Articles by Rokas Kucinskas
Noya Rao: Icaros
by Rokas Kucinskas
Something that started as a solo project by Tom Henry in his bedroom studio transformed into something much more mature: first his ideas were executed in an instrumental trio setting that eventually evolved into the vocal electronic-soul quartet--Noya Rao. What kind of music does the quartet play? The kind that Gilles Peterson is famous for." With Noya Rao's debut album, Icaros, one can hear everything from LA beatmakers (e.g. Flying Lotus, Tokimonsta, Teebs, etc.) to acts such as Little Dragon, ...
read moreLatchepen: Love Letters
by Rokas Kucinskas
Meet Latchepen--jny: London-based gipsy jazz band consisting of four brilliant musicians (three of them being conservatory graduates). Full of passion for Django Reinhardt and 30s swing, their debut album Love Letters translates into a contemporary reflection of the era that saw jazz hit heights in popularity never to be seen afterwards, even though the particular type of jazz articulated by Latchepen never came to be a mainstream attraction during the time. Gipsy jazz has always seemed an extremely ...
read moreYussef Kamaal: Black Focus
by Rokas Kucinskas
If people still think that the capital of jazz is New York, surely they've never been to London or listened to anything that comes from the British capital these days. Just like New York, London is a melting pot. Because you can find musicians from any part of the world, the produced outcome is extremely cosmopolitan. Yet, since London never had such a rich history of jazz as New York, the music tends to carry a very different vibe while ...
read moreJamil Sheriff: Helping shape a brave new jazz world
by Rokas Kucinskas
Jamil Sheriff is a jazz pianist, composer, and educator. About 20 years after finishing studies in Leeds College of Music, the pianist became the head of the jazz department in the same institution; today he is regarded as one of the top jazz educators in the UK. Among many things Sheriff teaches composition, aural awareness, and ensemble. Known for his composition skills, he worked with large ensembles and recorded with them in the past: Daydreams (2003) and Backchat (2008) with ...
read moreGilles Peterson: The BBC Sessions Vol. 1
by Rokas Kucinskas
To this day Gilles Peterson transcends more eclecticism than most music broadcasters on air, and perhaps the only genre continuously omitted from his shows is classical music. Peterson owns Brownswood Records, produces Worldwide Awards, and recently launched his radio station Worldwide FM, which was also featured in the latest Grand Theft Auto sequel, i.e. GTA V. He is a touring DJ and one of the biggest record collectors in the world. Not enough? Well, the man is also ...
read moreElizabeth Shepherd's Trio: Start to Move
by Rokas Kucinskas
It's hard to categorize Elizabeth Shepherd's music--much like a windmill with its stable parts, less and less visible in a motion. Yet a sense of direction isn't absent, and Shepherd offers a wide spectrum of textures ranging from musical complexity to lyrical musicality. The singer-songwriter's debut release Start to Move is full of hidden treasures for every jazz lover. Music on the album is filled with streams of ideas: soulful pieces filled with heavy syncopations, modal variations ...
read moreDJM trio: Cave Art
by Rokas Kucinskas
Dominic J Marshall is a pianist, composer, and aspiring electronic music artist. The Leeds College of Music and Conservatorium van Amsterdam graduate is best known for his piano trios in Netherlands and United Kingdom, where he mostly performs. His past releases, with the exception of his electronic music, are rooted in contemporary jazz piano tradition: technical, harmonically and rhythmically challenging music, which is mostly based on thematic improvisations. Cave Art is different. Perhaps so different that it is everything but ...
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