... CD

The record's definitely a nostalgia blitz, but one that has a very strong grounding in the 80s! Benjamin Herman plays saxophone throughout – but in a setting that's very new wave, post-punk, and no wave as well – lots of sharp reed lines colliding with frenetic work on bass, guitar, and keyboards – all with a vibe that makes you feel like you maybe stumbled onto some hip performance spot on the New York downtown scene in 1982! Yet despite the bombast and other instrumentation, Herman is actually pretty amazing on his solos – coming up with all these great sounds that really push the boundaries of the instrument – on titles that include "Chancelot", "One For Deelder", "Captain Zorg", "Zaat", "Hornin Out", and "Asman Graves". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique album, and one that's a bit hard to describe on words (which means you might want to run over to the bandcamp link!) – as Naima Farao has all the jazzy currents you might expect from her first name, but also opens up here in a blend of cosmic soul, spacey instrumentation, and all sorts of other really cool touches – a bit like some of the post-jazz London experiments in recent years, but with some deeper soul currents in the mix on most numbers! Naima's got a breathy way of singing at times, which really sparkles with the instrumentation – yet she can then swing into a deeper style that's equally powerful, and which takes off and runs on the best tunes. The set features guest appearances from Ilhan Ersahin and Napoleon Maddox – and titles include "Vortex", "Heirloom", "Run", "Buoyancy Of Water", "Process", "Roll Back In", and "Increase The Light". (Neo Soul, New Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album