Monday, 30 October 2023

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As regular readers know, we love our jazz (in many forms) so when we get a quartet album led by a jazz guitarist that's celebrates the source of a river in Wales, let's dive in.Will Barnes, he of said electric guitar and the rest of Will Barnes Quartet; James Batten (drums), Jack Gonsalez (piano) and Clovis Phillips (bass), have found their own swing on this nine track album that has it's own jazz bubbling spring vibe that's reflected in...
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With a cover that's 'Afikaman' dressed as a "James Bond" just off to the Monte Carlo Casino, will this new re-issue produce any big bank breaking winnings?We'll the title track sure is as it's a full band of big horns backing Nana's vocals and featuring Abdul Tee-Jay on Lead and Rhythm guitar.It's a shame that these tracks are not longer [Ed. just play 'em again] and particularly, 'Asamando' and 'Adasama' with the groovy organ.There's two versions...
Like a London Bus, before you know it, there's three 'Gotta Get Over You's all at once!So it's been a little while since we had the original release of 'Gotta Get Over You' (see review HERE) that was followed by what we thought were the definitive North Street West collective remixes: but just as the fireworks are warming up, here's the double joy of a Wade Teo double version?The excellence of the Beedle/Morris/Wallace trio give us vocal,...

Friday, 27 October 2023

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I'm far too cool to 'Monster Mash' in late October but I can certainly 'Batt Danse' with the devil; errr.. I mean Natasha Kitty Katt and Billy Wirth. It's one of those times of years that you either love or hate tricks or treats and it's clear that Ms. Natasha Kitty Katt (she of Joesph Malik's 'Trouble with a Capital T' remix - see review HERE) has gone full on DJ Hell/Rusty Egan 80s synth vs. Bauhaus's 'Bela Logoshi's Dead' with a touch...
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Thomas Frempong was already a star of the Ghanaian Hi-Life/Dance Band scene  when he recorded Anansi 'Shuttle' in 'new' style of Electric Hi-Life but was he first on the bus? Well, if he wasn't first, he clearly on board with the 'new' sounds of the 70s when the likes of Tina Turner, Wilson Pickett and Carlos Santana were invited to Acca for a concert with local musicans.  By the time this album was released in the mid 80s...
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Double 'web' and a 'Web Max II' sounds like the long awaited follow up to 'Web Max' is finally with us and it's definitely been worth the wait.Whilst YATM were 'off-blog' (Ed. the equivalent of radio's "off-air"), Compost Records released the 'Web Max' in the summer of 2001: a collaboration of jazz group Web Web (that includes Roberto Di Gioia - see review of his album with Peter Kruder HERE) and songwriter and producer Max Herre.  It was...
Mike Reed ("not that one", if you're in the UK) has collected 'The Sdeparatist Party' together like a modern day James Blood Ulmer meets The Pop Group/Pere Ubu sans David Thomas/Art Ensemble of Chicago (better mention Sun Ra too!) and it's fantastic!Still coming to terms with Darius Jones's'fLuXkit Vancouver (i̶t̶s̶ suite but sacred)' album (see review HERE)? Try this as an alternative "free-jazz" that's free not free.We've recently featured...
Richard E has travelled about a bit but this time he's taking us to the moon with the new single, 'To The Moon'!Long time followers of Further Out Recordings will know that the origins were inspired by Sun Ra via Solar Apple Quarktette and Neptune Alpha Base Massive; any wonder then that this track is called 'To The Moon'?Well it was inspired by the cyprto boom and equally seems relevant now with the mini-space race in times of a mini-planet...
Michael Gray seems to be really busy at the moment with his DJing. radio shows, his own productions and remixes but he's found time to go back, way back to re-work 'Can't Stop', Reel People's anthem featuring Angela Johnson; it's like he can't wait for the weekend to begin.And it's going to be a long weekend as there's five remix versions; even the radio edit is 4 minutes long!  In addition to the original remix and radio edits, there's a reprise,...

Thursday, 26 October 2023

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Smoove & Turrell  and Jalapeno Records are on a winner with this new album; their seventh (wonder)!You might recall our surprise/delight that Ronnie Foster (Blue Note legend) was on the single 'The Light' (see review HERE) and there was 'Violet Hour' / 'Echoes' (see review HERE) and your thinking, can they keep this up for a whole album? Well, they bloody well can.'IGOTCHA' is in the 80s disco/funk/soul style that superfan Craig Charles...
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Jewel Ackrah was already a star of the Hi-Life when he recorded this album, 'Electric Hi-Life' in the 'new' style of Electric Hi-Life but this guys is band wagon jumper. Release on Asona in London, this is another in BBE's re-issue series that have so far included Sam Yeboah's 'Meba Fie - I'll Be Back Home' (see review HERE) and Nana Budjei's 'Afrikaman' and this joins them in a celebration of Ghanain Hi-Life.And perhaps it was recorded in Accra...
We'll, you might say, "Hello, here's two things of gold" when it comes to the lastest release by Antonio Trichera on A.MA Records.But don't confuse the current 'Most Popular' review of the label's album by Two Things Of Gold (see review HERE) which this re-visit to one of the most popular tracks on Trinchera's 'Fauves' album that came out in just over a year ago.Chicago's Elbert certainly has his finger on the jazz-funk dancefloor as 'Bug Night'...

Tuesday, 24 October 2023

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Footie fans will recognise the name Yeboah (especially, in Leeds) as the Ghanian international striker Tony who has his own Hi-Life Sensation!No, this is Sam Yeboah with BBE's re-issue of his 1980s "Burger" / "Electric Higlife" (kinda the Hi-Life equivalent of reggae to dancehall).BBE are no strangers to this kind of re-issue but this series came to light after DJ Jerry Frempong's wife found some records in the  shed, Anthony Roberts-Frempong...

Saturday, 21 October 2023

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A08 (formerly known as AFRICAINE 808) have a new album coming out on Compost Records later in the year and to get you excited, here's a double A-side single.As mentioned in the review of the sinlge (see HERE),  Their previous album/12"s were on everyone's favourite white label outta New York (well, in my part of London anyway) Golf Channel with artists like Heroes Of The Galleon Trade, Justin Vandervolgen and DJ Nature to name just...
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To misquote a well known film, "You had me at, 'Coming on vinyl LP and as limited glow-in-the-dark tapes edition'"!But what kind of psychadelic madness is this?  Well it's the the kind you get when Jasmine Tutum (aka Jazz'min Tutum and best know in these parts for her collaborations with the best "electronic transmitter" around, Madtone) and OG Jahtari's disrupt and Rootah who call themselves The Other Others.Jasmin's dub poetry elevates...

Friday, 20 October 2023

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Here is the new British Standard for Soul and us naturals are fluent in the native language of Discoteca, turn it up Soulnaturals!If you were a regular Friday and Saturday nite cluber in the 70s at the like of  Maison Royale, Bumbles, The Outlook or many thousands of other shady dancing establishments with an extended drinks licence 50 odd years ago, here's the modern equivalent of what would have been "the hottest sounds around"!In the main...
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Looks like 2023 just gets better for Afroterraneo with every release as we now get a rather loud 'El Silencio' from Buika and Kiko Navarro.Following on from the Kiko Navarro/DJ Pippi/ Willie Graff EP, ;Tempistica Mistica' (see review HERE), 'El Silencio' is anything but in long and short versions with club and original edits.  More Latin/Flamenco-ish than Afro-House these guys know how to mix house and beach.The Latin flava is of no surprise...