Record Shopping Etiquette
The do’s, the don’ts, and best practices when it comes to shopping for vinyl.
BeatCaffeine’s Record Store Day 2024 Recommendations
This Saturday, April 20th is Record Store Day 2024. I believe this international record store celebratory day has reverted back to just one day annually, which to me makes the most sense. Over the last several years, this has become the prime day in which many labels release limited-edition or never-before-released vinyl albums, singles, compilations and reissues. Sometimes it feels more like “record label day” or “new vinyl collectables day”, given how it’s evolved. While the day usually attracts many hardcore collectors, shops also often see a large influx of casual music fans and even a few that might be buying their first record. Regardless, these are all great things.
Portugal’s Mad About Records reissues obscure 1981 jazz-funk album by Quintessence
Mad About Records is back at it, in what has already been a very active year for the Portugal-based label, with a welcomed official reissue release of the extremely obscure 1981 jazz-funk album from a Connecticut-based quintet called Quintessence.
Analog Africa releases a compilation unearthing funky gems from two major cities along the Congo River
The incredible German-based label Analog Africa, who has arguably been the leader when it comes to releasing rare music rooted from major regions in Africa and parts of Central and South America, have recently issued another brilliant compilation, titled Congo Funk!, which unearths a number of funky selections from two influential capital cities along the Congo River.
Jazz Room Records Reissues 1980 dancefloor fusion LP from Danish group Ariel
For the latest release on Paul Murphy’s Jazz Room Records, he revisits the obscure self-titled full-length debut from Danish jazz fusion group Ariel, which includes the massive jazz dance gem, “The Girl With Three Faces”.
UK saxophonist Nat Birchall returns with his expanded Unity Ensemble on superb new album
Manchester-based saxophonist Nat Birchall, who has released a string of incredible recordings in which he’s playing all the instrumentation (Songs of the Ancestors, Afro Trane, The Infinite, and Ancient Africa), has returned with a full 7-piece ensemble for his latest offering, titled New World.
Dutch record shop Klinkhamer Records releases 2nd compilation on BBE
As a much-anticipated follow-up to their 2022 compilation debut, Dutch vinyl shop Klinkhamer Records and owner Michel Veenstra have teamed up again with London’s BBE Records to release Volume 2, featuring another superb selection of obscure eclectic gems from the 70s and 80s that you will most likely not hear anywhere else.
Manchester trumpeter Matthew Halsall releases limited-edition 12″ EP ‘Bright Sparkling Light’
Originally conceived as a Fall 2023 tour only exclusive, Manchester-based trumpeter, composer and the mind behind Gondwana Records, Matthew Halsall has re-released a brilliant new 12″ EP, titled Bright Sparkling Light.
Cosmic jazz pianist Greg Foat releases spaced-out live album recorded in Ibiza
As we begin to approach the warmer months of the year, London composer/pianist and long-time BeatCaffeine favorite, Greg Foat has just released a new cosmic jazz live album recorded on May 3, 2023 at Can Rudayla in Ibiza.
Mad About Records releases funky 7inch featuring Webster Lewis & The Spirit Of Atlanta
Portugal’s Mad About Records, which has been releasing some of the rarest jazz, funk, Latin and Brazilian records over the last few years, has recently released a double-sided 7inch single featuring two massive dancefloor scorchers.
Jazz Room Records releases limited edition 7inch featuring two rare jazz dance heaters
Paul Murphy’s Jazz Room Records has a slew of incredible releases on deck for this Spring, and one of the first of these records to come out is a limited-edition double-sided single 7inch, featuring two rare 1969 jazz dance heaters out of Japan.
Highly acclaimed trumpeter Dave Guy makes solo debut with new 7inch single
Brooklyn-based trumpeter Dave Guy has been a contributing member of some the most groundbreaking groups over the last twenty-plus years, including The Roots, The Dap Kings, Menahan Street Band, El Michels Affair, and The Budos Band, and has shared the stage with everyone from Amy Winehouse and Lizzo to Lee Fields, Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley, and others. He now steps out on his own, and releases his debut 7inch release for Big Crown Records.
Kahil El’Zabar celebrates 50 years of the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble with new album
Legendary multi-percussionist, bandleader, vocalist, composer, educator, and former Chair of the Association of Creative Musicians (AACM), Kahil El’Zabar has been a staple among the Chicago jazz scene for over half a century. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of his pioneering group, the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, he has released a brilliant new album on the Spiritmuse label, titled Open Me, A Higher Consciousness of Sound and Spirit.
Finland’s Timo Lassy and Jukka Eskola “stew” together Nordic jazz and New Orleans grooves
Two of Finland’s most virtuosic and forward-thinking musicians in saxophonist Timo Lassy and trumpeter Jukka Eskola have teamed up with a number of notable New Orleans musicians for an innovative new album on the Amsterdam-based Dox Records, titled Nordic Stew, that fuses together Nordic jazz and the deep-rooted sounds from the Crescent City.
