Rocketnumbernine: Matthew and Toby

A year ago, the two brothers Ben and Tom Page released their largely improvised debut LP “You reflect Me” on Trace recordings. It was their first print after 4 years touring and playing their unique jazz-influenced experimental electronic music with live drums and raw electronics.
Since then, Rocketnumbernine, named after the Sun Ra’s song, has been busy touring with Four Tet and Pantha du Prince, two artists already under the spotlight giving them a real kick to notoriety.

They recently did the Gilles Peterson BBC’s worlwide show and have just released their new single “Matthew and Toby”, in memory of Steve Reid.

The single is out on Kieran “Four Tet” Hebden ’s label Text records. Actually, this is Kieran Hebden who introduced them a few years ago to Steve Reid. They clearly have been magnetised by the spirit of the legend jazz drummer who passed away earlier this year. This track is a great recognition to the memory of Steve Reid.
The band will be supporting  Caribou in november and december and  will play few shows also with Four Tet and James Holden.

Listen “Matthew and Toby” on Soundcloud.

You can also listen to the Four Text remix, first track of the Four Tet Fact Mix proposed in the Podcast and free mp3 menu.

Lloyd McNeill Quartet, Asha

30 years later, Soul Jazz records had the great idea to re-issue “Asha” the very rare deep jazz album from Lloyd McNeill Quartet, originally released by Lloyd McNeill himself at only 1 000 copies.
During the 60’s, The american flautist was  an activist taking part of the civil rights movement. As a musician he played with Nina Simone, Eric Dolphy, Mulatu Astatke, Yusef Lateef and Charles Mingus but he also expressed his creativity as a painter and was friend with Picasso. He travelled around Africa and South America as a music anthropologist and teacher. Above all, Lloyd McNeill is an amazing creative musician who never lost his independence.
Asha is one of the great examples of the spiritual jazz. The tone is always light and accessible, melodic and lyrical, with African and South American rhythmic presences.

Lloyd Mcneill Quartet “Asha” (Soul Jazz records, 2010)

Vibrations, the Swiss magazine offers a free download on its website. Download here.

Buy the album on Play.com

Handmade, Hindi Zahra’s debut album

Recently, new artists signed on Blue Note Records haven’t all been able to face the heritage of the label legends. The first notes of Handmade, Hindi Zahra’s first album, and we want to draw comparisons with Billie Holiday, we are saved the new Blue Note’s release will stand proudly on the list of the label’s great albums.
Brought up in Morocco from a Berber mum and a French dad, Hindi moved to Paris in the 90’s and has mixed all her influences from Soul and Jazz to Flamenco and north african desert Blues.  She is a captivating singer. She mostly sings in English but switches also to Berber.

Handmade is a promising first album, charming, laid back with gently rhytmic ballads, we feel the cool air from the Atlas mountains but Hindi Zahra is a world citizen singer, so we might also think about Patti Smith and Django Reinhardt at the same time.

Hindi Zahra – Handmade (Oursoul/Blue Note – 2010)

Download the album on Play.com.

Watch the beautiful Tango video directed by Tony Gatlif