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Record of the Week
The Jazz Defenders are proud to present Memory in Motion: a brand new album set for release via Haggis Records on 19th April. As The Jazz Defenders continue to distinctly ‘defend’ the legacy of some of the classic hard bop greats such as Horace Silver, Lee Morgan and Art Blakey, they begin to evolve their modern soul jazz slant to combine solid grooves and catchy horn lines with a collaborative and all-encompassing sound, fusing soul, jazz, hip hop, soundtrack and groove into a masterful union that leaves audiences mesmerised.
Pianist George Cooper and his band undoubtedly pay great homage to the aforementioned music that they love, but also elaborate on this influence with a wealth of modern musical experience, to create their own raw and vibrant compositions (working with the likes of Doc Brown to name just one notable collaborator). The result is an enthrallingly unique sound that is as danceable as it is listenable.
Joining George Cooper in The Jazz Defenders are a group of musicians at the forefront of the UK jazz scene who are also key players in a range of other leading projects, including Jake McMurchie (Get The Blessing / Yetii) on tenor sax, Nick Malcolm (Jade Quartet) on trumpet, Ian Matthews (Kasabian) on drums and Will Harris (Michelson Morley) on bass.
Cooper himself has lent his ample skill to artists as varied as Hans Zimmer, Nigel Kennedy, U2, Omar, Slum Village, MF Doom, The Brand New Heavies, Lisa Stansfield, Wet Wet Wet, The Haggis Horns and Abstract Orchestra, reinforcing the fact that George and his band are multifaceted artists with great musical knowledge and taste. This provides the band with the power to provide a unique contemporary edge to the legacy that they are so passionate about.
Memory in Motion is released via Haggis Records, a Leeds based funk / soul / jazz label founded by The Haggis Horns, a band that have been at the forefront of the UK funk scene for the last 20 years, working with a plethora of great musicians along the way including Jamiroquai, John Legend & The Roots, Amy Winehouse, Corinne Bailey Rae and many more.
The faith that this respected label has in The Jazz Defenders provides a glowing endorsement of their immense talent, only to be increased by this awe-inspiring new album Memory in Motion, which is their best work to date.
Saxophonist and composer Lucien Johnson left his native country of New Zealand at the age of 22 to make his way as a musician on the Parisian free jazz scene. With just a smattering of French he mixed with many of the scene’s pioneers forming a trio with maverick bassist Alan Silva, one of jazz’s most inventive players (known for his work with Cecil Taylor, Sun Ra, Albert Ayler and Archie Shepp) with whom he recorded one album, ‘Stinging Nettles’. Since then, Johnson has returned to New Zealand to become a multi award-winning and much in-demand player touring the world with respected New Zealand groups and guesting with acts such as the father of ‘ethio-jazz’, Mulatu Astatke. It is these experiences that combine to form Johnson’s mesmerizing, contemporary jazz sound. Yet it’s as much his lavish tenor improvisations as his chosen instrumentation – vibes, harp, bass, drums and percussion – that feed his deeply mystical, reflective and bewitching recordings.
Released on 1 April 2024, Ancient Relics is Johnson’s sophomore solo recording following his much-lauded 2021 album debut, ‘Wax /// Wane’. With enigmatic grooves and evocative harmonies, ‘Ancient Relics’ is awash with the lushness of Johnson’s tenor saxophone and features the distinctive sound of the Pacific’s leading harpist, Natalia Lagi'itaua Mann whose swirling enchantments brings to mind the great Alice Coltrane. While references to the 1960s Impulse! Records abound, there is also a unique quality to ‘Ancient Relics’ - one which values contemplation and ephemerality above all else.
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The first single to be taken from the album is Ancient Relics the album’s title track, released on 9 February. Restrained, ethereal and supremely evocative, it’s a kind of jazz raga, the harp and tanpura combining to create a bed of astral exploration, while the warmth of the saxophone envelopes the music in dark velvety beauty.
The track is a fitting opener to the album whose journey slowly gathers in intensity. >From the sumptuous balladry of Embers to the voodoo percussion of Escape Capsule, the album’s climax arrives with the deep, throbbing groove of Space Junk before closing on the uplifting Satellites, a Pharoah Sanders-esque celebration of astronomical proportions.
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BBE Music welcomes pianist Aki Takase to the J Jazz Masterclass reissue series, with her 1982 live album ‘Song for Hope’.
A musician of poise and precision who has been a noted composer, performer and recording artist for over 40 years, Takase’s ‘Song for Hope’ continues BBE Music’s exploration of Japanese modern jazz from a golden period spanning the late 1960s to the mid-1980s.
The ‘Song for Hope’ album is taken from a recording of Takase’s debut European performance taped in November 1981 at the Berlin Jazz Festival and was originally issued in 1982 by Enja Records, a key European jazz label founded in Munich 1971 by Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber. On Enja, Takase found herself labelmates with some of the world’s leading jazz pianists like Mal Waldron, Dollar Brand and Randy Weston, and she followed in the footsteps of other leading Japanese artists on the label such as Terumasa Hino and Yosuke Yamashita.
The hypnotic title track was included on J Jazz vol. 3, and it features J Jazz stalwart Takeo Moriyama on drums, joined by Nobuyoshi Ino on bass. Moriyama’s career has been well documented on J Jazz vol. 1, and his sublime ‘East Plants’ album was reissued as part of the J Jazz Masterclass Series. Bassist Ino has been an active member of the Japanese jazz scene since the mid-1970s and has performed and recorded with many leading artists and groups including Fumio Itabashi, Masahiko Togashi, Hiromasa Suzuki, Masaru Imada and Masayuki Takayanagi.
Aki Takase was born in Osaka in 1948 and began playing piano aged 3. Raised in Tokyo, she studied classical music at the Toho Gakuen Academy, and her musical interests developed from a starting point in classical, before going on to encompass contemporary music and jazz. Among the first jazz compositions she explored were works by Charles Mingus and Ornette Coleman and, in 1972, she moved to New York, working with, among others, Lester Bowie, John Zorn and Dave Liebman.
She recorded her debut album for Seven Seas/King Records in 1978 and appeared on some key J Jazz album such as Yoshio Ikeda’s ‘Sketches of my Life’ and Seiichi Nakamura’s ‘Wolf’s Theme’. Takase has lived in Berlin since 1987 and is married to German pianist and composer Alexander von Schlippenbach, with whom she records and performs, sometimes as part of the Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra. She has also performed and recorded extensively with many other leading figures in contemporary jazz and improvised music including David Murray, Fred Frith, Evan Parker, and Maria João.
The J Jazz Masterclass Series is curated by Tony Higgins and Mike Peden for BBE Music.
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Wah Wah 45s are very excited to welcome Jamie Finlay back to the fold - one of our most beloved artists with his first new music for the label in fifteen years.
Jamie is an award-winning composer, songwriter and audio practitioner based in Manchester. His early releases on Wah Wah 45s, as well as on Development and Still Music, explored an eclectic range of music fusing soul, jazz, broken beat, funk, spoken-word, deep house and hip hop. His releases garnered rave reviews and saw him perform sell out shows at London's Jazz Café, support slots for the likes of Roy Ayers, and guest vocals on stage with jazz musician Matthew Halsall. His work has been remixed by Mr. Scruff, Moodymanc and Part-Time Heroes, and has found DJ support from Gilles Peterson, Osunlade, The Juan Maclean, Zed Bias and Luke Una.
For the last ten years Jamie has worked extensively in music and sound for film, art and interactive projects. His work in this field has gained recognition and accolades from institutions such as Sundance Film Festival, BFI London and ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers).
This year, Jamie returns to Wah Wah 45s with his debut LP, Sun Dogs. Written and produced between 2021 and 2023, it’s a deeply personal album that explores themes of love, loss, and finding strength in turbulent times.
With its ethereal vocals and minimalist, psychedelic production style, Family is the striking first single to be taken from the album. Written by Jamie and featuring a sublime, haunting vocal performance from hotly tipped Mancunian singer, songwriter, producer and vocalist for A Certain Ratio, Ellen Beth Abdi, Family explores what the essence of a family unit is.
“Families come in many forms, but at the core it’s about that closeness, solidarity and unconditional love. This can come from anywhere with any group of people. It’s not just about blood, it’s about how we look after each other.” Jamie Finlay
The forthcoming album, Sun Dogs is a unique blend of electric soul, spiritual jazz and psychedelia with the emphasis firmly on songwriting. Deeply layered and textural with complex harmonies, sonorous arrangements, memorable melodies and brass lines that go from delicate to thunderous. It was recorded in Jamie’s Manchester studio and features some of the most exciting talent to emerge from the city’s music scene in recent years. As well as Ellen Beth Abdi, the album also features multi instrumentalist Caitlin LM and singer Kemani Anderson from Secret Night Gang.
Jamie looks forward to taking the project live in 2024 with his incredible band featuring many of the artists and musicians that appear on the album.
Caoilfhionn Rose - Fall into Place
Confident, exploratory and often jaw-droppingly sublime, this incredible album properly announces Caoilfhionn Rose’s arrival as a fresh creative force for 2024.
'Fall Into Place' is awash with rich instrumentation, featuring collaboration from Cinematic Orchestra’s John Ellis on piano and Mammal Hand’s Jordan Smart on saxophone, to deliver a lush composition and a confident statement to launch Rose's 3rd album. B-side Rainfall is a gently ambient composition that with soothing your troubles away.
Henry Mora & LasKee - Leaving
Rising house artists Henry Mora and LasKee deliver their emotional and melodic house tune 'Leaving' on Schema, an emerging house and techno imprint. Their release marks the first external signing for Schema in 2024. 'Leaving' seamlessly blends a timeless melodic dance groove with ever-evolving melodies and synths. The breakdown features an awe-inspiring chord progression and anthemic vocal that is sure to leave listeners with their hands in the air, excited to hear what is next to come. Immerse yourself in the sonic, captivating journey of 'Leaving'; setting the stage for Henry Mora and LasKee's promising trajectory in 2024 and beyond.
The album opens with «Nameless», a haunting, subdued lament originally written for Bugge Wesseltoft’s charity project for the Moria Refugee Camp in Greece. Anneli Drecker sings this story together with Jan Bang over a tense foundation provided by Eivind Aarset’s guitar, Anders Engen’s drums and Audun Erlien’s bass, embellished by Canberk UlaÅŸ’ duduk tones and Erik Honoré’s atmospherics.
The title track follows, also telling a story of escape, of burned bridges and turned tables, centered around the phrase «Reading the Air» – a Japanese expression that can be translated to «sensing someone's feelings» or «interpreting the situation without words». The song is a subtle combination of pop and poetry, featuring Jan Bang’s long time friend and collaborator Arve Henriksen on trumpet.
«Burgundy» serves as a darker, more static counterpoint to the light, organic flow of «Reading the Air». Also here, the rhythm foundation is provided by bass player Audun Erlien and drummer Anders Engen, recorded together with Eivind Aarset’s guitar by engineer Johnny Skalleberg during the course of two sessions that took place five years apart, in 2014 and 2019. «Burgundy» also features Adam Rudolph on percussion, and Jan Bang’s multitracked voice conveys a cryptic tale of gender and conflict.
Both composer Bang and lyricist Honoré refer to «Food for the Journey» as the album’s centerpiece. This is also a tale of loss and migration, but now the departure is more concrete. Both through the title – a term traditionally associated with the last meal, the reception of the Eucharist – and the sirens’ chorus multitracked by Simin Tander.
The album's only cover song, «Delia» from Harry Belafonte’s 1954 album «Mark Twain and Other Folk Favorites», is written by Fred Brooks and Lester Judson. Also this song tells a story of loss and departure, and in Jan Bang’s arrangement, which is very different from Belafonte’s original, «Delia» becomes a slow, powerful torch song both celebrating and mourning love, performed by Bang together with singer Benedikte Kløw Askedalen.
Most of the album is organic and at times «live in the studio» sounding, but the synthesizer driven «War Paint» provides a metric contrast. The song is inspired by the very last exhibition by Norwegian sculptor and photographer Bård Breivik, where the artist’s face was decorated in ritualistic defiance to an illness that in the end proved impossible to defy. Also here, Simin Tander’s voice provides a warm counterpoint to Bang’s lead vocals, and Arve Henriksen contributes a fourth-worldly dimension.
«Winter Sings», like «Delia», features «nature-as-character», and a hint of nostalgia: Parts of the melody are borrowed from the very first recording that Jan Bang ever released, also that together with Erik Honoré – an EP with the quartet Woodlands. Again, Canberk UlaÅŸ contributes his traditional duduk, an Armenian wind instrument made of apricot wood.
The open-ended murder ballad «The Cards», a duet with Benedikte Kløw Askedalen, leads into the psychedelic «Cycle» which features Jan Bang and Anneli Drecker as the main characters in a musical film noir, singing of a descent into a maelstrom auralized by Eivind Aarset’s guitars.
At the end of the closing piano/synth ballad «No Paradise Lost», we return to Asian metaphors, but this time slightly tongue-in-cheek: The «hungry ghosts» of the final verse are creatures from Eastern mythologies, driven by unfulfilled cravings as a punishment for previous misdeeds.
Releasing as the title track of her forthcoming debut album, From the Fire is also the 2nd single release from Audrey Powne's self-written and self-produced masterpiece. The track features Audrey as vocalist and virtuoso trumpet player in a song that blends a beautifully laconic drum break with a melody and lyrics which promise both optimism and re-birth.
Taking direct inspiration from two of Audrey's favourite artists, the groove and harmonics in From the Fire are influenced by Herbie Hancock, in particularly his Secrets and Sunlight LPs, both from the 1970s. The layered, harmonised trumpet solo that brings From the Fire home owes its form to Audrey's love of the genius of Roy Hargrove.
Indeed, as well as Hargrove's influence as a trumpet maestro coming into play on the track, Audrey Powne also employs similar recording techniques to those used by Hargrove in his seminal work with the RH Factor. As with the previous single release, From The Fire also highlights Audrey Powne's skills and artistry as a producer and arranger.
Audrey Powne is an artist destined for greatness as a composer, lyricist, vocalist, producer, arranger and musician and in both the singles coming off the From The Fire album we get a taste of the brilliance that is promised in the full album.
Just when you thought you had Kasper Bjørke figured out he comes back with another great musical surprise. His new album Puzzles, which will be released April 5th on hfn music, follows two recent collaborative EPs on Live at Robert Johnson and Mule Musiq as well as his second Kasper Bjørke Quartet neoclassical/ambient album Mother on Kompakt.
Puzzles is Kasper’s love letter to the sound of early 2000s New York - merged with his Scandinavian sense of producing songs that goes beyond conventional club music; combining disco tinged instrumentations mixed with elements of 80s funk, jazz and contemporary pop songwriting, creating something familiar yet, something very fresh and innovative at the same time.
The album includes collaborations with a wide range of musicians and vocalists. From California based indie-disco troubadour Woolfy (DFA, Rong, Permanent Vacation etc.) to the Icelandic dream-folk trio Systur aka Sísý Ey (who also featured on Kasper’s 2014 single Apart, where the Michael Mayer remix became a timeless club anthem), as well as other longtime collaborators and artist friends: Toby Ernest, Jacob Bellens, WhoMadeWho’s Tomas Høffding on bass, Posh Isolation affiliate Frederik Valentin on guitar and the young, rising jazz star Oilly Wallace on saxophone and flute. Essentially, the majority of Puzzles is played and recorded live, including the drums by Rasmus Littauer (School of X, MØ). Many of the songs emerged from chord progressions written during studio sessions between Kasper and Toby - which Kasper then produced into a colourful and effective album, rooted in an expressive live feeling far from programmed patterns.
The first single to be released from the album, Conversations features Systur (Sísý Ey) on vocals and immediately grabs you with its slinky groove and gorgeous melody. Reminiscent of a great, lost Fleetwood Mac tune which will feel equally at home in your living room or on any discerning modern dancefloor.
Tears We Haven’t Cried featuring Toby Ernest on vocals, gets under your skin in the best possible way. The subtle groove hooks you in and the emotion and beauty conveyed in the lyrics and melody keep you coming back to it again and again, discovering something more with each listen.
The song So Much, features Woolfy on vocals. Its simple yet seductive synth bassline, upfront and conversational lead vocal, along with gorgeous female backing vocals, makes it a crisp take on a Balearic beat classic.
I Was There is the dance floor weapon of the album. Full of proper post-disco energy propelling the groove, bass, swirling synths, guitars and subtle percussion on top make this track simply irresistible.
Another stand out track is the album’s opener, Corridor of Dreams - a cover version of a song by the revered cult indie project Cleaners From Venus, which sets the perfect tone for the rest of the album ahead. Thoughtful and never overplayed, every part, instrument and vocal (performed by Systur) feels necessary. The album also includes a second cover version, both of them coincidentally released in 1982 by British indie artists: The Psychedelic Furs‘ Love My Way featuring Jacob Bellens on vocals is a catchy reinvention that never strays too far from the infectious hooks of the original.
Puzzles is a new step for Kasper as a producer and artist, showcasing his ability to move and flow freely between genres and expressions, however still deeply rooted in his love and affection for the classic disco groove - which is only natural after more than two decades as an active DJ.
Kasper confided that this was the album he was most proud of and wished he had made 20 years ago but didn’t know how to at the time. Thankfully he honed his craft over the years and certainly figured it out and the result is simply stunning.
Another piece has been added to the musical puzzle of Kasper Bjørke.
After a hiatus of several years, Amatorski are set to release their new album Curves and Bends, Things Veer in March 2024, once again through the Crammed Discs label.
The title of the new album is taken from Timothy Morton's book All Art is Ecological, which explores the complex and nonlinear nature of reality. Unlike Amatorski's previous releases, Curves and Bends, Things Veer focuses less on interpersonal relations, it rather attempts to conduct a modest and subtle search for the relationships between humans and nature, time and phenomena. Other inspirations for the album came from Taoist poetry (translated by Ursula K. Le Guin) and the work of Anna Tsing, Donna Haraway, Karen Barad and others.
The album was written, composed, arranged and produced by Inne Eysermans (vocals, keys, guitar, beats). Additional arrangements were recorded with the collaboration of guitarist Jasper Segers, drummer and percussionist Christophe Claeys, and Liew Niyomkarn, who integrated various field recordings and synthesized sounds into the songs. Dienne Bogaerts played the oboe on Echo Variations. These collaborations resulted in an extensive collection of recordings, which Inne further processed at home and used to finalize the album.
Inne is affected by unilateral deafness, which prevents her from perceiving stereophonic sound or music. After years of mixing in stereo, she seized the opportunity to explore the idea of a mono mix, with the help of Yves De Mey, who mixed the album (except for High the Tides and Come to Dust which were mixed by Inne Eysermans).
Amatorski’s previous releases include the Same Stars We Shared EP (2010), the albums TBC (2012) and From Clay to Figures (2014), and several singles (2015-2017). They composed soundtracks for films and television (including the title track for the BBC series The Missing), and explored the boundaries of music, internet, and video art in their interactive multimedia project Deleting Borders. They wrote and performed an original soundtrack for Impatience, the 1928 pioneering experimental film by Charles Dekeukeleire, and released the performance-cum-film on a DVD.
Inne then put the project on hold, and spent some time doing personal research away from pop music. Meanwhile, Amatorski’s music continued to circulate, a.o. through the use of their songs in numerous films and commercials.
During the 2020 lockdown, Inne started creating new songs and reviving older sketches. Her solo activities and collaborative projects, the exploration of experimental approaches to text and storytelling, her interest in the practice of listening and in bioacoustics have brought forth new themes. Recent events such as the pandemic, and the surge of activism related to climate change and to the Black Lives Matters movement have also influenced the creation of the new album.
Che Go Eun’s artwork for the album depicts a 'digital garden' or synthetic still life, showing a symbiotic relationship between human and non-human entities. Inspiration for this was taken from Che Go's own work, the films of Bertrand Mandico and Apichatpong Weerasethakul, illustrations such as those by Ernst Haeckel and Maruyama Okyo, sonograms of body tissues and muscles, microscopic images of bacteria (including, for example, the vibrio bacteria), and a 3D model of a virus.
Champagne Dub is a mission in space-dub whose ‘crew’ took a few too many wrong turns. “We are here to bring raw metamorphic rock-rituals that escaped our minds.”The bubbling alchemy of this wildly oscillating four piece is as ethereally potent as the perfected elements that swirl to a climatic maelstrom, ebbing away inevitably to a formless illusion.
The pressure front of ‘Rainbow’ reverberates deep into the band’s dub suffix.This ‘Rainbow’ long player from Champagne Dub shares OtC’s fertile approach of impressing worlds upon the humble groove of a platter and leaning deeper into the ride. Swelling through the sultry mangroves of inner minds and outer spaces.