Territories: Worldwide no restrictions

Format Notes:

Part of Bobby Caldwell Reissue Campaign, 2023 first time reissue, 140g vinyl


Track List:

A1 Special To Me 4:00
A2 My Flame 3:30
A3 Love Won't Wait 4:00
A4 Can't Say Goodbye 5:20

B1 Come To Me 2:52
B2 What You Won't Do For Love 4:45
B3 Kalimba Song 2:00
B4 Take Me Back To Then 3:30
B5 Down For The Third Time 3:30

Release Notes:

Known principally as a smooth titan of blue-eyed soul, Bobby Caldwell transcended genre tags with consummate ease; he was a musical icon of real class and versatility, cherished the world over. Tragically passing away in March 2023 at the too young age of 71, it still feels as if Bobby's true artistry is profoundly under-appreciated. His double platinum self-titled album from 1978 is a timeless masterpiece of sophisticated jazzy soul brilliance and is strictly canonical. Yes, it's perfect, yet it's been out of press on vinyl for years. We're deeply honoured to present the long-awaited reissue this summer.

Whilst Ned Doheny is known in Japan as "Mr California", native New Yorker Bobby Caldwell has always been "Mr AOR" to his Far-Eastern friends. His distinct charm is an irresistible blend of soul, jazz, and pop influences. He possessed phenomenal songwriting prowess, smooth vocal performances, was both a great soul guitarist and dextrous keyboard player and known for genius chord progressions. It all added up to a multi-layered brilliance entering the studio, and the singular sound he landed on was laced with soulful, sweeping strings and funky horns, touching lightly on disco, while allowing his supple voice to carry the stunning tracks he'd crafted.

String-swept opener "Special To Me" immediately sets the tone with its lush instrumentation, rich harmonies, and Caldwell's velvety-smooth vocals. Next up, a huge one. The infectious, mid-tempo bounce of "My Flame" showcases Caldwell's ability to effortlessly blend catchy pop hooks with soulful arrangements. It's an exquisite, emotive ballad that, at the same time, absolutely SLAPS. Game recognise game, and all that, so, accordingly, Notorious B.I.G. memorably ran with “My Flame” for his 1997 single “Sky’s The Limit”. The rolling, disco-very "Love Won't Wait" is a slick, uptempo track containing heartfelt lyrics intertwined with elegant strings and a horn section to die for. Aching - and achingly cool - single "Can't Say Goodbye" is a real fan favourite, and it's no surprise. It's a laconic, slow-mo jazz-funk stepper, with fantastic, very deliberate playing that closes out the A Side quite exceptionally. "Come To Me" slows proceedings down elegantly to open Side B before the universally agreed-upon masterpiece enters proceedings.

"What You Won't Do for Love," the standout hit that became a classic in its own right, perfectly captured Bobby's ability to infuse a contagious groove with introspective and relatable lyrics. With its instantly recognisable horn riff and Caldwell's soulful delivery, this timeless, chiller anthem continues to captivate audiences and define his musical legacy. He scored huge with the track, taking over the pop and R&B airways with this mellow soul stepper. It has remained a perennial favourite and has been heavily sampled, such is its unique allure; Aaliyah sang over snatches of it on "Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number" and you can hear Caldwell’s vocal sample used for the hook on Tupac’s posthumously released “Do For Love”.

Upon submitting the finished album to his label, they requested more material in hope of a big single. As Bobby remembered to Wax Poetics a few years ago: “Now at this point, I’m mentally exhausted...and bear in mind that I got so close to all the songs I’d written. I gave each song a profound amount of thought, and maybe too much. So, in haste, I went in and cut this song, "What You Won’t Do For Love". Wrote it in a day, cut the rhythm track, overdubbed the horns, I sang the song, and literally turned it in three days after. And lo and behold, the one song I gave the least thought to,” Bobby laughed, “ended up being a national anthem.”

The mysterious, magical "Kalimba Song" is a cosmic, kalimba-driven melodic-funk instrumental - short but oh, so sweet. It's followed by the supreme tear-jerker "Take Me Back To Then", Bobby's otherworldly voice deeply longing for a simpler time, "when life was mellow". I think we can all get behind this sentiment. The final cut is arguably its deepest, its low-key finest moment. For us, it is, anyway. The glorious, driving, effortlessly funky guitar-soul jam "Down For The Third Time" is a huge melancholic Be With favourite and has been played by discerning genre-hopping DJs with significant glee for years. Hypnotic, melodic, beautiful. Like the album it elegantly rounds out.

Bobby sadly passed away on 23rd March 2023, after a long struggle with mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress, due to an adverse effect from a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. The reissue of his wonderful eponymous album will be available on vinyl across the globe, ensuring that fans of his incomparable talent - and soul music enthusiasts worldwide - can radiate in the deep beauty of this seminal album. Meticulously remastered and cut by both Simon Francis and Cicely Balston respectively, it has been pressed to the highest possibly quality at Record Industry in Holland. More

LP

Special remarks:
180g

Tracklist:

A1) Trudelutt 05:03 min
A2) Oli's Balloon 02:22 min
A3) All Good Things Are Four 05:04 min
A4) Tolv 03:13 min
A5) Sora 03:45 min
A6) Kogia 05:39 min
B1) Ayet 08:49 min
B2) Penguin 04:29 min
B3) La 04:23 min

Info:

Pianist Masako Ohta and trumpet player Matthias Lindermayr's music flows in gentle waves, moving with ease between every theme they imagine. Their music is largely improvised, embracing chance and following sound down winding paths. Their debut collaborative album, MMMMH, highlights this loose process through its relaxed pace, surprising turns, and drifting style. The album presents small vignettes that each encapsulate their free-flowing motion and tranquil melodies, drawing from simple ideas to create a fully bloomed, radiant sound.

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Rights: World excluding France, UK , North America & Japan

Format 1: 2 x 180 grs LP , 2 x Printed Inner

SHORT INFOS
- 2023 marks 35 years since the first single by The Brand New Heavie
- Twenty-one seminal tracks from Acid Jazz royalty, The Brand New Heavies, who transcended London’s local funk scene to become to enjoy global success across with hits such as ‘Sometimes’, ‘You Are The Universe’, ‘Dream on Dreamer’, ‘Midnight at The Oasis’ and more.
- This new compilation brings together all the singles from the band’s time with London Records, featuring 15 Top 40, 5 Top 20, and 1 Top 10 UK hits.
- All formats feature new liner notes from producer and long-time fan Mark Ronson.
- Presented on double heavyweight vinyl with 21 hits – all their biggest hits + 4 US Singles- and expanded 2 x CD with remixes by Masters at Work, Dimitri from Paris, Roger Sanchez and a new remix of ‘Stay This Way’ by Bob Sinclar

Tracklisting:

1. Never Stop
2. Dream Come True
3. Got to Give
4. Don’t Let It Go to Your Head
5. Stay This Way
6. Dream on Dreamer
7. Back to Love
8. Midnight at the Oasis
9. Spend Some Time
10. Close to You
11. Sometimes
12. You Are the Universe
13. You’ve Got a Friend
14. Shelter
15. Saturday Nite
16. Apparently Nothing
17. People Get Ready
18. Bonafied Funk (featuring Main Source and Large Professor)
19. Brother Sister
20. Mind Trips
21. You Can Do It

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No sales to Japan!

LP: 180g vinyl, half speed mastered, heavy sleeve, obi, gold ink
Genre: Jazz, Fusion, Funk

Tracklisting LP
A1. Shrimp Dance
A2. Kuro To Shiro
B1. Walk Tall
B2. Cat
B3. Romance


Info

We Release Jazz is ecstatic (purrrr!) to announce the official reissue of Hiroshi Suzuki's glorious jazz-fusion-funk Holy Grail Cat (originally released in 1976), sourced from the original masters and available on limited edition 180 gram vinyl mastered at half speed for full audiophile sound, as well as on digipack CD. Both versions come with liner notes by Teruo Isono.
Cat was recorded in October 1975 at at Nippon Columbia Studio, while Hiroshi Suzuki was visiting his home country of Japan after moving to Las Vegas in 1971 to play with Buddy Rich and perfect his craft. Back on his old stomping grounds, the man known as Neko (Cat) immediately reunited with his dear friends for an epic two day session of groove magic. The chemistry was still intact. The skills and style had grown.
The result, Cat, is a smooth masterpiece, a deep and soulful affair where stunning trombone solos by Hiroshi Suzuki flirt with Takeru Muraoka's heavenly saxophone and the sensual rhythm section of Hiromasa Suzuki (keyboards), Kunimitsu Inaba (bass), and Akira Ishikawa (drums).
Celebrated in jazz collectors circles, in the lofi beat scene, and among music diggers around the world, Cat has become one of the most sought-after Japanese jazz albums of all time and, much like Ryo Fukui's Scenery, has fascinated old and young generations alike.

Points of interests

- For fans of jazz, fusion, funk, trombone, Japanese jazz, smooth rides, cats, allure.

- Official reissue of the glorious jazz-fusion album by Japanese trombonist extraordinaire Hiroshi "Neko" Suzuki.

- 10th release from We Release Jazz, following Ryo Fukui's Scenery, Mellow Dream, A Letter from Slowboat, and Ryo Fukui in New York, the soundtrack of Le Cercle Rouge by Eric Demarsan, Stuff Combe 5 + Percussion, Marc Moulin's Placebo Live 1971 and Boillat Thérace Quintet albums. We Release Jazz is the sister-label of Geneva-based WRWTFWW Records (Midori Takada's Through The Looking Glass and Lunar Cruise with Masahiko Sato, Pierre Barouh's Le Pollen, Jun Fuka-machi's Nicole, Grauzone's discography, …)
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The Standard Edition - Territory - NO Sales to Japan
Ryo Fukui's 1976 highly sought-after jazz masterpiece SCENERY-
LP Edition: Mastered at half speed, 140g vinyl, Sticker

We Release Jazz (WRWTFWW Records' new sister-label) is proud to present its first release, the official reissue of Ryo Fukui's highly sought-after masterpiece Scenery (1976), sourced from the original masters and available on limited edition 180g vinyl mastered at half speed for audiophile sound and on digipack CD.

Unquestionably one of the most important Japanese jazz albums ever recorded, Scenery reveals Ryo Fukui as a miraculously brilliant self-taught pianist fusing modal, bop, and cool jazz influences for a very personal, dexterous and game-changing take on classic standards made famous by Bing Crosby and John Coltrane among others. From "It Could Happen To You" and its serene and calm intro which magically flows into a jubilant and upbeat piece, to the out-of-this-world piano solo of "Early Summer", or the incredible teamwork of "Autumn Leaves" where Fukui leads Satoshi Denpo (bass) and Yoshinori Fukui (drums) into groove heaven, every single note on the album oozes precision, confidence and flair and every single section slides seamlessly into one another, creating a supreme and elegant blend of jazz. Often compared to McCoy Tyner or Bill Evans, Ryo Fukui was a genius in his own right, a true master of his craft whose perfectionism gave birth to some of the greatest music ever recorded. Scenery is his magnum opus and an absolute must-have.

The Hokkaido wizard-pianist followed Scenery with the soulful gem Mellow Dream (also available on We Release Jazz) in 1977. He then focused on improving his live skills, often performing at Sapporo's Slowboat Jazz Club (which he co-founded with his wife Yasuko Fukui) and releasing 2 live albums. Ryo Fukui sadly passed away in March 2016, leaving behind a legacy of works that is sure to captivate jazz lovers for generations to come.


Tracklisting Vinyl LP
A1 It Could Happen To You
A2 I Want To Talk About You
A3 Early Summer
B1 Willow Weep For Me
B2 Autumn Leaves
B3 Scenery
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Format: 4x12"LP

Tracklist
A EASY LEE
B THEOGENESE
C1 BAHAHA HAHI
C2 LA RAJA
D I TRY TO LIVE (CAN I LIVE)
E1 QUIZÅS
E2 FUSION THE ENEMIES
F DEXTER
G BACH TO BACK
H1 Y.G.H.
H2 WAIWORINAO



Ricardo Villalobos first album „Alcachofa“ from 2003.
Originally released by Playhouse as a 3x12“ record set, the re-release adds a fourth 12“, the „Alcachofa Tools“. More

The Standard Edition - Territory - NO Sales to Japan
Ryo Fukui's 1976 highly sought-after follow up to SCENERY!
LP Edition: Mastered at half speed, 140g vinyl, Sticker

We Release Jazz (WRWTFWW Records' new sister-label) is thrilled to present the official reissue of criminally overlooked Japanese jazz gem Mellow Dream (1977) by Hokkaido pianist wunderkind Ryo Fukui, released in conjunction with the its legendary predecessor Scenery, sourced from the original masters and mastered at half speed.

Firmly standing on the foundation he laid down with Scenery, Ryo Fukui continues his exploration of modal, bop and cool jazz sounds with meticulous grace and absolute mastery. As its title suggests, Mellow Dream ventures into slightly mellower, more soulful, and sometimes more contemplative territories (the Bill Evans-reminiscent "Mellow Dream" and "My Foolish Heart") while still packing the commanding punch Fukui's work is loved for, as heard on the amazingly bombastic "Baron Potato Blues" or the gigantic McCoy Tyner/John Coltrane-influenced "Horizon" which sees each member of the trio (Satoshi Denpo is on bass and Yoshinori Fukui is on drums) demonstrating their virtuosity for 9 exhilarating minutes. With his sophomore album, Ryo Fukui swings from melancholy to vibrant joy with ease, reminding us that jazz is best served with a pinch of blues, and displays an immensely rare combination of pure talent, unique personal approach and focused discipline. The man undeniably deserves a spot in the pantheon of all-time great jazz pianists.

After releasing the outstanding Scenery and Mellow Dream back to back, Ryo Fukui worked on developing his live skills, often performing at Sapporo's Slowboat Jazz Club (which he co-founded with his wife Yasuko Fukui), and even releasing 2 live albums. He sadly passed away in March 2016, leaving behind a legacy of works that all jazz lovers should explore.


Tracklisting Vinyl LP
A1 Mellow Dream
A2 My Foolish Heart
A3 Baron Potato Blues
B1 What's New
B2 Horizon
B3 My Funny Valentine

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Two-Sided Full Colour 30x30cm 250gram Offset Insert + BC Download Card, Shrink wrapped with Front Barcode Sticker

Dirg Gerner's debut album "Simple Man" is a soulful masterpiece and an essential addition to your collection, offering a much-needed introspective escape in these trying times. It’s timeless music, but with an old school feel and an eye on the sonic potentials of tomorrow. The elusive maverick, of Chilean and German descent, has previously gained recognition and support from renowned figures such as Benji B, The XX, Gilles Peterson and Ommas Keith. This new body of work, featuring jazz trumpeter Theo Croker, is serving jewel after jewel of silky harmonies and plain-spoken wisdom, which makes it a must-listen for anyone seeking authentic and soul- nourishing music.


“Man, 30 seconds in and its absolutely genius already”
- Kelsey Gonzalez (Free Nationals / Anderson Paak)

“It’s awesome I love it! Thank you for such a lovely record”
- Remi Kabaka (Gorillaz)

“This is sounding great and so lush!”
- Gilles Peterson (BBC Radio 6 Music, Brownswood)

“ My Heart really stands out as a great piece of music”
- William Aspden (XL Recordings)

“Its a really incredible body of work. Everything sounds beautiful.”
- Alexander Nut (Eglo Records / NTS)

A1 My Heart
A2 Didnt You Know feat. Theo Croker
A3 Oneness feat. Theo Croker
A4 Tough Enough
A5 Dive & Drown
A6 Bumpy Ride feat. Theo Croker
B1 From Me To You feat. Theo Croker
B2 Hello My Friend
B3 Simple Man
B4 Ma Head High
B5 Tender Crave
B6 Ride With Me More

Selah Sue was not destined to become an artist. "I grew up in a really little town in Belgium, and none of my family was into music," reveals the twenty-one year old, with refreshing sincerity. "As a kid, I wanted to be a ballerina. I danced from the age of six to twelve".
Even without romanticising it, her story is like a fairy tale. It's the story of a young musician who ignores her fate, and pours her anxieties into her songs and her guitar. "I had all these worries and depressions that I wrote down, it was a way of structuring my thoughts".
She turns her doubts into soul, funk and reggae melodies, trying hard to be worthy of her idols, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu and Bob Marley. She sings in local clubs on the weekend and attends high school during the week. She records in home-studios, at friends houses, and publishes drafts of her songs on Myspace, without a thought of making a career in music.
What happens next seems almost unreal. Thousands of fans respond to her on the net, attracting the attention of professionals, and the interest of Because Music, which eventually leads to a record deal for the young musician. Then Farhot (Nneka) and Patrice take on the production of her first album. Meshell Ndegeocello stays with her in the studio for two days to produce the track "Mommy". Cee-Lo Green agrees to accompany her on a duet and ends up asking her to put the track ("Please") on his own album. And, last but not least, last autumn Prince offered her a coveted support slot at his show in Antwerp, Belgium.
To put it in a nutshell, in just two years, Selah Sue has fulfilled her dreams. To keep her grounded, she has insisted on keeping the songs she wrote during her teens for her debut album. It's a way of reminding the world that she has not been unfairly spoiled by destiny and that before Prince, Cee-Lo Green, radio play and incredible press, there was just a teenage girl, with her guitar, who was chosen spontaneously by fans on the net.
For example, her first single "Raggamuffin" is one of her oldest songs and was viewed more than a million times online. "This track symbolizes me" she explains. "It shows my soulful and singing side, but also my hard side, between rap and ragga. When my manager asked me who I wanted to work with, I said Farhot straight away, as I'm a fan of Nneka. But I also wanted an intimate, dark, melodious record, with light and lively beats. Farhot is crazy about digital sounds and Patrice, who I know well, was the ideal man for the melodious part. They were my two accomplices in the studio."
Her first album is ambitious. It is a smart melting pot between electric rock, organic hip-hop and soul-funk. The twelve tracks shift from poignant ballads like "Mommy" to wilder styles like "Crazy Vibes". Like Janelle Monae, M.I.A. or Aloe Blacc, Selah Sue belongs to a new generation for whom music has no boundaries. Selah Sue will tour her new record in the Spring.
Tracklisting:
A Side
This World
Peace of Mind
Raggamuffin
Crazy Vibes
Black Part Love
Mommy
B Side
Explanations
Please feat. Cee Lo Green
Summertime
Crazy Sufferin Style
Fyah Fyah
Just Because I Do
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