New and Jazzy Releases for July 2024

Jazz First by Tony Poole

Nana Afrika by Mausiki Scales from Long Memory (Tippin’ da Scales Music)
Keybordist and founder of the Atlanta-based Afro Beat Funk ensemble, Mausiki Scales and the Common Ground Collective. Their music bears influence to the music of Fela Kuti and Roy Ayers. The infectious ‘Nana Afrika’ features a killer groove with added spiritual poetry. Nana, West African (Ghana) literal meaning ‘grandparent, elder, ancester’. No doubt  a future worldwide groove club classic.

Roll The Dice (Raregroove Reprise) by Soulpersona & Carl Hudson fom Magic Bullet. (Sunset City Records)
Potentially the peoples choice pick from the duo’s new album ‘Magic Bullet’. Remixed into a more jazzier affair that highlights the Fender Rhodes and trumpet solos. An exclusive bonus mix only available on Bandcamp. Also included on this 3-track EP is a vocal version featuring Deborah Bond.

Cause And Effect by The Earthsouls from Colin Curtis Presents “The Earthsouls”
The funk collective of Born74, Onj and Mark Paul Norton bought together on DJ Colin Curtis Presents record label. Pretty much what you’d expect and could hope for, and it does exactly what it says on the tin… essential British funky jazz for 2024! 

JazzCazz by Dan The Drum, Ronnie Turner & Emma Noble (Ramrock Red Records)
Inspired by Coffee’s 1980 disco smash ‘Cassanova’ and the 1967 Ruby Andrews original written by Jo Armstead. The trio of DJ’s Dan ’The Drum’ Spalding and Ronnie Turner together with singer Emma Noble went to work and produced a cool 60’s retro Blue Note style jazz dancer that blew up on social media when footage was posted of Emma’s 10-piece band debuting the song at London’s ‘OMeara’.

For Harry Carney (DJ Farrapo Remix) by Attilio Zanchi from Mingus Portrait [DJ Farrago Remixes]. (Right Tempo)
Harry Carney was a sax player in the Duke Ellingtion Orchestra for over 40 years and friend to Charles Mingus. ‘Mingus Portrait’ is a project that has been in the making for 20 years. Whilst Mingus’ music is “not for the faint hearted”, veteran Italian DJ Farrago has cleverly provided a sophisticated deep slow-tempo re-touch to make this tribute highly accessible yet still spiritual.

Belo Dia by Nathan Hanes from Notes (Loop Recordings)
Out of Auckland, New Zealand, Nathan Haines should be very familiar to followers of Soul Discovery as a saxophonist and producer who has fused together jazz and dance for over the last 30 years. ‘Belo Dia’, from his 11th solo album, skips along nicely with some breezy flute over a Brazilian-tinged mid-tempo groove. The album is dedicated to the late Phil Asher and Marlena Shaw.

Isabel The Liberator by The Paul Carlon Quintet from Blues For Rita (Deep Tone Records)Part of the ever-thriving New York straight-ahead jazz scene, formed in 2023 the Paul Carlon Quintet evokes the music of Horace Silver and Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. ‘Isabel The Liberator’, originally recorded by Woody Shaw in 1980, is a soulful hard bop latin jazz number from their debut album that will light up any jazz dancefloor.

Westchester Lady by Willie Bobo from Who Cooked The Rice? (Arkadia Records)
Unreleased Willie Bobo live session from 1980 with a latin jazz octet featuring Thurman Green (trombrome) and Gary Bias (flute). The first ever concert performance recorded live in stereo for a series of international television broadcasts. Includes Bob James’ ‘Westchester Lady’ and Grover Washington Jr.’s ‘Mister Magic’.

Dusk by Andrew Vogt from Awakening (Vogt Music)
A magical shadowy tune featuring vocalist Sarah Marie Young, spoken words by Sharon Irving and lush strings by the ATLYS String Quartet. ‘Dusk’ was a single released in March 2022, made available again digitally on the long awaited full length album ‘Awakening’ from the Chicago-based bassist/composer.

Ninety Five by Bunn Debrett Quintet from Six weeks In June (BDQ Records)
BDQ’s third album and two years since their last one. A little more laid back than the previous outing. Features top musicians Amanding Whiting, Alan Barnes, Roger Beaujolais, Nathan Haines and Toby Morgan. ‘Ninety Five’ is the go-to uptempo track with its eastern-acid flavour and getting air-play from all the right DJ playlists.

Future Releases

Look out for Chris Bangs new album ‘Dream World’ featuring new versions of George Duke’s ‘My Soul’ and Michael Henderson’s ‘You Are My Starship’ released on Acid Jazz Records on Sept 20… Paul Murphy’s Jazz Room Records release ‘Hibaros’/’Something Blue’ 7in by Aflex Combo Sept 27, ‘Hibaros’ being a jazz funk club classic by B&G Rhythm from 1978… Vibes player Warren Wolf releases ‘History Of The Vibraphone’, which sounds uttlerly intriguing, on Aug 23. Two pre-album released tracks currently available on Bandcamp… Marcos Valle’s 23rd album ’Tunel Acustico’ due Sept 20 via Joe Davis’ Far Out Recordings features the Leon Ware duet ‘Feels So Good’… Mercury prize winning Ezra Collective, third album, ‘Dance, Like No One’s Watching’ due Sept 27.

Video of the Month

The US Madam Vice President Kamala Harris visiting HR Records in uptown Washington DC, “One of my favourite albums of all time. Roy Ayers ‘Everybody Loves The Sunshine’, so good, it’s a classic!”