Luminaries of the genre have often opined that "Jazz is freedom". Words that have at various times been uttered by giants of jazz like Thelonious Monk and Dave Brubeck while they regard the joy of performance and improvisation alongside like-minded artists and in the company of appreciative audiences.
In fact, Duke Ellington went on to further define jazz as an "unhampered, unhindered expression of complete freedom". It's such a captivating depiction because it presents jazz as more than just a style of music, but also as an ideology. An ideology with its own built-in lineage that harks back to New York in the 1920s with musicians crammed into small rooms in high apartment buildings writing and honing their craft at the dawn of the city's revered Jazz Age.
But now, in 2024, Q-Sounds Recordings has perhaps found unlikely inspiration within this framework of collective improvisation as a form of musical expression. I say "unlikely", in no way out of disrespect - despite the label from Seine Saint-Denis, France, serving as one of the greatest independent soul music labels in the world today, theirs has not been a name most commonly associated to jazz. However, through the launch of the label's sub-division, JAZZ BRUT, this appears to be something that seems poised to change.
As far as the label's soul music catalogue goes, as just mentioned, there are few who can do it better. Through the likes of The Vogs, Laura Llorens & The Shadows of Love, The Supertights and Lisa Melissa & The Mess, Q-Sounds have bestowed some phenomenal music for some years now. While music firmly rooted within a soul music aesthetic, the limitless talent of the numerous artists and musicians attached to the label is unquestionable and it's their soul music ties that make a project like this so appealing.
For the launch of this enthralling new series, 'JAZZ BRUT 0001' assembles members from one of the label's marquis acts in the Principles of Joy. Initially formed in 2017, the Principles of Joy unveiled an awesome introduction to their distinctive style via the stunning 'Strong Ain't Wrong' in 2019. With the release of the band's third album at the top of this year, 'JAZZ BRUT 0001' marks an exciting transition for the group as they immerse themselves within the challenge of something new.
Featuring Harysson Jean-Baptiste, Loïc "The Butcher" Betems and Jérôme Makles on guitars and bass, Ludovic Bors on Rhodes and Schaël Michanol on drums, the collective unveil a fantastic six-track effort that excitingly embraces the free-flowing and imaginative aesthetic of improvised jazz, while still creating an engaging soundscape that nods to their funk and soul music tendencies along with touches of trippy psychedelia thrown in as well. 'Slow Distortion' presents a restrained easing into the album while 'Twisted Cloud' presents a multi-layered acknowledgement of the aforementioned styles.
Jazz is a style of music and of course, an ideology, that has perhaps extended further than anything anyone could have envisaged for it. A genre that consistently evolves and finds itself entwined with a variety of musical styles that continue to bestow new life and new perspectives. 'JAZZ BRUT 0001' proves an absolute thrill to see this baton picked up by Q-Sounds in this way - a fantastic diversification by the label and one that honours the principles that jazz was built upon. This is freedom, friends.
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