A real charmer from Bobby Hutcherson – and a set that features his vibes in a quartet with great Hammond from Joey DeFrancesco! We haven't heard Hutcherson with organ in many years – and the pairing is a wonderful treat, and really takes us back to some of his Blue Note moments of the mid 60s – a period that Joey seems to reference strongly with some soaring Larry Young-like lines on the Hammond! The tracks are nice and long, and have a solidly modal approach to rhythm – and the group also features Peter Bernstein on guitar and Byron Landham on drums. Titles include a great take on Hutcherson's classic "Little B's Poem" – plus "Wise One", "SKJ", "Teddy", "Somewhere In The Night", and "Take The Coltrane". ~ Dusty Groove
Lovely sounds on the kora from Dawda Jobarteh – a player with a touch that's light, and pretty rhythmic too – a wonderful complement to his work on percussion and vocals as well! The set's got a really crisp feel, yet still retains all the best rootsy elements of the music – kind of an update of a timeless quality, yet in ways that never make things sound commercial at all – just a testament to the undying power of the music of the mandingo! Titles include "Namo", "Tama Silo", "Bamba Bojang", "Yankouba", "Mbassi", "Tabara", "Nkankele", and "Sama Kebbalu". ~ Dusty Groove
Some of the most brilliantly baroque work ever recorded by Marcos Valle – an obscure 1970 album that collects together tunes from a few of his odd soundtrack experiments of the late 60s, plus a few others that are in a very similar vein! Marcos is really going over the top here – breaking way way out from his bossa roots, into a mode that has him pushing the envelope of Brazilian music to unheard of heights, with equal parts groove and sophistication, hardly ever matched by any other artist since! Things are funky one minute, groovy the next, and subtly sophisticated at other points – a completely captivating blend that's one of the best illustrations of Valle's genius we can think of. Titles include "Quarentao Simpatico", "Ele E Ela", "Dez Leis", "Freio Aerodinamico", "Os Grilos", "Suite Imaginaria", and "Esperando O Messias". (Heavy gatefold pressing – with notes, lyrics, and a great cover that's even better than the original!) ~ Dusty Groove
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