BBE Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Roy Ayers staked a bold claim by flaunting the fact that he had 'Reach[ed] The Highest Pleasure' back in June '77. Unfortunately for us back then, this lifetime hedonistic milestone - documented in instrumental funk form - was shelved for reasons unknown beyond simple artistic oversight. As said, this slick solo instrumental for drums, bass and vibraphone is a perfect soul-jazz, chillout trifecta, one for the rarities collectors.

Review: BBE has delivered something of a future classic here, as decorated Eastern European harpist Alinha Bzhezhinska and British tenor saxophonist Tony Kofi join forces on a picturesque full-length excursion dedicated to the memory of spiritual jazz maestro Pharoah Saunders. It's a genuinely unique and hugely evocative affair, with Kofi's meandering, mesmeric melodies and inspired improvisations snaking in and out of Bzhezhinska's dreamy harp motifs and melodic percussion instruments (think bells, marimbas, vibraphone, xylophone and so on). It's not a familiar musical palette, but it's one that consistently delivers - and then some. Our picks of a very strong bunch include lucid opener 'Tabula Rasu - Blank Slate', the exotic and psychedelic 'Audite Me - Hear Me', and the picturesque, meditative closing cut, 'Altera Vita - Another Life'.

Review: Jazzanova remains one of the most musically astute and adventurous acts in the electric scene. Their sounds never seem to age and fuse everything from jazz to funk to soul. That makes them perfect for remixing by more dance floor-orientated producers and that is what we get here. Alongside an original tune 'Creative Musicians' Detroit talent Waajeed brings his warm machine soul and deep grooves, Henrick Schwarz's signature melodic majesty and serene sounds are on display and further dubs and instrumentals are also included. This one really packs a punch for fans of broken beat.

Review: Original disco remixer John Morales has spent much of the last decade delivering superb, multi-track reworks of classic cuts, in the process showcasing the sublime musicianship and vocals at the heart of these much-loved classics. He's the perfect choice, then, to dip into the immense back catalogue of leading Philadelphia Soul star Teddy Pendergrass and deliver updated versions. The resultant two-disc set is as inspired as you'd expect, with Morales delivering a blend of peak-time ready revisions of surging dancefloor anthems ('The More I Get, The More I Want', 'Don't Leave Me This Way', 'You Can't Hide From Yourself', 'Life is a Song Worth Singing'), sensitive revisions of deeper catalogue cuts and stunning reworks of jaw-dropping slow jams. Throughout, the troubled but immensely talented singer remains the undisputed star of the show.