Modern Jazz

5 cuts; result of nocturnal jams in the wake of the Italian jazz-funk tradition, exotic fusion and Mediterranean mysticism. A tribute to the stars and their reflections on the sea.

Word of advice to funk lovers; there is not a minute to lose. Get on board of the Big Hustle’s spaceship. Before we take off, let's do a little history. The band was founded in 2014 by bass player and composer Sébastien Levanneur and its aim is to bring together 70's old school funk with the hippest actual sound laced with influences spanning from Steely Dan and Headhunters, to Snarky Puppy and Soulive. With mighty horn players, a rock and funky rhythm section, the Big Hustle's music has a very large variety of soundscapes.The first destination takes us to the Washington, D.C. area with “Turn Up”. The groove is clearly go-go music flavored with the trademark sound of cowbells and of course it reminds us of Zapp by the use of the talk box on lead vocals, performed here by Saad El Garrab. And don't miss out Shaun Martin (Snarky Puppy, Erykah Badu, Kirk Franklin amongst others) as a very special guest performing the talk box solo! Second stop is “A Curse, A Blessing”. It’s an instrumental very much in the Freddie Hubbard vein during his CTI years. The last leg of the A side ends with an instrumental interlude titled “Flying Donut”. Double tribute to Jay Dee and Flying Lotus, the music is a simple hip hop loop based on samples.The B side takes us back into the past with two brilliant covers, involving Rod Temperton the late great British songwriter who scored some of Michael Jackson's biggest hits. Now the idea for this B side is to do the opposite approach from the A side. Taking 70's and 80's original music and make them travel into time to 2018. We first land with a Heatwave song named “The Star Of A Story” from their 1976 Central Heating album. Track 2 is a Herbie Hancock song named “Gettin' To The Good Part” from his 1982 Lite Me Up LP. This Time Traveler EP journey ends with an interlude. Called “Gimme Dat”, the song deals with the need of new music, new sound.Again, this blend of deep rooted funk laced with a contemporary edge is to be consumed without moderation. And do not forget that E.P. also stands for extended pleasure.

Listening to the music of Al Doum & Faryds is always like staying in the pristine nature of an exotic desert island, in the sacred harmony of a New Organic Society; imaging all brothers and sisters singing and dancing in the unity of the brotherhood. This is the message of love and joy that seems to pervade the fourth album of the Milanese band.Compared to previous works, the substantial characteristics of the sound remain a powerful rhythmic basis and the prestigious skill in the poly-rhythmic dynamics; everything is however moved towards accents of more markedly jazzy ancestry. Basically the Faryds absorb and re-elaborate with remarkable insights disparate elements and influences of certain Electric Jazz or Rock- Jazz-Blues of the ’70 (Miles David, Dr.John, Graham Bond, Jeremy Steig) and Spiritual Jazz (Sun Ra, Pharoah Sanders, Don Cherry, Brother Ah), marrying them with the forceful instances of certain Afro-Free (Pyramids, Alkebu-Lan) and the more Freak-Jam plots typical of Space Rock. The sense of complete unity is also rooted in the balanced synergy and chorality of the instruments, which enjoy a perfect osmotic reciprocity and complementarity. A very important role is played by the entry of Fender Rhodes that chromatically emphasizes the parts as counterpoints and hypnotics ostinatos chased by the dense timbral mixtures of alto-sax and flute (Light Up) and roaring wah-wah guitars with flowing acid trajectories. The Holy Magic of the Faryds can lead to states of hypnotic trance in the inner abyss of infinite echoes (Drums Odyssey), open spaces of whirling freepsychedelia with unbridled and hyper-vibrating dilatations (Satieva), give moments of intense ritual concentration with accurate inserts of choral-religious invocation (Unity Is Brotherhood and Weed And Love) or more solemn orchestral sections with precious brass arrangements (Solchi). A pure joy scented with warm oriental radiance is reached with a touching final Raga-Folk (the titletrack) for sitar, acoustic guitar, percussions and rattles, chant and clapping hands. It’s the ideal evocation of music for the heart, mind and body in a journey of total pranic breath. Spirit Rejoin is the celebration of a new collective soul, a great cathartic ritual and an endless party with birds, plants and all the animals in the circle of devotion.