New Release Round-up,
Jazz New Release Round-up - 3rd November, 2023
Kicking off our first round-up for November we have the immensely-talented Anoushka Shankar, who presents the first chapter in a trilogy of EP releases to come entitled Forever, For Now. Vocalist Imogen Ryall goes deep as she pays homage to her own influences on Sings The Charles Mingus/Joni Mitchell Songbook and there's the universal inspirations of Solar Music from the eclectic quintet, Butcher Brown. Film and television composer Paul Mottram has written a stirring suite for jazz ensemble and string orchestra entitled Seven Ages of Man, whilst we finish off with the liberated squawks of Charlotte Keeffe who's busy staying ALIVE! in the Studio. Enjoy!
This collaboration between one of the world's most famous Indian musicians and a host of other alternative music royalty is something to be celebrated. Combined with the soothing presence of Nils Frahm, Gal Maestro and Magda Giannikou, producer Arooj Aftab has wielded a devastatingly blissful mixture of earthly textures and immaterial resonances. Exquisitely sonorous and meditative, this immersive four-track EP clocks in at just over 23 minutes — but its briefly atmospheric duration feels altogether devoid of time and space.
Available Format: Vinyl Record
Having described their work together as a "door-opener" for her, it's no surprise that Sussex-based vocalist Imogen Ryall would one day visit the partnership between these two respective icons of their fields, which was effectively consummated on the album Mingus (1979). Although the titanic bassist and bandleader passed away before witnessing that record’s release, memories of his audacious spirit have managed to live on — most impressively, through this refreshingly faithful interpretation. Hats off to the ensemble players, who evoke the traditional roots that were largely absent from the original recording and, of course, to Ryall, who convincingly brings her own lyrical craft to Mitchell’s distinct brand of poetic crooning.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Jellowstone, the Virginian home-studio which belongs to multi-instrumentalist and producer DJ Harrison, has served as the central point around which the members of Butcher Brown have come together and honed their craft and all-round inter-genre-ality. Soaking up a myriad of contemporary influences that it’s hard to pin all of them down, the LP's twenty tracks flow seamlessly without so much as a bump. Instead, protracted jolts of electricity shoot across the album with each and every introduction of a new featured artist or crisp musical flavour. There’s something for everyone hidden in the grooves of this record; I’m still on my quest to discover whether it’s possible to listen through without my entire body starting to bop along, as soon as that needle drops.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Half a decade in the making, this long form piece from the prolific television and film composer finally comes to light. Deriving from one of the most famous passages in all of Shakespeare, this emotionally resounding work is a rich source of melodious delights. The orchestration blends together tremendously with a tuneful accord instantly melded between jazz sextet and the sumptuous string orchestra, which was laid down in Studio One at Abbey Road. One can’t help but ascribe a desirable filmic quality to the album thanks to its contrasting moods and shades but, with substantial pathos and thematic insight to boot, it all makes for a thoroughly mesmeric experience. I’d love to hear this receive a live performance at the BBC Proms one day.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
A staple of the experimental jazz scene, Keeffe can be found at all four corners of both the British and European live circuits. As she shares her unique improvisatory approach amongst a veritable travelogue of fellow collaborators up and down the country, this recording sees her put a lid on her more extemporaneous pursuits in order to commit to a solid hour of quartet-based mischief. The radical spirit of offhand precarity which radiates throughout this session bubbles over into an effervescent sense of the imperative to explore. In a word? Fearless.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Barney Whittaker
