Maybe the most majestic album that Makaya McCraven has recorded to date – and that's really saying a lot, given the power of his music on previous records! This time around, the group is large, and the performance is more organic than some of the more mixed/produced sessions that Makaya has given us – and great as those records have been, there's a sense of power here that really places McCraven strongly in the Chicago legacy of the 20th Century – a jazz spectrum that includes Eddie Harris, Ramsey Lewis, Charles Stepney, the Art Ensemble Of Chicago, and so many other musical giants! The mix of instrumentation is almost like some Chess/Cadet session from the end of the 60s – but Makaya still adds in some samples and electronics next to his acoustic work on percussion, drums, and a variety of other instruments – next to Jeff Parker on guitar, Brandee Younger on harp, Joel Ross on vibes, Marquis Hill on trumpet, and Junius Paul on bass – all tremendous players and strong leaders in their own right – working here to make a special sort of magic with McCraven. There's other voices on the set too – more violins, cello, alto, tenor, piano, and other sounds – on titles that include "So Ubuji", "Seventh String", "This Place That Place", "The Fours", "Dream Another", "High Fives", "The Knew Untitled", and "In These Times". ~ Dusty Groove
A really majestic album from the great Carmen Lundy – one of our favorite jazz singers of all time, and one of the few who've just kept growing and changing as the years move on! As with all her recent records, Lundy put the whole thing together herself – a tremendous effort as a composer and arranger, with a musical vision that's far greater than the early records that won us over in the first place – as Lundy handles piano and guitar next to her vocals – in a lineup that has additional trumpet, tenor, guitar, and organ – plus bass from brother Curtis Lundy, with whom Carmen first recorded at the start. The scope of Lundy's songs moves far beyond the usual jazz subject matter – deeply personal, and always very powerful – on titles that include "Say Her Name", "Ain't I Human", "Daughter Of The Universe", "Rest In Peace", "Privacy", "Shine A Light", and "So Amazing". ~ Dusty Groove
An intimate set of duets between these two top-shelf improvisers – both of whom work together in the Snakeoil band of Tim Berne, but who sound even better here in more airy, open territory! Berne blows alto, Mitchell handles piano, and the results are wonderful – introspective, but very human and open too – never too "arch" to let a moment of feeling or two into the mix – as the pair have a way of expanding the space between them with just a few simple turns of phrase or moments of action! Titles include "Middle Seat Blues/Chicken Salad Blues", "Motian Sickness", "Rolled Oats/Curls", "Oddly Enough/Squidz", "Rose Colored Missive", "Purdy", and "Number 2". ~ Dusty Groove
Soil & Pimp Sessions sound better here than ever – still working with a style that nobody else can touch – but in a way that's also a nice change from some of their previous records too! If anything, these guys have really perfected their ability to step out and soar – with horn passages that are not as tightly tied to the rhythms as before, so that they can find all sorts of colors and moods on their own – really illuminating the music in a beautiful way, as the bass and drums step in at points to keep things funky and moving forward! There's nothing "lost" in their music at all – and although we've been following these guys from the start, and loving every minute – we might well be loving this record than any previous set. Titles include "Valley Of The Light", "Ring Route 7", "Meji Jingumae", "Riverflow", "Funky Pongi", and "Generation Tree". ~ Dusty Groove
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