Album Review: Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad - Jazz Is Dead 021

Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad

Jazz Is Dead 021

*** out of *****

The Jazz Is Dead label was started in 2017 by music producers Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest), concert producer Andrew Lojero and industry veteran Adam Block. The goal of Jazz Is Dead has been to work with global music legends in both comfortable and unique spaces, exposing them to a new generation, sounding fresh while honoring their established sound. 

On the labels most recent release, Jazz Is Dead 021, they curated a a selection of unreleased songs from the upcoming Jazz Is Dead Series 3, resulting in a high powered "mix-tape/sampler" of funky/jazzy styles from different future releases that works well together, but also will inspire listeners to dig deeper and buy future albums.

One song from each upcoming release is presented here. The deep pulsing bass, flighty flutes and shimmering cymbals kick things off, working well on "Moreno feat The Midnight Hour" as whistling, strings and horns build up the slick track. "Os Acestrais feat Dom Salvador" is OK with strong vocals from Salvador, but much better is the Afrobeat excursion "Obi do Woa (If Someone Loves You) feat Ebo Taylor" which pumps up the excellent percussion and funky groove, highlighting the album.  

That upbeat energy recedes a bit with the dreamy/floating "Uana Ete feat Joyce e Tutty Moreno" while "Menina Do Tororo feat Antonio Carlos e Jocafi" uses electro-keys and a samba soul vibe very reminiscent of the great Jorge Ben. 

"Viajante de Planeta Azul feat Hyldon" is a cinematic offering that is swirling and dramatic with deep bass and lots of layers of sound before "Atlas" wraps up the sampler/record on a soothing note, using chimes, bells, percussion and more to ease out of Jazz Is Dead 021. 

Designed more to widen the scope of the listener and to get them ready for upcoming full length releases from these artists in 2025, Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad have done an admiral job working with legends in these fields and crafting enjoyable tunes in their style. 

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