freedom suite

"echoing the style of guru’s jazzmatazz, jazz vocalist and multi grammy nominee nnenna freelon join hip-hop quartet the beast torelease 'freedom suite', a 10-track collection of creative reflections on jazz and hip-hop hosted by 9th wonder.

drawing from a traditional jazz canon as well as hip-hop “standards” from the recent past, the album brings a live jazz sound to some of the most loved tracks in popular music. the album features six original songs written and produced by the beast and also re-makings of modern classics such as mos def’s “umi says,” johnny mercer & hoagy carmichael’s “skylark,” and lauryn hill’s “doo wop”. the project has guest appearances from branford marsalis, phonte (of the foreign exhchange/little brother), yahzarah and geechi suede (of camp lo).

recognizing the importance of talking about the convergence of jazz and hip-hop and its role in forward-thinking culture, the album also features conversations among some of hip-hop and jazz’s greatest intellectual minds including ?uestlove, herbie hancock, amiri baraka, branford marsalis, angela davis and more."

soulsessions

'loving you is killing me' by aloe blacc.

someday we'll all be free

miguel atwood-ferguson ensemble performing 'someday we'll all be free' live in los angeles at the grand performances, california plaza july 23rd 2010. free download here.



bilal (vocals)
flying lotus (laptop)
miguel atwood-ferguson (violin)
evan francis (flute)
dontae winslow (trumpet)
joey dosik (alto sax)
kamasi washington (tenor sax)
garrett smith (trombone)
rebekah raff (harp)
marcel camargo (guitar)
brandon coleman (keys)
stephen 'thundercat' bruner (bass)
chris 'daddy' dave (drums)
nikki campbell (percussion)

the outsiders are back

perhaps one of the most pleasantly suprising debut records to be released this year comes in the form of this brilliantly infectious funk/soul LP from kings go forth on luaka bop records. this 10-piece soul unit from milwaukee, wisconsin consist of seven players and three singers. this band have created their own sound from a broad palete of classic rhythm & blues, from mid-60s chicago to early-70s philadelphia, and those even more obscure. groove-heavy and horn-powered, 'the outsiders are back' cements its place in the exciting soul-revival.


kings go forth - fight with love

compass

jamie lidell's latest album on warp, 'compass', is a kind of electronic funk/soul hybrid which doesn't particularly lend itself to pigeonholing. there have been many retro comparisons of this record, and perhaps rightfully so, likening some of the sounds to prince and stevie wonder, but the album's off the wall and more wacky nature is just as much comparable to beck - the album was actually recorded between beck's hudson studios in LA and feist's ranch. his voice is quite unique, especially in terms of being a white british soul singer, and ultimately the music is innovative. the track below captures the fun side of the record and the video is part of the 'take away show' with his band performing the track live in the streets of paris.


jamie lidell - enough's enough

aloe blacc on gilles peterson

californian soul man aloe blacc swung by the renound gilles peterson worldwide show recently to provide words and music. they chat about his favourite singers and how the artist became signed to stones throw records, with a few tracks from his latest album 'good things' also featured.

sexslaveship

j.birly

the ins (consisting of producer twit one and friends) teamed up with miles bonny last year for a 'super soul' 12" with three tracks and the instrumental versions. 'j.birly' is a cover of the jerry butler classic 'just because i really love you' which was sampled by dilla for the 'luv u' beat. butler was the original lead singer of 'the impressions' alongside curtis mayfield who went on to produce some of the best soul/funk records you will ever hear. this is a real laid-back number with fleur earth providing backing vocals.

tunnel vision (miles bonny refix)

miles bonny, known for his hip-hop and soul productions, develops the track 'tunnel vision' from the latest lp by the roots 'how i got over'. miles bonny has an lp coming out late summer called 'lumberjack soul'.

a town called obsolete

this is the second single to feature on the forthcoming debut album from andreya triana, which is produced by bonobo and due for release this august. sign-up to the andreya triana newsletter here to get a free download of 'lost where i belong (flying lotus preview edit)'.

"'a town called obsolete' is an obliquely upbeat and heartfelt plea for patience and faith in the face of indifference. triana's voice is perfect for this mixture of longing and hope, smokey, beautiful and tonally perfect. bonobo, meanwhile, hooks up dusty break-drumming, thrumming electric bass and a horn part that peaks at just the right times. it's another example of the understated brilliance and emotional weight that the pair have packed into triana's debut."

good things

aloe blacc is a soul singer/rapper/musican and is fluent in spanish, it's beginning to seem like there's not much this guy can't do. his fanbase has been steadily growing since 1995 when he collaborated with hip-hop producer exile and became something of a 'stow away' on the lootpack tour of europe in the late 1990s. his public profile was significantly raised after HBO decided at the 11th hour to use the lead single from his sophomore album for the opening credits to their show 'how to make it in america". the track "i need a dollar" is reminiscent of a 70s soul number with its urgent piano and haunting vocals, originally derived at a time when blacc was listening to old field recordings of black convicts from the south working on chain gangs. the first rough recording of the track was made with his friends back in 2007 sitting in their front room stomping on the wooden floor and clapping their hands, much like a kind of spiritual you could find yourself singing in church.

there is an absence of rapping on the new record, with blacc concentrating on the delivery, and in particular the emotional aspect of his soulful voice. production comes from truth & soul at the soul fire studios in williamsburg, some might remember their remix of dinah washington's 'cry me a river'. the retrospective track 'good things' starts off quite relaxed with a funky guitar riff bubbling under the surface, the introduction of brass acts as a catalyst in bringing this song to life, and the backing vocals create a sweet soul harmony that seems to be so rare in modern music. 'you make me smile' is nothing short of a delight, 'politician' features a heavier presense of funky horn licks, 'if i' is a delicate number where blacc's vocal talent really shines, and tracks 'momma hold my hand' and 'green lights' pay homage to traditional rhythm & blues. 'hey brother' has a crazy psychedelic groove and 'miss fortune' highlights a broader musical influence of reggae.

this record addresses current social and political issues, commenting on unemployment, homelessness, the unsustainable use of natural resources, and the pitfalls of capatalism. thought-provoking and decisively mature lyrics contribute to a growing musical character in which blacc strives for positive social change. 'good things' places aloe blacc at the forefront of modern soul, head and shoulders above many of his contemporaries, emphasising social consciousness and inducing compassion.

the gin diaries

latest release from german beat-maker suff daddy, 'the gin diaries', is a real treat for fans of soulful hip-hop. collaborations with the likes of miles bonny, fleur earth, mariama, and jim dunloop produce a similar neo-soul feel to that created by erykah badu's latest record. 'the gin diaries' has been described as a beat novel consisting of 13 musical short stories providing snapshots of the producer's life.


listen...

suff daddy - konnopke

suff daddy - feelin' fly (feat. mariama)

the album can be bought here

traveling man

info and on the new instrumental hip-hop album from oddisee...

"as a musician, life is often lived on the road. each city leaves its imprint on the artist as they develop their craft. touring, recording, and keeping up with friends and family took oddisee beyond his hometown of washington dc to australia, europe, asia, africa, and south america. from cities like east africa’s khartoum in sudan, to cosmopolitan jaunts like paris & tokyo. the influence of these travels can be heard on every one of the 24 tracks included on “traveling man"

each track was produced while oddisee stayed in the city it was titled after. the result is a 24 city sonic tour of the world. listen as oddisee guides you throught his instrumental journed around the globe. visit the lonely winter streets of detroit, festive san francisco, hynotic khartoum - or let your swagger loose with the theme music of chicago or the bounces of south central. oddisee sees the world, so that you can hear it."

listen...

oddisee - san fran

buy on cd/vinyl

i need a dollar

latest single from neo-soul artist aloe blacc who stays true to his soulful influences. look out for the new album out this year called 'good things'.



listen...



visit stonesthrow for free download.