Review: Michele Fattori + Marcello Sebastiani - Monks And The Third Man (Notami Jazz)

You've got to know what you're taking on if you take on a tribute project to Thelonious Monk, a jazz maverick in an era of mavericks, so what was Michele Fattori & Marcello Sebastiani thinking as a 8 track duo album - without piano!?

Well you can see why a duo that's already made a name for themselves as free/improvisational artists (see previous album 'Gavagai' that focused on Mingus and Miles) would want to 'test' themselves in the form of Thelonious Monk, a musician that was known as a man of time and space, black and white (keys), tune and angst; in short, a leader of jazz thinking and unthinking - jazz not jazz as someone once said.

With Fattori on electric guitar and Sebastiani on double bass they guide through versions of the hits/standards, 'About Round Midnight', two version of 'Blue Monk', 'Epistrophy' whilst ending on a Fattori composition, 'The Third Man Blues'.

Perhaps the biggest tribute is 'The Third Man Blues' as between guitar greats Grant Green, George Benson, Pat Methany, Wes Montgomery, James Blood Ulmar (and many more) and blues avant-garde.

If you are unware of Thelonious Sphere Monk, pianist/composer/legend, he hasn't been on this planet for over 20 years but his spirit and legacy are still with us, most notably as 'Straight No Chaser'. You can pick any of his albums to stand testiment to this. I recently got CDs of his 1961 tour to Japan from 1961: who was touring Japan in 1961? As a quartet!

And I suppose that's what Michele and Marcello have done in their own way as i. this is beautifully recorded, the sound is so sharp and clean: like lotus blossom (as it's springtime) and ii. in the words of a well known talent show host, they've made these tracks their own. Especially the opener 'Cantus' in their arrangement along with 'Reflections' and 'Pannonica' without going totally free.

'Epistrophy' works really well it's on the edge of discordant in harmony at the same time showcasing how well these two work as a duo; there might be a touch of Italian phasing in there too!

You'll recall that the label has previous with this 'tribute' style, as The Freestones' 

'Our Experience (Remembering Jimi Hendrix)' (see review HERE) but this new album is totally different to that and just as fitting, if not more so.  PS. Note, this 'Third Man' is nothing like the film theme.

Artist: Michele Fattori + Marcello Sebastiani 

Title:  Monks And The Third Man 

Release date: 3rd March, 2025

Label : Notami Jazz

Catalog Number : TBC

Format:  CD Edizioni NOTAMI

Review: Joseph Malik with Kameelah Waheed - My Whole World (The Variant Issue Orchestra 'L'Opera Noir' Mixes) (Ramrock Red)

"I introduced Kameelah on Ramrock Red on 5th May, 2020 with 'Holding On' then 'America The Beautiful'...and then the rest is history! That's when Honey Dijon bagged her for her album, then Kenny Dope etc etc!!"

That's Jo Wallace (Ramrock Records) exclusively tell us how she found out about the talent of Kameelah Waheed.

And to believe it's been nearly two years since we were introduced to Kameelah Waheed on what is now the Will Brock/Sumsuch classic, 'Don't Know Where I'm Going' (see review HERE) but Variant Issue Orchestra have taken her to the church with "Rev" Joseph Malik on the vocals and instrumental mixes of 'My Whole World'.

Originally on Joseph's 'Proxima Ebony' album (see review HERE) along with Kameelah's other appearance on 'Be A Lion' (that also came out as single, see review HERE), the message of human failings in 'My Whole World (Is Fallin')' with hope of rising again (in a good way).

But hang on, does this sound suspiciously like last months' 'My Whole World (Variant Issue Orchestra Mixes)'?  Yes it does and all still apply but this time.... it's even more variant as the orchestra goes 'L'Opera Noir' giving the spoken "next level Gil Scot-Heron" what's been describel as 'sombre'.  It's certainly deep as centre stage performance and, as I said last time, "Prepare to be mesmerized"; be prepared to be more mesmerized as this is like the MacBeth version where 'ld Bill has gone on a charabanc from Sratford to Dudley.

Joseph Malik's 'Proxima Ebony Variant Issue' album lauch is on Saturday 15th March at Ebinburgh's Voodoo Rooms with an amazing DJ line-up in support - check it out HERE.

Artist: Joseph Malik with Kameelah Waheed 
Title:  My Whole World (The Variant Issue Orchestra 'L'Opera Noir' Mixes)
Release date: 7th March, 2025
Label: Ramrock Red Records
Cat. No: RRR075
Format:  Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Fred Everything - Love, Care, Kindness & Dubs (Lazy Days Recordings)

Lazy Days Recordings' re-imagination of 'Love, Care, Kindness with Dubs, Alternate takes and remixes' is as mesmerising as the original.

At a time when we're all raving about Clive From Accounts, remembering the remix of  Fred Everything's 'Soul Love feat. Stereo MC’s (see review HERE and Clive From Accounts' YATM interview HERE) here's the 'extra' album to follow 'Love, Care, Kindness' original that came out last May (see review HERE)

Packed with the great and the good, from the Atjazz Galaxy Aart Remix of 'Asolee', different mix of 'Never' featuring Robert Owens (that's already had the remix treatment by Osunlade and Waajeed, see review HERE) and our favourite James Alexander Bright, a Lazy Dub of 'Breather' (don't forget the orginal, see review HERE and the Rocco Rodamaal Remixes, see review HERE).

So even the keenest of fans might be wondered what else is there in this album? Well, there's the instrumental of 'Hope Is On The Horizon' that can then focus on flute and the funky keys, a proper dub of 'A Long Coming' and a new arrangement of 'Evening Ghost' made at the MUTEK festival in Montreal by Fred.

And talking flute gang, 'Broken Flute Thing' is a brand new previously unreleased track and the instrumental version of 'A Long Time Coming' of previously used as an backing track for an interview with Dom Servini's Jazztronics show on Jazz FM (see below)

If you've got the original album, the new of these 'companion' version is a no brainer to follow it up and get this, if you've not got it, if you start with this one, you want be disappointed and it stands as a great album on its out merits.

Click To Play (up/down arrows to skip tracks)

BUY LINK: https://fanlink.tv/lovecarekindnessdubs

PS. 'Asolee' is also featured on the Colour & Pitch February Mix

Colour and Pitch · Colour and Pitch Sessions with Sumsuch - February 2025

Artist:  Fred Everything 

Title:  Love, Care, Kindness & Dubs 

Release date: 7th March, 2025

Label : Lazy Days Recordings

Catalog Number : LZLP20

Format: Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Küf Knotz & Christine Elise - Grow (Independent)

At last spring has arrived for Küf Knotz & Chri
stine Elise as thier lastest album, 'Grow' has be released to give new life to independent hip-hop.

We've been following the previous single releases from the duo with 'Inner G' / 'Clean' (see review HERE), 'Somewhere' / 'Patience' (see review HERE), 'Yü' / 'Cascade' (see review HERE) and the last album, 'Hypnagogia' (see review HERE) so now we have a further 11 tracks.

And it doesn't take long before we get more hot box goodness with 'Altitude' featuring Marv Ellis' and 'Worldy Water' as they follow the theme, incase you've not got it yet, that's following  the "metamorphosis of both plants and humans" on the circle of life and germination from 'Seeds' to 'Peace Of Mind'.

Having reached their 4th album with 'Grow', Küf (Producer/MC) and Christine (Harpist/Vocalist) have designed thier own back-yard plot that can be transfered to any part of the world.  Even then, 'Cascade' is one of the stand out tracks as the pair complement each other so well and when the world needs "joy, peace, love" more than ever, 'Clean' is the message; they do come from "The City of Brotherly Love" after all.

Tracks funk and bap with space synths like 'Patches', 'Magnetic' and the finisher (or should that be starter?), 'Seeds'.

If your a window sill gardener or commercial farmer, there's always something new to learn in the garden of life; and 'Grow' is new growth for spring this year.

Artist: Küf Knotz & Christine Elise

Title: Grow

Release date: 7th March, 2025

Label: Independent

Catalog Number: TBC

Format: Digital

Review: Odario X Mad Professor - The Situation ft. Yolanda Sargeant (Round Hill)

A Canadian rapper that isn't Drake! Hip-Hop artist, poet and storyteller (well it is world book day after all) teams up with UK dub legend Mad Professor and Yolanda Sargeant on 'The Situation' that puts 'em in the light in a dancin' mood.

For fans of Prince Fatty, The Soothsayers, Richie Phoe (did he move to Canada at some stage?), Taggy Matcher, Mungo's Hi-Fi and all those that have a open mind to reggae and dub productions, including the Mad Professsor himself; Pete Lawrence told me a long story last year of how his introduced Edward II & The Red Hot Polkas to the Mad Professor to remix their 'hit', 'Bjorn Again Polka' but I'll leave that for another day.

No surprise than that 'The Situation' a-sides gets a masterclass of a remix that'll raise the spirits for any dubsters; as he says, "Dub music is a natural creation. Analog is our only sound. We don’t know nothing else"

It'll be cool if this got an old skool 12" Disco mix version but either way, this will get you in a dancing mood from the start.

BUY LINK: The Situation

Artist: Odario X Mad Professor

Title: The Situation ft. Yolanda Sargeant

Release date: 7th March, 2023

Label: Round Hill

Cat. No: TBC

Format:  Digital  

Review: Şatellites - Aylar (Batov Records)

At first I thought, a tribute to Albert Ayler?  But no, this is 'Aylar', Turkish for "moons" or "months" (sometimes words have more than one meaning) but even Albert would get excited of these 10 tracks in global Turkish psych-funk.

We first came across Şatellites a couple of years ago on the compilation 'Middle Eastern Grooves'  on Batov Records (see review HERE) but they are now a fully fledged band that tours (Ed. In them flares?) with a space-mod-out there vibe; like I say Albert would love to jam along to this.

At times they can sound prog-rock like Jethro Tull, 'Bak, Gör' or quite poppy, 'Tisladi Mehmet Emmi' or traditional folk-psych-grunge 'Yok Yok'.  You can see why DJ's as far apart as BBC 6 Music's Gilles Peterson and Seattle's KEXP had them in session after their first album tfrom 2022.

And now they're even better!  'Gizli Ajan' is amazingly like a Incredible Bongo Band vs. The Tornados and with vocals Rotem Bahar on 'Midnight Sweat'.  Whilst instrumentals like 'Hot Jazz' are typical and easier to say than the Rotem tracks, at time she can hold some Plant-like phrasing whilst the band touch on 'Kashmir' showing that there's more to this band than the next Altin Gün or Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek hype.

It so happens Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek have their own album out next week, 'Yarin Yoksa', but don't overlook 'Aylar' as these guys are at the cutting edge; not only in trouser length - or you could even say, "over the moon!"

Artist: Şatellites

Title: Aylar

Release date: 7th March, 2023

Label: Batov Records 

Cat. No: BTR

Format: Limited LP / Digital / Bandcamp

 

Review: Various Artists - The Best of Asona Records (Asona / BBE Music)

After releasing 15 albums from the Asona catologe, BBE have decided to release a compilation of the 'Best Of', 'Classic 90's Burger Highlife From Ghana'.

A mere 14 tracks as there's no Paa Jude from the recently released 'Seaman Jolly' (see review HERE - and obviously slated for Vol. 2 of Best Of), it's not an easy job to compile this one.

The story of Asona,  founded in the mid-80s in Peckham, South East London and the 'finding' of the lost tapes in the garden shed has been detailed in reviews of previous releases on YATM. 

Indeed, many of your favourites are featured on the album that's crammed with the sunshine sounds of 'Burger' like Thomas Frempong, Eric Aguemand and his Kokoroko Band, Sam Yeboah, A.K. Yeboah & K.K's No. 2 Band (with the best of the best, 'Make Me Know My Position'), Kantata and more.

This is the ideal pick me up for seasonal affective disorder (SAD) sufferers craving sounds of West African dancefloor footwork.  And as a 'Best Of', it's definitely a 100% accurate title and perfect in so many way for 2025; and this is my position!

Artist: Various Artists

Title: The Best of Asona Records

Release date: 7th March, 2025

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : BBE791

Format:  LP / Digital / Bandcamp