Brian Jackson worked for ten years alongside Gil Scott Heron in the 70s writing and performing some of the best social conscious Soul music of its era. Those songs have stood the test if time and are still very relevant today. Brian has now re-recorded 19 tracks featuring some great musicians and guest singers, keeping the spirit of the songs but updating the grooves to sound more contemporary on 'Now More Than Ever'. 'The Bottle' ft Omar on vocals highlights what a masterpiece this song is,Brian adding a lovely flute solo to this excellent version. 'Its Your World' is produced...
The Black Jazz records label issued 20 albums between 1971-1976 which featured Jazz music of the highest calibre. 'The Best Of Black Jazz' features 13 of the best tracks recorded for the label, encompassing Spiritual Jazz with elements of Soul and Funk. The Awakening 'Mode For D D.' ,Slinky' And 'March On' are all great spiritual Jazz tracks from the only band on the label. Organist Doug Carn 'Higher Ground' states the motivation and is a superb track featuring the vocals of Joyce Greene. Guitarist Calvin Keys 'Aunt Lovey' really grooves along , Roland Haynes 'Eglise' is really funky Jazz....
Trumpetter Roy Hargrove recorded this album live at the Bern jazz festival in 2000, which has remained unreleased until now. Roy is joined by some serious musicians including Larry Willis in keyboards and Willie Jones III on drums on this fantastic set almost an hour of incredible Jazz music. 'Circus' and 'Stranded' are full on heavyweight shifters featuring great solos but this album is great throughout. The sound quality is also very good for a live album. Essential
Jarrod Lawson burst onto the scene with his sensational debut album in 2014, now relocated from Portland Oregan he makes his third solo album 'Just Let It' . It is a strong album which has a slightly different, more soul based feel than it's predecessors. Jarrod's distinctive vocals, harmonies and ace keyboard playing are evident throughout. Complex rhythms feature on the excellent 'Next Move' duet with Raquel Rodriguez, and funkier 'There Can Only Be One' ft Allen Stone and superb more typically JL 'Just Let It' . 'Smoke Me Out' is a nice mid tempo message song that has a...
Bassist Buster Williams had already built a solid reputation playing for many years with Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Jazz Crusaders and more before recording this his debut album 'Pinnacle' for the Muse label in 1975. He his accompanied by some other great musicians including Sonny Fortune on Sax and Flute, Woody Shaw Trumpet, Billy Hart Drums , Onaje Allan Gumbs on Acoustic and Electric keyboards and Guilherme Franco on Percussion. The album is recorded at Blue Rock Studios NYC and has a very Strata East sound in places and Herbie Mwandishi or early Eddie Henderson approach in others. ...
The Catalyst label was based in Los Angeles and between 1976 and 1978 they released some great spiritual Jazz albums. The best tracks from these are featured in this superb compilation double 180gm Lp by Rainer Truby and Miche. There are many great jazz dancefloor friendly cuts like Mark Levine heavy 'Ixtlan' which has a Cal Tjader influence, Hadley Caliman 'The Latin Thing', Frank Strazzeri 'Cloudburst' , Don Menza 'Mz Liz' , George Muribus 'Brazilian Tapestry' , Gary Bartz 'Juju Man' , Henry Franklin ' Tribal Dance' and Pat Britt 'Starrsong' have a certain intensity of playing above shifting grooves....
Ike White recorded 'Changing Times' for Far Out productions in 1976 whilst he was in prison. Jerry Goldstein managed to convert the recreation hall in the prison into a studio to record it. It is a superb album featuring the 9 minute long funky soul title track which has all the hallmarks of label mates War. 'Love and Affection' is a funky track with a Sly influenced Bay area style groove with popping bass and punchy horns. 'Antionette' is a beautiful mid tempo atmospheric soulful jazzy instrumental featuring Sly Stone drummer Greg Errico and members of Santana. 'Happy Face' is a...
MF Robots return with their third album 'MF Robots 111 part 1' with Brand New Heavies founder, drummer, songwriter and producer Jan Kincaid and former Heavies vocalist and multi instrumentalist Dawn Joseph in fine form across eight uplifting bright and breezy new tracks. 'That's The Way' and the outstanding jazz tinged 'Show us The Way' are uptempo songs that move along with pace. 'Children Of The World' is another upper tempo track that has a really old school party feel. 'The Pressure' is a really nice mid tempo song with an interesting groove that is another album highlight. 'Lay it...
Carlos Garnett hailed from Panama but made his name in New York in the 1970’s playing with Norman Connors and recording five great albums under his own name on the Muse label. For his fourth Muse album from 1976, Carlos leads a 25 Piece Big Band ‘Cosmos Nucleus’ making the sound on this album quite different from his other recordings. ‘Saxy’ is about as Funky as a Big Band can be. The Title cut is a 12 minute opus allowing the Band to develop the track as it flows through different sections. ‘Wise Old man’ is a lively highly rhythmic...
The disco/funkgroup Record Player were from Dayton Ohio. They only released one single 'Free Your Mind' in 1979 on the Gem City label which is now very rare selling for £800 if you can find one. It is a very funky killer track. However they actually recorded a whole albums worth of material which has never been released until now. 'Your Fantasy' , the Kool and The Gang influenced 'Magic', 'Funky Bone' and 'Nursery Rhymes' are also good disco funk tunes. The band disbanded in the early 80s and many of them joined bands including Slave, Aurra, Steve Arringtons Hall...
