The first album to be released in the new Unisex records 'Soul' series is wisely focused on the broad but undoubtedly soulful music emanating from Philadelphia.
Philly has a pedigree that's most often remembered for its contribution to funk and disco through the O Jays and the slick orchestrated funk of MFSB on the Philadelphia International label.
But in recent years it's become home to a new breed of soul, hip hop, house and jazz influenced dance artists, who have, in very different ways tinkered with the edges of contemporary sounds through distinct, but somehow coherent, musical explorations.
What unites the artists is a tactile quality of production and a left of centre sensibility. But in other ways they are miles apart.
Jill Scott and Ursula Rucker both draw inspiration from spoken word jazz rap poetry of the Danna Bryant variety. But Scott is certainly more retro than Rucker.
Jazzy Jeff, Vikter Duplaix and King Britt all moved from hip hop to experiment with other forms of dance music. But there's a chasm between Jeff, the beat experimentalism of Britt and the melodic structures of Duplaix.
Put them together on one album, however, and they blend into a surprisingly coherent soundsystem and their similarities emerge more strongly than their differences.
The blending is made easier from the start by the pairing up of Jill Scott and Jazzy Jeff on the apt introduction of 'We Live In Philly'. King Britt makes two superb interventions through his broken beat-like collaboration with Ivana Santilli ('Superstar') and The Philadelphia Experiment's 'Grover', while Duplaix's 'Looking For Love' appears towards the end of the set.
Floetry introduces R&B themes with 'Fun', Jazzyfatnastees' slip in an Atlantic soul throwback with Something in The Way', Res' 'Golden Boys' rides on an old school reggae bass line, Jaguar Wright hooks up with the Roots' Black Thought for 'I Don't Know', Lizz Fields gets all click hop on 'Say The Word', Scott drops funky stuff on 'It's Love' and Rucker's collaboration with M.A.D remains one of the most romantic and sensual tracks on record.
Pedants will note there are people missing (notably The Roots, although their presence is felt all over the record). But the album gets the City of Brotherly Love's point over well and, as their forbears might have said, brotherly (and sisterly) love is a message well worth hearing.
