Tracks from Der Dritte Raum, Club MCM, Phuture Sound System, Monika Kruse @ Voodooamt, Georgie Porgie, Street Preacherz, Silent Breed, J. Grau, Percy X, Jel Ford, and more. CD

A really fantastic idea for a project – and one that comes off even better than we would have guessed – new versions of classic grooves from the nations of Cabo Verde and Guinea Bissau, performed by a really well-matched group of singers and musicians, in a mode that's quite different than the usual revival record of this nature! The songs are definitely classics, but the presentation is very contemporary – directed by producer Guts, and Francisco Sousa, with a special ear for avoiding the sorts of cliches that both mar a project like this, and some of the stereotypes that get reinforced by reissues on the market. Instead, there's a fresh criss-crossing of cultures, but one that never waters down the roots at all – maybe a bit like some of the best Parisian productions of the 70s and 80s post-colonial years. Titles include "Dunia Be Tene", "Riba Bass Di Mi", "Citi Ku Liti", "No Guinea", "Mulato Ferrera", "Segunda", and "Di Mas". (Global Grooves, New Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Black Nile are certainly rooted in jazz, but maybe just in terms of inspiration – as the music brings together all sorts of sonic bits and sounds of color – live instrumentation, samples, electronics, and contributions from key guests – all with a spirit that's as beautiful and evocative as you might expect from their name! Some cuts have vocals, which are often somewhat in the background – but the main approach is instrumental, with all sorts of ways of pursuing a new direction and tone – in modes that shift nicely from track to track, but make for a whole album that's got this really unified spirit. Titles include "Drive", "Revival", "Tidal Wave", "Duo", "Unheard 2", "Ancient Futurism", "Mystery", and "Jyro". CD

70s spiritual soul jazz lives again – in this righteous tribute to the late John Coltrane! The incredible collection is filled with wonderful tracks both classic and current – and is a great bridge between the first waves of this kind of music at the end of the 60s, and the contemporary revival that's been going on at a global level! Perhaps the best thing here is the way that there's no apparent difference in sound or style between the old and new cuts – and the folks at Free Spirits have really found a way to make the whole thing flow together wonderfully by selecting music that's deeply soulful, extremely positive, and filled with soaring vocals and instrumental solos! Titles include "Mode For Trane" by Billy Gault, "Naima" by Mark De Clive-Lowe, "A Love Supreme" by Rufus Harley, "John Coltrane's A Love Supreme" by Karin Krog & Nils Lindberg, "Duke & Trane" by Haikki Samarto Ensemble, "John Coltrane" by Our Cry For Peace (Dwight Trible/Build An Ark), "Prince Of Peace" by Pharoah Sanders, "Liberation Of The Spirit" by Kamau Daaood, "Naima" by 4 Hero, and "A Love Supreme" by Dwight Trible. CD

Genius work from a man who's ready to take on the best bossa arrangers of the 60s! Guitarist Carl Henry Breuggen may hail from Chicago, but he's got a sound that's as sunny as Rio and the Italian Riviera all put together – a wonderful wash of light strings, bossa rhythms, gentle guitar, and wordless female vocals that are enough to rival the best Italian soundtracks of the glory years. The production on the entire set is incredible – arranged with Claus Ogerman-like perfection, and recorded at a level that's far beyond that of most bossa-revival work these days. All three tunes fit together perfectly – and although the CD's a short one, it's completely without fault to our ears – and is a title that we're gladly stocking next to classics like Jobim's Stoneflower and Wave albums for CTI! CD

A Round Two KO from Timo Lassey – modern jazzy sounds with classic resonance from the Finnish saxophonist and his killer combo – featuring a couple of standout vocal numbers featuring Jose James and with sharp production by Teddy Rok! The group delivers timeless jazz with passion and verve – no mere revivalists here, this is a group that drives deeply grooving swing, bop, Latin jazz and other classic influences with contemporary swagger. Jose James is one of our favorite contemporary vocalists and he always exudes a jazz depth, but to hear him in a setting where can go all in with it is wonderful – but those numbers don't steal any fire from the instrumental grooves that are the heart & soul of the set. Tenor & baritone sax man Timo Lassey is backed alto Ari Jokelainen, the always excellent Jukka Eskola oin trumpet, Mikko Mustonen on trombone,Georgios Kontrafouris on keys, Antti Kotjonen on bass, Teppo Makynen on drums and Abdissa Assefa on percussion. Includes "The More I Look At You", "Shifting Winds", "Ya Dig", "Some Love", "Deeper Into", "Fooling Rosetta", "Backyard Puma" and "Buzz Beater Stomp". CD

Back in the day, we never would have thought that the film Tron would have had such a great revival in the 21st Century – but then again, we also might never have guessed that a group like Daft Punk would make the movie sound so great! At some level, the 80s retro fusion of the film is the perfect setting for Daft Punk – as it allows them to really play well with all their classic keyboard styles, while also pushing things with a nice sense of drama too – really surprising us when the larger orchestrations bring just the right touch to the electric elements at the core. Titles include "Solar Sailer", "Disc Wars", "Rectifier", "Outlands", "Rinzler", "Arena", "Armory", "The Son Of Flynn", "Arrival", "CLU", and "Derezzed". CD

A record that's quite possibly most great for its guest stars – thanks to some excellent performances from Seu Jorge, Joao Donato, and others! Marcelinho Da Lua is fine on his own – a Brazilian producer working his interpretation of beats and rhythms borrowed from a variety of global sources – but the best sound of the record comes through the presence of key guests who transform the sound of each tune, and really mark out a space for themselves on the set. Seu Jorge does an incredible job on the track "Cotidiano" – scatting along with his guitar in a fury that matches any of his best work under his own name. And Joao Donato recalls his days on the 60s New York Latin scene, playing hard-edged acoustic piano on the track "La For a" – a really refreshing change from any of his recent bossa revival work! Other tracks include "Pro Marcelinho Tocar" with Roberto Menescal, "Refazenda" with Mart'Nalia, "Que Cosa Fuera" with Jota Moraes on vibes, "Cristiania 71" with Helen Calaca, and "Tranquilo" with Black Alien & Bi Ribeiro. (Brazil, New Grooves) CD