A gospelized, autobiographical collage of raps, beats, modern jazz and songs, featuring the in-demand drummer alongside an expansive roster of collaborators bringing together artists from his hometown of Houston (vocalists Corey King, Lisa E. Harris, Fat Tony, Jawwaad Taylor), those he became close to over several years living in LA (Sam Gendel, Zeroh, Mic Holden, Josh Johnson, fellow International Anthem artist Carlos Niño), and other creative partners from his life-long journey in sound (Chassol, Svet, Kenneth Whalum).
‘Rooted in his faith, Jamire opens the album with Hands Up, a devotional hymn cut against the stark reality of the modern world that sounds like an apocalyptic middle-grounding of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly and Merry Clayton’s Gimme Shelter. Whether in the rousing, spiritual Just Hold On or the fluid verses of Fat Tony on Safe Travels, the music exists in the tension between higher realms and social realities — what Jamire calls the “duality of a personal thing and what I’m seeing in my community, in the Black community, as a Black man.” ‘
Camae Ayewa aka Moor Mother, trumpeter Aquiles Navarro, drummer Tcheser Holmes, saxophonist Keir Neuringer, and bassist Luke Stewart.
Raw, organic punk-jazz, trying out electronics and synthesizers for the first time.
‘Irreversible Entanglements’ fearless music takes to task the police, American politics, capitalism, and racism (The Nation).
‘The jazz ensemble evokes our American topography, both physically and psychologically, by capturing what’s in the news and what’s underneath that surface’ (Pitchfork).
‘One of the fiercest sounds in modern jazz… The New York-based sax player and co mix it up, from funk shuffle to full-on swing, on their blistering fourth album, comprising eight tracks of angular yet explosive experimentation…
‘The opening title track sets the tone, interweaving Lewis’s expressive lines among pianist Aruán Ortiz’s polyrhythms before reaching a blistering sax solo. As the album progresses, there is variety amid the consistency of Lewis’s blasting tone: a funk shuffle on Swerve, Latin rhythm on Per 6, and fast-paced swing on Black Apollo…’ (The blistering Guardian).
The three main genres of Labë polyphony, all aiming for maximum emotional impact: vaj, lamenting life’s dramas; dashuri, love songs; historical epics.
Contemporary psych legends Acid Mothers Temple and Reynolds collaborating in the studio in 2017. Improvisatory, shamanic, ecstatic, nuts.
Geo Rip is John Jones (Dope Body, Nerftoss) with Aaron Leitko and Mike Petillo (Protect-U), making its vinyl debut. Broken samples and electronics improvised live to tape.
An auspicious, thrilling, varied first outing — daredevil, visceral, and fresh — in customarily gorgeous TTT livery, with top-notch sound.
Hank Jacobs was an accomplished West coast keyboard player, who smashed it with So Far Away in 1964.
One of his four releases on Alton Scott’s LA-based Call Me label, the slamming Elijah Rockin’ With Soul is a Northern favourite; whilst the more sophisticated, cool, sunroof-down East Side is a Popcorn and Lowrider go-to.