Jazz Is Dead レコード& CD

Review: To mark the 20th instalment in their popular and ongoing series of collaborative albums, Jazz Is Dead, Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad have decided to serve up fresh remixes of cuts from the series' bulging back catalogue. Given the series love of fusing jazz's past and present, it's a concept that makes perfect sense. The resultant rubs are uniformly inspired, too, with our picks of a very strong bunch including Shabaka Hutchings' fantastic revision of Henry Franklin hook-up 'African Sun', Mophono's psychedelic, dancefloor-ready tweak of Tony Allen collaboration 'Don't Believe The Dancers' (which comes complete with heavy drums and hazy, Fela-esque horns), Theon Cross's drum & bass style re-imagining of 'Phoenix' (featuring the Midnight Hour), and Bei Ru's duty, head-nodding hip-hop interpretation of Katalyst collab 'Reflections'.

Review: Over the last few years, Adrian Younge has spent a lot of his time working with Ali Shaheed Muhammad legends on the essential Jazz Is Dead series of collaborative albums. Here he finally steps out on his own once more - albeit with assistance from a range of musicians and vocalists - with a stunning set that he describes as "an unapologetic critique, detailing the susyem and malevolent psychology that afflicts people of color". Musically, it doffs a cap to the emotive orchestration of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, with nods to jazz-funk greats such as Bob James, spiritual jazz and the jazzy hip-hop grooves Younge has long been associated with, while the artist's own spoken word vocals are conscientious, hard-hitting and thought-provoking. In other words, it's an exceptional piece of work.

Review: Adrian Younge's new album is undoubtedly his most powerful yet. He says it "dissects the chemistry behind blind racism, using music as the medium to restore dignity and self-worth to my people." It is an unapologetic critique of the current systems that suppress people of colour and the malevolent psychology that taps into that. Musically, this is a deeply soulful record with elaborate orchestration and some top level guests. Next to the album, Younge has also made a short film (TAN) and 4-part podcast (invisible Blackness) on the same subject that make for vital listening.

Review: Since launching the Jazz is Dead series two years ago, Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muuhammad have released eight studio albums - each a collaboration with a different figure from the jazz and soul spectrum - and a compilation of instrumental takes. It makes sense, then, that volume 10 is a remix album, with a variety of producers putting their stamp on cuts from the pair's expansive joint catalogue. As you'd expect, it's packed to the rafters with killer hip-hop, downtempo and broken beat reworks, with highlights including Cut Chemist's head-nodding, cinematic hip-hop take on Gary Bartz hook-up 'Soulsea', Shigeto's contemporary spiritual jazz revision of Brian Jackson co-production 'Nacy Wilson', and DJ Spinna's squelchy, house-not-house rub of Azymouth collaboration 'Rendor Do Samba'. Soulful, jazz-fired perfection.

Review: Over the last 12 months, Adrian Younge and A Tribe Called Quest member Ali Shaheed Muhammad have been inviting some legendary musicians to swing by the former's Los Angeles studio to make fresh tracks with vintage equipment. The results are detailed on "Jazz Is Dead", a superb album that combines elements of dusty soundtrack jazz, soul, jazz-funk, Latin jazz and head-nodding live beats influenced by the duo's hip-hop roots. Highlights include the atmospheric, slow-motion warmth of Roy Ayers collaboration "Hey Lover", the floor-rocking fusion heaviness of epic Azymuth hook-up "Apocaliptico", the languid sweetness of 'Down Deep" (featuring Doug Carn) and the samba-soaked sunshine that is Marcos Valle composition "Nao Saia Da Praca".