Mississippi Records

On their self-titled debut, The MerKaBa Brotherhood — duo Roman Norfleet and Andre Raiah — treat rhythm as a vessel for hidden knowledge, shaping sound the way mystics shape symbols. Drawing on esoteric texts, sacred imagery and improvisation, this coded manuscript turns noise into philosophy, vibration into shared language, parachuting us into the place where all the in-between notes live.

On their self-titled album, The Cosmic Tones Research Trio construct vibrating pathways of sound that lift you clear of contemporary concerns. It’s not zeitgeisty; it’s expansive spiritual jazz, mystical yet grounded, profoundly improvisational. The Portland trio crafts condensed pieces under five minutes that expand into timeless, textural soundscapes. Like Coltrane, this is music that paints a picture of what peace might look and sound like.

Radio Lusaka marks the first-ever vinyl compilation of Alick Nkhata’s work, a golden-voiced singer, freedom fighter, and a pivotal figure in Zambia’s freedom movement. The album is accompanied by a booklet featuring lyric translations by Zambian author Ellen Banda-Aaku and in-depth notes by scholar Jamal Khadar. The album reveals the legacy of a man whose music and voice were deeply connected to his country’s journey towards independence.

Mississippi Records announce the release of Church of Kidane Mehret, gathering Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru’s 1972 private press album of the same name with two previously unheard piano recordings. Listen to the lead single ‘Ave Maria’.

Johnny Coley is a genuine poet, someone with things to say that haven’t been said before. With Mister Sweet Whisper, he has created a document of a crazy, frayed civilization and has made it sound beautiful.

Released this month on Mississippi Records, Souvenirs is a lost and found recording of Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru, on which supple flowing vocal melodies meet irregular piano phrasing as Emahoy’s hands roam freely. It’s an amazing hoard of personal, spiritual and national yearnings.

On what would have been her 100th birthday, Mississippi Records is today celebrating the brilliance and vision of Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru with a new single and the announcement of a major new release, her self-recorded vocal album, Souvenirs. 

Magg Tekki, is the debut offering from the Senegalese drum and vocal orchestra Assiko Golden Band de Grand Yoff, a collaboration with Swedish musician and archivist Karl-Jonas Winqvist. Listen to their new single, “La Musique de Cœur”. It’s pure joy!

Mississippi Records are to release a reimagined version of Michael Hurley’s 2002 album Sweetkorn which will also feature a totally new recording. The album includes new artwork and has been beautifully remixed, as you can hear on ‘O My Stars’.

Recorded in 1972 while on tour with Mike Seeger, The Old Church is a lost live recording of Roscoe Holcomb which finds him at his finest. “The recording itself is warm and mysterious, sounding like the room itself is alive with the spirit.”

“Six Picks” – is a new editorial selection of eclectic music delivered in a bite-size format. Part 1 features Don Cherry, Aoife O’Donovan, Cameron Knowler, Borg, Shovel Dance Collective and a new release from Chicago’s Mississippi Records – Guitar music of Western Kenya.