Hi friends!
This week’s 5 selections are:
Un Nuevo Amanecer - Pedro Ricardo & Damián Botigué (Canela En Surco, 2023)
#Folk #Jazz Fusion #Candombe
Un Nuevo Amanecer (A New Dawn) is the third release from the Barcelona-based label “focused on music made near the Atlantic Ocean”. Pedro Ricardo, hailing from Porto, and Damián Botigué, an Argentinian raised in Galicia, join creative forces to produce this unique fusion of their roots. From the opening track, whose melody reminds me of Azymuth’s “Last Summer in Rio”, to the final uptempo danceable jazz-funk “Cerca de Mi”, they deliver a fresh interpretation of more traditional musical genres, such as bossa nova or candombe.
Mananita Pampera - Hugo Heredia (Côte D'Azur, 1976)
#Jazz Fusion
Unearthed from obscurity, this record, initially released on a rare French label in the 1970s, earned the title of a lost masterpiece. DJ Paul Murphy discovered it in a London Jazz shop, where its intoxicating blend of raw percussive rhythms and jazzy soloing made it a sensation at The Horseshoe, the epicenter of the early jazz dance scene. Many thanks to Jazz Room Records for bringing it back to life in 2019.
Music Is My Sanctuary - Gary Bartz (Capitol Records, 1977)
#Jazz-Funk
One of my go-to sources of inspiration and motivation is saxophonist Gary Bartz’s ode to the role that music plays in the lives of many of us. Produced by the Mizell brothers (known for Gears by Johnny Hammond, Black and Blues by Bobbi Humphrey, and Stepping into Tomorrow by Donald Byrd, among many others), they shaped Bartz's new style towards a more soulful and funky sound, disappointing some purists while enchanting many others. An epic ride is guaranteed!
Blues Everywhere - Shirley Scott (Candid, 1993)
#Hard Bop #Soul Jazz
Shirley Scott, the queen of the Hammond B-3 who defied the industry as a female jazz musician, needs no introduction. Recorded live at Birdland in 1991, I particularly like this record as she is not playing her favorite instrument but an acoustic piano instead. Gracefully performing a set of jazz standards like "Autumn Leaves" or "'Round Midnight," Scott will season your Sunday afternoon.
From Manhattan to Staten - Down To The Bone (Internal Bass, 1996)
#Jazz-dance #Acid Jazz #House
Continuing with the musical royalty, this final pick is for all the head-nodders! Down To The Bone, often dubbed the "kings of UK jazz groove," was an acid jazz group led by British DJ Stuart Wade. Layering sweet organic melodies over jazzy and house-infused drum beats, it will make you feel like you are right in the midst of a live jam session.
That was all for this week. I hope you liked the selections :D
Stay groovy,
Dudier