Roy Ayers Ubiquity - Red Black & Green (Polydor - 1973)

Roy Ayers discography is slowly being reissued those last few years, even if at least the half of his discography stays unavailable for the common people. This is a real shame, the guy being one of my most favorite artist ever and having blessed the surfaced of earth with his talent since 1963 without any real mistake or failure. Consequently, let's enjoy this hip-oselect new edition of Red, Black & Green, a classic collection of covers (Ain't No Sunshine, Day Dreaming, Papa Was A Rolling Stone) getting the Roy Ayers vibraphonic treatment and a true masterpiece, the title song Red Black & Green. For the record, Red, Black & Green has been sampled a few times, from the X-Clan (Raise The Flag) to former Stetsasonic Daddy-O (Flowin' In File) but not that much.

Download => Roy Ayers Ubiquity - Red Black & Green

Lloyd Miller - A Lifetime In Oriental Jazz (Jazzman - 2009)

A Lifetime In Oriental Jazz is probably the sole anthology of Lloyd Miller. Lloyd Miller was fascinated by what we called today "world music" and learned to play about hundred different and exotic instruments like santur, oud, balafon, zarb or tabla. He then mixed traditionnal Middle-Eastern, African or Asian instrumentations with jazz for a truly original and hypnotic result pressed on a handfull of vinyls that Jazzman digged and publishes today. This is definitely not easy listening but is really good and fascinating for discerning ears.

Download => Lloyd Miller - A Lifetime In Oriental Jazz

Nino Rota - Accade Al Penitenziario/Un Eroe Dei Nostri Tempi (CAM - 1992)

This CD gathers two rare Nino Rota soundtracks, composed by the Italian composers in 1955, just 5 years after he started collaborating with Fellini. Accade Al Penitenziario is a sketches comedy realised by Giorgio Bianchi completely unknown and forgotten outside Italy. Nino Rotta score is very symphonic and made me think to a Tex Avery cartoon soundtrack. With Un Eroe Dei Nostri Tempi, a film realised by Mario Monicelli, we are still in comedy territories but this time Nino Rota switched style and his score mixes ragtime jazz with circus music.





Download => Nino Rota - Accadde Al Penitenziario/Un Eroe Dei Nostri Tempi

Fela Anikulapo Kuti And Roy Ayers - Music Of Many Colours (Phonodisk/Celluloid - 1980)

Fela and Roy Ayers together: white rockers were not the only ones to create supergroups. Roy Ayers and Fela collaborated only for one album, Music Of Many Colours but what an album. There are two songs of it but both are near 20 minutes long and by the two geniuses at the top of their inspiration. Africa 70 incandescent afrobeat is smoothed out by Roy Ayers vibes and disco fused soul, making of the first track, 2,000 Black Go To Be Free, a sure dicerning dancefloor filler. Africa - Centre Of The World is more into Fela traditionnal mold: 3 drummers on fire, blasting horns and Roy Ayers riding the funk with his vibraphone solos. I found on You Tube a rare Louie Vega remix of 2,000 Blacks Got To Be Free I didn't know. But sorry I don't have any link to download it for free so I'm afraid that if you really want it, you'll have to buy it.

Download => Fela Kuti & Roy Ayers - Music Of Many Colours

Palenque Palenque: Champeta Criolla & Afro Roots In Colombia (1975-91) (Soundway - 2010)

Colombia inherited from slavery a strong black community that profoundly influenced Colombian music with afro roots. It is consequently not a surprise, as state the liner notes, that "Colombia was the first country outside Africa where, since the middle of the 1970s, afrobeat and highlife were recorded, and where this music was reborn under new horizons. Many of the champeta songs recorded in Colombia are not an orthodox style of afrobeat, soukous or highlife (...). They have their own identity, and the use of their own instruments and styles makes them very original. Champeta is a re-invention of afro music in Colombia, ixed with Caribbean psychedelia, afro roots and elements of cumbia and other style native to the Caribbean cost." If Soundway Records wouldn't have existed, I would have never kwnown anything about Colombian afro beat. A very good listening experience and plenty stuff to sample.

Download => Palenque Palenque

Bost & Bim - Yankees A Yard 3 (Musicast - 2010)

French reggae producers Bost & Bim give 2010 main hip hop and R&B their reggae touch, cuting and copying extracts on original riddims. It's really well made, at least as well as the fist two volumes of the Yankees A Yard serie. The curiosity is when they give Girl by The Beatles the same treatment.



Download => Bost & Bim - Yankees A Yard 3