Echoes | "Lasting"

Set for a November 5th release, Lasting is the third album by the up-and-coming group of young jazz musicians Echoes. Reedist Max Bessesen, percussionist Matt DiBiase, Drummer Chase Kuesel, and bassist Evan Levine make up the leaderless collective, whose sound blends futuristic electronica with jazz improvisation, while dabbing with electronic instruments, loops, and triggers for an additional layer of intricacy. Members show off their personal styles throughout, with each composing two of the tracks that make up the album.

The album opens with “Jam Fest,” as an opening drum groove leads to an anthemic, and occasionally wry, melody. “This is a tongue-in-cheek piece for a good time,” says Bessesen, who penned the composition. The gravelly saxophone sound carries on throughout the track, complimented by smooth melodic flourishes in the vibraphone. The track boldly introduces the listener to the electronica fusion that follows on the record. 

Immediately welcomed by a synth keyboard, “Taylor” integrates the band’s diverse interests into the formal structure of the song. The composition works around an adaptation of a beatboxing performance by Taylor McFerrin, which Kuesel adeptly translates to the drum kit. The band uses a sample from Taylor’s performance to cue different sections in real time, leading to an exciting, unpredictable listening experience. 

The sequence of “Off Switch” and “Flipbook” that follows provides a representative example of the diverse emotional landscapes the band is able to convey with their compositions. In response to his composition “Off Switch,” DiBiase says, “At first the bass solo is content, but it gradually grows into glitchy darkness and requires a reset of the intro piano motif.” After being brought to this glitchy darkness, “Flipbook” brings back a sense of joy, as DiBiase describes the piece as “syncopated and playful,” with a melody meant to “paint the story of an animated cartoon character.”  

Evan Levine titled the track “Asbury” after his hometown of Asbury Park, NJ. “This tune takes a lot of the group’s rock influences and uses layers to create a powerful groove with a sweet, relaxed melody skating over the top of it. Think about drinking a beer on the beach – it’s hot outside, but the water is cold,” says Levine. This track has an easy- going feel as it builds itself a story through the layers of piano, drums, percussion, with sax fading in and out. 

“Wasted” could be thrown into any romantic film and fit perfectly. Bessen tells the story of “Relationships, nights, sobriety... all wasted away and explored in this heartfelt, off-kilter, ballad.” These stories are told through the slow, contemplative movement of the piano and the soft complimenting instrumentals.

“Attics” and “Lasting” are the final two tracks of the band’s third offering. “Attics” returns the band to a grooving, hypnotic soundscape, as Bessesen’s solo takes flight before the song ends with lush arpeggios from DiBiase’s vibraphone. “Lasting” provides a meditative end to the record, as a soaring saxophone melody takes shape over a repeated ostinato in the keyboards. The song ends with a cycle of ethereal suspended chords, meant to “convey a sense of openness – a value that the band hopes to maintain as they move into the future together.” says Kuesel. 

Taken as a whole, Lasting finds an ensemble equally interested in joyful interplay and melancholic reflection. It is a strong and compelling effort, and an important document from an ensemble that is poised to refine its unique voice on the international stage for years to come. 

Chase Kuesel is a composer and drummer based in Brooklyn, New York. Hailed as an "ambitious" composer by All About Jazz, his debut album as a leader, "Space Between," was released on Ears & Eyes Records in July 2020. In 2021, he was announced as a recipient of ASCAP's Young Jazz Composers Award for his song "The World Is Now Your Own," composed in honor of the birth of pianist Glenn Zaleski and violinist Tomoko Omura's child. In July 2020, he was awarded a "Pathways to Jazz Grant" by the Boulder County Arts Association to record a new album, which will be released in Spring 2022. In addition to his own music, Chase is actively involved in many projects as a sideman. He has shared the stage with Emma Frank, Morgan Guerin, and Allegra Krieger, and performs regularly with the Alex Hamburger Quartet and the collective ensemble Echoes. Cross-disciplinary explorations have inspired Chase’s latest work. In summer 2020, he published both an animated music video, in collaboration with artist Ian Kelly, and an essay in Music & Literature that explores the relationship between music production and digital culture. He appears on drums and composed the second track, “Taylor,” as well as the closing track to the album, “Lasting.”

A southern California based multimedia artist, Matt DiBiase (aka Plexusplay) began his passion for music in Boston studying classical mallet percussion on marimba from the age of 5. Matt has performed his original music on multiple tours in the U.S. as well as internationally in Europe and the Middle East. Select performances of his own original music include headlining the Idyllwild Jazz in the Pines Festival, opening for KNOWER, Tri-C Jazz Festival (Cleveland), Carson City Jazz Festival, Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Tsai Center, Boston’s Symphony Hall, and San Diego's Symphony Hall. Matt has shared the stage with artists such as Genevieve Artadi, Kamau Kenyatta, Gilbert Castellanos, and Joshua White. He appears as the percussionist throughout the album and composed the third and fourth tracks of the album, “Off Switch” and “Flipbook.”

Evan Levine is an electric and double bassist located in Chicago, IL. He is a Filipino American that completed his master’s degree at the University of Michigan and his undergraduate degree at Oberlin Conservatory. Originally from New Jersey, Evan started his professional career at the age of 16. He has performed at jazz clubs such as: Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, Cliff Bells, The New Jersey Performing Arts Center and has played at the Detroit Jazz Festival in 2014 and 2015. Evan has had the opportunity to perform with Benny Golson, Carl Allen, Nicholas Payton, Dave Liebman, Jamey Haddad and many others. He has released two albums as a leader – Unsolvable Problems and Mestizo (Shifting Paradigm Records, 2018). He appears on bass and composed the tracks “Asbury'' and “Attics.”

Max Bessesen is a performer, composer, and educator based in New York City. His skills as a saxophonist and woodwind doubler have taken him across five continents and earned him awards from organizations including Downbeat Magazine and the Frank Huntington Beebe Fund. Max has performed and recorded with artists as diverse as Dayna Stephens, Simone Shaheen, and Isaac Slade (of The Fray). His debut album as a leader, Trouble, was released on Ropeadope Records in 2020. He appears as the reedist and composed both the opening track, “JamFest,” and “Wasted,” found in the second half of the album.

STR4TA - ‘The Invicta Remixes’ digital album mixed by Gilles Peterson & Sam Bhok

Brownswood Recordings are proud to present an extension of the ever-evolving world of STR4TA, the brainchild of long-time friends and collaborators Gilles Peterson and Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick. Their debut new wave Jazz Funk album ‘Aspects’ was released in March to a rapturous reception, garnering the attention of tastemakers on a global scale. ‘The Invicta Remixes’ feature an array of illustrious producers and polymaths unleashing their respective unique interpretations of STR4TA’s standout tracks. This limited edition collection of reworked & reimagined music is released on digital format only on November 12th 2021. Mixed by DJ, record collector and broadcaster, Gilles Peterson alongside Sam Bhok (Worldwide FM/Stay Put). In addition ‘The Invicta Mixtape’ is a limited edition cassette tape format with only 200 available worldwide.

Opening with a percussive stripped-back, cowbell-driven rework of ‘Dance Desire’ by Steve Conry (Ten Lovers Music) & Japan’s finest Cuban-inspired percussionist Takashi Nakazato, orchestrated by Colin Curtis, and a funk-laced ‘Rhythm In Your Mind’ by Ashley Beadle (North Street) plus Glasgow’s Nuovi Fratelli add a cosmic disco flare in the mix. Dave Lee’s rework of ‘After The Rain’ harps back to the classic Brit-Funk era whilst tailoring it to contemporary club culture with this spaced out Dub; conscientiously keeping the essence of that raw magic in the original. ‘Vision 9’ is catapulted to cult underground dancefloor status, reconceived by Melé's rhythmic inventiveness and Delfonic’s virtuoso. The mix also features LA-based experimental techno pioneer, Dave Aju, and the spellbinding Demus Dub originally released on a 12” white label in September 2020. To complement his massive overview of U.K. Jazz-Funk published in Wax Poetics, DJ veteran Greg Wilson remixed STR4TA’s debut single ‘Aspects’ strictly for the dancers.

At the core of STR4TA is pure party music inspired by the gritty DIY sounds of the cult 80s Brit Funk era, emanating a live, raw & improvised energy, where musicians and dancers alike lay it all out on the dancefloor. The mixtape honours the importance of Radio Invicta, London's very first soul station running from the late-60s to mid-80s. Set up by passionate vinyl collectors Peter St Crispian and Tony Irons from Tony’s bedroom in Mitcham, the station expanded to a studio and from 1978 the station began operating every Sunday for three hours from midday. This innovative pirate station became a rich source of inspiration for Club DJs. Radio Invicta was the one that got there first. It was the first soul station in Europe, one of the first pirates to make the jump to VHF, one of the first to introduce stereo and live broadcasting from a separate studio location, and the first to give a home on the dial to the top club DJs of its day. Invicta set the blueprint for all the dance music stations that followed. (Full article written by amfm.org.uk here). The B-side contains the complete STR4TA album.

Digital Album Tracklist (& Mixtape Side A):

1. Dance Desire (Steve Conry & Takashi Nakazato Remix)

2. Rhythm In Your Mind (North Street West Space Funk Rework #1)

3. Rhythm In Your Mind (Steve Conry & Takashi Nakazato Remix)

4. Rhythm In Your Mind (Nuovi Fratelli Cosmic disco Remix)

5. After The Rain (Dave Lee Alternative II Dub)

6. After The Rain (Dave Lee Alternative II Mix)

7. Vision 9 (Delfonic Mix)

8. Vision 9 (Melé Mix)

9. Vision 9 (Melé Dub)

10. Dance Desire (Dave Aju Remix)

11. Aspects (Demus Dub)

12. Aspects (Greg Wilson Mix)

13. Aspects (Demus Dub)

Tracklist (Mixtape Side B):

1. Aspects

2. Rhythm In Your Mind

3. Dance Desire

4. We Like It

5. Steppers Crusade

6. After The Rain

7. Kinshasa FC

8. Vision 9

 

Paul Jost | "While We Were Gone"

Paul Jost performs around the world and is a mainstay on the New York City jazz scene. Many critics, contemporaries, and music fans consider him to be one of the best male jazz vocalists since Mark Murphy, who, like Jost, was known for his edgy, unconventional singing and dramatic recitations. Jazz in Europe has called Jost “A creative force that deserves to be added to the list of great male jazz vocalists of all time.” Jost’s newest album, While We Were Gone, is a double disc album recorded live at the Soapbox Gallery, an art and performance space in Brooklyn, NY. The hallmark of Jost’s appeal is his extraordinary ability to connect with his listeners on an emotional level. He is a passionate storyteller who interprets lyrics and melodies in ways that reveal the beating heart within a song. He says, “I like to present songs in ways that perhaps no one has heard before. It’s not that I’m just trying to be different, but I have my own perspectives that I try to present truthfully and honestly.” Jost’s band comprises some of the top New York area musicians. He is drawn to musicians who approach music with the same guiding principles and sensitivities. The live recordings on While We Were Gone are soulful and intimate. It is a journey into the profound, elegant, and moral universe that Jost inhabits.

The KBCS | "Color Box"

The KBCS represent the musical coming together of four very uniquely gifted, but very complementary, instrumentalists from Hamburg, Germany. Color Box, their sophomore LP, happened almost by accident, born as it was out of a series of freestyle jams.

The core of the band are drummer Lucas Kochbeck, who spends much of his time obsessing about vintage recording equipment, tape machines and the like, whilst adding his talents to the recordings of retro-loving contemporaries such the Bacao Rhythm And Steel Band and the Colemine Records family; keyboard wiz Nicolas Börger, who is very much an in-demand, sound-centric master of the blacks and whites, in the same way that guitarist Lars Coelln lends his skills to a myriad of works across the sonic spectrum; and completing the quartet, bottom end provider Daniel Stritzke who adds a little freeform jazz and hip hop attitude to the mix, but even then you can find his bass holding things down on crossover hits galore.

The album kicks off with three instrumental openers - the first of which, Popsicles, is best described by the band themselves as “a late summer teenage adventure”. Hazy guitars and warm keys playfully amuse each other over a solid, funky beat on what is an evocative and vivid introduction to this talented foursome. It’s followed by Whistleblowers, a sweet and somewhat whimsical piece where another sturdy bottom end allows keys and strings to enjoy some lively interplay, and Jolly Tumbleweed which, with its optimistic yet melancholic feel, completes the trio of warm, hazy psychedelic grooves to ease you into an album that circumnavigates 360 degrees of soulful music.

Adding some garnish to this rhythmic stew are an impressive collection of special guests.

Berlin based, and internationally adored vocalist Olivier St. Louis sprinkles a little Cali sweetness with the head nodding Pockets - one of the most immediate and soulful cuts on the album. A guaranteed ear worm, bringing a little sunshine to the winter months to come.

Elsewhere, multi-talented Nigerian singer Nneka lends her distinctive voice to the very succinct but powerful Afro-soul of Ndidi; the enigmatic Lui Hill lays his soul bare with honesty and candor on the alluring Albatross; Tel Aviv born J. Lamotta gives The Center a somewhat delicate and fragile dimension that plays perfectly alongside graceful guitars and contrasts with a sturdy backbeat of bass and drum; and Viviane Ann, AKA Bowie, smooths out the rough edges on the very radio friendly Wasting All Your Lovin’.

Despite these polished guest performances and seemingly silky and sultry sound, every track on Color Box was born out of a live jam. The project allowed all four musicians a sense of creative freedom they perhaps don’t find elsewhere in their musical 9 to 5. It was a natural evolution from being sidemen and session musicians to taking centre stage together and allowing themselves to be more experimental with their output. Mistakes are embraced, musical rabbit holes are explored, allowing emotion and spontaneity to shine through. Nowhere is this more evident than on the instrumental cuts on the album. Tracks like Deep Color Jam, Moonshine and the (humorously entitled) Pho Tang Clan have an ease and effortlessness to them that only comes from a group of musicians who are, in turn, at ease with each other - even if they’re not in the same room!

Funkier jams like He’s Coming and the Moog madness of Rainbow Runners, featuring Flo Mega, depict a band who are playing the music they love from the very bottom of their souls. This is indeed music from the heart; a document of their coming together; and music that needs to be heard live!

 

The Gold Souls | "Downtown Sound"

The Gold Souls are bringing the driving grooves of funk, the rich textures of soul, and the compelling storytelling of the blues to the Northern California scene and beyond. Drawing from a wide range of influences and experiences, they deliver captivating lyrics and fresh arrangements over a vintage sound.

Led by the dynamic Juniper Waller, the group is made up of young talent hailing from the Bay and Sacramento areas. With Darius Upshaw on guitar, Alex Severson on the keys, Billy D. Thompson on the drums, and Avery Jeffry on bass, each member has a hand in writing and song composition, making The Gold Souls a truly collaborative effort.

The Gold Souls burst on the Sacramento music scene in early 2017 and are swiftly becoming one of the most promising new talents in the area.

They released their self-titled five song EP in May of 2017, and toured down the California coast soon after in support of the fresh blues, soul-funk EP. Their next single, “Nobody,” was released in late 2017 and was featured on Apple Music Blues’ Hot Tracks list. They released their full-length album “Good to Feel” in June of 2018, an album that stuck to their core oath to never sacrifice the groove.

Their next single, “True Blue” was produced/engineered by multi-Grammy winner Timothy Bloom (Smokey Robinson) and was released in February of 2019. That April, the band went on tour through southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and New Orleans.

“Strongman” was released in the Summer of 2019 as a single that promotes a story of female-empowerment through rich soul textures and a vintage-inspired sound. The release was accompanied by a visually stunning lyric video in October of that year. After their performance at the Joshua Tree Music Festival, The Gold Souls toured up to the Pacific Northwest and wrapped 2019 with a NYE show with their fans at The Palm Playhouse.

2020 hardly slowed the Souls down, as they spent the year working on their forthcoming second album and live-streaming many concerts to their fans as they sheltered in place. They released their latest single, “Got It” in May of 2020 which promoted a message of community empowerment and unity. The single was accompanied by a collaborative music video with animation from artists all around the world. 

2021 and beyond look promising for the band, as they get back to their busy schedule of traveling around Northern California and rocking stages for the live music-starved masses.

Byron Asher & Brad Webb | "Little Bigby"

Little Bigby is the debut duo recording from New Orleans-based clarinetist and saxophonist Byron Asher (who released NUTRIA last year with e&e) and drummer Brad Webb. Born out of many years-long relationships of performing and recording together in each other’s projects as well as a 4-year long stint as next door neighbors in New Orleans’ 7th ward (resulting in countless listening sessions and wanders to the coffeeshop), Little Bigby explores their friendship through improvised composition and free improvisation confined by the technical limitations of their direct-to-cassette recording medium. 

Putting the time away from active performing during the pandemic to good use, in January 2021, Asher began experimenting with a busted 4-track cassette recorder he purchased off Craigslist for $40, recording onto blank cassette tapes found in a “free box” on the side of the street. With only three working tracks on his Tascam recorder and single direct microphone input, he and Webb began trading free improvisations back and forth, overdubbing takes on top of each other, improvising against already recorded material, and developing the tracks released here in a sort of long-form call and response.

Given the medium of the recording project, the performers felt a cassette and digital-only release was ideal. The album artwork features a photograph shot by Asher himself, depicting a container ship floating down the Mississippi River from the vantage point of the French Quarter, New Orleans.

Linda Fredriksson | "Juniper"

Linda Fredriksson (they/them) released their debut solo album "Juniper" on We Jazz Records, 29 Oct 2021. Linda (of Mopo and Superposition) has been working on the compositions heard on the album for several years, composing them mostly on guitar, keys and by singing. Only later have they been arranged for the band heard on the album, including Fredriksson on saxes and various instruments, Tuomo Prättälä (of ilmiliekki Quartet) on rhodes, moog and piano, Minna Koivisto on modular synth, moog and OP, Olavi Louhivuori (of Superposition) on drums, and Mikael Saastamoinen (of OK:KO and Superposition) on bass, plus featuring the Swedish artist Matti Bye on piano.

At heart, "Juniper" is a "singer-songwriter album", performed by an instrumental jazz band. The end result is unique, personal, and as Linda themself puts it "quiet and introspective".

The influence list for the album name checks the likes of Feist, Neil Young, Susanne Sundfør, Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Eric Dolphy and Fever Ray, yet the number one inspiration for Fredriksson prior to making the album was "Carrie and Lowell", the 2017 album by Sufjan Stevens. Different as the albums are in terms of instrumentation and general scope, it's fascinating to draw parallels between them by listening to the quietness and immediacy of the music.

"Juniper" can still be heard as a jazz album, but perhaps one reminding that the word doesn't need to mean any one thing in particular. At its best, jazz music is highly personal and "of the moment", both true on "Juniper". The album has been made in two different studios, three homes, two summer cottages and four working spaces. It was recorded with professional studio equipment but also with an iPhone and on a basic built-in laptop speaker. With that, "Juniper" stands as a remarkable musical diary of a creative musician and composer during the early 2020's. 

blu.collective | "Rising Above"

blu.collective is a soulful collaboration of artists from Toronto & Sydney with a raw funky sound that continues to evolve. ‘Rising Above’ is a soulful collaboration with raw, funky beats – imagine D’Angelo meeting J Dilla in a live jam, with vocals, rhodes keys & guitar layered over a tight bass & drum foundation. Where “Rising Above” is sparse, instrumental b-side ‘Beers at Samirs’ lets the four multi-instrumentalists stretch out in gradually evolving, thick textures, while still holding down the funk. Danilo Ray is the vocalist on ‘rising above”. He’s a Toronto-based musician who’s contributed vocals to releases by LHA, Natalie Slade & others. He has several creative projects in the pipeline. Guitarist Caratgold studied jazz in college, and started out playing guitar in funk and blues bands. later, he delved into hiphop and production, and has worked as an MC & DJ in Canberra and Sydney. His track “Dreaming Of Minnie” featured on the “High Hopes Volume One” compilation, and he’s contributed mixes to the renowned “This Is Not An Edit” series. Bass player JuzzOne is a beatmaker, musician & DJ in Sydney. As a DJ he’s supported many artists like Roy Ayers, Omar, DJ Krush, and Oddisee; and his funky bass features in Edseven’s track ‘Cascading Trickles’ on Inner Tribe’s recent “Lemonade City” compilation. On keyboards & beats, Sydney-based Simon Hunt is an award-winning musician, composer & filmmaker who’s worked across soundtracks, performance art & music ranging from classical/experimental to funk, with releases on Sub Rosa Records, JJJ compilations & Australian ARIA nominations for best independent release.

Adán Mizrahi feat. Ben Van Gelder | "Dissident"

Containing Argentinean textures and traditional rhythm influences, 20th century “classical music” ideas, deep grooves, and free improvisation would land this record in the overall genre of “contemporary jazz.” It’s fusion music in the sense that it takes elements from different worlds and puts them together to create new, well conceived music with clear influences and yet its own identity. The compositions are often contrasting in style with one another, whilst keeping a coherent aesthetic as a whole. These contrasts will probably lead to a favorite track depending on each listener’s taste. The kind of album that can satisfy the Jazz and Improvised Music enthusiast but also tickle the curiosity of others, like a Rock or World Music lover.

The ensemble is made up of musicians from different backgrounds and generations. This is true in many aspects. Not only is there a 20 year difference of age between the oldest and the youngest member but also their careers have been formed from various “schools” and literal varying hemispheres giving the overall sounds a richness that’s not often heard. It features the Argentina-born, Netherlands-living tenor saxophonist Natalio Sued and the Dutch alto saxophonist Ben Van Gelder - icons of two different generations and latitudes.

Stanley Rubyn | "On My Mind"

Nigerian reggae singer-songwriter, Stanley Rubyn, is set to release his new single ‘On My Mind,’ a song of heartbreak and longing. Combining his musical versatility and personal flair, ‘On My Mind’ blends together elements of reggae, afro-soul and folk. ‘On My Mind’ will be available on all platforms on the 1st of November 2021.

Written in the shadows of the night, ‘On My Mind’ was a silver light amidst the lockdown of 2020. Late night thoughts and reflective emotions inspired Stanley Rubyn, who was trying to leave behind a past love affair. “As they say, old memories live, and feelings come back. I was caught up with mixed feelings for her. She was just on my mind, and still is on my mind,’ explains Rubyn. This rings true throughout the song, especially in the chorus, as the hook circles around Rubyn’s lyrics; ‘You been on my mind, you’re still on my mind.’

Recurring hand claps, jovial electric guitar and a layer of percussive vocals lay the foundation of the track, while Stanley Rubyn’s honeyed vocals sit on top. There’s a hypnotic quality to the song, a carefree energy that lifts the spirit of the listener. There’s optimism in each word Rubyn sings, a buoyancy in the deep double bass, and a shining brightness in the guitar. Despite the longing in Rubyn’s voice, the sonic landscape of ‘On My Mind’ is vibrant and lighthearted, a fragment of hope lingering, ‘my love for you will always be, my love for you will never die.’

Now based in Germany, Stanley Rubyn, was born and raised in the Southwest Region of Cameroon. His intense upbringing on the streets, surrounded by a family who sang and prayed every morning, ignited a passion in Rubyn and his love for music. Often compared to Tracy Chapman, his talent for songwriting led him across the world, performing throughout Europe, including Vienna and Switzerland. He became the opening act for Inner Circle, and the new generation band of the late Prince. Since his first studio session, Stanley Rubyn realised that music was his true purpose, and has released a series of singles and albums. ‘On My Mind’ is the next part of Stanley Rubyn’s rich journey.

MARISA MONTE Announces Major U.S. Tour March 4-27 + New Album 'PORTAS"

Singer-songwriter MARISA MONTE, one of Brazil’s most adventurous and internationally acclaimed stars for over thirty years, is returning to the stage with a vengeance. Monte will resume touring in January 2022; in March she launches a ten-city U.S. tour—the largest of her career thus far. Her new show is based on her twelfth album, Portas (Doors), released in July on her own label Phonomotor and distributed by Sony Music; to date it has amassed well over thirty million streaming plays.

Monte’s voice has the lilt and delicacy of bossa nova, but her singing, like her songwriting, is driven by a fierce intelligence, a curiosity about the human condition, and a passion for risks. She has collaborated with a wide array of vanguard artists, including Seu Jorge, David Byrne, Philip Glass, Caetano Veloso, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Arto Lindsay, John Zorn, and Laurie Anderson. Recently Sony Music also released the single “Vento Sardo” (Sardinian Wind), written and sung by Monte and Jorge Drexler, the Oscar-winning Uruguayan singer-songwriter. They composed the song while riding together on a sailboat in Sardinia. Sung in Spanish and Portuguese, it talks about “the flow of life,” Monte says, “and how things are always in a dynamic movement, changing all the time.”

On October 22, Monte was in Sanremo, Italy to collect the prestigious Tenco Award for lifetime achievement in songwriting. Past recipients include Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits, and several icons of Brazil (Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Chico Buarque, and Vinicius de Moraes); Monte is her country’s first female honoree. “I’m glad to represent all my Brazilian sisters,” she says, “and to be opening doors for them outside Brazil. Female singers before my generation didn’t compose as much as now; it’s an interesting change in the way women occupy space on the musical scenery in Brazil, and it reflects our presence in society as well.”

Her newest album sprang out of the seemingly barren confinement imposed by the pandemic. While staying at home in Rio with her husband, son, and daughter, Monte planned Portas, an album filled with soft, comforting sounds and messages of hope. “I wanted to offer something that could heal and help people to cross this moment, to not be that depressed and sad,” she says. Of the sensual title track, Monte explains: “Doors are very symbolic elements; they talk about opportunities, changes, transformations, so I wanted to offer a sense of passage.”

In November 2020, when COVID restrictions began to ease, she started recording with her musicians in the studio, using full safety precautions. Musicians from New York, Spain, and Portugal made guest contributions through Zoom. Videos were shot for all the songs—“small musical documentaries that show the process of recording,” says Monte, “but also the garden, the sea, the sky, everything that was outside during the confinement, when we all had very limited physical space in which to live.”

MARISA MONTE “Portas” U.S. Tour 2022 

Mar 4 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Mar 6 - Atlanta, GA ,The Buckhead Theatre

Mar 10 - N. Bethesda, MD, Strathmore

Mar 12 - Minneapolis, MN, State Theatre

Mar 15 - Chicago, IL, The Vic

Mar 17 - Stamford, CT, The Palace Theatre

Mar 19 - Boston, MA,  Berklee Performance Center

Mar 22 - New York, NY, The Town Hall          

Mar 25 -  Berkeley, CA, The UC Theatre

Mar 27 - Los Angeles, CA ,Royce Hall

Jessica Pavone | "Lull"

Composer-violist Jessica Pavone has released an excerpt of the third piece from the upcoming album Lull, titled "Ingot," which features renowned composer and improviser Nate Wooley as a soloist on Bb trumpet. Wooley was chosen based on his own extensive work with experimental solo improvisation and unique expansion of the physical and sonic boundaries of his instrument. Pavone's own work on challeging conventional uses of the viola and string instruments in contemporary music makes this a fitting collaboration.

Wooley's solo work has often been cited as part of an international revolution in improvised trumpet playing and he is regarded as one of the leading lights of the American movement to redefine the boundaries of the horn. Wooley’s performance practice includes extreme extended technique, noise and drone aesthetics, amplification and feedback, vocalization and compositional rigor which all contribute to his revolutionary approach. The music of “Ingot” hinges around a single held note by Wooley which gradually modulates in tone and timbre; the orchestra shifts around this note, determining and reframing its context.

Composer-violist Jessica Pavone was thinking about how music has the power to cause you to feel a range of emotions—depression, excitement, nostalgia—as she wrote the works that comprise Lull. She’s inspired by processes that center intuition and instinct, learning from sound healers and alternative healing practices to bolster her philosophical interests in the power of sound to illuminate hidden emotions.  She channels all these ideas into compositions by focusing on the way music feels when it’s played and heard instead of what’s “right” and “wrong.” In writing music this way, she’s able to explore how sonic vibrations affect the body, weaving her many experiences as an instrumentalist into works that transcend time. 

Lull directly reflects Pavone’s interests by centering flexibility rather than perfection—the music is meant to sit right in the body, not force the artists to cram their hands in positions that simply don’t work. Her score for Lull focuses on open pitches that players oscillate between at their own rate, taking advantage of the natural resonance of instruments. Lull also represents an expansion of Pavone’s practice—this is her first octet, which she was inspired to begin after writing a string quartet in 2017. After writing the quartet, she dreamed of writing a long-ranging, drone-focused solo work; eventually, that turned into Lull, a four-movement octet with two acclaimed soloists, Yeah Yeah Yeahs percussionist Brian Chase and trumpeter Nate Wooley. 

Pavone implements her signature score style on Lull, in which she directs players to move between phrases at specific time points, floating between loosely dictated notes until they reach the designated clock marker telling them to switch to the next phrase. It’s indeterminate music—a structured improvisation that rejects the showiness of jazz improvisation and the rigidity of classical music in favor of gently structured spontaneity. She draws from her experiences both as a classical and jazz musician, working with artists like guitarist Mary Halvorson and saxophonist Anthony Braxton, to form her genre-transcendent music. 

Pavone also wanted writing Lull to be a collaborative process. When she approached Chase and Wooley, she asked them both, “what’s your favorite note to play?” and worked from there, crafting music that felt good to each of them. They’d sent files back and forth, sharing snippets of music they love. Pavone was then able to form movements that catered to each soloist’s desires; in rehearsals, she let the soloists dictate how they wanted to move or change the notes she’d written, giving them a voice in the process, too.

Each piece on Lull embraces themes of comfort, with titles like “Indolent,” or little or no pain, “Holt,” or wood, “Ingot,” or metal, and “Midmost,” or middle. The album’s title, Lull, took her the longest amount of time to choose, but in the end became a clear symbol to represent the music she’d written: This music is meant to be like a lullaby, and listening feels like a dream. Pavone isn’t writing show music, she’s writing a soothing balm to lose yourself in, one second at a time.

Airto Moreira & the Preservation Hall Jazz Band Documentary

Djerassi Films presented Resurrection! Airto Moreira and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band at the 24th UNAFF on Saturday, Oct. 23rd. In this new documentary, producer/director Dale Djerassi brings two powerful forces in the world of jazz together and takes us behind the scenes as famed percussionist Airto Moreira joins the Preservation Hall Jazz Band during Mardi Gras in the Big Easy.

Airto Moreira is a world-renowned jazz drummer and percussionist from Brazil, who exhibited great talent at a young age. 

In his twenties, he traveled to the U.S.A. in pursuit of Flora Purim, the woman with whom he had fallen in love, who had left Brazil to sing Bossa Nova with saxophonist Stan Getz. Over the years, Airto became a major musical figure by bringing his Brazilian percussion to American jazz. His credits range from records, performances, and compositions with Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, and numerous other notable artists to recording his own solo records. 

Fifty years after coming to the U.S., dealing with a number of personal challenges, Airto was depressed.

Preservation Hall was created in 1961 in the French Quarter of New Orleans as a venue where traditional New Orleans jazz musicians, who were struggling to keep their music alive, could play. Over the years, Preservation Hall became a revered part of New Orleans culture, where a group of venerable talented New Orleans musicians were able to continue to perform. 

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, founded by tuba player Allan Jaffe, began touring widely and attained a high level of recognition. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band was awarded the National Medal of Arts, with this citation: "With enormous talent and pride, this ageless ensemble has toured the world displaying the unbreakable spirit of New Orleans and sharing the joy of New Orleans jazz with us all." 

Filmmaker and jazz enthusiast Dale Djerassi attended four nights of performances by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band at SF Jazz Center, the premier venue for jazz in San Francisco. Each night, a different musical guest would perform with the band. 

On the last night, Dale approached Ben Jaffe, creative director, as well as tuba and bass player in the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, to ask if they had ever considered playing with Airto Moreira as their guest. Ben was excited by the idea and invited Airto to come to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, along with his accomplished daughter and jazz singer Diana Purim, and her husband, hip hop artist, and bandmate Krishna Booker, who perform together as Diana Purim and Eyedentity.

In the film Dale Djerassi documents how these powerful forces in the world of jazz come together to create a once in a lifetime event - following them from their first meeting at Congo Square on Mardi Gras morning to their arranging, rehearsing, and performing at the legendary Preservation Hall the next night. Taking the viewer behind the scenes, Dale Djerassi navigates the musical alchemy of this meeting and watches how music reignites Airto’s passion to perform. 

This magical Mardi Gras musical meeting has led to the announcement of a new Diana Purim & Eyedentity album on the Ropeadope label, entitled Pais Da Maravilha (Wonderland). The duo, consists of hip-hop artist Krishna Booker and Brazilian singer Diana Purim Moreira. With the new album, they strive for the Brazilianization of American music and the Americanization of Brazilian music, tapping into modern, urban, as well as traditional and cultural elements. This calculated integration of dualities is a deliberate movement toward a more unified understanding of one another, of nature, of humanity and of a grander universal scheme. Pais Da Maravilha (Wonderland) is due out November 12 and features a single with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band!  

The duo Diana Purim and Eyedentity will perform at the view of the UNAFF showing of documentary Resurrection! Airto Moreira and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. 

This is music as medicine for the soul! 

This film will be viewed at the 24th UNAFF (United Nations Association Film Festival) on Oct. 23rd at 5:30 PM. This year the 24th UNAFF will be held from October 21-31, 2021. This year’s theme MOVING FORWARD continues our two decade-long celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, emphasizing our readiness to resume resolute strides towards lasting solutions. 

Omar Coleman & Eddie Roberts | "You've Been Cheatin'"

The New Mastersounds’ guitarist, bandleader, and producer Eddie Roberts, has joined forces with Chicago’s West Side soul sensation, Omar Coleman, to release Eddie Roberts Presents Omar Coleman: Strange Times via his record label and music platform Color Red. When Chicago-based producer David Vandenberg brought The New Mastersounds to the US for their first time to open for Greyboy All-Stars in 2004, little did he know nearly two decades later there would be full-circle energy tied into that first night out in Chicago and working with Omar Coleman, an icon-clad staple in the city heralded as ‘Home of the Blues.’ Coleman has released the third single on Roberts’ imprint, "You've Been Cheatin'."

When you put “You’ve Been Cheatin’” in a musical centrifuge, you extract a multitude of depth within classic blues themes. With Eddie Roberts producing the track, there are extracted elements of Daptone-esque horn lines, guitar riffs and organ stabs tastefully placed throughout, and a viscous layer of strings pads to contrast the rhythmic particles present throughout the composition. Coleman’s harmonica wails and tell-it-like-it-is vocals call out a lover’s infidelity and demand the truth be told in a precursor to his full-length album ’Strange Times,’ coming out via Color Red in early 2022. Joining Coleman on the track are Dan Africano (Ghost Light) on bass, Chris Spies (Matador! Soul Sounds) on keys, Cole Rudy (Dragondeer) on guitar, Carl Sorensen (Dragondeer) on drums, Eric “Benny” Bloom (Lettuce) on trumpet and Nick Gerlach (Michal Menert) on saxophone. 

Whether dating back to picking up a harmonica at his local music shop to pass downtime as a barber or deep diving into instructional books on leather smithing, a now 10-year side hustle of Coleman’s, curiosity and refusal to be confined to a singular scene have proven to be pillars of longevity in Coleman’s career. After cutting his teeth at Eddy Clearwater’s Sunday jam, he took the plunge to become a full-fledged professional touring musician in 2010. He’d embark on month-long tours in Brazil twice a year, make frequent appearances in Japan, and perform over 30 dates in Europe both solo and with as the lead vocalist/harmonica player in the award-winning Sean Carney Band, a group that has won the International Blues Challenge. He’s had notable plays as the headliner for  “Blues for a Cure” benefit in Columbus Ohio for 3 years straight; Spain Blues Fest; San Francisco Blues Festival, and more and has been featured on the all-star compilation Diamonds in the Rough: Chicago Harmonica Project.

Coleman's debut single and title track “Strange Times” is reflective of the modern state of the world while the bulk of the rest of the album will unveil classic blues themes and uncanny coincidences dating back to that first meeting of Roberts and David Vandenberg (who also produced Coleman’s 2017 album West Side Soul) in the early 00s. On Roberts’ very first night in Chicago, Vandenberg took him to Rosa’s, a legendary blues club on the West Side of town, a club that Coleman had been playing for decades. While laying down his original tune “Old Man Teaser,” Coleman explained it was a story about the lady behind the bar at Rosa’s teasing all the older blues musicians. 

An instance like that goes beyond coincidence and demonstrates the ripple effect of Color Red’s collaborative spirit and the minuscule degrees of separation in their musical network. As for the album’s title, it’s an ode to The New Mastersounds’ 2001 debut record, Keb Darge Presents: The New Mastersounds, that was championed by the iconic Scottish DJ and curator launching the band into a 20+ year career and nine more records to boot. Now, the baton is passed to Roberts as a leading voice in the modern funk and soul revival era with notable producer and bandleader accolades and the launch of Color Red that curates top-notch musical talent from all over the globe. 

Ayumi Tanaka Trio | "Subaqueous Silence"

Subaqueous Silence, Japanese pianist Ayumi Tanaka’s leader debut for ECM – following two critically acclaimed releases with Thomas Strønen – is a strikingly original statement, conveying a musical atmosphere all its own, with its intensities and silences, its sense of mystery and dramatic tension. No other contemporary piano trio sounds like this. 

Tanaka met bassist Christian Meaas Svendsen and drummer Per Oddvar Johansen shortly after arriving in Oslo a decade ago and they have been developing their musical language together since then, exploring the implications of Ayumi’s compositions, which draw inspiration from both eastern and western sources, from the sounds of nature and more. 

Deep interest in the work of Norwegian improvisers brought Tanaka to Scandinavia. “The first time I heard Norwegian jazz I felt that the musicians’ expression was very personal,” she recalls, “the quality of tones making the air feel alive. So I came to Norway to understand how this unique music evolved.”

Born in Wakayama, Japan, Ayumi Tanaka began her musical studies at the age of three, initially playing electronic organ. She recalls improvising, almost from the beginning, in parallel with her studies. “I played everything from film music to the works of Bartók and Ravel. Alone, I would find myself improvising, sometimes about stories I imagined, sometimes to release my emotions. Or I’d just play along with the sound of a bird, the wind, water…”

At the Norwegian Academy of Music Tanaka studied jazz with Misha Alperin, Anders Jormin and Helge Lien among others. Soon she was making significant contributions to Norway’s world of improvisation: playing in a three pianos ensemble with Christian Wallumrød and Johan Lindvall, taking over the piano role in Time Is A Blind Guide from Kit Downes, and co-founding an open-form improvising trio with Thomas Strønen and Marthe Lea, recently heard on Bayou. Since 2015 she has also played with the ensemble Nakama, led by Christian Meaas Svendsen. 

Alongside all this activity, there has been a growing awareness of her own cultural roots; there is an ascetic rigour in her playing, as well as a sense of space suggesting affinities with Japanese musical tradition. “I feel myself in ancient Japanese classical music,” she acknowledges, “even though I am strongly influenced by Norwegian musicians. My late teacher Misha Alperin was always saying to me ‘Find your own voice’, which is something I continue to seek.” 

The stark and poetic pieces she writes for the trio set a musical direction for free creative interpretation. “I intend the group to be more like a chamber ensemble. We share a flow of energy, even in silences, as reflected in the album title.” Silence is often an energizing force in the music, helping to determine the shape of the content, and opening up new avenues of approach. 

Per Oddvar Johansen, long one of Norway’s most resourceful and versatile drummers, is a familiar presence to followers of music on ECM through his contributions to albums by Trgyve Seim, The Source, Christian Wallumrød and Mette Henriette. He is a master at playing in very open contexts, setting pulses in motion with a gently splashed cymbal or delicate brushes on a snare drum, generating powerful music from understated gestures. 

Christian Meaas Svendsen, making his label debut on Subaqueous Silence, variously utilizes Zen restraint and fiercely physical textural exploration in his improvising, alert to the changing needs of the moment. His intensely expressive arco bass on “Black Rain” is among the album’s highlights. 

Subaqueous Silence is the trio’s second album (the first, Memento, was issued in 2016) and recorded at Oslo’s Nasjonal Jazzscene Victoria in June 2019. 

Darius Jones | "Raw Demoon Alchemy (A Lone Operation)"

Acclaimed saxophonist Darius Jones shares his version of Sun Ra’s “Love In Outer Space”, his second and last preview from his first new solo album in five years, Raw Demoon Alchemy (A Lone Operation) releasing November 5th, 2021 via Northern Spy Records. 

Raw Demoon Alchemy (A Lone Operation) harnesses the gamut of raw, unadulterated emotions — suppressed feelings that we’ve all been allowed to “feel” again in the wake of a global pandemic. Born out of a live performance in fall 2019, during the last stop of his tour in Portland, OR, saxophonist Darius Jones renders a solo effort that evokes sadness, rage, and confusion, all the while still holding for glimmers of hope for the future.

With four of its five tracks on Alchemy, Jones selects compositions from artists who are not just unapologetically Black but also notably ones that he regards as “world builders.” From Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman, and Roscoe Mitchell right up through the present with Georgia Anne Muldrow, Alchemy draws immeasurable strength from each of these artists who dared to envision and create an entire universe unto themselves, on their terms.

“I want to capture a moment in time, to crystallize the beginning of something at the end of something else,” says Jones. Separated and now divorced from his partner of 10 years, Alchemy balances the emotional heft of closure with the simple act of standing alone. Each track unearths a deep and profound vulnerability in every solo performance that isn’t just personal but also delves into the macro-level divisiveness of our current political climate.

With “Figure No. 2,” Jones offers us a modern-day version of the blues. Courtesy of Muldrow, her refrain encapsulates the vast breadth of the Black experience in America, transforming our deep-seated pain into our beauty and armor of resilience. Jones also proudly rests on the shoulders of Coleman and Mitchell, two of this music’s known improvisers who often stood alone in this music’s ever-changing landscape. He pays homage to Mitchell with “Nonaah,” which in the late 1970s was initially met with jeers from an audience, that is, until his 21+ minute long version overtook them.

Alchemy uncovers a duality of what it means to be alone, especially resonant in today’s climate of social distancing. In one turn, we were all forced to put life as we knew it on hold — to simply be still and deal with our emotional realities unencumbered by the distractions of life. But at another turn, Jones taps into an unknown power of his lone voice, finding a newfound strength and enthusiasm that will carry him — and its listeners — beyond the uncertainty and doubt of not knowing.

Nicole Henry | "Time To Love Again"

On TIME TO LOVE AGAIN, vocalist NICOLE HENRY performs an eclectic mix of jazz standards and reimagined pop tunes with the sweet yet powerful voice that has made her a favorite with audiences and critics alike, around the country and the world. Stephen Holden of The New York Times raved, “I had the sense of being in the presence of a pop-soul superwoman whose every gesture and inflection conveyed confidence and mastery.” BroadwayWorld says, “So powerful is her charisma, so unique is her personality, so rich is her music, so abandoned is her joy that you can't watch her without being drawn in.” Henry’s live performances have garnered fans and rave reviews in over 20 countries.  In Japan, where her albums are widely distributed and she’s enjoyed much touring success, The Japan Times has said, "Nicole Henry holds an audience in the palm of her hand.” Featuring top South Florida musicians, TIME TO LOVE AGAIN is a showcase for Henry’s soulful interpretations of songs by a diverse group of iconic composers. Often favorably compared to Whitney Houston and Natalie Cole for her dynamic range, impeccable phrasing, and bluesy gospel style, Henry truly makes each song uniquely her own, whether burning through a swing tune or gently crooning a ballad.

Andrea Prodan & The Crabs Corporation | "Lend Me Your Car!"

Buenos Aires rock steady kings The Crabs Corporation are back with the brand-new single "Lend Me Your Car" feat. Scottish-Italian film actor, composer and musician Andrea Prodan.

Record Kicks is proud to present "Lend Me Your Car", the brand-new single by Buenos Aires rock steady kings The Crabs Corporation. The new single features on vocals Scottish-Italian film actor, composer and musician Andrea Prodan and it comes out on October 29th on all digital platforms.

The Crabs Corporation are an Argentinian institution in mod-reggae with a sound devoted to “Reggae 69” and “Boss Reggae”. They debuted on Record Kicks in 2009 with the single “Let It Go” featuring Jamaican legend Dave "double barrel" Barker and Jennifer "Belle Stars" Matthias. The single was followed in 2010 by “Bring Down The Birds”, an early reggae cover up of Herbie Hancock’s classic produced by Nick Welsh aka King Hammond. In 2013 they teamed with Trojan Records and Lee “Scratch” Perry soulful queen Susan Cadogan to release the single “Day After Day” and collaborated with Roy Ellis aka Mr Symarip. Now they’re back with the Reggae scorcher “Lend Me Your Car”.

Mike Pride | "I Hate Work"

Mike Pride was not a fan of legendary punk band MDC – a straight-edge hardcore devotee, you could even say he had a chip on his shoulder about this more mainstream, less disciplined form of punk – when he suddenly found himself on a tour of Europe as their drummer sometime in the early ‘00s. Twenty years later, now a longtime fan and friend of the band, Pride unexpectedly turns to the band’s raucous catalogue as a source for jazz standards on his warped new album, I Hate Work.

Due out November 19th via RareNoiseRecords, I Hate Work draws its material exclusively from MDC’s iconic 1982 debut album, Millions of Dead Cops. Despite his long-established passion for bringing the extremes of hardcore and heavy rock into the jazz and improvised music realm (and vice versa), Pride instead does the unexpected, transforming MDC’s pummeling punk into swinging acoustic jazz. 

For the occasion he enlisted pianist Jamie Saft and bassist Bradley Christopher Jones, both master re-interpreters of a wide swath of pop and rock music, as well as special guests Mick Barr (Ocrilim, Krallice), JG Thirlwell (Foetus), Sam Mickens (The Dead Science) and MDC frontman Dave Dictor.

“I literally didn't know anybody when I moved to New York in 2000,” Pride recalls. “So to go from that to joining MDC, not realizing their history and how famous they were in certain aspects of the music world, was really eye opening. And doing 90-day tours without a day off was a serious ass kicking. In hindsight it was a great experience. I would never do it again, but it was a great experience.”

Pride quit the band in December 2004 after two years of touring and recording the album Magnus Dominus Corpus, though he’s maintained a close relationship with both vocalist Dave Dictor and guitarist/songwriter Ron Posner. Not long after, he began incorporating his experiences in the punk realm and his hardcore roots into “jazz” projects like his bands From Bacteria To Boys and Pulverize the Sound.

“Those projects really reflected my idea of the popular music I was into,” Pride explains. “I was getting to a phase of my musical output where I was trying to reflect the music that surrounds me rather than just following my id. I wanted to take tunes from my musical history and started thinking about ways to incorporate more aggressive music in the same way that certain pop tunes became jazz standards. That led me to think about trying to do something with these MDC tunes.”

The strangeness of the songs on the original Millions of Dead Cops was a product of its unusual recording, a marathon, speed-fueled session in which the entire album was recorded without a break. When he landed the gig two decades later, Pride had to transcribe every dropped beat and missed eighth note; he ended up reading from sheet music for his first year with the band, a definite curiosity in the largely untrained punk world that endeared him to his older bandmates.

That attention to detail paid off when it came time to revisit the songs for I Hate Work. “There’s a lot of meat on the bones of some of these tunes,” Pride says. “Originally I thought we could just play them really fast and blasty, which is probably what people would expect of me anyway. Then I decided it would be even cooler to slow them way down, figure out some chord progressions other than the usual I-IV-V stuff, and reimagine the melodies Dave might sing if everything wasn't happening at a breakneck tempo and he was able to really sing.”

That approach is in direct opposition to Pride’s actual tenure in the band, when the goal was to attempt the fastest possible version of each song on stage. The record came one night in Amsterdam, when this album’s title track, “I Hate Work,” clocked in at a blistering 24 seconds, nearly half the previous record. For its album-closing rendition on the present recording, the song is stretched into an 8-minute nightclub crooner, with Dictor bizarrely channeling his inner Sinatra (albeit Ol’ Blue Eyes in his present condition, disinterred and martini thrust into his decomposed clutches). 

I Hate Work opens with Pride’s chattering cymbal patterns setting the pace for a finger-snapping “Corporate Death Burger,” with Saft eloquently exploring the unearthed melody in much the same way as the eclectic pianist has songs by the likes of ZZ Top or Bob Dylan in his own projects. The serrated shredding of Mick Barr enters as the tune transitions into “Business on Parade,” where the guitarist plays like a death metal Sonny Sharrock. 

Barr’s presence on the album was a must, as the guitarist, along with Mr. Bungle bassist Trevor Dunn, was integral in encouraging Pride to join MDC in the first place. He returns for the funhouse mirror cabaret take on “Greedy and Pathetic,” featuring Pride’s frequent collaborator Sam Mickens on vocals. The drummer played with and served as musical director for the ex-Dead Silence singer’s Ecstatic Showband and Revue.

Foetus mastermind JG Thirlwell contributes his rasping purr to “America’s So Straight,” sounding like a showtune for a musical not only off Broadway but deep below it, in some subterranean lair. Saft switches to a calliope-like mellotron for the lilting “Dick for Brains,” trading buoyantly with Pride in the solo section. “Dead Cops” begins with a precision intro before settling into a lurching swing, with Saft essaying another dazzling turn at the keys.

In keeping with a series of threes marking the project – a 3-sided LP, a trio of guest vocalists – Pride also contributes three original compositions to the album, which take the ideas he derived from exploring and expanding the MDC songs into wholly different territory. He plays whispering brushes on the dirge-like “And So You Know,” and propels “Annie Olivia,” named for his young daughter,” with a methodical rumble. Jones’ vehement bowed bass and Saft’s droning mellotron combine in the ominous melody of “She Wants a Partner With a Lust for Life,” dedicated to Pride’s wife.

Family is central to Pride’s philosophy, perhaps helped by his tenure in MDC. I Hate Work is dedicated to bassist Mikey Donaldson, who died of an overdose at the age of 46. “It’s important to me that my family isn’t subjected to a terrible home life because their dad is a musician,” he says. “So I try to always give them some love on the albums.”

As Dictor’s memorable vocal turn implies, the members of MDC have given the project their blessing, which also was important to Pride. “They're very excited about it,” says the drummer, whose nickname during his time in the band was Baby Mongo. “With the generational divide, they definitely feel like proud uncles in some way. I hope it comes off respectful and sheds some light on their music, which is much more interesting than I ever would have assumed previous to joining the band.”

Gary Meek | "'Monterey Groove"

With opportunities for live performance and studio work suddenly non-existent due to the pandemic, saxophonist and keyboardist Gary Meek decided to introduce the world to his stellar new band while revisiting a number of original compositions from his rich catalog. The project soon grew beyond his core quartet, which features  guitarist/producer Michael Lent (Barry Manilow, Jeffrey Osborne). along with bassist Robert Wider and drummer Skylar Campbell.

With the album by necessity being recorded remotely, opportunities arose for guest appearances by some of Meek’s long-term collaborators, including drummer Dave Weckl, vocalist Flora Purim and percussionist Airto Moreira. 

The result is the vibrant Monterey Groove, a stunning set of modern fusion that both celebrates the musicianship to be discovered in the Northern California beachside community and draws inspiration from the area’s natural beauty and welcoming population. The album, due out August 27 via Autumn Hill Records, includes tunes from throughout Meek’s 30-year career as a leader, along with songs written to showcase collaborators new and old.

Anders Helmerson Trio | "Opus i "

Acclaimed pianist Anders Helmerson leads bassist Lukasz Chula and drummer Juan Meija as the Anders Helmerson Trio ahead of the anticipated release of their second album: Opus i. Its DNA intertwined through classical music, folklore, prog rock, and all that lay between, the album sees the band pay homage to those that came before while progressing jazz like no other. Unsatisfied with the genre dormant, the Anders Helmerson Trio infuse a technology and futurism inspired philosophy to bring new life to contemporary jazz.

This signature sound is heralded by the album’s lead track iSchertzo, a piece rooted in a pulsating bass and ever-changing drums that Anders’ masterful piano dances across. Listeners would be forgiven for struggling to define the piece. Part jazz fusion, part prog rock, the song shifts between its layers creating the presence of a totally engulfing soundscape from only its humble three-piece makings. Moments of respite prime listeners for the awe of explosive piano runs that move between feelings of percussion and the softness of tender vocals. 

These intricacies of composition are where the Anders Helmerson Trio set themselves apart. Compared by a Spotify curator to the complex movements and layering of a 3D geometric puzzle, and the paintings of Picasso, Opus i embraces the influences of our technologically rich world: 

“The concept of the letter i, he says, stems from a train of thoughts of random words starting on i as; infinity, improvisation, imagination… where ideas are flowing in a constant stream. My music is conceived in an iworld. The technology support my creative flow, helps me organise my ideas, combining them in different ways, to see it in its entirety, and to define its emotional meaning. – Anders Helmerson

Freeez's first two 12"s "Keep In Touch" & "Stay" reissued

Far Out Recordings presents a double bill of two monumental Brit funk classics. Keep In Touch and Stay were the first two 12” singles by the iconic Freeez, both self-funded passion projects of its founding member John Rocca, for his own Pink Rythm imprint. 

It all started over the counter at Derek’s Records on Petticoat Lane, London in the mid-70s. Rocca - at the time a budding teenage percussionist - met the prolific guitarist, composer, producer and all round brit funk fixer Jean Paul “Bluey” Maunick (also the father of Far Out producer Daniel Maunick). Best known as the founding member of Light of the World, Incognito, and more recently Str4ta, Bluey’s involvement in the origins of Freeez are lesser known, but no less crucial. Bluey invited Rocca to a weekly jam session in an East London basement, where they would develop their craft, form their first band Freeez and develop the idea for ‘Keep In Touch’: “Back in the basement there was this one particular track we were playing that I really loved. It had a groove that I thought I could sell” Rocca reminisces.

Going against the advice of all the musicians involved, who thought he was mad and set to lose all his money, John decided to go full DIY, hire out a high end studio in the West End to record ‘Keep In Touch’ and release it as a private press, birthing his now famed Pink Rhythm label. Featuring Bluey on guitar, Peter Maas on bass, Paul Morgan on drums, Jason Wright on keyboards, and John Rocca on percussion, Keep In Touch was a surprise underground hit selling over 5000 copies and reaching #49 in the UK, leading Freeez into a record deal with Pye / Calibre. 

Still giddy from the experience of having produced and pressed his first record at the age of just 19, John set out to do it all again with ‘Stay’ and ‘Hot Footing’, enlisting Bluey & co once again. This time Rocca attempted to take things to the next level by adding vocals into the mix. Though this new arrangement initially backfired and cost John the deal with Pye / Calibre who weren’t feeling the slight change of vibe, original copies of the Stay 12” have become one of the most in demand from the brit funk canon.

These foundational DIY 12” singles paved the way for Freeez to become a household name in the history of British funk who went on to record hits like ‘Southern Freeze’ and ‘IOU’ as well as underground cult classics like ‘Melodies of Love’ and ‘India’ as Pink Rhythm, John Rocca’s later formation of Freeez named after his imprint. 

Far Out will be releasing a very limited run of exclusive Pink Rythm T-shirts (complete with original misspelled 'Rythm'), alongside the two 12”s (1000 copies of each), both redesigned in the style of the original private presses. Shipping 12th November.

Let Your Hair Down | "Waiting Room"

Over the last three years, those with their ear to the ground will have detected the emerging sound of cinematic instrumental soul music from Melbourne, Australia, from groups such as Surprise Chef and Karate Boogaloo. From this sound emerges a group that precedes the current wave of releases: the rag-tag group of gun session instrumentalists Let Your Hair Down.

Formed in 2014 as a side-project to iconic Melbourne soul band Saskwatch under the name ‘The Let Your Hair Down Girls’, the group served as a vehicle for the instrumental impulses of the band’s rhythm and horn sections. In the ensuing years, the group held down a reputation as Melbourne’s ‘pub soul’ staple, brazenly introducing psych funk, cinematic soul and boogaloo sounds to the beer-drenched haunts that prop up Melbourne’s rock ‘n’ roll scene. 

After a hiatus born from the touring commitments of  the increasingly in-demand players within the group, the project was was revived with the addition of fellow travellers Hudson Whitlock (Karate Boogaloo) and Lachlan Stuckey (Surprise Chef), and a full-length LP of the band’s percussive instrumental soul committed to tape over a weekend in Karate Boogaloo’s infamous attic studio. 

Produced by Henry Jenkins (Karate Boogaloo, Mo’Ju), the production mind behind all College Of Knowledge recordings, Waiting Room moves deftly through moments of fuzzed-out psychedelia, dusty deep soul backbeat and incendiary minor key funk. 

Jesse Cook | "Libre"

What happens when you let multi-Platinum and Gold award-winning producer, composer, and guitarist Jesse Cook’s Spanish guitar off-leash with Algerian multi-instrumentalist Fethi Nadjem and some 808 trap beats? You get Cook’s newly-announced album, Libre — coming December 3rd.

“I wrote and recorded Libre during the pandemic when, like most people, I was longing for freedom,” Cook shares of the new project. “My music was my escape from the four walls that surrounded me, and the storm that was swirling outside.”

The inspiration came from a long summer-day drive with his 14-year old, Cook reveals. “My daughter entertained me with her favourite playlists, much of which were trap and 808-inspired. I loved them too, and a question was planted in my mind: ‘what would my music sound like mixed with those sounds?’”

He wasn’t short on material to draw from; it’s been more than 25 years since the internationally-lauded virtuoso first stepped onto the scene with his now-iconic release, Tempest. In the time since, he’s come to hold ten Gold and Platinum studio albums with a combined sales of 2+ Million copies, five concert DVDs and live discs, five PBS specials, and multiple awards — a JUNO win, 11 nominations, three Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards, a Gemini, and an Acoustic Guitar Magazine Player’s Choice Silver Award.

The digital convergence of the past several years has also resulted in Cook’s music streamed in rather impressive numbers across a series of platforms; by September 2021, his Spotify stats had surpassed 55+ Million, and plays on Pandora soaring beyond the 300+ Million milestone. YouTube’s universally visual appeal has also grown steadily for Cook’s connection with audiences, with his channel accumulating upwards of 25+ Million views since 2010.

It was this ready-set relationship online with his legions of fans worldwide that inspired Cook through the unexpected over the course of the past 18 months. With gear cases locked and loaded, about to set off on a national 25-date tour marking Tempest’s monumental anniversary just as COVID-19 shuttered stages, and beyond, Cook made use of the time since through a series of creative experiments — including re-visiting hits like “Wednesday Night at Etric’s, “Tempest,” and more — unveiling them in relative real-time across his social profiles.

At 10 tracks, which will see re-treatments on the likes of “One World One Voice,” “Jaleo,” “Hey!” and more, the release of Libre continues this string of Cook revisiting his distinct repertoire down newly explored sonic streets.

But while it may sound like a new style for both long-time fans and those newly gathered across Cook’s thousands of concerts and millions of livestream views the world-over, reconnecting with an 808 sound takes Cooks all the way back to his beginnings.

“I was in Grade 10 when the Roland TR808 drum machine was first released,” Cook says. “I remember pooling my money together with friends in order to rent one for our mad basement recording sessions. We were spellbound; all of its drum sounds were made by an on-board analogue synthesizer, which gave it this other-worldly quality.

“Of course, I had no idea that, all these years later, the 808 would come to define so many forms of music — from hip hop, to rap, pop, reggaeton, and trap… And now, I get to incorporate it into my own.

“For many of my fans, it may seem like a huge departure for me to record an album dominated by 808 beats but, to me, it feels like I’m coming full circle… Kinda like when wide leg jeans came around again; it’s a bit like coming home.”

Emitime | "Cámara Oscura"

Emitime´s debut album Cámara Oscura is the result of a collaboration between musicians living in three different cities: Buenos Aires, New York, and Zurich. Their experiences and distinct musical backgrounds find a common ground in these chamber-jazz compositions where all the voices create something bigger. The recording was made after touring in Switzerland (January 2020) and in New York (March 2020).

The band was formed in Brooklyn in October 2019 where Argentine pianist Santiago Leibson, bassist Santiago Lamisovski, and Swiss drummer Samir Böhringer met as a trio for the first time. They hadn’t played before but the musical affinity was there: influences of modern and chamber jazz and free improvisation with a clear leaning towards creating meaningful creative music. Swiss tenor saxophonist Tobias Pfister, an old collaborator with drummer Samir Böhringer and also known by Leibson, was the perfect fit to finish the band. He was added to the first European tour in January 2020 and in March 2020 the quartet came to New York to record.   

All the compositions were brought by the “Argentinian legs” of the band: Leibson and Lamisovsky but all of them also were reworked as a band; thus, the final pieces are a product of a collective effort. All the tunes showcase some of the different possibilities that a true “band” has to tell a story. In this manner, the arrangements sometimes feature duos, trios, and even solos, combining these different formats to shape and color larger structures. The compositional and improvisational focus is on the counterpoint and interaction between the instruments. The written material gives a structure that is meant to be amplified by the improvisational skills of the players. Most pieces are five minutes in length; they are concise musical ideas that develop into larger forms where the intention is for the listener to always be eager to know what happens next. 

Another way to look at the concept is that they represent the diversity of experiences and musical backgrounds of the four members of the band. Besides being from different countries, all these musicians share a deep connection with creative music and improvisation. This is the beauty of this music; every experience (musical or not) portrays a different perspective that enriches the overall result. 

Nubya Garcia | "SOURCE ⧺WE MOVE"

Saxophonist and composer Nubya Garcia has announced a forthcoming remix album - SOURCE ⧺WE MOVE, out 22nd October - and shared the opening single, La Cumbia Me Está Llamandofeat. La Perla (Kaidi Tatham remix).

SOURCE ⧺WE MOVE finds Garcia reinventing her Mercury Prize-nominated album, SOURCE, through new collaborations with several artists and producers, including: Dengue Dengue Dengue, Georgia Anne Muldrow, DJ Harrison and Moses Boyd.  The reworked tracks retain the inspiring musicianship and blend of jazz and other influences found on the original, whilst also moving in a more beat-driven, electronic direction.  

Garcia’s critically acclaimed debut album, SOURCE, released in August 2020, is included in this year’s Mercury Music Prize shortlist.  Garcia will perform at the awards ceremony, broadcast live on the BBC on 9th September.

In other news, Garcia and her band - which features Joe Armon-Jones on keys, Daniel Casimir on double bass, and Sam Jones on drums - made their debut performance at the BBC Proms at London’s Royal Albert Hall last night.  They were joined by special guest Sheila Maurice Grey on trumpet.

After a lengthy enforced hiatus, Garcia recently resumed playing live and has dates throughout the summer, followed by her own headline UK tour from 31st October to 8th November - more Europe and UK live dates are due to be added over the coming weeks.  In addition, Garcia continues her long-running monthly DJ residency on NTS Radio. 

 

Chakourah | "lotusland"

Born to a musician and raised as a backstage and studio baby, Alecia Chakour aka Chakourah spent her formative years soaking up the magic of many of the architects of rock and rhythm and blues, as well as her family’s deep well of musical traditions. It was in these spaces that her passion for exploration, community, harmony and texture developed that shines so vividly in her work today, as illustrated through her vast catalogue of live and recording credits (most recently with artists such as Kevin Morby, Gary Clark Jr., Danger Mouse & Karen O, Michael Kiwanuka, Lettuce, Mark Ronson and the Menahan Street Band).

Running at 22 minutes, her forthcoming EP, lotusland, is a lush, dreamy and playful exploration of grief, rebirth and beginning again. Equal parts psychedelic folk and avant-soul, the EP honors, but never replicates, life-long influences as wide-ranging as Marc Bolan, Junie Morrison, Fairuz and the Muppets.

Joining the Chakour siblings and rounding out the band on this record are frequent collaborators and an all-star extended family: Homer Steinwess on drums and Sam Cohen on guitar, with special appearances from Jared Samuel on organ, Cochemea Gastelum on saxophone and flute, and Alecia and Alex’s father Mitch Chakour on piano.