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Portland, Oregon dark rock trio HOAXED return with their stunning new album Death Knocks. Three years in the making, the group—featuring vocalist/guitarist Kat Keo, drummer Kim Coffel, and new bassist/vocalist April Dimmick—have honed their stygian craft to perfection. "We've added another element to the writing and collaboration process," says the band. "April comes from a classic heavy metal background, and her influence is in these songs. We've also had experiences on tour that have helped shape these songs. You can hear influence from the bands we toured with and learned from. We played together for three years as we wrote this album, and we learned a lot about our styles, and our sound evolved naturally together on stage. So, when we sat down to write this album, it didn't feel like a departure or a change." Anchored by the witchy spell of opener "Where the Seas Fall Silent," the rock-hardened groove of "Kill Switch," and the dimly lit power pop of "The Family," HOAXED upped the tempo, sawed the edges (Dimmick's raspy menace intimidates), and strengthened their ties to the golden gods of heavy metal. Indeed, cyclical riffs, dynamic rhythms, and bottom-heavy bass propel Death Knocks through its filmic, hard-nosed gloom, but Keo's sorcerous vocal hooks seal the deal. Often smartly paired with Dimmick's angels' n' demons, her performance effuses fragility and potency across the album's alluring expanse. HOAXED recorded Death Knocks at Falcon Recording Studios with producer/engineer Gabe Johnston (Unto Others, Vintersea) and enlisted Arthur Rizk (Power Trip, Kreator, and more,) for mixing and mastering. In total, the group spent eight days in February and March tracking Death Knocks. While most bands spend months ironing their metallic mettle, Hoaxed's expeditious time at Falcon engendered a polished, big-sounding force befitting their larger-than-life songs. Short: Portland, Oregon dark rock trio HOAXED return with their stunning new album Death Knocks. Three years in the making, the group—featuring vocalist/guitarist Kat Keo, drummer Kim Coffel, and new bassist/vocalist April Dimmick—have honed their stygian craft to perfection. FFO: Ghost, Tribulation, Bloody Hammers, Khemmis, Unto Others, GGGOLDDD, Katatonia. Pallbearer

The late pedal-steel guitarist Susan Alcorn leaves a final surprise hinting at new directions left underexplored on her collaboration with Nomad War Machine, the improvising metal duo of drummer Julius Masri and guitarist James Reichard. Their death-metal-influenced pummel adds new fire to her molten flow across a suite of improvised tracks that show off the vast range and simpatico of the trio. Julius Masri and James Reichard of Nomad War Machine: “An unexpected opportunity arose out of a catching-up conversation where Susan had revealed a recent fascination with death metal, confessing, ‘I’m 70 years old—I think about death!’ She had learned a couple of Arch Enemy songs on her pedal steel, particularly compelled by their frontwoman’s intensity and vigor as a performer. Voicing an appreciation for the hook-oriented sound of Swedish death metal made sense for a melodic thinker whose roots as veteran pedal steel player reached into the Texan Western swing circuit in the ’60s and ’70s. For her, ever the explorer, metal was a new, appealing point of departure into fresh musical territory. When she expressed an interest in playing with Nomad War Machine, it felt like there was a whole world of shared or complementary interests to explore.” Though known for her fluency in jazz, country, and free improvisation, Alcorn had also studied Arabic, the oud, and maqam, with all holding a deep curiosity for her. Pre-’70s country & western music had also been a lifelong presence for both members Nomad War Machine. Masri, a Lebanese free-jazz and metal drummer, and devoted fan of Texas swing legends like Speedy West, Jimmy Bryant, Leon Rhodes, and Joe Maphis, was also steeped in Arabic music traditions. James Reichard, before coming to “freely” improvised metal, xenharmonic music, and non-Western tuning systems, had grown up being subjected to countless singalongs to numerous pre-’70s country records, entranced by the pedal steel.

The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop trio, worldwide known for their massive 1979 hit "Rapper's Delight", which was the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The track was the first exposure to Hip-Hop for millions of people.
The Sugarhill Gang were also among the very first rap acts to record a full-length LP.
Sugarhill Gang includes the original 7-inch version of "Rapper's Delight" as a bonus track. The album is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on clear & blue marbled coloured vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.

After the excellent response to the first volume, Acid Jazz Classics returns with the second volume.
The Acid Jazz sound born in the 1990s, which harked back to the Soul Funk of the 1970s, found in IRMA one of the labels most dedicated to
this world, and still releases music that can be categorized under this name.
From songs from the 1990s with artists like Jestofunk, Bossa Nostra, Black & Brown, Gazzara, Italian Secret Service, LTJ Xperience, Sarah
Jane Morris, to the present day with artists like The Smoke Orchestra, Yuts and Culture, Fusion Funk Foundation, Micky More & Andy Tee,
Belladonna, and many others.
19 tracks on a double vinyl, some of them never before released on vinyl, all rigorously perfect for both the club and listening.
In fact, some tracks are little club gems:
"Say It Again" by Jestofunk in its very first version from 1993;
Belladonna - Black Jazz, one of her most requested songs ever released on vinyl;
Key Tronics Ensemble - You For Me, the Montuno Salsa version performed for years by Little Louie Vega at many of his gigs;
the Micky More & Andy Tee remix of Sarah Jane Morris's Hold On To Love!

The Helsinki-based Bowman Trio return with their second LP on We Jazz Records on October 18. "Persistence" is a strong effort, showcasing the young trio's knack at creating dynamic, sparse and memorable music which carries well the term "loft jazz" occasionally attached to it. Here, drummer Sami Nummela, trumpeter Tomi Nikku and bassist Joonas Tuuri present 9 strong originals, 8 of which are penned by Nummela and one by Nikku.

On the course of the new album, Bowman Trio moves from the introspective, calm moments of "Badwater", "Mac Elliot" and "Mä en jaksa" to the full swing of "The Chase" and the solid grind of "Persistence". The album closing track "Sista sommardagen" ("The last day of summer" in Swedish) is a hauntingly beautiful, delicately breezy ballad. Two years in the making, the album is a testament to the album title and a fine example of a band taking time in developing their sound to perfection.

Bowman Trio debuted in 2016 with the group's first LP also being the first release on Helsinki's We Jazz Records, and since then their reputation has grown in Finland and beyond. The trio is known for making music which invites the listener in and takes it sweet time in unraveling its secrets. Their sound is somewhat dry, naturally relaxed and there's a lot of room for manoeuvre within it for all of the players. That being said, each of the musicians in the trio know how to play for their team, and the compositions move forward constantly and effortlessly. Bowman Trio makes music which always feels close to you, like you're right there in the room with the band. That's "loft jazz".

Swiss artist Lukas Traxel releases his powerful debut album One-Eyed Daruma on We Jazz Records, March 10. The trio features Traxel on double bass, Otis Sandsjö on sax and Moritz Baumgärtner on drums. Compact, deep, and organic to the bone, Traxel & co's sound echoes the innovations of rhythmically driven avantgarde jazz while keeping things moving at all times. There's both drive and freedom to this sound.
ONe-Eyed Daruma features eight new compositions by Traxel, who crafted the outline for the album while dealing with the loss of his father. The group came together after an open invitation from the Zurich jazz club Moods to present a new group. The trio of Traxel, Sandsjö and Baumgärtner creates a full, symphonic, and powerful body of sound despite the instrumentation without a harmony instrument. The trio functions as a collective where the boundaries between composition, melody, and accompaniment are in flux, while keeping the common goal of creating new music together in sight at all times. Traxel reports that after playing bass in various groups with guitar and/or piano, he wanted to create a counterpoint of sorts with his new group and specifically go about it with a more sparse setup. As One-Eyed Drama proves, the idea behind the trio dynamic is a strong one and the unit makes use of their extra space in creating evocative, moody, swinging creative jazz with a distinguishable fingerprint of its own.
Lukas Traxel says:

"The process of composing this music while dealing with the loss of a loved one resulted in a writer's block at first. The notes would just not flow out of my pen until I noticed a mysterious-looking figure in the right upper corner of my piano. It was a daruma, an eyeless figure that in the Japanese tradition brings luck and prosperity. According to the myth, the first eye must be drawn onto the figure while expressing a wish. The second eye can be added only if the wish comes true. My daruma is meant to stay one-eyed as my wish, strongly connected and intertwined with my now gone father, is not meant to be fulfilled. The feeling of unfulfillment and imperfection of life serves as a common thread throughout this album, right down to its title. In a similar fashion, a composition remains incomplete until it is interpreted by musicians, and given form as music. That being said, for me playing together with this trio symbolises the upside: the sense of fulfillment in music and life.

Our musical influences include the American composer and singer Caroline Shaw, Swiss pianist Colin Vallon's trio, and composer/singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane. In addition, I have listened a lot to the trio albums of Jimmy Guiffre and Sonny Rollins. Besides that, my musical heroes like Charlie Haden, John Coltrane, and Keith Jarrett always flow into the music. Another very important influence in the music is the work of American visual artist Agnes Martin, in whose works the imperfection of a multiplicity of repetitions results in a lively big whole in the end. (See "Wild Flower")

Live, the trio takes a lot of freedom in interpreting this music, yet we have a deeper, almost pop-like attitude towards the live performance as an experience. For me it's always important to build a strong narrative with the band while on stage."

One-Eyed Daruma by Lukas Traxel is released on 10 March 2023 by We Jazz Records on LP/CD/digitally. The LP edition is shelved in an inside-out sleeve and pressed on white vinyl. The CD is housed in a cardboard digisleeve with UV lacquer finish.

US sax player Stanley J. Zappa and Finnish drummer Simo Laihonen come together on the new album "Muster Point" on We Jazz Records, August 7. The two students of Milford Graves add bassist Ville Rauhala on a couple of tracks to make a bold and adventurous album captured both live and in the studio while Zappa was touring in Finland with the Black Motor musicians. This is a set full of fire and thunder, but also features some more meditative spiritual jazz. RIYL: Milford Graves, ESP-Disk', spiritual jazz

"Muster Point" consists of short trio bursts ("Muster Point I-IV"), deep duo cuts such as "Pleasant Avenue" and the inspired material linking the stylistic bookends. The music herein comes from the long standing tradition of independent improvised jazz music, and moves forward in the now, relying in the natural communication and the chemistry between the musicians. At its core, the album is a testament to the importance personal connections between like-minded creative musicians in creating something new.

Stanley J. Zappa, originally from New Jersey, now based in Oliver, BC (Canada) is a highly expressive musician whose career has so far progressed largely under the radar. Part of the lineage of a musical family (his uncle Frank should need no introduction), Zappa's story is that of a true craftsman, now coming into fruition with a like-minded collaborator, Simo Laihonen. Laihonen is best known from his long-standing trio formation Black Motor, also featuring bassist Ville Rauhala featured on the trio tracks on this recording.

Timo Lassy follows up his new album "Trio" on We Jazz Records by sharing two non-album cuts from the same sessions on a new 7" vinyl single / digi release. "Mountain Man Exit" is a stormy number featuring the trio of Lassy (tenor sax), Ville Herrala (bass) and Jaska Lukkarinen (drums) in full flight plus Tuomo Prättälä (of Ilmiliekki Quartet) on synth duties. Album track "Orlo" gets a new treatment, edited for the 7" and taking shape as a tough-as-nails mix breaking new ground here without the string section.

Timo Lassy follows up his new album "Trio" on We Jazz Records by sharing two non-album cuts from the same sessions on a new 7" vinyl single / digi release. "Mountain Man Exit" is a stormy number featuring the trio of Lassy (tenor sax), Ville Herrala (bass) and Jaska Lukkarinen (drums) in full flight plus Tuomo Prättälä (of Ilmiliekki Quartet) on synth duties. Album track "Orlo" gets a new treatment, edited for the 7" and taking shape as a tough-as-nails mix breaking new ground here without the string section.

Drummer/producer Teppo Mäkynen's 3TM returns with a new album, "Lake", on 29 November on Helsinki's We Jazz Records. The album is the much awaited follow up to 2017's successful 3TM debut "Form", which was awarded as the "Jazz Album of the Year" in Mäkynen's native Finland. "Lake" was preceded by the ambient electronic album "Abyss" in August, which set the mood for what's to come next: A compact yet far-reaching body of work bringing together the trio's acoustic jazz sound and ideas rooted in abstract electronic music in a remarkably boundless way.

"Lake" is a collection of 9 Mäkynen-penned originals ranging from the looping, hypnotic compositions such as first single "Laws Of Life" to the delicacy of tracks such as "Woods". There is a sense of long form narrative here, evident in glorious, slowly evolving tracks such as "Lake" and "A Pile Of Broken Dreams". The overall sound is swinging, melodic, deep and futuristic. It's acoustic jazz and abstract electronic music understood deeply and used as the base of a new sound, which goes beyond the usual distinctions of "acoustic jazz" or "electronic music". This is music for the present day, moving forward.

3TM's "Lake" will be available as white and black vinyl versions, complete with printed inner sleeve featuring Mäkynen's essay about the theme of the album. On vinyl, "Lake" will also be available as a 2LP bundle with "Abyss", and the CD version includes both discs, "Lake" and "Abyss".

In the 3TM trio formation Mäkynen is joined by sax man Jussi Kannaste and bassist Antti Lötjönen, both Finnish scene mainstays. The band will celebrate their new release at Helsinki's We Jazz Festival on 7 December.

Formerly one third of the much-loved trio Black Box Recorder, alongside The Auteurs’ Luke Haines and Jesus and Mary Chain guitarist John Moore, the British singer-songwriter Sarah Nixey has steadily gained acclaim as a solo artist who makes savvy, sophisticated and poised pop.

Delivering vocals with a detached elegance over opulent tracks, any perceived nonchalance in Nixey’s luxe, cut glass voice belies her empathy, where social commentary serves as protest, both explicit and implied. Like Billy Bragg deepfaked as prime Julie Andrews, this strange but effective juxtaposition radiates soft power. ‘Lies of the Land’ depicts a corrupt post-Brexit and Covid-19 world where inequality and division flourish. ‘England's On Fire’ delves into the nuanced concepts of patriotism and nationalism, and ‘Pleasure Bay’ narrates the story of a love affair with a deprived yet beautiful English seaside town, written after Nixey left London, drawn back to the Dorset coast.
More than just a political record though, Nixey was drawn to the poetic elements of living too, telling stories of life and death, love and loss, conflicts and symmetry, in an intimate and close-up way, as if whispering secrets to her listeners.

“Sea Fever explores the bittersweet beauty of human life amid a volatile world of changing seasons and brutal elements,” says Nixey. “These are songs of deep sorrow, remembrance, birth, and change, set against a backdrop of the sensuous natural world.”
‘Rolling Waves’ explores profound grief following her beloved grandmother's death, while ‘Spring Equinox’ celebrates the joy and awe of life after welcoming her first grandchild. ‘At the Edge of the Forest’ is a poignant story of someone losing their memory, and ‘On This Wide Night’ recounts the early hours return home of a teenage runaway.

Produced by Josephine ''Jo'' Bridges and signed to her We Produce imprint, The Temprees were a Memphis soul vocal trio powered by one of the great falsettos in pop music, that of Jasper ''Jabbo'' Phillips. Their 1972 debut Lovemen is aptly named; this is one of the greatest make-out R&B albums ever made, with one smoldering slow jam after another. Their take on ''Dedicated to the One I Love'' is rightly considered the greatest version ever made, but ''If I Could Say What's on My Mind,'' ''Love... Can Be So Wonderful,'' and ''I Love You, You Love Me,'' will get you and your partner's hips swaying (and patch up any lovers' quarrels tout suite, too). Stax didn't really know what to do with soul this sweet (We Produce was a Stax imprint), so Lovemen languished commercially, but nowadays it's recognized as a model of its kind. For its first-ever LP reissue, we've cut Lovemen ALL-ANALOG straight from the original two-track album master, and pressed it up in two versions, one in black vinyl, the other in eco-friendly, sonically superior valentine red PET plastic. The heart on the front cover sums this one up...

Produced by Josephine ''Jo'' Bridges and signed to her We Produce imprint, The Temprees were a Memphis soul vocal trio powered by one of the great falsettos in pop music, that of Jasper ''Jabbo'' Phillips. Their 1972 debut Lovemen is aptly named; this is one of the greatest make-out R&B albums ever made, with one smoldering slow jam after another. Their take on ''Dedicated to the One I Love'' is rightly considered the greatest version ever made, but ''If I Could Say What's on My Mind,'' ''Love... Can Be So Wonderful,'' and ''I Love You, You Love Me,'' will get you and your partner's hips swaying (and patch up any lovers' quarrels tout suite, too). Stax didn't really know what to do with soul this sweet (We Produce was a Stax imprint), so Lovemen languished commercially, but nowadays it's recognized as a model of its kind. For its first-ever LP reissue, we've cut Lovemen ALL-ANALOG straight from the original two-track album master, and pressed it up in two versions, one in black vinyl, the other in eco-friendly, sonically superior valentine red PET plastic. The heart on the front cover sums this one up...

,Dirt Buyer III" fängt mit einem Song über Sport an. "Baseball/ Is somethin'/ I'll never get, but I/Sleep on it/ Wake up/ And try again", singt Joe Sutkowski zu einer zunächst langsamen, dann dröhnenden verzerrten Gitarre. Aber natürlich weiß jeder, der mit der emotionalen Tiefe der Musik von Dirt Buyer vertraut ist, dass Sutkowski nicht einfach nur über Amerikas Lieblingsfreizeitbeschäftigung singt. ,Es geht darum, mit bestimmten Erwartungen aufzuwachsen und sich an sie zu halten, nur weil man gesagt bekommt, dass man das tun soll", erklärt Sutkowski. ,Der Song handelt davon, Autonomie und Unabhängigkeit zu erlangen." Gleich zu Beginn kehrt Dirt Buyer III zu den Ursprüngen zurück, zu den in der Kindheit fest verankerten Brüchen, um ein Album zu schaffen, das von da an ein viszerales Dokument der Bewältigung derselben Prüfungen im Erwachsenenalter ist. Als ,Dirt Buyer II" 2023 erschien, hatte es bereits drei Jahre lang in der Schublade gelegen. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt hatte Sutkowski bereits alle Songs für ,Dirt Buyer III" geschrieben, während einer besonders turbulenten Phase seines Lebens. Anstatt wie früher die für ein Album notwendige Anzahl an Songs zu schreiben und dann direkt ins Studio zu gehen, hatte er hier mehr als zwei Dutzend Tracks angesammelt. Nur wenige Wochen, nachdem "II" veröffentlicht worden war, nahm Sutkowski "III" auf. ,Ich war so bereit, etwas anderes zu machen", erklärt er. Er war bereit, diese Jahre hinter sich zu lassen. Genauso wie es einen klanglichen Sprung von den selbstgemachten Aufnahmen von "Dirt Buyer" zum moderaten Studio-Polish von "Dirt Buyer II" gab, hat Sutkowskis Musik zwischen den Alben wieder eine logische, aber substanzielle Entwicklung durchlaufen. Das Grundgerüst ist dasselbe: zerklüftete Akustikgitarren, elektrische Riffs, die mal herbstlich, mal bissig und übersteuert klingen, Schlagzeug, das mit dem selben verzweifelten Tempo vorwärts taumelt, mit dem Sutkowski diese Jahre durchlebt hat. Und dann seine Stimme über allem: klagend, sich windend, manchmal brüchig und manchmal voller neuer Kraft. Getragen von den soliden Strukturen dieser Songs und einer kraftvolleren Produktion präsentiert Dirt Buyer III die bisher vollendetste und eindringlichste Version von Sutkowskis Sound. Im Oktober 2023 traf sich Sutkowski mit seinen Freunden Hayden Ticehurst und Chris Cubeta im Brooklyn Studio G. Er zeigte ihnen alle Demos, und gemeinsam wählte das Trio die ,stärksten Stücke aus der Reihe" aus, wobei sie sich auf die 11 Kompositionen konzentrierten, die auf "III" zu hören sind. ,Wir wussten, welche Songs es werden würden, und haben uns direkt an die Arbeit gemacht", sagt Sutkowski. Trotzdem nahmen sie sich Zeit, um alles genau richtig hinzubekommen, und verteilten die Aufnahmen, das Abmischen und die letzten Feinheiten über ein ganzes Jahr. Das Ergebnis ist ein Dirt Buyer-Album, auf das Sutkowski so stolz ist wie nie zuvor. Er sagt: ,Es spiegelt am besten wider, wo ich als Songwriter gerade stehe ."

,BMB x OBI II" ist die Fortsetzung der super begehrten Zusammenarbeit zwischen Minnesotas Afro-Psych-Powerhouse Black Market Brass und dem jungen, visionären Talent Obi Original. Beide Seiten zeigen die rohe, hartnäckige Haltung, für die die beiden Künstler einzeln bekannt sind, mit einer Songauswahl, die ein breiteres Spektrum abdeckt als die erste Ausgabe. Obi Original zieht eine direkte Linie zwischen dem Godfather of Soul und dem Vater des Afrobeat und führt das raue 10-köpfige Ensemble auf eine Weise, die an die Bühne von Zaire '74 erinnert. Diese Tracks hauen rein, bleiben heavy und entschuldigen sich nicht dafür. Die A-Seite, ,If I Do My Own", ist Funk. Dieser Track ist schwer auf der Eins und zeigt Obis Bandleitung à la James Brown; wenn man ihn nur tanzen sehen könnte in der Gesangskabine. Gestapelte Blasinstrumente, ein Anführer, der Befehle brüllt, und eine Rhythmusgruppe, die nicht aufhört, führen die Zuhörer ins Land des Get-Down. ,If I Do My Own" ist ein Track, der die Tanzfläche zum Beben bringen wird, mit Bläsern und Gesangshooks, die dir noch lange nach dem letzten Aufruf im Kopf herumschwirren werden. Die B-Seite ,I No Be (Colonizer)" lässt in keiner Weise nach. Mit diesem Song kehrt BMB jedoch zu seinen polyrhythmischen Wurzeln zurück und schafft ein vielfältiges Geflecht aus Zeitgefühl, Metrumkonstruktion und rhythmischer Betonung. Diese Herausforderung wird durch Obis von Ebo inspirierte Texte und Hornmelodien gemeistert, die sich um den Gesang winden, anstatt nur als Hintergrund zu dienen. Kraftvoll, schnörkellos und roh hält sich das Trio nicht zurück, wenn es diesen Rhythmus-Break liefert, der den Song in einen unerbittlichen Four-on-the-Floor-Vamp mit einem auf 11 gedrehten Gitarrensolo verwandelt, das dich aus den Schuhen tanzen lässt.

"Brooklyn-based pianist Eva Novoa returns with The Freedom Suite: Novoa / Carter / Mela Trio, Vol. 2 — the second radiant release from her compelling trio with saxophone icon Daniel Carter and celebrated drummer Francisco Mela. This marks Novoa’s sixth album with 577 Records. The trio first came together live in 2021, followed by a series of performances, including appearances in Cambridge (Boston) and later at the Brooklyn edition of the NY Forward Festival.
"The Freedom Suite is an homage to jazz titan Duke Ellington — particularly his masterful big band suites and legendary orchestra featuring Johnny Hodges and other luminaries who helped define an era of jazz greatness. In contrast, Novoa presents her Suite in a more intimate format: the piano trio. The album comprises twelve pieces — mostly brief — with a few extended tracks such as Free to Be Free and Cyborgs.
"For this recording, Novoa also steps in as a vocalist on several tracks, including Mainstream Media, Big Grande, Global, Free to Be Free, Dream, and Cyborgs. These pieces often feature a vocal dialogue between Novoa and Mela, whose expressive, word-infused style draws from rich Cuban traditions.
'Words are powerful,' says Novoa. 'They define who we are, where we come from, and who we hope to become. Without words, there is no conversation — and without conversation, there is no real sense of time, space, or connection.'
The Freedom Suite emerged from deep philosophical and creative conversations — spoken, written, and improvised — between Novoa, Carter, and Mela. In the studio, Novoa introduced printed texts that served as thematic foundations for spontaneous, in-the-moment musical interpretation. The result is an urgent and organic interplay, where instruments speak to one another in a language as fluid as it is fearless.
"Standout track Cyborgs begins with Novoa’s percussive piano, exemplifying the trio’s dynamic, conversational energy. Creative Destruction features Novoa on electric harpsichord in a wild, electric exchange. While Free to Be Free stands out as the album’s leading single, it also captures the essence and message of the entire Suite.
"Recorded in 2021 at New York City’s legendary Sear Sound Studio, the album captures a creative explosion of sound and spirit. Novoa dazzles on piano, Fender Rhodes, electric harpsichord, Chinese gongs — even whistle — showcasing her expansive sonic palette. Together, the trio embodies the power of free improvisation and emotional storytelling.
"Originally from Barcelona, Spain, Eva Novoa has been cultivating her distinctive voice since childhood. Now a staple of the New York creative music scene, she has performed across the globe and collaborated with some of the most adventurous voices in jazz and beyond."

Building logically on the natural development of their two previous collections, this time the fearless threesome can be heard roaming further than ever before into the uncharted hinterlands where the deep jazz tradition of the classic tenor trio format, laden with melody and swing, ventures into the untamed regions of free improvisation. At the heart of the band is the unmistakable beat of drummer Spike Wells, who this year celebrates his 80th birthday and the 65th year of his extraordinary career at the forefront of jazz in the UK, providing the driving force behind everyone from homegrown heroes Tubby Hayes to Bobby Wellins to visitors like Stan Getz and Roland Kirk and countless others. Riding at his side to represent the current Londonbased millennial cohort is saxophonist Riley Stone- Lonergan , whose intriguing compositions and boundless creative imagination as an improvisor continue to add to his burgeoning reputation.

Representing the diversity of tastes and interests and uncompromising creative stance typical of Gen X, big- toned bassist Eddie Myer rounds up the posse. The trio initially got together through their mutual love of Sonny Rollins' touring pianoless trios of the late 50s and early 60s, but soon found themselves expanding their repertoire to explore the rich and varied territory opened up by their unique combination of individual tastes. This album is their most coherent, wide-ranging and adventurous set of recordings yet. From Ayler to Strayhorn, from be-bop to calypso, from cowboy movie to free-jazz shootout, there's a surprise at every turn, but always delivered with total sincerity and conviction and a driving desire to bring the audience with them every step of the way. 'The Rule of Three' is a bold and confident statement of intent from a real long-term project that's as invested in the music's future as it is inspired by and reverent of its past.

Berlin-based Swiss vocalist Lucia Cadotsch returns with her celebrated Speak Low trio for their second album, released by We Jazz Records on 27 Nov. "Speak Low II" features Cadotsch on voice, Otis Sandsjö on tenor saxophone and Petter Eldh on double bass, and introduces guest artists Kit Downes on hammond organ and Lucy Railton on cello. "Speak Low II" picks up where their genre-bending and forward-looking debut album left off, introducing new shades into the band's sound and also diving even deeper into the songs they tackle. What makes Speak Low special is their approach to really get to the heart of each composition with seemingly minimal means, yet generating a sound which is both instantly recognisable and remarkably impactful.

"Speak Low II" comes almost five years after the band's lauded debut, and proves the depth of the band's approach right from the start. At the core of the trio's operation is an openness to their love of the music and to their surrounding scene(s). The album comes across as a unified collection of songs made truly theirs and found through listening to records and spending time with their musician friends, often on the road. The highly evolved band sound and the equality of the musicians shines through on the Speak Low sound, as the group uses their 100+ performances together as a vehicle for the development of their music.

"The first album was filled with pretty famous songs, but that was actually not at all intentional" explains Cadotsch. "Those were just my favourite songs of the previous 10 years and we started working on making them ours, musically. We were playing around with concepts for the second album, but soon realised that we just needed to find the right songs and adapt them organically, which comes through in how we interact with the songs and each other. This time around, we wanted to dig deeper and made finished arrangements of around 20 tracks, half of which we ditched in the process. The ones that made the cut have been through a lot and they just felt right for us."

In a way, the Speak Low approach could be described as archaeological. Three music lovers connecting with songs found at various sources, readily throwing away any ideas that don't seem natural to them, and hanging on tight to the ones that do.

Turns out there is a concept to "Speak Low II". It's the band itself, their shared musical development and their love of music.

"Speak Low II" will be available on We Jazz Records on vinyl (PURPLE and BLACK editions), CD and digitally. The vinyl versions come with a heavy duty tip-on sleeve and a printed inner sleeve. CD in digisleeve with no breaking plastic parts.

Joyce Manor are California pop-punk legends and I Used To Go To This Bar is this epochal band operating at the top of their game. They continue to deliver relentlessly satisfying rock music in a manner that makes it look simply effortless. The Torrance, California-hailing trio of Barry Johnson, Chase Knobbe, and Matt Ebert are at a point in their career where their position as one of the most beloved rock bands is a foregone conclusion. Their seventh album finds the group continuing to find rich new veins to tap in their short-and sweet songcraft without losing an ounce of bite that gained them such repute in the first place. I Used To Go To This Bar further situates Joyce Manor in the rich lineage of their influences and inspirations. Think AFI"s rapid-fire burn, Weezer"s indelible power-pop acumen, and the dusky emotionalism of The Smiths while further establishing them as leading lights in the current rock landscape. The fresh burst of inspiration that fuels I Used To Go To This Bar proves that Joyce Manor are far from content to rest on such laurels, moving forward with their sound and style in a way that reminds you of how they got to this point in the first place. Catch them live at Coachella 2026.

Grupo um celebrate 50 years with release of lost dictatorship-era album nineteen seventy seven!

First time release - vinyl comes with printed innersleeves

Brazilian avant-jazz vanguardists Grupo Um celebrate their 50th anniversary, sharing a second previously lost 1970s album from the vaults. Nineteen Seventy Seven (titled after the year it was recorded) is another rip-roaring instrumental fusion treasure from the band which spawned from within Hermeto Pascoal’s famed mid-1970s São Paulo collective.

Like their debut album Starting Point, Grupo Um’s Nineteen Seventy Seven was recorded when Brazil's military dictatorship was at its most repressive. “There were no open doors to those who dreamt to be protagonists in creative instrumental music”, remembers drummer Zé Eduardo Nazario, “even popular composers and singers had to submit their songs to censors and many records were banned and confiscated from the stores.”

Just like Hermeto Pascoal's Viajando Com O Som (1977) and Grupo Um's previous album Starting Point (1975), both of which remained unreleased until the 21st century, Zé Eduardo asserts that the 1977 album was flatly 'without any chance to be released at that time."

Recorded at Rogério Duprat’s Vice-Versa Studios in São Paulo, the group were under both time and space restraints, “we chose the small Studio B,” Lelo Nazario recalls, “which had a Tascam (TE AC) 12x8 console and a 4-channel AMPEX AG 440 machine. Therefore, we had to record without overdubs, everything straight to tape.”

Expanding from a trio to a quintet, original Grupo Um members Lelo Nazario (keys), Zé Eduardo Nazario (drums), and Zeca Assumpção (bass) were joined by saxophonist Roberto Sion and percussionist Carlinhos Gonçalves. Carlinhos, Zé and Zeca had already played together in the group Mandala, while brothers Lelo and Zé had just finished a stint backing Hermeto Pascoal during his years in São Paulo.

Lelo was deeply immersed in modular synthesizer experimentation during this period, working extensively with the ARP2600 and EMS Synthi AKS. These electroacoustic explorations formed the sonic foundation for "Mobile/Stabile," one of his first compositions to merge modular synthesis with Brazilian music, a fusion that would ripple throughout the Brazilian jazz scene. The piece premiered at the first São Paulo International Jazz Festival in 1978, performed by Grupo Um with guest trumpeter Márcio Montarroyos. In a shocking moment, festival organizers interrupted the show mid-performance, sparking fierce backlash from both audience members and journalists who denounced the incident as artistic censorship during Brazil's era of political and cultural repression. The version on Nineteen Seventy Seven is the first recording of the composition.

Nineteen Seventy Seven combines Afro-Brazilian rhythm, modular synthesis and a plethora of whistles, percussion and effects pedals. Album opener “Absurdo Mudo” - so titled for the absurd difficulty it poses to the musicians performing it - starts out in a cloud of mysterious dissonance, before the haze breaks for a glorious keyboard and saxophone interplay atop an uptempo samba groove. “Cortejo dos Reis Negros (Version 2)” (Procession of the Black Kings), based on the maracatu rhythm, inverts the traditional jazz song structure by beginning with improvisations, which are followed by the theme and a final coda. “The studio also had two Parasound electronic reverb units,” Lelo notes, “and the timbre is very audible on the soprano sax and percussion.”

Grupo Um’s daring music represents a manifesto of resistance during the dictatorship years, but it’s one which remains just as relevant today. As Lelo puts it: “For me, the aesthetic issue has always been about combining contemporary avant-garde languages with Brazilian music, independent of categories and commercial interests. The result of this fusion takes music to a new level.”

Recording credits (1977)
Recorded at Vice-Versa B Studio, São Paulo, November 9, 1977
Produced by Lelo Nazario and Zé Eduardo Nazario
Engineered by Ricardo “Franja” Carvalheira



Lelo Nazario – Wurlitzer electric piano, acoustic piano, signal generator, percussion

Zé Eduardo Nazario – drums, percussion

Zeca Assumpção – electric bass

Carlinhos Gonçalves – percussion

Roberto Sion – soprano sax, clarinet

Release credits (2025)
Produced by UTOPIA Studio, São Paulo
Project Coordination in Brazil by Irati Antonio (Utopia Studio)
Tape Restoration and Digital Mastering by Lelo Nazario at Utopia Studio, July 2025
Liner Notes by Lelo Nazario and Zé Eduardo Nazario
Photography by Jorge Las Heras, Lelo Nazario, and artists' personal archives
Photo Restoration by Lelo Nazario
Artwork and Design by Alessandro Renaldin