Following are additional albums released October 2020 across multiple genres—some will be reviewed in future issues of Black Grooves.
Blues, Folk, Country
Ben Harper: Winter Is for Lovers (Anti)
Dennis Jones: Soft Hard & Loud (Blue Rock)
JoJo Mason: Changes (604 Records)
Matt ‘Guitar’ Murphy: Memphis To Chicago 1952-1961 (Jasmine)
Nora Jean Wallace: Blueswoman (Severn)
Classical
Brandon Patrick George: Flute Sonatas & Solo Works (Profil – Edition Günter Hänssler)
Funk, Rock, Pop, House, Electronic
Brandi & the Alexanders: Live in Brooklyn (dig)
Bootsy Collins: The Power of the One (eOne / Sweetwater)
Bourgeoisie Paper Jam: Sugar Fit (CD Baby)
Buscrates: Blasting Off (Bastard Jazz)
Fitz and The Tantrums: Pickin’ Up The Pieces (Live in Chicago) (Dangerbird)
Larry “Moogstar” Clemon: Jesus Just Knocked on Your Door (Who’s Got the Nerve to Let Him In)
Mandrill: Back In Town (Code Black / SPV)
Shamir: S/T (dig) (Dist. Bandcamp)
WheelUP: Wanezi EP (Tru Thoughts)
Gospel, Spirituals, CCM
Brian Courtney Wilson: Still (Motown Gospel)
Demetrius West and Jesus Promoters: Do It Again (Black Smoke Music)
Elder Charles Beck: Your Man of Faith (Gospel Friend)
House Gospel Choir: Re//Choired (Island)
Jonathan Nelson ft. Purpose: The Reunion (eOne)
Kergyma Community Choir: Choir Life: The Prelude (dig) (Enon Music Group)
Marvin Sapp: Chosen Vessel (RCA)
Pastor Skylar Patterson & Predestined: Testify (dig) (Ruffboyzmusic)
Tasha Cobbs Leonard: Live at the Ryman (Motown Gospel)
Various: A Capella Black Gospel: Look How the World Has Made a Change, 1940-1969 (Gospel Friend)
Various: A Stranger I May Be: Savoy Gospel 1954-1986 (Honest Jon’s/Forced Exposure)
Various: Turn It Loose, Ain’t No Good: Savoy Gospel 1970 -1979 (Honest Jon’s/Forced Exposure)
Holiday
Amber Weekes: The Gathering (self-released)
Benny Barksdale Jr: Christmas Time Is Here (dig) (Essential Media Group)
Brian Bromberg: Celebrate Me Home: The Holiday Sessions (Artistry Music)
Leslie Odom Jr.: The Christmas Album (S-Curve Records)
Lynda Randle: White Christmas (Gaither Music Group)
Jazz
Alonzo Demetrius: Live From The Prison Nation (Onyx Productions)
Analog Players Society: Soundtrack to a Nonexistent Film (Ropeadope)
Aquiles Navarro & Tcheser Holmes: Heritage of the Invisible II (International Anthem)
Azymuth, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad: Azymuth JID004 (Jazz is Dead)
Benjamin Boone: The Poets Are Gathering (Origin)
Brianna Thomas: Everybody Knows (Breathline)
César Orozco and Kamarata Jazz: Rooted Forward (Self-released)
Devin Gray & Gerald Cleaver: 27 Licks (Rataplan)
Ella Fitzgerald: The Lost Berlin Tapes (Verve)
Eric Essix: Songs from the Deep (dig) (Lightyear Ent.)
James Brandon Lewis: Molecular (Intakt)
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis: A Swingin’ Sesame Street Celebration (Blue Engine)
Jazz In Pink (ft. Gail Jhonson): Joy! (Shanachie)
Joel Ross: Who Are You? (Blue Note)
Junk Magic (Craig Taborn): Compass Confusion (Pyroclastic)
Kahil El’Zabar: America The Beautiful (Spiritmuse)
King Khan: The Infinite Ones (Ernest Jennings)
Lafayette Gilchrist: Now (Bandcamp)
Lionel Loueke: HH (Edition)
Mike Sopko, Bill Laswell & Tyshawn Sorey: On Common Ground (Mod Reloaded)
Noah Haidu: Doctone [tribute to Kenny Kirkland] (Sunnyside)
Peter Bernstein: What Comes Next (Smoke Sessions)
Roland Haynes: 2nd Wave (reissue) (Black Jazz/ Real Gone Music)
Ron Miles: Rainbow Sign (Blue Note)
Sun Ra Arkestra: Swirling (Strut)
Taber Gable: Hidden Driveways (dig)
Tivon Pennicott: Spirit Garden (New Phrase)
Various: Blue Note Reimagined (Blue Note)
R&B, Soul
Body Language: Travel Guide (dig) (Om)
Carla Thomas: Let Me Be Good To You – The Atlantic & Stax Recordings, 1960-1968 (4CD Box Set) (Soul Music)
Cory Henry: Something to Say (Culture Collective)
Curtis Knight & the Squires: No Business: The PPX Sessions Volume 2 (Dagger/Experience Hendrix L.L.C.)
Devin B. Thompson: Tales of the Soul (Severn)
DJ Ronnie Herel: Presents Neo Soul Sessions Vol. 1 (BBE)
Earth, Wind & Fire: Greatest Hits: Japanese Singles Collection (Sony)
Eric Bellinger: ERIC B FOR PRESIDENT: TERM 3 (YFS Music/EMPIRE)
Famous Dex: Diana (300 Ent.)
Infinity Song: Mad Love EP (dig) (Roc Nation)
James Tillman: Modern Desires (dig) (Musella Creative)
Jessie Wagner: Shoes Droppin (Wicked Cool)
Jon Scott: Freedom: A New Jerusalem EP (dig)
Kenny Carter: Showdown – The Complete 1966 RCA Recordings (Ace)
Kiana Ledé: KIKI (Deluxe) (Republic)
Loleatta Holloway: Loleatta / Cry To Me (Ace)
Luh Kel: L.O.V.E. (dig) (Cinematic Music Group)
Mariah Carey: The Rarities (Legacy)
Omarion: The Kinection (dig) (Omarion Worldwide)
PORCELAN: Mood Ring (dig)
Resistance Revival Chorus: This Joy (Righteous Babe)
Ronnie Herel: Neo Soul Sessions, Vol. 1 (BBE)
Sade: This Far (6 LP box set) (Sony Legacy)
Sananda Maitreya (aka Terence Trent D’Arby): Pandora’s PlayHouse Chapter 3 (dig)
T.Nava: Blackberry mango EP (Empire)
Tony Strong: Philly Style (EMG)
Various: I Can’t Breathe/Music for the Movement EP (dig) (The Undefeated/Hollywood)
Various: The Soul of the Midnight Special (5 DVD set) (Time Life)
Xavier Omär: If You Feel (RCA)
Rap, Hip Hop
21 Savage and Metro Boomin: Savage Mode 2 (Slaughter Gang)
Benny The Butcher: Burden Of Proof (Empire)
Black Thought: Streams of Thought Vol. 3: Cain and Able (Passyunk)
BlocBoy JB: FatBoy (Interscope)
Bryson Tiller: Anniversary (RCA)
Busta Rhymes: Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God (Empire)
Capolow: Kid Next Door (Cinematic Music Group)
Chuck Strangers: Too Afraid to Dance (Sounds of Beverly)
Common: A Beautiful Revolution PT 1 (Loma Vista)
Daja Marie: S/T EP (dig)
Dice Soho: Gemini in Paradise (Icey Life)
Dinner Party: Dessert (Empire)
Discrepancies: The Rise (Invogue)
Dougie F: Without a Smile (Stragg)
Eric Bellinger: Eric B for President: Term 3 (Empire)
Fat Tony: Exotica (Car Park)
Future Utopia: 12 Questions (Fraser T Smith)
Headie One: EDNA (Relentless /Sony UK)
Hoodrich Pablo Juan: Master Sensei 2 (Empire)
Jay Electronica: Act II: The Patents of Nobility (The Turn) (Roc Nation)
Joyner Lucas: Evolution (Twenty Nine Music Group)
Junglepussy: Jp4 (Jagjaguwar)
Larry June & Harry Fraud: Keep Going (dig) (The Freeminded)
Lil Loaded: A Demon in 6lue (dig) (Lil Loaded Music)
Lil Poppa: Evergreen Wildchild 2 (Deluxe) (Interscope)
Lilbootycall: 23 EP (Glow-up Ent)
Lud Foe: Guns up Funds Up (YSN/Groundwērk/eOne)
MC Sa-Roc: The Sharecropper’s Daughter (Rhymesayers)
Ms Banks: Banks Statement (Platoon)
Odario: Good Morning Hunter (dig) (Do Right Music)
OG 3THREE: The Appetizer mixtape (38 Records/eOne)
Open Mike Eagle: Anime, Trauma and Divorce (Otherground)
Outkast: Stankonia (20th Anniv. Ed.) (Sony)
Papoose: Endangered Species (Honorable)
Price (of Audio Push): Clrd (Empire)
Rucci: Midget (Empire)
Serial Killers: Summer of Sam (Open Bar Ent)
Smoke DZA: Homegrown (Cinematic Music Group)
Soultru: The Truth EP (dig)
Tech N9ne: Fear Exodus (Strange Music)
TOBi: Elements Vol. 1 (dig) (RCA)
Tony Velour: 3M (Mad Decent)
Trey Songz: Back Home (Atlantic)
Trippie Redd: Pegasus (1400 Ent)
Ty Dolla $ign: Featuring (dig) (Atlantic)
Westside Gunn: Who Made the Sunshine? (Interscope)
Willie The Kid: Capital Gains (dig) (The Fly LLC)
Wiz Khalifa: The Saga of Wiz Khalifa Deluxe (Atlantic)
WizKid: Made in Lagos (RCA)
YG: My Life 4Hunnid (Def Jam)
Yung Bleu: Love Scars: The 5 Stages of Emotions EP (Empire)
Reggae, International
Badi & Boddhi Satvai: Trouble Fête (Batakari)
Lustre Kings: Star Chile EP (dig)
Major Lazer: Music Is the Weapon (Mad Decent)
Papa Rosko: S/T (Voodoo Possum)
Prince Ashton Sizzle: Living In The Land Of Make Believe (KingJam/EMG)
Queen Teena Dazzle: Stir It Up (KingJam/EMG)
Seba Kaapstad: Konke (Mello Music Group)
Urban Village: Ubaba (Nø Førmat)
Various: New Orleans Mambo: Cuba to NOLA (Putumayo)
Heshoo Beshoo Group: Armitage Road (reissue) (We Are Busy Bodies)