'Light of Love' by Kaveh Rastegar

'Light of Love' marks the debut solo offering bassist, songwriter and producer, Kaveh Rastegar, released through the indelible Ropeadope Records.

Perhaps best-known for his contributions as bass player for the jazz-fusion five-piece, Kneebody, the multi-faceted artist's talents extend far beyond the band's multiple releases with Rastegar having chalked up session work, live performances and production for a diverse array of artists including Beck, Anthony Hamilton, De La Soul, Meshell Ndegeocello, Sia, John Legend and Ledisi.

It's a staggering collection of styles and influences, all of these years of dynamic collaborations culminate with 'Light of Love' - a project that thrives on that same level of partnership and teamwork throughout.

Blue Note drummer Chris Dave appears on several of the album's tracks, even earning himself a "featuring" credit on two funk-styled intermissions, 'Tom Tom' and 'Cat Woman'; the honey-toned vocals of Becca Stevens - a treat for any project - graces 'A Little Too Late', but highlights are genuinely aplenty on this album with Dawn Richard, Ames and Gaby Moreno all sounding sublime on their respective efforts, as does trumpeter Nicholas Payton on the soulful 'Long March'.

Rastegar's résumé alone should serve as more than enough to peak interest in this project but the match-made-in-heaven union with Ropeadope makes 'Light of Love' a real treasure for 2018.

'Everything Here' by The Suffers

"What's our name?"

"And where are we from?"

If you ever have the opportunity to see The Suffers perform live - firstly, absolutely grab a hold of that opportunity - and secondly, be prepared to be asked that question throughout the night.  You'll learn the answers to both questions fairly early on, but Houston, Texas, is the answer to the latter question.  You'll be asked that because each member of The Suffers is incredibly proud of where they're from and it's an ethos that carries all the way through to their music, probably even more so on the new release, 'Everything Here'.

The self-proclaimed Gulf Coast Soul Band - a term used to describe the far-ranging mix of cultures and backgrounds that comprise the band’s members – have returned with 'their sophomore follow-up to their self-titled 2016 debut record.

Initially, formed in 2011 by Adam Castaneda and Pat Kelly in Houston, and envisaged as a reggae jam band, the inclusion of additional members along with the inclusion of Kam Franklin as lead vocalist shaped the overall sound into a more encompassing soul band.  And the result has worked wonders!

The independent release of The Suffers’ self-titled debut album spawned a fantastic year for them: performances on Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, as well as a performance on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert Series, which for an independent soul act was a staggering achievement.  Now, having aligned with Shanachie Entertainment for 'Everything Here', the band look set to ascend to that next plateau.

While the debut record was home to gems like the rousing sing-along chorus of ‘Midtown’, the brilliant groove of ‘Dutch’ and the 7-minute soul-drenched opus of ‘Giver’, the new album blesses listeners with 'Everything Here', 'Do Whatever' and 'I Think I Love You' which are the catchy, high-energy floor-fillers now part of the band's signature sound; 'Sure to Remain' and 'After The Storm' (featuring a perfect guest spot from Lyle Divinsky) are sweet soul numbers and strong album highlights also. 

And then there's Houston, Texas.  Houston rappers, Bun B and Paul Wall, appear on the album's interludes, with the latter of which appearing on the album's opener 'Ode to Houston'.

The Suffers have become quite adept at making their music an extension of themselves as individuals and as a collective - they wear their influences, passions and motivations on their sleeves and have delivered another stunning work of a pure soul record and something that would enrich anyone’s musical collection.

Now ask yourself, "What's their name? And where they're from?"... listen to this record and you won't forget.

'The Midnight Hour' by Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Adrian Younge

Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Adrian Younge - the long-standing musical duo famed for their work on Marvel's Luke Cage Netflix series - unveil their highly-anticipated project, 'The Midnight Hour'.

Released through Younge's Linear Labs label, the music here is certainly its own beast in that it mostly sidesteps the blaxploitation aesthetic from Luke Cage but conversely finds itself comfortably adorning the stage of the show's revered Harlem Paradise club.

'The Midnight Hour' does however still revel in the retro soul stylings perhaps more synonymous with Adrian Younge projects like the 'Black Dynamite' soundtrack, 'Adrian Younge Presents The Delfonics' and 'Songs About April'; but for the A Tribe Called Quest DJ, and the man whose production credits include D'Angelo, Angie Stone, Eric Benet and Jon B, it's certainly no challenge for Ali Shaheed Muhammad to own as much of the stage as Younge.

There's an A-list selection of guests appearing throughout the 20-track project including Marsha Ambrosius, James Poyser, No ID and Questlove who all excel, as does Raphael Saadiq on the mini-Lucy Pearl reunion number, 'It's You'; Bilal on the high-energy 'Do It Together', and Cee Lo whose original version of 'Questions' is thankfully included here after having morphed into 'untitled 06 06.30.2014' for Kendrick Lamar from his 'untitled unmastered' project of 2016.  Finally, the revamping of Luther Vandross's 'So Amazing' is a welcome addition and a fitting tribute to one of the duo's musiucal heroes.

'The Midnight Hour' is a stunning release - a classicly-themed soul album, rich in a crispy analog sound accentuated by lush orchestral strings, great production and stellar vocals.  Not one to miss!

(Another) 5 free projects you should've downloaded already...

'Puzzle Mixtape' by EABS
The Polish jazz septet, EABS, have gifted fans with 'Puzzle Mixtape': a nine-track selection featuring a collection of live performances recorded between 2012-2014 and through collaborations with M.E.D., Jeru the Damaja and Coultrain, this selection of tracks is perfect to showcase that level of improvisation and creativity that EABS boast amidst a live setting. [And for Dilla fans, make sure you take the chance to check out 'Reminisce' featuring Paulina Przybysz as it masterfully recreates Dilla's production of 'Reminisce' originally found on Bilal's '1st Born Second' album.]
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'We Love Jalapeno'
Always love for the funk and disco-inspired music of Jalapeno Records and should the name be new to you then this nineteen-track showcase of their dynamic roster, including Smoove & Turrell, Gizelle Smith, IKON and The Allergies amongst others, will convert you into a die-hard fan.
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'Emeson Remixes' by Emeson
Singer/songwriter/producer, Emeson, has a vast selection of music available to download via his Bandcamp page but this free collection of remixes from names as diverse as D'Angelo and De La Soul to Bjork and Peter Gabriel serves as an excellent showcase of his abilities. The Lianne La Havas track in particular is a real treat.
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'Jazz re:freshed Live - Prelude'
The Jazz re:freshed collective have long waved the flag for contemporary live jazz - and have really been pioneers in this sense - as well as being first amongst some of today's most exciting jazz acts including Maisha and Nubya Garcia. This collection of live tracks from incredible musicians including Richard Spaven, Mark de Clive-Lowe and Kaidi Tatham exemplify the Jazz re:freshed experience.
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'Brownswood 20k Mixtape' 
Showcasing remixes from the more electronic side of the Brownswood catalogue, the trail-blazing London-based record label gifts fans with this exciting selection of tracks including music by artists including an Atjazz Remix of Zara McFarlane and a Pilooski Remix of Owiny Sigoma Band.