Soul

Bill Withers' Live At Carnegie Hall was recorded almost 40 years ago on a rainy Friday evening, but it is still regarded as one of the best live performances in the history of soul music.

With some of the best DJs and selectors there is a certain mysterious sound or underlying feeling which unites the music they play, regardless of genre, year or tempo.

Recorded in 1971 by a 27-year-old pastor and an after school program choir, Like A Ship is a stirring and powerful meditation on the wayward aftermath of the Civil Rights Movement.

Where I’m Meant To Be is a thumping celebration of life, an affirming elevation in the Ezra Collective’s winding hybrid sound and refined collective character.

'Based On A True Story' aka BOATS is the debut studio album from Fat Freddy's Drop unleashed ten years ago in May 2005.

Tim Maia was born in 1942 in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro and started his musical career at an early age, along with close friends such as Roberto Carlos or Jorge Ben. Carlos would eventually help him to get a deal for his first single at CBS. During the 70s Maia started to incorporate soul and funk elements into his style.

Classic jazz / funk / folk from the mercurial Callier. Possibly the greatest album ever by the legendary chicago soul singer Terry Callier!

Sly and the Family Stone might have psychedelicised soul music, but Marvin Gaye personalised it. Although the powers-that-were Motown didn't even want to release the record, the unexpected success of What's Going On, issued in 1971, inspired Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, and just about every other black artist on the planet to take greater responsibility for their music and its meaning.

For Thee Sacred Souls, the first time is often the charm. The band’s first club dates led to a record deal with the revered Daptone label; their first singles racked up more than ten million streams in a year and garnered attention from Billboard, Rolling Stone, and KCRW

The musical styles of 'Curtis' moved further away from the pop-soul sounds of Mayfield's previous group The Impressions and featured more of a funk and psychedelic-influenced sound.

The xx producer and percussionist Jamie Smith takes a stab at recontextualizing Gil Scott-Heron's excellent 2010 album, I'm New Here.

In a career laden with highlights and hallmarks in the annals of soul history, Just As I Am is rather overlooked as one of the best soul debuts ever issued.

Although Simone covers songs by Bob Dylan and The Beatles, among others, most of the versions feature arrangements substantially different from the original recordings.

Four decades have failed to dull the album’s power and awe-inspiring scope. It’s been cited as a favorite by figures like Prince, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey – and Wonder himself. “Of all the albums, Songs in the Key of Life I’m most happy about,” he told Q magazine in 1995. “Just the time, being alive then. To be a father and then letting go and letting God give me the energy and strength I needed.” Credit: Rolling Stone

He has left behind a series of fantastic hits plus a handful of tracks which deserve the title of masterpiece, all Collected on this album.

Aretha Franklin disproved the notion that once you leave the church, you can't go back. She returned in triumph on this 1972 double album, making what might be her greatest release ever in any style.

"Backed By Jimmy Bond And Albert 'Tootie' Heath, This Album Showcases Her (Nina Simone) Ballad Voice As One Of Mystery And Sensuality And Her Up-Tempo Jazz Style With Authority And An Enigmatic Down- Home Feel That Is Nonetheless Elegant. The Album Also Introduced A Fine Jazz Pianist. Simone Was A Solid Improviser Who Never Strayed Far From The Blues." - Thom Jurek, AllMusic

Timepeace was recorded in 1998 after a 15 year long career break and won the United Nations's Time For Peace award for outstanding artistic achievement contributing to world peace.

Shuggie Otis was a musical visionary whose early 1970s recordings showed he could do it all, writing, arranging, performing, and producing some of the decade's most satisfying, innovative, and, unfortunately, overlooked music.

As the second of five consecutive albums which made up Stevie's classic period, Talking Book found Wonder at the top of his game, combining tight song writing with warm electronic arrangements and effervescent vocal performances

This new volume of the Diggin collection offers a selection of rare and groovy tracks ranging from Funk to Jazz Fusion and Soul.

Mr Bongo reissue of this 1977 LP by one of the great figures of Brazilian music.

Made of groovy tunes and dance killers, this album could be the crazy soundtrack of a 60s hippie village on the South China Sea.

Free Will is the second studio album by American poet Gil Scott-Heron, released in August 1972 on Flying Dutchman Records.

1973's Innervisions swings between delicate and airy ballads, Latin-influenced rhythms and his own synth-heavy versions of raw funk and soul.

Compiling the follow-up to a very successful first album is always a tricky task, but just 12 months since the release of volume one in the 'With Love' series, miche has excelled himself once again with another glorious, deep dive into the world of rare soul.

What a beauty here. A proper re-issue of Minnie Riperton debut album on GRT, originally puvlished in 1970.

Northern soul floor fillers of the Eccentric variety.

This album represents Curits Mayfield in his prime as a composer.

Originally released at the end of the '60s, Hot Buttered Soul set the precedent for how soul would evolve in the 70's - simultaneously establishing Isaac Hayes as a major music force.

The second Michael Kiwanuka album produced by Dangermouse is a glorious and beautiful tour de force. 

Best-selling, 21-track hits set that’s now on vinyl for the first time.

Live at the Harlem Square Club is a classic live album by Soul singer Sam Cooke

Nina Simone made her first trip into the studio in New York during 1957 to record her debut album Little Girl Blue.

Recorded in early 1971, Curtis / Live! finds Curtis Mayfield in top form at the intimate Greenwich Village club The Bitter End.

Givin' It Back is the ninth album released by The Isley Brothers on their T-Neck imprint in 1971.

House of the Rising Sun features several guest performances by New York studio aces, including Joe Beck, Don Grolnick, David Sanborn, Fred Wesley and Michael Brecker amongst others.

Donny Hathaway's third solo studio album, 'Extension of a Man', followed the soul singer's lauded 1972 collaboration with vocalist Roberta Flack.

A collection of the best gospel - soul thumpers from the Boddie Recording Company and BOS Records by way of The Numero Group.

Curating and ordering the tracks for a Mr Bongo Record Club is always special.

2019 marks the 60th year of Motown, and this anniversary is commemorated with a brand new Greatest Hits compilation featuring tracks from across the label’s unique history.

This is one of Nina Simone's more subdued mid-'60s LPs, putting the emphasis on her piano rather than band arrangements.

Arc Records release Lost Takes, a collection of tracks recorded by Roberta Flack in the sessions leading up to the recording of her seminal debut album First Take.

Born to an African-American opera singer and a Jamaican footballer who played for Celtic in Glasgow, Gil Scott-Heron was a ground-breaking musician and writer whose melding of poetry, soul and political activism paved the way for the arrival of rap and prefaced neo-soul by some decades.

Released in March ’74, sold almost 2 million copies, reached the tip of the U.S. R&B charts and four on the Billboard Top 100 chart.

Officially reissued at last! Considered by many to be a genuine ‘holy grail’ of soul and funk. Featuring Miracles as sampled by Public Enemy, Basement Jaxx, Arrested Development and many more.

Nina Simone: The Montreux Years is released as part of a brand new Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG collection series “The Montreux Years”.

From 1967-1980, Kansas City’s Forte Records captured nearly every iteration of popular Black music.

UK funk outfit Cymande followed their eponymous debut LP with "Second Time Round", also from 1973. Fusing musical influences such as soul, Afro-beat, reggae and calypso, they created a unique British funk sound that became a favourite sample source for hip hop producers in the next two decades.

There's a relaxed vibe running through every note even in the more up-tempo songs and a consistency here that shows Bill at his best.

US cinematic outfit Whatitdo Archive Group return with 'Palace Of A Thousand Sounds', the band's sophomore album exploring the worlds of Mid-Century exotica and library music, out on May 5th.

All killers and no fillers on this fabulous 1969 Motown masperpiece. 

Al Green Greatest Hits, features the classics Let's Stay Together, How Can You Mend A Broken Heart, Tired Of Being Alone and Love and Happiness amongst many other gems from his catalogue.

This album was another brainchild of Marshall Chess' regime at Chess Records. Here, he's getting Ramsey Lewis, supported by an orchestra conducted and arranged by Charles Stepney, to do jazz improvisations on ten songs from The Beatles (aka The White Album).

Deleted 1980 UK Motown label 8-track vinyl LP including My Old Piano Im Coming Out and Upside Down.

Otis Redding and the nine-man band, which includes a three-piece horn section, play a delightfully tough and varied set, delivering amazing, sweaty renditions of fiery up-tempo raves, swaggering, mid-tempo soul grinds, and intense slow numbers.

They don't come anymore classic than this.

Long out-of-print, comes a repress of Doin' Things, the second Phillips LP from Madeline Bell. 

Hotter than July is the nineteenth studio album by Wonder, originally released on Motown's Tamla label in September 1980, featuring hit songs including Happy Birthday.

When Aretha Franklin passed away on August 16, 2018 we lost the Queen of Soul, acknowledged as the foremost female singer of her generation, someone who sold over 75 million records in her glittering career.

Head back to the floor with this brand-new 2LP compilation featuring 42 more of the world’s most remarkable Northern Soul tunes.

This collection is drawn from throughout the sixties, though it does not entirely fit the commonly held belief that Northern Soul records are all ultra-rarities, because half of the tracks here actually were major hits in the US, and four of them were top twenty entries!

The Best of Isaac Hayes brings together 10 soulful cuts from Stax Records’ incomparable creative force.

A 24 carat compilation of the best of the “yellow” Stax, Volt and associated labels’ recordings, many of which crossed over into the American Pop charts.

Mahalia Jackson was the link between ‘Empress of the Blues’ Bessie Smith and ‘Queen of Soul’ Aretha Franklin. Yet, she was not a Blueswoman, considering the Blues to be ‘songs of despair – Gospel songs are the songs of hope’.

Despite their name, the Chicago Gangsters were originally from Ohio. Formed by brothers James, Sam, Chris, and Leroy McCants, the group's sound ranged from heavy funk and disco to sweet, smooth balladry.

I’ll Be Your Rainbow is the only recorded album by classic soul singer Bobby Wilson. Originally released in 1975, the album is a perfect blend of the styles of soul that were running through the east coast underground of the early 70s.

Root Down was Hammond B-3 jazz legend Jimmy Smith's 1972 live album for Verve.

Mavis Staples returns with a brand new studio album produced and written by Ben Harper.

Well before Shuggie Otis cut his debut album, musicianship and performance had long been a part of his life.

This amazing album is the product of six full-time Howard University students taking the direction of department head and jazz great Donald Byrd into the Fantasy Studios along with the aid of production wizard Larry Mizell. 

The 1967 Impulse Records legendary Funk/Soul Instrumental masterpiece album Chicken Fat.

James Reese was as ambitious as he was talented, and his ouevre ranges from brutal, deep soul to sophisticated instrumental ballads to jazz-inflected funk.

It happens at times that a stone cold classic from a bygone era gets rediscovered. But how often does that rediscovery happen when the band is still around? And how often does it lead to a new album? That’s the surprising circumstance behind the Staples Jr. Singers’ long-awaited second album, Searching (out June 14).

Sampled by Kanye and Tyler The Creator

Gospel-soul sensational Michelle David & The True-Tones return with brand new album "Brothers & Sisters".

Following the recent release of Dee C Lee’s latest single, Walk Away, Acid Jazz Records release Just Something, Dee’s first album since 1998.

Soul Portrait is a slice of Southern-fried soul, a blend of beat ballads and dancers.

The Newport Jazz Festival had always brought the best out in Nina Simone.

Wildfire was a household name in Tropical Island music circles due to their excellent albums and performances throughout Trinidad, Tobago, the Caribbean and US Virgin Islands and French Guadeloupe.