Volume two in the rare Argentinian grooves, reworked by disco connaisseur Ricardo Piccolo. You’ll never find these joints again.
jazz
Ric Piccolo – Austral Works 1 [BAP026]
Rare Argentinian grooves reworked by disco connaisseur Ricardo Piccolo. You’ll never find these joints again.
VA – Movements 6 [TRLP9031]
The ‘Movements’ saga started to discover, study, and properly represent great black American music that is at risk of being lost or forgotten. Today, his illustrious label: Tramp Records, proudly releases the 6th volume of this essential series. Though the track listing still contains amazing music you may never hear elsewhere, the series has matured since its first volume. The track selection has become more open minded, compiling ballads and soul-jazz tunes, even proto-disco in addition to the rare funk Tramp fans expect. Tracks are selected in chronological order so that the listener may get an impression of the development of of the art form from jazz to rhythm and blues to rock & roll to soul and of course – funk. As the website states: ”we ain’t going for bootlegs,” so, whenever possible, Tramp sought out and was granted permission to release each track from the original musicians who are very often in their late seventies now. He took that opportunity to interview them about their careers, their groups, and the recording sessions from which these gems arose. The artists’ stories are meticulously published in extensive liner notes which are printed in the included full-color booklet. Their own words illuminate the colorful backstory behind each track.
Whilst – Everything That Was Was There [OM021]
Post-voodoo, intergalactic grooves, layered and psychedelic, hypnotic and infectious. Formed originally as a jam-based project in the ever-fertile analogue studio ‘Green Door’, Whilst jump seamlessly between free jazz, primitive electronics, dubby post-punk, North African and motorik stlyings, underpinning their sound with a strong punk ethos.
VA – Freedom Power [SME001]
Amazing Funk Library LP featuring tones of Jazz-Funk and Psychedelic beats. The listener is constantly kept guessing as the music swings between Psych Funk, Esoteric Jazz and Cinematic/Love Themes then back again. Tracks like ”Love For Sale”, ”Privacy”, ”Metropolis Notte” and ”Dopping 2000” are simply timeless and go a long way to explaining why Cometa albums are so highly regarded. Sounds in here perfectly plunge in the universe of great 1970s music. Originally issued on Limited Edition serie for collectors, this gem has finally been repressed on HQ 180gr. vinyl with improved sound quality for the joy of audiophiles.
Kenny Dixon Jr. – Moodymann [KDJ044]
New material from Kenny Dixon Jr. aka Moodymann along with two tracks produced by Andres. This long awaited album features twelve songs over 4 sides of vinyl, a poster, all in custom sleeve with the best album artwork since 1979. A journey further into the weird and wonderful world of the Moodymann…Straight from Detroit!
Theo Parrish – 71st And Exchange Used To Be [SSTTTPLC001]
Theo Parrish presents a split release with Sound Signature and Palace Skateboards on the legendary TTT.
Theo Parrish – Black Jazz Signature [SDGBJ1303LP]
Arguably one of the world’s most important underground dance music producer/DJs lends his hands to selecting and mixing a set of jazz and funk records licensed from and originally released on the Black Jazz label 1971-1976. World renowned for his DJ sets, productions, and record label (Sound Signature), this Chicagoraised DJ is near impossible to pigeonhole. Revered by a wide spectrum of dedicated music fanatics, he is known for his edits of artists such as Minnie Ripperton, Roger Troutman, Nightlife Unlimited, as well as his otherworldly DJ sets, and his serious approach to DJ’ing as an art form. Theo gives special attention to fellow Chicago musicians The Awakening (3 consecutive tracks, 4 total on the mix), one of the best funk/fusion groups that the Black Jazz label released, and whose only output was on that label. The set itself is a masterful “2 turntables all vinyl” execution, a format that Theo is dedicated to – no mp3, no CDr, just the vinyl palette for the true aural experience. Sit back and be drawn into his world, hear things his way.
Theo Parrish – Long Walk In The Sun / Strawberry Dragon [SS050]
New 2 track EP from Theo Parrish on his own Sound Signature. Slow-burning funk and rapid Jazz-tinged numbers on this monumental two-tracker.
Jazz & More Festival Sibiu 2013
The Fresh-Up Players – Blip Culture [FRESH011]
New release from London-based funkateers Fresh Up Records, a label specializing in brand-new, old-sounding synth funk, Moog disco and library sounds.
Gărâna Jazz Festival @ Poiana Lupului (Gărâna) 11-14.07.2013
Rabih Beaini – Albidaya [END07]
Exploratory Lebanese imprint Annihaya presents a stunning debut album opus by Rabih Beaini aka Morphosis under his birth name. As Rabih was born in Lebanon it is fitting he shares ‘Albidaya’ – meaning “The Beginning” in Arabic – with a label from his home country, who provide acute context for its mixture of electronics, psych rock, folk and jazz. Impressively it was mostly recorded over the course of one day in 2012, wrangling myriad rhythms, tones and shapes from Rabih’s famous collection of vintage analog synthesizers and sequencers meshed with Eko Tiger Duo organ and guitar, and some assistance from Tommaso Cappellato on drums and Piero Bittolo Bon on woodwind and electronics (with additional credits to both Mike Huckaby and Donato Dozzy), and post-production done in Berlin and Rome.
Renato Figoli – Funkoholic [AMAM025CD]
‘Ladies and gentlemen, we are going through an area of turbulence, we ask all passengers to remain seated, with your seatbelts fastened…’ Anyone who’s ever experienced the treacherous descent to Cagliari airport will totally understand Renato Figoli’s fear of flying, but in contrast to the loudspeaker announcement that introduces Funkoholic, the Sardinian producer’s album is anything but turbulent – the smoothest of takeoffs, superb in-flight entertainment and controlled touchdown make it an early contender for one of 2013’s most rewarding listens. Funkoholic allowings Renato the scope to fully realize his potential while setting out a musical doctrine that merges deep techno, funk, dub, jazz and ambience in a truly idiosyncratic manner. The album consists of nine tracks, each linked by elegantly crafted ambient transitions that leave the listener in a state of suspended animation. This constant alternation between inner space and outer space is one of the album’s defining features, balancing style and content in equal measures.
Paul Hill / Nikki O – Need Me Some U / Music [MM033]
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.
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.
