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A wonderful collection of work from Balla Et Ses Balladins – one of the leading group on the Guinean scene during its "authenticite" years of the 60s and 70s – presented here in a massive 2CD package of their work for the Syliphone label! The group have a really wide-ranging approach to their grooves – a sound with space for both modern and traditional elements of African music, as well as some of the Cuban touches that were showing up in the scene during the 60s. The rhythms here are always pretty lively, crafted out of heavy percussion and guitar lines – and most numbers have vocals in French. As with others in the Syliphone Years series, this collection is beautifully done – with a 44 page booklet that features extensive notes in both French and English, as well as color images of the group and it's orignal records. 2CD set features 28 tracks in all – including "Toure", "JRDA", "Belebele", "N'Na Soba", "Kaira", "Sakhodougou", "Tara", "Sara 70", "Nyo", "Ancien Combatant", "Sankaran Ka", and "Yadhai Gere".

Crucial work from Moreno Batamba – a set that brings together his Sister Pili album with a few bonus tracks as well! The core record is a cracker from 1983 – a set that shows the farther-reaching style in East African music at the time, yet without any too-commercial styles at all – just a really strong focus on the uniquely raspy vocal approach of Moreno, set to these long-spun grooves that beautifully intertwine rhythms and guitar lines! All tracks are more than nine minutes in length – really allowing for some spontaneous interplay as things spin out – and titles include "Adidja", "Kaka Punguza Wivu", "Aoko", and "Sister Pili". CD also features two tracks from 1977, even rootsier than the Sister Pili material – "Rehema Piri" and "Teresia (edit)", both recorded with L'Orchestra Banza Nzadi.

A really compelling blend of sounds – and a set that's billed as a hip hop album, but which is way way more than that – more a wonderful hybrid of global styles, all wrapped up with the crispness of the contemporary Brazilian underground! The set begins with a number that's straight out Afro Funk, the rolls into tracks that really run the gamut – a hip hop number or two, other African styles, and most especially, some of those cool genre-defying moments that we've really come to love from Brazil in recent years. Criolo's vocals are wonderful, especially when he's singing – with a warmth that takes us back to singers of the samba soul generation – and titles include "Bogota", "Mario", "Subirusdoistiozin", "Linha De Frente", "Lion Man", "Sucrilhos", and "Samba Sambei".

Lovely sounds on the kora from Dawda Jobarteh – a player with a touch that's light, and pretty rhythmic too – a wonderful complement to his work on percussion and vocals as well! The set's got a really crisp feel, yet still retains all the best rootsy elements of the music – kind of an update of a timeless quality, yet in ways that never make things sound commercial at all – just a testament to the undying power of the music of the mandingo! Titles include "Namo", "Tama Silo", "Bamba Bojang", "Yankouba", "Mbassi", "Tabara", "Nkankele", and "Sama Kebbalu".

The first ever retrospective of Issa Juma & Super Wanyika Stars – excellent material from the heart of the early-to-mid 80s! The sound is a nice mix of delicacy and excitability, with a rhythmic interplay between the guitars especially wonderful. The percussion is lighter on this style of music, but profoundly danceable, and the melodicism standouts out greatly on the songs. Juma's voice is fantastic, too, a rich and expressive baritone singer. Titles include "Barua", "Ma Eliza" (previously unreleased "sax" version), "Maria", "Mwanaidi", "Si Mimi", Mony", "Wacha Waseme" and "Utalia Na Nani?".

Incredible work from Sory Kandia Kouyate – not just an amazing singer, but also a powerful political force in independent Guinea as well! This 2CD collection brings together music from Sory's best period – very heavy on early 70s numbers that feature enigmatic instrumentation on kora, tenor sax, balafon, and percussion – with accompaniment by either the Trio De Musique, Ensemble National Djoiba, or Keltgui Et Ses Tambourinis – all groups who create these amazingly-woven backdrops that are perfect for Koyate's long-spun style of storytelling singing! The whole thing is captivating right from the start – with that incredible freshness we first felt when hearing the Ethiopiques series – a great reminder that there's still a hell of a lot of African music for our ears to discover. Wonderfully packaged by Sterns, with notes in French and English –a nd tracks that include "Kedo", "Douga", "Toubaka", "Siiba", "Nina", "Souaressi", "Minawa", "Djoliba", "Fouaba", "Tara", and "N'Na".

Not jazz in any American sense of the music – but some wonderful Tanzanian grooves from the late 70s, often inflected with some really freewheeling work on guitar! The music here is heavy on percussion at the bottom, but has a really sprightly feel overall – perfect for the dancefloor, where this group was quite popular on the East African scene – but with a complexity that also makes the whole thing pretty compelling for a more cerebral listen as well! Interweaving melodic lines really hold things together wonderfully – as the vocals cascade over guitars, all sewn together with these basslines that seem to step along at a slower pace than everything else. The set brings together some of the group's hits, some more obscure recordings, and features full notes in English. Titles include "Lela", "Gwe Manetu Fii", "Heka Heka", "Koka Koka #1", "Magdalena", "Gubu La Mume", "Pili Nihurumie", "Salima Utakujajuta", and "Utatugombanisha".

15 years of music from the Syliphone label – a key factor in the musical shift during Guinea's first few decades of independence – and home to the new "authenticite" policy of merging older roots and modern musical touches! The styles here are a great overview of the best sounds in Guinea during this period – played by a host of national orchestras on the scene – some well-known from other reissue collections, some reaching our ears for the first time here. There's a nicely complicated style to some of the music here, especially as the tracks move into the 70s – with horn passages that are particularly great, often with odd notes and a very other-worldy sound – cast out alongside more straightforward rhythms on percussion and guitar. Many numbers have vocals, but the instrumental passages get almost equal prominence even in these tunes – and the 2CD set features a beautiful 44 page booklet with wonderful notes on the music! 28 tracks in all – including "Soumba" by Kebendo Jazz, "Diaraby" by Balla Et Ses Balladins, "Soundiata" by Keletigui Et Ses Tambourinis, "Koukou Befo" by Orchestre De Beyla, "PDG" by Orchestre Du Jardin De Guinee, "Nana" by Soumbory Jazz, "Were Were" by Horoya Band, "Zimai" by Palm Jazz, "Fabara" by Syli Authentic, "Ziko" by Nimba Jazz, and "Festival" by Le Simandou De Beyla.

A cool collection of singles from this Kenyan group of the 70s – one that focuses on the group's long singles of the time – and features tracks that not only never appeared on full length albums, but which also haven't ever been reissued on CD! Most numbers are well past the five minute mark – despite their origin as singles – and the tunes often have these snakey grooves with beautiful guitar parts ringing out – quite melodic, almost more so than the vocals at points – which themselves engage the rhythmic component of the tunes strongly. Titles include "South View", "Okova", "Amina", "Izabela", "Kingo Mwambe", and "Naleki Na Ba Zone".

Lovely vocals from Mayra Andrade – a singer who's been bubbling under for the past few years, and emerges here with a really strong debut for the US market! Mayra's got a very transatlantic pedigree – with roots both in Brazil and Cuba, as well as Cape Verde – and a fair bit of time spent in Europe as well – a rich legacy of cultural experience that leads up strongly to this release! The music's mostly got some of the personal, earthy qualities of more familiar Cape Verdean artists, but also carries echoes of samba as well – and some of the sensitivities of mid-century French chanteuses too – a captivating blend that's handled surprisingly strongly here, with none of the too-commercial tendencies that might get in the way for such a record. Backings are relatively lean, and often percussive with a bit of guitar – and titles include "Nha Sibitchi", "Navega", "Lua", "Mana", "Comme S'Il En Pleuvait", "Dimokransa", and "Lapidu Na Bo".

Titles include "Bakwetu", "Mukaji Wanyi", "Esclave", "Bokulaka", and "M Fono Yami".

A massive look at the music of Franco – the guitarist whose music really helped transform the sound of Africa in the 60s and 70s! The career-spanning set features tracks from three different decades – beginning with some very rough early sides, then moving into a rich array of recordings that shows an incredible transformation in sound. Franco's guitar work is often a lot more sensitive than some of his contemporaries, but still as rhythmic as the rest – and his vocals have this sweetly crackling sound that makes the tunes come alive with a sense of universal soul that goes way beyond the boundaries of language – something that helped him and his OK Jazz group reach a very wide audience over the years. The package features 2CDs and a 44 page booklet that's filled with notes and vintage photos – plus a whopping 28 tracks that include "Esengo Ya Mokili", "Azda", "Mambu Ma Miondo", "Liberte", "Alimatou", "Kinsiona", "Mabele", "Infidelite Mado", "Nazube Oleka Te", "Bomba L'Heure", and "Marie Naboyi".

The last recordings of Zani Diabate – the legendary guitarist of the Super Djata Band, working here in Parisian studio with some of his most trusted musicians! The feel of the record is nice and rootsy – very much in the spirit of older tracks you'd hear from Zani, with perhaps just some slight modern production to clarify the best instrumental passages – but used in ways that always retain the spontaneous, earthy feel of the performances. The vocals are nice, but the instrumental interplay is especially special – great solos on guitar from Zani, plus balafon, sax, flute, and lots of sweet percussion and basslines. Titles include "Nikoyi", "Koronto", "Ni Zani Mana", "Mali Yafa", "Bogotigui Kanou", and "Soubagaya".

Great work from this legendary figure in Guinean music – a really well-recorded set that really unlocks the warmth and power of Sekouba Diabate! Sekouba's vocals are wonderful throughout – with a quality that goes beyond the boundaries of language, and holds us rapt through rich expression and careful inflection – all of which seems to communicate even more than the power of words. Most numbers have backing vocals used lightly – from Mama Keita and a few other singers – and Djessou Mory Kante plays some great lead guitar, in addition to Sekouba's own. Titles include "Seko Bangaly", "Moya Kankoun", "Kadete", "Habiba", "Kaba Mousso", and "Diatiguya".

A great late 60s western score from Italian composer Francesco De Masi – hitting on all of favored sounds to accompany the best Italian made westerns of the era – rustic solo guitar, string-tightened tension, both lonely and densely orchestrated horns, and swaggery mood to spare! Excellent work that hits all the right notes – and it's got a groovy vocal opener, to boot! This CD marks the first ever release of the complete score, mastered from the original mono tapes. "Maybe Somwhere, Maybe Someday", plus "Non Potro Domenticare", "Sogni Ed Ombre Nell'Incubo", "La Pista Nella Sabbia", "Ecce Homo", "Triste E Sospeso", "Un Giorno Ti Pentirai", "Passagio Ne Nistero" and many more.

A great little score from that time when Italian westerns were able to mix in equal parts humor and action – served up here in a buddy film that's got a bit of a Butch & Sundance vibe! The music is maybe more 60s playful than you'd expect – still often sweeping in a western style, but often underscored with comedic elements that correspond to some of the more offbeat action on the screen. Even the tenser moments have a sort of comedy quality – and feel more like heist-style numbers than the usual western styles – but that could also be due to the groovier modes normally used by Gianni Ferrio. This expanded edition features a heck of a lot of tracks – way more than any previous version – including vocal numbers by Lilian Terry and by the team of John Ireson and Wayne Parham. Titles include "Falling In Love With A Pretty Girl", "Young Man Go West", "Two Not So Peaceful Brothers", "Monty & Ted", "Let's Keep Our Fingers Crossed", and "Working Hard".

A great little score from that time when Italian westerns were able to mix in equal parts humor and action – served up here in a buddy film that's got a bit of a Butch & Sundance vibe! The music is maybe more 60s playful than you'd expect – still often sweeping in a western style, but often underscored with comedic elements that correspond to some of the more offbeat action on the screen. Even the tenser moments have a sort of comedy quality – and feel more like heist-style numbers than the usual western styles – but that could also be due to the groovier modes normally used by Gianni Ferrio. This expanded edition features a heck of a lot of tracks – way more than any previous version – including vocal numbers by Lilian Terry and by the team of John Ireson and Wayne Parham. Titles include "Falling In Love With A Pretty Girl", "Young Man Go West", "Two Not So Peaceful Brothers", "Monty & Ted", "Let's Keep Our Fingers Crossed", and "Working Hard".

Not as much of an all-out funk party as some other kung fu soundtracks of the 70s – but a really great record that's filled with plenty of great spoken bits too! The album's the soundtrack to the Kung Fu TV show, which starred David Carradine – and it's mostly made up of "Eastern" sounding cuts that have a moody soundtrack feel, done in a traditional orchestral mode – spare, brooding numbers that almost feel like they're pulled from 60s Italian westerns and peplum films, but with some exotic twists and turns too! But almost best of all are the spoken bits – dialogue from the show with hokey takes on Eastern philosophy – completely charming from today's perspective, and a great counterpart to the music. Titles include "Sign Of The Dragon", "Dark Angel", "Time Of The Soul", "An Eye For An Eye", "Caine's Theme", "The Ancient Warrior", and of course, "Grasshopper"!

One of Ennio Morricone's first groundbreaking scores for the western – a brilliant batch of tunes composed for The Big Gundown, handled in a way that mixed the typical western guitar-based themes with some of the maestro's other compulsions – like wordless vocals and isolated instrumentation amidst lush orchestral backdrops! There's barely any "spaghetti" on the plate of this one – as the sound is often quite lean and very clean – a real change from some of the more dramatic, romantic styles that were being used in American westerns. Titles include "La Corrida", "La Vedova", "La Resa Dei Conti", "Dopo La Condanna", "Rune Man Run", "Primo Deserta", "Corri Uomo Corri" and many more. 25 tracks on this great CD editon from GDM/

An expanded version of Hugo Friedhofer's score for One Eyed Jacks – a compelling soundtrack for one of the more ill-fated westerns of the 50s! Friedhofer really moves beyond familiar stereotypes here – using offbeat orchestrations, often heavy on woodwinds and solo instrumentation, to create a nice sense of place and space – almost exotic at points, then underscored by bolder dramatic themes that build as the soundtrack unfolds. There's almost as much drama in the music as you'll find on the screen – and titles include "Seduction", "Contrition", "Toast To Friendship", "Kiss Of A Scoundrel/Pursued By Rurales", and "Finale". CD features a full bonus disc – a second CD with 27 more tracks from the original score, as well as alternates of the main themes on the first disc!

Our favorite side of the genius of Ennio Morricone – and a really wonderful collection that completely illustrates why we love Morricone so much! In the mainstream world, Morricone's best known for his famous scores for spaghetti westerns and horror films – both of which have a trademark sound that's pretty well known to audiences at large. But during the same period he was penning soundtracks for those genres, Morricone was also working in a style that was even more completely his own – a gentle, mellow, easy-grooving mode that was inspired by jazz, bossa nova, and easy instrumentation – yet which emerged with qualities that were completely unique, and which still stand today as some of the most inventive work of its generation! There's a simple, economical approach here that's really mindblowing – rhythms that flow slowly like fog escaping from a riverbank, notes that fall in slight spare patterns like drops of rain from a leaf after a storm, and gently cascading waves of sound that float and shimmer in the mix – rising as carefully as the sun to give the music a wonderfully redemptive spirit. The tracks on the set are carefully chosen from films that include Scusi Faciamo L'Amore, Verushka, La Donna Invisible, Le Foto Proibite, and Il Gatto A Nove Code – and we can honestly say that the set is a perfect introduction to the Morricone that we love more than anyone else!

A moody western soundtrack from Piero Umiliani – one that's put together with a nice sense of space and gentle sonic progression – almost with more Morricone elements at times than you might expect for Umiliani – yet handled in a way that still showcases a few of his own groovier touches too! The main theme is mighty nice – graced by a bit of acoustic guitar, and some occasional vocals that are really haunting – and a few other tracks feature harmonica by Franco De Gemini – in his famous mode for westerns, but with a nicely spooky edge. Titles include "La Ballata Delle Carogne", "Crisantemi Per Un branco Di Carogne", "Una Tragica Storia", and more – a total of 26 tracks in all!

Early darkness from Ennio Morricone – an obscure mid 60s action thriller that combines boldly driving numbers with other tunes that slip into some of the spareness of his work for westerns! The work here is as mod and cool as you might guess from the cover – a bit more in a conventional 60s soundtrack mode, but still touches with great inflections on the woodwinds, and undercut by plenty of great lines on electric bass, guitar, and organ – all used sparingly but really effectively against the larger orchestrations! Tracks are often short, but really evocative – given a nice punch by Bruno Nicolai, who conducted the orchestra for the recording. A few tunes feature vocals by I Cantori Moderni – and titles include "Una Stanza Vuota", "Un Uomo Solo", "Colpo Alla Gioielleria", "La Prima Vittima", "Sul Lago Di Lugano", and "Una Tromba A Dallas". This fab reissue is filled with bonus tracks too – a total of 26 numbers in all!