• Music

    The James Taylor Quartet – Mission Impossible

    From the Acid Jazz Bandcamp site: “To mark the 35th Anniversary of Acid Jazz, we have been reissuing seminal records from our catalogue on colour vinyl. The final instalment – and the second James Taylor Quartet release in the series – is this this version of ‘Mission Impossible’ is pressed on a fitting red vinyl. The original release track-listing showcases JTQ’s sixties soundtrack odyssey – driving organ instrumentals from the beginnings of Acid Jazz, showing James and the original lineup in their prime. Alongside Lalo Schifrin’s iconic title track appear tracks by Herbie Hancock, Paul Simon and Bacharach & David,…

  • Music

    Various Artists – The Congregation – Jazz Alliance International

    Right Tempo Records is celebrating 30 years of existence, putting out some of the swankiest jazz imaginable, finely represented by the Easy Tempo and Tempo Jazz compilations, considered to be classics by connoisseurs of finer music.  Imagine my shock to see that the label was finally releasing material on Bandcamp, and hitting a home run on the first digital platter, which will be available on March 1. Currently, four tracks are available for listening, are all are sublime.  Starting with Yellowtail feat. Mark Murphy – Seasons In My Mind (Patchworks Version), an unreleased track featuring Murphy in lounge mode, making…

  • Music

    Nicola Conte – Umoja

    My friends, mark your calendars for June 30, 2023.  This is the date that Italian DJ/bandleader/impresario and all-around man of good taste Nicola Conte releases his latest album under the banner of  Far Out Recordings, who have never let me down on a single release all these years. As Nicola’s music spreads to all corners of the globe, rather than having me describe it to you, let us start with who’s on this platter: Zara Mcfarlane – Lead Vocals On Arise/life Forces/freedom & Progress Bridgette Amofah – Lead Vocals On Dance Of Love & Peace/soul Of The People/flying Circles Myles…

  • Music

    Batavia Collective – Propulsion

    I haven’t had a chance to review anything from Indonesia in some time, so it gives me pleasure to introduce you to a band called the Batavia Collective.  Their sound is a great balance of jazz, fusion and electronica.  One track only, but it’s a solid one.

  • Music

    Eddie Piller & Dean Rudland present​.​.​. Acid Jazz (Not Jazz)

    This compilation, released by Acid Jazz Records‘ managing director, Eddie Piller, along with general manager Dean Rudland, is pure joy.  The sounds blend a modern 1990s sound with Swingin’ London of the 1960s.  From the Acid Jazz Bandcamp site: “Acid Jazz’s Eddie Piller and Dean Rudland have put together this compilation of the sort of sounds that we were playing at the time. They are releases on Acid Jazz and other label’s that surrounded the scene and they were mainly made by people we knew from either around the club scene, behind the counters of our favourite record shops, or…

  • Music

    Brian Auger – Auger Incorporated

    Brian Auger is the father of Acid Jazz and really needs no introduction, but his Bandcamp site provides a fine one anyway for those of you readers who haven’t had the pleasure of being introduced to the man: “Soul Bank Music announces a back catalogue deal with legendary musician and jazz keyboard master Brian Auger – with the release of a career spanning compilation ‘Auger Incorporated’. Lauded and loved by artists as diverse as Mose Allison to The Brand New Heavies, his tracks have been sampled by Mos Def, Common, Air and Kid Loco, his original compositions covered by Sarah…

  • Music

    The Traffic – Fire​/​Bangarang

    The first thing that came into my mind hearing The Traffic was that they have mastered the psych-soul formula to a tee.  The first track, Fire, is a Jimi Hendrix cover where the flute takes the place of Hendrix’s legendary guitar playing, and it sounds damn solid.  The second track, Bangarang, sounds like something that would have fit in well with a hip Blaxploitation soundtrack, with a heavy funk element to the track.