Search results: Get Ready!

Review: There are an awful lot of great records in the J Dilla's catalogue, but few can match the consistent quality and coherent construction of Welcome 2 Detroit, his 2001 breakthrough album. Designed as a love letter to his home city with a sample palette and blend of styles to match, it saw the late producer and a string of then largely unknown local MCs showcase their vocal talents over some of his best ever beats. This lusciously expansive 20th anniversary box set does a brilliant job in expanding on the original album, with the 12 included "45s" pairing vocal mixes with instrumentals, unreleased cuts and occasional remixes. The included hardback book is brilliant, too, and packed with first-hand accounts of the creation of a now iconic LP.

Review: Bob Marley & The Chineke! Orchestra marked the 60th anniversary of Jamaican Independence with a special concert that showcased Marley's most famous songs all recorded with new instrumentation and orchestration. Trevor Nelson presented the project and he tapped up Skip Marley, an inheritor of his family's famous musical legacy and who made his debut UK performance for this concert which was recorded for this album on Island Records. British singer-songwriter JP Cooper plus Jamaican born and Birmingham based soul, gospel and R&B legend Ruby Turner also featured.

Review: It's now a quarter of a century since Terry Callier released his Timepeace album, which was his first after a 15 year break. The record won the United Nations's Time For Peace award for outstanding artistic achievement and for "contributing to world peace." It features standout tunes like 'People Get Ready' and 'Brotherly Love' composed by Curtis Mayfield, as well as a guest spot from Pharoah Sanders on tenor-saxophone on the title song 'Timepeace' and seven other wondrous tunes that showcase soul, jazz, folk influences. This reissue includes an insert with lyrics and liner-notes by Tom Terrell.

Review: Alton Ellis is known as the Godfather of Rocksteady and has put out several key albums such as Mr Soul Of Jamaica from 1967. The genre innovator has the smoothest of smooth voices and shows that again on Sings Rock & Soul, which is actually heavy on the soul and light on the rock. This limited edition reissue on Studio 1 sounds superb and all of the 12 tracks are gorgeous things with unhurried reggae rhythms and his soaring vocals backed by sympathetic guitar riffs and neat chords.

Review: In 1971, in the midst of America's conflict in Vietnam, the US army held a 'battle of the bands' contest and showcased the two winning bands in a promotional album. East Of Underground, the gritty runner-up, managed to capture the spirit of America with their sweet-soul covers of Sly Stone, Curtis Mayfield and Funkadelic. The quality of the recording is superior, as is the musicianship: the falsetto harmonies, the gritty guitar, and the devouring drums...

Review: Williamsburg-based Truth & Soul Records is fast becoming one of the most reliable sources of modern soul and revivalist deep funk. Should you be unfamiliar with their output - and you should be, given that they set up shop in 2003 - this double LP trawl through the label's bulging back catalogue should be an essential purchase. Highlights are naturally plentiful, from the Cuban and Caribbean influenced instrumental brilliance of Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band's "Pimp", and the stripped-back deep soul of Beau Williams' "I'll Be Home Soon", to the raw, Hammond-heavy 60s jazz-funk of The Fabulous 3's "Night Bird" and fuzzy analogue afro-funk of Zafari's "King Masuru".

Review: Jah Thomas's Shoulder Move dropped in 1983 and was one of some 200-plus released the veteran Jamaican producer and Midnight Rock label was involved with in a career that spanned from 1978 to the present day. He worked with legends like King Tubby, The Roots Radic Band, Scientist and plenty more but head up this one alone. His deadpan vocal style is rhythmic and compelling as he rides the stripped-back dub rhythms below through the nine superb cuts on this newly reissued record. It's pure reggae and it really hits the spot.

Review: Motown might well be up there as one of the greatest labels of all time - although maybe Blue Note would have something to say about that - and so a collection of its most classic cuts is always going to be worth hearing. The famous and original music factory was a real production line in the 60s, turning out hit after hit that reigned soul and pop for a new generation. All the most iconic gems are here by the lies of Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson & The Miracle, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas and Billy Preston & Syreeta amongst many more.

Review: The Vivid label is yet another one from Burnski who also runs Constant Blanc and Instinct. He is s single handed garage hit making machine and he knows how to tap into the next gen, too. Here he calls upon Peaky Beats for a naughty and nasty three track affair that has retro feels but contemporary style. 'Can't Stop' opens up with a 2-step shuffle and steely hits, then 'Get Ready' gets more free and melodic with some boxing little melodic patterns and oscillating bass. Last of all is the most menacing and dark - 'Wildcat' flips into a dub wise swagger mid-way through that is going to blow up the clubs.

Review: Cleveland Francis, the stalwart of US black folk, coined the term "soulfolk" to describe his uniquely bleak style of acoustic music. Growing up and coming to prominence in the state of Virginia, he rarely missed an opportunity to play at every college campus, coffee shop, bar and odd corner he could find. Now some of his earliest and most important recordings get compiled into this double 21-track anthology, 'Beyond The Willow Tree', which, like no other, does wonders in chronicling the experience of black segregated youth in the 60s and 70s.