Tag: Jazz Funk
Every year their are a number of highly-anticipated releases that vinyl collectors and music fans cannot wait to listen in full, however some of my favorite releases are the ones that I didn’t see coming, and completely blow me away. This is certainly the case with the debut recording from the London-based cosmic groove quintet Natural Lateral.
It’s been quite a busy year for Mark de Clive-Lowe. Already he has released two recordings with his brand new Japanese cosmic jazz group Rōnin Arkestra, and two additional albums that made up his Heritage project. For his final release of 2019, the Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist and producer presents his CHURCH Sessions, which MdCL describes as “equal parts jazz club, dance party and live remix experiment.”
Recently, Far Out Recordings has reissued two obscure mid-seventies Brazilian jazz fusion recordings from multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Ana Mazzotti, who fellow Brazilian musician icon Hermeto Pascoal dubbed a “super-musician.” These were unfortunately Mazzotti’s only two studio recordings, as she unfortunately passed away in her mid-thirties due to losing her battle with cancer.
The London-based jazz-funk quintet Resolution 88 have recently released an incredible new conceptual album that explores “the vinyl record,” and all the aspects that are a part it, including everything from pitch changes, and the visual sensation of spinning wax, to runout grooves, and matrix markings on different record pressings.
Keyboard wizard Joe Armon-Jones, who also plays in Ezra Collective, is one of the leading lights and most active musicians among the currently thriving London jazz scene. He follows up last year’s breakthrough EP Starting Today with a remarkable new debut full-length album, titled Turn To Clear View.
Founded by Maurice White in 1969, the iconic funk and soul group Earth, Wind & Fire are considered by many as one of the greatest bands of all-time. The legendary group, that originated out of Chicago and then re-located to Southern California, has sold over 90 million records and received numerous prestigious awards, including being named to the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. On a personal note, EWF was my first favorite groups when I was a young kid and has had a major influence on me ever since.
The Paris-based label WEWANTSOUNDS continues it’s ongoing collaboration with blockbuster producer, writer, director and standup comic Judd Apatow, and his sister Mia on highlighting some of greatest music to come out of Mainstream Records, a sixties and seventies era jazz-focused label run by their grandfather Bob Shab.
Cosmos Dwellerz Arkestra was a project originally formed in the early 1970s by multi-instrumentalist and composer Sanifu Al Hall Jr. Up until recently, the music recorded by the group went unissued. DJ Sigher (aka Russell Paine) has just released an incredible twelve-inch featuring the jazz fusion “Love Thoughts” on his Super Disco Edits label.
London’s Emanative, led by drummer, composer, and producer Nick Woodmansey, teams up with jazz great and co-founder of the legendary Detroit label Tribe Records, trombonist Phil Ranelin on a brand new rendition of the jazz-funk classic “Vibes From The Tribe”.
Originally released on the independent Manhattan-based label Montuno in 1989, Soul Jazz Records has recently reissued Airto Moreira’s rarely scene album Samba De Flora.
