New Releases: Leela James, Alvin Fielder / David Dove / Jason Jackson / Damon Smith, Lord & Dego

Leela James -  See Me

Is it us, or has the voice of Leela James just gotten deeper and more expressive over the years? Here, she's got a way of inflecting the lyrics that we never would have guessed way back at the start – set up in well-crafted contemporary soul modes with plenty of help from Rex Rideout, but always at a level that makes it known that Leela's very much in charge, and setting the tone strongly with her work on tunes that include "Put It On Me", "Tryin To Get By", "See Me", "I Want You", "You're The One", "Complicated", "Rise N Shine", "Angel In Disguise", and "Break My Soul".  ~ Dusty Groove

Alvin Fielder / David Dove / Jason Jackson / Damon Smith - Very Cup of Trembling

Beautifully resonant improvisations, recorded in a cathedral in Houston, with a sonic power that's really wonderful – given the space and the depth of the room! The quartet often start out in relatively subtle territory – with the drums of Alvin Fielder or bass of Damon Smith staking out space before the others find their way into the mix – which eventually results in some beautifully bold lines on trombone from David Dove, and all these many unusual soundshapes from Jason Jackson on both tenor and baritone saxes! The titles are all from pieces by poet Fred Moten – and titles include "If Your Sweetheart", "Brushstroke Curvetime", "Othar Or Other", "Lonely Slipper", and "Long Hall". ~ Dusty Groove

Lord & Dego - Lord & Dego

A long-overdue full length set from Lord & Dego – the duo who've been giving us some great London tracks over the past few years, and who really deliver on this extended set! If you know those cuts, you'll know that Matt Lord and Dego are really evolving the style that Dego first was giving us back on the London scene years back with other associates – lean grooves with a cosmic vibe, and an approach that shows that sometimes using just a little can do a hell of a lot! Lord handles the funky drums next to basslines from Dego – and while both handle some of the keys, we're especially in love with the album's fantastic Fender Rhodes likes from Dego. The album's all instrumental, but has a righteous message nonetheless – and titles include "No Romance", "Better Than Pleasure", "Your New Life Costs You Your Old Life", "People Lie Actions Don't", "Keep To The Left", "Guess Who's Smoking", "Who's Gold Who's Gold Plated", "Life Happens Here", and "It's Not What You Know It's What You Can Prove". ~ Dusty Groove, Inc.