There are good records that you will play for a few days, maybe a few weeks before they fade to black. Then you have that great record that you have been playing for weeks. The weeks turn into months and before you know it you have a future classic in your possession that you can’t put down. Jazzanova’s new release “Of All The things” would belong to the latter. The new record features appearances from Ben Westbeech, Leon Ware and Jose James just to name a few. Where their last record “In Between” was more of a electronic offering, “Of All The Things” is packed with 70’s soul, Brazilian bossa and jazzy ballads that provide immediate satisfaction. Among the many highlights is “Let Me Show Ya”, a song that is simply love at first listen. This is classic soul music at its best and the voice of Paul Randolph is smooth, rich and passionate. The same track gets sampled and reworked into a hip-hop track entitled “So Far From Home” that is performed flawlessly by Phonte of Little Brother. “Gafiera” is a nice breezy Brazilian tune performed by Pedro Martins & Azymuth. It’s always a treat to hear Bembe Segue and hearing her sing a jazz tune is an added bonus. “Morning Scapes” is an excellent combination of sultry vocals and live instrumentation, particularly Magnus Lindgren’s performance on flute. In fact, the Jazzanova musicians bring a sense of warmth on every track here that reminds you of how music used to be made. Before you purchase any other record, be sure you have “Of All The Things”. Jazzanova delivers an outstanding disc that delivers one great track after another. This is without a doubt one of the best records of 2008.
