THE JAZZ CHILL CORNER NEW RELEASES - SAM SMITH - IN THE LONELY HOUR; QUANTIC - MAGNETICA; ZIGGY MARLEY - FLY RASTA |  |
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Posted: 12 May 2014 07:23 AM PDT
SAM SMITH - IN THE LONELY HOUR
Between smashing it on guest vocal performances, Sam was crafting his own unique songs. 'I said to myself, I don't want to have a genre. I wanted to take a risk.' In the course of putting it together, Sam has worked with so many blue chip collaborative names: Fraser T Smith, Two Inch Punch, Eg White. But he has retained his sense of self. After his sublime debut EP entitled Nirvana , his first full release will be the albums big pop moment, 'Do It For The Love', a song that sounds like an instant, out of the box smash. But there is melancholia within. Centering on the subject on an unrequited love, it is duty bound to make the listener a little teary as it uplifts. I think so. I've been talking about album titles and people are saying oh but it s too sad but that s what it s about. I was sad and I wrote about being sad. Hopefully I ll be happier soon and I'll write about that. His musical purity is starting to ring the right bells. Adele has tweeted her support. After one single show in New York he has become something of a cause celebre for global soulman, Maxwell. 'He's a great friend to have. He ties to Jessie Ware, Naughty Boy and that whole scene of London underground talent that is taking their new soul to the mainstream.' Sam Smith might yet be at the vanguard of a wave of British talent schooled through the verbal brilliance of Jill Scott, India Arie and Angie Stone in the States a decade ago. Why does he believe stardom beckons? 'When it came to writing and delivering I'd worked out that it was all about truth. When you listen to my album, the songs I love and my label love, it s all the personal things. That are relatable to other people.' ~ Amazon.com
QUANTIC - MAGNETICA
'Magnetica' sees Quantic revisiting his electronic roots, blending cutting-edge and distinctive production with elements of folk, reggae, soul, highlife, cumbia and more. Other featured guests on the album include Alice Russell, Shinehead, Nidia Gongora, Dereb The Ambassador, Thalma De Freitas and Anibal Velásquez; illuminating the sounds, styles and languages of Ethiopia, Jamaica, Brazil, the UK and beyond. 'Magnetica' is the first studio album from Quantic under his main solo moniker since 'An Announcement To Answer' in 2006 so the anticipation is running high. He has, of course, been far from quiet in that time, with releases from many significant side-projects including The Quantic Soul Orchestra, Quantic and his Combo Bárbaro, Flowering Inferno, Quantic & Alice Russell, and Ondatrópica, and a host of thrilling live bands to match. The 'Magnetica' album is a truly exciting listen, taking in all the influences that trailblazing troubadour Will "Quantic" Holland has soaked up from his travels – including the last seven years spent living in Colombia – and collaborations with musicians from Latin America, Africa, the Caribbean and beyond; blended with the innate talent for trend-setting electronic club music that has always made him one to watch. The array of guests to appear on the 'Magnetica' album also includes Alice Russell, Shinehead, Nidia Góngora, Dereb The Ambassador, Thalma De Freitas and Anibal Velásquez. ~ www.tru-thoughts.co.uk / grooveattack.com.
ZIGGY MARLEY - FLY RASTA
The 5th solo studio album from 5 time Grammy winning artist Ziggy Marley, Life on Mars explores crisis on a deteriorating earth and the ultimate migration of the human race. This conceptual album is a cry for humans to come together and make our planet a better place before there is no point of return. Many goodwill partnerships will be created out of this project, all in an effort for people to connect with one another in a positive way and give back to their fellow humans. Marley serves as the album s producer, Dave Cooley (J Dilla, Silversun Pickups) was tapped for the additional production on song structure and the album s audio profile. The record features a collection of talented musicians, including Sly and Robbie, James Gadson (Bill Withers, Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney), Lyle Workman (Sting, Beck), Brian MacLeod (Sheryl Crow), Steve Ferrone (Tom Petty) and Zac Rae (Lana Del Ray, Brett Dennenwith guest vocal appearances from the Melody Makers (Cedella and Sharon Marley, Erica Newall). The album is mixed by Andrew Schepes (Adele, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Jay Z, Justin Timberlake) and mastered by Dave Cooley (M83, Neon Trees). Life on Mars marks some of Marley s most forward thinking and accessible songs in the past decade. ~ Amazon.com
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Posted: 12 May 2014 07:01 AM PDT
ETHNIC HERITAGE ENSEMBLE - BLACK IS BACK: 40TH ANNIVERSARY PROJECT
The 40th Anniversary of the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble – but celebrated by a wonderfully fresh version of the group! The lineup here features the solid, soulful percussion of Kahil El Zabar – who also wrote and arranged all the music too – plus the great Ernest Dawkins on reeds and the bold Corey Wilkes on trumpet! The mixture of trumpet and saxophone is sublime – stretching out over Kahil's spacious percussion at a level that unlocks a spiritual sound that the AACM never even expressed this strongly back in the 70s – a nicely open vibe that stretches out, but still hangs inside at most moments too – a bit like some of El Zabar's famous collaborations with David Murray, but with the addition of trumpet in the mix. Titles include "The Awakening Of 2012", "Creole Peppa Stew", "Walk The Talk", "Can You Find A Place", "Black Is Back", and "Be Bop". ~ Dusty Groove
YUSEF LATEEF / ROSCOE MITCHELL / DOUGLAS EWART / ADAM RUDOLPH / VOICE PRINTS
Some of the most spiritual work we've heard from Yusef Lateef in years – a set cut with AACM legends Roscoe Mitchell and Douglas Ewart, and done with a sound that takes us back to the legendary sounds of both players in the 70s! Adam Rudolph also joins the quartet, bringing in some great percussion – and the album's a really collaborative affair, with all the musicians shifting through a wide range of instrumentation in their own spheres of expertise – at a level that recalls the work of the Art Ensemble of Chicago at their best. Lateef plays tenor, flutes, oboe, and even vocalizes a bit – as does Ewart, who along with Roscoe Mitchell plays a range of reeds and percussion instruments. Titles include "Voice Prints", "Sound Search", "Harpers Ferry", and "Morning Moves".~ Dusty Groove
RED GARLAND TRIO - MOODSVILLE 6
Red Garland's sound was already often mellow and laidback in the late 50s, but it takes on a whole new sense of that style here in a rare session for Prestige's Moodsville label! As with others on the imprint, the focus here is on the gentler sounds of the late nite scene – more ballads and easygoing numbers, but still played with a strong degree of jazz – and not the kind of cocktail modes that other labels would use when putting "moods" on the front of a record! Red's trio here is the familiar one from other Prestige albums – Paul Chambers on bass and Art Taylor on drums – and the only change, really, is that the tracks are all mellower ones, but still done with plenty of bluesy inflections on the keys from Red! Titles include "I Love You Yes I Do", "And The Angels Sing", "Blues For Ann", "I'll Never Stop Loving You", and "Bass-ment Blues". ~ Dusty Groove
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