A decade's worth of groundbreaking funk and African rhythms – all of it recorded by Hugh Masekela for his legendary Chisa label! Back in the 60s, Hugh cracked the American charts with a playful version of South African jazz – but he was also an even hipper cat than you'd guess from his hits, and worked with a variety of incredible acts to expand his sound – a good number of whom ended up recording for Hugh on the Chisa label, in a unique blend of American soul and African inspiration that was years ahead of its time! The Chisa sound was one of the first true forays into pan-global grooving – and it brought the sounds of Africa to the American mainstream at a level that few had managed before. Some groups were unique projects done for record – like the Johannesburg Street Band, which featured members of The Crusaders alongside Masekela – but others featured a variety of ex-patriots living in the US, with key singers and players who shine brightly under Hugh's guidance. This set really digs deep, and offers up some of the most heavily African-tuned tracks from Chisa's catalog – 14 titles that include "Witch Doctor" and "Ahvuomo" by Baranta with Miatta Fahinbulleh, "Joala" and "Za Labalaba" by The Zulus, "Awe Mfana" by Johannesburg Street Band, "Macongo" and "U Se Mcani" by Letta Mbulu, "Tepo" by Baranta, "Aredze" by The Zulus, "Mahlalela" by Letta Mbulu, and "Afro Beat Blues" by Ojah with Hugh Masekela. LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet funky Crusaders – one of the first records the group made after dropping the "Jazz" from their name, and a soulful electric set through and through! The group still have that tightly-crafted soul jazz sound that made their late 60s recordings so great – but they're also stretching out here in more of a 70s electric funk mode – letting the keyboards of Joe Sample really set the tone for most of the numbers, as Wilton Felder's basslines weave with the drums of Stix Hooper to create a set of really great tracks. The double-length album is overflowing with great numbers – and in addition to the contributions of the core quartet, the album also features guitar from Larry Carlton, David T Walker, and Arthur Adams – plus a bit of extra bass from Chuck Rainey! The hip sound is a bit like some of Hugh Masekela's best jazz-based work for Chisa – and titles include "Full Moon", "Sweet Revival", "Mud Hole", "It's Just Gotta Be That Way", "Three Children", "Mosadi", and "So Far Away". LP, Vinyl record album

A great Crusaders album – and one that's a perfect bridge between their earlier soul jazz styles, and their tighter funkier electric one. The record was recorded live at the Roxy, and the group is augmented by Larry Carlton on guitar, who gives the tracks a nice razor edge at his best moments. All songs are pretty long – and the band is in extremely good form, jamming away with lots of funky vamping, and breaking out with some very soulful solos. Titles include "Scratch", "Hard Times", "So Far Away", and "Way Back Home". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from one of the funkiest periods in the career of the Jazz Crusaders – that point when they first dropped the "jazz" from their name, and started moving into groovier territory! The set's a bit electric, but never as much so as their later, bigger hits – just enough so that the basslines bump the tunes along strongly, and the keyboards start to sparkle in the mix too – but still leaving plenty of space for acoustic contributions on piano, trombone, and tenor. Arthur Adams joins the group for a bit of guitar, which is well-placed – and titles include the massive "Pass The Plate" medley, which runs for over 15 minutes – plus "Young Rabbits 71/72", "Goin' Down South", "Listen & You'll See", "Greasy Spoon", and "Treat Me Like Ya Treat Yaself". LP, Vinyl record album

Very nice heavy funk material, recorded by The Crusaders right at the pivotal time when they were moving from straigher soul jazz to a nice electric 70s groove! The record features some excellent original compositions by the band – like "Crossfire", "Unsung Heroes", "In The Middle Of The River", "Heavy Up", and "Night Theme". Very full-on playing, with a complexity not imagined on earlier records. LP, Vinyl record album

Wickedly funky work from the Jazz Crusaders – a pivotal set that has them electrifying their groove a bit more from the 60s, yet still not hitting the smother sound of later years! The core soul jazz mode of the group's start is still nicely in place – hard-hitting grooves from Wayne Henderson on trombone, Wilton Felder on bass, Stix Hooper on drums, and Joe Sample on keyboards – really opening up in an electric mode that's warm, but never mellow – really giving the album a strongly righteous undercurrent. Added to the mix are guitars from Arthur Adams and Freddy Robinson – both of whom really open up the groove and underscore the funkier elements – and again, in ways that have a lot more edge than on later Crusaders dates. The whole thing's great, filled with hard groovy cuts – and titles include a great version of "Golden Slumbers", plus "Jazz", "Jackson", "Rainy Night In Georgia", "Time Has No Ending", "Hard Times", and "Funny Shuffle". CD

Hugh Masekela at a really fantastic point in his career – recorded live for a radio broadcast, and working with a freewheeling style that's quite different than both his early and later work! The vibe here is right up there with some of the few longer-form jazz recordings made by Hugh in the early 70s – mixing his trumpet with lots of percussion and guitar, in a style that's nice and loose throughout – sometimes funky, sometimes earthy – and very much in the farthest reaches of his Chisa period sound! Many of these tracks show even deeper African roots than some of Masekela's original South African recordings – and the set includes the tracks "Languta", "Stimela Coal Train", "Love Song For A Jungle Afternoon", "Nye Tamo Am", and a number of untitled tracks. LP, Vinyl record album

A damn soulful album from Ghanaian percussionist Rim Kwaku Obeng – recorded in LA at the end of the 70s, with loads of sweet clubby touches in the mix! Rim gets in plenty of tight percussion – lots of which showcases his rim-heavy approach to the drums – and also plays keyboards and sings a bit too – in a larger group that mixes in some very hip LA funky elements, a bit like some of the criss-crossing that Hugh Masekela did on his Chisa Records sessions! The style makes for a great bit of funky club with lots of deeper acoustic percussion elements in the sound – and titles include the massive break classic "Funky Drummer", plus "Nothing Is Free", "Spend Your Money", "Gas Line", "Sunkwa", and "Believe In Yourself". Special package – also includes the bonus 12" tracks "International Funk (voc)", and "International Funk (inst)". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet funky Crusaders – one of the first records the group made after dropping the "Jazz" from their name, and a soulful electric set through and through! The group still have that tightly-crafted soul jazz sound that made their late 60s recordings so great – but they're also stretching out here in more of a 70s electric funk mode – letting the keyboards of Joe Sample really set the tone for most of the numbers, as Wilton Felder's basslines weave with the drums of Stix Hooper to create a set of really great tracks. The double-length album is overflowing with great numbers – and in addition to the contributions of the core quartet, the album also features guitar from Larry Carlton, David T Walker, and Arthur Adams – plus a bit of extra bass from Chuck Rainey! The hip sound is a bit like some of Hugh Masekela's best jazz-based work for Chisa – and titles include "Full Moon", "Sweet Revival", "Mud Hole", "It's Just Gotta Be That Way", "Three Children", "Mosadi", and "So Far Away". CD

A key linking of two traditions of British avant jazz expression – and a session that's co-led by percussionist Louis Moholo and saxophonist Evan Parker! The sound here is almost more in Parker's camp than it is Moholo's – as the album's improvised tracks have a spare, contemplative quality that builds very slowly – working strongly in space and sound, as the group finds themselves through a rich array of techniques, tones, and expressions. Other players include Barry Guy on bass and piccolo bass (right channel), Gibo Pheto on bass (left channel), and Pule Pheto on piano – and titles include "Bush Fire", "For Chisa", "South Afrika Is Free OK", "Baobab", "Sticks", "Back Beat", and "Flaming July". CD

A really mixed bag of grooves from the Crusaders – but still an album that's quite tasty if you dig their work on the Chisa label! The record appears to be a greatest hits collection – with the "best" in the title – but it's more a summation of the styles they'd been digging on previous records, as some tracks feature a tight funky groove, others have a mellower electric one, and still others have a straight jazz approach. Highlights include the African-sounding "Time Has No Ending", the Sly Stone cover "Thank You Falletin Me Be Mice Elf Agin", and a nice reading of Wilton Felder's "Way Back Home". LP, Vinyl record album

Massively wonderful work from the mighty Hugh Masekela – easily one of his hippest, most soulful sessions ever! This double-length gem really has Hugh letting go – moving way beyond the pop modes of the late 60s, into a long-flowing, open-rolling groove that's played by a spare quintet lineup with plenty of African themes in the rhythms! Players include Larry Willis on acoustic and electric piano and Dudu Pukwana on alto sax – both of whom are wonderful, and really get a chance to sparkle in the session – almost sharing equal space with Masekela in the sound and shape of the record, although Hugh's horn work is pretty darn amazing too. Other players include Eddie Gomez on bass and Mahaya Ntshoko on drums – and the record has the sort of open, righteous feel of a session on Black Jazz or Strata East – a vibe that really blows away most other Chisa Records work of the time. Titles include Willis' classic "Inner Crisis", plus "Blues For Huey", "Part Of A Whole", "Maesha", "The Big Apple", "Minawa", and "Nomali". CD

A damn soulful album from Ghanaian percussionist Rim Kwaku Obeng – recorded in LA at the end of the 70s, with loads of sweet clubby touches in the mix! Rim gets in plenty of tight percussion – lots of which showcases his rim-heavy approach to the drums – and also plays keyboards and sings a bit too – in a larger group that mixes in some very hip LA funky elements, a bit like some of the criss-crossing that Hugh Masekela did on his Chisa Records sessions! The style makes for a great bit of funky club with lots of deeper acoustic percussion elements in the sound – and titles include the massive break classic "Funky Drummer", plus "Nothing Is Free", "Spend Your Money", "Gas Line", "Sunkwa", and "Believe In Yourself". Special package – also includes the bonus 12" tracks "International Funk (voc)", and "International Funk (inst)". CD

One of the great larger group recordings that pianist Abdullah Ibrahim gave us in the 80s – from a moment when he was able to use added horns to really expand that amazing sense of color and rhythm he'd brought to his music on earlier trio recordings! There's a sense of musical vision here that really lives up to Abdullah's majestic look on the cover – a fantastic merging of flute and tenor from John Stubblefield, soprano and alto from Horace Alexander Young, tuba and baritone from Howard Johnson, and trombone from Robin Eubanks – all vibrant horn players who seem to have just about every tone and mood covered with their horns – given this wonderfully warm support from Buster Williams on bass, and Brian Adams on drums. All titles are originals by the leader – and tunes include "Chisa", "Sweet Samba", "Duke 88", "The Wedding", and "Joan Capetown Flower". CD

A totally cool little record from Japan – one that mixes old school acoustic instrumentation on shamisen with these larger arrangements that have a much more contemporary vibe – partly 70s funk, partly soundtrack in scope, and a very cool backdrop for the spare sound of the unique three-stringed instrument! Chisato Yamada plays with plenty of feeling here – often doing a heck of a lot with just a little – as the larger charts from Takeshi Terauchi swell and groove, almost as if the whole thing were some groovy film score from the time! All song titles are in Japanese – and the set features the long "Sea Of Japan" suite, plus a few shorter tracks too. LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks by Outernational Meltdown, Pops Mohamed, Barungwa, Flora Purim, John Tchicai, Madala Kunene, Amampondo, Fourth World, Sangomas, Iain Ballamy, and Achisa. CD