My first introduction to the world of Paul Bowles, as well as the Sub Rosa record label, was through this disc. The combination of stories read by Bowles himself, as well as the artwork and ambiance by storyteller Mohammed M’Rabet, made it wonderful bedtime listening, allowing me to transport my mind to what a hazy, stoned Tangier must have been like in the 1950s and 60s. This aged very nicely.
Vinyl
[Music] Kyriakos Sfetsas – Greek Fusion Orchestra Vol.1
Kyriakos Sfetsas is originally from Lefkadia an island in Greece, and started this particular band in the mid-1970s in order to expand the boundaries of what Greek traditional music is. Apparently, there is a lot more music of his which has yet to be released. This is as fine an intro to his works as one could hope for.
Much love to Teranga Beat, the Senegalese label which will release this masterpiece on May 25, 2018.
[Music] Abu Obaida Hassan – Abu Obaida Hassan & His Tambour: The Shaigiya Sound of Sudan
Abu Obaida Hassan had a wonderful career during the 1970s and 1980s making the kids sway in Khartoum, Sudan with his tambour, but by the second decade of this century, Sudanese media pronounced him dead. Thankfully, he is far from it, and courtesy of Ostinato Records, he has a fine retrospective coming out on May 18, 2018.
[Music] The Wanderers / Ruth Price – Shadrach Meshack and Abednego / Shadrach
Jazz siren Ruth Price tears up this classic tune in a scat style, whereas The Wanderers give this a more hip, uptempo interpretation. Swingin’ stuff!
[Music] El Mahdy Jr. – Raï Dubs
El Mahdy Jr. is a composer and beatmaker originally from Alergia, but who is now hailing from Turkey. His work is informed by VERY heavy dub (his dad, apparently, had quite an awesome collection) and sampling. Very creative.
[Music] Sean Khan, Hermeto Pascoal – Palmares Fantasy featuring Hermeto Pascoal
Many thanks to Andrew Jervis over at Bandcamp Weekly for not only sharing Sean Khan’s work but for a stellar interview with a young man who will be seen as one of the UK’s leading lights of new jazz.
[Music] Zinovia Arvanitidi ~ Ivory (Happy Piano Day)
Many thanks to the writer postrockcafe over at A Closer Listen Blog for reminding us about Piano Day, a little holiday of sorts invented by Nils Frahm to take place on the 88th day of the year.
Equally important is the fact that Greek pianist Zinovia Arvanitidi, whose latest release, Ivory, was reviewed by us in February of this year, has released her debut on vinyl, courtesy of the Kitchen Label.
[Music] Mulatu Astatke and Black Jesus Experience – Cradle Of Humanity
There’s no one even close in the running of who is the King of Ethio-jazz. Until he passes on from this mortal coil, this title is Mulatu Astatke’s to keep.
This record is from May of 2016, and it features him pairing up with the Australian jazz collective Black Jesus Experience. This is the first I’ve heard of them, but they meld quite nicely with Mulatu’s vibraphone-based works.
[Music] 破地獄/Scattered Purgatory – 山險峻/Sua-Hiam-Zun
Scattered Purgatory are a heavy psychedelic band out of Taipei, Taiwan, whose influences seem to include Krautrock bands like Can and Amon Düül II, as well as Japanese psychedelic-folk bands like Ghost.
[Music] Various Artists – Zanzibara / Volume Nº1
This is a mindblowing compilation of Tanzanian music when the country was not yet united (Zanzibar and Tanganyika were apart just before they came together in 1964). German ethnomusicologist Werner Graebner, producer of the Zanzibara series on Buda Musique, is responsible for putting this comp together for French label Ouch! Records. Give the whole album a deep listen. Much rumba, taraab and Swahilia popular music styles to be found here.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 