Artwork by Joseba Eskubi - www.josebaeskubi.com

Imago Mundi

Buy / Stream it here: https://orcd.co/clapclap

In association with DJ Amir‘s 180 Proof Records, BBE Music reissues ‘Clap Clap! The Joyful Noise’, an unreleased gem from Strata Records founder Kenny Cox.

In 1974, Strata Records Inc. was well known in Detroit for their art gallery, live music venue and record label, turning out records by artists like Kenny Cox and Lyman Woodard. In 2012, nearly 4 decades later, Scion commissioned DJ Amir Abdullah to research and create an exhibit based on lost youth culture in Detroit for a new online museum. Familiar with the history of Strata Inc., Amir decided the best way to define the era was through the lens of the labels brief but potent influence on the city’s culture. Inspired by this project, Amir set out to re-introduce the world to Strata Inc. through his own label, 180 Proof Records.

The Lyman Woodard Organization’s Saturday Night Special (1975) is perhaps the jewel of the label, but the LP that was to follow – Cox’s unreleased Clap Clap! The Joyful Noise, is at the same time radical and sublime. It’s a visionary work, inspired by both the innocence and zeal of his 3-year-old son, Philip, and also the culture of Latin America and Caribbean lands Cox admits in the album’s original liner notes that, “oddly enough…I’ve never seen.”

The title track, “Clap Clap! The Joyful Noise” is a frolicking bossa groove awash in the gentle sound of waves one can imagine lapping against the shores of Brazil’s Praia da Fazenda, or perhaps the Taipus de Fora. “Samba de Romance” teems with the mischievous tones of two lovers playing not cat and mouse, but cat and cat (!), until the chase ends in a passionate nighttime rendezvous in sultry island air.

The pulsating bounce of “Island Song,” with its mood set by Moore’s vibrant flugelhorn and the percussion of Ronald Johnson and Nengue Hernandez, is just about everything one would imagine an island song to be, while “Lost My Love” is really “Feel Like Making Love” in delicious disguise and the album’s close, “Beyond The Dream,” is a 13-minute enlivening, reflective odyssey on everything one has lived, and all that remains to be achieved.

This previously unreleased masterpiece by Kenny Cox has been remastered from the original reel to reel masters, along with the artwork, extensive liner notes and never seen before photos.

Kenny Cox - Lost My Love

Hugo Montenegro - Spaceport (from Toomorrow)

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

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Pullin from the Stacks - Episode 195

Dreamy new jazz from Clear Path Ensemble. Perfect for a hot, humid day.  "Drumatix" is taken from their forthcoming on Soundway Records, "Solar Eclipse". 

Led by percussionist Cory Champion, Clear Path Ensemble bottles the energy of New Zealand’s bubbling new jazz scene and distills it into moody morsels of differing styles. From electric jazz to ambient, experimental, house and funk – it’s a DIY, jam-session attitude towards composition, as the band members freely cherry-pick from a vast orchard of influences.

Solar Eclipse

Exclusive Premiere: Clear Path Ensemble "Drumatix" (Soundway Records)

Music Is My Sanctuary’s Lexis returns to Kiosk’s airwaves. 

🌐 "Outsiders" is our daily show hosted by global independent record labels
📡 Connect with the Outsiders, every day, at 9 am or 9 pm CET
🔗 kioskradio.com

Outsiders: Lexis (Music is My Sanctuary) @ Kiosk Radio 15.09.2022

Today's exclusive, "South Of The Sun", is a laidback slice of jazz fusion and soul from UK based pianist, drummer, composer and producer, Hamish Balfour, that carries us away on its irresistible groove. 

On his electrifying debut for London's Shapes of Rhythm, Balfour draws upon jazz, funk, soul and electonic music, bridging the gap from classic Blue Note to Warp via Sonar Kollektiv.

Hamish Balfour should be a recognisable face to jazz addicts. The go-to keys player has performed and recorded alongside American jazz drumming legend Harvey Mason, Tenderlonious, The Temptations, Odyssey, Faze Action, Yolanda Charles' Project PH, Bassically, Nim Quartet and Yam Who. Popping up not only in the credits of many sought-after albums, but also Channel 4, ITV and BBC programmes for his compositions on various shows.

Over the course of eleven tracks, Balfour folds in and explores his influences, with a wide yet highly cohesive and strong palette of sounds, whilst interacting with high caliber guest vocalists such as spoken word artist and broken beat icon, Lyric L (Seiji, Nathan Haines), London Elektricity and Hospital Records’ star vocalist Elsa Esmeralda, award-winning and chart-storming singer-songwriter Belle Humble (Freestylers, Paloma Faith) and soul and house mainstay Andre Espeut (Afriquoi, Simbad, Faze Action).

Responsible for all piano, synths, percussion and production on the album, Balfour’s musicality shines through, a reminder of how overdue this debut album as leader is. However, in addition to the incredible vocalists, he’s joined by some of the UK’s finest jazz musicians: James Copus (trumpet), Pete Matin (bass),  Laurie Lowe and Saleem Raman (drums) and Rob Updegraff (guitar).

"South Of The Sun" is the album's laid-back moment with Roy Ayers-type vibrations as bass and drums sit in the pocket (at least to begin with), whilst a Rhodes weaves its magic, taking us on a few twists and turns before returning to the main feel-good motif.

Running Colours

Exclusive Premiere: Hamish Balfour "South Of The Sun" (Forthcoming on Shapes of Rhythm)

RADIO.D59B / JAZZ CÓNCLAVE #22 w/ Francisco Lodeiro

Buy / Stream it here: https://orcd.co/beersheba

Like a long-lost Holy Grail album from the mid-seventies, Kirk Degiorgio’s latest project, Modal Forces / Percussive Forces, explores both Modal Jazz and Seventies Jazz Fusion in the Library album format. Side One swings with a vengeance with its tight arrangements built around acoustic bass, electric piano and glorious analog synth leads and side 2 takes us on a journey of funk fuelled, percussive workouts and heavy breaks. The contributions of renowned session drummer Chris Whitten adds to the authenticity of the album as does the use of vintage, analog synths.

Now, as a taster of what's to come on this album, BBE is releasing Beersheba as the first single from the project. In true library music style Beersheba comes in at less than 4 minutes but manages to create an atmosphere and a story. With the keys overlaying a melody and a refrain on top of a bass and drum break rhythm this track not only paints a picture but also builds to a lovely mid-tempo dancefloor groove that tantalises the listener as to what the next track will be.

Kirk Degiorgio is a DJ, composer and music lover whose influences, from family and then going out to clubs from under-18 discos to attending the Belvedere Arms and 'Shoom' and working in Reckless Records, cover all genres of Black music. From Soul, Jazz-Funk, Funk and then House and Detroit Techno Kirk has a love and an appreciation for how all these sounds work together and evolve from each other.

Kirk Degiorgio - Beersheba [BBE Music]

Jitney Music opens up this year with Japanese producer Daisuke Kondo and his Rudimentary Thinking EP which features 4 Deep tracks which I hope you'll enjoy.

Your continued support throughout 2023 will as always be much appreciated.

Much respect to the following who helped put this EP together:

Daiske Kondo: https://soundcloud.com/daisuke-kondo
Todd Carter: https://soundcloud.com/canalpanama
Groove Distribution: https://soundcloud.com/user-465990885

BANDCAMP/VINYL : https://linktr.ee/jitney_music

Daisuke Kondo - Rudimentary Thinking EP Sampler

After over 15 years of collecting & playing records and 300+ mixes online i finally put my first actual solo mixtape together. Edition of 72 / 80min / Artwork & design by Eleana Katanu / Recorded at Salomo's Lab.

Buy / support here: skor72.bigcartel.com/product/dream-…g-gone-mixtape