Tuesday, January 02, 2018

NEW RELEASES: JULIAN LAGE – MODERN LOVE; JAMISON ROSS - ALL FOR ONE; CHARLOTTE DOS SANTOS – CLEO

JULIAN LAGE – MODERN LOVE

On 'Modern Lore', Julian Lage's second studio recording with his trio, the composer and guitarist focuses on the groove, building his melodies and solos around the work of the prodigious rhythm section of double bassist Scott Colley and drummer Kenny Wollesen. It finds Lage playfully flipping the script he followed on his acclaimed 2016 Mack Avenue debut, 'Arclight'. This time he incorporates the sensibility, if not the outright sound, of early rock and roll, a similarly hybrid form driven by rhythm, personality and a passion for the electric guitar. Opening with the exuberant "The Ramble," Lage's set of all-original new material is largely up-tempo, though on tracks like "Atlantic Limited" and "Splendor Riot" the trio adopts a hypnotic, lyrical stride. And, on "Revelry" and "Pantheon", it grows more pensive. Throughout, the beat is concise and steady. Lage's solos are action-packed musical monologues, stuffed with brilliant melodies and off-the-cuff inspiration. The penultimate track, "Earth Science", is an outright scorcher. As one of the most prodigious guitarists of his generation, Lage has long displayed an ability to explore a wide range of sounds, ideas and genres. But what delights him here - and will, in turn, captivate his listeners - is the artful simplicity of Modern Lore. "There's a disarming spirit of generosity in the musicianship of Julian Lage, and a keener sense of judicious withholding. A guitarist with roots tangled up in jazz, folk, classical and country music, he has spent most of his life bathed in a bright, expectant light." - The New York Times

JAMISON ROSS - ALL FOR ONE

'All For One' perfects the intoxicating chemistry of Jamison Ross' debut, which intermingled blues, jazz, R&B and soul effortlessly. The album boasts a cast of musicians of whom Ross has developed a strong rapport from touring - pianist Chris Pattishall, guitarist Rick Lollar (both of whom played on the 2015 debut), bassist Barry Stephenson, and Cory Irvin on Hammond organ and Fender Rhodes. Ross is particularly enthusiastic with the addition of Irvin on the organ because he likens that instrument to an orchestra that would accompany jazz singers like Frank Sinatra or Billie Holiday.Love is a recurring theme on 'All For One' as the material touches on both the romantic kind and the socio-political aspect of love that calls for unity among a diverse and, at times, a divisive community. The album also finds the Jacksonville, Florida born and now New Orleans-based Ross plowing into the rarefied areas of blues and R&B that seldom gets investigated by his peers. Besides the wordless "Tears and Questions," 'All For One' contains no instrumentals like its predecessor; nor does it explicitly showcases Ross' virtuosity as a drummer. "This album is a result of a personal revelation that we all have the capacity to love with empathy in a deeper way. The love you need comes from me and the love I need comes from you. All for one, one for all."

CHARLOTTE DOS SANTOS – CLEO

The debut album for singer, songwriter and producer, Charlotte Dos Santos. Born in Norway, Charlotte combines soul, jazz, rare groove and Afrolatin influences, with a warm sense of storytelling & an angelic voice that seems to float over any track it's on. Currently based in Brooklyn, NY Charlotte has been making waves as of late with her sentimentally-timeless singles Red Clay and Good Sign, and keen visual aesthetic (best seen in her music videos, which she co-directs). Now Charlotte makes good on all of the potential she's shown thus far with the release of her debut project, Cleo. The project compiles a few lost Soundcloud and compilation fan-favorites ( Move On, Take It Slow, and Watching You ) with stand-out pieces (including Good Sign, Cleo, King Of Hearts ) all coming together to paint a singular, yet universal, coming-of-age love story. On the album title's significance, Charlotte explains ''Cleo' is a woman who represents power, femininity, courage and independence. She is ambitious and fearless, yet humble. She is the woman I feel I am becoming, and the woman I feel all girls could be.' Charlotte wrote & produced the project herself, with Oslo beatmaker Fredfades (of the Mutual Intentions crew) contributing on four songs as well. TRACKLIST: 1. Sumer Is Icumen In 2. Good Sign 3. Watching You 4. Move On 5. Cleo 6. (New Beginnings) 7. Red Clay 8. King Of Hearts 9. Take It Slow 10. It s Over, Bobby.


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