“Everything We Hold” is the third release from Kairos 4Tet and their first for Naim Jazz. Saxophonist Adam Waldmann demonstrates that he’s a gifted composer with a keen ear for melody. The quartet’s cohesion mirrors a veteran band that is focused more on strong lyrical and imaginative compositions as opposed to wasted soloing. This is quite evident on selections like the tender “Narrowboat Man” filled with classical elements and augmented by the voices of Emila Martensson and Marc O’Reilly. “Song for the Open Road” is a haunting folk flavored tune that demonstrates that Soul singer Omar seemingly fits in just about any kind of setting and flourishes. These vocal compositions are surrounded by the “99 Suite”. Inspired by injustices and the need for social change, the suite is divided into four parts in which there are melodic excursions led by pianist Ivo Neame while drummer Jon Scott creates just enough space for others to explore. You won’t find many releases this year that are filled with creative and emotive compositions filled with heartfelt lyrics. Waldmann pulls this off and delivers one of the strongest Jazz releases of the year.  

Reg Dancy

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Gilles Peterson once again shines a light on the hidden gems that are sprinkled all over the globe. This time the beneficiary is the Black Jazz catalogue and he has woven a potent collection of celestial compositions that have been tucked away in their vaults. Notable prime cuts are the fiery “Beauty & The Electric Tub” by Henry Franklin. The Latin treat “Black Orchid” by Gene Russell will certainly lift your spirits and move your feet. The sorely underappreciated Doug Carn has a rich catalogue in his own right and “Higher Ground” will inspire you to delve more into his discography. With other gems like Kellie Patterson’s “Maiden Voyage” you’ll wonder how in the world these tracks didn’t get more shine. Well good music is timeless and their time to shine is now.  

Reg Dancy

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Yatha Bhuta is the collaboration of French producers Arnaud “Onra” Bernard and Buddy Sativa. When you think of Orna you generally think of funky boogie tunes but he takes a departure with this celestial Afro-jazz collection and the results are quite impressive. The opener “Universe Is Love” is deep spiritual jazz where the duo performs all instruments with Onra providing a touch of Spoken word and creating beautiful rhythms on percussion. “360” is another highlight filled with sublime joyful melodies thanks in part to Sativa’s work on Flute and vibes. Aja Monet provides profound poetry on “The Time is Now” and Orna creates melodic rhythms on the Kalimba. “Jazz Combo” captures the spirit of the timeless 60’s soulful jazz compositions we can’t get enough. This is an impressive release by Yatha Bhuta that is a joy to listen throughout and certainly begs for an encore.

Reg Dancy

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J’s Bee has released several albums in Japan but "Isotope", their latest is the first to hit the UK market. This impressive release is filled with deep melodic rhythms enhanced with lush arrangements. The Japanese seven member collective strikes a nice balance in merging multiple genres without overpowering the sound. The controlled intensity is felt from the onset with the opener “Strange Supper”, where the groove simmers and the rhythms percolate, at this point the group has you woven in their web with no release point in sight . “Lights” is a warm and engaging ballad sung by vocalist Yuko Kawasaki and features beautiful solo from Yukiko Matsunaga on piano. “Farewell North Sea” merges lush arrangements with a touch of a dub step groove that is deeply satisfying. On “Chuck It All” they let loose and stir up a touch of funk.  Although “Isotope” has a jazz aesthetic, it seamlessly merges soul, funk and much more with a delicate touch.  This makes for a superb record that will result in repeated listens.

Reg Dancy

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It’s hard to believe that it’s been ten years since we heard a new release from the incomparable Joyce.  The Brazilian songstress’s rich tone has resulted in countless quality recordings and her latest release is no exception. “Tudo”, meaning ‘everything’ in Portuguese showcases her beautiful voice over an assortment of breezy compositions. Among the highlights are “Bolou”, a beautiful blend of acoustic guitar sublime piano melodies. Other delights are “Domingo De Manha”, “Dor de Amore Agua”and “Sem Poder Dancar” is blissful Bossa Nova. Joyce has always been surrounded by musicians and the music throughout “Tudo” is superb. Simply stated Joyce has picked up where she left off with another triumph that will lift your spirits and tantalize your eardrums.

Reg Dancy

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With their second lp, The Greg Foat group display their musical horizons by playing a number of styles; composing modal jazz compositions as well as cosmic jazz inspired funk.  Although there are twelve tracks “Girl and Robot with Flowers” features six alternate takes of the title track with each piece taking on a life of it’s own.  Part 1 is an atmospheric jazz piece that features Rob Mach on Sax.  The band stretches out on Part 3 & 4; the former is a scorching funk tune with bassist Phil Achille laying down a hearty groove. Before you know it Part 3 eases into Part 4, changing tempo and shifting into mellow funk with spacey soundscapes.  Some of the best moments occur on the two featured ballads.  “For a Breath I Tarry” is a warm ethereal tune highlighted by Rob Mach’s melodic soloing  while “Blues for Lila” is a warm emotive tune that features Greg in a trio setting.  The Greg Foat Group eliminate any thoughts of a sophomore slump with another impressive lp and another golden nugget from Jazzman records.

Reg Dancy

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Many of you may remember Vincent Helbers aka Seravince from his band Flowriders. While his 2007 release “R.U.E.D.Y.” was a soul infused broken beat treat, his latest project “Hear to See” is a mellow jazz flavored soulful Aphrodisiac. Helbers creates warm intense compositions while drummer Richard Spaven provides shivering jazzy rhythms throughout this set.  If that wasn’t enough Vocalist Renee Neufville’s deep tone heightens the mood on several tracks here, especially “Perfect Stranger” and “World Won’t Stop”. MC/Vocalist Esperanzah seductive wordplay is “Rika” is another highlight. “High” is a funky number aided by the vocals of Sharlene Hector. This is one of those soulful treats that will ease into your system with little effort. Don’t try to fight it, just sit back and enjoy it.

Reg Dancy

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Brooklyn based producer KRTS (Kurtis Hairston) has teamed up with the Berlin based label Project Mooncircle for his thematic albeit dark full length release.  “The Dread Of An Unknown Evil” is an exploration of moods filled with deep electronic grooves and spacey synths.  Some of the highlights are cosmic house inspired “Close The Closet Door”. “Your Eyes” is heartwarming in an eerie sort of way due in part to the deep enchanting vocals of Stevee Wellons.  “Regret To Retreat” is a light, ethereal mid tempo tune with thick beats. KRTS, known for beat making ability demonstrates on this release that he is equally adept at hypnotic compositions as well.

Reg Dancy

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Upon listening to “A Love Surreal” the new release from Bilal, it’s evident that this record finds him in brighter spirits. Whereas “Air tights Revenge” had some dark moments, the mood is considerably lighter on his new release. Although there are moments when he deals with setbacks and losing love, there are many blissful moments and he appears to be having fun in the process. Musically the album has a jazz rock blend filled with tasty melodies that’s reminiscent of early Steely Dan. That’s evident on the tracks “Back to Love” and “Winning Hand”. “Right At The Core” follows suit as well plus the presence of pianist Robert Glasper here with an assist from the vocal trio King pays big dividends. Glasper creates beautiful melodies on “Butterfly”, a beautiful ballad that highlights the chemistry between these two musicians. “Never Be The Same” is a soulful slow burner that was recently sung by Joy Denalane that certainly qualifies as dim the lights music. Finally free of contractual constraints, Bilal is able to create music with no limitations. This isn’t watered down RnB, instead it’s a refreshing collection of quality that merely scratches the surface of his immense talent.

Reg Dancy

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Jose James wants this to be clear; he’s no longer a Jazz singer. Despite this being his debut for the historical Jazz label known as Blue Note, he’s broken free of the restrictions that come with the title so that he can make music without boundaries.  Rest assured that after one listen to “No Beginnings No End”, you’ll applaud the direction he is heading in. James new release fuses elements of soul, hip-hop and folk brought to life by the likes of Robert Glasper, Chris Dave, bassist Pino Palladino and others. The disc kicks off with “It’s All Over Your Body”, a sultry down-tempo tune with a thick groove that oozes warmth and sensuality. “Do You Feel” is a bluesy soul burner that features a wonderful solo from Pianist Kris Bowers. James also performs duets with two talented vocalists here as well. Moroccan singer Hindi Zahra’s voice blends seamlessly with James on “Sword & Gun” and Emily King on the lovely “Heaven On The Ground”. King, who wrote the latter, also wrote the folk flavored “Come To My Door” as well. Jose James sets the mood for love and the high level of quality compositions that make up this superb disc will put you in the mood, rest assured.

Reg Dancy

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