Suche:jazz awards

Michelle Lynn Johnson, better known as Meshell Ndegeocello (born August 29, 1968), is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, and bassist. Her music incorporates a wide variety of influences, including funk, soul, jazz, hip hop, reggae and rock. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career, being nominated for eleven Grammy Awards, and winning one. She also has been credited for helping to "spark the neo-soul movement”.

Meshell is releasing her 1999 third studio album on vinyl for worldwide release in 2022. The album peaked at #105 on the Billboard Top 200 in 1999. The album also peaked at #13 on Billboard's Top Internet Albums chart and #40 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart.

Special Edition Double Vinyl LP - Pressed at Optimal

Manchester based trumpeter, composer, arranger and band-leader Matthew Halsall is one of the rising stars of the UK jazz scene. His unique sound was brilliantly described as "Rain-streaked spiritual jazz from Manchester" by the Independent On Sunday and as a label-boss he has nurtured the careers of Mammal Hands and GoGo Penguin via his Gondwana Records imprint, while his own recordings have explored modal and spiritual jazz, string-laden minimalism and hard-bop. ON THE GO was Halsall's 2011 breakthrough disc, drawing inspiration from the late 60s hard-bop sounds of Max Roach and Art Blakey as well as the Strata-East and Black Jazz labels. it's Halsall's punchiest recording and won Jazz Album Of The Year at Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards while the tracks Music For A Dancing Mind and Song For Charlie have proved amongst Halsall's most requested compositions.

Re-mixed and re-mastered at Gondwana's home from home, 80 Hertz studios in Manchester and reissued here due to popular demand, ON THE GO appears here in an extended format that adds three new tracks alongside the original album and appears on vinyl for the first time. Halsall explains the decision to reissue On The Go,

"I have always loved this album, and when fans kept asking me for a vinyl version I decided to make a special edition release, so I remixed and remastered the whole album with George Atkins at 80 Hertz Studios and in the process decided to include three bonus tracks that were recorded around the same time and took inspiration from one of my favourite jazz records, Miles Davis's Lift To The Scaffold "

Following the already classic Wamono A to Z trilogy, 180g presents an exceptional collection of jazz funk / rare groove tunes recorded in the mid-seventies at the Nippon Columbia studios by three giants of Japanese music: arranger Kiyoshi Yamaya, koto legend Toshiko Yonekawa and shakuhachi master Kifu Mitsuhashi.

- 180g heavy vinyl pressing, reverse board jacket

- Fully licensed Nippon Columbia masters available for the first time outside of Japan

- Mastering and lacquer cut by Jukka Sarapää at Timmion Cutting Lab, Helsinki, Finland

- Artwork by Nker

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Born in 1932 in Tokyo, Kiyoshi Yamaya started his musical career in 1953 when he played in various jazz bands in town. In 1957, Yamaya joined Nobuo Hara's famous jazz big band Sharps & Flats as a baritone saxophone player and started composing, arranging, and recording for them and other big bands. He became a key jazz figure in Japan in the sixties together with Norio Maeda and Keitaro Miho, both jazz pianists, composers and arrangers, by forming the Modern Jazz Three Association – which aimed at improving the level of Japanese jazz composition and arrangement. In the mid-seventies, his Contemporary Sound Orchestra explored jazz funk fusions with traditional Japanese melodies and instruments such as the shakuhachi, koto, biwa, and shamisen. These works were recorded for a series of panoramic Japanese albums released domestically on Denon and Nippon Columbia, from which the tracks on this compilation are taken from.

Toshiko Yonekawa, born 1913 in the city of Himeji, not so far from Osaka, is the eldest daughter of koto and shamisen master Kin'o Yonekawa. She started studying both instruments with her talented father from the age of 3, played in her first concert at 8, and was only 12 years old when she first appeared on national radio. Her unique style of koto playing is widely recognized due to the extreme accuracy of the intonation and rhythm, as well as the unequaled beauty of the instrument's sonority. After a life decorated with awards and prizes, Toshiko Yonekawa was named a Living National Treasure in 1996.

Born in Tokyo in 1950, Kifu Mitsuhashi is a great master of Koto style shakuhachi. After completing the NHK Hōgaku Training Program in 1972, Mitsuhashi became a member of Pro Musica Nipponia, a group of leading composers and top-ranking musicians devoted to performing a wide-ranging repertoire of classical and contemporary compositions from both Japan and the West – in which all music is performed by traditional Japanese musical instruments. Mitsuhashi has toured the world for hundreds of recitals, also as a soloist, and has performed his art with the greatest ensembles such as the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Berliner Philharmoniker. In 2020, Kifu Mitsuhashi was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun.

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All tracks selected and compiled by Greg Gouty and Maxime Brottes, with the assistance of Ryohei "Nitchiku-kun" Tanaka.

All tracks licensed by Nippon Columbia, Japan.

Mastering and lacquer cut by Jukka Sarapää at Timmion Cutting Lab, Helsinki, Finland.

Artwork by Nicolas Kerembellec (Nker.fr).

Proofreading by Brian Durr (Diskotopia).

Executive producers: Greg Gouty and Maxime Brottes.

180GWALP04 - Manufactured and distributed by 180g.

The latest addition to Chick Corea's remarkable discography is Chick
Corea Akoustic Band 'LIVE', the long-anticipated reunion of his beloved
Akoustic Band with bassist John Patitucci and drummer Dave Weckl,
together as a trio for the frst time in more than two decades
Under any circumstances, these thrilling live recordings would be a welcome
addition to Corea's prodigious discography. With the news of his passing still so
fresh in listeners' minds, its release comes as an opportunity for fans to bid
farewell while cherishing the communal energy and playful vigor that made the
pianist a favourite of jazz lovers around the world for nearly 60 years. 'LIVE', the 2-
CD/3-LP set was recorded January 13, 2018 at SPC Music Hall in St. Petersburg,
Florida. The trio's intricate interplay and highwire jousting refects more than 30
years of collaboration between Corea's Akoustic and Elektric Bands and serves as
a celebratory reminder of Corea's singular genius, with more than two hours of
inspired playing and spirited camaraderie.
Chick Corea attained iconic status in music. The late keyboardist, composer and
bandleader was a DownBeat Hall of Famer and NEA Jazz Master, as well as one
of the most nominated artists in GRAMMY Awards history with 68 nods - and 24
wins, in addition to 4 Latin GRAMMYS. From straight-ahead to avant-garde, bebop
to jazz- rock fusion, children's songs to chamber and symphonic works, Chick
touched an astonishing number of musical bases in his career after playing with
the genre-shattering bands of Miles Davis in the late '60s and early '70s

The Scottish wunderkind pianist’s second album, Cairn, looks set to establish his global presence as a formidable composer, pianist and bandleader with its freshness of sound and originality. - Rooted in the Scottish tradition and inspired by Scottish landscapes, Cairn combines contemporary, jazz and classical influences in a profound, mesmerising and compelling way. - Fergus works with established trio of bassist David Bowden and drummer Stephen Henderson; Cairn is a testament to their instrumental command, originality and communication. - In October 2020 Fergus was awarded Best Instrumentalist at the Scottish Jazz Awards.

SOURCE ⧺ WE MOVE finds Garcia reinventing her Mercury Prize-nominated album, Source, through new collaborations with several artists and producers, including; Dengue Dengue Dengue, Georgia Anne Muldrow, DJ Harrison and Moses Boyd. The reworked tracks retain the inspiring musicianship and blend of jazz and other influences found on the original, whilst also moving in a more beat-driven, electronic direction. The full track list is included below.



Garcia’s critically acclaimed debut album, Source, released in August 2020, is included in this year’s Mercury Music Prize shortlist. Garcia will perform at the awards ceremony, broadcast live on the BBC on 9th September.

Audio premiere for Povratak na Parni Pogon on Monday 24th of May via Music is my sanctury

Video premiere via Clash or Twisted Soul

Airplay - dom servini (soho radio), WYEP Pittsburg (dubmission), WKDU Philadelphia (eavesdrop radio), Jocks & nerds (soho radio), Basic Soul Show, Bondfire Radio NYC + many smaller stations across EU, UK & US

LP review - Mojo, Songlines agreed so far

Key selling points:

Kozmodrum are pioneers of the Croatian nu-jazz scene
Kozmodrum's second albumGravitywon the highest award in Croatia, Porin

Individual members of Kozmodrum as well as Kozmodrum as a collective are acclaimed musicians in the Balkans and have won numerous prestigious awards for their work

Their music is like a DJ set played live - as all the music is played live with 'traditional' instruments by the Kozmodrum ensemble


numerous great reviews, but not many in English - we're looking to introduce the band to UK audiences with this release -- this is one review in english for their album Gravity:https://exclaim.ca/music/article/kozmodrum-gravity
Our PR for this 3rd album by Kozmodrum is done by Francesco Soragna (Jus Like Music) with specific focus on UK market.
BIO:

Kozmodrumhave been pioneering a new approach to electronic music in Croatia, often described by the band as Organic Dance Music. Techno, House and Dub styles intertwine through a continuous set, played by a live band on guitars, drums and keyboards.Simultaneously, the tradition of jazz ensemble performance is stitched into the architecture of music itself.

Kozmodrum have released 2 albums, 'Na Tragu Satelita' in 2016, and 'Gravity' the following year, receiving a Porin Award for the latter (the Croatian Grammy). Individual band members also received numerous awards for their accomplishments and are considered by many to be pioneers in the Croatian nu-jazz scene. Kozmodrum's main influences are Tycho and Elektro Guzzi, as well as Jaga Jazzist with whom they performed live. The band have played numerous festivals and concerts, with Kozmodrum's members performing with Hans Joachim Roedelius, noise/art/sound figure Sunao Inami, as well as jazz masters Reggie Washington, Peter Erskine, David Liebman, Alan Broadbent, David Murray and Saskia Laroo.

Onstage, Kozmodrum is a five-piece ensemble that adds a third dimension to their music, written and produced by the band's founder Janko Novoselić. Using the framework of a DJ set, the compositions are made to be played openly, where the beat is 'looped' until a cue is given to make a change or switch to another part. The pieces are often minimalistic to start with, but evolve over the performance into more complex patterns, harmonies and melodies. With constant shifts between the natural and the artificial, organized and improvised, quiet and loud - Kozmodrum create an unforgettable, mantric performance.

This collection showcases some of Coltrane's best recordings as a side artist and features collaborations with such jazz greats as Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Tadd Dameron, and Art Taylor. Primarily focusing on Coltrane's recordings as side man from 1956 and 1957 on the Prestige, Riverside, and Jazzland labels, it also includes a guest appearance (and legendary tenor saxophone solo) with Miles Davis on the track "Someday My Prince Will Come" (from the 1961 Miles Davis Columbia album of the same title). The 2-LP vinyl edition contains two extra tracks that are not available on the CD and digital editions: Nutty (Originally released on the album Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane (Jazzland JLP 46) and Birks' Works (Originally released on the Red Garland Quintet album Soul Junction featuring John Coltrane and Donald Byrd). The liner notes were written by Doug Ramsey, winner of the Jazz Journalists Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Ramsey is the author of the award-winning biography Take Five, The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond. His other awards include two ASCAP Deems Taylors.

Since the release of the first volume in 2019, we knew we couldn't stop there. In 2021 we are even more excited to present the 'Drum'n Voice Remixed 2' album by the legend Billy Cobham in collaboration with Italian producers and composers Nicolosi / Novecento. As a taster to the album we are very happy to be releasing an EP containing remixes of ‘Interactive’ from the legend Louie Vega.

Acclaimed as jazz-rock fusion's greatest drummer, Billy Cobham has dedicated his whole life to musical exploration and creative expression. Born in Panama, he has been surrounded by music. His father was a pianist, his mother was a singer and Billy started playing drums at four years old. Throughout his career he has collaborated with artists like Miles Davis, Horace Silver, Airto Moreira, George Benson and appeared on over 300 recordings, including icons like Peter Gabriel, Quincy Jones, Jack Bruce, Bob Weir, and James Brown, and to date, has produced and released more than forty albums as a leader. The first album ‘Spectrum’ is a masterpiece and still considered a reference album today.

Billy and Nicolosi composed so many songs of the highest quality and class that we immediately wanted to get to work preparing a second volume of remixes. We are really happy to present the Louie Vega remixes of ‘Interactive’ in the run up to ‘Drum’N Voice Remixed 2’ collection that's set for a release later in the year.

‘Little’ Louie Vega does not need any introduction. One half of the Masters At Work (that are back now after a long time with their new single), he is one of the most important House Music duo of the last 30 years, even receiving a nomination in the last Grammy Awards. With the collaboration of Josh Milan (aka Honeycomb and former one half of Blaze) at the keyboards, these incredible remixes of 'Interactive' make track shine thanks to a powerful blend of funky cosmic disco and a perfect killer groove that makes us dance on Brian Auger's magnificent Hammond improvisation.

Australian award winning producer Plutonic Lab returns with a sophisticated, genre defying Double A Side Single ‘Blind Eyes’ and ‘Give It Up.’

Pluto brings together a strong list of talented artists: The soulful, smoky voice of Natalie Slade, New Zealand based Rwandan rapper Raiza Biza, and multi instrumentalist 8H.

The two tracks mark an intoxicating return for the producer, showcasing how he is able to bring together artists’ of diverse backgrounds and styles to display skills, restraint and synergy in a moment in time.

Plutonic Lab says, “I feel the sound of these two pieces have a great balance between electronic textures, acoustic instrumentation, jazz, tough beats and clout.”

The two songs are an example of Plutonic Lab’s collaborative, versatile nature and his ability to cross genres without limitations.



Plutonic Lab
Plutonic Lab has provided the backdrop for countless artists over a mammoth career spanning over two decades, collaborating with artists locally and internationally including Black Milk, Drapht, Hilltop Hoods, G-Love (US), Lanks, Guilty Simpson (US) and Wiley (UK).

Plutonic Lab’s 2016 LP “Deep Above The Noise” attained feature album status on Double J and Won “Best Hip-Hop Album’ at the AGE Music Victoria Awards 2016. Notably he produced Dialectrix’s 2013 album, “The Cold Light of Day” which was shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize, won the 2009 UK Mercury Prize for his work with Speech Debelle, and was nominated for ‘Best Urban Release’ at the 2008 ARIA Awards as half of the hip-hop duo Muph & Plutonic, who also placed 2 songs in the Triple J’s “Hottest 100.”

Pluto has toured across extensively across Australia, internationally and as tour drummer for Hilltop Hoods in the U.S, Canada, UK & Europe.

“I wanted to try and showcase as many people as I knew on this mix. My idea of Late Night Tales was to distil a series of relaxing moments; the whole conceptual sonic of relax- ation. So, I was trying to think of all the collaborators and friends that I knew, who’d recorded stuff with this horizontal vibe. Plus, I was also trying to help my friends' stuff get into the world. I know the story of Khruangbin blowing up after appearing on the series (in fact, I think that's how I discovered them). So, the main idea was to create a certain atmosphere, but also to help some of my favourite collaborators and bud- dies to give their songs a little push out into the world. Hope you like it” Jordan Rakei
Due for release on 9th April, Late Night Tales celebrate their 20th anniversary with the release of multi-instru- mentalist, vocalist and producer Jordan Rakei’s majestic compilation. The 28-year-old modern soul icon effortlessly stamps his own jazz and hip-hop driven sound all over this gorgeous array of handpicked tracks. A beautifully layered blend that is mirrored in the music he’s made, itcomes as no surprise that such a supremely gifted songwriter should deliver a mix that is all about the song.
Rakei, born in New Zealand, but raised in Australia, moved to the UK in 2015; he released his debut album, Cloak, with Oz label Soul Has No Tempo, but his two subsequentLPs, Wallflower and Origin, came out on Ninja Tune, the former#2 in Album Of The Year for Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide poll, while Origin was nominated for Best Album at the AIM Awards. Jordan had this to say on his upcoming mix:
As Jordan says,there’s so much more to the song selection on Late Night Tales’latest outing than a random collection of artists. Many have some sort of personal connection, so just as Bonobo provided a platform for the breakout of Khruangbin on a previous LNT, this may have the same ef- fect for Rakei’s friends. After a soothing opener from Fink, good friend and big influence Alfa Mist (part of the Are We Live collective) delivers ‘Mulago.’ “I want to champion their sound and show the world how good he is, and I thought it’d be fitting to start the mix with family,” says Jordan.
Next up is Charlotte Day Wilson with ‘Mountains,’ followed by ‘Count A Heart’ from Moreton, an exclusive collab- oration with Jordan, who grew up on the same street in Brisbane, Australia. “She was the first artist I ever collabo- rated with, and one of the first artists to be involved in mycareer,” he explains. Elsewhere we hear Scottish producer and multi-instrumentalist C Duncan’s haunting ‘He Came from the Sun,’ Barcelona collective Oso Leone deliver a dreamy ‘Virtual U’ and Bill Lauren’s ‘Singularity,’ which evokes a striking sense of time and place.
Snowpoet’s ethereal ‘Evitenity’ is a “long mediative nar- rative over a beautiful soundscape,” which at times seems chaotic, nicely juxtaposed with undeniable beauty, and Maro’s kooky songwriting shines on ‘Always And Forever.’ Long-time buddy Armon-Jones contributes ‘Idiom,’ and Jordan’s exclusive cover version is a two-for-one, Radio- head’s ‘Codex’ merging with ‘Lover, You Should’ve Come Home’ by Jeff Buckley and another exclusive,original com- position by Jordan, ‘Imagination.’ The latter works as a piece with the spoken (Spanish) word voiced by movie director Alejandro González Iñárritu (Babel, Birdman, and The Reve- nant,) who is a big fan of Jordan’s. “He messaged me when I went to L.A and asked to come to my show. I was in such shock and we hung out after. I thought it would be nice to get him to do this in his native tongue, because I don’t think that’s been done yet on the series.” It certainly is a familyaffair. Not theblood is thicker than water kind, but certainly musical kindred spirits.

Guitarist and composer PAT METHENY has won 20 Grammy Awards in 12 different categories including Best Rock Instrumental, Best Contemporary Jazz Recording, Best Jazz Instrumental Solo, Best Instrumental Composition. The Pat Metheny Group won an unprecedented seven consecutive Grammies for seven consecutive albums.

Pat Metheny is one of the few artists in the world who can lay claim to such a description. On his latest album, Road To The Sun, Pat Metheny surprises us once again with his seemingly endless ability to harvest new vistas while retaining the instantly recognizable Metheny sound.

With two major new works, performed by five of the world´s leading guitarists, Metheny charts a new way of obliterating boundaries between genres while simultaneously unveiling new facets of an already expansive personal language.

Grammy-winner Jason Vieaux, described by NPR as “perhaps the most precise and soulful classical guitarist of his generation” was tapped by Metheny to perform his four-movement solo guitar suite Four Paths Of Light.

The centerpiece of this landmark recording is Road To The Sun, a six-movement piece for fellow Grammy-award winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet LAGQ – Metheny describes them as “one of the best bands in the world”.

Pressed here onto Blue vinyl, this classic Grammy winning album, containing 2 sought after classics, “This Masquerade” and “Breezin’” is the fifteenth studio album from the jazz/soul guitarist, George Benson. Marking the beginning of Benson’s most commercially successful era, the album won Best Pop Instrumental Performance and was also nominated for Album of The Year, while “The Masquerade” won Record of The Year and was nominated for Song of The Year at the 19th annual Grammy Awards.

Founded in 1996 by the German-Nigerian lead singer Ade Bantu, his brother Abiodun Odukoya and Patrice, BANTU have been one of the West African acts transforming the legacy of King Sunny Adé and Fela Kuti into the soundtrack of the continent. The group is distinguished by the fact that while created and fronted by vocalist Ade Bantu, it is unmistakably a collective, collaborative effort. When you have a band this strong, this tight where everyone gets to shine, magic happens. And once again with this new album, the 13-piece ensemble is pushing the boundaries of funkiness and political prowess for contemporary music, in Africa or globally.

From their first release, “No Vernacular in 1996 to the present, BANTU has scored a series of hits across Europe and Africa garnering major awards. Indeed, the list of artists who've collaborated with BANTU is a testament to the power, originality and talent of the band: an international cornucopia including UB40, Tony Allen, Orlando Julius, Brothers Keepers (which they created), Gentleman, Ebenezer Obey and Burna Boy just to name a few. These collaborations helped the band earn several major Continental awards, including the Kora Awards (the Pan African equivalent of the Grammys) for “Best Group West Africa” and “Best Group Africa”.

Their latest release Everybody Get Agenda is nothing short of a musical sensation - Afrobeat, Funk and Soul seamlessly flow into one another as they merge with Jazz, Highlife, Hiphop and Yoruba music. The lyrics address issues around corruption, injustice, migration, xenophobia and urban alienation while a guest appearance by Seun Kuti on “Yeye Theory” rounds up this solid long player. There is no doubt that with Everybody Get Agenda BANTU has not just charted new musical territory but reached it and planted the flag.

First Word Records are extremely proud to welcome aboard Allysha Joy and her first EP

for the label, 'Light It Again'.

Well versed in poetry and performance, Allysha Joy's potent lyricism, unique musicianship and killer vocals have garnered legions of attentive fans the world over. She's an integral member of the Melbourne soul jazz scene, known as part of the acclaimed 30/70 Collective and for her own equally revered solo work.

'Light It Again' is a 4-part expedition across a variety of grooves and deep lyricism that marks a defiant statement of intimacy and hope. Produced and engineered by twice Grammy nominated artist Clever Austin, the EP features accompaniment from an all-star set of Melbourne artists; Horatio Luna, Ziggy Zeitgeist, Danika Smith and Josh Kelly. This EP marks a new sound for the young artist, transmitting her honest and raw expression through the signature crunch and sonic landscape of Clever Austin.

Allysha is already well established across Europe, performing on the live circuit alongside the likes of Sampa the Great, Matthew Halsall, Ezra Collective, Bradley Zero and Children of Zeus, as well as currently hosting two regular radio shows, on Worldwide FM and Reform Radio in Manchester respectively.

Her 2018 debut album 'Acadie : Raw' on Gondwana Records won 'Best Soul Album' at the Music Victoria Awards, was nominated for a Worldwide Award, and featured in many an end-of-year list, including Bandcamp's Top Soul Albums, whilst she's also featured on releases on UK labels such as Rhythm Section, Total Refreshment Centre and now an EP for First Word, 'Light It Again'.

The EP touches on love, shame, mental health, grief & spirituality. 'Watercolours' sets off on a mid-tempo neo-soul jazz tip. Allysha says "I wrote this in the hope that maybe we could all feel the beauty that is present in the every day - in nature, in art, in each one of us mirroring each other so intrinsically. Then maybe we'd all start to live out a message of love."

'Better' follows on an uptempo vibe influenced musically by The Senegambian Jazz Band, who Allysha would watch regularly at Bar Oussou in Melbourne. Lyrically the song explores the external and internal struggles that occur trying to create a more inclusive and compassionate world. "It's about catching myself pointing the finger outwards to challenge social / political systems and certain individuals, then coming to the realisation that I must turn that finger back on myself to ask, "how can I do better, how can I know better?"

Lead track 'Light It Again' begins with Allysha's keys gliding a steppa-like rhythm - head-snap snares and punchy bass accompany ethereal harmonies and delicate vibes on an ever-evolving groove before switching entirely mid-track. This time the subject matter is mental health and "the cycle of addiction and pain, the coping mechanisms that hold us back from reaching our true potential".

The EP closes out with the beautiful 'Mardi'; deep Rhodes, sax and synths build ahead of deliciously slushy percussion and jilted drums. Named for her grandmother, 'Mardi' is a tribute to the spiritual connection they shared before her passing. Allysha writes, "it's about the connective forces of the matriarchal lineage and the drive to step into my own sense of self, in all the beauty and pain which that entails".

Allysha's lyrics weave together a heartfelt mix of love, power, desire, wonder, anger, faith and hope for change. An artist that presents a palette of intricate grace and optimism, whilst unafraid of adding uncomfortable truths. Allysha is an incredibly powerful live performer; her husky vocals sonically synced with her formidable Fender Rhodes playing, whilst her influences are a solid base of jazz, hip hop and R&B; all glazed with the unique special sauce the Melbourne soul scene has become known for globally. A gloriously meditative, raw soul, we are delighted to be able to share her music with you.

'Light It Again' is released on vinyl & digital worldwide, November 20th 2020.

Saga: Ólafur Stephensen 01.02.1936 – 28.04.2016 Wife: Klara Stephensen Children: Ingibjörg “Día” Ambonguilat Stephensen, Stephan Stephensen, Magnús Stephensen & Ólafur Björn Stephensen

Ólafur was born in Reykjavik. His parents were Stephan Stephensen, a shopkeeper at Verðandi, and Ingibjörg Stephensen, a housewife.


Ólafur graduated from The Commercial College of Iceland on June 16, 1956 and then studied public relations as well as marketing and propaganda at Columbia University in New York where he graduated in 1962.

Ólafur was a pioneer in the advertising services in Iceland which with him turned away from being solely a profession of illustrators to a new era of marketing. Ólafur touched on many subjects through his career. Alongside his study Ólafur worked for NBC News and META educational TV. He reported for UN Radio and Voice of America as well as for AFRTS under the pen name of Sonny Greco. Ólafur was the managing director of The Icelandic Red Cross, a jazz pianist in Harlem, the spokesperson for the media center of the NATO ministerial summit in Reykjavík in 1968 and hosted a program on the Icelandic National Television. Ólafur was the first Scandinavian citizen to become a member of the Advertising Club of New York, the first president of the Reykjavik chapter of JC as well as the first vice-president of JC International, the host of a jazz program on Icelandic National Radio, a judge for the American Advertising Awards and an active Freemason in Iceland as well as Portugal. Ólafur was awarded a Badge of Honour by the Finnish Red Cross in 1967.

Ólafur founded both ÓSA advertising agency and later Gott Fólk and was the first elected president of the Icelandic Advertising Association. He wrote a large number of published newspaper and magazine articles on his trade of advertising and marketing and released a book on the subject, “New and Better”, in 1987. Ólafur Stephensen released three jazz albums with his jazz trio named Tríó Óla Steph, played music both in Iceland as well as internationally with various jazz combos and was a big fencing enthusiast.

Moses Boyd is at the forefront of the New British jazz scene having worked and recorded with like of Giles Peterson, Four Tet, Sons Of Kemet, Zara McFarlane and more. With 2 MOBO Awards to his name and Multiple Releases via his Label Exodus Records. Moses has established himself as one of the leaders in bringing the worlds of Jazz and Electronic music together.

This latest release is taken from the same sessions that brought us Rye Lane Shuffle. Displaced Diaspora is a collection of music from Moses Boyd recorded in 2015 that features some of the now leaders of the New British Jazz Scene Such as Theon Cross, Nubya Garcia and Nathaniel Cross. As well as the Iconic British Soul Vocalist Terri Walker, Saxophonist and Bata Player Kevin Haynes and his group, Grupo Eleggua and Rapper Louis VI. The music is a mix of Jazz, Yoruba chants with Hip Hop and electronica influenced beats.

One of the most successful German jazz musicians, Nils Wülker has won multiple awards, and collaborated with the likes of Jill Scott, Craig Armstrong, OmaraPortuondo (Buena Vista Social Club), and Peter Vettese.



“Go” is Nils’ excursion into the world of electronics. The recording is "maximally not live" with analog synthesizers, the arpeggiator, the organic loops and beats.



In contrast it presents some of his most beautiful compositions so far - and his most dynamic trumpet playing beyond his live albums and concerts.



Recorded with members of his live band, as well as American trumpeter Theo Croker on "Highline", their remote duet.

We're glad to be back with our latest reissue, a couple undercover soul gems from the Midwest originally self-released in 1984: LaVerne Washington's "The Promise" and "I Found What I've Been Searching For".

LaVerne has dedicated her life to the arts in every possible way. As an artist herself but also behind the scenes, helping and supporting her contemporaries fulfil their callings. Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Mary Lou Williams - LaVerne grew up in Kansas City listening to the all time jazz greats, and soon discovered she was blessed with a keen sense for playing music by ear, playing the piano to what she would hear on the radio. In her teens whilst the 60s transitioned to the 70s' disco and funk era, LaVerne was there to witness it all, and she would go on to study music at the Charlie Parker Academy where she was inspired to become an entertainer.

At Langston University, LaVerne kept studying music where her career blossomed, founding and touring the US with the gospel group "Emery Shaw and the Voices of Praise", singing in several college bands and with her choir "The Voices Of Bethel". LaVerne would go on to perform notably with her bands "LaVerne Washington and Rococo" and the "LaVerne Washington Quartet", and record several songs in KC including "The Promise" and "I Found What I've Been Searching For" in 1984 before moving to Washington DC.

In DC, LaVerne was offered a position as a Program specialist with the National Endowment For The Arts where she started supporting other artists through her work. Over the next couple decades, LaVerne became an associate producer for the Rhythm and Blues Foundation and the Pioneer Awards Ceremonies held in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, which saw the likes of Prince, Aretha Franklin and Jerry Butler attending among others. She has also managed and was mentored by DeeDee Sharp and consulted with artists including Bonnie Raitt (who acted as a mentor to Laverne as well), Kim Weston, Kathy Sledge (SisterSledge), Smokey Robinson and G.C Cameron (Spinners). During that time, LaVerne has kept singing, on her own and as a backing vocalist for DeeDee Sharp and Freda Payne and has never stopped her lifelong dedication to music and the Arts.

The Promise original 7" was LaVerne's last recording in Kansas City before her move to DC and the beginning of her involvement behind the scenes. Channelling her gospel roots - with impeccable arrangement, a contagious drum machine led rhythm section, soaring vocals and relatable lyrics, "The Promise" is guaranteed to bring back smiles to dancefloors and living rooms alike! "I Found What I've Been Searching For" on the flip is a beautiful soul ballad which really showcases the strength and emotion in LaVerne's voice.

Back again in it's original 7" format, we've had the audio transferred and restored from the original 24 track tape provided by LaVerne, and got the recordings re-mixed for the best possible sound! Floating Points behind the mixing desk for this new iteration of a lost classic, comes with a 14"x14" poster of the original picture

Hihats In Trees is the solo project of drummer Lander Gyselinck, 3 times in a row best musician for the Belgian Music Industry Awards.

Emerging out of the jazz/experimental music scene and beat-oriented music as well, Lander Gyselinck is the thriving force behind bands such as BeraadGeslagen, STUFF., LABtrio and more. He became widely known as one of the most exciting European drummers of the last few years.

Hihats In Trees is Lander his first solo record.
It's an anthology of beat compositions that is highly electronic in design yet consist of not one synthetic sound. Driven by the authenticity of the 'natural' human-driven sound from tangible objects such as wood, rubber, plastic... these 'real' textures serve as the molecular basis of these peculiar dance tracks.

It's his synthesis of the very physical and acoustic world of improvised music timbres colliding into the realm of electronic dance music and it's 40 years of sequencer-influenced beat vocabulary.

HHIT is a drum computer most poetic burnout.