BBE Music announces the first ever reissue of jazz bassist David Wertman’s rare 1983 Sun Ensemble LP ‘Wide Eye Culture’, carefully remastered and presented as a deluxe expanded edition, with 8 bonus tracks.

Five years after the release of his Sun Ensemble debut ‘Earthly Delights’, also reissued on BBE Music, spiritual jazz bassist and prolific composer David Wertman returned to the studio in 1983 to record the follow-up, ‘Wide Eye Culture’. Now, thanks to David’s wife and musical partner Lynne Meryl, in this special deluxe edition of the album we’ve been able to include three more obscure independent releases by Wertman and Meryl, which bridge the gap between the two LPs. Two impossibly rare 1981 flexi-discs and one 1982 two-track ’45 serve to chart Wertman’s musical evolution as he settled in the lush Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts and surrounded himself with a whole new array of talented collaborators and musical influences.

Emerging from the ferment of New York’s infamous free jazz loft scene, where the music was free and ‘out’, the sessions went on for hours and the characters were dangerous and wild, David Wertman had spent his young adulthood attending what he described as “the college of ‘da streets’.” Having sharpened his skills against those of Billy Bang, Arthur Blythe, Steve Reid and Charles Tyler, among others, during the late ‘70s, Wertman made the move to Northampton, MA where his irrepressible, magnetic energy quickly drew a diverse, openminded and talented group of players into his orbit.

Alongside a core trio of vocalist Lynne Meryl, pianist Tom McClung and Wertman himself, the Wide Eye Culture album features future Sting/Don Cherry collaborator Tony Vacca on drums and Aretha Franklin/Tony Bennet band member turned music lecturer Tim Atherton on trombone. Other local musicians and friends feature on the 1981 flexi-disc ‘You Are My Love’, recorded under Lynne Meryl’s name only; the Sun Ensemble’s ‘Up In The Sky’, recorded that same year at Smith College’s John M. Greene Hall; and 1982’s 7” ’45RPM release, ‘Blessing of Love/Golden Light’, recorded as David Wertman & Lynne Meryl. Soon after these recordings, Tom McClung left for Europe to perform with Archie Shepp and Steve McCraven, where he remained until his death in 2017.

With the addition of McClung’s lyrical, effortless piano playing, Lynne Meryl’s acrobatic vocals and Vacca’s expressive, visceral drumming, Wide Eye Culture is perhaps more accessible than Wertman’s earlier works, although flashes of his experimental freeform style still remain throughout these discs. “What Dave played was like nothing I’d heard before. I was inexperienced as a jazz singer, but I opened up quickly and started to improvise and scat. Coming from the New York loft free jazz scene, Dave had never played structured tunes before. So, he lifted me up and I grounded him. It was perfect.” – Lynne Meryl

David Wertman, Sun Ensemble - New Earth

Tracklist:
Tierra Whack - Heaven
Tierra Whack - Cutting Onions 
Rouge Way - WYA
Keith Mansfield - The Loving Touch
Denzel Curry - Walkin
Smino - I Deserve (feat. NOS)
DJ Harrison - Kawai Voyage
Athletic Progression - OSAKA
Maverick Sabre & Demae - Not Easy Love
Waldo's Gift - Flowerbed
Iman Houssein - Slow Things Down
BenjiFlow - Go
Tiwa Savage - Tales By Moonlight (feat. Amaarae)
Scratcha DVA - Siyobonga (feat. DemiMa) 
Alexander Nut - Wild Side {Alex Nuts Yamapiano Refix}
Pat Thomas - Onfa Nkosi Hwee (Hagan Edit)
Joy Orbison - born slipping (feat. TYSON)
Jazzanova - Creative Musicians (Waajeed Remix Instrumental) 
Manaré - Quartz
Mosca - Done Me Wrong
Jaydee - Plastic Dreams 
Ossie - Kalimba 03
Yussef Kamaal - Lowrider
Gina Jeanz - Amagroove

Universal Rhythms - Four Directions - Jeff Higgins 04/01/22

• DTW FM #304 •

Special Guests :
unowhoknows 

Spotify Handle : dtw.lnk.to/DTWitall
Every Saturday
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Broadcasting via The Lot Radio
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Darker Than Wax FM #304 w/ unowhoknows • 12th Feb 2022

This week’s mix comes from Jake Miller, 1/5 of the new Reggae crew ‘Youth Downbeat Sound’. Jake has spent the last few years working in the legendary London record shop Flashback Records and is a serious collector of all things Reggae. He has a monthly show on Kindred Radio exploring all different kinds of vinyl crackle and will be launching a new hand built sound system with his crew in May. This week he has dug deep into his dusty 7’s box and brought us a 100% Studio One singles mix. “Here’s a selection of Studio 1 classics, all on 45 for your listening pleasure!”. Full tracklist below.



Don Drummond - Don Cosmic 
Joe Higgs - Dinah 
Gaylads - Message To My Girl 
Earl 16 - I Am Going To Cool It 
The Bassies - I Don’t Mind 
Slim Smith - Lonely Lover 
The Actions - Giddap
The Lyrics - Music Like Dirt 
Soul Vendors - Swing Easy 
Dudley Sibley - Having A Party 
The Heptones - Haven’t You Got Any Fight Left 
The Heptones - Sweet Talking 
Delroy Wilson - Don’t Know Why 
The Soul Vendors - A Darker Shade Of Black 
Sugar Minott - Jah A Love You 
Cornell Campbell - Pretty Looks Isn’t All 
Carlton And The Shoes - Love Is All
The Heptones - Ting A Ling (Dubplate Mix) 
Im And David - Love Land 
Sound Dimension - Lovers Serenade 
Sound Dimension - Rasta Light 
Burning Spear - What A Happy Day 
The Gladiators - Peace

Macondo Mix 008: Jake Miller

Short episode of some recent acquisitions and classics. Note to listeners: I'm going to start removing some past episodes of PFTS in the coming weeks on Soundcloud and iTunes, so make sure to download anything you've missed before it's gone! 

Tracklist: Felipe Dulzaides, Lance Ferguson, Sapo, Stone Alliance, Blossom Dearie, Diasonics

April 6 2022

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Pullin from the Stacks - Episode 194

Recorded live on a Sunday evening in front of a small Twitch audience, an hour of jazz joints make up the latest episode of Pullin from the Stacks! Stay tuned for future episodes to be streamed live as well starting in May. No episode next week as I'll be traveling but a new Knowledge Breaks before the month is out...thanks for tuning in!

Tracklist: Donald Byrd, Hampton Hawes, Jazz Traficantes, George Shearing, Frank Cunimondo, Steve Grossman, Stanley Turrentine, Michel Sardaby, Clare Fischer, Atlantis Jazz Ensemble, Mutual Attraction, Build An Ark

April 13 2022

Pullin from the Stacks - Episode 195

Recorded this episode right after the Supreme Court leak of the opinion turning back Roe v. Wade, so I had to start it off with an old spoken-word piece from Digable Planets. "The facists are some heavy dudes / they don't really give a damn about life." Words that continue to ring true. If you're able please donate to these abortion funds listed here (rather than Planned Parenthood): https://defector.com/here-are-some-abortion-funds-you-can-donate-to/

Photo credit: http://instagram.com/radicalgraffiti

Tracklist: Digable Planets, Azimuth, T. Takahashi, Gojkovic-Kovacev, Skymark, Raffy Bushman, New Haven Women's Liberation Rock Band

May 4 2022

Abortion Funds

Pullin from the Stacks - Episode 197

Ahead of the much anticipated release of Música Macondo's 'Brasil Novo' compilation of deep, raw and contemporary Afro Brazilian samba, we are exited to premiere Grupo Bongar's electric take on Samba de Coco, "Vento Corredor". 

Música Macondo has unearthed eight contemporary Brazilian tracks on compilation 'Brasil Novo', disseminating the rich and percussive heritage of Brazil and Samba De Coco. Selected by DJs Tahira (Sao Paulo) and Tim Garcia (London), the diversity and positivity of Brazil shines, featuring elements of samba, candomble, batuques, jazz, folk and beyond, designed with the esoteric dancefloor in mind.

DJ Tahira is a massive Brazilian music fan and has been on a research journey for a number of years, dedicated to the preservation and archiving of music made or influenced by black and indigenous Brazilians. Based out of Sao Paulo he has a particular interest in the history of Samba de Coco, a folkloric musical form that was very popular in, (and probably originated from), the north east of Brazil, by slaves and indiginous people from working class backgrounds who came together, making a rhythmical mesh of sounds dating back hundreds of years and allowing them to carve a unique cultural identity.

Ignored or disregarded as inferior by Brazil's recording industry, there are few existing original recordings of this music from the twentieth century, relying instead on oral tradition and carnivals like those in Recife or Pernambuco. In recent times there has been a flux of contemporary proponents who mix Samba de Coco with other contemporary Brazilian musical forms. Brasil Novo features both the roots, and more divergent fusions.

In the current cultural impasse that Brazil is experiencing, with artists and musicians experiencing the withdrawal of funding and services and with concerts and clubs yet to get back to pre-pandemic levels, it's never been so important to give visibility to contemporary creativity. This compilation not only gives a needy international platform to new artists, it enables an archive of Afro Brazilian culture that in some cases is disappearing. It’s also a fine example of resistance and positivity, against the odds.

Grupo Bongar, well known in Brazil and internationally, combine all manners of Brazilian folk, axé and samba, whilst they also run a centre for percussion aimed at galvanising musicians from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Exclusive Premiere: Grupo Bongar "Vento Corredor" (Forthcoming on Música Macondo)

Another set of new and old, fuzzy fusion pieces for your ears! Enjoy.

Tracklist: Soul Surfers, Grupo Fa 5, Cesar Mariano, Sly5thAve and Roberto Verastegui, George Duke, Brian Jackson

May 11 2022

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Pullin from the Stacks - Episode 198

Rolling Blunts

a vibey atmospheric summer mood, made for Artform Radio X WorldWideFm

WorldWideFM X Artform Radio - July 2020

When I'm not at the dayjob, I'm probably at a record store. Pullin from the Stacks podcast most Wednesdays, available here, Apple Pods (please subscribe!) and elsewhere.

Pullin from the Stacks - Episode 197

DJ Ian Head