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"Available again for the first time since original release in 1974, Outernational Sounds proudly presents one of the deepest custom press jazz recordings of all – Jaman’s spiritualised and funky Sweet Heritage.

The history of jazz is often told as though it was principally a history of releases and recordings. On those terms, it’s easy to mistake a small recorded footprint for obscurity or silence. But that is to put the cart before the horse, for the true history of the jazz is the story of the music as it was played night after night in the clubs, bars, concert halls and backrooms of cities and towns across America and the world. Only a tiny fraction of this living tradition ever makes it onto a recording. The far greater part is embodied in the musicians and their music as they play it and live it. And even though 1974’s Sweet Heritage is James Edward Manuel’s only release, the pianist and educator better known as Jaman has undoubtedly lived it.

Brought up in Buffalo, New York, Jaman studied classical piano before beginning formal jazz studies under greats including Earl Bostic and Horace Parlan. Quickly becoming a respected regular on the club scene in Buffalo, Jaman held down innumerable residencies and worked with top local musicians – one of his early trios included the renowned bassist John Heard and drummer Clarence Becton, both of whom were poached one night by a visiting Jon Hendricks; sometime Sun Ra Arkestra bassist Juini Booth and regular Ahmad Jamal sideman Sabu Adeyola (also of Kamal & The Brothers) have graced his groups too. At famous night spots all over Buffalo’s East Side and on excursions to Manhattan’s storied jazz clubs, Jaman has shared the stage with some of the most illustrious names in jazz and blues: Big Joe Turner, Muddy Waters, Joe Henderson, Ruth Brown, Frank Morgan, Woody Shaw, Sonny Stitt, and too many others to mention. His eponymous group, Jaman, was formed in 1970; they toured the US and Canada steadily in the years that followed. He became, in short, one of Buffalo’s true jazz stalwarts, and so he remains.

But despite a life lived deep within the music, Jaman only recorded a single LP, 1974’s Sweet Heritage. Pressed in tiny quantities by the Mark Records custom service, and issued with a stock landscape cover, Sweet Heritage featured the regular Jaman group playing a mixture of covers and originals. The whole LP showcases an ensemble in compete control, and with the flying, spiritual sound of ‘Free Will’ and the upful, Latin-tinged ‘In The Fall of The Year’ – both Jaman originals – the album has since become a legendary collector’s classic. Unavailable since its original issue, Outernational Sounds is proud to present Jaman’s Sweet Heritage – the soulful and spiritualised sounds of a master at work."

White Vinyl

This is the third all-solo outing from Nat Birchall, following on from last year’s very well received Ancient Africa.

Once again Nat plays all the instruments in this homage to the patron saint of the tenor saxophone, John Coltrane.

Afro Trane presents a balanced programme of Coltrane songs and original compositions which focus on the more Afro-centric aspects of the music,

included are the classic Coltrane compositions Acknowledgement from A Love Supreme, India from the Impressions album and Dahomey Dance from Ole.

● Cosmic Jazz-Funk Classic from 1975.
● All-Star Line-up (featuring Lonnie Liston Smith).
● First vinyl reissue since 1976.

Oliver Nelson was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer and bandleader. Oliver was born into a musical family in Missouri (his brother was a saxophonist who played with Cootie Williams in the 1940s, and his sister sang and played piano) so he began learning to play the piano when he was six and started on the saxophone at the age of eleven. In 1947 Nelson already started playing in local bands in and around the Saint Louis area. After his military service Nelson returned to Missouri to study music composition and theory. Upon completing his education and getting his degree, Oliver moved to New York City, playing with Erskine Hawkins and Wild Bill Davis, and working as the house arranger for the Apollo Theater. In the late 1950s he was the leader of various groups and began recording for Prestige Records
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From 1960 to 1961, he played with legendary artists such as Count Basie and Duke Ellington before joining the Quincy Jones big band (touring both in the U.S. and in Europe). After recording many successful records on various labels he had already made a name for himself as a distinctive composer/arranger and moved to Los Angeles where he started composing background music for television and films (including large productions such as Columbo and The Six Million Dollar Man). He also arranged Gato Barbieri's music for Last Tango in Paris.
Next to his own recordings…in the following decade Oliver Nelson has worked as an arranger, writer and instrumentalist on large ensemble albums for artists such as Thelonious Monk, Leon Thomas, Burning Spear and Louis Armstrong. Next to his Prestige and Impulse! albums he also recorded for big labels such as Capitol, Columbia and Verve Records. Nelson produced albums for big acts from the likes of James Brown, The Temptations and Diana Ross. Oliver Nelson’s work was sampled on records by Moby, Beastie Boys, DJ Shadow, J Dilla and countless others. But he is perhaps best remembered for his 1960 Impulse! album The Blues and the Abstract Truth, often regarded as being among the most significant recordings of its era. Oliver Nelson was unfortunately lost to the world of Jazz in 1975 when he died aged 43 from a heart attack. He left us with an impressive legacy…to say the least.
Today we present to you another classic recording by Mr. Nelson (Skull Session) recorded in 1975 for the ‘Flying Dutchman’ label. Here on this album, Oliver Nelson plays with a HUGE all-star line-up consisting of Jerome Richardson (Miles Davis-Alice Coltrane), Bud Shank (Ravi Shankar-Astrud Gilberto), Bill Perkins (Dizzy Gillespie-Charlie Parker), Chuck Domanico (Prince-Mary J. Blige), Maurice Spears (Herbie Hancock-Betty Davis), Buddy Collette (Charles Mingus-Chet Baker), Shelly Manne (Ornette Coleman), Bobby Bryant (Lalo Schifrin-Dennis Coffey), Oscar Brashear (Count Basie-Marvin Gaye), David Duke (Ella Fitzgerald-Lionel Richie), Vincent DeRosa (Jim Sullivan-Pharoah Sanders) and on the keyboards Mr. Cosmic funk himself: Lonnie Liston Smith !
Skull Session is a monster of an album that keeps Nelson’s 1960s trademark sound but takes a deep dive into Jazz-funk and adds disco, groovy soul, Bossa nova and electronic funk in the process. Oliver Nelson successfully included electronic instruments (like the Moog & ARP) and the incorporation of the rhythms that are often associated with them…all this without detracting in any way from the high-quality recordings he became known for. Every track is an original composition with a strong melody line and an imaginative arrangement…all living up to Oliver Nelson’s tremendous reputation as an arranger and composer. A sonic testament in every sense of the word. This is a GEM that is a must own for any kind of Bop fan.

Today we are proud to present to you the much-needed vinyl reissue of this outstanding album originally released in 1975 on the Flying Dutchman label. This reissue is now available as a deluxe 180g vinyl edition (limited to 500 copies), packaged in a gatefold jacket featuring the original artwork and sleeve notes by jazz novelist Nat Hentoff.

If you like head-bobbing grooves, the raw voice of a soul diva and proper funk horns, you'll dig The Exacters' latest groove bag "Ain't Gonna Lie", featuring Roxie Ray. The a-side on this latest edition to the Our Label Records catalogue starts off with an intriguing guitar lick and builds up to a fully blown soul funk head nodding dance track.

On the flip of this exclusive and limited Funk 45 "The Ashes" the horns take the lead. A similarly laid back groove sets a heavy foundation for jazzy horns that take you on a convertible cruise of a hot summer evening.

The Exacters are Guy Kilty (bass), Alex Stevenson (guitar) and Rob Shield (drums) and they make funk in Manchester, UK. For their debut single they drafted in some very special talent. Guy’s former Dojo Cuts bandmate, Roxie Ray, wrote and recorded the storming vocals for Ain’t Gonna Lie. Meanwhile, trumpet supremo Matt Burke arranged and produced the bruising horn parts on both "Ain’t Gonna Lie" and "The Ashes". As for the future, their mission is simple: more uber-tight rhythms, mighty horns, and formidable guest vocalists.

GOLD, the follow-up to Alabaster DePlume's widely-acclaimed, 2020-released cinematic instrumental LP To Cy & Lee: Instrumentals Vol. 1, introduces the world to the artist’s truest self.

Das Debüt der tunesischen Multi-Instrumentalistin Houeida Hedfi. Produziert wurde 'Fleuves de l'Âme' von Olof Dreijer, bekannt von The Knife. Die Musik ist ein elegante Mischung von traditioneller tunesischer Folk Musik und zeitgenössischem Sound-Design.

King Most was a guest in multiple shows of Oonops' radioshow on Brooklyn Radio before he invited him for (meanwhile sold out) releases on his "Oonops Drops" and "Resense" selections via Agogo Records.

Now it's time to say hello again on his own label and his "Redropped" series where he strikes back with double-sided gold for any dancefloor. Enjoy two hot takes on classic songs which are edited perfectly in King Mosts unique style be that heavy beats or eased bossa rhythms.

As a full-time DJ King Most now sits at the top of San Francisco's DJ elite, shared the decks with favorites like Jazzy Jeff, Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest), Rich Medina - his tracks got airplay by Gilles Peterson, DJ Spinna, Anthony Valadez and his songs on SoundCloud have logged over 300k plays!

Enough said - pre-listen to the tracks and get them on limited recycled black vinyl!

"Sonny Stitt & The Top Brass" - Sonny Stitt (as); Jimmy Cleveland, Matthew Gee (tb); Blue Mitchell, Dick Vance, Reunald Jones (tp); Willie Ruff (frh); Duke Jordan (p); Perri Lee (org); Joe Benjamin (b); Philly Joe Jones, Frank Brown (dr)
General opinion has it that Sonny Stitt always stood in Charlie Parker’s shadow. That, however, is unjustifiable. The legendary jazz critic Nat Hentoff wrote, for example: »Sonny has been one of the wholly involved players, well known and admired for his soul and the earthiness of his message only by musicians who feel and play like he does and by that part of the jazz audience that is most moved by naked, open emotion. He has made his mark with them as an honest yea-sayer who can’t help but play what he knows and feels.« The present recording is proof of this – a session which shouldn’t really have worked out so well. Sonny Stitt’s alto saxophone presides over a seven-man-strong brass group, and although the prospect of a Sonny Stitt big band does not sound too promising initially, this rendezvous is really enjoyable, thanks in part to Stitt’s superb solos. At this time he was on the top of his form and he plays freely over the basis provided by the brass section consisting of Blue Mitchell, Jimmy Cleveland and Willie Ruff. The arrangements by Tadd Dameron and Jimmy Mundy are closely-knit yet offer enough room for swing and a generous pinch of soul. Special highlights are contributed by the unknown, female organist Perri Lee –, little groovy additions that are really successful and infuse the arrangements with a slender sound and sparkle. Although "Sonny Stitt & The Top Brass" may not stand in the limelight like "Boss Tenors" or "Salt And Pepper", it is certainly on a par with these from an artistic point of view.

Take Ten was the first small-group jazz album Desmond released as a solo artist under a contract with RCA records. His initial RCA releases were an album featuring him alongside a string orchestra (1961's Desmond Blue), and a small-group session co-lead with Gerry Mulligan (1962's Two of a Mind). With Take Ten, Desmond continued a partnership with guitarist Jim Hall that had begun with the 1959 quartet album First Place Again for Warner Bros. records. In the time between the earlier quartet record with Hall and Take Ten, Desmond (as part of The Dave Brubeck Quartet) had a huge popular hit in 1961 with his composition "Take Five". "Take Five" was recorded in 1959 for the Brubeck Quartet's Time Out album, but only became a hit after the 1961 single release. Take Ten's title track was a 5/4 jazz composition similar to "Take Five" in terms of rhythm, chord structure, and melody.

Bendik Giske (NO/DE) is an artist and saxophonist whose expressive use of physicality, vulnerability and endurance have already won him much critical acclaim. You can hear all of this in his debut album Surrender, released at the start of 2019 on Smalltown

Supersound, which can be described as Giske stripped to the core: no overdubs, looping, or effects. Just his body, breath, the saxophone and a resonant physical space, plus lots of microphones.

The body is important for Giske, even more so than as an acoustic musician. Not just in the strength and muscle control required to accomplish circular breathing on the saxophone, the unusual technique he employs to mesmerizing effect. It’s also reflected in the tradition of dance he practiced as a child in Bali – where he split his time between Oslo with his artist parents – and enjoyed as part of an electronic music epiphany in his adopted hometown of Berlin. And body is implied in his sense of queerness, which has helped him create his own sound, blossoming luxuriantly not only on record but also in his striking, embodied performances.

As such, in the past Giske has likened his performance to transmuting electronic music through all of his human faults, akin to becoming a machine. And with second album Cracks he introduces a new set of parameters for the automated processes of his



muscle memory to work against. His decision to collaborate with producer André Bratten and his extensive studio of electronic machines saw Giske play in the new ‘resonant’ space of Bratten’s reactive studio tuned to his original sounds.

In a sense, you could call it generative music – a term coined by Brian Eno to describe music made within a set of rules that can constantly evolve within that system. But here the only algorithms at work are responding to Giske’s self-imposed constraints (or parameters) – like the afore-mentioned circular breathing. As a practice, it induces in the player – and perhaps the listener, too – a kind of altered state, more open to discovery, and as a cycle of sound it defies time. This atemporality, or out-of-timeliness, hints at theorist José Muñoz’s notion of “queer time”, which is a chronology wholly other than the default.

La Grande Bleue - Musiques Imaginaires de la Méditerranée is a unique private press album recorded in the early 1980's in Montpellier, South of France, by a group of friends from different musical backgrounds.

Enjoy a percussive folk-jazz trip through this one-of-a-kind imaginary folklore, between the Mediterranean world (Greece, Maghreb, Balkans...), global influences (Africa, India, Middle East) and homemade instruments. Official remastered reissue.A1 - Kalamatianos

On ‘Deciphering The Message’, Chicago-based jazz drummer and producer Makaya McCraven reworks some jazz classics. Tunes by the likes of Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Hank Mobley, Dexter Gordon and Ahmad Jamal are triumphantly reborn into the world of hip-hop. McCraven has chosen and reworked the tracks to work as a complete LP rather than individual tracks. “I always want to make music that will connect with people in one way, where it makes them nod or feel something or transport them somewhere,” McCraven said in a statement. “I also hope this makes them check out the source of this music if they have it. The music that we’re making now is part of the same route and is connected, so I want to honor tradition and release something that people can vibe to.”

This self-titled album is a testimony of the short lived-band led by New-York drummer Ron Jefferson during his stay in Paris in the mid-60s. After a first album under his name on Pacific Jazz in 1962, the founding member of The Jazz Modes and the Les McCann trio made the trip overseas.

Here, he made his living by playing with the popular pianists Errol Parker or Hazel Scott but his main drive was this trio that he formed with two other US expats, bassist Roland Haynes (the same musician who recorded an album on Black Jazz as a pianist, as confirmed by Kirk Lightsey) and guitarist Buz Saviano. After a highly successful show at "Palais de Chaillot" in 1965, they were invited for a series of concerts in Dakar, Sénégal. On their return, Polydor International proposed them this session. You can hear the deep impact their stay in the Motherland had on their music on the stand-out track "Africa The Beautiful". On pair with the best of Yusef Lateef’s afro-eastern explorations from the time, it showcases Ron on flute and Senegalese percussion. The album release nonetheless was a commercial failure that prompted the band’s separation and Ron’s return to New-York where he performed until his passing in 2007.

Only a few copies of this record ever made it to the shops at the time and very few have had the chance to listen to it before this legit reissue remastered from the original MONO master tapes.

Bristol's jazz daddies The Jazz Defenders drop their second album for Haggis Records (home of UK funk kings The Haggis Horns), in March 2022 and it's a real departure from their debut release "Scheming" (released in 2020). Whereas that album was a homage to the late 1950s/early 1960s classic jazz style known as hard bop, this release moves into new territory with hip-hop/jazz, cinema soundtrack flavours, Latin rhythms and soul-jazz all upfront in the mix. Three taster singles from the album released in mid/late 2021 and march 2022, "The Big Man/Love's Vestige, "Live Slow" (featuring US rapper Herbal T), and "Perfectly Imperfect" (feat Doc Brown) received great radio support from the likes of Craig Charles (BBC 6 Music), Helen Mayhew (Jazz FM), Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2), Ashley Beedle (Worldwide FM), Colin Curtis (Worldwide FM) amongst many others, all loving the Jazz Defenders' musical fusion of retro meets modern.

The classic sound that has inspired the band this time is very much from the mid-late 1960s era and the merging of soul and funk beats with jazz solos/improvisation. Tracks like "Wagger Jaunt" and "Munch" nod to the piano and organ-led soul-jazz of artists like Ramsey Lewis, Herbie Hancock, Reuben Wilson, and Jimmy Smith. Meanwhile "Saudade" and "Love's Vestige" feature Brazilian bossa rhythms but with some added film soundtrack overtones. Speaking of movie soundtracks, "The Oracle'' is a pure homage to the classic cinematic compositions of maestros like John Barry(James Bond, The Ipcress File) or Lalo Schifrin (Mission Impossible, Bullitt) right down to the very impressive string arrangement, beautifully scored and orchestrated by band leader George Cooper.

A big departure from the previous album comes via the two hip-hop/jazz tracks, both of which feature guest MCs. "Live Slow" has US rapper Herbal T blessing the mic over an uptempo soul-jazz number whilst "Perfectly Imperfect" features London MC/actor Doc Brown rapping on a nice and slow 90's style head-nodding hip-hop groove. Both compositions show George Cooper's love for old-school boom-bap hip-hop (by the way, he also plays keys with renowned UK hip-hop big band Abstract Orchestra). For classic jazz lovers who dug the first album, there are two pure jazz tracks that join the dots between that debut release and this sophomore one - "Twilight" and "From The Ashes" - with plenty of vibrant solos for the discerning listener.

"King Phoenix" is a statement in itself from The Jazz Defenders. After 2 years of music being destroyed by the pandemic and many musicians inactive, the band has risen from the ashes with new vigour, energy and vision to try something new and not just repeat past musical glories. A band that sticks to the same script every release might just end up having a short shelf life but the Jazz Defenders are planning on being around for a long time.










j Live Slow (Album Version) feat. Herbal T