[engl] Recorded in 1963 at Miami's Harlem Square Club, this stunning live date from the great Sam Cooke went unreleased for years because his label thought it was too raw and raucous, a complaint that hardly seems fair today as this is now known as one of the great live albums of all-time.

[engl] Danny Offia?s Funk With Me is a prime slab of Nigerian Boogie. Sinewy and urbane, it?s the soundtrack of Lagos in the early eighties. The city was awash with oil money, clubs were booming and every night was a party night ? the perfect place for a man with a great voice, a white suit and seductively-clutched packet of B&H Golds. Funk With Me was recorded in London with a crack team of session musicians. Drummer Blair Cunningham was from Memphis and had played with Robert Johnson. Sax player Ray Carless was regarded as the London jazz scene?s best-kept secret. Engineer Duncan Bridgeman would go on to work with Duran Duran. Danny Offia brought the songs and the Lagos attitude. ?Funk With Me? is a certified party starter. ?10 Years In Love? and ?Weak For You? are sophisticated groovers. ?Sat Nite (Is A Party Nite)? is guaranteed to get any girl on the dancefloor, while ?Don?t Make Me Cry? is smooth enough take her home. Funk With Me is Lagos in an album ? cosmopolitan, sexy and witty with an energy and spirit, all of its own. - Peter Moore, www.africanrevolutions.com

[engl] ?Creation One? is a stunning eight track, jam packed album, so elusive but full of pure joy! Invigorating, stimulating, delightful, a treasure of rhythms grooves and breaks! ?Sombre Guitar? is the favourite to many, especially DJs! In the 1970?s, composer and multi-instrumentalist John Danser formed Danser?s Inferno, a funky Jazz-Rock-Fusion band, an ensemble of 14 very talented musicians. At age 14 John Danser emigrated from London and established himself in New York City where he earned a master?s degree in music at the Manhattan school of music. In his early years, Danser played in classical as well as jazz gigs, simultaneously arranging and composing. He later went on to have an extensive musical career and at one point served as a bandleader at Concord hotel, during the Borscht Belt era, where he played for Sammy Davis jr., Milton Berle, Bob Hope and Judy Garland. - Rachel Kinoti, www.everland-music.com > Licensed by Jessica Danser

[engl] INCLUDES THE ORIGINAL 'HIP MANUAL'! PLUS BEATNIK-JAZZ BONUS TRACKS! Attention, this is one of the non-music cult obscurities that came out of nowhere during decades of music history. This 1961 released fictional dialogue between a moderator and somebody involved in the late 1950s hipster / beatnik movement in which both discuss the meaning of words and phrases from the youth and ?hipster? language of the 50's. It is different to the typical spoken word records where either political or philosophical pamphlets get recited. It is a dialogue, a comedic dialogue with some audience noises fadet in, some strange narrations and examples how to speak in a 1950s beatnik style. It is an interesting authentic document of its time and certainly a challenge even for those who speak English fairly well. A collectors item for fans and retro hipsters a time when a vivid counter society was pulsating beyond the idyllic world on the surface.

[engl] Way back in the early 1980?s a group of young musicians mostly in their 20's played around the LA jazz scene in a loosely organized jazz/fusion ensemble under the leadership of woodwind instrumentalist/composer-arranger Dennis Dreith. Those musicians, virtually unknown to all except their peers went on to illustrious touring and recording careers working with the biggest names in the music business and added their talents to scores of top charting recordings. Dennis himself grew into a leading film music composer and influential speaker on music industry matters. Dreith served as International President of the Recording Musicians? Association (RMA), in excess of 15 years, and served as a consultant and member of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Negotiating Committee. He is currently the Executive Director of the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund, overseeing numerous domestic and foreign rights agreements. The band's roster reads like a who's who of contemporary musicians these days. You may have heard of the ?Wrecking Crew,? or seen ?20 Feet From Stardom.? Now you can hear the current generation of musicians who are the unsung heroes of todays? hit records, films and television shows. The Dreith Band features a collection of world class musicians who may not be well known to the public, but are legends in music industry having recorded with Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Lady Gaga, The Beach Boys, Barbara Streisand, Steely Dan, Elvis Presley, Phil Collins, Miles Davis, Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones and countless others. Sounding like a full jazz orchestra, The Dennis Dreith Band sonance serves as a blueprint for new acts like Snarky Puppy, Lettuce, Vulfpeck and similarly jazz influenced young groups. Everland Jazz has now carefully prepared the first ever vinyl release of the Reunion LP, a seminal and timeless jazz masterpiece.

[engl] This delightfully eclectic LP is a prime example of 70?s SoulJazz. It is an early fusion record combining elements from jazz, gospel, soul and blues. It even has an edge of classical music, to be heard in the clear soprano voice of lead singer A. Grace Lee Mims on several tracks. As such it is a great sign of the times, the early seventies when musical experimentation and coalition was all abound. Bass-player and band member Bill Lee would later gain fame as being the father of controversial filmmaker Spike Lee and worked as musical director/conductor on four of his son?s excellent movie soundtracks. For sure you can already hear the early influences here! This is the best sounding reissue of A Spirit Speaks since it?s original release in 1974 and comes in an exact replica of the great original cover art. Licensed by Strate-East. - Marc Janssen, www.everland-music.com

[engl] Straight out of high school the singer and multi-instrumentalist Donny McCullough was hired as a staff writer for Motown Records. While there, Donny learned from the best as how to write, arrange and produce music. After leaving Motown Donny started his own independent label EMC Records at the young age of twenty four and recorded his very own album From The Heart. This great soulful funk LP was first released in 1981 and features many musicians who later made international fame, such as his schoolmate Dorian Holley, who sang with Michael Jackson for over 30 years. This beautiful re-release comes straight from the source and will deservedly put full attention once again on this rare but classic funky soul LP.

[engl] 2017 EDITION! PLUS BONUS TRACKS! It is 1960, Rock?n?Roll has just lost a couple of its protagonists during this and the previous year, the time of the great balladeers has just begun but soon will run out due to the new and exciting beat invasion. In US mainstream the tiki culture has reached a certain peak and is about to collapse but still goes strong and with it comes the so called ?exotica? music, a crossover between smooth jazz and swing, Latin grooves, haunting melodies that are rooted in the folkloristic sounds from different parts of this world plus weird sound effects that often create a spooky jungle or dreamy island beach atmosphere. It can even bend your mind that far you would see palm trees growing out of your speakers and witness monkeys and parrots having fun in your room. Eden Ahbez, born in 1908, passed in 1995, a man living an even more consistent dropout and hippie lifestyle way before the movement was born in the mid 60s, a beat poet and composer who wrote the hit tune ?Nature boy? that gave Nat King Cole his first big success in 1947, approaches the field of exotica music from a different point of view creating an epic concept album about an utopian society living in peace and harmony on an island far away from the modern western world as we know it. And indeed we find many trademarks of the prototypical exotica music beginning with this relaxed groove combining easy listening swing and Latin patterns, peaceful, dreamy and even transcendental vocal melodies, tinges of folk music from around the world including powerful dances and a whole color palette of mind expanding sounds giving the whole music an even greater depth and width. The latter being created entirely with real instruments such as Eden Ahbez' wood-flute. Some tunes are rather gentle and relaxed with the lyrics being narrated which adds much to the epic feel of the album. Since this is a really unique effort, I cannot really compare it to any other musical piece of the genre but definitely recommend it to exotic aficionados who for example love Frank Hunter's ''White Goddess'' album from 1959. Psychedelic music before the term was even invented.

[engl] Reissue of 1970 Latin Rock album. El Chicles were a Belgian studioband, but sounds like an instrumental version of the most legendary Santana songs. Highly recommended to any fans of 70's Rock as well as anyone who's into Latin sounds of previous decades!

[engl] After years of gigging around the east Nigerian music scene, Foundars 15 finally hit the jackpot when they recruited legendary bass player, Marshall Udo. Charismatic and confident, Udo immediately energised the band, bringing a new funky and psychedelic vibe as well as a bunch of songs he?d workshopped with the Funkees. The tone of the album is set early. Nek Adirika?s searing guitar lick announces ?We Are On The Move?, a track that is both funky and determined. ?Co-operation? is a horn-driven slab of ghetto funk. ?Cool and Good (For Love)? is a psychedelic wig-out. ?Work To Success? could well be the new-look Foundars 15 manifesto set to music. While Marshall Udo was undoubtedly the catalyst, Co-operation is very much a group effort. Udo, Sony Enang, Nek Adirika and Ike Peters each provide songs and the musicianship of each player is impeccable. Every track is super-tight and sophisticated. This is the sound of a band that means business. It?s also why Co-operation is widely regarded as one of the great Afro-Funk rock albums of all time. - Peter Moore, www.africanrevolutions.com

[engl] Before Aretha hit big with her stomping southern soul sound in the late 60s, she'd already had quite a career. Beginning as a gospel singer Franklin spent the early 60s recording in a variety of styles to varying success. While her other releases were overproduced and poppy, these very early recordings with the Ray Bryant group are beautiful jazz vocal stylings in the manner of Sarah Vaughan or Ella Fitzgerald. Beautifully recorded with no overdubs this is fantastic early 60s jazz and her voice is as perfect a fit for this material as it is for the soul she's famous for.

[engl] Limited edition of 250 copies! The Frat (aka The Frat Band, Autofrat) was a short lived electro funk outfit under the leadership of songwriter and producer Jeffrey Singleton. Jeffrey is best known as producer/writer on the excellent O.T. Sykes - First Love LP from 1981. Little is known about his own group apart from the band containing members Joe White, Ted White, Brigette Travis, Hugh Gray, Carlett Martin, Robert Singleton and Joey White. Only a few hands full of original copies of this excellent 7? single are known to have survived which makes this re-issue a true and most welcome feast for funk, boogie and electro fans. The music is licensed directly from original owner Jeffrey Singleton and is deliciously remastered from the best possible sources available.

[engl] Founded by ex- members of Procol Harum, Freedom were a legendary British psychedelic hard- rock band. This is their fourth album, originally released for the collectable Vertigo label in 1971. Powerful hard- rock / bluesy sound with loud wah /distorted guitars, long tracks, wasted vocal?recommended to fans of Clear Blue Sky, Budgie, Jodo

[engl] FRENCH GIRLIE COVER VERSION! The Funkees hit London in 1973 as the tightest, funkiest and most audacious bands to come out of Africa. Hardened by endless touring and an unrelenting battle with BLO and Monomono to be the best band in Nigeria, they were in prime musical condition, ready to finally lay down their first album. The result was Point Of No Return, a balls-to-the wall Afro funk-psych-rock monster that placed them, without question, on the top of the Afro funk pile. From the audacious opening instrumental title track to the funky finale, ?I Can?t Be Satisfied?, the musicianship is jaw dropping, with a rhythm section so tight you couldn't slip a cigarette paper between them. ?Abraka?, ?Dancing In The Nude? and ?Ole? find Jake Sollo, Harry Mosco and Sonny Akpabio at the height of their powers, playing songs fashioned from the sweat of years playing live and the soca and calypso influences of the West African and Caribbean musicians they played with in London. Point of No Return is rightly regarded as a landmark of psychedelic Afro Funk. It's also one that marks out The Funkees as not just one of the best bands in Nigeria or Africa, but in London and across the world too. - Peter Moore, www.africanrevolutions.com

[engl] NIGERIAN YELLOW COVER VERSION! The Funkees hit London in 1973 as the tightest, funkiest and most audacious bands to come out of Africa. Hardened by endless touring and an unrelenting battle with BLO and Monomono to be the best band in Nigeria, they were in prime musical condition, ready to finally lay down their first album. The result was Point Of No Return, a balls-to-the wall Afro funk-psych-rock monster that placed them, without question, on the top of the Afro funk pile. From the audacious opening instrumental title track to the funky finale, ?I Can?t Be Satisfied?, the musicianship is jaw dropping, with a rhythm section so tight you couldn't slip a cigarette paper between them. ?Abraka?, ?Dancing In The Nude? and ?Ole? find Jake Sollo, Harry Mosco and Sonny Akpabio at the height of their powers, playing songs fashioned from the sweat of years playing live and the soca and calypso influences of the West African and Caribbean musicians they played with in London. Point of No Return is rightly regarded as a landmark of psychedelic Afro Funk. It's also one that marks out The Funkees as not just one of the best bands in Nigeria or Africa, but in London and across the world too. - Peter Moore, www.africanrevolutions.com

[engl] In his late teens Rev. Gary Hairston wasn?t only serving the Lord, he was also a member of funk outfit OPUS 7, that recorded the great album ''Thoughts'' in 1979. Although it was distributed nationwide, the group album was not very successful. In 1983 the Winston-Salem, NC native Gary Hairston delivered the now mega rare album ''Chilling Out'', his debut solo-album under the moniker GARY. It was recorded under the auspices of legendary musician/producer Harry Deal at his Galaxie III studios. Now the album is a well sought after electro, funk and boogie classic, and EVERLAND is proud to present the very first and official reissue of this previously almost unobtainable private press nugget.

[engl] One of the greatest soul funk albums of the 80s, and a darn record to find! The tracks are nice and tight, with sort of a smooth modern soul and a good dancefloor groove. Made by a vast collective of musicians in and around LA in the early eighties who recorded for the KMA and Jam-Power labels. Most famous from that collective became Chuckii Booker who went on to solo fame. Gift Of Dreams recorded two full albums for Jam-Power, this being the first and a bit more soulful of the two. Overall there are already many touches of electro, boogie and funk which makes this music being in such high demand. This beautifully restored reissue contains all the info and illustrations of the very first, full colour and pretty artsy LP-sleeve design. Licensed by David Wooley, Jam Power Records

[engl] William Onyeabor wasn?t the only Nigerian experimenting with synthesizers in the 70s and 80s. Goldfinger Doe was twiddling knobs too, no more so than on Let?s Dance Together ? a prime slab of cosmic Afro boogie funk, recorded with legendary percussionist, Mike Umoh (a.k.a B.M.S.) Goldfinger met Umoh playing with Bongos Ikwue & The Groovies. Bass player Bashiru Musa, was a fellow Groovie too, and when the three hit the studio to record Let?s Dance Together, the groove was already tight and hot. The title track, ?Let?s Dance Together?, is an urgent boogie monster, peppered with cosmic synths. ?Funky Africa? is an irresistible floor-filler, driven by the ?funk in the black soil and the soul in the air.? ?Jah Help Us? is a reggae-tinged reworking of the Lord?s Prayer, with added squelchy synth. ?B.M.S. Bowl?? It?s just an excuse for Umoh to show off his preposterous percussive skills. Goldfinger?s extraordinary synth skills are always front and centre. They transform ?Jane?, providing a humorous commentary in an otherwise straightforward romantic lament, and propel the funkier tracks to become the heartbeat of the album. Let?s Dance Together is an Afro Funk space ship, fuelled up and ready to take off. - Peter Moore, www.africanrevolutions.com