Contemporary work from Uku Kuut – but grooves that have the same great feel as some of his rare material from the 80s! Most of us folks first discovered Uku's work on PPU's excellent compilation of his home studio recordings from years back – and it's great to see that he's still going strong, working here on a set of different mixes for various local producers – most of whom are quite well conversed in dancefloor soul styles from the US! Most vocals are in English, and the set features Uku Kuut mixes of cuts that include "Angel", "Long Time Ago", "One More Time", "Funkdabass", "No One's Gonna Stand In Our Way", "When Love Has Gone Away", "Main Funk", and "Affinity". ~ Dusty Groove
On her debut EP Kiss And Run, Canadian born singer-songwriter, Jenna Andrews weaves a deep tapestry of emotion, personal growth and introspection. She imbues everything from pop to soul with poignant lyrics, suggesting a strength and wisdom beyond her years. Music, particularly jazz and R&B, was her mother’s passion. She introduced Jenna to great vocalists like Donnie Hathaway and legendary singer-songwriters such as Carly Simon and Carole King. As a young girl, Jenna connected with the music of her mother’s generation more than the music of her own peers. On her seven track EP, Jenna collaborated with some of the world’s top writers and producers, including The Messengers (Justin Bieber, Chris Brown), Dan Heath (Lana Del Rey), Doc McKinney (The Weeknd, Drake, Mary J. Blige), Adam Pallin (Cobra Starship), Jake Gosling (Ed Sheeran, Paloma Faith, Lady Gaga, Far East Movement), and Wayne Wilkins (Beyonce, Jordin Sparks, Cheryl Cole). ~ Giant Step
Great later work from Rufus – working here without Chaka Khan on vocals, but sounding even jazzier as a result! There almost seems to be more emphasis on the instrumentation than before – and the album's got a warmly funky groove that definitely carries on the 70s Rufus tradition, but cleans things up a bit for the 80s generation – especially lean on the rhythms and the keyboards! Tony Maiden and David Wolinski handle the vocals, often in a compressed way that's mixed right down in the music – but the real charm here comes from the rhythms and the sweet jazzy licks in the grooves. Titles include "Tonight We Love", "Can I Show You", "What Is It", "Afterwards", "We Got The Way", "Party Til You're Broke", "Love Is Taking Over", and "Secret Love". (SHMCD pressing.) ~ Dusty Groove