A brilliant new cut from Raffy Bushman, the London-based pianist and composer, whose debut EP last year, 'Look Up', certainly caught our attention and found a home on many respectable playlists too.

Raffy's spirited and melodic piano playing is a joy to hear on "Abraham". Supported by Nubiyan Twist's Finn Booth on drums and Mikele Montolli, hailing from Verona via Graz, on bass. 

Raffy gained praise and recognition far afield for his direction of Unit 31,  a music and visual arts collective of serious impact in London. He also founded the NuShape Orchestra, collaborating with Nubiya Brandon on 'All Kinds of Limbo' a transportative musical VR experience at The National Theatre.

After an impressive debut last year, Raffy looks set to go from strength to strength, from all indications.

Exclusive Premiere: Raffy Bushman "Abraham" (Forthcoming on Bridge The Gap)

a hymn to a unique gatefold cover design

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Stargazing from the sands of the Niterói beach, Tempos Futuros is low-end-led Brazilian futurism from one of Brazil’s most prolific and influential bassmen. As one third of legendary Brazilian trio Azymuth, Alex Malheiros has pioneered a one of a kind fusion of space-funk, samba and jazz since the early seventies. His playing can be heard on the records of Jorge Ben, Milton Nascimento, Roberto Carlos, Marcos Valle and Mark Murphy (to name a few), and he’s performed and toured with everyone from Stevie Wonder to Chick Corea.

Written and recorded in Niteroi, Brazil, overlooking Guanabara and the beaches, mountains and forests of Rio de Janeiro, Tempos Futuros has deep roots in Brazilian soil. The rhythms of Malheiros’ homeland have always permeated his music. But just like the Oscar Niemeyer designed Niterói Contemporary Art Museum which stands spaceship-like over the water, Tempos Futuros - while inspired by terrestrial forms, reaches out deep into the great unknown. 

Produced by acclaimed London-based producer Daniel Maunick, who has worked with Marcos Valle, Azymuth, Terry Callier, and Ivan Conti, the funk comes full circle. Daniel’s father Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick and Alex Malheiros shared a reciprocal stream of influence throughout the 80s, between London and Rio; Azymuth and Incognito; brit-funk and samba-funk. But just as with Azymuth’s music, you can also hear the influence of stateside jazz-funk masters like Roy Ayers, Weather Report, Lonnie Liston Smith, Mtume and Pleasure.

Tempos Futuros features Alex’s daughter, a Brazilian star in her own right, vocalist Sabrina Malheiros, Brazilian percussion master Sidinho Moreira,  London based saxophonist Sean Khan, Marcos Valle’s go-to drummer Massa, and keyboard player Dudu Viana.

Alex Malheiros - Retrato (feat. Sean Khan)

After the recent reissue of their first eponymous album, Favorite Recordings proudly presents Vegas, the second LP from Venezuelan band Esperanto. Rare and sought-after for many collectors, it was recorded in between Las Vegas and Caracas and originally released in 1981. Following bandleader Jorge Aguilar in his musical trip to the infamous American city bathing into flashing lights and vivid colors, we're invited to an excursion in Disco, Boogie and Jazz-Funk territories. Finally reissued, fully remastered, Vegas will be available as Gatefold Tip-On Vinyl LP. Out on January 31st 2022

Pre-order: https://favoriterecordings.bandcamp.com/album/vegas

With great care and attention to details, Esperanto managed to create a very convincing sequel to their Jazz-Funk debuts. Vegas keeps indeed a perfect balance between various influences. Through energic disco beats with intense funky solos, catchy AOR-influenced songs, where Jorge delivers convincing vocal performance, or sunny jazz-funk slow jams, the album still reveals something quite authentic. And this feeling echoes surely the one that could have been felt by Jorge Aguilar while discovering USA on a trip - where it all started for the music he loves. Like sometimes a foreigner's enriching view on some local specialty, he surely brought with the band all his authenticity and young but vibrant experience while convincing at the same time major labels for distribution.

With certain notoriety coming with the release of their first album, Jorge Aguilar and his drummer Pablo Matarazzo planned to go to Los Angeles for a few gigs. But once there, they realized their contact had to leave for Tina Turner's tour in Europe. Before that, he invited them to come along to Las Vegas and eventually meet musicians there. Luckily, the plan worked perfectly: Jorge came back to Los Angeles with a lot of contacts then moved to Boston and NYC before finally coming back to Caracas. He told: "I was so impressed with this trip that I told myself that one day I would return to Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The first tracks I did them in Los Angeles with Kenny More, James Gadson and other session musicians from that city. Later, I took the tracks to Caracas where the musicians of the band recorded overdubs. After that, I returned to Los Angeles to master with Bernie Grundman who was still working in his small studio at A & M records studios in Hollywood. As can be seen in the title of some of the songs like "Hollywood", "Vegas", "Kenny's Place", were only the translation of my experiences at the time."

Esperanto - Vegas (FVR181LP) - Snippets

One of the most influential and underground Hammond organists of the 1960's was "Big" John Patton as he was then known. If it was the groove that you wanted Patton was your Man and he made several albums for the legendary Blue Note label, many of which went on to sell for eye watering prices. As his style went out of favor, some of the recordings never saw the light of day until almost 20 years later and at the same time Patton slipped into the background. He resurfaced in the 1980s and went into the studio. Among his albums Soul Connection, originally released in 1983 on Nilva Records has now been re-released on what many consider to be the Re-Issue Label of these times; Jazz Room Records.


Patton had a strong band with him on this record. Avant Garde trombonist Grachan Moncur III fits in just nicely with some funky lines and solo's. Acid jazz Guitar Hero Melvin Sparks rides in the all important funk grooves but the revelation has to be saxophonist Grant Reed, who you may know from the Jazz Room Release of "Shamek Farrah & Folks" and who was a mainstay of the Mongo Santamaria set up. Jazz Exile Alvin Queen has been part of the sound set ups of Junior Mance, Stanley Turrentine and Charles Tolliver, among others.
The whole album sounds as if it was laid down in a Rudy Van Gelder session in the mid 60's and then languished in a vault somewhere, waiting until the fan base had returned. That time is now, this is a Funky Organ Groove with a Spiritual Soul Swing!

JOHN PATTON - SOUL CONNECTION

Made this quick edit for a new mix and thought I'd upload. The groove in the original only lasts for a minute and I needed more of it.

Genshu Hanayagi & Mickie Yoshino Group - 燃焼そして昇華 (Mark Wayward Edit)

Led by Tenderlonious, Ruby Rushton deliver their second album for 22a fuelled by a love of Coltrane, Yusef Lateef, Fela Kuti, Slum Village and Sa-Ra. 'Elephant and Castle' roots their undeniable London sound in samba influences.

Read more & buy: http://www.stampthewax.com/2017/05/04/premiere-ruby-rushton-elephant-and-castle/
Listen on Youtube: bit.ly/elephant-and-castle

Listen on Youtube

Ruby Rushton - Elephant & Castle (STW Premiere)

L'originale étant bien courte, on a rallongé le plaisir!

Just a quick edit to extend one of our Marcos Valle's favorite tunes , enjoy!

Marcos Valle - Wanda Vidal (Supa extended edit)

Stone Soul Disco

nowagainrecords.com

This 2/LP gatefold vinyl is available with:
Now-Again Reserve: a deluxe vinyl subscription.

Trombonist, bandleader, songwriter, arranger and producer James Reese never issued an album with his Progressions band, only a series of 45s – some under his own name, some under that of his collaboraors – out of Spartanburg, South Carolina on his Najma label, from the late 1960s until the mid 1970s. He was as ambitious as he was talented, and his ouevre ranges from brutal, deep soul to sophisticated instrumental ballads to jazz-inflected funk. Now-Again’s Egon first discovered Reese’s music on a 24 lock-in in Concord, North Carolina’s legendary record and antique clock repository, Ye Olde Clock Shoppe, in 1999. After he tracked down Reese, he officially reissued two of Reese’s songs on his seminal Stones Throw anthology The Funky 16 Corners. He later issued more of Reese’s music on the Now-Again anthology Loving On The Flipside.

Sourced from rare 45s and multi-track master tapes, Wait For Me: The Complete Works 1967-1972 presents both issued and recently-rediscovered songs in the full-length format, in a cohesive set that shows the brilliance still arising from the American soul and funk sub-strata. Long time Now-Again associate Kenny Dope presents a remix of the song “Throwing Stones,” and Now-Again mastering engineer Jason Bitner presents alternate mixes of various cuts on a bonus second LP, available only to subscribers. Those mixes are also included as part of the 2 CD set that accompanies the vinyl album. Both LP and CD version contain an extensive booklet detailing the trajectory of Reese and his band. Download card for WAV files included with the LP.

James Reese and the Progressions ft. Marlene King - “Throwing Stones (Kenny Dope Mix)"

Timeless french gem from 1976. Official Reissue on vinyl 45 tbr sept. 2019

Edition Spéciale 'Monsieur Business'

Favorite Recordings is a French label focusing on Soul, Funk, Jazz and other related genres from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. With a rich catalog combining original productions and reissues. Founded in 2006 by Pascal Rioux aka Charles Maurice, the label quickly established itself as an international reference. Under his artistic direction, Favorite Recordings offers a real journey, from the AOR of Al Sunny and Lucas Arruda, to the Jazz-Funk of Andre Solomko and Aldorande, passing by the plainly Afro and Brazilians territories of Voilaaa or Di Melo.

Along these new artists’ projects, a few other strong markers cannot be missed such as the now classic French Disco Boogie Sounds and AOR Global Sounds compilations series. 

Like both sides of the same coin, reissues and contemporary productions ultimately reflect the same passion for the warm and analog sound of musical production’s golden age. Today, again and again, Favorite Recordings aims to ensure the succession.

Esperanto - Vegas (FVR181LP) - Snippets

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