Tuesday, November 15, 2016

NEW RELEASE:AARON ABERNATHY - MONOLOGUE; BARBATUQUES - AYU; BURAK BEDIKYAN - AWAKENING

AARON ABERNATHY - MONOLOGUE

This album's hardly a monologue – given that Aaron Abernathy's got some great help on the whole thing – from artists who include Phonte, Zo, and Deborah Bond – each of whom add a special slice of their talents to a tune! Yet undeniably, Aaron's the main man on the whole thing – a fantastic funky drummer, a great singer with a nice sort of edge to his voice, and a top-level talent who composed, arranged, and produced the whole thing on his own! There's a chunky sort of electro funk groove on most tunes – a vibe where the keyboards and basslines are bumping the speakers nicely, as the lyrics crackle over the top with a very vibrant energy. We're almost tempted to call the whole thing a Zapp for the 21st Century – but there's a much earthier feel overall – and titles include "Son Of Larry", "Kiss Me Again", "Pretty Kind", "Bachelorette", "AB Is Gone Away", "I Need To Know", and "Play It Cool". ~ Dusty Groove

BARBATUQUES - AYU

Very cool sounds from this unique Brazilian group – an ensemble whose music mostly comes from their voices and percussive sounds made on their bodies! The approach is surprisingly great – and maybe not nearly as squishy as you'd expect – as there's a clean, clear sound to the music – one that almost feels sampled or electronic at times, without any of the hippie-dippy elements that could come from such a project. Instead, the percussive elements at the core really keep things bristling – and seem to infect the vocals too – creating a sharpness throughout, one that's only echoed and magnified when guests artists Nana Vasconcelos, Marcelo Pretto, or Hermeto Pascoal come into the mix. Titles include "Barra Do Dia", "Valsa Manca", "Skamenco", "Kerere", "Ta Na Roda", "Totem", "Eh Eh", "Tudo Fica", and "Samba Lele".  ~ Dusty Groove

BURAK BEDIKYAN - AWAKENING

A rock-solid set from pianist Burak Bedikyan – a player who seems to grow tremendously in the space between each new album! This set features all original material by Burak – songs that can be dark one minute, quietly sensitive the next – with a beauty that's not just captured by Bedikyan's work on piano, but also by the sinewy alto sax of Loren Stillman – who's deft enough to move in all the right ways along the melodies, then open up for his own interpretations on the solos. The rest of the group features the great Donald Edwards on drums and Ugonna Okegwo on bass – and titles include "Ad Infinitum", "Do Not Fear", "Unfair Blues", "All Alone", "Idee Fixe", and "Mother Earth". ~ Dusty Groove


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