'Lateless' by Bad Uok

'Lateless' is the new album offering from the Italian quartet, Bad Uok, released through the German label, Trouble In The East.

As the brainchild of drummer, Andrea Grillini, Bad Uok's incredibly bold and inspired approach to jazz has been set in motion as far back as 2010 with the collective's initial debut album, 'Enter', having been released in 2013 through Italy's Auand label. 

Comprising the members of Bad Uok for this go round are of course Grillini on drums, trombonist Federico Pierantoni, pianist Andrea Calì and Leonardo Rizzo on Fender Rhodes; each musician boasting a wealth of experience to bring to the table and an extensive list of past collaborations. 

Grillini has always had a penchant for the improvised and it’s a discipline that he and Bad Uok practically celebrate throughout this album.  Grillini's style is rooted within his ability to begin with a set-piece but still have the freedom to take the performance into unexplored territory while empowering his fellow players to take those same risks and creative freedoms.

'Lateless' strikes like it is bursting with an overwhelming desire for liberation.  Although best not described as playful, the compositions are most definitely exploratory as they seem to relish the challenge of breaking out of any preconceived confines that expectations may have placed them within.

Over the course of the album's seven tracks, the quartet perform beautifully together creating a no-rules musical environment that nurtures the project's intentions. '105 Pt.3' serves as the perfect introduction to the album but also to the musicians as individual players; 'Nails' follows with its ever-fluctuating pace that proves to be another real standout before the album's centrepiece and the 'Lateless' title track.  At just under eight minutes long, 'Lateless' is remarkable in its presentation - more measured in its storytelling opposed to other numbers but exquisitely haunting at the same time.  

The album is a glorious experiment.  I refer to it as an experiment in the way I earlier cite the playing like an exploration - the musicians play sublimely and confidently explore the space around them almost not knowing what they'll find while still delivering on their overall focus.  

It’s really an incredible performance to witness, particularly when experiencing it for the first time.

'Shake Your Leg' by The Hot Damn Horns & The Soul Machine

We've long mused over our affection for the boundless funk music that seems to emanate out of Germany's clearly thriving music scene.  Names like The Mighty Mocambos, Pitch & Scratch, David Nesselhauf, Diazpora and so many more have all helped to solidify Germany as a leading hub of creativity when it comes to the artform of blazing horns, dirty bass and irrefutable grooves.

While the list of immeasurably talented German acts continues to rise, we would absolutely have to include the latest efforts of The Hot Damn Horns & The Soul Machine as flag wavers for their own brand of gloriously soulful, funk-filled music.

Based in Stuttgart, Germany, the collective's debut album, 'Shake Your Leg', is an excellent introduction to the septet's interpretation of contemporary funk and over the album's eleven tracks, their intention to have you not sitting still is boldly declared at the outset.  Littered with high-energy numbers that strike hard from the album's outset with 'At the Laundromat' and 'Yalla Banana' as well as through other notable highlights like 'Trapping' and the album's bonus track, 'Bumblebee Jack'.  The album's title track certainly warrants special mention as over the song's 6+ minutes, it playfully deconstructs itself from a fiery, horn-heavy celebration, opting instead to shut down in the middle and build itself all the way up again slowly reintroducing all those elements until they are all masterfully united once again.  

'Shake Your Leg' is an incredibly versatile and accomplished funk record from nothing less than an incredibly versatile and accomplished band.  I use the term "band" but, again, this album is actually the make up of two different factions coming together and comprising something more akin to a super group.  With players representing The Hot Damn Horns including Christian Mück (trumpet), Christoph Beck (saxophone) and Florian Seeger (trombone), paired alongside the musicians from The Soul Machine in Christoph Neuhaus (guitar), Lukas Großmann (hammond organ), Alex Uhl (bass), and Eckhard Stromer and Andy Schoy (drums), the combination is inspired and will hopefully lead to many more projects together.

To give due credit to each of these assembled musicians would take more time than this article would allow - each boasts genuinely awe-inspiring résumés which sees them performing amidst a wide variety of funk and jazz bands firmly embedding them within Germany's current musical landscape.  For now though, the focus is 'Shake Your Leg' and hopefully it won't be too long before they ask us to shake the other leg too.

'Aura' by Ambient Jazz Ensemble

'Aura' marks the latest album release from the ever genre-defying Ambient Jazz Ensemble courtesy of the fantastic Here & Now Recordings.

Following their previous releases, 'Suite Shop' (2014) and 'A J E' (2017), the third full-length effort from the collective continues in the vein of these exquisite past projects and their unrivalled approach to music-making.

The brain-child of multi-instrumentalist, producer and project founder, Colin Baldry, the Ambient Jazz Ensemble have garnered such a flawless reputation through an incredible body of work for listeners to immerse themselves into and, aside from the aforementioned album releases, there is also the 'Suite Shop Reworks' project along with the 'Breathe It In' and 'My Final Scene' reworks.

While we may never know where the Ambient Jazz Ensemble will specifically go with their compositions, that level of unpredictability has in itself become their trademark.  In the case of 'Aura', the music throughout masterfully presents Baldry's vision of jazz intertwined with elements of dance and electronica.  It's a testament to anyone with the foresight and skill to make these seemingly disparate musical realms fit so snugly together as part of a cohesive project.

Upon the album's release, Baldry has cited the album's title track as ranking incredibly high as one of the best songs he'd ever written and composed but, in complete honesty, there are several songs on 'Aura' that would enthusiastically compete for that distinction.  Everything from the rousing album opener, 'Rise', to 'Break The Night With Silence' and all three parts of 'Nataraja' - which are just the first three tracks - are all flawless inclusions.  

'Scars' delivers as a further strong album highlight - not only boasting an excellent vocal contribution from Donna Gardier on the brilliantly written number, the song's production seems to bask in this no-man's land of, at times, a quick-fire drum & bass production set against this lush orchestral backdrop.  It's just a joy.

And credit of course to the album's players that comprise 'Aura's Ensemble.  With Baldry credited for double bass, kalimba and keys, and Gardier for vocal duties, they are joined by the remarkable talents of Sam Crowe on Rhodes, Ollie Weston, Dominic Glover, Andy Ross and Nichol Thomson on horns, Sam Baldry on percussion and The Adderbury Ensemble on strings.  There is also the dream inclusion of Richard Spaven on drums - himself well-versed in his ability to showcase jazz within varying contexts and styles making him a perfect addition to the line-up.

While listeners rightfully should embrace this stunning new project, we'd absolutely also urge you to explore past Ambient Jazz Ensemble releases to fully celebrate the complete story so far and to truly understand why they are one of the most innovative and inspired names in contemporary jazz.  

'Soul Hunters' by Soul Hunters

For A.MA Records, 2020 proved to be an incredible year which saw the label bursting with creative energy leading to huge successes.  Releases from Andrea Gomellini, Sanja Markovic, Sébastien Jarrousse Quartet and Pippo D'Ambrosio did wonders for carrying the label to continually new audiences beyond their home in Bari, Italy, and mere days into 2021, A.MA Records are already staking their claim to another year boasting some of their typically exquisite jazz releases.

Which takes us to the first of A.MA's 2021 line-up - the debut self-titled project by the Soul Hunters.  With a collective comprised of guitarist Alberto Parmegiani and revered sound engineer Tullio Ciriello, the trio is excitedly rounded out by A.MA founder himself, Antonio Martino, who serves as the project's co-producer.  Through the label, Martino has not only used the opportunity to showcase some immeasurable Italian and European talent but also to share a vision for contemporary jazz that continues to genuinely deliver a thrilling perspective.  

And for the project's composer and arranger, Alberto Parmegiani, Soul Hunters proves a fantastic extension to his own musical ideologies that were initially ushered in back in 2015 with the release of his own Quintet project, 'Under A Shimmery Grace' (A.MA).  Even as far back as six years ago, Parmegiani was keen to provide his own contemporary spin on a classic aesthetic with 'Under A Shimmery Grace' hosting some beautiful compositions.  With the Soul Hunters project, Parmegiani, Martino and Ciriello immerse the project within a more soul-inspired soundscape and are backed by an incredible array of musicians including Pasquale Strizzi and Francesco Schepisi on keyboards, Gianluca Aceto and Giampaolo Laurentaci on bass, Fabio Accardi on drums and horns by Francesco Lomangino, Antonio Fallacara and Giuseppe Todisco.  

The contributions of vocalists Donatella Montinaro and Paola Arcieri beautifully elevate the project with their sublime performances - Montinaro assisting in providing the perfect album opener with the rich and warm 'Where Has All The Love Gone' and Arcieri excelling with the early-90s-esque sounding 'A Brand New Soul'.  Brian Ferreir also warrants mention for his rapped verses which once again help to steer the project within a more contemporary (neo) soul setting.

There's something about this album that makes the project, both, something distinctly an A.MA release yet something wholly original for them at the same time.  The elegant production and arrangements, the crisp performances from an awesome collection of artists, are all synonymous with the label's past releases but this new direction that strives to pay homage to a new and modern era of soul music just all adds up to a fantastic record within the A.MA catalogue.  And the first great record for 2021.

'Manifest EP' by Nathan Thomas

The release of the 'Manifest EP' by Nathan Thomas not only marks the first release from Futuristica Music for 2021, but also kick-starts celebrations for the label having reached the monumental milestone of their fifteenth year of releasing music.

With past projects initially spearheaded by Low Budget Soul and including wonderful releases from Electric Conversation, Deborah Jordan and Emanative, Nathan Thomas looks set to continue the label's fine lineage building upon the groundwork already laid from last year's 'Still Water'.  

With many years in the music industry under his belt, singer, songwriter and guitarist, Nathan Thomas, was finally able to bestow his debut full-length project to the world presenting his vision for contemporary soul and R&B to a rapturous reception.  'Still Water' served as a deeply personal project that cleverly fused these varying styles allowing Thomas' personality and talent to shine against this eclectic sonic palette.  With production from Futuristica's Simon S and Marc Rapson, the album boasted numerous highlights including the album's title track, the nu-soul stylings of 'Sunblind', the intimate and personal touch of 'Winters' and the hip-hop-inspired productions of tracks like 'Voodoo' and 'Manifest'.

With the latter number now taking centre-stage for the release of the album's accompanying EP, 'Manifest' proves to be the track that keeps on giving with the EP spawning two awesome remixes and a handful of additional gems too.  In our review of Nathan's full-length release, we referenced the production of Simon S at times being reminiscent of his alternative moniker, Jazz Chronicles: it seems like we weren't a million miles off the mark as Simon has instead opted to dust off his Peter Franks hat for his 'Manifest' remix - to equal satisfaction no less.  The "trademark crisp drums, warm bass and lush keys" associated with Peter Franks projects again provide such a snug fit for Thomas' vocal, in exciting contrast to the Marc Rapson's reinterpretation of the track...   

The words "Marc" "Rapson" "Remix" are fast becoming three of our favourites in relation to contemporary soul and R&B.  Despite consistently luscious productions all round, Rapson remix gems have come in the form of Deborah Jordan's 'I'll See You Again', La Note's 'One Way', 'Lately' by Simon S and Emanative's 'When on Earth'.  The remix for Thomas' 'Manifest' is absolutely a gem worthy of the Rapson brand as this version decidedly slows the pace down providing a sublime alternative.

A much needed extended edit of 'Resilience' is also included taking the original version from two minutes all the way up to over five, plus the playful nature of 'Another Theory' delivers as a previously unreleased entry to the 'Still Water' archives.

For the first of several projects due out this year, we eagerly await what the label has planned for their fifteenth and have genuinely kicked the whole thing off in fine fashion with this excellent release!

'Familiar Future' by Dougie Stu

 

Rarely a year goes by where Ropeadope Records can't lay claim to having released some of the best contemporary jazz music bestowed upon audiences the world over.  And while the world has been incredibly keen to rush 2020 out of the door and move on to a year with more positivity, it was still a year with some genuine treasures - many of which bearing the Ropeadope name.  Via his Spirit Fingers super group, Greg Spero unveiled the collective's sophomore album, 'Peace', which was an absolute joy; New York-based improv jazz collective Bright Dog Red released their third genre-defying double disc effort 'Somethin' Comes Along'; the always exceptional trumpeter Christian Scott wowed listeners all over again with his wonderful 'Axiom' release... 

And in any conversation about some of Ropeadope's treasures of the year, 'Familiar Future' by Dougie Stu absolutely warrants inclusion amongst the best of them.

Bassist, multi-instrumentalist and producer Doug Stuart has paved the way remarkably well in the build up to his debut solo project.  Although having studied jazz at the University of Michigan, Stuart has maintained an incredibly eclectic résumé that has seen collaborations as diverse as him providing bass for the folk-esque stylings of Suzanne Vallie's 'Love Lives Where Rules Die' (2020) or the psychedelic pop of the Bells Atlas project 'the mystic' (2019).  And certainly not withstanding the future soul bliss of his project with vocalist Brijean Murphy under the joint name Brijean.  Already with the excellent 'Walkie Talkie' EP from 2019 under their belt, expectations are high for the imminent release of their full-length, 'Feelings'.

When taking all of these past releases into consideration however, 'Familiar Future' is very possibly not what people would have expected for Stuart's debut solo offering.  While the album may in fact subvert expectations though, Stuart has actually, very strategically, taken from his diverse appreciation for music and masterfully manages to use all of those elements to help ascend his vision of jazz to a completely new plateau.

Backed by a strong line-up of artists for the album, the project's core is comprised of International Anthem recording artist, guitarist Jeff Parker, drummer Hamir Atwal (Naytronix, Erik Jekabson Quintet) and piano and Rhodes by Maya Kronfeld (Georgia Anne Muldrow, Ennio Styles), there are also contributions from Crystal Pascucci and Shaina Evoniuk on cello and violin respectively, Steve Blum on synthesizer and Marcus Stephens on flute as well as others.

The lush, string-laden album opener 'Welcome' serves as our official invitation to the music that is about to manifest itself into Stuart's 'Familiar Future' - and with many of the compositions capturing this sublime dream-like state, as evidenced from Stuart's head-in-the-clouds album cover - it's just bliss going forward.  While tracks like 'Joyride', 'Henny', 'Nostalgia' and 'Familiar Future' all compete to be the album highlight, it's 'Wind Chaser' that absolutely steals the distinction.  Clocking in at a second under eight minutes, the song itself plays out like an epic quest continually evolving as it progresses along its narrative.

'Familiar Future' is an accomplished and inspired album and while Stuart's own quest through his various music projects will continue to excite listeners, we'll also patiently await the return of Dougie Stu and his cool-as-hell shades to let us know how the future is shaping up.