... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Features traditional music from the Yao, Karen, Meo, Lahu, Akha, and Lisu Tribes of China. LP, Vinyl record album

With a record like this, it's hard to believe that Christian Scott started out in more standard jazz – as Chief Xian Atunde Adjuah is a very different artist altogether, one who wraps together worlds and eras of musical heritage – working here in a set that's very heavy on percussion, vocal refrains, and other elements you never would have heard in his earlier music! The leader works a whole host of percussion along with other members of the group, but also adds in some larger production elements too – always in a way that's nicely subtle, and preserves the acoustic energy at the core – yet which really enriches the proceedings too! The album's overflowing with righteous power – and titles include "On To New Orleans", "Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lighting", "Xodokan Iko Hu Na Ney", "Trouble That Mornin", "Blood Calls Blood", "Ashe Chief Donald", "Golden Crown", and "Shallow Water". (Jazz, Global Grooves) CD

With a record like this, it's hard to believe that Christian Scott started out in more standard jazz – as Chief Xian Atunde Adjuah is a very different artist altogether, one who wraps together worlds and eras of musical heritage – working here in a set that's very heavy on percussion, vocal refrains, and other elements you never would have heard in his earlier music! The leader works a whole host of percussion along with other members of the group, but also adds in some larger production elements too – always in a way that's nicely subtle, and preserves the acoustic energy at the core – yet which really enriches the proceedings too! The album's overflowing with righteous power – and titles include "On To New Orleans", "Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lighting", "Xodokan Iko Hu Na Ney", "Trouble That Mornin", "Blood Calls Blood", "Ashe Chief Donald", "Golden Crown", and "Shallow Water". (Jazz, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Hard-driving work from this Afrobeat collection – an ensemble who've been working together for over a decade, and whose members hail from more scenes than just London – yet one who also use that city's cross-cultural heritage to really craft their own groove! Vocals are by Juanita Euka, who sings in English, French, and Spanish, and often in ways that make for a nicely different style than the usual vocal approach you'd expect from an Afro Funk record – a depth that sometimes has the musicians making space for her lead in a really great way! Her presence brings this extra current of soul to the record that's very nice – and titles include "El Ritmo De Londres", "Freedom", "Topesa Esengo Na Motema", "My Way", "De Kinshasa A Sona Bata", and "Take Me To The Sea". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from the legendary Orchestre Poly-Rhythmo – a group who've lost none of their power over the years, and who bristle with as much energy here as on their classic albums of the 70s! In fact, there may well be a more-classic vibe going on here, compared to the group's sound as it changed over the years – as the production is simple and straightforward, and free of both any attempt to try for a world music crossover hit, or any effort to "authenticate" the group with a too-rootsy sound. Instead, the whole thing just perfectly captures that wicked current of funk that the group always had at their best – a transformation of the Latin influences that were hitting west Africa in the late 60s, with more of the tightness inspired by James Brown – yet never in a way that's slavish to any influence at all. Titles include "Heritage", "Finlin Ho", "Migbe", "Omonyi", "Baba Djide", "Madjafalao", and "Wangnigni". CD

A sublime blend of Caribbean roots and contemporary soul – and a set that's even more fantastic than the previous album from David Walters! Walters is one of those globe-trotting talents who manages to pick up all sorts of great inspirations along the way, then forge them into something that's all his own – music that would certainly live up to the heritage of his roots in the West Indies, but with a global current that really fits the best spirit of the Heavenly Sweetness label and their excellent legacy of crossing boundaries with effortless ease! If the world were a better place, this album would be huge – showing up in all sorts of scenes and charts – yet we don't mean that in any sort of commercial way at all, as Walters has a way of being a really unique superstar without any sort of pretense or ego. Titles include "Soul Tropical", "Don't U", "Light", "Toxic Tropic", "Vanse Carnival", "An Lot Soley", "La Vi A Bel", "Gimme Love", and "No One (Captain Planet disco edit)". CD

A sublime blend of Caribbean roots and contemporary soul – and a set that's even more fantastic than the previous album from David Walters! Walters is one of those globe-trotting talents who manages to pick up all sorts of great inspirations along the way, then forge them into something that's all his own – music that would certainly live up to the heritage of his roots in the West Indies, but with a global current that really fits the best spirit of the Heavenly Sweetness label and their excellent legacy of crossing boundaries with effortless ease! If the world were a better place, this album would be huge – showing up in all sorts of scenes and charts – yet we don't mean that in any sort of commercial way at all, as Walters has a way of being a really unique superstar without any sort of pretense or ego. Titles include "Soul Tropical", "Don't U", "Light", "Toxic Tropic", "Vanse Carnival", "An Lot Soley", "La Vi A Bel", "Gimme Love", and "No One (Captain Planet disco edit)". LP, Vinyl record album

A really beautiful collection of rare work pulled from a variety of different 78rpm singles – Indian classical music from the generation before Ravi Shankar and a few other artists gave it global exposure – with an especially strong focus on the use of the violin next to sitars and tablas! The violin is amazing – very stretched out and snakey – used maybe with some techniques of European heritage, but with a sonic result that's very very different – and a perfect fit for the rhythms and other instrumentation in the tracks! The collection is very well-done – similar to such projects on labels like Dust-To-Digital or Honest Jons – and titles include "Raga Thodi" by Gajanan Madhav Karnad, "Nagumomu Ganale (parts 1 & 2)" by Muthi & Masni, "Ragamalika Ragam Thanam (parts 1 & 2)" by Dwaram Venkatswamny Naidu, "Ikanaiana Raga Manirang" by Mysor Chowdiah, and the tracks "Raga Adana", "Thumri", "Raga Bageshree", "Raga Ahir Bhairi", and "Raga Sur Malha" by Paritosh Seal – clearly the star of the set! Also features two earlier, pre-classical tracks – "Thodi" and "Ragam Alapana" by Cunniah Naidu. CD