Looking for some Monday motivation? We've got you covered! From healing music to audio architecture, here are five new songs that you can listen to right now to start your week the right way.
Kendrick Scott Oracle, "Voices" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hXdmK1boyM
Drummer-composer Kendrick Scott is set to release his new album with his longtime acclaimed working group Oracle on April 5 via Blue Note.
A Wall Becomes a Bridge is inspired by the current tumultuous political situation and the period of self-doubt Scott recently found himself having to overcome. It, therefore, musically represents both the communal and personal processes of healing, and "Voices" is one of the LP's more introspective tracks, defined by a peaceful and soothing sound that gradually builds up to a liberating crescendo, as if representing an overcoming of barriers.
Durand Jones & The Indications, "Long Way Home" (Live) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPd3TjcyYQI&feature=youtu.be
Durand Jones & The Indications are influenced by the sound of early '70s music, conjuring the dynamism of such greats as Jackie Wilson, Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions, but they're also firmly planted in the now, representing and reflecting the times through their work. On March 27, they took to the stage at
Jimmy Kimmel Live! to make their late night television debut in support of
American Love Call, their new album just out on Dead Oceans/Colemine Records. They performed "
Don't You Know" live on TV and a sweet, soulful rendition of their other single from the album, "Long Way Home," for a web-only exclusive video.
Joel Ross, "Ill Relations" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM06CnMtF64
Having left his mark on the New York jazz scene over the past few years and made stand-out contributions to the albums of such artists as pianist James Francies and trumpeter Marquis Hill, Joel Ross is ready to add his name to an illustrious jazz vibraphone legacy on Blue Note that extends from Milt Jackson to Bobby Hutcherson. Two key elements seem to define his debut album
KingMaker (out May 3): youthful energy and technical prowess. Both are evident on "Ill Relations," one of Ross' original compositions from the album, a sophisticated, odd-metered cool gem that also gives room to shine to fellow band members saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, pianist Jeremy Corren, bassist Benjamin Tiberio and drummer Jeremy Dutton.
Cornelius, "Audio Architecture" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvNpY-gF_LE
Multi-talented Japanese musical purveyor Cornelius (née Keigo Oyamada) seems to construct his music from a number of endless influences. On "Audio Architecture" from his
Ripple Waves album, released last year, he borrows a little from pop, jazz, avant-garde and electronic music. The result is a mind-bending romp that is both playful and cerebral. "Audio Architecture" was originally written for the exhibit of the same name that took place at 21_21 Design Sight Museum in Tokyo, Japan, which saw nine different directors create unique videos for the track, out of which Cornelius chose this one for its official standalone video.
Lafayette Gilchrist, "For the Go-Go" https://soundcloud.com/bk-music-pr/for-the-go-go-lafayette-gilchrist
"For the Go-Go" is a tribute to the go-go, a style of music originating from Washington D.C. that was popular in the '60s and '70s. However, if you listen closely, you will hear a timeline of sounds reverberating the evolution of piano through history - from Scott Joplin's genius to the Chicago stride and beyond. Such is the mastery of Lafayette Gilchrist over his piano, which mixed with his extraordinary on-the-moment creativity, allows him to incorporate with apparent ease, experience and ideas into a cohesive and timeless sonic universe. "For the Go-Go" is the opening track of his new solo album,
Dark Matter, out July 19. Recorded live at a recital hall in Baltimore,
Dark Matter is produced by hip-hop producer Wendel Patrick.
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