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Esteban Adame – Bittersweet [UTx]
Los Angeles based pianist Esteban Adame’s debut album “Bittersweet” glides from bebbop to techno and fusion. Adame’s career spans more than twenty years, He spent several years in Detroit working with legendary producer MAd Mike Banks of Underground Resistance. Through that relationship he would contribute to the electronic jazz band Galaxy to Galaxy. In 2022 Adames formed a quartet to showcase his love for improvisation. Those members of the quartet are on board for this release. Tenor sax man Frank Fontaine’s glorious flurries are sprinkled htroughout the hard swinging title track. Joey De Leon’s congas light a fire on the afro cuban flavored “Bottom Up”. Adame’s Detroit influence is prominent on “Hi Tech Jazz”, a soulful fusion burner. The “Bottom Up” remix is a mash up of Detroit dub and straight ahead jazz. It displays the beauty of two worlds colliding seamlessly. Adames may not be a household name but make no mistake, he’s a talented pianist and composer. A marvelous record worthy of repeated listens.
Jimetta Rose & The Voices of Creation – Things Are Getting Better [Day Dreamer]
“Things Are Getting Better” is the latest release from Jimetta Rose and the Voices of Creation. The title speaks to the evolution of the choir that Rose assembled from her Los Angeles community. It also speaks to her perseverance through tough times during the pandemic. “Let The Sunshine In”, the previous release from 2022 just scratched the surface of how potent this choir can be. This release showcases a more confident choir that is hitting their stride. Evidence lies in “Already Real To Me” where Rose’s soul infused gospel vocals will uplift every soul within listening distance. The tune starts off in acapella fashion with subtle riffs from musical director/organist Jack Maeby. “Portals” delivers an electricfying performance that’s filled with inspiration and faith. There’s plenty of talented contributors such as saxophonist Isiah Collier. Rose nearly walked away from the music business before linking up with Maeby for this project. We’re grateful that she stuck with it and blessed us with an uplifting collection of soul and gospel compositions.
https://jimettarosethevoicesofcreation.bandcamp.com/album/things-are-getting-better
Mario Luciano & Lauren Santi – Shades of Mauve [Madlib Invasion]
The Madlib invasion Music Library series continues with Producer Mario Luciano and vocalist Lauren Santi. “Shades of Mauve” is a collection of breezy jazz samples. Luciano’s keyboard arrangements take center stage while guitarist Gerson Zaragoza and drummer Ayepee play big roles. Santi’s vocal phrasings are spread throughout the fifteen track disc. “Inner Search” is layered with hazy synths and wordless vocal phrasings. “Psych Impression” is a cinematic offering highlighted by Santi’s opera styled vocals. “Blue Miles” captures the spirit of the Mountains with warm guitar and spacey rhodes. If you’re into laidback beats and dreamy soundscapes you’ll no doubt enjoy this one.
Stro Elliot – La Villa [Def Pressé]
DJ/Producer Stro Elliot is the latest Def Pressé member to dive into the vaults of the London based KPM/EMI record library. You may be familiar with Stro’s hip-hop samples through his affiliation with the Roots. The KPM libary spans seventy years of music across a myriad of genres. The arrangement between KPM and Def Presse was a benefit to fellow labelmate Damu the Fudgemunk and his recent projects. Based on this release Elliot came away with some hidden gems with a seventies soul vibe. Specifically they would feel right at home in a James Brown catalog. The opening track “Monday’s Generation” is a prime example. The drum kit snare lays down the beat while the uplifting flute and guitar rhythms round things out into form. “Bamboo” is a mid-tempo hypnotic boom bap tune. The Asian cinematic soundscapes would easily fit into a Wu Tang recording. It must have been a daunting task for Elliot to narrow down his selections. That being said the ten tracks he came up with certainly have hit the mark.
Tommaso Cappellato – Dancing Around Fire [Pavimento Fertile]
LA based drummer/composer Tommaso Cappellato teams up with the Italian Collective Pavimento Fertile to deliver the infectious dance EP “Dancing Around Fire”. Cappellato’s latest features dynamic dance flavored compositions certain to inject instant body movement. The opener “Made of Golden Light” gets its hooks in you with a wicked bass line aligned with spacey synths. Latin St Juste’s feathery vocals adds a warm touch. The title track is filled with cosmic funk. Cappellaro demonstrates his dexterity not just on the drums but on the keys as well. While the dance tracks instantly pop out the gate, the mid-tempo tunes provide an equal amount of energy. Although there’s only seven tracks here, Cappellato’s latest is a high octane spacey funk deluxe that definitely hits the mark and is worthy of repeated listens.
https://tommasocappellato.bandcamp.com/album/dancing-around-fire
Gabriel Da Rosa – É o que a casa oferece [Stones Throw Records]
https://gabrieldarosa.bandcamp.com/album/o-que-a-casa-oferece
Moonchild – Starfruit [Tru Thoughts Recordings]
https://thisismoonchild.bandcamp.com/album/starfruit