Masayuki Takayanagi New Direction Unit
Axis​/​Another Revolvable Thing 1

Pianist/keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith played on such classic Pharaoh Sanders' albums as Karma and Thembi, but 1973 saw his emergence as a band leader when he formed the Cosmic Echoes. 1974's Cosmic Funk is their second album, featuring vocals from Lonnie's brother, Donald Smith. Aside from renditions of Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" and John Coltrane's "Naima," this record marks a transition away from Smith's earlier free jazz roots, moving into spacious, funk/fusion territory on cuts like "Peaceful Ones" and the title track.

Three-time Grammy-nominated artist Terrace Martin has announced the follow-up to 2020's Dinner Party, a concept album called Drones. He also shared the first single off the album, "Leave Us Be."The album has a stacked list of featured artists, a list you'd expect from someone who has worked with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, Herbie Hancock, Lalah Hathaway and more: Lamar, Snoop, Leon Bridges, Cordae, Ty Dolla$ign, Robert Glasper, Kamasi Washington, YG, James Fauntleroy, D Smoke, Channel Tres, Smino, Celeste, Malaya, Kim Burrell and Hit-Boy all contributed to Drones.

180 gram LP - Re-mastering by: Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, LondonWeldon Irvine's debut as a leader remains one of the most fiercely idiosyncratic electric jazz outings of the early '70s. Innovative not only for its moody, nuanced jazz-funk sensibility, Liberated Brother also translates the uncommonly strong passion of Irvine's political and philosophical views into its grooves, creating music of rare sincerity and ambition. While the record's first-half features longer, more meditative songs, like the Latin-inspired title tune and "Blues Wel-Don," the second side of Liberated Brother commands the most attention. With sterling contributions from guitarist Tommy Smith, bassist Roland Wilson, and drummer Napoleon Revels-Bey, cuts like "Mr. Clean" and "Sister Sanctified" (later sampled by Boogie Down Productions for the rap classic "My Philosophy") achieve a deeply funky consciousness forged from elements of jazz, soul, and psychedelia; "Juggah Buggah" even features Irvine on Moog synthesizer, further expanding the LP's cosmic reach.