VA - Remixes JID020

Since its 2017 inception, Jazz Is Dead has remained true to its mission of honoring the legacies of their musical heroes through cross generational collaborations. With Jazz Is Dead Series 2, co-founders Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, have delivered an unimpeachable collection of fresh and captivating recordings inspired by jazz’s past, present, and future. The series features new albums from legends Lonnie Liston Smith,Jean Carne, Tony Allen, Henry Franklin,Phil Ranelin,Wendell Harrison, Garrett Saracho, and the modern contemporary Los Angeles based collective Katalyst.

For Remixes JID020, the label has tapped a few of their favorite contemporary artists and producers to offer their own take on the music of Series 2. The album features a variety of dynamic personalities with remixes from London based artists Shabaka Hutchins and Theon Cross, New York tastemaker Melanie Charles, LA based producer Bei Ru, Brazil’s Dj Nyack, Detroit based producer Tall Black Guy, Bay Area producer Mophono and the LA based house duo LO & Diisko.

The album begins with Mophono’s reinvention of the late Tony Allen’s “Don’t Believe the Dancers” immediately placing listeners in a trance with percussive sounds that further animate Allen’s traditional Afrobeat patterns; paying homage to the era of music Allen created alongside Fela Kuti’s Africa 70. The track comes to a close with Mophono’s sampling of Allen’s voice, a call to drummers all around the world to continue to build and expand on the art of drumming.

On the remix of Jean Carne’s “Black Rainbows” featuring vocals by Loren Oden, Melanie Charles plays on the fantasy-like feelings of the original recording, delivering a refreshing ode to Blackness. The lyrics fall into an evocative mantra as Charles sings along with Carne and Oden painting visions of Black beauty.

Henry Franklin is a longstanding contributor to the genre as one of jazz’s most influential heartbeats. The song “African Sun” incorporates distinctly West African rhythms alongside jazz modalities, a meeting of two cultures ripped apart but in continuous conversation with each other. Through this reimagining, Shabaka Hutchins continues this cross-cultural conversation, achieving a strong musical meditation that mimics the rise and fall of the sun.

Overall, JID020 earns its place in the Jazz Is Dead catalog as it further celebrates the spirit of collaboration amongst artists young and old. What unites these the DJs, producers, and musicians with the Jazz Is Dead ethos is their unbent dedication to remaining true to their own vibe and sound all the while preserving the energy and feeling of the original recordings. 

Tracklist:
1. Don't Believe The Dancers (Mophono Remix)
2. Phoenix (Theon Cross Remix)
3. Reflections (Bei Ru Remix)
4. Love Brings Happiness (Tall Black Guy and Kaidi Tatham Remix)
5. Black Rainbow (Melanie Charles Remix)
6. African Sun (Shabaka Hutchings Remix)
7. Altitude (L.O. & Diisco Remix)
8. Running With The Tribe (DJ Nyack Remix)

VA - BBE Staff Selections 2023

2023 has certainly kept us on our toes at BBE Music, with no shortage of exciting happenings. Releasing more than 100 projects this year, we're thrilled to highlight our team's favorite musical selections.

With each beat and rhythm, we've sequenced beloved tunes from yesteryears to bring back to life timeless classics. Historic reissues on BBE - available both digitally and physically - highlight these masterpieces that have now been remastered. All thanks to the Grammy- nominated The Carvery Studio, tracks such as cannons from Perception / Today Records, gems from Strata Records, highlife from Asona Records, J Jazz series expansions, and so much more all unveiled a new, captivating sonic experience.

Many of these reissued originals were previously only available at exorbitant prices online. Thanks to The Carvery Studio for their meticulous remastering process, we've made them more affordable and accessible. This includes tracks such as Soul Liberation, Remi Kabaka's Son of Africa, J&F Quintet's masterpieces, Forest, Sphere’s Inside Ourselves and more.

This compilation snapshot captures the essence of all the music BBE brings to life: real music for real people. A wonderful initiation for any budding audiophile or simply a music lover starting their journey with BBE.

This year, we also marked hip hop's golden jubilee with the release of Illa J's album. The exclusive track, 'Relapse (Instrumental)', featured on this album, is a critics' choice that rightfully continues the powerful Yancey music legacy.

But our voyage into musical celebrations didn’t stop there. We paid tribute to the long, illustrious careers of Airto Moreira and Flora Purim, the reigning king and queen of Brazilian jazz.

So here's to all who cherish jazz, folk, afro beat, hip hop, funk, soul or Americana. This compilation celebrates the diversity of music, a testament to authenticity and our dedication to making real music for real people. 
 
CD1
1. ILLA J & Amp Fiddler - Get Down
2. Tony Kofi & Alina Bzhezhinska - Altera Vita (For Pharoah Sanders)
3. Dizzy Gillespie - Summertime
4. Hideyasu Terakawa Quartet & Hiroshi Fujii - Simone
5. Kirk Degiorgio - Beersheba
6. Jazzanova - Beyond the Dream
7. Astrud Gilberto - Take It Easy My Brother Charlie
8. Forest - Fly Away
9. Rahaan & The Ones - We Are The Ones
10. Johnny Pate - Brother on the Run (Opening)
11. Remi Kabaka - Kabaka
12. Boddhi Satva & Coréon Dú - I Don't Want Your Love
13. Brian Jackson - Mami Wata
14. Sam Yeboah - Maame
15. Black Ivory - Spinning Around
16. The Soulmates - People We Got to Do Better
17. Nana Budjei - Asamando
18. Kris Tidjan - Lords of War
19. Black Ivory - Don't Turn Around
20. Julius Brockington - Forty-Nine Reasons
21. Larry Young - Sunshine Fly Away
22. Ihsan Al-Munzer - Yassmin

CD2
1. Tyrone Washington - Submission
2. Julius Brockington - Do Your Thing
3. ILLA J - Relapse
4. Soul Liberation - Touch Me Again
5. Benny Johnson - Visions Of Paradise
6. Kantata - It's High Time Now
7. Eric Agyemang & Kokroko Band - Nananom
8. A.K. YeboahK.K's No. 2 Band - Nde Yen Da
9. Mr Cee - Nye Wonko
10. Thomas Frempong - Mada Meho So
11. Sam Yeboah - Konkonsani
12. Boddhi Satva & Dino d'Santiago - Moda Boddhi
13. MF Robots - The Love It Takes
14. Jazzanova - Saturday Night Special
15. Roy Ayers & Sylvia Cox - Liquid Love
16. Dizzy Gillespie - Olinga
17. Isao Suzuki & Masahiko Togashi & Hideo Ichikawa & Akira Shiomoto - Make Trip
18. Tatsuya Nakamura - Wow
19. Iman Houssein - House of Light
20. Jazzanova & Sean Haefeli - Creative Musicians
21. Boddhi Satva & Raheem DeVaughn - Finesse Me
22. Will & James Ragar - Oregon

VA - Heavenly Sweetness 15th Anniversary - Tropical

Tracklist:
1. Camille Soprann Hildevert - Soprann aux Antilles
2. Les vikings de la Guadeloupe - Ambiance Vikings
3. David Walters - Mama
4. Milton - Mizik Nou
5. K.O.G & The Zongo Brigade - Suro Nipa
6. Michel Alibo - Fou, jaloux
7. Edmony Krater, Zepiss - Tijan
8. David Walters - Kryé Mwen
9. Ramon Pyrme, Jean-Claude Cornely - Vacance Union
10. Edmony Krater - An ba jouk
11. Souleance - Feliz
12. Coco, Fabert - Ban di fwan
13. Anthony Joseph - Neckbone
14. Guts, Akemis Carrera - San Lázaro
15. Edmony Krater - Météw Byen
16. Max Labor - Mama Says
17. Les vikings de la Guadeloupe - Ka nou pé fé
18. Roger Raspail, Anthony Joseph - Kalypso ka
19. Guts - Kenke Corner
20. Pat Kalla, Le Super Mojo - Belle Terre
21. David Walters, Vincent Segal, Ballaké Sissoko, Roger Raspail - Papa Kossa
22. Anthony Joseph, Brother Resistance - Dealings
23. David Walters - Soul Tropical
24. Anthony Joseph & The Spasm Band - Vero
25. Pat Kalla, Le Super Mojo, Lieutenant Nicholson, DjeuhDjoah - Il fait beau sous la pluie

VA - Heavenly Sweetness 15th Anniversary - Jazz

Tracklist:
1. Doug Hammond – We People
2. Guts & Florian Pellissier – Estrellas
3. Anthony Joseph – Calling England Home
4. Florian Pellissier Quintet – Coup De Foudre a Thessalonique
5. Octet De Dreux – Doorstep
6. The John Betsch Society – Ode To Ethiopia
7. L?on Phal & Lorine Chia – Something Inside
8. Abraham Reunion – Tryin' Times
9. Laurent Bardainne, Tigre D'Eau Douce & Bertrand Belin – Oiseau
10. Florian Pellissier Quintet – Bijou Voyou Caillou (feat Arthur H)
11. Kham Meslien – Ta Confiance
12. Laurent Bardainne & Tigre D'Eau Douce – La Vie, La Vie, La Vie
13. Arnaud Dolmen – On Dimanch Maten
14. Laurent Bardainne & Tigre D'Eau Douce – Porsche 944
15. The Rongetz Foundation – Gogo Soul (feat Gregory Porter)
16. Cotonete & Leron Thomas – Day In Day Out
17. David Walters – Pa Le (feat Ibrahim Maalouf)
18. David Walters – Sam Cook Di (feat Vincent Segal)
19. Erick Cosaque – Guadeloupe, Ile De Mes Amours
20. Guts – Friends (Bonus Track)
21. Cotonete – Isaac Washington
22. Leon Phal – Fuck Yeah
23. Gin Tonic Orchestra – Do You Have?

Bokoya & FloFilz - Yurika

Acclaimed Jazz Beat producer FloFilz teams up with experimental Hip-Hop/Jazz quartet Bokoya for collabo album ‘Yurika’ on Melting Pot Music.

What happens when a four-headed human drum computer meets a classically trained violinist turned beatmaker to spend time in the studio? A beautiful lily blossom. At least this was the case when Bokoya and FloFilz entered Atelier 21 in Aachen (a Produzentengalerie für globale Kunst) for a musical encounter with no goals set. The music that was born out of these sessions is simply amazing and we are more than happy to release them as an album under the name ‘Yurika’ - Japanese for „beautiful lily“.

‘Yurika’ will be available digital and on LP with artwork by Jens Roth & Jeremias Diekmann. The 19-track strong instrumental album includes one vocal track featuring Japanese singer Kano San. Prior to the album drop in December, we will release five digital singles.

FloFilz is one of Europe's most acclaimed Jazz Beat producers with four albums on MPM under his belt (and close to 300 million streams). His last album ‘Close Distance’ came out in 2022 and featured artists Alfa Mist, Blue Lab Beats, Jerome Thomas, and Summers Sons. FloFilz is a classically trained musician who not only plays the TR 404 but also violin.

Bokoya describe themselves as a four-headed human drum machine that play improvised beat music. You can call it jazz if you like (all four members are graduated jazz musicians) but be ready to stumble over some Dilla, Kraut Rock, Ambient or Dub in the mix. In 2022 Bokoya released their second album ‘Hausensession’ on MPM, followed by a collabo album with Cologne-based producer Gianni Brezzo (Jakarta Records) called ‘Minari’. 
 
Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Soft Encounter
3. Stalagtight
4. Aix
5. Senchimentaru Way (feat. Kan Sano)
6. Bizarre Bird
7. Gasborn
8. Hidehiko
9. Greenodil
10. Reaching Out
11. Kaminoaner
12. Ubongo Extreme
13. Triple T
14. Donari
15. Bijetzu
16. Yurika
17. Mürbchen
18. Roya
19. Felicious (Outro)

Miles Spilsbury - Light Manoeuvres

Debut album from UK jazz saxophonist and composer Miles Spilsbury, featuring Carlos Niño. Produced by Slugabed.

Light Manoeuvres is about warmth, generosity and openness. The music which would become Light Manoeuvres was sketched in fragments, but began to take shape in earnest during a period of living under the Marseille haze in the South of France. 

The specific character and opacity of the light in Marseille inspired the album title which imagines the movement of light passing over different subjects and spaces in intricate motion. Sand blows over from the Sahara on the Sirocco wind and is whipped up by the Mistral, the Marseille sky becomes golden and vapoured, then intermittently pastel blue. That image stuck while shaping this body of work, and became integral to the function of the compositions - which act as jumping off points for the players and myself, vehicles for improvisation and gateways to something else entirely. 

Tracklist:
1. Cloud Formations
2. Gratitude
3. Light Theme
4. Cyclamen
5. Water on Water
6. Tungsten
7. Uig
8. En-Vau

Call Sender - Lost To The Storm

“Dark cosmic psy-fi funk with crunchy drums and spacey sounds. Something you would like to find on 70‘s DeWolfe or Conroy library. Right up my alley!” JJ Whitefield (Poets of Rhythm / Karl Hector / Whitefield Brothers)

“Some delicious moody funk scapes that tick all my boxes” Shawn Lee

“A brilliantly played & recorded album in the vein of the Library Music that no doubt inspired it!” DJ Format

Call Sender is the collaborative brainchild of Suffolk (UK) based multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and engineer Paul Elliott and Bay-area (US) resident multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer and drummer Michael Reed. Birthed from drumming clips uploaded online during the pandemic, Michael and Paul fostered their creative partnership through the medium of Skype, resulting in a timeless jazz-funk LP ‘Lost To The Storm’, despite living on separate continents and yet to meet in person.

Taken from the namesake of a vintage intercom, Call Sender’s debut album ‘Lost To The Storm’ has an old-school vintage foundation with a modern perspective. The album is cinematic and timeless yet fresh, drawing comparisons to Big Crown Records, Surprise Chef and the new wave of jazz-funk artists.

Influenced by iconic acts such as Klaus Weiss, Miles Davis, and Nino Nardini, as well as obscure library tracks, experimental music, European film soundtracks and a hip and funky sonic aesthetic, Call Sender’s music is nostalgic without being pastiche, has a sense of travelling at its core, having been recorded in different parts of the globe, while never hesitating on the direction of the music.

“It was never overtly discussed but I believe we wanted to continue that tradition and have funky stuff that had a cinematic vibe to it”, says Michael. Paul adds: “I kinda thought as we were making ‘Lost To The Storm’ that it could be the soundtrack to a weird and obscure film - instrumental, funky at times, some drama.”

The artwork by award-winning photographer George Karbus, one of the world’s leading outdoor photographers, perfectly encapsulates the imagery of ‘Lost To The Storm’. All titles of the album tracks are named after places near where Michael and Paul live, half from The Bay Area, USA and the other half from Suffolk, UK. ‘Lost To The Storm’ takes its name from the lost town of Dunwich on the Suffolk Coast. “A town literally lost to a storm – Britain’s version of Atlantis!” Paul jokes.

Tracklist:
1. Mad Mark
2. Nova
3. Midnight at Baker
4. Old Survivor
5. Tidefall
6. The Black Dog
7. The Red House
8. Lost To The Storm
9. Wilderness
10. Sizewell
11. Panorama
12. Palm Forest

Red Hot Org - Red Hot & Ra : SOLAR

SOLAR: Sun Ra In Brasil is a Brazilian celebration of the music of Sun Ra. The album was recorded in 2022 in Bahia and São Paulo, Brazil, and highlights incredible talent in Jazz, Avant-Pop, Rap and poetry. It includes such Brazilian forward-thinking artists such as Metá Metá, Edgar, Xênia França, Tiganá Santana, Max De Castro, Hamilton de Holanda, as well as 3x Grammy nominated vocalist Jazzmeia Horn and world renown musician and songwriter Meshell Ndgeocello.

Tracklist:
1. Astroblack Orunmilá
2. Nature’s God (Sun Ra Sam Ba)
3. Nine Rocket For the Planet
4. O Código (Black Prince Charming)
5. When There Is No Sun (Intergalactic Version)
6. Eu Sou Um Instrumento
7. Interstellar Low Ways
8. Brainville Dazidéia

Josef Akin - Chimera

The second Josef Akin EP this year, Chimera explores a full-band sound closer to the sound of his debut album, Flightcase. As compared to recent EP Enymore, Chimera explores sound and imagery pertaining to the natural world rather than the digital. The EP tells a story of someone slowly discovering their role in the universe and understanding themselves.

Tracklist:
1. Moondance
2. Visions of the Night
3. Revisions
4. It's Taken Me This Long

Web Web - WEB MAX II

German Jazz supergroup WEB WEB continue their collaboration with songwriter and producer Max Herre on their fifth album WEB MAX II, issued on Compost Records.

First joining forces with Herre for 2021 offering WEB MAX, on this new long player the band has achieved much more than just the pure continuation of a series. Roaming far from its Spiritual Jazz roots, WEB MAX II is, musically and emotionally, probably the most diverse distillation of what WEB WEB has created in its seven years of existence.

Tracklist:
1. Perennial Journey
2. Testimony
3. The Source Of All Things (feat. Marja Burchard)
4. La Planete Fantastique (feat. Carlos Nino)
5. Fellow Travellers
6. The 6th Dimension
7. Olobo (feat. Carlos Nino)
8. Artist Unknown
9. Zutuma
10. Look Beyond The Sun

The Offline - La couleur de la mer

Following his debut EP ‘En clair-obscur’ and a series of singles earlier this year cementing his place as a rising voice in the world of cinematic soul & funk, Hamburg’s finest cinematic soul artist ‘The Offline’ announces his debut album 'La couleur de la mer'.

Reminiscent of film scores from the 60s and 70s, The Offline worked with co-producer Tim Liztenberger to channel the influence of film composers such as Francois de Roubaix and Brian Bennet, creating his own soundtrack on ‘La couleur de la mer’. Inducing images of manorial, fog-swept villas at the sea's edge, silhouetted sailing boats and cigar-chomping villains attempting to thwart the mission of an imaginary hero, the record is a masterfully composed sonic journey. Experimenting with themes and atypical song structures, the music moves from dramatic cues to fragile romanticism. It incorporates psychedelic spaciness, retro soul and hip-hop sensibilities informed by The Offline’s extensive record collection and crate-digger status.

“Ever since I was a child, I was fascinated by the soundtracks from the 60s and 70s, and I always wanted to make an album in the film score direction. I wrote about 30 demos, kicked half of it and stuck to the ones that felt right in the dramaturgical structure of the ‘movie'. Interestingly the main theme was set really early on while writing the album, which made the writing process much easier.”

Aptly named, ‘Thème de la couleur de la mer’ opens proceedings, establishing the core motifs of the record. Haunting flutes and xylophones lead the way into Khruangbin-esque guitar lines, which sit against a hip-hop canvas that returns on boom-bap head boppers like ‘Quelque chose reste’. Retro soul revival takes precedence on deep cuts like ‘Un bout de chemin’, with wah-gated guitars interacting with emotive cello lines and symphonic string & horn sections.

The Offline came to life when composer and photographer Felix Müller travelled the Atlantic coastline in the south of France with his analogue camera, capturing beach life on film. After coming back to Hamburg, he started writing songs as the sonic counterpart to the analogue visuals. His Debut EP ‘En Clair-Obscur’ includes five tracks that capture the essence of his journey and the feeling of a cool summer soundtrack. 

Tracklist:
1. Thème de la couleur de la mer
2. L'eau
3. Jeanne et Alain
4. Quelque chose reste
5. Le motard
6. L'eau (Reprise)
7. La mission commence
8. Cap Camarat
9. Un bout de chemin
10. No. 33
11. Sous-marin
12. La couleur de la mer
13. Enfin, la paix

Gabriel Rowland - MILS006: Gente Soul

The Madlib Invazion Music Library Series was created by Madlib and Egon over the course of the Pandemic, and was a chance to give their creative friends the ability to stretch out and indulge in whatever type of music they wanted for release on the label.

The music had to be great and able to be presented as a stand alone album – like the best “Music Library” releases of the past, on labels like Italy’s Sermi, Germany’s Bruton, France’s MP2000 and the UK’s DeWolfe. And, like those albums, it had to work as easy, one-stop clearance for background cues in film and television production and, as producers have been indulging since the 1990s, for sampling.

The series contains 12 releases by DJ Muggs, Karriem Riggins, J-Zone, the Heliocentrics’ Malcolm Catto and Jake Ferguson, JJ Whitefield of Karl Hector/Whitefield Brothers/Poets of Rhythm, Motif Alumni and Music Research Library, Mario Luciano of Polyphonic Music Library, Henkel, Gabriel Rowland of Los Yesterdays, Dan Hastie and Terin Ector of Orgone, Dan Ubick and Joe Harrison

The albums will be released on the Madlib Invazion Bandcamp on the first Friday of each month over the course of one year. Listen, ponder, repeat.

Tracklist:
1. Liberation
2. Skerd
3. Panorama
4. T.O.F.
5. The Wrong Hustle
6. Why Can't It Be Like
7. Baby Kute Purple
8. So F'd Up Inside
9. Spy Carnalito
10. Vitamin Psych
11. Rub Buster
12. Romantico
13. Let's Keep It Easy
14. Don't Speak
15. Mad Quakes
16. Cry Folder Cry

ATA Records - ATA Records: The Library Archive Vol​​​.​​​3

The funky, atmospheric, evocative and sometimes downright weird output of companies such as DeWolfe, Cavendish, Burton and the ubiquitous KPM have always been a guiding inspiration for ATA Records, as evidenced in the spooky soundtrack vision of The Sorcerers, the big band brass of The Yorkshire Film & Television Orchestra and even in the soul-jazz of The Lewis Express & Outer Worlds Jazz Ensemble.

It only seemed natural for the team at ATA Records to scratch their own Library itch and so "The Library Archive Vol. 1" was born in 2019. Recorded over a series of sessions in the Aladdin’s Cave of vintage recording equipment that is ATA studios, it featured many of the ATA stable of performers.

Released in 2021, "The Library Archive Vol. 2" still had the golden age of European Library music squarely in it's sights, but this time the focus was drawn more to the off-kilter soul organ sound of Italian quartet I Marc 4.

These two volumes garnered praise from Library aficionado Shawn Lee ("Holy F*$K this sounds great! ATA really smash the classic British Library sound. 10 out of 10") and the Don of British Library Music himself, Alan Hawkshaw.

And so to "The Library Archive Vol. 3": taking heavy inspiration from Jungle Obsession 9 by Roger Roger, and The Feed-back, as well as Blaxploitation era composers such as Willie Hutch and Melvin Van Peebles, and the masterful and ingenious Roy Budd, "The Library Archive Vol. 3" draws deeply from the well of library greatness.

Each track has been lovingly crafted with a keen ear for authenticity and the same eye for detail shown on 'The Library Archive’ Vol. 1 & 2, recorded on the same instruments and equipment and with the same techniques as the music that inspired it, with a focus throughout on stripped-back rhythm sections topped by flute, vibes and vintage synths.

With three volumes now out and another currently in R&D, The Library Archive will stand as a testament to the love the ATA producers and artists have for the original composers and performers.

Tracklist:
1. Ten on the Door
2. Hips & Lips
3. Hardcastle, Pt. 1
4. Countdown to Catastrophe
5. Fear on Phobos)
6. Loisaida Man
7. Pineapple Diode Daiquiri
8. Penthouse in Pernambuco
9. The Infernal Clock
10. The Street Is Family
11. Satan Stalks Among Us
12. It's Alive!

VA - J Jazz Vol. 4: Deep Modern Jazz from Japan - Nippon Columbia 1968 -1981

With J Jazz volume 4, the BBE J Jazz Bullet Train continues its journey traversing the expansive landscape of modern Japanese jazz. Volume 4 is the latest in the universally praised compilation series exploring the best, rarest and most innovative jazz to emerge from the Far East. Please take your seats for a first-class ticket to J Jazz central.

This latest station stop off is with the famed Nippon Columbia label, one of the biggest labels in Japan, whose jazz output embraces every possible style imaginable. Focussing on the key years 1968-1981, J Jazz volume 4 sees compilers Tony Higgins and Mike Peden dig even deeper into their record collections and pull-out tracks that span styles ranging from solo to big band, jazz classical interpretations and heavy jazz rock, to febrile post-bop, white hot samba fusion, and modal psychedelic wig-outs.

J Jazz volume 4 features icons such as drum master Takeo Moriyama, keyboard magi Hiromasa Suzuki, Fumio Itabashi, and Masahiko Satoh, and guitar wizards Kazumi Watanabe and Kiyoshi Sugimoto, alongside big band maestros and innovators Nobuo Hara and his Sharps and Flats, and Toshiyuki Miyama’s New Herd. Thunderous basslines nestle alongside glistening runs of electric piano, bubbling synths and air-tight drumming as the heavy psychedelic modal blues of Jiro Inagaki flows with the infectious samba grooves of Takashi Mizuhashi featuring Herbie Hancock; Shigeharu Mukai’s fusion funk epics take the music to another level and Mikio Masuda’s driving keyboard rhythms brings the heat to an incendiary dancefloor zone.

With 7,000 words of extensive sleeve notes, J Jazz vol 4 comes in a triple 180g vinyl set inside a deluxe gatefold sleeve with obi strip plus a 4 page insert. The double CD features two bonus tracks not on the vinyl edition. Mastered at the Grammy-nominated Carvery Studio by Frank Merritt, this latest collection is a worthy successor to the preceding three volumes that have set the bar so high.

J Jazz is curated for BBE Music by Tony Higgins and Mike Peden. 

Tracklist:
1. Takeo Moriyama - Exchange
2. Jiro Inagaki and His Soul Media - The Ground for Peace
3. Nobuo Hara and His Sharps & Flats, and Hozan Yamamoto - Chakkiri-Bushi
4. Tomoki Takahashi - Trial Road
5. Masahiko Satoh - A Muddy Muffin
6. Takashi Mizuhashi & Herbie Hancock - Samba de negrito
7. Hiromasa Suzuki - Scramble
8. Nobuo Hara And His Sharps & Flats - Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
9. Shigeharu Mukai - Toppu
10. Toshiyuki Miyama & His New Herd - Ougi Denjushiki (A Ceremony to Give Instruction the Secret)
11. Kiyoshi Sugimoto - Jones Street
12. Mikio Masuda - Mickey's Samba
13. Hiromasa Suzuki & Jiro Inagaki and Big Soul Media - By the Red Stream
14. Kazumi Watanabe & Mickie Yoshino - Kaleidoscope (Edit)
15. Shigeharu Mukai - A Head Wind
16. Fumio Itabashi - Macumba

Kiefer - It's Ok, B U

Kiefer’s new album sees the L.A. based artist return to his roots – playing keys and making beats. It’s Ok, B U combines the hallmarks of Kiefer’s sound – masterful piano playing, mesmeric beats, and vibrant melodies – with serious emotional heft. In addition to being a celebrated solo artist, Kiefer is a Grammy-winning producer who has worked with the likes of Drake and Anderson .Paak.

Tracklist:
1. I Could Cry
2. Panic
3. My Disorder
4. Dreamer
5. High
6. Falling
7. I Wish I Wasn't Me
8. Head Trip (feat. Luke Titus)
9. Hips
10. Doomed
11. August Again
12. I was Foolish, I Guess
13. Glowing (feat. Pera Krstajic)
14. Forgetting U
15. It's Ok, B U
16. I Mean That

*Bonus (Kiefer - Dreamer - Live from Stones Throw Studios)



*Bonus (Kiefer - August Again - Live from Stones Throw Studios)

muva of Earth - align with Nature's Intelligence

A spiritual soul inspired by nature, life and her experience living as an Afrikan woman, listening to muva of Earth is like planting your feet in rich warm soil; blending spiritual mantras and conscious lyricism, her music fusing afro-futurism, jazz, classical and more is truly transformative. Today, muva of Earth returns to announce her forthcoming debut project align with Nature’s Intelligence out 15th September via Brownswood Recordings and shares the gorgeous first single “heaven hear me above”. A soft and celestial spell lush with playful keys, delicate sparkling chimes and the harp expertly played by muva, this single explores her deep appreciation of being a unique and divine being. A meditative project centred around vulnerability, healing and an evolved way of thinking, on the forthcoming project across 8-tracks (also known as affirmations and chants) muva of Earth encourages empowerment and self expression.

Born as Davina Adeosun-Bright (Davina, which originates from the word ‘divinity’, Adeosun pronounced A-de-o-shu is yoruba tongue and means ‘Crown of Ọṣun’ which is a dedication to the orisha and goddess of the river, Ọṣun), muva of Earth was raised by Nigerian parents to be strong and independent. Making an impact early in her career, her live experience has already led her to open for Erykah Badu and Pink Siifu , as well as previous headline shows and plays at We Out Here, SuperSonicJazz , Cross The Tracks, XJazz! Festival and more. Previous singles including last year's “High” have garnered support from The Guardian, COLORS, Clash, Loud and Quiet, Hunger, RinseNotion, BBC 6Music, BBC Radio 1, NTS, and more.

Speaking on the single, muva of Earth says:

‘I wrote this song about what it means to be proud of what makes you unique,
A statement to the heavenly realms asking for understanding.
I may have hurt you in the past but I didn’t mean to,
I tried my best with the experience that i have,

Know my intentions are pure and that I am learning.
Love’ 

Tracklist:
1. heaven hear me above
2. no one else has your magik!
3. your intuition is your friend
4. Nserewa
5. Meditation: align with Nature's Intelligence (feat Sirius B)
6. free Soul
7. mermaid under the sun
8. the sun will guide you

Astrid Engberg - Trust

“Trust is for the love of my intuition. It’s for new motherhood and a reminder to myself and everybody that you’re allowed to be in the world in a different way than society dictates.”

Astrid Engberg’s masterful sophomore album Trust finds the Danish singer, producer, composer and DJ paying tribute to intuition and new motherhood. Spanning contemporary soul, nu jazz, electronic and more, the LP sees her collaborating with a line-up of Nordic talent as well as Los Angeles-based Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, a venerated multi-instrumentalist, conductor and composer known for works with Ray Charles, Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige as well as his esteemed orchestral reimagining of J Dilla’s back catalogue titled Suite For Ma Dukes. Trust will be released through the Danish record label Creak Inc. Records which specialises in groundbreaking Danish music.

Growing up in a household where classical music was the sole genre of choice, which influenced her musical education through music schools and choirs, it was a world revered by her parents but one Astrid couldn’t conform to. Feeling different, or in her words “an alien”, she’d find her own sanctuary in music once she discovered her library’s CD collection aged 8. She’d fervently rinse instrumental jazz and West African records, among others, and make mixtapes. This routine continued until she was 15, by which point she was becoming confident in her voice and why music was essential to her.

“The reason I make music is because it’s my best language,” Astrid candidly states, while adding that singing brought her a sense of being at home. In her debut album Tulpa, which Bandcamp Daily listed as one of its Best albums of 2020 and brought national acclaim with winning Best Vocal Release of The Year from Danish Music Award Jazz, she was able to give words to her mental and physical recovery from a head injury in her young adulthood which still impacts her everyday life over a decade later.

Her latest album follows as a means of expression, taking form five months after giving birth to her first-born, a daughter. Created with playful joy, openness and gratitude, she recalls it as being a “super smooth and fast process.” Despite all structures and practical tasks being turned upside down as a new mother, Trust was complete nine months later. "I couldn’t have long rehearsals and recording sessions, so the album was given space to emerge freely and flourish inside myself. Most of it was written inside my head, for example, while I was taking a walk with my baby or when I sang to her, and then recorded in the studio or at home during the short periods I had free.”

Astrid has long mastered utilising her time, blasting through short-burst activity. Severe headaches and neck pain are the lasting effects of her bike accident, meaning across her years making music from Paris with French beatmakers and then returning to Denmark, her routine has been a couple of intense hours followed by rest. This was largely unchanged with the arrival of her daughter, putting her a step ahead.

Intuition comes into her methods with giving herself space and pushing against our high-paced performance culture. “You need to have space in you to hear what’s happening. In the past when I’ve composed, I’d hear a melody and try to follow it by hearing what falls around it. I feel with this album it was unfolding to me, naturally arising from within. You need to trust that what you hear is the way you need to go. Trust the process. Trust that it’s ok to play around with music, to take it down in your form. I want to encourage others to trust themselves through me learning to trust myself. My hope is that those who need it can feel understood in my music, that they can lean back in the sound, the words, and the circles of melodies intertwining with each other and think, 'ah, she understands me.’"

Intuition in motherhood relates to simply doing what feels right for herself and her daughter, often going against the status quo. Throughout her pregnancy and in the first few months of her arrival, Astrid’s headaches and pains ceased. Their return was difficult. Going into the studio and having that output was essential. By putting her daughter into daycare from an early age to allow for this time, she had to trust her intuition. “I see people casting judgement on this. She’d go for 2-3 hours and she was happy. I was a better mum because I could make music and rest. But even when you think it’s a good idea, it isn’t easy. It’s not like I’m made of stone - here take my baby.” Her track ‘On Time’ zones in on this, with the melody coming to her with the lyrics “You know that I try.” She adds, “Inside I was thinking what if she starts crying and I’m not there. I had all these worries. My mind was playing tricks. I had to tell myself that she’s fine because my intuition says so. I’m gonna be there when she needs me, so trust this, my daughter.”

As with her debut album, these 11 tracks were written, composed and produced by Astrid. Appreciating the value of collaborating, she brought in a string of talented musicians, including jazz trumpeter Tobias Wiklund and saxophonist Maria Dybbroe. “I was ready to be inspired by what they’d create which I’d later arrange in the way I want,” she explains. “It’s wonderful not to stand in the way of the ego. The conversations we’d have were great for me - moments of joy, laughter and then to work.”

In valuable conversations, her connection with Miguel Atwood-Ferguson looms large. Introduced to Suite For Ma Dukes not long after its 2009 release, it was a performance and record that blew her mind and became a Holy Grail in her collection. During the pandemic she’d reach out with some of her music after he put out a call for fans interested in online sessions with him. He enjoyed her music to the extent that he proposed to connect on a one-to-one level, and they’d have their first of several Zooms. On sending him the three album tracks that he features on, she recalls being red-faced when he said it was an honour to contribute.

“I’m so grateful for these tracks and his work. He’s a representation of the music business that I want to be part of. If I can in my own way, with what I am and who I am, be a kind of representation of that world, that’s cool for me.” - Astrid Engberg

“After meeting Astrid and discovering her music, I immediately felt like I met another member of my musical family. I love how earthy and celestial her voice, compositions, and productions are. I love how uplifting her music is while still feeling authentic and coming out of the realness of what seems to me like the suffering of any awakened and caring individual has. At a time when I feel that the world desperately needs more female leaders, Astrid in my opinion is a perfect example of someone whose voice needs to be amplified and enjoyed." - Miguel Atwood-Ferguson 

Tracklist:
1. Blue Rise and The Fall (feat. Tobias Wiklund)
2. On Time
3. Falling (OK Not Cool)
4. Spirits Came Told Me (feat. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson)
5. Feelings
6. I Should Care
7. Loving Contemplation (feat. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson)
8. Radio2200
9. Chains (feat. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson)
10. Body Follows Body (feat. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson)
11. Adaptation (Walls)

Carlos Niño - (I'm just) Chillin', on Fire

Over the past few years, concert patrons have stopped the musician Carlos Niño after gigs to ask two simple questions: “Are you a shaman?” “I hear the medicine in your music, can I come to your next ceremony?” The queries are fair enough: Looking at Niño, a tall man with a wild beard and kind eyes, one would think he’s from some faraway time and could maybe cast spells. Once you get to know him, you find that he’s just an incredibly sweet guy with a laid-back demeanor, and that he isn’t some guru claiming to have an all-access pass to the otherworld.

So what does he say to those wondering if he’s a spiritual teacher?

“I’m just chillin’, on fire,” he declares. “I'm not rolling with or out any kind of religious or traditional focus, rules or doctrine. I'm just presenting something that has a lot of energy, and is intended to be an opening for those of us who are journeying, creating musically, and for those who gather with us.”

Indeed, there’s a communal essence to Niño’s self-described Energetic Space Music. As leader of Carlos Niño & Friends, he encourages his collaborators to improvise without preconceived ideas of what the sound is supposed to entail. His new album, (I’m just) Chillin’, on Fire, features more than a dozen musicians and includes a who’s who of sonic experimentation — everyone from guitarist Nate Mercereau and saxophonist Kamasi Washington, to New Age cornerstone Laraaji and hip-hop legend André 3000 playing his now trademark flute. On purpose, Niño lets the music drift and the unity ensue, making (I’m just) Chillin’, on Fire another highlight in a recent run of sublime work.

But where albums like 2020’s Chicago Waves (with multi-instrumentalist Miguel Atwood-Ferguson) and last year’s Extra Presence hovered in the speakers, (I’m just) Chillin’ forges ahead in certain spots through energetic drums equally indebted to jazz and electronic funk. It eschews genre, but the tenets of ‘70s underground jazz are present. Fifty years ago, acts like Brother Ah, the Ensemble Al-Salaam and Mtume Umoja Ensemble crafted music that scanned as Spiritual Jazz yet flared in many different directions. They leaned into the transcendence of the music overall, not artificial terms used to market it. (I’m just) Chillin’ emits the same emotion: On “Mighty Stillness,” when the experimental violinist V.C.R proclaims her “ancestral right” to rest, she evokes Black women like Jeanne Lee, Jayne Cortez and Beatrice Parker, innovative vocalists from indie scenes who embodied the same freedom. Then on “Love Dedication (for Annelise),” Niño uses subtle bass (from Michael Alvidrez) and a serene piano loop (from Surya Botofasina) to speak of endearment in broad terms. “Love is unconditional — everywhere, everything, flowing always,” he observes. “Totally alive, no upper limit.” Though he hesitates to embrace comparisons to the spacious arrangements heard on indie labels of the ‘70s like Strata, Strata-East and Tribe (only because of how much he respects their legacies, not wanting to claim any space in their fields), there’s no denying his stature as an anchor in the jazz, hip-hop and beat scenes in Los Angeles over the last nearly 30 years, and how his influences are alive in what he makes.

“All of those labels to me are hugely influential,” Niño says. “When I think about Strata-East, I immediately think of Pharaoh Sanders, and I think of one of my favorite albums of all-time, Live at the East (on Impulse!), and how The East and that movement is a huge influence. I'm not from that community. I don't claim any direct connection to it, but my awareness of it and my appreciation of it is gigantic.”

The vocals for (I’m just) Chillin’ were compiled unconventionally. “I was like, ‘I'm going to turn on the mic, and you're going to listen all the way through the album and record anything you're feeling at any moment,’” Niño says of the creative process. “It was completely open to their interpretation.” He found that the vocalists Cavana Lee, Maia, Mia Doi Todd, and V.C.R interpreted the music in similar ways: “People who are not even in the same room, who did not hear what the other person did, they all created these really cool weavings — and it was so fun.”

While the album compiles live and studio arrangements recorded in places like Venice, Leimert Park and Woodstock over the past three years, it feels harmonious, as if captured in one space with all musicians present. This highlights Niño’s ability as a conductor and producer. That he could winnow such vast experimentation into a seamless set is a worthy feat on its own. Much like Niño’s other LPs, (I’m just) Chillin’ is an immersive listen that requires attentive ears to fully absorb. In a world dominated by social media and the 24-hour news cycle, it seems we’re all in a hurry for no reason in particular. By creating music with tender messages and leisurely pacing, Niño nudges listeners to slow down and appreciate life’s natural wonders, to savor the journey and not rush so quickly to the destination. In turn, his art conjures pastoral images — endless fields, boundless oceans, ripples crashing along the shoreline. It urges you to simply look up: notice the wind rustling through the trees, listen to the birds sing a glorious song. This is real life, the stuff you can’t quite capture with a smartphone camera. As a conduit, Niño embodies the water he cherishes so deeply. He’s not just the bandleader, but a vessel for everyone’s ideas to shine through.

“Creativity, to me, is an expression of a being's state, and their states of being,” he says. “It's really reflecting or reporting how they feel. The deeper ‘why’ is what I'm getting to with all this, what is inside that feeling, and it's not uncharted territory. I'm one of these people who's very into organizing, curating and offering; it's a deeply sharing kind of thing. It's a living thing; it grows. Sometimes it gets sculpted. Sometimes it gets rocked by forces outside of its maneuvering. Sometimes it looks one way. Sometimes it looks another way, but it's alive.” 

Tracklist:
1. Venice 100720, Hands In Soil
2. Mighty Stillness
3. Love Dedication (for Annelise)
4. Flutestargate
5. Maha Rose North 102021, Breathwork
6. Transcendental Bounce, Run to it
7. Taaaud
8. Spacial
9. Am I Dreaming?
10. Etheric Windsurfing, flips and twirls
11. Boom Bap Spiritual
12. Woo, Acknowledgement
13. Sandra's Willows
14. One For Derf
15. Conversations
16. Essence, The Mermaids Call
17. Eightspace 082222
18. Credits and Thank Yous for DSP Listening

Khalab - Layers

Every person we meet, every moment we live through, all the love we feel, and the losses we endure, add another layer to the intricate pattern of our lives. Like multicolored threads, these layers twist together to form a complex, vibrant tapestry - a reflection of our life journey until this point.

On his new album Layers, Khalab acknowledges and celebrates the encounters that have shaped his ever-evolving musical vision. The record represents the culmination of a creative journey that began with Eunoto EP (Black Acre Records, 2015), evolved with the Afro-Futuristic soundscapes of 2018’s highly acclaimed album Black Noise 2084 (On The Corner Records), and has since developed further through a series of experiences and deep musical collaborations. Layers summons all the alchemy of Khalab’s live performances, and embodies the transcendental power of music-making as a collective art form.

“Since the release of Black Noise 2084 I’ve increasingly developed the stage and band dynamic, focusing on arranging with the musicians in mind, and this album was almost entirely conceived together with musicians I’ve collaborated with”, says Khalab.

In a testament to the label’s close-knit and highly collaborative nature, Khalab's live band includes a cadre of musicians from the Hyperjazz family, including David Paulis and Enrico Truzzi of Phresoul, as well Pietro Santangelo, Fabio Sasso, and longstanding creative-partner Nicola Guida.

The album’s nine tracks feature an impressive lineup of collaborators old and new, including UK drummer and producer Emanative, Burkinabe singer, guitarist, and m'bira player Gabin Dabiré, Italian producer Clap! Clap!, multi-wind instrumentalist Tamar Osborn, drummer and producer Tommaso Cappellato, British-Bahraini trumpeter Yazz Ahmed, Bristol’s vocalist and producer Grove, multi-instrumentalist Tenderlonious, Italian jazz singer Alessia Obino and British-born Nigerian spoken-word artist Joshua Idehen.

Layers still revolve around the key components of Khalab’s sound - dark and trancey electronics and his research into Black music and all its evolutions - but with a bigger emphasis on harmonic arrangements. Across the record, Khalab’s productions twist and pulsate into mesmerizing motifs, as the interplay between different instruments coalesce into focused melodies and rich, complex textures. Khalab and his collaborators masterfully blend gloomy and radiant tones, eliciting feelings of both doom and hope.

For Khalab, Layers represents the end point of a journey that began with the synthesis of ancestral rhythms and electronic experimentation on Black Noise 2084 and has taken him on a meandering route through a Mauritanian refugee camp (M’berra, Real World Recordings, 2021), and deep into the catalogs of legendary Italian labels Soul Note and Black Saint (for the Hyperituals compilations).

Tracklist:
1. Drone Ra (feat. Yazz Ahmed/Alessia Obino)
2. Conscious Friendship (feat. Emanative/Tamar Osborn/Grove)
3. Tunnel Of Jealousy (feat. Lady Blue Eyes)
4. Acid Vaccine (feat. Clap! Clap!)
5. Layers (feat. Joshua Idehen)
6. Female Side (feat. Tommaso Cappellato)
7. Mental Coach (feat. Gabin Dabire)
8. Romantic Loco (feat. Tenderlonious)
9. Tribal Noise

Yussef Dayes - Black Classical Music

Today, celebrated multi-instrumentalist and visionary artist Yussef Dayes announces his highly anticipated debut solo studio album ‘Black Classical Music’, released on September 8th via the revered Brownswood Recordings, Warners and Cashmere Thoughts Recordings. Alongside this, Dayes shares a first taster of the record, the title track “Black Classical Music” featuring Venna & Charlie Stacey.

First single “Black Classical Music” is an incredible opening statement and entry point to this new chapter.

Dayes introduces Black Classical Music in his own words;

"What is jazz? Where did the word derive from? Birthed in New Orleans, born in the belly of the Mississippi River, rooted in the gumbo pot of the Caribbean, South American culture & African rituals. Continuing a lineage of Miles Davis, Rahssan Roland kirk, Nina Simone, John Coltrane, Louis Armstrong ~ music that is forever evolving & limitless in its potential. The groove, it’s feeling, the compositions, the spontaneity, with a love for family, the discipline & dedication in maintaining the very high bar set by the pantheon of Black Classical Musicians. Chasing the rhythm of drums that imitated one's heartbeat, the melodies for the mind and spirit, the bass for the core. A Regal sound for this body of music."

“Black Classical Music” is Dayes 19 track debut solo studio album. At every turn, Dayes distinctive drum licks and Rocco Palladino’s bass are the sturdy anchors; aided by Charlie Stacey (keys/synths), Venna (saxophone), Alexander Bourt (percussion), and a whole host of honourable features including: Chronixx, Masego, Jamilah Barry, Tom Misch, Elijah Fox, Shabaka Hutchings, Miles James, Sheila Maurice Grey, Nathaniel Cross, Theon Cross and the Chineke! Orchestra, the first professional orchestra in Europe to be made up of majority Black and ethnically diverse musicians.

Yussef Dayes discography is expansive and wide reaching; his rise can be first linked to the Afrocentric quartet, United Vibrations, alongside his two brothers - Ahmad and Kareem - and saxophonist, Wayne Francis. This was followed by the meteorically sucessful, but short-lived duo Yussef Kamaal, with keyboardist Kamaal Williams. More recently, Dayes released Live At Joshua Tree, an EP presented by Soulection, and other solo releases including the live album Welcome To The Hills and Love Is The Message, which was recorded Live at Abbey Road Studios.

His list of collaborators is ever-growing and has blossomed to include the finest talents across both music and fashion. From 2020’s album “What Kinda Music”, a collaboration with Tom Misch released on Blue Note Records which charted in the Top 5, to an official remix of Pa Salieu’s “Frontline”, on Wizkid’s “Made In Lagos” album, plus production for R&B royalty in Kali Uchis and Kehlani and 2022’s joint release with Soulection entitled Live At Joshua Tree. The late Louis Vuitton innovator, Virgil Abloh, hand-picked Yussef to soundtrack and curate the LV dinner show for Paris Men’s Fashion Week in January 2019, as well as having Dayes perform at the Louis Vuitton Museum in Paris and collaborating on many other projects. 

Tracklist:
1. Black Classical Music (feat. Venna & Charlie Stacey)
2. Afro Cubanism
3. Raisins Under the Sun (feat. Shabaka Hutchings)
4. Rust (feat. Tom Misch)
5. Turquoise Galaxy
6. The Light (feat. Bahia Dayes)
7. Pon di Plaza
8. Magnolia Symphony
9. Early Daye
10. Chasing the Drum
11. Birds of Paradise
12. Gelato
13. Marching Band (feat. Masego)
14. Crystal Palace Park (feat. Elijah Fox)
15. Presidential (feat. Jahaan Sweet)
16. Jukebox
17. Woman's Touch (feat. Jamilah Barry)
18. Tioga Pass (feat. Rocco Palladino)
19. Cowrie Charms (feat. Leon Thomas and Barbara Hicks)