[engl] Strut present the definitive collection of singles released by Sun Ra across his illustrious career, spanning 1952 to 1991. Released prolifically during the 1950s and more sporadically thereafter, primarily on the Saturn label, the 45s offer one-off meteorites from Ra’s prolific cosmic journey, tracing the development of his forward-thinking “Space-Bop” and his unique take on jazz and blues traditions. The collection is hugely varied, ranging from Ra’s spoken word recitations and his early work with Chicago vocal groups to the different phases of his Arkestra, small group and duet recordings. The singles are also unpredictable vehicles for Ra’s music, combining different tracks from different sessions and occasionally making available music which was recorded many years beforehand. As with his LPs, most 45s were only pressed in small runs and have since become extremely rare and sought after. Only a small handful of copies of ‘Love In Outer Space’ b/w ‘Mayan Temple’ and ‘The Blue One’ b/w ‘Orbitration In Blue’ have ever been seen; some have only been discovered in physical form in recent years; some were planned and pencilled but allegedly never made it to vinyl (including ‘Saturn’ and ‘Velvet’ from the Jazz In Silhouette LP) and some appeared as limited one-off magazine singles and posthumous releases, including ‘Hell #1’ aka ‘Out There A Minute’. The set is the most comprehensive collection of Ra’s singles to date. Sleeve note writers Francis Gooding and Paul Griffiths brilliantly illustrate the role of the single within Ra’s career and break down each release with detailed track by track notes. Working with Sun Ra LLC and Sun Ra archivist Michael D. Anderson, Strut has also assembled the best possible master sources for each track. All formats feature fully remastered tracks, rare photos, original 45 artwork, Francis Gooding’s extensive sleeve notes, an interview with Saturn Records founder Alton Abraham by John Corbett and detailed track by track and session notes by Paul Griffiths. These releases comprise recordings made by Arkestra member Thomas “Bugs” Hunter made in December 1971 in the streets around the Mena House Hotel, Giza, from a concert held at the house of Goethe Institute ex-pat Hartmut Geerken in Heliopolis, from a live Cairo TV channel broadcast and a concert at the Ballon Theatre in Cairo. Ra subsequently edited the three LPs of the ‘Live In Egypt’ series for release on his Saturn record label and its affiliated twin, Thoth Intergalactic: ‘Dark Myth Equation Visitation’, ‘Nidhamu’ and ‘Horizon’. These three albums are now reissued for the first time individually in their original artwork and all tracks are remastered from the original tapes.

[engl] Earlier in 2017 Everland Jazz presented a reissue of Danser's Inferno's - Creation One, originally released in 1973. Now we present the even more obscure release The Danser Revolution by The John Danser Octet, almost impossible to find in original format. The ultra rare funky jazz LP from 1977 contains the killer funky fusion tune ''Cool'' known for being sampled by Gangstarr, Blackalicious and J.Dilla. At age 14, John Danser emigrated from London and established himself in New York City where he earned a master's degree in music at the Manhattan school of music. In his early years, Danser played in classical as well as jazz gigs, simultaneously arranging and composing. In the 1970?s, composer and multi-instrumentalist John Danser formed Danser?s Inferno, a funky Jazz-Rock-Fusion band, an ensemble of 14 very talented musicians. The John Danser Octet most probably contains the core of that same ensemble but the groups?s single album is so rare that little is known about it?s exact origins. So, just let the great music speak for itself. Licensed from Jessica Danser

[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).