Author: TJ Gorton
One of Australia’s most creative and upcoming versatile drummers and bandleaders Alexander Flood has recently released his third, and arguably his best recording to date in Oscillate off the German-based label Jakarta Records.
For what seems like at least a year now, music from Los Angeles-based community choir The Voices of Creation, led by vocalist, songwriter, arranger, and producer Jimetta Rose has seen some strong rotation from the likes of some notable DJs and radio broadcasters including Kev Beadle, Colin Curtis, Gilles Peterson, David Paterson and others. The group’s highly-anticipated debut album, titled How Good It Is has recently been released on London’s Day Dreamer label (subsidiary to Night Dreamer Records).
Following a string of essential releases in 2022, legendary UK jazz and Northern soul DJ Colin Curtis continues to add to his impressive “Presents” series by putting out EPs from two acts that are at the forefront of the current UK jazz dance scene in Roderick Stewart and Ben Sinkie-led Juju ensemble, and producer and percussionist Glenn Worthington, aka GeeW.
Over the past decade, South Africa has been a hotbed for some of the most forward-thinking artists and innovative music. One of the artists that has been at the forefront of this scene is composer, pianist, and vocalist Bokani Dyer, who was featured on the highly-acclaimed 2021 compilation Indaba Is. He has just released a superb and extensive new album on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings, titled Radio Sechaba.
Over the past decade, Berlin, which for years was known as a breeding ground for innovative techno and electronic music, has quietly become a creative melting pot for musicians and artists from all over the world. This has led to some of the most innovative genre-defying recordings. One of the artists at the forefront of this evolving scene is composer, producer and keyboard Joel Holmes. He has just released a superb and highly collaborative new album, titled Into The Abyss on Toy Tonics sister label Kryptox.
Toronto-based record label We Are Busy Bodies has reissued the extremely rare 1979 soulful jazz-funk album Thrust by guitarist Wilbur Niles and his then-girlfriend, Machelle McNeal.
Originally formed in mid 2000s, New Zealand jazz collective The Circling Sun, whom is made up of record collectors, music producers and DJs, will be releasing their much-anticipated debut record, titled Spirits, later this May for the stellar London-based label Soundway Records.
From the late 70s and 80’s, legendary UK-based Paul Murphy became a innovative pioneer DJ among the jazz dance scene, performing at now-historic venues like Horshoe, Wag, and Electric Ballroom. He was arguably the first to put on jazz-focused club nights in London and surrounding areas. Influential DJ/radio broadcaster Gilles Peterson once stated, “Paul Murphy found almost every jazz dancefloor classic.” Building on the foundation of both his superb label Jazz Room Records, and the outstanding first compilation he compiled for BBE in 2019, he returns with the much-anticipated follow-up, The Jazz Room Vol.2.
Highly active Los Angeles-based Italian-rooted drummer and composer Tommaso Cappellato, who also runs the impressive Domanda Music label, has teamed up with Italian break dance collective Pavimento Fertile for a dance-oriented cosmic soul recording, titled Dancing Around Fire.
Pianist Greg Foat, who has been who has been at the forefront of the UK jazz scene for the past decade, has teamed up with 83 year-old London saxophone great Art Themen on a superb new album for the Athens Of The North label, titled Off-Piste.
