As well-rounded as you'd expect from a lot whose songcraft so suavely synthesizes styles into gently beatwise, tuneful pop form, Sound Selection is a mix compilation a la Late Night Tales or Back To Mine, valuing feel and, well, selection over perfect blending and matching. Soulful choral consternation from the Staple Singers and Redbone goes one-for-one with late-golden-age hiphop for the front half of this sequence (maybe even poking fun at comp-curation vanity in choosing De La Soul's "Ego Tripping, Part 2"), and the band's own "Left Foot Stepdown" fits right in after a double-dose of reggae.

Four of Lay It Down's eleven tracks were written on the first day of recording, and that spontaneity is apparent, helping leaven what could have just become a stifled opportunity. Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson gets that Al Jackson groove down on "Just For Me", and John Legend's cameo on "You've Got The Luv I Need" holds its own. Sure, most of the album's incredibly smooth, and there may be too many slow jams for many people's tastes, but ?uest and James Poyser clearly know Willie Mitchell's work, delivering an intriguing experiment that's respectful but thankfully isn't overly reverent, either.

Domestically available after a two-month wait on this side of the pond, much has already been made in the British press of the collaboration between this brassy Welsh belter and producer Bernard Butler, garnering many comparisons to Mark Ronson's success with Amy Winehouse. Even though Duffy has yet to foist any equivalent personal drama on the public, don't hold that against her, as Rockferry's ways may be less in-your-face, but similarly borrowing from classic soul songstresses while putting a contemporary, accessible pop spin on it all.

The Numero Group's second installment in their Good God! series (ever-cryptically displaying such info on its sleeve in Hebrew only) finds Chicago's intrepid soul-seekers shedding light on South Side expats Charles "Hezekiah" Blackwell, Thomas "Yehudah" Whitfield and John "Shevat" Boyd, all converts to Judaism led by Garveyite Ben Ammi Carter to move first to Liberia in the late '60s, then to Dimona, Israel in the early '70s, tracking Old Testament gospel soul as The Soul Messengers along with backup women's choir The Spirit Of Israel and Shevat's son's "kid group" The Tonistics.

What better way to welcome warmer weather than with more Crescent City soul? Another top-notch overview from Soul Jazz as per usual, and as was the case with Vol. 1, this edition of New Orleans Funk features a smattering of familiar tracks and artists (Cyril and Art Neville, The Meters, Allan Toussaint, Lee Dorsey) along with enough lesser-knowns to keep aficionados content. In particular, Eddie Bo's given lots of room to shine, with three tracks here (on top of those just made available on Vampisoul's new In The Pocket With... overview). The perfect mix to heat up any patio parties you may be planning!

A casual observer could be forgiven for thinking that reissue label Soul Jazz wouldn't touch any Jamaican music that wasn't recorded at the seminal Studio One; to date, they have a staggering 23 volumes in their S1 series. But not only does their brand new Jamaica Funk break with that unwritten rule, it also proves that their reggae reissue well is anything but dry. This excellent release combines covers of American funk material from artists such as The JBs, Al Green and The Stylistics, as well as original Jamaican music owing to these styles. Big Youth, Augustus Pablo, The Upsetters all appear on this great disc.

One can only hope that the increased recognition the excellent Dap-Kings received as Amy Winehouse's North American backing band will translate well for road warrior Sharon Jones. No disrespect to Winehouse--she's got great pipes--but live, she's still a bit of deer in the headlights compared to the barnburner that is Jones. 100 Days, 100 Nights is economical and lively in its mission: to create a long lost R&B record. From its layout to its sound, this is one seriously retro album, but it's retro done with feeling, love, and a boatload of talent.

Local label head John Kong started the Do Right label as a way to showcase local electronic, jazz, soul and hip hop acts. In a short time, he has proven that Toronto is a hotbed for more than just indie rock. Although the second in his Required Listening compilations draws from outside T.O., Abdominal's excellent opener "T-Ode" makes certain we know where Kong's heart lies (the track even features an intro by Toronto mayor David Miller!). Like its predecessor, this collection is an excellent cross-section of jazz, hip hop and soul, and a great reminder of just how diverse this town can be.

The Numero Group's dedication to hunting down the forgotten of music's past has led to a flawless run of surprises. Their 14th release, Grand Bahama Goombay, retains the chief characteristics of most of their titles: crisp, wide-eyed soul music made with equal parts sweat, humour and naivete.  All but the most scholarly of listeners will be hearing this blend of soul, funk, calypso and reggae for the first time. Fresh versions of "Take Five" and "Theme from Shaft" pair with Sylvia Hall's ode to abstinance, "Don't Touch That Thing", to make a collection that is unpredictable and damn fun.