Split 12” on Mahogani Music featuring two of Detroit’s hidden gems: Paul Hill and Nikki O aka Sky Covington, a talented vocalist who has shared the stage with many of Detroit’s known jazz musicians and has sang vocals on past KDJ works.
jazz
Gmos27 – African Space Programme Mix
This is the soundtrack to the top secret African Space Programme, cosmic sounds for a funky exploration of deep space. Or something like that….
Hannibal Marvin Peterson – The Tribe [KSFS04NLP]
The official release of the 1976 recording ‘The Tribe’. Finally after more than 35 years, this essential Spiritual Jazz recording is made available again. Hannibal Marvin Peterson’s unreleased album The Tribe is a sacred collection of blistering jazz assaults and deep reflective spirituals from Hannibal’s ten-piece group. The five tracks on The Tribe fluctuate from propulsive ensemble stampedes supporting Hannibal’s wild solos, to peaceful dreamy hymns. ‘Now Stand’ opens the album, the rest of the group playing catch-up to Hannibal and Billy Hart’s trumpet and drum intro. ‘A Sacred Multitude’ and ‘Of Life And Love And God’ both tap into the deeper, contemplative side of things, Branice McKenzie’s sanctified vocal and Diedre Murray’s cello coming to the fore. ‘Returning To The Ways’ powers along with an uptempo charge not unlike Carlos Garnett’s ‘Mother Of The Future’, but it’s The Tribe’s title track that steals the show and closes the record. Kicking off in exuberant spirit, the track blends heavy riffs and chants with the kind of bluesy changes that characterize Harry Whitaker’s ‘Black Renaissance’, before ending in a foreboding metallic conclusion.
CCO – In Memoriam [DIAR030]
Diamond Rec present the album “In Memoriam” by Italian artist CCO aka Cantamos Saltamos. The album includes 6 original Broken Beat/Nu Jazz/Nu Soul/House tracks and 2 remixes by Vincenzo Battaglia & Vinicio Melis and Tommy Ro.
Dez Andres – Culture Shock [AUDI004]
Although he started his career back in the early 2000s and has links with Moodymann’s Mahogani Music label, Andres’ profile has increased of late thanks to a string of brilliant EPs for M1 Sessions and his own La Vida . The time is surely right, then, to drop his first commercially available mix CD. As you’d expect, it’s firmly rooted in soul, effortlessly joining the dots between disco-funk, jazz, slow jams, global beats and summery Latin flavas. Opening with the Universal Robot Band’s impeccable “Dance and Shake Your Tambourine”, Culture Shock sits somewhere between a particularly good radio show and a dancefloor-bating mix-up, making it perfect for home listening. It also includes Gilberto Gil’s disco era samba classic “Toda Menina Baiana”, which is never a bad thing.
DopeGems – Journey To The Shore [TRA023]
Created in 2011 by drummer and arranger Slikk Tim, DopeGems is a five piece band dedicated to that gritty, raw instrumental sound of the 70s music lovers. That special blend of jazz, funk, and classic soundtracks, but so rarely performed live: there comes the idea of DopeGems. By combining vibraphone, guitar and vintage keys on top of a rock-solid rythm section, the band is able to sound bigger than the sum of it parts, enabling the unit to be very versatile, from searing improvisations to heavy, deep grooves, all the way to full-on symphonic movie charts. “Journey To The Shore” is paired with an equally inspired rendition of “Quasar”, originally recorded on Herbie Hancock’s The Crossing but rather taking its cues from the 1977 version by Bennie Maupin, featuring its sophisticated arrangement by Onaje Allen Grubs. DopeGems manages to squeeze out a darkly shimmering diamond of tune from this sacred rare groove nugget, while respecting all the details of the symphonic original with only 5 musicians.
Mala – Mala In Cuba [BWOOD090CD]
Vinyl Boxset includes 4 x 180g vinyl, including free download code with bonus tracks. Album sampler BWOOD089 also fits in to complete the boxset. The results of a true culture clash, ‘Mala in Cuba’ marries the intricate rhythms and deep, spiritual roots of Cuba with Mala’s own roots in South London and his dedication to bass culture.
Machine Drum / Sun Ra – Views Of Saturn Vol 3 [ACSR12X3]
Machine Drum applies his spur of the moment style to the 1979 Sun Ra classic Door Of The Cosmos. A slightly different take from the previous two, but equally as experimental in its own right, his trademark frenetic psychedelic high speed beats are at work here for a truly unique interpretation of one of Sun Ra’s most recognizable works. All the covers come with bespoke cover art via Stephen Serrato and photographer Simon Wald-Lasowski and this looks like their best yet.
Jamie 3:26 / Boogie Nite – Do The Mickey [LIH007]
This latest missive from the Lumberjacks label features a mixed bag of reliably groovesome oddities. There’s the disco-jazz madness of Jamie 3:26’s “Can You Feel It”, and three wide-eyed bangers from the unknown Boogie Nite. Of these, the most obviously upbeat is the loopy funk/soul strut of “Do Your Thang” and James Brown-ish “Sexy Sexy Sexy”. Most interesting of all, though is “Earth Calling Mickey”, a Balearic disco weird-out that sits somewhere between oddball house and head-nodding disco.
Peabody & Sherman – James Baldwin [SB12001]
This project features extracts from the audio portion of a documentary film shot of a discussion led by James Baldwin and Dick Gregory at the West Indian Student Centre in London in 1968.
Vakula & Dusty Baron – Leleka 4 [LELEKA004]
Dusty Baron aka Latecomer may be a recent arrival on the scene, but he plays like a true veteran. A mysterious export from the around same eastern latitudes as label boss Vakula, their music sounds just as rooted in the post Soviet Russian landscape as it is in the post industrial North America which gave rise to all the soul and machine funk that is the driving inspiration for so many of today’s roots conscious electronic artists. Vakula takes the controls on Side A with dubwise and exotic production skills whilst Side B showcases The Baron’s heavy heavy chops, with drum programming as deft as his keys work, and a sound which is equal parts earthly and heavenly. Sides C & D (on bonus 7”) see V step up to offer two takes on Follow Shot, continuing the theme of techno tinged jazz cosmism.
Jazz & More Festival Sibiu 2012
Upperground Orchestra – The Eupen Takes [DOSER013S]
The formidable Lebanese / Italian jazz nomads release a long player of deepness on Morphine’s new live series. First long player from Upperground Orchestra initiates the new ‘live series’ of Morphine Records. ‘The Eupen Takes’ is a live document clearly showing what the collective is normally improvising on stage, a chaotic but still tight blend of jazz, kraut and electronics, where nothing is previously planned, and analog synths and spaced out sounds melt with instruments in a natural and free approach. The Eupen Takes LP contains the second half of the june 2011 show at the Meakusma stage, Eupen Muzik Marathon.
Quasimode – Hi Tech Jazz [JS12S079]
Japanese group Quasimode are rightly lauded by the world’s jazz and electronic music cognoscenti, with their productions flitting elegantly between the two genres. For their third release on Japanese label Flower, the foursome present the Hi Tech Jazz EP. “Hi Tech Jazz”, as you may have guessed, is a cover version of one of the finest tracks in the Underground Resistance back catalogue, bobbing along with jazzy piano keys, swooning saxophone solos and an undisputable sophistication. Once we flip over, “Seven Colors” featuring Kazufumi Kodama brings a hint of the electronic with a dub tinged rhythm in its pallet to showcase why Quasimodo are so highly regarded.
Marcello Napoletano pres. Ra Thout / The Brigante’s Orchestra – Born Free In The Land Of Nobody [MATH058]
Hot stuff Macello Napoletano dons his new guise as Ra Thout & The Brigante’s Orchestra but keeps loyal to his firm and releases on Mathematics. Anyway, Ra Thout is a totally different animal, frantic and aggressive, littered with raw electronics and tape saturation. “Catastophic Event” is an apt title for a rabid track that drags a multitude of squeals and sine tone abuse through rough drum box percussion and a fast, unrelenting tempo. “Man From Messapia” rides on a similar tempo but gets a bit funky, with filtered hooks and flanging pads. Deep, tech-funk with what sounds to me like a crazy vocoder line going absolutely off-it through the track. “The Man Who Can Do Anything” is a low-slung chugger with quite organic percussion and a subby bass. Breaking delicately through the mix is a wonderful lead flute line which contrasts well against the sludgy groove. “Terra Tra Due Mari” is totally nuts, mangling a free-jazz workout against jagged guitars and ridiculous amounts of bass. Hard to pin down, and quite unlike anything else but imagine some of Madlib’s Yesterdays New Quintet work being tweaked by Jamal Moss then mixed and mastered into some aggressive psychedelic B-side and you’re halfway there.
Andy Vaz – Straight Vacationing [YRE028LP]
Andy Vaz’s Straight Vacationing, his first full-length artist album since 2006, registers as less a straight-up collection of dance-floor burners and more of a variety pack that mixes club tracks and full-fledged house songs. Listeners hungry for just ordinary 4/4 throw-downs will not entirely get their share of those, but they’ll also get a whole lot more on this dynamic and well-rounded set of eight album tracks and that is exploring House Music not just as a simple one way street, but give you a very personal view of the music we call House. Straight Vacationing dives into the genre in all it’s rich variety: From deep melodic, early Chicago influenced Acid House, Jacking-Jedi Mind Tricks to Disco-type grooves and last but not least excursions into Bizzaro World, with a vaz typical almost psychedelic experimental-edged Sound, it’s all there.
The Please – ‘s-Gravendijkwal EP [MAZE001]
New Dutch imprint Purple Maze presents it’s first release, a 4 track EP from The Please. The Dutch duo comprised of Hans Verhaag & Minggus Dorpmans favour lo-fi, often slo-mo sounds that cross pollinate house music with a whole other world of leftfield electronic sounds, and do just that on this new EP.
Andres – Andres III [M028]
Andres delivering his third album for Mahogani Records, featuring 6 tracks, a tasteful mixture of house and gritty, yet soulful downbeat tracks.
Yuri Shulgin – Flow EP [ES0016]
Debut release from this Russian producer Yuri Shulgin for Ethereal Sounds, featuring three jazz-fused tracks.
Instant House – Dance Trax – Raw [GT123-4]
Re-issue of the Classic Instant House Vinyl EP. Includes the 6 original tracks, along an unreleased bonus cut from the Instant House Archives titled “Hat Hat”.
The Hipodrome Of Music 