Record Shopping Etiquette
The do’s, the don’ts, and best practices when it comes to shopping for vinyl.
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.
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.
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.
Bristol’s Dundundun takes on Sun Ra’s “Love In Outer Space” on debut twelve-inch release
Bristol, UK based ensemble Dundundun, who feature members whom have collaborated with The Heavy, Alice Russell, Pete Josef, DJ Die, Dele Sosimi, and others, have recently released their brilliant debut twelve-inch on Worm Discs (one of our favorite new labels!).
Teaspoon And The Waves’s rare 1977 South African jazz-funk album reissued by Mr Bongo
UK’s Mr Bongo is always reissuing some of the greatest and most obscure titles from yesteryears, however they have certainly outdone themselves again with their latest reissue of Teaspoon And The Waves’ rare 1977 self-titled album, featuring a heavy dose of South African jazz-funk.
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.
Adrian Younge unapologetically calls out historic racism and white supremacy in new album ‘The American Negro’
Los Angeles-based composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, visionary, and one of the two people behind the Jazz Is Dead label and series, Adrian Younge, has released a powerful new groundbreaking album, titled The American Negro, which unapologetically calls out historic racism and white supremacy, and the ongoing trauma it’s caused on Black people in the United States.
BBE Music releases third volume of their essential Japanese Jazz compilation series
With much anticipation, London’s BBE Music releases the third volume of it’s phenomenal J Jazz compilation series, continuing to shed light on some of the most incredible and obscure modern Japanese jazz recordings from the 1960s through the 1980s. Since issuing the first volume in 2018 and the follow-up in 2019, plus a number of essential album reissues, there has not been a more comprehensive and impressive output of releases dedicated to this region’s historic jazz scene.
Glasgow’s Nimbus Sextet releases impressive debut full-length ‘Dreams Fulfilled’
With so much great music being released these days from all corners of the globe, I find that there are always a number of incredible recordings that are not on my radar and might miss upon their initial release. That is certainly the case with the debut album Dreams Fulfilled from Glasgow’s Nimbus Sextet.
Tel-Aviv based Shay Hazan Quintet featured on the Jazzman’s incredible 7inch series JAZZ45
For the tenth JAZZ45 release, in what has become an incredible 7inch series by London’s Jazzman Records, the label features the first single from Tel-Aviv, Israel based composer and bassist Shay Hazan and his quintet.
Backatcha Records releases great new compilation ‘Swave Villi Us’ featuring rare independent soul cuts from 1971-1984
UK-based Backatcha Records has released a brilliant new sixteen-track compilation featuring some of the hardest to find independent soul gems recorded between 1971-1984.
Nicola Conte & Gianluca Petrella return with brilliant collaborative jazz dance album ‘People Need People’
Nineteen years since the release of their debut twelve-inch single New Standards, Nicola Conte and Gianluca Petrella team up again following a string of recent singles over the past few years with a brilliant new full-length album on Schema Records, titled People Need People.
South African jazz ensemble Roots’ obscure 1975 debut album reissued
New York-based Frederiksberg Records has recently reissued officially for the first time the highly-obscure 1975 self-titled debut album by the South African jazz ensemble Roots, led by master saxophonist and one of the greatest musicians to ever come out of Johannesburg, Barney Rachabane.
