Organic Grooves CD 463 Items

Michael Jackson’s Reign as King of Pop Starts Here: RIAA-Certified Nine-Times-Platinum Off the Wall Blends Funk, Disco, Soul, and R&B in Visionary Ways, Features “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” and “Rock With You” 1979 Landmark Presented in Audiophile Sound: Mobile Fidelity’s Numbered-Edition Hybrid Sacd Explodes with Energy, Plays with Tremendous Clarity, Detail, and Dynamics Mobile Fidelity’s numbered-edition hybrid Sacd of Off the Wall is sourced from the original master tapes and housed in mini-LP-style packaging. This reissue is made for everyone who desires to immerse themselves in everything involved with the nine-times-platinum landmark — including the iconic album cover with Jackson dressed in a tuxedo.

Two days after his 100th birthday, Marshall Allen started recording New Dawn, his debut solo album. A member of Sun Ra’s Arkestra since 1958, Allen assumed leadership of the band in 1995. Throughout his nearly seventy-year career, Allen has never released a solo album under his own name, and yet, instead of capping such a legendary output, New Dawn seems to herald a new beginning. A love letter to spacetime, it channels a century of musical intelligence into seven tracks, showing Allen at his most protean—freely moving from relaxed, transdimensional palettes to bluesy big band and beyond.

One of music’s vanguard avant-saxophonists, Allen continues to deliver durational feats during the Arkestra’s gigs. Still, the compositional energy contained on New Dawn is striking. Allen was approached with the idea of a solo record by Week-End Records’ Jan Lankisch. The Arkestra’s Knoel Scott — who has lived with Allen at the Arkestral Institute of Sun Ra since the 1980s — worked with Allen to pore over the archive of unrecorded material and develop this debut. Scott assembled some of Philadelphia’s brightest jazz stars as well as some Arkestra veterans for the sessions. New Dawn was then recorded over a couple of days in Philadelphia, with additional recordings to be added in the coming weeks and months. The legendary Neneh Cherry will lend her unmistakable voice to the title track “New Dawn”.

Though greatly informed by the philosophy of Sun Ra and his Saturnian teachings—traverse jazz’s traditions, dig deep into spiritual geographies — New Dawn signals Allen as his own singular voice, one that’s swinging and bopping and reflecting into the future, with no sign of stopping. Week-End Records is proud to release this debut solo album by Marshall Allen.

“New Dawn is clearly an extension of Ra’s legacy and sound, but it’s also a masterful endeavour filtered through Allen’s tastes and approach”. – John Morrison, The Wire, November 2024 (cover story)

Musicians: Marshall Allen – Kora, EWI, Alto Sax Knoel Scott – Baritone Sax, Congas, Drums Cecil Brooks – Trumpet Bruce Edwards – Guitar Jamaaladeen Tacuma – Bass Richard Hill – Bass Timothy Ragsdale – Bass Owen Brown Jr – 1st Violin Akiko Arendt – 1st Violin Cristina Ardelean Montelongo – 1st Violin Derek Washington – 2nd Violin Elias Feldmann – 2nd Violin Dimitra Karageorgopoulou – 2nd Violin Michael Ireland – Viola Vasileios Vasileiadis – Viola Joseph Richard Carvell – Bass Ilektra-Despoina Stevi – Cello Jorik Bergman – Flute George Gray – Drums Jan Lankisch – Percussion

Special Guest: Neneh Cherry - Voice

Issued in a Digipak.

Have Fun! Double Fun! Greatest Fun! These Fun Fun albums of the 80’s and 90’s, brought you one of the best Italo Disco acts with million-selling hits like Happy Station, Color My Love, Baila Bolero and many others. Breaking the charts back in 1983 with their debut-single Happy Station (More specific, the Ben Liebrand originated “Scratch remix” – first released on High Fashion Music), and afterwards followed by a string of hits in the 80’s and even 90’s.

Digipack CD

At the forefront of a rising wave of Brazilian artists captivating international audiences, Nyron Higor brings a quiet yet potent sense of wonder to his new self-titled album. Born in Maceió, Higor’s latest work is rooted in the traditions of Northeastern Brazilian music and golden-era MPB. Within the peaceful surroundings of his home, Higor weaves these roots together with global influences and contemporary production techniques, for a uniquely dreamlike vision of hope.

Following the success of his self-released debut Fio de Lâmina—an instrumental record of delicately balanced rhythmic and harmonic patterns, which earned support from tastemakers like Mr. Scruff, Gilles Peterson, and John Gomez—Higor’s new album is a move towards a more expansive, lyrical exploration of transcendence and triumph. As Higor explains, “This album is a test of resistance and a big event in my life as a young Black man from the Northeast and coming from a humble background, financially speaking, its context is political.”

Taking his demos and unfinished tracks to São Paulo, Higor worked alongside friends and collaborators from Brazil’s vibrant contemporary music scene—including fellow Maceioense artists Bruno Berle, Batata Boy, and New York-based Brazilian vocalist Alici Sol—assembling a rich musical landscape and a cutting edge development on the musical world from which he emerges.

For Higor, the process of recording and producing in close collaboration with Berle and Batata Boy allowed him to fully cultivate the emotive power of his compositions. Album opener "Ciranda" sets the tone with a slow frevo rhythm, as wistful trombone melodies and melancholic acoustic guitar harmonies create an atmosphere both intimate and grand. Lead single "São Só Palavras," featuring Alici Sol and Bruno Berle, captures both the lightness and depth of young love in an all too fleeting minute-and-a-half moment of soaring brilliance.

Building upon the instrumental sound of his debut, “Louro Cantador” with its playful organ, birdlike whistles and elegant acoustic guitar, emanates a kind of rare natural beauty, as each sound dances amidst the gentle pulse of Higor's bass—his main instrument.

Through ten carefully crafted tracks, Higor’s acuity for sound and silence draws listeners into a place that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant. “Above all, I value making music that brings me genuine satisfaction. I’m always looking for depth in the things I create.”

This album is a testament to the timeless themes that define Higor’s artistry, as well as his creative drive to overcome the obstacles he faces. Conveying his feelings of jubilance for his work, Higor notes, “This work is liberating, contemplative and victorious!” Each track invites the listener to experience the raw intimacy, the joy and longing, and the otherworldly ingenuity of Brazilian music, which seems to endlessly keep us coming back for more.

13 years in the making, Mr Bongo proudly presents a new compilation of beloved Brazilian disco and boogie finds from the legendary London disco connoisseurs, Horse Meat Disco. A labour of love, it showcases a tantalising cross-section of disco, funk, boogie, samba and MPB, from past to present. Unearthing tracks from the seemingly endless gold mine of Brazilian gems, the compilation features legends such as Jorge Ben, Gretchen, Marcos Valle and Robson Jorge & Lincoln Olivetti, alongside unsung heroes including Zé Carlos and Carlos Bivar.

Over 20 years ago, the Horse Meat Disco crew (James Hillard, Severino Panzetta, Jim Stanton and Luke Howard) began their weekly residency at Eagle London back in 2003. That same year, Luke made his first visit to Brazil, beginning a musical love affair that is still going strong.

“I had always wanted to go to Brazil since I was a kid, and when I finally had the opportunity to go with Princess Julia, I was just blown away. I’ve visited Rio every year since 2003, and in that time, I’ve learned Portuguese and tried to discover as much as I can about Brazilian music and popular culture. I learned to dance samba with the Paraiso School of Samba in London and paraded three times at Rio Carnival. Brazilian music was a brand-new world for me to explore and get excited about—a whole universe of genius musicians, singers, and styles.”

9 years later, Mr Bongo invited Luke down to their Brighton HQ for a listening session of some of his favourite Brazilian boogie and disco 7" finds. A compilation was green-lit, but multiple licensing delays and the release of other HMD compilations meant that it lay dormant for years.

Fast forward to 2024, and with the help of esteemed, Rio-based record collector Tee Cardaci, along with suggestions from HMD’s James Hillard, the dream of an HMD Brazilian compilation finally materialised. It’s a carefully curated collection that includes the electronic-boogie/italo-disco-esque 1984 groover 'Venha (Remix)' by the singer Źe Carlos, two cuts by Luiza Maura taken from her sought-after Deixa Girar 7", and Gretchen's sultry 'Ela Tem Raça, Charme, Talento E Gostosura' written by Jorge Ben.

At its core, this compilation captures the excitement and sense of discovery that won over Horse Meat Disco’s heart more than 20 years ago. A vibrant mix of feel-good flavours, it homes in on a sun-soaked strand of disco and boogie that has been enriched with the spirit of a nation where music serves as a central pillar of life.

A Paradise In The Hold is an album of yearning. It’s about Ivor Novello Award winning Yazz Ahmed’s dual heritage, drawing on traditional music and folklore as well as her own personal experience as a British-Bahraini woman. A sweeping epic where tradition meets innovation, she melds ancient rhythms with contemporary musicianship. The record is a tribute to the sorrowful songs of Bahrain’s pearl divers, the strength of Arab women, and the celebratory rhythms of women’s traditional drumming circles, while also telling the story of Yazz’s own decade-long voyage of self-discovery. The album also marks Yazz’s first foray into writing lyrics, in both English and Arabic, bringing a new dimension to her expansive sound. The project features an impressive roster of collaborators, including vocalists Natacha Atlas, Brigitte Beraha, and percussionist Corrina Silvester. With A Paradise In The Hold, Ahmed delivers a groundbreaking fusion of tradition and innovation, creating a contemporary jazz project that is set to make a lasting impact on the genre.

Sacd

Sacd

Sacd

... that groundbreaking album that changed jazz music ... sampled by Aceyalone, Black Moon, Chi-Ali, Fabe, Heavy D, Lootpack and others!

Four years after Nuova Napoli, Nu Genea are back with Bar Mediterraneo, a new album and journey, which projects the sounds of the Neapolitan duo formed by Massimo Di Lena and Lucio Aquilina even further. Nu Genea's Bar Mediterraneo is an idea of a shared place where people meet and fuse together; a space that leaves its doors open to travellers and their lives, always exposed to the whims of fate. Some of this can be experienced through the multitude of sounds that come together in the tracks, layers of different acoustic instruments, voices and synthesizers merging in a unique musical blend. Opening up to the voices of many different people, separated by languages but united by the sea and the music, Nu Genea's hometown, Napoli, becomes a true place of encounter. You can hear this all along. In "Gelbi", a gorgeously deep and propulsive Ney flute plunges into murky waters of the melancholic Tunisian dialect sung by Marzouk Mejri. In "Marechia'", unbridled happiness and sun ooze from the delicate vocals of Célia Kameni and create an acrobatic bridge between French and Neapolitan language. In "Straniero", your soul is arrested from the moment the slow spell-binding mandolin ignites the hypnotic patterns recorded by the legendary Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen. In "Bar Mediterraneo", the title track, bittersweet guitar’s riffs, analog waves and choirs are overwhelming the song giving you what you would like to hear on a boat trip along the Amalfi Coast. Nu Genea couldn't afford to overlook their firmly anchored roots into the Neapolitan culture and its dialect with "Tienaté", where the power of neapolitan language (interpreted by Fabiana Martone) supports those quarter-tone strings and the uncessant folk-disco groove that spreads to the entire song. In "Praja Magia", repetitive mandolin riffs lead the song, giving space to a choral yet tight vocal line that speaks of Varcaturo, a village close to Napoli. In "Rire", a volley of poetic, deceptively laidback, lyrical fury interpreted by Sicilian Marco Castello intimately combines with a highly musical, multitextured instrumental backbone and the swoon of a chanson in its heart. In "La Crisi'', the lyrics of a Raffaele Viviani’s poem from 1930 have been adapted to a laidback jazz-funk groove in full NG style. In "Vesuvio", revaluing the evocative verses and powerful mantra of Vesuvio, Nu Genea re-adapted to the dancefloor a folk song by the working-class band E’ Zezi from Pomigliano D'Arco, combining the voices of a school choir with Jupiter-6 arpeggios and bold percussions. Bar Mediterraneo is the place where people constantly return to transform curiosity into participation, tradition into sharing, unfamiliar into familiar. When travellers come through its “doors”, carrying their treasures of words and emotions, they aren’t strangers any more. They take part in a shared experience, enriching themselves and others by leading to unexpected musical journeys

For the past 4 years the band has criss-crossed the Netherlands. Playing sold out shows at clubs, theaters and festivals from north to south, east to west. Capturing the heart and soul of every person there.

All the travelling also has rendered further personal development and awareness of who Michelle David & The True-tones are. We know them as a band that makes every show a soul spectacle with their unique gospel combined with soul, blues, jazz and afrobeat. Now with a new album coming up; 'Truth & Soul’ (29-04-2022) they expanded their musical horizon even more. Dreamy Indie soul with a heavy 70’s vibe mixed with Brazilian flavors and African Rhythms.

Truth & Soul also contains particularly personal duets with Lilian Vieira and Dobet Gnahoré, both well known for their extraordinary musical talent. Knowing who we are enables us to connect even more with those around us.- Michelle. 'You Can Make it' (the first single of the album) features Grammy - Winner Dobet Gnahoré. Hailing from Côte d’Ivoire Dobet Gnahoré is one of Africa’s hottest and most beloved artists.

Michelle: The lyrics are affirmations that should be on Repeat. In times such as these we need to know we CAN AND Will Make IT!

The Mankunku Quartet's 1968 album 'Yakhal' Inkomo’ clocks in at just over 30 minutes of jazz perfection. This compact, and to-the-point, album would sit comfortably in amongst some of the best works in the catalogues of any of the quintessential jazz labels such as Blue Note, Prestige and Impulse. 'Yakhal' Inkomo’, however, was originally released on the South African record label World Record Co., which resulted in it becoming an elusive and sought-after piece for jazz collectors. First press copies sometimes fetch as much as £1,000 on the collectors' market. It has been long regarded as one of the finest South African jazz albums and DJ / broadcaster Gilles Peterson cemented this when he included it in his "best of genre" focussed radio show, 'The 20 - South African Jazz'.

Tenor saxophonist Winston "Mankunku" Ngozi recorded the session on 23rd July 1968 at the Manley van Niekerk Studios, in Johannesburg. It was recorded by Dave Challen and produced by Ray Nkwe. The session is built up of two original works by Mankunku on the A-side, 'Yakhal' Inkomo' & 'Dedication (To Daddy Trane and Brother Shorter)', and on the B-side, the Horace Silver composition 'Doodlin', and a John Coltrane number 'Bessie's Blues'. What is striking is how the Mankunku-penned compositions not only hold their own next to Silver and Coltrane but they are, arguably, the better tracks on the record - a testament to the beautiful writing and playing of Mankunku.

'Yakhal' Inkomo' features the great musicians; Agrippa Magwaza on bass, drummer Early Mabuza, and pianist Lionel Pillay. Pillay was of Indian descent, making this a mixed-race group, thus the very recording of the album was an act of resistance as it broke the apartheid restrictions of the time. The title of 'Yakhal’ Inkomo' means “the bellow of the bull”, the Black audience would have understood this as coded community symbolism and an act of protest but it escaped the attention of the white government.

For this edition, we have enlisted the services of Abbey Road Studios mastering, and lacquer-cutting engineer Miles Showell to cut a special half-speed master from the audio taken off the original master tapes. Miles has previously worked on our Arthur Verocai, Marcos Valle and Ian Carr re-issues, and once again we are blown away by the richness and clarity of Miles' work. We have also presented it as a replica copy using the cover artwork and labels from the primary World Record Co. original version.

On the sleeve notes, Ray Nkwe the producer and the President of the Jazz Appreciation Society of South Africa writes "This is the LP that every jazz fan has been waiting for" and Ray was not wrong, it's a stone-cold timeless jazz classic.

New 50-minute opus from Gothenburg Sound Workshop. Imagine a handcuffed Terry Riley driving a ice cream truck down in the Göta Älv. The second disc compiles both Förlag För Fri Musik albums (released in small vinyl editions in 2020 and 2021 respectively). Together the three albums creates a massive trilogy of stripped down, melancholic and introspective synth minimalism. Six-panel digipack, edition of 500 copies. Discreet Music Cd04.

Longtime Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne keys and guitar player Adam Wakeman (as Milton Keanes) is back with Jazz Sabbath Vol. 2. According to the liner notes, the UK jazz trio Jazz Sabbath were recording 2 albums in 1969 when disaster struck. Their debut album was cancelled, and their second album shelved; leaving room for a certain band from Birmingham becoming famous by playing metal versions of their jazz songs; claiming they were their own. Jazz Sabbath were powerless to do anything about it. Their 50-year-streak of misfortune ended in 2020 with the discovery of their debut album master tapes and the following re-release of the album. Now, reunited after 52 years, Jazz Sabbath entered the studio and finished recording their sophomore album. With the theft by the band from Birmingham exposed, Milton Keanes and colleagues can now present these songs in their original form, replenished with 52 years of experience, vigor... and rage. The tranquil 'Symptom Of The Universe', the full 8-minute version of 'Paranoid' (not that metal afterthought version everyone knows) and of course the song that other band so blatantly named themselves after.

The original album, Remastered by Bernie Grundman
• 12 bonus tracks taken from the original 1996 session tapes
• 64 page booklet including new liner notes, photos, song notes & lyrics

‘Buena Vista Social Club’ is both the name given to this extraordinary group of musicians and the album, recorded in just seven days in 1996 in Havana’s 1950s vintage EGREM studios. It was clear from the atmosphere of the recording sessions that something very special was taking place. However, no one could have predicted that Buena Vista Social Club would become a worldwide phenomenon – awarded a Grammy in 1997 and, at 8 million copies, outselling any other record in the same genre. The acclaim of the original album has elevated the artists (including Ibrahim Ferrer, Rubén González & Omara Portuondo) to superstar status, inspired an award-winning film by Wim Wenders, and has contributed to popularising Cuba’s rich musical heritage. Produced by Ry Cooder for World Circuit, the timeless quality of the music and the sheer verve of the veteran performers have ensured that this will go down as one of the landmark recordings of the 20th century. To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the album’s recording, World Circuit will release Special Edition Remaster formats of the album in September 2021, featuring previously unheard tracks, previously unseen photos and new liner notes. The releases will be supported by an international PR & marketing campaign, events and digital initiatives.

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio-or as it is sometimes referred to, DLO3-specialize in the lost art of "feel good music." The ingredients of this intoxicating cocktail include a big helping of the 1960s organ jazz stylings of Jimmy Smith and Baby Face Willette; a pinch of the snappy soul strut of Booker T. & The M.G.'s and The Meters; and sprinkles Motown, Stax Records, blues, and cosmic Jimi Hendrix-style guitar. It's a soul-jazz concoction that goes straight to your heart and head makes your body break out in a sweat. The band features organist Delvon Lamarr, a self-taught virtuosic musician, with perfect pitch who taught himself jazz and has effortlessly been able to play a multitude of instruments. On guitar is the dynamo Jimmy James who eases through Steve Cropper-style chanking guitar, volcanic acid-rock freak-out lead playing, and slinky Grant Green style jazz. From Reno, Nevada is drummer Dan Weiss (also of the powerhouse soul and funk collective The Sextones). Dan's smoldering pocket-groove drumming locks in the trio's explosive chemistry. Founded by Larmarr's wife and manager Amy Novo, the trio started from humble beginnings in 2015, but since then has released two Billboard charting albums and toured the world to sold out venues. The trio returns now with their second studio album, I Told You So, with even heavier grooves and more confidence. It may have been several years since their most recent studio effort, but they haven't missed a beat.

Outro Tempo II: Electronic and Contemporary Music from Brazil, 1984-1996 is the second installment of Music From Memory’s Brazilian series. This volume picks up where the first Outro Tempo left off, shedding light on a new wave of experimentalism that emerged in Brazil in the late 1980s and 1990s. The twenty tracks collected uncover another area of Brazilian music that looked to the future for inspiration. This time it drifts beyond the rainforest and into the pulsating heart of Brazil’s great cities, where it meets a generation of young artists eager to radically change the face of contemporary Brazilian music. In Outro Tempo II the avant garde and pop worlds meld in a haze of percussion and electronics. It presents another uncompromising and magnetic reinterpretation of the limits of Brazilian music. Outro Tempo II is compiled again by John Gómez and features original artwork by Alice Quaresma. The CD version also includes the 2 tracks 'Bruhahá' & 'Eyes' which were released as a separate single on vinyl and were not included in the 2xLP version.

Formed in 1968, Jazz Sabbath was considered by many to be at the forefront of the new jazz movement
coming out of England at the time. The eagerly awaited debut album, scheduled for release on Friday
13th February 1970, was cancelled when news broke that founding member and pianist Milton Keanes
was hospitalised with a massive heart attack which left him fighting for his life.
The record company shelved the album and cancelled the scheduled release out of financial uncertainty
of releasing a debut album from a band without its musical leader. When Milton was released from
hospital in September 1970, he found out that a band from Birmingham, conveniently called ‘Black
Sabbath’, had since released two albums containing metal versions of what he claims were his songs.
All recalled Jazz Sabbath albums had been destroyed when the warehouse burned down in June 1970;
which turned out to be a case of insurance fraud by the label owner, leaving only a few bootleg tapes of
Jazz Sabbath’s live performances as proof of existence.
The album masters were said to be lost in the fire, but were actually misplaced and gathered dust in the
basement vaults of the recording studio. These tapes have now been remixed and will finally be heard;
proving that the heavy metal band worshipped by millions around the world are in fact nothing more than
musical charlatans, thieving the music from a bedridden, hospitalised genius.

With a timeless sound that blends heavy soul and psych-rock, Monophonics have built a reputation over the past decade as one of the best live bands in the country. Led by singer Kelly Finnigan, the band of has drawn on their colorful history — both their experiences as veteran touring performers and as individuals growing up in the Bay Area — to create “It’s Only Us,” their fourth release since 2012.

A reflection of what they see as the current state of the world, the record touches on difficult subjects such as broken relationships, mental health issues, gun violence and power struggles, all with an underlying message of unity, resilience and acceptance. The band’s signature style of arrangement has been expanded with top-notch production and creative instrumentation to round out the Monophonics’ trademark soul sound, while Finnigan’s vocals are more powerful than ever. At times these tracks can feel classic, as familiar as an old song you grew up with, while simultaneously raising questions about the state of music in 2020 and what the future might hold.

“It’s Only Us” is the sound of a group continuing to grow as songwriters, musicians, performers and people — reflecting on where they’ve been, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the years to come.

LP is packaged in high quality Stoughton Tip-On gatefold jacket, LP stored in an anti-static innsersleeve, and includes a download card. Pressed at Gotta Groove Records in Cleveland, OH.

Just one year after the release of Brazilian Disco Boogie Sounds’ compilation, Favorite Recordings presents the 2nd edition of its acclaimed series.

At the control this time is French DJ and producer Charles Maurice, digging again in his collection and travelling to Brazil for the occasion in order to find some local hidden treasures. The result comes as nine additional obscure hits from the Brazilian Funk-Boogie-Disco scene during the years of 1977 to 1984.

At that time musicians and arrangers such as Lincoln Olivetti, Robson Jorge, and Oberdan Magalhães along with Banda Black Rio were responsible for the new music scene. They’d dominated the studios with sophisticated and original arrangements that have forever transformed Brazilian musical. This music, at that point, had gained a new style and great international respect that has remained still.

Brazilian Disco Boogie Sounds Vol.2 pays tribute to this great era, coming out in a deluxe vinyl edition with old-school tip-on jacket, including notes and original artworks.

Sit back and take a deep breath: an all new Egyptian Lover studio album is about to drop this fall!

Stix Recordings rounds up all those essential Mato 7" anthems onto this extended player, with all the cuts remastered for the occasion! Includes two unreleased hits featuring Blackstreet (No
Diggity) & Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre (The Wash). Woopiwoop, that's the sound of reggae-hip hop perfection!

Bernard Purdie is one of the most well known drummers of all time, and probably the most recorded in history. From his early days as a session player, Purdie rose to become Aretha Franklin’s musical director, did overdubs for The Beatles, and recorded with the likes of Steely Dan, Cat Stevens, Joe Cocker, Hall & Oats, Quincy Jones, Roberta Flack, and James Brown, to name a few. In 1967 he entered a studio with several friends to cut his first solo album, “Soul Drums”. The album was critically acclaimed upon its initial release, only to reach mythical proportions once being rediscovered by DJs and hip-hop producers years later, when it became one of the most sought-after drum LPs among vinyl collectors.

2xCD Version

The debut recording by The Ancients, the intergenerational coalition of Isaiah Collier, William Hooker, & William Parker formed by parker to play concerts in conjunction with the milford graves mind body deal exhibition at the institute of contemporary art los angeles & now a working group. across x2LPs of side-length long-form improvised sets recorded at 2220 arts & archives in LA & the chapel in San Francisco, The Ancients bring the free jazz trio languages first explored by the Cecil Taylor Unit & Ornette Coleman’s -Golden Circle- band (expanded upon in later eras by Sam Rivers' Trio & Parker’s collective trios with Charles Gayle/Graves & Peter Brötzmann/Hamid Drake) into their own unique & scintillating realms of expression.

As we tumble further into the throes of history’s tides, people of hope & creativity rely on the works of our great artists to lift our spirits & focus our resolve. -ascension- was recorded less than a year after the passage of the civil rights act & four months after the assassination of Malcolm X. -journey in satchidananda- was recorded the month reagan was re-elected governor of California. M’boom made its debut recording weeks after the watergate scandal broke & a couple months after the wounded knee occupation ended. The music of the ancients builds on these great musical legacies. it resounds with the pride of survival & the joys of making & sharing music. It delivers to us hope & balm. something real in you, real in history, & real in the music is shared, right on time.

When Eremite records commenced operations during the 1990s free jazz resurgence, heavyweight freedom-seeking tenor saxophonists such as Fred Anderson, Peter Brötzmann, Charles Gayle, Kidd Jordan, & David S. Ware were at the height of their powers. Isaiah Collier’s tenor playing in the ancients is bracing testimony that the wellspring lives on. to hear the young chicago firebrand blowing freely with veteran improvisers in an entirely open-form group music is a revelatory study of his vast talent, personal voice, & the intensity of his expression —as well as a bold complement to his composition-based albums as a bandleader (including -the almighty-, a new york times' best albums of 2024 selection).