BBE Vinilo y CD

Review: .For the latest volume in the label's essential J-Jazz Masterclass series of reissues, BBE has opted to deliver a new edition of a hard-to-find 1973 collaboration between American pianist Mal Waldron and Japanese trumpeter Terumasa Hino. Originally released only in Japan, it comprises two lengthy compositions (one by each artist) performed by the duo and talented sidemen Isao Suziki (upright bass), Motohiko Hino (drums), Takao Uematsu (alto sax) and Uzi Inamuro (percussion). Waldron's LP-opening composition adds alternating, increasingly hectic solos to a gradually intensifying groove (a formula the storied pianist used extensively during this period of his career), before morphing and mellowing as the suite progresses. Hino's 'Black Forest', meanwhile, is more up-tempo and horn-heavy, with oodles of extra percussion and expressive, mind-mangling solos aplenty.

Review: The J Jazz Masterclass Series from BBE Music has already served up some real treasure and now as it lands on its 19th release, it serves up some more. This one, Mal Waldron's Reminicent Suite, is a sizeable collab between two giants of jazz, In coming together they cooked up a sublime album alongside a band made up of the very best Japanese jazz musicians of their time. American pianist Mal Waldron and Japanese trumpeter Terumasa Hino released this album in 1973 on the Victor label and is one of several albums of the time that were Japan-only releases. Now it gets a vinyl pressing in the West for the first time ever so do not sleep.

Review: After the release of the first volume of music selected by Klinkhamer Record shop owner Michel Veenstra in 2022, the anticipation and expectation amongst the heads for a follow up compilation has been building. Now BBE Music can announce that Klinkhamer Volume 2's collection of music from the 70's and 80's is ready to add to the series. An eclectic selection of tracks which crosses genres and styles, Michel has once again curated a compilation album of music that will appeal to the heads, the collectors and the lovers of the groove. A melange of folk, Jazz and funk for the headphones and the dancefloor, Klinkhamer juxtaposes instrumentals with vocal tracks in English, Swedish and French over a double vinyl release and a track order that creates as much a journey as a flow. Michel, alongside his brother Stephen, is the owner of the Klinkhamer Record shop in Groningen and a regular trader at the globally known Utrecht Record Fair since the 1990s. It is this wealth of experience, a nose for a gem and an ear for a tune that that has fed into a compilation that has music lover stamped throughout its eight tracks, all remastered from original vinyl. Coming as a double vinyl and digital release, Klinkhamer Volume 2 is a Godfather II level of follow-up to the previous compilation in the series and really is a must for all true music collectors, vinyl junkies and lovers of tunes curated for the mind, the heart and the feet.

Review: BBE's on going love for Japanese jazz has spawned several superb compilations of late. This is the fourth such volume of their J Jazz: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan series and it is sub-titled The Nippon Columbia label 1968 - 1981. It's a tasteful collection that arrives here on double CD and is again packed with classy sounds from a range of key players. Takashi Mizuhashi joins forces with seminal American talent Herbie Hancock on 'Samba De Negrito' and Hiromasa Suzuki, Jiro Inagaki & His Big Soul Media make a lasting impression with the hard bop of 'By The Red Stream' and the likes of Nobuo Hara & His Sharps & Flats, Hozan Yamamoto go wild on 'Chakkiri-Bushi.' Essential.

Review: BBE has been shining a deserving light on Japanese jazz for a while now through this on going J Jazz: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan series. This latest triple bumper pack is sub titled The Nippon Columbia label 1968 - 1981 and is again packed with next level sounds from a range of key players. Many of them will be familiar to those with a basic knowledge of jazz but plenty won't. The likes of Nobuo Hara & His Sharps & Flats, Hozan Yamamoto go wild on 'Chakkiri-Bushi,' Takashi Mizuhashi joins forces with seminal American talent Herbie Hancock on 'Samba De Negrito' and Hiromasa Suzuki, Jiro Inagaki & His Big Soul Media make a lasting impression with the hard bop of 'By The Red Stream.'

Review: You might know Airto Moreira and Flora Purim as the King and Queen of Brazilian Jazz and for good reason. They have spent more than the last half decade putting out some of their homeland's finest and most richly rewarding jazz albums as well as playing exhilarating live shows all over the world. They have found favour with jazz lovers everywhere as a result, from Japan's concert halls to the UK's jazz-funk scenes. If You Will was their last album back in 2022 and it got a Grammy, and now A Celebration: 60 Years - Sounds, Dreams & Other Stories brings together some of their best work from over the last 60 odd years. Essential stuff.

Review: Airto Moreira and Flora Purim are known as the legendary King and Queen of Brazilian Jazz. For the last 60 years they have been serving up rich and vivid albums as well as playing exhilarating live shows all over the world. They have fans all over the world from Japan's concert halls to the UK's jazz funk and jazz dance scenes and their latest album in 2022, If You Will, was nominated for a Grammy, proving that they very much still have it. A Celebration: 60 Years - Sounds, Dreams & Other Stories is a collection of their many best bits from over the years.

Review: Golden-era hip-hop legend DJ Marley Marl continues his adventures in house music, and this time he's got soulful house royalty - specifically Kenny Bobien and Lady Alma- in tow. 'Joy (Hallelujah)' is as righteous, uplifting and life-affirming as you'd expect: a horn, organ and piano-heavy slab of hands-in-the-air brilliance topped off with some sublime gospel lyrics and vocals from Bobien and Alma. We'd argue the track is best in its full vocal 'Extended Mix' form, though the accompanying instrumental is still superb - and arguably more suitable for those who are uncomfortable with the (admittedly joyous) religious messaging within the lyrics. Testify!

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


Strata Records is one of the most important notches in Detroit's jazz heritage. From Lyman Woodard Organization's Saturday Night Special to Malauwi's self-titled LP, their short catalogue was nonetheless vital. BBE have revisited the label with reissues in the past, and now they've invited nu jazz scene leaders Jazzanova to re-imagine some of the cuts from the Strata archives in their own fusion style. From Woodard classics like 'Joy Road', 'Creative Musicians' and 'Saturday Night Special' to Malauwi's 'Root in 7/4 Plus', these are seminal works approached with care and flair by a band who have undoubtedly proved themselves worthy over the years.

Review: BBE has delivered something of a future classic here, as decorated Eastern European harpist Alinha Bzhezhinska and British tenor saxophonist Tony Kofi join forces on a picturesque full-length excursion dedicated to the memory of spiritual jazz maestro Pharoah Saunders. It's a genuinely unique and hugely evocative affair, with Kofi's meandering, mesmeric melodies and inspired improvisations snaking in and out of Bzhezhinska's dreamy harp motifs and melodic percussion instruments (think bells, marimbas, vibraphone, xylophone and so on). It's not a familiar musical palette, but it's one that consistently delivers - and then some. Our picks of a very strong bunch include lucid opener 'Tabula Rasu - Blank Slate', the exotic and psychedelic 'Audite Me - Hear Me', and the picturesque, meditative closing cut, 'Altera Vita - Another Life'.

Review: Altera Vita is a remarkable duets recording featuring the talents of Kofi and Alina Bzhezhinska, who display their mastery of their respective instruments while also handling percussion duties. The album opens with the serene 'Tabula Rasa-Blank Slate,' setting the pace for a collection of six perfectly paced tracks that exude soul and spirituality. Kofi's well-timed explosions of power, particularly on 'Audite Me-Hear Me,' complement Bzhezhinska's fluid and water-like flow throughout the album, notably on 'Anima-Breathe.' While the album pays homage to jazz legends John and Alice Coltrane, it's primarily a tribute to the late Pharoah Sanders, evident in Kofi's composition 'Altera Vita (for Pharoah Sanders).' Originally released as a single, the album expands on this theme, delivering a powerful and moving masterpiece that honors the tradition of jazz spirituality. With its profound depth and emotional resonance, 'Altera Vita' stands as a respectful tribute to the enduring legacy of jazz legends.