SEALED

Yemenite-Jazz legend Tsvia Abarbanel, celebrated on this much anticipated 12" by Fortuna Records. Including two previously unreleased tracks! Throbbing spiritual jazz touched by ancient Yemenite tradition, these 1970 recordings are amongst the rarest of the rare. Until now! Privately pressed by Tsvia in 1970, this was the first ever attempt at combining traditional Yemenite compositions with Funk and Jazz. Two tracks were previously reissued on a long out-of-stock 7" by Fortuna, now gloriously re-released with two other never-before-heard tracks! Essential.

Revolutionary, spiritual jazz from the unlikely city of Houston, Texas, reissued for the first time.Drummer, bandleader and activist Bubbha Thomas had toured America with R&B revues, served as a session musician for Peacock and Back Beat Records, and played straight ahead jazz with legends before the political and social upheaval of the late 1960s led him to a path first charted by Coltrane.Fancy Pants is his second LP with his Lightmen band and, like the deep-set, maverick jazz issued by the likes of Tribe and Strata East, is amongst the best of the 1970s jazz underground, a collective voice of resistance to the musical and cultural status quo. Presented in both stereo and mono mixes. Extensive booklet, download card for WAV files and footage of live performances included.

First ever official reissue of the positively sublime and very rare Butterfly LP, recorded in Tokyo in 1979 by Japanese songstress Kimiko Kasai and jazz legend Herbie Hancock.Due to its super-rare status as a Japan-only release, this exquisite collection of covers never got the recognition it deserved at the time, despite incredibly inspired performances from Kimiko, Herbie and the supremely talented musicians assembled for the project. From heavenly drummer Alphonse Mouzon and renowned organist Webster Lewis to bassist Paul Jackson, reedman Bennie Maupin and the master percussionist Bill Summers, the legendary performers crafted amazingly good vocal versions of Herbie / Headhunters jazz-funk. Unsurprisingly, it has been heavily in demand for many years.The LP opens with Kimiko's highly desirable version of "I Thought It Was You", an elegant take on Herbie's own anthem. Other superb re-workings include the delicately soulful "Butterfly", jazzy groover "Sunlight", the smooth and sexy "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" and the beautiful ballads "Maiden Voyage" and "Harvest Time". A wonderful example of perfectly understated and masterful jazz-funk soul fusion that shouldn't be missed, the set closes with a jaw-dropping version of Stevie Wonder's "As".This lovingly curated reissue enables a long overdue reappraisal of this hitherto unavailable masterpiece. The stunning artwork which adorned the original jacket - complete with OBI strip and sumptuous 4 page folded insert - has been faithfully restored. Simon Francis' sensitive mastering elevates the sound throughout and, as ever, it has been pressed at a reassuringly weighty 180g. Essential.

Fifteen' celebrates the work of Ben Lamdin - the musical maverick behind the Nostalgia 77 guise - with an eclectic compilation of tracks spanning fifteen years of jazz, hip hop, blues, funk, downtempo, soul and psychedelia. Lamdin’s work has gained him fans from a range of musical backgrounds and earning him praise from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Lauren Laverne and Jamie Cullum.It’s been Fifteen years since we put out the first Nostalgia 77 record, so to celebrate we’re releasing this amazing 2xLP featuring some of Ben Lamdin’s best work. There’s a variety of styles and genres on here, ranging from his jazz work, to the Country Soul of Jeb Loy Nichols, the dub sounds he created with Prince Fatty and also the folk leaning work from the N77 records A Journey Too Far and Sleepwalking Society. It also features the massive collaboration with Alice Russell, covering Seven Nation Army.Handpicked by Nostalgia 77 and Tru Thoughts, this retrospective showcases the best recordings and remixes from the respected producer, composer, songwriter and guitarist, spanning a range of projects. Featured on this fantastic anniversary release, are classics like Prince Fatty’s “Medicine Chest Dub” and the second to none take of “Seven Nation Army” featuring the phenomenal vocals from the ever-soulful Alice Russell. Also included on the retrospective, the beautiful tripped out hip hop take on “Sleepwalker” from fellow Brightonian producer Ambassadeurs, and a track from Lamdin’s country soul project with acclaimed songwriter Jeb Loy Nichols.The vinyl is housed in a gatefold sleeve and is printed on reverse board, which really highlights the wonderful image on the front cover (taken by Steve Glashier). The record comes with a download card that includes extra tracks. Please get in touch to set a dealer price. There’s no CDs for this release, just leading with the vinyl.Key Marketing Points:- Best Of compilation featuring tracks from across Nostalgia 77’s career, under various guises and across a diverse range of genres.- Available on 2xLP, housed in gatefold sleeve, printed on reverse board.- Previous radio support from Lauren Laverne (BBC 6Music), Gilles Peterson, Huey Morgan (BBC 6Music), Gideon Coe (BBC 6Music), Jamie Cullum (BBC R2), Guy Garvey (Elbow/BBC 6 Music) + more.- Previous press support from The Guardian, Uncut ,The Telegraph, The Wire, Clash, Q, DJ Mag, Record Collector, Blues & Soul and more.- Download card includes an extended version of the album, with extra tracks.- Previous winner of ‘Jazz Album of The Year’ at Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Awards (2006).

Limited Edition, Remastered

Keep the Fire Burning and Funky Sensation by Gwen McCrae, two tracks synonymous with the soul, boogie, rare groove and modern disco scenes, are finally being reissued on Expansion Records after a long-anticipated wait. Keep the Fire Burning, originally released in 1981, is a remake of the Willie Hutch original. This reissue of the U.S 12” pressing at its full length - 6:54 - is sure to galvanise any dance floor and lift spirits immeasurably. After achieving relative notoriety within the underground scene, notably after being played by Danilo Plessow - a.k.a Motor City Drum Ensemble - during his London Boiler Room in 2015, Keep the Fire Burning has since been one of the most sought after records of the past decade, seamlessly bridging the gap between rare-groove and underground dance-music. Whats more, recent price-hikes on online vinyl-distribution websites denote the way in which the market for this record has grown exponentially, a testament to its new-found popularity among the worldwide dance-music diaspora. Funky Sensation, moreover, possesses a timeless and universal groove, a song which has cemented itself as a darling of the boogie-scene, while gaining traction from the likes of Dam Funk and Nu Guinea. Furthermore, Funky Sensation is a traditionally popular record amongst the UK Soul scene, after seeing airtime on London Pirate-Radio stations during the 1980’s. Keep the Fire Burning has since been sampled by Star Slimlinger, Marcus Gauntlett and the Hustlers Convention among others and has seen heavy rotation within the underground circuit, owing to its popularity among certain U.S and European DJ’s such as Ron Trent, Marcellus Pittmann, and Sam Shepherd. Funky sensation is well-affiliated within the Hip-Hop scene, after providing the musical framework for songs produced by Africa Bambaata, Ghostface Killah and L.L Cool J to name a few. Own both original 12” versions for the first time this January as licensed in their entirety by Atlantic Records.

A timeless deep house track with a powerful message, Manchild (In The Promise Land) is a brand new creation from two of Chicago House music’s true architects, Ron Trent & Lono Brazil.Getting his start as a DJ in the mid 80s while still a teenager, Ron Trent quickly turned his hand to production, studying percussion and keyboards, skills which define his distinctive, melodic compositions to this day. Founding Prescription Records with Chez Damier in ’93 and sister label Balance soon after, he helped introduce talents such as Moodymann, Pevan Everett and Luke Solomon to a global audience.Ron Trent’s career has gone from strength to strength over the last three decades, DJing all over the globe while continuing to push boundaries with his productions and remixes.Mentored by none other than Frankie Knuckles and a close associate of the great Ron Hardy, Lono Brazil’s musical roots touch the very foundations of House Music. A true cultural ambassador, over the years Lono has produced shows with legendary artist Keith Haring, worked as an executive for Capitol/EMI and helped kick-start the recent disco revival from a small dive bar in Chicago’s North side, not to mention walking the runways of New York, Milan, London and Tokyo as a high fashion model.Afro-centric house in its purest form, Manchild (In The Promised Land) is characterised by Lono Brazil’s golden voice and original spoken word poetry which paints a moving picture of urban deprivation and stolen childhood. Subtle synth chords shimmer behind the jazz influenced bass-line and warm percussion that seems to play ‘call and response’ with the vocal. Fresh from appearing on Boiler Room Tokyo back in April, talented and in-demand Japanese husband and wife duo ‘Dazzle Drums’ provide a deep and tribal dub version of ‘Manchild’, steadily building up a compelling drum groove before taking flight into synth-heaven.