All Categories — All Formats  

A stormer of a set from Nacao Zumbi – really stepping out here with a bold sound that's miles away from the group's run with Chico Science, and which marks them as a strong force to be reckoned with on their own! The production here is really ramped up – not exactly funky, but really heavy on the drums, in a way that makes the whole album bristle with energy throughout – thumping, bumping, and rumbling with an earthy brilliance that's extremely captivating – transcendent of language and cultural affiliation, and punching out with a power to firmly mark a space for Nacao Zumbi on the growing map of global grooves! Guitars and cool electronic touches color the rhythms nicely – and titles include "Pode Acreditar", "Futura", "Vai Buscar", "Na Hora De Ir", "Hoje Amanha E Depois", "Expresso Da Eletrica Avenida", and "Nebulosa".

Really beautiful vocal work from Corinne Chatel – spare tunes that mostly feature overdubbed vocal passages, sung wordlessly, often with a very musical feel – yet one that's quite offbeat too! There's a quality here that really reminds us of some of our favorite Meredith Monk work from years back – really imaginative, and never gimmicky at all – with an approach that's very abstract, yet somehow all makes complete sense too – logic that's all its own, yet really beautiful overall! Titles include "Call", "Les Sirenes", "Heartbeats", "Berceuse", "Angels Vocalizing", "Awakening The Goddess", and "South India".

Beautiful solo work by pianist Jaki Byard – recorded in Paris in 1971, for the Swing Collector offshoot of the Futura label! The setting really gives Byard a chance to open up and stretch out – playing some numbers in the more traditional style that would show up on some of his 60s sessions – but in a way that also has clear modernist overtones, in that linking of traditions that was always a key factor to Byard's American recordings. Titles include "A Tribute To Jimmy Slide", "When Lights Are Low", "Willow Weep For Me", "Isle To Isle", "Dedicated To Bob Vatel Of The Ten Gallons", and "Going Home Blues". CD features one previously unissued title too – a 12 minute medley of "Mind & Soul", "Goin Out Of My Head", "Sunday", and "Besame Mucho".

Ted Curson at his finest – an incredible album that has him blowing hard, and with a wonderfully soulful style on the Paris scene of the early 70s! Curson's always been a hell of a trumpeter – but he's all-out, over-the-top on this amazing session from 1971 – working alongside the legendary trio of pianist George Arvanitas – who themselves really seem to hit a special sort of sound for the record! The tracks have a long, open-ended quality that offers a mix of modal grooving and hard spiritual soloing – perfect territory for Curson to show his stuff, over a groove that you'd hardly expect from Georges' group. Arvanitas' bassist Jacky Samson has this warm, round, wonderful tone that's a perfect foil for Curson's spirited blowing – and titles include "Quartier Latin", "Pop Wine", "LSD Takes A Holiday", and "Flip Top".

A striking session from Steve Lacy – one of his most powerful albums from 70s Paris! We're tempted to think that this one was called "wordless" because Irene Aebi's on the record, but doesn't sing – and instead plays cello with a quintet that includes Lacy on soprano, Ambrose Jackson on trumpet, Kent Carter on bass, and Jerome Cooper on drums – and the record is a very early realization of Lacy's European sound, more tied to the BYG/Actuel years than later recordings. The album's quite free overall – pretty fierce stuff, especially as the performance moves on – and titles include "Name", "The Breath", "Prologue A Life On Is Way", "Bone", and "The Way".

A landmark French avant session from the start of the 70s – and one of the most bracingly brilliant albums ever recorded by saxophonist Michel Portal! Portal's paired here with British reedman John Surman – and the duo play some amazingly complex lines on the date – very freewheeling, but not entirely without structure – as Portal handles alto sax and bass clarinet, and Surman blows soprano, baritone, and bass clarinet as well. Other group members include Barre Phillips on bass, Stu Martin on drums, and Jean-Pierre Drouet on percussion – and the use of two percussion players, without piano, makes for a very unique quality to the record. Titles include "Oo Bam Ba Deep", "Ca Boom?", "Undercurrent", "Yes, Oh Yes, You Wonderful Sun Kissed Maiden", and "Y En A Marre".

One of the boldest albums ever recorded by trumpeter Dizzy Reece – a session recorded in Paris in 1970, with some amazing tenor sax from the great John Gilmore! The pairing of Reece and Gilmore is a bit of a surprise – a strikingly avant choice for the former, and a rare date away from Sun Ra for the latter – but the album really has the players coming together wonderfully, in ways that really spark a whole new sense of sound from Dizzy! The trumpeter's solos are filled with fire and imagination – really stretching out here in ways that aren't as totally free as the BYG/Actuel French work of the time, but which definitely leans that way in spirit. Other players include Siefried Kessler on piano, Patrice Caratini on bass, and Art Taylor on drums – and the tracks are all long, and plenty darn driving! Titles include "Summit", "Krisis", "Communion", and "Contact".

The other great Hal Singer album from his years on the French scene – and a record that we'd say is even better than his legendary Paris Soul Food set! Although Singer is often most associated with an older style of swing-based jazz, he's working here in a loose, free mode that's got plenty of 70s soulful touches – often funky at the best moments, but even more importantly openly rhythmic – with a progressively soulful style that's really outta site! The group features Art Taylor on drums, plus an assortment of European players led by Siegried Kessler – who plays some great piano and flute on the album, and also handled the arrangements. The album features Singer's wonderful tune "Malcolm X" – the kind of a track that we'd rank right up there with some of the most righteous soul jazz groovers of the time. Other highlights include the modal "Pour Stephanie", the jagged "Blues For Hal", and the groovy "It's My Thing". CD also includes the bonus track "Lina".

A wonderful session from the time when Mal Waldron was moving around the world a lot – having a profound influence on national jazz scenes in Italy, France, Japan, and elsewhere – and turning out great recordings like this! This set's got a groove that's a bit more soulful than some of Waldron's other trio dates from the time – which could sometimes get a bit outside – and although Mal's somewhat free on the keys of the piano at points, there's a bold sense of rhythm to the record, thanks to bass from Patrice Caratini and drums from Guy Hayat. Tracks are long and introspective, with almost a Randy Weston-ish style – and titles include "Down At The Gills", "La Petite Africaine", "My Funny Valentine", and "Blood & Guts".

Sharp sounds from the French scene at the start of the 70s – played by a group that mixes some of the free energy of the BYG/Actuel crowd with the more playful styles of the other side of the post-68 underground! The group's a quartet – with Partrick Vian on guitar, Jean Claude Cenci on sax and flute, Daniel Geoffroy on bass, and Philip Barry on drums and guitar – and all players vocalize a bit on the record, mixing sensitive lyrics in with more adventurous music – in a style that reminds us of the brilliant energy heard on some of the best Saravah Records sessions of the time. Cenci's reeds are a real delight – and the guitar lines shift from jazzy to more rockish, depending on the tune. Titles include "Cosmic Toilet Ditty", "Caka Slow", "Vertebrate Twist", "Red Noise Live Au Cafe Des Sports", "Obsession Sexuelle No 2", "20 Miror Mozarts Composing ON Tea Bag & 1/2 Cup Bra", and "Sarcelles C'Est L'Avenir".

A great collection of classic genre-straddling material from the 80s glory days of Celluloid Records – those pioneering singles that melded old school rap, electro, punk and world beat into club grooves like no others! Bass heavy funk, world weary caustic post punk, crisp electro, and extended 12" grooves all in the same package – it's an era that can never be replicated, but, thankfully can be anthologized! 21 tracks on 2CDs: "Escapades Of Futura 2000" (original 12" version), "Wild Style Extended" by Time Zone (original 12" version), "Get Movin" by Last Poets, "Why Is It Fresh?" by D ST (original 12" megamix 2 version), "Zulu Groove" (original 12" version) by Shango, "Change The Beat" by Fab Five Freddy (original 12" version), "What I Like" (original 12" French rap version), "Pata Piya" (original 12" version) by Manu Dibango, "World Destruction" (original 12" version – Bill Laswell rmx) by Time Zone feat Afraka Bambaataa & John Lydon, "Crazy Cuts" (original 12" long version and original 12" dubversion) by D ST and more!

Hip hop, street soul, and lots lots more – a really revolutionary selection of music from the legendary Celluloid Records – a label that was virtually a genre unto itself! Celluloid was a key force tying together the New York downtown scene at the start of the 80s, and the postcolonial music world of Paris – and as a result, they always operated with a culture-crossing style that few other companies of the time managed to hit – merging together sounds in really unlikely ways, and often coming up with fresh new styles in the process! The label's known for crate-diggers for its hip hop releases – and to world music fans for its electric Africa work – but they also were on the forefront of New York No Wave, avant jazz, and post-punk – and somehow found a way to integrate both young new talents, and older experimentalists who still had plenty to offer. This package finally does Celluloid justice – and goes way past the few simplistic comps of the label's work over the years – training the skilled Strut ear to the whole thing, and also serving up the full story of the label in the process. Titles include "I'm The One" by Material, "Day Tripper" by Shockabilly, "Tele Apres La Meteo" by Fredinand, "Disco Rough (long version)" by Mathematiques Modernes, "Electrique Sylvie (full length version)" by Modern Guy, "Mean Machine Chant/Mean Machine" by Last Poets, "Abele Dance ('85 rmx)" by Manu Dibango, "Change The Beat (French & English)" by Fab 5 Freddy, "The Escapades Of Futura 2000" by Futura 2000 with The Clash, and "Downing Street Rock" by Winston Edwards & Blackbeard. 26 tracks in all!

Hip hop, street soul, and lots lots more – a really revolutionary selection of music from the legendary Celluloid Records – a label that was virtually a genre unto itself! Celluloid was a key force tying together the New York downtown scene at the start of the 80s, and the postcolonial music world of Paris – and as a result, they always operated with a culture-crossing style that few other companies of the time managed to hit – merging together sounds in really unlikely ways, and often coming up with fresh new styles in the process! The label's known for crate-diggers for its hip hop releases – and to world music fans for its electric Africa work – but they also were on the forefront of New York No Wave, avant jazz, and post-punk – and somehow found a way to integrate both young new talents, and older experimentalists who still had plenty to offer. This package finally does Celluloid justice – and goes way past the few simplistic comps of the label's work over the years – training the skilled Strut ear to the whole thing, and also serving up the full story of the label in the process. Titles include "I'm The One" by Material, "Day Tripper" by Shockabilly, "Tele Apres La Meteo" by Fredinand, "Disco Rough (long version)" by Mathematiques Modernes, "Electrique Sylvie (full length version)" by Modern Guy, "Mean Machine Chant/Mean Machine" by Last Poets, "Abele Dance ('85 rmx)" by Manu Dibango, "Change The Beat (French & English)" by Fab 5 Freddy, "The Escapades Of Futura 2000" by Futura 2000 with The Clash, and "Downing Street Rock" by Winston Edwards & Blackbeard.

Need some whackiness in your beats? "Thunder Thunder Thundercats Hooo!" Beats and bits from Fat Albert, Transformers, Thundercats, Voltron, Ren & Stimpy, Beavis & Butthead, South Park, Futurama and more.