Outstanding modal set for Futura in 1971, with the superb French trio Georges Arvanitas, Jacky Samson, and Charles Saudrais, expertly proliferating Mingus and Trane.
‘Three adventurous, spacious displays of Smith’s unique and innovative trumpet — besides percussion, tuned percussion and flute — right at the crest of his induction into the pantheon of AACM greats. A candid snapshot of one of the most vital musicians to extend the jazz tradition, testing his craft and artistry with a bright, pure-toned sensibility and deeply soulful melodic imagination.’
A Federal 45 from 1974 featuring Ken Boothe, Lloyd Charmers, BB Seaton, Busty Brown… taking off from the Temptations’ Smiling Faces Sometimes. Plus a tropical disco chugger by Leslie Butler, with sick synths, originally out on Jay Wax in 1975.
‘The latest wonderful album from Chester’s Carl M Knott, after a series of superb releases for labels such as Mortality Tables, Waxing Crescent Records, and Subexotic Records, including the marvellous Kullu from earlier this year.
‘Wonky acoustic guitar, broken electronics, and a warm, otherworldly space; at once strange and experimental, yet melodic and somehow comforting. Intimate and evocative, deeply personal; at once bucolic and bang-up-to-date, like Kraftwerk dreaming about sheep.’
“We enjoy spending time in the woods with our young children, creating stories about the ‘eye tree’. This tree, with thousands of eyes, watches over us and cares for us like family. We make fox medicine and cherish these blissful moments. The music reflects these times, seen through the colors of an old, fuzzy reel — orange, red, and yellow with blurred edges, like an old photo scorched by the sun.
“I feel a deep spiritual connection to the countryside; the hands of Arcadia cradle me when I feel sad. Some of the album was created during times of sadness when I felt death was close and the lines between worlds were blurred. This feeling — that anything can happen and that life is delicate and can be taken away in a flash — permeates the music.
“The song titles are stories and memories of my family, filled with hazy pinks, yellows, reds, and oranges.”