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“Interpreting the before and beyond of the South African sonic

• Tolika Mtoliki – literally, interpret Interpreter – is TBMO giving new voice to the wisdom of South African musical elders.

• The first single from the album - “You Think You Know Me” - reworks the original with words and an urgency that calls South Africa’s democracy and progress since 1994 into question

• “Just brilliant” – Gilles Peterson

• Audio mastered and cut for vinyl by Frank Merritt at The Carvery with heavyweight 180g vinyl pressed at Pallas in Germany

TBMO first revisited the works of elders Batsumi and Malombo whilst on tour in Europe during 2018 and 2019. In collaboration with Matsuli Music an idea was seeded to record these works specifically for a vinyl release.

With these recordings, TBMO work to re-stitch a torn cloth. These songs are critical shards of a fractured sonic, social and political inheritance. They are the sound-work of the elders – Mongezi Feza, Johnny Dyani, the Malopoets, Batsumi, and Philip Tabane, and they come with a blessing from Moses Taiwa Molelekwa. Called into the circle for this session, they speak old wisdom in new voices, and what they have to give is not measured in distance from a so- called original version.

TBMO is a South African performance art and music ensemble from Johannesburg formed in 2009 by brothers Nkululelo and Siyabonga Mthembu whilst watching an episode of the US TV-drama The Wire. The name is a misconfiguration of a fictional character, The Brother Mouzone, from The Wire. Since 2009 they have released two albums, A New Myth (2013) and The Golden Wake (2015).”

LP with printed insert. Trance Plantations is the new brainchild of Nathan Daems (Black Flower, Echoes of Zoo) and Falk Schrauwen (Echoes of Zoo).They draw on tribal and spiritual music from all over the world and launch them into the cosmos through their electro-acoustic mix.

This project has been a long time in the planning, but good things come to those who wait. We are delighted to present the second volume in our "Brazil 45 Boxset Curated by" series. For this one we have gone straight to the source, Brazil’s DJ Marky (Marco Antônio Silva) selects inspirations and favourites from the golden era of Brazilian music.

Reminiscing to the early 2000s, we can remember the freshness that DJ Marky and other Brazilian producers bought to drum’n’bass by taking two different forms of music from two different cultures and interweaving them effortlessly with a beautiful synchronicity and unity. This merging of the genres even produced one of the biggest commercial tracks of 2002, firstly on an underground level and then as a crossover chart hit, with DJ Marky & XRS's 'LK 'Carolina Carol Bela' which samples Jorge Ben and Toquinho. The importance and legacy of DJ Marky and his Brazilian contemporaries from this era are far greater than their productions and records alone, for many, they were also the gateway into the deep and rich world of Brazilian music.

For his boxset, DJ Marky has gone back to his roots and selected tracks by Brazilian music royalty from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Artists such as Marcos Valle, Elis Regina, Jorge Ben, and Joyce all feature. It is Joyce's anthemic 'Aldeia De Ogum’ that has proven to be responsible for many record collectors and DJs outside of Brazil starting a lifelong obsession with Brazilian music exploration. We also find another anthem in the form of Jorge Ben's 'Take It Easy My Brother Charles’, which was sampled by Drumagick for their 2002 track 'Easy Boom'. His selection from Marcos Valle is the tripped-out, rarer 1970 version of 'Os Grilos’ which, with its irresistible quirky swagger, is impossible to keep your feet from moving. The accordion-led 'Baião Violado' by Dominguinhos, with its soaring strings and funked-out drum beat, is a real star of the show in the collection.

This boxset feels like your long-lost favourite mixtape, packed with evocative memories and skilfully gelled together with inspirational tracks that will appeal to those with a knowledge of Brazilian music and to the first-time buyer just wanting to discover something new. Exactly what we hoped for from such a respected DJ, producer, and bonafide musical pioneer.

Believed to have been recorded in 1983, ‘O Filho Do Homem’ is a newly discovered and previously unreleased single by the late Brazilian composer and keyboardist Ana Mazzotti. Though it’s her only known studio recording of the decade, ‘O Filho Do Homem’ is one of several unreleased compositions Mazzotti and her band performed on TV Cultura and Programa MPB during the 80s.*

These performances showed Mazzotti had transitioned towards a harder edged and more daringly experimental sound in this period, while keeping the core components of samba, jazz and funk that characterised her two studio albums from the 1970s, Ninguem Vai Me Segurar (1974) and the self titled Ana Mazzotti (1977). This evolved 80s sound had evidently taken a similar path to that of her contemporaries and mentors, like Azymuth, whose keyboardist José Roberto Bertrami arranged her debut album, and Hermeto Pascoal who described her as “a super musician.”

Following the resurgence in appreciation for Ana’s music that arose from the 2019 reissues of her two studio albums, her son Toni Mazzotti was compelled to re-examine the archive of artefacts he’d inherited from his parents. Amongst the LPs, chord sheets, photos and VHS recordings, Toni stumbled upon a mysterious reel of tape, which he swiftly dispatched to the Far Out office in London. Toni and the Far Out team were delighted to discover the mystery tape was a hazy jazz-funk gem recorded by his mother (and father, drummer Romildo Santos) during the twilight of her short career; Ana Mazzotti sadly passed away in 1988 from lung cancer at the age of just 37. Aside from Ana on keyboards and vocals and Romildo who produced and played drums on all of Ana’s recordings, the line-up for the quartet is unknown.

“O Filho Do Homem” will be released on 7” vinyl and digitally on the 10th December 2021 via Far Out Recordings.

“Music with a modern but discreet sound”. This is how Piero Umiliani himself described the content of Pianofender Blues, entirely recorded with the aid of two electric pianos (Fender, of course, and Wurlitzer), bass, piano, drums and percussion; yet another curious foray of the Florentine artist, here exploring territories different than his usual jazz, soundtracks and avant-garde experimentations.
Pianofender Blues is quite honest right from its title, and the melancholy of the sound produced by the world-famous American keyboard goes well with a much lighter repertoire that we could call, by using a vaguely old-fashioned locution, ‘easy listening’; an album that can be easily placed within Umiliani’s ‘less challenging’ production, together with other titles such as atmospheres, Fischiando in Beat or Motivi Allegri e Distensivi, that testify their author’s versatility.
Originally released in 1975 under the name Rovi, Pianofender Blues combines excellent instrumental technique with a sound inevitably born of those years, and enriches Umiliani’s long series of sonorizations - the so-called ‘music libraries’ - that have made him famous as much as his efforts within the jazz and soundtrack fields.

Wagram compilation of 50s and 60’s Miles’ classic tracks.

Music Legends is the collection made to rediscover the history of modern musics in nice gatefold sleeve single vinyls with liners notes written by journalits. Music Legends, is proud to present a new volume. This new title focusses on one of the greatest jazz maestro of all time : Miles Davies. Often seen as the most influential artist in the Jazz Music field, his legacy will continue to influence the new musicians for years. The LP features 8 of his most famous tracks (So What, Milestones, Round Midnight…)

Jazz meets Dance... GoGo Penguin Remixed - ein logischer Schritt!
Das in Manchester ansässige Jazz-Trio hat schon immer akustischen Jazz mit der Energie und Seele
elektronischer Musik verbunden und in Clubs wie auf Festivalbühnen Rave-artige Zustände erzeugt. Jetzt
gehen sie diesen Weg auf einem speziellen Albumprojekt weiter und lassen ihre Musik neu erfinden.
Auf ”GGP/RMX” widmen sich angesagte Producer und Remixer wie Squarepusher, Machinedrum, James
Holden oder Clark den besten Tracks des Trios und katapultieren sie in neue Klanglandschaften.

So many of us head back out into the world post-lockdown, with a different perspective on the overpowering nature of it. Nothing Feels Like Everything, looks deeply at how the absence of something can be just as overwhelming, whether the absence of physical contact, the absence of love, the absence of empathy and respect.

This album places gentleness beside power and cacophony to recreate the vast swings of emotion experienced in isolation. When nothing can be too much, while at the same time, all we want.

The sixth studio album from Scrimshire is an atmospheric and emotional experience. Moments of swirling orchestral energy perfectly countered by quiet, meditative calm. Moving string arrangements sit alongside delicate synthesiser-soaked rhythms. After huge collaborations with Emma-Jean Thackray, Omar, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Ego Ella May and many more on previous records, with only four vocal contributions this time, it is his most instrumental exploration to date.

But those few vocal contributions are captivating. From the opening explosion of UK jazz and soul legend Cleveland Watkiss, with a powerfully clear call on behalf of the marginalised and oppressed in society to the deeply intimate and supportive incantations of Ursula Rucker. No word is wasted here.

The record carries on a tradition of collaboration, with contributions from Jessica Lauren, Idris Rahman (Soothsayers, Wildflower, Ill Considered), Nat Birchall, Huw Marc Bennett, Miryam Solomon, Emanative and recent Albert's Favourites signing Pie Eye Collective. In fact, the phone calls that led to these songs are in many ways the power of it. Reaching out across long distances, through conversations to find meaning in difficult times, and then capture those feelings in music. The process being a therapeutic experience that is now present in the sounds.

"Throughout lockdown I've been writing so much, and when I released Believers Vol. 1 back in November, I'd wanted to bring people something that captured the warmth and hopefulness I think we needed despite deep political and cultural turmoil. But there were obviously very low moments, socially and personally and I was still capturing those too. This album holds more of those moments of loss and being lost, of solitary contemplation and meditation, of yearning, of anxiety.

More than I've experienced before, the collaborations came through long and beautiful phone conversations, developing friendships with new people, rekindling and supporting older relationships, taking time and giving each other time, care and space to create. It's what makes this album special to me."

Originally released by Bethlehem Records in 1959, NINA SIMONE AND HER FRIENDS was a compilation album comprised of the few remaining, unreleased tracks from the Little Girl Blue recording session plus songs recorded by two other former Bethlehem artists, the powerhouse jazz vocalist Carmen McRae and the elegant song stylist Chris Connor.

As Daphne Brooks explains in the release’s brand new essay, “Bethlehem clustered their work—tracks that had previously appeared on the label’s Girlfriends compilation—together with the younger, upstart Simone’s and essentially offered up a collection of songs that span a range of genres—folk, jazz, pop song staples, and torch song laments, plus a couple of provocative original compositions by McRae and Simone. Each track is a reminder

of the clear-eyed independence, verve, and confidence of three artists whose music, taken together, brims with the majesty and the assured talents of the late 1950s women artists who led with conviction and invention as musicians and song interpreters.”
Featuring a brand new stereo mix by four-time Grammy winner Michael Graves. Includes new essay by author of Liner Notes For The Revolution, Daphne A. Brooks.

Percussionist Emmanuel Abdul-Rahim recorded this
mix of Latin and spiritual jazz in his adopted home of
Denmark in 1988. Sought after for the African
influenced ‘Kalahari Suite’, ‘Harlem’ is actually eight
tracks of brilliance that sees the veteran performer
lead a local band through their paces. A perfect
example of America meets Europe.
As Juan Amalbert he had led the in-demand Latin Jazz
Quintet who recorded for Prestige and United Artists in
the early 60s, including Caribé, which featured Eric
Dolphy. In 1966 he was asked to appear with John
Coltrane’s group at the performances that produced
the album ‘Live At The Village Vanguard Again’. Soon
after Amalbert recorded another album, which this time
featured Pharoah Sanders in the horn line-up. All that
appeared at the time was a single on Golden Earth
Records, but the album was later released as ‘Oh!
Pharoah Speaks’ in the wake of Sanders’ solo
success.
He then made the soulful 45 ‘When You Lose You
Groove’ / ‘The Knower’ and the spiritual jazz classic
‘Total Submission’ for Cobblestone, which featured the
updated version of ‘The Knower’, called ‘Al-Alim’,
which Acid Jazz included on ‘Jazz On The Corner 2’.
After that, like so many American jazzmen, he packed
his bags and headed to Europe to carry on his career,
which is where, in 1988 he recorded ‘Harlem’.
Acid Jazz are happy to officially reissue this album on
vinyl for the first time since its initial release, with full
co-operation of Rahim’s estate.

Legendary Brazilian group Orquestra Afro-Brasileira are reborn for first new album in over fifty years, produced by Beastie Boys collaborator Mario Caldato Jr.

Led by maverick composer Abigail Moura, Orquestra Afro-Brasileira were one of the most influential yet overlooked groups in Brazilian music history. Operating for almost thirty years until 1970, they released just two albums - the first of which, Obaluayê, has recently been reissued by Day Dreamer Records - and left behind a legacy of Afro-Brazilian consciousness that continues to resonate today.

Combining Yoruba spirituality, folk tales, Candomblé chants and West African percussion with the instrumentation of the big band jazz tradition in the United States, the Orquestra placed Afro-Brazilian heritage in a new and vital context. Weaving emancipatory narratives into complex poly-rhythms and powerful, syncopated horn lines, the group educated and enlightened all those who saw them perform.

For Abigail’s protégé and percussionist on the group’s 1968 album Carlos Negreiros, the message of the group’s music had a profound impact: “I became aware of what it is to be black,” he says, “discovering the extraordinary potential of the Afro-Brazilian culture in the making of the national ethos.” Now the last remaining member of the original Orquestra, Carlos was tracked down by producer Mario Caldato Jr. - whose credits include Beastie Boys, Marcelo D2 and Seu Jorge among others - to oversee the first new album of Orquestra Afro-Brasileira material since 1968.

“I was overwhelmed with the percussive rhythms, beautiful deep vocals and combined energy,” Caldato Jr. explains. “It felt like the most authentic Brazilian roots music I had ever heard. It was raw and dynamic, a pure organic sound and energy. It was a spiritual experience.”

Alongside arranger Caio Cezar, Carlos assembled his Orquestra to record five tracks at Berna Ceppas’ Estudio Maravilha 8 studio in Rio De Janeiro. With percussion, horns and vocals cut in single takes over three days, the session captured the intuitive, pure and natural spirit of the group in full flow.

Following the success of the initial session, five additional tracks were recorded at the iconic Estudio CIA dos Tecnicos in Copacabana to complete the album. Mixed by Caldato Jr., 80 Anos is a contemporary incarnation of Abigail Moura’s vision, bristling with the flair of the original recordings.

In our latest chapter of Spiritual Jazz, we return to the source – the Impulse! label, and the monumental influence of its most prominent artist, John Coltrane.
Since the first release in the series back in 2008, we have mapped out the growth of the spiritual sound in jazz. Spiritually energised and politically conscious, the spiritual sound in jazz music is one of the most important currents in the music. Our series has charted the growth of the style from early experiments at Blue Note and Prestige to European excursions, exiled experimentalists, and sounds from across the globe. But whenever you think of spiritual jazz, it's a fair bet that the double exclamation mark and orange and black spine of Impulse quickly comes to mind. Home to John and Alice Coltrane, Pharaoh Sanders, Yusef Lateef, McCoy Tyner and countless other musical pioneers, Impulse! was the most important and forward-thinking jazz label of the 1960s. With the music-first attitude of an independent but the clout of a major, producers Creed Taylor and Bob Thiele made Impulse the defining imprint of a crucial decade. They hand picked the top players of the moment and gave them freedom to record the music they wanted, setting out their stall with a bold slogan – 'The New Wave Of Jazz Is On Impulse!'

Here we dive deep into the Impulse! catalogue, bringing celebrated masterpieces from Alice Coltrane and Pharaoh Sanders into the arena, together with lesser known cuts from Phil Woods and John Klemmer as well as straight-up classics such from Yusef Lateef and Elvin Jones. Fifty years on and the new wave of jazz still sounds fresh, vibrant and as relevant as ever.

Ian Simmonds along with Art Yard records presents his 16th Lp ‘The Brunswick Variations’.With collaborations from Clemens Kynast Germany Max Moore, piano UK and Kenji Ikegami, Bamboo Flute Japan. Recorded and mixed remotely during lockdown in 2020-21, this Lp sees Ian mixing the sound pallet with Field recordings from Clemens Kynast along with the Jazz folk and bluesy electronic feel of classic Ian Simmonds, all tied together with the humour and dark satire of Ian's poems and songs.

Charismatic trombonist and pianist Malcolm Jiyane debut album as frontman is more than merely one individual’s breakthrough. Workshopped and recorded within two days in Johannesburg, UMDALI stretches the idea of what it means to improvise within the context of jazz.

Operating from the fringes of the South African jazz scene, the enigmatic yet charismatic trombonist and pianist Malcolm Jiyane delivers a major contribution to the canon -- one shaped around dedications to key figures in his personal and professional life. Several years ago, Jiyane was dealing with the death of a band member, the birth of a daughter and the passing of his beloved mentor Johnny Mekoa, founder of the Music Academy of Gauteng, which Jiyane attended from a young age. These life-altering events give shape to the music’s emotional register and its thematic concerns.

In Black Music, his book of essays and critiques, Amiri Baraka makes the point that jazz musicians, be it in the construction of solos or in other aspects of composition, always draw on the works of their contemporaries or elders. How much outsiders pick up on that is really dependent on how au fait they are with the music. In this album, Jiyane finds comfort in this well-trodden path. Two songs make for great examples. Umkhumbi kaMa, a jazzfunk track celebrating the creative force as inhabited by women, the motif to Herbie Hancock’s Ostinato (Suite for Angela) is a clear reference, connecting in one swift move, not only the musical traditions of the Black Atlantic but also the struggles and triumphs of women across space and time. On the same note, the free-form Solomon, Tsietsi & Khotso, conjured in the same jam session that yielded SPAZA’s UPRIZE!, appears here in a more fleshed out form as Senzo seNkosi; a tender dedication to Malcolm Jiyane Tree-O bass player Senzo Nxumalo.

Jiyane’s path to the realisation of his debut album as frontman is more than merely one individual’s breakthrough. Workshopped and recorded within two days in Johannesburg, UMDALI, not unlike Miles Davis’ landmark Kind of Blue, stretches our idea of what it means to improvise within the context of jazz.

Tenesha the Wordsmith, who came to the fore on On The Corner's 2018 release 'Black Noise 2084', has delivered a hard-cutting, gut-wrenching, and extremely moving spoken word album produced by Khalab that brings together different lines of black music - folkloric, jazz, and electronic dance - into an afro-futurist narrative with thunderous results.
Originally from Oakland, California, "a place where revolutionaries are born, Tenesha the Wordsmith originally began to fuse hip hop and poetry while living in Albany, New York, where she created her first collection 'Body Of Work'. Her early influences have returned with features from beatboxers and vocalists that give the album a distinctly urban hip hop vibe.

As the final chapter in the initial run of Jazz Is Dead releases, Remixes JID010 continues the creative catharsis of an exhilarating new chapter in jazz music. Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad tapped nine iconic creators to reimagine their personal favorites from Jazz Is Dead’s catalogue to-date, who created striking new versions by Cut Chemist, DJ Spinna, Georgie Anne Muldrow, Akili, Shigeto, Pink Siiffu, Dibiase, Natureboy Flako, and Kaidi Tathum. It’s a family affair.

At the close of a marathon year supporting their breakthrough album, Con Todo El Mundo (out now on Night Time Stories), Khruangbin return with an exciting addition - an update on Vince Guaraldi's timeless 'Christmas Time Is Here.'

"Growing up the three of us all had very different Christmases,' says bassist Laura Lee. 'But we recently discovered we all had the exact same favourite Christmas song. When we realized it, we sat down to play it and it came together instantly. In 15 minutes, we had this recorded. It was like the best Christmas present ever.'

With ambling sweetness and a fresh, beat-driven groove, Khruangbin have taken this oft-covered classic and made it wholly their own.

Rosie Turton is delighted to announce the release of her new EP, Expansions and Transformations: Part I & II on the 18th June 2021. It follows the release of the trombonist's debut LP Rosie's 5ive (Jazz re:freshed) in 2019, which solidified her unique voice as a composer and band leader within the UK jazz scene, and was supported by Worldwide FM, Stamp The Wax, The Guardian, The Wire, and Mojo to name a few.

Expansions and Transformations: Part I & II is an exploration of impermanence and evolution and how this intertwines music and mind - it starts with two brand new tunes, followed by two reworks. Parts I and II combine soaring melodies from the trombone and violin over the rythym section, interspersed with flickering electronics. The unsettling tension of Part I erupts into the beautiful joyous groove Part II, reminiscent of the music of Pharoah Sanders and Abdullah Ibrahim.

The Unknown (rework) is a 're-making' of the tune of the same title from Rosie's 5ive. This fits into the EP's concept of evolution, as it follows the transformation of Rosie's musical path since her debut release. It is a demonstration of Rosie's growing voice as a producer, produced in her home studio during the first lockdown.

The EP finishes with an upbeat and dance-floor worthy rework of Part II by one of Rosie's frequent collaborators, Jitwam (Part II - Jitwam's Ronnie In The Attic Mixxx).

Expansions and Transformations: Part I & II features Rosie's regular collaborators: Johanna Burnheart, Maria Chiara Argirò, Twm Dylan, Jake Long, and Ben Hayes. It is being self-released under Rosie Turton, and will be available digitally and on a very limited run of vinyl.

Tenor saxophonist Timo Lassy, one of Finland's leading jazz artists, is back with a new album release "Trio" on We Jazz Records. The album, to be released on 27 August, introduces Lassy's new combo with bassist Ville Herrala and drummer Jaska Lukkarinen – both We Jazz Records roster artists on their own right.

The new Lassy sound is tight, swinging and funky, led by the strong and riff-ready sax of the tenorman. That being said, the album's sound is not limited to that of the swinging trio. Lassy's new vision also brings in some subtle electronics (played by Lassy, Dalindèo frontman Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen and Ilmiliekki Quartet pianist Tuomo Prättälä) and lush strings performed by Budapest Art Orchestra as arranged by Finnish artist Marzi Nyman. It's a new sound for Lassy, but one which keeps true to his no-nonsense cookin' on the tenor.

This combination proves to be a winning one on the album, ranging from the more solemn moments on tracks such as "Sunday 20" and "Sointu" to the all out groovers like "Pumping C" and "Subtropical". The basic three sylinders of the band tenor sax, bass and drums, are strong throughout and the strings add air beneath the wings to really lift things off. Electronics are used as a tasty condiment, not taking over the main course but adding to it just right.

"We began the process with the bare bones trio but along the way, the sound started evolving into something else" Lassy explains. "That's how I like to work, anyway, while the trio can take this music to great lengths live, on the album I like to paint a fuller, more colourful picture sonically."

Speaking of painting, the sleeve of the album features the original artwork "Subtropic" by Finnish artist Ilari Hautamäki. "Trio" by Timo Lassy will be released by We Jazz Records as blue and black vinyl editions complete with a heavy duty tip-on sleeve, on CD and digitally. The special BUNDLE version includes the LP with a 7" featuring two non-LP tracks, available with blue LP + blue 7" or as black LP + black 7", bound together in a re-sealable "Japanese styled" sleeve, plus a We Jazz sticker.

Tenor saxophonist Timo Lassy, one of Finland's leading jazz artists, is back with a new album release "Trio" on We Jazz Records. The album, to be released on 27 August, introduces Lassy's new combo with bassist Ville Herrala and drummer Jaska Lukkarinen – both We Jazz Records roster artists on their own right.

The new Lassy sound is tight, swinging and funky, led by the strong and riff-ready sax of the tenorman. That being said, the album's sound is not limited to that of the swinging trio. Lassy's new vision also brings in some subtle electronics (played by Lassy, Dalindèo frontman Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen and Ilmiliekki Quartet pianist Tuomo Prättälä) and lush strings performed by Budapest Art Orchestra as arranged by Finnish artist Marzi Nyman. It's a new sound for Lassy, but one which keeps true to his no-nonsense cookin' on the tenor.

This combination proves to be a winning one on the album, ranging from the more solemn moments on tracks such as "Sunday 20" and "Sointu" to the all out groovers like "Pumping C" and "Subtropical". The basic three sylinders of the band tenor sax, bass and drums, are strong throughout and the strings add air beneath the wings to really lift things off. Electronics are used as a tasty condiment, not taking over the main course but adding to it just right.

"We began the process with the bare bones trio but along the way, the sound started evolving into something else" Lassy explains. "That's how I like to work, anyway, while the trio can take this music to great lengths live, on the album I like to paint a fuller, more colourful picture sonically."

Speaking of painting, the sleeve of the album features the original artwork "Subtropic" by Finnish artist Ilari Hautamäki. "Trio" by Timo Lassy will be released by We Jazz Records as blue and black vinyl editions complete with a heavy duty tip-on sleeve, on CD and digitally. The special BUNDLE version includes the LP with a 7" featuring two non-LP tracks, available with blue LP + blue 7" or as black LP + black 7", bound together in a re-sealable "Japanese styled" sleeve, plus a We Jazz sticker.

Tenor saxophonist Timo Lassy, one of Finland's leading jazz artists, is back with a new album release "Trio" on We Jazz Records. The album, to be released on 27 August, introduces Lassy's new combo with bassist Ville Herrala and drummer Jaska Lukkarinen – both We Jazz Records roster artists on their own right.

The new Lassy sound is tight, swinging and funky, led by the strong and riff-ready sax of the tenorman. That being said, the album's sound is not limited to that of the swinging trio. Lassy's new vision also brings in some subtle electronics (played by Lassy, Dalindèo frontman Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen and Ilmiliekki Quartet pianist Tuomo Prättälä) and lush strings performed by Budapest Art Orchestra as arranged by Finnish artist Marzi Nyman. It's a new sound for Lassy, but one which keeps true to his no-nonsense cookin' on the tenor.

This combination proves to be a winning one on the album, ranging from the more solemn moments on tracks such as "Sunday 20" and "Sointu" to the all out groovers like "Pumping C" and "Subtropical". The basic three sylinders of the band tenor sax, bass and drums, are strong throughout and the strings add air beneath the wings to really lift things off. Electronics are used as a tasty condiment, not taking over the main course but adding to it just right.

"We began the process with the bare bones trio but along the way, the sound started evolving into something else" Lassy explains. "That's how I like to work, anyway, while the trio can take this music to great lengths live, on the album I like to paint a fuller, more colourful picture sonically."

Speaking of painting, the sleeve of the album features the original artwork "Subtropic" by Finnish artist Ilari Hautamäki. "Trio" by Timo Lassy will be released by We Jazz Records as blue and black vinyl editions complete with a heavy duty tip-on sleeve, on CD and digitally. The special BUNDLE version includes the LP with a 7" featuring two non-LP tracks, available with blue LP + blue 7" or as black LP + black 7", bound together in a re-sealable "Japanese styled" sleeve, plus a We Jazz sticker.

Tenor saxophonist Timo Lassy, one of Finland's leading jazz artists, is back with a new album release "Trio" on We Jazz Records. The album, to be released on 27 August, introduces Lassy's new combo with bassist Ville Herrala and drummer Jaska Lukkarinen – both We Jazz Records roster artists on their own right.

The new Lassy sound is tight, swinging and funky, led by the strong and riff-ready sax of the tenorman. That being said, the album's sound is not limited to that of the swinging trio. Lassy's new vision also brings in some subtle electronics (played by Lassy, Dalindèo frontman Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen and Ilmiliekki Quartet pianist Tuomo Prättälä) and lush strings performed by Budapest Art Orchestra as arranged by Finnish artist Marzi Nyman. It's a new sound for Lassy, but one which keeps true to his no-nonsense cookin' on the tenor.

This combination proves to be a winning one on the album, ranging from the more solemn moments on tracks such as "Sunday 20" and "Sointu" to the all out groovers like "Pumping C" and "Subtropical". The basic three sylinders of the band tenor sax, bass and drums, are strong throughout and the strings add air beneath the wings to really lift things off. Electronics are used as a tasty condiment, not taking over the main course but adding to it just right.

"We began the process with the bare bones trio but along the way, the sound started evolving into something else" Lassy explains. "That's how I like to work, anyway, while the trio can take this music to great lengths live, on the album I like to paint a fuller, more colourful picture sonically."

Speaking of painting, the sleeve of the album features the original artwork "Subtropic" by Finnish artist Ilari Hautamäki. "Trio" by Timo Lassy will be released by We Jazz Records as blue and black vinyl editions complete with a heavy duty tip-on sleeve, on CD and digitally. The special BUNDLE version includes the LP with a 7" featuring two non-LP tracks, available with blue LP + blue 7" or as black LP + black 7", bound together in a re-sealable "Japanese styled" sleeve, plus a We Jazz sticker.

MMYYKK’s Science EP arrives at a time when the world needs it. The eponymous title track is about recognising the power and connection that we all have to the cosmos - and it feels like no coincidence that this body of work arrives in 2021.

The EP balances universal themes with playfulness; asks hard questions relating to accountability and materiality whilst remaining musically cohesive and funky throughout. An exceedingly difficult artist to pigeonhole, MMYYKK (pronounced Mike) works concurrently within the realms of soul, jazz, hip hop, R&B and ambient; his sound equally indebted to his fellow west-coast natives Thundercat and Flying Lotus as it is to synth experimentalists Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder.

Whilst MMYYKK operates as the multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, producer & engineer across all 6 tracks, we can still hear the richness of improvisation musical collaboration involved in the making of this record, with numerous cameos from artists in MMYYKK’s adopted hometown of Minneapolis as well as a feature from London’s very own Demae.

The city of Minneapolis, whilst not addressed directly in the lyrics, provided a backdrop like no other whilst this album was coming together. Being at the epicentre of such a tragedy had a profound effect on the formation of the EP... “The City was literally burning...” MMYYKK recalls as he goes on to explain that tackling themes such as police reform, reparations and accountability in his work is his way of taking a stand in the fight for justice.

Despite the grief prevalent in the city, the EP exudes a complex “dopeness”, executed so effortlessly it belies the skill involved in the process - it’s precisely this nonchalant cool that defines what SCIENCE means to the artist.

Whilst we can dissect the inspirations and trace the lineage of this body of work- the result is singular. It’s clear that Mychal Fisher, aka MMYYKK is operating on his own terms, in a lane of his own - and making it look easy.

Ubuntu Music is delighted to announce the signing of trumpet ace Sean Gibbs for the release of his album, When Can I See You Again?, on 13th August 2021. Sean is a jazz trumpet player and composer/arranger hailing from Edinburgh. After growing up playing with ensembles such as The Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra and The National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland, he enrolled on the jazz course at Birmingham Conservatoire. He graduated from the course with first class honours in 2015, winning the BMus Jazz prize. During his time at the conservatoire, he studied with renowned trumpet players Percy Pursglove and Richard Iles, alongside many guest artists, including Mark Turner, Kenny Garrett, Maria Schneider, Joe Lovano, Dave Holland and John Taylor. Sean resides in London and is an in-demand performer across the UK and abroad. He is a member of the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra (with which he has performed with guest soloists such as Kurt Elling, Joe Locke, Kenny Washington, Martin Taylor, Jazzmeia Horn, Bill Evans, Makoto Ozone and Mike Mainieri), Young Pilgrims, the Calum Gourlay Big Band, the Mike Fletcher Jazz Orchestra, the Martin Kershaw Octet and Paul Towndrow’s Keywork Orchestra. As a freelance musician, Sean has performed with Jim Rattigan’s Pavillon, Eliza Carthy’s Wayward Band and Chris Dean’s Syd Lawrence Orchestra, to name but a few. Sean is also a prolific composer/arranger, having written many works for big band, including commissions for the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and Greater Manchester Jazz Orchestra. His compositions have been recorded by the Birmingham Jazz Orchestra and performed as far afield as the USA, by the University of Miami's Frost Studio Jazz Band. Sean describes the music and the idea behind When Can I See You Again?, his upcoming Ubuntu Music release: “The album features original music of mine, steeped in the jazz tradition, with a focus on lyrical melodies, hearty grooves and a deep association with the blues. The compositions are largely about celebrating the human connections that I’d sometimes taken for granted, many of which became sorely missed with the pandemic. It was an immense privilege to record these pieces with some of my favourite musicians on the London jazz scene, and I can’t wait to share them with you all.” The album features a top-notch array of talent, including Riley Stone-Lonergan on tenor sax, Rob Brockway on piano, Calum Gourlay on bass and Jay Davis on drums. “I’m incredibly excited to join the stellar cast of artists at Ubuntu”, Sean explains. “They have released many of my favourite albums of the past few years and seem to be going from strength to strength, even in such a difficult time for the industry. Martin (Hummel) has a great passion for the music and his enthusiasm is infectious.”

1976 Space jazz-folk masterpiece infused with prog scents from one of the true legends of Argentinian music, latin rock pioneer Litto Nebbia. Floating electric piano, acoustic guitar, female choirs and moog sounds combine with Litto's own voice and create a unique blend of delicate beauty. The use of analogue synthesizers in this conceptual album was a turn in Nebbia's work at the time. A long 7-minute suite opens the album, mixing acoustic textures with synth sounds, setting the grounds for the entire LP. Songs of introspective darkness alternate with other tracks influenced by sunny bossanova, musical passages fueled with epic energy where the voice of Mirtha Defilpo accompanies Nebbia along with the intricate and enveloping instrumental work driven by Daniel Homer's guitars and Litto Nebbia's keyboards. The album draws a complex soundscape made up of an almost infinite number of musical pieces, rich in layers and textures, that - decades after its original release - still stands out for their modernity. "Bazar de los milagros" is undoubtedly one of the most advanced recordings of those

that appeared in Latin America at the end of the 70s. Includes the song 'La Caída', as recently sampled on Jay Electronica/Jay Z's hip-hop hit 'The Neverending Story'. "Bazar de los milagros" has also been listed on Japanese DJ and music expert Chee Shimizu's Obscure Sound guidebook, a must for record collectors.

First vinyl reissue, including a facsimile version of the 32-page booklet that accompanied the original 1976 release, and remastered sound.

Deep spiritual jazz recorded in Germany, performed by Jamaican born saxophone player Fitz Gore and his international group The Talismen, featuring a.o. bassist Gérard Ebbo from Morocco and drummer Philippe Zobda-Quitman from Martinique. This is the first reissue of their second album, released in 1976 by the small private label GorBra from Bonn, including "Delilah" and "Requiem For Julian Cannonball Adderley". The rare LP comes in a newly mastered version with original cover design and sleeve notes. Fitz Gore's music is full of tremendous tension and movement between deep seriousness, inwardness and humility; it affects your life, it liberates and heals.

Original sleeve notes from 1976:

"Soundmagnificat" is the successor to "Soundnitia" (GorBra Records F 665 532), the first release from the Talismen, an international group with Jamaican Tenor saxophonist Fitz Gore (born1935) as founder, spiritual and musical leader, main soloist. "Soundnitia" contained concert performances of June, 1975, including compositions by John Coltrane, Horace Silver and one by Gérard "Prof. Dr. Splüm" Ebbo, bassist of the Talismen.

This second offering from the Talismen is more varied. It has four tracks recorded at four different occasions. It presents Fitz Gore as a singer, a composer, as well as, a tenor saxophonist. The opener, Requiem for Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, is a moving tribute to a great American artist, the late alto saxophonist "Cannonball" Adderley. On this track, Hungarian drummer Janos Sudy is heard with the Talismen, for the first time. The playing by the quartet on this slow lament very adequately illustrates the mood of the composition

For the next piece, a concert performance, Gore selected a gem from the American Negro Song Tradition and he displays a mighty, masculine and soulful voice in Steal Away. An example of a modern artist using an old traditional to express his own inner feelings. Delilah is taken from another concert performance, the same concert as the music on "Soundnitia". It has extensive playing by Gore, a bass solo by Gérard Ebbo, leading into some exciting conga playing by Lamont Hampton.

The final track, A Sinner Kissed An Angel, was recorded by another tenor player, Wardell Gray, in 1950, but this version is all Gore's. After the piano introduction, Gore delivers the melody with authority and with an expressive use especially of the high register of his instrument. In his improvisation, Gore's playing becomes more dissonant. Some of his playing here causes me to think of the way the late Albert Ayler sounded on his first recordings done in Sweden, in the beginning of the 60s. No drums here, but nice accompaniment and solo work of Jochen Paul on vibes.

I met Fitz Gore in Copenhagen in the fall of 1975. We were both listening to the trumpet playing of Harry "Sweets" Edison at the now defunct Café Montmartre. Prior to that time, I did not know Gore and his music, but listening to his playing on this album and the earlier one, has once more widened my musical horizon. His music has struck some chords within me. "Music is communication", John Coltrane once said. I feel sure that as you listen to the music of Fitz Gore and his Talismen, you will get the message.

In these notes, I have mentioned a couple of jazz artists and another one ought to be named primarily, because he has meant a lot to Gore: Sonny Rollins. The two met in Paris in 1966. Gore says of Rollins: "He openend my eyes ...big man … phenomenon … my man". As Sonny Rollins's artistry, the music of Fitz Gore holds many aspects, some being aggressive and even hysterical, others being those of beauty and peace. As life itself … (Roland Baggenaes, June 1976)

The music of Fitz Gore, rooted in the blues, is full of tremendous tension and movement between deep seriousness, inwardness, humility and humor, hardness and tenderness; it affects your life, it liberates and heals - a hopeful, a truly groundbreaking, a timeless, a new music - Newsic!
(Gisela Braasch, 1976)

In memory of Fitz Gore.
Mastered 2020 by Roskow Kretschmann at Audiomoto,
kindly supported by Tom Sky. Vinyl cut at SST.
Producer for reissue: Ekkehart Fleischhammer,
reproduction of original cover design by Gisela Gore:
Patrick Haase aka rab.bit.

Recorded in Sweden, 'Dark is the Sun' is a concept album based on themes and variations by British pianist/composer/arranger Greg Foat, who has created an intriguing blend of non-contemporary jazz sounds with classic scoring techniques. An exotic array of unorthodox instrumentation was utilized, including harpsichord, tubular bells and a 15 piece choir. With musical reference and influence from such luminaries as Bruno Nicolai, Michel Legrand and Serge Gainsbourg as well as a firm nod towards UK jazzmen Michael Garrick, Keith Mansfield and Alan Hawkshaw, the result is highly-listenable, enduring and fulfilling for those who like real music played with real instruments.

*** SPECIAL 10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION with gatefold sleeve

*** 180g repress of this incredible album that continues to be in demand 10 years on

*** Special edition with tip-on gatefold sleeve including archive pics & new liners

*** Download card included

Bathurst is pleased to announce the debut album 'All One' by The Motion Orchestra.

The group formed in 2017 in Hamburg as a studio project and outlet for lead writer and bandleader - David Hanke (Keno, Renegades Of Jazz) to explore his Neo-Classical and Jazz sensibilities in a new setting.

Comprising of the US-based Andy Sells on Drums, with Germans Alexander Bednasch on Double-Bass, Mark Matthes on Violins, and David Hanke on electronics and production, as well as a one-off guest appearance from other long term Hanke collaborators - Tristan de Liege on clarinet (for the track 'Maylight'), David Nesselhauf on electronics (for the track 'All One') and Ingo Möll on additional Bass (for the track 'Everything We Are').

Strangely, when considering the intimacy of the album the group has never actually fully met in person, with live recordings taking place over 4 years across studios in Seattle, Los Angeles and Hamburg. With Hanke and Matthes contributing the majority of the writing and arranging, the wonderful musicianship of the group as a whole is obvious to hear in the record, which expertly showcases the performers rare understanding of musical space and compositional balance, yet still allowing for flashes of individual brilliance.

As the first tracks were arranged it became clear that The Motion Orchestra occupy a musical space that sits aside from their obvious stylistic influences, instead bearing a compositional style that deftly fuses the orchestral and electronic worlds more akin to that of modern cinematic composition than most commercial releases. Matthes' lush string arrangements are a beauty to behold, layered elegantly upon the muscular and oftentimes swinging rhythm section low end, all the while Hanke's cerebral sound design and production elements interplay with all throughout, providing an eclectic array of wonderful foils and musical partners to the palette.

With only a small clutch of singles and tracks being released so far they have already turned the heads of Huey Morgan on BBC 6Music and Bandcamp Weekly, as well as closing in on 500,000 streams on Spotify. Exploring themes as time and space, transience, life and death – their music is delightfully relevant, timeless and contemplative in comparison to much of today's disposable music culture.

''All One' is a collection inspired by the notion that everything comes from the same source, the same starting point. And throughout its play time it builds out this concept from the reserved, poignant strings and ambience beginnings of opener 'From Dust', through to the delicate pitter-patter rhythm and memorable melodies of 'Threadspin', before picking up in tempo and dynamics ahead of the epic penultimate track - Sonorous' and its piano chord harmonics, tasteful bass notes, and swirling jazz drum patterns. Indeed by the last notes of title track 'All One' there is a real sense of having mentally journeyed some distance to arrive exactly where you are for the listener. It's a truly atmospheric audio experience that is constantly engaging and inspiring both feelings and thought throughout.

Perhaps the mastermind of the project - David Hanke, sums it up best himself:

"It begins where it ends. Turning these subjects into sounds, creating an emotional sound journey with a deeper note is the idea."

After a first album released in 2019 on the labels Stereophonk (France) and P-Vine Records (Japan), The Selenites Band are back with a new recording, Behind The Mask.
The Selenites Band is a French music group created in 2018 around the artist and musician Obi Riddim. Drawing the sources of its music from the Ethiopian music of “Swinging Addis”, Ethio-jazz, but also rock, Afro-jazz or psychedelic grooves.
After playing the “classics” of Mulatu Astatke or Girma Bèyènè, the band offers us nine new songs. Original compositions where we find the melodies and rhythms of the Ethiopian music of “Swinging Addis” mixed with their kraütrock influences, psychedelic music and afro jazz. An atmosphere of trance on bewitching Ethiopian scales, tracks that invite you to travel and explore.
Recorded during the pandemic, between two confinements and successive curfews, in a vital impetus, this album sounds like the big need to create.

Comet presents the reissue of Black Voices (1999), featuring remastered versions and Ariya (Psyche Juju Mix)' as bonus track, which was not part of the original release.

Tony Allen completely rewrote the books on what was possible within the AfroBeat genre with his stunning 1999 album, Black Voices. When one considers exactly "what" is going on throughout Black Voices, it is quite mind boggling, as it is almost impossible to associate a minimalist, electronic feel with the massive walls of sound which Allen was known to create.

Yet these walls of sound are still very present, yet they gain an entirely new feel due to the presence of the producer, Doctor L. He takes the mesmerizing rhythms that Allen creates and he spins them into a stunningly modern sound. While Doctor L's production work throughout Black Voices is truly fantastic, it is clear that the genius behind the album lies within the mind of Tony Allen. With the absolutely mesmerizing, funky grooves that Allen creates, it comes a little surprise that the vocal collaborations are handled by members of one of the funkiest bands in history: Parliament-Funkadelic.

For almost two decades, Black Voices has remained a stunning example of the fantastic results that can occur when seemingly unrelated genres clash.

'Sounds from the Great House! Outernational Sounds proudly presents a Nimbus West spirit jazz essential: the Creative Arts Ensemble's classic debut One Step Out. Mastered at 45rpm on double vinyl for enhanced sound, this release features all tracks at full length for the first time on wax.

One of the most sought after and highly regarded titles to have appeared on Tom Albach's celebrated Nimbus West imprint, the Creative Art Ensemble's One Step Out is a timeless work of spiritualised jazz. A true gem from the Los Angeles jazz underground, the album was pianist and composer Kaeef Ruzadun Ali's first recording as leader of the Creative Arts Ensemble, the only large ensemble group that emerged directly from Horace Tapscott's legendary Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra community jazz group.

A Los Angeles native, Kaeef was introduced to the Tapscott circle in the late 1970s. His first experience of the Arkestra's ethos was through PAPA tenorist Michael Session, who took him to the famous 'Great House' at 2412 South Western Ave., LA - a large mansion house which members of the Arkestra had taken over as a space for communal living. Life in the Great House was a continuous stream of music, dance and community events. 'When I walked in there,' recalled Kaeef, 'it was like this whole rush came over me, just from going in the front door...It was like a very, very warm feeling of love. I went and I came out with 'Flashback of Time', and that was my first arrangement.'

Kaeef quickly became a significant contributor of compositions to the Arkestra's songbook - his piece 'New Horizon' would be recorded by Horace Tapscott for the latter's Tapscott Sessions series. But 'Flashback of Time' would eventually appear on One Step Out, played by the new group he had put together from stalwart Arkestra members. Inspired by both Tapscott's example and by the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Kaeef had wanted to follow their lead by assembling a larger unit. 'I would like to form a group that would be an extension of the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra,' he told Tapscott. The group was to be known as the Creative Arts Ensemble, and One Step Out, released in 1981 by Nimbus West, was their debut.

Featuring seasoned Arkestra regulars including reedsman Dadisi Komolafe, drummer Woody 'Sonship' Theus and altoist Gary Bias, with veterans Henry 'The Skipper' Franklin on bass and George Bohannon on trombone, One Step Out is a key document of the Los Angeles radical jazz underground. Featuring the sanctified vocals of Kaeef's sister, B. J. Crowley, the album is a tour de force of spiritually energised independent jazz music. Community uplift and sacred vision straight from the Great House, back on vinyl for the first time since 1981!

Das zweite Blue-Note-Album des gefeierten jungen Vibraphonisten!
Seit Joel Ross 2019 sein Blue-Note-Debüt „KingMaker“ veröffentlicht hat, fand er weltweit Anerkennung: die New York Times nahm ihn z.B. in die begehrte Liste “Best Jazz of 2019” auf und der Rolling Stone führte ihn in seinem alljährlichen ”Jazz Listeners Guide”.
Mit seiner zweiten Blue-Note-Veröffentlichung „Who Are You?“ will er diese Erfolgsgeschichte jetzt fortschreiben.
Zu seinen bestens eingespielten Mitstreitern Jeremy Corren (Piano), Immanuel Wilkins, der gerade selbst ein Blue-Note-Debütalbum veröffentlicht hat, (Saxofon) und Jeremy Dutton (Schlagzeug) kommt neu Kanoa Mendenhall am Bass dazu. Melodischer Modern Jazz vom Feinsten!

Summer might be fading away, but the good time grooves keep on coming courtesy of Hell Yeah’s next album project: Cats Do Not Care About Glasses is the latest from all round musical talent Juan Moretti, who fuses together jazz, hip hop, electronics, soundtracks, musical experimentation and much more into a freeform album of intoxicating sonic journeys.

Moretti is a bassist, drummer, composer, arranger, visual artist, DJ, hard clubber and good food lover who has been plotting his own route since the early nineties. He is co-founder of the 3IO jazz band and Things Happen nu disco duo who has been involved with theatre shows, short soundtracks, visual installations, festivals, DJ sets, experimental art and more. Drawing on all that and heading off into the unknown, out of his comfort zone and into brave new sound worlds, he goes where the compositional process takes him without a view to any specific genre or style.

That plays out across the seven suburb tracks, with opener ‘Flare’ managing to be a worldly ambient piece as well as a slow motion acid track, a blissful balearic trip but also a majestic melodic masterpiece. ‘Fahrenheit’ fuses cosmic Sun Ra jazz with glistening electronics that drown you in warm sunshine, and ‘Insane’ has a tropical feeling and gentle bossa rhythm, but intensely freeform synths that tie you up in knots.

The midpoint sinks you into the breezy wind instruments, afro vocals and gently lilting guitar licks of ‘Fortaleza’ before ‘Claustrophonic’ is another celestial electronic jazz epic with withering sci-fi synths and live drums that constantly evolves. A swaggering dub beat and drifting sax line make ‘Moroboshi’ a low key beach club classic in the making, and finally ‘Backdoor (Mad The Cat)’ is a lush hip hop vibe awash with breezy licks and steamy chords.

This is a brilliantly inventive album that brings together jazz, electronics and hip hop in truly magical new ways.