Featuring flautist Chip Wickham and recorded live to 2-inch analog tape at All Things Analogue Studios, Leeds, UK, this album is a living, breathing tribute to the golden age of soul-jazz — the electric alchemy of smoky clubs, Sunday afternoons at the record store, and the spiritual communion of groove and grit.

Drawing inspiration from luminaries like Ramsey Lewis, Les McCann, and Galt MacDermot, ATA sought to channel the Drawing inspiration from luminaries like Ramsey Lewis, Les McCann, and Galt MacDermot, ATA sought to channel the unmistakable energy of soul — the kind of jazz that hits your feet and hips first.

The core of the group is the rhythm section – ATA luminaries Sam Hobbs on drums and label owner Neil Innes on bass, augmented by Sam Bell on congas and John Ellis on piano and Wurlitzer. It would be invidious to pick out any one of these, when the group sound is so unified, so well-educated in every aspect, and so tight (in the best possible way – through an elastic, dynamic thread of sheer groove).

TRACK LISTING

1. Walk On
2. Run Tell That
3. Cold Catch
4. Slice, Diced And Fried Twice
5. The Saint And The Stranger
6. Snick Snack
7. How Long Before You're Gone?

Fresh off the back of the successes of Work Money Death, The Flying Hats and The Library Archives: Volume 4, ATA Records is proud to present 'The Karman Line' by Outer Worlds Jazz Ensemble.

When musicians are on tour conversations naturally turn to music. Two years ago, whilst exploring the jazz kissas and record stores of Tokyo, woodwind maestro Chip Whickham and ATA mastermind and bassist Neil Innes discussed their shared influences of Yusef Lateef, David Axelrod and Alice Coltrane. The seeds for a new project were sown and soon seven tracks of deep, spiritual, groove driven jazz were laid down and on tape.

The moods of the album are varied yet share a sense of reverence and exploration. On 'Karmen Cantala' and 'All Is' Chip’s flute floats and soars, propelled by dreamlike harp and waves of impressionistic piano. 'Low Orbit' takes things in a funkier direction, arrangements with Steve Parry’s horn (including the unusual instrumentation of bassoon, French horn and tuba) channelling 1970s Quincy Jones and the loping swagger of Archie Shepp’s 'Mama Too Tight'. The 'Celestial Matari' and 'Molecules' recall the flowing, cosmic sounds of Joe Henderson and Alice Coltrane’s masterpiece 'The Elements', and 'Earthly Elements' gets earthy indeed. Driven by a heavy, dance-floor bass line and an array of percussion, Chips flute gets huskier, dirtier and more insistent, drawing deep from Yusef Lateef’s 'Psychicemotus' and Roland Kirk’s 'Blacknuss'.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: A lovely selection of downbeat jazz numbers that sing with the collaborative spirit of two incredibly talented musicians, working together in perfect harmony. Spiritual, but with the spirit of the 60's, and the production capabilities of the modern day. Wonderfully evocative soundtrack jazz.

TRACK LISTING

1. Kármán Cantata
2. Alto Vento
3. Low Orbit
4. All Is
5. Celestial Matari
6. Earthly Elements
7. Molecules

ATA Records are proud to present the new release by Work Money Death, 'A Portal to Here'. This album continues WMD’s exploration of Spiritual Jazz and the sounds and styles that evolved out of the 60s New Thing, particularly the recordings of Alice Coltrane and Pharaoh Sanders. The first WMD album released since the tragic death of ATA guitarist Chris Earl Dawkins in early 2025, all four tracks reference the journey that band members and the studio have been on – in many ways this record is a testament and tribute to Chris, his musicality and creativity.

Featuring WMD stalwarts Tony Burkill, Neil Innes, Sam Hobbs, and Sam Bell, the album introduces Sorcerers keyboardist Johnny Richards to the WMD sound. Richards brings a fresh new take to the piano role here, drawing on what is clearly a broad knowledge of jazz history and channelling that through his own unique 21st century musical perspective.

The album also features contributions from Alice Roberts on harp, bringing the spirit of Alice Coltrane, Ben Powling on baritone saxophone, Richard Ormrod on woodwind, and Kev Holbrough & Steve Parry on brass. Those Sun Ra-esque horn sections lift the mood whenever they appear. Standout tracks are the second, 'Dance of the Spirits', with a strong core of Baptism and The Blues and some lovely playing by Richards, and the third track, 'Brother Earl', which begins with Tony on flute over rhythms that are directly reminiscent of open-hearted, late-60s spirituality. Tony later moves to tenor and, as on all four tracks here, eventually builds to the peaks of shattering emotional intensity that fans of Work Money Death - and spiritual jazz in general - love.

TRACK LISTING

1. Pain Becomes Prayer And The Prayer Becomes A Song
2. A Dance For The Spirits
3. Brother Earl
4. Sometimes It's Death

The funky, atmospheric, evocative and sometimes downright weird output of companies such as DeWolfe, Cavendish, Burton and the ubiquitous KPM have always been a guiding inspiration for ATA Records, as evidenced in the spooky soundtrack works of The Sorcerers, the big band brass of The Yorkshire Film & Television Orchestra and even in the soul-jazz of The Lewis Express ('Theme From The Watcher).

Everything released on ATA is written and guided by the label heads Neil Innes and Pete Williams, who frequently dip their toes in the Library pond while working on other projects. These occasional one-off tracks have accumulated over the past few years and have now found a home on the first volume of an ongoing series : The Library Archive

Ranging from heavy big band brass (Whack, Slap & Blow, Kaye Okay) to evocative thriller soundtrack (Midnight Heist, Wiretap, The Needlenose) via introspective ethereal soundscapes (Nuclear Wind, Siren's Sea) these 11 tracks faithfully recreate the feel of the Library music catalogues of the 60s and 70s.

TRACK LISTING

1 Slap, Whack And Blow
2 Duck Strut
3 The Needle Nose
4 Wiretap
5 Wigged Out
6 Nuclear Wind I
7 Kaye Okay
8 Siren's Sea
9 Midnight Heist
10 Nuclear Wind II
11 Planet Nine

ATA Records proudly present the latest release from The Flying Hats, 'Blender'. Following the buzz surrounding their debut LP and the soft limited pre-release of 'Blender', anticipation for this single has been huge - and with good reason.

“I've never heard something so perfectly combine funk and reggae and do it in a way that is dancefloor gold”. - Monkeyboxing.

The Flying Hats - the Leeds quartet responsible for one of the standout albums of the year - return in phenomenal form with two previously unreleased cuts of the highest calibre. Both tracks strike hard somewhere between Kingston and New Orleans, as if The Meters were channelling Jackie Mittoo or Sound Dimension were jamming with Jimmy Smith.

Thick, funky-reggae organ leads the charge with killer breakbeats, bass pressure, and rhythm-section fire designed to light up any dancefloor worth its salt. Both sides are built for selectors, collectors and dance DJs alike.

TRACK LISTING

1. Blender
2. Hot Cakes

ATA Records go from strength to strength with their recent issues, Work Money Death’s 'People of the Fast Flowing River' and The Sorcerers’ 'Other Worlds and Habitats'. 2025 sees the release of the fourth volume of their regular soundtrack series, the Library Archives. An honest and forthright homage to the golden age of library recording, this new release is no exception – with nods to David Shire, Roger Webb, 60s/70s Hollywood, early anime and golden era video games.

Hammond & Farfisa organ, soul flute and vibraphone are joined by the Baldwin electric harpsichord, alto flute and trumpet, all colouring the usual high-end rhythm section of drums and bongos, electric bass, piano and guitars. Moods range from the dynamic The Galata Extraction to the whimsical Travers and the romantic Redford in Sheepskin, from the brooding Tatsuya, the Sword to the sensual Dunaway’s Eyes. Walter in Gabardine and Sutherland fly the ATA library flag of 70s-era NYC soundtracks – and both A Dilemma for Holbrook and Roundtree are drenched in soul flute so funky, it should be on the cheese counter.

Now four volumes (and a couple of singles) in, The Library Archive will eventually stand as a testament to the love the ATA producers and artists have for the original composers and performers of the great music libraries of the past.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Galata Extraction
2. Walter In Gabardine
3. Roundtree
4. Travers Popping
5. Kien With The Iron Claw
6. Dunaway’s Eyes
7. A Dilemma For Holbrook
8. Redford In Sheepskin
9. Tatsuya, The Sword
10. Greer’s Long Weekend
11. Sutherland
12. The Two Akiras

The Sorcerers' latest long player lands in perfect time for the summer, offering a further progression into their unique take on Ethio-inspired jazz. 'Other Worlds and Habitats' is, of course, released on ATA Records and is blessed with the analogue recording and painstakingly loving production we have come to expect from this boutique studio. This, The Sorcerers eagerly anticipated fourth LP, follows on from the success of 'I Too Am A Stranger', a record which garnered praise from BBC Radio 2’s Jamie Cullum, “I love this, this is so good!”, Ethio-jazz legend Mulatu Astatke, “I like the grooves, and it is good to see The Sorcerers interpret Ethio jazz in their own unique way”, and Nightmares on Wax, “This sounds great! Love the way it's recorded”.

Never ones to stop moving forward, and ever vigilant to avoid the realm of pastiche, The Sorcerers see the Ethiopique sound as a building block for their natural progression as a group, but a block that sits at the base of a much larger, ever expanding, structure, The addition of keyboardist Johnny Richards, whose use of the Jen 73 piano, Mellotron and Farfisa Compact Duo, alongside the core members of the group, has opened some exciting doors for The Sorcerers, fusing the future looking optimism of the late 60s and 70s (when artists began to experiment with the new electronic technology and synthesisers becoming more readily available) and more traditional sounds. Taking inspiration from Ethiopian keyboardist Hailu Mergia and Nigerian musician William Onyeabor, 'Other Worlds and Habitats', as the name suggests, showcases The Sorcerers' shift to a new, and deeply exciting, musical landscape.

A Danish tour, unbelievably the first live outing for The Sorcerers, created another patina to the band. A weary time on the road, shared by the core Sorcerers trio of bassist Neil Innes, drummer Joost Hendrickx (Gotts Street Park, Kefaya, Eddie Chacon) and reed/flute/vibes player Richard Ormrod, alongside new/old member Richards led, to an organic, less cerebral sound than we have heard before.

The Sorcerers’ 'Other Worlds and Habitats' is a natural progression in the world they have created for themselves. Richer for shared experiences, and accepting the rise of the machines, they prove that while their journey is always going forward, there are many different paths to take.

TRACK LISTING

1. Echoes Of Earth
2. Ancestral Machines
3. Abandoned Satelites
4. The Great Bell
5. Beneath The Dunes
6. The Ghosts Of The Black Drift
7. The Infinite
8. The Last Transmission