An all-instrumentals set of tracks from the Jazz Is Dead duo of Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – but one that also has some ties to their previous projects as well! The set features some material written with Jean Carne, who doesn't sing at all – and some written with Lonnie Liston Smith, who does play Fender Rhodes on a number of tracks – making a great return to the format of the series, after his own volume! And speaking of Fender Rhodes, Adrian Younge plays plenty of that great instrument – as well as Hammond B3, flute and saxes, and even some monophonic synth and electric sitar – all of which makes for a mighty nice, wide array of instrumental flavors! Titles include "Black Rainbows", "The Summertime", "Cosmic Changes", "Black Love", "People Of The Sun", "Come As You Are", "Visions", and "Love Brings Happiness". LP, Vinyl record album

The Black Pumas went from underground status to much bigger fame in just a short span of time – and this smoking second album will definitely continue that nonstop rise to stardom! As before, the group are heavy on older references to funk and soul, but given a lean, contemporary spin in the production – handled by Adrian Quesada, with all the richness he's forged on countless other projects over the years – so that the grooves and instrumentation are right on the money, and augmented by these slight sonic surprises that really keep things interesting! The vocals seem even better than before – raw, raspy, and very powerful – on titles that include "Mrs Postman", "Gemini Sun", "Sauvignon", "Angel", "Hello", "Chronicles Of A Diamond", "Ice Cream", and "More Than A Love Song". LP, Vinyl record album

The Frightnrs have plenty more to say here – and they say it in a really sharp-edged approximation of older rocksteady modes! The group are contemporary, but like the best acts on Daptone, they've got an instantly classic feel – thanks to instrumentation and production that take us right back to late 60s Kingston, but with some of the sharper funky currents we've come to expect from the label! And while The Frightnrs may pitch themselves as an old school reggae act, they're also one that have a heavy dose of soul – almost a late night New Jersey current to their music at times – as if the All Platinum/Stang label put out their own version of Jamaican soul. The approach is great, and very unique – and titles include "Hey Brother", "Gotta Find A Way", "What Have I Done", "Nothing More To Say", "All My Tears", "Purple", "Dispute", and "Till Then". (Reggae, Deep Funk) CD

Beautiful sounds from Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – a group who've matured tremendously in the time that they've been giving us music – and who almost seem ready here to take on the legacy of their musical father – the late Kelan Phil Cohran! There's a complexity to the horn work here that's even deeper than before – amazing tones and textures from trumpets, trombones, euphonium, and sousaphone – all balanced with these sonic currents on guitar, bass, and electronics – instruments used in subtle ways, but to strongly shape the brass elements with maybe more spiritual overtones than in previous years – almost as if the group is growing, and getting even more serious about their message – with echoes that stretch back to the work of Cohran, and maybe Sun Ra's Arkestra, the world of Strata East, and even the tonal colors of Oliver Nelson at his best. Titles include "Heaven & Earth", "Midnight", "Now", "Morning Prayer", "Purple Afternoon", "Lead The Way", "Synapsis", "Royalty", "Solstice", and "Sri Neroti". LP, Vinyl record album