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It all started at a Detroit strip club, with a platter of deep-fried beef taquitos and a dancer whose face looked a bit like Burt Reynolds. It was here that Sam Baker first met a self-described fan of his, who told him to take his music work more seriously. Sam had long since graduated from tapping on piano to working on the MPC and 404 under the name Samiyam, circulating beat tapes among local crew in Michigan. He was among a network of post- Donuts hip-hop producers focusing on instrumentals as the work. Flying Lotus met Sam and picked him for the debut release on his Brainfeeder label, 2008’s Rap Beats Vol. 1. Sam Baker’s Album followed in 2011. His Wish You Were Here showed up on Leaving Records in 2013, along with production work for Earl Sweatshirt, Captain Murphy and Pharoahe Monch along the way. Samiyam, extended Stones Throw family for a while now, debuts with Animals Have Feelings, an album which he considers the creative sequel to Rap Beats Vol. 1. “Animals has roots in beats made around the time of Vol. 1, and the new stuff on the record has some of the same sound.” The record is classic instrumental hip-hop, mixed with a handful of rap tracks he did with the few MC collaborators he chooses to work with: Earl (Mirror), Action Bronson (Mr.Wonderful), Jeremiah Jae and Oliver the 2nd (Lord of the Rings).

n some quarters, Tijan Pou Velo is considered something of an unheralded jazz-fusion classic. Here issued on CD for the first time by Heavenly Sweetness, the 1988 album saw trumpeter Edmondy Krater join forces with occasional backing band Zepiss to deliver unique blends of modern Gwo Ka (a style born and popularized in Guadeloupe) with American jazz-funk and electric jazz influences. The resultant music is a humid, highly attractive hotchpotch of Guadeloupe's traditional African and South American influences, and distinctive nods to (then) contemporary European and North American sounds. In other words, it's a tropical fusion masterpiece.

A gem of independent Detroit jazz, reissued for the first time on Jazzman Records. James Tatum's stunning, spiritualised Contemporary Jazz Mass is one of the only true jazz masses ever released. Inspired by Duke Ellington's Sacred Concerts, Tatum's masterwork was recorded on its first ever performance at St Cecilia Church in Detroit, and released on his own private label in 1974. Professional music educator and jazz composer Tatum had been working as a teacher in Detroit, and in the long aftermath of the 1967 riots he had started to instruct local children music in St Cecilia's. The Church commissioned the mass in 1972, and Tatum put together an ensemble of singers from within the church, backed by his own trio and local jazz musicians.Looking toward the great sacred works of Ellington, but with lyrics drawn straight from liturgy, the Contemporary Jazz Mass is a unique work of sanctified vocal jazz - nourishment for the spirit and soul, brought back to you by Jazzman Records!The CD version of this release also includes Tatum's independent second release Live at the Orchestra Hall & Paradise Theater. Another breathtaking long-form vocal jazz composition, Tatum intended Live ... to take the listener on a trip through the deep history of African-American music, expressing the spirit and sound of the past through the medium of jazz music and song.- All tracks fully licensed and digitally restored- Another super rare gem that's part of our esteemed HOLY GRAIL series- Only 1000 vinyl LPs available, all numbered!- Comprehensive and detailed liner notes with pictures and information taken from our interviews with Mr James Tatum himself- CD set with 8 page colour booklet- Only on Jazzman- all because WE DIG DEEPER!

Favorite Recordings proudly presents this new official album reissue of Dreamer of Life by Greg Yoder: A killer AOR private press LP infused with Folk, Jazz and Soul notes and maybe one of the best albums from the Hawaiian Scene in this style.Originally from San Francisco, Greg Yoder moved to Hawai'i in the early seventies and after achieving some local fame in the Waikiki area, recorded this one-off LP in 1976 at Audissey Sound studios, in Honolulu. The music is smooth and soothing, mixing xylophones, percussions, sweet guitars and brilliant orchestrations. In short, Dreamer of Life is full of hidden hits and faultless from the first note to the last.Following his various projects at Favorite Recordings, DJ and producer Charles Maurice recently unveiled this masterpiece by selecting the song “Things Were So Easy” on the AOR Global Sounds Vol.2 compilation. And after the label contacted Greg Yoder about it, the idea of reissuing this amazing album quickly became obvious.After its various compilations reissues over the past 2 years, Favorite Recordings is more than ever keen to enlighten rare-groove forgotten music and will quickly follow-up with great new full albums and compilations reissue projects in 2016.Fully restored and remastered with great attention to sound quality, Dreamer of Life by Greg Yoder is presented in a deluxe vinyl version, housed in a tip-on jacket, as CD and in Digital versions.

Hot Casa Records presents this new project, a collaboration between Soul-Jazz singer Shola Adisa-Farrar and Jazz pianist-keyboardist Florian Pelissier.Raised on opposite sides of the Atlantic, these two artists have combined their talents to compose Lost Myself. This musical voyage blends New-York’s hard-bop aesthetics and reggae-inspired elements, with modern jazz, for a fresh spin on classics and original compositions. Vocalist Shola Adisa-Farrar, a native of Oakland, was born into a family of artists and intellectuals. Shola began singing at the age of eight, influenced by her Jamaican upbringing and the soul and jazz classics that played in her home. At a young age, Shola garnered attention for her distinct raspy voice, which enabled her to perform a variety of musical styles. After living in New-York for 8 years, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music, she is now a true resident in Paris. Shola spends her time travelling to perform and develop her musical style. This album is her explorations into Jazz.Florian Pellissier, Parisian pianist and composer, is known for the authenticity and hard-bop style he brings to his music. A graduate of The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, Florian has spearheaded his own quintet along with the release of two successful albums: Le diable et son train (2012), and Biches Bleues (2014). Florian has also contributed his musical talent to jazz and funk projects such as Setenta, Camarao Orkestra, Chevere Que Son, Cotonete and GUTS.During Shola’s year-long residence as a performer for Le Reservoir’s Sunday Jazz brunch, Hot Casa Records’ honchos introduced Shola to Florian, sensing they would musically complement each other. In July 2013, their collaboration began, bonding over their love of jazz autobiographies, swapping music, and improvising together. The result is eight spiritually-tinged jazz tracks recorded live on analog equipment to maintain the traditional quality, from sultry introspections to rhythmic compositions, grounded in intense emotion. Included are jazz classics such as “Feeling Good” and “I Have a Dream”, a tribute to the music of Herbie Hancock, who has influenced Florian since his formative years in New York, to which Shola penned lyrics.

Tee Mac is a Nigeria’s multi-talented maestro flutist with cross-cultural Itsekiri and Swiss roots. He combined his first degree in Economics from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, with a specialization in classical music concert performance and philharmonic composition University of Lausanne. During a rich career spanning over 40 years, Tee Mac formed numerous bands including Tee Mac & Afro Collection in the 1970s with notable Nigerian artists. With the agreement of the artist we decided to select the best of his repertoire .The long awaited Tee Mac “best of “ is here at last juicy hot , explosive and threatens to shatter all existings records . Omatshola combined his first degree in Economics from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, with a specialization in classical music concert performance and philharmonic composition of the University of Lausanne. During a rich career spanning over 40 years, Omatshola formed numerous bands, including Tee Mac & Afro Collection in the 1970s. He recorded his first LP, United, with Polydor International in Germany with his European band Tee Mac United, in the late seventies. Omatshola hit the global music charts with two songs: « Fly Robin Fly », and « Get Up & Boogie » (owns 50% of the copy right) and toured extensively with his third band, Silver Convention, in the mid seventies. In other not to bore you with tell tales , let’s get into the heart of the album : We selelected seven beautiful and rare tracks from his album “ Party Fever “1978, a track from the “Mixed Grill” combo ( 1979) “ Night Illusion ( 1980) . The top musicians team individually display their skill and collectively have delivered a hit repertoire. And we hope a bumper harvest for Tee Mac Omatshola Iseli for the next decade.

Fat Beats Records is proud to present Baker’s Dozen, an exclusive vinyl series that shines a light on the best minds of instrumental hiphop, ambient, and electronic music. Each installment gives one artist carte blanche to capture their signature sound.Every volume’s 500-unitstrictly limited vinyl pressing features one artist and twelve tracks, but only 250 units will contain the thirteenth track -- the eponymous “baker’s dozen bonus” -- on a flexi disc. The LPs also come equipped with a 5x7” postcard insert that features a photo of the artist’s workspace along with the equipment used in their music-making process. Visually cohesive and packaged with the utmost attention to detail, Baker’s Dozen is a series that speaks up for artists whose craft renders voices superfluous, whose instrumentals alone suffice to make a statement.Volume One highlights Los Angeles born / Sacramento based beat maker Dibiase, whose style is best described in his own words: “It’s crazy to think that my equipment collection and beat making process started back in high school with just an 8 second Gemini sampler and a Sony Walkman. It was a super basic set up. Back then I used whatever I could get my hands on. Finding different samples, looping them up, running the layers back through the Walkman. Adding more layers and repeating that process until I had a beat. It worked. My process is a lot different now but in some ways it’s the same. I still do a lot of layering. I use a combination of hardware and software. Sometimes I start with a sample. Sometime I start with drums. It depends on my mood and the genre. Sometime I use a kit. Other times I will sample and layer drums, run them through another piece of equipment like the SP-12 or 404 to dirty them up, then dump them back into Ableton.I really don’t have a set way of doing things musically. I like to experiment with different technics and styles. I like my music to have a certain sound. Most of the time I let the process happen naturally.”

Red Apples 45 takes a flight out west on the next release. This time teaming up Ray West with west coast MC BLU for an introspective LP titled Crenshaw Jezebel… A melodic ride were BLU’s flow and word play blend with Rays sound to create a vibe of street essence & relationship conflicts . A 12 inch vinyl / digital release with custom art from legendary Joe Buck and features Red Apples own AG of DITC , Dave Dar & Es-K.