NEW RELEASES - QUANTIC & NIDIA GONGORA, TOMMY MCCOOK, MOTOR CITY SCENE

QUANTIC & NIDIA GONGORA – MUEVELO NEGRO / NANGUITA

A great blend of earthy percussion, global soul vocals and inventive dancefloor sounds from the mighty Quantic – and just as excellent of showcase for Colombian singer Nidia Gongora! Nidia has worked with Will "Quantic" Holland before, as a vital voice in the Combo Barbaro and Onndatropica projects – but she really stands out strongly here. She sings on and co-wrote both "Muevelo Negro" and "Nanguita" here – and both tunes featuring georgeous female backing vocals, impeccable percussion and a timeless vibe, that seamlessly blended with Quantic's subtle programming and production. (Limited edition.)  ~ Dusty Groove

TOMMY MCCOOK - REGGAE IN JAZZ

Masterful reggae instrumentals from the great Tommy McCook! Reggae In Jazz does indeed have some jazz-steeped solos augmenting the vibe quite nicely, but it's perhaps not the full on reggae/jazz hybrid the title suggests, which is a good thing, actually. The rhythms are strongly rooted in classic Dynamic and Channel One reggae instro territory, but the vibe is enhanced a bit by soul jazzy organ, guitar and more on the solo tip – and a bit of funk, too! Produced by Buster Riley, with Sly Dunbar, Santa Davos. Robbie Shakespeare, Chinna Smith, Ansel Collins, Jackie Mitoo and other legends on the session. Titles include "Grass Root", "Caution", "Sin", "Wild Bunch", "Bam-Bam", "Collin '1'", "Collin '2'", "Bad Man", "Good Bye". "Black-Out", "Rock Away" and "War". CD version includes the bonus "Beirut" and "Beirut (Version)".  ~ Dusty Groove

DONALD BYRD / PEPPER ADAMS / KENNY BURRELL / TOMMY FLANAGAN / REY LEWIS / PAUL CHAMBERS - MOTOR CITY SCENE

One of the most hard-hitting sessions ever recorded for the Bethlehem label – and a rare date for the imprint by the team of trumpeter Donald Byrd and saxophonist Pepper Adams! The style here is similar to work the pair recorded for Riverside and Blue Note at the same time – razor-sharp hardbop, played with a strong sense of imagination, and plenty of room for drawn-out, creatively-blown solos. Adams is especially great – playing the baritone here with the leanness of a tenor sax – but Byrd is wonderful too, and really starts to break out of some of the more staid modes of his work from a few years back. The group's a sextet that includes guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer "Hey" Lewis (another name for Mel Lewis?) – on titles that include "Trio", "Philson", "Libeccio", and "Bitty Ditty". ~ Dusty Groove