Category Archives: Jazz

DANIEL HAAKSMAN-BLACK ATLANTICA EDITS.

Daniel Haaksman-Black Atlantica Edits. Label: BBE Music. Release Date: ’24th’ of April 2020. Over the last few years, Berlin-based DJ, producer and record label owner Daniel Haaksman has been reworking tracks by everyone from CK Mann + Carousel 7 and Soul Brothers to Francis Bebey, Bonde Do Rôlé and Kaba Blon and these edits have become favourites …

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DR JOHN THE NIGHT TRIPPER-THE SUN, MOON AND HERBS.

Dr John The Night Tripper-The Sun, Moon and Herbs. Label: Speaker’s Corner. By July 1970, twenty-nine year old Dr John was about to begin recording his fourth album for Atco which eventually became The Sun, Moon and Herbs which has just been reissued on vinyl by Speaker’s Corner.  Dr John had written six new track …

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ELVIND AAARSET I JAN BANG-SNOW CATCHES ON HER EYELASHES.

Eivind Aarset I Jan Bang-Snow Catches On Her Eyelashes. Label: Jazzland Recordings. Although Eivind Aarset and Jan Bang have been collaborating since the early nineties, the pair have never recorded an album as a duo. That was until they recorded Snow Catches On Her Eyelashes, which was recently released by Jazzland Recordings. It features ten …

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SPIRITUAL JAZZ VOLUME 11: STEEPLECHASE.

Spiritual Jazz Volume 11: SteepleChase. Label: Jazzman.  In 1959, Anders Dyrup founded Jazzhus Montmartre, which was situated in Dahlerupsgade, in the Danish capital Copenhagen. On the opening night, American  clarinetist George Lewis had been booked to play and performed there for a fortnight. He was the first of many great jazz musicians who played at …

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DEXTER GORDON-A SWINGIN’ AFFAIR.

Dexter Gordon-A Swingin’ Affair. Label: Blue Note Records. Tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon was only seventeen  when he joined  Lionel Hampton’s band in 1940, and for the next three years, played alongside Illinois Jacquet and Marshal Royal. However, by 1944 he was a member of the Fletcher Henderson band before featuring in Louis Armstrong and Billy …

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GARD NILSSEN’S SUPERSONIC ORCHESTRA-IF YOU LISTEN CAREFULLY THE MUSIC IS YOURS.

Gard Nilssen’s Supersonic Orchestra-If You Listen Carefully The Music Is Yours. Label: Odin Records. To say that bandleader, composer, drummer and percussionist Gard Nilssen is a prolific musician is something of an understatement. Since 2007, he has played on over seventy albums by all types of groups. Mostly, it’s been with small groups including the …

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MIKE WESTBROOK-LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING: CITADEL/ROOM 315 SWEDEN 74.

Mike Westbrook-Love and Understanding: Citadel/Room 315 Sweden 74. Label: My Only Desire Records. By 1974, composer and pianist Mike Westbrook was thirty-eight and one of the leading lights of the British jazz scene. He had come a long way since he formed his first band in 1958 when he was an art student studying painting. …

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LARRY ROSE BAND-THE JUPITER EFFECT.

Larry Rose Band–The Jupiter Effect. Label: BBE Music. Release Date: ‘17th’ April 2020. Usually, at this time of the year, dedicated crate-digging DJs and discerning record collectors spend  much of their spare time searching for oft-overlooked albums and long lost hidden gems in back-street record shops, thrift stores and dusty warehouses. This is the natural …

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MUSAX BACKGROUND MUSIC LIBRARY VOLUME 1.

Musax Background Music Library Volume 1. Label: Farfalla Records. The resurgence of interest in library music that began a few years ago is still continuing, with collectors keen to add to their burgeoning collections. For many, it’s original releases from the golden era of library music which covers the late-sixties through to the mid-eighties. Alas, …

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ART BLAKEY AND THE JAZZ MESSENGERS-BUHAINA’S DELIGHT. 

Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers-Buhaina’s Delight. Label: Blue Note Records. By the time Art Blakey arrived at Van Gelder Studio, in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, on the ‘28th’ of November 1961, he had just turned forty-two a month earlier, and had already established a reputation as one of the greatest jazz drummers of his …

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TEA AND SYMPHONY-AN ASYLUM FOR THE MUSICALLY INSANE.

Tea and Symphony-An Asylum For The Musically Insane. Label: Magic Box. When the original lineup of Tea and Symphony was founded in Birmingham, England, in the late-sixties, they were an acoustic group who have since been compared to Marc Bolan’s Tyrannosaurus Rex. The group was founded by Jeff Daw, James Langston and Nigel Phillips, but …

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NIGHTMARES ON WAX-SMOKER’S DELIGHT 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION.

Nightmares On Wax-Smoker’s Delight 25th Anniversary Edition. Label: Warp. Four years after releasing their debut album A Word Of Science: The First and Final Chapter in 1991, Nightmares On Wax returned with their much-anticipated and critically acclaimed sophomore album Smoker’s Delight. It was released on the ‘24th’ of October 1995, Warp, who have just reissued …

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MILES DAVIS-BITCHES BREW AT 50.

Miles Davis-Bitches Brew At 50. Although Miles Davis’ recording career began in 1951, when he released his debut album The New Sounds, he soon had established a reputation as a prolific, and innovative musician. He released further forty-three albums between 1951 and 1969. This included classics like 1957s Round About Midnight and 1959s Kind Of Blue. …

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OTO NO WA: SELECTED SOUNDS OF JAPAN 1988-2018.

Oto No Wa: Selected Sounds Of Japan 1988-2018. Label: Music For Dreams Denmark. Each and every week of the year, record companies from all over the world, release countless compilations into the global music marketplace. These compilations range from lovingly curated compilations released by small indie labels to the cheap and cheerful, nostalgia-inducing budget box …

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STANLEY TURRENTINE-COMIN’ YOUR WAY.

Stanley Turrentine-Comin’ Your Way. Label: Blue Note Records. When bandleader and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine entered Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, in New Jersey on January the ’20th’ 1961, he was twenty-six and about to record what would eventually become Comin’ Your Way.  It was the third time he had made this journey since he had signed …

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LOCOMOTIVE-WE ARE EVERYTHING YOU SEE.

Locomotive-We Are Everything You See. Label: Magic Box.   By 1965, all over Britain, new groups were being founded every day. They had watched as The Beatles and the rest of the British Invasion groups took America by storm. The new groups watched enviously, hoping and dreaming that one day soon, they would be signed …

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CULT CLASSIC: GARY BARTZ-LOVE SONG.

Cult Classic: Gary Bartz-Love Song. By 1976, saxophonist Gary Bartz’s reputation was on the rise.This came as no surprise to those within the jazz community. Already, Gary Bartz had played with some of the biggest names in jazz. Especially before he formed his own band in 1969. Baltimore born Gary Bartz had started his career …

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HIDETO SASAKI, TOSHIYUKI SEKINE QUARTET +1-STOP OVER.

Hideto Sasaki, Toshiyuki Sekine Quartet + 1–Stop Over. Label: BBE Music. Release Date: ‘27th’ March 2020. Ever since the sixties, rather than sign to a label, many artists and bands have released their albums as private pressings. However, the majority of the labels releasing private pressings during this didn’t have the same resources as the …

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CULT CLASSIC: HOLGER CZUKAY-MOVIES.

Cult Classic: Holger Czukay-Movies. By 1979, Holger Czukay’s career was at a crossroads, after Can the group he cofounded in 1968, had split-up.  After releasing eleven albums in eleven years, one of music’s most innovative groups were no more. This came as no surprise to Holger Czukay, who was about to resume his solo career. …

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BODDHI SATVA-18.

Boddhi Satva-18. Label: BBE Music. Release Date: ‘20th’ March 2020. Boddhi Satva was born and spent much of the the early part of his life in Bria in the Eastern part Central African Republic. Soon, he was immersed in music, and spent his time writing, rapping  and producing with the hip hop crew the Gbekpa …

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