ukvibe

This is a major return to form for Senegalese singer Cheikh Lô who first his the airwaves with one of the best debuts in ‘Ne la Thiass’ in 1996 and which was by some distance the favourite summer release of this listener for that particular summer with its intoxicating mix of Senegalese, Cuban and even Brazilian acoustic influences. Fast forward to the present and a new album that harks back to the former, yet adds some excellent new ingredients from Guinea, Gambia and Burkina Faso. In addition to his regular band, Lô has on board a top line up of musicians including Pee Wee Ellis on saxophone and Tony Allen on drums. The lilting swinger ‘Conia’ gets proceedings off to a fine start with delicate vocals from Lô and Ellis’ saxophone sound bubbling in the background. An undoubted album highlight is ‘Il n’est jamais trop tard’ which is in fact a reworking of a Guniean classic ‘Doni Doni’ by Bembaya Jazz. Here Congolese and Manding influences combine to great effect. Almost as effective is the Afro-rumba of ‘Senyi’ which is in reality a tribute to the recently deceased Gambian singer Laba Sosseh who was a master of African salsa, so much so that he even recorded on the legendary modern Cuban label SAR out of Miami for Roberto Torres. If Afro-Cuban sounds are your bag, then this is musical heaven (watch out for the forthcoming ‘Afrocubismo’ album that covers the whole breadth of this genre over an entire album) and the South African township feel to the horn arrangements is simply delightful. Elsewhere the reflective side to Lô’s repertoire is illustrated on ‘Warico’ which is an adaptation of a 1970s song by Amadou Balake from Burkina Faso and the uplifting horn-led ‘Dieuf dieul’ with use of acoustic guitar. All in all a marvellous album that has the intimate ambience of his debut, helped no doubt by recording in his own home studio in Dakar.  Tim Stenhouse

Here is an independent label project that may have escaped wider publicity, yet is richly deserving of your attention. Malian kora player Ballaké Sissoko (who has played and recorded with Taj Mahal among others) and French cellist Vincent Segal have teamed up to explore in the most intimate of musical surroundings the common ground between the two instruments. Both have recorded on the now defunct Label Bleue that did so much to promote independent world roots and jazz music in France. The result is a profound respect for both traditions and an album that more than lives up to repeated listening. Meditative and reposing are just two adjectives that might aptly describe the overall feel of this album and from the title track opener the listener is gently cajoled into the music. What is impressive is that neither musician impinges on the other and this is clearly a well thought out project and one whose genesis began at a festival in Amiens in northern France. The self-penned compositions hit a consistently high level, but among these a few nonetheless stand out. Haunting themes abound on the lovely ‘Histoire de Molly’ with kora and cello playing in unison here. Contrast this with the seemingly Middle Eastern influenced ‘Houdesti’ where the kora takes the lead and plays sounds this listener has seldom heard from the instrument. Rhythms change once more on the shuffling beat of ‘Ma-Ma FC’, an intriguing title with additional percussion. Recorded in Malian capital Bamako, readers risk missing this little gem of an album at their peril. Expect several numbers to emerge as late night listening on the world roots radio programmes.  Tim Stenhouse

A new name to some, Cadiz-based trio Glazz dazzled the masses inside the big tent during the 2010 Manchester Jazz festival with a storming performance and are a musical formation like none other you are likely to have heard before, nor would you expect to hear from the sunnier climbs of Andalucia. They are in fact heavily influenced by the prog-rock, blues and jazz-rock sounds of British music from the late 1960s and beyond such as Cream, but in live performance have fused this with the visual spectacle of syncopated flamenco dancing courtesy of Lucia, sister of one of the group’s musicians. They comprise José Recacha on collective acoustic, electric and slide guitars (and the occasional keyboard), Daniel Escortell on bass and Javi Ruibal on drums and percussion (with a sometimes reggae-based sound) and elsewhere have worked on a variety of projects including the legendary flamenco-jazz reed player Jorge Pardo and current ace producer Javier Limon among others.

Glazz are at their best on the more melodic numbers where the excellence of their individual and collective musicianship is on show. A fine example of this is on the Recacha penned ‘La ciudad’ where the composer plays some neat Wes Montgomery-inspired guitar licks with Jaco Pastorius providing the inspiration for the bass intro from Escortell. Flamenco flavours in the form of handclaps are most evident on ‘De la playita a la cuidad’ with Recacha impressing on slide guitar here. This is an avenue the band should explore further and a blues-based approach to either a traditional, or modern flamenco repertoire could well provide Glazz with a unique niche with which to conquer the world. Carlos Santana has always had a blues base in his music, yet has nonetheless been able to examine a variety of genres and reached a wider audience with both instrumental and vocal pieces. However, there is another side to the band that certainly comes across live and that is of high energy music with a strong rock bias. Led Zepplin on acid meets Weather Report might be one way to describe of the sheer adrenalin rush of ‘Funkyman’. The same could be said for another composition, ‘Punklerias’. There is a dilemma for the band, however. Do they continue to mix seemingly disparate genres and attempt to attract different audiences (and possibly alienating some), or do they focus on more specific styles for specific albums and build up a following in this manner? The answer may lie in an eclectic approach that takes on board some, if not all of their influences, in one bag on individual projects. Glazz are certainly not averse to more recent musical developments and new beats and Miles Davisesque muted harmon can be heard on the rapid drum pattern of ‘Broken beat’ with dissonant guitar that recalls Marc Ribot y Los Postizos.

A second album is already underway with productions chores by a member of the nuevo flamenco group Son de la Frontera (nearby neighbours of sorts). It will be fascinating to follow the progress of this group and see what musical path(s) they pursue, be it more jazz oriented, blues-rock, or even incorporating elements of their local roots sounds. Definitely a name to watch out for in the future.  Tim Stenhouse

Singer-songwriter and Carioca native Marcus Valle is something of an original even by the admittedly eclectic standards of Brazilian music. He was in his early twenties when the bossa nova craze first surfaced, but far from limiting himself to that genre, has continued to innovate and recorded some cult albums in the 1970s. As a songwriter, he has composed for some of the very best including Frank Sinatra and more recently Bebel Gilberto among a host of others. This excellent new album sees him in reflective and even retrospective mood, with a varied selection that covers different facets of his career without ever being a ‘best of’. Modal and featuring beautiful piano chords and flute, ‘Prefixo’ is an immediate winner of a track and has definite echoes of ‘Democustico’. Valle has always prided himself on the arrangements and on ‘Paro de maluco’ the horns given this song the feel of Earth, Wind and Fire from the 1970s. Needless to say any Valle album will feature at least some sambas and here the opener ‘Vamos sambar’ is an uplifting song while ‘Na pista’ recalls Ivan Lins in feel with acoustic piano and beefed up percussion and elsewhere there is even a fusion of 1950 style baiao rhythms with maracatú. Old-school jazz-funk riffs are revived to good effect on the wordless vocals of ‘Esphera’ that sounds somewhat like the Blackbyrds meeting Gilberto Gil. Three interesting brief vignettes cover three separate decades between 1975 and 1995. With production chores courtesy of Daniel Maunick and horns and strings from Josse Sedoc Vocals, the album is both contemporary and classic at the same time. Watch out for a UK and European tour in the autumn. A very welcome return to form.  Tim Stenhouse

Been playing this album for a few months now and thought it deserved a few words.  New Zealand’s Ladi 6 has a very British sound, if not a London sound with funky riffs and live instruments creating a stand out track ‘So far’ amidst the other ten tunes.  Other notable pieces are ‘Question?’ and ‘Believe Me’ which throw the listener a tricky twist before they think the album is going one way — not so.  Love the voice and she works so well with the sound on this gathering, making way for what has to be a live concert to look forward too.  A great big pat on the back for ‘So Far’ and a simple splendid for the rest.  Steve Williams

Dodgy cover.  Six track EP.  Reliable label.  Karizma on production. A Gamble & Huff cover.  Lets go....

Played through several times to digest fully the quirky sound of Mahon.  Fell in love with the title track ‘Human’ which grabs the listener and asks “now where can we find a heavy sound system to bust this on?”.  ‘You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine’ by Gamble & Huff came through large on track three (although the sleeve notes suggested the G&H tune was track 4 - oops).  In all, the six pieces of music on the Ep are challenging and credit goes out indeed.  We like.  Steve Williams

There are horses for courses and I just couldn’t get to grips with the ‘reason’ for this 2CD collection of tunes.  There just isn’t a Gilles Peterson feel about it with Amy Winehouse and Amerie squeezed between some splendid, but rather accessible pieces.  I should have been praising this alone for the inclusion of Nitin Sawhney’s ‘Tides’, which stands as a masterpiece but again “why on this compilation?”.  If, as I would imagine, most of the Worldwide followers are healthy collectors and lovers of music I can’t see them not having a good majority of these already.

So?  It does provide the uninitiated with a taste of all things ‘Worldwide’ but jumps around like a school disco with the headmaster at the decks.  The cynics amongst us would question if Gilles is at all responsible for its conception....

Spacek and Sebastian Tellier are the playing force for those eager to make their own minds up about this release.  As always, do make up your own mind!  Steve Williams

This is a fitting epitaph to a musician who sadly passed away at the relatively young age of forty-nine in June of this year. Malian singer-songwriter Lobi Traoré followed two distinct musical pathways during his career. On the one hand, he played a form of largely acoustic Malian folk-blues for a wider international audience and on the other for his own local fans performed an altogether racier, more electrified version. Both have their merits and can be integated into the wider debate on contrasting styles of African music appealing to Western and African audiences respectively. The latter style was captured beautifully on an Honest Jon’s release from 2005 simply entitled, ‘Lobi Traoré group’ while he first came to prominence via a locally-based cassette album entitled ‘Bambara Blues’ in 1991. The final recording contained herein focuses squarely on the acoustic side to Traoré’s repertoire and finds the singer in pared-down format accompanied only by his guitar. Since the recording dates back to August 2009, Lobi is on top form here and is very reminsicent of Ali Farka Touré which will endear fans of both world roots and acoustic blues in equal measure. One is immediately struck by the apparent simplicity of the songs, yet is takes a truly gifted musician to produce such music. Over a simple repetitive guitar riff, Traoré delivers an album highlight on ‘Djougouya magni’ where he extemporizes vocally with early echoes of John Lee Hooker. Indeed Hooker is recalled once more on the instrumental intro to ‘A la men’. In contrast Ali Farka Touré comes to mind on the talking ad lib accompaniment on ‘Siguidiaien’, yet the rest is all typically Traoré. Overall virtuoso guitar playing with some hypnotic and engrossing music into the bargain.
Deeply personal notes on the life and music of Lobi Traoré are contributed by musician and album producer Chris Echman and speak for themselves. In an age of financial austerity for CD releases, it is pleasing to note that quality packaging is still considered a virtue for some and the beautifully illustrated gatefold sleeve is wholly appropriate to celebrate the music of a musician who probably did not receive his full due. Fans of Traoré’s music can find some of his other locally released cassettes on CD via the Cobalt label. Expect other albums to surface.  Tim Stenhouse

One of the UK’s most distinguished jazz musicians, Johnny Dankworth’s career spanned several decades and a variety of styles. While for modern jazz fans, ‘Zodiac Variations’ from the 1960s remains a much beloved reference, Dankworth recorded the album herein during the 1970s and it is one that has gained a cult audience among fans of jazz-funk and sampling delights. As the title suggests, this is a soundtrack album covering just some of the film and television themes that Johnny composed. In fact he began as early as the 1960s with ‘The criminal’ and went on to compose the much-loved ‘Tomorrow’s world’ and ‘The Avengers’ (first series) themes among a host of others. Big band funk blazes out on ‘Modesty blaise’ and this has a classic 70s feel which is not dissimilar in instrumentation to say the Hawks accompanying Serge Gainsbourg with a ‘Melody Nelson’ ambience. Another funky mid-tempo grover is ‘Round table round’ with its lovely use of big band horns and both saxophone and trumpet solos. Don Rendell features on tenor and flute while Kenny Baker supplies the fiery trumpet. Dankworth himself was a disciple of the Johnny Hodges alto sound and this is certainly in evidence on the bluesy old-school jazz of ‘East St. Louis boogaloo’ with its Ellingtonia-inspired horns. On’ Darling’ Hodges influence is once more felt, but this time with the subtle use of strings. For dancefloor jazz fans a third cut will appeal in ‘Long john’ which features a Bunky Green style solo on saxophone. Not all the numbers are as memorable, but Johnny Dankworth could certainly never be accused of repeating the same old formulaic material. Such a view is reinforced by the inclusion of ‘Return from the ashes’ which features an electric piano that sounds decidely like a harspichord with an epic soundtrack feel that Oliver Nelson would have been proud of. Esoteric stuff indeed! This album was preceded by ‘Full circle’ from 1972 and ‘Lifeline’ from 1973 and one hopes that these and other albums, especially ‘Zodiac Variations’, will finally find their way onto CD. If this album is anything to go by, Johnny Dankworth will endear himself to a whole new audience with this soundtrack album. Tim Stenhouse

One of the most talked about new releases in the reggae world for autumn, this debut from north-west London born singer/singjay Gappy Ranks has been produced by no less than Daddy Peckings’ (for those not already in the know Peckings is the famous reggae record emporium in London which has branched out with its own label) sons Chris and Duke. Previously, their production chores hit the top spot with the acclaimed Bitty McLean album that fused new lyrics and vocals over the finest Treasure Isle riddims. While this latest album does not quite hit those dizzy heights, there is nonetheless much to be commended here. The title track is a sure fire winner from start to finish with its heavy Studio One instrumentation and has wisely been issued a single. Alomst as good is ‘Happiest day of my life’ with Treasure Isle accompaniment and vocoder vocals that are truly inspired. Another melodic song is ‘Musical girl’ while roots fans will be pleased by Gappy’s vocals on the Aggrovators’ backed ‘Heavy load’. Where the album is a little less convincing is on some of the more contemporary numbers such as ‘Pumpkin belly’. Gappy Ranks will have to make his mind up as to which style(s) and consequently audience he feels most at ease with. He possesses a fine voice and should use it to its full potential in a more classic vein, even if given a modern update.  Expect plenty of radio and dancefloor exposure for this release.  Tim Stenhouse

I fell straight into this one head first with flashbacks of Alexander Robotnick - perhaps it’s the European slant the album has?  A lush soundscape drawing in the listener’s interest and enthusiasm with an ever-so-slight house sound throughout.  ‘Dusty’ stood tall on the album for me and a track that will work well in the clubs without little effort.  Not that it is intended, but there is a very old school sound throughout - more an inspiration than a sound I would say, so don’t let that put you off.  Some great compositions amidst the fourteen tracks but for those of you wanting to pin down the sound head straight for ‘About A Grumpy Minute’ a 1:26 ditty that shines the light on where I think Bara Bröst could well be heading - a tune in need for an extended mix!  Different and an exciting album.  Steve Williams

Those who dismiss alto saxophonist David Sanborn as a sell-out commercial artist would do well to listen to this latest project, devoted to two saxophonists in particular, Hank Crawford and David ‘Fathead’ Newman, and their performances as part of the Ray Charles orchestra. Sanborn is a gifted saxophonist with an ear for a catchy tune and has made his career, partly as one of the most in-demand studio musicians recording for everyone from David Bowie through to Paul Simon, and especially as a fusion-jazz musician from the 1970s cutting a series of essentially soul-jazz oriented albums that have attracted a wider audience beyond the normal confines of jazz. In recent times David Sanborn has actively sought to widen his repertoire including working with a full piece orchestra, but here we find him returning to some of his formative musical inspirations. Critics might argue that it is still within the narrowly defined paramaters of soul-inflected jazz, but when the playing is this good and stays long on the ear, such criticisms are largely redundant. The repertoire is essentially from the Charles songbook with other classic standards added for good measure. Proceedings get off to a decidely funky start with the opener ‘The peeper’, a Crawford composition, that conjurs up a classic Blue Note organ combo session.
Enlisting the arranging talents of Gil Goldstein, additional brass features on some of the numbers. This includes a fine take on ‘Hard times’ with Goldstein doing a similar job to that of Quincy Jones on the original. Guest singers are introduced on two numbers with Joss Stone performing an appropriate bluesy delivery on ‘Let the good times roll’. Somewhat less successful is James Taylor who is not an obvious candidate to sing on ‘Hallelujah, I love her so’ and a little out of place here. Miles Davis may be an unexpected inspiration of Sanborn’s to some, but the former’s early 1960s albums were a revelation to the saxophonist and here there is a reworking of a piece from Miles’ ‘Seven steps to heaven’ album’, namely ‘Baby won’t you please come home’. In an altogether moodier vein is ‘Blues in the night’ on which Sanborn’s storytelling ability on the alto comes to the fore. Production chores are by Phil Ramone. Fans of organ combo jazz will be in their element here. Likely to surprise a few doubters of the Sanborn dismissers club and be played repeatedly on many a critics and listener’s CD player alike.  Tim Stenhouse

Maestro Amjad Ali Khan is a practitioner of the sarod, a higher pitched Indian classical instrument than the sitar and one that has significant lyrical qualities, espiecally since there is no fret on the instrument and therefore the sarod player has a far greater flexibility in his/her playing. When Khan was learning his craft, singers and playing were considered indissociable and this provides the inspiration for this wonderful collection of ragas. Each are closely associated with the vocal repertoire and in particular with some of the all-time great Indian singers going back several decades. The pieces vary in length between ten and twenty minutes, but in terms of chrononlogy date from the late 1800s and into the early part of the twentieth century. Thus we can say with some degree of certainty that these constitute in no small measure an integral part of the Indian classical songbook. However, apart from the occasional vocal at the beginning of a piece, they are interpreted instrumentally by Khan ably assisted on tablas. To aid the listener, at the beginning of the first CD Khan speaks briefly about the project and this is an excellent and intimate way of communicating with his audience.
With both CDs weighing in at around seventy-five minutes or over, the listener has an abundance of ragas from which to choose. One example of the ‘themri’ style, in other words love and devotion songs, is ‘Raga jogia’. Here the sarod is played with a dIstinct eastern feel that reminds one that the origins of the instrument are actually to be found in Afghanistan and is in fact an adaptation of the rebab. Khan excels on this melodic piece as he does on ‘Raga Dev Gandhar’. Ali Khan is in general celebrating the principal singers of the Khyal style which is the prominent vocal genre of Northern indian classical music.
This goes back at least three centuries and historically far beyond. The second CD features one of the most beloved melodies of all, ‘Raga Malkauns’ in which there is astonshing virtuosity from Khan and he demonstrates how to dissect the melody. This was originally sing by the revered Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. A short vocal introduction chracterises, ‘Raga Nat Bihag and then it is an all-out instrumental workout and a tribute to the singer Ustad Faiyaz Khan. There is absolutely no filler on either CD. Every piece is a treasure to behold. Excellent recording quality and a recent performance, though
no specific date is indicated. As an example of sarod playing, this could hardly be bettered.  Tim Stenhouse

Hard economic times brings forth inventive ways to market music and herein is an example of an increasing trend recently of record companies packaging several CD albums into a neat box set format. In this case it enables the listener for a budget price to acquire the albums of a saxophonist, David Sanborn, who, over a five year period, became a household name as a champion of the fusion jazz-soul genre. In fact Sanborn has always had a foot in both jazz and pop camps. For the latter he has become renowned as one of the most in-demand session musicians, turning up on classic albums byDavid Bowie, the Rolling Stones and Stevie Wonder to mention but a few. Equally, however, his jazz and even blues credentials are impressive. He has played with the likes of Mose Allison, the Paul Butterfield band and as part of Gil Evans’ big band. Thus the altoist has always been able to assemble some of the top musicians of the era for some of his own albums.
The debut from 1975, simply entitled ‘Sanborn’ features the Breckers brothers, Don Grolnick, Joe Beck and Ralph McDonald. Sanborn quickly laid down a mark as a purveyor of the funkier side of jazz as illustrated here on ‘Butterfat’ and a slow burner of a tune entiteld ‘Funky banana’. There was already an instantly recognisable alto saxophone voice that thrills or repels people in equal measure. David Sanborn was no revivalist, however, and rarely if ever performed cover versions of old standards. Most of the compositions here were penned either by band members, or by Dave Matthews. A second album, ‘Sanborn’, surfaced in 1976 and featured an excellent line up including Hiram Bullock on guitar and Victor Lewis on drums. In contrast to the debut, this new album had a slightly Latin feel, though still at essence a rhythm and blues undercurrent. The sound was typified by ‘Indio’. A plethora of guest vocalists attested to his prolific studio sessions elsewhere and included Patti Austin, Segio Mendes vocalist Lani Groves and even Paul Simon and Phoebe Snow on the pop-fusion song ‘Smile’. Jazz-fusion predominates on ‘Mamacita’ and jazz-funk hues on ‘Concrete boogie’. By the release of ‘ Heart to Heart ‘ in 1978, commercial success kept on comingat a time when jazz generally was undergoing a marked decline. Some of the finest session musicians were employed for this project such as drummer Steve Gadd(who would be a frequent collaborator and turns up on his latest album), keyboardists Don Grolinick and Richard Tee and Steps Ahead leader Mike Manieri on vibes. Sanborn was far from formulaic, however, even taking a leaf out of his Gil Evans tenure with a large orchestra over which the aloist wails on ‘Short visit’. By ‘Hideaway’ (1979) Sanborn’s style had fully matured and he became increasingly involved in writing duties. Noticeable for his involvement for the frist time was bassist Marcus Miller who would regularly play with Sanborn as well as playing/producing both Luther Vandross and Miles Davis.
It has to be said that some of these tracks now sound a little dated and do not stand the test of time particularly well, but with a revival of interest in all things associated with the 1970s, a new audience will doubtless hear these numbers with a fresh air and from a different perspective.
Finally the set is rounded out with ‘Voyeur’ (1980) where the alto’s sound is very sweet sounding, perhaps a little too so for some palettes. The opener ‘Let’s just say goodbye’ was a minor single on the soul charts at the time and the album again charted well in the States. All in all a cohesive package of sounds for those who like the groovy side of soul-jazz with a commercial edge to it. Tim Stenhouse

A master vocalist of North Indian or Hindustani classical music, Kishopi Amonkar is a renowned vocalist now in her late seventies who recorded this album of two ragas in a UK studio in 2000. Throughout there is fine instrumental accompaniment on tabla and harmonium, with additional violin, tanpura and vocal support. Amonkar belongs to the khyal school of vocal music which loosely translates as ‘imagination’ or ‘fancy’ and clearly this is both creative and evocative music. This style can be sung by either men or women singers. Either CD contains a single raga in its complete format, the first being ‘Raga Gunkali’ and the second ‘Madhyamad Garang’. Both are taken at a medium or fast tempo. A fine way to start is with the ‘Raga Gunkali’ which is normally performed at daybreak and conveys the atmosphere of calmness and serious contemplation at this time of morning. Gradually the tempo increases to reach its zenith two thirds of the way in. The second raga conveys a similar intensity and features some excellent support work from various instrumentalists.
Amokar’s phrasing is considered especially sensual and she has recorded with many of the most respected instrmuentalists including bansuri maestro Hariprasad Chaurassia. She in fact comes from a family of musicians with her own mother being a celebrated vocalist. For the casual listener this particular vocal style may not be the first port of call in Indian vocal music and may prove difficult initially to get into. However, for more established devotees who are in search of something more challenging, this may just be what you require. No extra tracks which is a pity since at eighty-five minutes in total there is plenty of spare space. Tim Stenhouse

Multi-keyboardist, singer and producer George Duke has enjoyed a long and successful career and one that has straddled straight ahead jazz in the 1960s, Latin-fusion and soul-jazz in the 1970s and beyond. He has played with the likes of Cannonball Adderly, Aitro Moreira and Flora Purim and Sonny Rollins, but also Frank Zappa on the rock side. Collaborations have included Billy Cobham and Stanley Clarke and among others he has produced Philip Bailey, Dianne Reeves and Deniece Williams. For jazz fans his earlier work for the MPS label has already been neatly chronicled in box set format. This latest edition fast forwards to the mid-1990s and covers the period up to 2000. It should be stated immediately that the jazz content on these albums is very thin and in parts virtually non-existent. Instead Duke had by this stage reverted to essentially contemporary funk with the odd keyboard solo here and there. For those who marvelled at his 1981 masterpiece of an album ‘Brazilian Love Affair, this came as something of a disappointment and to a large extent George Duke is showboating here in comparison to his capabilities as a master of the keyboard.The first album ‘Snapshot’ (1992) is a somewhat overglossy production that surely has Prince’s sound as its inspiration, though not nearly as funky. The riffs are a little trite, but there is some respite from the vocalists on ‘Fame’ (not the film soundtrack) and this pretty much defined the smooth jazz approach of Duke for the decade to come. ‘Illusions’ (1995) to some extent repeats the format with ‘500 miles to go’, typical of the sound within with the odd nod to the old George on keyboards. ‘Is love enough’ (1997) has a slightly tougher feel with funk still to the fore and female vocals. A year later ‘After hours’ (1998) surfaced and is probably the best of the bunch with even a slight return to acoustic piano on some numbers such as ‘Rush hour’ and ‘Road race’. There is even a little Latin percussion and a fender rhodes solo. Perhaps George was itching to get back to some Latin-fusion.
The album ‘Cool’ from 2000 varies the format to some degree with a gospel choir and vocalists of the calibre of Philip Bailey (who guest on other albums) and the Perry sisters giving this a more souful ambience. Part of the problem with the albums as a whole is that the uniqueness of George Duke’s keyboard playing gets lost among an array of layered synethsizer sounds and this detracts from the listener’s enjoyment. This is a set strictly for fans of contemporary funk with a commercial edge who like a minimal dosage of improvisation. Long-term fans of Duke are better served elsewhere and should still lie in the (rapidly dwindling) hope that a second updated volume of ‘Brazilian Love Affair’ will one day emerge. Tim Stenhouse

A master of the sarod, Ustad Villayat Khan was a greatly respected musician who thrilled listeners over several decades and passed away in 2004. These recordings date from the 1970s and are not complete in that the alap, jor and jhahar segments are missing. Nonetheless the craftsmanship of the masetro is captured fully and such is his unique style of playing that henceforth it is referred to as the Vilayatkhani tradition. Vilayat Khan, born in eastern Bengal (now Bangladesh), made a key advance in the development of the sitar and even to its very sound. He in fact adapted the construction of the instrument and in particular the manner in which it is tuned as well as played. It is argued that this technical development enabled the sitar to imitate Indian vocal techniques in this style. Needless to say the playing is of the virtuoso standard, often at breakneck speed. Among the various pieces on offer, ‘Raga Bageshri’ has a romantic flavour to it with long tabla solos from the excellent Pandit Samta Prasad (or at least most likely to be this instrumentalist according to the notes) and the shorter ‘Raga shahana’ which is performed at a distinctly rapid pace. Overall excellent sound quality and remastering from the analogue original tapes. Tim Stenhouse

Among the plethora of jazz singers out there, relatively few choose to record in that most intimate of formats, accompanied solely by piano. The great Bill Evans-Tony Bennett collaboration immediately springs to mind and more recently a fine tribute to Carol King from Christine Tobin and Liam Noble impressed. This new pairing of US born, but London resident, singer José James with Belgian pianist Jef Neve came about completely by accident as often inspired musical combinations do. Neve replaced James’ long-term pianist at the last minute for a television show performance and the chemistry was almost immediate. The album, from the cover through to the music itself, has a timeless feel, though if you had to situate it, it would surely be in the 1960s nestling comfortably next to the fellow Impulse pairing of Johnny Hartman and John Coltrane. José James has been well schooled by singers of the calibre of Andy Bey and Janet Lawson. His delivery is soft and laid back, possibly in the style of a Nat King Cole, though certainly not derivative. These are beautifully crafted numbers from the great American songbook with Neve proving to be that most sensitive and sympathetic of accompanists. An exquisite reading of ‘Embraceable you’ is an album highlight as is ‘Gee baby, ain’t I good to you’ where James comes out of his shell somewhat with fine piano soloing into the bargain. This is one of the surprise packages of the year and on this evidence alone is likely to be a fruitful musical collaboration for some time to come.  Tim Stenhouse

Rap album with some lush soulful undertones and 70s style sleeve - a great invitation into an exciting album indeed.  ‘Off Switch’ rumbles its way into my good-books with great vocals beside the rap and the beats. ‘Dog Wood’ and ‘All Right’ are real soulful offerings that highlights the great use Pugs makes of samples and influences.  A collection of high quality tracks for today that has no problem competing with vast amount of competition out there in this field of entertainment.
Clear lyrics with very little explicit content merged with laid back dope beats and a soulfulness that seriously stands this above many recent releases.  Crate diggers watch out - there just could be a new runner around the block.  Enjoy. Steve Williams

There was always this hope that someday all those over played 12” singles I played back in the early 80s would see a release, especially after parting with them too.  This latest BBE wonder comes close to filling the gaps left with tunes old gits like me can sing along with.  I can recall vividly the clubs that were playing these and the memories that came with them – in particular Mr. Smiths up in Warrington.

This is boogie baby and boy what a stormer with Cashmere’s ‘Let The Music Turn You On’ pressing home the splendour and influence Michael Jackson had on everyone.  Tracks like ‘Rumours’ by Timex Social Club, ‘I.O.U. by Freeze and ‘Touch Me’ by Fonda Rae were the big hits but Skyy’s ‘Show Me The Way’, Caprice’s ‘100%’ and everything BB&Q Band released were the sound of the underground back then.  BUT, and this is a huge BUT, Barbara Mason’s ‘Another Man’ WAS 80s Boogie and for that alone this compilation is the Amrit of the Gods.
In truth, this is probably the best compilation I have been waiting for – selfish indeed but let ye not miss out on the true sound that was the 80s. An essential purchase.  Steve Williams

Following on from last year’s excellent and critically acclaimed studio recording ‘Historicity’, comes a solo recording from one of jazz’s most talented pianists. Once again it is an eclectic selection of numbers. First of all there is a creative reworking of Michael Jackson’s ‘Human nature’ which is a tune Iyer played as an eleven year old. Contrast this with ‘Steve Coleman’s ‘Games’ and you have some idea of the wide range of influences that Vijay Iyer has been exposed to. His own compositions are equally enlightening and include a probable tribute to Sun Ra on ‘One for Blount’ and a hint towards Cecil Taylor on ‘Autoscopy’. Two Ellington chestnuts are revisited to good effect on ‘Fleurette africaine’ and ‘Black and Tan fantasy’ while the American songbook provides one prize choice in ‘Darn that dream’. An inventive take on Monk’s ‘Epistrophy’ rounds off an excellent set from an ever inventive pianist who is going to be a talent to watch out for over the forthcoming years. Hopefully a recording in a live context will eventually surface.  Tim Stenhouse

Italian pianist Danilo Rea was a relatively late newcomer to jazz, having first studied classical piano and then playing progressive rock for a time. However, he has now been playing jazz since 1975 and has been keen to create his own niche and identity being inspired by the world of Italian composers, hence the reason behind this current project which is devoted predominantly to Fabrizio de André who died prematurely in 1999. As a whole the album has elements of classical and jazz with a lovely rendition of ‘Concierto de Aranjuez’ disguised under the title of ‘Cano amore’. The melodic ‘Il pescatore’ actually hints at Billy Taylor and if one had to situate Rea, it would be among the mainstream of modern jazz pianists. Roman born Danilo Rea has some stiff competition from fellow compatriots Stefano Bollini and Enrico Pieranunzi, but with this imaginative album he has a most promising future ahead of him.  Tim Stenhouse

Blind Moroccan singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Hassan Erraji plays an impressive array of North African and Middle Eastern instruments and these include the ney, oud, qanun and percussive darbouka. Erraji studied at the conservatory in Casablanca and then in 1968 moved to Brussels to study western classical music. The latest album is produced by Dave Creffield of the Kaiser Chiefs and the songs in general are relatively concise by North African norms with a nice mix of funky western bass and eastern-style drum kit. Kenny Higgins lays down some steady bass while Ben Stephens plays both drums and percussion. The title track itself signifies ‘Love at first sight’ in Arabic and is an uplifting vocal number. Of all the songs on offer, ‘Saraha’ impresses most with its clever use of violins and bubbling percussion underneath. Yasmin Erraji provides background vocals on this and the majority of tracks on the album. Perhaps overall the repertoire does not contain as much variety as one might hope for, though having said that the feel on ‘Mounyati’ with the sound of the violin is actually akin to that of Irish folk. Erraji is a renowned live perfomer has performed at Womad and is currently undertaking a UK tour. He promises to be an exciting artist with his unique brand of party music in a live context.  Tim Stenhouse

UK-based singer Natasha Atlas is best known for her fusion of dance beats with Middle Eastern melodies. However, here she has wisely decided to devote an entire album to a more traditional style even if the songs themselves are mainly new and there is the odd contemporary touch thrown in. This is something of a departure for Atlas and she is to be commended for undertaking such a project which in the final analysis has turned out to be a triumphant success. A twenty piece Turkish orchestra and a chamber orchestra brings a sense of occasion to proceedings and is a fine fusion of east and west. Among other musicians jazz pianist Zoe Rehman is a welcome addition as is Akyona Mich who shares piano duties. The cover photo casts her in the mode of the classic singers of the past such as Lebanese diva Fairuz and even the great Oum Kalthoum. While such comparisons are not at this point in her career either fair or pertinent, Atlas is likely to gain a whole new audience with this recording. Helping immensely with the overall sound are the wonderful arrangements of Egyptian musician/composer Samy Bishai. Of the new songs, there is a fine tribute to the sound of the Rabbany brothers on the lush symphonic hues of ‘Muwashah Ozkourini’ while the title track features a dramatic intro with a fine ney solo and the subtle use of strings. The French language ‘Le cor le vent’ has a laid back jazzy feel which suits Atlas’ vocal style. A surprise standard for the album is Nick Drake’s ‘Riverman’, here transformed into more of a jazzy number with a Middle Eastern flavour in the phrasings even if the lyrics are retained in English. We hear the song in an altogether different light in this context which is a surefire sign of a successful cover version. Atmospheric is the only way to describe ‘Batkallim’ with its combination of ney and piano. Samy Bishai is to be congratulated on achieving such sumptuous string arrangements. By far Natasha Atlas’ most accomplished album to date and possibly a career changing move at that.  Tim Stenhouse

Leader of the band Lanford Gilzene (aka Culture George), debuted as a teenager on a 1975 album produced by Norman Grant of the Twinkle Brothers. The current band was formed in 1986 and has been in existence for nearly twenty-five years. Mento music pre-dates the rise of reggae with its basic instrumentation of banjo and percussion, but the during the classic roots era mento musicians invariably fused the two, most notably Stanley Beckford and his group the Turbines. Local satire and a good deal of bawdy humour characterise the lyrics of mento, but this is beuatifully wrapped up in lilting rhythms with gorgeous harmonies throughout. The recording took place at the legendary Harry J’s in Kingston where many a classic reggae 45 has been cut. Gilzene and the Blue Light Mento band have an eclectic repertoire that takes in rastafarian faith chants on ‘10,000 years’ and the participation of singing legend Toots Hibbert on his very own composition ‘Sweet and dandy’. Elsewhere there is the unusual choice for some of ‘Brown girl in the ring’, which Boney M. made a disco hit out of in the 1970s, the ska-like ‘Dream of me’ and a reprise of the song ‘Wings of a dove’ that Bob Marley had an early ska hit with. Mento is poorly served on the CD format and therefore it is very welcome to hear a band that has managed to survive for so long. Expert notes from reggae afficionado and writer Dave Katz with bi-lingual English and French text provide the appropriate historical context. Tim Stenhouse

The Apples are a nine piece instrumental band who are heavily influenced by James Brown and Parliament. This is reinforced by the guest appearance of trombonist Fred Wesley who plays on four numbers. They are at their best on pulsating pieces such as ‘In the air’ with its use of collective vocals,stabbing horns and the odd turntable effects. Indeed on the title track horns and DJ beats collide with a slightly eastern flavour from the former. A nice instrumental workout is ‘Howlin’ with Fred’ which is very JBs inspired and Wesley solos to good effect here. On ‘Walking to the palace’ moody wordless vocals come to the fore and on the instrumental ‘Banan jam’ Afro-Beat flavours are in the ascendency. However, this is an album that is a genuine tale of two halves. The second half of the album bizarrely transforms into a percussive world beats project which would surely alienate some, if not all fans, who had tuned into the funkier repertoire. The new sound is typified by cuts such as ‘Batash (Alwoodji)’ which has various tempo changes and a saxophone solo. Quite why the group wished to display such contrasting sides on one album is mystifying and risks confusing the listener. The Apples need to decide which sound they wish to promote and if necessary devote separate projects to others that may be of interest.  Tim Stenhouse

Australian group the Transatlantics were formed in 2007 and are not dissimilar in some respects to Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. The music oscillates between old-school soul from the late 1960s and funkier instrumentals that the Meters might have cut. An obvious contender for airplay is the first single ‘Couldn’t be him’ which features the vocals of Tara Lynch and is a catchy song with Al Green-esque riffs. Uptempo funky guitar riffs abound on ‘I’ve been had’ and even Fela-inspired horns are quoted on ‘Tea legs’. More laid back in format is another vocal piece ‘That’s when I feel lonely’. There is plenty of potential for this band to crossover if they contribute a few more vocal pieces. Having already backed Marva Whitney on a recent Australian tour and served as a warm up act for Eddie Bo, the Transatlantics have performed alongside some esteemed company and promise to be an exciting live act. Tim Stenhouse

London-based DJ Aroop Roy produces a largely electronica based album which left this listener decidely cold. Part of the problem is that there is nothing particularly individual in the sound created. Rather it comes across as a series of pastiches of rather clichéd beats. A case in point is the song ‘ A lonely years’. While the vocals from Sacha Williamson are fine, the instrumentation is played at such a pace that it makes the overall feel sound like Incognito played at the wrong speed (78 RPM for those old enough to remember what this type of vinyl looks and sounds like!) Similarly, the percussive electronica beats of ‘Told me’ are simply too repetitive to sustain repeated listening. In contrast the vocal number ‘Lilly’ sounds like a slowed down version of Donna Summer’s ‘I feel love’! The most melodic number is ‘Too long’ and there is at least a hint of jazziness in the retro keyboards of ‘Dirty groove’. Otherwise it is back to the musical drawing board for Aroop Roy to invent some more imaginative beats and avoid simply rehashing what has already been done previously by others and in truth far more convincingly. Tim Stenhouse

In spite of the group’s name, Syriana have no Syrians in the band proper, but are instead a collective of largely British musicians that includes basist Nick ‘Dubulah’ Page who worked on the excellent Dub Colossus project and a host of others. However, to add no little authenticity is a Syrian string section and the wonderful qanun playing of Abdullah Chhadeh as well as the odd surfboarder guitar. This is a fusion project in the true sense of the word with Middle Eastern, Greek and other musical flavours brewing in an eclectic pot of beefed up percussion and jazzy bass, and overall an epic film soundtrack quality. The whole works surprising well and this may prove to be one of the surprise musical packages of the year that crosses over to a wider audience, possibly among fans of the chill out genre as much as those of world roots. The riff-laden ‘Black zil’ has a definite 1960s feel and is an outstanding track on the album as is the lovely piece named after the group which showcases the beautiful stringed instrument that is the qanun and a tune that lingers long on the mind. Vocals come courtesy of Lubana Al Quntan who delivers fully on the lilting ‘Gharibb’ while the opener and title track has an expansive, almost ambient feel. Real World are to be commended for sticking their neck out with this particular project, but judging by the sounds contained herein this looks.  Tim Stenhouse

The borderline between gospel and soul is a fragile and at times confrontational one. Artists of the calibre of Aretha Franklin, Al Green and Sam Cooke have been accused of selling out, or worse still of selling their soul to commerical considerations. In between these parameters, however, lies a largely undocumented (on CD at least) grey area of funkified gospel that is not overly preachy and has taken on board some of the developments in soul music. It is precisely this musical sub-genre from the Stax vaults that BGP have wisely seen fit to chronicle here in a superbly assembled, illustrated and annotated compilation by Dean Rudland of hitherto unknown singers save for the odd soul superstar group or acclaimed singer. This includes some of the beautiful album covers and original 45 labels of the Stax off shoot Gospel truth and briefly Truth labels and Ace is to be commended for reproducing these in the lavish booklet. The compilation is both a visual and aural treat with an appropriately devout bible book cover.

While the sides contained within are largely unknown to the wider public with the notable expections of the Staple Singers and Rance Allen, the majority are now hard to find items and were only ever released in limited quantities in the States. Moreover they cover a relatively short time-span from 1969 through to 1975, by which time the finances of Stax had collapsed and the gospel input had all but disappeared. Some of the great songwriters of the time were either reworked, or used for the first time here among the twenty songs sampled. Among these Isaac Hayes and David Porter, Betty Crutcher and Frederick Knight all regularly contributed to writing chores for the main Stax label. In addition Gamble and Huff contribute one piece, though interestingly the duo never saw fit to showcase gospel singers on their Philly International imprint. From the treasure trove of soul and funk infued sounds, a few gems nonetheless emerge. Clarence Smith is a revelation and provides a wonderful reworking of the traditional ‘Sometimes I feel like a motherless child’ which here has been given a more uptempo beat than per usual with a floating funk guitar riff. He also delivers a more laid-back mid-tempo number on ‘I’ll just keep trying’ with lovely female vocal harmonies. Of course groups predominate in gospel music and the Marion Gaines singers cut an album in 1974 with a reinvented version of Isaac Hayes’ ‘Do your thing’ which impresses. Downright funky is the only way to describe the group Twenty-First century and a rousing ‘If the shoe fits,wear it’. An early example of soulful disco surfaces here from the sassy Joshie Jo Armstead on ‘I got the vibes’ which she certainly has in abundance while the epic nine minute gospel choir fee to ‘Let me come home’ from the Howard Lemon Singers is yet another highlight.

Rance Allen is, perhaps, among the best known singers with a strictly gospel message and yet still manages to appeal to soul fans (his sole Capitol album produced by the Mizell brothers is in sore need of a re-issue) and Stax issued three of his albums. Here two of the more memorable songs are illustrated on ‘Talk that talk (Part 1)’ and the showstopping ‘There’s gonna be a showdown. Anyone in search of more of Allen’s craft should immediately head for ‘The soulful truth of the Rance Allen Group’ which came out on BGP in 2001 again compiled by Dean Rudland. This features the wonderful take on the Temps’ ‘Just my imagination (just my salvation)’. The Staple Singers are synonymous with quality gospel-tinged harmonies and two songs from their vast repertoire are illustrated here with ‘Brand new day’ and ‘name the missing word’ prime examples of their prowess. Rob Bowman’s otherwise excellent book on Stax records only made fleeting reference to the gospel side of the label and therefore this compilation serves an important historical purpose in filling in an admittedly small gap in our knowledge base. In fact a book on the history of gospel-soul that takes in a number of artists such as Shirley Caesar on independent labels from the 1970s through to the present is still required. As Dean Rudland rightly points out, precious few albums on Gospel Truth ever came out and only a handful of 45s. Nonetheless those that did make it were of a consistently high quality and this is what makes this selection an indispensable part of any for serious soul fans collection. One of the year’s finest compilations.  Tim Stenhouse