Yearly Archives: 2008

An amazing guitarist who Dave Grohl has rightly been championing, her voice is lighter and by nature takes the tracks in a different direction but there’s a diversity going on that’s refreshing and honest.  Also includes full length CD of her debut ‘Everybody Loves You’.

Graham Radley

How to classify ? it’s a folked up jazz, fired by dubby brass meets electro type thingy really. Formed by three members of Bellowhead, plus Japanese musicians and the Bon dancers, it’s a wildly different sound that’s often challenging but if we wanted safe we can find enough cans of mediocrity on the shelves can’t we ? Terrific.

Graham Radley

Featuring Shuggie Otis, Moreno + 2, Domenico +2, Kassin + 2, Eddie, Os Mutantes, Jim White and Los de Abajo, plus exclusive unreleased tracks from the Godfather of Brazilian soul Tim Maia (Que Beleza and Bom Senso) this is Luaka Bop doing what they do so well, mixing it up and making it special. Great.

Graham Radley

Big band samba is back and oh yes it sounds sweet, the driving force is producer Alexandre Kassin, plus percussionist Domenico Lancellotti and singer/guitarist Moreno Veloso (son of Caetano) who started Orquestra Imperial as a side project, Listen out too for veteran samba star Wilson das Neves, cool tasty and vibrant.

Graham Radley

Third album and he just keeps getting better. Brazil provides the source with the mix bringing in a varied selection of dance friendly influences . Behind this infectious dance music though DJ Delores addresses issues like capitalism (Proletariado) and idealism (Cala Cala) as well as on a lighter note looking at relationship. Regulars joining him include Maestro Forró, Gabriel Melo, Fernando Catatau, vocalists Isaar and Maciel Salu, and guest appearances by Silvério Pessoa and by Marion. Excellent.

Graham Radley

Formed in Iran in 1991 by Hamid Motebassam this CD has lyrics from the poems of Attar, Rumi, Hafiz and Sayeh beautifully sung by Salar Aghili. This is classical Persian music that’s spiritual, sensitive and enveloping in it’s warmth and beauty. Superb.

Graham Radley

Martin Iveson AKA Atjazz has always been right on point with his productions and ‘Full Circle’ is no different. Released on his own Mantis label it combines elements of deep house, broken-beat and digital soul and features a variety of guest vocalists including Robert Owens and Ernesto. There’s also Vancouver’s finest Amalia who graces the head-nodder ‘One’, Mr J of Phuturistix who appears on ‘Together’, Dawne B on the techy ‘Parralels’, Clara Hill on the bass heavy groove ‘Before’ and Sarah Jane Morris who fronts the feel-good vibe of ‘Fantasy’, all of which are nothing short of brilliant. Do not miss this one!

Andy Allen

Since the early days of house music Robert Owens has been an ever present force and his distinctive vocals have graced some of the genre’s most defining moments. His latest full length project is packed with deep house delights and features quality productions from the likes of Jimpster "Inside My World", Simbad "New World", Wahoo "Happy" and Atjazz "Now I Know". Quite simply, house music doesn’t get any better than this!

Andy Allen

The cream of the UK’s soul and funk musicians, most notably Snowboy, Jean Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick and Jan Kincaid and Simon Bartholomew of The Brand New Heavies, have joined forces to create The Super-Phonics. ‘Interstellar’ opens with the appropriately titled ‘P.A.R.T.Y’ which perfectly sums up this set of feel-good disco/boogie cuts. There’s really not a bad track throughout but pay special attention to the Chic influenced ‘Dial L For Love’, ‘Better Try And See’ and a great version of Linda Williams’ classic ‘Elevate Our Minds’. If you like Joey Negro’s The Sunburst Band then this is for you.

Andy Allen

‘Homenaje’ is the debut album from the Austin, Texas based eight piece band Brownout. Their sound is most definitely rooted in funk but with plenty of Latin and Afro-beat influences thrown in for good measure. The majority of the tracks here are aimed directly at the dance-floor but my personal favourites are the mellower cuts particularly the string laced psychedelic soul of ‘Brown Wind And Fire’.

Andy Allen

Natalie Gardiner returns with the follow up to her 2004 self-titled debut set. Overall ‘California’ is a more accomplished album and features eleven down-tempo soul tracks which showcase Natalie’s smoky vocals to great effect. The acoustic ‘Bittersweet’, ‘Summer Rain’ and the jazzy ‘Let’s Not Worry About Tomorrow’ work particularly well and are beautiful in their simplicity.

Andy Allen

To pinpoint the essence of any musical genre is always difficult and in the case of nu jazz it’s pointless even trying when Jazzanova have done it so well on this compilation. ‘Neu Jazz’ includes some of the best tracks of recent times from some of the scene’s leading players such as Dalindeo’s ‘Solifer Lento’, ‘Wind’ from Sleep Walker featuring Yukimi Nagano, Soulstance’s ‘Lead The Way’, ‘Carrousel’ by Hipnosis and ‘Last Nine Days’ from Quasimode. There’s also some tasty exclusives in the shape of ‘Queen Of Crows’ from the forthcoming Two Banks Of Four album and Jazzanova’s own ‘That Night’ featuring Bembe Segue, which is a new version of a track they originally recorded with Vikter Duplaix and later with Clara Hill on their Belle Et Fou project. Plus there’s ‘Simple Timeless’ by Fertile Ground which I was unfamiliar with but is apparently from a Chico Hamilton tribute compilation.

Andy Allen

The offsprings of hip-hop are popping up all over the globe. The forefathers should take great pride in this evolution. Look no further for evidence than in the city of Amsterdam, home of the duo Pete Philly & Perquisite. When they dropped their 2005 debut "Mindstate", it served notice that this duo had a lot to offer. Musically it was very creative and Pete Philly showed that he was no slouch on the mic. As good as their debut was, "Mystery Repeats", their new release may be even better. Combining elements of jazz and even classical (yeah, that’s right), this disc massages your ear lobes like a cool breeze on a sunny day. The title track combines Pete Philly’s rhyming skills along with Perquisite’s talents on the cello. Not to mention his skills behind the boards. "Fish To fry" with the jazzy piano loop has a real late night jazz club vibe to it. If you only dig hip-hop of the boom-bap variety then this isn’t for you. On the other hand, if you want to hear hip-hop beyond the outer limits then you will surely enjoy this offering. No sophomore slump here, just a very solid and enjoyable record.

Reg Dancy

www.facebook.com/reg.dancy

While Mark De Clive-Lowe isn’t known as a Jazz purist, he has proven to be a wizard on the keyboards and synthesizers. His latest project, “Journey To The Light”, is a snapshot of the live Freesoul sessions he has performed over the last year or so. This project is a combination of cosmic Jazz improvisation and break beats. You may find yourself wanting to dance to this one minute or simply just enjoying the live instrumentation the next. One of those tracks that will make you move is “Voices Whisper”. Bembe Segue’s wonderful voice and scatting towards the end graces this track and the others as well. However, it is the work of Jason Yarde on Sax, Richard Spaven on drums and percussionist Sammy Figueroa that really move this disc. Jason Yarde’s solo work is powerful and a real treat while Richard Spaven’s drumming pushes everyone to greater heights. “Peace Be Central” offers more of the same. Mark’s rhythmic piano playing has never sounded better and the energetic playing left plenty of space for the lyricism of Bembe Segue’s scorching vocals. Mark and Bembe have been making beautiful music together for some time now. This is just another major achievement of the great music these two have collaborated on. This is not easy to find but certainly worth the effort. Recommended.

Reg Dancy

www.facebook.com/reg.dancy

While listening to parts of Ohmega Watts new CD "Watt’s Happening", you may feel as if you’ve gone back to the era of hip-hop when dudes carried boom boxes everywhere they went and everyone was rocking shell toe adidas. Indeed, Ohmega prooves that you can create hip-hop that is uplifting and thought provoking while keeping your body rockin’. What’s even more refreshing is the diverse collaborations, which broadens the album’s appeal. On "Eyes And Ears", Philly based rapper Jneiro Jarel comes through and rocks over a funky old school beat. "Are You Satisfied" finds Ohmega giving praise to his mom and features Sugarpie DeSanto, a west coast legend and a former vocalist with James Brown. Brazilian songbird "Tita Lima" provides soothing vocals for "Adaptacao". The laid back "Few and Far Between" finds Ohmega reminiscing about a former companion and the different stages of their relationship. Throughout this disc you’ll not only gain an appreciation for Ohmega’s rhyming skills but also the live instrumentation by some of the hottest musicians on the west coast. For example, "Work for Wealth" features Barry Hampton of the Portland based raw funk group Triple Grip is an enjoyable slice of cosmic funk. "The Playpus Strut" features Myles Tackett of the L.A. based Breakestra on bass and guitar. Indeed, the drums on this cut will remind you of how you once enjoyed your music before mpc’s existed. My only gripe was with twenty songs I felt the disc carried on a bit too long. Ohmega could’ve trimmed off about three songs. However this is a minor quibble of what is a very strong sophomore project for Mr. Watts. After debuting with the impressive "The Find", Ohmega shows what a talented MC can do when he performs outside the box. Recommended.

Reg Dancy

www.facebook.com/reg.dancy