Hypnotic variations of the compositions of the legendary Mohamed Abdel Wahab, on early electronic keyboards like the Steelphon S900 and the Farfisa, cut with El Shariyi’s hip, whizzy jazz and pop stylings. Ana Wa Habibi is here; and the classic Ahwak, made famous by Abdel Halim Hafez and Fairuz. Originally released by Soutelphan in 1976.

‘Committed to tape on February 20, 1979… a real declaration of identity for Loren. He was introducing himself publicly as a guitar player, although his approach was still very much dictated by the influence of the painter, Mark Rothko, who Loren once described as using a minimal palette to create vital art… The feel to this session is bluesy, in as much as Loren’s wordless vocals have a surface similarity to a hellhound’s, and while he was not using a slide, most of the notes he plays are bent to the edges of their known range. Fahey always said blues was ‘about’ anger, though there’s not really any of that here. I am more reminded of this Rothko quote. ‘You’ve got sadness in you, I’ve got sadness in me ... and my works of art are places where the two sadnesses can meet, and therefore both of us need to feel less sad.’ The first side is solo. On the second Loren is joined for a bit by Kath on hums and recorder. The music brims with sorrow more than anything else. And while it’s clear Loren was embracing an abstract avant garde aesthetic vis-a-vis his playing, the urge to communicate seems to lie at its roots. Whatever you choose to call it, this is the beginning of something quite beautiful’ (Byron Coley).

Precious, early solo work by the veteran sound explorer, instrument builder and improv grandmaster. Intricate and graceful manipulations of the echoes generated by a home-made regiment of glass tubes called Analapos, these recordings tunnel divergently like subterranean streams, while the Koolmees pair take wing with aerial fragility, like a newly formed birdsong.

Classical, no-frills, piano-trio jazz, recorded in 1977 in San Francisco, though released only in Japan at the time. VSOP without horns; more hard-bitten and introspective.
With Ron Carter and Tony Williams in Milestones and four Herbies, including a gnarled Speak Like A Child.

From 1983, the same year as Jamming In The Street, his unmissable collaboration with Sugar Minott. Kicks off with a Queen Of The Minstrel excursion. Drifter is here, Late Night Blues, No More Will I Roam, Yo Yo, Real Rock. Sly & Robbie with the Aggrovators; Bunny Lee at the controls. Full-strength, body-rocking, early-eighties deejaying. It’s obvious why sounds like Black Scorpio and Kilimanjaro favoured him.

Free-flowing recordings made in Pakistan with members of the instrumental quartet Jaubi (including Zohaib Hassan Khan on sarangi).

Lovely new soul from Demae (aka Bubblerap, from hip hop crew Hawk House), with contributions from Fatima, Joe Armon-Jones, Ego Ella May and Nala Sinephro.
Fresh, personable and honest in the great tradition of London street soul, suffused with Dilla, Flying Lotus and the new UK jazz scene, this is warmly recommended. Check it out.

Gorgeous, open-hearted Detroit soul music from 1973.
Beautifully produced by Dee Ervin, with vocal accompaniments by Patti Hamilton from The Lovelites, Jean Plum and co.
Newly transferred from the original master tapes, and restored.

The CD adds the sides Hutton cut earlier for Blue Rock (where his collaborators included the genius likes of Donny Hathaway and Joshie Jo Armstead), and also his 7” follow-up to the LP: everything from 1969 to 1974 is here.

With Barry Guy and Tony Oxley in 1971. Gatefold sleeve.