On their third seven-inch release, the band dares to reimagine a true soul classic — Jon Lucien’s timeless masterpiece “Would You Believe in Me” — with an irresistible disco twist.
This stunning double-sider delivers two distinct moods built on the same hypnotic backing track.
On the A-side, the ever-soulful Kiko, one of Portuguese finest jazz voices, breathes new life into Lucien’s original lyrics with heartfelt emotion and silky smooth delivery.
Flip it over and discover the B-side, a fresh Portuguese reinterpretation, passionately performed by Brazilian-born powerhouse Denize Machado from the ultra-militant Bamba Social.

With “Would You Believe in Me,” The Bam Jam Band bridges eras, continents, and grooves — paying homage to 70s soul while keeping the dancefloor burning.

A heartfelt tribute. A daring remake. A must-have for every modern soul lover.

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Among the vast underworld of 1970s jazz-funk rarities, one name quietly resonates with collectors and rare groove DJs: Fire Water. With just one known, self-titled 7"—independently released in the early 1980s, the group remains shrouded in mystery. It’s the kind of hidden gem you might stumble upon in a dusty record shop or hear deep in a seasoned selector’s set.

Musically, Fire Water "Twilight" sits at the crossroads of spiritual jazz, soul jazz, and atmospheric funk, with meditative grooves and arrangements reminiscent of Weldon Irvine, Roy Ayers, or Doug Carn. The instrumentation leans heavily on Fender Rhodes, warm and hypnotic basslines, subtle horn sections, and Afro- Latin percussion.

The result is a sound both introspective and cosmic, yet urban in pulse—equally suited for solitary reflection or a sophisticated dance floor.

Little is known about the musicians or the backstory behind the 45s. Likely pressed in limited quantities and distributed locally, the original 7" has become a cult item over the decades, circulating among aficionados of obscure American independent music. For those in search of authentic, deep sounds beyond the commercial radar, Fire Water offers a sonic journey worth chasing—an aural relic that captures the free, inventive spirit of an era when jazz merged with soul, funk, and sonic mysticism.

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Essential Funk, Soul, and Jazz grooves finally unearthed
Highly regarded lost classics — never reissued until now.
At last, here they are in all their Funky glory!

Download card included!

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Citation - "Inspiration of My Life"

Led by Nate Jones, Citation was a vocal group from Highland Park, on the outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, that recorded two seven-inches on the seventies. Sean Brown, Terence Forsyth, Clayton Hooker and Walter Jones were the other voices of this band that gave us the highly collectable “Inspiration of live”, pressed 1977, by Red Line Records, the small independent that also unveiled North by Northeast's “Disco unusual”.
A superb midtempo Harmony Soul stepper that gives you goosebumps every time is played.
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Cho-Ko "Tried and Cried"

There´s almost no clues about Cho-Ko.
It seems the band must have been active on the early eighties on Waterford, a small town on the outskirts of Detroit, Michigan.
They only recorded one single, in 1982, which also is the sole edition of Alternating Current, a label they must have created to put it on the market.
Once again, “Tried and cried” is a b side and the only reason for this elusive seven-inch to be on the wantlists of most of Modern Soul collectors.
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The Aferton Project -"Nowhere"

Dave Hoffman, Tom Deglman, Mark Janas, Boe Perry, Ken White, Kevin McGlennon and the great jazzy voice of Jill Kennedy were the core members of The Aferton Project, but also of Aferton Records, a small label from Springfield, Illinois.
Created by Hoffman as an output of Deglman's Drc Studio, the two LPs and nine singles released by Aferton Records, being Prog or Jazz Rock, AOR, Soul or Funk, credited to Satchitananda, The Force or Boe Perry, are all linked to these musicians.
“Nowhere” came out as a seven-inch in 1978 and was used as the opening track of “The Aferton Project Volume One”, the band's double LP release one year later, and it's the masterpiece signed by the collective.
A beautiful slice of “Blue-Eyed Jazzy Modern Soul”, with masterful musicianship, amazing arrangements, sublime vocals and a sharp use of the synth, that's perfect for the most discerning dancefloors.
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Ice-O-Matic - "Bein' Nice"

Conrad Johnson, Charlie Sporck, Eddie Dodds, Rooty Van Overen, Alvin Reed and Windfield Scott formed Ice-O-Matic, in Monterey, California, at the end of the seventies.
Trying to break through, the band booked a session at the Super Sound Studios, a local institution where The Beach Boys registered some records in 1978.
The two songs recorded there would be self-released on a seven-inch, that is their only record. “Bein' nice” is the b side of this record, pressed by their own Cold Cut Productions, it's a Modern Soul Masterpiece.
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Coleus – "Wonder why"

The only seven-inch recorded by Coleus is as much of a mystery as the band itself. The names in the credits of the label don't add much info, even if some state that Bobby Green, one of the composers of “Vegetatian delight”, the male Funk a-side of the record is the sax player on Webster Lewis' band on part of the seventies.
“Wonder why”, the b female side of this record pressed by Bell Tree Productions, is a true Soul Jazz masterpiece.
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Clonzo May’s Sextet – “Your Heaven is Too Late”

“Your Heaven Is Too Late" by Clonzo Mays' Sextet is a soulful ballad released in 1977 on Gibraltal Records. The track was issued as a 7" vinyl single, paired with the B-side "We Are Naturally High" . This release has become a sought-after item among collectors of rare soul and funk music.
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Oasis II Oasis – “I miss you”

“I miss you” It's the only thing Oasis II have done, the only thing RePete Records launched, the song Elvester Hobdy had written and the only record Lepoleon Peterson and Lonnie Reaser ever produced.
“I miss you” is the B-side of this rare and collectable seven-inch, pressed in 1979 at Deltron Record Pressing in Lafayette, Tennessee, and it's a fabulous Soul ballad comp'd for the first time in this exclusive collective.
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Arejay – “Kansas City Girl”

Arejay is an alias of Robert James, a brother of Larry James, the leader of Fat Larry's Band.
Unlike his brother, Arejay had a very successful career: with his band, but also playing with the legendary Delfonics, The Blue Magic or even as a manager of Slick, Robert only recorded this rare and collectable record, pressed on a seven-inch and on an almost impossible to get twelve-inch, that had only 100 copies.
“Kansas city girl” is the b side of this pearl recorded in 1983, at Hitman Studios in Hollywood, California. A supreme stepper that assured this Philly born singer a cult status amongst the connoisseurs in the Soul community.
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M & M Co. - Devoted to you

Very little is known about Carl McIntyre, Sam Moncivaiz and their M & M Co. project.
We know they were both Christians devotees. And that their only LP is a collection of religious songs, that reflect the AOR sound of the moment. It was recorded in 1980, at The Sound House in Hollywood, California.
There are no clues about Carl McIntyre but Sam Moncivaiz had a previous recording experience as leader of the family based Moncivaiz Singers, a group from Arizona, that, in 1979, went to San Antonio, Texas, to issue their sole record through Amen Records.
“Devoted to you” is a great AOR song, perfect for today's Modern Soul scene, that borrows its title for the highly collectable LP of M & M Co.
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Frank Pisani – Please don't make it funky

Chicago native Frank Pisani did it all!
Between the mid-fifties and the beginning of the the eighties, he recorded almost twenty 45s and two LP, starting in Doo-Wop, Rockabilly, Teen Songs to finally embrace Soul and AOR Sounds, either solo or with The Highlights.
Pressed in 1980 by Happy Day Records, from Oak Park, Illinois, “Please don't make it funky” is a brilliant midtempo Blue-Eyed Soul beauty that earned him cult status from the more forward-thinking DJs of the Modern Soul scene.
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Sonny Khoeblal – “Arrival/Born Again”

Sonny Khoeblal is a distinguished Surinamese pianist, composer and educator renowned for his contributions to jazz, fusion, R&B, and world music. Khoeblal began his musical training at the age of six in Suriname and further honed his skills at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

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1981 Angola Killer Jazz-Funk

Jazz-Funk at its best and now re-edit by digei de bairro. You can't miss this jazz-funk gem made in Angola

In 1969 Duo Ouro Negro went on tour to the United States. Their experience there was decisive for what we would come to know three years later.
“Don't forget your blackground” Raul Indipwo would exclaim in 1972, the voice of ‘Blackground’, the Angolan band's landmark album. Awakened to the activism of Black Power, attentive to the jazz that was being created on American soil, combined with an interest in the independence movements of the African colonies, what was then the most international of Portuguese bands recorded an album in Lisbon that was a vibrant cultural statement through music. In 1981, “Blackground” was revised with new arrangements, including the instrumental “Iemenjá” and “Aruandaí”.

Acoustic Guitar – Milo MacMahon, Raúl Indipwo
Bass – Steve Neil
Drums – Zézé M'Gambi
Flute – Perikles
Guitar – João Maló
Organ – Terinho M'Umbanda
Piano – Emílio Robalo
Producer – Raúl Indipwo
Saxophone – Perikles

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Super Rare library recorded in 1980 by the powerful duo of percussionist Daniel Humair, one of the most avant-garde in the Swiss jazz evolution experiment, and the familiar and talented cellist Jean-Charles Capon (ex-Baroque Jazz Trio), who is associated with Jef Gilson and Henri Texier. A total of 15 songs that are a masterpiece in which the two performers' eye-opening acrobatics, including unexpected electric modulation, create an insanely hip groove at the edge of indigestion.

This magical production work was done by Christian Bonneau, a genius in the French radio music world who has worked on many national treasure-class libraries for Dominique Andre and Yan Tregger.

Licensed by Daniel Humair.

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RARE ISLANDS FUNK SOUL

Great soulful vocal ghetto-vibed funkiness from Barbados

Reissued for the First time

Watch out for funky version of Kool & The Gang's “Kool Reggae” and favorite songs of many DJs, such as “World of Tomorrow” or “Making a Living”.

Licensed by Phil Dino

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ANOTHER KILLER DISCO FROM THE BAM JAM BAND

After taking by storm the global Disco community, with their quickly sold-out debut seven-inch, The Band Jam Band returns with another solid double sider.

"Keepin' on" it's a peak time raw and funky Disco Jazz instrumental, with a Latin inspired piano, a Gospel organ and a psychedelic synth solo, that will blow away the most discerning dancefloors.

"Something about love" is a meditative midtempo jam, perfect for a spiritual and soulful journey.

Already got support from Darryn Jones, Jacques Renault, Mike Sawe, Red Greg and Waxist!

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BOOGIE JAZZ FUNK AT ITS BEST

Rare 1985 session from guitarist Eddie Fisher, the East St. Louis native whose best known for the jazz/funk albums “The Next One Hundred Years” and “The Third Cup”. Fisher, who died in 2007, never really achieved major stardom, but has become a cult figure over the last years, thanks in large part to DJs and crate diggers who discovered his music and spread the word.

Perhaps the most obscure item in his catalog, “The Promise” was issued only on vinyl in 1985 on Fisher's own Nentu label and has been out of print for years . Boogie Jazz Funk at its best.

Licensed by Christina Fisher

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ANGOLA KILLER JAZZ-FUNK

Milo MacMahon and Raúl Indipwo, arrived to Portugal in 1959 and, over next three decades, they developed an international career in the music industry.

In addition to Portuguese and the various Angolan languages, the group recorded songs such as “Sylvie”, “La Kwela” and “Le Palmier” in French, among others, and also covered Latin American, Spanish-speaking, Brazilian and even North American repertoires, where on their various tours they came into contact with the struggle for the Civil Rights of the black population.

In 1969 Duo Ouro Negro went on tour to the United States. Their experience there was decisive for what we would come to know three years later. “Don't forget your blackground”, Raul Indipwo would exclaim in 1972, the voice of ‘Blackground’, the Angolan band's landmark album. Awakened to the activism of Black Power, attentive to the jazz that was being created on American soil, combined with an interest in the independence movements of the African colonies, what was then the most international of Portuguese bands recorded an album in Lisbon that was a vibrant cultural statement through music.

In 1981, “Blackground” was revised with new arrangements, including the instrumental “Dança do Robalinho”. Jazz-Funk at its best and now reissued for the first time in 7” format.
You can't miss this jazz-funk gem made in Angola.

Licensed by Ana Vitória Pereira

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180g vinyl + Deluxe hard-cardboard sleeve + OBI + resealable outer sleeve

This isn’t just a seminal album. It is an estuary. All the black rivers that would form Brazilian funk/hip-hop flow through it. Led by Paulista pianist Salvador Silva Filho – Dom Salvador – “Som, Sangue, e Raça” from 1971, one year after the explosion of Tim Maia on the scene, catalyzed the bossa nova and jazz background of its leader with the rhythm and blues of its members like saxophonist Oberdã Magalhães, nephew of samba-enredo master Silas de Oliveira and future leader of Banda Black Rio, who since the group Impacto 8 (which had, among others, Robertinho Silva on drums and Raul de Souza on trombone) had already been trying to reconcile MPB with Stevie Wonder and James Brown. Add to all this a mixture of samba, Nordestino accent, and even the black side of the Jovem Guarda represented by the authorial presence of Getúlio Cortes (older brother of Gerson King Combo, our James Brown “cover”) in ‘Hei! Você’. Alongside these elements and the presence of Rubão Sabino (bass), who still called himself ‘Rubens’, drummer Luis Carlos (another member of Black Rio), the record enlists the trumpet and flugelhorn of symphonic musician Darcy in place of the original Barrosinho (yet one more founder of Black Rio), who was traveling during the recording but would end up being a leading force of the band.



The album ‘Som, Sangue e raça’ paves the way for future generations of musicians and producers of the Carioca scene at the beginning of the 1970s. The lyrics that dealt with the question of race and the explosive fusion of samba, soul, jazz, and funk, elaborated by Dom Salvador and his troupe, Abolição, established the bases for the development of new sounds and tendencies in Brazilian music.

Tracklist:
Side A: A1.Uma Vida – A2. Guanabara – A3. Hei! Você – A4. Som, Sangue E Raça – A5. Tema Pro Gaguinho – A6. O Rio
Side B: B1. Evo – B2. Number One – B3. Folia de Reis – B4. Moeda, Reza E Côr – B5. Samba Do Malandrinho – B6. Tio Macrô



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DELUXE HARD-CARDBOARD SLEEVE COVER + 180g VINYL + OBI + DOWNLOAD CARD

Mad About Records officially reissues super rare private press Quintessence’s 1981 LP. With every famous jazz recording, many others remained on the shelf of oblivion without ever receiving the recognition they deserved, and this is the case of Quintessence.

Led by Ron Ancrum, with George Sovak, David Gaedeke, Winston Johnson and Steve Muse recorded an exceptional and fundamental album of 80's jazz.

If you are into Fender Rhodes, this is an LP to be collected.

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DELUXE HARD-CARDBOARD SLEEVE COVER + 180g VINYL + OBI

Private pressings have always been objects of demand and research by record collectors. In most cases, print runs were no more than 300 copies, and despite the total lack of recognition, this movement can be seen as a countercurrent act to the mass music industry. Private presses are non-commercial print runs distributed as a promotion or sold at concerts.

This was the case of Belair that, in 1980, recorded and sold the album “Relax, You're Soaking In It” at their own risk and distributed it in the San Francisco area. At the time, 1000 copies were pressed, which have become rare and highly desirable for collectors.



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DELUXE HARD-CARDBOARD SLEEVE COVER + 180g VINYL + OBI

Majoie Hajary is an atypical musician. Born in Paramaribo (Suriname) to Indian parents and raised in Amsterdam. In 1970, in France, accompanied by the best Jazz musicians and with arrangements by Roger Guerin, she recorded “La Passion Selon Judas”.

The result was an incredible fusion of Psych, Funk, Indian and Jazz elements – deep religious Jazz in the vein of Jef Gilson.

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One of the greatest musicians in the history of Brazilian music. Conductor, composer, arranger, band leader and, without a doubt, one of Brazil's most brilliant sax and flute players.

In 68, Paulo Moura brought together a notable group from the country's jazz and instrumental music to record the album "Mensagem". He walked between African rhythm and American and European avant-garde, transforming the Brazilian soul.



Licensed by Halina Grynberg

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LP DELUXE EDITION

180g. VINYL + HARD CARDBOARD COVER + OBI

Killer French Boogie, Jazz-Funk album by the prolific arranger/composer Christian Gaubert, feat. Some of the key musicians of the French jazz scene of the 70s.

French Soul masterpiece with the Rare Groove classic “Sweet Maryline” and “Sweet and Fool Like a Child” beautifully reissued here and remastered from the original master tapes.
_____________________________________________________
released October 9, 2023

Piano [Fender Rhodes], Piano, Synthesizer – Christian Gaubert
Arranged By – Christian Gaubert
Baritone Saxophone – Jean-Louis Chautemps, Romain Mayoral
Bass Guitar – Jannick Top
Drums – Dino Latore
Drums, Percussion – Jean Schultheis
Electric Guitar – Claude Engel, Raymond Gimenes
Percussion – Marc Chantereau
Tenor Saxophone – Alain Hatot, Jean Pierre De Barba, Patrick Bourgoin
Trombone – Christian Guizien, Hamid Belhocine, Jacques Bolognesi
Trumpet – André Lidli, Freddy Houseplan, Kako Bessot, Tony Brenes
Vocals – Last Exit

Licensed by GM Musipro

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LP DELUXE EDITION 180g. VINYL + HARD CARDBOARD COVER + OBI + REPLICA OF THE ORIGINAL INSERT + DOWNLOAD CARD

Fernando Oly is a musician who was part of Lô Borges' band and took part in the recording of the album "Via Láctea" in 1979. He placed one of his compositions among the album's tracks: "Chuva na Montanha", whose original version was also included on “Tempo Prá Tudo”


Licensed by Fernando Oly

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80g. VINYL + HARD CARDBOARD COVER + OBI + DOWNLOAD CARD

“300 MPH” debut album by Namaz was originally released in 1981 by German group led by guitarist Werner Goos. Jazz Fusion at its best with a Latin-Brazilian touch.

Licensed by Werner Goos

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GATEFOLD LP DELUXE EDITION
180g. VINYL + HARD CARDBOARD COVER + OBI

Leila Pinheiro is a legendary Brazilian singer, songwriter, and pianist. Over her 41-year career, she has released over 20 albums, showcasing her musical versatility and creativity. Her debut album, "Leila Pinheiro,” included the boogie anthem “Tudo em cima”, which featured the participation of renowned musicians such as Tom Jobim, Ivan Lins, Francis Hime, João Donato, and Lincoln Olivetti.


In 1970, Leila began her piano studies under the guidance of the legendary Guilherme Coutinho.

As part of celebrating the 40th anniversary of this important milestone in Brazilian music, Mad About Records presents a worldwide vinyl reissue for the first time.

Under exclusive License by Leila Pinheiro

Acoustic Guitar – Tunai, Toninho Horta, Alberto Arantes
Electric Guitar – Hélio Capucci
Electric Piano – Lincoln Olivetti
Guitar – Luiz Claudio, Hélio Capucci
Bass – Luiz Alves
Drums – João Cortez
Piano – Luís Avelar, Gilson Peranzzetta, Reinaldo Arias, Francis Hime, Antonio Carlos , Jobim Ivan Lins, João Donato
Bass – Jamil Joanes
Percussion – Ariovaldo
Bagpipes – Mauricio Einhorn
Producer [Direção de Produção] – Raymundo Bittencourt
Arranged By – Luís Avelar, Dori Caymmi
Technician [Técnicos de Gravação] – Eduardo Ramalho
Mixed By – Célio Martins, Max Pierre
Liner Notes – Billy Blanco
Gravado nos Estúdios da Sigla - RJ


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Black Truffle is pleased to welcome free jazz legend Joe McPhee back to the fold with Oblique Strategies, a wild trio recorded in Antwerp in 2018 in the company of Mette Rasmussen’s fire-breathing alto saxophone and Dennis Tyfus’s post-Fluxus antics on tape, voice, and percussion. Rasmussen and Tyfus have previously recorded together as Bazuinschal, and some similar strategies are on display here: mysterious metallic scrapes, extended tones in which voice and sax become indistinguishable, comic explosions of varispeed tape. With McPhee on board, however, proceedings are more sumptuous, with the two horns moving fluidly from expeditions into the extremes of their instruments’ registers to pointillistic note-splatter and Ayler-esque folk melodies; we even get to bask in some of the slow-motion free blues that McPhee has now been playing for half a century. McPhee is heard primarily on tenor, Rasmussen mainly on alto, but with Rasmussen doubling on sundry objects, and the whole trio contributing vocals, certainty about who is doing what becomes nigh impossible. The recording and production add to this hazy unclarity. Where much contemporary improvised music aims at dryly clinical hi-fi, the lively reverberant space of Oblique Strategies calls to mind the less-than-pristine sonics of classic free jazz artefacts like John Tchicai’s Afrodisiaca or McPhee’s own Underground Railroad. A further dimension of oblique unpredictability is added by subtle changes in the sense of space: at times merely a reverb tail glimpsed between phrases, at other points the whole mix seems to be momentarily swallowed up in slap-back, blurring the lines between acoustic instruments and the decayed fidelity of Tyfus’ tape playback. Spread across four pieces ranging from four to nineteen minutes in length, Oblique Strategies moves with anarchic swagger from explosions of clattering cymbals and bellowing horns to near-silent episodes of mysterious rumble and clunk. ‘Death or Dinner?’ opens the record with a lovely duet of climbing melodic patterns shared between the two saxophones, played with a buzzing oboe-like tone. A long, wavering note sung by Tyfus cues the first of countless changes of direction, eventually leading to a crescendo of watery splutters and duelling saxes. At points Tyfus’ keening resemble the signature moves of his friend and collaborator, Ghédelia Tazartès; at others, his tape-sped huffs and puffs possess a rawness reminiscent of Henri Chopin or Gil Wolman. The dialogue between wailing saxophones and vocal cries, punctuated by percussive thuds and crashes, can at times feel less like a musical performance and more like the calls of some mysterious forest creatures, possessing a primordial energy that might remind some listeners of the outdoor antics of Brötzmann and Bennink’s Schwarzwaldfahrt.

Oblique Strategies can also be delicate at times, as on the beautiful third piece, ‘Destilled Edible’, dominated by a slow, microtonal melody played with a breathy tone resembling a shakuhachi. The closing side-long ‘Light My Fire’ ranges across classic improv call and response, skittering trumpet blurts, inept cymbal clatter, mock-operatic vocals, and crude tape manoeuvres. Momentarily pausing at the ten-minute mark for an interlude of ghostly room sound and crackling texture, its closing moments unfurl a glorious dual saxophone finale, the almost epic tone subtly undermined by Tyfus quietly tapping out swing rhythms. Arriving in a striking sleeve adorned with Tyfus’ drawings, Oblique Strategies is an invigoratingly free-spirited blast of improvisation.

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(clear pink color vinyl / LP with OBI) Fresh reissued magic of Funky Stuff, formerly a rare exquisite by jazzmaster Jiro Inagaki, originally released in 1975. An enduring, pioneering fusion of jazz, funk, soul and rock - the album features some of the best and most acclaimed Japanese musicians of the time, enlisting the talent-wares of Hiromasa Suzuki on keyboards, Akira Ishikawa on drums and Takeru Muraoka on sax.



TRACKLIST

A1. Painted Paradise
A2. Funky Motion
A3. Breeze
A4. Scratch
B1. Funky Stuff
B2. One For Jiro
B3. Gentle Wave
B4. Four Up


INFO

Fresh reissued magic of Funky Stuff, formerly a rare exquisite by jazzmaster Jiro Inagaki, originally released in 1975. An enduring, pioneering fusion of jazz, funk, soul and rock - with influences from Herbie Hancock, James Brown and Santana - the album features some of the best and most acclaimed Japanese musicians of the time, enlisting the talent-wares of Hiromasa Suzuki on keyboards, Akira Ishikawa on drums and Takeru Muraoka on sax.



Originally released in 1975
Features a cover of “Funky Stuff” by Kool & The Gang
All songs written and arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki
Pressed on Pink Vinyl

Tenor Sax, Alto Sax, Flute, Producer – Jiro Inagaki
Electric Piano – Hiromasa Suzuki
Drums – Hajime Ishimatsu
Bass – Akira Okazawa
Guitar – Hiroshi Yasukawa
Trombone – Takashi Imai

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apan has produced some exceptionally talented jazz drummers and among them is Tatsuya Nakamura, who joins the BBE Music J Jazz Masterclass Series with his album ‘Locus’ from 1984, a session covering several bases, from heavy percussive samba to meditative avant-ambient. This is the album’s first ever reissue, although a track from ‘Locus’, ‘1/4 Samba’, was included on J Jazz vol. 3.

Nakamura began his drumming career as a teenager, inspired after seeing the documentary film “Jazz on A Summer’s Day” and listening to his idols Art Blakey and Miles Davis. By his early twenties, Nakamura was working with such luminaries as free jazz guitarist Masayuki Takayanagi, pianist Masaru Imada and band leader & composer Mitsuaki Kanno. In the mid-70s, like several other Japanese jazz players, Nakamura decided to make the move to New York where he studied drumming with Roy Haynes, and performed with members of the AACM and players from the loft and free jazz scenes including Richard Davis, George Adams, John Hicks, and Pharaoh Sanders. Returning to Japan, Nakamura continued playing as leader of his Japanese band The Jazz Fellows and in 1979, he went into the studio as leader for the classic “Where Is The Quarter” session featuring Masaru Imada, Hideto Kanai and Kenji Mori... more

A1. Locus (12:16)
A2. Wow (07:50)
B1. ¼ Samba II (11:43)
B2. Ballad (07:58)

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DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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In the mid-60’s London scene, the NJO was one of those unavoidable and big-band groups (originally started as Clive Burrows Orchestra), where almost everyone who was anyone on the scene or almost transited through the group, which was normally the vehicle for composer Neil Ardley. You’ll find in the WR album, among others, stellar names like Ian Carr (of RCQ and Nucleus fame), Barb Thompson, Tony Reeves, John Hiseman (all three of future Colosseum fame), Trevor Watts (future Amalgam) plus a bunch more of lesser-known, but no-less gifted musicians like Paul Rutherford, etc. The line-up would fluctuate to include many other household names.

The New Jazz Orchestra was formed in December 1963, its name reflecting both the youth of its members - their average age was only 23 - and their mission to perform the new kind of orchestral jazz that was then developing in America but still to be heard in Britain. The personnel included such (then) non-jazz instruments as flute, horn and tuba in addition to the standard brass, saxes and rhythm line-up of the big band. This is the NJO's first album, recorded in March 1965 before an invited audience to make the young band feel at ease.
The NJO was the offspring of a popular weekend jazz club, the "Jazzhouse" based at the Green Man, Blackheath (demolished to make way for Allison Close) where the "house" band was the Ian Bird Quintet (initially comprising Ian Bird, tenor sax; Clive Burrows, baritone sax; Johnny Mealing, piano; Tony Reeves, bass and Trevor Tomkins, drums - Mealing and Tomkins left to join the newly formed Rendell-Carr Quintet and were succeeded by Paul Raymond and Jon Hiseman respectively.
The ensemble featured many London-based jazz musicians, such as Harry Beckett, Jack Bruce, Ian Carr, Dave Gelly, Michael Gibbs, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Jon Hiseman, Henry Lowther, Don Rendell, Frank Ricotti, Paul Rutherford, Barbara Thompson, Trevor Tomkins, Michael Phillipson, Les Carter, Tom Harris, Trevor Watts and Lionel Grigson. Ardley, Gibbs, Carter, Rutherford, Michael Garrick, and composer Mike Taylor all contributed pieces and arrangements.
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Under exclusive license Universal Music Portugal
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Directed By, Leader – Neil Ardley
Alto Saxophone – Barbara Thompson
Alto Saxophone, Flute – Trevor Watts
Baritone Saxophone – Sebastian Freudenberg
Bass – Tony Reeves
Bass Trombone – Peter Harvey
Drums – Jon Hiseman
Flute, Alto Flute – Les Carter
French Horn – Mick Palmer
Piano – Lionel Grigson (tracks: 5), Mike Barrett (tracks: 1 to 4, 6 to 10)
Tenor Saxophone – Dave Gelly, Tom Harris
Trombone – John Mumford, Paul Rutherford
Trumpet – Bob Leaper, Mike Phillipson, Tony Dudley
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Ian Carr
Tuba – Dick Hart
Producer – Ray Horricks

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DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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Unearthed by Mike Peden for BBE Music, Per Husby Septett’s ‘The Peacemaker’ is a beautiful, deep and under-the-radar small big band set recorded in 1976 by the elite of Norway’s jazz cognoscenti, led by pianist and band leader Per Husby.

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Germany
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With Pharoah Sanders’ blessing, we present the definitive, remastered version of PHAROAH, his seminal record from 1977, in an embossed 2 LP box set. Alongside the original record, we’re including two previously unreleased live performances of his masterpiece, “Harvest Time," and a 24-page booklet with rarely seen photographs and ephemera, which tell the story of this album and this moment in Pharoah’s life in a way that has never been done before—including through interviews with many of the participants and a conversation with Pharoah himself.

For those of you who already know this record, then you know that its origin story is as elusive as Pharoah was about everything Pharoah. It was born out of a misunderstanding between him and the India Navigation producer Bob Cummins, and was recorded when he was at a crossroads in his career with an unlikely crew. Among them was a guitarist who was also a spiritual guru, an organist who would go on to co-write and produce “The Message,” and a classically trained pianist—his wife at the time, Bedria Sanders—who played the harmonium despite never having seen one. At times ambient and serene, at others funky and modal, PHAROAH radically departed from his earlier work. And it became beloved.



Tracklist:

Pharoah

A1. Harvest Time
B1. Love Will Find a Way
B2. Memories of Edith Johnson

Harvest Time Live 1977

C1. Harvest Time Live – Version 1
D1. Harvest Time Live – Version 2

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More