Jazz | Fusion 226 Items

Greeting Mother Sea Intro Shining Menidaso My Hope Destruction Everywhere Orbit Sirius Sunmo Mi Ee Bloom Flora Gyaszba Borult Isten Csillagvara Home Vermezo Sun Is Away Shango Greeting Mother Sea Outro

After more than a decade of honing their prodigious improv chops, the Seattle trio enters the musical underground with their magnum opus, poised to be heard by true heads worldwide. Longtime Afrocop fans know, they are inveterate sonic chameleons. They’ve been fine tuning their chops for over a decade on the live circuit, playing everything from corporate gigs to psychedelic-music festivals to residencies at classy Italian restaurants and wine bars, and in many spaces in-between. No matter the setting in which they flex their dynamic creativity, keyboardist Noel Brass Jr., drummer Andy Sells, and bassist Carlos Tulloss flaunt an uncanny versatility: they can beautify the background like ambient masters, get up with it à la Miles Davis’ filthiest electric-era band, or fling you into deepest, fusionoid space on a nanosecond’s notice.

Often taken as inspiration by the likes of Miles Davis and Gil Evans, Ahmad Jamal is definitely one of the greatest artists in jazz history. Recorded in 1955 and originally released on the short-lived Parrot label, "Chamber Music of the New Jazz" is a stunning example of the creative, elegant, and precious music played by Ahmad Jamal's early trio. The fruit of the magical interplay between Jamal’s sophisticated pianism, Ray Crawford’s highly rhythmic guitar playing, and Israel Cosby’s fine double bass. Three musicians whose individual roles are fully expressed through the collective approach to a new form of "chamber" Jazz. Highly Recommended!!!

an excerpt from Edward George's 10,000+word liner-note 8 page booklet that comes with the double LP: Delay, 1961 (the Story SO Far) "They are, Seymour said, in movement, and in keeping with their claim, their music is, like a Brownian bridge, an A&J Tranean train, a Byrdian plane, or a Blountian space-time myth-machine, a way of playing themselves into the historio-graphical hands, or better yet, the loving arms, or perhaps, to be precise, the metaphysical embrace, of ‘a new creative space’, and playing is a way, the only way, when you think about it, of getting and staying in movement, the only way of staying ahead of themselves. Staying ahead of themselves was always important, and tricky too: they were on the (musical) trail of someone who preceded them, was ahead of himself, or at least ahead of his own epoch, the late 1950s, and theirs, the late 20th and early 21st century, in which he was, before they found him (or he found them, the way music finds you — and finds you out) present as no more than a discographical evanescence. And to complicate things further, the way they talked about what they were doing as they proceeded along that trail, you’d think they were archaeologists (and not anthropologists), or geologists (and not ethnographers), as well as exemplars of whatever discipline it is through which the capacity for inhabiting and transforming the body, the corpus, of another takes place: ‘We excavate and reinhabit documents and fragments of plans and compositions that he left behind to make music that though it originated in the 20th century will speak to the 21st’. They said that, on the back, or the strength, of their first album, and it was enough to make you wonder where in the world it was that they started from, what their point(s) of departure might have been."

‘Står op med solen’ (Rising with the sun) is the second album by Amalie Dahl’s Dafnie. With this album, the band continues the exploration of their collective sound. We hear influences from both old school free jazz, and contemporary Scandinavian jazz like Fire! Orchestra and Christian Wallumrød Ensemble, as well as clear connection to the Trondheim milieu, where the group was founded in 2020.

The energetic and expressive band explores their more subtle side with this record. ‘Står op med solen’ is an album longing for humans to be one with nature. The music comments on the world’s ultra-capitalistic power structures of today. The band navigates like one organism through parts of organic free jazz, strict structures and composed cells.

They start out where their first record ended, in the familiar free jazz sound with riffs and melodies, and take us safely on their onward journey. Amalie Dahl’s Dafnie brings together five well-known names from the Norwegian jazz scene, also known from other projects like Kongle Trio, Bliss Quintet, I like to sleep, Veslemøy Narvesen, Galumphing Duo, Treen and Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, among others.

‘Debut release from Palace Records and The Kanpai Quartet’s founder and the first LP release on the label. Funny Ol’ story this… all the tracks that feature on this album were produced circa 2004-2007 in his childhood bedroom and then lost a few years later, after the computer that had produced and saved the music died and none of the handful of CD copies that were given away could be found. Anyway, fast forward to one cold and miserable Sunday afternoon in early January 2024, Mr Nikolsky found himself clearing out his attic – where most lost treasure usually is – and found one very dusty and very battered hard drive that he had completely forgotten existed and was absolutely thrilled to finally find the long-lost files and hear a load of music he had resigned to never hearing again… Work that meant a great deal to him during his musical hermitage – and deeply depressed – days of bumming around his parent’s house back in The West Country.’

Dedicated with much love to Ilse and The Very Reverend Archpriest Maxim Nikolsky

) "Night Reign", the title of Arooj Aftab's new album, would also have been a good fit for an episode of "Game of Thrones". At first glance, it seems a little gloomy, almost ominous. But as soon as you immerse yourself in the album's atmospheric music, such associations fade away, even if a slight melancholy often seems to resonate. Arooj knows how to write songs that nestle gently in the ear canals and are true balm for car-tune-ridden ears. Her songs are unique because they are rooted in the tradition of her Pakistani musical heritage, but at the same time are modern and groove in a subtle way. This makes her, according to FLOOD Magazine recently, "the least categorizable and most uncompromising singer in pop music today".

With "Night Reign", the follow-up to her solo album "Vulture Prince" (which features the GRAMMY® Best Global Music Performance-winning track “Mohabbat”), Arooj has now created her most beguiling and stylistically diverse work. She was actively supported on the recording by creative partners as diverse as Vijay Iyer, Maeve Gilchrist, Moor Mother, Joel Ross, Cautious Clay, Kaki King, James Francies and Chocolate Genius, Inc.

Great music is often about chance meetings and impromptu creative sessions and so it is that Hell Yeah proudly serves up Sensory Blending, a new collaborative album from Italian collective Aura Safari and Finnish musician Jimi Tenor. The nine-track record is a lush and luxurious fusion of jazz-funk styles.

This glorious record came about after Tenor was playing a Hell Yeah party at Tangram in Perugia. Aura Safari were local and, in some free time the day before the gig, everyone jumped in the studio together. They had never met before but soon found plenty of free-flowing common ground and the result of that one-off session is now served up on this vibrant new album that brims with musicality, indelible melodies and subtly uplifting vibrations.

Tenor has toured the world and previously collaborated with the likes of Japanese master Calm. He is a psychedelic space-jazz-funk king, skilled musician, composer and producer who, since the mid-nineties, has released more than 25 albums and 45 EPs. Aura Safari is made up of bass, synth, guitar and keys players Lorenzo Francioli, Ruggero Bonucci, Nicola Pitassio Andrea Moretti, Lorenzo Lavoratori, Daniele Melloni and Nicholas Iammatteo, and they are label regulars who served up their sublime Island Dreams album here last year.

Says Jimi, who enjoyed his time in Perugia and adds that 'the studio session was 100% efficient. I showed up and we started to play. Almost all that was made was material that we could use for the album. I love to work fast. Quick brushstrokes. Finish! I was amazed at how intuitively the Aura Safari guys could come up with new parts for songs. I mentioned some feeling or approach and they seemed to find it just like that.'

'Bodily Synesthesia' is the seductive opener with steamy sax notes and gentle grooves that are topped by aloof vocal whispers. 'Lunar Wind' is another slow and steamy mix of jazzy keys and soulful vocal hooks, 'Bewitched By The Sea' is a more tropical and percussive number with majestic melodies and 'My Bluebell' picks up the pace with jazz-funk grooves and hustling chords. 'Last Waltz In Perugia' has freeform sax lines soaring over meticulous drums that ebb and flow and 'Gimlet' brings a playful, samba-tinged rhythm and sunny flute leads straight from South America. There's a laidback, carefree mood to 'It's Too Easy To Love You' while 'Your Magic Touch' is a dancey number that exudes melodic joy, and 'Indigo' closes in dramatic fashion with a conversational sax that sticks long in the memory.

Sensory Blending is a seamless fusion of collaborative minds from Aura Safari and Jimi Tenor and it could well be performed live at some special select shows later in the year.

CD Release: Limited edition of 100.

Since the age of six, multi-instrumentalist Aya Suzuki has been developing a musical universe informed by classical training and emboldened by a prodigious, almost innate feel for sound.

Her precocious leanings into percussive instrumentation led her to study at the pioneering Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo under the mentorship of world-renowned marimba player Keiko Abe, after which she left her native Japan to pursue a Master’s in percussion at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent.

Winged Seeds, her debut album recorded during a summer residency at Stuk in Leuven, presents the work of a musician whose ingenuity is in full flight. Clay pots, vibraphone, aluphone, bowls, and, of all things, rice, are her tools for conjuring arresting atmospheres through intricate fantasias and serene abstractions.

Aya’s mastery of percussive techniques goes hand in hand with her gift for poetic improvisation, as sound and silence have an equal and deliberate weight that charge each moment, suspending time and place into a magical stasis.

The surprising spoken word intermezzo “To The Earth” anchors these floating tones to the temporal spaces of our humanity, instilling a sense of humility which, despite her acumen, Aya deploys in all her artistry.

Winged Seeds is an unspoiled ode to the elements, honoring the earth we dwell in through the music that lifts us every higher.

New Orleans Free Jazz Party band comes on strong with their first vinyl release. Two sax (byron Asher and Aurora Nealand), two drums (bradd Webb and Zach Rhea) plus lots of synths (daniel Meineke) make for some fusion some freakout and some vibes.

Live albums are often a "hit or miss" affair but "Live Oblivion 1 & 2" buck that trend. Recorded across 2 nights in 1974 at the Hollywood venue The Whisky A Go Go. Now released to mark the 50th Anniversary of their recording and release it"s the first ever vinyl reissue since the original releases in the 1970"s.

Live albums are often a "hit or miss" affair but "Live Oblivion 1 & 2" buck that trend. Recorded across 2 nights in 1974 at the Hollywood venue The Whisky A Go Go. Now released to mark the 50th Anniversary of their recording and release it"s the first ever vinyl reissue since the original releases in the 1970"s.

We wrote Accept When between 2022 and 2023, after a long, beautiful period improvising together intimately in the safety of a friend’s practice space. Our friendship, the quality of attention that colored the light of that and all our other practice spaces, became the basis for our activity and growth as songwriters and our relationship as improvisers. Friendship, how we relate to each other, is our nucleus: the central and essential part of our movement; the positively charged central core of our atom. A nucleus is supposed to be an especially essential form in eukaryotic cells. Their nuclei are surrounded by a membrane, which in that world permits them to be said to have 'true nuclei.' Even their smallest parts, their organelles (incidentally also the name of Caroline’s keyboard heard throughout the record), are held by that membrane. The deepening of our musical friendship, the affordance of space we give to the possibility of synchronicity, the reminders we write of the preciousness of our existence—all of this we put into these songs for you, to help us all accept these miracles and metaphors, in our lifeboats."

Don't judge a book by its cover. Judge a record by its cover.

And, perhaps, its title.

Cedar Walton's Mobius is as outrageously, disorientatingly brilliant as the stunning jacket design, featuring the legendary jazz pianist morphing into a mobius strip, set against a beautiful sky filled with cumulus clouds. A proper jazz-funk fusion slapfest, Mobius is a stellar electric set from - essentially - one *hell* of a SUPERBAND.

Yes, in addition to Walton's Fender Rhodes wizardry, Mobius is elevated by Ryo Kawasaki's stinging electric guitar, pristinely clear vocals by Adrienne Albert and Lani Groves, rootsy percussion by Ray Mantilla and Omar Clay, alto and baritone from Charles Davis, trumpet from Roy Burrowes, Gordon Edwards on bass and Frank Foster's tenor sax. Oh and did we mention STEVE GADD ON DRUMS?!?!

Gem after gem of looping, bliss-inducing gold, it's an incredibly revelatory album. It presents a thrilling synthesis of R&B, funk, blues and hard bop (with a hint of rock), all driven by an idiosyncratic electronic keyboard. Walton, a giant in the jazz world, got quite the workout every time he played, from piano to arp synthesizer to clarinet to electric piano to mini-moog and back again.

Mobius was Cedar Walton's debut for RCA in 1975. The versatile artist confirmed his abilities as a player, composer, interpreter and arranger with this stunning record, and his own bright compositions offered a springboard for the improvisations of the different soloists. Coltrane's "Blue Trane" is the first classic to be given the funkafied Mobius treatment, Ryo Kawasaki let loose all over neck-snapping Gadd-drum gold before the horns take a fiery turn and subsequently give way to Cedar's virtuosity. A sparkling b-boy break version of Thelonious Monk's "Off Minor" (featuring an absolutely *fire* solo from Walton) really sets proceedings alight. Of the three original pieces, the shuffling, percussive power of "Soho" is just absolutely mind bending Latin-influenced jazzy soul whilst the mellow vibes of "The Maestro" bring elegant, sumptuous soul. And then there's the effortlessly funky "Road Island Red". Just too, too good.

Cedar Walton was born in Dallas, Texas, on January 17, 1934 and began his professional career in 1959 when he began touring for several years with the J.J. Johnson Quintet. He later joined the Art Farmer-Benny Golson Jazztet and then Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. Pretty solid credentials, right? While based in New York City, Cedar played with such luminaries as Donald Byrd, Eddie Harris, Blue Mitchell, Kenny Dorham, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Jimmy Heath and Milt Jackson. Without question, he was one of the most complete and gifted musicians of his time and Mobius provides proof of that. The fresh, danceable tracks, all firmly rooted in the living tradition of blues and gospel, are skilfully presented by a master who enjoyed keeping abreast of contemporary tastes and was always keen to renew his language.

As the album notes state: “Mobius, which is the theoretical shape of the infinite universe, makes use of the most modern recording techniques and synthesizers. We mastered and mixed so that it’s hotter than the competition, which should help radio play and in-store demonstration.” Indeed. Mobius is really gorgeous mid-70s fusion, ranging from the funky to the ecstatic. It's an absolute MONSTER that will completely blow you away; and, yes, it's as wild and hypnotic as the cover. The audio for Mobius has been carefully remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring it sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry in Holland. The original, iconic sleeve has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.

"A legendary concert by one of the great unrecorded bands in free jazz history is here at last. Webo, the third installment in the Black Editions Archive series of previously unreleased recordings from Milford Graves' private tape library, roars into the station June 21, 2024. For the first time, Charles Gayle, Milford Graves, & William Parker—three lions of the Black American jazz avantgarde—are finally heard together on record, presented here across three audiophile-quality LPs for two brutalizingly joyous hours of real ju-ju & musical mastery. The trio of Charles Gayle, Milford Graves, & William Parker gave only seven public performances between 1985 and 2013, and released no recordings. Their June 1991 two-night stand at the short-lived Lower East Side venue Webo, long referenced as a signal event in New York free jazz's 1990s resurgence, has been a topic of discussion among close followers of the music for decades. In the uncompromising grassroots spirit of the 1970s New York Musicians Organization and loft jazz movements from which they had emerged, the band produced and promoted the Webo concerts themselves. Photography and audio recording were not allowed at the concerts, and this official recording, commissioned by the artists, was never released—until now. So vivid was the lore surrounding Webo that it topped the list of recordings sought by Black Editions Archive from Graves' private collection. The tapes maximally substantiate eyewitness accounts describing extra-sensory levels of communication within the band, and the extraordinary clarity and impact of their performance. From William Parker's liner notes: 'Imagine a village or choir of drummers, horn players and strings. You can hear the bass and drums churning with a call and response, a melodic-rhythmic propulsion. In reality there is only one drummer, one bass, and one saxophone.' Age 52 at the time of these concerts, Charles Gayle had only recently made his first recordings. To all but the most immediate insiders he was still more myth than reality. Milford Graves, two months out from his 50th birthday, was about halfway into his body of recorded work and had sanctioned just one appearance on a commercially released recording in the last 14 years (Pieces of Time by an all-drummer quartet with Kenny Clarke, Andrew Cyrille, and Famoudou Don Moye). William Parker, the young man of the group at age 39, was a mere fifty entries into his discography, now 500+ entries and counting. All three musicians were at least a quarter century into passionately developing a personal and collective music rooted in the cultural values and radical aesthetics of the 1960s and '70s Black American avant-garde. 30+ years after the Webo concerts, Black Editions Archive is honored to make these historical recordings available to the public. The three LPs are presented in a heavy black, pigment-stamped box with mounted cover painting along with liner notes by William Parker, commentary from Alan Licht (witness to night one of the Webo concerts), a reproduction of the original concert flyer, and a set of 6"x9" printed photos from the 2021 Webo reunion outside MoMA PS1, Queens, NY. Cover Painting by Jeff Schlanger/musicWitness, made June 8, 1991, at Webo during the band's performance. Vinyl pressed at RTI, lacquers cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio."—Michael Ehlers, 2024

Saar Records, through its famous Music subsidiary, re-releases the second Chet Baker’s LP, recorded with his sextet and quartet and originally released in March 1960; one of the rare occasions for our musicians to team together with an American trumpet player for a rather long period.

Chet Baker is one of the most important and essential characters of modern jazz and over the years he has not lost his strength and colour, a fact that’s clearly demonstrated by this release, indeed showing us a quite different Chet Baker. His style has become less slender, more excited, more precise, more violent, and several tracks of this record prove it.

The musicians here accompanying Chet Baker are the very best the Italian jazz scene of the time could offer: Glauco Masetti on alto sax, Gianni Basso on tenor sax, Renato Sellani on piano, Franco Cerri on double bass, together with the Italian-American Gene Victory on drums. As usual in such situations, arrangements were entrusted to Giulio Libano, who wisely provided the musicians with ample space for their solos. Chet Baker is undoubtedly the protagonist, but a lot of freedom of expression is granted to his fellow adventurers.

The album was recorded on 25 and 26 September and on 6 October 1959 at the Guertler Bros studio.

Clifford Jordan was actually supposed to perform at Paradiso on September 10, 1969, but at that time the stage was facing problems and closed for a month. He diverts to Vara studio 7 in Hilversum with pianist Cees Slinger, bassist Ruud Jacobs, drummer Han Bennink and percussionist Steve Boston. Three of the four pieces Jordan puts on the lectern he recorded in early 1969 for the Strata-East label under the album title In the world.

The Album „hi“ is an invitation by Dani Scheffels to explore different emotions while
listening to his instrumental music.

In his debut album, the Munich based multi-instrumentalist presents music, that is
influenced by both his background as an accomplished drummer as well as his love for
modern jazz and experimental electronic music.

There is no rule in his writing except one: no lyrics.

That way everyone can tie the emotional music to their own experiences best.
First not sure, if he wanted any features on this album, he decided to collaborate with his
sister Amelie Scheffels on the track “this” and his longtime friend Ralph Heidel (known for
his brilliant releases on the Kryptox-label, as well as through his work as musical director
for artists such as Casper, Tarek K.I.Z, Drangsal, Bazzazian just to name a few..) on the
track “finally”.
“hi” is the second LP-release on the Munich based label tunnel.visions.

The band Gillespie assembled for this date – Junior Mance, Les Spann, Sam Jones, & Lex Humphries - was for the most part a working band on the club & concert circuit, offering a mixture of Gillespie’s entertaining songs, established repertoire, & some Latin & African-influenced pieces. With them, Dizzy found a middle ground in his music that gave his legacy room to breathe, but with much more rhythmic variety. The Verve By Request Series features 180-gram vinyl, pressed at Third Man in Detroit.

VERVE BY REQUEST SERIES: remastered, audiophile-quality 180-gram vinyl from Third Man Pressing/Detroit, Single Sleeve.

Dolphin Hyperspace is a Los Angeles-based electro-jazz duo led by saxophonist Nicole McCabe & bassist Logan Kane. Widely known for legendary concerts featuring instrumental madness amongst many synths and bonkers dance beats. In May their new album What's My Porpoise will be released, supported by drummers like Louis Cole and Justin Brown (Thundercat, Flying Lotus) the band finds new ways to combine jazz and beat culture time and time again.

The magical encounter of three skillful players, right before their self titled debut on ECM. On September 1, 1978, the musical trio Codona performed live in Willisau, Switzerland. This Swiss FM broadcast captured Codona in full flight, with Collin Walcott on sitar, Don Cherry on trumpet, and Nana Vasconcelos on percussion. Their performance weaved a magical web of sound. The opening track, “New Light,” is a 16-minute journey of pure joy