Back catalogue:

Review: The third volume of this series delivers an irresistible blend of funk and 60s-inspired grooves. Side-1 kicks off with a surf-rock-infused funk jam packed with energy and retro vibes. Following that, a swinging 60s sound that combining catchy rhythms and pop sensibilities keeps the momentum going. Side-2 shifts gears a groove-heavy track led by a soulful organ that oozes vintage charm. Closing the collection, there is a gem that features smooth, funk-driven melodies, topped off by a standout sax solo and a subtle British flair. This compilation offers a vibrant mix of styles, perfect for fans of classic funk with a modern twist.

Review: 'Beat Me Till I'm Blue' is a wonderfully funky classic by The Mohawks presented under the M Hawk alias, the Hawk in question being none other than KPM Music Library overlord Alan Hawkshaw, who wrote the themes from everything from Grange Hill to Countdown. It was a real cornerstone of the late-1960s library and soul-infused grooves of the sort that diggers still fawn over today, and sample fiends still search out. The track delivers Hawkshaw's distinctively driving Hammond organ riffs, tight drum breaks and irresistible rhythms, all of which have made it a favourite among DJs for decades. Two versions are served up here, one with the iconic horns and one with them stripped away, and both offer plenty of energy. .

Review: The wonderful Brazil 45 series from Mr Bongo is back with its big old torch to shine a beam of deserving attention on two standout funk and bossa nova tracks from Rosa Maria, which originally came in 1972 and have remained in demand ever since. The A-side, 'Deixa Nao Deixa', blends Afro-Latin guitar, wild horns and percussion with infectious vocal harmonies that all coalesce into a Brazilian funk classic. On the B-side, 'Avenida Atlantica' delivers alternating funk and bossa beats beneath layers of vocals, horns and percussion to bring big energy and dancefloor-ready heat. This reissue ensures these timeless tracks become available for your rotation once more.

Review: A long-lost gem from drum legend Edison Machado finally sees the light of day: Edison Machado & Boa Nova, recorded in New York in 1978 but never released, reflects the work of the master muso-mountaineer at his peak, fusing North and South American jazz rhythmic traditions with groundbreaking samba innovations. Machado, a pioneer of "samba no prato" (samba on cymbals), redefined Brazilian jazz alongside Jobim and Gilberto. Forced into exile under Brazil's dictatorship, he later found new creative energy in NYC, leading an ensemble of top-tier musicians. The result? A daring, dynamic, and electrifying session, controlled but untamed. Alongside original contributions from Dom Salvador, Guilherme Vergueiro and Aloisio Aguiar, this 80-minute lost masterpiece singes our ears with its carpal flair.

Review: Following the success of their acclaimed debut album, Mama Terra returns with a vivid tribute to one of their major influences, Herbie Hancock, where the group have reimagined his groundbreaking 1973 masterpiece, 'Head Hunters', in a live setting. Recorded at the Glasgow Jazz Festival 2024, the album captures the band's energetic performance and their deep respect for Hancock's music. Mama Terra stays true to the spirit of the original while adding their own unique flavour, replacing the synth parts with a captivating blend of vocals, saxophone, and effects-laden bass. The album also incorporates elements from other Hancock classics like 'Cantaloupe Island' and 'Butterfly', creating a dynamic and imaginative tribute to a true jazz legend.

Review: If music's power to transport us somewhere else is what makes it such an addictive drug, albums like this swooning, sun-kissed and Latin-flavour jazz delight are class-A contraband. Henry Mancini is renowned for his iconic film and television scores (and you will certainly recognise its here for that reason) and so he won multiple Grammy Awards and a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995. His music became a staple of the easy-listening genre from the 1960s to the 1980s, but also he made significant contributions to jazz, such as this most elegant and soothing work.

Review: British Bantu visual artist and musician Zola Marcelle shares her debut album, an ingenious ten-track record of ancestral musings, ethereal sound-dreamscapes and narrative vignettes, informed by soul, broken beat, and the musics of Zimbabwean Shona and South African Sotho. A riveting journey back through bloodlines and future-past hopes, Marcelle brings an impressively playful vocal and etheric attitude; opener 'Highlight' is an invitingly tender funky jazz primer, against which Zola speaks, outlining eternally recursive goals for life; the latter half of the record is more quelling, with 'Kgotso' building on the Sotho word for "stillness" to convey the later feeling of loitering in God's waiting room, while the B-side builds 'Saturn Drive' and 'Beyond' circle back to softly intoned Afro-beatifics.

Review: This is the first-ever reissue of Gianni Marchetti's 1978 LP Solstitium, which was originally released as part of RCA's "Original Cast" series in limited promo copies and has long been considered one of the most rare and enigmatic pieces of Italian library music. Library music was primarily created for television, radio and film but often yielded hidden gems that fused jazz, lounge and soul into storytelling vignettes of sounds. Marchetti's wonderful Solstitium is a prime example of innovation within this space which rightly remains a classic in the history of Italian music.

Review: 1997's Slow Traffic to the Right found Bennie Maupin navigating between cerebral jazz and deep funk with style and ease. Though generally known for his abstract leanings and serious musical demeanour, here he showed a lighter side - not least because he is actually smiling on the album cover - while diving into grooves shaped by his time with Herbie Hancock's Headhunters. With help from rhythm masters like Mike Clark and Paul Jackson, Maupin swaps out ECM austerity for signature Oakland bounce, so tracks like 'It Remains to Be Seen' and 'You Know the Deal' excel with newfound swagger without abandoning his jazz roots. It's a compelling pivot into accessible, funky and smart jazz soul.

Review: A major departure from Les McCann’s earlier acoustic jazz and soul jazz outings, this exquisite 11-track record by the Kentucky pianist, vocalist and composer was the first in his discography to extensively feature electronic instrumentation, making it a favourite sample seep of producers such as Madlib and J Dilla. Following a studio-driven will by McCann to expound a deep, introspective and dynamic fusion sound, the record’s cosmic outcries - guaranteed by its use of ARP Odyssey and Fender systems - serve to transcend the expectations of the soul jazz genre. At times it sounds predictive of motorik kosmische, as on ‘Let’s Gather’, and even the raunchier wah-inflectors, such as ‘The Dunbar High School Marching Band’, carry an huge re-verbiage, reminiscent of the ambitious abysses of space.

Review: A striking album of the bop era that was highlighted by his undying conviction and ability to reclaim his status as a primary architect of the genre. The album is built around two exceptional groups: a sextet and a quintet, both anchored by Davis' blue-chip rhythm section of Horace Silver (piano), Percy Heath (bass) and Kenny Clarke (drums). The sextet features trombonist J.J. Johnson and tenor saxophonist Lucky Thompson, while the quintet adds Dave Schildkraut (alto sax), whose contributions, though lesser-known, are memorable. The title track, an extended 12-bar blues, shows Davis' ability to exude an air of detachment from the music, making it feel like an extension of his solo rather than the other way around. 'Blue 'n' Boogie', in contrast, is a lively, energetic tune where Davis and Johnson engage in spirited improvisation, with Johnson even quoting from Thelonious Monk's 'Rhythm-A-Ning'. 'Solar' introduces a delicate interplay, with Silver's piano solo displaying an Ellington-esque elegance. The album's final track, 'Love Me or Leave Me', foreshadows Davis' later breakthrough, with his swift and decisive trumpet solo hinting at the bold innovations to come. Walkin' stands as an essential bop-era classic, with Davis' brilliant command over his instruments and his bandmates, with pieces like 'Walkin'' and 'Solar' cementing its place as a foundational jazz work.

Review: Mark Millington's debut album showcases the UK saxophonist's dynamic, melody-driven jazz sounds across some well-formed new compositions. Energetic and percussive yet deeply lyrical, five original tracks range from the joyful exuberance of 'Matilda's Dance' to the tender emotion of 'Truth Be Told.' A standout reinterpretation of Becky Hill's 'Overdrive' adds a fresh twist to the mix and throughout this album, Millington is joined by a stellar ensemble including Addison Frei (piano), Jackson Potter (guitar), Yoshi Waki (bass) and Brian Karl (drums), with more guests also featuring and making this a memorable introduction to a promising new voice in jazz.

Review: Hard Top brings together a long-overdue collection of 1975 recordings by South African alto saxophonist Kippie Moeketsi, released here under the 1970s spelling Moketsi. Issued by As-Shams/The Sun in a gatefold double vinyl edition, the record arrives in the wake of Tete Mbambisa's African Day and marks the centenary of Moeketsi's birth. Known for his foundational role in the Jazz Epistles and his deep imprint on the evolution of South African jazz, Moeketsi remained a devoted interpreter of classic American jazz traditions even as he embraced the funk-infused direction of the 70s. Flanked by standout sidemen Sipho Gumede, Dennis Mpale, and Pat Matshikiza, the album is a clement covers set, revisiting many an r&b standard, from 70s soul and pop to contemporary township grooves. Lovingly compiled and produced by Calum MacNaughton from sessions originally overseen by the late Rashid Vally, here hear: a vital artistic dossier of a musician whose influence resonates well beyond his lifetime.

Review: The limited-numbered lilac vinyl edition of Floating brings new life to a jazz fusion classic. Accompanied by liner notes from German DJ and tastemaker Rainer Truby, this reissue aims to make the album accessible to a new generation of listeners as original copies of this influential record are rare, with only one 1992 repress that now fetches somewhere between L30 and L60. Highly sought after by collectors and DJs for obvious reasons once you hear it, it is packed with quality jazz fusion sounds that are as innovative and fresh now as they were back when it first landed.

Review: Dietro il Processo is a TV investigation series directed by Franco Biancacci that was broadcast by RAI in Italy from 1978 to 1980 as part of the Storie allo Specchio series. The legendary Ennio Morricone composed the main theme and scored three episodes: L'urlo, L'ultima notte di Pier Paolo Pasolini and Il caso Montesi. Although the tracks were not initially released in any format, the soundtrack became available on CD in 2009. For Record Store Day 2025, this first-ever LP edition has been assembled and comes on white vinyl so allows a chance to revisit to these most dramatic pieces.

Review: Berlin's Moses Yoofee Trio return with their first new material since 2023's Ocean. Recorded over ten days at Glaswald Studios in April 2024, with two additional tracks finished at Leiter's Funkhaus studio in Berlin, the album is available on vinyl. Produced with long-time collaborator oh.no.ty, the standout track 'WHIP.wav' showcases their sophisticated jazz, driven by Moses' fluid piano lines, Noah Furbringer's deft drumming, and Roman Klobe-Baranga's understated bass. The trio's minimalist approach distills their sound to its essence, letting their prodigious talents shine, focusing on "emotions, moments, and bangers."

Review: Dennis Mpale had become a key figure in South African jazz by the time the mid-70s swung around having already had a career spanning some pivotal moments in the genre's evolution. From leading the trumpet section in Chris McGregor's Castle Lager Big Band to co-founding the jazz fusion group Roots, Mpale was instrumental in shaping jazz and in 1977, he released Our Boys Are Doing It-his solo debut. It was produced by Rashid Vally and issued on Mercury as a bold response to global trends which embraced township bump jive and featured legends like Kippie Moketsi. We Are Busy Bodies now reissues this essential title from analogue masters so it sounds superb as a key bit of jazz history.

Review: Renowned DJ and selector MURO is a Jedi-level compiler and this new collection of his delves into Victor's extensive archives to spotlight a world of Japanese jazz, fusion and AOR. It take sin plenty of internationally known names like Yasuko Agawa on the sunset sounds of 'L.A. Night', Sadistics who offers the more psyched out guitar leans of 'On the Seashore', Yuji Ohno's neo-Balaeric bliss-out 'The Dawn of Seychells' and Hiroshi Fukumura's soul soothing Ry Ayres-style melodies on 'White Clouds.' These are luxurious sounds and timeless tracks with MURO's signature funky perspective making this a brillaint choice for brighter, warmer days.

Review: Recorded at the storied Slugs' Saloon in Manhattan's Lower East Side, this unified collection captures the Charles Tolliver-led Music Inc quartet in blistering form. New York runs through the musiciits restlessness, density, sharp corners. Tolliver, a Brooklyn-born trumpeter with a militant edge and lyrical touch, fronts a group that helped define the forward-looking jazz of the early 70s. Beside him are Strata-East co-founder Stanley Cowell on piano, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Jimmy Hopps, all embedded in the New York avant-garde at the time. On pieces like 'Felicite' and 'Wilpan's', they stretch out with blistering force, melting structure into raw, insistent groove. Even in quieter momentsi'Ruthie's Heart', or the shadowy 'Repetition'ithere's a tension that never quite releases, the sense that every note is carved in real time. This is the first time both volumes are presented as one continuous document, expanded with three previously unreleased tracks. It's a vital capture of a quartet thinking collectively, improvising with unrelenting intensity and total mutual trust. The sound, newly remastered, gives space to the grit and nuance of the live sessioniCowell's cascading runs, McBee's deep pull, Hopps' unpredictable propulsion. There's no studio polish here, just a direct line to the spirit of a time and place, when New York jazz burned fast, political and free.