September Jukebox

Written by


This week we listen to nine songs, new and old, that have caught my ear and tickled my fancy. We begin with Bogota’s Monsieur Periné and the title track of their latest album, “Encanto Tropical” (Tropical Enchantment). The charming song cheerfully blends Latin beats and pop elements. Monsieur Periné won a Latin Grammy in 2015 for best new artist, and their new album has been very well received by critics and fans alike.

The theme of tropical enchantment continues as we next sail to the French Antilles island of Guadeloupe. We hear a classic 1960’s tropical track from Orchestre Esperanza Et Jean Leroy, off of the recently reissued Disques Debs International CD. Henri Debs, the label’s founder, was a young music fan of Lebanese descent who sold clothes and fashion accessories in a street stall to fund the record label bearing his name. Thanks to Strut Records for the wonderful reissue.

We then turn to Brazilian singer Caro Pierotto and hear the new single “Mera Ilusão” from a forthcoming solo album which she is producing with Grecco Buratto. Pierotto left Brazil and a corporate job 10 years ago to pursue her musical dreams in Los Angeles. Her first album, Volta ao Mundo (Around the World), became a KCRW favorite.

The jazz and trip-hop group Slowly Rolling Camera hails from Cardiff, England, and their electronic soundscapes have been compared to The Cinematic Orchestra. We listen to the track “Helsinki” off their new album Juniper.

Pianist Alice Sara Ott (Photo © Ester Haase) (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

German-Japanese pianist Alice Sara Ott offers up the latest piano tribute to Claude Debussy, who died 100 years ago in 1918. Ott performs Debussy with subtlety and great finesse. Her lovely new Deutsche Grammophone album Nightfall also includes Erik Satie’s famous Trois Gymnopedies, plus Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit and his always moving Pavane pour une infante défunte (Pavane for a Dead Princess).

The young singer Anandi Bhattacharya is the daughter of veteran Indian slide guitar master Debashish Bhattacharya who, along with Vishwa Mohann Bhatt, brought the slide guitar into prominence. (I once featured him on a Café LA show called Slide Guitar Summit.) Under her father’s tutelage, Anandi has become one of the brightest new stars of contemporary Indian music at just 22. Indian music migrated to Spain centuries ago with Rajasthani gypsies, and we hear this musical fusion in the track “Migration of Colours (Buleria Meets Holi)” that combines the two traditions.

Here’s another track from Anandi’s new album, Joys Abound:

Rhythm Planet Playlist 9/4/18

  1. Monsieur Periné / “Encanto Tropical” / Encanto Tropical / Sony Music
  2. Orchestre Esperanza Et Jean Leroy / “Ou Pas Bel” / Disques Debs International Vol. 1 / Strut
  3. Caro Pierotto / “Mera Ilusão” / Mera Ilusão / YB Music
  4. Slowly Rolling Camera / “Helsinki” / Juniper / Edition Records
  5. Alice Sara Ott / “Debussy: Rêverie, L. 68” / Nightfall / Deutsche Grammophone
  6. Anandi Bhattacharya / “Migration of Colours (Buleria Meets Holi)” / Joys Abound / Riverboat Records
  7. Ólafur Arnalds / “ypsilon” / re:member / Decca
  8. Katie Thiroux / “I’m Old Fashioned” / Introducing Katie Thiroux / BassKat Music
  9. Novalima / “El Regalo” / El Regalo / Wonderwheel Recordings