Review: Neil Anderson's Original Gravity loves to look back and revive forgotten classics and that is what it does again here with a quick reissue of something it dropped back in March. This time out it is two more massive slices of tasty Latin funk getting served up. The first is Abram & Nestor's 'Four Minutes Of Funk' which is indeed four minutes of funk that will unite dancefloors from here to eternity with its big organ magic. Nestor Alvarez' 'El Trombonista' is as you might guess denied by its big trombone and also boasts some great horn work. Do not sleep.
Review: Making your debut release at 100 years old must be a feat that no-one's ever achieved before. This isn't just a novelty act. Marshall Allen remains a force of nature, and 'New Dawn' proves it. The lead single and title of his debut solo album is a subdued yet powerful statement, showing a different side to the legendary saxophonist who has shaped the Sun Ra Arkestra for over 70 years. Featuring Neneh Cherry, 'New Dawn' unfolds as a contemporary jazz odyssey, balancing Allen's signature cosmic energy with a deep, introspective warmth. His alto sax glides gently over the composition, offering space for Cherry's ethereal presence and the bright young talents surrounding him. On the flip, the instrumental edit allows Allen's playing to shine even more, revealing his intricate phrasing and the emotional depth behind every note. It's not the explosive free-jazz chaos of Sun Ra's wildest moments but a thoughtful meditation on time, legacy and reinvention. For a musician who has always looked to the future, Allen's 'New Dawn' is both a bold continuation and a fresh beginning. A special release for a special artist.
Review: The Brazil 45s / Mr Bongo outlet is back with its classic moves, coming through with some truly special soul blends out of the Brazilian golden era. Dalila and Neyde Alexandre feature in this latest 7", the former with 1968's "Canto Chorado", a slow-burning bubble of funky exotica - surely impossible to find in its original shade - and the latter with a funky little bomb from 1971 by the name of "Perplexidade" - surely the smoothest, sexiest soul number out this week! Lovely stuff.
Review: Lisa Decker makes a return with two new singles here that are taken from her upcoming album which is due in May of this year. It comes two years after her debut with the Japanese jazz trio Nautilus and marks something of a conceptual shift in her sound. 'Love & Hope' finds her turn in a stylish jazz vocal with funky bass loops and organic drums and percussion that straddle many different genres. 'Summer Child' then sinks into a nice smooth jazz-funk vibe with soft focus chords bringing a touch of class to her breezy vocals.
Review: A stellar mix of DJ-able breakbeat and northern soul from Luchito Rodriguez and Nestor Alvarez, two of our favourite contemporary funk artists active today (as long as we're certain of their identities, that is). This limited 7" contains two versions of the same killer track: 'Soy Un Hombre' reincarnates the triumphant 'achievement' of manhood through carnal brasses and kettle drums, in a quiver-inducing cover version of Spencer Davis Group's classic track 'I'm A Man'.
Review: Original Gravity, Luchito Rodriguez and Nestor Alvarez return with yet two more Latin groove versions of funk and soul classics, emulating two sounds not yet brought together enough. 'Dap Walk' is a shot-by-shot cover of the song of the same name by Ernie And The Top Notes - a slick and slippery interpretation that translates the original AAVE of the song's intro into Spanish. 'El Barrio', meanwhile, opts for 70s crime thriller vibes, instrumentally verging on expressionism via djembe, brass sections and vibraslaps.
Nico Gomez & His Afro Percussion Inc - "Lupita" (7:16)
Review: Mr Bongo continue to churn out top-quality re-edits and here they enlist Danny Krivit aka. Mr. K, the New York producer who has longstandingly helped prop up the dance scene there since the early 1960s. Krivit is responsible for perhaps some of the earliest and most significant disco and funk edits on Earth, so we're more than happy to hear these new ones out, in which he lends his ear to two mambi from Latin extraordinaires Sabu Martinez and Nico Gomez. Percussive clanks and boxy slaps abound on this audiophiles' charm.
Review: Ahead of a fresh album due later in the year, Nat Birchall fires up his quartet and returns to the Jazz45 series with a second seven-inch salvo for the Jazzman offshoot. A-side "Obeah Man" is wonderfully sweet, soulful and breezy, with Birchall and company layering jaunty spiritual jazz style piano riffs and snaking solos (think Clarinet, sax, trumpet etc) over a warm, loose and bustling groove. They continue on a similar vein on the slightly bolder flipside cut "Seeking", where bandmembers trade solos atop a classic jazz style bassline and fizzing drums. That forthcoming album should be killer.
Review: Once of the more creative jazz singers, Nanette Natal was active in the mid-'70s after switching from a career as a classical singer in the 1960s. .Originally released in 1981, both of the tracks on this dynamite 7" are taken from the private press album My Song of Something. They feature outstanding vocal work over high energy, superbly kinetic jazz dance grooves that brim and bristle with more energy than a whole junior school full of children after too many sweets. This marks the first tie these two classic jazz bangers have made it to their own 7".
Review: Tramp Records come at us with an exclusive, ninja-lethal wax, chucked squarely in our direction: the debut 7" single from Natural Life lays down two extra-special instrumental jazz-funk cuts for our pleasure. Never heard before on the tiny label, and with little background info out there to scour (we're pretty sure it's not the same Natural Life as the upbeat funk band active throughout the 1990s), all that's left is to use our ears. Both versions of the eponymous track are essentially an obverse and inverse of the same theme, except for the fact that one is funky in the fast, riveting sense; the other in the slower, sultrier sense. Both are nonetheless rapid, to-the-point heaters, and can be easily deployed and exploited in many a party - or afterparty - context.
Review: With an irresistible blend of broken beat and nu-jazz grooves, 'Chameleon' is a enjoyable smooth jazz gem driven by funky basslines, strings, lively percussive and catchy keys. The arrangement flows effortlessly, creating a sound both sophisticated and danceableia perfect balance of complexity and accessibility. Flipping to the B-side, 'Losalamitoslatinfunklovesong' takes a more laid-back approach. Led by a warm, soulful organ, the track exudes chill vibes with its subtle funk underpinnings and jazzy finesse. The addition of a vocoder adds a playful, retro-futuristic charm, rounding out a composition that's as soothing as it is engaging.
What You Won't Do For Love (feat Ryuto Kasahara - Muro re-edit) (4:44)
Love Theme From Sparticus (Kenichiro Nishihara remix) (3:07)
Review: Japanese jazz, funk and rare groove sensations Nautilus share their latest cover version, this time of Bobby Caldwell's 'What You Won't Do For Love'. This version stars Toshiyuki Saki on guest drums and vocalist Ruto Kasahara on vocals, bringing a digressional arc to Nautilus' usual sound. On the flip comes another rerub, this time of Nautilus' own 'Love Theme From Spartacus', from their latest album, remixed by producer Kenichiro Nishihara, which incorporates a light-hearted and feathery jazz-hop verve.
Review: Hey everybody, here's... Nautilus! This prolific contemporary jazz trio are at the top of their game. Regular contributors to their patrons Urban Discos and Oonops Drops, their repertoire extends to everything from full-length EPs' and albums' worths of original material to one-off guilty pleasure covers. This new rendition of Oasis' 'Wonderwall' definitely falls into the latter category. This slick new version abounds in gut-grasping major chords and spine-tingling drum brush caresses, and features passionately candid yet no less elegant vocals by Ray Yamaoda. On the B comes the comparatively funky knockout and jazz original, 'Through The Night'.
Review: Prolific Japanese jazzers Nautilus - made up of drummer Toshiyuki Sasaki, keyboardist Daisuke Takeuchi, and bassist Shigeki Umezawa - present their latest 7" release 'A Story About You'. It's an emotive A-and-B-sider of mournful mood, with the A-side cemented by rolling pianos and a central lyric-melody performed by Mariko's talkbox, and B-sider 'Sweet Power Your Embrace' coming as a cover of the 1977 classic by James Mason. Signaling news of a full-length album to come - you'd better fasten your seatbelts.
Review: After delivering some killer reissues over the last few years, Mr Bongo's brilliant Brazil 45s series has reached "buy on sight" status. It goes without saying that the label's latest double-header of hard-to-find Brazilian gems is white hot. A-side Neno Exporta Som's impossible-to-find 1971 gem "Deixa A Tristeza", a wild and life-affirming fusion of samba and funk full of fuzzy sax solos, glassy-eyed vocals and heavyweight grooves. Over on the flip you'll find another killer cut from '71: "Sumauma" by MPB star Agnaldo Rayol. Blessed with a great groove and incredible arrangement, it sounds like a Brazilian take on the sort of over-the-top songs used to open James Bond movies in the 1970s (albeit with a bit of samba sunshine thrown in).
Review: 'Behind The Green Door' understands the power of lunging rhythms. A one-man-band by some estimations - the 'group' has just a single permanent member, Danny "Lee Blackwell" Rajan Billingsley, with the founder, drummer James Traeger, only involved intermittently. And this isn't the only norm defied. Psychedelic garage rock for some, to us it's a kind of hypnotic, swampy, choral thing with shades of rhythm and blues and soul. With plenty of encouragement to chant. In 2023, Night Beats dropped a sixth studio album, Rajan, and then promptly ran back into the same ether that's been obscuring them from many views since 2009. Still, if you caught a glimpse then, or rather an earshot, and took the brave decision to follow, here's where we've wound up - and it sounds awesome.
Review: NIJI Marks a milestone in his career with Somewhere in the Middle, a new five track EP that signifies a superb debut after years working with others. It finds him diving deeply into his serious love of jazz as well as the musical roots of his Nigerian heritage. It comes plenty of high profile collabs with other great of the game such as Moses Boyd, Gregory Porter and Beverly Knight and is another superb example of his next level piano playing skills. These most immersive and lush tracks are packed with captivating melodies and sci-fi sounds that future proof it as well as connecting it to the past.
Review: As they often tend to do, a whole bunch of Anthems of the North 7"s have landed hit smooth and as ever they are all gold. This one is an Ike Noble 45s that comes pressed up with original-style silver ink overprinted labels. Kicking this one off is a previously unreleased cover of James Brown's classic 'Money Won't Change You'. It has some raw-as-hell horns and driving funk breaks that will light up any club and might even be better than the original. The B-side is a sweet as you like ballad that pairs off male and female vocals and deep soul, expressive horns and bittersweet grooves.
Review: The 7" single 'Peixeira Amolada e Quebra Queixo' b/w Mariposa Tigre offers a unique blend of Brazilian musical influences. "Peixeira Amolada e Quebra Queixo" draws on two cultural symbols: the sharp knife and a traditional Angolan candy, symbolising both struggle and direct action. For the first time, the band uses guitar, weaving it into a groove full of counter-melodies, representing daily battles for survival in Brazil. 'Mariposa Tigre' blends funk, ethno-groove, and jazzy brass with a reggae-infused twist, creating an irresistible rhythm. Both tracks showcase inventive musical structures with a surprising flair, leaving the listener eager for more.
Review: On the centenary of the birth of Luigi Nono, the Maurice Quartet - Georgia Privitera (violin), Laura Bertolino (violin), Francesco Vernero (viola) and Aline Privitera (cello) - reinterprets the composition for string quartet by the Venetian composer on the occasion of the 30th Beethovenfest in Bonn, in 1980. This limited edition (300) record hammers home the pensive, minimalistic innovations of Nono, considered a radical innovator in the classical music of his time.
Hakuchu No Shugeki - Theme (feat Terumasa Hino Quintet) (5:10)
Review: The Norio Maeda Trio's 'Alpha Ray' and Terumasa Hino Quintet's 'Hakuchu No Shugeki - Theme' have been unearthed gems from Japan's musical past, revived for contemporary audiences by Jazz Room Records. 'Alpha Ray' exudes hot Latin vibes from the Swinging Sixties, earning its place in Shibuya Jazz Dance Folklore during the Acid Jazz Boom. Meanwhile, 'Hakuchu No Shugeki - Theme' transports listeners to the stylish world of 1970s Japansploitation cinema with its soulful jazz groove reminiscent of Blue Note's golden era. Both tracks, now available on 45 RPM vinyl, promise to ignite the dance floor with their infectious rhythms and timeless charm. Jazz enthusiasts won't want to miss this double dose of vintage Japanese jazz excellence.
Review: The Nut Jumpers is a collaboration that brings together Helen Shadow, Ricky Lee Brawn (of The Stargazers and The Big 6), and 'Mr. Dynamite' aka Jake Calypso, and it finds them blend their talents into a diverse yet authentic rock'n'roll experience. With Helen's stellar guitar, Ricky Lee's dynamic drums, and Jake's vocals, harmonica, and bass, their sound spans rockabilly, rock'n'roll, blues boppers, and sixties vibes with effortless cool. They fuse these influences seamlessly, occasionally evoking guitar riffs reminiscent of Link Wray in a way that means The Nut Jumpers deliver a rich musical tapestry that resonates with classic authenticity and a contemporary edge.
Review: Some tempos are pivotal to certain genres and 140 is one of those when it comes to dubstep. For that reason it is the title of this fine on going All Stars series from DUPLOC. Volume four is another masterful one with all niches explored starting with the low-end wobble of Mob Killa's 'Hattori' which is a brilliantly moody and late night saunter through a desolate urban landscape. Oudjat's 'Losing Control' is just as menacing and dark, and Ego Death pairs to back further to lush echoing hits and warped synths that hang in the air on 'Run It.' The flip side offers three more sparse but impactful cuts of hefty 140 bass brilliance.
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