A fantastic set by this spiritual jazz ensemble from Pakistan – one who work with this really wicked blend of familiar jazz elements, some regional instrumentation, and some of the forward-thinking jazz ideas that have been bubbling up from the London scene of late! The music weaves together acoustic and electric elements wonderfully – blending Fender Rhodes and guitar with trumpet, piano, flute, tenor, tabla, and sarangi – plus a bit of electronics from Tenderlonious, who also handles the reeds! There's a really evocative quality to the record – east meets west in the world of spiritual jazz – and titles include "Mingusterstood", "A Sound Heart", "Forgive Me", "Reflections Of God", "Wings Of Submission", "Lahori Blues", and "Raga Bairagi Todi". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great record with a vibe that's all its own – a stunning blend of spiritual jazz, North Indian music, and some slight contemporary touches – all with a sense of deeper energy that really opens up as the album moves on! There's plenty of great keyboards on the record – a nicely warmer element next to some of the sharper reed lines – supported by some great percussion too! You might hear a bit of a London vibe to the record at points, but that's only because the flute and soprano sax come from Tenderlonious, who spearheads the group alongside guitarist Ali Riaz Baquar – although the whole thing is definitely a group effort, and draws plenty from the tablas of Kashif Ali Dhani, the drums of Qammar Vicky Abbas, sarangi of Zohaib Hassan Khan and the really great range of keyboard sounds from Latarnik – who plays Fender Rhodes, Moog Voyager, Clavinet, and other elements in the set. Titles include "Zari", "Nafs At Peace", "Mosty", "Straight Path", and "Raga Gujri Todi". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic set by this spiritual jazz ensemble from Pakistan – one who work with this really wicked blend of familiar jazz elements, some regional instrumentation, and some of the forward-thinking jazz ideas that have been bubbling up from the London scene of late! The music weaves together acoustic and electric elements wonderfully – blending Fender Rhodes and guitar with trumpet, piano, flute, tenor, tabla, and sarangi – plus a bit of electronics from Tenderlonious, who also handles the reeds! There's a really evocative quality to the record – east meets west in the world of spiritual jazz – and titles include "Mingusterstood", "A Sound Heart", "Forgive Me", "Reflections Of God", "Wings Of Submission", "Lahori Blues", and "Raga Bairagi Todi". CD

An incredible pairing of talents – one Polish group, one Pakistani – coming together here on a set that may well be the most impressive release on the completely wonderful Astigmatic label! We've loved their releases by both EABS and Jaubi, yet somehow together they've reached a sound that's even more uplifting and righteous than their work alone – using the keyboards and saxes of the first group with the sharper guitar and Indian percussion of the latter – to craft a sound that's got the globe-spanning sense of hope and joy that a project like this can foster. Titles include "Moon", "Madhuvanti", "Tomorrow", "Raise Your Hearts Drop Your Guns", "Strange Love", "Yesterday", "Whispers", and "Judgement Day". CD

One of the most compelling records we've ever heard from UK reedman Tenderlonious – and that's saying a lot, because most of his other recordings have been pretty damn great as well! This set has Tenderlonious playing flute and soprano sax, stretching out on long improvised ragas with the group Jaubi – a trio who use tabla, sarangi, and guitar in modes that echo older currents of Indian music, but also move things towards a slightly more contemporary vibe – with unusual drone elements that enhance the acoustic instruments in a very subtle way – and which only seem to make the flute lines stand out even more by comparison! Titles include "Kirwani", "Impressions", "Azeem", "Shahla Bagh", and "Azadi". LP, Vinyl record album