Reaching solo-piano explorations in blues, jazz and classical music by the Free Jazz pioneer, in 1970; inspired by the revolutionary spirit of the times, and — opening with a dedication to Don Cherry — the New Thing.

A second set of piano improvisations, one year after the first, now more extended, percussive, insistent, and tumultuous; explicitly enraged by the recent murder of George Jackson by a San Quentin guard, and the massacre at Attica Prison.

An invigorating sampling of the prodigious output of this joint in Matariya, Cairo. Mahragan, or electro-shaabi, stripped down Sardena-style: auto-tuned, maxed-out vocals, thumping beats, synths, wild effects.

The towering jazz landmark originally issued in South Africa in 1974 under the title Mannenberg Is Where It’s Happening. Recorded with Basil Coetzee, Robbie Jansen, Monty Weber and Morris Goldberg, the music protested the evictions underway from District Six, whereby ‘coloureds’ were murderously booted out to Mannenberg township (where Coetzee was from). The LP sold by the thousands within weeks, becoming South Africans’ unofficial national anthem.

“I’d had the experience of playing dance bands, African dance bands like the Tuxedo Slickers, and we played xhosa, American swing music, mbaqanga… I also played with coloured dance bands — waltzes, quick-steps, squares, paso doble, then also the traditional Cape music…”

An upfully ravishing, hypnotically danceable, rootsily syncretic, universal call to resistance.

Lovely record. An intimate, unshowy, reaching blend of British folk and minimalism in the tradition of Robert Wyatt solo; quietly co-mingling Henry Flynt and Ivor Cutler, Eastern outernationalism and Radio art. Beautifully presented, too; in a die-cut, inside-out sleeve, with a poster. Check it out!

Ray Barney’s label is the bees knees in raw, stripped Chicago house music. From Duane And Co’s breakthrough and killer classics from the likes of young Lil Louis, through to the first shoots of ghetto house.

Classy, spaced funk, originally issued in 1981 by Phonodisk, the most ambitious Nigerian label at that time. The Mighty Flames band expertly blends an Afro-cocktail of Roy Ayers, Kool And The Gang, Chic…

Bumpin’ citizen JFM knocks back some bleep before trumping his FXHEs with two sides of rough, get-loose house like we like it. Warmly recommended.