New releases this week: Funk/Reissues

Review: Abaete's self-titled 1977 LP remains one of Brazil's deepest cult treasuresian obscure gem of Bahian jazz-funk samba that now sees long-overdue reissue. Recorded during a creative high for Bahia's music scene, this sole full-length from the vocal trio blends masterfully layered harmonies with moody synths, groove-driven percussion and North Brazilian rhythmic signatures. There's almost no background info on the group, but the music speaks volumes. Highlights like 'O Rei Do Calang (Calangotango)' and 'Toca Nicanor' ripple with syncopated urgency, while 'Canto Sul' and 'Por Uma Razo De Amor' float with breezy melodic finesse. Mixed by Waldir Lombardo Pinheiroiknown for work with Tom Ze and Zeca do Tromboneithe album is full of freewheeling arrangements, grainy funk textures and subtle psychedelia. It's no surprise the trio also penned tunes for greats like Clara Nunes and Elza Soares. A rare window into an experimental chapter of Brazilian popular music, rediscovered in all its radiant groove.

Review: From Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley returns with another simmering display of his self-styled Simigwa-funk-part highlife, part jazz, part proto-rap, all unmistakably his own. Still sharp at 77, Ambolley commands a tight ensemble through groove-led declarations like 'Wake Up Afrika' and 'U Like Or U No Like', riding swung basslines and crisp horn arrangements with the flair of a master bandleader. 'God E See You' finds him slipping into a smoky, Afro-soul register, while 'New Simi Rapp' stretches out into hypnotic territory, led by flutes, baritone sax and rhythmic mantras. 'Ochoko Bila' and 'If You Want To Know' are more playful cuts, full of bounce and quick-fire wisdom. The production, split between Ghana and the Netherlands, balances live grit with rich detail-everything breathes, nothing is wasted. As ever, Ambolley's voice is both storyteller and instrument: loose, commanding, and deeply rooted in diasporic sound. This is music that moves and means.

Review: The UK's Robin Lee is one of the members of much-loved disco gang Faze Action but also he's behind Andromeda Orchestra who return here with an album that offers a cosmic fusion of jazz-funk and disco. It's been put together with Moogs, clarinets, Rhodes and rich analogue textures that make for a mix of nostalgia and sonic richness that sinks you in deep. Blending nostalgia with innovation, Lee creates deep, immersive soundscapes. There are widescreen odysseys like 'Mythical', loved-up bunkers such as 'Thinking About Your Love' and a rare Nick The Record remix of 'Get Up & Dance' that overflows with cosmic melodies and lush, life-affirming strings.

Review: Released in 1967, Open marked a daring debut for Brian Auger and The Trinity with soulful vocals from Julie Driscoll. The album embodies London's vibrant late-60s scene with jazz, r&b, pop and psychedelia all reflecting the era's genre-crossing spirit. Auger's jazz roots shine on tracks like 'In and Out' and 'Isola Natale' while Driscoll brings emotional depth to covers of Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin hits. This is an always eclectic and adventurous album that combines virtuosic musicianship, surreal humour and heartfelt soul. Now regarded as a cult classic, it had a huge influence on British jazz fusion and progressive scenes.

Review: Reggie Lucas assembled Sunfire in the early 80s, drawing from a deep well of experience as a guitarist, producer and songwriter behind era-defining hits for Stephanie Mills and Madonna. With Raymond Calhoun and Rowland Smith circum-pleting the trio, Sunfire's self-titled LP distilled their collective pedigree into a lean set of slick, synth-laced funk, whose rubber sound is as taut as liquid elastane. 'Young, Free & Single', their best known track, leads the charge with infectious bounce, flanked by 'Feet', 'Step In The Light' and 'Keep Rocking My Love', breaststroking between boogie, electro and disco-soul, all neatly fastened by the drum machine. Produced just before Lucas' work on Madonna's debut, the record glows with rawhide studio sheen and radio-ready confidence. This limited edition repress comes to just 750 copies on yellow "flamed" vinyl.

Review: Analog Africa has repressed the highly valued and long since sold-out Congo Funk! Sound Madness From The Shores Of The Mighty Congo River: Kinshasa/Brazzaville 1969-1982. It is a compilation that superbly shows off the raw energy and funkiness of the Congolese rumba scene. This is the country that spawned such as legendary bands as African Jazz, OK Jazz and African Fiesta and it is said that the concert ahead of the legendary Rumble in the Jungle boxing match between Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman is what really set young hopefully musicians on their paths, after they saw James Brown play live. The story of those artists and the labels they released on in the ensuing years is what is told so well here across four sides of vital wax.

Review: Dayton, Ohio's Record Player may have only released one private press 7" in 1979, but their story runs far deeper. Led by Charles Jackson, the band recorded a full suite of material that until now remained locked away, the product of a promising trajectory that was cut short before a major label deal could land. Excavated and restored by Now-Again, these tracks reveal a group entirely in step with the deep disco and street-level funk that defined late-70s Midwest soul. 'Free Your Mind' sets the tone: optimistic, rhythmically tight, and alive with the democratic spirit of funk's second wave. Cuts like 'Your Fantasy' and 'Backup N Funktown' showcase punchy horn charts and low-slung grooves, while 'Magic' and 'Bump-a-rump Ability' lean more playfully into disco and boogie. With bonus tracks like 'Sweetest Thing' and 'Go' rounding out the set, this is a joyous, overdue resurrection of a band that could've-and maybe should've-been. For fans of Edge of Daybreak, Split Decision Band and those tireless Dayton reels, this one's gold.