{"title":"MPS","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMPS is a German jazz label that was founded in 1968 by Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer. It started as a successor to SABA and quickly gained recognition for its exceptional sound quality. Often compared to the renowned Blue Note label, MPS became known as Most Perfect Sound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom 1971 onwards, MPS releases were distributed by BASF and later by Metronome Records GmbH (renamed Metronome Musik GmbH in 1977). However, in 1983, due to declining budgets for recording jazz music, Brunner-Schwer shifted his focus to classical music and sold the rights of MPS to Philips. Eventually, the label found its way under Polydor's ownership and its recordings were re-released by Motor Music starting from 1993.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn Hamburg, Universal Jazz Germany took over the MPS archives in 1999 while Speakers Corner Records released various vinyl reissues. After ten years since Brunner-Schwer's passing, Edel acquired MPS's back catalogue from Universal on January 7th, 2014. Now led by Andreas Brunner-Schwer and Friedhelm Schulz, the team has returned to Villingen where they continue recording new material.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"another-day-8","title":"Another Day","description":"\u003cp\u003eRecorded in 1970 in the legendary MPS studio, \u003cem\u003eAnother Day\u003c\/em\u003e features the lesser-known trio constellation of \u003cstrong\u003eOscar Peterson\u003c\/strong\u003e himself on piano, George Mraz on bass, and Ray Price on drums.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhile Peterson, who was 45, was still at the peak of his powers and world famous in 1970, the new members of his trio were virtually unknown to his fans of the period. But especially bassist Mraz would soon grow popular himself, appearing on over 200 sessions including around 20 as a leader. His endless resume included associations with Stan Getz, the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, Bill Evans, Tommy Flanagan, Joe Henderson, and countless others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Peterson-Mraz-Price trio lasted for about a year, recording this album as well as the famous \u003cem\u003eWalking The Line\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003cem\u003eAnother Day\u003c\/em\u003e has plenty of highlights, one surely being \"\u003cem\u003eAll The Things You Are\u003c\/em\u003e\", which is one of Peterson's most streamed tracks. The performances show that this overlooked version of the Oscar Peterson Trio could hold its own with its more famous predecessors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRemastered by Grammy-nominated engineer Christoph Stickel, this release offers an intensive look into the trio's dynamic, inviting enthusiasts to finally experience a Peterson album - also on AAA vinyl.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50380086378827,"sku":"2214056","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50380086280523,"sku":"2214047","price":21.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_e6e53b7e_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726206726"},{"product_id":"hello-herbie-3","title":"Hello Herbie","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIntroducing another timeless jazz masterpiece: \u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHello Herbie \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e(1970) by The \u003cstrong\u003eOscar Peterson Trio \u003c\/strong\u003ewith \u003cstrong\u003eHerb Ellis, \u003c\/strong\u003ethe legendary guitarist who played with the likes of Jimmy Dorsey, Stan Getz, Dizzy\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGillespie and Ella Fitzgerald, just to name a few. Ellis was a permanent member of Peterson's trio from 1953-58, while it was featuring a guitar but no drums - one or even the greatest jazz combo\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eof the 1950s. Rediscover the magic of this timeless album where Ellis is joining Peterson and his trio again with \u003cstrong\u003eSam Jones \u003c\/strong\u003eon bass and \u003cstrong\u003eBobby Durham \u003c\/strong\u003eon drums. With Peterson's incredible skill,\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEllis thoughtful playing and a more than solid foundation in Durham and Brown this album showcases exceptional artists at their very best. Both, Ellis and Peterson feed of each other and\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ethe album's fusion of playful interplay, together with nuanced arrangements and combined with the AAA remaster by Grammy-nominated mastering engineer Christoph Stickel, delivers an immersive experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe album includes a scan of the original master tape box and new liner notes by jazz journalist Scott Yanow.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50380225708363,"sku":"2214138","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50380224430411,"sku":"2214130","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_8dc0e601_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726211181"},{"product_id":"the-aura-will-prevail","title":"The Aura Will Prevail","description":"\u003cp\u003eMPS head Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer discovered 20 year old George Duke by chance during a concert in San Francisco in 1966. A long partnership developed out of this unexpected meeting, topped off by a series of albums that Duke recorded for MPS during his Zappa phase. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis 1975 recording is a reflection in concentrated quartet form of how far Duke had moved away from being, in his own view, “too conservative and serious a jazz musician”, and evolved into an inventive and humorous “master of fusion”. With Santana drummer Leon “Ndugu” Chancler, bassist Alphonso “Slim” Johnson, and the Brasilian percussion sorcerer Airto Moreira, Duke designs a stunningly cinematic sound scenario that also points to him as one of the pioneers of the synthesizer. He paints a fantastic morning atmosphere in Dawn; in Floop the Loop Duke conjures animated, funky tone poems. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere is a change of scene as Duke takes up the role of soulful singer on the smooth ballads For Love and Fools. His onetime collaboration with the Mothers of Invention rubs off on Duke’s adaptations of Echnidna’s Arf and Uncle Remus, and a touch of samba is added to the relaxed tropical magic of Malibu.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50389812478283,"sku":"1143394","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/e32ad1e9-875e-482d-ae39-b43526c7a23b_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726373389"},{"product_id":"the-hip-walk","title":"The Hip Walk","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eConsidered one of Nathan Davis' best albums, and long a collector's item, The Hip Walk was recorded in 1965, a time when the Afro-American Davis lived in Europe, working with such legends as Kenny Clarke, Art Blakey, Ray Charles, Dexter Gordon, Eric Dolphy and Woody Shaw. Nathan's Kansas City school mate, trumpeter Carmell Jones - who e.g. worked with Horace Silver, Paul Kuhn, Eugen Cicero - comes along for the ride. A superb album of soulful, swinging jazz - the perfect companion when you feel the need to get in the groove.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe album was remastered from the original analogue master tapes by Christoph Stickel (cs mastering) with the vinyl getting an AAA treatment. The original artwork is complimented by a supplement with additional liner notes, pictures, and a scan of the original master tape box. Until now, to get your hand on this early Davis LP you had to be lucky to purchase an expensive original pressing. Finally, it's available again for everyone to enjoy!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe album is featuring Jimmy Woode (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums) and Francy Boland (Piano).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50389843902795,"sku":"2027726","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50389844099403,"sku":"2027729","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_064f12d5_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726374969"},{"product_id":"ono-mato-poetika","title":"Ono Mato Poetika","description":"\u003cp\u003eMalakoff Kowalski was born to Persian parents in Boston, grew up in Hamburg, and lives in Berlin today. His first solo album Neue Deutsche Reiselieder was released in 2009. The German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung described his 2012 album, Kill Your Babies - Filmscore for an Unknown Picture, as \"an album full of melancholic song sketches. As if he had cut out the pieces of a scratched copy of a Nouvelle Vague film.\" In 2015, the album I Love You was released, a mix of jazz, folk and film music. But of the many instruments that can be heard in Kowalski's recordings, the piano has always played a significant role. And so, it is on his new work Ono Mato Poetika, the follow-up two his critically acclaimed first solo piano album \"My First Piano\" released in 2018. The titles of the individual pieces on his records so far are comparable to diary notes reminding him of experiences and encounters, also of movies and theatre plays that Kowalski had worked on. The music - almost entirely instrumental - had always evolved from something autobiographical. But now, for the first time Kowalski was facing a cycle of pieces he could not find names for. The music did not even feel like a language that he speaks. English, German, French or Persian titles - as in the years before - seemed to be wrong. But everything without a name confuses him.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50390000468299,"sku":"1099075","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50390000369995,"sku":"1099074","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/ffc85447-dd04-4ac3-8d4f-b2d2cb59de0a_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726378820"},{"product_id":"common-ground","title":"Common Ground","description":"\u003cp\u003eFord and Evans have shared the stage in Europe, North America and even Japan and already released one album \u003ci\u003eThe Sun Room\u003c\/i\u003e together in 2019 (earMUSIC). With \u003ci\u003eCommon Ground\u003c\/i\u003e they continue their creative relationship as Bill Evans explains. \"Every now and then, like-minded musicians are able to get together in the studio or on the same stage and create interesting music together. It's the blending of each other's influences and styles, and the will to create something new and fresh that can turn this 'creative meeting' into something special. I believe myself and Robben share that same ideology. Robben and I both love all kinds of music whether it's classic blues, soul, rock and roll, you name it. This openness to combine different kinds of music and create something musical and special is what brought me and Robben together in the first place. Robben composed some of the most inspiring music I've played in a long time. Our writing styles blend seamlessly.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe title track features the vocals of popular German singer Max Mutzke.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50390012789067,"sku":"1166761","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50390012952907,"sku":"1166760","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/de281fa0-a6aa-4d6c-a2ca-c6908ec90d45_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726379447"},{"product_id":"high-voltage","title":"High Voltage","description":"\u003cp\u003eReissue of the Count Basie Orchestra's 1970 album \u003ci\u003eHigh Voltage\u003c\/i\u003e, arranged by Chico O'Farrill and featuring Eddie \"Lockjaw\" Davis, Cecil Payne, Joe Newman, Freddie Green and Harold Jones among others.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen in January, 1970 Count Basie entered the studio with his 17-piece big band to record \u003ci\u003eHigh Voltage\u003c\/i\u003e, he ushered in the last full decade as bandleader of his Orchestra. The Orchestra had left its imprint on the sixties by recording with the likes of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. There would be more great albums with star vocalists in the seventies, but the band's purely instrumental works, which had begun in 1965, would also continue. Back then Basie had engaged acclaimed Cuban composer\/arranger Chico O'Farrill to arrange the music for such concept albums as \"Basie Meets Bond\" and \"Basie's Beatle Bag\", transforming them into crossover gems. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn \u003ci\u003eHigh Voltage \u003c\/i\u003eO'Farrill demonstrates his affinity to Basie's big band sound, this time with a repertoire of standards. For this album, Basie specifically chose pieces the band had never recorded in their more than 30-year existence. This is saying something, since the band covers such an impressive span of jazz history, from the beginning of the swing era to the bop-influenced bands of the 50's on through to the present album. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Count's new drummer Harold Jones propels Fred Fisher's \"Chicago\" with a tremendous drive. The Rogers and Hart classic \"Have You Met Miss Jones\" features beguilingly dense deep- register horn lines and an almost languorous piano, and Eric Dixon's tasty flute solo spices up \"The Lady Is A Tramp\". With its smoky sophistication, Eddie Lockjaw Davis' Tenor dominates \"Bewitched\", whereas guest trumpeter Joe Newman's muted tongue- in- cheek solo highlights \"Day In Day Out\". Of course, Basie himself also steps forward: for instance, on the Fats Waller- like intro to \"I'm Getting Sentimental Over You\", and with the playful grace notes on \"If I Were A Bell\".\" Reminiscent of the Las Vegas shows the band performed with Frank Sinatra, \"Get Me To The Church On Time\" is also a masterful dialogue between the horn sections.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Audiophiles","offer_id":50390014198091,"sku":"1147887","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50390013641035,"sku":"1147888","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/d434fd20-0ffb-434e-b085-b5cbd181fbe0_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726379499"},{"product_id":"rokoko-jazz","title":"Rokoko Jazz","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eRokoko Jazz \u003c\/i\u003eis the frst record that Eugen Cicero released on MPS in 1965, which also marked his breakthrough and sold over 1 million copies worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith his rapid swing versions, Cicero proves why he really deserves the nickname that was given to him: \"Mr. Golden Hands\". From Couperin to Johann Sebastian Bach and Scarlatti, from Karl Phillip Emanuel Bach to Mozart, the reinterpretations on this record take you through one of the great centuries of Western music. Cicero treats the compositions of the great composers of the 18th century with respect and awe. The themes and melodies gain clarity and contour like they rarely do with someone who likes to play them \"true to the work\". \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEugen Cicero would have turned 80 in 2020, but unfortunately the exceptional pianist died much too young at the age of 57 due to a cerebral infarct. A tragic fate that his son Roger Cicero - who also became a famous German jazz musician - should share with him. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50390015508811,"sku":"1144681","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50390015541579,"sku":"1144680","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/824fae0e-861c-4ec1-9ba2-54efe3df3e98_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726379584"},{"product_id":"intercontinental","title":"Intercontinental","description":"\u003cp\u003eReissue of a 1971 trio recording by guitar great Joe Pass, bassist Eberhard Weber and drummer Kenny Clare.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Joe Pass looks like somebody's uncle and plays guitar like nobody's business.\" So said New York Magazine about the man considered to be one of the greatest jazz guitarists of the 20th century. Pass's masterful melodic counterpoint and quicksilver improvisational style flow throughout \u003ci\u003eIntercontinental\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSince the American had a first-class bassist in Eberhard Weber at his side during his June 1970 MPS session in Germany's idyllic Black Forest, Pass could concentrate on playing the melody and the chords. Weber, who comes from Stuttgart, Germany, would soon develop his own electric bass, but at this point he was still playing the traditional acoustic contrabass. Third in the group was British drummer Kenny Clare. Pass chose the program for the recording, mixing standards with originals. It's amazing how such typical big band pieces as \"Stompin' at the Savoy\" and \"Lil' Darlin'\" sound in trio; Pass and company swing like they were Count Basie and his orchestra.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50390015902027,"sku":"1143713","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/41e25994-c5b6-44ed-86ca-1dfe09d9fa9b_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726379602"},{"product_id":"sunshine-of-your-love","title":"Sunshine Of Your Love","description":"\u003cp\u003eElla Fitzgerald singing Eric Clapton’s Sunshine of Your Love, or the Beatles’ Hey Jude? Something of a revelation for those who know Fitzgerald as purely a jazz singer. In October 1968 Ella Fitzgerald performed such a set of selected pop songs at the Venetian Room in The Fairmont San Francisco Hotel. Ella’s pristine clarity of earlier years, now tinged with a throaty worldliness, is a perfect foil to her choices from the world of rock and pop. It also adds new depth to such standards as Give Me the Simple Life, Old Devil Moon, and Burt Bachrach’s A House is Not a Home. Recorded “live”, the album is divided into a big band set and Ella with her long-time accompaniment, the Tommy Flanagan trio. Pianist Flanagan is simply one of the all-time greats. After listening to this, how can you not be a fan of Ella’s?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt was recorded by music producer and the founder of Verve, Norman Granz.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Audiophiles","offer_id":50390016426315,"sku":"1143310","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50390016262475,"sku":"1143311","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/29f1e752-6555-4976-8894-62708abbb505_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726379631"},{"product_id":"life-enigma-4","title":"Life Enigma","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJean-Luc Ponty's\u003c\/strong\u003e groundbreaking album seamlessly blends jazz, fusion, and world music, showcasing Ponty's virtuosity and innovative spirit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSeven years after his previous studio album \u003cem\u003eNo Absolute Time\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLife Enigma\u003c\/em\u003e showed that Ponty was \"up to the task of carrying the spirit of fusion into the new millennium instead of just mining the same old spent lodes.\" (Todd Jenkins\/All About Jazz)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50417068933451,"sku":"2196175","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50417068638539,"sku":"2196156","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_0885aa0d_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726715663"},{"product_id":"motions-and-emotions","title":"Motions and Emotions","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMotions \u0026amp; Emotions\u003c\/em\u003e is a reissue of Oscar Peterson's 1969 album. On this album, \u003cstrong\u003eOscar Peterson\u003c\/strong\u003e presents jazz versions of popular pieces from pop, easy listening, and classic songwriters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe quartet of long-time companions are washed in rich orchestral colors, arranged and conducted by the great Claus Ogerman, who had previously worked for Tom Jobim. Ogerman's arrangements bring new life to familiar tunes, such as Jimmy Webb's \"\u003cem\u003eBy The Time I Get To Phoenix\u003c\/em\u003e\" and Bobby Gentry's \"\u003cem\u003eOde To Billy Joe\u003c\/em\u003e\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe orchestra builds a luminous tropical backdrop for Peterson's phrasing in Jobim's \"\u003cem\u003eWave\u003c\/em\u003e\", while paying tribute to Henry Mancini in \"\u003cem\u003eSally's Tomato\u003c\/em\u003e\" with feather-light brilliance. Bobby Hebb's \"\u003cem\u003eSunny\u003c\/em\u003e\" and Burt Bacharach's \"\u003cem\u003eThis Guy's In Love With You\u003c\/em\u003e\" are given new interpretations, showcasing Peterson's skillful harmonies and bluesy decorations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe album also features bossa nova influences in \"\u003cem\u003eYesterday\u003c\/em\u003e\" and a dynamic rendition of The Beatles' \"\u003cem\u003eEleanor Rigby\u003c\/em\u003e\". German Jazz trumpeter Till Brönner considers \u003cem\u003eMotions \u0026amp; Emotions\u003c\/em\u003e to be his absolute favorite album, describing it as the perfect instrumental album with enthusiastic detail work in the popular sector.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"CD.","offer_id":50885750128971,"sku":"1143836","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Audiophiles","offer_id":50443474698571,"sku":"1143840","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Blue | LP","offer_id":50443475353931,"sku":"1143841","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50443474141515,"sku":"1143839","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50476223594827,"sku":"1143837","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/0486e036-930a-4c3a-a706-3b7979cfe8d4_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727015164"},{"product_id":"basic-basie","title":"Basic Basie","description":"\u003cp\u003eRecorded at the famous Universal Studios in Chicago in 1969, this is the rst of two classic Basie recordings for MPS.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere are at least three aspects that place \u003ci\u003eBasic Basie\u003c\/i\u003e on the 'special album' list: lots of the Orchestra's standards arranged by the inimitable Chico O'Farrell, more Basie on piano, and some great tenor solos by one Eddie \"Lockjaw\" Davis. The band comes out hot and swinging on Jesse Stone's \"Idaho\", with a bouncy piano solo, and \"Lockjaw\" pours out a scalding half chorus starting at the bridge. \"Blues in My Heart\" has a laid-back Basie and Davis, and on \"I Don't Stand a Chance\" Davis blows a warm, breathy ballad. \"Red Roses\", \"Moonglow\", and \"Ma He's Making Eyes at Me\" are all beautifully arranged at a medium tempo, with Basie and Davis the soloists. The funky \"M-Squad\" features Eric Dixon's pristine ute solo, the leisurely \"Sweet Lorraine\" drips warm-honeyed notes, while Fats Waller's \"Ain't Misbehavin\" deservedly features Basie's piano. \"Don't Worry\" gives the listener a sweet taste of Basie band stalwart Marshall Royal's alto, and on \"As Long as I Live\" Basie takes on the melody with a short aside from \"Lockjaw\". A title that ts hand-in-glove to Basie and band, \"I've Got The World On A String\" closes out the session.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50443476238667,"sku":"1143716","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/013ad6c7-de97-403a-ab9f-31454280db08_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727015188"},{"product_id":"nicola-conte-presents-cosmic-forest","title":"Nicola Conte Presents Cosmic Forest","description":"\u003cp\u003eAs part of their ongoing 50th birthday celebrations, German jazz label MPS asked Italian musician and crate digger Nicola Conte to trawl through their archives for spiritual gold. The result is \"Cosmic Forest\", an eye-opening set of largely obscure and little known tracks originally recorded between 1965 and 75. There is much \"straight-up\" spiritual jazz to enjoy (Nathan Davis' \"Evolution\" being a prime example), but it's the cuts that draw on a wider palette of influences that really stand out. Check, for example, the Middle Eastern flourishes of George Gruntz's \"Djerbi\", the hippy-ish vocal bliss of The Third Wave's \"Maiden Voyage\", the meditative jazz raga that is \"Yaad\" by Motihar Trio, Schweizer Trio, Schoof \u0026amp; Wilen, and the tropical drums of \"El Babaku\" by El Babaku.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50443530633547,"sku":"1087475","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/de5ec476-6f0a-4ff3-b26c-366534ce5150_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727016192"},{"product_id":"inside-missing-link","title":"Inside: Missing Link","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn Inside: Missing Link Kriegel assembled a band of some of the leading musical visionaries on the European jazz scene for this 1972 double album. The first album contains four extended pieces featuring an international octet with a hip mix of rock \u0026amp; jazz, pulsating arrangements, and distinctive solos. You find a three-piece brass section with German trombone icon Albert Mangelsdorff and saxophone master Heinz Sauer as well as English saxophone giant Alan Skidmore. The rhythm section likewise consists of ace musicians: Eberhard Weber on bass, John Marshall on drums and Dutch percussionist Cees See. English keyboard legend John Taylor's electrifying play completes the sound.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe second session is done without the brass section, giving Taylor's electric piano and Kriegel's electric and acoustic guitars more room, as well as Weber who also contributes one of his compositions. Peter Baumeister takes over at the drums. The album was remastered from the original analogue master tapes.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Black LPx2","offer_id":50446201585995,"sku":"2027775","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50446200996171,"sku":"2027756","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/4250644885655_Inside-Missing-Link_b55f5790_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727054513"},{"product_id":"one-grass-skirt-to-london","title":"One Grass Skirt To London","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith her new studio album \"One Grass Skirt To London\"Malia presents a life's story filled with tracks from her youth and important moments throughout her life.\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOne Grass Skirt To London\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eis an 8,200-kilometer journey from Malawi to London, where the singer emigrated to as a teenager. Not only was it a geographical and temporal journey but also a musical one. Though most of all, it was a sentimental one, since the 14 songscarefully chosen for this album are so precious to her because of the memories they contain. Almost all are taken from film soundtracks, from \"Everybody's Talkin'\"from\u003ci\u003eMidnight Cowboy\u003c\/i\u003eto \"Take My Breath Away\" from\u003ci\u003eTop Gun\u003c\/i\u003e, you find \"Pure Imagination\" from\u003ci\u003eCharlie and the Chocolate Factory\u003c\/i\u003eas well as \"Here On My Own\" from\u003ci\u003eFame\u003c\/i\u003e. All of them possess an unique power to evoke an emotion through their music that has shaped her identity, helped overcome trials, and bloom as an artist. Thus, it's no surprise to hear, in the voice of Malia, sometimes even within the same song, the little girl, the teenager, the woman, and also, as if through a fascinating act of vocal transmigration, the soul of those who are no longer with us.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLike before, she entrusted the instrumental part to a trio comprising pianist\u003cstrong\u003eAlexandre Saada\u003c\/strong\u003e, bassist\u003cstrong\u003eJean-Daniel Botta\u003c\/strong\u003eand drummer\u003cstrong\u003eLaurent Series\u003c\/strong\u003e, with whom Malia has collaborated since\u003ci\u003eBlack Orchid\u003c\/i\u003e. All of them helped her in making this album one of the most personal in her discography.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50455212720459,"sku":"2223999","price":36.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50455211540811,"sku":"2223979","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_a83ce7c8_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727189385"},{"product_id":"noisy-silence-gentle-noise","title":"Noisy Silence - Gentle Noise","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe long-awaited new edition of \u003cem\u003eThe Dave Pike Set's\u003c\/em\u003e absolutely unique 1969 debut album, \u003cem\u003eNoisy Silence - Gentle Noise\u003c\/em\u003e. The American vibraphonist \u003cstrong\u003eDave Pike\u003c\/strong\u003e had already become famous in the 1960s through his work with the likes of Herbie Mann, Bill Evans, and Paul Bley.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRecorded in Europe, the combination of Pike's vibraphone style and the electrical as well as acoustic guitar and sitar play by the German \u003cstrong\u003eVolker Kriegel\u003c\/strong\u003e made the Dave Pike set an instant success. \u003cem\u003eNoisy Silence - Gentle Noise\u003c\/em\u003e is an ideal title for this record. \u003cstrong\u003eDave Pike's\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eVolker Kriegel's\u003c\/strong\u003e music is as light as it is loud, eloquent as it is silent, romance is hidden behind its power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Mathar\"\u003c\/em\u003e became the most popular track on the album, which is known far beyond genre boundaries and still streamed millionfold.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50459115454795,"sku":"1144675","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50459115979083,"sku":"1144674","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/772ad9fe-2b24-449c-987c-610c6f567e9d_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727217458"},{"product_id":"liberated-fantasies","title":"Liberated Fantasies","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLiberated Fantasies\u003c\/em\u003e continues \u003cstrong\u003eGeorge Duke\u003c\/strong\u003e’s tendency to couple his fusion world with accessible R\u0026amp;B songs. Once again, he shows a discernible vocal development.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eTryin’ And Cryin\u003c\/em\u003e, the Californian artist, together with rock singer \u003cstrong\u003eNapoleon Brock\u003c\/strong\u003e, overlay multiple vocal tracks. On \u003cem\u003eSeeing You\u003c\/em\u003e, Duke lays on a glaze of soulful tenderness, whereas \u003cem\u003eWhat The…\u003c\/em\u003e is 30 seconds of frivolous funning around.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBack to Where We Never Left\u003c\/em\u003e is a witty gem in which Duke bundles his pool of synthesizers into a united groove, whereas \u003cem\u003eI C’n Hear That\u003c\/em\u003e shows off synth and marimba tonal colors in dialogue, with the bass riffing on the bottom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe album flows into the final bend carrying along the sonorous richness of Brazil. \u003cem\u003eAfter the Love\u003c\/em\u003e plays with the languorous erotic colors of the tropics, whereas all the band members are allowed to shine on the epic circa ten-minute title track with its hot samba flair: the rhythm section with \"\u003cem\u003eNdugu\u003c\/em\u003e\", \u003cem\u003eAl Johnson\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eAirto Moreira\u003c\/em\u003e’s percussion arsenal, \u003cem\u003eDaryl Stuermer\u003c\/em\u003e with his rock interludes on guitar, and Duke himself with inspired virtuosity on all sorts of synths and keyboards.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Audiophiles","offer_id":50459230503243,"sku":"1143313","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50459230634315,"sku":"1143395","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/16e4a172-1913-45fb-9e90-885685710a7d_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727218729"},{"product_id":"live-at-the-berlin-jazz-days-1980","title":"Live At The Berlin Jazz Days 1980","description":"\u003cp\u003eReissue of a duo album of the highest calibre, which was originally released by MPS in 1982.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUS\u003c\/strong\u003e Alto saxophonist \u003cstrong\u003eLee Konitz\u003c\/strong\u003e's career encompassed the beginnings of bebop, cool jazz, and mainstream, as well as the Avant-garde. \u003cstrong\u003eKonitz\u003c\/strong\u003e has recorded with virtually every major modern jazz figure of the last 60 years, from \u003cem\u003eMiles Davis\u003c\/em\u003e and his seminal \"Birth of the Cool\" album, \u003cem\u003eCharles Mingus\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eGil Evans\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eBrad Mehldau\u003c\/em\u003e, to \u003cem\u003eBill Frisell\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003ePaul Motian\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrench-Algerian pianist \u003cstrong\u003eMartial Solal\u003c\/strong\u003e has been a major musical voice since the 1950s. Born in 1927, the same year as \u003cstrong\u003eKonitz\u003c\/strong\u003e, the 93-year-old \u003cstrong\u003eSolal\u003c\/strong\u003e and his ferocious virtuoso technique was the perfect foil for \u003cstrong\u003eKonitz\u003c\/strong\u003e's cerebral, introspective play. The two had a rich musical relationship from the late 1960s on, as they toured together throughout the US and Europe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis album, recorded at the Berlin Jazz Days 1980 was conceived in part as a \"\u003cem\u003eLennie Tristano Memorial\u003c\/em\u003e\". \u003cstrong\u003eLee\u003c\/strong\u003e's studies and playing experience with the iconoclastic pianist left an indelible imprint on the saxophonist's concept and allowed him to develop a unique style that offered an alternate musical vision from that of his legendary contemporary, altoist \u003cstrong\u003eCharlie Parker\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLee Konitz\u003c\/strong\u003e was 92 when he died in Manhattan on April 15, 2020 from complications caused by COVID-19. \u003cstrong\u003eKonitz\u003c\/strong\u003e always contended that he was \"just a standards player\", yet he also stated that \"My playing was about making a personal statement - I wanted to play original music\". Both were true - he transformed those standards into his personal vision, and in so doing has found his place in the jazz pantheon.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50475771920715,"sku":"1144684","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50475772936523,"sku":"1144683","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/a8b7f882-db8e-4d6d-b1d6-0e5425123c5b_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727450435"},{"product_id":"a-day-in-copenhagen","title":"A Day In Copenhagen","description":"\u003cp\u003eReissue of \u003cem\u003eDexter Gordon's\u003c\/em\u003e 1969 album \u003cem\u003eA Day In Copenhagen\u003c\/em\u003e, which features the great saxophonist alongside trombonist \u003cstrong\u003eSlide Hampton\u003c\/strong\u003e and a host of fellow American stars, including \u003cstrong\u003eDizzy Reece\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eKenny Drew\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith his big, warm, round-toned sound, sophisticated phrasing, and hip quotes, \u003cstrong\u003eDexter Gordon\u003c\/strong\u003e was one of the major forces on the tenor saxophone from the mid-1940's until his death in 1990. Gordon was cited by both \u003cstrong\u003eSonny Rollins\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Coltrane\u003c\/strong\u003e as a major influence on their playing and is acknowledged as a jazz icon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe popularity of mainstream jazz was on the decline in the States during the 1960's. The Vietnam war and racial turmoil were in high gear, and many of the music's top-flight musicians, including \u003cstrong\u003eGordon\u003c\/strong\u003e, migrated to Europe in order both to escape and to make a living playing jazz. Gordon eventually settled in Copenhagen, Denmark.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDuring this period, he usually played and recorded backed by a piano trio, but this 1969 recording is different. The usual quartet has been expanded with some of those premiere jazz 'refugees', each a major voice on his instrument, assembled for the session. One of the great modern jazz trombonists, \u003cstrong\u003eSlide Hampton\u003c\/strong\u003e, is also a composer\/arranger of note. The album was a collaborative venture between \u003cstrong\u003eGordon\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eHampton\u003c\/strong\u003e, and three of the compositions and all of the arrangements on the album are his.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe classy Jamaican trumpeter \u003cstrong\u003eDizzy Reese\u003c\/strong\u003e completes the front line. The rhythm section includes two jazz giants who were \u003cstrong\u003eGordon's\u003c\/strong\u003e constant companions at Copenhagen's famous Club Montmartre, fellow American expatriate pianist \u003cstrong\u003eKenny Drew\u003c\/strong\u003e and the great Danish bassist \u003cstrong\u003eNiels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eGordon-Drew\u003c\/strong\u003e pairing is one of the classic horn-piano matchups in jazz and has often been compared with the \u003cstrong\u003eMiles Davis-Red Garland\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Coltrane-McCoy Tyner\u003c\/strong\u003e pairings. \u003cstrong\u003eArt Taylor\u003c\/strong\u003e, who \"helped define the sound of modern drumming\", was brought in from Paris to complete the all-star rhythm section.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Blue LP","offer_id":50475777818955,"sku":"2168602","price":39.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50475776672075,"sku":"1144679","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50475777294667,"sku":"1144678","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/9c51f1f9-39cc-474b-8b19-e3cea722fc43_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727450479"},{"product_id":"by-all-means","title":"By All Means","description":"\u003cp\u003eAt the time of his death in 2016 at the age of 68, drummer, composer and multi-instrumentalist \u003cstrong\u003eAlphonse Mouzon\u003c\/strong\u003e had for decades been a major force within the jazz, fusion, R\u0026amp;B and pop arenas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe early eighties was a time when Mouzon toyed with disco and channeled funk. His musical amalgam was a far cry from the Saturday Night Fever brand - he brought more funk, more soul, more spontaneous creativity into the mix.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor \u003cem\u003eBy All Means\u003c\/em\u003e, Mouzon brought together musicians who were masters in virtually any musical style. The rhythm section belonged to the who's who of the LA studio scene. Electric bassist Scott Edwards had worked with such stars as Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, and Aretha Franklin. 21-year-old guitarist Paul Jackson Jr. was just beginning his stellar career, had recorded with Aretha Franklin and within a few years he would participate in Michael Jackson's Thriller and Bad and would go on to work with the likes of Elton John, George Duke, Al Jarreau, and Marcus Miller.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLee Ritenour\u003c\/strong\u003e began playing and recording with Mouzon in 1974. At the age of 17, Ritenour first worked with Tony Bennett. He was also brought in to put a little more rock in the rock 'n roll of a couple of takes on Pink Floyd's seminal The Wall. Over the years he has recorded with many of the giants of pop, rock, and jazz, and his own recordings have had a slew of Grammy nominations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHerbie Hancock\u003c\/strong\u003e stands beside Mouzon as the other major presence on the recording. Like Mouzon, at the beginning of the eighties he delved into disco, adding danceable grooves to the mix. During this period Mouzon was Herbie's drummer on four of Hancock's albums, so it seems appropriate that these two like-minded musicians came together for this recording.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Seawind Horns provide the last needed ingredient in this tasty musical concoction. Guesting on the title track, trumpet great \u003cstrong\u003eFreddie Hubbard\u003c\/strong\u003e contributes a flashy solo. The album is a classic of the period, blending funk, disco, and improvisational creativity. By All Means, get out on your private dance floor and get up with it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50476114805067,"sku":"1143307","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50476115853643,"sku":"1143308","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/4a9584f8-ef8c-461a-a5ad-510b04fecbba_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727454399"},{"product_id":"the-best-is-yet-to-come-1","title":"The Best Is Yet To Come","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn collaboration with Rolf Kühn, MPS has put together a limited 9-LP box set to celebrate the 90th birthday and the life of this true German jazz icon. The box set contains seven albums, including a live recording of the \"Rolf + Joachim Kühn Quartet\" at the Berlin Jazz Days 1966 and the Newport Festival 1967 which is published for the rst time - newly mastered for vinyl. For a German jazz musician to nd international recognition as a major player has been and remains a rarity. Clarinetist Rolf Kühn belongs to this elite class. And there are ample grounds for this: he is an exceptional artist on his instrument. No one sounds like him on the clarinet; warm, round and masterful, his tone remains unmistakable no matter what style he may be playing at any given moment. His play resonates with a maturity and wisdom gathered from a long and rich life of musical experiences. Kühn continues to be driven by an unbridled curiosity that compels him to continually stray from familiar paths and tried and true formulas. Yet equanimity and a sense of completeness are as intrinsic to his work as the daring and the adventure of risk-taking.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlbums in the box: Total Space (1975) \/ Symphonic Swampfire (1979) \/ Cucu Ear (1980) \/ Stereo (2015 – never released on vinyl before) Spotlights (2016 – never released on vinyl before) \/ Yellow + Blue (2018 – never released on vinyl before) \/ Rolf + Joachim Kühn – Live: Berlin ’66 \/ Newport ’67 (2019 – exclusive to this box set)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP | x9","offer_id":50476266094923,"sku":"1143719","price":109.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/a6f5e34d-69f8-4191-ba48-83297bb06240_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727456729"},{"product_id":"total-space","title":"Total Space","description":"\u003cp\u003eReissue of The \u003cstrong\u003eRolf Kühn Group\u003c\/strong\u003e's funky 1975 fusion album \u003cem\u003eTotal Space\u003c\/em\u003e, featuring Joachim Kühn, Philip Catherine, Gerd Dudek, Albert Mangelsdorff, and Daniel Humair.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor a German jazz musician to find international recognition as a major player has been and remains a rarity. Clarinettist \u003cstrong\u003eRolf Kühn\u003c\/strong\u003e belongs to this elite class. No one sounds like him on the clarinet; warm, round, and masterful, his tone remains unmistakable no matter what style he may be playing at any given moment. His play resonates with a maturity and wisdom gathered from a long and rich life of musical experiences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAt MPS, \u003cstrong\u003eRolf Kühn\u003c\/strong\u003e was allowed free rein to choose the team for the recordings, and so he decided to get Wolfgang Hirschmann on board, one of the most interesting sound engineers in jazz at that time. Having a free jazz background, Kühn breaks out in a new direction towards jazz fusion with this album.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\"My recordings for the MPS label always benefited from an atmosphere of artistic freedom, something that I am still thankful for. MPS was the first German record company that recorded solely jazz and was open for experiments and new fields of music. For \u003cem\u003eTotal Space\u003c\/em\u003e, I was allowed to try out new things like having two drummers, Daniel Humair and Kaspar Winding and to invite completely freethinking players like Albert Mangelsdorff or Gerd Dudek to the recording.\" - \u003cstrong\u003eRolf Kühn\u003c\/strong\u003e, 2019\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50476270879051,"sku":"1143718","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/94b7a015-a9c8-4a99-b9cb-de1d57990324_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727456785"},{"product_id":"the-inner-source","title":"The Inner Source","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn 1971 George Duke, having just recently done his time with the Mothers of Invention, was engaged by the Cannonball Adderley Quintet. Beginning in April of that year, Duke made two recordings over a short timespan that on their release in 1973 as a double LP (against the desire of the artists, by the way), would be a major statement. On Chapter One of his fusion autobiography, Solus, Duke, along with the skeleton crew of bassist John Heard and drummer Dick Berk, tries out the new compositional philosophy he had absorbed from his work with Adderley. The album was obliged to maintain a jazzy environment, illustrated by the harmonically flowing piano improvisation on Love Reborn and the bop-influenced busyness of The Followers. But the record also signifies the importance of the keyboards in all their diverse contexts – the funky rock of Au-right, and the smouldering, dreamy feel of Peace, for instance. And on Manya Duke lives it up as he shows off his exuberant experimental synth side.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Inner Source continues in the same vein. So There You Go is a downright delightful waltz featuring e-piano, whereas Some Time Ago is pure tonal colour and atmosphere. We find an exotic gem in Nigerian Numberumba in which an African Lamellophone is craftily simulated with an echoplex and ring modulator. Duke also begins to vary the lineup here. Feels So Good und My Soul are reinforced with Latin percussion, and incisive horn and reed instruments (luminaries from the Thad Jones and Santana entourages). The same with the title track, a masterstroke of quintet dramaturgy, with Duke on his first instrument, the trombone. As a curiosity, two basses compete with each other on Twenty Five. The last piece, Always Constant, is a more open piece that spontaneously unfolded in the studio.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50476279136587,"sku":"1143390","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/9c462957-93c4-4373-9c32-1cfe7262d135_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727456956"},{"product_id":"i-love-the-blues-she-heard-my-cry","title":"I Love The Blues, She Heard My Cry","description":"\u003cp\u003eOn the fourth album of his fusion cycle for the man from the Black Forest, \u003cstrong\u003eGeorge Duke\u003c\/strong\u003e substantially expanded the number of his colleagues. As before, drummer \u003cstrong\u003eLeon “Ndugu” Chancler\u003c\/strong\u003e beats as the heart of the rhythm section, and the Brazilian couple, \u003cstrong\u003eAirto\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eFlora\u003c\/strong\u003e are again on board.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe ten tracks perform a stylistic balancing act. The jittery funk of \u003cem\u003eChariot\u003c\/em\u003e and the smooth ballad \u003cem\u003eSomeday\u003c\/em\u003e show off Duke’s soulful vocal flair. Flora Purim crowns the complex \u003cem\u003eLook Into Her Eyes\u003c\/em\u003e with her spheric sound as she and guitarist \u003cstrong\u003eGeorge Johnson\u003c\/strong\u003e take care of business on this stratospheric piece with its bluesy electric shuffle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith two high-voltage guitarists (\u003cstrong\u003eDaryl Stuermer\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eByron Miller\u003c\/strong\u003e), \u003cem\u003eThat’s What She Said\u003c\/em\u003e points to the tie between rock and funk. The most eye-opening outing occurs with star guitarist \u003cstrong\u003eLee Ritenour\u003c\/strong\u003e stomping on \u003cem\u003eRokkinrowl\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eI Don’t Know\u003c\/em\u003e, and its Hendrix parody.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSister Sirene\u003c\/em\u003e shows that, naturally, the typical dreamy Duke instrumentals are not left off the album. An almost animistic soundscape is woven into the fabric of \u003cem\u003eMashavu\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eGiant Child Within Us – Ego\u003c\/em\u003e is a small fusion suite encompassing the spectrum from the classical to the Zappaesque finale.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe title piece is indeed a blues, dished out pure and simple – a far cry from the sounds of the preceding piece with its mountains of synthesizers. Rather, the sultry delta heat, the acoustic simplicity and raw truth of the song prevail – the blues.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50476279890251,"sku":"1143388","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/a1d66a96-2109-4f2c-9239-151db758dde5_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727456978"},{"product_id":"it-s-after-the-end-of-the-world","title":"It's After The End Of The World","description":"\u003cp\u003e“I play space music. When one day humans on far away planets hear the sounds of cosmic beings, the music will seem familiar, for while they were on Earth they had heard Sun Ra.” So Herman Poole Blount proclaimed well over 50 years ago. The ex-Fletcher Henderson pianist changed his name to Sun Ra and formed an “Intergalactic Research Arkestra”. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe avant-garde big band, which also incorporated elements of Duke Ellington and Count Basie, divided the jazz world. It wasn’t just the music that caused the uproar: Sun Ra’s musical commune drew in dancers and fire-eaters, and the band performed in outlandish costumes. Quite a few critics considered the man who had taken on the name of the Egyptian sun god to be a charlatan. However, the German jazz authority Joachim-Ernst Berendt recognized “old blues and gospel songs, African highlife dances and Egyptian marches, negro minstrel shows and voodoo rituals” in his music. Sun Ra could thank the benediction of Germany’s jazz high-priest for the black jazz guru’s invitations to the 1970 Donaueschinger Jazz Days as well as the Berlin Jazz Festival. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis MPS Album was produced from the recordings of these concerts. They are certainly a documentation of jazz history; with an unusual instrumentation, the 21 piece band creates noises and percussive sounds that are out of this world. Sun Ra died in 1993.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50476289163595,"sku":"1143325","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/ef0415f8-1e48-4117-87c1-9c64ff37dd0c_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727457135"},{"product_id":"sunday-walk","title":"Sunday Walk","description":"\u003cp\u003eLegendary drummer Kenny Clarke compared Jean-Luc Ponty to Dizzy Gillespie. Fellow violinist Stuff Smith marveled, “He plays violin like Coltrane plays saxophone.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBorn in 1942, the French violinist transported jazz violin playing into the world of modern jazz. On Frank Zappa’s urging, Ponty moved to the States in 1970. Over the next years he toured with Zappa, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Chick Corea’s “Return to Forever”. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn the 1967 Sunday Walk the band saunters through two blues, a waltz, and a standard before reaching Suite for Claudia which begins at a blistering pace with Ponty’s saxophone-like “brilliance and fire” playing. It then settles into a medium swing groove with Wolfgang Dauner’s infectious piano play followed by a smoldering Ponty. Daniel Humair’s crisp drum solo segues into a heart-felt waltz. After all, this was written for Ponty’s wife. Ponty is here with a group of Europe’s finest at their youthful best. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe way they play, it’s all a walk in the park.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP.","offer_id":50476290507083,"sku":"1143321","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD.","offer_id":50476290965835,"sku":"1143322","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/25bbb12a-3242-4d6c-822e-8b04447e20ee_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727457168"},{"product_id":"faces-in-reflection","title":"Faces In Reflection","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn many ways, this trio recording is a milestone in the career of this young Californian. Duke unveils more of his early experiments with the ARP synthesizer, as well as a new creativity on such more conventional keyboards, as the Wurlitzer, Fender Rhodes, and the clavinet. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs a result, Faces In Reflection is characterised by a wide variety of tonal hues. The journey moves from the explosive The Opening on to the tender-tinged Capricorn, which Duke had snatched from the Cannonball Adderley repertoire. Adderley had been the second major player he had worked with during that early period; Frank Zappa was the first. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo impressionistic solo intermezzi segue into the funky fusion escapade Psychosomatic Dung, with superb interplay between drummer Ndugu and bassist John Heard. The title piece’s secretive synth lines are the moments of calm before Duke’s passionate love affair with Brazil on the B side. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe most surprising excursion on this side is the vibrant and rhythmically intricate adaptation of Milton Nascimentos’ Maria Três Filhos, counterbalanced by the synth laboratory of North Beach. Duke himself cherished the recordings; he stated that, “This was the first LP that really said what I wanted to say.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50476419678539,"sku":"1143393","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/54c6c245-199d-4d98-93a2-1ee1def26526_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727459370"},{"product_id":"feel","title":"Feel","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis album with the strange psychedelic sci-fi cover draws a tighter circle around Duke’s fusion language. The keyboard master ventures deep into his synthesizer laboratory. Their textures become a more essential component of his pieces, attaining orchestral dimensions, as evidenced in the opener, Funny Funk, with its smacking, squishing tongue-in-cheek dialogue between the synths. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA virtuoso layering of the keyboards is also central to Cora Joberge, and on Rashid, Duke’s electronic orchestra explodes over the stormy drums of Leon “Ndugu” Chancler. Duke shows himself to be a singer with a soulful sound. Shortly before this recording he had shelved his trombone so that he could communicate more directly with the audience, as can be heard in the hymnal, dreamlike title piece. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe guest list of players make for an especially exciting concoction. No less than Duke’s playing companion Frank Zappa, under the cryptic pseudonym Obdewl’l X, performs some adventuresome guitar passages on Love and Old Slippers. On the California-sunshine pop samba, Yana Aminah, we have a surprise visit by Brazilian Flora Purim, wife of percussionist Airto Moreira, who opens up his bag of tricks on The Once Over, and plays on three more tracks.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50476422758731,"sku":"1143391","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/f7258339-eb21-48b9-a310-522319305445_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727459417"},{"product_id":"the-best-of-the-mps-years","title":"The Best Of The MPS Years","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Best Of The MPS Years presents you all the classics and highlights of \u003cstrong\u003eGeorge Duke\u003c\/strong\u003e's time at the Black Forest label on one album.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTracklisting:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAu Right\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFunny Funk\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThat's What She Said\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Opening For Love\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFeel\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCapricorn\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDawn\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSeeing You\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSomeday\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFeels So Good\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLove Reborn\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUncle Remus\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLove\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCora\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eJobege\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFoosh\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDon't Be Shy\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNorth Beach\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP | x2","offer_id":50476479316299,"sku":"1159006","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50476478497099,"sku":"1159007","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/41a9bce2-f361-4205-9fd6-835a7f10d96f_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727460104"},{"product_id":"the-best-of-the-mps-years-1","title":"The Best Of The MPS Years","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003eBest Of The MPS Years\u003c\/em\u003e presents you all the classics and highlights of \u003cstrong\u003eOscar Peterson's\u003c\/strong\u003e time at the Black Forest label on one album.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTracklist:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n- \"\u003cem\u003eAll the Things You Are\u003c\/em\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\n- \"\u003cem\u003eTriste\u003c\/em\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\n- \"\u003cem\u003eDay By Day\u003c\/em\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\n- \"\u003cem\u003eThe Windmills Of Your Mind\u003c\/em\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\n- \"\u003cem\u003eWave\u003c\/em\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\n- \"\u003cem\u003eFly Me To The Moon\u003c\/em\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\n- \"\u003cem\u003eI've Got A Crush On You\u003c\/em\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\n- \"\u003cem\u003eWandering\u003c\/em\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\n- \"\u003cem\u003eAlice In Wonderland\u003c\/em\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\n- \"\u003cem\u003eSometimes I'm Happy\u003c\/em\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\n- \"\u003cem\u003eGive Me The Simple Life\u003c\/em\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\n- \"\u003cem\u003eA Child Is Born\u003c\/em\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\n- \"\u003cem\u003eEleanor Rigby\u003c\/em\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\n- \"\u003cem\u003eExactly Like You\u003c\/em\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\n- \"\u003cem\u003eI Love You\u003c\/em\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\n- \"\u003cem\u003eOn A Clear Day (You Can See Forever)\u003c\/em\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\n- \"\u003cem\u003eOde to Billy Joe\u003c\/em\u003e\"\u003cbr\u003e\n- \"\u003cem\u003eChildren's Game\u003c\/em\u003e\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50476488261963,"sku":"1159002","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/9bfedb18-81b3-4765-bbe7-08a24e0764d6_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727460208"},{"product_id":"powerful-vulnerability-2","title":"Powerful Vulnerability","description":"\u003cp\u003eGerman pianist and composer Julia Kadel began to play the piano at the age of seven and discovered her passion for jazz music after years of classical training. As she devoted herself fully to the music, she finally studied jazz piano at University of Music Carl Maria von Weber Dresden in 2009. Before signing with MPS, she had already released two albums at Blue Note \/ Universal Germany: \"Im Vertrauen\" (2014) and \"Uber und Unter\" (2016). In September 2019 Julia and her trio released her MPS debut \"Kaskaden\", which was recorded on analogue tape in the legendary MPS studio. This made the trio the frst MPS act after 35 years recording again in the historic studios, even the notorious German magazine Der Spiegel reported about it. Julia Kadel has received several awards and grants during her career and played international festivals and concerts in countries such as Norway, England, France, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Russia, Lithuania and Turkey. Her 2023 album is, \"Powerful Vulnerability\".\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50478723924299,"sku":"2026079","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50478723596619,"sku":"2026067","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/072dff326dbdcbe6125ae2f23d779b78_d0dff3ba-f319-42fe-9c31-de30f0eb3962_c3ad6.webp?v=1727489853"},{"product_id":"djanger-bali","title":"Djanger Bali","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIndonesia and jazz? Not so far-fetched! Improvisation is a part of traditional gamelan, and modal playing goes back 1000 years; jazz began seriously delving into modes with Miles Davis in the 1950's. US clarinet icon Tony Scott proselytized jazz during his six-year sojourn in Asia, and in so doing brought Asian music masters, including players on this album, into the jazz world. Down Beat called pianist Bubi Chen \"The Art Tatum of Asia\", and saxophonist Marjono, whose influences include John Coltrane, is an authority on traditional Balinese and Javanese music. Performing their never before heard ethno-jazz arrangements this inimitable formation even toured through Europe and opened the Berlin Jazz Days in 1967.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe album was remastered from the original analogue master tapes by Christoph Stickel (cs mastering) with the vinyl getting an AAA treatment. The original artwork is complimented by a supplement with additional liner notes, pictures, and a scan of the original master tape box. Until now, to get your hands on this rarity LP you had to be lucky to purchase an expensive original pressing. Finally, it's available again for everyone to enjoy!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50484038828363,"sku":"2027758","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50484039221579,"sku":"2027768","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_4157bb7d_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727579538"},{"product_id":"the-best-of-mps-years-2","title":"The Best of MPS Years","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMonty Alexander has been one of the most popular pianists in jazz for over 50 years. Early on, his prodigious technique and wide-ranging style garnered comparisons with the great Oscar Peterson. But there has always been another side to Alexander's playing. Usually, jazz grabs the upper hand, but on occasion he digs deep into his Jamaican roots.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 1974 We've Only Just Begun recording signals the beginning of Jamaican pianist Monty Alexander's fruitful relationship with MPS, lasting over a decade and encompassing some dozen albums. On many he partners with no one else than fellow Jamaican and one of the fathers of ska, guitarist Ernest Ranglin. Among others, this Best Of includes tracks from Monty's MPS classics like RASS!, Here Comes The Sun, Montreux Alexander - The Monty Alexander Trio Live At Montreux, We've Only just Begun, Monty Strikes Again, Cobilimbo, or the untitled Monty Alexander \u0026amp; Ernest Ranglin.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Black LPx2","offer_id":50484952957259,"sku":"2027732","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50484952727883,"sku":"2027723","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/mpslp17684__35208_f941bde4_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727593245"},{"product_id":"behind-the-tea-chronicles","title":"Behind the Tea Chronicles","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Brazilian Singer Ed Motta is one of the greats in jazz \/ funk, not only in the South American Music-Scene, but world-wide. He has been one of the leading artists at the forefront in Brazil with a huge following in his home-country and around the world. With his new album \u003ci\u003eBehind The Tea Chronicles\u003c\/i\u003e he embarks on a new musical journey, crossing genres from Jazz to Funk, over to Soul. Having worked with many renowned musicians over the course of his career (Greg Phillinganes, Chucho Valdez, Roy Ayers and many more) he established his own style of creating music with a message.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn this latest album Ed Motta is singing in English, telling stories that resonate which a broad audience. Recording the rhythm in Brazil, backing vocals in LA - featuring the legendary Paulette McWilliams and Phillip Ingram - strings in Prague and horns in Detroit, he worked with the best musicians he could find to find an astonishing sound, that will be recognised by the audiophile audience as top of the class. Being recorded with the highest standard, Ed Motta made sure to raise the bar ones more.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50486996500811,"sku":"2029401","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50486996107595,"sku":"2029402","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Ed_Motta_83d17724_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727618884"},{"product_id":"fearless-14","title":"Fearless","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRolf Kuhn's\u003c\/strong\u003e decades-long presence on the jazz scene was a stroke of luck and a gift. His album \u003cem\u003eClarinet Bird\u003c\/em\u003e showcases his incredible talent and passion for music.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith tracks like \"Night in Tunisia\" and \"Stella by Starlight,\" \u003cstrong\u003eRolf Kuhn\u003c\/strong\u003e proves why he is considered a jazz legend. The smooth tones of his clarinet transport listeners to another world.\u003c\/p\u003e \n\n\u003cp\u003eExperience the magic of \u003cstrong\u003eRolf Kuhn\u003c\/strong\u003e with \u003cem\u003eClarinet Bird\u003c\/em\u003e today. This album is a must-have for any jazz enthusiast's collection.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50777889440075,"sku":"2231764","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50777887605067,"sku":"2231760","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_af0b6f4b_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1730991950"},{"product_id":"infra-red-2","title":"Infra Red","description":"\u003cp\u003eAmerican Vibraphonist Dave Pike may not be as well-known as contemporaries Gary Burton and Bobby Hutcherson, but recordings with Bill Evans, Herbie Mann, and Paul Bley evince Pike's pedigree\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50783996641611,"sku":"2227226","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50783997133131,"sku":"2227229","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_7b05e898_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1731070712"},{"product_id":"action-exclusively-for-my-friends-vol-1-2","title":"Action (Exclusively For My Friends Vol. 1)","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen the world-renowned Canadian pianist \u003cstrong\u003eOscar Peterson\u003c\/strong\u003e came to Villingen in 1961, there was a mood of intense excitement all around. During his visit, Peterson recorded the album \u003cem\u003eNight Train\u003c\/em\u003e, which featured the iconic track \"\u003cem\u003eHymn to Freedom\u003c\/em\u003e\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis album is now considered a classic in the jazz genre, showcasing Peterson's incredible talent and virtuosity on the piano.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":51149198098763,"sku":"2241039","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_85566877_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1737726266"},{"product_id":"girl-talk-exclusively-for-my-friends-vol-2-2","title":"Girl Talk (Exclusively For My Friends Vol. 2)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe second release of the Exclusively For My Friends series, marking the beginning of the partnership between Oscar Peterson and MPS, showcases a wide range of nuances in the Canadian's playing\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":51149307674955,"sku":"2241022","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_98aae965_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1737726976"},{"product_id":"the-way-i-really-play-exclusively-for-my-friends-vol-3-dd","title":"The Way I Really Play (Exclusively For My Friends Vol. 3)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"The best trio I've ever had,\" the Canadian declared, praising the immediate sense of unity that developed. Aptly, this Vol. 3 is titled \"The Way I Really Play.\" In these recordings, it is unmistakably clear that Jones and Durham recede as ideal canvases for Peterson's piano playing, yet still shine in their solo moments. The opener \"Waltzing Is Hip\" captivates with its clever shift between 3\/4 and 4\/4 time signatures, as well as the exuberant drum solo. Peterson dazzles with a virtual reinvention of Duke Ellington's \"Satin Doll,\" rendered thoughtfully and harmonically rich. With \"Sandy's Blues,\" the protagonist distinguishes himself as a composer, dedicating this beautifully embellished blues piece to his wife. Another of his compositions, \"Noreen's Nocturne,\" far from being a nocturnal serenade, drives the trio through an exuberant fve minutes. In the rendition of \"Alice In Wonderland,\" made famous by Miles Davis, Peterson showcases his swing artistry. Finally, Gershwin's \"Love Is Here To Stay\" stands out as a dramatic masterpiece, developing from free lyricism to an engagingly spirited mood with a magnifcent arc of tension.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":51260574826827,"sku":"R9800-3452","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/4029759197904.jpg?v=1739462341"},{"product_id":"my-favorite-instrument-exclusively-for-my-friends-vol-4-oq","title":"My Favorite Instrument (Exclusively For My Friends Vol. 4)","description":"\u003cp\u003eAmidst the trio recordings of the \u003cem\u003eExclusively For My Friends\u003c\/em\u003e series, this Vol 4 stands out as a special feature.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":51260575056203,"sku":"2500090","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/4029759197911.jpg?v=1739462341"},{"product_id":"happy-girl-um","title":"Happy Girl - RSD 2025","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBuy in-store on Record Store Day (12\/04\/2025). This product is an RSD Exclusive title and is not available to pre-order. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRemaining stock available online from:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUS - 08:00 ET (13\/04\/2025)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEU - 21:00 CEST (14\/04\/2025)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUK - 20:00 BST (14\/04\/2025)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSome titles will sell out prior to online sale and some will only be available in specific regions. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis vinyl hasn't been available for decades! One of the very early records in the MPS catalogue and long a collector’s item. Reissued for the first time. Recorded in 1965, a time when Davis lived in Europe, working with such legends as Kenny Clarke, Eric Dolphy Elvin Jones and Art Blakey. On \u003cem\u003eHappy Girl \u003c\/em\u003ehe is accompanied by Woody Shaw on the trumpet, Larry Young on piano, bassist Jimmy Woode and drummer Billy Brooks. Available again for the first time for RSD 2025! \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":51446712500555,"sku":"R3802-4395","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/418467289822_800.webp?v=1741954015"},{"product_id":"mellow-mood-exclusively-for-my-friends","title":"mellow mood (exclusively for my friends Vol. 5)","description":"\u003cp\u003e-\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":52473340232011,"sku":"R1669-3391","price":34.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/4425317-3389378.jpg?v=1750620979"},{"product_id":"oasis-definitely-maybe-33-1-3-series-iz","title":"Oasis' Definitely Maybe (33 1\/3 Series)","description":"\u003cp\u003eA brilliant study of Oasis' debut album, highlighting the band's massive cultural impact and the raw, positive power of those early songs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOasis's incendiary 1994 debut album Definitely Maybe managed to summarize almost the entire history of post-fifties guitar music from Chuck Berry to My Bloody Valentine in a way that seemed effortless. But this remarkable album was also a social document that came closer to narrating the collective hopes and dreams of a people than any other record of the last quarter century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn a Britain that had just undergone the most damaging period of social upheaval in a century under the Thatcher government, Noel Gallagher ventriloquized slogans of burning communitarian optimism through the mouth of his brother Liam and the playing of the other Oasis 'everymen': Paul McGuigan, Paul Arthurs and Tony McCarroll. On Definitely Maybe, Oasis communicated a timeworn message of idealism and hope against the odds, but one that had special resonance in a society where the widening gap between high and low demanded a newly superhuman kind of leaping.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAlex Niven charts the astonishing rise of Oasis in the mid 1990s and celebrates the life-affirming, communal force of songs such as “Live Forever,” “Supersonic,” and “Cigarettes \u0026amp; Alcohol.” In doing so, he seeks to reposition Oasis in relation to their Britpop peers and explore one of the most controversial pop-cultural narratives of the last thirty years.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":53397563375947,"sku":"R3911-6512","price":10.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/defmaybe.jpg?v=1758042759"},{"product_id":"erykah-badu-s-new-amerykah-part-two-return-of-the-ankh-33-1-3-series-fi","title":"Erykah Badu's New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh (33 1\/3 Series)","description":"\u003cp\u003eConceived and first composed on her laptop at home, with some vocals recorded in her bathroom, Erykah Badu's New Amerykah Part Two is lo-fi and highly sophisticated-exquisitely analog and experimentally techy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eErykah Badu's New Amerykah Part Two is lofi and highly sophisticated-exquisitely analog and experimentally techy. It begins with a radio signal tuning in, and it asks its listener to participate in their own process of attunement, to listen to familiar sounds anew, and open ourselves to an alternate Amerykah. An organism at once cohesive and discordant, it flows, jams, grooves, bounces. It transforms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePlacing Badu in an intertextual constellation of artists and critics from Stevie Wonder, to Amiri Baraka, to Alice Coltrane, Kameryn Alexa Carter explores whether neo-soul is dead, acknowledges Baduizm as a potent form of Black female spirituality, and tunes into Badu's “freakquencies”, taking the reader through a series of synesthetic dream sequences as she revisits the album again and again.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":53397563408715,"sku":"R8118-5252","price":10.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/amerykah.jpg?v=1758042870"},{"product_id":"the-hours-are-long-but-the-pay-is-low-a-curious-life-in-independent-music-sj","title":"The Hours Are Long, But the Pay Is Low: A Curious Life in Independent Music","description":"\u003cp\u003e“The music business is not a meritocracy: it is a crapshoot taking place in a septic tank balanced on the prow of the Titanic, a venal snake pit where innovation, creativity, and honest business practices are actively discouraged.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRob Miller arrived in Chicago wanting to escape the music industry. In short order, he co-founded a trailblazing record label revered for its artist-first approach and punk take on country, roots, and so much else. Miller’s gonzo memoir follows a music fan’s odyssey through a singular account of Bloodshot Records, the Chicago scene, and thirty years as part of a community sustaining independent artists and businesses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHilarious and hundred-proof, The Hours Are Long, But the Pay Is Low delivers a warm-hearted yet clear-eyed account of loving and living music on the edge, in the trenches, and without apologies.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":53397563441483,"sku":"R9268-6437","price":18.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/91DmTHLDX1L._SY522.jpg?v=1758042354"},{"product_id":"caf-tacvba-s-re-33-1-3-series-si","title":"Café Tacvba's Re (33 1\/3 Series)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis book is about unveiling and exploring the many layered gestures of Re.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRe, the 1994 album by the Mexican group Café Tacvba, is a spectacularly unique musical object that adopts and adapts myriad musical genres with the pulse, the attitude, and the energy of punk and rock. Mambo and ska, samba and salsa, punk and industrial, disco and Mexican banda, are but a few of the genres in this musical trip.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut Re is not appropriation, but rather transformation: 20 original tracks of music that think through the music created and consumed in Latin America. The lyrics add layer after layer of either nuance or shock, as they play with the cultural and musical expectations of the many genres included in the album. Re, in a very real way, displays the post-punk origins of the band-loud, thoughtful, nerdy and quirky, irreverent-and it does so by creating songs that represent the historical, cultural, musical and political complexity of Mexico and Latin America. The general reaction of Re in the Anglo world is that this is Café Tacvba's 'White Album', but the album far exceeds that simplistic comparison.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":53397563474251,"sku":"R9877-2843","price":10.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/re_cdb12753-8995-4365-8c69-a46950581b2d.jpg?v=1758043025"},{"product_id":"nirvana-s-in-utero-33-1-3-series-qe","title":"Nirvana's In Utero (33 1\/3 Series)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThough Nevermind was Nirvana's most commercially successful album, and the record that broke them - and the grunge phenomenon - internationally, In Utero has increasingly become regarded as the band's best album, both by the critics and the band members themselves. Instead of sticking to the \"grunge pop\" formula that made Nevermind so palatable to the mainstream, Nirvana chose instead to challenge their audience, producing an album that the band's creative force, Kurt Cobain, said truly matched his vision of what he had always wanted his band to sound like. Here, the full story behind the creation of In Utero is told for the first time.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":53397563572555,"sku":"R9458-7656","price":10.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/inutero.jpg?v=1758043193"},{"product_id":"20th-century-ambient-33-1-3-series-hp","title":"20th Century Ambient (33 1\/3 Series)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThrough text and comics, 20th Century Ambient searches through ambient music's recent history to unearth how the genre has evolved and the role it plays in our daily lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAmbient music is a part of our daily lives, whether we all realize it or not. It's the undercurrent in some of our favorite songs. It's the mood-setting background music in our favorite movies and video games. We hear it in the placid music pumped through the speakers in department stores, on critically acclaimed albums from generational talents, and in synthesizer drones from the depths of Soundcloud. It's present in the peaceful sounds of spa music, new-age chants, and wellness resources like the Calm app that purport ambient's healing properties. You can find it on those strange, anonymous instrumental nature albums you can buy at Bed Bath \u0026amp; Beyond. It shows up in genres ranging from electronic and rock music to jazz and lo-fi beats. Ambient is everywhere.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e20th Century Ambient details a crucial period in which ambient music became a fully realized idea and is secretly one of the most popular genres in the world. Ambient has existed debatably as long as music itself. It wasn't until the 20th century that it became a defined genre. This book walks through ambient's ambiguous timeline to uncover not just the genre's evolution but to understand why it resonates so deeply with the human spirit. From Erik Satie's classical compositions, hidden histories in blues and dub music, innovations by Brian Eno and Alice Coltrane, all the way through modern artists spearheading ambient in the still early 21st century.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":53397563605323,"sku":"R7900-6115","price":12.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/9798765119334.jpg?v=1758042354"},{"product_id":"led-zeppelin-s-led-zeppelin-iv-33-1-3-series-qk","title":"Led Zeppelin's Led Zeppelin IV (33 1\/3 Series)","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this wickedly entertaining and thoroughly informed homage to one of rock music's towering pinnacles, Erik Davis investigates the magic-black or otherwise-that surrounds this album. Carefully peeling the layers from each song, Davis reveals their dark and often mystical roots-and leaves the reader to decide whether [FOUR SYMBOLS] is some form of occult induction or just an inspired, brilliantly played rock album.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eExcerpt:\n\u003cbr\u003eStripping Led Zeppelin's famous name off the fourth record was an almost petulant attempt to let their Great Work symbolically stand on its own two feet. But the wordless jacket also lent the album charisma. Fans hunted for hidden meanings, or, in failing to find them, sensed a strange reflection of their own mute refusal to communicate with the outside world. This helped to create one of the supreme paradoxes of rock history: an esoteric megahit, a blockbuster arcanum. Stripped of words and numbers, the album no longer referred to anything but itself: a concrete talisman that drew you into its world, into the frame. All the stopgap titles we throw at the thing are lame: Led Zeppelin IV, [Untitled], Runes, Zoso, Four Symbols. In an almost Lovecraftian sense, the album was nameless, a thing from beyond, charged with manna. And yet this uncanny fetish was about as easy to buy as a jockstrap.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MPS","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":53397563703627,"sku":"R6691-8948","price":10.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/iv.jpg?v=1758043320"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_b04dbfd1_thumbnail_4096_bea10c67-a29f-4762-8041-ead1d2ea5fdc.jpg?v=1726206693","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/fr\/collections\/mps.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}