The Article
Vinyl Releases: Cree, Munster, Black Focus & Leaf
21st February 2019
Brief commentary of vinyl releases from Cree, Munster, Black Focus & Leaf
From Bear Family and on the Cree label (cree-records.com) is the Modern Sound Quintet’s Otinku (1971), originally released in Finland and featuring musicians from Trinidad, Barbados and more playing nicely restrained steel-pan jazz but with added funk.
Energetic rock from Paulo Furtado in The Legendary Tigerman’s latest, Misfit (Munster, www.munster-records.com). Nothing unique here but its hugely entertaining, dramatic, over the top, banging rock.
From the same label but on the VampiSoul imprint, Garotas Suecas’ Futuro do Preterito mixes lazy soul with pop and jazz-funk. Feel-good sound with a distinctly seventies vibe.
Kamaal Williams’ new LP, The Return (Black Focus; blackfocusrecords.bandcamp.com) is a completely delicious jazz-funk outing with sumptuous grooves and complex beats. Beautiful.
From Laurence Pike is his debut solo album, Distant Early Warning (Leaf; theleaflabel.com) “Originally conceived as a technological and spiritual jazz suite for drums,” said Pike, the music combines that with avant-electronica to produce a quietly complex symphony of sounds.
