Global Grooves — All Formats  

Stunning Afro Funk grooves! Fela's legendary drummer, Tony Allen, leads the set on both of these rare albums – nicely packaged onto 2 individual CDs that are like tiny record sleeves, complete with all the original cover art and everything! The groove on the record is pure Fela – and Mr. Kuti helps out with production and playing on one of the 2 records in the set. The first album – No Accomodation – features Allen leading the Africa 70 group on 2 very long tracks – "African Message" and "No Accomodation For Lagos". The other album – No Discrimination – has shorter tracks (about 9 minutes long), with some very nice guitar work, and an even tighter groove than the other cuts. Titles include "Road Safety", "Love Is A Natural Thing", and "Ariya".

Fantastic Afro funky! This set lovingly repackages 2 early albums by Tony Allen, best known to the world as the drummer in Fela's legendary Africa 70 group! Both records have a distinctly Fela-sounding groove – which isn't surprising, as they were produced by Fela, feature Fela, and have Allen playing with Fela's Africa 70 group. These tracks are even rarer than original Fela material, though – so it's super-great to have them on CD. Four long tracks – "Jealousy", "The Hustler", "Progress", and "Afro Disco Beat". As if your Fela collection wasn't big enough yet – it just got bigger, with 2 totally essential albums!

Collected work by Blo – a hip Nigerian funk ensemble from the mid 70s! The group have a more complicated sound than some of their contemporaries – adding in dubbier stylings and bits of psychedelic guitar to the more common Afro-Funk percussion – in a mode that almost sounds like it's got traces of Can or other proggish groups, as you might hear on some of Tony Allen's more recent work, or on some of the early 70s Brit post-colonial crossover bands, like Assagai or Cymande. It all makes for a very interesting sound – marking the group as one of the most unique of their generation! Titles include "Blo", "It's Gonna Be A Good Day", "Number One", "Trace of Suicide", "Atide", "Don't Take Her Away From Me", and "Miss Sagit".

A bold step forward for Fanga – and a set that's easily the group's greatest record ever! This time around, Fanga are teamed with guembri player Maalem Abdalla Guinea – a musician who seems to have unlocked some rich new energy in the group – and a sound that takes them past their already-great groove! Familiar Afro Funk modes are still in place, but the tracks are longer and a lot more open too – leaving great room for Guinea's rootsy instrumentation – and creating this spontaneous feeling to the record that really hints at the genius of Fanga in a live setting. The whole thing's proof that the right Afro Funk groups are really finding new ways of expression these days – and the set features the tracks "Noble Tree", "Gnawi", "Kelen", and "Kononi". CD features additional tracks "Wouarri" and "Dounya".

A bold step forward for Fanga – and a set that's easily the group's greatest record ever! This time around, Fanga are teamed with guembri player Maalem Abdalla Guinea – a musician who seems to have unlocked some rich new energy in the group – and a sound that takes them past their already-great groove! Familiar Afro Funk modes are still in place, but the tracks are longer and a lot more open too – leaving great room for Guinea's rootsy instrumentation – and creating this spontaneous feeling to the record that really hints at the genius of Fanga in a live setting. The whole thing's proof that the right Afro Funk groups are really finding new ways of expression these days – and the set features the tracks "Noble Tree", "Gnawi", "Kelen", and "Kononi".

This is definitely not your father's calypso – no living room limbo or Harry Belafonte cliches – and instead, a smoking batch of Caribbean grooves from The Mighty Sparrow! Sparrow was very much on the edge of the best styles in the 60s and early 70s – and although his basic groove might be termed calypso, he also brought in plenty of Cuban, Haitian, and Jamaican rhythms to his music too – as well as an occasional does of American soul! Like some of the best early sounds from Kingston, the grooves here often echo a deeper R&B sensibility, turned towards island rhythms – and really hit home strongly by Sparrow's wonderful vocals – as catchy, compelling, and charming as some of the best US singers of the time – with touches of the wit of Oscar Brown Jr, the warmth of Lou Rawls, the swing of a young Marvin Gaye, and the spookiness of Screamin Jay Hawkins! This massive collection is the first to really dig through his older records to pull out the best tunes – just the kind of special focus we'd expect from the Strut label, with a wicked track selection and great notes too! Titles include "Bongo", "Calypso Boogaloo", "Zinah", "Fool Fool Fool", "Ah Diggin Horrors", "Jook For Jook", "Sparrow Come Back Home", "Slave", "She's Been Gone Too Long", "Congo Man", "Ten To One Is Murder", and "Kennedy & Kruschev".

This is definitely not your father's calypso – no living room limbo or Harry Belafonte cliches – and instead, a smoking batch of Caribbean grooves from The Mighty Sparrow! Sparrow was very much on the edge of the best styles in the 60s and early 70s – and although his basic groove might be termed calypso, he also brought in plenty of Cuban, Haitian, and Jamaican rhythms to his music too – as well as an occasional does of American soul! Like some of the best early sounds from Kingston, the grooves here often echo a deeper R&B sensibility, turned towards island rhythms – and really hit home strongly by Sparrow's wonderful vocals – as catchy, compelling, and charming as some of the best US singers of the time – with touches of the wit of Oscar Brown Jr, the warmth of Lou Rawls, the swing of a young Marvin Gaye, and the spookiness of Screamin Jay Hawkins! This massive collection is the first to really dig through his older records to pull out the best tunes – just the kind of special focus we'd expect from the Strut label, with a wicked track selection and great notes too! Titles include "Bongo", "Calypso Boogaloo", "Zinah", "Fool Fool Fool", "Ah Diggin Horrors", "Jook For Jook", "Sparrow Come Back Home", "Slave", "She's Been Gone Too Long", "Congo Man", "Ten To One Is Murder", and "Kennedy & Kruschev".

A stunner of a joint effort from Ethio jazz funk visionary Mulatu Astatke and psych funk genre-busting combo the Heliocentrics – a record we had the highest hopes for and still find wildly above and beyond our loftiest expectations! The collective touch on some classic Mulatu compositions, but the bulk of the material here is brand new, and purely collaborative – if you know the Helioecentrics or you know Mulatu, you can clearly hear what each bring to the table – and it works together brilliantly! There's often a gritty funk bottom end, the best drums and percussion, fat electric bass lines underneath Ethio jazz inspired sax, trumpet, trombone and flute – swirling psychedelic flourishes with theremin and other effects that never take away from the groove. Mulatu's on vibes, percussion, Wurlitzer, drums and keyboards – and his compositions and the Helios trade back and forth throughout the set. There's some additional Ethiopian instrumentation and atmospheric vocals in the mix on some tunes, and more of an astral, avant funk vibe on others, but there's always a brilliant confluence of styles. Bottom line, the album is everything we wanted it to be and more – this will undoubtedly be favorite for years to come! Titles include "Masenqo", "Cha Cha", "Addis Black Widow", "Mulatu", "Blue Nile", "Esketa Dance", "Chik Chikka", "Live From Tiger Lounge", "Chinese New Year", "Phantom Of The Panther", "Dewel"., "Fire In The Zoo", "An Epic Story" and "Anglo Ethio Suite".

The first record in years from these Afro Funk giants – but don't hold it against them, as the whole thing's pretty darn wonderful! There's a rich, vibrant sound here that really lives up to the group's legacy from years back – and production is right on the money to keep things right – recorded in Paris with a relatively stripped-down quality – just right for bringing all the tight rhythms of the set right to the foreground, without any overdone mass market cliches to hold things back! Even the appearances of a few famous guest stars can't get in the way of the energy of the Orchestre – and this new album should be more than proof that the originators are still alive and well. Titles include "Pardon", "Von Vo Nono", "Oce", "Koumi Dede", "Tegbe", "Lion Is Burning", "Ne Te Fache Pas", and "Gbeti Madjro".

We've always loved these guys – but they really blow us away with this smoking album – a set that has them funkier than ever, yet also reaching out to embrace some great new styles too! The Afro Funk of their core is still firmly in place – yet there's also wider echoes of global sounds really being embraced by a younger generation – bits of Colombian rhythms, psychedelic inflections, and really vibrant instrumentation that helps make this record sparkle even more than their already-great previous efforts! Production is totally smoking, too – and makes the set feel more like a Soundway compilation of rare tracks from the 70s than a contemporary set – definitely another plus in our book. Titles include "Cartao Postal", "Kelen Ati Leen", "Bibinay", "Kingpin", "Conquering Lion", "Tanbou Lou", and "Nijaay".

Proof that Afro Funk never dies – as long as you know where to look! This set by Ebo Taylor is a contemporary recording, but it's got a damn sharp groove – and hits as hard as any dusty old gem you might find from the 70s – with just the right production to make all the core elements come out right! Comet Records had a hand in the production, and they work the same kind of magic with Taylor that they've used on Tony Allen – really helping an Afro Funk legend come back out on top, and avoid any of the watered-down world music cliches that might otherwise hurt a record like this. Rhythms are super-funky, and produced with some great grit in the grooves – and Taylor's vocals and guitar sound wonderful – if anything, only deepened with the passage of time. Titles include "Ayesama", "Abonsam", "Barrima", "Appia Kwa Bridge", "Assomdwee", and "Yaa Amponsah".

A brilliant new album from legendary Ghanaian performer Ebo Taylor – recorded in Berlin and backed by members of Poets Of Rhythm and others from that city's loose collective of international players dubbed the Afrobeat Academy – and the set itself is a great mix of classic Ghana grooves and timeless Afro Funk! Guitarist and vocalist Taylor has roots in the highlife style from the late 50s through the 60s, but from the 70s onward he's been deftly blending styles – from traditional Ghanaian sounds, to Afro funk, jazz and soul. This excellent album for Strut Records carries on that adventurous spirit wonderfully. It's also the first ever Ebo Taylor album to receive an international release, reason enough to celebrate, all the more so given the creative high point the album is! Titles include "Nga Nga", "African Woman", "Love And Death", "Mizin", "Aborekyair Aba", "Obra" and the instrumentals "Victory" and "Kwame".

One of the best compilations of Afro Funk titles we've ever stocked – one that goes way past the obvious titles and minor hits of the 70s! Every tune on here is a gem – and the package even includes a few tunes that were either previously unreleased, or which were only ever issued on cassette, a popular form in 70s Africa. The "rock" in the title should be taken lightly – because the groove here is more funky, with drums, guitar, and horns coming together in glorious rhythmic cacophony! The whole set's got a great raw sound – and titles include "Heavy Heavy Heavy" by Geraldo Pino & The Heartbeats, "Mabala" by Yahoos, "Onukpa Shawarpo" by Bokoor Band, "Sweeper Soul" by Super Mambo 69, "Yuda" by Dackin Dackino, "Envy No Good" by Mercury Dance Band, and "Fever" by Jingo. New version also features the previously unreleased bonus track "Keep On Holding On (Part 1)" by Jingo.

One of the best compilations of Afro Funk titles we've ever stocked – one that goes way past the obvious titles and minor hits of the 70s! Ever tune on here is a gem – and the package even includes a few tunes that were either previously unreleased, or which were only ever issued on cassette, a popular form in 70s Africa. The "rock" in the title should be taken lightly – because the groove here is more funky, with drums, guitar, and horns coming together in glorious rhythmic cacophony! The whole set's got a great raw sound – and titles include "Heavy Heavy Heavy" by Geraldo Pino & The Heartbeats, "Mabala" by Fathili & The Yahoos, "Onukpa Shawarpo" by Bokoor Band, "Sweeper Soul" by Super Mambo 69, "Yuda" by Dackin Dackino, "Envy No Good" by Mercury Dance Band and "Fever" by Jingo. New version also features the previously unreleased bonus track "Keep On Holding On (Part 1)" by Jingo.

The next set in the stellar Next Stop Soweto series from Strut Records – highlighting rare South African sounds – this one infused with the western party music influences of funk, soul and organ drenched grooves of all kinds! Volume 1 in the series concentrated on the lively township jive sounds, this one gets gritty and funky – American funk, soul and R&B drenched organ grooves are more prominent in the sound – combining with regional traditions masterfully and coming out feverish and ready for the dancefloor! Includes material from the small, but exciting South African soul scene by groups The Klooks and The Anchors, mbaqanga numbers liberally infused with soul and funk by the Mgababa Queens and Mahotella Queens, jazzier funk from The Heshoo Beshoo Group and much more! 22 tracks on 2LPs: "Khubani" by JK Mayengani & The Shingwedzi Sisters, "Blockhead" by The Monks, Nkuli's Shuffle" by The Klooks, "Come With Me" and "Funky Message" by The Heroes, "Last Time" by The Anchors, "I Am There" by The Grasshopers, "Saduva" by Gibson Kente, "Wozani Mahipi" by Mahotella Queens and more.

No soundclash here – as the grooves are all right on the money, and fit perfectly together throughout – a blinding blend of tropical-styled sounds that really lives up to the promise of the package! Sofrito have outdone themselves here – and come up with the kinds of tracks we'd never have found in a million years of digging – mostly vintage numbers from the late 70s and early 80s tropical scene – mixed with a few contemporary numbers that seem to have an equally classic sort of vibe! The package is an instant global grooves party right from the start – and titles include "O Ti Yo" by Midnight Groovers, "Cumbia Y Tambo" by La Pesada, "Ebolo" by Bell'A Njoh, "Vibrations Groove" by Lord Shorty & Vibrations International, ""Mwekuru Muthao" by Melodica Teens Band, "La Zorra Y El Perol" by Grupo Canalon De Tinbiqui, and "The Path (Sofrito edit)" by Concept Neuf.

No soundclash here – as the grooves are all right on the money, and fit perfectly together throughout – a blinding blend of tropical-styled sounds that really lives up to the promise of the package! Sofrito have outdone themselves here – and come up with the kinds of tracks we'd never have found in a million years of digging – mostly vintage numbers from the late 70s and early 80s tropical scene – mixed with a few contemporary numbers that seem to have an equally classic sort of vibe! The package is an instant global grooves party right from the start – and titles include "O Ti Yo" by Midnight Groovers, "Cumbia Y Tambo" by La Pesada, "Ebolo" by Bell'A Njoh, "Vibrations Groove" by Lord Shorty & Vibrations International, ""Mwekuru Muthao" by Melodica Teens Band, "La Zorra Y El Perol" by Grupo Canalon De Tinbiqui, and "The Path (Sofrito edit)" by Concept Neuf.

The debut compilation from Hugo Mendez and the Sofrito collective on Strut – tropical dancefloor grooves from Africa, the Caribbean and South American – featuring Banda Los Hijos De La Nina Luz, Frente Cumbiero, Fair Nick Stars, Victor Uwaifo, "Dany Play", Quantic Y Su Conjunto Los Miticos Del Ritmo, Roaring Lion and more! The basis is the Sofrito parties that began in East London in the mid 80s, where lovers of vintage Latin and African dance music got together and brought tropical grooves to an appreciative British club scene. It's great stuff all the way! Titles include "Quiero Amanacer" by Banda Los Hikos De La Nina Luz, "Je Ne Bois Pas Beaucomp" by Les Ya Toupas Du Zaire, "Arrete Mal Parle" by Fair Nick Stars, "Descarga Bontempi" by El Timba, "Fa'Waka (Pt 1)" by Dany Play, "Cumbia De Mochilla" by Quantic Y Su Conjunto Los Miticos Del Ritmo, "Yiri Yiri Boum" by Gnonnas Pedro" and more. 15 tracks in all.

Proof that Afro Funk never dies – as long as you know where to look! This set by Ebo Taylor is a contemporary recording, but it's got a damn sharp groove – and hits as hard as any dusty old gem you might find from the 70s – with just the right production to make all the core elements come out right! Comet Records had a hand in the production, and they work the same kind of magic with Taylor that they've used on Tony Allen – really helping an Afro Funk legend come back out on top, and avoid any of the watered-down world music cliches that might otherwise hurt a record like this. Rhythms are super-funky, and produced with some great grit in the grooves – and Taylor's vocals and guitar sound wonderful – if anything, only deepened with the passage of time. Titles include "Ayesama", "Abonsam", "Barrima", "Appia Kwa Bridge", "Assomdwee", and "Yaa Amponsah".

Steps Ahead is just about the least we could say about Ethio jazz funk genius Mulatu Astatke – he not only remains on a creative high point after so many years, he takes a couple more giant strides on Mulatu Steps Ahead for Strut Records! To put it simply, the music Mulatu makes here more than lives up to his legendary work from the height of late 60s & early 70s years. The material was recorded in sessions in Boston and London, playing with the Either/Orchestra on the Boston sessions, plus members of the Heliocentrics and others – really hitting on diverse styles throughout, from spacious and eclectic jazz, to the classic Addis Ababa nightclub sound, to grittier kinda crime jazz soundtrack styles and some Afro Latin inspirations. Wonderful recent work well worth Mulatu's legacy! Titles include "Radcliffe", "Green Africa", "The Way To Be Nice", "Assosa", "I Faram Gami I Faram", "Mulatu's Mood", "Ethio Blues", "Boogaloo" and "Motherland".

We've always loved these guys – but they really blow us away with this smoking album – a set that has them funkier than ever, yet also reaching out to embrace some great new styles too! The Afro Funk of their core is still firmly in place – yet there's also wider echoes of global sounds really being embraced by a younger generation – bits of Colombian rhythms, psychedelic inflections, and really vibrant instrumentation that helps make this record sparkle even more than their already-great previous efforts! Production is totally smoking, too – and makes the set feel more like a Soundway compilation of rare tracks from the 70s than a contemporary set – definitely another plus in our book. Titles include "Cartao Postal", "Kelen Ati Leen", "Bibinay", "Kingpin", "Conquering Lion", "Tanbou Lou", and "Nijaay".

A killer follow-up to the earlier Nigeria 70 compilation on Strut Records – a second set that digs even deeper than before, and one that shows a huge range of Nigerian grooves from the 70s! The styles here go way beyond familiar Afro Funk – and the rhythms here are often quite complicated – rootsy at times, modern at others – and served up in a blend of acoustic and electric instrumentation that dances together wonderfully! Most numbers have vocals, but those are often delivered as rhythmically as the instrumentation – and the package is filled with under-reissued gems that make the package an essential addition to any collection of global grooves. As with other sets on the newly-revived Strut label, there's full notes on the music and track-by-track details – all supporting a set list of 16 titles that includes "Everybody Likes Something Good" by Ify Jerry Krusade, "Yabis" by Sir Shina Peters & His International Stars, "Onyame" by Ashanti Afrika Jah, "Ezuku Buzo" by Bola Johnson & His Eazy Life Top Beats, "African Dialects" by Peter King, "You Are My Heart" by Rex Williams, "Hot Tears" by The Immortals, "Dododo (Ekassa No 1)" by Sir Victor Uwaifo & His Melody Maestros, "Happy Survival" by Ifeanyi Eddie Okwedy & His Maymores Dance Band, "Tug Of War" by The Faces, "Ire Africa" by Chief Checker, and "Eddie Quansa" by Peacocks Guitar Band.

Steps Ahead is just about the least we could say about Ethio jazz funk genius Mulatu Astatke – he not only remains on a creative high point after so many years, he takes a couple more giant strides on Mulatu Steps Ahead for Strut Records! To put it simply, the music Mulatu makes here more than lives up to his legendary work from the height of late 60s & early 70s years. The material was recorded in sessions in Boston and London, playing with the Either/Orchestra on the Boston sessions, plus members of the Heliocentrics and others – really hitting on diverse styles throughout, from spacious and eclectic jazz, to the classic Addis Ababa nightclub sound, to grittier kinda crime jazz soundtrack styles and some Afro Latin inspirations. Wonderful work that's well worth Mulatu's legacy! Titles include "Radcliffe", "Green Africa", "The Way To Be Nice", "Assosa", "I Faram Gami I Faram", "Mulatu's Mood", "Ethio Blues", "Boogaloo" and "Motherland".

The first record in years from these Afro Funk giants – but don't hold it against them, as the whole thing's pretty darn wonderful! There's a rich, vibrant sound here that really lives up to the group's legacy from years back – and production is right on the money to keep things right – recorded in Paris with a relatively stripped-down quality – just right for bringing all the tight rhythms of the set right to the foreground, without any overdone mass market cliches to hold things back! Even the appearances of a few famous guest stars can't get in the way of the energy of the Orchestre – and this new album should be more than proof that the originators are still alive and well. Titles include "Pardon", "Von Vo Nono", "Oce", "Koumi Dede", "Tegbe", "Lion Is Burning", "Ne Te Fache Pas", and "Gbeti Madjro".

Great Ghana grooves from Ebo Taylor – a tremendous collection of his funkiest 70s work – and a much-needed reintroduction of his talents to the world at large! Much of the music here has strong links with more familiar Afro Funk – but the overall approach is often a bit unique, too – lots more guitar in the rhythms at times, in ways that echo the lighter lyricism of highlife, yet all without losing the commitment to bottom sounds that made 70s changes in African music so great! The package does a great job of archaeology – bringing together not just cuts recorded under Taylor's own name, but also work with other groups too – all in a set that offers plenty in the way of notes and historical details, too. 2LP set features 12 titles that include "Heaven", "Aba Yaa", "Atwer Abroba", and "Peace On Earth" by Ebo Taylor, "Tamfo Nyi Akyir" by Apagya Showband, "Ohiani Sua Efir" by Asasse Ase, "Ene Nyame Nam A Mensuor" by Pat Thomas & Ebo Taylor, "Egya Edu" by Ebo Taylor & The Pelikans, and "Love & Death" by Ebo Taylor & Uhuru Yenzu.

A brilliant new album from legendary Ghanaian performer Ebo Taylor – recorded in Berlin and backed by members of Poets Of Rhythm and others from that city's loose collective of international players dubbed the Afrobeat Academy – and the set itself is a great mix of classic Ghana grooves and timeless Afro Funk! Guitarist and vocalist Taylor has roots in the highlife style from the late 50s through the 60s, but from the 70s onward he's been deftly blending styles – from traditional Ghanaian sounds, to Afro funk, jazz and soul. This excellent album for Strut Records carries on that adventurous spirit wonderfully. It's also the first ever Ebo Taylor album to receive an international release, reason enough to celebrate, all the more so given the creative high point the album is! Titles include "Nga Nga", "African Woman", "Love And Death", "Mizin", "Aborekyair Aba", "Obra" and the instrumentals "Victory" and "Kwame".

A cool collection of funky grooves from the Caribbean – tracks that take a strong influence from American soul and funk, then blend it heavily with hip rhythms from the islands! A few of the names here are familiar, but most are relatively obscure – and put together, the tunes on the set illustrate a hugely under-tapped scene that's filled with wonderful tunes – tracks awash in jazzy rhythms, skittish percussion, and a range of styles that move past much more familiar Jamaican sounds from down south. Drums here are often quite heavy, and matched by other percussion as well – not to mention jagged guitar lines and bass bits that really send the whole thing home! As with other Strut compilations, the overall package and liner notes are as great as the music on the disc – and the set features a total of 20 tracks that include "Of My Hands" by The Goretti Group, "Calypsoul" by Clarence Curvan & His Mod Sounds, "You Tink It Sorf" by Lancelot Layne, "Magic Fever" by Magic Circle Express, "Independent Bahamas" by Biosis Now, "Move Up Blackman" by Tyrone Taylor, "Guanavaco" by Marius Cultier, "Raycan" by The Hondells, "You Don't Love Me" by Gemini Brass, "Woman" by Sambo, "We See Jah" by Wadadli Experience, "Freedom In Africa" by Duke, "Red Light Lady" by Ophelia, and "It's A Feeling" by St Maartens The Rolling Tones.

A beautiful set of late 60s to early 70s Soweto township jive sounds – soulful, joyful and amazing numbers mostly only ever available on rare South African 45s – brought to the world at large by our friends at Strut Records! Most numbers are from the early 70s, with a couple from the last couple years of the 60s, material from local combos in the years before the Soweto uprising of 1976. It's wonderful music, and you'll want to jump up and dance to most of the numbers – most with exuberant vocals and wholly danceable guitar and percussion, a joyous mix jazz, soul, rumba and funk in the craft. Amazing! Includes "I Sivenoe" by Melotone Sisters With Amaqola Band, "Maphuti" by Mgababa Queens, "Kuya Hanjwa" by S Piliso & His Super Seven, "Wenzani Umoya" by The Big Four, "Inkonjane Jive" by Zed Nkabinde, "Take Off" by Tempo All Stars, "Enuva" by African Swingsters, "Sikhwele" by Aba-Lilizeli, "10 To 11" by Sammy Boy, "Iza Wena" by Happy Africa and more. 20 tracks on 2LPs.

Pretty amazing work from Nigeria! Segun Bucknor was an excellent vocalist with a style that was raspy and spiritual – much more other-worldly than a lot of his Afro Funk contemporaries, especially on the album's longer tracks, which have a spaced out groove that's really incredible. The groove here has bits of Fela-like jamming – but also more of a spacious jazzy groove, mixed with 70s rhythmic influences, and just the right touch of funk from time to time. Most of Segun's work has never been properly reissued before – and, as with all the Strut releases, this package is an over-stuffed batch of gems that will finally give him his due! The set includes notes on the music and Segun's story – and a wealth of great tracks that include "Sorrow Sorrow Sorrow", "Dye Dye", "Adanri Sogbasogba", "Son Of January 15th", "La La La (hard version)", "Smoke", "Who Say I Tire", and "You Killing Me".

Amazing grooves like you've never heard before – the seminal sides by Salah Ragab and his Cairo Jazz Band! As you can probably guess from their name, the ensemble was an Egyptian one – working at the end of the 60s in an incredible blend of jazz and more traditional Egyptian-styled sounds – a blend that comes across with all the exotic feel of the pyramids at dawn, but which manages to groove like some of the best funky work from America at the time! Instrumentation includes lot of percussion, heavy piano and horns, and some especially great flute on most tracks – all coming together with a sound that's unlike anything else we've heard before. This collection is the first time that this music has been brought together officially, all with the kind of top-shelf production and packaging we've come to expect from the Art Yard label! LP version includes the tracks "Egypt Strut", "Ramadan In Space Time", "Dawn", "Neveen", "Oriental Mood", "Kleopatra", and "Mervat".

A really surprising turn for reedman Manu Dibango – a shift away from his familiar Afro Funk mode, into the realm of trad jazz for this loving tribute to American saxophonist Sidney Bechet! Given that both Bechet and Dibango reached some of their heights on the Parisian scene, the tribute really makes some great sense at the core – and it's wonderful to hear Manu's sharp-edged alto sax in such a setting – as it creates a very different feel than some of the sweeter tones of Bechet, in styles that still echo some of Manu's earlier styles too. Instrumentation includes vibes, banjo, and piano – and titles include "In A Georgia Cabin", "Dans Les Rues D'Antibes", "Petite Fleur", "Strutting With Some Barbecue", "Careless Love", "Royal Garden Blues", and "Cousin Bechet Blues". Also comes with a bonus DVD of performance too!

Massive funk from the Panama scene of the 70s – three heavy grooves together in one set! "Soul Chombo" is a funky monster right from the start – a cut that sounds almost Jamaican right at the start, but then picks up with a kicking drum part that's completely brilliant – and interlaced with horns that riff away madly with the guitar – all to support these vocals that call and shout out over the course of the extended tune! "Just Love One Another" has a bold trumpet line at the top – strutting proudly along with the righteous vocals – over a groove that has fast piano moving along with the rhythms! "We're Still Strong" feels the most like an American funk tune in the set – a really proud little number with guitar that feels like it was lifted from "Clean Up Woman", layered over a soaring groove!