TC.Kylie x The Hourglass: Re:birth (Légère Recordings LEGO370)
The label on the box says “dynamic jazz fusion” and I’m pleased to say that the description does not lie. This is contemporary jazz that has a lovely mix of European and Asian influences (there are moments on Merry-Go-Round of Life that are reminiscent of a Studio Ghibli soundtrack), proving that jazz can be beautiful as well as entertaining.
The whole album (in truth, at only five tracks long, it’s closer to an EP) is a joy. It cries out for the best possible speakers that you can find because it’s immersive and requires no interruptions. The music is piano-centred but when the band kicks in, it’s a sonic equivalent of a sunrise or jet of warm air. This is a young band, extremely talented, that has hungrily eaten up all manner of influences from jazz, pop and classical music and the result is something very fresh and very good. My only complaint is that the album is over too soon.
Freedom Art Quartet: First Dance (Freedom Art Records /FAR-52962)
It’s very rare that I play a new album and immediately know that I’m going to like it, but that’s the feeling I got here. It’s a little bit chaotic, a little bit Mingus and, to use an old phrase, right up my street. From the first moment on opening track Counterbalance, with its clever, intertwining brass parts, to the final note of First Dance, the album is captivating, enthralling and exciting. In short, I loved it.
It’s often difficult to write about the music that you like but I’ll try and do the album justice. Imagine a journey where everything you pass has something enjoyable to experience. At times you feel as if the vehicle is teetering on losing control, but that just adds to the excitement. You have no idea what is around the next corner, but you’re certain that whatever it is, will be equally as good.
The brass is frantic and oozes energy and urgency, the percussion and drums tap along at Art Blakey tempo (check out Stop Watch for proof, along with a tight snare solo for added kick) and the bass is pitched perfectly. The bass is a dream on this album: the tone is wonderful and the opening to US Blues Inc highlights this. It’s everything a bass tone should be: it’s deep, warm and reaches the back of your neck when it hits the treble. My album of the year so far.
Patsiotis Kostas: This Moment (self release)
This is the lead track from upcoming album Childhood Heroes from Greek double bassist Patsiotis Kostas where the entire album is made up of sounds from the double bass. Straight away some people will be thinking “This isn’t for me” but the double bass is an instrument that has always had the power to surprise and inspire musicians – from its size to the variety of sounds that it can make. In the right hands it can provide a broad audio palette.
This is a haunting, percussive, almost hypnotic track that is dramatic and impressive. Comparison could be made with Israeli bassist Adam Ben Ezra and deservedly so; both approach the double bass with new eyes, refusing to bow to the preconceived limitations of the instrument and manage to create something spellbinding and artistic. If this is a sign of things to come, the album will be wonderful.
Tommy Guerrero: Road To Knowhere (A-Train/Too Good TG015 LP)
On first listen Road To Knowhere it seems a psychedelic road trip of an album. It passes through America’s southern states, across the border and into Mexico where the mixture of sun, sand and endless tarmac drifts one song into another. The premise seems simple: set a drum pattern (be it loop or organic) and play over the top. It’s carefree, feet-on-a-stool, laid-back chill-out music that crawls under your skin. I think the closest relative is the music of Texan trio Khruangbin (especially White Sands), but where Khruangbin tend to rely on a foundation of Asian music for licks and flavours, Guerrero keeps things just the right side of Americana.
Try it on a warm summer’s evening, with a cold beer and a bunch of friends to reminisce with. With track names such as Highway Hustle, Headin’ West, Silent Miles, Sidewalk Soul, Postcard Home and The Endless Road it’s clear that this is an album created from, and intended for, travel. Initially I found it a little bare, missing variation in tone and tempo. But its hypnotic mood won me over and when it’s enjoyed for what it is – chill-out background music – it excels.
Tommy Guerrero: Sunshine Radio (A-Train/Too Good TG018 LP)
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Sunshine Radio was an Ibiza-inspired chillout album because it conjures images of the warm sunsets, white stone and lazy summer evenings that you associate with the party island. But scratch a little deeper and you’ll find more depth. Evolution Revolution evokes London’s swinging Soho with its organ and drum foundation and a 60s guitar tone to bounce you along. Guerrero’s music seems a mish-mash of countless inspirations and influences. At times it’s surfer pop of the West Coast of America. Then there is the influence of 90s dance music underpinned by jazz and the crazy 60s pop of Nancy Sinatra with added Latin rhythms. Unhurried, unrushed, confident and absorbing, it’s a good soundtrack to a hot summer with a cold drink.
