Record Shopping Etiquette
The do’s, the don’ts, and best practices when it comes to shopping for vinyl.
The Invisible Session returns with a new album exploring Afro-beat and Ethio-jazz
Following a 15-year long hiatus, Schema Records’ co-founder and musician Luciano Cantone, in collaboration with Gianluca Petrella (ECM, Blue Note, Schema) and a new group of musicians that make up the group The Invisible Sessions have returned to release their highly-anticipated second album Echoes Of Africa Cantone’s newly-launched Milan-based Space Echo label.
Clap City Records reissues David Durrah’s 1975 psych-jazz 7-inch ‘Venus Fly Trap’
Following the well-crafted reissue of Wendell Harrison and The Tribe’s Farewell To The Welfare 45rpm, London’s Clap City Records has recently dived back into the vaults of Detroit’s legendary Tribe Records and reissued keyboardist David Durrah’s highly obscure 1975 7-inch single Venus Fly Trap.
Brownswood releases new compilation ‘Indaba Is’ celebrating the new sounds out of South Africa
South Africa has historically had strong jazz roots, even through the horrific apartheid regime. Pioneering artists like Hugh Masekela, Abdullah Ibrahim, Johnny Dyani, Dudu Pukwana, Chris McGregor, Mongezi Feza, Ndikho Xaba, and so many others in the region consisted of some of the most adventurous jazz musicians of their era. Following the release of two groundbreaking compilations in We Out Here and Sunny Side Up that explored the current thriving scenes in London and Melbourne, Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood label has just released a brand new compilation exploring the current wave of forward-thinking jazz artists coming out of Johannesburg.
Far Out Recordings puts out unreleased 1976 Brazilian jazz-funk debut by Marcos Resende & Index
London’s Far Out Recordings has unearthed the previously unreleased 1976 self-titled debut jazz-funk album by Brazilian keyboardist, composer, and bandleader Marcos Resende and his group Index. This incredible album was recorded prior to the group’s only other release, the highly sought after 1978 album Festa Para Um Novo Rei.
Gilles Peterson & Soul Jazz Records’ Stuart Baker compile new compilation featuring explorations in Cuban music, 1975-85
London’s Soul Jazz Records has just released an absolutely incredible new 3xLP compilation, compiled by Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker (of Soul Jazz Records), exploring the fusion of jazz, funk, Brazilian, Tropicalia, and disco with Latin and Salsa that emerged in Cuba in the 1970s.
London trumpeter Nick Walters & 11-piece band return with new record, launch label
As a follow-up to last year’s absolutely brilliant Active Imagination release on 22a, London composer, trumpeter, and member of the Ruby Rushton quartet, Nick Walters returns with superb new recording, titled Implicate Order, featuring his expansive 11-piece group The Paradox Ensemble.
Australian 9-piece spiritual jazz group Menagerie release great new album ‘Many Worlds’
Following the breakthrough release of 2017’s The Arrow of Time, London’s Freestyle Records has recently released the highly-anticipated third album from the Melbourne-based 9-piece spiritual jazz ensemble Menagerie, titled Many Worlds.
Jazzman’s Spiritual Jazz series shifts focus to the deep jazz essentials of ‘NOW!’
For over a decade, London’s Jazzman Records’ incredible Spiritual Jazz compilation series has been unearthing and shedding light on some of most essential deep jazz recordings of the sixties, seventies, and eighties, highlighting different regions of the world and groundbreaking labels like Blue Note Records, Impulse!, Prestige, and SteepleChase. Now with the 13th release of the superb series, focus now shifts to the brilliant modern-day spiritual gems of today.
Obscure 1984 lo-fi tropical synth album ‘Meliza’ out of Guadeloupe reissued
After years of research and tracking down the artists responsible for the recording, Paris-based Hot Mule records, who continue to put out great rare recordings, has reissued the highly obscure 1984 tropical masterpiece Meliza, which has been a well-kept secret for years amongst Caribbean music lovers.
Gilles Peterson and Incognito’s Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick team up on new Brit-funk project STR4TA
Over the past year, if you tuned in and listened to either Colin Curtis or Gilles Peterson on one of their weekly Worldwide FM radio shows, more times than not, you might have been finding yourself asking the question, who’s behind this new Brit-funk outfit STR4TA that they just played? After releasing a white label twelve-inch single this fall, and a limited “make-your-own-cover-with-stickers” album release a month ago, it was just revealed this week that Peterson and the legendary Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick of notable British group Incognito, are the masterminds behind this project. With the release of their second single “Rhythm In Your Mind”, Gilles’ Brownswood label has announced that the highly-anticipated debut album, titled Aspects, is set for release in late March.
Oakland’s cosmic psych jazz group Sitka Sun releases highly-anticipated new record ‘All The Way West’
In early 2018, Oakland-based cosmic psych jazz ensemble Sitka Sun, which is the brainchild of bassist, composer, and arranger Patrick Murphy, released their self-titled debut album to immediate high praise globally. The album sold out almost upon it’s release, and saw rotation on Gilles Peterson’s BBC 6 radio show. In what is certainly one of the most anticipated releases of the new year, the group will put out their sophomore recording, titled All The Way West via The Long Road Society label on in late January.
Polish ensemble EABS releases brilliant cosmic jazz tribute to Sun Ra
The Poland-based Electro Acoustic Beat Sessions collective, better known as EABS, has been one of the most forward-thinking jazz groups over the past few years, releasing a number incredible recordings including their 2017 debut Repetitions (Letters To Krzysztof Komeda), 2018’s 12″ single Kraksa / Svantetic with Tenderlonious, and last year’s full-length Slavic Spirits. The innovative sextet returns with arguably their best release to date with a six-track mind-blowing tribute to the legendary Afrofuturism pioneer Sun Ra, titled Discipline of Sun Ra.
San Francisco’s K-Maxx (RIP) leaves behind enduring legacy, releases great new modern funk EP ‘Selections’
Only hours after the shocking news about MF DOOM’s passing was just beginning to circulate throughout the music world on New Year’s Eve, we heard further heartbreaking news through social media that San Francisco native, producer, multi-instrumentalist, DJ, and vocalist Kenyan “K-Maxx” Hopkins had suddenly and unexpectedly passed away on December 29. This devastating news sent shockwaves through the Bay Area music community and beyond.
