jazz funk
Album Review: Benjamin Samuels – ‘Dissensation’: New name, nu jazz, new thrills – an album set to make an impact.
Straight after any hugs or handshakes the first thing musicians ask each other when they meet up is ‘Are you busy’? For sax-player, clarinettist and composer Benjamin Samuels the answer for some time now has been a ‘yes’. He’s worked with Californian fusionist Balkan Bump and Brighton’s own global beat pioneer Seb Taylor (aka Kaya …
Track/Video : Bristol’s mysterious Claude Cooper returns with the stomping retro-blast of ‘Stay A While’
So Claude Cooper is back with us. You should remember a couple of years ago this illusive, apparently Bristolian producer and Bedminster beatmaster delivered the essential ‘Myriad Sounds’ LP, a rugged funky jazz extravaganza that took the Rip Rig and Panic spirit to new levels of potency. The clues to the greatness were always there …
Album Review : We Are Busy Bodies reissue three mid-seventies SA Jazz gems from sax supremos “Mankunku” and Makhalemele.
The irrepressible curators at We Are Busy Bodies continue to tap into the energised seventies South African jazz eco-system with three more illuminating re-issues in their significant As-shams archival series. For some time now WABB have worked in close collaboration with Johannesburg based As-shams (aka The Sun) label, bringing the historic imprint’s burgeoning back catalogue …
Album Review: The Offline – ‘La couleur de la mer’ : Ingenious cinematic soul funk with a fresh plot.
So the soundtrack to an imaginary film makes a return in the hands of Hamburg composer/guitarist The Offline (aka Felix Müller) with his new album ‘La couleur de la mer’ (out now via Deep Matter/Root Records). No that doesn’t mean that this intriguing release clunks through a heavy narrative that will one day make the …
News/Tracks: Coming soon – two lo-fi funk lost gems ‘Thrust’ and ‘Thrust Too’, kickstarting an overdue retrospective of Wilbur Niles seminal grooves.
A label that does the crate digging for you, Toronto’s We Are Busy Bodies have announced a gold dust reissue series shining a light on the work of guitarist/producer Wilbur Niles. Much sampled but seldom celebrated this lo-fi funk luminary based in Cleveland, Ohio made infectious groove music crackling with unrestrained soul, jazz and rock …
News/Track/Video : Jazz-funk fusionists Caixa Cubo preview new album ‘Agôra’ with hot-stepping single ‘Sábado’.
Need pepping up then Sao Paulo trio Caixa Cubo may help with the sharp grooved energetic funk of their new single Sábado. Channeling the racy pace and dynamism of their home city, Henrique Gomide (keys), João Fideles (drums) and Noa Stroeter (bass) never look back as they switch and swerve through this bustling jazz fusion/samba …
New Track/Video: Old friends/nu-jazz- Sam Wilkes and Jacob Mann announce collab album ‘Compositions’ with synth funk bubbler ‘Dr T’
What is genre? Is it a help or a hindrance to the maker and listener? LA’s pioneering label Leaving Records have an answer, flying with the strapline pun ‘Genre All’ and nuturing a catalogue that swerves definition, wide ranging in tone but unified by the drive to experiment whatever the starting points. Now comes news …
Track: Happening afro-soul fusionists Jembaa Groove present ‘Mokole’ ahead of debut album ‘Susuma’
A lot of bands get together from chance meetings in a bar, or a gig or knowing friends of friends but not usually after a chat in a Berlin kindergarten playground. Still that’s how Jembaa Groove got started, co-founding musicians Yannick Nolting and Eric Owusu on the school pick up run, bonding over the possibilities …
Track: Hiatus Kaiyote shine with ‘Get Sun’ feat Arthur Verocai ahead of album ‘Mood Valiant’.
We’ve all been waiting for a new Hiatus Kaiyote album to drop. Well, at least those who saw them perform whilst they were on the road to jazz fame at the Love Supreme Festival of 2016 . The band , fronted by Singer-Guitarist Nai Palm brings a fresh new and wonderfully mature sound to it’s …
DROPPIN KNOWLEDGE: track: Busty and the Bass feat. Macy Gray – ‘Out Of Love’
CANADIAN jazz/soul/groove octet Busty and the Bass came together during their first week as students on the jazz program at Montreal’s McGill University back in 2011. Beginning as an instrumental act, they played any and every gig they could, taking $100 for a three-hour set or exchanging tunes for wine and hors d’oeuvres at a …