With a record like this, it's hard to believe that Christian Scott started out in more standard jazz – as Chief Xian Atunde Adjuah is a very different artist altogether, one who wraps together worlds and eras of musical heritage – working here in a set that's very heavy on percussion, vocal refrains, and other elements you never would have heard in his earlier music! The leader works a whole host of percussion along with other members of the group, but also adds in some larger production elements too – always in a way that's nicely subtle, and preserves the acoustic energy at the core – yet which really enriches the proceedings too! The album's overflowing with righteous power – and titles include "On To New Orleans", "Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lighting", "Xodokan Iko Hu Na Ney", "Trouble That Mornin", "Blood Calls Blood", "Ashe Chief Donald", "Golden Crown", and "Shallow Water". (Jazz, Global Grooves) CD

With a record like this, it's hard to believe that Christian Scott started out in more standard jazz – as Chief Xian Atunde Adjuah is a very different artist altogether, one who wraps together worlds and eras of musical heritage – working here in a set that's very heavy on percussion, vocal refrains, and other elements you never would have heard in his earlier music! The leader works a whole host of percussion along with other members of the group, but also adds in some larger production elements too – always in a way that's nicely subtle, and preserves the acoustic energy at the core – yet which really enriches the proceedings too! The album's overflowing with righteous power – and titles include "On To New Orleans", "Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lighting", "Xodokan Iko Hu Na Ney", "Trouble That Mornin", "Blood Calls Blood", "Ashe Chief Donald", "Golden Crown", and "Shallow Water". (Jazz, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Frantically funky club from Lagos – an amazing collection of post-Fela work from the Nigerian scene, lots of it with the kind of uptempo grooves you'd expect from the "disco" in the title! Yet the sound here is hardly the type you'd find over at Studio 54 – as most cuts here still veer more strongly towards Afro Funk than glittery disco – lots of heavy percussion, bumping basslines, and rough production – the kind of gritty grooves that makes tracking down records like this so great! There's definitely a bit more tightness in the instrumentation than a few years before – but things are never slick or commercial – and the overall feel is almost like some of the Banda Black Rio or Uniao Black funk coming from Brazil at the same time. Titles include "Hang On" by Nana Love, "Boogie Trip" by Doris Ebong, "Bad City Girl" by Grotto, "Don't Put Me Down" by Pogo Ltd, "Everybody Get Down" by Asiko Rock Group, "Boogie Train" by Paradise Stars, "Take Life Easy" by Christy Essien, "Boredom Pain" by MFB, and "Rover Man" by Emma Dorgu. LP, Vinyl record album

An Afro Funk band, but one with a difference – a difference that's maybe a bit hard to put in words, but which is definitely there when you dig their grooves! These guys have all the familiar elements – percussion, guitars, horns, and keyboards – but they've got a rhythmic approach that's a bit unusual, and which takes things in a way that's sometimes a bit more laidback than other groups of this nature – sometimes almost as if they're borrowing a bit of East African styles to weave into a Nigerian-inspired music. The keyboards are especially nice, and almost feel like Greg Foat's cooked up an Afro Funk project – and titles include "Last Leap", "Control Per Capita", "Bad Dog", "Xoomba", and "Yetunde" – plus remixes "Bad Dog (Tigerbalm rmx)" and "Last Leap (Taj rmx)". LP, Vinyl record album

A Caribbean group, but one with a much heavier groove than most – much more of a West African vibe overall, with a very heady mix of percussion, bass, and other heady elements! There's a mixed-up, dubby approach to the music that almost recalls Cymande at times – core musical ideas taken nicely far from their roots – not in a way to make them more commercial, but just to shake things up, recombine then, and come up with a sound that's wonderfully unique! The whole thing is every bit as funky as you might expect, and really criss-crosses scenes and styles with a blend of percussion, guitars, flute, kalimba, keyboards, and Arp. The production is great – nice and moody, with just the right current of echo – and all titles were penned by lead singer Oluko Imo, with tracks that include "Ifetayo", "You People", "Saved Musician", "Kilimanjaro", "Aspire", and "Umbala". This edition also features the bonus track "Imo". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of great albums back to back – both rare albums from a percussionist who worked with Sun Ra! First up is Mora volume 1 – a legendary early set from percussionist Francisco Mora Catlett – and a really sublime blend of spiritual jazz and Latin rhythms! Mora's percussion is definitely at the core – but the set also features wonderful contributions from Vincent Bowens on tenor and soprano sax, Jerome LeDuff on berimbau, Alberto Nacif on quinto, and Detroit jazz legend Kenny Cox on piano! There's a balance here that really matches the best Strata East energy of the 70s – an open, flowing approach that's completely sublime, and very righteous too – even more so than anything Mora's done since the 70s – making this record one of his greatest achievements ever. Tersa Mora sings a bit of vocals at times – and titles include "Afra Jum", "Five AM", "Rumba Morena", "Samba De Amor", and "Cultural Warrior". Mora 2 is a set recorded in Detroit, but one that's got a globe's worth of elements in the mix – originally recorded in the mid 80s, but not released until a brief CD issue in the early part of the 21st Century! Despite that history, the album's a really timeless record that encompasses a world's worth of elements in jazz! Francisco Mora Catlett's at the height of his powers here – leading the group with a sense of righteous majesty that takes us back to some of the most ambitious heirs of the post-Coltrane generation, but with perhaps an oddly rhythmic twist as well – such as you might find in some of the 70s classics of Bobby Vince Paunetto. Echoes of Latin, Afro, and spiritual jazz come together as one – soaring to the skies on soulful waves of sound – brought together with a sense of focus and spirit that really moves us a lot. Players include Marcus Belgrave and John Douglass on trumpets, Sherman Mitchell on trombone, Vincent Bowens on tenor and flute, Alex Harding on baritone and bass clarinet, Kenny Cox on piano, and Rodney Whitaker on bass – and titles include "Samba/Conga De Amor", "Amazona Prelude/Dawn", "Old Man Joe", "Por Que Paro", and "Afra-Jum (parts 2 & 3)". (Jazz, Global Grooves) CD

Two rare albums from Uncle Victor Chukwu – a hell of a guitarist, and the driving force behind both of these Nigerian gems from the late 70s! Akalaka is a record that's maybe higlife in outward appearance, but which has a very different quality overall – in part because the guitar work from Victor Chukwu is so sharp and searing, there's often a bit more edge on some of the tunes than the lighter, brighter notes you'd usually associate with the genre! Plus, the vocals have this nicely echoey vibe – ringing out with a quality that's equally great, whether the lyrics are in English or Igbo – on long titles that include "Akalaka", "Born Throw Away", "Ogbu Mmadu", and "Nwanne Bu Nwanne". Next up is an album that Victor Chukwu did with the Black Irokos group – a set that's even more striking, and almost experimental at times – with all these odd elements played right down near the bottom of the guitar strings, which are then echoed out with effects that make them sound very cool next to the percussion! There's a bit of horns in the mix, but the guitar and offbeat vocals are the main appeal – on the long tracks "Onwu Uwa", "Anya Ukwu", and "Oge Chukwu Ka Nma". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great record with a vibe that's all its own – a stunning blend of spiritual jazz, North Indian music, and some slight contemporary touches – all with a sense of deeper energy that really opens up as the album moves on! There's plenty of great keyboards on the record – a nicely warmer element next to some of the sharper reed lines – supported by some great percussion too! You might hear a bit of a London vibe to the record at points, but that's only because the flute and soprano sax come from Tenderlonious, who spearheads the group alongside guitarist Ali Riaz Baquar – although the whole thing is definitely a group effort, and draws plenty from the tablas of Kashif Ali Dhani, the drums of Qammar Vicky Abbas, sarangi of Zohaib Hassan Khan and the really great range of keyboard sounds from Latarnik – who plays Fender Rhodes, Moog Voyager, Clavinet, and other elements in the set. Titles include "Zari", "Nafs At Peace", "Mosty", "Straight Path", and "Raga Gujri Todi". (Jazz, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Very joyous sounds from Konkolo Orchestra – an Afro Funk group, but one with a really uplifting vibe – a really special approach to the music that definitely sets them apart from the rest! Part of the music's charm lies in the vocals – often sung by lead singer Nongoma Ndlovu, a vocalist with a quality that's instantly endearing, and often echoed by other members of the group in a very joyous way! Vocals are by a few others at points, and the album also has a few instrumentals – with a small tight mix of one sax and one trumpet, keyboards, bass, drums, and some great percussion as well. Titles include "Cover Up The Bruises", "How We Got Here", "Blue G", "Count Your Blessings", "Future Pasts", "That Good Thing", and "Yese Yese". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible work by Randy Weston – light years ahead of his trio material from just a few years before! The album is one of his most progressive from the early years, and features an extended suite dedicated to the newly-won freedoms of the African Nations – with occasional lyrics by Langston Hughes, and arrangements by the great Melba Liston! The material's political, radical, and modernist – but it never fails to groove, and uses its politics to achieve an added emotional punch, as in the best work from the same time by Max Roach and Charles Mingus – and some of their larger progressive projects. The group is much larger than you'd expect from Randy – with Benny Bailey and Richard Williams on trumpets, Slide Hampton on trombone, Sahib Shihab on reeds, and Candido and Olatunji on percussion – which really dominates the record. The whole thing is amazing – one of the purest realizations of the African influence in Weston's music – and movements of the suite are entitled "Uhuru Kwanza", "African Lady", "Bantu", and "Kucheza Blues" (Jazz, Global Grooves) CD

Two rare albums from Uncle Victor Chukwu – a hell of a guitarist, and the driving force behind both of these Nigerian gems from the late 70s! Akalaka is a record that's maybe higlife in outward appearance, but which has a very different quality overall – in part because the guitar work from Victor Chukwu is so sharp and searing, there's often a bit more edge on some of the tunes than the lighter, brighter notes you'd usually associate with the genre! Plus, the vocals have this nicely echoey vibe – ringing out with a quality that's equally great, whether the lyrics are in English or Igbo – on long titles that include "Akalaka", "Born Throw Away", "Ogbu Mmadu", and "Nwanne Bu Nwanne". Next up is an album that Victor Chukwu did with the Black Irokos group – a set that's even more striking, and almost experimental at times – with all these odd elements played right down near the bottom of the guitar strings, which are then echoed out with effects that make them sound very cool next to the percussion! There's a bit of horns in the mix, but the guitar and offbeat vocals are the main appeal – on the long tracks "Onwu Uwa", "Anya Ukwu", and "Oge Chukwu Ka Nma". CD

The Sorcerers are a small group, but they've got a really expansive sound – a blend of percussion, keyboards, and jazzy horn work that feels like a much larger Afro Funk group – but often delivered with a lean focus on the rhythms that really makes them sound unique! There's plenty of echoes of both West and East African styles here – served up in a mix of flutes, saxes, vibes, keyboards, and trumpets – plus mighty sharp percussion at the core, which drives the record in a nice range of rhythms that break from any standard modes you might expect! The vibe is almost as if The Sorcerers have drunk deep from all the classics of artists like Fela, Mulatu, Ebo Taylor, and other older legends – then found a way to distill them all together with energy that's all their own. Titles include "The Road Forward", "Yasuke In Roppongi", "Moth", "He Who Kills With One Leap", and "Oromo Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

Warmly hypnotic work from this great Moroccan group – a set of long tracks that mix together percussion, acoustic strings, and chanted vocals – all swirling together with a vibe that's as spiritual as it is timeless! The set was recorded in the 70s, but the only aspect of that decade you'll hear might be the quality of the recording – as the instrumentation and vocals are crystal clear throughout, and come across with a power that almost brings a trance-like quality to the entire album! We don't know much about these guys, but that hardly matters, given the power of the album on its own – on tracks that include "El Hassada", "Ghir Kouhdouni, "Youm Malkak", and "Lahmami". LP, Vinyl record album

A very wild record – maybe more free jazz than you'd guess from the image on the cover, and the Guatemala in the title! These guys are a brass band, but the way they mix their horns together often feels more like some Lester Bowie experiment, or some other AACM-related project – as folkloric modes really get changed up in a blend of cornet, baritone horn, and c melody sax – all combined with spare percussion, and an occasional touch of violin! Given the cultural currents, we might also link this one slightly to some of Charlie Haden's Liberation Music records – even though the group themselves are the authentic real deal, a funeral band from a remote mountain village. Titles include "Las Tres Botellas", "Marcha Numero Cuatro", "Chufa", "El Son De Los Altos", "Noches Eternas", and "Marcha Numero Seis". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful sounds from the short-lived musical legacy of Salum Abdallah and his Cuban Marimba Band – a group from Tanzania, but one who play with lots of influence from Latin Music – as you might guess from their name! And yet, unlike some of the larger, fuller Latin-influenced groups that were springing up on the West African scene of the 60s, this combo has a sound that's pretty stripped-down – often just heavy percussion and work on guitar – which appears to be a unique hybrid of the Cuban style of the instrument, which gets plucked and inflected in great ways next to the vocals! The well-done set might be the best we've seen so far from the Domino Sound label – and features tracks that include "Njoo Haraka", "Naumiya", "Cuba Cha Cha", "Kutenda Maovu", "Ngoma Iko Huku", "Macho Laini", "Masikitiko", and "Asiye Bahati Duniani". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful sounds from the short-lived musical legacy of Salum Abdallah and his Cuban Marimba Band – a group from Tanzania, but one who play with lots of influence from Latin Music – as you might guess from their name! And yet, unlike some of the larger, fuller Latin-influenced groups that were springing up on the West African scene of the 60s, this combo has a sound that's pretty stripped-down – often just heavy percussion and work on guitar – which appears to be a unique hybrid of the Cuban style of the instrument, which gets plucked and inflected in great ways next to the vocals! The well-done set might be the best we've seen so far from the Domino Sound label – and features tracks that include "Njoo Haraka", "Naumiya", "Cuba Cha Cha", "Kutenda Maovu", "Ngoma Iko Huku", "Macho Laini", "Masikitiko", and "Asiye Bahati Duniani". LP, Vinyl record album

Really great work from Kiko Kids Jazz – neither a jazz group, nor a batch of child musicians – but instead an East African collective who have a sound that mixes familiar guitar lines and percussion with a slight bit of mandolin too – all in a mode that's this beautiful blend of the strings of the instruments, the lilting currents of percussion, and the haunting lead vocals of Salim Zahoro – the enigmatic singer who really gives the group a unique flavor! The sound here is maybe in similar territory to highlife – but the tunes are more compact overall, and have a focus that's really carried by Salim's vocals – often with a quality that's relatively lean, especially when you consider that most of these recordings feature the group with almost 20 members in play. The set's the first we've ever seen to bring together these rare singles recorded in Mombasa in the early 60s – and titles include "Sili Sishibi", "Nyerere Karume", "Bahati", "Sauti Yako Tamu", "Nda Kuharashe", "Mineona Ua", "Tanu Imeleta Uhuru", "Tula Ubona", "Lumumba", and "Mpenzi Wanionea". LP, Vinyl record album

Very joyous sounds from Konkolo Orchestra – an Afro Funk group, but one with a really uplifting vibe – a really special approach to the music that definitely sets them apart from the rest! Part of the music's charm lies in the vocals – often sung by lead singer Nongoma Ndlovu, a vocalist with a quality that's instantly endearing, and often echoed by other members of the group in a very joyous way! Vocals are by a few others at points, and the album also has a few instrumentals – with a small tight mix of one sax and one trumpet, keyboards, bass, drums, and some great percussion as well. Titles include "Cover Up The Bruises", "How We Got Here", "Blue G", "Count Your Blessings", "Future Pasts", "That Good Thing", and "Yese Yese". LP, Vinyl record album