Review: David Manso - Groovy Smile (Be Adult Music)

Don't be confused by the artwork as this isn't Acid, it's just a 'Groovy Smile' from Be Adult Music.

But it's more than a groovy smile cos there's a right groovy track behind it.  It's the first solo release by DJ David Manso, not to be confused with legend David Mancuso, even if there's a fair bit of Paradise Garage and funk influence on 'Reason To Smile' on a beach with the usual beach dreams of Be Adult Music.

The 'sister' track, 'Groovy W.' is even funkier and jazzy with a sax spurt that's 70s friendly; it's like a very cool remix of an unknown  Average White Band/Weather Report track.

This is a fantastic way to celebrate the label's 350th release and expect to hear this on all great parties this year and definitely one earmarked for this months' Colour & Pitch Mixtape.

Artist: David Manso

Title: Groovy Smile

Release date: 22nd February 2024

Label; Be Adult Music

Catalog Number: BAM350

Review: Substance Abuse ft. Kurious - Don't Add Me EP (Ramrock Red Records)

Substance Abuse is a pretty cool name for a couple of High School kids that happened to find themselves growing up a the heart of the LA hip-hop scene in the 1990s; but what's this match up with Kurious all about in 2024?

Curiously enough, I find that I picked up their 'Profitless Thoughts' 12" featuring MF Doom a mere 10 years after it was released on Kutmasta Kurt's Santa Monica label Threshold Recordings, (Ed. it's take's that long for Imports?) but when you're hanging around Peanut Butter Wolf, Madlib, Declaime, Oh No and the like like they were, it's still a surprise that their 'Bridges' track (featuring Aceyalone) came on Ramrock Red  back in 2019.

Apparently, the connection with 'Bridges' was made via Ladbroke Audio's A&R man Neil who introduced Ramrock's Jo Wallace and Kurious is equally well connected with scene legends like Doom (particularly, on 'Born Like This' that features my favourite Dilla track, 'Lightworks') and Kool Keith (he of Dr. Octagon and many, many more).

'Don't Add Me' is more funky-jazz hip-hop, consious boom bap with the sideways poke (no pun) at the shallowness of the 'social media' fallacy of off quoted likes/adds/plays etc is some quality assurance (and that's without touching the evil of SM's role in the increasing list of teen/adult murders).  

Back to the record, in explicit, clean, instrumental forms, "Don't Add Me" is perhaps a reminder that social media can be a force tor good and any rap that warns us that, "Gil Scott-Heron will not post on Instagram" - is an odd mirror of 'This Revolution Will Not Be Televised'; a far cry from Kardasians/West self-implosion

Nicely follow's the label's Joeseph Malik's release, 'Be A Lion' featuring Kameelah Waheed (see review HERE) and in both cases, all are showing us that hip-hop still has substance and it's not to be abused; you do the sums (as the kids might say).

PS. Big radio shouts to BBC 6 Music for their Dilla day (especially Gilles Peterson for featuring BBE's Peter Adarkwah at Gilles Peterson - Pete BBE on J Dilla - BBC Sounds : as one Detroit resident put it, "it seems that you're doing more (to celebrate) than we are in Detroit".

Artist: Substance Abuse 

Title: Don't Add Me ft Kurious

Release date: 19th February, 2024

Label: Ramrock Red

Cat. No: RRR055

Format: Bandcamp / Digital

Review: Audrey Powne - From The Fire + Instrumental (BBE Music)

Edging ever closer to the album release, this single of 'From The Fire' with the instrumental goes to show what a talent BBE have discovered with Audrey Powne.

This track is a perfect mix of R&B/Soul, Herbie Hancock inspired jazz and Roy Hargrove hip-hip - much in the same ways as the equally 'Feed The Fire' (see review HERE with Atjazz and musclecars remixes).

Still no news on the Audrey Powne remix of musclecars as yet bit if half as good as the tinged-dub style of the instrumental of 'From The Fire', I can't wait.

Artist:  Audrey Powne 

Title: From The Fire + Instrumental  

Release date: 16th February, 2024

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : BBE753SDG2b

Format: Digital  

Review: Janek van Laak – The Killah Gorilla (Sonar Kollektiv)

Sonar Kollektiv's sense of the dancefloor is as diverse as the collective that makes the label so strong and inovative as they've found a nu-jazz of Janek van Laak with a single, 'The Killah Gorilla'.

This is taken form the forthcoming album, 'Circle Of Madness', the single is named after UFC's cage fighter, Jared 'The Killa Gorilla' Cannioner - I'm scared already. Somewhat of an odd choice for an Afro-jazz infused rocker.

Janek (drums) is joined by Richard Maegraith (alto sax, flutes, bass clarinet), Gabriel Garcia (trumpet and flügelhorn), Isabel Rößler’ (bass) and Tim Foley on percussion and they really come together on the track 'OCTAPUSSY' that you can check out on Bandcamp (see link below).

It looks like Sonar Kollektiv have the same artwork on this as TTeo's 'Loveexpress77' (see review HERE) and i wonder if a remix is on the cards?

Title: Janek van Laak
Title: The Killah Gorilla
Release date: 15th February, 2024
Label : Sonar Kolletiv

Catalog Number : SK479D / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Magic Number - Badly Written Songs (Atjazz Record Company)

What could be better than another album on Atjazz Record Company that brought you singles by Magic Number last year?  Only the full album itself and it's now out!

It's no secret that we loved 'Good Morning Sunshine' (see review HERE) and 'Better' (see review HERE) and I'm pleased to say that these two tracks do no overwhelm the other excellent seven tracks on the album entitled 'Badly Written Songs'.

Of course, what all these tracks do is to reinforced that the album's title is firmly in the self-deprecating tongue in cheek-to-cheek on a dancefloor as Magic Number (aka Ross Hillard) has brought all his experience of working with the likes of Louie Vega, DJ Spen, Kerri Chandler, Lay-Far and Atjazz (to name a few) to produce a soul-house album that musically have has elements of Matthew Herbert with the horns of a Big Band together with the vocals of Sophia Marshall who has a vocal style that reminds of Róisín Murphy, Alison Goldfrapp, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and at times, a Lana Del Rey.

'Thinkin' Bout' and 'SFS' are very Herbert 'jazz' and 'SFS' could be yet another single as could 'Loving You' that's is more in the mainstream and I'd say 'Was This Love' is very radio earworm you won't be able to get it out of your head (love the vibes on this one); and then 'All I Ever Wanted' isn't too far behind all of them with those deep synths and bassline. 

Whilst it's all very clever, 'Exit' might be the most obvious dance track with a great some catchy hook and I suspect Mr. Atjazz (Martin Iveson) must have been more than enthusiastic hearing this album by his mate as you can see in you minds eye/ear that he's thinking of a remix or to: both of their address books must be full of canidates but in all honesty, if that is in the future, there's no rush as this album/all these tracks are going to be on many a chart listing this year and if they can make the summer festival circuit, they're going to be very busy indeed.

Artist: Magic Number
Title: Badly Written Songs
Release date: 9th February, 2024

Label : Atjazz Record Company

Catalog Number : ARC240AD Digital / Bandcamp 

Reveiw: Alina Bzhezhinska & Tony Kofi - Anima (BBE Music)

It's unusual for BBE to release a stand-alone digital single, but you'll soon see why on the first listen to 'Anima' they have this time.

Lots of hip-hoppy jazz spiritual harp ambience going on at the moment, but Alina Bzhezhinska with Tony Kofi on sax must be close to the ultimate with this single.

We know Alina from her album 'Reflections' and the remix of 'Fire' (see review HERE) whilst Tony made his name with the UK jazz explosion that saw him as a main stay playing with the Jazz Warriors and moving on to the equally influencial Gary Crosby's Nu Tropp.

There's six track album by the pair called 'Altera Vita' is coming out soon and in the meantime, lets breath with this: guaranteed it'll get pick up for cinematic/TV use and QiGung/Tai Chi approved jazz.

Artist: Alina Bzhezhinska & Tony Kofi 

Title: Anima

Release date: 9th February, 2024

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : BBE779SDG

Format: Digital  

Review: Dina Ögon - Orion (Playground Music)

Dina Ögon are a fourpiece who certainly have their own identity and Swedish post-folk swagger.

You might have come across earlier single of 'Glitter' / 'Det läcke' with summer jingley/jangley sixties pop sensibilites... along with some splendid Swedish vocals.

Don't think of you're usual stereotypes from Sweden (a certain pop band, specialist film/magazine industry or Sven-Göran Eriksson - who we wish all our best after his recent health annoucement) but these guys are a healthy mix of Tuung (UK) the nu-Rio wave of Bala Desejo (see review HERE) with some West Coast CSN&Y influence; and that's more than enought to get excited about.

The nine tracks on 'Orin' are a 'Best Of' selection so the quality doesn't really dip as it's all brilliant but if you pushed me, 'Milton' is very Vashti Bunyan meets Indo-Fleetwood Mac (Ed. we could do with a longer mix for this one) and the almost dubby title track (Ed. where's Mad Professor?) and if there's some seagulls flying about, the Balearic soft-rock of 'Mellan de sju fjällen'.

If you're looking for this years' Altın Gün, look no further and if you've ever listened to the BBC Radio series 'The Cold Swedish Winter' that revolves around an Anglo-male living in Sweden with his Swedish wife and young son, you'll have some sort of knowledge of how complicated life in Sweden is; Dina Ögo make it sound so beautiful you'll want to go there anyway.

Artist: Dina Ögon

Title:  Orion

Release date: 2nd February, 2024

Label : Playground Music

Catalog Number : -

Format: Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Audrey Powne - Feed The Fire (Atjazz & Musclecars Remixes) (BBE Music)

The next cab of the Melbourne musical rank of excellence is Audrey Powne and the fires are being fed with this single that brings the heat.

Ozzie heat in the case is not Damon Heta or the Australian Open but multi-instrumentalist Audrey with her composition and title track of the forthcoming album, 'Feed the Fire' that's a soul-jazz reflection on the bushfires that have plagued her homeland of late and the resistance of the powers that be to associate the problem with the climate crisis.

She's caught the ear of the likes of Gilles Peterson and Masta Ace in the past and BBE haven't been slow to spot the potential: and just to make sure she gets even more attention, the ever present master remix veteran Atjazz and NYC's musclecars have jumped at the chance for some mega remixers.

We're always in awe of the dancefloor skill of Atjazz (in this case, a set of remix, instrumental and the monster "Deeper" remix with instrumental) but last year you'll recall Jazzanova's 'Beyond The Dream' got a "remingination" by musclecars (see review HERE) which then got us excited about their work with Brandon Markell Holmes (see review HERE) and their single, 'Shelter (Building It, Still)'.

BBE don't let you down and if the album is as good as this single, we're in for a fantastic 2024; and just to set it up a bit more, the next single on the label is a musclecars' own single, 'Running Out Of Time' (what odds on a Audry Powne remix?)

Artist: Audrey Powne

Title:  Feed The Fire (Atjazz & Musclecars Remixes)

Release date: 2nd February, 2024

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : BBE753SDG

Format: Digital / Bandcamp 

 

Review: Mal Waldron / Terumasa Hino - Reminicent Suite (BBE Music)

Looking back, can you believe that BBE has now reached the 19th release in the BBE Music J Jazz Series and it's a big 'un as features two of the greatest in jazz  together with a band of the very best Japanese jazz musicians.

Originally released in 1973(!) this 2 track album, 'Reminicent Suite' (Waldron, 23:43) and 'Black Forest' (Hino, 18:38) it's a shame no previous unreleased tracks have be found but a fresh new vinyl dpressing is enough to get excited about.

The title track, unsrprisingly, is in three parts, Dig It Deep Down Baby ~ Echoes ~ Once More With Feeling and for you jazzdance fans of the avant-bangy piano and drums with squirty cream horns, don't go any further than 'Dig It Deep Down Baby': TUNE! you may well hear someone say.

'Black Forest' is just stunning angular jazz-funk fusion that was/is next step essential.

These days, we've got Takuya Kuroda (Blue Note, First Word) to fly the Japanese trumpet jazz flag but it doesn't hurt to get in touch with what's gone before.

Artist: Mal Waldron / Terumasa Hino

Title:  Reminicent Suite

Release date: 26th January, 2024

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : BBE

Format: LP / CD / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: divr - Is This Water (We Jazz Records)

We all know that water is the source of life but is the divr album, 'Is This Water' equivalent in jazz terms?

And to push it that bit further, the Swiss trio of Phillipp Eden (piano/keys), Jonas Ruther (drums) and Raphael Walser (bass) are looking at water as an improvised liquid, gas and solid state over these 9 tracks.

We Jazz has called it an approach of "mutli-direction" that's been mixed by Dan Nicholls (of jazz collective, Y-OTIS) and it certainly touches various angular elements of free/ambient/spiritual as well as modern jazz.

Not surprising that there's touches of Japanese minimalism (they do love a water feature in a garden after all) and you get that with the Reich-eque '42' and 'Upeksha' [Sanskrit for equanimity, non-attachment, even-mindedness or letting go] and the temple percussion on 'Supreme Sweetness' but unusually to a jazz trio free vibe. 

I particularly like '42', not just because '42' is "the answer to life, the universe and everything" -but I can here some Arthur Russell influences from his avant-garde NY loft period whilst 'Tea High' is the most immediate of the tracks with it's post-classical minimalism.

And just to make this album even more interesting, there's a cover version of Radioheads' 'All I Need' (if it's not on BBE's 'Exit Music... Songs With Radio Heads', I wouldn't know it: but nothing like the how jazz trio The Bad Plus would have approached it in 2006 when that album came out - or perhaps it is?) and super ever trendy Broadcast, 'Echo's Answer'.

In trio terms, very different to recent Anni Kiviniemi Trio album 'Eir' (see review HERE) but as the well known Lao Tzu saying tells us, "Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it"  and you'll feel no resistance to the divr sound.

Artist: divr

Album: Is This Water
Release date: 2nd February, 2024
Label : We Jazz Records
Catalog Number : WJLP60 LP / CD / Digital / Bandcamp