour straight to the hearts and bodies of their listeners, transcending fleeting trends and demographics and delivering a visceral rhythm and soul sound to an ever-expanding base of deeply loyal fans.  Give the People What They Want is poised to become not only an iconic album from a prolific band, but a fixture in the canon of Soul Music.

The Foreign Exchange - Love in Flying Colours (2013)

Representative of how the Internet can aid in creating music, the Foreign Exchange started when Little Brother rapper Phonte heard a beat on Okayplayer.com by Dutch producer Nicolay and asked if he could lay some vocals over it. Nicolay agreed, and the song "Light It Up" appeared shortly after as the B-side to Little Brother's 2002 single "Whatever You Say." Relying mainly on instant messaging and email, the duo continued to work together, with Nicolay sending beats to Phonte, who would add vocals and send them back until they had enough tracks together to form an album. 

Not once during the entire process of making their debut, Connected, which came out in 2004, did the members of the Foreign Exchange speak over the phone or in person. Due in part to an increasing production load, Nicolay moved to the States, and Leave It All Behind, the second FE album -- more R&B-oriented than the debut -- was recorded. 

The Claudia Quintet - September (2013)

Led by composer, drummer and three-time Grammy nominee John Hollenbeck, The Claudia Quintet have quietly but firmly and definitively recast jazz into shimmering new shapes inflected by classical minimalism, new music, progressive rock and post-rock. They are one of the most influential stylists on other musicians in cutting-edge jazz today and the sound of jazz and what jazz can be in the in our time has changed because of their sound and stance.
Hailed by Nate Chinen of the New York Times for their “clockwork intricacy and crisp premeditation ... [striking an] accord between the factions of progressive jazz, classical Minimalism and low-glare experimental rock,” the Claudia Quintet tackles Hollenbeck’s highly demanding works with a wry improvising spirit and a backbone of surging, mesmerizing rhythm.

Reggie B - DNA (2013)

DNA strings of ancient and new dimensional funk interweave to reclaim the pyramids of our time. Travelling light years from Mars to Orion, new horizons of perception and vibration become clear, taking the listener on a quest for more funk and fantasy in their life.

This is Reggie B's musical DNA, a personal testament of his unique funk straight from Khemit. Additional juggernauts featured on this 74 minute space odyssey include B. Bravo, DJ Spinna, Donald Hayes, Kevin Pierce, Onra, Salva and more.

Lauren Desberg - Sideways ep (2013)

Born in Los Angeles to a musical family, Lauren Desberg has been living and breathing music since day one. Desberg discovered her love of jazz at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) where she honed her vocal skills. While attending LACHSA, Desberg was selected to participate in several programs including the Gibson-Baldwin Grammy Jazz Ensembles and the Brubeck Summer Jazz Colony. 

Desberg attended Berklee College of Music in Boston on scholarship and graduated in 2012. While at Berklee, Desberg won the ASCAP Foundation’s Leiber and Stoller Music Award. She sang with the Beantown Swing Orchestra and participated in numerous Berklee events and ensembles. 
Award-winning jazz & world music vocalist Gretchen Parlato has been a mentor of Desberg’s since she was a teenager. Desberg took voice lessons from Parlato throughout LACHSA to her time at Berklee and, after encouragement from fellow musicians, she approached Parlato about producing a demo which eventually became her 5-track EP, Sideways.

VA - Jukebox Jam vol. 2 (2013)

The original Jukebox Jam Blues & Rhythm Revue compilation album was released in September 2011, a collection which brought together the dynamic and varied R&B sounds of Liam Large's London based club night and reissue label. With an action-packed, all-killer set, it quickly became an instant classic, a comp of vintage sounds which truly stood out in an ever-saturated market.

Two years on, and the second volume of Jukebox Jam is unleashed, another collection of 23 obscure masterpieces from mid-century America. Perhaps even more ambitious than Vol 1, the follow-up broadens the scope of investigation by digging both deeper back into the 1940s - with a couple of jazzy blues numbers, and further into the 1960s - with gritty rock and roll and early Detroit soul both featuring prominently.

Robert Glasper Experiment - Black Radio 2 (2013)

Breakthrough success can often be a tough act to follow. But with a little help from some notable friends, Robert Glasper Experiment is set to up the ante with the follow-up to his successful GRAMMY-winning album Black Radio. Flaunting a diverse array of featured guests including Common, Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, Brandy, Jill Scott, Dwele, Marsha Ambrosius, Anthony Hamilton, Faith Evans, Norah Jones, Snoop Dogg, Lupe Fiasco, Luke James, Emeli Sandé, Lalah Hathaway, and Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Black Radio 2 is certain to surprise and delight critics and fans alike. With a unique fusion of R&B, jazz, and hip-hop that brazenly traverses the boundaries of all three genres, Black Radio 2 finds Glasper and his musical cohorts creating in a vibrant new chasm, brilliantly contrasting its predecessor in the process.

Master Plan Inc (2013, Jazzman Rec)

All serious record collectors agree that finding rare records can be a difficult, time consuming and often expensive business. Finding previously unknown records takes this challenge to another level; another step further and you're into the realm of lost master tapes, acetates and demos in record company archives - take one step further still and you've just stepped into a black hole: the mysterious, unknown world of private recordings made by individual musicians, never before circulated beyond the four walls of their studio or home.

Such is the case with Master Plan Inc, a band from Chicago led by Fred Shorts. With just one single to their name - an uber-rarity rated at over $2000 - nobody had any idea that within the confines of a studio archive and Shorts' private residence there would be a wealth of other recordings on acetate, reel-to-reel tape and cassette.

Trombone Shorty - Say That To Say This (2013)

 

Troy ‘Trombone Shorty’ Andrews has God-given talent, natural charisma and a relentless drive to bridge music’s past and future. His third outing for Verve Records, Say That To Say This (Sept. 10), was co-produced by Andrews and kindred spirit Raphael Saadiq, and sounds like nothing else out there, as Andrews and his longtime band, Orleans Avenue – guitarist Pete Murano, bassist Mike Ballard and drummer Joey Peebles – continue their natural musical evolution. In a very real sense, the torch is passed from one great New Orleans band to another on the new album, which features the first new studio recording from the original members of the legendary Meters in 36 years, as they revisit their 1977 classic ‘Be My Lady,’ with Andrews singing lead and playing horns.

Pink Martini - Get Happy (2013)

In their own words:

In January 2012, Thomas Lauderdale and our trusty audio engineer Dave Friedlander flew to Los Angeles to visit Thomas’s new friend, Phyllis Diller. While there, Thomas bought a dozen of Phyllis’s bright colorful paintings… and they recorded Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile”, which turned out to be Phyllis Diller’s final recording, and became the soundtrack for the many tributes to her when she passed away six months later.

Thus began the 18-month odyssey to record Get Happy, the long-awaited studio follow-up to 2009′s Splendor in the Grass, an odyssey which featured a calvacade of vocal royalty visiting our Portland studios, including exotic cabaret sensation Meow Meow, sunny French eccentric Philippe Katerine, the handsome and brilliant radio superstar Ari Shapiro, warm-hearted wunder-siblings The von Trapps, and a riveting appearance by the exquisite Rufus Wainwright!