NEW RELEASES: JAZZANOVA, FARUQ Z BEY, RHETT FRAZIER INC, & PHILLY GUMBO

JAZZANOVA - UPSIDE DOWN

Jazzanova Upside Down – a great little set that features rich reworkings of songs from their excellent Of All The Things album! The core album was probably the greatest thing Jazzanova had done to date – a richly soulful outing that featured some really incredible songwriting – perfect for vocals from singers like Jose James, Paul Randolph, Ben Westbeech, and Phonte – all of whom make appearances here. Yet this time around, the sound is taken back to Jazzanova's roots – that cool, clear style they first had back in their Compost and early Sonar Kollektiv days – a time when they were one of the most revolutionary acts on the European scene. The step backwards is actually a move forward as well – thanks to help from great collaborators throughout – in a lineup that features "Dance The Dance" remixed by Atjazz, "Little Bird" remixed by Alex Barck, "Let Me Show Ya" remixed by Henrik Schwarz, "Glow & Glare" remixed by Ame, "Lucky Girl" remixed by Neve Naïve, "Lie" remixed by Soldiers Of House, "Boom Clicky Boom Klack" remixed by Mr Scruff, and "Look What You're Doin To Me" remixed by Motor City Drum Ensemble.

FARUQ Z BEY - PRIMAL WATERS

A recent recording from the legendary Faruq Z Bey – working here with the highly creative Northwoods Improvisers! Bey's tenor and alto are very much at the front of the recording, but the album also really draws a lot from the other players in the group – the vibes of Mike Gilmore, bass of Mike Johnston, drums and log drum of Nick Ashton, and additional reeds of Mike Carey and Skeeter CR Shelton – who all work with Faruq in ways that almost seem more structured than before – really held together with a great sense of composition on the longer tunes, while still stretching out with some freedom on the solos. The blend – possibly because of the bold use of vibes – reminds us a lot of the Chicago work coming from artists like Mike Reed or Jason Adasiewicz – and titles include "Kins", "Primal Waters", "Talon", and "Kuthuhlpa". (Limited edition.)

RHETT FRAZIER INC - EVERY DAY IS SATURDAY

Some of the best blue-eyed soul we've heard in recent years – especially the funky variety! Rhett Frazier really surprised us with his last album, and he sounds even better here – working with musical partner Donny Gruendler in a really classic-styled batch of grooves that clearly draw inspiration from older sources like Hi Records and Curtom, yet which also deliver the goods with a lean, stripped-down vibe that's just right for Frazier's vocals! The album packs way more of a punch than you'd guess from the package and price – and Rhett's one of those singers who could well be huge if he ever gets the right sort of exposure in the mainstream. Titles include "Private Hell", "Secret Places", "Elephant Walk", "Burying Ground", "Workin", "Hard Man", "WTH", and "Every Day Is Saturday".

PHILLY GUMBO - COME AND GET IT

A Philly group with a New Orleans-tinged name – but one who work in a hard deep funk mode all the way through! There's less of the Crescent City modes than you'd expect from the cover – but that's OK with us, because in their place are some tight classic funk modes strongly influenced by the best of the late 60s and early 70s – a vibe that would be right at home in the Daptone or Soul Fire universe! Lead singer India Rex has a classic bad sister funk approach – one that sits mighty nice over the group's tight rhythms, fierce organ, choppy guitar, and soulful sax. Titles include nice covers of "No No No", "Slipped Tripped & Fell In Love", and "What A Man" – plus the tunes "People Gonna Talk", "I'm Not Gonna Cry", "My Man He's A Lovin Man", and "She Caught The Katy.”

Source: Dusty Groove