Honest Jon's Vinyl & CDs

Review: Honest Jon's is back with another of those super stand compilations whose title alone is enough to prick the ears of any hardcore record collector. It delves deep into the world of Brazilian Dilson de Souza. He was a tropical jazz man who played leaves from the ficus tree - something people in China have been doing for 10000 years, apparently. With plenty of Afro influences, this is an album full of sunshine and chirpy electric organs and classical guitar. A single leaf is good for ten hours and Dilson used to play each end to get around eight tunes from each before he had to swap it. Amazing.

Review: Using the Turkish psychedelic project Insanlar as a jump off point, Honest Jon's have enlisted Ricardo Villalobos to turn out one of his grandiose remix projects that gels so naturally with more exotic sound sources. The original of "Kime Ne" is already an enchanting, Moog-infused groover rich with traditional vocals, and then Mr Villalobos locks the ingredients in for a typically cosmic ride into stripped and hypnotic house territory, letting the lutes intertwine with dusty reams of percussion using that alchemists touch that could only come the man himself. The remix spreads itself over two sides of wax, leaving one side of the double pack free for a fetching etching as well.

Review: London Is The Place For Me 8 invites jazz fans on a vibrant journey through the sounds of 1950s London, where calypso rhythms meet the bustling streets of the city. Released as part of the ongoing compilation series, the album showcases the rich cultural tapestry of post-war Britain through the music of Lord Kitchener, a Trinidadian calypso legend famed for the song that gives the compilation its title. His infectious melodies and witty lyrics paint vivid pictures of immigrant life, celebrating resilience and the pursuit of joy amid adversity. With its irresistible grooves and historical significance, this new double gatefold record via Honest Jons is a testament to the enduring legacy of Caribbean music in the UK.

Review: Shack is back! The master of intricately layered drumming, who has long been twisting our melons with his dark and intriguing experimental sounds, returns to Honest Jons here for some more mind-melting workouts. These feature drums the man himself played in Dakar in February 2020 across three layered and enchanting excursions. The first is a real awakening, the second is more twisted and tight, with toms and echo and bass and hand drums all jumbled up while the third is full of intrigue and mystery, ancient drums run through with modern synth sounds to make for something scrambled yet transcendental.

Review: Originally released by the Chess label subsidiary Checker, this fresh new gospel-soul compilation record is both a congregation of great musicians and a guiding moral star, coming replete with redemptive and tutelary messages. Compiled by Honest Jon's and laid to heavyweight gatefold 2xLP, the defining trait of this firecracker LP is its rough-hewn live feel, which in turn cements each artist's to-the-ground concern with the then developing political tone of the era. From Martha Bass to the appropriately baptised Soul Stirrers, the record also serves as an induction into the brilliant productive stylings of one Monk Higgins, whose motto was "spontaneity" and whose touch is heard on all of the sheet songs you hear here. Get on up!

Review: Juyungo is a wonderful documentation of the unique Afro-Ecuadorian culture from the province of Esmeraldas which blends Afro-Indigenous traditions with rich musical heritage. Centred around the marimba, the music incorporates call-and-response chants, Andean guitar finger styles and the haunting sounds of panpipes to make for a deeply immersive experience. Tracks like 'Agua Largo' and 'Kasilla Shungulla' embody the spirit of cultural resistance, identity and healing and make for a brilliantly escapist listen. Released by Honest Jons, this exotic album offers vivid sound quality with a stunning gatefold sleeve and a 16-page bilingual booklet filled with insightful notes and beautiful photography.