With Monk.

‘Tezeta were an experimental eight-piece instrumental group formed in Bristol back in 2014. The Ethiopiques series lit the fuse, but the project quickly gathered Afrobeat, prog, and improvisation into a beguiling mix — always evolving and resolving in different ways to what you might expect — with some thrilling ensemble playing rhythmically propelled by two drummers and a percussionist, and pianist Daniel Inzani’s evocative melodies at the centre. They had a cult following among other musicians and were known for wild group solo wig outs, virtuoso musicianship and creative use of unusual rhythm, harmony and melody. They toured across the UK at various venues and festivals including Glastonbury, Shambala and Green Man, before calling it a day in 2023. Seventh Place was originally a private press CDR, released in 2016; mainly sold at gigs.’

‘Absolutely gorgeous from start to finish’ (Deb Grant, BBC 6 Music). ‘Gorgeous mood music with more than a nod to Addis. Lovely tapestries and textures’ (Matt Temple, Matsuli Music).

Founded in Aachen in 1980 by Rainer Wiedensohler, Nabel released jazz and improvised music only from Europe, avowedly ‘in contrast to the American mainstream of today’s jazz’. Quickly it became a home for innovative musicians blending classic jazz with fusion, Latin and Brazilian rhythms, and the avant-garde.
‘This compilation collects some of the label’s finest moments — the soulful, Latin-tinged brilliance of the Monika Linges Quartet, the cosmic jazz explorations of John Thomas & Lifeforce, the deep jazz-funk grooves of Hipsters In The Zone, and the stunning, expressive vocals of Maria Joao.’

‘From 1972, the third and last album by this group formed in Johannesburg’s Alexandra township in 1968, announcing a shift away from early Memphis soul influences towards a pioneering African-driven jazz sound, and laying the foundations for the afro-fusion scene spearheaded by groups like Batsumi, The Drive, and Harari.
‘Black Soul features a who’s who of musicians from great South African bands over the decades: Zacks Nkosi, the renowned bandleader of the Jazz Maniacs and long-time member of the African Swingsters in the 1940s and 50s; kwela star Little Kid Lex Hendricks, known for his Columbia recordings of the late 1950s; Zack’s son Jabu Nkosi, who would go on to play with The Drive, Roots and Sakhile; and Banza Kgasoane later a member of The Beaters, Harari, and then Mango Groove.’

Wonderful third album, from 1975, with the almighty jazz-funk masterpiece Rock Creek Park and the get-down-and-party murder of Happy Music (as rinsed by Kool Herc and a cast of millions). Takes your troubles off your mind.
‘Jazz Dispensary Top Shelf Series.’

Brothers Nkululelo and Siyabonga Mthembu reworkimg the music of Mongezi Feza, Johnny Dyani, the Malopoets, Batsumi, and Philip Tabane.
Old wisdom in new voices, new wisdom in old voices. Tolika Mtoliki, ‘Interpret Interpreter’.
“Just brilliant,” says Gilles.

Fresh homage to Pharoah, Alice, Ra, and co, from an all-star Kiwi line-up.
‘Each instrument seems to be in orbit around the concept of symbiotic synergy, and everyone is given equal space to shine: from a psychedelic Korg, to a delirious saxophone or the gentle ripples of a harp. There’s a huge array of keyboards, with a standout acoustic piano solo by Guy Harrison on Plume. The wind section delivers ecstatic saxophone riffs, futtering flutes and solid horn choruses throughout. Percussion, vibraphone and acoustic bass lay the foundations. A full choir performs arrangements by Matt Hunter.’

‘All is Sound could not be a more apt title for this,’ says Mississippi. ‘Through saxophone, cello, piano, and flutes The Cosmic Tones Research Trio created a truly beautiful record. All is Sound breaks new ground. At its heart, it’s healing/meditation music, but the Gospel and Blues roots are in there too…as well as hints of forward-looking Spiritual jazz.
‘Delicate, profound melodies create peaceful, immersive soundscapes, which the group develops through their combined background in acoustic ecology, sound meditation, mindfulness, and active community involvement.
‘Following the steps of musicians such as Sun Ra, Alice Coltrane, and Pharoah Sanders, The Cosmic Tones Research Trio delivers music that is both restorative and sonically rich—each tone falling into a perfect place, as if by magic.
‘As sincere a record as you could ever hope for. Music is indeed the healing force of the universe.’

‘Music, its forms and rituals, has the power to bring us close to distant civilizations. Armenia offers a special case: a sacred culture that was preserved and presented at its fullest flowering through the work of one man, the scholar-monk Soghomon Soghomonian, known under his religious name as Komitas.’
Duduk, blul, santur, tar, saz, dap, kamancha, kanon, oud…

‘One of the best, rarest and most sought after South African recordings of the early 1970s, available again for the first time since its original South African release — the tough, jubilantly swinging township groove of The Jazz Clan’s 1973 debut LP, Dedication. It captures the acoustic jazz sound of the early 1970s in its pomp — a handful of tightly wound songs jostling for space, blending uptempo soul-jazz sensibilities with Latin influences and pronounced township jazz accents, the latter especially audible in Dimpie Tshabalala’s piano vamps, Jeff Mpete’s pattering hi-hat emphases, and the unmistakably South African swagger and dip of the horns on cuts like Rabothata. It is music on the brink of a transition, looking ahead but still dedicated to the sound of the golden years, and it could have been made nowhere else on earth but in Soweto.’

Frank Lowe, Billy Bang, Rafael Garrett, and the great, unsung drummer Dennis Charles, in 1983.
Book-ended by Jackie Mac’s Little Melonae and Ornette’s Lonely Woman; plus compositions by Bang and Lowe, Rashied Ali and Butch Morris.