Sure, it’s only 12 minutes of music, but it’s also an opportunity to take a closer look at the career of this French jazz drummer. As a leader of various groups since 2008, she has released a dozen albums and taken part in numerous projects. Both within the jazz movement, on recordings by Christian Escoudé and Rhoda Scott, and outside it, accompanying Mélissa Laveaux and Jeanne Added on stage. Open to many influences, she can be seen collaborating with Burmese musicians or being inspired by Persian poems. Her records feature sounds from diverse worlds, ranging from pop to folk music. The titles on this EP come from the sessions on her magnificent album S.H.A.M.A.N.E.S. As the name almost suggests, shamanism and spirituality are the main inspirations. His work on rhythm, of course, as well as on timbre, melodies and vocals, succeeds in making contemporary jazz, sometimes flirting with the avant garde, accessible. A masterfully maintained balance that confirms the percussionist as an important artist on today’s jazz scene and beyond.
This violinist by training is the author of more than twenty albums, both solo and collaborative. He is a regular contributor to country-folk groups such as Neko Case and Handsome Family. From his earliest productions, he has established himself as a gifted multi-instrumentalist with a distinctive fiddle style. His style ranges from sentimental pop to neo-folk laden with diverse influences, even traditional folk as on his album with Jimbo Mathus. On this album, the tracks are based on improvisations recorded on location. As on some of his concerts, Andrew Bird uses pedals to create loops with his violin and guitar, over which he plays back live. Alan Hampton’s bass and, depending on the track, maracas, humming or whistling melodies and a track on which he sings, are added to the mix. While remaining approachable, this is one of his most radical albums, with motifs and sounds shifting from jazz to plucked strings reminiscent of traditional African music and the kora. On certain passages, we’re on the verge of contemporary music, without being hermetic. On these recordings, the musician goes further in his experimentation, but never forgets to take us with him.
The band met at design school in the ’70s, and are credited with opening the doors to world music by mixing white music with African rhythms. Whatever the case, they produced a handful of essential albums, and their sound had a considerable influence on the New York scene, right up to the likes of Franz Ferdinand and Fool’s God. In 1983, film director Jonathan Demme attended one of the shows following the release of the Speaking In Tongues album; blown away by what he saw, he convinced the band to film the last concerts of the tour. The result is simply cult, and even today it’s considered one of the best filmed concerts of all time. The set design, the visual surprises, the band’s energy, the director’s bias towards what happens on stage, all combine to make this an exceptional piece of work. Of course, the music on this disc is the central pivot. As with many concerts, here we find a succession of the band’s best tracks, with that extra soul and cohesion that live recordings bring, the songs are transcended. Listening to these 18 tracks, it’s easy to see the difference between a good album and an unmissable classic.
Florida-born Kendra Morris has been passionate about music and singing since childhood. She found happiness in the soul classics of the 60s and 70s. She cut her teeth singing in bars and took part in the reality TV show Redemtion Song. Her debut album “Banshee” was released in 2012. But it was with her cover of Shine On You Crazy Diamond, included on the soundtrack of the film Dead Man Down, that she broadened her audience. Her powerful, gravelly voice has led her to collaborate with hip hop artists and to provide vocals on a Denis Coffey tour. Far from contenting herself with the role of performer, she also excelled at writing and composing. On this latest album, she stays close to her preferred style, bringing a modern touch to the arrangements and adding traces of pop and rock. Her voice gains in character, its tessitura a little more reminiscent of Amy Winehouse’s, while remaining identifiable and avoiding the impression of a copy. In such a setting, soul remains a sure bet in 2023.
Jazz pianist Jon Batiste made his name as leader of the Stay Human Band. A band that has built up quite a reputation, with performances that always seek to touch the audience, and as the band on the TV show The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Never confined to a single style, driven by a love of American popular music, he’s fond of meeting new people and mixing things up. His numerous appearances and solo career are proof of this. His most notable productions include the soundtrack to the animated film “Soul” and his previous album “We Are”, inspired by modern soul-funk. On his new album, he succeeds in taking another step towards the mainstream, lining up several tracks that could easily climb the charts, while retaining a high level of inspiration and compositional quality. Rap, reggae, jazz, ballad… the whole remains fresh and danceable, a kind of tour de force that the more hipster among us might prefer to her more jazz-oriented early career.
