Jazz /
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
*2024 stock* Official Reissue in collaboration with Impulse Records! Special gate-fold edition. Recorded on January 20, 1963, by an eleven-piece band and released in July of that year by Impulse!, The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady consists of a single continuous composition partially written as a ballet divided into four tracks and six movements. Charles Mingus defined the album's orchestral style as "ethnic folk dance music", and it blends jazz and classical, while also integrating elements o…
Monk's Music
*2024 stock* "Monk’s Music" is an important album because it is one of the very few testimonies of Thelonious Monk’s band at the time John Coltrane was a regular member. It also showcases a second tenor sax, that of the legendary Coleman Hawkins, who in the 1940s featured Monk as the pianist of his band, and with whom Monk made his first studio recordings.
The album received a five-star rating in Down Beat, with Dom Cerulli stating that, “Throughout, Monk is the dominant force. The music, whethe…
The Jazz Giant
*2024 stock* "Some of Lester Young’s sessions made in the mid-1950s find him in bad shape, due to a combination of personal problems and alcoholism that would prematurely end his life on March 15, 1959 at the age of 49. However, when producer Norman Granz had the brilliant idea of reuniting him with his old musical companions Roy Eldridge, Vic Dickenson, Teddy Wilson, Freddie Green, Gene Ramey and Jo Jones, the result was a highly spirited and happy date that is presented here in its entirety." …
The Jimmy Giuffre 3
*2024 stock* "Jimmy Guiffre 3 features the first version of Giuffre's 3. With guitarist Jim Hall and either Ralph Pena or Jim Atlas on bass, Giuffre is heard on clarinet, tenor, and baritone. The generally introverted music is wistful, has a fair amount of variety, and is melodic while still sounding advanced. In addition to the nine original songs (including the earliest recording of Giuffre's classic folk song "The Train and the River"). An excellent introduction to Jimmy Giuffre's unique musi…
Song For Biko
"Repress of Johnny Dyani's 1979 LP Song for Biko, recorded in the summer of 1978 with the powerful front line-up of Don Cherry and Dudu Pukwana, the album was dedicated to the martyred South African activist against apartheid Steve Biko (1946-1977). Johnny Mbizo Dyani (bassist/composer) was born in East London, South Africa in 1945 and became one of South Africa's most internationally acknowledged musicians. Since his arrival in England in 1965 as a member of South African jazz group called The …
That's Why
*2024 stock* Sublime Christian folk jazz from 1970s Norway. In the '60s and '70s churches throughout Europe had serious competition for the attention of its younger members. The ecclesiastical establishment was shocked to hear teenagers expressing 'Sympathy for the Devil' rather than sympathy for Christ and his teachings. In Norway at this time the same situation was prevalent as was happening across Europe; teenagers were turning their back on the church and embracing the temptations and pleasu…
Towards The Flame, Vol. 2
*50 copies edition* "Three of Europe's most acclimated and proven improvisers—pianist Robert Mitchell (Steve Coleman, Greg Osby), bassist Neil Charles, and drummer/percussionist Mark Sanders (Jah Wobble, Rachel Musson)—band together as The Flame for the first time and emerge from pandemic isolation, and the forever wars and broken civics that accompanied it, with a hypnotic performance captured absolutely live on Towards the Flame.
Recorded at London's Cafe Otto in February of 2022, The Flame co…
Crazy Town
*100 copies edition* The story of Room 31 began when drummer Marlon Patton and saxophonist Greg Sinibaldi first crossed paths while playing in the band Kenosha Kid back in 2008. The two formed an instant connection, and fate brought them together again when they both relocated to New York City in 2019. Sharing a practice space, they embarked on a musical journey that would lead to the birth of Room 31. Inspired by their surroundings and the room number of their current practice space, they chose…
Telepathic Mysteries, Vol. 2
*50 copies edition* This eclectic group features the legendary multi instrumentalist Daniel Carter as well as the scientist/pianist Matthew Putman, drum wizard and 577 Records co-founder Federico Ughi, together with the brilliant up-and-coming member of the New York downtown scene, Texas-born clarinet player Patrick Holmes plus veteran bassist Hilliard Greene, a mainstay of the avant-garde for the last 20 years.
Exciting Drums African Rock Party
An early masterpiece under the name of Count Buffalo – this is legendary drummer Akira Ishikawa’s first record, from 1969! Genuine jazz, rock and African groovy sound. A rare groove album with a soulful arrangement throughout, with Kozaburo Yamaki and Hiroshi Takami as arrangers. Essential!
Back To Rhythm
Akira Ishikawa is renowned as a super funky drummer in Japan, earning praise for his ability to freely explore and blend jazz, rock, and African music into a unique musicality. Throughout his career, which spans from jazz rock to rare groove, this particular work stands out for its exceptional song selection and exhilarating musicality. "Let's Start" delivers a tight cover of Fela Kuti's Afro-funk, "Bongo Rock" presents a dynamic song with drum breaks, and "Pick Up The Pieces" offers a jazz-funk…
Reflections (The Romantic Guitar Of Amancio D'Silva)
Universal Music Recordings and Decca Records are making Jazz guitarist Amancio D’Silva’s album ‘Reflections (The Romantic Guitar Of Amancio D’Silva)’ available again for the first time since it was released in 1971, on limited edition clear vinyl. Long sought after by collectors and connoisseurs, original copies now sell for upwards of £350. This new edition was mastered at Abbey Road using high definition 24bit/192kHz audio files, copied directly from the original analogue master tapes. Images …
Poppin' In Paris - Live At L'Olympia 1972
First Complete, Authorized Release of alto sax giant’s 1972 Olympia performance transferred from the original tape reels recorded by the ORTF and housed in the INA (the Institut national de l'audiovisuel). Released by Elemental Music in cooperation with the Cannonball Adderley Estate and INA France. Includes an extensive booklet with rare photos; essays by acclaimed jazz author and historian Bob Blumenthal and producer Zev Feldman, plus testimonies by Tia Fuller, Lou Donaldson & Vincent Herring,…
Burnin' In Bordeaux: Live in France 1969
First complete, authorized release of alto sax giant’s Bordeaux performance transferred from the original tape reels recorded by the ORTF and housed in the INA (the Institut national de l'audiovisuel). Released by Elemental Music in cooperation with the Cannonball Adderley Estate and INA France. Cannonball is featured with a stellar band including his brother Nat Adderley on cornet, pianist Joe Zawinul, bassist Victor Gaskin and drummer Roy McCurdy. "It’s my hope that this music will live on thr…
At The Showcase Live In Chicago 1976-1977
All music previously unissued!
Transferred from the original tape reels restored by Michael D. Anderson with audio remastering by Joe Lizzi and lacquers cut by Matthew Lutthans at Cohearent Audio.
Includes extensive booklet with previously unpublished photos from the actual performances by Hal Rammel; liner notes by acclaimed author John Corbett; and testimonials from Marshall Allen, David Murray, Dave Burrell, Matthew Shipp, Thurston Moore, Amina Claudine Myers, Jack DeJohnette, Michael Weiss &…
Harvest Time / Love Will Find A Way
Unreleased Japanese radio edit of two ethereal masterpieces from .
Record Store Day 2024 "RSD First" release. Limited to 2500 copies. The RSD website refers to the vinyl colour as "Black Power Black" Runouts are laser-etched. ©/℗ 2024 Luaka Bop Inc.
Ikoyi Blindness
Fela used the cover of Ikoyi Blindness to announce his change of middle name from Ransome, which he now considered a slave name, to Anikulapo, which means “he who carries death in his pouch.” The front cover shows Ransome crossed out and Anikulapo added above it. Fela also used the album cover to announce the Africanisation of Africa 70’s name, changing it to Afrika 70. In the title track, Fela draws attention to the economic chasm separating the haves and have-nots of Nigerian society, contrast…
Original Suffer Head
This edition of Original Sufferhead is a major event. With the release of box set #5, and now on this reissue, the title track of this magnificent album is presented in its full-length, 25 minutes 24 seconds glory. While preparing the master disc for the box set, our engineer Jedi, Colin Young, discovered four minutes of “lost” material on the B-side of the original pressing, including a superb keyboard solo by Fela. This had been omitted from subsequent reissues. The restored version used here …
O.D.O.O. (Overtake Don Overtake Overtake)
Overtake Don Overtake Overtake was the penultimate album of newly recorded studio material released by Fela before he passed in 1997. Like its immediate predecessor, Beasts Of No Nation (also 1989), and its followup, Underground System (1992), the album finds Fela continuing to campaign for human rights and social change despite the relentless beatings, jailings and general harassment he had received from successive military regimes since the start of the 1970s.
Tribal Dance
Los Angeles bass titan Henry Franklin is bestknown for the two Skipper LPs issued by Black Jazz in 1972-74; 1977’s Tribal Dance is more obscure and arguably the best of the bunch, the spiritual jazz given an extra propulsive dimension via the excesses of Sonship, banging complex rhythms on his elaborate self-made drums, as heard on the opening title track and the extended ‘Cosmos Dwellers.’ Elsewhere, ‘Eric’s Tune’ has flamenco undercurrents, ‘Spring Song’ is a slow piano meditation, and ‘Prime …