Sunday 8 December 2013

Show 171: Festive Flirting In 2013

Hour 1

Elements Of Life
"This Christmas"
12"
Vega


Positive Flow Featuring Heidi Vogel
"Children Of The Sun"
Flow Lines
Tokyo Dawn


McKoy
"Love Is The Key"
Cut From The Same Cloth
Realmckoymusic

2013 Awards: Best New Act 

Personal Life
"One Step Closer"
Morning Light
Expansion


Kon ft. Amy Douglas
"All Night Everybody"
On My Way
BBE


Jody Watley
"Night Life" (Soulpersona Mix)
Night Life Remixed EP
Jody Watley Music


Elements Of Life
"Berimbau"
Eclipse
Vega


Owiny Sigoma Band
"Magret Aloor"
Power Punch
Brownswood

Cola & Jimmu
"I Made Up My Mind"
Enigmatic
Herakles


Snarky Puppy featuring Magda Giannikou
"Amour T'es La"
Family Dinner Volume 1
GroundUp


Gregory Porter
"Liquid Spirit"
Liquid Spirit
Blue Note


Robert Glasper Experiment
"Children Of America" (Featuring Lalah Hathaway)
Black Radio Volume 2
Blue Note

2013 Awards: Best Jazz Album

Jose James
"Come To My Door"
No Beginning No End
Blue Note







Mulgrew Miller
"Dreamsville"
The Sequel

Hour 2




Mario Biondi
"Driving Home For Christmas"
Mario Christmas
Sony

2013 Awards: Best Remix

Milton Nasicmento
"Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser" (Aroop Roy Remix)
Brazil Breakdown EP
GAMM



Kraak and Smaak featuring Sam Duckworth
"Good For The City"
Chrome Waves
Jalapeno


Shea
"Where Did You Go"
Single Release
ThisIsArea7

 
Alice Russell
"Heartbreaker"
To Dust
Tru Thoughts


2013 Awards: Best Solo Artist
Omar
"The Man"
The Man

Freestyle



Kings Of Tomorrow Featuring April
"Fall For You"
Fall For You EP

Defected

Osunlade
"Dionne"
7"
Yoruba

Cee-Lo Green
"All I Want For Christmas"
Cee-Lo's Magic Moment
Warner Bros


2013 Awards: Best Album

Bluey
"Got To Let My Feelings Show"
Leap Of Faith
Dome

Bluey
"Sky"
Leap Of Faith
Dome


2013 Awards: Best Song


Andreya Triana
"Song For A Friend"
Online Download
Sing It Loud





Blam Jam's Biggest Belter Of 2013

Dames Brown
"Soul Fly"
Online Download
Ampliphonic





Tracy Chapman
"Across The Lines"
Tracy Chapman
Elektra

Friday 6 December 2013

Shape Sunday's Show!

The final Blam Jam of 2013 is waiting in the wings, but needs your
help in the form of votes for two special (aural) awards.


Get your comments written in the light bit near the bottom of the Soundcloud links
or simply the names of your favourite acts in the categories for;

Best New Act




and Best Solo Artist



Get voting, and find out the winners this Sunday at 6pm on Blam Jam,
along with the awards for Best Jazz Album, Best Remix, Best Song,
and Best Album.

Plus a few surprise awards too!

http://www.csrfm.com

Monday 2 December 2013

"Jazzed Up In Japan" - The Tales Behind The Tunes

Blam Jam celebrated four years on air at CSR last night
with a stopless selection of amazing tunes from the land
of innovation.


And in the usual manner, here's a dissection of the songs
themselves and their significance.

Jazztronik
- "Real Clothes"

The brainchild of musician Ryota Nozaki, and the first
act I would recommend to anyone wanting to discover
the good stuff that Japan has to offer.


This one from 2008's "JTK" album has a late 70s disco
feel to it, sounding like a mash-up of "K-Jee" by Philly outfit
M.F.S.B., and the formation favourite "Let's Get It Together" by El Coco.


Mondo Grosso - "Life (M.G 2.7 Stepped Mix-Edit)"One of many winners from the fourth album by producer
Shinichi Osawa released in 2000.

Whilst this version has a UK garage feel to it, it's also
worth having a listen to the original latin-tinged version
of which the video can be seen here.

Casiopea - "FrouFrou"Taking it back a few decades, jazz-fusion four piece Casiopea
(pronounced Cash-ee-o-pee-a) who's synth lead rhythms
define what many may not view as a timeless musical era,
but are still worthy of inclusion, continuing to inspire many
future bands from Japan, with their energetic live shows.


Hajime Yoshizawa - "Believe Again"


Taken from the album "Music From The Edge Of The Universe"
a rather delightful collaboration with British vocalist
Vanessa Freeman, and a popular dancefloor favourite around the globe.

Bahia Sunsets - "Somewhere Not Here"


It was going to be a struggle choosing which song from the

amazing Monday Michiru to include in my jaunt through Japan,
but I decided to settle for this nice acoustic offering from a compilation
released by the Kyoto Jazz Massive in the mid 90s.

Monday Michiru Mariano being the daughter of a very talented
musical family...

Toshikyo Akiyoshi - "Manha Do Carnaval"


...including a very talented mother.

The American/Japanese musician and bandleader used her dual nationality
to help explore deeper themes within her music.

This track comes from a compilation compiled by Monday Michiru
showcasing some of her mother's lesser heard material.

Ellen Mcillwaine and Yukihiro Fukutomi - "Born Under A Bad Sign"


Originally recorded by Albert King, (and more infamously interpreted
by Homer Simpson), producer Fukotomi gives the blues standard
the broken beat treatment, with vocals from Ellen Mcillwaine.

United Future Organization featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater -
"Flying Saucer"


A Japanese/French nu-jazz duo formed in Shibuya and key players
in the 90s "acid jazz" scene.

This offering from their 1999 LP "Bon Voyage" features the
vocals of top jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, and unlike a fair
number of tunes I've featured, this one's rather timeless.


DJ Kawasaki - "You Can Make It" (KJM Cosmic House Mix)

Again it was hard to choose just one offering from the Kyoto Jazz Massive
so I've ended up going with one of their many remixes they've
produced over the years.

This one of DJ Kawasaki's house offering "You Can Make It" showcases
the combination of uplifting melodies with inspiring lyrical content
without being too preachy.

Shuya Okino - "Give Your Love a Chance"

Recently, one half of the KJM duo has gone solo and caused
quite a stir with his album "Destiny", the opening track covering
Rose Royce's "Still In Love" can be heard in the introduction
to this musical medley.

The album contains many other gems, including this 80s soul
inspired offering that's caught just as much attention in the UK

as it has in Okino's homeland.

Minako Yoshida - "Town"


I first discovered this via a cover of the tune by DJ Kawasaki
released on his "Black And Gold" covers album last year.

On hearing the original, it reminded me of many jazzy disco offerings
played on the radio whilst growing up in London at a very early age.

It's the memory of hearing the beats whilst being driven through
the bright lights of London late at night combined that started
my crazy obsession with the soulful and jazzy stuff.

Whilst it maybe slightly distanced from Japan, I can imagine this
would sound just as good being driven through Tokyo late at night
and the version I've included features some "additional cityscape"
noises and atmos, which hopefully adds something extra to the
already rousing rhythms.

Sunday 1 December 2013

Show 170: Konnichi-Wow! - 01.12.13

Hour 1

Laura Mvula

"Green Garden"
Sing To The Moon
Sony


Personal Life
"Give Into The Night"
Morning Light
Expansion


The Doggett Brothers
"Reminds Me Of You"
DayLight
Doggett Brothers




Muzart
"Let There Be Harmony"
Muzart

Expansion



2013 Covers

Tracy Hamlin
"Never Too Much"
This Is My Life
DMH



Jamie Cullum
"Love For $ale" (Live At Abbey Road)
Momentum (Deluxe)
Universal


Omar

"There's Nothing Like This" (feat. Pino Palladino)
The Man
Freestyle


Alice Russell

"Retrograde"
WNYC Live Performance



Swingrowers
"Via Con Me"
Do Not Cover Part 1
Freshly Squeezed


Monday Michiru
"Celebrate" (Parabens)
Brasilified
Billboard Japan


Los Colorados
"U Can't Touch This"
Move It

Motor Entertainment



Smoking Cats
"Everyday"
Live Demo


Ahmed Sirour And Cleveland Jones
"Afro Blue"
Soundcloud


Blam Jam's Best Cover of 2013

Jessica Newry featuring Kalani Trinidad
"Butterfly"
Bandcamp


Hour 2: "Jazzed Up In Japan"


Jazztronik
"Real Clothes"
JTK
Pony Canyon


Mondo Grosso
"Life" (M.G. 2.7 Stepped Mix-Edit)
MG4
Sony Jazz


Casiopea
"FrouFrou"
Down Upbeat


Hajime Yoshizawa Ft. Vanessa Freeman

"Believe Again"
Music From The Edge Of The Universe
Geneon


Bahia Sunsets Feautuing Monday Michiru
"Somewhere Not Here"
Kyoto Jazz Massive - Various
For Life

Toshiko Akiyoshi
"Manha Do Carnaval"
Shibuya Jazz Classics
Solid

Ellen Mcilwaine and Yukihiro Fukutomi
"Born Under A Bad Sign"
12"
Routine Jazz

United Future Organization featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater
"Flying Saucer"
Bon Voyage

Mercury

DJ Kawasaki featuring Tasita D'Mour
"You Can Make It" (KJM Cosmic House Mix)
12"
Columbia


Shuya Okino
"Give Your Love A Chance"

Soul Togetherness Deluxe 2011
Expansion

Minako Yoshida

"Town"
Monsters In Town
Alfa


Be listening next Sunday, as Blam Jam reveals it's biggest
tunes of 2013! 6pm, Sunday 8th December, csrfm.com