Rare Afro Rock from Nigeria's Semi-Colon group – and it's an astonishingly strong record! It's got fuzzy guitar grooves and spacey electic piano that are indebted to the global psych soul and rock scenes of the late 60s and early 70s – but the rhythmic sensibility, percussion and vocals are prime 70s Nigeria. The record has 3 great jams per side, which is perfect – allowing each number plenty of space to stretch, and sink into to a hypnotic groove, but they're just succinct enough to leave us wanting more! Includes "Ndia Egbuo Ndia", "Ebenebe", "Isi Agboncha", "Afro Jigada", "True Fine Mama/True Fine Woman", "Giam Blow" and "Yanga (Okongwu)". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work by Lonnie Smith – a free-flowing album of long jazzy grooves that's kind of an extension of his Blue Note albums, touched with more of the electricity of his 70s playing! There's some killer rhythms on the album – courtesy of drummers Jamey Hudad and Ben Riley, and electric bassists Ron Carter and Ralphe Armstrong – and Lonnie's on organ grooving alongside a young Joe Lovano, who plays some killer tenor and soprano sax – and the album's got these really long, open cuts that definitely hint at the more spiritual look of the cover. Titles include the 15 minute jammer "Spirits Free", plus "Afrodesia", "Favors", "Straight To The Point", and "The Awakening". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible work by Randy Weston – light years ahead of his trio material from just a few years before! The album is one of his most progressive from the early years, and features an extended suite dedicated to the newly-won freedoms of the African Nations – with occasional lyrics by Langston Hughes, and arrangements by the great Melba Liston! The material's political, radical, and modernist – but it never fails to groove, and uses its politics to achieve an added emotional punch, as in the best work from the same time by Max Roach and Charles Mingus – and some of their larger progressive projects. The group is much larger than you'd expect from Randy – with Benny Bailey and Richard Williams on trumpets, Slide Hampton on trombone, Sahib Shihab on reeds, and Candido and Olatunji on percussion – which really dominates the record. The whole thing is amazing – one of the purest realizations of the African influence in Weston's music – and movements of the suite are entitled "Uhuru Kwanza", "African Lady", "Bantu", and "Kucheza Blues" LP, Vinyl record album

A whole new world of grooves we've never heard before – music from a short stretch on the Italian scene when local artists were really taken with the new developments in Afro Funk, and started to serve up some fresh styles of their own! The music here is maybe a blend of West African sounds and sound library modes – often leaner than the large group ensembles of Fela and some of his contemporaries, which also makes the tracks perfect for the clubs as well – but with a vibe that's sharper and tighter than some of the Afro/disco crossover cuts of the time! The selection of tracks is wonderful, and the whole thing is very revelatory – with titles that include "Why O" by Beryl Cunningham, "Kumbayero" by Weyman Corporation, "L'Unica Chance" by Walter Rizzati, "Amore" by Chrisma, "Tabu Tuba (part 1)" by I Robots, "Africa Sound" by Jean Paul & Angelique, "Contrabbando Di Fagioli" by Ramasandiran Somusundaram, "MAAGO" by Prognosi Riservata, "The Voodoo Lady" by Lara Saint Paul, and "Soul Makossa" by African Revival. LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful entry in this excellent series – one that initially helped identify a really special strand in postwar music – then continue to provide rare and unique examples with new volumes like this! The music isn't really mambo or Latin at all – but the rhythms here are more sophisticated and modern than more blues-oriented work of the time – and pulled from a fantastic moment when things were really mixing up in the new indie recording scene of the postwar years! Bits of jazz, early soul, and other touches make these tunes really shine – all lively numbers that include both group material and solo singers too – in a killer set list that includes "Wanda" by The Heartbreakers, "You're So Good Looking" by Otis Smith, "Heartaches & Troubles" by Mr Bo, "Song Of Sadar" by Lawrence Peel & The Filatones, "Buddha's Boogie" by Dukes Of Rhythm, "Calvalry" by Marie Knight & Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Evil One" by The Dundees, "Love For Sale" by Helene Polite, "Oscalypso" by Oscar Pettiford, "Mambo Blues" by Effie Smith, "Big Mary's" by Titus Turner, "Caldonia" by Monchito, "Ali Baba's Boogie" by Preston Love, "Canveral Rock" by The Blasts, "I Want You To Be My Baby Mambo" by The Royals, "Girl Of My Dream" by Frank Butler, and "My Beat Is 125th Street" by Eunice Davis. LP, Vinyl record album

An ultra-groovy record label celebrates its 15th anniversary – in a hip selection of 15 tracks that features a fair bit of previously-unreleased tracks! For over a dozen years, Record Kicks has been serving up global funk from its homebase in Milan – spanning the planet to uncover some great contemporary acts with a sound that hearkens back to the glory days of 60s and 70s soul – and occasionally reissuing some lost classics from that period, too. The set's got plenty of deep funk and retro soul that really live up to the Record Kicks legacy – and titles include "Top Dog" by Hook & Slingers, "Come Back" by The Devonns, "This Strange Effect" by The Tibbs, "Love You Back" by Third Coast Kings, "The Sort" by Crabs Corporation, "One More Time" by The Faithful Brothers, "You Don't Know Me" by Dojo Cuts with Roxie Ray, "Money" by Tanika Charles, and "Hurt Me So" by Diplomats Of Solid Sound. LP, Vinyl record album

One of her grooviest records ever! Dorothy plays her fantastic harp over large arrangements by Richard Evans – with that amazing crossover Chicago sound of the late 60s that you hear on the best Cadet albums by Evans and Charles Stepney. There's a bit of funk, a bit of baroque jazz, and a heck of a lot of soul – and the setting works perfectly for Dorothy's harp, giving it a lot more room to work around than some of her smaller jazz combo albums. The album includes two great originals – "Soul Vibrations" and "Afro-Harping" – both of which have a nice funky edge to them! Other tunes include "Lonely Girl", "Life Has Its Trials", "Look Of Love", "Come Live With Me", and a great version of Freddie Hubbard's "Little Sunflower". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the grooviest records ever – a sublime blend of African percussion, soulful orchestrations, and Dorothy Ashby's amazing electric harp! By the time of this landmark album, Dorothy had been knocking around the jazz world for a number of years, but it wasn't until she hooked up with Richard Evans at Cadet Records that her sound really began to cook – breaking down genres and expectations in the trademark style of the best late 60s sides from the Chicago underground. The record's got a bit of funk, a bit of jazz, and a heck of a lot of soul – and the setting works perfectly for Dorothy's harp, giving it a lot more room to work around than some of her smaller jazz combo albums. The album includes two great originals – "Soul Vibrations" and "Afro-Harping" – both of which have a nice funky edge, and a groovy soulful bounce – and other tunes include "Lonely Girl", "Life Has Its Trials", "Look Of Love", "Come Live With Me", and a great version of Freddie Hubbard's "Little Sunflower". Great new version – completely remastered from the original tapes – with 8 never-issued bonus tracks, all alternate takes of album tunes – plus a new booklet of notes! LP, Vinyl record album

Reedman Nat Birchall digs deep for this masterful set – creating timeless music that easily stands next to the work of some of his key ancestors in jazz – especially musicians of the generation of John Coltrane! The set is one that has Birchall layering his tenor, soprano, and baritone solos with other self-created sounds – on piano, organ, balaphon, shruti box, bass, and other percussion – all with this slow-building, extremely spiritual quality that never lets up! The music feels much more like the work of a cohesive jazz combo than it does a solo performance by one artist – and that's another testament to the ever-growing powers of Nat, one of our favorite forces in jazz for more than the past decade! Titles include "The Drum Thing", "Sun In Libra", "Song Of The Ancestors, "Ogunde Uarerre", "Africa", and "One For The Son". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album of Latin grooves from Shorty! The record is one of his best, and features a whopping array of percussionists – including Carlos Vidal, Modesto Duran, and Mike Pacheco all coming into play with Shorty's west coast style of arrangements, tweaked greatly here to pick up an Afro Cuban sound. Players include Bud Shank, Bill Holman, Frank Rosolino, Herb Geller, and Bob Cooper – and the album is very similar to Perez Prado's Voodoo Suite album, which was also recorded for RCA around the same time. Includes the cuts "Un Poco Loco", "Manteca", "Viva Puente", and the extended suite "Wuayacanjanga". LP, Vinyl record album

An album that really lives up to its title, and one that brings together a host of rare singles from this legendary group – all of which are maybe even funkier than some of the tracks on their albums of the time! The bulk of the record is from very rare 7" singles issued on the Albarika Store label, and the set's completed by two rare compilation cuts as well – and the result is a record that's overflowing with hard-edged gems that really show off the unique funky sound of the TP Orchestra Poly Rhythmo – lots of heavy drums at the bottom, cool criss-crossing organ lines, and a style that's a lot leaner than that of Fela and some of his contemporaries. Titles include "Mi Si Ba To", "Minko E So Non Moin", "Gbeti Ma Diro", "Segla", "Kou Tche Kpo So O", "Mi Ve Wa Se", and "Aiha Ni Kpe We". LP, Vinyl record album

A well-done collection of rootsy Cuban material recorded in the years after the Revolution! LP, Vinyl record album

A great Dizzy Gillespie Latin session recorded during the mid 70s – proof that he could still hold onto the cubop spirit of the old days! The session features a larger group arranged and conducted by Chico O'Farril – who manages to keep a solidly Cuban groove at the base, but really let Dizzy open up with some broader horn flourishes at the top. Given the quality of actual Cuban jazz at the time, this set may well beat most of what was going on in Havana – thanks to solid solos from Dizzy, and backings from a group led by Machito, and featuring players who include Mario Bauza, Jorge Dalto, Manny Duran, Mauricio Smith, and Victor Paz. Side one features the extended "Oro, Incienso y Mirra", and side two is a 3-part suite, "Three Afro-Cuban Jazz Moods". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album of percussion grooves – hidden under a package that looks like it's going to be a lot more rootsy, but which ends up sounding like some of the hipper conga-heavy sessions on labels like Liberty or GNP from the late 50s. Jackson plays much of the percussion, but there's other players on the set who kick in with some other percussion instruments – and some occasional piano and flute. Tracks include "Mambo Ricci", "Conga", "Jungla", "Road March", "Shango", and "Guaguanco". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing album – and the cornerstone of the CTI sound! The record's an incredibly baroque set of tracks from funky flautist Hubert Laws – featuring arrangements from Don Sebesky that mix complicated lines on flute with electric piano from Bob James, into a swirling mass of sound that's warm, soulful, and fuzzy. The record's incredibly hip – and even on material like "Theme From Love Story", "Fire & Rain", and "Passacaglia In C Minor", Laws and the group soar away into another plane of being! Jazz flute and CTI were never the same after this album! LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal bit of Latin jazz from the early 50s – Machito's first "Afro Cuban Jazz Suite", written by Chico O'Farrill, and packaged here in the original 10" LP on Mercury, complete with the David Stone Martin cover! The set features a stunning mix of jazz and Latin playing, in a manner that was to forever shape the future of both musics – with solo work by Flip Phillips and Charlie Parker, and Latin percussion by Mario Bauza, Jose Mangual, Candido, and Machito. The writing and playing is superb, and Chico O'Farrill arranged the whole thing with an energy level matching his best early work! LP, Vinyl record album

A totally killer sound library set – every bit as funky as others that have been issued under the Afro Rock title – but a lot more obscure! The group here has wicked bass and plenty of percussion next to the drums – and the top of the sound also has some horn work that underscores more contemporary soul touches – as the whole thing holds together like some of the best Afro-inspired work on the London scene at the time, with maybe some keyboard touches that feel like they're lifted out of the Bay Area or East LA! The whole thing is a wonderfully rhythmic, totally funky party – and titles include "Facade", "Renegade", "Megaton", "Boss", "Nsambei", "Cult", "Green Hell", and "Waboco". LP, Vinyl record album

Massive Afro Funk! This slammin' batch of funky African (and African-sounding) tunes was put together by the same team who did the Africa Funk set on Harmless – and it's even better than that one was! Like Africa Funk, this set compiles a whopping batch of rare tracks from the 70s, plus a few from other eras that have a 70s feel – and the mix of tracks is filled with heavy drums, pounding percussion, funky keyboards, and choppy guitar riffs. You might have a few of the cuts on here, but most of them are quite rare, and the set's well worth having for newcomers and trainspotters alike! Titles include "Silver Black Summer Day" by Living Funk, "Rhythm On Rhythm" by Sookie, "Jungle Funk" by Nkengas, "Samba" by Miriam Makeba, "Everybody's Groove" by Ashantis, "Karam Bani" by Buari, and a nice remake of "Soul Makossa" by The Gaytones! LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue follow up to the legendary first Ghana Special collection – and one that presents a second chapter of work – not just from the regional scene, but from a time when some of its best artists were also recording in other nations too! The result is a more powerful, soulful style than before – not in a too-commercial "world music" way, but instead blended with elements of soul, funk, and newer club styles to really kick up the groove a bit more – while still keeping all the best elements of the 70s groove intact! There's definitely some drum machine rhythms along the way, but the overall vibe is still nice and warm – and very different than more electro-styled work from the South African scene of the time – and as always with Soundway, the notes and track selection are superb. Titles include "Ebe Ye Yie Ni" by The Godfathers, "Obiara Bewu" by Rex Gyamfi, "Kaakyire Nua" by George Darko, "Adjoa Amisa" by Andy Vans, "Barima Nsu" by Kwasi Afari Minta, "Mumude" by Nan Mayen, "Sii Nana" by Bessa Simons, "New Dance" by Ernest Honny, "Fre Me" by Charles Amoah, "Jigi Jigi" by Dadadi, "Apple" by Gyedu Blay Ambolley, "Alaiye" by Abdul Raheem, "Gye Wani" by Pat Thomas, and "MC Mambo" by Pepper Onion Ginger & Salt. LP, Vinyl record album

Bold new work from the legendary Pyramids ensemble – a spiritual jazz group who go back to the 70s, but who've reemerged in recent years with a renewed sense of energy, and a very forward-thinking sound! Leader Idris Ackamoor is still a master of tone and feeling on reeds – including alto and tenor, plus some other instrumentation as well – and he also vocalizes a bit on the record too hitting some righteous expressions that are in the spirit of Leon Thomas or Dwight Trible, mixed along with instrumentation from other players on drums, percussion, keyboards, trumpet, trombone, and guitar. The album's got a beautifully positive vibe – and titles include "Police Dem", "First Peoples", "Afro Futuristic Dreams", "Garland Rose", "Truth To Power", and "Requiem For The Ancestors". LP, Vinyl record album

A completely unique little session – and a record that's every bit as musically striking as you might guess from its title and cover! The date's a rare Latin-tinged one for trumpeter Kenny Dorham – a record that takes his usually smooth sound and sets it up against octet backings with horns from JJ Johnson on trombone, Cecil Payne on baritone sax, and Hank Mobley on tenor – plus piano from Horace Silver, bass from Oscar Pettiford, and drums from Art Blakey – plus added congas from Patato Valdes! The expanded group plays with a great sense of power – really pushing Kenny's sound tremendously – and although the album also features a few tracks by a smaller group with less percussion, these also have a bit of a Latin/exotic tinge too. Titles include "Basheer's Dream", "Lotus Flower", "KD's Motion", "Venita's Dance", "Minor's Holiday", "La Villa", and "Afrodisia". LP, Vinyl record album

The first new music we've heard in years from Afro Funk giant Orlando Julius – wonderfully paired here with the always-great Heliocentrics! Orlando's definitely in the lead here – singing, playing tenor, and contributing percussion to the overall groove of the group – which leans a bit more towards a 70s African vibe than some of their other releases, yet still retains all their wonderful style of psychedelic funk! Some of the rhythms have an Ethiopian sense of slinkiness, while others hit more of a full-on Nigerian groove – and the whole thing's never forced, never gimmicky, and instead just the right sort of setting for Julius to re-emerge as a true giant of his generation. Titles include "Buje Buje", "Love Thy Neighbor", "Aseni", "Sangodele", "Jaiyede Afro", "Omo Oba Blues", "In The Middle", and "Be Counted". LP, Vinyl record album

Groundbreaking Latin Jazz – and an essential 2LP set! The album brings together classic work for Norman Granz' Verve and Clef labels in the cubop mode – including Dizzy Gillespie's Manteca Suite, Machito's Afro-Cuban Suite, titles by Chico O'Farrill, and others recorded in 1949 and arranged by Rene Hernandez. Players include Machito, Charlie Parker, Diz, Mario Bauza, Eddie Bert, Flip Phillips, Chano Pozo, and Jos Mangual – and the quality of the work unifies the sessions wonderfully, even though they were recorded separately over a 5 year period. LP, Vinyl record album

There's maybe more jazz here than folk – some incredible work on horns amidst the percussion and guitars of the large lineup of Super Biton De Segou – a legendary group from Mali, and one whose roots are given great presentation in this double-length set! The music has a rawness that's different than work from other parts of the West African scene at the time – maybe not so much as to be folksy, but with a strong highlight of acoustic instrumentation, and very unassuming production that gives these tracks an honest sense of power after all these years. Titles include "Bouguel", "Nantan", "Djiri Maridie", "Kibaru 75", "Mariana", "Moriba", "Waraba Tchatcho", and "Farafina". LP, Vinyl record album

A smoking set of extended percussion-heavy grooves, but servedu p with plenty of keyboards, guitar, and horns as well! All tracks were penned by Jean-Marie Bolangassa, who also sings lead vocals – and titles include "Mama Elenge", "Koutoukou", "Jambo Africa", and "Mama". LP, Vinyl record album

Not really a religious record, in the way that you'd expect from the American scene – and instead a nice batch of rootsy, organic cuts with plenty of percussion! LP, Vinyl record album

Tripped-out sounds, selected by DJ Qbico – and offered up here in a manner that's similar to his other Afro-styled sets! Like those records, there's little here in the way of notes – but the track selection is great, and has a strong focus on those 70s African numbers that blend together equal parts funk and psych – always maintaining a groove, while still letting the freak flag fly! Lyrics are in English on a number of cuts, and the guitars are often nice and heavy – and plenty fuzzy, too – while the rhythms always have ties to more straight ahead 70s African funk and soul. The whole thing's presented as one live DJ mix – but with the songs all very strongly intact. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest jazz vocal albums of all time – and one of the first true moments of genius from a young Dee Dee Bridgewater! The album's a Japanese only release (proof that they're always hipper to our jazz artists than we are!) – and it features Dee Dee singing material that's quite different than her later R&B-inflected sides from the late 70s – very soaring and spiritual work, delivered in a way that set a whole new standard for jazz at the time! Backing is by a small combo with brothers Ron and Cecil Bridgewater, plus Roland Hanna on acoustic and electric piano, George Mraz on bass, and Motohiko Hino on drums and percussion – but the star of the set is always Dee Dee, who sparkles beautifully on the album's classic versions of "Afro Blue" and "Little B's Poem" – both of which have been redone by many other singers over the years. Other great cuts include "People Make The World Go Round", "Love From The Sun", and "Love Vibrations". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best posthumous releases by the legendary John Coltrane Quartet – and a set that really captures the group at a perfect moment – when they were really beginning to stretch out a lot, yet still in a style that was mostly inside! The material was recorded in Berlin and Stockholm – and features wonderfully fresh versions of tunes you'll know from classic Impulse and Atlantic albums by Coltrane – really reworked in this live setting, and opened up in that magical style of the group! In addition to some wonderful soprano and tenor sax from Coltrane, the group also features McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums – on titles that include "Lonnie's Lament", "Afro Blue", "Cousin Mary", "Spiritual", and "My Favorite Things". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album of percussion grooves – hidden under a package that looks like it's going to be a lot more rootsy, but which ends up sounding like some of the hipper conga-heavy sessions on labels like Liberty or GNP from the late 50s. Jackson plays much of the percussion, but there's other players on the set who kick in with some other percussion instruments – and some occasional piano and flute. Tracks include "Mambo Ricci", "Conga", "Jungla", "Road March", "Shango", and "Guaguanco". LP, Vinyl record album

A great reissue package that brings together 2 of Verve's most groundbreaking moments! Side one of the album features some of Charlie Parker's incredible "with strings" sides – wild tracks like "Repetition", "What Is This Thing Called Love", and "Rocker", which forever change the definition of "with strings" to an edgey eerie mode of expression. The flipside features tracks recorded under the guidance of Machito – with Parker as one of the main soloists over hard-driving Latin jazz grooves. Chico O'Farrill arranged and directed – and titles include "Cancion", "Mambo I & II", "Jazz", and "Rhumba Abierta". LP, Vinyl record album

A really different setting for the saxophone of Afro Funk legend Femi Kuti – as instead of working with a large group, he just blows here alongside the keyboard creations of Robert Hood – in a mode that makes for a really wonderful album all the way through! The tracks are each just titled "Variations" – and Femi's performance definitely seems improvised throughout, and set to these keyboard heavy grooves created by Hood – who also delivers lots of great keyboard solos too! There's a lot more jazz here than you'd expect on a Femi Kuti album – yet the set also nods to some Afro-styled grooves at points too – a real delight over the course of the eight tracks on the set. LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent batch of funky Latin tunes from Irakere – and one of the group's best albums! It's got a mix of rolling bass and electric keyboards on the best cuts – sounding a lot like the funky sound of LA Latin groups like War or El Chicano, but with more of the Afro-Cuban groove of their homeland of Havana in the mix. The quality of the work is excellent – better than on any of the group's American releases in later years – and this one time Cuban-only release is the kind of gem that's was unjustly hard to track down in earlier years – all the while deserving of worldwide love! Titles include "Iya", "Moja El Pan", "Juana 1600", "En Nosotros", "38 1/2", and "Xiomara" and "Este Camino Largo". LP, Vinyl record album

The rare second album from Juju – the avant jazz collective who'd later morph into funk band Oneness Of Juju, but who still sound pretty revolutionary here! There's a bit more focus than before – still energy that's a lot like the best righteous jazz groups coming out of Chicago or St Louis at the same time, but maybe a bit more direct, too – and really showing some of the stronger spiritual tones that would only blossom more strongly in later years! Reedman Plunky Nakabinde is firmly at the helm of the group – on tenor, flute, and soprano sax – but the set also features great work from Lon Moshe on vibes and percussion, Babatunde on congas and drums, Phil Branch on bass, and Al-Hammond Raul on piano and percussion. The sounds are a bit less Afro-styled than on the Oneness records, but still have all the great spiritual currents – and titles include an excellent version of Pharoah Sanders' "Black Unity", plus the original tunes "Contradiction","Nia", "Black Experience", and "The End Of The Butterfly King". LP, Vinyl record album

Super-soulful work from Remi Kabaka – a set recorded in LA, where Remi added in some great Cali soul touches to his Afro Funk groove! The tracks are longish, and have some sweet riffing guitar, driving percussion, and keyboards and vocals from Remi himself – topped with some guest horns from The Mean Machine, who bring a brightness to the top of the tracks that really sends the whole thing home! Yet despite the recording quality, the album's never slick or commercial – just tight and sharp, but with a strong indie vibe that keeps things real – on cuts that include "Afro Beat", "Funky Lagos", "Festival", "Togetherness", and "Ikaope". LP, Vinyl record album

A rising sun from the Jose James side of the universe – trumpeter Takuya Kuroda, stepping out here in a wonderful debut for Blue Note! You've heard Kuroda play with Jose James over the years, but he comes up with a rich new groove here on his own – a mostly-instrumental mode that has his cool, compressed lines over some sweet contemporary funky backings – heavy on Fender Rhodes from Kris Bowers, and some tightly snapping live rhythms that really add a lot of energy to the record! James guests on one track – a great remake of "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" – and also produced the whole set – but the core strength of the record comes from Kuroda's trumpet, and the great keyboard lines of Bowers. Other titles include "Green & Gold", "Piri Piri", "Afro Blues", "Mala", "Call", and "Sometime Somewhere Somehow". LP, Vinyl record album

Seun Kuti maybe sounds more majestic here than ever – ready to rise not just to the legacy his father Fela left behind, but maybe into an even larger world of global soul as well – with a groove here that doesn't abandon his Afro Funk roots, but definitely augments that sound with all sorts of rich, fresh currents that seem designed to take Seun into the stratosphere of global soul! Lenny Kravitz had a hand in the record, which has been noted elsewhere – but we're guessing the vibe of the set is all Kuti's own – as it's been more than a few years since his last record, and he really seems to have grown and developed in the process! The set features guest appearances from Sampa The Great and Damian Marley – and titles include "Stand Well Well", "Love & Revolution", "Move", "TOP", and "Emi Aluta". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe some of the coolest music ever recorded at Carnegie Hall – a wonderful venue that's perfect for the blend of soul and space of the CTI Records years of Hubert Laws! Laws' lead lines on flute really stretch out beautifully in the setting – given ample room to roam amidst a lineup that features Dave Friedman on vibes, Ron Carter on bass, and Bob James on piano and electric piano – all on tracks that have the same open, breathy quality as Hubert's sublime Afro Classic album. Like that set, there's a subtle dose of funk in the mix, but more focus on an airier mode up top – stretched out beautifully over a medley of Chick Corea's "Windows" and "Fire & Rain" – and on a 20 minute take of "Passacaglia In C Minor". LP, Vinyl record album

The soulful sound of Bukky Leo takes off in all sorts of directions here – served up in a sweet soup of remixes by some great overseas talents! The work has the same Afro Funk vibe as some of Bukky's classic records – complete with his searing tenor work and strong lead vocals – set up in core instrumentation that includes plenty of percussion, keyboards, and super-tight horns – elements that are reworked and expanded here through the different mixes in the set! Tony Allen plays drums on some tracks – and titles include "Scelleton (Gilles Peterson mix)", "Annarkey (Dennis Bovell mix)", "Genre Jam (Leslie Laurence mix)", "Obedun (Orlandon Voorn mix)", "Summer Sax Breeze (Leslie Laurence mix)", and "Unisex Dilemma (Laurie Laurence mix)". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album, put together to accompany one of Muhammad Ali's finest moments on the big screen – in a blend of music that's way deeper than the usual sounds you'd hear ringside! Michael Masser helmed the set – produced and wrote most of the material – but also with key contributions from George Benson, whose vocals grace some of the sweeter songs on the album – plus Mandrill, who help with some of the more hard-driving funky cuts! The set features the extended clubby groover "Ali Bombaye" – an almost Afro Funk-ish tune, performed by Mandrill – and other cuts include the mellower "I Always Knew I Had It In Me" and "The Greatest Love Of All", both sung by George Benson, plus "Ali's Theme", which is pretty nice. LP, Vinyl record album

A funky gem from 70s Kenya – music by a group who've got a very strong influence from American soul, but who turn things towards a unique vibe of their own – often using heavy bass and some trippier guitar bits – which sometimes puts their music in a space between familiar Afro Funk, and some of the more way-out moments of the Zamrock scene! There's definitely a highlife influence on some tunes too – but the group really pump up the bass, and work with some great echoey production that trips things out nicely – even the vocals, which have a really haunting vibe. The guitar work is great – and titles include "Amina", "Fisherman", "Trying To Get You", "Dunia Ina Mambo", "Look At Me", and "Maggie Mama". LP, Vinyl record album

An insanely wonderful session from James Moody, and one that's head and shoulders above most of his other work from the early 50s. Moody sort of goes the Dizzy Afro-Cuban route, and he leads a nice little bop combo that includes conga player Chano Pozo. Gil Fuller did the arrangements, and the whole thing's an oft-missed early session of jazz/Latin crossover material. Tracks include "Tin Tin Deo", "Oh Henry", "Mood's All Frantic", "Tropicana", and "Cu-Ba". Great stuff, and with a beautiful cover, too! LP, Vinyl record album

With a name like Musclecars, you can bet there's a pretty powerful sound here – and that's definitely the case, as this New York duo take years of experience in the clubs, to craft an album of masterful grooves and key soulful selections! There's an undercurrent of righteous politics to the set, but the instrumentation lifts up in a very joyous, positive spirit – underscored with all these jazzy elements around the edges – almost referencing and older London groove, but with more of a New York pulse! The duo are Craig Handfield and Brandon Weems, but they get some good help along the way – on titles that include "Every Party Must Come To An End", "Ha Ya", "Circles II", "There's Space For Us All", "The Afro American Conundrum", "Tonight", and "Running Out Of Time". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool large combo – one who clearly draw a lot of inspiration from West African music, but also find their own way of spinning out a sound – mixing more electric elements with more familiar percussion and horns, all in a style that's nicely warm and very much their own! Oluma revel in some of the wider sonic elements of a tune – so that some of these numbers shimmer with a nice laidback energy before really taking off – varying the pace over the course of the album, in ways that almost seem like a distillation and redistribution of Afro Funk energy – rather than just a remake of a classic approach to a groove! Instrumentation includes lots of warm keyboards in the mix – and titles include "Song For Paulo", "Jello", "Oddacity", "Felantropique", "Cooking Time", and "Achtronaut". LP, Vinyl record album

The most righteous album ever from Kellee Patterson – her first record, and a set that's way different from her more soul-based sides of later years! The album's got Patterson working in a wonderfully soulful approach to jazz – a style that's not unlike the earliest work by Dee Dee Bridgewater, especially her seminal Afro Blue album – and which mixes Kellee's unique vocals with some very hip backings that are right in the best Black Jazz mode! Instrumentation is from a loose jazz combo, and the tunes are a mix of jazzy numbers and a few tighter tracks – a really rich array of sounds that comes together beautifully in the hands of producer Gene Russell. Titles include a stellar version of Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage", a great take on the Flip Nunez number "See You Later", and the tracks "Soul Daddy", "Be All Your Own", "Magic Wand Of Love", "You", and "Look At The Child". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Sun Ra's greatest albums of the 70s – recording during the same sessions that yielded the famous Space Is The Place record for Blue Thumb, and done with a very similar feel – an expansive configuration of the Arkestra in peak form! The range of expression is really incredible – from the spiritual soul jazz of "Pan Afro", to the lightly grooving June Tyson vocals of "Neptune", to the extended suite "Discipline 27-II", a stretched-out spacey number with vocal "dramatizing" by Ra, Tyson, Ruth Wright, and Judith Holton. That track's a particularly great one, with the kind of spiritual resonance behind the spacey approach that rarely comes through as strongly on other albums – but the whole set is wonderful, and judging how reminscient of it some of the best, similarly-minded underground jazz is decades later – the whole thing is an amazing testament to how strong Ra's influence is today. LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the tightest funky 70s jamming ever – a lost gem from Ray & His Musical Court, a group that perfectly fuses JB/Horny Horns funk with beat-heavy Afro-Cuban groove! Ray and the group are one of the more obscure funky combos of the era, and it's a damn shame, because the group's tight-as-can-be amalgam of JB's style horn riffing and thumping Afro-Cuban percussion is some of the absolute best of its kind. This group seriously smokes any of the current funk bands on the road! On these sessions Ray wrote, produced, played "organ flute" and provided some vocals in a large group that includes three trumpets, bass clarinet, sax, two drummers, congas, electric bass, and a line of mostly Spanish vocalists. Amazing 70s super funk with a very proud Latin edge – and featuring tracks that include "Sunny", "Soul Freedom", "Cookie Crumbs", "De Eso Nada Monada", "Lo Sabia", "Venimos Acabando", "La Pena", and "La Senorita Lola". LP, Vinyl record album

A really kicking contemporary set – one led by Afla Sackey, a singer and djembe percussionist with roots in Ghana – working here with his Afrik Bawantu group in a great reworking of older Afro Funk modes! The approach is a bit hard to describe in words – and while it doesn't shake off some of the usual elements of Afro Funk, including strong use of horns – it also really seems to emphasize percussion patterns more overall, so that the rhythms push up and really transform the groove! There's a bottom-up brilliance to the record that really makes the whole thing soar – and titles include "Be Careful", "Destination", "Mind Your Business", "Togetherness", "Mofeemo Ke Eno", and "It's Not Easy". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet electric keyboards from Mamman Sani Abdoulaye – recorded in both Niger and Paris, on a host of cool keys with a very spacey vibe! The music here is neither the Afro Funk you'd expect, nor the electro sounds of New York or Europe – but an unusual fusion that's very individual, and which almost places Abdoulaye in the cerebral territory of an artist like Laraaji, but with a bit more force! The tunes are definitely melodic, and have a nice sense of rhythm – even though most numbers are relatively mellow – and although Mamman can spin out an introspective passage when he wants, he keeps things from ever getting too meditative in the end. All tunes are instrumental – recorded on Roland, Yamaha, and other keyboards – on titles that include "Alfarey", "Ci Da Dy", "Ya Bismillah", "Dangay Kotyo", and "Taaritt". LP, Vinyl record album

The Sorcerers are a small group, but they've got a really expansive sound – a blend of percussion, keyboards, and jazzy horn work that feels like a much larger Afro Funk group – but often delivered with a lean focus on the rhythms that really makes them sound unique! There's plenty of echoes of both West and East African styles here – served up in a mix of flutes, saxes, vibes, keyboards, and trumpets – plus mighty sharp percussion at the core, which drives the record in a nice range of rhythms that break from any standard modes you might expect! The vibe is almost as if The Sorcerers have drunk deep from all the classics of artists like Fela, Mulatu, Ebo Taylor, and other older legends – then found a way to distill them all together with energy that's all their own. Titles include "The Road Forward", "Yasuke In Roppongi", "Moth", "He Who Kills With One Leap", and "Oromo Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

Dele Sosimi was raised in the shadow of Fela Kuti, literally – as he spent part of his youth in Fela's commune – yet his music is nicely free of some of the overdone Afro Funk modes of the 70s, and instead really finds a fresh way forward with all sorts of wonderful criss-crossings of styles! Sosimi was born in London, and later returned to the city – and the work here really has that special sparkle when the British scene gets things right – bringing together elements of its post-colonial richness, but with a new vision for the future – optimistic and uplifting, but never in a way that makes the music seem too facile or easygoing. One of Dele's key musical partners here is Sam Duckworth, of Get Cape Wear Cape Fly fame – and titles include "Open Up", "Ride Out The Storm", "Ori Mi", "Mo Se Bola Tan", and "E Si Medo". LP, Vinyl record album

A really wild set from the 70s scene in Nigeria – a record that has a quick-stepping groove, but one that's very different than more familiar Afro Funk styles! The group is large, but the production is almost a bit muddy – which seems to push all the instrumental elements together in a wave of sound – basslines very prominent at the bottom, with guitar and keyboards woven together and urged onwards by the drums and percussion – while the group call out vocals from time to time, but almost as an afterthought to their work on the rhythms! There's an urgency here that almost recalls Zamrock work of the time, but the album's a lot funkier overall – and titles include "Death In A Trance", "Brandified Dad", "Love's Cry", "Introduce Me To Your Loving", and "Disco Funk". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great session from Sonny Stitt – and one with a slightly different vibe than usual! That vibe comes from the work of two Latin percussionists – Marcelino Valdez on congas and Osvaldo Martinez on bongos – both of whom really a a lot to the groove next to the drums of Herbie Lovelle – a rich bottom end that's maybe more Afro-styled than conventional Latin jazz! The mighty Ronnie Mathews is on piano, Herbie Lovell plays bass, and Stitt blows tenor throughout – on great titles that include "Blue Blood Ritual", "Slave Maidens", "Island Shout", and "Barefoot Ball". LP, Vinyl record album

You might know these guys under their previous name of Kutimangoes – one that's dropped maybe in part because there's a shift in the music here to a slightly different style! Where Kutimangoes explored a heavy dose of Afro Funk on their records, Sunborn take off from the roots and move things into a much more fluid sense of expression – often percolating rhythms that have both acoustic and electric elements, in support of a superb hornline that moves with a sense of majesty that really makes the album stand out – giving the whole thing an instant sense of power and pride! Guests include Caio Marcio and Bigyuki – and titles include "Mankind", "Apple Blossom", "Night Sweats", "Dancing In The Dark", "Metropolis", "Beach Chase", "Echoes", and "Under The Same Sky". LP, Vinyl record album

A vintage set from the great Ebo Talyor – an artist who's been recording new music in recent years, but who sounds even better here on one of his classics! Ebo's got a fair bit of jazz mixed in with his sound – a layering of flute, trombone, tenor, guitar, and keyboard parts with a strong sense of solo – a bit like South African jazz of the period, especially in the way the instruments really open up in the midtempo grooves! Rhythms are laidback, but still nicely present – not as speedy as Afro-Funk, but not much slower either – and there's also room for plenty of lyrics on the tracks, too – although it's the instrumental solos we think we like the best. Titles include "Reality", "If You Care", "Come Along", "Egya Edu", "Enye Wo Nyame Nko", and "Gyae Su Na Nkomo". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent funk group from Japan – one who pick up some of the fuller horns of the Stax Records or Afro Funk generations, mix it with some leaner rhythms at times – and also make a strong nod towards contemporary funk modes as well – but all without sounding like anyone else at all! Part of the strength of the set is the female vocals that come into play on some of the best numbers – putting forth the lyrics in a way that's not nearly as slavish to retro styles as you're used to finding in modern funk groups – a quality that's also echoed by the instrumentation in the group, which can sometimes be as jazzy as it is funky! Titles include "Miles Day Blues", "Ears", "Shoes", "Pass The Soup", and "Welcome To Third Place" – as well as a cover of the Pat Metheny tune "Last Train Home" and Pharoah Sanders' "Healing Song". LP, Vinyl record album

Mad funky genius from Ghanian singer Pat Thomas – an artist who first rose to fame in the group of Ebo Taylor, and who's maybe even more fantastic here in the spotlight in the lead! The cover of the album maybe looks a bit more like a 60s photograph than the 70s stretch in which it was issued – and Pat's vocals often have an old school deep soul sort of approach too – sometimes mixed with jagged Afro Funk rhythms, other times in more laidback settings that allow him to flower even more as a singer! At points, there's almost some rocksteady organ work in the mix – which just adds to the charm of the record – on titles that include "I Need You Around", "Fishes", "Let Me Feel As I Am", "We're Coming Home", "La La La La La La", and "Let's Think It Over". LP, Vinyl record album

Trombonist Justin Thurgur has spend time on the more global side of the scene in London during recent years – and here, he brings that experience to bear on a jazz set with a very unusual vibe! It's not easy to pick the straight influences of the tunes – there's currents of Afro Funk and South African jazz – but the end result is something else entirely, very contemporary, and very much Justin's own groove! The trombone is combined with piano, Fender Rhodes, and Hammond from Kishon Khan – in a shifting array that's heavy on percussion, guitar, and plenty of added horns too – all with a very righteous vibe. Titles include "Then & Now", "Straight Down To My Soul", "Meditations", "Mr Perceptionalization Is King", "No Confusion", and "You've Got To". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal sounds from the Nigerian scene at the start of the 70s – music from the key figure of Celestine Ukwu, an artist who helped to reinvigorate the highlife style of years past, and pave the way for Afro Funk changes in years to come! Celestine's sound is nice and lean here – very rhythmic, with the guitar wrapped around the percussion and basslines in beautifully snakey action – while the vocals also have a quality that's maybe more personal than before – at points almost the raspy intimacy we love in some Brazilian singers! The package brings together work from three different albums from the early 70s – all long tracks that include "Tomorrow Is So Uncertain", "Onwunwa", "Ejina Uwa Nya Isi", "Ilo Abu Chi", and "Okwukuwe Na Ncheckwube". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky Nigerian gem from this lost 70s group – a combo who have a way of folding Afro Funk styles with some of the leaner West African styles of the time! There's horns in the group, and lots of bold percussion – but the guitars are really the key to the whole set – mixing together and ringing out with all sorts of cool chromatic elements alongside the vocals! The approach hints at highlife, but has a vibe that's all its own – and a nicely rough around the edges sort of quality that really keeps things spontaneous! Side one features the long "Drunkard" – and side two features "Matine Yanzoni" and "Herve". LP, Vinyl record album