The excellent French label Comet, run by founder Eric Trosset, has recently reissued the extremely hard-to-find 1975 jazz-funk masterpiece from drummer Noel McGhie, under the album title Noel McGhie & Space Spies.

Originally released by the French private label Disques Esperance around the time McGhie was making waves among the vibrant local Free Jazz scene (performing with Archie Shepp, Steve Lacy, Francois Tusques, Anthony Braxton, and others) this five track album is brilliant from start to finish, featuring a heavy dose of deep spiritual and soulful jazz-funk groovers.

This was the first and only international recording for the Jamaican-born, UK-raised drummer, who’s backed on this session by Brazilian alto saxophonist Jorge Joao, Japanese trumpeter Itaru Oki, and two musicians from the French-Caribbean island of Martinique in pianist Georges-Edouard Nouel and bassist Louis Xavier.

With original copies now going for $200-400 and the 2015 Superfly Records reissue climbing to around $100, it’s great to see this jazz-funk essential receive another proper reissue release. Don’t wait though, I expect this one to move fast!

Noel McGhie & Space Spies — ‘s/t’
(Originally released: 1975 / Disques Espérance)
(Reissued: 2022 / Comet)

1. Trapeze
2. Dancer
3. For Gone Desillusion
4. Ubet
5. Mademoiselle Tuloch

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• Jazz
• Jazz Funk
• Reissue