Jazzman Records has been in business as a reissue label since 1998, immediately stepping into the niche market of re-releasing rare, obscure and esoteric jazz, soul and funk music on LP, CD and 45. A worldwide network of knowledgeable and enthusiastic collectors, dealers and researchers makes Jazzman well positioned to create lovingly crafted reissues, but it isn't the extensive, original notes nor the exhaustive attention to detail that makes Jazzman popular -- it's a true love of music, a reputation of 'doing things right' and damn good taste that makes Jazzman releases not only highly valued, but regarded as collector's items in their own right.
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2LP
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JMAN 146LP
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$32.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 1/24/2025
Double LP version. "High quality music to be enjoyed by many people all around the world, no matter where they are." --Andreas Brunner-Schwer, MPS Records. The German SABA and MPS family of labels extended this sentiment to include music from musicians all around the world, no matter where they were from -- and here on Spiritual Jazz 17: SABA/MPS, Jazzman explores that very theme. Throughout the '60s and '70s both labels released a wealth of music from a wealth of international jazz musicians coming from both North and South America, Europe, the Caribbean and the Far East. The aim was to release jazz that was exciting, innovative and interesting, regardless of style: there was swing, blues, bop, avant-garde, fusion -- and spiritual jazz. Plurality became a defining feature and the immense breadth of their output made both SABA and MPS worthy European counterparts to American imprints such as Blue Note and Impulse. On Spiritual Jazz 17: SABA/MPS Jazzman features, among others, international contributions from Americans Elvin Jones, Nathan Davis, and Dave Pike, Europeans Pedro Iturralde, Jef Gilson, and George Gruntz, and the Japanese Hideo Shiraki. The extensive liner notes outline the history of the SABA and MPS labels, and go some way to explain the spirit and philosophy behind the long-standing record company and the musicians who bore their souls to the recording process. Friedheim Schulz, who oversaw many of the sessions, has fond memories: "These guys had ideas, they had their special thing, it was the time when there were lots of ideas and new sounds and what have you, and [SABA proprietor] Hans Georg was always of the mind that people should do their own kind of music. So he gave them the chance to record and then he would just put out the albums and that was it! The musicians would really play what they wanted to play." Their great legacy is a lineage of music that has transcended the fatigues of time, and Jazzman has picked prime examples from the SABA and MPS catalogues to uphold its own legacy in the long-running series of Spiritual Jazz. Also featuring Tony Scott and the Indonesian Allstars, Albert Mangelsdorff Quartet, Orchester Roland Kovac, Fritz Pauer, and Joachim Kühn Group.
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CD
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JMAN 146CD
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$14.50
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 1/24/2025
"High quality music to be enjoyed by many people all around the world, no matter where they are." --Andreas Brunner-Schwer, MPS Records. The German SABA and MPS family of labels extended this sentiment to include music from musicians all around the world, no matter where they were from -- and here on Spiritual Jazz 17: SABA/MPS, Jazzman explores that very theme. Throughout the '60s and '70s both labels released a wealth of music from a wealth of international jazz musicians coming from both North and South America, Europe, the Caribbean and the Far East. The aim was to release jazz that was exciting, innovative and interesting, regardless of style: there was swing, blues, bop, avant-garde, fusion -- and spiritual jazz. Plurality became a defining feature and the immense breadth of their output made both SABA and MPS worthy European counterparts to American imprints such as Blue Note and Impulse. On Spiritual Jazz 17: SABA/MPS Jazzman features, among others, international contributions from Americans Elvin Jones, Nathan Davis, and Dave Pike, Europeans Pedro Iturralde, Jef Gilson, and George Gruntz, and the Japanese Hideo Shiraki. The extensive liner notes outline the history of the SABA and MPS labels, and go some way to explain the spirit and philosophy behind the long-standing record company and the musicians who bore their souls to the recording process. Friedheim Schulz, who oversaw many of the sessions, has fond memories: "These guys had ideas, they had their special thing, it was the time when there were lots of ideas and new sounds and what have you, and [SABA proprietor] Hans Georg was always of the mind that people should do their own kind of music. So he gave them the chance to record and then he would just put out the albums and that was it! The musicians would really play what they wanted to play." Their great legacy is a lineage of music that has transcended the fatigues of time, and Jazzman has picked prime examples from the SABA and MPS catalogues to uphold its own legacy in the long-running series of Spiritual Jazz. Also featuring Tony Scott and the Indonesian Allstars, Albert Mangelsdorff Quartet, Orchester Roland Kovac, Fritz Pauer, and Joachim Kühn Group.
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JMAN 145LP
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$22.50
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 10/18/2024
Volume 8 of the Greasy Mike's series from Jazzman Records. Another 18 slices of rott and roll records from Weirdsville, USA. "'Ain't nobody here but us monsters!' I shouted out in desperation. 'Monsters? There are no monsters here!' came the reply out of the darkness, 'These are my children! My babies!' And with that the footsteps shuffled closer, closer. I could hear the shadowy figure breathing heavily. I could see the silhouette of his hunched figure lurching slowly towards the corner where I was crouching on the cold, sludgy floor. 'It's now or never' I told myself, and with that I leapt up and made a dash for the open door. All of a sudden the monsters in their cages began to howl and wail like death itself. The hairless, one-eyed monkey jumped and spat. The gorilla with twisted limbs began to thrash and tear at the iron bars that restrained him. The grotesque human head with the body of a dog let out a piercing, blood curdling scream, and its eyes bulged out of madness. But I had no time to be horrified, no time to be scared, and no time to stop and stare. I had to get outta there -- and fast. I moved quickly, but my feet struggled for grip on the slimy stone flagstones, which was covered everywhere in gooey blood and thick gunge. I slid and bounced haphazardly from cage to cage, hairy arms protruding and grabbing, gnashing teeth snapping and snarling, until I finally reached the dark, open doorway at the far end of the room. Turning my head back I yelled at the shadowy figure I'd left behind, 'It's witchcraft, you crack-brained crazy! You psychowhacko schizoid scumfreak!' And with that I disappeared through the void, and into the night." Featuring Los Vampiranos, Johnny Eager, Dick DeWayne Combo, Tommy Falcone & the Centuries, The Madmen, The Big Guys, Baron Daemon & the Vampires, The Phantom, Moe Koffman, Kenny & the Fiends, The Plaids, Dave Gray & the Graytones, Jerry Bryan, Mysterions, The Playboys, The Tomkos, The Phantoms Band, and The Bluenotes.
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JMAN 143LP
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Attention juiceheads, bozos, crazy chicks, and krusty kreeps -- it's finger poppin' time! Jump on Greasy Mike's jaunty jalopy to join the journey from Dullsville to Coolsville. 18 sides of swingin' jazz cat o'nine bebop bedoop! Crazy! Featuring Harvey Anderson, Beverley Garland, The Guitars Inc, Ralph Ventura, The Afro-Americans, Cindy Laine, The Ramrocks, The Seven Arts Beat Society, Ronnie Mann, Abie Baker, Sheri Lee Douglas, Big Jox Orch, Doctor Bop, Vinnie Burke, Shirley Claire, Isidro Misquez, Leo Wright, and Alice Darr.
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JMAN 144CD
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Having plied his trade around the world for more than three decades, German guitarist, bandleader and musical explorer Jan Whitefield has always instilled in his craft a natural aesthetic of authenticity, a key component which has seen him amass a sizeable and varied catalogue of material which has remained timeless where some of his contemporaries have faded away. In the early '90s, as various UK bands were signed up by sizeable labels and enjoyed even mainstream chart success in the acid jazz and rare groove boom, Jan and his brother Max formed the Poets Of Rhythm, self-releasing their own uncompromisingly hard-edged take on '70s street funk on the then completely unfashionable 7" single format, forerunning the deep funk scene by almost a decade. 30 years on, in spite of a legion of retro-focused bands having followed in their wake, few have yet to come close to matching the energy and spirit of those early Poets 45s. Since then, Jan has applied himself to all manner of new incarnations and innovative side-projects, releasing further funk surveys as the Whitefield Brothers before leading his own band under the pseudonym Karl Hector, with releases on labels such as Stones Throw, Daptone, Ninja Tune, Mo'Wax, Strut and more. An avid music lover, explorer and record collector extraordinaire, Whitefield's music has effortlessly absorbed his expanding interests along the way, particularly drawing influence from Ethiopian jazz and West African funk and highlife, as well as Kraut-rock and ambient via his Rodinia alter-ego. More recently, Whitefield has begun to venture into the astral planes of what's now commonly referred to as "spiritual jazz," and this is very much where he is manifesting on The Infinity Of Nothingness. A set of mature, delicate and meditative orchestrations, like much of Whitefield's best work the album is studiously true to its key influences -- and in this instance the twin figureheads of Sun Ra and Pharoah Sanders are particularly preeminent -- but also completely avoids falling into a trap of mere tribute or facsimile. With subtle yet diverse accents of hip hop, library and the avant garde appearing wholly unobtrusively, the album is unified by a marked trance-like feel. With The Infinity Of Nothingness Whitefield achieves that exceptionally rare feat of creating music that is not only worthy of sitting alongside that of his overarching influences, but will also stand up with it against the tests of time.
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JMAN 144LP
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LP version. Having plied his trade around the world for more than three decades, German guitarist, bandleader and musical explorer Jan Whitefield has always instilled in his craft a natural aesthetic of authenticity, a key component which has seen him amass a sizeable and varied catalogue of material which has remained timeless where some of his contemporaries have faded away. In the early '90s, as various UK bands were signed up by sizeable labels and enjoyed even mainstream chart success in the acid jazz and rare groove boom, Jan and his brother Max formed the Poets Of Rhythm, self-releasing their own uncompromisingly hard-edged take on '70s street funk on the then completely unfashionable 7" single format, forerunning the deep funk scene by almost a decade. 30 years on, in spite of a legion of retro-focused bands having followed in their wake, few have yet to come close to matching the energy and spirit of those early Poets 45s. Since then, Jan has applied himself to all manner of new incarnations and innovative side-projects, releasing further funk surveys as the Whitefield Brothers before leading his own band under the pseudonym Karl Hector, with releases on labels such as Stones Throw, Daptone, Ninja Tune, Mo'Wax, Strut and more. An avid music lover, explorer and record collector extraordinaire, Whitefield's music has effortlessly absorbed his expanding interests along the way, particularly drawing influence from Ethiopian jazz and West African funk and highlife, as well as Kraut-rock and ambient via his Rodinia alter-ego. More recently, Whitefield has begun to venture into the astral planes of what's now commonly referred to as "spiritual jazz," and this is very much where he is manifesting on The Infinity Of Nothingness. A set of mature, delicate and meditative orchestrations, like much of Whitefield's best work the album is studiously true to its key influences -- and in this instance the twin figureheads of Sun Ra and Pharoah Sanders are particularly preeminent -- but also completely avoids falling into a trap of mere tribute or facsimile. With subtle yet diverse accents of hip hop, library and the avant garde appearing wholly unobtrusively, the album is unified by a marked trance-like feel. With The Infinity Of Nothingness Whitefield achieves that exceptionally rare feat of creating music that is not only worthy of sitting alongside that of his overarching influences, but will also stand up with it against the tests of time.
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JMAN 139CD
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Since 2008, Jazzman's Spiritual Jazz series has presented unlimited horizons. Each album celebrates the rich tradition of African-American songs based on the belief in a higher force than oneself and has also focused on geographical areas, such as Europe or Japan, thus recognizing that these territories have immense cultural riches. Religions, like Islam, whose musical traditions have vivid Arabic and North African resonances, have also been highlighted. The stylistic range of all the above is wide. Yet historic record labels, from Blue Note and Impulse! to Prestige and Steeplechase, have also featured because their catalogues are musical treasure troves that could not be more relevant to Spiritual Jazz, even though they issued vast amounts of music between the late '30s and present day, that have not been confined to any one school. Spiritual Jazz 16 is a focus on Riverside and its associated sister labels. Riverside itself was founded in 1953 by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer, and became an important purveyor in that decade and beyond of what would be marketed as of modern jazz. That coinage was itself an amorphous, umbrella term that essentially created a demarcation from the vocabulary of pre-war classic jazz and inter-war big band swing, thus recognizing that improvising artists were breaking new creative ground that would subsequently give rise to a flurry of sub-genres, for example bebop, hard bop, cool, modal and Latin jazz. And it's from this multiplicity of sub-genres that Jazzman chose the deepest, most vibrant selections that the vast, pan-generational catalogue of Keepnews and Grauer has to offer. Featuring James Clay, Werner-Rosengren Swedish Jazz Quartet, Sal Nistico Quintet, Frank Strozier, Cannonball Adderley Sextet, Blue Mitchell, Sonny Red, Clifford Jordan, Lee Konitz Quintet, McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson, and Alice Coltrane.
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2LP
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JMAN 139LP
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Double LP version. Since 2008, Jazzman's Spiritual Jazz series has presented unlimited horizons. Each album celebrates the rich tradition of African-American songs based on the belief in a higher force than oneself and has also focused on geographical areas, such as Europe or Japan, thus recognizing that these territories have immense cultural riches. Religions, like Islam, whose musical traditions have vivid Arabic and North African resonances, have also been highlighted. The stylistic range of all the above is wide. Yet historic record labels, from Blue Note and Impulse! to Prestige and Steeplechase, have also featured because their catalogues are musical treasure troves that could not be more relevant to Spiritual Jazz, even though they issued vast amounts of music between the late '30s and present day, that have not been confined to any one school. Spiritual Jazz 16 is a focus on Riverside and its associated sister labels. Riverside itself was founded in 1953 by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer, and became an important purveyor in that decade and beyond of what would be marketed as of modern jazz. That coinage was itself an amorphous, umbrella term that essentially created a demarcation from the vocabulary of pre-war classic jazz and inter-war big band swing, thus recognizing that improvising artists were breaking new creative ground that would subsequently give rise to a flurry of sub-genres, for example bebop, hard bop, cool, modal and Latin jazz. And it's from this multiplicity of sub-genres that Jazzman chose the deepest, most vibrant selections that the vast, pan-generational catalogue of Keepnews and Grauer has to offer. Featuring James Clay, Werner-Rosengren Swedish Jazz Quartet, Sal Nistico Quintet, Frank Strozier, Cannonball Adderley Sextet, Blue Mitchell, Sonny Red, Clifford Jordan, Lee Konitz Quintet, McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson, and Alice Coltrane.
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2X7"
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JMANSP 003EP
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Marlena Shaw had made several LPs for respected labels such as Cadet and Blue Note, and she'd performed regularly throughout the '60s and '70s. But she hardly had what you might call diva status. Falling into the unfortunate category that slips uneasily between soul and jazz, she was accepted -- but not especially admired -- by aficionados of either genre. Then came the '90s, and an open-minded enthusiasm for soul and jazz -- and more importantly -- everything in between -- soon changed that. Marlena Shaw became an icon, and the diva status soon blossomed amongst her new-found soul-jazz fans. Marlena Shaw has endured decades of singing in the shadows, and she has only recently finally found her niche. On disc one is "California Soul," probably the most enduring and well-known of her many songs, but just a few seconds listening will tell you that it is much more than that. It's already a classic amongst those who have already seen the light and have danced and swayed to its timeless swing. Upon hearing it all lovers of soul, jazz -- or any other kind of good music -- will feel an aural glow as warm as the Californian sun. The song "Liberation Conversation" on the flip was only ever available on her highly revered 1969 LP The Spice of Life. This is where the "Blues ain't nothing but a good woman gone bad" launches into an irresistible, relentless up-tempo funk groove. Disc Two showcases "Wade in the Water," an ancient song rumored to have been developed and popularized by slaves in the American south. The message is to pass on the notion that by fleeing in a bid for freedom through streams and rivers, the scent that bloodhounds use to follow their victims will be obscured. Marlena's version has long been a favorite dancefloor filler since its 45-only release back in 1966. "Woman of the Ghetto" is one of her best-known songs and ends the set on the other side. The opening number from "The Spice of Life," it's since been recognized for the classic it is, and as such has been afforded anthemic status. We release the original 45 version here, as used to promote the LP back in the day. This 2x7" special product from Jazzman is dedicated to the memory of Marlena Shaw.
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LP
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JMAN 142LP
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The sublime, seductive sound of the smooth and sultry songstress. "Sometimes me and the opposite sex just don't get along. I mean, we do and we don't. Take this last one. She and I were getting on just fine. We went to the movies, I took her to shows, I took her out to fancy restaurants. The whole works. I treated her real good. She was a class act too. Blonde hair, blue eyes. A smile to die for. Then all of a sudden, she went cold on me. Cut me off. Why do they do that? What gives? I mean, I'm an OK guy. I'm clean, smart, I shave every day. I wear the best suits, I use the best Cologne. OK so I don't have what you'd call 'a regular job', but I got plenty of dough, and I know how to spend it. I like the finer things in life. Restaurants, Cuban cigars, fancy cars. The whole caboodle. What's not to like? I'll tell you what. These dames don't know a good thing when they see it. They meet a guy like me and they don't know what's hit 'em. I take them out, I wine them and dine them and they just can't handle it. They'd rather go for some kinda Joe Schmoe than a classy guy like me. And that's what I don't understand. So what gives?" --Greasy Mike in an interview circa 1958 with jazz jock Slim Jenkins.
Featuring Ann Cole, Joya Sharrill, Marilyn Ross, Lyn Avalon, Ann Henry, Mecie Jenkins, Tommie Jeane Whitley, Helen Alvey, Miss Johni Naylor, Ann Fleming, Delores Johnson, Wini Beatty, Patti Dane, Anna Marie, Patty Ann, and Genie Pace.
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2LP
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JMAN 138LP
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LP version. Many artists achieve greatness but very few produce work that is so moving it's considered sacred. Whether you choose to call them hymns, psalms or spirituals, their songs are a healing force for troubled times. Jazzman's Spiritual Jazz series would not exist without the inspiration and leadership of the spiritual messiah that is John Coltrane. It can therefore only be right and proper that a whole album is dedicated to his legacy and lasting influence. Spiritual Jazz 15: A Tribute to 'Trane shines a spotlight on the reverence in which the saxophonist is held in so many ways. On one hand this selection displays cover versions of his songs performed by the musicians he inspired; disciples to Coltrane the messiah, who chose to give praise to the one who laid a foundation for them. The listener will also encounter original music written in honour of Coltrane that underlines the endless presence he has had among artists from different backgrounds and eras. The preacher may have ascended to a higher plane, but his congregation is still right down here on the ground. Ten songs to lift the spirits of everyone, everywhere. Gatefold LP with pics, liner notes and download code. Also includes 16-page booklet. Featuring Norman Connors, Clifford Jordan, Sonny Fortune, The Darwin Strickland Trio, Gilles Torrent Jazztet, Carsten Meinert, Malachi Thompson and Africa Brass, Hampton Hawes Trio, Carmelo Garcia, Brother Jack McDuff.
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JMAN 138CD
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Many artists achieve greatness but very few produce work that is so moving it's considered sacred. Whether you choose to call them hymns, psalms or spirituals, their songs are a healing force for troubled times. Jazzman's Spiritual Jazz series would not exist without the inspiration and leadership of the spiritual messiah that is John Coltrane. It can therefore only be right and proper that a whole album is dedicated to his legacy and lasting influence. Spiritual Jazz 15: A Tribute to 'Trane shines a spotlight on the reverence in which the saxophonist is held in so many ways. On one hand this selection displays cover versions of his songs performed by the musicians he inspired; disciples to Coltrane the messiah, who chose to give praise to the one who laid a foundation for them. The listener will also encounter original music written in honour of Coltrane that underlines the endless presence he has had among artists from different backgrounds and eras. The preacher may have ascended to a higher plane, but his congregation is still right down here on the ground. Ten songs to lift the spirits of everyone, everywhere. Gatefold LP with pics, liner notes and download code. Also includes 16-page booklet. Featuring Norman Connors, Clifford Jordan, Sonny Fortune, The Darwin Strickland Trio, Gilles Torrent Jazztet, Carsten Meinert, Malachi Thompson and Africa Brass, Hampton Hawes Trio, Carmelo Garcia, Brother Jack McDuff.
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JMAN 141LP
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Where Greasy Mike takes a trip to the Orient -- and returns with 16 slices of sizzling spices in a sleazy Szechuan sauce! Expect all manner of tasty treats to liven up the party, but don't forget to bring the Baijiu! Featuring: The Fugu Five, Billy Nash Rock Band, Marc Mirror, The Pendletons, Jackie Lee, The Windsors, Spike Jones & His City Slickers, Sing A Poor Charlie, Copper Penny, The Manhattans, Yo Yo Hashi, The Dawnbreakers, Chuck Fayne, Walkin Charlie Aldrich, and Earl Craig.
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JMAN 137CD
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While the string of legendary independent labels, from Blue Note and Prestige to Steeplechase and Impulse! loom large in the Spiritual Jazz catalog, Jazzman's latest installment concerns the brave and innovative souls who acted "privately," recording and releasing their music without the aid or involvement of a bona fide record company. Making a custom, private press record on your own, without the backing, status and business acumen of an established record company to help out is no mean feat, but it never really was difficult -- it's just a matter of spending money -- but the tricky bit, which remains to this day, is what to do exactly with a pallet load of vinyl that's just been delivered to your door? Sales and distribution never were easy, and getting it right requires imagination, enthusiasm, dedication, hard work and a more than a little luck. Even for the professionals it's proved immensely difficult at times; perhaps that's why so many private press records remain so obscure and elusive to this day. Here, Jazzman examines a variety of tracks from a selection of privately pressed jazz records, released in the US between 1964 and 1987. One of the most interesting things about this album is the variety of reasons behind coming up with a self-released record. No two stories are the same; some were done purely out of altruism to further the musical direction of students, others were simply trying to make it big, albeit on their own terms. But one solid truth remains that binds together each and every selection here -- the artists didn't just make their music for the fun of it, they believed in their art so much that they took whatever steps they had available to them at the time to get their music heard exactly as they wanted it to be heard -- with no spoddy record exec bossing them about! In keeping with the DIY ethos of private pressings, each copy has hand-stamped covers meaning no two copies are exactly alike. And as always with the Spiritual Jazz series of albums, each comes with liner notes and pics, in this case direct from the artists themselves. Featuring Erni Clark, Elysian Spring, Radam Schwartz, Mary Lou Williams, Carmelo Garcia, Black Is ----, Cullen Knight, Don Menza, Belair, Andrew McPherson, Almanac, Owen Marshall, Bobby Jackson, and Compass.
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JMAN 137LP
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Double LP version. While the string of legendary independent labels, from Blue Note and Prestige to Steeplechase and Impulse! loom large in the Spiritual Jazz catalog, Jazzman's latest installment concerns the brave and innovative souls who acted "privately," recording and releasing their music without the aid or involvement of a bona fide record company. Making a custom, private press record on your own, without the backing, status and business acumen of an established record company to help out is no mean feat, but it never really was difficult -- it's just a matter of spending money -- but the tricky bit, which remains to this day, is what to do exactly with a pallet load of vinyl that's just been delivered to your door? Sales and distribution never were easy, and getting it right requires imagination, enthusiasm, dedication, hard work and a more than a little luck. Even for the professionals it's proved immensely difficult at times; perhaps that's why so many private press records remain so obscure and elusive to this day. Here, Jazzman examines a variety of tracks from a selection of privately pressed jazz records, released in the US between 1964 and 1987. One of the most interesting things about this album is the variety of reasons behind coming up with a self-released record. No two stories are the same; some were done purely out of altruism to further the musical direction of students, others were simply trying to make it big, albeit on their own terms. But one solid truth remains that binds together each and every selection here -- the artists didn't just make their music for the fun of it, they believed in their art so much that they took whatever steps they had available to them at the time to get their music heard exactly as they wanted it to be heard -- with no spoddy record exec bossing them about! In keeping with the DIY ethos of private pressings, each copy has hand-stamped covers meaning no two copies are exactly alike. And as always with the Spiritual Jazz series of albums, each comes with liner notes and pics, in this case direct from the artists themselves. Featuring Erni Clark, Elysian Spring, Radam Schwartz, Mary Lou Williams, Carmelo Garcia, Black Is ----, Cullen Knight, Don Menza, Belair, Andrew McPherson, Almanac, Owen Marshall, Bobby Jackson, and Compass.
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JMAN 140LP
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Greasy Mike is back with LP number four! Another rambunctious array of wigged out mayhem! Don't worry, there aren't any silly jokes on this record. It's all music with a wiggle and a giggle. In fact, it's 14 frantic flippers fraught with frivolous fun-filled frolics. All good clean fun. Featuring: Pat & the Wildcats, Bobby Bunny & the Jackrabbits, Jim Doval & the Gauchos, Johnny Beeman, Diablito, Adolphus Bell & the Up Starts, The Apollos, The Royal Jokers, Lue Renney, The Zanies, Hank Mankin, Sid Ramin, Jim Backus and Friend, and The Fabulous Continentals.
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JMAN 135CD
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Reissue, originally released in 1967. In a 1990 interview, producer James Bronson described his Touché label as a "floating record label", comparing it to the "floating gambling houses" that Black people in his city had operated to try and avoid attention from the law. The label itself was a private enterprise, run from home, and had scant budget for promotion nor expansion. His slogan "Record companies don't make music, musicians do" spoke volumes as to his respect for the artist. Nevertheless, the Al Tanner LP Happiness Is... Takin' Care of Natural Business... Dig? was the first of just three albums the label was to release over the following 20 years. For an ambitious musician with ideas of fame and fortune, the situation may have appeared far from acceptable, but pianist Al Tanner didn't have such aspirations. He may have recorded an album for Bronson, but his ambition of living his life as a working musician was fulfilled -- he was a professional until the day he died -- and that of being a recording star wasn't a part of it. He was much more inclined to be a gigging jazzman, and was well-known as such in and around the local Bay Area nightspots. He was also heavily involved in musical education, and could be found performing at countless local community events, schools and recreation centers. He rarely travelled outside of the area. With Bronson's limited resources and Tanner's reluctance to put himself through the mill of touring, it was perhaps inevitable that the album would garner little attention nationally, or even within the wider California region. As noted in a 1967 review of Happiness Is... published in Downbeat Magazine, "Apparently, he [Tanner] is accorded a considerable amount of respect in San Francisco, though he has no national reputation. This isn't unusual. Many gifted jazzmen stay on their home base for years, playing well but attracting little attention, while other, sometimes less talented musicians gravitate to New York and make names for themselves." Nevertheless, reasons notwithstanding for a lack of commercial success, Tanner found happiness in the music that he made throughout his career. "I would say it's a spiritual thing. I find a lot of love for the piano, and a love for music. And I try and express myself on the piano as I love it. Jazz is a spirit to me, there's a spiritual side of jazz and there's a side of jazz where you playing a whole lot of notes and you're trying to get so many notes in one bar..." Includes extensive liner notes. CD version includes two additional tracks.
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JMAN 135LP
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LP version. 180 gram vinyl; includes insert with liner notes and download code. Reissue, originally released in 1967. In a 1990 interview, producer James Bronson described his Touché label as a "floating record label", comparing it to the "floating gambling houses" that Black people in his city had operated to try and avoid attention from the law. The label itself was a private enterprise, run from home, and had scant budget for promotion nor expansion. His slogan "Record companies don't make music, musicians do" spoke volumes as to his respect for the artist. Nevertheless, the Al Tanner LP Happiness Is... Takin' Care of Natural Business... Dig? was the first of just three albums the label was to release over the following 20 years. For an ambitious musician with ideas of fame and fortune, the situation may have appeared far from acceptable, but pianist Al Tanner didn't have such aspirations. He may have recorded an album for Bronson, but his ambition of living his life as a working musician was fulfilled -- he was a professional until the day he died -- and that of being a recording star wasn't a part of it. He was much more inclined to be a gigging jazzman, and was well-known as such in and around the local Bay Area nightspots. He was also heavily involved in musical education, and could be found performing at countless local community events, schools and recreation centers. He rarely travelled outside of the area. With Bronson's limited resources and Tanner's reluctance to put himself through the mill of touring, it was perhaps inevitable that the album would garner little attention nationally, or even within the wider California region. As noted in a 1967 review of Happiness Is... published in Downbeat Magazine, "Apparently, he [Tanner] is accorded a considerable amount of respect in San Francisco, though he has no national reputation. This isn't unusual. Many gifted jazzmen stay on their home base for years, playing well but attracting little attention, while other, sometimes less talented musicians gravitate to New York and make names for themselves." Nevertheless, reasons notwithstanding for a lack of commercial success, Tanner found happiness in the music that he made throughout his career. "I would say it's a spiritual thing. I find a lot of love for the piano, and a love for music. And I try and express myself on the piano as I love it. Jazz is a spirit to me, there's a spiritual side of jazz and there's a side of jazz where you playing a whole lot of notes and you're trying to get so many notes in one bar..." Includes extensive liner notes.
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CD
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JMAN 134CD
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Reissue, privately pressed in 1977. "Following my recent phone call with Prof. Benson, I left him to continue his 92nd birthday celebrations with his family. We'd talked about his life, his music, his achievements. Throughout our conversation it struck me what a kind, humble and pleasant man he was. I felt that I was in the presence of greatness -- not the egotistical greatness that emanates so often from high achievers, but that of someone who had simply won at life. 'I was a music teacher. I wasn't trying to make a record to compete, I was trying to make a record so the students would have something to remember the experience that we had... I was doing it for the kids.' It was 1973 that Prof. James Benson had self-funded his private press LP for the benefit of the teenage musicians he tutored at Cal Poly, California. The album was a momentous achievement for him and his young protegees, something they were all proud of, and rightly so. Taking inspiration from their recent trip to Africa and blended with the radical jazz associated with the young minds of early '70s black America, the Gow-Dow Experience is a unique foray into the enthusiastic mindset of up-and-coming jazz musicians, as encouraged by their mentor Prof. Benson . . . Comes with four additional tracks taken from the recording session. Until now these tracks have never been heard since the day they were recorded -- believe me, they're worth the wait!" Insert with liner notes and photos provided courtesy of Prof Benson. CD version includes booklet; includes four bonus tracks.
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LP
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JMAN 134LP
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LP version. 180 gram vinyl; tip-on sleeve with insert; includes download with four bonus tracks. LP version comes on 180 gram vinyl; tip-on sleeve with insert; includes download with four bonus tracks. Reissue, privately pressed in 1977. "Following my recent phone call with Prof. Benson, I left him to continue his 92nd birthday celebrations with his family. We'd talked about his life, his music, his achievements. Throughout our conversation it struck me what a kind, humble and pleasant man he was. I felt that I was in the presence of greatness -- not the egotistical greatness that emanates so often from high achievers, but that of someone who had simply won at life. 'I was a music teacher. I wasn't trying to make a record to compete, I was trying to make a record so the students would have something to remember the experience that we had... I was doing it for the kids.' It was 1973 that Prof. James Benson had self-funded his private press LP for the benefit of the teenage musicians he tutored at Cal Poly, California. The album was a momentous achievement for him and his young protegees, something they were all proud of, and rightly so. Taking inspiration from their recent trip to Africa and blended with the radical jazz associated with the young minds of early '70s black America, the Gow-Dow Experience is a unique foray into the enthusiastic mindset of up-and-coming jazz musicians, as encouraged by their mentor Prof. Benson . . . Comes with four additional tracks taken from the recording session. Until now these tracks have never been heard since the day they were recorded -- believe me, they're worth the wait!" Insert with liner notes and photos provided courtesy of Prof Benson.
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2LP
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JMAN 136LP
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Double LP version. Gatefold. Ten years after our initial survey of Afro-Latin accented rhythm & blues from the mid-century, Jazzman Records presents a fourth installment, packed with as many musical surprises as the first. With music plucked from an era spanning the late 1940s into the early '60s, Jukebox Mambo Volume IV highlights yet again the unparalleled musical creativity of the post war era, and shows how the infusion of Afro-Latin rhythms was key to these revolutions. Lovingly and painstakingly researched and curated, the album boasts 23 tracks, many previously uncompiled, touching on jazz, blues, doo wop, calypso, rock n' roll, gospel, and more. Featuring individual track notes for every song along with some never seen before photographs of the artists, Jukebox Mambo Vol IV maintains the same high production values of each previous volume, and indeed the wider Jazzman catalog. Features Marie Knight and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, The Dundees, The Heartbreakers, Helene Polite, Oscar Pettiford, Bixie Crawford, Preston Love, Mamie Ree, Monchito, Betty Mattson, Effie Smith & Johnny Criner, Titus Turner, The Blasts, The Royals, Eunice Davis, Frank Butler, Mr Bo, Otis Smith, The Dukes Of Rhythm, Innocentay, Lawrence Stone, Lawrence Peel and The Filatones, and Kiki Williams.
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CD
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JMAN 136CD
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Ten years after our initial survey of Afro-Latin accented rhythm & blues from the mid-century, Jazzman Records presents a fourth installment, packed with as many musical surprises as the first. With music plucked from an era spanning the late 1940s into the early '60s, Jukebox Mambo Volume IV highlights yet again the unparalleled musical creativity of the post war era, and shows how the infusion of Afro-Latin rhythms was key to these revolutions. Lovingly and painstakingly researched and curated, the album boasts 23 tracks, many previously uncompiled, touching on jazz, blues, doo wop, calypso, rock n' roll, gospel, and more. Featuring individual track notes for every song along with some never seen before photographs of the artists, Jukebox Mambo Vol IV maintains the same high production values of each previous volume, and indeed the wider Jazzman catalog. Features Marie Knight and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, The Dundees, The Heartbreakers, Helene Polite, Oscar Pettiford, Bixie Crawford, Preston Love, Mamie Ree, Monchito, Betty Mattson, Effie Smith & Johnny Criner, Titus Turner, The Blasts, The Royals, Eunice Davis, Frank Butler, Mr Bo, Otis Smith, The Dukes Of Rhythm, Innocentay, Lawrence Stone, Lawrence Peel and The Filatones, and Kiki Williams.
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CD
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JMAN 133CD
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For the past 20 years Nostalgia 77 has become a catch all for the musical life of Benedic Lamdin. His schizophrenic offerings range from songwriting sessions, soundtracks, excursions into soul, and in this case, jazz. The Loneliest Flower in the Village is an album that sees Lamdin reunited with longtime collaborator and arranger Riaan Vosloo and experienced veterans from a host of Nostalgia 77 projects. "It had been a long time since we'd gigged or recorded so the idea was as much a little reunion in the studio as any grand plan to record an album," says Lamdin. "The idea wasn't to do anything new (the material is both a few originals and a few covers), more just hear these players and their easy familiarity with each other after the disruption of Covid." Playing a clutch of originals by Riaan Vosloo and James Allsopp and covers by long-term influences from South Africa such as Chris McGregor and Abdullah Ibrahim, the emphasis is on strong melodies and open reaches for the soloists. The title track draws upon the song written by South African bassist Johnny Dyani and the result is spectacular; British jazz at heart but awash with references to South Africa and its strong jazz heritage. "I'm pleased to say that I think this record is the best account of how the band (playing in this lineup since about 2010) sounds live. Full of energy and ranging from serene to firing on all cylinders." CD version includes three bonus tracks.
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LP
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JMAN 133LP
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LP version. 180 gram vinyl; flip-back sleeve. For the past 20 years Nostalgia 77 has become a catch all for the musical life of Benedic Lamdin. His schizophrenic offerings range from songwriting sessions, soundtracks, excursions into soul, and in this case, jazz. The Loneliest Flower in the Village is an album that sees Lamdin reunited with longtime collaborator and arranger Riaan Vosloo and experienced veterans from a host of Nostalgia 77 projects. "It had been a long time since we'd gigged or recorded so the idea was as much a little reunion in the studio as any grand plan to record an album," says Lamdin. "The idea wasn't to do anything new (the material is both a few originals and a few covers), more just hear these players and their easy familiarity with each other after the disruption of Covid." Playing a clutch of originals by Riaan Vosloo and James Allsopp and covers by long-term influences from South Africa such as Chris McGregor and Abdullah Ibrahim, the emphasis is on strong melodies and open reaches for the soloists. The title track draws upon the song written by South African bassist Johnny Dyani and the result is spectacular; British jazz at heart but awash with references to South Africa and its strong jazz heritage. "I'm pleased to say that I think this record is the best account of how the band (playing in this lineup since about 2010) sounds live. Full of energy and ranging from serene to firing on all cylinders."
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CD
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JMAN 132CD
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Welsh harpist Amanda Whiting returns on Jazzman Records following on from her successful debut album After Dark (JMAN 125CD/LP, 2021). New explorations and global changing events have led Whiting to Lost in Abstraction. The Reynolds/Thorne/Whiting trio is joined again by the mesmerizing lines of flautist Chip Wickham, resuming their conversation reminiscent of Dorothy Ashby and Frank Wess. Lost in Abstraction was written during a period of the unknown when Whiting, like most, explored her own sense of self. The world paused, with no timeframe, and the fragility of life was laid bare. A time when humanity was left searching for purpose. Freedom and the dependable structures of familiarity were dissolved in most aspects of life. But music stayed constant. Creativity kept weaving its thread, connecting music and its makers in an indissoluble bond. The album explores the questions and realizations whilst confined. The spiritual findings, the playful curiousness and the reflective moments of loss. Whiting's writing indulges the listener with the spiritual ethereal washes of sound demanded of the harp, whilst also embracing her influences across many genres. Classically trained, her roots are evident. But with an emotionally charged energy and spiritual questioning, a new soundscape of modernity has emerged. So often associated with Ashby and Coltrane, the harp finds itself in the hands of a new voice which tells the story of a period of time where the world was unified in reflection. So, what is that feeling when you resonate? When your breath steadies and you let go. Lines no longer restrict or choke. Energies envelop, yet set you free. Are you lost or found? Personnel: Amanda Whiting - harp; Chip Wickham - flute; Aidan Thorne - bass; Jon Reynolds - drums; Baldo Verdú - percussion.
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