BeatCaffeine’s Favorite Tracks of 2022
Happy New Year! Before we turn the page and look ahead to 2023, let’s spend one more moment in celebrating some of the best music from the past twelve months and dive into some of the best tracks of 2022.
Tag: Jazz Dance
BeatCaffeine’s Favorite Compilations of 2022
As we wind down the final days of 2022, we take a look back at just some of the essential compilation releases over the past 12 months. From rare dance floor jazz to spiritual grooves and obscure Brazilian gems, there was a lot to absorb from some of the year’s best compiled releases. Similar to what we’ve seen with recent reissues, each year it seems like the quality of compilations continue to excel, with labels, record collectors, archivists, and DJs putting together some of the most interesting selections of music from all corners of the world.
BeatCaffeine’s ‘Favorite EP Releases of 2022’
This year, even what feels like more so than in the past, there were many incredible EP releases, especially in jazz (which hasn’t been a common format for the genre). Many of which resulted in some of the overall best releases of 2022.
UK acid jazz pioneer Chris Bangs releases Brazilian-influenced 7inch
In advance of the much-anticipated January release of the full-length album Firebird by UK pioneering DJ and producer Chris Bangs, Acid Jazz Records has issued a brilliant new 7inch featuring two incredible Brazilian-influenced gems from that recording.
Jazz Room Records reissues Eric Ghost’s 1975 psychedelic jazz masterpiece ‘Secret Sauce’
Paul Murphy’s Jazz Room Records “puts a bow” on what has been a remarkable year of releases, with a recent reissue of flautist Eric Ghost’s highly-obscure 1975 psychedelic jazz masterpiece Secret Sauce.
London’s Ezra Collective returns with incredible new album ‘Where I’m Meant To Be’
Ever since the group’s 2016 EP Chapter 7, the five-piece Ezra Collective have been at the forefront of the thriving London jazz scene, releasing the highly acclaimed follow-up EP Juan Pablo: The Philosopher (2017), their debut LP You Can’t Steal My Joy (2019) and a few limited singles. The quintet returns with an incredible new full-length on the Brooklyn-based label Partisan Records, titled Where I’m Meant To Be.
Gilles Peterson and Jean Paul “Bluey” Maunick return with brilliant sophomore STR4TA album
Highly influential London-based DJ, broadcaster, and producer Gilles Peterson and pioneering multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer, and bandleader Jean Paul “Bluey” Maunick (Incognito, Light of The World, Freeez) helped lead last year’s Brit-funk revitalization with the release of their remarkable debut LP Aspects, under the alias STR4TA (which was named BeatCaffeine’s Favorite Album of 2021). In much anticipation, they have teamed up again for a follow-up release, titled STR4TASFEAR (as a nod to the groundbreaking British group Atmosfear), that continues to pay homage to the Brit-funk sound.
Sol Set’s debut ‘Olá de Novo’ receives the remix treatment on superb follow-up
Over this past summer, legendary Michigan-based producer and DJ John Beltran released a brilliant Brazilian-inspired jazz dance debut with the Detroit collective Sol Set, titled Olá de Novo. As a follow-up release, the tracks from the original recording have received the remix treatment and issued on a new LP, simply called Olá de Novo (the remixes).
Tokyo duo Cruisic cover Azymuth & 808 State on new 7″ Jazz Room Records release
Continuing with a string of essential releases, Paul Murphy’s Jazz Room Records is releasing an incredible new double-sided 7inch featuring covers of both Azymuth’s 1979 “Jazz Carnival” and 808 State’s 1989 “Pacific 707” by jazz-meets-electronic music Tokyo-based duo Cruisic.
Japan’s cosmic trio Nautilus release new 7inch single ‘Looking Back / Paint it Black’
Since 2014, Tokyo-based jazz-funk trio Nautilus (named after Bob James’ 1974 fusion classic) has been at the forefront of the incredible music currently coming out of Japan. Led by drummer Toshiyuki Sasaki, and featuring founding bassist Shigeki Umezawa and more recent keyboardist Mariko Nakabayashi, the group is consistently active, releasing highly sought-after full-length and 7inch singles featuring a strong mix of originals and covers of timeless classics. For their sixth release(!!!) of 2022, the band has put out a brilliant new double-sided single on Japan’s Urban Discos label, titled Looking Back / Paint it Black.
