Author: TJ Gorton
Los Angeles-based producer and multi-instrumentalist Mark de Clive-Lowe, who is been one of the pioneering artists to successfully blend together jazz, broken beat, house, and experimental electronic-influenced music for the span of three decades, returns with the third release from his superb Midnight Snacks Ep series.
UK-based record shop and label Mr Bongo have recently reissued a half-speed mastered edition of the iconic 1972 jazz-rock-fusion album Belladonna from British trumpeter great Ian Carr. This groundbreaking recording was a part of Carr’s adventurous shift in sound following a number of years during the late 60s performing and recording with the legendary post-hard bop ensemble, The Don Rendell / Ian Carr Quintet.
London’s Strut Records concludes it’s exploration into Sun Ra Arkestra’s historic recordings in Egypt with a reissue of the 1983 collaborative album with great Egyptian percussionist and drummer Salah Ragab and his large ensemble, The Cairo Jazz Band.
The London-based Far Out Recordings continues it’s deep exploration into the roots of the greatest Brazilian fusion/jazz-funk band, Azymuth, and has recently reissued two outstanding mid-sixties recordings from the late founding member and the band’s original keyboardist, José Roberto Bertami.
The outstanding Bristol quartet known as The Jazz Defenders build on the foundation of last year’s standout 7inch single The Big Man / Love’s Vestige with a superb soulful jazz full-length, titled King Phoenix on the UK-based Haggis Records.
Italian artist and producer Raffaele Constantino, better known in many music circles as Khalab, has been at the forefront of some the most otherworldly futuristic electronic recordings. For his latest project on his Hyperjazz label, he is curating a brilliant new compilation series, called Hyperituals, with the first two volumes exploring the deep jazz vaults of the influential, yet unsung Milan sister labels Black Saint/Soul Note.
Legendary UK deejay Paul Murphy and his Jazz Room Records label continue their impressive string of releases with the recent reissue of the highly-obscure 1973 soul jazz album The Power of Feeling from the somewhat mysterious artist Sir Edward, which was later identified as the unsung saxophonist great and flutist Harold Vick.
Australian-born, New York-based composer and pianist Barney McAll, who has made his mark playing along side Gary Bartz, Billy Harper, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Maceo Parker, Fred Wesely, Dewey Redman, and so many others, has released a brilliant new uplifting cosmic soul-jazz album on his Extra Celestial Arts label, titled Precious Energy.
Following the 2019 BBE Music reissue of bassist David Wertman’s 1978 Sun Ensemble debut Earthly Delights, the London-based label has re-released an expansive version of the group’s 1983 spiritual jazz album Wide Eye Culture.
For the latest release of Jean-Claude Thompson’s fantastic If Music Presents You Need This compilation series on BBE, he turns his focus to Dutch record shop Klinkhamer Records and invites owner Michel Veenstra to compile some of his most notable “holy grails” that have come through the shop.
Following five superb releases last year, German DJ/producer tag team Delfonic and Kapote return for their sixth volume of their Illegal Jazz series, featuring jazz-funk edits aimed at the dancefloor.
Paris-based composer, bandleader and tenor saxophonist Laurent Bardainne returns with his quintet project Tigre d’eau Douce, following the group’s impressive 2020 debut Love Is Everywhere, with a brilliant new cosmic jazz album on Heavenly Sweetness, titled Hymne au Soleil.
Two of London’s most forward-thinking artists in vocalist Fatima and keyboard wiz Joe Armon-Jones (who is also a founding member of Ezra Collective) have teamed up to release an incredible new EP, titled Tinted Shades.
