'Trippin' by Magro

 

'Trippin' marks the debut full-length album from Berlin-based drummer and producer, Magro.

The release of 'Trippin' - announced earlier this year - would have come as exciting news for listeners having been hooked on Magro's music since his releases dating back to 2019.  Over the course of several singles, Magro introduced his distinctive style - an inspired fusion of jazz, hip-hop and neo-soul - as an extraordinary voice amidst a continually thriving scene.

A fervent performer and collaborator to many of Germany's rising and established stars, the spirit of collaboration has always permeated through Magro's releases whether they be through his work with vocalists, rappers or fellow musicians.  Parking commentary on 'Trippin' for a moment, the aforementioned early singles which paired Magro's boundless talents with those of US rapper Stimulus ('15 Minutes') and R&B artists Kileza ('Superskater') and Kenny Wesley ('Jupiter') acted as shining examples of Magro's ability to connect musically with artists and tapping into what resonates with them or knowing how to plunge them in new and exciting sonic scenarios.  His work with vocalist Leona Berlin also warrants special mention, not only for their collaboration on the awesome 'Floating Freely' single (2019) but also for his extensive contributions to Berlin's debut full-length release and subsequent singles leading up to the upcoming sophomore album.

Conversely, the release of 'Beat Tape' from earlier this year gave the opportunity for the drummer and producer to showcase his music within a more solitary, back-to-basics setting.  Taking his inspiration from heroes including Herbie Hancock, Dilla, Robert Glasper and Chris Dave, the ten-track release once again demonstrates the versatility within Magro's music and his continual evolution towards new styles and ideas.

Which brings us to the release of 'Trippin'.

While still boasting that indelible vision when it comes to composition, 'Trippin' confidently takes those elements to the next level with a bolder and, at times, broader landscape.  Looking at the album's title track as an example - featuring US rapper TwizzMatic and jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, musically we're in new territory with darker and more "trippy" production.  It's an incredibly bold track to open the album with and an apt contrast to the album's closing number, 'Silence', featuring Ronja.  Imagined as a "tribute to silence", the eclectic future soul number once again revels in these new textures perhaps not normally associated with Magro's music - an expectation I imagine the musician loves subverting.

With tracks flitting between instrumental hip-hop-inspired jazz numbers and further great collaborative pairings - the Leona Berlin assisted 'Running' in particular serving as the album's high point - the album marks another glorious entry amidst Magro's burgeoning catalogue.  His past releases introduced him as an awesome talent but 'Trippin' now confirms his masterful and enduring brilliance.

5 Songs About: Q-Sounds Recording

 

This edition of 5 Songs About: sees us explore the catalogue of the French funk & soul label, Q-Sounds Recordings.  Boasting an inspired roster of vocalists and musicians, the label's Bandcamp page is a veritable treasure trove of contemporary soul gems from a stunning array of talent.  Calling Seine Saint-Denis their home, the label that thrives off of that quintessential analog sound was set up by Ludovic Bors and Chris Thomas who have strived to present some of France's brightest stars in today's revered scene.  We've picked five songs for our list here that we're besotted with at the moment but want to pay full respects to this incredible roster with names like The Principles of Joy, The King Dukes, The Vogs, amongst others.

1. 'All or Nothing' by Laura Llorens & The Shadows of Love

The brand new single from Laura Llorens & The Shadows of Love acts as a swift follow-up to last year's full-length, debut record released through Q-Sounds.  The US vocalist, now based in Paris, delivered an excellent introduction with 'Home/Chez Moi' which boasted a series of fantastic tunes - definitely check out 'De ma fenêtre' and its accompanying video when you can!  Bolstered by another great video, 'All or Nothing' builds nicely on the groundwork set out by its predecessor and we look forward to the new directions the collective will take their music in for subsequent releases. 

2. 'Police & Barbecue' by The Supertights

From the self-titled debut record of the instrumental powerhouse collective, The Supertights' album finds itself at home within this fantastic groove of 70's-inspired soul and funk.  With twinges of psychedlia incorporated in just the right proportions - like the brilliant 'Orage trist' or the infectious chants of 'Heyyyyyy Ya !' - its use of lush keys and sublime flutes really emphasise what a fantastic record this is.  For our pick of 'Police & Barbecue', the track's incredible use of flute catches us somewhere between nostalgia and melancholy and it's a glorious sweet spot to find yourself in between.

3. 'Je broie du noir (Back to Black)' by Lisa Mélissa & The Mess

Lisa Mélissa has delivered some fantastic releases bearing the Q-Sounds name.  Although the unveiling of her debut album came in the form of 'The Message' in 2018, the project has been sandwiched by a number of awesome singles with the earliest dating back to 2017 and the three-track self-titled EP.  Mélissa's distinctive style fuses elements of soul, funk and even teases a little of punk music's rebellious streak as well.  Our pick for this list though sees us look at a single release celebrating the music of the iconic Amy Winehouse and her seminal Mark Ronson-produced single, 'Back to Black'.  Sung here in French to a reggae-esque beat, this is a brilliant reworking of a beloved track which really positions Lisa Mélissa as an awesome talent.

4. 'We Are in Need' [N. Smuggler's Remix] by Florence & The Adelians

Heading back to 2016 for this pick from Florence & The Adelians.  We're specifically spotlighting the track that featured in the 'In Need of More' EP in support of 'Reach Out To Me' and 'We Are In Need'.  Although both tracks were housed on the band's full-length release in 2017, the preceding EP showcases some excellent remixes from Pointe Du Lac, Raistlin and Joyful Noise, the Neil Smuggler Remix is our winner today.  With 'Reach Out To Me' and 'We Are In Need' written as a celebration of faith, the tracks work in nice contrast to the blistering energy predominately displayed throughout The Adelians album which all adds up to an excellent project.

5. 'Jamais là pour moi' by Little Clara & Les Chacals

Released as part of a two-track release with the instrumental, Les Chacals-helmed gritty soul anthem, 'La voie d'Anubis', Little Clara delivers a star turn with her vocal for 'Jamais là pour moi'.  An awesome and infectious drum-led intro sets the tone perfectly for Clara to come in and steal the show.  When exploring the music of Q-Sounds, it would be impossible to look past the efforts of Little Clara & Les Chacals - whether it be through single or album releases or her series of tracks celebrating the music of Nancy Holloway, Little Clara and company leave their indelible fingerprints on some of the label's most inspired releases.

'Mystafa' by Kalaha

'Mystafa' is the new album release from eclectic Danish quartet, Kalaha, whose awesome new project finds itself at home on April Records.

Having initially come together after having performed an improvised show in 2013 at the electronic STRØM festival in Copenhagen, Kalaha are comprised of band members Niclas Knudsen on guitars and bass, Emil de Waal on drums and Jens "Rumpistol" Christiansen and Mikaelon "Spejderrobot" Elkjær on synths and programming.  With each musician bringing an incredible amount of wealth and experience to the group, 'Mystafa' is a thrilling all-encompassing adventure that acts as a pure and unadulterated celebration from start to finish.  

As a project, 'Mystafa' is very much indicative of the bold and inspired approach to contemporary jazz that is now becoming synonymous with April Records.  We could marvel at length over saxophonist Cecilie Strange's mesmerising music or Little North's cutting-edge compositions... Under the guise of OTOOTO, saxophonist Oilly Wallace and trumpeter Jonas Due have just unveiled a fantastic project with their new album 'This Love is for You' revelling in varying styles across the contemporary jazz palette including the lush, groove-based stylings of neo-soul.  An absolute gem.

With past releases 'Hahaha' (2014) and 'Masala' (2016) released through Rump Recordings, and 'Mandala' through DME, Kalaha unveil their debut outing with April, hopefully marking the start of a lengthy relationship.  And if the standard of 'Mystafa' is anything to go by, expectations are now soaringly high for what the collective would unveil next.

'Hospabit' delivers as the perfect album opener - with its off-kilter sonics, it's conflicting yet completely harmonious jazz-meets-pop abrasiveness, the track brilliantly sets the tone for the music that follows.  At the album's outset, Kalaha seem to relish continually subverting listeners' expectations with each song, almost completely changing tack at any and every turn.  'Özgürüm Ben' swiftly follows and from the pop-inspired jazz of 'Hospabit', we have the deceptively authentic-sounding Turkish-laden number featuring vocals by Kalaha's frequent collaborator, Hilal Kaya, who blesses several of the album's tracks with a fantastic contribution throughout.

The clear album highlight arrives in the form of 'Hurt You Once Again' - featuring an excellent vocal from folk singer, Hjalte Ross, the track plays out like a recently unearthed, dark, 80s synthpop or new wave gem that had remained undiscovered for years.  

The first three tracks on 'Mystafa' very much tell the story of the whole album - these brilliantly executed and thrilling twists and turns continue across the project's ten songs and from very early on in the album, you learn to just trust in the course as set out by Kalaha and give yourself over to the journey they have planned.

Much will be made of the players' incredible skill in being able to present their music in such an array of varying styles and contexts and so much of this album delivers as a staggering accomplishment.  Nothing about 'Mystafa' comes across as an experiment.  While Kalaha are a group steeped within their affections for improvised music, the end result seems the product of a collective with a very clear and defined vision of their music and it's simply a joy to experience. 

'Dark vs Light - The Complete Edition' by Marc Rapson

As part of Futuristica's 15 year celebrations, a number of albums from their revered catalogue have been announced as being subject to having exclusive reissues prepared.  With some fantastic releases scheduled for this year, the label are kicking things off with Marc Rapson's 'Dark vs Light'.

In so many ways, the timing of this release is incredibly apt - just looking at Rapson's contributions to Futuristica's output in the last year alone would certainly whet anyone's appetite for a full-length release, particularly from the man behind the musical masterpiece that is 'I'll See You Again' by Deborah Jordan.  Having provided such a hefty contribution to Jordan's 'See in the Dark' album along with subsequent Futuristica album releases in 2020 from Georgie Sweet ('Misunderstood') and Nathan Thomas ('Still Water'), Rapson's indelible imprint - much like label founder Simon S - has long had a significant impact in shaping so much of the label's sonic landscape.  We haven't even touched on his seemingly countless remixes for Deborah Jordan, Emanative, Electric Conversation, LaNote, Simon S and Sun Circle over the years. 

With each of the recent Futuristica releases, Rapson's invaluable impact and contribution to these projects is even something marvelled at by those he collaborates with so the notion of Marc Rapson taking his place centre-stage with his musical super powers on full display for all to witness would have sounded overdue at the time of this album's initial release as it does today.  Despite Rapson's preferred super hero threads proving to be attire less resembling a long, flowing cape but endearingly more in line with Star Wars sweat pants (as evidenced from live online sessions with Georgie Sweet and Deborah Jordan), the subsequent results when he sits behind the production desk or behind a piano are undeniable.

Originally released as a seven track project back in 2010, 'Dark vs Light' finds itself bumped up to a thirteen track expanded edition featuring additional songs born of those recording sessions.  With respect to Rapson's fantastic chemistry that he continually boasts with a variety of vocalists, it does hit as something of a surprise that so much of 'Dark vs Light' is actually a predominately instrumental-inspired project, and one that potentially draws its biggest inspiration from hip-hop.  But Rapson has continually proved to present himself as an artist who relishes in subverting expectations - with the aforementioned 'I'll See You Again' as a prime example.  His ability to transform what is ultimately a scintillating ballad into a 90s, hip-hop inspired Dilla head-nod - by way of the Marc Rapson Rework - is mind-boggling and, frankly, genius!  While, at most times, his compositions are quintessentially rooted within neo-soul, Rapson has always dished out affectionate nods to James Yancey's unparalleled productions whether that be the tiniest blink-and-you-miss-it splash on the keyboards during a live set or more obvious odes like 'Return to Dilla Suite' - one of the newer tracks found available on 'Dark vs Light'.

As a complete thirteen-track package, 'Dark vs Light' is a fascinating record.  Although we touched upon the hip-hop inspirations and the impact of Dilla, the wonderful scene-stealing collaboration with vocalist Liz Elensky, 'Love Is All', is an absolute highlight as is the instrumental reinterpretation of 'Sunshine' by Roy Ayers ('Everybody Loves the Sunshine').  Rapper Replife guests on one of the album's new inclusions, 'The Rah Rah', and fans of Nathan Thomas will likely thrill at 'The Kalimba' - a track reimagined ten years later for 'Still Water' but I won't ruin the surprise as to which track the song was subsequently repackaged as.

Futuristica's revisiting of its past projects for these deluxe treatments, particularly this year, is an excellent way for the label to provide some additional light on its past gems and hopefully this release will inspire Marc Rapson to immerge from the proverbial phone booth once more - adorned in Star Wars sweat pants - to take centre-stage one more time.

'Dark vs Light - The Complete Edition' can be purchased via the Futuristica Bandcamp page. 

Blue-in-Green:PODCAST #87: Rico Garofalo of Lasperanza

Welcome to Episode #87 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which sees Imran secure time with saxophonist, musician and producer, Rico Garofalo of Lasperanza.

With his debut record, 'Seeds', released on the revered Dome Records back in 2019, our conversation looks back at the album two years later along with the recently released footage of the album's accompanying performance from The Hideaway in the summer of that year. 'Seeds' serves as a genuine treasure from Dome's hallowed catalogue and along with the footage of The Hideaway performance, the album finds itself further bolstered this year by the revisiting of Gwen Guthrie's 'It Should Have Been You'. Featuring a great vocal from Izzy Chase, Garofalo updates the rousing soul number from 'Seeds' presenting the track through an entirely different aesthetic - boasting a tinge of Roy Ayers and a tinge of 70s-style jazz-funk, the aptly-entitled Sunrise Mix provides a worthy extension for the incredible ground work established by 'Seeds'.

Footage from Lasperanza's Hideaway performance can be viewed here:

A real pleasure to be able to feature Rico as part of this podcast series for an episode we're very proud of and are sure you'll enjoy!

Blue-in-Green Sessions · Blue-in-Green:PODCAST_#87_Rico Garofalo of Lasperanza

'Nafs at Peace' by Jaubi

Following a run of excellent singles over the last few years, Astigmatic Records finally unveils Jaubi's debut full-length outing, 'Nafs at Peace'.

From sessions in 2020 that saw Ed "Tenderlonious" Cawthorne and EABS and Błoto member Marek "Latarnik" Pędziwiatr fly out to Pakistan specifically to collaborate with the Lahore-based quartet, the incredibly successful time together went on to birth two separate albums with Jaubi guesting for Tenderlonious' own heavily improvised project, 'Ragas From Lahore', released through his own 22a label late last year.

Jaubi's releases with Astigmatic have nicely presented the quartet's music to western audiences and what is truly fascinating about their music is that, for a collective that creates Hindustani (North Indian) classical music, to see the impact of hip-hop culture permeate through their sounds is genuinely inspired.  From previous tributes to the music of hip-hop icons J Dilla ('Dilla Taal') and Nas ('Lahore State of Mind'), this year also saw Jaubi pay tribute to the music of MF Doom whose untimely passing, announced in December 2020, still rings raw with fans the world over.  'Figaro (Farewell MF Doom)' was lovingly unveiled and gifted to fans as a free download which proved to be a wonderful start to the year and a move that has been swiftly followed up with the release of 'Satanic Nafs' and his associated Gaslamp Killer and Mophono remix.  Reaffirming Jaubi's hip-hop credentials, The Gaslamp Killer and Mophono delivered an awesome, beats-heavy reinvention of the original spiritually intricate composition making this a great combination of tracks.

The first taste of the Tender-Jaubi collaboration came via the three-track 'Tender in Lahore' EP.  Billed officially as a Tenderlonious project for 22a, the release once again highlighted how that spirit of collaboration continues to define his approach to music-making whether it be through his work as a member of jazz quartet Ruby Rushton, past releases with Astigmatic stalwarts EABS ('Kraksa' and 'Svantetic') or his 'Cosmica Italiana' project with Italian DJ, producer and musician Lorenzo Morresi.  

For 'Nafs at Peace', Jaubi is represented by members Ali Riaz Baqar on guitar and the album's primary composer, Zohaib Hassan Khan on sarangi, Qammar Abbas on drums and Kashif Ali Dhani on tabla and vocals.  With Cawthorne on flutes and saxophone, the invaluable contributions of Astigmatic Records label-mate Pędziwiatr rounds out the ensemble with his work on keys throughout and as a composer for 'Mosty'.

While Jaubi's music to date has seen its fair share of the aforementioned hip-hop inspirations, it may have been hard to know what people would ultimately have expected from a Jaubi full-length project.  Conversely though, it's potentially very fair to say that those expectations have very much been surpassed - from the mesmerising opener, 'Seek Refuge' (beautifully brought to life with help from The Vox Humana Chamber Choir) to the infectious rhythm of 'Insia' and the incredible energy of the lead single 'Raga Gujri Todi'.  

'Nafs at Peace' is genuinely a special record.  A project born of three vastly different factions with vastly different interpretations of contemporary jazz today have created something worthy of each of their names.  The album is presented as a spiritual undertaking in every sense of the word - a journey into the spirit of each of the artists involved and a fitting conclusion to the trilogy of releases that have culminated in this stunning effort.  While Jaubi may have caught people off-guard with this release, listeners really couldn't be any happier with the music presented here and it's with great excitement we wait to see what Jaubi will do next.

Blue-in-Green:PODCAST #86: Joe Pignato of Bright Dog Red

Welcome to Episode #86 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which sees Imran secure time with Bright Dog Red drummer and founder, Joe Pignato.

The improvisational jazz collective from Albany, New York, are set to release their fourth album with Ropeadope Records - a fantastic live set recorded in November 2020 at ShapeShifter Lab studios which sees its official release June 2021.  Entitled 'In Vivo', the live and improvised set gives wonderful insight to how Bright Dog Red create music in this context and it's genuinely a thrilling set.  

The band's debut album, ‘Means To the Ends’ (Ropeadope Records, 2018), served as a fascinating introduction to BDR’s incomparable concoction of improvised jazz boldly mixing with elements of hip-hop and electronica; their follow-up record, 'How's By You?', would come as soon as the following year and incredibly seemed to plunge the band deeper within its own creation of psychedelic electronica but still managing to see them soar under these even more extreme conditions. 'Somethin' Comes Along' (2020) saw BDR revisit the rule book once again for a two-disc album showcasing some stunning compositions brought to life by an awesome line-up of musicians.

Imran caught up with Joe Pignato to discuss 'In Vivo', the day of recording at Shapeshifter, Joe's production moniker of u.joe and what's next for Bright Dog Red.

Blue-in-Green Sessions · Blue-in-Green:PODCAST_#86_Joe Pignato (of Bright Dog Red)

5 Songs About: Roph Recordings

Roph Recordings is an independent Japanese label founded by Uyama Hiroto and Koizumi Takumi which focuses on the music of DJs, musicians and producers, Uyama Hiroto and Segawa Tatsuya.  Theirs is a musical style intrinsically intertwined and if we could describe Hiroto's projects as hip-hop inspired jazz then Tatsuya would surely boast the tag line of jazz inspired hip-hop.  With their Bandcamp page serving as a veritable playground to celebrate their full-length and single releases, as part of our ongoing '5 Songs About...' series, we select five tracks from their glorious catalogue to introduce any potential new listeners to.

1. 'South Side'by Uyama Hiroto featuring Shing02

'Freeform Jazz', 2016

A glorious piece of work that is perfectly balanced between its affections for both jazz and instrumental hip-hop.  Nujabes collaborator Shing02 provides the only vocal appearance on the album and sounds so at home accompanied by Hiroto's saxophone.

2. 'Carry More' by Sagawa Tatsuya

2020

Released as a double A side with Uyama Hiroto's 'Extension', Sagawa Tatsuya's piano-led track boasts some lush vocal samples over some fantastic drum patterns - a brilliant introduction into Tatsuya's production and musical style.

3. 'Magicnumber' by Uyama Hiroto featuring Marter

2017

Released as part of another co-headlining single along with Segawa Tatsuya's 'Behind The Peak', this laid-back gem is an awesome standout from the label.  Truth be told, Hiroto collaborating with a few more vocalists could really lead to some incredible music.

4. 'So Long' by Sagawa Tatsuya featuring Uyama Hiroto

'Pull.In Sai', 2019

From Tatsuya's debut album which deserves a post in of itself if only for the beautiful presentation of the CD with its accompanying magazine, inlay card and exclusive bonus track.  A versatile instrumental hip-hop album with an excellent array of standouts but we've gone with this beautiful Hiroto-assisted and nostalgia-laden number.   

5. 'Compass' by Uyama Hiroto

'Freedom of the Son', 2014

A fantastic production boasting a wonderful combination of musical styles throughout - it's dance-orientated pace, lush sax and vocals throughout make for a fantastic combination from another thrilling Hiroto release.

'ALG0' by Triorität

Contemporary jazz is an absolute delight. And that's a revolution in no way rooted to one person, style, group or even country. As months pass, new names seemingly continue to spring up and subsequently introduce themselves into the conversation about how exciting, innovative and inspiring contemporary jazz has become.

It's very much that novel approach that brings the best out of the genre. Much is made of the exceptional talents from the UK with names like Joe Armon-Jones, Nubya Garcia and Moses Boyd who redefine the notion of electronica within their compositions; the US continues to have labels like International Anthem and Ropeadope Records who present world class talent across a broad scope of jazz music today, and then there's the boundlessly talented artists that continue to showcase Melbourne as an awesome hub of top tier musical talent who absolutely warrant mention as well.

Jazz seems to be in this joyous space where it is almost rediscovering everything that it can achieve and it's a special thing as music fans that we get to witness through diverse and exciting releases.

Which takes us to the otherwordly German jazz trio known as Triorität.  From their introductory three-track EP, 'Skorphut' (2019), the trio's music typified the type of bold brilliance they had as a collective in presenting their vision for music with limitless possibilities.

Based in Darmstadt, Germany, cousins Gerrit Ebeling (keys) and Alexander Hoffmann (drums) would meet bassist Grégoire Pignède at a party before bonding over their like-minded approach to music-making.  With inspirations seemingly sourced from a melting pot of styles and influences including hip-hop, 80's new wave, soulful house music... it all adds up to something incredibly special.  'Skorphut' was bolstered the following year with remixes by hentzup, DJ Ion & Marshall Anderson and knowsum which although at times took a decidedly more dance-orientated approach in the finished versions, still effectively captured the unpredicatable nature of Triorität's master plan.  

Attention swiftly turned to the release of 'ALG0' with three singles unveiled in the run-up to the album's release in late-2020, this time through the group's own label home of Ouvo.  'Death Pacito' delivers as the best advertisement for what 'ALG0' is striving for - the album's opening number is indicative of the charm and personality exuded through this and subsequent tracks and although clocking in at 7 minutes 30 seconds, could easily have sat at twice that length and had the same impact.  'Seven Marmelade' warrants special mention for its infectious and undeniable groove as does the jazz-funk-esque aesthetic of 'Chromosong'.

There's something about 'ALG0' that makes it seem that Triorität have cracked the code.  It really is a fantastic project and a testament to the trio who have managed to seemingly, and effortlessly, find their voice making theirs a welcome and necessary take on the genre.  An absolute delight.

'Crossover' by Emma Donovan & The Putbacks

Six years is an incredibly long time.  Particularly as a time frame between album releases but that's how long fans of Emma Donovan & The Putbacks had to wait for the collective's official follow-up to their Hopestreet Recordings debut, 'Dawn'.

Released in 2014, 'Dawn' paired the powerhouse vocal of Emma Donovan with the grimy funk of The Putbacks for an undeniable masterpiece of contemporary soul music.  While, both, Donovan and The Putbacks each boasted a wealth of experience with prior releases and live performances, etc, it was ultimately their musical union that went on to deliver their creative and most successful heights.

Their distinctive and unique interpretation of soul music masterfully fused elements of funk, rock, blues and gospel, best exemplified through the album's highlights like 'My Goodness', 'Daddy' and 'Over Under Away' - music that still stands tall amongst any contemporary soul release you could compare it against.

The Putbacks would go on to release their self-titled debut record in 2018 taking their sound to the next stage of its evolution.  At the time of the album's release, the band themselves described the music as "crunchy post-soul post-jazz mystery-cinema instrumentals".  Throw in a dose of "psychedelic funk" into the mix and it all results in a fairly apt description of their stunning effort.  Comprised of Tom Martin (guitar), Rory McDougall (drums), Mick Meagher (bass), Justin Marshall (percussion) and Simon Marvin (keyboards) - with the help of Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Bilal and producer Paul Bender (Hiatus Kaiyote) - the band took great steps to reinvent the music listeners had become accustomed to associating with their name to significant success.

Although the time in between projects has been productive for each, the announcement of 'Crossover' was met with much excitement for patient fans hungry for the official successor to 'Dawn'.  

And it doesn't disappoint in the slightest - Emma Donovan sounds as authentic as she does on 'Dawn's highest moments: from the opening thumps of the album's title track, it all reconnects in exactly the way you'd hope it would - the quintessential 60's sounding soul number is a perfect opener; 'Mob March' serves as a timely response to moments of civil unrest, particularly in the US, from last year.  As detailed in the album's inlay card, 'Warrell Creek Song' is a poignant and personal contribution to 'Crossover' with its lyrics originally sung by Donovan's "great-great Granny Ballangarry".  It's very much the album closer, 'Pretty One', which is the show-stealer here though - patient in its pace and approach, beautifully presented and finished off with a choral backdrop at the song's conclusion.

Emma Donovan & The Putbacks.  Still one of the premier names in soul music today and if we have to wait another six years to receive a third album the quality of this record, then it'll be worth it.

Blue-in-Green:PODCAST #85: Justin Nerstylist

Welcome to Episode #85 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which sees Imran connect with Bay Area DJ and selector, Justin Nerstylist.

As one who prefers to be a DJ not in the limelight, he's long been a music fan first and a champion of the independent.  This episode sees us explore Justin's affections for jazz, his joy of digging, his passion for music-based travels which have taken him to London and Japan; we discuss what led Justin to DJ'ing, those early experiences performing for crowds and his desire to help jazz become embedded within the Bay Area.  

Such a pleasure to spend time with Justin for an inspiring episode of two music enthusiasts talking shop.

Blue-in-Green Sessions · Blue-in-Green:PODCAST_#85_Justin Nerstylist