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Jazz Saxo Session is one of the first connected discs of Jazz Collection.

Grouped by instrumental theme, this jazz compilation features the greatest names in jazz: Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Stan Getz...

The podcasts on the history of jazz offered in the Viny application (on IOS or Android) are fascinating.

And if jazz is in you, you'll love to continue the experience with the Jazz Collection by Vinyl & Media suite.

The American-based funk/disco band Heatwave formed in 1975 and its lineup originally consisted of Johnnie Wilder Jr., Rod Temperton, Roy Carter, Mario Mantese, Ernest (Bilbo) Berger and Eric Johns. Their most popular hits include “Boogie Nights” and “Always And Forever”, which both feature on the 1976 debut album Too Hot To Handle. “Boogie Nights” charted at #2 on both the UK Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified Platinum by the RIAA. The track was covered many times, including by KC and the Sunshine Band, Will To Power, 911 and The Weather Girls. The album Too Hot To Handle is produced by Barry Blue, who also produced for Andrea Bocelli, Diana Ross, Celine Dion and The Wanted amongst others.

Too Hot To Handle is available on vinyl for the first time as a 2LP expanded edition, featuring 8 bonus tracks, including 2 alternative versions of their disco classic “Boogie Nights”. This 2LP-set is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on pink & purple marbled vinyl.

On their transformative debut album Nakshatra, violinists Trina Basu and Arun Ramamurthy reach both deep into their past and high into the celestial realm, culminating in a lush and spiritual collaboration that bridges traditions and defies genres

A Sanskrit word evocative of constellations, stars, and interconnectedness, nakshatra perfectly encapsulates the album's expansive sound, which quite surprisingly, is made by just two violins vibrating together in sublime harmony.

Profoundly intimate yet bearing a cinematic gravitas, this work five years in the making conveys a feeling of two souls in conversation spanning hundreds of years into the past and the future. Basu (Karavika) and Ramamurthy (Arun Ramamurthy Trio) are deeply rooted in traditions of South Indian classical music, Western chamber music, and jazz, uniquely positioning them to create a sound that feels ancient, orchestral, and contemporary or as The New Yorker put it, "free- flowing and globe- spanning.

Through the duo's grounding in tradition paired with their fluency in improvisation, the compositions on Nakshatra have a clear architecture, which allows space for
their two violins to be deliciously indiscernible while shining individually. Basu
says of the duo's collaboration, our hope for our music is to be a meeting point for
the tradition of South Indian classical music raga music that Arun comes from
and Western classical music and creative improvisation that I come from, and
bring these pieces together in a way that creates a sound that reflects who we
are, a sound that reflects our multicultural background, and our experiences in
this world."

Following the success of his 2022 mod-club, soul-jazz adventure with Mick Talbot, on 27 January Acid Jazz Records will release Chris Bangs' compendium of dance-floor fillers and Latin dynamite. Chris, who coined the term 'acid jazz', has created a new solo album of 10 tracks that takes his unique spin on jazz DJ-ing and turned it to producing an album that is totally reminiscent of the classic '80s era on the UK dance scene.

Recent single 'Firebird' (Jazz FM's Breakfast show 'track of the week') encompasses a lifetime of Chris's musical influences to present a jazz-tastic smorgasbord of bossa, fusion, bop jazz funk, salsa and a myriad selection of other jazz stylings all delivered with his trademark ear for the grooves and melodies to go with it. Paying tribute to his roots, 'East Coast' is the distinctive sound of jazz-funk fusion which spread through UK clubs in the early '80s, whereas 'Dinamita's heavy duty percussion-led Montuno Salsa groove tips its hat to the sound of '70s NYC via Puerto Rico.



Elsewhere the album features a tough Batucada rework of Dom Um Romao's 'Kitchen (Cosina)', the bossa of Cal Tjader's 'Samba Do Sueno', Brazilian disco funk-jazz 'Sambara' via the epic samba fusion 'Lifetimes'. Firebird features an array of in-demand and exceptional musicians, including jazz guitarist Nigel Price (Van Morrison, David Axelrod, JTQ), supreme jazz piano stylist Janette Mason (Seal, KD Lang, Robert Wyatt), trumpeter Dave Priseman (Jeff Beck, Imelda May), bassist Ernie Mckone (Boogie Back), saxophonist Simon Bates (Elvis Costello, Chaka Khan, Carleen Anderson), and fresh from his remix work with Paul Weller, vibesman Roger Beaujolais. This brilliant team of collaborators have helped a remarkable musical maverick create a truly unique and incredibly exciting album. Independently self-produced and composed, Firebird is a set of tunes better than any Chris Bangs had ever done.

One of New York's early pioneers of techno and DJ culture, Reade Truth has been an integral part of the cities' techno history. His first of over two dozen releases came out in 1994 on the Brooklyn underground acid label, Direct Drive. Since then, his releases have made many a mark on labels like Planet E, Strictly Rhythm, Sonic Groove, Instinct, Pomelo, Wurst, N-Syde, Path Records and so on. Basic Moves continues the New York vs. Belgium love story with six carefully selected tracks (never released before!) out of Reade his personal archive. (NOTE: original liner notes will be written by his best friend Adam X)

The second single to be pulled from upcoming BBE album ‘Strata Records – The Sound of Detroit – Reimagined By Jazzanova’, ‘Saturday Night Special’ features remixes by Kai Alcé and DJ Amir & Re.decay, as well as The Lyman Woodard Organization’s 1975 original. Possibly the best-known piece of music from the Strata label’s diverse and innovative catalogue, the unique, low-fi, moody, understated aesthetic of ‘Saturday Night Special’ has captured the hearts of music fans and DJs worldwide. “When I first heard the Lyman Woodard Organization ’Saturday Night Special’,” says DJ Amir, “I thought it was a song from a Blaxploitation soundtrack. Once I realized that Lyman was from Detroit, I immediately thought that if there was ever a ’theme song’ for Detroit that ’Saturday Night Special’ would be it. There is such a cinematic vibe to the song full of grit, rawness, and determination that just soaks into your veins. This album/song will always be in my bag of records to survive the apocalypse with!’” When DJ Amir and Jazzanova began work on the ‘Reimagined’ project, breathing new life into the Strata Records archive, this jazz-funk classic was right at the top of the list of ‘musts’ for the band to re-interpret. “I had no idea what direction they were going to go, musically” says Amir. “The original song had been sampled more than a few times, but in my opinion, it was never done tastefully. However, from the first practice session, I knew that they were spot on with the right direction! Their version is the perfect blend of Detroit and Berlin!” Kai Alcé’s ‘NDATL’ remix of ‘Saturday Night Special’ (named, like his label, after his three hometowns of New York, Detroit, ATLanta) brings a sure-footed lightness to Jazzanova’s version of the song, making the absolute most of the track’s stellar horn solos. “After hearing the unreleased Kamasi Washington/Gregory Porter remixes he did, I knew I had to reach out Kai” says Amir. “With this remix, he stretches out the track into a seven minute groove, in the direction of a soulful house/future jazz interpretation.” Alongside his Berlin production partners, Re.decay DJ Amir turns in a low-slung rework of ‘Saturday Night Special’, using as many parts from the Jazzanova version as possible. “We tried to emulate the intro to one of my favourite jazz dance tracks, ‘Expansions’ by Lonnie Liston Smith” says Amir. Mission accomplished.

Reissue of Amédée Ô Suriam's banger 'Hot Shot' in editted form, comes with two very dope remixes by 'Manoo'.. Sourced from the master tapes and properly remastered!

Amédée Ô Suriam was one of those flamboyant souls touched by grace. Percussionist, author, composer, singer, stylist, sculptor, the Martiniquan put his divine inspiration at the service of a hybrid and visionary creation. His sudden death in 1992, while in his thirties, left behind him "Tension Hot-Shot", his only solo release from 1989. A resolutely avant-garde track, whose fusion of traditional African and Caribbean music with the beginnings of the house movement in Europe is underlined by the subtitle "Afro House" on the A side of the EP, a term that was barely used until then. It is this mysteriously precursory track that Chineurs de House has found, remastered and reissued today, finally shedding light on the fascinating work of an artist who had fallen into oblivion.

Vocals (Tension Hot-Shot) : M.C. Kann, Amédée Ô Suriam & Marie-José FA
Chorus-Keyboard (Tension Hot-Shot) : Luther Pérau
Chorus (Tension Hot-Shot) : Prosper St-Aimé, Rémi Laposte
Synth-Bass (Tension Hot-Shot) : Fred Montabord
Saxophone (Tension Hot-Shot) : Pietro Lacirignola
Structure (Tension Hot-Shot) : Allan Dee, J.C. Broche

Mastering : Perception Mastering
Remix (Tension Hot-Shot) : Manoo
Remix (Laissez Yo) : Jonquera
Remix (Roulé) : Manoo

Written & Composed by Amédée O Suriam

Recto picture : Rail Production
Verso picture : Bruno Resdedant
Graphic Design : Patrick Richard re-arranged by Clara Carpentier
Stylists : Joseph Zim & Amadéus

Special Thanks
Joëlle Suriam, Baptiste Heiles, Gildas Lointier, Aurélien Lévêque

For the first time on CD and LP, an anthology celebrating the work of composer, arranger, producer and pianist Webster Lewis from his time at Epic Records. The era of 1976-1981 is one of polished, luxurious jazz funk and soul, defined by Webster across his four albums at Epic supported by an array of guest musicians, lush string sections and often uncredited singers. This collection contains the artist’s signature tracks “Barbara Ann”, “Give Me Some Emotion”, “El Bobo” and recently uncovered gems from the vaults “Reach Out”, “Boston” and “Japanese Umbrella”. The CD features an exclusive essay written by Will Fox with unique insights from the legendary DJ Patrick Forge. The recently discovered recordings appear on vinyl for the first time on the LP edition.

Defected continues to commit the label’s biggest digital releases to wax, delivering some of the best house music on vinyl for the very first time. The thirteenth EP in this series brings some of 2022’s biggest tracks together while spotlighting the experienced producers behind them. The A-side celebrates Harry Romero & Inaya Day’s collaboration ‘Rise Up’, originally released in June, the duo brightened the summer that followed with this instant club favourite. The A-side continues with the Deep In Jersey remix of ‘Rise Up’, offering a deeper and dubbier version of the original for selectors. The B-side showcases two cuts from the industry’s best, ‘Push The Feeling’ by Spanish selector and Urbana Records boss David Penn, featuring expertly layered vocals from Leon Stanford. Next up, ‘When The Dust Clears’ is a soulful collaboration between Defected favourite Mike Dunn and songstress LOA., demonstrating the producer’s revered hip-hop inspired sound.

The timeless music and expert arrangements are about the only things smoother than the powder-blue suits sported by the Spinners on the cover of their resplendent self-titled 1972 record. The band's first album for Atlantic after departing Motown, Spinners ranks as an all-time soul classic – a filler-free set boasting immaculate harmonies, sweet melodies, and impeccably matched vocals. Thom Bell's flawless production puts it all over the top. Yielding an ideal balance of lushness and grit, the collaboration between the Detroit-based group and studio veteran yielded a record that birthed the celebrated Philadelphia Sound. Now, you can finally experience it in audiophile-grade sonics.

While the career-defining performances within the grooves cannot be overlooked, Spinners remains equally notable for its historical importance. At the dawn of the 70s, Motown still held sway as the dominant soul style. Yet the Spinners' decision to move to Atlantic – prompted by a suggestion by Aretha Franklin – and refashion their approach with Bell signalled a sea change that ushered in a smoother, sweeter variety of R&B punctuated with sweeping strings, jazzy flourishes, brassy replies, and funk rhythms. Few, if any, vocal groups mesh these traits more convincingly, pleasingly, and naturally than the Spinners on this watershed effort.

Anchored by Top 5 smashes like "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love," Spinners signalled the beginning of a partnership with Bell that lasted seven years and elevated the band to stardom. Indeed, even in spite of the four hit singles, the record remains defined by an artistic consistency, watertight focus, and collective unity that make everything here deserving of close attention. Flush with catchy hooks and pop accents, each song is treated as a potential anthem. Laden with depth and richness, Bell's savvy, wide-open arrangements frame the Spinners' satiny singing with sensual class and refined delicacy.

Heaven-sent voices do the rest. Making his first appearance on record as a member, Philippe Wynne treats the carefully honed material as a breakout session for his dulcet tenor on tracks such as "One of a Kind (Love Affair)." Not to be outdone, the equally measured Bobbie Smith mesmerizes with his deft phrasing, reedy timbre, and sparkling clarity, never finer than on the million-selling "I'll Be Around." Solo or paired together, Wynne and Smith's glorious leads run the gamut from upbeat and optimistic to sad and forlorn, forming the backbone of a masterwork that addresses romance ("Just You and Me Baby"), regret ("How Could I Let You Get Away"), and social ills ("Ghetto Child") with consummate passion.

One of These Nights occupies an important, unique place in the Eagles' discography given it represents the final album the group made before releasing the bajillion-selling Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) compilation. The timing is telling. A coming-out party for Glenn Frey and Don Henley's songwriting skills, the studio record – the band's fourth, and its first to hit #1 on the charts – signifies the group's ascent to superstar status. Home to three massive singles (the title track, "Lyin' Eyes," and "Take It to the Limit") and nominated for four Grammy Awards, the quadruple-platinum 1975 effort solidified the Eagles' Southern California-reared sound and made the band a household name.

Mastered from the original analog tapes, pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl, and limited to 10,000 copies, Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP vinyl box set takes One of These Nights to the limit. And then some. Playing with reference sonics and a practically indiscernible noise floor thanks to MoFi SuperVinyl's special formula, it provides a rich, dynamic, transparent, and three-dimensional view into a release that moved country-rock ahead by leaps and bounds – and paved the way for the Eagles' ascendancy to global superstardom. The opportunity to zero in on the particulars of the Eagles' golden harmonies, distinct vocal timbres, and cohesive interplay has never been better.

Visually, the premium packaging and presentation of the UD1S One of These Nights pressing befit its esteemed status. Housed in a deluxe box, it features beautiful foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendour of the recording. From every angle, this UD1S reissue exists as a curatorial artefact meant to be preserved, touched, and examined. It is made for discerning listeners that prize sound quality and production, and who desire to fully immerse themselves in the art – and everything involved with the album, from the renowned cover art to the meticulous finishes. As much as any Eagles LP, the connection between the imagery and the music and the band on One of These Nights runs deep. No wonder it led to a Grammy Nomination for Best Album Package.

Devised by West Texas artist Boyd Elder, the striking skull-and-feathers themed piece gracing the front of One of These Nights represents where the Eagles have been and where they were headed. Album art director Gary Burden explained: "The cow skull is pure cowboy, folk, the decorations are American Indian-inspired, and the future is represented by the more polished reflective glass beaded surfaces covering the skull." Moreover, Elder had met the group years earlier when Henley and company performed at one of his gallery openings in California. MoFi's UD1S box set allows Elder's vision (and Burden's debossed treatment of the image) to pop and appear as if it was a stand-alone object.

Of course, what's inside the sleeves, and in the grooves, proves equally compelling. Though One of These Nights marks the final appearance of band co-founder Bernie Leadon on an Eagles LP and contains three of his tunes, the record's tremendous success owes to Frey and Henley's timeless contributions. Taking the next step in their maturation and evolution, the pair crafted several songs while living together as roommates in a rented house in which they converted a music room into a recording studio.

The duo's bond and chemistry pulse throughout the record – particularly in the tight arrangements, tasteful instrumental flourishes, and seamless blending of the folk, country, and rock elements. The musical combinations and partnership not only produced the Eagles' first million-selling single (the slow-dancing "Take It to the Limit," co-written with bassist-vocalist Randy Meisner) and the Frey-led cheating classic "Lyin' Eyes," but the famed title track, which nods to the era's nascent disco scene as well as Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's Philly soul platters.

Frey named "One of These Nights" as his favorite Eagles composition of all-time; Meisner's high harmonies alone send the track into a galaxy of its own. Speaking of the latter, Leadon's instrumental "Journey of the Sorcerer" ventures into another universe and was soon used by Douglas Adams as the theme to his "The Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy" radio series. Inspiration and creative experimentation also dragged the Eagles into the blues. Another Frey-Henley gem, the self-probing "After the Thrill Is Gone" serves as a response song to B.B. King's signature track and more evidence the band was turning the lens inward for lyrical narratives. Like everything on One of These Nights, the song confirms the Eagles were breathing rare musical air.

More About Mobile Fidelity UltraDisc One-Step and Why It Is Superior
Instead of utilizing the industry-standard three-step lacquer process, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's new UltraDisc One-Step (UD1S) uses only one step, bypassing two processes of generational loss. While three-step processing is designed for optimum yield and efficiency, UD1S is created for the ultimate in sound quality. Just as Mobile Fidelity pioneered the UHQR (Ultra High-Quality Record) with JVC in the 1980s, UD1S again represents another state-of-the-art advance in the record-manufacturing process. MFSL engineers begin with the original master recordings, painstakingly transfer them to DSD 256, and meticulously cut a set of lacquers. These lacquers are used to create a very fragile, pristine UD1S stamper called a "convert." Delicate "converts" are then formed into the actual record stampers, producing a final product that literally and figuratively brings you closer to the music. By skipping the additional steps of pulling another positive and an additional negative, as done in the three-step process used in standard pressings, UD1S produces a final LP with the lowest noise floor possible today. The removal of the additional two steps of generational loss in the plating process reveals tremendous amounts of extra musical detail and dynamics, which are otherwise lost due to the standard copying process. Every conceivable aspect of vinyl production is optimized to produce the most perfect record album available today.

MoFi SuperVinyl

Developed by NEOTECH and RTI, MoFi SuperVinyl is the most exacting-to-specification vinyl compound ever devised. Analogue lovers have never seen (or heard) anything like it. Extraordinarily expensive and extremely painstaking to produce, the special proprietary compound addresses two specific areas of improvement: noise floor reduction and enhanced groove definition. The vinyl composition features a new carbonless dye (hold the disc up to the light and see) and produces the world's quietest surfaces. This high-definition formula also allows for the creation of cleaner grooves that are indistinguishable from the original lacquer. MoFi SuperVinyl provides the closest approximation of what the label's engineers hear in the mastering lab.

Naglfar have an high quality of their recordings, this is the fifth album by those Swedes, and are here again be able to keep up to their high recording standards of the previous albums and if their music would still reek of hatred, evil and suffering. Naglfar is one of those bands that can effortlessly mix raw energy of black metal that we know from their first albums with the elements of melodic death metal introduced in their later releases. This mix makes their songs memorable to a point that you can recognize them from the first riffs. Traditionally of course, intensity mixes with atmospheric slower parts, melodic touches intertwine with ultra fast brutality, and in all that, solos, parts of keyboards or piano are thrown into as if into a twister of sickening sound. Musically, the whole band shows us solid compositional skills, supported by technical instrumentality and respectable experience. Christopher Olivius spits out wicked lyrics, he sang with such passion and malice, that vocals added an extra level of brutality, vocals are very strong and solid. Harvest is an inspired, interesting and originally diverse piece of work. This album comes out in deluxe gatefold edition on vinyl,

The 1980s will forever be remembered for electropop sensations, yet few, if any, are quite as sensational as Yaz's Upstairs at Eric's. A standard-setting mélange of smoky blues singing, jazzy arrangements, disco-tinged beats, and dancefloor vibes, the smash debut fits equally as well at a late-night club as it does in a living room, where the record's complexity and exoticism takes listeners hostage. No wonder the 1982 landmark remains one of the decade's most essential albums.

This numbered edition Silver Label LP breathes with a decongested openness, textural richness, and expansive tonal palette. Alison Moyet's inimitable vocals, such a huge part of the record's appeal, are dramatically enhanced, her sensual timbre, bittersweet crooning, and knockout range now encompassing the full frequency spectrum and projecting outward in a way that traverses the flatness of the original pressings.

Indeed, her bluesy deliveries are at once elegant and exuberant, and give collaborative partner Vince Clarke free range to construct beat architectures that encompass freewheeling disco, house music, uptempo dance, and chilled-out pop. The former Depeche Mode member also layers on elegant keyboard melodies, establishing contagious hooks and electronic-laced landscapes that preceded the techno explosion and do so with a cooler elegance. Tape loops, random field-noise dialogues, and synth-stroked bass notes add to what's nothing less than a perfect collusion of moody paranoia and soulful warmth.

While a cousin to synth-pop LPs by the likes of the Eurythmics, Soft Cell, OMD, and Depeche Mode, Yaz's Upstairs at Eric's is singular for its chemistry between Moyet and Clarke – and an insouciant batch of songs high on emotion, style, and substance.

After the success of their full-length LP earlier this year, Night Owls are back for more and ready to take the bar even higher! This first 45 from a new string of recording sessions features two heavy hitters in the funk/soul community; N'Dea Davenport from London's famed The Brand New Heavies and SoCal's own Trish Toledo (Now-Again Records, Silent Giant, Mango Hill).
Side A is the classic soul body mover "Cramp Your Style" (All the People) featuring N'Dea Davenport, which Hip-Hop heads will recognize as the foundation for Boogie Down Productions' "Still #1" and Cypress Hill's "Real Estate." Davenport's soulful delivery elevates Night Owls' flip, echoing the famous Studio One riddim "Greedy G" by Brentford Road All Stars and the quirks of the original. Side B follows up with Motown classic "Your Old Standby" by Mary Wells and features Latina Soul phenom Trish Toledo. Adding a little more bounce and groove to the original, Night Owls’ flip sets the backdrop for Toledo to shine brightly and deliver a vocal performance that perfectly echoes Mary Wells in her youth.
Both sides are must-haves, be it spinning at a party or slowing things down slightly while cruising around the neighborhood, just in time for the holiday season. Produced by Dan Ubick and Night Owls. Recorded and Mixed by Dan Ubick for DanUbe Productions at The Lions Den in Topanga, CA.

A shaven-headed chanteuse hiding the voice of a soul legend beneath her fluffy bear hood, Sharon Kovacs is an enigmatic phenomenon. Emerging from the music college and improvised open mic nights in Eindhoven in the Netherlands, she has forged her own unique path through life’s devious twists and tangles, and entranced the globe with her wicked allure. The Bond-like tango noir of her
2013 EP My Love, partly recorded in Cuba, was an instant European hit, even
reaching #1 in Greece. In 2015 her debut album Shades Of Black charted in
36 countries, making the top 10 in Germany and hitting #1 in her homeland. 60 million YouTube views, a modelling contract with Viva Paris, a clutch of awards and high-profile sets at major festivals and a Robbie Williams support slot later, Kovacs’ dark, raw, bare-hearted soul with distinct touches of the greats (Holliday, Simone, Bassey, Winehouse, Portishead’s Beth Gibbons) is on the verge of making her a sultry superstar.

Child Of Sin is the brand new 2023 album. Its title track and also first single features German singer and megastar Till Lindeman. The album features the additional singles “Not Scared Of Giants”, “Fragile”, “Bang Bang” and “Goldmine”. This 10-track set is available as a limited edition, pressed on voodoo coloured vinyl and includes an insert.

Tracked in April of 2021 at Dial Back Sound in Water Valley, Mississippi
with Bronson Tew and Matt Patton at the helm, and drums and bass,
respectively
Ernie was able to stretch out his guitar prowess and rip every solo on the album
with Jimbo Mathus on keys and leading the band along with his Squirrel Nut
Zippers' horns and strings, Taylor Hollingsworth on some extra guitar, and
Schaefer Llana with AJ Haynes on the backing vocals. What's left is a fiery
offering of funky blues with equal measures of soul and rock'n'roll interspersed
for a delectable bayou audible feast. Funkier than last weeks gumbo with a psych
blues side order.

PETE MOLINARI is a country blues singer, songwriter from the Medway Delta. He was born into a large Maltese/ Italian/ Egyptian family in Chatham, Kent, where he was discovered by Billy Childish.
He’s got five critically-acclaimed albums’ worth of timeless folk, blues, rock and alt- country songs to his credit, plus a bunch more EPs.

THIS IS THE FIRST PHYSICAL RELEASE OF ALBUM ONLY RELEASED DIGITALLY IN 2020 DURING THE PANDEMIC…AVAILABLE ON BLACK VINYL AND INDIES-ONLY PALE BLUE VINYL (NON-RETURNABLE) WITH NEW ARTWORK.

Just Like Achilles is the distillation of everything Pete has learned since those years on the road as a travelling troubadour, playing tiny theatres and coffee houses everywhere from London, to New York, Paris to Nashville and around the world, eventually taking him to the most celebrated venues such as The Royal Albert Hall, The Royal Festival Hall, Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall.

Just Like Achilles brims with big songs and huge choruses. After a first listen, it’s like you’ve known and loved this record forever. Although surprising for some who think he is the lone songwriter with his guitar, Pete is a big fan of Pop. Yes, somewhat of a dirty word today, but it is that timeless and well-crafted pop that created so many hit songs in the past that we still adore today.

Pete’s songs always cut straight to the heart of the matter. No fat, no artifice, no histrionics. The sound is real. Live. Real people playing real instruments. Front and center are Pete’s own majestic guitar chops and unique, soulful voice. Even on Achilles’ sadder songs, there’s a buoyancy and potency to them, an infectious effervescence that imbues life is for living, and it is that loving of life that we find celebrated in every song, arrangement and composition.

To coincide with Just Like Achilles highly anticipated release, Linda Perry organized an extraordinary event. She booked out the legendary Capitol Records’ Studio A and hit her contacts list to pull together a supergroup to join Pete in performing his new songs live in the studio. It included legends Ronnie Spector and Don Was, plus Mike Garson and Gail Ann Dorsey from the David Bowie band. Evan Rachel Wood also came along to sing on a couple of songs, while Jakob Dylan duetted with Pete on a very special version of “Waiting For A Train”.

So, everything was ready to go, ready for release. This was the beginning of 2020. And then .... well, as we all know, everything stopped. Now, two more years on, this is Take Two: Just Like Achilles is finally set to receive the release it always deserved.

Blue Vinyl

PETE MOLINARI is a country blues singer, songwriter from the Medway Delta. He was born into a large Maltese/ Italian/ Egyptian family in Chatham, Kent, where he was discovered by Billy Childish.
He’s got five critically-acclaimed albums’ worth of timeless folk, blues, rock and alt- country songs to his credit, plus a bunch more EPs.

THIS IS THE FIRST PHYSICAL RELEASE OF ALBUM ONLY RELEASED DIGITALLY IN 2020 DURING THE PANDEMIC…AVAILABLE ON BLACK VINYL AND INDIES-ONLY PALE BLUE VINYL (NON-RETURNABLE) WITH NEW ARTWORK.

Just Like Achilles is the distillation of everything Pete has learned since those years on the road as a travelling troubadour, playing tiny theatres and coffee houses everywhere from London, to New York, Paris to Nashville and around the world, eventually taking him to the most celebrated venues such as The Royal Albert Hall, The Royal Festival Hall, Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall.

Just Like Achilles brims with big songs and huge choruses. After a first listen, it’s like you’ve known and loved this record forever. Although surprising for some who think he is the lone songwriter with his guitar, Pete is a big fan of Pop. Yes, somewhat of a dirty word today, but it is that timeless and well-crafted pop that created so many hit songs in the past that we still adore today.

Pete’s songs always cut straight to the heart of the matter. No fat, no artifice, no histrionics. The sound is real. Live. Real people playing real instruments. Front and center are Pete’s own majestic guitar chops and unique, soulful voice. Even on Achilles’ sadder songs, there’s a buoyancy and potency to them, an infectious effervescence that imbues life is for living, and it is that loving of life that we find celebrated in every song, arrangement and composition.

To coincide with Just Like Achilles highly anticipated release, Linda Perry organized an extraordinary event. She booked out the legendary Capitol Records’ Studio A and hit her contacts list to pull together a supergroup to join Pete in performing his new songs live in the studio. It included legends Ronnie Spector and Don Was, plus Mike Garson and Gail Ann Dorsey from the David Bowie band. Evan Rachel Wood also came along to sing on a couple of songs, while Jakob Dylan duetted with Pete on a very special version of “Waiting For A Train”.

So, everything was ready to go, ready for release. This was the beginning of 2020. And then .... well, as we all know, everything stopped. Now, two more years on, this is Take Two: Just Like Achilles is finally set to receive the release it always deserved.

A fantastic contribution to the early 60's "sweet soul" which Ben E. King had first
helped pioneer as the lead singer of the Drifters before breaking solo. The most
obvious highlight is the smooth but heart- felt title track and the mega- classic
'Stand By Me'. Includes four bonus tracks: 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow', 'Sway',
'Amore', and 'Spanish Harlem'.

OZRIC TENTACLES' BECOME THE OTHER' IS BACK IN STOCK ON LP VIA
KSCOPE
One of the most influential bands to emerge from the UK's festival scene, the
Ozrics layer ambient & ethereal landscapes with freeform dub trips, incredible
rave grooves & psychedelic progressive rock. It's an open exploration of music &
the soul. The band's first release after Merv Pepler & Joie Hinton left to form Eat
Static, Become The Other' still possesses the cool, psychedelic spare rock of its
predecessors. With hints of techno, psybient & world music, the album kicks off
with some fine guitar & bass on 'Cat DNA', followed by the atmospherics of 'Ahu
Belahu' & 'Ghedengi'. 'Wob Glass' is all synthy techno whilst 'Neurochasm' is a
cool trippy rock track & so very Ozrics. The title track visits reggae with lengthy
finishers 'Vibuthi' & 'Plurnstyle' both smorgasbords of classic Ozrics sounds. And
that's Become The Other' in a nutshell: everything you'd expect of an Ozrics
album, but not sounding exactly like any other Ozrics album. BECOME THE
OTHER' IS NOW AVAILABLE AS A SINGLE LP EDITION

In summer 1958, João Gilberto -an unknown 28 year-old Brazilian guitarist and singer from Bahia- made his recording debut as a singer with two songs "Chega de Saudade" and "Bim Bom." With a new rhythmic feeling, batida, and rich harmonies he laid the basis of the modern Brazilian samba, now known as Bossa Nova. Underpinned by his insouciantly swinging guitar, Joãos seductive, vibratoless vocals caressed both ear and soul in a mesmerizing, highly addictive combination, refreshing and modern. Chega de Saudade was a hit, launching Gilbertos career and the bossa nova craze. Soon, singers and guitarists were trying to imitate him and composers were all on a Desafinado (the second Gilbertos hit) and Chega de Saudade kick. The longawaited renewal of the Brazilian samba was now a fact. Antonio Carlos Jobim said: Gilberto appeared as a light, as a big star in the firmament, in the heavens. He became a focus, because he was pulling the guitar in one way and singing the other way, which created a third thing that was profound. Yes, the guy who brought the Bossa Nova beat to the world was João Gilberto.

Since 2013 Jail Job Eve has become an indispensable part of the German
rockstages - Whether festival stage, live club or rustic rockmusic venue -
for more than eight years now the five musicians from Osnabrueck,
Germany, have been playing their way across the country
After their first release "Bird of Passage" in 2015, the band signed a contract with
MiG - music in 2018, the label that, among other things, distributes the legendary
"Rockpalast" recordings of the German TV- and radio-station WDR and with bands
such as Siena Root, Br selmaschine and Wucan, the label has signed in the field
of retro rock under contract.Jail Job Eve's album "The Misson" received
recommended reviews in the music press throughout Europe, and the band thus
earned the reputation: "the hope of the national blues rock scene" (eclipsed
Magazine, Germany).With their upcoming release "Wildfire", Jail Job Eve is once
again setting new standards. The album, recorded entirely live, confirms the band
as a finely balanced rock machinery. The music is much harder, more
experimental and coarser, while the lyrics deal offensively and aggressively with
the most important ideological issues of our time, such as climate change,
sexism, LGBTQ + rights or the responsibility of art and culture as a mirror of
society and an instrument of peaceful protest. For example, the first single "Lost"
is a song about female empowerment and therefore an energetic, feminist
statement to sing along to.The band's audible role models include Rival Sons,
Blues Pills, Greta Van Fleet, but also the classic rockers of Deep Purple or the
omnipresent ubiquitous instance Led Zeppelin. The clearest fist in the face of the
listeners still is Victoria Semel, who virtuously puts her heart and soul into her
singing. Benedikt Schlereth, who plays his way through the album with his
distinctive guitar sound coined by the grand repertoire of rock history, Jens
Niemann, who lets his Hammond wobble sonorously and suffer shriekingly, as
well as Tim Beckers on bass and Josef R hner on drums, who create fulminant,
cast-iron floors under their bandmates

Long time out of stock, now available: José González Krautrock band Junip’s fulminant debut album incl. singles Always, In Every Direction and Rope & Summit

“An album to savour when autumn leaves are falling – and through the rest of the year, too” The Guardian

"There'san invigorating, charging energy to Junip's Krautrock-meets-country soul.”

Q ★★★★ Mojo ★★★★ 7.5 Pitchfork

'Confection' is a surprise-album from the talented composer Sebastien Tellier released on October 14, 2013 by Record Makers.

Apart from one song, ‘Confection’ is an entirely instrumental piece that Sebastien conceived like a motion picture score. Several romantic musical themes are showcased in different versions, orchestral or acoustic. Their sequence brings the listener on a succession of subtle climaxes, creating powerful emotions and leaving room for fantazised images.

The recording session of 'Sessions' was definitely old-school, as decided by the maestro. The very team which helped Tellier create his cult classic song 'La Ritournelle' 7 years ago was reunited for the occasion:

Tony Allen, of Fela fame, on drums. Rob, keyboardist for Phoenix. Emmanuel d'Orlando on string arrangements and Philippe Zdar mixed the record. He is also responsible for mixing albums for Phoenix, Cat Power, Beastie Boys, or Kindness and part of Cassius

The album artwork and ‘L’amour naissant’ video are from Jean-Baptiste Mondino.

'Confection' is an album as close as possible to Tellier's soul, a testimony of his deep musical skills. it showcases his outstanding composer talent as rarely before, reminding of his early albums such as 'L'incroyable vérité' or 'Politics'. 'Confection' is a love letter for a film that doesn't exist yet.

To celebrate the release of 'Confection' and for the first time in his career, Tellier will perform a special concert with an orchestra, in Paris on October 12.

San Francisco's first and only rock 'n' roll band, CRIME loomed over the entire Mabuhay Gardens scene with their blistering 1976 single Hot Wire My Heart. The group's loose, damaged rock 'n' roll was as immediate as it was controversial. They were punk by any definition, yet shunned the label with a guttersnipe sneer. Their meticulously cultivated aesthetic of S&M graphics and police uniforms produced some of the era's most indelible imagery. One of their finest moves was playing in the San Quentin prison yard.

Formed by guitarists/vocalists Johnny Strike and Frankie Fix, CRIME enlisted bassist Ron the Ripper and drummers Ricky "Tractor" Williams (later of THE SLEEPERS), Brittley Black, and Hank Rank. Joey D'Kaye later joined on keyboards and bass duties.

For the first time, this LP release collects the sick energy of CRIME's three singles along with nine previously unreleased studio recordings from 1976 to 1980. The visceral churn and unwieldy leads on tracks like "Frustration" and "Piss On Your Dog" make Murder By Guitar the definitive statement from this prescient American underground band.

‘Fuxsake, what a great ride this album is... …Somewhere John Lee Hooker is smiling and stampin' his foot to 'Runnin' Till I'm Done'! Love the 12 string riffing so much - You just don't hear that enough these days - Brings to mind Stevie Ray on killing it on acoustic. Ledfoot on the Goodfoot got some serious mojo'. - Winter Lazerus, mastering master This record was recorded and mixed in two days - live - straight to tape… no edits, no punching in…just me… honest for better or worse – honesty - What a precious thing ‘ - Ledfoot - In short: 10 tracks recorded analogue live to tape during two magic days at Studio Studio Nyhagen. No bullshit, just a unique artist spitting out his soul in the most naked and real setting possible. Gothic blues! Still, the sound, the lyrics and the performance are very much a product of today. Ledfoot aka Tim Scott McConnell is a 12-string guitarist who plays with fitted heavy strings,
a brass slide, steel fingerpicks and a stompbox. He has been touring and releasing music since the late 1970’s and written for artists as varied as Highasakite and TnT to Sheena Easton. In 2014, Bruce Springsteen recorded ‘High Hopes’ as the title track of his album, written by Tim Scott McConnell for the Havalinas debut album in 1990. It debuted as #1 in over 10 countries including the U.S. and the U.K.

In the Beginning (Vol. 2) continues the treasure trove of the early works of Declaime & Madlib, the longtime collaborators who helped usher in a new sound and style from the city of Oxnard, Calif. This collection is brimming with previously unheard tracks from this beyond-creative duo that blends hip-hop with funk, jazz, soul, and psychedelia to lay the groundwork for so many other emcees and producers.

For Declaime (a/k/a Dudley Perkins), this series serves as a way to honor his friends and the city that raised them. He shouts out names like The Almighty Metaphor (aka MED), Oh No the Disrupt, DJ Romes, Kazi, and more, who he says “created a lane for the city of Oxnard to get the recognition it deserves.” Some of them make an appearance in one form or another on this collection, too—Romes, for example, mastered the project—that compiles 10 previously lost tracks that were recorded from 1993 to ‘96.

In The Beginning (Vol. 2) is entirely produced by Madlib, who provided all the cuts as well. His instrumentals are on that raw and dusty vibe as they move freely through genres and sounds, like on standout cuts “Bandwagon,”WLIX,” and “Signs (feat. Wildchild).” Those are all highlights for Declaime, too, and they demonstrate his ability to blend his observations of the world with bravado and third-eye insights. Even as young kids just getting their feet wet in the studio, these two were firmly on their path.

That path started, in a way, when the two became friends as young kids. “I first met Madlib when he moved across the street from me; I was around nine years old at the time,” Declaime says, adding that their fathers were friendly with one another. Despite the two losing touch after Madlib’s family moved, they reconnected just a few years later and the rest is musical history.
In The Beginning (Vol. 3) is set to drop via SomeOthaShip Connect in partnership with Fat Beats. This alliance will include several new albums and previously unreleased projects from the Cali veteran that have yet to appear on vinyl, in addition to new releases from the SOS artist roster.

Second album from hailed Finnish indie folk duo, co-produced by LAbased producer Jonathan Wilson (Father John Misty, Angel Olsen, The
Dawes, Roger Waters)
Throughout their tenure, the pair have always looked to bridge the gap between
psychedelic and folk- inspired soundscapes, and Game Changing' aims to
continue that broad and adventurous spirit with hints of jazz, soul and even prog
rock in the mix. Featured guests include guitar legend Marc Ribot, jazz trumpet
sensation Verneri Pohjola, folk artist Pekko K ppi, DapTone recording artists Pratt
& Moody plus Jonathan Wilson. Album liner notes by legendary Rolling Stone
writer David Fricke. PR/ marketing campaigns by Big Hassle (US), The Syn
(worldwide) and Mysic Sons (UK). Upcoming reviews and articles: Mojo, Uncut,
RnR Magazine, Vintage Guitar Magazine, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, Helsingin
Sanomat, BBC, NPR, Guardian, Pitchfork etc. International touring: Nov 2022-April
2023, inc. support shows with Wilco and Jonathan Wilson.

SunDub is a Brooklyn-based five piece who expertly mixes classic reggae
alongside soul and blues
The band is a testament to the power of inclusion, diversity, and unity - core
values that were showcased on SunDub's debut album, Burden of Love (2019).
That album racked up millions of streams and brought the band to the attention
of their hometown reggae label, Easy Star Records, who picked up the band and
has been working with them on this sophomore effort. This release is even
stronger than the debut, with Sidney Mills (of Steel Pulse) working closely with
the band to co-produce and co-write much of the material. The album features
collaborations with Jamaican superstar Lutan Fyah as well as Peetah Morgan
from the GRAMMY-winning Morgan Heritage.

"Onyeabor 80" draws equal influence from War, William Onyeabor, and Isaac Hayes. This steady groover is sure to keep the dance-floor moving! On the flip side we have "Bongo Grove", an Incredible Bongo Band influenced, upbeat horn-driven anthem. This one features Mitchum Yacoub on Bongos. Members of The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, Mestizo Beat, and Mitchum Yacoub exploring new tones and directions!

Single-LP edit of Piñata lacquered at half speed master by Metropolis Mastering in London for the highest fidelity.

After the original release Freddie Gibbs & Madlib's Piñata in 2014, cover artist Jeff Jank made a new sleeve for the album in the style of a 1964 Blue Note album.

Featuring Danny Brown, Mac Miller, Earl Sweatshirt, Raekwon, Scarface, Domo Genesis, Ab-Soul, Polyester the Saint, BJ The Chicago Kid, Big Time Watts, G-Wiz, Casey Veggies, Sulaiman, Meechy Darko & Freddie Kane.

Freddie Gibbs is the product of violent, drug-laden streets but unlike most rappers with similar resumes, he brings the block to the booth without inhibition or an exaggerated rap persona. Piñata, a 17 track collaboration with producer Madlib, is the best distillation yet of his transparent approach to making music, combining an at times stark honesty with electrifying talent as a lyricist and performer.

Piñata is a gangster Blaxploitation film on wax, says Gibbs, who came up on the streets of Gary, Indiana, the disregarded city previously best known for producing Michael Jackson. Here he is joined by Mac Miller, Earl Sweatshirt, Raekwon, Scarface, Domo Genesis, Ab-Soul and a host of others in setting his soliloquies of the streets alongside film snippets and dusted funk, soul and prog musical tapestries. While this is the latest in a series of single-artist collaborations for Madlib, after Jaylib (J Dilla), Madvillainy (MF Doom) and the street-centric O.J. Simpson with Detroits Guilty Simpson, the pairing is unique as it is the first time for Gibbs working with just one producer.

On Piñata, where Gibbs can shift from textbook lessons in robbing and drugging on trackslike Scarface and Knicks, to perhaps the albums most personal song, Broken, a collaboration with Scarface, who, along with Tupac, DMX and 50 Cent, make up the rappers own Mount Rushmore of MCs (Youre getting a hurricane of all those motherfuckers hitting you at once when you listen to Freddie Gibbs, he says). Deeper, a Gibbs favorite and the third single from the album after Thuggin (2012) and Shame, (2013) is an ode to hip-hop in the mold of Commons I Used to Love H.E.R.; High, featuring Danny Brown, is self-explanatory and just what you would expect from Gibbs, Madlib and one of Detroits finest; while on Real, Gibbs addresses an old score just as Michael Corleone settled all family business on baptism day.

As a producer, Madlib, quite simply, is music, and ten years into his career-a time when other artists become comfortable-Gibbs remains restless, focused, with an eye on the competition and their position relative to his ascent. This is because mentally, hes still on the corner hustling, which would be the downfall of the average rapper. With Piñata, Gibbs confirms that he is anything but average.

Originally released in 2001, Nigeria 70 was the first compilation of its kind to explore in depth the fertile music scene in Lagos as domestic artists mixed highlife and traditional rhythms with soul, funk, rock and jazz. While Western audiences were already familiar with Fela Kuti and his life story, the album placed the spotlight on some of the other great musicians and bandleaders in Nigeria during the "70s period: Joni Haastrup, Peter King, Segun Bucknor, Bala Miller, Blo, King Sunny Ade, Tunji Oyelana and many more.Three further volumes followed, exploring the far corners of original Afrobeat, juju, funk and soul.

At the spearhead of the music press, Tsugi presents for the first time its selection in this vinyl ELECTRO from Cassius through Kompromat and Paradis.

-European fall tour is sold out across all venues, with a U.S. tour set for 2023. Supported by fans and listeners of Thundercat, Silk Sonic, Jungle and Steely Dan. Album single, “Rolling Back” has been featured across multiple editorial playlists via major DSPs, including Spotify’s Soul ’n’ the City, Retro Pop, Stay Tuned!, Happy Stroll and Ready for the Day. Young Gun Silver Fox, the acclaimed indie duo from the UK with yacht-rock tendencies comprising of Andy Platts of Mamas Gun and Shawn Lee (vagabond award-winning video game composer) announce their highly anticipated fourth studio album Ticket to Shangri-La. The album showcases a band at the very top of their game, fine-tuning their potent brew of sun-kissed pop-soul, west coast AOR and natural groove with a skill for composition and production that sees them forging ahead down a musical highway blessed with blue skies and positive vibrations. For both participants, the chance to make a new record together is always a liberating experience, as Andy explains; “I always come back to Young Gun Silver Fox like taking a drive to the coast and I just smell the ocean and the air and it’s like ‘wicked I’m back here again’ and I can just kick back and enjoy it.” The chemistry and craftmanship on Ticket to Shangri-La means that Young Gun Silver Fox do exactly as the title suggests, transporting the listener to a magical, mythical world of sunshine and good vibes, a musical and spiritual ethos born from the minds of two gifted musicians that stand as the embodiment of all they do best, whilst providing the perfect invitation into their unique world.

Widely regarded as a modern day classic. First repress (in nearly twenty tears) of this highly sought after treasure. Limited edition vinyl with original, single sleeve, artwork.

Bitty McLean’s rebirth as a bona fide hit-making lovers rock singer, since his link up with Daddy Peckings’ sons Duke and Chris, has been particularly sweet, due in no small part to his superior talents in the vocal department, and his accomplishment in the studio, but also because he is a humble soul whose talent has often been overshadowed by the perception of him as something of a reggae lightweight, due to the commercial success he experienced back in the early nineties with It’s Raining. Bitty’s credentials far outstrip any of his detractors though, and with the release of the superb single Walk Away From Love, he’s proved beyond doubt his worth as an interpreter of classic songs and a gifted songwriter in his own right. Kicking off with the hit single which utilised the classic original 1967 Treasure Isle rhythm to Alton Ellis’ Rocksteady. All selections revive original Duke Reid rhythms created by Tommy McCook & The Supersonics including the beautiful Ranglin On Bond Street (Tell Me), Those Guys (Baby Tonight), Moonlight Lover (To Fall In Love), Inez (My Lovers Call), Queen Majesty (a wicked version of Bread’s Make It With You featuring some beautiful overdubs from Dean Fraser), I’ll Get Along Without You (I’ve Got Love), Lonely Street, and a cover of Smokey Robinson’s Cruisin’. An album to cherish for young and old alike.

Especially in this time of isolation we need to remind ourselves of the importance of art, just how magical a medium sound is to express, to raise and answer question marks, to open and mend the soul... it's the most universally speaking of all languages as it knows no borders." At a time of global separation, Erased Tapes founder and sonic explorer Robert Raths stitched together a project putting what is most important at the forefront - connection. This collection of works by undisclosed artists from the roster gives space and time to appreciate art at its most honest. By shedding the information noise usually attached to release cycles and by bringing music back to the magic of sound, we're presented with an opportunity for exploration when we need it most. Robert spoke to Mary Anne Hobbs of BBC 6Music about how releasing music without revealing its origin through the 20･･ï¼ìï¼ì0 morse code series enabled him to share what him and the artists have been working on in real-time as opposed to the usual delays that come with releasing music. "All the information, all that noise... As much as it can help give context, it also takes something away. It tends to cloud your senses and take away from the magic of when you first hear something that's completely unknown to your ears. How wonderful a sensation it is to just listen and let the music speak for itself without prejudice or the

Singer-songwriter Amos Lee draws inspiration from soul music, contemporary jazz and 1970s folk artists such as James Taylor. The Philadelphia native honed his song writing skills while waiting tables and bartending after graduating from the University of South Carolina with a degree in English. He eventually landed some high-profile gigs as an opening act, including an extended tour with pianist/vocalist Norah Jones, whose bassist, Lee Alexander, agreed to produce Lee's first album.

With Alexander's help, Amos Lee released his self-titled debut on Blue Note in 2005. The album won Lee a small following for his blend of acoustic funk, folk, and light jazz. Norah Jones herself plays the piano on two tracks; "Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight" and "Colors."

A notable debut like Amos Lee deserves the Analogue Productions reissue treatment. This beauty was cut by Bernie Grundman in Los Angeles from the master tape, and is now pressed at 45 RPM on two glorious sides of 180-gram vinyl by Quality Record Pressings, makers of the world's finest-sounding LPs. QRP is noted for deep-black backgrounds and pristine clarity. If you're already familiar with Amos Lee, get ready — you've never experienced it with such lifelike sonics and premium richness. This is how all vinyl should sound.

The songs on the album incorporate themes of folk, soul, gospel and jazz. Amos's style is a mix of Bill Withers, Arthur Lee, and James Taylor. Amos has recently toured with Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, Adele, Dave Matthews and many others.

Pharoah Sanders' "Shukuru" is noteworthy as being the album that reunited Sanders with vocalist Leon Thomas, who sang on some of Sanders' most endearing and powerful compositions-- among them the legendary "The Creator Has a Masterplan".

Thomas only joins the band on two tracks-- "Mas in Brooklyn (Highlife)" and "Sun Song". The former gets a full calypso reading complete with steel drum sounds and chanted vocals traded between Sanders and Thomas. It's a lot of fun, but by and large, throwaway. The latter is one of the true gems on the album-- a pretty ballad that serves as both a launching point for Sanders' best balladry and Thomas' vocal, with the latter soaring in his upper register wordlessly between verses intoned in his trademark baritone. It's by and large simply stunning.

The rest of the record has got its issues however, and by and large this comes in the part of Henderson's synthesizer-- while his piano tone is virtually indistinguishable from an acoustic piano, several tracks receive irritating synth vocals or strings (it's really hard to tell which, it's fairly indistinct and obnoxious), mangling otherwise fine performances of traditional tenor feature "Body and Soul", Sanders-penned "Jitu" (although admittedly the leader manages such a powerful solo it gets past it) and an absolutely breathtaking reading of "Too Young to Go Steady". At least opener "Shukuru" and closing funereal piece "For Big George" are spared this as the use of synths of them are far more tasteful (although one questions Sanders' choice to intone his wife's name over the former's smokey lines, but that's another story). by Vine Voice

A double treat for those who love timeless Southern Soul flavoured with some of those good ol’ down home blues. Memphis born, and Minneapolis based, Willie Walker can comfortably be included in the pantheon of grittiest soul singers along with Wilson Pickett, Syl Johnson, Lou Rawls, James Carr, Eddie Floyd, Tyrone Davis and L.V. Johnson, to name but a few, but there has always been speculation about other Willie Walkers. The recordings on Eutor and Hi in the 70’s are not by the same Willie as those on Goldwax and Checker in the 60’s. He did, however, also record as Wee Willie Walker.
 
He was a member of The Rhythm Harmonizers, The Val-Dons, The Exciters, The Bound Band, Willie & The Bumblebees (although that Willie is actually Willie Murphy of The Val-Dons), and Canoise, spanning a long and varied career before hooking up with the Minneapolis based band The Butanes in 2004, with whom he made the next three albums. The first of these was mainly cover versions, but "Right Where I Belong" (2004) and "Memphisapolis" (2006) are notable for each providing the tracks that make up this latest Jai Alai release, a label that differs from sister label Soul4Real by featuring 21st century tracks previously CD only but now released on 7” vinyl for the first time. It also has to be noted that all the tracks on both these albums were written and produced by Curtis Obeda, who managed to track down Willie after so many years.
 
“I Feel It” will have been missed by most as it was on the CD "Right Where I Belong" which was released in 2004 on the most unlikely of UK imprints, the Wirral based One On One Records run by Colin Dilnot. The album is a lavish display of real instruments from a band that once backed John Lee Hooker and Little Johnny Taylor and the perfect setting for Willie’s powerful vocals. 
 
Just tipping five glorious minutes, "Cry, Cry, Cry" is a perfect example of why soul music is inextricably linked to the blues, and when the gospel styled chorus joins in towards the end, you realise that this could, maybe should, have carried on for just a little bit longer. Perhaps a fuller length version exists? Sadly, Willie died peacefully in his sleep in November 2019, but to complete his story check out the two albums on Blue Dot as Wee Willie Walker & The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra. To quote the great Quinton Claunch…”Willie was one of the best to come out of Memphis in the 60’s”.
 
Steve Hobbs
(Solar Radio, Totally Wired Radio)

Not a great deal is known about this talented artist having released only 4 albums in a recording career that started in 1993. Raised in a musical family by piano playing parents he began learning the instrument at an early age, later concentrating on the saxophone, but became a multi-instrumentalist by the time was signed to Verve Records, playing most forms of keyboards, synths, vibes, as well as sax and flute. He moved to Florida, from his native New York, shortly after graduating from studying music at university in New Jersey, and played in local rock bands whilst developing his love for jazz, and was working on a demo to try and get a record deal. 
 
Disaster struck when he was involved in a serious boating accident in which both hands were badly crushed and he was unable to play an instrument for many months, during which time he developed a skill for singing and composing. Turning adversity into opportunity is the best way to describe the outcome.
 
So why is a soul label interested in releasing some of his material? Both tracks selected, "One" and "Sweeter", are released on vinyl for the first time and come from his third album, "Lights On", released on his own label Eaak Records following a break of 7 years which was devoted to raising his children. The sounds are undeniably late night make-out music, lush, sophisticated and sensuous. 
 
The majority of plaudits for his work previously came from the world of contemporary jazz and, dare I say it, smooth jazz, and was largely ignored by the soul magazines and radio stations. His captivating falsetto vocal style, reflects his influences by Curtis Mayfield, Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye. All his material is self-penned and the albums were co-produced with drummer Guy Eckstine. There is an underlying 70’s feel to the contemporary arrangements and his work is clearly deserving of greater recognition.

Steve Hobbs (Solar Radio, Totally Wired Radio)soul