Evan Parker
Monoceros

Though it's hard to pick a winner among the estimable Black Jazz catalog, this 1972 release from bassist Henry 'The Skipper' Franklin would have to be near the top of the list. Franklin got his start woodshedding with Latin maverick Willie Bobo in the mid-'60s and went on to play with The Three Sounds, but probably his most notable gig prior to this debut album was his stint in Hugh Masekela's band (that's Franklin playing bass with Masekela at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival). For The Skipper, Franklin assembled a crack outfit that included a horn section of trumpeter/flugelhornist Oscar Brashear (Bobby Hutcherson, Ry Cooder, Donny Hathaway) and tenor & soprano sax man Charles Owens (Buddy Rich, Horace Tapscott, John Mayall) along with a Masekela bandmate in electric pianist Bill Henderson and ace drummer Michael Carvin (Pharoah Sanders, Lonnie Liston Smith, Freddie Hubbard). This is such a unique, organic recording that it's hard to make comparisons; definitely a little fusion, a little '60s Blue Note feel, and the usual Black Jazz journey to the more lyrical, pop-inspired ('Little Miss Laurie') and funk-infused ('Plastic Creek Stomp') sides of jazz, but perhaps the best comparison is late-'60s Miles before he went electric. In any case, The Skipper is just a joy to listen to from start to finish, beautifully recorded by Black Jazz producer Gene Russell and blessed with some really fine writing, most of it by Franklin himself.

RECCOMENDEDThe best thing about music is the way it continually presents you with people that have been doing their thing for time, and very well indeed, but have somehow managed to do that thing far from your wandering ear. Introducing John Carroll Kirby, just one star in the constellation of Los Angeline music, but one who has worked with the likes of (drum roll, please) Solange, Norah Jones, Frank Ocean, Miley Cyrus, and Bat For Lashes, among others.In truth, you can probably hear as much of those artists as you can another of his conspirators, Connan Mockasin, here. Cryptozoo is a record out of time, but perhaps not timeless. We wander through strange ambient jazz, elevator hooks, and cut scenes from a forgotten Final Fantasy game. It's the past and present, it's familiar and yet exploratory, and it makes perfect sense as aural accompaniment to a movie about metaverse beasts.

Bandé-Gamboa is a project made up of two All-Star bands, created to reinterpret extremely rare or unreleased tracks from Guiné-Bissau and Cabo Verde, a project explicitly dedicated to the living memory of Amílcar Cabral, the intellectual force and strategist behind the independence of both countries, whose dream was to have them forever united.The project was created by Executive Producer/DJ/Digger Francisco “Fininho” Sousa and produced by Guts, with the aim of bringing to light musical compositions that either never had success despite their potential, or were never released at all. The band comprises of only outstanding musicians from both Guiné-Bissau and Cabo Verde, mixing older and younger generations. The tracks from Cabo Verde focus mainly on stretching the possibilities of musical languages within Funaná, and the tracks from Guiné-Bissau are a modern take on traditional rhythm Gumbé, rarely seen in stages worldwide. The album “Horizonte - Revamping Rare Gems From Guiné-Bissau and Cabo Verde” is in-between a compilation and a band recording, joining the knowledge of decade-long research on the music of both countries with the talent and creativity of world-class musicians.

Official reissue of Ryo Fukui’s only solo piano album recorded live, June 4-5, 1994 at The Lutheran Hall in Sapporo.A beautiful bop adventure with two compositions Ryo Fukui wrote for his beloved Hokkaido region, the fan-favorite “Nord” and “Voyage”, as well as alternate versions of his classics “Scenery” and “Mellow Dream”, and bewitching takes on Barry Harris, Sonny Clark, and Avery Parrish gems.Original release by Sapporo Jazz Create in 1994.

Pierre Vassiliu et Denis Van Hecke présente "Pierre Vassiliu" album expérimental de 1979 qui mêle une grosse quantité d'influences allant de la Pop au Reggae en passant par la musique traditionnel languedocienne, terre de naissance du musicien. Superb artwork accompagné de son insert d'époque