Jazzman

Review: For one reason or another, this is Emanative's debut for London's Jazzman imprint, with the artist having touched most other like-minded labels thus far. Better late than never, we say! It also marks Nick Woodmansey's fourth studio album to date, having travelled through Space and Time, and now landing firmly on Earth. As you'd expect, mystique and experimentation are very much a core part of this LP, morphing at every turn, shifting unpredictably amid jazz flutes, deep cello bass, and a supremely sporadic drumming aesthetic that perfectly encapsulates the 'free' element of jazz. The electronics play a part too, however, adding a noticeable aura to an already atmospheric selection of sonic patterns. A beauty, from start to finish.

Review: British pianist, composer and arranger Greg Foat has long perfect this own unique take on jazz, and one in which he draws on both the classic sound next to inventing his own new language. This was true a decade ago when he put out his Dark is the Sun album. Recorded in Sweden with classic scoring techniques, it references luminaries like Bruno Nicolai, Michel Legrand and Serge Gainsbourg as well as UK jazz cats Michael Garrick, Keith Mansfield and Alan Hawkshaw. Hugely listenable, full of emotional highs and lush in sound, it remains an essential jazz record

Notes: Introducing the Jazzman 'Rare Soul 45s Collection' jigsaw puzzle featuring rare soul record labels!

It's all here - northern soul, modern soul, sweet soul, latin soul, deep soul, crossover, RnB & funk!

This is a full-size jigsaw comprising of 1000 pieces.- deluxe cut with satin finish. When complete, the puzzle measures 48 x 69cm.

A colourful collage of high quality label scans taken from original 45s- comes housed in a beautiful bespoke box brand new & factory sealed .

1000 deluxe pieces with high quality satin finish
Made with FSC certified recycled blue board
Total size 48 x 69cm
Made in UK

Notes: Each case has been hand-made in the EU from wood that has been sourced from managed and sustainable forests. They have been custom built to exact specifications before being stained and lacquered for a durable finish:

The lid is fully removable via detachable metal hinges so you have unfettered access to your records

The interior lined with soft & durable black felt to add both extra cushioning and a luxurious feel. Each interior is also embossed once with our shiny logo

All corners made with extra strong interlocking dovetail joints

Dual metal catches on the front are lockable with padlocks (not included) to keep your records secure from unwanted attention

Strong metal brackets feature on all corners to further protect against knocks & damage

Wood sourced from managed and sustainable forests


Exterior size: 420 x 220 x 220mm

Weight (when empty): 3.2kg (7lb)

Weight (with 150 records): approx. 11kg (24lb)

Review: "Sketching The Unknown" is a terrific name for an album, particularly for a deep modal jazz set that aims to draw maximum influence from "the folk and modal music of ancient Greece". We're not knowledgeable enough on Greek musical traditions to say whether or not saxophonist Sokratis Votskos and his quartet have successfully accomplished that aim, but we can confirm that "Sketching The Unknown" is superb. Brilliantly arranged, played and produced with surprises around every corner, it's one of the boldest and inventive jazz sets we've heard for some time. There's no fusion antics, sampled hip-hop beats or modern studio trickery, just five high quality jazz cuts that sound like they will last the test of time.

Review: "Sketching The Unknown" is a terrific name for an album, particularly for a deep modal jazz set that aims to draw maximum influence from "the folk and modal music of ancient Greece". We're not knowledgeable enough on Greek musical traditions to say whether or not saxophonist Sokratis Votskos and his quartet have successfully accomplished that aim, but we can confirm that "Sketching The Unknown" is superb. Brilliantly arranged, played and produced with surprises around every corner, it's one of the boldest and inventive jazz sets we've heard for some time. There's no fusion antics, sampled hip-hop beats or modern studio trickery, just five high quality jazz cuts that sound like they will last the test of time.

Review: Over the last few weeks, Jazzman's ongoing "Holy Grail" reissue series has focused on obscure but in-demand albums from the Fable Records catalogue. The latest to get the deluxe reissue treatment is Steamheat's "Austin Funk", a 1975 set that's notably harder and funkier than the Texan label's usual jazz-funk fare. Of course, there are still plenty of jazz-funk flourishes to be found amongst the soulful vocals, crunchy clavinet lines, fast-tempo grooves and heady horn lines. Our picks include the low-down deep funk headiness of "Radiator", the fizzing brilliance of "Body Talk", the harmonic jazz guitar, horn and electronic piano solos of "Ghetto Tool" and the eyes-closed, in-the-zone madness of closing cut "Frozen Tundra Lady".

Review: Over the last few weeks, Jazzman's ongoing "Holy Grail" reissue series has focused on obscure but in-demand albums from the Fable Records catalogue. The latest to get the deluxe reissue treatment is Steamheat's "Austin Funk", a 1975 set that's notably harder and funkier than the Texan label's usual jazz-funk fare. Of course, there are still plenty of jazz-funk flourishes to be found amongst the soulful vocals, crunchy clavinet lines, fast-tempo grooves and heady horn lines. Our picks include the low-down deep funk headiness of "Radiator", the fizzing brilliance of "Body Talk", the harmonic jazz guitar, horn and electronic piano solos of "Ghetto Tool" and the eyes-closed, in-the-zone madness of closing cut "Frozen Tundra Lady".

Review: For the latest volume in their Special Products series, Jazzman has decided to deliver a first ever vinyl pressing of Danay Suarez's 'Viaje En Dub', a 2019 cut best known for featuring on the soundtrack to the Need For Speed: Heat video game. Making it available to vinyl overs is a great idea because it's undoubtedly one of the Cuban singer's most evocative and alluring cuts to date. Suarez is naturally the headline attraction, delivering a sweet and sultry Spanish lead vocal (and, seemingly, the backing vocals too) whose delay-laden production is a neat fit for the languid, dub-wise digital reggae backing that sits beneath. There's also a chance to enjoy the track without her vocals on the flip, via an even more dub-fired Instrumental Mix that has previously never been released.

Review: While previous instalments of Jazzman's essential Spiritual Jazz series have focused on killer cuts and rare gems from the past (specifically material recorded between the 1950s and '80s), the thirteenth volume shines a light on what's happening right now. This second part (of two) successfully showcases the best of the contemporary scene, showcasing cuts from around the world that neatly encapsulate the breadth and diversity of 21st century spiritual jazz. The plentiful highlights include the exotic, Eastern-tinged spiritualism of Wildflower's 'Flute Song', the futurist jazz-funk deepness of Steve Reid's 'For Coltrane', the layered vocals and acoustic instrumentation of Angel Bat Dawid's 'What Should I Tell My Children Who Are Black' and the sparkling, sun-soaked positivity of 'Nova' by Menagerie.

Review: It would be fair to say that the latest instalment of Jazzman's popular Spiritual Jazz compilation series is one of its biggest yet. Stretched across three slabs of wax, it sees the label's dusty-fingered diggers raid the bulging back catalogue of one of jazz music's most important and celebrated labels of the '60s and '70s, Impulse!. It opens with 'Part One: Acknowledgement' from John Coltrane's brilliant A Love Supreme album and ends with Alice Coltrane's wonderfully exotic 'Journey In Satchidanada'; in between, you'll find essential slabs of cosmic and spiritual brilliance from such legends of the sound as Archie Shepp, Max Roach, Yusuf Lateef, Freddie Hubbard and Pharoah Sanders, as well as a handful of lesser-celebrated players.

Review: For the latest volume in their essential Spiritual Jazz compilation series - the eleventh overall - Jazzman has decided to take a trawl through the archives of Danish imprint SteepleChase, focusing specifically on "esoteric modal" and "progressive jazz" originally released between 1974 and '84. It's an impressively bright, breezy and crystal-clear affair - you can hear every cymbal hit, saxophone solo, piano note, snare and rim-shot in glorious clarity - with highlights appearing thick and fast throughout. Our current favourites include the haunting flutes, glistening guitar solos and skipping grooves of Rene McLean's "Aida", the hard-to-pigeonhole inventiveness and cross-cultural fusion of Jim McNeely's "Tipe Tizwe" and the vibraphone-laden up-tempo hustle of Khan Jamal's "Dark Warrior". That said, every track is superb, making this a must-have for spiritual jazz enthusiasts everywhere.

Review:  While previous instalments of Jazzman's essential Spiritual Jazz series have focused on killer cuts and rare gems from the past (specifically material recorded between the 1950s and '80s), the thirteenth volume shines a light on what's happening right now. It's stretched across two double-albums, with this first part hitting spot from the word go. The collection's greatest strength is how it manages to represent the many different directions that spiritual jazz has gone in the 21st century. For proof, compare and contrast the drowsy, bluesy and smoky 'Lizard Waltz' by Benjamin Herman, the jazz psychedelia of Idris Ackmoor and the Pyramids' 'An Angel Fell', the Latin lounge-jazz flex of Jimi Tenor and Kabukabu's 'Suite Meets' and the low-down, bass-driven brilliance of Gnawa' by drummer-turned-beatmaker Maya McCracken.

Review:  While previous instalments of Jazzman's essential Spiritual Jazz series have focused on killer cuts and rare gems from the past (specifically material recorded between the 1950s and '80s), the thirteenth volume shines a light on what's happening right now. It's stretched across two double-albums, with this first part hitting spot from the word go. The collection's greatest strength is how it manages to represent the many different directions that spiritual jazz has gone in the 21st century. For proof, compare and contrast the drowsy, bluesy and smoky 'Lizard Waltz' by Benjamin Herman, the jazz psychedelia of Idris Ackmoor and the Pyramids' 'An Angel Fell', the Latin lounge-jazz flex of Jimi Tenor and Kabukabu's 'Suite Meets' and the low-down, bass-driven brilliance of Gnawa' by drummer-turned-beatmaker Maya McCracken.

Review: While previous instalments of Jazzman's essential Spiritual Jazz series have focused on killer cuts and rare gems from the past (specifically material recorded between the 1950s and '80s), the thirteenth volume shines a light on what's happening right now. This second part (of two) successfully showcases the best of the contemporary scene, showcasing cuts from around the world that neatly encapsulate the breadth and diversity of 21st century spiritual jazz. The plentiful highlights include the exotic, Eastern-tinged spiritualism of Wildflower's 'Flute Song', the futurist jazz-funk deepness of Steve Reid's 'For Coltrane', the layered vocals and acoustic instrumentation of Angel Bat Dawid's 'What Should I Tell My Children Who Are Black' and the sparkling, sun-soaked positivity of 'Nova' by Menagerie.

Review: Former Brand New Heavies founder member Lascelles Gordon has delivered some of his most inspiring work since launching the jazz-focused Vibration Black Finger project in 2016. Each release to date has been superb, with the producer/percussionist being joined by a rotating cast of top-quality musicians, vocalists and collaborators. Sophomore set "Can You See What I'm Trying To Say" is, in our humble opinion, his strongest release to date: an inspired, imaginative collection of compositions rooted in obscure 1970s spiritual jazz but also informed by dub, post-punk, free-jazz, 23 Skidoo and smoky trip-hop. Throw in a swathe of field recordings used to add texture and atmosphere, and you have a stunning album that should be on everyone's shopping list.

Review: Born on the French Island of Martinique, Louis Xavier later settled in France where he discovered the freedom of jazz, and an idea to mix his influences into a global melting pot of sound. He formed his band (Synchro Rhythmic Eclectic Language) in Paris in the early '70s, making music that was both spiritual and eclectic for its time. Both tracks are jazz in essence but with instrumental funky rhythms infused with intricate percussion and electric keys.