NEW RELEASES: SLOW GRIND FEVER VOLUME 1; DANCE & FUNK COLLECTION; BALLADS & SLOW JAMS COLLECTION

SLOW GRIND FEVER VOLUME 1: ADVENTURES IN THE SLEAZY WORLD OF POPCORN NOIR

Early soul, late R&B, and plenty more – served up here in a mighty cool compilation that definitely lives up to its name! This one's perfect for a hot summer night – when the grooves always sound best when they're a bit laidback – the kind of mellow grinders and slower steppers that really rule throughout this set – all pulled from obscure 45s from back in the day, in a good mix of familiar names and lesser-known gems. Titles include "Hungry Man" by Titus Turner, "You're The Boss" by Lavern Baker & Jimmy Ricks, "Trouble" by The Robins, "Tell A Whale Of A Tale" by Wynonie Harris, "Workin Out" by Ernie Fields, "Mozelle" by Andre Williams, "Lonesome Drifter" by Jericho Brown, "I Said No" by Pat Clayton, "Please Mr Jailer" by Wynona Carr, and "Anytime" by Dee Irwin. ~ Dusty Groove

DANCEABLE TABU: DANCE & FUNK COLLECTION

Upbeat soul, 80s groove, and plenty of boogie – a massive collection of groovers from the groundbreaking Tabu Records! Tabu got its start in the late 70s disco years, but already pointed the way towards more modern soul styles to come in the next decade – and served up a host of classic cuts for the dancefloor, including key work by individual singers and funky groups, and some early production efforts from the team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. This 17 track set is overflowing with gems from Tabu – and titles include "I Didn't Mean To Turn You On (edit)" by Cherrelle, "Sweet Delight" by Woods Empire, "Some Kind Of Lover" by Mary Davis, "Changin (single)" by Sharon Ridley, "I'm Still Missing Your Love" by SOS Band, "Fake (edit)" by Alexander O'Neal, "No One Home (single)" by Lalo Schifrin, "We're On Our Way Home (part 1)" by Brainstorm, "Just What I've Been Missing" by James Robinson, and "The Girls" by General Caine. ~ Dusty Groove

SWEETEST TABU: BALLADS & SLOW JAMS COLLECTION

Great mellow soul from the legendary Tabu Records label – home to a fair bit of groovers back in the day, including important work from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis – but an imprint that was also great with a ballad or love song too! The range of work here illustrates the shifting sound of the soul ballad through the 80s – a move from some of the more fragile or overwrought modes of the decade before, into mature, sophisticated territory that sometimes drew a lot from the Quiet Storm generation. The set features 15 great mellow jams – including "If You Were Here Tonight" by Alexander O'Neal, "Tell Me If You Still Care" by SOS Band, "Saying It With Music" by Michael Boothman, "All For You" by Anacostia, "Can We Do It Again" by James Robinson, "Stay" by Art Wilson, "Misty Eyes" by Woods Empire, "Hey Girl (7" version)" by Lamont Johnson, and "Nothing Else Means More To Me Than Our Love" by Sharon Ridley. ~ Dusty Groove