NEW RELEASES - ROSS MCHENRY, DJALMA FERREIRA, THE MARGOTS

ROSS MCHENRY - FIRST OCEANS

Ross McHenry's debut solo album - Distant Oceans - features twelve mighty tracks that dance and weave along the styles of jazz, hip-hop and many more experimental sounds. Ross is an ARIA (Australian Record Industry Association award) nominated composer, producer and bass player whose diverse body of work carefully walks the line somewhere between instrumental jazz and the current wave of post-Dilla producers. His previous projects (including The Shaolin Afronauts) have seen him tour worldwide and led to him taking part in 2010's Red Bull Music Academy (where he met label-mate kidkanevil amongst others). Ross McHenry's debut album Distant Oceans brings together six of the world's foremost musical innovators for the first time on record. The ensemble features one of the most exciting and in demand producers and keyboardists in the world today, Mark de Clive Lowe, the rhythmic foundation of renowned NZ ensemble Electric Wire Hustle, Myele Manzanza, multi-instrumentalist and composer Adam Page and leading Australian instrumentalists Dylan Marshall, Jon Hunt and Luca Spiler.

DJALMA FERREIRA - DRINK EM SAO PAULO ERTC ANOS 60

Totally cool, totally wonderful – and a massive set of hardly-heard work from Brazilian keyboardist Djalma Ferreira! Djalma's a name that's not nearly as well-known in the states as Walter Wanderley – but he got his start well before Walter, working in some 50s modes that were mighty darn cool – before exploding even more strongly here on a sublime set of albums from the 60s! Djalma's got a sense of playfulness about his keyboard work – always changing up not just his phrasing of the notes, but also the settings of the organ as well – creating these cool sounds and groovy notes that explode out differently on each new tune – in ways that go far past the usual bossa organ modes, and bring in a host of other Brazilian styles too. The range of sounds in the set is breathtaking – and the package begins the decade with albums cut with the Milionarios Do Ritmo – including the albums Convite Ao Drink (1960) and Drink Em Sao Paolo (1961) – then moves onto some with larger arrangements – the records Combinacao Insuperavel (1962) and Baile De Formatura (1962). Things then swing into the groovy Week End In Rio (1964), the sublime Brazilliance Of Djalma (1965), and the rare US album Help Yourself To The Brazilliance Of Djalma (1969). All albums come with original artwork and great sound – all on CD for the first time ever! ~ Dusty Groove

THE MARGOTS - PESCADA

A really unique blend of jazz and vocals – and a great start for this really unique group! The Margots is a collaboration between vocalist Adrienne Pierluissi and jazz musicians Ken Vandermark – who co-wrote the music on the set, and handles all the arrangements too! Pierluissi hails from Milwaukee, but has this amazing style that reminds us of some of our favorite Brazilian or European singers in recent years – an approach that's as artful as it is swinging, and graced with this sense of phrasing that really makes her lyrics stand out – quite a statement, given that the group also features reeds from Ken Vandermark, guitars from John Dereszynski, and drums from Tim Daisy! There's definitely an echo of the best recent Brazilian modes on some of the best tracks – and the record also features some cool string backing on a few numbers too. Titles include "Mr Altruistic", "Grey", "No La Sabia", "Husbands", "Echoes Of Memory", "Anda", and "Pescado". ~ Dusty Groove