Hi friends!
This week’s 5 selections are:
Persa Jazz 251/2 - Persa (Caustica Waveform, 2024)
#Jazz #Electronic #Jazzy Hip Hop
The comeback of Persa aka Caustica has just been released and it couldn’t sound better. The keyboardist, composer, and producer from Madrid presents the second part of Persa Jazz 251 with 13 studio tracks on the A-side and 4 live tracks on the flip side. The live session was held at Radio Relativa’s studio with the collaboration of GlueKids (scratches) and Damián Schwartz (bass). Amazingly, some tracks include interviews with legendary jazz artists discussing their musical influences. Pure bliss.
Silk Road: Journey of the Armenian Diaspora (1971-1982) - VA (Terrestrial Funk, 2021)
#Disco #Boogie #Funk #House
Curated by Darone Sassounian, this compilation is a treasure trove of Armenian disco, funk, and soul, featuring 7 original tracks and 2 highly playable edits. These songs exemplify the unique and special adaptation of Western sounds by Armenian artists of the era. Darone's dedication to bringing this project to life spanned over three years of knocking on the doors of various artists and labels. Thanks to his efforts, we can now enjoy these musical gems today.
Galaxy - Kaidi Tatham (2000 Black, 2022)
#Broken Beat #Jazz #Contemporary R&B #Deep House
Kaidi’s signature quality shines throughout this EP. It opens with an elegant, funky beat, “Galaxy,” where he teams up with vocalist Lola Violet on a truly heavenly tune. “A Message From Above” is a jazzy, broken beat piece with chords that evoke the airy feel of Donald Byrd’s Places and Spaces. Lastly, Kaidi leaves us with “Ergonomic Structures,” a bouncy downtempo track featuring an unforgettable kick.
Mulatu Of Ethiopia - Mulatu Astatke (Worthy Records, 1972)
#Ethio-jazz #African Jazz #Jazz-Funk #Psychedelic
Mulatu of Ethiopia blends jazz, R&B, and traditional Ethiopian music. Recorded in New York, it showcases a fierce guitar, funky energy, R&B-infused organ, and sax solos with a twist of hard bop. Astatke's Ethio-jazz style, influenced by Latin jazz and Ethiopian scales, made it a classic, even sponsored by Ethiopian Airlines for in-flight music.
Fresh Aire 4 - Mannheim Steamroller (American Gramaphone Records, 1981)
#New Age #Neo-Classical #Progressive Electronic
Fresh Aire IV marks a noticeable shift for Mannheim Steamroller, moving away from their earlier playful medieval vibes. The album explores darker themes with a moody atmosphere, blending classical compositions with modern synthesizers. Personally, I love how they've mixed this album with lots of stereo width and instrument panning, adding depth to their classical compositions.
That was all for this week. I hope you liked the selections :D
Stay groovy,
Dudier