Wednesday, May 05, 2021

New Music Releases: Wadada Leo Smith / Douglas Ewart / Mike Reed, A-P Connection, Urban Underground

Wadada Leo Smith / Douglas Ewart / Mike Reed - Sun Beans of Shimmering Light

Three giants of the Chicago improvised scene, coming together here in an album that recalls the best early recordings from the AACM! There's this open, collaborative spirit going on here – music that moves between structure and freedom, and which stands as a testament to the instant rapport between all three players – trumpet from Wadada Leo Smith, reeds from Douglas Ewart, and drums and percussion from Mike Reed – the last of whom often seems to let his elders set the tone, then find a way to make his own special contributions – at that level that continues to make Reed such a vital part of any group he engages with. Had Delmark issued this album in 1971, it would have gone on to become a classic – but it's an even greater feather in the cap of Astral Spirits – who do a great job here with presentation. Titles include "Super Moon Rising", "Unknown Forces", "Dark Tango", "Constellations & Conjunctional Spaces", and "Sun Beans Of Shimmering Light" www.dustygroove.com

A-P Connection – Wide Vision

A-P Connection is an autoproduced French Funk music duo founded in 2012 in Reims. Growing up, Antoine Perez and Pierre Bonnet were mostly influenced by the funk and disco music of the 70’s and 80’s. It was obvious that playing music would become part of their lives. At the early beginning they played only guitar and bass, yet this quickly evolved into a wider variety of instruments allowing them to create their own compositions. Wide Vision reflects the versatility of our soul and music. Many very talented artists have joined us to make this new opus an exceptional blend of music. ​16 new songs featuring amazing vocalists : Adam Chini, Ava Baya, Chuck New, Denise L. Wilkinson (from Ladies of SKYY), Howard Johnson, Heather Haywood (From The Cool Notes), Joyce Sims, Junior, Matthew Clanton, Nate Williams, Ryan Konline. ​Amazing musicians : Horn House (Tom Walsh & Nichol Thomson), JEMMA, Maya Killtron, Hoodie Boy, and Lucia Sarmiento. www.firstexperiencerecords.com

Urban Underground - World Peace

So sonically intricate, expansive and innovative a concept in collective contemporary music production that its name is trademarked, Urban Underground® - masterminded and led by visionary Bay Area composer, bassist and producer Keith “KDubbs” Williams – offers a multi-faceted (electronic pop, chill hip-hop, urban and acid jazz) contemporary equivalent to classic big tent entities like Parliament and CTI Records. Their latest collection WORLD PEACE makes its case for global harmony through 20 adventurous tracks alternately filled with lush, sultry atmospheres, danceable funk, grittier grooves and infectious melodies and raps – all designed to showcase not simply Williams’ inspired genius but also the artistry of other regional urban music influencers. These include rapper Philasifer, smooth jazz group XPresshunz, funk keyboardist Mark “DreyKeyz” Brown, R&B vocalist Quimby and the dance/pop/chillout ensemble B KDragon. www.smoothjazz.com


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