Review: Blending hi-NRG and Latin cumbia, Combo Chimbita present a brand new single for Wonderwheel Recordings, 'Dimelo'. Described as an internal dialogue - a sonic representation of what it feels and sounds like to choose yourself - the refrain "Cuando por fin yo me elegi" is heard repeatedly throughout the track, as self-selection is maximised, contra the impossibility of saving others before oneself. The band's Carolina Oliveros says of the song, "however much you love someone, you can't force them to love yourself in the same way - that is love you have to give yourself." The Busy Twist remixes the idea, self-caring through salvos of oily guitar and toe-tapping woodblock shot, hitting like a health kick.
Review: Lady Wray delivers a powerful two-sider here as she hooks up with Grammy-nominated producer Leon Michels of Clairo and El Michels Affair for another single as they put the final touches to her upcoming album. The A-side, 'Be A Witness,' features Nicole's soaring vocals gliding over deep drum machines and Nick Movshon's funky bass which makes it a smooth mid-tempo groove about destined love and good vibes. On the flip, 'Best For Us' explores love, commitment and perseverance with lush synths and harmonies floating over Homer Steinweiss' tight drumming. They provide the perfect setting for Lady Wray's standout voice and get us excited for the full length.
Review: Back here by popular demand, Les Disques Bongo Joe presents a fresh 7" release from Amsterdam's Nusantara Beat featuring, for the first time on wax, the infectious digital single 'Mang Becak' alongside a brand new and unreleased track. Marking their third collaboration with the label, the band reimagines two treasures of Indonesian music and merges their traditional rhythms with a modern edge that masterfully bridges the past and present. 'Sifat Manusa' has Indonesian vocals bringing sunny disposition and real soul over funky and jazzy drums. 'Mang Becak' is a funky groove with plenty of guitars that range from psyched out to more playful.
Review: This early gem - in fact, it was the maestro's first ever 12" record - shows a masterful command of space and melody, spotlighting a warm, muted trumpet tone alongside a pared-down ensemble. Without a saxophone, the spotlight remains squarely on the lead, providing ample room for expansive solos and lyrical interpretations. Anchored by a stellar rhythm section featuring a buoyant bassist, impeccable pianist and dynamic drummer, the performances exude a relaxed yet precise energy. Highlights include a fresh, distinctive take on the Dizzy Gillespie classic 'A Night in Tunisia', where the group reimagines the piece with effortless ingenuity. Original compositions add further depth, with a witty riposte to a well-known standard and a contemplative piece that lingers in the listener's mind. A transitional moment for one of the all time greats, hinting at the greatness to come all the way back in 1955.
Review: Although he initially broke through decades ago as a talented keyboardist- a role he still performs alongside his work as a solo producer - Mark de Clive-Lowe has always been much more than a prodigious musician-for-hire. That was particularly evident on 2021's Hotel San Claudio album, a musical meeting of minds with Shigeto and Melanie Charles. It shines through loud and clear on Past Present (Tone Poems Through Time)', an inspired collection of 'tone poems' - musical pieces that draw direct inspiration from the landscape - created using an electric piano, an enormous list of mostly vintage synthesisers, and field recordings captured on a trip to his father's native Japan. Sitting somewhere between ambient jazz, the epic synth-scapes of Tangerine Dream and the most vivid movie soundtracks, Past Present is emotive, immersive and effortlessly evocative.
Review: A standout 1958-1959 recording by Johnny Hodges, Side by Side marked his continued solo work after taking the bold decision to leave the legendary Duke Ellington Orchestra. This album harks back to the small-group sessions of the 1930s but with a twist as Ellington's absence on several tracks meant Billy Strayhorn stepped in on piano. Joining Hodges are jazz legends like Jo Jones, Roy Eldridge and Harry 'Sweets' Edison, who all add colour to the varied collection, which has been newly remastered for Verve's Acoustic Sounds Series. As a follow-up to 1959's Back to Back: Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues, it is another gem from the noted alto saxophonist.
Review: London beatsmith and "city rivims" producer Footshooter is one of a small cadre of inner city artists whose work makes a point of fusing UK jazz, West Coast-ish hip-hop and UK dance production, all tied together by an experimental bow. His latest LP, The Oasis, unveils itself as an upended jazz and broken beat finesser, all while nailing a collaborative form, with studio-mates James Mollison (Ezra Collective), Natty Wylah and Brother Portrait all in tow. Where lead track 'Cycles' evolved from a simple loop, growing in depth and space, Mollison's saxophone brought appended magic; meanwhile, tracks like 'Boomerang' and 'Surrey Canal Road' underscore a mood of hyperlocal, industrial South London poignancy.
Review: The second album from Vijay Iyer and Wadada Leo Smith on ECM is a meditation on resilience, sorrow and the human condition. Across four expansive tracks on Defiant Life, Iyer's piano and Fender Rhodes intertwine with Smith's haunting trumpet to create a soundscape that's both urgent and serene. From the solemn depth of 'Sumud' to the shimmering melancholy of 'Floating River Requiem' and the radiant close of 'Procession: Defiant Life' notions of suffering, resistance and hope are explored. The record was recorded in Lugano and produced by Manfred Eicher. It's a deeply reflective work of emotional and spiritual resonance.
Review: The debut release from Hebrew Israelite vocalist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Margeeah Aharon was recorded in July 1983 with the Kingdom Sounds community band in Tel Aviv. This deeply introspective blend of jazz, soul, funk and reggae is guided by Margeeah Aharon's soothing yet resolute voice, imbued with a meditative graceidrifting between the searching melodies of 'Bring The People Home' and the deep-rooted spirituality of 'Rise Black Spirit', while 'Music Is My Love' glows with warmth and devotion. The reflective 'Daughters Of Zion' and the title track capture Aharon's gift for meditative storytelling, where faith and longing intertwine. Decades later, the album's messages of love and self-discovery are as vital as ever.
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 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: Finally reissued for its 50th anniversary, Love In Us All is a cosmic, uncompromising statement from legendary jazz cat Pharoah Sanders. This vital piece of the free jazz canon was released as his final Impulse! album and starts with 'Love Is Everywhere' which radiates transcendent beauty with layered horns, cascading piano and a repeated vocal mantra evoking the spirit of Coltrane's seminal 'A Love Supreme'. The flip, For John' is raw, chaotic and a furious outpouring of free jazz energy. Long out of print but here remastered, this essential release showcases Sanders' vision in its most fearless, spiritual form.
Review: Tsapiky, a unique style from Southwest Madagascar, captures the exuberant and untamed energy of local ceremonies, performed during rites of passage such as funerals, weddings and circumcisions. Long-lasting gatherings known as mandriampototse combine electric orchestras, raw vocals, and improvisational guitar work; performed on makeshift instruments with patched-up amps, tsapisky creates a hypersound that booms over distances. This compilation delineates the vast variety within tsapiky, expanding out from the urban hotspot of Antananarivo before zooming further out. A product of rural-urban exchange and an evolving, we've hit upon an iron-cast expression of Malagasy culture here, one impervious to erasure.
Mahmoud Al Sandidi - "Ana Mish Hafwatak (I Won't Let You Go)" (part 2) (4:06)
Abu Bakr Abdel Aziz - "Al Bint Al Libya (The Girl From Libya)" (5:24)
Sheikh Amin Abdel Qader - "Al Layl Kolo Makasib (The Spoils Of An All-Nighter)" (2:54)
Abu Saber - "Ya Allah Inty Ziana (Oh, God, You Are Beautiful)" (4:16)
Reem Kamal - "Baed Al Yas Yjini (After Hopelessness, He Comes To Me)" (4:09)
Review: This remarkable compilation revives the raw, defiant sound of Bourini Records, which was a short-lived but vital Libyan label active from 1968 to 1975. Far from Cairo's polished pop mainstream, these recordings capture a gritty shaabi hybrid sound that emerged from Egypt's more marginalised regions. Featuring 15 mostly Egyptian artists, including standouts like Sheikh Amin Abdel Qader and Abu Abab, this essential collection showcases striking contrasts such as growling vocal theatrics, haunting laments and minimalist instrumentation that come with an outsider energy that found Bourini's artists voicing the struggles and spirit of the everyday. Over 50 years later, this music is still brilliantly urgent and honest.
Review: American jazz drummer Tony Williams rose to acclaim as a member of Miles Davis' so-called 'Second Great Quintet'. He later went on to pioneer jazz fusion with the group and formed his own outfit, the Tony Williams Lifetime. In 1986 he released 'Civilization', which marked a triumphant return to Blue Note and a great window into his visionary approach to jazz. Leading a stellar acoustic quintet with Wallace Roney (trumpet), Billy Pierce (sax), Mulgrew Miller (piano) and Charnett Moffett (bass), Williams served up a dynamic set of original compositions that pulse with intensity and technical brilliance, as well as emotional depth, while taking post-bop tradition into new relays. Each player brings sharp improvisational insight, but it's Williams' explosive yet precise drumming that anchors the session.
Review: Adrian Younge's latest in the Something About April series is a stunning analogue opus that blends a 30-piece orchestra with breakbeats, synth work and Brazilian psychedelia. It has reportedly been years in the making and is the culmination of Younge's sonic vision as well as being his most expansive and experimental work to date. Brazilian vocalists, fuzzed-out drums and lush orchestration evoke MPB greats like Verocai and Os Mutantes and hip-hop kings Wu-Tang in equal measure. Tracks like 'Nunca Estranhos' and 'Nossas Sombras' are richly cinematic and deeply soulful standouts. More than a closing chapter, this record cements Younge's legacy as a visionary composer.
Review: The Vendetta Suite returns in early 2025 with a stunning pair of singles on Hell Yeah, blending acid acerb, house heat, disco d'oeuvres and a Balearic bliss. Long thought by some to be Belfast's best-kept secret, the Suite has garnered well-deserved traction for his genre-spanning productions, fusing ambient, post-rave, dub and psychedelic. First up, 'The Jam Answer' reinvents acid house with dusty analogue drums, hypnotic 303s, and cosmic cantatas; then the flipper 'Island Hill Microdot' drifts over into dreamy Chicago house and IDM, offering a lusher, tuned bamboo percussive pelagi-scape.
Review: Polish producer Latarnik and American vocalist Anthony Mills collide on this new album for Polish label Astigmatic to explore lo-fi hip-hop, soul, dub and experimental electronics. Mills's falsetto vocal brings great Neo-soul warmth to Crack Rock with emotionally charged tones soaring over the production which ranges from sugary and 80s-tinged disco and boogie on 'Crack' to deep, seductive and gooey on 'Passive Lover' which is a more romantic sound. Latarnik's work is often minimal yet immersive which creates space for Mills' voice to shine and is delivered in equal parts spoken word, chant and soulful croon. The hypnotic, slow-burning soundscapes that result are both intimate and confrontational, ready to make you dance but also often just to feel. Unapologetically raw and deeply human, this one lingers long after the final track ends.
Review: Pantechnicons of Philadelphia soul, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes reached their musical peak with Teddy Pendergrass between 1972 and 1975. Their 1975 album Wake Up Everybody hears Pendergrass' last vocal contribution to a band before he went solo; the record is filled with thought-provocations and gnomic lyrics, and became famous more by way of its covers than its originals. Returning the favour, 'Wake Up Everybody' was later covered by John Legend & The Roots, while 'Don't Leave Me This Way' became a disco classic thanks to the vamping vocal verves of Thelma Houston. This 750-copy 50th anniversary repress now comes with a special bonus: a rare 11-minute remix of 'Don't Leave Me This Way' by remixing pioneer Tom Moulton.
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.
Chez Damier - "Speechless" (Chez Damier Panorama Bar remix) (5:04)
Makez - "Rocket Music" (5:15)
Alkalino - "Rio" (Alkalino rework) (5:30)
Gledd - "Sere Yo" (5:31)
Review: Adeen Records returns with a superb EP that blends a classic with three new and fresh unreleased tracks. Deep house don Chez Damier's Panorama Bar Remix kicks off and is a a 2021 standout with a killer baseline and Spanish guitar that brings some sunny soul and makes for some top level house grooves. Makez then shines with 'Rocket Music' which has a chunky low end and glistening, golden piano chords making it a late night favourite. On the B-side, Adeen regular Alkalino delivers a tropical-infused edit for the peak time and Gledd closes with a classy cut 'Sere Yo' that is all about the drums. Lovely stuff.
Review: Adja Fassa's debut album is a genre-colliding triumph of alternative r&b, neo-soul and jazz co-produced by Adam Scrimshire. Across 11 tracks, Adja dissects capitalism's influence on intimacy with sharp wit, layered symbolism and soulful grooves whether she's reimagining jazz standards or delivering dystopian vignettes of modern labor. Throughout these tracks her storytelling is bold, critical and playfully mystical. From the rebellious 'Sucking on my Emphatitties' to the haunting title track, this is protest music wrapped in velvet tones. Visually complemented by four self-designed tarot cards, the album is a rich conceptual tapestry for fans of greats like D'Angelo.
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.
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