'Bloom' by Bill Laurance & The Untold Orchestra

The Snarky Puppy dynasty has been a thrilling project in of itself to see flourish over the years. Their numerous projects over the course of nearly 15 years since their debut have not only introduced fans to a beloved and dynamic musical collective who found their home within jazz and fusion styles, but also introduced the world to a range of over 40 musicians, who have waved the flag for the band at one time or another, many of which went on to achieve incredible solo successes in their own right. Snarky Puppy founder, Michael League started the GroundUP Music label and produced for a range of artists; Robert "Sput" Searight went on to work for heavy-hitters including Kendrick Lamar and Terrace Martin before forming the Ghost-Note project alongside fellow Snarky Puppier, Nate Werth; Bobby Sparks, currently an in-demand session musician and collaborator, is also further cultivating his 'Schizophrenia' series of solo projects... which brings us to the new release from one of the staple members of Snarky Puppy, London-born Bill Laurance.

The pianist clearly thrives from positioning himself and his music amongst various and continually diverse settings - parking the expansive jazz-fusion outfit of Snarky Puppy for a moment, Laurance's pairing with the eighteen-piece WDR Big Band, enlisted for his live album 'Live at the Philharmonie, Cologne' (Jazzline, 2019) serves as a great example and one that works in stark contrast to his fifth album 'Cables' (Flint Music, 2019) which saw Laurance whittle the numbers from eighteen down to one, helming the entire project - including every instrument played - by himself.

With Bill Laurance Trio releases and a brilliant two-hander with Michael League released since then ('Where You Wish You Were', 2023), Laurance seeks to subvert expectations once again by pairing with The Untold Orchestra for their collaborative effort, 'Bloom'.  The project serves as a rekindling of their scintillating chemistry beautifully captured for 'Live at EFG London Jazz Festival 2021' and now revisited for this studio setting.

'Bloom' finds Laurance returning to his initial classical music roots for a sublime project that boasts as much personality and charm as anything bearing his name has to date.  While his playing is typically remarkable, the eighteen members comprising The Untold Orchestra really add some luxurious textures to the whole project managing to find their best life within the more stirring pieces as much as they do within the more introspective compositions.  'All At Once' - the absolute scene-stealer here - grabs you instantly with its sharp, stabbing strings that just continue to build to exquisite effect.

Despite consistently embracing new ways and means in a bid to ascend to higher plateaus, Bill Laurance forever remains positioned comfortably at the centre of each of these projects anchored by his own unhindered perspectives and desire to continually re-contextualize his music whether alongside a team of eighteen or one.

Blue-in-Green:PODCAST #133: Amanda Whiting

Welcome to Episode #133 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which this week sees Imran connect with the revered harpist, composer, author and educator, Amanda Whiting.

Already an established artist with album releases through Jazzman Records, Amanda's boundless talents have really risen to prominence this year with the last six months generating some incredible successes.  The 'Lost in Abstraction Remixes' EP came at the tail-end of 2023 through the Scrimshire-helmed Albert's Favourites label and was swiftly followed by her collaborative First Word Records release with Don Leisure, 'Beyond the Midnight Sun'.   Recognising her immeasurable talent, First Word were keen to induct Amanda into the label's hallowed halls recently releasing her amazing project, 'The Liminality of Her'. Three projects that go a long way in demonstrating the scope of Amanda's boundless skill and talents.

We were thrilled to have secured time with Amanda as a feature presentation for our International Jazz Day celebrations (28th April 2024) so you can now catch the complete unedited conversation here.  During our chat, we discuss the aforementioned three projects and her journey to jazz via the harp.

We'd love to extend a gratious thank you to Amanda for her time and for gifting us with a genuinely fascinating conversation.

To explore Amanda Whiting releases further and to check out the new 'The Liminality of Her' album, please visit the Bandcamp page below:

https://amandawhiting.bandcamp.com/music

Blue-in-Green Sessions · Blue-in-Green:PODCAST_#133_Amanda Whiting

'Hegemonitized' + 'Bad Magic' by Bright Dog Red

Bright Dog Red's series of releases through Ropeadope Records have disclosed a fascinating narrative over the years.  Sold as an improvisational jazz ensemble from New York, the band's album releases to date have mostly served as an extension of their live experience with even their studio projects opting to stay true to their improvising roots.

And if we were to actually surmise the band's overarching narrative, the word that seems the most pertinent would probably be "evolution".  So much of Bright Dog Red's successes - whether that relate to their albums or simply their key moments - are rooted within the notion of their consistently evolving perspectives.  Evolution has certainly been prevalent when assessing the band's line-up which has seen its fair share of personnel changes over the years with the current iteration able to boast the bass wizardry of Tim Lefebvre who officially joined the group in 2022; But perhaps the biggest shift in Bright Dog Red's presentation has been found within the music itself...  

Introduced initially via their debut 'Means to the End' as an eclectic improvised ensemble embracing electronica and hip-hop, subsequent album releases have found Bright Dog Red plunge their music deeper within an electronica-meets-psychedelia soundscape that sees the band shift the genre's boundaries further afield with each album.  And with the band's latest offerings - 'Bad Magic' and 'Hegemonitized' - the unhindered narrative unfolds into inspired levels of imagination and ultimately spawning two separate albums, each with their own identities, concepts and motivations.  

But before we delve deeper into the make-up of each album, in keeping with the conversation about evolution, both, 'Bad Magic' and 'Hegemonitized', continue a technique started from the Bright Dog Red album 'Under the Porch'.  Having used the improvisational approach throughout their past releases, 'Under the Porch' (2022) saw the group begin to structure their music more which became something of a necessary change of approach in light of the global pandemic and the quarantine restrictions enforced at that time.  But as evolution would dictate, the group have continued to adapt in utilizing those recording techniques and employing them alongside what brought them to the table - "creating foundational tracks on which other members could overdub ideas", as described on their Bandcamp page.

Spearheaded by drummer and bandleader Joe Pignato, the recording sessions were initially to comprise what would have been the sixth Bright Dog Red album but when assessing how the sessions were coming together, Pignato was intuitive enough to discern that the project was capturing two distinct threads thus affording them each two distinct platforms.  Alongside Pignato on drums and Lefebvre on bass, Bright Dog Red is further made-up of guitarist Tyreek Jackson, bassist Anthony Berman, Martín Loyato and Mike LaBombard on trumpet and saxophone respectively, Cody Davies on electronics and spoken word by Matt Coonan, and both projects continue to demonstrate the collective's versatility and openness to exploration within their music.  

Releasing two albums on the same day serves as bold a move as an artist can put forth and it's a real testament to the belief that Ropeadope have in Bright Dog Red that such creative freedoms have been afforded to them.  The journey very much continues for Bright Dog Red.

Blue-in-Green:PODCAST #132: Tim "Chiminyo" Doyle

Welcome to Episode #132 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which this week sees Imran connect with London-based drummer, percussionist and composer, Tim Doyle.

Doyle has seen long cemented himself amongst one of London's premier musicians amidst its pioneering jazz scene.  Boasting a résumé that has seen the musician serve as a key contributor to spiritual jazz ensemble Maisha as well as the genre-defying Cykada, Doyle has further established his sound via his own Chiminyo project which seeks to celebrate the union of jazz with more electronica and club-infused soundscapes.  With his latest release through Astigmatic Records, Uniri's 'Infinite Reflections', Doyle & company once again seek to reimagine contemporary jazz this time using hip-hop luminaries as their jumping off point.

We were so grateful for the chance to catch-up with Tim to discuss his approach to making music and establishing new collectives, what constitutes jazz in today's musical landscape, Chiminyo releases and of course the new Uniri project.  We also have an involved conversation about how listeners consume their music today and the ramifications of streaming culture on the independent artist.

We'd love to extend a gratious thank you to Tim for his time and for gifting us with a really fascinating conversation.

To explore Chiminyo's releases further and to check out the new Uniri album, please visit the Bandcamp pages below:

https://chiminyo.bandcamp.com/music

https://uniri.bandcamp.com/album/infinite-reflections

Blue-in-Green Sessions · Blue-in-Green:PODCAST_#132_Tim "Chiminyo" Doyle

'Dissensation' by Benjamin Samuels

'Dissensation' marks the debut album release from Sydney-based saxophonist Benjamin Samuels whose varied and eclectic new project serves as a scintillating introduction to this emerging new artist.

Samuels firmly asserts himself amongst a really fascinating crop of Australian musicians keen to present inspired and broad perspectives to jazz.  Artists like Godtet, Horatio Luna and David Versace are becoming renown for their effortless ability to regard jazz as a lawless entity, free to be adapted and representative of contemporary styles and trends.  

As a seasoned performer, Samuels regards the genre in the same loving context, creating a record in 'Dissensation' that thrives off of its inspirations and influences.  Having performed and toured alongside the dynamic off-beat electronica of Grouch in Dub, the tribal drum'n'bass of Seb Taylor and the global musical perspectives of Balkan Bump, Samuels has clearly relished in these experiences and fuses them all, along with so much more, into 'Dissensation' - his own perfect vision of contemporary jazz.

With a busy collaborative and touring schedule, ironically, it was being confined to his own four walls during the worldwide pandemic that would ultimately bring 'Dissensation' to joyous life.  With live performances having come to a screeching halt and no studio sessions allowed, the time afforded to Samuels became an unexpected gift prompting focus on music that would go on to comprise his debut solo outing, introducing him as an artist in his own right.

While the music absolutely serves as a celebration of Samuels' fandom and musical inspirations, there are certain tracks that do tether the music to the difficult circumstances of its genesis.  While the time afforded to many could often have been seen as a luxury, it still came amidst a time of loneliness, anxiety and panic as the global society tried to adjust to the new normal.

With a selection of leading Australian musicians enlisted for the sessions, 'Dissensation' benefits from a long list of brilliant performances from artists including trumpeter Fabian Acuna, pianist Danny G Felix, bassist Ralph Marshall, percussionist Dominic Kirk and drummer Max Valletnine, who perform incredibly across the album with scene-stealing moments coming in the form of the afrobeat-driven 'Gb's Groove', the synthy electronics of 'Parabola' or the album's bursting-with-energy lead single, 'Crazy DNA'.  The vibrant and engaging single is bolstered by the personality-driven guest verse from rapper BLANK SPACE who really manages to shine during the song's closing moments.

With 'Dissensation' very much serving as Benjamin Samuels' statement of intent for the genre, his musical path may not have come in the way he would have expected but, regardless, he does now find himself under the warm lights of centre stage.  And it suits him.  Having delivered such an assured and confident record, Samuels finds himself in good company amidst Australia's elite.

'Balancing Act' by Rasmus Sørensen

April Records have become exceptionally adept at presenting a riveting perspective of contemporary Danish jazz.  Through a selection of dynamic artists and ensembles, the label - and its roster - have waved the flag for the country's luminaries of today.  Rasmus Sørensen's latest release, however, provides that perspective amidst a slightly different context and setting...

Having moved to New York in 2018, the pianist and composer has had the incredible opportunity to shape his own perspectives in entirely new ways by surrounding himself by New York's finest players and performers.  The scenario calls to mind the famous Anaïs Nin quote, "New York seems conducted by jazz, animated by it. It is essentially a city of rhythm".  For an artist with an almost prodigal level of talent, New York's typically revered hot bed of flair and inventiveness would be a combination to celebrate.

Sørensen's natural skill was able to see him ingratiate himself in the scene fairly quickly.  Having attended the jazz program at Skurups Folkhögskola in Sweden after turning 19 and moving to Copenhagen the year after, a further opportunity to attend the Manhattan School of Music soon followed which is where Sørensen has been able to see himself and his music continue to grow.

For 'Balancing Act', Sørensen's sophomore album release, the pianist continues his affections for trio arrangements this time pairing his piano alongside the brilliance of drummer Kendrick Scott and bassist Alexander Claffy.  Also serving as the album's producer, Claffy has proven to be a New York staple since moving there over twelve years ago from Philadelphia.  A solo recording artist in his own right, the highly sought-after bassist and composer can cite numerous high-profile collaborations to his resume including work with The Rongetz Foundation, Kristiana Roemer and Randy Brecker.  

Kendrick Scott rounds out the trio for 'Balancing Act'.  The drummer and bandleader can also add being the founder of the record label World Culture Music to his own boundless list of achievements.  With his most recent album finding a home on Blue Note Records - through the excellent 'Corridors' - like Claffy, Scott's numerous success can be attributed to his work alongside celebrated names like Charles Lloyd, Gretchen Parlato and Robert Glasper.

With Sørensen's 2022 debut, 'Traits', having been recorded in Denmark (with Jon Henriksson and Francesco Ciniglio), 'Balancing Act' benefits from being fully immersed within the inimitable surroundings of New York and being an album indicative of Sørensen's time spent there over the past six years.  Perhaps the juggling of these two worlds is where the concept of the 'balancing act' comes from.  With Sørensen forging his own path amidst travels that have taken him across various countries, there would no doubt be every intention to retain those experiences and influences that had the earliest impact on you musically but Sørensen's motivations have always been to continue learning and exploring new ideas and concepts making 'Balancing Act' an excellent depiction of all of those ideals.

As you would expect with artists of this calibre, the performances across the album's six tracks are exquisite with sublime pieces bolstered by an understated energy throughout.  Boasting a selection of new compositions alongside some Great American Songbook classics, 'Balancing Act' sees Sørensen walking the proverbial tightrope masterfully unveiling what will undoubtedly be a milestone release within his burgeoning catalogue.

5 Songs About: Casey Benjamin

The news of Casey Benjamin's passing was nothing short of a horrible blow.  An immeasurably talented and creative artist, multi-instrumentalist and composer, it was Benjamin's work as a saxophonist and vocoderist that really brought him to prominence and creating timeless music alongside some exceptional collaborators.

Forever shunning the tag of a "jazz" artist, the New York native's progressive and open-minded perspective on music cemented him as an in-demand collaborator alongside some of today's leading lights including Brandee Younger, A Tribe Called Quest, Gizmo, Ghost-Note and Leona Berlin amongst so many others.

An artist who had long made an indelible impact on Blue-in-Green:RADIO, his music, spirit and person will be soarly missed.  In our bid to honour him and his legacy, we've pulled together a special edition of our 5 Songs About... series to present some songs that may have passed you by but we thought you should check out...

1. 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' by Robert Glasper Experiment [Blue Note, 2012]

One of the many collaborations that would go on to define Benjamin was his invaluable contributions to Robert Glasper's jazz-fusion quartet, Robert Glasper Experiment.  Their first official release saw the foursome take the decided step towards a grander notoriety and through collabs with an A-list selection of vocalists, 'Black Radio' would garner the collective their first Grammy win at the 55th Annual Awards for Best R&B Album.  Something of a contemporary masterpiece, the album showcased a selection of original recordings and some choice covers with their take on the Nirvana classic drawing the most praise.  In truth, you'd be forgiven for assuming a jazz-fusion take of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' would be a car crash with few perhaps anticipating the absolute treasure that the song became.  With Benjamin helming vocoder duties along with sax, as he does throughout the album, the track boasts the added distinction of additional vocals from Lalah Hathaway.

2. 'Tanktified' by Stefon Harris & Blackout [Concord Jazz, 2009]

Another of Benjamin's collaborations that marked some of his most notable successes was his contribution to the legandary Stefon Harris and his Blackout ensemble.  With releases on Motéma, Concord and Blue Note, Harris' ensemble featured Benjamin on sax, drummer Terreon Gully, keyboardist Marc Cary and bassist Ben Williams.  Having unveiled three albums to their name, Benjamin's invaluable contributions helped spawn some wonderful music but after sifting through the Blackout catalogues we could only really leave you with this one track which was housed on their sophomore album and worth its inclusion for the final 90 seconds alone.

3. 'No Greater Love' by Vivian Sessoms [Ropeadope, 2018]

Having initially established herself as one-half of R&B duo Albright along with producer Chris Park, Vivian Sessoms released her solo record 'Life' through Ropeadope Records after somewhat of a lengthy absence.  An album crammed with high-profile artists and musicians including Donny McCaslin, Amp Fiddler and Keyon Harrold who contribute to tracks including covers of Nina Simone's 'See Line Woman' and The Stylistics' 'People Make The World Go Round', it's Casey Benjamin's exceptional presence on vocoder for the vibrant, soulful house-esque album opener, 'No Greater Love' that delivers the album's strongest number.

4. 'Drift' by Kris Bowers [Concord Jazz, 2014]

Pianist Kris Bowers released his one & only solo album to date with the fantastic 'Heroes + Misfits'.  Unveiled through Concord in 2014, Bowers' exceptional catalogue to date had seen him as a collaborator for José James, Takuya Kuroda and Nate Smith before venturing off into the world of scoring TV and film with credits including Bridgerton and Green Book.  'Heroes + Misfits' however boasted some exceptional tracks from an all-star ensemble that featured Benjamin on four of the album's ten tracks.  A spectacular - and dare I say, overlooked - record, Bowers and Benjamin are typically excellent throughout but if it isn't Benjamin's vocoder work on '#TheProtester' that grabs you then it'll definitely be his sax on 'Drift'.

5. 'mylittlesong' by HEAVy [BBE, 2007]

Describing themselves on their Bandcamp page as "a mind boggling mix of rock, soul and pop chock full of quirk and irony", the duo comprised of Benjamin on production alongside vocalist Nicky Guiland and saw them release their versatile and eclectic debut back in 2007 through BBE Records.  A second full-length would follow in 2009 with 'First Sessons' and following a lengthy hiatus, the duo would reunite for the EP 'Hand in Hand' in 2021.  Having amassed something of a cult following, helped in part by remixes courtesy of Jazzanova and DJ Spinna, HEAVy were very much travelling their own path and were able to create music that captured their natural quirky chemistry and energy.

'Unaware Beauty' by Bruno Montrone

"A dream come true."  The impassioned announcement from pianist and composer Bruno Montrone was delivered via Facebook, 26th July 2023, following the completion of the two-day recording session at the MAST, Music Academy Recording Studio.  The accompanying photograph features Montrone receiving a congratulatory embrace from his trio collaborators - Joe Farnsworth and Giulio Scianatico - in what was surely an unrivalled moment within his career to date.

Despite 'Unaware Beauty' marking the debut full-length release from the pianist, Montrone has proved himself a seasoned live performer and in-demand collaborator.  His work across the Italian jazz scene has taken him to projects as part of the Dino Plasmati Antonio Tosques Guitart Quartet, Guido Di Leone Quartet and collaborative projects alongside Paolo Benedettini, Joe Magnarelli and Domenico Cartago, among others.  'Unaware Beauty' affords Montrone the opportunity to take centre stage however thanks to the champions of Italian and European jazz in A.MA Records.

Boasting an incredible line-up of world class talent over the years, A.MA Records have bestowed some fantastic new releases onto its audience most recently from Irina Pavlovic, Gianluca Vigliar and Pippo D'Ambrosio - a selection of immeasurably talented artists in which Bruno Montrone has justified his place alongside occupying his own seat at the table.  'Unaware Beauty' marks a stellar introduction to Montrone as a performer in his own right with a nine-track album that is both compelling and rich in charisma.

Having formed his trio for this album with bassist Giulio Scianatico and US drummer Joe Farnsworth, Montrone has surrounded himself with highly revered collaborators each bringing a wealth of experience and indelible skill to the project.  Scianatico has also immersed himself within Italy's thriving jazz community chalking up collaborations with Wasted Generation, Alessandro Campobasso, Gabriele Mastropasqua and A.MA recording artist, Enrico Le Noci.  Further, Joe Farnsworth can also lay claim to exceeding heights within his own career having recorded and performed with Pharoah Sanders, Patty Lomuscio, Harold Mabern and swathes more artists of increasing levels of fame.

The infectious swing of 'Edward Lee' ushers us into the wonders of 'Unaware Beauty' - at nearly nine minutes long, Montrone & company confidently establish themselves with more than a little help from Sarah Hanahan on saxophone who brings an incredible new dimension to the proceedings.  Offering a delectable variety of tracks from spirited and energetic numbers like 'The Hodgepodge' and 'Phrygian Sound Connotation' to the lush and divine balladry of 'With Malice Toward None'.  While saxophonist Sarah Hanahan makes a great addition to the album, vocalist Serena Grittani likewise delivers scene-stealing turns on tracks 'Where or When' and on the album's impeccable title track.

'Unaware Beauty' serves as a wonderful debut for Bruno Montrone and a project that is a testament to his numerous years and contributions to the Italian jazz scene.  "A dream come true."

'Infinite Reflections' by Uniri

The artists' Bandcamp description for the latest Astigmatic Records signing, Uniri, touches upon an interesting note when considering the release of the quartet's debut 'Infinite Reflections'...

The notion that within today's contemporary jazz climate, artists and musicians have a significantly deeper well to draw from when considering their own musical make-up.  Hip-hop icons like Jay Dee, Madlib and Questlove who created jazz-infused compositions dating their work back to mid-late-90s, ultimately became the inspirations to entirely new generations of artists, listeners and fans more than twenty years later.  

Over the years, we've mused countless times about the continued attraction and ongoing dynamicism of London's jazz portfolio.  While UK jazz - and in fact artists around the world - continue to pay homage to architects of the genre like John Coltrane, Sun Ra and Pharoah Sanders, an abundance of global luminaries like the aforementioned hip-hop icons along with increasingly versatile artists including DāM-FunK, Flying Lotus, Kaidi Tatham and Moodymann all add their own value to the ever-evolving glorious gumbo that constitutes jazz in the 21st century.

With names like Nubya Garcia and Blue Lab Beats reaching incredible heights of fame both here and overseas, it consistently proves to be an inspiring tale that thankfully wasn't consigned to just a short-lived fad.  With new names within London continually springing up, we - as listeners and fans - owe much to labels like Astigmatic who have continued to champion exciting and accomplished UK names like the Levitation Orchestra, Cykada, and of course, Uniri.  

Spearheaded by drummer Tim "Chiminyo" Doyle, Uniri is comprised of a veritable super group of names including keyboardists Amané Suganami and Al MacSween along with bassist Luke Wynter.  And "super group" is no over statement - between these four names their talents have provided some of London's peak jazz success stories over the last five years or so with a collective roll call of ensembles including Maisha, Golden Mean, Flock, London Odense Ensemble, Cykada and Nubiyan Twist.  A staggering line-up that runs the gamut of contemporary jazz from the spiritual aesthetic of Maisha to the high-energy electronic-infused Cykada.

Uniri's 'Infinite Reflections' seeks to carve its own lane amidst the already dynamic list of projects attributed to the players' résumés.  As an album that openly leans that little closer towards those golden era hip-hop influences, the eleven-track release shifts brilliantly through pace and styles with the group's penchant for electronica notably evident on songs like 'Oneiric Voyage' and 'Oumuamua', then there's synth-heavy psychedelia for 'Astra's Change' and 'Celestial Waves'.

With Tim Doyle serving as the band leader for Uniri, there are some parralels between 'Infinite Reflections' and his other Astigmatic project, Cykada, namely their self-titled debut release that found itself revelling within these like-minded unpredictable sonic soundscapes in the same way.  Far from a rehashing of ideas however, Uniri is very much within its own lane gleefully telling its own narrative of the inspirations that came before it and the untravelled road that lays ahead of it.