Record Shopping Etiquette
The do’s, the don’ts, and best practices when it comes to shopping for vinyl.
Motown meets West Africa on Eboni Band’s 1980 album, reissued by We Are Busy Bodies
Toronto based record label We Are Busy Bodies has recently reissued the rare 1980 recording by the collaborative supergroup ensemble Eboni Band, featuring musicians from Ivory Coast based Eboni Records and prime Motown session players, including funk legend and longtime JB’s bandleader Fred Wesley.
Decca releases incredible new compilation highlighting 60s & 70s rare British jazz
Decca has recently released an incredible new compilation featuring selections from some of the greatest and most sought-after British jazz recordings from the sixties and seventies, titled Journeys In Modern Jazz: Britain. This represents a time where the UK jazz scene was really finding it’s own sound with it’s own “home grown” British musicians and the support of labels like Decca, Deram, Argo, EMI Columbia/Lansdowne Series, Fontana, Mercury, Philips and others.
London jazz-meets-Afrobeat collective KOKOROKO return with double A-side 12inch single
Following up their breakthrough self-titled debut EP in 2019, the London-based jazz-infused Afrobeat collective KOKOROKO, led by trumpeter and vocalist Sheila Maurice-Grey, returns with a much-anticipated follow-up double A-side 12″ single on Brownswood, featuring two superb tracks in “Baba Ayoola” and “Carry Me Home”.
Bristol quartet The Jazz Defenders release brilliant new dancefloor jazz 7inch
Following up on 2019’s standout debut full-length Scheming, the outstanding Bristol quartet known as The Jazz Defenders returns with a brilliant new 7inch release on the UK-based Haggis Records, featuring two superb dancefloor jazz selections.
London trombonist Nathaniel Cross releases superb debut EP ‘The Description Is Not The Described’
Once described as “the Quincy Jones of Catford” by Rolling Stone magazine, South London composer, arranger, and trombonist Nathaniel Cross has become a prominent musician among today’s UK jazz scene, performing and recording with artists like Moses Boyd, Solange, Zara McFarlane, Kano, David Murray, LCSM, Swindle, Sons of Kemet, and many others. Stepping out on his own, he has just released a superb debut EP on First World Records, titled The Description Is Not The Described.
Strut reissues in-demand Black Fire Records’ soul jazz album from Ohio collective Theatre West
London’s Strut Records continues it’s brilliant series of releases exploring the vaults of Jimmy Gray’s now considered legendary Richmond, Virginia based label Black Fire Records with a highly in-demand reissue of Bow To The People by Dayton, Ohio theater collective Theatre West.
Jazz Room Records releases new 45rpm single featuring two essential jazz dance classics
Paul Murphy’s Jazz Room Records continues it’s string of incredible “must-own” releases with a brand new 7inch single, titled The Electric Jazz Room EP, revisiting two essential selections that made their mark at the underground jazz dance nights like Shiftless Shuffle, The Horseshoe, Electric Ballroom, and others in London.
Rising London trombonist Rosie Turton releases incredible cosmic jazz recording ‘Expansions and Transformations: Part I & II’
Over the last several years, London-based trombonist Rosie Turton has continued to make her mark as one of the prominent musicians and composers among the thriving UK jazz scene. In 2019, she released her superb debut EP Rosie’s 5ive via the Jazz re:freshed label, followed by a couple of outstanding recordings with the incredible 7-piece Nérija ensemble. She returns with a brilliant new self-released cosmic jazz release, titled Expansions and Transformations: Part I & II.
Innovative London drummer & producer Myele Manzanza releases great new album reflecting the times
Highly innovative New Zealand-born drummer, producer, and beatmaker Myele Manzanza, who now resides in London, has teamed up with a stellar cast of musicians to release a brilliant new EP on DeepMatter Records inspired by the city he lives in, and the challenging times we currently face, titled Crisis & Opportunity Vol. 1.
Two early George Duke essentials reissued on WallenBink Records limited-edition ‘Black Forest 45s’ series
UK-based label WallenBink has launched a fantastic series called Black Forest 45, focusing on reissuing remastered essential 60s and 70s era jazz selections from the vaults of legendary German label SABA/MPS, in a new never-released-before 7inch format.
UK’s SAULT releases fifth album ‘NINE’, available for 99 days
Over the last two-plus years, UK’s SAULT has been the most innovative collective in all of music, releasing four groundbreaking full length albums including last year’s highly acclaimed UNTITLED (Black Is) and follow-up UNTITLED (Rise) (BeatCaffeine’s #1 and #3 Favorite Albums of 2020), which centered around subjects of police brutality and racial injustices. The thought-provoking group, which features producer Dean “Inflo” Wynton Josiah, vocalist Cleo Sol, rapper/vocalist Melisa Young (aka Kid Sister) and numerous other guests and collaborators, returns with another brilliant recording, titled NINE, which according to the band, will only be available to download or stream digital for 99 days from it’s release date of June 25, 2021.
Paul Murphy’s Jazz Room Records reissues obscure 1978 funky spiritual jazz gem ‘La Dee La La’ from Shamek Farrah
London’s Jazz Room Records, run by iconic London DJ Paul Murphy, continues it’s string of essential releases with a recent limited-edition reissue of Shamek Farrah And Folks‘ nearly impossible-to-find 1978 funky spiritual jazz album La Dee La La, featuring trumpet great Malachi Thompson of Chicago’s influential collective AACM.
LA-based producer/pianist John Carroll Kirby releases brilliant new cosmic jazz LP ‘Septet’ on Stones Throw
Los Angeles-based composer, producer, and pianist John Carroll Kirby, who has made a strong name for himself over the last several years collaborating with everyone from Solange (produced three tracks on A Seat At The Table, and featured on When I Get Home), and Blood Orange, to Frank Ocean, Miley Cyrus and many others. On top of these high-profile collaborative works, Kirby has also released a number of incredible albums on his own via the Stones Throw label, and he returns with arguably his best album to date, titled Septet.
