An extraordinary thing happened yesterday. I met a couple from South Africa and we talked about music. Complete strangers. But the thing that connected us was that I love Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and the late great singers Miriam Makeba and Lionel Petersen. We talked about their impact and for just a brief moment we sang …
This week’s FOTN inbox was full of gems and this was one of them. Where do I start? This is the kind of song you’d put on late at night, when you’re just chilling with someone you love, that comfortable silence when you don’t need to say anything, just let the music and the lyrics …
Diana Torti is an improviser, singer, and composer who specialises in jazz but blends ancient music, bel canto, and contemporary repertoire. Her performances have encompassed many prestigious venues, and she has collaborated with Ennio Morricone and Mula Francesco among other luminaries. Her project On A Cloud was mentioned among the best jazz albums of 2019 …
Hello Flo how are you? That’s a BIG question. I’m feeling excited. Congratulations on the release of “Clay”, how does it feel? Thank you very much! It feels surreal. It’s called a ‘release’ for a reason as that’s literally what it feels like. It’s a ten track project, what was the inspiration behind it? This …
This song has the feel good factor from top to bottom!!! What did I just listen to??!! Gospel choir? Check. Piano playing a great upbeat part??? Oh yes. Bass giving me Motown vibes? Come on now. Oh and the harmonies… yes there are harmonies. This song just made me feel a hundred times better. I’m …
I’ll be honest, Beatles songs to me are sacred texts. It’s almost sacrilegious to cover a Beatles song, because you have to make sure you get it right, or at least bring something new to the table for it. Thankfully most of the covers I’ve heard have been approached with reverence by true fans that …
This track combines a strong soulful vocal over a fantastic dance beat that sounds exotic, I love the build up to the hook on this, the bass line is hypnotic, and the percussion wanders in and out. But when it gets going you have a song that really is anthemic, I mean it’s a call …
I picked this song as my track of the day because the synth sounds are instantly recognisable to me. The harsh clap (It’s not a snare funnily enough) is a synthetic sound that Cameo have used on “Word Up” and of course the orchestra hit sound was what I judged my synths by back in …
Jo Harrop is a vocalist whose personality flows into her sound. I have seen her perform in the intimate space that is Hampstead Jazz Club and more recently in the Piano bar in Soho, where my companion, Georgia Mancio, herself a wonderful singer, was greeted by Jo and invited to join her for a song. …
This is the second single from the upcoming Project Blackbird album, and it reinforces what I’ve always known about this band. They produce damn fine songs. This starts off with an electric piano bathed in warm chorus, over which trumpet player Jon Read plays a really simple melody over this chord progression – G Maj …
