Mad About Schallplatten & CDs

Review: To many this is where Brazilian jazz truly began: 1966, the legendary saxophonist and composer Victor Assis Brasil laid down his debut album at just 21. Still as smoky and sentimental as it was 50 years ago (but sadder knowing his life was cut short by a rare disease just 15 years later), the playful sense of space, rhythm and technique displayed (and a slight freedom from the US and European sounds of the time due to him living in Brazil) are delivered with a rawness, clarity and sense of fun such as the R&B double bass backdrop of "Simplesmente" or the cat and mouse style counterplay between the horns on "Dueto". A touching and ultimately timeless piece of jazz history.

Review: This rarity gets a loving reissue via Mad About Records, zooming in the talents of a lesser-touted jazz virtuoso and former Sun Ra Arkestra member. Jothan Callins was a jazz bassist and trumpeter, who rose to prominence in the late 60s with the band Olatunji before joining the Arkestra. 'Winds Of Change' is his only LP, released in 1975. Across four long pieces that seamlessly blend, Callins brings a blissful, yet more energetic and classic jazz feel to his works, and is an example of the Strata East style, . Watch out for the 4-page booklet that comes with this reissue.

Review: Courtial With Errol Knowles's Don't You Think It's Time album gets a first ever vinyl reissue here, and gets deluxe treatment. The original was recorded in 1976 in San Francisco's Bay Area and soon became a real collector's classic for its vital soul and jazz funk sounds. To be honest, the cover art alone is worth the entry price here, but the sounds sure are sublime, with wiggy synth lines weaving their way in and out of the funky drumming on 'Don't You Think It's Time,' 'Best Of Friends' offering lush string sounds and silky grooves and 'Love Nevermore' having a bit of a samba shuffle next to the acoustic guitars and golden Rhodes chords.

Review: LA-based label Emkay Records put out just one album, and this is it. Free Love hailed from St Louis and was led by Philip Westmoreland with production by Kent Washburn and Oliver Sain. Plenty of others featured such as backing vocals from The Georgettes, bass from Tom Zuzenak, vocals from Marcus Kelly and many more who helped to make this such a fantastic and soulful album. It's mega-rare these days and so this reissue, in deluxe form, is welcome in deed and allows you to tap into some of that endless retro love.

Review: Christian Gaubert's 'Last Exit' is a French soul masterpiece. It has been carefully remastered from the original tapes and reissued here so standout rare groove gems 'Sweet Maryline' and 'Sweet and Fool Like a Child' sound better than ever. It's an album that showcases the great skills of the prolific arranger and composer Gaubert alongside guest spots from some of the key contemporaries in the French jazz scene of the 70s. Boogie and funk help colour the grooves with the likes of 'Going Ups & Coming Downs' being deep down and delicious jams with killer baselines and lavish strings that cannot fail to light up your life and swell your heart.

Review: Detroit-born Joyce Hurley learned how to play the basics of piano in the USA but recorded this soulful jazz classic in Sydney in 1978. It is very much held in high esteemed by jazz cats around the world and despite its popularity and the fact that it is often spoken about, it has been incredibly hard to find. It features some standards as well as instrumental songs by David Martin Group who act as backing on tunes including 'Sambole' and 'Here And Now'. There is also a standout version of Herbie Hancock's 'Maiden Voyage' helping to make this such a doozy.

Review: 
If you're a lover of Brazilian psychedelic folk, you will already be well familiar with this utter masterpiece from Brazilian actor and musician Guilherme Lamounier. He recorded three such records in the 1970s, and this, the second of them, is widely regarded as the best. It has long been a real rarity and holy grail amongst diggers after being created with composer Tiberio Gaspar and recorded at Radio Gazeta Studios in Sao Paulo. Element sou US hippie culture as well as love song stylings, angular funk and piano ballads all feature with plenty of great musicianship and rousing lyrics. Truly escapist stuff.

Review: Renata Lu is a bit of an enigma. She made a couple of much loved albums in the 1970s and did some backing vocal work on cult records by stars such as Tim Maia and Nonato Buzar. Despite this, she never became a standalone star in the world of MPB and so remains a little known figure. Her self titled 1971 debut album on Copacabana Records was a heavyweight mix US soul and funk with spicy Latin percussion, all dropped over samba and boogaloo beats. It is high energy, with lots of big horns, electric piano riffs and angular bass as well as some swooning strings. This deluxe edition marks a real landmark in the world of funk carioca.

Review: The New Jazz Orchestra was a British jazz big band that first formed in 1963. The band featured Clive Burrows and was directed form 1964 to 1968 by Neil Ardley. Decca has already reissued their superb debut album Le Dejeuner Sur L'Herbe recently to great acclaim. Now comes this second reissue of their Western Reunion London 1965 album on nice heavy wax. It features them covering classic like Miles Davis's 'Shades of Blue' in sympathetic fashion while there are also more introspective pieces like 'If You Could See Me Now' and high energy big band jazz swing bangs like 'Tiny's Blue.'

Review: Calvin "Popcorn" Ward is one of those legendary musical figures form time gone by. He put out just one album and a couple of Eps, but they were good enough to secure him an enduring elegy with funk and soul fans. His Prime Choice album came on Shanell in 1983 and the one copy currently for sale on second-hand sites is over 630 quid. Thankfully Mad About has assembled this heavyweight reissue. Sentimental soul, analogue disco and lo-fi funk all characterise each tune, as does Calvin's own vocals which range from upbeat and positive to heartbroken and raw. A real gem.

Review: Chicagoan trumpeter and flugel hornist Malachi Thompson made some fine records during his lifetime, though none are better than his 1980 solo debut The Seventh Son. It's been an in-demand item amongst jazz collectors for some time, making this belated vinyl reissue a welcome development. The set is spiritual in tone, but musically draws just as much from soul-jazz and fusion as it does the more freewheeling end of spiritual jazz. As a result, the tracks are largely warming, melodious and alluring, with Thompson's dexterous and imaginative playing leaving a lasting impression. Our highlights include 'Street Dance' and the epic 'Denise', but to be honest the whole set is essential listening.