Jamie Finlay – Show Me (Wah Wah 45s) UK 12”
With a number of solid tracks already under his belt Jamie Finlay now comes with his finest to date. ‘Show Me’ is a blistering broken soul outing which showcases Jamie’s falsetto voice beautifully and is punctuated by infectious jazzy keys. On the flip side there’s the PTH Projects Oyster Woman Remix of Temerature.
www.myspace.com/jamiefinlay
www.myspace.com/wahwah45s
www.wahwah45s.com

Uyama Hiroto – Waltz For Life Will Born (Hyde Out Productions) Japanese 12”
Produced by Nujabes, the unusually titled ‘Waltz For Life Will Born’ (I think something’s been lost in translation) from Uyama Hiroto is a perfect example of waltz/modal jazz. Presented here with three very slightly mixes it’s the original sax lead version which just edges it.
www.myspace.com/uyamahiroto

Quasimode – The Land Of Freedom (Geneon) Japanese CD
Japanese jazz quartet Quasimode follow up their debut ‘Oneself-Likeness’ with another first rate set packed with firing jazz dance material. ‘The Man From Nagpur’, ‘For Self Defense’, ‘Percussion Revolver’ and ‘Dark Beauty’ featuring Mika Arisaka all hit the spot but what makes this album so special is a guest appearance from my favourite female jazz vocalist bar none, Carmen Lundy. She graces the spoken word intro ‘Over The Horrizon’, the immaculate ‘Object In The Mirror’ and a new version of her classic ‘Time Is Love’. Need I say more!  
www.myspace.com/quasimode

Olivier Peters Quartet feat. Joan Johnson Wings Of Spring (Celeste) Japanese LP
Recorded in 1980 but not released until 2001, Olivier Peter’s ‘Wings Of Spring’ now gets a welcome repress. Olivier’s sax takes the lead on this consistent set with the title track being one of the standouts. It’s the tracks featuring the captivating vocals of Joan Johnson which really shine though such as the Latin tinged ‘Full Moon’ and the supreme jazz dancer ‘Kekay’ on which Johnson lets rip in scat mode.

N-Side – Jazz Opera (Shalamar) US CD
It’s been two years since jazz poet Norman A. Woods, AKA N-Side first came to my attention via ‘Three Voices From The N-Side’. That particular set brought together tracks from three separate but at that time unreleased albums, one of which was ‘Jazz Opera’ so it’s great to see the full set finally see the light of day. ‘Jazz Opera’ is N-Side’s tribute to drummer William Richard “Smiley” Winters who worked with some of jazz music’s all time greats including Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Lester Young and John Coltrane. It features original music conducted by Winters himself and performed and recorded in 1973 by Les Oublies De Jazz Ensemble with Ed Kelly (Theresa Records) on piano. The music is interspersed with commentary by Winters taken from a previously unreleased interview. Together these elements form the basis for N-Side to deliver his unique and thought provoking poetry to great effect. ‘Vanguard Five’, ‘The Art Of Traveling Black’, ‘Voices’ and the title track are all essential listening but each track is a masterpiece in it’s own right. Although this CD is not yet widely available, do yourself a favour and track it down. (Try cdbaby).  
www.myspace.com/nsidetribe

N-Side – Just A Broke Brotha’ Tryin’ To Come Up (Shamamar) US CD
The second release this month from N-Side and one which sees him take a slightly different path. Of course his distinctive poetry delivery is present and correct but the musical accompaniment, largely provided by Ricardo Love journey’s into soul/hip-hop territory. ‘What Comes From The Mouth Of A Fool, ‘Hero, I Know’, ‘Discovery (A Gift Within A Verse)’ and ‘Hidden Scars And Movie Stars’ work particularly well and deserve to receive serious attention from the organic soul fraternity.   
www.myspace.com/nsidetribe