New Music Releases: Bastards Of Soul, Jesper Thilo, Ville Herrala

Bastards Of Soul - Spinnin'

A really special sort of record from the Bastards Of Soul – a Texas group, but one who work in this great mix of deep soul and slight southern rock touches – at a level that almost makes this album feel like some lost nugget from the vaults of Capricorn Records! Vocals are by male singer Chadwick Murray – not the lovely lady on the cover – and there's a cool crossover vibe here that takes us back to work by 70s genius talents like Eddie Hinton or Dan Penn, with guitar lines that are strong, but balanced by these warmer organ currents that really underscore the more soulful elements in the music – as do the laidback rhythms on the tunes. Titles include "I've Got The Key", "Funky Ham & Eggs", "Back To The City", "Spinning Out Of Control", "The Way It Should Be", "The Waiting Time", and "Your Love Has Turned My Heart To Bitterness". ~ Dusty Groove

Jesper Thilo - Swing Is The Thing

Jesper Thilo's been one of the strongest tenorists on the Danish scene for many years running – and he's still a hell of a talent here, blowing with the kind of old school imagination of Dexter Gordon or Johnny Griffin on their classic Copenhagen recordings! Yet Thilo's very much his own man – as anyone who's ever loved his records will tell you – and his tenor voice is captured beautifully here, stretching out on a host of mostly older standards – with well-placed accompaniment from a trio that features Soren Kristiansen on piano, Daniel Franck on bass, and Frandcs Rifbjerg on drums – players who never overwhelm Jesper's strong lead, but definitely give him the right sort of groove. Titles include "I Can't Get Started", "Just Friends", "Splanky", "Nature Boy", "Swinging Till The Girls Come Home", and "Woody N You". ~ Dusty Groove

Ville Herrala - Pu

We Jazz Records presents ‘Pu:’, the boundary-breaking solo debut of bass player Ville Herrala, to be released on 21 February 2020. Utilising only the double bass but looking at the instrument from various different perspectives. The end result is an inspired set of 14 miniatures, each pushing the concept forward in a highly personal way. The first single ‘Pu: 12’ presents a rhythmic approach with echoes of from the world of minimal classical music and electronic music. Bowed tracks such as ‘Pu: 2’ offer another perspective, as does the second single ‘Pu: 10’, going back to the essence of the instrument and opening new doors while doing so. Each of the tracks is a compact musical adventure unto its own. The album will be available via We Jazz Records as black and red vinyl versions, CD and digitally. Ville Herrala (b. 1979) is one of the most highly-regarded bass players working in the Finnish scene. He's known from the ranks of such top ensembles as PLOP, Jukka Perko Jazztet, U-Street All Stars, Jukka Eskola Orquesta Bossa and UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra, to name but a few.