Black Sweat Italy Vinyl & CDs

Review: The Italian jazz scene of the 1970s turned up many gems but this is one of its lesser known treasures. It's an interesting and unusual collection from Folk Magic Band which was made up of 18 different members. They had their own alt set up in a Rome studio and were inspired by the free jazz movement of the day. As such there are pan-ethnic motifs next to the spiritual jazz of Pharoah Sanders and the wild orchestrations of Sun Ra and his Arkestra. It's intense and hard hitting in its quest to explore new musical ground.

Review: The music of this unique quartet explores the roots of African music while embracing its newest possibilities. Featuring Malian singer Rokia Traore and griot Mamah Diabate, alongside Stefano Pilia (Afterhours, Massimo Volume), their collaboration merges with Gambian griot Jabel Kanuteh, a kora virtuoso, and percussionist Marco Zanotti. The fusion of Malian and Gambian rhythms with Italian influences creates a fresh new sound that blends the ancient and the modern. The music weaves jazz, rock and folk with a number of experimental digressions but never at the expense of an underlying groove and high-fidelity sense of musicianship that connects diverse cultural identities.