Contemporary Eye ::: Yumi Ito

"On our eighth contemporary outing, we spotlight Swiss singer Yumi Ito. Based in Basel with Japanese-Polish roots, Yumi Ito offers us this coming April her latest album, ‘Ysla’ for Enja Records imprint Enja Yellowbird following an incredible string of partnerships with the likes of Iago Fernández Camaño, Szymon Mika, Baptiste Stanek, Vaclav Palka and Marton Juhasz whilst having been part of the teachings at the University of Arts Zürich, University of Arts Luzern and Masterclass with JugendJazzOrchester. Yumi Ito’s education at Stipend, Jazzcampus Basel and Zürcher Hochschule der Künste has provided various practices that have allowed for one of the most creative and diverse voices on the contemporary scene today. Prize winner of the 2015 Montreux Jazz Vocal Competition, Yumi Ito has a long list of coaches that includes Jorge Rossy, Mark Turner, Gretchen Parlato and Dave Holland that have aided her individual sound and success.

This year's Ysla, offers its listeners seven original compositions that "deals with the themes of loneliness and separation, the world ending, and rebirth, linked with metaphors from nature, psychology, and sociology, as well as current contemporary history". Ysla brings together Kuba Dworak (double bass), Iago Fernández (drums), Chris Hyson (synths) and Szymon Mika (guitar) for what is going to be something of a 2023 highlight." - Steve Williams of UK Vibe

The show's tracklist reads as follows:

Yumi Ito - Rebirth (enja Yellowbird 2023)

Iago Fernández - Flor Esvelta feat. Yumi Ito ( #freshsoundnewtalent 2022)

Yumi Ito & Szymon Mika - My Restless Mind (Hevhetia 2021)

Baptiste Stanek - Through the eyes of a woman feat. Yumi Ito (Self-released 2021)

Yumi Ito - Unwritten Stories (u n i t 2020)

Yumi Ito - Is It You (enja Yellowbird 2023)

Václav Pálka - The Neverending Staircase feat. Yumi Ito (Hout 2020)

Marton Juhasz - Spellbound feat. Yumi Ito (Self-released 2019)

Alex & The Wavemakers - Cloudburst feat. Yumi Ito (Self-released 2018)

Yumi Ito - My Romance (u n i t 2016)

Yumi Ito - Drama Queen (enja Yellowbird 2023)

:n-the-m:x | March 2023

Welcome to a new monthly mix series with each episode spotlighting 10 tracks that we were particularly excited about across various shows on Blue-in-Green:RADIO.  This month showcases ten tracks providing a 40 minute excursion from contemporary soul to cosmic jazz and future soul gems.

Music comes courtesy of the following...

'New Love' by Abi Farrell

'Get It, Got It' by Adi Oasis [Unity Records]

'Made of Golden Light' by Tommaso Cappellato featuring Lalin St Juste [Pavimento Fertile]

'Kanazawa' by Mark de Clive-Lowe, Shigeto & Melanie Charles [Soul Bank]

'As They Are' by Marijus Aleksa [miclithuania]

'Aquarius' by Pippo D'Ambrosio [A.MA Records]

'Mother Tongue' by Andorra [April Records]

'My Baby Said to Me' by Harry K [Eton Messy Records]

'Zagara' by PALLADIAN [Loci Records]

'I Wanna Be Down' [DJ Kwamzy Amapiano Soulful Mix] by Brandy

:n-the-m:x is exclusive to our Mixcloud channel so be sure to check back at the end of every month for future round-ups.

New music round-up ::: March 2023

'Mother Tongue' by Maya Law

'Mother Tongue' is the new single release from the incredibly talented singer, songwriter and guitarist, Maya Law.  We previously marvelled at Law's indelible talents and the exciting versatility that her releases have offered to date - with a vast array of music that has also included collaborations with Freya Roy, Gabriel Gifford and Allergy Kid, Maya Law continually proves herself to be as effective over more up-tempo and studio-based productions revelling in more hip-hop-inspired soundscapes as she does over more acoustically driven tracks like her captivating cover of The Smiths' 'There is a Light That Never Goes Out' or the sublime 'Hitchhiking'.  'Mother Tongue' serves as another exquisite entry within Maya Law's catalogue as the song pays loving homage to her mother as well as exploring the impact of that connection ultimately informing the person she is today.  Law brings such an honest approach to her music that despite her celebrated versatility, her sincerity is continually the thread that runs throughout her music and what will continually endear her music to those fortunate enough to discover it.  

'Beyond The Sky' by Pippo D'Ambrosio

Marking his second release for Italy's A.MA Records, drummer, percussionist and composer Pippo D'Ambrosio releases his new cosmic-inspired project heading up a fantastic quartet of musicians.  While this album's sensational predecessor 'A Peaceful Place' paid touching tribute to the works of Sufi poetry and cherished works by Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, Farid Ad-Din ‘Attar and Jalal al-Din Rumi exploring themes of love and divinity, D'Ambrosio turns his musical explorations from those of an intimate and personal nature to explorations of a more intercosmic space.  The ten tracks of 'Beyond The Sky' lovingly continue jazz's long lineage with space exploration as popularized by the iconic works of Sun Ra - tracks like 'Omega Nebula', 'Andromeda', 'Milky Way' and 'Black Holes' demonstrate the vast scope afforded to D'Ambrosio et al. limited only by their own imagination.

'Some Jazz Hop Vibes' by Moar & The Badlibs

Courtesy of the fine Parisian vinyl enthusiasts over at Trad Vibe Records, DJ Moar unveils his lush and sublime effort under the guise of Moar & The Badlibs.  Partnering with guitarist Rémi Schnell and saxophonist Jean-Louis Potin, Moar helms - as the album's title suggests - an awesome selection of hip-hop-meets-jazz styled compositions that are ingeniously constructed.  Whether creating music as his Jay Airiness alter ego or as part of the indie-dance collective Venice Beach, Moar prolific music-making as a DJ, beat-maker, producer and remixer have always heralded incredible results and 'Some Jazz Hop Vibes' is certainly a shining example of that glorious variety he brings to his music.  With tracks just as apt for a solitary zen state at home as they are for piloting your imagination into the otherworldly cosmics, this is a fantastic project to get lost within.

'Revelations' by Angels of Libra

It's been a fantastically productive period for Hamburg's Angels of Libra following the release of their first single with vocalist Maiiah back in late 2021.  The track served as an excellent introduction to the ten-piece's interpretation of classic and psychedelic, horn-heavy soul, bursting with energy and paying respects to the genre's bygone era.  The band's versatility would continue to go on display through the release of further singles with Maiiah and a full-length album with Irish vocalist, Nathan Johnston, 'Nathan Johnston & the Angels of Libra'.  A mere five months following the latter's release, the Angels of Libra have unveiled their follow-up with 'Revelations' - a ten-track release that builds masterfully on their past work to date and opens the doors to the group incorporating new styles and inspirations.  While the Angels of Libra have more than proved their chops as floor-fillers - and continue to do so throughout 'Revelations' - the real gems here are found in the ballads like 'Where Did It All Go?' (featuring Jepka), 'In & Out' (featuring Jean Cortis) and 'Gabriel' (featuring Milo Milone).

'Seconds' by Hot Mustard

'Seconds' marks the new album release from South Carolina collective Hot Mustard continuing their relationship with the always boundary-pushing Color Red Records.

With a nucleus comprised of producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Jack Powell along with bassist and keys player Nicholas Carusos, Hot Mustard introduced their unique concoction of dusty 60s and 70s analog era soul music but finding just as much inspiration from hip-hop's golden era.  In fact, particularly in regards to the group's earlier recordings, you can almost imagine luminaries like Pete Rock and The RZA fighting over the vinyl of 'Mother Sauce' believing it to be an authentic and forgotten 70s funk gem each with designs on using it as the building blocks for future classics.

Released in 2021, 'Mother Sauce' was constructed around the Powell-Carusos duo with more than a little help from Antibalas trumpeter Jordan McLean and TV On The Radio trombonist Dave "Smootha" Smith.  Over the course of the album's ten tracks, the band playfully expand on the Hot Mustard - and subsequent food and condiment - theme throughout with song titles including 'Honey Dijon', 'Mustard Stain' and 'Deli Style' but all in support of a scintillating, groove-based and authentic interpretation of classic instrumental soul music which is beaming with imagination and personality.

The imaginatively titled sophomore album, 'Seconds', continues to build upon the ideals as established through its predecessor but now seeks to elevate the project and its scope into new levels of ambition.  With Powell and Carusos both tackling more musical duties than before and showing off their revered talents, the line-up for the project also expands to cater for more artists who bring exciting new dimensions to the Hot Mustard aesthetic.  Thankfully McLean and Smith continue to bless the project with their indelible magic on horns but there is also room for contributions from Ross Bogan and Alan Brisendine on electric organs and Helen Gillet on cello.  'Low Boy' as a song serves as an excellent example of a track enhanced beautifully through these additional contributors with a notable turn by Gillet who transforms the composition into something particularly sublime.

Vocalist Kendall Coyer from The Intuitions shines on the album's bonus track, 'Naked When You Come', while Alanna Royale also makes a fantastic contribution to 'Seconds' with a stellar performance on the album's gleaming highlight... 'The End of Time'.  A couple more featured spots from Royale and Coyer would have been more than welcome but the tracks throughout boast so much charm and character that the contrast of styles just adds to the overall presentation.  

From sweet soul to cinematic breakbeats, 'Seconds' plays like Hot Mustard's love letter to a bygone era of soul music and, at the same time, a scintillating perception of the genre's future. 

'We da People' by Emanuel Harrold

'We da People' marks the new album release from Emanuel Harrold whose new project is released courtesy of the UK's Gearbox Records.

For the native of St Louis, Missouri, Harrold's collaborations with Gearbox have led to some genuinely exciting results with 'We da People' serving as a fairly swift follow-up to last year's 'Funk La Soul' four track EP.  Harrold has amassed an incredible reputation over the years as a formidable drummer, multi-instrumentalist, composer whose skills have seen him grace stages and clock in studio time with an exciting and dynamic line-up of revered artists including Keyon Harrold, Daman Albarn, Avery Sunshine, De La Soul, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and perhaps most famously celebrated jazz vocalist Gregory Porter.  The long-standing relationship with Porter has seen Harrold's drumming become a staple in his live shows and also having appeared in every one of his album releases to date - amongst the incredibly long list of recorded songs the two share together it's only right to point out that that is Emanuel Harrold on drums for the near-thirteen minute masterpiece that is '1960 What?' from Porter's Motema Records debut, 'Water' (2011).

As a solo artist and bandleader in his own right, Harrold can boast two previous EP releases to his name with the aforementioned 'Funk La Soul' (Gearbox, 2022) and the sensational 'Look Forward' (2017), with the latter released independently and brilliantly introducing Harrold's distinctive neo-soul-meets-jazz aesthetic that has permeated throughout his subsequent projects.

Consistently in tune with his gospel upbringing, Harrold has always unapologetically used his music to exude positivity and sought to inspire in the same way.  Songs amongst his ever-expanding catalogue of music have extolled the virtues of love, faith, hope and self-belief with his 'We da People' collaboration with trumpeter Keyon Harrold - the scene-stealing 'Fight Harder' - a perfect reflection of those values coupled with an unwavering commitment to never giving up on achieving one's goals.

Harrold's vision for 'We da People' is brought to life through a varied and extensive guest list of musicians with a core line-up comprised of guitarist Andrew Bailie, Jahmal Nichols on electric bass and percussionist Dominique Thomas amongst many other world class names.  And the guest list as well sees Harrold having assembled some fantastic artists as both friends and long-term collaborators... Gregory Porter features on the album's scintillating and rousing opening number 'I Think' which is elegantly enhanced through some sublime string arrangements; the always brilliant Saunders Sermons pulls double duty as vocalist and trombonist on the gospel-infused 'Good Word' and Shareef Keyes injects some effervescent energy on the already exuberant production of 'See'.  

Having amassed so many years within the music business as a key contributor to so many artists' studio recordings and live shows, it's a fantastic thing to see Emanuel Harrold receive the attention and acclaim deserving of his boundless talents so we enthusiastically look forward to more from Harrold in the coming years and to see his star - and of course his message - continue to soar.

'Du Fond du Coeur' by The Vogs

'Du Fond du Coeur' marks the brand new album release from The Vogs who continue their journey as part of France's sensational Q-Sounds Recordings.

Excitingly, the album marks the first full-length follow-up to the band's 2018 debut release, 'A Change is Coming', which brilliantly established the foundations for a contemporary soul band who openly acknowledge their influences by soul music's architects.  For this record, The Vogs openly declare for French soul music of the 1960s with affectionate nods towards northern soul as well.

The years since 'A Change is Coming' have seen some incredible successes for the label with releases by a dream team of modern-day funk & soul luminaries including The Supertights, The Principles of Joy, Lisa Mélissa & The Mess and Laura Llorens & The Shadows of Love.  And while The Vogs hadn't disappeared completely - they did release the two-track single 'Cette Lettre Là' in 2021 - it's certainly a pleasure to see the band's return and to see them reassert their name amongst France's soul music flag wavers.

For their latest ten-track offering, there are some decided changes undertaken that pay dividends for the group.  Perhaps most notable is the promotion of former Vogs backing vocalist, Nadia Hassani, to the distinction of lead vocalist who absolutely soars in the role.  Also, with much of the album's writing handled by Q-Sounds' own Christelle Amoussou and Ludovic Bors, The Vogs embrace the songs more so of their native tongue in a bid to attain a closer connection to France's own soul music lineage.  'Faire Semblant' presents an early album standout with a brilliantly-composed track featuring nice changes and band solos; 'Faire le Premier' lives and dies off its voracious energy which would be a thrill to see performed live, and the sweet soul of 'Pour Que Tu Ne M'Oublies Pas' is fairly undeniable.

Thankfully, The Vogs also continue the distinctive trend of Q-Sounds cover versions which, over past releases, has seen Lisa Mélissa tackle 'Backstabbers' by The O'Jays as well as present an inspired reggae-styled reimagination of Amy Winehouse's 'Back to Black'; the Principles of Joy injected impassioned energy into Paul Young's 'Come Back and Stay' while Rebecca Dry & Radek Azul Band reinvented the glistening 80s pop of Soft Cell's 'Tainted Love' as a soul-drenched and horn-heavy treasure.  For 'Du Fond du Coeur', The Vogs present a French translation of the 1966 Holland–Dozier–Holland penned classic 'You Keep Me Hangin On' by The Supremes resulting in an excellent rendition bolstered by some fuzzy guitar and commanding drums.  

The album actually boasts another cover in the form of The Vogs' own 'I Wanna Tell You'.  Originally included as part of the tracklist for 'A Change is Coming' and recorded with a more arresting performance, the new version is a sublime take on the track and an absolute scene-stealer for the album showcasing a more sultry vocal from Hassani and an all-round smoother reimagining.

'Du Fond du Coeur' serves as a wonderful reintroduction to The Vogs and it's certainly satisfying to see the collective resume their spot amongst the Q-Sounds front line.