If you’re looking for some great new music to discover this weekend, look no further than our weekly New Release Cheat Sheet. This week, a tight new track by Louis Cole, JD Allen’s investigation on the impact of blues on the evolution of jazz music, Miguel Zenón’s musical representation of the tumultuous history of the American continent and more!
New Music and Videos
Louis Cole, “I’m Tight”
Louis Cole will release his new album, Quality Over Opinion, on October 14 via Brainfeeder. The announcement comes with the release of the record’s sleek and funky new single, “I’m Tight.” The track is driven by an incandescent bassline that, Cole explains, “comes from me recording about 100 different cells of funk, choosing my favorite ones and quilting them together into a song.” “I’m Tight” is one of 20 tracks featured on Quality Over Opinion, all of which were written, performed and produced by Cole in his own home studio.
Nathaniel Rateliff, “Famous Blue Raincoat”
Nathaniel Rateliff’s cover of “Famous Blue Raincoat” is the latest preview of Blue Note’s forthcoming tribute album to Leonard Cohen, due out October 14. “Leonard Cohen has been a massive influence on me since I was very young,” says Rateliff via a statement. “When I was asked to be a part of this project, I sent a huge list of songs that I wanted to do, honestly it was hard to pick. So many songs of his are my favorite songs of all time. ‘Famous Blue Raincoat’ was one of my early Cohen favs.” Here It Is: A Tribute To Leonard Cohen was produced by Larry Klein and will be released on October 14.
Jeff Denson, Brian Blade, Romain Pilon, “This Way Cookie”
Bassist Jeff Denson, drummer Brian Blade and guitarist Romain Pilon reprise their scintillating collaboration on “This Way Cookie,” a slyly grooving composition by Pilon inspired, as he explains via an official press release, “by some of the funk music I rediscovered during the pandemic.” The track is a preview of their upcoming new album together, Finding Light, which will be released on September 23 via Ridgeway Records. This is their follow-up to their acclaimed debut, Between Two Worlds from 2019.
New Albums
Kalaha + Hilal Kaya with Aarhus Jazz Orchestra, Tuktu (April)
Multi-award-winning Danish quartet Kalaha collaborates with the world-renowned Aarhus Jazz Orchestra and guest vocalist Hilal Kaya on their most adventurous album to date. Showcasing their renowned open-minded approach to music-making, Tuktu offers an energetic fusion of jazz, Turkish psychedelic rock and ’80s-inspired synth-pop.
JD Allen, Americana, Vol. 2 (Savant)
Saxophonist/composer JD Allen continues his investigation of the impact of the blues on the evolution of jazz music on Americana, Vol. 2, alongside his acclaimed core trio with bassist Gregg August and drummer Rudy Royston. A follow-up to 2016’s Americana: Musings on Jazz and Blues, the album also finds Allen’s trio joined by guitarist Charlie Hunter on guitar.
Miguel Zenón, Música de las Americas (Miel)
Musica de las Americas is one of saxophonist/composer Miguel Zenón’s most visionary recordings to date. A star-studded album of all-original music, the album is inspired by the tumultuous history of the American continent, representing the dynamism and complexity of America’s indigenous cultures, their encounters with European colonists and the resulting historical implications.
Featured photo by Richard Thompson.
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