‘One of the most provocative ongoing bodies of work by any American musician’ (Pitchfork). ‘Astonishing work of history, memory and sensed experience. Confirms Roberts’ place as one of the most important living artists in any field’ (The Quietus).
With Hannah Marcus (guitars, fiddle, accordion), percussionist Ryan Sawyer, bassist Nicolas Caloia, and Sam Shalabi on guitar and oud — plus trombonist Steve Swell and vibraphonist Ryan White guesting. ‘Memphis unspools as a continuous work of 21st century liberation music, oscillating between meditative incantatory explorations, raucous melodic themes, and unbridled free-improv suites, quoting archly and ecstatically from various folk traditions along the way.’

Stone-classic Latin fusion album, produced by Larry Mizell. The boom track in the day was Rio — a galloping jazz samba — but there is plenty of pure Mizells brilliance, and Paul Jackson and Bill Summers layer in the Headhunters. Don’t miss the Afro-Cuban drum chant, to close.

‘Classic Vinyl’ series.

Massive, incandescent studio and live trio recordings from 1967, with Han Bennink on the eve of Machine Gun, and bassist Ruud Jacobs in the form of his life. Precious retrievals from Rollins’ long studio hiatus between East Broadway Run Down, the previous year, and Next Album in 1972.

“It really represents a take-no-prisoners type of music. That’s sort of what I was doing around that period of time; that was sort of Sonny Rollins then — a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am approach.”

Blazingly interrogative — three cuts run over twenty minutes — it attests magnificently to Jacobs’ memory of “something spiritual… a very special atmosphere on the stage where I felt I could do anything.”
Expertly presented, with beautiful photos and engaging notes.
Hotly recommended.

Rollins’ LPs for Impulse! are neglected. Here is the first of three he recorded in 1965-66, taking fierce flight from five standards. It’s all wonderful, but check the scorching calypso, Hold ‘Em Joe — with Rollins’ characteristic carnivalesque, askance danceability, his ‘impudent swing’, writ large — and the deconstruction of Three Little Words to close, as if to say, Okay, enough of that, now watch this space.
Great sound, too, this Acoustic Sounds issue.

‘Roman Norfleet and Be Present Art Group play deeply felt, sometimes earthy, and sometimes cosmic music. A trio (sax, drums, and organ) are augmented by additional percussion, soaring vocals, and even a vocal appearance by a toddler. Roman Norfleet and Be Present Art Group will take you where you need to go. A spiritual classic for the ages, following the lineage of Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders yet firmly rooted in the present.’

New-York drummer Ron Jefferson was a founding member of The Jazz Modes and the Les McCann Trio. After a first album under his name on Pacific Jazz in 1962, he legged it to Paris, where his creative focus was a trio with Roland Haynes (who would record for Black Jazz) and guitarist Buz Saviano. Just before this session for Polydor International in 1965, they played a series of concerts in Dakar, and the killer cut here Africa The Beautiful is dotted with mbalax drumming alongside Ron’s flautism, in the same vein as Yusef Lateef’s Afro-Eastern explorations.
Remastered by Sam Records from the original master tapes.

An expanded edition of the saxophonist’s triumphant Brazilian excursion, originally released by Douglas Records in 1977, adding half an hour of previously unissued versions, plus Meeting House, out for the first time in any form.
Transferred from the original tapes; newly remastered; decent booklet. Sound-wise, Ron Carter in particular benefits from the restoration work.
An extensive lineup also includes legends like Portinho, Dom Salvador, Bernard Purdie, Claudio Roditi…
Sod’s law that the killer cut Clove & Cinnamon sounds freer, more carnivalesque, in the original version, with Alan Douglas’ bells, rattles and whistles intact.