V/A compiled by John Kong - Required Listening 2

Do Right! main-man John Kong has been described as Canada's answer to Gilles Peterson. With this collection, Kong shows that like the Radio 1 DJ, he's got an impressive ear for a tune and similarly eclectic taste. Covering several musical bases, Required Listening 2 is a showcase of both familiar and less well-known Canuck talent. Emcee Abdominal drops T-Ode, making waves in Toronto, while Anonymous and Planet Asia combine for the hip-hop soul of Sweet 16. Other Toronto highlights include the laid-back jazz of Sacha Willamson and Alister Johnson's bruk-beat soul. Vancouver has quickly established itself as a musical hot-bed, thanks in part to the acclaimed tech-house trio Cobblestone Jazz who feature here, and now it would seem vocalist Amailia Townsend who sings on the compilation for nujazz-ists Sekoya and deep funk-soul unit, 1 Luv. Elsewhere, Ghislain Poirer represents for Montreal with bass-heavy French-flecked dub and Ottawa gets in on the act courtesy of SoulJazz Orchestra's afro-beat. [Colin Chapman]