RAY HARRIS AND THE FUSION EXPERIENCE – RAY HARRIS AND THE FUSION EXPERIENCE CD £13.95
Cracking Jazz dance album mixes various styles including Jazz Funk, Latin.  Check the awesome ‘Scaramunga’ and ‘In Your Eyes’.  Try also the driving ‘Tokyo Blue’ with its rippling piano and deep running bass.  Best Jazz dance album for a couple of months, methinks.

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SUNLIGHT SQUARE LATIN COMBO – HAVANA CENTRAL CD £13.95
Joyful and joyous, this Afro Cuban band exudes a carefree vibe.  Includes the single - a cover of the Jackson Sisters’ ‘I Believe In Miracles’ plus several Latin dancers such as ‘Havana Central’ and ‘Para Guarachar’.  The interplay between percussion, horns and piano give a powerful feel..just enjoy and dance.

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EMANATIVE – TIME CD £13.95
This intriguing album mixes Hip Hop style beats with Jazz, but is slowed down giving the music a hypnotic flavour.  An acquired taste but tracks like ‘Eastern Orbit’ and ‘When On Earth’ have an attraction all of their own.

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DALINDEO – SOUNDTRACK FOR THE SOUND EYE CD £13.95
Finnish group Dalindeo returns with an intriguing set of grooves that takes its inspiration from the cinema for style.  Composer Valtteri Poyhonen calls this ‘Cinematic Jazz’.  ‘Vintage Voyage’, ‘Another Devil’ and ‘Words Unspoken’ personify this approach.  Standout is however the flute led modal ‘Mr J.L’, though the fluid ‘Two Down One To Go’ is very strong too.

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COSMIC GROOVE ORCHESTRA – TIME HAS COME CD £14.95
This intriguing and intoxicating album takes its inspiration from 60’s Spiritual, Free and Modal Jazz.  The use of the harp brings Alice Coltrane to mind and the cover of her classic ‘Journey In Satchidananda’ reinforces that comparison.  ‘Harp Song’ self evidently features that instrument and is a calming and mystical piece.  ‘Waltzer Fur Ilse Proskauer’ has an avant-garde ambience, whilst ‘Shelter’ is more mellow and peaceful. ‘Suite Cosmique’ is another mystical masterpiece. Mostly mid-tempo this album has its own aura and is more atmospheric than groove driven.

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MAURICE BROWN – CYCLE OF LOVE CD £15.95
Trumpeter Maurice Brown’s latest album is a straight-ahead Jazz set with echoes of fellow trumpeter Roy Hargrove when recording in that vein.  ‘Fly By Night’, ‘Misunderstood’ and ‘Daydreams’ give his rich playing the backdrop to highlight the soulfulness within.

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JONATHAN BUTLER –SO STRONG CD £15.95
Fans of Jonathan Butler will not be disappointed with the combination of smooth guitar led instrumentals like ‘Good Times’ and ‘Make Room For Me’.  ‘I Pay Respect’ is the most gentle of acoustic guitar instrumentals.  The lilting ‘Color Green’ and the upbeat ‘So Strong’ are the pick of the vocal tracks; though ‘You Got To Believe In Something’ has a languid fell to it. 

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DÉTENTE – WE GOT IT COVERED CD £14.95
Détente is a seven man UK based Jazz Funk band.  As the name suggests, this CD is an album of covers, mainly of Jazz Funk classics.  The playing is polished and tight.  Highlights are Alphonse Mouzon’s ‘By All Means’.  The Crusaders ‘Stomp And Buck Dance’ is given a beefy re-work with the horns and bass particularly on it.  Stevie’s ‘I Wish’ has a bubbly bounce to it and is the best of the Soul covers.  The band returns to their most comfortable territory with a flowing version of the Crusaders ‘Spiral’.

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