2018

“California Love (featuring Cory Henry) [7” EDIT]” / “Shiznit” is the 7” single from multi-instrumentalist Sly5thAve’s ‘The Invisible Man: An Orchestral Tribute To Dr. Dre’ LP. In this instalment, a rework of Dre’s notorious “California Love” is paired with Snoop Dogg’s timeless “Shiznit”.The album resulted from a concert called “Cali-Love”, assembled for the non-profit music charity, Playing For Change – and was dedicated to building a music school in Compton. Attended by Dr. Dre–who took to the stage to congratulate Sly5thAve’s arrangements, he said, “I’m here to show some support and give the same amount of love that this incredible band has given to me. You sound amazing.” – DR. DRE (The Cali-Love concert)Off the back of an incredible reaction to 'The Invisible Man: An Orchestral Tribute To Dr. Dre' and to mark the start of Sly5thAve’s first tour, we present this limited 7” pressing of two of the album’s standout cuts. Now on its third pressing, the album continues to pick up fans and plaudits alike. As you may have noticed, the 7” label is based on the famous Ruthless records design.- Taken from Sly5thAve’s “The Invisible Man: An Orchestral Tribute To Dr. Dre” which is already on its third pressing.- Sly5thAve’s UK tour kicks off on October 11th 2018. Including great venues such as London’s Jazz Café, Trinity in Bristol and Club Academy, Manchester- Label artwork inspired by Dr. Dre’s famous Ruthless Records designs used on releases by artists such as Easy E, Ice Cube, Brownside, NWA and many more.- Previous support from tastemakers such as Lauren Laverne, Gilles Peterson (BBC 6Music) & Jarobi White (A Tribe Called Quest), to Noisey, NPR, and The Fader.

The DMV’s own, Kev Brown has announced his frst solo rap album since 2005. Hailing from Palmer Park in Landover, Maryland specifcally, after a 13 year hiatus, the producer/MC has fnally prepared the sophomore sequel to 2005’s in?uential cult classic, I Do What I Do. Entitled, Homework, Brown and Redefnition Recs have partnered to release an LP the game has been missing for too long.Now 13 years is a long wait, but don’t think Kev has been idle in obscurity. He has been involved with several collaborative projects, garnered tons of production credits and released over a half dozen beat tapes during that time frame. It is also important to note that he was in no rush to drop another rap album and preferred to compose Homework organically and at his own pace, in the comforts of his own home, hence the title. Though Brown is known as one of hip-hop’s elite producers from heavyweights like Diamond D, Pete Rock, Busta Rhymes, Peter Rosenberg, 9th Wonder and Jazzy Jeff, he is a man of many hats.Kev Brown’s debut album was groundbreaking in so many areas that the recording itself and Kev is cemented as legendary. It would be no surprise that hip-hop would ask for the next installment and he’s nowhere near done leaving his mark. Homework is a seamless nonstop exhibition of KB’s range. Kev raps confdently and wisely throughout the album’s 27 tracks. Lyrically it’s personal, introspective, comedic, observatory and witty delivered in Kev’s smooth baritone style. Vocals are equally complimented by instrumentals all produced by the man himself and ?uidly morph into instrumental compositions too good to be considered interludes. The album was composed using several different samplers and recording technologies, but the vibe is never compromised.Homework is the perfect game plan for today’s climate and for those who haven’t, do your homework on this man. You won’t be disappointed

California Flight Project is a well known name for many record collectors because of the PPU 7" release of California Flight, and the self released CD-R's from the front man, Jerry "J". Finally Preservation records is very proud to present to you the first official release on vinyl of their early tracks 79-81. Fantastic modern soul from Berkley California. Licenced, remastered, with new cover and full credits makes this a collectors item. Only 500 pressed.

Following hard on the heels of BBE delving into the archives of Detroit’s Strata Records and delivering their widely acclaimed and hugely in-demand exploration of J-Jazz, comes another crate digger’s delight- Ralph Thomas’ ‘Eastern Standard Time’, which dropped the USA back in in 1980, on the obscure Zebra Jazz imprint.This is the is the kind of “spiritual’ jazz gem that appears on You Tube and upon checking it out on Discogs reveals a price well in excess of £150.00. To have it widely available in its original vinyl format, as well as digitally and on CD, is a real treat. So, who is Ralph Thomas? The self-produced ‘Eastern Standard Time’ features Thomas on baritone, alto and tenor saxophones as well as flute and percussion. He describes himself as a practicing ethnomusicologist who’s musical vision evolved during the Sixties and it’s Thomas’ multifaceted, global approach that gives the music on Eastern Standard Time’ an engaging and distinct flavour. "My music has always been open to different cultures and sounds Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, Mexican, Peruvian, American, Hebrew, Turkish, African, Indian and Japanese,” declares the Chicago born musician. While attending the Chicago conservatory of music in 1969 he became a member of the Chicago A.A.C.M, studying with master musicians Phil Cohran and Richard Muhal Abrams. He also recorded with well-known blues legends, Howlin' Wolf and Mighty Joe Young for the Cadet imprint of Chess records.In 1974, he moved to Los Angeles and was employed as a session player with both 20th Century Fox and Motown – where he recorded with Marvin Gaye, Jermaine Jackson, Smokey Robinson and Rick James. In the early Eighties he was working for Quincy Jones Productions appearing on the soundtrack of Roots and The Color Purple but a passion for reggae music led him to Jamaica where he recorded with producer Jack Ruby and artists like Augustus Pablo and Gregory Isaacs. In ’86 he moved to NYC where he collaborated with Boogaloo legend Johnny Colon and played with like-minded musical explorers Sun Ra, Don Cherry and Olatunji. However, by 1993 his restless spirit carried him to Paris where studied Ethnomusicology and performed with trumpeter Mra Oma and film-maker Ranaivo-Rajaona Hery. There were also gigs with percussionist Trilok Gurtu as well as drummer Sunny Murray and saxophone legend Archie Shepp. Upon moving to the South of France Thomas ran an art gallery and initiated his MusArt project – which has since toured in the US, Canada and Japan After a productive stint in Chiang Mai, Thailand – where he immersed himself in Issan culture – Ralph Thomas recently relocated back to the US to live and work. Though creating a huge amount of music over the years ‘Eastern Standard Time’ remains Ralph Thomas' only album and it’s available on BBE Records on 21st September.

Yan Tregger remains one of the more cultish names to emerge from the experimental French disco scene of the 1970s. But to a growing number of obsessive crate diggers, the two LPs recorded for the Musical Touch Sound label in 1978/9 ‘Catchy’ and ‘Ducks & Drakes’ have become like the holy grail of rare disco. Those diggers include Mark Grusane of the late Mr Peabody record store in Chicago. One of the deepest collectors of rare soul, disco and boogie, he included an edit of the sleazy disco bomb ‘Riff On’ from 'Catchy' on ‘The Real Sound of Mark Grusane’, his recent collection of hen’s teeth rarities for BBE. Now, thanks to the careful curation of UK music hero Frankie Valentine, BBE is delighted to dig deeper into the Yan Tregger archives and reissue these two indemand LPs. First up is the 1978 LP ‘Catchy’, a heady collection of cosmic disco that should see Tregger’s name ranked alongside those of Arpadys, Cerrone and Space as one of the pioneers of French dance music. Characterised by its energetic rhythm sections, space-age synths and funky guitar riffs, ‘Catchy’ couldn’t be a more perfect title for this classic collection of late 70’s grooves.- The first of two super-rare French library music LPs by Yan Tregger, fully authorized and reissued for the first time.- Curated by UK music hero Frankie Valentine.- Full global press and radio campaign.

Yan Tregger remains one of the more cultish names to emerge from the experimental French disco scene of the 1970s. But to a growing number of obsessive crate diggers, the two LPs recorded for the Musical Touch Sound label in 1978/9 ‘Catchy’ and ‘Ducks & Drakes’ have become like the holy grail of rare disco. BBE are reissuing both albums.Originally released on library music label Musical Touch Sound back in 1979, ‘Ducks & Drakes’ is an instrumental disco LP by pioneering French electronic musician Yan Tregger. Reissued this year by BBE alongside his 1978 album ‘Catchy’, Ducks & Drakes has achieved cult status among crate diggers and DJs, thanks to its ebullient charm and rock-solid leftfield grooves. Virtually impossible to find on vinyl for many years now, ‘Ducks & Drakes’ found wider allure in 2008 when Alexis Le-Tan selected album track ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ for experimental disco compilation ‘Space Oddities’. UK music hero Frankie Valentine brought these two magical albums to BBE’s attention and curated the project alongside the team. Amazingly (especially given the era in which it was recorded) the album was almost entirely performed, produced and composed by Tregger himself. Presented with its beautiful original artwork and previously unavailable to all but a lucky few record collectors, we’re excited to share the disco-infused magic of ‘Ducks & Drakes’ with the world.- Super-rare library music LP, reissued for the first time ever.- Full press and radio campaign.

“New York’s Harlem River Drive is a dividing line, a highway where the rich zip past the poor,” says singer Jimmy Norman. Eddie Palmieri’s Latin-funk band of the same name tackled these hard truths, playing prisons and speaking to the common man. Ultimately, Norman and Palmieri made a powerful socio-political statement that continues to resonate to this day. - Pablo Yglesias/Wax PoeticsWhen initially released in 1971, many critics panned Eddie Palmieri’s 1971 album Harlem River Drive. Clearly, those critics were wrong. Regardless of critical opinion, the release was not the crossover success Palmieri and Roulette Records had hoped for, at least in the immediate. Over the years the release has developed a following among listeners, DJs and aficionados of rare-grooves.The record may have been recorded towards the end of the Latin soul era, yet it features that genre's wonderful mix of Puerto Rican soul, Spanish Harlem Latin, and New York funk. Palmieri worked with an incredibly talented crew of Latin and R&B session musicians to create this quintessential New York vibe, a synthesis of funk and Afro-Cuban sounds. Contributors include Victor Venegas from Mongo Santamaria’s band, Palmieri’s brother Charlie, an accomplished musician in his own right, Bruce Fowler who went on to join Frank Zappa’s band, Dick Meza who went on to great things with Tito Puente, Ray Barretto and Celia Cruz, as well as Andy Gonzalez who’s pedigree includes recordings with Barretto, Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colon and even Chico O’Farrill. Also appearing Randy Brecker and one of the all-time greatest of the greats Bernard Purdy.An over-arching theme of Harlem River Drive is the thought that, as Palmieri puts it “The U.S. is richest country, all this immense wealth, side by side with the most intense poverty, racial prejudice, how is that possible?” A question that’s perhaps more even more relevant today than it was in 1971. A question that can be further explored with Get On Down’s reissue of this seminal recording.