... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

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

Great work from a really overlooked group – one who have the skills of a prog act, but some of the sensitivity of a more folksy combo – which maybe is why they were such a perfect fit for the unusual sound of the Dawn label in the UK! These guys clearly have chops – the keyboard and guitar solos certainly testify to that – but they also space things out with some gentler, more personal moments – and here are also maybe a bit more hook-heavy than in the past, with a sense of almost crossing over with a few key cuts on the set. One of the catchiest numbers here is the great "Janet Planet", which has really cool production from Ian McDonald, who brings out all the best elements in the tune – and other titles include "Gormenghast", "Misty Morning Way", "Sheba's Song", "Mystery Might", and "Why". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from guitarist Oren Ambarchi – a little more expansive than his preceding effort on Drag City, thanks to larger group and a wider range of instrumentation, while building on what loved about it! The style is tough to pin down in the best kind of way, with strains of improvisational jazz and hypnotic minimalism, but a unique melodic drive that's as compelling as it is tough to cleanly categorize. Collaborators this time include returning Swedish jazz bassist Johan Berthling, drummer Joe Talia, a second guitarist in Julia Reidy, Sam Dunscombe on bass clarinet – and for extra otherworldly, yet melodic atmosphere is some synth by Jim O'Rourke and pedal steel by BJ Cole on a couple of tracks. The whole Shebang is a 4 part set – each track running long, to give it a nice amount of space to build up, settle down, and flow into the next – and numbered 1 to 4. CD

Wonderful work from guitarist Oren Ambarchi – a little more expansive than his preceding effort on Drag City, thanks to larger group and a wider range of instrumentation, while building on what loved about it! The style is tough to pin down in the best kind of way, with strains of improvisational jazz and hypnotic minimalism, but a unique melodic drive that's as compelling as it is tough to cleanly categorize. Collaborators this time include returning Swedish jazz bassist Johan Berthling, drummer Joe Talia, a second guitarist in Julia Reidy, Sam Dunscombe on bass clarinet – and for extra otherworldly, yet melodic atmosphere is some synth by Jim O'Rourke and pedal steel by BJ Cole on a couple of tracks. The whole Shebang is a 4 part set – each track running long, to give it a nice amount of space to build up, settle down, and flow into the next – and numbered 1 to 4. LP, Vinyl record album

Very groovy record that has Bola Sete's Brazilian guitar playing set amidst some smooth arrangements recorded in the Fantasy Studios of the early 70s. Bola plays acoustic and electric, and the group backing him includes Dwight Dickerson on keyboards, Hadley Caliman on tenor, and Luis Gasca on trumpet. Very nice stuff, and a record that doesn't show up much! Titles include "Shebaba", "It's Gonna Change", "Roda", "Street Market", and "Bola Beat". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing work from a revolutionary artist – one of the coolest cats on the Ethiopian scene of the 70s – and a singer who could effortlessly blend together American funk with East African elements! The music here definitely echoes some of the Ethio modes of some of Ayalew Mesfin's contemporaries – and his own vocal style has plenty of the rich inflections that make the language so unique, and so rhythmic, but in a very unusual way – qualities you might have discovered in the music of Mulatu or Mahmoud Ahmed! The rhythms are often bold – sometimes heavier funk, sometimes more fluid – and as with other volumes in this excellent series, this is the first time that Mesfin's music is getting the exposure it deserves on the wider global scene. Titles include "Shuferu", "Anchi Yefikir", "Ayish Ayishina", "Gora Weshebaye", "Libe Dil Temeta", and "Tewedije Limit". LP, Vinyl record album