Author: TJ Gorton
This past Sunday, March 19, 2023, I ran the Oakland Half Marathon, as a part of the week-long Oakland Running Festival. The weather was a little rainy and windy this year, but overall it’s a really great annual event that I highly recommend checking out and participating in.
The Italian-based label Eating Standing, which focuses on hi-quality reissues, has recently re-released the 1984 spiritual jazz-funk masterpiece Polygamy from producer, tenor saxophonist, and percussionist Mustafa Abdul Rahman.
DJ Amir (aka Amir Abdullah), through his 180 Proof Records, has been officially reissuing and releasing previously unheard material from Strata Records for the past decade. Now with the help of London’s BBE Music, he has put together a brilliant compilation featuring some of the most essential tracks to have come out on the legendary 70’s Detroit jazz label.
Over the last few years, not only has Paul Murphy reissued a number of rare jazz dance and fusion gems through his label Jazz Room Records, he has put out a number of essential and rare Latin dancefloor recordings, including Tata Vasquez’s Ecstasy, Robin Jones led Denga and El Maja. This Spring, the UK label will reissue the 1981 album Con El Ritmo Del Tambó by the Nuyorican supergroup Orquesta Mayombe.
We are deeply saddened by the recent passing of the great saxophonist, composer, and NEA Jazz Master Wayne Shorter, who died on Thursday, March 2nd in Los Angeles at the age of 89.
Milan-based producer Larry Manteca (aka Alessandro Paiola), who over the last decade has been publishing on Youtube 70s-inspired movie soundtracks, has recently released a brilliant new 7inch single for the outstanding Italian label Four Flies.
Portuguese multi-instrumentalist, DJ and producer Pedro Ricardo has recently released an impressive and highly eclectic debut recording for London’s Soundway Records, titled Soprem Bons Ventos.
New York City-based tenor saxophonist and composer James Brandon Lewis, who’s been one jazz’s most forward-thinking and cutting-edge artists over the last decade, has returned with a superb new trio album on the Los Angeles label Anti- Records, titled Eye Of I.
New York-based pianist, keyboardist and composer Surya Botofasina has recently released his debut album , titled Everyone’s Children on the always excellent label, Spiritmuse Records. Raised at the Sai Anantam Ashram in the Southern Californian hills, Surya was taught by the legendary Alice Coltrane, who’s both music and religious practices are foundational elements in his life.
UK’s Far Out Recordings has recently issued the highly-anticipated previously unreleased 1975 recording, titled Starting Point, from the Brazilian fusion trio known as Grupo Um. Based out of São Paulo, the group features brothers Lelo Nazario (piano/keys) and Zé Eduardo Nazario (drums/percussion), alongside bassist Zeca Assumpção, whom made their mark performing in Hermeto Pascoal’s Grupo (included on Pascoal’s Viajando Com O Som: The Lost ’76 Vice-Versa Studio Session).
