All Categories — CDs  

A great step forward for The Bamboos – still as funky as ever, but in a much greater range of styles than before! The core deep funk sound we've always loved is still burning away at the bottom – thanks to the ever-trusty grooves of Lance Ferguson and crew – but this time around, there's also a host of guests who really seem to shape the overall feel of the record – Aloe Blacc, Megan Washington, Klye Auldist, Daniel Merriweather, Bobby Flynn, and Ella Thompson – each bringing in their own great flavors, and creating a depth of sound that's mighty nice! Most of these guests are vocalists, but their shifting styles seems to spur the instrumentation onto new heights too – adapting to suit the mood, yet never in a way that's too frenetic to keep the album from being unified overall. Titles include "Where Does The Time Go", "What I Know", "I Got Burned", "Cut Me Down", "Midnight", "Medicine Man", "Window", and "Hello Stranger".

A mindblower from Menagerie – yet another deep musical chapter in the rich career of Lance Ferguson – an artist we loved for his early club work, then dug as a funk maestro with The Bamboos, now able to hit spiritual jazz sounds with this wonderful new group! The set's got a feel that's more in the Build An Ark/Carlos Nino camp than anything else we've heard on the Tru Thoughts label – and Menagerie's a very cool ensemble with Ferguson on guitar, plus tenor, flute, trumpet, soprano sax, Fender Rhodes, and lots of percussion – and added vibes from Roy Ayers on one key track! Vocals are great – sung by Lance and female singers together, in a mode that recalls some of Ayers' more righteous moments of the 70s – and the album's a stunner all the way through – way deeper than we were expecting. Titles include "They Shall Inherit", "The Chosen", "Jamahlia", "Leroy & The Lion", "The Quietening", and "There Will Come Soft Rains".

A massively beautiful little record from Nostalgia 77 – one that really knocked our socks off, and that's saying a lot, because we really liked their last album too! The sound here is much jazzier than before – strung out over some funky beats and samples, but played by a larger group that includes some excellent work on saxes and flute, plus these massive acoustic basslines that roll out over the tunes and create a sinister, soulful sort of sound. Alice Russell sings a bit on the record, but honestly the main focus here is on the instrumentation – and the instrumentation is totally great! Given the album's strong reliance on acoustic bass, and the wonderfully angular horn parts, there's a sound here that almost makes us imagine what it would have been like had Charles Mingus got the chance to record for Mo Wax! Titles include "You & Me", "The Garden", "Freedom", "Seven Nation Army", "After Ararat", "Cheney Lane", "Green Blades Of Grass", and "The Hunger".

Dusty grooves from Alice Russell – a set that's steeped in heavy soul influences all the way through – from her great vocals on the top, to the tight instrumentation in the middle, to all the heavy drums that keep things kicking on the bottom! The album may well be Russell's tightest outing to day – and a set that's done in close collaboration with Alex Cowan – who really helps move Alice's music forward strongly with some new elements that never appeared in previous outings! There's some cool little twists and turns in the music – slight use of contemporary keys and electronics alongside the live funk elements – blended in nicely, without any sense of gimmick at all – and really helping bridge the space between the deep funk underground where Russell's worked strongly for years, and the bigger soul mainstream she could well dominate in the future. Titles include "Twin Peaks", "I Loved You", Citizens", "To Dust", "Hard & Strong", "For A While", "A To Z", and "Let Go". Features bonus track "Different".

A whole new sound for Mark De Clive-Lowe – and a great one too – a completely different approach than any of his other previous records, and one that mixes his core cosmic grooves with a heavy dose of jazz! The set has Mark working with the Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra – who provide bigger band backing to his sweet keyboards and rhythms, making for a wonderful blend of acoustic and electric that almost takes us back to some of the best MPS sessions of this nature in the 70s! Most tracks feature at least one horn solo out from the larger group – and there's no vocals at all on the record, which further gives the whole thing a fresh vibe compared to some of Mark's recent releases. Titles include "Relax Unwind", "Blues For Six", "Money", "El Dia Perfecto", "Heaven", "Take The Space Trane", "Caravan", and "Filthy Fingers".

A brilliant return from the Hot 8 Brass Band – a New Orleans combo who take tradition into some great funky new territory! As you'd guess from their name, the instrumentation is heavy on brass – played with a gritty, soulful edge – in the way you'd find during some street performance in a corner far from the mainstream Quarter – sometimes accompanied by ensemble vocals, and almost always driven by these great rhythms at the bottom – more than funky enough to set even the heaviest horns on fire with their energy. Titles include "Bingo Bango", "Fine Tuner", "Steamin Blues", "Can't Hide From The Truth", "New Orleans (After The City)", and a nice remake of The Specials' "Ghost Town".

These guys just keep getting better and better with each new record – really transforming the older sound of New Orleans into a rich new groove – one that's not just jazz, street music, or conventional brass band – but a really unique hybrid of all those modes and more! The album begins with a great intro piece, spoken by Big Al over grooves from the group – who then really let loose on the album's instrumental tracks that follow – mixing melody and rhythm effortlessly with their work on horns and percussion, and coming across with a style that's even funkier than before – further proof that their placement on the Tru Thoughts album is a mighty good thing! Titles include "Shot Gun Joe", "Tombstone Intro", "We Goin Make It", "Big Girl", "Take It To The House", and "Milwaukee Fat".

Soaring, soulful sounds from Kylie Auldist – maybe the best so far from this up-and-coming singer! The vocalist gets superb help from Lance Ferguson, of The Bamboos – and together, they both explore a mode that's more swinging 60s mod than some of Lance's usual funk – an upbeat, joyous groove that's some of the best female blue-eyed soul we've heard in years! Instrumentation is filled with great grooves and lots of bouncy brass – and titles include "Still Life", "Counting On You", "Changes", "Daydream", "Nothin Else To Beat Me", and "All In You".

The most spiritual album from Nostalgia 77 in years – a real return to some of the modes he was exploring with his octet a few years ago – especially some of the more jazz-based styles that really made those records sparkle! The album's all instrumental – quite a change from the previous highly vocal record from Nostalgia 77 – and instrumentation is a very righteous blend of the leader's bass, plus reeds, trumpet, percussion, and lots of Hammond and Fender Rhodes – used in these mellow-flowing styles that really further the exploratory style of the music. As before, Riaan Vosloo's got a really expressive style to his writing – rich colors that are completely sublime in the hands of the group – on titles that include "Algernon", "Zippy Slipper", "Angels & Demons At Play", "Sunrise In Mexico", and "The Taxidermist".

A shapely set of grooves from the Tru Thoughts label – a double-length set at half the price of a regular CD – and one that also features a fair bit of rare mixes and hard to find tracks! The package is a great way to dip into the richness of the label – one of the few leftfield imprints that are still going strong these days, and continuing to push boundaries with its fresh approach to a 21st Century groove. Creative production and soulful vocals abound – and titles include "Heroine" by Freddie Cruger & Anthony Mills Are Wildcookie, "Sleepwalker (Ambassadeurs rmx)" by Nostalgia 77, "Darkrum" by Anchorsong, "The Why" by Mark De Clive-Lowe, "Swing Samba" by Drumagick, "Big Fat Liar" by Kinny, "Fairplay (Zed Bias old skool mix)" by Zed Bias, "Sleepwalker (Lanu rmx)" by Nostalgia 77, and "Crash & Burn (Hint club mix)" by Hint. 2CD set features 29 tracks in all!

Mindblowing stuff – maybe the deepest album we've heard so far from Quantic, and a great step forward for Alice Russell too! After years of working in some of the best contemporary funk modes around, Quantic really expands his vision here – hitting a level of maturity that brings in richer arrangements with bits of strings and other righteous touches – all in a vibe that feels just like the Cadet studios at the end of the 60s! The approach is great – because at the bottom, Quantic's still got all his sharp funky edges intact – mixed in with these swirling soulful arrangements that Charles Stepney would have been proud of – all coming together in a mode that unlocks this whole new side in Alice Russell too – a vibe that's almost Stevie Wonder-ish at times, which really fits perfectly with the grooves. Sublime sounds throughout – a true instant classic – with titles that include "Magdalena", "Here Again", "Travelling Song", "I'll Keep A Light In My Window", "Look Around The Corner", "Su Suzy", "Boogaloo 33", "Road To Islay", and "Similau".

A smoking debut from this funky Atlanta combo – a group who've worked together for years, and have a totally top-shelf quality on this first album! Vocalist Ruby Velle is firmly in the lead – hitting hard with a soulful punch that rivals some of the most soulful female singers on funk projects from labels like Tru Thoughts or Record Kicks – working with very sharp rhythms from the Soulphonics combo – whose horns are as sharp as their grooves on drums, bass, and guitar! Titles include "The Man Says", "Medicine Spoon", "The Agenda", "Looking For A Better Thing", "Longview", and "Mr Wrong".

Surprisingly deep soul from Hannah Williams – a singer who seems like just your run of the mill local talent on the cover – but who comes across with the smoking sound of some legendary southern soul diva on the record! The band and the backing is pretty great too – way more than just a rehash of older soul modes – and instead a contemporary approach that has subtle strains of some of the more interesting funk elements that have percolated globally of late – all fused together by Diesler, who's kind of the "artistic director" of the set – and who gives the music a Tru Thoughts sort of complexity. Titles include "The Kitchen Strut", "Work It Out", "Washed Up", "Don't Tell Me", "Things To Come", "Get It", and "Do Whatever Makes You Feel Hot".

Soaring spiritual jazz from Larry Stabbins – a reedman you might know from his recent Stonephace project for Tru Thoughts, or for his seminal work in the groups Weekend and Working Week! Yet the sound here is something else entirely – a righteous side of Larry's music we never would have expected back in the 80s – as his tenor and flute are mixed with bold, modal lines that recall some of the contemporary spiritual energy from Matthew Halsall and Nat Birchall on the Gondwana label – music that has a similar sort of early 70s approach! Tracks are long and flowing, and very open – with great solos from Larry and sublime piano from Zoe Rahman – whose tones and timing really give the record a lot of energy. Titles include "Noetic", "Immanence", "Transcendental Euphoria", "Soul Train", "White Queen Psychology", and "Africa".

One of Eddie Palmieri's greatest albums – and certainly one of the most mindblowingly creative! The album encompasses all the grooves stated in the title, and then some – as Eddie works with a mix of acoustic and electric instruments, crafting tunes that are long and exploratory, tightly jazzy but also free, and with more than a bit of funk in the mix on the best numbers. And far from confusing, the whole thing comes together with a really cohesive sound – the kind of broad vision in one fell stroke that only Palmieri could pull off! Titles include "Cobarde", "Chocolate Ice Cream", "The Mod Scene", "Random Thoughts", "Resemblance", and "Condiciones Que Existen".

A treasure trove of rare work from the obscure German Ego label – four different albums, all of them great – packaged here in tiny LP-styled covers too! The set's especially noteworthy for the work of British saxophonist Alan Skidmore – working here on some of his best material of the late 70s – records that easily rival the best sides cut back home in the UK, but which also have a very different feel and flavor! On Morning Rise, Skidmore plays tenor and soprano sax, alongside Gerd Dudek, who also plays both horns too – in these long, textural lines that merge and diverge nicely with Skidmore's – creating these majestic shapes in sound, before then taking off towards much more powerful solos. Rhythm is from Adelhard Rodiginger on bass and Lala Kovacev on drums – and titles include "Morning Rise", "Macedonian Market", "Dr Les Mosses", and "Nakemiin". SOH is a trio outing from Alan Skidmore, drummer Tony Oxley, and bassist Ali Haurand – hence the title – and the set really allows Skidmore to expand on some of his most open, expressive lines on tenor and soprano sax! Tracks are quite long, and build with this almost late-Coltrane sort of energy – almost glowing with a sense of spirituality that's pushed along strongly by the reed lines. Titles include "One Two Free", "Das Ist Alice", "Lost In WG", and "Trio Nr 10". European Jazz Quintet features tremendous reeds from the trio of Alan Skidmore, Gerd Dudek, and Leszek Zadlo – all of whom play both tenor and soprano sax – and work alongside the bass of Ali Haurand and drums of Pierr Courbois! The set features two long tracks – "Das Ist Alice" and "Miss B" – both of them balanced nicely on the cusp between European free jazz and some stronger spiritual jazz structures, in a very nice way. Last up is Thoughts, from Leszek Zadlo – a record that has Zadlo on both flute and tenor, working with the excellent Ego Records rhythm trio of Joe Haider on piano, Isla Eckinger on bass, and Joe Nay on drums! The sound is quite different than other Ego sessions with the trio – as the tracks here build very slowly, often through the initial utterings of Zadlo on his reeds – kind of growing into a spiritually expressive style that gets increasingly focused as the set goes on – in ways that are a nice change from European free jazz. Titles include "Two Friends", "Some Body", "Struggle", and "Thoughts".

A tremendous bit of psychedelic pop from sunny California at the end of the 60s – one of those records that has a heck of a lot more going on than most of the bigger sets at the time! Sunlight work in territory that's not unfamiliar – harmony vocals, guitar-based grooves, and slightly hippieish lyrics – but they've got a way of putting together the tunes that's really a cut above – a compelling style that somehow makes all the best elements really resonate strongly, with a perfection that delights more and more with each new track on the album! There's kind of a timeless quality to the record that almost makes it feel like something recorded many years later – but the overall production and instrumentation are very 60s-based, with a really great sound throughout. CD features the full album plus bonus tracks – and titles include "David", "Light Without Heat", "Hammond Eggs", "Sometimes A Woman", "Second Thoughts", "Seven Times Infinity", and "The Fun Machine".

Swedish wood, with plenty of brass – thanks to bold, imaginative work as a leader from trumpeter Magnus Broo – easily one of the most important voices on his instrument working today! The group is a beautifully tight quartet – and Broo's trumpet gains plenty from the equally bold basslines of Torbjorn Zetterberg – a player whose name may not be familiar to American audiences, but one who always seems to set a special sort of fire whenever he joins a session! There's a pulsating grace from Zetterberg that really gets things going – maybe the "wood" promised in the title, given the richness of its tone – which Magnus matches with this beautifully blown mix of soul and soaring, almost in a legacy of Woody Shaw or some of his generation. And the group also features added bass from Joe Williamson – making for a twin bottom-up groove that reminds us of similar sessions from the 60s – punctuated nicely by the drums of Hakon Mjaset Johansen. Titles include "I Hear You", "Swedish Wood", "Oh What A Beautiful Day", "Acoustic Kitten", "Thoughts Are Things", and "New Weather".

Very spare sounds from Roscoe Mitchell and drummer Tyshawn Sorey, but still very sharp-edged too – and in a way, a mix of deeper thoughts and spontaneous energy that reminds us a lot of some of the more "out there" moments of the Art Ensemble back in the 70s! Roscoe's reeds have those complex qualities that we've heard in recent compositional work – but the overall approach is a bit looser, too – and clearly dictated by the range of percussion added by drummer Tyshawn Sorey. Trumpeter Hugh Ragin blows a fair bit on the record too – adding in sounds that shift from textural to musical – and overall, it may well be his tracks that we like the best. Titles include "The Horn", "Bells In The Air", "Out There", "A Cactus & A Rose", "Meadows", "A Game Of Catch", "Waves", and "Windows With A View".

A great later sleeper from Brian Auger – a record that's much deeper and more soulful than some of his earlier work – and done in a soaring style that's really great! Alex Lighterwood sings as much as Auger plays the keys here, but that's ok with us – because he fuses his voice very nicely with organ, electric piano, and moog – creating a spacily soulful quality that's produced with a nice flanged-out style! Some tracks are funky, others are more laidback – and the set's a great illustration of how far Auger had come in just a few years. Titles include the spacey "Thoughts From Afar", the fast-jamming "The Big Yin", a Latin-tinged instrumental "Something Out Of Nothing", plus "Future Pilot" and "Brain Damage".

Two slices of work from Dutch vocalist Ann Burton – one of the hippest jazz singers on the European scene of the 60s and 70s, although not as well known over here as some of her other overseas contemporaries! The first half of the CD features vintage live work from 1962 - material that has Burton's vocals with the Flamingo Combo – a group with piano, guitar, bass, and bongos – all of which make for a spare sound that's a nice change from the usual piano trio mode, leaving lots of room for Ann's vocals. Titles include "Bag's Groove", "Close Your Eyes", "Fly Me To The Moon", and "Let's Get Away From It All". The second half of the CD is of more recent vintage, but equally great – studio sides from 1988, recorded with the Rob Agerbeek trio. Agerbeek's group is really wonderful here – quite unusual in their mix of piano, bass, and vibes – which is sometimes augmented with trumpet from Ack Van Rooyen – and often using rhythmic approaches that really open up the tunes nicely, taking them far past simple renditions of familiar standards. Titles include "Afterthoughts", "Again", "Nice & Easy", "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", and "I Won't Dance".

John Zorn, inspired by the work of William Blake – on an album that's one of his most beautiful in years! There's a really lovely sound going on here – bright, and filled with hope – in ways we never thought we'd be hearing from Zorn many years back – music that's made not by John's own instrumentation, but by a group that features John Medeski on piano and organ, Kenny Wollesen on vibes, Carol Emanuel on harp, Trevor Dunn on bass, Joey Baron on drums, and Cyro Baptista on percussion! The sound is warm and very organic – a shade towards a Terry Riley minimal mode, but more lyrical overall – with an open, flowering quality that's wonderful right from the start. Zorn arranges and conducts – and titles include "An Island In The Moon", "The Hammer Of Los", "The Prophecy", "Marriage Of Heaven & Hell", "Night Thoughts", and "When The Morning Stars Sang Together".