Review: Legendary alto saxman Marion Brown played on seminal albums by the likes of John Coltrane. For that reason, few sit close to him when it comes to the creative powerhouses of the 1960s avant-garde jazz movement. His Porto Norvo album was recorded during a 1967 session in the Netherlands and is regarded as one of his best works. Bassist Maarten van Regteben Altena and drummer Han Bennink joined the session and after it being out of print for many decades before now it gets a long overdue reissue on high-quality wax. Do not sleep.
Review: Lisa Decker makes a return with two new singles here that are taken from her upcoming album which is due in May of this year. It comes two years after her debut with the Japanese jazz trio Nautilus and marks something of a conceptual shift in her sound. 'Love & Hope' finds her turn in a stylish jazz vocal with funky bass loops and organic drums and percussion that straddle many different genres. 'Summer Child' then sinks into a nice smooth jazz-funk vibe with soft focus chords bringing a touch of class to her breezy vocals.
Review: Ryo Fukui was a Japanese jazz pianist who played regularly at the Slowboat jazz club in Sapporo, which he and his wife Yasuko owned. He taught and performed internationally until his death. With renewed interest in his musical works recently, his 1977 album Mellow Dream receives a reissue here courtesy of Japan's Solid, where Fukui continues his exploration of modal, bop and cool jazz sounds with meticulous grace and absolute mastery. He sadly passed away in March 2016, leaving behind a legacy of works that all jazz lovers should explore.
Review: Limited edition 7" comes in just 500 copies and features the American soul-jazz band from San Diego, California, known as The Greyboy Allstars. Memners Karl Denson, Elgin Park, Aaron Redfield, Chris Stillwell and Robert Walter have released six albums to date and originally formed as a backing band for rare groove star DJ Greyboy. Here though is the title track of their 'A Town Called Earth' long player from 1997 and it is one that is sure to appeal to jazz and funk heads who enjoy Pharaoh Sanders and Thembi. The band played seven live-streams during the pandemic and proved they still very much have it.
Review: Since being founded in 2013 in Rome, Sonor Music Editions has become a treasure trove of archival music that was originally made for films, radio and television. The mysterious Mandrassi & Zollinger, here backed by the I Beati studio band, cooked up one such killer but hitherto unknown library session, Rhythm & Sound, back in 1973. Andreassi is said to one of the first female library music composers and likely the release of this album is going to change how she is perceived. It's packed with endless breaks, superb funk grooves and plenty of chasing beats with a loose, live jam session feel that makes it all the more vibrant.
Review: Although experimental in nature - most of his music is made from crackling, ultra-atmospheric tape loops - Gareth Quinn Redmond's music is breathlessly beautiful and universally beguiling. He's already proved that on his previous LPs - not least 2019's Satoshi Ashikawa-inspired 'Laistigh Den Ghleo' - but once again confirms it on 'Ar Ais Aris'. He describes the eight-track set as "daydreaming environmental music full of accidental miracles and soothing backdrops", and that's an apt description. Ghostly melodies and enveloping chords, sometimes manipulated for extra wooziness, emerge from dense forests of tape hiss and static, creating becalmed ambient soundscapes that tend towards the poignant and picturesque. There aren't many copies around, so we'd recommend pre-ordering to secure a copy.
Review: Tullio De Piscop is an Italian drummer of some repute. He worked solo and with his quartet and interest in his records, many of which were recorded back in the 70s, has piqued recently resulting in a load of reissues. Sotto E 'Ncoppa is one of them and it was recorded back in 1976 and has since gone up in value and rarity. It's a jazz-rock fusion album with a whole host of electric guitar, bass, saxophones and pianos on it that embelish each cut and make the whole thing packed with detail.
Review: This hefty collaborative album sees Empirical founding member and skilled vibes man Lewis Wright join forces with two flight New York musicians Matt Brewer on double bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums. They cook up tight, exceptionally well performed tunes that have a title which describe how the music was composed. It's an album of improv lead by emotions and gut feelings rather than technique first and foremost. Bar closer 'Brilliant Corners' a tune by Thelonious Monk, these are all original compositions and all excellent.
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