JONAS
KULLHAMMAR – GENTLEMEN ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE
SOUNDTRACK
A hell
of a record from saxophonist Jonas Kullhammar – a batch of work that was
originally done for the film Gentlemen, but a set that you'll be listening to
long after the film has faded from the screens! The set may well be one of
Jonas' most traditional jazz records – a set that really gets to show off his
tremendous talents in a straight jazz setting – with a richness of tone, and
overall sense of presentation that makes us feel like Kullhammar would have
been a great addition to the Blue Note catalog in the 60s. Yet the music also
has a very contemporary sense of vibrancy too – as Jonas works here with key
modern partners Tobjorn Zetterberg on bass, Carl Bagge on piano, and Johan
Holmegard on drums – plus tremendous work on half the record from musicians who
include Swedish jazz giant Bernt Rosengren on tenor, as well as Goran Kajfes on
cornet and Mattias Stahl on vibes. Kulhammar plays tenor, baritone, stritch,
and saxello – and titles include "Le Boulevardier", "Montmartre",
"Paris Art Ensemble", "The Bear Quartet", "So Long
Henry", "Danish Blow", and "Gazell". ~ Dusty Groove
ANTHONY
NICHOLSON – FOUR
Maybe
the best work we've ever heard from Anthony Nicholson – and that's saying a
lot, given how much we've supported his music over the years! Anthony's a
Chicago legend – an artist who's never gotten the fame he deserves on this side
of the Atlantic, but a tireless force in the studio – and one of the few folks
to really find new territory for the roots of Chicago house over the years!
This album's got a wonderfully spiritual vibe – one that's delivered in a very
simple, but effective way – as Nicholson banks his keyboards in just the right
way to unlock their cosmic potential, but without ever trying sounding forced
or too overdone. The album's got some guest work by Imani and Jaidene Veda, but
most tracks are instrumental – and titles include "Genio", which is a
great tribute to Jose Roberto Bertrami – plus "Return To Black
Fusion", "Messages & Aliens", "Mother &
Earth", "The Essence Say Hey", "Star", and
"Chicago". ~ Dusty Groove
LORD
RAJA – CONSTANT MOTH
Cosmic
sounds from Lord Raja – with tripped out electronic atmosphere, though
compelling and beat driven, without ever traveling into predictability – one of
the finer releases on Ghostly International in a while! Covers a lot of
territory, from mellow, spacey soundscapes to frenzied footwork-inspired beats
– with lots of space between. Includes "Yelleo E", "Van Go"
feat Jeremiah Jae, "Pistol Refix", "Darwin",
"Gottfried Semper", "Throw Them Out", "De Lia Lu
Lu", "Red Sun", "Black Top", "Golden Gravity
Birds" and more. ~ Dusty Groove
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