Review: Rahaan Presents The Ones - We Are The Ones / Fire / Forever EP (BBE Music)

Chicago is special by more than location as DJ Rahaan prooves with this EP as he's got together some top musicians to they called themselves The Ones and you'll also be thinking that they are/we are The Ones.

If you can imagine a post-Prince/EWF/Gabriels (aren't they just everywhere after Glastonbury) in the form of Marcus J. Austin (lead vocals), Nancy Clayton (backing vocals), Carnell C. Newbill (aka Spike Rebel (keyboards and backing vocals) Todd Swope (guitar), and Lou Terry (bass).

The 'We Are The Ones' is so well put together as Rahaan's production skills we're aided by Kenny Anderson (Slave/Ohio Players) that makes it sounds Tower Of Power and a fast march to the dancefloor.

'Fire' going to get them cookin' as it's the Afro-funk of a Osibsa with Dele Sosimi keys from the Fela school.

The track 'Forever' is more JazzFM/Keni Burke/80s soulftime synth-funk-house as Carnell takes the lead vocals and it equally shows how talented these guys are; BBE clearly didn't need long to sign 'em up as their potential is obvious to all.

And if this EP doesn't spoil you enough there's and extended version of 'We Are The Ones' and the great extended instrumental so you really are spoilt for choice.

Artist: Rahaan Presents The Ones 

Title: We Are The Ones / Fire / Forever EP

Release date: 14th July, 2023

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : BBE773 12" / Digital / Bandcamp 

Reveiw: Alina Bzhezhinska & HipHarpCollective - Fire (We Are The Horsemen Remix) (BBE Music)

If you were slightly perplexed by Alina's social media post this week, be perplexed no more as her fantastic cover version of 'Fire' (Alice Coltrane & Joe Henderson) gets a remix by DJ Harv (aka Harvinder Singh) and Sub One as 'We Are The Horsemen'.

It's going to be the jazzdance track of the year as it's got all things Dingwalls 'cosmic' about it as along with Alina on Harp, it features UK Jazzers of note Tony Kofi (sax) and Jay Phelps (Trumpet).

Taken from her second album 'Reflections' from last year, the whole was inspired by the jazz harpist elite of Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby with the spiritual wisdom of John Coltrane and the karma of the rescently departed Pharoah Sanders [RIP], the addition of the HipHarpCollective  provides for an album just as deep and varied that's more accessible too with a couple of well known jazz covers.

'Fire', 'Soul Vibrations' and a storming version of 'Afro Blue' counter the deepness of 'Alabama' and beauty of Ellington’s 'African Flower' form the rock of this album as this is very much a 'collective' band production. The strings are so atmospheric throughout and tracks like the funk/fusion influences on 'Sans End', 'Action Line' and there's two versions of 'Paris Sur le Toit'; an instrumental and vocal/rap Lady Sanity and Tom TheyThem that are beats perfect hip hop.

What with Amanda Whiting (Wales) and Alina (Ukraine-born, Warsaw Conservatoire-trained, London-based) both releasing jazz harp lead albums, this seems like a golden period for the instrument and the ladies in the footsteps of Dorothy and Alice; a land of make believe you might say - something to meditate about. 

Artist: Alina Bzhezhinska

Title: Fire (We Are The Horsemen Remix) 

Release date: 31st March, 2023

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : 

BBE716SDG3 / CD / Digital / Bandcamp