gondwana 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: When it was first released on CD, Inspirations caused quite a stir. It was then made available on wax for the first time and soon sold out. Now we're treated to a welcome reissue that sees Los Angeles jazz singer Dwight Trible cover some of the songs and artists that shaped his formative musical years, with a little help from Manchester-based bandleader, arranger and trumpeter Matthew Halsall. Highlights include a rousing, near riotous cover of Nina Simone favourite 'Feeling Good' a spiritual, harp-laden rendition of Hal David and Burt Bacharach's 'What The World Needs Now is Love' - a radical departure from the original, featuring one of Trible's greatest vocal performances to date - and a poignant, heartfelt version of Leroy Hutson and Donny Hathaway's still relevant 'Tryin' Times'.

Review: Following 2014's When The World Was One, Halsall and the Gondwana collective continue their spiritual jazz adventure with another immaculate narrative. Now with much more vocal prowess, singer Josephine Oniyama plays a lead role in the story, adding consistency and personality to the Halsall's swooning, cinematic odysseys. Highlights include the Hathaway-style half spoken/half sung "Badder Weather", the frenetic double bass and brushed drum crescendos of "The Land Of", the (lark) ascending strings and oriental scales of "Cushendun" and the smoky, faraway Coltraneisms of the title track. Modern jazz doesn't get any more authentic than this.