Review: Jessica Lauren - Film (IMPRESS!VE Collective)

You know the saying, "great minds think alike" and this certainly applies to Jessica Lauren's album 'Film" and IMPRESS!VE Collective's Greg Boraman as here's the very impressive new release on his label.

You can't get much different from thier last release (the equally brilliant,  Ginger Johnson And His African Messenger's 'African Party' - see review HERE) and like the previous re-release of that album (albiet on mp3 for me), I've loved the original CD release of 'Film' since it was originally released.

Not only because I met her some years ago and suggested it should be re-issued (Ed. great minds eh!) but it's quite ageless jazz groove.  In fact, the reason I got the original CD was that Jessica had made a name for herself in the jazzdance scene with soul-jazz/jazz funk/Chris Bowden produced album 'Siren Song' and the first track from 'Film' is a futuristic jazz-funk OST 'Uptown'.

And the rest of the album follows this lead of modal jazz, library, electronica, Latin with Ms. Lauren's keyboard skills to the fore, like the beautiful 'Stone Garden', the Christmas Box 'A Pearl For Iona', spacey 'Live Your Life' and 'Ajua' plus a touch of neo-classical 'Coming Home'.

Lots of Schifrin /Hancock 70s funky keys/synth/harpsichord experimentation OST biz going on with tracks like 'Shibuya' and 'I Love You My Brother' (like an updated 'Get Carter' if you like).

Jessica's been a big supporter of Emanative (she was on his/their last album 'Abstact Intuition' - see review HERE) and his love of spirtual jazz is evident on this release of 24 years ago; was Nick Woodmansey even born then?  And whilst on the subject, you may recall the pair of them were on the Emanative remix of the Yellowtail 'Seasons In My Mind' featuring Mark Murphy no less (see review HERE).

'Uptown' and 'Treasure Island' were picked for single release at the time of original release and both tracks stand up today as quality so, as you can imagine, your usual DJ suspect are on this already now it's finally out on a 2024 vinyl release, like Gilles, Patrick Forge and DJ Colin Parnell (Stomp Radio) who featuring a track on his show a couple of weeks ago.   

Thankfully, the artwork is a 1000% improvement on the original and fitting for this great album.

Artist: Jessica Lauren

Title: Film

Release date: 1st November, 2024

Label :  Impressive Collective (an imprint of BBE Music)

Catalog Number:BBE643

Format: Vinyl LP / Digital / Bandcamp  

Review: Jessica Lauren - Alefela / Shibuya (BBE Music)

Jessica Lauren's fans are many and it's no surprise at all that BBE have acknowledged her excellence with this brand new single. 

As part of the new IMPRESS!VE Collective roster is keyboard player, composer and producer Jessica Lauren debuts with a single release, 'Alefela' / 'Shibuya'

Known to us as the Mrs Emanative in Nick 'Emanative' Woodmansey's group (as recently showcased on the album 'Abstract Intuition' (see review HERE) but she's also been part of bands with Jean Carne, Tom Browne, Dexter Wansel, James Mason, UFO, The Heliocentrics and (really!) Demis Roussos (this was around the time Emanative performed at Favela Chic; but that's a different story).

However, that was around the time her 'Film' album was being touted for a re-issue so with these two tracks from that original 1997 recording that was originally released a couple of years later on MELT2000 as a CD only release.

After last months' 'Ascend It' by Tamil Rogeon (see review HERE) with its 70s Miles/Herbie fusion and if you're into the 100mph jazzdance; this is definitely boiling up to it.  This is so "Gilles Peterson / Patrick Forge Dingwalls" I fully expect both Lauren and Tamil at next years' We Out Here Festival).  

That said, you don't need the gift of the gab of a DJs to be talking about this one, "our Jessica" time is now and no doubt it'll be recorded on film too.

Artist: Jessica Lauren

Title: Alefela / Shibuya 

Release date: 20th September, 2024

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number :BBE643SDG

Format: Digital / Bandcamp  

Review: Emanative - Abstract Intuition (Home Planet Recordings)

For those avid Emanative watchers/listeners, here's the latest on the long awaited next release, 'Abstact Intuition' is out digitally on 30th July and vinyl out first week in September!

After the interview fellow London lover DJ Kobayashi (co-founder of Batov Records) on the B-Side Sessions show (Soho Radio - 14:00 to 16:00, Wednesdays - Dom Servini was on there the other week too!).

Of course we've seen Batov and Nick together before on Sandman Projet's remix release (see review HERE) (with Jessica Lauren) and back in April with the Yellowtail/Mark Murphy remix of 'Seasons In My Mind' (see review HERE) so we kinda know what to expect?

Well, the first thing to expect is some of the best known names in 'modern electronic jazz' being long-time musical partners Jessica Lauren (not wife) and Ben Hadwen (tenor sax, bass clarinet, flute) with Twm Dylan (upright bass), Peter Zummo (trombone), Sarathy Korwar (Tabla - he also featured on the 'Ominous Shanti' release), Magnus Mehta (Congas/percussion), Raimund Wong (Yamaha MT400/electronics) and Nick himself on drums/percussion (of course), vibes and synth.

This might only be 4 tracks, 'Spice Routes' (deep bass driven space jazz with Ben leading(?) the way with sax and bass clarinet as metaphorical walking sticks), 'Messimalism (Above Thought)' is the space-jazz-dub that you've always craved, 'Paradox' (not the challenge that you might expect as all the musicians push themselves deeper within a soup of gong baths) and the magnificent 'Pathways to Presence' but fans like the influencial DJs Patrick Forge and Michael Ruetten are lost for words to describe how good this is.

So you can tell Emanative is as much a band (family) as an individual and if you know your Art Enemble of Chicago from your Kahil El Zabar's Ethnic Heritage Ensemble to Amirtha Kidabi's Elder Ones (see review HERE) alond with th Coltrane's spiritual legacy, you'll get this immediately; especially the 18 minute long 'Pathways To Presence' that's includes all of the above and even dips into early Cinematic Orchestra vibe; that said, this is a "proper jazz walk to the cosmos".

This is perfect for the We Out Festival (next year Gilles?) but what with Nick's connections with the Sun Ra Arkestra and Tribe jazz royalty alumni, Ahmed Abdullah and Phil Ranelin, we have our own Carlos Niño & Friends, or could we rename the Emanative family an Emanumni?

The only thing that's missing is Nick's "real" wife of 25 years, Liz Elensky; lets hope that's not caused an argument. 

Artist:  Emanative

Title: Abstract Intuition

Release date: 30th July, 2024

Label: Home Planet Recordings

Catalog Number:

Format: LP Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Sandman Project - Hamsa Remixes (Batov Records)

Lots of fantastic remix projects about at the moment and here's one not to be overlooked.

Batov Records have organised four different versions of 'Hamsa' by experts in their own fields as they take on the original track that's Mulatu Astatke of Ethiopia with a West African psychedelic rock vibe.

No. 1 for us is absolutely brilliant. This is usually the case with anything to do with Jessica Lauren and Emanative - typically in the Sun Ra meets Ethio Jazz.  We have to declare an interest as I've DJ'd with Emanative (aka Nick Woodmansey) way before the release of his critically acclaimed albums for Brownswood Recordings, Jazzman Records and Futuristica Music.  And he's not shy when it comes to remixes, (most recently, the far too short 'San Francisco Dance' for RE:WARM) and like any good DJ/producer/drummer/show-off he's reworked 'Hamsa' playing the drums himself and getting bests mate keyboard whiz Jessica Lauren to do a Farfisa solo plus Vince Vella adding an Afro-Latin kick, on congas, udu drums and other assorted percussion. 

Stunning I think you'll agree. But wait! What's this Ayala's Rhythm Mix?  Sticking to the theme but a bit more jazzy horn whilst the Koichi Sakai remix is Ethio with trumpet and housey keys that grooves then gets a little dubby sometimes and a little spacey too!  And not to be outdown in the spacey dubby groove, Italian DJ/Producer Woxow gets deeper into all aspects with some added spoken word 'thoughts'. 

Batov Records (they of Sababa 5 - see our review HERE) are getting in the party mood with this one and I'm expecting more of the same quality next year too!

Artist: Sandman Project

Title: Hamsa Remixes EP

Release date: 2nd December, 2022

Label: Batov Records

Catalog Number: Digital