Review: Gbefabi was recorded on a hot night in a gospel music studio in Accra's New Town district. Ghanaian trombonist Elikplim Kofi and American guitarist Nathaniel Braddock, who first met in 2017, reunited and were joined by percussionists Nii Addotey Brown and Daniel Tettey Black for these sessions which blend traditional and avant-garde sounds while merging folkloric instruments with free improvisation. The music is influenced by Ghana's diverse modern soundscapes so feels both local and cosmopolitan. The musicians' diverse backgrounds bring a rare, spiritual energy to this most standout record.
Review: Given that Olli Avhenlahti released his debut album way back in 1975, you'd forgive the Finnish pianist-composer slowing down a little in his old age. Mirror Mirror, his latest gorgeous and thoroughly entertaining full-length excursion, arrives some seven years after its' predecessor, Gilles Peterson favourite Thinking, Whistling. Beginning with the gorgeously warm and sun-kissed title track, Avhenlahti and his trusted band of players lay down a series of killer cuts that invariably join the dots between contemporary jazz, jazz-dance and jazz-funk. It's a format that offers the perfect platform for Avhenlahti to show his skills on Rhodes electric piano and his trusty Oberheim synthesiser. Naturally he does that, sparring with sax and trumpet soloists over some seriously sumptuous grooves.
Review: Ajate's third album, Dala Toni, is a vibrant fusion of Afro groove and Japanese traditional Ohayashi music, showcasing the band's innovative approach to blending diverse musical traditions. Founded by Japanese musician Junichiro "John" Imaeda after a revelatory experience in West Africa, Ajate brings together ten passionate musicians to create music that transcends cultural boundaries. Utilizing a mix of traditional instruments like drums, flutes, and bells, as well as handmade bamboo instruments crafted by Imaeda himself, such as the unique 'Jaate' and 'Piechiku,' Ajate's sound is both powerful and distinctive. Their incorporation of Afrobeat rhythms and Japanese vocals adds further depth and richness to their music, reflecting themes of human connection, unity, and the joy of life.Having gained acclaim for their explosive live performances in Japan and beyond, including appearances at prestigious festivals like Sukiyaki Meets The World and WOMAD UK, Ajate's music resonates with audiences worldwide. With Dala Toni, they continue to push the boundaries of global music, solidifying their position as pioneers of the genre "made in Japan."
Review: The yokobue is a distinct Japanese make of flute, and it was mastered by one Michiko Akao, who brought the instrument to the popular sphere with 'The World Of Michiko Akao'. Spanning downtempo funk, robo-disco and loopy ambient, this new reissue of the album by LITA is its best rendition yet, with a new remaster shedding stellar light on the production chops of Shigeaki Saegusa. An instrumental dream for new age collectors the world over.
Review: Jazzman has excavated another jazz "holy grail" here - one of the few albums ever recorded by San Francisco-based pianist (and local hero) Al Tanner. It was initially released back in 1967 by the obscure, but arguably significant, Touche label, and while popular within Californian jazz circles, garnered little exposure or sales elsewhere. It remains a fantastic album, with Tanner being joined by drummer William 'Smiley' Winters, bassist Edgar Williams, saxophonist Roy Henderson, and flautist/trumpeter George Alexander to attractively dance through a range of pleasingly breezy, musically detailed modal workouts. It's a genuinely impressive album all told, so praise must be given to Jazzman for unearthing and reissuing it.
Review: Double Consciousness is not just the name of the new collaborative album release between Oren Ambarchi and Eric Thielemans; it's also a term developed by revolutionary theorists such as Frantz Fanon and W.E.B. Du Bois to describe the cognitive dissonance/dual self-perception of oppressed groups in unjust, often colonial societies. With that in mind, we're not just going in blind here. A forty-minute, single-take epic album recorded live at the Werkplaats Walter theatre in Brussels, this is Ambarchi and Thielemans as we know them best, the former handling the guitar as usual, and the latter on drums and percussion. Many disparate movements ensue, the music seeming to represent the arc of psychic revelation; the roller-coaster ride of fulfilment; tyrants overthrown; and former double-consciousnesses unified.
There Is No, There Is No (Dedicated To Rich Nichols) (3:16)
(It's So) Natural (3:36)
Only For Love (5:15)
Tough Times In The Rag Trade (LP3) (5:13)
Damper (3:36)
God's Grace (3:28)
Peace '26 (5:02)
Space Oddity (6:18)
The Bear (4:53)
Brothers (5:24)
Review: Outside In decided to highlight Ray Angry's exceptional talent as a top pianist with the new album Three. Solo piano, a tradition that runs through jazz greats like Art Tatum to Keith Jarrett, is the perfect platform to showcase Angry's brilliance so in the fall of 2022 he visited Reservoir Studios, sat at the Steinway piano, and played for two hours straight. The result was an extraordinary torrent of music, blending classical, jazz, and pop, all unique to Ray. Now the best of it is served up in this bumper box set with a deluxe booklet with writings by Questlove and Black Thought.
Review: There's not a lot of information out there about Arcade of Serpe, so let's skip the back story and cut to the chase. If that's really an appropriate turn of phrase here. Nothing about Cave Adventure feels rushed. Nothing. In fact, it's quite the opposite, opening on dub-wise bass and playful organs, the atmosphere - somewhere between lackadaisical, come down, BBQ, and psychedelic - subtly rises, although not to a crescendo as much as a delicate fade out after a few minutes strutting to the funk-laden groove. Flip it to find more explorations in the sonic ether, with 'Unicorn Rider' smoothly stepping out into a surreal track that uses space and emptiness to accentuate the noises that are there, which mirror, if not directly reflect, the opening title tune. It's quiet, but you won't forget it in a hurry.
Review: This collection compiles Louis Armstrong's entire collaboration with the Dukes of Dixieland, featuring their pioneering stereo recordings that captured Armstrong's iconic sound. Known for his brilliant trumpet and vocal performances, Armstrong tackled classic tunes like 'Dixie,' 'New Orleans,' and 'Sweet Georgia Brown'. Formed in the late 1940s, the Dukes of Dixieland stood out among Dixie bands of the era, benefiting greatly from early stereo recording technology. Armstrong joined forces with them in 1959, resulting in sessions that produced two albums but left additional tracks unreleased. This definitive edition compiles all recordings from these sessions and makes for a great listen that captures a vital time in jazz's evolution.
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