Sean Haefeli's album 'Flying Broken Form' is due out later this year but here's your chance to get acquainted with the next big thing even before Gilles Peterson knows about him!
Jazz vocals with a touch of gospel and hip-hop groove in the soulful way of a Gil Scott-Heron meets José James that touches Roots Manuva,golden era Dwele/Roy Hargrove and Bobby McFerrin - and that's just in three tracks: 'Drop', 'Battle Cry' and 'Ride To The Beat'.
Mr. Haefeli was born in Indianapolis (as was jazz legends Wes Montgomery, Freddie Hubbard and J.J. Johnston) and now living in Berlin, where the rest of the band has been drawn to from various parts of the world; Francesco Beccaro on bass (New York/Italian), Dima Bondarev on trumpet (Ukraine), Ben Kraef on sax (Berlin) and a Nigerian drummer Clinton Agu with Mathis Grossmann (aka Magro, Ludwigsburg) also on drums.
Not sure how a jazz-rap, 'The Hustle' lands with today's kids but the band are fantastic on this track and the instrumental 'Continuity' whilst for the ballad lovers, it's time for a 'Breakup'.
You'll remember that Sean was invovled in Jazzanova's 'Strata Records' project (see review HERE) and 'Better Days' could be a Jazzanova track itself and it's yet another highlight ot his solo album that many are predicting is going to blow up like Gregory Porter's debut of a few years ago, this is definity flying, not broken and in perfect form.
P.S. Update, I've just been told Gilles Peterson loves this - I knew he would.
.jpg)
.jpg)
