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A brilliant mix of jazz and world music! Abdul-Malik was the legendary bass player from the fifties who mixed straight jazz playing with traditional Middle Eastern rhythms -- and although he most famously recorded albums with Monk as a regular bassist, his albums on his own are amazing blends of... read more

A seminal world jazz crossover from bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik -- one of the first albums ever of its kind, and as fresh today as it was back in the late 50s! At the time of the set, Ahmed was working as Thelonious Monk's bassist -- but here, he also plays a fair bit of oud -- that lute-like... read more

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Relatively recent work from King Sunny Ade -- but a set that's still got Ade working with all the charms we remember from his early 80s rise to global stardom! There's a warm quality to most of the tracks here -- a mix of rhythmic elements that keep things moving forward, plus lighter guitar lines... read more

A great mix of acoustic African and Brazilian modes -- played by a cool combo with instrumentation that includes flute, kora, kalimba, and plenty of percussion! The sound is nicely spare and gentle at times -- almost more like recent Brazilian acoustic sets than African ones -- but other moments... read more

The second half of the mighty Africanism project -- a groundbreaking collection of new dancefloor tracks inspired by classic Afro Funk -- all coming from the cross-cultural hotbed of the Paris scene! Many of the titles on the set appeared separately as singles, but only received brief release --... read more

A killer album of Afro Funk -- with a very unusual origin! In the wake of Manu Dibango's big hit (and some kind of failure to register the copyright), many many versions of "Soul Makossa" were recorded and released, some good, some bad. This album is a good example of that situation --... read more

Grooves unlike anything else you've ever heard in your life -- an assortment of mid 70s tunes from Mahmoud Ahmed, the second grooviest Ethiopian artist, next to Mulatu! Ahmed's sound is a lot more out there than Mulatu's -- less funky and jazz-based, and more in the mode of snakey rhythms,... read more

A later gem from the Turkish scene of the 70s -- one that's got a bit more funky touches than earlier Anatolian rock! There's still a fair bit of Eastern styles running through the mix, but most of the rhythms are really straightforward and use heavy basslines that really set the groove nicely --... read more

An amazing array of Afro Funk from the legendary Tony Allen -- 4 of his greatest albums ever, packaged together in a single set! The work here was all recorded hot on the heels of Tony's key years with Fela Kuti -- and shares a very similar approach to the groove -- long, stretched out passages... read more

A real back to basics set from Tony Allen -- much more strongly in his Afro Funk groove of the late 70s than other recent work, and recorded in Lagos with an earthy approach that's totally great! All the experiments and odd flourishes of recent sets have been stripped away -- and Allen returns... read more

A real back to basics set from Tony Allen -- much more strongly in his Afro Funk groove of the late 70s than other recent work, and recorded in Lagos with an earthy approach that's totally great! All the experiments and odd flourishes of recent sets have been stripped away -- and Allen returns... read more

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The most outwardly political album to date from Antibalas -- and quite possibly the funkiest one too! The set's got the group really grooving hard in their 70s Afro Funk-inspired vein -- jamming at a level that would make Fela Kuti blush -- working together with a fierce array of percussion, horns... read more

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A seminal bit of funky Afrojazz from the DC scene of the 70s! The album features work by percussionist Okyerema Asante, and also includes sax work by Plunky Nakabinde -- best known as the leader of the group Oneness Of Juju. Plunky's influence can really be felt strongly on the set -- and the... read more

Funky African work from Fred Fisher -- a Nigerian trombonist who crafted his own unique groove at the end of the 70s! Fred both sings and plays trombone -- the latter with a Fred Wesley-like soulfulness -- and his rhythms here are really wide-ranging, and embrace a host of new styles coming into... read more

Funky African work from Fred Fisher -- a Nigerian trombonist who crafted his own unique groove at the end of the 70s! Fred both sings and plays trombone -- the latter with a Fred Wesley-like soulfulness -- and his rhythms here are really wide-ranging, and embrace a host of new styles coming into... read more

A great album that Roy Ayers cut after his co-led record with Fela Kuti -- and one with the same sort of hard-driving Afro-Funk grooves that you'd find in Fela's classic recordings! The songs are shorter than Fela's, and with more of Roy's usual smooth jazzy production style -- but the overall... read more

A great album that Roy Ayers cut after his co-led record with Fela Kuti -- and one with the same sort of hard-driving Afro-Funk grooves that you'd find in Fela's classic recordings! The songs are shorter than Fela's, and with more of Roy's usual smooth jazzy production style -- but the overall... read more

A great album that Roy Ayers cut after his co-led record with Fela Kuti -- and one with the same sort of hard-driving Afro-Funk grooves that you'd find in Fela's classic recordings! The songs are shorter than Fela's, and with more of Roy's usual smooth jazzy production style -- but the overall... read more

One of the jazziest bits of Afro Funk we've heard in a long time -- thanks to some excellent work on piano and keyboards by group leader Funsho Ogundipe! Funsho's not content to just copy some Fela-inspired groove -- and although there's definitely a skittish sense of Nigerian rhythms in these... read more

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One of the best new Afro Funk albums we've heard in years -- a tremendous effort from percussionist Lekan Babalola, served up with a full bonus disc of remix material! The core grooves here are a fair bit jazzier than most other efforts of this type -- still with heavy percussion from Lekan, but... read more

Really lovely work from Susana Baca -- more of an EP than a full-length set, but a record that has more than enough depth in each tune to make up for its brevity! Baca's vocals are wonderful -- even more filled with feeling than the last time we'd heard from her -- and the instrumentation is... read more

Funky breaks and fuzzy guitars -- one of the most amazing albums to come out of the Turkish scene of the 70s -- and one with a sound that really defies categorization! Although the sweet image of a girl and guitar on the cover might make you think the record's a folk set, the overall production is... read more

Psychedelic folk rock from the Turkish scene of the 70s -- a real criss-crossing of styles, carried off with strong emotive effect by protest singer Selda! There's a powerful sound here that's completely without referent, but immediately gripping -- a blend of familiar and strange elements that... read more

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Melodic material from Senegal's Daby Balde -- inspired by Dakar's Le Marigot club, where Balde regularly performs -- and a nice set of voice, hypnotic strings and rhythms -- with spirited and soulful lead and female backing vocals. The ringing tone of the guitars sound great to us, as do the... read more

Balkan Beats galore -- a sweet set of remixes handled by Nickodemus, Dub Gabriel, and others -- all in a mode that follows strongly in the spirit and strengths of the originals! As with the core BBB grooves, the rhythms here are pretty contemporary, but the instrumentation carries echoes of older... read more

Balkan Beats galore -- a sweet set of remixes handled by Nickodemus, Dub Gabriel, and others -- all in a mode that follows strongly in the spirit and strengths of the originals! As with the core BBB grooves, the rhythms here are pretty contemporary, but the instrumentation carries echoes of older... read more

A wonderful collection of work from Balla Et Ses Balladins -- one of the leading group on the Guinean scene during its "authenticite" years of the 60s and 70s -- presented here in a massive 2CD package of their work for the Syliphone label! The group have a really wide-ranging approach... read more

Funky Latin grooves back to back -- two rarities unearthed by the mighty folks at Soundway! "Dejala Corre" has a heavy cumbia rhythm at the bottom -- but one that's much more old school than you'd hear in contemporary takes on the genre -- quite funky overall, and mixed up with heavy... read more

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Richly creative work from Cyro Baptista -- a cool blend of Brazilian roots, jazzy inflections, and other inventive experimentation -- a set we like even better than Baptista's last album with the Banquet Of Spirits group! The music reminds a lot of some of the best sounds to come from the Hermeto... read more

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2CDs worth of work from Mbilia Bel -- most of it written by Tabu Ley, who was her husband at the time! The material's mostly in an 80s Afro pop mode, but still pretty great overall -- a nice mix of light melodies and some more rhythmically snapping grooves -- all topped with Mbilia's sweetly... read more

Two early calypso albums on Capitol Records -- both pretty unique! First up are some of the first-ever recordings by Harry Belafonte -- material recorded in 1949, with Pete Rugolo backings that are really amazing -- as jazzy and modern as anything Rugolo did for other singers of the time, with... read more

Groovy Eastern sounds from John Berberian -- a musician we know from more rockish projects, but who steps out here on a relatively traditional set of tunes! As you'd guess from the title, Berberian's instrument is the oud -- that weird stringed instrument we probably know best from Ahmed Abdul-Mali... read more

Middle Eastern rock and psychedelic grooves from the John Berberrian -- who leads his tight group on the oud over highly rhythmic percussion, thumping bass, some clarinet and saxes, and fuzz-toned guitar on this mostly instrumental set -- one that's as groovy as the cover photo! The cultural basis... read more

A strangely beautiful set of African-tinged folksy soul -- with a sound that's pretty darn tough to describe! Birigwa plays guitar and sings -- and he's got a breezy style that sounds a bit like Letta Mbulu on some tracks -- but a bit more folksy on others, given the largely acoustic setting of... read more

A double-length set of work by Black Soul -- one of the clubbier groups of the Afro Funk scene in 70s France -- presented here with a full disc of original work, plus a bonus CD of remixes! Black Soul have a style that takes off from the funky modes of other combos hitting the Parisian scene at... read more

Tight rhythms, anthemic melodies, and postpunk dynamics from South Africa's Blk Jks -- delivering on the earlier EP and positioning themselves as one of most unique groups in the indie scene -- on any continent! The group generally works with rock instrumentation of lead & rhythmic guitars,... read more

Tight rhythms, anthemic melodies, and postpunk dynamics from South Africa's Blk Jks -- delivering on the earlier EP and positioning themselves as one of most unique groups in the indie scene -- on any continent! The group generally works with rock instrumentation of lead & rhythmic guitars,... read more

One of the hippest groups of the Nigerian scene of the 70s -- presented here in two classic albums, back to back on a single CD! Chapter One is a landmark set of African grooves -- very unusual in both conception and execution -- with a feel that's unlike anything we can think of! There's... read more

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One of the most creative albums we've heard from Dee Dee Bridgewater in years -- a set of tracks recorded with a host of Malian artists -- in a unique cross-cultural mode that's unlike anything else Dee Dee has ever recorded! The core style here is still very firmly rooted in Bridgewater's jazz... read more

How this burningly bad set has remained under wraps for so long is beyond us, but thanks to the folks at Honest Jon's, it's been brought to the much needed light of day! An excellent set collecting work from throughout the career of Cedric Im Brooks, spanning a wide assortment of styles, but all... read more

How this burningly bad set has remained under wraps for so long is beyond us, but thanks to the folks at Honest Jon's, it's been brought to the much needed light of day! An excellent set collecting work from throughout the career of Cedric Im Brooks, spanning a wide assortment of styles, but all... read more

A killer blend of African roots and American rhythms -- and a set that definitely lives up to the disco promised in the title! Buari's working here with a host of New York musicians -- jazzy players who include Randy Brecker and Jon Faddis on trumpet, Barry Rogers on trombone, and Michael Brecker... read more

Fantastic Turkish psychedelia from the 70s -- the rare LP from Cem Karaca and his group Kardaslar -- with moody melodies and fuzzed out strings, blendded with more traditional Turkish sounds & rhythms! Those rhythms are totally arresting -- kind of hinting at funk sometimes in the way the... read more

The first album from Chicago Afrobeat Project -- and a set that rivals any of the best Afro Funk out there on other scenes of late! We'll be honest in saying we'd actually missed this one the first time around, but the group's recent fame has led us back to this one -- and it's every bit as great... read more

A magnificent set from the Chicago Afrobeat Project -- the kind of group that makes us plenty proud we live in the Windy City! The record's got a quality that's a bit more ambitious than you might guess -- a complicated style that's still plenty grooving, but which really features some... read more

A short set, but one that's packed with loads of great work from this hip Chicago ensemble -- an Afro Funk group with a style that's a bit different than some of the rest -- not content to simply copy older 70s sounds, and always searching for unusual ways to serve up a groove! The rhythms are... read more

A heavy juju set from Chief Brigadier Oluoni -- working here in a version of the style that's much grittier than mainstream recordings you might know! The record features one "Juju Marathon System Jam" that spans the course of both sides -- a very offbeat version of the juju groove that... read more

Enigmatic duets between trumpet and kora -- the former played by Volker Goetze, the latter by Ablaye Cissoko -- who also sings a bit on the set as well! The sound is wonderfully spare, and extremely haunting -- and the warmth of the trumpet is a great mix for the airier tones of the kora --... read more

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Twin kora lines from Maher and Sousou Cissoko -- both of whom play the instrument on the set, and sing as well -- in a haunting double-kora groove that's totally great! Other instrumentation is relatively spare -- just a bit of bass, guitar, percussion, and brushes -- leaving lots of room for the... read more

Nothing primitif about this jazz, because the music has a really haunting feel -- one that's filled with sophisticated changes and compelling instrumentation -- served up in ways that are unlike anything else we can think of! Side one of the record features the combo of percussionist Rupert... read more

Rootsy rhythms from contemporary Cuba -- a beautiful package of work presented on this new Soul Jazz sub-label! Although recorded recently, the record has a really timeless feel -- no surprise, given the long history of the percussion group -- which stretches back over a century, and incorporates... read more

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Excellent dubby funk! This is possibly the greatest record ever cut by Cymande --- the legendary British group who were made up of expatriated musicians from Guyana living in London. The album's got a complicated groove that's even more compelling than the earlier albums -- with a righteous... read more

The second album of dubby funk by the legendary Cymande! This monster funk combo had a totally unique sound, with rolling bassy-grooves, and a very nice stoner-funk feel that had distinct Jamaican influences. This album's got some of their best tracks like "Anthracite", "Fug",... read more

One of the greatest grooves from the legendary Desco Records years -- a brilliant album of modern Afro Funk done by The Daktaris -- in a groove that's just as hard-hitting as any of Fela's work from the 70s! The album was one of the first to bring back an older African style to current funk -- and... read more

Hypnotic, intimate and meditative material from Addis Abeba's Zertu Demisse -- done on the 10 string Begena -- the jawdroppingly beautiful Ethiopian harp you'll see in the cover photo -- a deeply engrossing sound comes out of it, with a bit of buzz that bleeds from one note to the next, and makes... read more

Messed-up funky jazz from an obscure early 70s UK group -- and an album that really lives up to its trippy cover! The tracks are all long and stretched out -- with lots of organ, sax, and spaced out drums -- and the overall style is a mix of dub-heavy funk, Afro jazz, and a bit of jazz rock... read more

Mellow improvisations from Sunil Dev -- a Nepalese flute player with a very hypnotic sound! The album's a studio session, but the flute lines here have a really echoey quality -- as if they're bouncing around the ridges and valleys in the mountains pictured behind Dev on the cover -- earthy and... read more

A really wild little album -- and exactly what it says in the title: hard rock from the Middle East! The album takes eastern instrumentation on oud, bouzoki, tamboura, and accordion -- and fuses it with some hard grooving bass, guitar, and drums -- all hitting heavy late 60s acid-tinged modes,... read more

Beautiful solo kora music from Mali! Djibril Diabate is a young master of the kora -- a 21-string harp-like instrument -- who made his debut as a member of the traditional Mande trio Lanaya, whose fine debut is also on Terp Records, the label owned by Terrie of the Ex. He achieves a wonderful... read more

The coolest collection of work we've ever seen on Manu Dibango -- a double-length collection that's heavy on gems from the late 60s and 1970s -- plus a few choice bits from later years too! The set's filled with the hard-grooving cuts that made Manu so great back in the day -- some of the most... read more

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A beautiful balance of balafon lines, vocals, and acoustic instrumentation -- the second album from Kimi Djabate, and even deeper than the first! Djabate plays balafon with a relatively spare sort of sound -- using the wood vibes-like tones to set up a spare structure for the tunes -- as things... read more

A nice blend of dubby rhythms, rootsy instrumentation, organic and programmed elements from the UK & Brazilian cross-continental roots & reggae combo Dubkasm! Key members live a world away -- Digistep in Brazil and DJ Stryda in Bristol -- but they manage to do a pretty great job of making... read more

A nice blend of dubby rhythms, rootsy instrumentation, organic and programmed elements from the UK & Brazilian cross-continental roots & reggae combo Dubkasm! Key members live a world away -- Digistep in Brazil and DJ Stryda in Bristol -- but they manage to do a pretty great job of making... read more

A French combo, but one with a very global groove -- a mix of funky styles and Cuban rhythms, served up with a few contemporary touches as well! The sound here is really unique -- sweetly jazzy one minute, and sharper-edged the next -- moving the groove from keyboard-driven funk to more acoustic... read more

Amazing 70s recordings from Ethiopian singer Alemayehu Eshete -- one of the greatest stars of the Ethiopiques series next to Mulatu! The style here is often quite funky at times -- a strong James Brown influence in some of the rhythms, hitting hard with a heavy funk groove at the bottom, and... read more

A classic album of steel band grooving -- a sound that made a surprising crossover in the American soul market in the early 70s! This album's one of the most famous of the genre -- a session that was originally produced by Van Dyke Parks for Warner Brothers, and which has a nice blend of Caribbean... read more

Tight grooving benga funk rock from Extra Golden -- the third, and to date the best album from the cross cultural combo! At this point, it's not fair to simply call the group's sound a seamless blend of disparate styles, as we've been tempted to in the past -- they've found their own unique... read more

There's plenty of Afro Funk combos working today, but these guys are one of the greatest -- a totally hip French ensemble with a really amazing sound! Fanga has a groove that's really a cut above -- a way of pulling together all the best elements of the 70s generation of Afro Funk, and sifting... read more

The title track to Fanga's great Natural Juice album is served up here in a sweet extended version -- one that spins out with all the skittish percussion, scratchy guitar, and snakey keyboards of a 70s Afro Funk number! The keyboard work is almost moogy at times, but never too thin -- just nicely... read more

A great little Fela compilation of some of the Black President's most iconic material! This 2CD set features Fela's classic mid 70s recordings - with some of them edited down to shorter takes than the extended ones that appear on the full LPs, or "part 2" versions, but the track on the... read more

A great little Fela compilation of some of the Black President's most iconic material -- plus a DVD featuring excerpts from documentaries and concerts over the years! This 2CD set features Fela's classic mid 70s recordings - with some of them edited down to shorter takes than the extended ones... read more

Seminal sounds from the earliest years of Afro Funk -- rare 60s material from Fela Kuti, most of it recorded long before he achieved international fame! The styles here are often different than Fela's longer funky work of the 70s -- shorter tunes that revel in a variety of African modes --... read more

A killer from the classic years, and one of Fela's best albums! "No Agreement" is a super great groover -- with a catchy hook that goes on and on, and some very tasty playing by Tony Allen and the group. The track is long, with heavy solos, and vocals that will knock you out! Lester... read more

A classic bit of Afro Funk -- one that paired the growing groove of Fela with the focused sound of Ginger Baker -- the ex-Cream drummer who'd been championing Fela's cause on the UK scene! The sound of the set is great -- well on a par with Fela's best work of the time, and perhaps even a bit... read more

One of the best soul collaborations ever! Fela and Roy Ayers team up for this whopping album that brings together the best sides of these monster soul talents of the 70s! In keeping with Fela's work, the tracks are long and Afro-tinged, with a complicated groove that grows over the length of the... read more

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A stunning set of vocal recordings by Tlahoun Gessesse -- one of the most important singers during the golden age of Ethiopian Music -- caught here on a set of sides that sadly saw that period coming to an end! The tracks on the set are mostly from the early 70s, a time that saw great political... read more

A far reaching set from bass & synth guru Melvin Gibbs' Elevated Entity -- deftly blending Afro & Brazilian beats and rhythms with some cosmic keys, hip hop beats, and vocals that are as diverse as all of the other elements! He generates real heat on these tracks, too, a tight mix of... read more

The Gilfema trio's expanded here by the addition of two horns -- clarinet and bass clarinet, which are both used to shade in the album's tones nicely -- expanding the range of the core guitar, drums, and bass -- with slightly angular elements and a great sense of color! As before, singer/guitarist... read more

A groundbreaking set of work from the team of Jef Gilson and Hal Singer -- a uniquely cross-cultural session recorded in the Paris scene of the 70s, and easily some of the best work ever from both musicians! Singer's probably best remembered on these shores for his older R&B tenor work of the... read more

Amazing work from Parisian jazz piano genius Jef Gilson -- a pioneering couple of early 60s tracks featuring Lloyd Miller on the balaphone and a purportedly self-made microorgan -- plus 2 rare cuts from his Afro jazz influenced Madascar sessions with tenor Hal Singer from 1974! The A-side features... read more

Great guitar sounds from 60s Iran -- the kind of music you'd hardly expect to hear from the nation in the 21st Century! Back in the years of the Shah, Iran was plenty focused on sounds from the west -- and Golden Ring were one of the hippest groups of their surprisingly good scene -- a guitar-heavy... read more

A second amazing set of guitars from Agadez -- this time around from Group Bombino, who have a slightly warmer sound than Group Inerane -- but one that's equally great as well! The tunes build up sparely from percussion, guitar parts, and vocals from the group -- sung together in a way that almost... read more

One of the wildest albums on the Sublime Frequencies label -- really amazing music by a West Saharan group -- one that features some of the most incredible guitar you'll ever hear! The music is all of recent vintage, recorded especially for this CD project -- and the tunes have some incredibly... read more

Great music from the personal archives of Group Doueh -- tracks all originally recorded on cassette, but cleaned up nicely and presented in one of those great Sublime Frequencies packages! The first half of the set features shorter numbers by the group -- really compelling numbers that feature... read more

Some of the most stripped-down grooves ever to appear on the Soul Jazz label -- a host of recent recordings by Cuban percussion combo Grupo Oba-Ilu -- also known for their work on the label's collection of Santerian music! The feel here is quite similar to that one -- quite folkloric, and almost... read more

Some of the most stripped-down grooves ever to appear on the Soul Jazz label -- a host of recent recordings by Cuban percussion combo Grupo Oba-Ilu -- also known for their work on the label's collection of Santerian music! The feel here is quite similar to that one -- quite folkloric, and almost... read more