Tag: jazz funk
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Murmuration album – The Expansions
Sumptuous jazz-funk and kindred grooves by busy UK outfit Jazz funk, which originated in the ’70s, never really died it just laid low. The genre’s most obvious reincarnation was Acid jazz in the ’80s, then came ’90s broken beats and, most recently, it’s been revived in the work of Yussef Kamaal and the 22a label. […]
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8R1CK C17Y album – Tenderlonious and Dennis Ayler
Understated south London label releases a fine LP of jazz funk and fusion Yussef Kamaal’s debut LP, Black Focus, was so well received in 2016 that it’s surprising the pair disbanded. That leaves a gaping void for their modern take on jazz funk and fusion that proved so popular. Enter south London label 22a, which […]
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Chasing Goosebumps album – The PLAYlist (DJ Jazzy Jeff)
What kind of LP can you make in seven days? Philadelphia’s best-known DJ has the answer It took Peter Gabriel seven years to create his 2002 album Up. DJ Jazzy Jeff made Chasing Goosebumps in just seven days. That’s right — a week. Will Smith’s compadre, who helped launch the careers of such artists as […]
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Black Focus album – Yussef Kamaal
There’s something decidedly old fashioned about this young duo comprising drummer Yussef Dayes and keyboardist Kamaal Williams (aka Henry Wu). Jazz funk and broken beats are the labels most often attached to their work, genres that had their heydays 30 and 10 years ago respectively. That attitude extends to how they approach music making. Like […]
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Fun! album – Restless Soul Band
Fun! by Phil Asher’s Restless Soul Band is an album featuring tried-and-tested club hits spanning funk, R&B and neo soul There’s more to the west London sound than broken beats. Producer Phil Asher has been a leading exponent of another west London sound that reflects more of an eclectic ethos than a particular genre. During […]
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Vein Melter EP – Jesse Fischer & Sly5thAve
New York musos Jesse Fischer and Sly5thAve release the Vein Melter EP, a tribute to Herbie Hancock’s seminal jazz fusion album Head Hunters New York musos Jesse Fischer and Sly5thAve have joined forces to produce Vein Melter. The title gives a heavy hint of what this is all about. Vein Melter is the fourth track […]
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Southern Freeez single – Sonzeira
This might be a first: bossa nova meets jazz funk. UK DJ Gilles Peterson melded two of his passions to create this Brazilian reworking of Southern Freeez, originally recorded by UK jazz-funkers Freeez. This Sonzeira version, which features Emanuelle Araújo on vocals, is taken from Mr Peterson’s forthcoming album, Sonzeira – Brasil Bam Bam Bam. […]
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Britfunk mix by Gilles Peterson – free music download
Watch the video for a lesson on all things jazz funky, before downloading this free “Britfunk” mix by London DJ Gilles Peterson Website Gilles Peterson Above, London-based DJ Gilles Peterson presents a whirlwind tour of Brit funk, a criminally overlooked genre from the early ’80s that has since inspired a generation of musicians spanning retro […]
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Jazz FM Presents Blue Note Legends album preview – various artists
This double CD explores the breadth of work by Blue Note’s past and present greats Blue Note’s music conjures up images of acoustic jazz outfits playing bebop. This compilation is, however, a reminder that the label has always strived to remain relevant as tastes change. To underline this point, Robert Glasper — a pianist who […]
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Masterpiece album review – various artists (Gilles Peterson)
Among jazz/nu jazz DJs, Peterson is perhaps the most recognizable on the planet, which means you’ve probably heard him deejay. Not only does busy Peterson broadcast from the UK’s second most popular station, Radio 1, but he has syndicated shows in Japan and Europe. But if for some baffling reason you’ve never heard a Peterson […]