New Grooves — CDs  

A wonderful record from Khari of Jiva – a set that's as warmly beautiful as you'd expect from the cover! Khari's got all the sweet, soulful touches we love in his music with Jiva – and the set's also got the Brazilian jazz elements that you'd expect from the Antonio Carlos Jobim homage on the cover – particularly the CTI-era Jobim, as there's some wonderful production to the set – and a vibe that's jazzier overall, and more sophisticated than even the great grooves of Jiva! Khari's got plenty of great guests, too – including India Arie, Russell Gunn, Monday Michiru, Sabrina Malheiros, and Incognito – all a perfect choice for the warm, sunny groove of the set! The whole thing's wonderful – maybe even the best thing so far from Khari – and titles include "Clementine Sun", "Coolamon Waltz", "Never In Your Sun", "Belle Of Byron Bay", "The Dove", "Ninos", "How Can We Go Wrong", and "Major Bossa".

Spare sonic textures and mellow musical moments from Eivind Aarset – a great session for ECM, and maybe one of his most compelling records in years! This ECM album has a feel that's a bit warmer than some of Aarset's previous work for the Jazzland – not in a way that's commercial at all, given that the music is still pretty darn abstract – but just somehow more organic – in ways that almost feel acoustic at points, even though most of the instrumentation is electric – possibly because of these bass-heavy shapes that often move at the back and bottom of the mix. Eivind plays guitars, electronics, samples, and percussion – with help from Jan Bang on dictaphone and additional samples – on titles that icnlude "The Beauty Of Decay", "Homage To Greene", "Black Silence", "Close", "Reactive", and "The Whispering Forest".

Almost an underground groove supergroup – given that the set features work from Earl Zinger (Rob Gallagher of Galliano) at the helm, production from 2 Banks Of 4, vocals from Valerie Etienne, and funky rhythms from Shawn Lee! The combination of talents come together here in a very new way – with a style that's much grittier and earlier than before, although still pretty darn groovy overall – almost putting a raspy old school touch on a scene that's definitely matured on its own, and may well be old enough to lay claim to the rootsy sound of this set! Rob's songwriting has definitely matured, and at some of the best moments, there's almost a British Tom Waits-y kind of quality to the set. Titles include "Below Sea Level", "Burial Blues", "Whip Of The Wind", "Laxfield Blasphemy", "Velvets Eleven", "Margaret Catchpole", and "Foggy Dew".

A contemporary take on the sounds of mid-Century – a very cool batch of tracks that leans heavily on 50s exotica, 60s electronica, and lots of other odd bits – all filtered together in cool production with a really playful feel! The set's somewhere between some of the older retro sounds on the Irma La Douce label, and some of the colder work in recent years by groups who've been inspired by Italian crime and horror soundtracks – although Akron's work is a bit warmer overall. Titles include "Rabbits In Orbit", "A Glimpse Of Hell", "Frog War Chant", "Robot Grind", "Memory Hole", and "Picabu".

Bebel Gilberto eat your heart out – Antena explored the same electric-bossa territory you did, nearly 20 years before your first big record! The group were a short-lived French outfit who were one of the shining jewels in the crown of the lovely label Les Disques Du Crepuscule during the early 80s – and were a real breath of fresh air in the post-punk years with their light and jazzy approach to the groove. As you'll hear in this set, Antena's style borrows a lot from the bossa, but also throws in some wonderful poppish touches – including jangly guitars recorded in a similar mode to some of the other French/European indie groups of the time, and a slight darkness in production that almost gives a Martin Hannett-like undercurrent to the whole set. The group's album Camino Del Sol has been lovingly reissued with a great set of notes, as well as a series of bonus tracks from an additional ep – making for a beautiful 14 track package that will really help you rediscover this nearly-lost group! Titles include "Sissexa", "To Climb The Cliff", "Camino Del Sol", "Bye Bye Papaye", "Noelle A Hawaii", "The Boy From Ipanema", "Seaside Weekend", "Frantz", and "Ingenuous".

Warm, wonderful, and incredibly far-reaching in scope – possibly the most ambitious record cut by Azymuth in recent years – a perfect blend of jazzy fusion, Brazilian rhythms, and some of the London broken beat culture that the group have come into contact with through their label, Far Out. The sound is clean and spare – a dance between percussion and keyboards that reminds us how great Azymuth can sound when they keep things simple. A few cuts have vocals, but the overall approach is instrumental – and the record features production and programming by Roc Hunter, and was recorded by Kirk Degiorgio. Titles include "Tempo Classico", "Em Marica", "Partido Novo", "Sudade Do Doutor", "Nome Dele E Joan", "Algoado Doce", and "Rede De Espera". CD has 12 tracks in all.

Beautifully percolated grooves from Basic Soul Unit – spare and electronic, yet still surprisingly soulful too – almost like some of the gentler sounds that came around in the second generation of Chicago house, but informed by a 21st Century soul vibe as well! Most numbers have keyboards moving around beats in a really great way – and there's some acid electric touches that are subtle, but which bring a nice sort of retro energy to the set – some moogy brilliance that only gets better and better as the record moves on – almost with a Larry Heard feel in some of the best moments! Titles include "Let Go", "Backseat Lover", "Mind Forest", "Intersection", "All Over Me", "This", "Across The Room", and "Clouds".

Soulful vocals, synths and orchestral pop from Beauty Room on Far Out! Beauty Room features joint production and songwriting by singer Jinadu and synths maestro Kirk Degiorgio – the latter a Far Out veteran at this point, and an artist whose creative evolution has been a joy to follow! They work in some pretty diverse influences, from classic folk soul to modern avant pop – and an approach that's more about soulful songcraft than exercises in mood and atmosphere. Jinadu's soul-steeped voice has a lot to do with that, but the instrumentation is and production are top notch. Synth, Rhodes, guitars, bass and drums at the core – plus some very nice use of strings, courtesy of the Metropole Orchestra and strings arranger Paul Buckmaster. Includes "We Can't Throw You Away", "Shadows Falling", "All In My Head", "But For Now", "Walking The Fine Line", "One Man Show", "So Far", "The Last Calling", "Heaven Is In Your Mind" and "No Rejections". 11 tracks on the CD.

A deeply effective set from Bonobo! North Borders has beats that are as compelling as any in Bonobo's canon – often thumping pretty hard – paired with gorgeous electronic sound washes and really deft use of vocal samples and guest singers. The mix of compelling beats and lighter, more ethereal atmosphere is a nice touch – and the use of voices, whether sampled or sung by a guest, really brings in an uncommon emotional depth. Includes "First Fires" with Grey Reverend, "Emkay", "Don't Wait", "Cirrus", "Heaven For The Sinner" with Erykah Badu, Towers" with Sjerdene, "Jets", "Antenna", "Know You", "Ten Tigers", "Sapphire", "Transits" and "Pieces" feat Cornella.

Massively heavy funk from Brownout – and a set that may well be their greatest so far! We weren't sure what to expect when the group hit the Nat Geo label – but honestly, they seem like they're even rawer and rootsier than before – really serving up a brilliant blend of funk and border rhythms – produced to perfection by the trio of bandmates Adrian Quesad, Greg Gonzalez, and Beto Martinez! Tracks are heavy on percussion and guitars – but are topped with jazzy flourishes on trumpet and trombone too – and there's definitely a strong echo of grooves from East LA and the Texas funk scene from decades back. Titles include "Ando Y Dando", "Flaximus", "Stormy Weather", "Meter Beater", "What You Did", "Rub A Dub", and "Poor You".

A killer set from the young Kenny Dope – one of his first big-name projects of the 90s, and a great showcase for his already-mature approach to a groove! There's echoes here of the indie east coast club scene of a few years before – some of the soul of New Jersey, and the playful pastiche of Todd Terry and others – yet Kenny also takes things even farther, really hitting that warm, soulful synthesis of elements that made his Masters At Work productions so unique – way more than just the sum of their parts, as you'll hear here! The record has a few famous samples that stand out nicely – and titles include "Whew", "Sayin Dope", "Got Myself Together", "Time & Space", "Just Plain Funky", "You're A Runway", and "The Bomb" – in both radio edit and "original Henry St mix".

An amazing album from Build An Ark – even more spiritual and far-reaching than their first – and still with a vibe that rivals some of the most righteous jazz ever issued in the 70s on labels like Impulse and Strata East! The ensemble features both older and younger players – coming together in a collective exploration of some of the hipper sides of the jazz spectrum – all in a mode that recalls early genius of Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, and others from many years back – recorded in a style that's completely sensitive to the nuances of the music. Carlos Nino produced, and also contributed some of the tunes – and group members include Dwight Trible on vocals, Nate Morgan on piano, Adam Rudolph on kalimba, and Derf Reklaw on congas – but that's only the tip of the iceberg, given the size of the group. Titles include "Sunshine", "Healing Song", "Love Sweet Like Sugar Cane", "Dawn", "River Run", "When Ancestors Speak", "Morning Glory", "In Her Smile", and "You Yourself Are The Key To The Universe".

A perfect title for a perfect record – especially given all the love we've felt from Build An Ark over the years! The album's a masterpiece through and through – easily the greatest statement ever from this already-amazing band – a contemporary ensemble, but one that we'd seamlessly rank right next to our righteous favorites on labels like Impulse Records, Tribe, or Strata East – with all the political power and sense of social mission those references would imply! The song titles alone will give you a great idea of the beautiful vibe behind Build An Ark – tunes like "Celebrate", "How Do We End All This Madness", "Love Is Everywhere", "World Peace Now", and "This Prayer For The Whole World" – which re-ignite the Love Supreme candle first lit by John Coltrane in the 1960s – burning brightly again in the 21st Century, and almost even more inspiring – given the youthful energy of the group. As always, mainman Carlos Nino deserves a hell of a lot of credit for getting something this great, this right – but the group is also very clearly a collective, and draws amazing energy from members who include Dwight Trible, Kamau Daaood, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Damon Aaron, Jim Lang, and others. In addition to above-mentioned titles, other tunes include "Sweet Thing", "World Music", "More Love", "In The Park", and "Play The Music".

A nice step forward for Ceu – and a record with a bit more of an edge than we might have expected! The set's still heavy on those sweet Brazilian vocals with an old school vibe – but the production, although often spare, has this nice raspy quality we really love – subtle elements that underscore the lyrics with a gently creative mode – a bit like the sounds you'd hear from other releases from the Kassim/Moreno Veloso camp – although perhaps not as edgey as those. Still, we've gotta give producer Gui Amabis credit for keeping things interesting on Ceu's behalf – on tracks that include "Amor De Antigos", "Falta Dear", "Contravento", "Palhaco", "You Won't Regret It", "Sereia", and "Fffree".

Four classic albums by this hip UK group – all with rare bonus tracks too! First up is the wonderful Dad Man Cat – our favorite record by one of the best funk records to ever come out of England! On this great debut album, Corduroy are a tight funky combo, with an organ and clavinet mod sound that still holds up damn well over the years. Their songwriting is great, and the groove on the set push way past the stock acid jazz riffing of the early 90s. Best example of this is "Skirt Alert", a cut that begins with an amazing drum break, then grooves into a Brazilian-inflected funk number, in the manner of Earth Wind & Fire's use of the idiom. Other tracks include "Chowdown", "How To Steal The World", "Electric Soup", "Money Is", and "Six Plus One". CD also features six bonus demo tracks! High Havoc is a real shift for Corduroy, who are opening their sound a lot here from earlier releases – showing that the group was way more than just one of London's many retro funk combos at the beginning of the 90s. The set includes the sublime track "Something In My Eye", a breezy bossa number that would almost put Brasil 66 to shame, and which we can guarantee will have you hitting the repeat button on your CD player again and again! Other tracks include "The Corduroy Orgasm Club", "Breakfast In Love", "Nobody Move", "Very Yeah", "Clearing Up Music", "Lovely Lonely & Loaded", and "The Frighteners". CD features 9 more bonus tracks – some previously unreleased! Next is Out Of Here – a record that's still heavily steeped in the 60s territory of previous releases, but one with a bit more of a mod feel overall! There's lots of heavy Hammond and guitar in the mix, and the vocals have a warm appeal too – kind of a blue-eyed soul take on mod London modes – served up here with a sound that's arguably tighter and more soulful than lots of current work of this nature! Corduroy was always a group that never fully got its due – and with records like this under their belt, they were easily one of the hippest acts on the Acid Jazz imprint at the time. Titles include "Don't Wait For Monday", "Practice What You Preach", "Magic Carpet", "January Woman", "Mini", "Motorhead", "Along The Rooftops", "End Of The Rainbow", and "Red Mercury". CD features 7 more bonus tracks – a number of unissued demos! Last up is Quattro – Live In Japan 1994 – a great little live set from Corduroy – recorded late in their career, but with the stripped down funky feel of their best early work! The album was recorded in Japan – but the groove is pure London jazz funk all the way, with a tight mix of keyboards and riffing guitars, electrically grooving in a very soulful way. Includes versions of "Skirt Alert", "Something In My Eye", "Mini", "Money is", "London, England", "Electric Soup", "E Type", "The Frighteners", and "Chow Down".

The sun shines brightly on Mario Biondi – really making this record sparkle with a charm that goes way beyond Mario's previous albums – a quality that's less retro than before, and which shows Biondi as a growing soul star with really universal appeal! There's still some of the old school jazz in the mix that we love from Mario's Schema work – but the album's also got a fuller production style at times, one that really expands the palette of Biondi's colors, and which has him working here with help from key guests who include Omar, Leon Ware, Al Jarreau, Incognito, and Chaka Khan – and even a bit of organ from the James Taylor Quartet! Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick helped co-write a good number of tracks on the set – and titles include "Shine On", "Come To Me", "Woman Woman", "What Have You Done To Me", "Never Stop", "La Voglia La Pazzia L'Idea", "Girl Blue", "Light To The World", and "Catch The Sunrise". CD has a great package – hardcover book-style, with pages inside!

The best album so far from this up-and-coming Colombian group – a great mix of rootsy elements and more electronic production – served up in the forward-reaching style we've come to love in recent projects from the Soundway label! Bomba Estereo are easily one of the most contemporary groups to hit the imprint of late – and they've got no trouble at all moving between upbeat, soulful styles and more earthy levels of instrumentation – all fused together with the kind of warmth and joy we might expect in some of the older productions from Luaka Bop, but with a bit more edge too. Titles include "Bosque", "Bailar Conmigo", "Pa Respirar", "Mozo", "Pajaros", "Pure Love", and "Caribbean Power".