Review: Alden Hellmuth - Tether (LEITER)

If you add NYC saxophonist, Nils Frahm and Thundercat's drummer into the jazz mixer, I don't think even then you'd get something as tasty as Alden Hellmuth's 'Tether' that's altogether essential.

Regular readers will have more than a passing interest in jazz from the extremes of that last in the J-Jazz series of Deep Modern Jazz From Japan 1970-1988 (see review HERE) to Thundercat's 'Apocalypse' (see review HERE) to the NYC train transit of Zachery Berns (see review HERE) so if there's one 'free-jazz' album to get this year that has elements of all this 'jazz', 'Tether' is IT.

Following her German Jazz Prize winning 2024 debut album 'Good Intentions', there's little wonder that Nils Frahm's signed her up for his LEITER imprint to release 'Tether'.  Not only that, the album features Justin Brown (Thundercat) on drums and the double of Logan Kane and Miller Wrenn, both on bass so that even then, it's experimental, improvised, punk plus 'free': these guys aren't 'Fake(rs)', with it's tweaky electronica that's also a feature of the opener 'Microfictions' with that bass double up.

'Definitely Not Friends' adds trumpet (Yakiv Tsvietiskyi) thus giving the track an Alyer Brothers touch with a great drum and bass (jazz, not DnB) section that could be on the extremes of broken?

Another guest is Paul Cornish (piano) on 'Witness' that's OST-noir-avant-garde-burlesque and we haven't said 'spiritual' yet when there's a cover of a John Coltrane track, 'Satetlite (K)'.  that swings like the great man himself and with this awesome bass-set up it was always going to stand-out.  I'd like to know why it's not longer than the sub-4 minutes here as you can sense an even bigger letting-go blow out could develop after the climax 

It's not 'Guesswork' who is Hellmuth's influences and whilst she's a leader here and written all tracks apart from the one mentioned above, even in an improv environment, she's not cocky or showy which makes the album even more absorbing. 

The album ends with 'Face The Wall' (the 'push and pull' single) which encapsulates the vibe in a further mix of Dilla as Albert Ayler/Coleman/Cherry with JMMR (see review HERE) as a big 'n' heavy climax.

We're told that she says, "This album is simply me and my love of music, It’s wholly authentic and that’s all that will ever matter.” - love it and it must be fantastic live!

Alden Hellmuth - Live Dates:

June 20th - Philadelphia, PA @ Solar Myth/Ars Nova

June 23rd - Brooklyn, NY @ Seeds

July 2nd - Brooklyn, NY @ Close Up w/ Sylvie Courvoisier Trio

July 8th - Basel, CH @ Bird's Eye Club

July 10th - Frankfurt, DE @ Jazzclub Montez

July 12th - Rotterdam, NL @ North Sea Jazz Festival

July 13th - Berlin, DE @ TBA

July 14th - Mantua, IT @ TBA

July 22nd - Brooklyn, NY @ Close Up (Tether Album Release Show)

August 13th - Brooklyn, NY @ Jazz Gallery w/ Sylvie Courvoisier

August 15th - Stowe, VT @ TBD w/ Anthony Wilson Nonet

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Tether | Alden Hellmuth

Artist:  Alden Helmuth 

Title: Tether

Release date: 26th June, 2026

Label: LEITR

Catalog Number: TBC 

Format: Limited Edition 12" Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Philippa - Panther Cuts Vol. 1 (Second Nature & Motion State ft. Séna) (Panther Cuts)

It may be a simple idea - two tracks per Volume, one deeper and more musical, the other direct and club focused - but it still needs to be executed; get ready for Phillippa's 'Panther Cuts'.
 

We've loved Berlin-based Phillippa's previous releases on Best Works (Phillipa's 'Don't Lose The Fire' - see review HERE), Freerange, Local Talk and more. 

Probably due to her jazzy leanings, her tracks do have that edge; perhaps it just comes as 'Second Nature'; "a loopy, piano-driven house track built on hypnotic repetition and subtle harmonic movement, balancing drive, tension and a shadowy, sample-led aesthetic" 

And as a second nature, Séna is also Berlin based with roots in jazz and live perfermance so this is the one for focus in the club?  Well, it's definitely focused on any club  the YAM office attends as it's got that Balearic beach groove with busy percussion and synths to get you in an expanded Lonnie Liston Smith state of mind in 2026: can you feel it too?

Its out-of-bodiness comes to life in the dub! 

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Panther Cuts Volume One | Philippa

Artist: Philippa
Title: Panther Cuts. Vol. 1 
Release date: 19th June, 2026
Label :Panther Cuts
Catalog Number: TBC
Format: Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Last Nubian Introduces Ships Of The Pharaohs - Sun Is Rising ft. Red Bird (First Word)

First Word Records got their summer solstice spiritual jazz-soul-acid-bruk beach wear on as Last Nubian introduces us to Ships Of The Pharaohs and this single, 'Sun Is Rising ft. Red Bird! 

Nearly a year to the day that the label reeleased Georgie Sweats sophomore album 'I Swear To You' (see review HERE), here's the first glimpse into the Ships Of The Pharaohs sessions.  'Sun Is Rising' features guest vocals from Red Bird with "soaring hooks with warm synth textures, live instrumentation and a driving 140bpm pulse. Equal parts sun-soaked and dancefloor-ready, it balances the spontaneity of the group's jazz roots with the momentum of contemporary club music". 

So we've got the idea that this London-based collective are influenced by the jazz-adjacent worlds of Co-Op (see review HERE) and Afro-futuristic Sun Ra (see review HERE) plus some jazz-house stylings via Lonnie Liston Smith/Minnie Ripperton!

So as they say, "The Ships of the Pharaohs are about to set sail for what is sure to be an exciting journey ahead": perhaps they've get to the House of the Rising Sun?

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Sun Is Rising (feat Red Bird) | Ships Of The Pharaohs

Artist:  Ships Of The Pharaohs 

Title: Sun Is Rising

Release date: 18th June, 2026

Label: First Word Records 

Cat. No: TBC

Format: Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Blue Earth Sound - The St. Louis Sessions EP (DeepMatter Records)

Chicago based Blue Earth Sound have moved south, even, deep south to give us 'The St. Louis Sessions' and it's ....

Following on from the album 'Cicero Nights' (see review HERE), Blue Earth Sound,  know for as an experimental, cinematic jazz project led by composer James Weir have travelled from Chicago to St. Louis, Missouri with some friends and collaborators.

Centred around the newly built home studio of drummer and long-time collaborator Austin LeMoine, the single 'Chartreuse' featured local St. Louis horn players Jawaad Spaan and Josiah Burton and they manage to capture a rough Miles of a spiritual jazz with is in keeping with the 'live' vibe.

Apparently the session was less improv and more workshop; there's even a Wurlistzer in the studio!  And the 'Japanese Green' is nothing like the recent J-Jazz compilation (Vol 5 - see review HERE) as it's influence was 90s R&B but it's a special groove.

And talking grooves, 'Fresh Air' goes Big Band Dilla-esque whilst 'Missouri Midnight' has that late night crickets vibe and it's a shame it's not a longer track.

I don't know how they've done it but there's a special sound to this one that quite intoxicating - expect support in all quarters.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: The St. Louis Sessions EP | Blue Earth Sound

Artist: Blue Earth Sound

Title:  The St. Louis Sessions EP

Release date: 19th  June, 2026

Label : DeepMatter Records

Catalog Number : TBC

Format:  LP Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: DFRA - A Quiet Storm EP (Inc. Jon Dixon Remix) (Ascension on Wax)

You won't be surprised to find a Jon Dixon remix makes this 12" more essential than it already was - it's like visiting Detroit!

Whether it be DFRA on Trusted Rhythm Records with 'Give Me' (see review HERE) or on MATE as a DFRA Experience (see review HERE) you know that  when it comes to blending soul, jazz and classic house, you know that Diego Ruiz (aka DFRA) has got more than a finger on the buttons. 

Added to that, Berlin-based label Ascension on Wax can call on Detroit’s Jon Dixon (who we've just hear on Seven Davis Jr's new album - see review HERE) for a remix, this is a big bonus.  Taking the best track on the 12", 'Charlene', onto the "distinctly Detroit" metro as he strips the track back and rebuilds it with deeper textures and signature keys; "Dixon channels the spirit of Underground Resistance while pushing into more meditative territory, bridging jazz improvisation with machine-driven rhythm".  It's spell-binding stuff.

The Colombian Ruiz is currently based in Buenos Aires where it must be like 'A Quiet Storm' anticipating the World Cup but here, the track itself as a slice of sultry sax to the evening stroll at the Plaza de Mayo.

'Strings' completes this 4-track EP and is the feels like the Lonnie Liston Smith jazz-funk on a fast track and I don't care who 'Charlene' is - its house jazz at its best. .

BUY LINK: https://aow-music.bandcamp.com/artists

Artist: DFRA 

Title: A Quiet Storm EP (Inc. Jon Dixon Remix) 
Release date: 19th June, 2026
Label : Ascension on Wax
Catalog Number:  AOW005
Format: 12" vinyl Pre-Order / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Gabriele Poso - Maraviglia (AG Records)

Gabriele Poso brings us his own view of the 3 wise monkies as "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" as a dancefloor promotion of moral integrity and avoidance of negativity.

Nearly a year to the day that Mr Bongo released the compilation, Gabriele Poso presents Ritmo Italiano ‘Unspoken Sounds of Italian Tamburo’ (see review HERE), renown digger Poso brings his sixth album in his own right.

Like the Soundway album 'Batik', you've got a mix of dancefloor friendly jazz, Latin, world, folk where the multi-instrumentalist plays percussion, guitar, kalimba as well as vocals like on the previous single 'Contifo Mi Vida'.

And then there's a leaning toward 70s Italian disco (like '01 Am' that should be like twice as long as a 'Salsoul' percussion workout), the even more space-synthed Candido-esque 'Drum Flow' and the slo-mo-funked title track.

The 7 tracks of his trade-mark "global rhythm traditions, the record blends Mediterranean warmth, Afro-Caribbean percussion and jazz sensibility" were recorded live to tape in an analog studio in southern Italy, with Rhodes, Hammond and full brass sections like a Mediterranean mix of Mod-Nicola Conti vs. GUTS vs. Kiko Navaro, the album "delivers an organic, joyful sound built for both deep listening and global dancefloors"; like 'Be Water My Friend' (Ed. think Bruce Lee) and 'Me Parece Un Sueño'.

As Ramrock's Jo Wallace once told me, 'Italo new went away' - I think we can now safely say, 'Italo is definitely back' as 'Maraviglia' and in the 'extended' (nearly 9 minutes) track 'Therapy', it's got the wise monkies doing the 2026 Afro-jazzdance!

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://gabrieleposo.ffm.to/maravigliaalbum

Artist: Gabriele Poso

Title:   Maraviglia 

Release date: 19th June, 2026

Label : AC Records

Catalog Number : TBC

Format: LP / Digital / Bandcamp  

Review: JKriv & The Illustrious Blacks - Shine (Soul Love)

At the time of writing this, the Sun is definitely in a 'Shine' phase and this track more than celebrates its power to generate live and big love - what we need is, JKriv & The Illustrious Blacks!

Seamus Haji's 'Big Love' label offshoot 'Soul Love have managed to get Brooklyn "disco polymath" to 'Shine' with the extra-ordinancy duo The Illustrious Blacks' (Manchildblack and Monstah Black).

Could it be that is was as far back as lockdown when we found The Illustrious Blacks on YouTube or was it with Seven Davis Jr? (check out his 'SAMUEL' album HERE).  Either way they know how to party with a "celebration of joy, self expression and dancefloor liberaton" and what with JKriv's endless love of sunshine disco boggie - this is a winning combo.

Quite a bit more main room than when we last saw JKriv on his own label. Razor 'N' Tape (with Jazon Linder, 'Real Ones' - see review HERE) but here's some Light Of The World / Beggar & Co. revival style ready for the dancefloor and festivals to 'Shine' on.

LINK / PRE-ORDER: Shine | Jkriv & The Illustrious Blacks | Big Love

Artist: JKriv & The Illustrious Blacks

Title: Shine
Release date: 19th June, 2026
Label: Soul Love Records
Cat. No: SL0
Format: Bandcamp / Digital

Review: Tigerbalm - Bubblegum Discos (Ubiquity Records)

Ubiquity Records' gets all fruity with Tigerbalm's second solo album at the 'Bubblegum Discos'!

You'll recall Tigerbalm's 'Nayar' (with Giorgio Lopez) from last year (see review HERE) but we are now four years on from the release of her acclaimed, outward-looking debut solo album, 'International Love Affair' so it's about time we had studio album number two, the thrillingly impressive and kaleidoscopic 'Bubblegum Discos'.

Prepare yourself for "Tigerbalm’s interpretations of two of her most cherished musical inspirations – Brazilian musical culture, and vintage dancefloor workouts from the African continent – infused with nods to Italo-disco, proto-house, soca and the fusion work of Jasper Van’t Hof" - he of 'Pili Pili - Selected Works 1984-2002 (See review HERE).

And whilst we're very much in that nu-disco fusion, the album can be split into South America and African continental groove. 

And 'Diga Me'! If 'Diga Me', featuring regular vocalist Joy Tyson / co-produced by Michele Charivarini, doesn't get the dancefloor moving in a disco rush for the dancefloor, there's no hope - it's a carnival dream with Flora Purim-esque cat suite and whistles.

And talking Airto/Purim et al - get Cuíca's out for the "samba-disco colour of ‘Vera En Paraty’, a brilliantly breezy and life-affirming affair fronted by vocalist Melodie Correira" whilst Tigerbalm (aka Rose Robinson) takes to the vocals on the proper Italo-synth'd up Bubblegum of 'Coco Makako' which is a bit of an ear worm grower.

'Pura Vida' picks up on the  Pura Vida sound of GUTS (see HERE) and who could resist Afriquoi performer Andre Espeut vocals in Lingala (the creole-like language of the Democratic Republic of Congo) and returning for percussion-rich album closer ‘Conga’, a thrillingly heavyweight fusion of Afro-centric disco rhythms, weighty dub disco bass and far-sighted flashes of synthesised colour.

'Do Da Soca' and 'Afro-Diso' complete this album and whilst it's miles away from some of the early releases on Ubiquity (and indeed The Flying Mojito Bros. - see review HERE) what they all have an upbeat and dancefloor craving attitude; and we can all do with some of that to chew on!

BUY LINK /PRE-ORDER: Bubblegum Discos | Tigerbalm

 

Artist: Tigerbalm

Title: Bubblegum Discos 
Release date: 19th June, 2026
Label : Ubiquity Records
Catalog Number : TBC
Format :  Vinyl LP / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Christian Prommer - Tryin’ Times feat. Justine Hoerwarth (Compost Records)

Christian Prommer recently posted, "a true from day‑one supporter of my music since the Fauna Flash, Trüby Trio and Drumlesson days. Handed him the very first vinyl test pressing of my upcoming double album 'Rhythmic Nocturne' (worldwide release: July 10th) - so was he talking about YATM?

The short answer was no as he was giving M.Gilles Peterson a copy of said new album in Berlin (at the time of the Berlin Jazz Festival) but he could have been: particularly by the time of Drumlesson (saw him at Big Chill for a live set with with cover versions of Techno classics) and even the Christian Prommer remix of 'Winter Wonderland' by Shirley Horn - see review HERE).

In fact, there's a bit of a connection with that 'The First Ladies' (of Jazz) collection (Ella, Zena, Billie, Sarah et al) as the single, 'Tryin' Times' has taken a decade to re-imagin Roberta Flack's 1969 classic protest song and WOW! it's been worth it as 1. it's a powerful reminder of what the music industry is capable of 2.  It's brilliant as Ms. Hoerwarth is the perfect voice for this track in its new guise "a modern jazz-rave invocation [with]. Prommer loops, fragments and deconstructs elements of the original recording, amplifying its message as a deep, dark yet urgent call for unity in a fractured world".

The album is going to be a must for fans of all Prommer's previous projects and "St. Germain, Floating Points and refined grooves at all speeds" in-between: put it on repeat.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://christian-prommer.bandcamp.com/album/rhythmique-nocturne-2

Artist: Christian Prommer 

Title: Tryin’ Times feat. Justine Hoerwarth 

Release date: 19th June, 2026

Label: Compost Records,

Catalog Number : CPT 670-6

Format: Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Various Artists - Candomblé: Sacred Rhythms in Brazil (FLEE)

In all honesty, I don't know what to make of this except that it's hypnotic and exceptional - transidental rhythms and song from Brazil: perfect for the World Cup.

Regular readers will know if i've got half a chance I'll refer to the FEEE compilation, 'Athos: Echoes from the Holy Mountain' (as "the Greek equilavent to Tai Chi Mountain in China" (see review HERE).

A massive 20 tracks as a double LP that extremes at trance and dub, the compilation sets exclusive field recordings made in 1985 and 1988 at Ilê Axé Opô Aganjú, a terreiro near Salvador, alongside newly commissioned pieces from contemporary artists including DJ Anderson do Paraíso, XEXA and Felinto, who revisit and reinterpret those sonic legacies. 

The accompanying bilingual (English–Portuguese) book documents' the Afro-Brazilian religion that enslaved West Africans rebuilt on Brazilian soil five centuries ago, tracing both its history and its ongoing transformations.  With essays, artistic commissions and rare archival photographs by the late Pierre Verger, it tells the story of Candomblé through the voices of initiated practitioners and ceremonial musicians while drawing on researchers and anthropologists to address how the religion now circulates, and is contested, well beyond Brazil. 

Not exactly mainstream, not exactly out there either but definitely mesmerising!

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: CANDOMBLE: SACRED RHYTHMS IN BRAZIL | FLEE 

Artist: Various Artists

Title: Candomblé: Sacred Rhythms in Brazil 

Release date: 12th June, 2026

Label: FLEE

Cat. No. :  TBC

Format: 2xLP + Artbook / Digital / Bandcamp