Having already achieved varying degrees of commercial and critical success with Roy Ayers' Ubiquity project and Robert Flack, Harry Whitaker went into the studio to record Black Renaissance: Body, Mind & Spirit, a tone poem reflecting on the state of African American music in the 1970s. Debunking the myth of the record's rarity aside (scarcely available for decades until its 2002 reissue by Ubiquity), this album is a map of the African American musical canvas -- a symphony of melding influences as far reaching as Sun Ra's call and responses to the future, John Coltrane's tonal meditations to the holy spirit, and the electronic wizardry of Herbie Hancock's "Raindance" all nestled together in unison. The strength of this album lies in all these variables and Whitaker's own unique composition sensibilities bringing it all together in a way that's accessible to people unfamiliar with any of the aforementioned artists. Black Renaissance: Body, Mind & Spirit is a haunting echo of progression in a time where innovation was the norm, not the exception.

Favorite Recordings proudly presents Deux, second album of French Jazz-Funk quartet Aldorande. In this new chapter, the four explorers pursue their interstellar trip on the Aldorande planet, deploying their ever deeper love for the 70's Jazz-Funk & Fusion scene. Extending their first visions of this new world, the bigger-than-life arrangements of this second album reflect again their high attention to dramatic narrative schemes, breezy Brazilian vibes, tempestuous funky grooves and strong cosmic melodies from outer space. Classic and contemporary at the same time, Deux is built for the like-minded souls still looking for the perfect beat.
Twisting time and space but never forcing the groove, the band dives more profoundly into the Cortex influence of their compositions, with intense female back vocals fitting perfectly into their cinematographic vision. Like a cry in space, could these esoteric incantations be heard by Aldorande's divinities? Or will they be more impressed by the super-tight rhythm section with its bangin' basslines or an irresistible blend of drums and percussion? In the end, they probably would have to surrender after hearing the infinite echoes of the synthesizers and horns reflecting in the atmosphere. Deep and thoughtful, the travel has only begun but it seems that so much has already been experienced. Breaking the code, they opened the gates to a rebirth. One that could be only accomplished by finding the “Pierre des Mondes”, deeply buried somewhere on Aldorande - the only key to solve the riddle of the groove. Mission accepted.
You'll find in Aldorande some of the best French jazzmen including bandleader and founder Virgile Raffaëlli on bass (Setenta & Joe Bataan, Camarão Orkestra), Florian Pellissier on keys (Iggy Pop, Setenta, Cotonete & Di Melo, …), Mathieu Edouard on drums (Chassol, De La Soul) and Erwan Loeffel on percussion (Camarão Orkestra, 10LEC6). On this album, they took the initiative to invite two guests on some tracks: AOR singer Al Sunny and killer guitarist Laurent Guillet (Le Soldat Rose, Setenta).
credits
releases November 19, 2021
Mathieu Edouard - drums
Erwan Loeffel - atabaques, timbales, octobans, cuica, claves, triangles, karignan, bells, woodblocks, shakers, caxixis, shekere, tambourine, cowbells
Virgile Raffaëlli - bass, Mellotron on "Arcane 17"
Florian Pellissier - Fender Rhodes, E7 Hohner Clavinet, Yamaha CP-70B, Fazioli Grand Piano, Moog Minimoog, Sequential Prophet 6, ARP Solina String Ensemble
Laurent Guillet - guitars on "Vortex des Possibles" & "Prometheus Asylum"
Paul Bouclier - trumpet
Benoit Giffard - trombone
Frank Chatona - tenor sax
Akemi Fujimori - back vocals
Cléo Pénet - back vocals
Lea Moreau - back vocals
Al Sunny - lead & back vocals on "La Promesse au Soleil"
All compositions by V. Raffaëlli, F. Pellissier, M. Edouard, E. Loeffel
All lyrics except "La Promesse Au Soleil" by F. Pellissier & A. Tricard
Horns compositions & arrangements by F. Pellissier & F. Chatona
Vocal compositions & arrangements by F. Pellissier & F. Chatona except "La Promesse Au Soleil" by F. Pellissier, F. Chatona & Pascal Rioux
Vocal & Horns recorded by Viktor Grouarier & Pierre Dachery at Prado Studio (Paris - FR)
Recorded & Mixed by Jordan Kouby at Question de Son Studio (Paris - FR)
Mastered by Frank Merritt at The Carvery (London - UK)
Published by Favorite Recordings
Manufactured & Distributed by The Pusher Distribution
A&R and Executive Producer: Pascal Rioux @ Favorite Recordings
Artwork by Virgile Raffaëlli
(P) & (C) 2021 Favorite Recordings

Gene Harris never veered closer to mainstream jazz-funk than Tone Tantrum -- a slick, propulsive record recalling Donald Byrd's classic sessions with the Mizell brothers (not surprising, given that Byrd turns up on a few tracks here). It's very much a product of its time, channeling influences from underground disco to Stevie Wonder, and remains arguably the most blatantly commercial release in the entire Blue Note catalog. Paired with singer/keyboardist Jerry Peters, bassist Chuck Rainey, and drummer Harvey Mason, Harris' smooth, slinky Fender Rhodes grooves are couched in lush strings and shimmering backing vocals. Still, while the sound is radio-friendly, the quality and complexity of the performances serve as a potent reminder that Tone Tantrum is first and foremost a jazz record, and a solid (if unconventional) one at that, purists be damned.

Very special album indeed. I originally purchased it for the timeless Before You Break My Heart, which received a great deal of airplay at the time of the initial release and is familiar to many; but I never play that track due to the strength of other precious gems, including the title track, Its Just The Way I Feel and every other piece on side two.

The third in STRUT's Inspiration Information studio collaboration series brings together an intriguing pairing between one of Africa's greatest and most innovative bandleaders, MULATU ASTATKE, with the next level musicianship of THE HELIOCENTRICS collective from the mighty roster of STONES THROW / NOW AGAIN.Known primarily through the successful 'Ethiopiques' album series and the film soundtrack to JIM JARMUSCH's 'Broken Flowers', Mulatu Astatke is one of Ethiopia's foremost musical ambassadors. His selfstyled Ethio-jazz sound flourished during the "Swinging Addis" era of the late '60s as he successfully fused Western jazz and funk with traditional Ethiopian folk melodies. The Heliocentrics have become known as one of the UK's foremost free-thinking collectives of musicians, inspired by a wide palette covering SUN RA, JAMES BROWN, DAVID AXELROD and all manner of psych, Afro and Eastern sounds. The collective have featured on records by MADLIB and DJ SHADOW and are now a fixture within the Stones Throw / Now Again roster, they forged their own genre-breaking directions in the astral analogue groove on their 2007 debut album, 'Out There'.

Arranged By, Keyboards – Marc Moulin
Bass – Nick Kletchkovsky
Drums, Percussion – Freddie Rottier*
Producer – Jean Huysmans
Saxophone [Baritone], Clarinet [Bass], Flute, Percussion – Johnny Dover
Saxophone [Soprano, Tenor], Flute – Alex Scorier
Trumpet – Nicolas Fissette
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Richard Rousselet

A fantastic independent LP by the small local San Francisco-based Courtial! This is one of the records that has the "all killer no filler" tag all over it, even though its standout track is probably "Losing You", a fierce funky-latiney-rockish little number with a storming piano break in the intro that you might know from a compilation (Keb Darge, California Soul).
Courtial was founded by guitarist Bill Courtial & conga man Pete "Coke" Escovedo, with Errol Knowles on vocals. And believe me even with their middle-ages minstrel outfits they can hold a groove! A great feature of the record is the presence of a funky quirky keyboard that you can hear on the title track snippet. A gem of an album, and a real grower—repeated listens advised.

Masayoshi Takanaka is a Japanese guitarist, composer, and producer. He was born in 1953 in the Shinagawa ward in Tokyo, Japan. Takanaka's music was influential in the city pop genre of the late 1970s and '80s.

One of the two early Earth Wind & Fire LPs recorded for Warner, and the one that shows their amazing roots in the avant garde jazz scene in Chicago. At the forefront, the record's a righteous soul album with an ensemble funk sound, but deeper in, there's a lot of jazz-based playing, and a number of moments that almost get "out" in the solos! Surely this one couldn't have been made without the spiritual advancements in jazz made by the AACM, and EWF couldn't have helped rubbing shoulders with those players, considering that they all often gigged together in the Chicago studio scene, and that they'd also shared some time together in groups like The Pharoahs and Phil Cohran's Artistic Heritage Ensemble.

Karl Denson wants you to dance to his music. That’s why the former Greyboy Allstars frontman named his first solo album Dance Lesson #2. The disc is a collection of funky, soul-driven tracks highlighted byDenson’s fiery extended saxophone solos. Like a true student of jazz, Denson is always experimenting with new collaborations. Instead of enlisting his touring Tiny Universe band, he pulled together a lineup of musical heavyweights including Medeski, Martin & Wood bassist Chris Wood, turntable specialist DJ Logic, legendary organists Leon Spencer Jr. and Ron Levy, awe-inspiring guitarists Melvin Sparks and Charlie Hunter, ex-Greyboy Allstars drummer Zak Najor, and Los Cubanos Postizos percussionist E.J. Rodriguez. The album is a jazz hybrid that flows from the straight-ahead beauty of “A.J. Bustah” to the up-tempo title track, which is invigorated by DJ Logic’s scratching and the contrast between Denson’s marching flute and wailing sax. “A Shorter Path #1” is a sweet tune that provides the theme for “A Shorter Path #2,” a stretched-out smooth jazz exploration of “Path #1.” Throughout the album, Denson’s dance-inducing, driving groove infuses each inventive track with contagious energy.

1992 reissue from BMB of his 1981 album for Arista. Seven tracks, including 'Storm Music', 'Grandma's Hands' and 'Morning Thoughts'.