Review: EMAMKAY - When The Sun Rises (STY TRU BTS)

Kid Fonque has always moved to a different beat whether it's house, hip-hop, bossa, bass, bruk and loads more.  A stalwart of  South African electronic music and club culture over the last 20 years he's also boss of STY TRU BTS Records as he knows quite a lot of spotting new talent.  And that is exactly what he's found emcee/producer EMAMKAY from Pretoria. 

'When The Sun Rises' channels his inner D' Angelo with some Dilla/Flying Lotus; could it be a coincidence that Biggabush was playing tracks from 'ArtDontSleep Presents... From L.A. With Love' only last week?  

The killer here is that this is a 'jazz' band, the Sounds Like U Quintet: Jeffery Mahachi (d), Michael Nkuna (trumpet) with Bokang Ramatlapeng on vocals and EMAMKAY (MC/piano/keyboards), very futuristica.  

The forthcoming album 'Love Is Energy' is due at the end of March and if the other tracks are as cool as this....

Artist: EMAMKAY

Title: When The Sun Rises

Release date: 3rd February, 2023

Label : STY TRU BTS

Catalog Number : STB20 / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Valtteri Laurell Nonet - Tigers Are Better Looking (We Jazz Records)

Nonets are not that common in jazz, neither are albums inspired by the writing of British-Caribbean author Jean Rhys (1890–1979) so 'Tigers Are Better Looking' is already pretty unique in both regards.

And whilst Finnish composer/guitarist Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen's vision of "melancholic, intimate chamber jazz" might not sound like it's something to get the heart beats racing, this 'tiger' definitely has some bite to it.

The clarinet (Antti Sarpila) takes the lead on the title track, and features throughout with trumpeter Jukka Eskola, saxophonist Jussi Kannaste, drummer Jaska Lukkarinen.

But what makes this so cool is that it swings in a modern way, not like Woody Herman's 'pop' swing, this is more like 60's upbeat jazz noire in London Town/Helsinki with big band influences Charles Mingus, Miles Davis (Water Babies), Gerry Mulligan and Bill Evans. That said, perhaps you could add in a retro look at Matthew Herbert Big Band's 'Goodbye Swingtime' project (blimey, that was 20 years ago) or even the short lived Gwilym Simcock Nonet (that was an expensive round of drinks!)

Valtteri is the leader of the 17-piece jazz orchestra Ricky-Tick Big Band and a member of the jazz sextet Dalindèo who were at the forefront of the Finnish jazz of the start of the 5-Corners scene (also, nearly 20 years ago) for those that remember the rush of Finnish Ricky-Tick Records.  I distinctly remember picking up Five Corners Quintet's Trading Eights 10" from our local record shop (that then became a sex toy store some years later) where soulful dancefloor jazz revivalist started to take note - it was around this time that JazzCotech started their Shiftless Shuffle sessions in London (this year they've been celebrating their 20th Anniversary) with, umongst many, DJs Paul Murpy (Jazz Room), Colin Parnell and founder Perry Louis (see review of thier 2004 Xmas Special gig HERE); but I digress.

Anything We Jazz produce is class but even for them, this new look at jazz swing in a Nonet band is special; they'd be great to see live too!

And if you happen to be in Helsinki this summer don't forget the Odysseus Festival on 21-23 July that will include many of your We Jazz favourite acts including the Valtteri Laurell Nonet!

Artist: Valtteri Laurell Nonet

Title: Tigers Are Better Looking 

Release date: 3^th February, 2023

Label : We Jazz Records

Catalog Number : WJLP44 / CD / Digital / Bandcamp 

This is ain't no badman skank..this ain't no disco, this ain't no fooling around - as Mr Byrne might have said.

But what it is, hot on the heals of Oliver Knights' remix of Eldeanyo's 'Colombia' (review HERE), is the latest coming out on Adesso Music.

Ragga Twins sample and bouncey house rave sees the extended version appearing in a main room near you very soon.

In fact, Junior Jack's label is on a roll as this one follows The Deepshakerz Remix of 'Hustle Tribes' by Dave Mayer & Deeplomatik (review HERE).

Too heavy for my Valentine's Day radio mix but expect to hear it on every other occasion.

Artist: Eldeanyo

Release: Badman

Release Date: 3rd February, 2023

Label Adesso Music

Catalog Number: WP1391 /AM25

 

Review: Gerardo Frisina - Joyful Sound (Schema Records)

Those with good memories will recall that I said in 2021, "If you've not caught up with last year yet, you'll at least want Gerardo Frisina's "Album Of The Year",  'Moving Ahead'.  Well 2 years on you'll be wanting to move ahead to his latest double, 'Joyful Sound'.

For those that don't know, Gerardo Frisina, is an Italian musician and producer who is most known for his near on 20 year relationship with Schema records, usually focusing on Latin jazz; with the exception of the incredible 12" on Afro Art, 'Alborado/ Congart' ‎(2005).  

So any album by him is highly anticipated, but boy, does 'Joyful Sound' do exactly that!  

Fourteen incredible foward thinking jazz that spans many genres/influences with movement (dance) at it's heart.  

Whether it be the Afro/world tracks, the dub electronica, Afro-Cuban or jazzdance, Afro-Indo/dub-jazz-house (on the fantastic 'Almost Free' anyway) the musicians on here are on it - it being a joyful sound; Enzo Frassi (double bass), Fabrizio Bernasconi (piano, Rhodes), Gendrickson Mena (trumpet, piano), Alfonso Deidda (sax, flute) and Ernesto Lopez (drums, percussion), with the addition of Piero Perelli on drums and Giovanni Guerretti on piano, Hammond and Rhodes..  

Trust me, this is so good you can't isolate one track, it's just gets better on every listen and will be filling the airwaves and clubs (when open) for some time to come as clearly "Album Of The Year" is nailed on!  

What with A.MA Records(A.Ma Edizioni), this looks like another brilliant year for the export of Italian jazz, Congrats Gerardo, congrats Schema!

Artist: Gerardo Frisina

Title: Joyful Sound

Release date: 3rd February, 2023

Label : Schema Records

Catalog Number : SC515 LP / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21 - Ride Out The Storm / Mo Ṣe B’ọ́lá Tán (Wah Wah 45s)

Trust Wah Wah 45s to try the unthinkable - and get it spot on!

The legend of Afrobeat, Dele Sosimi has got together with Sam Duckworth so as to produce the Afro-Essex estuary sound as “The Estuary 21” (the younger version of Sam was more generally know as indie kid, 'Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly' you may recall) . 

This is no Barking Riverside project as both tracks on the single, 'Ride Out The Storm' and 'Mo Ṣe B’ọ́lá Tán' are both cool examples of modern pop meets soul.

Full release, 'The Confluence' on 7th April, 2023

Artist: Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21

Release: Ride Out The Storm / Mo Ṣe B’ọ́lá Tán

Release Date: 3rd February, 2023

Label: Wah Wah 45s

Catalog Number: WAHDIG158 / BANDCAMP

Review: Will & James Ragar - Forever / Bayou Paradise (BBE Music)

If you're voted for Paul Hillary's 'Folk Funk & Trippy Troubadours' compilation as 'Album of the 2022', get ready for something that's just as cool Southern Louisiana folk/jazz/blue eyed soul that was totally ignored in 1981 when orginally released on a 7".  

Recorded in Baton Rouge with an engineer who had worked with southern rock royalty in the Allman Brothers, this double A seems to be on schedule for some overdue attention.  

'Forever' is a glorious love song that gets a groove on with a uptempo Prophet synth (John Smart) solo.  It's a really shame that it fades out (well it was a 7", who's got the tapes for an extended 12" version?)

Flip for 'Bayou Paradise' that's a bit sugary by comparison;  like a very soft Lynyrd Skynyrd from the glades and swamps.  

The single is a warm up for the re-release of the brothers' album 'Will & James Ragar One' as a double album.  Can't wait on the strength of this.

Artist: Will & James Ragar 

Title: Forever / Bayou Paradise

Release date: 27th January, 2023

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : BBE723SLP / CD / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Inkswel & Colonel Red - Holders Of The Sun Remix EP (Compost Records)

When the album came out last September, not only did we have "beautiful beats/Bruk/Nu-soul/funk from two artists that have excelled in the past and looks like that they're never going to stop" we were told that they'll be a remix release with stunning remixes by Moodymann, Potatohead, Moodorama.

As the original album sounds like a combination of Clinton/Bootsy/Amp Fiddler rolled up as one it's not difficult to imagine how cool the Moodymann remix of 'Hold On 2 It' is - just, super Kenny Dixon Jr on the dancefloor  knobs with a touch of dub.

Potatohead People might be out there in Vancouver but they're very much at the heart of underground hip-hop (notably New York's Bastard Jazz) and their vocal and instrumental takes on 'Make Me Crazy' funks up the slinky orginal version.

You may know Moodorama better as Martin Sennebogen who was on Stereo Deluxe (as was BiggaBush's original album 'Free') in the 90s and part of Knowtoryus (also Compost) and his two versions of 'Cruel Mistake' take us into that drama of orchestral dub 'Wierd Mistake' and a minimal soul 'Deep Rise' remix.

As with the original album, it wouldn't be right to focus on these remix versions as the power of Inkswel and Colonel Red as it's all quality throughout that kinda sounds like a BBE release so it's doublely cool that Compost have faith in this beautiful existance; and so should you.

Artist: Inkswel & Colonel Red

Title: Holders Of The Sun Remix EP

Release date: 27th January, 2023

Label : Compost Records

Catalog Number : CPT602-1/-3 / CD / Digital / Bandcamp  

Review: Jazzanova - Beyond The Dream (musclecars Reimaginations) / Face At My Window (Kyoto Jazz Massive Remixes) (BBE Music)

So you've got some massive 'Red Flag Must Have' going on hear, Jazzanova's take on Detroit's Strata Records (as facilitated by DJ Amir and BBE last year) for one.  Then there's a remix of one of the most popular 'finds'. 'Face At My Window' (originally by Sam Sanders) by the stalwarts of modern J-Jazz, Kyoto Jazz Massive.  

Not only two versions of that but the Jazzanova's featuring the vocals of Sean Haefeli.  So how come there's 'Beyond the Dream' and 3 remix versions of it?  We'll, in short, we've got NY extension heaven from a duo known as musclears (aka Craig Handfield & Brandon Weems) who have really taken this on with a 10 minute 'reimagination' (vocal and instrumental versions) and a 8 minute dub and a tight Radio Version.  

Needless to say, we love this and now love musclecars (and everyone else) too! Lets say it again, 'MUST HAVE'. STOP PRESS: I'm not the only one that thinks this as BBE have brought forward the release date by a week!

Don't forget, Kyoto Jass Massive have been announced on the 'First Line' up of artists for this years' WeOutHere festival been held for the first time in Dorset at Wimborne St. Giles (10-14 August) with loads more YATM favourites.

Artist: Jazzanova

Title: Beyond The Dream (musclecars Reimaginations) / Face At My Window (Kyoto Jazz Massive Remixes)

Release date: 27th January, 2023

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : BBE723SLP 

Format: CD / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Hideyasu Terakawa Quartet - Introducing 'Live' featuring Hiroshi Fujii (BBE Music)

Another fantastic release in the BBE Music’s J Jazz Masterclass Series as Tony Higgins and Mike Peden Another fantastic release in the BBE Music’s J Jazz Masterclass Series as Tony Higgins and Mike Peden continue to amaze with their digging ability to give us such rare jazz from Japan from decades ago.

Hideyasu Terakawa (sax), Tetsuo Miura (bass), Aki- hiro "Thunder" Nakaya (drums) together with Hiroshi Fujii (vibes) have been 'found' on this private press (originally 100 copies!) recorded live in concert at the jazz spot DIG in Masuda City, Japan, with first of a seven-day regional tour in October 1978.

You may recall 'Black Nile' appearing on 2021's compilation, 'J Jazz: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan (Volume 3)' but it seems to be even more swinging now with that 'solid rhythm to anchor it all down' following down stream as if their on a ten minute race from the source, passed the pyramids and into the Mediterrean. This is perfect cover of Wayne Shorter's track that's so very 'Dingwalls'.

Whilst the album is full of covers post bop and ballads, even a standard such as 'Stella By Starlight' shines together with Frank Foster's 'Simone' (two versions on this expanded release) and 'I Remember Clifford'. 

On this version of the album, there's two version of 'Rerev' which like the composers' (Milt Jackson and Jimmy Heath) blues walk with vibes for both 10 and 8 minute versions with a swinger of Hideasu's sax like a cool Woody Herman.

The J-Jazz series is such a mine and minefield, I fully expect that Higgins, Peden and BBE will be in the Japanesse Embassy's new years' honours list for services in International J-Jazz relations with a big rising sun gong to go with it.  Totally recommended as always.

Artist: Hideyasu Terakawa Quartet

Title: Introducing Hideyasu Terakawa Quartet Live Featuring Hiroshi Fujii

Release date: 20^th January, 2023

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : BBE668 LP / CD / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Bantu Spaceship - Bantu Electro Sungura (Nyami Nyami Records)

So you think you know South African/Zimbabwean music and then the Bantu Spacehip lands and you're dancing like a King Sunny Ade meets Ladysmith Black Mambazo's lovechild. 

Joshua Chiundiza is the pilot on this ship and what really tweaks this track, or should I say, plugs-in, is Sam Mabukwa - lead guitarist of Ngosimbi Crew would released a couple of albums/cassettes in Zimbabwe with Admire Kasenga (who passed away in 2004). 

Only complaint, too short - Nyami Nyami Records promise an album in March so lets hope the 'flights' are a longer and watch out for the new Jit Wave to take off! 

Album release: March 10th 2023 on vinyl and digital formats.

Artist: Bantu Spaceship 

Title: Bantu Electro Sungura

Release date: 20th January, 2023

Label : Nyami Nyami Records

Catalog Number : NNR014 / Bandcamp