Tag: Spiritual Jazz
On September 24, 2022, the entire jazz world and beyond mourned the passing of the late great Pharoah Sanders, who was one of the most influential and groundbreaking artists of our time. Almost a year later, in what has become one of the most highly anticipated reissues of 2023, Luaka Bop has re-released an expanded edition of Pharoah Sanders’ classic 1977 album Pharoah.
The Australian 9-piece group, Menagerie follows up their breakthrough 2021 full-length Many Worlds with arguably their best recording to date, titled The Shores Of Infinity. Marking their third release for the London-based Freestyle Records label, this is one of the many notable projects led by producer, songwriter, guitarist, DJ and recording artist Lance Ferguson (The Bamboos, Rare Groove Spectrum).
For about a decade, UK-based producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and 22a label boss, Ed ‘Tenderlonious’ Cawthorne has been one of today’s most forward-thinking artists, incorporating jazz, house, electronic beats, Latin, classical Indian music and more into his recordings. For his latest release, titled You Know I Care, he focuses his energy on exploring the classic jazz material that has inspired him over the years.
Ever since his collaborative breakthrough Black Focus album with Kamaal Williams back in 2016, Yussef Dayes has quickly become one the leading musicians among London’s surging jazz scene. Since that time, the drummer, composer and bandleader has released a number of outstanding EPs, singles, live sessions, and additional collaborative efforts. Now he has just released his highly-anticipated full-length debut, titled Black Classical Music on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood label.
As a follow-up to two standout releases last year for Matthew Halsell’s Gondwana Records, in Astral Traveling and Cloud 10, the saxophonist and flautist Chip Wickham has returned with a brilliant new EP for the Manchester-based label, titled Love & Life.
Late last August, the music world was stunned and saddened when the heartbreaking news circulated of Jaimie Branch’s sudden passing. At that point, the adventurous trumpeter and composer was one of leading young artists among the jazz scene. On the one year anniversary of her death, International Anthem, which is responsible for all of her previous releases, has put out Jaimie’s final album with her Fly or Die quartet, titled Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)).
Since the release of the highly-acclaimed debut Eastern Flowers back in 2019, Stockholm-based composer and artist Sven Wunder has quickly built a very strong global following, releasing numerous recordings for both Mr. Bongo and his own label Piano Piano. In September, he will issue his fourth and arguably best full-length to date, titled Late Again.
Highly-acclaimed London composer, producer and pianist Greg Foat returns with his second outstanding record of 2023 (see ‘Off-Piste‘), this time teaming up with Venetian ambient maestro Gigi Masin for a laid back cosmic full-length on the Strut label, titled Dolphin.
Eothen “Egon” Alapatt’s superb Now-Again Records has recently reissued the Southern University Jazz Ensemble’s very rare 1973 spiritual jazz “Holy Grail” record, titled Goes to Africa With Love. Originally given away as souvenirs at Southern University, this represents the first-ever commercial release of this album.
Since founding the Bari-based bohemian cultural movement and club night Fez at the dawn of the 90s, Italian producer, composer, guitarist, DJ, and bandleader Nicola Conte has been at the forefront of both today’s modern jazz dance and cosmic spiritual music scenes with 30 albums/EPs, 10 compilations and over 200 remixes to his name. He returns with a superb new album, titled Umoja on the London-based label Far Out Recordings.
