Jazz de Ville

Bossa 70 -

In September 2019 Matasuna Records opened the treasure box and reissued two rare original versions from the Peruvian band Bossa 70 for the first time on 7inch. With the new release, two more songs from their popular self-titled album will be officially reissued on a 45. The songs were transferred from the original master tapes and got a new mastering.

Matasuna Records invited the US-American DJ & Producer Retro Roland Riso to put his hands on the original versions to create two reworks, which are suitable for today's dancefloors. Roland is almost a veteran of Philadelphia's nightlife and can look back on a 20 year career as a radio host, promoter, DJ and producer.

Single will be out on December 13.

Rainer Trueby - Soul Gliding

Former member of A Forest Mighty Black and founder of Trüby Trio, Rainer Trueby presents his new compilation, Soulgliding, released on BBE Music. 

Starting life as a group on Facebook, ‘Soulgliding’ is a phrase coined by Rainer Trueby to describe the more languid, smoother side of 2-Step, Boogie, Modern Soul and even Jazz. This silky collection spans several decades and sums up what Soulgliding is all about: evocative airy music that feels like a dream-flight across a friendly sky. 

Or, as Patrick Forge puts it in his wonderful sleeve notes… 

“Soulgliding….. It’s all in that word, a stroke of genius, no explanation needed, I knew what it was about before I even read the rules. Anyway, there was only one rule that really mattered, the speed limit, nothing beyond 110bpm. What I didn’t know when Rainer first convened the eponymous Facebook group was just how addictive it would be. Several months of sharing, liking, commenting, loving and frantic dives into Discogs later, and Soulgliding has become a thing. A genre? Well, almost. This selection lovingly compiled by Rainer himself goes a long way to solidify the notion and stake a claim on the territory. 

This set of gliders has all the elements; from the slow (enough!) boogie of Crystal Winds, to the jazzy excursions courtesy of Ambiance and Les Hooper, and a clutch of tunes that are closer to the original 2-Step blueprint from Demo Cates, Bridge, Cloud One and Donna McGhee. Then there are the eighties drum machine grooves of Patrice Rushen and Fifth Of Heaven and the ethereal beatless magic of Peter Brown’s “Without Love”. A selection that manages to amalgamate plenty of obscurities without losing the essence, a selection which shimmers, soothes, inspires……glides.”  

Release February 7, 2020

Sidiku Buari - Revolution (Live Disco Show In New York City)

Side 1 is (possibly!) ‘live’ throughout, from a 1979 show at the (possibly mythical!) La Cheer Nightclub, NYC, but very well recorded for a ‘live’ album with clean, bright top notes, sharp percussion and heavy bass-lines. Keep The Rhythm Going segues into Ofey Karambani reminiscent of the Kongos’ massive Loft Club floorfiller Anikana-O, whilst This Is Music and Disco Soccer keep up the 120-140bpm pace to complete a side that rocks enough for the lazier DJ to play from start to finish without lifting the needle!

Side 2 consists of four very varied tracks all recorded at Aire L.A.Studios, the two openers Revolution and Together We Can Rebuild It (Ghana Motherland) being polemics against government and army corruption, and a battle-cry for Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings, who ruled the country for a brief period in 1979 when this recording was made, later serving as Ghana’s President from 1981 to 2001.

Then there’s a perennial crowd-pleaser Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Side 2 rounding off with the super-heavy Afrobeat-Disco groover, Happy Birthday.

Originally a national athlete, winning silver and gold medals in the Senegal All Africa Games and West African Games in 1963 and a bronze in the All African in Congo Brazzaville in 1965, Sidiku Buari then moved to America on a music scholarship at The York Institute, obtained as a result of his athletic achievements. When one of York’s music teachers, Irvin Mechanic, heard him singing in the Ga language- he suggested putting a rhythm section behind the songs, recording them, and seeing what the American record buying public thought of them. Four classic albums followed in quick succession, after which Buari’s solo output abruptly ceased.

But it was an ending that held within it the seeds of greater musical achievements to come. In 1990 he was appointed to the board of the Musicians’ Union of Ghana, later becoming its President from 1999 until 2007. In 2019, he was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Pan-African Republic Honorary Award Society for ‘meritorious contribution to the development of music and movie industries in Ghana’.

Album will be released January 31. 

Tru Thoughts 2019

As 2019 AKA Tru Thought's 20th birthday year draws to a close, "Tru Thought 2019" is the latest edition of the Brighton-based label’s annual compilation series. Curated by A&R, co-owner and DJ – Robert Luis, the digital album celebrates the best of the wide-ranging and international releases from this year. Featuring the finest of Tru Thoughts’ classic artists, new signings and inspired remixes, this compilation highlights a diverse selection of sounds, from neo-soul and electronica through to grime, jazz, UK hip-hop and leftfield dance music.

Afrodyssey Orchestra - Under the Sun

Afrodyssey Orchestra is an instrumental ensemble of six musicians from Athens, Greece. Officially as Afrodyssey Orchestra since February 2013 their compositional concept is incorporating West African rhythms with idioms from all over the world. That’s mainly what the band’s name states: A musical journey (odyssey), driven by the African percussion. The band’s influences span Jazz, Funk, Psychedelia, West African music, Afrobeat, High life and Greek musical idioms. Their infectious style stems from an experimental conversation between these different musical forms and traditions.Their blasting performances manage to make communion between the band and their audience, transmitting to the people the impulse to move. In addition to their original work, the band performs innovative versions of well-known African, and World music compositions. Most band members are multi-instrumentalists and lesser-known instruments played include the Kamelen Ngoni, a type of African harp, the Balafon, an ancestor of the Marimba and Vibraphone and of course Djembe and Doundoun. The band has built a strong following in Greece with a reputation for exceptional musicianship and have started to introduce their music in Europe through their live performances in venues and international music festivals in Germany (2014), Spain (2015), Cyprus (2018). They released their first original work in 2014 in CD and in vinyl on 2016. At the moment the ensemble is busy working on their new album, which has been recorded in December 2017 and it is going to be released in December 2019.

DJ Shadow - Our Pathetic Age

"Our Pathetic Age" is the sixth studio album by American music producer DJ Shadow, released through Mass Appeal Records on November 15, 2019. It features the singles "Rocket Fuel" featuring De La Soul and "Rosie". It also features collaborations with Run the Jewels, Ghostface Killah, Nas, and Raekwon, among others.

Wah Wah 45's 20 years!

One of our favorite labels is celebrating its 20 year anniversary! Wah Wah 45's was found in 1999 and is still strong in releasing up-front funky soulful tunes. I addition they will release a kind of best of. But there's more. Check them out!

Sefi Zisling - Expanse

Inspired by his childhood heroes of  John Coltrane, Grant Green and Fred Wesley, "ESpanse" combines the sounds of afro-jazz, psychedelic funk and spiritual jazz to create an album that echoes the great creators of Alice Coltrane, Fela Kuti and Donald Byrd , while paving a new path – all catalysed through the trumpet. Recorded as a collaborative live session with all of Sefi’s close and talented friends, including live members: Omri Shani (bass), Tom Bollig (drums), Noam Havkin (drums) and long-time collaborators: Idan Kupferberg (percussion), Uzi Ramirez (guitar, Yair Slutzki (tombone), :Expanse" captures the essence of the classic jazz sessions, committed to the outcome – mistakes and spontaneous moments included.

“I had to bring the musicians I trust the most and that we feel together like a family” Sefi explains, “I think that this feeling is very much present in the music”. Talking about the tracks on the album, Sefi elaborates: “There’s a healthy tension between the tight and groovy to the free and the abstract… harmony is achieved by embracing the disharmony in our life, and that darkness and light are equally important”. Sefi’s music acts a dialogue between bright and dark colours, solid grooves and abstract melodies; making ‘Expanse’ an instant classic, dignified in aesthetic and practice.

AJX500

With the renewed interest in jazz, the label that gave its name to Acid Jazz, returns with a great compilation.

AJX500 celebrates a milestone in Acid Jazz’s catalogue and at the same time harks back to the earlier label collections released in the Totally Wired series. This is carried through in both the choice of material – a mix of 8 new tracks and one obscure oldie – and the glorious packaging with a sleeve designed by long time label collaborators The Unknown and printed on a US style Tip On sleeve.

The music is what makes this package, 9 tracks never before released on vinyl showcasing Acid Jazz 2019 and what the future holds in 2020. There is an exclusive new track by Matt Berry, which previews the direction for his long awaited follow up to his Top 40 albumTV Themes, which will arrive next year. There are exclusive to vinyl remixes of the Brand New Heavies by FOUK, Laville by the Disco Freaks and Corduroy by their drummer Ben Addison.

The album opens with two blistering debut releases: the afro-funky psychedelic bootyshake of The Theme by Lightning Orchestra and newly christened Soul Revivers with their Ethiopiques meets Kingston groove on Harder which features 87 year old reggae legend Ernest Ranglin’s shimmering guitar hooks. Argentinian mega-producer Kevin Fingier takes time out of the Aggrotones to launch his soul/ jazz Project. Our friends at Unique in Germany have lent us the cosmic garage of Suzan Kotcher.

The oldies are courtesy of UK producer Graham Dee and the Orchestre Picoby Band D’Abomey – Dahomy. The later with a 1970s funky stew from Benin previously only available on a rare 7inch from the Albarika Stores label from Benin. Dee’s Sampaguita is a take on a song that the UK based producer wrote for a Moacir Santos Blue Note album, and is being released for the first time.

AJX500 is strictly limited to 500 copies, and will only be available from the Acid Jazz Pop Up shop and the AJ online store.

Hareton Salvanini "Xavana, uma ilha do amor"

Rare Brazilian album of the obscure film "Xavana, Uma Ilha do Amor", by director Zygmunt Sulistrowsky, a mixture of Psych, Jazz and Bossa Nova.
Hareton Salvanini creates a record full of groovy guitars, refine strings and delicate orchestral Sounds.

Blue Note at Sea 2020

Blue Note at Sea will return in 2020 with a fantastic program including Robert Glasper, Gregory Porter, Kamasi Washington, Melody Bardot, David Sanborn and much more.

Moonchild - Little Ghost European Tour

Following the release of their highly anticipated album ‘Little Ghost’, Moonchild head out to Europe in 2020, having previously played sold out shows across the continent. With a unique style of alternative R&B, soul and new-school jazz that has cemented their spot in today’s music scene, the extraordinary tour will feature new music from the band.

Tour dates:

30 JAN   Nalen Klubb, Stockholm, Sweden

01 FEB   Clamores, Madrid, Spain

02 FEB   La Nau, Barcelona, Spain

03 FEB   Le Rocher De Palmer, Bordeaux, France

05 FEB   Kaufleuten Festsaal, Zurich, Switzerland

07 FEB   Boogaloo, Zagreb, Croatia

08 FEB   Porgy & Bess, Vienna, Austria

10 FEB   Private Club, Berlin, Germany

12 FEB   Doornroosje (Small Hall), Nijmegen, Holland

13 FEB   Paradiso Noord, Amsterdam, Holland

14 FEB   Bird, Rotterdam, Holland

15 FEB   La Maroquinerie, Paris, France

17 FEB   Patterns, Brighton, UK

18 FEB   Band On The Wall, Manchester, UK

19 FEB   Scala, London, UK

21 FEB   Biko Club, Milan, Italy

22 FEB   Alcazar, Rome, Italy

Capetown International Jazz Festival

Cape Town International Jazz festival celebrates it's 20th! edition on March 29 and 30

Jazzahead Bremen

Leopolis Jazz Fest

Montreux Jazz

No text needed ;-)

North Sea Jazz festival 2020

The annual biggest jazz festival in Holland. Do we need to say more?