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: Ihsan Al-Munzer - Orientalissimo Vol. 2 (BBE Music)

BBE's Middle Eastern Heavens series of re-issues of the albums made by legendary Lebanese composer Ihsan Al-Munzer is now on its fourth release and it's the best yet!

Fantastic news that this follows last years' album by Al-Munzer on BBE, 'Belly Dance' (see review HERE) and show's there's so much more to 70s pop-synth disco cross-over tradtional folk as Batov Records' 'Middle Eastern Grooves' (see review HERE) have been proving too!

Fancy living in Beruit and being known as "The Godfather of Belly Dance" but as a digital only release, your hard-drives are going to have trouble keeping up with this.

Artist: Ihsan Al-Munzer

Title: Orientalissimo Vol. 2

Release date: 10th May, 2024

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : BBE526 

Format: Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Lefteris Volanis, Dimitris Pagidas - Outside The Long Walls (Veego Records)

Having worked together in an experimental pop group, multi-instrumentalists Lefteris Volanis and  Dimitris Pagidas cleared their minds to take a look 'Outside The Long Walls'.

YATM have their own musical views outside of the walls of conformity and we do like a post-rock, psych OST approach.  And that's what we've got with these 11 tracks.

'Leaving London' (on a personal note, be warned, once you've left, there's no going back) is the most folky-pop of the set with it's Sunday morning soothing vibe.  In fact, the whole album is like a laid-back Project Gemini ('Colours & Light' see review HERE) merged with the quieter less jazzy elements of 'Valia Calda ('Homeland' see review HERE).

That said, the combinationof the guitar, synths, xylophone, electronics with some vocals (Greek & English) are perfect in setting the post-ENO-Fripp ambient Balearics - particularly like the 'eastern' title track and the longest tracks, 'Goodbye To Purity' and 'Crystals'.

Following on from last month's Record Store Day 7", 'Melodia / Melancolia', these two are on it like an out-there on a 60/70s space prog-folk Parthenon mission centre take off OST.

PS. This months' Colour & Pitch Sessions starts with their track 'August' - see below.

Colour and Pitch · Colour and Pitch Sessions with Sumsuch - May 2024

Artist: Lefteris Volanis, Dimitris Pagidas 

Title:  Outside The Long Walls

Release date: 10th May, 2024 

Label : Veego Records

Catalog Number :  -

Format: Deluxe edition 12" vinyl (limited to 500 copies) / Digital / Bandcamp  

Recorded in Epidaurus between March 2020 until September 2023
Mastered by Richard König
Vinyl Master by Ekelon
Cover photo by Eftichia Vlachou
Artwork by Giorgos Maraziotis

Review: King Bee ft. Dave Wilde - On The Hill (Ramrock Red Records)

It's so good to be back as King Bee are now 'On The Hill' and it could literally be that!

It doesn't seem that long ago that we were heralding the new era in jazz dance Brit-funk with King Bee's previous single, 'Good To Be Back' (see review HERE).  But can this new track be even better as they and Ramrock Red Records (and Mrs Ramrock, Jo Wallace in particular) are one rack away from winning the match (a term Mosconi Cup fans will know well).

Once more, the Newcastle based seven piece band that features the classic three horn front line with Chris Jelly on vibraphone, has Dave Wilde taking on featured vocalist duties for the first time giving a post-Weller-esque sound to their own condensed acid-jazz'd Incognito/ Chevalier Brothers/ Morrissey Mullen/ Beggar & Co. cool selves.

Expect even more support from DJ fans, Craig Charles (BBC 6 Music), DJ Robbie Vincent (Jazz FM), The Relex, and more as they all line-up to pot the proverbial 9 ball!

Artist: King Bee
Title: On The Hill ft. Dave Wilde
Release date: May 10th, 2024
Label: Ramrock Red Records
Cat No: RRR061

Review: Florence Adooni - Uh-Ah Song / Otoma Da Naba (Philophon)

Fans of YATM and Philiphon will know Florence Adooni is a Frafra-Gospel singer from Northern Ghana who has collaborated with artists like Jimi Tenor, the Frafra-Gospel group Alogte Oho & His Sounds of Joy and North-Ghanaian Kologo master Guy One.

So it's always good news that theto follow-up 7" Jimi Tenor's 'My Mind' (see review HERE) is a super Highlife take on the classic 'southern freeeze' with some super sexy synth work.

Backed up with 'Otoma Da Naba' which translates as 'The Creator Has Done Well' that's got some 303 acid lines to it which could equally stand next to, say, Rekab's latest EP on Yore records, 'My Future & My Past' in what could be looked at as a Berlin vs. Köln battle.

Florence will be Europe this summer so if your looking for something exceptional for your festival or spot her on a gig listing, don't miss the opportunity to go and see her.

Artist: Florence Adooni

Title:  Uh-Ah Song / Otoma Da Naba

Release date: 10th May, 2024

Label : Philophon Records

Catalog Number : PH45034

Format: 7" / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Transmission Towers - Transmission One (É Soul Cultura)

For those that enjoy Imaginary Radio Stations, here's the first out of Transmission Towers, 'Transmission One' being the debut album on Luke Una's É Soul Cultura label.

Fans of the charactmastic DJ, producer, promoter and 50% of The Unabombers, Mr Una (aka Luke Cowdrey) will know from his DJ sets and compilations (last seen HERE with Luke Una Presents É Soul Cultura Vol.2) that he is very much his own man when it comes to what rocks his musical dancefloor.

That said, you don't have to be the next Mancunian Tony Wilson off the rank to know if you got a mix of duos like MR Robots and Glass Slipper in a 70s ESG come Roy Ayers Ubiquity funk soul groove, like the first single, 'Sparse' (see review HERE) that it's going to bounce folks off the wall.

Coming from Liverpool, we're told that Mark Kyriacou and Eleanor Mante are divided by the River Mersey and then brought together Mark's music and Eleanor's lyrics.  And like any historical port, there's lots of split atom divisions that are then re-forged together with influxes to safe harbours; in this case, Detroit-flavoured deep house" with a bit of 80s Compu Rhythm programing with a big touch of Sun Ra school. 

The leftfield post-punk Afro-futurism there throughout (notably on 'Everything' and 'Mega') and in all, the 12 track album has got elements of a dreamy pirate radio past (late night Sunday soul of Invicta FM on 'Go Slow Heart' and 'Affirmation Of Love') but we love the spacey longer tracks like 'Planetary Alignment', 'My Shadow', 'The Universal Drift' and 'Cosmic Trigger' whilst your radio plays will be full of 'Up', 'Roller Skater 23' and 'Sparse'.

This is deep, soul and pop all at the same time and you can see why Luke (and DJ BiggaBush) is so tuned into this - you should be too!

Artist: Transmission Towers

Title: Transmission One

Release date: 10th May, 2024

Label: É Soul Cultura

Cat. No: ESOUL0193BT108

Format: Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Trinidadian Deep - Moments Of Sounds EP (Ensouled)

Ensouled are clever to have Trinidadian Deep as their second single release to capture 'Moments Of Sounds'.

To follow-up the hit of Cee ElAssaad's 'Clever' (see review HERE) which featured the vocals of Jaidene Veda with this Afro-jazzy percussion heavy dreamscape is a smart move.

And then to emphasise the heavyweight nature, to pair it with a DJ dub-stylee 'Drum Tool' version is genius.

Trinidadian Deep is mentored by Chicago's very own house legend Ron Trent and 'Moments Of Sounds' would have been ideal for a Trent remix but in all honesty, all you need is the mesmorisizing 'Drum Tool' mix and you're gone!

Artist: Trinidadian Deep
Title: Moments Of Sounds EP
Release date: 10th May, 2024 on Traxsource / Elsewhere 24th May, 2024

Label : Ensouled

Catalog Number : ENSLD002

Format: Digital / Bandcamp  

Review: Rubel - As Palavras, Vol. 1 & 2 (Mr Bongo)

This new album by has already been heralded as sophisticated Latin soul-folk-jazz beach-pop - this years' Seu Jorge! But can it be that good?

The record label think that this debut album by Rubel is up there with the game changer albums like the debut album's by The Ramones or The Damned.  That said, Antônio Carlos Jobim might call this album nu-waveand as Rubel has gathered together the best of Brazil's musicians like Gabriel do Borel, Liniker, Luedji Luna, Tim Bernardes Ana Caetano and Mr. Bongo's own Bala Desejo (see review HERE) plus legend, Milton Nascimento.

And this talent is spread over a full 19 tracks, none longer than 4:07 ('Torto Arado' featuring Liniker & Luedji Luna) and mostly compact nuggets like the early punk singles, old wave Brazilian 'prog' of MPB has been replaced with Rubel's fusionistic take of MPB, samba, tradition folk and capoeira, baile funk, hip-hop and pop.

But don't worry about the short track length as the whole set is worth the instrumental opener (and later vocal version) of 'Forró Violento' and then it's not a two track album. Everything is a-wash with Brasilian sun. 'Na Mão do Palhaço' (produced by the Ana Frango Elétrico- see review HERE) has the Sgt. Pepper samba-psych of it and whilst Nascimento contribution is perhaps not his very best work ever, his seal of approval is proof that Rubel is one very big talent due for all the things said of this album already. 

Totally different to the Mr Bongo's last album release, Project Gemini's 'Colours & Light' (see review HERE) and their Record Store Day Brazil 45s Mix set from DJ KOCO (check out Gilles Peterson's show with a DJ KOCO mix and Mr Bongo himself, Dave Buttle, at 1hr 45mins in HERE) but as we know, they are the one of the most important purveyors of Latin American music, jazz, world and hip-hop and Rubel is too important not to get.

Artist: Rubel

Title: As Palavras, Vol. 1 & 2

Release date: 3rd May, 2024 

Label : Mr Bongo 

Catalog Number : MRBCDLP306

Format : 2XLP (at 45rpm) / CD / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Anna Schreit - Duck EP (Compost Records)

What's the phrase, "You can take a duck to water, but you can't make 'em dance"? 

The last release on Compost we took to our dancing hearts was Arnau Obiols & KAYYAK's fantastic 'Faith / San Diago EP' (see review HERE) and that was immediate 'YES from me'.

And you can get that from the deep synths and busy percussion on 'Enzio On Rainbow Road' but there's classic Kraut-leftfield about this EP.

Perhaps that's to be anticipated on a track called, 'Tobi For Morning Spliffs' (kids, if you're reading this, "morning spliffs" ain't clever so don't do it) and there's a strange conflict of twinkly electric piano with deep bass thump on 'Julian Is A Hero' that swims in a pond of duck weed that's Chicago, Detroit, Berlin - who knows what the duck names are here.

This is Anna's debut on Compost having been a DJ for over ten years and turning heads with 'What Did You Say' released on Berlin House Music a couple of years ago and it's clear this aint 'standard' fair: indeed, I'd say it was first class - now where's me swimming googles?

Artist: Anna Schreit 

Title: Duck EP 

Release date: 3rd May, 2024

Label: Compost Records

Cat. No: CPT 632-3

Format:Vinyl 12" / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Shijuka Quintet - Octave Up (A.MA Records)

'Octave Up' and over with the Shijuka Quintet on A.MA Records.

If proof be needed, Two Things Of Gold's album (see review HERE) on A.MA Records  showed that the label was open minded when it comes to core-jazz basics.   And in eight traks by Aleksandar Jovanović, the pianist, composer, arranger of his Serbian quintet, Shijuka (as he's known to his mates) has gone up that Octave of a higher ground.

The big track is 'What If...' which puts a trumpet and sax on a Belgrade bound BadBadNotGood boat for a traditional wedding.

Whilst the opener, 'Five Or None' is strong on the classical jazz sound, Jovanović's piano style has been compared to Ahmad Jamal (on 'Impure Blue') and we know Radivojevic and Obradovic's front line partnership on Irina Pavlović's 'The Soulful Heritage' album (see review HERE) and on the mellow track, 'Blue Danube' on this album.

Appropriately, a track called 'Missing Part' (the longest track on the album) is composed with a wandering noodle element which we all need in our lives but they seem to have really got it together on 'Impure Blue' and the swing of 'Uneven Swing'.

For fans of Balkan Jazz (if you need some catching up, check fellow pianist / composer Janko Nilović, Dusko Goykovich or indeed anything on Željko Kerleta magical Cosmic Sounds label) this is the update of their jazz in a quintet form

Artist: Shijuka Quintet 

Title: Octave Up

Release date: 3rd May, 2024 

Label : A.MA Edizioni / A.MA Records

Format : LP / CD / Digital / Bandcamp

Aleksandar Jovanovic Shljuka - Piano
Ivan Radivojevic - Trumpet
Rastko Obradovic - Alto & Soprano Saxophone
Milan Pavkovic - Double Bass
Aleksandar Cvetkovic - Drums