Now-Again Jazz | Fusion 22 Items

Revolutionary, spiritual jazz from the unlikely city of Houston, Texas: the definitive issue, mastered from the original tapes. Presented in a tip-on gatefold jacket.
Drummer, bandleader and activist Bubbha Thomas had toured America with R&B revues, served as a session musician for Peacock and Back Beat Records, and played straight ahead jazz with legends before the political and social upheaval of the late 1960s led him to a path first charted by Coltrane. Energy Control Center, his third LP with his Lightmen band is his masterpiece: deep-set, maverick jazz on part with the best Tribe and Strata East titles. This is a highpoint amongst the best of the 1970s jazz underground, a collective voice of resistance to the musical and cultural status quo. Contains second disc with bonus tracks: unreleased alternate takes, including two versions of the spiritual jazz classic “All Praises To Allah”, all housed with an extensive booklet with photos and liner notes.

Born in 1938, and raised in Glendale, California, Lloyd Miller has had one of the most unusual careers in all of jazz. By age 12 he had declared an
intent to make his living as a jazz musician, and by high school he had already begun to experiment, shunning swing music's mechanical perfection,
and chafing at his parents’ desire for him to nurture his talents with formal training. This tumultous relationship with his parents would eventually
lead to a stint in a psychatric hospital, before reuniting with them in moving to Iran, his father having accepted a job working for the Shah.
Stops in Hong Kong, Japan and Pakistan on the way to Iran deepened Miller's connection to other cultures he’d first felt while listening to old world
music compilations. He felt a definite calm and peace, an immense respect from everyone towards everyone else, and immersed himself in other
cultures and languages immediately. Miller spent a year in Iran with his family, picking up Farsi after a few short months, and steadily gaining more
and more of an appreciation for how deep the roots of Persian art run. However, still committed to his decision forge a career in jazz, Lloyd left Tehran
in 1958 to head to Europe to see if he could make a living from jazz music.
Miller kicked around the continent, first in Germany, then in Switzerland, Sweden and Brussels. He collaborated and performed alongside 60s jazz
legend Jef Gilson, and experimented with exotic instrumentation before returning to America to resume his studies at Brigham Young University in
Utah. In the years following his stint with Gilson, Miller had become more and more disillusioned with both modern music and modern society, which
had ashewed jazz for rock music, which he detested. In Miller’s conception, for a music to have value it had to have a deep connection to a tradition,
specifically connecting jazz to African lore. To Miller, something like “Tuareg African music is blues, just with no chord changes.”
Oriental Jazz was recorded, compiled and self-released in 1968 while Miller was studying at Brigham Young. The record, originally pressed in
a quantity of 300 copies, sought to combine a cool, modal style with the exotic arrays of instruments and styles that Miller had picked up during
his travels. Miller included songs he’d cut with Gilson in his Parisian studio years before, and a solo piano piece that he recorded in one of the
school’s practice rooms. Despite Lloyd’s professed aversion to modernity, there nevertheless is something strikingly new sounding about this
music, which fits together in startling juxtapositions. Traces of Bill Evans, Stan Getz and Jimmy Giuffre rub shoulders with Persian santur, Arab oud
and Turkish saz music.
Copies of Oriental Jazz languished in Miller's home for years after numerous failed bids for record contracts, before finally ending up in the hands of
record collectors decades later. After its release however, he would find a second life after returning to Iran, doing field recordings, and eventually
hosting a weekly television show that programmed both American jazz and the best traditional Persian musicians he could find. It was not to last
however, as he abruptly abandoned the country to return to the US in the late 1970s, predicting the arrival of the Islamic Revolution.

Revolutionary, spiritual jazz from Houston, reissued for the first time – expanded reissue of The Lightmen Plus One’s Spiritual Jazz classic, on sale and shipping now. (Worldwide release in March.) The second in a series of four expanded reissues of drummer and bandleader Bubbha Thomas’s lauded catalog.

Now-Again Records celebrated the expanded reissue of The Lightmen’s Fancy Pants with a pop-up record shop at Rappcats on February 24th. The sale was hosted by Egon of Now-Again, with records sourced from Bubbha Thomas and his Lightmen bandmates: saxophonist Doug Harris and bassist Don Patterson’s collections, one-of-a-kind rarities and classic soul, funk, jazz and rock LPs and 45s that inspired Thomas and his band.

Drummer, bandleader and activist Bubbha Thomas had toured America with R&B revues, served as a session musician for Peacock and Back Beat Records, and played straight ahead jazz with legends before the political and social upheaval of the late 1960s led him to a path first charted by Coltrane. Free As You Wanna Be predates the deep-set, maverick jazz issued by the likes of Tribe and Strata East and is a harbinger of best of the 1970s jazz underground, a collective voice of resistance to the musical and cultural status quo. This is the first time that Free As You Wanna Be has seen reissue, and it is presented in both the issued stereo and previously unissued mono mixes as a double LP. Bubbha and his band’s story is told in great detail by Houston music and cultural historian Lance Scott Walker (Houston Rap / Houston Rap Tapes) and Now-Again’s Eothen Alapatt, in a booklet that contains dozens of unpublished photographs.

Reissued for the first time! Modal and Eastern Jazz by Spiritual Jazz Maestro Lloyd Miller, originally issued in a run of 500 copies in 1967. This reissue was overseen by Miller and pressed from new stampers made from the original metal parts. The album contains an extensive booklet detailing Miller’s story by Francis Goding and also includes a download Card for WAV files and video of late 60s performances as well as Miller’s autobiography ‘Sufi, Saint & Swinger’ included.

The Tribe co-founder’s debut, remixed from the original mutli-track master tapes under the direction of its creator and lacquered by Bernie Grundman. Now-Again presents the denitive Tribe Records reissues. Deep, Spiritual Jazz of the highest order. The Tribe label, one of the brightest lights of America’s 1970s jazz underground, receives the Now-Again reissue treatment. This is your chance to indulge in the music and story of one of the most meaningful, local movements of the 20th Century Black American experience, one that expanded outwards towards the cosmos. In the words of the collective themselves, “Music is the healing force of the universe.” Included in an extensive, oversized booklet, Larry Gabriel and Jeff “Chairman” Mao take us through the history of the Tribe, in a compelling story that delves not just into the history of the label and its principals, but into the story of Black American empowerment in the latter half of the 20th Century. The booklet features never-before-seen archival photos and rare ephemera from Tribe’s mid-1970s heyday.

The Tribe Records co-founder’s lost album, rumored to exist no more. Mastered from the original tapes and lacquered by Bernie Grundman. “As I thought about reecting on an aggregate of music for this album, I projected my attitude and spirit while living and working here, in Detroit, Michigan. We are earning and learning a new way of life, which explicitly tells us to become self-reliant in taking care of our families and each other. Government hand-outs are not an option for us.” -Wendell Harrison The first ever issue of this Spiritual Jazz album. The Tribe label, one of the brightest lights of America’s 1970s jazz underground, receives the Now-Again reissue treatment. This is your chance to indulge in the music and story of one of the most meaningful, local movements of the 20th Century Black American experience, one that expanded outwards towards the cosmos. In the words of the collective themselves, “Music is the healing force of the universe.” Included in an extensive, oversized booklet, Larry Gabriel and Jeff “Chairman” Mao take us through the history of the Tribe, in a compelling story that delves not just into the history of the label and its principals, but into the story of Black American empowerment in the latter half of the 20th Century. The booklet features never-before-seen archival photos and rare ephemera from Tribe’s mid-1970s heyday.

Originally planned for issue on Strata-East, Hammond took his collaboration with Durrah to Detroit and issued his masterpiece. Lacquered by Bernie Grundman. Now-Again presents the denitive Tribe Records reissues. Deep, Spiritual Jazz of the highest order. The Tribe label, one of the brightest lights of America’s 1970s jazz underground, receives the Now-Again reissue treatment. This is your chance to indulge in the music and story of one of the most meaningful, local movements of the 20th Century Black American experience, one that expanded outwards towards the cosmos. In the words of the collective themselves, “Music is the healing force of the universe.” Included in an extensive, oversized booklet, Larry Gabriel and Jeff “Chairman” Mao take us through the history of the Tribe, in a compelling story that delves not just into the history of the label and its principals, but into the story of Black American empowerment in the latter half of the 20th Century. The booklet features never-before-seen archival photos and rare ephemera from Tribe’s mid-1970s heyday.

The influential Detroit pianist’s sole 1970s album. Remastered and lacquered by Bernie Grundman. Now-Again presents the denitive Tribe Records reissues. Deep, Spiritual Jazz of the highest order. The Tribe label, one of the brightest lights of America’s 1970s jazz underground, receives the Now-Again reissue treatment. This is your chance to indulge in the music and story of one of the most meaningful, local movements of the 20th Century Black American experience, one that expanded outwards towards the cosmos. In the words of the collective themselves, “Music is the healing force of the universe.” Included in an extensive, oversized booklet, Larry Gabriel and Jeff “Chairman” Mao take us through the history of the Tribe, in a compelling story that delves not just into the history of the label and its principals, but into the story of Black American empowerment in the latter half of the 20th Century. The booklet features never-before-seen archival photos and rare ephemera from Tribe’s mid-1970s heyday.

The Tribe co-founder’s debut, lacquered directly from his master tapes in an all analog transfer by Bernie Grundman. The definitive reissue of this Spiritual Jazz album which set the stage for his Vibes from the Tribe The Tribe label, one of the brightest lights of America’s 1970s jazz underground, receives the Now-Again reissue treatment. This is your chance to indulge in the music and story of one of the most meaningful, local movements of the 20th Century Black American experience, one that expanded outwards towards the cosmos. In the words of the collective themselves, “Music is the healing force of the universe.” Included in an extensive, oversized booklet, Larry Gabriel and Jeff “Chairman” Mao take us through the history of the Tribe, in a compelling story that delves not just into the history of the label and its principals, but into the story of Black American empowerment in the latter half of the 20th Century. The booklet features never-before-seen archival photos and rare ephemera from Tribe’s mid-1970s heyday.

Record Store Day 2023 first release limited to 1750 copies worldwide.

All Analog Lacquer by Bernie Grundman. Also Features An Extensive Booklet By Now-Again’s Eothen Alapatt The definitive reissue of Hair composer Galt MacDermot’s masterpiece - a quirky instrumental album originally created as the soundtrack to a film about fashion designer Yves St. Laurent. Long loved by hip hop samplers - one of the first to use it was the legendary J Dilla - funk and rare groove aficionados and those into the shapes of rhythm. Woman Is Sweeter is one of the few releases to feature drummers Bernard Purdie and Idris Muhammad on the same album. Presented for RSD 2023 in the first ever reissue from master tapes, lacquered in an all-analog transfer by Bernie Grundman with an extensive booklet written by Now-Again’s Eothen Alapatt, who worked with Galt Mac-Dermot since the 1990s, about the composer’s life in music.

Warm and dark, psychedelic and yet grounded, uplifting but at times somber - Seu Jorge & Almaz self-titled album for Now Again.

Reflections IS NOW Available IN A Limited Edition Yellow Vinyl Pressing Originally planned for issue on Strata-East, Hammond took his collaboration with Durrah to Detroit and issued his masterpiece. Lacquered by Bernie Grundman. Now-Again presents the de nitive Tribe Records reissues. Deep, Spiritual Jazz of the highest order. The Tribe label, one of the brightest lights of America’s 1970s jazz underground, receives the Now-Again reissue treatment. This is your chance to indulge in the music and story of one of the most meaningful, local movements of the 20th Century Black American experience, one that expanded outwards towards the cosmos. In the words of the collective themselves, “Music is the healing force of the universe.” Included in an extensive, oversized booklet, Larry Gabriel and Jeff “Chairman” Mao take us through the history of the Tribe, in a compelling story that delves not just into the history of the label and its principals, but into the story of Black American empowerment in the latter half of the 20th Century. The booklet features never-before-seen archival photos and rare ephemera from Tribe’s mid-1970s heyday.

"Farewell To The Welfare Is Now Available In A Limited Edition Teal Vinyl Pressing
The Tribe Records co-founder’s lost album, rumored to exist no more.
Mastered from the original tapes and lacquered by Bernie Grundman.
“As I thought about re ecting on an aggregate of music for this album, I projected my attitude
and spirit while living and working here, in Detroit, Michigan. We are earning and learning a
new way of life, which explicitly tells us to become self-reliant in taking care of our families
and each other. Government hand-outs are not an option for us.”
-Wendell Harrison
The first ever issue of this Spiritual Jazz album.
The Tribe label, one of the brightest lights of America’s 1970s jazz underground, receives the Now-Again reissue treatment.
This is your chance to indulge in the music and story of one of the most meaningful, local movements of the 20th Century
Black American experience, one that expanded outwards towards the cosmos. In the words of the collective themselves,
“Music is the healing force of the universe.”
Included in an extensive, oversized booklet, Larry Gabriel and Jeff “Chairman” Mao take us through the history of the Tribe,
in a compelling story that delves not just into the history of the label and its principals, but into the story of Black American
empowerment in the latter half of the 20th Century.
The booklet features never-before-seen archival photos and rare ephemera from Tribe’s mid-1970s heyday."
.

Voices Of Rhythm & Creative Pro le Is Now Available In A Limited Edition Green Vinyl Pressing The in uential Detroit pianist’s sole 1970s album. Remastered and lacquered by Bernie Grundman. Now-Again presents the de nitive Tribe Records reissues. Deep, Spiritual Jazz of the highest order. The Tribe label, one of the brightest lights of America’s 1970s jazz underground, receives the Now-Again reissue treatment. This is your chance to indulge in the music and story of one of the most meaningful, local movements of the 20th Century Black American experience, one that expanded outwards towards the cosmos. In the words of the collective themselves, “Music is the healing force of the universe.” Included in an extensive, oversized booklet, Larry Gabriel and Jeff “Chairman” Mao take us through the history of the Tribe, in a compelling story that delves not just into the history of the label and its principals, but into the story of Black American empowerment in the latter half of the 20th Century. The booklet features never-before-seen archival photos and rare ephemera from Tribe’s mid-1970s heyday.

Message From THE Tribe IS NOW Available IN A Limited Edition Orange Vinyl Pressing The Tribe founders’ collaborative debut, remixed from the original mutli-track master tapes under the direction of its creators and lacquered by Bernie Grundman. Phil Ranelin’s side has been pitch-corrected and restored to a suite, as was originally intended. Wendell Harrison’s side contains extended, full versions of two songs. The definitive reissue of this Spiritual Jazz masterpiece. The Tribe label, one of the brightest lights of America’s 1970s jazz underground, receives the Now-Again reissue treatment. This is your chance to indulge in the music and story of one of the most meaningful, local movements of the 20th Century Black American experience, one that expanded outwards towards the cosmos. In the words of the collective themselves, “Music is the healing force of the universe.” Included in an extensive, oversized booklet, Larry Gabriel and Jeff “Chairman” Mao take us through the history of the Tribe, in a compelling story that delves not just into the history of the label and its principals, but into the story of Black American empowerment in the latter half of the 20th Century. The booklet features never-before-seen archival photos and rare ephemera from Tribe’s mid-1970s heyday.

Limited to 1000 copies.

All analog lacquer by Bernie Grundman. Liner notes delving into the history of Hamilton and this special album. Bobby Hamilton founded the band Anubis in Syracuse, New York, and they put out their awesome ‘Ecology’ single on Charles Bazen’s Salt City imprint. It’s a highlight on the Soul-Cal anthology Now-Again issued in 2012, something akin to Terry Callier and Gil Scott Heron’s most soulful works. Shortly after issuing that single, Bobby put together the Bobby Hamilton Quintet Unlimited and recorded and issued Dream Queen in 1972. The last clean copy Bobby Hamilton had, he sold to the musician Jamie XX in 2021 for a princely sum. Few originals will ever surface again – its original run of 500 units having disappeared into the ether decades ago. This is your chance to hear a masterwork of deep, spiritual jazz lacquered directly from its original master tape in an all analog transfer by the legendary Bernie Grundman. Dream Queen’s story is told for the first time in extensive liner notes by Torii McAdams. Dig deeper and expand.

First ever commercial releases of New Orleans’ legend Alvin Batiste’s Spiritual Jazz albums created with the college band he instructed and led in Baton Rouge - Goes To Africa With Love and Live at The 1971 American College Jazz Festival Originally given away as souvenirs at Southern University, these albums contains deep Batiste originals and are some of the most sought after albums of Americas 70s jazz underground. Each album contains extensive booklet detailing Batiste’s life and his time spent honing and recording this remarkable band of young students. Goes To Africa With Love was mixed from the original multi-track tapes and is now presented as a 2xLP with never-before-released instrumentals. That one of the great Spiritual Jazz albums of the era could be found in duplicate New Orleans thrift store in the 1980s goes a long way in illustrating the lack of acclaim this special and overlooked album maintained, even in a city where the Batiste name is musical royalty. The Southern University albums Alvin Batiste offered the world were novelies, not worthy of serious consideration, a moment captured, but not necessarily worthy of being collected or preserved by anyone not immediately involved in its creation. That changes now. With the release of the two Southern University albums, Now-Again continues a conversation begun with the late Kashmere Stage Band director Conrad O. Johnson and the issue of his high school students’ music as Texas Thunder Soul, and the continued belief that beautiful music created by youth - even under the most adverse circumstances - can always inspire us.

Definitive reissue of the album Mojo Magazine called “one of the most prized 'funk’ artifacts of all time... a project that allies Hendrix-stoned guitars, heavily-fuzzed vibraphone and Bitches Brew rhythms…” Lacquered by Bernie Grundman in an all-analog transfer directly from the master tapes. Contains an extensive, oversized booklet with rare photos, liner notes and annotation. The story of The Stark Reality’s Discovers The Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shop begins in Boston the late 1960s, with a wild jazz – as psychedelic as they were modal, as funky as they were swinging - band based in Boston landing a deal with Ahmad Jamal’s nascent AJP imprint after the legendary jazz pianist heard their demo recordings. They had been tasked by the great American songsmith Hoagy Carmichael’s son, Hoagy Bix Carmichael, to create interpretations of the elder Carmichael’s children songs for a Mr. Rogers-themed show that the younger Carmichael was producing for local PBS affiliate Wgbh. The quartet - Monty Stark on vibes, Phil Morrison on bass, Vinnie Johnson on drums and a very young John Abercrombie on fuzz guitar – recorded an album that flopped upon its initial release and went on to become one of – as Mojo Magazine noted - “the most prized 'funk’ artifacts of all time... a project that allies Hendrix-stoned guitars, heavily-fuzzed vibraphone and Bitches Brew rhythms…” Now-Again Records, who has kept the Stark Reality’s music in print since 2002, presents the definitive reissue of The Stark Reality’s Discovers The Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shop. Lacquered by Bernie Grundman in an all-analog transfer directly from the master tapes maintained by the Stark Reality’s photographer Jim Bourne, it’s presented in a replica gatefold sleeve, and contains an extensive, oversized page booklet with rare photos, liner notes and annotation.

Late arrival, coming next week.
Black Friday Record Store Day 2022 Reissue. Color: Black. Limitation: The story of The Stark Reality’s Discovers The Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shop begins in Boston the late 1960s, with a wild jazz – as psychedelic as they were modal, as funky as they were swinging - band based in Boston landing a deal with Ahmad Jamal’s nascent AJP imprint after the legendary jazz pianist heard their demo recordings. They had been tasked by the great American songsmith Hoagy Carmichael’s son, Hoagy Bix Carmichael, to create interpretations of the elder Carmichael’s children songs for a Mr. Rogers-themed show that the younger Carmichael was producing for local PBS affiliate Wgbh. The quartet - Monty Stark on vibes, Phil Morrison on bass, Vinnie Johnson on drums and a very young John Abercrombie on fuzz guitar – recorded an album that flopped upon its initial release and went on to become one of – as Mojo Magazine noted - “the most prized 'funk’ artifacts of all time... a project that allies Hendrix-stoned guitars, heavily-fuzzed vibraphone and Bitches Brew rhythms…” For RSD Black Friday, Now-Again Records, who has kept the Stark Reality’s music in print since 2002, presents the definitive reissue of The Stark Reality’s Discovers The Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shop. Lacquered by Bernie Grundman in an all-analog transfer directly from the master tapes maintained by the Stark Reality’s photographer Jim Bourne, it’s presented in a replica gatefold sleeve, and contains an extensive, oversized page booklet with rare photos, liner notes and annotation.

Vibes From THE Tribe IS NOW Avaiable IN A Limited Edition Aqua Colored Vinyl Pressing The Tribe co-founder’s masterpiece, lacquered directly from his master tapes in an all analog transfer by Bernie Grundman. The de nitive reissue of this Spiritual Jazz album, one of the most sought after artifacts of the 1970s jazz underground. The Tribe label, one of the brightest lights of America’s 1970s jazz underground, receives the Now-Again reissue treatment. This is your chance to indulge in the music and story of one of the most meaningful, local movements of the 20th Century Black American experience, one that expanded outwards towards the cosmos. In the words of the collective themselves, “Music is the healing force of the universe.” Included in an extensive, oversized booklet, Larry Gabriel and Jeff “Chairman” Mao take us through the history of the Tribe, in a compelling story that delves not just into the history of the label and its principals, but into the story of Black American empowerment in the latter half of the 20th Century. The booklet features never-before-seen archival photos and rare ephemera from Tribe’s mid-1970s heyday.

At Now-Again, we avoid hyperbole, yet we believe that this album is one of record collecting’s ultimate finds: the missing entry in jazz pianist/composer/psychiatrist Denny Zeitlin’s discography, a wonderful and weird fusion of avant-classical, jazz, funk, rock and electronic music. The Name Of This Terrain was recorded and pressed in a scant, custom run as a demo in 1969 –and it so defied its own existence that, even after its producer died and his copies were discovered, Zeitlin steadfastly resisted its release for almost 20 years, destroying his remaining demos so not to posthumously suffer the same ignominy. Following his reappraisal, this album is issued with its creator’s blessing and guidance. You will surely never hear an album like this again, by the musician the venerable jazz critic Leonard Feather called, “the most versatile young pianist to come to prominence in the early sixties,” and who took a left turn at the end of the decade, documenting a pivotal 20th century moment with passion, intellect, and humor in turn. The Name Of This Terrain found its way out of the depths – wonderful and having aged well, like well-corked, deep wine stored in a cold cellar. Ready for another moment to shine and be understood, redolent of the tastes and textures of a different time, one we pine for and that we won’t often see again, but can happily, momentarily, indulge. Now-Again’s Eothen Alapatt and Zeitlin-chonicler Andrew Gilbert collaborate here to tell the story of this amazing album. Never-before seen photos and ephemera appear in the oversized book. Download card for WAV files for all vinyl tracks, as well as bonus tracks, included.