When it was released in 2005, volume 1 of Stay on the Groove (subtitled “20 modern funk anthems”) was described in 3D World as “your new favourite album”. Now, with the release of volume 4 of the series, compiled by Adrian Gibson of London Jazz Café fame and released on Gibson’s own Freestyle Records, your new, new favourite record is here. As a label, Freestyle has been described as “Freestyle by name and freestyle by nature” by Mr. Scruff, but the Stay on the Groove series is about one thing: modern funk in all it’s guises.

The album opens on a fine note with spine-tingling vocals of Tyra Hammond, backed by Kiwi compatriots The Tornadoes. You Got Me Thinkin’ is proper funk – no turntables, samplers or other trickery, just a bunch of guys with instruments turning it out. Hammond’s voice is sublime, as it is when she appears on the last track of the album with her other band The Open Souls. Turn It Up is a more soulful, laidback offering that features some excellent guitar work, but again, Hammond is the star, and I’m not talking organs. Also from the southern hemisphere is Cookin’ on 3 Burners, one of the many side projects of Lance from the Bamboos. The appeal of this band comes from the interplay between Lance’s guitar and Jake Mason’s keys. Although usually performing as a trio, Keb’s Bucket features sparse use of brass without cluttering things up.

Continuing on our international journey of modern funk, we head to Japan for Mr.comicstore’s Are You Ready To Party, featuring the vocals of the ever-so-hot Nicole Willis. The Soul Snatchers show there’s more to the Dutch funk scene than just Lefties Soul Connection, with their contribution I Can’s Stand It – a track very highly rated by Keb Darge. From New York, The Brand New Rhythm bring Billy’s Popcorn, a track with more than a little of the Eldridge Holmes about it. The Sound Stylistics are something else, and even on an album this packed with talent, their track The Players stands out. This is proper, heavy funk to get you out of your seat and if you don’t love this track you may as well give up on funk. It’s that good.

The ubiquitous Quantic contributes Panama City under the Qunatic Soul Orchestra name. With influences taken from Latin music as music as much as from funk, it’s a track propelled by inexorable percussion. The other big name featured is Lack of Afro, who’s Wait a Minute is one of Freestyle Records’ biggest selling 12”s. Adam Gibbons plays piano, guitar, alto sax and the drums, and produces modern funk in every sense. How does one skinny white boy contain so much funk? The Kenny Dope mix of the outstanding New Mastersounds also has a decidedly modern sound to it. This track shows why the band is at the forefront of modern funk, and surely it can’t be too long until they visit our shores (please?).

Stay on the Groove vol. 4 pulls together modern funk from around the world into a deliciously tight and listenable package. It avoids the temptation of filling the disc with names like Sharon Jones and Breakestra, and instead brings together a collection of rare funk that those of us who don’t collect obscure 7-inch records might not otherwise hear. Buy this album. Stay on the groove.