Acid Jazz レコード& CD

Review: English actor, writer, and musician Matt Berry - of Darkplace and IT Crowd fame - covers, yes, covers an assortment of classic British TV themes. The result is an album to be appreciated as much as it is to be taken seriously, as it is to be enjoyed. Of course there's a pinch of humour with Berry placing himself alongside a muppet and Doctor Who on the album's cover art, but it's the theatrical, jazz and upbeat, yet easy listening approach of the album which really paints the picture. The LP's opener "Are You Being Served" is undeniable sweetest spot of nostalgia here, with the minutia of Thames Television indents, at 8 seconds long, also checked and covered. Recorded solo by Berry himself, it's a burgundy-beige trip through the technicolour memory of one's formative years enjoying the early-evenings and afternoons watching a select choice of the UKs most iconic TV.

Review: Composer Matt Berry aims to mimic the classic iconic Library Music label KPM with this new outing on Acid Jazz. It is the first in a series of such releases and it does a fine job of following in the label's tradition of providing the musical bedrock for classic British TV series and international movies. KPM used composers such as Alan Hawkshaw and Keith Mansfield and Berry proves he is right up there with this 7". 'Top Brass' is a funky instrumental with dramatic strings that add a sense of tension to the rude boy swagger of the rhythm. On the flip is a more stripped-back 'Bare Essentials mix' which is just as good and a little more menacing.

Review: British soul singer Dee C Lee started her career singing backup for Wham and the Style Council, before embarking on a solo career that included an early release on Mo Wax. By the late 90s, she'd pretty much stepped back from music though - making this new album for Acid Jazz a genuine surprise (it's her first new release for over a quarter of a century). It's rather good, too, with Lee's sublime and emotion-rich vocals soaring above 'heritage soul' style tracks that variously offer nods to bossa-nova ('Don't Forget About Love'), disco/jazz-funk fusion ('Be There In The Morning', with its excellent horns and fluttering flutes), and Motown-style stompers (the uplifting excellence of 'Walk Away').

Review: Ferry Djimmy is quite the character - he is a mysterious Afrobeat figure who also was a former schoolteacher, boxer, Jacques Chirac's bodyguard, and well as being a legendary Beninese musical visionary. He recorded this album sometime in the mid-1970s in support of the revolutionary leader of Benin at the time - Mathieu Kerekou. A fire is reported to have turned all but 200 copies to dust so it is mega rare and expensive to get an original. Acid Jazz reissues it here in all its fiery, lo-fi, gnarly Afrobeat glory. This is a fully licensed project with all new and in-depth sleeve notes by Florent Mazzoleni.

Review: Ipa-Boogie's self titled album is a super rare one that is super expensive even if you do manage to find a copy. Thankfully, for the first time ever on 7" vinyl, Acid Jazz kindly serve up short versions of 'Get The Music Now' and 'Africa', which both come from said full length. These are some of the only recordings known from this obscure band, and they first came in 1978 but still sound ahead of their time. This release, it is also worth noting, kicks off a new 45 series from Acid Jazz entitled Albarika 45, which will focus on many rare singles and unknown versions throughout the forthcoming year.

Review: .Argentina-based producer-musician Kevin Fingier has delivered a swathe of killer singles for Acid Jazz in recent years, though this is his first attempt at a "proper" album. As the title defiantly states, this is 'Not Strictly Soul', but rather a stylistic melting pot that not only joins the dots between Fingier's favourite sonic styles (think Northern Soul, deep funk, organ-powered Mod workouts, Latin soul and heavy rhythm & blues) but also rattles along at a furious pace. It's naturally nostalgic - Fingier's music has always been rooted in 1960s and '70s musical cultures - but also fresh enough to dispel thoughts of hollow pastiche. There are some killer cuts contained within, too, not least the infectious Latin soul hustle of 'Groovin' In Soho', sweet soul number 'Only For Me (featuring Jo Ann Hamilton)', and the percussion-rich, horn-heavy dancefloor heat of 'El Popcorn'.

Review: Acid Jazz Records are master compilers who here turn their focus once more to Les Sympathics De Porto Novo Benin. It's part of the label's reissues series focussing on rare sounds from legendary Benin imprint Albarika Store and is a second album from one of the most notable groups to hail from Porto Novo'. This 1970s collective, founded by Herman Laleye, is famed for its heavy rhythm section and vocals from Gangbo Bonheur, Armand Pognon playing blues-tinged guitar and Camille Zanou's on the organ. Rather than straight-up Afro-beat, Afro-funk or Latin, this band fused it all seamlessly into something new.

Review: Originally released in 1980 on the Alberika label, Orchestre Les Volcans du Benin Vol. 1 has long been a 'holy grail' LP for Afro-Cuban aficionados. It now sees it's first official reissue on Acid Jazz Records, with four infectious tracks across the two sides, including Oya Ka Jojo - latin dancefloor dynamite and a DJ must-have. Remastered by Nick Robbins at Sound Mastering and presented in a wonderful colour sleeve, it's an opportunity to finally own this special and highly sought after LP.

Review: The legendary Afro funk fusionists Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou Dahomey have got unlimited amounts of big tunes in their back catalogue and the fiery 'It's A Vanity' is one of them. It has fat and chunky drums with trademark horns leading the way next to the impassioned vocals. The tune twists and turns on a vibe as it funks you up and then on the flip is the more lo-fi and stripped back, earthen funk sounds of 'Nougbo Vehou' (La Verite Blesse). Anotehr killer 7" reissue from this great collective.

Review: Benin funk supergroup Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou have an essential discography that takes in some of the most definitive afro-funk sounds you can hear. The Acid Jazz label serves up a couple of such betters here with 'Kpede Do Gbe Houenou' layering up the driving grooves, killer horns and wild keys into something intoxicating. Less intense but just as good, 'Ma Wa Mon Nou Mi O' brings the guitar work to the fore, with plucked and funky riffs underneath the imploring vocal work that's up top. Both tunes have been restored and remastered.

Review: Acid Jazz Records' has got a licensing agreement with legendary Benin label Albarika Store that is seeing them put out some of the best music to have ever come from West Africa. Benin's almighty Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou Dahomey made plenty of it. This latest 45 is another stunner with plenty of raw screams, wails and grunts all adding extra life and vitality to the already trilling guitars and bustling drum rhythms. Add in heavy percussion and you have a real heavy Afro psych-funk tune. The flip is more deep and soulful, and just as good for different reasons.

Review: Acid Jazz has got an ongoing deal to issue and reissue music from Benin funk supergroup Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou and the latest fruits of that is this reissue of their Le Sato album. It is a follow-up to the one they dropped back in 2021 and is another section of traditional voodoo ceremonial music from the group from the mid-seventies. The name of the album is taken from the large ceremonial Sato drum, which is played with wooden stick beaters at special ceremonial occasions. Here it can be heard in all its glory making traditional rhythms and deeply ritualistic grooves that will leave you in a trance.

Review: The Acid Jazz label opens it archives to turn out this magnificent slice of northern soul from the legend that is Dean Parrish, a man who sold over a million records and worked with the likes of Jimi Hendrix. It's 10 years old but still bangs and is maybe one of the best records of his career. The psychedelic 'It's Time - Purple Mountain Majesty' is a hard hitting tune with layers of percussion, amour nines, bendy guitar riffs and soaring vocals that have female backings for extra richness. The version on the flip is more tense, steamy and rousing.

Review: Eddie Piller and Dean Rudland's Acid Jazz (Not Jazz): We've Got A Funky Beat is a vibrant compilation that celebrates the eclectic and groove-driven sound of acid jazz. It takes in a well-curated and eclectic selection of definitive tracks from the genre's heyday that all perfectly capture the essence of the movement which is defined by its infectious rhythms, jazz melodies, and silky beats. Along the way, there are non-stop funky basslines and energetic brass sections. Each song exudes a sense of excitement and spontaneity that is so characteristic of acid jazz which rightly has such an enduring appeal to contemporary audiences.

Review: Inspired by David Hill and Nick Manasseh's work on the soundtrack to Idris Elba film Yardie, Soul Revivers' debut album On The Grove is a love letter to 60-plus years of reggae culture and its long connection with West London. Joined by a wealth of Jamaican stars and fast-rising British musicians, Hill and Manasseh explore the moodier side of reggae whilst doffing a cap to a multitude of historic variations. There's much to enjoy throughout, from the sub-heavy sweetness and hazy horns of 'Gone Are The Days'(featuring Alexia Coley), and the Clavinet-heavy, Wailers-esque shuffle of 'Look No Further' (featuring Ms Maurice), to the rocksteady revivalism of Ernest Ranglin hook-up 'Harder' (which boasts wonderful jazz guitar solos), and the dub-wise roots-reggae warmth of 'Got To Live' (with Earl 16).

Review: Soul Revivers' Grove Dub is a great new record that comes on the heels of their earlier 2022 release On The Grove. The collaborative project finds esteemed producers David Hill and Nick Manasseh call upon reggae legends such as Ken Boothe and Ernest Ranglin as well as an array of vital UK musical talent. The already popular and critically acclaimed project now offers up more superb dub that draws on the rich history of West London reggae. You may have heard some of the tunes here as they have already been getting dropped on hefty sound systems and across the likes of the BBC and JazzFM.

Review: One of the greatest soul voices working in the US today, Billy Valentine's latest release, first plotted out in the summer of 2020, sees the artist responding to the chaos of a global pandemic and the seismic impact of George Floyd's murder via legendary works from Curtis Mayfield, Gil Scot Heron and Pharaoh Sanders. In collaboration with acclaimed producer and songwriter, Bob Thiele Jr. (son of Flying Dutchman founder, Bob Thiele), Valentine's rich, velvety vocals breathe new life into these already-powerful tracks, bringing them into the contemporary political context with renewed urgency. Released on Acid Jazz in partnership with renowned US label Flying Dutchman, Valentine's latest output marks the first new music from the label since the '70s - a momentous return for a keystone tastemaker of the American jazz world.

Review: Due to persistent demand and soaring prices for the original pressing, this reissue of 'Why Don't You Go Home' on striking red transparent vinyl could not be more essential. Featuring the dynamic vocals of Diane Ward, the title track delivers a powerhouse performance echoing the King and Federal r&b sound. On the flip side, 'Cocktail De Medianoche' serves up a delightful blend of Boogaloo and Northern Soul, a cherished favourite among aficionados of Latin grooves and Uptempo Soul. With two phenomenal tracks, this reissue promises a perfect double-sider experience! for lovers of soul.

Review: X Press 2 are dons of the UK house scene. They have turned out everything from sleazy underground house anthems to Ivor Novello Award winning dance-pop crossovers with David Byrne. Unlike many of their generation, they are still full of fresh ideas too - rather than churning out the same old sounds or copying whatever is du jour, they have really nailed a smoky, strobe-lit and club-ready house sound with new album Thee. It is full of their signature chunky grooves, seemingly simple but effective hooks and rock-solid baselines that will get any floor in a right old state.