A previously unissued album from Indian guitarist Amancio D'Silva – recorded during his legendary run of work at Lansdowne Studios, but making its first-ever appearance here! The work on the set is every bit as far-reaching and progressive as some of D'Silva's official releases – and like those sides, this one does a tremendous job of blending complicated guitar lines, unusual rhythms, and some super-hip instrumentation! Amancio has a way of playing guitar that's a bit like Gabor Szabo – airy and exotic at times, with a free-flowing quality that's really explored nicely here on the longish tunes on the set. Players include Don Rendell on saxophone, Stan Tracey on piano, and Alan Branscombe on flute, vibes, and electric piano – but best of all is the use of sitar and tabla on the record – often employed sparingly, but in a way that adds some great echoes of Indian music. Titles include "A Street In Bombay", "What Maria Sees", "A Song For Francesca", and "Konkan Dance". (Jazz, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Passionate, legendary and feverishly played music from Senegal's great Etoile De Dakar – an ultra important group previously anthologized by Sterns, but the the label outdoes itself once again – a great selection of material the group recorded between 1979 and 1981! It's the roots of the mbalax genre – a cross cultural blend of African, Latin and Western influences and traditions that's some of the most captivating dance music made in any region these past few decades. Singer Youssou N'Dour would of course go on to be a pivotal figure in the worldwide popularily of African music, and other members of Etoile De Dakar have done great things, but the music here is as exciting to us as just about anything we've heard by all involved. Several tracks have never been officially released outside of Senegal before now. Disc 1 features material from 1979-1980: "Theily", "Dom Sou Nare Bakh", "Esta China", "Jalo", "Dagotte", "Dounya", "Kine Kine" and more. Disc 2 features material from 1980-1981: "Tolou Badou N'Diaye", "Yalaye Dogal", "My Wa Wa", "Diankha Demal", "Titeur", "Maleo" and more. 2 1/2 hours of music in all with the always exceptional Sterns attention to detail and reverence for this excellent and stylistically pioneering music from Senegal – with a 23 page booklet with solid notes and rare photographs. CD

Amazing grooves like you've never heard before – seminal sides by Salah Ragab and his Cairo Jazz Band – work done by the percussionist who'd also worked with Sun Ra, but who's even more amazing here on his own! As you can probably guess from their name, the ensemble was an Egyptian one – working in an incredible blend of jazz and more traditional Egyptian-styled sounds – a blend that comes across with all the exotic feel of the pyramids at dawn, but which manages to groove like some of the best funky work from America at the time! Instrumentation includes lot of percussion, heavy piano and horns, and some especially great flute on most tracks – all coming together with a sound that's unlike anything else we've heard before. This collection is the first time that this music has been brought together officially, all with the kind of top-shelf production and packaging we've come to expect from the Art Yard label! Titles include "Ramadan In Space Time", "Neveen", "Kleopatra", "Mervat", and "Oriental Mood". (Jazz, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing grooves like you've never heard before – seminal sides by Salah Ragab and his Cairo Jazz Band – work done by the percussionist who'd also worked with Sun Ra, but who's even more amazing here on his own! As you can probably guess from their name, the ensemble was an Egyptian one – working in an incredible blend of jazz and more traditional Egyptian-styled sounds – a blend that comes across with all the exotic feel of the pyramids at dawn, but which manages to groove like some of the best funky work from America at the time! Instrumentation includes lot of percussion, heavy piano and horns, and some especially great flute on most tracks – all coming together with a sound that's unlike anything else we've heard before. This collection is the first time that this music has been brought together officially, all with the kind of top-shelf production and packaging we've come to expect from the Art Yard label! Titles include "Ramadan In Space Time", "Neveen", "Kleopatra", "Mervat", and "Oriental Mood". (Jazz, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album