Pinch punch first of the month, tis the season of the mad March hare. Days getting brighter, staying lighter, then in a few weeks the clocks go back, and hey, we're living in a different world. All of which may seem like a strange rumination if you're living in Kuala Lumpa or even L.A., but life in a temperate zone like London pivots around such seasonal adjustments. It had been a raw day, windy, with the last throes of Winter wreaking havoc with anyone dressing according to how the day looked from behind glass. After nightfall everything usually calms down, though there had been an aberrational thunderstorm after the sun had gone down, a brief freak-out of nature. However by the time I was riding South the roads had by and large dried, with just the odd puddle to swerve reminding me of the earlier deluge. So onwards and upwards for The Cosmic Jam.
You know what? I'm so grateful to everyone that commented here or on my Facebook page after my mild crisis of confidence last week, all those positive affirmations are hugely appreciated. Faith restored, and once again eager to let the music take your mind, (and mine!). (Not forgetting heart, soul, toes and any other bits it might reach....)
So I'm listening back as I write, and I think it's fair to say that the opening string of soulful ditties that lead off this week's show act like a soft start, a gentle intro, all gloriously mid-tempo and full of uplifting warmth.
Soooo happy to already have something fresh from Jarrod Lawson, though that's hardly fair on the actual artist in question, trumpeter Farnell Newton, but Lawson's presence definitely steals the spotlight. "Peace and Love" has that Dilla-ish off kilter bounce, a righteous message, sublime harmonies, and glorious trumpet from Mr. Newton whose contribution should really not be eclipsed by the man of the moment. Miles Bonny, I remember being heavily into his "Closer Love" EP back in '07, but strangely I hadn't touched down on anything from his "Lumberjack Soul" album from a 2011...never too late to remedy a notable omission, and "Learning To Fly" is a worthy contender. Finally Rhonda Thomas', the album slightly underwhelmingly called "Vinyl Daze", has some tracks that I like well enough and others like "Reach" which I consider to be top drawer... and they keep getting better the more I listen, which is a good sign.
Then we twist...... who'd want to stay in that comfortable Soul groove for too long? Vanessa Freeman's new project Gomo, which I somewhat misleadingly dubbed Gomo Mondo on the show, when actually the album is called "Mondo Romance". Get it? At least I do now....and the music, which climbs to a nice altitude with tunes like "Breathless" combining jazz elements with a new school sensibility, and V's voice which blossoms and grows ever more wondrous....nuff said.
Native Dancer, cosmic, strong....
"Speaking Of Happiness" wrought from the best part of the weave, made of the most soulful material, a truly classic cut.
Stanley Cowell... a pianist whose compositions and evergreen approach to the music called Jazz should be no stranger to Cosmic Jam listeners. Though some vinyl jazz heads may have prized his contributions to the Strata East stable and maybe his awesome "New World" album for the Galaxy label, they may have missed or not even realised his ever expanding oeuvre of CD only releases, many for the Steeplechase label. The album "Mandara Blossoms" features vocalist Karen Francis throughout, and as it was kind of extended by both bass and drum solos I did a crude edit of "A Whole New World" for broadcast purposes, hope nobody's offended, kind of sacrilegious I know, but too many tunes to bless the session with! Like "Señor Zamora", Harold Vick's Latin fused thoroughbred for Strata East, Joe Bonner on Fender Rhodes, ouch!! Too tough. Keeping the Latin tinge, Fertile Ground's "Peace And Love" had been in my head all day, they've deservedly had a revival at Forge Towers of late; the band was mainly the project of James Collins who played keys and wrote most of the tunes however this one was penned by Navasha Deya who fronted the band and partnered James in love, life and music until they parted ways and Fertile Ground were no more.However their legacy deserves attention, in the wake of so much interest in "Spiritual Jazz" and the kind of community led projects the likes of Horace Tapscott et al were at the forefront of, we shouldn't ignore those who carried that torch into the modern era, themselves struggling with the realities of making spiritual music for a commercial music marketplace.
Poncho Sanchez, whenever I mention him in these notes I'm reminded of the day when he and his band stepped out of a tour bus to play at Dingwalls in Camden Lock, some serious L.A. latinos with beards to shame most hipsters. The Banda brothers on timbales and bass!! They were as good as it gets in Latin Jazz, tunes like "Ican" were the reason we went out of our way, and way over our budget, to book them for our Sunday afternoon jazz-dance session. They were happy, in fact so happy they celebrated the occasion with the tune "A Night In London" on their Chile Con Soul release.
The Ray Stephen Oche tune is an old favourite, however the African stream flows on with the two tunes that follow, the incredible Ndikho Xaba which starts off the second hour and a tune from the Ice album which had been languishing in my collection for many years without me exploring beyond the funky classic "Racubah", and in many ways I vastly prefer "Ozan Koukle". Bongos, Rhodes, solos...a la bit (Afro)acid-jazz, but lovely all the same, particularly the chanted refrain.
Out of Africa to ...... Stereolab, an odd insertion I agree, but it does kind of work, and it gets even odder by following on with Maze....I just had to do it. And then Hey Jude?? Yes, well, Edu Lobo's version is sublime.....
Finally we get some boogie groove, with Japanese jazz-funkers Casiopea making a long overdue appearance on the show, followed by my favourite "AOR disco" acquisition of late, the Sweet Vendetta album from Adrian Gurvitz, Adrian straight outta Stoke Newington, has a career with stints alongside powerhouse drummer Buddy Miles (Hendrix Band Of Gypsies) and then with Ginger Baker. So no surprise that this, his first solo album was made with some top notch U.S. session players, including drummers Jeff Pocaro and Ed Greene who features on this tune "Untouchable And Free" which I first heard somebody play at Danny Psychemagick's Magic Forest festival last summer, it was a tune that stuck in my head, though I didn't actually know what it was, didn't ask, and then lo and behold, I pick up the Gurvitz album for a paltry sum, get it on the turntable, and Side One Track One.... it's that tune!! Love it when that happens , oh blessed serendipity!
Nice re-edit of Pacific Jam follows, primed for the dance floor, that tune has always been big in my box! Rhyze needs a pitch down, but is even punchier with the bpm lowered and "Free And Easy" suddenly sounds spectacular... a nice way to finish.
Loved this one....
Until next time, peace love and pyjamas!
P.x
1. Farnell Newton ft. Jarrod Lawson&Tony Ozier - Peace And Love
2. Miles Bonny - Learning How To Fly
3. Rhonda Thomas - Reach
4. Gomo - Breathless
5. Native Dancer - Paris Drive
6. Gloria Lynne - Speaking Of Happiness
7. Stanley Cowell ft. Karen Francis - A Brand New World
8. Harold Vick - Senor Zamora
9. Fertile Ground - Peace And Love
10. Poncho Sanchez - Ican
11. Ray Stephen Oche - Odeiyolaoo
12. Ndikho Xaba and The Natives - Nomusa
13. Ice - Ozan Koukle
14. Stereolab - The Extension Trip
15. Maze - The Look In Your Eyes
16. Edu Lobo - Hey Jude
17. Casiopea - Eyes Of Mind
18. Adrian Gurvitz - Untouchable And Free
19. Pacific Jam - Antes De Mais Nada
20. Rhyze - Free
21. Rene And Angela - Free And Easy
