One of the few key pairings of Noah Howard and Frank Wright – and a great session that stands perfectly next to those recordings made by the pair under Wright's name! The record bristles with the best energy of the BYG and America sides from the time – but possibly goes even beyond those with a sense of cohesion and soulfulness that is especially gripping. The pairing of Howard's alto and Wright's tenor is one of those few avant matches made in heaven, and they work together wonderfully in freely exploratory territory that recalls the best of the ESP scene of the 60s. The group's a quartet – with Bobby Few on piano and Art Taylor on drums – and tracks include the Howard originals "Space Dimension", "Viva Black", "Song For Poets", and "Blues For Thelma" – plus a shorter version of Wright's classic "Church Number Nine", recorded with Muhammad Ali on drums. LP, Vinyl record album

Two really beautiful tracks – both with keyboards from Antero Sievert and trumpet from Noah Halpern – served up in a nice lean groove! Side one features an introspective take on the famous Beatles tune – done in a way that's nicely contemplative, and with energy that's much more personal than you might expect! "Peace On Earth" has this great warm Fender Rhodes – played with a mellow sense of tone that's a beautiful match for the crisper lines of the trumpet! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Eek-A-Mouse's early 80s classic – and the benchmark meeting between the wildly unique deejay and vocalist with producer Henry Junjo Lawes! The Mouse is out front of stellar rootsy backing by The Roots Radics Band. Titles Include "Ganja Smuggling", "Long Time Ago", "Operation Eradication", "There's A Girl In My Life", "Slowly But Surely", "Wa-Do-Dem", "Lonesome Journey", "Noah's Ark", "I Woll Never Leave My Love" and "Too Young To Understand. LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most beautiful work we've ever heard from this legendary pianist – and that's really saying a lot, given how many beautiful records Abdullah Ibrahim has given us over the years! The set expands from Ibrahim's solo performance for Gearbox Records, and takes things into a trio – but a different format than the usual piano trio mode – as bassist Noah Jackson also plays cello, and instead of drums the group's third member is Cleave Guyton Jr, who blows both flute and piccolo in very unique ways! The setup really changes the usual approach that you might know from Abdullah, in a way that shows just how fluid and open his ideas are even at this point in his career – a time when so many others would be content to just rehash the past. All material was recorded live at the Barbican in London – but the first half uses the wide expanse of the room without an audience present, and the second then presents different songs recorded live with a full concert setting. Titles include "Nisa", "The Wedding", "Mindif", "Water From An Ancient Well", "Blue Bolero", "Skippy", "Giant Steps", "Barakat", "Tsakwe", "Krotoa/Crystal Clear", and "Ishmael". LP, Vinyl record album

Really fantastic material from legendary pianist Abdullah Ibrahim – a set cut with a larger group of musicians, which we like even more than Ibrahim's work in a solo or trio format! The group here is his Ekaya ensemble – who flesh out Abdullah's larger musical ideas in a really great way – providing this sensitive soul and spirit for his work on piano – which, after all these years, still echoes the rhythmic impulses that made him such a standout in the 60s – but which also has this matured approach to color and tone that's really wonderful – and beautifully illuminated by the group! Players include Cleave Guyton Jr on alto and flute, Lance Bryant on tenor, Andrea Murchison on trombone, and Marshall McDonald on baritone – and the rhythm section features great work from Will Terrill on drums, and Noah Jackson on bass and cello. Titles include "Jabula", "Tuangu Guru", "ZB2", "Dreamtime", "Nisa", "Tonegawa", and "Devotion". LP, Vinyl record album

Groundbreaking 70s work from Lee Scratch Perry – served up here with both work from The Upsetters, and a long list of "friends" – different singers who take the lead on some of the productions, which are then presented back to back with dub versions of the tracks that overflow with great contributions from a top-shelf lineup of musicians! Players on the cuts include Willie Lindo and Ernest Ranglin on guitars, Winston Wright on organ, Vin Gordon on trombone, and Richard Dirty Harry Hall on tenor – but the real talent here is clearly that of Perry, who's able to move between soulful vocal leads and some deeper, darker Black Ark sounds on the rhythms. Titles include "Mr Money Man" by Danny Hensworth, "Brother Noah" by The Shadows, "Traveling" by Debra Keese, "Ethiopian Land" by Peter & Paul Lewis, "Land Of Love" by Sons Of Light, "Peace & Love" by Shaumark & Robinson, "Freedom Street" by Eric Donaldson, "My Little Sandra" by Leo Graham, "Long Long Time" by Winston Heywood, "White Belly Rat" by Lee Perry, "A Wah Dat" by Junior Dread, and "Feelings" by Sharon Isaacs – and the set features dub versions of every cut by The Upsetters too! LP, Vinyl record album

London's Total Refreshment Centre has been one of the world's hippest musical venues in recent years – a fantastic showcase for all the sorts of groundbreaking, genre-busting work that's been happening in the city – as well as host to some equally free-thinking artists from around the globe! There's not set styles here – music moves easily between jazz, soul, funk, hip hop, and some more cosmic styles at times – similar to the energy of the International Anthem label's more inventive projects – one of whom appear on the set. Many of these artists have not gotten the full exposure they're due, either releasing material on small labels or just online – and it's wonderful to have all this material pulled together in such a great statement on the forefront of jazz in the 2020s! Titles include "Closed Circle" by Byron Wallen, "Visions" by Soccer 96 with Kieron Boothe, "Crescent (city swamp dub)" by Jake Long, "Eloquence" by Matters Unknown with Miryam Solomon, "Isa"by Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange with Noah Slee, "Black" by Neu Grafik with Brother Portrait, and a nice reworking of the Stanley Cowell classic "Plight" by Resavoir. LP, Vinyl record album