The RAH Band: Producer’s Choice [Atjazz Record Company]
Richard Anthony Hewson aka The RAH band returns with his latest release “Producer’s Choice”. Hewson’s career dates back to the sixties when he worked with a wide array of musicians from the Beatles and Diana Ross to Herbie Hancock. Hewson founded the RAH band in 1977 and hasn’t released anything since his “Perfumed Garden” ep in 2015. “Producer’s Choice” features some of Hewson’s biggest tunes. Among the highlights are “Downside Up” a boogie tune with jazzy horns and synths originally released in 1981. The aforementioned “Perfumed Garden” has been transformed into a breezy mid tempo tune that will heighthen the excitement for what’s next. “Messages from The Stars” harkens back to the days of eighties flavored boogie funk. It’s a successful evolution of Hewson’s prime cuts that will certainly please long time fans and impress newcomers as well.
Matthew Tavares & Leland Whitty: Visions [Mr Bongo]
Keyboardist Matthew Tavares formely of BADBADNOTGOOD is joined by former band-mate saxophonist Leland Whitty on the deeply satisfying “Visions”. Tavares and Whitty are joined by bassist Julian Anderson-Bowes and drummer Matthew Chalmers to round out the quartet. “Visions” is filled with meditative and spiritual compositions that are open and atmospheric. “Through The Looking Glass” is spiritual jazz highlighted by Whitty’s flourishes on soprano and Tavares modal approach on keys. The intensity kicks up on “Woah” before Tavares slows down the pace with his fluid piano phrasings. Whitty exchanges his sax for flute and the soft tone compliments Anderon’s gentle guitar strokes on the sublime “Visions Of You”. The quartet came together and completed this album in one take. It’s a triumph from these like minded musicians to compose such a heartfelt and spiritual record.
30 March 2020
Michael Longo – Ocean Of His Might [Groove Merchant]
Manu Dibango – New Bell [Atlantic]
Manu Dibango – Sun Explosion [Fiesta]
Bosq feat. Kaleta – Omo Iya [Bacalao]
Kuma – I.G.A.T.F. [Rocafort Records]
Chip Wickham – Blue To Red [Love Monk]
JK Group – Jazz Trip [La Sape]
Gang Starr – Above The Clouds [Cooltempo]
Deda feat. Pete Rock – Everyman [BBE Music]
CK Mann + Carousel 7 – Asafo Beesoun (Daniel Haaksman Edit) [BBE Music]
Mpeshnyk – Mask Of Skin [Atjazz Record Company]
B. Bravo – Atomic Bounce [Bastard Jazz Recordings]
Holy Hive – Broom [Big Crown Records]
Larry Rose Band – The Sand [BBE Music]
Roos Jonker & Dean Tippet – This One [Sonar Kollektiv]
Da Lata – Lunar View [Da Lata Music]
Da Lata – Can It Be? [Palm Beats]
Da Lata – Cores [Palm Pictures]
Da Lata feat. Rich Medina – Monkeys And Anvils [Agogo Records]
Da Lata – Sway [Da Lata Music]
Da Lata – Golden (Bugz In The Attic Remix) [Palm Pictures]
Da Lata – Prá Manhã (Main Rub) [Palm Pictures]
Da Lata – Free [Agogo Records]
23 March 2020
Natalie Greffel – Não Sabia Nem Começar [Agogo Records]
Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad present Jazz Is Dead feat Marcos Valle – Nao Saia Da Praca
Minas – Num Dia Azul [Blueazul Records]
Manfredo Fest – Jungle Cat [Treasure Trove Records]
Gary Bartz & Maisha – Leta’s Dance [Night Dreamer]
Malcolm Strachan – Take Me To The Clouds [Haggis Records]
Superposition – Bilawal [We Jazz Records]
Web Web – Inner Revolution [Compost Records]
Thundercat feat. Ty Dolla $ign & Lil B – Fair Chance [Brainfeeder]
Pugs Atomz & Inkswel feat. Wes Restless – 4am Burners [Sonar Kollektiv]
Darrow Fletcher – (What Are We Gonna Do About) This Mess [Kent Select]
Torn Sail – Disconnected (NOTI Remix) [NuNorthern Soul]
KRTS feat. Takeleave – I Didn’t Know
PPP feat. Tiombe Lockhart – Stay With Me (Marc Mac Remix)
96 Back – Fe Symbolic [Hypercolour]
Peshay – Hitchhiker [Peshay Music]
Malik Hendricks feat. Most Golden – Umore [Darker Than Wax]
Kaidi Tatham – Simiya [Freedom School]
Herbie Hancock – Sunlight [CBS]
Jazzanova – Boom Clicky Boom Klack (Mr. Scruff Vocal Remix) [Sonar Kollektiv]
Ivan Conti – Katmandu (Jazzanova Remix) [Far Out Recordings]
Cotonete – Layla (Alex Attias Remix) [Heavenly Sweetness]
Black Loops – Blue Pill [Freerange Records]
16 March 2020
McCoy Tyner – Beyond The Sun [Milestone Records]
McCoy Tyner – For Tomorrow [Milestone Records]
McCoy Tyner – Song Of The New World [Milestone Records]
Hideto Sasaki – Toshiyuki Sekine Quartet +1 – Carole’s Garden [BBE Music]
Marcos Valle – Batucada Surgiu [Mr Bongo]
Guedra Guedra – Uggug [On The Corner Records]
Damily – Zaho Va [Bongo Joe Records]
Sarathy Korwar – Birthright (Emanative Remix) [The Leaf Label]
The Mystery Kindaichi Band – Akuma No Temariuta [Wewantsounds]
Roy Ayers – Brand New Feeling [BBE Music]
Mikis Theodorakis – Honest Cop [Wewantsounds]
Sly5thAve feat. Denitia – With You [Tru Thoughts Recordings]
B0nds – Elsewhere [Cold Busted]
Paraxdoom – Gazzilionear (Remake)
Sa-Ra Creative Partners feat. Pharoahe Monch – Fish Fillet [Babygrand]
Andrew Weatherall – Unknown Plunderer [Byrd Out]
Linkwood & Greg Foat – Sa Talaia [Athens Of The North]
The Cinematic Orchestra feat. Tawiah – Wait For Now (Pepe Bradock Wobbly Remix) [Ninja Tune]
Moses Boyd & Poppy Ajudha – Shades Of You [Exodus Records]
Inkswel feat. Stan Smith – Too Late (Thatmanmonkz Remix) [Boogie Angst]
Low End Activist – 19STR8BK [Seagrave]
Clavis – Camira [Freerange Records]
Steve Legget & Mark Hand feat. Greg Blackman – If You Cannot Try [Apollo Records]
Taxi Driver – On The Rails [Estereo]
9 March 2020
Jon Dalton feat. Sheila Ellis – Smile Of The Beyond
Georgie Sweet – Sorry (Live) [Futuristica Music]
Seu Jorge & Roge – Pra Você Amigo [Night Dreamer]
Takeleave – Sabado [Project Mooncircle]
Monophonics – All In The Family [Colemine Records]
Be PM – Part Two [My Bags]
JK Group – Seeds [La Sape]
Jaga Jazzist – Spiral Era [Brainfeeder]
The Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble – Le – Le [Hubbub Records]
Catalyst – New-Found Truths [Cobblestone]
Beat Bronco Organ Trio feat. Chip Wickham – Squirtl [Rocafort Records]
Casbah 73 feat. Bart Davenport – Sweet Maybe [Love Monk]
Qwestlife feat. Amp Fiddler – Step On It [Glitterbox Recordings]
Aldorande – Breakfast In Space [Favorite Recordings]
Cody Currie & Joel Holmes – Love We Feel [Toy Tonics]
Wajatta – Renegades [Brainfeeder]
Boddhi Satva & Alton Miller – See The Day [BBE Music]
Elliot Hollins – Karasee [Atjazz Record Company]
Ron Pullman presenting Shannon Chambers feat. Lester Jenkins – Back II Life (PullmanSoul’s Reality Check Mix) [Makin’ Moves]
Jacksonville – FON [Hobbes Music]
Black Square feat. Laville – Coral Blues [Blind Colour]
2 March 2020
Roos Jonker & Dean Tippet – This One [Sonar Kollektiv]
Brazil By Music (Marcos Valle & Azymuth) – Zanzibar [Tidal Waves Music]
Camarao Orkestra – Copacabana [Favorite Recordings]
Karmasound – Lo Unico Que Quiero [Phuture Shock Musik]
Kaoru Iiyoshi & The Wip – Soul Tripper [Jazz Room Records]
The Nassauvians – Slacking Off [Backatcha Records]
The Four M Company – Sugarfree [Family Groove Records]
Paraxdoom – Strange Ways (Remake)
Spikey Tee feat. Mark Pritchard – Rise [Tokyo Dawn]
Submorphics feat. Big Brooklyn Red – Daydreaming [The North Quarter]
Mulatu Astatke & Black Jesus Experience – Kulun Mankwaleshi [Agogo Records]
Django Strong – Hoo Dou Hoo Mine [African Roadtrip]
Maajo – Nkoranza [Queen Nanny]
Koichi Sakai & Afla Sackey – Niege [Olindo Records]
Twylyte ’81 – Can I Change [Favorite Recordings]
Ludivine Issambourg – Going Home [Heavenly Sweetness]
Web Web – The Upper (Part 1 & 2) [Compost Records]
Irreversible Entanglements – Bread Out of Stone [International Anthem / Don Giovanni]
Peshay – Jazz Club [Peshay Music]
Myele Manzanza – Itaru’s Phone Booth (Theo Parrish Remix) [First Word Records]
Conclave – Sunny [Most Excellent Unlimited]
Stacy Kidd – How Bad I Want Ya (Gu Peak True Time Mix) [BBE Music]
Wajatta – Tonight [Brainfeeder]
musclecars feat. Brandon Markell Holmes – Don’t Go [Toucan Sounds]
Ricardo Richaid: Travesseiro Feliz [Far Out Recordings]
“Travesseiro Feliz” is the début of Far Out recordings latest signing Ricardo Richaid. Richaid displays his chops on electric and acoustic guitar as well as an adept use of electronics and synths. He receives sparkling percussive contributions from Marcos Suzano, multi-instrumentalist Jose Ibarra and others. The opener “Maracas Enterprise-Frio da Manha” starts out as a searing psychedelic tune filled with explosive horns before the tempo shifts into a sublime guitar driven folk. Richaid’s vocals are out front on “Largado Nu”, which erupts with electric guitar rhythms before shifting into a softer acoustic bliss. “O Velho Cai” is a warm stripped down tune that features Liza Machado on vocals. Richaid absorbs all of influences from the deep well of Brazil and applies his crafty arrangements into an impressive début. The talent here is obvious and we’re looking forward to hearing more from him.
Sonar Kollektiv: Sonar Kollektiv 21 years…Feel [Sonar Kollektiv]
It’s no stretch to say that the label from Berlin as known as Sonar Kollektiv has been one of the most admired labels over the last twenty years. So it seems proper to salute them for all the quality recordings they’ve blessed us with. “21 years” features thirty plus tracks that have stood the test of time and hearing them again is simply a breath of fresh air. It’s a superb collection of their own compositions as well as re-releasing recordings from artists they’ve been drawn to over the years. What’s more is this is the first of two compilations so expect another batch of thirty more recordings soon but let’s focus on these for now. The disc begins with “Oh Africa”, the infectious 2013 dance track from Alex Barck, one of the founding members of Jazzanova. “Make It Good” is another floor burner that evokes happy memories from The White Lamp which featured Pete Josef. There’s a load of unreleased gems as well. “Charizo Pancho” is a splendid simmering samba treat from Marlow & Truby. For those drawn to slower tempos there’s the sublime “Paradiso” from Lars Barkuhn. “Feel Like a Feel” is melancholy folk from Paul Bryan aka Sergio Sa. We’ve just scratched the surface for there’s so much to savor here you could spends weeks combing through it all. Believe me you’ll be glad you did. As far as compilations go this will be hard to beat.
Various Artists: DJ Andy Smith Presents Reach Up Disco Wonderland Vol.2 [BBE]
DJ Andy Smith returns to BBE with another instalment of Disco heaters. “Disco Wonderland Vol.2” picks up where Vol.1 left off and features unreleased gems and remixes from Smith himself. “Lost Without You” is infectious boogie funk from Will Sessions & Amp Fiddler. “Star Cruiser” from Gregg Diamond under his Bionic Boogie moniker is classic 70s string laden Disco. “You Don’t Know” was a staple in every club in the mid eighties as a première dance track. The Crissy Kybosh remix gives it new life. Smith’s compilation is filled with eighties flavour and Disco lovers will spring to their feet upon hearing these tracks again. For those unfamiliar with them, you’re in for a treat.