This is one of South Africa’s best jazz outings. It features tenor saxophonist Winston “Mankunku” Ngozi and the album blends not only South African jazz but also the works of John Coltrane and Horace Silver. A swinging release.
Jazz
Jerzy Milian – Optima Fide
Jerzy Milian is one of the most important jazz musicians to ever come out of Poland. In this rather expensive album, he is collaborating with the BRT Radio (now VRT Radio) Orchestra during the late 1960s. The release showcases Milian’s vibraphone talents, but also shows how multi-faceted his music was, Continue Reading
Amancio D’Silva – Konkan Dance
A pleasant surprise comes from Australian record label The Round Table. Amancio D’Silva was a musician based out of India who mixed traditional music from his homeland with modal jazz, and the results are stunning. From the label’s Bandcamp site: “Also recorded in 1972 although not released at the time Continue Reading
Amine Mesnaoui & Labelle – African Prayers
What a strangely beautiful album… From the duo’s Bandcamp site: Berlin and Reunion based duo, Amine Mesnaoui and Labelle are set to release their debut album on revered London independent imprint Lo Recordings on the 1st of April 2022. ‘African Prayers’ is a collection of seven new compositions, which includes Continue Reading
John Patton – Soul Connection
Big John Patton was a legendary jazz keyboardist and master of the Hammond B-3 organ. This session, released by Nilva Records originally, was criminally hidden away, but thanks to Jazz Room Records, it’s getting not only a second life, but it’s led to a further appreciation of Patton’s abilities. A Continue Reading
Hermeto Pascoal – Hermeto Pascoal & Grupo
As magnificently weird as most Hermeto Pascoal albums are, this one holds a special place in my heart, as it sounds like a more Amazonian Mahavishnu Orchestra jamming with Bill Bruford, Jeff Berlin and maintaining a healthy jazz thread all the while.
Delay 45 – Flux
Australian jazz continues to impress! To my ears, Delay 45 combine a tinge of Chet Baker and early trumpet-laden Durutti Column with the improvising abilities of fellow Aussies The Necks, and the results make for a free fluid, and even somewhat sensual experience. This will be seen as a classic Continue Reading
Wabjie – Lull
Wabjie are a Swiss trio made up of singer Soraya Berent, pianist/composer Michel Wintsch and drummer Samuel Jakubec who produce a sound that references Thom Yorke, Bobby McFerrin and Betty Carter at their most experimental, but perusing the promo sheet, one name was left off that hit me very hard Continue Reading
Carlos Niño & Kofi Flexxx – In The Moment, Part 3
Longform Editions is a boutique record label out of Australia which does many things well, but specialized in releasing short albums packed with electronic experimentalia from all over the world. This one brings Los Angelino Carlos Niño and a world traveling sax player whose work I’m quite new to in Continue Reading
Andrea Keller / Wave Riders – Systems Over-Ride
I was going through a tag titled “Australian jazz” on my free time this week and came across this stunner of an album by Andrea Keller & Wave Riders. From her Bandcamp site: Systems Over-Ride is the new album from Melbourne-based pianist & composer Andrea Keller, featuring her latest musical Continue Reading