Back catalogue: Jazz

Review: It is always a highly anticipated event when Ikebe Shakedown drop new music and that is the case here once more. First up they tackle a legendary Ennio Morricone track as the A-side. Their take on 'Adonai' retains all the Western soundtrack charm of the original but with added horns, plenty of filthy but funky guitar riffs and a driving rhythm section sure to make its mark on the club. 'Waiting For The Storm' is a brand new cut that slows things down on the flip with jumbled drums and loose claps making for a more sensuous sound.

Review: Oluko Imo is a legendary figure in Yoruba mythology as well as being revered as one of the progenitors of the Yoruba people. He is believed to be a descendant of Oduduwa, the mythical founder and first king of the Yoruba people, but it's also the name of a Trinidadian musician who blends calypso heritage with Afrobeat and jazz from Nigeria. He recorded his iconic album between Lagos and New York in 1988 and it has long been a cult classic. This reissue features the title track from it - a deep cut and steamy rhythm, and 'Were Oju Le (Eyes Are Getting Red)', a horn led Afro-funk workout.

Review: Back in the 80s, Weldon Johnathan Irvine was a core part of the sul, jazz and funk scene. He was an amiable man who put out plenty of records that reflected that and now some of them are making their way onto 45rpm for the first time ever. This latest 7" opens with 'Fat Mouth' which is a busy and dynamic cut with mad keys work, crashing drums and a real sense of urgency as it hurries along. There is a more reflective and thoughtful mood to the gorgeous flip side, which encourages the mind to wander on the heart chords and breezy grooves.

Review: Mr. Weldon Johnathan Irvine is one of the many great artists who were part of the 80s funk, jazz, and soul scene. He is said to have been a super clam and gentle soul and that is clear from the music, which is superbly laidback and welcoming. This 45rpm takes a nice breezy jaunt through his jazzy world with innovative keyboard work and warm double bass and horns. There is a more smoky sound on the b-side which is a chill groove with lovely melodica and guitar sounds to nod along to. This is the first time this music has been available on 7".

Review: Weldon Johnathan Irvine is enjoying a return to the spot light this month as Dynamite Cuts serve up a trio of reissues of some of his best work. He recorded it all during the 80s, when the British funk, soul and jazz scene was at its most vibrant best and this is a fine expand of that. As always with this famously relaxed and easy going artist work, the music reflects his warm spirit in sound. This limited 45rpm opens with a special 7" cut of 'Deja Vu' which is mellifluous and glowing thanks to the molten Rhodes chords. On the flip is 'I Am' and then 'Bananas' gets you shaking your limbs with its off-grid beats and busy chord work.

Review: Pete Cunningham's hybrid electronic/acoustic jazz collective Ishmael Ensemble has been right at the forefront of innovation when it comes to those sounds. For his latest project he links up with lyricist and MC Rider Shafique. They first met some six years ago when Cunningham was struck by "his powerful way with words." As such they got in the studio, Cunningham embraced a more bass heavy sound to his style and drew on his love of the likes of dub kings King Tubby and Adrian Sherwood. Coupled with Rider's voice and you have a superb new record.

Review: Some expansive, cinematic, orchestral spiritual jazz for you here, from the trio of talents that Fumio Itabashi, Kuniyiki and Henrik Schwarz. While the latter two are generally better-known for their deep and sometimes tech-tinged house and ambient productions, the original mix of 'Watarese' (featured here on side B) is a dense, immersive jazz soundscape laden with evocative Japanese vocals, improvised piano, moody orchestration and definite nods towards vintage free-jazz. Spiritual Life supremo Joaquin 'Joe' Clausell provides the remix and, somewhat predictably, steals the show. His take is gently rhythmic, sun-splashed spiritual jazz full of hand percussion, fluid piano motifs and rubbery double bass.

Review: By now, we've become accustomed to Japanese outfit Inosakira Rangers offering up reggae and vintage rocksteady style cover versions of pop and dance tracks of old. Their latest cover, of James Brown classic 'Sex Machine', is a little different. It's no less warm, dusty or on-point than its predecessors, but there's no reggae or rocksteady flex - just a warmer, more laidback take on the funk classic, complete with distinctive lead vocals from Keichi Sokabe. They're back in lazy, Sunday afternoon rocksteady mode on original B-side 'Nagoriyuki', a sweet and quietly soulful number that pushes the band's bassist and organist - or more specifically their fine instrumentation - high in the mix for added nostalgic pleasure.

Review: Blue-noted jazz modulators Ill Considered here present their irst fully produced studio album on New Soil - 'Liminal Space'. After releasing a whopping 9 self-released albums in the space of 2 years, this is their first studio-crafted LP following their step up to the label, and are soon set to show it off at a debut interactive A/V residency at Southbank Centre's Purcell Room. Fresh with a new lineup, the noodling bass of Liran Donin courses the ears like velvet on 'Dust', while Dadaist freakouts, courtesy of Emre Ramazanoglu's drums, cause anxious goosebumps on reaching 'Light Trailed'. Don't miss this limited double black 2xLP.

Review: Prolific London outfit Ill Considered are a talented bunch, with the vast majority of their tracks starting life as freewheeling improvisations built on quality grooves and memorable melodic themes. Interestingly given their penchant for releasing a new album every few months earlier in the career, Precipice is actually their first new studio set for three years. There's plenty to set the pulse racing throughout, from the wild hard-bop solos and ambidextrous grooves of 'Jellyfish', and the 60s spy-movie jazz of 'Vespa Carbro', to the breathless Afro-jazz of 'Kintsugi', and the exotic, slow-burn delight that is 'Solenopsis'.

Review: Precipice marks a return to Ill Considered's improvisational origins, with Idris Rahman, Emre Ramazanoglu, and Liran Donin synergising to showcase their exceptional talents and solidify their position as frontrunners in the UK's jazz landscape. Following the acclaimed 'Liminal Space in 2021, this album embodies a raw, minimalist essence reminiscent of 70s jazz classics. Collaborating once again with visual artist Vincent De Boer for the album's artwork, Ill Considered's evolution since their 2017 inception has been remarkable. Their pioneering DIY ethos, resulting in nine albums recorded in studios and live sessions, has garnered them a devoted following and garnered respect from jazz luminaries. Now, with their catalogue available on streaming platforms, Ill Considered's distinctive sonic universe is accessible to a wider audience who are ready to delight in both discovery and appreciation.

Review: The Invisible Sessions new album Echoes of Africa is the first on the newly launched Space Echo label out of Italy and is richly rooted in black music. It's been 15 years since a breakout release put this group on the map and now trombonist and multi-instrumentalist Gianluca Petrella and poet, rapper and MC Martin Thomas Paavilainen (aka Benjamin "Bentality" Paavilainen) link once more to great effect as they use jazz as a vehicle to convey their messages of cultural synergy, unity and love. Afro-beat and Ethio-jazz, funk, psychedelia, and modal music all colour the most compelling grooves.

Review: Irreversible Entanglements' third full-length album 'Open The Gates' is a 7-track, 'agit-jazz' round-trip. The Chicago five-piece are no stranger to improvised oddities, having made their name via the style, and now present their conceptual magnum opus drawing on loose, yet fraught themes surrounding COVID lockdowns and post-apocalypse. From the driving ¾ opener 'Open The Gates' to the free jazz montage that is 'Lagrimas Del Mar', this is an existential affair; "I almost saw the whole world with my own four eyes", lead vocalist Camae Ayewa exclaims, narrating the entire album in a free-associative, Breakfast Of Champions style. This double LP is a cryptically rousing freakout - get it while you can, lest you might crack its code.

Review: 'Liberated Brother' might just refer to Weldon Irvine's liberation from the trappings of fame. While this debut album of this, originally released in 1972, was made around the same time as his come-up with Nina Simone as her bandleader, Irvine was not as impacted by publicity or subject to the same degree of pop culture notoriety. But just because a spark burns brightly, doesn't make it the most effervescent; this first LP charts the multi-instrumentalist's futuristic frolicks through funk-jazz, fusion and soul, all distilled into a romantic 8-tracker of trilling pianos ('Liberated Brother') and moody noir jams ('Gloria'). Hot off the plate with a reissue by Japanese label P-Vine, this is an exclusive obi-strip version not many will get their mitts on; it could still be you, though.

Review: Weldon Irvine was one of the finest American jazz pianist and composers of his generation. He released several classic albums man of which are now being reissued thanks to P-Vine, but not before being fully remastered for the occasion. Weldon and The Kats was one that he put out on his own label Nodlew Records after releasing some albums through RCA and Strata-East. It is perfectly indicative of his style and has his early work 'Mr.P.C' on it, which was recorded in 1968 with Steve Grossman on tenor sax and sometime Miles Davies associate Lenny White on drums. This one has never been reissued before so snap it up before it goes again.

Review: Akira Ishiguro's Bon is a limited new album on Somethin' Cool that explores a vibrant mix of jazz style sin a timeless fashion. Each piece is an original work from Ishigurom that he says has been fully inspire day the Leo of his wife and daughter. It has a cosmic bent in many places, with celestial and busy melodies heading off to the stars of broken beat rhythms. Electric guitars, tenor and alto sax, bass, percussion and trumpets all get played by a fine ensemble alongside Ishiguro himself to make this one of the best new albums of the year so far.

Review: Japanese jazz drummer Akira Ishikawa's blistering 'Uganda (Dawn Of Rock)' makes a piognant claim as to the origins of rock n' roll, blending traditional African drumming workouts with the futuristic tropes belonging to psychedelic rock and fourth world music. Consisting of just four movements ranging from formless to the watery and rhythmic, its recording lies in the basis of just one legendary drummer, but in all its sonics sounds as though an enormous ensemble were behind it. A well-sought J-psych rarity.

Review: The latest addition to Night Dreamer's series, Direct To Disk Sessions, sees Turkish downtempo specialist, Islandman, iconic percussionist and Don Cherry collaborator, Okay Temiz and contemporary saz player Muhlis Berbero?lu joining forces for the very first time. Recorded in just one take, the session captures a one-off melding of the trio's distinct styles. Islandman's signature balearic sound gives new force to Temiz's fiery percussion, reframing Berbero?lu's Anadolu folk influences into a distinctly dance-ready sound. Stand out track 'Fidayda' eases us into the trio's expertly improvised soundworld with an alluring, oscillating saz riff. When Temiz's percussion enters the mix, it arrives with a controlled unpredictability capable of leaving listeners in a trance. While Islandman's production subtly centres the piece, mapping out a pathway from which the organic instrumentation can unfurl. Future-folktronica at its very best