Tag: Jazz Funk
One can make the argument, that the term “Holy Grail” is sometimes used a bit too loosely, however that certainly isn’t the case when applied to Ron Everett’s 1977 obscure soul jazz masterpiece Glitter Of The City. Originally self-released in 1977 on a shoestring budget, UK’s Jazzman Records has recently reissued the essential recording as a part of it’s ongoing superb Jazzman Holy Grail series.
For the seventh release in what continues to be an absolutely brilliant Jazz Is Dead series, Los Angeles based producers/multi-instrumentalists Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad have teamed up with legendary Brazilian composer and pianist João Donato on a superb new full-length album.
The brand new Belfast, Ireland-based label Sounds Familiar launches it’s “7 Inch Nails” series with two stunning tracks from Broken Beat pioneer and keyboard wiz Kaidi Tatham. This brilliant new release kicks off what will be a string of 7inch singles from the label featuring a number of extraordinary artists.
London-based reissue label Melodies International, run by Floating Points (aka Sam Shepherd) and Mafalda, have just launched their Melodies Record Club series featuring “mini compilations” in a twelve-inch format selected by notable DJs and artists. The series kicks off with a bang, with highly-acclaimed and innovative producer and DJ Four Tet (aka Kieran Hebden) selecting two peak-time jazz dance classics that he used to spin regularly at the now legendary Plastic People nightclub in London.
The London-based Afro-Brazilian soulful jazz duo known as Da Lata, featuring multi-instrumentalist and producer Chris Franck and legendary DJ and producer Patrick Forge (Dingwalls) have returned with an incredible new twelve-inch single featuring new renditions of two essential Brazilian jazz dance classics in Manfredo Fest’s 1979 “Jungle Kitten” and Raffaela Renzulli Ensemble’s 1987 “Asking Eyes”.
From his collaborative work with Yussef Dayes, 44th Move with Richard Spaven, and a number of breakthrough recordings of his own, including his highly acclaimed 2017 debut Antiphon and stellar follow-up Structuralism, the London-based producer, self-taught pianist, and rapper Alfa Mist has become one of the leading artists among today’s UK jazz scene. He returns with a brilliant new groove-oriented jazz full-length album, titled Bring Backs.
With the massive new album from STR4TA and other recent releases from Koji Ono (w/ members of Atmosfear), The Expansions (2018 track “Mariposa” specifically) and others, it feels like their is bit of a Brit-funk revitalization that is brewing. The momentum to take this DIY new-wave-jazz-funk sound, that originated in the UK during the late 70s and early 80s, into the future continues with an incredible new twelve-inch single, titled ‘Life Is A Mirror’, from the French group GALXTC.
Broken Beat pioneers Denis “Dego” McFarlane of 4Hero and Matt Lord of the legendary Bugz In The Attic collective follow-up their outstanding 2018 collaborative debut release One Way To Another, with a brilliant new self-titled EP on the 2000 Black label.
Far Out Recordings reissues, for the first time ever on vinyl, two groundbreaking Latin jazz recordings, titled Mora! and Mora! II from Mexican-American percussionist and former member of the Sun Ra Arkestra, Francisco Mora Catlett.
Cognitiva and ANMA Records have teamed up to release an incredible new compilation, titled Outlines, which highlights a new generation of exciting producers from across Europe, whom are fusing together jazz, broken beat and house in adventurous new ways.
