New Music Releases: Wynton Marsalis, Jon Batiste, Michael Kiwanuka

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