One of the most ambitious albums ever from pianist Horace Tapscott – a double-length set that has him working with a large lineup of underground musicians from the 70s Los Angeles scene – all united in spirit and power as the Pan-African Peoples Arkestra! Tapscott's piano directs the group strongly – as an extension of the vision that he brought to the late 60s Sonny's Dream album by Sonny Criss – but the music is freer, more spiritual, and often graced with bursts of ensemble energy, balanced by some really tremendous solos from other musicians too! The lineup includes some other key members of the Nimbus Records collective – including Jesse Sharps on saxes and flute, Linda Hill on piano, Adele Sebastian on flute, and Roberto Miranda on bass – and other players include James Andrews and Sabia Matteen on tenor, Archie Johnson and Lester Robertson on trombone, Billy Harris on soprano, Herbert Callies on alto clarinet, and Michael Session on alto. Titles include "Flight 17", "Breeze", "Horacio", "Clarice", and "Maui". CD

Two classic albums from the big free jazz explosion in Paris in 1969! First up is Ketchaoua, an early gem from the great Clifford Thornton – maybe his best-known album over the years, thanks to its placement on the post-68 series of French free jazz releases on the BYG/Actuel label – but a set that's got a much more New York vibe overall, and stands as a key precursor to so many loft jazz recordings of the 70s! The style is very open and organic – not nearly as bombastic as some of the other Actuel sets of the period – with an earthy energy that really allows the players to come together naturally, collaboratively, and not combatively. The lineup of players shifts from track to track – again echoing some loftish modes – and the lineup includes Thornton on cornet and percussion, with Grachan Moncur on trombone, Archie Shepp on soprano sax, Arthur Jones on alto, Beb Guerin and Earl Freeman on bass, Sunny Murray on drums, and Dave Burrell on piano. Titles include "Pan African Festival", "Brotherhood", and "Ketchaoua" – plus "Speak With Your Echo", a cool track that has Clifford's cornet playing in a spare setting with only 2 basses! Next up is Scorpio, one of our favorite albums in the legendary run of BYG/Actuel free jazz sessions from 1969, and one of the most obscure as well – one of the few albums as a leader from alto player Arthur Jones, a musician who's really incredible throughout this freewheeling set! The vibe is almost more ESP than BYG – as there's a rhythmic pulse to most of the tracks, provided by Beb Guerin on bass and Claude Delcloo on drums – working with Jones in a mode that really evolves past the saxophone trio style first pushed by Sonny Rollins, with incredible solos from the leader throughout the whole set – which also seem to open up new territory for the alto sax as well! Titles include "CRM", "BT", "Sad Eyes", and "Brother B". CD

One of the hippest sets ever issued during the roots reggae wave of the 70s – and one of the most spiritual, too! The album's got a very special acoustic vibe at the core – earthy drumming that goes back to a pan-African tradition, these beautiful acoustic basslines that link the music strongly with underground jazz, and even some wicked sax and reed passages that make that link even stronger – especially when tied to the more message-oriented lyrics of the vocals! The album's hardly a straight roots album – and instead goes deep into the more spiritual side of Rastafari, with a personal, acoustic style that's instantly captivating – and which also has strong appeal to fans of other global sounds, and 70s spiritual jazz as well. A stunning classic – with tracks that include "Lock Stock & Barrel", "Selam Nna Wadada", "Tales Of Mozambique", "Let Freedom Reign", "Nigerian Reggae" and "Run One Mile". Features two bonus tracks too – "Rasta Reggae" and "Samia". CD

Amazing! Earth Wind & Fire's ultimate moment of the 70s – and a perfect blending of all their influences that stands as a lasting tribute to their super-huge effect on soul music! The record features all aspects of the band coming into perfect cohesion – bassy funk, mellow soul, and afrocentric jazz – all expertly handled by the great Charles Stepney, who still has the same rich talent for blending styles that he had while working at Chess/Cadet during the glory days of the late 60s. Some of these songs have been played to death (and covered so much) over the years that it's often easy to forget what a crowning moment this was for former underground soul heroes Earth Wind & Fire – but we'll never cease to be amazed at the power of their mid 70s work, and this album's the best of the best. Titles include "Shining Star", "That's The Way Of The World", "Reasons", "Africano", "See The Light", and "Happy Feelin". CD also features 5 bonus tracks – "Shining Star (future star)", "All About Love (first impressions)", "Happy Feelin (anatomy of a groove)", "Caribou Chaser (jazzy jam)", and "That's The Way Of The World (Latin expedition)". CD

A trio of later gems from this legendary South African pianist! Mindif is a great set that features Abdullah Ibrahim's soundtrack music for the 1988 Clair Denis film Chocolat – some of his best group recordings of the 80s! The feel here is a bit more African-styled than usual – even for Ibrahim – with strong use of reeds to inflect the tunes with the right degree of color and tone for their use in the film. The ensemble on the record features Ricky Ford on tenor and soprano, Craig Handy on flute and tenor, Benny Powell on trombone, David Williams on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – and the tracks have a languid groove that recalls some of Dollar Brand's best South African recordings with Kippie Moketsie. Titles include "Earth Bird", "African Market", "Pule", "Star Dance", and "Serenity". African River is one of the great larger group recordings that pianist Abdullah Ibrahim gave us in the 80s – from a moment when he was able to use added horns to really expand that amazing sense of color and rhythm he'd brought to his music on earlier trio recordings! There's a sense of musical vision here that really lives up to Abdullah's majestic look on the cover – a fantastic merging of flute and tenor from John Stubblefield, soprano and alto from Horace Alexander Young, tuba and baritone from Howard Johnson, and trombone from Robin Eubanks – all vibrant horn players who seem to have just about every tone and mood covered with their horns – given this wonderfully warm support from Buster Williams on bass, and Brian Adams on drums. All titles are originals by the leader – and tunes include "Chisa", "Sweet Samba", "Duke 88", "The Wedding", and "Joan Capetown Flower". Yarona is a beautifully sensitive set from Abdullah Ibrahim – recorded live at the Village Vanguard, and with an open, lyrical sound that almost seems to recall some of Bill Evans' magical moments in the venue! Ibrahim's quite a different player, of course – but there's an open, exploratory quality to his music that's a bit unusual here – maybe not as rhythmically based as it is balanced between sound and silence – given very respectful company in the bass of Marcus McLaurine and drums of George Johnson. Titles include "Cherry/Mannenberg", "Duke 88", "African River", "Stardance", "Tuang Guru", "Tintinyana", and "African Marketplace". CD

Nice! There's been a couple of different versions of the seminal Blackboard Jungle dub LP floating around, now the fine folks at Auralux have unearthed and reissued the original version, with the wild stereo mix and original track order! This is one mighty set of Perryisms, wrought in the pre-Black Ark era, and though he's uncredited on the sleeve, we've read that King Tubby was responsible for the wonderful reverb and mixing console action taking these tracks to the next level. Essential! 18 tracks: "Black Panta", "V/S Black Panta", "Khasha Macka", "Elephant Rock", "African Skank", "Dreamland Skank", "Jungle Jim", "Drum Rock", "Dub Organizer", "Lover's Skank", "Moving Skank", "Apeman Skank", "Jungle Skank", "Kaya Skank", "Upsetting Rhythm 1", "Upsetting Rhythm 2", "Upsetting Rhythm 3" and "Happy Roots" CD

Quite possibly the funkiest album ever recorded by saxophone legend Nathan Davis – a sweet little session with plenty of electric touches! The sound here differs greatly from Davis' 60s work on the European scene – his amazing albums for MPS and Polydor – and the record's awash in funky drum breaks, rolling basslines, keyboard solos, and plenty of searing work on soprano, tenor, alto, and flute by Nathan himself! There's a spare, stripped-down brilliance to this album that makes it one of our favorite indie jazz albums ever – a sense of groove that's apparent from the very first note, but also a righteous vision for arranging and composition that easily puts the set right up there with the best on the Strata East or Black Jazz labels! A few funky standouts on the record have been sampled heavily over the years, but the whole thing's great through and through – and titles include "Tragic Magic", "New Orleans", "African Boogie", "Stick Buddy", and "Bahia". CD

An album with a righteous cover, but one that follows strongly in the soaring disco mode that made the Ritchie Family such a strong act on the dancefloors in the late 70s! The trio are working with disco maestro Jacques Morali here – and side one features the extended "African Queens" suite – a long track that tells the tales of Nefertiti, Cleopatra, and Sheba – all set to lush disco rhythms that make the whole thing more of an extended disco suite than some sort of lesson in knowledge and power. Side two features some shorter numbers – one of which is a great remake of "Quiet Village", given some great disco rhythms and lyrics – plus "Summer Dance" and "Voodoo". CD features bonus tracks – 7" versions of four tracks on the set! CD

Three full albums from this tremendous singer – all in a single set! Morning In Paris is very early work from South African singer Sathima Bea Benjamin – recorded in Paris in 1963, with backing by longtime partner Abdullah Ibrahim, plus additional piano and production by Duke Ellington! The album was cut around the same time as Ibrahim (Dollar Brand) did his famous Reprise album in Paris with Ellington – and it's got a similar mix of modern and moody styles – with Sathima singing in a mellower tone than we're used to from her later records, over extremely spare backing that often has the piano barely stepping in, and which also features some nice plucked violin work from Svend Asmussen – acting almost as the bass on a few tracks! Billy Strayhorn also sits in on this extremely unusual session – and titles include "The Man I Love", "Soon", "Lover Man", "I Should Care", "I Could Write A Book", and "Darn That Dream". Lovelight is always-great work from Sathima Bea Benjamin – one of the hippest jazz vocalists of the 80s, working here in a highly spiritual mode that sounds a lot more like records from many years past! There's a warmly gentle glow to the whole set – thanks to instrumentation from Larry Willis on piano, Buster Williams on bass, Billy Higgins on percussion, and Ricky Ford on tenor sax – all coming together in ways that are filled with unusual rhythms, odd turns of phrases, and just the right sort of unconventional accompaniment to fit the Africanist themes of Sathima's music at its best. A few numbers are more traditional, but even these have a nicely sensitive feel – and offer plenty of room for Willis to solo. Titles include "Winne Mandela Beloved Heroine", "African Songbird", "Gift Of Love – For Duke", "Music", and "You Are My Heart's Delight". Southern Touch is a set that's maybe a bit more of a straight jazz vocal record than some of Sathima Bea Benjamin's earlier material – but that might also be because the great Kenny Barron is part of the group on piano – supporting Sathima's great voice with the help of Buster Williams on bass and Billy Higgins on drums! Tunes are mostly standards, but it's great to hear them opened up with Benjamin's unique phrasing – that voice that was raised up on more righteous material in earlier years, and which still seems to bring some of that power to tunes that include "Street Of Dreams", "Lush Life", "One Alone", "I'm Glad There Is You", and "I've Heard That Song Before". CD

A massive tribute to the long career of Dennis Bovell – the British artist who first rose up in the late 70s group Matumbi, then went on to share his production talents with a host of other artists in the decades that followed! This double-length set brings together a career-spanning set of tracks that all were handled by Bovell – a first half that features his own recordings under a number of groups, and a second half that features Bovell production and studio work with a range of other artists too – including some rare and unissued material, in a package put together by Dennis himself! Titles include the Bovell cuts "Run Rasta Run" with African Stone, "Come With Me" as Dennis Curtis, "The Grunwick Affair" and "Za Lon" with 4th Street Orchestra, "Blood Ah Go Run/Blood Dem (12" mix)" by Matumbi, and cuts "Brain Damage", "Chief Inspector", "Dub Master", "Silly Dub", "Caught You In A Lie", "After Tonight (acoustic version)", "Raindrops", "Eye Water", and "Pow Wow" – all issued under Bovell's name. The second half features titles that include "African Queen" by Errol Campbell, "Africa Is Our Land" by Joshua Moses, "Take Five" by Young Lions, "Portrait Of You" by Gladwin Wright, "Hooked On You" by Delroy Wilson, "Cry" by Angelique, "A Little Way Different/Differentah (12" mix)" by Errol Dunkley with Julio Finn, "Silly Games" by Janet Kay, "Get Up Stand Up" by I Roy, and "Positive Vibrations" by Pebbles. CD

A great return to form for this legendary Somalian group – a combo who made some important records in the 80s, but were part of the huge diaspora on their scene as the troubles of the following decade forced a long pause in cultural activity! Here, the group are reborn with new youthful energy – as Dur Dur Band International, and working here with vocals from three different singers – Fadumina Hilowle, Zabiib Sharabi, and Cabdinuur Alaale – three different voices who really help expand the sound of the set! There's still plenty of East African roots here – in both the rhythms, and the exotic currents of the keyboards and saxophone lines – and despite the Berlin setting for the album, the record has a very traditional approach to production and presentation. Titles include "Love My Love", "Duurka", "Jija Love", "Sallal", "Heeyaa", "Hasha Geel", and "Riyo". CD

Heavy-jamming Afro Funk from Osibisa – the group's first 2 albums, back to back in one 2 CD package! Osibisa were one of the most popular Afro Funk groups of their generation – with a globe-spanning influence that made them as well-received over here in the US as they were in their post-colonial UK home. The sound on both sets is great – and captures the group at their raw early best – when they were mostly fusing together bits of jazz and soul with African rhythms, and going for a groove that was lightly playful, and infused with a strong sense of joy and celebration! Titles include "Oranges", "Akwaaba", "Ayiko Bia", "The Dawn", "Y Sharp", "Survival", "Move On", "Rabiatu", and the group's classic "Music For Gong Gong". CD

Really wonderful live work from the great Horace Silver – some more obscure material that stands as a very nice companion to his Blue Note live album of the mid 60s! The first five tracks on the set features a superb group with Joe Henderson on tenor, and either Carmell Jones or Woody Shaw on trumpet, depending on the tracks – both fantastic players who really bring a sharp edge to the proceedings, and who give the music a slightly different vibe than some of Silver's studio material from the period. Tracks are long, and drums are by Roger Humphries, with bass by Larry Ridley and Teddy Smith – on extended takes of "Que Pasa", "The Natives Are Restless", "Song For My Father", and two versions of "African Queen". The CD has two more tracks recorded at the Cork & Bib club in 1964 – a club out on Long Island – again with Henderson and Shaw, on a 15 minute version of "Tokyo Blues", and a shorter version of "Senor Blues" – both great. CD

Drummer Shinnosuke Takahashi has a hell of a combo here – a group who can swing one minute, step outside the next, and then hit more sensitive spare passages too – maybe no surprise, given that one of the key members of the group is the legendary pianist Yosuke Yamashita, who has a few really standout moments in the set! The group also features nicely sharp-edged work on alto from Atsushi Ikeda, and bass from Kengo Nakamura – the last of whom is a player we don't know much, but who can be bold or sensitive, depending on the moment. Titles include a great take on Ornette's "Ramblin" – plus "Bird Food", "African Flower", "Big Nick", "Straight Up & Down", and "Blues 4 Us". CD

Heavy grooves from the Far Out label – a set of cuts from the company that don't just fall into their usual Brazilian bag – and which stretch out in a sweet array of styles that include funky fusion and African-inspired rhythms! Most of the artists here normally work in a Brazilian vein, but the collection offers up some fresh takes on their sound – and also manages to pull together some more obscure Far Out tracks, including a few unreleased cuts too! Titles include "Poweride" by Marcos Valle, "Pembe (unreleased version)" by Future Warriors, "Somewhere Beyond (unreleased version)" by 4Hero Presents Natures Plan, "Eighties Times" by Jose Roberto Bertrami, "Magnetic Feel (unreleased version)" by Roc Hunter, "Chameleon (Offworld rework)" by Azymuth, "Strike Hard" by Troubleman, "Jazz Carnival" by Azymuth, and "New Morning" by Sabrina Malheiros. CD

Classic vocal group material from the 70s – a great little set that serves up the music in many different ways – mixing funky cuts with mellow moments, and interspersing some catchy numbers in between! The range of tracks here is fantastic – way more than a standard selection of this nature – as the work is from a number of different labels and a number of different scenes – a well-chosen array that really fits well together! Titles include "It's You Girl" by Universal Love, "That's Why" by Natural High, "Dancing To Your Music" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "Something New About You" by Silent Majority, "Just Realized" by Reflection, "Oops It Just Slipped Out" by The Courtship, "Satisfactorize Your Mind" by Africano, "I'm No Better Than You" by The Fiestas, "She Calls Me Baby" by J Kelly & The Premiers, "You Only Get Out Of Love" by The Lost Generation, "Hey Pearl" by Prime Cut, "I'm A Scorpio" by Imported Moods, "Let Me In Your Heart" by Rising Sun, and "You Knock Me Out" by Wildflower. CD

Wickedly hip work from Cannonball Adderley – and one of his real standout sessions for Capitol Records in the 60s! The set lives up to its "Africa" promise right from the very first note – and features a set of loud, proud tunes that really bring out the righteous sounds of this generation of new liberation – tunes that sparkle with lead alto and soprano sax from Cannon, but which really draw even more energy from the whole collective of musicians on the record – a hip lineup led by HB Barnum, who also did all the arrangements for the set! The result is a record that's unlike any of Adderley's other albums – from some of the evocative snakey lines on the top, to the hip mix of 60s Cali soul and African percussion on the bottom. And oh yeah, David Axelrod produced the whole thing too! Titles include "Gumba Gumba", "Up & At It", "Hamba Nami", "Ndolima", and "Lehadima". CD

One of the deepest albums that Count Basie ever recorded – thanks to some great arrangements and backings by Oliver Nelson! Nelson's working in the same groovy mode he used with Jimmy Smith's excellent Verve sessions – and although the record doesn't have the same sort of star soloist in the lead, the Basie band members do a great job of trading off solos over the enigmatic backings crafted by Nelson. A number of the tracks have a Latin flair – and work on electric bass grooves that push the set farther than the usual Basie outing of the time – with a flavor that's right up there with the hippest Nelson sessions for Flying Dutchman, and maybe even a bit like spiritual ensemble material too. Titles include versions of Albert Ayler's "Love Flower" and Pharoah Sanders' "Japan", plus originals by Nelson like "Afrique", "Kilimanjaro", and "African Sunrise". CD

Wicked work by pianist Horace Parlan – and one of his most stunning Blue Note sessions ever! The album was first recorded in 1963, but then kept on the shelf for years – seeing only brief release as part of a Booker Ervin package in the late 70s, and finally coming out with the proper cover and lineup at some point in the 80s! Why Blue Note waited so long is a mystery, because the album's a gem throughout – almost more important, and more starkly modern than any of Parlan's other work for the label. Booker Ervin leads the frontline on tenor, alongside Johnny Coles on trumpet, Grant Green on guitar, and the rhythm section of Butch Warren and Billy Higgins. Parlan's choice of material is fantastic – with a number of Africanist tracks that feature unique rhythmic patterns that really push the soloists! Titles include "A Tune For Richard", "Dexi", "Home Is Africa", "Kucheza Blues", and "Back From The Gig". CD

Mighty righteous work from Zulema – a singer who steps right out of the gate with a rich, full sound on this tremendous debut album – the kind of record that makes it seem as if she's going to become one of the most powerful forces in female soul for the 70s! Zulema draws on the new generation of soul styles that was coming from artists like Roberta Flack and Aretha Franklin, and serves up a style that's very much her own – vocals that soar with the energy of soul that goes back to the gospel roots, but nicely sophisticated arrangements that showcase the new level of pride and power that was bubbling over in the 70s! Titles include the great "American Fruit African Roots", plus "I Leave It Up To You", "This Child Of Mine", "If I Loved You", "Don't Be Afraid", "Ain't It Sad", and a surprisingly great version of "Maybe I'm Amazed". CD

Righteous jazz, but with a bit of a funky twist too – a great selection of classics from the years when 60s soul jazz was reaching out with a new sense of pride and power, and finding a way embrace all of the musical changes that were coming its way! The music here is often by artists who might have been playing straighter standards, or bluesy organ numbers a few years before – but who here are set fire by the changes of the 60s – both at a musical level, and a political one – the latter in ways that resonate strongly even in the instrumental passages on the set! The title is a reference to a famous quote by Eldridge Cleaver, used often by The Black Panthers – and the set begins with Joe Henderson's number of the same name, "If You're Not Part Of The Solution You're Part Of The Problem" – and follows with "Let's Make Peace & Stop The War" by Funk Inc, "Bitches Brew" by Eddie Jefferson, "HNIC" by Harold Vick, "Tawhid" by Johnny Lytle, "John Coltrane" by Clifford Jordan, "Celestial Bodies" by Catalyst, "Warriors Of Peace" by Azar Lawrence, "Africans Unite" by Gary Bartz NTU Troop, and "Black Feeling" by Johnny Hammond Smith. All tracks are nice and long – and the set has a great mix of spiritual ideals with a few funky currents. CD

A really heady dip into the mighty large catalog of P&P Records – a small family of New York labels in the late 70s/early 80s, and a powerhouse of production who were cutting grooves that were years ahead of their time! P&P was one of those companies that always seemed to get more attention overseas than on our shores – and that legacy is supported here with a superb track list from DJ Kenta – who brings together 19 gems from the label's far-ranging roster, in a cool blend of funky club tracks that even include a few of his own original edits! Titles include "Dance Freak" by Chain Reaction, "African Rock" by Licky, "Roller Rink Funk" by Shift, "Stomp Your Feet & Dance" by Kim Taylor, "Out Of Work (voc)" by Jesse Gould, "Turn Up Your Radio" by Kessler, "I Did It Again" by Jesse Henderson, "Spring Rain" by The Destiny Orchestra, "Feel The Spirit (long disco version)" by Foster Jackson Group, "Dance Dance Dance (disco version)" by Marta Acuna, and "Super Jay Love Theme" by Super J. CD

The last concert ever played by the great John Coltrane – and, as with some of his other recordings from 1967, a record that really shows the Great One stepping out into some territory we would have loved him to explore more, had he not left our world too soon! The group here has tremendous tenor from Pharoah Sanders – alongside work from Alice Coltrane on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Rashied Ali on drums – joined by the more obscure Algie DeWitt, who plays bata drum on the session – alongside other percussion work that's been credited to Jumma Santos. The setting is the African Culture Center in New York, headed by percussionist Olatunji – which makes the added percussion even more important for the recording – and the set features a short introduction by Billy Taylor, and 2 long tracks: "Ogunde" and "My Favorite Things". CD