The very essence of Sunday morning listening, Make Music: Folk Funk Flavours & Ambient Soul is a superbly nuanced collection of spacious, mellow soul cuts from the early '70s – the set's subtitle speaks volumes about the scope and effect of the grooves therein. Unified by their acoustic guitars, gently bubbling basslines, and sweetly funky rhythms, the songs document a more intimate and empathetic side of Black Power-era soul, far more personal than political but no less impassioned – as compiler John Stapleton writes in his excellent liner notes, the music evokes contemporary acts like Zero 7 and 4hero, reflecting an "increasing interest in and return to the song…re-exploring the same roots of folk, blues and country, and quieter ways to make music." Excellent stuff throughout, with highlights including Minnie Riperton's ravishing "Les Fleurs," Bill Withers' "You," and Al Wilson's "The Dolphins."

A wonderful view of what is "American" in contemporary American music from an Italian producer's perspective, with a nice cover photo of Joey's Navajo Cafe and Dining Room framed by several pickup trucks parked outside. Including rhythmic-based music and sound-text rhythms from ordinary speech (Allen Ginsberg's works), some dreamy electronic music by Pauline Oliveros, and solo jazz by Steve Lacy, this is an interesting collection of new recordings and reissues of tracks from out of print or hard to get vinyl releases. The recording contains Allen Ginsberg's "Hum Bomb" (1992), Steve Reich's "Music for 18 Musicians" (live, 1976), Michael Galasso's "Baroque" (live, 1992), Ben Neill's "Bal," John Cage's "Third Construction" (from a 1983 Italian studio recording), David Behrman's "A Traveller's Dream Journal (EWR-LAX)" (1992), Pauline Oliveros' "A Woman Sees How the World Goes With No Eyes" (from the Lovely Music release Crone Music), Steve Lacy performing Thelonious Monk's "Pannonica," John Zorn and Andrea Centazzo's "First Environment for Sextet" (recorded in New York on WKCR radio in 1978 and appearing on Environment for Sextet released by Ictus Records), and Allen Ginsberg's "Father Death Blues."

Maneuvering between grandiose retro motifs and a surprising sincerity, Michelle Gurevich’s songs are tragicomic, melody-driven, sentimental and suspended in shadowy glamour. Having released 3 albums under the moniker of Chinawoman, she now continues as Michelle Gurevich. She combines dark realism with humour in smoky and intimate ballads delivered with cutting and fatalistic lyrics. Her story began when her bedroom-produced debut album Party Girl, by some fateful unknown hand was delivered to the land of her forefathers, and soon made its way blaring from the yachts of Russian billionaires and as the ringtones of mothers all over the Ukraine. Her music has drawn comparisons to Nico and Leonard Cohen, with a voice akin to Tanita Tikaram. Decadent, dramatic and earnest, vintage keyboards and synth strings offer the solitary rendition of a grand experience, and a voice always upfront delivers motifs familiar yet impossible to pinpoint from the great soup of European chanson.