Archives: Features

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the reissue of Robert Cotter’s ultra-rare 1976 album, ‘Missing You’ in partnership with Robert Cotter himself. Originally released on the notorious Tiger Lily label, the album was never properly released at the time and most copies were destroyed before they could hit record store shelves. The few that survived now command unreasonable prices. The album, recorded in New York between 1975 and 76, is also Chic’s earliest recording – or The Big Apple Band as the group was known, which Robert Cotter was fronting at the time alongside fellow musicians Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards, Tony Thompson and Robert Sabino. Featuring Nile Rodgers...

20 Superb Southern Soul tracks from the Stax vaults make up this excellent compilation on the Kent label. Eddie Floyd contributes two previously unreleased cuts the lovely floater ‘How can I win your love’ and ballad ‘Everybody makes a mistake’. Isaac Hayes original 75 version of Banks and Hampton’s ‘I’m Gonna have to tell her’ , Fredrick Knight ‘Let’s make a deal’, Israel Tolbert ‘Got to get away from you’ and Randy Brown& Company funky ‘Did you hear yourself’ are also highlights. There are many originally unreleased tracks included. The best are Shirley Brown ‘Ain’t no way’ , Soul Children...

Veteran saxophonist Gary Bartz joins forces with Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Young for the sixth installment of the Jazz is Dead series. Gary is fine fettle primarily on alto throughout on this fine piece of contemporary Jazz which links the tradition with modern production featuring real instruments. The uptempo ‘Black and Brown’, Hip hop influenced beats of the down tempo ‘Spiritual Ideation’, ‘Soulsea’ and ‘Blue Jungles’ and mid tempo ‘The Message’ are all highlights. ‘Visions Of Love’ has a really nice soulful feel with background vocals in the hook line. Really nice album from one of the masters of Jazz,...

Our first ever record of the day of Lebanese origin! The mystical sounding Jazz-Funk-Disco grail from Ziad Rahbani - Abu Ali, recorded in Greece back in the seventies with a mixture of Greek and Arabic musicians. It was a time of turmoil back in Rahbani's home country of Lebanon, which was in the throes of civil conflict and committed to a prolonged war with Israel. A renowned cultural firebrand figure back in Lebanon, known as one of the leading exponents of the prevalent left-wing counterculture of the time and as one of the most biting Lebanese political satirists and playwrights...

UK Jazz outfit Vertaal’s debut mixtape / album on vinyl, Paradigm Shifting, is a stunning body of music, reflecting the rich evolution of the wider UK Jazz scene and its myriad of influences and musical styles. Flitting between Broken Beat and Hip-Hop productions to straight up Jazz-Dance, it is a record unlike any other recent UK Jazz album—a unique and idiosyncratic recording, the groups first vinyl release. The album was funded in majority through a kickstarter campaign—the ensemble of donors thanked on one of the inner sleeves—and recorded and mastered remotely. Polar is a rolling Jazz dancer, underlaid by silky...