Hi friends!
This week’s 5 selections are:
Pendular - Mazarin (Now Jazz Agora, 2024)
#Contemporary Jazz
Contemporary jazz? Jazz-not-Jazz (as they define it)? Or perhaps Now Jazz Agora (“now” in Portuguese)? One thing is certain: it’s challenging to categorize Mazarin’s unique sound under a single genre. They blend jazz harmonies and orchestral arrangements with elements from various contemporary music styles, ranging from hip hop to house, and include lyrics in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Truly a musical journey worth experiencing!
Ki-Oku - DJ Krush & Toshinori Kondo (Sony, 1996)
#Trip Hop #Future Jazz #Downtempo #Japan
Just reissued by Diggers Factory (with the new cover above), this legendary trip hop gem can be yours for a fair price. Toshinori Kondo was one of Japan’s most acclaimed trumpeters, especially in the fields of free jazz, avant-garde jazz, and later, fusing his own sound with electronic music. He worked with musicians of the caliber of Ryuichi Sakamoto, Kazumi Watanabe, and Herbie Hancock. DJ Krush needs little introduction, also a pioneer in his field, turntablism, and an innovator in hip hop production. Regarded as one of the game changers in trip hop, Krush has always stated that he does not feel part of any genre or style. Their collaboration is as excellent as you would expect.
Too Slow To Disco Brasil - (Compiled by) Ed Motta (Too Slow To Disco, 2018)
#Disco #Soul #Funk #AOR #MPB #Yacht Rock
Definitely, this is my favorite compilation ever. I didn’t feature it before here in More Music, Less Words as it is partly available on streaming services, including YouTube. But I’m done resisting! I have listened to it on repeat for years and played it at bars and even clubs numerous times. Trying to describe this magical compilation by the one and only Ed Motta is complicated. I would surely have to write lots of words, and we know that’s not the point here. I encourage you to listen to every song you can, buy the record or the CD, or do whatever you need to enjoy this treasure.
Some tracks in Bandcamp:
Other tracks in Spotify:
Look for the rest in Youtube!
Breezin’ - George Benson (Warner Bros. Records, 1976)
#Crossover Jazz #Jazz-Funk
A record that transports me to my childhood. It also marked the beginning of Benson's most successful commercial period, topping the Billboard Pop, Jazz, and R&B album charts. This success was largely due to his debut as a singer, singing Leon Russell’s classic “This Masquerade.” Previously, Benson hadn’t sung much, as Creed Taylor, the owner of his previous label, CTI Records, didn’t favor his singing. Fortunately for him and Tommy LiPuma, his new producer at Warner Bros., his vocals made the song a hit. As a result, George bought a nice house in Hawaii and a mansion in New Jersey :D
Prince Fatty presents Hollie Cook In Dub - Prince Fatty (Mr Bongo, 2012)
#Dub #Reggae
These are the dub versions of Hollie Cook’s self-titled album, released one year prior. According to Prince Fatty, “the dub versions showcase real tape echoes, heavy spring reverbs and alternate instrumental elements such as melodica, percussion or horns that were hidden in the vocal versions. All the dubs are mixed live in my studio in the same Rub a Dub style as was made famous in 70s Jamaica by King Tubby and others, i.e not with the use of computers for automation and endless digital nonsense but with fingers, late night vibes and re-arranged with a razor blade!”
That was all for this week. I hope you liked the selections :D
Stay groovy,
Dudier