February 22, 2023
All That Jazz
Tired of listening to the same old top-40 songs? Here are a couple of choice jazz albums to soothe your soul.Out of Gas but Still Burningby Kashmere Stage Band
In 1967, Conrad Johnson, a music teacher from Kashmere High School in Houston, Texas, was inspired by an Otis Redding concert to form a funk/soul jazz band for his students. He would write and conduct most of the pieces for their performances, and the group of teenagers, who stayed together until 1978, would go on to cement themselves as nothing but bona-fide legends. They destroyed high-school competitions and dominated national championships, and rightfully so. These kids could lay down funk like it was nobody’s business. It’s some of the best jazz I’ve ever listened to, and they were high schoolers?!?! Absolutely incredible stuff. Even if you only consider yourself a cursory fan of jazz, you should do yourself a favor and check this album (or any by them, really) out sometime.
The 7th Handby Immanuel Wilkins
Immanuel Wilkins’ album The 7th Hand is one of the premier jazz albums to come out of 2022, and arguably the best jazz album of the year. With only seven tracks spanning 59 minutes, the album is a complete journey. Wilkins starts with a bang in the high-tempo track “Emanation,” where he soars and solos on his alto sax for the majority of the tune. Other stand-out tracks include “Don’t Break,” featuring a mind-blowing percussion performance from guest artists the Farafina Kan Percussion Ensemble, and the atmospheric “Witness,” featuring jazz flutist Elena Pinderhughes. The album ends on a high with the freely improvised number “Lift,” which brings listeners to new heights in a slow build over nearly half an hour. This album is truly so much fun and makes for a great hour-long immersive listening experience. Personally, I used this album as the soundtrack to my commute to and from campus a few times, and it was magical! This album is available for free on YouTube or by subscription on Spotify or Apple Music.