One of the hippest groups of the 60s to blend Eastern influences and Western rock music – a nicely lean trio that comes across with results that are even cooler than some of their contemporaries! Part of the record's strength is its leanness – as other instrumentation might have gotten in the way a bit more, and larger arrangements might have made the whole thing sound a bit fake. Yet instead, there's a raw quality to the record that recalls similar east/west experiments on Vanguard Records at the time – served up by a group that features Guy Duris on electric oud and electric sitar, Bruno Giet on electric minitar, and Farshid Golesorkhi on electric melodica and dumbek! Vocals are by all three, but there's a very strong focus on the instrumentation too – on titles that include "Fruit Of The Desert", "Layla", "Birds Of India", "Train To Bombay", "Caravan Of Silk", "Azaar", "Cobra Fever", "A Little Star", and "Cobra Fever". (Rock, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Very clubby work from the South African scene at the start of the 90s – a record that warms things up nicely from the synth pop recordings of a few years before, and really seems to embrace all the best elements of house music in the process! The songs are catchy and have nice hooks when the vocals come in – and in a way, the approach here is similar to that moment when more mainstream UK work firmly embraced inspirations from Chicago house, then really let things open up and groove! Titles include "Love Is The Message", "People Of The World", "Living For The City", "Victim Of Your Love", "Open Invitation", and "It's Too Late". 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

Don't think "disco", think "funky jazz" – because this sweet South African group from the 70s is filled with lots of groovy twists and turns – all in a mode that's quite different than any of the American or European jazz albums we know from the time! The lineup here includes reed heavyweight Basil Coetzee on both flute and tenor sax – working in a quartet with some sublime organ lines from Pops Mohamed – who plays in this snakey sort of way that's a bit like South African jazz piano, but maybe even more flowing and moody. The grooves are sometimes funky, sometimes more modal – but always forward moving in a really great way, but again with a very fresh approach to rhythm! Titles include "Super Natural Love", "Yasmeen's Blues", "Night Express", "Odd's On", and "Echo On The Delay". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic funk from South African saxophone legend Winston Mankuku Ngozi – working here in the group The Cliffs, who serve up a sweet 70s vibe for his solos! The instrumentation is great – a rougher-edged take on American jazz funk of the time – almost as if the aesthetic of 60s Prestige Records soul jazz moved forward, but without the same sort of polish – perfect for bringing out the edge in Ngozi's alto, as he blows in a group with Stompie Manana and George Tyefumani on trumpets, Roger Khoza on organ, and Allen Kwela on guitar. Titles include "Revelation", "Ever Green", "Over The Cliff", "Alex Express", and "Gu Gu Lethu". (Jazz, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

A really game-changing set from late 60s Japan – a group who work with a title in English, but a sound that was definitely helping to give the younger Japanese scene a vibe that's all its own! The Jacks definitely have some of the psychedelic touches you might guess from their image on the front, but they also carry forward older styles of Japanese vocal inflections – especially modes that you'd be more likely to hear from a singer with a melancholy vibe! That mix of vocals and fuzzy guitars is wonderful – especially as the lyrics often have this nearly heartbreaking feel, even if you can't understand the lyrics – underscored by electric guitar that seems informed by ways of playing the shamisen, and even percussion work on the drums that feels more earthy than most rock groups. The whole thing is a mindblowing masterpiece – and although lyrics are in Japanese, English titles for the tunes include "Love", "500 Miles From The Sky", "Love Generation", "Stop The Clock", "Vacant World", "Marianne", and "Gloomy Flower". (Rock, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of albums from this Guyana group – both recorded overseas, and with a really unique sort of vibe! Young Ones Of Guyana On Tour was recorded in 1970, while the group was in London – at the legendary Landsdowne Studios, home to some really groundbreaking jazz at the time – a location that must have left some sort of imprint on the combo, as they work here in a mix of different styles that includes soul, Latin, and even Jamaican modes – often using strong lead guitar upfront, usually peppered with very cool Farfisa organ lines too. Many of the cuts are instrumentals, and some are vocals – and the mix reminds us a lot of the sorts of variety you'd get on a late 60s rocksteady album. Titles include "Liquidator", "Monkey Man", "Express Way", "Love Can Make You Happy", "No More Heartaches", and "Meditation". Reunion was recorded in Toronto in 1973 – after the group took a hiatus from recording for a bit, to reemerge here with a style that's definitely matured for the time! The organ has shifted from Farfisa to Hammond, but still used in these nice lean lines – and the vocals are more prominent, and maybe more soulful too – especially when the group take on some American soul tracks from the time. Titles include "Guitar Man", "Hooked On Me", "Poppa Joe", "Oh Girl", "If Loving You Is Wrong", "Suriname", "Ain't No Sunshine", and "Lean On Me". LP, Vinyl record album

There's less disco here than you might expect, as the group's a very jazzy one – with tenor and flute from South African jazz legend Basil Coetzee, working next to the organ and drum machine of Pops Mohamed as he creates a very cool, unique groove! The music's an extension of other South African funk of the time, but given the use of drum machine on some tracks (a few feature live drum performances), there's a mix of modes going on here that's really unique – jazz funk, but of a leaner style – maybe a bit more laidback, and with plenty of focus on reedwork and keyboard solos! The set brings together tracks from three rare albums by the group – and titles include "Dark Clouds (part 1)", "Spiritual Feeling", "Night Express (single version)", "Kids In The Dark", "I'm Organized", and "Pops Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little set that's exactly what's promised in the title – a batch of rare disco grooves from the 70s, all of which have a distinctly Middle Eastern vibe! Traditional instrumentation mixes with lots of great funky club touches – in ways that are often more wide-ranging and interesting than just some sort of disco knockoffs! Instead, the music here is more aptly titled Arabian Funk – as these cuts work on the dancefloor, but are often instrumental – with a nice focus on guitars, keyboards, and other instrumentation in the mix! Titles include "Arabian Dance" by Antares, "Arabian Melody" by Pop Concerto Orchestra, "Camel Bump" by The Bumper, "Leila" by Leila, "Disco Arab" by Abdul Hassan Orchestra, "Sahara Casino" by The Sand Flowers, "Rock N Roll Mouzoune" by Ismail, and "Orient Express" by Voyage. LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful sounds from Roger Fahkr – a Lebanese singer/songwriter who recorded most of this music in the late 70s – but with a sound and style that's every bit as compelling as western talents from the earlier part of the decade! The tunes often begin with voice and acoustic guitar, but usually bring in a bit of keyboards or other elements to expand things slightly, but all while keeping the moody quality of Roger's English-language vocals intact – all with a quality that could easily have this work standing next to some of our favorite recordings by artists like Rodriguez, Terry Callier, or Alzo & Udine! There's an inexplicable quality to all of these cuts – a uniqueness that really lives up to our comparison with those other greats – and the whole pacakge is a huge discovery of an artist who might have been a huge global force, had he had the chance back in the 70s. Titles include "Sad Sad Songs", "My Baby She Is As Down As I Am", "Express Line", "Insomnia Blue", "Lady Rain", "Everybody Is Going Home", "Sitting In The Sun", "The Wizard", "Trip Thru Time", "Gone Away Again", and "Had To Come Back Wet". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky psychedelic kaliedoscope of grooves from India – killer numbers from the 70s and into the early 80s – Psych Funk Sa-Re-Ga, from the folks who put together the equally heavy Psych-Funk 101 and Brazilian Guitar Fuzz Bananas compilations! Most of cuts here have a raw, fuzzed out undercurrent of psychedelia – guitars that buzz or lead searingly, depending on the needs of the number – with heavy, funk-based drums and/or hand percussion with rumbling bass rhythms. From that core, they bust out mightily with more furious percussion, rhythms, mad horn arrangements, and vocals that work as either a sweetener or for even more wild-eyed excitement! In short, global psychedelic funk rhythms with regional Indian folk and classical flourishes, blended with mod, soul, garage and soundtrack influences from around the globe. It's a funky, psychedelic fusion of east and west that's billed as a seminar, but this is no academic endeavor – it's a psych funk party all the way! Includes "The Mod Trade" by The Black Beats, "Psychedelia" by X'Lents, "Somebody To Love – Edit" and "Gairaag Dance Music – Edit" by Kalyanji Anandji, "Dance Music From Hare Rama Hare Krishna" by RD Burman, "Lekar Ham Diwana Dil" by RD Burman feat Asha Bhosle & Kishore Kumar, "Mary Long" by Atomic Forest, "Dharmatma Theme Music" by Kalyanji Anandji, "Phir Teri Yaad" by Hemant Bhosle feat Asha Bhosle, "Thanimayil" by Ilaiyaraaja fet Vani Jairam & Chorus and more. 20 tracks in all – with a thick booklet of notes on each track, plus loads of photos, original album & poster art, and more. (Funky Compilations, Global Grooves) CD

A surprising slice of work from the 70s – three different albums all released under various guises by Armenian American reedman Souren Baronian – all put out on his own Carlee label, and done in a very cool mix of styles! Baronian blows both familiar American horns and more exotic instrumentation – sometimes with snakey qualities that echo both Egyptian music and Klezmer, other times with different inflections depending on the setting – and that setting varies here depending on the different records – as they each have a slightly different vibe! These are the sort of sets that would have easily been missed otherwise – either thought of as some 70s knockoff, or watered-down material for the crowds at a tourist spot – but they're wonderful throughout, with a depth of expression that really holds on throughout all the albums. The set brings together the records Middle Eastern Soul by Bob Tashijan & Souren Baronian, The Exciting Music Of The Nor-Ikes by The Nor-Ikes featuring Souren Baronian, and Hye Inspiration by Bob Tashijan & Souren Baronian with The Oud Of John Tarpinian. LP, Vinyl record album

Music at the crossroads – as Roger Bekono takes an older style of rural expression, and forges it with some of the more electric modes that were bubbling up on the global scene at the time – all in a set of extended groovers that feature a very lively interplay of vocals and rhythms! The tunes bubble long with keyboard parts that seem to take over from older highlife modes, while the electric rhythms have a gentler approach than the heavier modes used in American dance or soul – so that the vocals flow nicely over the tops of the tunes, rising and falling with a warm sense of inflection. Titles include "Etom Mot", "Jolie Poupee", "Enying Moni", and "Ye Wo Kombel". CD

Killer work from this funky Finnish combo – a group who celebrate a strong decade in music with this really wonderful set! The Blassics bring in all the right sort of influences from African funk of years back, especially Ethiopian music – and they spin out tracks that are often nice and long, and which feature some tremendous jazzy solos from the horn section – players stepping out from the ensemble for individual expressions, and not just vamping with the rhythms! The rest of the instrumentation is great too – well-crafted, and shaded with all sorts of tones that really deepen the music in personal ways, and don't just echo styles of the past. Titles include "Afrohustler", "Special Occasion", "Ruff Strut", "West Side Glory", "Swazi Funk", "Yeketema Set", and "Hagerun Geleba". (Deep Funk, Global Grooves) CD

A pair of classic albums, served up here in a single set! First up is the sound of Angola, circa 1972 – served up here in a beautiful album of songs from Bonga! The music is relatively spare – mostly just lead acoustic guitar, bass, and percussion – the latter of which is played by Bonga himself, almost always with this lively quality that really matches his vocals – which themselves are filled with all these fantastic inflections that almost remind us of salsa singers of the time – no surprise, given how much Latin music styles were hitting the scene in West Africa during the 60s and 70s. But the style here is very different, too – as Bonga's richly expressive in the way he uses his voice – almost more folkloric, given the acoustic guitar instrumentation – yet surprisingly powerful too, despite the spareness. Titles include "Ku Tando", "Balumukeno", "Uengi Dia Ngola", "Paxi Ni Ngongo", "Muimbo Ua Sabalu", and "Muadikime". Angola 74 is a beautifully sophisticated setting for the voice of Bonga – as he works here with lively small group backings, and a bit of larger orchestrations as well! There's this fantastic blend of folk roots and modernism in the music – maybe a bit like some of the more experimental work from Havana at the time, but a bit like some Brazilian projects too – as the enigmatic vocal inflections of the leader mix with his own percussion – all given nice shadings in color by acoustic guitar. Titles include "Venda Poro", "Kubangela", "Ma Kongo", "Kinga Kueta", "Ghinawa", "Roots", and "Marika". CD

A pair of classic albums, served up here in a single set! First up is the sound of Angola, circa 1972 – served up here in a beautiful album of songs from Bonga! The music is relatively spare – mostly just lead acoustic guitar, bass, and percussion – the latter of which is played by Bonga himself, almost always with this lively quality that really matches his vocals – which themselves are filled with all these fantastic inflections that almost remind us of salsa singers of the time – no surprise, given how much Latin music styles were hitting the scene in West Africa during the 60s and 70s. But the style here is very different, too – as Bonga's richly expressive in the way he uses his voice – almost more folkloric, given the acoustic guitar instrumentation – yet surprisingly powerful too, despite the spareness. Titles include "Ku Tando", "Balumukeno", "Uengi Dia Ngola", "Paxi Ni Ngongo", "Muimbo Ua Sabalu", and "Muadikime". Angola 74 is a beautifully sophisticated setting for the voice of Bonga – as he works here with lively small group backings, and a bit of larger orchestrations as well! There's this fantastic blend of folk roots and modernism in the music – maybe a bit like some of the more experimental work from Havana at the time, but a bit like some Brazilian projects too – as the enigmatic vocal inflections of the leader mix with his own percussion – all given nice shadings in color by acoustic guitar. Titles include "Venda Poro", "Kubangela", "Ma Kongo", "Kinga Kueta", "Ghinawa", "Roots", and "Marika". LP, Vinyl record album

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

An incredible concept album from the South African scene of the early 70s – a record that mixes rootsy percussion with plenty of freak and fuzz – all in a style that seems to take UK psychedelic inspirations and forge them into a very unique Johannesburg expression! Acoustic elements are every bit as important to the music as the electric ones – creating this earthy vibe that's very different than Anglo records of its type – and the soulful vocals from singer Dave Ornellas really send things over the top! The album begins with a seventeen minute, side-long track that's completely beautiful – and side two moves on with similar beauty, on a set of shorter tracks that balance things out nicely. Titles include "African Day", "Here Comes The Sun", "Look Up Brother"," Kissed By The Sun", "Happy Man", and "Love Song". (Rock, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Earthy vocals and plenty of percussion – a wonderful set of parranda tracks from Betsayda Machado, who works here with a tight combo that really sends her vocals over the top! On her own, Betsayda would be enough – a singer with the expressive qualities of older giants, such as Omara Portuando – but backed here with lots of percussion and chorus vocals from the other members of the group, the tunes have this raw energy that grabs the listener right away – and keeps burning strong with a very timeless vibe throughout! Titles include "Gaviota", "Alae Alao", "Sentimiento", "Oh Santa Rosa", "La Situacion", "Borracho De Aguardiente", and "Pueblo De Fiesta". LP, Vinyl record album

Never-issued material from the legendary South African pianist Tete Mbambisa – all recorded in the mid 70s, right around the time of Tete's classic albums! The double-length set is a treasure trove of soulful SA jazz expression – and tunes move between slightly funky numbers to others that have a more straight ahead vibe – almost always with some great electric bass at the core, sometimes moving gently, sometimes groovily – and topped by strong horn work that echoes some of the best jazz currents coming into the scene at the time – snakey and soulful in all the best ways. Titles include "Mr Mecca", "Umsenge", "Relaxin", "Untitled For Duke Makasi", "African Day", "Siviwe", and "Khumbula Jane". (Jazz, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

A classic session of pounding percussion – quite possibly the most successful entry into this earthy genre that hit the recording scene at the end of the 50s! Babatunde Olatunji is joined here by a great assemblage of players – including Montego Joe and Baba Hawthorne Bey on percussion, who further flesh out the rumbling, rhythmic groove at the bottom. There's also a group of vocalists on the record, soaring over the top of the percussion with a nicely righteous feel – and the record's a key crossover moment that heralds later African expressions in the American mainstream. Titles include "Odun De Odun De", "Oya", "Jin Go Lo Ba", "Baba Jinde", and "Shango". CD

A record that features a slightly expanded concept on the ideas that Astor Piazzolla had unleashed with his Zero Hour album – all those incredible twists and turns he'd been using to transform Argentine modern music – roots in the tango, but expressions that are up there with some of the most creative 20th Century performances from other parts of the globe! As before, Piazzolla's bandoneon is at the center – but the inflections on piano and violin are also key too – on titles that include "Fugata", "Soledad", "Sur Los Suenos", and the longer "La Camorra" suite. (Latin, Global Grooves) CD

A beautiful debut from Pedro Ricardo – an artist with a name that sounds like a contemporary of the MPB scene in 70s Brazil – and one who works here with a rock-solid sound that might easily place him in that legacy! Pedro's music is definitely contemporary, and he's Portuguese, not Brazilian – but shares the same language, and the same sort of temporal spanning of some of our current favorites from the Brazilian underground – effortlessly blending elements of jazz and more rootsy expressions, sometimes with modern inflections, sometimes a lot more earthy overall! There's plenty of wonderfulness happening here – a truly individual statement from an artist we'll be keeping our ears on for years to come – on titles that include "Soprem Bons Ventos", "Entre O Vale E O Eco", "Tema 2", "Deheba", "Ode Ao Gato", "A Marcha Que O Monte Parou", and "Cantar Das Kandakinhas". LP, Vinyl record album

A contemporary record, but one we'd rank right up there with the moodiest, most exotic African funk albums of the 70s – especially the gems we've discovered through the Ethiopiques series! These guys play in a style that certainly references Ethiopian reeds and keyboard work of the 70s, but with a groove that's even funkier too – an understanding of the possibilities of a deep funk combo, but expressed through a much richer, more organic vibe – so that nothing's ever forced or faked at all, and the music is wonderfully captivating throughout. Production is perfect for this sort of set – and titles include "Pinch Of The Death Nerve", "Viking Of 5th Avenue", "Cave Of Brahma", "Night Of The Sorcerer", and "Suur Toll". LP, Vinyl record album

You might know these guys under their previous name of Kutimangoes – one that's dropped maybe in part because there's a shift in the music here to a slightly different style! Where Kutimangoes explored a heavy dose of Afro Funk on their records, Sunborn take off from the roots and move things into a much more fluid sense of expression – often percolating rhythms that have both acoustic and electric elements, in support of a superb hornline that moves with a sense of majesty that really makes the album stand out – giving the whole thing an instant sense of power and pride! Guests include Caio Marcio and Bigyuki – and titles include "Mankind", "Apple Blossom", "Night Sweats", "Dancing In The Dark", "Metropolis", "Beach Chase", "Echoes", and "Under The Same Sky". (New Grooves, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

A smoking overview of work from the glory days of the Venezuelan scene – that moment when the nation's economy was opening the doors to rich new avenues of expression – including the important Discomoda label, which recorded all the gems on this set! The vibe is great – kind of a sideways take on NYC Latin modes of the years involved, but with some of the rootsier elements you might expect from Colombian work too – all presented with really stark, simple, no-nonsense production that really makes the music burst out loud! The selection of tracks here is great – all killer, no-filler, with a focus on the best Discomoda grooves from this stretch – 21 tracks that include "Mambo Tema" by Genaro Y Sus All Stars, "Disparo Goajira" by Nelson Y Sus Estrellas, "No Salgas De Tu Barrio" by Los Kenya, "Fiesta En Venezuela" by Los Satelites, "Lija" by Rodrigo Mendoza, "Mi Rendencion" by La Renovacion, "Analiza" by Principe Y Su Sexteto, "Juana Guaguanco" by Supercombo Los Tropicales, "Algo Diferente" by Johnny Sedes Y Su Orquesta, "Muneca" by Los Megatones De Lucho, "Pero En Caracas" by Sonora Venezuela, "Maracaibo" by Microbanda Marabina, and "Oye Como Suena"b y Orquesta Sonoramica. (Latin, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet jazzy grooves from a variety of global points in the late 70s/early 80s scene – music that's often much cooler and more interesting than mainstream fusion or jazz funk of the time! The set features work by artists who've dug the 70s experiments on CTI Records, but soon move into territory that's all their own – sometimes bringing in more regional instrumentation, or inflections from an earlier non-fusion world of expression – which includes some great Latin, Brazilian, and Eastern European elements throughout the set! The collection is maybe even more compelling than the first volume in the series – and titles include "Pendulum" by Bobby Martinez, "Oto Przyczyna" by Krystyna Pronko, "Cactus" by Nivaldo Ornelas, "Mystified" by Tom Grant, "Brownstones" by Dana Kaproff, "Oamoreomar" by Carlos Mendes, and "Free" by Lerma De La Cruz. (Funky Compilations, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Spanish tracks with a very soulful vibe – and a set that includes a fair bit of very groovy tracks from the years when the scene was mixing older flamenco styles with disco rhythms of the 70s! The flamenco mode here doesn't involve guitar so much as it does a wonderfully expressive style of singing – a mode that's different than American disco divas of the time, and which taps into a special sort of emotive mode in Spanish pop, then hooks it up to a mighty sweet 70s-styled groove! Titles include "Tu Cigarro" by Perlita De Huelva, "Con Ese Beso" by Marife De Triana, "Embruja Por Tu Querer" by Isabel Pantoja, "Para Que Quieres Volver" by Rosa Morena, "Llorando Lola" by Lola Flores, "Lo Quiero" by La Marelu, and "Ola De La Mar" by La Polaca. LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool collection of cuts that we might never have encountered otherwise – all brought together in celebration of 20 years of work from the If Music shop, who clearly just keep on refining their ears over the years! There's so many cuts here that fall in a special space between familiar genres – jazzy instrumentation mixed with folksy vocals, electronic rhythms mixed with warmer instrumentation, ethnic instrumentation fused with jazzy expression, and blends that really keep things interesting throughout – especially as most of these cuts are nice and long, and really explore the ideas at their core! Titles include "We Are Not Invisible" by Ola Szmidt, "Big Kalimba" by Greetje Bijma Kwintet, "Fidji" by Christine Schaller, "Sunday Sea Improvisation" by Tamar Osborn, "Fall In To Me (alt version)" by Emanative & Liz Elensky, "Turkish Showbiz" by Atilla Engin Group, "Dennison Point" by Tenderlonious, and "At The Speed Of Light" by Sarathy Korwar. (Funky Compilations, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

One of those records that grabs you right away, even if you can't understand the language – a classic 80s set by Lebanese singer Fairuz, set to superb arrangements that resonate with some of the best European work of the time! Fairuz herself has a voice that's amazing – full of life and range, with a classic sort of depth, but very contemporary expression – set to these really wonderful songs and arrangements by Ziad Rahbani, which mix jazzy inflections and straighter elements to give the whole thing the sophistication of some of the best MPB work coming from Brazil in the decade. Great all the way through – with titles that include "Ouverture 83", "Khaleek Bil Beit", "Antoura", "Li Beirut", "Oudak Rannan", and "Ma Kdirt Nseet". LP, Vinyl record album