Vinyl LP pressing of this 2020 release.

Jacques Schwarz-Bart has been at the center of several musical revolutions: Neo Soul next to D'angelo and Erika Badu, New Jazz as a founding member of Roy Hargrove's RH Factor, and he is a leading pioneer in the creation of two surging new styles: Gwoka Jazz, and Voodoo jazz, reuniting jazz music with it's Afro-Caribbean and spiritual origins. Jacques' impressionistic writing, powerful tone, and wide-ranging language - both lyrical and angular - have fueled a growing presence on the world stage.

Cyro Baptista is a Brazilian born percussionist and composer whose vast talent and penchant for innovation brought him to be praised as one of the most respected musicians in the world. His talent and versatility have led to associations with a wide range of leading artists. From Paul Simon to Yo-Yo-Ma, Herbie Hancock to Trey Anastasio, Wynton Marsalis to Laurie Anderson, Caetano Veloso to Sting - they all wanted Cyro's magic touch on their recordings or live performances.

Continuing the legacy of The Experiment Series, Ropeadope teams up with longtime collaborator and head of Ropeadope SUR Todd Clouser to document the vibrant music scene in Mexico City. With a great number of world class musicians from Mexico and beyond living in the city, Clouser chose a close group of adventurous spirits to join him on the project. The Mexico City Experiment features German Bringas, Jeronimo Gonzalez, Orestes Gomez, Erik Deutsch, Todd Clouser, and Guadalupe Galvan.

11 years after their last release, The Headhunters release a new full length album featuring Summers, Clark, NEA Jazz master Donald Harrison, Stephen Gordon, bassist Reggie Washington, and organist Jerry Z. The album also features Scott Roberts and Fode Sissoko on kora. The Headhunters spirit is alive and well on the album, which fuses the band's African and New Orleans influences with their ever-present technical jazz-funk, rooted in music history and growing in the present moment.

South African based saxophonist and flute player Mthunzi Mvubu started his music career at the age of 14 at the Music Academy of Gauteng under the mentorship of the late Dr. Johnny Mekoa. His intent and approach are evident in the title of his debut album, as is his deep respect for the art form. Comfortable in any Jazz club or stage, the music speaks to a deep spiritual connection between player and listener at the heart of improvisational Jazz.

A prolific composer and bandleader, Erik's seven albums have received critical acclaim by RollingStone, Jazz Times, USA Today, and the Huffington Post, including Relix magazine naming Deutsch's 4th album Outlaw Jazz the #16 best album of 2015. He was recently voted the #5 Rising Star Organist in Downbeat Magazine's annual poll, where he has been recognized for consecutive years. Deutsch's most recent album, Live at Lunatico, was recorded in Bedstuy, Brooklyn and features his NYC sextet: Avi Bortnick, Mike McGinnis, Tony Mason, Brian Drye, and Fred Cash.   From 2016-19 Deutsch was a full-time member of the pioneering Colorado jamband Leftover Salmon, performing 100+ shows per year throughout the US. In 2020 Erik changed directions and joined forces with 12-time Grammy-winning band The Chicks (formerly Dixie Chicks).   The eclectic path of Erik's 25-year career has led him to performances in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia; to Red Rocks, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Blue Note, and Madison Square Garden; to Late Night with David Letterman, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Ellen and The View; and to appearances in the feature films "Begin Again" and "Trans." Erik has played on more than 150 records and has taught thousands of students-who knows what to expect in the next 25 years? You can plan on a wealth of music and creative spirit from this one-of-a-kind pianist.

David Sanchez triumphantly returns with a masterwork that not only emphasizes his deep roots and respect for Jazz with a capital J, but that continues the narrative from his album Melaza, digging further into the story of the African Diaspora as it is represented in the Caribbean, from Puerto Rico to Cuba to Haiti. His playing is at a peak, and the band flawlessly follows the story of his diverse study of Afro-Caribbean culture. - "The African diaspora throughout the Americas feels to me like a big river, flowing and changing it's formation across various lands, but remaining one immense watercourse. Carib is my continuation of that river, a personal and musical stream I began when I became bandleader for my first album, The Departure (1994) where you can clearly hear Puerto Rican rhythms running throughout. Another fork, my album Melaza (2000), has the most substantial connection with Carib because of it's flow and the strong influence of the bomba music tradition from Puerto Rico. I believe some of the greatest contributions to contemporary music and culture have come from the African diaspora throughout the Americas. Unfortunately, there seems to be too little awareness of their influence, especially the vital stories told by the music. So, I wanted to approach this album as a means to pay tribute to all Afro descendent communities who have helped define my music and the culture's broad ranging beauty and idiosyncrasies. Carib features traditional music from these two islands, because it still amazes me how similar their music flows. I focused on the Congo-Guinee in Haitian music because it is a musical tradition shared by many other Afro descendant cultures." - David Sanchez