Global Grooves -- In Stock -- LPs  

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An excellent album of hard percussion tracks from congolero Guem -- recorded in Sao Paulo in 1982, with accompaniment on djembe, bonga, and assorted other percussion instruments. The tracks are spare, but very driving -- with tight rhythms on all cuts, which has made the album quite sought-after... read more

A rocketing bit of South African funky soul -- and of the few great records released on Ahmad Jamal's short-lived Jamal label! The session's a lot hipper than some of the South African work that was issued in the US around the same time -- and the feel here is almost more in a London post-colonial... read more

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The first album by the group that later went on to become Oneness Of Juju! The album was recorded with a group that featured Plunky Nakabinde and Lon Moshe on reeds and percussion -- plus Babatunde on congas and drums -- and the overall sound is very much in kind of an Art Ensemble Of Chicago mode... read more

Hypnotic grooves from Kaleta -- a searing set of Afrobeat titles that really burns with a lot of energy! There's a complexity here that goes beyond most other contemporary Afro Funk ensembles -- one that takes especial joy in the solo parts, which are really well-crafted, and have an almost jazz-li... read more

Mid 70s material by Erkin Koray -- hypnotic melodies, leftfield elements and psychedelia soaked grooves from Turkey! The Turkish and other points Middle Eastern sounds are in effect, with resonant strings and great percussion, but Koray cross cultural elements of folk, rock, bits of funk and... read more

Excellent mid 70s work from one of the hippest dudes in Turkey -- guitarist Erik Koray, a player who had a wonderful talent for mixing together a range of cross-cultural influences! The style here is a lot more sophisticated than that of Koray's first album -- in a mode that shakes off some of the... read more

A fantastic bit of Afro funky soul -- one of a few albums recorded by the legendary Lafayette Afro Rock Band! The set has an incredible blend of American funk, African rhythms, and European production -- recorded in the heady cross-cultural scene of early 70s Paris -- with a sound that's often... read more

One of the biggest world music hits of the 60s -- a unique album that mixes Congolese songs with a new interpretation of the Latin mass! Les Troubadours Du Roi Baudouin are an ensemble of young singers with a very joyous sort of feel -- one that works equally well for the traditional numbers, and... read more

A global funk gem from Lightning Head, aka Glyn "Bigga" Bush of Rockers Hi Fi -- an artist who takes a surprising, truly funky, and wholly credible left turn into Afrobeat! Lightning Head doesn't forsake the electro grooves of earlier work so much as steep it very heavily in organic... read more

Do yourself a favor, and buy this album -- you won't be disappointed! The record is a gem all the way through -- a really unique mixture of LA soul jazz and African rhythms, with a sound that's almost like Hugh Masekela sitting in with the Jazz Crusaders! Of course, there's a lot of Jazz... read more

Do yourself a favor, and splurge on this album -- you won't be disappointed! The record is a gem all the way through -- a really unique mixture of LA soul jazz and African rhythms, with a sound that's almost like Hugh Masekela sitting in with the Jazz Crusaders! Of course, there's a lot of Jazz... read more

A great little set of Hugh's MGM recordings -- and one that features a nice mix of pop instrumental tracks, and others that have a more sophisticated African Soul sound. Included in this bunch are "Bajabula Bonke (Healing Song) parts 1 & 2", "U-Dwi", "Masquenada (parts... read more

Hugh's first album for Uni -- and one that really lets him open up his groove! The record moves way past the short trumpet instrumental sound of earlier albums -- into a complex groove that mixes Afro soul, LA funk, and loads of nice jazzy bits! The record's got a sound that's nicely messed up --... read more

Great early work from Hugh Masekela! The record features all instrumental tracks -- all short, and with Hugh's funky South African trumpet rolling over the top! The overall sound is a lot less slick than on some of his late 60s hits -- and you can really hear his roots in the South African jazz... read more

An excellent little record from Hugh Masekela -- cut right during that perfect time when he was mixing soul, funk, and just the right amount of jazz to keep things real! The record features some nice electric piano from Joe Sample, and the best cuts have a choppy funky groove. Some cuts have... read more

The second album from Mombasa -- and possibly even better than the first! The group have really come into their own by the time of this date -- mixing together jazz and African roots with a sound that's unlike anyone else we can think of -- quite unique in its approach to rhythms, sounds, and... read more

Mad funk from Ethiopia -- classic work by the legendary Mulatu, one of Africa's heaviest artists of the 70s! Mulatu's been kind of a beathead secret for years -- as most of his exotic grooves were never issued properly outside of Africa, and have only been the province of collectors who had the... read more

Heady work from the Ngozi Family -- a Zambian rock band that was the first to be dubbed as "Zamrock" -- a cool fusion of older African rhythms and 70s rockish modes -- never too polished, but with a tightness that might have made Anglo groups up in London sit up and take notice! The... read more

Great stuff from global funk phenoms Nomo -- deftly blending Afro steeped funk with an astral reach -- with more of a spiritual jazz influence and off kilter avant touches! Invisible Cities arrives just about a year since their breakthrough Ghost Rock opened so many doors, and although... read more

The rare first album by Ocho -- and a killer batch of Latin tracks that breaks down all definitions of the music! Ocho were a seminal group in the NuYorica scene of the early 70s -- blending soul, funk, Latin, jazz, and other styles into a groove that was perhaps a bit too complicated for the... read more

Massive work from this funky Nigerian cat -- a set that offers up a key mix of James Brown funk and home-grown elements -- all in a blend that's totally unique! The 1970 album mixes together equal parts African highlife and American soul -- making for a style that's heavy one minute, lighter the... read more

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A landmark of Afro-centric jazz in the 70s -- and the first album by this famous underground collective! Oneness of Juju were a Washington DC-based group that grew out of the ashes of the Juju avant jazz ensemble -- formed in the culturally rich African-American community of DC in the 70s, with... read more

One of the most incredible African collections we've ever heard -- almost more amazing than the African Scream Contest set from the same label! The package focuses on work by Orchestre Poly-Rhythmo De Cotonou -- a group who really live up to their name, by bringing in a host of complicated rhythms... read more

These early Osibisa records always used to be fairly common years back -- perhaps because they were always a bit too hippy dippy and loose for the older funk crowd. But now, in today's blunted groove culture, they seem to have found a new appreciation for their trippy Afro funk style, and their... read more

Insane grooves from arranger Mustafa Ozkent -- an artist who was to Turkey what Lalo Schifrin was to the US in the 70s! Like Lalo, Mustafa had a great ear for mixing funkier rhythms and fuller orchestrations -- often with odd instrumental twists and turns that bubble over with a fair bit of... read more

An excellent set from Tito -- very funky, unlike most of his other work from the time! The record has a great electric vibe to it -- thanks to a hip bass player in the group, to Charlie Palmieri, who plays organ and electric piano on the record, and to Tito himself, who's never sounded better,... read more

Incredible! This is a stunning set of African-inspired jazzy percussion tracks -- similar to some of the work done by Art Blakey on his Orgy In Rhythm albums, but with a lot better horn work, and with an overall conception that's much more unified! AK Salim did some sleepier work for Savoy in the... read more

A sweet set of grooves from Sir Warrior -- a record that seems to combine older high life modes with some of the electrified energy of the Nigerian Afro Funk scene of the 70s -- a very hip blend that's spun out here over the course of two side-long tracks! Instrumentation is heavy on guitar -- as... read more

Rare Pakistani grooves from the Tafo Brothers -- recorded in the EMI studios of the 70s, and done with a groove that's similar to some of the Lollywood soundtrack reissues on Finders Keepers! The style here is a bit sparer than those soundtracks though -- just instrumental work, but using a... read more

Blistering work from Third Eye -- a group who were supposedly some of the hippest rockers on the South African scene at the start of the 70s -- a claim we definitely believe after hearing this great little record! The group have a way of jamming hard without going over the top -- psyche elements... read more

One of a pair of excellent, rare psyche efforts from South African combo Third Eye from 1970 -- organ driven sounds, with some really strong lyricism and passionate vocals, some tripped out guitar, hard hitting drums and bass grooving with the organs! Lots of sharp wordplay, and sounds that range... read more

Trippy rock from the three Hurel brothers of Turkey -- a fuzzed-up, freaked-out trio that comes off with some great psychedelic touches! The sound here is a great blending of modes -- similar to some of the other Turkish rock from the time that merged electric guitar with folkloric inspirations --... read more

The first album by trippy Turkish trio 3 Hur El -- a great blend of Eastern sounds and western styles -- all coming together with a slightly progressive feel! The instrumentation often includes some heavy basslines underneath lighter lines on acoustic strings -- a blend of folksy and modern that's... read more

Yes!! It's as if the folks at Honest Jon's have unearthed a great lost Fela session, and for all intents and purposes, they have! Mr Big Mouth is a session written and led by trumpeter Tunde Williams, a mainstay in Fela's group for many years and one of the most distinctive voices in the horn... read more

One part of the wonderful series of ethnographic/musicological field recordings that Nonesuch records commissioned throughout the 70s to document the indigenous traditional musics of the continent, many of which are rapidly disappearing today. There were three volumes which focused on the Shona... read more

A long-overdue collection of work -- one that really gets at the unusual appearance of Latin rhythms on the African scene of the postwar years! Latin sounds from Africa are nothing new, but they're one of those things that's always taken for granted, too -- kind of assumed in most discussions of... read more

One of the coolest African collections we've seen in years -- a beautiful assortment of untapped grooves from the 70s, put together with a massive booklet that sets a whole new standard in packaging! The grooves here are different from other Afro Funk collections of the time -- definitely more in... read more

Get ready to discover a whole new realm of African Funk -- because this collection digs deeper than any we've ever had before! The mighty Soundway Records have come up with a blistering batch of grooves that push way past the bigger hits on the global scene -- to the real roots of the Afro Funk... read more

Incredible grooves from the Indian film scene -- mod little numbers that are a fair bit different than most Bollywood work that usually shows up on CD! As the title implies, the work here is more in a nightclub mode than a funky one -- and the tunes are a great blend of romping rhythms, electric... read more

Fuzzy, r&b fueled, raw and rocking garage numbers from late 60s Africa -- with Nuggets style jams, surf rock styled numbers, psyche gems, and pulpy soul from Angola, Ghana, Mozambique, Madagascar and more! The sets a real eye opener, to say the least -- and on top of being an excellent... read more

Killer work from the Syllart catalog of the 70s -- tunes that are neither rumba, nor rock -- but a strange hybrid of a number of different elements! Almost all the tracks here have a pronounced electric part -- not really fuzzy, or rockish -- but often played in a highly rhythmic way that also... read more

An amazing world of music -- rare funk, soul, reggae, and other grooves from Belize -- all beautifully compiled in the rich Numero Music style! We're really stunned by the set -- as we had no idea at all that Belize had anything going on at this level -- and the collection is an amazing surprise... read more

A stellar batch of Afro funk and native groove from Lagos! Strains of western funk and soulful sounds work their way into the material -- thanks again to Fela's mighty influence -- but there's a lot more to it! Simmering along with the Afro funk and soul are some truly riveting native folk sounds... read more

An incredible batch of African funk and heavily percussive groove -- featuring a varied, yet cohesive selection of tunes that run deeper than most compilations! Lagos Chop Up manages to work a little bit of magic in its overall consistency -- the tracklist features tunes from the mid 60s all the... read more

Brilliant work from Benin -- an ear-opening compilation that's filled with wonderful grooves we've never heard before! The rhythms are unusual, instrumentation hypnotic, and vocals really offbeat -- making the whole thing sound very different than more familiar African work we've stocked --... read more

Like so many other Caribbean nations, Trinidad had a large emigrant populace in London, who'd brought their musical traditions with them. This set, highlighting calypso numbers recorded in England in the early 50s, is filled with the sort of bouncey, good time numbers that helped bring the music... read more

An unexpected pleasure -- and quite possibly the best so far of the all-great Love Peace & Poetry series! This time round, the series documents the rich legacy of psychedelic work from the African scene of the early 70s -- mostly featuring South African recordings that are clearly inspired by... read more

An incredible collection from Honest Jons -- and like some of the rest of their best, music we never would have heard otherwise! The focus here is on calypso music, but recorded in West Africa -- not the usual Caribbean setting -- a very unusual strain of styles that cropped up in the fading... read more

Global music of indeterminate origin, but indisputable beauty from Mississippi Records -- from otherworldly vocals-only tunes, to lovely and lush arrangements -- strains of calypso, Thai balladry, rural American yodeling, Hawaiian ukulele tunes, and beyond! There's no notes, but the mysteriousness... read more

Mad music that's unlike anything else we can think of -- a killer collection of funky grooves from the Ethiopian scene of the 70s -- offered up here on a vinyl-only compilation! The set's a great one if you've heard the music of Mulatu, but want to dig a lot deeper -- as the cats included on this... read more

One of the coolest compilations we've seen so far on Mississippi Records -- a set that almost pushes them into the territory covered by Honest Jons with some of their vintage EMI collections! The package documents a lost history of Greek music -- work recorded from the mid 20s through mid 40s --... read more

Essential work from the African scene of the 70s -- a collection of tracks that goes way beyond the more familiar grooves of Fela Kuti and Manu Dibango! The set may well be the deepest so far we've heard from the always-amazing Soundway Records -- a package that digs into a wealth of under-heard... read more

Iranian garage rock -- kind of hard to believe at first, but a surprising musical discovery overall! The package documents a very overlooked scene -- rock bands from late 60s Iran who were clearly inspired by the American underground of the time -- working in a heady brew of guitar, organ, bass,... read more

A motherlode of Indian-styled funk -- grooves that are heavy on the sitar, but which also feature a fair bit of American funk influences as well! The tracks are all pretty darn obscure, and most are actually from India -- not copycat tracks from Europe and the US -- and alongside the sitars,... read more

One of the grooviest compilations we've ever seen -- a collection of work by American expatriates living in Israel at the end of the 70s -- a hip blend of US funk and Hebrew spirituality! Most of the work here sounds like the best spiritual funk of the 70s -- very much in an Earth Wind & Fire... read more

A collection of tracks that amount to some of incredibly deep audio archaeology -- a wonderful, consciousness wakening collection of globe spanning 78s from the first half of the 20th Century -- all from the darkest corners of the EMI Vaults! Honest Jons does an impressive job of collecting... read more

Driving rhythms, rave-up guitar licks, groovy mod organ and proto-psychedelic guitar -- from 60s Thailand! The Thai Beat series shines a warm light on the rare rock from "the Land of Smile" -- and it's a worthy endeavor! The freewheelin' sunshine 60s groove stretched all across the... read more

Rare recordings from the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique in the French Caribbean -- rare Afro Latin grooves from the mid 60s to the mid 70s -- a fantastic compilation from the global groove compilation heroes at Soundway! The material generally has the thumping drum & percussion backdrop... read more

Wild work from the Mid-East scene at the end of the 60s -- tracks that show a surprising array of garagey grooves from artists in Lebanon, Iran, Algeria, and Israel -- all of whom draw heavily from American work of the time, then turn it into something completely different with their music! Rock... read more

The roots of Congolese rumba -- served up here in a host of cool recordings from the 50s, in a package that really sheds new light on these under-exposed years of the genre! As you'd guess from the title, there's a fair bit of Latin rhythms at play here -- a key Cuban contribution back to the... read more

A really mind-bending collection of African grooves -- one that digs deep into the West African scene of the early 70s -- and comes up with a massive batch of tunes that really opens up our understanding of the music! The sound here isn't just 70s Afro Funk -- as the tunes include a range of... read more