“The Rich Will Only Be Defeated When Running For Their Lives” is the latest offering of spoken word brilliance from Anthony Joseph. The poet’s latest release is a jam fest filled with Afro Caribbean rhythms fronted by a powerhouse lineup. Jason Yarde, who also serves as producer serenades us with his buoyant Alto and baritone sax on several tracks. On the opener “Kamau”, Shabaka Hutchings brooding bass clarinet slivers into your body while Colin Webster’s fiery Tenor dances on top of the infectious groove. The tune is a tribute to Barbadian poet Kamau Brathwaite who passed away in early 2020. “Calling England Home” is a slow burning number about a man trying to find his place in a new country for decades before feeling at home. “Language” is another long playing heater that pays tribute to Jamaican Poet Anthony McNeill. Drummer Rod Youngs sets the stage with heart pounding rhythms while creating space for others. Tenor titan Denys Baptiste muscular Tenor sends shivers while Webster switches from Tenor to Baritone and delivers with spine tingling soloing. The horn players aren’t the only stars here. Parisian pianist Florian Pellisser finds his place within the delicious groove on “Swing Praxis” to add colorful melodies. Bassist Andrew John is superb at laying down a delicious groove and keeping your head on a swivel throughout the disc. As for Joseph, he’s at his absolute best as he dives deep into his Caribbean roots. Quite simply it’s another masterpiece from Joseph. He’s the gift who keeps on giving. He’s an absolute treasure and this record is among the best to emerge this year.

Reg Dancy

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“The Space In Which The Uncontrollable Unknown Resides Can Be The Place From Which Creation Arises” is the latest project from the group Work Money Death. The project was the creation of Saxophonist Tony Burkill and pianist Adam Fairhall. The group performed with Burkill for his ATA records debut back in 2017. Although there’s only two tracks here they both come in at around seventeen minutes each. The two track disc has a spiritual jazz vibe as Burkill channels the spirit of Pharoah Sanders. On the haunting opener “Dusk” Neil Innes distinctive bass patterns are the driving force behind the tunes. Innes’s vamps are a perfect compliment to the melodic flourishes from Burkill and pianist Adam Fairhall. “Dawn” is a sixteen minute passage driven by a quest to spread peace and love. Burkill’s tenor is strong out the gate but isn’t the only element serving notice. Emotive percussions courtesy of Pete Williams are in alignment with Fairhall’s glorious soloing. Drummer Sam Hobbs understated rhythms serves as the perfect canvas for everyone to shine. Marvelous work from on hand here and another winner for ATA records.

Reg Dancy

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Str4ta is the brainchild of renowned DJ/Producer Gilles Peterson and Jean “Bluey” Maunick of Incognito fame. “Aspects” is a nod to the eighties flavored Brit Funk era that they helped pioneer. Together they set in motion a genre that grew in stature and spawn numerous bands from the inception. Some of those bands were Hi Tension, Light Of The World and Freez just to name a few. The opening tune “Aspects” immediately transports us back to that time. A blistering up-tempo burner with an infectious groove backed by punchy drum programming. “Rhythm In Your Mind” takes the baton and serenades you funky atmospheric vibes. “Steppers Crusade” combines a wicked bass groove with blissful synths to put you in positive state of mind. In fact the entire disc is going to infuse you with good vibes while you reflect on just how precious this moment in time was. More importantly Brit Funk is alive and still relevant today thanks to these two legends.

Reg Dancy

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Italian DJ/Producer Nicola Conte’s latest release “People Need People” finds him returning to form of showcasing Italian Club Culture. Conte is more than just a DJ these days. He’s become a solid guitarist and he’s surrounded himself with an esteemed group of musicians. Accompanied by Trombonist Gianluca Petrella, the duo collaborated on a couple of EPs and this superb release is the manifestation of those efforts. There’s much to savor here starting with the opening track. “Hold On To Your Dreams” opens with Magnus Lindgren’s meditative flute which sets the mood for Debo Ray’s enchanting vocals. “The Higher Love”, a sublime tune that offers a message of hope and change. Vocalist/pianist Carolina Bubbico’s evocative vocals combined by with the raw poetic skills of rapper Rashan Ahmad make this tune an instant favorite. Another keeper is the title track. A rumbling tune with heart pounding percussion and vibes courtesy of Pasquale Mirra. Bubbico provides backing vocals for Davide Shorty as he sings about the need for us to step away from our devices and become social again. Conte and Petrella have created a brillant record filled with global rhythms. Their mission is heal wounded souls through these beautiful recordings. Without a doubt one of the best releases this year.

Reg Dancy

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DJ/Producer Prequel has delighted us with an array of moody house tracks and eps over the years. With his full length debut “Love Is” he fuses hip-hop jazz and house to give his perspective on love. It’s a concept album about the highs and lows from family to relationships. Prequel takes his production prowess to another level with the aid of some of Melbourne’s bottomless pit of talented musicians. The dark and moody “When Love Is New” armed with a pulsating bottom that echoes Motor City house. It also features amazing string arrangements courtesy of violinist Tamil Rogeon. “Violeiro” sparkles with Brazilian rhythms aligned with punchy beats. “All I’m Missing Is You” has a dizzying piano melody that takes you on an enjoyable ride. The remarkable “Love Is” is a meditative gem that features the emotive spoken word vocals of Cazeaux O.S.L.O. The album also ebbs and flows with jazzy sophisticated interludes that fits the mood. While there may be a touch of heartache here there’s plenty of euphoria that’s punctuated by these recordings. Prequel steps out of his comfort zone just a bit and creates a deeply satisfying debut. Few producers have explored a sound and a topic as marvelous as this record.

Reg Dancy

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“After Dark” is the new release from harpist Amanda Whiting. Ms Whiting has performed with a number fo jazz and soul luminaries from Jamie Cullum to Matthew Halsall’s Gondwana orchestra. Whiting has played the harp since the age of 6 but mainly played classical music. She started building her chops in jazz in recent years and she hasn’t look back. Based on this release the years of study have paid off. The disc starts out in a modal mood. “Messed Up” highlights Whiting’s gentle flourishes juxtaposed with the splash of drummer John Robinson’s high hat. “Stay For One” is a melancholy tune that features fellow Gondwana member Chip Wickham on flute. Wickham shows up again on the swinging tune “The Feist”. Whiting ebbs and flows around Wickham warm melodies. The harp has become more promiment than ever. Let’s hope this is just the beginning of delightful recordings from Whiting. Jazzman records never disappoints and this release is no exception.

Reg Dancy

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DJ/Producer Otis Jackson aka Madlib refuses to stay in one lane. His roots in hip-hop are firm and his deep dive into jazz and Brazilian music has elevated him well beyond your average beat maker. With his latest release “Sound Ancestors” he hands over hundreds of beats to Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet. Hebden hand picks and re-masters some of the beat conductoer’s unreleased gems and knocks it out of the park. “Road Of The Lonely Ones” is a prime example. Madlib weaves together a classic 70s soul vocal sample over a drum snare beat. “Dirtknock” is vintage neck snapping hip-hop. “Duumbiyay” is another testament to the master of his craft. The tune features what started as acapella of children singing and culminates with spiritual jazz rhythms and live instrumentation woven together. Hebden arranges the entire disc with a nice flow so you’re treated to one prime cut after another. With hundreds of tracks in his posession here’s hoping another album like this one will be on the way.

Reg Dancy

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DJ/Producer Lance Ferguson aka Lanu has so many projects that it’s futile to keep track. What’s extraordinary is there’s no dip in quality in any of them. Whether it’s The Bamboos, Rare Groove Spectrum or his Lanu project. Now with the third full length from Menagerie, he continues to cement his status as one of Melbourne’s brightest stars. “Many Worlds” blossoms with spiritual and straight ahead jazz compositions. The disc kicks off with potent “Hope”. Phil Noy’s robust tenor is in top here while Daniel Farrugla pushes everyone to the edge with his spirited drumming. The ex-factor here is the hymn caliber vocal harmonies that elevate the track to greater heights. The title track features a slow burning groove but the dynamic interplay amongst the musicians are high intensity. Pianist Mark Fitzgibon forays on electric piano are complimented by the sheer harmonic guitar rhythms sprinkled throughout. “Hymn of The Turning Stone” is another winner. Fitzgibbon’s brings the thunder once again with melodic flourishes that will keep your head on a swivel. Noy’s playing evokes images of Pharoah Sanders and the stylistic touches of the composition allows everyone to shine among this nine piece unit. The energy of the compositions, the musicianship and the vocal harmonies are healing and downright marvelous. Whether you’re a lover of spiritual or straight ahead jazz, purchasing this record will provide immediate satisfaction.

Reg Dancy

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Masaki Konagi, aka MFP first caught our attention when he appeared on Gilles Peterson’s “Brownswood Electr*c 2”. Now with his debut “Natural Law” we’re serenaded with a collection of laid back hip-hop beats and infectious synth laden grooves. MFP (Mindfullpeace) has assembled some notable collaborators to bring out the best in his compositions. The aptly titled “Your Warmth” kicks off the disc with warm and hazy synths and a catchy drum snare beat. The title track is drenched in LA funk and features Melbourne based vocalist Alien. Simon Mavin of Hiatus Kaiyote adds beautiful electronic piano melodies to “Darlin Darlin”. Other notable contributors include Sauce 81, Natalie Slade and rapper Stan Smith. Masaki becomes one with nature and delivers an organic collection where the warm vibes get inside your body and puts you in a good headspace.

Reg Dancy

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“Rhythm Of Years”, the new release from Joanna Law is filled with warm and soulful electronica compositions. You may be familiar with Law’s warm and languid vocals from her cover “First Time Ever” back in 1990. The Roberta Flack classic and other gems are featured here. There’s also several tracks that feature a collaboration with Pressure Drop, the Trip hop act that she worked with back in the nineties as well. “You’re Mine”, one of their collaborations starts the disc off.Law’s warm vocals are the perfect compliment to an unrelenting hypnotic groove that builds momentum over the course of play. “Song For Theo” is another winner that’s filled with sunny chords and synths layered on top of an infectious samba groove. As the title suggests, the album explores an array of rhythms and textures evolving from one composition to the next one. Add to that a number of tastyremixes and you have a gorgeous album filled with sublime recordings that you shouldn’t miss.

Reg Dancy

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