Hi friends!
This week’s 5 selections are:
Douvan Douvan - Fényan (Rebirth On Wax / Piébwa, 2023)
#Contemporary Jazz #Broken Beat #Zouk #Hip Hop
A smooth and refined fusion of broken beat, jazz, and Caribbean styles. France-based Kwamé “Fényan” Ba, of Senegalese descent and raised in Martinique, delivers a deeply crafted work that reflects the richness of his roots. He produces, plays keyboards, and is also one of the world’s top house dancers. “Douvan Douvan can be translated by "avant garde" in Kreyol. It is a story about People growing up and facing themselves, and their elders in order to move forward in their enlightenment.”
Rebirth Cycle - Mtume (Third Street Records, 1977)
#Spiritual Jazz #Avant-garde Jazz #Free Jazz #Soul-Jazz
Spiritual, powerful, intense, deep. The second album from the man behind Juicy Fruit is a world away from his later funk and post-disco classics. Rebirth Cycle leans into poetry and takes a free, adventurous approach to jazz, with wild arrangements and raw, emotional vocals. In Jean Carne’s words: “[Mtume] told us next to nothing when we got there. It was so free. Like a mixtape on a whole other level of consciousness.”
What’s Going On: The Detroit Mix - Marvin Gaye (Tamla, 2021)
#Soul
We all know this masterpiece that shifted Marvin Gaye’s music toward a more transcendent, socially conscious message. But what I recently discovered—thanks to an interview with Rick Rubin—is the Detroit Mix, the album’s original version, scrapped by Marvin at the last minute in favor of the final Los Angeles mix. This version feels looser, more stripped-down, and percussion-heavy, with unique tracks and even some extra lyrics. A fascinating alternate take on a classic.
Six Nine Shuffle - Altitude (UK Champagne Records / Impact, 1981)
#Britfunk
This britfunk tune starts at a groove-heavy 107 BPM and gradually speeds up to a lively 116 BPM. It’s powered by infectious, harmonically rich basslines and vibrant, colorful keys that bring depth to the rhythm.
The YouTube videos linked on Discogs for this track mistakenly feature "Six Nine Shuffle (Wonders To Perform)" instead of this release’s original mix. Here’s the correct version:
Anos Dourados, Vol. 1 - Orquestra Tabajara (Fama, 1986)
#Big Band #Swing #Samba #Choro #Bolero #Bossa Nova #MPB
Last Friday was an afternoon of grey light in Madrid, and as I walked down the streets to join my friends for lunch, I decided to listen to this recommendation from my friend Sergil, father to one of our favorite selectors. Orquesta Tabajara was a big band founded around 1933 by Luna Freire and later developed by the renowned Brazilian musician, composer, conductor, and clarinetist Severino Araújo. This uplifting album definitely brought some sunshine to my walk!
That was all for this week. I hope you liked the selections :D
Stay groovy,
Dudier
