Jazz Is Dead celebrated the end of its first season (2021) with
JID09 The Instrumentals, offering versions of tracks issued on volumes by
Roy Ayers,
Marcos Valle,
Joao Donato, and
Gary Bartz. Multi-instrumentalists/label bosses
Ali Shaheed Muhammad and
Adrian Younge issued it under their names, and relied heavily on the source tracks, stripping out their legendary collaborators' vocals. Two years later, the label closed out its second season following triumphant titles by
Katalyst,
Jean Carne,
Phil Ranelin, and
Wendell Harrison, drummer/composer
Garret Saracho,
Lonnie Liston Smith, and drummer
Tony Allen (posthumous). The producers appear on virtually every release, and more often than not co-write with their guests, play many of the instruments, and guarantee a level of professional accompaniment for the originators present on the label's recordings.
JID019 Instrumentals differs from its predecessor. All ten selections were co-written by
Muhammad and
Younge with either
Carne (
Vol. 7) or
Smith (
Vol. 3). The tunes (selections from their individual volumes) were re-recorded with stunning sound and production, and given crystalline mixes.
Set opener "Come as You Are" was co-composed with
Carne; its original appeared on
JID012. Here it's a monstrously bass-and- Rhodes-driven jazz-funk ditty with
Muhammad on Rhodes piano, drummer
Greg Paul laying down fingerpopping accents and breaks, and killer alto and sopranino sax playing from
Younge. "Love Brings Happiness" features
Smith on acoustic piano alongside
Muhammad's Rhodes. It reflects
Smith's lasting influence on the pianist's tenure with
Pharoah Sanders.
Younge's silvery, psychedelic guitar playing hovers above interwoven keyboards and popping electric bass, as
Paul becomes the engine.
Younge also adds synths, clavinet, vibraphone, and percussion to the flowing, expansive melange. "Black Rainbows" is an ecstatic exercise in spiritual soul-jazz with glorious Rhodes and mono synths from
Younge, a complex, Latin-tinged bassline from
Muhammad, anchored by the unshakeable
Paul. On
Carne's "The Summertime," they add just enough Mellotron, electric guitar, and popping bass to
Mekala Session's drumming; it effects a profound change in texture and dimension. "Love Can Be" features
Smith on Fender Rhodes. With
Paul on drums,
Younge plays everything else -- Hammond B-3, saxophones wah-wah electric guitar, etc. He assists
Smith in expanding the harmonic melody from midtempo R&B ballad into a blissed-out jazz-funk jam. "People of the Sun" is an exercise in classy, 21st century fusion.
Younge plays keys, saxes, flute, guitar, sitar and celeste atop
Muhammad's virtuosic electric bass playing and
Session's constantly rolling, breaking drums. "Cosmic Changes" is an intensely progressive spiritual fusion number showcasing
Smith on Rhodes, and
Younge on everything but drums (
Paul). "Black Love" is exquisitely delivered by the trio of
Session,
Muhammad, and
Younge. It transcends the original vocal presentation on
JID012, melding sophisticated neo-soul with bright, hooky, electric jazz.
JID019 Instrumentals is a fitting conclusion for the duo's season: It's creatively inspired, sonically imaginative, musically tight, and wonderfully accessible to fans of jazz, hip-hop, funk, and R&B. ~ Thom Jurek
