A haunting bit of jazz from the Venezuelan scene of the early 70s – one of those great records from a time when the nation was really riding high, yet one that's hardly ever gotten much exposure on a global scale either! Pianist Virgilo Armas leads the group, and the whole thing has the fluid complexity of bossa nova record – really modern in approach, yet moving along in a very organic way – as Virgilo's piano mixes with the work of Domingo Moret on flute, Rodolfo Buenano on bass, Guillermo Tariba on drums, and Tata Guerra on percussion. Yet the vibe is nicely different than Brazilian jazz too – opening up with all these great currents and inflections, on titles that include "Barlovento", "Tamanaco", "Sobre El Orinoco", "Nery", "Caracas Moderna", "Moliendo Cafe", and "Canaima". 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". LP, Vinyl record album

A totally wonderful little record – a jazz set with a bit of a Latin vibe – part electric, thanks to some great Fender Rhodes – which is mixed with percussion and a really well-crafted horn section! The tracks are long, and very jazzy – put together with a style that's laidback, but tight at the same time – in a group led by trumpeter Rahdy Montero, with electric piano from Amuni Nacer, tenor from Michael Lawrence, trombone from Tim Sessions, and plenty of percussion too! Titles include a fantastic version of "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" – plus "Mambo Ajeno", "Planeta Pimienta", and "Extasis". LP, Vinyl record album

Saxophonist Mike Makhalemele is in great company here – blowing these long, soulful lines in a combo that has plenty of mellow grooves – keyboards from Jabu Nkosi and bass from Sipho Gumede – both players who really know how to lay back, open up a groove, and let Mike do all the rest with his horn! The approach is a more stripped-down take on American soul fusion styles of the time – never too smooth or commercial, and definitely with some elements of older South African jazz in the mix, although in subtle ways. The main focus is on the tenor, which is great – on titles that include "My Thing", "15th Avenue", "Peace Train", "End Of The Road", and "Going West". LP, Vinyl record album

Twin-tenor magic from South African saxophonists Winston Mankunku Ngozi and Mike Makhalemele – working together here with backing from a sweet electric combo that features Trevor Rabin on guitar! The groove is open and fluid – the band just vamping and opening things up, to let Ngozi and Makhalemele spin out these long solos that have plenty to say – which is maybe why both artists are listed on the cover as "voices" in the credits! The vibe is different than Ngozi's early records, and much more in the style of Makhalemele's music – and the set features the side-long track "Rainy Day", plus "Snowfall" and "Togetherness" – all great mellow jazz funk numbers! LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible bit of electric funk from the hinterlands of Ohio – an obscure album that hardly saw the light of day back in the 70s, making its first national debut in this excellent reissue! The sound of the set is incredible – moody Fender Rhodes, Arp, moog, and organ over bass and percussion that ranges from spare and skittish, to funky and full-on! A few tracks feature a bit of vocals, but the album's mostly concerned with the interplay between the keys and the percussion – tripping out in wonderfully open-ended tracks, the best of which offer almost a keyboard alternative to the spacey sound of Shuggie Otis in the mid 70s! Titles include "One Slave One Gun", "Quiet Isle", "Untitled", "Ja Ja", "Summer Time", "Punk Fun", and "Hypertension". (Soul, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully burning work from Japanese saxophonist Kohsuke Mine – a player who cut some fantastic albums in the 70s, even though he never fully got his due on this side of the Pacific! The vibe here is very much in a post-Coltrane spiritual mode – with the leader blowing both tenor and soprano sax, and really working some amazing long, visionary lines on his instruments – sometimes really soaring off with Impulse Records-like energy, other times hitting more modal modes that remind us that Mine was one of the most powerful, soulful forces in the Japanese jazz scene at the time. The rest of the lineup is excellent too – and the album features additional tenor from Hideo Miyata, plus piano from Fumio Itabashi, bass from Hideaki Mochizuki, and drums from Hiroshi Murakami. Titles include "Thirsty", "Self Contradiction", "Spin Drift", "Daguri", and "Expectation". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer second album from the McNeal & Niles duo who gave us the legendary Thrust album – a record that's a lot less-known than that underground classic, and which almost has the group soaring in an even more fully-formed mode overall! There's definitely plenty of Ohio funk elements in the mix here – that special legacy the late 70s scene picked up from the influence of George Clinton and his P-Funk empire – but tuned towards some jazzier modes at times, especially given that the record has all this nice work on tenor from Bob Fried! The set's still got all the great keyboard work of before, but also adds in some wickedly sharp basslines, and even some occasional vocals one one track – the mighty "Survival Of The Fittest", next to other cuts that include "Electric Earth", "Parrot City", "Hang Ten", "First Time Home", and "Sevens Up". (Soul, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

The coolest record so far from this hip Finnish combo – one who seem to get deeper and more spiritual with each new release, and really knocking it out of the park with the combination of elements on this set! All the instrumentation is standard from the outside – but the way they come together is really magical, very personal, and completely inspirational – a blend of the drums of leader Antti Vauhkonen with the flute and saxes of Johannes Sarjasto, bass of Philip Holm, piano of Staffan Wolf Sodergard, and occasional vocals of female singer Marikukka Kiviharju. Titles include "Joo Tai", "Kunika Kukaan", "Calamity Caravan", "Kaiju Kaiju", and "Joona's Abs". LP, Vinyl record album

Soaring sounds from Nucleus – one of the few UK jazz/rock combos from the start of the 70s who really found a way to keep growing and changing as the years moved on! Here, the lineup is nice and large – the mighty trumpet of Ian Carr in the lead, next to keyboards from both Gordon Beck and Geoff Castle, both of whom bring plenty of Fender Rhodes into play – with more work from Jocelyn Pitchen and Ken Shaw on guitars, and Bob Bertles on alto, baritone, bass clarinet, and flute – really great reedwork that's always a great match for Carr's energy. There's some really great drums on the set from Bryan Spring, which make the best tracks quite funky – and titles include "In Procession", "The Addison Trip", "Pastoral Graffiti", "New Life", and "A Taste Of Sasparilla". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful blend of 70s electric modes and the spiritual currents of the Gallo label on the South African scene – and a record that really stands as a testament to the talents and timing of keyboard player Lionel Pillay! The set just features two long tracks – building with a groove as Pillay uses either electric piano or organ alongside the bass of Charles Johnstone and drums and percussion of Rod Clark – stretching things out, and never forcing the groove too much – so that the record builds in a really nice way. Basil Manneberg Coetzee provides a wonderful tenor solo on the 25 minute track "Cherry" – almost evoking Stanley Turrentine with his tone – and the 19 minute "Plum" is just a keyboard showcase for Pillay in the trio! LP, Vinyl record album