NEW RELEASES: JEAN-MICHEL BERNARD – JEAN-MICHEL BERNARD PLAYS LALO SHIFRIN; THE KANDINSKY EFFECT – PAX 6; BURNT SUGAR – ALL YOU ZOMBIES DIG THE LUMINOSITY

JEAN-MICHEL BERNARD – JEAN-MICHEL BERNARD PLAYS LALO SHIFRIN

New takes on the famous soundtrack work of the great Lalo Schifrin – served up in a mode that's every bit as jazzy and groovy as the original! The set begins with some key cop and crime themes from Lalo's breakout years of the 60s and early 70s – and that music really sets the stage for the album, which unfolds in a set of tracks that stand as a strong tribute to the tonal color and rhythmic genius of the maestro! Jean Michel Bernard plays Fender Rhodes, piano, and Hammond – in a core group that also includes vibe, muted trumpet, and some reeds – and there also seems to be larger orchestrations on most numbers, but in a way that really lays in the background, and never gets in the way of the instrumental energy in the lead. Schifrin himself plays a bit of guest piano – and titles include "Mannix", "Bullitt", "Dirty Harry Suite", "The Cat", "Lalo's Bossa Nova", "Manteca", "Mission Impossible", "That Night", and "The Plot". ~ Dusty Groove

THE KANDINSKY EFFECT – PAX 6

A jazz trio, but one with a very unique vibe – given that, in addition to familiar saxes, bass, and drums – the group also uses a fair bit of effects as well! The drums are often echoey and thunderous, the basslines nicely bumping, and the tones of the saxophone can go off in all sorts of directions – always tuneful, but often with darker currents too – nice little sonic twists and turns that certainly make the instrument sound different than usual! Saxophonist Warren Walker also plays a bit of keyboards too, although those often seem wrapped up with the larger electronic palette of the album – and titles include "Astoria", "We Make Our Own Holidays", "Loops", "Iron Lion", "Re: Jungle", "Musicbox", and "Glass Bottles". ~ Dusty Groove

BURNT SUGAR – ALL YOU ZOMBIES DIG THE LUMINOSITY

The Burnt Sugar sound just gets more and more complex over the years – to a point where it's even more mindblowing than when it started, and where it's hard to tell where one influence starts and another one ends! In a way, the approach here is like a fully righteous extension of some of the modes explored by the black rock generation in the New York scene of the 80s – and its way of folding together soul, funk, avant jazz, and lots more. But under the helm of Luqman Brown, the Burnt Sugar groove moves onto whole new planets of sound – using a rich tapestry of funk, fuzz, wisdom, and knowledge to lay down sheets of sound that might take others years to create. Vocals are by a variety of singers – including Shelly Nicole Jefferson, Abby Dobson, Christina Wheeler, Julie Brown, and Mikel Banks – and titles include "That Bent Arc Do Be Slow", "Ziploc Latex", "RU Insane", "There Is A G", "Young Black & Vague", and "Ride Ride Ride". ~ Dusty Groove