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Mainly known to DJs for the funk groover "Te Queria", Rota-Mar is the first solo album by the charismatic Zéca do Trombone. During a vertiginous career which started in the late 60s, Zéca was a permanent member of Wilson Simonal's band, toured with Luiz Eça's Sagrada Família (alongside Joyce, Naná Vasconcelos, Nelson Angelo and others), recorded the seminal Brazilian funk "Coluna do Meio" for his joint effort with Roberto Sax, and played and recorded for some of the big names of Brazilian music such as Tim Maia or Martinho da Vila. Particularly for samba artists such as Alcione, Leci Brandão or Moreira da Silva, Zéca do Trombone was the trombonist of choice.

Rota-Mar displays the work of an established musician who has nothing to prove. Impregnated with Zéca's characteristic voice, the songs draw inspiration from the sea, love and bohemian life, and let us all dream of what life in Rio the Janeiro was during that time. "Te Queria", penned by Zéca's childhood friend Elízio de Búzios (known for his highly collectable funk/boogie single "Tamanqueiro") is the obvious highlight, although we believe the real beauty of the album lies in the relaxed sea-side groove and MPB in the rest of the songs, including Zéca's superb take on Martinho da Vila's "Manteiga de Garrafa".

As bonus tracks to this reissue, we include both sides from Zéca's rare 1977 single, featuring the allmighty trio Azymuth.

Comes with an 8-page booklet with bilingual (Portuguese / English) liner notes by Brazilian journalist Marcelo Pinheiro and previously unpublished pictures from the artist's archive.

Limited Clear Vinyl edition, 500 copies! Lateef at Cranbrook (also reissued as Yusef Lateef) is a. live album by multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef recorded in 1958 at the Cranbrook Academy of Art and originally released on the Argo label. Saxophonist, flautist, oboist and all-round reeds maestro Yusef Lateef was a renowned cross-pollinator of Eastern modes with the more traditional harmonic repertoire of American jazz. During the course of his covetable career he worked side-by-side with Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus and Miles Davis among others.

A multi-instrumentalist who reconfigured jazz many times during his long career, Yusef Lateef came to prominence in the late 1950s, after having toured with Dizzy Gillespie. Jazz Mood dates from 1957, when his Quintet had some of Detroit's finest, including Alice Coltrane's brother Ernest Farrow on bass and future Jazz Messenger Curtis Fuller on trombone. The use of an argol on 'Metaphor' and a rabat and finger cymbals on 'Morning' point to Lateef's Islamic grounding and his belief that music serves a higher purpose; this edition has bonus track 'Passion,' from the equally excellent Before Dawn. Rich, deep, and varied, this is required listening for all serious jazz heads.

* 180gram HQ pressing * Remastered from the 1st generation Oasis Records master tape * Lacquer cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio * First time on vinyl reissue * Pressed on Blue Bubble Vinyl / This is the 3rd solo album by Yon Seok-won, whose career as composer/arranger spans 5 decades, released in 1991. The Mermaid is a monumental work representing Yon’s first output as a pioneer of a unique jazz-based Korean new age/fusion sound. The album has recently become much sought-after among listeners and collectors drawn to the ambient elements and Balearic vibes that permeate the album. At long last, after nearly 30 years, this hidden masterpiece from a visionary composer who was way ahead of his time has been reissued! Yon Seok-won was born in 1949 in Hwanghae Province, in what is now part of North Korea. After his family fled to the South during the Korean War, he grew up in Incheon. In 1969, he met Incheon-born musician Kim Myoung-kil, with whom he formed the soul band ‘Devils’. Playing mainly on the U.S. 8th Army entertainment circuit, the group also dominated music competitions and the club scene. Yon left the band when he was drafted into military service soon after the release of the Devils debut album. As soon as his service was complete, Yon formed and led the Outsiders, a rock band that mixed soul and Latin influences. The outfit’s only album was released in 1975. Yon then went on to join Shin Byoung-ha’s jazz-rock / disco unit, the Four Seasons, while also working on solo material and furthering his career as an arranger. Having built a working relationship with SRB Records at the time, he handled production duties as composer / arranger for various acts such as the folk singer Jung Tae-choon as well as soul-funk singers like Yoon Si-nae and Moon Ji-young. Ever passionate about exploring new music, in 1982 he left behind a promising career as composer / arranger in the domestic gayo scene and went to America to discover a greater world of music. He spent the next 5 years studying jazz and playing local gigs in Hawaii. Upon his return to Korea in 1986, Yon’s broadened musical scope organically found expression on numerous remarkable gayo productions, signaling the start of a new heyday for him. This is plain to see in his work on the albums by various top acts of the time, including In Soon-ee, Lee Eun-ha, Kim Wan-sun, and Kim Beom-ryong. In particular, he demonstrated an unparalleled knack for arranging New Wave-influenced disco tunes as well as ballads that incorporated elements of chamber music. Additionally, since the early 1990s to the early 2000s, Yon has been prolific as a score composer for numerous films and drama series. In 1990, Yon established a musicianship crew of his own, ‘Creation’, which became a steadfast vehicle for him to give form to his musical visions. His jazz-based fusion / new age albums, which threw a fresh new light on Yon and his work, were released during this era. Building on his close working relationship with Oasis Records at the time, in 1991 Yon released his first solo material in 10 years – ‘Mermaid’, while also working as head producer of Shin Hyo-bum’s idiosyncratic jazz-oriented gayo album ‘Jazz: The Outing (1991). Also prolific as an arranger, his career peaked when he participated in hit songs by Lee Moon-sae and Kim Gwang-seok. Ever since the 2000s, Yon has focused mainly on composing scores for drama series. Yon’s extraordinary yet woefully under-documented career saw him pursue a unique musical journey after his beginnings in a soul / rock band in the 70s, after which he infused jazz elements into gayo and realized his greater musical vision. His touch can be found everywhere from 70’s gems to the various gayo hits and score albums of the late 91’s. As such, Yon Seok-won is a mysterious musician whose works are familiar to any gayo lover / collector even while little is known about the man himself. It’s high time for a proper appreciation of Yon and his work.

New Parisian label, Disques Messager, presents its new and second release. As its name suggests, the label has a simple leitmotiv: to place itself among the best messengers for rarities and sought-after gems of the international rare groove. A mission which began like fire last year with a 7inch reissue release including two Brazilian Disco bangers by Cristina Camargo. For this second efforts, the label doesn’t deviate from the artistic and quality path taken, however also making quite a U-turn, this time presenting 2 underrated kind of musical UFO, both from the French scene. Not many info can be found about Yoanson & Karamie, two young artists from the French African diaspora, who randomly met with Nessim Saroussi and his label Ness Music in the late 80s. Nessim himself doesn’t remind much about the 2 guys, except that he quickly offered to produce them, which resulted in their only EP release, Kalimba (1988). Part of this EP, “African Leaders” is a stunning track melting Afro-Tropical percussions, Disco bass, Early-Electro beats and Leftfield vocals in a way that could remind of Doctor L or Arthur Russel productions. On the contrary, Philippe de Lacroix-Herpin (aka Prof Jah Pinpin) has a long musical career started in the mid-70s and became a renowned saxophonist playing and recording for many famous French acts such as Jean-Jacques Goldman, Alain Chamfort, FFF, or even rap band NTM. In 1994, he moved definitely to the Reunion Island where he quickly launched the Prof Jah Pinpin 4tet, in his own words willing to play “free/funk/jazz/rock/tropical” music… Quite a vast and large musical tag, but which immediately make sense when listening to the surprising “The Final Bird” track. Only released as CD in 1996, this instrumental production has indeed a unique sound and flavor mixing all kinds of elements together (even samples of Weather Report). Well as you can understand, words are not the best way to describe these 2 hidden treasures, so we strongly recommend the spinning to make your own view!

With the intention of celebrating the music of Yma Sumac and continuing to spread her legacy, Ellas Rugen Records reissues on vinyl one of the highest points of her career: "Legend of the Sun Virgin", recorded in 1952 in the United States by Capital Records. The production, which she signed with her husband and close collaborator, the composer Moisés Vivanco, reflects the exotic proposal of Sumac, a pioneer in World Music and a true ambassador of Peruvian culture in the world. True to the spirit of this new record company, the vinyl has been carefully edited and it includes unpublished photos from Sumac's personal archive, an informative text written by renowned historian Carmen McEvoy and a state-of-the-art sound remastering. In addition, through the pre-sale, which has already started through BandCamp, collectors will be able to access a limited edition that includes a colored vinyl. With this, Ellas Rugen Records begins its journey with the aim of reclaiming and giving a new life to the great Latin American artists of the second half of the 20th century. In addition to Sumac’s reissue, the label already has its next releases in process, which will focus on iconic singers from Venezuela and Mexico. “Due to the lack of cultural preservation policies and the negligence of small record labels from the 60s, 70s and 80s, a lot of our musical legacy is being lost. The current low profitability of these projects means that large companies forget productions that still have a lot to contribute. This is why this label aims to honor these artists by reissuing, revaluing and bringing their best productions to new generations”, says Jalo Nuñez del Prado, music producer, founder and director of Ellas Rugen Records.

Yaşar Akpençe was born in 1966 in Istanbul (Türquiye) and can be consider as one of the best world darbouka player. He began his career in music at the age of 9 by playing Congo and carried on with the darbuka at 13 and made his musical dream come true by working with famous musicians. Akpençe has performed as a guest musician on numerous albums as well as being the founder of the percussion collective known as « Harem Group ». Yasar has performed with almost every major artist in Turkey, spanning many genres including pop, traditional. gypsy, jazz, arabesque and contemporary. The track « Desert Wind » was released in 2004 on his cd album « Passion Percussion » and we ‘re very proud to reissue it for the first time on vinyl. This track is a dance floor classic ! A perfect tool for DJ’s all over the world.

In a career full of bold, genre-blending statements, Wendy Eisenberg’s double album Viewfinder is their boldest yet. Viewfinder is about what happens when you reach clarity and it throws you off-balance, and what it means to love something without understanding why you love it. Eisenberg leads a large band of NYC jazz musicians, including Booker Stardrum (drums) and Chris Williams (trumpet). Together, they push the boundaries of jazz into songcraft, songcraft into art song, and art song into jazz, cementing Eisenberg’s work as a guitarist, improviser, composer - and establishing Eisenberg as a singular talent in 21st-century jazz.

Saxophonist Wendell Harrison has lived by a standard philosophy for his 50-plus-year career: One must have complete self-autonomy. Both his music and business dealings reflect this. Besides being a legend on the Detroit jazz scene and mentoring up-and-coming musicians through his non-profit organization Rebirth Inc., he co-founded the Tribe Records label in the 1970s, which produced a magazine and many classic albums. Harrison is continuing Tribe’s legacy—this time around with a group of rising jazz musicians from the Motor City such as drummer Louis M. Jones III, trumpeter Trunino Lowe, and guitarist Jacob Schwantz—on his new recording "Get Up Off Your Knees". There’s a lot to digest here because the original compositions encompass R&B, soul, spoken word, and 'world' music, all seen through the lens of jazz. Harrison tends to weave elements of African music into many of his compositions. On “Siera” and “Samoulén Khalé Yi”, both written by vocalist and bassist Pathe Jassi, he pays tribute to Guinea-Bissau and Senegalese culture. “Educators” also has African nuances in its hardcore drumming and Harrison’s sublime blowing on bass clarinet and clarinet. Any discriminating jazz listener will be consumed by "Get Up Off Your Knees", but it seems Harrison’s primary purpose for making this album is to encourage the current generation to put education first and build social awareness. On the title track, vocalist Miche Braden pushes the self-determination angle, which is again highlighted on “Revolution”, a reimagined take on Gil Scott-Heron’s “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” delivered with an adherence to contemporary events by the poet Rev. Mbiyu Chui.

Released in 1975, Farewell To The Welfare' is the only Tribe release to actually have “The Tribe” in the artist name! Originally released on 7” vinyl by “Wendell Harrison and The Tribe” without a cover, we’re reissuing the album with original artwork and modern remastering on limited edition 45rpm vinyl!

As you would expect from the sole release with “The Tribe” as part of the artist name, Wendell Harrison (ts. fl.), Phil Ranelin (tbn.), Harold McKinney (pf.), and Lopez Leon (ba.) are all present, with Harrison playing one of the most electrifying solos of his career over a breakneck jazz-funk beat. But that’s not it! The Tribe are here in full force, with Detroit musicians Ron English (gt.), George Davidson (ds.), and Ralph Jones (sax.) also making appearances on the track.

Farewell To The Welfare is jazz-funk of the highest caliber, with wah’d out staccato guitar strumming, unison horn lines, and a groove so tight you couldn’t slide a piece of paper in it. Harrison’s fantastic solo at the beginning of the solo section is followed by Jones on the soprano saxophone, his tone almost bracing as he occasionally pushes the boundaries of harmony with extended lines before making his way back home. The track is rounded out by a solo from English. Compared to the fiery solos from the two saxophonists before him, it seems understated. But his mellow tone and impeccable phrasing fit perfectly with the rhythm section, playing off of McKinney’s piano lines and Leon’s bass.

Reissued for the first time ever with artwork made specifically for this release and modern digital remastering, this is sure to be one of the hottest 7”s of this year!

* Originally released in 1974 on the famed spiritual jazz label Strata-East * New remastering * Japanese Obi-strip In Harmony' is the fourth album by American jazz pianist and composer Weldon Irvine, released in 1974 on the famed spiritual jazz label Strata-East and acclaimed as one of his finest catalog in his early career. P-vine delightedly presents this great jazz album with new remastering just for this reissue!

Weather Report’s long and illustrious career had many twists, turns and revelations. Live In London draws on the best moments of performances delivered at the Hammersmith Odeon in June 1983, with former Chic percussionist Jose Rossy, plus a take of ‘Corner Pocket’ as played at the Dominion Theatre one year later with Mino Cinelu. Mainstay Joe Zawinul mans the ship alongside saxophonist Wayne Shorter, this edition of WR driven by the frantic beats of Omar Hakim and the bass of Victor Bailey, less showy than Jaco yet just as engaging. Initially cut for radio broadcast, fans of late-era Weather Report will love every moment.

Volker Kriegel is considered the pioneering Jazz-rock and Fusion guitarist from Europe. 1968 was a crucial year for his career as he released "With A Little Help From My Friends," his first solo album, and signed with American vibraphonist Dave Pike, joining what would quickly emerge as one of the most popular and influential jazz fusion combos. This precious document reissued for the first time by Cinedelic Jazz with bonus tracks highlights all his qualities that enabled him to become one of the most acclaimed and innovative guitarists in European jazz. The original album included two recording sessions; Side A in Cologne and Side B in Frankfurt, with different performers. Side A as a trio with double bass and drums, and on the other with the addition of vibraphonist Claudio Szenkar. The covers performed are the two by Lennon-McCartney 'With A Little Help From My Friends' and 'Norwegian Wood’, and the traditional Brazilian 'Nãnã Imborô'. Added to the original album are four previously unreleased tracks of great depth recorded at the Deutsches Jazz Festival in Frankfurt in 1968: "Teaming Up" and "Vian-De" by Kriegel himself, "Spanish Soul" by Szenkar and "Nina's Dance" lasting over 9 minutes and featuring Tony Scott on Clarinet and Gustl Mayr on Tenor Sax. Over the years, Kriegel would go on to participate in over 200 albums.

Following the already classic Wamono A to Z trilogy, 180g presents an exceptional collection of jazz funk / rare groove tunes recorded in the mid-seventies at the Nippon Columbia studios by three giants of Japanese music: arranger Kiyoshi Yamaya, koto legend Toshiko Yonekawa and shakuhachi master Kifu Mitsuhashi.

Born in 1932 in Tokyo, Kiyoshi Yamaya started his musical career in 1953 when he played in various jazz bands in town. In 1957, Yamaya joined Nobuo Hara’s famous jazz big band Sharps & Flats as a baritone saxophone player and started composing, arranging, and recording for them and other big bands. He became a key jazz figure in Japan in the sixties together with Norio Maeda and Keitaro Miho, both jazz pianists, composers and arrangers, by forming the Modern Jazz Three Association – which aimed at improving the level of Japanese jazz composition and arrangement. In the mid-seventies, his Contemporary Sound Orchestra explored jazz funk fusions with traditional Japanese melodies and instruments such as the shakuhachi, koto, biwa, and shamisen. These works were recorded for a series of panoramic Japanese albums released domestically on Denon and Nippon Columbia, from which the tracks on this compilation are taken from.

Toshiko Yonekawa, born 1913 in the city of Himeji, not so far from Osaka, is the eldest daughter of koto and shamisen master Kin’o Yonekawa. She started studying both instruments with her talented father from the age of 3, played in her first concert at 8, and was only 12 years old when she first appeared on national radio. Her unique style of koto playing is widely recognized due to the extreme accuracy of the intonation and rhythm, as well as the unequaled beauty of the instrument’s sonority. After a life decorated with awards and prizes, Toshiko Yonekawa was named a Living National Treasure in 1996.



Born in Tokyo in 1950, Kifu Mitsuhashi is a great master of Koto style shakuhachi. After completing the NHK Hōgaku Training Program in 1972, Mitsuhashi became a member of Pro Musica Nipponia, a group of leading composers and top-ranking musicians devoted to performing a wide-ranging repertoire of classical and contemporary compositions from both Japan and the West – in which all music is performed by traditional Japanese musical instruments. Mitsuhashi has toured the world for hundreds of recitals, also as a soloist, and has performed his art with the greatest ensembles such as the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Berliner Philharmoniker. In 2020, Kifu Mitsuhashi was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun.

Deadstock copy in Mint or NM condition

Deadstock copy in Mint or NM condition

Deadstock copy in Mint or NM condition

Remastered vinyl reissues of the two essential albums by Turkish folk/ jazz singer Tülay German, starting with the self-titled release (1980) and followed by "Hommage to Nazım Hikmet" (1982) in early 2022. Referring heavily on turkish poets and the tradition of aşıks (singer-poets and wandering bards) these two albums represent unique and modern interpretations of turkish folk songs unmatched
to this day. A matured artist with full conviction at the height of her powers! Back in the 60s Tülay German (*1935 in Istanbul, Turkey) shook the turkish music landscape with several 7" records. Most notably her first 7" record Burçak Tarlası (1964) is now considered
the cornerstone of what was to become the Anadolu Rock/ Pop movement and underlines her rebellious nature and sense of justice.
But due to increasing repression Tülay German and her lifelong partner and intellectual impetus Erdem Buri decided to leave Turkey a few years later. In fact, an impending prison sentence for Erdem Buri for translating Hegel’s Dialectic and Science of Logic led the couple to emigrate to France.

In France Tülay German signs a major contract with Philips resulting in many 7" releases sung in french under her french moniker Toulaϊ. In the long run Tülay German doesn’t feel quite comfortable with this major deal. And thus, despite the success and recognition she had gained, she decides to quit the contract with Philips! Later on she signs to independent world-music label Arion to pursue her actual artistic goals more in line with her origin and temperament. Back to her mother tongue, Tülay German records above mentioned albums for Arion under full artistic freedom, the only full-lenghths in her 20+ years career. Alongside with double-bass virtuoso and turkophil François Rabbath (*1931 in Aleppo, Syria) the albums consist of aşık traditionals and intonated poems mainly by Nazım Hikmet. Her passionate voice and the restrained arrangements of François Rabbath turn these centuries old melodies and poems into glowing manifestos for love and justice.

The fruitful collaboration of these artists-in-exile adds significantly to the rich heritage of turkish folk music. The self-titled debut, which was awarded with the prestigious Grand Prix du Disque of Académie Charles Cros in 1981, is now seeing a vinyl reissue after 40 years. Tülay German ended her musical career in 1987 and after the death of Erdem Buri in 1993 she retired from public life completely, leading a quiet life in Paris where she still lives to this day. In 2021 Tülay German was awarded with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, Turkey.

Toshiko Mariano Quartet is the 1961 album from fourteen time Grammy Nominated pianist and composer Toshiko Akiyoshi - then known as Toshiko Mariano. Women have long been denied the credit they deserve in jazz. It must be noted that as a Japanese women in jazz, Akiyoshi had to battle for acceptance on many fronts. Jazz has been a patriarchy community from the beginning, and even critical praise of her playing could not help but take note of her gender. Leonard Feather, for example, writing at the time in the Encyclopedia of Jazz called out Akiyoshi’s playing as “fiery, powerfully articulated and exceptionally fluent,” but added that there was “nothing delicately feminine.” Even today it is still hard for people to see Jazz in any other way. We are pleased to be a part of shifting the narrative and shine a spotlight on this talented artist and this wonderful album. While she was later to compose using themes, harmonies, and instruments connected to her Japanese heritage, this album captures the pianist early in her career playing a straight ahead, harp bop style. This was already her 7th album as a band leader, and it is a shining example of her confidence and mastery of her instrument and as a band leader. Recorded at the Nola Penthouse Studios in New Your City in December of 1960, the LP includes extraordinary liner notes by Candid A&R man and producer Nat Hentoff giving a context and insight that adds to the experience of hearing these extraordinary performances.

Tony Scott (born Anthony Joseph Sciacca June 17, 1921 – March 28, 2007) was an American jazz clarinetist and arranger with an interest in folk music around the world. For most of his career he was held in high esteem in new-age music circles because of his involvement in music linked to Asian cultures and to meditation. Tony performed with many star as Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Harry Belafonte and before moving to Italy in the early ‘70’s he just cut two sought after masterpiece moving forward from his early idea of bop and cool jazz. In particular ‘Djanger Bali’ (1967 Saba) - recorded with The Indonesian All Stars - and the self titled Tony Scott (1968 Verve) - featuring Richard Davis on bass, John Berberian on oud and Attila Zoller on guitar – set the pace for a revolution in terms. This set recorded in Africa around the mid 90’s is a pure rhythm festival pushing the boundaries of his afro fusion agenda

This album is inspired by bits and pieces of Ethio-Jazz, Afrobeat, Highlife Spiritual Jazz and dusty funk 45’s. It’s where I’m at now and what has kept this mortal vehicle fueled. I tend to take different paths each musical outing but this one is for the long haul, the one for the blue highways and forgotten byways. It’s the one to get lost to. It’s about the journey, not the destination." Tommy Guerrero continues pushing the boundaries while upholding his San Francisco Bay heritage. Starting from the Bones Brigade skate team in the '80s, he’s made movie appearances, designed for Levi's in Japan, Vans shoes worldwide and Sutro eyewear among others, signed a skateboard contract with Converse, co-founded Real Skateboards and 40’s Clothing, is art director for Krooked Skateboarding, and found time to be a prolific recording artist.

The discovery of Tomasz Stańko's archive recordings from 50 years ago at Radio Bremen demonstrated the dynamic development of this shrouded in mystery quintet, which was a blank spot in the history of Polish jazz. Released by Astigmatic Records, the album turned out to be a surprise and a huge musical treat for many fans who no longer remember such a fiery period in the career of the outstanding trumpeter. The record received much critical acclaim and sold out in a blink, and Jazz Forum magazine recognised Wooden Music I as the historic album of the year. Now the time has come for the 2nd and final installment of wooden music.

It takes more than one album to fully illustrate the evolution of the band with which Tomasz Stańko, as its leader, recorded Music for K, one of the most important albums in Polish jazz. It is the early 1970s, Zbigniew Seifert gives up the saxophone in favour of the violin, so the band's sound becomes more 'wooden', and around this expression Stańko builds the foundations of a philosophy, which he wrote down on four small sheets of paper, still kept by Bronisław Suchanek, the quintet's bass player: We seek to create the kind of music that, while operating with all the elements of the most genuine jazz, attempts to look at it from a different angle, from a different mental plane. We do not experiment with the material, but with the form. For the form does not have to be a logical and strict construction of the entire piece, it can be free, improvised while playing, resulting from the mood, or atmosphere existing at a given moment, or random things, creating with their free fluidity that specific "magical mood". This, of course, excludes compositions in the traditional sense - Tomasz Stańko wrote at the time.

Wooden Music is therefore like a postcard - not so much of a specific gig, but of the entire period of the quintet's activity. It opens with compositions featured on Jazzmessage from Poland. Wooden Music I recorded in Bremen on 15 June 1972 is its peak - when the band plays free, vigorous music, but more sensitively planned, as the group is more in-tune after hours of joint stage encounters. Wooden Music II, recorded in Hamburg on 9 November 1972, is the conclusion of their vision of free-jazz - the final phase where composed pieces ("Calme" and "6 & 8") begin to emerge from wild improvisation. Some of these would, a few months later, find their way onto an iconic piece in Tomasz Stańko's discography - the Purple Sun album (e.g. "Flute's Ballad")... but with a slightly different line-up. When the band decides to wrap up, they are at the peak of their form, each feeling the need to develop on their own. They know when to step off the stage. They are invincible.

Tomasz Stańko Quintet was one of the most outstanding European free jazz ensembles of its time. The Polish musicians, plus a plethora of individuals such as Brötzmann, Mangelsdorff, Schlippenbach, Vesala or Surman, contributed to a movement which, while co-operating with the American avant-garde, had its own specificity and its own unique audience. Polish jazzmen, newcomers from behind the Iron Curtain, were seen as carrying a message of freedom to the countries of the region. It took many years for this message to come true. Today, European jazz seems to be far more erudite, emotionally restrained, intellectual, seeking links with contemporary avant-garde and ethno music. It's all very beautiful, but sometimes one would like to discard all of this extra wrapping and bring out the essence of jazz - the synergic energy and striving for the limits of expression, even if it poses the risk of a musical explosion - Tomasz Szachowski states in Jazz Forum. Therefore, it is time to see if we are dealing with explosive material in the case of the second installment of wooden music.

Thus, the Wooden Music series culminates with its second part coming from the archives of NDR radio, which recorded the footage in a small club in Hamburg called Jazzhouse. This time, the additional stem-mastering was done by Marcin Cichy, who perfected the sound on the album even more. The infallible Matt Colton is once again responsible for the half-speed cut of the vinyl matrix. Wooden Music II will be released on Astigmatic Records in digital, CD and LP versions, as well as in a limited edition on purple vinyl, with a B2-size poster designed by Natalia Łabędź. The premiere of the album will take place on 27 October, and pre-orders for the disc will start on 6 October 2023.

The discovery of Tomasz Stańko's archive recordings from 50 years ago at Radio Bremen demonstrated the dynamic development of this shrouded in mystery quintet, which was a blank spot in the history of Polish jazz. Released by Astigmatic Records, the album turned out to be a surprise and a huge musical treat for many fans who no longer remember such a fiery period in the career of the outstanding trumpeter. The record received much critical acclaim and sold out in a blink, and Jazz Forum magazine recognised Wooden Music I as the historic album of the year. Now the time has come for the 2nd and final installment of wooden music.

It takes more than one album to fully illustrate the evolution of the band with which Tomasz Stańko, as its leader, recorded Music for K, one of the most important albums in Polish jazz. It is the early 1970s, Zbigniew Seifert gives up the saxophone in favour of the violin, so the band's sound becomes more 'wooden', and around this expression Stańko builds the foundations of a philosophy, which he wrote down on four small sheets of paper, still kept by Bronisław Suchanek, the quintet's bass player: We seek to create the kind of music that, while operating with all the elements of the most genuine jazz, attempts to look at it from a different angle, from a different mental plane. We do not experiment with the material, but with the form. For the form does not have to be a logical and strict construction of the entire piece, it can be free, improvised while playing, resulting from the mood, or atmosphere existing at a given moment, or random things, creating with their free fluidity that specific "magical mood". This, of course, excludes compositions in the traditional sense - Tomasz Stańko wrote at the time.

Wooden Music is therefore like a postcard - not so much of a specific gig, but of the entire period of the quintet's activity. It opens with compositions featured on Jazzmessage from Poland. Wooden Music I recorded in Bremen on 15 June 1972 is its peak - when the band plays free, vigorous music, but more sensitively planned, as the group is more in-tune after hours of joint stage encounters. Wooden Music II, recorded in Hamburg on 9 November 1972, is the conclusion of their vision of free-jazz - the final phase where composed pieces ("Calme" and "6 & 8") begin to emerge from wild improvisation. Some of these would, a few months later, find their way onto an iconic piece in Tomasz Stańko's discography - the Purple Sun album (e.g. "Flute's Ballad")... but with a slightly different line-up. When the band decides to wrap up, they are at the peak of their form, each feeling the need to develop on their own. They know when to step off the stage. They are invincible.

Tomasz Stańko Quintet was one of the most outstanding European free jazz ensembles of its time. The Polish musicians, plus a plethora of individuals such as Brötzmann, Mangelsdorff, Schlippenbach, Vesala or Surman, contributed to a movement which, while co-operating with the American avant-garde, had its own specificity and its own unique audience. Polish jazzmen, newcomers from behind the Iron Curtain, were seen as carrying a message of freedom to the countries of the region. It took many years for this message to come true. Today, European jazz seems to be far more erudite, emotionally restrained, intellectual, seeking links with contemporary avant-garde and ethno music. It's all very beautiful, but sometimes one would like to discard all of this extra wrapping and bring out the essence of jazz - the synergic energy and striving for the limits of expression, even if it poses the risk of a musical explosion - Tomasz Szachowski states in Jazz Forum. Therefore, it is time to see if we are dealing with explosive material in the case of the second installment of wooden music.

Thus, the Wooden Music series culminates with its second part coming from the archives of NDR radio, which recorded the footage in a small club in Hamburg called Jazzhouse. This time, the additional stem-mastering was done by Marcin Cichy, who perfected the sound on the album even more. The infallible Matt Colton is once again responsible for the half-speed cut of the vinyl matrix. Wooden Music II will be released on Astigmatic Records in digital, CD and LP versions, as well as in a limited edition on purple vinyl, with a B2-size poster designed by Natalia Łabędź. The premiere of the album will take place on 27 October, and pre-orders for the disc will start on 6 October 2023.

180-Gram Vinyl Limited Edition of 500 copies. Described by Matthew Garbutt on AllMusic as "one of Mexico's national cultural treasures", the award-winning drummer, composer, arranger, and bandleader Tino Contreras (1924-2021) recorded and performed internationally for more than 60 years. Blending Latin American music with jazz, he created his own original and adventurous sound. In 1957, Contreras formed his first quartet, which reflected an almost bewildering range of influences. Some key albums from this period include Jazz Tropical (presented here) and Jazz a Paris (both from 1962), Jazz Ballet (1963), and Misa en Jazz (1966). All throughout his extended career, Contreras remained a champion of the jazz form in Mexico, winning the National Festival of Jazz award each year between 1959 and 1966. THE COMPLETE LP + 2 BONUS TRACKS -180 GRAM VIRGIN VINYL - LIMITED EDITION

A masterclass in nuance, interpretation and the purifying power of the human voice, Standards Vol. V represents another captivating chapter in the career of a singular figure in contemporary music. For his fifth album as the mischievously named National Jazz Trio Of Scotland, the prolific jazz outsider Bill Wells posits yet another collaborator in the diffuse light cast by his tender chord shifts and understated arrangements. Where Standards Vol. IV spun around the vocal talents of Kate Sugden with contributions from Gerard Black and Aby Vulliamy, the voice on Standards Vol. V is that of Black, whose other musical activities include the band Babe, François And The Atlas Mountains, Rozi Plain and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

This extraordinary album, which we are re-issuing on the occasion of RT 30 (the celebration of Right Tempo's thirty years of activity), is a tribute to the great Trinidadian pianist Sonnie Taylor who in these recordings, accompanied by the singer Bunnie Foy, expresses all his musical nature connected to Africa and the spiritual roots of jazz music. Many of you will recall Mayfra Combo, well, the leader of that seminal soul jazz ensemble was Sonnie Taylor. “I'm a Harlem Flower” sais Bunnie “I was born right in Harlem, where I've listened to an infinite number of popular songs of all kinds since I was a child. That's why I learned to sing spirituals, blues, classic and modern jazz pieces by Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerlad, and even calypso and African music. These are things that are all equally familiar to me. On this record, for example, I interpret a Gershwin medley but also Go Down Moses which is spiritual, Uelelé which is an Angolan piece and Way-O Comin' home which comes from the Caribbean”. Her real name is Shirley, but the nickname - which in Italian means bunny - grew up with her. She arrived in Italy in 1968 after a very flattering career start, during which she collaborated with famous names such as Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane. When she decided to settle in Milan she had already been to France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and North Africa. Sonnie Taylor, the distinguished pianist and organist who leads the nine recordings contained herein, is a native of Trinidad. He has performed in England, Spain and Italy with a rhythm and blues ensemble. He currently leads a quintet that plays Afro-Cuban music. For about a year he has been working with Bunnie Foy on her concert tours.

Sought-after Live LP BY THE George Otsuka Quintet, Recorded AT THE Nemu Jazz INN AND Originally Released ON THE Cult Japanese Label Bellwood Records IN 1975, Reissued ON Vinyl FOR THE First Time AND Remastered From THE Original Tapes.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the reissue of cult LP by master Japanese drummer George Otsuka and his quintet, recorded live on 19th July 1975 at the Nemu Jazz Inn. The album was released by cutting-edge Japanese label Bellwood, which had recently made waves with Haruomi Hosono's landmark "Hosono House". The album "Loving You George" is comprised of four superb performances fuelled by Otsuka powerful drumming and Fumio Karashima's fender Rhodes. It also includes a wonderfully funky take on Minnie Riperton's 'Loving You'. It's the first time the album is reissued since the 70s and it comes with original artwork featuring OBI strip and audio remastered from the master tapes by King Records in Japan.

George Otsuka is one of the giants of the Nippon jazz scene. The drummer, who sadly passed away in 2020, enjoyed a 50 year career recording with the best musicians and labels in Japan. Born Keiji Otsuka in 1937 in Tokyo, Otsuka joined Sadao Watanabe's Cosy Quartet in the late fifties before switching to Hidehiko Matsumoto's quartet where he gained exposure as one of Japan's premier drummers. In the mid 60s, he formed his own trio with Hideo Ichikawa (p) and Masaoki Terakawa (b) recording several highly-acclaimed albums and also playing with international stars such as Hampton Hawes and Roy Haynes. The 70s were a productive decade and Otsuka embraced the latest development in jazz including fusion and modal jazz enthusiastically. Having recorded for Trio, Three Blind Mice and Nippon Columbia, the musician signed with Koki Miura's groundbreaking Bellwood Records (responsible for producing the emergent wave of folk rock artists led by Happy End and Haruomi Hosono) and recorded a live album at Nemu Jazz Inn in the Nemu resort, south of Nagoya. The evening was a special one. On top of The George Otsuka quintet (featuring Mitsuaki Furuno (b), Norio Ohno (perc), Shozo Sasaki (sax) and Fumio Karashima (p)), were the supergroup of Norman Connors, Eddie Henderson and Gary Bartz who were also recording a live album, “Dance Of Magic” that has since become legendary. On the night, Otsuka and his sidemen recorded four tracks including "Little Island" a Karashima original and "Something Everywhere" a faithful rendition of Steve Kuhn brazilian-flavoured original which had just appeared on his ECM album "Trance". Showcased on this version are Karashima's superb Fender Rhodes playing and Sasaki's inspired soprano sax. Side 2 begins with a breathtaking version of the Coltrane standard "Miles Mode" finishing with a great drum solo by Otsuka followed by a superb version of the Minnie Riperton classic, "Loving You" played in a mid-tempo funky mode with a great Rhodes solo. A unique time capsule, the album finds the quintet on fire and "Loving You George" is a vivid testimony that Otsuka and his musicians were at the top of their game and one of the best groups in Japan, playing a mix of modal and groovy tunes full of exciting and inspired solos. An album known to the Japanese music lovers that Wewantsounds is happy to reissue for the first time in decades with original artwork, OBI strip and audio remastered from the original tapes by King Records in Japan.

Impossible-to-find gem from 1969 finally reissued in a deluxe edition. Ultra Rare South African Jazz from District Six with legendary musicians Clifford Moses, Richard Schilder, Basil Moses and Basil Coetzee.

True Jazz today is becoming a rare art whose existence depends not only on the Jazz-musician but also on the medium by means of which it is propagated. This album is the combined effort of musician and Trutone Record Company to add their contribution to the interest of the arts. The theme for this album is set in "District Six", the community which brought forth "The Four Sounds".

Basil Moses is perhaps most widely known, in the context of South African jazz history, as having recorded prolifically – including performing on seven or eight of Abdullah Ibrahim’s 1970s recordings. He also features on Sathima Bea Benjamin’s African Songbird (The Sun, GL 1839).

Guitarist Cliffie Moses, three years older than brother Basil, was also a professional musician and the two, along with Richard Schilder and Billy Bowers (aka Billie Dollie), formed the Four Sounds in the early 1960s. The group with Basil ‘Manenburg’ Coetzee and Roy Nolly recorded their debut album, Jazz from District Six, in 1969 for Trutone (tblc 1).

In 1970 Basil, Cliffie, Roy Petersen and Monty Weber were all hired to tour the country as the core of Percy Sledge’s backing band for a seventeen-week sell-out tour of South and southern Africa. Percy Sledge described it as the “greatest tour of [his] career”.

Notes by Siemon Allen at Flatinternational”

Originally released in 1974 on pioneering jazz label Strata-East, ‘The Sojourner’ by the incredible Ensemble al-Salaam would become one of the label’s most sought-after records. A highlight of the spiritual jazz movement, the record sees a band at the height of their powers, perfectly in sync as they express their spirituality through one ethereal groove after another. Album opener “Music is Nothing But a Prayer” sets the tone for the album, as gentle piano arpeggios, warm flute improvisations, and spacy guitar combine with the haunting vocals of Beatrice Parker to create a sonic atmosphere which seems to wash over you with every passing beat. The song picks up as a repeating bass riff emerges, with blaring saxophone improvisations contrasting with Parker’s clear vocals - yet nothing ever clashes. In comparison to the enveloping avant-jazz of “Music is Nothing But a Prayer”, “Malika” takes inspiration from late-career Coltrane, with sheets of sound-esque saxophone solos set to breakneck rhythms. “Peace (Salaam)” sees the group return to warm spiritual tones, complimenting a beautiful melody to bring the album to a close.

For years, the only way to get your hands on this record was to spend your entire life savings, or pray that you stumbled upon it at a yard sale. With our previous two pressings selling out almost immediately, we knew we had to give this legendary record a third pressing. P-vine is proud to be repressing this phenomenal album for the third time, now with a new and improved obi-strip!

Saga: Ólafur Stephensen 01.02.1936 – 28.04.2016 Wife: Klara Stephensen Children: Ingibjörg “Día” Ambonguilat Stephensen, Stephan Stephensen, Magnús Stephensen & Ólafur Björn Stephensen

Ólafur was born in Reykjavik. His parents were Stephan Stephensen, a shopkeeper at Verðandi, and Ingibjörg Stephensen, a housewife.

Ólafur graduated from The Commercial College of Iceland on June 16, 1956 and then studied public relations as well as marketing and propaganda at Columbia University in New York where he graduated in 1962.

Ólafur was a pioneer in the advertising services in Iceland which with him turned away from being solely a profession of illustrators to a new era of marketing. Ólafur touched on many subjects through his career. Alongside his study Ólafur worked for NBC News and Meta educational TV. He reported for UN Radio and Voice of America as well as for Afrts under the pen name of Sonny Greco. Ólafur was the managing director of The Icelandic Red Cross, a jazz pianist in Harlem, the spokesperson for the media center of the Nato ministerial summit in Reykjavík in 1968 and hosted a program on the Icelandic National Television. Ólafur was the first Scandinavian citizen to become a member of the Advertising Club of New York, the first president of the Reykjavik chapter of JC as well as the first vice-president of JC International, the host of a jazz program on Icelandic National Radio, a judge for the American Advertising Awards and an active Freemason in Iceland as well as Portugal. Ólafur was awarded a Badge of Honour by the Finnish Red Cross in 1967.

Ólafur founded both ÓSA advertising agency and later Gott Fólk and was the first elected president of the Icelandic Advertising Association. He wrote a large number of published newspaper and magazine articles on his trade of advertising and marketing and released a book on the subject, “New and Better”, in 1987. Ólafur Stephensen released three jazz albums with his jazz trio named Tríó Óla Steph, played music both in Iceland as well as internationally with various jazz combos and was a big fencing enthusiast.

When Bill Evans played those haunting exploratory notes that introduce So What on the Miles Davis album Kind Of Blue he made a lifelong impression on generations of music lovers. Bill thereafter launched a solo career greeted with the kind of critical acclaim the bespectacled, classically-trained Pianist no doubt found unsettling yet deeply satisfying. While his association with Miles, which included performing on the most influential Jazz album of all time, was relatively short, his time with the Bill Evans Trio was longer lasting and in many ways more productive. Certainly Explorations proved a great success when first released by the Riverside label in 1961. The trio was completed by Scott LaFaro on double bass and Paul Motian on drums, gave the leader the right combination of swing and subtlety needed to suit Evans’ sensitive and yet ultimately commanding style. It was the second album by the trio and Bill claimed it was his personal favourite. Explorations produced by Orrin Keepnews certainly impressed the Jazz critics of Billboard magazine who voted it the Best Piano LP of 1961 in their annual poll.

UK jazz-funk band "The Baker Brothers", one of the biggest hits in their career "Chance And Fly" with the participation of Average White Band Hamish Stuart is released as vinyl for the first time!

) "The Magnificent Thad Jones" is widely regarded as the greatest small group recording of the trumpeter and composer’s career. Following his Blue Note debut "Detroit – New York Junction" in March 1956, Jones returned to the studio in July to record this supremely swinging date with Billy Mitchell on tenor saxophone, Barry Harris on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Max Roach on drums. The album opens with an iconic performance of “April In Paris,” a reprise of the famous version featuring Jones that the Count Basie Orchestra had cut the previous year, complete with the trumpeter’s sly “Pop Goes The Weasel” quote. Other highlights of the set include two Jones originals—the laid-back “Billie-Doo” and lightly swinging “Thedia”—as well as the stunning ballad “If Someone Had Told Me.” This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is mono, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal. Single Sleeve.

Awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Cape Town in 2023, pianist Tete Mbambisa (84) is a legendary figure in South African jazz. Supported by the cream of the local scene, his albums from the 1970s are among the most cherished vinyl documents from this golden era. A monumental archival undertaking, African Day compiles unreleased recordings from 1976 to resurrect a "lost" Tete Mbambisa double album that falls between his seminal works Tete's Big Sound (1975) and Did You Tell Your Mother (1979).

Born in 1942 and raised in South Africa's Eastern Cape province, Tete Mbambisa’s childhood home served as an informal tavern where social gatherings orbited around the family's carefully curated music collection with live performances by a local pianist. Growing up in this environment, his musical roots are embedded in marabi, the syncopated piano sound that blended cues from American jazz, blues and ragtime with the cultural sensibilities that shape modern South African jazz.

A self-taught musician, it was as leader of the vocal group The Four Yanks in the early 1960s that Tete Mbambisa’s music career began in earnest. With encouragement from Abdullah Ibrahim, he dedicated himself to the piano and went on to record with The Soul Jazzmen in 1969. Mbambisa's two solo recordings from the 1970s were produced by Rashid Vally for the independent As-Shams/The Sun record label. With an abundance of strong material but limited resources, some of the label's prospective releases were not issued at the time of recording. Featuring the intended artwork commissioned for the project in 1976, African Day marks the first major unveiling of unreleased gems from the As-Shams master tape archive.

Terumasa Hino is undoubtedly one of the most famous Japanese jazzmen. Learning the trumpet at the age of 9, he began his career as a professional musician by playing in the orchestra of an US Army base, before joining Hideo Shiraki"s Quintet and then forming his own band in 1964. On Hi-Nology we find his brother Motohiko Hino on drums, Hiroma Suzuki on electric piano, Kumitsu Inaba on electric bass and Takeru Muraoka ontenor sax. The inspiration from the "electric period" of Miles Davis (notably Miles In The Sky released in 1968) is felt and is even accepted, since the opening piece is entitled "Like Miles". Coincidentally, Hi-Nology was recorded on July 31, 1969, the day after the release of In a Silent Way and has nothing to envy of this great record by Miles Davis.

In 2005, acclaimed Hawaiian singer Teresa Bright —whose recording debut, Catching A Wave, was reissued by Aloha Got Soul in 2020 — recorded a jazz-tinted album with pianist/engineer Kit Ebersbach. The project brought to to life Bright's favorite standard songs alongside tunes that feel expressly written for her sultry voice. The singer's original composition, “Sp-r-ing”, fits right at home in the collection. These recordings patiently sat on Ebersbach’s hard drive for 15 years until 2020, when Aloha Got Soul released the album digitally. The vinyl is scheduled for release on February 25, 2022.

In December 2020, Bright received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hawai’i Academy of Recording Arts. The award came following a lifelong career spanning more than a dozen albums, numbers Na Hoku Hanohano awards, countless songwriting, arranging, and producing credits, domestic and international concert performances, plus a long list of Hawaiian language translations for peers near and far. In anticipation of the awards ceremony, Ebersbach approach Aloha Got Soul with the suggestion to finally release Blue Skies, the 2005 jazz record they'd cut with studio veterans Dean Taba, Noel Okimoto, Rocky Holmes, Casey Olsen, and Sam Ahia, Jr. Together with the help of Bright's partner, Derrick C.M. Llanos, we released 'Blue Skies' digitally in December 2020.

“Iʻm so glad we waited,' said Ebersbach of the digital release in 2020. 'There can be no better moment to do this than on this very day, commemorating her lifetime of making beautiful music.”

Ags-057 is a wonderful addition to the catalog of beautiful sounds that Bright has been singing since the beginning of her career, from Catching A Wave through today.

French multi-instrumentalist Teddy Lasry's story is noteworthy not just in regards to the music he released, but in the ways that he approached the craft of composing and experimenting with sounds and sonics. Always intrigued with the capabilities of instruments, their groove and their feel, it was very much his family’s influence that helped to fuel these life long affections. As a performer in a parisien cabaret, Teddy’s father Jacques would mingle with giants like Serge Gainsbourg and Charlie Chaplin (impressed by his ability to improvise, Chaplin wanted him to become his accompanist, but the pianist politely refused). Jacques and his wife (Teddy’s mother Yvonne), would later become members of the innovative experimental group Les Structures Sonores, and surround their children’s lives with sounds. Electronic music was still in its infancy and Les Structures Sonores, with their resonators that produced long, mysterious tones, were deemed ‘cosmic’. It was the era of the launching of the first Russian Sputnik and every time a radio or television station wanted music for their science fiction programs, they turned to one of their compositions. Showing a natural ability with multi instrumentalism, Teddy was rewarded with a spot in the band, allowing him to really explore unconventional methods of composition. Following a brief stint with Ariane Mnouchkine's avant-garde Théâtre du Soleil after graduating school, Teddy joined the pioneering prog band Magma, with whom he would record three groundbreaking records during the early 1970s (According to former member Laurent Thibault, their album Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kömmandöh and its sound were strong influences on David Bowie during the recording of Low and Iggy Pop’s The Idiot at Hérouville). Despite the successes with these projects, Teddy was constantly searching for new ways of expressing himself through music, leading him into the beginnings of a solo career that would last the better part of three decades. Teddy’s transition into his solo career came with contrasting fortunes, in that he was now becoming a music to image composer but with the unfortunate realisation that his eyesight was gradually worsening (due to being diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at an early age). Nonetheless, his solo career would begin in 1975, and for the rest of the decade his sound would become increasingly mired in electrified Funk-Fusion and its endless sonic possibilities. The resulting music would serve to highlight Teddy’s love affair with the possibilities found within tireless instrumentation, with the flute and particularly synthesisers becoming a mini-obession of his (he once spent a 7,000 Francs loan, which was meant to be spent on fixing his roof, on synths). To this day Teddy continues to record and experiment with music, a passion which in many ways has never left his side, even at the age of 75. His career was one that was fuelled by innate curiosity and an intrinsic desire to discover new methods of expressionism, be it through the realms of Jazz-Funk, ambient electronics, Swing music or indeed through the medium of instrumentation itself. On this compilation, we look to encapsulate the essence of his innovative sound, and from start to finish a sense of his ingenious approach to composing structure and mood is made abundantly clear. The funk-jazz fusion style that embodied the majority of his 70s work is on full display here, with the vibrant flute driven "Los Angeles", the Miles Davis inspired "Blue Theme", the progressive and driving "Chamonix", and the deeply intricate "Krazy Kat", along with one of his finest 80s slow jams, "Funky Ghost". Two cuts off the ‘Back To Amazonia’ album are also featured (Teddy’s last album including his Prophet T8, Yamaha DX7 and Oberheim drum machines). "Raising Sun in Bali" and the title piece both emphasise an ever present passion for synthesisers. "Birds of Space", a standout track off the e=mc2 album, closes the comp, and is a fitting way to end this journey. Pulled together in close collaboration with Teddy and his family, this collection of songs looks to introduce new listeners to his work and we are proud to present this limited and carefully remastered compilation on vinyl, including extensive liner notes.

Following 2016’s definitive collection of singles released by Sun Ra from across his illustrious career, Strut present the second volume of the vinyl edition on 3LP format which focus on Ra’s later 1962-1991 period.
Released sporadically during the three decades and primarily on the Saturn label, the 45s offer one-off missives from Ra’s prolific cosmic journey, tracing the development of his forward-thinking “Space-Bop” and his unique take on jazz and blues traditions which remains unlike anything else from the period. As with the first volume vinyl editions, the collection is hugely varied, ranging from Ra’s spoken word recitations and some of his R&B recordings to alternative versions of Arkestra staples like ‘Love In Outer Space’, ‘Enlightenment’ and ‘Rocket No. 9’. The singles are also unpredictable vehicles for Ra’s music, combining different tracks from different sessions and occasionally making available music which was recorded many years beforehand.
As Francis Gooding describes them, “they are answers to questions that albums won’t answer, and questions that can’t be asked or answered elsewhere.”
As with Ra’s LPs, most 45s were only pressed in small runs and have since become extremely rare and sought after. On the volume 2 vinyl editions, we feature tracks that have only ever been seen via a small handful of copies including ‘Love In Outer Space’ b/w ‘Mayan Temple’ and ‘The Blue One’ b/w ‘Orbitration In Blue’; some were planned and pencilled but allegedly never made it to vinyl and some appeared as limited one-off magazine singles including Ra’s very last single release, the reflective ‘I Am The Instrument’.
Sleeve note writers Chris Trent and Paul Griffiths brilliantly illustrate the role of the single within Ra’s career and break down each release with detailed track by track notes. Working with Sun Ra LLC and Sun Ra archivist Michael D. Anderson, Strut has also assembled the best possible master sources for each track.
‘Singles’ Vol. 2 features fully remastered tracks, rare photos, original 45 artwork,
Chris Trent sleeve notes and detailed track by track and session notes by Paul Griffiths.

The immense output of Sun Ra and his many backing bands, coupled with the limited production of many of his releases has long defied dedicated collectors. Parallel to a vast list of LP releases, Sun Ra released numerous 45 RPM singles; one-off meteorites from his prolific cosmic journey. Working closely with Sun Ra LLC and Art Yard Records, it is with great pride that Strut presents a definitive collection of the rare singles released by Sun Ra across his illustrious career, spanning 1952 to 1991.

Released prolifically during the 1950s and more sporadically thereafter, primarily on the Saturn label, the 45s trace the development of Sun Ra’s forward-thinking “Space-Bop” and his unique take on jazz and blues traditions which remains unlike anything else from the period. As with his LPs, most 45s were only pressed in small runs and have since become extremely rare and sought after. Some have only been discovered in physical form in recent years; some were planned and penciled but allegedly never made it to vinyl and some appeared as one-off magazine singles and posthumous releases.

‘Singles: The Definitive 45 Collection’ will be released in two volumes on vinyl across two release dates. All formats feature fully remastered tracks, rare photos, poster artwork, extensive sleeve notes by Francis Gooding, an interview with Saturn Records founder Alton Abraham by John Corbett and detailed track by track and session notes by Paul Griffiths.

150 copies on crystal clear red vinyl, deluxe edition 3LP Box, silver print on deluxe Fedrigoni Ultra Black paper, released with the full approval of the Sun Ra Estate

Born Herman Poole Blount in Alabama during 1914, Sun Ra first emerged on the Chicago jazz scene during the late 1940s. One of the great avant-garde composers of his generation - leading the way on piano, organ, and (eventually) synthesizer - beginning in the mid-1950s and lasting until his death in 1993, led the Arkestra, a band through which a near countless number of important artists passed and collaborated with, and many remained for the duration of their careers, notably Marshall Allen, John Gilmore and June Tyson. Known for their wild costumes and theatrics, Ra’s eccentric image and claims that he was from Saturn was deeply political, imagining an alternate social order, history, and future for African Americans that rests as a pioneering force in the Afro-Futurist movement.

While Sun Ra and his Arkestra can best be located within the broader movements of avant-garde jazz - particularly as innovators of free and spiritual jazz in their evolving forms - the composer was notoriously hard to pin down on creative terms. He was a visionary titan whose work traversed nearly half of the 20th Century, continuously pushing the idiom of jazz at every turn, ingesting and incorporating the entire history African American music - the blues, R&B, soul, gospel, ragtime, hot jazz, swing, bebop, free jazz, and fusion, etc. - into his work, without any division or hierarchy, producing roughly 100 full lengths bear his name, beginning with 1957’s “Jazz By Sun Ra Vol.1”, and stretching well beyond his death in 1993. Despite how much was captured and released, remarkably, rare and previously unheard recordings continue to emerge and amaze.

Recorded live at Teatro Giulio Cesare on March 28, 1980, comprising an astounding 27 compositions, including the highly celebrated “Astro Black”, “Mr. Mystery”, “Romance of Two Planets”, “Space Is the Place”, “We Travel the Spaceways”, and “Calling Planet Earth”, over six vinyl sides. High among the greatest live gigs by the Arkestra captured on tape, carefully mastered by Matt Bordin at Outside Inside Studio, “Live in Rome 1980” is a near perfect snapshot of the band’s versatility and range, including many of their most notably and famous songs, as well as striking renditions of the Horace Henderson penned Benny Goodman number “Big John’s Special”, Fletcher Henderson’s “Yeah Man!”, and "Limehouse Blues”, displaying Ra’s willingness to address and rework the entire, diverse history of jazz in a single go.

Heard in its totality, perhaps what makes “Live in Rome 1980” most striking is the way in which the concert plays out. Roughly the first half encounters the band locked in some of the most out-there, free jazz fire that can be imagined, weaving a startling sense of interplay and furious energy into a brilliant tapestry of writhing sonority, the likes of which were only really achieved by this band. The second half, with only moments of exception that return to the furious energy of the first, is very different affair, easy toward the vocal standards, led by June Tyson’s vocals and the joyous collective chanting of the band, for which they have become so widely celebrated, threading the sounds of off-kilter big band swing with heavy grooves and imagines of outer space.

Recorded live at Teatro Giulio Cesare on March 28, 1980. Sun Ra: Piano, Keyboards, Vocals. Noel Scott: Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Percussion. Marshall Allen: Alto Saxophone, Flute, Oboe. Danny Ray Thompson: Baritone Saxophone, Flute. Chris Henderson, Eric “Samurai” Walker: Drums. Kenny Williams: Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Percussion. John Gilmore: Tenor Saxophone, Percussion. Michael Ray: Trumpet. June Tyson: Vocals. Mastered by Matt Bordin at Outside Inside Studio. Lacquer cut by Daniel Krieger at SST, Frankfurt am Main. All pictures by Paolo Ferraresi (Milano, Teatro Orfeo, March 26, 1980). All compositions by Sun Ra © Enterplanetary Koncepts (bmi) except where otherwise stated. Released under license from Sun Ra LLC.