Review: Attilio Zanchi - Mingus Portrait (DJ Farrapo Remixes) (Right Tempo PRO)

Attilio Zanchi's interpretations have been given the once over by DJ Farrapo and its the current must have in your jazz dance box.

We've just had Zanchi's album 'Mingus Portrait' (see review HERE) and we were wondering how the Right Tempo off-shoot (Right Tempo PRO) were going to follow the instant classic first release, RT 0001 PRO, 'Seasons In My Mind (Remixes)' by Yellowtail featuring Mark Murphy (see review HERE). 

Well, I can't say that they gone even better, but it's pretty close as DJ Farrapo has provided a jazz shoe friendly version of 'Boogie Stop Shuffle' that was already Jazz Room friendly to start with, plus a dub version and two versions of 'For Harry Carne'.

DJ Farrapo is best known in these parts as being 50% of DJ Farrapo & Yanez with their 7", 'Baiano Vem Baiano Vai' / 'Dubaiano' that came out when Paul 'Jazz Room' Murphy was running Afro Art.

Expect to hear this on my Radio WOMAD mix and all the other DJ suspects, Gilles Peterson, Patrick Forge, Kevin Beedle, Ashley Beadle, Colin Curtis, Colin Parnell, Paul Murphy (himself) and many more!

Artist: Attilio Zanchi 
Title: Mingus Portrait (DJ Farrapo Remixes) 
Release date: 10th July, 2024 

Label : Right Tempo Pro

Catalog Number : RT 002 PRO 

Format :Vinyl/ Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Attilio Zanchi - Mingus Portrait (Right Tempo / Mono Jazz)

You could say tha Attilio Zanchi is the A to Z of jazz bass and just to proove it, the new album on Mono Jazz is his musical portait of the master of them all, Charles Mingus.

You'll recall that the last release on Mono Jazz was the jazz rarity, 'Chet On Poetry' by legend Chet Baker (see review HERE) which is an amazing piece of jazz history and this new album, is a different take on highlighting another icon, Charles Mingus who is mostly known as a bass player but was also a composer, bandleader and civil rights activist who so happened to play in banks with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Billy Taylor, Lionel Hampton and many, many more in his own bands.

Because Mingus was so good for such a longer period in many styles it'd be difficult to know where to start if you were new to his name or even a long term student; either way, Zanchi and producer Rocco Pandiani have put together not only a top rate band of musicians but also the tracks to paint this picture.

The big track that'll get all the attention of your jazzdance types is the be-bop swing of 'Boogie Stop Shuffle' with big horn section, drum break with Batman theme (original 60s version) style.

The beautiful title track epitomizes what this album is all about and then there's the angular swing of 'Remember Rockefeller At Attica' (political instrumental jazz!), the intriguing 'Fables Of Faubus' (which builds up to solos by Andrea Andreoli and Daniele Nocella) and the lounge love song of 'Sound Of Love' that's warm and cuddly with Attilio caressing his instrument (Ed. can you say that?).

Even the 'Jelly Roll' (Morton) take on trad. New Orlean's is cool. But you can't get cooler than the spiritual 'For Harry Carney' that showcases Gianni Azzali (sax and flute) and Tino Tracann (saprano sax) on the front line.

There's not a bad track on here (as you'd expect) even thought there's nothing from Mingus' 1957 album, 'The Clown' which has one of the creepiest covers in jazz but you can't have it all. 

Zanchi has said, "If I have to make one last record, now that I'm 70, I want it dedicate to Mingus.  In such a poor musical age, his music - in which traditional jazz, classical and contemporary, but also dixieland and 'free' coexist - contains all the 20th century"; Sir, job done to perfecton - Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus you might say. 

PS. great cover artwork/photo which evokes some of Mingus' own LP covers.

PPS. watch out for a DJ Farrapo remix release coming soon (you remember his Afro Art single that came out when Paul 'Jazz Room' Murphy was running the label - amazing).

Artist: Attilio Zanchi 
Title: Mingus Portrait 

Release date: 24th June, 2024 

Label : Mono Jazz

Catalog Number : -

Format : LP / CD / Digital / Bandcamp

Attilio Zanchi: leader & bass
Gianni Azzali: tenor sax & flute
Tino Tracanna: soprano sax (1/2/5 and 7)
Andrea Andreoli: trombone (1/2/4/5/6/7/8 and 10)
Daniele Nocella: trumpet (1/3/5/6/8 and 9)
Massimo Colombo: piano
Tommy Bradascio: drums

Review: Chet Baker - Chet On Poetry (Right Tempo / Mono Jazz)

Chet Baker was known for his voice, his trumpet and being cool; this re-issue 'Chet On Poetry' has the benefit of all three!

Last month we looked back (and forward) with Yellowtail's 'easons In My Mind' with  remixes (see rview HERE) that featured another jazz vocal original, Mark Murphy.

Baker is even a bigger name in jazz and as a swan song (recorded in 1988 in Rome and originally released the year later after he passed away) has been somewhat overlooked.

So it's a good time to re-assess this one and, in some ways, come to terms with what Chet could envisage from his West Coast notoriety.  And it you start with 'Party Is Over', whilst his voice may have lost something over the years, the track could be early Jazzanova!  And don't be put off by the opener being a (yet another) version of 'In A Sentimental Mood' but put in the context of an album based on poetry and music (by Nicola Stilo who was in the Chet Baker Quartet and plays flute guitar, piano and synthesizer on this album) with poetry 

The remastered original tapes also feature Carla Marcotulli (backing vocal), Enzo Peitropaoli (double bass), Roberto Gatto (drums) and Alfredo Minotti (percussion) with Chet on trumpet and vocals as interpretations of translated Roman poets Gianluca Manzi and Maurizio Guercini.

There's some glorious flute on here, notably on 'With Sadness' and the Jack Kerouac-ness of 'Waiting For Chet' (both highlights on the album).

Chet's horn is fantastic as you'd expect from a true master and whilst the pathos of 'Like The Precedent' is a little downbeat, the horn on the semi-bossa of 'Deep Arabesques' and the jazz-bounce of 'Chet's Blues' is proof (none needed) of what a star he is.

In addition to the Duke Ellington cover, he does Elvis Costello's 'Almost Blue' (come on, he's not got to do 'Watching The Detectives' or '(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea' - perhaps he should have?)

This may not have been his last album/performance but one of the most unusual and now available in 'all' formats, you've got no excuse to treat yourself to a copy.

Artist: Chet Baker
Title: Chet On Poetry  

Release date: 14th May, 2024 

Label : Right Tempo 

Catalog Number : -

Format : LP / CD / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Yellowtail feat. Mark Murphy - Seasons In My Mind (Remixes) (Right Tempo Pro)

As Gilles Peterson starts his campaign to save UK club cultures, independent venues and radio all at the same time, here's a quick reminder of one of three vocalists that he more or less single-handedly re-discovered.

Whilst there were many more acts/performers, I'm specifically thinking about Slim Gaillard, Eddie Jefferson and Mark Murphy!  Peterson 'discovered' Murphy's 1961 album 'Rah' in his local library and the story goes, took him to the Dingwalls and that visit resulted in Murphy's love letter to the venue, Gilles, Camden Town and the young jazzdance community that was emerging in the 90s.

Over 30 years on, this jazzdance 'Ding Walls' / Acid Jazz scene has it's fans worldwide (no pun etc) and in the case of this 12", Milan's Right Tempo have returned to the Yellowtail track featured on their compilation album, 'The Congregation - Jazz Alliance International' with Mark Murphy on vocals (as an 'unreleased' Patchworks remix - Patchworks being a Peterson protégé himself).

So you got the immaculate Murphy on a track that he sings and skats on, Yellowtail (aka Hiro Awanohara) on production duties and another Peterson protégé from the early days of Brownswood Recordings and a dreamy Sunday afternoon original, 'Seasons In My Mind'.

Worth the price of the 12" in itself but as someone that was in on the boarders of Peterson's leftfield soul-jazz-hip-hop 'In Crowd' some years ago. I remember standing next to DJ Simon S at Emanative's first gig at what was Favela Chic in Shoreditch with Jessica Lauren, Liz Elensky, Deborah Jordan, Heidi Vogel and many more when Peterson turned up with Earl Zinger and they stood next to us!  I also recall giving Peterson a white label of Richard E's 7", 'Sometime I'/'Hear Her Call' at Peterson's other club night that he ran for over a decade, 'That's How It Is!'  So what's the reason for all this blatant name dropping?

Well, remember Richard E's 'To The Moon' (see review HERE), he's done a fantastic uptempo flute gang remix featuring Jake Telford.  And then there's the 'dream team' of Jessica Lauren and Emanative (last seen on Sandman Project's 'Hamsa Remixes - see review HERE) with a  jazzy spring garden and home remix and dub; descibed as, "Nick & Jessica playing drums and piano live and then all being chopped up and brought into the present moment, production-wise".

And if that wasn't enough, there's the 'Frankson' remix which is the favourite of Kev Beadle (TWR), who I happened to help into a cab at 3am in Shaftesbury Avenue after he DJ'd at the first "Last Ever" 'That's How It Is!' some years ago.

Other fans include, Harv-inder Singh (Point Blank FM), famed jazz dance royalty DJ Perry Louis (JazzCotech), Michael Rütten (Soul Searching; that coincidently celebrated its 19th Birthday show in 2016 with guest mix from DJ Simon S as mentioned above) and there's sleeve note by yet another scene name, Straight No Chaser's Paul Bradshaw.

Nearly as impressive as another 'Sunday Afternoon At Dingwalls' and in addition to the 12", there's bonus digital content too! Get your pre-orders in now. 

Artist: Yellowtail feat. Mark Murphy 

Title: Seasons In My Mind (Remixes)

Release date: 10th April, 2024 

Label : Right Tempo Pro

Catalog Number : RT 001 PRO  

Format : LP (140g black vinyl)  / Digital / Bandcamp