Archive for the Jazz Category
Ryo Fukui “Scenery” (We Release Jazz)
LP version. Mastered at half speed. 180 gram vinyl; Stoughton tip-on sleeve. We Release Jazz (WRWTFWW Records’ new sister-label) presents its first release, the official reissue of Ryo Fukui’s highly sought-after masterpiece Scenery, originally released in 1976. Unquestionably one of the most important Japanese jazz albums ever recorded, Scenery reveals […]
Ryo Fukui “Mellow Dream” (We Release Jazz)
Mastered at half speed. 180 gram vinyl; Stoughton tip-on sleeve. We Release Jazz (WRWTFWW Records’ new sister-label) present the official reissue of criminally overlooked Japanese jazz gem Mellow Dream by Hokkaido pianist wunderkind Ryo Fukui, originally released in 1977. Released in conjunction with the its legendary predecessor 1976’s Scenery (WRJ […]
The Nineteenth Whole “Smilin'” (Tidal Waves Music)
The Nineteenth Whole were an Indianapolis-based funky jazz outfit who were part of a very vibrant scene. Jazz guitar legend ‘Grant Green’ had originally hailed from there and he recruited the members of the 19th Whole as his rhythm section for live dates. (Green also discovered the other great Indianapolis […]
Harold Vick “Don’t Look Back” (Pure Pleasure)
For a label that wasn’t around long, Strata East achieved the same sort of label recognition that Impulse! or Blue Note managed to build. In other words, you knew what you were getting when you bought a record on the label, even if you didn’t know the names on the […]
Kimiko Kasai with Herbie Hancock “Butterfly” (Be With)
Oh yes! First ever official reissue of the positively sublime and very rare Butterfly LP, recorded in Tokyo in 1979 by Japanese songstress Kimiko Kasai and jazz legend Herbie Hancock. Due to its super-rare status as a Japan-only release, this exquisite collection of covers never got the recognition it deserved […]
Kamaal Wiliams “The Return” (Black Focus)
Kamaal Williams has described The Return, his debut solo album, as “a natural evolution from the Yussef Kamaal project”. Yet while that was made in collaboration with drummer Yussef Kamaal and played around with jazz in its myriad forms, The Return sees the man sometimes known as Henry Wu stamp […]
Various Artists “Technicolor Paradise: Rhum Rhapsodies & Other Exotic Delights” (Numero Group)
It was a musical cocktail born in a marketing meeting: Two parts easy listening, one part jazz, a healthy dollop of conga drums, a sprinkling of bird calls, and a pinch of textless choir. Serve garnished with an alluring female on the album jacket for best results. Exotica! The soundtrack […]
Ornette Coleman “The Atlantic Years” (Rhino)
Ornette Coleman recorded one of the greatest bodies of work in jazz during a 22-month-long burst of creativity. Between 1959 and 1961, the saxophonist and composer released six studio albums on Atlantic Records that helped usher in the avant-garde, free jazz movement. The LPs are presented in replica European-style 1960s […]
Jef Singer & Hal Gilson “Soul Of Africa” (Super-Sonic Jazz)
Super-Sonic Jazz present a reissue of Hal Singer and Jef Gilson’s Soul Of Africa, originally released in 1974. Considered one of the most important Afro-Parisian jazz records of the ’70s, Soul Of Africa sees Texas tenor sax giant Hal Singer team up with French pianist Jef Gilson, and his Afrocentric, […]
Sun Ra “Standards” (ORG Music)
Sun Ra, the extraordinary, outlandish, and sometimes controversial pianist, is often described as an “acquired taste”, with a massive and diverse catalog. This release is a good place to start for uninitiated or dismissive listeners. The album showcases Ra’s grounding in the jazz tradition, with unique takes on standards like […]
Billy Harper “Capra Black” (Pure Pleasure)
Capra Black remains one of the seminal recordings of jazz’s black consciousness movement. A profoundly spiritual effort that channels both the intellectual complexity of the avant-garde as well as the emotional potency of gospel, its focus and assurance belie Billy Harper’s inexperience as a leader. Backed by an all-star supporting […]
Shamek Farrah “First Impressions” (Pure Pleasure)
For a label that wasn’t around long, Strata East achieved the same sort of label recognition that Impulse! or Blue Note managed to build. In other words, you knew what you were getting when you bought a record on the label, even if you didn’t know the names on the […]
Ceasar Frazier “Hail Ceasar!” (Tidal Waves Music)
Hailing from Indianapolis, Caesar Frazier (spelled ‘Ceasar’ from time to time) was a funky soul-jazz organist who recorded several albums for the Eastbound/Westbound label family during the ‘70s. In addition to recording on his own, Frazier also played keyboards in Marvin Gaye’s backing band. Collaborations with contemporaries were numerous and […]
Lloyd Miller “Jazz At The University of Utah” (Now Again)
Reissued for the first time! Modal and Eastern Jazz by Spiritual Jazz Maestro Lloyd Miller, originally issued in a run of 500 copies in 1967. This reissue was overseen by Miller and pressed from new stampers made from the original metal parts. The album contains an extensive booklet detailing Miller’s […]
Ryan Porter “The Optimist” (World Galaxy)
West Coast Get Down’s Ryan Porter will launch the 2CD / 3LP set The Optimist on World Galaxy, ushering in an instrumental body of work that encompasses the respite of Los Angeles jazz music. The Optimist pulls together veterans of the LA music scene, including West Coast Get Down alumni […]
Wild Havana “Wild Havana” (Mental Experience)
Mental Experience present a reissue of Wild Havana’s self-titled album, originally released in 1977. Obscure Dutch private pressing of laid-back instrumental psychedelic/progressive sounds with jazz-funk-groove and abstract/experimental/Latin-indigenous touches. Stoned homemade atmosphere with treated/distorted electric and acoustic guitars, flute, electric piano, primitive drum machines/homemade electronics… Much in the vein of the […]
Weldon Irvine “The Sisters” (Nature Sounds)
Keyboardist and composer Weldon Irvine is among the most celebrated Jazz-Funk artists of all time. He was Nina Simone’s bandleader for years, and wrote the lyrics for her iconic civil rights anthem “To Be Young, Gifted and Black”. Throughout the 1970s, Irvine released a series of seminal albums full of […]
Nat Birchall “Cosmic Language” (Jazzman)
Nat Birchall charts new paths toward spiritual communion, connecting jazz with classical Indian influences guided by the wistful flow of the harmonium. Cosmic Language sees the UK-based saxophonist, composer, and arranger return to Jazzman Records with a cross-cultural approach: an exploration of the parallel musical paths of jazz and Indian […]
Fumio Itabashi “Nature” (Mule Musiq)
Mule Musiq present the first vinyl reissue of Fumio Itabashi’s Nature, originally released in 1979. The legendary Japanese jazz pianist’s first solo record ever, Nature was recorded at Nippon Columbia’s first studio in Tokyo from March 13-15 in the year of its release. It features Itabashi making feverish love with […]
Beverly Glenn-Copeland “Beverly Glenn-Copeland” (Super-Sonic Jazz)
Super-Sonic Jazz present a reissue of Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s self-titled debut album, originally released on the Canadian GRT imprint in 1970. The debut release by Afro-Canadian singer, songwriter, and cult figure within new age experimental sounds, has been long been sought after. The soulful jazz release, was original recorded in 1970 […]
Derek Bailey “Lot 74” (Honest Jon’s)
Honest Jon’s Records present a reissue of Derek Bailey’s Lot 74, originally released by Incus in 1974. Recorded at a private house in West London, the side-long title track is a masterwork: a twenty-two-minute, starkly personal, freely expressive, itchily searching re-casting of orders of rhythm and sound into a new, […]
Various Artists “Spiritual Jazz 8: Japan Part One” (Jazzman)
Double LP; Part one of two double LP versions. Textured, gatefold sleeve; Obi strip. Jazzman Record’s latest examination of esoteric, modal, and progressive jazz of the 20th century has taken them to Japan. The liberating force of jazz has been created and felt all around the world, but few nations […]
The Headhunters “Straight From The Gate” (Music on Vinyl)
The Headhunters’ Straight From The Gate was their 2nd album and was released in 1977. Originally started as a jazz-fusion band fronted by Herbie Hancock, members Paul Jackson, Bennie Maupin, Michael Clark, Paul Potyen, Derrick Youman and Obsidion Blackbiyrd delved further into jazz-rock and fusion sounds and recorded the album […]
Sun Ra “Of Abstract Dreams” (Strut)
Strut and Art Yard present another exclusive from the vast catalogue of cosmic jazz pioneer Sun Ra: a previously unreleased radio session most likely recorded at the WXPN FM radio studios in Philadelphia, 1974-5. This newly discovered session features a new version of Ra’s earlier ‘Island In The Sun’, a […]