Wewantsounds Organic Grooves 31 Items

Wewantsounds is delighted to reissue Harold Land"s 1971 Mainstream Records LP "Choma (Burn)," recorded in Los Angeles with Bobby Hutcherson and featuring Reggie Johnson on bass, Ndugu and Woody Theus on drums, Bill Henderson & Harold Land Jr. on piano/Fender Rhodes. Together the musicians create a superb spiritual mix of funky and modal Jazz that was the trademark of the Harold Land-Bobby Hutcherson quintet between 1968 and 72. Choma (Burn) is reissued here in its original gatefold artwork with all the photos scanned from first generation negatives recently found in the Mainstream Records vaults, and comes with newly remastered audio and a 2-page insert including new liner notes by Kevin Le Gendre.

Machine's self-titled album is shrouded in mystery. Released on Sylvia Robinson's All Platinum label in 1972, It vanished without trace and has since become one of the rarest Funk albums on the international scene. The album is mostly known to a small circle of hardcore collectors and only a few copies seem to have survived, fetching prices in excess of $5000 whenever one turns up on the auction market. Consisting of three young session musicians working for Sylvia Robinson's All Platinum Records and their hit makers, The Whatnauts, the group display a superb mix of socially-conscious hard-hitting funk and earthy soul, the album is reissued here in its original artwork and remastered by Colorsound Studio in Paris. It includes a 2-page insert with new liner notes by Charles Waring.

Donna McGhees utra rare Newy York disco classic from 1978. Produced by Greg Carmichael and Patrick Adams. Reissued with original artwork and newly remastered audio. Including the cult classics "It Ain't No Big Thing", "Make It Last Forever" and "I'm A Love Bug". One of the most in-demand disco albums of the 70s!

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the reissue of Norio Maeda"s cult classic "Rock Communication Yagibushi" released in Japan in 1970. The album has since become a Japanese Jazz Funk cornerstone and is now highly sought-after on the international DJ scene. The album reinterprets 14 traditional Japanese folk songs into jaw-dropping Jazz Funk instrumentals featuring killer arrangements by Maeda that would fit perfectly between David Axelrod and Lalo Schifrin. One of the most prolific Nippon arrangers, Norio Maeda on a par with Yuji Ohno and Kentaro Haneda and this album has long been on many collectors" wantlist. "Rock Communication Yagibushi" is reissued internationally for the first time, with newly remastered audio, original gatefold artwork and new liner notes by Paul Bowler.

Record Store Day 2021 Release.

Soul Classic BY Soul and Hip Hop Godmother Sylvia Robinson, Released IN 1975 on her Vibration Label and reissued on Vinyl for the first Time IN Decades, With Bonus Tracks.

Wewantsounds is delighted to reissue Sylvia Robinson's super rare soul LP released in 1975 on her Vibration label, part of her All-Platinum/Stang/Turbo empire. A few years later, she would launch Sugarhill Records and put hip hop on the map with "Rapper's Delight" in 1979 and "The Message" in 1982. "Sweet Stuff" features several Sylvia cult classics including "Private Performance," "Soul Je T'aime", a cover of Serge Gainsbourg's "Je T'aime Moi Non Plus" and the mellow favourite "Sho Nuff Boogie" recorded with The Moments. As bonus tracks, the release features "Sho Nuff Boogie, Part 2" which only came out as the single's b-side at the time and the long version of "Soul Je T'aime", all packaged in the album's original artwork. Born and raised in New York, Sylvia Robinson began recording at a young age under the name "Little Sylvia" in the early 1950s. She gained exposure when she teamed up with Mickey Baker scoring a hit in 1956 with "Love Is Strange" as Mickey & Sylvia. She went on to record many singles during the late 50s and 60s before setting up her own label, All Platinum Records in 1966 followed by Stang Records and Vibration. Through these labels, she had several hit records in the 70s as a producer including The Moments' "Love On A Two Way Street" and Shirley & Co's "Shame Shame Shame". ? Sylvia Robinson continued to record as a solo artist shortening her name as 'Sylvia'. She got a massive hit of her own with "Pillow Talk" in 1973, a song she'd originally penned with Al Green in mind. The song went to nr 3 in the charts and started a string of other hits over the next few years. In 1973 she covered Serge Gainsbourg's 1969 megahit "Je T'aime Moi Non Plus" renaming it here "Soul Je T'Aime" and duetting with Fania Records' Latin soul singer Ralfi Pagan. ? The following year was also busy for the singer and producer with three singles that went to the R&B chart: the Soul Ballad "Alfredo", the Funky "Private Performance" and "Sho Nuff Boogie," sung with The Moments. They are all featured on the album "Sweet Stuff" which was released in 1975. Interestingly the song "Sweet Stuff" notoriously sampled by J Dilla for "Crushin'" doesn't appear on this album even if "Sho Nuff Boogie" sounds very much like a forerunner of the song with its similar languorous pace and almost identical melody. "Sweet Stuff" is packed with other tasty soul songs including "I Can't Help It", "The Notion" and "Love Is The Only Thing." Four years later in 1979, Sylvia Robinson would make another genius move with the launch of Sugarhill Records and the Sugarhill Gang's single "Rapper's Delight" which would revolutionize music and almost single-handedly launch hip hop but that's another chapter of Sylvia Robinson's life. Wewantsounds is delighted to reissue one of her rarest albums from her best 70s period for the first time in decades and make it available on vinyl.

2022 repress. Following the success of Wewantsounds' Alice Clark RSD edition featuring an extra 20-page booklet, the label reissues the standard version of Alice Clark's highly sought-after soul jazz classic produced by Mainstream Records' Bob Shad in 1972. Featuring original artwork, remastered sound making this reissue is the first official reissue of Alice Clark's original album for decades, a long overdue release of one of the best Soul albums ever recorded. When it comes to legendary albums, very few can match the cult status achieved on the international jazz and funk scene, by Alice Clark's eponymous album, recorded for Mainstream Records in 1972. The record which went unnoticed when it first came out has become one of the most sought-after albums ever since it became cult on the London jazz and funk scene in the late '80s. It is now being acknowledged as one of the best soul albums of all-times. Recorded live over two days at the Record Plant studios in New York City, the album was produced by Bob Shad and arranged by jazz veteran Ernie Wilkins with a big band setting. The music is a superb mix of jazz and soul blessed by Clark's superb singing and including two all-time favorites, "Don't You Care" and "Never Did I Stop Loving You" plus a selection of heart-wrenching songs beautifully sung by Clark. Hailed as a soul masterpiece alongside Aretha Franklin or Roberta Flack's best albums, Alice Clark's LP took almost fifty years to achieve classic status and Alice Clark is now finally getting the recognition she deserves.

2022 restock; LP version. Wewantsounds reissue of Billy Brooks's much sought-after album Windows of the Mind, released in 1974 on Ray Charles's Crossover Records. The album was co-produced by Charles and features such heavy players as Herman Riley, Calvin Keys, and Larry Gales. There's not a huge amount of information to be found about trumpet player Billy Brooks. A solid session musician who'd been around since the '50s, he played with the likes of Lionel Hampton, Cal Tjader, and of course Ray Charles, who signed him to his sub label Crossover Records in the early '70s to release Windows of the Mind. Interestingly, Brooks also appears on Bea Benjamin's 1976 cult classic African Songbird produced by Dollard Brand. Windows of the Mind released in 1974 remains Brooks' only solo album. Windows of the Mind was recorded in Los Angeles and co-produced by Ray Charles. It is a skillful, brass-led mix of jazz and funk performed by such cult players as bassist Larry Gales (Thelonious Monk), drummer Clarence Johnston (Freddie Roach, James Moody), saxophonist Herman Riley (Side Effect, Pleasure, Earth Wind & Fire, Letta Mbulu), guitarists Jef Lee (Roy Ayers, Sylvia Striplin) and cult player Calvin Keys of Black Jazz Records fame. From the groove of "Rockin Julius", "Shetter Cheeze", and "Black Flag" to the mid-tempo jazz mood of "Cooling It" and "C.P. Time" and the cinematic brass pyrotechnics of "The Speech Maker", "Windows of the Mind" is a superb funked-up big band jazz album. Windows of the Mind did reasonably well among the jazz circles when it came out but its fate would change fifteen years later when, in 1990, A Tribe Called Quest heavily sampled its closing track "Fourty Days" for their own "Luck of Lucien" featured on the group's debut album People's Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm (1990). The album revolutionized hip-hop and "Luck of Lucien" became one of the album's highlights, thus cementing the reputation of Billy Brooks original LP among DJs and collectors. Original LPs now change hands for a few hundred dollars. Wewantsounds now make this landmark album available again in partnership with The Ray Charles Foundation. Newly remastered audio; comes with original artwork.

Donna McGhee's ultra rare New York disco classic from 1978 produced by Greg Carmichael and Patrick Adams reissued with original artwork and remastered audio.

Wewantsounds is delighted to reissue, in collaboration with Corbett vs. Dempsey, one of the great albums out of the BAG galaxy recorded by Luther Thomas and a cohort of musicians including Joe Bowie, Charles Bobo Shaw, Floyd LeFlore and Lester Bowie. Recorded live in 1973 at The Berea Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, the album consists of two tracks, the formidable, aptly titled "Funky Donkey" and the spiritual "Una New York." Released as a private press on Thomas" own Creative Consciousness Records, it"s reissued here for the first time since the 70s, marking the recording"s 50th anniversary, and features original artwork, remastered audio and new liner notes by Howard Mandel.

Don Cherry"s downtown Paris funk masterwork produced in 1985 by Ramuntcho Matta and originally released by Barclay in France only, finally gets a worldwide release on Wewantsounds. Featuring French post-punk muse Elli Medeiros, avant garde poet Brion Gysin and cult Senegalese drummer Abdoulaye Prosper Niang (Xalam), this is a unique soundbite of Paris in the early 80s at its coolest when funk, jazz and new wave were mingling with sounds from Africa, Jamaica and Latin America. Newly Remastered, the album is augmented by a second LP worth of bonus tracks and a deluxe gatefold sleeve with a new essay by French journalist Jacques Denis (Liberation).

In the mid-70s, Bob Shad"s cult New York Jazz label Mainstream Records turned to the burgeoning underground Disco scene and released a handful of great singles produced by the likes of Tommy Stewart, Jimmy Roach or Bert DeCoteaux. Featuring artists from the early Disco hotbed including South Side Coalition, Chocolate Syrup and Three Ounces of Love, these singles, proving Shad"s great flair, accompanied the rise of the New York club and block party culture that was going to revolutionise the musical landscape a few years later. Most of the singles are officially reissued here on vinyl for the first time, with Three Ounces of Love"s "Disco Man" full mix previously unissued on vinyl. Remastered by Colorsound Studio in Paris, with liner notes by Charles Waring.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce a special edition of the legendary 1979 Masahiko Togashi album "Song of Soil," recorded in Paris with Don Cherry and Charlie Haden and released on Japanese label Paddle Wheel. Supervised by Parisian producer Martin Meissonnier - then Don Cherry"s right hand man - "Song of Soil" reaches heights of spirituality mixing Eastern influences with jazz and deep ambient soundscapes. The album is reissued here with its original artwork and remastered by King Records in Japan. It includes the original Japanese 2-p insert plus a deluxe 8-page booklet featuring new notes (Eng/Fr) by Martin Meissonnier in conversation with Jacques Denis and also an Togashi Biography by Paul Bowler and never-seen photos by cult French photographer philippe gras who witnessed this unique session.

Combining disco pulse with Turkish/Kurdish music and the energy of Marseille"s multi-cultural hipness, Biensüre brings a cool edge to the musical landscape of the mediterranean city and the dancefloors of the world. The group"s music, inspired by the personal stories of its singer, Kurdish Hakan Toprak, speaks of impossible loves, friendship and exile and is wraped up in an unmistakable groove. The eponymous album is the group"s first release, written, composed and produced by the four musicians and it is composed of seven groove-infused tracks that will please all global music lovers.Marseille in one of the coolest cities in France: The cafés, the terraces, the clubs, the Mediterranean sea and the mountains not far, make for a perfect setting for the wildly creative rebellious youth to express their art in a world of perpetual change. This is the setting in which Biensüre was born. Biensüre"s influences are varied and transcend generations and borders. Ranging from the Anatolian pop scene of the 70s and 80s with key figures like Erkin Koray and Baris Manço to 70s Jazz, Disco and early electro, their music is at the intersection of several musical continents.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the first-ever release 'Sunrise From West Sea', a mesmerising performance by Stomu Yamash'ta accompanied by Jazz pianist Masahiko Satoh (well known for his involvement in the New Herd Orchestra and his 'Belladonna of Sadness' soundtrack) and Taj Mahal Travellers founder Takehisa Kosugi on Electric Violin. The line up, also comprising Hideakira Sakurai on Electric Shamisen, is a spaced-out improvisational soundscape over the two LP sides. Remastered from the original tapes, the album is reissued here for the first time ever on LP and CDd. The LP comes in its beautiful original gatefold artwork with OBI strip, 2 page insert and a new introduction by journalist Paul Bowler. Stomu Yamash'ta has been hailed as one of the best percussionists in the world by John Cage. Born Tsutomu Yamashita in 1947 in a musical family (his father was the conductor of the Kyoto Philharmonic), he studied at Julliard and Berklee in the 60s where he honed his skills as one of the most gifted percussionists of his generation, playing both modern classical music (Cage, Morton Feldman, Toru Takemitsu...) and improv jazz. In New York, he witnessed the birth of the New Thing revolution led by John Coltrane which had a profound effect on him and decided him to go to pursue his studies at Berklee in Boston. There he met fellow Japanese musician Masahiko Satoh who was also studying there. Their friendship led to the recording of the landmark album Metempsychosis for Nippon Columbia a few years later. The album released in 1971 consisted in a "composition for percussion and jazz orchestra" that mixed Yamash'ta percussion and Satoh's piano playing with the full-on sound of Toshiyuki Miyama's New Herd Orchestra in a groundbreaking free improvisation. 1971 was also the year Yamash'ta released his highly-acclaimed 'Red Buddha' solo album which was released in Europe and in the US. Inspired by the Metempsychosis experience Yamash'ta set to recreate the flowing energy of the album in a live setting with a smaller line up. Recorded live at Yamaha Hall in Tokyo on April 18, 1971, just a few days after the end of the Red Buddha recording sessions, The all-night concert was recorded in front of an invite-only audience consisting of friends and musicians. Yamash'ta enrolled Satoh on keyboards together Taj Mahal Travellers leader Takehisa Kosugi, whom he'd met through his mentor, Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu. Hideakira Sakurai on electric shamisen was also added the lineup. ?Edited down to fit two sides of an album that will become 'Sunrise From West Sea', the performance is both hypnotic and ethereal. It starts with Kosugi's distinctive electric violin and develops into a deep, spiritual free form conversation between the four musicians, giving them all the space they need to freely improvise and interact with each other, mixing electronics, percussion, electric organ and shamizen without ever clashing. The interaction alternates between quiet, tranquil Eastern meditations and more paced parts, fuelled by Yamash'ta's extraordinary percussion playing. ?Later known for his involvement in soundtracks for Robert Altman's 1972 film Images - collaborating with John Williams - and Nic Roeg's 1976 classic 'The Man Who Fell To Earth,' and also for his foray into fusion with his group Go, Yamash'ta never reached the creativity heard in 'Sunrise From Red Sea' again. The album was recorded during one of the most fertile periods in Japan where such groups as Les Rallizes Denudes and Taj Mahal Travellers and jazz musicians like Masahiko Satoh and Yamash'ta were revolutionising the Japanese music scene. Wewantsounds is pleased to reissue this key album which had oddly never been reissued in fifty years.

Wewantsounds continues its collaboration with Bob Shad's venerable jazz label Mainstream Records, and present a selection of 12 turntable-friendly tracks recorded between 1971 and 1975 and showcasing the label's superb blend of Spiritual Jazz, Funk and Soul by the likes of Buddy Terry, Sarah Vaughan, LaMont Johnson and Johnny Coles. Most of the tracks are released on vinyl for the first time since their original release in the early 70s. The 2-lp set comes with gatefold sleeve featuring never-seen photos from the Mainstream vaults and new liner notes by UK journalist Paul Bowler. Mainstream Records is one of the key independent jazz labels of the early 70s, together with Flying Dutchman, Strata East, CTI and Black Jazz. Founded by legendary label man Bob Shad (who had been head of A&R at Mercury Records and set EmArcy in the 50s), the label concentrated on Psychedelia in the 60s before switching back to Shad's jazz roots in the early 70s, signing a new crop of jazzmen fed on John Coltrane and Miles' electric experiments. Thus was born the cult Mainstream "300 series" with its distinctive artwork and outstanding music from which this selection is largely drawn. ?Giving their chance to many young jazz players and a few old friends, Shad recorded some of the most exciting jazz of the early 70s, mixing spiritual influences with funk and soul. It is interesting to note the Mainstream sessions included many of the hottest session players of that time such as Ron Carter, Eddie Henderson, Airto, Mtume, Earl Palmer, Mickey Roker, Merl Saunders, Cedar Walton to name but a few. ?Shad also had a long-standing association with jazz Divas showcased here with the opening track by Sarah Vaughan, a funkyfied version of Marvin Gaye's 'Inner City Blues' recorded the same year as the original in 1971. ?Mainstream Funk also includes a selection of superb tracks by young turks who'd cut their teeth as sidemen for Blue Note and Prestige in the late 60s and were given a chance to record their own music on Mainstream. Buddy Terry's 'Quiet Afternoon', Dave Hubbard's 'Family Affair' and LaMont Johnson's 'M'Bassa' are prime examples showcasing the label's desire to give these talented newcomers a chance to shine. ?Seasoned musicians from the Be Bop scene were also welcome, such as trumpetists Blue Mitchell - who'd released a string of great albums for Riverside and Blue Note in the late 50s and 60s - and Johnny Coles who'd played with Gil Evans (he's on a few Evans-produced Miles albums including 'Sketches of Spain'), Charles Mingus and Herbie Hancock. ?Shad also released pure soul music on the label such as Sugar Billy's "Super Duper Love" which was released on his Fast Track sub-label in 1974, arranged by Jimmy Roach and featuring Marcus Belgrave in the line-up. Mainstream Records has a lot more exciting music in the vaults and Mainstream Funk is just the tip of the iceberg serving as a timely reminder that Bob Shad's taste as a producer and A&R man was one of the finest on the scene.

Sought-after Live LP BY THE George Otsuka Quintet, Recorded AT THE Nemu Jazz INN AND Originally Released ON THE Cult Japanese Label Bellwood Records IN 1975, Reissued ON Vinyl FOR THE First Time AND Remastered From THE Original Tapes.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the reissue of cult LP by master Japanese drummer George Otsuka and his quintet, recorded live on 19th July 1975 at the Nemu Jazz Inn. The album was released by cutting-edge Japanese label Bellwood, which had recently made waves with Haruomi Hosono's landmark "Hosono House". The album "Loving You George" is comprised of four superb performances fuelled by Otsuka powerful drumming and Fumio Karashima's fender Rhodes. It also includes a wonderfully funky take on Minnie Riperton's 'Loving You'. It's the first time the album is reissued since the 70s and it comes with original artwork featuring OBI strip and audio remastered from the master tapes by King Records in Japan.

George Otsuka is one of the giants of the Nippon jazz scene. The drummer, who sadly passed away in 2020, enjoyed a 50 year career recording with the best musicians and labels in Japan. Born Keiji Otsuka in 1937 in Tokyo, Otsuka joined Sadao Watanabe's Cosy Quartet in the late fifties before switching to Hidehiko Matsumoto's quartet where he gained exposure as one of Japan's premier drummers. In the mid 60s, he formed his own trio with Hideo Ichikawa (p) and Masaoki Terakawa (b) recording several highly-acclaimed albums and also playing with international stars such as Hampton Hawes and Roy Haynes. The 70s were a productive decade and Otsuka embraced the latest development in jazz including fusion and modal jazz enthusiastically. Having recorded for Trio, Three Blind Mice and Nippon Columbia, the musician signed with Koki Miura's groundbreaking Bellwood Records (responsible for producing the emergent wave of folk rock artists led by Happy End and Haruomi Hosono) and recorded a live album at Nemu Jazz Inn in the Nemu resort, south of Nagoya. The evening was a special one. On top of The George Otsuka quintet (featuring Mitsuaki Furuno (b), Norio Ohno (perc), Shozo Sasaki (sax) and Fumio Karashima (p)), were the supergroup of Norman Connors, Eddie Henderson and Gary Bartz who were also recording a live album, “Dance Of Magic” that has since become legendary. On the night, Otsuka and his sidemen recorded four tracks including "Little Island" a Karashima original and "Something Everywhere" a faithful rendition of Steve Kuhn brazilian-flavoured original which had just appeared on his ECM album "Trance". Showcased on this version are Karashima's superb Fender Rhodes playing and Sasaki's inspired soprano sax. Side 2 begins with a breathtaking version of the Coltrane standard "Miles Mode" finishing with a great drum solo by Otsuka followed by a superb version of the Minnie Riperton classic, "Loving You" played in a mid-tempo funky mode with a great Rhodes solo. A unique time capsule, the album finds the quintet on fire and "Loving You George" is a vivid testimony that Otsuka and his musicians were at the top of their game and one of the best groups in Japan, playing a mix of modal and groovy tunes full of exciting and inspired solos. An album known to the Japanese music lovers that Wewantsounds is happy to reissue for the first time in decades with original artwork, OBI strip and audio remastered from the original tapes by King Records in Japan.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the reissue of Robert Cotter's ultra rare 1976 album, 'Missing You' in partnership with Robert Cotter himself. Originally released on the Tiger Lily label, the album was never properly released at the time and most of the copies were supposedly destroyed before they could hit record stores. The few copies that survived now command unreasonable prices. The album, recorded in New York between 1975 and 76, is also the only known recording by The Big Apple Band, which Robert Cotter was fronting at the time alongside fellow musicians Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards, Tony Thompson and Robert Sabino. The album's audio has been remastered and the reissue comes with the original artwork plus a 2 page insert featuring liner notes by Love Injection's Barbie Bertisch and Paul Raffaele. Robert Cotter's "Missing You," released in 1976 on Tiger Lily, had all the ingredients of a hit album: a super talented singer and songwriter, a string of superb tracks including a couple of potential hit singles and a team of amazing musicians in the studio. However very few copies of 'Missing You' survive to this day. Not that the album didn't sell well at the time, it just didn't sell at all. No records could be found in stores and for a good reason. The label, Tiger Lily, an offshoot of Morris Levy's Roulette Records, was reputedly a tax-scam whose goal was to basically lose money. The label only operated for a couple of years and vanished without trace after releasing around sixty albums. ?Robert Cotter had been active since the late 60s, first in Long Island where he grew up singing in Church and with his high school band, then in New York where he got hired to play in the roadshow of the 1970 Broadway hit 'Jesus Christ Superstar'. When this came to an end, Robert returned to New York where he got introduced to two young aspiring musicians, Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edward. They needed a singer to front their new group, The Big Apple Band, who also included Robert Sabino on keys and Tony Thompson on Drums. Robert joined and the group played for a few years making a name for themselves in the New York area. ?In the process Cotter wrote a few songs that he recorded with two different groups between 1975 and 76: The Big Apple Band on one side and also with musician friends from his previous group on the other side, giving the album its great versatility. ?The album features a wide array of styles, from the funk of the title track and 'Disco Blues' to the soulful acoustic feel of 'Three Wise Men' and the conga-led mid-tempo groove of 'God Bless The Soulfire People'. The tracks showcase Cotter's amazing range as a singer and also as a composer. The two Big Apple Band tracks, 'Love Rite' and 'Saturday' are not only great, but also give an insight into the origin of the Chic sound. These songs are historically invaluable as the group’s only recordings just before it morphed into Chic (A remake of 'Saturday' would actually become a hit for Norma Jean Wright two years later produced by Rodgers/Edwards). The album finishes with the incredible "Come On With It," a politically-charged diatribe against Nixon featuring a darker psychedelic edge. When the album was pressed, Cotter got a few copies and never really heard back from the label. He moved on with his career - performing and recording for various other labels - and never really looked back on his debut album. ?Greater than the sum of its parts, "Missing You" is a unique album and a bonified classic that finally gets the release it deserves forty-five years on. Wewantsounds is delighted to reissue the album in its original glory for everyone to appreciate.

Wewantsounds and HHV are delighted to announce the limited colored reissue of Ammar El Sherei's superb instrumental album “Oriental Music” from 1976. Limitation: 200 copies.

Here, the iconic Egyptian musician and composer revisits six classic compositions by another Egyptian legend, Mohamed Abdel Wahab, in his own hypnotic way. This series of great Arabic music reissues, started with the Fairuz and Ziad Rahbani album reissues are curated by Lebanese-born Arabic music expert Mario Choueiry from Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris. This reissue has been newly remastered and comes in its beautiful original artwork.

The late musician and composer Ammar El Sherei is one of Egypt's musical giants. Born in Upper Egypt in 1948 into an upper middle class family (his paternal grandfather had been an MP during King Fouad's reign and his eldest brother became the Egyptian ambassador to Australia) El Sherei moved to Cairo with his family when he was five and attended a special school for the blind (he had lost his eyesight in his early childhood). A child prodigy with a unique gift for music, he got noticed by his teachers who recommended him to the Hadley School for the Blind in America so he could perfect his studies by correspondence. El Sherei then quickly learn piano, oud and composition with unparalleled ease. Once he got his BA in English literature from Cairo's Ain Shams University, he decided to become a musician against the will of his family. He began playing accordion in the Cairo bars and clubs and started making a name for himself on the Cairo scene. El Sherei got his first taste of success when he managed to place a song with famed Egyptian singer Maha Sabry. This was the start of a long series of hit he composed for many established Egyptian artists. From then on, his ascension was meteoric and he went to to become a very successful composer for films and TV series especially. A true innovator who didn't hesitate to bring some western influences to traditional Egyptian music and was one of the musicians responsible for ending the lengthy song trend of the 70s. He embraced modern instrumentations and was asked by Japanese keyboard maker Yamaha Corp. to help develop new electronic keyboards that could handle quarter tone. Early in his career El Sherei recorded albums for Soutelphan, including "Oriental Music" celebrating the music of another Egyptian legend, composer Mohamed Abdel Wahab, who had co-founded Soutelphan. Here he masterfully interprets six classics from the Master including "Ana Wehabieby" (aka Ana Wa Habibi), "Ya Wabour Koly" and the classic "Ahwak" made famous by such talents as Abdel Halim Hafez or Fairuz. Using early electronic keyboards like the Steelphon S900 or the Farfisa as seen on the album cover, El Sherei creates beautifully hypnotic instrumentals that blend together traditional melodies with modern instrumentation, adding jazz and pop elements in the mix. Achieving cult status over the years with Arabic music collectors and vinyl diggers, "Oriental Music is now a sought-after album which command high prices on the international scene. Wewantsounds is delighted to make this unique album available on vinyl for the first time since it originally came out in Egypt in 1976.

Following the reissue last year of Fairuz's classic 1979 album "Wahdon", Wewantsounds pursue their exploration of great Lebanese music with the reissue of Fairuz's highly sought-after LP "Maarifti Feek," released in 1987. Recorded in Beirut around 1983-84, the album features the Diva's superb voice combined with Ziad Rahbani's jazz and funk orchestration, making it one of the most in-demand albums on the Arabic funk scene. The release will coincide with "Arab Divas," a major exhibition set in the prestigious Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA) in Paris, celebrating the greatest singers from the Arab World and starting 13 May 2020.

One of the greatest singers of the Middle East, Fairuz started her career in Lebanon in the 50s and quickly established herself as the most renowned Diva in the Arabic world, playing the most prestigious venues in the world.

At the end of the 70s, Fairuz was at a turning point both professionally and personally. Her Husband Assi Rahbani, who, with his brother Elias, had penned her biggest successes, has suffered a stroke a few years earlier. This setback ultimately led to both the demise of their marriage and the end of their professionnal partnership. Enters Ziad Rahbani, Fairuz and Assi's son, a young musician, playwright and producer who had cut his teeth writing a handful of Fairuz's song - including her 1973 hit "Sa'alouni El Nas" - at just seventeen.

Ziad Rahbani swiftly took over from his father and uncle as the singer's musical director and composer and this fruitful association, which started in 1979 with the album "Wahdon,"
broke many new grounds for Fairuz with funkier rhythms and edgier lyrics. It was recorded at the same time as Rahbani's own 12 inch "Abu Ali" which became a sought-after disco classic in its own right.

The association between the two continued with a second album, "Maarifti Feek" ("Our Encounter"), recorded between 1983 and 84 in Beirut but only released in 1987. The album was another groundbreaking mix of influences ranging from the traditional arrangements of "Oudak Rannan" and "Ma Kdirt Nseet" to the brazilan flavour of "Version 1" via the synth funk of "Ouverture 83" and its follow up "Reprise 83". Also featured on the album is a beautiful remake of Joaquin Rodrigo's "Concerto de Aranjuez" in the form of a tribute to the lebanese capital, "Li Beirut."

This blend of Oriental grooves with jazz and funk orchestrations by Ziad Rahbani is a unique document of Fairuz's career development in the 80s and explains why "Maarifti Feek" is such a sought after album on the DJ and collector circuits which Wewantsounds is delighted to reissue for the first time since the album first came out.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the first international reissue of Ayako Shinozaki"s hard to find LP "Music Now For Harp" released in 1974 by Nippon Columbia. The LP was released on the label"s cult "Master Sonic" series and features Shinozaki"s harp soundscape on works by renowned composer Toru Takemitsu and Katsuhiro Tsubono. The highlight of the album is the spaced-out, ethereal 25-min ambient epic "Heterodyne" featuring cult musician Takehisa Kosugi (Taj Mahal Travellers, Group Ongaku) on electric violin and sound waves. The album has been newly remastered by Nippon Columbia and is reissued here with its original artwork designed by legendary Japanese graphic designer Kohei Sugiura. It includes a 2 page insert with new liner notes by Alan Cummings.