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Best New Albums | June 2023 SunNeverSetsOnMusic

Best New Albums | June 2023 SunNeverSetsOnMusic

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Bob Dylan - Shadow Kingdom

Shadow Kingdom

by Bob Dylan

Released 2 June 2023

Columbia Records

*****

With the Never-Ending Tour grinding to a halt due to the COVID-19 lock-downs, Bob Dylan staged a startling original concert in Shadow Kingdom, a live-in-the-studio show captured in a noir-ish black & white film. Stripped of those striking visuals on this 2023 album -- released two years after the film aired for a brief time on the internet -- the music sounds remarkable, a genuine re-imagination of Dylan's warhorses. The key to Shadow Kingdom is that he's not performing any of these songs like he did at the time they were written. They're given inventive arrangements that are right in the vein of the pan-American roadhouse music he's been making since the dawn of the 21st century: they're blues and rockabilly, they're soul and country, they're standards meant to be crooned in a saloon. Dylan plays with his vocal phrasing, relying on all the tricks he learned cutting record after record of tunes associated with Frank Sinatra. The result is surprising and singular, revealing new twists in songs that seemed to be set in stone decades ago.

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Read more... AllMusic

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Jonny Greenwood, Dudu Tassa - Jarak Qaribak

Jarak Qaribak

by Dudu Tassa, Jonny Greenwood

Released 9 June 2023

Dudu Tassa, World Circuit Limited

*****
‘Jarak Qaribak’ is the collaboration between celebrated Israeli singer, musician and producer Dudu Tassa and award-winning composer and guitarist Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead, The Smile), produced by Tassa & Greenwood and mixed by Nigel Godrich, ‘Jarak Qaribak’ brings together vocalists and musicians from throughout the Middle East for a very special album of cross-border collaborations.
Tassa and Greenwood have known each other a long time and have collaborated before. Jonny, who is married into an Israeli family hailing originally from Iraq and Egypt, remembers hearing Dudu’s music twinkling amid the prevailing gloom of mid-noughties Israeli rock when Radiohead first visited.
“Jarak Qaribak” translates, more or less, as “Your Neighbour Is Your Friend”. It’s an expansive, inclusive sentiment. The songs on the album, and the singers, are drawn from all over the Middle East – and, in keeping with the theme established by the album’s title, each singer takes a turn at a tune from a country other than their own.

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Read more... Jarak Qaribak

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Meshell Ndegeocello - The Omnichord Real Book

The Omnichord Real Book

by Meshell Ndegeocello

Released 16 June 2023

Blue Note

*****

Over the past 30 years, German-born American bassist and vocalist Meshell Ndegeocello has lent her unique blend of spacious melodies, rooted grooves and intricate fingerpicking to tracks by everyone from Madonna to Herbie Hancock and Robert Glasper. Across her own albums, Ndegeocello has been honing this sound to create soulful music that interpolates R&B and hip-hop as much as the virtuosity of jazz. Most recently she produced 2018’s Ventriloquism, which reinterpreted R&B tracks from the 80s. On her latest album Ndegeocello now looks forward, producing a futuristic, original soundscape of jaunty synthpop and electronic R&B.

As a whole, it’s a confident imagining of her infectious future funk sound.

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Read more... The Guardian

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Julia Bullock - Walking in the Dark

Walking in the Dark

by Julia Bullock

Released 9 December 2022

Nonesuch Records

*****

Julia Bullock is an American classical singer who combines versatile artistry with a probing intellect and commanding stage presence. She is also a prominent voice of social consciousness and activism. Bullock's notable positions have included artist-in-residences of London’s Guildhall School, the San Francisco Symphony, and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art

For this, her debut solo album, Bullock is joined on the album by London’s Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Christian Reif for Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 and an aria from John Adams’s El Niño. With Reif on piano she also performs a traditional spiritual and songs by Connie Converse, Oscar Brown, Jr.; Billy Taylor; and Sandy Denny.
Of the album’s varied repertoire, Bullock says, “This music and poetry have contributed to my development as a classical singer. Over the years, I’ve returned to this material with reconsideration, revision, and review, and that makes me undoubtedly call these songs ‘classics’—classics, which are inclusive of traditions across cultures, and celebrate a diversity of thought, expression, and experience.”

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Read more... Bandcamp

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Watchglass - Every Conversation In June

Every Conversation In June

by Watchglass

Released 22 May 2023

Duchess Studios

*****

Watchglass began in 2017 as a Sydney based four piece band and has over time morphed into a recording duo of Gina Graham (vocals and lyrics) and Mark Vee (guitars, synths, arrangement and production), creating electro/guitar indie songs of the esoteric vibrational musing variety, delving into relationships with people and places, always with a positive spin no matter how desperate.

Gina Graham writes: "This album came about after I practically got down on my knees and begged Mark to send me some tracks to write to. We had been in period of being fallen out for over two years and I frankly wasn’t going to suffer needlessly any more. Mark was the reason I discovered I could not only sing well enough to lead a band but also write songs! We started our music journey five years ago after Mark answered my "singer available" ad in the local classifieds.
This is our 5th album in 5 years. Eight songs written and recorded between June 2022 and February 2023. We have begun again. The songs herein are primarily a reflection of the journey and the joy of returning home".

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Read more... Bandcamp

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Rick Deitrick - The Unguitarist: Complete Works, 1969​-​2022

The Unguitarist: Complete Works, 1969​-​2022

by Rick Deitrick

Released 16 June 2023

Tompkins Square

*****

Ohio-born Rick Deitrick took up the guitar at 16 and decided to approach his playing as if he was the only guy on an island and the instrument had just washed ashore one day. According to Rick, "I completely divorced my playing from any formal music knowledge, but it was very important to me to use original tuning. During those years, the ‘60s/70's, there was a lot of acoustic guitar playing, often using open tuning as a base. I wanted to create whole tones without de-tuning and keep access to the complex sounds stock tuning provided."
Rick pressed 500 LPs of his tranquil solo guitar record, Gentle Wilderness, in 1978. He gave copies to libraries and left a few in the middle of the wilderness, next to trails, "so people would find them." Rick sought inspiration in nature and in particular the various rivers scattered around the Western United States, often composing songs while seated beside them.
Now, Tompkins Square is proud to present a 5CD retrospective box set, Rick Deitrick - The Unguitarist : Complete Works, 1969 - 2022 , which makes a strong case for Rick as one of the most individual voices in acoustic guitar music over the past half century.

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Read more... Bandcamp

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Aja Monet - when the poems do what they do

when the poems do what they do

by Aja Monet

Released 9 March 2023

Night Dreamer

*****

aja monet’s poems are a work of gravity. A surrealist blues poet, storyteller, and organizer born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, aja won the legendary Nuyorican Poets Cafe Grand Slam poetry award title in 2007. In 2018, she was nominated for a NAACP Literary Award for Poetry and in 2019 was awarded the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Award for Poetry for her cultural organizing work in South Florida. Her work moves, constantly, between origin and outcome, allowing them to exist in converse. In her debut album when the poems do what they do, releasing June 9 via drink sum wtr, we glimpse her indefatigable commitment to speak. Those thematic origins of this album at times center around Black resistance, love and the inexhaustible quest for joy.

In when the poems do what they do, aja monet appears as a woman of letters and storm, her poems do not roar in pentameter - but rather in storm surge because, “Who’s got time for poems when the world is on fire?!.” And this work isn’t one to pull apart into one liners, these are poems of things felt. There is a fullness here that can’t be encapsulated in even the boundaries that language offers.
aja is joined in effort on this album by musicians Christian Scott (trumpet), Samora Pinderhughes (piano), Elena Pinderhughes (flute), Luques Curtis (bass), Weedie Braimah (djembe) and Marcus Gilmore (drums). Together, creating music that is insistent and unrelenting.
When you finally reach the end of this album, you are left with a similar feeling you get when heartbroken, the gravity of barrelling back down to earth, sopping wet with tears, out of breath, overcome with love, despair, hope, and all too aware that all of this, is over far too soon. When the poems do what they do, they do absolutely everything.

 

Read more... Bandcamp

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Luke Una (Various Artists) - Luke Una Presents E Soul Cultura Vol. 2

Luke Una Presents E Soul Cultura Vol. 2

by Luke Una (Various Artists)

Released 9 June 2023

Golden Angel / Interscope

*****

Mr Bongo presents a much anticipated second volume of ‘É Soul Cultura’, curated by the charismatic Manchester based DJ Luke Una. In May 2022, ‘É Soul Cultura’ Vol.1 seemed to land at exactly the right moment. Post-lockdown, optimism was back on the rise and the dance floors swelled again. For many listeners, Luke Una’s intriguingly woven pattern of new, old, rare and under-discovered music from around the world became the soundtrack to rejuvenated positivity. Piccadilly Records made the release their top compilation of the year, with Rough Trade placing it as their number two. The enthusiasm from the industry was mirrored by record buyers and demonstrated that in the right hands, moving through genres, tempos and decades can make perfect musical sense.

It was clear from the get-go that the concept warranted a series, there are many sides to É Soul Cultura and many musical stories to tell. This second volume gives another opportunity for Luke to share his journey of the past four decades of staying up late and getting transcendental whilst listening to holy grail music as the city slept. It follows on from where Vol.1 left off, at times venturing into the deeper, spiritual, soulful, downtempo, experimental aspects of his tastes

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Read more... Bandcamp

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Luke Una (Various Artists) - Luke Una Presents E Soul Cultura Vol. 1

Luke Una Presents E Soul Cultura Vol. 1

by Luke Una (Various Artists)

Released 6 May 2022

Golden Angel / Interscope

*****

With some of the best DJs and selectors there is a certain mysterious sound or underlying feeling which unites the music they play, regardless of genre, year or tempo. Luke Una is a master of telling a story through music and this compilation is a perfect example of his musical alchemy in action. Featuring tracks from Yusef Lateef, Airto Moreira, Crooked Man, Henri Texier and many more, it is a collection of new, old, rare and under-discovered music from around the world, all united by Luke under the banner of “E-Soul Cultura”.
It’s best described by Luke himself, who writes: “As the 5AM city sleeps and the strobe lights are slowly turned off, we gather on the wrong side of town in a transcendental journey alone together. We are the late night disenfranchised holding on in various after parties, flats, lofts, random kitchens and basements into the outer cosmos with É Soul Cultura. Music from exotic tear jerkers, Afro-spiritual jazz, cosmic Brazilian celestial grooves, machine street soul, dark horses, lost B-sides, £1 bargain-bin bombs, hidden gems, late night Italo dubbing, deep velvet N.Y.C garage, bass buggin sonic futurism, wrong speed 33BPM pitched up +8 new beat, majestic sunset strings, sweet vocals from heaven, no half steppin jazz dancing in outer-space and odd numbers. Yes… magical moments, together, holding on in witness protection suburban cul-de-sacs and Castle Court flats. Cosmic É high, 3000ft above the city getting evangelical to murky, wonky timeless beautiful music. This thing of ours dreaming of better days. Fail we may, sail we must, the sun will come up again.”

Read more... Bandcamp

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Secret Night Gang - Belongs On A Place Called Earth

Belongs On A Place Called Earth

by Secret Night Gang

Released 23 June 2023

Brownswood Recordings

*****

British jazz, funk and street soul masters, Secret Night Gang return with their highly anticipated second studio album ‘Belongs on a Place Called Earth’.

Led by Manchester natives and childhood friends Kemani Anderson and Callum Connell, Secret Night Gang spread their uplifting, transcendent, and genre blending street soul sound through, dynamic melodies, striking brass accents and jazz inflected soul prowess, renewing the musical frontiers of the genre. 

 

Read more... Brownswood Recordings

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San of the Rambutan - The Legend of Rabona (EP)

The Legend of Rabona

by San of the Rambutan

Released 13 February 2023

SOTR

*****

Purely created from a mistake, as an experiment for ‘The Experiment’, ‘SOTR’ through thick and thin, formed a five piece cinematic jazz fusion band over the years. The members of San of the Rambutan, Emmanuel Maas (pianist), Liam Thompson (drums), Pat Carroll (bass), Sam Holland (electric guitar) & Stephen Brooks (saxophone) have connected through the love of music from different locals of Naarm (Melbourne).

SOTR’s sonic escape is a combination of influences with the key elements of all players coming from very different worlds of music, being, 90’s hip-hop, various electronic styles, rock & metal, high school classical and improvisational jazz.

Inspired by influences such as the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) Herbie Hancock, BBNG (BadBadNotGood) & Kamaal Williams, 'The Legend of Rabona' takes on genres such as Jazz-fusion, Funk, Hip-hop, Electronic, Soul & RnB

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Read more... Bandcamp

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Surprise Chef - Friendship (EP)

Friendship (EP)

by Surprise Chef

Released 2 June 2023

Crown Records

****-
Surprise Chef are Coburg’s cinematic soul journeymen, pushing moody shades of instrumental jazz-funk with a DIY mentality.
Surprise Chef’s output reflects a meticulous education of 1970’s soul, touching on the legacies of composer/producers David Axelrod & Isaac Hayes, with cues also taken from the catalogues of Daptone and Truth & Soul.

Friendship is a six song 12” EP that picks up where the last album left off and pushes their sound in new directions as they take on different energies and make them their own. The EP opens with “Rosemary Hemphill”, a gorgeous yet haunting tune that takes the listener through a myriad of musical changes and moods. “Friendship Theme” is a bouncy and energetic number with an infectious and driving topline that is sure to move dancefloors around the globe. “Over The Moon” is pure mood music that puts Surprise Chef’s restraint and tasteful use of space front and center while “Spiky Boi” is a frantic upbeat number drenched in percussion and keyboards.

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Read more... Bandcamp

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Uriel Herman - Different Eyes

Different Eyes

by Uriel Herman

Released 30 June 2023

Ubuntu Music

*****

Uriel Herman, the young pianist and composer from Jerusalem, studied classical piano and composition with exalted Israeli conservatoire teachers during the 2000s, but has recently toured the world as a soloist and bandleader in pursuit of an increasingly personal and spontaneously-evolving music. When he released his 2014 debut album, Awake, it was evident how far the then 26 year-old Herman had moved from the orthodox roots of his training - songs by Nirvana and Radiohead joined originals framing words by revered Hebrew-language poets Yehuda Amichai and the gifted but short-lived Tirza Attar.

Different Eyes, Herman's third release, and a vivid collage of the sounds of his childhood on Jerusalem streets, mergers of rhythmic and melodic ideas spanning the Middle East, a little Chopin, and a closing lullaby dedicated to his young son – is the most powerful evidence so far of his formidable promise. T

If there are any racing certs for the 2023 poll winners' lists so far, Different Eyes sounds like one of the front-runners.

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Read More... Jazzwise

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Jason Moran - Valiant Hearts Calling Home (Original Computer Game Soundtrack)

Valiant Hearts Calling Home (Original Computer Game Soundtrack)

by Jason Moran

Released 26 May 2023

Ubisoft Music

****-

Some of the best contemporary music to be discovered these days escapes the publicity and critical acclaim of mainstream releases because it awaits discovery in soundtracks and computer games. "Valiant Hearts Calling Home: is a prime example, even as a the soundtrack album released by Ubisoft, the publisher of the computer game.  ​

A sequel to "Valiant Hearts: The Great War", "Valiant Hearts: Coming Home" has been described as "a heartfelt emotional narrative game that follows four unsung heroes dealing with the overwhelming nature of war in a story about survival, sacrifice and friendship".

The soundtrack is composed by notable American jazz pianist, composer, and educator Jason Moran, who has a long association with multimedia art and theatrical installations and a musical repertoire that typically draws upon post-bop and avant-garde jazz, blues, classical music, stride piano and hip hop.

In this instance, he has been influenced by and respectful of the period in which the drama is set, supporting the story with a Joplin-esque piano and brass ensemble. Although some tracks run less than a minute in duration (and all except the opening track running under three minutes), Moran's instrumental choices provide such continuity and a musical narrative that binds this nineteen-track set as a stand-alone musical offering - even without the graphical support (or perhaps, distraction) that the computer game would likely provide.

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Michael Blake - Dance of the Mystic Bliss

Dance of the Mystic Bliss

by Michael Blake

Released 26 May 2023

P&M Records

****-

This mesmerizing new album features Michael Blake's saxophones and flute immersed in a vibrant musical universe of his own making. Bringing to mind palm trees growing out of the frozen tundra. Blake calls the project Chroma Nova which includes a small string section (Skye Steele, Chris Hoffman, Michael Bates) and electric guitar (Guilherme Monteiro) whose sharp edges contrast beautifully with the dense yet delicate percussion work of Mauro Refosco and Rogerio Boccato.

"Dance of the Mystic Bliss" is the result of years of effort; created and recorded during the global pandemic in 2020. Some of the music reflects the grief Blake experienced processing the death of his mother Merle in 2018 and the ensuing political and public health crisis of 2020. But other pieces are full of heart bursting optimism, representing the artists unrelenting pursuit to evolve. On Dance of the Mystic Bliss, Blake proves once again that he is a formidable saxophonist with a lot to say.
 

Read more... Bandcamp

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Baby Rose - Through and Through

Through and Through

by Baby Rose

Released 28 April 2023

Secretly Canadian

****-

D.C. bred, NC raised and Atlanta based newcomer Baby Rose (born Jasmine Rose Wilson) is a soulful singer, songwriter, and producer known for her deep expressive contralto vocals and eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues, and jazz. Born to a jazz connoisseur father and hiphop manager mother Baby Rose was in love with the music from a young age and has been writing, composing, and singing since.

The piercing honesty and vulnerability she brings to her lyrics in turn helps others process their feelings and find a place of healing. For Rose, it’s a journey that’s still ongoing. “If I’m going to leave anything behind, it’s going to be getting people back to themselves,” she says. “As I get back to myself, it’s a constant reset: Remember who you are, remember who you want to be.”
 

Read more... Bandcamp

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Janelle Monae - The Age Of Pleasure

The Age Of Pleasure

by Janelle Monae

Released 9 June 2023

Wonderland / Bad Boy Records

****-

Dedicated to those "around the diaspora and those seeking to join us," (The Age of Pleasure)'s delights are earthly in a way that echoes Monáe's listed track-by-track inspirations, which most pertinently acknowledge those finding communality and liberation in basement parties, ballroom culture, and (Atlanta) strip clubs. Objects such as "the weathered copy of Doggystyle (Snoop Dog's debut album) framed in my cousin Myron's clogged bathroom" are cited too. In addition to the Afrobeat element often brought in by (collaborators Sean Kuti and) Egypt 80, and appearances from a mix of legends and up-and-comers, The Age of Pleasure is threaded with interpolations and samples of numerous reggae classics. It still sounds just like a Wondaland production -- soulful, left-of-center pop that is ornate and tasteful, brimming with ideas from subtly dazzling vocal arrangements to crafty song transitions. There's joy in every moment. It's no coincidence that Monáe chose Pride Month and Black Music Month -- ten days before Juneteenth, to be precise -- to release a multicultural album of unrepressed (sometimes explicit) spirit, built for playing in the sunshine.

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Read more... Bandcamp

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Lanterns on the Lake - Versions Of Us

Versions Of Us

by Lanterns on the Lake

Released 2 June 2023