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"Next up in Mr Bongo's Groove Merchant Records reissue series, we present the only solo album saxophonist Ramon Morris recorded as a bandleader. Having cut his teeth playing with the iconic band Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers and working with other jazz greats, including Reuben Wilson, Shirley Scott, Rashied Ali Quintet, and Woody Shaw, 1973 saw Ramon take the step into solo territory. The resulting album Sweet Sister Funk became a certified classic and a landmark showcase of the cherished ‘70s jazz-funk sound, later sampled by the likes of DJ Premier, The Alchemist and DJ Shadow.

Originally released on Sonny Lester's iconic Groove Merchant record label and produced by Lester himself, Sweet Sister Funk is a jazz-funk masterclass. It features a slick line-up including Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet, Mickey Roker on drums, and Albert Dailey on electric piano. Rich and beautiful, the seven songs ebb and flow in energy, fusing jazz funk and soul jazz with style and swagger. There are bags of groove with Ramon and Cecil trading off on sax and trumpet in an effortless conversation throughout the LP, supplemented by brilliant solos from the rest of the players.

A gold mine of sampling material, the album includes a sublime cover version of The Stylistics' much-loved 'People Make The World Go Round', which was sampled by DJ Shadow on Blackalicious's 'Swan Lake' in 1994. Elsewhere, the percussion and bass intro of the opening track 'First Come, First Serve' is a sampler's delight - a deep, heavy groove with a fine saxophone workout by Ramon. Head to 'Don't Ask Me' and you’ll find the swinging horn intro that formed the basis of 'You Came Up' by Big Pun featuring Noreaga from 1998, whilst 'Wijinia' has echoes of ‘70s indie jazz by labels such as Strata East & Black Jazz.

Here at Mr Bongo, we are proud to be delving into the vaults of Groove Merchant Records once again, reissuing this iconic LP from Ramon Morris."

To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of their 7th album from 23 October, 2001 (their last with Brant Bjork), Fu Manchu is releasing California Crossing 25th Anniversary Edition. Recorded at the legendary Sound City Studios in Los Angeles, California by the band and Matt Hyde (DEFTONES, SLAYER, MONSTER MAGNET), California Crossing is the band’s most commercially successful release. The 11 song collection includes “Mongoose” (as seen in a Toyota Super Bowl commercial, Sons of Anarchy, The Hot Chick, Boondock Saints II and more), “Squash That Fly” (their most successful radio single), “Bultaco” (featuring vocals by The Circle Jerks’ Keith Morris) and fan favorites “Separate Kingdom,” “Hang On” and the title track. This limited edition 2,000 unit run is pressed on Custom Red, White and Blue 3 layer color vinyl in a gatefold package. The LP features newly remastered audio for maximum fidelity. "a strangely nihilistic celebration of all things Cali." - The Guardian “Fu Manchu are the stoned Ramones, a matey Motorhead: a band who can rewrite that album into the infinite future and rule perpetually.” – NME

Zur Feier des 25-jährigen Jubiläums ihres siebten Albums aus dem Jahr 2001 (ihres letzten mit Brant Bjork) veröffentlichen Fu Manchu die California Crossing 25th Anniversary Edition. Das Album, das von der Band gemeinsam mit Matt Hyde (Deftones, Slayer, Monster Magnet) in den legendären Sound City Studios in Los Angeles aufgenommen wurde, ist die kommerziell erfolgreichste Veröffentlichung der Band. Die aus 11 Songs bestehende Sammlung enthält "Mongoose" (bekannt aus einem Toyota-Super-Bowl-Werbespot sowie aus Sons of Anarchy, The Hot Chick, Boondock Saints II u.a.), "Squash That Fly" (ihre erfolgreichste Radio-Single), "Bultaco" (mit Gesang von Keith Morris von den Circle Jerks) sowie die Fan-Favoriten "Separate Kingdom", "Hang On" und den Titelsong. Diese auf 1.000 Exemplare limitierte Ausgabe erscheint als El Camino Sand Splatter-farbiges Vinyl im Gatefold-Jacket. Für die optimalste Klangqualität wurde das Audiomaterial des Albums nun neu gemastert. "a strangely nihilistic celebration of all things Cali." - The Guardian "Fu Manchu are the stoned Ramones, a matey Motorhead: a band who can rewrite that album into the infinite future and rule perpetually." - NME