Single Review: “You Lost Out” – The Music Of Sound

This song is just gorgeous. With a line up change and the addition of Sherry Sahayaraj, The Music Of Sound keep their melodic flavours going but with a slight spice in flavour.  Let’s talk about the instruments first. It’s a simple arrangement, bass keeping the groove along with the drums with a slight variation in …

Single Review: “Do-Re-Mi” – Julie Andrews

This has got to be an ear worm for the ages. Anyone who’s seen “The Sound Of Music” will know this straight away. In honour of Dame Julie Andrews’ 89th birthday on 1st October I thought I’d choose this as my track of the day. The melody is so simple, and it’s a great way …

Single Review: “Money” – Ahmala

Well! This combines jazz, hip hop, neo soul, a touch of Motown and some gospel into this lovely track! There’s a flute to kick off proceedings over a bass that I’m suspecting is played live on the recording – it’s got some depth to it. Add to that a Rhodes piano and an upright piano, …

Single Review: “Last Call” – Summer Lee Carlson X Mute Speaker

Keeping with their overall vibes of old school soul Summer Lee Carlson and producer Mute Speaker are back. This takes a drop in tempo but maintains the same temperature, there are snare drum rolls with ghost notes as well as some sneaky percussion to keep the groove going – there are some synth pads in …

Single Review: “Angel” – Sinead Campbell

Wow. This is the 70s throwback I didn’t know I needed today. This has everything – a glockenspiel, electric piano, flute, guitar run through a wah and drums and bass with a pocket deeper than Elon Musk. But let’s salute Sinead’s vocals here – she goes from playful to straight down the line jazz and …

Single Review: “Japanese Knotweed” – Karolina Wilgus

This new single from Karolina Wilgus is genius. From the way the vocals are arranged over a hypnotising hip hop jazz beat this brings a lot of different things to keep you interested. For one thing, the vocals in the intro have an operatic quality, nicely layered so you can separate the alto, tenor and …

Music News: Blue Note Records Celebrates 85th Anniversary

BLUE NOTE RECORDS CELEBRATES 85th ANNIVERSARY THE FINEST IN JAZZ SINCE 1939   85 years ago in January 1939, a German-Jewish immigrant and passionate Jazz fan named Alfred Lion produced his first recording session in New York City founding what would go on to become the most iconic and longest-running Jazz label in the world. …

Single Review: “Accordion Song” – Mae Karthauser

A waltz! Something for double bass, vocals, cello, flute and piano. It’s gorgeous, the only thing that surprised me was the lack of an accordion! You can just hear it. This is listed as alternative folk, but it has a little bit of a jazzy flair in the arrangement. You can just imagine this being …

Album Review: “The Summoned” – Mama Terra. Words: Sammy Stein.

I became aware of Mama Terra when I took part in a Jazz FM panel show at Pizza Express, Holborn, London. The band was exploring and recreating partially, Herbie Hancock’s 1973 album ‘Head Hunters’. I was impressed by co-leader Marco Cafolla’s animated exposition of why he likes Herbie Hancock – and then by the music …