Jazz / Soul / Funk
1958 products
In the history of West African music, Laba Sosseh is remembered as a singer who symbolizes the deep connection between West African and Cuban music.
A landmark work released in 1995 on the UK label RetroAfric by Sikamo Jazz, a super‑group formed in 1993 when veteran masters reunited to create new music together.
A compilation album of Caribbean jazz and calypso jazz released in 1958 by the renowned audio label *Cook Records*. Compiled by Emory Cook—a pioneer of high-fidelity recording—from field recordings he made on-site in Trinidad, this album is an extremely rare and rich collection that perfectly captures the excitement and atmosphere of 1950s Caribbean jazz. The tracks center on danceable instrumental jazz, where bold saxophone and horn sections intertwine with the energetic calypso beat. The album features ensembles led by Trinidad and Tobago’s leading saxophonists, including Cyril Diaz and Johnny Gomez. It also includes “Tabu,” a cover of the Afro-Cuban classic by the Cyril Diaz Orchestra—a group highly regarded as the pinnacle of calypso jazz and extremely popular in the club jazz scene!
Ry-Co Jazz became pan-African heroes during the 1960s when they introduced their vital Congo/Latin rhythms to West Africa. The band was founded in Congo in 1958/59 and managed by Henri Bowane, the hit parade guitarist who first brought Franco into the recording studio. Original members Freddy N'kounkou [vocal], M'Bilia Casino [congas and vocal], and Panda Gracia [double bass], were soon joined by ace guitarist Jerry Malekani who stayed with the group until they ended their epic adventure in 1972. From 1967, with sax master Jean Serge Essous on board, they spent four years in the French Antilles, leaving their influence on the pioneers of 'zouk' music.
Includes 32 pages booklet in French, Portuguese and English. Many songs are representing the still missing style Semba.
A compilation album featuring the signature songs of Pamelo Mounk'a, one of the Republic of the Congo’s leading singers. Having reached the peak of his artistry as a solo artist following his time with groups such as Les Bantous de la Capitale, his sweet, soaring high-pitched vocals beautifully intertwine with a dazzling horn section. From the graceful rumba vocals, which evoke Afro-Cuban and Latin influences, to the dynamic sevén tracks in the latter half—marked by leaping guitar refrains—this album encapsulates the elegance and passion of refined Congolese rumba.
1993 release. Bana OK present Bakitani. When the colossus of Congo, Franco Luambo, died in 1989, the great band he had led for more than 30 years, OK Jazz, was of course, devastated. But its members survived their enormous loss and lived to rock another day. Nine of the best of them carried on as Bana OK - "Children of OK" - and sustained the signature tout puissant ("all-powerful") sound of their late master's band. The leader was saxophonist and composer Rondot Kasongo Wa Kasongo, who had long been Franco's right-hand man. Three more of these "children" were veteran guitarists Fan Fan Sesengo, Papa Noel and Thierry Mantuika. And the singers included the female star of the last years of OK Jazz, Baniel Mbambou, and the heartthrob tenor Malage de Lugendo. Bakitani would have made Franco proud.
Adventures in Paradise is Minnie Riperton’s third studio album, released in 1975, and a sophisticated blend of soul, jazz, funk, and quiet-storm R&B. Following the huge success of Lovin’ You from her previous album Perfect Angel, Riperton moved toward a more mature, atmospheric sound. The album is known for its lush arrangements, intimate songwriting, and Riperton’s extraordinary five-octave voice. Although it did not match the commercial impact of Perfect Angel, Adventures in Paradise is widely regarded as one of Riperton’s artistic peaks, which captures her at her most expressive, adventurous, and emotionally nuanced. This vinyl edition is the first after ten years and the first ever in Europe since its release in 1975.
An adventurous instrumental jazz-rock fusion album that captures the free-form chemistry between keyboardist Howard Wales and guitarist Jerry Garcia. The record blends jazz improvisation, psychedelic rock, blues, funk, and progressive influences into fluid, exploratory compositions driven by Wales' inventive keyboard work and Garcia's expressive, melodic guitar playing. Supported by musicians including John Kahn, Bill Vitt, and Martin Fierro, the album emphasizes spontaneous interplay over conventional song structures, making it one of Garcia's most experimental and influential side projects and a landmark recording in early jazz fusion. This release on vinyl is the first since late 80s.
Recognized as one of Cal Tjader’s most distinctive explorations of the exotic-jazz aesthetic of the early 1960s, this album combines his fluid vibraphone playing and Latin-jazz foundations with Japanese and East Asian-inspired melodies, arrangements and sonorities. Featuring a polished ensemble of piano, organ, flute, percussion, bass and drums, the album is a highly atmospheric and accessible record made up of sophisticated arrangements and a unusual concept. First ever vinyl reissue since album's release in 1964.
Mike Ladd never stopped making music; over the years he's popped up on all sorts of unexpected collaborations, soundtracked a Netflix series, and worked with visual artists in settings like the Pantheon in Paris. Still, Ladd's last solo album was more than ten years ago, and his magnum opus Welcome to the Afterfuture dropped in early 2000. Nonechosen is a granite testament to the fact that the artist has evolved and grown, but maintains the same gravitas that made his name what it is. Nonechosen is a solo album, but Ladd worked with old friends: No Surrender and Tom Degeeter collaborated on respective tracks. Once Mike got the record 95% there with his own production, he passed it on to Preservation, who, with a few well-placed tweaks, elevated the project to new heights. Backwoodz Studioz is honored to be part of Ladd's comet-like return, introducing this seminal artist to a new generation of hip-hop fans.
Mike Ladd never stopped making music; over the years he's popped up on all sorts of unexpected collaborations, soundtracked a Netflix series, and worked with visual artists in settings like the Pantheon in Paris. Still, Ladd's last solo album was more than ten years ago, and his magnum opus Welcome to the Afterfuture dropped in early 2000. Nonechosen is a granite testament to the fact that the artist has evolved and grown, but maintains the same gravitas that made his name what it is. Nonechosen is a solo album, but Ladd worked with old friends: No Surrender and Tom Degeeter collaborated on respective tracks. Once Mike got the record 95% there with his own production, he passed it on to Preservation, who, with a few well-placed tweaks, elevated the project to new heights. Backwoodz Studioz is honored to be part of Ladd's comet-like return, introducing this seminal artist to a new generation of hip-hop fans.
From deep in the hard funk pocket, the Winston Brothers return to Colemine after four years with a second helping of sounds rooted in horn-heavy, 70s-style soul cinema, taking cues from the soundtrack work of Issac Hayes, Willie Hutch, Roy Ayers, and JJ Johnson. Helmed by multi-instrumentalist/producer Sebastian Nagel and longtime collaborator Lucas Kochbeck on drums, Sweets serves as a timely reminder of how Hamburg, Germany’s music scene helps shape and influence today’s soul sound. Ultimately, bringing musicians like Kimo Eiserbeck (sax and flute) and Hans Stephan (trumpet), alongside some additional drum contributions by Max Whitefield (née Weissenfeldt), demonstrates the close-knit nature of these musicians. From influential bands like Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band to Angels of Libra and the Mighty Mocambos, Hamburg’s deep groove scene has sired its share of worthy soul and funk acolytes. These musicians have shared stages and studios over the years, with various configurations finding their way in the aforementioned bands. “We started as a school project… we were just kids,” Sebastian recalls. “It’s a family thing, and we really know each other well.” Sweets is more than just another addition to this scene’s collective musical canon; it is a vibrant dispatch from funk’s leading edge.
Homer Steinweiss, the Brooklyn based soul/funk drummer, always had a soft spot for folk music. Paul Spring, a young idealist folk singer traveling the country with his guitar, always had a beautiful falsetto in his back pocket. A family introduction would lead to Homer producing a few solo records of Paul’s, which would eventually lead to the creation of Holy Hive. The two enlisted Joe Harrison on bass and started out recording their first tunes as a group. A tour with soul legend Lee Fields would turn out to have an unexpected effect on their sound as they played their material to crowds of soul fanatics looking to dance. It was this realization that forced the next step in their evolution and gave birth to a sound unique to Holy Hive, a sound that walks a line so perfectly it necessitated a new genre, Folk Soul. Homer has been drumming professionally since 2000 and has provided the back beat to records by Amy Winehouse, Bruno Mars, The Jonas Brothers, and Lady Gaga to name a few. He has toured the world over with soul acts like Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings and The Arcs. With all of that under his belt, Holy Hive is the first band that is truly his own and you can hear that it is close to his heart. Paul is from a small town in Minnesota where he spent his formative years studying Ancient Greek mythology and practicing classical guitar. He toured the states for years with only the company of his guitar, playing solo shows to make ends meet and occasional library gigs promoting his self released children’s record, Home Of Song. Listening to their debut album, their different experiences and influences have all shown up. From the heavy downbeat of the lead single “Broom” to their intimate cover of Honeybus’ “Be Thou By My Side,” Float Back To You showcases their songwriting prowess as well as their impeccable musicianship. Spring’s fondness for ancient mythology shows up in a few places on the album as well adding another level to their work. They adapt the Greek poet Sappho’s “Fragment 31” to music on “Embers To Ash” and completely rework the Irish folk tune “Red Is The Rose” into a modern day two stepper. Another standout track is the already classic “Oh I Miss Her So,” which first showed up on their 2018 Harping EP and features accomplished harpist Mary Lattimore and trumpet by Dave Guy of The Roots. The symbiotic relationship of Homer and Paul has been likened to that of an oxpecker and a black rhino. Paul’s delicate falsetto and fluttering guitar rests atop Homer’s brawny drums in perfect harmony. There are many levels to Holy Hive, some of them show up on the surface, but some of them are like the album’s title track; you listen to a gorgeous love song only to find out later it is about coming home to your cat. This is perhaps the most telling of Holy Hive, they are easy to like on first listen but spending time with their music will reveal a much deeper experience.