Blue-in-Green:RADIO is a contemporary soul/funk/jazz/Latin internet radio station broadcasting an array of incredible shows from presenters and DJs from across the world.
Welcome to our 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 a selection providing a 40 minute excursion from sublime soul to electronica-twinged numbers and Turkish psych-folk.
Music this month comes courtesy of...
'Summer Rain' by New Visionaries featuring Hannah Williams [Lovemonk]
'I Was Wrong' by Principles of Joy [Q-Sounds Recordings]
'Look Back' by Wild Bounce [Danca Records]
'WHO?' by Leona Berlin
'Start Over' by Claudia Isaki [Bridge the Gap]
'Just Be (Free)' by Don Leisure & Amanda Whiting featuring Deborah Jordan [First Word]
'Starry' by Eki Shola
'Let Me Go' by Jullian Gomes & Kuniyuki Takahashi featuring Sio [World Without End]
'Reminisce' [Marc Mac Remix] be Lucid Lucia [Sdban Records]
'Zargana' by Azmari [Sdban Records]
: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.
Leona Berlin returns with an excellent new single release following her last full-length in the form of 'Change' (2021). A spectacular album which found Berlin in full creative control and having comfortably found her voice when conveying her vision of R&B and neo-soul. Continuing her trend of creating music rooted in sincerity, lush production and rounded out by an excellent vocal, 'WHO?' sees Berlin honestly assess her motivations when it comes to pursuing her art and raises anticipation for album #3. With some international performances now under her belt alongside frequent musical collaborator Magro, the boundless talents of Leona Berlin are always missed when new music isn't available so 'WHO?' marks a welcome return.
'No Time' by Allexa Nava
With the release of her third single, saxophonist and flautist Allexa Nava presents another brilliant track showcasing her talents as a writer, composer and performer. Backed by an excellent team of musicians, Nava's dynamic and spirited track surely establishes her as a burgeoning talent within the UK's ever-booming jazz landscape. Put together within a week - hence the song's title - 'No Time' represents Nava's most ambitious work to date with the bold composition paying dividends. But all of Nava's releases to date are worthy of significant praise - from the debut single last year, 'Wait!', to the warmheated Pandemic-inspired release 'For Those Not Here', we're particularly excited to watch Allexa Nava's career ascend to infinitely greater heights going forward.
'Bug Night' [Elbert Philips "Trippy Tribute" Remix] by Antonio Trinchera
This exclusive single marks the third remix by Elbert Philips for guitarist and composer Antonio Trinchera, and second for Trinchera's 'Fauves' album of last year. Over the course of his music releases dating back over the last thirteen years, Trinchera has continually embraced the opportunity to present his multi-faceted vision for modern-day jazz and electronic music whether releasing music as part of the BitMapCrew with Dario Antonelli or as a solo artist. 'Fauves' was the album that found a way to celebrate the inspirations from both of these disparate worlds - these opposing genres located within a vast musical spectrum that are each as much a part of Antonio Trinchera's make-up as the other. The introduction of Chicago's dance and house music icon, Elbert Philips, for the 'Fauves' project generated the remix for 'The Tractor and the Child' last year ahead of this year's 'Bug Night'. Drawing inspiration from the UK's 80s-90s jazz-funk scene, Philips bestows a fantastic contribution to the A.MA catalogue and continues his wonderful chemistry with Trinchera as well.
'A Retrospektiv Delux' (sides I & II) by PVIBEZ
Following a lengthy hiatus, Paul "PVIBEZ" Morgan seeks to reintroduce himself and his music through a lengthy two-part anthology of his past releases. Marking an incredible career that has seen him perform as a member of the Shez Raja Collective for many years, Morgan pulls together some of his personal favourite releases, standalone singles and unreleased tracks to comprise 'A Retrospektiv Delux'. This collection of tracks stands as a fitting testament to the multi-talented singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist nodding to long-time listeners and delivering a warm welcome to new ones. 'Pretty Buddafly', 'Shine On' and 'No Fantasy' are strong album highlights along with potentially the project's shining moment in the instrumental gem that is 'Celestial Dance'.
'Tropika EP' by DJ Soo
DJ Soo's latest EP release for Dragon Trax marks a stunning return to form for the versatile DJ and producer. With a host of releases, remixes and mashups, DJ Soo's enviable ability to flit from drum'n'bass to disco-tinged dance floor-fillers has long defined his inate skill. His new 'Tropika' EP proves a further testament to his catalogue by hosting a distinctive blend of vibrant and enthralling textures from the personality-driven opener of 'Ah hah!' to the more urgent production of the gloriously uptempo 'Dark Haus'. And currently riding high with the release of her own 'YVR to LBC' ep for Bathurst, Socool further blesses the project with a sensational remix of the EP's title track delivering another superb inclusion to the four-track project. Herself a wonderful artist and producer, Socool's elegant production provides the perfect juxtaposition to the charging tribal rhythms of the DJ Soo original.
'Maelström' marks the new album release from Belgian collective, Azmari, who unveil another project establishing their unrivalled perception of contemporary jazz.
Released through the hallowed walls of Sdban Records - whose catalogue this year alone we have previously marvelled over following the sensational releases of KAU's 'The Cycle Repeats' and John Ghost's 'Thin Air . Mirror Land' - the second full-length from Azmari once raises the bar for excellence for Sdban as well as the band themselves.
Having initially come together in 2015 and headed up by band leader and drummer Arthur Ancion, Azmari is further rounded out by Basile Bourtembourg (keyboards), Jojo Demeijer (percussion), Niels D'haegeleer (bass), Mattéo Badet and Yohan Dumas (saxophones).
A band that thrives off of improvisation, Azmari's sound has been described as fusing everything from modern and spiritual jazz to psychedelia, dub, afrobeat and even masterfully introducing an Ethiopian aesthetic into the mix. It's a delectable musical gumbo which seems to always place Azmari one step ahead of their time.
From the band's 'Ekera' EP (2019) to their official full-length debut with 'Samā'ī' (2021), there has always seemed to be less of an attempt to consciously incorporate as many different genres and styles as possible, with the band's focus really being on playing what feels right. It's a compelling and sincere approach to music-making that establishes the Azmari sound as a continuously evolving entity and as something forever susceptible to new sounds, concepts and ideas.
A ten day stint performing in Istanbul some years ago gifted the band with whole new perspectives and dimensions of Turkish and Middle Eastern influences that still resonate with much of Azmari's music today. With 'Maelström', early single 'Khamsin' nods to this style perfectly with its fiery ode to Anatolian rock alongside other tracks on the album like 'Nanomia' and 'Zargana' that showcase these glorious Turkish- and psych-folk aesthetics throughout.
Much has been made of Azmari's incredible skill in being able to present their music in such an array of fascinating styles and contexts with so much of this album delivering as as incredible achievement. As alluded to earlier however, nothing about 'Maelström' - or past Azmari releases - feels like an experiment. While Azmari 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 makes for an engaging and inspirational piece of music.
Now on the release of her milestone fifth album, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and composer Eki Shola has cultivated a strong reputation for her inspired and all-encompassing approach to music-making.
With past releases 'Final Beginning', 'Possible' and 'Drift' lauded for their uncanny fusion of jazz, soul, beats and twinges of electronica, this genre-less and broad perspective has long been indicative of Shola's overarching musical vision. What is so striking about Shola's music is the fact that each release represents the continual evolution of an artist that is committed to the exploration.
And it's an incredibly endearing and sincere approach to music - the notion that each release is a result of its own snapshot in time and serves as reflective of Shola's continual journey. Born in London before moving to California at a young age, Shola's experiences seem to have blessed her with an insatiable appetite for learning - a qualified physician, Shola has poured just as much of herself into her music as evidenced on current release, '還 (Kaeru)', which credits the artist's boundless talents throughout the album to vocals, cello, keyboard, piano, synth bass, electronics, composition, production, mixing and mastering.
It's a project that builds masterfully upon past successes with Shola's explorations taking not just a creative leap for this release but a geographic one as well. Recorded in Japan alongside musicians Hidenori Tsugita (drums), Tatsuya Okabayashi (Mongolian Morin Khuur) and Uma Ebina (Shamisen and shakuhachi), the combination of cultural styles breeds sensational results and provides an incredible new aesthetic to anything we've heard Shola bless previously.
A selection of YouTube videos recently uploaded to Shola's channel provide further fascinating insight into how she had perhaps envisioned these seemingly worlds-apart elements coming together for a full album with the ten tracks across this release really accentuating these disparate musical elements fusing exquisitely together.
The enchanting slow-build of 'The Opening' kicks the album off beautifully before making way for the more hip-hop-inspired 'For You'. The haunting 'Forest' exudes real charisma as does the brilliant 'Not Afraid to Hope'. The potential album highlight however is possibly found in the project's '還 (Kaeru)' title track which, as do so many of the album's tracks, really represents the absolute best of what Shola is striving to achieve on the album.
'還 (Kaeru)' really delivers as a triumph for Eki Shola in so many ways. We mentioned the concept of exploration earlier which represents such pure-of-heart intentions within an artist's own music - while this album has perhaps challenged Shola musically, the record further sees exploration on more personal levels. Always one to wear her heart on her sleeve, past releases have found Shola tackle themes of personal tragedy and address issues revolving around Black Lives Matter, but '還 (Kaeru)' more openly embraces the notion of identity and belonging.
There's a James Baldwin quote that reads "Home is not a place but an irrevocable condition". If we take that as truth then home can be anywhere or anything - home can be the place you grew up, it can be the comfort of creating music in a studio sat in front of a microphone or it can be the freedom to travel the world using those experiences to shape your own unhindered perspective. I don't know if Eki Shola was in fact searching for something when she created '還 (Kaeru)', but I hope she found it. Or at least realised she had it all along.
Kicked off with our 5 Songs About... Stevie Wonder, we're continuing in our run of revisiting the catalogues of our heroes with (mostly) contemporary takes on their music. This entry looks at one of the most revered names within the pantheon of jazz by heralding the work of saxophonist, bandleader and composer, John Coltrane...
1. 'Afro Blue' by Sean Khan (2021)
Sean Khan pays due reverence to John Coltrane's music through his fantastic full-length release through BBE Records, 'Supreme Love (A Journey Through Coltrane)'. If you take into account the remixes from Kaidi Tatham and Atjazz then it all pieces together to make a fairly expansive - and brilliant - homage to the legendary artist's legacy. Presented over the course of three sections - autobiography, homage and encyclopaedia - Coltrane's influence on Khan is explored beautifully with classics like 'Naima' and 'Equinox' tackled exquisitely. Here we'll cite the wonderful assistance of Heidi Vogel on 'Afro Blue' as the album's scene-stealer.
2. 'Naima' by Carsten Meinert Kvartet (1969; reissued 2015)
Founded by Danish video journalist, Andreas Vingaard, Frederiksberg Records has managed to unearth some incredible projects originally striving to celebrate unsung Scandinavian jazz like the label's inaugural release - saxophonist Carsten Meinert Kvartet's 'To You'. Backed by musicians including bassist Henrik Hove, pianist Ole Matthiessen and drummer Ole Streenberg, the album was recorded between 1968-69 and was created in reverence to the iconic John Coltrane before being released independently to little fanfare. Kvartet's touching tribute is gifted to the world once again following a meeting with Vingaard who received Kavartet's blessing to house the project more than 45 years after its initial release.
3. 'Equinox' by José James (2018)
Initially released in 2008, José James' 'The Dreamer' helped establish the vocalist as a leading and innovative voice for contemporary jazz. Steeped within a hip-hop sensibility, 'The Dreamer' demonstrated James' penchant for always wearing his influences on his sleeve boasting a selection of covers as disparate as Freestyle Fellowship ('Parkbench People') and Rahsaan Roland Kirk ('Spirits Up Above'). But it was the album's 10th year anniversary re-release that showcased four additional tracks in tribute to one of James' musical heroes in John Coltrane. Recordings of Coltrane tributes by James presented to Gilles Peterson is what garnered him his two album releases through Brownswood Recordings with the follow-up arriving 2010 in 'Black Magic'.
4. 'After the Rain' by Ant Law & Alex Hitchcock (2022)
Housed on the collaborative project from guitarist Ant Law and saxophonist Alex Hitchcock, 'Same Moon in the Same World'. With live performances shelved for a large portion of Covid's quarantine period, Hitchcock & Law embraced the opportunity to connect with artists from varying parts of the world using online methods securing an incredible array of international talent including Joel Ross, Eric Harland, Jasper Høiby, Linda Oh, Kendrick Scott, Shai Maestro, Tim Garland, Ben Williams and Sun-Mi Hong. Over the course of the album's nine tracks, compositions are shared evenly between the album's co-creators before a collective dothing of the cap to John Coltrane's 'After the Rain' which arrives in the form of the album's exquisite closing number.
5. 'A Love Supreme' by Robert Glasper Experiment (2012)
Released as one of three bonus tracks in support of 'Black Radio' - and finally housed all together on the album's ten-year anniversary release from Blue Note - the Robert Glasper Experiment deliver an eclectic jazz fusion take on Coltrane's signature number. And with Casey Benjamin's unmistakable vocoder work delivering the iconic "a love su-preme" motif that the song is built around... bliss!
An essay written in 2015 by jazz pianist Lewis Porter delved in to unravelling Coltrane's seminal piece of work. He astutely cites that Coltrane's chant of "a love supreme" - a chant that is preceded by the very motif having been played by Coltrane throughout the song in various registers - acts as something of a "revelation" that God is everywhere and that by holding back the actual words until the song's closing moments, it comes with the realisation that faith is something that people discover for themselves at different times.
Welcome to Episode #129 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which this week sees Imran connect with singer-songwriter, Abi Farrell.
Currently promoting new single 'Company', the immeasurably talented artist is steadily ammassing an excellent collection of music with a mix of independently released singles and releases as part of the contemporary soul label, Big AC Records. Whether Abi's releases find her addressing wider societal issues or whether they find her speaking to more intimate dynamics, her songs seem to permeate through to audiences and resonate with those fears, concerns and joys that we all experience.
A consistent live performer having supported contemporary luminaries including Izo Fitzroy and MF Robots as well as headlining her own shows, Big AC Records' Third Anniversary Show is currently set for 30th November 2023 at Oslo Hackney, London, and finds Abi sharing the stage with labelmates Nick Corbin, Carmy Love and Emma Noble.
We were grateful to catch up with Abi to discuss 'Company' and past music releases, the creative process, life as an independent artist, Big AC Records and the upcoming live show.
'Tales of Utopia' marks the latest album release from the prolific Israel-based trio, Shalosh.
The same way music fans and critics marvel at the wave of young and innovative jazz musicians that have spearheaded a jazz revival in the UK, Israel - and specifically Tel Aviv - are absolutely placing themselves in the conversation when it comes to the wave of progressive and inspired jazz releases. Whether we're discussing the music of bassist Shay Hazan, trumpeter Sefi Zisling or any number of the phenomenally talented artists who wave the flag for the Raw Tapes label, Tel Aviv continue establishing themselves as a hot bed of talented artists with the latest release from Shalosh.
Comprised of pianist Gadi Stern, bassist David Michaeli and drummer Matan Assayag, Shalosh have amassed an impressive catalogue of music - dating as far back as 2014 with 'The Bell Garden' - that not only does justice to their years of friendship but also to the sheer skill and class they have brought to their music for that project and for subsequent releases.
Although not always specifically present within their compositions, Shalosh's music is born of a vast array of influences where the band such inspirations as rock, classical, electronic, African and Middle Eastern music. Such affections for a broad spectrum of sounds seems to leave its mark on the band's aesthetic, particularly when it comes to their live performances. Having graced stages across the world, the Shalosh soundscape has evolved beautifully over the course of the band's releases. And even beyond that with their fantastic "Plus One" series - a truly remarkable endeavour that has seen the trio, over the course of nine separate taped performances, invite a floating fourth collaborator to perform alongside them and revisit a track from the Shalosh catalogue. The videos are lovingly recorded as a single shot and have featured some wonderful talent, notably a range of sensational vocalists who provide new contexts to the tracks including Tula Ben Ari, Yasmin Leselrot and Daniel Sun Krief.
Shalosh seem to have always had a penchant for an over-arching narrative for their full-length albums - even just looking at their affectionate and playful song titles over their releases to date: 'David Bowie Contemplating Art and Death in a Café in Berlin', 'The Orphan Boy Who Wanted to Be a King' and 'Even Cowgirls Get the Blues' all point to stories with the potential to expand the narrative amidst a variety of different situations.
Shalosh's limitless talents are on full display for the vast scope that the trio strive for with 'Tales of Utopia' with much of the album's ambition seemingly representing the archetypal monomyth, perhaps better referred to as "the hero's journey". Just as Professor of Literature, Joseph Campbell's theories were famously outlined over ten steps, Shalosh deliver ten tracks charting their very own captivating adventure – from the trepidation of 'Tales of Utopia' to the unease and despair of 'Views of Road in Crimson Red' and the celebratory conclusion with 'Wedding Song'.
Both understated and intricate in its delivery and composition, 'Tales of Utopia' is an absolute gem within a treasure trove of Shalosh releases that sees them strive for something new with each outing. Highly recommended.
