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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.
VA – The Jazz Room Vol. 2 compiled by Paul Murphy [BBE Music]
Vol. 2 of BBE label head Paul Murphy’s “The Jazz Room” series highlights swinging Jazz, sizzling Latin Jazz grooves and much more. The tasty tracks chosen here will take you back to a time where the Jazz club was the place to be to get your party on. Evidence of that begins with the percussive Latin banger “Manteca” from Ceasr’s Salad. “Rebel No. 23” has a swinging 60s soul jazz groove courtesy of Tenor sax/Flutist Chip Wickham. Parisian based Florian Pellissier is one of the priemer pianists worldwide. Pellissier and his quintet come out swinging hard with “The Hipster”. Murphy certainly has great taste as Vol. 1 has demonstrated. Once again he delivers another marvelous compilation to expose you to hidden gems old and new.
https://paulmurphy.bandcamp.com/album/the-jazz-room-vol-2-compiled-by-paul-murphy
The Circling Sun – The Circling Sun [Soundway Records]
The New Zealand based collective The Circling Sun channel the spirits of Pharoah
Sanders and Alice Coltrane on their marvelous debut. Fellow New Zealnder, producer Julien Dyne serves as the primary songwriter and he delivers. The six track lp is a blissful ride of spiritual jazz that will resonate with any fan of the genre. Among the highlights are “Kohan”, a blissful tune driven by the bass rhythms of Ben Turua building the canvas for all to shine. The heavenly chorus aligned with J.Y. Lee’s warm melodic flute makes for a fantastic voyage. “Spirits” evolves with a wave of piano rhythms and hypnotic percussion. Lee’s Soprano lifts the tune to another level. Each track is a delight in its own right that’s filled vibrant energy and superb performances. Highly recommended.
Work Money Death – Thought, Action, Reaction, Interaction [ATA Records]
Fresh off their 2021 release, Work Money Death returns with another superb recording. “Thought, Action, Reaction, Interaction” takes the baton and delvers a four track lp filled with Spiritual Jazz treasures. ATA records founder and bassist Neil Innes and Tenor Saxophonist Tony Burkill are joined by an array of musicians poised to breathe life into these impressive compositions. “Freedom As A Heartfelt Song” takes on an orchestral vibe with a number of trumpeters joining Burkill creating joyful rhythms alongside the choir known as The Band and Jasmine Kennedy Shaneen Mooney. Guitarist Chris Dawkins lays down sublime rhythms to set the track in motion. “Same As Before” brings more of the same with the addition of K.O.G (Kweku Of Ghana) with spoken word phrasings. Gareth Wilkinss harmonic layers on harp is pure bliss. The first lp was a nice surprise. Two wonderful recordings mark a trend. Innes and Burkill are putting ATA on the map as the home for high quality recordings you shouldn’t miss.
https://workmoneydeath.bandcamp.com/album/thought-action-reaction-interaction
Chip Wickham – Cloud 10 [Gondwana Records]
https://chipwickham.bandcamp.com/album/cloud-10