The collective that includes the Poets of Rhythm, Whitefield Brothers and Karl Hector & The Malcouns present a series of rare funk, jazz, soul and world-psych singles compiled as an album. Presale at Stones Throw Feb. 6th. Worldwide street date Feb. 28th.

It’s been nearly fifteen years since the vinyl-only releases by the various ensembles helmed by Jay and Max Whitefield – also known as the Whitefield Brothers and the nucleus of the revered Poets of Rhythm – were collated onto an Original Raw Soul album. The last – 1997’s More Original Raw Soul – largely contained the duo’s heavy funk and soul… well before the aughts’ Deep Funk revival that one could argue began with these two German siblings’ earliest recordings.

Fitting, then, that this – Original Raw Soul III – looks back at recordings dating back over twenty years but never once sounds dated or dull. There’s the garage funk of the early Poets incarnation the Bus People Express; the deep jazz of vocalist Bajka gigging with a Max Whitefield ensemble; the pan-African psych-jazz of the Whitefield Brothers. And that’s just three of the ensembles contained within. Original Raw Soul III’s sixteen tracks that span the gamut of forty years of musical innovation, recorded over the past twenty years, and presented anew today.

Contains two previously unreleased songs by The Transgressors, which also released on a 7” in conjunction with this album. Download one – the garagey funk number “Money For Born Money For Die” – below.

Download: Transgressors “Money For Born Money For Die.”

Part three of what we think will be four – but might be five. Thanks to Sofrito’s Lewis Heriz we’re presenting another entry in our “Not Really A Podcast” series – the third song from the gig Heriz produced for the Poets of Rhythm/Whitefield Brothers, Heliocentrics drummer Malcolm Catto and vocalist Bajka at The Maze in Nottingham, UK, in 2006. This time – a cover of Egyptian drummer and bandleader Salah Ragab’s “Neveen.”

Download: The Poets of Rhythm featuring Malcolm Catto and Bajka ““Neveen.”

Again, courtesy of Sofrito’s Lewis Heriz we’re presenting another entry in our “Not Really A Podcast” series – a second song from the gig Heriz produced for the Poets of Rhythm/Whitefield Brothers, Heliocentrics drummer Malcolm Catto and vocalist Bajka at The Maze in Nottingham, UK, in 2006. Now up – a modal-funk number in the vein of Mulatu Asatke, the aptly titled “Ethiopia.”

Download: The Poets of Rhythm featuring Malcolm Catto and Bajka ““Ethiopia.”

Thanks to Lewis Heriz (the graphic-design mastermind behind London’s Sofrito, and our Whitefield Brothers and Seu Jorge and Almaz album covers), we are pleased to offer you another entry in our sporadic “Not Really A Podcast” series….

This is the first in a line of songs we’ll make available from a gig Heriz produced for the Poets of Rhythm/Whitefield Brothers, Heliocentrics drummer Malcolm Catto and vocalist Bajka at The Maze in Nottingham, UK, in 2006. First up – a funky take on Charles Mingus’s “Moanin.’”

Download: The Poets of Rhythm featuring Malcolm Catto ““Moanin.’”

Courtesy Mr. Mass