NEW RELEASES: RAY MANTILLA – HIGH VOLTAGE; MONDO GROSSO – NANDO DEMO ATARASHIKU UMARERU; HAMPSHIRE & FOAT – GALAXIES LIKE GRAINS OF SAND

RAY MANTILLA – HIGH VOLTAGE

For decades now, Ray Mantilla's been one of the few cats who can effortlessly fuse together Latin rhythms and jazz – creating the kind of music that's completely satisfying to fans of both styles, but all without ever resorting to any sort of easy cliches or overdone modes! Mantilla's the kind of leader who can let the players really do their thing, while still hanging together as a tightly rhythmic unit – driven on by his percussion as well as his direction – with a lineup that features Guido Gonzalez on trumpet, Jorge Castro on baritone and flute, Ivan Renta on soprano and tenor, Edy Martiez on Fender Rhodes and piano, Chuco Martinez on bass, and Diego Lopez on drums. The set also features great guest vibes from Mike Freeman on two tracks – and the whole thing's got a rock-solid, all-jazz vibe that soars out on tunes that include "Solar", "Ramona", "Exit 45", "The Gypsy", "Midnite Jazz Affair", "Comin Home Baby", "Cedar's Blues", and "Third Plane".  ~ Dusty Groove

MONDO GROSSO – NANDO DEMO ATARASHIKU UMARERU

It's been quite a long time since we last heard from Mondo Grosso – the Japanese project from Shinichi Osawa whose work was part of the same great wave of 90s Tokyo soul we loved from artists like Mondo Grosso, Kyoto Jazz Massive, and Monday Michiru! Yet, despite the passage of time, and a number of solo projects, too – Osawa is immediately back in fine fine form – delivering the sort of album that instantly bridges the Pacific with a wonderfully well-crafted batch of upbeat club music! Some of the familiar talents from that older scene are on deck to help give a voice to the Mondo Grosso music – singers Bird, UA, and Tica – alongside a few other guests vocalists who deliver soulful lyrics, mostly in Japanese – on tracks that include "See You Again", "Solitary", "Late Night Blue", "Time", "Eraser", and "Gold". Features a bonus DVD, with 4 tracks that include "Time", "See You Again", and two more Japanese-language titles. (DVD is NTSC, Region 2.)  ~ Dusty Groove

HAMPSHIRE & FOAT – GALAXIES LIKE GRAINS OF SAND

Spacey sounds from the dream team of Warren Hampshire and Greg Foat – a set that feels a bit like music that Foat previously recorded under his own name, but which also has a more spiritual sound overall! Hampshire plays guitar and auto harp, and Foat plays Fender Rhodes, vibes, and other keyboards – but those instruments are just part of the sound here – as there's also some added strings, tenor, and other elements from time to time – inflecting the music with a visionary quality that reminds us of some of the more freethinking records coming out in the early 70s – especially the kind of small label sets that were years ahead of their time, and only finally getting their due all these many years later. The presentation of the package echoes the style of older Michael Garrick material on the UK Argo Records – and there's definitely a depth here to live up to that spirit, but also a warmer vibe overall. Titles include "How The Nights Can Fly", "Lullaby", "The Solar Winds", "A Long Way Home", and "All Washed Up".  ~ Dusty Groove