'Song In My Heart' by Stephanie McKay

Stephanie McKay.  With the body of work Stephanie McKay has presented over the years, hers is a name that could be held up against any other you'd offer in comparison.

Bronx-born McKay boasts a 20+ year career with three album releases (including the breakout album 'Tell It Like It Is', 2007), and countless collaborations with a who's who line-up of artists including Amp Fiddler, Ronny Jordan, Soulive and DJ Spinna.  A musician, producer, dancer, writer, Stephanie McKay has the skill and unique ability to have her voice sound at home over an acoustic guitar, the harmonies of a jazz trio, the fiery onslaught of a funk track or the otherworldly beats of a soulful house number.  It's this uncanny versatility that fans and peers resonate with solidifying her status.

In 2018, now in collaboration with the dynamic Ropeadope Records, Stephanie McKay unveils 'Song In My Heart': a five-track EP mastered by the legendary Bob Power (Grammy-winning producer noted for his work with D'Angelo, Erykah Badu and De La Soul) and produced by Adrian Harpham.

In many ways, the music here could well be described as a departure perhaps from the sounds and styles we've come to expect from McKay, but for an artist that has continually bucked trends and defied genres, the result is a natural and brilliant fit.

The CD liner notes references 'Song In My Heart' as "a new beginning" so if this is in fact representative of a new phase of McKay's career, then we wait to see what's next with great excitement.  'Song In My Heart' will carry us through until that time however.

As an added bonus, Blue-in-Green:RADIO is happy to unveil a brand new entry in our 30minuteMix selection showcasing the music of the awesome Stephanie McKay...

'Collagically Speaking' by R+R=Now

There are supergroups and then there are just-too-good-to-be-true-pinch-yourself-lineups.  In the case of the debut project from R+R=Now, 'Collagically Speaking', this collection of musicians certainly places this project in the latter 'too good to be true' category.

The tirelessly prolific Robert Glasper appears alongside the equally inexhaustible producer and musician Terrace Martin, trumpeter Christian Scott, electronic producer Taylor McFerrin, bassist Derrick Hodge and drummer Justin Tyson.  Some of these genuinely offer mouth-watering combinations and this article runs the risk of reaching incredible lengths if we spend time dwelling on the awesome music each contributor has laid prior to this release... despite our compulsion to do so.

In covering the new single release from Dala Records vocal duo, Mel & Kim and their new single 'Bad Man', we talked about music being utilised as a form of protest over the years.  And while certain social and political movements may appear to be content to simply start the conversation of change, elements throughout 'Collagically Speaking' - including the band's full name, Reflect + Respond = Now, and songs like 'Her=Now' - imply that the time for talking is really over.

And it should be. 

Even writing this has me see that elements here take the vision beyond 'protest'.  It's idealistic in its own way - with songs addressing love as much as change.  The themes are as intermingled as each performer's own styles which help to deliver an exciting and dynamic album crammed with highlights including 'Change of Tone', 'Resting Warrior' and 'The Night in Question'.  As scene-stealing as Terrace Martin's vocoder work always is, the album's closing number 'Been On My Mind', featuring Moonchild's Amber Navran on vocal duties, does make the project that tiny bit sweeter.

We talked earlier in the article about the solo efforts of all six artists involved - all astounding musicians amongst the elite of this generation - and the hope is that this album marks the first of further releases under the R+R=Now banner.

'Let Your Light Shine On' by Nicola Conte & Spiritual Galaxy

The last project from Nicola Conte came courtesy of his production for Stefania Dipierro and their joint release, 'Natural', released through Far Out Recordings.

Well, clearly the spirit of collaboration is still running strong with the Italian guitarist, producer and DJ, and the tirelessly prolific Conte now sees him aligning with the supergroup of Spiritual Galaxy and artists including Theo Croker (trumpet), Gianluca Petrella (trombone) and Magnus Lindgren (sax).  The line-up of vocalists on the album now-frequent Conte collaborator, Bridgette Amofah, who appears on many of the album's tracks, along with Carolina Bubbico and Zoe Modica, and there's a very special appearance from Brownswood's Zara McFarlane who sadly only appears on one of the album's tracks, 'Ogun'.

Spiritual Galaxy is such an apt name for the collective as the concept of spiritual and afro-jazz, along with the music of John Coltrane and Sun-Ra, is very much the focus of Conte's vision on 'Let Your Light Shine On' exemplified by song titles 'Cosmic Peace', 'Mystic Revelation of the Gods', 'Space Dimensions' and 'Tribes From The Unknown'.

Although many of the elements and styles embraced throughout this project are in no way new to Conte's repertoire, you can almost envisage this being a project that Conte would have wanted to realise for some time - and to have the album released on the rejuvenated MPS label?  Well, the stars couldn't have been more aligned.