The Listening Guide
🎶 The listening guide: five albums, released during the past twelve months, chosen around a weekly theme 🎶
This week, we look at the many ways poetry can play a role in jazz music: from original writing that drifts between spoken word and jazz singing, such as in Kim Zombik’s fantastic project with bassist Nicolas Caloia, to projects where existing poetry from the likes of Malika Booker, Rebecca Lynch, Rachael Boast, Maura Dooley, and Jackie Kay forms either the foundation of a set of lyrics, or is a key inspiration for them — such as in the projects from Andre Canniere and Joshua Jaswon. Poetry from Marilyn Nelson, Cornelius Eady, Fransisco Alarcón, Maya Angelou, Richard Katrovas, Carolyn Kizer, and Langston Hughes plays an essential role in Gregg August’s first volume of ‘Dialogues on race’, whilst the brilliant poet and vocalist Lauren Kinsella uses singing and poetry on Seafarers’ debut album. Support all of the projects on Bandcamp!
Silvervest – People’s Waterworks
Gregg August – Dialogues on race
Album of the Week
Monades is the debut album from Paris-based flautist, oud player, and composer Julien Bigorgne. Informed by his passion for Turkish, Indian and African music, plus his appreciation for the likes of composer Erik Satie, bassist Avishai Cohen, and oud player Anouar Brahem, it is filled with filmic, folk-steeped motifs, which demonstrate Bigorgne’s gift for melody and minimalist aesthetic. Bigorgne is joined by Shankar Kirpalani on double bass (with the exception of Béla Bluche on track 2), Camille Petit on piano and vibraphone, alongside guests Juliette Weiss on violin, Nadia Mejri-Chapelle on cello, and Sophie Raynaud on the bassoon. Check out the project on Bandcamp!
Classic Album
The late great Jimmy Scott had one of the finest voices in jazz history, but whilst interest in his career and catalogue has grown in recent years, he perhaps remains less widely known than his contemporaries. His immaculate and emotive performance of Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child is one of the most moving moments on his 1970 album for Atlantic Records, entitled The Source. Check it out on streaming platforms and find out more about Scott in the 2016 documentary ‘I go back home’.