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Junius Paul, the The Amrican jazz bassist Junius Paul on International Anthem turn the page to a brand new chapter in Chicago Sound. Ism opens audaciously with the spiritual mic-check “You Are Free To Choose,” a track that features bassist Junius Paul alongside Vincent Davis (drums), Justin Dillard (piano), and Corey Wilkes (horns). This is by no accident. In many ways, “You Are Free To Choose” captures the spirit of Junius Paul’s artistic roots. Corey, Justin, and Vincent were among the multigenerational cadre of Chicago musicians present when Junius chose to follow his own path of creative discovery at the storied Velvet Lounge on the South Side of the city in 2002.Though he began learning his craft playing in church, Junius’s creative voice really developed during jam sessions at clubs like The Velvet alongside members of the AACM. It was iron sharpening iron, the most natural form of knowledge transfer. He explained The Velvet’s vibe in 2018: “It’s like in Africa.... If you had this society of diviners or medicine people, or you know, sages… The Velvet stuff is not secret; but there are certain aspects of it… if you weren’t there, you weren’t there.” The Velvet Lounge closed in 2010. But, of course, the spirit of the Velvet Lounge is not dead. “Tune No. 6,” recorded live at the Co-Prosperity Sphere in Chicago, is a sweet interlude here to remind us that jazz is alive, bristling with what’s yet to come.As Junius pushes forward as a creative musician, he is careful to carry with him the spirit and the knowledge he’s gathered from those who have come before him. He is very literally a bridge between generations of the Chicago vanguard, currently playing in a handful of combos with Makaya McCraven (who produced several of the tracks on Ism) as well as a few of Roscoe Mitchell’s working groups – most notably the Art Ensemble of Chicago – in addition to fronting his own band.

There are quite a number of inspired, unusual and hard-to-pigeonhole albums in Don Cherry's vast discography, though few are quite as freewheeling, mystical and hallucinatory as The Summer House Sessions. Recorded in 1968 but previously unissued, the album captures an impromptu, day-long session by trumpeter Cherry, jazz players from several Swedish bands, and a Turkish percussionist. The results, as showcased on the epic lead track of this CD (I.E the one that was primed for release but shelved), are thrillingly unearthly, mixing elements of free-jazz and spiritual jazz with Turkish rhythms, nods to Indian musical culture, and liberal use of reverb and delay. There's also a second disc featuring a quartet of other equally freestyle improvisations recorded during the same session.

The SUGARMAN 3What The World Needs NowDaptone USt’s been a full decade since the last Sugarman Three album, and a lot’s happened in that time. Daptone has risen from an upstart label to spearhead an underground funk movement. Its flagship act, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, became a full-fledged success story, and Sugarman Three leader/saxophonist Neil Sugarman’s played with Amy Winehouse, Al Green and Jones’ Dap-Kings. This may account for the more relaxed vibe of What the World Needs Now compared with its 2002 predecessor Pure Cane Sugar. The revival mission’s already been accomplished, so the new disc doesn’t go out of its way to sound like a lost ‘70s funk nugget. The echo-drenched production of the earlier disc is gone, replaced by a no-frills live sound, and when they want some atmosphere, they bring in some friends to clap hands and shout in the background. Drummer Rudy Albin also sticks less tightly to the coiled-up funk backbeats he used to favor; allowing himself to open up and swing.

All-time classic Jorge Ben album recorded in 1981, strong from start to finish. It combines dancefloor hits and downtempo soulful slow burners, comprising samba funk jams and irresistible boogie and disco tracks. Lovely and very essential!!