Category: FEATURED RELEASES

Matthew Little — Liner Notes

Los Angeles pianist Matthew “Honeybee” Little releases superb debut album ‘Liner Notes’

Every year, there are a number of remarkable releases that weren’t originally on most people’s radar, and that is certainly the case with Los Angeles-based composer and pianist Matthew “Honeybee” Little’s superb debut album Liner Notes on San Diego’s Common Good Records. Over the last several years, Little has been making his mark among the LA jazz scene, playing with like-minded exploratory artists like Josef Leimberg, Shafiq Husayn, Jason McGuiness, and others.

Legendary saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, Floating Points & the London Symphony Orchestra release stunning live album ‘Promises’

In what might be the most-anticipated album of the year, New York label Luaka Bop has released an absolute stunning new collaborative album, titled Promises, featuring legendary saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, groundbreaking electronic producer Sam Shepard, also know as Floating Points, and one of the greatest symphonies in the world, in The London Symphony Orchestra.

Soul Jazz — Rocksteady Soul

Soul Jazz Records releases great new compilation of soulful Rocksteady from 60s & 70s

For well over twenty years, there hasn’t been a more definitive collection of releases highlighting the legendary reggae label Studio One than what London’s Soul Jazz Records has managed to curate through expansive compilation releases, exclusive singles, and never-before-heard gems. Their latest release Rocksteady Got Soul is an absolutely brilliant collection of uplifting rocksteady and soulful reggae from the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Pino Palladino and Blake Mills - Notes With Attachments

Renowned bassist Pino Palladino & multi-instrumentalist Blake Mills release innovative new album ‘Notes With Attachments’

Renowned bassist Pino Palladino, who helped create the rhythm-section sound on D’Angelo’s neo-soul classic albums Voodoo and Black Messiah, as well as performing over the years with Erykah Badu, Nine Inch Nails, Paul Simon, Jeff Beck, Herbie Hancock and numerous others, teams up with prolific multi-instrumentalist and producer Blake Mills to release an amazing and highly innovative new album, titled Notes With Attachments.

Nubiyan Twist — Freedom Fables

UK collective Nubiyan Twist returns with brilliant new album featuring all-star cast of guest vocalists

The 10-piece UK-based collective Nubiyan Twist, led by producer and guitarist Tom Excell, have released a brilliant and expansive new album on the Strut label, titled Freedom Fables, featuring an all-star cast of special guest vocalists including Cherise, Nick Richards, Ego Ella May, Ria Moran, London jazz great Soweto Kinch, rising Ghanaian star K.O.G. and highlife legend Pat Thomas.

JAB — Currents EP

Junior Alli-Balogun (JAB) returns w/ highly anticipated cosmic percussion ‘Currents EP’

Following an inspiring tour with Theo Parrish in 2014 and a highly memorable experience at New York’s Soul Summit in 2015, London-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Junior Alli-Balogun aka JAB released quite possibly the best song of 2019 in the 10-plus minute dancefloor gem “Directions”, which was eventually released as a twelve-inch single. With much anticipation, JAB returns with an outstanding new EP titled Currents.

Emanative & Liz Elensky — The Volume of Light

UK’s Emanative & Liz Elensky team up on experimental jazz-meets-electronics album ‘The Volume Of The Light’

UK’s Emanative, also known as Nick Woodmansey, has made a name for himself over the past decade as one of the most forward-thinking drummers and producers, contributing to some of the best spiritual jazz recordings for labels like Brownswood, Jazzman, and The Steve Reid Foundation. He teams up with longtime collaborator, vocalist, and life partner Liz Elensky on a brilliant new full-length album titled The Volume Of The Light.

Analog Africa — Edo Funk Explosion Vol 1

Analog Africa highlights Benin City’s ‘Edo Funk’ pioneers in great new compilation

For the last two decades, the German-based label Analog Africa has consistently released some of the best compilations and retrospective recordings, highlighting the many unique styles of music that have come out of both Africa and South America. Continuing to dive deep into this exploration, they have just released volume 1 of their much-anticipated Edo Funk Explosion compilation series, highlighting some of the greatest recordings from the genre’s pioneers, Osayomore Joseph, Akaba Man, and Sir Victor Uwaifo.