The Swap Meet 26 April 2026

The Swap Meet is a market-stall sprawl of finds from across the spectrum of black music, where the logic is curatorial rather than chronological. Pass go at the Chicago soul continuum: Jerry Butler's Gamble & Huff productions sitting near Terry Callier's folk-tinged melancholy and Jill Scott's 21st century soul interpretation - alongside the Philly institution of MFSB's "Love Is the Message," one of those eternal records. Rufus and Chaka comes from their mid-70s peak on ABC, Campbell revisits Jhelisa's "Friendly Pressure" part of the '94 Acid Jazz scene (on Dorado) before switching to Brothers Johnson's jazz-funk alongside Spyro Gyra and The Crusaders.

Further afield Gilberto Gil's "Maracatu Atômico" and the Aposento Alto gospel cut sit in the same programme as Tapper Zukie's Kingston pressure, Area Code 615's Nashville session-player funk, and a clutch of contemporary releases demonstrate that the search ain't over; sampling Chuck Bynum, The Mighty Tiny & The Many Few, and Glenn Meinecke. The modern soul pocket is well covered: Odyssey, Two Tons of Fun, Steve Parks, the Dianne Reeves track from her pre-Blue Note years. 

That's the blurb - now it's time to listen.

Dexter Story - Underway (Love Is) Reprise (2012)
Goldie Alexander – Go back (1981)
Jerry Butler – I’m your mechanical man (1974)
Jerry Butler – One night affair (1972)
Jhelisa – Friendly pressure (1994)
Fresh 4 – Wishing on a star (1989)
Odyssey – Don’t tell me, tell her (1980)
DON-E – Fakin’ the funk (Album mix,1995)
The Mighty Tiny & The Many Few – Young world (2025)
Steve Parks – Everything’s gonne be OK (1981)
Rufus ft Chaka Khan – Stop on by (1974)
Two Tons Of Fun – I been down (1980)
Jill Scott – Whatever (2004)

Terry Callier – You don’t care (1972)
Dianne Reeves – Mi vida (1982)
Brothers Johnson – Caught up (1981)
The Crusaders – Snowflake (1978)
Spyro Gyra – Heliopolis (1979)
George Duke – Yeah, we going (1978)
Gilberto Gil – Maracatu atomico (1979)
Aposento Alto – El vendra (He’s coming) (1978)
Area Code 615 – Stone fox chase (1970)
Ian Martin – Family (2005)
Junior Byron – Trying to hold on (1985)
Tapper Zukie – Freak (1979)

MFSB – Love is the message (1974)
Sunrize – You are the one (1982)
Sherrick – Do you baby (1987)
Tony Owens – Woman I got to leave you (1978)
Chuck Strong – Doin’ it cause it feels good (1982)
Cornell – Hot nights (1980)
Chuck Bynum – You worked your miracle (2025)
Agent K – Ride away, getaway (2002)
Tom Youms – Being a man (1980, edit)
Spencer Jones – How high (Garage mix, 1982)
Dianne Marie – I’ve waited much too long (1982)
Glenn Echo, Glenn Meinecke – I need somebody to love tonight (2025)