Jazz & Improvisation / 80s

Wendell Harrison was born in Detroit in 1942 where he began formal jazz studies for piano, clarinet and tenor saxophone. At 14, while still in high school, Harrison started performing & recording professionally with artists such as Marvin Gaye, Grant…

"Disco é Cultura, 2" Brings 15 tracks of the funkiest Brazilian music from the 70s and 80s. Soul and Funk were taking the world by storm in the 1970s. Brazilians developed their own sound by combining influences from Funk and Soul music from abroad t…

In the winter of 1980, Chicago tenor saxophonist Fred Anderson (1929-2010) brought his quartet to Milwaukee, where they were recorded live in concert. These tapes were first plumbed for The Milwaukee Tapes Vol. 1 on the Unheard Music Series in 2000.

*CD Version* Celebrating 50 Years of The Ethnic Heritage Ensemble’s Legacy and Unwavering Contribution to Great Black Music. This is the new offering from Kahil El’Zabar and his Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, in conjunction with the legendary group’s 50th…

Following the recent archival release of Primitive Art Group’s studio albums “1981-1986”, we are pleased to announce the release of this 65-minute album of live PAG performances recorded between 1981 and 1983. These recordings document the beginnings…

Recorded in the 1980's and snapped up upon arrival in Europe by the Soho Boho's, Acid Jazzuals, Cuboppers, Jazz Massivists and Mojo Jazzmuziker, "Le-Le" by The Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble is a unique one off spiritual soul-jazz outing with avant garde tou…

Tip! Three Blind Mice revitalized the Japanese jazz scene during the 1970s and 1980s. Its initial mission was to proactively produce albums of new musicians. Another goal was to expand its fan base, which was done by releasing albums of famous musici…

Back in 1980, Weather Report consisted of Wayne Shorter - tenor & soprano sax, Joe Zawinul - keyboards, Jaco Pastorius - bass, Peter Erskine - drums and Bobby Thomas Jr. - percussion. Often considered as one of the best line ups in the band's history…

Arguably the best album legendary jazz musician Wendell Harrison cut in the 80s “Organic Dream” features the classic track “Love Juice”. The album’s quite a departure from the spiritual jazz he’s well known for, instead dipping into modern soul and R…

Released in 1982, “Heart and Soul” is a collaboration between bassist Ron Carter and pianist Cedar Walton, two jazz giants renowned for their impeccable musicianship. The album showcases their exceptional interplay and deep understanding of jazz stan…

Big Tip! Originally released in 1983 through Apollon Music industrial corp’s alty sublabel, Mule Musiq sub-label Studio Mule presents the first official digital reissue of Shinsuke Honda 本多信介’s rare Silence = サイレンス (夕映え) album. recorded as part of al…

Recorded in one mystical night during Ramadan in 1982, The Night of Power (Laylatu'l Qadri) is a prophetic tapestry of politically and spiritually conscious poetry and revelatory home-studio electronic jazz.

For most though, this Detroit Soul Jazz veteran will likely be unknown, and unfortunately so because not only was Sanders a great saxophonist with his own warm and lyrical post-bop sound, he was an important fixture of historical significance in the …

'Ra to the Rescue was initially pressed in limited quantities in 1983, but several of its tracks subsequently were reissued with incongruous tracks on the albums (commonly referred to as) When Spaceships Appear, Cosmo-Party Blues, Somewhere There, an…

Stunning performance by tenor sax titan Peter Brotzmann and incredible drummer Sabu Toyozumi. Recorded live on December 4th, 1987 at OHM, Koiwa, Tokyo, Japan by Ohm Hirosh

*2023 stock* "A genuine ‘under the radar’ album known only to a handful of Japanese jazz collectors, ‘East Plants’ is now available once more, reissued as CD and digital formats. Originally released in 1983 on the Japanese VAP label, ‘East Plants’ is…

* Dead stock copies coming  from the artist's archive. Possible wear due to the long storage * Incredible recordings of the trio of Andrea Centazzo in collaboration with David Moss and Alex Cline.

*Dead stock copies coming  from the artist's archive. Possible wear due to the long storage* Legendary international ensemble Andrea Centazzo Mitteleuropa Orchestra recorded live in 1980.

The official repress of Adelhard Roidinger’s contemporary jazz/fusion masterpiece, originally released in 1984. An extremely talented and eclectic musician, Adelhard Roidinger’s creativity couldn’t be contained by the walls of music. His compositions…

Tip! “Japanese jazz has been recognized and celebrated by music lovers worldwide for decades. The origins of this trend may be traced back to the rare groove movement that flourished in the 1990s, but its current deep and wide popularity seems to be …

"Blue Notes for Johnny" - a defining statement by one of the greatest ensembles in the history of jazz. Recorded in mid-1987 by Blue Notes - then reduced to the trio of Dudu Pukwana on alto sax, Louis Moholo-Moholo on drums and Chris McGregor on pian…

Featuring what may be his only recordings on the Prophet keyboard, these once lost performances expand the omniverse of Ra across a stellar set of lengthy cuts! All recorded in a single day and finally making their terrestrial debut!  What happens wh…

'Pharoah Sanders' "Shukuru" is noteworthy as being the album that reunited Sanders with vocalist Leon Thomas, who sang on some of Sanders' most endearing and powerful compositions-- among them the legendary "The Creator Has a Masterplan". Thomas only…

*2023 stock* First recording of Eric Le Lann under his name in 1983. Around him, a group composed of Césarius Alvim on bass, André Ceccarelli on drums and Olivier Hutman on piano and Rhodes which escorts the sublime phrasing of a trumpet entirely pla…

Deeper in Black was inspired by the 1969 Blue Note recording of American trumpeter Blue Mitchell entitled Collision in Black and took its name from Pillay’s cover of the album’s Peggy Grayson composition. Pillay’s album featured another two compositi…

*Rare original* "ARFI is an improvised music group from the south of France that continues to evolve, involving not only musicians but also cooks and street performers in its search for more freedom of expression. One of the core bands of the ARFI, w…

Original issue of this obscure French experimental free jazz combo.

*Rare original* "As you can tell from the additional description to the album title, this album and the compositions on it are a collection of sound illustrations for performances, performances, dances, films and plays (mostly in the spirit of early …

The William Penn Jazz Ensemble was formed by American composer and flutist Leslie Burrs. Throughout the 1970s, Leslie performed with several major jazz and funk artists, including Grover Washington Jr., Kool & The Gang, and most notably, with Del Jon…

*2022 stock* "While not the absolutely earliest of this excellent bassist, bandleader, and composer's projects, Dimension 5 still features a photograph on the back cover that has prompted comparisons with nervous high school kids at a dance, all dres…

*2022 stock* "This is a pure gem, a beautiful and much enjoyable album, highlighting the immense talent and musicality of pianist Kirk Lightsey and his accomplices. Listen to the solos of Arthur Blythe and Chico Freeman, the music and humour of Leste…

“In the afternoon we performed in a rather austere theatre in East Berlin. Then I remember we crossed Checkpoint Charlie that evening to play in a club in West Berlin. The atmosphere was completely different. I felt as though we were living in a blac…

One of the most influential and underground Hammond organists of the 1960's was "Big" John Patton as he was then known. If it was the groove that you wanted Patton was your Man and he made several albums for the legendary Blue Note label, many of whi…

*2022 repress* Studio Mule present a re-recording of Motohiko Hamase's Intaglio, originally released in 1986. Currently the rediscovery of long-forgotten Japanese electronic, jazz, and new age music is at a peak like never before. Although many reiss…

*2022 stock* Graham Collier is one of the best known and most important British jazz composers and over a 40 year career, his list of compositions and commissions has grown to encompass ensembles around the world. He is well-known as an author and ed…

** original copy ** Angedras is the mirror image of Sardegna (the Italian name for Sardinia). The long tale which unfolds in this record has been dedicated by Marcello Melis to this island, morred at the center of the Mediterranean Sea. It is a tale …

** original copy ** Altschul is the common denominator on these two excellent reissues of early ’80s records, and if anyone is unconvinced that he is one of the great drummers of his generation, there’s proof on every track here. He is joined on Irin…

** original copy ** Recorded in Italy in 1986, this solo set by Mal Waldron draws from a rich range of sources and traditions. Update songs An inventive composer, arranger and player, these six pieces combines melodic directness with percussive harmo…

** original copy ** 'The music is one of two tracks that make up the entire album, one on each side as it was originally released as an LP, and each over 20 minutes long. The other side is the titled “Psalm”. The recording was made live to two track …

Tip! "It is my great pleasure to introduce you to the second volume of the "Japanese Jazz Spectacle" series. Following the first compilation which focused on recordings from the Nippon Columbia catalog, this time we are digging into the King Records …