Jazz

SOULIVE, "Rubber Soulive"
Royal Family Records

Reviewed by Cheryl Thompson

Are you ready to step back into time? Rubber Soulive is a flashback to soul-jazz organ-led groups of the ‘60s and ‘70s a la Jimmy Smith. Soulive is an inspiring trio that inasmuch as their sound harkens on an era past, is still pushing it forward and reminding young folks about the beauty of soul-jazz. There are several interpretive cover tracks on this disc, like the Beatles’ “In My Life,” “Something” and “Come Together”. While they’ve been played endlessly, you’ll appreciate the twist this trio gives to timeless classics. It’s amazing what a fresh set of eyes and talent can give to a song you’ve heard a thousand times over. While you don’t want to cheapen this disc by calling it a Beatles tribute album, by the time you get to “Revolution” you can’t help but make the assertion. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” brings the album to a close and is aptly placed as you feel a similar sadness knowing that it’s over. While this disc is by no means going to usurp the countless other discs that have covered Beatles tracks, it certainly does make a solid contribution to the lot. 3.5/5

Gregory Porter, “Water”
Motéma Music

Reviewed by Cheryl Thompson

It’s not everyday you have the pleasure of hearing an album that can only be described as sheer genius. Gregory Porter, a jazz/soul vocalist delivers us Water, quite possibly the year’s best jazz recording. Right off the top with “Pretty,” you’re immersed in the melodic sounds of Porter’s voice but also the melodic magnificence of his band. If you close your eyes, at various points throughout this disc, you just might see Porter jamming alongside Coltrane or Miles back in the day. This guy has a classic feel with a contemporary style. Though born in Los Angeles, Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn is Porter’s adopted home and it shows. On songs like “Black Nile,” with its swinging beat, and heart-felt lyrics, it would be the perfect backdrop for a Sunday stroll on the streets of New York. The album’s standout track appears towards its end, “1960 What?” It’s an homage to Martin Luther King Jr. and the tumultuous decade, but its the accompaniment, with a tinge of Latin and a whole lot of soul, that tells a whole other story. The only disappointing thing about this album is that it comes to an end. Porter is one of the most inspiring jazz performers of the last decade. 5/5

Marco Benevento, "Between the Needles & Nightfall"
The Royal Potato Family

Reviewed by Cheryl Thompson

Brooklyn, New York-based pianist and sound sculptor Marco Benevento is the creative genius behind this experimental jazz disc, Between the Needles & Nightfall. There’s an understated depth to this album from “Greenpoint” to “Numbers” to “It Came From You,” Benevento knows how to use sounds, melodies and overdubbing instrumentation in a way that brings life to what might otherwise be described as indeterminate noise. The engineering on Between the Needles is thanks to Mell Dettmer, Jesse Lauter, and Vid Cousins. While some of the songs trail into lounge-like elevator music territory (“Ila Frost”) some of the songs have a wigged out synth-pop vibe (“RISD”) that will appease all musical taste buds. Towards the album’s end, Benevento slows the pace down with “Music Is Still Secret” and “Wolf Trap,” two downtempo tracks with very different melodies but a similar melancholic essence. This is the kind of album you put on and get lost in. 4/5

Gretchen Parlato, "In a Dream"
ObliqSound

Reviewed by Cheryl Thompson

From the very first note of “I Can’t Help It”, you are taken away by Parlato’s dreamy vocals. It is actually surprising. The album is a combination of contemporary tracks and classic material from the likes of Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock, and Stevie Wonder. Accompanied by a stellar quartet featuring Lionel Loueke (guitar, vocals), Aaron Parks (piano, organ), Derrick Hodge (acoustic bass, electric bass), and Kendrick Scott (drums, percussion), it is truly refreshing to hear instrumentation kept simple and vocals that are equally as unassuming. There is nothing overstated on this album. On the title track, Parlato’s voice is like butta. It just melts into the song’s sultry accompaniment. When she sings “I’m lost in a dream” that is exactly how you feel listening to her. Even on the João Gilberto class “Doralice”, Parlato makes the track seem distinctly hers. Its acoustic rhythm is matched with near perfection to Parlato’s silky vocal. It is very rare to call an album perfect, and that certainly won’t be said about In A Dream, but this disc should get a vote for being almost perfect. In an age of overproduction and excessive overdubbing, it’s refreshing to listen to a recording that grabs and holds your attention from beginning to end. In A Dream is one of the year’s best. 4.5/5

Sam & Ruby, “The Here And The Now”
Combustion Music

Reviewed by Vee Manzerolle

A boy from Green Bay, Wisconsin and a girl from Ghana, West Africa may not seem to be the likeliest of matches, but musically they make quite the pair. Both Sam Brooker and Ruby Amanfu are established solo artists within the Nashville music scene who have come together to form a sensational musical union. With a crisp acoustic sound accompanied by soft vibrant strings and a taste of light brass, Sam & Ruby will sit well with those who find comfort in soothing music. Their combined voices really complement one another (with one often being mistaken for the other, and vice versa) and their voices blend beautifully with the accompanying music. As a listener you can feel the sincerity in their singing. Most duets strive for an opposing sound vocally, but this is definitely not the case with Sam & Ruby. Together, their voices are powerful without being too overbearing; sometimes you’ll even find yourself forgetting that two singers are harmonizing with each other, like on their track “This I know” found on the debut album The Here And The Now. Other tracks like “Sarah” stand apart with its own distinctive sound. Popping lyrics united with guitar followed by brass popping makes for a memorable song, one that will most likely become your favourite song on the album. Other noteworthy tracks include; “What Do I Do Now” and “Heaven’s My Home” (also featured on The Secret Life of Bees soundtrack). 4/5

Michael Olatuja, “Speak”
Backdrop/Obliqsound

Reviewed by Cheryl Thompson

Olatuja is the kind of artist that pours his heart into everything he does. And on Speak, you feel his intensity in every track. While the album gets off to a slow start, on “Hold On (featuring Lynden David Hall & Andrew Roachford),” you’re drawn into the soulful vibe and sultry vocals of the disc. But as a bassist, you can tell that Olatuja simply loves music, because the album contains a variety and diversity of sounds ranging from jazz to downtempo groove to R&B and folk. Part of the album’s eclecticism could be a result of Olatuja’s background, which is British and Nigerian. Tracks like “Little Sister (featuring Terri Walker),” “Le Jardin (featuring Onaje Jefferson)” and “Yi Yipada (featuring Alicia Olatuja)” could be featured on completely different albums, but that is what you’ll love about Speak, it truly does speak to that part of your soul that hungers for something different, non-scripted, and intensely personal. The title track, featuring TY, contains a funky beat that is paired to a fresh rap, and then finally, it all comes to a mellow end with “Mama Ola (featuring Jason Rebello & Jean Toussaint)” a traditional jazz tune that epitomizes that freestyle nature of this disc. Speak is a stunning debut from a talented artist. 5/5

The Sweet Vandals, “Love Lite”
Unique Records

Reviewed by Cheryl Thompson

The Sweet Vandals are a group from Madrid, Spain but their sound is not defined by geography. On Love Lite, you hear an array of sounds and melodies, both modern and classic, which is first evident in the lead track, “Thank You For You,” with its 60s psychedelic sound paired to jazz vocals. On “Good Thing,” not only are the vocals accompanied by a jazz style beat, it’s also carried by a very distinct organ a la the blues genre. Vocalist Mayka Edjole is the primary focal point on this album, with her very distinct accent and tone, the only thing that is missing is a distinct sound. After listening to this album, you really aren’t sure what this group is trying to say or who they are as a group. What is Love Lite all about? It’s really hard to come to consensus on that question, which for a full-length album isn’t really a good thing. Considering Love Lite is written, produced and performed by the group, which is comprised of five people, you have to appreciate their creativity, but in the end, you long for something more out of this disc. 2/5

Buy It: Soundflat

Vangel, “Biblio EP”
5&1/4 Records/Equinox Records

Reviewed by Cheryl Thompson

Biblio is a jazz inspired electro disc that is part elevator music part avant-garde pop, but a whole lot of jazz. Vangel, a Toronto-based producer, first made his mark as a hip-hop beats guy, but with releases like this one he proves that he’s more than just beats, this guy’s got an ear for instrumentation. On “Broken Jazz Hands” he takes you on a journey that teeters on something old and something new; that is, the tune has Coltrane tendencies with a real modern flare. It’s what happens when swing meets a mixer. “Trew Lub” is a tune that keeps the finger snapping tempo going, but is made a little chessy but the vocal, which is quite repetitive and detracts from the wonderful electronic vibe of the track. Biblio is one of those albums that actually make you sad when it ends so quickly, but alas, that is the point of an EP - it’s just a tease. Based on the sheer quality and excitement exhibited throughout this release, like on the disc’s last track, “Elevator Talk,” which makes you want to be stuck on an elevator all night long, you better believe Vangel has a few more releases up his sleeve. 4.5/5

Buy It

Wigald Boning, “Jet Set Jazz”
Compost Records

Reviewed by Cheryl Thompson

Germany’s own Wigald Boning is literally a jack of all trades. He’s not just a musician; he’s also a composer, comedian, and journalist. While wearing many hats can often diminish from your talents in other areas, on Jet Set Jazz, he’s presented a wonderful range of jazz from contemporary to avant-garde. First, “Lost in London” sets the album’s tone with a sole trumpet laid to a simple accompaniment, orchestral vocals, and bossa nova beat. It is followed by “Waltz,” which slows the tempo down slightly with a new spin on an old standard. “Ballade Pour Alexa” is in one word beautiful. Led by a lonely sax, this instrumental track speaks to you. Finally, “Happy Day,” “Modern Talking” and “Sotheby” have glimpses of old jazz but with Boning’s modern flare they are transformed into contemporary originals. Honorable mention must also be given to “Ole,” with its funky beat and up tempo rhythm, you wish it were placed a little higher up on the album so as to be appreciated more. Overall, if you’re a jazz lover, you’ll appreciate the diversity on this album, although you may be left wondering, who is Wigald Boning, since most of the album you’ve like heard before. 3/5

Various Artists, “Orchester Guaranteed Niceness”
Sonar Kollektiv

Reviewed by Cheryl Thompson

Once again, Berlin’s Sonar Kollektiv brings us a compilation CD of depth and substance; this time, it’s truly on the jazz tip with Jazzanova serving as the main dish throughout. Off the top, they hit us with “L.O.V.E. and You & I,” a mysterious jazz tune led mostly by multiple horns and strings. It will remind you of something you’ve heard in a Bond film. Midway through this disc, the tempo goes up a few notches with a funky remix of Georg Levin’s “(I Got) Somebody New”. His vocals pair nicely to the jazzy accompaniment and prove that some songs are hits no matter what beat you match them to. Another uptempo track that stands out on this compilation is Deyampert’s “Held Him First” with its staccato drum rhythm and enticing house beat, you’ll undoubtedly feel like dancing. “Boom Clicky Boom Klack (Jazzanova)” is exactly what you think it’s going to be – a very funky tune. Towards the album’s end, Meitz’s “Africa” and The Lost Skrolls of Hamaric’s “How to Find Royal Jelly,” contain a mélange of sounds that encapsulates the vibe, tone and essence of this disc. While some tracks are less interesting than others, for the most part, this album really is guaranteed niceness. 4/5

2bo4, “Junkyard Gods” 
Sonar Kollektiv

Reviewed by Cheryl Thompson

After a bit of a hiatus this duo of Dillip Harris and Rob Gallagher aka 2bo4 have returned with a jazz/soul disc. The first couple of tracks on this album don’t really do much to sell you on its greatness. It’s a jazz album no doubt, but there are many instances where it sounds very choppy and too improvisational. On “Queen of Crows” and “Go” in particular, there’s too much going on both vocally and instrumentally. In the jazz game, sometimes less really is more. It is not until “Shadowlands” that this album comes alive. Dominated by a piano lead, this track is paired nicely to vocals that compliment the vibe and tempo set by the band. “Flags & Words” also jumps out at you as track that is meant to entertain as it is meant to inspire deep thought. You’ll just love its arrangement, which is multi-layered, textured and about mid-way through when a solo trumpet rings through, you’ll be fully entranced by this tune. While it’s not the worse jazz album of the year, Junkyard Gods is unlikely to make many top ten lists. 2/5

Quasimode, “The Land of Freedom”
Sonar Kollektiv

Reviewed by Cheryl Thompson

What can you say about this album other than it is sheer perfection! Quasimode are a 4-piece jazz band out of Tokyo. On this album, we get a mix of Latin jazz and free jazz with a contemporary twist. This blending is most evident on “Object In The Mirror” and “Time Is Love”. The Land of Freedom captures what I’m sure is an amazing live performance from this group. It’s just so authentic and you feel the remnants of the ‘50s and ‘60s jazz movement. “For Self Defense” is also a great track with a fast tempo led by a very pronounced horn section and enticing rhythm. The title track encompasses this quartet’s essence, which is jazz without borders. Featuring vocals by Carmen Lundy and Masato Nakamura, from start to finish, Quasimode affirms why jazz music will never die. The Land of Freedom is a brilliant release from an undeniably talented band. 5/5

V.A., “Future Sounds Of Jazz, Vol. 11”
Compost Records

Reviewed by Dan Verbin

At first listen, the most glaring problem with the latest spawn of this long-lived infamous compilation series is the utterly disingenuous title. This CD does not contain jazz – not even, as its title suggests. As in, if you’re looking for jazz here, you won’t find any. It’s darn hard to argue with the name of this compilation, given that this is the eleventh go around the block for this decade old series, but here goes. I see what Michael Reinboth, the compiler of The Future Sounds Of Jazz had in mind when he named the series, but I have to respectfully disagree with his assertion that the trance and techno contained on vol. 11 (or any of the other volumes for that matter) is in any way, shape or form, “jazz”. The music on this disc is basically your solid, generic down-tempo club music, full of digital beats, sampled keyboard riffs, and sampled everything else, with no live instrumentation or improvisation whatsoever. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but don’t call it jazz. It’s missing the one essential element of jazz, from Jelly Roll Morton to Louis Armstrong to Anthony Braxton: human interaction. The claim here is that the term “jazz” is being used as a “Synonym with the full spectrum of modern sophisticated club music”. I get it, I get it. Decades ago, jazz was the club music of the day, now that mantle goes to electronic music, so let’s try to be smart and call electronic music jazz. However, that’s like saying you’re going to use the term “rock music” to refer to all top 40 music, including hip hop, boy bands and anything and everything under the sun with a guitar and a 4/4 beat. Totally ridiculous! It would be a wholly different story if this comp featured the kind of electro-jazz fusion – often referred to as “nu jazz” – found on Thirsty Ear’s Blue Series. It would be different if this comp had something in common with the type of cut and paste Avant-garde postmodern electro-swing espoused by jazz turntablist DJ Logic, or the drum ‘n’ bass meets ambient jazz renderings of cornetist Graham Haynes. But sadly, this compilation could just as easily be called “Sexy Club Beats For The New Millennium, Vol. 11” or “Badass Bass Breakbeats, Vol. 234”, since it has about as much in common with actual jazz as Kenny G does. I guess I’ll just have to agree to disagree with the compiler of this comp. It’s not jazz, and I’m sticking to that. 1.5/5

Supercharged, “Down To The Bone”
Narada Jazz

Reviewed by Dan Verbin

If there was ever a prime example of why exiling the stronger material to the nether regions of a disc in favour of the weaker choppy stuff is a boneheaded move, go no further than Supercharged’s latest release, Down To The Bone. The first half of the disc is full of bland funk workouts that crawl at a snail’s pace – in fact, these jams would likely make Kenny G yawn. The first four songs on the CD are essentially nothing more than repetitive three-chord vamps, featuring a horn section that sounds like it’s auditioning to be Tower Of Power’s understudy, and failing badly. These songs, with generic names like “Parkside Shuffle” and “Funkin’ Around”, are at best well-suited background music for a third-rate cop show, and not well-suited to repeated listens. Oddly, something strange and unexpected happens by the fifth track, “Smile to Shine" (feat. Hill St. Soul). The album suddenly bursts alive with soulful vocals, ambitious playing, and a distinct focus on strong, driving funk/soul arrangements, a monumental shift that really begs the question as to why the first four songs are just so dreadful. The disc even features an appearance by virtuoso vibraphonist Roy Ayers on one track. If these British funksters had been able to make use of his fine talent on more songs, perhaps things might have really started cooking. As it is, thank God for the skip button because the first few songs are barely worthy of a supermarket sound system. 2/5

Madlib, “The Other Side Los Angeles”
Deaf, Dumb + Blind Recordings

This is a difficult album to categorize. It’s jazz, it’s funk, it’s tech house, it’s broken beat. Mixed by rapper/producer Madlib, as a personal tour of the City of Angels, the album includes tracks from The Lightmen Plus One, “Energy Control Center”, which is an experimental jazz tune that for some, may be a little too out in left field, but definitely a daring choice as the disc’s opening track. From there, Madlib places Cybertron’s “Clear”, a broken beat tune that’ll take you back to the early 80s. Of all the jazz tracks on the album, Steve Grossman’s “Inmate Man” is definitely a standout. Led by a solo saxophone at first, drums and a synthesizer then take front stage, only to be usurped once again towards the song’s end by the sax again. Ultimately, this album dares to be different with tracks like “Nuclear War” (Sun Ra Arkestra) and “Greenery” (Quasimoto), with their political lyrics and off beat message; however, this could be a case of too many sounds spoiling the broth because it’s very hard to vibe to an album with so many divergent songs and sounds. The album also contains a DVD by Peanut Butter Wolf, which is a personal guide to LA’s sights, sounds and nightlife. 3/5

Wet Cookies, “Earthlings”
Collision (cause of chapter 3)

Earthlings marks the debut of Axel Hirn (also known for his work with the Dub combo Noiseshaper) and Bjoern Klein; and what a debut it is! This album is the perfect combination of nu-jazz, inspired by 70s free-funk and contemporary electronic sounds. Right off the bat, “One More Step” and “Weirdoz of Bop” are illustrative of the tone of this album. While the disc is underpinned with traditional jazz instrumentation (like “Lucky We Were” and “You Somehow”), you can easily pinpoint that Wet Cookies’ are influenced by the uptempo landscape of contemporary electronic soul. For example, “Sundazed” features an electronic guitar similar to the great jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, while “Chickin Lickin” has an eclectic dub/psychedelic vibe that is very much relevant today. Earthlings is not a carbon-copy jazz album; if you’re looking for a new sound that’s creative (the album was largely improvisational), and uniquely original, than this is definitely a disc to add to your jazz collection. 5/5

Various Artists, “Secret Love 3”
Sonar Kollektiv

Compiled by downtempo house legends, Jazzanova and Resoul, Secret Love 3 is the perfect backdrop to a low key night. Spanning the gamut of rock, electronic, Brazilian beats and folk, you’ll be enthralled by the subtleness and understated simplicity of each track. For example, not only is Soul Village’s take on the Roy Ayers classic, “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” a wicked remix, it actually sounds like you’re hearing the song for the first time, as an instrumental that is. Other notable tracks include Donna Regina’s “How Beautiful”, Clara Hill’s “Once I Know”, and Jose Gonzalez’ “Crosses”. Ultimately, this collection is about music that you can feel, not in the sense of making you want to get up and dance, but more so for those introspective moments in life where music allows you to delve deeper into thoughts you might not even be aware you had. Secret Love 3 is the perfect vehicle to take you to that place. 4/5