Thursday, February 23, 2017

NEW RELEASES: HERB ALPERT & HUGH MASEKELA; JOSE JAMES – LOVE IN A TIME OF MADNESS; CAMERON GRAVES – PLANETARY PRINCE

HERB ALPERT / HUGH MASEKELA – HERB ALPERT & HUGH MASEKELA

Two top trumpet talents – coming together beautifully on this groovy late 70s set! Both Herb Alpert and Hugh Masekela had a big rise to fame in the 60s – Herb, for his Tijuana Brass albums on A&M – and Hugh, for the way that he brought South African jazz currents to the American soul mainstream! Given that both had strong presence on the Cali scene in their time, the pairing here is a great one – and works well with some larger jazz backings that color things out in a mix of soul, fusion, funk, and some slight South African touches. Other players on the set include Lee Ritenour and Arthur Adams on guitars, Paulinho Da Costa on percussion, James Gadson on bass, and Hotep Cecil Bernard on piano – and titles include "Skokiaan", "Moonza", "Lobo", "African Summer", "Ring Bell", and "Happy Hanna".  ~ Dusty Groove

JOSE JAMES – LOVE IN A TIME OF MADNESS

Jose James has a very different look on the cover this time around – and he's got a very different sound, as well – something that might be underscored by the parental advisory logo in the bottom corner of the image! The music is far from the straight jazz or rootsy soul of previous albums from James – and has more of a slimmed-down, slightly-cosmic blend of keyboards and rhythm programs – often set to a slow pace that works perfectly with the depth of Jose's vocals, and given the kind of slight electro crackle that a few other underground soul artists were exploring in the previous decade. The approach is still very fresh, though – especially in the hands of Jose, whose vocals are often so great, they often really get to stretch out and flow in the spareness of the setting. Definitely more soul than jazz, and the album features guest appearances by Mali Music and Oleta Adams – on titles that include "Always There", "What Good Is Love", "Remember Our Love", "Ladies Man", "To Be With You", "Let It Fall", "I'm Yours", "Breathrough", and "Closer".  ~ Dusty Groove

CAMERON GRAVES – PLANETARY PRINCE

A fantastic debut as a leader from pianist Cameron Graves – an artist you might know from Kamasi Washington's album The Epic – and an even more tremendous talent when he gets his own chance to shine in the spotlight! Graves has a very bold, righteous vision here – a mode that's in the same California Get Down spirit as Washington's music, but with more focus on the structures built up by the piano – almost a post-modal approach, with soaring spiritual currents – served up not just by Graves on the keys, but also by Kamasi Washington on tenor, Philip Dizack on trumpet, and Ryan Porter on trombone! The three horns have a way of wrapping together as a core, then soaring to the skies – while Graves pumps up the movement with a great deal of energy, and the soloists break off on their own. The group also features bass from Thundercat on two tracks, and Hadrien Faraud on the rest – plus drums from Ronald Bruner. Graves produced – which gives the record a very different feel than other Mack Avenue releases – and titles include "Isle Of Love", "The Lucifer Rebellion", "El Diablo", "Adam & Eve", "Planetary Prince", "The End Of Corporatism", and "Satania Our Solar System". ~ Dusty Groove


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