Jaimeo Brown Transcendence – Work Songs (2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 55:21 minutes | 634 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Master, Official Digital Download – Source: Bandcamp | Artwork: Front cover | © Motéma
Echoes of the past meet visions of the future on Work Songs, the follow up to Jaimeo Brown Transcendence’s arresting 2013 self-titled debut. From recordings of prisoners in Mississippi to stonemasons in Japan, the album brings renewed life to historical work songs through a mixture of powerfully evocative samples and new recordings. Comprised of drummer/producer Jaimeo Brown and guitarist/producer Chris Sholar, Jaimeo Brown Transcendence deftly weaves together the acoustic and the digital, compellingly connecting jazz and blues with contemporary rock, hip-hop and electronic music.
The inventiveness to cope with difficulty lies at the heart of Work Songs, the follow-up to drummer Jaimeo Brown’s outstanding 2013 release Transcendence. The syncopation of hammers on nails forging railroad tracks and weary chants of laborers are mixed with progressive blues, rock, jazz, and hip hop influences to create a patchwork that’s soulfully compelling. Brown and co-producer/guitarist Chris Sholar deftly integrate sampled field recordings with scintillating performances from jazz saxophonists JD Allen and Jaleel Shaw, blues singer Lester Chamber and new talents such as keyboardist Big Yuki.
Hardship is not confined to a specific people or location and Brown and Sholar cast the geographic net from American prison settings and cotton fields in “Hidden Angel” and “The Valley” to “Safflower” a Japanese folk song that contains entrancing vocals, keyboards and Jaleel Shaw’s fluent alto. Brown’s playing is explosive or nuanced to fit the need and moments such as JD Allen’s fierce solo in “Lazarus” while quoting the Disney tune “Whistle While You Work” are improvised perfections. Though the music juxtaposes voices from the past and present, electronics and live instruments—Brown and Sholar suggest that they are simply a conduit for expressing the human condition in turning bad situations into something more bearable. Like its predecessor, Work Songs is another captivating and thought-provoking journey.
Tracklist:
01 – Hidden Valley
02 – Mississippi
03 – Lazarus
04 – Safflower
05 – Be So Glad
06 – Happy Serving
07 – 2113
08 – Moment of Rest
09 – For Mama Lucy
10 – Stonemason
11 – Paterson
12 – The Valley
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