David Pratt

One of Serious Sam Barrett’s stated aims was to release “a proper folk record”, he has succeeded admirably. The Seeds Of Love is a top-class release, sincerely delivered with alluring vocals and exemplary music throughout.

As a project, this Sonafric safari is a triumph in unearthing and presenting the music and musicians of Yaoundé’s underground music scene of some 50 years ago.  The legacy offered here on Cameroon Garage Funk illustrates the timelessness of the music and is highly recommended.

Life and the Land is a magnificent debut. Ben Walker and Kirsty Merryn have set the bar high by delivering a masterclass in how to successfully place old jewels in new settings.

Sincerely honest, lacking in pretension or hyperbole, qualities it seems that are sadly lacking in many quarters today, Steve Jinski’s Hope Street is an album that does exactly what it says on the tin. It is as good a salve and riposte to the seemingly all-pervasive negativity currently around as you could wish for.

With blues-playing of the highest virtuosic calibre, Charlie Parr’s “Last Of The Better Days Ahead” is an engrossing, captivating album from a tireless innovator. Indeed, this release marks something emphatically new in his illustrious career.

Breda Mayock’s “Waves” is a memorable EP that confirms her place as one of the country’s most alluring and interesting artists. Graceful, elegant and, above all, a tremendously impressive listen.

A fitting tribute to the work of Manzanita, one of Peru’s acknowledged masters of the electric guitar. The truly electrifying sounds of cumbia and guaracha music on offer burst from the speakers with exuberance and vitality guaranteed to put you in a good mood.

Joe Danks’ Seaspeak is a sumptuous and adroitly crafted collection. Equally comfortable and adept at creating original work and providing fascinating nuances and arrangements to traditional fare, the album is a very welcome addition to this year’s list of fine releases.

The release of ‘The Indigenous Afro-Jazz Sounds of Philip Tabane and his Malombo Jazzman’ was a seminal one, expanding the frontiers of African music. Reissued and remastered here on vinyl, it’s an exceptionally rewarding listen which offers subtle nuances on each repeated play.

This live album from 2010 is a remarkable one that also illustrates how Khaira Arby had an innate capacity to blend cultures whilst still preserving her Malian roots. As a legacy, it is a more than fitting testament to a remarkable talent.

In Shapes Of The Fall Piers Faccini has created a masterpiece – cerebral, thought-provoking, but above all, musically, an intensely enjoyable listening experience.

From the opening track to the last, this is an intoxicating album. Edo Funk Explosion Vol. 1 is an essential compilation, illuminating the work of these three groundbreaking artists and their incendiary sound, the likes of which had never been heard before.