Maybe one of the warmest recordings we've ever heard from pianist Vijay Iyer – but that's maybe no surprise, as the session is graced with these sublime vocals from singer Arooj Aftab – and delivered in a style that's much more than standard jazz! Iyer plays Fender Rhodes and piano, and adds in a bit of electronics – while Shahzad Ismaily uses moog and a vintage Fender bass – all flowing effortlessly, while Aftab brings in these vocal moments that feel both ancient and yet have a sense of new global horizons too – recorded with just a touch of echo that might evoke vintage 4AD. Titles include "Sharabi", "Eyes Of The Endless", "Shadow Forces", "To Remain/To Return", and "Haseen Thi". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary group from the 70s Nigerian scene – one who could be as trippy as they were funky – often in ways that had them using studio production to really get some cool effects from their vocals and guitar! There's a spacey edge to most of these tracks – one that comes through most strongly on the mellower moments – which include one or two slow-funk killers that are quite different than the usual sounds of Lagos! But even the more upbeat numbers have this wash around the edges – which seems to filter things together in an unusual way, and really make them come out sounding great. Titles include "Try Me", "Deep Funk", "Mind Twister", "Lay On The Ground", "Don't Drive Me Out", and "Time For Me To Go". CD

A very cool set from the 70s – one that's part reggae, part sweet soul, and part funky jam – all served up with a nicely mixed up vibe that really makes the whole thing shine! The group hail from Barbados, and there's some great Caribbean funk on the record at times – especially on the instrumental moments, which have qualities that echo American funky 45s, but with a nice twist on the styles! The sweet soul vocals are great too – not heard often, but a nice feature when they appear – as is some of the more unusual organ and guitar expressions over reggae styled rhythms. A great record, with a strong sense of depth and variety – on titles that include "What A Life", "Don't Blame This Joint", "Sella", "Stop Leaning On The Shoulder Of Your Brother", "Let Me Get Stoned", "You're The Match", "I Just Can't Reach You", and a remake of "The World Is A Ghetto". (Reggae, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

There's nothing quite like the voice of Nahawa Doumbi – a sound that's lean and powerful at once, haunting and heartfelt, and served up here on a set of tunes that were originally only issued on cassette in her homeland of Mali! The music features really deft guitar work from N'Gou Bagayoko – who crafts these lines that are as rhythmic as they are melodic – dipping, turning, and making great musical moments alongside the fantastic lyrics. Titles include "Tou Dibile", "Djankonia", "Sokono Woulouni", "Nianimanjougou", and "Kourouni". LP, Vinyl record album

Very early work from this legendary Ethiopian musician – a very haunting blend of voice and piano, often recorded with a very echoey tone – in a style that's completely unique! Emahoy Tsege Marian Gebru comes across in a very intimate mode here – on songs that have a deeply personal vibe, and which really go beyond the boundaries of language because of that – communicating these moments of fragile beauty and subtle spirituality with the way that Emahoy's vocals rise, float, and drift along with her spare, watery lines on piano! Titles include "Don't Forget Your Country", "Ethiopia MY Motherland", "Tenkou Why Feel Sorry", "Clouds Moving On The Sky", "Ready To Leave", and "Is It Sunny Or Cloudy In The Land You Live". LP, Vinyl record album

Jimmy Hyacinthe is posed on the cover like some 70s bluesman, but his music here is much more global overall – plenty of grooves that echo his origins in the Ivory Coast, but handled with qualities that are electric and a bit funky too! The rhythms almost feel Caribbean at times, especially on the uptempo cuts and the way they let the guitars, basslines, and horn parts intertwine – yet the record's also got some laidback moments that almost feel like they carry a bit of influence from southern soul! The whole thing is instrumental, with plenty of Jimmy's guitar in the mix – and titles include the long tracks "Maquis Lo", "Like Fe", "Yatchiminou", "Bla M'Be Oule Oule", and "Alie Soutchin". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the coolest records we've ever heard from Japanese drummer Akira Ishikawa – even wilder than some of his famous funk sessions of the time! The set definitely lives up to its African Rock promise – as it features lots of sparely percussive tracks that build beautifully – clearly drawing from African inspiration, in the same way that other albums by Akira drew from American funk – then also adding in some cool production and hip effects that help further some of the "rock" side of the agenda! At points, the record almost feels like a solo percussion jam – but at others, the guitars really get heavy, with a jamming intensity that's simply mindblowing. There's lots of psychedelic overtones when the guitars come in – and they make for a wicked contrast with some of the more organic, percussion-oriented moments. All tunes are nice and long, and titles include the extended break cut "Pigmy", plus "Vita", "Na Tu Penda Sana", and "Wanyamana Mapambazuko". (Jazz, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

A really amazing little record – one that's partly in the "jazz meets Indian" mode of Joe Harriott's experiments of the 60s – but a performance that also brings in a lot more from spiritual jazz, even though most of the instrumentation is more traditional! The set is live, and the tracks are all long – led by Sarathy Korwar on tablas and drums – a player with very pulsating approach, even when gentle – which sets the tone for the ensemble's mix of flute, acoustic guitar, keyboards, flute, sitar, santoor, tabla, alto, and mridangam – all spun out with lots of modal energy, working well together as a force in sound – but also taking some great solo moments too. Titles include great remakes of "The Creator Has A Master Plan" and "Journey In Satchidananda" – plus "Hajj", "Earthy", "Mishrank", "Malkauns", "Mind Ecology", and "A Street In Bombay". (Jazz, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

A really amazing little record – one that's partly in the "jazz meets Indian" mode of Joe Harriott's experiments of the 60s – but a performance that also brings in a lot more from spiritual jazz, even though most of the instrumentation is more traditional! The set is live, and the tracks are all long – led by Sarathy Korwar on tablas and drums – a player with very pulsating approach, even when gentle – which sets the tone for the ensemble's mix of flute, acoustic guitar, keyboards, flute, sitar, santoor, tabla, alto, and mridangam – all spun out with lots of modal energy, working well together as a force in sound – but also taking some great solo moments too. Titles include great remakes of "The Creator Has A Master Plan" and "Journey In Satchidananda" – plus "Hajj", "Earthy", "Mishrank", "Malkauns", "Mind Ecology", and "A Street In Bombay". (Jazz, Global Grooves) CD

Really cool work on shakuhachi – and a set that's way more than just the ballads you might expect from the title! Japanese reed player Kifu Mitsuhashi definitely uses some older modes here, and begins the set as such – but as the record moves on, more contemporary instrumentation comes into play, with some great funky jazz moments on a number of cuts – great drums, keyboards, and guitar mixed alongside the acoustic instrument – creating a vibe that's wonderful throughout, and a lot groovier than you might expect. There's some great cuts here that resonate with the best work from Hozan Yamamoto – hidden here under a package that's maybe a bit more subtle, but equally great! (Japanese, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the heaviest work to come from the African scene of the 70s – the initial offering of the Ngozi Family – a group who clearly take strong inspiration from the Cream years of the UK scene, but who also come across with a grittier, punkier vibe overall – thanks to lean, stripped-down instrumentation and some very sharp drums! The drums rattle out underneath the magnificent fuzzy guitar lines in the lead – almost with this compressed quality that recalls Thin Lizzy at their funkier moments – but much more raw, stripped-down, and unpolished – so that the English language lyrics burst out with a really biting sound! The record's one of the first in the Zamrock tradition, and is still one of the best – a set that deserves to be in any collection of hard rock, proto-punk, and even funk rock from the 70s. Titles include "I Wanna Know", "Day Of Judgement", "We Wonna Give It To Her", "Tikondane", and "Let Me Know". CD comes in a great book-style cover – and features the bonus tracks "We Were Not Told", "She Looks So Crazy", "I've Been Looking For You", and "Sunka Mulamu". CD

Some of the heaviest work to come from the African scene of the 70s – the initial offering of the Ngozi Family – a group who clearly take strong inspiration from the Cream years of the UK scene, but who also come across with a grittier, punkier vibe overall – thanks to lean, stripped-down instrumentation and some very sharp drums! The drums rattle out underneath the magnificent fuzzy guitar lines in the lead – almost with this compressed quality that recalls Thin Lizzy at their funkier moments – but much more raw, stripped-down, and unpolished – so that the English language lyrics burst out with a really biting sound! The record's one of the first in the Zamrock tradition, and is still one of the best – a set that deserves to be in any collection of hard rock, proto-punk, and even funk rock from the 70s. Titles include "I Wanna Know", "Day Of Judgement", "We Wonna Give It To Her", "Tikondane", and "Let Me Know". LP, Vinyl record album

Heady sounds from Bahrain – recorded in the early 80s by this ultra-cool group who would have been right at home in the European prog scene at the start of the decade before! Drums are heavy, guitar lines are great, and there's some especially cool moogy moments – including some solos that may well be the centerpiece of the album! There's a bit of vocals, but most of the record's got an instrumental appeal that's universal – and which has the same touches of exotic and funky bits that we love in Turkish rock of the early 70s – although maybe with slightly more proggy results overall. Titles include "Sailor On The Seas Of Fate", "Struggle To Survive", "Fantasy", "Embers Of A Flame", "Autumn", and "Paradox In A Major". Includes bonus insert with notes, too! LP, Vinyl record album

A South African collective with a really wonderful vibe – jazzy instrumentation at the core, but sometimes topped with soulful vocals that have a soaring, righteous quality! There's certainly echoes of older SA styles here – especially on some of the the jazzier moments, and in the way the horns work together – but Phupho L'Ka Biko also embrace more contemporary soul inspirations as well, yet without making music that's commercial or in any sort of familiar Anglo soul styles either. The whole thing has a righteous quality that's both powerful and understated at the same time – which maybe increases its power – and titles include "Azania", "Qamata", "Singabakho", "Braam Streets", and "Uthixo Ukhona". LP, Vinyl record album

The Rock Town Express here comes across with lots of fuzz in the guitars – that later psych influence that was tripping across the African scene in the late 70s, often mixed with a bit of funk – as in some of the hipper Zamrock grooves of the period! The approach here is maybe a bit lighter than some of those, but still equally trippy at the best moments – especially when the keyboards get kind of weird and spacey – even as the whole thing's held together by strong lead vocals, and some captivating English language lyrics! Titles include the upbeat groover "Nobody's Man", which has a mad trumpet part at the start – plus "Spaceville Rape", "Peaceful Solution", "I Want To See You Tonight", and "Shake It On Baby". CD