The Ken Herron Jazz Band Graeme Bell Bob Barnard
On Jazz

Seminal Spiritual Jazz from Detroit, 1977. Officially licensed abd re-mastered re-issue. Comes with fold-out insert of Ade Olatunji’s Poetry that features on the album and never before seen artwork designed by New Zealand based designer David Broome. File under Free Jazz, Fusion, Spoken Word, Poetry, Conscious.

Amsterdam based SMANDEM. proves that an incredible skill set and open minded approach causes genre distinctions to blur into pure energy. Inspired by the likes of Herbie Hancock, Christian Scott and Wayne Shorter as well as Travis Scott and Drake, the four-headed collective produces a sound that is deeply rooted into jazz tradition, while never restrained to any style boundaries or formal etiquette. They strive forward and explore ways to marry their delicate ability with present-day popular music. With a strong friendship at core, their dynamic live-show feels like it effortlessly accelerates from lush harmonies into colourful mixtures of dense rhythms and fierce improvisation. Including features by Herbie Hancock flutist Elena Pinderhughes (USA) and NL based talent Pink Oculus, their debut EP called ‘Self-Titled’ - set to release on Super-Sonic Records early 2021 - exemplifies best what this free-spirited mandem is up to.SMANDEM. - consisting of Aäron Bouwman (Bass), David Nino van der Grinten (Keys), Rafael Devante Sinay (Guitar) and Kick Woudstra (Drums) - first met during their studies at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. They were quick to find out that they shared similar perspectives and were meant to play with each other. Their stunning synergy even got picked up by Kelly Coker, dean of New York’s famous New School of Jazz and Contemporary, quoting; “There’s never a feeling of trying too hard and that made it an absolute joy to listen to you. You guys don’t sound like Weather Report, but feel like Weather Report ''. Getting support from several local Amsterdam platforms such Super-Sonic Jazz, SMANDEM. sets out on a journey of becoming a vanguard in modern day music.A philosophy that describes one the fundamentals of the band's music and personalities is; “There’s often confusion about the meaning of the words tradition and history. The tradition has a history, which we study to keep the tradition alive. The jazz tradition to us means communicating a mixture of styles and cultures. We share a love for present-day popular music and strive to create a sound that combines all of our influences into something relevant.”

After the well-received, sold-out on the spot seven-inch single containing "Monika" and "Zabawa w ciemności", as well as a special repress for the renowned German shop HHV, the time has come for a full-length album entitled "Zbliżenie" presenting nine never before released compositions by the Henryk Debich's Orchestra.Over the last two years, Astigmatic Records have been digging through the Radio Łódź archives, listening to hundreds of recordings of the local Orchestra conducted by Henryk Debich. As a result, 13 gems were selected from the period between 1974 and 1977, which was also the time when the Holy Grail of Polish jazz-funk was created: the highly sought after by record collectors in all corners of the globe "String Beat" album. At the beginning of the year, the first vinyl from the series of releases under the baton of Maestro came out. It was a seven-inch record entitled "Monika/Zabawa w ciemności". The next in line is the long-awaited album "Zbliżenie" ("The Close-up"), initially planned for June, but postponed to September due to overloaded pressing plants."Zbliżenie" is a longplay packed with groove, pulsating drums, powerful brass and string sections, and unique, previously unreleased compositions. The album's title is not that random, as, apart from the B-side opening track under the same title, we take a closer look at the period when the Łódź Orchestra, thanks to the "angry youngsters" such as Jacek Malinowski, Mirosław Racewicz, Jacek Delong, Andrzej Żylis and Zbigniew Karwacki, was exploring the genre taking the West by storm – Jazz-Funk. In the seventies, despite having over twenty years of experience, the Łódź Orchestra of the Polish Radio and Television was reinventing itself, sounding ever more modern and exciting with every passing year. Depending on the piece, there could be from forty to seventy musicians performing! The orchestra smoothly maneuvered between funk and disco, touching on illustrative music and jazz.Upon the project's completion, it turned out that 2021 will be a year of many anniversaries. 18 January marked the 100th birthday anniversary of the legendary conductor and founder of the Łódź Orchestra of the Polish Radio and Television, while July marked 20 years since he is no longer with us. What's more, Radio Łódź, Debich's home away from home for almost half a century, celebrated its 80th anniversary, and 30 years ago the Orchestra he managed until the very end was disbanded.

Originally released on EMI Sweden in 1970, this was Doris’ lone solo album. A Swedish funk / psych / jazz rarity, it attracted little attention upon its initial release and seemed doomed to obscurity, but thanks to crate-digging DJs and a Mr Bongo 1996 reissue, it has since seen a new lease of life as a highly prized cult classic amongst record collectors.The album presents a unique blend of pop, jazz, funk and soul, containing more than a hint of Joni Mitchell, Led Zeppelin and the like. Backed by her husband Lukas Lindholm on bass Doris was able to lay down some seriously funky bass lines on tracks like ‘Don't’ and ‘Beatmaker’. On ‘You Never Come Closer’, an experimental track that was way ahead of its time, Janne Carlsson unleashes a fearsome sound on drums helped by Bernot Egerladh on organ.‘You Never Come Closer’ was sampled on ‘Closer’ by influential hip-hop producer Madlib for Quasimoto. This has led to Doris' work becoming increasingly popular amongst underground hip-hop fans.‘Did You Give The World Some Love Today, Baby’ is more than just a curiosity, it’s an overlooked gem, showcasing a singer with a distinctive voice, great range and charm.