‘Every song is a mini-masterpiece, be it heavy acid rock psychedelia, horn and guitar drenched funk grooves, or gripping soul ballads reflective of life during wartime.’

In which Actress douses the rejoicing Noah with gallons of water, slips him a stiffener, and pulls him by the marimbas straight onto the dancefloor. Cracking remix.

‘This sequel to their landmark 1971 masterpiece Like A Ship finds the young Chicago preacher and his Youth for Christ Choir continuing their genre-bending spiritual journey. Banging drums, soaring falsettos, euphoric tambourines, effulgent horns, and Barrett’s unwavering devotion spark off a forty-piece choir, working up a sanctified slab of gospel funk. Pressed in a minuscule quantity in 1973, Do Not Pass Me By was sold primarily from the pulpit of Barrett’s Mt. Zion Baptist Church, disappearing into Chicago’s south side for forty-five years.’

Gospel soul classic from 1971, with Gene Barge, Phil Upchurch and Richard Evans, besides the rapturous Youth For Christ Choir. Good enough for Donny Hathaway, good enough for us.

A triumphant return to recording for the influential M-Base flagship, The Five Elements. Bristling and oblique, yet flowing and bracing. The playing is brilliant throughout; singer Jen Shyu tears it down.

The great singer in rambunctious, rootsy and jazzy recordings from 1972-4.

Ghanaian highlife bombs: giants like K. Frimpong, African Brother Nana Ampedu, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley (with The Complex Sounds); unfamiliar names like Los Issufu and his Moslems, Waza Afrika, Funky Afrosibi.

Fine Malian blues, with contributions from Ali Farka Toure.