A catch-all thread for the current jazz scene in London, including Shabaka Hutchings, Yazz Ahmed, Moses Boyd, Nubya Garcia, Camilla George, Theon Cross, Zara McFarlane, Daniel Casimir, SEED Ensemble,

well that sounds awesome

Into it

Also I see Les Twins finally have some competition in the twin-based dance duo sector

Heard this yesterday and it was stuck in my head all day

Sounds and looks so cool. Has something Caribbean that may or may not be Trinidad and also something of Keleketla, which is still my favorite album from last year.

Has something Caribbean that may or may not be Trinidad

Hutchings is from Barbados.

Excellent song. I'm impressed at how relatively restrained it is. I saw a headline about this being released (on a Nate Chinen piece via an NPR affiliate) that nonsensically called it "fiery." Super excited to hear the rest of the album now

SoK were the group that got me into all this London stuff, and I'm unreasonably excited about this record...their last one remains one of my most-played from the past few years.

yeah I'm stoked

I don't know to what if any degree Dave DeRose ties into the rest of the London scene, but this new Agile Experiments album is pretty cool.

https://davederosemusic.bandcamp.com/album/bloom-anubis

This new Kemet album is incendiary

I cannot fucking believe this is currently only available via Apple in the US?

OK it's on Spotify too, but I want a real copy

The new one killed me last night. I think I like it better than the last one.

it's fantastic

https://sonsofkemetmusic.bandcamp.com/album/black-to-the-future-explicit

Expected more from the double e collaboration.

Like this more than the last one on first contact. Deliberately didn’t listen ago anything pre release. Hustle is deliciously low key. Very happy.

great album

don't think i'll go back to the spoken word pieces to much more but everything else is on heavy repeat

Listening to this know, and oh man, "Pick Up the Burning Cross" is probably the most intense thing they've ever recorded, it's incredible!

June 18 Rosie Turton EP Expansions and Transformations: Part I & II is totally refreshing from first notes, riding with Turton's deep, luminous trombone--fave so far is "part II, where she's in call and response wi violin---skylight electronics passing over them both at one point, with piano periphery and roiling bass and drums---they kick up the tempo on "The Unknown (Rework)," a new version of a song from 2018 alb Rosie's 5ive. and a closing remix of "Part II" keeps it up, without getting gimmicky: whole thing is reflective, eyecaching grain of acoustic jazz with electronics (and influence of associated dynamics) folded into the planes o' flow:https://rosieturton.bandcamp.com/album/expansions-and-transformations-part-i-ii

Yeah, good stuff. Thanks for the heads up.

So I find the process behind Makaya McCraven - Deciphering the Message really fascinating but maybe more than the music itself ? Very pleasant sound nonetheless, part of me wishes it was transformed even further, part of me thinks it's perfect like that. It opens so many possibilities too.

It's a fun album, if not nearly as compelling as his last outings.

In pure jazz fashion, I will pick up on the conversation in the other thread that mentions Theon Cross, who is opening on the first track of Liminal Space, released by Ill Considered on 12 Nov 2021, a mix of live impro with takes added in the studio. The first reviews say it is colossal, groovy, energetic, shamanistic. Second track is arabic jazz, third track adds flutes, a great bassline and textures (think Shabaka meets Batsumi), fourth track is contemplative Ethio-jazz, fifth track intense and swirling like its title suggests. This is a really cool record.

Line-up: Idris Rahman (saxophone), Liran Donin (bass) and Emre Ramazanoglu (drums), but also a range of collaborators such as Collocutor’s Tamar Osborn, Steam Down saxophonist Ahnanse, tuba player Theon Cross and percussionist Sarathy Korwar.

Yeah, I've been a fan of Ill Considered since the beginning, and included their new album (and bassist Daniel Casimir's new one) in my latest Stereogum column.

Ill Considered is on my to-listen list, sounds awesome Nabozo. I liked most of Cross's new album this year too

I enjoy Deciphering the Message a lot, but McCraven needs to release a proper new album so we can have an overdue dedicated thread and stop discussing him in the London jazz thread lol

the Casimir album is really nice, lands right in the middle between the Boyd and Garcia albums to my ears

Ilxor Daniel RF said that the first xpost Blue Note Re: Imagined sounded like a wine bar, but a good one, and the rearrangements were creative enough to get me wondering about certain Blue Note stalwarts I'd taken as a local jazz station given, without going further into their catalogs---well played, Blue Note. So here's the follow-up on CD and 2-LP, shipping Aug. 12:

Blue Npte Re:Imagined II

Blue Note Re:imagined returns in 2022 with a new 16-track compilation featuring fresh takes on music from the illustrious Blue Note vaults recorded by a heavyweight line-up of the UK jazz, soul and R&B scene’s most hotly-tipped rising stars. Arriving off the back of the widespread international success of the first volume, which topped jazz charts around the globe in 2020, Blue Note Re:imagined II once again infuses the spirit of the new UK jazz generation into the legendary label’s iconic catalog, balancing the genre’s tradition with its future and reflecting the melting pot of talent and diversity within the current scene. The second volume presents covers of classic Blue Note tracks by Donald Byrd, Grant Green, Wayne Shorter, Thelonious Monk, Bobbi Humphrey, Marlena Shaw, Chico Hamilton, Chick Corea, Joe Lovano, Cassandra Wilson, and Norah Jones by a rollcall of acclaimed talent including Yazz Ahmed, Conor Albert, Parthenope, Swindle, Nubiyan Twist, Ego Ella May, Oscar Jerome, Daniel Casimir, Theon Cross, Maya Delilah, Kay Young, Venna & Marco, Reuben James, Binker Golding, Cherise, and Franc Moody.

Tracklist:

1. Yazz Ahmed - It
2. Conor Albert - You Make Me Feel So Good
3. Parthenope - Don’t Know Why
4. Swindle - Miss Kane
5. Nubiyan Twist - Through The Noise (Chant No.2)
6. Ego Ella May - Morning Side Of Love
7. Oscar Jerome - Green With Envy
8. Daniel Casimir ft. Rita Moran - Lost
9. Theon Cross - Epistrophy
10. Maya Delilah - Harvest Moon
11. Kay Young - Feel Like Making Love
12. Venna & Marco - Where Are We Going
13. Reuben James - Infant Eyes
14. Binker Golding - Fort Worth
15. Cherise - Sunrise
16. Franc Moody - Cristo Redentor
Ego Ella May “The Morning Side of Love” / Theon Cross “Epistrophy” – 7” Vinyl Single

Kay Young “Feel Like Making Love” / Venna & Marco Bernardis “Where Are We Going?” – 7” Vinyl Single

The Comet Is Coming are touring the US in October. I saw them a couple of years ago — if they come to your town, GO.

Will do!

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1418/3572/products/Blue_Note_Cover-1-_1.png?v=1654630134

more info: https://store.bluenote.com/collections/new-releases/products/blue-note-re-imagined-ii

two Shabaka threads, so let’s do an xpost:

a concert this coming Tuesday that might be of interest to Londoners, with sets from three Native Rebel artists, Shabaka Hutchings’ record label:

https://earthackney.co.uk/events/native-rebel-recordings-the-brother-moves-on-chelsea-carmichael-con-kwake-15-11-2022/

mentioning it because I saw The Brother Moves On from Johannesburg in Amsterdam last night and they were awesome. I only knew their “You Think You Know Me” from last year because it was nominated in Tom Ewing’s EOY Twitter poll. great track, but not very representative (and they didn’t play it).

they performed as a five-piece band (guitar, bass, drums and two saxophonists/flutists) plus wonderful frontman/vocalist Siyabonga Mthembu.
there’s a lot of jazz in what they do, but (to my ears at least) it’s local SA genres at the heart of it all. their Wikipedia entry mentions “maskandi rock” (and “ninja gospel” fwiw).

listening to their recent album right now, and I’m enjoying it, but it can’t hold a candle to the live performance. go see them live if you can.

I guess I might add that they somehow manage to be intense and fun at the same time

btw, I didn’t realize just how recent that album is, it came out two weeks ago. having listened to their previous one, Tolika Mtoliki from last year (not on Native Rebel), yesterday as well, I feel that one might actually be better.

winter jazzfest in nyc has a jamie branch memorial show in the works