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Various
Review: In an industry where the term 'veteran' is bandied about far too freely, Colin Curtis is the real deal! His DJing career goes all the way back to legendary Northern Soul club The Golden Torch in the late 60s. In the 70s, he was a resident at Blackpool Mecca alongside Ian Levine, where he became one of the first DJs to introduce the more modern sound of jazz-funk to the scene. By the mid-80s he'd become an early UK champion of house, too, but these days it's on the jazz-dance scene that he's most revered - and here he serves up a 26-track connoisseur's collection that shows why. Ranging from straight-up jazz and soul to soulful house and leaning heavily towards the Afro- and Latin-flavoured, some of these cuts are recent offerings, some date back as far as the 70s, but on jazz-dance floors, all will go down a treat.
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ZEDDCD 060DD
01 Mar 24
01 Mar 24
2
Played by: Craig Charles Funk And Soul, Nick Hollywood, Johnnypluse, Juno Recommends Broken Beat Nu Jazz, Juno Recommends Funk
Review: It's been slowly drip-fed to us over a 10-month period but now here at last is the full album. On 'Something Like That', Jalapeno bosses Skeewiff celebrate 25 years in the game by paying tribute to some of the music that's inspired them, delivering generally very faithful but also very accomplished reworks of classic tracks by artists ranging from The Winstons and Jimmy Smith to Dick Dale and Herb Alpert. New additions to the roster on this final version include Nancy Sinatra's 'These Boots Are Made For Walking', Muppets 'Mah Na Mah Na', Mel Tormé's Mod club standard 'Coming Home Baby' and, just to prove they're not taking themselves TOO seriously, Boots Randolph's 'Yakety Sax' - better known to most as the 'Benny Hill' theme.
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JAL 418
08 Mar 24
08 Mar 24
3
Played by: Juno Recommends Broken Beat Nu Jazz
Review: Freddie Cruger & Anthony Mills Are Wildcookie! And as it crumbles Tru Thoughts have decided, 10 years on, that the original album's instrumentals are worthy of a rerelease. Highlighting Freddie Cruger, aka Red Astaire's production prowess, The Wildcookie Cookie Dough (Instrumentals) brings attention back to acclaimed numbers like "Heroine" to a bluesy bonus track in the hum and thrum of "Stop Fronting On Me". With sharp saw waves adding a new age telecommunicative feel to "On The Road'', find wonkier yet funked up grooves in "Piece Of Mind" alongside '80s-esque vocal notes in the most tranquil "Tuesday Is Friday". With Cruger's basslines coming through full and strong in this alternative release, get your dose of samba rhythms and flow in "Flashy Flashy" and "Serious Drug". Tru Instrumentals for sure.
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TRU 223DX
03 Nov 20
03 Nov 20
4
Review: If your leisure time activities tend towards herbal remedies and Rizla origami, then you're gonna love this new EP from Underground Canopy, a self-described "hip-hop-fed, groove-infused jazz band" from Paris who serve up a track that's tailor-made for late night, sofa-based chillin' and that comes in three equally headnodding mixes. The original's a midtempo, meandering affair with occasional bursts of frantic percussion that also sports some seriously wibbly analogue synths, the Ceylan Cut smoothes things out a little while the Barion Cut brings D&B flourishes, but you should probably just play all three back-to-back - 'Pearl Express' really is that good.
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UC 002-B
12 Apr 24
12 Apr 24
5
Played by: Juno Recommends Broken Beat Nu Jazz
Review: Sonar Kollektiv present the first solo album from German drummer, composer and producer Janek van Laak, previously best known as one-half of the duo Tutu Amuse alongside vocalist and fellow Berlin native Rosa Landers, and as co-founder of the experimental outfit Liquid Brain Orchestra. 'Circle Of Madness' is a largely instrumental affair but does feature a brace of guest vocalists - Australia's Madeleine Rose on 'Here To Slay' and Japan's Shiomi Kawaguchi on 'Daiamondo', while van Laak himself sings on a couple of tracks. Musically, it's wonked-out, off-kilter drums and horns that do most of the heavy lifting, augmented by floaty keys and the occasional electronic parp and squelch. Definitely one for those who like things on the more out-there side.
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SK480D
15 Mar 24
15 Mar 24
6
Review: Kicking around for ten-plus years in the inter-continental jazz scene is German ensemble The Bahama Soul Club who breathe new life into their project with a new album, Bohemia After Dawn! It presents the outfit's fifth studio LP which this time finds its spirit through the coastlines of Algarve where it was recorded. Drawing deep inspiration from the multicultural verve of young worldly folk drawn to the bohemian coasts of the most southwestern part of Europe - where hippiesque hedonism, infinite musical diversity, and offbeat enchanted lifestyles fuel the scene - downtempo percussion, subby beats and strong vocals ultimately meet in tracks like "Castelejo (Hommage E Vitor Hugo)". Highly relaxed, uber-cool and with a surprisingly fresh and sweet summer sound, Bohemia After Dawn delivers a unique blend of soul, jazz, funk, blues, bossa nova and multicultural sounds.
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426016 2630231
17 Jul 20
17 Jul 20
7
Colin Curtis / Various
Played by: Craig Charles Funk And Soul, Pete Haigh, Faze Action, Juno Recommends Funk, LEGO EDIT, NaCL
Review: One of the soul scene's most influential DJs, it's little surprise that Colin Curtis' Jazz Dance Fusion compilations on Z Records have been so impressive. He's dived even deeper into his vast record collection on this third volume, serving up a fine array of both classic cuts and sought-after obscurities. There's naturally plenty of Latin jazz on show - the backbone of the jazz-dance scene since the 1970s - but also forays into spiritual jazz, Hammond-heavy dancefloor workouts (see the sweaty 'Yatra Ta' by Martin Johnson), soul-jazz (JuJu), energy-packed percussion jams (GeeW) and Afro-Latin fusion (The Drive).
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ZEDDCD 056DD
01 Apr 22
01 Apr 22
8
Colin Curtis / Various
Mark Murphy & Viva Brasil - "Someone To Light Up My Life (Se Todos Fossem Iguais A Voce)" - (2:55) 131 BPM
Played by: Dave Lee ZR
Review: During the British jazz-dance scene's late '70s and early '80s boom, there were few DJs that the dancers loved more than Colin Curtis. Still DJing today after 50 years behind the decks, Curtis was a natural choice to put together Z Records' first compilation dedicated to jazz-dance, jazz-funk and fusion sounds. The album is something of a stunner, all told, full of deep selections, floor-burning favourites and high-grade workouts. There's naturally plenty of Latin jazz flavours on show, high-octane thrillers (See Eric Kloss's "The Samba Express"), swinging jazz-funk (check the superb Charles Earland track) and the kind of extended wig-outs that just make you want to bust some serious shapes.
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ZEDDCD 042DD
09 Mar 18
09 Mar 18
9
Various
Review: Deep inside the annals of Bill Brewster's book Last Night A DJ Saved My Life (essential reading), Colin Curtis is not only credited as being one of the first to introduce mixing to British nightclubs but moreover his influence in bringing African-American and Latin music to the point of spawning a split in the Northern soul movement and modern soul sub genres. Admired and adored worldwide, the legendary selector has been commissioned for a second volume of Jazz Dance Fusion by Dave Lee's Z Records, with this various artist edition delivering a select showcase of unreleased material from Curtis's private vaults that highlights his love for dancefloor jazz, vocal numbers and percussive influences Colin Curtis style. All that jazz.
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ZEDDCD 051DD
27 Nov 20
27 Nov 20
10
Review: Italy's Sound Exhibitions bring us five convincing contemporary funk/jazz-funk cuts courtesy of publicity-shy label regular Funk Windows. 'Agente 007' is a hazy, laidback affair with Hammonds, brass and funk guitar, 'Metrofunk' is a piano-led cut built for staring out of rain-streaked diner windows and, well, 'Film Funk', 'Solhl' and 'Soullight' continue in much the same vein! All five cuts share a cinematic, soundtrack-y feel (somewhere between Blaxploitation and 'Hill Street Blues') that means they're perhaps a little polite for rug-cutting purposes and so better suited to afternoon/bar play, but there's no doubting the craftsmanship involved.
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SE 746
23 Nov 20
23 Nov 20
11
Review: Way back in 2010, Tom Jenkinson decided he'd had enough of working on his own as Squarepusher, and formed a band. The result was the Shobaleader One, an outfit seemingly inspired - in part, at least - by mask-wearing dance-pop robots Daft Punk. The album that followed, d'Demonstrator, took some of Jenkinson's influences - electro, IDM, jazz - and fused them with art-rock, synth-pop, jazz-funk and a dash of '70s psychedelia. On this belated follow-up, Jenkinson has decided to flip the script, eschewing new compositions in favour of recording 11 covers of vintage Squarepusher material. Given his involvement in both projects it's no surprise that these full-band interpretations work well. It's a smart move financially, too, as the band will be touring Europe later in the spring.
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WARPCDD 284
10 Mar 17
10 Mar 17
12
Review: Back once again with the rework masters, as Jalapeno bosses Skeewiff drop the latest instalment in a series of covers/re-edits/homages that's been released in dribs and drabs over the past nine months. The new addition this time out is their take on 1954 Dean Martin classic 'Sway', though if our ears don't deceive us - bearing in mind that there are at least 67 different recordings of the song! - it's actually the 1959 Rosemary Clooney version that's referenced here. Elsewhere on the EP, their takes on lounge classics from The Winstons, Herb Alpert, Dick Dale, Jimmy Smith, Keith Mansfield and The Young Holt Trio return.
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JAL 457
02 Feb 24
02 Feb 24
13
Played by: Juno Recommends Broken Beat Nu Jazz
Review: Italy's Giuseppe Milici began his musical life as a hired jazz gun (harmonica actually). He did TV shows in his homeland before branching out into classical in 1998. The past two decades have seen him become an international star and now he returns with his latest long player, The Look Of Love. As the title suggests, this is a collection of modern classics reworked in the smooth, jazzy Milici style. Highlights of the 15 tracks featured include the loungey jive of "I Will Survive", the playful "Singin' In The Rain" and the Latin tinged rendition of Stevie's "Isn't She Lovely".
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IRM 1491
07 Oct 16
07 Oct 16
14
Played by: Dj XS (FVUK), Dave Lee ZR, Rocco Universal, Vincent Inc, Ralf Gum, Kisk, Juno Recommends Deep House, G-Blaster (Memorie Cluster), Mr Doris, KX9000, Kongisto, Fred P
Review: This suite of reworks of SunPalace's much-admired early '80s jazz-funk obscurity 'Rude Movements' may well be the biggest remix package we've ever seen, thoagh it should be noted that many of the reworks are available in short and extended takes. Either way, there's much to enjoy, from the warming, solo-laden deep house brilliance of Moodymann's revisions and the sparkling, kaleidoscopic Opolopo takes (proper dancefloor jazz-funk for house-heads), to the 11-minute, synth-heavy bliss of Francois K's SATS Dub Extended Version and the sun-drenched Latin house of Frankie Feliciano's delicious rework. Elsewhere, the 'Atmosphere' mix is a starry ambient delight and Kenny Dope's various revisions boast the toughest, bounciest percussion programming.
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BBE 389EDG
04 Jun 21
04 Jun 21
15
Review: Once known as the Reverend Cleatus & The Soul Saviors, The Fantastics! are a soul, funk, jazz and lounge time collective outta the UK. Having debuted on BBE with their Take A Shot single, the group fully arrive with their debut LP of the same name. Featuring vocals from soul sensation Sulene Fleming, who features across four of the album's 10 tracks, instrumental highlights include the skippy and light hearted broken beats of "Oblique" next to cooler jazz and brass sections of "Pyramid". Sultrier numbers come out of "St Tropez Blue" with Mark Norton's saxophone taking over next to more rocky numbers like "The Bounce" and the full on, nutbush city limits stomping jam, "Can't Decide". Quality all round.
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BBE 645ADG
18 Jun 21
18 Jun 21
16
Played by: Juno Recommends Deep House
Review: Here's something you won't want to miss: two killer jazz-funk cuts from the archives of Strata Records in Detroit, accompanied by fresh reworks from DJ Amir and DJ Dez Andres (of Slum Village and Mahogani Music fame). Amir handles Maulawi's deliciuously percussive, off-kilter party jam 'Street Rap', turning it into a locked-in chunk of organic deep house full of flanged electric piano keys, fuzzy Clavinet bass, whistles and party atmosphere. Fittingly, Andres reworks Fito Foster's Latin jam 'Salsa', a track that his father played percussion on. His version, which features keys from pal Amp Fiddler, is a bouncy Latin house explosion laden with spacey synths, warming bass and tons of extra percussion. Ace!
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BBE 694EDG
03 Dec 21
03 Dec 21
17
Played by: Craig Charles Funk And Soul, Juno Recommends Broken Beat Nu Jazz, Juno Recommends Funk, Fred Everything, Leo Leonardi aka Master Funk, Beau Zwart, NaCL
Review: BBE Music, DJ Amir and 180 Proof records present 'Creative Musicians, featuring remixes by Waajeed and Henrik Schwarz. Taken from the forthcoming new album 'Strata Records - The Sound of Detroit - Reimagined by Jazzanova'. The esteemed German producer enlists the rather Gil Scott-Heron sounding Sean Haefeli as vocalist on these sessions. Waajeed's remix of 'Creative Musicians' goes down a sublime, Detroit style hi-tech soul route, while Henrik Schwarz takes the track into emotive, late-night jazzy house territory. To give you proper context, they have included the much loved original version by the Lyman Woodard Organization.
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BBE 690SDG
21 Jan 22
21 Jan 22
18
Played by: Craig Charles Funk And Soul, Pete Haigh, Juno Recommends Funk, BRENDON P, Sean McCabe, Tooli (Local Talk / Omena / 18437)
Review: BBE are about to drop 'This Is Brian Jackson', the first solo album in 20 years from a flautist, pianist and producer who's best known for his 1970s work with Gil Scott-Heron (that's his flute solo on 'The Bottle'). The album finds Jackson working up unissued demos laid down during a 1976 studio session, and here Louie Vega (Masters At Work) and Josh Milan (Blaze), working as Two Soul Fusion, provide an almost overwhelming array of remixes of the second trailer single. With a high-calibre line-up like that, you shouldn't need us to tell you how good this is: suffice to say, the Downtempo rubs are the ones to head for if you like it funky, while if your tastes lean more towards soulful house then the Extended Remix or Dub are your best bets.
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BBE 681SDG 2
05 Aug 22
05 Aug 22
19
Various
Played by: Juno Recommends Funk
Review: DJ Cam & sommelier Fr?d?ric Beneix present Wine4Melomanes, an eclectic and unique compilation and album concept that matches fine wines with music of the same year. Connecting the complexity, sensuality, liveliness and other mouthfuls with the harmony, orchestration, rhythm and melody of a song, Wine4Melomanes tours France, Germany, Holland, the USA and even Slovakia in search of some fine musical flavours. Taking in jazz, pop-rock and '70s blues through to more contemporary affairs, highlights include the ragtime jazz funk of Siegfried Kessler & Serge Bringolf to some organic lounge time numbers from The Mike Nock Underground and The Larry Rose Band. Like a fine wine, obviously.
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BBE 488CDG
26 Nov 21
26 Nov 21
20
Various
Played by: Craig Charles Funk And Soul
Review: This is one of those rare instances where the title of a record is almost longer than the review - not necessarily a bad thing, given that said title has already pretty much described said record perfectly! But in case it wasn't clear, what we have here is a collection of library tracks - music originally made for use in film, TV and advertising - inna funk, jazz and soul kinda vein. Think Pearl & Dean, 70s TV themes and moody 60s spy thrillers... which you probably were, because this is an album that sounds exactly like you'd expect it to. But with 30 tracks to choose from - some of which are a whole three or four minutes long! - there's much for all you beatniks, jazzbos and lounge lizards to enjoy here.
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BBE 622CDG
09 Sep 22
09 Sep 22
21
Various
Review: Brussels' Stephane Allemand AKA Lefto Early Bird is best known for his wide-ranging radio show - think of him as Belgium's answer to Gilles Peterson, if you will - and here he serves up a 19-track collection that takes a similarly eclectic approach. After Ain't About Me's powerful opener, a haunting spoken word piece about living through 9/11, you get sultry disco/boogie from Patience Africa, acid house from Shlundee, Middle Eastern-flavoured jazz from Alemayehu Eshete, frenzied footwork from DJ Spinn and stripped-back rave/hardcore from Elisa Bea, all interspersed with multiple despatches from the more experimental end of the broken beat spectrum. Approach with open mind and open ears!
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BBE 648CDG
27 Aug 22
27 Aug 22
22
Various
Alina Bzhezhinska & HipHarpCollective - "Paris Sur Le Toit" (feat Sanity & Tom Theythem - DJ Spinna remix) - (3:48) 87 BPM
Louie Vega, Leroy Burgess & The Universal Robot Band - "Barely Breaking Even" (feat Patrick Adams - Matthias Heilbronn mix) - (9:22) 122 BPM
Review: BBE put out music across a wide stylistic spectrum, so when (as here) the label staff pick out their own personal faves from the past year's releases, the one thing you can be sure of is that the collection's never going to get boring or same-y. With tracks ranging from the freeform jzz of the Koichi Matsukaze Trio's opener to the vivacious high-life of Eji Oyewole's 'Unity In Africa', via Matty Heilbronn's rerub of a Louie Vega/Leroy Burgess take on disco/funk classic 'Barely Breaking Even', not every track here will delight every listener, admittedly, but there's no doubting the quality of what's on offer - making this a compilation that's perhaps best viewed as a jumping-off point for further explorations in the future.
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BBE 736CDG
09 Dec 22
09 Dec 22
23
Review: Kirk Degiorgio has long been one of the deep house lover's favourite techno artists, infusing his productions with a jazzy, soulful musicality that 20 million 'warehouse bangers' could only dream of. Seldom has that been more the case, though, than on this new 16-track offering, which finds him in straight-up jazz mode. With most of the tracks coming in under the two-minute mark, it's really a collection of sketches rather than an album proper: the idea, we're told, was to pay tribute to European 'library music' (tracks made as soundbeds for film and TV) of the 1970s, and in that task he's succeeded admirably. Still, we would't mind hearing some extended versions, because what's here is absolutely glorious
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BBE 722ADG
19 May 23
19 May 23
24
Ha Ya! (Eternal Life) (feat Natalie Greffel - Shannon Harris' A Love 4 Joy Journey mix) - (9:10) 58 BPM 
Review: Brandon Weems and Craig Handfield are a pair of DJ/producers from New York, who've been putting on their Coloring Lessons parties since 2018 and have since launched a label of the same name. Here, though, they come to BBE Music with a cut that, with its fusion of Afro, jazz and soul elements, could perhaps only have come from the city that birthed Body & Soul. If the laidback, rolling beats of the Original aren't quite doing it for you then maybe Shannon Harris' A Love For Joy Journey Mix, with its fat funk bassline, spoken word intro and "party!" chants will, while an Instrumental Mix completes the package.
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BBE 763SDG 2
23 Feb 24
23 Feb 24
25
Review: When Tru Thoughts heard Vein Melter by New Yorkers Jesse Fischer and Sly5thAve, they just knew that they had to sign it up immediately. Why? Because this EP sees the pair 'reframe' four cuts from Herbie Hancock's classic jazz-funk album Headhunters for a contemporary dance music audience. The results have already gained hype from the likes of Gilles Peterson and Jeremy Sole and Anthony Valadez (KCRW). Highlights include the synthy tribal jam "Chameleon", the bachelor pad seducer "Watermelon Man" and the flutey drum machine groover "Sly". Essential!
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TRU 310D
18 May 15
18 May 15
26
Played by: Juno Recommends Broken Beat Nu Jazz
Review: This Grammy-nominated New Orleans' ensemble are known for spreading joy everywhere they go with their cheery, upbeat covers and originals. We haven't heard from them since the start of the summer (that would be festival season then), but now they're back with two new cuts from their much-anticipated forthcoming album On The Spot. Both their keys talents are equally represented starting with an ecstatic cover of Maze featuring Frankie Beverly's conscientious funk jam "Working Together". This is followed by a new original number, "Keepin' It Funky", which holds its own as a swaggering chant-along. Counting down to the album.
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TRUDD 193
16 Dec 16
16 Dec 16
27
Review: Generally accepted as the father of Ethio jazz, Mulatu Astatke releases his first studio album in over twenty years through Strut. Mulatu Steps Ahead signals somewhat of a new approach for the veteran who also engages with western jazz in favour of his more familiar, native style that has made him such a pioneering artist during the 60s and 70s. Having been making jazz music for the last 50 years, Mulatu Astatke has worked with some of the greats of the jazz world. On this album, he recorded with members of the Either/Orchestra in Boston, with members of The Heliocentrics and some of the UK's leading jazz and African players whilst also adding contributions by traditional Ethiopian musicians in Addis. The album follows on from the success of both the acclaimed Inspiration Information collaboration and recent Strut compilation, New York "Addis " London.
Mulatu Steps does not focus on his past roots however, indeed much of it was recorded in the States. The result is a more traditional sounding jazz record than we are used to from him. But that is not to say there is less intrigue and personality woven into it though. In fact, each track on the album tells its very own story. Opener "Radcliffe" reflects on his time as a lecturer at Harvard University.
"Assosa" adapts traditional music from the Assosa tribes of North-Western Ethiopia, "Mulatu's Mood" re-works a Mulatu jazz fusion composition from the early 1990s into a new swinging Afro high life arrangement and "Derashe" deals with the traditional diminishing scales of the Derashe people of Southern Ethiopia. Although different from his previous work, Mulatu Astatke continues to keep jazz fresh, contemporary and up to date whether it's African or American. Let's just hope it's not another twenty years until his next studio album.
Mulatu Steps does not focus on his past roots however, indeed much of it was recorded in the States. The result is a more traditional sounding jazz record than we are used to from him. But that is not to say there is less intrigue and personality woven into it though. In fact, each track on the album tells its very own story. Opener "Radcliffe" reflects on his time as a lecturer at Harvard University.
"Assosa" adapts traditional music from the Assosa tribes of North-Western Ethiopia, "Mulatu's Mood" re-works a Mulatu jazz fusion composition from the early 1990s into a new swinging Afro high life arrangement and "Derashe" deals with the traditional diminishing scales of the Derashe people of Southern Ethiopia. Although different from his previous work, Mulatu Astatke continues to keep jazz fresh, contemporary and up to date whether it's African or American. Let's just hope it's not another twenty years until his next studio album.
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STRUT 056CD
25 Mar 10
25 Mar 10
28
Review: Receiving a second reissue following its original release some 30 years ago, spiritual jazz ensemble Southern Freedom Arkestra returns again spearheaded by vibraphonist Lon Moshe outta Chicago and San Fran. Opening with "Prayer For Saude" that calls for Black self-actualization and revived connection to ancestral ways bookends this album with the 14-minute long freeform-jam, "Love Is Where The Spirit Lies". In between you'll find the dreamy atmospheres and chimes of "Ballad For Bobby Hutcherson" next to its skittery free jazz counterpart, "Low Ghost", and much more. A fresh, cultivated and reborn session of vibraphone, piano and brass-laced nu-jazz. Feel the bliss.
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STRUT 239D
15 Jan 21
15 Jan 21
29
Review: Strut's series of Oneness Of Juju reissues continues apace. Last week they re-released the veteran US Afro/Latin/soul/jazz fusionists' 1980 'Make A Change' long-player; this week they delve back a little further in time to bring you 'Space Jungle Luv', an album that first came out on the Black Luv label in 1976, and that Strut themselves reissued in 2002. As with last week's outing, there's an almost bewildering array of styles on show - and it'll all be a bit "Welcome to Jazz Club!" for some - but if you want to hear the band at their best, check out the dark psychedelic funk of the title track and, in particular, 'The Connection'.
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STRUT 243D
21 May 21
21 May 21
30
Review: Strut continue their excavation into the archives of the legendary Black Fire label with another exclusive reissue, this time from legendary free jazz reed instrument specialist Hamiet Bluiett. Master in all things saxophone, clarinet and composition, Bearer Of The Holy Flame first hit the shelves in '94 following its original recording back in '83. Indebted to smokey, ragtime and free jazz inspirations, Bluiett hits on all matter of dynamics, range and playfulness in the live renditions of "Headless Blues" and minimal love ballad I'll "Close My Eyes" to more percussive numbers like "Footprints" and "Song Song". The sounds of jive start to finish.
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STRUT 246D
12 Mar 21
12 Mar 21
31
Review: It's quite the statement to have the words 'definitive edition' next to the music of Sun Ra however if it's Strut on the case you can imagine this going the whole nine yards. This re-release dates the avant-garde jazz classic back to 1978 when Sun Ra and his Arkestra appeared on Saturday Night Live for the first time. Directly after the show the band recorded Lanquidity in a single session. Delivering 10 alternate, largely unheard versions of Lanquidity, the album's longer sessions come via the free jazz grooves of "That's How I Feel" to the strung out and rather bizarre "There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of)". Definitively alternative versions no less than bona fide.
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STRUT 237D
14 May 21
14 May 21
32
Review: Idris Ackamoor and The Pyramids are releasing a new album entitled 'Shaman!' via Strut. Ackamoor and The Pyramids formed during the early 1970s as part of Cecil Taylor's Black Music Ensemble, releasing three albums before they disbanded. The album unfolds over four acts with personal musical statements about love and loss, mortality, the afterlife, family and salvation. "When Will I See You Again" is the first single taken from the album and it is one seriously soulful and funky groove that is a great taste of what's to come.
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STRUT 214S2XX
25 Jun 20
25 Jun 20
33
Review: Strut and Art Yard's access to the very best music seems to be a bottomless pit of wonder, and there is no much better way to assert your dominance as a label than releasing killer material from the legendary Sun Ra. Like the last previously unreleased record, Of Abstract Dreams is a session most likely recorded at WXPN FM studios in Philadelphia, back in 1975. The opening "Island In The Sun" carries a majestic paino over triumphant percussion bumps, and "New Dawn" offers a steady, constant groove with that inimitable piano style stretching and twisting wildly around the hi-hats. "Unmask The Batman" is more of a classic bop piece, complete with a tough bottom end, and "I'll Wait For You" is the most experimental of the three, where Ra's singing comes out for the Sun Gods above. Highly recommended!
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STRUT 166D
16 Mar 18
16 Mar 18
34
Review: Still reeling from the Linkwood & Foat self-titled collaborative LP released on Athens Of The North earlier this year, Greg Foat, a versatile mainstay in the UK jazz scene, brings in bandmates Moses Boyd, Art Themen, Clark Tracey and Phil Achille to create Symphonie Pacifique. Ebbing and flowing between ambient soul and liquid jazz in the live and improvised "After The Storm", there's lounge time flamenco in "Pointe Venus" to pastoral acid in "Man Vs Machine". Amid cinematic scores and library music you'll find heavy piano chords in the album's hit "Yonaguni" alongside dedications to the late Duncan Lamont ("Lament For Lamont") and 20th century French painters (Henry Valensi) in the cover art. Magnifique!
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STRUT 212D
03 Jul 20
03 Jul 20
35
Various
Review: Founded out of Washington DC in the 1970s and running through until the early-'90s, Black Fire was a go-to label for all things spiritual in jazz, funk and soul; grounded in African rhythms, dialogue, funk and go-go. Inspiring a generation alongside like Strata-East and Tribe, Black Fire Records is responsible for delivering us the highest order of Oneness Of Juju material, while working with and introducing the likes of saxophonist Byard Lancaster, Ghanaian percussionist Okyerema Asante, Southern Energy Ensemble, and music drama troupe Theatre West. Also included in Strut's retrospective is the Experience Unlimited's soul and gospel number "People", the frenetic, hot summer jazz of Lon Moshe & Southern Freedom Arkestra and some alternative disco rhythms of "Look At The People!" by Wayne Davis. Our Pick: "African Rhythms (live In Washington DC, 1975)".
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STRUT 238D
14 Aug 20
14 Aug 20
36
Played by: Flash Atkins
Review: The venerable Sun Ra Arkestra, under the direction of free-jazz maestro Marshall Allen, release their first studio album in over twenty years, Swirling. Recorded at Rittenhouse Soundworks in Philadelphia, Allen himself describes the record as the Arkestra's "love offering" to the world, with tracks like "Space Loneliness" and "Seductive Fantasy" swooning in sultry blues like the cigarette smoke in a dimly lit cocktail bar. Others like "Astro Black" focus on acousmatic dynamics, solo voice and contemporary bass pulsations, to more definitive free jazz numbers in atmospheric form like "Angels & Demons At Play" to full on ragtime sessions in "Infinity/I'll Wait For You". Find playful big band numbers or covers in "Queer Notions" and "Unmask The Batman" that add to this full-blooded celebration of Sun Ra's legacy.
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STRUT 153D
30 Oct 20
30 Oct 20
37
Review: A reissue of a deep spiritual jazz masterpiece, Strut Records brings back into the frame a timeless relic from the not-so distant past. JuJu, a six piece space age, soul-jazz and freeform fusion group outta 1970s San Francisco was spearheaded by the longstanding leadership of Plunky J. Branch and the ensemble's deep African spirit. Chapter Two: Nia, originally released in '74, sees Strut descend on what aficionados would consider the band's most definitive album (alongside A Message From Mozambique) with New Yorkian minimalism colliding with ragtime in "The End Of The Butterfly King (Poem: Things Comin' Along)". Filled with powerful poetry and spoken word in the title track (and aforementioned) to explosive, wandering numbers like "Black Unity", timeless music never sounded so fresh.
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STRUT 245D
17 Jul 20
17 Jul 20
38
Played by: Juno Recommends Funk
Review: With a new album on the way before the end of the year on Strut, their new home, Nubiyan Twist unleash two tracks to whet the appetite. 'Tell It To Me Slowly', featuring the almost crooner-style vox of Nick Richardson, is a near-broken soul-jazz workout that's likely to find favour with the likes of Gilles Peterson and Snowboy, while the Nubiya Brandon-sung 'Sugar Cane' takes us into laidback, late-night jazz pastures. Both cuts may be a little polite-sounding for mainstream club tastes, but the specialist spots - and the jazz-dancers - will lap them up.
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STRUT 198S
16 Nov 18
16 Nov 18
39
Played by: Flash Atkins
Review: Idris Ackamoor and The Pyramids unveil their new album Shaman! with a tribute to jazz pianist Cecil Taylor! Originally formed in the '70s as part of Cecil Taylor's Black Music Ensemble, the group has disbanded and reformed over the last decades, with 2020's Shaman! incarnating a fresh Pyramids ensemble; find Ackamoor on sax, original member Dr. Margaux Simmons on flute, Bobby Cobb on guitar, Sandra Poindexter on violin, Ruben Ramos on bass, Gioele Pagliaccia on drums, and Jack Yglesias on percussion! A most accomplished long player, Shaman! completes a triptych of albums for Strut that dates back to 2016's We All Be Africans, with Idris Ackamoor and The Pyramids transitioning from the political and social commentaries of 2018's acclaimed 'An Angel Fell' into more introspective themes. With some striking artwork from Japanese artist Tokio Aoyama, Shaman! has been described by the group itself as personal statement on love and loss, mortality, the afterlife, family and salvation - our tips include anything over 10 minutes.
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STRUT 214D
07 Aug 20
07 Aug 20
40
Review: Only the greatest labels do we have to thank for releasing the music of Tribe, a four piece outta Detroit made up of Doug Hammond, Marcus Belgrave, Phil Ranelin and Wendell Harrison. Their music over the years has found its way to Carl Craig's Planet E, Soul Jazz's Universal Sound label, and now, no one more fitting in compilation curation other than Strut. The UK label have, from a 15 year period, lifted 10 tracks from the acclaimed independent jazz collective and the original session recordings a full remaster (courtesy of Technology Works). With three numbers clocking in at over 10 minutes of live free jazz, it's "Freddie's Groove" that'll have you going back for more. Hometown heroes back to the big smoke.
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STRUT 210D
08 Nov 19
08 Nov 19
41
Nils Frahm / Various
Carl Oesterhelt & Johannes Enders - "Divertimento Fur Tenorsaxophon Und Kleines Ensemble Part 4" - (4:40) 109 BPM
Review: Apart from Ministry Of Sound and Fabric, the Late Night Tales crew is perhaps the best and most respected compilation series these days. Moreover, these guys have invited some of the biggest names in the game over the last fifteen years, a highly impressive catalogue which includes the likes of Fatboy Slim, Jamiroquai, AIR, Arctic Monkeys, Sly & Robbie, and many more of the same calibre. This September is Germany's Nils Frahm who takes care of the selection, and the DJ/producer serves up a gorgeously vast selection of sounds from around the globe and from all corners of time. Inside, you get shreds of house and techno from Four Tet and Nils Frahm himself, among others, but the mix explores much wider terrains; Miles Davis makes an appearance with the masterful "Concerto De Aranjuez", electronic dub maestros Rhythm & Sound join the party the timeless "Mango Drive", and even Nina Simone's "Who Knows Where The Time Goes" gets selected. It's as excellent and compelling as you would expect from this sublime mix series. A class act.
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ALND 42
11 Sep 15
11 Sep 15
42
Played by: Craig Charles Funk And Soul
Review: Gold-Plating the sound from a legend of the New York scene, Grammy-winning remixer Louie Vega delivers us a sweetly refined compilation of Luisito Quintero's percussion music! With tributes to deceased heroes such as Fela Kuti and Tito Puente, plus his own version of Ray Barretto's classic "Acid", this compilation offers a veritable treasure trove for percussion fans that encompasses everything from Afrobeat and bossa nova to Latin jazz. Check out the bongo-based percussions of "Four Beat Mambo" to the outlandish carnival-style energy of "Quintero's Jam". Hot summer nights and the city...can you feel it!
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VR 194
26 Jun 20
26 Jun 20
43
Various
Played by: Juno Recommends Broken Beat Nu Jazz, Juno Recommends Jazz, Hero Records, Gilles Peterson, Barrio Jazz Gang, Greg Boraman
Review: A two track sampler from the forthcoming album Music For Jazz Dancers, due in May on Freestyle. These two lesser known jazz dance classics come from the 'in the box' selections of DJs Adrian Gibson and Perry Louis, who have been running the Messin' Around London club session at Camden's legendary Jazz Cafe for 14 years. First track "Cherokee", by Peter Herbolzheimer's Rhythm Combination & Brass, is a storming version of Ray Noble's jazz standard with Dianne Reeves' vocal delivery reminding us of Ella Fitzgerald. Next up is "Kon Djab Djigidi'" from French pianist Mario Canonges, which is a full-on piano-led, Latin-tinged monster that'll have you attempting those back flips in your Spats before you know it!
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FSRCD 074
31 May 10
31 May 10
44
Review: Menagerie are a nine-piece 'spiritual jazz' combo from Australia, headed up by The Bamboos main man Lance Ferguson and featuring acclaimed pianist Mark Fitzgibbon, a veteran of Gilles P's legendary Dingwalls sessions. This is the fourth album and their third for Freestyle, and suffice to say fans of their previous output won't be disappointed. Nor will anyone with a taste for 'proper' jazz from the Miles Davis/John Coltrane/Ornette Coleman school of thought: the title track, with its frenetic backbeat and spoken/poetic vocal, nudges towards broken beat territory, while there's a soul-jazz feel to 'Kingdom'... the other four tracks, though, could have been laid down at any time since about 1960. In the best possible way, you understand!
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FSRLP 149
01 Sep 23
01 Sep 23
45
Played by: Paul Withey // Sweetooth
Review: They've yet to make as much of an impact in the northern hemisphere but Melbourne-based outfit Mildlife are big news Down Under - their last (second) album 'Automatic' went Top 10 nationally in 2020, and won the ARIA award for Best Jazz Album to boot. Now they're back with long player #3, 'Closer', and it showcases a sound that's hard to pin down, with the album as a whole fusing elements of jazz-funk/jazz-fusion, Balearica, cosmic disco, psychedelic pop and modern indie, and even straying close to ambient territory on the title track. With the tempo seldom rising above walking pace ('Musica' being the only exception), there are no obvious dancefloor moments here - instead, it's an album that's best served whole, when in a mellower frame of mind...
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HVNLP222DIG
01 Mar 24
01 Mar 24
46
Review: Things have been fairly quiet in the Dopegems camp since the release of their Necksnappin album one year ago. However they're back with a bang with some new material - a two track single called "Two Ballads" (get it?). As expected the five-piece-band led by Slikk Tim continue to pursue 'that gritty, raw instrumental sound of the '70s', with "Travelling Man" a slow and heavy xylophone-joint, while "Trust Me" opts for a cool, bluesy, guitar jazz-funk vibe. Far out.
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66344
09 Feb 15
09 Feb 15
47
Various
Played by: Craig Charles Funk And Soul
Review: Happy birthday Heavenly Sweetness! 10 years deep into their explorations, excavations and curations, French label Heavenly Sweetness look back over the decade and hand pick some of their favourite moments. With such a fine ear for timelessness and vibe, the whole collection runs with a soul and spiritual fluidity as one cohesive body of work; from the incredible-yet-so-gradual momentum of Chickenwing All Stars "Celestial Blues" to touching homages to the one and only Coltrane from both Patchworks and Byard Lancaster via slick spacebound feminist hip-hop from Sly Johnson and a stacks more, this is the type of collection you can lose entire weeks of your life to. Here's to another 10 years.
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HS 172
10 Nov 17
10 Nov 17
48
Played by: Juno Recommends Broken Beat Nu Jazz
Review: Where to start with this one? On their first album proper (not counting a collaborative effort with Simone Mazzer in 2017), French duo Cotonete push jazz-fusion in directions that would have progenitors like Stanley Clarke, Weather Report or Morrissey-Mullen shaking their heads in wonder. With tracks ranging from the languid melancholy of 'Layla' and 'Super-Vilain' to the scorching jazz-funk of 'Last Drink', and from the more traditional jazz stylings of 'Escola Frances Dos Tubaroes' to the Afro-inspired 'Guarani Kaiowa', Super-Vilains is just dripping in invention and musicianship, and likely to find fans right across the jazz community.
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366372 9070807
01 Feb 19
01 Feb 19
49
Various
Aldo Romano, Louis Sclavis & Henri Texier - "Soweto Sorrow" (live At Jazz A Vienne, 2000) - (4:01) 99 BPM
Review: The Jazz A Vienne festival has been drawing jazz lovers to southeastern France every year since 1981, and now they mark their Covid-delayed 40th anniversary with a 14-track compilation featuring a blend of brand new material and classic live recordings from the festival itself - "hard bop, pure jazz classicism and hip-hop urgency united in a single breath," is how they put it. It's one of the vintage nuggets - The Milt Jackson & Hank Jones All-Star Quartet's 1997 recording of 'Delilah' - that provides the album's standout cut for yours truly, but with the likes of Lalo Schiffrin and Gilberto Gil nestling up alongside a host of younger artists, jazzbos of a more tradtional (but definitely not 'trad') mindset will find much to enjoy here.
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HS 233
27 May 22
27 May 22
50
Review: Coming up next from the Freshly Squeezed machine, we explore the future of disco as Yabloko Moloko arrives in style, unloading a spicy seven track collection, rammed full of original swing energy. Opening up with the sweetened bass grooves of 'One Step Beyond' and the 50's-inspired jazz insteps of 'Take That', we know we are in for a treat from the jump, as the tasteful piano riffs of 'Caramelo' and potent glitchy melodies of 'Rumble Disco Machine' then follow swiftly. From here, bulbous bass displays and distant brassy badness arrives on 'Blue Velvet', with the horn driven sweeps of 'Grace's Secret' and sizzling high end horn runs of 'Infinite Jazz' then giving us a powerful pair of closers. Lovely work!
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ZESTLP 283
19 May 23
19 May 23
