NEW RELEASES: SHAUN ESCOFFERY - IN THE RED ROOM; MIKE MARSHALL & CHORO FAMOSO - SEGUNDA VEZ (SECOND TIME); OMER AVITAL - NEW SONG

SHAUN ESCOFFERY - IN THE RED ROOM

We haven't heard from Shaun Escoffery in years – but damn, it's really been worth the wait! This album really knocks it out of the park from the very first note – and pushes Shaun way way farther than his previous work, which we really loved a lot – into some kind of sublime classic soul territory that may hopefully get him the international fame he deserves! Escoffery's got this great back to basics approach on the record – still schooled by his more cosmic years on the London scene, but also soaking up plenty of older, deeper soul elements too – yet fusing them in a way that's completely modern, completely fresh, and very individual. There's nothing retro soul about the record – despite some burning Hammond and guitar at points – and the whole thing was done in close collaboration with producer Gil Cang, who also played most of the instruments and helped on backing vocals too. Titles include "Nature's Call", "Perfect Love Affair", "People", "Do U Remember", "Crazy", "Nobody Knows", "By Your Side", "Get Over", and "Day After Day".  ~ Dusty Groove

MIKE MARSHALL & CHORO FAMOSO - SEGUNDA VEZ (SECOND TIME)

A second pairing of the mandolin of Mike Marshall with the Brazilian sounds of the Choro Famoso trio – served up with rootsy elements that really link together the cultures of the Americas! The trio have a definite traditional leaning, and features Colin Walker on 7 string guitar, Brian Rice on pandeiro and percussion, and Andy Connell on both sax and clarinet – the latter of which evokes an especially strong choro tradition. And while Marshall's use of mandolin echoes the bandolim work of older choro musicians, there's also some warmer moments that echo Mike's strongly Americanist vision over the years – in ways that make the record way more than just a rehash of older styles. Titles include "Bole Bole", "Bola Preta", "Flores", "Evocacao De Jacob", "Tenebroso", "Paraiso", "Sete Estrelas", and "Queira Me Bem".  ~ Dusty Groove

OMER AVITAL - NEW SONG

Bassist and composer Omer Avital, one of the most celebrated and revered musicians on the global jazz scene, delivers the creative tour-de-force, New Song, to be released on Motema Music on November 4, 2014. New Song signifies a giant leap in Avital's ongoing quest to explore the deep connections between jazz and the music of the Middle East. A pioneering force behind Israeli jazz, Omer Avital makes his homeland resonate through his voice - a voice that can be mistaken for no other. Featuring Avishai Cohen on trumpet, Joel Frahm on saxophone, Yonathan Avishai on piano, and Daniel Freedman on drums.