soul jazz Archives - Backseat Mafia

Album Review: Blue Earth Sound – ‘Cicero Nights’: Beaming out of Chicago, a fresh and funky take on the smoother side of jazz.

Now here’s a refreshing take on Cinematic Jazz, an album which thrives on the musicians’ interaction rather than the overall widescreen vibe, on the chemistry fizzing between instruments rather than…

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Album Review: Yesterday’s Princess – ‘Tomorrow’s Yearning’: Library music influenced duo deliver a brisk, fresh debut set of soul-jazz teasers.

Bringing something new to the table where Library music sits as the prime influence is difficult but Swedish producers Fredrik Bergsten and Marcus Larsson might be onto something with their…

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Album Review: Arjuna Oakes – ‘While I’m Distracted’: a lush, sophisticated contemporary pop soundscape, rich in soul-jazz understanding.

Even if you’ve picked up on any of singer-songwriter/pianist Arjuna Oakes’s previous offerings, it’s unlikely you would have predicted the scale and ambition of his debut album ‘While I’m Distracted’.…

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Album Review: Arjuna Oakes – ‘While I’m Distracted’: a lush, sophisticated contemporary pop soundscape rich in soul-jazz understanding

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Album Review: Ebba Åsman – When You Know; Soulful jazz with a modern edge.

Swedish jazz virtuoso Ebba Åsman returns with When You Know, her third full-length album and arguably her most personal statement to date. Known for her remarkable skills as a trombonist,…

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Album Review: Dowdelin –‘Tchenbé!’: Lyon-based Beats and Creole-soul fusionists groove deeper.

It all started when fusion-centric producer/musician David Kiledjian met Martinican singer Olivya Victorin with the notion of sculpting something different, maybe some creole-voiced, beats-informed nu soul and the result… Dowdelin.…

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Album Review: Scrimshire –‘Music for Autumn Lovers’: a flowing, wholesome down-tempo soundtrack for the season and beyond.

November may be the month when there’s a deluge of new releases ahead of the Xmas drought but here’s a recording that deserves to be heard amongst all the noise.…

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Album Review: Dora Morelenbaum – ‘Pique’: a dynamic new MPB voice which really delivers.

Anyone who caught Bala Desejo’s set-of-the-day at WOMAD UK in the summer would’ve already noted the dynamic Dora Morelenbaum flying in the front line of this exuberant nu-tropicalia band. A…

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Album Review: Mörk – Still Dreamin’: shape-shifting soul-jazz energy from the Budapest band.

Okay so we know that as far as new scenes go Rio gets touted as the upcoming centre of 21st century tropicalia pop and Geneva continues to excel in pushing…

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Album Review : Don Glori – ‘Don’t Forget To Have Fun’ : Fresh, funky and inspired soul jazz from the revitalised and relocated multi-instrumentalist.

Now this is a bit different. An album of contemporary instrumental music shaped within the mundane pressures of the day to day, paying the rent, food on the table, making…

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