Category: FEATURED RELEASES
One of the leading groups among the Bristol scene, the seven-piece ensemble known as Snazzback, has just released their widely expansive sophomore album In The Place on Worm Discs, a newer Bristol-based label that has quickly made a strong impression with already a number of essential releases.
Decca has recently released an incredible new compilation featuring selections from some of the greatest and most sought-after British jazz recordings from the sixties and seventies, titled Journeys In Modern Jazz: Britain. This represents a time where the UK jazz scene was really finding it’s own sound with it’s own “home grown” British musicians and the support of labels like Decca, Deram, Argo, EMI Columbia/Lansdowne Series, Fontana, Mercury, Philips and others.
Following up their breakthrough self-titled debut EP in 2019, the London-based jazz-infused Afrobeat collective KOKOROKO, led by trumpeter and vocalist Sheila Maurice-Grey, returns with a much-anticipated follow-up double A-side 12″ single on Brownswood, featuring two superb tracks in “Baba Ayoola” and “Carry Me Home”.
Following up on 2019’s standout debut full-length Scheming, the outstanding Bristol quartet known as The Jazz Defenders returns with a brilliant new 7inch release on the UK-based Haggis Records, featuring two superb dancefloor jazz selections.
Once described as “the Quincy Jones of Catford” by Rolling Stone magazine, South London composer, arranger, and trombonist Nathaniel Cross has become a prominent musician among today’s UK jazz scene, performing and recording with artists like Moses Boyd, Solange, Zara McFarlane, Kano, David Murray, LCSM, Swindle, Sons of Kemet, and many others. Stepping out on his own, he has just released a superb debut EP on First World Records, titled The Description Is Not The Described.
Paul Murphy’s Jazz Room Records continues it’s string of incredible “must-own” releases with a brand new 7inch single, titled The Electric Jazz Room EP, revisiting two essential selections that made their mark at the underground jazz dance nights like Shiftless Shuffle, The Horseshoe, Electric Ballroom, and others in London.
Over the last several years, London-based trombonist Rosie Turton has continued to make her mark as one of the prominent musicians and composers among the thriving UK jazz scene. In 2019, she released her superb debut EP Rosie’s 5ive via the Jazz re:freshed label, followed by a couple of outstanding recordings with the incredible 7-piece Nérija ensemble. She returns with a brilliant new self-released cosmic jazz release, titled Expansions and Transformations: Part I & II.
Highly innovative New Zealand-born drummer, producer, and beatmaker Myele Manzanza, who now resides in London, has teamed up with a stellar cast of musicians to release a brilliant new EP on DeepMatter Records inspired by the city he lives in, and the challenging times we currently face, titled Crisis & Opportunity Vol. 1.
Over the last two-plus years, UK’s SAULT has been the most innovative collective in all of music, releasing four groundbreaking full length albums including last year’s highly acclaimed UNTITLED (Black Is) and follow-up UNTITLED (Rise) (BeatCaffeine’s #1 and #3 Favorite Albums of 2020), which centered around subjects of police brutality and racial injustices. The thought-provoking group, which features producer Dean “Inflo” Wynton Josiah, vocalist Cleo Sol, rapper/vocalist Melisa Young (aka Kid Sister) and numerous other guests and collaborators, returns with another brilliant recording, titled NINE, which according to the band, will only be available to download or stream digital for 99 days from it’s release date of June 25, 2021.
Los Angeles-based composer, producer, and pianist John Carroll Kirby, who has made a strong name for himself over the last several years collaborating with everyone from Solange (produced three tracks on A Seat At The Table, and featured on When I Get Home), and Blood Orange, to Frank Ocean, Miley Cyrus and many others. On top of these high-profile collaborative works, Kirby has also released a number of incredible albums on his own via the Stones Throw label, and he returns with arguably his best album to date, titled Septet.
