Tag Archives: Georgia Anne Muldrow

Switched On – Georgia Anne Muldrow: VWETO III (Foreseen Entertainment / Epistrophik Peach Sound)

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reviewed by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

“VWETO III is intended for movement”, writes Georgia Anne Muldrow on her Bandcamp page. “It’s to be played when you birth yourself back outside after a long introspective period to get the things you need.”

‘Vweto’ is a word in the Congolese Kikongo language meaning ‘gravity’ – and it suits Muldrow’s grounded approach, as she draws on hip hop, jazz, funk and soul for her inspirations.

Most of the album’s 17 tracks are instrumental, but space is allowed for vocals, “like DIY songs that people can have for themselves”, she writes. “I want to see the sisters rapping up a storm.”

What’s the music like?

Very much ‘alive’. Muldrow’s refusal to process her music too much leads right to the human heart of the music, with irregularities welcome in both pitch and rhythm. Just a few seconds of Old Jack Swings are what’s required, the low slung beats and grubby bass line combining in an earthy sound.

Georgia’s music is spaced out but with a firm sense of direction too, so the lovely wide-screen synth trappings and psychedelic loops are given solid, bassbin-bothering beats. Slave Revoltalleyway Boom has a great combination of squelchy bass, cool keyboard and a rhythm purposefully dragging its feet, while throwback baps gets its winding piano into a circular loop.

Meanwhile Slow Drag gives musical signposts towards one of Georgia’s mentors, Alice Coltrane, with its spiritually rich organ sound. Alternatively Grungepiece shreds its guitar against a sprinkling of piano dust.

The vocals are good, too – Love Call Groove has a sultry air, while the rapping on Ayun Vegas Session 1 matches Georgia’s rich alto

 

It is difficult to know where the analogue stops and the digital starts on VWETO III – proof of Muldrow’s successful fusion of past, present and future.

Does it all work?

Yes. As she did in the previous two volumes of this series, Georgia operates an extremely open musical policy, and the fresh improvisation on a lot of these tracks gives them a freshly minted feel.

Is it recommended?

It is. VWETO III achieves its aim of looking outwards and upwards, celebrating the likely return to the outdoors and positive living. Its freedom is at odds with the closed environments of the last year and a half, and its stylistic blends and inventions are invigorating. More power to her elbows!

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Switched On – Joe Armon Jones: Turn To Clear View (Brownswood)

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reviewed by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Joe Armon Jones is a man with a vivid imagination and a thirst for collaboration, so it is hardly surprising that he fits into the world of jazz with such refreshing ease. Yet that is not the only world with which he rubs shoulders, as his second album for Brownswood deftly shows. With guests including Georgia Anne Muldrow and fellow Ezra Collective members Oscar Jerome, Moses Boyd and Nubya Garcia, Turn To Clear View promises musical exploration, a feeling furthered by its P-funk style album cover.

What’s the music like?

Turn To Clear View builds on the promise of instinctive music that Jones’ first album for Brownswood, Starting Today, showed. The fact he has followed up that album in less than a year and a half, with other projects on the go, shows the rich vein of creativity he is currently mining.

Crucially, Turn To Clear View is accessible from almost every entry point. If you come to this from the P-Funk of Funkadelic or more outright jazz leanings, or even slower disco and hip hop, there will be something for you here.

Perhaps the most obvious and appealing groove is Icy Roads, a nice syncopated number that works up a light-headed euphoria. Asheber’s vocal on Try Walk With Me is part of a warm welcome to the album, with the telling lyrics ‘time to let go’, while the Muldrow-fronted Yellow Dandelion is a treat, full of colour and expression and with a great keyboard solo from Jones himself.

Gnawa Sweet shows off a lovely, burnished trumpet sound from the Ezra Collective’s Dylan Jones, while (To) Know Where You’re Coming From has a nice breezy ensemble melody with trumpet and sax. Jehst’s vocal on The Leo & Aquarius dovetails beautifully with another sensitive contribution from Jones, before an energetic rap towards the end, while Nubya Garcia delivers a passionate saxophone solo on You Didn’t Care.

Finally on Self:Love the entreaty to ‘be yourself’ from Obongjayar is perfectly timed, effectively bringing the mood of the album full circle.

Does it all work?

It does. Turn To Clear View is a well-crafted yet instinctive piece of work, musically fluid and enjoying the rich colours and individual styles of those involved. Jones is very sensitive to the guests on the album, but is clearly a force to be reckoned with when he comes to the fore.

Is it recommended?

Very much so. Joe Armon Jones has a stellar career ahead of him on this evidence, and the speed of thought he currently has with his musical projects is enviable. It won’t be long until his next move, for sure!

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Switched On – Georgia Anne Muldrow – VWETO II (Mello Music Group)

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reviewed by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

VWETO II is the sequel to Georgia Anne Muldrow’s 2011 album. Like that release it is an instrumental piece of work, an intriguing melting pot of hip hop, jazz, R&B and soul. Its colourful artwork offers clues to the author’s inspiration and the mood of the album, for although it is largely down tempo VWETO II is positive in mood.

What’s the music like?

Subtly inventive. Nothing here is routine, but nor is it too challenging as Muldrow finds a really fertile ground between experimenting and producing really good, solid grooves. Often her rhythms are syncopated and this means they can stumble slightly, a practice used on first track Almost Trendy which actually ends up depicting a natural walk along the street.

This establishes the mood and tempo of the record, which is a lot of fun and always has something of interest. The enjoyable inventions with beats and colours include the wonky bass and general weirdness of Something Fun, the undulating piano and oblique chord progressions of Brokenfolks and the cool vibraphone and piano of Bass Attack Bap.

After the pleasingly brassy CV Jam Number 2, Emo Blues opens up darker hues, nicely led by its acoustic bass, and later on Mary Lou’s Motherboard explores the macabre side of Muldrow’s thinking.

Does it all work?

Yes – VWETO II is consistently rewarding. While it is a shame not to hear Muldrow’s memorable voice in full flow her rate of output means it will surely not be long before that happens again. In the meantime we have this set of irresistible instrumentals, which work as well on the morning after as they do on the night before.

Is it recommended?

Yes, wholeheartedly. The range of beats and colours on VWETO II is very strong and original, turning over stones aplenty in its quest for original voices and memorable grooves. In the course of the album Muldrow hits both of those goals repeatedly and with ease.

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