In association with DJ Amir and 180 Proof Records, BBE Music presents Strata Records: "The Sound of Detroit": Volume 1, a new compilation taking in just a few highlights from the short-lived but hugely influential jazz imprint. With a raft of Strata material now entering the BBE Music catalogue for the first time, joining together with already-released gems such at the long-lost Charles Mingus live album Jazz In Detroit, BBE asked 180 Proof founder and Strata catalogue curator DJ Amir to compile a selection of tracks as an introduction to the uninitiated...

Jazz aficionados will no doubt have had this album on preorder since it was announced. And for casual jazz fans this will be a welcome surprise that will expand your jazz collection.

The album sees the personal favourite tracks of DJ Amir who painstakingly scoured the back catalogue looking for highlights which had not already been bootlegged or included on compilation albums in the past. The main goal was to present songs that truly represented the catalog and helped to tell the story of Strata.

Amir opens the the compilation with one of his all-time favourites from the catalog, ‘Beyond the Dream’ by Kenny Cox, a spiritual groover, highlighted with the haunting mellotron strings and soulful vocals from Detroit legend Ursula Walker.

With further tracks from Kenny Cox featuring the Contemporary Jazz Quintet (CJQ), Larry Nozero (saxophone player on ‘What’s Goin’ On’ by Marvin Gaye), to the ever-elusive and spiritual deep Maulawi Nururidin, to a few previously unreleased gems from Ursula Walker, Mixed Bag, and the Soulmates, hopefully, Amir is hoping that you’ll be inspired to dive deeper into the Strata catalogue.

Track listing:

01. 'Beyond The Dream' by Kenny Cox
02. 'Tune For L.N.' by Larry Nozero
03. 'Face at My Window' by Sam Sanders
04. 'People We Got to Do Better' by The Soulmates
05. 'Scorpio's Child' by Bert Myrick
06. 'Norwegian Wood' by Mixed Bag
07. 'Noh Word' by The Contemporary Jazz Quintet
08. 'Joy Road' by The Lyman Woodard Organization
09. 'Time Is Wasting' by TJ
10. 'Root in 7/4 Plus' by Maulawi
11. 'Salsa Pt. 1' by Fito Foster
12. 'Maiden Voyage' by Ursula Walker
13. 'You're the One' by TJ
14. 'Chronicle Of The Murdered House Pt. 1' by Larry Nozero
15. 'Chronicle Of The Murdered House Pt. 2' by Larry Nozero
16. 'Where Is The Place?' by Maulawi
17. 'Saturday Night Special' by The Lyman Woodard Organization
18. 'Island Song' by Kenny Cox
19. 'Inner City Player' by Sam Sanders
20. 'Bees' by Ron English
21. 'Pithecanthropus Erectus' by Charles Mingus
22. 'Dizzy Profile' by Charles Mingus
23. 'All But Blind' by Mixed Bag

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Nick Smithson