[engl] Mats Gustafsson: tenor & baritone saxophone Ingebrigt Håker Flaten: electric & double bass Paal Nilssen-Love: drums , percussion Recorded July 2nd and 3rd, 2017 by Oyvind Gundersen at Studio Paradiso, Oslo Mixed October 2017, by Andreas Werliin at Repeat Until Death, Stockholm Mastered by Lupo at Calyx mastering, Berlin Liner notes by Brian Morton

[engl] Stunning 1969 album by Japanese Free Jazz group ''Togashi Masahiko Quartet''.

[engl] A sonic-minded power trio of obsessive, biting riffs and mists of asymmetrical sonic cycles. Inspired as much by French chamber music of the 19th century as by Jim O’Rourke or Moondog, Under The Reefs Orchestra’s hypnotic music unleashes a cosmic energy and leads the listener to a trance among underwater volcanos. Guitarist Clement Nourry’s gentlemanly demeanor masks the great fiery passion of a true musical virtuoso. “I focus on one thing, and one thing entirely” says Nourry. For him, that one thing is the guitar. Combining the deep theoretically understanding of a skilled mathematician (which he actually is) with a true musician’s soulful instinct, Nourry is as comfortable with John Fahey as he is with experimental jazz. To put it simply: he shreds. This trip through the timeless realms of sound can be heard as a soundtrack of the ecological apocalypse we live in. Post jazz , Post Rock, Experimental. For those who like : Moondog, Comet is coming, Yonatan Gat, ADHD, Kamasi Washington, E. Morricone, Talk Talk (Spirit of Eden), Ryuishi Sakamoto, …

[engl] In the late 60s jazz was at a turning point. Soul music had taken much of its black audience and rock’s intellectualisation was eating up its support amongst college students. The usual story told is that jazz split between those who went out and those who tried to make people dance. The story is more nuanced, and ‘If You’re Not Part Of The Solution’ tries to tell that story. It was a period of radicalisation for Black America: a disproportionate number of young African American men were being shipped to Vietnam, the inner cities of Detroit, Washington, Los Angeles, Newark and more were ablaze and, in 1968, Dr Martin Luther King was gunned down in Memphis. There was a sense that something had to be done and with this in mind, many outlets both political and spiritual sprung up. As a central part of the community, jazz musicians took their cues and their music reflected this. “If You’re Not Part Of The Solution” draws upon the melting pot of ideas that can be picked up in veteran Hammond player Johnny Smith’s call for ‘Black Feelings’, or the cosmic wanderings of the obscure Philadelphia group Catalyst. Funk in all its forms can be found; be it the relentless bass rhythm of the title track, or the Miles Davis-influenced shifting groove of Johnny Lytle’s ‘Tawhid’. It was an exciting period and the music is caught up in that, but above all there is reverence for the greats such as Davis and John Coltrane who are the pillars of a newly confident African American culture. In 2019 the jazz revival spearheaded by Kamasi Washington in the USA and a host of young London based groups – Sons Of Kemet, Ezra Collective, etc – mix a variety of sounds to keep their music relevant for a younger generation. “If You’re Not Part Of The Solution” explores where this happened first. Double LP comes in a deluxe gatefold sleeve.

[engl] Due to the absence of its main players during the heydays of modern jazz, Belgium will not be remembered for a unique jazz sound or an extensive discography. However, the little country produced a number of highly talented musicians who played lead roles on the international jazz scene. 'Let's Get Swinging: Modern Jazz in Belgium 1950-1970' retraces their steps and presents some of their finest works, including guitarist Philip Catherine, saxophonist Jack Sels, multi-instrumentalist Jacques Pelzer and vibraphone player, percussionist and vocalist 'Fats' Sadi Lallemand.

[engl] A vibrant soundtrack to the Cockney Jewish experience, when the swinging hot dance bands were still all the rage, and the Yiddish language was spoken on the streets of Whitechapel. Feast on long forgotten 78 rpm discs that have only recently been unearthed, starring a host of recording artists united for the first time on ‘chai fidelity’ vinyl. Hear the legendary dance band figures of the era like Bert Ambrose and his Orchestra, and Lew Stone and his Monseigneur Band, to the relatively unknown Jewish speciality acts like the Johnny Franks and his Kosher Ragtimers, and Rita Marlowe, the siren of the Yiddish song. And just like the old time Yiddish Theatre where the audience were left with both a smile on their face and a tear in their eye, we can delight in the cheeky street patter of the incomparable slapstick drummer Max Bacon rejoicing in the East Enders love affair with ‘Beigels’, we celebrate the world famous Petticoat Lane street market with not one, but two 1920s fox trots - but also shed a tear with Leo Fuld, the remarkable Dutch Yiddish singer, whose recordings in post-war London were haunting reminders of a way of life decimated by the Holocaust. ‘Music is the most Beautiful Language in the World’ is compiled by Alan Dein, the multi award winning radio documentary presenter, whose own family harks back to the major wave of immigrants fleeing the pogroms in Eastern Europe from the end of the 19th century. The album title is inspired by a 1920s Yiddish slogan of an East London gramophone record shop. A time when Whitechapel was a fertile breeding ground for singers, songwriters, conductors, and cantors to musicians, managers, proprietors of record shops and club owners - and according to Dein, “their stories are now entwined with the development of the British recorded music industry. But for the first time ever, we can the discover the remarkable sounds of Jewish-themed jazz recorded in London between the 1920s and the 1950s - which thankfully had been preserved within the grooves of ancient discs”. The accompanying booklet designed by Will Bankhead includes a detailed essay by Dein, illustrated with rare photos and memorabilia. This release is co-compiled by Howard Williams, better known for his Japan Blues radio show on NTS, and a series of compilations spanning Moondog (The Viking of Sixth Avenue), cult Japanese jazz singer Maki Asakawa, and glimpses into the worlds of Japanese surf rock (Takeshi Terauchi), rockabilly (Masaaki Hirao), and soul funk and disco (Lovin’ Mighty Fire).

[engl] This is the incredibly rare and Coltrane influenced debut of Brazilian sax great Victor Assis Brasil (1945-1981) for the cult label Forma, of Roberto Quartin. Vitor Assis Brasil lead this session on January 11th 1966 with his quartet which featured the legendary pianist Tenório Jr plus double-bassist Edison Lôbo and drummer Chico Batera. It’s one of the greatest jazz albums ever recorded in Brazil and the highlights go to the originals and the wonderful João Donato tracks. Victor Assis Brasil was the best Brazilian jazzman of his generation, having being praised by international critics. Vitor Brasil showed early evidence of talent for music, excelling at the harmonica and the drums. In 1961, at age 16, he was presented with an alto saxophone. In 1965, while already a professional, Brasil recorded his first album, Desenhos, consolidating his pioneering role as a Brazilian jazz musician. He studied at Berklee College of Music and later taught improvisation technique in Brazil. During the following four years he spent in the U.S., Brasil wrote most of his 400 works. Also from that period are his albums Trajeto, Victor Assis Brasil Toca Jobim, Esperanto, Victor Assis Brasil Quinteto, and Pedrinho, his last one. His last three years of life were marked by noted international performances. This is Victor Assis Brasil – “Desenhos” (1966), for Forma, featuring the sax of Victor with the accompaniment of Tenório Júnior (piano), Edson Lobo, with the age of 19 (bass) and Chico Batera (drums). Victor had 19 years old at this recording session.

[engl] Second album, released in 1979, by French keyboard wizard Benoit Widemann (ex–Magma). "Tsunami" is an incredible mix of electronics and jazz–fusion with prog / avant–garde /minimal elements. Treated Minimoog, Oberheim synths, Rhodes, early computer sequencing plus bass, drums, guitar, sax... Featuring Jean–Pierre Fouquey (ex–Magma), Jean–Pierre Grasset (Verto) and Jean–Paul Ceccarelli among others. *Remastered sound, insert with liner notes / interview by Halfway Ritmo and photos.

[engl] First time since decades reissued on vinyl! 1957 was a year when jazz music faced another renewal from the already traditional bebop style towards more progressive territories with mystical melodies and more playful structures. Free jazz was already in sight but nobody could name it yet. The post bop movement and modal jazz came up and somewhere in between lies this record by cult saxophonist Yusef Lateef who had already released quite a few records by the time ?Jazz mood? came to birth. Some more adventurous and mystical melodies go hand in hand with relaxed and groovy classic bebop excursions from the schoolbook of modern jazz after 1950. But there is a certain dynamic coming with the music. Something that shows you the hunger for progression and the craving for new ground to explore. So you will find well familiar melodylines here played by a saxophone that is always close to break out of the standards. And the interplay of all instruments is just fantastic, right on the spot, tight and still free in certain moments. Yusef Lateef and his band paint pictures and tear your mind open to blow magic into your soul. There are passages here and there that go beyond the standard phrases and deprive you of your breath due to the passionate and lusty performance. All in all ?Jazz mood? is a melodic album and creates a dim and thought provoking atmosphere. Another killer true jazz album from the 1950s before the great freakout began, still easy to consume for mainstream listeners but also inspiring enough for the hipsters.

[engl] This record has first been released in 1956 as ?Byrd jazz? with Donald Byrd as declared band leader but there were several versions of it over the years. The last reissue has been about three decades ago and so it is more than time to go for another fresh print of this back row classic of the 1950s jazz scene. On these recordings we get some floating and grooving hard bop with an ever pulsating rhythm section, dueling tenor sax by Lateef and trumpet by Byrd plus solo slots for bass, drums and piano. The leading instruments generate a cheerful atmosphere and make this live album a blissful experience for every lover of the mid 50s hard bop sound. The passion of the musicians grabs the audience immediately and when the melodies pour out of your speakers you will be captured as well by this pure essence of jazz. Far from later modal and even free jazz monoliths these catchy tunes are quite easy to follow. The band is tight and this is a great advantage. Every note, every beat of the drums sits in the right place as if they have always been there and just had to be made audible by the band. It is indeed like the sculptor who already sees the glyph within the block of marble and just sets it free. The music plays itself through the instruments. Haunting and relaxed passages, cool melodies put into memorable structures. A classic among the hipsters and beatniks with their goatbeards, metal-rimmed glasses and berets drinking, tripping and philosophizing to the sound of this and many other albums that were made from jazz aficionados for their kind.