Various
Blue Note Meets The L.A. Philharmonic

Laying down a propulsive groove was Idris Muhammad’s specialty. Funk jazz galore on the drummer’s debut as a leader, Black Rhythm Revolution! If not exactly a revolution – let’s just reserve that term for the drum innovations of Kenny Clarke that shifted the jazz landscape from swing to bop in the late forties – Muhammad’s drum style was an important force in the late sixties return of jazz to a danceable vibe. The momentum that Muhammad develops during the course of a tune is crazy. Also very striking are Muhammad’s resourceful and greasy rolls, pushing and pulling his bandmates into ambiences they were heretofore unacquainted with. The guys on Black Rhythm Revolution! are infected by the joyful motion of Muhammad, with no antidote in sight. It might lack a soloist with the flair and experience of Lou Donaldson, but trumpeter Virgil Jones, in particular, shines through as a lively, hot player. A tight-knit outfit, Muhammad, bassist Jimmy Lewis and pianist Harold Mabern – heard on electric piano here – turn in a luscious slow drag like Express Yourself, the basic blues line Soulful Drums, a vehicle for Muhammad’s gritty improvisations, and the roaring, uptempo mover Wander. James Brown’s Superbad is as baaaaadass as it can get. Black Rhythm Revolution! is a badass album and delicious proof of Idris Muhammad’s unique style of drumming.

Modern sounds for the 21st century featuring modal, progressive and esoteric contemporary jazz from the UK, Spain, Netherlands, Finland, USA, Belgium, Canada, South Africa, Sweden, Germany, and Italy.

Loneos Editions present a reissue of Embryo's Rache, originally released in 1971. The second album by Christian Burchard and alumni Embryo was released in 1971 on the prestigious United Artists imprint, only a year after their debut. A significantly progression and the first venture in the realm of the ethnic/world-rock fusion that would come to be their trademark. The gang from Munich flew over a series of packed jam showing their authentic passion for the Middle East. Combining a series of progressive numbers, still miles away from their British counterpart, the band opened up for a series of transcendental and wicked numbers, pushing the boundaries of the '70s counterculture. While it was some eastern-blues rapture or a post-Coltrane collage in the vein of the classy melody of A Love Supreme (1965), the band built his foundation while facing an ancient future. That was the beginning of a whole era where freedom was the keyword. Reissue on 180g black vinyl with gatefold sleeve.