Genius dubs of Barrington Levy’s Robin Hood set.
By now aged 20, Scientist had got his break mixing the singer for Jah Life: ‘When I first met King Tubby I always been telling him that ‘I can mix, I can mix’. And he always telling me, ‘Well, kid, first of all you should be in school. You’re smoking too much weed. Several big men try to do this. You’re a kid. Nobody not gonna allow you to mix.’ I would keep on bugging him, bugging him, bugging him. But he always just had me doing TV repairs, fixing the amplifiers and stuff for him. One day when Jammy failed to come — like he always do most of the time — Tubby’s made me a bet. He said, I bet if I send you around there to work, you wouldn’t know the first thing to do. And he pretty much lost on his bet. The first record I mixed went number one.’

‘Gainsbourg’s most elusive, coveted soundtrack studio recording — co-written, arranged and orchestrated by Jean-Claude Vannier (the genius behind Histoire De Melody Nelson), at the creative apex of their partnership — this LP crystallises the inimitable psychedelic, funky pop brilliance of collaborations like La Horse, Cannabis and Sex Shop. Thick, plucked bass-lines, close-miked drums, biting clavinet, subtle Gallicisms, eastern strings and percussion…’

Joyous, uniquely Arkestral renditions of songs from Disney films like Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs, Dumbo, and Mary Poppins.
Ra loved this repertoire, faithfully re-visiting it over the decades. He once had his band billed as Sun Ra & His Disney Odyssey Adventure Arkestra.

All previously unissued; drawn from concert performances, 1985-1990.

Olima Anditi is a blind guitarist beloved throughout Western Kenya for his old Luo songs about love, morality and politics. This warmly intimate session was recorded in his room in Kisumu, in 2010. Like Usiende Ukualale, it’s lovingly presented, with a colour booklet.

Funky, psychedelic, spiritual jazz with deep percussion, including marimba, from 1971; tuned into electric Miles but also Kool & the Gang, and keeping an eye on Tony Williams’ Lifetime.
The meditative opener is lovely. Heathens liken Animals to Fela.
Remastered from the original tapes.

Irresistible 1950s mento — singalong tunes, ebulliently performed, over-spilling with scandal, smut and impudence, sex, dancing and booze, word-play, jokes and up-to-the minute social commentary, and general love for life.

Mono.

A quintet, with DJ Harrison from Stones Throw on keyboards, drummer Corey Fonville (Christian Scott, Nicholas Payton), bassist Andrew Randazzo, Marcus Tenney on trumpet and Morgan Burr on guitar. Freaking, hiphop-inflected jazz-funk, with its roots in Weather Report, Return To Forever and early Earth Wind And Fire.