Harpist Julie Campiche is a truly innovative artist. A pioneer of the jazz harp, she has created her style through the exploration of improvisation, classical and electronic musicand her sound plumbs the depths of classical and jazz techniques. Campiche has performed in clubs and at festivals across Europe. She is curious and always seeking new …
Album Review: “Darkside Of Christmas” – Collette Cooper. Words: Sammy Stein
There is, it seems, nothing to which Collette Cooper cannot turn her hand. She is a writer, singer, actress, and poet. Cooper proves her depth of talent again on this Christmas release. ‘Darkside of Christmas'( Thelonious Punk records) is an alternative take on the familiar deluge of yuletide projects.The album is a Christmas record but …
Album Review – “Satya”. Words: Sammy Stein
Satya ( Resonant Artists 2022) Satya comprises Phil Raskin on percussion and Frank Doblekar on saxophone. They are joined on the eponymous album ‘Satya‘ for two tracks by Ratzo Harris on bass. Raskin has been a professional musician since his teenage years in Cleveland, Ohio, and his four-decade-plus career has taken him across the world. …
Album Review: “First Light” – Village Of The Sun. Words: Sammy Stein
Village of The Sun ‘ First Light’ A few years back, I was vaguely watching Jools Holland’s ‘Later’ on the BBC. A due came on, and I was awake -searing sax and wonderfully intuitive drumming– and such energy. That duo was Binker Golding on sax and Moses Boyd on drums. I contacted them through their …
Single Review: “Roll With It” – Toby Corton
Wow… this is a TUNE! The soulful vocals mixed with a hip hip beat and strings is what sold it to me. Toby flies in with a vocal that’s lazy and sings with a drawl that’s not unpleasant to listen to, there’s a cello accompanying him and it’s brilliant! It’s the chorus that hits me …
Album Review: “A Pagan Landscape” – Richard Davies. Words: Sammy Stein
Richard Davies has already shown his musical ability on his album ‘Travel Without Movement’; on this lengthier recording, he makes good on the promise of more musical exploration. Of this album, Davies told me, “This is essentially an album about ghosts. It’s about the haunting landscape around Trewallard in Cornwall, where a thriving mining community …
Blog interview: Monique DeBose. Words: Sammy Stein
Revealing Monique DeBose American award-winning singer Monique DeBose’s album ‘You Are The Sovereign One,’ released in September 2022, has received much attention and stellar reviews. Well, it might, for Monique has a unique voice. She studied under Rhiannon and Joey Blake who worked with the renowned Bobby McFerrin. Her work stems and blossoms from a …
Review: The Comet Is Coming “Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam. Words: Sammy Stein
The Comet Is Coming, Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam ( Impulse 23 Sept 2022) The Comet is Coming comprises Danalogue on Rolands, Betamax on drums and percussion, and Shabaka Hutchins ( King Shabaka) on tenor saxophone. Since their entry into what was sometimes a disingenuous jazz scene, The Comet Is Coming has brought a reality, a street-centered, squarely-planted …
Single Review: “Jammin’ Tonight” – Nile Rodgers and Candy Dulfer
This is a BOP!!!!! Wow!!! It starts off all mysterious with a synth build up into a funky James Brown break, then settles into a classy four on the floor beat with Nile and Candy trading off solos between each other on guitar and sax respectively – I absolutely love the vocals on this, fantastically …
EP Review: “The Journey” – The Scribes
The Scribes are back! And they have a collaborator in Risk1. And they’ve got an EP. Let’s get into it. The Shipwreck This starts off with an old school groove, piano simple chords, the beat, but I love the radio announcement at the beginning at the beginning. This track moves along at a lazy pace …