This new Brian Jackson package 'Miami Wata' brings together traditional African sounds and modern Latin house music in a captivating fashion. Jackson's rendition of a traditional African song draws on the sacred lands of the Dogan in Mali and the rich rhythms of Ghana, paying tribute to all the different African cultures that have made for such a diverse tapestry of world music. The original comes with serval remixes, dubs and cosmic reworks from the one and only Body & Soul man Joe Claussell who takes it into all new but equally spiritual realms. It makes for an epic double 12" from BBE. Full tracklisting: "Mami Wata" (Joaquin Sacred Rhythm version) (14:04);"Mami Wata" (extended album version) (12:11); "Mami Wata" (Joaquin House dub) (5:49); "Mami Wata" (Joaquin Sacred Arts Story version) (16:40); "Mami Wata" (Joaquin Deep dub) (6:02); and "Mami Wata" (Joaquin Cosmic Arts Future instrumental) (9:24).
Expansion's focus right now is on reissuing classic tracks alongside a newer version of it. They are all coming on tidy 10" eco vinyl in mad limited numbers and next up is Norman Connors and Bembe Segue. Connors dropped his superb 'Mother of the Future' in 1975 and it is a mad jazz dancer with layer upon layer of Afro drumming, loose percussion and expressive vocal ad-libs. Flip it over and we're taken to 2008's live version of the same tune by Bembe Segue. It's a little less intense but no less busy, with silky jazz grooves and new vocals layering in some future soul.
Kaidi Thatham remains one of the truest artists in the field of broken beat and modern jazz, and his fifth album for First Word shows no signs of slowing down. There's a certain signature you know belongs to him when those nasty Moog synth lines start flexing around the groove, but there's such depth and variety to his expression at this point in time, it feels like the possibilities are endless. From rattling neo-funk get downs to blissful downtempo reveries and on to the killer hip-hop of 'The Only Way' featuring Uhmeer on mic duties, this is an album bursting with invention at every turn. Tracks include: Reason We're Here; Criss Ting; interlude; The Only Way (feat Uhmeer); Windus McGuntus; Confidence With Attitude; Feels Like I'm On My Own; Fricassee; Alien (feat Trian Kayhatu) It's On; and Not Suffering (feat Matt Lord).
Given the rise in popularity in new school jazz in recent years, it seems a fitting time to welcome back Ninja Tune stalwarts The Cinematic Orchestra. "To Believe" is not only their first album in some seven years, but also one of their strongest releases to date. Opening with the poignant neo-classical/soul fusion "To Believe", the set sees Jason Swinscoe and company attractively saunter between jazz-electronica fusion (Roots Manuva collaboration ("A Caged Bird/Imitations Of Life"), pastoral jazz epics (the sunset ready epic that is "Lessons"), gentle downtempo songs ("Wait For Now/Leave The World"), ambient jazz ("The Workers Of Art") and slowly unfurling dancefloor workouts (killer closing cut "A Promise"). In a word: stunning.
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