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Plunky & Oneness Of Juju – Made Through Ritual [Strut Records]
“Made Through Ritual” is the first album in forty years from Plunky & Oneness of Juju. James “Plunky” Branch and Jimmy Grey founded Black Fire records in 1975 and released their debut “African Rhythms”. They were part of a musical Afro centric revolution that sparked a number of independent labels to express their message. Plunky was inspired by the artists of this era, specifically Pharoah Sanders and Archie Shepp. “Black Unity”, an early recording by Oneness of Juju, was written by Sanders. Plunky would go on to compose spiritual compositions filled with seventies funk grooves and African polyrhythms. This new release is produced by Plunky’s Son Jamiah and Grey’s Son Jamal Grey. The opener “Share This Love” is warm and mellow soul highlighted by vocalist Charlayne “Chyp” Green. “Shades of Light” is another mellow burner filled with hypnotic tenor and flute melodies. The powerful finale “Children of The Drum” features poet Roscoe Burnem. Jamiah and Jamal capture the essence of their elders’ compositions. They blend samples from earlier recordings along with live instrumentation to re-imagine these poignant recordings. It feels as though they haven’t skipped a beat.
https://onenessofjuju.bandcamp.com/album/made-through-ritual
VA – Our Music Our Culture Vol. 2 [CoOperation Records]
“Our Music Our Culture Vol. 2” celebrates the CoOp. The signature club was spearheaded by Bugz In The Attic members Afronaut and Mark Force, The late Phil Asher, Dego, Domu and IG Culture were early contributors as well. It was during this period that the seeds of Broken Beat were planted. It grew from a London Sunday night hangout into an international phenomenon. Evidence of that lies in the array of bangers compiled here. “Digital Soul” from SoulParlor receives a dynamic dub rework from Naul’s L8 Nite. It’s a certified floor filler. “Loose Legs” is another heater from London DJ/Producer Don Kamares. Other highlights includes “Your Woke Moment” and “Get Stronger” from Ben Hauke and Bruk Rogers respectively. They’re two of the new generation of Bruk beatmakers. As good a compilation as you’ll hear all year. All you need to do is press play and walk away.
Nicola Conte – Umoja [Far Out Recordings]
“Umoja”, the latest lp from Nicola Conte is a blissful amalgam of spiritual jazz, Brazilian and African rhythms. Conte continues his ascension from a DJ/Producer to a guitarist and bandleader. There’s an array of superb musicians on board that give these recordings wings to soar. Vocalist Zara MacFarland graces two of the twelve tracks here. “Arise” and “Freedom & Progress” The latter is a sublime tune that captures the essence of Afro soul and Brazilian rhythms. “Into The Light of Love” is another winner that brims with rumbling percussion and features the vocals of Myles Sanko. “Umoja Unity” is an adventurous fusion of jazz and samba rhythms. Pianist Pietro Lussu injects an enormous amount of energy in a short amount of time. The track builds and flows organically while the melodies linger long after the song has finished. All the compositions here were recorded in one or two takes. The result is another marvelous recording worthy of repeated listens.
Emile Londonien – Legacy [Naïve Records]
Emile Londonien is a trio from Strabourg, France who have emmersed themselves in London club culture. “Legacy” captures the essence of their sound by merging jazz rhythms with soul and broken beat grooves. The disc begins with the title track, a lo-fi instrumental with a simmering horn section courtesy of trumpeter Antoine Berjeaut and saxophonist Leon Phal. They shift gears on “Make it Easy”, a percolating tune ignited by house grooves and sublime vocals from Lara Issa. Although “House Party” is under two minutes it’s a live performance filled with infectious energy, providing a taste of what they’re capable of on stage. “londonien” demonstrates that this trio can jam in all manner of styles. An impressive release certainly worth checking out.