Joe Armon-Jones, Dub Weapon (Jerry Lionz mix) ****

Track of the day is a fundraiser for the One Voice Community Collective in Ladbroke Grove. This slice of militant roots dub reggae mixed by Jerry Lionz is played by a fine collection of jazz players with the beat laid down inconspicuously by David …

Published: 14 Jun 2022. Updated: 21 months.

Track of the day is a fundraiser for the One Voice Community Collective in Ladbroke Grove. This slice of militant roots dub reggae mixed by Jerry Lionz is played by a fine collection of jazz players with the beat laid down inconspicuously by David Mrakpor and choppy guitar lines from Oscar Jerome plus 2-Tone-esque horns. Mrakpor here on bass is probably the finest multi-instrumentalist on the new UK jazz scene just as jaw-dropping live or on record on keys, vibes and guitar as he proves here laying down the beat.

Groove is shepherded by Moses Boyd while Old Etonian Joe Armon-Jones' arcade-bright keys contribution is sparklingly enhanced by the fantastic Jerry Lionz mix. The vocal is played down in the dub mix but check out the companion track 'No Weapon' for more vocals. We're also looking forward to hearing Mrakpor's 'Lonely' soon which Jazz Re:Freshed are to release.

Joe Armon-Jones, above

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Steve Cardenas, Ben Allison, Ted Nash - 'Ictus,' Sunnyside ***

Track of the day is drawn from Healing Power: The Music of Carla Bley out on 8 July and new from Steve Cardenas, top, publicity photo, Ben Allison and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra saxist Ted Nash - in other words a very ''acoustic-sounding'' …

Published: 13 Jun 2022. Updated: 21 months.

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Track of the day is drawn from Healing Power: The Music of Carla Bley out on 8 July and new from Steve Cardenas, top, publicity photo, Ben Allison and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra saxist Ted Nash - in other words a very ''acoustic-sounding'' setting involving guitar, double bass and reeds. These fine players are all leaders heard elsewhere in their own right and came together again given their longstanding association as playing partners to record Healing Power a year ago at a studio in rural Pennsylvania. Carla Bley piece 'Ictus' is first known from its inclusion on the 1965-released Paul Bley Quintet album Barrage (ESP Disk) and was covered most recently back in 2018 in a much more riotous trio version by drummer Tamaya Honda and pals. With no drummer on the Cardenas trio's version the arrangement on this new release is quite different. Nash does a lot of the running and sounds a little Paul Desmond-like at times crucially within a Giuffrian panorama. Allison is very fast and plays extremely cleanly while Cardenas when his moment comes is airily thoughtful and it is as if he has all the time in the world.