Review: It has only taken two albums for Chris Illingworth, Nick Blacka, and Rob Turner to land with an LP on the legendary Blue Note label, but they've done it, and they've done it in fine style. Moreover, it's also a bold move from Blue Note, who only usually steer away from pure jazz for the likes of Madlib and co, but in hindsight, the Gogo Penguin trio have what it takes to be remembered as fine producers of beat-driven free jazz. Mixing up elements of nu-soul, together with broken beat and classic jazz, the trio's music is wild and diverse, and fully representative of the label's vision and charisma. Also, it's exactly the sort of thing that Gilles Peterson is in to, so sit back, relax, and let Man Made Object take you away.
Review: Over the last 12 months, Adrian Younge and A Tribe Called Quest member Ali Shaheed Muhammad have been inviting some legendary musicians to swing by the former's Los Angeles studio to make fresh tracks with vintage equipment. The results are detailed on "Jazz Is Dead", a superb album that combines elements of dusty soundtrack jazz, soul, jazz-funk, Latin jazz and head-nodding live beats influenced by the duo's hip-hop roots. Highlights include the atmospheric, slow-motion warmth of Roy Ayers collaboration "Hey Lover", the floor-rocking fusion heaviness of epic Azymuth hook-up "Apocaliptico", the languid sweetness of 'Down Deep" (featuring Doug Carn) and the samba-soaked sunshine that is Marcos Valle composition "Nao Saia Da Praca".
Review: Acclaimed pianist Greg Foat is a mainstay of the current UK jazz revival thanks to works on Jazzman and Athens of the North. He draws on soul and library music for his inspiration and serves up lush symphonies that are rich in detail, layer and emotion. This new album, which makes use of pedal steel for the first time, goes even more widescreen in its approach and includes powerfully uplifting tracks like "Anticipation" as well as more sensual and slower groovers and languid movers like "Island Life." It is the sound of an artist and composer at the very peak of his powers.
Review: When this album was initially released way back in 2008, it was Kaidi Tatham's first under his given name (previously, he'd released solo records as Afronaught and appeared on all manner of collaborative releases). Since then, he has of course gone on to greater critical and commercial success, but as this timely reissue proves, "In Search of Home" still hits home hard. Like much of his work, it deftly showcases his Herbie Hancock-like jazz and jazz-funk keyboard skills within tracks that variously join the dots between broken beat, hip-hop, deep house, Latin fusion and sumptuous slow jams. Colourful, rich, jazzy and impeccably performed throughout, the album remains one of the high points of Tatham's career and is well worth adding to your collection.
Review: Soul auteur Jonathan Diggs Duke returns to one of his older EPs for a timely reissue. Originally released in 2015, just after his critically acclaimed debut album on Giles Peterson's Brownswood, the three tracks catch Diggs at his most flighty and free-thinking; "Ambition Addiction" jumps and rolls like a tightly coiled jazz spring before hurling us into the deep harmonic soulful blue of "Welcome" and "Funky Overdose" lives up to its name with its off beat magic, tightly plucked guitar and staccato vocals. Addictive.
Neptune Atmosphere (You Didn't Feel My Love) (2000 Black remix) (4:41)
Neptune Atmosphere (You Didn't Feel My Love) (feat Gina Foster - Phil Asher & Mighty Zaf '80s remix radio version) (4:53)
Review: The latest golden nugget from Hayes-based soul specialists Expansion sees Phil Asher, The Mighty Zaf and 2000 Black take it in turns to rework one of the highlights of modern jazz-man Robb Scott's recent album, Siren. Asher and Zaf kick things off with a deliciously glassy-eyed jazz-funk-meets-soulful house revision that not only boasts a seriously loved-up, beat-free intro, but also tons of subtle instrumental solos. A radio edit of that rework is also available on the flip. That's where you'll find 2000 Black's brilliantly jazzy broken beat revision, which is every bit as sumptuous and musically rich as the West London duo's own productions.
Review: After her magnetic debut EP for Running Circle in 2017, Nottingham's Yazmin Lacey lands on our charts with her follow-up 12", a piece of work that sounds deeply accomplished and expansive for being her second EP to date. Largely roaming within the jazzo-sphere, When The Sun Dips 90 Degress is a beautifully seductive five-tracker, with the artist's voice reigning supreme over the cascading showers of piano keys and subtle electronics, somehow tapping into the Alice Coltrane sort of vibe. There's no harp here, but plenty of soulful charisma. Fear not thy devout jazz fanatic - this can get real deep and real smooth. It's a broken beat fan's dream some true. More from Lacey is, indeed, expected in the remainder of the year. Marvellous stuff.
Review: The word 'legend' gets banded about rather a lot, but it is certainly applicable to West London scene stalwart Kaidi Tatham. Further confirmation of this elevated status can be found throughout "It's A World Before You", a staggeringly good album that marks the musician-producer's first solo set for some seven years. While rooted in the kind of warm, rich and life-affirming jazz-funk-fuelled broken beat workouts with which Tatham is most readily associated (and they're naturally superb), there's plenty of killer diversions dotted throughout. These include a couple of spacey, soul-flecked ambient rubs, a sublime collaboration with hip-hop/modern soul fusionists Children of Zeus, and a fine head-nodding hip-hop jam featuring rapper Uhmeer. In a word: essential.
Review: Trombonist and producer Rosie Turton is the latest rising star of jazz to be offered a volume in Jazz re:freshed's 5ive series of EPs. Her volume, which like its predecessors boasts a quintet of original compositions, is very different to its predecessors, mixing bustling jazz instrumentation (drums, trombone and sax, piano, double bass) with wild and free violin solos, occasional electronics and the odd bout of spoken word poetry. There's much to enjoy throughout, with highlights including the lolloping, hip-hop influenced swing of "Butterfly", the gentle Latin rhythms, electric piano solos and languid bass of "Orange Moon", and the soundscape ambient jazz bliss of "Stolen Ribs". As solo debuts go, it's a bit of a doozy.
Review: Kamaal Williams has described The Return, his debut solo album, as "a natural evolution from the Yussef Kamaal project". Yet while that was made in collaboration with drummer Yussef Kamaal and played around with jazz in its myriad forms, The Return sees the man sometimes known as Henry Wu stamp his own mark on proceedings. So while "visionary jazz" (as the press release puts it) is his aim, this manifests itself in a range of ways. Contrast, for example, the leisurely jazz-funk flex and stoned feel of opener "Salaam" with the more groove-driven, dancefloor vibes of "High Roller", where sinewy strings tumble down over hip-hop influenced live house beats, meandering Herbie Hancock style synths and a superb bassline.
Review: Two years ago, Thomas Xu announced himself via a fine debut 12" on Sound Signature where he shared vinyl space with Julion De'Angelo. Here he launches his own label, Steady Flight Circle, via a first full solo EP of his own. It's really rather good, with Xu combining spacey jazz-funk synths, emotive chord progressions and rich musicality with beats that tend towards the jazzy, broken and off-kilter. All three tracks feel loose, warm and immediate, as if they were jammed-out in one take. While they clearly weren't, this improvised feel is hugely endearing. From the sounds of "Different Widsoms", Xu will clearly be a producer to watch in the months and years ahead.
Review: Given the rise in popularity in new school jazz in recent years, it seems a fitting time to welcome back Ninja Tune stalwarts The Cinematic Orchestra. "To Believe" is not only their first album in some seven years, but also one of their strongest releases to date. Opening with the poignant neo-classical/soul fusion "To Believe", the set sees Jason Swinscoe and company attractively saunter between jazz-electronica fusion (Roots Manuva collaboration ("A Caged Bird/Imitations Of Life"), pastoral jazz epics (the sunset ready epic that is "Lessons"), gentle downtempo songs ("Wait For Now/Leave The World"), ambient jazz ("The Workers Of Art") and slowly unfurling dancefloor workouts (killer closing cut "A Promise"). In a word: stunning.
A Caged Bird/Imitations Of Life (feat Roots Manuva)
Lessons
Wait For Now/Leave The World (feat Tawiah)
The Workers Of Art
Zero One/This Fantasy (feat Grey Reverend)
A Promise (feat Heidi Vogel)
Review: Given the rise in popularity in new school jazz in recent years, it seems a fitting time to welcome back Ninja Tune stalwarts The Cinematic Orchestra. "To Believe" is not only their first album in some seven years, but also one of their strongest releases to date. Opening with the poignant neo-classical/soul fusion "To Believe", the set sees Jason Swinscoe and company attractively saunter between jazz-electronica fusion (Roots Manuva collaboration ("A Caged Bird/Imitations Of Life"), pastoral jazz epics (the sunset ready epic that is "Lessons"), gentle downtempo songs ("Wait For Now/Leave The World"), ambient jazz ("The Workers Of Art") and slowly unfurling dancefloor workouts (killer closing cut "A Promise"). In a word: stunning.
Review: With their penchant for off-kilter psychedelic explorations, deep-rooted spiritual jazz excursions and cacophonous, otherworldly workouts, The Comet Is Coming is undoubtedly one of the most groundbreaking and essential jazz combos of recent times. It's for this reason that "Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery" - their first outing on legendary jazz label Impulse - feels like an event release. It is another stunning album, with the inspired trio flitting between sweaty, dancefloor-ready tracks soaked in psychedelic electronics and more melodious, laidback numbers that sail closer to traditional jazz pastures. Throughout, the level of imagination, creativity and uniqueness remains dizzyingly high.
Review: DJ DSK has released some heavyweight seven-inch singles over the years, with his 2016 45 "Laminate" - an original slab of funk made in cahoots with the previously unheralded "Lost Soul Collective". Here he gathers together the band once more for a follow-up four years in the making. "Lost Soul" is a two-part affair in keeping with the funk tradition. The A-side is an infectious vocal number that sits somewhere between Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and the more psychedelic flavour associated with turn-of-the-70s San Francisco soul. As you'd expect, the flipside "Part 2" version strips out most of the vocals to allow the band's warm and heady instrumentation room to breathe.
Review: Some 18 months after it appeared on Amp Fiddler's ace "Amp Dog Knights" LP, "Keep Coming" is given the remix treatment by a quartet of hugely talented producers. The headline rework comes from Ninja Tune signee Jayda G, whose effortlessly soulful version not only makes great use of the Detroit veteran's brilliant vocals and keys, but also flits between smoky deep house and sweaty, percussive madness. Elsewhere, Jahn Cloud and Meftah offer up some sweet post R&B beats, Julian Dyne re-casts it as a Latin-tinged chunk of beatdown brilliance and Brenk Sinatra does his best impression of Motor City beat-makers Platinum Pied Pipers.
Review: Since launching a few years back, Matthew Halsall's Gondwana Records has released some terrific albums from a string of talented but often little-known artists. This brilliant set is another. It comes from Hania Rani, a pianist, composer and producer better known for her collaborative work with the likes of Christian Loffler, Dobrawa Czocher and Hior Chronik. "Esja" is Rani's solo debut and sees her sashay between atmospheric, often poignant pieces that put her impeccable piano playing at the heart of the action. It's exceedingly elegant and picturesque, with Rani's subtle use of field recordings and crackling background noise only enhancing the listening experience.
Review: February 2020 marks the tenth anniversary of the release of Gil Scott-Heron's final studio album "I'm New Here", a set that was later brilliantly reworked by Jamie XX in 2011 ("We're New Here"). To celebrate the album's tenth birthday, XL Recordings has decided to offer up "We're New Again", a fresh "reinterpretation" of the Richard Russell produced set by contemporary jazz hero and beat-maker Maya McCraven. His vision is loose, languid, deep and jazzy, with languid jazz drumming, tight hip-hop beats, soft-touch instrumentation, liquid jazz solos and funk-fuelled basslines combining beneath Scott-Heron's gravelly spoken word vocals. It's an inspired re-invention all told and one fully in keeping with the essence of Scott-Heron's own work. In other words, it's a must-have.
Black Qualls (feat Steve Lacy, Steve Arrington & Childish Gambino) (3:09)
Miguel's Happy Dance (2:14)
How Sway (1:14)
Funny Thing (1:59)
Overseas (feat Zack Fox) (1:28)
Dragonball Durag (3:03)
How I Feel (1:05)
King Of The Hill (2:48)
Unrequited Love (3:15)
Fair Chance (feat Ty Dolla Sign & Lil B) (3:58)
Existential Dread (3:13)
It Is What It Is (feat Pedro Martins) (2:22)
Review: Thundercat's last album, 2017's "Drunk", is undeniably one of the greatest full-lengths of the past few years - a dizzyingly varied and mind-altering affair that mixed and matched styles to create thrilling new fusions of past and present sounds. He's at it again on this delayed follow-up "It Is What It Is", which was co-produced by Flying Lotus and includes an impressive cast-list of guests and collaborators (think Kamasi Washington, Ty Dolla Sign, Steve Arrington, BADBADNOTGOOD, Lil B and Louis Cole for starters). Musically it's impossible to pigeonhole - think rubbery 80s funk meets spiritual jazz meets reggae meets hip-hop meets experimental beats meets... you get the idea - and that makes for inspiring listening. Whether it's quite as good as "Drunk" is debatable, but it's certainly superb.
Review: Last year long time Flower Records associates Masanori Ikeda and Takumi Kanedo (best known for his work as part of Cro-Magnon) released their debut album as Coastlines, a stunningly sunny, laidback affair that touched on everything from nu-jazz and nu-disco to dub, Latin rhythms and Balearic beats. Here they offer up a fresh double-header on a must-check 7" single. A-side "East Coast" is particularly alluring, with the duo joining the dots between Nils Frahm piano pieces, gentle nu-jazz grooves and wide-eyed Balearic ambience. The synths come to the fore on flipside "West Coast", an arguably even sunnier affair with slo-mo Latin beats, mazy solos and glistening guitars to the fore.
Review: 18 year-old Marvin Jupiter son of Phil Asher makes his bow on 2000 Black, serving up a track that effortlessly joins the dots between the bass-heavy weight of trap, indigenous South African rhythms, bustling West London broken beat and the synth-fired jazz-funk goodness of Herbie Hancock. The fact that such a young debutant is able to distill these influences into a brilliant, futurist house cut is, quite frankly, incredible. Dego and Lord's flipside revision is equally as tasty, too. Drawing on the track's bruk and jazz-funk inspirations while adding funky new Clavinet and guitar motifs, the West London stalwarts serve up a loose and groovy peak-time interpretation that should excite all those who like their beats broken and their basslines chunky.
Basil Hardhaus - "Breezin'" (Compiled By Benjamin Frohlich)
JTC - "Gallup"
The Abstract Eye - "I Feel It In My Forehead"
Tee Mango - "Into The Wild"
Marvin Horsch - "Pace"
Matt O'Brien - "Flourish"
Aubrey - "Dot 3" (Russ Gabriel remix)
Marcellus Pittman - "A Mix"
Herzel - "Devoid"
David Goldberg - "Part Bells" (Benjamin Frohlich remix)
Claude Rodap - "Hiwa"
Jose Padilla - "Lollipop" (I:Cube Casiotone reprise mix)
Jex Opolis - "Mt Belzoni"
Move D - "Beyond The Machine" (Compiled By Tom Bioly)
Pierre Bastien - "Snide Dins"
Vanishing Twin - "Under The Water"
Yussef Kamaal - "Ayla"
Roman Flugel - "Song With Blue"
Luke Abbott - "Dumb"
Machine Woman - "I Can Mend Your Broken Heart" ((Kassem Mosse remix)
The Stowaway - "A Suspicious Passenger"
New Jackson - "Let The Freak Come Out At Night"
Isolee - "In Our Country"
Albinos - "Palazzo"
Cobblestone Jazz - "Midnight Sun"
Sirconical - "Jambon Mama"
TB - "Unskinny Dub"
Slowdive - "Sugar For The Pill" (Avalon Emerson Gilded Escalation)
Review: It's all change on the 14th edition of Compost's long-running Future Sounds of Jazz series, with the baton being passed to two new curators: Permanent Vacation bosses Benjamin Frolich and Tom Bioly. It was perhaps a wise move, because the duo - compiling a disc each - have taken a much more liberal approach to "jazz" as a concept. The result is a hugely entertaining two-disc trawl that variously takes in immaculate deep house (Isolee, Marcellus Pittman), inspired electronica (The Abstract Eye), acid-flecked jazz-funk/house fusion (Tee Mango), hypnotic techno and spacey tech-house (Matt O'Brien, Aubrey, Herzel), synth-Balearica (Jex Opolis, I:Cube remixing Jose Padilla), ambient (Move D, Luke Abbot) and, of course, proper contemporary jazz (Yusuf Kamaal, Roman Flugel).
Ruth Koleva - "Turn It Around" (Eric Lau remix) (4:28)
The Rebirth - "Caterpillar" (3:57)
Ron Trent - "Ori Space" (7:16)
Ian O'Brien - "Spiraling Prism" (6:25)
Quentin Kane & Simon Sheldon - "The Blue Room" (feat TK Blue - Kaidi Tatham Shokazulu remix) (7:13)
Numbers - "Moonblood" (IG SOS mix) (7:18)
Honey Sweet - "I Put A Spell On You" (feat Cindy Mizelle) (9:37)
Harry Whitaker - "The After Life" (part 2) (6:50)
Review: Two years ago, Volcov set our pulses racing with From The Archive, a superb selection of killer cuts from the depth of his notoriously impressive record collection. Volume 2 is equally as inspired, though the focus is a little different. Whereas Volcov previously chose to concentrate on soul, funk and disco, this edition is far more widescreen in scope. So, we get soaring soul-jazz bliss (Collective Peace's "Let The Music Play"), head-nodding hip-hop soul (Eric Lau remixing Ruth Koleva), futurist jazz-funk (Ron Trent's wild but brilliant "Ori Space"), soul-fired broken beat (Volcov's own re-edit of Xantone Blacq's vintage remix of Intuit's "Planet Birth"), impeccable soundscape jazz ("Lawra" by Tony Williams) and much more besides.
Review: We've been waiting on this one since "J&W Beat" six years ago; there's something about Floating Points sound that instantly lends itself to full-length album immersion. It's clear he feels this way too; using the album to delve deeper into electronic deconstructions and delicate ensemble arrangements. At its most adventurous and contemporary classical "Argente" is up there with Frahm, at is dreamiest and jazz-influenced "For Marmish" is a deeply cosmic affair with disparate chords making more sense than they perhaps should. At its most traditional Floating Points we hit the finale "Perotation Six" where the brushed drums are buried under layers of sound and elements in a way that's not dissimilar to Radiohead. Well worth the wait.
Review: On the cover of his first album for a decade, saxophonist Kamasi Washington stares intently out, the universe stretching out to infinity behind him. You see, Washington is something of a Sun Ra acolyte, and there's something of the great man's spiritual, psychedelic and far-sighted feel about The Epic. Rooted in a loose, soulful and occasionally riotous blend of spiritual jazz, it more than lives up to its' name, stretching across three themed CDs. While Washington's tenor sax offers a focal point throughout, it's merely part of a greater ensemble effort - Sun Ra Arkestra style - that helps The Epic fly by in a flurry of loose-limbed drums, rubbery double bass, hammered-out pianos and intoxicating vocals.
Review: UK legend Dego and killer keys-man Kaidi Tatham have been in a rich vein of form of late, dropping brilliant EPs on Eglo, Sound Signature and Rush Hour (the latter under their 2000Black alias). Here, they return to Eglo with four more slices of warm, rich, soul-flecked fluidity. As with previous outings, much of the material has a laidback jazz-funk feel, particularly "Orbiting Uhara" and the delicious "The Vault Descends" (think bustling bruk rhythms and darting boogie synths). They also offer up some tougher, synth-laden bruk-funk in the shape of "Man Made", while "Black Is Key" sees them unfurl a head-nodding vocal roller.
Review: Very little is known about the collective of musicians behind the SAULT project, but their music in many ways speaks for itself. Earlier in the year they delivered Untitled (Black Is), a heartfelt, angry and righteous set of soul, funk, drill and spoken word tracks that provided a brilliant commentary on what it means to be black in 2020. It's a contender for album of the year, for sure, and the good news is that this speedy follow-up is every bit as essential. It's undoubtedly more celebratory than its predecessor, but every bit as musically detailed, combining cutting-edge electronics and all manner of infectious rhythms with enlightening vocals and all manner of live jazz, soul, punk-funk and jazz-funk instrumentation (as well as some seriously evocative orchestration).
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