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viewing 1 To 25 of 242 items
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NA 5175LP
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"Essential spiritual jazz originally issued on the lauded Strata-East label. Magical, mystical, Afrocentric, progressive -- words that could be used to describe any number of musical compositions by Sun Ra or his cosmic brothers and sisters, from John to Alice Coltrane, early '70s projects on record labels like Detroit's Tribe or Houston's Lightin' or the interests of one Washington, DC native named Jimmy Gray that centered under one, perfect moniker: Black Fire. Gray spent nearly three decades pushing boundaries as a Black American promoter, distributor and, finally, record label owner. Together with Oneness of Juju's leader James 'Plunky Nkabinde' Branch, Gray oversaw sixteen releases on Black Fire Records between 1975 and 1996. These are the definitive reissues of five of the label's key titles; all were lacquered -- most directly from master tape - by legendary Los Angeles mastering engineer Bernie Grundman, With this set, Oneness Of Juju and Black Fire's story burns forth into its fifth decade, its message not tempered, its sound pure. It's cycle, once again, complete. Each release is packaged in a thick, tip-on sleeve and includes a deluxe booklet with extensive notes on the album, the Black Fire collective, and the musical and cultural revolution they created. Limited edition, one time pressing."
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NA 5178LP
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"Now-Again Records presents limited edition deluxe reissues of the lauded black fire catalog in 2020. First up in the series, this previously unreleased live session recorded at the legendary Brooklyn venue The East in 1973. Magical, mystical, Afrocentric, progressive -- words that could be used to describe any number of musical compositions by Sun Ra or his cosmic brothers and sisters, from John to Alice Coltrane, early '70s projects on record labels like Detroit's Tribe or Houston's Lightin' or the interests of one Washington, DC native named Jimmy Gray that centered under one, perfect moniker: Black Fire. Gray spent nearly three decades pushing boundaries as a Black American promoter, distributor and, finally, record label owner. Together with Juju's leader James 'Plunky Nkabinde' Branch, Gray oversaw sixteen releases on Black Fire Records between 1975 and 1996. These are the definitive reissues of five of the label's key titles; all were lacquered -- most directly from master tape -- by legendary Los Angeles mastering engineer Bernie Grundman. With this set, Juju and Black Fire's story burns forth into its fifth decade, its message not tempered, its sound pure. It's cycle, once again, complete. Each release is packaged in a thick, tip-on sleeve and includes a deluxe booklet with extensive notes on the album, the Black Fire collective, and the musical and cultural revolution they created. Limited edition, one time pressing."
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2CD
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NA 5190CD
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"Trombonist, bandleader, songwriter, arranger and producer James Reese never issued an album with his Progressions band, only a series of 45s -- some under his own name, some under that of his collaborators -- out of Spartanburg, South Carolina on his Najma label, from the late 1960s until the mid-1970s. He was as ambitious as he was talented, and his ouevre ranges from brutal, deep soul to sophisticated instrumental ballads to jazz-inflected funk. Now-Again's Egon first discovered Reese's music on a 24 lock-in in Concord, North Carolina's legendary record and antique clock repository, Ye Olde Clock Shoppe, in 1999. After he tracked down Reese, he officially reissued two of Reese's songs on his seminal Stones Throw anthology The Funky 16 Corners. He later issued more of Reese's music on the Now-Again anthology Loving On The Flipside. Sourced from rare 45s and multi-track master tapes, Wait For Me: The Complete Works 1967-1972 presents both issued and recently-rediscovered songs in the full-length format, in a cohesive set that shows the brilliance still arising from the American soul and funk sub-strata. Long time Now-Again associate Kenny Dope presents a remix of the song 'Throwing Stones', and Now-Again mastering engineer Jason Bitner presents alternate mixes of various cuts. These mixes included as a bonus CD version, which also comes bundled with an extensive booklet detailing the trajectory of Reese and his band."
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NA 5190LP
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LP version. Includes download card for WAV files included with the LP. "Trombonist, bandleader, songwriter, arranger and producer James Reese never issued an album with his Progressions band, only a series of 45s -- some under his own name, some under that of his collaborators -- out of Spartanburg, South Carolina on his Najma label, from the late 1960s until the mid-1970s. He was as ambitious as he was talented, and his ouevre ranges from brutal, deep soul to sophisticated instrumental ballads to jazz-inflected funk. Now-Again's Egon first discovered Reese's music on a 24 lock-in in Concord, North Carolina's legendary record and antique clock repository, Ye Olde Clock Shoppe, in 1999. After he tracked down Reese, he officially reissued two of Reese's songs on his seminal Stones Throw anthology The Funky 16 Corners. He later issued more of Reese's music on the Now-Again anthology Loving On The Flipside. Sourced from rare 45s and multi-track master tapes, Wait For Me: The Complete Works 1967-1972 presents both issued and recently-rediscovered songs in the full-length format, in a cohesive set that shows the brilliance still arising from the American soul and funk sub-strata. Long time Now-Again associate Kenny Dope presents a remix of the song 'Throwing Stones', and Now-Again mastering engineer Jason Bitner presents alternate mixes of various cuts."
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NA 5196CD
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"Platinum recording artist and unapologetic soul singer Eamon is set to release his new album Captive Thoughts on Now-Again Records. After his ambitious and critically acclaimed 2017 album Golden Rail Motel, Eamon's new record feels like an even deeper expression of the lost art of the singer's ability to make the listener feel every single lyric. 'Simply put, I'm singing every note as if my life depends on it' says Eamon through a thick Staten Island accent that hasn't faded since relocating to Los Angeles. Now-Again Records was so impressed with Eamon's Golden Rail Motel that they approached the singer and offered him a unique deal: he could comb through their vast catalog of songs from the 60's and 70's in order to sample music to create an album of his own. At first working with Stoupe, the producer from legendary hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks, Eamon would stay up late into the night sifting through sample upon sample in search of the perfect fit for the album. Eamon then approached his steadfast producers Benj Heard and Snipe Young with seven songs to tackle together. The end result was something fresh and forward looking but also a throwback to the golden era of soul music. While many will remember Eamon for his groundbreaking song 'Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back)', the music he has recorded since his comeback from his decade-long hiatus represent the evolution from a controversial kid to a dynamic and respected artist. Captive Thoughts channels Eamon's childhood performing in his father's doo wop group, his immersion in 1990's New York hip hop, his obsession of classic soul music, and the intense lyricism and performances of Golden Rail Motel into one, cohesive album that is capable of moving the listener in unexpected ways. Eamon's voice communicates the highs and lows of being human with his unforgettable style. This record, like the songs it samples, is here to stay."
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LP
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NA 5183LP
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"Born in 1938, and raised in Glendale, California, Lloyd Miller has had one of the most unusual careers in all of jazz. By age 12 he had declared an intent to make his living as a jazz musician, and by high school he had already begun to experiment, shunning swing music's mechanical perfection, and chafing at his parents' desire for him to nurture his talents with formal training. This tumultous relationship with his parents would eventually lead to a stint in a psychatric hospital, before reuniting with them in moving to Iran, his father having accepted a job working for the Shah. Stops in Hong Kong, Japan and Pakistan on the way to Iran deepened Miller's connection to other cultures he'd first felt while listening to old world music compilations. He felt a definite calm and peace, an immense respect from everyone towards everyone else, and immersed himself in other cultures and languages immediately. Miller spent a year in Iran with his family, picking up Farsi after a few short months, and steadily gaining more and more of an appreciation for how deep the roots of Persian art run. However, still committed to his decision forge a career in jazz, Lloyd left Tehran in 1958 to head to Europe to see if he could make a living from jazz music. Miller kicked around the continent, first in Germany, then in Switzerland, Sweden and Brussels. He collaborated and performed alongside 60s jazz legend Jef Gilson, and experimented with exotic instrumentation before returning to America to resume his studies at Brigham Young University in Utah. In the years following his stint with Gilson, Miller had become more and more disillusioned with both modern music and modern society, which had ashewed jazz for rock music, which he detested. In Miller's conception, for a music to have value it had to have a deep connection to a tradition, specifically connecting jazz to African lore. To Miller, something like 'Tuareg African music is blues, just with no chord changes.' Oriental Jazz was recorded, compiled and self-released in 1968 while Miller was studying at Brigham Young. The record, originally pressed in a quantity of 300 copies, sought to combine a cool, modal style with the exotic arrays of instruments and styles that Miller had picked up during his travels. Miller included songs he'd cut with Gilson in his Parisian studio years before, and a solo piano piece that he recorded in one of the school's practice rooms. Despite Lloyd's professed aversion to modernity, there nevertheless is something strikingly new sounding about this music, which fits together in startling juxtapositions. Traces of Bill Evans, Stan Getz and Jimmy Giuffre rub shoulders with Persian santur, Arab oud and Turkish saz music. Copies of Oriental Jazz languished in Miller's home for years after numerous failed bids for record contracts, before finally ending up in the hands of record collectors decades later. After its release however, he would find a second life after returning to Iran, doing field recordings, and eventually hosting a weekly television show that programmed both American jazz and the best traditional Persian musicians he could find. It was not to last however, as he abruptly abandoned the country to return to the US in the late 1970s, predicting the arrival of the Islamic Revolution."
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CD
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NA 5189CD
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"Here it is, rumored no more: the demo Bootsy Collins and his band recorded for James Brown in 1969 that won them the title 'The J.B.'s' -- and changed the course of popular music. Also included is the complete version of 'When You Feel It, Grunt If You Can,' presenting two never-issued songs in a 22-minute medley, and the unreleased instrumental 'The Wedge.' The companion piece to Now-Again's first-ever issue of the lost J.B.'s album These Are The J.B.'s. All tracks mixed by Mario Caldato, directly from Brown's original multi-track masters."
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LP
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NA 5189LP
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RSD Black Friday 2019 release. "The funk starts here. Here it is, rumored no more: the demo Bootsy Collins and his band recorded for James Brown in 1969 that won them the title 'The J.B.'s' -- and changed the course of popular music. Also included is the complete version of 'When You Feel It, Grunt If You Can,' presenting two never-issued songs in a 22-minute medley, and the unreleased instrumental 'The Wedge.' The companion piece to Now-Again's first-ever issue of the lost J.B.'s album These Are The J.B.'s. All tracks mixed by Mario Caldato, directly from Brown's original multi-track masters. Contains extensive booklet with full annotation, liner notes by Brown historian Alan Leeds and never-before-published photos."
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NA 5188LP
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"The re-discovered third album by India's best known psychedelic-rock ensemble, presented in its entirety. The companion piece our Atomic Forest anthology Obsession. Covers of Deodato, Stevie Wonder and 'Spectrum,' the heaviest Indian psych-funk jam unearthed to date. Over the course of four years, culminating in 2011, we at Now-Again Records assembled the Atomic Forest anthology Obsession, which delved into and told the story of India's 70s rock underground and this psychedelic ensemble's story. At the time we issued Obsession, we were not aware of the third album that the Atomic Forest had recorded, issued under Kanga's name as Disco Roar. When it came to our attention, we figured that we owed it to anyone entranced by this hard-to-believe, underground, Indian rock scene to issue this, the first album that the Atomic Forest recorded. 'That Disco Roar album was the first time we were doing anything like that. It was the first thing we did. It progressed into the Hit Film Themes album. Then these guys came with more commercial potential songs (which became Obsession '77). But originally it was just a band, the live performances that we did, that made us very popular, these simple songs,' guitarist Abraham Mammen recalls. Atomic Forest's story stands in for the untold stories of many of India's underground bands, bands remembered vividly by those who witnessed their performances, bands that often homemade, cassette recordings -- that have been lost to time. Mammen, now a traveling preacher splitting his time between India and the United States, reflects on the unlikely reissue of the Atomic Forest's recordings: 'What's left of the Atomic Forest? It's just like smoke: smoke on the water.' With the release of Disco Roar, that smoke keeps rising."
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2LP
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NA 5180LP
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Double LP version. Gatefold jacket with OBI. Contains a 24 page booklet with extensive liner notes and photos. Download card for WAV files of the album and bonus tracks. "Sometimes, all it takes is one man to recognize a city's potential for an industry. In Indianapolis, that man was Herb Miller, and his business was soul and funk. He came to prominence long after Indy's allure as a jazz destination waned. He founded LAMP Records in the late 1960s to wake Naptown from its musical slumber. Miller served a critical role in city's burgeoning soul and funk scene, providing not only financial backing, but acting as a one-stop, record-making shop for artists that had, to that point, been doing it all themselves. He's the Berry Gordy you've never heard of. His roster -- national acts like the Vanguards and Ebony Rhythm Band alongside talented, regional acts such as the Moonlighters, Montiques, Pearls and the Words of Wisdom Truth Revue -- rivaled that of any American independent and paved the way for the ascension of 80s and 90s hitmakers Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds and Antonio 'L.A.' Reid, both of whom cut their teeth with LAMP alumnus."
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4CD
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NA 5180CD
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"Sometimes, all it takes is one man to recognize a city's potential for an industry. In Indianapolis, that man was Herb Miller, and his business was soul and funk. He came to prominence long after Indy's allure as a jazz destination waned. He founded LAMP Records in the late 1960s to wake Naptown from its musical slumber. Miller served a critical role in city's burgeoning soul and funk scene, providing not only financial backing, but acting as a one-stop, record-making shop for artists that had, to that point, been doing it all themselves. He's the Berry Gordy you've never heard of. His roster -- national acts like the Vanguards and Ebony Rhythm Band alongside talented, regional acts such as the Moonlighters, Montiques, Pearls and the Words of Wisdom Truth Revue -- rivaled that of any American independent and paved the way for the ascension of 80s and 90s hitmakers Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds and Antonio 'L.A.' Reid, both of whom cut their teeth with LAMP alumnus."
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NA 5187LP
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"Comes packaged in a gatefold jacket with a 28-page booklet. Earth Rot is visionary composer/arranger/producer David Axelrod's third album, and the last of his Capitol trilogy. Recorded as a concept album about the decrepit state of the environment in 1970 Los Angeles, and scheduled for release on the first Earth Day, it marks a departure for Axelrod's signature sound, which would take on a jazzier feel in the 1970s. The instrumental version of Earth Rot was first issued by Now-Again, overseen by the label's Eothen Alapatt in conjunction with Axelrod's estate as a limited double LP offering. The instrumentals are now available for the first time ever as a stand-alone LP. The master was approved by Axelrod's son Michael, who adapted ancient lyrics for the album in one of three collaborative projects he did with his father. Contains a 28-page booklet that delves into Axelrod's incredible life and music, replete with never before published photos and an interview. 'There are very few people who see the Grand Picture of the Universe and understand the Nothingness that it all comes from. There are even fewer who can express these ideas through music -- David could do it all.' --T-Ray"
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NA 5186LP
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"Comes packaged in a gatefold jacket with a 28-page booklet. Earth Rot is visionary composer/arranger/producer David Axelrod's third album, and the last of his Capitol trilogy. Recorded as a concept album about the decrepit state of the environment in 1970 Los Angeles, and scheduled for release on the first Earth Day, it features choral vocals and marks a departure for Axelrod's signature sound, which would take on a jazzier feel in the 1970s. This definitive version of Earth Rot, overseen by Now-Again's Eothen Alapatt in conjunction with Axelrod's Estate, fulfills a request Axelrod made while alive -- to see the instrumentals of this album, never before released, issued. They see release here as the second half of a deluxe CD reissue. This is an audiophile reissue, with the vocal version transferred directly from Axelrod's original master tapes at Capitol Records by Ron McMaster. The master was approved by Axelrod's son Michael, who adapted ancient lyrics for the album in one of three collaborative projects he did with his father. Contains a 32 page booklet that delves into Axelrod's incredible life and music, replete with never before published photos and an interview. "There are very few people who see the Grand Picture of the Universe and understand the Nothingness that it all comes from. There are even fewer who can express these ideas through music -- David could do it all.' --T-Ray"
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NA 5185CD
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"A rock concept album, as progressive as it is psychedelic, recorded by a 17-year-old Tom Nehls and his high school friends in Minneapolis over a three-month period in late 1972. Nehls original notes describe his influences: The Beatles, Zappa, Tolkien. But that amalgamation cannot prepare you for the depths that this wunderkind explored with first-time engineer Paul Stark, who would later co-found Twin/Tone Records and sign and develop punk legends The Replacements and dozens of other bands. Stark privately-pressed 1000 copies of I Always Catch The Third Second Of A Yellow Light and gave them to Nehls, who hand glued photo copied artwork on the front and back cover of the album and tried to sell copies to his high school friends. Shortly thereafter, 900 copies were destroyed when his parents' basement flooded, Nehls went off to college, and his masterpiece was left, undiscovered and unappreciated, until fringe vinyl collectors in the early 1990s found and shared a handful of copies. Nehls' album has gone on to be a welcome addition to the genre Paul Major called 'Real People Music'; a wonderful and sincere exploration of the human predicament that reveals more of itself with each listen. Mastered from a flat transfer of Stark's original master tapes, this is the best that this album has ever sounded. The Now-Again Reserve Edition of I Always Catch The Third Second Of A Yellow Light possesses a fidelity that Nehls' rare original didn't." 2CD, fold out eco-wallet. Nearly an hour of unreleased music on disc two. Contains a 24 page booklet with Nehls story told in great detail, with never before published photos.
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NA 5185LP
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LP version. Gatefold jacket with obi. Hand taped front and back covers, an homage to Nehls' hand assembled original. Contains a 16 page booklet with Nehls story told in great detail, with never before published photos. Download card for WAV files of the album and unreleased music. "A rock concept album, as progressive as it is psychedelic, recorded by a 17-year-old Tom Nehls and his high school friends in Minneapolis over a three-month period in late 1972. Nehls original notes describe his influences: The Beatles, Zappa, Tolkien. But that amalgamation cannot prepare you for the depths that this wunderkind explored with first-time engineer Paul Stark, who would later co-found Twin/Tone Records and sign and develop punk legends The Replacements and dozens of other bands. Stark privately-pressed 1000 copies of I Always Catch The Third Second Of A Yellow Light and gave them to Nehls, who hand glued photo copied artwork on the front and back cover of the album and tried to sell copies to his high school friends. Shortly thereafter, 900 copies were destroyed when his parents' basement flooded, Nehls went off to college, and his masterpiece was left, undiscovered and unappreciated, until fringe vinyl collectors in the early 1990s found and shared a handful of copies. Nehls' album has gone on to be a welcome addition to the genre Paul Major called 'Real People Music'; a wonderful and sincere exploration of the human predicament that reveals more of itself with each listen. Mastered from a flat transfer of Stark's original master tapes, this is the best that this album has ever sounded. The Now-Again Reserve Edition of I Always Catch The Third Second Of A Yellow Light possesses a fidelity that Nehls' rare original didn't."
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CD
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NA 5182CD
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"Sho is Funky Down Here and The Grodeck Whipperjenny are a pair of albums that are the result of an unlikely but highly productive musical relationship between James Brown, a superstar at the creative and commercial peaks of his long career, and David Matthews, a then young arranger-musician whose limited professional experience had little or nothing to do with the funk and soul of his collaborator. James Brown's psychedelic album, created by his then-bandleader David Matthews, and issued at the same time as Matthews' classic The Grodeck Whipperjenny. Underground, fuzzy, rambling psych-funk. The genesis of Brown's 'Talking Loud And Saying Nothing,' a 1990s hip hop sample staple, informing A Tribe Called Quest, Large Professor, Brand Nubian and others. Both albums were lacquered directly from the original master tapes at Capitol Studios. This is the first official reissue of both of these rare titles. Each album contains an extensive booklet with full annotation, liner notes by Brown historian Alan Leeds and never-before-published photos."
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NA 5181CD
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"Sho is Funky Down Here and The Grodeck Whipperjenny are a pair of albums that are the result of an unlikely but highly productive musical relationship between James Brown, a superstar at the creative and commercial peaks of his long career, and David Matthews, a then young arranger-musician whose limited professional experience had little or nothing to do with the funk and soul of his collaborator. James Brown's psychedelic album, created by his then-bandleader David Matthews, and issued at the same time as Matthews' classic The Grodeck Whipperjenny. Underground, fuzzy, rambling psych-funk. The genesis of Brown's 'Talking Loud And Saying Nothing,' a 1990s hip hop sample staple, informing A Tribe Called Quest, Large Professor, Brand Nubian and others. Both albums were lacquered directly from the original master tapes at Capitol Studios. This is the first official reissue of both of these rare titles. Each album contains an extensive booklet with full annotation, liner notes by Brown historian Alan Leeds and never-before-published photos."
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NA 5182LP
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RSD 2019 release. "Sho is Funky Down Here and The Grodeck Whipperjenny are a pair of albums that are the result of an unlikely but highly productive musical relationship between James Brown, a superstar at the creative and commercial peaks of his long career, and David Matthews, a then young arranger-musician whose limited professional experience had little or nothing to do with the funk and soul of his collaborator. James Brown's psychedelic album, created by his then-bandleader David Matthews, and issued at the same time as Matthews' classic The Grodeck Whipperjenny. Underground, fuzzy, rambling psych-funk. The genesis of Brown's 'Talking Loud And Saying Nothing,' a 1990s hip hop sample staple, informing A Tribe Called Quest, Large Professor, Brand Nubian and others. Both albums were lacquered directly from the original master tapes at Capitol Studios. This is the first official reissue of both of these rare titles. Each album contains an extensive booklet with full annotation, liner notes by Brown historian Alan Leeds and never-before-published photos."
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NA 5181LP
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Repressed. "Sho is Funky Down Here and The Grodeck Whipperjenny are a pair of albums that are the result of an unlikely but highly productive musical relationship between James Brown, a superstar at the creative and commercial peaks of his long career, and David Matthews, a then young arranger-musician whose limited professional experience had little or nothing to do with the funk and soul of his collaborator. James Brown's psychedelic album, created by his then-bandleader David Matthews, and issued at the same time as Matthews' classic The Grodeck Whipperjenny. Underground, fuzzy, rambling psych-funk. The genesis of Brown's 'Talking Loud And Saying Nothing,' a 1990s hip hop sample staple, informing A Tribe Called Quest, Large Professor, Brand Nubian and others. Both albums were lacquered directly from the original master tapes at Capitol Studios. This is the first official reissue of both of these rare titles. Each album contains an extensive booklet with full annotation, liner notes by Brown historian Alan Leeds and never-before-published photos."
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NA 5184CD
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"Kraut-jazz-rock produced by JJ Whitefield (Poets of Rhythm/Whitefield Brothers). The long-standing band's third album. Featuring Marja Burchard (Embryo). It's been over ten years since Karl Hector and the Malcouns' Sahara Swing saw release on Now-Again in 2008. The album swung with influences from across the African diaspora and set the stage for a cult, but influential following. Hermes designer Christophe Lemaire picked tracks from Karl Hector and The Malcouns as amongst his favorites in the Now-Again catalog, and included them on his Where Are You From anthology. Festival promoters intrigued by the possibility of resurrecting the careers of once forgotten African mavericks -- from Ghana's Ebo Taylor to the progenitors of Zambia's Zamrock scene -- brought Hector and crew across Europe playing festivals for ecstatic fans. Producer JJ Whitefield even founded an Afro-Rock band, Johnny!, with Taylor's son Henry. Unstraight Ahead, their sophomore release from 2014, found the band exploring territories even outside of the expansive scope of Sahara Swing: West African sounds of Ghana and Mali met the East African sounds of Mulatu Astatke's Ethiopian jazz, tied together with the groove heavy experimentalism of The Malcouns' 70s Krautrock godfathers: Can, of course, but also more obscure and equally adventurous groups like Agitation Free, Ibliss and Tomorrow's Gift. 'We look to Middle Eastern funk and psychedelic fusions, and to various ethnic records for sound and phrasing,' Whitefield stated at the time of Unstraight Ahead's release. 'We're trying to combine the global experimentalism of Krautrock with the backbeat of funk.' Non Ex Orbis, the band's third studio album, digs deeper into the Krautrock history embedded deep in the soil of their native Munich - three of the most influential bands of the 1970s experimental German rock scene sprung from there: Amon Düül, Popol Vuh and Embryo. Influenced by these musical heroes, Whitefield shapes a sound that takes the experimental approach of the classic Krautrock era and slides between beat-heavy drone and spacey, prog-rock suites. Marja Burchard, daughter of Embryo mastermind Christian Burchard, fronts the group on keyboard, vibraphone and other-worldly vocals. Al Markovic joins longstanding Malcoun Zdenko Curilija to round out the ensemble. Non Ex Orbis, read by Whitefield and the band as Out Of This World, symbolizes an innocent way of composing and improvising music, free from the influences of our contemporary environment, preserving a childlike way of hearing sounds in their unfiltered purity."
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NA 5184LP
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LP version; includes download card. "Kraut-jazz-rock produced by JJ Whitefield (Poets of Rhythm/Whitefield Brothers). The long-standing band's third album. Featuring Marja Burchard (Embryo). It's been over ten years since Karl Hector and the Malcouns' Sahara Swing saw release on Now-Again in 2008. The album swung with influences from across the African diaspora and set the stage for a cult, but influential following. Hermes designer Christophe Lemaire picked tracks from Karl Hector and The Malcouns as amongst his favorites in the Now-Again catalog, and included them on his Where Are You From anthology. Festival promoters intrigued by the possibility of resurrecting the careers of once forgotten African mavericks ? from Ghana's Ebo Taylor to the progenitors of Zambia's Zamrock scene ? brought Hector and crew across Europe playing festivals for ecstatic fans. Producer JJ Whitefield even founded an Afro-Rock band, Johnny!, with Taylor's son Henry. Unstraight Ahead, their sophomore release from 2014, found the band exploring territories even outside of the expansive scope of Sahara Swing: West African sounds of Ghana and Mali met the East African sounds of Mulatu Astatke's Ethiopian jazz, tied together with the groove heavy experimentalism of The Malcouns' 70s Krautrock godfathers: Can, of course, but also more obscure and equally adventurous groups like Agitation Free, Ibliss and Tomorrow's Gift. 'We look to Middle Eastern funk and psychedelic fusions, and to various ethnic records for sound and phrasing,' Whitefield stated at the time of Unstraight Ahead's release. 'We're trying to combine the global experimentalism of Krautrock with the backbeat of funk.' Non Ex Orbis, the band's third studio album, digs deeper into the Krautrock history embedded deep in the soil of their native Munich - three of the most influential bands of the 1970s experimental German rock scene sprung from there: Amon Düül, Popol Vuh and Embryo. Influenced by these musical heroes, Whitefield shapes a sound that takes the experimental approach of the classic Krautrock era and slides between beat-heavy drone and spacey, prog-rock suites. Marja Burchard, daughter of Embryo mastermind Christian Burchard, fronts the group on keyboard, vibraphone and other-worldly vocals. Al Markovic joins longstanding Malcoun Zdenko Curilija to round out the ensemble. Non Ex Orbis, read by Whitefield and the band as Out Of This World, symbolizes an innocent way of composing and improvising music, free from the influences of our contemporary environment, preserving a childlike way of hearing sounds in their unfiltered purity."
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2CD
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NA 5174CD
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Now-Again Reserve series. "Al Manfredi is the father of hip-hop producer Exile, and Blue Gold is his little-known West Coast rock masterpiece from 1973. Manfredi's dreams of securing a record deal with this album faded, but he spent the rest of his life recording music. This version of the album was overseen by Exile. Born into a musical family Al Manfredi started writing songs when he was child. As a teenager in 1965, he formed the Nuts & Bolts in the small beach town of San Clemente, California. Inspired by the Kinks, the Beatles and the Byrds, the group separated themselves from the pack by also performing original material written by Manfredi and band mate Mike Ingram. In late 1966 they changed their name to the Lost & Found and relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, where they cut a rare single, 'Don't Move Girl' b/w 'To Catch the Sun,' which now commands high coin from '60s garage collectors. When they returned to San Clemente in early 1967 their music had taken a more psychedelic direction. The Lost & Found were riding high that year, until tragedy struck. Ingram was found hanged under suspicious circumstances and soon after Lost & Found drummer Mike Ryer died of cancer at the age of 19. Heartbroken, Manfredi gave up on the band scene completely and moved to Garden Grove to teach at his family's music store. But alone, behind closed doors, he kept writing songs and working on his music, recording hours of tapes, often tracking all the instruments himself. In 1973 he chose six of his best songs, some of them written back in the Lost & Found days, and had them custom-pressed as an LP. Only a handful of copies were pressed, and most of these were sent out to various record companies in the hope of landing a deal. Despite the outstanding quality of the music, there were no takers. But decades later, collectors discovered the Al Manfredi album and hailed it a West Coast rock masterpiece. In his Acid Archives book, Patrick Lundborg called its discovery a deus ex machina and compared it to David Crosby's first solo album and Hawaii-era Merrell Fankhauser, 'not just the acutely captured mellowness, but the self-confidence and the talent.' This little-known West Coast rock masterpiece was rediscovered and celebrated by Acid Archives founder Patrick Lundborg and others around the time that Manfredi died in 1995. This version of the album, overseen by Manfredi's son Exile, and with Manfredi's story told by Ugly Things' founder Mike Stax, presents the complete package of an incredible lost and found artist."
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LP
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NA 5174LP
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Now-Again Reserve series. LP version. Gatefold sleeve; Extensive, photo-filled booklet documents the history of the band, their mission, and their arc; Download card included for WAV files, including bonus tracks. "Al Manfredi is the father of hip-hop producer Exile, and Blue Gold is his little-known West Coast rock masterpiece from 1973. Manfredi's dreams of securing a record deal with this album faded, but he spent the rest of his life recording music. This version of the album was overseen by Exile. Born into a musical family Al Manfredi started writing songs when he was child. As a teenager in 1965, he formed the Nuts & Bolts in the small beach town of San Clemente, California. Inspired by the Kinks, the Beatles and the Byrds, the group separated themselves from the pack by also performing original material written by Manfredi and band mate Mike Ingram. In late 1966 they changed their name to the Lost & Found and relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, where they cut a rare single, 'Don't Move Girl' b/w 'To Catch the Sun,' which now commands high coin from '60s garage collectors. When they returned to San Clemente in early 1967 their music had taken a more psychedelic direction. The Lost & Found were riding high that year, until tragedy struck. Ingram was found hanged under suspicious circumstances and soon after Lost & Found drummer Mike Ryer died of cancer at the age of 19. Heartbroken, Manfredi gave up on the band scene completely and moved to Garden Grove to teach at his family's music store. But alone, behind closed doors, he kept writing songs and working on his music, recording hours of tapes, often tracking all the instruments himself. In 1973 he chose six of his best songs, some of them written back in the Lost & Found days, and had them custom-pressed as an LP. Only a handful of copies were pressed, and most of these were sent out to various record companies in the hope of landing a deal. Despite the outstanding quality of the music, there were no takers. But decades later, collectors discovered the Al Manfredi album and hailed it a West Coast rock masterpiece. In his Acid Archives book, Patrick Lundborg called its discovery a deus ex machina and compared it to David Crosby's first solo album and Hawaii-era Merrell Fankhauser, 'not just the acutely captured mellowness, but the self-confidence and the talent.' This little-known West Coast rock masterpiece was rediscovered and celebrated by Acid Archives founder Patrick Lundborg and others around the time that Manfredi died in 1995. This version of the album, overseen by Manfredi's son Exile, and with Manfredi's story told by Ugly Things' founder Mike Stax, presents the complete package of an incredible lost and found artist."
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8LP
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NA 5159LP
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Limited bundled edition, 100 copies made. "Revolutionary, spiritual jazz bandleader, drummer, and activist from Houston. This is the definitive box set of his four classic albums with his Lightmen band, each mastered from the original tapes, expanded with bonus tracks and alternate mixes. Bubbha Thomas had toured America with R&B revues, served as a session musician for Peacock and Back Beat Records, and played straight ahead jazz with legends before the political and social upheaval of the late 1960s led him to a path first charted by Coltrane. His first set of self-issued albums predated the deep-set, maverick jazz issued by the likes of Tribe and Strata East and were a harbinger of best of the 1970s jazz underground. Over the course of the decade, he contributed to a collective voice of resistance to the musical and cultural status quo that is just beginning to be understood. Each album contains 2LPs and comes with a download card for WAV files, and footage of live performances included. Booklet detailing Thomas and his band's remarkable trajectory also included in the set. Album details below. Includes: Free As You Wanna Be, Fancy Pants, Energy Control Center, and Country Fried Chicken."
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LP
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NA 5173LP
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"They have been known to deep soul, funk and disco collectors for decades for their sought after 7" 'Watching Out/Dazed,' long thought to be the band's only recordings. Egon tracked down Split Decision Band's vocalist and songwriter Gordon Starr Flipping in the hopes of more and got it -- with Split Decision Band, Now-Again presents an album of devastatingly good disco and boogie from the unlikely city of Des Moines, Iowa. Flipping's collaborations with Prince's stable made him a Midwestern legend, but his band's music is more than an urban tall tale -- this album finally proves to the world their merits."
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