Good grief, it’s actually The Chi-Lites, on a John John update of Sleng Teng.

Curator James Blackshaw brings together Espers’ Swedish cellist Helena Espvall, koto virtuoso Chieko Mori, Dutch lute player Josef Van Wissem — along with a track from Blackshaw himself.

Exuberant, celebratory, citational Gappy, over an original rhythm; plus a poised Miss Kjah on the flip, coolly making Ain’t That Loving You her own.

A skittering, stop-start, dubwise rhythm — sounds like Family Man — pulsating with submarine sonar.
Al Campbell lights it up 2025-style with a coolly defiant, denunciatory sufferers. Live, dubplate vibes, kicking off with a nod to his hosts in Shepherds Bush, and a quick Orthodox represent represent.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. ‘Babylon them a criminal, Babylon them an animal, Babylon them a conman, Babylon them a ginal.’
Killer diller dub, too, with a stark, reedy dose of the Sugar Bellys.
Crucial bunny. Crunchy and tasty; proper underground vegetable business.
Bim.

Perfect uptempo rock steady from the Gaylad (copping a little British Invasion, a bit late in the day). The flip carries the swing, though: a magnificent horns cut to Delano’s Tell Me Baby, by The Gaysters.

Fired-up, originary African pop, conjuring the Congolese rumba from imported Latin 78s — with thumb pianos, kazoos, banjos, bottles, violins, and irresistible little songs about pimps, dope, clubbing, sex, death.

A moving, lovely, heartfelt tribute, seamlessly combining jazz-funk, soul, gospel, Black Jazz, bebop, Latin, spoken word and co, with palpably higher concerns than genre and market. Released in 1976 on his own imprint by the jazz veteran — sixties cohort of Eric Dolphy, Ray Charles, Donald Byrd and the rest —  alongside the all-time classic If.

With a Nitty Gritty dubplate do-over of Trial And Crosses.