March Purchases

Malcolm Catto 10" (1000 copies Worldwide)



Just ordered my copy of this limited 10 Inch from Michael Catto......him of The Heliocentrics.

"SUPER LIMITED! AMAZING PACKAGING! Wow. Production duo MRR-ADM were formerly known as MHE (Sound in Color Records), and not only have they stepped their game up, but they've teamed up with Malcolm Catto of Heliocentrics for a mind-blowing 10" EP. No song titles, no record label, no words. Just 6 tracks of violent drums, dirty analog synths, and dizzying, optical-illusion artwork (in an indescribable foil coated jacket, no less). A modern library record, and with less than 1000 units pressed worldwide, this one could soon be going for as much on the collectors market as the old library records that were used for samples on your favorite hip hop records. Do not sleep on this record." Fat City Records.


These next 2 little beauties were purchased from the every-amazing and always informative Jazzman Website.

Natural Yogurt Band - Voodoo (JM.065)

"We get lots of demos sent to us at Jazzman, and we listen to them all. Some of them are good and worthy of release, but we can’t do everything we just happen to like. But then every few years something comes along that is so good it gets played in the office over and over and over and over again and captivates us completely… and the Natural Yogurt Band is it. The demo album they sent was accompanied by no credentials. There was no promo sheet bragging about the famous DJs who are fronting them, no long CV stating who plays what and who used to play with whoever; no info, no blurb and no gumph.

Natural Yogurt Website.

In other words they just sent me a plain cdr, which is nice, because it’s music that counts, right? So what is it about their demo that we find so intriguing? Well, for starters you can hear real people playing real instruments, which always goes down well at Jazzman. Then there are the original ideas, played out as quirky, innocent instrumentals, and their flawless execution lacks pretence and self-consciousness. You also get the feeling that they are having FUN making their music. And it comes naturally, they’re not trying too hard. Finally when you note their taste and musical style – Italian gangster films, leftfield electronics, Morricone, Alessandroni & Nicolai all rolled into one – you realise that they’ve been listening to the right stuff and making their own auditory visualisation of what’s good. Oddball, leftfield, funky; yet unpretentious and effortless… so you see why we want to share it." (Jazzman Website)

Bill Swift Trio+1 - Chain Of Fools EP (JM12.014)

"Here at Jazzman we work 24/7 to uncover the world’s rarest and best soul, funk ‘n jazz. We find new things all the time, but it’s not often that we come across a completely unknown album of such high quality as that recorded by the Bill Swift Trio + 1. For this 12” EP we’ve selected the best songs – two stunning Aretha Franklin covers and an original slice of real deal funky soul that immediately encourages comparison to the great Spanky Wilson and Marlena Shaw. And all from a humble lounge trio from Texas!

The Bill Swift Trio + 1 were a supper club act who played in a couple of small nightclubs in Fort Worth, Texas in the ‘60s through to the ‘80s. Unless you happened to have been at local hang-outs the Casa Del Sol or the Town Pump at the time, it is unlikely that you would ever have heard of them – the band never travelled past their own city limits. There are countless privately pressed LPs and 45s from similar lounge acts such as this that look promising but contain little of interest – this is not one of those. Funded by a Californian airline pilot who was passing through town and who was impressed enough with the band’s performances to bankroll a studio session, in 1972 the trio teamed up with their regular singer Drenda Barnett to cut a whole LP. Consisting mainly of covers of current pop and RnB hits, with a few originals thrown in for good measure, the LP was pressed to sell at gigs, but unfortunately there wasn’t enough money to print any covers. A few copies were sold off the bandstand, but a coverless album is never easy to sell, and most ended up discarded or forgotten. Now newly discovered, the amazing sound of the Bill Swift Trio and their amazing vocalist Drenda Barnett has finally reached the ears of the world!". (Jazzman Website)

Absolutley loving the 'Day Dreamin' track on side 2.....

Nostalgia 77 - One Offs, Remixes and B-Sides (2xCD)

This generous double CD is a diverse collection of rare gems, complete with an impressive roll-call of collaborators, which displays Lamdin’s flair as producer, remixer, composer and more. Sit back for the perfect collision – between a host of instrumental pieces and a dazzling array of songs that show Lamdin’s more recent move towards lyrical work – drawing on the stellar performances of eminent vocalists including Corinne Bailey Rae, Bajka and new Tru Thoughts signing Lizzy Parks.

Disc 1 opens with the mesmeric “Quiet Dawn” (Examples of Twelves Remix) featuring sultry vocals from Beth Rowley. The Nostalgia 77 remix of “Knee Deep” by TM Juke is another atmospheric proposition, but on the other end of the mood spectrum, cranking up a palpable tension with layer upon layer of creaky strings. All is then blown away on the breeze that is the exclusive instrumental version of Nostalgia 77’s Little Steps, which floats along next to carry you up to that familiar Nostalgia 77 plain somewhere above the clouds.
Wake up though, for Dirty Diggers featuring Nostalgia 77 with “So Grown Up”, Nostalgia composition and Diggers lyrics making a great couple, each adding a new depth to the other [Taken from the Diggers’ album “The Pleasure is All Mine” (Zebra Traffic)]

Continuing to demonstrate the strength in depth among the talent on the Tru Thoughts roster, “Solomon” by Natural Self (Nostalgia 77 Remix) takes another refreshing course. This instrumental is catchy, cheeky, idiosyncratic and irresistible.
The Nostalgia 77 remix of Kinny & Horne’s “Forgetting to Remember” sports a gravelly beat that crunches through the verse like sturdy steps on a stately driveway…spine-tingling stuff. Kinny’s jazzy and exquisite vocal and the deep double bass from Riaan Vosloo add to the dazzling effect of this killer song that is left enhanced but mercifully intact by the remix from Nostalgia 77.

The previously unreleased Nostalgia 77 remix of “In Between The Lines” by Bonobo boasts sizzling drums from Graham Fox, Bajka’s bluesy vocals and the bassiest of sax lines. This gritty, stomping tone and a soaring counter-melody, with vocal harmonies towards the tail end of the track, give rich, intertwining layers. Next, The New Mastersounds’ “Your Love is Mine” featuring Corinne Bailey-Rae (Nostalgia 77 Remix). The vocal from Bailey-Rae is characteristically lush and, amid touches of Funk & Jazz innovation, subtly underpinned by the earthiness of an old time Jazz Standard.

Elizabeth Shepherd’s (Do Right Music) “Reversed” (Nostalgia 77 Remix) adds yet another twist to the tale. Wildflower, by Nostalgia 77 featuring a stunning vocal performance from Lizzy Parks, appeared previously as the B Side to the next track here, a remix of “Quiet Dawn”, provided this time by Bonobo. The countless positive reactions to this as a single were only to be expected from the joining of such maestros. The exclusive Grant Phabao remix of Nostalgia 77’s take on “Seven Nation Army” featuring the mighty vocals of Alice Russell is given a reggae makeover yet retains its irresistible appeal to those bluesy jazz enthusiasts who went wild for this cover version “first” time around.

Disc 2 of this set visits a selection of the finest Nostalgia 77 and Octet material, including live recordings of “The Hope Suite” and the previously unreleased “Nativeland”. “The Moon” by Nostalgia 77 featuring Capstone and Lizzy Parks opens with dreamy keys from Capstone (Wah Wah 45s, Ninja Tune) that conjure up evocative harmonies with the jazzy vocals of new Tru Thoughts signing Lizzy Parks. The bass simmering just under the surface all the way through this track, gives it a smoky haze that pays homage to the Jazz classics of years gone by. “The Grass Harp” by Nostalgia 77 Octet is another previously unreleased number and The Octet’s “Impossible Equation” receives its first and well-deserved CD release, having featured previously on a vinyl only. CD2 also boasts beautiful instrumental versions of Nostalgia 77’s “Eastwind” and “Stop To Make A Change”. (Quoted from the Tru Thoughts Website.)

Nostalgia 77 One Offs, Remixes and B-Sides EP (TRUEP146)

This 12" is a vital sampler for the above double CD....an Absolute Killer.....Does it exactly what it says on the tin....