Variables

Genre-traversing London musician Alfa Mist opens Variables, his fifth album, with "Foreward," a rousing tune that sounds influenced by progressive big band, hard bop, and fusion all at once. The attention-grabbing horn figures at the front are followed with blazing solos backed by cool keyboards and complex, constantly mutating beats, finally leading back to a return of the opening horn section. From there, the album continues seamlessly melding several styles, though like the artists last few releases, it seems more centered around jazz than more R&B-leaning early efforts such as Nocturne. "Borderline" features a calmly stated rap about constantly being judged by ones skin color and dealing with "everyday trauma, normalized," while the gentle boom-bap rhythm keeps the mood on the bright side. Longtime collaborator Kaya Thomas-Dyke is featured on "Aged Eyes," a sweet, string-kissed R&B song with bright acoustic guitars and shuffling, Brazilian-inspired rhythms. "The Gist" is soothing head-nod jazz with illuminating solos, particularly the dusty keyboards and scorching, skybound horns. The bittersweet Afro-pop of "Genda (Go Away)" is an example of the upbeat yet slightly melancholy feeling prevalent throughout the album, and it leads into "Apho," a beautiful, uplifting song showcasing the falsetto vocals of South African singer Bongeziwe Mabandla. "4th Web (Stay Awake)" returns to the late-night jazz-rap vibes, touching on dark thoughts yet featuring a group of friends laughing in the background, seeming to emphasize the importance of keeping good humor in order to make it through hard times. Finally, the Mahavishnu-esque "BC" is a magnificent fusion exploration that layers atmospheric guitars and spacy trumpet over rapid yet perfectly controlled drumming. The arrangements and musicianship are consistently top-notch throughout, and the mood maintains a balance between reflection and optimism, making for one of Alfa Mists most accomplished and enjoyable works to date. ~ Paul Simpson

甘美なビッグバンドのスウィングとヒップホップのビート感、そしてもちろんメロディアスなピアノ……ロンドン・ジャズ・シーンの最前線で活躍するピアニスト/プロデューサーがアンタイからの2年ぶり2作目をリリース。ソウルフルで肉体に訴えかけるグルーヴと琴線に触れる旋律、自由なインプロヴィゼーションを融和させた完成度の高い仕上がりだ。来日公演も楽しみ!
bounce (C)大原かおり

50年前、フュージョン勃興期、時代の上澄みのように現れた「牧歌ジャズ」、今、混沌の次に来る揺らぎと安寧を内包した音楽の登場は若いジャズファンだけでなく、トム・ミッシュやジョーダン・ラカイを愛聴する世代をも巻き込んで人気を博す。「Anti-」第二弾の本作はさらに世界を拡げ、ソロピアノ《On My Ones》での内包的な演奏の感性の一部まで含むアルファ・ミスト時代を感じさせる完成度が高い一枚。本年6月の来日講演でその存在感を決定的にするだろう。Kaya Thomas-Dyke(vo,b)、テリー・リー・キャリントンの弟子Jas Kayser(ds)、南アの鬼才Bongeziwe Mabandla(vo)ら才能豊かなメンバーへの期待が膨らむ。
intoxicate (C)瀧口譲司