Some recent reappraisals alongside seventies spiritual highs.
Getting the Drift most played so far this week is Horizon Unlimited, a 1979 stonker from The Lijadu Sisters. Produced by Fela Kuti's (a cousin to the sisters) collaborator Odion Iruoje, it has an afrofunk drive, but also such a seductive and soulful sort of pop hue. The synthesiser flashes really take this one somewhere else. We have a hand-stamped test pressing that we have been playing loads, we’ll pop that into an order for someone lucky this week.
+ Pressed on limited Green vinyl and finally available again after a decade with The Lijadus’ approval and deep involvement.
Perfume Genius’ breakout Too Bright LP gets a limited 10th Anniversary pressing this week as part of Matador’s Revisionist History Edition series. A shimmering pop metamorphosis without losing the chilling power of his earlier piano fragility.
+ Pressed on Clear vinyl.
+ The new package includes the original artwork plus a 16 page booklet highlighting their interactive exhibition “An Encounter with Lux Prima”, held at Los Angeles’ Marciano Arts Foundation featuring a 360 degree soundscape of the album mixed at famed Skywalker Ranch.
A diverse little jazz offer this week. Gene Harris And The Sounds’ Live at the 'It Club' really does have a groove; slow unfolding pieces with pace and style. Stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.
Sarah Vaughan’s Sassy is just sublime. Ballads and standards with Hal Mooney and his orchestra, it all just wraps around her voice. Pressed for Verve’s Acoustic Sounds Series and features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.
Then, Jutta Hipp’s At The Hickery House Vol. 1 which is absolutely splendid. The German jazz pianist is bizarrely under celebrated, but we are hoping that this excellent trio LP with bassist Peter Ind and drummer Ed Thigpen will bring her name to your frontal lobes. A sort of bop-swing; it’s got nothing but charm and she really floats up and down the keys. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is mono, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.
Also back in the racks this week we have Jeffrey Lewis & Los Bolts’ excellent Manhattan LP. An early double from The Dandy Warhols archives with Dandys Rule OK and The Dandy Warhols Come Down, both on limited colour vinyl pressings too. Those early singles still hit pretty hard! We also have a Blood Red Shoes double with Fire Like This and In Time To Voices. Again, both on colour wax.
Free Yourself is the 1977 debut LP from Washington D.C.’s Experience Unlimited (or sometimes, just “E.U”). Any of you P-Funk heads will trip on this, flowing rock n roll with funk swagger and some lush soul tones too. This new remastered edition features a brand new interview with bandleader and co-founder Sugar Bear, plus the full, original artwork.
Then, the spotlight turns a little earlier in the seventies with the San Francisco founded and New York based JuJu. Led by James “Plunky” Branch, we are talking Afrocentric jazz and funk fusion with knotty progressions on Chapter Two: Nia. Oneness of Juju was the second incarnation of the group and the Space Jungle Luv LP is another proper trip. Spiritual floating and such sonically full grooves. Both editions look and sound great, highly recommended.
Galaxie 500’s Uncollected Noise New York '88-'90 is due shortly, but we want to talk a bit more about that one next week.
