NEW RELEASES: DALINDEO – SLAVIC SOULS; TOM HARRELL – SOMETHING GOLD, SOMETHING BLUE; DEGO – MORE THINGS STAY THE SAME

DALINDEO – SLAVIC SOULS

A new sort of a shift for Dalindeo – as you might guess from the title – as the group adds in a bit of slavic roots to their usual jazzy groove! The core instrumentation is still live jazz, but the group also touch on some older Finnish tango modes with the rhythms, and work with the increased use of electric guitar we've heard on some of their more recent efforts – all of which makes for a sound that's unlike anything else you've probably heard! The tenor and trumpet tie together beautifully, creating rich waves of sound with lots of jazzy energy – while the guitar has a classic electro twang at times, soaring out over the heavy percussion and drums. Two tracks feature a guest vocalist – and titles include "Avalanche", "Hips & Curves", "Tell Me", "Bolero For Miss B", "Tarantella Finlandese", "Johnny's Nightmare", and "Slavic Souls". ~ Dusty Groove

TOM HARRELL – SOMETHING GOLD, SOMETHING BLUE

Trumpeter Tom Harrell has always been a chromatic player – but this time around, there seems to be even more chromes in his music than usual – a wonderful array of colors and tones that grab our ears right from the very first note! Perhaps it's the title – which is certainly evocative – but the music also has some great elements from the guitar of Charles Altura, who's able to cascade chords in this effortless way from the strings of his instrument – and trumpeter Ambrose Akimusire is also on the record, joining Tom in the frontline, and bringing his equally colorful sound to the music! Rhythms are nice and organic – sometimes with a rootsy vibe that's a nice offset to the trumpet and guitar – and the group features Ugonna Okegwo on bass and Johnathan Blake on drums. Omer Avital plays oud on one track – "Delta Of The Nile" – and other titles include "Trances", "Keep On Goin", "Sound Image", "The Vehicle", "Travelin", and "Circuit". ~ Dusty Groove

DEGO – MORE THINGS STAY THE SAME

Brilliant work from Dego – a rich continuation of the 4Hero groove, but set to styles that are very much Dego's own! The vibe here follows nicely from some of his well-circulated mixes from a few years back – but Dego's directing all the music himself in this flurry of skittish beats and cosmic keyboards – the latter of which are played wonderfully by Kaidi Tatham! In fact, the album's got some of the spiritual currents that we love in Kaidi's music – although the overall focus is definitely more in the 4Hero mode, especially when vocals from Sharlene Hector come into the mix, and really set the tunes home. Titles include "Shine A Light", "It Don't Get No Better", "Greed & Power", "Help Me Out", "We've Been Here Before", "Feminist Meetings", and "The Middle Ground". ~ Dusty Groove