Music Reviews

Casio Blaster and 99 Mistakes, better known as 1000 Names take you on an adventure in experimental breakbeats and instrumental hip-hop on their full length debut, “Toys Room Combat”. The duo has been a favorite of underground artists for their ability to mash up modern day and futuristic hip-hop beats as well as expanding their wizardry on rare undiscovered grooves. Their inventive producing skills are evident on tracks like the funky hip-hop driven “It started as a remix”.  “Cloudride” features the rap duo 215 The freshest Kidz and is one of only four tracks with a guest appearance. Other highlights are “Ant on my bottom” and “Simmer down” which features C Mont. The majority of the cuts are barely exceeding three minutes but the idea is not to settle into one groove for too long. If you’re a fan of Madlib or J Dilla then you’ll certainly enjoy this.

Listening to “Havana Cultura” for the first time is like tasting a succulent plate of Paella; all the flavors are dancing in your mouth and you just lean back and enjoy every bite. Like all great meals require the right amount of seasoning, “Havana Cultura” contains the right mix of diverse musicians that will appeal to generations young and old. Right from the onset, Cultura heats up with Pa Gozar, a percolating piano driven track by the nine piece Havana Cultura Band who performs on all tracks on disc 1. “Ipacuba” features singer Danay, who emerges as talent to keep an eye on. Her lovely voice and the amazing percussionist on board make this track a keeper. Danay appears several cuts but one particular favorite is “Think Twice”. A tune that starts out soft and sublime and then shifts into a funky hip hop jam that pays homage to the late great J Dilla. “Chereke Son” is another winner that features the amazing Mayra Caridad Valdes on vocals. On disc 2 you are treated to a showcase of up and coming hip-hop artists like Doble Filo, an experimental hip-hop group who are very impressive on “Amor Internacional”. Telmary Diaz is a rapper/poetess and displays remarkable ability on “Spiritual Sin Egoismo”. Los Aldeanos is already one of Cuba ’s most respected hip-hop groups and provide plenty evidence on the fiery “Pasa El Borrador”. There are so many performances to applaud and for that we must give kudos to Gilles Peterson for giving these musicians the exposure they deserve. “Havana Cultura” provides a glimpse into the evolution of Cuban music and it’s wealth of talented musicians. Listen and enjoy.

One can only imagine the wealth of Cuban recordings that have been isolated from the rest of the world but thanks to Australian DJ and Cuban record collector Tom Wieland we now have a window to what lies within that rich musical culture. “Revolucion!” contains 12 hip shaking funky grooves known as Los Van Van that represent post revolutionary Cuban music.  Los Van Van was created by bass player Juan Formell and it is known as fusing pre Castro charanga with soul and funk and the mixture is highly combustible to one’s nervous system. Translated, you’ll find it very difficult not to move your feet and shimying your hips. “Recital En Descarga” is bursting with lively percussion, funky horns and simple but enchanting chords. “Cuando Liego a Mi Casa” starts out with Juan formell’s killer bass riff, creating plenty of space for the congas and the lush string section. “Baila Guiro son Wambari” is a high octane dance floor filler that will have you breaking out in a sweat long before the song’s conclusion. With quality recordings such as these, one wonders how many other gems Juan composed that are buried in the vaults. Until we find out, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to some of the finest music you never heard of before. You won’t soon forget it.

The saxophone is arguably the most seductive instrument there is. The level of tonality and harmonies that the elite musicians create can captivate you unlike any other instrument. It certainly helps when you’re creating spirited music like Nat Birchall is doing on his release “Akhenaten”. Nat has been around for many years, thirty to be exact yet this is his first release as a leader since 1999’s “The Sixth Sense”. He has kept busy by working in Matthew Halsall’s groups as well as Arun Ghosh’s jazz ensemble. That’s a shame because “Akhenaten” is a deep spiritual session that will endear itself to all lovers of post bop jazz. It’s clear that Nat has been inspired by the likes of John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders, his compositions feature a high degree of passion and sensuality and his solos can exceed long stretches. The disc starts out with “Mica’s Dance”, a haunting blues tune with a lovely melody and simple chords that the quartet elevates to greater heights. “A Prayer for…” speaks for itself, a moving gospel inspired tune that will send chills down your spine. “Many Blessings” is a beautiful ballad that finds Nat blowing passionately while pianist Adam Fairhall’s solos are majestic. What a wonderful record Nat has created here. With only four tracks listed here, let’s hope there’s another recording coming soon. For any jazz aficionado, this would be a welcome addition for your collection.

We all know that Gilles Peterson loves all flavors of music but it seems as though he has a special place in his heart for the wonderful music pouring out of Brazil. His latest “Brazilika” is the latest release that focuses on the sounds of Brazil and he has assembled a impressive list of heavy hitters young and old. There are twenty three tracks here including five unreleased tracks. The disc plays out as a continuous mix and moves along at a crisp pace but what matters most is that you’re treated to seventy three minutes of scintillating heart pumping music. There are many standouts including “Os Escravos Do Jo” by Friends from Rio 2 feat. Celia Vaz. “Canto Pre Oxum” is a lovely samba by The Ipanemas. “Chegada” is a gentle peaceful acoustic song by Joyce, Nana Vasconcelos, Mauri. If that wasn’t enough, there are several notable remixes such as world renowned DJ/producer Osunlade’s rework of Na Batida Do Agogo’s “Grupo Batuque”. Arthur Verocai’s “Tudo Do Bom” receives an alternate take courtesy of DJ/producer Domu. Of course we can’t have an A list of Brazil’s musical all stars and not include Azymuth. Band leader Alex Malheiros appears with the band on “Depois Do Carnival” and once again with his daughter Sabrina on “Uno Esta”. Once again Gilles doesn’t disappoint with his compilations and this one is no exception. “Brazilika” is a terrific record that provides a sample of the burgeoning talent of musicians on the Far Out recordings roster. Be prepared to serve your musical palette to a healthy serving of some of the finest music Brazil has to offer.

If you’re like me and you can’t get enough of the rare groove sounds don’t despair, BBE records have come to your rescue with “Strange Breaks & Mr Thing”. Mr Thing is known for spicing up the crowds with his infectious blend of hip-hop, soul and funk so you should expect nothing less here. While most of these gems will probably be unfamiliar to you, that won’t stop you from moving and grooving along with each track. Selections like “Searching” by Jake Wade and the Soul Searchers will get your body revved up. If you’re familiar with The Meters, then you’ll no doubt enjoy this one. Other notables include “Love is just a word” by Johnny Griffith, Inc, which has that soulful orchestrated sound reminiscent of the Love unlimited Orchestra so you know that’s gonna be hot. As I continued my spins through the disc, I immediately smiled when I listened to “You made a believer (Out of me)” by Ruby Andrews. This track was sampled by Q-Tip on The Renaissance and was one of my favorite songs on that disc. No wonder, the soulful vocals by Ms Andrews and the thumping bassline makes it funky enough to stand on its own. There are a couple of covers like The Jacksons “ABC” and Sly and the Family Stone’s “It’s a family affair” that are just okay. The Jimmy Castor cover of “It’s just begun” by The Hot city Bump band is much better. There is little else however to diminish the overall quality of material featured here and is certainly worth checking out. As long as we have DJ’s like Mr Thing digging in their crates, the rare groves and funky breaks will always stir up those good vibes and have us heading towards the closet for our dancing shoes.

Impossible Ark is a record label created by Nostalgia 77’s Ben Lamdin, Hugo Mendez and Riaan Vosloo. The idea was to create a home for some of the finest Jazz artists performing in the UK today and given the quality recordings presented here, it was a great idea. The style varies from 60’s bebop to soulful folk compositions and it all comes together in the end. Among the highlights are “African Mailman” by the Rhythmagic Orchestra, a collective made by members of the Nostalgia Octet, the Alex Wilson Band, Jazz Jamaica and many others. Together they create a spirited mix of Afro-Cuban rhythms with an infectious groove and ear splitting percussion. The Fiction Trio are clicking on all cylinders with “Haitian Fight Song”, reminding us how entertaining the trio can be. Now while I don’t know who the musicians are, I do know that the drummer creates plenty of space for the piano player’s intense but beautiful playing. Jeb Loy Nichols shines on the relaxing and peaceful “Day that never came”. “Orange Gold” is a wonderful cinematic ballad that takes you through many levels, a gorgeous brass section one minute, superb piano playing the next and lush strings throughout that builds to a crescendo. The Nostalgia 77 team continues to bless us with quality jazz music of the highest order. This is an exceptional record that belongs in your collection. Highly recommended.

Many folks may be familiar with drummer/producer Julien Dyne from his work with the group Opensouls. Their signature sound is rooted in raw soul and funk but you won’t find anything like that here. Instead we have an organic collection of soulful hip-hop beats blended with jazz tinged vibes. Among the highlights are “Layer”, a mid-tempo track with a funky bass line and “Stained glass fresh Frozen”, a soulful electronic joint with horns. Both tracks feature Mara tk who provides vocals and additional beat arrangements. “Falling” is a laid back ethereal gem with heavy beats and earthy chords that features Julien on vocals. This is the type of track you could picture someone like Dwele singing over it. Although there are fourteen tracks, three or four barely exceeded 2 minutes but they still manage to keep your attention. That said, “Pins and Digits” is an impressive debut by an emerging talent. Julien successfully merges live instrumentation with electronica and creates futuristic soul that you don’t want to miss.

The new Bugz in the Attic disc “Got the Bug 2” contains many of their favorite remixes in recent years from house to broken beat. While playing this disc for the first time I didn’t realize that the Bugz in the Attic team was responsible for all these quality remixes, which immediately boosted my appreciation of this record. Some of the highlights are the remix of Amy Winehouse’s “In my bed”. The first “Got the Bug” album (essential listening if you don’t have it) contained the vocal version but the dub version here is bangin’ as well. Daz-I-Kue’s “Rockstone” featuring Colonel Red is another winner worthy of repeat. There’s also a few of the Bugz own tunes such as the scorching “Flappy dayz” and “Put it out”. And if that wasn’t enough, there are several unreleased tracks that will wet your appetite like “Sow into you” by Roisin Murphy and Basement Jaxx’s “Oh my Gosh”. In the end, it will be the well known crowd pleasing tracks like Simbad’s huge hit “After the dance” and Reel People’s “Upside” that will keep this disc in rotation. “Got the Bug 2” contains the broken beat gems you have come to expect but the killer dance tracks make this an album that you shouldn’t miss.