World Music Mix: Hakim Jamal(UK): Album: “Music From The Mint Hotel”(2023)

Hakim Jamal-Music From The Mint Hotel
Nixon’s Priest
Based on a lilting 3/4 piano pattern, a jazzy and melancholy track with funky electric piano, acoustic guitar and moody saxophone solo.
Hunter S Thompson: “Father John McLaughlin revelled in his role as ’Nixon’s Priest’ (see “A Stroke Of Cheap Genius”) for about a month, but his start faded fast when it was discovered he was pulling down $25,000 a year and living in a luxury apartment at The Watergate. His superiors in the church were horrified… the Good Jesuit Father was planning to marry his girlfriend. McLaughlin disappeared very quickly and nothing has been heard of him since.”

Music From The Mint Hotel” is multi-instrumentalist, and composer Hakim Jamal aka Paul Ashley Wheatcroft`s new album, a musical spectrum that includes jazz-funk, soul, R&B, and hip-hop, all expertly blended to fit the concept based on an essay by famous Beat Generation writer Hunter S. Thompson, known for his book “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” among his other best-sellers.

The album’s sonic construct gives the music an exquisite fluidity that take the listener on a cinematic journey through the stories of some fictional characters gathered during the (in)famous‘Mint 400’ Off-Road race. But one should not be familiar with Thopson’s writings to appreciate this wonderful album whose technical and artistic qualities deserve the superlative.

Each of the seventeen tracks stands on its own while seaminglessly integrated with the ensemble through a cohesive sound architecture that skillfully keeps an aesthetic balance between the retro flair and contemporary beats. Layers of instruments and vocal lines re-create the sound of the 60s along with “analog” retro vibes tastefully fused with deep seductive tempos sustained by lush bass lines.

Remarkably how the nostalgic feeling permeates the sonic ensemble as a whole, the composer built a creative bridge over time from today`s cultural perspective, and this is only one of the numerous aspects of the album that make listening to it an enjoyable listening experience.

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World Music Mix: The Motet -“Draccus” (single, 2023)

The Motet unveil “Draccus,” the existential second single off their forthcoming instrumental album All Day

Marking the funk-jazz-soul quintet’s 10th studio LP, All Day will release on Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Out now across platforms“The verses in Draccus paint a dark picture of our socio-political landscape. In contrast, the ascending chords on the instrumental choruses hint at optimism for the future.” – Garrett Sayers, bassist for The Motet
For a little over two decades, The Motet have cultivated a fervent fanbase through immaculate live performances and a seamless blend of funk, jazz, soul, and rock. This unique style and cohesive musical chemistry have led to sold-out shows across the nation – including six headlining slots at Red Rocks and sets at festivals such as BonnarooBottlerockElectric ForestBumbershootSummer Camp, and High Sierra.

But even after their 20+ years of accolades and recognition, the legendary outfit – composed of Dave Watts (drums), Joey Porter (keys), Garrett Sayers (bass), Drew Sayers (keys and saxophone), and Ryan Jalbert (guitar) – are still exploring new sonic and thematic ideas.

Now, the band is revving up towards their 10th studio album, All Day, which will release on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. All Day marks The Motet’s first primarily instrumental project since 2009’s electronica-fueled Dig Deep.
Fans got their first taste of All Day with the album’s lead single, “‘79,” a lavish funk and soul epic. With a retro-futurist style, the track takes you into the funky past of the 70s and 80s while fortifying its pastiche with decidedly modern elements.

Today, The Motet release “Draccus,” a hazy, funk-fueled experience. Filled to the brim with lush sonic details and powerful lyricism, “Draccus” juxtaposes grim verses with cathartic, hopeful choruses.



Draccus” embodies what The Motet have concocted with All Day, an album that will retain the infectious grooves and immaculate, layered arrangements that The Motet have become known for. But by recentering the listening experience around the playing and composition, All Day emphasizes the band’s instrumental mastery molded by two decades of shared musical chemistry. As a result, the new LP promises to showcase a world-class band at the peak of their powers while simultaneously adding potent social themes that address modern political strife.

Draccus” kicks off with a growling, deep bass and guitar groove that underlie the dystopian vocoder-synth vocals. The verse then transitions into the song’s cacophonous chorus, which imbues the track with synth and organ chords on top of ascending guitar melodies.

Oscillating between politically-charged verses and optimistic instrumental hooks, “Draccus” speaks to the current social reality while offering a tone of hope and resilience in the face of existential doubt.

“First eat up all the trees, look out I spit fire/The keeper of the keys, flames are getting higher/Draccus does what he wants,” the band sings, a gloomy, poetic message on the state of the world.

But “Draccus” isn’t mere despair. It relates to the socio-political upheaval of the past several years, and uses its arrangements and instrumentation to bring focus to the importance of music and art. For The Motet, society can prosper through community, and music can be that bridging catalyst.

Fans can hear “Draccus” and other All Day cuts on The Motet’s upcoming nationwide tour, kicking off with a two-night New Years run at Crystal Bay Casino in Lake Tahoe and stopping through cities like Salt Lake City, St. Louis, Columbus, and Honolulu. In addition to performing at Tucson’s Gem & Jam Festival, the band will also play a special, hometown doubleheader at Denver’s Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom, to celebrate both the LP release and the iconic venue’s 20th anniversary.

The Motet tour dates
12/30/22 Crystal Bay, NV | Crystal Bay Casino
12/31/22 Crystal Bay, NV | Crystal Bay Casino
1/13/23 Telluride, CO | Sheridan Opera House
1/14/23 Crested Butte, CO | Center for the Arts
1/20/23 Denver, CO | Cervantes
1/21/23 Denver, CO | Cervantes
2/3/23 Tucson, AZ | Gem + Jam
2/17/23 Bend, OR | Volcanic Theatre Pub
2/18/23 Bend, OR | Volcanic Theatre Pub
2/24/23 Bozeman, MT | ELM
2/25/23 Missoula, MT | Top Hat
2/26/23 Whitefish, MT | Great Northern Bar
3/1/23 Victor, ID | Knotty Pine
3/2/23 Boise, ID | Olympic Lounge
3/3/23 Salt Lake City, UT | Commonwealth
3/4/23 Salt Lake City, UT | Commonwealth
3/10/23 Buena Vista, CO | Ivy Ballroom
3/11/23 Buena Vista, CO | Ivy Ballroom
3/15/23 Indianapolis, IN | Vogue
3/16/23 St Louis, MO | Delmar Hall
3/17/23 Columbus, OH | St. Fatty’s Daze @ The Woodlands
3/18/23 Columbus, OH | St. Fatty’s Daze @ The Woodlands
3/19/23 Cleveland, OH | Beachland Ballroom
3/24/23 Honolulu, HI | Blue Note
3/25/23 Honolulu, HI | Blue Note

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World Music Mix: TapRoots(USA)-Song for the Ocean (featuring I-Shea)

TapRoots-The Resonance Within

TapRoots(USA)-Song for the Ocean (featuring I-Shea)
Composer: Matthew King / TapRoots
Album name: The Resonance Within (2022)

This is a song dedicated to the Ocean Mother of the Yoruba Pantheon, Yemaya. The track ebbs and flows like the great tides and moods of this Orisha of the Oceans herself … a cool breeze on the tropical waves.
It is just a small taste of what is to come with our upcoming album, The Resonance Within.

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Hakim Jamal-In Blue--200

Hakim Jamal(UK)-Album: In Blue
The new album from Hakim Jamal ‘In Blue’ contains the single Mr. Lichfield, a song dedicated to the fashion and society photographer of the 1960s. The album is mainly influenced by Jamaican sounds and uses a range of Jamaican vocal artists. The imagery on the cover represents the Indian Festival of Colour, Holi. All the songs were originally given the names of shades of blue and a couple have remained as song titles.
Label: TalkingHead TV Recordings
Streaming Tracks:
Mr. Lichfield
Reasons To Fly
Like Butterflies

Composer: Paul Ashley Wheatcroft
More info

World Music Mix: Wade C. Long(USA) – Right Moves (A Long Story Mix)

Wade C. Long - Right Moves (A Long Story Mix)

World Music Mix: Wade C. Long(USA) – Right Moves (A Long Story Mix)

Story Mix)
“Right Moves (A Long Story Mix)” is a fantastic marriage of danceable contemporary jazz and scintillatingly vocal soul. For those preferring a more club-friendly version, legendary DJ Nigel Lowis has produced a brilliant remix.

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World Music Mix

World Music Mix: Hakim Jamal(UK)-Album: When You Are Who You Are

Hakim Jamal(UK)
At Last I Am Free/Think I’ll Call It A Day/We Are Who We Are
Album: When You Are Who You Are
Composer: Paul Ashley Wheatcroft
Label: TakingHead TV Recordings (2022)
When You Are What You Are’ is the new studio album by Hakim Jamal, slated for release in Spring 2022. The album is a return to Hakim’s jazz roots, and of course nods towards the ever-present influence of black songwriters and the black power movement.
Streaming CD Store Website

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