Egg Box Essentials: Soul, Funk & Jazz Edition – May 2025

Welcome to a long-overdue Egg Box Essentials edition. As so much fabulous music with a soulful edge has been released in the first few months of 2025, this post is championing the groovy grooves that have danced and swayed their way up to Egg Box Towers.

Throughout the blog, clicking on any bold underlined text will link to additional music, a video or some additional reading. There’s even a Spotify playlist at the end for you to listen to at your leisure.

Eddie Chacon (the Eddie half of global ’90s chart toppers, Charles & Eddie) continues his remarkable reinvention as a left-field psychedelic soul man with his third, and most introspective, solo LP, the Nick Hakim produced, Lay Low (Stones Throw Records). At just over twenty-eight minutes, the album’s eight tracks can hardly be accused of outstaying their welcome, but by the end, you’ll be so chilled out, I don’t think you’ll care. Now put your feet up for five minutes and melt into the woozy vibe of Good Sun

If it’s cinematic, groove-laden, jazzy, funky soul with a warm Californian breeze blowing through, then look no further than Gemini from San Diego’s masterful musicians, The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble. Released on the ever-wonderful Colemine Records, this is the most laid-back of their five albums so far. Here’s Las Olas – just add sunshine and a mojito for enhanced authenticity.

If you like your gospel with a bit of bite, Annie & The Caldwells’ new album, Can’t Lose My (Soul) (Luaka Bop), will be right up your aisle. In amongst the testifying is a whole lotta funky bass, some mighty vocals from matriarch Annie and one of the best tracks you’ll hear this year in Wrong – featuring Deborah Caldwell Moore. Hallelujah sisters!

Heartache In Room 14 is Los Angeles-based, The Altons’ fine second album, and their first for Daptone Records.  In essence, they are the same band as Thee Sinseers, but with added brass and a little more of a Latin flavour. This new album once again showcases the gorgeous harmonies of lead singers Bryan Ponce and Adriana Flores, not least on the lead single, Waiting.

One of my favourite soul bands of the past 25 years is Indiana’s Durand Jones & The Indications, and in June, they release their fourth album, Flowers (Colemine Records). If the songs I’ve heard from it so far are anything to go by, it’s going to be yet another winner.  Their latest single, Flower Moon is smoother than the smoothest, silkiest thing you can think of, plus added silk. Swoon.

The most heartstring-tugging track award in this blog post must surely go to Dear Buddy  (Colemine Records) – the latest single from Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Kendra Morris. It’s a love song written by her to her 10-year-old daughter – and it’s beautiful.

Another record I’ve been raving about this year is the brilliant BLKWMN from California-based multi-talented singer-songwriter, producer, author and actress, Ledisi. Lifted from her recent album, The Crown (Listen Back Entertainment), Ledisi herself says about the track: “BLKWMN is more than just a song—it’s an anthem. It’s about honouring the brilliance, power, and perseverance that Black women embody every single day. From our history to our present, we’re still standing tall, creating, leading, and shaping the world.”

Yet another Colemine Records release to grace this blog post is Entrance Music, the meditative, mellow second album from jazz trio, Okonski. Featuring pianist Steve Okonski plus Michael Ishvara “Ish” Montgomery on bass and Durand Jones & The Indications’ drummer, Aaron Frazer, the group make music to put on and melt into. I think fans of Gerry Mulligan’s Night Lights album will find much to love here. Check out the gorgeous track, October to hear what I mean.

Although the album is credited to multi-instrumentalist/ composer Jimi Tenor, July Blue Skies really should really say “Jimi Tenor & Cold Diamond & Mink” on the cover, as Timmion Records’ fabulous “house” band features on every track. Ranging from the synth-drenched summery loveliness of the title track to sci-fi soul and Orbital channelling demon funk (Tsicroxe)  (yep, I made that genre up), this cracking 6-track set gets better with every listen. These Finns are definitely coming to steal your soul!

As if you need it, the last few blog entries are proof that we Brits are also (still) releasing some wonderful soul, funk and rhythm & blues.

First up, funk legends Cymande graced us with the remarkable Renascence (BMG). Coming 10 years after their last studio album, A Simple Act Of Faith (and a mere 53 years since their eponymous debut), this fine new 10-track LP embraces soul, jazz, funk and afrobeat. The band have enlisted the services of Jazzie B and Celeste on a couple of tracks, with the latter gracing one of the album highlights in Only One Way. This is already an early contender for my album of the year.

In 2024, Edinburgh’s Brooke Combe won the coveted The Acoustic Egg Box Track Of The Year award for her outstanding Northern Soul style banger, Dancing At The Edge Of The World (Modern Sky UK) and in January this year, she released her fantastic solo debut album of the same name. Click here to watch a great documentary on the making of that record. I have absolutely no doubt that this beautiful lady is an international superstar in waiting.

Jazzy funker, Emma-Jean Thackray’s second album, Weirdo (released on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings label), is an extraordinary record. Not just because she arranged, played every instrument and sang every note on it (bar a couple of collaborations with Reggie Watts and Kassa Overall), but also because she had to deal with the grief of her long-term partner’s sudden death just as she started making it. For an excellent, far more eloquent and in-depth review of the album than I have the time or skill to lavish on it, give this article from UK Jazz News a read. After that, have a listen to and watch the tongue-in-cheek video for I Don’t Want To Die.  I bloody love her I do.

Why more people haven’t heard of or rave about Essex soul boys, The Milk, is one of life’s little mysteries. The great news is that you can now hop on board The Milk wagon as not only are they back with a forthcoming new album, Borderlands, but they’re also off out on tour – some dates are with the newly reformed New Street Adventure. Check out, I Need Your Love, the latest single to be taken from Borderlands, as it’s a bit of a cracker, with lead singer Rick Nunn never sounding better. Pearl & Dean, eat your hearts out! And whilst you’re reading this and have The Milk on your minds, put their 2015 second album, Favourite Worry (Wah Wah 45s), on your playlist. In the world of Egg Box, this is a ridiculously overlooked classic and deserves another day in the sun. From that record, here’s a live version of Wanderlust from London’s Union Chapel recorded back in 2017. Please check them out, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Most of you who follow me on social media will know I’m a massive fan of the UK funk and soul collective, Stone Foundation. In March, they released their excellent 11th studio album, The Revival Of Survival (100% Records), which, as usual, is chock full of great songwriting, top tunes and a host of fine vocal collaborators. This time you have the pleasure of JP Bimeni, Carmy Love, Sheree Dubois, Laville, Mick Talbot and Omar guesting across various tracks. With a nod to Change’s disco classic, Glow Of Love, here’s The Beat I Know (featuring the aforementioned Sheree Dubois and Carmy Love).

Talking of the lovely, silky-voiced Omar (the man responsible for one of my favourite tracks ever with his magnificent 1990 single, There’s Nothing Like This), he will be releasing his ninth studio album, Brighter The Days (Impressive Collective/ BBE Music), in early June. If the handful of songs I’ve heard from it so far are anything to go by, this promises to be one of the soundtracks to the long hot summer of 2025.  So feast your ears on two of those new songs:  Can We Go Out and On My Own (featuring a certain Paul Weller and sounding not a million notes away from The Drifters’ 1963 classic On Broadway).

Having been aware of Liverpool’s MT Jones since he started gigging and releasing great music several years ago, I reckon it’s about time everyone else caught on. With a vocal style not a million miles from his friend, and the 2023 Acoustic Egg Box album of the year winner, Jalen Ngonda, the young Mr Jones is definitely one to watch. His superb new single, Punchin’, is out now.

Last but not least for this edition is the 2020 Acoustic Egg Box Album Of The Year winners, SAULT, who have just released their twelfth album, 10 (Living Originals). For me, this mysterious, enigmatic collective wth a core of producer Inflo and singer-songwriter Cleo Sol, plus a host of former and current guests and collaborators as diverse as Michael Kiwanuka, Jack Penate, Little Simz and Chronixx, are one of the most important British acts of the past ten years. Often political, occasionally baffling, always innovative, but never, ever dull, 10 is one of their most accessible releases so far. If you love your 70s and 80s funk and soul with a nod to MJ’s Off The Wall whilst incorporating some of Sly’s rubbery bass and Stevie’s knack for laying down a groove, then you’ll find much to enjoy throughout these ten acronym-titled tracks. Here’s K.T.Y.W.S. to whet your appetite.

If you’ve got this far, thank you so much for reading. All I’ll ask is that you share, talk about, buy the records or gig tickets and do your own bit to help promote these great artists. After all, where would we all be without music?

IAN