Los Angeles-based pianist, composer, producer, and live remixer Mark de Clive-Lowe releases the second volume of his two-part Heritage album series dedicated to the Japanese side of his ancestry.

This brilliant new eight-song recording comes on the heels of Rōnin Arkestra’s debut album, which is a Japanese electro-jazz project led by de Clive-Lowe. Heritage II picks-up where the first volume left off, fusing together deep spiritual jazz and Japanese-influenced melodies with electronic broken-beat grooves, cosmic atmospheric tones, and hip-hop beats. Where Heritage I was much more meditative in it’s overall tone, the follow-up release feels very much like the “late-night session,” featuring a more uptempo and an adventurous vibe.

Recorded live during a three-night residency at The Blue Whale in Los Angeles, and one day at NRG Studios, MdCL is joined on both Heritage recordings by an impressive cast of Los Angeles-based musicians that include alto saxophonist/flutist Josh Johnson (Leon Bridges/Esperanza Spalding), tenor saxophonist Teodross Avery (Talib Kweli/Mos Def), bassist Brandon Eugene Owens (Terrace Martin/Robert Glasper), drummer Brandon Combs (Moses Sumney) and percussionist Carlos Niño (Build An Ark/Lifeforce Trio).

Overall, the second volume of the Heritage series is equally impressive as the first release, perfectly complimenting Heritage I while being able to stand on it’s own. Even though Mark de Clive-Lowe has released numerous innovative albums over the past two decades, the Heritage recordings are his best and most complete work to date.

Mark de Clive-Lowe — ‘Heritage II’
(Ropeadope)

1. O-Edo Nihonbashi
2. Bushidō II
3. Ryūgū-jō
4. Isan
5. Shitennō
6. Mizugaki (reprise)
7. The Silk Road
8. Mirai no Rekishi

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