A second helping as sublimely pleasurable as the first, with Prince Buster, Rupie Edwards, Derrick Harriott, Dobby Dobson and Joe Higgs amongst the singers.
‘Enthralling to anyone,’ according to The Guardian.

Deep taarab from 1982.
Zuhura and co came through the Mombasa scene of the 1970s, with a more uptempo musical style, and with Zuhura turning away from the usual Bollywood influences towards traditional Swahili poetry, for her direct, feminist lyrics.

Previously unreleased, elemental drafts of some his greatest songs (plus a couple which never saw the light of day). Startlingly intimate and beautiful. Hotly recommended.

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.

1983 runnings, kicking off with the killer seven-minute version of Chicago.

Joyful rug-cutters and sweet soul-uplifters from the town of Morogoro, in early-1960s Tanzania: muziki wa dansi, inspired by Cuban 78s, and dance crazes like the twist and cha cha cha, but making them its own. Here is the cream of over a hundred recordings by Salum, mostly for Mzuri Records of Kenya; pretty much lost till now.
In an old-school tip-on cover, with lyrics in Swahili and English on the inner sleeve.
Lovely stuff.

Spiritual jazz fusion from San Francisco, impossible to find soon after it was privately pressed in a tiny run back in 1983, and highly collectible nowadays. ‘If you like John Heartsman, Aposento Alto or Minority Band, don’t miss a true killer record.’

Recorded during a 1983 stint teaching at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, northern Nigeria. ‘Lateef leads a nonet of African musicians in seven compositions that fuse his deep blues and jazz roots with native Nigerian instruments, drums and chants. The sounds stretch from meditative and melancholic to urgent and unrelenting.’
Warmly recommended.