We Are Busy Bodies have reissued the rare and sought after 1973 Venezuelan jazz album Espejismo (‘Mirage’) by Virgilio Armas Y Su Grupo, a rare and pleasing body of work that centres itself between cool, modal and Latin styles of jazz. The output sounds as though Horace Silver were to have made a record in Latin America: his funky and percussive style of piano playing sounds strikingly familiar to Virgilio Armas’, counterpointing rich harmonies with slick, highly rhythmical phrasing and a well-defined left hand. Little is known about Armas and his group who recorded this date in 1973 with Rodolfo...
Maysa Leak has one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary soul music, having recorded as a solo singer and as lead female vocalist for Incognito for over 30 years. Maysa returns with a 19 track 2cd album 'Music For Your Soul' ,On her own Blue Velvet Soul label. She teams up with producer and keyboardist Chris 'Big Dog' Davis and other musicians to create a very enjoyable album. 'Music For Your Soul' , 'Whatever' are nice catchy mid tempo songs, Chris Walker co-wrote, produced and duets on the mid tempo R&B/Soul 'Down With Me'. 'Spirit 222' has a different...
Maysa Leak triumphantly returns with an exclusive new 19 track double CD 'Music For Your Soul' on her own label which will please her many fans. Durand Jones has a new solo album on Cd,. LP and coloured LP. Sultan Stevenson is another New London Jazz player his excellent album 'Faithful one' is out on CD, the LP coming later in the summer. Another new London album 'London Brew' is a heavy fusion album inspired by Miles Davis 'Bitches Brew'. There are some good reissues, The Lovelites rare Soul album from 1972 finally gets a vinyl reissue from Japan in limited supply,...
Mille Jackson - Millie Jackson Millie Jackson's debut album was released on the Spring label in 1972. Like many albums of its time it was collection of singles with some new material. Her debut single for the label, the incredible 'A Child Of God' had established Millie as a rising Soul star as a singer, songwriter and social commentator. 'Ask Me What You Want' and the classic motown-esq dancer 'My Man A Sweet Man' were more uptempo and revered in the UK at the time. 'I Just Can't Stand It' and 'If This Is Love' are Southern Soul ballads, while...
Shirley Scott - Queen Talk: Live at the Left Bank, Baltimore MD (Reel to Reel) For Record Store Day 2023, Reel to Reel have issued a rare live recording of Shirley Scott playing with her trio at the Famous Ballroom in Baltimore, a venerable centre for jazz in Maryland and Baltimore’s first interracial music venue that had hosted a litany of jazz greats by the time Scott graced the stage with her trio on the 10th August, 1972. Back in ’21, Reel to Reel released a live recording of Roy Brooks from the same venue, put on by the Left...
NY based Japanese singer Monday Michiru has been making interesting albums since the mid 90s. Her sound is a blend of Jazz, Soul, Brazilian and Japanese music. 'Enso' is her latest album of mainly self written and produced songs, featuring some good musicians. 'Untethered' is a lovely floating string backed soulful mid tempo groove featuring some nice spoken words from Ursula Rucker. 'Pivot' is another mid tempo song featuring and produced by Lucas Arruda. 'Cycles" has an acoustic Brazilian feel. 'Ringo Oiwoke' has a strong Japanese influence with Asuka on Koto and slightly more tempo, but is a lovely calming...
Keyboard legend Lonnie Liston Smith teams up with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad for the 17th album in their Jazz Is Dead series. Lonnie's distinctive keyboard style is still to the fore, backed by some very heavy drum beats from Greg Paul and Malachi Morehead, Ali on Electric Bass and Adrian on multiple instruments. The uptempo 'Love Brings Happiness' , 'Cosmic Changes' and mid tempo 'A New Spring' and 'Love Can Be' feature Loren Oden on vocals. 'Fete' Is a really nice funky jazz instrumental groover, featuring Younge on saxes, and 'What May Come' also has a funky feel....
There are some great new releases and reissues this week. Firstly we are delighted to present the latest 45 on our Soul Brother Records label, the in demand and classic Jazz dance/Mod 'The Hipster' by Harold McNair which is almost impossible to find on an original 45 now and still sounds incredibly fresh 55 after its original release. Lonnie Liston Smith returns with his first album in 25 years with the latest in Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad Jazz is Dead series, it's great to have Lonnie back and in good form. Alfa Mist has a new album 'Variables' which has...
Yusef Lateef – Yusef Lateef’s Detroit (Arc) Overseen by Gilles Peterson, and in his words the “most complete funk record” ever recorded by Lateef, Arc records have reissued this relatively unsung 1969 session with a thick tip-on jacket on 180g black audiophile vinyl remastered by Bernie Grundman, with fresh sleeve notes from Dexter Gordon’s widow Maxine and tributes from Peterson and Ayesha Lateef. Although Lateef was born in Chattanooga Tennessee, his family migrated northwards to Detroit when he was five years old in 1925, along with around 1.6 million southern Afro-Americans—escaping the heavily segregated south and poor economic conditions marked...
Harold McNair was a Jamaican born saxophonist and flautist who like many other West Indian jazz musicians of the day (Harry Beckett, Dizzy Reece and Joe Harriott) moved to London in the early 1960’s. Prior to his move, McNair completed a European tour as part of Quincy Jones’ band and worked on film scores in Paris before taking the plunge and permanently relocating from the West Indies. McNair made an instant impact on the London scene, cementing himself as a highly regarded tenor, alto and flute player, the latter an instrument that he largely had taught himself and had minimal...
