Archives: Features

Often regarded as one of the greatest vibraphone players ever, Roy Ayers began his career as a jazz player, releasing several albums with Arista Records before his tenure at Polydor Records, during which he built and developed a new R&B style, fusing Jazz with the emerging disco sounds as well as drawing on funk. The Roy Ayers Ubiquity formed in 1970 and the unit recorded several albums for Polydor featuring such players as Sonny Fortune, Billy Cobham, Omar Hakim, and Alphonse Mouzon. With influences including the electric side of Miles Davis and the Herbie Hancock Sextet the Ubiquity gradually shed...

‘A Love Supreme’ is arguably the pinnacle of the famous John Coltrane Quartet. Its four parts take you on a spiritual and musical journey that John Coltrane travelled to find the creator and in effect the meaning of life. This sound very intense and whilst the music has moments of great intensity, there is moments of great tenderness and beauty too. ‘Acknowledgement’ is hailed as its defining piece, but ‘Resolution’, ‘Pursuance’ and ‘Psalm’ should be given due reverence too. See all John Coltrane titles here

Guitarist Kenny Burrell alongside Grant Green became Blue Note’s stable guitar man. ‘Midnight Blue’ recorded on January 7 1963 is arguably Burrell’s finest work. His playing is relaxed and fluid and the Latin backdrop provided by percussionist Ray Barretto give the album a Bossa feel. Add the soulfulness of Stanley Turrentine’s meaty tenor sax and you have an album that is a complete delight. The material is sublime as tracks like ‘Chitlins Con Carne’ and ‘Wavy Gravy’ are ample proof. ‘Soul Lament’ is brooding and soulful. Six of the seven tracks are composed are co-composed by Kenny Burrell including the...

Sax player Kamasi Washington arrives with this ambitious concept album, aptly entitled ‘The Epic’. Washington hails from South Central LA and is complimented by a fantastic group plus a 32 piece orchestra and 20 people choir. There are 17 tracks and it is superfluous to pick out individual parts/ tracks. If Spiritual jazz is your thing and you find the music of the Strata East, Tribe or Nimbus labels inspiring then this set is a wonderful journey. That journey encompasses Bop, Jazz Funk amongst other styles along the way. Yet despite the music of ‘The Epic’ being in those traditions,...

Ground breaking album from 1973, one of the first jazz-funk albums and the biggest seller on Blue note at that time. Produced by Larry Mizell this introduced a new sound featuring an all star cast Inc Harvey Mason, Joe Sample, Wilton Felder etc topped by Donald’s brilliant trumpet playing. ‘Flight Time’, ‘BlackByrd’, ‘Love’s So Far Away’ and ‘Mr Thomas’ have that ‘Mizell’ stamp all over them, and are brilliant early jazz funk groovers. The mellow ‘Sky High’ and ‘Where Are We Going’ are equally good. One of the all time great jazz funk albums.

‘Crosswinds’ dates from 1974 and is Billy Cobham’s second solo album.  It features the Brecker Brothers in the horn section, keyboard legend George Duke and guitarist John Abercrombie.  It is a Jazz Funk gem that features four tracks.  The first ‘Spanish Moss – A Sound Portrait’ comprises the whole of side one of the vinyl and is divided, like a symphony, into four segments, two of which are superb – the foreboding yet serene ‘Quiet Before The Storm’ and the fast ‘Flash Flood’.   The classic Jazz Funk of ‘Pleasant Pheasant’ starts side two in rapid and vibrant form.  The lovely...