M. Zalla
Africa

Parisian label Chuwanaga curated by Clémentine & Saint-James is back in the production game with fresh music from Ishkero, maybe the hottest Jazz-Fusion band of the capital city. Going from Jazz-Funk to Afrobeat through Prog and Psychedelic influences, Brume infuses together killer grooves, irresistible melodies and excellent musicianship. The 12inch, coming with its beautiful illustration, reveals a uniformly good yet diverse musical journey. Behind Ishkero, you’ll find five young and gifted musicians with strong jazz knowledge: Tao Ehrlich (drums), Adrien « Dridri » Duterte (flute & percussion), Antoine Vidal (bass), Victor Gasq (guitar) and Arnaud Forestier (keys). With its strong evocation power fuelled by their youthful energy and creativity, Ishkero’s music is a one-of-a-kind variation on the Jazz genre. Fusion at its best potential! Expect intense rhythmic sections, virtuoso solos, lush FX sections and robust arrangements. Used to play a lot live, the musicians developed a vigorous connection that really shines on stage and during studio sessions. Collectively with Saint-James as their co-producer, they recorded Brume in summer 2019 at Studio Delta (Paris) with sound engineer David Cukier aka Greita (Disques Flegon). The first track, "Triple B", is an ode to 70’s jazz-funk carried by Jeff Mercadié’s Sax performance. "Tonik Gin"’s mighty jazz-rock groove which comes afterwards brings the genre to its emotional climax. B side starts with the main track "Brume", bringing together long-tailed reverberated guitars and Mizell-like piano chords for a very warm and hazy effect. As the last track, "Gare De l’Ouest" is a nice jazz variation on the Afrobeat genre, again with Jeff Mercadié on Saxophone.

Thomas Blanchot, 40 years old percussionist and drummer, started his production structure Mato Production in 2001, with which he collaborated and directed for many projects.Composer, music publisher and producer of music for TV, advertising, films and records, he also began a career as reggae producer since 2006, under the name "MATO". Since then he’s released music through various projects concepts, coming out through labels such as Makasound, EDR Records or Big Singles. In the meantime he developed a real trademark: taking over classics French, Hip-Hop, or Pop song, into roots Reggae-Dub new versions.Besides since 2010, Mato’s built a solid reputation thanks to his many remixes of Hip-Hop classics on Stix Records. It is therefore natural to find him back with a new attractive concept on the Favorite Recordings’ sub-label: seasoning the notorious "Homework" by Daft Punk, with his special Reggae-Dub sauce.Once again Mato achieves a brilliant rendition with this “Homework Dub”, making almost dreadlocks grow on the French robots’ heads! Using kick-effects, delays and roaring bass, he reinvents one of the most famous albums of electronic music, as if it was straight-out from Scientist, King Tubby or Mad Professor’ studios in Jamaica.

“Just as Picasso said “I do not search, I find”, Tribeqa has this grace that cannot be commanded: the grace of finding. Their music is a gift. It is fresh and spontaneous, like all musical approaches based on emotional and intellectual honesty. I have been following this band for nearly 3 years. The encounter was extremely rewarding for me. I am calling upon all audiences to listen to their music and receive those vitamins of which they have the secret” – Magic Malik

Pursuing their explorations in the vast corridors of international Funk and Disco music, Favorite Recordings and Bruno "Patchworks" Hovart present us Voilaaa. With this first single composed of 2 tracks that clearly reveal the Afro-Disco inspiration of this new experience, Favorite also expands its new series of Disco 12inch singles recently launched with several fine reissues, but this time with one of its special homemade production recipe.Under the imprint of the label and after their long years of collaboration in the achievement of projects such as The Dynamics, Mr President, Mr Day, Patchworks Galactic Project, or Taggy Matcher, the insatiable French producer therefore returns to his first love and specialty, Disco music, staring this time at the African and Caribbean influences.Indeed, as everywhere in the 70s and 80s, Funk and Disco movements were extremely influential in these regions, and in most cases, the combination of the festive, yet sometime futile nature of Disco, and the instinctive, deep, sometimes rough nature of African music, sounds like a perfect balance. Aiming to find back this energy and specific sound, Patchworks quickly began producing a few tracks; Using his unique and ruling beats and bass lines as foundations, this time he dresses all with guitars, keyboards and brass distorted with vintage and DIY effects pedals and boxes. Surrounded by a very dynamic music scene, where there is no shortage of artists with African origins, Patchworks decided to work with local singers, even if it means to accompany them on unusual musical paths. A more than successful bet with a result surprising of authenticity, as it’s unveiled by these first two titles alongside Sir Jean and Pat Kalla, both from a musical background as rich than different.With an album planned for the end of the year, that promises to be as explosive and magnetic, Patchworks and Favorite Recordings make a strike again and confirm them a little more if needed, as the true warrant of the modern dancefloors’ loyalty, to the spirit of their mythical ancestors ... Voilaaa tout (Thaaat’s all)!!

ENRICO RAVA - PUPA O CRISALIDE – 1974A body of evocative recordings included in Pupa O Crisalide with three different line-ups for this fantastic album by Enrico Rava which, thanks to Dialogo Records, finally sees the light for jazz lovers. With the Italian Giovanni Tommaso, Bruno Biriaco, Franco D'Andrea, Michele Ascolese, Mandrake and Tommaso Vittorini in “Pupa O Crisalide” and “Giramondo”, the American David Horowitz, John Abercombie, Herb Bushler, Jack De Johnette, Warren Smith and Ray Armando in “C.T.’S Dance” and “Tsakwe” and the the Argentines Finito Ginbert, Matias Pizarro, Rodolfo Mederos, Riccardo Lew, El Negro Gonzales, Nestor Astarita and El Chino Rossi in “El Samba Graciele”, “Revisione Del Processo N.6” and “Lingua Franca” Enrico Rava was the first Italian jazz artist to represent the country internationally, born in Trieste in 1939. Rava's music at its best is a mix of Central European and Italian culture.Enrico Rava was the first Italian jazz artist to represent the country internationally, born in Trieste in 1939. A border city with a long history as part of Austria, an important port on the Adriatic see, a places influenced by different cultures. Rava's music at its best is a product of this city - a mix of Central European and Italian culture.'Pupa o Crisalide' is one of the most interesting works in Enrico's discography. It is a good summary of the first phase of his solo career, and contains tracks recorded with three different line-ups: an all-Italian line-up for the opener "Pupa O Crisalide" and the closer "Giromondo", recorded in Rome with Giovanni Tommaso, Bruno Biriaco, Franco D'Andrea, Michele Ascolese, Mandrake and Tommaso Vittorini - an Argentinian octet for the B-side of the LP, recorded in Buenos Aires, and finally an impressive American septet with Jack DeJohnette and John Abercrombie, to name a few for the A-side, recorded in New York.The musical style clearly reflects the composite nature of the album. The first half is funkier, edgier and more fiery, evidently influenced by the jazz-rock/fusion tendencies that were spreading at the time. The second is more placid, elegantly incorporating some Latin/samba elements into the alchemy.The two halves are held together by the similarity in timbre of the line-ups (which feature almost the same elements), and Enrico Rava's renowned trumpet style. Often compared to Miles Davis and Kenny Wheeler, his technique involves rarefied notes, full of atmosphere, and erratic melodic lines that surprisingly do not undermine the 'presence' of his trumpet sound. On the contrary, the charisma of Rava's trumpet seems to emerge precisely from this surprising balance of detachment and red blood.