Author: TJ Gorton
Even though some regions have been dealing with COVID-19 for over two months, for many of us, it seems like the world has changed over night. With many of us now (as we should) “sheltering in place,” and working from home, I thought I would put together a curated an uplifting jazz-focused playlist designed to help spark creativity throughout the day.
Los Angeles based producers/multi-instrumentalists Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (of Tribe Called Quest), who are the masterminds behind The Midnight Hour, have recently released an incredible new compilation, titled Jazz Is Dead, featuring new recordings from jazz legends Roy Ayers, Gary Bartz, Doug Carn, João Donato, Brian Jackson, Azymuth, and Marcos Valle.
Over the past half decade, Shabaka Hutchings has been one of the most breakthrough artists to come out of the resurgent London jazz scene. Over the past couple of years, the composer and saxophonist’s other two groups, Sons of Kemet and The Comet Is Coming, have released a number of incredible recording via the legendary Impulse! label. Following up on the ensemble’s 2016 Brownswood debut, Wisdom of Elders, Hutchings reunites with his South African collective The Ancestors on a brilliant new conceptual album, titled We Are Sent Here By History.
On March 6th, we sadly lost innovative composer, bandleader and pianist McCoy Tyner. For over 60 years, he has been one of the greatest jazz artists of our time, beginning in the sixties with his longtime stint in John Coltrane’s legendary quartet with Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones, as well as his time leading his own groups featuring jazz greats like Bobby Hutcherson, Gary Bartz, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and many others.
The Paris-based Trad Vibe Records, who reissued Cortex’s 1975 rare masterpiece Troupeau Bleu back in 2010, has released a brand new single featuring the group’s 1979 jazz-funk medley “Mary & Jeff + Devils Dance,” along with the brilliant Fender Rhodes led version of the track.
London-based multi-instrumentalist, DJ, and producer Emma-Jean Thackray follows up her 2018 breakthrough Ley Lines EP on The Vinyl Factory imprint with a brilliant new cosmic jazz recording, titled Rain Dance, released on her brand new label Movementt.
London-based pianist and composer Greg Foat continues his recent string of great releases through the Edinburgh label Athens of the North, teaming up with house and techno legend Linkwood on a great new instrumental full-length recording.
Manchester-born, London-based composer, saxophonist and visionary Alabaster DePlume follows-up his breakthrough 2018 album The Corner Of A Sphere on Lost Map Records, with a brilliant new full-length recording, titled To Cy & Lee: Instruments Vol. 1. This new record is a co-release between Lost Map, International Anthem Recordings, and Total Refreshment Centre Records.
The London-based Strut label follows-up the first volume in a multi-compilation series celebrating the musical archives of the legendary Guadeloupe imprint Disques Debs, with another remarkable recording titled, Cadence Revolution: Disques Debs International Vol. 2. Where last year’s release focused on some of the label’s earliest recordings during it’s first decade, this latest compilation highlight’s the label’s standout releases during the seventies and early eighties.
Due to popular demand, the Portuguese-based Mad About Records has reissued, for a second time, Reggie Andrews and The Fellowship’s highly obscure 1969 spiritual jazz masterpiece Mystic Beauty. The first pressing of this reissue sold out very quickly last year, following it’s late July release.
Since releasing their breakthrough debut album Instead in 2014, Collocutor has become one of the most dynamic jazz groups to emerge out of London. Led by baritone saxophonist Tamar Osborn, who has also been a key contributor over the past half-decade on numerous genre-defying recording projects, collaborating with artists like Emanative, Sarathy Korwar, Khalab, Jessica Lauren, Tenesha The WordSmith, Penya, Siti Muharam and many others. A newly re-vamped ensemble returns with their highly-anticipated third album Continuation.
Led by drummer Malcolm Catto and bassist Jake Ferguson, the London-based cosmic-jazz-meets-psychedelic-funk ensemble The Heliocentrics have been at the forefront of some of the most forward-thinking records over the past two decades, collaborating with legendary artists like Mulatu Astatke, Lloyd Miller, Orlando Julius, Melvin Van Peebles and many others. The group has just released a great new album on groundbreaking producer Madlib’s label, Madlib Invazion.
Paris-based label Favorite Recordings has recently released a great new disco-influenced jazz-funk single “Recalling You” from Finland-based saxophonist and producer Andre Solomko.
