Jazz

2020. Full On Lockdown: Musician Laurence Mason puts together this off the wall idea meshing together two of his biggest musical heroes, Dave Greenfield of the tough 1970's proto-punk band The Stranglers with the oh so cool 1960's jazz of Dave Brubeck. He puts up his demo on Youtube not really expecting much in the way of feedback. And gets ONE MILLION hits. And hundreds of requests for a release. Jazz Room Records Head Honcho Paul Murphy says "Do you wanna record that and release it?"."Affirmative!" The result is this grooving Soulful and Funky Jazz version of "Golden Brown".On the "B" side is a languid and super cool version of "Walking On The Moon", originally by 80's Supergroup The Police.The first release sold 3000 (!) 7-inch singles and got into the Official Vinyl Singles Top 30. (Yes, there's still such a thing!).Now it's back and is on lovely Red Vinyl with the all-new Jazz Room Picture sleeve!

After more than 45 years forgotten in the personal archives of Jean Schwarz, Transversales Disques is very happy to release this previously unpublished recording which brings together the great Don Cherry and his friend, composer Jean Schwarz, pioneer in electro-acoustic music and member of G.R.M.This concert was recorded in 1977 at the Paris MIX festival (Théatre Récamier) organised by G.R.M and hosted by director François Bayle. An elegant mix of spiritual jazz and electronic sounds around this astounding quintet made up of JF Jenny Clark, Nana Vasconcelos and Michel Portal.Remastered from the original master tapes. Exclusive pictures and liner notes

Summer 2022 marks the release of Here And There, the new album by the critically acclaimed Ethiopian jazz musician Kibrom Birhane. His third and most adventurous record to date, Here And There is a conscious exploration and deep dive into the waters of life; complex yet harmonious soundscapes stem from a diverse range of influences across a broad spectrum, ranging from the sacred and profane, to the pioneering and contemporary. Having absorbed thousand year old Ethiopian orthodox chanting as a child, while expertly acquainting himself with the traditional instruments of the region, Kibrom has focused his diverse musical talents studying past Ethiopian Jazz legends from the 1970s with modern day contemporaries while continuing to reach new depths and discovery. The result of this is the new album Here And There: an inimitable body of work that is a fresh and compelling proposition in today's musical landscape.Supported by a stellar, multicultural roster of some of LA's finest session players and recorded direct to two inch tape during an intimate live studio session without headphones under the direction of engineer/producer, Kamal de Iruretagoyena Humphrey at Flying Carpet Studios, this latest jewel truly captures Birhane's unquestionable talent. The resulting tracks recall such jazz masterpieces as "Celestial Blues" by Gary Bartz and Joe Henderson's "Earth", creating a special atmosphere within the recording that adds much character to the album as a whole.The Upbeat Groove of 'Merkato' swings like the outdoor markets of Addis Ababa, while the bossa nova influenced 'Weleta' melds Afro-Latin soul with 1960's West Coast cool. Kibrom offers a stiffing homage to family and community on 'Mender', reflecting furtheron his family ties in 'Enate', a jumping vocal tribute in 11/8 time that features a notable sax solo by Randal Fisher.Here And There not only delivers the ancient traditional and deep jazz roots of Kibrom's native Ethiopia, but also lifts the listener to a new and unique musical space informed by his work as member of L.A. based Ethio-Cali; an ensemble that boasts such illustrious musicians as Kamasi Washington, Dexter Story, Mark De-Clive Lowe and Todd Simon. In this album, Kibrom has woven Ethiopian Jazz, East-African Funk, Spiritual and Soul Jazz with Psychedelic threads into a rich tapestry of musical colors.Kibrom Birhane is the future of Ethiopian jazz. He has a deep connection to the past and a vision for the future. His keyboard playing and improvisation reaches the deepest depths of the cosmos inside an unlimited musical universe.