An unsung Hip-Hop hero, Braintax has been instrumental in much of the positive movement made by the UK scene over the last decade, and the politically-charged Panorama’s cultured flow, intelligent lyrics and captivatingly diverse beats are testament to just that. Self-funded and largely self-produced, the album is the interesting, progressive and ever-funky antithesis of mundane, mass-marketed fluff. The excellent, Louis Slipperz-produced Syriana Style, with its tough middle-eastern beats interspersed with George Galloway sound bites, just about sums it up!

Tom Breslin

Music from high above the streets, from where the inspiration came, for this first of a two parter. This is jazz at its most adventurous best, a story narrated by Moira Stewart with the characters MCing over jazz blowing and hip hop flowing while musical boundaries open up. This is Birmingham from a high rise block, take a listen to the dialogue between the aspiring MC and the Job Centre worker, on the button . Love it.

Graham Radley

Venues that capture the spirit and soul of a time and place and style of music are few and far between but Dingwalls in its day was a shrine to the jazz dancers and here’s a 25 track sample of why. Aptly starting off with Janet Lawson’s ‘Sunday Afternoon’, there’s tracks from the likes of Pharoah Sanders, Mark Murphy, Airto, Tribe Called Quest, Roy Ayers, and Norman Connors. A great collection reflecting a special time.

Graham Radley

Firstly I must warn you… there is a dark, filthy, nasty world where Seiji has trodden and from where he has discovered the East-Mental Vocal remix that is far too dangerous for you to encounter… better we confine ourselves to the project that is ‘The Album’ as safety is paramount.

You may have read that the album is a fusion between Brasilian and Asian kaleidoscopes – well even that is a little misleading. FarOut produce some great releases, of which this is one, but with a clear Brasilian umbrella covering their catalogue, so that’s where I want you to position yourselves. This is as elegant as you would expect of Joyce; this is as dramatic as you would expect of Grupo Batuque; and this is as gripping as you would expect of Azymuth.

Gabriela Geluda’s songs are full of timbre and warmth on all eleven pieces here, ‘Grito’ is powerful stuff indeed (and perhaps why Seiji has picked up on it and…. lets not go there!). ‘Vega-Lume’ is the band’s most recognisable offering and worthy of its place in 2006 alone, ‘Rejoycing’ is a great bossa splash and ‘Nunca Never’ is quirky and jumpy – a sit up a take note kind of tune.. Great.

So where indeed does Democustico take the listener? For me, who revels in all things Brasilian, it’s a class offering from a great label with ever so subtle touches of tambura, pandeiro, rain sticks, bells and cleaver programming, courtesy of Roc Hunter, providing me with an album that will last and last, and something I am confident you would agree with. For those who need a little more encouraging… listen to ‘Pera’, listen also to ‘Brasil’ and tell me I’m wrong!

Steve Williams

What’s more of a challenge – to be given an album you enjoy to review or to be logical and constructive about something you are not that all too sure about? For most, music is good music to somebody, if only the creator of the music. Let’s therefore try to be constructive about an album I love, about a band that when playing live are exciting and maybe even about a band that shines above many in this year’s bombardment of quality releases as, dare I say it, the year end is neigh.
The jazz critic: ‘Morning Brings The Light’ comes at you like some unearthed Gilles Peterson discovery. Flute and vocals with amazing rhythm, with complex yet almost basic ideas associated with labels like MPS and Impulse. How have they managed to create this familiarity in today’s age of technology? Perhaps, no, simply the best piece of jazz for me this year.
A world music perspective: ‘I Remember My Life like A Story’ blasts you with Balkan violin madness, gypsy almost but somewhere before you reach Tango.and for ‘John Riley’ an invoking Irish love song only to clear the way for ‘One Bright Day’, a folk up-tempo groove with sparks of almost Senegalese undertones. Clever and enjoyable.
So why all the excitement? The band stepped on stage to the words "welcome to a night of folk music".. And that is where the balance of the album sits you – smack in the middle of some outstanding jazz orientated folk. ‘Jane Jane’ is an impressive composition, so too ‘Wonderful World’, aired on the aforementioned Mr. Peterson’s Worldwide programme. Add to that the fact that our very own Sammy Goulbourn’s The Other Side show has featured several offerings from the album too should be a clear guide to its standing.
This studio album is a must and I implore the reader to see the band perform live for they are truly a strong part of our ever changing movement with all things jazz in this country.

Steve Williams

My first encounter with Huba came after picking up two other releases on the Jupiter label; an album by Fly and one by Teddy Rok Seven. This led me on to the Quintessence album followed by Jukka Eskola… the link? Finland!

Nothing could quite prepare me for Huba’s 12″ release ‘Mary’ – heavy vinyl – heavy tune. Perfect music.

The word spread and all the right faces soon had the twelve in their collection, but then what? Well for me it all went a little too quiet for my liking until… the album – delight, expectation, nervousness, enthusiasm, even celebration as the opening ‘Mary’ floods the memory banks with euphoria. So I sit, late on a mild November night, headphones tight and volume… yeh! Just right.

Each of the twelve compositions blend beautifully from one to the next, no disruption, fantastic musicianship prominent and wonderful exciting ideas clear…. ouch ‘Brave & Strong’ smacks you centre face – invigorating soulful and powerful.

What next? Funky licks with ‘Who’s Got The Nerve’, a monster of a tune that gets the pulses racing, and then jazz with the vocal stamp of authority that is Huba. A great groover and a serious contender for a 12″ release in the New Year me thinks. So what’s the verdict? Well for those of you not familiar with Huba need this simply for ‘Mary’ – those of you that oh-so-big-step in front will die for ‘Like Sly Says’ and ‘Summer Morn’, but for me.. where the money is? Well it’s all about ‘Natural High’ the most soulful tune since the year 1979… tears appear. A happy man am I. This gets full marks and then some.

Steve Williams

Here’s the third instalment of the Secret Love series compiled by Jazzanova and Resoul, who have been on the hunt for more gems from the folk scene. A number of them you will/should know: The Beauty Room, Micah, Clara Hill, Mocky, Fink and Jose Gonzalez. The rest were unknown to me but it has opened my ears up to this side of Folk, which is gaining interest with DJs around the world. I read a lot about Soul Village’s version of “Everybody Love The Sunshine” and even though we’ve heard the original many times before, it does work. I’m not going to highlight the best of the other tracks because they are worth their weight in gold and you’ll be the one missing out.

Simon Harrison

Yep it’s the third instalment from the successful series on the ever consistent Schema Records. There are unreleased gems here from Gerardo Frisina, Soulstance, Quintetto Lo Greco and Luis Ferri. Some of you may have picked up the ace Five Corners Quintet’s remix of Sunaga T Experience: if not it’s here in all its glory. Plus there is the first glimpse of the project by Mario Biondi & High Five Quintet, with an album dropping in 2007. Excited? –  well, I am. They also dig back and highlight some classics from the past by Kenny Clarke-Frency Boland Sextet and Sahib Shiab. The best thing is all the tracks are on vinyl and cd… Whooohooo!

Simon Harrison

One of the best kept secrets in the Sonar Kollektiv catalogue is Dimitri Grimm aka Dimlite. “This Is Embracing” is his third album. He continues to impress with every single production and this album is brilliant. The beats are heavy but with the twisted sounds we’ve come to expect. Most of the album is made up of instrumentals with a few vocalists thrown in for good measure. They include Gaby Hernandez (known from Build An Ark and The Life Force Trio) who beautifully with Grimm. Buddy Leezle from the band 215/TFK is a welcome new vocalist and one name I shall be on the look out for: I’m sure he’ll be on myspace. I hope Dimlite now gets some remixes out there because his previous work has been something special.

Simon Harrison

Ahhhh, if I were asked to review albums like this every day of every week I would truly be a contented soul. The blues has not be represented this strongly since Ernesto’s ‘A New Blues’ album last year (Exceptional Records). Acoustic bliss with someone who actually knows how to produce his own album – precise imagery and colour make this a zero fatigue treat for the ears and a welcome relief for the speakers who have been missing John Martyn dearly. Nothing can quite replace the sound of musicians playing instruments in a rather overwhelming electronic world of jazz and soul music. ‘Pretty Little Thing’ opens the proceedings where you will find yourself settling back into the armchair for what becomes a wonderful and refreshing project. Fink touch all the rite spots with ‘You Gotta Choose’, ‘Biscuits’ and their re-work of ‘All Cried Out’ is a remarkable concept, highlighting a true experience for the listener and clearly identifying their writing skills. The Blues – but not a dead dog in sight! An amazing album.

Steve Williams