Back catalogue: Funk Soul & Jazz

Review: Despite eventually becoming one of Japanese jazz's most lauded pianists, Ryo Fukui didn't release many albums in his lifetime. Aside from Scenery, the dazzling 1976 debut of his Sapporo-based trio, none are quite as celebrated as In New York. Recorded with the help of sidemen Lisle A Atkinson (bass) and Leroy Williams (drums) at the Avatar studio in NYC in February 1999, it sees Fukui deliver dazzling, piano-driven interpretations of some of his jazz favourites (Charlie Parker's 'Hot House', Duke Ellington's 'Red Carpet' and George Gershwin's 'Embraceable You' included). Fukui's self-taught piano skills were incredible, no doubt, and it's the expressiveness and fluidity of his playing that shines through. It's perhaps fitting, though, that the album's standout moment is a version of his own 'Mellow Dream', arguably Fukui's most celebrated composition.

Review: This double record - originally released in 2002 - is a deep dive into the duo's creative process, reimagining the 1991 classic through multiple sonic lenses. The London duo bring an album's worth of reinterpretations, starting with the evergreen original version's ethereal pads and hypnotic breakbeats. T2 merges the iconic melody with playful elements blending dreamy basslines and warm builds with subtle psychedelic hues. T3 extends the atmospherics and psych guitar wails in the final stretch triumphantly. T4 drifts into ambient psych-rock while T5 is a harsher more abrasive version. T6 is a slow, genre-blending piece with psychedelic undertones and emotional weight, gracefully building toward a euphoric blend of organ notes, complex drum patterns and smooth saxophone. Finally, T8 closes with lush downtempo elegance, layering sitars, sax and processed vocals from the original track for a mesmerising finale. Old skool fans will lap this up all over again.

Review: We all know Italians do it better, but did you also know they seem to have the very best library reissues on the planet? Here the legendary singer and vocalist Nora Orlandi joins iconic jazz drummer Franco Tonani for a masterpiece of 1960s-early-1970s production that really encapsulates the ambience of a bygone age which feels dreamlike today. Fittingly, much of the music similarly invokes a sense of surrealism and psychedelia. You can almost feel yourself descending into the depths of a strange and beguiling night filled with weird and wonderful characters as these arrangements play out with pin point precision. A trip to another era, but also a trip into the mind's eye and all that may live there. Exquisite, masterful, but most of all utterly inimitable and difficult to countenance.

Review: Recorded during a 2002 studio session that followed a performance at the Vision Festival in New York City, the album features drummer Ali alongside saxophonist Frank Lowe and emerging talents Jumaane Smith (trumpet), Andrew Bemkey (piano) and Joris Teepe (bass). It's a dynamic ensemble bridges generations, blending seasoned mastery with youthful energy through fiery improvisations and moments of profound unity. Ali's pioneering style, rooted in multidirectional rhythms and polytonal percussion, reshaped jazz drumming by liberating the drummer from a purely time-keeping role. His intuitive interplay with the music, both rhythmically and melodically, made him an equal voice in the ensemble's harmonic creation. This approach resonates throughout the album, where cascading trumpet solos and intricate piano harmonies are tethered by a vibrant bass and Ali's commanding percussion. Tracks like the soaring opener and introspective interludes demonstrate the group's ability to shift seamlessly from bold, expressive improvisation to passages of collective breathing. Originally mixed and mastered by Ali, the recordings were shelved after his untimely passing and are now released by Survival Records in a beautifully restored LP, complete with recollections from Teepe.

Review: Over three decades of musical exploration and innovation have cemented German guitarist and bandleader JJ Whitefield as a stalwart in the realm of authentic, timeless music. As a founding member of the Poets Of Rhythm in the early 90s, Whitefield pioneered a hard-edged take on 70s street funk, setting the stage for the Deep Funk scene to come. His subsequent ventures under various pseudonyms, including Karl Hector, showcased his versatility and eclectic influences, drawing from Ethiopian Jazz, West African funk, Kraut-rock, and ambient sounds. With his latest album, The Infinity Of Nothingness, Whitefield delves into the astral realms of spiritual jazz, paying homage to influences like Sun Ra and Pharoah Sanders while forging his own path. The album's mature, delicate orchestrations evoke a trance-like atmosphere, with subtle accents of hip-hop, library and avant garde seamlessly integrated. Tracks like the sparse opener 'Nothingness' and the expansive 'Infinity Suite' demonstrate Whitefield's ability to create music that not only honors his influences but also stands the test of time. The Infinity Of Nothingness represents a culmination of Whitefield's lifelong musical journey, showcasing his unwavering dedication to authenticity and innovation.

Review: Originally formed for a one-time performance at the 2017 Bath Festival, vocalist and violinist Alice Zawadzki, pianist Fred Thomas and bassist Misha Mullov-Abbado have crafted a beautifully nuanced collection of songs drawing from diverse traditions such as European folk, Sephardic Jewish, and Latin American music. The album's title, meaning Behind the Mountains in Polish, reflects its rich, cross-cultural roots. Zawadzki's haunting voice brings the listener into each piece, while Thomas and Mullov-Abbado's instrumental interplay creates an evocative, fluid backdrop. Standout tracks include 'Sueltate as Cintas', where delicate piano and bass intertwine under Zawadzki's spellbinding vocals, and 'Tonada de Luna Llena', which rises and falls with an emotional intensity that builds on Venezuelan composer Simon Diaz's melody. Throughout the album, the trio's seamless fusion of folk, jazz and classical elements creates a unique sonic palette. Thomas' arrangement of James Joyce's Gentle Lady is another highlight, blending poetic lyrics with soft instrumental flourishes. Recorded in Switzerland under the direction of ECM's Manfred Eicher, Za Gorami is a stunning result to their collective chemistry.