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A Thread for New Jazz

My "recent" favourites i.e. from the last eight years (happy for anyone to recommend anything based on them!):

Sons of Kemet - Burn
Laura Jurd - Human Spirit
Esperanza Spalding - Emily's D+Evolution
Bill Laurance - Live From Union Chapel
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah - The Emancipation Procrastination
Mammal Hands - Shadow Work
GoGo Penguin - A Humdrum Star
Leifur James - A Louder Silence
Maisha - There Is a Place
KOKOROKO - Kokoroko (thanks @hermit )
Binker Golding - Abstractions of Reality Past and Incredible Feathers

Nubya Garcia, Joe Armon Jones, Nubian Twist, Portico Quartet, Emma Jean Thackray, Alfa Mist, Moses Boyd & Yazz Ahmed for sure.

PS I need to checkout some of your list I’m missing too!
 
From what I've heard so far, I can't get excited over most of the young artists active on the 'London jazz' scene except perhaps Nubya Garcia. I feel similarly about the artists across the pond (Kamasi Washington? :rolleyes:). Most of it strikes me as derivative.

Stuff I've liked from younger musicians:-

- Vijay Iyer, Break Stuff (am looking forward to getting his latest trio album)

- Makaya McCraven, Universal Beings

- Asher Gamedze, Dialectic Soul (amazing album from South Africa, more interesting and appealing to me than the stuff put out by Shabaka Hutchings)

- Rob Mazurek Exploding Star Orchestra, Dimensional Stardust (still on the fence on this one but definitely warrants further listening)

Some new jazz from old artists that I've really liked:-

- William Parker, Wood Flute Songs box (an incredible 8 CD set of various live ensembles. I listen to this and I wonder why some of the young musicians get all the media attention but not Parker because he's making much more interesting music)

- Charles Lloyd, Tone Poem (I've assumed his music has a certain sameness over the decades but this one surprised me in a good way)
 
I haven't seen a lot of mentions of Jaimie Branch on this thread. I was a bit late to her but I've been playing the two Fly Or Die albums a lot.

 
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- William Parker, Wood Flute Songs box (an incredible 8 CD set of various live ensembles. I listen to this and I wonder why some of the young musicians get all the media attention but not Parker because he's making much more interesting music)

Certainly an under appreciated musician - in the UK at least. I've enjoyed seeing him play a number of times but have no idea where to start with his discography.

Have you read any of his 'Conversations' books interviewing other musicians? They look really good but I'm still dithering over the EUR 50 per volume.
 
From what I've heard so far, I can't get excited over most of the young artists active on the 'London jazz' scene except perhaps Nubya Garcia. I feel similarly about the artists across the pond (Kamasi Washington? :rolleyes:). Most of it strikes me as derivative.

A lot of it is clearly mining a chilled-out ‘70s soul-jazz/spiritual vibe, and I really like that. I think/hope we are very much in the early stages of this scene, e.g. contrast Nubya Garcia’s Source album, which is a really nice album, I like it a lot, but it does have an edge of restraint, with the fairly recent 6 Music session where she knocked the same tracks right out of the park, just amazing stuff:


Just one track remaining on Youtube as the full iPlayer gig has timed out. This was without an audience too due to covid. Wonderful stuff that really makes me want to see them live.

I’m convinced there is some amazing stuff ahead and so many of the others, e.g. Kokoroko, Maisha, Joe Armon Jones (piano with Nubya here)’s own band are similarly amazing live from what I’ve seen on Youtube etc. They just haven’t quite got that freedom and dynamic spark captured in the studio yet, though the albums are all very good IMO. They just need to let go a bit more the way they do live.
 
Whilst I realise this is now the dreaded rambling third post in a row I suspect us old guys are looking at the ‘70s soul-jazz grooves (which I love!) from slightly the wrong perspective as we can just about remember them first hand. These guys weren’t even born, and wouldn’t be for a couple of decades yet. As such they are coming to them the way my ‘80s indie generation found Velvet Underground, MC5, Can etc, i.e. well after the fact and as something to build upon and re-contextualise. Jazz is always built upon standards, but my bet is this generation are finding their way to these classic soul-jazz roots via rap and folk like Kendrick Lamar, Thundercat etc who have been mining these grooves in club music for a long time now. The UK scene looks to be looking back beyond this to George Duke, Gil Scott Heron, 24 Carat Black, CTI and right off out into the world of Afrobeat (Fela Kuti etc).


This four year old Maisha session makes the point well, pretty much equal parts soul jazz, Afrobeat, and something very uniquely 21st century young vibrant multicultural London. A great session. Boiler Room Sessions are almost always worth watching, they seem to capture bands at their best and with great sound quality too. The Comet Is Coming session is just incredible (here).
 
Yeah. A typical Maisha song really gets going only around the halfway mark (opposite of Roxette's "Don't bore us get to the chorus")! Once it gets going though ...
 
Do not know that book, will have to look out for it. Should be interesting. W. Parker comes across as a spiritual person and his music reflects that.

Parker has been pretty prolific. Some of his music can be quite free but I find most of his music on Thirsty Ear and AUM Fidelity to be an easy place to start. Certainly, as good as it is, I would not recommend Bird Flute Songs since it's too much for a starting point and already out of print.


Certainly an under appreciated musician - in the UK at least. I've enjoyed seeing him play a number of times but have no idea where to start with his discography.

Have you read any of his 'Conversations' books interviewing other musicians? They look really good but I'm still dithering over the EUR 50 per volume.
 
I agree with this and that's the thing that irks me about it. The music sounds so derivative and imitative, and as much as I enjoy that sort of music, why should I bother with it when I can listen to the original stuff? It's fine for young people to go out and listen to these new artists and support them (& I'd agree that all good live music deserve our support), but personally when it comes to recordings, I'd much prefer to listen and support artists that are presently doing new interesting things or having something different to say. A lot of what I hear from the present scene strikes me as formulaic - the use of synths, the hip hop style of drums, the funk/soul inflected tunes, etc.

Do you still remember the neo hard bop music of the 'young lions' of the late 1980s and 1990s? Or the acid jazz scene? Those young guys got a lot of media hype and major label attention at the time. Most of the music is hardly remembered as anything special today, only 30-40 years down the road. Certainly if you want to listen to serious jazz of the time, this is not what you reach for on your record shelves.

Whilst I realise this is now the dreaded rambling third post in a row I suspect us old guys are looking at the ‘70s soul-jazz grooves (which I love!) from slightly the wrong perspective as we can just about remember them first hand. These guys weren’t even born, and wouldn’t be for a couple of decades yet. As such they are coming to them the way my ‘80s indie generation found Velvet Underground, MC5, Can etc, i.e. well after the fact and as something to build upon and re-contextualise. Jazz is always built upon standards, but my bet is this generation are finding their way to these classic soul-jazz roots via rap and folk like Kendrick Lamar, Thundercat etc who have been mining these grooves in club music for a long time now. The UK scene looks to be looking back beyond this to George Duke, Gil Scott Heron, 24 Carat Black, CTI and right off out into the world of Afrobeat (Fela Kuti etc).
 
Do you still remember the neo hard bop music of the 'young lions' of the late 1980s and 1990s? Or the acid jazz scene? Those young guys got a lot of media hype and major label attention at the time.

All I can say is I’ve connected far more with this than I did with any of that! I think there is a very different political culture too, e.g. a lot of this is a protest music, as good jazz should be.
 
I agree with this and that's the thing that irks me about it. The music sounds so derivative and imitative, and as much as I enjoy that sort of music, why should I bother with it when I can listen to the original stuff? It's fine for young people to go out and listen to these new artists and support them (& I'd agree that all good live music deserve our support), but personally when it comes to recordings, I'd much prefer to listen and support artists that are presently doing new interesting things or having something different to say. A lot of what I hear from the present scene strikes me as formulaic - the use of synths, the hip hop style of drums, the funk/soul inflected tunes, etc.

Do you still remember the neo hard bop music of the 'young lions' of the late 1980s and 1990s? Or the acid jazz scene? Those young guys got a lot of media hype and major label attention at the time. Most of the music is hardly remembered as anything special today, only 30-40 years down the road. Certainly if you want to listen to serious jazz of the time, this is not what you reach for on your record shelves.
There is some stuff I like from most genres and time periods.

Newer artists have the benefit of "standing on the shoulders of giants". That isn't a fault, and can even be an unfair advantage, if they have the talent to bring their own thing too.
 
Do you still remember the neo hard bop music of the 'young lions' of the late 1980s and 1990s? Or the acid jazz scene?

I think a better comparison can be made with 80s Brit Funk scene - it's music created by musicians who have grown up on UK soundsystem and club culture as much as their parents jazz records. It's a blend of influences more than a retread or pastiche.

Someone like Kamaal Williams might have a 70s Fender Rhodes thing going on but you can hear that it's filtered through a decade of putting out house 12"s as Henry Wu.


i actually have the opposite problem - I could sometimes do with a bit less electronics in the records!
 
Agree with most of what Hockman said above. Two recent(Ish) releases I like from William Parker/Raining on the moon project are Great Spirit and Corn Meal Dance
 
My "recent" favourites i.e. from the last eight years (happy for anyone to recommend anything based on them!):

Sons of Kemet - Burn
Laura Jurd - Human Spirit
Esperanza Spalding - Emily's D+Evolution
Bill Laurance - Live From Union Chapel
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah - The Emancipation Procrastination
Mammal Hands - Shadow Work
GoGo Penguin - A Humdrum Star
Leifur James - A Louder Silence
Maisha - There Is a Place
KOKOROKO - Kokoroko (thanks @hermit )
Binker Golding - Abstractions of Reality Past and Incredible Feathers

I don't know the Bill Laurence or Leifur records - will check them out.

Based on that list you might find some things of interest in Kris Davis's Diatom Ribbons, Ambrose Akinmusire's On the Tender Spot or Origami Harvest and Terry Lynne Carrington and Social Service's Waiting Game - some of it maybe a bit more "exploratory" than some of the above.

Diatom Ribbons: Amazon.co.uk: Music

on the tender spot of every calloused moment by Ambrose Akinmusire: Amazon.co.uk: Music

Origami Harvest by Ambrose Akinmusire: Amazon.co.uk: Music

Waiting Game by Terri Lyne Carrington & Social Science, Terri Lyne Carrington & Social Science: Amazon.co.uk: Music

A taster of Kris Davis here

Jamie Branch has also been mentioned hereabout:


So much great jazz being made by women these days - more so than ever before.

and a bit of Ambrose Akinmuire

 
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That's great you've seen him live. I doubt I'll have the chance.

I've realized that I probably need to be a bit more specific about suggestions for Parker:

Luc's Lantern and Raining on the Moon on Thirsty Ear (I like Eri Yamamoto)

Raining on the Moon (as suggested by John C), also Petit Oiseau, Sound Unity and O'Neal's Porch on AUM Fidelity

Both labels are worthy of your support. They are small labels run by enthusiasts/musicians putting out music that they are passionate about.


Thanks for the pointers. I've really enjoyed the times I've seen him play with Hamid Drake and I see he features on a number of these recordings.
 
Agreed. But to my ears, most of them don't seem to have anything new or different to add. Yet anyway.

Don't get me wrong. Jazz and live music need younger fans and musicians. It's tough as it is to be dedicated to playing jazz. If this 'new' jazz excites new young fans to go out to listen and groove to the music, it's a good thing. It may well be a 'gateway' to the more serious stuff.

Newer artists have the benefit of "standing on the shoulders of giants". That isn't a fault, and can even be an unfair advantage, if they have the talent to bring their own thing too.
 


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