Jazz

Review: As part of their ongoing 50th birthday celebrations, German jazz label MPS asked Italian musician and crate digger Nicola Conte to trawl through their archives for spiritual gold. The result is "Cosmic Forest", an eye-opening set of largely obscure and little known tracks originally recorded between 1965 and 75. There is much "straight-up" spiritual jazz to enjoy (Nathan Davis' "Evolution" being a prime example), but it's the cuts that draw on a wider palette of influences that really stand out. Check, for example, the Middle Eastern flourishes of George Gruntz's "Djerbi", the hippy-ish vocal bliss of The Third Wave's "Maiden Voyage", the meditative jazz raga that is "Yaad" by Motihar Trio, Schweizer Trio, Schoof & Wilen, and the tropical drums of "El Babaku" by El Babaku.

Review: Two years ago, Z Records gave Colin Curtis - one of the UK's longest-serving DJs, and a pioneer on the Northern Soul and jazz-funk scenes - a chance to dig deep into the crates and showcase some of the music he's used to make jazz dancers spin, shuffle and footwork over the previous 50 years. Here he delivers a sequel, and the good news is that it's also full-to-bursting with Latin jazz, fusion and jazz-dance treats. The plentiful highlights include - but are in no way limited to - the high-octane heaviness and life-affirming piano solos of Marita Alban Juarez Quartet's 'Upa Neguinho', the carnival-ready cheeriness of Steven Kroon's 'Tombo 7/4', the deep jazz-dance soul of 'Brasila' by Raffaela Renzulli Ensemble and 'Manteca', a killer drum workout by Jam Session Goes Latino.

Review: During the British jazz-dance scene's late '70s and early '80s boom, there were few DJs that the dancers loved more than Colin Curtis. Still DJing today after 50 years behind the decks, Curtis was a natural choice to put together Z Records' first compilation dedicated to jazz-dance, jazz-funk and fusion sounds. The two-disc set is something of a stunner, all told, full of deep selections, floor-burning favourites and high-grade workouts. There's naturally plenty of Latin jazz flavours on show, high-octane thrillers (See Eric Kloss's "The Samba Express"), swinging jazz-funk (check the superb Charles Earland track) and the kind of extended wig-outs that just make you want to bust some serious shapes.

Review: While previous instalments of Jazzman's essential Spiritual Jazz series have focused on killer cuts and rare gems from the past (specifically material recorded between the 1950s and '80s), the thirteenth volume shines a light on what's happening right now. This second part (of two) successfully showcases the best of the contemporary scene, showcasing cuts from around the world that neatly encapsulate the breadth and diversity of 21st century spiritual jazz. The plentiful highlights include the exotic, Eastern-tinged spiritualism of Wildflower's 'Flute Song', the futurist jazz-funk deepness of Steve Reid's 'For Coltrane', the layered vocals and acoustic instrumentation of Angel Bat Dawid's 'What Should I Tell My Children Who Are Black' and the sparkling, sun-soaked positivity of 'Nova' by Menagerie.

Review:  While previous instalments of Jazzman's essential Spiritual Jazz series have focused on killer cuts and rare gems from the past (specifically material recorded between the 1950s and '80s), the thirteenth volume shines a light on what's happening right now. It's stretched across two double-albums, with this first part hitting spot from the word go. The collection's greatest strength is how it manages to represent the many different directions that spiritual jazz has gone in the 21st century. For proof, compare and contrast the drowsy, bluesy and smoky 'Lizard Waltz' by Benjamin Herman, the jazz psychedelia of Idris Ackmoor and the Pyramids' 'An Angel Fell', the Latin lounge-jazz flex of Jimi Tenor and Kabukabu's 'Suite Meets' and the low-down, bass-driven brilliance of Gnawa' by drummer-turned-beatmaker Maya McCracken.

Review: While re-issue specialists such as Harmless, Far Out, Strut or Mr Bongo enjoy a respectable following thanks to their long-established nature and strong track record, very few new labels rooted in the world of global rhythms have managed to make waves outside of the dusty-fingered world of record collecting. Since launching at the tail end of the noughties, the London based club night and label Sofrito have joined this select group. Focused primarily on 12" singles, often boasting new re-edits of little-known afro-disco, calypso or tropical gems, the label overseen by Hugo Mendez and Frankie Francis has tickled the fancy of a wide range of DJs. Here, they return to Strut - regular employers of Francis for his formidable re-mastering and engineering skills - for a second compilation. Whereas the first, 2011's Tropical Discotheque, had a distinctly tropical theme, Sofrito International Soundclash takes a more wide-ranging approach. The results are predictably enjoyable and deliciously heavy. Opening with the classic Soca of Lord Shorty & Vibrations International, the compilation moves through styles of pan continental music both past and present at a furious rate. There's some contemporary Kenyan beats with London/Nairobi collective Owiny Sigoma Band presenting a new version of "Nabed Nade El Piny Ka", a highlight from their 2011 debut for Brownswood, while the booming "Information Par Le Mistral" from Sartana et Son Groupe Mistral brings a taste of heavily-percussive gwo-ka. Sofrito's own editing skills with beautiful calypso rhythms are showcased with a reworking of Concept Neuf's 1979 cover of jazz-fusion mainstay "The Path," while Afro Festival bring some joyous but unlikely fusion sounds. Aside from the enthusiasts that gather at Sofrito parties in London and beyond, where many of these tracks are dancefloor staples, few will know much about many of these styles of music, let alone the artists who make them. But that's the point: through International Soundclash, the Sofrito crew is opening our eyes and ears to brilliant sounds we never knew existed.

Review: BBE's second trawl through late 20th century deep Japanese jazz is every bit as eye opening and essential as its predecessor, which caused many hearts to flutter when it was released 18 months ago. From start to finish, we're treated to a righteous range of largely little-known tunes, from the spiraling, sun-kissed spirituality of Makoto Terashita Meets Harold Land's epic "Dragon Dance", and the funk-fuelled dancefloor jazz brilliance of Mabumi Yamaguchi Quartet's "Distant Thunder", to the smooth, snaking seductiveness of George Kawaguchi Big Four's "Vietnam" and the synthesizer jazz-funk insanity of Electro Keyboard Orchestra's "Mother Of The Future". A superb selection of genuinely off-kilter and life affirming Japanese gems that should be an essential purchase for both serious and casual jazz fans.

Review: Last year, Soul Jazz Records began to examine the relationship between protest, politics and music in the "black power era" via a fine compilation released in celebration of Tate Modern's "The Soul of a Nation" exhibition. This follow-up, released to mark the exhibition's move to Brooklyn, continues the story, gathering together another essential selection of jazz and street-funk cuts by African-American artists - both well-known and obscure - who were inspired by the politics of the black power movement and a growing interest in what the label describes as "Afro-centric, polyrhythmical styles of music". The included music is, in some cases, mind-blowing, with highlights including cuts from The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Byron Morris & Unity, Oneness of Juju, Tribe and Don Cherry.

Review: As anyone who's visited the city will tell you, Melbourne's underground music scene is particularly vibrant. While it's the more club-focused side of the scene that's previously had most props, "Sunny Side Up" attempts to shine a light on the more soulful and jazzy side of the city's output with the assistance of musical director Silentjay. It's a rich, evocative and musically expansive set that moves from the languid, sun-kissed jazz bliss of Phil Stroud's "Banksia", to the spiritual jazz brilliance of Allysha's "Orbit", via carefully crafted cuts that touch on rubbery 1970s jazz-funk (Dufresne's superb "Pick Up/Galaxy"), rushing broken beat/jazz fusion (Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange), house-influenced dancefloor jazz (Horatio Luna) and drowsy downtempo beats (the languid "There Is No Time" by Kuzich).

Review: The latest instalment in Jazzman's "Spiritual Jazz" compilation series is something of an epic. It was initially released as two separate double vinyl compilations, but is here brought together on one two CD set. It's epic for a reason, though, as it explores the little known and under-celebrated spiritual gems lurking within Blue Note's vast catalogue. Given the staggeringly high quality throughout, picking a mere handful of highlights is tough. That said, we'd suggest checking the wide-eyed dreaminess of Duke Pearson's ambient-jazz cut "Cristo Redentor", the entrancing African drums of Solomon Ilori's "Igbesi Aiye (Song Of Praise To God)", the gentle breeze of Bobby Hutcherson's "Verse" and the "Rose Rouge" style grooves and heady chants of Eddie Gale's "The Rain".

Review: For the latest volume in their essential Spiritual Jazz compilation series - the eleventh overall - Jazzman has decided to take a trawl through the archives of Danish imprint SteepleChase, focusing specifically on "esoteric modal" and "progressive jazz" originally released between 1974 and '84. It's an impressively bright, breezy and crystal-clear affair - you can hear every cymbal hit, saxophone solo, piano note, snare and rim-shot in glorious clarity - with highlights appearing thick and fast throughout. Our current favourites include the haunting flutes, glistening guitar solos and skipping grooves of Rene McLean's "Aida", the hard-to-pigeonhole inventiveness and cross-cultural fusion of Jim McNeely's "Tipe Tizwe" and the vibraphone-laden up-tempo hustle of Khan Jamal's "Dark Warrior". That said, every track is superb, making this a must-have for spiritual jazz enthusiasts everywhere.

Review: TRAMP Records' compilations are invariably excellent, with the German imprint often choosing to ignore tried-and-tested tunes in favour of a mixture of sought-after rarities, slept-on gems and unusual, off-kilter recordings. Their latest collection, which focuses on "deep, soulful jazz and funk" from the '70s, keeps up this entertaining and ear-pleasing trend. Highlights are plentiful throughout, from the sun-soaked samba-jazz brilliance of Stevens, Scott & Dee's "Brazilica", and the low-slung rhythm and blues shuffle of Jerry Sandifer's "Low Down Soul", to the folksy, Rotary Connection style folk-jazz goodness of "An Empty Wind" by Blackdog and the righteous release of the Kats' Hammond-heavy "Wear Me Out".

Review: More from Studio Mule's must-check "Midnight In Tokyo" series, which gathers together obscure gems from the Japan that "sound best listened to at night". While the previous volume largely focused on forgotten Japanese jazz-funk, this edition is more eclectic in tone, variously touching on rare groove, new wave, soul and disco. It's another belting selection, all told, with highlights including the breathy sleaziness of Yoko Hatanaka's "More Sexy", the post-punk boogie eccentricity of Mari Kaneko's "Get To Paradise", the sprightly synth-funk of "Sunshine Bright On Me" by Kangaroo and the synth-rock silliness of The Fad's wonderfully over-the-top "Singing Lady".