Back catalogue: Funk/Reissues

Review: Originally hailing from Washington DC, Father's Children were one of the capital's most promising funk outfits in the late 70s. This new 7" reissue on South Street Soul revives two prized tracks from their Mercury Records era, produced by Wayne Henderson of The Crusaders. 'Hollywood Dreaming' is a breezy, rolling slice of mellow soul-funkithe sort of elegant groove that turns up on late-night radio, all gentle clavs and cruising vocals. Flip it and 'Shine On' turns up the energy, driven by a snapping slap bassline, crisp brass jabs and a slick group vocal arrangement. Both cuts originally appeared on their 1979 LP, but the original 45 has long been a holy grail for collectorsifetching triple digits. This reissue not only preserves the format but delivers on fidelity and style, giving DJs and heads alike a long-awaited chance to spin these Washington-grown grooves without fear of shelling out a fortune.

Review: Hilton Felton's 'Be Bop Boogie' is a delightful classic from the man originally from Norfolk, Virginia. The jazz organ player worked with the likes of Chuck Brown and The Soul Searchers as well as Eva Cassidy at points in his career, and his debut solo album from which this is taken is impossible to find these days. This rare groove jazz funk nugget was recorded in the same place as 'The Bottle' by Gil Scott heron and uses all of its seven minute play time to really get deep under your skin. On the flip is part 2, a rare Japanese 7" edition from 2011.