Dom Salvador, the unassuming godfather of Brazilian soul music, has left an indelible mark through his unique fusion of jazz, soul, funk, samba, and Brazilian rhythms. His legacy continues with 'Dom Salvador JID024', produced by Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. The album honors Salvador’s pioneering sound, continuing the vibrant dialogue between Brazilian and American music and inviting listeners to experience his rich, groundbreaking style.

TRACK LISTING

1. OS ANCESTRAIS
2. NAO PODEMOS O AMOR PARAR
3. DEBAIXO DA PONTE
4. AS ESTACOES
5. MUSICA FAZ PARTE DE MIM
6. MINHA MELANINA
7. SAFIRA

Hyldon, Brazil’s highly revered vocalist, musician and producer, has partnered with Adrian Younge to create a new psychedelic soul album, 'HYLDON JID023'. The duo, highly inspired by Hyldon’s seminal work in the ‘60s and ‘70s, revisits’ the spirit of this epoch while creating a modern-day classic. Hyldon’s unique voice and lyrical depth, combined with Younge’s innovative analogue production, ensures this album will not be forgotten. JID023 is one of the last recordings featuring Hyldon’s long-time collaborator and friend, the late drummer Ivan “Mamao” Conti of Azymuth.

Hyldon, a musical pioneer and early contributor to the “Black Rio” movement is a genius in synthesizing the sounds of MPB, Tropicália and Black American R&B. His unique voice, coupled with his rich arrangements and laid-back grooves set him apart from the contemporaries of the time. In ’75, his remarkable debut album, Na Rua, Na Chuva, Na Fazenda changed the sound of Brazil forever. Hyldon’s earnest and experimental approach in creating that album served as the inspiration for Younge’s production on the new JID023.

Months before Mamão's untimely passing, Adrian Younge and Hyldon invited the legendary drummer to join them at Younge’s Linear Labs studio in Los Angeles. Mamão and Hyldon shared a rich musical history — Azymuth, Mamão’s group, served as the rhythm section for much of Hyldon’s work, including his iconic 1975 LP, Na Rua, Na Chuva, Na Fazenda. Their goal was ambitious: to craft an album that would stand alongside Hyldon’s finest achievements, one that would captivate fans who love his unique blend of psychedelic and soulful “Música Brasileira.” The result is nothing short of remarkable.

“Producing a Hyldon album was a dream come true. I’ve studied his catalogue for so many years and highly respect the way he mixed the sound of The Beatles, with that of Marvin Gaye and Tim Maia. I’m still enamored by the fact that he is even a better singer now than he was, in what many deem, his prime. Also, we greatly miss our dear friend and contributor Mamão, the late drummer of Azymuth. We dedicated this album to his memory, and we wish he could have had the chance to hear the finished album.” – Adrian Younge

Songs such as 'Olhos Castanhos' evoke the ethereal nature of The Beatles 'Strawberry Fields' as the mellotron flutes and Hyldon’s vulnerable performance captivates our hearts. Mamão’s gritty and funky drumming on 'Nhanderuvucu (The Creator of God)' showcase what made him a leading pioneer in Brazil’s samba funk scene. Apart from the remarkable drumming, multi-instrumentalist Younge accomplishes the unthinkable by playing every other instrument on JID023. The experimental fusion of horns, analog synthesizers and acoustic instrumentation on songs like 'Viajante de Planeta Azul' take listeners on a funky journey to the blue planet; a fictional space that Hyldon lyrically describes with passion and conviction.

'Hyldon JID023' is an unexpected, yet remarkable addition to the canon of Brazilian Music. Hyldon’s emotional resonance, coupled with Younge’s sophisticated production and Mamao’s outstanding drumming make this a standout album within the deep catalogue of Jazz Is Dead. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Viajante Do Planeta Azul
2. O Cacador De Estrelas
3. Olhos Castanhos
4. Jenipapo Robot
5. Favela De Rio De Janeiro
6. Verao Nacalifornia (Summertime In California)
7. Um Lugar Legal
8. Nanderuvucu (The Creator God)

At 88 years of age, the Ghanian highlife and afrobeat pioneer Ebo Taylor travelled to the US for the very first time to perform at the now iconic Jazz Is Dead concert series, selling out venues across the country. It was during this time that Ebo recorded a psychedelic afrobeat album alongside Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad. This mind-blowing collaboration is one that could not have been anticipated by Ebo fans worldwide and will surely satisfy connoisseurs of classic West African funk. “Collaborating with Ebo Taylor is a bucket-list accomplishment. For me, it is the equivalent of working with musical genius Fela Kuti, because of how much I have studied both of their work and influence on the genre of Afrobeat. Seriously, recording the genius to analog tape while highlighting the raw recording styles of 1970s Africa is a dream I never thought could come to reality! It was also great to work with Ebo’s son, Henry Taylor, who is a true musical force in his own right.” – Adrian Younge.

The swirling horns and gritty guitars heard on Ebo Taylor JID022 are reminiscent of his seminal seventies recordings that made him one of Africa’s most prolific and revolutionary artists of all time. Recorded inside of Younge’s Linear Labs studio, this album captures polyrhythmic percussion and twangy, fuzzed out guitars that prove that rhythm is key. The ensemble of Ghanian background vocalists emanates a uniquely spiritual sound that takes the listener back to Ebo’s prime. However, one of the most exhilarating components to this album is Ebo’s signature approach to vocal stylings. His heartfelt lyrics about love, peace and spirituality echo nearly a century of experience and wisdom. Songs such as “Beye Bu, Beye Ba” demonstrate how God provides for his people as songs like “Kusi Na Sibo” teach life lessons on gratitude. This is an afrobeat classic that stands as a true highlight in the canon of Ebo Taylor’s undeniable catalog and a crown jewel in the Jazz Is Dead library.

TRACK LISTING

Get Up
Obra Akyedzi
Kusi Na Sito
Obi Do Wa (If Someone Loves You)
Nsa A W'oanye Edwuma, Ondzidzi
Beye Bu, Beye Ba
Feeling

Jazz Is Dead announces another offering of top-shelf recordings taking listeners on a journey through the funky sounds of Ghana all the way to down to the psychedelic soul and samba of Brazil. Produced by label founders Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Jazz Is Dead Series 3 features new analog recordings from living legends Ebo Taylor, Hyldon, Dom Salvador, Antonio Carlos e Jocafi, Carlos Dafé, Joyce e Tutty Moreno as well as an unreleased LP from The Midnight Hour: Lost Tapes.

TRACK LISTING

SIDE A
1. MORENO - THE MIDNIGHT HOUR
2. 0S ANCESTRAIS - DOM SALVADOR, ADRIAN YOUNGE & ALI SHAHEED MUHAMMAD
3. AMOR ENFEITICADO - CARLOS DAFÉ & ADRIAN YOUNGE
4. OBI DO WOA (IF SOMEONE LOVES YOU) - EBO TAYLOR, ADRIAN YOUNGE & ALI SHAHEED MUHAMMAD

SIDE B
5. MENINA DO TORORO - ANTONIO CARLOS E JOCAFI, ADRIAN YOUNGE & ALI SHAHEED MUHAMMAD
6. VANÁ ETÊ - JOYCE E TUTTY MORENO & ADRIAN YOUNGE
7. VIAJANTE DE PLANETA AZUL - HYLDON & ADRIAN YOUNGE
8. ATLAS - ADRIAN YOUNGE

For Remixes JID020, the label has tapped a few of their favourite contemporary artists and producers to offer their own take on the music of Series 2. The album features a variety of dynamic personalities with remixes from London based artists Shabaka Hitchins and Theon Cross, New York tastemaker Melanie Charles, LA based produces Bei Ru, Brazil's DK Nyack, Detroit based producer Tall Black Guy, Bay Area producer Mophono and the LA based house duo L.O. & Diisko.

The album earns its place in the Jazz Is Dead catalog as it further celebrated the spirit of collaboration amongst artists young and old. What unites these DJs, producers and musicians with the Jazz Is Dead ethos is their unbent dedication to remaining true to their own vibe and sound all the while preserving the energy and feeling of the original recordings.

TRACK LISTING

1. Tony Allen - Don't Believe The Dancers (Mophono Remix)
2. The Midnight Hour - Phoenix (Theon Cross Remix)
3. Katalyst - Reflections (Bei Ru Remix)
4. Jean Carne - Black Rainbow (Melanie Charles Remix)
5. Henry Franklin - African Sun (Shabaka Hutchins Remix)
6. Lonnie Liston Smith - Love Brings Happiness (Tall Black Guy Feat. Kaidi Tatham Remix)
7. Garrett Saracho - Altitude (L.O. & Diisko Remix)
8. Phil Ranelin & Wendell Harrison - Running With The Tribe (DJ Nyack Remix) 

Instrumentals JID019 captures the musical alchemy produced at the Linear Labs Studio by producers Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. These instrumental recordings encapsulate the spirit of the Jazz Is Dead concert and recording series, celebrating the African-American art form known as jazz through improvisation, musical collaboration and authentic cross-generational and cross-cultural communication.

TRACK LISTING

1. Come As You Are
2. Love Brings Happiness
3. Black Rainbows
4. The Summertime
5. Love Can Be
6. People Of The Sun
7. My Mystic Life
3 .blackrainbows
8. Cosmic Changes
9. Black Love
10. Visions

A native of Los Angeles, Henry Franklin came of age while the city was producing a crop of exciting jazz talent. Frankin’s lasting impact on jazz can be evidenced by the long list of legends who sought him out for tours and recording sessions, Stevie Wonder, Bobby Humphrey, Freddy Hubbard, & Pharaoh Sanders to name a few. Franklin’s solo output is best remembered for his two solo outings with the Black Jazz label- “The Skipper” & “The Skipper At Home”. Together, they form one of the most compelling diptychs in the entire post-bop canon. Recognised by his peers and contemporaries, Franklin’s entry for Jazz Is Dead gives the living legend his flowers and recognises the contributions The Skipper has made as one of jazz’s most influential heartbeats.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: The imperative jazz-revival series continues in earnest. Henry Franklin updates crucial material from "The Skipper" and "The Skipper At Home", aided and abetted by Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Adrian Younge. A tour de force of modern jazz expression!

TRACK LISTING

1. Karibu
2. The Griot
3. People's Revolution
4. Memories Lost
5. Feedback
6. Café Nero
7. African Sun
8. A Song For Sigrid

Founded in 2014, Katalyst Collective has never been one for labels. Rather than strictly a live act, they’ve acted as an incubator for a fresh crop of local talent, helping hone the voices and talents of individual members, while collectively advancing like a phalanx. Each ‘Kat’ writes their own solo material, and everyone contributes and works together on each project, feeding off the communal energy. Leading to the group’s upping collaboration for Jazz Is Dead, Katalyst has poised themselves as the next breakout stars of Los Angeles’ rapidly expanding Jazz universe - a small army of creative firebrands, each burning more brightly together.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Avenue
2. Daybreak
3. Corridors
4. Summer Solstice
5. Juneteenth
6. Dogon Cypher
7. Reflections

Marcos and the other Brazilian luminaries Adrian and Ali hosted for Jazz Is Dead, are able to create an entirely different sound and feel using the exact same palette. Throughout the album Marcos sings in his trademark percussive and melodic style (“wa-di-do-bem, ba di da we da bem”), a distinctly Brazilian take on vocalese. Like the sweet and foreign sounds coming out of his mouth, Marcos and the other Brazilian luminaries Adrian and Ali hosted for Jazz Is Dead, are able to create an entirely different sound and feel using the exact same palette. “It was really interesting how we can play the same instruments, listen to the same music and they can still have their distinctly Brazilian flavor that we admire so, so, so much,” Adrian effuses. “And to just hear our influences mix with theirs and to make something brand new is a dream come true.”

TRACK LISTING

1. Queira Bem
2. Isso É Que Eu Sei
3. Oi
4. Viajando Por Aí
5. Gotta Love Again
6. Não Saia Da Praça
7. Our Train
8. A Gente Volta Amanhã

Music exists in movement and change, but before any part of it can be pinned down for analysis, it’s often moved and taken on a new face. The transformation is often driven by culture as forward-thinking people avoid the proverbial paths in search of revolution. Even though our pioneers prophesied that the revolution would not be televised, the message has permeated. It’s spreading like wildfire and leaders are defined by those that speak first: Jazz Is Dead. Music is the universal language and we are the interpreter of sound, a message that has been lost in transcription.

Under Jazz Is Dead, younger artists are elaborating upon conversations started decades ago; jazz icons are utilizing vintage equipment to create new masters with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad; the same equipment that recorded their coveted catalogs. The vitality embedded in the new masters epitomizes our quest for new life in music: Jazz Is Dead. This compilation features legendary artists Roy Ayers, Gary Bartz, Marcos Valle, Azymuth, Doug Carn, Joao Donato, & Brian Jackson, who will each have their own individual release, working alongside Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. 

TRACK LISTING

01. Hey Lover (feat. Roy Ayers)
02. Distant Mode (feat. Gary Bartz)
03. Nancy Wilson (feat. Brian Jackson)
04. Conexão (feat. João Donato)
05. Down Deep (feat. Doug Carn)
06. Apocalíptico (feat. Azymuth)
07. Não Saia Da Praça (feat. Marcos Valle)
08. Jazz Is Dead (feat. The Midnight Hour)

The shadow that Gary Bartz casts over the last six decades of progressive Black music, and his continued dedication to same, makes him a logical and very welcome contributor to the Jazz Is Dead label. An alto saxophonist steeped in the history and tradition of his instrument who is also restlessly experimental and not prone to purism of any kind, he enjoys both the respect and admiration of his peers and the hero worship of several generations after him – including Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, which inevitably led to Gary Bartz JID 006.

A look at his body of work reveals dalliances with bebop, hard bop, free jazz, spiritual jazz, soul jazz, jazz-funk, fusion and acid jazz, all while resolutely remaining unmistakably Gary Bartz. There's early work with Eric Dolphy and McCoy Tyner in Charles Mingus' Jazz Workshop, work with Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln, a stint in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, and also one with Miles. There's his groundbreaking and highly influential Ntu Troop albums of the early ‘70s and his jazz-funk work including two classic albums with the Mizell Brothers, one of which supplied A Tribe Called Quest with a sample that was smooth like butter. And while on the subject of samples, the Bartz catalog has provided hip-hop and other genres with a rich source of them, and artists who have gone to his well when producing beats also include Black Sheep, Jurassic 5, Casual, RPM, Warren G, Photek, Statik Selektah, Chi-Ali, 3rd Bass, Showbiz, ZTrip, Young Disciples, and many others.

The socio-political content of much of Bartz’s work, particularly during the early ‘70s, is another factor that has captured the attention of and influenced many. He was wide awake to the pressing issues of his day, which sadly haven't changed much in a half-century—long before the term "woke" was ever coined—which adds continued relevance and resonance to albums like the two Harlem Bush Music LPs. Speaking his mind and expressing thoughts and feelings lyrically and vocally were a consistent aspect of his work during this era, but even with all this there's always still a space within Gary's oeuvre for the celebration of simple and beautiful basic truths. “Working with Gary Bartz epitomizes the ethos behind Jazz Is Dead,” says Younge. “He’s a luminary that has contributed so much to music culture, for decades. His musical ability is expanding with age and we’re honored to be a part of his world.”

"Day By Day" brings Bartz full circle by placing him in a more modern context which he contributed to creating in the first place. It takes certain sonic cues from Muhammad's old group, A Tribe Called Quest, while also calling to mind neo-soul a little bit. But the icing on the cake is the unexpected and gorgeous vocal chorus which is like the sun coming out and which once again harks back to an element familiar to Mizell fans. With its propulsive bassline steadily prodding the track along, "The Message" is strongly rooted in classic ‘70s modal jazz and serves as the spiritual and emotional centerpiece of the album. The instrumental interplay and textures would have been perfectly at home on the Black Jazz label even though there's also a certain almost intangible postmodern, 21st century approach to that style, perfectly in keeping with Bartz's well-known tendency to look forward, not backwards.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Spiritual Ideation
A2. Visions Of Love
A3. Black & Brown
A4. Blue Jungles
B1. Day By Day
B2. Distant Mode
B3. The Message
B4. Soulsea

The fourth release from Jazz Is Dead records features Azymuth, one of the bands in Brazilian history, redefining Popular Brazilian Music. Having released almost 20 albums in their career, Azymuth proves to be a consistent source for an innovative mix of jazz, pop, MPB, and electronic music. Composed and produced by Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad and recorded in the Linear Labs analog studio. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Ao Redor Do Samba
2. Sumaré
3. Cat Jump
4. Fall Afternoon
5. Friendship Samba
6. Apocalíptico Feat Azymuth
7. Pulando Corda
8. Queit Storm 

Music exists in movement and change, but before any part of it can be pinned down for analysis, it’s often moved and taken on a new face. The transformation is often driven by culture as forward-thinking people avoid the proverbial paths in search of revolution. Even though our pioneers prophesied that the revolution would not be televised, the message has permeated. It’s spreading like wildfire and leaders are defined by those that speak first: Jazz Is Dead. Music is the universal language and we are the interpreter of sound, a message that has been lost in transcription.

Under Jazz Is Dead, younger artists are elaborating upon conversations started decades ago; jazz icons are utilizing vintage equipment to create new masters with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad; the same equipment that recorded their coveted catalogs. The vitality embedded in the new masters epitomizes our quest for new life in music: Jazz Is Dead. This compilation features legendary artists Roy Ayers, Gary Bartz, Marcos Valle, Azymuth, Doug Carn, Joao Donato, & Brian Jackson, who will each have their own individual release, working alongside Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Hey Lover Feat Roy Ayers
2. Distant Mode Feat Gary Bartz
3. Nancy Wilson Feat Brian Jackson
4. Conexão Feat João Donato
5. Down Deep Feat Doug Carn
6. Apocalíptico Feat Azymuth
7. Não Saia Da Praça Feat Marcos Valle
8. Jazz Is Dead Feat The Midnight Hour