New Music Discoveries
This week’s Rhythm Planet playlist showcases an eclectic array of new releases and rediscoveries that deserve some love. I’ll highlight a few here in the post, but see below for a…
By Tom Schnabel • • 3 min readThis week’s Rhythm Planet playlist showcases an eclectic array of new releases and rediscoveries that deserve some love. I’ll highlight a few here in the post, but see below for a list of all of the music in the extended playlist or just give it a listen!
Malian superstar Salif Keitais out with a new album called Un Autre Blanc(Another White Man) that he says will be his last. The title refers to the fact that Keita is an albino, an African with white skin. Other African music includes tracks from Gabon’s Pierre Akedenguéand a reissue of the classic album from Egyptian artist Ali Hassan Kuban, From Nubia to Cairo. Rising Ethiopian singer Minyeshusings a wonderful song from her new album Daa Dee.
Portuguese/Cape Verdean singer Lurakeeps the spirit of the late Cesária Évora alive with her beautiful renditions of sad mornasand the upbeat funaná and coladeirafor which the Cape Verdean archipelago is known. Lura was studying sports education in Lisbon when Juka, a successful singer from São Tome, asked her to sing with him. She resisted, but finally was won over. Her deep, sensual voice is part and parcel of makes Cape Verdean music so unique. We hear from her latest EP called Alguem di Alguem.
On other world music fronts, we hear the trance-inducing music of Tunisian-born, France-based singer/oud master Dhafer Yousseffrom his new album Sounds of Mirrors. Another oud master is there, too—Turkish musician Ozan Aksoy, performing an instrumental he calls “Hope.” Haitian-American singer Malou Beauvoirsings the song “Papa Loko” from her albumSpiritwalker, which calls for unity through spiritual awakening.
Moving on to jazz, we feature The King and I’s lovely song “Hello Young Lovers” from pianist Alan Pasqua’s latest album plus Rubén Blades’s new album with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Vibraphonist Joe Lockeand singer Raul Midóntogether perform a powerful song called “Motherless Children.” French pianist Dexter Goldbergplays a cut “A Chord Into Me” from his new album, showing his piano artistry as well as his gift for puns (ahem). The latest from Hard Rubber Orchestrafeatures the late trumpet wizard Kenny Wheelerwith U.K. singer Norma Winstone. We include a song from Israeli guitarist Gilad Hekselmandedicated to Milton Nascimento, called simply “Milton.”
Latin music includes one from Cuban superstar José Alberto “El Canario”with Septeto Santiaguero as well as the Hip Spanic All Stars’s tribute to a classic 1960’s Chevrolet, “In My 64.” And not to forget Brazil, we hear a singer named Roberta Sáfrom Natal in the north of Brazil, whose fetching sound has made me a new fan.
I hope you enjoy this first playlist of the year. Stay tuned for more next week!
Rhythm Planet Playlist for 1/22/19
Alan Pasqua / “Hello Young Lovers” / Soliloquy/ Alan Pasqua
Rubén Blades and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra / “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” / Una Noche Con Rubén Blades/ Blue Engine Records
José Alberto “El Canario” & Septeto Santiaguero / “No Me Voy a Disgustar” / A Mi Que: Tributo a los Clasicos Cubanos/ Los Canarios Inc.
Hip Spanic Allstars / “In My 64” / Old School Revolution/ Hip Spanic Allstars
Dhafer Youssef / “Humankind” / Dhafer Youssef: Sounds of Mirrors/ Anteprima Production
Salif Keita / “Syrie” / Un autre blanc/ Naïve
Gaye Su Akyol / “Bir Yarali Kustum” / Istikrarli Hayal Hakikattir/ Glitterbeat Records
Lenka Lichtenberg / “Peace Is the Only Way” / A Woman’s World: Songs of Resilience and Hope / ARC
Ali Hassan Kuban / “Hanwil Tanza” / From Nubia to Cairo/ Piranha Records
Joe Locke (featuring Raul Midón) / “Motherless Children” / Subtle Disguise/ Origin Records
Out of Nations / “Tribute to a Time” / Quest/ Riverboat Records
Anne Sajdera / “New Year” / New Year/ Bijuri Records
Malou Beauvoir / “Papa Loko” / Spiritwalker/ Panthera Music International
John Petrucelli / “Scallop Shell of Quiet – Live” / Presence – Live/ John Petrucelli
Jack Gates / “Metropolis” / Ocean Blues/ Whitegates Music
Ozan Aksoy / “Hope” / Ozan/ Ozan Aksoy
One O’Clock Lab Band / “After the Rain” / Lab 2018 | The Rhythm of the Road/ North Texas Jazz
Marco Pignataro / “Alfonsina y el Mar” / Almas Antiguas/ ZOHO
Pierre Akendengue / “La Couleur de l’Afrique de ma Chanson” / La Couleur de l’Afrique/ Lusafrica
Omar Sosa & Seckou Keita / “Fatiliku” / Transparent Water/ OtáRecords
Minyeshu / “Yikerta” / Daa Dee/ ARC
Lura / “Nina” / Alguem di Alguem/ Lusafrica
Hard Rubber Orchestra / “Movement III” (featuring Norma Winstone) / Kenny Wheeler: Suite for Hard Rubber Orchestra/ Justin Time Records
Gilad Hekselman / “Milton” / Ask for Chaos/ Motema Music
Roberta Sá / “A Vizinha do Lado” / Braseiro/ MP,B / Som Livre
Dexter Goldberg Trio / “A Chord Into Me” / Tell Me Something New/ Jazz & People