Originally released in 1975, from Milan, a one-away blend of Marco Rossi’s bluesy, free, spiritual jazz-guitar (evoking Pharaoh Sanders and Alice Coltrane); middle-eastern winds; and the masterful African percussionists Nick Eyok and Mohammed El Targhi, ranging from northern Saharan to Yoruba styles. Experimental, but warmly grooving, rootsy and accessible.

Precious witness to the dying musical traditions of Ladakh, high in the Western Himalayas, for centuries a hub of the Silk Road to India, Tibet, and Kashmir.

A groundbreaking, 1978 blend of Arab, jazz, Baroque pop, folk, and Brazilian styles like Bossa Nova, Tropicalia and MPB, with Fairouz’ son Ziad Rahbani as musical arranger, setting Palestinian poetry by Samih Al Qasem, Tawfiq Ziad, and the great Mahmoud Darwish.

Terrific stuff from the 1978 Antico Adagio sessions.

Originally released in 1979 — ‘a product of my hybrid musical influences that joins together flavours of marchinhas de carnaval, frevo, toada, classical, baião, mpb and jazz,’ says Antonio.
The opener Cascavel is a gold-plated London jazz-dance classic; and the last-ever record spun at Plastic People.

Ace jazz-funk — somewhere between Herbie and RTF — originally released in Finland in 1976, on Love. Featuring the almighty jazz-dance classic Grandma’s Rocking Chair (later revisited by Kenny Dope and Ol’ Dirty Bastard), with Olli soloing on Fender Rhodes.

Superb 1983 LP out of Channel One.

Not a best-of compilation, this is the great singer’s fine fourth LP, squaring up to Roots in 1977, with the Revolutionaries.

The commanding, concussive first LP of the Voice of Thunder, from 1976, chanting psalms and prayers over tough Lloydie Slim productions, mostly with the Aggrovators. (Plus a seemingly random Upsetters rhythm.)
‘Those who have ears to hear, let them hear.’
It’s a must.