Special guest-Herbie Hancock. CD

A wonderful little record that's like few other we can think of – the debut of bassist Esperanza Spaulding, a player who also sings along wordlessly with her strings! The style is quite unique, and completely great – and Esperanza's really opened up a whole new territory here with her compelling approach. The lineup here includes piano and drums next to the bass and vocals – brought together with a warmth that recalls some of the best freedoms of mainstream 70s jazz piano sides, touched with modes from Brazilian jazz – but again, the work is done in a fresh approach here that's uniquely its own! Titles include great versions of Jimmy Rowles "The Peacocks", Egberto Gismonti's "Loro", and Chick Corea's "Humpty Dumpty" – plus the originals "Two Bad", "Perazela", "Mompouana", and "Perazuan". CD

Very cool sounds from Baba Zula – a group who really keep the Turkish psychedelic sound strong well into the 21st Century – by working here on long, extended tracks that blend electric elements with plenty of earthy acoustic touches! The group is led by Osman Murat Ertel on electric saz – an instrument that he plays with the touches of a psychedelic guitar, but with a more open, fluid style overall – amidst other instrumentation that includes a fair bit of percussion, darbuka, davul, electronics, and even an electric oud! There's a bit of vocals on the record, but the main focus is on the long-spun instrumental passages – which stretch out nicely on tunes that include "Kucuk Kurbaga", "4 Nal", "Kelebekler Kuslar", "Tafus Havasi", "Col Aslanari", and "Sipa". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album