Fela Kuti
Afrodisiac

There is some way to go yet but we'd like to make a shout for this being the best-titled compilation of 2022. Thankfully, the collection of soul cuts assembled by the super long-running German label Infracom! also lives up to its ambition with four sides of vinyl all ready to warm you to the core. You might not be too familiar with many of the artists - we certainly were not, we must admit - but label co-founder Jan Hagenkotter has done a great job of handpicking this bunch from, mostly, the noughties. There are cosmic jazz explorations, broken beat workouts and samba shufflers as well as plenty more to dig into.

Oh yes! First ever official reissue of the positively sublime and very rare Butterfly LP, recorded in Tokyo in 1979 by Japanese songstress Kimiko Kasai and jazz legend Herbie Hancock.Due to its super-rare status as a Japan-only release, this exquisite collection of covers never got the recognition it deserved at the time, despite incredibly inspired performances from Kimiko, Herbie and the supremely talented musicians assembled for the project. From heavenly drummer Alphonse Mouzon and renowned organist Webster Lewis to bassist Paul Jackson, reedman Bennie Maupin and the master percussionist Bill Summers, the legendary performers crafted amazingly good vocal versions of Herbie / Headhunters jazz-funk. Unsurprisingly, it has been heavily in demand for many years.