L-r: Elijah Fox, Malik Venna, Yussef Dayes, Rocco Palladino, Alexander Bourt
Still haven't found what I'm looking for? Aye, aye - it's pretty much here. Thoughts in no particular order and otherwise a bomb proof U2-free zone certainly this Joshua Tree is a groove record - Dayes' reputation as a monster drummer even in the short few years that he has been around ascends still further skywards because of this. The additional surprise is the percussion track layered in by Alexander Bourt on 'Rhythms of Xango'. The sax part played by Malik Venna while actually pretty smooth - and that could have been so horribly wrong - lifts some of the instrumental passages wonderfully and shows you can have sugar with your spice. The colours generated by keyboardist slash synth player Elijah Fox are a joy. Overall, while brief these tracks delivered at the mystical treescape in the Mojave desert amount to Dayes' best release yet. We stress it is not a power record but what it shows is even more of Dayes' skill at the centre of the sound because of this. Finally a word on Rocco Palladino, son of Pino, it's certainly in the genes, who is perfect and surely he is already one of the finest crossover bass guitarists of his generation whose jazz chops can go anywhere. You will know that after only a few moments spent on 'Golden Hour'.
More reading
Dayes and Misch - Ivor nominated 2021 piece
Welcome to the Hills 2020 piece
Guest spot with Binker and Moses 2018 piece
Black Focus big up, 2016
Dayes was on the Paradox Ensemble's Entanglement - 2013 mention
The Yussef Dayes Experience photo: Soulection on YouTube
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