New Music From: Such, Jonathan Jurion, Palm Unit

Such - Wide Nose Full Lips

Not the first album we've heard from Such, but a set that has us listening to her music with fresh ears all over again – as the whole thing's got a crisp, positive crackle that really lives up to the pride of the cover image and the title! In a world of underground soul singers who can sometimes sound too alike, Such comes across with an instantly distinct personality – this flow in her music that's completely wonderful, and which pushes her message forward with a warmth that's hard to ignore. It also helps that there's some near-perfect keyboards in the mix, which seem wrapped around her voice to combine and make the pairing seem like a whole new instrument – on titles that include "The Real Thing", "Wide Nose Full Lips", "Mood", "Ordinary People", "Don't Matter What They Say", and "Before Dark". ~ Dusty Groove

Jonathan Jurion - Le Temps Fou – The Music of Marion Brown

A beautiful tribute to the music of Marion Brown – a saxophonist who might be one of our favorite jazz musicians of all time – and who always seemed to have a vision that was even wider than the recordings he gave the world! That spirit really seems to come out here – as pianist Jonathan Jurion uses the songs of Brown as a jumping-off point, but then quickly moves into music that's very different than any of Marion's own recordings – yet which, we're guessing, would have really met with his approval! There's definitely horns in the group – trumpet form Josiah Woodson, and tenor and soprano sax from Jowee Omicil – but the core energy of the music really comes from the piano, which is wrapped up with the rhythms in a way that's sometimes echoes work from Abdulla Ibrahim or Randy Weston – even though Jurion's working with a very different sense of rhythm. The group features great drums from Arnaud Dolmen, bass from Michel Alibo, and ka drum from Olivier Juste – on titles that include "Sweet Earth Flying", "Fortunato", "La Placita", "Capricorn Moon", "West India", "Once Upon A Time", and "Le Temps Fou".  ~ Dusty Groove

Palm Unit - Don't Buy Ivory Anymore – The Music Of Henri Texier

Palm Unit began their recorded career with a great tribute to French jazz legend Jef Gilson – but here, they maybe sound even more amazing – in an album that takes on the tunes of bassist Henri Texier, but with results that are completely the group's own! Bass definitely figures in the music – as organist Frederic Ecoffier plays some very cool bass synth too – but the music has this warm, organic flow that's very much like some of the more unusual albums that Texier recorded in the 70s – music that certainly has jazz at the core, but which is very open to embracing other sounds too – in a lineup that also features Lionel Martin on tenor, Philippe Pipon Garcia on drums, and Abraham Mansfarroll on percussion. The drums and percussion dance along in these wonderful rhythms with the keyboards and electric bassbits – and the tenor tops things off with a very soulful vibe. The set features one track with vocals – "Le Piroguer" – and other titles include "Homme Rogue", "Mad Nomad", "Don't Buy Ivory Anymore", "Quand Le Blues S'En Ira", and "Mr Freeman".  ~ Dusty Groove