Browsing Tag

Contemporary Jazz

The jazz virtuoso John Sheckler, is back in the New Orleans swing in 50 Ring Gauge

Posted on 20 June 2023

Taken from his forthcoming LP, HIGHWAY 27, the award-winning composer and percussionist Jon Sheckler’s latest single, 50 Ring Gauge, enriched the New Orleans jazz scene with swinging contemporary flair and nuanced tenacity.

The steady rattle and roll of his drum fills punctuate the rockabilly guitar tones, which meander through the release with an almost Stray Cat Strut while the basslines take a backseat in the rhythmical masterclass of innovation.

HIGHWAY 27 has been five years in the making; in September 2023, the LP will finally follow his critically acclaimed 2018 album, Cityscapes. Between composing the album, Sheckler received a Downbeat Student Music Award for his composition, Medicine Leaves, in 2021, he was also chosen as one of three ASCAP Louis Armstrong Scholars in the States. It is safe to say accolades don’t get more revered than that.

50 Ring Gauge is now available to stream and download on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Eldad Ben Naim brings a new flavour to jazz fusion with ‘In a Way of Jazz’

Posted on 31 January 2022

With his contemporary style and flair that doesn’t alienate the old school jazz aficionados, Eldad Ben Naim’s debut jazz fusion album, Watersoul, is an indulgent aural escape away from the fray of modernity.

The time signatures may be complex, but that does little to hinder the mellifluous pull of the melodies in the lead single, In a Way of Jazz. The extended track uses tribal elements along with metronomic effects to keep you entranced through the progressions. As In a Way of Jazz evolves, the sax finds its centre in the soundscape before the electric guitars start to bring arresting gravity to the release. Any existential weight you were carrying before the ambient and experimental outro will undoubtedly dissipate. The instrumental track is enough to leave your soul 10 pounds lighter.

In a Way of Jazz is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Christopher Nielsen gets inspired with a jazz-funk groove on new single ‘Payne’

Posted on 3 April 2021

Returning after a fifteen year sabbatical to a music industry which has changed beyond all expectation in the intervening years is always going to be a challenge, but it’s one which multi-instrumentalist Christopher Nielsen has taken up with aplomb. Taken from his new, thirteen-track instrumental album ‘Our Voyage Home’, ‘Payne’ is a jazzy, funky little number driven by Carmine Appice-style upfront drums and a delicious seventies-toned Rhodes piano lead.

It’s lively, old-school without being dated, rootsy, and very driven; think an instrumental jam breakdown in an Earth, Wind, and Fire concert, or a little Weather Report studio wig out time. Jazz meets soul meets folk all mixed up by pushed percussion and wandering keyboards. It’s fluid, expressive, and genuinely good, uplifting, fun.

‘Payne’, and the rest of ‘Our Voyage Home’, is available on Spotify. Check out Christopher Nielsen’s website here.

Review by Alex Holmes

Dion Kerr showcases their experimentalism with “Cosmos”

Posted on 19 September 2020

https://bacerecords.bandcamp.com/track/cosmos

Kicking in with some proper old style TR808 drum sounds before a set of mildly discordant piano and brass chords, ‘Cosmos’ by Dion Kerr is nine minutes of jazzy instrumental, a series of repeating motifs, moving through arrangements and phrases, alternating saxophone and experimental guitar courtesy of collaborator Jeff Parker.

Here using an original composition from his days at the Manhattan School Of Music, Kerr deconstructs and recasts the piece into an improvisational modern big band arrangement, marrying old school drum machine beats, cassette tape saturation, and experimental modern jazz.

‘Cosmos’ is from Kerr’s new album ‘Ivy’, available to preorder from his Bandcamp page.

Review by Alex Holmes.

Lil Rascal Jusi has made their debut with their dynamically ambient urban album “Broken Record”.

Posted on 11 July 2020

Lil Rascal Jusi AKA SINJUNHEE has dropped their sweet Lo-Fi debut album “Broken Record”, a collection of seven tracks which come together as a sublimely soulful melting pot of Urban culture.

From the roots of Soul to offerings of contemporary soulful RnB Trap melodies, the release offers it all. Even more distinctively, Lil Rascal Jusi offered up a different track/vibe for every day of the week.

The track which left us tension-stripped and cathartically enamoured was “Sunday: Vibing” featuring Masego. Maroon 5’s original track was a soul-soother, but Lil Racal Jusi’s rework of the chorus in Vibing gave the catchy chorus even more enamouring appeal.

There’s little room to wonder why that there’s so much hype around the artist’s modernistic Jazzy hits. He’s definitely one to watch.

You can check out Lil Rascal Jusi’s debut album for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud

Review by Amelia Vandergast