AUGUST 2020 ISSUE
A sneaky peek of just some of what is in the August 2020 issue – OUT NOW!
Ledisi
Ledisi’s new album The Wild Card – her first since leaving Verve Records – sees the singer return to her soul roots.
“Whether it’s old school, modern, or ‘90s neo-soul stuff,” she says, “it goes all the way around of what the eclectic energy of what Ledisi is. Not one particular Soul/R&B – it’s all of them that have influenced me.”
Is that the sound of cheering I hear?
There is, of course, no singer more soulful than Ledisi. We’ve known and appreciated that since the aptly-titled Soulsinger, her still much lauded debut, released on New Year’s Day 2000. Like that album, The Wild Card is an indie release [on Led’s own label, no less, distributed through BMG] and sees the now-LA resident New Orleans native following a similar path to another recent Verve departee, José James, in seeking to own her own music in future…
Toots Hibbert
It’s been nearly 60 years since Frederick “Toots” Hibbert was singing to customers in the Kingston barbershop where he worked. Outside of church and family, the rest of his free time was spent writing songs, practising harmonies, playing guitar and keeping fit. Decades later, he’s on the other side of town in his own studio doing pretty much the same things, only with a string of honours, international hits and bestselling reggae albums to his credit.
The latest is Got To Be Tough for the Trojan Jamaica label. Although first I want to ask him if his last European tour, due to start at the onset of COVID-19, really was going to be his, given that it was being advertised as a ‘farewell’ campaign.
“That was rubbish,” he barks on a call to Jamaica. “That was untrue. It was false and it wasn’t right to say that. I can’t retire because the people love me too much…
Rudresh Mahanthappa
John Coltrane and Johnny Cash, Charlie Parker and Stevie Wonder. These are just a few of the seminal sources of inspiration for Rudresh Mahanthappa, who puts his own spin on their music on his appropriately titled new album Hero Trio. Backed by double bassist Francois Moutin and drummer Rudy Royston, the alto saxophonist is on dazzling form as the group sets about an impressively wide spectrum of material.
“I’ve always been very open about being influenced by a lot of different things and not just being a jazz musician who’s influenced by jazz,” says Mahanthappa, very chipper via zoom…
Skip Marley
Skip Marley is Bob Marley’s grandson and if a glance at his face and dreadlocks don’t convince you, then his music may well do. The 24-year-old has been around for several years now, putting down markers and amassing a catalogue of songs that owes more to genuine talent than many give him credit for. Currently, he’s celebrating the arrival of his debut EP Higher Place, released on the same Island Records label that his grandfather graced with such distinction throughout the seventies.
I hadn’t heard the finished project before speaking with him, but Skip did outline the general concept for us.
“That name is referring to a higher state of mind and a higher state of consciousness,” he explained. “That’s what we need if there’s to be less suffering in the world because we can’t be living on a low vibration anymore…
