Record Shopping Etiquette
The do’s, the don’ts, and best practices when it comes to shopping for vinyl.
Azymuth iconic drummer Ivan ‘Mamão’ Conti releases new single ‘Katmandu’
Iconic drummer Ivan ‘Mamão’ Conti of the legendary Brazilian jazz-funk band Azymuth, follows up his stellar 2019 solo album Poison Fruit, with a great new twelve-inch single, titled Katmandu via Far Out Recordings.
German quartet Web Web release brilliant new spiritual full-length ‘Worshippers’
The Munich-based quartet Web Web continues to make their mark on the scene, following the release of two stellar recordings in Oracle (2017) and Dance Of The Demon (2018), with a brilliant new album, titled Worshippers, their third on the highly-acclaimed German label, Compost Records.
London groove-based trio Wildflower release new album ‘Season 2’
The stellar London-based trio, featuring bassist and founding member of Ill Considered Leon Brichard, saxophonist and reeds player Idris Rahman (also of Soothsayers), and drummer Tom Skinner of both Sons of Kemet and Hello Skinny, have released a great new album, titled Season 2 through Ill Considered’s very much DIY label.
BeatCaffeine’s ‘Work From Home’ Jazz Playlist
Even though some regions have been dealing with COVID-19 for over two months, for many of us, it seems like the world has changed over night. With many of us now (as we should) “sheltering in place,” and working from home, I thought I would put together a curated an uplifting jazz-focused playlist designed to help spark creativity throughout the day.
Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad release ‘Jazz Is Dead’ compilation featuring iconic jazz legends
Los Angeles based producers/multi-instrumentalists Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (of Tribe Called Quest), who are the masterminds behind The Midnight Hour, have recently released an incredible new compilation, titled Jazz Is Dead, featuring new recordings from jazz legends Roy Ayers, Gary Bartz, Doug Carn, João Donato, Brian Jackson, Azymuth, and Marcos Valle.
Shabaka Hutchings and The Ancestors release incredible new Impulse! album ‘We Are Sent Here By History’
Over the past half decade, Shabaka Hutchings has been one of the most breakthrough artists to come out of the resurgent London jazz scene. Over the past couple of years, the composer and saxophonist’s other two groups, Sons of Kemet and The Comet Is Coming, have released a number of incredible recording via the legendary Impulse! label. Following up on the ensemble’s 2016 Brownswood debut, Wisdom of Elders, Hutchings reunites with his South African collective The Ancestors on a brilliant new conceptual album, titled We Are Sent Here By History.
BeatCaffeine’s 10 Essential McCoy Tyner Albums
On March 6th, we sadly lost innovative composer, bandleader and pianist McCoy Tyner. For over 60 years, he has been one of the greatest jazz artists of our time, beginning in the sixties with his longtime stint in John Coltrane’s legendary quartet with Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones, as well as his time leading his own groups featuring jazz greats like Bobby Hutcherson, Gary Bartz, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and many others.
New 12″ single featuring two rare tracks from French jazz-funk group Cortex
The Paris-based Trad Vibe Records, who reissued Cortex’s 1975 rare masterpiece Troupeau Bleu back in 2010, has released a brand new single featuring the group’s 1979 jazz-funk medley “Mary & Jeff + Devils Dance,” along with the brilliant Fender Rhodes led version of the track.
Multi-instrumentalist and producer Emma-Jean Thackray launches label, releases ‘Rain Dance’ EP
London-based multi-instrumentalist, DJ, and producer Emma-Jean Thackray follows up her 2018 breakthrough Ley Lines EP on The Vinyl Factory imprint with a brilliant new cosmic jazz recording, titled Rain Dance, released on her brand new label Movementt.
London pianist Greg Foat teams up with Techno legend Linkwood on new electro-jazz full-length
London-based pianist and composer Greg Foat continues his recent string of great releases through the Edinburgh label Athens of the North, teaming up with house and techno legend Linkwood on a great new instrumental full-length recording.
London’s Alabaster DePlume releases meditative album ‘To Cy & Lee: Instrumentals Vol. 1’
Manchester-born, London-based composer, saxophonist and visionary Alabaster DePlume follows-up his breakthrough 2018 album The Corner Of A Sphere on Lost Map Records, with a brilliant new full-length recording, titled To Cy & Lee: Instruments Vol. 1. This new record is a co-release between Lost Map, International Anthem Recordings, and Total Refreshment Centre Records.
Strut releases second volume highlighting French Caribbean label Disques Debs
The London-based Strut label follows-up the first volume in a multi-compilation series celebrating the musical archives of the legendary Guadeloupe imprint Disques Debs, with another remarkable recording titled, Cadence Revolution: Disques Debs International Vol. 2. Where last year’s release focused on some of the label’s earliest recordings during it’s first decade, this latest compilation highlight’s the label’s standout releases during the seventies and early eighties.
Mad About Records Reissues Reggie Andrews’ 1969 jazz “holy grail” album ‘Mystic Beauty’
Due to popular demand, the Portuguese-based Mad About Records has reissued, for a second time, Reggie Andrews and The Fellowship’s highly obscure 1969 spiritual jazz masterpiece Mystic Beauty. The first pressing of this reissue sold out very quickly last year, following it’s late July release.
