Kristine England

March 29, 2022

Shane Parish

Liverpool

On his latest recording, Athens, GA-based Shane Parish offers evocative electric interpretations of traditional folk music on Liverpool. The self-taught musician (who is also a member of the duo, Ahleuchatistas) effectively reimagines and transforms sea shanties into lovely and lyrical meditations.

“Black Eyed Susan”

Ilhan Ersahin, Dave Harrington & Kenny Wollesen

Invite Your Eye

"Invite Your Eye" begins with a layered saxophone blast. After a minute, the drums kick in, and the track starts the journey to a hypnotic groove. All three members have worked together in various incarnations in the past, but this is their first recording as a trio, creating what JazzTimes calls, “spacy stoner-jazz…Over the album’s eight tracks, Ersahin, Harrington, and Wollesen unfurl shadowy and dystopian vistas that showcase each player’s well-oiled, multi-dimensional mettle.”

"Invite Your Eye"

Messa

Close

"Pilgrim" begins with beguiling vocals amid distinctly middle eastern folk instrumentation. Then just over 2 and half minutes later, the song transforms into a metal opus, with singer Sara Bianchin presiding over doom-laden, Sabbath-esque riffs. “Despite doom being one of the oldest subgenres of metal, Messa are breathing new life into it, unearthing dark corners that have yet to be explored, like it’s the most natural thing in the entire world.” (Kerrang)

“Pilgrim”

Stromae

Multitude

Belgian singer/songwriter real name Paul Van Haver performs under the name Stromae. His recent single  “L’enfer” (translation: “hell”),  from the new album Multitude, is a highly personal song about his battle with depression and suicidal thoughts. It’s a powerful track from an “adventurous third album [that] examines how we humans care for one another — or don’t.” (Pitchfork)

“L’Enfer”

Cécile McLorin Salvant

Ghost Song

Salvant is no stranger to awards. She’s won the prestigious  ​​Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition prize in 2010 and has accumulated Grammys, topped numerous critics polls, and earned the Glenn Gould Protege Prize along the way. Once you hear her sing, none of the accolades come as a surprise. Her voice is gorgeous and her technique is flawless, and her vocals are steeped in emotion. It’s refreshing to listen to a performer who feels the words she sings.

"Ghost Song"

Mary Simich

How Does One Begin

Listening to this it’s hard to believe it’s not a long-forgotten gem from a bygone era. Her songs sound like a cross between folk, country and girl groups of the 60s. Or, as Rough Trade puts it, her work is “Patsy Cline meets Lana Del Ray with King Khan in the passenger seat.”

"How Does One Begin"

Alai K

Kila Mara

Even though he’s settled in Berlin now, Alai K hasn’t forgotten his Kenyan roots. Creating music that is most assuredly techno but with rich, East-African percussion, his fusion of the two styles is seamless. “Kila Mara, is a record that celebrates cultural exchange in vibrant colour… a record that straddles the rural and the urban; the traditional and the new.” (Crack Magazine)

“​​Watu”

Danilo Perez

Crisálida

The Panamanian pianist has had an illustrious career. In his early days, he worked under the tutelage of Dizzy Gillespie, and he spent several years on the road with Wayne Shorter. He’s recorded x albums as a leader, with his latest, Crisálida (with the Global Messengers), released this month. The Global Messengers are aptly named, with members from Chile, Jordan, Cuba, Greece, Panama, the US, and ​​Palestine.

“La Muralla (Glass Walls) Suite: Monopatia (Pathways)”