UK instrumental outfit The Filthy Six take us to the dark and dingy depths of Soho where they started 20 years ago with their new EP Soho Filth, with 4 distinctive tracks of luscious soul-jazz and vibrant latin jazz, recorded live at Dean St Studios and out on Color Red Records.

The Filthy Six were formed in a dingy Soho basement 20 years ago, with the goal of cultivating an ensemble to play classic soul-jazz tunes from the groove-laden vaults of the famed Blue Note Records. They spent their formative years rehearsing and performing shows in this shabby club off Kingly Court, deep in the heart of London’s Soho, around the corner from Carnaby Street and the legendary Jazz and R&B clubs of the 1960s such as The 41 Club, The Flamingo and Ronnie Scott’s. They eventually moved above ground into slightly more salubrious establishments, swapped the covers for originals and hit the road.

Here they are, 20 years and several records later coming full circle and back to creating music in a Soho basement with the release of their new EP, Soho Filth. Recorded live at the noted Dean St Studios, the record comes straight out of the gate with the Cannonball Adderley-inspired “Mr. Shmingle Bangle”, featuring renowned percussionist/DJ Snowboy on congas. The tune serves as a warm tribute to bandleader Nick Etwell’s old college roommate, James Bush, an astute lover of latin jazz music.

“Swapsies” is an old-school two-chord groover that puts Hammond C3 organist Andrew Noble in the limelight to carry the melody and showcase his skills. “In Time” is up next, taking a measured and harmonically interesting approach to the traditional blues form. The record closes in signature Filthy Six style with a good old-fashioned boogaloo blues: “The Swagger Junkie” dedicated to the fashionable denizens of Soho, strutting their stuff from the ’60s right up to the present day, never quite getting enough of how damn good they look.

In just 4 tracks listeners get to sample four distinct slices of Soho Filth and can join The Filthy Six in raising a glass to the next 20 years ahead.