Category Archives: Reviews

After impressing with their version of Tubby Hayes’ ‘Down In The Village’ for Raw Fusion, the Japanese jazz quartet now deliver their debut long player. The said cut is here along with the title track which also featured on that 12" plus ‘Ipe Amarelo’ and ‘1000 Days Of Spirit’ from their new single also out on Raw Fusion. Other tracks of note are the percussive ‘Skeleton Coast’, ‘Lucky Luciano’ which has a lovely Latin swing and the monster dancer ‘Giant Black Shadow’. The album is produced by Masato Komatsu aka Slowly, who has just released a version of Lesette Wilson’s ‘Caveman Boogie’ featuring Quasimode, which is also worthy of your attention.

Andy Allen

On their debut album Owusu & Hannibal serve up a platter of twisted down-tempo electro-soul. ‘Delirium’ and ‘What It’s About’ from the 12" are present but my advise is to check ‘Lonnie’s Secret’ which really draws you in after a couple of plays, the blissful ‘Elephants’ and the super slinky 80s influenced 2 stepper ‘Le Fox’.

Andy Allen

It’s with great anticipation that Vikter Duplaix returns. I’ve been a huge fan since Critical Point’s “Messages” and I had high hopes. One thing for sure, Duplaix has a wonderful voice, but “Bold & Beautiful” took me a little by surprise. I was expecting a mix up of styles, when in reality this is a more soulful, downbeat affair, except for “A Life Worth Living” and “I See The Sun”, with the latter finally seeing its official release. It’s two years since the bootleg surfaced, yet it still sounds good as ever. With expectations so high, I was expecting to be blown away, yet it’s a great album that will grow on you over time.

Simon Harrison

Red Astaire was the alias that kicked off the surge of re-edits and of course Gamm records. Some three years later the Red Astaire album is here. There is something commercial about “Soul Search” and given the right airplay, I’m certain it could go mainstream. Maybe Tru Thoughts is the label to give it the big promotional push. With good lyrics and beats with splatterings of soul, reggae and hip-hop, this could turn Cruger into a sought-after producer. Only time will tell.

Simon Harrison

Alex Cowen aka TM Juke returns with his second installment on Tru Thoughts. I’m pleased to say he has produced another corking track with Alice Russell -“So Good”. Other guests include Elmore Judd on the ace “Electric Chair”, Kinny on the quirky “Damn” and Sophie Faricy on the excellent single “Come Away”- you may have heard Sophie recently on the road with Bonobo. Instrumentals are covered and make sure you check out “Pencils for Dolphins”. Alex has done himself proud.

Simon Harrison

Voice has often been compared to Bahamadia, mainly due to their similar voices and I’m sure she won’t be dismissing that. Voice has recently featured on Marc Marc’s Visioneers and Zero dB albums, which is certainly diverse, and that pretty much sums up the feel to "Gumbo". Voice sounds ace, whether the beats are hip-hop, or broken, or in-between, but that could be due to the heavy weight producers involved i.e. Marc Mac, Moonstarr, Murr, Arch Typ and Alister Johnson. The lyrics are also a treat: witty and flowling wonderfully over the beats and basslines. Hip-hop producers should take note… this is the way forward!

Simon Harrison

Guru, an undisputed legend, is back with a new label, a new producer and a new album. And guests include Jean Grae, Talib Kweli and, amazingly, Cypress Hill’s B.Real! Only, something’s not quite right. Guru still possesses the trademark vocal skills with which he made his name, but these are lost here amongst the underpowered, synthetic and, sometimes, scarily poor production. Filling the boots of Gangstarr"s other half, the awesome DJ Premier, is clearly a Herculean task, but surely new boy Solar could have done better.

Tom Breslin

Veterans of the electronic music scene, Kinder Atom are masters of a clean, highly polished and sharply produced sound that has a soothing, ambient quality to it, regardless of the setting. Whether it be the lilting dub of ‘Bring The Herbs’, the Squarepusher-esque drum’n’bass of ‘DB8’ or the soporific 4/4 of ‘Sangria’, the music is perfect material for a slick, contemporary soundtrack. Particularly pleasing and fitting then, that there is a bonus DVD with 7 music videos by various Toronto film directors.

Tom Breslin

An unsung Hip-Hop hero, Braintax has been instrumental in much of the positive movement made by the UK scene over the last decade, and the politically-charged Panorama’s cultured flow, intelligent lyrics and captivatingly diverse beats are testament to just that. Self-funded and largely self-produced, the album is the interesting, progressive and ever-funky antithesis of mundane, mass-marketed fluff. The excellent, Louis Slipperz-produced Syriana Style, with its tough middle-eastern beats interspersed with George Galloway sound bites, just about sums it up!

Tom Breslin

Music from high above the streets, from where the inspiration came, for this first of a two parter. This is jazz at its most adventurous best, a story narrated by Moira Stewart with the characters MCing over jazz blowing and hip hop flowing while musical boundaries open up. This is Birmingham from a high rise block, take a listen to the dialogue between the aspiring MC and the Job Centre worker, on the button . Love it.

Graham Radley

Venues that capture the spirit and soul of a time and place and style of music are few and far between but Dingwalls in its day was a shrine to the jazz dancers and here’s a 25 track sample of why. Aptly starting off with Janet Lawson’s ‘Sunday Afternoon’, there’s tracks from the likes of Pharoah Sanders, Mark Murphy, Airto, Tribe Called Quest, Roy Ayers, and Norman Connors. A great collection reflecting a special time.

Graham Radley

Firstly I must warn you… there is a dark, filthy, nasty world where Seiji has trodden and from where he has discovered the East-Mental Vocal remix that is far too dangerous for you to encounter… better we confine ourselves to the project that is ‘The Album’ as safety is paramount.

You may have read that the album is a fusion between Brasilian and Asian kaleidoscopes – well even that is a little misleading. FarOut produce some great releases, of which this is one, but with a clear Brasilian umbrella covering their catalogue, so that’s where I want you to position yourselves. This is as elegant as you would expect of Joyce; this is as dramatic as you would expect of Grupo Batuque; and this is as gripping as you would expect of Azymuth.

Gabriela Geluda’s songs are full of timbre and warmth on all eleven pieces here, ‘Grito’ is powerful stuff indeed (and perhaps why Seiji has picked up on it and…. lets not go there!). ‘Vega-Lume’ is the band’s most recognisable offering and worthy of its place in 2006 alone, ‘Rejoycing’ is a great bossa splash and ‘Nunca Never’ is quirky and jumpy – a sit up a take note kind of tune.. Great.

So where indeed does Democustico take the listener? For me, who revels in all things Brasilian, it’s a class offering from a great label with ever so subtle touches of tambura, pandeiro, rain sticks, bells and cleaver programming, courtesy of Roc Hunter, providing me with an album that will last and last, and something I am confident you would agree with. For those who need a little more encouraging… listen to ‘Pera’, listen also to ‘Brasil’ and tell me I’m wrong!

Steve Williams

What’s more of a challenge – to be given an album you enjoy to review or to be logical and constructive about something you are not that all too sure about? For most, music is good music to somebody, if only the creator of the music. Let’s therefore try to be constructive about an album I love, about a band that when playing live are exciting and maybe even about a band that shines above many in this year’s bombardment of quality releases as, dare I say it, the year end is neigh.
The jazz critic: ‘Morning Brings The Light’ comes at you like some unearthed Gilles Peterson discovery. Flute and vocals with amazing rhythm, with complex yet almost basic ideas associated with labels like MPS and Impulse. How have they managed to create this familiarity in today’s age of technology? Perhaps, no, simply the best piece of jazz for me this year.
A world music perspective: ‘I Remember My Life like A Story’ blasts you with Balkan violin madness, gypsy almost but somewhere before you reach Tango.and for ‘John Riley’ an invoking Irish love song only to clear the way for ‘One Bright Day’, a folk up-tempo groove with sparks of almost Senegalese undertones. Clever and enjoyable.
So why all the excitement? The band stepped on stage to the words "welcome to a night of folk music".. And that is where the balance of the album sits you – smack in the middle of some outstanding jazz orientated folk. ‘Jane Jane’ is an impressive composition, so too ‘Wonderful World’, aired on the aforementioned Mr. Peterson’s Worldwide programme. Add to that the fact that our very own Sammy Goulbourn’s The Other Side show has featured several offerings from the album too should be a clear guide to its standing.
This studio album is a must and I implore the reader to see the band perform live for they are truly a strong part of our ever changing movement with all things jazz in this country.

Steve Williams

My first encounter with Huba came after picking up two other releases on the Jupiter label; an album by Fly and one by Teddy Rok Seven. This led me on to the Quintessence album followed by Jukka Eskola… the link? Finland!

Nothing could quite prepare me for Huba’s 12″ release ‘Mary’ – heavy vinyl – heavy tune. Perfect music.

The word spread and all the right faces soon had the twelve in their collection, but then what? Well for me it all went a little too quiet for my liking until… the album – delight, expectation, nervousness, enthusiasm, even celebration as the opening ‘Mary’ floods the memory banks with euphoria. So I sit, late on a mild November night, headphones tight and volume… yeh! Just right.

Each of the twelve compositions blend beautifully from one to the next, no disruption, fantastic musicianship prominent and wonderful exciting ideas clear…. ouch ‘Brave & Strong’ smacks you centre face – invigorating soulful and powerful.

What next? Funky licks with ‘Who’s Got The Nerve’, a monster of a tune that gets the pulses racing, and then jazz with the vocal stamp of authority that is Huba. A great groover and a serious contender for a 12″ release in the New Year me thinks. So what’s the verdict? Well for those of you not familiar with Huba need this simply for ‘Mary’ – those of you that oh-so-big-step in front will die for ‘Like Sly Says’ and ‘Summer Morn’, but for me.. where the money is? Well it’s all about ‘Natural High’ the most soulful tune since the year 1979… tears appear. A happy man am I. This gets full marks and then some.

Steve Williams

Here’s the third instalment of the Secret Love series compiled by Jazzanova and Resoul, who have been on the hunt for more gems from the folk scene. A number of them you will/should know: The Beauty Room, Micah, Clara Hill, Mocky, Fink and Jose Gonzalez. The rest were unknown to me but it has opened my ears up to this side of Folk, which is gaining interest with DJs around the world. I read a lot about Soul Village’s version of “Everybody Love The Sunshine” and even though we’ve heard the original many times before, it does work. I’m not going to highlight the best of the other tracks because they are worth their weight in gold and you’ll be the one missing out.

Simon Harrison