Beverly Copeland
Beverly Copeland

BBE’s J Jazz series reaches its fourth instalment, focussing on the years 1968 to 1981 and specifically music released on the label Nippon Columbia in Japan. Compilers Tony Higgins and Mike Peden exhume gems from solo artists and big bands alike and ranging from classical jazz aesthetics to fusions with heavy rock, samba and psychedelia.

Urban Ethiopian music stands out within the African continent thanks to its creativity and originality. Whatever the shade — pop, blues, jazz or soul — it comes from a fusion of local musical traditions mixed with an echo of Western music. It bewitched Ethiopia during the ‘Swinging Addis’ decade before recently winning the favors of a well-informed audience all over the world. This first vinyl volume of Ethiopian Urban Modern Music presents some of the Ethiopian ‘groove jewels’ drawn from the essential series.

2023 edition with new artwork and sleeve. Come with insert/liner notes.About: America Dream Reserve is a home for kindred souls. An hour-long journey into the world of lo-fi drumcomputer folk, disco-pop-lounge, haunting ballads, obscure vanity pressings, and synthesized string ensembles. A collaborative compilation between Charles Bals, creator of the inimitable Club Meduse, and Smiling C.Compiled by: Charles Bals & Henry Jones.

Sam Wilkes answers a few questions from Leaving Recordslabelmate Carlos Niño, on his debut full-length WILKESListening to WILKES numerous times, consideringwhat I might write about it for a Press Release, (which Iagreed to do because I'm a fan of his Music and hiscollaborations with Sam Gendel and Louis Cole / Knower,)I was growing in enthusiasm, looking forward to mynext radio show or DJ set including the song "Today"so I could hear it bump in a nice system. I was hypedthe more I took in this 6 song offering. I thought to askSam about his new record and use his answers as aidto illustrate some of my feelings, but when I read hisreply I thought you should too. It's so descriptiveand visual, perfect to pull from and quote.

Mammal Hands are a trio of like-minded musicians: Nick Smart piano, Jesse Barrett drums and tabla, and Jordan Smart saxophones. Floa is their second album for Gondwana Records and in the 18 months since their debut, Animalia, they have carved out a growing following both here and abroad for their hypnotic fusion of jazz, folk and electronica: winning fans from Bonobo and Gilles Peterson to Jamie Cullum. Landmark live performances have included shows at King's Place in London and the RNCM in Manchester, as well as a barn-storming debut at the Montreal Jazz Festival. Drawing on a rich well of influences from Sufi and shamanic African trance music, Irish and Eastern European folk music, to Steve Reich and Philip Glass and more contemporary electronica influences, their music is built around deceptively simple sounding ideas that are lent power through the use of repetition and rhythmic loops. They have been compared to both Portico Quartet and GoGo Penguin for the way in which they navigate the choppy waters between contemporary dance music and jazz.

✈︎✈︎ UK import ✈︎✈︎Le multi-instrumentiste et artiste visionnaire Yussef Dayes s'apprête à sortir son très attendu premier album studio solo "Black Classical Music", le 8 septembre 2023.“Black Classical Music" est un album de 19 titres qui emmène les auditeurs dans le passé et le présent del'artiste exalté, tout en explorant les thèmes du foyer et de la famille. L'album s'inspire de ses héros musicaux Miles Davis & Rahsaan Roland Kirk et des nombreux voyages de Yussef autour du globe qui lui ont permis d'approfondir son étude du rythme.Sur "Black Classical Music", on retrouve Chronixx, Jamilah Barry, Tom Misch, Shabaka Hutchings, Miles James, Sheila Maurice Grey, Nathaniel Cross, Theon Cross et l'orchestre Chineke ! Orchestra, ainsi que Venna, Rocco Palladino, Charlie Stacey et Elijah Fox.