Brokenbeat / Nu Jazz Recommendation April 2013

Review: Since first emerging at the tail end of the '90s, Simon Green has become downtempo music's most marketable star, appealing just as much to occasional listeners and 40-something housewives as underground heads. Throughout that time, he's carefully shifted his sound to take in current trends and musical developments, whilst retaining a certain picturesque aesthetic. This fifth full-length, his fourth for Ninja Tune, continues that trend. Amongst the usual shuffling beats and twinkling melodies you'll find garage-esque vocal cut-ups, rubbery dancefloor rhythms, Floating Points style neo-jazz, string-laden two-step and some seriously wonky soul featuring vocals from Erykah Badu.

Review: Jazz & Milk label boss Dusty fires up the anticipation machine with this fruity four piece from his forthcoming album. "Mood Matters" bangs with jazz house attitude. Establishing a rock-solid groove, Dusty lets the trumpets loose as they scribble all over his tight beat work. "Danse Macabre" is a co-lab with his live act Bad Jazz Troupe who live up their name with a whole cavalcade of rhythm switches and psychedelic melodic patterns. "Seventy Three" is heads south for a lesson in horn-heaved Afrofunk while "Longing Lingers" finishes on a sultry, soul-jazz boogie note thanks to the sexy vocals of Carla Vallet. Yummy.

Review: Ooh... Only 350 of these hand numbered doozies are being pressed with no digital versions and a three colour hand-stencilled sleeve. Talk about hot property! Naturally the content is exemplary. A classic east-meets-west scenario: Japan's 9DW shows off his slinky jazz boogie side and more mischievous Italo side with "Bobby's Jam" and "Funky Magician" respectively. Meanwhile on the B Pittsburgh live fusionists get loose with a Pat Metheny style jazz session ("Groovejam 1.6") and a freaky drum-supported bed of Rhodes and crisp clean guitars ("Rhododendron").

Review: Following "Hearts Desire", soul weaver Sunlightsquare serves his second slice of fresh material since his 2011 album Britannia Shing-A-Ling. Blessed with a lolloping, sun-kissed afro-jazz groove, it's the ultimate sunset soundtrack driven by a soft, yearning African vocal. For a deeper, tribal experience flip for Jose Marquez's percussion-heavy reversion.

Review: Cheeky Bastard Jazz offshoot BSTRD Boots purposefully keep their profile on the down low... And it seems DJ Smash does too. Who cares about identification anyway? We certainly don't when the grooves are as sun-splashed and infectious as these. The stand out cut is "Merry Wanna", a beautiful reversion of Linval Thompson's pro-weed anthem. Elsewhere we find ESG-style funk fusion ("Melo"), Cuban heel snapping ("Superstrut") and early Chicken Lips / Idjut Boys style boogie ("Gaz-O-Line").