take me over.

This record still gives me chills when I listen to it. Stephanie McKay has a very soulful & powerful voice.

"Take Me Over" is voiced over a vintage Studio 1 riddim called "Double Barrel".

Stephanie McKay "Take Me Over"

feeling good.

1998 underground classic from Mighty Bop aka French house legend Bob Sinclair.

Sums up the feeling I'm going for here on this blog: "Feeling Good"

Mighty Bop "Feeling Good"

no great pretender.

Now some mellow hip-hop.

This selection is from The Roots third LP from 1996 "Illadelph Halflife". One of my favorite songs, "No Great Pretender" conjures up memories of living in Philly back in the late '90s and early 2000s.

I would have to say that "Illadelph Halflife" is my favorite Roots record period. It provides the perfect soundtrack for travelling around the City of Philadelphia at any time of day, any time of the year.

The Roots "No Great Pretender"

heart of wax.

German duo Blank and Jones are more known for Trance music, but have put together a nice slower paced track re-worked by MFS (Masterminded for Success) label founder Mark Reeder.

Add vocals from singer Vanessa Daou, and we have a sexy smooth track on our hands.

Check out the full project "Reordered"

Blank and Jones/Mark Reeder/Vanessa Daou "Heart of Wax" (Heart of Crystal mix)

reality.

Nu-soul throwback from 1997 courtesy of Adriana Evans.

"Reality" wasn't released as an official single, but is one of my favorite cuts off her self-titled debut album.

Adriana Evans "Reality"

6am.

I'm really into this track and pretty much anything Sweden's Kissey Asplund releases.

You can cop her current LP "Plethora" on iTunes. I definitely recommend it.

Kissey Asplund "6am"

i think i love you.

Spring is here (to stay hopefully). With Spring weather comes Spring fever.

With Spring fever in mind, here's a selection from Dwele's "Some Kinda..." LP.

Dwele "I Think I Love You"

samba.

Some Brazilian-influenced Bossa grooves here courtesy of British production duo Faze Action.

This is a smooth-grooved instrumental track that can be found on the "Break N' Bossa" compilation series. I highly recommend the entire series (I believe it is up to 8 volumes currently). If you like the music on this blog, then you will not be disappointed.

Faze Action "Samba"

baby luv.

This is the third single from Groove Theory's 1995 self-titled debut album.

Groove Theory is best known for their top-10 single "Tell Me", from the same LP.

Groove Theory "Baby Luv"

always.

One of the most recognizable voices behind Naked Music recordings is Toronto's Lisa Shaw. She has collaborated with many artists/producers such as Lovetronic, Central Living, Blue Six and Aquanote.

Her debut album from 2005 "Cherry" is also on the Naked Music label. The first single from "Cherry", "Always", has been remixed multiple times.

Here is the original version, produced by Jay Denes.

Lisa Shaw "Always"

falling.

Here's another gem from the Naked Music label.

Atlanta-based Gaelle has a laid-back yet smooth, soulful delivery in her vocals. "Falling" is a perfect example of this balance.

"Falling" appears on Gaelle's 2004 debut album Transient and the Carte Blanche compilation series, both released on Naked Music records.

Gaelle "Falling"

i'm the one.

Let's talk Acid Jazz.

Usually, for me at least, when I hear "Acid Jazz" I automatically think of the Brand New Heavies or perhaps Soul II Soul. I'll post some material from both of those groups at a later time.

For now I'm gonna stick with that same early-'90s British Acid Jazz scene. This group is D'Influence. They hail from London, UK and this was their debut single from 1991 "I'm The One".

Definitely pioneers of Acid Jazz and later Nu/Neo-soul and Downtempo music. Overflowing with soul.

D'Influence "I'm The One"

for your love.

Some beautiful Swedish soul music here. I recommend Natalie Gardiner's first LP "Ramjac introduces Natalie Gardiner".

I can seriously say that my mind was officially blown the first time I heard it. Beautiful music.

Natalie Gardiner "For Your Love"

700 mile situation.

What ever happened to Res? She released her debut album, "How I Do" way back in 2001 and was featured on Reflection Eternal's (Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek) first album and basically vanished.

She had a cameo in the video for Talib Kweli's 2002 single "Waitin' for the DJ" and actually contributed a, in my opinion, mediocre track to the "Akeelah and the Bee" soundtrack but has yet to deliver a sophomore effort.

I'm hoping to see a second LP at some point in the near future.

Here is a selection from the debut "How I Do" LP.

Res "700 Mile Situation"

attention.

For those of you who know me well and have DJ'd with me in the past, you know how I feel about Kelis' "Tasty" LP.

It was one of the most slept-on R&B records of 2003. It was the overwhelmingly huge success of "Milkshake" that overshadowed the rest of that album. There were no other hype tracks like "Milkshake" so it was kinda hard to follow-up on the momentum that single started (just my POV).

Of all the tracks on "Tasty", this track has gotten the most spins from me in the early portion of the night. Produced by Raphael Saadiq, "Attention" gets my vote for smoothest single of the album.

Enjoy.

Kelis f/Raphael Saadiq "Attention"