Author: TJ Gorton
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).
Italian producer and keyboard wiz Stefano De Santis follows up last year’s standout Unreachable Galaxy EP with a superb new 7inch, titled Barra Nova. This release also represents the 40th record issued by the fantastic UK-based label Ten Lovers Music, which was founded back in 1996 and run by Steve Conry.
Glasgow’s Nuovi Fratelli is superb production duo featuring DJ and producer Wayne Dickson and sound engineer, music producer, and synth wiz Luigi Pasquini. Over the last several years, they have really stepped onto the UK music scene, producing artists like jazz-fusion juggernaut Nimbus Sextet, folk-funk group The Paracosmos, and contributing arguably the best remix of STR4TA’s modern-day Brit-funk gem “Rhythm in Your Mind” (released on an EP in 2021 by Colin Curtis.
London keyboardist and pianist Charlie Stacey has been making waves over the past few years, performing with Yussef Dayes and fellow Tomorrow Warriors alumni such as Moses Boyd and The Ezra Collective. He sets out on his own, releasing his highly-anticipated debut as a leader, titled The Light Beyond Time on UK’s Night Dreamer label.
For the latest release of the fantastic Jazz Is Dead series, Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad team up with two iconic legends in trombonist Phil Ranelin and Wendell Harrison, founders of the 70’s Detroit-based independent label and collective, Tribe Records.
Over the past 20 years, Nostalgia 77 has been the eclectic work of UK producer Ben Lamdin, exploring the forward-thinking sounds of jazz, soul, and electronic music. Lamdin reunites with longtime collaborator and arranger Riaan Vosloo to release arguably the project’s best album to date in The Loneliest Flower In The Village.
Right on the heals of Jazz Room Records’ most recent 7inch release, Japan’s leading jazz fusion/funk trio Nautilus has recently released a brilliant new full-length on the Urban Discos label, titled Revival.
