Wynton Marsalis & Others - Motherless Brooklyn: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
A really beautiful soundtrack from Wynton Marsalis – but one
that has an unusual genesis too! The core theme of the film was composed by
Thom Yorke of Radiohead – who sings on one very short, spare take on the melody
– which is then expanded by Wynton's trumpet into a number of other variations,
and some of Marsalis' own songs too – with help from Isaiah Thompson on piano,
Jerry Weldon on tenor, Ted Nash on alto, and both Joe Farnsworth and Willie
Jones III on drums. Titles include "Blues Walk", "Motherless
Brooklyn Theme", "On A Misty Night", "Delilah",
"Jump Monk", "Daily Battles", and "Woman In Blue"
– and the CD also features two vintage cuts – "Round Midnight" by
Babs Gonzales, and "Relaxing With Lee" by Charlie Parker. ~ Dusty Groove
Jon Batiste - Chronology Of A Dream: Live At The Village
Vanguard
Jon Batiste is fantastic here – way more so than we normally
give him credit for, and maybe even sharper in a live setting than in the
studio! The group works with a mix of jazz, funk, and soul – but very different
than Jon's band on TV, as there's deeper, richer elements going on – both in
the general colors of the instruments, and in the way that the solos soar out
and really give the songs some emotion. The lineup features tenor, alto,
trumpet, and lots of nice bottom currents on the rhythms – sometimes funky,
sometimes more lyrical – all topped with great piano lines from Batiste, who
also sings a bit too. Much of the phrasing and flavor is more modern than some
of his other albums – and titles include "Blacck",
"Prince", "Pwwr", "Birthe", "Kenner",
"Story", "Ordr", and "Higher". ~ Dusty Groove
Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka
Michael Kiwanuka works in a genre that's all his own –
definitely soulful, but wrapped around so many other influences too – all with
this proud, positive vibe that's gotten the singer a lot more ears than we
might have expected just a few short years ago! The record's got plenty of
appeal to any fan of soul music, but Kiwanuka also has a strong potential to
reach out and cross over to other audiences too – and the Danger Mouse
production on the album only serves to intensify all the best qualities of the
music even further – on titles that include "Piano Joint",
"Rolling", "I've Been Dazed", "You Ain't The
Problem", "Final Days", "Living In Denial",
"Hero", and "Solid Ground". ~ Dusty Groove
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