Pop & Rock News

Bossa Nova = Nouvelle Vague = New Wave.
This transliteration was the starting point for Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux's unique project, which, by appropriating the punk and post-punk cannon and running it through the Bossa Nova filter, reinvented the cover band genre, revealing new and brilliant talents along the way: Camille, Phoebe Killdeer (whose Fade Out Lines was remixed by The Avener,) Nadeah, Mélanie Pain, and, soon, Liset Alea. The gambit paid off, with sales of over one million records over four albums released between 2004 and 2010, and world tours that included stops at venues such as London's Royal Albert Hall, L.A.'s Hollywood Bowl and Paris' Olympia. Since 2011, Nouvelle Vague had stopped recording, focusing on an innovative live show created in collaboration with the mythical Jean-Charles de Castelbajac (Ceremony and Dawn of innocence,) and branching out into different projects: Olivier's Uncovered Queen of the Stone Age, and Marc's Bristol, along with his Kwaidan label.
The time seems right to write a new chapter in the Nouvelle Vague saga: with a new album I Could Be Happy' and live show, the band and its coterie of female vocalists continue their time travels with a renewed alegria. Nouvelle vague by Nouvelle Vague and Some Friends is thus more of a nexus of forthcoming projects: a new album comprised of punk and post punk standards imbued with the inimitable Nouvelle Vague touch, and, for the first time, a bevy of surprising Collin/Libaux which prove that the two producers are more than prodigious arrangers.
This album is also the opportunity to gather again the pioneer singers of Nouvelle Vague: Élodie Frégé, Mélanie Pain, Liset Alea, Nadeah and to find other guests as Camille or Clara Luciani.
A worldwide tour is already confirmed and announced. It will begin in Europe and Asia, in the fall, and will continue through South America and the U.S.A. in the new year, and feature the entire crew on stage, around Marc and Olivier: Mélanie Pain, Élodie Frégé, and Liset Alea.

John Cage and Christian Wolff's self-titled 1962 LP was an early showcase of both 20th century composer's experimental chops, and is highly regarded as some of their finest work. Cage's piece, which spans the whole of side 1, was originally composed in 1960, and like many of his pieces, would never be performed the same way twice. It involves the overlaying of transparencies to create the "score", while performers manipulate phonographic cartridges in a variety of ways to create amplified sound. To add to the effect, this particular performance is actually the superimposition of four performances. In all, it is a truly groundbreaking piece of 20th century classical. Wolff's side, while less extreme, is equally innovative, and a window into his particular pointillist vision of music.

Credit for this album is partially due to Miles Davis, who had somewhat recently purchased Coltrane his first soprano saxophone, previously it had been little used in jazz. This 1961 album also seems to fully mark Coltrane's transformation into modal jazz, another Davis influence, and his modal take on the the classic standard, "My Favorite Things", from The Sound Of Music soundtrack, remains one of the more iconic jazz songs in history. Rounded out by 3 more standards, performed in modal interpretations that completely redefined the meaning of a "standards" album, My Favorite Things, is one of the many transcendent jazz albums the legendary John Coltrane is responsible for.

The Quincy Jones & His Orchestra recorded at the
1961 Newport Jazz Festival. With trumpeter Joe Newman, altoist Phil Woods, trombonist Curtis Fuller and tenor man Eric Dixon as key soloists, this ensemble could hold its own with most of its contemporaries. Jones' arrangements were colorful and distinctive, and the musicianship of the orchestra was quite impressive.

Compiling recordings from 1948-1952 that Milt Jackson made with the Modern Jazz Quartet (+ Lou Donaldson on sax), and The Thelonious Monk Quartet, this release highlights the bebop brilliance of vibraphonist master Jackson. Inspired by Lionel Hampton, Jackson took up the vibes at age 16 and was performing in Dizzy Gillespie's group by age 22. It was in Gillespie's group that the foundations of one of the most well known and best-selling jazz groups, The Modern Jazz Quartet, were laid in the ground. That group, who recorded countless albums, first recorded in 1952, and these are some of their earliest recordings. Essential music from a jazz master, accompanied by some of the brightest artists in jazz history.

The debut as a leader for both Archie Shepp and Bill Dixon, two formidable members of the free-jazz and avant-garde elite, Archie Shepp - Bill Dixon Quartet was originally released in 1962. Rounding out the quartet are bassists Reggie Workman and Don Moore, and drummers Paul Cohen and Howard McRae, each on various tracks. While the album undoubtedly swings, this piano-less quartet definitely prefigures the trailblazing free-jazz work the two leaders would be involved in for the remainder of the decade, and beyond. Another essential piece of early free-jazz back in print on Jeanne Dielman.

Ltd. edition of 300
Muscut: Why 'Ode' and why 'To The Sea'
Nikolaienko: Sea is something that always inspires me. This album is influenced by the music about the sea with a big variety of the songs from experimental to the popular ones, soundtracks for films and documentaries on marine theme, excerpts from memories of my own childhood and also phantom nostalgia. I have transformed my entire maritime experience into my part of the collage titled Ode to the sea'

Gennadiy Boychenko (Indirect): For me, as someone who was born and grew by the sea (the place is pronounced Ode - sa), working on this album was not about memories or distant fantasy. On the contrary - it was about right-here/right-now attitude. Take for instance the first track: it's that afternoon in June right there! And the first three notes, played on a synthesizer almost sing: 'wash a-way...'.

Double 180gm vinyl LP pressing. The original Buena Vista Social Club album became a surprise international best seller and the most successful album in the history of Cuban music.

It was recorded for World Circuit Records by Ry Cooder over seven days in Havana in 1996,

bringing together many of the great names of the golden age of Cuban music in the 1950s, several of whom were coaxed out of retirement for the sessions.

In the years that followed the original release, Buena Vista veterans toured the world and were the subject of a celebrated feature film directed by Wim Wenders.

2015 REMASTERED 180g VERSION

'Bennie Green' was one of the best and most versatile trombonists present on the Jazz scene of the 50's & 60's, at ease both on the 'Swing' and 'Be-Bop' repertoire but also engaged in sessions of a primordial 'Rhythm And Blues'. He has played in numerous historical and big band's including those run by 'Earl Hines' and 'Charlie Ventura', also collaborating sporadically with 'Dizzy Gillespie', 'Charlie Parker' and 'Art Blakey' !!! This excellent LP, very fortunately brought to light by 'Your Servant Records' Label, brings together a number of excellent swinging songs originally released on 45 rpm - hence the title of the album - recorded under his own leadership in 1958 together with such excellent musicians as the pianist 'Sonny Clark', bassist 'Paul Chambers' and 'Babs Gonzales' present on the title Encore'.

"Meat. The story needs meat. (And blood ... coagulated blood (Gore)). The substance we are seeking here lies beyond the bare bones of fact, thewhen and the where (founded in 1988, Mülheim an der Ruhr) or personnel and instruments (a trio since 2016, built around keyboards, saxophone, bass & drums). The story is more than the sum of its facts. Mysteries may very well lurk here or there along the way. What keeps the final two foundermembers going after all this time Do Morten Gass and Robin Rodenberg have skeletons locked in their closets How dearly we would we love to know the answer to that one, alas the most beautiful puzzles tend to remain unsolved.
Including their debut Gore Motel' (1994), BOHREN & DER CLUB OF GORE have amassed an impressive eight longplayers. Four album titles allude to the night - their debut was followed by Midnight Radio' (1995), Sunset Mission' (2000), and Black Earth' (2002), whilst the most recent instalment carried the name Piano Nights' (2014). The nocturnal quartet was punctuated by Geisterfaust' (2005), Dolores' (2008) and a mini-album entitled Beileid' (2011), adding rather eerie overtones to the after
hours ambience. The BOHREN & DER CLUB OF GORE legend has grown stronger both at home and abroad with every record they have released and every show they have played. Strange as it may seem, there is a uniform consistency to their reception. Whatever the band does, critiques are unfailingly positive,
yet repetitious. References, links and associations recur almost word for word.
Consider the arrival of Christoph Clöser in 1997, by way of illustration. When he joined the group, his saxophone replaced the departing Reiner Henseleit's guitar as one of the defining instruments in the band. This was arguably the sharpest break in their sound to this day and a significant marker in terms of the band's reverence for Dutch instrumentalists GORE
(the clue is in the name), whose repetitive riffs paved the way for how the guitar would be deployed in a post-everything future. Nevertheless, this fissure in the BOHREN continuum has barely merits a mention in the greater scheme of things. Similarly conspicious by their absence in the BOHREN chronicles are the numerous instruments which they added to the mix - vibraphone, organ, tuba, bass trombone to name just a few. The
introduction of choirs at least had a clear visual impact. Since Thorsten Benning left at the end of 2015, the band has continued as a trio, sharing shifts on the drums (although they have equipped themselves with mechanical brushes).
A decrease in personnel was conversely accompanied by quantum leaps forward in the group's musical development - or more precisely, minor adjustments triggered major effects. Such changes may not get any easier to spot in the future, such is the intensity of internal imagery sparked by the music, a maelstrom of distractions so powerful that its promises are too sweet and too dangerous in equal measure. The music of BOHREN & DER CLUB OF GORE opens up remarkable rooms of association, from a warm burrow to a pristine secret lodge, from a
dusky woodland tavern to a smoky quayside dive. Individual and collective floods of images rush forth irresistibly. Loneliness is not at all problematic: empty multi-storey car parks, nighttime drives, remote bridges to nowhere. All in your mind. This is the temptation, a sweet, guilt-free addiction. It's all in your mind - and only there. These sinister crackling songs are invitations to secrete oneself in darkness. With track titles such as 'Maximum Black', 'Zombies Never Die' or 'Dandys Lungern Durch Die Nacht', the mind wanders inexorably into filmic spaces.
Echoing the masters of midnight cinema, stories evolve all by themselves. As the American Film Noir Foundation observed so smartly: 'the vivid co-mingling of lost innocence, doomed romanticism, hard-edged cynicism, desperate desire, and shadowy sexuality.' Their definition of Film Noir serves just as well as an appraisal of the group, 'Bohren For Beginners'.
Which says it all really, doesn't it A final word of warning! Sources close to the band describe the double CD
released in October 2016 as a gateway drug to the Bohren universe. Enter at your own risk, some have never found their way out again."
(by Lars Brinkmann)

One of the most important 'live' album's of the entire discography of 'Charles Mingus' returns now available as a Double LP' presenting the exhilarating performance of the quintet bassist of Nogales recorded live at the French festival of Juan-Les-Pins, 13 July 1960, flanked by incredible musicians like 'Booker Ervin' on tenor sax, trumpeter 'Ted Curson', the exposed 'Dannie Richmond' behind the drums and not forgetting the champion 'Eric Dolphy' on alto and bass clarinet, 'Mingus' offers in the lineup his trademark songs, such as 'Better Git Hit in Your Soul', 'What Love' & 'Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting' as well as a stunning version of the standard 'I'll Remember April' to which added to the group the piano played by an old friend 'Bud Powell'.

They return at last available in vinyl format, along with its beautiful original sleeve, the sessions by the great trumpet player 'Chet Baker' played in Milan in the autumn of 1959 in the company of some of the best Italian Jazz musicians of that time such as 'Gianni Basso', 'Renato Sellani', 'Franco Cerri', 'Glauco Masetti', etc. In the first LP, 'Sextet & Quartet' we find a brilliant and inspired 'Chet Baker' busy re-reading a number of classic songs such as 'Look for the Silver Lining', 'Tune Up', 'Line for Lyons', 'Pent Up House', 'Tune Up' etc. accompanied beautifully by Italian musicians, absolutely on par with his fellow musicians far afield !!!.

Too Late Blues (1962) is certainly one of the greatest films ever made about the jazz world, It was a perfect match between subject matter and filmmaker. In 1959, Cassavetes had starred in a TV series called Johnny Staccato, playing a jazzman who moonlights as a detective. The film's brilliant music score is courtesy of David Raksin and performed by such jazz legends as Benny Carter, Red Mitchell and Shelly Manne. Raksin's theme tune, mimed by Ghost's group during the opening credits, immediately establishes the film's cool, sardonic tone, and neatly mimics the attitude with which the actors deliver their lines. The easy way out would have been to do standards, but Raksin wrote all original music for the film, even for the source cues. And what music it is - Raksin at his best, and Raksin at his best is as good as it gets.

Simply one of the greatest guitarists in jazz history, George Benson is an amazingly versatile musician, whose adept skills find him crossing easily between straight-ahead jazz, smooth jazz, and contemporary R&B. Blessed with supreme taste, a beautiful, rounded guitar tone, terrific speed, a marvelous sense of logic in building solos, and, always, an unquenchable urge to swing, Benson's inspirations may have been Charlie Christian and Wes Montgomery, but his style is completely his own. Not only can he play lead brilliantly, he is also one of the best rhythm guitarists around, supportive to soloists and a dangerous swinger, particularly in a soul-jazz format. Yet Benson can also sing in a lush, soulful tenor with mannerisms similar to those of Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway, and it is his voice that has proven more marketable to the public than his guitar. Benson is the guitar-playing equivalent of Nat King Cole -- a fantastic pianist whose smooth way with a pop vocal eventually eclipsed his instrumental prowess in the marketplace -- but unlike Cole, Benson has been granted enough time after his fling with the pop charts to reaffirm his jazz guitar credentials, which he still does at his concerts.

In the wake of "This Masquerade," the balance of power shifted for the first time toward George Benson's suddenly marketable voice, four of the six tracks on In Flight are vocals. By this time, Benson was tailoring his tenor toward soulful pitch-bending à la Stevie Wonder on tunes as diverse as "Nature Boy" and "The World Is a Ghetto," and the unison scatting with the guitar that caught fire with the public on Masquerade is now pulled out whenever possible. Benson's backing band from Breezin', still set in its funk mode, is intact, and Claus Ogerman again contributes gentle orchestral cushions. The two instrumentals, particularly Donny Hathaway's "Valdez in the Country," prove that Benson remained a brilliantly inventive melodist on guitar, in full possession of his powers. Yet there is every indication here that Benson was set upon becoming primarily a pop star. By Richard S. Ginell/AMG

Michelle Legrand, the so-called Mozart of the new wave cinema, was made fully aware that he was actually the director's second choice for EVA's soundtrack. He originally wanted Miles Davis for the project. But his beautifully constructed jazz score serves as a perfect compliment to director Joseph Losey's charismatic images of the films Venetian setting. It is the main character of the movie, Eva's love of jazz music that is reflected within Legrand's score. The film also contains two Billie Holiday tracks 'Willow Weep for Me' and 'Loveless Love. A fascinating and musically rich score, one of those European 60's soundtracks that simply shouldn't be missed!

Thanks to 'Your Servant Records' Label this appears for the first time in Europe and the United States in an LP format album by Miles Davis 'Miles 1958'. Originally published and in limited copies in Japan in 1974, this LP contains the first recordings made in the New York studio's of Columbia Records on May 26, 1958 by the star himself and newly formed sextet directed by trumpeter Miles Davis, including 'John Coltrane', 'Julian "Cannonball" Adderley', 'Bill Evans', 'Paul Chambers' and 'Jimmy Cobb' !!! The four tracks recorded and published originally being 'On Green Dolphin Street', 'Fran Dance', 'Stella By Starlight' and 'Love For Sale' - In this special LP version a signature song is added by top saxophonist Jackie McLean 'Little Melonae', coming from a previous sitting in October 26, 1955, which produced the album 'Round About Midnight' formed by the first great quintet with 'Miles', 'John Coltrane', 'Red Garland' on piano, again 'Paul Chambers' and the drums of 'Philly "Joe" Jones.

The sounds of Brazil in the late 60's were thriving with creative growth in thought and world minded values. The age of fusion was alive and well and a lost hidden gem from this era comes in the sole Pedro Santos 1968 LP Krishnanda. Tracks include "Ritual Negro", "Água Viva", "Um Só", "Sem Sombra", "Savana", "Advertência", "Quem Sou Eu", "Flor de Lótus", "Dentro da Selva", "Desengano da Vista", "Dual", "Aranbindu".

A Tribute To Sun Ra" & "Latino In Cairo". This record represents The Cairo Jazz Band responding to the American Jazz scene of the 60s & 70s with influences from Mongo Santamaria to Randy Weston and Sun Ra. These tracks were first presented by The Ministry Of Culture in Cairo as a Prism Music Production and released with an additional disk by the composer Soliman Gamil Musical Images. This release marks the first time Salah Ragab and The Cairo Jazz Bands definitive works are presented to the west. Salah Rageb R.I.P

The vitality you hear on Antique Blacks is a testament to the unique energy of the community around The Foxhole Cafe in Philadelphia, as Ra honed his unique brand of Afro-Futurism through the late 60's and 70's. Cosmic theatre, spiritual chants, and experimental electronics make this record an essential document that was ahead of its time. Ancient to future! BIG TIP !

For the first time on a Double LP', the complete concert by pianist 'Thelonious Monk', the front man of his all-star orchestra, played at the 'Town Hall' in New York on February 29, 1959. Original songs by the pianist, have become truly classics of Modern Jazz among which 'Friday The 13th', 'Monk's Mood', 'Off Minor', etc. They are embellished along with 'Phil Woods', 'Donald Byrd' & 'Pepper Adams', some of the great soloists in this amazing orchestra put together by 'Monk'. In this special edition a further 3 songs are included being 'In Walked Bud', 'Blue Monk' and 'Little Rootie Tootie (Encore)' - coming from the same concert - for the very first time on Vinyl thanks to the label Your Servant Records'.

The all new and incredible follow-up to the successful Britxotica! and Britxotica Goes East! LPs. But this time Jonny Trunk and legendary DJ Martin Green take you to a magical musical place full of tropical delights - with songs of heatwaves, coral reefs, Haitian rituals and treasure islands, not forgetting the stormy seas and the odd hurricane. 16 tracks in all from a post war era of musical adventure - this is Britxotica at it's very hottest, most exotic and very best - just incredible, rare, lost and exotic music from the wild British isles!

A collection of atmospheric tracks between classical compositions, Detroit techno and oldschool deep house.

Third volume for "Beautiful Cover Version" .A collection of classic pop, and rock revisited in genenre jazz, lounge, chill. and d acustic

Ash Walker is back people!Here we have his latest single - 'Promotion' and 'Truffles', taken from his critically acclaimed album, recently released on Deep Heads entitled 'Echo Chamber'.Support on the singles leading up to the album has been nothing short of fantastic, hearing the likes of Don Letts, Gilles Peterson, Gideon Coe, Tom Ravenscroft (all BBC 6Music), Dom Servini (Wah Wah 45's), Lefto & Zeb Samuels all spinning tunes on regular rotation.The A-side 'Promotion' manages to seamlessly combine a wide variety of styles and musical influences into one effortlessly understated track. It opens with the type of squelchy bassline that you might expect to hear on a Flying Lotus or Spacek track, before introducing a messy breakbeat that Ash delivers with finesse. These two elements are reinforced by off-beat guitar chords and a high-pitched synth line that provide that all important hook.Maintaining the 'live' sound that Ash has been honing during the development of his second album (live trio coming soon), B-side 'Truffles' is a laid-back, hazy and introspective three minute jam that is a masterpiece of a recording.As a DJ, Ash has long performed in support of prestigious acts including The Specials, Lee Scratch Perry, and David Rodigan, but now signed to Deep Heads, his productions are receiving the increased attention they deserve. 'Augmented 7th', received staunch radio support from BBC 6 Music, with air time play from the likes of Gideon Coe, Gilles Peterson Don Letts and Tom Robinson whilst also receiving glowing praises from publications such as Clash Magazine, Okayplayer, XLR8R & Konbini

Massimo Minardi, founder of the quartet, composed almost the entire repertoire of the group. The central element of the M4et music, so the whole project "Heading North", is the melodic research. The melody is imposed over the styles and labels, while maintaining the inspiration jazz and letting the narrative becomes the main focal point for the listener. The group are :
Massimo Minardi: guitar
Michelangelo Decorated: piano
Stefano Solani: bass
Nicola Foreign players: drums

New Sarah Jane and Antonio Forcione Album "Compared To What" reaches peaks of great musical beauty thanks to the particular Antonio virtuosity on the guitar and the legendary voice of Sarah Jane, now more finely persuasive than ever. Overall, this is a winning collaboration between two of the most unique musicians and the world stage talented. Each of the components of this duo has been likened to a remarkable series of musical geniuses, including Janis Joplin and Tom Waits (voice), but also Jimi Hendrix (Music). Truly, Sarah Jane and Anthony are great in themselves artists. By combining their energies, they have a common audience and broaden the scope in which each of them is appreciated, giving their longtime fans a chance to know them in a new dimension and at the same time attracting new audiences with the intensity and artistic talent of their particular union. In addition to the social awareness songs for the tragedy of the refugees, 'Compared to What' includes comedy, love songs and memorable covers : Stevie Wonder and Bob Dylan.

The debut album from Spanish outfit Forastero delivers a riotous but groove driven jazz-punk setlist featuring a theremin and a wonky Hammond organ re-work of the Orbital classic, 'The Box'. El Submarinista en el tejado ('Diver on the Roof'), is Sonic Youth intense in its climactic peaks and drips in filmic Morricone quirk when taking breath. Bolstered with baritones and a fistful of brass, it is the band's debut and fittingly comes out on the long-respected Madrid label, Lovemonk. Made up by a group of players from Madrid's jazz, Afrobeat and black music scene, Forastero are little known out of Spain, yet they have been experimenting with fuzzed up and leftfield beats and pieces in many of the capital's renowned live music 'salas' over the years. A six-piece, the group plays baritone sax, keys, synths, double bass, guitar, theremin and drums, and have no interest in playing fiddle to Madrid's conservative jazz audiences. In fact, it's the environment of a somewhat static new jazz scene in Madrid that has given the impetus for Forastero's creation and 'outsider' attitude. Literally their name, 'Forastero', means 'stranger' or 'foreigner'. Recorded between September 2015 and July 2016 in Madrid, there is obvious anxiety and angst in this production but delivered with a poetry akin to a Tortoise or Brandt Brauer Frick production. 'The Box' is a cover of the Orbital classic, a syncopated and supple track jumping between loose expressions of ska and dub. 'Baile Watusi' charms with its collision of frantic jazz and chopped up sinuous funk, and 'Morfina', the lead single, evokes sixties soul and is a posthumous nod to renowned bass player, Mark Sandman. Throughout El Submarinista en el tejado the band don't hide their fondness for the big screen, with the spaghetti western-like quality of 'Por la Calle de la amargura' an obvious example without being overwhelmingly pastiche. With the additional influences name checked by the group, such as Cinematic Orchestra, Jaga Jazzist, Red Snapper, Esbjörn Svenson Trio and Acoustic Ladyland, you get an idea of why their self-proclaimed tag as 'outsiders' has stuck. The loose attitude to formula or structure in Forastero's work stands out a mile. Certainly their jazz and improvisational backgrounds has heavily influenced the writing process. There's a tight and intuitive rhythm section, which is frequently held together by a narrative quality in Dani Niño's saxophone lead. "We play jazz as rockers, twisting things and always experimenting", says Javier Gallego, the drummer. And onwards the band marches, irritating and entertaining all who hears them. The album cover is a photo by renowned Spanish photographer Alberto García-Alix called "San Carlos, un horizonte falso" ("San Carlos, a false horizon"). The story behind it fits the album like a glove: San Carlos doesn't exist. The artist ordered a bespoke model of a city, and in his studio, using lights and shadows, he photographed a city where everybody is a stranger. Forastero are Javier Colis, Javier Diez-Ena, Javier Gallego "Crudo", Dani Niño, Juan Carlos "Chavi" Ontoria, and Sergio Salvo.

First Word are proud to present 'OnePointOne' from Myele Manzanza, recorded live at the legendary Blue Whale in Los Angeles. The son of a Congolese master percussionist, New Zealand born Myele first gained international attention as one third of NZ soul act, Electric Wire Hustle. After six years of performing, recording and touring with the band that he formed, he left in 2013 in order to release his solo debut One (BBE).

By this time Myele had become an in-demand musician, culminating in 2014 when he joined dance music pioneer Theo Parrish as the drummer of his live outfit The Unit. As a drummer and a sideman he continues to tour internationally and collaborate with a broad range of artists including Mark de Clive-Lowe, FW label-mate Ross McHenry, Sorceress, Amp Fiddler, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Marcus Strickland, Recloose, Jordan Rakei and most recently joining Australian contemporary dance company, KAGE, in their forthcoming dance and drum based performance Out Of Earshot.

His roots in jazz and African rhythm, (as well as his childhood love of hip hop and dance music) bring a uniquely diverse take to his music. This is evident on OnePointOne, where he fuses a traditional jazz trio with a string quartet, underpinned with an undeniable hip-hop swagger. The album features the stellar talents of pianistprogrammer Mark de Clive-Lowe, and the Quartetto Fantastico string quartet led by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Suite For Ma Dukes), virtuoso bassist Ben Shepherd and guest vocalists Nia Andrews and Charlie K. The dynamic rendition of City Of Atlantis was deftly arranged by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and captured in a stunning live video by Eric Coleman of Mochilla (Timeless, Suite for Ma Dukes).

As well as live takes on some of the material from his debut album, there are covers of Theo Parrish, Jill Scott and the late, great Bobby Hutcherson, capturing an intimate performance from a fearless artist at the hub of the resurgent West Coast Jazz scene.

The Delegation is a project of young phenom Gabriel Zucker that mixes jazz, classical, electronica, rock, and more into a new sound that lives up to ESP-Disk's old catchphrase, "You never heard such sounds in your life!" This improvising group came together at the 2013 Banff Jazz and Creative Music Workshop and was soon commissioned by the American Composers Forum, the result is the twelve-movement work on this twodisc set, which was premiered at the Jazz Gallery in New York City in 2014 and earned ASCAP's Morton Gould Young Composers Award.

The release of a triple vinyl set with a selection of twenty-three emblematic tracks celebrates eight years of musical research and experimentation featuring Cuba's musical avant-garde under the curation of Gilles Peterson with the backing of the Havana Cultura project.

In 2008, DJ and globetrotter Gilles Peterson was approached by the melomaniac at the helm of Havana Cultura - an initiative to showcase and support Cuban creativity by Cuban rum maker Havana Club -, inviting him to Cuba to check out Havana's underground music scene with a view to making an album. While some might associate Cuba simply with salsa or Buena Vista Social Club, there was a new generation of artists teeming with new sounds, waiting for an opportunity to reveal their talent to the world.

That first trip was the beginning of what has now been an eight-year-long collaboration between Peterson, his Brownswood Recordings label and Havana Club's cultural platform. It first resulted in the release of Havana Cultura: New Cuba Sound, an acclaimed double album that included original productions and a compilation of existing tracks across a range of genres reflecting contemporary Cuba's musical diversity: jazz, hip hop, reggaeton and plenty in between.

From there, the first edition of Havana Cultura Sessions, a solo release from Danay Suarez - a standout talent in the sessions for New Cuba Sound - came next, followed by Havana Cultura Remixed, joining the dots - with remixes from Louis Vega and 4 Hero - between Cuba and global club culture. After that, 2011's Havana Cultura: The Search Continues was the next attempt to dig deep into the different corners of the island's contemporary music scene. Joining Peterson on that trip was dubstep pioneer Mala, who took recordings and sessions with Cuban artists as the basis for Mala in Cuba, an album marrying together UK soundsystem culture with the deep rhythmic possibilities of Cuba.

On Havana Cultura Mix - The Soundclash!, the project was opened up to fledgling electronic producers through a remix competition for unsigned beatmakers. Top entries were chosen from mixes submitted online, with winners being flown to Cuba to collaborate with some of the island's finest artists. The Havana Cultura Sessions EP by Daymé Arocena, which followed, was the first solo release by a vocalist and choir leader who had been too young to record when Peterson and the Havana Cultura team had first encountered her stunning voice.

Finally, 2016 saw the release of Havana Club Rumba Sessions - Peterson returned to Cuba with old friend Crispin Robinson, who guided him through the rumba traditions running deep through all of the music which has followed it. The album saw the three central rhythms to rumba - guaguancó, yambú and columbia - remixed and reimagined by a diverse range of producers from around the world.

With a new album by Arocena on the way, the Havana Cultura album series continues to be a vital route into the best that the contemporary Cuban music scene has to offer.

At Havana Club, we're proud of our Cuban origins. Havana is one of the world's most buoyant cultural scenes - particularly when it comes to music - and we were eager to give a bigger voice to a generation of young artists whose work is decidedly modern, yet firmly anchored in the richness of Cuba's musical tradition,' explains François Renié, who runs the initiative at Havana Club.

The Havana Cultura project gave me the chance to go deep in a country that had intrigued me ever since I was digging for Latin records as a young DJ,' recalls Gilles. From the first release up to now, it's been about taking that spirit of the Buena Vista Social Club to show a new generation of artists and opening it up to as big an audience as possible. Picking the tracks for this anthology, I wanted to show modern Cuba alongside the remixes, putting it in the context of a global club culture.'

Notes to the editor:

- The Havana Cultura initiative was founded in 2007 under the auspices of Cuban rum maker Havana Club. Proud of its Cuban roots and with a firm commitment to the development of a diverse and vibrant arts scene in its home country, the brand has taken a leading role in the promotion of contemporary Cuban creativity through a multimedia digital platform, Havana-Cultura.com, an album series produced with Gilles Peterson and Brownswood Recordings, and sponsored or owned events, both in Cuba and abroad.

- Havana Club is Cuba's iconic rum brand sold in over 120 countries, excluding the US, where Cuban products are banned due to the trade embargo.

The release of a triple vinyl set with a selection of twenty-three emblematic tracks celebrates eight years of musical research and experimentation featuring Cuba's musical avant-garde under the curation of Gilles Peterson with the backing of the Havana Cultura project. In 2008, DJ and globetrotter Gilles Peterson was approached by the melomaniac at the helm of Havana Cultura - an initiative to showcase and support Cuban creativity by Cuban rum maker Havana Club -, inviting him to Cuba to check out Havana's underground music scene with a view to making an album. While some might associate Cuba simply with salsa or Buena Vista Social Club, there was a new generation of artists teeming with new sounds, waiting for an opportunity to reveal their talent to the world. That first trip was the beginning of what has now been an eight-year-long collaboration between Peterson, his Brownswood Recordings label and Havana Club's cultural platform. It first resulted in the release of Havana Cultura: New Cuba Sound, an acclaimed double album that included original productions and a compilation of existing tracks across a range of genres reflecting contemporary Cuba's musical diversity: jazz, hip hop, reggaeton and plenty in between. From there, the first edition of Havana Cultura Sessions, a solo release from Danay Suarez - a standout talent in the sessions for New Cuba Sound - came next, followed by Havana Cultura Remixed, joining the dots - with remixes from Louis Vega and 4 Hero - between Cuba and global club culture. After that, 2011's Havana Cultura: The Search Continues was the next attempt to dig deep into the different corners of the island's contemporary music scene. Joining Peterson on that trip was dubstep pioneer Mala, who took recordings and sessions with Cuban artists as the basis for Mala in Cuba, an album marrying together UK soundsystem culture with the deep rhythmic possibilities of Cuba.On Havana Cultura Mix - The Soundclash!, the project was opened up to fledgling electronic producers through a remix competition for unsigned beatmakers. Top entries were chosen from mixes submitted online, with winners being flown to Cuba to collaborate with some of the island's finest artists. The Havana Cultura Sessions EP by Daymé Arocena, which followed, was the first solo release by a vocalist and choir leader who had been too young to record when Peterson and the Havana Cultura team had first encountered her stunning voice.Finally, 2016 saw the release of Havana Club Rumba Sessions - Peterson returned to Cuba with old friend Crispin Robinson, who guided him through the rumba traditions running deep through all of the music which has followed it. The album saw the three central rhythms to rumba - guaguancó, yambú and columbia - remixed and reimagined by a diverse range of producers from around the world. With a new album by Arocena on the way, the Havana Cultura album series continues to be a vital route into the best that the contemporary Cuban music scene has to offer. At Havana Club, we're proud of our Cuban origins. Havana is one of the world's most buoyant cultural scenes - particularly when it comes to music - and we were eager to give a bigger voice to a generation of young artists whose work is decidedly modern, yet firmly anchored in the richness of Cuba's musical tradition,' explains François Renié, who runs the initiative at Havana Club.The Havana Cultura project gave me the chance to go deep in a country that had intrigued me ever since I was digging for Latin records as a young DJ,' recalls Gilles. From the first release up to now, it's been about taking that spirit of the Buena Vista Social Club to show a new generation of artists and opening it up to as big an audience as possible. Picking the tracks for this anthology, I wanted to show modern Cuba alongside the remixes, putting it in the context of a global club culture.Notes to the editor:The Havana Cultura initiative was founded in 2007 under the auspices of Cuban rum maker Havana Club. Proud of its Cuban roots and with a firm commitment to the development of a diverse and vibrant arts scene in its home country, the brand has taken a leading role in the promotion of contemporary Cuban creativity through a multimedia digital platform, Havana-Cultura.com, an album series produced with Gilles Peterson and Brownswood Recordings, and sponsored or owned events, both in Cuba and abroad. Havana Club is Cuba's iconic rum brand sold in over 120 countries,excluding the US, where Cuban products are banned due to the trade embargo.

'Joy' is BBF's fourth album and the first one to be truly vocalist-focused and song-centric.

With the help of Canadian poet-singer Beaver Sheppard who played an prominent role the composition, BBF explore what the band-members describe as 'post-religious' themes, such as struggling to find joy in times of uncertainty and instability. This makes it without any doubt BBF's 'Nietzsche album'.

Following on from their latest album 'Miami' (2013) BBF keeps moving away from the dark mood of their early releases and the image of a 'classical new music ensemble' to resemble more closely an 'experimental rock band'. With much more grit and growl than before, they draw upon genres and styles that are not conventionally associated with joy: krautrock, punk, drum'n'bass, indie rock, new wave, and pretty much every other '-wave' from the 80s.

With each track offering a contrasting combination of styles and genres, BFF succeed in devoting a whole album to a single feeling without making it either monotone or cliché. Instead, they build on euphoria to expand and enrich electronic music's emotional range with new textures. More than an album, it is an emotional journey.

Black Beauty, Miles Davis At Fillmore West, was recorded on April 10, 1970 at Fillmore West, San Francisco, when Davis performed as the opening act for the Grateful Dead. The recording took place shortly after the release of Miles' classic album Bitches Brew. The album was released in 1973, originally in Japan only.
Black Beauty, a true jazz-rock album, captured one of Davis' first performances at a rock venue during the early stages of his electric period. At the concert, he led his band (saxophonist Steve Grossman, bassist Dave Holland, keyboardist Chick Corea, drummer Jack DeJohnette, and percussionist Airto Moreira) through one continuously performed set list. The songs in the band's set list were as followed: Directions', Miles Runs the Voodoo Down', Willie Nelson', I Fall In Love Too Easily', Sanctuary', It's About That Time', Bitches Brew', Masqualero', Spanish Key', and The Theme'. They were performed as one continuous and uninterrupted piece of music, a practice Davis had begun in 1967. He later explained in his autobiography that performing these kinds of long musical suites without breaks allowed more space for improvisations in concert.

New album of previously unreleased music recorded 1962 at Auditorium Maximum/ Freie Universität in Berlin. Austrian genius Friedrich Gulda on piano and baritone saxophone, leading a 13-piece, top-shelf lineup of players featuring Benny Bailey, Erich Kleinschuster, Georg Riedel, Fatty George, Arne Domnérus and Ack van Rooyen. Sparkling modern jazz in front of an excited audience, including Parker`s Anthropology', Monk`s Round About Midnight' plus original material by Gulda and Riedel, with world premiere of Music For Three Soloists And Band'. It is the rhythmic drive, the risk, the absolute contrast to the pale, academic approach I had been taught'. (F.Gulda in New York Times).