Eleven tracks from Alexander Hope, Lynette Smith, C-Dock Featuring Dave Wells, Restless Soul, Julie McKnight, Mijan, Amira, D'Menace, and House Of Jazz. (New Grooves, Global Grooves) CD

Overlooked mid-period work from this legendary Korean trio – music the group recorded after their first three albums – all records that have been reissued a bit over the years, which these tracks have not! There's a deeply moody vibe to the music – still all the fuzz, freak, and messed-up elements of the past – but sometimes a bit more focused and tuneful – not in a way that has you thinking that these guys are going for hits at all, but just with this quality that shows them maybe finding a way to bring subtle power to their psychedelic leanings, and slip them into the mainstream! Given the timing of the tracks here – from the late 70s/early 80s generation – the music is almost a bridge between older psych modes and that huge explosion of new psychedelic energy that would show up on the UK scene in the latter half of the 80s – music that certainly resonates well with some of these cuts. 2LP set features 23 tracks in all – with titles that include "Dreaming Doll", "Red Balloon", "A Teacup", "Let's Go To The Vineyard", "Portrait Of A Lady Shaman", An Hourglass In Midday", "Chameleon", "Tomorrow & Tomorrow Again", "Fly Away Bird", "A Strange Day Like This", and "Naughty Boy". (Rock, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

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Lovely work from Tabu Ley, aka Rochereau – a singer who definitely earns the "voice of lightness" title on this set! Tabu's style isn't light in a soft of mellow way – but it's got a wonderfully floating sort of quality – a way of staying on top of the percussion and guitars that back him up on the tunes, but always with a sense of depth and feeling. The approach is tremendous – and Ley's singing has a way of going beyond language in its appeal – bringing you in, even though you don't know the meaning of the lyrics. Backings are by African Jazz, African Fiesta, Afrisa International, ad Onanza – and the 2CD set features 29 tracks from the 60s and 70s – supported by a 44 page booklet of notes! Titles include "Pesa Le Tout", "Kelya", "KJ", "Christine", "Ana Mokoy", "Kasala", "Nzale", "Omanga", "Mongali", "Aon Aon", "Adeito", "Yombe", and "Kaful Mayay". CD

The great drummer Tony Allen left our planet all too soon – but not before cutting this fantastic album as part of the Jazz Is Dead series – a killer record that may be one of the best he's given us in the past decade or so! The format here is different than some of Tony's other records, but also different than the other Jazz Is Dead records – as the instrumentation is fuller than those, with a brace of horns that really fills things up – while Tony delivers these amazing rhythm patterns on the bottom, supported with basslines from Adrian Younge, who also adds in all sorts of very cool keyboards! There's more noise and darkness at times than we've heard on some of Allen's bigger label sets – and we mean that in a really great way – and the drummer is maybe most up in the mix of all the instruments, so you can really hear Tony going to town at his funky best. Titles include "Don't Believe The Dancers", "Steady Tremble", "Ebun", "Oladipo", "No Beginning", "Lagos", and "Makoko". (Deep Funk, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Includes music by Gotan Project, Gary Burton, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Caceres, Astor Piazzolla, and others. CD

Includes "In The Land Of The Zulus", "Pata Pata", "Kutheni Sithandwa", "Makoti", "Kilimanjaro", "Click Song No 1", "Amampondo", "Chicken", "Carnival" and more – 40 tracks over 2 discs! CD

Music from Southern Journeys, the Caribbean Collection, the English, Scottish and Irish Recordings, the Spanish Collection, the Italian Collection, the Columbia World Library, Deep River Of Song, and Portraits. (Folk/Country, Global Grooves) CD

A stunning companion to the first Angola Soundtrack set from Analog Africa – and a record that's filled with tunes that are rhythmically feverish, soulfully sung, and tremendously addictive! The music here is from the period soon after the electric guitar began to make a huge impact on regional African music – and the sharp lines of the instrument are woven into the fabric at a level that's both rhythmic and melodic at the same time – often hypnotically produced with a bit more echo than some of the other instruments, and almost always used with a pulse the really drives the tunes! Yet the sounds are never overindulgent or offbeat for their own needs – and instead have this timeless quality that makes the whole collection immediately appealing, even to ears untrained on any other African sounds – coming across with a vibe that goes far beyond the boundaries of language or nation – just the kind of culture-crossing we've come to love from Analog Africa. Titles include "Avante Juventude" by Os Anjos,"Senhor Doutor" by Quim Manuel O Espirito Santo, "N'Hoca" by Tony Von, "Aagarrem" by Africa Ritmos, "Lemba" by Negoleiros Do Ritmo, "Bazooka" by Carlos Lamartine E Aguias Reias, "Olha O Pica" by Africa Ritmos, "Despedida" by Dimba Diangola, and "Fatimita" by Urbano De Castro – plus the bonus track "Fuguei Na Escola (Para Jogar A Bola)" by Teta Lando. CD

Dust To Digital moves across the Atlantic Ocean – and brings the same great skill to African music they've already brought to blues, folk, and gospel! This package is amazing – 100 rare 78rpm recordings, appearing here on CD for the first time ever – not just wonderful music, but music that's wonderfully put together – with detailed notes that really blow us away as much as the sounds on the discs! The beautiful thing is that these guys not only know how to pick the best tracks, but that they also know what the music is about – and can prove it with a lavish 112 page book that features very rich information on all the obscure recordings – an archival feat that's a real bargain at this price. Heck, some guys would spend an entire career just to excavate and annotate this much great music – yet it's all in a day's work for this legendary label. And we haven't even told you about the actual music yet – but trust us, it's wonderful – the kind of mindblowing 78-era tracks that will really open up your understanding of global sounds! CD

Includes music by Rosario, Estrella Morente, paco De Lucia, Manuel Luna, Carlos Nunez, Remedios Amaya, and Glissando. CD

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