International Jazz Day Part 2

Today is International Jazz Day, and the celebration continues! What are your favourite nu jazz tracks, jazz compositions, standards and albums? Post links in the comment section or on the Jazz Essentials Facebook Page (Please like the page). Here's a little Adam Dorn (a.k.a. Mocean Worker):  "Chick A Boom Boom"

More tracks will be posted on the Jazz Essentials Facebook Page

Post your favourites in the comment section below and on the Jazz Essentials Facebook Page.

Thanks! Happy Jazz Day!

International Jazz Day

Today is International Jazz Day, so let's celebrate! What are your favourite nu jazz tracks, jazz compositions, standards and albums? Post links in the comment section or on the Jazz Essentials Facebook Page (Please like the page). I'll pick the first track. This week's spotlight artist is Sven Van Hees, an artist who helped spur the lounge, chill-out of the 2000's, a futuristic, ambient nu jazz. 





Click here for "Breakfast with Abductees" by Sven Van Hees. 

More tracks will be posted on the Jazz Essentials Facebook Page

Post your favourites below and on the Jazz Essentials Facebook Page.

Thanks! Happy Jazz Day!

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Hi! Thanks for reading the Jazz Essentials blog. If you have a second, could you Like the Jazz Essentials Facebook page.  There's a lot more great nu jazz news and music that I am sharing via Facebook. Thanks so much. Enjoy! 

Sven Van Hees

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This week we spotlight an artist who in the mid 1980s was a DJ on pirate radio as a teenager. Yes at age 15 he was producing and mixing the first Radio-Dance show in Belgium. He would start producing his own records in his twenties.

His 1999 album Gemini has received a lot of praise and is regarded as an important influence on the chill-out/lounge/downtempo movement. He would start his own label, called YOUR LIPS in 2005.


LINKS:
All from Gemini
"Ocean Jive"
Love the bass in this one, "Matrass Mambo"
"Breakfast With Abductees"



REFERENCES:
"Sven Van Hees." last.fm Retrieved from: http://www.last.fm/music/Sven+van+Hees

Kyoto Jazz Massive

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This week we're Japan-bound spotlighting brothers Okino Shuya and Okino Yoshihiro. In Japan, the first name is the family name, that's why Okino came first. The brothers have been DJing since the 80s. They formed the group, Kyoto Jazz Massive in the early 90s. They have helped build the Jazz Crossover Scene in Japan and have attracted a following not only domestically, but internationally. In 2000, the single "Eclipse" reached number 1 on the BBC Radio One chart and their 2002 album Spirit of The Sun has been well received globally. 

LINKS:
"Eclipse"
"The Brightness of These Days"
"Substream"
"A Calamaria"
Kyoto Jazz Massive's take on the legendary bossa nova tune, "Mas Que Nada"




REFERENCES:
"Kyoto Jazz Massive." last.fm Retrieved from: http://www.last.fm/music/Kyoto+Jazz+Massive

Zero 7

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The roots of this British chillout, downtempo duo can be traced back to 16 year olds Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker who calls it "a long conversation about music which has lasted ever since”. 
According to their Facebook page, Sam has bragging rights, as he proved that he could listen to a whole Herbie Hancock album while smoking a bong without being sick. While Henry was a big fan of 80s soul music, particularly Teddy Pendergrass. The duo paid their dues working  at RKA Studios in London serving food and drink to the artists, while developing their music production abilities (Facebook). 

Their remix of Radiohead's Climbing Up The Walls put them on the map, a song which they had persuaded their friend and Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich to allow them to work with. This led to support from Gilles Peterson of BBC Radio and since then have released albums that brought worldwide attention such as: Simple Things in 2001, When It Falls in 2004 and the Grammy nominated The Garden in 2007 (Facebook).  

Their best known song "In The Waiting Line" has been featured in episodes of House and Sex & The City and in the film, Garden State (last.fm).


LINKS:
Clip from Garden State, where "In The Waiting Line" plays 
(The song only) "In The Waiting Line"
"Destiny" 
Great song from The Garden, "Waiting to Die"

REFERENCES:
"Zero 7." (n.d.) Facebook. Retrieved April 11, 2015 from: https://www.facebook.com/Zero7/info?tab=page_info

"Zero 7." last.fm Retrieved from: http://www.last.fm/music/Zero+7

Bonobo

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Simon Green (known as Bonobo) grew up in Hampshire, England, but would move to Brighton which is where he gained confidence DJing and producing. The independent label Tru Thoughts was crucial in getting Bonobo's music to the world, marketing him as "a serious talent; able to bring a true musician's edge to electronic music, with all the freedom that skill allowed("About.")." 

His music is often categorized as trip hop and downtempo. He will be performing in Toronto at the Hoxton on May 29th ("bonobo (dj set)"). Oh and by the way according to Merriam Webster dictionary, a bonobo is actually a rare anthropoid ape, found in Africa south of the Congo River ("Bonobo-Definition").

LINKS:
"El Toro"
A laid back track called "Silver""Kiara"

REFERENCES:

"About." Retrieved from: http://bonobomusic.com/about.php

"bonobo (dj set))." Retrieved from: http://embracepresents.com/event/bonobo-dj-set/

"Bonobo-Definition." Merriam-Webster.com Retrieved from: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bonobo