Jazz / Soul / Funk

Two turntables and a microphone. There is a truth in the clarity of that simple coda, a truth that also belies the breadth of what is possible within its confines. Sometimes you gotta get reminded. I Guess U Had To Be There, the new album from NYC rapper ELUCID and veteran producer Sebb Bash, is one of those ones. So fresh it sounds like it was made tomorrow, but bet money you could put this on in '89 and get heads bopping.

There are moments in music when masters of their craft cross paths at the height of their respective powers - records like Madvillainy, Liquid Swords, Dr. Octagonecologyst, and Hell Hath No Fury - where the result is more than the sum of its parts. ELUCID and Sebb Bash find themselves in this heady, seemingly effortless ephemera on I Guess U Had To Be There. Everything is both familiar and groundbreaking. The beats shift and flip under ELUCID's feet but he tightropes it all, delivery nimble as a mountain goat, producer and rapper moving in perfect synchronization. Some shining stars make memorable appearances: billy woods, Breezly Brewin, Estee Nack, Shabaka Hutchings. But this is a two-man show, and the duo keep the spotlight where it belongs. I Guess U Had To Be There is a captivating, convention-defying listen and a high-water mark for two of the best artists in the genre.

Wanda Felicia returns to Timmion Records with ‘Reflections Of Love’ b/w ‘All In The Game’, two tracks drawn from her debut Now Is The Time.... Backed by the analogue warmth of Cold Diamond & Mink, the release highlights the strength and character of Felicia’s voice. ‘Reflections Of Love’ leads with a relaxed funk pulse, Felicia gliding over the groove with a performance that balances confidence and tenderness. The result is both heartfelt and effortlessly danceable. On the flip, ‘All In The Game’ shifts into a slower, beat-driven ballad. Over a patient, steady rhythm, Felicia delivers a measured and soulful vocal that speaks to resilience and the unfolding nature of love. Together, the two tracks reveal complementary sides of her approach, confirming Wanda Felicia as one of Timmion Records’ most distinctive voices.

Spiritual flute jazz by the mastermind Antti Vauhkonen. Limited edition lathe-cut 10'', 20 copies exist. Cover art silkscreened on recycled cardboard-sleeves. Artwork by Arsi Keva. Mastered by Samuli Tanner. ”Wow where did this come from??!? Raw and essential outsider jazz which will be whispered about for years to come…” -Matti Nives / We Jazz Linernotes: ”On Working Alone The first person to create something one may classify as instrumental music was probably alone. The mind tingles when imagining the prehistoric moment when, for the very first time, a member of what then was the human race grabbed something and used it to make a purposeless series of sounds. Even if some of his fellow beings had been present at the time, would they have understood anything of it? Would they have taken interest in it and stopped to listen, or would they have demanded something easier to dance to? The leap from vocalizing or clapping to a form of expression produced with instruments may have taken a long time, perhaps even a thousand years. The same goes for the fabrication of such instruments. Human communities were small, and influences spread slowly. We do know, however, that the first discovered instruments date back to 43,000 years ago and took the form of flutes made from the bones of mammoths and birds. Researchers believe they played a role in religion and in entertainment – in this sense, very little has changed. The wildest theories claim that music was one of the factors that gave us, the Homo sapiens, a competitive edge over the Neanderthal: music helped foster deeper cooperation between individuals. In any case, however, the ones who decided to hollow out that bone and find out what kind of sound you could get out of it were individuals, and this brings us back to our theme of working alone. The modern solo musician enjoys a much greater sense of liberty than our distant forefathers. Multi-track and recording technology freed us from our physical constraints and allowed us to imagine ourselves as a multiplicity. Everyone could, in the comfort of his home, be his own one-man band without having to strap an array of instruments onto his body like carnival musicians or Rahsaan Roland Kirk used to. This is the frame from which A. E. Vauhkonen and Oiro Pena spring from. Vauhkonen’s hands simultaneously summon up brass, flutes, keyboards, drums, stringed instruments and all sorts of percussion. The sound is firm and slightly cosmic, like early Sun Ra Arkestra at its heartiest. But that’s enough about the music, listen for yourself.” – Markus Karlqvist

In March 2025, after 7 years as a live band, Ghost Funk Orchestra finally made their first overseas voyage to tour Europe and the UK. 'Live In Europe' is a document that showcases the eight-piece touring band at the height of its powers. The track list was constructed from two consecutive sold out shows, the first at Jassmine in Warsaw and the second at Paradiso in Amsterdam. It leans heavily on songs from 'An Ode To Escapism' and 'A New Kind Of Love,' while also including a few tracks from 'A Trip To The Moon,' a nod to the early GFO days with the song “Evil Minds,” and even a few brand new tunes. Both shows were professionally recorded, with Amsterdam’s recording being handled by the Abbey Road Institute. Please enjoy this RSD 2026 exclusive album!

This limited-edition compilation LP was curated from the legendary Westbound Records catalog by participating Record Store Day stores, and marks the second installment of the Westbound Records Curated by Record Store Day series. Volume 2 showcases the label's lasting influence on hip-hop and beyond, with some of the most sampled tracks in the Wesbound vault. The track list for this compilation was carefully curated by the hardworking people in record stores themselves.

Recorded live at the Detroit Institute of Arts on July 20, 2025, A Tribute to Pharoah Sanders captures Detroit reed master Wendell Harrison and his ensemble TRIBE in a transcendent performance honoring Harrison’s longtime friend and fellow jazz icon. The concert—part of Detroit’s Concert of Colors festival and later broadcast on PBS—finds Harrison channeling Sanders’ spirit through deep tenor cries, hypnotic grooves, and Afro-spiritual improvisation. Joined by an exceptional group of musicians including Sky Covington, Pamela Wise, Michael Abbo, Sam Melkonian, Kevin Dalton Jones, Allen Denard, Edward Gooche, Stephen Grady, Roberto Warren, and special guests, Harrison leads an inspired exploration of sound and soul. This limited LP will be released on vinyl exclusively for Record Store Day 2026.

1983, the 2006 debut album from Flying Lotus, will be officially re-released on vinyl as part of Record Store Day, as well as released on streaming platforms. The album, which was remastered for this occasion, will be available to stream on April 17th, while the physical release happens the following day on RSD. Brainfeeder Records proudly shares the release in a very full circle moment for FlyLo’s own imprint, and the title track ‘1983’ serves as a teaser for the album. A career that includes modern classics such as You’re Dead!, Cosmogramma, and Until the Quiet Comes began 20 years ago with 1983, Steven Ellison’s first LP as Flying Lotus. Made in the comfort of his grandmother’s bedroom, it broadcasts early transmissions from an artist just beginning to test his talents. Those talents are displayed in the music’s style, which draws from J Dilla, jazz, and Brazilian syncopation in a way only he could weave together. The Brazilian influence in particular played a significant role in Steve’s understanding of rhythm, a revelation delivered by a lesson from a street vendor in Copacabana. “It flipped my whole wig,” Ellison says, laughing at the memory. Lessons such as the vendor’s, along with his jazz heritage, interest in soundtracks, and interning at Stones Throw Records, are evident in these sonic collages. Though at its beginning stages, the sound present here is not that of a novice but of a visionary who saw what possibilities lay ahead, something encouraged by the label, Plug Research. “Give us the weird shit,” Ellison recalls them saying. It’s what ended up paying off in the end as 1983 kicked off a run of six studio albums, a body of work that encompasses just one scope of Flying Lotus’ output and influence.

'Dear Children of Our Children, I Knew: Epilogue' is a new EP by Alabaster DePlume, recorded during the middle of his March 2025 US tour. DePlume had been playing shows with bassist Shahzad Ismaily and drummer Tcheser Holmes, performing music from his critically acclaimed album 'A Blade Because A Blade Is Whole' (released March 2025). The trio’s onstage rapport was so immediate and strong that, on an off day in Brooklyn, DePlume chose to capture that connection, recording this collection of instrumental pieces shaped by the experience of performing, sharing, and improvising off the music of A Blade for audiences across the US.

DePlume says: “Meeting with you all at the shows I sensed that you felt voiceless, on this ethical issue that also spelled out what we’re seeing today, in the form of ICE. That experience with you is etched into me, like graffiti or a poster on the wall. It’s my job to deliver your voice, and that’s what this record is. And to take action. That urgency compelled me to record then. And now here we are. As we said, this world is awakening to the reality it was already living.”

Dear Children serves as an epilogue to A Blade Because A Blade Is Whole, and as a companion bookend with his October 2024 EP 'Cremisan: Prologue to A Blade'.

As with almost everything that DePlume has put forth in recent years, the connection of all these works to Palestine is deep. The Cremisan EP itself was recorded in Palestine. Dear Children incorporates field recordings and samples of children playing and of normal life in the West Bank, and its cover art depicts wheatpaste posters of a drawing made by a 13-year-old boy from Gaza (used with permission). The inscription on the cover art says, in Arabic, “Dedicated to the mother of the martyr/witness Obaida Ahmed al-Qiram. May you rest in peace. From your student, the artist, Hasan Jawad Abudayyeh.”

El Michels Affair follows up the massive success of their full length Yeti Season with The Abominable EP. A collection of unreleased tracks, alternate takes, and instrumentals from the Yeti Season recording sessions. EMA’s blending their signature cinematic soul sound with influences from Turkish Funk and the grittiest of Bollywood soundtracks yielded an instant classic The Fader calls “a carnival of dusty funk and soul.” The EP starts off with the unreleased gem “Messy Grass” whose synth intro, peppered with distant yeti cries, gives way to a tremendous backing track that Tamer Pinarbasi’s Qanun dances over. On “Cham Cham” EMA invites Piya Malik to the microphone again to share her styled storytelling vocals over the instrumental track from Yeti Season’s “Perfect Harmony.” Where some of the tunes on the EP have vocals added, some of them have them removed letting the band take center stage; “Poison Song,” “Uncut Gem,” “Smoked,” and “Progress” are all instrumental here giving them a wholly different energy than the vocal versions. The EP is being released with two different covers, each one has two paintings from different Ghanaian mobile cinema artists commissioned through Chicago’s Deadly Prey Gallery and are interpretations of the original album artwork. One version is paintings by Stoger and Heavy J, who also contributed cover paintings to the Return To The 37th Chamber album. The other version of the cover is two paintings by Teshie and Farkira.

Big Crown Records is proud to present the instrumental version of El Michels Affair’s 2025 instant classic 24 Hr Sports. The roster of vocal features on 24 Hr Sports is amazing, Clairo, Norah Jones, Florence Adooni, Shintaro Sakamoto, two different choirs, and even singing from the man himself, Leon Michels. The background vocals contributions are amazing; Lady Wray and Kevin Martin from Brainstory to name a few. But alas, there’s a new energy that shows up in the listen when you pair it down to the impeccable musicianship and Leon’s tried and true “Midas Touch” production. Leon plays a ton of instruments across the album and is joined by the regular cast of heavy hitters; Homer Steinweiss, Nick Movshon, Dave Guy, Marco Benevento, Hether, and more. There is even a saxophone solo by the late, great Rahsaan Roland Kirk.

Emeralds, the sophomore long player from Parlor Greens, finds the trio serving up a beautifully curated sampler of what funky organ music can be. On Parlor Greens’ debut LP In Green We Dream, they announced their existence boldly to the welcoming arms of funky instrumental fans around the world. Now, two years later, they’re back to up the ante. Three true masters of their respective crafts: Tim Carman (Canyon Lights, formerly of GA-20) on drums, Jimmy James (True Loves) on guitar, and Adam Scone (Scone Cash Players, The Sugarman 3) on organ. Seasoned and soulful pros coming together to make infectiously funky instrumental jams.

Parlor Greens are truly in top form: tour tight and more confident than ever in who they are and where they’re going. The album’s opener, “Eat Your Greens,” kicks the doors off with a Charles Earland-inspired four on the floor beat, with Jimmy and Scone driving the tune down the tracks like an overloaded freight train, it simply cannot be stopped. On “Red Dog,” the group channels the absolute heaviest shade of early R&B with Jimmy’s crunchy guitar paving the way for both he and Scone to take scorching solos. “Lion’s Mane” shows a slightly more sophisticated side of the trio, with nods to one of Scone’s organ mentors, the incomparable Dr. Lonnie Smith. Not to be outdone by his bandmates, Tim Carman shows off why he plays the best shuffle this side of the Mississippi on “Letter To Brother Ben,” a gospel-tinged shuffler.

And while the results are stronger than ever, the mood of this second cooking session was much different. The first time these three met in Loveland at Colemine’s Portage Lounge studio was marked by a certain freshness. It was new, it was the first time they had all played together. It was exciting, it was unknown territory. The session for Emeralds weighed much heavier on all three members. All three dealing with personal tragedies in their individual lives, the session truly served as a genuine moment of joy for the group. Just three talented musicians, writing and playing music now as friends in a familiar environment. No moment is the weight of the session more obvious than with the album’s closer, “Queen Of My Heart,” a tune Jimmy wrote for his mother shortly after she passed away.

So with a heavy and soulful heart, Colemine Records is beyond proud to present the sophomore effort from three maestros. Parlor Greens presents…Emer

A trio of Kansas City soul sweepers, from the sprawling midwest burg's storied Cavern, Damon, and Forte concerns. Bump and the Soul Stompers' 1970 sweet soul double sider "I Can Remember" was a tail pipe-dragging, low rider classic in the making, had it ever been released. A few years later Jerald "Bump" Scott took his new group to Cavern's subterranean confines to cut the group harmony masterpiece "Living In The Past," but remained unissued prior to Numero's discovery of the Cavern tapes. As disco was cresting at the top of the next decade, Sharon Revoal tracked her James Brown meets James Bond stepper "Reaching For Our Star"—the last 45 released on Marva Whitney's peerless Forte label.

Following a string of successful Blacksploitation soundtracks (Shaft In Africa, Brother on the Run) uber producer/arranger/maestro Johnny Pate bankrolled a one-off session to combat the overwhelming pessimism seeping into the American experiment. "Go For It" combines disco hustle and Pate's signature strings while the self-titled flip employees synth squiggles and acrostics for dance floor dominance.

Between their early-'70s Epic Records run and name change to Anglo Saxon Brown for Atlantic in 1976, Richmond, Virginia's Ujima tracked an unreleased album of modern soul emotion sensors. Shelved for five decades, Numero has unearthed these recordings, pairing infectious floor filler "Maybe" with mid-tempo ballad "All I Want Is You." Pre-order: Release date is March 20th - Orders will begin shipping in late February

Trapped on Nantucket island over the winter of 1976, a set of original songs poured into Willie Wright's cover-heavy set. Tales of Wright's native roots, straight life, his abandoned four children, and the many women he had known flooded his loose leaf notebook before finally being set to tape in New York the following spring. Tracked with George "Buzzy" Bragg and Herry Jensen (of Skull Snaps and Jimmy Castor Bunch fame, respectively) in one day with minimal overdubs, Telling The Truth was, and would remain, Willie Wright's brightest and most inspired moment. Sold from the trunk of a car and from a handful of resort stages, the humble album disappeared into the collections and garages of Nantucket tourists, taking what was left of a near-30-year career along with it. Available for the first time since 1977, this expanded edition of Telling The Truth gathers Wright's lone 45 and only original composition from his first LP to tell the definitive Willie Wright story. The deluxe LP edition includes a replica 7" of his cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Right On For The Darkness" (with his original "Africa" on the flip), while the CD takes that same single and shrinks it to a portable 4.72" record that actually plays!

Hard Texas funk from the celebrated San Antonio scene. As Abe Epstein was tracking West Side brown-eyed soul groups on General McMullen Blvd., Mickey Foster and his biracial Soul Generation band were answering James Brown's call to get on the good foot just south of the River Walk. Collected here are a dozen of their swaggiest and crook-legged instrumentals, a mood building survey of the band's 1969-'77 run, including the paper hit knee-wobbler "Iron Leg." Chop up your next sample here.

Renowned US-Dutch gospel-soul powerhouse Michelle David & The True-tones mark a bold new chapter with their forthcoming album, “Soul Woman”, out February 27, 2026 on Milan-based imprint Record Kicks. Building on the critical acclaim of 2024’s “Brothers & Sisters”, a record that held a mirror to the complexities of the world, the new LP “Soul Woman” turns inward — a deeply personal exploration of identity, healing, and spiritual resilience. “How can I ask others to take time to reflect on their lives if I’m not doing the same myself?” Michelle David asks. That spirit of self-inquiry and renewal lies at the heart of “Soul Woman” — a record that embraces vulnerability while radiating strength. Musically, “Soul Woman” continues to refine the band’s signature blend of gospel fire, soul and vintage rhythm & blues, while drawing from a wider palette of influences. Echoes of Curtis Mayfield, Bobby Womack, and The Four Seasons pulse through the grooves, while the gospel fire of The Blind Boys of Alabama and the joyous uplift of Diana Ross & The Supremes lend the album both gravity and sparkle. At the center is Michelle David’s unmistakable voice — raw, warm, and filled with purpose — wrapped in rich, analog-driven arrangements from longtime collaborators Paul Willemsen (guitar, bass guitar), Onno Smit (guitar, bass guitar) and Bas Bouma (drums). Together, Michelle David & The True-tones stand tall at the forefront of the retro soul scene — blending timeless grooves with modern urgency, unshakable authenticity, and heartfelt spirit. A Voice Born in the Church, Honed on the Road. Born in New York and raised in the church, Michelle David began singing at just four years old and joined her first group, The Mission of Love, at five. Her powerhouse vocals took her around the globe, starring in acclaimed Broadway productions like Mama, The Sound of Motown, Glory of Gospel, and Mahalia, and recording with legends including Diana Ross and Michael Bolton — all before beginning her celebrated journey with The True-tones. Together, Michelle David & The True-tones have released seven critically acclaimed albums and lit up stages across Europe, from Pinkpop to North Sea Jazz and London Jazz Festival. Known for their electrifying live shows, the band has earned standing ovations from Spain to Scandinavia, appeared on major TV and radio platforms, and even performed at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Their recorded work has been equally praised: The Gospel Sessions earned an Edison Award nomination (the Dutch equivalent of a Grammy), while 2020’s Truth & Soul was named Album of the Year by Craig Charles’ BBC Radio 6 Music and Album of the Month by FIP (Radio France). Their most recent album, Brothers & Sisters (2024), marked their debut on Record Kicks and became a breakout release — celebrated by Rolling Stone France, KEXP, Jazzthing Magazine (Germany), De Volkskrant (Netherlands), and BBC 6 Music. A Testament to Soul’s Timeless Power With “Soul Woman”, Michelle David & The True-tones offer more than just a new record — it’s a musical testimony of resilience, a celebration of spiritual growth, and a reaffirmation of soul music’s ability to heal, connect, and inspire. At once rooted in classic traditions and blazing new trails, this is contemporary soul at its finest.

Ever wonder how many amazing unreleased or unheard acetates currently sit in total obscurity, on a shelf somewhere, with decades’ worth of dust, unreleased, or perhaps even completely unheard? Tempting as it is to get stuck feeling helpless about the sad and futile reality of forgotten recordings, it does allow each unshelved release to feel like a massive geological victory. Little Ann’s Deep Shadows is an example of such a victory to savor. American soul singer Little Ann, born Ann Bridgeforth, was originally from Chicago, but moved to Detroit with her family, where she sang in church, inspired by local gospel legend Aretha Franklin. She recorded an album’s worth of songs between 1967 and 1969, primarily with Detroit musician/producer Dave Hamilton, although, save for one song, the work never saw the light of day. Interestingly, the only released song was not “Deep Shadows,” which is now her most known, and perhaps the greatest example of the emotive power of her voice. Little Ann wrote in a letter to her mother, “If it doesn’t work out, I tried.” Cut to the 1980’s: two British soul collectors, Gilly and Andy Taylor, are digging through Hamilton’s personal music archive and find a box of reels labeled “The Possible Little Ann Album,” and it’s love at first listen. The dust is wiped off, and the music begins making the rounds, trickling out into the world by way of the British northern soul DJ scene, various compilations, covers, and samples, garnering enough attention that Little Ann was able to experience her own resurrection, and even perform one UK show, before her passing in 2003. Timmion Records’ 2009 compilation Deep Shadows was the first release to assemble all of her demos into one cohesive album, as originally intended in the 60’s. Little Ann co-wrote all but two songs on the album, which you can feel as you listen; there is a heavy sense of intimacy in her recordings, like being launched through a tunnel straight into the deep center of her aching heart.

Kendra Morris's 2025 board-game concept album 'Next' quickly became a fan favorite, toping several year-end lists and cementing it's place as one of the most creative album campaigns. Now six months after the record's release, Karma Chief is thrilled you bring you a 45 featuring a fan-favorite tune from the record and a brand new dub remix. 'Flat Tire,' the album's announcement track, tips its hat to old reggae from the 60’s. Inspired by the records Kendra's parents would bring home from trips to Jamaica, the tune brings you a catchy, bouncy chorus you just can't get out of your head. 'Flat Tire' was recorded with all vintage gear and tracked through a Tascam 388. It also features Ray Jacildo, collaborator of The Black Keys, Yola, on piano and organ. The B-side of the 45 features a dub remix of 'Flat Tire' by the one & only Paul Cherry. "As soon as we recorded 'Flat Tire,' Terry and I agreed immediately that there should be some sort of dub remix… the tune was made for that," Kendra says. Terry threw out Cherry's name and they agreed he was the man for the job. The final product perfectly echoes classic late 60s dub by building from of the basics of the song...stripping the production down further, playing up the reverb and adding echoes, pauses and delays in all the right places.

Rarest Afro-Latinate funk fire from ’70s / ‘80s Benin, by a Vodún initiate known as “The Devil’s Prime Minister”, and recalled with admiration and fear by those he played with. A dozen cuts, 73 minutes of inimitable West African potency, performed by the crackshot L’Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou - check for ‘Ye Ko Gni Me Towe Dea’ and you’ll know what to do next. "Even the most dedicated crate-digger might go their whole life without stumbling across any of the three LPs Antoine Dougbe released in the late 1970s and early '80s. Yet he is remembered with a mixture of admiration and fear; for Antoine Dougbe was not merely one of the most inventive songwriters to emerge from the fertile music scene of Cotonou, but also a powerful Vodun initiate whose close connection to the spirit world allowed him to refer to himself as "the Devil's prime minister." Whether driven by the thrill of the music or by fear of crossing the Devil's prime minister, Dougbe's records all feature Orchestre Poly-Rythmo playing at the absolute height of their considerable powers. But Dougbe was unique in the sense he neither sang nor performed any of the main instrumental parts. It has been suggested that his involvement with Vodun prohibited him from using his voice for anything as frivolous as a popular song. Instead he provided his songs to Melome Clement, who arranged them for the band; most of the vocals were handled by Lohento Eskill and Amoussou William."

REPRESSED COMP OF GOLDEN TUNES! After releasing around fifty 45 rpm singles and his first 33 rpm album Amha Eshete set about compiling his best 45s on a series of now legendary albums in 1972.

Vibe Ride is the sixth release of Adam Rudolph's Hu Vibrational project and marks his 60th release as a leader or co-leader.

“With every record, the goal is to explore new creative territory,” explains Rudolph. Vibe Ride continues a deeper exploration of a trance-like groove and a conceptual framework known as Sonic Mandala. This album marks the most complete realization of that idea, partly due to the group's experience touring beforehand. That time on the road helped to refine ideas and strengthen musical chemistry. The recording process unfolded organically—likely due to the long-standing collaboration within ensembles like Go: Organic Orchestra and Moving Pictures, where the musicians have developed a deep familiarity with the shared musical language.

Sonic Mandala refers to a musical approach distinct from traditional linear structures of theme and development. Found in cultures across the globe, it may represent one of the oldest forms of musical expression—predating written history by tens of thousands of years. Today, it is most vividly preserved in the music of the Ituri Forest peoples (Aka, Baka, Ba Benzele, Mbuti), whose sound traditions revolve in cyclical, orbit-like patterns. Vibe Ride seeks to bring that ancient sense of circularity into a contemporary—and perhaps even futuristic—context.

The ensemble of Vibe Ride—Alexis Marcelo, Jerome Harris, Harris Eisenstadt, Neel Murgai, Tim Kieper, and Tripp Dudley—brings exceptional creativity and skill to the project. While grounded in the sonic languages of today, their performance channels an ancient vibrational lineage, connecting with ancestral sound makers who were attuned to the rhythms of the sun, moon, stars, and seasons. Human beings have always been deeply responsive to natural cycles.

Like a mandala, where the circle reveals itself as a spiral—always returning, but never to the exact same point—the Sonic Mandala musical experience spirals through motion. Refined signal patterns emerge through overtone-rich instrumentation. The groove becomes a threshold, shifting the listener from passive observation into active, even transcendent, participation. With open ears and an open mind, the sound spirals inward—toward a primal center—and outward into the cosmos. When this elevated state is shared among participants, it creates what mystics describe as resonance.

Vibe Ride thrives on the distinctive sonic voices of its players, interwoven with care and nuance into the compositions. Hu Vibrational merges elements of world music, electronica, and improvised jazz into something both funky and spiritual, intense and soothing.

Using signature techniques of organic orchestration, layered arrangement, and electronic processing, the compositions are sculpted from percussion, electronics, and ethereal textures. Rhythmic foundations drawn from diverse traditions serve not as endpoints, but as building blocks. As the saying goes, “Orchestration is the key.” In shaping the sound, the aim was to discover fresh ways of balancing structure and sonic color. As Don Cherry once said: “The swing is in the sound.”

Pharoah Sanders' Impulse! swan-song is one of the most transcendent jazz recordings of all time, a plugged-in, high-minded evocation that shares musical DNA with Alice Coltrane's masterpiece 'Journey in Satchidananda' - this new "Verve Vault" edition has been remastered from the original analog tapes and sounds insane. Best known for his early records like 'Tauhid' and 'Karma', spiritual jazz milestones that showed Sanders' continuity from his time working alongside John Coltrane, Sanders kept on innovating until his death in 2022. But the period that fascinates us the most is in the early '70s, when he integrated African, Latin and Native American sounds on the startling 'Black Unity', recorded 'Journey in Satchidananda' with Alice Coltrane and closed out his epic Impulse! run with 'Elevation'. And it's this (mostly) live recording, captured in two blistering sessions at the Ash Grove in Los Angeles and fleshed out with the sedate, palate cleansing studio jam 'Greeting to Saud', that seems to broadcast the unstoppable energy of this period best. The title track alone, a side-long mantra that fills out the field with clouds of percussion from Lawrence Killian, Jimmy Hopps, Michael Carvin, Joe Bonner and Sanders himself. Even Bonner's jabs on the piano feel like percussive notes and aside from those sounds (and Calvin Hill's rhythmic bass twangs), it's left to Sanders to do the heavy lifting with his lyrical performance, slurring in fluttered post-bop cadences before overblowing over the explosive, double-time crescendo that eventually dissolves into a choir of bells and chimes. And that's not nearly the best thing here, either. 'Elevation' is essential because it contains the open-hearted, free-flowing masterpiece 'The Gathering', a live staple at the time that brims with energy, from its sing-along vocals to its earworm-y piano hooks.

A deluxe, embossed 2 LP box set. Alongside a remastered version of PHAROAH, his seminal record from 1977, are two previously unreleased live performances of his masterpiece, “Harvest Time." Includes a 24-page booklet with rarely seen photographs and ephemera, as well as interviews with many of the participants and a conversation with Pharoah himself.