The German guitarist, bandleader and soundscape architect JJ Whitefield
has been an innovative force of the contemporary scene of
Neo-Jazz-Kraut, and adjacent sub-genres within the world of organic
grooves, ever since the early 1990s. The work with his group Poets of
Rhythm drew the blueprint for what’s now known as retro-soul, and his
creative canvas has never been blank since with numerous solo projects
and collaborations across diverse constellations.
'Off The Grid' is yet another testament to JJ Whitefield’s creativity.
The album perfectly connects the dots to the spirit of the golden age of
library music waving together a rich tapestry of his world of
playfulness, hypnotic grooves, and driving drums. It breathes new life
into the genre while continuing to shape the future, as he has for over
three decades.
Sonor Music Editions beautifully bridges the gap between the past and
present, with this album, by featuring a original paintings by Italian
artist Vivì as the cover art. Vivì is renowned for creating iconic
covers for 1970s library releases such as Paolo Casa’s 'Nature' (Wild
Cat – WC 114), 'Movimenti' (Full Records – FRLP 5099), and 'Origini'
(Leo Records – LR 21), and Domenico Guaccero’s 'La Cattedrale del
Benessere' (Abramo Allione – A.A. 1010), among others.
Tracklist: 1. Other World 2. In Transition 3. Fugue De Rock 4. Safaripark 5. Cool It Down 6. Lake Shala 7. Bedouin Bounce No. 1 8. Bedouin Bounce No. 2 9. Mistery Of Misery 10. Taped Together 11. Everyday, Forever 12. False Advice 13. Mindless Matters 14. Fuzzy Dumplings 15. Snake Charm
Gadabout — a carefree pleasure-seeker who is always in motion, seeking out fun no matter the circumstances.
Her
third album with Impulse!, Gadabout Season is Brandee Younger’s most
personal and exploratory album to date – a reflective, imaginative body
of work on which she has written or co-written nearly every composition.
“The album reflects the journey — the search for meaning and beauty
amid life’s most complex moments, ultimately emerging with a deeper
sense of self,” says Younger.
Recorded on Alice Coltrane’s harp, Gadabout Season features collaborations from Shabaka, Courtney Bryan, NIIA, and Josh Johnson.
Tracklist: 1. Reckoning
2. End Means (feat. Shabaka)
3. Gadabout Season
4. Breaking Point
5. Reflection Eternal
6. New Pinnacle
7. Surrender (feat. Courtney Bryan)
8. BBL
9. Unswept Corners
10. Discernment (feat. Josh Johnson)
Keyboardist, producer and songwriter Joe Armon-Jones shares his most
elevated solo project to date, All The Quiet. A galvanising statement of
intent, traversing jazz, funk, dub, hip hop, and soul music, entirely
written, produced and mixed by Armon-Jones himself.
All The Quiet (Part II) is the second chapter of a two part album,
released on his own label, Aquarii Records. Guest musicians &
features include Greentea Peng, Wu-Lu, Yazmin Lacey, Hak Baker, Nubya
Garcia, Oscar Jerome, and more.
Tracklist: 1. Acknowledgement Is Key (feat. Hak Baker) 2. Lavender 3. Westmoreland (feat. Asheber) 4. PSR Orchestra 5. Paladin of Sound & Circumstance 6. Another Place (feat. Greentea Peng &Wu-Lu) 7. War Transmission 8. 505 Standby 9. Journey South 10. One Way Traffic (feat. Yazmin Lacey)
Impressive Collective & BBE Music announce 'Brighter The Days' – the
9th studio album by Omar - the world renowned UK soul star. This new
album continues Omar's long-standing collaboration with Impressive
Collective’s Greg Boraman, which began in 2013 on Freestyle Records with
the critically acclaimed 'The Man' album and continued with 'Love In
Beats' and 'The Omar Anthology'.
Omar Lyefook MBE, singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist,
solidifies his legendary status with his latest album, Brighter The
Days. Over three decades, he has been a defining force in modern Black
music, crafting a sound that seamlessly blends soul, funk, jazz, salsa,
dub, and hip-hop, with roots in classical music. As he puts it, “Each
album is an evolution, if you will. But I’d like to think this is my
magnum opus.”
A dynamic collection, Brighter The Days builds upon Omar’s distinctive
style with fresh inspiration. His warm, unmistakable voice—tinged with
the richness of his Caribbean heritage —is complemented by lush
arrangements. Organic drums, bass, brass, keys, and guitars meet the
mechanical edge of samples and beats, creating a soundscape that is both
timeless and innovative. Sweeping strings, inspired by his early
training in orchestral music, add grandeur. “There’s nothing quite like that feeling of hearing all those strings play together,” he says, explaining their recurring presence in his work.
As always, Omar has gathered a stellar line up of collaborators. British
legends like Paul Weller, arranger Chris Cameron, rapper Giggs and
guitarist Tony Remy join forces with American icons including singers
India Arie, Ledisi, Eric Roberson and Raheem DeVaughn, organist Ronnie
Foster, and rapper Jeru The Damaja. The result is music that is
ambitious in conception and flawless in execution.
The electric styles and highlights include There’s Much Love In The
World, a hopeful anthem celebrating unity, Research featuring Honey
Larochelle, a sexy and funky dance floor heater, and This Thing Called
Life, which captures the album’s essence of optimism amidst challenges.
Omar explains, “It’s a specific amount of time we have on this earth, so
why waste it arguing and fighting? There are so many more things that
connect us as opposed to driving us apart.”
In Brighter The Days, Omar reminds us that music and life are about
finding light in the darkness. “Music is what I live for, but so too are
my children. Brighter The Days just means something better is coming
for all of us.”
Tracklist: 1. Intro 2. This Thing Called Life 3. Won't Let You Down (feat. K.ZIA & The Swag) 4. I've Been Waiting 5. Brighter The Days 6. There's Much Love In The World 7. Lovey Dovey (feat. Eric Roberson & Raheem DeVaughn) 8. Research (feat. Honey Larochelle) 9. On My Own (feat. Paul Weller) 10. Out of Sight (Interlude) (Omar with Don-e) 11. Can We Go Out? 12. It's Gonna Be Alright (feat. Scratch Professer) 13. We Can Go Anywhere (feat. Giggs) 14. Latin Salsa 15. Holding On To Life (feat. Ledisi) 16. Much 2 Much 17. 1234 (feat. Jeru The Damaja) 18. Love Is Like (feat. India Arie)
“The
meaning of this concept (Space Outside :Space) lies within your answers
to these questions. Providing the questions are considered with
honesty, the true meaning of what “Space” refers to becomes revealed.
There are no right or wrong answers, just reactions based on your view and angles on the mechanisms of life.”
– Millsart aka Jeff Mills
What
becomes a person that doesn’t dream? What happens when we get all that
we ever wanted? Do we know too much? Can we truly justify pessimism?
What are you planning on leaving behind? If given more life, stay the
same or change? Life is more about giving or taking? Good fortune is
based on what? What’s more effective, love or hate? Do we care enough?
Are we OK?
Life is mostly about ? Is there a end to this? Knowing
that it propels, are we capable of critical thinking? Who is more
important then yourself? What is worth dying for?
Axis Expressionist Series:
A
collection of vinyl releases, curated by Millsart, an alias of Jeff
Mills, of his most eclectic and transcendent compositions that derive
from his Every Dog Has Its Day project as well as new
unreleased works. Vernacular creations that fall off from the “other
side” of the Electronic Music tree, this project is designed for the
experienced Techno music listener, and its goal is to reflect upon the
pure artistry of the craft of storytelling. A realization between music
and life. Whereas “dancing” is the goal of Dance Music, the goal of
this music is about “reflecting on the complexity and simplification of
life”. Soundtracks for people in their evolutionary process.
Tracklist: 1. Interstellar Feelings 2. Forevermore 3. Vibrations From The Other Side 4. Some Soul, Some Space
Imagine it’s late afternoon, you’re outside by the lake, and there’s
sunlight on the water. This is the peaceful and contemplative scene that
Matt Gold and Resavoir set on their collaborative LP Horizon. Across 10
lush and exploratory tracks, it’s the product of two Chicago-based
musicians—Will Miller, the acclaimed trumpeter, composer, and producer
who’s worked with SZA, Whitney, and more, and Gold, a seasoned
multi-instrumentalist and accomplished guitarist—effortlessly combining
their distinct sensibilities for something hypnotic and tangibly
inviting. What started as a love letter to their shared admiration for
‘60s and ‘70s Brazilian music evolved into a dynamic and sprawling body
of work. These sunny and expansive tunes are as immersive as they are
endlessly replayable.
Both Miller and Gold attended Oberlin College’s Conservatory of Music
together and in the years after graduating, they orbited each other
around Chicago’s music communities. “We were showing up for each other
as friends and taking an interest in each other's projects, noticing a
lot of resonances and similarities working within in our music,” says
Gold, who’s collaborated with artists like Makaya McCraven and Jamila
Woods and stretched the bounds of jazz and
Americana on solo albums Imagined Sky and Midnight Choir. “We had
talked so much about eventually working together that it was almost like
an ongoing bit at a certain point,” says Miller. Though they had known
each other for over a decade, they first had their chance on “Inside
Minds,” the breezy lead single on 2023’s Resavoir. While those sessions
were remote, two had palpable chemistry.
It wasn’t until Miller left the touring band of the Chicago group
Whitney in 2023 that their plans to make music together in person came
to fruition. “When I first started Resavoir, I was chasing the desire to
produce records and now that I had time to focus exclusively on that,
Matt was the first person I called to come to the studio,” says Miller.
The two had bonded over an admiration for the Brazilian guitarist Luis
Bonfa and songwriter Milton Nascimento, especially the latter’s work
with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, so they decided to use nylon
string guitar as a starting point for these early sessions. “Canopy,”
which opens Horizon, was the earliest track. Kicking off with bright
acoustic chords, the song slowly unfurls into a slinking groove,
samples, and fluttering leads from soprano saxophonist Tim Bennett.
As these initial experiments proved successful, Gold and Miller felt
they could broaden the scope of their vision. “We were initially
conceiving of it as this acoustic guitar driven record but eventually we
wanted to frame it orchestrally and see how many shades and colors we
can bring in around that sound,” says Gold. “Dewy” thrives within this
orchestral palette of woozy synths, strings from Macie Stewart, Claire
Chenette’s oboe, flautist Wills McKenna, and French horns from Lloyd
Billingham. “We discovered that our multi-instrumentalist
mentalities—using piano and bass, samplers, drum grooves, guitar ideas
all as starting points— nurtured the broad orchestration across this
record,” says Miller.
“The LP took about a year with on-and-off sessions,” says Miller. “The
songs benefit from letting them ferment for a couple months, coming back
to it, and seeing what sort of new flavors have developed.” Co-produced
by Miller and Gold (and mixed by Dave Vettraino), Horizon proudly
reflects the artists’ vast artistic community and musical network in
Chicago and beyond. Along with Gold, Eddie Burns (Clairo), Peter
Mannheim (Tony Glausi), and Carter Lang (SZA, Lil Nas X) provide drums
and percussion throughout. On the dreamlike single “Diversey Beach,” New
York songwriter Mei Semones lends vocals and along with her band
members Noah Leong and Claudius Agrippa, collaborated on a mesmerizingly
conversational string arrangement. “We wrote "Diversey Beach" on the
coldest day of the year watching a blizzard coming down out of the
window, where the sounds of the cars driving by sounded like waves
crashing on a beach,” says Miller. “I sent it to Mei Semones, who I’ve
been a fan of for a long time. She's absolutely incredible and it’s
amazing what she did with it.”
Horizon is a testament to the feeling of endless possibilities that come
from collaboration. It’s a remarkable synthesis of two artists who
share musical community and an artist lineage but have carved their own
paths in unique ways. Nowhere is this more evident than “Hazel Canyon,”
which boasts Gold’s silky pedal steel and a subtly enveloping
arrangement that evokes Erasmo Carlos. “Musically, we're always trying
to capture a fleeting moment of infinite expanse, feeling the vastness
of things while knowing they'll always change,” says Gold. “This record
keeps the light reflecting on the water just a little longer -- our
collaborative process running through the backbone of these songs and
rippling out in so many beautiful directions..”
En Route is Oddisee’s latest EP—a soulful snapshot of motion and
meaning. Each track is a reflection of movement—physical, emotional, and
spiritual. Its music for the journey, wherever you're headed.
Tracklist: 1. Tomorrow Can't Be Borrowed 2. A Rare Thing 3. Small Talk 4. Natural Selection
British synth wizard James Holden and Polish clarinet guru Waclaw Zimpel
present their entrancing debut album of improvisatory works: 'The
Universe Will Take Care Of You' is an alliance wherein these two
like-minded masters of their craft converge and explore their deepest
improvisational urges to strikingly lush, hypnotic and emotive effect.
An in-the-moment lyrical conversation between the pair’s playing,
cementing the joyful convergence of their disparate musical journeys, it
is an explosion of raw musical creativity in its most primal form.
Blissfully escapist, these six transcendent odysseys of psychedelic
electronic music and freeform musicianly virtuosity roam freely: from
the skittering pulsations of opener ‘You Are Gods’, through the radiant,
revelatory echoes of ‘Sunbeam Path’, the hyperkinetic, arpeggiated rush
of ‘Time Ring Rattles’ and ‘Incredible Bliss’, the mesmeric ambient
euphoria of ‘Sparkles, Crystals, Miracles’, to the spiralling slow-burn
ascension of the closing title track. With this finale, Holden &
Zimpel offer up a monumental coda of stirring percussive rustle and
gently cascading clarinet tones, before soaring into a sublime, resonant
denouement of towering synth and organ themes; a conclusion of vast,
otherworldly high drama that encapsulates the scale of this
extraordinary album.
Embracing a similar playful, experimental approach to that of their
Krautrock forefathers, the new album sees both virtuosos encouraged and
empowered to reach out beyond the instruments with which they made their
name. Thus Holden supplements his bespoke computer and modular synth
systems with his long-neglected childhood violin and his more recently
cobbled together collection of hand percussion, whilst on certain tracks
Zimpel forgoes his alto clarinet altogether in favour of electric
piano, organ, lap steel guitar, airless harmonium and the Indian twin
pipe algoza flute.
The collaborative process has proved endlessly instructive, mutually
inspirational and richly rewarding for both artists. “We just clicked
immediately, understood each other’s impulses, and made space for each
other,” enthuses Holden. “Held safe in his supportive arms I felt
liberated to try things I’d never tried before.”
The Holden & Zimpel origin stories may on the surface look very
different, with Holden first making his name in electronic music as an
internationally renowned dance DJ, producer and remixer throughout the
course of the noughties, whilst Zimpel was receiving a formal classical
education at music schools in Poland and Germany before following his
improvisational impulses into the world of contemporary free jazz,
collaborating with the likes of Hamid Drake and Joe McPhee. But there
are also many striking serendipitous similarities in their musical
journeys: both young musicians’ first exposure to music came via their
piano-playing fathers, and both children initially took up violin before
settling upon their chosen instruments. Both have had the privilege of
immersing themselves in the rich Gnawa musical tradition handed down via
Morocco’s Guinia family, with Holden recording first with the late
Maalem Mahmoud Guinia and later his son Houssam, whilst in 2012 and
again in 2015 Zimpel improvised his way around Poland in a live
collaboration with Mahmoud’s younger brother Mokhtar.
The traditional music of India has also provided a common source of
fascination for the two composers, with Zimpel teaming up with a band of
Carnatic musicians from Bangalore for three raga-jazz fusion albums
under the Saagara moniker, whilst Holden’s introduction came via modern
day Indian music disciple Terry Riley, and the Mumbai-trained
London-based tabla player Camilo Tirado with whom he collaborated on the
Riley-inspired Barbican commission 'Outdoor Museum of Fractals'.
Ultimately it is around a shared love of all things hypnotic and trancey
where Holden and Zimpel’s paths converge. Trance is the common thread
which runs through their musical predilections, as heard in traditional
folk forms the world over, twentieth century minimalism, the Krautrock
experiments of the seventies, electronic dance music and improvised jazz
alike, and their music exists at the point where all of this good stuff
collides. You are invited to join them in trance space.
The Universe Will Take Care Of You is released on 13th June 2025 on heavyweight white vinyl, CD and all digital formats.
Tracklist: 1. You Are Gods 2. Sunbeam Path 3. Time Ring Rattles 4. Sparkles, Crystals, Miracles 5. Incredible Bliss 6. The Universe Will Take Care Of You
First Word Records is very proud to bring you a brand new EP from Amanda Whiting, entitled 'Can You See Me Now?'
Amanda Whiting is a highly-acclaimed Welsh harpist & composer. A
virtuoso in her field, this classically trained musician has established
herself in recent years as an essential player in the UK jazz scene.
Over the past few years, she's had the support of radio stations &
tastemakers such as BBC Radio 2 (Jamie Cullum), BBC 6 Music (Cerys
Matthews). BBC Radio 3 (Soweto Kinch), Selector Radio (Sian Eleri), NTS
Radio (Patrick Forge), FiP (Laurent Garnier), Soho Radio (Tina Edwards)
and across Jazz FM, who also nominated her for 'Instrumentalist of the
Year'.
Amanda joined the roster of Worldwide Award-winning independent
London-based label First Word Records in late 2023, initially via a
collaborative project with Don Leisure on 'Beyond The Midnight Sun', as
well as a feature on his Welsh Music Prize nominated project 'Shaboo
Strikes Back'.
She followed the 'Liminality of Her' record late last year with a divine
album of seasonal favourites, from Bill Evans to Vince Guaraldi, on 'A
Christmas Cwtch'.
Amanda's 2024 album 'The Liminality of Her' featured in
Spotify's 'Best UK Jazz of 2024' and received glowing reviews in
Jazzwise, Somewhere Soul, Bandcamp, Clash, AllMusic, Harp Column, Apple
Music and HHV, to name a few, along with numerous 'Album of the Year'
nods and various other accolades, garnering praise critically and
publicly.
Mojo Magazine cites Amanda's compositions as "cinematic, lyrical and lissom by turns".
Amanda has previously performed, toured and collaborated with a wildly
eclectic set of artists, including Matthew Halsall, Rebecca Vasmant, DJ
Yoda, Gizmo Varillas and Chip Wickham, whilst previously releasing three
solo albums on Jazzman Records, and a remix project for the Albert's
Favourites imprint.
She's performed with her own trio at numerous festivals across Europe,
including We Out Here, and had headline shows at The Jazz Cafe and
Hootananny in London, with an upcoming show at the legendary Ronnie
Scott's in June 2025.
'Can You See Me Now?' is another triumphant opus from Whiting; laidback,
deliciously jazzy and thematically inquisitive, featuring some
exceptional production and accompaniment from Adam Scrimshire (Albert's
Favourite). The EP begins with the crackling 'Old Ways' intro (inspired
by 'Naderman No.6 for Harp') leading into opening track 'Contented'; an
epic ethereal piece of tranquil spiritual jazz, complete with the
gloriously powerful vocal harmonies of Faye Houston. This sets the mood
perfectly for this project, as we head into a short solo for Whiting on
'Still' which appears as it says on the tin. A moment of calm. Lead
single 'What Is It We Need?' commences with dusty upright bass from
Whiting Trio member Aidan Thorne, ahead of a beautiful
goosebump-enducing lead-vocal from the national treasure that is Alice
Russell (Tru Thoughts); an absolute powerhouse in her own right.
'Intent' picks up the pace a touch with some delightfully skippy
jungle-esque drums from Jon Reynolds. 'It Could Be' follows; a soulful
string-laden stepper, again featuring Faye Houston, and hits like the
delicate breath of a Summer breeze. We close the set with the
appropriately-named 'Moving On', which takes us out with a
slightly-warped phasing dreamlike ambience.
In Amanda's words "thematically, the EP is about the journey as a woman
and the stages of life. Standing up and being seen. An important and
profound message in the world today!"
"We must stand tall, don't self abase or dim your light
The past has gone. Now step up, be intent, move forward, move on
Don't be silenced. Feminine energy is our might.
Lift your veil, show your worth. We are women, we are strong.
Can you see me now?
Can you hear my dreams?
Can you feel my intentions?
I'm here to be seen."
Tracklist: 1. Contented 2. What Is It We Need? (feat. Alice Russell) 3. Still 4. Intent 5. It Could Be 6. Moving On
Common’s 2005 album Be features classics
like “Testify”, "The Corner" and “Go”. Debuting at #2 on the Billboard
200 and certified Gold by the RIAA, the record stands as an essential
hip-hop classic.
Tacklist: 1. Be (Intro) 2. The Corner (feat. Kanye West & The Last Poets) 3. GO! (feat. John Mayer & Kanye West) 4. Faithful (feat. Bilal & John Legend) 5. Testify 6. Love is... 7. Chi-City 8. The Food (Live) (feat. Kanye West) 9. Real People 10. They Say (feat. John Legend & Kanye West) 11. It's Your World (Part 1 & 2) (feat. Bilal & Lonnie "Pops" Lynn) 12. The Corner (Remix) (feat. Kanye West, The Last Poets, Scarface & Yasiin Bey) 13. The Corner (Last Poet Reprise) (Unreleased) 14. GO! (Jazzanova Remix) (feat. Joy Denalane) 15. The Food (feat. Kanye West) 16. So Cool (feat. Sa-Ra) 17. The Movement 18. Be (Intro) (Instrumental) 19. The Corner (Instrumental) 20. GO! (Instrumental) 21. Faithful (Instrumental) 22. Testify (Instrumental) 23. Love is... (Instrumental) 24. Chi-City (Instrumental) 25. The Food (Instrumental) 26. Real People (Instrumental) 27. They Say (Instrumental) 28. It's Your World (Part 1 & 2 / Instrumental)
One of the most politically charged terms of the 20th century, the Iron
Curtain was a metaphor for political and cultural division. In a
post-war telegram Winston Churchill referred to the fault line that ran
through Europe between East and West as "an Iron Curtain is drawn down
upon their front. We do not know what is going on behind".
In this two-part album, as far as jazz is concerned, we will showcase,
describe and celebrate exactly what was ‘going on behind’. We see that
music is the power supreme, with the ability to transcend all barriers,
be they physical, political or metaphorical.
Our liner notes illustrate the complex and contradictory history of
Soviet jazz, and the tracks we’ve chosen cover the key period of the
early 1960s to the 1980s. It was during these dark years of the Cold War
that the Soviet Union and its satellite states produced a number of
outstanding artists playing in a variety of styles. The impact of
modernism, from hard bop and Latin to modal and cool jazz, had found its
way through cracks in the curtain. The deeply-felt ancestral strains of
traditional European folk music were combined with the exciting new and
progressive sounds of the West, and a radical, intoxicating brew was
created that no amount of guns, tanks or polonium tea could overcome.
We chronicle the triumph of jazz at a time of extreme geopolitical
conflict. What went on behind the Iron Curtain in these countries was
once mysterious and unknown to the West, but the perseverance of their
artists provided sound and light amid the secretive, dark days of the
communist-capitalist standoff. There was no end of life-affirming
spiritual jazz behind the Iron Curtain.
“Whether it’s by improvisation in the African-American jazz tradition,
or by a village kobza player standing on top of a damn hill - he feels
connected to the stars.”
Tracklist: 1. Collage - Halb Sirp (Bad Sickle) 2. Manfred Ludwig-Sextett - Gral 3. Krzysztof Komeda - Crazy Girl 4. Polish Jazz Quartet - Promenade Through Empty Streets 5. Vagif Mustafa-Zade - Caucasus 6. Quartet "Jazz Focus-65" - Monday Morning 7. Theo Schumman Combo - Karawane 8. Vaclav Zahradnik - Podzimní Slunce 9. Karel Velebny - Lori 10. Sevil - Mugam 11. Focus '65 - Autumn Sun 12. Golstain-Nosov Quintet - Rosinent In Toledo 13. Yu All Stars 1977 - Kosmet 14. Dan Mindrila - Sonet 15. Leningrad Jazz Ensemble - Aria 16. Sh Jazz Quintet - Delilah 17. Josef Blaha Trio - Inter Mezzo Forte 18. Csaba Deseo Ensemble - Beyond The Csitári Mountains 19. Manfred Ludwig-Sextett - Skandinavia 20. Anatoly Vapirov - Mystery 21. Zbigniew Namyslowski - Piatawka 22. Andrzej Trzaskowski Quintet - Synopsis (Expression I) 23. Tomsits Quartet - Dhrupad 24. Nicolai Gromin Quartet - Corrida 25. Valery Kolesnikov; Vyacheslav Novikov; Vladimir Molotkov; Alexander Christidis - Rainbow 26. Tone Jansa - Goa 27. S+HQ - My Girl (And Other Things)
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