Nubya Garcia | Odyssey

London-born saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Nubya Garcia shares her new album, Odyssey via Concord Jazz. Accompanying the album is the focus track, “Dawn” with esperanza spalding. Previous singles leading up to the album include “Set It Free” feat Richie, “Clarity” and “The Seer.”

Odyssey is, as the title suggests, an ambitious, epic journey of an album. In a largely male-dominated scene, Garcia has carved herself a prominent space and she invites other brilliant Black women musicians to join her on this adventure, namely: esperanza spalding, Richie Seivwright, and Georgia Anne Muldrow.  Odyssey is produced by Garcia and returning collaborator Kwes. 

Describing Odyssey, Garcia says; “It represents the notion of truly being on your own path, and trying to discard all the outside noise saying you should go this way or that way.”  It’s also inspired by life’s ever-changing, ever-continuing adventure, the twists and turns of living.  Musically, the album finds Garcia orchestrating strings for the first time, having fallen back in love with composition and then studying a vast array of orchestral sounds.  The bigger, bolder result is a widescreen soundscape that traverses jazz, classical, R&B and dub. Following Garcia’s widely celebrated and Mercury Music Prize nominated 2020 debut, Source, the forthcoming album Odyssey is available to stream and purchase here, and the artwork and track list are included below.

We also highlight a very special focus track, “Dawn” featuring esperanza spalding. Says Garcia of the track: “every day for several weeks, it really got in my head in a good way and just encouraged me to pause and realise the power of that intention and shifting my rhythm. This composition began with this melody on one of those mornings, I started humming it to myself and there began its journey. After building in the harmony, the arrangement and the ideas, I knew that this would be a special melody to have a duet with saxophone and voice, and esperanza spalding’s inspiring storytelling and incredible vocals was who I heard joining me.”

Nubya Garcia is a multi award-winning artist.  She has toured extensively, playing venues and festivals across Latin America, Asia, Europe, Australia, and the United States.  Her reputation as a DJ is also burgeoning; she helmed a popular radio residency on NTS, and plays a growing number of live sets across Europe.  Garcia has collaborated with major brands such as Lululemon, Paul Smith, Labrum, Nicholas Daley and Burberry, and as a composer, her original music has been placed with Apple TV (Ted Lasso); OWN Network (Cherish The Day); FX TV (Atlanta); EPIC GAMES (Fortnite); and on multiple podcasts (including the theme tune for Anika Noni Rose’s Clio award-winning podcast Being Seen).

Boney James | Slow Burn

Legendary saxophonist and composer Boney James will release his nineteenth studio album Slow Burn on October 18th through Concord Records.  The news comes as the album’s first official single “All I Want Is You” featuring critically acclaimed R&B newcomer October London on vocals, releases today across all streaming services.  The sleek and atmospheric music video for “All I Want Is You” also released earlier today which was revealed during a special YouTube livestream where Boney chatted with fans about the new album, and his collaboration with London.

Featuring a collection of 10-new tracks produced by Boney, Slow Burn marks a new high point in the chart-topping, contemporary jazz icon’s remarkable three-decade career, one that includes a long list of accolades; four GRAMMY nominations, three NAACP Image Award nominations, a Soul Train Award for Best Jazz Album and four RIAA Gold Record certifications, to name just a few.

“When I mentioned the phrase ‘slow burn’ to people as a possible title, they said, ‘That also refers to your whole career in a way,’” James recently reflected. “This is my nineteenth record and I feel like I’m just hitting my stride.”

Slow Burn includes an impressive list of guest collaborators, starting with the legendary bass player Marcus Miller on “Arcadia.”  Miller appears again on “Butterfly,” a remake of the Herbie Hancock and Bennie Maupin classic, along with internationally renowned jazz/gospel keyboardist Cory Henry.  Multi-instrumentalist Jairus Mozee (Anderson.Paak, Anthony Hamilton, Nikki Minaj, etc.) co-wrote and co-produced four tracks on the album with Boney, including title track “Slow Burn.”  As for the sultry first single “All I Want Is You” featuring rising R&B vocalist October London, James proclaims the track to be “one of the most exciting vocal collaborations I’ve ever recorded.”

James is scheduled to play select dates across the U.S. through the summer and fall.  Promising to bring his iconic 30-year career to the live stage, including selections from Slow Burn, the upcoming shows will hit several markets over the next few months including Nashville, Milwaukee, Charlotte, and Boston among others.  For further information please visit https://boneyjames.com/.

During his 30-year career, Boney James has released a staggering nineteen studio albums, with 1995’s Seduction, 1997’s Sweet Thing, and 1999’s Body Language all becoming RIAA certified gold.  In 2015, Boney’s futuresoul spent eleven weeks atop the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart and was the best-selling Contemporary Jazz Record of 2015, while his 2020 album Solid went on to become his highest charting release ever on the pop charts, peaking in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200.

With nearly a dozen of his albums landing at #1 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Album chart, James’ past collaborators include a long list of critically acclaimed R&B and soul stars: Raheem DeVaughn, Faith Evans, George Benson, George Duke, Dwele, Al Jarreau, Philip Bailey, Anthony Hamilton, Jaheim, Eric Benét, Dave Hollister, Stokley Williams, Kenny Lattimore, Angie Stone, and Lalah Hathaway.

Boney James’ nineteenth studio album Slow Burn will be released through Concord Records on October 18th. The album’s first official single “All I Want Is You,” featuring October London is available across all streaming platforms now.  

Slow Burn Track Listing

1. Arcadia (Featuring Marcus Miller)
2. Butterfly (Featuring Cory Henry and Marcus Miller)
3. Slow Burn
4. All I Want Is You (Featuring October London)
5. Slide
6. A Little Romance
7. Gonna Have a Good Time
8. The Bounce
9. Between The Lines
10. Sugar (Featuring Rick Braun)

 Boney James 2024-25 Tour Dates

• Sun, JUL 21 – Winter Park Jazz Fest – Winter Park, CO
• Tues, JUL 30 – Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Fest – Incline Village, NV
• Fri, AUG 2 – Southern Theater – Columbus, OH
• Sat, AUG 3 – Iroquois Amphitheater – Louisville, KY
• Sun, AUG 4 – The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts – Nashville, TN
• Thu, AUG 22 – Ohio Theater – Cleveland, OH
• Fri, AUG 23 – The Clyde Theater – Fort Wayne, IN
• Sat, AUG 24 – Fresh Coast Jazz Festival – Milwaukee, WI
• Fri, SEP 20 – Oklahoma City CC Visual and Performing Arts Center Theater – Oklahoma City, OK
• Fri, SEP 27 – Newport Beach Jazz Festival – Newport Beach, CA
• Sat, SEP 28 – Thornton Winery – Temecula, CA
• Thu, OCT 17 – Clearwater Jazz Holiday – Clearwater, FL
• Sat, OCT 19 – Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival – Rehoboth Beach, DE
• Sun, OCT 20 – The Birchmere – Alexandria, VA
• Mon, OCT 21 – Rams Head On Stage – Annapolis, MD
• Wed, OCT 23 – Charleston Music Hall – Charleston, SC
• Fri, OCT 25 – Florida Theater – Jacksonville, FL
• Sat, OCT 26 – Stockbridge Amphitheater – Stockbridge, GA
• Sun, OCT 27 – Knight Theater – Charlotte, NC
• Thu, OCT 31 – Lexington Opera House – Lexington, KY
• Fri, NOV 1 – Byham Theater – Pittsburgh, PA
• Sat, NOV 2 – The Palladium – Carmel, IN
• Sun, NOV 3 – Ludlow Garage – Cincinnati, OH
• Wed, NOV 6 – Kodak Center – Rochester, NY
• Thu, NOV 7 – City Winery – Boston, MA
• Fri, NOV 8 – Tarrytown Music Hall – Tarrytown, NY
• Sun, NOV 10 – Patchogue Theater – Patchogue, NY
• Wed, NOV 13 – Sound Board at MotorCity Casino – Detroit, MI
• Fri, DEC 5 – Sun, DEC 8 – Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley – Seattle, WA
• Sun, DEC 29 – Tues, DEC 31 – Yoshi’s Oakland – Oakland, CA
• Fri, JAN 24 – Chandler Center for the Arts – Chandler, AZ
• Sat, JAN 25 – The Smith Center for Performing Arts – Las Vegas, NV

Dennis Bovell | Sufferer Sounds

Sufferer Sounds is a compilation of essential rare dubs, roots and lovers rock deep cuts by legendary producer, Dennis Bovell being released by the Disciples imprint on 2 x 12" LP vinyl, CD and digital download. Check out the trailer: https://youtu.be/bGeB558T1qQ 

Dennis Bovell’s prolific and eclectic career encompasses a huge range of music: from dub poetry to lovers rock to post-punk to disco to pop and beyond. This new compilation focuses on the period during and immediately after Bovell’s involvement with the Jah Sufferer Sound System, digging deep to find deep cuts and lesser known versions, mainly from 1976 - 1980, plus a killer and lesser heard dub of the iconic “Silly Games”. Painstakingly restored and remastered at Dubplates & Mastering in Berlin so that these decades old tracks sound pristine and dynamic, and sequenced to take the listener on a journey through Bovell’s production and arrangement genius. 

The accompanying sleevenotes are a result of a long conversation with Dennis about this period of his life, with track-by-track recollections and fascinating biographical asides. The vinyl and CD versions feature variant artwork, each format utilising a unique photo by Syd Shelton. 

The seeds of this album were sown when Dennis made an appearance in 2018 at the General Echo Reggae Disco in Walthamstow, north-east London. One half of the crew organizing the disco was in the process of starting a new label Disciples, and began quizzing Dennis about various tunes of his that he loved that were impossible to find. This started a dialogue that has lasted several years, a lot of crate digging to find useable versions, various tried and rejected track sequences, picture research, the world shutting down for COVID, a long interview with Dennis for the accompanying notes, and several design iterations later, we have Sufferer Sounds, a true labour of love. It formidably demonstrates Bovell’s wizadry at the mixing desk during this period, particularly when ‘versioning’ a track. Developing a style that was distinct from other dub producers of the period, his sense of harmony, melody and a killer hook always shine through, a deft and subtle style that sends soulful backing vocals floating over the deepest of basslines, irresistible rhythms underpinning a panoply of stereo tricks and inspired use of effects. A master of his craft, one of the greatest to ever do it, Dennis Bovell MBE we salute thee.

Dennis Bovell became a key figure of London's reggae scene in the late '70s and early '80s, working as both a solo artist, musician, and producer for a wide range of artists. Bovell's résumé is one of the most wide-ranging of his peers. As guitarist for the reggae band Matumbi he’s backed up some of the giants of Jamaican music on tour, as well as scoring their own UK chart hits (particularly with their classic re-work of Bob Dylan’s “The Man In Me”). His solo dub excursions under pseudonyms like Blackbeard and The 4th Street Orchestra have resulted in some of the most crucial sides in the genre, such as I Wah Dub and Strictly Dub Wize. He is the long-running musical director and producer for dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, overseeing classic albums like Forces Of Victory and Bass Culture. His work has transferred across genres as well, notably in his producing the debut albums by both The Pop Group and The Slits. His composing and score work includes the soundtrack to the devastating 1980 polemical film Babylon, whilst his technical skills and embrace of new technology have been tapped by everyone form Lloyd Coxsone to Ryuichi Sakamoto. Bovell has continued putting out new material and producing records for others, working with everyone from underground Glaswegian dance collective Golden Teacher to huge pop stars such as Joss Stone and Rihanna. In 2020 he made a cameo appearance in the ‘Lovers Rock’ episode of Steve McQueen’s critically acclaimed Small Axe TV series (in which the Dennis Bovell song “Silly Games” also featured prominently). In 2022 Trojan released the career-spanning DuBMASTER anthology of his work. 

Bovell was born in Barbados in 1953, and moved to London in 1965. He immersed himself in the reggae scene there, helping to set up the Jah Sufferer sound system, and working as a recording engineer and producer. His production work help shaped the sound of lovers rock happening in London at the end of the '60s and into the '70s, and he produced and wrote songs for multiple artists. In 1971, Bovell co-founded Matumbi, a seven-piece reggae band that would play and record throughout the decade, backing up a number of prominent Jamaican reggae singers, and scoring their own chart hits, particularly their inspired version of Bob Dylan’s “The Man In Me”. In 1980 he wrote the score for Babylon, a dramatic film about police corruption and racism in London, informed in part by Bovell's own experience being falsely imprisoned for running his sound system. During this time Bovell also began releasing solo work under the name Blackbeard, often collaborating with jazz-pop keyboardist Nick Straker and producer Tony Mansfield, both old school friends. Blackbeard records like 1978's Strictly Dub Wize and 1980's I Wah Dub intersected with production work Bovell was doing with dub-appreciative post punk acts like The Pop Group and The Slits. His production and writing work also included Janet Kay's 1979 single "Silly Games" (which hit number 2 in the UK charts) as well as work for Saada Bonaire, Bananarama, the Thompson Twins, Orange Juice, Fela Kuti, and others. He reverted to his real name for 1981 solo album Brain Damage. His longest-lasting collaboration has been as musical director for dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, the pair crafting a string of classic albums for the Island label. The pair still work together, with Dennis backing up LKJ with the long-runnng Dub Band.

Stephan Micus | To The Rising Moon

To the Rising Moon is Stephan Micus’ 26th solo album for ECM. It features instruments from Colombia, India, Xinjiang (China), Bavaria, Cambodia, Egypt and Borneo, which have never before been combined in one composition. People often call themselves a multi-instrumentalist when they play three or four instruments, but Stephan plays eight on this album alone and countless more since his first ECM album, Implosions, in 1977.

Here, there’s one that takes centre stage that he’s playing for the first time, the Colombian tiple. It’s a little smaller than a guitar and is considered the national instrument of Colombia. Although still frequently played in its traditional, highly-European influenced context, modern composers hardly make use of it. “For me this instrument has the quality of light, of something shining,” Stephan says. “It’s like these metal strings are sparkling and for me the tiple pieces have a very positive energy.”

The tiple has 12 steel strings in four triple courses and it’s a composition for two tiples, To the Rising Sun, that opens the album with ringing strings.

“I’ve been to Colombia three times,” says Stephan, “and I really love the books of Gabriel García Márquez, particularly Love in the Time of Cholera. My first trip was mainly to try and experience the long ago world of this book and I went to Mompos on the River Magdalena. A friend had this tiple, lent it to me and I fell in love with it. Anyone who plays guitar can do something on the tiple.” Stephan got one made for him in 2017 by Orlando Pimentel, one of the leading tiple makers, and this is the first time he’s played it on one of his recordings.

On the album the plucked tiple pieces alternate with more reflective tracks with bowed strings. The first of these is Dream Within Dream, with six dilruba, a South Asian bowed instrument that Stephan gets to sound very lyrical and cello-like. “You won’t hear a dilruba from India with this kind of sound, which I found only after long experiments with alternative stringings. I always have this tendency to prefer the lower sounds - and so have commissioned instrument makers to build lower versions of the Moroccan genbri, Japanese shakuhachi and Armenian duduk.”

As well as playing instruments, Stephan uses his voice, although he uses it like an instrument. He doesn’t sing words, but improvised syllables, just there for their sound. The track In Your Eyes has three tiples plus voice in the mood of a poetic love song.

On the next bowed-string track, to suggest the delicacy of The Veil, Stephan uses a much lighter instrument than the dilruba, the Uigur sattar. It's a long-necked bowed instrument with one playing string plus lots of sympathetic strings. The three sattar create a wonderfully transparent sound, something like a prayer. Stephan Micus is probably the only Western composer to use it frequently.

Unexpected Joy for two tiples is easygoing and mellow and seems to refer back to motifs in the opening piece.

Waiting for the Nightingale is the centrepiece and the first of two pieces where winds and strings are combined, although the Cambodian flutes are rather in the background. There’s something quite stately and reverential about it, particularly with the choir of voices. Maybe one could think of it as a hymn to nature. “I have this image of being in the garden in springtime and waiting for the nightingale to sing. Just for two moments the flutes come to the foreground and it’s like the nightingales emerge.”

The alternating tiple and bowed pieces continue with four more tracks. The Silver Fan, a delicate tiple solo, nothing like you’d hear from a Colombian player, makes individual notes sparkle as in the soft light of late afternoon. The final flourish sounds like the fan is abruptly shut. Embracing Mysteries once again features the deep, cello-like sounds of the dilruba, this time accompanied by the sapeh of Borneo. The sapeh is usually plucked but Stephan constructed a new kind of bridge which enables the instrument to be played with a bow. Then his voice enters in a kind of dialogue with the dilruba. To the Lilies in the Fields has, once again, two tiples, now rather more meditative in a kind of lament. In the penultimate track, The Flame, the bowed instruments evoke something like the sanctity of a romanesque church full of candles. Here Stephan also uses tableharps, a contemporary instrument that he last played on his 1978 album Till the End of Time. “It’s had a 46-year break, but I found the combination with the sattar particularly satisfying as both instruments have metal strings.”

It’s only in the final track, To the Rising Moon, that the two worlds of the plucked tiples and bowed strings finally come together. It’s like a hymn to something that is eternally up there in the night sky, something consistent while there is so much turbulence in the world below.

Stephan Micus’ last album Thunder paid tribute to thunder gods around the world and featured as its headline instrument the mighty, four-metre long Tibetan dung chen trumpet. The contrast between the cosmic blast of that album and the delicate intimacy of the plucked and bowed strings of this one makes it clear why Micus has produced such a wide range of music over nearly 50 years. 

Day Dream | Duke & Strays Live: Works By Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn

In his recent memoir Chasing the Masters, drummer and composer Phil Haynes divides jazz practitioners into two parallel tracks, the traditionalists and the modernists. He sees his own career as an attempt to bridge the two tracks, at once imbibing the lessons of the past while pushing forwarded into the unexplored future. Those efforts have not always met with the approbation of the jazz cognoscenti, however.

“It’s as if modernists and traditionalists share many of the very same heroes,” he writes, “yet draw vastly different lessons from them.”

While his adventurous nature and free improvisational instincts would lead many to place Haynes firmly in the modernist camp, his work with the Day Dream trio is evidence of his wide-ranging gifts. The trio borrowed its name from a piece by Duke Ellington, who Haynes, somewhat surprisingly, cites as the prime instigator of the modernist explorers. Ellington, after all, is an iconic figure that any modern-day traditionalist would surely claim as, if not one of their own, then at least a model for the very tradition to be adhered to. Haynes notes, "Listen again to Duke's ‘Ko-Ko,’ Money Jungle with Max Roach and Mingus, his recordings with Coltrane, or many moments alone at the piano amidst his orchestra, and Ellington's modernism becomes clear."

On their third album, Day Dream – Haynes, pianist Steve Rudolph, and bassist Drew Gress – delve deep into the repertoire of Ellington and his frequent collaborator and fellow compositional icon, Billy Strayhorn. Due out November 8, 2024 via Haynes’ Corner Store Jazz imprint, Dukes and Strays Live bears out Haynes’ contention, revealing the vital experimentation roiling just underneath the surface of that renowned Ellingtonian elegance. The album, recorded live at Bucknell University (where Haynes is a longtime member of the faculty), consists largely of well-known classics – the oft-recorded “Take the A Train,” “Sophisticated Lady,” “Lush Life” and “Perdido” are all represented – but each provides occasion for profound and revelatory investigation, never suggesting their vintages or familiarity.

The decision to stick to an all-Ellington program on the concert that became Dukes & Strays Live was not undertaken lightly. A Day Dream performance is a rare occasion, after all – the trio has released two prior recordings, which also happen to contain almost the entirety of the music they’ve played together. There have been no tours, barely even the odd one-off gig in the interim aside from a sole private house concert the night before the recording dates.

These gatherings are all the more precious now, given the health issues faced by the trio mates in recent years. Both Haynes and Rudolph have struggled with hand injuries that limit their ability to play. Shortly after Dukes & Strays was recorded, Rudolph suffered a stroke that left him with limited mobility. Listening back to this album became a bittersweet undertaking for the pianist, who feared that he’d never be able to regain the abilities so beautifully showcased here. Fortunately, Rudolph appears to be well on the way to a full recovery, having returned to the stage in March 2024. But the hard work of physical, occupational and speech therapy required make the already challenging logistics of getting these three together even more daunting.

It was Rudolph’s achingly delicate touch on the keys that led to the focus on Ellington and Strayhorn, Haynes recalls. “Steve and I have always had great chemistry, but I began to notice that every time he'd play something by Ellington or Strayhorn it would move me in a way that other things might not. That feeling persisted through the years, so when the idea came about to make a third album I suggested we try this. It ended up being so much fun. The band remains in the tradition we established on the first two recordings, plus a live energy and playfulness that is an absolute gift.”

Whatever camp you happen to align with, whether it be modernist, traditionalist, or some sect therein, there’s no mistaking the spirit of past, future, and most importantly the immediacy of now in the Day Dream trio.

This Is Retro Soul – 1969 to 1979 (Various Artists)

Retro soul is a sound that you know when you hear it, recorded at a point where soul music reached its zenith. It’s where the pioneers of the 60s had matured to a point that they could use the experiences of the past decade to create an incredible fusion that mixed R&B, gospel, funk and jazz and adorned it with expansive, sophisticated arrangements that allowed listeners to wallow in its depth and dance to its beat. Today this music soundtracks films and adverts, is mined for beats by clever producers and still sounds amazing when played in bars and clubs. This is music that urges you to get up on your feet.

These are soul gems from back in the day, served up by the folks at Ace Records, who've always given us the best of the best with their reissues and compilations! The package digs deep, and goes way past the hits – not overplayed soul oldies on the bigger labels, but instead some rare gems from the farther reaches of the funky 45 underground, mixed with a few cuts that were locked in the vaults and never saw the light of day until many years later! 

Titles include "See Saw Affair" by Cesar, "It Hurts So Good" by Millie Jackson, "I'll See You In Hell First" by Phillip Mitchell, "Now Is The Time For Love (part 1)" by Darrow Fletcher, "Midnight Affair" by George Soule, "Three Lonely Guys" by Brilliant Korners, "Lightin Up"b y Ty Karim, "Spells & Incantations" by Debbie Lindsay, "I Can Fly" by The Magnificents, and "When I Had You Baby" by The Soul SensationsThe 12 tracks on “This Is Retro Soul” are an entry point into this mythical world conjuring up images of flared trousers, Halston dresses, Cadillacs with a “diamond in the back” and hair the size of space helmets. But the music conforms to no simple clichés, whether it was created by international superstars such as Isaac Hayes and Millie Jackson, cult heroes George Jackson and Darrow Fletcher or obscure one-off groups such as the Brilliant Korners.

Opolopo & Angela Johnson – Best Of Both Worlds

Reel People Music expands the fizzing dynamic between highly accomplished label associates Opolopo (AKA Peter Major) and Angela Johnson with the release of their brand new album Best of Both Worlds. The nine-track record is a sublime meeting of soulful musical minds, building on the pair’s previous ‘track-by-track’ collaboration, as well as influences ranging from Quincy Jones and The Gap Band to Ohio Players and The Isley Brothers, with purpose, poise and punch. Opolopo’s vibrant live-sounding studio craft meets Johnson’s rich and deliciously textured vocals – nuff said!

Actually, Johnson spells it out for us on Best of Both Worlds’ short, but sweeping Intro – an effective prologue for the fresh, feel-good music to come that’ll ‘make you want to dance…move… maybe love on somebody’. Buffalo is an immediate proof point, infectious percussion and scat play chopping between deep down synth-bass and cosmic jazz-funk solos before firing euphorically into full-on 4-4 groove. There’s a similar energy pulsing through The Ones You Love, with its struttin’ disco mix of bass guitar and piano, as well as Possibilities, which adeptly weds live house drums to spacy swirls of synth and quick-fire guitar plucks. Johnson is ever attuned to tempo and melody, adding depth and momentum in equal, captivating measure.

Elsewhere, on Somebody, her song of selfish love and redemption is performed with suitable sass over an Opolopo production beautifully primed by peacocking b-lines and guitar riffs. For She Knows, meanwhile, Johnson addresses the theme of betrayal with emotional nuance and grit, her delivery climbing confidently upon mid-tempo licks of piano-stabbed nu-soul. In The Meadows slows proceedings further, tender vocals riding a relaxed, horn-polished flow with grace and charm.

That leaves the heart-swelling, call-to-arms uplift of Show Up, Show Out – classic soulful chords, driving horns, soaring song – and a propulsive Outro – further reminders, if reminders are needed, of Best of Both Worlds’ searing song and studio credentials, as well as of the unique chemistry and electric creativity between its makers.

“Angie and I didn’t have any agenda when making this record other than just living in the feeling. The vibe between us was easy, as always, so the grooves and songs flowed organically,” Major explains. “The quality and range of Angie’s vocals blow me away. They add so much soul and feel-good energy to the tracks we create. More than that they pull everything together and take you on a journey. Best of Both Worlds is funky, driving, danceable… but it also has honesty and depth.”

“We didn’t want to make anything obvious,” Johnson adds. “This album looks to connect with the themes that concern and inspire people around the world right now. Peter challenged me. His musical ideas are really wide-ranging, which was a breath of fresh air in terms of pushing me to perform in different ways – from soul beats to uptempo to my gospel roots. We’re from different parts of the musical spectrum but fit together perfectly. It really is the best of both worlds, hence the album title.”

Based in Stockholm, Sweden, DJ-producer Opolopo continues to fruitfully explore the frontiers of funkiness after some two decades of productions right across the soulful dancefloor spectrum for labels such as Local Talk, Z Records and Defected. His remix discography includes Gregory Porter, Jungle, Leroy Burgess and Mother’s Favorite Child. New York native Angela Johnson was a member of acid jazz group Cooly’s Hot Box before enjoying solo success via a string of acclaimed R&B albums including They Don’t Know, It’s Personal and Naturally Me. During the Noughties, Johnson featured on Reel People singles Can’t Stop, In The Sun and You Used To Hold Me So Tight. Most recently, she has collaborated with Opolopo on hit Reel People Music singles Stay This Way, Good Lover and Sunshine.

Reel People Music is a label borne out of the success of acclaimed collective Reel People but representing so much more. Launched in late 2009, the imprint has built a fiercely loyal international fanbase through its passion for artist development, musicianship, song-craft and soulful groove.

Produced in Sweden and the US last year, Best Of Both Worlds marks the latest shining output from a renowned record label and talented studio partnership with so much soulfully to say. It’s a joy to listen. ~ firstexperiencerecords.com

Nancy Wilson: You're Right As Rain - The Capitol Albums (1970-1980), 7CD Box Set

First-ever 7CD deluxe box set by iconic song stylist Nancy Wilson recorded for Capitol Records between 1970-1980.

Eleven of the 12 original albums included here were previously re-issued by SoulMusic Records between 2011-2013, a number of which have been out of print for some time and are being made available again in this luxury set as a result of demand for the late singer’s enduring recordings.

A stunning collection of 124 tracks showcase the legendary vocalist’s artistry through jazz, pop, soul and adult contemporary genres and includes production by Gamble & Huff, Gene Page, Eugene McDaniels and Clarence McDonald among others. Special quotes from legacy artists Dionne Warwick, Johnny Mathis and contemporary soul hitmaker Kenny Lattimore are included in the luxury booklet with stellar artwork by Paul Bevoir which features individual essays on each of the 12 albums by writers Joe Marchese, A, Scott Galloway, Kevin Goins and David Nathan, with quotes from Nancy Wilson, Thom Bell, Gene Page and others.

Nancy Wilson’s breakthrough US Top 10 R&B hit, ‘You’re As Right As Rain’ (penned by Thom Bell &Linda Creed) is among the ten charted singles here including her exquisite readings of James Taylor’s ‘Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight’ and Charlene’s ‘I’ve Never Been To Me’, along with standout album tracks such as ‘The Greatest Performance Of My Life’ and ‘All In Love Is Fair’ which were staples in Nancy’s live repertoire for many years.

Produced by SoulMusic Records’ founder David Nathan (who has masterminded numerous re-issues of Nancy’s recorded legacy) with associate reissue production from Joe Marchese of The Second Disc and superb mastering from Nick Robbins, this pot-pourri of spectacular music provides a dazzling display of Nancy Wilson’s unique and distinctive interpretive abilities beyond categorization and genre.

An expanded edition of 1971’s ‘BUT BEAUTIFUL’ (recorded in 1969 with a quartet of renowned jazz musicians) opens this amazing appreciation of Nancy Wilson’s second decade with Capitol Records; and with various different musical approaches, the eleven albums that follow - ‘CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU’ (1970), ‘NOW I’M A WOMAN’ (1971), ‘KALEIDOSCOPE’ (1972), ‘I KNOW I LOVE HIM’ (1973), ‘ALL IN LOVE IS FAIR’ (1974), ‘COME GET TO THIS’ (1975), ‘THIS MOTHER’S DAUGHTER’ (1976), ‘I’VE NEVER BEEN TO ME’ (1977), ‘MUSIC ON MY MIND’ (1978), ‘LIFE, LOVE & HARMONY’ (1979) and 1980’s ‘TAKE MY LOVE’ – are a reminder of her consummate artistry.

Isaac Hayes | Hot Buttered Singles 1969 to 1972

An incredible run of music – 19 songs that forever changed the face of soul music, thanks to the genius of Isaac Hayes! In the years before these cuts, Hayes was mostly working as a background talent at Stax Records – part of a songwriting team with David Porter, giving great tunes to Sam & Dave, and other deep soul acts too – while never getting the chance to shine in the spotlight on his own!

 That all changed after the big shift at Stax in 1968, at a time when the label rebounded with a big wave of pride and power, and really changed up the way they presented things – finally giving Ike the space he needed to emerge as one of the most unique male singers in soul, able to work with a majestic sense of presentation that forever changed the way artists like him would record! And while Hayes' full length albums were the cornerstones of this moment, his singles were the messengers to the masses – really fantastic shorter tracks that compacted the longform genius of his studio work into the space of a 45 – all while never losing the power in the music. 

The cuts here run the gamut from key crossover cuts, to soundtrack slices, stunning remakes of others' songs, and even a cool Christmas single too – on tracks that include "Walk On By", "Do Your Thing", "Ike's Mood 1", "I Stand Accused", "Winter Snow", "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", "Cafe Regio's", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "The Look Of Love", "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself", "Soul A Lujah", "Ain't That Loving You", "Soulville", "Shaft", and "The Mistletoe & Me".  ~ Dusty Groove

Genevieve Marentette | Songs of '69 Volume I

Toronto jazz chanteuse Geneviève Marentette was performing a residency at a hotel bar in Hong Kong in 2019 and seeking material for a theme for the shows. Marentette found her inspiration in the past, returning to the music made a half-century earlier, in 1969. The result is the fantastic and novel idea of reworking these classics into her signature jazz style for Songs of '69, Volume I, a stunning 10-track effort released on Vesuvius Music Inc. Each song is honoured with thoughtfulness and tenderness and led by Marenette's marvellous voice.

Marentette, also known as "Gigi" to some, noticed how music and activism were tightly intertwined in 1969. The music of that year was heavily influenced by social activism, such as the women's liberation movement, Vietnam War protests, the Stonewall Riots, and LGBTQ+ activism. 1969 was also a huge year for Marentette's mother, musician Linda Girard (one of two people Songs of '69, Volume I is specifically inspired by and dedicated to). Girard was 18 and left her job in Windsor, Ontario, relocated to Toronto and assisted American draft dodgers trying to evade the Vietnam War. "Her commitment to social justice, human rights, and peace echoed the ideals that inspired the musicians of that era," Marentette says of her mother.

There are many excellent songs from 1969 for Marentette to cover, but the artist narrowed it down to ten gems. "There are so many gems from this year in music history: the whole era is chock-full of gorgeous, well-crafted music with a message, but I ended up with ten covers close to my heart," Marentette says of Songs of '69, Volume I. "These songs are in my emotional DNA; I grew up with them, and they resonate particularly with my parents and loved ones who have surrounded me and kept me in my craft."

Songs of '69, Volume I, is produced by Marentette and Jono Grant (who also mixed and mastered the album). The album includes songs made famous by the Guess Who ("Undun" and "These Eyes") and Bob Dylan ("Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You" and "Lay Lady Lay") alongside deeper cuts by Nick Drake ("River Man") and British prog-rock pioneers King Crimson ("I Talk to the Wind").

Also on the album is the song "You've Made Me So Very Happy," written by Brenda Holloway and recorded by Blood, Sweat & Tears. The song features cinematic string accents by Grammy-nominated musician Drew Jurecka. The recording is especially personal as Marentette released it last month to celebrate the 83rd birthday of Blood, Sweat & Tears vocalist David Clayton-Thomas, the other person to whom Marentette specifically dedicated the album. He was also a source of inspiration following "resonant discussions" Marentette had with the legendary vocalist about the '60s, "a time when musicians were warriors of social justice and peace." 

This is not just an album of "cover" tunes. Genevieve and her team of highly skilled musicians reimagine these iconic songs, giving each a fresh, modern sound. The vocals are exquisite—strong yet delicate—and very musical, with close attention to the lyrics. It's a delightful listen from beginning to end. — David Clayton-Thomas

Marentette began recording in 2022 for Songs of '69, Volume I. She says, "The arrangements emerged from many spontaneous performances with my core trio, which includes Eric St-Laurent (guitar), George Koller (bass) and Ben Wittman (drums)." 

"We've fused folk, soul, and pop into a jazz-rooted approach. After years of singing jazz in hotel lounges, I love arranging and interpreting songs from every era." It's a sound and style that brings to mind highbrow work by Diana Krall, Sade, Cassandra Wilson, and the late Angela McCluskey.

The material effortlessly draws the listener in, but some songs simply shine, particularly "Undun," with its sultry horn accents by Alison Young, some great guitar work by St-Laurent and a divine delivery from Marentette. Meanwhile, Marentette’s rendition of Nick Drake’s "River Man," from his Five Leaves Left album, is a sparse, reflective, and deeply bittersweet tribute, made even more poignant by the loss of her sister.

 "It was one of the songs I leaned on when I was 15 and had lost my sister to an overdose, and I had no idea it was from '69, and I had no idea Nick Drake had passed away from an overdose as well until I made this album," she says.

Another standout track is "Lay Lady Lay," tweaked to reflect a "woman-to-woman plea for intimacy and connection." And the album closes with an incredible reworking of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising." It's one of the freshest, most invigorating covers you'll hear. The gospel, hymnal organ by Lou Pomanti and pedal steel wizard Burke Carroll accentuates Marentette's ethereal, soulful approach to the John Fogerty-penned staple. Simply put, it's a spine-tingling coda to what is an almost criminally consistent collection of covers. 

Songs of '69, Volume I, was Recorded by Grant, Rob Christian, Jeremy Darby and Julian Decorte at Victory Drive, RC Studio and Canterbury Music Company. The album includes two big band-style horn arrangements on "Easy to be Hard" and "Undun," featuring tenor saxophonist Alison Young. Grant played bass, drums, keys and percussion, and singer Lori Cullen provided backing vocals ("Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You"), with contributing musicians saxophonists Rob Christian and Richard Underhill, trombonist Christian Overton, trumpeter Marie Goudy, pianists Michael Shand and Vezi Tayyeb, bassist Andrew Stewart and lap steel guitarist Christine Bougie.

Marentette was born in Leamington, Ontario and spent her teen years in Detroit. She was inspired by her mother and her career as a musician. Performing throughout Asia and Europe, Marentette returned to Canada in 2014. Having worked with a variety of artists such as Clayton-Thomas, Don Francks, and Jane Siberry, Marentette with one EP called “Gigi” released in 2012 under her belt and many collaborations and singles also produced The Heart of 21 in 2019, an EP by her mother celebrating her mom's 70th birthday. In 2021, the artist released Live & Improvised, a live recording from a Toronto concert featuring Marentette and recently deceased pianist Robert G. Scott.

With Songs of '69, Volume I, and a special concert launching the album set for Toronto's Koerner Hall on Oct. 16, Geneviève Marentette is ready to move forward with her lovingly intuitive look back at past nuggets. One can only hope it's the first of what should be several superb volumes from this dynamic, innovative vocalist.

Gigi's album offers a unique take on classic-era rock songs, presenting them in a fresh light. They’re all very listenable and pay great tribute to the songwriters. "Undun" and "These Eyes" are especially cool in her jazzy style, and I love them. I'm a fan. — Randy Bachman, The Guess Who

Mauricio Morales | Seven Days

On its own merits, the music on Seven Days, Mauricio Morales’ latest album, speaks with a strong, persuasive creative voice. The respected bassist-composer-bandleader’s fourth album presents seven distinctive compositions for sextet, with sophisticated shifts in mood and musical structure. The music teems with intelligence as well as infectious melodic qualities, with deft, lushly harmonized lines for the front line of trombone, saxophone and guitar.

In a mode of decidedly modern jazz which also manages to be easy on the ear and heart, the music also benefits from bold, integrated playing and soloing by his young allies from both the east and west coasts--connections made when the Mexican Morales lived and studied in Boston before settling in his current adopted hometown of Los Angeles.

But beyond the gleam and energy of Seven Days are working process elements adding to the dramatic and conceptual back story. Morales composed this body of work—the result of a self-driven challenge to write seven tunes in as many days--while literally stuck in his native Mexico due to a mysterious Visa renewal snafu. Channeling his sense of alienation into the cathartic process of crafting the varied moods and cohesive suite of pieces led to a live performance in Los Angeles, and following the urging of his bandmates to create a recorded version of the work resulted in the document that is Seven Days, the engaging and dynamic album document, recorded entirely live over two days in the studio.

It would be a mistake, however, to view the album as a characteristic Mauricio Morales album. Creative restlessness is one of his character traits. As he comments, Seven Days is “definitely a piece of work that is very close to me, in a way that's different to the work that I've released before, because of how it came to be. I'm excited about everything that I'm working on, and I will probably forget about it the moment I release it,” he laughs. Not likely.

Morales has been a rising force as player and bandleader/project-leader for the past several years, but his formative musical life goes back to his picking up the electric bass at 13 years old and the upright bass six years later. With the noted artist Tere Lojero as his mother and a music aficionado father to guide his interests, Morales discovered a passion for writing and manifesting his own music. Working on the east coast scene after heading to Berklee School of Music in 2012, Morales migrated westward to Los Angeles in 2018.

Morales launched what has become a diverse discography with the sometimes fusion-tinged tracks of 2021’s Luna, followed by the improvisation-leaning trio album Eclipse in 2022 and The Endless Ride last year, in 2023. The pop resonances and qualities on that album, including vocals, is in marked contrast with the almost entirely acoustic sextet context of Seven Days.

Of the variety between projects, Morales explains, “I want to explore different areas of my artistry. My first record had a very youthful essence to it. I wanted to put everything within seven songs--my writing, my playing, and everything else. And then the second record was the complete opposite because it is completely stripped down.” With The Endless Ride, he explains, “I wanted to also experiment with all my influences of when I was younger, because when I started playing music, I wasn't really listening to jazz at all.”

Clearly, from the evidence of Seven Days, Morales is by now deeply steeped in jazz, as player and composer, and expertly equipped to create his own new vision within the genre. In terms of influences on his writing, especially in discernible “jazz” mode, he points to such prominent artists as Aaron Parks, Brad Mehldau, Brian Blade and especially Pat Metheny. “Even though his music can be complex,” Morales says of Metheny’s music, “there's something very accessible about it that I’ve always resonated with since before I played jazz.”

For the Seven Days project, Morales had bold and empathetic company in the band gathered to realize his vision—saxophonist Edmar Colón, guitarist Horace Bray, trombonist Ido Meshulam, pianist Luca Mendoza and dynamo drummer Jongkuk "JK" Kim. The seven tracks of Seven Days follow a diverse course of musical and emotional impressions, starting with the wary optimism of “Monday: Wishful Thinking,” with a prime example of Morales powers as soloist, and continuing with the restrained but driving force of “Tuesday: Under the Magic Tree.” The more balladic ambience of “Wednesday: The Wanderer” and “Thursday: Solitude” segues into the roiling energy of “Friday: A Ghostly Vision” (showcasing piano and guitar) and “Sunday: The Paradox” follows a bittersweet but forward-motion pulse, featuring tenor sax and trombone in the solo spotlight.

Morales explains that one key track--and catalyst moment--along his creative path in the conceptual phase of the project, came with “Saturday: A Self-made Prison.” “That is where it is the most clear that I was starting to lose it,” he says, in retrospect. “It felt like at this point everything I was coming up with was essentially the same song that I had written the previous days. I had so many overwhelming thoughts in my head that were restricting the creative flow. In the end I decided to write whatever ideas came up without thinking about it and it ended up sounding completely different to all the other songs. I figured I’d just put that sense of overload into music.” Let it be what it will.

“And then I did Sunday,” Morales says, “and I thought ‘I'm done--seven days in a week. That's perfect. I'm not gonna touch it. That was a good exercise. Maybe I'll do it again another time, but for now, I can't write anymore.’”

Fortunately, it has seen the recorded light of day for all to hear, and Seven Days adds one more layer to Morales’ steadily evolving artistic identity and catalogue. “I want not only the record itself to be cohesive on its own,” he comments, “I want it to be cohesive as well with my previous work. There are connections within all of them.”

As a multi-tasking instrumentalist, composer, bandleader and general-purpose idea generator behind his projects, Morales views Seven Days and his albums in a highly personal way. He asserts that “a very specific moment in my life is printed in this music because it's really, truly uncompromised. It is my voice in all of it, in wherever you see it.”

Kurt Elling | Wildflowers Vol. 2

Multi-GRAMMY award-winning vocalist Kurt Elling announced Wildflowers, Vol. 2, the second release in his impromptu Wildflowers series. Recorded on September 20, 2024 with pianist Joey Calderazzo and trumpeter/composer Ingrid Jensen, the project is an inspired fusion of creativity and spontaneity. The album is now exclusively available on Bandcamp ahead of its November 8 release on digital services.

“It was a thrill to record with Joey for the first time as a duo,” says Elling. I knew from our work together on the road with Branford Marsalis that Joey was a melodic master. To collaborate with him and with Ingrid Jensen for an afternoon was an adventure in focus and dedication.”

"For me, it was a chance to stretch a bit and respond to what Kurt was bringing,” explains Calderazzo. “He’s got a unique way of shaping a song, and that pushed me to play in some different spaces. It was a good change of pace and hopefully this recording will surprise people.”

Last month, Elling released Wildflowers, Vol. 1, which was conceived, recorded, mixed, mastered and released between August 23 and August 30, 2024. Recorded with pianist Sullivan Fortner, Volume 1 also featured Cécile McLorin Salvant on the song “A Wish (Valentine).” 

Wildflowers, Vol. 2 is a five-track album featuring the extraordinary collaboration with long-time friend and pianist Joey Calderazzo, alongside the acclaimed trumpeter and composer Ingrid Jensen. In this second collection of impromptu recordings, Elling reveals a remarkable fluidity in his artistic expression, surprising even himself with the rapid flow of creativity—all while seeking authenticity in a world filled with noise.

Described as a "Sinatra with superpowers" by The New York Times, Elling’s rich baritone effortlessly marries jazz tradition with modern innovation. His fearless improvisational style allows him to tap into the emotional core of each song, showcasing his extraordinary range and virtuosity.

The recording session was nothing short of exhilarating, Elling describes the day: "What a day!! Recorded Volume 2 of Wildflowers—this time with Joey Calderazzo and Ingrid Jensen—C train to Dizzy’s Club to hit with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at the Lincoln Center Orchestra—then a 1 train to Smoke Jazz Club to reconnect with Branford Marsalis and the blazingest band in the world—and even caught the last notes of Artemis’ genius Birdland Jazz Club."

Following the unexpected release of Wildflowers, Vol. 1 in late August—an unfiltered snapshot of musical creativity—Vol. 2 continues this exciting journey. Partnering with Calderazzo, known for his work with legends such as Michael Brecker, Dave Holland, and Branford Marsalis, Elling cultivates a dynamic synergy that embraces a raw, stripped-down sound, both vibrant and deeply resonant. This latest release marks a shift from his GRAMMY-nominated, funk-infused SuperBlue project co-led by Charlie Hunter, as Elling seeks to explore a more intimate musical landscape.

Wildflowers, Vol. 2 offers listeners a window into Elling’s evolving artistry, highlighting how modern technology can amplify creativity without sacrificing artistic control. The result is a collection that feels both familiar and distinctly Kurt Elling—always pushing boundaries and inviting listeners into exhilarating sonic experiences.

This spontaneous, multifaceted day perfectly captures the essence of Wildflowers, Vol. 2, reflecting Elling's ability to weave moments of connection and creativity into a stunning musical tapestry.

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 | Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)

Afrobeat virtuoso Seun Kuti releases today his highly awaited new album ‘Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)’ on all platforms via Milan independent label Record Kicks. Coming 6 years after the Grammy nominated album ‘Black times’, this album marks a pivotal moment in Seun Kuti's illustrious career, showcasing his evolution as an artist and activist. The release is accompanied by the new extract ‘Move’, which is “a song in support of working class people all over the world”, Seun Kuti says. “We have to keep moving to close the gap and inequalities that capitalism has brought between us. We must face our contradictions and come out on the other side as better people, embrace our darkness to find our light, embrace our fear to find our courage. That's what the song is about”. 

Executive produced by legendary musician Lenny Kravitz and Fela Kuti’s original engineer Sodi Marciszewer (artistic producer), ‘Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)’ delivers a sonic experience like no other. With both Kravitz's and Sodi’s expertise together with Seun Kuti's unmatched talent, the album is poised to redefine the boundaries of contemporary music while staying true to the roots of afrobeat. 

Featuring a tracklist of six electrifying songs, each track on ‘Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)’ embodies the spirit of resistance, resilience, and revolution. Each song talks about standing up against challenges and fighting for change. Like the standalone single ‘Dey’ feat. reggae icon Damian Marley, described as “a song about embracing and championing who we are, regardless” and ‘Emi Aluta’, “a song about struggle (Aluta means struggle) that pays homage to all the great revolutionaries”, that features Zambian singer, rapper and songwriter, Sampa The Great, one of best and most innovative lyricists of our time. 

The song ‘T.O.P.’ is about “how society values money and success more than people”. Seun Kuti wants to change this by promoting empathy and reconnecting with nature. In another song, ‘Love & Revolution’, he expresses his love for his wife and believes that true love can inspire people to make the world a better place. Lastly, on the single ‘Stand Well Well’, a scorching afrobeat number  inspired by Aldous Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’, Seun “just wanted to throw a jab at what society looks like” to him. 

“This project has been very special to me from the moment I conceived it, speaking to Lenny Kravitz, who has shown me such a brotherly love and respect” Seun says. “He has brought me to his home. I met his daughter Zoe and he has guided us with fierceness. Since we spoke about the album, three years ago, as the executive producer of this project, he has always been by our side and very supportive. I want to thank Craig Ross and Sodi, the producer of this project. We had a great time. It was the first time for me in the studio with Sodi and I was really impressed by his work and his fatherly advice and dedication”. 

Each song on the album is a testament to Seun Kuti's unwavering commitment to using music as a tool for social change and empowerment. Through his powerful lyrics and infectious grooves, he continues to carry on the legacy of his father, the legendary Fela Kuti, while carving out his own path in the world of music. As a musician and pan-African activist, Seun has been involved in a number of campaigns in recent years, including #EndSARS – a social movement against police brutality in Nigeria. Significantly, he’s revived the Movement of the People (M.O.P.), the political party his father set up in 1979, which was quashed by the military government not long after Fela’s failed presidential bid.  

‘Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)’ is out today on all major streaming platforms, limited edition black and colored vinyl and CD. Fans can expect an album that not only entertains but also inspires and ignites a spirit of activism and liberation.

Seun Kuti is a Nigerian musician, singer, and songwriter renowned for his captivating performances and socially conscious music. He is the youngest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. Seun has spent most of his life preserving and extending his father's political and musical legacy as the leader of his father's former band Egypt 80. As a developing saxophonist and percussionist, he entered the formal ranks of the band before he was 12. In 1997, when Fela passed, in fulfilment of his father's wishes, Seun assumed the mantle as head of Egypt 80 and he has run it ever since. During his career, Seun Kuti released 4 albums with Egypt 80: ‘Many Things’ (2008),  ‘From Africa with Fury: Rise for Knitting Factory Records’ (2011), coproduced by Brian Eno and John Reynolds, ‘A Long Way Beginning’ (2014) and the Grammy nominated ‘Black Times’ (2018) that included a feature from Carlos Santana. They also released numerous EPs. Seun has played for enthusiastically receptive audiences globally and collaborated with many great artists. In 2022, he joined forces with Roots frontman and MC extraordinaire Black Thought in the EP ‘African Dreams’. In 2023, Seun collaborated on Janelle Monae's ‘The Age of Pleasure’ (Grammy nominee for Album Of The Year) with the two singles 'Float' and 'Knows Better', teamed up with Talib Kweli and MadLib for their album ‘Liberation 2’ on the song ‘Nat Turner’ featuring Cassper Nyovest and released a new version of the single ‘Bad Man Lighter’ with Black Thought, featuring Vic Mensa.

Sun Ra Arkestra | Lights On A Satellite

From the free playing attitude of the Sun Ra Arkestra, Lights On A Satellite lands with a full groove right in the heart of swing. The recording is a tribute to the life‘s work of Marshall Allen, who celebrated his 100th birthday on May 25, 2024. Recorded in Studio A at New York‘s Power Station on June 16, 2024, the album honors the mastery of this exceptional musician as a multi-instrumentalist, arranger, bandleader, teacher and keeper of Sun Ra‘s legacy.

Allen is one of the most distinctive voices in jazz. His versatile alto saxophone has defined the sound of the Sun Ra Arkestra since 1958. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, the NEA Jazz Master (2025) embodies like no other the music that has come to be recognized as America‘s classical music. He has played an active role in shaping all eras of jazz and his eloquent tone continues to unfold its radiance and expressiveness to this day. With Steiner‘s Electronic Valve Instrument (E.V.I.), Allen has created an exclusive realm of sound that has catapulted him directly into the 21st Century.

Allen has led the Sun Ra Arkestra for more than 30 years. Founded by Sun Ra in the early 1950s, the band bears the name Arkestra as a deliberate combination of Noah‘s Ark and orchestra. No other ensemble has more justification for making the past and future happen simultaneously, as if in a time machine. On Lights On A Satellite we hear pieces from a century of jazz, which has become present in an astonishing way. Sun Ra‘s reverberations will probably continue to have an effect beyond his earthly end in 1993 and into eternity, according to the astonishing realization, as we experience the world premiere of the Sun Ra composition “Baby Won‘t You Please Be Mine.”

Allen has not allowed the Sun Ra Arkestra to atrophy into a repertoire band. He has organized and sifted through the estate of his friend and mentor, filled it with life, trained young musicians in his spirit and thus also arranged these new Sun Ra compositions and brought them into the band‘s repertoire. Allen has not toured internationally since 2021. But he has by no means retired. In the “Arkestral Institute Of Sun Ra," the terraced house in Philadelphia‘s Morton Street, which was declared a historical monument in 2022 and has served as the band‘s headquarters since 1968, Allen continues to work on his mission.

On Lights On A Satellite we experience the virtuosity of the master and his satellites, the interplay of the Sun Ra Arkestra as a very own sound entity in the greatest possible expansion, across generations of musicians, and with an all-encompassing repertoire. 

Allen discovered Sun Ra’s 1955 composition “Baby Won’t You Please be Mine” in his estate six years ago and recently added it to the Arkestra’s repertoire. It sounds like it was written for Billie Holiday in the 1930s with its charming instrumental parts moving in the playing posture of the 30s but breaking out in favor of free playing, even for just a short phrase. Horace Henderson’s “Big John’s Special’ was originally arranged by his brother Fletcher Henderson during his tenure playing in his big band. Like Horace Henderson, Sun Ra played piano and wrote arrangements under his real name Herman Poole Blout in Fletcher Henderson’s. This showcases a more relaxed, straight-ahead composition style that does not push forward like Benny Goodman, but builds up a restrained tension reminiscent of bands from New Orleans.

The million-selling “Holiday for Strings” (1942 by David Rose and his Orchestra) is still considered a classic of American music and was a signature turn of the popular Red Skelton Radio show in the 1950s and 1960s. It can also be heard on the 1960s Sun Ra Arkestra recording “Holiday for a Soul Dance” as a solemn, piano-accented instrumental piece, albeit with rapid tempo change. 

In Lights On A Satellite Allen unfolds his full mastery of the alto saxophone. His distinctive voice bursts out of the exquisite interplay with the strings with all its explosive solo power in the moment the entire reed section kicks in. The album concludes with “Tapestry From An Asteroid,” which has been a part of Sun Ra Arkestra’s instrumental repertoire since 1956 and can finally be heard with a wonderful arrangement particularly highlighting the sonorous baritone saxophone of Noel Scott and Allen’s striking overblowing of the higher registers.

The inimitable groove of this exceptional orchestra can be experienced through the entire orchestration with 24 musicians, recorded in a quality that allows all voices to be savored and thus presents the music in its full beauty. Going into a recording studio as a producer with these specifications and 24 musicians was a risk.

With Lights On A Satellite Frank Kleinschmidt from IN+OUT Records expresses his 40-year connection to the Sun Ra Arkestra. Here we have a compilation of sound and film documents which, in addition to the cinematic and photographic side of the studio day, also provides background information in the form of liner notes and photographs by Allen biographer Sibylle Zerr - and, as a summary of the spirit of the memorable studio day, by Allen himself.

Damian "Jr. Gong” Marley Releases New Single “Banner”

Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, the four-time GRAMMY AWARD® winning artist, producer, and lyrical master, released the video for his powerful new track "Banner." The track will be released the following week on Friday, October 11th. 

This homegrown anthem tackles critical issues such as scams, absent fathers, police misconduct, and widespread corruption. With its raw, thought-provoking lyrics, the song urges listeners to hold firm to their morals amidst the chaos. Damian powerfully states, “Give thanks the righteous still a wave dem banner.” 

Collaborating with acclaimed producer Scoop Deville – who has worked with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Nipsey Hussle, 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, and more – Damian continues to push creative boundaries. 

"Banner" precedes the release of his poignant summer single "Wisemen," which offers a rare perspective on love and relationships. In it, Damian reflects, “True love is hard to find. And even if it don’t exist you cannot fault a man for trying.” Earlier this year, he released “My Sweet Lord,” a spiritual reinterpretation of George Harrison’s original track, that came with high accolades from George Harrison’s wife, Olivia Harrison, as well as the George Harrison Estate. Damian’s latest three singles were released under the Ghetto Youth International (GYI) record label, which is co-owned by Damian, and his brothers Stephen and Julian Marley. 

Damian just wrapped up a 22-date Marley Brothers Legacy Tour that ran across North America with his brothers, Ziggy Marley, Stephen Marley, Julian Marley and Ky-Mani Marley. The tour wrapped up October 05th in Miami.

The Bad Plus | Complex Emotions

Today, the legendary jazz group The Bad Plus releases “Casa Ben,” the second single from their upcoming LP Complex Emotions, out November 8 via Mack Avenue Records. Composed by drummer Dave King, the track’s steadfast percussion, spacey synths and cascading sax bounce around an airy sonic landscape. They’ve also announced additional dates on their extensive fall/winter tour including shows in Pittsburgh, Atlanta and more.

“I’m a really big fan of The Police and I always wanted to write some ‘modern jazz’ music that feels like it’s directly inspired by their work,” shares King. “This is not exactly that, but it’s nice to stay inspired.” 

The band has already shared the new album’s high-energy first single “French Horns”, which garnered attention from BrooklynVegan, Jazziz, Bass Magazine and more. The upcoming release is the boundary-defying quartet’s second LP with its current lineup of founding members Reid Anderson (bass) and Dave King (drums) along with Ben Monder (guitars) and Chris Speed (saxophones) and its first with Mack Avenue Records.

“With this new album and this new batch of music, we're planting a flag to say that this version of the band has really come into its own,” Anderson explains. “A big part of what the sound of this band is is the willingness to explore complex emotions. That's something that we're not only comfortable with but that we've embraced from the beginning of the band.” 

Since their debut in 2000, The Bad Plus have pushed the boundaries of what jazz music could and should be. From their earliest days, their indelible compositions coexisted with an unconventional array of covers from outside of the strictly-policed jazz bubble: everything from Ornette Coleman to Black Sabbath to Aphex Twin, Cole Porter to the Pixies to Nirvana. Their now-legendary 2003 LP These Are the Vistas was named one of the 50 Most Important Recordings of the Decade by NPR’s All Songs Considered, and now on their 18th album, the band is still making music that is wild and unexpected, with a refusal to conform to convention.

Their album tour kicks off next month and will include their annual four-night residency at the Dakota in their hometown of Minneapolis and five nights at New York City’s famed Birdland Jazz Club. For a full list of dates, please see below or visit thebadplus.com.  

Tour Dates

• November 12 - Woodstock, NY @ Bearsville Theater
• November 13 - Portsmouth, NH @ Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club 
• November 14 - South Orange, NJ @ SOPAC
• November 15 - St. Louis, MO @ City Winery 
• November 17 - Chicago, IL @ City Winery
• November 30 - Orlando, FL @ Judson’s Live at Dr. Phillips 
• December 1 - Orlando, FL @ Judson’s Live at Dr. Phillips
• December 25 - Minneapolis, MN @ Dakota 
• December 26 - Minneapolis, MN @ Dakota 
• December 27 - Minneapolis, MN @ Dakota 
• December 28 - Minneapolis, MN @ Dakota 
• February 6 - Pittsburgh, PA @ City Winery *
• February 7 - Cleveland, OH @ The Bop Stop 
• February 8 - Indianapolis, IN @ The Jazz Kitchen 
• February 9 - Franklin, TN @ Franklin Theatre
• February 10 - Atlanta, GA @ City Winery *
• February 12 - Rochester, NY @ The Little Theatre *
• February 13 - Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Showcase Lounge * 
• February 14 - Portland, ME @ One Longfellow Square * 
• February 15 - Northampton, MA @ The Iron Horse
• February 16 - Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
• February 18 - New York, NY @ Birdland Jazz Club
• February 19 - New York, NY @ Birdland Jazz Club
• February 20 - New York, NY @ Birdland Jazz Club
• February 21 - New York, NY @ Birdland Jazz Club
• February 22 - New York, NY @ Birdland Jazz Club
• February 23 - Ardmore, PA @ Ardmore Music Hall

The Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet |vBeautiful People

The Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet (WMQ) returns with a refreshed lineup and a brand-new album, 'Beautiful People', set to be released in October 2024. This highly anticipated album will be distributed worldwide in collaboration with !K7.

The band recorded the album in December 2023 at the legendary S4 Studio of Polish Radio, inspired by the success of their fall tour, which drew large crowds of jazz fans in many cities. Fueled by positive energy and a desire to explore new sounds, WMQ entered the studio with extraordinary dynamism and passion, which can be heard in every track on 'Beautiful People'.

'Beautiful People' is a spiritual journey into the world of contemporary jazz, deeply rooted in WMQ’s identity while maintaining their Slavic roots. The new material showcases the band at a unique moment of creative growth—full of fresh energy, innovative soundscapes, and refined compositions that draw from the rich tradition of jazz while opening up new possibilities.

Wojtek Mazolewski, as the band’s leader and virtuoso double bassist, has long impressed with his ability to blend traditional jazz with modern elements, creating music that is both deeply emotional and hypnotic. His unique capacity to fuse classic jazz with modernity has made him one of the most important figures in the Polish jazz scene and has earned him international acclaim. 'Beautiful People' marks another significant step in his career—a record of the emotions, inspirations, and experiences that accompanied him and the quintet during the recording process.

Mazolewski says about the album: " 'Beautiful People' is a new beginning for us. After many concerts we played together, we entered the studio and captured our emotions, what we felt, our approach to life and the world. Each track on the album reflects our experiences but, above all, the energy that united us as a band.”

Tracks such as Purple Space, which appears and disappears like a mirage, Live Spirit, a manifestation of life’s energy in music, or New Energy, symbolising the band's new creative force, form the essence of Beautiful People. It’s an album full of expression, beauty, and authenticity, composed with the people who accompany the quintet on their musical journey in mind. The title track, Beautiful People, is dedicated to them—the fans whose support and presence Mazolewski describes as a key element of his creative energy. “You are the Beautiful People,” says Mazolewski. “This album is an expression of gratitude that we can be with you and share our music.”

The album concludes with Air, which heralds WMQ’s upcoming tour. Full of space and sounds that invite journeys both literal and metaphorical, Air is a composition about movement, change, and the constant pursuit of discovering new musical territories.

Alongside the release of Beautiful People, the Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet will embark on a international tour, including performances in Poland, the UK, Germany, Argentina, Chile, and Mexico. The band will also perform at major jazz festivals worldwide, sharing their music with international audiences.

Allegra Levy | Out Of The Question

"How deep is the ocean?” “What is this thing called love?” Jazz singer-songwriter Allegra Levy may not have all the answers, but she sure has plenty of questions. One thing about which there can be no question, though, is that her career is on the rise. Named one of the Top Ten Rising Stars among jazz vocalists in Downbeat’s 2021 Critics’ Poll, she has been dubbed a “double-barreled talent” by JazzTimes, and called everything from “sophisticated, worldly, and swinging” to “the new pin-up girl for cool.” Her latest album,  truly seals the deal. Out of the Question, Levy’s fifth release from SteepleChase Records, is composed entirely of songs in search of answers, from “Where Are You Going?” to Carole King’s “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” It features an all-star, all-women band, including Carmen Staaf on piano, Allison Miller on drums, and Mimi Jones on bass, with special guests Roxy Coss on sax, Aubrey Johnson on vocals, and Andrew Baird on guitar. 

A Connecticut native now based in New York, Levy has appeared at most of the top jazz venues in NYC, including the Jazz Standard, the Blue Note, Birdland Theatre, Zinc Bar, and the Bitter End. “Fresh … exotic… and far beyond the ordinary,” declared The New York Times of her debut album, 2014’s Lonely City. Ever since, she has continued to pen a collection of harmonically adventurous-yet-familiar originals steeped in the Great American Songbook. Her third album, Looking at the Moon, was an Editor’s Pick in both DownBeat and JazzTimes. Her fourth, Lose My Number: Allegra Levy Sings John McNeil – featuring her own lyrics set to the tunes of renowned trumpeter John McNeil – was lauded in The New Yorker as “a showcase for Levy’s … agile vocalizing and her gift for sculpting words.” 

Last spring, Levy ventured into jazz for the juvenile set with an internationally acclaimed children’s album, Songs for You and Me. Her new record, however, is strictly PG … or maybe even R, for rousing, riveting, and downright raunchy when it comes to her bluesy take on the ‘80s punk rock classic, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” by The Clash. 

This new project was the brainchild of Levy’s longtime collaborator, pianist Carmen Staaf, a winner of the Mary Lou Williams jazz piano competition, who currently serves as musical director for DeeDee Bridgewater. “She pointed out that some of the most beautiful songs are questions, not answers, and I became fascinated with the concept,” Levy says. “As I get older, I find that it really is more about the questions.” 

The question remained what songs to choose. Although there were countless cross-genre standards to choose from — from Irving Berlin’s flapper-era “What’ll I Do?” to Michel Legrand’s haunting 1969 melody “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” — the album also includes two classic instrumental numbers for which Levy wrote lyrics: “Are You Real?” by Benny Golson, and Horace Silver’s “Que Pasa?” 

There are two of Levy’s originals as well, entitled “What’s In a Name?” and “What Are You Waiting For?” The latter is a sort of musical pep talk about going for what you want rather than waiting for dreams to magically come true. “It’s a message I want to pass on to newcomers and other young women on the scene,” Levy says, “to make your own dreams and shape your own existence, because nobody is going to hand it to you.” 

One personal dream come true for her was getting to record with drummer Allison Miller. “She’s been one of my heroes ever since I got to New York,” Levy says. Called “a modern jazz icon in the making” by All About Jazz, Miller is known for everything from leading her own stellar band, Boom Tic Boom, to being a member of the supergroup ARTEMIS. Her frequent collaborators include singers Brandi Carlile, Ani DiFranco, and Natalie Merchant, organ legend Dr. Lonnie Smith, and reedists Anat Cohen and Ben Goldberg, as well as Staaf, with whom she has released two stellar albums.  

Rounding out the band is bassist Mimi Jones, voted No. 2 Rising Star jazz bassist in Downbeat’s Critics’ Poll three years in a row. During her more than two decades as both a leader and sought-after sidewoman, she has worked with everyone from Beyoncé, Dianne Reeves, and DeeDee Bridgewater to Roy Hargrove, Ravi Coltrane, and Terri Lyne Carrington. 

The combined force of these three phenomenal femme fatales helped inspire the album’s title. “I have this all-female trio that can’t be reckoned with,” Levy explains, “and messing with them is really ‘out of the question.’” 

The same could be said for Levy herself, who continues to accumulate accolades. She was among last year’s winners of the John Lennon Songwriting Competition for Best Children’s Song. She was also a 2023 finalist in the International Songwriting Competition’s Children’s Music category for her song “It’s So Hard to Be You.” Plus, she took first place in the 2019 Great American Song Contest’s Adult Contemporary Music category for her pop tune “Waste My Time.” Yet she is equally known for her jazzy originals and rich, emotive, contralto voice. A graduate of New England Conservatory, she proudly serves on the leadership of the Women in Jazz Organization. She wishes to dedicate this album to her young daughter, Stella Plum, as well as her future son, due this summer, about whom she wonders, “Who will you become?” But in the end, “Sometimes we don’t need all the answers,” Levy says. “We just have to explore the questions.”

Multiple Grammy Winner George Whitty and “Ambassador of Soul” Ellis Hall To Release “Die Living”

When music legends George Whitty and Ellis Hall decided to turn their longtime mutual admiration society into an official partnership, they committed full throttle to recording their explosive contemporary twist on classic R&B and came up with a clever branding idea. 

Rather than simply calling themselves Whitty Hall, Hall added “Artistic Team” to create WHAT. Add in  a handful of exclamation points and WHAT!!!! was born.  As the full CD shaped up, with its probing commentary on the ups and downs of living today, the title In the World suggested itself as the accompaniment to the band’s name. 

When longtime fans of these two keyboard powerhouses and newcomers to the Whitty-Hall experience check out these eclectic ten tracks, their initial responses will truly be a rousing, “WHAT!!!! In the World?” 

Whitty says, “At first glance, there’s a little inside joke in there, but it also speaks to Ellis’ and my observations of the world we live in, pooling and sharing our various life experiences together.” Their pitch-perfect creative mission statement is “WHAT!!!! puts the fun in funk!” 

Once the multi-Grammy winning Whitty and long beloved “Ambassador of Soul” and former Tower of Power vocalist Hall had their name and title down, next up was picking the perfect lead single. The goal was an invitation to immerse in the freshness of the grooves, the dynamics of their array of keys (including Whitty’s Moog bass and drum programming and Hall’s Hammond B-3 organ) and the surreal magic of Hall’s multi-octave vocals. The obvious choice was “Die Living,” a simmering soul anthem whose thought-provoking title came spontaneously to Whitty one day and inspired a grooving,gospel-blues fired track spiked by what Whitty calls “a front porch kind of thing.” 

In addition to organ, Hall adds various flavors of guitar on the track. Partly inspired by a casual but witty response Willie Nelson once gave to an interviewer who asked if he would ever think of retiring, “Die Living” is a song about wringing every last drop of life we can out of our time here, and seeking wisdom from others on how to do that. It’s a plea encouraging us to literally die while living as fully as possible and feeling as optimistic in old age as we did in our youth. 

As Hall sings in the first chorus, “Cause I want to die living/Help me sail into the sun/And I want to die believing/Life has just begun!” The engaging, insightful verses are essentially conversations with a “brother” who has wisdom to impart, an “old man” who can help us “steer clear from the fruit of the poisonous tree” and, as Whitty’s two boys taught him, “how much we loved to laugh and play.” 

 As Hall sings in his inimitably powerful way in the bridge, the hope is to “play it loud and long/Finish clear and strong/Just the way I did when I was young…!” “The son is basically asking different people for advice on how to live our best lives,” says Whitty. “In the second verse, Ellis added some interesting lyrics to what I had written, which was a shout out to joyful little kids who can also teach older folks a thing or two about living. He is a great lyricist with a good feel for the right words that just sort of tumble out of him to meet the occasion perfectly.”  

WHAT!!!! and the In the World album have their roots in another of the album’s instant classics, “Hug Me,” an epic, six-minute power ballad/anthem Whitty and Hall recorded in 2023 as a tribute to the strength and resolve of the people of Ukraine in the face of Russia’s bloody invasion - a way for artists to help in any way they can. Featuring the ethereal vocals of the great Ukrainian singer Maryana Golovko, the track is a powerful re-imagining of Slava Varkachuk’s Ukranian hit "Obiymy (Embrace).” The compelling video for the song intercuts clips of the two playing their parts (and Hall singing) in different studios with footage of Golovko singing in an outdoor setting and stark color and black and white images of the war’s youngest victims, the children. The recording went live on the fundraising platform United 24 within minutes of submission and currently has thousands of views on YouTube.   

Whitty had been a fan of Hall’s since he “kicked my ass so hard” when he headlined as Tower of Power’s lead singer at a mid-80s performance at NYC’s The Bottom Line. Hall’s longtime project manager (and longtime “watcher”) Alec Berfield had been bugging the singer about meeting Whitty for years, and when Whitty, with Berfield’s prompting, sent him his initial tracks for “Hug Me,” he knew it was divine timing. “Listening to what George had put together, I heard an opportunity to add some nice vocal harmonies to the track,” says Hall. Whitty adds, “I wanted it to start out simple and stripped down and build into a powerhouse symphony kind of vibe. Once I had a bass line going, it opened up into a big, epic Peter Gabriel type of sound. Ellis took it from there and wrote great English lyrics to it which deal with the human emotion side of the conflict, not the politics.” 

With three of the 10 songs recorded live in January 2024 at Inner Sanctum Studios in Coos Bay, Oregon, In The World – executive produced by Berfield and David Ford - also includes the up-tempo blues/soul/funk barnburner “Own Up,” the emotional, mid-tempo pop/soul ballad “Miami” and “Why Should I Care,” a heartfelt, poignant ballad about human indifference that Hall wrote years ago when he simultaneously heard about the Jonestown, Guyana tragedy and a previous Palestinian-Israel conflict. Prior to this dynamic re-imagining, Hall had sung it at African American summits in South Africa and Zimbabwe and it was one of Nelson Mandela’s favorite songs.   

The new collection also features the beautiful, moody introspection “Some Days Were Meant for Rain,” which Hall originally recorded on TOP’s 1987 album Power (the only album the singer recorded with the band during his tenure from 1984-88). WHAT!!!! also recorded a fiery live-in-studio version of the Sam & Dave classic “I Thank You.” The band includes guitarist David Ford, bassist Armand Sabal-Lecco (famous for his tours with Paul Simon) and drummer Aaron Haggerty (Al McKay, Kool & The Gang, Gary Clark Jr., UB40). 

A little background: For the past three decades, George Whitty has been playing live with everyone from the Brecker Brothers, Herbie Hancock and the late David Sanborn to Chaka Khan, Richard Bona, Sadao Watanabe and many others. As a producer and session keyboardist, his credits include Santana’s blockbuster Supernatural (with Dave Matthews), Celine Dion’s Falling Into You and These Are Special Times, Hancock’s The Imagine Project and hundreds of others. He has won four Grammys for his work on Chaka Khan’s The Woman I Am, Randy Brecker’s 34th and Lex, Michael Brecker’s Tales Fromthe Hudson and the Brecker Bros.’ Out of the Loop. 

In addition to his years with Tower of Power, Ellis Hall – who has been sightless since age 18 - fronted the Ellis Hall Group in the 70s, has written over 4000 soul, gospel, blues and pop songs, performed with the likes of Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Herbie Hancock, George Benson and Maurice White and recorded with John Klemmer, George Duke and Kenny G, among countless others. He has also written and performed on many film soundtracks including The Lion King 2, Shrek 2, Invincible and Bruce Almighty. He also sang a Louis Armstrong tune in the Steven Spielberg film Catch Me If You Can. 

Speaking of his musical chemistry with Whitty, Hall says, “We are true brothers from another mother! I keep telling George to get outta my head sucka!” Whitty adds, “We just clicked right away and made each other laugh. From the get-go, I knew it would be easy to work with him and a lot of fun as well. Every time I get tracks from Ellis, it feels like Christmas Day. I guess I was on the good list. I was on a plane coming home to LA from New York recently and received some tracks from him in flight. They were so great that I was sitting there in my seat at 2 a.m.just smiling and kind of exclaiming; I wonder what the other passengers thought I was doing.” Hall adds, “It’s just a joyous thing and my word for joyous is ‘chakalaka’  “Die Living” will proudly be released in October in association with Mike Dion and ITI Records, followed in January 2025 by the album In the World.