Yussef Kamaal: Black Focus (Import) Vinyl LP
$33.95
<p><i>Immaculate modern fusion LP by London jazz outfit <a href="https://www.turntablelab.com/search?q=yussef+kamaal" target="_blank"><strong>Yussef Kamaal</strong></a>. </i>The duo, comprised of <strong>Yussef Dayes</strong> and <a href="https://www.turntablelab.com/search?type=article%2Cpage%2Cproduct&q=Kamaal+Williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Kamaal Williams</strong></a> (aka <strong>Henry Wu</strong>) and backed by a swath of London jazz players, channel the 1970s jazz-funk and fusion of <a href="https://www.turntablelab.com/search?type=product&q=Herbie+Hancock" target="_blank"><strong>Herbie Hancock</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.turntablelab.com/search?type=product&q=Jaco+Pastorious" target="_blank"><strong>Jaco Pastorious</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.turntablelab.com/search?type=product&q=Bob+James" target="_blank"><strong>Bob James</strong></a> and <a href="https://www.turntablelab.com/search?type=product&q=Chick+Corea" target="_blank"><strong>Chick Corea</strong></a> with uncanny precision. Their unique flavor of jazz is informed by jungle, grime, broken beat, pirate radio and other touchstones of UK youth culture, akin to their stateside nu-school counterparts' own hip-hop-infused approach (<a href="https://www.turntablelab.com/search?type=product&q=Kamasi+Washington" target="_blank"><strong>Kamasi Washington</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.turntablelab.com/search?type=product&q=Robert+Glasper" target="_blank"><strong>Robert Glasper</strong></a> come to mind). The project started when <strong>Williams</strong> recruited <strong>Dayes</strong> for a one-off live interpretation of his deep house productions, and the pair decided to take their collaboration further, culminating in this full-length on <a href="https://www.turntablelab.com/search?type=product&q=Gilles+Peterson" target="_blank"><strong>Gilles Peterson</strong></a>’s <a href="https://www.turntablelab.com/search?type=product&q=brownswood" target="_blank">Brownwood Recordings</a>. Every single track on <em>Black Focus</em> bangs, but the haunted spiritual elixir of “Yo Chavez” is worth special mention, as is expert jazz-funk stepper “Lowrider”. There is simply no one else making music quite like this in 2017. Recommended.</p> <ul> <li>black vinyl pressing</li> <li>printed inner sleeve</li> <li>digital download included</li> <li>music label: Brownswood Recordings 2016</li> </ul> <h6>reviewed by nick nightingale 05/2017</h6>