IDRIS ACKAMOOR & THE PYRAMIDS – ANGEL FELL
Saxophonist Idris Ackamoor is a living jazz legend – but not
the kind that's stale and stuffy, and instead a continuously vibrant player
who's given us mindblowing music since his initial recordings with his Pyramids
group in the 70s! This version of the Pyramids is different than that one, but
they represent a continuing evolution of Ackamoor's rich spirit – his way of
fusing spiritual jazz currents with global rhythmic inspirations – but all
without every sounding as hokey as so many others who try for that space, and
just fall flat! There's a sense of power and inspiration to Ackamoor's music
that still moves us tremendously – and which, today, seems more urgent than
ever – especially as Idris has seemed to set a new fire under his talents in
the past decade or so, obviously more motivated by the need for social change
than in his projects of more recent decades. The album's a mix of vocals and
instrumentals – but the vocals are often more chant-like, or handled by the
ensemble – at a level that further deepens the spirit of the sound. Titles
include "Land Of Ra", "Papyrus", "Soliloquy For
Michael Brown", "Message To My People", "An Angel
Fell", "Tinoge", and "Warrior Dance". ~ Dusty Groove
SOIL & PIMP SESSIONS - DAPPER
This great Japanese combo are maybe even more dapper than
usual here – still strongly tied up in their tradition of hard-hitting jazz,
but also opening the door for work from some guest soul singers and MCs! Leader
Shacho is usually the "agitator" in the group – calling out the
performances from the players – but this time around, he's more of the music
director and songwriter – working in collaboration with the singers when they
appear – in a lineup that features work from Nao Kawamura, Yojiro Noda, Shun
Ikegai, Ego Wrappin, and Awich. Make no mistake, the instrumentation is as
fantastic as ever – maybe even more so, as the group feel leaner and tighter –
with some especially fantastic bass, trumpet, and keyboards. Titles include
"A New Day", "Heaven On Earth", "Deform Reform",
"Comrade", "Drivin", "Dusk", "Drifter",
and "Pride Fish Ball". ~ Dusty Groove
KASSIN - RELAX
We admire the hell out of Kassin, but it's hard to imagine
that we'd relax when faced with a new record of his – as we always pay fervent
attention to everything he ever does! And this time around, that attention is
rewarded even more than usual – as the musician and studio genius emerges a bit
more from the background than usual – finally putting his face on the cover
(sort of!), and really showing off his talents as both a singer and songwriter!
Yet as with all of Kassin's other work – including his famous collaborations
with Domenico and Moreno Veloso, his time in Orquesta Imperial, and his
projects with bigger names in Brazilian music – there's always this understated
quality that makes the whole thing even more charming than if Kassin was
overstating his talents. Kassin is one of the few contemporary Brazilian
artists to really live up to the genius of the golden years that gave us
talents like Marcos Valle, Edu Lobo, or Caetano Veloso – and his sense of
songwriting, presentation, and overall structure here is wonderful – making the
album an instant classic in Brazilian music. Titles include "Seria O
Donut", "Comprimidos Demais", "Estricnina",
"Momento De Clareza", "O Anestesista", "Su
Sugestao", "Enquanto Desaba O Mundo", and "As Coisa Que Nos
Nao Fizemos". ~ Dusty Groove
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