Back catalogue: All genres

Review: First released back in 1967 on the Touche label and impossible to find on vinyl ever since, Happiness Is Taking Care of Business, Dig was the sole album from the short-lived Al Tanner Quintet. Yet as this much-needed Jazzman reissue proves, it remains an inspired selection of spiritually enriching modal workouts that makes the most of its talented ensemble. While pianist and bandleader Al Tanner naturally makes his presence felt throughout, flautist/trumpeter George Alexander and tenor saxophonist Roy Henderson also deliver inspired solos, while the rhythm section of drummer William 'Smiley' Winters and bassist Edgar Williams are also on fine form throughout.

Review: Arguably slightly overlooked on its 2016 digital download release, the debut album from New York improvisers Amirtha Kidambi and the Elder Ones is undoubtedly one of the most inspired debuts of recent years. It's great to see Jazzman pick it up for a vinyl release, because its unique combination of influences - Indian and South Asian music, spiritual jazz, avant-jazz, modal jazz and freestyle improvisation - makes it one of the most remarkable jazz releases of recent years. There's something particularly arresting about epic A-side "Treta-Yuga", where squally, high-octane horn solos ride a metronomic, seemingly never-ending bass loop and wild drums, though it's the spaced out flipside composition - all droning Indian tones, echo-laden vocals and off-kilter drums - that makes the greater impression.

Review: On its original release in the 1980s, Azanyah's The One was only ever issued as a private press - meaning copies now change hands for upwards of $1000. Listening back to this remastered reissue, it's easy to see why it's held in such high regard. Offering a decidedly spiritual take on jazz infused with elements of folk and African music, The One offers a British take on the work of John Coltrane and Pharaoh Sanders with an uplifting twist. There's plenty to make you smile, from the anthemic uplift of "Guiding Light" and snaking clarinet of "Praise", to the freestyle space-jazz of "I Will Surely Come Again".

Review: On his latest full-length excursion, British jazzman Nat Birchall has taken the bold move of replacing a piano with a harmonium. The move is reflective of his growing interest in the drone-heavy sound of Indian classical music, with the Harmonium's wheezing, modulating, held-note sound adding an authentically meditative feel to the album's raga-inspired spiritual jazz movements. Naturally, there are harmonium solos, too, and these dizzying, accordion-esque interludes, combined with freestyle drum solos, Birchall's distinctive sax playing and adventurous double bass parts, help to create a genuinely psychedelic and spiritual mood. It's adventurous stuff, but also hugely engaging and entertaining.

Review: Contemporary jazz saxophonist Nat Birchall prefers to do quality over quantity. The talented instrumentalist first appeared in 1999 but has only released a handful of album to date, with the latest two - including this new album - coming out on London's excellent Jazzman imprint. Birchall really does make that sax scream and suffer, and the opener "Nicha's Dance" has to contain the best sax solo that we've heard in a long while on these charts. "A Prayer For" is moodier but nonetheless brilliant in its execution, while the lead tune "Akhenaten" is funkier and down to earth, leaving "Many Blessings" to deliver the late night G&T vibes. Chapeau..!

Review: The elusive and mysterious Special Release album by the Brief Encounter from North Carolina has eluded many an intrepid record collector over the years and if you did managed to source a copy it might cost you up to L1200! This fantastic re-issued limited edition Jazzman album displays a wide showcase of sublime talent from funky rare grooves, eal soul ("Visions" and "Just One Moment"), boogie ("Get A Good Feeling") and beautiful ballads. Catch it while it's hot!

Review: For one reason or another, this is Emanative's debut for London's Jazzman imprint, with the artist having touched most other like-minded labels thus far. Better late than never, we say! It also marks Nick Woodmansey's fourth studio album to date, having travelled through Space and Time, and now landing firmly on Earth. As you'd expect, mystique and experimentation are very much a core part of this LP, morphing at every turn, shifting unpredictably amid jazz flutes, deep cello bass, and a supremely sporadic drumming aesthetic that perfectly encapsulates the 'free' element of jazz. The electronics play a part too, however, adding a noticeable aura to an already atmospheric selection of sonic patterns. A beauty, from start to finish.

Review: This is an official first time reissue of Philadelphia musician Ron Everett's 1977 album. With its lack of distribution, unassuming sleeve and DIY ethic, The Glitter Of The City never received the full attention it deserved, but its style of funky and bluesy soul/jazz is a right classic for those in the know and can now reach a wider audience thanks to Jazzman Records. With restored artwork and audio, it includes three extra bonus tracks taken from an unreleased master reel of a subsequent album.

Review: Jazzman's dusty-fingered diggers recently did a deal to reissue some of the "holy grail" albums released by Austin-based Fable Records in small numbers back in the early 1970s. Forty Seven Times Its Own Weight's "Cumulo Nimbus" is the first of these. It's a pleasingly warm and evocative set of tracks from the one-album combo that offers an enjoyable and cutting edge fusion of hard-wired jazz-funk, post-modal fusion, horizontal slow jams and low-slung goodness that pairs free-jazz style solos and spiritual grooves with just the right amount of funk-fuelled instrumentation (see "Jig"). The set includes both dancefloor-friendly and laid-back fare, with the jaunty title somehow managing to tick both boxes at once.

Review: The latest volume in Jazzman's ongoing "Holy Grail" series of reissues is easily amongst the rarest things the lauded label has licensed. Only a handful of copies are known to exist, primarily because the private press album was released to tie in with LaVice Hendrick's ill-fated and poorly attended musical, Two Sisters From Bagdad, which only ran for two weeks at Detroit's Bethel A.M.E church back in the 1970s. Musically, it's a great set, though, with composers E.J Garrison and Rhodia McAdoo realizing Hendrick's vision via entertaining tracks that variously touch on jazz, soul, gospel and, in the case of sought-after standout "Though's Were The Days" [sic], the heaviest funk known to man.

Review: The Greg Foat Group are arguably one of Britain's most potent jazz combos of recent times - a fact that no doubt helped them secure a residency at the Playboy Club in Mayfair, London. Those who've seen them live will confirm their quality; while their recorded output is very good, in pales in comparison to their performances. It's good to see, then, that they've finally got round to recording a live album. Recorded straight to tape over two nights earlier in the year, Live at The Playboy Club sees them fusing soundtrack-influenced jazz grooves with modal wig-outs in front of a rapturous audience. As live albums go, it's particularly atmospheric. More importantly, it's arguably their strongest set to date.

Review: Since first pitching up on Jazzman in 2011, eight-piece psychedelic jazz combo The Greg Foat Group has caused something of a stir. This second album for the crate-digging specialists is every bit as good as their debut full length, Dark Is The Sun. At times, it sounds like Ennio Morricone and Harold Budd making loose jazz-breaks, at others an almighty freak-out in the company of Afro-busting Blaxploitation detectives. There are quietly beautiful moments ("Girl & Robot With Flowers Part 3"), straight-up late night jazz movements ("For Breath A Tarry", "Cast Adrift"), and breezy, vibraphone-heavy '60s grooves ("The Girl & Robot With Flowers Part 5"). Throughout, it's beautifully played and lovingly produced, with Foat's impeccable piano playing taking centre stage.

Review: When we first reviewed "Girl & Robot With Flowers" back in 2012, eight-piece combo The Greg Foat Group was still a relatively unknown quantity. Since then, they've gone from success to success, releasing a string of inspired albums. Even so, "Girl & Robot With Flowers" remains one of their most stunning sets, as this re-press proves. It boasts quietly beautiful moments inspired by classic film soundtracks ("Girl & Robot With Flowers Part 3"), straight-up late night jazz movements ("For Breath A Tarry", "Cast Adrift"), and breezy, vibraphone-heavy '60s grooves ("The Girl & Robot With Flowers Part 5"). Throughout, it's beautifully played and lovingly produced, with Foat's impeccable piano playing taking centre stage.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record has light surface marks/smudges, but otherwise in excellent condition***


British pianist, composer and arranger Greg Foat has long perfect this own unique take on jazz, and one in which he draws on both the classic sound next to inventing his own new language. This was true a decade ago when he put out his Dark is the Sun album. Recorded in Sweden with classic scoring techniques, it references luminaries like Bruno Nicolai, Michel Legrand and Serge Gainsbourg as well as UK jazz cats Michael Garrick, Keith Mansfield and Alan Hawkshaw. Hugely listenable, full of emotional highs and lush in sound, it remains an essential jazz record

Review: British pianist, composer and arranger Greg Foat has long perfect this own unique take on jazz, and one in which he draws on both the classic sound next to inventing his own new language. This was true a decade ago when he put out his Dark is the Sun album. Recorded in Sweden with classic scoring techniques, it references luminaries like Bruno Nicolai, Michel Legrand and Serge Gainsbourg as well as UK jazz cats Michael Garrick, Keith Mansfield and Alan Hawkshaw. Hugely listenable, full of emotional highs and lush in sound, it remains an essential jazz record

Review: Since emerging at the dawn of the century, Vienna-raised saxophonist and singer Muriel Grossmann has released a dozen albums that fuse her European jazz heritage with everything from modernism and free-jazz, to Afro-jazz and classic spiritualism. "Elevation", a vinyl-only release, sees her debut on Jazzman with a bold and vibrant set that flits between wild, free-jazz-meets-spiritual jazz epics ("Elevation"), more considered spiritual workouts (the Ornette Coleman-ish "Rising"), double bass-heavy soundscape jazz (the foreboding but brilliant "Chant"), bouts of laidback, sun-kissed positivity ("Your Pace") and emotion-rich languid jazz bliss (closing cut "Peace For All", where Grossmann is in particularly fine form).

Review: 'Music Of My Heart' is the fourth installment in Jazzman's 'Holy Grail' series, and they're proud to present Sacramento multi-instrumentalist Johnny Heartsman's hopelessly obscure self-pressed double LP of top grade funky jazz & soul from 1977; carefully repressed on CD and vinyl (limited to 1000 vinyl copies only). Now get this: the original LP has recently hit over $5000, twice, at online auction. Now it's available in its original format with original artwork, but be quick as all of the previous releases in this series have all sold out, fast. An unbelievably rare private press album that's chock full of all kinds of funky femme soul, cool 'n' groovy organ/flute/guitar jazz and a good ol' dose of the blues. John Heartsman is known as the guy who played on a thousand R&B hits. From the mid '50s to the late '60s he recorded countless sessions, backing up the likes of Jimmy McCracklin, Lowell Fulson, Sugar Pie DeSanto, and many, many more. Then in the early '70s, exhausted from constant touring and seedy late night gigs, he took up a low-key residency at a small Sacramento jazz club. Here, Heartsman finally got to do his own thing. And his thing went down so well with the local audience that he decided to record some material and offer an LP for sale. The album was quickly snapped up by the Basin St West regulars, and very few escaped the local area. A couple of decades later - and sadly a little while after Heartsman himself had passed away - a couple of copies surfaced on the funk collectors scene in LA and whispers and rumours began slowly circulating of a set of sustained quality funky soul and jazz. Very few copies have appeared since, making the LP almost as legendary as the long and hidden career of the man himself. And here it is: the full double LP, never before reissued and seldom before heard, in its original design with double gatefold sleeve. In addition, the CD contains extensive notes, pictures and background history on the LP and John Heartsman himself.

Review: The 27th reissue in Jazzman's ongoing "Holy Grail Series" comes courtesy of Infinite Spirit Music, an undeniably obscure, one-off project helmed by pianist, producer and arranger Soji Ade. "Live Without Fear" was recorded in 1979 and tops the "wants list" of many spiritual jazz collectors. This time round, the album - which originally ran to an hour over two sides of one LP - has been expanded to a double-album in order to guarantee greater sound quality. It sounds fantastic, and it's hard not to fall in love with the heady bongos, rich double bass and snaking saxophone of "Children's Song", the gentle warmth of "Rasta" and the Afro-fired, tribalistic free-jazz experiments of "Ritual" and "Father Spirit, Mother Love".

Review: The selection represents the diversity and vibrancy of Florida itself - a state that is half Havana and half dirty south, but 100% funky!

Review: After several years of extensive work and painstaking research the latest in explorations into regional US funk obscurities is finally here. Has the wait for 'California Funk' been worth it? Well, let's see what we have: 21 of the finest, rarest and most desirable funk recordings from the Sunshine state, put together for the first time with the personal blessing of each and every artist represented herein - shoddy bootleg this is not! The LP contains in-depth sleeve notes detailing the history of funk and R&B in California and the social conditions which led to the funk explosion of the late 60s. In addition there are thoroughly researched notes for every individual track, revealing for the first time the hidden stories behind such revered and enigmatic artists as Leon Gardner, Arthur Monday and Delores Ealy. The double LP is presented on two pieces of 180g virgin vinyl, lavishly housed in a double gatefold sleeve with full colour inners, label scans and extensive liner notes featuring many previously unseen photos of the bands and musicians involved. Whereas the musical profiles of cities such as Detroit and New Orleans are well established and much celebrated, the vast cities of Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area have been mostly skimmed over and not given nearly enough attention. The black music from California of the 60s and 70s is especially under-appreciated, seemingly unable to stamp its own musical identity on the world. Yet during this time, many artists were busily plying their trade at a grass roots level in LA and the Bay, releasing 45s literally by hand or through small independents. Today many of those very 45s fetch hundreds and sometimes thousands of pounds at online auction with lovers of real soul and funk desperate to get hold of them. Following on from our previous funk collections of Texas, Florida, the Midwest and the Carolinas, we applied ourselves to what proved to be our most ambitious and far-reaching project yet - to source and compile the best vintage funk that California had to offer. From the rugged street funk of Arthur Monday to the Latino flavours of Enrique Olivarez; from the soulful jazz grooves of blues legend Johnny Heartsman to the aggressive politicising of King Solomon, there is real diversity on offer - these aren't mere JB sound-a-likes but talented individuals who brought their own voice to the funk sound. Putting together an album like this is no easy task. It has certainly taken a while to come to light, but you can be confident that California Funk, with its divergent sounds and intriguing avenues, will not disappoint, and indeed we hope that it will help raise the standing of California in R&B, soul and funk circles from here on.After several years of extensive work and painstaking research the latest in our explorations into regional US funk obscurities is finally here. Has the wait for California Funk been worth it? Well, let's see what we have: 21 of the finest, rarest and most desirable funk recordings from the Sunshine state, put together for the first time with the personal blessing of each and every artist represented herein - shoddy bootleg this is not!

The LP contains in-depth sleeve notes detailing the history of funk and R&B in California and the social conditions which led to the funk explosion of the late '60s. In addition there are thoroughly researched notes for every individual track, revealing for the first time the hidden stories behind such revered and enigmatic artists as Leon Gardner, Arthur Monday and Delores Ealy.

The double LP is presented on two pieces of 180g virgin vinyl, lavishly housed in a double gatefold sleeve with full colour inners, label scans and extensive liner notes featuring many previously unseen photos of the bands and musicians involved.

Review: Even without the vintage hardback book, bonus tracks and booklet, this is a great addition to any collection... Exploring a relatively recent but hugely rich period in American music history, Jukebox Mambo is an extensive window into the fusion of Cuban and Latin music and R&B and jazz during the 50s. Some of it barely gives a nod to R&B at all (Dave Bartholomew's "Shrimp & Gumbo" and Fay Simmons' "Big Joe Mambo") while others deftly combine the jazz swing and energetic arrangement of R&B with mambo rhythms perfectly. Highly collectable whichever way you look at it.

Review: Even without the vintage hardback book, bonus tracks and booklet, this is a great addition to any collection... Exploring a relatively recent but hugely rich period in American music history, Jukebox Mambo is an extensive window into the fusion of Cuban and Latin music and R&B and jazz during the 50s. Some of it barely gives a nod to R&B at all (Dave Bartholomew's "Shrimp & Gumbo" and Fay Simmons' "Big Joe Mambo") while others deftly combine the jazz swing and energetic arrangement of R&B with mambo rhythms perfectly. Highly collectable whichever way you look at it.

Review: Despite selling hundreds of thousands of copies in its native South Africa, Mankunku Quartet's 1968 album Yakhal Inkomo - the title is a veiled reference to the Apartheid-era violence of the period - has never before been release outside of the African continent. Happily, Jazzman has finally decided to right that wrong. Listening for the first time, it's clear that saxophonist Winston "Mankunku" Ngozi is the undoubted star. Yet his fantastic soloing receives ample back up from his sidemen, including brilliant pianist Lionel Pillay, resulting in a quartet of fine cuts that sit somewhere between hard bop and modal. The album has been likened to Coltrane's A Love Supreme, and we can think of no finer praise than that.

Review: The Jazzman Holy Grail series continues here with a new edition of Dedication Of Love, the 1976 album by Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces. This album was a critical flop upon original release through their own Phinal Sound label, a marked contrast to the huge success the band achieved with their 1965 single "Searching For My Love" which was a million selling chart topper. Listening to this Jazzman edition it's hard to quantify why exactly Dedication Of Love flopped, it's brimming with heartfelt soul, street funk and down home funky blues. This probably explains why the handful of original copies of the LP are listed for a quite pretty penny on the rare soul market. The detailed liner notes explaining the bittersweet story behind the band with founding member Bobby Moore Jr make this reissue all the more compelling.