Soweto Kinch: The Legend Of Mike Smith

Soweto Kinch (sax, vocals, programming)
The Legend Of Mike Smith (SW Recordings; 2013)
Julian Joseph (piano)
Shabaka Hutchings (sax)
Karl Rasheed Abel (bass)
Graham Godfrey (drums)
Cleveland Watkiss (vocals)
Rachel Maby (vocals)
Eska Mtungwazi (vocals)

The story of city. The story of artist as a young man. Or how to survive it all. On your own terms. Those are some of the ways to look at Soweto Kinch's latest hybrid opus, The Legend of Mike Smith.

As with his previous albums of jazz fueled hip hop (or hip hop fueled jazz?), Soweto Kinch has filled this album with more hilarious interludes and mind boggling tales, that very well could be true. Or at least resembles scene that I know have happened in meetings between artists, management and labels. The Legend of Mike Smith is played with sheer brilliance from the composer to all the bandmates and cast members.

The album surveys the journey of creativity running and battling against the stale, bland and repetitiveness of an industry and environment that continues be stagnant. "Invidia" (or envy) exemplifies Kinch's rage and beauty with description of the balance between the artist reality and the fame that seems to eludes him. Hard hitting beats and "jungle-like" vocals that are true to the portrait.

While "Invidia" is a glimpse into the hip-hop language of Soweto Kinch, "Road Block" is filled with candescence melodies from Kinch on sax. An variance that definitely shows his skill on the horn is growing and becoming more individually descriptive.

"Vaccum" is a lovely ballad filled with bold lines and calm serenity that I personally haven't heard from Kinch on previous albums. And the performance from Jay Phelps is sublime. "Sweeping Changes," allows quartet portion of the ensemble to move effortlessly through a steady midtempo arrangement where Kinch almost sounds like Sonny Rollins.

"Avarita" sparks the sociopolitical side of Kinch's lyrics. Discussing the city and global disparities of well-being for all and it's effects. Kinch has an energy and bit that slices cross the headphones like Roots Manuva. A great track filled with rough and ready beats and lyrics--solid stuff. "The Healing" and "The Bounce" close out Mike Smith's trials and tribulations on a joyous note. Built with funky hard bop pattens but maintaining a rich view of the future--Soweto Kinch nails the ending elements of this epic album perfectly.

The Legend Of Mike Smith is ambitious (spanning two discs) but Soweto Kinch does have a lot to say and makes great use of the talent around him. Always a delicate balancing act between his hip hop influences and his jazz inventiveness--The Legend Of Mike Smith an excellent document of what happens when the two genres are done the right way. One of my albums of the year.

A Users Guide To Robert Mitchell

Robert Mitchell (piano)

One of the brightest stories in British jazz over the last decade has been the rise of pianist Robert Mitchell, who has taken a slightly different direction than most UK jazz artists. While many of his contemporaries have set themselves squarely in the free jazz of European/Bitches Brew era, Mitchell has amazingly melded the structural standards of classical with the emotional elements of '70s soul-jazz and modern jazz themes into a beautiful and creative new model for the new century.

Mitchell has performed and recorded with a wide array of artists of the last decade, including Courtney Pine, Soweto Kinch, Norma Winstone and most recently Matana Roberts. He has developed into a multi-faceted artist with a soul-jazz ensemble Panacea, a trio (3io), his solo work, as well as, commissioned classical compositions.

I first discovered Mitchell when I randomly bought his first album Voyager (Dune Records; 2001) while on vacation in London. It blew me away. It felt like an extension of the soul vibe that Courtney Pine had been developing during the mid-'70s. But it also features some phenomenal work by Mitchell on piano along with some wonderful soulful vocals from Eska Mtungwazi (especially "July For The Smile" and "I'll Be Around"). "Days And Nights Waiting" is another display of Mitchell's ability to combine his classical training with modern jazz aesthetics.

It would be almost four years before Mitchell's Panacea would next release Trust (F-ire; 2005), an album that was more thematic in nature but still retaining the soulful elements of its debut. The album featured more uptempo funky beats like the opener "The Brink," which had a midtempo rhythm with shades of drum 'n' bass. It was also a more focused album with tracks like "The Thief Of Dimensions," "Trust" and "A Heart (Full Of You)" containing more poetic and ethereal qualities that were only eluded to on the debut. A great step forward for Mitchell's Panacea.


Taking a small break from the soul-influenced Panacea, Mitcheel team up with violinist, Omar Puente for the classical focused duet album, Bridges (F-ire; 2006). A peaceful outing that puts Mitchell squarely back in his roots. "Somebody Backstage" is a heartwarming and effective opener that sets the tone and pace for this session. "Mambo Infleuntiado" is fueled with a Latin tempo. Mitchell and Puente play off each other nice and add some nice yet subtle improvised touches. "Almendra" has joyous yet bouncing quality that could sit well alongside side some of the traditional classical duets by even Yo Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax. Bridges is a wonderful divergence and stellar introduction to Mitchell's past.

The one album that should really turn heads is Equinox (F-ire; 2007),  which is Mitchell at his most raw and beautiful. The solo piano material is gentle and complex. This transitional album is a journey through what he has learned and what he will produce later. There are moments where I felt I was listening to a young Chick Corea or Friedrich Gulda, who also explored jazz and classical styles. "Equinocturne," "Priceless" and "Passion Radar" all display an artist shaping beautiful melodies as well as creating new patterns of thought for the listener. Equinox is definitely not run of the mill among British jazz albums. It's very European in thought but retains the inventiveness and character of its British creator.

Robert Mitchell would take a further step forward with the creation of his trio, simply called, 3io. The group consists of members of his Panacea project, Tom Mason (bass) and Richard Spaven (drums). They would record the critically acclaimed The Greater Good (Jazz Services; 2008), which is more contemporary and straight ahead than his soul-jazz based work with Panacea. It's will definitely have you thinking of E.S.T., Brad Mehldau or Keith Jarrett, but Mitchell's 3io stands on its own. The trio show a great deal of strength and diversity on  tracks like Wayne Shorter's "Dance Cadaverous" and strikingly out-of-nowhere Massive Attack's "Teardrop". The aforementioned covers are re-imagined beautifully, but it's the group own material that is insightful and effective. "The Greater Good" and "Quantum" are both examples of the trio thinking and performing big and bold. These are very tight performances from musicians who have been together a long time. There is a small shade of Panacea soul/funk that is executed here and would be the model for Mitchell's next project.

Mitchell's writing has matured. His ability to move and blend his influences and still have the material sound exciting and different with each record is truly astounding.

That excitement and creativity would once again be on display as Mitchell returned to the soul of Panacea with The Cusp (Edition Records; 2010), which featured material from The Greater Good that included vocals by Deborah Jordan ("A Map Of The Sky" "The Blessing" and "Quantum"). Jordan's vocals and the new arrangements make for interesting comparisons, but both versions stand on their own. Jordan does seem to fit these recordings perfectly. This is most fully realized of all the Panacea records. Mitchell's compositions are more complex and deeper than ever before. "The Essence" is a great example of his technical skills and his leadership. Panacea may be Mitchell's ensemble, but he definitely allows his bandmates their freedom. "The Cusp" is reminiscent of both Headhunters and 4hero. With trip hop beats, soulful melodies and an infectious organ groove from Mitchell.

It's unfortunate that most people stateside don't know about Robert Mitchell. He has carved out a direction that feels inspired by elements of Keith Jarrett, Roy Ayers and Alfred Brendel. These are rare qualities. Robert Mitchell's work is definitely worth checking out. I'm not sure I want to point out one specific album to start with but if I had to I would recommend starting with Equinox and The Cusp. They give two radically different sides of a dynamic and inventive composer. With another 3io record coming later this year I think now is the time everyone take a good, hard listen to one of the UK's best kept secrets.

JazzWrap Best Albums Of 2010 Recap

It was a fantastic year for music. Here's a recap of JazzWrap's Best Albums Of 2010.

Mary Halvorson
Mikrokolektyw
One For All
Soweto Kinch
Soil & Pimp Sessions
Jason Moran
The Vandermark 5
Polar Bear
Bobby Avey
Dave Stapleton

There were a couple of albums I didn't get a chance to write about in our Best Of 2010 list. More because I was ill for a few days and couldn't put brain to computer to get the words out. These are by no means "honorable mentions". These are fantastic and in some cases (Jason Adasiewicz, Curtis Fuller, Kris Davis and Ricardo Gallo) phenomenal records that are worth every moment hunting down.

Ricardo Gallo Resistencias (Laidstrito Fonica)
Kris Davis Good Citzen (Fresh Sounds/New Talent)
Brian Eno Small Craft On A Milk Sea (Warp Records)
Curtis Fuller I Will Tell Her (Capri Records)
Tom Rainey Pool School (Clean Feed Records)
Keefe Jackson Seeing You See (Clean Feed Records)
Magnus Broo Swedish Wood (Moserobie Music)
Jason Adasiewicz Sun Rooms (Delmark)

I discovered a lot of new music this year. This was in part to some great friends, musicians, record labels and other blog writers. I especially wanted to mention my two favourite blogs Minimalistic Music and Jazznyt. Both are a little more avant garde than JazzWrap and provide a different perspective on the global community.

In addition, contributing editor, Kristopher Spencer has the insansely insightful site Scorebaby that discusses soundtrack music from every part of the globe as well as a great book on soundtracks that he wrote a year ago which you must own. I highly recommend you check them all out.

We have enjoyed working with and hearing from everyone and we hope to continue with some great new material in 2011. I hope you dig the music and have discovered some cool stuff. For us its all about turning people on to music that's both accessible and adventurous. As always we want to hear from you as well. So if you have a record you feel would be a great fit for us to know about please let us know.

And we are looking forward to another solid year of adventure in 2011.

Video: Tom Rainey Trio (Tom Rainey, Mary Halvorson and Ingrid Laubrock)From all of us at JazzWrap, thank you.

Best Albums Of 2010: Soweto Kinch

Over the next two weeks JazzWrap revisits our favourite albums of 2010.

Soweto Kinch (sax, vocals; b.1978)
The New Emancipation (Soweto Kinch Recordings)

Resurfacing this year with an incredible document, The New Emancipation (SK Recordings), Soweto Kinch may have established himself as the premier storyteller of the new British jazz generation influenced by Hip Hop. This fertile underground mind delivers the trials and tribulations young London life trying to reach the better horizon.

That story is capsulized in perfectly on the opener, "Trying To Be A Star". Maybe in a similar fashion as some of Courtney Pine's earlier records but with a more updated and solid vision.

One of the brilliant things to come out The New Emancipation for me was the way Kinch has grown as a musician on sax. His playing especially on the hard bop of "A People With No Past" is very reminiscent of Branford Marsalis circa Crazy People Music. In the first two full tracks Kinch has made his case that Jazz and Hip Hop an coexist within the same sphere.

The influence of both someone like Branford, Sonny Rollins, Jackie McClean and Hip Hop artists Mos Def, KRS-One and Black Thought (of The Roots) can be felt throughout Soweto's discography but even more so on The New Emancipation.

And it's not just Soweto who stands out here either. He's band a superb. Guitarist, Femi Temowo and drummer Justin Brown act as wonderful counters to Kinch's fierce, rolling vision on the more traditional jazz pieces, including "The Never Ending" and "Suspended Adolescence."

The rhythm based pieces such "Raise Your Spirit," "Axis Of Evil" and the hilarious "Paris Heights" show the lighter yet bold side of Soweto's lyrical storytelling. But overall, The New Emancipation is sold jazz album. It balances Hip Hop and Jazz to perfection. This lyrical delivery of Soweto Kinch has never been more clear than now. Soweto has become a more mature and focused player and songwriter.

The New Emancipation is not only a statement of our culture. It is a blueprint of what Jazz and Hip Hop should sound like. It was one of my favourite albums during the second half of the year and I haven't stopped listening.

Soweto Kinch: The New Emancipation

Soweto Kinch (sax, vocals; b.1978)

The New Emancipation (Soweto Kinch Recordings)

Ok so this is the part where I say, "this is going to be one my albums of the year." While let's just say 2010 has been a really good year for jazz. Mainly new stuff. New and creative stuff. I can tell everyone right now that my number one and number two albums are...eh, er, uh--well, why don't we wait a few more weeks for that. Today I did want to talk about what will definitely be on my top albums for year.

The long and arduous return of the jazz-hip hop alchemist, Soweto Kinch. I've discussed, London based, Soweto Kinch's incredible qualities before but I think on his new album The New Emancipation (SK Recordings) he has finally achieved the promise and hope that some many of us who have followed him over the years have been waiting for. The New Emancipation is sheer brilliance for a new century.

Early in his career, Soweto Kinch was guided by current British jazz legends Gary Crosby and Courtney Pine. After receiving a nomination for the UK press coveted Mercury Prize and critical acclaim for his debut, Conversations With The Unseen (Dune; 2003). Conversations... as with its follow up A Day In The Life of B12 (Dune) were both commentary on struggles of black British youth. But they can also be observed as the struggles of everyone in lower to middle class around the world. The great thing about powerful music is that the themes when communicated right, stand the test of time. And with Soweto Kinch, I think we may have found another great communicator of the urban theme.

After a great one off single Jazz Planet (Dune), some legal wrangling with his former label and the still unreleased sequel to A Day In The Life titled Basement Fables, now on shelf (hopefully not forever) Soweto began releasing music again in 2009. The Live At iTunes Soho release and an amazing hard hitting hip hop/jazz mini album War In A Rack (SK Recordings) signaled that Soweto was back and stronger than ever.

Now this month with the release of The New Emancipation, Kinch has probably designed the best and clearest document of his vision of Jazz and Hip Hop to date. While the album is based on Soweto Kinch's recent studies on slavery, The New Emancipation is also about the not accepting the pressures that try to hold us down. It's about our efforts to learn and break free from conformity.

Opening with the complex, dichotomy of artist, record label, celebrity and making it rich, "Trying To Be A Star" and moving into the bristling hard bop of "A People With No Past"--very reminiscent of Branford Marsalis circa Crazy People Music. In the first two full tracks Kinch has made his case that Jazz and Hip Hop an coexist within the same sphere. The influence of both someone like Branford, Sonny Rollins, Jackie McClean and Hip Hop artists Mos Def, KRS-One and Black Thought (of The Roots) can be felt throughout Soweto's discography. This is good shit people.

"Suspended Adolescence" is a nice straightforward post bop piece which shifts perfectly into soulful rhythms of "Help" which bases itself in some gospel themes slowly dives into rolling, frenetic Kinch solo. Kinch has embraced his influences and produced some astounding material on The New Emancipation.

"Trade" is another piece of post bop brilliance that put Kinch up there with many of his American counterpart as his skills on the alto begin to flourish beautifully. "On The Treadmill" is a slice of New Orleans funeral jazz funk that sees Kinch and his band having a delightful interaction.

The New Emancipation balances the Hip Hop and Jazz tracks to perfection. This lyrical delivery of Soweto Kinch has never been more clear than now. But also his playing has become more mature and focused. This is an statement of our culture as well as deconstruction of what Jazz and Hip Hop should be.

The New Emancipation is by far one of my albums of the year. I hope everyone gets a chance to hear this because its absolutely brilliant.