RTJ4 Deluxe Released with Lil Wayne Remix and More

RtBE's highest rated album of 2020 has just been re-released in a deluxe version, as Run The Jewels deliver RTJ4 Deluxe. 

Our review of RTJ4 mentioned how it captured the cultural zeitgeist, and things haven't changed all that much as we roll into the finale of 2021. 

Grab the album here.  Peep out the "Oh La La" remix with Lil Wayne below:

 

2020 Recap: Favorite Albums, Shows, Etc

With all the hectic happenings at the end of the year, things can be missed. This is just a catch up post to point out a few of our favorite things from 2020 that shouldn't go unnoticed. There were many strong releases, not many great live shows but other interesting things in a crap year....good riddance.

What a year, of course the world ground to a halt, and RtBE went out of our collective brains, posting 515 times, with a focus on live streams trying to publicize the musicians who were performing remotely, unable to tour. 

I personally also submitted the most reviews I ever have to Glide Magazine (almost 50 in 2020) and will take a second to thank Shane and the whole Glide team for allowing me to continue working with them on a wide variety of reviews.

Now...in case you missed it here are our Best of 2020 series of posts...

Our picks for best album art of 2020, where we check out some creative album art from the last year.

Our picks for best live show of 2020, what an amazing year for live tunes...all of these were jaw dropping nights in their own ways.

Finally our favorite albums of the year. The honorable mentions and top ten list are all lined up. 

If you are looking for more suggestions, we also have our list of the top fifty albums of the past decade which you can check out and yell at us about. 

Feel free to let us know your choices for all of the above in the comments and thanks as always for reading and exploring...as the patron saint of this site stated:

What are those of the known, but to ascend and enter the Unknown? 

Album Review: Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah - Axiom

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah

Axiom

**** out of *****

One of the strongest jazz musicians on the scene Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah was playing the famous Blue Note in NYC right before the pandemic shut down everything. Those nights were recorded and the resulting live album Axiom is a sprawling capturing of CSaA's live experience. 

The core band CSaA has been playing with for a few years now is dynamic. Elena Pinderhughes - Flute Alex Han - Alto Saxophone Lawrence Fields – Piano, Keyboards Kris Funn - Bass Weedie Braimah – Djembe, Congas, Bata, Percussion Corey Fonville - Drums, SPDSX accompany the leader who plays Trumpet, Adjuah Trumpet, Sirenette, Reverse Flugelhorn, and Percussion while also talking to the crowd. 

While CSaA spends a solid part of his live shows conversing with the crowd about his personal inspiration, political issues and other jazz players. Only a few minimal stories are told on this double album with a focus on the music, and there is a ton of it.. If anything Axiom suffers from overload as  two hours of music keeps flowing and the songs/style can be daunting for those new to CSaA's offerings. 

The opener drops the listener directly in the deep end though with "X. Adjuah [I Own the Night]" from his Ancestral Recall album. The track is a percussive whirlwind as programmed beats, frantic drumming and loads of percussion keep pumping away at warp speed around piercing trumpet blows announcing his blazing intention. 

The following ode to New Orleans legends "The Last Chieftain [for Big Chiefs Donald Harrison Sr. & Jr.]" keeps the percussion bubbling with loads of solos including pianos and flutes while the snares, cymbal rides, trumpets and smooth bass give "Guinnevere" a mid career Miles Davis vibe. Davis' influence seeps in throughout, especially with his electric years focus on beats, which CSaA spotlights on Axiom.   

The laid back R&B groove of "Songs She Never Heard" pairs excellently with the new excursion 'Huntress" written for his mother and all powerful New Orleanian women while "Sunrise in Beijing" keeps the drums but also showcases Pinderhughes best flute solo on the record. Slightly less successful are the choppy scale climbing/descending "Incarnation [Chief Adjuah - Idi of the Xodokan]" and the aggressively blown "West of the West" with Han's sax getting a showcase. 

After quick introductions the bandcamp release also offers alternate takes of "Guinnevere" and "The Last Chieftain [for Big Chiefs Donald Harrison Sr. & Jr.]" which are fine, but the original versions shine brighter.   

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah was really on top of his craft in the live setting when the pandemic struck and Axiom is a strong capturing of his bands talents and powers. 

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Axiom was included in our Best of 2020

Support the artist, buy the album, stream it on bandcamp or below and peep some video:

Album Review: New Orleans Nightcrawlers - Atmosphere

New Orleans Nightcrawlers 

Atmosphere

**** out of *****

2020 brought with it many surprises, a pleasant one was the return of the excellent New Orleans Nightcrawlers who released their first album in 11 years titled Atmosphere. The brass band get down with comfortable ease on the free flowing album, proving they haven't lost a step. 

Founded in the tradition of The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, the Nightcrawlers play bras band with a mix of high arraignments and party atmosphere funk.The band pay tribute to the legends via a sousaphone led rendition of Eric Traub's "Glasshouse" where The Dirty Dozen held court for years.  

The Nightcrawlers have changed since their first dynamite release twenty five years ago but for 2020 they still put out a strong lineup that is a of a whose who of New Orleans music with Kevin Clark, trumpet,  Barney Floyd, trumpet, Caytanio Hingle, bass drum, Kerry “Fatman” Hunter, snare drum, Craig Klein, trombone, vocals, Miles Lyons, trombone, Jason Mingledorff, tenor sax, clarinet, Matt Perrine, sousaphone, producer and Brent Rose, tenor sax. The players all are prominent in other famous bands and some are professors of music making for Nightcrawler sessions to be a special coming together of players. 

The opening "Gentilly Groove" takes the shape of long lost friends catching up in a relaxing environment before the bands interpretation of "Great Googa Mooga" amps up the fun levels riffing on the Lee Dorsey track. 

Another upbeat winner is the bands tribute to their drummer as "Fat Man" is a good time stroll with a drum break for Hunter to shine while "Big Bottom" takes the Spinal Tap ode to tushy and inserts three sousaphones where basses originally went. "The Lick" brings in an overt cinematic flavor while closer "Fiasco on Frenchman" flirts with the avant-garde before delving into an excellent gallop with brilliant trumpet work. 

The center of the album is anchored by New Orleans tradition with the Nightcrawlers spin as the dirge "Tomb Tune" walks the dead to the final resting place before the excellently exuberant "Ursuline Second Line" parade the living back to a party. Perfectly paired and place they elevate this collection of brass tunes from modern day masters of the craft. 

The all-stars who came together for this go around of the New Orleans Nightcrawlers have lived up to the lofty standards on Atmosphere, a record that breezes by and makes you want to start all over again.  

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Atmosphere was also included in our 2020 year end review. 

Support the band, buy the album, peep some video below: 

Album Review: Nubya Garcia - Source

Nubya Garcia

Source 

**** out of *****

The excellent full length debut from Nubya Garcia is a mix of styles with polish and flair. Source mixes genres with ease, vividly shows off Garcia's chops and is accessible to the non-jazz fans in the room. Produced by Garcia and Kwes (Bobby Womack, Solange, Nerija) the album displays a modern feel and tone. 

Garcia has been working on the London jazz scene for a few years now and Source displays her talents in full, starting with the excellent opener "Pace". The intoxicating bass thump and sax lead the way over the almost eight minute jaunt; while there are multiple solos from all involved there is still a structure as the band move forward. In this vein another standout track "Before Us: In Demerara & Caura (featuring Ms MAURICE)" follows the same vein mix styles and substance with solos creating a greater whole.

Source leans on a chill vibe as "The Message Continues" showcases her smooth sax work with upbeat drums and cooled out electro keys while the title track develops a reggae/dub rhythmic vibe while soloists float along the melody. The record dips in the middle as the lounge based "Together Is A Beautiful Place To Be" runs on too long while "Stand With Each Other (featuring Ms MAURICE, Cassie Kinoshi, Richie Seivwright)" never fully coalesces. 

However things pick back up on "Inner Game" as the bright groove kicks into gear and Garcia shines as the focal point with her nuanced sax work.Vocals also get added later in the album with flair as the Latin influenced "La cumbia me está llamando (featuring La Perla)" shines while closer "Boundless Beings (featuring Akenya)" injects a modern R&B vibe to wrap up the strong debut full length. 

Garcia is already established in London jazz circles and with Source aims much higher in the wake of Kamasi Washington, Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah and other modern jazz emerging legends. 

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Source was mentioned in our 2020 Year End Review.
Support the artist, buy the album, stream on bandcamp or below and peep some video:

Year In Review 2020 - Favorite Albums of 2020

Here are our all of our favorite albums of 2020. This is the year end review, all in one place.

It starts with our honorable mentions then moves into our top ten albums of the year. There is a short blurb about the album and a song from it, click on the title to read our full review of the selected records. The focus here is on full albums, not singles, but long playing releases you can slap on and listen to all the way through.

It has been a weird year to say the least... 

Thanks for reading.

Year In Review 2020 - Favorite Albums Part 3: The Top 5

Another year is finishing up and @RockBodElec wouldn't be a proper music site if we didn't end the year with a "Best Of" list, so RtBE presents 2020's Favorite Albums Part 3: Top Five.

In the instance that RtBE has reviewed the album, either on this site or elsewhere, we will link to that review and just give a quick summation; click on the name/title and you can read our full opinion. RtBE worked with the Glide Team to give input on their Top 20 so you can expect some overlap if you already have seen that list.

Again the focus here is on full albums, not singles, but long playing releases you can slap on and listen all the way through. We know these are a dying breed, but it still is the way we consume music, no shuffle or singles for us.

The number ten just works for this, so here is the second part of our top ten, numbers five through one. You can see the back end of our top ten and the albums that just missed as well. Like all of our lists or 'best of's' these are meant to start conversations more than end them...

Year In Review 2020 - Favorite Albums Part 2 (#10-6)

Another year is finishing up and @RockBodElec wouldn't be a proper music site if we didn't end the year with a "Best Of" list, so RtBE presents 2020's Favorite Albums Part 2: Numbers Ten through Six

In the instance that RtBE has reviewed the album, either on this site or elsewhere, we will link to that review and just give a quick summation; click on the name/title and you can read our full opinion. RtBE worked with the Glide Team to give input on their Top 20 so you can expect some overlap if you already have seen that list.

Again the focus here is on full albums, not singles, but long playing releases you can slap on and listen all the way through. We know these are a dying breed, but it still is the way we consume music, no shuffle or singles for us.

The number ten just works for this, here are numbers ten through six, numbers five to one are coming soon. You can check out the albums that just missed this top ten as well. Like all of our lists or 'best of's' these are meant to start conversations more than end them...

Year In Review 2020 - Favorite Albums Part 1 (The Just Misses and Let Downs)

Another year is finishing up and @RockBodElec wouldn't be a proper music site if we didn't end the year with a "Best Of" list, so RtBE presents 2020's Favorite Albums Part 1 (The Just Misses and Let Downs):

In the instance that RtBE has reviewed the album, either on this site or elsewhere, we will link to that review and just give a quick summation; click on the name/title and you can read our full opinion. RtBE worked with the Glide Team to give input on their Top 20 so you can expect some overlap if you already have seen that list.

Again the focus here is on full albums, not singles, but long playing releases you can slap on and listen all the way through. We know these are a dying breed, but it still is the way we consume music, no shuffle or singles for us.

The number ten just works for this so these are the albums that just missed out on being our ten favorite for the year. After that we have s few albums from artists we dig that we were let down by. Like all of our lists or 'best of's' these are meant to start conversations more than end them...

Year In Review 2020 - Favorite Live Show #SaveOurStages

The live show is a slippery thing. There are lots of variables at play, most having little to do with the performance itself. Does the venue have enough bathrooms? Is it going to rain? What day of the week is it on? Did I have a shitty day at work before hand? Did tickets cost waaay too much? All of this effects one's opinion of a live show before the band even tunes up and with reason, but when the stars align, there is no place RtBE would rather be then in the moment of magic occurring spontaneously from the stage.

Live Music Has No Equal!

Taken By The Fantastic Megan Donohue

RtBE has used that same introductory paragraph for years now. It hurts as we read it in 2020. Live music is everything and this year mostly robbed it from us. Live streams during the year of Covid-19 will make up the bulk of this list and we hope this is the only year we ever have to suffer through so little live music, but who knows... 

We watched a lot of live streams and tried to promote them as much as we possibly could for the artists, various charities and the venues who rely on the revenue. Hopefully all survive through 2021 and things can trickle back into action. #SaveOurStages 

Year In Review 2020 - Favorite Album Art

We kick off our Year in Review section of 2020 with a favorite feature in the Best of... area, Album Art. Like in years past we will be choosing our Favorite Albums of the Year, a few that were underwhelming and our favorite live shows. 

Today we are starting out by judging books (records) by their covers (vinyl sleeves, jackets, digital pics, etc) with the Best Album Art Work of 2020.

The biggest gripe RtBE has with digital music is not the quality (that has been massively improved) nor the disposal nature of it (still a problem, but whatever), it is the lack of amazing album covers and art work.

Sure there may be great album art out there but seeing it on a screen, in iTunes or elsewhere is nothing compared to holding an LP cover or even a CD booklet with pages of lyrics, pictures etc. Thankfully the rise of vinyl is helping this dilemma but it is still not enough. The hours we spent staring, actually holding, examining tons of covers while listening to music can't be adequately recorded, it added new dimensions to the sounds. You were connected to album in a more physical way; things were deeper, more evocative...Anyways...