BBE Music HHV Records 129 Items

BBE Music present the latest in the acclaimed J Jazz Masterclass Series: Kohsuke Mine ‘First’, the debut album by one of the leading artists in the new wave of modern jazz that swept Japan in the late 60s and early 70s. ‘First’ epitomises the shifting sound of the Japanese modern jazz scene of the time, characterised by rich textures and tones, kinetic rhythms, punctuated by urgent, angular melody lines.

Reissued for the first time since original 1970 release, Mine is joined by master keyboard player Masabumi Kikuchi on electric piano, and two American players – bassist Larry Ridley and drummer Lenny McBrowne – to deliver one of the strongest debuts in the J Jazz canon. ‘First’ announced the arrival of a serious talent, one who was to be a hugely influential figure in the Japanese jazz scene across the decade that followed and beyond. ‘First’ established an artist who built a reputation for standout albums spanning spiritual jazz, post-bop, modal and funk-fusion. All of that started here, on this exemplary album.

‘First’ is issued on CD, digital and vinyl. The vinyl edition is presented as a double album, cut at 45rpm by the Grammy-nominated Carvery, with full original reproduction artwork, including obi strip. Both CD and vinyl comes with a 4500 word sleeve note and interview with Kohsuke Mine by Tony Higgins, plus artist portraits by Shigeru Uchiyama.

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

BBE Music presents the fourth release in their acclaimed J Jazz Masterclass Series: Topology by Makoto Terashita and Harold Land. Originally released in 1983 on the cult Aketa’s Disk label, Topology captures a surprising yet fascinating and engaging collaboration between a young Japanese jazz pianist and an elder American statesman of jazz.

Reissued by BBE Music for the first time since original release 36 years ago, Topology showcases the extraordinary compositional and playing skill of Makoto Terashita, the young pianist responsible for five of the album’s six tracks, alongside the confident and seasoned tones of Harold Land, respected US veteran sax player and former colleague of some of the leading jazz artists of the 50s, 60s and 70s including Max Roach, Clifford Brown, Gerald Wilson and Bobby Hutcherson.

By the time he came to record with Terashita in 1983, Land was in his mid-50s and had numerous album credits under his belt, including some twelve albums as leader. In contrast, Terashita was in his early 30s with just one album to his name, his stunning 1978 debut Great Harvest. Notwithstanding the apparent disparity in experience, the creative relationship they fostered is audibly evident in the wonderful music that was captured during the recording session.

Topology kicks off with ‘Dragon Dance’, an epic spiritual jazz tour de force elegantly ushered in by an extended solo piano introduction from Terashita. This track was chosen to open volume 2 of BBE’s universally praised ‘J Jazz’ compilation. The energy and impact of tracks like ‘Dragon Dance’ and the powerful bop of ‘Crossing’- both Terashitsa-penned numbers – is balanced by more nuanced and reflective tracks like Land’s own composition ‘World Peace’. In total, Topology presents the listener with a complete experience of two musicians from different generations and countries united in musical spirit.

A long out of print rarity known only to a handful of Japanese jazz collectors, Topology is now available once more, reissued for the first time as a 45rpm double 180g LP, featuring exact reproductions of the original artwork, obi strip and insert. It also comes with the original notes fully translated plus a new extended 3700 word essay by Tony Higgins. Topology is also available as a CD and across digital formats.

The J Jazz Masterclass Series is personally curated by Tony Higgins and Mike Peden and is dedicated to presenting the very finest in Japanese jazz. The series features rare and unreleased material presented in the highest quality reproductions of the original releases, fully licensed and authorised.

Following the sell-out success of our landmark compilation, J Jazz: deep modern jazz from Japan 1969-1984, BBE Music is thrilled to present another exploration into the very finest Japanese modern jazz.J Jazz 2 builds on the solid foundation of the first compilation and sees co-compilers Tony Higgins and Mike Peden once again pick choice sections from their own record collections. They present a deep dive into an intoxicating and beguiling range of styles: from cinematic roaring big-band (Little G by Nobuo Hara) and sparse minimal acoustic funk (Teru-Teru Bozo by Teru Sakamoto), to deep spiritual modal epics (Dragon Dance by Makoto Terashita and Harold Land) and funk fusion (Mother of the Future by Electro Keyboard Orchestra). J Jazz 2 delivers more astonishing high quality jazz that will appeal the old school hard-core jazz head as much as those digging the current sounds of the current vibrant jazz explosion in the UK and USA.The specially chosen tracks on J Jazz volume two span across 25 years of Japanese musical progression and invention. From the elegiac stark beauty of Serenade to a Dimly Lit Street and the modal vortex of Daguri, to the fierce post-bop freedom of Bull Trout and the mid-tempo bossa lilt of Vietnam, there is enough here to satisfy the most curious and demanding jazz fan seeking something extra special. J Jazz 2 is available across all formats

Taken from the duo's 2021 album 'Break The Wall' MF Robots' Dawn Joseph and Jan Kincaid have released another slab of dance floor soul in 'Make The Call'. A sure-fire groove that underpins a sublime vocal, 'Make The Call' is sure to be one of the festival, event and club hits of the Summer. Now available on double 12" vinyl: 'Make The Call' remixes from the legendary Two Soul Fusion duo of Louie Vega and Josh Milan. These remixes bring something new and special to the track with each creating a subtly different mood for the dance floor, for the radio and for the house party. MF Robots is a songwriting, production and performing duo created by former Brand New Heavies founder Jan Kincaid and BNH vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Dawn Joseph. The pair left the Heavies in 2014 to record their own compositions and have been wowing audiences and record buyers with their effortless blending of Soul, RnB, Funk, Disco and Jazz ever since. Louie Vega is one half of the House music dons Masters at Work and Josh Milan is a Grammy nominated vocalist, musician and composer who also collaborate in Vega's collective 'Elements of Life'. With both at the forefront of production, composition and remixing for more than three decades, the House, Boogie and Instrumental versions they have produced for 'Make The Call' are off the scale here.

Repressed 2023.
12 tracks feat. Busta Rhymes, Common, Pharoahe Monch, Madlib, Med, Dwele, Black Thought and others.

The long-awaited vinyl pressing is finally with us. BBE Music continues its highly acclaimed J Jazz Masterclass Series with Kemo Sabe, the debut album from pianist Masao Nakajima. Recorded in 1979 on Yupiteru Records, it’s an elusive beast in the field of J Jazz and balances delicate and refined playing with power and vigour.

BBE Music celebrates 8 glorious years of House and
Disco magic from Marcel Vogel and friends with
compilation album ‘Lumberjacks In Hell’.
Founded in 2010 by German DJ and producer Marcel
Vogel, the ‘Lumberjacks in Hell’ label has won fans
over the world thanks to its deeply rooted, timeless
sound. Described by 5 Magazine as “the best
Chicago dance music label not based in Chicago”,
the imprint has seen legends such as Rahaan,
Soulphiction, Karizma and Jamie 3:26 (whose ‘Taste
Of Chicago’ compilation is coming soon on BBE) rub
shoulders with virtually unknown names, ensuring
that great music is always the star of the show.
Convinced he had to contribute something unique to
DJ culture, Marcel Vogel began “chopping up soulful
tunes” in the early 2000’s. After moving to
Amsterdam in 2010, he founded ‘Lumberjacks In
Hell’, initially as a conduit for his own edits and
productions. Soon he found himself releasing
original tracks from his musical heroes and bringing
the ‘Lumberjacks’ sound to clubs and festivals all
over the globe.
This compilation captures the vibe and vision of
‘Lumberjacks In Hell’, a project which, after only 8
years, has gained a seat at the top table of House
music; revered by weathered veterans and freshfaced
young guns alike.

Following hot on the heels of ‘Digging Beyond The Crates’, the genre-agnostic double LP from Swedish DJ and Local Talk label boss Mad Mats, BBE are delighted to present this strictly limited 12” EP featuring three exclusive cuts, previously only available on digital and CD versions of the album. Ezel’s lively jam ‘Get Down’ summons up classic Jamiroquai with slick and funky acid jazz stylings. Italian producer Turbojazz re-imagines the club classic 'Strings Of Life' as a tempo-shifting electronic jazz odyssey. London producer Ossie’s ‘I Hurt You’ lays down a simple house groove and in a strange co-incidence chooses to sample the same 70’s acapella that our friend J Dilla famously used on the Slum Village classic ‘Players’.
Finally, Snarky Puppy pianist Bill Laurance shows of pure jazz chops with ‘The Pines’, a timeless and efortless work of art.

Rescued from relative obscurity by DJ Amir’s 180 Proof Records, BBE is delighted to present a gem from the tiny yet highly influential catalogue of Strata Records, Bert Myrick’s ‘Live ‘n Well’. This is the first in a long line of reissues focusing on the Strata catalog details attached.

BBE presents the long awaited reissue of "Raw Movements / Rude Movements" from Sun Palace.

Back in the early 1990s house music was having perhaps its most fertile and creative period. The original house from Chicago had blown up back in the ‘80s and left nothing short of a cultural revolution in its wake, with regional variants springing up all over the US, the UK and Europe.
London in particular was a global hub for house music, with a whole slew of clubs and a long established underground scene that had taken house to its heart. A key mover-and- shaker was a young Jeremy Newall, who worked successively at a whole bunch of record stores including Catch-A-Groove, where the likes of Tony Humphries would come and hang out when in town (Humphries used to record his shows at a flat above the shop with a wide-eyed Jeremy soaking in the vibes), and latterly Release The Groove, where he could be found well into the twenty-first century. A close association with Paul ‘Trouble’ Anderson saw him repping for the big fella when Trouble was unable to do his Kiss FM radio show, and as the resident alongside him at Trouble’s much loved Loft Sessions in Camden. He also played on many pirates, at all the best parties in London, Europe and beyond. Jeremy’s position as the go-to guy behind the capital’s hippest record store counters saw many visiting US jocks passing him records that barely saw the light of day in a scene where superb new tunes were coming thick and fast. Therein lie the roots of this compilation … a collection of overlooked, unreleased, and just hard-to-find gems to put alongside some of the better-known and overplayed classics of the era.

‘Off Days in London’ is an EP made by Illa J (Detroit) and Ash Walker. The serendipitous meeting of these two innovative musicians happened in London in 2023, while Illa J took a break from his European tour dates and found solace in Ash Walker’s studio. In between a busy schedule of radio interviews and brand endorsements, Ash & Illa found a way to write and record 4 tracks which are a breath of fresh air to any hip hop or jazz fan. The workrate and talent is apparent from track one, and this EP will definitely leave the listener wanting a full length project from the pair. Both artists bonded over many similarities, including food choices and musical inspiration ( they both featured Detroit legend Amp Fiddler on their latest studio albums). This provided the perfect base for them to cook up some soulful gumbo in the studio and prepare it for the world. When BBE’s founder Peter Adarkwah caught wind of the project and the possibility of releasing it he said ‘Thank You’ . The EP sees Ash & Illa J share controls at the production helm, while John Yancey offers vocals, both singing and rapping on the project. We catch Illa in rare form, effortlessly drifting between the two styles with grown subject matter. This project was born out of 96 hours of organic collaboration - begun by a chance brunch supplied by the savant keyboardist Abram Al and eggslut. Leave your shoes at the door and come inside for some real music.

Releasing as a vinyl 45, Bad Night is the lead offering from The Cromagnon Band's new album Mode. This is the band's second LP and the first of theirs to be released on BBE Music. Mode itself is an album of cinematic and psychedelic dark Funk tinged and tinted with Nordic psych/jazz, classical, boom-bap Hip-Hop breaks and riff heavy rock. - The trio of Drummer Tom Watt, Bassist Lenny Walker and multi-instrumentalist Bert Page work by making music as a team, playing for hours and united by a love of Hip-Hop breaks and psychedelic Jazz/Rock/Funk and classical music. They choose to record only instrumentals which allows space for Bert to weave intricate soundscape with Fender Rhodes, Moog, Sax and Clarinet over the beats and breaks they have written from their improvised jams.

‘Little Orphan Boy’ is the second single taken from album ‘This Is Brian Jackson’, presented with remixes by Two Soul Fusion, a.k.a. Louie Vega and Josh Milan. The veteran artist’s first true solo LP in over 20 years, ‘This Is Brian Jackson’ is produced by Phenomenal Handclap Band founder Daniel Collás. Collás lovingly re-frames and updates ideas and demos that Jackson first laid down back in 1976, right around the time he recorded ‘Bridges’ with Gil Scott-Heron, for a solo project that never saw the light of day... Until now. Alongside his ‘Two Soul Fusion’ partner Josh Milan, Louie Vega gives the album’s closing track ‘Little Orphan Boy’ two truly vintage remix treatments, taking the song on an eclectic, soul-stirring, timeless journey. The extended ‘Two Soul Fusion’ mix calls to mind the golden era of Masters at Work productions, featuring a Latin-infused percussion groove, shimmering organs and in-the-cut funky guitar lines. The ‘Downtempo’ remix lets Brian Jackson’s vocals ride over a head-nodding, stripped back, yet equally soulful arrangement. “A dream to work with Brian Jackson” says Louie Vega. “I mean, he’s a big part of our musical landscape and has been a huge inspiration in our lives. He and Gil from way back to my early years in the Bronx, through to my DJing and producing career into productions like Nuyorican Soul, Elements of Life, Kenlou, Brian and Gil have always been with us! Now to work on such an amazing song with Brian’s keyboard work and lead vocal it made it so much easier for Two Soul Fusion (Josh and I) to find that pocket and groove. We had to create an epic piece and take you on a trip through several styles, it was calling for it. That’s due to the original work of Brian Jackson, a true Master at Work & Two Soul Fusion hero!!! I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next in the horizon with us and the one & only Brian Jackson.” Brian Jackson: "I have always loved the musicality and the rhythmic power that surges through the artistry of Louie Vega since I first heard him in Masters at Work. I made a silent wish that one day I would hear one of my songs given that special treatment. Imagine my elation to know that it would finally happen - with a song I wrote and recorded 45 years ago for a solo project that might have never happened if not for producer Daniel Collás and BBE chief Peter Adarkwah! What Louie, along with Two Soul Fusion partner Josh Milan and I do are alike in so many ways, I knew that if we ever got together, magic would happen and well... here’s to magic! My love and gratitude to Louie, Josh, Daniel, Peter and the beautiful BBE family.”

Japanese master drummer Takeo Moriyama returns to BBE Music’s J Jazz Masterclass Series in a majestic live set showcasing his exemplary musicianship and stature as one of the leading names in Japanese modern jazz.

Recorded in December 1990 at the jazz club Lovely in Nagoya, this set sees Moriyama’s quartet deliver an exemplary session of the finest modal, post-bop and spiritual jazz.

Moriyama is backed by long-time colleague Fumio Itabashi on piano and the group perform a stunning rendition of Itabashi’s classic ‘Watarase’, revisiting the track they first recorded on Moriyama’s 1981 ‘Smile’ album. Demonstrating his range as a composer, Itabashi penned four of the five tracks on this album. ‘Live at Lovely’ also features regular bassist Hideaki Mochizuki and tenor saxophonist Toshihiko Inoue, who also feature on Moriyama’s ‘East Plants’ album, previously reissued in the J Jazz Masterclass Series.

The quartet’s communication and interplay are revelatory, each player listening closely and finding their own space within the richly textured music. The album opens with ‘Sunrise’, a blast of blistering unrestrained post-bop, with Toshihiko Inoue’s strident horn motif and Itabashi’s commanding piano underpinned by Hideaki Mochizuki’s thunderous bass and Moriyama’s relentlessly authoritative and expressive drumming.

On ‘Exchange’, another Itabashi composition, the quartet up the energy level even further, pushing to the edge of free jazz but maintaining enough structure to keep it together as they race headlong into a 20 minute epic that leaves the listener as out of breath as the band. Every track on ‘Live at Lovely’ stands by themselves, but taken together, it’s an extraordinary listening experience that demonstrates the calibre of the Japanese jazz players who emerged in the 1970s and who, like Moriyama and Itabashi, continue to perform today.

This special double vinyl edition is mastered by the Grammy-nominated Carvery and is the first ever reissue since the album’s original Japan only CD release in 1991 and comes with a translation of the original notes plus a new sleeve note by Tony Higgins.

BBE Music presents a brand new album celebrating one of Philadelphia soul music’s most iconic figures, Teddy Pendergrass, remixed by pioneering producer and engineer, John Morales.

This exploration of 1970s Philly soul at its apex focuses on one of the era’s defining voices, Theodore DeReese Pendergrass. Born in Philadelphia in 1950, Pendergrass sang church music at age two, and was ordained a minister at ten years old. Having learned drums and played in local bands during his teens, at 20 he was hired as a drummer for the Blue Notes by group leader Harold Melvin. After being spotted singing along onstage, he was soon appointed lead singer, and the rest is history…

The masterful, revealing remix work of John Morales affords these classic songs improved clarity, allowing each individual player more space to be heard and modernising the recordings without ever losing sight of the original spirit. The virtuoso quality of the songwriting, production, arrangements and performances shine forth anew, and so do some of the music’s subtler qualities and nuanced, sometimes conflicted, subtexts that might have been overlooked in the most conventional view of Pendergrass in his prime.

Curated authoritatively, remixed with love and passion, John Morales’ collection revisits our relationship with Teddy’s and Gamble & Huff’s music as compellingly and immersively as when it was new. Teddy’s timeless force resides equally in his talent for portraying truthfully the joys and hurts, beliefs and doubts, blessings and challenges of our lives, and in the bravery of confronting them all with an honesty that is still utterly extraordinary.

A private press rarity that few know of, ‘Song of Island’ was the third album from pianist Yasuhiro Kohno’s trio, recorded live at the jazz club and live house (gig venue) ‘Again’ in August 1985. Pressed up in small numbers, ‘Song for Island’ was issued on the private Ascap Records, set up by pianist and band leader Yasuhiro Kohno.