Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

*Limited edition of 300 copies.* Roland Kirk was one of the most creative, extravagant figures in jazz history. A master multi instrumentalist with no boundaries in terms of language, style and technique. Here we find him co-leading a strong studio session with organ specialist "Brother" Jack Mcduff. Backed up by Joe Benjamin on bass and Art Taylor on drums, Kirk and McDuff give voice to a soulful post-bop set full of groovy riffs and highly inventive instrumental ping pong. Recorded by Rudy Van…

Come for the leopard, stay for the stone cold jams. Yet another thrilling, funky-prog jazzy-rock fusion beauty from Ian Carr’s Nucleus. Originally released on Vertigo in 1975, Alleycat was never re-pressed so those original copies are now very tricky to score. Like all the Nucleus records, it’s aged ridiculously well and this Be With re-issue, re-mastered from the original analogue tapes, shows off just why this deserves to be back in press. Alleycat was the last Nucleus album recorded for the V…

This is the original Bob James; his very first album, in fact, recorded at age 22 (and produced by Quincy Jones) as a prize for winning the 1962 Collegiate Jazz Festival.

It was in 1973, on the 14th of October, late in the afternoon; on a pretty Sunday under the Big Top in the heart of the “Parc de la Pépinière”, in Nancy; it was the “premiere”, the world first hearing, and it has so far remained the only one commissioned by composer and trumpet player lvan Jullien, for the first international Nancy Jazz Pulsations festival.In order to complete this work of composition and orchestration, Ivan asked the great Eddie Louiss on organ, and chose to do without a double…

Often affectionately referred to as the "Godfather of British Latin music" Robin Jones was truly one of the great performers on the international Latin scene. Denga, his first recording from 1971 is a scintillating fusion of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazillian rhythms laden with heavy Fender Rhodes sounds and no less than three Afro-Latin Percussionists. The hard-to-find album has now been reissued by legendary London jazz DJ Paul Murphy's Jazz Room Records imprint. It should be an essential purchase…

"1973, in the south of the Netherlands, the city of Heerlen and its surroundings nurtured a strong musical heritage and culture. A number of young musicians were developing their skills in one of the many music schools established in a 30 km radius. This new blood would join fanfares, symphonic orchestras, choirs, and later have a strong influence on dutch pop and jazz music. Founded by Jelmo “Pio” Piovesana, teacher and key musical figure in the region of south Limburg, Heerlens Percussie Ensem…

*2022 stock* Argonne Thornton (who in the late '40s changed his name to Sadik Hakim) had a particularly unusual boppish style in the '40s, playing dissonant lines, using repetition to build suspense, and certainly standing out from the many Bud Powell impressionists. Later in his career his playing became more conventional. Hakim originally studied music with his grandfather and started performing at local gigs in Minnesota. After a period in Chicago, he was heard by Ben Webster, who hired him t…

Eric Ghost is well named as he is indeed a mystery man. A contemporary (and best friend) of 1960's funky jazzman Jeremy Steig his self published private press albums are much coveted and difficult to obtain and command high prices. This psychedelic jazz masterpiece was recorded in 1975 and features Dave Valentin bassist Lincoln Goines in his studio debut as well as Jim McGilveray who went on to record with Paul Horn and The Cult. If you're a fan of The Blues Project "Flute Thing", Paul Horn's mo…

The George Russell Sextet caught in a rare live recording from a concert held at Music Inn, in Lenox Massachusetts on September 1, 1960. George Russell's kaleidoscopic sound conception takes shape through the collective interplay of a brilliant tight band featuring George Russell himself on piano, Al Kiger (trumpet), Dave Baker (trombone), Dave Young (tenor sax), Chuck Israels (bass), and Joe Hunt (drums). A great example of challenging modern and yet swinging jazz, including highlights such as …

**Original 1976 vinyl edition of the album. Few copies available**  Recorded live at Teatro Delle Arti in Roma, on January 5th, 1976, and released on his own Dischi Della Quercia (like many creative musicians in the ‘70s, Gaslini launched his own record label, both to document his own work and that of his associates) the same year, it is one of the Giorgio Gaslini's most representative works of his career in the 70's. An adventurous album, with bassist Bruno Tommaso and drummer Andrea Centazzo n…

Rare funk & Avant-Garde soul from a seven years old kid singer featuring the best of French and Cameroonian musicians diaspora, recorded in Paris in 1977. The album contains two nicely dramatic tracks: “Look Up in the sky (Negro nature)” is a stretched funk groove with psyche synth by Michel Morose, bubbling bassline by the great Victor Edimo, the famous Toto Guillaume on guitar, and a brilliant poetic song by Francis The Great, who at that time studied in Menilmontant (Paris). “Ravissante Baby …

Super album, mixing some of the improvisational verve of jazz into Fela Kuti's Afro-funk stew. These four workouts, all sung in Nigerian, are propulsive mixtures of funk and African music, avoiding the homogeneity of much funk and African records of later vintage, done with nonstop high energy. The interplay between horns, electric keyboards, drums, and Kuti's exuberant vocals gives this a jazz character without sacrificing the earthiness that makes it danceable as well. "Jeun Ko Ku (Chop'n Quen…

The explorations of the mid-70s sounds of rare grooves and library music, all reimagined, recorded, produced and in Sweden by Falk & Klou.

The inventive jazz pianist and noted Miles Davis collaborator Bill Evans made lasting impact from the mid-1950s. After a New Jersey childhood disrupted by his father’s alcoholism, Evans obtained a scholarship to study composition in Louisiana. Arrivinging in New York in the '50s, he began working with composer and multi-instrumentalist George Russell, releasing his debut solo album, New Jazz Conceptions, in 1956. Evans' true breakthrough came through his membership of Miles Davis' sextet, where …

Dudu Phukwana and the Spears recorded in London, but were only ever released in South Africa. The story behind this extraordinary music and the famous names involved are documented in this extended edition of Dudu Phukwana’s debut album. In 1964 the Blue Notes left South Africa to play at the Antibes Jazz Festival in France, and more or less stayed away forever after. In January 1969 alto saxophonist Dudu Phukwana went home briefly along with producer Joe Boyd who persuaded Johannesburg record c…

*2022 stock.* Way back in the early 1980’s a group of young musicians mostly in their 20's played around the LA jazz scene in a loosely organized jazz/fusion ensemble under the leadership of woodwind instrumentalist/composer-arranger Dennis Dreith. Those musicians, virtually unknown to all except their peers went on to illustrious touring and recording careers working with the biggest names in the music business and added their talents to scores of top charting recordings. Dennis himself grew in…

Miles Davis gave two concerts at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw in 1960 as part of a Jazz at the Philharmonic package, one on April 9 and the other on October 15. Stunning european live performance from Miles with his early quintet featuring the magic of a young and talented Trane. Miles Davis (trumpet), John Coltrane (Tenor Saxophone), Wynton Kelly (Piano), Paul Chambers (Bass), Jimmy Cobb (Drums).

Radiation Deluxe Series present a reissue of Lol Coxhill's Ear Of Beholder, originally released in 1971. Ear Of Beholder is one of the most beguiling and adventurous records of the 1970s, which is saying a lot as that is a musical decade marked by groundbreaking creativity. Originally released on John Peel's Dandelion label, Lol Coxhill's sprawling double album debut is an avant-garde jazz masterstroke that features Robert Wyatt and much of the Whole World group, Kevin Ayers's backing band at…

Small repress available. From Milan, Italy, Al Doum and The Faryds return with a brand new LP of immaculate beauty. Fusing together free jazz, psych, eastern and Indian influences Al Doum and The Faryds create a mesmerizing mixture: the continuous, fluid sound of "Positiva Force" perfectly succeeds in expressing the parallel influences of ecstatic eastern/african sound and of the contemporary free, energetic, spirited sound, with a nice jagged, if not toxic guitar phrasing. Limited to 200 copies…

2019 small repress. First of all, Bengt Berger -- a pioneer of the Swedish underground of the '70s and historical member of bands such as Archimedes Badkar and Arbete Och Fritid -- is a versatile drummer-percussionist and well-educated ethnomusicologist with several research sojourns in India and Ghana. Deeply influenced by Hindustani, Carnatic, and West Africa music, he founded the Bitter Funeral Beer Band in 1980, an ensemble of 12 elements, basing his ideas on the traditional funeral music of…

In 1964, John Coltrane and his quartet produced two great masterpieces in Rudy Van Gelder's studios, namely the albums Crescent and A Love Supreme. Between the two sessions the quartet entered the studio for another recording: the soundtrack of the French-Canadian film Le chat dans le sac. Today, the tape of that session has been found and remastered, so finally here's the third 1964 album: Blue World. The content is extraordinary: not only do we find the classic quartet (with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy…

Julio "Chocolate" Algendones is one of the essential percussionists in the great tradition of Afro-Peruvian music. Peru's Master Percussionist collects recordings made in 1990 in Las Vegas, during a trip that the artist made as a member of Peruvian jazz group Perujazz. The album was produced by the Englishman J. Blue Sheppard and released in 1991 by the New York-based label Lyrichord. It also includes a track originally recorded and published in Lima, in 1984. This reissue on Buh Records present…

An obscure and excellent 1957 session produced by master Rudy Van Gelder and originally released on Prestige Records. A tight sextet with a distinctive sound run by vibraphonist Teddy Charles, featuring great pianist Mal Waldron and some fine and often underrated musicians such as Idrees Sulieman – trumpet, John Jenkins – alto saxophone, Addison Farmer – bass and Jerry Segal – drums. The album consists of one standard and five originals, all based on complex melodies and hard swinging rhythms.

Originally released in 1974, Doug Carn's final album for the Black Jazz label, and a set that pushes even farther than his previous efforts! Jean Carn isn't in the group this time around, but the set does feature a totally great twin-vocal approach – with singing by Joyce Green and John Conner, blending their voices together in a style that's right up there with the most righteous 70s jazz experiments by Horace Silver or Billy Gault! This vocal balance really brings a new sort of power to Carn's…

Tip! For the 8th edition of Mats Gustafsson's NU Ensemble, Gustafsson focused on the current state of the world, „Hidros 8 Heal" is an attempt to rise and find the questions about the state of things. there is an extreme unbalance on local and global levels at the moment — from ideological, economical, cultural and political perspectives – and we need an equilibrium of some sorts very soon. can it heal ? what can make it all heal? and for how long can it heal? Anna Högberg - alto and baritone sa…

Welcome to the second release in the Black Dot LP series. Black Dot albums are all recorded live at the White Spot performance space in beautiful downtown Nanaimo BC, a venue which Mats Gustafsson visited on June 23, 2019. Mats is many things to many people -- a doting father, a fancier of fine bourbons, an enthusiastic sport fisherman and a record collector of unparalleled passion. But he is probably best known as a musical performer/composer/explorer with world-gobbling intentions. On this eve…

They Say: “Exploring the wide range of moods and sounds produced by percussion”. We say: MPCs at the ready because this does exactly what it says on the tin, to devastating effect. Oh, and the sleeve is stunning. Originally released in 1979, Percussion Spectrum was produced by the legendary percussionists Barry Morgan and Ray Cooper. With dope beats taking in diverse styles, from funk and soul and jazz through to Latin, Brazilian, samba and Afro-Cuban, this is an amazing sample source filled wit…

Tip! Misa Blam’s - Secanja (Memories) One of the most sought of, rarest and cult ex-Yugoslavian jazz LP’s – is finally reissued, sourced and fully licensed straight from vaults of Jugodisk (Belgrade, Serbia). And where better than on the Everland’s Everland-Yu imprint dedicated to the unheard sound of Yugoslavia! This LP, kept tight in private ex-Yu collectors cabinets and championed by jazz dance DJ’s across the planet, was recorded in 1979 and released in only 1000 copies in 1980 by the Beogra…

*300 copies limited edition* This is Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers, with guests Bud Powell - piano and Barney Wilen - alto sax, caught live at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris in1959. At that time Blakey's Messengers were no less than Lee Morgan – trumpet, Wayne Shorter – tenor sax, Walter Davis Jr. – piano and Jymmy Meritt – bass. In other words one of the greatest Hard Bop combos ever, a pool of great young individuals under the direction of one of the most influential drummers and…

Edition of 500. The 'European Jazz Sounds' series, that started around 1960 with legendary albums by the Michael Naura Quintet, Tubby Hayes and Max Greger, sees a welcome revival! This first volume presents the early recordings of the renowned Joki Freund Quintet from the late 1950s. German saxophonist and arranger Joki Freund played with Jutta Hipp in the mid-'50s, before forming his own Joki Freund Quintet. During the late '50s they played various European festivals, together with visiting Ame…

A true fusional object, Béliz moves us to new horizons, both imaginary and poetic.

**300 copies** In the early eighties, Edmond Mondésir, professor of philosophy and Léon Bertide, trade unionist, founded the Bèlènou group. They were actors of the great agricultural strike of 1974, which resulted in the death of two workers (Ilmany and Marie-Louise) and left many wounded. Activists of the patriotic movement Asé Pléré An Nou Lité (Stop crying, Fight), they were part of the identity and the cultural affirmation [la revendication identitaire et culturelle] of the time. Like the Gu…

*Limited edition of 500 copies.* Final Thaw is the debut from the new trio of John Kolodij (guitar), Jayson Gerycz (drums) & Dylan Baldi (saxophone). You will likely recognize Kolodij from his incredible Astral Editions album "First Fire • At Dawn" and you likely will recognize Baldi & Gerycz from Cloud Nothings (as well as Powers/Rolin/Gerycz, Monocot, etc)...and Iceberg doesn't really sound like any of those things, in the best way possible. "Final Thaw" features two sidelong workouts that bui…

*Limited edition of 500 copies.* It was during the long stretch of isolation that I received a message from Bashi Rose. A big brother figure to many of us in Baltimore during the 1990s - 2000s, he’s been a fixture on the scene as a poet, writer, theatre person, director, and most recently drummer. His message came shortly after the release of the Ocean Bridges lp by Archie Shepp, Damu, and Raw Poetic (on which Bashi and Jamal Moore both played integral parts). I was blown away by the music and p…

**400 copies** "A sublime trio set from drummer Charles Rumback – a record that has us really appreciating the special touch the leader can bring to a date, as this album may also be one of the best that we've heard from pianist Jim Baker in years! Baker has this great way of sounding soulful and lyrical, yet also moving towards the freer side of his spectrum too – working with the subtle drums of Rumback and the careful bass of John Tate, all with energy that almost takes us back to the groundb…

This special bundle collects both the Joshua Abrams LPs reissued by Aguirre, namely the following:Natural Information (2010)Represencing (2012)Since his emergence on the Chicago scene during the 1990s, the bassist and composer, Joshua Abrams, has woven a quiet and incongruous path. He is one of those rare talents who seems to place himself entirely in the service of music. Remarkably prolific, creatively ambitious, and seemingly indifferent to categorization or genre, it is as likely to encounte…

140-gram LP in gatefold sleeve with a special drawing by Mazen Kerbaj. Mastered for vinyl by Harris Newman. Edition of 500. Entirely recorded at Tunefork Studios on the outskirts of Beirut, Burj al Imam's five tracks include three largely improvised numbers, a loose reworking of Sun City Girls track "The Imam," and a cover of traditional Americana song "Gently Johnny" (a highlight of Alan Bishop's live Alvarius B. shows). True to their habits, the Lebanese trio of trumpeter Mazen Kerbaj, guitari…

Limited edition double compact disc, in a gatefold digipack, of the never-before-released complete performance of the Don Rendell - Ian Carr Quintet at The Highwayman in November 1965. Includes a 20 page booklet with an essay written by Simon Spillett and previously unseen photographs. Only 1,000 copies available worldwide. The never-before-released complete performance of the Rendell-Carr Quintet at The Highwayman in November 1965.  “Live. Up close and personal. Palpable. Almost within reach. T…

Four magnificent improvisers from different countries. Among them, legendary and iconic double bass master Barry Guy, one of the greatest jazz / improvised music drummers Ramon Lopez, Japanese living in Ireland classically trained piano master Izumi Kimura and polish trumpet and cornet wizard from Poland Artur Majewski. All of them, after Ad Libitum Festival 2021, after the initiative of FSRecords' executive producer, Maciej Karlowski, went to the studio and recorded some improvised music that n…

You know everyone, Canadian saxophone giant Francois Carrier his long-distance musical friend also from Canada, Michel Lambert, probably the best free improvised sideman John Edwards and the legend of the European free music world Alexander von Schlippenbach. New quartet, in the studio recording made at the beginning of this year!