Recorded live at the Montreal Jazz Festival, and a special set featuring the acoustic talents of trumpeter Tim Hagan and soprano saxist Bob Belden, mixed with electronics by Scott Kinsey, and turtablism by DJ Kingsize. Most of the material is fairly out – with off-kilter solos draped over loud junglist rhythms – and the album reminds us more of Derek Bailey's drum n bass album of a few years back, than it does some of the more recent new funky work on Blue Note. Titles include "Big Moment", "Dans La Ville Sombre", "Love's Lullaby", "Are You Threatening Me?", and "Trumpet Sandwich". CD

A great live date from this ultra-hip combo – one that has them really settling in to their new home at Blue Note, by taking on a host of classics from the label – along with key tracks of their own composition as well! The sound here is even more wonderful than on some of their studio sets – almost a bit more earthy, and human – given the spontaneity of the concert performance, especially in the rhythm section. Fabrizio Bosso's trumpet and flugelhorn are right out front, matched proudly by the tenor of Daniele Scannapieco – and rhythm is from Luca Mannutza on piano, Pietro Ciancaglini on bass, and Lorenzo Tucci on drums. Titles include great versions of "Adams Apple", "Passion Dance", and "Inception" – plus "Five For Fun", "On The Way Home", and "Pandaguru". (Jazz, New Grooves) CD

A fantastic batch of keyboard tracks! Xaver Fischer plays like one of the funky fusion greats of the 70s – somewhere between Gene Harris, Ronnie Foster, and Johnny Hammond – working the electric piano and assorted keys to come up with a smooth spacey sound that reminds us of the classic days of Blue Note funk or Fantasy Records fusion! This album's a stripped-down affair that features only bass and drums behind Fischer's keys – plus a female vocal one track – which makes for a super-soulful sound that's really solid all the way through! Titles include "Bass of Space", "Venus", "Krakatu", "Babylon", "Gargamel", and "Palenque". CD

An instant classic from Five Corners Quintet – acoustic jazz played with a dancefloor groove, and the perfect summation of a brilliant run of initial singles! The FCQ return jazz to its grooviest roots – played live, without processing or electronics, and able to hit a snapping groove that takes us back to the days when Blue Note and Prestige got plenty of play on the radio and jukebox! Most tracks roll along in a modal or waltzing mode that shares a lot with the best Nicola Conte projects of recent years – but the group have also got a real feel for their own tonal colors, effortlessly shading in each space and corner of the tunes with a sublime blend of ringing vibes, dancing piano, and beautifully-toned horn passages. Mark Murphy guests on vocals on the tracks "This Could Be The Start Of Something", "Before We Say Goodbye", and "Jamming" – and Okou sings on "Blue Cycles" and "Case Study" – leaving the remaining instrumentals "Trading Eights", "Interlope", "Straight Up", "Three Corners", "Lighthouse", and "Unsquare Bossa". US CD features the bonus tracks "Taxi Driver". CD

A wonderful album of straight ahead jazz – cut by a current combo from Italy, but done with a really classic sound! The style here is a bit like that of the straighter jazz albums on Schema Records – all acoustic, but often highly rhythmic – and focused in styles that explore older Italian modal jazz of the 60s, as well as some of the deeper shadings of the Blue Note scene from years back! The lineup is incredibly strong – with tenor from Daniele Scannapieco, trumpet from Fabrizio Bosso, and piano from Luca Mannutza, whose firm work and bold notes on the keys really give the album a lot of drive and fire! CD features Nicola Conte remixes of the leadoff track "Conversation" – which is actually great enough in its original version by the group – and other tracks include "Wide Green Eyes", "The Driver", "Shade Of Gira", "Dubai", and "Campagna". (Jazz, New Grooves) CD

A record that really helped push guitarist Ronny Jordan over the top – a set that took that sharp, clean sound that made him the 90s heir to the funky Grant Green sound – and updated it nicely with some help from DJ Krush! The record is one of the most successful blends of jazz and hip hop from the time – one of the few that really gets things right, and which knows when to lean into soul as well – and is maybe a key part of an early legacy that would later flourish in Blue Note projects from artists like Madlib and Robert Glasper! Titles include the killer "The Jackal (the illest mix)", which has Dana Bryant delivering a very hip spoken part – plus "S**t Goes Down (but I phunked up mix)", "Love I Never Had It So Good", "Season For Change (dawn of the season mix)", "Bad Brother (how ya like my wheel mix)", and a great remake of "So What (tuff n smooth mix)". (Jazz, New Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album