Juno Recommends Brokenbeat / Nu Jazz: Best of 2022

Review: Killer version of the Lonnie Liston Smith classic monster club track by Incognito side project Citrus Sun featuring Valerie Etienne on vocals.

Review: For the first missive on their limited-edition, vinyl only offshoot, the Eureka! label has secured two secret weapons from broken beat mainstay, future jazz-funk hero and all-round don Kaidi Tatham. He's in typically fluid form on A-side 'There's Something in the Water', a loose and languid chunk of immersive bruk-up warmth full of sci-fi synth sounds, liquid electric piano solos, rubbery bass guitar, crispy drums and classic-sounding flute solos. 'Coffee Time (Kaidi Tatham Remix)' is a vintage rework from the vaults whose distinctive rhythm includes vocal samples, crunchy snares and jazzy cymbals. Throw in his usual fine instrumentation and you have another luscious broken beat gem.

Review: Uwe Schmidt's SeNor Coconut project was a delightful curio of the 00s, as he took a break from myriad techno aliases to create vibrant Latin covers of pop hits. Drawing from the first Coconut album, 2003's Fiesta Songs, this 7" revisits two of the most successful re-versions Schmidt created. On the A side we have a luxurious take on an already luxurious anthem, Sade's 'Smooth Operator'. This is no token sprinkling of salsa samples, but a startlingly accurate homage to the Latin music tradition which is as sincere as it is fun. The same goes for the version of 'Beat It' on the B side, which turns the tempo up and embraces some frantic percussion diversions in the middle of the action.

Review:  Earlier this year, veteran composer/producer Janko Nilovicjoined forces with Russian combo the Soul Surfers to deliver Maze of Sounds, a killer collection of fresh library funk sounds. This tidy "45" kicks off with one of the album's most potent tracks, 'Sweet Path', a wonderfully laidback and sun-kissed jazz-funk number rich in simmering strings, chunky bass, eyes-closed jazz guitar and some genuinely lovely group harmony backing vocals. Over on the flip you'll find a fine (and previously unheard) version of album title track 'Maze of Sounds'. This version frames the track as lusciously languid exotica, with slow-motion Hammond B3 lines and echoing guitars atop woodblock clicks, jazzy bass guitar and horizontal funk breaks.

Review: Something of an all-star affair here, as Sacred Rhythm main man Joaquin "Joe" Clausell sprinkles some of his remix magic over 'Inner Light', one of the standout cuts from Nicola Conte and Gianluca Petrella's 2021 album People Need People. Whereas the original was a richly percussive, dubbed-out future jazz-goes-dub house affair, Clausell's versions are warmer, looser, jazzier and deeper. Check first the A-side 'Cosmic Arts Version', where Rasahan Ahmad's poetic spoken word vocal rises above broken beats, layered jazz horns, warm bass, glistening guitar kicks and warming electric piano keys. The flipside 'Cosmic Arts Version' is, if anything, even better, delivering dubbed-out percussion, mazy trumpet solos and trippy effects aplenty. In a word: essential!

Review: Those who keep a keen eye on the contemporary British nu-jazz scene should already have encountered producer Tom Funk's The Sultan's Swing project. He's already released a trio of fine albums under the alias, each of which combines authentic jazz, jazz-funk and acid jazz instrumentation (provided courtesy of a rotating cast of guest musicians) with nods to trip-hop, downtempo, dub, Balearica and Latin beats. The Sultan's Swing Sessions, Funk's contribution to the Colin Curtis Presents series, takes a similar approach, with predictably excellent results. Our picks of a very strong bunch are the gently spaced-out dancefloor Latin jazz of 'Lotta Arlotto', the summery jazz-fusion of 'Hitchfunkers Slide To The Galaxy' and impeccable opener 'The New Beginning'.

Review: The masterful Marc Mac is back with more of his worldly music and again it is richly influenced stuff with sunny broken beats. London boogie and the sounds of Brazil, lush strings, pensive pianos and big bass all feature and call to mind his legendary work as 4hero. Going this four track trip are musicians Luke Parkhouse on percussion, Nathan Haines on Sax and Octavio Santos and Mookie Williams on horns. it is music for the warmer days, with cool grooves and feel good vibes all tuning through all the tunes. For us, the shuffle and swing of 'Encantadora' is a real highlight.

Review: Omar is a real British musical institution and as such it's surprising but also not so shocking, he has recently completed a stint on BBC soap Eastenders. This cheeky 7" is a reissue of the title track from his album The Man and a fine example of his perfectly soulful vocals and mellifluous melodies over nice broken beat and nu jazz sounds. It represents some of his best work and this contemporary take uses the final few bars of the original track as its starting point in a "part 2" style.

Review: Japan's premier jazz funk covers outfit Nautilus are back on the scene with another 7" of those pristine grooves they lay down so well. They've been busy lately, recording the Serendipity album with Lisa Decker and just releasing the Reconnection album amongst other singles and EPs, but once again they've got more beautifully executed music to impart to the world. 'Skyscrapers' rides on a taut breakbeat and features some slinky bass guitar, striking an ever-so-slightly moody tone. 'Another World' is all about the snappy piano hooks, with the band following dutifully behind each melodic passage and winding up in something sweet and funky - as if you expect any less from this band.

Review: Legendary jazz label Blue Note has tapped up the super hot nine-piece Afro-jazz outfit Nubiyan Twist for their own new version of Donald Byrd's song 'Through The Noise.' It features on the 16-track Blue Note Re:imagined II collection that is due soon, but first also gets its own pressing here. Heavy swing, garage and 2-step all colour their version with broken-beat, afrobeat and bebop also colouring the fresh sounding grooves. The lyrics build the reimagined concept and make for a stunning new piece. On the flip is another gem in the form of Swindle's 'Miss Kane.'

Review: Pampa Record boss DJ Koze is one of the most idiosyncratic artists out there and for that reason whenever you spot his name as a remixer it is always well worth checking in. Here are adds his own spin to 'Sanba Yo Pran Pale' from Lakou Mizik and Joseph Ray's 2021 Leave The Bones release. His opening remix is all about the shuffling afro drums and balmy synths, the innocent melodies and the youthful energy they bring. It is a 10-minute plus masterclass and the edit then distils all that into something shorter and sweeter. The enchanting original is also included.

Review: Some expansive, cinematic, orchestral spiritual jazz for you here, from the trio of talents that Fumio Itabashi, Kuniyiki and Henrik Schwarz. While the latter two are generally better-known for their deep and sometimes tech-tinged house and ambient productions, the original mix of 'Watarese' (featured here on side B) is a dense, immersive jazz soundscape laden with evocative Japanese vocals, improvised piano, moody orchestration and definite nods towards vintage free-jazz. Spiritual Life supremo Joaquin 'Joe' Clausell provides the remix and, somewhat predictably, steals the show. His take is gently rhythmic, sun-splashed spiritual jazz full of hand percussion, fluid piano motifs and rubbery double bass.

Review: Although they've collaborated a lot over the last decade, the two tracks on this seven-inch single date back to Stefan Ringer and Chris Irvin's first joint studio session. Remarkably given their friendship and long working relationship, it's also the pair's first collaborative release. A-side 'Callin' Me', which features vocals written and performed by Voyce Lashae (real name Alicia Leshik) is particularly potent - a squelchy, deep, soulful and off-kilter chunk of broken beat/souful electrofunk fusion rich in jazz-funk synth sounds, undulating electronic bass and crunchy machine percussion. The pair's jazz-funk and P-funk influences are even more evident on flipside 'Heels On', a similarly soulful, house-style number that sits somewhere between Kaidi Tatham and Prince.

Review: Last October, acclaimed saxophonist Pharoah Sanders turned 80 years young, and his input on this album is testimony to the fact he has clearly aged like a fine wine. Not that this is to suggest preceding outings were anything less worthy than this collaborative project, which sees Sam Shepherd, the British electronic artist better known to most as Floating Points, write nine spectacular arrangements which are then performed by said brass legend, alongside The London Symphony Orchestra.

The results are spectacular, and wildly far-reaching, albeit firmly rooted in jazz with classical undertones. From the movements that made this final cut, some are whisper quiet and delicate to the point of risking breaking off if you were handling haphazardly. Others are booming loud, musical jumbo jets landing at the end of another great crescendo. Whether hushed or monumental, though, we can feel every note and bar of this masterpiece.

Review: In our eyes, Kaidi Tatham can do no wrong. The long-serving keyboardist barely seems to sleep and releases a high volume of collaborations and solo records, but his quality threshold is so high that there's barely a duff track in his catalogue. Over the last few years he's developed a trademark sound that wraps Herbie Hancock style jazz-funk keys around crunchy broken beats, while also drawing influence from hip-hop, '80s electro, boogie, Latin jazz and slick deep house. An Insight Into All Minds, the veteran musician's fifth solo album, is naturally rooted in this trademark style, offering up a collection of cuts that bristle with positivity, pack plenty of punch, and are as well produced and life-affirming as you'd expect. It's a high bar, but it could well be his single best LP to date.

Review: Kaidi Tatham is a master of broken beats and a widely respected figure in the London music scene. His new 12 track album takes us on a lush and louche trip through all his myriad musical skills and styles. Boogie, gospel-tinged hip-hop, jazz-funk and more all colour the futurist grooves with contributions from The Easy Access Orchestra, and pianist Robert Mitchell. This is a fourth solo album from the man and maybe his best yet, even though it has come so quick on the heels of the release of An Insight To All Minds in 2021.

Review: FKJ's glossy brand of instrumental funk and soul has reached many a great height, so now it's high time we looked back on the artist's roots. 'French Kiwi Juice' was his first album, showing off the artist's incredible multi-instrumental chops. Super-sweet yet also tart sonic juices from the Franco-New Zealander, returning to this exclusive vinyl pressing.

Review: It's not clear as to what a 'Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam' is, but we do have a clear idea of what it sounds like in the abstract. The trio made up of nu-Afrofuturists King Shabaka, Danalogue and Betamax warn us not to look up on this latest LP masterwork, owing to the group's cosmic chops for fusing dancehall, jazz and psychdance musical elements. Perfect for the coming storm, this is a cinematic jazzdance you can't miss.

Review: Mute is in the middle of reissuing a number of classic albums from Recoil. Recoil is of course Depeche Mode member Alan Wilder, who branches out alone and made a series of dark and involving electronic records of the sort you might expect given he was in the 'Mode. Next to 2006's subHuman, Liquid is thought to be one of his best works. It dates to 2000, five years after he left the band, and has a hypnotic and deeply charged charm. It is made up of an intense mix of moods - namely desire, fury, and violence - and is full of self-reflection that encourages you to go deep inside yourself while listening.