Released: 01/02/2010

José James came to prominence when Gilles Peterson signed him to Brownswood Recordings a couple of years ago. His debut album, “The Dreamer“, has been one of my most frequently played records over the last two years, and I think it is now widely recognised for the great piece of music that it is. Finally, his new album, “Black Magic” is here.

His voice comes across as a modern Gil Scott-Heron, with influences ranging from Marvin Gaye to the unmistakable John Coltrane. ”Black magic” as José describes in the booklet, conveys a lot of meaning, from the roots of black music across genres with its emotional expression ranging from passionate uproar to the beauty of love.

The mission for José James is in his own words, “to create something classic, that is also relevant for todays people”. With “Black magic” he continues the journey he set out on “The Dreamer” this time drawing on a solid group of producers for assistance.

Not that he needed assistance, because one of the biggest strengths of the debut was the feel of the soundscape, the completeness of the production and how it perfectly arranged the vocals with the instruments, making it sound polished without loosing a live feel to it.

But the willingness to experiment and push himself further is a true feature of José James, and also one of the reasons he is such a good fit with Gilles Petersons Brownswood label. As label manager Emily says; “he has always been open and willing to work with different people and get completely out of his comfort zone. Not many vocalists of this sort of seriousness and pedigree can be found covering a dubstep classic, Mc-ing for Flying lotus at Brainfeeder events, having their vocals pitched up and twisted out by Basement Jaxx, or throwing down a rap for SOIL&”PIMP”’s ubercool trio side project J.A.M.”

The Productions by Flying Lotus Dj Mitsu the Beats, and Moodyman should increase his reach to further audiences without loosing his base. Of the producers, it is Flying Lotus that has the largest footprint on the record. Being involved from an early stage in the writing and recording process, his slow hip-hop grooves and atmospheric sounds is apparent on a number of tracks. Of his three  productions, “Code”, “Made for love” and “Blackmagic”, the latter is my favourite.

But the standout track for me is “Promise in love”. Produced by Dj Mitsu The Beats, the slow, warm beats and trumpet creates the perfect base to highlight José’s fantastic voice. Another great example is “Lay you down” – where bouncy and slow funk groove really accompany the vocal, this time with staying slightly more prominent in the soundscape.

“Touch”, “Save your love for me”, “The greater good”, “Beauty” and “No tellin’” is the tracks that mostly resembles the debut, whereas Moodyman develops the classic José James voice with a characteristic production on “Detroit Loveletter”. Worth mentioning is “Love conversation” the only track on the record with a vocal collaboration. The conversation with Jordana De Lovely is an example of how José also fits well with other artists in a more supporting role.

James has even adapted of Benga’s dubstep anthem “Emotions,” adding his own vocals and re-titling the track “Warrior” – after the title of Bengas album “Diary of an afro warrior”. The dark and slightly paranoid foundation of beats blends well with the smooth jazz piano and Josés vocals – taking it into a new exciting territory.

Again, if you haven’t checked out José James yet – you are in for a treat. The video is a great introduction.

Brownswood Recordings | Amazon | MySpace | Juno Download |

Released: 1973/2009

Jon Lucien captures the essence of romance. His rich and expressive voice are a perfect channel for poetic tales of devotion, trust, hope, harmony and spirituality. The atmosphere is just right, drawing inspiration from rhythm and blues, jazz, caribbean beats (he was born on the island of Tortola – the largest of the British Virgin Islands) and Brazillian bossa to create his own unique blend soul.

These two cuts are finally to be found on on 45! Two huge Jon Lucien cuts, “Searching For The Inner Self” and “Would You Believe In Me”.

What a track “Searching for the inner self” is! It rose to prominence when Gilles Peterson dug the crates and included it in his Digs America compilation back in 2005. The b-side, “Would you believe in me“, is taken from the longplayer “Rashida” and is, as the main cut, a slow groove with Lucien’s majestic voice supported with the right amounts of horns and classic drumbreaks.

Fat City | Official Site |

Released: 28/01/2008

I’ll start off by quoting King Britt, as I feel his words neatly express my initial reaction to the album one and a half year ago - ”Just when you think that real voices are gone and replaced by synthesized vocoders or perfectly melodined melodies, comes a real voice. A voice who’s texture, tone and timbre seem to trace the history of real jazz greats. A voice that when you hear it, you know that’s what defines the word voice. Ladies and Gents José James”.  

The soulful warmth and intimate presence is up there with the great Terry Callier, Jon Lucien and Gill Scott-Heron. That is no little feet for an artist that cites John Coltrane, Marvin Gay and Billie Holliday as his musical mentors. So who is José James? He is a talented Brooklyn based Irish/Panamanian jazz singer that blends the sounds of jazz and soul, without being trapped within any artificial genre boundaries. In addition to the debut album, José has also featured on music by artists such as Jazzanova, Flying Lotus, JAM, and Dj Mitsu the Beats and Nicola Conte. José sings as part of a basic quartet made up of him, Nori Ochiai on piano, Alexi David on bass and Steve Lyman on drums, but there are slight variations on different tracks. José produced and arrange most of the compositions himself.

There should be no surprise that José first was picked up by BBC music maestro Gilles Peterson. After establishing his Brownswood Recordings record label back in 2006 he have signed artists such as Ben Westbeech and Elan Mehler. The label was set up with the simple aim of releasing good new music, music with soul – no matter where it’s from or what the style. Easily a value proposition to my liking. Check out Gilles great podcasts (available for free through iTunes) for truly inspirational sessions with musicians or just listening to Gilles digging out music from his collection.

The album starts off with the title track “The Dreamer“. The sensual, powerful, yet subtle trumpet gets the mood just right before José’s warm and rich baritone voice enters the frame. “Velvet” and ”Blackeyed Susan” continues the innocent, sensual atmosphere. Loads of emotions expressed in an fragile and honest manner. Picking out favorites is easy on such a complete and accomplished album, yet I would dedicate a few extra words to his cover of Freestyle Fellowship’s “Parkbench People”. It is accompanied by a great video shot by Josh Rothstein and filmed on location at a homeless shelter in New York.

“Spirits up Above” takes a slightly different angle, using the range of his voice with a more bouncy, tag-along jazz number to revise Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s little known but wonderful composition. The next track is another cover version – this time the theme song from Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have it - Bill Lee’s “Nola”. ”Red”, more than the other tracks on the album, pays homage to his hero Coltrane and is more live, experimental. 

“Winter wind” got that lovely acoustic piano accompanied with slow drums and a intimate presence before José’s lovely voice completes the romantisism with a story of lost love and loneliness, a theme that continues into the nostalgic “Desire”. Yet the two closing tracks are filled with a positive message. ”Love” ends the record on the sensual, spiritual note, with a drumbreak that ups the tempo and adds that little extra to the closing number.

The talents of José James should be apparent to every listener – he could easily be one of the greatest of his generation.

MySpace | Brownswood Recordings | Josejames.com |

Released: 07/04/2009

There is usually a few albums that stand out of the pile of records and end up being the soundtrack of the summer. Albums by Just Jack and Plantlife have previously created the perfect summer vibe for me. This year it will be Kero One. 

“Early believers” creates a joyful spirit of optimism. Hip-hop, jazz and soul perfectly blended together in well balanced arrangements, with strong lyrics sung by great vocalists such as personal favorites Ben Westbeech and Tuomo. 

The soundscape is truely organic – honest, personal stories accompanied by fender rhodes, beats, strings and acoustic guitars that gives the sound a live presence. You get that feel good vibe of an intimate concert for just you and your best friends barbecuing on a blanket in the park. My favorite is “When the sunshine comes” one of many examples of how Kero One captures this atmosphere.

“Early Believers” is the San Fransisco arists second album after “Windmills of the soul” (2005), a release that was successfull first in Japan. And if you are familiar with the new jazz and hip-hop coming from Japan you will easily understand why Kero One struck a chord with that audience. “Windmills of the soul”  gave him the opportunity to work with Talib Kweli and tour with KRS-One and EPMD.

A true DIY artist that have worked ever so hard to get the recognition his music deserves, both albums have been put out on his own Plug Label imprint. He has got his hands on most elements of the process, including vocals, production and instrumentation, art design, promotion, and web design. The DIY attitude and determination is expressed through the lyrics, exemplified in the words of “Keep Pushin” – And most these critics, That’s dissin’ or said I’m trippin’, Thank you for picking me up, I ain’t quitting or giving it up”. 

As Kero proudly proclaims he’s bringing “hiphop with a signature sound” yet  ” not saying I’m breaking ground”. Critics will point to the lack of hidden themes and literary mechanisms – but I think the straight forward, no nonsense storytelling is portrayed with real charm and character. No hard stereotypical hip-hop clichés about women, money and violence. 

Get yourself a copy!

Kero1.com | MySpace | YouTube | Amazon |

Released: 03/11/2006

Guess I am late discovering this artist, as the album was released almost two years ago. It caught my attention when “This Is What You Are” and “I cant keep from cryin’ sometimes” was released on the German label Unique last month – a record that has been on heavy rotation in Norman Jay’s program Giant 45 on BBC London. It was originally released under the moniker of Was A Bee back in the Spring of 2004. 

“Handful of Soul” is an album ranging between jazz and soul – it swings from smooth vocal melodies to rhythmic tracks you can dance to. Biondi is superbly accompanied by the High Five Quintet, a group that have released two albums (for the label Via Veneto Jazz), and encountered success at the most important jazz festivals like Paris Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz, Brianza Open Jazz, Clusone Jazz Festival and Teano Jazz. 

Mario is a white Sicilian from Catania, Italy – but there he certainly is capable of expressing his soul. Biondi have interpreted a lot of original American classics, songs he originally doubted he was able to reproduce stylistically. Songs such as “Slow Hot Wind” and “On A Clear Day”, or even  the title track “A Handful Of Soul”. But his deep and warm voice, and soulful passionate signing shines throughout the album.

MySpace | Soul Seduction | Amazon | Unique Records | Fat City

Released: 06/09/2008

I love the sound of Parov Stelar, a true unique sound based on the jazz sounds 1930’s and modern house music. The result is swinging nostalgic grooves that always put a smile on your face and the groove back into your hips. I like the quote on his official site explaining that “Like life, music must move on and progress. But like life, we must remember to reminisce and recall the past at times”. His soundscape stays true to this vision.

Behind the moniker is Austrian dj and producer Marcus Füreder, who is also the head of the label Etage Noir. Previous releases include sngs like ”Sugar“, “Matilda“, “Kiss kiss” and “Chambermaid swing“. ”Libella swing” is taken from Parov Stelar’s third album “Shine”. All tracks are good, but my pick is “Blind ally” with a killer piano line, bouncy bassline and jazzy vocals from Lylit. 

Somebody needs to bring this guy over to Norway, check out this video from this years Sziget festival and you will understand why. 

Parovstelar.com | Beatport | MySpace | Etage Noir | Ringtones |

Released: 20/05/2008

For a long time, Terry Callier was a hidden gem on the world music scene. His career has spanned nearly four decades, after signing his first record deal as a 17 year old back in 1962. However, the Chicago born soul singer only had regional success, and retired form the music scene after gaining custody of his daughter in 1983.

In the 90’s british dj’s picked up his records from the 60s and 70s, and revived his career. In addition to his numerous albums, singles and live albums, he has collaborated with artists such as Beth Orton, Koop, 4 Hero, and Massive Attack. His 1998 album “Timepiece” won the United Nations’ “Time For Peace Award For Outstanding Artistic Achievement Contributing To World Peace.” I strongly advice you to check out his releases.

Callier’s intense, spiritual live performances are widely acclaimed, with deeply moving poetry and musical eclectisism that builds on a history of soul and jazz. This album was recorded by Mr Bongo on 14th March 2008 at Terry’s UK home – The Jazz Café in Camden, London. As Mr.Bongo describes in the press release, his live performances are regarded by many as spiritual experiences rather than a gig. Time and time again audiences return to see Terry and his immensely talented, long-standing band (all of whom are top players on the world jazz circuit) to witness something different, be it a new story or a new take on a track. 

You should also check out the “Total recall” remix album that was released by Mr.Bongo back i 2003. A great record that still gets a lot of playtime in my house. Also look out for Terry’s new album ”Hidden conversations” that is out soon, including collaborations with Massive Attack.

Terry Callier | Mr. Bongo | MySpace | Amazon | Juno |

Released: 19/07/2004

Taken from Fred Everythings second album “Light of Day”, this three track EP was originally released back in 2004. It includes remixes by Rob Mello, Jimpster and Maurice Fulton. All remixes adds a little extra to an already great album from Frédéric Blais.

Mello’s gives “Find your way” his characteristic bouncing Classic treatment, while Jimpster takes it down to its jazzy roots. However, Maurice Fulton’s remix of “Elevate” which Fred did with The New Mastersounds is the track of choice. The New Yorker gives the track an atmospheric, multi-layered, Ibiza ambient feel to it, and I absolutely love it. Haven’t left the box for ages.

Maurice is visiting Oslo again the 22. august, so make sure to stop by underground club The Villa to experience his soundscape.

20:20 Vision| Last FM | MySpace: M.Fulton | MySpace: F.Everything