Jazz / Soul / Funk
1875 products
Convergence is a new live album from William Hooker featuring guitarist John King. Recorded at the B10 Festival in Shenzhen, China on October 25, 2024, it captures an exhilarating set shaped by the audience’s energy and deep mutual connection. Hooker’s thunderous drumming meets King’s walls of distorted guitar in an expansive, hour-long performance of raw intensity, recorded direct from the soundboard. The music moves fluidly between intensity and restraint, structure and spontaneity. The album stands as a document of cross-cultural exchange and creative freedom, reinforcing Hooker’s decades-long legacy as a leading force in avant-garde music while showcasing a compelling collaboration with King.
Pratt & Moody return with a new 7” single on Timmion Records, pairing “Hard Way To Live” with “You Bring Me Joy” – two deep diving soul cuts that reaffirm their place among the true pioneers of the modern sweet & beat soul revival. Written and recorded together with Timmion’s trusted house band Cold Diamond & Mink, the single continues a lineage that has consistently blurred the line between contemporary songwriting and timeless soul aesthetics. The A-side, “Hard Way To Live,” finds Pratt & Moody firmly in their beat ballad lane. Built on a warm, funky foundation, the song balances emotional weight with melodic lift, as its chorus opens into crossover soul-pop territory. Lyrically, it wrestles with life-earned scars and the quiet difficulty of letting go of pain that they cause – the feeling of keeping on running even after you’ve spent the last of what you had. ”On the flip, “You Bring Me Joy” unfolds like a slow-burning David Lynch scene, its dramatic crawl evoking soundtrack soul before bursting into a Stax-era Staple Singers inspired chorus. Tremolosoaked guitar lines nod to classic dark surf music, while Emilia Sisco’s gospel-tinged background vocals nod to Mavis Staples, elevating the track into full emotional bloom. Together, these two songs offer a vivid preview of Pratt & Moody’s upcoming album – a deeper plunge into soulful storytelling, their tried and tested lowrider soul chops, and modern clarity, soon to follow on Timmion Records.
Pratt & Moody return with a new 7” single on Timmion Records, pairing “Hard Way To Live” with “You Bring Me Joy” – two deep diving soul cuts that reaffirm their place among the true pioneers of the modern sweet & beat soul revival. Written and recorded together with Timmion’s trusted house band Cold Diamond & Mink, the single continues a lineage that has consistently blurred the line between contemporary songwriting and timeless soul aesthetics. The A-side, “Hard Way To Live,” finds Pratt & Moody firmly in their beat ballad lane. Built on a warm, funky foundation, the song balances emotional weight with melodic lift, as its chorus opens into crossover soul-pop territory. Lyrically, it wrestles with life-earned scars and the quiet difficulty of letting go of pain that they cause – the feeling of keeping on running even after you’ve spent the last of what you had. ”On the flip, “You Bring Me Joy” unfolds like a slow-burning David Lynch scene, its dramatic crawl evoking soundtrack soul before bursting into a Stax-era Staple Singers inspired chorus. Tremolosoaked guitar lines nod to classic dark surf music, while Emilia Sisco’s gospel-tinged background vocals nod to Mavis Staples, elevating the track into full emotional bloom. Together, these two songs offer a vivid preview of Pratt & Moody’s upcoming album – a deeper plunge into soulful storytelling, their tried and tested lowrider soul chops, and modern clarity, soon to follow on Timmion Records.
Released in 1971, Maggot Brain stands as the towering masterpiece in Funkadelic’s groundbreaking catalog. Initially misunderstood upon release, the album is now widely regarded as one of the most influential records of all time. Anchored by Eddie Hazel’s otherworldly guitar performance on the legendary title track and featuring enduring favorites like “Can You Get To That,” Maggot Brain redefined the possibilities of funk, rock, and psychedelic music. For this definitive 2026 reissue, the album was mastered directly from analog tape, preserving the raw power, depth, and atmosphere of the original recordings with extraordinary detail. A longtime holy grail for collectors, Maggot Brain receives the fully analog treatment it has long deserved.
Released in 1994, Hard To Earn stands as one of Gang Starr’s defining works and a cornerstone of ’90s East Coast hip-hop. Across this 2LP set, DJ Premier delivers some of his hardest, most stripped‑down production—dry, cracking drums, razor‑sharp sample chops, and a minimalism that hits with maximum impact. Over these beats, Guru’s calm yet commanding voice lays out street codes, philosophy, and everyday realism with unmatched precision. The album features several classics, including the hypnotic “Mass Appeal,” the street‑level narrative “Code of the Streets,” the party‑ready “DWYCK” featuring Nice & Smooth, and “Speak Ya Clout” with Jeru the Damaja and Lil Dap. With most guests coming from the Gang Starr Foundation, the record captures the raw energy of New York’s underground scene at the time. A pivotal moment in Gang Starr’s evolution, Hard To Earn marks the shift from their earlier jazz‑rap image toward a harder, more minimal sound. Essential listening for anyone exploring the golden era of hip‑hop, and a perfect fit for vinyl with its original 2LP format.
Recorded in 1962 when a 22‑year‑old Herbie Hancock entered the Blue Note roster, Takin’ Off stands as his remarkable debut album. Featuring an all‑star horn lineup with Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and Dexter Gordon on tenor sax, and captured at Rudy Van Gelder’s legendary studio, the record embodies the essence of the hard‑bop golden era.
Released in 1969, In a Silent Way marks the beginning of Miles Davis’s electric period and stands as one of his most groundbreaking works. Featuring John McLaughlin, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul, and Wayne Shorter—musicians who would later shape the future of jazz‑rock and fusion—the album was recorded at New York’s legendary 30th Street Studio.
Released in 1961, Ornette Coleman’s Free Jazz is both a controversial milestone and a landmark recording. Featuring a double‑quartet setup with separate groups placed in the left and right channels, the album captures an unprecedented form of collective improvisation that redefined the boundaries of jazz.
The mere mention of jazz played on bagpipes is guaranteed to get a look of disbelief from most people, but not from listeners who have heard Rufus Harley, especially Re-Creation of the Gods, a 1972 disc that many consider his best. The Transparency label has reissued this record on CD with four extra tracks and pristine digital remastering of the sound. Rufus Harley, one of the only bagpipe-playing jazz musicians in the history of jazz, is a virtuoso on the instrument, coaxing improvised riff after riff from it. In his hands it sounds like two reed instruments played at once. This very enjoyable and often surprising music is in the soul-jazz vein, with a touch of Eastern sounds, and the combination of organ, bagpipe, percussion and sometimes electric bass works very well. The playing can easily be termed spiritual. Re-Creation of the Gods is reminiscent of Rahsaan Roland Kirk's later work—eg. Blacknuss, with its mixture of spirituality and soul—and Rufus Harley's bagpipe sounds somewhat similar to the manzella and stritch played by Kirk. Bill Mason's organ is an excellent complement to Rufus Harley's bagpipe and sax. The combination hints at the organ/tenor combos of the late '60s and early '70s. Although the leader and Bill Mason stand out with their solos, the tight drumming and solid electric bass anchor the music within the soul-jazz tradition and add an earthy quality to the recording. The only track which seems out of place is the 23-second intro (one of the extra tracks), which seems to be from a live show by Rufus Harley's quintet. The rest of tracks do not appear to have been recorded live, nor are they made by a quintet (rather a trio or a quartet). The liner notes provide short essays on spirituality and quotes from a variety of Eastern religious texts, which fit well with the mood of the music but do not give any further details about the recording. The remainder of the bonus tracks, however, have the same lineup of musicians and are in the same musical vein as the original tracks, so they are likely taken from the same recording session. The similarity in the musical quality and style does not mean that these tracks are repetitive or indistiguinshable from each other—or formulaic in any way. On the contrary, each one is unique and full of surprises. They are like poems in a poetry jam session; each is unique on its own, but also an inalienable part of the whole. The few other Rufus Harley tracks that I have heard (from his Atlantic years) seem like prototypes for this record. The ideas are there, but they are not as accomplished or fully realized as the ones on this recording—thus, while they're interesting, they're not as rewarding to listen to as this disc. Bagpipes and jazz make an unusual combination, but this is a very creative, enjoyable and refreshing soul-jazz record that, while not necessarily groundbreaking, is very rewarding to listen to many times over.
Joe Quarterman & Free Soul emerged from the local scene in Washington, D.C., releasing their only full‑length album on GSF Records in 1973.
10 Anos Depois is the tenth album by Brazilian musical artist Jorge Ben, released in 1973. It is a collection of popular songs from the first decade of his career re-recorded as medleys.
Soft Machine performing two continuous sets of compositions, improvisations and dynamisms. All instruments, except saxes, variously processed with electronic effect devices Henie Onstad Art Centre, Høvikodden, Norway, 28th of February, 1971. Stereophonic ambient recording technique to Studer A62 Reel-to-Reel.
Reissue, originally released in 1963. Ellis Regina one of the greatest Brazilian interpreters of all time. Originally released in 1963 when she was not even 20 years old, this was her fourth album and second for Columbia Records. Still a few steps before she became a star, here Ellis Regina's fresh and extremely ductile voice shines on top of sophisticated jazz arrangements by Astor Silva and a mixed repertoire based on charming romantic songs and vibrant sambas, all composed by Brazilian authors, among them a couple of highlights such as Baden Powell's "Se Você. Quiser" and "O Ben do Amor" the title track composed by guitarist Rildo Hora. This is an early and fine statement in Regina's fast way to the peak of Brazilian music history.
Terrific session just released in 1974 on influential independent Muse. A modal masterpiece verging on spiritual jazz with a series of excellent players: from Richard Davis and Cecil McBee on bass to Ray Mantilla on congas and percussion, through Harold Vick distinctive flute and tenor sax. The major voice on this record belongs to the traps of Joe Chambers. The enormous potency combined with complete authority and tonal clarity that Chambers brings to the drums has made him one of the more distinctive percussive voices in jazz.
Atlantis (1969) is a bold and highly atmospheric jazz album by Sun Ra and His Astro Infinity Arkestra that moves away from traditional swing into a more experimental sound. The centerpiece is the 20-minute title track contained in side B, built around Sun Ra’s heavily amplified Hohner Clavinet. Around this, the Arkestra layers percussion, horns, and collective improvisation to create a dense, hypnotic texture. The music is intense but not chaotic; it unfolds gradually, focusing on mood, repetition, and sonic colours. The shorter pieces on the album are slightly more rooted in free jazz traditions, but still maintain the spacious, exploratory feel. Atlantis stands as a key example of Sun Ra’s Afrofuturist vision, presenting jazz as cosmic storytelling and pushing the genre toward electronic experimentation and abstract sound design long before these approaches became common. This vinyl reissue is the first since 1973 and it features the track “Yucatan II” as bonus track on side A.
A wonderful collection of early seventies recordings produced by Alton Ellis himself. High-impact reggae tunes with a great horn section. Alton Nehemiah Ellis OD (1 September 1938 – 10 October 2008) was a Jamaican singer-songwriter. One of the innovators of rocksteady, he was given the informal title "Godfather of Rocksteady". In 2006, he was inducted into the International Reggae And World Music Awards Hall Of Fame.
Dance The Ska is an essential collection of early Jamaican ska music. It includes iconic tracks from Prince Buster, Jimmy Cliff and other key artists from the 1963–1966 period, celebrating the energetic and upbeat sound of Jamaican independence. The album also features artists like Prince Buster (King of Ska), Derrick Morgan, Roy Panton, Stranger Cole, Millie and other leading figures from the Kingston scene. The real ska sound of '64!
Emerging from the Kansai underground with a sense of ritual and restraint, G Version III returns with a slab of meditative pressure, carved for sound systems. Following last year’s cassette release on Digital Sting, the Kyoto-based producer deepens her exploration of experimental steppers and sacred low-end science.
TRK 1 treads heavy—medium-tempo four-to-the-floor steppers, soaked in 80s/90s UK dub DNA and wired with flickers of celestial synth energy, edged with something unknown.
TRK 2 drifts off-grid—a 100bpm oddity conjuring sacred synth rituals and off-beat spatial tension. Droning and eerily weightless, it hangs like a vapor of frozen scent in an echo chamber.
Flip the plate and TRK 3 and 4 ignite—raw, unrelenting steppers built to test the physical limits of the rig. No compromise, no decoration—just ritual voltage for the floor.
Riddim Chango’s 16th release channels something ancient through circuitry, born for the weight.
Exact reissue, from 1974. "After two visionary LPs for his own tiny Nodlew label, Weldon Irvine signed to RCA for Cosmic Vortex (Justice Divine), exploring the deeply spiritual and political terrain of his previous efforts on the kind of grand musical scale that major-label funding accommodates. This is a big, bold record by any measure, with a startlingly pronounced focus on lyrics and vocals. At the same time, however, the melodies spread out like tentacles, informed by the improvisational sensibilities of jazz and the deep-groove spirit of funk." --Jason Ankeny/AMG
