Review: Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21 - The Confluence LP (Wah Wah 45s)

 

Regular readers of YATM will know that we go a long way back with Wah Wah 45s and Mr. Dom Servini so for the 25th Birthday Party compilation that came out last week, here's a bit of a selective retrospective!

Especially as there's a massive 32 tracks to celebrate 25 years (Ed. Wonder who thought of that equation?) and as Dele Sosimi has had such a fantastic year here's a chance to check the track 'Mo Se B'ólá Tán'? (Track 31. on the compilation - see below and original album review in earlier this year).

Review: Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21 - The Confluence LP (Wah Wah 45s)

Posted by Gerry Hectic | File under : Dele Sosimi, The Confluence LP, The Estuary 21, Wah Wah 45s

This confluence is the meeting of the musical minds of the Thames Estuary and the "Afrobeat Ambassador" from The Shrine, Fela Kuti’s Egypt 80 and cofounder with Femi Kuti of the Positive Force. 

That's a pretty big body of water (no get enemy) as once aain, Dele Sosimi (formerly keyboardist and other musical duties with aforementioned Afrobeat legends) who is now based in the UK joins Sam Duckworth (formerly known as Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly).  "Hang on", you may be thinking to yourself, "Didn't this come out this time last year and still sounds brilliant?" We'll you'd be right on both counts except that this is the new LP verson and it's bigger and therefore even more brilliant!

As this album is firmly rooted in Afrobeat, the obvious tracks that will engage are the previous singles, 'Ride Out The Storm' / 'Mo Ṣe B’ọ́lá Tán' (see review HERE) and 'You Don't Have To' (see reveiw HERE) and, again, 'Ori Mi' and 'Òt​í​tó Ti J​áde' (albeit my calls for longer versions has been unheeded) along with 'Open Up' which also features UK jazz legend and Essex resident, Snowboy (aka Mark Cotgrove).

Other top musicans featured include Alfa Sackey (percussion), Callum Green (drums), Philip Van Den Brandeler (bass), Pete Fraser (sax), Sam Eagle (voice/guitar) and Lizzy Dosunmu (vocals) along with multi-instrumentalist Duckworth.

'Stories' is at the carib-pop-end of this meeting of minds but the new 'BIG' tracks are 'Alagbara Ma Me Ro' that's a time-after-time winner plus the Essex Go-Go of 'For The Love Of It' and at 60s jazz club towpath shuffle of 'The Ramblings'.

This is no Sosimi-lite (or Mr Get Cape etc 'heavy' for that matter) as this is all giving it their all and finding something special.  Who'd have thought that chance radio interview Dom Servini (now Jazz FM DJ you know) did with Dele did all those years ago would find us at 'The Confluence' (LP version). Who indeed.

P.S, get lively as the vinyl is likely to sell out quick.

 

Artist: Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21
Release: The Confluence LP
Release Date: 5th April, 2024
Label: Wah Wah 45s
Catalog Number: WAHLP025 
Format: Vinyl 12 - Limited Edition / Digital / BANDCAMP

Review: Various Artists - We Wah 25 (Part 11/32 - Part-Time Heroes - 'Realise' feat. Jono McCleery) (Wah Wah 45s)

Regular readers of YATM will know that we go a long way back with Wah Wah 45s and Mr. Dom Servini so for the 25th Birthday Party compilation that came out last week, here's a bit of a selective retrospective!

Especially as there's a massive 32 tracks to celebrate 25 years (Ed. Wonder who thought of that equation?) and as Jono McCleery is riding high on his album on Sonar Kollectiv, 'Reconcile' (see review HERE), has anyone mentioned that he featured on Part-Time Heroes track 'Realise'? (Track 11. on the compilation - see below and original album review in October, 2008).

Part-Time Heroes - Meanwhile... After Gilles Peterson’s recent trip to Japan where he met up with Part-Time Heroes promoting the new album, Meanwhile…, don’t be surprised to see these guys back in the Worldwide awards at the end of the year.
Just to reiterate, Part-time Heroes are from Southampton (not Bournemouth, Gilles how could you make such a basic error as that?) and their classic track ‘Realise’ was voted 26th in the Best Track category of Gilles Peterson’s 2006 Worldwide awards. Not bad for a couple of part-timers but since then, the duo of Ross Wakefield and Toby Vane are now very much full-time with this project and this is the debut album. Their mix of thoughtful soul-jazz and dancefloor knowledge has helped them work with some excellent vocalist that really suit their style. ‘Realise’ will always be a standout track in any set (see the single review HERE) but Jono McCleery also sings on a downtempo flute strings number called ‘Angels Fly’ which is just awesome. And whilst we’re getting reflective, ‘Stop, Fade, Blur’ (with highly acclaimed jazz vocalist Laura Vane; any relation?) is as good as it gets! These two tracks together, ‘Stop, Fade, Blur’ and Angels Fly’, get me every time but Ms. Vane, like most of the vocal guests, gets two tracks and her other track ‘In My Soul’ ends the CD up the up. These guys certainly have an ear/eye for a femaile vocalist as Bridgitte Amofah has appeared on The Nextmen’s album This Was Supposed To Be The Future and Dr. Rubberfunk’s My Life At 33. Here she gets the optimistic ‘Sun Will Shine’ and sentimental on ‘Method’. Liane Carroll featured on ‘Shadowlands’ on the ‘Realise EP’ and she continues to be a regular on the Hospital label. Her other track is ‘What It Could Be’ that’s linked with the instrumental ‘What’s The Noise? (Part II)’. What with the other instrumental, ‘Distance’, Part-Time Heroes take on the Koop’s, Zero 7s and Portishead’s of the world and come out points winners. The single from the album is more of a dancefloor sound, ‘Ready For Change’ featuring Pete (Elektrons, Domu Presents Pete Simpson, Joey Negro & The Sunshine Band) Simpson although the idea is to keep their PTH Projects guise for the club scene. The album launch was at Cargo in September and more llive band gigs are promiesed for next year but when they are not live, they are just as happy with their PTH Soundsystem so keep an eye open and don’t miss at any opportunity to see and hear them. Mr. Servini sir, you’ve done it again - Wah Wah 45s forever! Hectic Mix nominations: ‘Realise’, ‘Shadowlands’ [modern classics], ‘Stop, Fade, Blur’, ‘Angels Fly’, ‘Distance’. Reviewed: Part-time Heroes - Meanwhile… (Wah Wah 45s) Cat. No. WAHCD009 Release date: September 2008 Tracklisting: 1 Intro (0:39) 2 Ready For Change (4:20) feat. Pete Simpson 3 Shadowlands (5:07) feat. Liane Carroll 4 Realise (7:15) feat. Jono McCleery 5 Stop, Fade, Blur (4:56) feat. Laura Vane 6 Angels Fly (5:25) feat. Jono McCleery 7 Sun Will Shine (5:38) feat. Bridgette Amofah 8 What’s The Noise? (Part II) / What It Could Be (6:32) feat. Laura Vane 9 Method (Don’t Say Goodbye) (4:36) feat. Bridgette Amofah 10 Distance (5:36) 11 In My Soul (5:57) feat. Laura Vane + Hidden Track Links www.parttimeheroes.co.uk www.myspace.com/theparttimeheroes www.wahwah45s.com www.myspace.com/Misslauravane www.lianecarroll.co.uk www.mumsthewordmusic.com Gilles Peterson :: 2nd October 2008 :: Gilles Peterson’s Nu Japanese Mix Dee Dee Bridgewater - ‘Tokyo Blues’ (Verve) Hajime Yoshizawa - ‘Open Door’ (Village Again) Tokyo Zawinul Bach - ‘Mint Palladium’ (Body Electric) Cro-Magnon - ‘Morning Haze’ (Jazzy Sport) Audace - ‘Track 7’ (White) Forty Five - ‘Wa’ (Origami Productions) Sleep Walker - ‘Brotherhood’ (Mark Mac Remix) (Jazzamar) Kingdom Afrocks - ‘The Sunshine Has Gone’ (P-Vine) Nation Of Multiverse - ‘Unknown’ (Pravda Test) Quasimode Ft. Carmen Lundy - ‘Sounds of Peace’ (Geneon) United Legends - Thank You (Danny Krivit Re-edit) (Geneon) —Gerry Hectic Sunday 19 October 2008

Review: Various Artists - We Wah 25 (Part 10/32 - Jamie Finlay - 'Daylight' feat. Ellen Beth Abdi) (Wah Wah 45s)

Regular readers of YATM will know that we go a long way back with Wah Wah 45s and Mr. Dom Servini so for the 25th Birthday Party compilation that came out last week, here's a bit of a selective retrospective!

Especially as there's a massive 32 tracks to celebrate 25 years (Ed. Wonder who thought of that equation?) and part of the celebrations was Wah Wah 45s stage on the Friday at WeOutHere Festival with Jamie Finlay and band that travelled all the way from Manchester to Dorset, starting out in 'Daylight' and ended as one of the gig's of the day in the Tomorrow's Warriors Big Tent (Track 10. on the compilation - see below as he was due to be the star turn at the London Jazz Festival launch  back in November, 2008).

Somebody called 'Speedy S' gave us an update; Speedy S eh!

Europe: City Guides/Events						FLY HOME NEWS AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST ASIA/PACIFIC CARIBBEAN EUROPE -Features -Reviews -City Guides/Events LATIN AMERICA US/CANADA - - - - - - FLY VIDEO FLYkr GALLERIES FLY CD SHOP (UK) FLY CD STORE (US) www.flickr.com what is this?
Wah Wah!! London Jazz Festival Launch (Cargo, 14.11.08) The best ever London Jazz Festival has the best ever launcher, its Dom Servini and a bunch of his favourite Wah Wah 45 folks.
It’s not that long since the brilliant Meanwhile… from the Wah Wah 45’s Part-Time Hereos but Mr. Servini and the boys now bring us the official London Jazz Festival launch and the Jaime Finlay album launch all rolled into one! You’ll recall Jamie Finlay (composer, producer, musician, DJ from Manchester) released the ‘Little Trumpet’/’Temperature’ 12” three years ago so the debut album Pocket Science is definitely long awaited especially as he’s been picked as ‘one to watch’ for sometime; comparisons with Prince, Plantlife, George Clinton and, legendary producers, the Mizell Brothers no less. In support are the London based funk band, The Filthy Six (sort of half of a Dirty Dozen?) that find their influences in the golden age of late 60’s Blue Note artists such as Lou Donaldson, Grant Green, Jimmy McGriff, Donald Byrd and other Droppin’ Science types. Currently hosting a monthly night at the world famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, London and other gigs across town, they now get a chance to burn up the Cargo dancefloor with their mix of original material and classics. They’ve got their own debut album Knockout ready to drop soon so it’ll be a double launch nigt. On the DJ front, Pete Isaac makes the long trip up from the West Country from the home of Jelly Jazz for a rare London appearance (so get there early) and your usual Wah Wah 45’s residents will also be on hand to entertain you. Looks like Wah Wah’s out to make the rest of the LJF an anti-climax! Links www.myspace.com/jamefinlay www.wahwah45s.com LIVE: JAMIE FINLAY & HIS ORCHESTRA + THE FILTHY SIX DJS: PETE ISAAC + WAH WAH RESIDENTS (DOM SERVINI, SIMON GOSS & CAPSTONE) 8-3am £10 adv, £6 before 9, £12 on the door www.cargo-london.com 83 Rivington Street, EC2 www.myspace.com/thefilthysix www.jellyjazz.com London Jazz Festival - Fri 14th - Sunday 23 November 2008 londonjazzfestival.org.uk www.bbc.co.uk/radio3 —Gerry Hectic Friday 7 November 2008

Review: Various Artists - We Wah 25 (Part 1/32 - Sesong - 'Love Untold') (Wah Wah 45s)

Regular readers of YATM will know that we go a long way back with Wah Wah 45s and Mr. Dom Servini so for the 25th Birthday Party compilation that came out last week, here's a bit of a selective retrospective!

Especially as there's a massive 32 tracks to celebrate 25 years (Ed. Wonder who thought of that equation?) and as the sharp of ear and eye sighted will have spotted, Sesong's 'Love Untold is track one on this new 25 year anniversary compilation as it was on Wah Wah 45s - Underground Hits and Exclusive Bits 2, - see below and original album review in May, 2007) so it just goes to show, there's even more to investigate.

Wah Wah 45s - Underground Hits and Exclusive Bits 2 Wow! The Wah Wah 45s’ hit machine continues at a pace as Volume 2 is packed with the usual high standard tunes and some tasty special bits
It kicks off with some cool Scandinavian soul-jazz-swing from Sesong that came out last year on a 12”. A summer hit if there ever was one and a timely reminder of how good it is. It made the playlist of Radio Oxigenio in Portugal but really we should be hearing this on the mainstream BBC Radio stations and theJazz DAB (now there’s an opening for a Speedy type DJ?) Similarly, Rosie Brown’s bushel should be removed. The track here is equally as good as the two tracks on Vol.1 of Underground Hits and Exclusive Bits. You could easily skip ‘Bend’ by Speeka (also see Gum Drop) as an imitation of Radiohead’s madness but I’d urge you to stick with it. Staying with problems medical, ‘Melancoholic’ (Your Love Blinds Me)’ keeps the Norwegian leftfield moose jazz connection and has Landside fell out of his hospital bed? With some help from Ernesto they’re in ‘Solitary’. Don’t leave them on their own as it’s another soul-drenched grower with dubstep leanings and some big brass. Now what is going to get conscious hip hop jazzy folks excited is the partnership of Jamie Finlay and Dwayne Morgan on ‘Any Given Sunday’. Not as raw as the Spasm Band of Anthony Joseph’s , Leggo De Lion but what a session that would be at Favorite Things if they all turned up for some freestyle! And if the aim of Mr. Servini and Mr. Simon Goss is to tease our excitement buds with these exclusive bits, they are doing a great job as Scrimshire’s ‘Warm Sounds’ is the folky-soulful-jazziness that we more often associate with other labels than Wah Wah 45s. Scrimshire provides the ideal backing to Inga Lill Aker’s lovely ‘Warm Sound’ vocals. Talc continue to put their tongues firmly in their bowler hats as ‘Wonder Bar’ is inspired by some Wham meets Hall & Oats strangeness. I couldn’t believe it! (Ed. OK, Victor) as there’s an indie band on MTV who claim the four of them met as the raced onto the dancefloor when the DJ played Hall & Oats’ “Maneater’! Perhaps Talc will be equally as influedential one day when the DJ drops ‘Wonder Bar’ at the students union disco. Also included is ‘It’s Only Perfect’ (originally on the 12”, ‘Garden Of Dance’) and PTH Projects ‘What The Sun Brings’ (on the reverse of the new Pretend Paradise remix 12”). Both have big dollops of 70s influences and are sounding especially good at the moment; probably as Mr. Hancock’s fusion buddy Eddie Henderson is in town (see HERE). While on the subject of trumpet players, Andrew Coleman’s first connection with Wah Wah 45’s was on the 12”, ‘Little Trumpet’. Since then,’El Niño’ slipped out by on a 7” and the brilliant ‘Big Band Version’ is included here. The Latin dance theme continues with a Spritual South remix of Srimshire’s ‘You Will Save Me’ with typical manic beats and big spacey synths and jazzy keys. It’s Wah Wah 12013 for the vinyl and it’s great to hear Jessica Lauren again. With an “every one’s a winner!” mentality, this compilation rarely fails and if you don’t believe me, as Sesong would say, “you’re in for a surprise”. The launch party is at London’s Cargo next Friday. Live on stage will be Scrimshire, Umlaut and Stitch with Jamie ‘Wayfaring Stranger’ Woon, The Rosie Brown Band, Ryan Hunn and Wah Wah 45s legendary DJ team of Dom Servini, Simon Goss and Chris Goss. Free before 9pm but £10.00 after. Sounds nearly as good as the CD. Reviewed: Various — Underground Hits And Exclusive Bits: TWO (Wah Wah 45s) Cat. No. WAHCD004 Release date: 14th May 2007. Credits: Compiled By — Dom Servin / Simon Goss Notes: 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Previously Unreleased — all tracks on CD for the first time. Tracklisting: 1 Sesong — Love Untold (5:43) 2 Rosie Brown — Blow The Man Down (4:31) 3 Speeka featuring Ben Parker — Bend (3:02) 4 Luna & Bazis — Melancoholic (Your Love Blinds Me) (3:16) 5 Jamie Finlay featuring Dwayne Morgan — Any Given Sunday (4:50) 6 Scrimshire featuring Inga Lill Aker — Warm Sound (6:25) 7 Landslide featuring Ernesto — Solitary (5:26) 8 Talc — Wonder Bar (5:31) 9 Man/Boy Featuring Girl — It’s Only Perfect (4:19) 10 PTH Projects — What The Sun Brings (6:31) 11 Colman Brothers — El Niño (Big Band Version) (5:00) 12 Scrimshire — You Will Save Me (Spiritual South Remix) (8:04) Links: www.wahwah45s.com Soon come on Wah Wah 45s : Talc ‘Bobby Fame’ b/w ‘Modern Sleepover Part 2’ 7” / Landslide feat. Ernesto ‘Solitary’ (Remix) 12” and much more!! If Music. www.cargo-london.com 83 Rivington Street, EC2 www.myspace.com/sesong www.rosiebrown.com www.myspace.com/lunabzis www.myspace.com/jamiefinlay www.myspace.com/scrimshire www.myspace.com/lunabzis www.myspace.com/scrimshire www.myspace.com/timlandslide www.hospitalrecords.com www.soulblender.co.uk www.thejazz.com www.myspace.com/colmanbrothers Gilles Peterson :: Thursday 01 February :: tracklisting 3. Herbie Hancock — ‘Just Around The Corner’ (Columbia) 4. Colman Brothers — ‘El Nino’ (Big Band 7 edit) (Wah Wah 45s) —Gerry Hectic Saturday 5 May 2007

Review: Raz & Afla - Echoes Of Resistance (Wah Wah 45s)

It's worth repeating, the label that is WAH WAH 45s is in its 25th year and the anniversary celebrations are ongoing and one such highlight is the full album release of Raz & Afla's 'Echoes Of Resistance'.

We're long term fans of the label and the singles previously released, 'What's Going On' (the Hectic extension being very exclusive at the moment), 'Ebo Be Me' and 'Shikor Shikor' (see review HERE).

Of course, the worry would be that is there any more gems left on the album?  Well, in short there is!

Raz Olsher (electronics) and Afla Sackey (percussion and vocals) have produced an even better album than Dom Servini was telling me at We Out Here Festival early in the year; Mr. Servini being the head honcho who has been almost everywhere for the past 25 years promoting the label.

Even a track with a multiple repeated chant of 'On Da Fone' sounds like a run-a-way double headed freight train - going down hill with a great wobble to it. And just when you think there's a rest on its way, 'Stefana' and 'We Taya' get busy - as we've just had Fela Kuti's birthday, 'We Taya' is a reminder of his influence and legacy.

It's been said, "There are moments of pure euphoria and unadulterated joy too though, as tracks like 'Mon Ni Fere', 'Voodoo Zeezee' and 'Baby Moo' inspire elated, tribal dance floor pleasure" and I'm not going to argue against that (especially 'Voodoo Zeezee') but when they really get down, 'Ano Be Mumu' is like a dirty dubstep verson of their sound and I can't wait to hear that on a proper sound system - I'm betting 'friend of Dele Sosimi' Medlar's already had the call! 'Voodoo Zeezee' too! 

Their debut album from 2022, 'The Cycle' was great but 'Echoes Of Resistance' is even better, [I can't overstate how good it is] and it's going to be the icing on Wah Wah 45s birthday cake this year.

Artist: Raz & Afla

Release:  Echoes Of Resistance 
Release Date: 25th October, 2024
Label: Wah Wah 45s
Catalog Number: WAHLP031
Format: Digital / BANDCAMP

Review: Raz & Afla - Shikor Shikor / Eno Be Me (Wah Wah 45s)

As you'll have noticed, the WAH WAH 45s 25th anniversary celebration is at it's peak this month and here's a couple of party tunes from the label.

We're long term fans of the label as you can tell from the many reviews on YATM and this is another excellent release.

Raz Olsher (electronics) and Afla Sackey (percussion and vocals) have settled nicely into the Wah Wah 45s Afro-beat section along with Shrine 'legend', Dele Sosimi, Soothsayers / Youthsayers, Eparapo, Léa Mondo and more.

'Ebo Be Me' (nothing to do with the former Roxy Music/producer/ambient family) has some heavy 80s pop synth in it which makes it ideal for radio plays whilst 'Shikor Shikor' is the run-a-way train percussive groover with Afro-Anglo vocals, its dancefloor ready.

Both tracks are in original and vocal formats which is ideal for the DJ community and there's a little bird that tells me a certain Dom Servini (Wah Wah 45s top man, Jazz FM, Soho Radio and many more) has been playing out the Hectic Extension of the previous single, 'What's Going On' at special times in his set.

These tracks are taken to the follow-up to their debut album from 'The Cycle' in 2022, 'Echoes Of Resistance' is due out next month so stay tuned.

Artist: Raz & Afla

Release: Shikor Shikor / Eno Be Me 
Release Date: 27th September, 2024
Label: Wah Wah 45s
Catalog Number: WAHDIG193
Format: Digital / BANDCAMP
 

Review: Hardkandy - Yonder / Interflude (Full Length Version) (Wah Wah 45s)

By this time next week, Dom Servini will probably been on the main stage at We Out Here Festivial and done numerous DJ sets, so expect to here this new single from an old friend, Hardkandy.

Servini is, of course, head of Wah Wah 45s and now a regular must listen on Jazz FM so even more of a treat to welcome back Tim Bidwell to the label (remember my review of his album 'Second To None' back in 2008 (see link HERE).

These two, 'Yonder' is trippy, hoppy and classic Hardkandy whilst 'Interlude' is all out fuzzy organ from the church of funk, jittery guitar and even something of the flute gang at the end for the jazzy b-bouys.

If this really is a 'full lenght' 'Interlude', why only 3 minutes?!  

Totally different from the last releae on Wah Wah 45s (now in its 25 year you know) to Léa Mondo's 'Rising Woman EP' from earlier this year (see review HERE); but then again, that is Wah Wah 45s. 
 
 

Artist: Hardkandy
Release:  Yonder / Interflude (Full Length Version) 
Release Date: 9th August, 2024
Label: Wah Wah 45s
Catalog Number: -
Format: Digital / BANDCAMP

Review: Jamie Finlay - Sun Dogs (Wah Wah 45s)

Wah Wah 45s have just release Jamie Finlay's debut album, 'Sun Dogs' that a blend of soul-jazz that's fit for any mad Englishmen at mid-day (men acting foolish from other nations are also available).

If you know Jamie's work from his previous  releases, you've eagerly awaited the debut album for a a long time; if not, you're in for a real treat with 'Sun Dogs'.

All eight tracks are a delightful hybrid of 4-Hero, Heliocentrics, Jimi Tenor (don't forget his latest, 'Is There Love In Outer Space?' - see review HERE) or if you want to go old school, Lonnie Liston Smith, Rotary Connection and Herbie's Headhunters.  And to make sure it's that good, he's got together a 'super group' to support him including some great singers, Bryan 'Corbenova' Corbett and Chris 'Time Capsule' Bowden.

It's all great but check out 'Staring At The Sun', 'Family' and 'Parhelion' in particular.

If you're in the area of the Chilled Cider Fesiival at the end of the month (vinyl only DJ set) I'll be bringing a couple of Jamie's previous 12"ers to play but far better to catch the Jamie Finlay Band's full live show, Grow in Hackney Wick (15th June), The Deaf Institute, Manchester on July 27th, or the big one, We Out Here Festival on August 16th.

Artist: Jamie Finlay 
Release: Sun Dogs
Release Date: 14th June, 2024
Label: Wah Wah 45s
Catalog Number: -
Format: Digital / BANDCAMP

Jamie Finlay - Keyboards, synthesisers, vocals, bass guitar & percussion
Ellen Beth Abdi - Vocals
Kemani Anderson - Vocals
Caitlin LM - Vocals, saxophones & flute
Hannah McGuigan - Vocals
Matt Steele - Fender Rhodes
Errol Rollins - Drums
Bryan Corbett - Trumpets, flute & trombone
Chris Bowden - Saxophones
Dan Carpenter - Flugelhorn
Atholl Ransome - Saxophones
Dan Gresham - Additional keyboards

Review: Léa Mondo - Rising Woman EP (Wah Wah 45s)

Wah Wah 45s have got a way of being Wah Wah 45s and brilliant all at the same time and they've found another rising star, this time it's a 'Rising Woman', Léa Mondo.

This is so "Gilles Peterson", a DJ/record label boss/etc known to be ahead of the game and not slow to feature new stars (check out Léa's live performance on Worldwide FM's Wah Wah 45s 25 year anniversary show HERE: that also features Dele Sosimi, Kahil El'Zabar and head honcho Dom Servini - check out the Interview HERE from when you could go to Cargo for a fiver!)

This new 6 track EP does reminds me of when Peterson first featured Amy Winehouse in a way as the DRC born/Manchester raised/now North London resident Ms Mondo has a beautiful voice, charm and sass in equal messure plus a great band behind her.  The two sides of the Amy influence can be heard on 'Heights Of Love' and 'Vices' with a Body Positive/Social Media "update" on 'Nah Mate' that features Tiece.

The EP opens and closes with 'Mwasi'/'Kitoko' - translates as 'Beautiful'/'Woman' which has a fantastic flute and guitar and is inspired by the vision of a Congolese 'The Girl From Ipanema'; with just a touch of Lonnie Liston Smith.

And in another sense of duality, her inspiration for 'Brave New World' is the Aldous Huxley 'A Level' classic of the same name that she sings mostly in her native Congolese language Lingala.

If you like harder, sultry Sade on a jazzy, Afro-bossa tip, Léa Mondo is the next emergent talent to follow and you can catch her live at the EP launch on Friday, 24th May at 91 Living Room, East Lonon (details HERE).

Happy Birthday Wah Wah 45s too!

Artist: Léa Mondo 
Release: Rising Woman EP
Release Date: 17th May, 2024
Label: Wah Wah 45s
Catalog Number: -
Format: Digital / BANDCAMP

Review: Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21 - The Confluence LP (Wah Wah 45s)

This confluence is the meeting of the musical minds of the Thames Estuary and the "Afrobeat Ambassador" from The Shrine, Fela Kuti’s Egypt 80 and cofounder with Femi Kuti of the Positive Force. 

That's a pretty big body of water (no get enemy) as once aain, Dele Sosimi (formerly keyboardist and other musical duties with aforementioned Afrobeat legends) who is now based in the UK joins Sam Duckworth (formerly known as Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly).  "Hang on", you may be thinking to yourself, "Didn't this come out this time last year and still sounds brilliant?" We'll you'd be right on both counts except that this is the new LP verson and it's bigger and therefore even more brilliant!

As this album is firmly rooted in Afrobeat, the obvious tracks that will engage are the previous singles, 'Ride Out The Storm' / 'Mo Ṣe B’ọ́lá Tán' (see review HERE) and 'You Don't Have To' (see reveiw HERE) and, again, 'Ori Mi' and 'Òt​í​tó Ti J​áde' (albeit my calls for longer versions has been unheeded) along with 'Open Up' which also features UK jazz legend and Essex resident, Snowboy (aka Mark Cotgrove).

Other top musicans featured include Alfa Sackey (percussion), Callum Green (drums), Philip Van Den Brandeler (bass), Pete Fraser (sax), Sam Eagle (voice/guitar) and Lizzy Dosunmu (vocals) along with multi-instrumentalist Duckworth.

'Stories' is at the carib-pop-end of this meeting of minds but the new 'BIG' tracks are 'Alagbara Ma Me Ro' that's a time-after-time winner plus the Essex Go-Go of 'For The Love Of It' and at 60s jazz club towpath shuffle of 'The Ramblings'.

This is no Sosimi-lite (or Mr Get Cape etc 'heavy' for that matter) as this is all giving it their all and finding something special.  Who'd have thought that chance radio interview Dom Servini (now Jazz FM DJ you know) did with Dele did all those years ago would find us at 'The Confluence' (LP version). Who indeed.

P.S, get lively as the vinyl is likely to sell out quick.

 

Artist: Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21
Release: The Confluence LP
Release Date: 5th April, 2024
Label: Wah Wah 45s
Catalog Number: WAHLP025 
Format: Vinyl 12 - Limited Edition / Digital / BANDCAMP