Dogs Bark Babies Cry

On his sophomore long-player, London-based jazz composer and keyboardist Yoni Mayraz retains his seamless contemporary melding of modern jazz, hip-hop, and electronics in settings that retain the spontaneity of live performance yet offer detailed arrangements. Following Dybbuk Tse!, his 2022 debut, Dogs Bark Babies Cry expands the approach, focusing on his trios interplay (bassist Tim Dreissler and drummer Zoe Pascal). He also appends the cast with special guests. Recorded at Londons Konk Studios, the set is released by Pino Palladino and David Passicks New York-based PPK Records. Opener "Darwish Records" walks the tightrope between slick, soulful fusion, post-bop, and contemporary jazz. Mayraz weaves together Rhodes piano, synths, and organ atop Pascals canny, fluid breaks as Dreisslers precise fretless bass playing acts as harmonic and contrapuntal foil for the keyboardist. Following the elliptical jazz-funk of "Rooftops," with strings by guest Nicole Petrus Barracks, Tenderlonious and his flute guest on "Ghostown" make a dramatic excursion into melodic fusion that recalls the late jams of Weather Report. JSPHYNX (Johnny Woodman) brings his searching trumpet to "Exarchea," rippling notes around the trios vampy flow. His solo reveals emotion alongside considerable technique and phrasing. Its no wonder that Londons R&B community seeks him out so often. "Uneven Ties" is introduced by Dreisslers bass, which is offered as anchor and dub engine. Mayraz delivers a spaced-out synth solo before layering in his sensual, funky Rhodes as Pascal double-times him. The sets hinge cut is "Ice Cold," a moody jazz/hip-hop tune fronted by Mutant Academy rapper Fly Anakin. The band lay down a Ramsey Lewis-esque groove a la Sun Goddess, then segue into the wonderfully syncopated "Vacation." Pascal plays a funky rhythm that readily reveals its Junglist influence. Guest Callum Connell delivers an excellent alto sax solo before Mayraz shifts into a Latin groove while the rhythm section keeps it funky. Miriam Adefris harp aids the cosmic flow on "Trip to Japan," where clubjazz energy meets fusion and post-bop. Her solo adds harmonic depth and a lush textural dimension framed by the sonorities of Matan Vardis tenor sax. "Modern Times" is all motion. Introduced by a fleet Rhodes piano vamp that would not be out of place in a soundtrack about auto racing, its minor-key riff is doubled on Mayrazs organ as Pascal plays, pulse-like, under and around the beat, adding breaks and accents as Dreissler bridges the gap until the tune unwinds; he buoyantly restores the trios connection. Closer "Mushroom Hour" is sumptuous fusion led by Dreisslers running across his lower register before erecting a texturally airy sonic palette that contains Mayrazs melody and Pascals fleet double time. Dogs Bark Babies Cry is as riveting and listenable as its predecessor. That said, it goes further in its harmonic, lyric, and rhythmic pursuits, and further develops the use of hip-hop as a core building block in Mayrazs polished, modernist sound. Fans of Alfa Mist, Makaya McCraven, and Yussef Dayes will greatly enjoy it. – Thom Jurek